PMID- 1853738
TI  - [The consent of the patient].

PMID- 1853737
TI  - The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential in monozygotic and
      dizygotic twins.
AB  - The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential was recorded from 10
      pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins and 11 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins during an
      auditory discrimination task. The within-pair similarity of P300 latency was
      significantly greater in MZ than in DZ twins. The within-pair similarity of P300
      amplitude was not significantly greater in MZ than in DZ twins. These results
      support previous findings suggesting that P300 latency is largely genetically
      determined.

PMID- 1853739
TI  - [Tooth injuries during general anesthesia, oral endoscopy and vibro-massage].
AB  - It is generally recognized that dental injury during and after tracheal
      intubation is a significant problem. Damage may occur during oro-tracheal
      intubation, oral endoscopy or seismotherapy. The incidence was reported in a
      study conducted in the contentious department of Lyon hospitals, in France, from
      1978 to 1988. Results confirm that damage is relatively common and that the
      majority of damaged teeth (67%) were known to have been previously restored, or
      weakened through periodontal disease prior to the damage occurring. Maxillary
      incisors were the most frequently injured teeth. Fracture of crowns and roots of
      natural teeth (44,8%), followed by partial luxation (20,8%) and avulsion (20,8%)
      were the most common injury. Several cases are presented which reveal the
      clinical value of dental damages that occur during orotracheal intubation, oral
      endoscopy or seismotherapy. Besides dental or gingival complications can appear
      immediately but also after a few days or weeks. Some of the most recent
      development in dental therapy such as the butterfly bridge, titanium implants and
      porcelain laminate veneers are described. Tooth protective guards must be put
      into widespread use. Legal implications of dental lesions occurring during oro
      tracheal intubation, oral endoscopy or seismotherapy are presented.

PMID- 1853740
TI  - [The Akinosi dental anesthesia technique: apropos of 10 clinical cases].
AB  - The anesthesia technique described by AKINOSI in 1977, in Nigeria, shows certain
      advantages: According to the author, it has a percentage of efficacy, of about
      95%. It permits an effective anesthesia of the inferior alveolar, lingual and
      buccal nerves to be obtained with a single injection. It has a psychological
      aspect which is of interest to the degree that it is carried out with the mouth
      closed, the patient thus being in a position of muscular and aponeurotic
      relaxation, which permits a nearly painless injection to be made. This technique
      has disadvantages which lead to a preference for the "Spix spinal" technique,
      each time that it is indicated; the onset is longer than the one at the Spix an
      average of 6 minutes (for all nerves) as seen in this study, but above all, it is
      a high vascular risk technic that can be conceived only if perfect knowledge of
      the pterygo-mandibular region has been gained so as to evaluate the vascular
      proximities, essentially the maxillary artery and the pterygoid veinous plexas.

PMID- 1853741
TI  - [Immediate effects of irradiation of the orofacial area on the pH of salivary
      lactobacilli].
AB  - pH and salivary lactobacilli were analysed in 22 healthy individuals and 34
      patients with cancer tumors of the oral or oropharyngeal regions before and
      during irradiation therapy. The findings revealed in cancer patients before
      radiotherapy, that pH and lactobacilli were significantly lower than those in non
      cancer control subjects. During irradiation therapy, pH and lactobacilli were not
      significantly altered. No significant difference was found between patients cured
      by chemotherapy before radiotherapy and patients treated only by irradiations.
      However, pH is modified by teeth: toothless patients ph and toothed patients pH
      change in opposite direction.

PMID- 1853742
TI  - ["Food" granuloma of the jaws. Presentation of a new case and review of the
      literature].
AB  - The clinical observation of an oral pulse granuloma allows to detail the clinical
      and pathological characteristics of this lesion. The etiology of this particular
      granuloma is explained by the introduction of alimentary particles into maxillary
      bone. A review of the literature about this subject is also made.

PMID- 1853743
TI  - [Clinical form of preparations and prosthetic restoration after hemisection and
      root amputation].
AB  - With the expand of periodontology and present tendency to preserve the teeth, are
      appear news line forms for our preparations (of fixed prosthodontics). After
      hemisection or root-amputation, we are found of prosthetic reconstruction
      problem. This one should have to respect some simple principles on account of
      characteristic contour form of tooth after surgery. It must be important to have
      good indications, perfect execution, and meticulous realisation of provisionally
      prosthetic.

PMID- 1853744
TI  - [The use of general drugs other than antibiotics in periodontitis].
AB  - Outside of the antibiotics, numerous general medications are prescribed in the
      context of the treatment of periodontal diseases. It appeared to be of interest
      to study them. The international research on anti-inflammatory drugs will be
      analysed in the literature. An in-depth study will then be carried out on
      documents provided by laboratories which market products likely to be active on
      periodontal diseases in France. All the publications concerning Imudon,
      Piascledine 300 and Insadol will be more particularly analysed. The operative
      protocols, conditions and experimentation, as well as the results, will be
      studied as objectively as possible so as to determine the essential efficacy of
      one or nother product.

PMID- 1853745
TI  - [Palatal groove in premature newborns].
AB  - Prolonged intubation for very low birth weight neonates induces the formation of
      a palatal groove. Intraoral appliances are used to prevent this complication.
      However, it still exists inhalation and ingestion risks when an impression is
      taken. Irritation of the skin of the upper lip when using a surgical tape to
      secure the tube is usual. This article deals with modifications brought to avoid
      such disadvantages.

PMID- 1853746
TI  - [Lesions of the oral cavity induced by chewing tobacco].
AB  - Currently, in France, chewing tobacco has only a small place amongst the factors
      of tobacco intoxication. The same is not true for North Africa, where it is very
      widely used, and in the United States, where it is enjoying considerable
      popularity. The consequences of this type of tobacco intoxication can be severe
      for the oral cavity: reactional keratosis, gingival retraction, dental coating,
      periodontitis, risk of malignant degeneration. The public health services must be
      warned of the dangers of this form of tobacco intoxication.

PMID- 1853747
TI  - [Self-medication in dentistry].

PMID- 1853748
TI  - [Intrinsic chemical stability of resins for removable dentures].
AB  - This article begins by recalling the notions of biocompatibility and bio
      material, in order to define the general context of the research on the intrinsic
      chemical inertia of resins used for removable prostheses. The materials (10
      resins), equipment and operating conditions set up to obtain the extraction
      liquids which are analysed according to three procedures are then treated:
      molecular absorption spectrophotometry under ultra-violet rays, gas phase
      chromatography, coupled with mass spectrometry and atomic absorption
      spectrometry. Gas phase chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry showed that
      only one resin released diethyl phthalate after an immersion duration of 8 weeks.
      Various propositions are discussed in order to try to explain these various
      behaviours. In conclusion, it appears at the end of this investigation that the
      resins tested (except for one) show good intrinsic chemical stability when they
      are used according to precise and rigorous procedures.

PMID- 1853749
TI  - [Furcation lesions in deciduous teeth].
AB  - The area of furcation of temporary molars constitutes a zone of exchanges and
      rearrangements relating to the evolution of the sub-adjacent permanent tooth. It
      is subjected to the eruption of the latter and to the physiological modifications
      of the temporary tooth. Moreover, this area is the site of above-mentioned
      inflammatory or infections conditions, maintained or aggravated by anatomical
      factors (accessory canals, thin pulpar floor, with little calcified dentine and
      broad tubuli), physiological factors (multiplication of accessory canals,
      decrease in the floor and migration of the epithelial attachment), endodontic
      factors (pulpal involvement and its complications) and periodontal factors
      (septum syndrome). The pathology of furcation is an evolving lesion. When
      discovered early it can be treated by endodontic therapy, while, in a later
      phase, it will require the extraction of the tooth. The assessment is made on the
      basis of a X-Ray examination which permits the temporary tooth to be situated in
      its stable or labile phase, the condition of the pulpal floor to be evaluated and
      the stage of sub-adjacent germ mineralisation to be estimated. A periodontal
      arrangement, by coronal reconstitution, conditions the reliability of the
      endodontic therapies.

PMID- 1853751
TI  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases.

PMID- 1853750
TI  - [Precise mucostatic primary impression taking in the edentulous mandible. Hemi
      arch method].
AB  - The author has shown that any impression material and its support in the mouth
      must be more malleable than the material used for the object to be reproduced.
      From a fall mandibular arch the impression of both sides, left and right, are
      taken successively by hemi-impressions without impression trays. Two individual
      half impression trays are made, placed in the mouth and are joined together using
      an auto-polymerizing resin. The resulting individual tray permits to make a
      perfect mucostatic impression. This method, far from taking more time, is a time
      saver, since the touch-ups to the individual tray and then to the finished
      prosthesis are practically non-existent or considerably reduced.

PMID- 1853753
TI  - Spinal muscular atrophies: how many types?

PMID- 1853752
TI  - The neuronal cytoskeleton in disorders of the motor neuron.

PMID- 1853754
TI  - Spinal monomelic amyotrophy.

PMID- 1853755
TI  - Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and related syndromes.

PMID- 1853756
TI  - Genetic analysis of childhood-onset spinal muscular atrophy.

PMID- 1853757
TI  - A candidate gene for X-linked spinal muscular atrophy.

PMID- 1853758
TI  - Gene linkage in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a progress report.

PMID- 1853759
TI  - Molecular genetics of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 1853760
TI  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mortality rates in Harris County, Texas.

PMID- 1853761
TI  - Risk factors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 1853762
TI  - Lineage analysis with a recombinant retrovirus: application to chick spinal motor
      neurons.

PMID- 1853763
TI  - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism-dementia complex in southern Guam: is
      it disappearing?

PMID- 1853764
TI  - Ten central themes in a decade of ALS research.

PMID- 1853765
TI  - Role of the cycad neurotoxin BMAA in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
      parkinsonism dementia complex of the western Pacific.

PMID- 1853766
TI  - Experimental models of aluminum-induced motor neuron degeneration.

PMID- 1853767
TI  - Post-radiation motor neuron syndromes.

PMID- 1853768
TI  - Immunogenetics and motor neuron disease.

PMID- 1853769
TI  - Immune-mediated models of motor neuron destruction in the guinea pig.

PMID- 1853770
TI  - Trophic factors for cultured lower motor neurons.

PMID- 1853771
TI  - Separating motor neuron diseases from pure motor neuropathies. Clinical clues and
      definitions.

PMID- 1853772
TI  - Separation of motor neuron diseases from pure motor neuropathies: pathology.

PMID- 1853773
TI  - Separating motor neuron diseases from pure motor neuropathies. Multifocal motor
      neuropathy with persistent conduction block.

PMID- 1853774
TI  - Autoimmunity and ALS: a comparison of animal models of immune-mediated motor
      neuron destruction and human ALS.

PMID- 1853775
TI  - Motor neuron syndromes and monoclonal IgM antibodies to gangliosides.

PMID- 1853776
TI  - Retrograde axonal transport and transcytosis of immunoglobulins: implications for
      the pathogenesis of autoimmune motor neuron disease.

PMID- 1853777
TI  - Paraneoplastic motor neuron disease.

PMID- 1853778
TI  - Viruses and motor neuron diseases.

PMID- 1853779
TI  - Post-polio syndrome: concepts in clinical diagnosis, pathogenesis, and etiology.

PMID- 1853780
TI  - Clinical trials in ALS: measurement and natural history.

PMID- 1853781
TI  - Design of clinical therapeutic trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 1853782
TI  - Human and rodent spinal cord neurons in culture.

PMID- 1853783
TI  - Nuclear and cell body size in spinal motor neurons.

PMID- 1853784
TI  - Skeletal muscle proteins rescue motor neurons from cell death in vivo.
AB  - Because embryonic neurons are more sensitive to the effects of target derived
      factors than adult neurons, the developing nervous system provides a sensitive
      model for investigating the in vivo actions of target-derived growth factors. We
      have used the developing chick embryo to document that skeletal muscle contains
      substances that selectively enhance the in vivo survival of motor neurons. We
      have also shown that a single purified skeletal muscle protein (CDF) is capable
      of rescuing motor neurons during the period of naturally occurring cell death.
      The rescue of motor neurons in vivo by CDF is consistent with the hypothesis that
      distinct neurotrophic factors exist which regulate the timing and extent of the
      naturally occurring death of specific populations of neurons. The effects of CDF
      appear to be specific for cholinergic somatic motor neurons, since the survival
      of other types of spinal cord neurons, which also exhibit cell loss during the
      treatment period, was not affected by CDF treatment. In contrast, treatment of
      the embryos with extracts of tissues not innervated by motor neurons, or with NGF
      or bFGF, does not affect motor neuron survival. Thus the ability to rescue motor
      neurons during the period of cell death appears to be a distinct property of CDF
      and provides indirect evidence that this molecule may play a role in the survival
      and development of motor neurons. The role of neurotrophic factor involvement in
      the pathophysiology of degenerative diseases such as ALS remains entirely
      speculative. However, the demonstration that such factors affect the neuronal
      subtypes at risk in these diseases provides experimental support for this
      possibility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1853785
TI  - Immunology and clinical importance of antiphospholipid antibodies.
AB  - Having reviewed the literature on the association of aPL antibodies with clinical
      manifestations, it is clear that this group of autoantibodies are of considerable
      importance. The presence of aPL antibodies in some but not all individuals
      confers a risk of a clinical syndrome characterized by recurrent arterial or
      venous thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, or positive Coombs' test,
      and in females, recurrent idiopathic fetal loss. In SLE, the risk is
      approximately 40%, compared with a risk of 15% in the absence of aPL antibodies.
      However, only one half of persons possessing these antibodies have SLE, and
      overall the risk is around 30%. In some circumstances, such as in chlorpromazine
      or infection-associated aPL antibodies, there appears to be no increased risk. At
      the other end of the spectrum are seen patients whose only clinical
      manifestations comprise features of this clinical syndrome, and this entity has
      been designated the primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS). aPL antibodies are
      also important because they are not uncommon. They have been found frequently in
      women with idiopathic recurrent fetal loss (30%), in non-autoimmune patients with
      ischemic heart disease (20%), or venous thrombosis (up to 30%), or stroke (4
      47%), and in chronic immune thrombocytopenia (30%). These autoantibodies can be
      detected using sensitive solid-phase immunoassays employing the CL antigen, or in
      appropriate coagulation tests to detect LA activity. These assays are simple to
      perform but require care in selection of the best test and in interpretation of
      results. Current tests do not distinguish between those persons at risk of the
      clinical events and those not at risk. Detection of specific isotypes (especially
      IgG) and antibody level may aid in such a designation. Treatment of aPL antibody
      associated syndromes remains a controversial subject. Since thromboses are
      associated with significant morbidity and potential mortality, there is a good
      argument for long-term preventive antithrombotic therapy, at least for as long as
      the antibodies are detectable, in those patients in whom clinical complications
      have previously occurred. It is not generally recommended that this treatment be
      offered to individuals in whom aPL antibodies are detected but who have not
      suffered previous thromboses, since the risk of such events does not appear to be
      equal within a group of aPL antibody-positive persons. This particularly applies
      to pregnant women, since live births and uncomplicated pregnancies are observed
      regularly in the presence of aPL antibodies without specific treatment. A
      previous history of at least one unexplained, late fetal loss is considered a
      prerequisite before intervention in subsequent pregnancies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1853786
TI  - Adoptive T cell therapy of tumors: mechanisms operative in the recognition and
      elimination of tumor cells.

PMID- 1853787
TI  - The euthyroid sick syndrome.

PMID- 1853788
TI  - Cost of continuing-care facilities in the evaluation of experimental national
      health service nursing homes.
AB  - In this paper the costing method and results from the UK evaluation of National
      Health Service (NHS) nursing-home and continuing-care hospital accommodation for
      elderly people are presented. Results demonstrate that, in deciding on the
      relative efficiency of NHS nursing-home and hospital accommodation, it should be
      possible to provide NHS nursing-home care at a cost which is no greater than its
      hospital counterpart. Cost implications of future developments should be
      monitored in the possible event that they are set up differently from the NHS
      nursing homes discussed in this paper. Despite being more costly than private
      sector nursing-home accommodation, NHS nursing homes cater for a less able group
      of people, although some overlap exists. The implications of such results are
      discussed in the light of the UK Government's recent proposals to reform both the
      NHS and community care.

PMID- 1853789
TI  - The effect of dietary supplementation with vitamins A, C and E on cell-mediated
      immune function in elderly long-stay patients: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - Thirty elderly long-stay patients were randomly allocated to receive either
      placebo or dietary supplementation with vitamins A, C and E for 28 days.
      Nutritional status and cell-mediated immune function were assessed before and
      after the period of supplementation. Following vitamin supplementation, cell
      mediated immune function improved as indicated by a significant increase in the
      absolute number of T cells (p less than 0.05), T4 subsets (p less than 0.05), T4
      to T8 ratio (p less than 0.01) and the proliferation of lymphocytes in response
      to phytohaemagglutinin (p less than 0.01). In contrast, no significant changes
      were noted in the immune function of the placebo group. We conclude that
      supplementation with the dietary antioxidants vitamins A, C and E can improve
      aspects of cell-mediated immune function in elderly long-stay patients.

PMID- 1853790
TI  - Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in relation to falls in an elderly
      population.
AB  - Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured in 95 residents of a hostel
      for the aged (mean age = 83 years) using a dual-contrast letter chart and the
      Melbourne Edge Test (MET). Vision (as measured by visual acuity, the MET, low
      contrast visual acuity, and difference between high- and low-contrast acuity)
      decreased significantly with age and all four measures were significantly
      correlated. Subjects with a clinical eye disorder had poorer vision than those
      without a disorder although the differences were not significant. Visual acuity
      and contrast sensitivity were not associated with body sway when subjects were
      standing on a firm base. However, when the subjects were placed in a situation
      which provided reduced support (standing on a compliant surface), body sway was
      associated with poor visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. There was also a
      difference in contrast sensitivity between those who fell one or more times in a
      year of follow-up and those who did not fall. It appears that reduced vision may
      be a predisposing factor to postural imbalance and falls in elderly persons.

PMID- 1853791
TI  - Changing patterns of therapeutic agents in the elderly: a ten-year overview.
AB  - Drug use patterns in a large ambulatory elderly population were studied cross
      sectionally over a 10-year period. There were 24192 drug histories obtained on
      4509 individuals during the period from 1 August 1978 to 31 July 1988. The
      average number of drugs used per person increased from 3.22 in 1978-9 to 3.94 in
      1987-8. Prescribed drug use increased by 0.52 per person compared with an
      increase of 0.21 for nonprescribed medication. Analysis of two mutually exclusive
      groups of participants from 1978-9 and 1987-8 revealed a significant (p less than
      0.0001) increase in the use of nonprescribed medication but no significant
      increase in the use of prescribed medication after adjusting for age and sex
      effects. The four most frequently used therapeutic classes of drugs in 1978-9 as
      a percentage of all drugs used were antihypertensives (10.8%), analgesic
      antipyretics (6.4%), antirheumatic (6.4%), and cathartics (5.4%) compared with
      the antihypertensives (9.5%), analgesic-antipyretics (5.9%), anticoagulants
      (5.5%), and antirheumatic (4.6%) for the 1987-8 period.

PMID- 1853792
TI  - Helicobacter pylori infection in elderly dyspeptic patients.
AB  - The association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) and gastritis is well
      established. As there is evidence that HP infection increases with age we
      reviewed the clinicopathological records of 119 consecutive patients aged 65-85
      years (mean 71.1 years) on whom gastroscopy had been performed for dyspeptic
      symptoms. All patients had two antral biopsies--one was assessed for histological
      evidence of gastritis and the other was independently assessed for evidence of HP
      infection. Thirty-six patients (30%) had duodenal ulceration, of whom 32 (89%)
      had an associated HP-positive gastritis. Forty-nine patients (41%) had antral
      gastritis without ulceration, of whom 38 (78%) were HP positive and 11 (22%) were
      HP negative. Ninety-one per cent of HP-negative gastritis patients had a history
      of recent ingestion of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) compared
      with 29% of HP-positive gastritis patients. Ten patients (8%) had normal antral
      mucosa but had evidence of reflux oesophagitis (one of these patients was HP
      positive). Nineteen patients (16%) had normal antral mucosa and normal endoscopic
      findings and one of these was HP positive. We conclude that HP infection is
      associated with the majority of cases of symptomatic gastritis in elderly
      patients. HP-positive gastritis is associated with the majority of duodenal
      ulcers. The most important cause of HP-negative gastritis is NSAID ingestion.

PMID- 1853793
TI  - The febrile response to mild infections in elderly hospital inpatients.
AB  - We studied 74 patients whose temperature was normal according to nurses'
      temperature charts and who were not on antibiotic treatment. The subjects were
      inpatients whose condition had deteriorated on the ward, or patients admitted the
      previous day in whom no diagnosis had been established. One simultaneous set of
      measurements was made of sublingual, rectal, axillary and proximal auditory canal
      temperatures. A fever was recorded in 63 of 74 patients (85%); 54 febrile
      patients had a raised rectal temperature, and 54 had a raised proximal auditory
      canal temperature; 60 patients were febrile at one or both of these sites. A
      further three patients had raised sublingual temperatures alone. All patients who
      were regarded as being definitely or probably infected were febrile at one or
      more sites. Eighty-one per cent of those considered to be possibly infected, and
      71% of those with no clinical evidence of infection were also febrile. Rectal and
      proximal auditory canal temperatures can each detect fever in approximately 86%
      of febrile patients, sublingual temperature in 66%, and axillary temperature in
      32%. Rectal temperature is clinically the most useful temperature measurement in
      elderly patients. We conclude that significant infections in patients in a warm
      environment result in a fever which often remains undetected when only sublingual
      temperature is measured.

PMID- 1853794
TI  - A comparison of single-dose versus conventional-dose antibiotic treatment of
      bacteriuria in elderly women.
AB  - The efficacy of single-dose antibiotic therapy for the treatment of bacteriuria
      in a group of non-catheterized elderly women was compared with that of
      conventional 7-10 day courses of antibiotic therapy. Thirty-one women received
      single-dose treatment and 22 conventional-dose treatment. The cure rates at 1 and
      6 weeks for the single-dose treatments were 52% and 38%, respectively, and the
      cure rates for the conventional-dose treatments at 1 and 6 weeks were 59% and
      52%, respectively. It is concluded that there may be a place for the use of
      single-dose antibiotic therapy for the treatment of selected elderly women with
      bacteriuria, but larger studies are needed.

PMID- 1853795
TI  - Functional assessment in severely demented patients.
AB  - The Brighton Clinic Adaptive Behaviour Scale was administered to a group of
      severely demented patients, resulting in a range of scores. The scale was found
      to be reliable and validated against the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the
      Elderly Behaviour Rating Scale and psychiatric ratings. The scale is likely to
      prove useful to clinicians and researchers.

PMID- 1853796
TI  - Review: deterioration of glucose tolerance with age: the role of insulin
      resistance.
AB  - Glucose tolerance is determined by the balance of insulin secretion and insulin
      action and deteriorates with age. Insulin secretion does not appear to be reduced
      with increasing age, but many recent studies have demonstrated insulin resistance
      in healthy elderly subjects. However, this has not been a universal finding and
      the reasons for the discrepant results probably include general health, physical
      training, changes of liver size and delays in carbohydrate absorption. When
      confounding factors, particularly physical activity, are taken into account there
      appears to be little or no change in insulin action with age. Delays in
      monosacharride absorption may play a role. Maintaining physical fitness
      throughout middle and older age and so reducing hyperinsulinaemia may have
      benefits on reducing vascular disease.

PMID- 1853797
TI  - Serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1853798
TI  - The biliary tract: imaging for the 1990s.

PMID- 1853799
TI  - Characterization of tumor hypoxia by 31P MR spectroscopy.
AB  - Tumor hypoxia is of considerable importance to the oncologist in selecting and
      optimizing cancer therapy, because hypoxia can determine the effectiveness of
      various therapies. The relationship between tumor hypoxia and tumor
      bioenergetics, assessed by 31P MR spectroscopy, is examined to determine whether
      31P MR spectroscopy can be clinically useful to measure or characterize tumor
      hypoxia. Work with experimental tumors has suggested that several different types
      of hypoxia may exist and that 31P MR spectroscopy cannot be used to characterize
      all types. Metabolic hypoxia is the level of hypoxia that results in
      mitochondrial impairment in cells, and it is associated with declining cellular
      bioenergetic status, which can be measured by enzymatic assay of adenosine
      triphosphate (ATP). Because 31P MR spectroscopy is sensitive to levels of ATP, it
      is potentially sensitive to metabolic hypoxia in vivo and may provide a rapid and
      noninvasive technique for characterizing metabolic hypoxia in tumors.
      Radiobiologic hypoxia is the level of hypoxia that results in attenuated cell
      death due to radiation, because radiotoxicity is directly related to tissue
      levels of oxygen. Radiobiologic hypoxia of tumors thus has more impact on choice
      of therapy, yet the relationship between metabolic hypoxia and radiobiologic
      hypoxia remains to be elucidated. An analysis of published data suggests that 31P
      MR spectroscopy is directly sensitive to metabolic hypoxia in tumors, but it is
      only indirectly sensitive to radiobiologic hypoxia in tumors. Therefore, 31P MR
      spectroscopy may be unable to quantify the cell fraction of a tumor that has
      radiobiologic hypoxia. However, preliminary data suggest that MR spectroscopy may
      prove useful for determining the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions
      designed to manipulate radiobiologic hypoxia in tumors or for monitoring the
      kinetics of tumor reoxygenation after treatment.

PMID- 1853800
TI  - Broncholithiasis: CT features in 15 patients.
AB  - Broncholithiasis is a disorder characterized by peribronchial calcific nodal
      disease that either erodes into an adjacent bronchus or distorts the bronchi. The
      key radiologic finding is a calcified endobronchial or peribronchial lymph node.
      To determine the CT findings of broncholithiasis, we retrospectively reviewed the
      chest radiographs and CT scans of 15 patients with proved broncholithiasis. Ten
      patients had endobronchial nodes as proved by bronchoscopy, surgery, or
      lithoptysis. Broncholiths were identified on bronchoscopy in only five cases.
      Five patients had peribronchial nodes with associated bronchial distortion.
      Collimation of the CT scans varied; 1.0-cm-, 0.6-cm-, and 0.5-cm-thick sections
      were obtained. Three patients had both 1.0-cm- and 0.5-cm-thick sections. The
      calcified lymph node was identified on CT in all 15 patients. CT correctly
      localized six of 10 endobronchial nodes and four of five peribronchial nodes.
      Findings due to bronchial obstruction also were seen on CT; atelectasis (n = 11),
      infiltration (n = 4), bronchiectasis (n = 4), and air trapping (n = 1). An
      associated soft-tissue mass was not seen in any case. Difficulty in determining
      the relationship between lymph node and bronchus is due to volume averaging,
      which can be decreased by scanning thinner sections. CT can suggest the diagnosis
      of broncholithiasis and is useful when bronchoscopy does not show a broncholith.

PMID- 1853801
TI  - Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema resulting from intravascular administration of
      contrast material.

PMID- 1853802
TI  - Lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast: clinical, pathologic, and mammographic
      features.
AB  - Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) was diagnosed in 165 surgical specimens (119
      patients) at our institution between 1974 and 1987. LCIS was seen more often in
      younger women (mean age, 49 years) than other breast carcinomas were (mean age,
      58 years). Sampling of a single breast revealed multifocal disease in 70%
      (96/138). When both breasts were sampled, bilateral foci were found in 50%
      (41/82). Of 165 breasts with foci of LCIS, 37% (61/165) had simultaneously
      occurring invasive cancers in the same breast. Direct mammographic-pathologic
      correlation of foci of LCIS was possible in 73 breasts (67 patients).
      Microcalcifications were an indication for biopsy in 49% (20/41) of breasts with
      a mammographic abnormality, but were a nonspecific finding often found in tissues
      adjacent to foci of LCIS. The mammogram was normal in 44% (32/73) of breasts with
      foci of LCIS. The mammograms of patients with LCIS and those from a group of age
      matched control subjects were compared by using a modified form of Wolfe's
      criteria and the percentage of fibroglandular elements. LCIS was seldom found in
      an N1 breast (1% vs 29%) or in a breast with less than 25% of its parenchymal
      area occupied by fibroglandular density (3% vs 33%). Compared with the control
      group, breasts with LCIS had more than 50% fibroglandular density (85% vs 45%)
      and a much higher frequency of the DY pattern (56% vs 36%). More fibroglandular
      density was seen in the LCIS group at all ages. Postmenopausally, the frequencies
      of the DY pattern and fibroglandular density greater than 50% in LCIS patients
      were nearly double those in the control group. LCIS patients have disease of the
      entire breast parenchyma, characterized by multifocality and bilaterality of
      various forms of lobular disease. Their mammograms reveal a higher rate of the DY
      pattern and higher percentages of fibroglandular or parenchymal density than
      those of age-matched controls. In LCIS patients, persistence of the DY pattern,
      or large amounts of fibroglandular density postmenopausally supports the concept
      that mammographically dense breasts are a marker for increased cancer risk in
      women 50 years old and older.

PMID- 1853803
TI  - Gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced chemical-shift MR imaging of the breast.
AB  - Standard T1-weighted MR images enhanced with gadopentetate dimeglumine show
      relatively minimal enhancement of breast lesions due to the high background
      signal from fat in the breast. Strongly enhancing lesions may become isointense
      relative to the fat signal and become invisible or indistinct after contrast
      administration. Fat-suppressed chemical-shift imaging (CSI) combined with
      administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine improves lesion detection and
      characterization in other areas of the body where a strong lipid signal is
      present. We evaluated this technique in the breast. Twenty patients with
      mammographic lesions were studied with standard unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted
      images and enhanced T1-weighted images, as well as with CSI before and after
      administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine. The series were ranked independently
      for border and matrix characteristics. The border was assessed for a smooth,
      irregular, or spiculated margin. The matrix or internal substance was evaluated
      for visibility and type of enhancement, homogeneous or inhomogeneous. The
      enhanced CSI images were superior to all other images in the depiction of border
      and matrix characteristics. Of 20 patients, a corresponding mass was detected on
      MR in 14. In two of the 14 patients, the lesion was seen only in the enhanced CSI
      images. Chemical-shift artifacts on enhanced T1-weighted images obscured border
      detail in several cases. Enhanced CSI improves visualization of breast lesions as
      compared with conventional MR imaging with or without enhancement. The enhanced
      CSI technique produces differential enhancement between glandular tissue and
      lesions while suppressing the signal from fat. This improves the visualization of
      border and matrix characteristics and depicts lesions that otherwise might be
      obscured.

PMID- 1853804
TI  - Lipid cyst: classic and atypical appearances.
AB  - Lipid cysts, a specific type of fat necrosis, frequently have a pathognomonic
      appearance on radiographs. This consists of a lucent lesion surrounded by a
      smooth rim that may or not be calcified. Occasionally, lipid cysts with unusual
      mammographic appearances are encountered. An appreciation of some of these
      appearances may prevent unnecessary biopsies.

PMID- 1853805
TI  - Zum Grunen Glas.

PMID- 1853806
TI  - Abdominal desmoids: CT findings in 25 patients.
AB  - Desmoids are histologically benign but locally aggressive fibrous tumors.
      Although overall they are rare lesions, they are a common manifestation of
      Gardner syndrome. We retrospectively reviewed clinical records and CT scans of 25
      patients with abdominal desmoids. The number, location, and CT characteristics of
      the lesions were recorded for each patient. Tumors were solitary in 72% of
      patients and multiple in 28%. Fifty percent were located in the abdominal wall,
      41% in the mesentery, and 9% in the retroperitoneum. More than two thirds of the
      lesions had well-defined borders, with the remainder displaying an infiltrative
      outer margin. The majority of tumors had attenuation values equal to (47%) or
      greater than (41%) the attenuation of muscle on contrast-enhanced CT scans.
      Complications attributable to the desmoid were commonly detectable on CT
      (hydronephrosis occurred in 36% and small-bowel obstruction in 20%). Our results
      detail the spectrum of CT findings and complications caused by abdominal
      desmoids.

PMID- 1853807
TI  - A versatile patriot.

PMID- 1853808
TI  - Biliary lithotripsy: correlation between gallbladder contractility before
      treatment and the success of treatment.
AB  - We perform biliary lithotripsy without adjuvant chemolitholytic agents, and
      therefore fragment clearance depends solely on the gallbladder's ability to
      evacuate its contents. We studied 205 patients to determine if gallbladder
      contractility before biliary lithotripsy is a predictor of treatment results and
      rate of fragment clearance. Percentage gallbladder contraction was calculated
      from the fractional difference in the sonographically measured gallbladder
      volumes before and after a fatty meal. Seventy-six patients (37%) were free of
      stones and fragments, and 129 patients (63%) had residual fragments at comparable
      follow-up intervals. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in
      gallbladder contractility before biliary lithotripsy between the fragment-free
      group and the residual-fragment group (p = .008). Stone burden before treatment
      showed no significant difference between the groups (p = .074), but the number of
      stones was significantly less in the fragment-free group (p = .022). In the
      fragment-free group, a poor correlation (r = .047) was found between the
      percentage gallbladder contraction and the rate of fragment clearance. These data
      indicate that contractility of the gallbladder before treatment correlates with
      overall success of biliary lithotripsy but is not a predictor of the speed of
      fragment clearance.

PMID- 1853809
TI  - Diagnosis of portal vein thrombosis: value of color Doppler imaging.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine the accuracy of color Doppler imaging in
      the diagnosis of portal vein thrombosis. Two hundred fifteen patients were
      studied with color Doppler imaging to determine patency of the main portal vein.
      Sonographic findings were confirmed in 75 patients, aged 19 to 66 years.
      Correlation with angiography was obtained in 13 patients, and surgical
      correlation was obtained in the remaining 62. Nine patients had portal vein
      thrombosis on the basis of these gold standards. Sonograms were classified as
      showing either patency or thrombosis, depending on the ability to show color flow
      within the main portal vein. Agreement between sonography and angiography or
      surgery was found in 69 patients (61 patent, eight thrombosed). One patient with
      a patent portal vein at sonography was found to have a thrombosed vessel at
      surgery, whereas five patients without portal venous flow at sonography had
      patent vessels at angiography (one patient) or surgery (four patients). Overall
      sensitivity and specificity for detection of portal vein thrombosis were 89% and
      92%, with an accuracy of 92%, a false-negative rate of 0.11, a negative
      predictive value of 0.98, and a positive predictive value of 0.62. We postulate
      that the majority of errors in our study occurred in vessels that, although
      patent, had only sluggish flow, which could not be resolved because of technical
      limitations. We conclude that color Doppler imaging is a valuable screening
      procedure for the assessment of portal vein patency. If the sonogram shows a
      patent portal vein, no further studies are required. However, a lack of
      demonstrable flow does not always indicate thrombosis, and other imaging studies
      should be performed for confirmation.

PMID- 1853810
TI  - MR imaging of the portal venous system: value of gradient-echo imaging as an
      adjunct to spin-echo imaging.
AB  - We evaluated the use of gradient-echo (GRE) as an adjunct to spin-echo (SE) MR
      imaging of the portal venous system. GRE imaging was performed in 31 subjects, 15
      normal volunteers and 16 patients with documented portal venous disease (15
      cases) or suspected disease (one case). Eight of 16 patients had venous
      thrombosis, five had focal thrombus, and three had complete occlusion. Six
      patients had extrinsic venous compression by tumor. Of the two other patients,
      one had an arteriovenous fistula and the other a falsely positive angiogram,
      suggesting portal vein occlusion. In normal subjects, GRE scans had excellent
      visualization of the portal venous system with high intravascular signal compared
      with surrounding tissues. Nine (60%) of 15 normal subjects and three patients had
      an artifact consisting of a curvilinear area of decreased signal that could mimic
      clot. In three of five patients with focal thrombus, clot was identified on GRE
      but not on SE images. In all three patients with occlusion, SE and GRE images
      demonstrated similar findings. In five of the six patients with extrinsic venous
      compression by tumor, SE and GRE studies showed similar findings. Of the two
      patients, an arteriovenous fistula was seen on GRE MR in one, and in the other,
      patency of the left portal vein was seen on SE and GRE images after angiography
      had suggested portal vein occlusion. Collateral vessels were seen in nine of 16
      patients. In five of nine cases, GRE MR demonstrated more extensive collaterals
      than did SE MR. In summary, GRE MR provides a useful adjunct to standard SE MR
      imaging. Benefits include high contrast between vascular structures and
      surrounding tissues, reduced motion artifact, and rapid scanning within a breath
      hold.

PMID- 1853811
TI  - Acute torsion of a wandering spleen: diagnosis by CT and duplex Doppler and color
      flow sonography.

PMID- 1853812
TI  - Gastric carcinoma in patients with Crohn disease: report of four cases.
AB  - An association between Crohn disease and gastric carcinoma has not been described
      before. However, we report four patients with documented Crohn disease in whom
      gastric carcinoma developed later. In three of the four patients, onset of Crohn
      disease occurred after the age of 40. All of the patients had nonspecific
      constitutional symptoms and/or complaints referable to the upper gastrointestinal
      tract. No clinical evidence of active Crohn disease was present. In each patient,
      barium examination and CT showed either a mass (two cases) or other radiologic
      features of malignancy (two cases). Endoscopy with biopsy was performed in three
      patients and findings were misleading in two patients. The possibility of an
      increased risk of malignancy in sites remote from inflamed bowel segments has
      been reported. The findings in this study suggest that patients with Crohn
      disease, particularly disease of late onset, may be predisposed to the
      development of gastric carcinoma.

PMID- 1853813
TI  - Diffuse stenosis of the ileum after ureteroileal interposition: radiologic
      pathologic correlation in two cases.

PMID- 1853814
TI  - Primary esophageal melanoma.

PMID- 1853815
TI  - Giant thoracic osteophyte causing esophageal food impaction.

PMID- 1853816
TI  - Retroperitoneal fibrosis.
AB  - Retroperitoneal fibrosis is idiopathic in two thirds of cases and is found most
      commonly as an isolated fibrotic plaque centered over the lower lumbar spine and
      entrapping one or both ureters. It has been postulated that the fibrosis in the
      idiopathic cases results from a hypersensitivity reaction to antigens leaking
      into the retroperitoneum from atheromatous plaques in the aorta or common iliac
      arteries. In the remaining one third of cases, causes include ergot-derivative
      drugs, retroperitoneal hemorrhage or urine extravasation, and a desmoplastic
      response to a variety of tumors. In up to 15% of cases, associated fibrotic
      processes are found elsewhere in the body. Although the disease is imaged best
      with CT or MR, neither of these techniques can be used to differentiate benign
      from malignant plaques. Histologically, the disease is characterized in its early
      stages by inflammatory cells and edema in a loose collagen network. The mature
      plaque is composed of dense fibrous tissue with minimal cellular infiltration.
      This progression is important as it influences MR signal characteristics.

PMID- 1853817
TI  - Color Doppler sonography in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction: patterns of
      temporal response to papaverine.
AB  - Most studies of duplex Doppler sonography for the assessment of erectile
      dysfunction involve determination of peak systolic velocities 5 min after
      intracavernosal injection of papaverine. The purpose of this study was to
      determine the effect of the timing of Doppler measurements of flow after
      papaverine injection for establishing the presence of arterial and venous
      abnormalities. Color Doppler sonography was performed in 75 patients for
      evaluation of vasculogenic impotence. After intracavernosal injection of 60 mg of
      papaverine, measurements of peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were
      obtained in each cavernosal artery at 5-min intervals for a total of 30 min. A
      peak systolic velocity of less than 25 cm/sec was used as the threshold for
      arterial insufficiency. An end-diastolic velocity of greater than 5 cm/sec was
      used to predict venous incompetence. Scanning was performed for direct assessment
      of dorsal venous flow. Thirty patients were subsequently evaluated by
      cavernosometry and cavernosography. In most patients (76%), maximum response to
      papaverine was achieved within the first 5 min. In eight patients, significant
      increases in systolic velocity were seen only after 5 min. In 10 patients,
      significant changes in end-diastolic velocity between 5 and 30 min resulted in
      diagnostic reclassification. Data acquisition for 30 min significantly improved
      the sensitivity (95%) and specificity (83%) for the prediction of venous
      incompetence in patients with correlative cavernosography. Transient, early
      dorsal vein flow was noted in normal subjects. Persistent dorsal vein flow had an
      80% sensitivity and 100% specificity for venous incompetence. Our results suggest
      that, when using color Doppler sonography, gathering data for 30 min may improve
      the prediction of vasculogenic impotence.

PMID- 1853818
TI  - Abnormalities of the seminal tract causing infertility: diagnosis with endorectal
      sonography.
AB  - Endorectal sonography, developed primarily for use in the diagnosis and staging
      of prostatic carcinoma, should be the first imaging technique used in the
      evaluation of an infertile man with low semen volume in whom either a hypoplastic
      or obstructed seminal tract is suspected. Endorectal sonography allows
      visualization of the seminal vesicles, which are otherwise difficult to examine.
      We used endorectal sonography to evaluate six young men, five of whom were being
      evaluated for azoospermia and infertility. One patient had no identifiable
      seminal vesicle on either side. Four patients had unilateral absence of the
      seminal vesicles. Of these four, three had a sonographically normal-appearing
      seminal vesicle on the contralateral side, and the fourth had an obstructed
      system contralaterally. The sixth patient had a hypoplastic system on the left
      and an obstructed system on the right. The delineation of an obstructed or
      agenetic seminal vesicle and seminal tract on endorectal sonography allows
      decisions to be made regarding treatment and prognosis.

PMID- 1853819
TI  - John Caffey Award paper. Avascular necrosis: early MR imaging and histologic
      findings in a canine model.
AB  - To examine the early MR and histologic changes of avascular necrosis, we
      surgically devascularized the distal femur of adult beagle dogs and performed
      short TR/short TE MR imaging and histologic examinations. MR showed increasing
      areas of low signal, and histologic examination showed changes of fat necrosis,
      inflammatory infiltrate, and fibrocytic and bony repair. These processes were
      divided into four stages. Stage 1 is seen in the first days after surgery and
      consists of homogeneous high signal on MR and only subtle histologic changes of
      early fat necrosis. Stage 2, seen by 7 days after surgery, shows linear low
      signal areas within the high-signal marrow on MR and fat necrosis and an
      inflammatory infiltrate on histologic sections. Stage 3, seen by 16 days after
      surgery, shows patchy low signal occupying more of the marrow on MR with a
      fibrocytic infiltrate on histologic sections. Stage 4, seen by 23 days after
      surgery, shows a more homogeneous low and intermediate signal on MR and
      histologic findings of more organized fibrocytes and the onset of new bone
      formation. Using this model, we have proved that MR imaging can show marrow
      changes as soon as 1 week after the onset of avascular necrosis. Whereas MR
      imaging showed a progression of increasing areas of low signal, the histologic
      findings seen during this time were diverse, including inflammatory infiltration
      (a previously unreported finding), fat necrosis, and fibrocytic and osseous
      repair.

PMID- 1853820
TI  - Preoperative evaluation of osteosarcoma: value of gadopentetate dimeglumine
      enhanced MR imaging.
AB  - Decisions regarding the surgical approach in osteosarcoma require accurate
      assessment of tumor extent. In order to determine whether enhancement with
      gadopentetate dimeglumine could add clinically significant information to that
      available with unenhanced MR imaging, 21 patients with osteosarcoma underwent
      preoperative MR imaging. T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo MR images obtained before
      and after administration of IV gadopentetate dimeglumine were evaluated to
      determine the conspicuity of marrow and soft-tissue extent of tumor, including
      tumor involvement of major neurovascular bundles and adjacent joints. MR results
      were correlated with tumor margins found at surgery. In some instances, use of
      gadopentetate dimeglumine obscured differentiation of tumor from normal marrow or
      tumor infiltration into perineurovascular fat, and tumor extension through
      pseudocapsule could not be differentiated from peritumoral edema after contrast
      administration. Contrast enhancement did assist in differentiation of
      intraarticular tumor from effusion; however, synovial invasion could be
      identified on unenhanced T1-weighted images by loss of synovial fat and cortical
      disruption. These results indicate that gadopentetate dimeglumine does not assist
      in defining tumor margins of osteosarcoma.

PMID- 1853821
TI  - Soft-tissue sarcoma: MR imaging vs sonography for detection of local recurrence
      after surgery.
AB  - To determine the value of MR and sonography in detecting local recurrences of
      soft-tissue sarcomas after surgery, 26 MR and sonographic studies performed in 21
      patients were reviewed retrospectively. Recurrences were confirmed histologically
      in 12 (46%) of 26 studies. The MR images and sonograms were obtained within 1
      month of each other. The findings were classified as recurrence, no recurrence,
      or indeterminate. Sonography was instrumental in guiding fine-needle aspiration
      biopsy of impalpable lesions. In two cases, the findings on sonography were
      indeterminate. In both of these cases, the sonograms had been obtained soon after
      surgery (at 2 and 4 months). The sensitivity and specificity in the detection of
      local recurrences were 83% and 93%, respectively, for MR and 100% and 79%,
      respectively, for sonography. These differences were not statistically
      significant. We conclude that MR and sonography appear to be equally useful in
      the detection of local recurrences of soft-tissue sarcomas, sonography can be
      used for routine follow-up and in guiding needle biopsies, sonography may be more
      difficult to interpret than MR during the early postoperative period, and MR
      should be used if sonography is inconclusive.

PMID- 1853822
TI  - Improved imaging of bone with scan equalization radiography.
AB  - Use of scan equalization radiography (SER) for imaging bone in the head, face,
      neck, and shoulder was evaluated in a clinical comparison study with conventional
      radiographs of randomly selected patients. Two hundred nine pairs of normal and
      abnormal SER images and conventional radiographs were compared by four
      radiologists in a side-by-side viewing situation. The radiologists compared the
      visibility of specific anatomic features and rated the SER images as better than,
      equal to, or worse than the conventional radiographs. In the evaluation of the
      images of the cervical spine, the radiologists much preferred the SER images 63%
      of the time because of slight improvement in bone detail and marked improvement
      in detail of the soft tissues. In the evaluation of the images of the shoulder,
      the radiologists preferred the SER image 58% of the time and preferred the
      conventional radiograph only 5% of the time (p less than .05). In the evaluation
      of the images of the skull, face, and mandible, the radiologists preferred the
      SER images 62% of the time and the conventional images 4% of the time (p less
      than .05). The superior image quality with the SER technique was recognized by
      all radiologists in the study and was the overwhelmingly preferred way of imaging
      the shoulder, neck, head, and face.

PMID- 1853823
TI  - Bacterial osteomyelitis: findings on plain radiography, CT, MR, and scintigraphy.
AB  - Early detection of osteomyelitis is essential if appropriate therapy is to be
      started before bone devitalization. Although the 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate
      (MDP) bone scan may signify the possibility of osteomyelitis days or weeks before
      osseous changes are apparent on standard radiographs, the radiographic changes
      may provide important diagnostic clues. The 67Ga-citrate scan augments the
      diagnostic value of the 99mTc-MDP scan, and the 111In-labeled WBC scan is useful
      for detecting abscesses. CT aids in the detection of sequestra, and MR imaging is
      useful in defining the extent of the inflammatory process and in distinguishing
      osteomyelitis from cellulitis. In this article, we review and correlate the
      changes of bacterial osteomyelitis shown by these imaging methods.

PMID- 1853824
TI  - Synthetic vs human surfactants in the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome:
      radiographic findings.
AB  - Exosurf, a synthetic surfactant, was instilled endotracheally in 49 neonates as
      treatment for respiratory distress syndrome. The radiologic courses of these
      neonates were compared with the courses of 18 neonates previously treated with
      human surfactant and of 18 untreated neonates. The radiologic severity of
      respiratory distress syndrome decreased significantly in neonates treated with
      Exosurf compared with that in untreated neonates. Radiologic improvement in those
      treated with Exosurf was slightly delayed when compared with the improvement of
      age-matched neonates treated with human surfactant. Otherwise no significant
      difference was noted between Exosurf and human surfactant in radiologic severity
      of respiratory distress syndrome or in the prevalence of pulmonary interstitial
      emphysema, pneumothorax, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. These findings support
      the thesis that artificial surfactant is an acceptable substitute for surfactants
      of biological origin, with possible benefits of safety and ease of use.

PMID- 1853825
TI  - CT of the pancreas in children.
AB  - CT has become a frequently used imaging method for evaluating suspected
      pancreatic disease in children. Although the spectrum of CT findings in
      pancreatic disease is well documented in adults, there is a paucity of such
      information in children. Familiarity with CT patterns of pancreatic disease in
      childhood is important for diagnosis. In this essay, we illustrate the CT
      findings of pancreatic lesions in children.

PMID- 1853826
TI  - Esophageal histoplasmosis in a child with immunodeficiency with hyper-IgM.

PMID- 1853827
TI  - Renal tubular dysgenesis.

PMID- 1853828
TI  - Carotid duplex sonography: bisferious pulse contour in patients with aortic
      valvular disease.
AB  - Characteristic systolic and diastolic pulse contours occur in the carotid Doppler
      waveforms of patients with aortic valvular disease that have not previously been
      described in publications concerning carotid duplex sonography. The purpose of
      this study was to evaluate the presence and characterize the nature of these
      carotid duplex waveform abnormalities in patients with known aortic valve disease
      and to correlate these changes with the severity of valve dysfunction. The study
      group consisted of 26 patients with aortic regurgitation or combined aortic
      regurgitation and aortic stenosis. Duplex studies were retrospectively reviewed
      by two radiologists for the presence of two systolic peaks, and for the presence
      of diastolic reversal of flow direction. This pattern of two systolic peaks,
      characteristic of aortic regurgitation, is called bisferious from the Latin
      "twice beating." Aortic regurgitation was graded by echocardiography as mild,
      moderate, or severe by the cardiologists reviewing the examination. A group of 20
      age-matched patients without aortic valvular disease were similarly assessed. The
      bisferious pattern was demonstrated in 13 (50%) of 26 patients. Five (19%) of 26
      patients had significant reversal of diastolic flow. Four patients were studied
      both before and after aortic valve replacement. Three had bisferious wave
      contours preoperatively; two of these also had diastolic reversal of flow. The
      fourth patient had retrograde flow in diastole without systolic contour
      abnormality. Postoperatively, all carotid waveforms were normal. None of the
      duplex waveforms in the control group demonstrated characteristic systolic or
      diastolic abnormalities. The bisferious waveform and retrograde diastolic flow
      are Doppler patterns associated with aortic valvular disease. These patterns are
      reversible after aortic valve replacement. While echocardiography remains the
      study of choice in the evaluation of suspected valvular dysfunction, up to one
      third of patients with aortic regurgitation may not have a detectable murmur.
      Therefore, identifying these patterns on carotid duplex examinations may provide
      clinically useful information and serve as a clue to previously unsuspected
      cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1853829
TI  - Radiologic physics instruction for diagnostic radiologists: a survey of residency
      programs. Committee on Training of Radiologists, American Association of
      Physicists in Medicine.

PMID- 1853830
TI  - Diaphragmatic rupture due to blunt trauma: sensitivity of plain chest
      radiographs.

PMID- 1853831
TI  - Bottle cap ingestion.

PMID- 1853832
TI  - Gallbladder function in patients with spinal cord injury.

PMID- 1853833
TI  - Primary liver lymphoma: a diagnostic dilemma.

PMID- 1853834
TI  - Doppler sonography in Osler-Weber-Rendu disease.

PMID- 1853835
TI  - Bilateral urinomas in an adult.

PMID- 1853836
TI  - Fallopian tube nomenclature.

PMID- 1853837
TI  - MR imaging of growth recovery lines in fossil vertebrae.

PMID- 1853838
TI  - MR of intraspinal synovial cyst: rim enhancement with gadopentetate dimeglumine.

PMID- 1853839
TI  - High CT attenuation values in paranasal aspergillosis.

PMID- 1853840
TI  - Guard for prevention of finger-stick injuries caused by stylets.

PMID- 1853841
TI  - The hypertriglyceridemias: risk and management. Introduction.

PMID- 1853842
TI  - The hypertriglyceridemias: risk and management.

PMID- 1853843
TI  - Postprandial hyperlipidemia.

PMID- 1853844
TI  - Genetic (primary) forms of hypertriglyceridemia.

PMID- 1853845
TI  - Acquired (secondary) forms of hypertriglyceridemia.

PMID- 1853846
TI  - The hypertriglyceridemias: Risk and management. Epidemiology.

PMID- 1853847
TI  - The hypertriglyceridemias: risk and management. Laboratory procedures.

PMID- 1853848
TI  - Management of hypertriglyceridemic patients. A. Treatment classifications and
      goals.

PMID- 1853849
TI  - Management of hypertriglyceridemic patients. B. Dietary management of
      hypertriglyceridemic patients.

PMID- 1853850
TI  - Management of hypertriglyceridemic patients. C. Other nonpharmacologic
      approaches.

PMID- 1853851
TI  - Management of hypertriglyceridemic patients. D. Pharmacologic management of
      hypertriglyceridemic patients.

PMID- 1853852
TI  - Pathophysiology of triglyceride-rich particles. A. Metabolism of triglyceride
      rich particles.

PMID- 1853853
TI  - Pathophysiology of triglyceride-rich particles. B. Triglyceride-rich lipoprotein
      cell interactions.

PMID- 1853854
TI  - Breast cancer and cigarette smoking: a hypothesis.
AB  - In many studies, cigarette smoking has been associated with a small increase in
      breast cancer risk. The authors evaluated the relation of smoking to breast
      cancer risk in two case-control studies carried out from 1982 through 1986. In
      Canada, 607 women with breast cancer and 1,214 controls matched on decade of age
      and neighborhood were interviewed at home. In the United States, 1,955 cases of
      breast cancer and 805 controls with other cancers were interviewed in the
      hospital. In both studies, breast cancer risk was associated weakly with
      cigarette smoking overall. The odds ratio for women who had smoked 25 or more
      cigarettes per day as compared with never smokers was 1.2 (95% confidence
      interval (CI) 0.9-1.6) in the Canadian study and 1.2 (95% Cl 0.9-1.6) in the US
      study. In both studies, breast cancer risk was more strongly related to
      commencement of smoking at a young age. Among women who smoked at least 25
      cigarettes per day in the most recent year of smoking, the odds ratios for
      commencement before age 16 years were 1.7 (95% Cl 1.0-2.9) in the Canadian data
      and 1.8 (95% Cl 1.0-3.4) in the US data, and the odds ratios for commencement at
      even younger ages were higher. The associations were not explained by duration of
      smoking, by the time elapsed since commencement, or by factors associated with
      cigarette smoking such as alcohol consumption or oral contraceptive use. Our
      findings raise the hypothesis that exposure to cigarette smoke during adolescence
      may increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. The hypothesis has biologic
      plausibility: cigarette smoke contains known carcinogens, and the developing
      breast is especially susceptible to cancer initiation.

PMID- 1853855
TI  - Re: "Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer".

PMID- 1853856
TI  - Multivariate analysis of the risk of stomach cancer after ulcer surgery in an
      Amsterdam cohort of postgastrectomy patients.
AB  - Although gastric cancer incidence is decreasing in the western world, it remains
      an important cause of death, and there has been debate about screening persons
      who have undergone gastrectomy for benign ulcers. The authors analyzed risk
      factors for stomach cancer mortality in an Amsterdam cohort of 2,633
      postgastrectomy patients, followed from their initial surgery between 1931 and
      1960 until 1975, with 99.7% complete follow-up. Increased stomach cancer
      mortality was observed in the study population (compared with the general Dutch
      population) among males 25 years or more after surgery (observed/expected, 5.0;
      95% confidence interval (Cl) 2.8-8.3), and among females 15-24 years
      postoperatively (observed/expected, 3.5; 95% Cl 1.0-9.0). A multivariate Poisson
      regression analysis showed that after control for age at time of surgery and
      calendar year of operation, the most important risk factors were time since
      surgery (0-4 years, relative risk (RR) = 1.0; 5-14 years, RR = 4.1, 95% Cl 0.93
      18.5; 15-24 years, RR = 9.4, 95% Cl 2.1-42.3; and 25-46 years, RR = 55.6, 95% Cl
      11.7-265.4) and ulcer location (gastric versus duodenal ulcer, RR = 2.6, 95% Cl
      1.4-4.8). Surveillance for postgastrectomy cancer could be considered 15-25 years
      after a patient undergoes surgery for gastric ulcer disease.

PMID- 1853857
TI  - Antigenic stimulation and the occurrence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
AB  - Data from a population-based case-control study of chronic lymphocytic leukemia
      were analyzed to assess the possible etiologic role of chronic antigenic
      stimulation. The study, conducted in four geographic areas of the United States
      (the metropolitan areas surrounding Seattle, Washington, Salt Lake City, Utah,
      Detroit, Michigan, and Atlanta, Georgia) sought to identify all incident cases (n
      = 430) among residents diagnosed between July 1, 1977 and December 31, 1981. The
      responses of these cases to questions about possible sources of antigenic
      stimulation were compared with the responses of controls selected from the
      populations of these areas. Little difference between cases and controls was
      present for a history of most forms of viral and bacterial infection and for a
      history of allergies or allergy treatment. However, a relation was observed with
      antecedent syphilis infection (odds ratio (OR) = 5.0, 95% confidence interval
      (Cl) 2.0-12.9). Associations of smaller magnitude were observed with a history of
      tuberculosis (OR = 1.9, 95% Cl 1.0-3.7) and of urinary tract infection (OR = 1.4,
      95% Cl 1.1-1.9). Overall, however, the authors found little evidence of a
      relation between chronic antigenic stimulation and the occurrence of chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia. Nonetheless, because the measure of prior antigenic
      stimulation was restricted to that obtained through interviews and undoubtedly
      was an insensitive one, these negative results should not be interpreted as
      ruling out antigenic stimulation as a possible cause of some cases of chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia.

PMID- 1853858
TI  - Factors associated with paradoxical survival at higher blood pressures in the
      very old.
AB  - Paradoxically greater survival for persons aged 85 years and older with higher
      blood pressures has been reported in a Finnish population study (Br Med J
      1988;296:887-9). In a previous report, the authors demonstrated improved 10-year
      survival with increasing diastolic blood pressure in men (but not in women) aged
      75 years and older in the Rancho Bernardo Chronic Disease Study (Br Med J
      1989;298:1356-7). However, few of the covariates which could potentially explain
      this effect were obtained at the visit used in that analysis. In an effort to
      confirm these reports of paradoxical survival and to explore possible reasons for
      them, the authors analyzed all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in 795 men and
      women aged 75-96 years (mean, 80.6), evaluated in 1984-1987 and followed
      prospectively for an average of 3 years after that comprehensive examination. Of
      63 deaths, 48 (76%) were in men; 43 (68%) of all deaths were cardiovascular.
      Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed a significant trend for improved survival
      with increasing diastolic pressure in men aged 80 years and older versus all
      cause mortality (chi 2 p less than or equal to 0.01), and cardiovascular
      mortality (chi 2 p less than or equal to 0.00). These trends were not evident in
      men aged less than 80 years or in women in either age group. Results were not
      explained by differences in the use of antihypertensive medication, pulse
      pressure, history of hypertension, history of coronary heart disease, isolated
      systolic hypertension, interval change in diastolic pressure (over an average of
      12 years), or by cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose, smoking, or
      body mass index. Thus, the paradoxical relation of improved all-cause and
      cardiovascular survival in men aged 80 years or older with higher diastolic
      pressure is not explained by a wide range of biologic and historical factors.

PMID- 1853859
TI  - The impact of the Guidelines for a Healthy Diet of The Netherlands Nutrition
      Council on total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic
      free-living men.
AB  - To study the impact of dietary intervention on the plasma total and high density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) levels in hypercholesterolemic men, the
      authors selected 80 male participants in a monitoring risk factor project carried
      out in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. These men had plasma total cholesterol levels
      of between 6.5 and 10.0 mmol/liter (between 251 and 387 mg/dl) and were randomly
      assigned to either the intervention (n = 39) or the control (n = 41) group. At
      the start of the intervention period, after 5 weeks, and after 26 weeks, both the
      intervention and the control groups were examined. This examination consisted of
      a measurement of height, weight, plasma total and HDL cholesterol, and a dietary
      interview. The intervention program consisted of a personalized dietary advice to
      the respondent, based on the report of the Netherlands Nutrition Council. The
      study took place between September 1987 and November 1988. Because of this
      intervention program, the plasma total and HDL cholesterol levels decreased. The
      difference in change in plasma total cholesterol between the intervention and
      control groups was 0.47 mmol/liter (18 mg/dl) after 5 weeks and 0.30 mmol/liter
      (12 mg/dl) after 26 weeks. For HDL cholesterol, a significant difference in
      change after 5 weeks disappeared after 26 weeks. The public health implications
      of the decrease in plasma total cholesterol are discussed.

PMID- 1853860
TI  - A co-twin control study of the effects of the Vietnam War on the self-reported
      physical health of veterans.
AB  - This study examines the impact of military service on 13 categories of self
      reported physical health problems by using a sample of 2,260 American male-male
      monozygotic twin pairs who served on active duty during the Vietnam War. Data
      were collected in 1987 by using mail and/or telephone interviews. Twins who
      served in Southeast Asia reported an increased prevalence of currently having
      hearing problems (odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.3-2.7)
      and persistent skin conditions (OR = 2.1, 95% Cl 1.4-3.2). Odds ratios for these
      health problems increased with increasing combat exposure and could not be
      explained by confounding due to posttraumatic stress disorder or demographic or
      military service factors. Significantly increased odds ratios were also
      demonstrated for ever having hearing problems (OR = 1.8, 95% Cl 1.3-2.5), ever
      having persistent skin conditions (OR = 2.1, 95% Cl 1.5-3.0), and having been
      hospitalized for stomach conditions (OR = 2.6, 95% Cl 1.4-4.9). Marginally
      increased odds ratios were demonstrated for ever having stomach conditions (OR =
      1.4, 95% Cl 1.0-1.9) and urinary conditions (OR = 1.5, 95% Cl 1.0-2.1). Service
      in Southeast Asia was not associated with any of the remaining categories of
      physical health problems. Thus, although the past health of veterans who served
      in Southeast Asia may have been somewhat worse than that of their siblings who
      did not serve in southeast Asia, no major differences in current health are
      detected.

PMID- 1853861
TI  - A population-based study of injuries in inner-city women.
AB  - Although injuries are the number one cause of death for women under age 45 years
      in the United States, very little is known about nonfatal injuries to women,
      particularly those from urban, black communities. The Philadelphia Injury
      Prevention Program is a surveillance system of fatal and nonfatal injuries in a
      poor, urban, black community in western Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nearly 10% of
      the estimated population of 31,032 women aged 15 years and older suffered an
      injury resulting in an emergency room visit or death during the 1-year study
      period from March 1, 1987 through February 29, 1988. The major causes of injury
      were falls (25.1 per 1,000 women), violence (20.8 per 1,000 women), and motor
      vehicle incidents (16.8 per 1,000 women). Violence was the leading cause of
      injury for women aged 15-44 years and the most common cause of injuries among
      women with two or more injuries during the 1-year period. Injury rates were
      highest for women aged 25-34 years (157.1 per 1,000 women); nearly 16% of the
      population in this age group suffered an injury resulting in an emergency room
      visit or death during the 1-year study period. Rates declined with advancing age
      for each injury type except for falls; which were most common in young women aged
      25-34 years (28.4 per 1,000 women) and in the aged 65 years and older (29.0 per
      1,000 women). We conclude that in his population, injuries to young women appear
      to be a major public health problem. More work is needed to understand the nature
      of injuries occurring to young women in urban communities.

PMID- 1853862
TI  - Completeness of the discharge diagnoses as a measure of birth defects recorded in
      the hospital birth record.
AB  - Licensed hospitals usually maintain a discharge diagnoses index, which provides
      an inexpensive tool for the surveillance of birth defects diagnosed shortly after
      birth. Government agencies in several states routinely use discharge diagnoses
      for this purpose. To evaluate the completeness of the discharge diagnoses, the
      authors compared birth defects noted in the discharge diagnoses with those noted
      anywhere in the hospital birth record in a cohort of 3,421 infants born to US
      Army veterans from 1966 to 1986. In this cohort, 237 birth defect cases were
      documented in hospital birth records, and 49% of those cases were missed in the
      discharge diagnoses (28% of major defect cases and 66% of minor defect cases).
      The extent of missed defects varied greatly by organ system and by specific
      defect. Significant predictors of a missed defect were the presence of multiple
      defects, female sex, and western region of birth. The underascertainment of
      defects in the discharge diagnoses should be considered in the development and
      operation of surveillance systems using this source of data.

PMID- 1853863
TI  - Plasma lipids and gallbladder disease.
AB  - The relation between plasma lipids and gallbladder disease was examined by using
      data collected between 1984 and 1987 from 1,303 Rancho Bernardo, California,
      women aged 50 years and older. In univariate analyses and after adjustment for
      age and body mass index, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol)
      and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) were inversely related
      and triglyceride level was positively related to gallbladder disease. However,
      using multiple logistic regression, only LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, age, and
      body mass index were significantly related to a history of gallbladder disease,
      whereas HDL cholesterol was no longer associated with gallbladder disease. The
      risk of gallbladder disease increased with greater age, body mass index, and
      triglyceride level, but decreased with increasing LDL cholesterol level. Total
      amount of alcohol consumed per week, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and
      current estrogen use were not significantly associated with gallbladder disease.
      The relation of HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol to the risk of gallbladder
      disease requires further investigation.

PMID- 1853864
TI  - Anti-tick saliva antibody: a biologic marker of tick exposure that is a risk
      factor for Lyme disease seropositivity.
AB  - Anti-tick saliva antibody (ATSA) has potential as a biologic marker of exposure
      to tick bites. In 1989, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 304 outdoor
      workers in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to evaluate associations between self
      reported tick exposure, ATSA status, and Lyme disease antibody status. ATSA
      levels 1) were correlated with an index of tick exposure on the basis of three
      self-reported measures of tick exposure and outdoor hours worked per week (p =
      0.01); 2) were consistently higher in pet owners compared with persons without
      pets (p = 0.03); and 3) when examined by duration since last tick bite, peaked at
      3-5 weeks after tick bite and then declined (p = 0.06). ATSA levels dichotomized
      at the 75th percentile (approximately two standard deviations above the mean ATSA
      optical density of 25 subjects who denied recent tick exposure) were associated
      with self-reported tick exposure: adjusted odds ratios for high ATSA levels were
      4.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-18.9) for moderate (versus none) tick
      exposure and 5.8 (95% CI 1.2-27.2) for high (versus none) tick exposure. Finally,
      high ATSA levels were associated with Lyme disease seropositivity, with an
      adjusted odds ratio of 3.2 (95% CI 1.3-7.6). The data suggest that ATSA is a
      biologic marker of tick exposure that is a risk factor for Lyme disease
      seropositivity.

PMID- 1853866
TI  - Pharmacy in Lithuania and the development of a sister-school relationship between
      colleges of pharmacy.

PMID- 1853865
TI  - Sampling elderly in the community: a comparison of commercial telemarketing lists
      and random digit dialing techniques for assessing health behaviors and health
      status.
AB  - A study of health behaviors in four communities in the western United States in
      1988 provided the opportunity to compare two methods of sampling elderly
      respondents for a telephone interview. The Polk telemarketing lists were used to
      identify 1,407 respondents aged 65 years and older in four communities, where 253
      respondents in the same age group were also identified by the method of random
      digit dialing. Individuals identified from the Polk lists received a letter prior
      to the initial telephone contact. The overall response rate was 49.3% for random
      digit dialing and 57.3% for the Polk lists. On the average, the identification of
      one elderly respondent using the Polk lists required about 20-25% as much
      interviewer time per subject identified as was required by the random digit
      dialing method. The elderly identified by the Polk lists were significantly older
      than those identified by random digit dialing, and the proportions of the Polk
      sample who were married, white, or had an income of greater than $10,000 were
      slightly higher than those of the random digit dialing sample. Among 40 variables
      measuring various health behaviors, indicators of health status, and
      participation in health-related programs and classes, only three differed
      significantly between the two samples. The authors conclude that sampling from
      commercial telemarketing lists was an efficient method of identifying elderly
      respondents and that in these four communities, the estimates of health behaviors
      and health status were comparable with those obtained by random digit dialing
      techniques.

PMID- 1853867
TI  - Adverse events involved in 3.7% of hospitalizations in New York in 1984, study
      finds.

PMID- 1853868
TI  - American Nurses Association adopts position on polypharmacy.

PMID- 1853869
TI  - Frequency of JCAHO-mandated medication inspections.

PMID- 1853870
TI  - Transforming policies and procedures from burden to boon.

PMID- 1853872
TI  - Pharmacy needs a computer-rating group.

PMID- 1853871
TI  - Personal shampoos and safety considerations.

PMID- 1853873
TI  - I, too, am an HIV-positive pharmacist.

PMID- 1853874
TI  - Affordability of cimetidine.

PMID- 1853875
TI  - Antineoplastic admixtures.

PMID- 1853876
TI  - Gaining external support for pharmacy's new mission.

PMID- 1853877
TI  - Tracking manuscripts and reviewers electronically.

PMID- 1853878
TI  - Use of bar codes in inpatient drug distribution.
AB  - The development and operation of a prototype inpatient drug distribution system
      that uses bar codes is described, and the impact of bar coding on the cassette
      filling and verification process is summarized. A prototype pharmacy dispensing
      site was created to function in parallel with an existing satellite dispensing
      site that served 78 general medical-care beds. Supplemental labels encoded with
      an 11-digit unique product identification number, a 5-digit expiration date, and
      a 6-character lot number were generated and affixed to all unit dose packages
      dispensed from the prototype pharmacy site. The unit doses were labeled with Code
      49 symbology; each label measured 0.8 x 1.25 inches. Each patient cassette was
      labeled using Code 39 symbology. A cost-benefit model was developed, and the two
      dispensing systems were compared with respect to (1) time to fill patient
      cassettes, (2) time to verify patient cassettes, (3) time to process patient
      charges and credits, (4) time to correct dispensing errors, (5) accuracy of the
      cassette-filling process, and (6) accuracy of the cassette verification process.
      Bar-code dispensing and verification saved 1.52 seconds per dose. Additionally,
      the cassette verification function was shifted from pharmacists to technicians.
      Estimated per-dose cost of the bar-code system was 2.73 cents. A measurable
      improvement in the accuracy of filling patient cassettes was documented. The
      feasibility of using bar codes in unit dose dispensing was demonstrated, and the
      prototype system was shown to produce cost efficiencies and patient-care
      benefits.

PMID- 1853879
TI  - National survey of pharmaceutical services in psychiatric hospitals.
AB  - The results of a summer 1989 nationwide mail survey of psychiatric hospital
      pharmaceutical services are reported and discussed. A simple random sample of 200
      hospitals was selected from 600 psychiatric hospitals registered by the American
      Hospital Association. Questionnaires were mailed to the director of pharmacy at
      each institution. Usable responses were received from 114 hospitals, for a net
      response rate of 57%. Responses were categorized by hospital size, ownership
      status, geographic region, and average length of stay. Substantial differences
      were noted between government and nongovernment hospitals in the number and types
      of pharmaceutical services provided, as well as in the manner in which services
      are provided. Non-government hospitals generally appeared to offer more
      progressive pharmaceutical services. Psychiatric hospitals in western states
      appeared to offer more advanced clinical pharmacy services than institutions in
      other geographic areas. The survey established baseline data on the nature and
      extent of both clinical and distributive services in psychiatric hospital
      pharmacy departments.

PMID- 1853880
TI  - National survey of state psychiatric hospital pharmacies.
AB  - The results of a winter 1990 nationwide mail survey of pharmaceutical services
      provided in state psychiatric hospitals are reported and discussed. The survey
      universe consisted of all 207 state psychiatric hospitals registered by the
      American Hospital Association. Private and federal and other government-operated
      psychiatric hospitals were not included. Questionnaires were mailed to the
      director of pharmacy at each institution. Two questionnaires were not
      deliverable. There were 117 usable replies, for a net response rate of 57.1%.
      Compared with community hospitals, state psychiatric hospitals had pharmacy
      departments that were open fewer hours per week, occupied more floor space, were
      less likely to have a complete unit dose distribution system and i.v. admixture
      program, had lower inventory turnover rates, and had fewer full-time positions.
      About 28% of the respondents employed pharmacists who spent at least two thirds
      of their time providing clinical services. Differences in the provision of
      pharmaceutical services between state psychiatric hospitals and community
      hospitals may be due in part to the fact that most of the former are long-term
      care institutions rendering a specific class of therapies.

PMID- 1853881
TI  - Instructions provided by manufacturers for proper use of nonprescription
      ophthalmic drops.

PMID- 1853882
TI  - Stability of cefadroxil in reconstituted suspension under refrigeration and at
      room temperature.

PMID- 1853883
TI  - Hydrops fetalis in the McKusick-Kaufman syndrome: a case report.
AB  - McKusick-Kaufman syndrome is an autosomal recessive multiple malformation
      syndrome characterized by hydrometrocolpos and polydactyly. We report on a
      patient with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome and severe hydrops. This case illustrates
      the necessity of genetic evaluations for all patients with unexplained hydrops.

PMID- 1853884
TI  - Correlation between sexual abuse and somatization in women with somatic and
      nonsomatic chronic pelvic pain.
AB  - After a comprehensive clinical and psychological evaluation, 99 women with pelvic
      pain of at least 6 months' duration and normal findings at laparoscopy were
      divided into two groups, including 47 women with probable somatic causes of pain
      (group 1) and 52 women without identifiable somatic abnormality (group 2). Women
      without identifiable somatic abnormality (group 2) were younger, had higher mean
      somatization scores, and reported an earlier mean age at first intercourse, a
      higher number of total sexual partners, and a higher prevalence of sexual abuse
      before the age of 20. Within group 2 (nonsomatic pain) but not within group 1,
      mean somatization scores were significantly higher among women with a history of
      sexual abuse than among women with a negative history. When analyzed as risks for
      nonsomatic pelvic pain, the positive predictive value of both a history of sexual
      abuse and a high somatization score was 78% (relative risk compared with that of
      women with zero or one risk factor, 2.1; p less than 0.0001). These data suggest
      that the psychosocial profile of women with nonsomatic pelvic pain differs from
      that of women with somatic pelvic pain and that previous sexual abuse is a
      significant predisposing risk for somatization and non-somatic chronic pelvic
      pain.

PMID- 1853885
TI  - Predictive value of early embryonic cardiac activity for pregnancy outcome.
AB  - The biologic variation of the embryonic heart rate was investigated by
      transvaginal ultrasonography during the first trimester of normal (n = 141) and
      abnormal (n = 29) pregnancies, and the predictive value of a repeatedly diagnosed
      slow heart rate for pregnancy outcome was determined. The mean heart rate
      increased from 82 +/- 10.3 beats/min at 5 weeks' gestation to 156 +/- 9.6
      beats/min at 9 weeks. A single observation of an abnormally slow heart rate did
      not necessarily predict subsequent embryonic death. However, a continued decline
      in embryonic heart activity, observed within a few days' interval, was always
      associated with a first-trimester abortion.

PMID- 1853886
TI  - Cesarean section by local anesthesia in patients with familial dysautonomia.
AB  - We describe a 29-year-old patient with familial dysautonomia who underwent
      cesarean section because of severe intrauterine fetal growth retardation. The
      surgery was done after induction of local anesthesia to avoid the critical and
      sometimes fatal complications of general anesthesia known in patients with
      familial dysautonomia. Surgery was uneventful and almost painless. The
      postoperative period was without complications. Induction of local anesthesia for
      cesarean section may constitute a suitable alternative in patients with familial
      dysautonomia.

PMID- 1853887
TI  - Endothelin production by amnion and its regulation by cytokines.
AB  - Cells derived from human amnion, an avascular tissue, produced significant
      amounts of endothelin 1 and 2, although the rate of biosynthesis was
      approximately one tenth of that of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
      Endothelin 1 and 2 was not produced in measurable amounts by cells derived from
      chorion laeve or decidua. Production of endothelin 1 and 2 by amnion cells was
      increased by treatment with the cytokines interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis
      factor, and interleukin-6. The biosynthesis of endothelin 1 and 2 by an avascular
      tissue is suggestive of a wider role for endothelins than has been recognized.

PMID- 1853888
TI  - Uterine and fetal Doppler flow changes after intravaginal prostaglandin E2
      therapy for cervical ripening.
AB  - Nineteen patients received prostaglandin E2 as a 2.5 mg gel (seven cases), 3.3 mg
      chip (five cases), or 10 mg controlled-release pessary (seven cases) for
      preinduction cervical ripening. Blood flow velocities did not change
      significantly for the uterine arcuate artery, fetal aorta, and umbilical artery
      circulations after any of the treatments. In no case did systolic/diastolic
      ratios consistently elevate above baseline values.

PMID- 1853889
TI  - Does intensive glycemic control in diabetic pregnancies result in normalization
      of other metabolic fuels?
AB  - Intensive treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus during pregnancy often
      normalizes plasma glucose levels. However, it is unclear whether this adversely
      affects other metabolic fuels that are essential to normal fetal growth and
      development. Metabolic studies were conducted after the subjects ingested a
      standardized mixed meal during each trimester in 7 normal and 15 insulin
      dependent diabetic pregnant women. The latter were treated with continuous
      subcutaneous insulin infusion or multiple injections, which were adjusted to
      achieve strict glucose control throughout pregnancy. Insulin, alanine, branched
      chain amino acids, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and ketones were measured
      every 15 to 30 minutes before a standardized breakfast and for 150 minutes after
      the breakfast. Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were studied
      while they received their unusual insulin dosages. Fasting glucose levels (87 +/-
      7 mg/dl) and glucose levels 150 minutes after the meal (112 +/- 11 mg/dl) were
      near normal. However, normoglycemia was achieved at the expense of increased
      plasma insulin levels (area under insulin response curves, p less than 0.01, vs
      nondiabetic curves). Nevertheless, fasting and post-prandial plasma branched
      chain amino acids, alanine, and free fatty acids were similar in both groups.
      Fasting cholesterol, triglyceride, and ketone levels were also normalized. We
      conclude that normalization of circulating amino acids and lipids in conjunction
      with correction of hyperglycemia may contribute to favorable outcomes in infants
      of intensively treated diabetic mothers.

PMID- 1853890
TI  - The enhanced production of placental interleukin-1 during labor and intrauterine
      infection.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of labor and
      chorioamnionitis in interleukin-1 production by human placenta. We studied the
      activity of the placenta to produce interleukin-1 with an enzyme immunoassay by
      culturing tissue blocks. The placental tissue obtained after labor produced a
      larger amount of interleukin-1 than placental tissue obtained before labor. All
      the placental tissues produced more interleukin-1 beta than interleukin-1 alpha.
      The placentas with labor and chorioamnionitis produced about seventeenfold more
      interleukin-1 than placentas with labor only. We immunohistochemically identified
      interleukin-1--producing cells in the placenta and found that
      syncytiotrophoblasts produced both interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-1 beta,
      while Hofbauer cells produced only interleukin-1 beta. In vitro analysis of the
      trophoblast activities to produce interleukin-1 revealed that microbial
      byproducts enhanced interleukin-1 production, possibly inducing accumulation of
      interleukin-1 receptor-positive cells at the sites of inflammation. In addition
      to stimulation of prostaglandin biosynthesis and labor, the placental interleukin
      1 may act as an inflammatory mediator, leading to systemic and local changes at
      fetomaternal interface and activating fetomaternal immune systems against
      intrauterine infection.

PMID- 1853891
TI  - Arterial blood flow velocity waveforms of the pelvis and lower extremities in
      normal and growth-retarded fetuses.
AB  - Serial measurements of femoral artery flow velocity waveforms were made at
      specified intervals of 3 to 4 weeks from 15 to 20 weeks of gestational age to 35
      weeks and 1- to 3-week intervals thereafter until delivery in 12 normal fetuses
      (group 1A) with pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. The pulsatility index of the
      femoral artery increased linearly with advancing gestation in all 12 fetuses;
      this was associated with reverse diastolic flow velocity waveforms. In 30 other
      normal fetuses (group 1B) whose gestational ages ranged between 16 and 38 weeks
      (mean +/- SD, 29.5 +/- 5.6 weeks), the femoral artery flow velocity waveforms
      were analyzed with the external iliac artery, internal iliac artery, and
      umbilical artery waveforms. No significant difference was observed between the
      pulsatility index of the external iliac artery and that of the femoral artery
      (mean +/- SD, 3.7 +/- 1.1 vs 3.7 +/- 1.1). The pulsatility index of the internal
      iliac artery was significantly higher than that observed in the umbilical artery
      (mean +/- SD, 1.27 +/- 0.28 vs 1.12 +/- 0.23). The femoral and umbilical artery
      velocity waveforms also were determined in 20 fetuses with intrauterine growth
      retardation (group 2), whose gestational ages ranged between 24 and 36 weeks
      (mean +/- SD, 31 +/- 3.4 weeks). Abnormal femoral artery pulsatility index was
      recorded in two fetuses who died. Absent or reverse flow of the umbilical artery
      was recorded in 10 fetuses; four of them died, and four others manifested fetal
      distress or required admission to the neonatal intensive care unit or both. These
      preliminary data suggest that the femoral artery pulsatility index cannot be used
      as an indicator of adverse fetal outcome, whereas absent or reverse flow of the
      umbilical artery seems to be better correlated with adverse fetal outcome.

PMID- 1853892
TI  - Double jeopardy: twin infant mortality in the United States, 1983 and 1984.
AB  - The United States Linked Birth/Infant Death Data Sets: 1983 and 1984 Birth
      Cohorts from the National Center for Health Statistics were used to identify
      maternal and infant characteristics related to twin infant mortality; 41,554
      white and 10,062 black live-born matched twin pairs were evaluated. Twin birth
      weight distribution was skewed with 48% of white and 63% of black twins born
      weighing less than 2500 gm. Overall infant mortality rates were 47.1 and 79.3
      deaths per 1000 live births for white and black twins, respectively (five times
      the rates for singletons). Three fourths of deaths were among twins weighing less
      than 1500 gm. White like-gender twins had about twice the risk of both twins
      dying compared with unlike-gender twins. Likewise, white twin pairs with greater
      than 25% birth weight disparity had a 40% to 80% increased risk of both twins
      dying, compared with twins whose weights were within 10% of each other. Twins
      born to high-risk women (on the basis of demographic factors) were twice as
      likely to die as twins born to low-risk women. Thus strategies to decrease twin
      infant mortality must address both maternal and infant risk factors.

PMID- 1853893
TI  - The influence of contamination of culture medium with hepatitis B virus on the
      outcome of in vitro fertilization pregnancies.
AB  - Heat-inactivated human serum is added to the culture medium used for in vitro
      fertilization and other forms of assisted conception. Because one batch of pooled
      serum contained hepatitis B virus, an epidemic occurred among women participating
      in the treatment program. Seventy-nine women had serologic proof of hepatitis B
      infection. This incident gave the opportunity to study the effect of hepatitis B
      virus on pregnancy outcome and the newborn. The situation is unique because the
      preimplantation embryo was exposed to hepatitis B virus or the pregnancy was
      complicated by a (sub)clinical infection. Twenty-four women were or became
      pregnant while having an acute hepatitis B infection. Five pregnancies ended in
      abortion. The remaining 19 pregnancies ended in the birth of 24 children. No
      evidence for any harmful effect of exposure to hepatitis B virus in the embryonic
      or fetal period on the newborn could be found.

PMID- 1853894
TI  - The effect of the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis on renal blood flow in
      fetal sheep.
AB  - Treatment with prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors has been associated with
      oligohydramnios in the fetus. The presumed mechanism is a reduction in fetal
      renal blood flow. We examined the effect of meclofenamate administration on renal
      blood flow in chronically catheterized fetal sheep during normoxia and during
      moderate and severe hypoxia. Ten fetal sheep were made hypoxic twice at least 4
      days after surgery: once in the presence and once in the absence of meclofenamate
      infusion. Renal blood flow and combined ventricular output were measured with
      radioactive microspheres. Prostaglandin synthesis blockade with meclofenamate
      caused no significant change in blood pressure, combined ventricular output,
      renal blood flow, or renal vascular resistance in either the normoxic or hypoxic
      animals. These data challenge the contention that prostaglandin activity protects
      the renal vascular bed of the fetus from vasoconstriction during hypoxia and they
      also do not support the hypothesis that prostaglandin synthesis inhibition causes
      oligohydramnios through reduction of fetal renal blood flow.

PMID- 1853895
TI  - Isolation and purification of microvascular endothelium from human decidual
      tissue in the late phase of pregnancy.
AB  - Normal pregnancy demands significant structural and physiologic adaptations of
      the uterine microvasculature, to facilitate adequate placentation. In pregnancies
      complicated by pregnancy-associated hypertension (preeclampsia), this process is
      defective, resulting in a high incidence of intrauterine growth retardation. The
      microvascular endothelium, a focal point for both initiation and inhibition of
      coagulation and control of vascular tone, may well contribute to development and
      aggravation of these abnormalities. We describe a method for isolation,
      purification, and culture of human decidual endothelial cells from biopsies
      performed at the time of cesarean section. The separation procedure is
      technically simple, requires only a small piece of tissue, and takes
      approximately 2 hours to perform. Some of the unique features of these cells in
      culture are outlined. This technique will permit the close examination of various
      aspects of the function of these cells in normal pregnancy, and their comparison
      with cells from pregnancies complicated by hypertension.

PMID- 1853896
TI  - Subserosal adenomyosis: a possible variant of pelvic endometriosis.
AB  - A total of 128 patients with adenomyosis were examined clinically and
      histologically to investigate the pathogenesis of subserosal adenomyosis. In this
      study 15 (11.7%) cases were classified as subserosal adenomyosis on the basis of
      localization of heterotopic endometrial tissues that consisted of glands and
      stroma. These were subclinical and incidental. The uterus was not enlarged in
      this type of adenomyosis. Distribution of the ectopic tissues and the patients'
      mean age at the time of the hysterectomy suggest that subserosal adenomyosis may
      develop as a variant of pelvic endometriosis.

PMID- 1853897
TI  - Histologic study of endometriosis and examination of lymphatic drainage in and
      from the uterus.
AB  - Histologic study of endometriosis and investigation of lymphatic drainage in and
      out of the uterus were conducted to obtain more information on the histogenesis
      of endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disease originating from the normal
      endometrium, specifically from its basal layer. Internal endometriosis
      (adenomyosis) is caused mainly by direct invasion of the endometrium into the
      spaces located in the connective tissue of the muscle layer. Serous and ovarian
      types of endometriosis are frequently found together with adenomyosis.
      Endometrial fragments in vessels are detected in 4.5% of cases of endometriosis.
      Observation of serial sections proved that serous endometriosis is caused mainly
      by continuous or semicontinuous invasion of the tunica muscularis spaces
      primarily from adenomyosis lesions and partly from the endometrium. Confirmation
      of lymph flow into the ovary from the uterine body strongly suggests that ovarian
      endometriosis arises as a consequence of vascular (lymphatic) transport of
      endometrial fragments from adenomyosis lesions, serous endometriosis lesions, or
      the endometrium.

PMID- 1853898
TI  - Peritoneal endometriosis: endometrial tissue implantation as its primary
      etiologic mechanism.
AB  - The mechanisms involved in primary implantation of pelvic endometriosis were
      investigated in women undergoing laparoscopy as part of an infertility
      evaluation. Among the women with a diagnosis of endometriosis, those with no
      observed lesions in the ovaries and no adhesions in the pelvic cavity were
      classified as being in stage I. These women were further subdivided into two
      groups: the stage Ia group in which implants were found in one area (25 women)
      and the stage Ib group in which implants were found in two or more areas (29
      women). In both groups the most frequent site was the uterosacral ligaments
      followed by the posterior uterine serosa, the posterior cul-de-sac, and the
      posterior broad ligaments in that order. Regardless of the position of the
      uterus, endometriosis was found significantly more frequently in the posterior
      compartment. The finding that the most frequent implants on the uterosacral
      ligaments were near the tubal ostium and, in the stage Ia group, the absence of
      implants on the anterior uterine serosa but a 33% frequency on the posterior
      uterine serosa, which is more frequently exposed to menstrual blood, suggest that
      implantation of endometriosis is the result of retrograde menstruation. However,
      the possibility that metaplasia of the serosal epithelium is stimulated by
      menstrual blood cannot be ruled out, inasmuch as the process of implantation in
      the peritoneum has not yet been proved.

PMID- 1853899
TI  - A reappraisal of the coelomic metaplasia theory by reviewing endometriosis
      occurring in unusual sites and instances.
AB  - Endometriosis occurring in unusual sites and instances was reviewed for the
      purpose of exploring the pathogenesis of the disease. Endometriosis is frequently
      observed in the pelves of menstruating women. It occurs in teenagers even before
      menarche, in women who have never menstruated, and in postmenopausal women. It
      affects not only the pelvic organs but also the right-sided thoracic organs and
      rarely the extremities. It occurs in men who are castrated and treated with
      estrogen. The affected sites in both common and uncommon endometriosis include
      cells arising from the coelomic membrane and sites exposed to metaplasia-inducing
      substances such as estrogen and unknown factors liberated from the degenerating
      endometrium. This appears to strengthen the coelomic metaplasia theory, although
      additional basic and experimental data must still be accumulated to confirm this
      theory.

PMID- 1853900
TI  - Secondary mullerian system and endometriosis.
AB  - The pathogenesis of endometriosis is controversial. The two principal
      histogenetic theories are (1) metastases of endometrial tissues to an ectopic
      location (metastatic theory) and (2) metaplastic development of endometrial
      tissue at the ectopic site (metaplastic theory). Studies on the development of
      the coelomic cavity and the mullerian duct, as well as expression of CA 125
      during the fetal period and in the adult, strongly suggest that coelomic
      epithelium-related tissues and mullerian-derived epithelia of the adult have a
      shared embryologic ancestry. Many manifestations of mullerian-directed metaplasia
      suggest that tissues derived from the coelomic epithelium and its accompanying
      mesenchymal cells, referred to as the "secondary mullerian system," have the
      potentiality to differentiate into mullerian-directed epithelium and stroma. This
      metaplastic potentiality of the secondary mullerian system constitutes a basic
      concept in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

PMID- 1853901
TI  - Ultrastructural study of glandular epithelium in adenomyosis in comparison with
      those of proliferative endometrium and well-differentiated endometrial cancer.
AB  - Adenomyotic glandular tissue from five patients underwent electron microscopic
      investigation to observe its ultrastructural characteristics. The adenomyotic
      epithelium was compared with that of proliferative normal epithelium (two
      patients) and well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma (two patients). The
      results revealed that morphologically the adenomyotic glandular epithelium is
      somewhat less differentiated than proliferative endometrium and that its
      cytoplasmic organelles have some similarities with those of endometrial cancer.
      Whether these similarities predispose the adenomyotic glandular tissue to
      malignant degeneration remains to be elucidated.

PMID- 1853902
TI  - Relationship between the onset of dysmenorrhea and histologic findings in
      adenomyosis.
AB  - An attempt was made to evaluate the relationship between histologic findings of
      adenomyosis and onset of dysmenorrhea. Thirty-four cases of histologically
      diagnosed adenomyosis were investigated in this study. One large sample cut along
      the longitudinal axis was made and examined to evaluate the histologic parameters
      and CA 125 levels. Dysmenorrhea was classified into grade I (absent or mild) and
      grade II (severe). Localization of adenomyosis was divided into type I,
      adenomyosis continuous from the surface endometrium (29 cases), and type II,
      adenomyosis present on the serous side of the uterus and not continuous from the
      surface endometrium (five cases). We made type I adenomyosis, which included 13
      cases of grade I and 16 cases of grade II, the focus of our investigation. The
      parameters that correlated with dysmenorrhea were the number of islands of
      adenomyosis and glands, distance of invasion, relative rate of invasion, and CA
      125 levels. The differences between grades I and II were apparent in the
      frequency distribution tables, with dysmenorrhea occurring at invasion rates of
      80% and greater.

PMID- 1853903
TI  - Twin delivery: influence of the presentation and method of delivery on the second
      twin.
AB  - To ascertain the perinatal mortality and morbidity in the second twin as related
      to its presentation and method of delivery, we reviewed the data on 578 sets of
      twins delivered from 1980 to 1987 and included 397 sets in whom both twins were
      greater than or equal to 1000 gm, without lethal anomalies, and in whom the first
      twin presented as a vertex. The perinatal outcome comparing twin A (all vertex)
      with twin B (vertex or nonvertex) with cesarean section or vaginal delivery was
      analyzed. No statistically significant difference in perinatal mortality or
      morbidity was found in comparing the nonvertex second twin delivered vaginally or
      by cesarean section. The one perinatal death and significant perinatal morbidity
      occurred in infants weighing less than 1500 gm or at less than 32 weeks'
      gestational age. It is concluded that vaginal delivery, irrespective of the
      position of the second twin, is valid in selected cases as long as fetal weight
      is greater than 1500 gm and the gestational age is greater than or equal to 32
      weeks.

PMID- 1853904
TI  - Animal model of uterine adenomyosis: is prolactin a potent inducer of adenomyosis
      in mice?
AB  - Uterine adenomyosis is a benign lesion but a serious disease for women, because
      the symptoms are characterized by abnormal bleeding, pain, cramps, and sterility.
      Thus elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the development of the disease
      would contribute to improved management and treatment and prophylaxis of this
      lesion. A mouse model, in which ectopic pituitary isografting is associated with
      an increase in the plasma level of prolactin, is useful for a rapid and frequent
      induction of uterine adenomyosis and can be used to study the origin of this
      lesion.

PMID- 1853905
TI  - Ultrasonographic visualization of endometrial vascularity with ectopic pregnancy.

PMID- 1853906
TI  - High blood pressure in pregnancy.

PMID- 1853907
TI  - Maternal hemodynamics in pregnancy.

PMID- 1853908
TI  - Epidemiology of preeclampsia and eclampsia.

PMID- 1853909
TI  - Are choroid plexus cysts an indication for second-trimester amniocentesis?

PMID- 1853910
TI  - Cigarette smoking during pregnancy in relation to placenta previa.
AB  - To evaluate the relationship between cigarette smoking and the occurrence of
      placenta previa, we used interview and medical record data to conduct a case
      control analysis of 69 placenta previa cases and 12,351 controls. The unadjusted
      relative risk estimate of placenta previa for women reported to have "ever
      smoked" during pregnancy relative to nonsmoking mothers was 1.9 (95% confidence
      interval, 1.2 to 3.0). The risk rose after adjusting for potential confounders
      (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 5.5). In contrast to a previous
      report, the duration of smoking was not an independent risk factor for placenta
      previa. These results suggest that cigarette smoking during pregnancy is a
      determinant of placenta previa. Carbon monoxide hypoxemia, which is one possible
      mechanism for this association, may result in compensatory placental hypertrophy.
      Placentas with increased surface areas are more likely to cover the cervical os,
      causing placenta previa.

PMID- 1853911
TI  - Medication in early pregnancy: prevalence of use and relationship to maternal
      characteristics.
AB  - Medication use was assessed in a population of 4186 women who were delivered of
      infants at Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, between 1980 and
      1982. The frequency of over-the-counter and prescription drug use, and the
      association of such use with maternal characteristics was studied. Of all women,
      66% used at least one drug. The mean number of drugs used by all subjects was 1.3
      and, among drug users, 2.9. Of all drugs used, 68% were over-the-counter and 32%
      were prescription preparations. Internal analgesics, autonomic drugs,
      antiinfective agents, and antacids were most frequently used. Women who used
      prescription drugs were also more likely to use over-the-counter medications.
      Maternal characteristics that were associated with an increase in both over-the
      counter and prescription drug use were being white, smoking more than 20
      cigarettes a day, using alcohol, using caffeine, and smoking marijuana. These
      findings suggest that women who engage in "risk-taking behavior" during pregnancy
      are also more likely to use medications while pregnant.

PMID- 1853912
TI  - Extensive pulmonary embolism presenting as severe adult respiratory distress
      syndrome after surgical resection of a cornual pregnancy.
AB  - A rare case of severe adult respiratory distress syndrome associated with a Po2
      of 9 mm Hg after surgical resection of a cornual pregnancy at 10 weeks' gestation
      was treated successfully with positive end-expiratory pressure. The underlying
      cause, extensive pulmonary embolism, was subsequently revealed. The patient
      survived without residual brain damage. The possible causes of adult respiratory
      distress syndrome in pregnancy are discussed.

PMID- 1853913
TI  - Ten years after cryosurgical treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
AB  - From 1974 to 1977 we treated 96 patients for grade 2 or 3 cervical
      intraepithelial neoplasia with cryotherapy. They were monitored for 10 to 14
      years with an attendance rate of 98%. Treatment resulted in cure in 92%. Nine
      patients had persisting lesions, and three patients had a recurrent lesion. The
      last recurrence was diagnosed 6.7 years after cryotherapy.

PMID- 1853914
TI  - Recurrence of ectopic pregnancy: the role of salpingitis.
AB  - We evaluated the role of salpingitis on the recurrence of ectopic pregnancy from
      a historical cohort of 2501 women who had undergone laparoscopic examination for
      acute salpingitis. We used pregnancy (N = 2899) as the unit of analysis and a
      modified conditional logistic regression to estimate a pairwise odds ratio as a
      measure of the recurrence of ectopic pregnancy. Among the second or higher order
      of pregnancy, the recurrence was 21.7%. For pregnancies with a prior uterine
      pregnancy, the ectopic pregnancy rate increased with prior salpingitis scores
      constructed from a combination of prior salpingitis episodes and severity (0
      score, 2.7%; 1 to 2 scores, 4.8%; and greater than or equal to 3 scores, 12.1%).
      For those with a prior ectopic pregnancy, the rate did not increase with prior
      salpingitis scores (score 0, 20.0%; score 1 or 2, 19.2%; and score greater than
      or equal to 3, 26.9%). The adjusted pairwise odds ratio was 2.2 and was
      practically unchanged (2.1) after additional adjustment with prior salpingitis
      scores. These findings confirm salpingitis as a risk factor for first ectopic
      pregnancy, but once a woman had an ectopic pregnancy, previous salpingitis might
      not add any incremental risk.

PMID- 1853915
TI  - The prevalence of autoantibodies during third-trimester pregnancy complicated by
      hypertension or idiopathic fetal growth retardation.
AB  - Lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin, antinuclear, anti-deoxyribonucleic acid,
      antithyroglobulin, and antithyroid microsomal antibodies were assayed during
      third-trimester pregnancy (100 normal, 100 with complications). In spite of a
      normal activated partial thromboplastin time in all instances, lupus
      anticoagulant was further investigated by three additional procedures: tissue
      thromboplastin inhibition time, platelet neutralization procedure, and cephalin
      neutralization test. The prevalence of autoantibodies in pregnancies with
      hypertension reaches 16% (four with lupus anticoagulant, two with
      anticardiolipin, and two with antithyroid microsomal antibodies), which is
      significantly greater than that for idiopathic fetal growth retardation (2%) (one
      with lupus anticoagulant antibodies) and normal pregnancies (3%) (two with
      antithyroglobulin and one with autithyroid microsomal antibodies) (p less than
      0.01). Autoantibodies were equally distributed between patients with gestational
      hypertension and those with preeclampsia. When compared with the 42 patients with
      hypertension and no autoantibodies, the eight patients with autoantibody had a
      more frequent history of fetal growth retardation (p less than 0.05), but there
      was no difference in the severity of hypertension, the frequency of obstetric
      complications, or the outcome of pregnancy. They did not require any specific
      treatment.

PMID- 1853916
TI  - Automated analysis of near-term antepartum fetal heart rate in relation to fetal
      behavioral states: the Sonicaid System 8000.
AB  - Fetal heart rate and fetal movements were recorded in 16 uncomplicated near-term
      pregnancies. The recordings were used to evaluate a system for automated fetal
      heart rate analysis (Sonicaid System 8000). Fetal rest-activity patterns were
      considered in the analysis. The mean duration of C2F periods "active sleep," 33
      minutes) was significantly greater than that of C1F periods ("quiet sleep," 19
      minutes) (p less than 0.001). The incidence of accelerations and decelerations
      and the overall fetal heart rate variations were greater during C2F than during
      C1F (p less than 0.001). In 11 of 16 C1F periods, the system classified the fetal
      heart rate variation as "questionable" or "abnormal." Episodes of high variation
      were identified in only 3 of 16 C1F periods, but they were found in all 18 C2F
      periods. Episodes of low variation were identified in 14 of the 16 C1F periods
      but were not found in any C2F periods. During C2F periods, the system's criteria
      of normality were met in all cases but one; they were not met during any of the
      C1F periods. Thus the diagnosis of fetal distress should not be based merely on
      the absence of accelerations, low fetal heart rate variation, or absence of
      episodes of high variation in recordings with a duration of less than 45 minutes.

PMID- 1853917
TI  - A life-threatening sexually transmitted Haemophilus influenzae in septic
      abortion: a case report.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae infections of the genitourinary tract are rare. A case of
      a life-threatening Haemophilus influenzae bacteremia associated with a septic
      abortion is presented. Sexual transmission of bacteria after orogenital contact
      is proposed as a possible source of this uncommon infection.

PMID- 1853918
TI  - Screening in ovarian cancer.
AB  - Ovarian cancer will affect 20,000 American women this year and some 13,500 will
      die of the disease. Most patients will have stage III or IV disease at the time
      of diagnosis. Because ovarian cancer may be initially without symptoms, attempts
      have been made to develop screening tests that would lead to an early diagnosis.
      Two tests, serum CA 125 and pelvic ultrasonography, have been suggested by some
      to be accurate enough to be included in yearly screening for ovarian cancer.
      Although further testing of these techniques is encouraged, data to date do not
      justify yearly screening with CA 125 or pelvic ultrasonography in all women.

PMID- 1853919
TI  - The effect of trisomy 18 on transverse cerebellar diameter.
AB  - The transverse cerebellar diameter was measured in 19 fetuses with trisomy 18.
      Eleven of the cerebellar measurements (57.9%) were greater than 2 SD below the
      mean for the patient's gestational age. If fetal biometry rather than last
      menstrual period were used to determine gestational age, four of the 19 (21.0%)
      cerebellar measurements were greater than 2 SD below the mean. Both intrauterine
      growth retardation and intrinsic central nervous system abnormalities associated
      with trisomy 18 appeared to affect cerebellar size.

PMID- 1853920
TI  - Porencephalic cyst: a complication of fetal intravascular transfusion.
AB  - A case of unilateral porencephalic cyst as a result of intravascular intrauterine
      transfusion is reported. Although other factors may have contributed, fetal
      bradycardia and relative hyperviscosity as a result of increased fetal hematocrit
      value were considered to be related to this event. Because some authors recommend
      direct intravascular transfusion to supraphysiologic hematocrits to prolong the
      interval between procedures, we would caution the use of this approach on the
      basis of theoretic considerations and the occurrence of this complication.

PMID- 1853921
TI  - Hyporegenerative anemia associated with intrauterine transfusion in rhesus
      hemolytic disease.
AB  - Serial erythropoietin and ferritin levels were monitored in a fetus and newborn
      requiring three intravascular transfusions (in utero) for severe Rh disease. The
      newborn had a hematocrit of 37% at birth; however a hyporegenerative transfusion
      dependent anemia developed and lasted approximately 3 months. The prolonged
      hyporegenerative anemia may be caused in part by erythropoietin suppression as a
      result of the fetal intravascular transfusions. In addition, anti-D antibody may
      also contribute to this anemia by a direct toxic effect on erythroid precursors
      and by peripheral hemolysis of reticulocytes.

PMID- 1853922
TI  - Daily administration of the progesterone antagonist RU 486 prevents implantation
      in the cycling guinea pig.
AB  - Since progesterone is required to prepare the endometrium for implantation of an
      embryo, a progesterone antagonist may inhibit nidation and thus prevent
      pregnancy. We addressed this possibility in the guinea pig, the small laboratory
      animal whose reproductive physiology most resembles that of women. Daily
      administration of the antiprogestin RU 486 (0, 1, 2, or 3 mg/kg, subcutaneously)
      for 9 days after mating inhibited implantation in a dose-dependent fashion. When
      this compound was given daily throughout the estrous cycle, cyclic vaginal
      changes, ovulation, and mating were suppressed in up to 17%, 28%, and 55% of
      animals, respectively. Two of seven mated female animals receiving RU 486, 1
      mg/kg/day, had implantation sites. Nidation was completely blocked at higher
      doses. Thus daily antiprogestin administration prevented pregnancy in sexually
      active, normally cycling guinea pigs. A similar strategy using a daily
      antinidatory dose of an antiprogestin may offer a novel approach to human
      fertility control.

PMID- 1853923
TI  - Fetal heart rate response to vibroacoustic stimulation during low and high heart
      rate variability episodes in late pregnancy.
AB  - In 52 women in late pregnancy, the mean durations of transient fetal tachycardia
      after vibroacoustic stimulation during low fetal heart rate variability (4.8
      minutes) and high fetal heart rate variability (6.3 minutes) were similar. The
      fetal heart rate continued with high variability in all cases, suggesting that
      the fetus did not return to its prestimulation state after vibroacoustic
      stimulation during quiescence. In 10 women, the duration of high variability
      after vibroacoustic stimulation during low fetal heart rate variability was
      significantly shorter (mean, 22 minutes) than the preceding (mean, 36 minutes) or
      subsequent (mean, 43 minutes) high-variability components of complete rest
      activity cycles. In another 10 women, the duration of high variability after
      vibroacoustic stimulation during high fetal heart rate variability was similar to
      preceding and subsequent high-variability episodes. In these 20 women, the next
      complete rest-activity cycle after vibroacoustic stimulation was not different in
      duration to the complete cycle recorded on the previous day.

PMID- 1853924
TI  - Elective versus emergency cesarean hysterectomy cases in a residency program
      setting: a review of 129 cases from 1984 to 1988.
AB  - A retrospective study was performed to compare elective versus emergency cesarean
      hysterectomy in a residency program. We noted the following statistically
      significant differences between emergency and elective cases: (1) Estimated blood
      loss (mean +/- SD) for emergency and elective cases was significantly different
      at 1495 +/- 772 and 875 +/- 396 ml (p = 0.001). (2) Operative time in emergency
      cases was significantly longer than in elective cases (105 +/- 38 vs 83 +/- 27
      minutes, p = 0.003). (3) The incidence of transfusion was 68% in our emergency
      cases and 14.6% in the elective series (p less than 0.05). (4) Febrile morbidity
      in our series was 40% in emergency cases and 18.3% in elective cases (p less than
      0.05). Our series was comparable to previous series reported. Our experience
      suggests that cesarean hysterectomy can be performed safely in a residency
      training program when done as an elective procedure in the well-prepared patient.

PMID- 1853925
TI  - Transcervical endoscopic verification of congenital anomalies in the second
      trimester of pregnancy.
AB  - Transcervical endoscopy was used to confirm prenatally diagnosed anomalies before
      elective termination of pregnancy. A complete anatomic survey was accomplished in
      10 (70%) of 14 cases studied. Information was added to the ultrasonographic
      diagnosis in two cases, which changed the diagnosis in one fetus.

PMID- 1853926
TI  - Trophoblast from anembryonic pregnancy has both a maternal and a paternal
      contribution to its genome.
AB  - In a series of 14 anembryonic pregnancies, deoxyribonucleic acid from trophoblast
      was examined with locus-specific minisatellite probes. It was found in each case
      that trophoblast from anembryonic pregnancy has both a maternal and a paternal
      contribution to its genome. This means that although anembryonic pregnancy shares
      characteristics with complete hydatidiform mole and androgenetic development in
      the mouse in that there is no embryo, it does not arise by the same genetic
      process. Of three anembryonic pregnancies that were successfully karyotyped, two
      had normal female 46,XX chromosome constitutions and one had an abnormal 47,XX +
      16 complement. The sex of the trophoblast in each anembryonic pregnancy was
      determined with a deoxyribonucleic acid probe with Y-specific bands. A male-to
      female ratio of 6:8 was found, which is not significantly different from normal.

PMID- 1853927
TI  - Lipid deposition and intimal stress and strain. A study in rats with aortic
      stenosis.
AB  - These experiments were designed to study the topography of lipid deposition in
      the stenotic aorta of hypercholesterolemic rats, and to correlate it with flow
      conditions and intimal stresses and strains studied in a scale biophysical model
      and in a computer model. A 69% +/- 5% stenosis was produced with a U-shaped metal
      clip. One month to 8 months later, the aorta was studied en face by light
      microscopy after fixation and lipid staining. The intima in the throat of the
      stenosis was almost completely free of lipid, whereas symmetric lipid deposits
      occurred as bands just above and especially just below the stenosis; elsewhere
      lipid deposits appeared to be random. The flow data obtained from the scale model
      showed that the intima in the throat of the stenosis was subjected to an increase
      of as much as 20 times in shear stress, whereas the lipid deposits just above and
      just below the stenosis were associated with asymmetric flow conditions: the
      proximal area corresponded to a region of rapidly increasing shear stress, the
      distal area to a region of low to normal shear stress and separated flow. A
      finite element computer model based on the aortic deformations indicated that the
      endothelium at the inlet and outlet of the stenosis is subjected to a symmetric
      pattern of elevated stresses and strains. These results indicate that 1) the
      pattern of lipid deposition can not be adequately explained by a hypothesis based
      solely on flow conditions, and 2) lipid deposits can develop in areas of
      increased fluid shear stress, decreased fluid shear stress, and increased intimal
      strains.

PMID- 1853928
TI  - Immunoreactive transforming growth factor alpha is commonly present in colorectal
      neoplasia.
AB  - Surgical specimens from 19 patients with invasive colorectal cancers and 12
      specimens of normal mucosa from the same patients were examined
      immunohistochemically for the production of the immunoreactive (IR-) transforming
      growth factor (TGF)-alpha and IR-epidermal growth factor (EGF) with an anti-TGF
      alpha monoclonal antibody (MAb) OAL-MTG01 and anti-EGF MAb KEM-10. Immunoreactive
      TGF-alpha was detected in 16 (84.2%) of 19 colorectal cancers. In contrast, there
      was no IR-TGF-alpha in the gland cells of normal mucosa. Immunoreactive EGF was
      detected in 7 (36.8%) of 19 colorectal cancers and 1 (8.3%) of 12 cases of normal
      mucosa. The production of both IR-TGF-alpha and IR-EGF in colorectal cancer did
      not differ by histologic type and Dukes' stage. Immunoreactive TGF-alpha was
      detected at significantly higher incidence than IR-EGF in colorectal cancer.
      These results indicate that IR-TGF-alpha should prove valuable as a possible
      tumor marker in colorectal cancers, and it may be very useful in understanding
      the biology of colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1853929
TI  - Development of complex atherosclerotic lesions in pigs with inherited hyper-LDL
      cholesterolemia bearing mutant alleles for apolipoprotein B.
AB  - The development of atherosclerotic lesions was studied in pigs aged 4 to 54
      months with inherited hyperlow-density lipoprotein (LDL) and hypercholesterolemia
      (IHLC pigs). These pigs bear the Lpb5 and Lpu1 mutant alleles for apolipoproteins
      B and U and demonstrate spontaneously elevated cholesterol levels, due primarily
      to elevated LDL. By 1 year of age, IHLC pigs exhibited focal lesions in the major
      coronary, iliac, and femoral arteries that were composed of macrophage-derived
      from cells and smooth muscle cells. Peripheral arterial lesions were more fibrous
      than those found in the coronaries. By 2 years of age, complicated stenotic
      lesions containing fibrous caps, necrotic cores, cholesterol clefts, granular
      calcium deposits, and neovascularization deep within the lesion were common in
      the major coronary vessels. Peripheral vascular lesions were more smooth muscle
      cell-rich and fibrotic. By 3 years of age, neovascularization was observed
      throughout the intimal lesion, and hemorrhage and rupture were common. The extent
      of complicated lesion formation correlated with both the degree and duration of
      hypercholesterolemia, with the most stenotic lesions observed in the coronary
      arteries of the oldest animals having the highest cholesterol levels. Thus IHLC
      pigs with mutant apolipoproteins B and U develop complicated atherosclerotic
      plaques that closely resemble advanced atherosclerotic lesions found in humans.

PMID- 1853930
TI  - Orchitis and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infected cells in reproductive
      tissues from men with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
AB  - Mechanisms underlying human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection of
      the male reproductive tract and the sexual transmission of HIV-1 through semen
      are poorly understood. To address these issues, the authors performed morphologic
      and immunocytochemical analyses of reproductive tissues obtained at autopsy from
      43 male acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Monoclonal
      antibodies recognizing different subpopulations of white blood cells were used to
      detect leukocyte infiltration and map the location of potential
      lymphocytic/monocytic HIV-1 host cells and immunocytochemistry and in situ
      hybridization techniques were used to detect HIV-1-infected cells in the testis,
      excurrent ducts, and prostate. Distinct pathologic changes were observed in a
      majority of testes of AIDS patients that included azoospermia, hyalinization of
      the boundary wall of seminiferous tubules, and lymphocytic infiltration of the
      interstitium. The reproductive excurrent ducts and prostate appeared
      morphologically normal except for the presence of focal accumulations of white
      blood cells in the connective tissue stroma. In the testis many white blood cells
      were shown to be CD4+, indicating the presence of abundant host cells (T
      helper/inducer lymphocytes and macrophages) for HIV-1. Furthermore macrophages
      and cells of lymphocytic morphology were observed migrating across the boundary
      walls of hyalinized seminiferous in tubules to enter the lumen. In 9 of the 23
      cases tested for HIV-1 protein expression by immunocytochemistry. HIV-1 + cells
      of lymphocytic/monocytic morphology were found in the seminiferous tubules and
      interstitium of the testis, epididymal epithelium, and connective tissue of the
      epididymis and prostate. One patient with epididymal blockage had accumulations
      of HIV-1-antigen-positive cells of macrophages morphology in the distended lumen
      of the efferent ducts. There was no evidence of active HIV-1 infection in germ
      cells or Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules or other epithelial cells
      lining the excurrent ducts or prostatic glands.

PMID- 1853931
TI  - Heparin alters epidermal growth factor metabolism in cultured rat glomerular
      epithelial cells.
AB  - Extracellular matrix plays an important role in regulating cell growth. The
      authors have previously shown that heparin and heparan sulfate inhibit glomerular
      visceral epithelial cell (GEC) growth and that epidermal growth factor (EGF) can
      partially reverse the effect of heparin. The authors studied EGF processing by
      GEC in an attempt to clarify the mechanism by which heparin inhibits GEC growth.
      Control and heparin-treated GEC rapidly internalized 125I-EGF (within 15
      minutes). In heparin-treated cells, 125I-EGF reappeared on the cell surface
      during the course of a 1-hour incubation and the percent internalized dropped
      significantly to 59.0% +/- 8.6%, suggesting recycling of 125I-EGF-occupied
      receptors. After incubation with 125I-EGF, heparin-treated cells also released
      significantly more cpm of 125I into EGF-free medium (2526 +/- 68 cpm-H; 903 +/-
      32-C). Analysis of the released 125I by gel filtration chromatography showed more
      totally degraded 125I-EGF in media from heparin-treated cells (30.8% +/- 1.6% in
      heparin-treated versus 17.8% +/- 3.2 in control; P less than 0.05). Analysis of
      EGF-induced dimerization of receptors showed no effect of heparin on this ratio.
      These studies suggest that heparin decreases GEC response to EGF by accelerating
      its uptake and degradation. Matrix alterations in disease states may thus play a
      role in altering cell responsiveness to growth factors.

PMID- 1853932
TI  - Salmonella-induced M-cell formation in germ-free mouse Peyer's patch tissue.
AB  - M cells present in Peyer's patch tissue transport enteric antigens for
      presentation to underlying lymphoid tissue to initiate immune responses against
      intestinal infection. Present work investigates how interactions taking place
      between bacteria, epithelial cells, and immunocytes could contribute to initial
      detection and later elimination of enteric antigens. Oral infection of germ-free
      mice with Salmonella typhimurium aroA- caused a twofold to threefold increase in
      M cell numbers, crypt depth, and enterocyte migration rate after 7 days. These
      changes were accompanied by a twofold increase in follicle-associated epithelial
      tissue (FAE)-associated CD4+ and a threefold decrease in FAE-associated CD8+
      counts. Salmonella also increased M-cell numbers shortly after infection. Other
      effects on crypt size and spleen weight took longer to develop. Salmonella
      probably creates M cells by changing the local subepithelial immune environment
      in the lymphoid follicle.

PMID- 1853933
TI  - Inducible release of an endothelial cell-specific protein.
AB  - The authors investigated the release of an endothelial cell-specific protein
      (E92) by cultured porcine aortic endothelial cell cultures. Under normal culture
      conditions, endothelial cells released little or no E92 into the culture
      supernatant. Treatment with thrombin (0.01 to 10 units/ml), endotoxin (0.01 to 10
      micrograms/ml), or interleukin-1 (0.01 to 3.0 units/ml), however, caused
      significant, dose-dependent increases in E92 detectable in the culture
      supernatants. Time-course experiments showed that maximum release of E92 into
      cellular supernatants occurred 24 hours after stimulation with all mediators.
      Parallel experiments used 51Cr-loaded endothelial cells as a measure of lethal
      cellular injury. None of the mediators caused significant injury at the doses
      observed to induce release of E92. These results suggest that the release of E92
      into the supernatants of cultured endothelial cells is an inducible event. The
      data also support the hypothesis that detection of E92 antigen in sera from
      patients with rheumatic disease represents a marker of in vivo vascular
      endothelial cell activity.

PMID- 1853934
TI  - Cardiac myofibroblasts express alpha smooth muscle actin during right ventricular
      pressure overload in the rabbit.
AB  - A number of changes occur in contractile proteins and mechanical performance of
      the heart within 2 weeks of right ventricular pressure overload in 8- to 12-week
      old rabbits. These changes are accompanied by increases in collagen concentration
      and the ratio of type I to type III collagen. The purpose of the present study
      was to evaluate the evolution of these connective tissue changes morphologically
      and to characterize the interstitial cells that might be responsible. The
      myocardium is infiltrated by mononuclear inflammatory cells 2 days after banding,
      accompanied by focal myocyte necrosis. By 7 days, the inflammatory infiltrates
      subside and the damaged myocytes seen at 2 days are replaced by new collagen and
      a population of spindle-shaped cells, with ultrastructural features of
      myofibroblasts. A significant proportion of these cells contain alpha smooth
      muscle actin by immunohistochemical analysis. At 14 days, there is a large
      increase in stainable collagen with complex remodeling and reduplication of the
      collagen fiber network of the interstitium. Alpha smooth muscle actin-containing
      myofibroblasts persist, but their immunoreactivity appears reduced compared with
      day 7. The authors hypothesize that the interstitial fibroblasts that acquire
      smooth-muscle-like features in this model play a critical role in the heart's
      response to severe and sudden mechanical stress and are at least partly
      responsible for the changes in connective tissue that occur as a result of
      pressure overload in this model.

PMID- 1853935
TI  - Peroxisome induction potential and lipid-regulating activity in rats.
      Quantitative microscopy and chemical structure-activity relationships.
AB  - Structurally diverse lipid-regulating agents induce hepatomegaly, hepatic
      peroxisome proliferation, and hepatocarcinoma in rats by mechanisms not fully
      understood. Nevertheless the initial hepatic response is a prompt, florid
      proliferation of peroxisomes. In investigations reported here, changes in the rat
      hepatic peroxisome compartment were measured by quantitative microscopy to
      determine chemical structure requirements that relate to peroxisome proliferation
      and lipid regulation. Aryloxyalkanoic acids plus amide analogs, and thio,
      benzimidazole, phenylpiperazine, and oxazole derivatives induced peroxisome
      proliferation and generally decreased plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol
      levels. These compounds contain an acidic function or are readily metabolized to
      a chemical with an acidic function. Substitution of the acidic function with an
      adamantyloxy eliminated peroxisome proliferation and induced contrasting effects
      on lipid profile, increasing triglycerides and decreasing total cholesterol. A
      previously unreported, direct correlation emerged between peroxisome
      proliferation and plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. These
      effects could not be elicited separately, negating identification of functional
      groups that could be associated with either activity. Chemical structure and
      resulting peroxisome proliferation with changes in plasma lipoproteins are
      therefore closely interrelated in rats.

PMID- 1853936
TI  - Intratumoral T lymphocytes from small cleaved follicular center cell lymphomas
      show unrestricted T-cell receptor alpha-chain variable region gene usage.
AB  - The relationship between the reactive T cells and neoplastic B cells of
      follicular center cell lymphomas is unclear. It is not known whether the T cells
      are recruited nonspecifically by the neoplastic B cells or are responding through
      the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR), to tumor-related antigen(s). This question was
      addressed by polymerase chain reaction analysis of TCR alpha chain variable (V)
      region gene expression in intratumoral T lymphocytes from three cases of small
      cleaved follicular center cell lymphoma. In all three cases studied, the tumor
      associated T cells showed unrestricted expression of all 18 alpha-chain V region
      genes. These findings imply that the T cells admixed with the neoplastic B cells
      of small cleaved follicular center cell lymphomas are not recruited based on TCR
      recognition of a single or limited number of tumor-related antigens.

PMID- 1853937
TI  - Macrophage-tropic variants of SIV are associated with specific AIDS-related
      lesions but are not essential for the development of AIDS.
AB  - The importance of macrophage infection for the development of acquired immune
      deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was investigated. Molecularly cloned simian
      immunodeficiency virus (SIV)mac239 replicates very poorly in cultured macrophages
      yet it causes AIDS in rhesus monkeys. Three of five rhesus monkeys that died with
      AIDS following SIVmac239 infection showed no disease manifestations directly
      associated with macrophage infection, such as encephalitis and granulomatous
      interstitial pneumonia. Simian immunodeficiency virus recovered from the
      peripheral blood of these three animals at or near the time of death replicated
      very poorly if at all in cultured macrophages, and tissues taken at autopsy
      showed little or no infection of macrophages by immunohistochemical staining.
      However two of the five rhesus monkeys that died with AIDS following SIVmac239
      infection displayed a characteristic SIV-related meningoencephalitis and/or
      granulomatous pneumonia, lesions associated with macrophage infection. Simian
      immunodeficiency virus recovered from the peripheral blood of these two animals
      near the time of death replicated extremely well in cultured macrophages,
      indicating the emergency of macrophage-tropic variants in vivo. Furthermore
      tissues taken at autopsy from these two showed many infected macrophages by
      immunohistochemical staining. These results indicate that AIDS and death can
      occur without obvious involvement of macrophage infection. However the presence
      of macrophage-tropic viral strains appears to influence the disease course and
      disease manifestations.

PMID- 1853938
TI  - On the squamosal suture of KNM-WT 17000.
AB  - The extensive overlap of the temporal squama on the parietal in KNM-WT 17000 is
      restricted to a narrow segment of the arc of the squamosal suture. It appears as
      a long, narrow, posterosuperior extension onto the calvarial wall. The long axis
      of this extended strip is aligned with what appears to be the most hypertrophied
      section of the temporalis muscle fan. The substantial differences between the
      squamosal suture and associated masticatory elements of KNM-WT 17000 and those of
      Australopithecus boisei provide an opportunity to evaluate the various forces
      molding the anatomy of the squamosal suture of A. boisei. It is suggested that
      the extreme flare of the zygomatic arches in the latter accounts for these
      differences.

PMID- 1853939
TI  - Tooth and bone development in a Danish medieval mandible with unilateral absence
      of the mandibular canal.
AB  - A Danish anthropological collection of medieval human skeletons excavated in 1986
      involves a mandible (No. 212) from an adult female born without the lower
      alveolar nerve and mandibular canal. It is believed that the defect has resulted
      in lack of tooth development on the affected side and that the mylohyoid nerve
      has partially compensated for this defect by development of teeth in localized
      areas. The defective mandibular dentition has caused a compensatory development
      of the alveolar process in the maxilla. The missing occlusal support has altered
      muscular traction on the mandible. This has caused an alteration in mandibular
      shape. Whether the asymmetric development of the mandible is caused by muscular
      dysfunction, by failure in angular growth apposition, or by a combination of
      these factors is discussed. The case presents valuable data in the ongoing
      discussion about the interaction between nerve tissue and tooth formation and
      about the interaction between occlusion, jaw morphology, and muscular traction.
      The study shows how archeological material in an interdisciplinary cooperation
      between archeological, embryological and orthodontic research can contribute to
      the clarification of current biological problems.

PMID- 1853940
TI  - Root dentine transparency: age determination of human teeth using computerized
      densitometric analysis.
AB  - Root dentine transparency (RDT) was used to estimate the ages of human subjects
      from 152 intact teeth. Teeth were from 134 subjects, both historical and recent,
      of known age and sex. The aims of this work are 1) to compare two methods of
      using RDT to estimate age; 2) to test the applicability of the regression
      formulae for estimating age obtained from a recent sample on an historical
      sample; and 3) to estimate the suitability of RDT to determine age at death of
      100-year-old skeletons. RDT was measured by two techniques: 1) computerized
      densitometric analysis and 2) vernier caliper. Age estimations based on
      computerized densitometric analysis were no more accurate than were those
      determined by caliper measurement; both give a predictive success of +/- 5 years
      in about 45-48% of cases for premolars. The television-based digitization system
      has some disadvantages: It is expensive, not portable, and requires some training
      to use. However, it furnishes a more standardized method, a rapid graphic
      illustration of the results, and an immediate storage of statistical information
      for future use.

PMID- 1853941
TI  - Enamel structure and microwear: an experimental study of the response of enamel
      to shearing force.
AB  - The anisotropic fracturing and differential wear properties of enamel
      microstructure represent factors that can obscure the predictive relationship
      between dental microwear and diet. To assess the impact of enamel structure on
      microwear, this in vitro experimental study examines the relative contributions
      to wear of three factors: 1) species differences in microstructure, 2) direction
      of shearing force relative to enamel prisms and crystallites, and 3) size of
      abrasive particles. Teeth of Lemur, Ovis, Homo, and Crocodylus, representing,
      respectively, the structural categories of prismatic patterns 1, 2, and 3 and
      nonprismatic enamel, were abraded by shearing forces (forces having a component
      directed parallel to abraded surfaces) and examined by scanning electron
      microscopy. Striation width increased with particle size for nonprismatic, but
      not for prismatic, specimens. Direction of shear relative to prism and
      crystallite orientation had a significant influence on striation width in only
      some prismatic enamels. The different responses of prismatic and nonprismatic
      enamels to abrasion reflect the influence of structure, but at the level of
      organization of crystallites rather than prisms per se. Such interactions explain
      in part the inability of striation width to discriminate among animals with
      different dietary habits. Heteroscedasticity and deviations from normality also
      may confound parametric analyses of microwear variables. Variation in crystallite
      orientation in prismatic enamels may contribute to optimal dental function
      through the property of differential wear in functionally distinct regions of
      teeth.

PMID- 1853942
TI  - Blood genetic systems in four Amazonian tribes.
AB  - Data on 31 genetic systems were obtained for 421 individuals belonging to the
      Arara, Arawete, Mundurucu, and Jamamadi tribes of northern Brazil. The Jamamadi
      depart farthest, and the Mundurucu least, from South American Indian averages.
      These data are analyzed together with those of 24 other Amazonian groups. Genetic
      distances and corresponding dendrograms indicate a cluster of 14 related tribes
      living north of the Amazon river. These genetic results show only a modest
      correlation with linguistic and geographic relationships among these groups.

PMID- 1853943
TI  - Trivers-Willard effect in contemporary North American society.
AB  - The Trivers-Willard hypothesis joins the ideas of R.A. Fisher and A.J. Bateman to
      model parental investment strategies. Trivers and Willard argue that any overall
      investment bias favoring either daughters or sons would be maladaptive.
      Nevertheless, they suggest that, in effectively polygynous species, more complex,
      conditional sex biases could be adaptive. In particular, they predict that
      parents in good condition will bias their investment toward sons and that parents
      in poor condition will bias their investment toward daughters. Among a sample of
      approximately 900 U.S. mothers we examined several measures of maternal
      investment including birth weight, interbirth interval and lactational
      commitment. Maternal condition was assessed by income and by the presence or
      absence of a coresident adult male. Some measures of investment (five of 14
      statistical tests) showed marked and significant sex-by-condition interactions of
      the type and in the direction predicted by Trivers and Willard; none showed
      significant effects in the opposite direction. No conscious mediation is required
      to produce the observed investment patterns.

PMID- 1853944
TI  - Possible congenital hemolytic anemia in prehistoric coastal inhabitants of
      Israel.
AB  - The spread of thalassemia among prehistoric populations of the Mediterranean
      Basin has been linked to the increased risk to early agriculturalists posed by
      the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. The diagnosis of the disease in human
      skeletal remains, however, has usually been based on a single pathological
      criterion, porotic hyperostosis. This paper reports on what we believe to be the
      earliest case of thalassemia yet identified in the prehistoric record. Our
      diagnosis of the disease in an individual from the submerged Prepottery Neolithic
      B village of Atlit-Yam off the Israeli coast is based on a pathological humerus
      demonstrating a pattern of deformation characteristic of clinical thalassemia.
      The implications of these findings for our understanding of human societies
      undergoing the transition from foraging to agriculture in the Near East are
      discussed.

PMID- 1853945
TI  - EMG of serratus anterior and trapezius in the chimpanzee: scapular rotators
      revisited.
AB  - The importance of arm-raising has been a major consideration in the functional
      interpretation of differences in shoulder morphology among species of nonhuman
      primates. Among the characters that have been associated with enhancement of the
      arm-raising mechanism in hominoid primates are the relative enlargement of
      cranial trapezius and caudal serratus anterior, as the main scapular rotators, as
      well as changes in scapular morphology associated with their improved leverage
      for scapular rotation. Yet in an EMG study of cranial trapezius and caudal
      serratus anterior function in the great apes, Tuttle and Basmajian (Yrbk. Phys.
      Anthropol. 20:491-497, 1977) found these muscles to be essentially inactive
      during arm-raising. Although Tuttle and Basmajian suggest that the cranial
      orientation of the glenoid fossa in apes has reduced the demand for scapular
      rotation during arm-raising, subsequent EMG studies on other primate species
      suggest that these muscles do play a significant role in arm motion during active
      locomotion. This paper presents a reexamination of muscle recruitment patterns
      for trapezius and caudal serratus anterior in the chimpanzee. All but the lowest
      parts of caudal serratus anterior were found to be highly active during arm
      raising motions, justifying earlier morphological interpretations of differences
      in caudal serratus anterior development. The lowest digitations of this muscle,
      while inactive during arm-raising, displayed significant activity during
      suspensory postures and locomotion, presumably to control the tendency of the
      scapula to shift cranially relative to the rib cage. Cranial trapezius did not
      appear to be involved in arm-raising; instead, its recruitment was closely tied
      to head position.

PMID- 1853946
TI  - Coat color and biochemical variation in Amazonian wild populations of Alouatta
      belzebul.
AB  - A comparative study of 13 blood genetic systems and pelage color variation was
      performed in four wild populations of Alouatta belzebul. The animals from the
      west bank of the Tocantins River showed less color variation than those from the
      east bank, as well as less than those from Tocantins Island. The blood genetic
      markers, however, revealed an opposite pattern of variation. A previously
      undescribed morphological variant (completely red) was observed in one specimen
      of the east bank, where pelage color of the local population varied from
      completely black to completely red. Levels of heterozygosity and inter- and
      intralocus variances for the blood systems are compared with those observed in
      five other species of New World primates.

PMID- 1853947
TI  - Ontogenetic perspective on mechanical and nonmechanical models of primate
      circumorbital morphology.
AB  - Dimensions of the supraorbital torus, postorbital bar, and postorbital septum
      were collected in an ontogenetic series of Macaca fascicularis and compared with
      expectations based on models that attribute morphological variation in these
      features to spatial factors, allometry, anterior dental loading, and neurofacial
      torsion. Each model was evaluated using correlation, partial correlation, and
      regression techniques (model I/least squares; model II/reduced major axis)
      applied to log-transformed and size-corrected data. Results indicate clearly that
      face or skull size is the primary determinant of variation in circumorbital
      structures. Strong support is found for the influence of spatial influences on
      anteroposterior supraorbital torus development (Moss and Young, Am. J. Phys.
      Anthropol. 18:281-292, 1960). Only minor support is noted for the neurofacial
      torsion model of Greaves (J. Zool. 207:125-136, 1985), and no support is
      indicated for the anterior dental loading model. The sexes do not differ
      significantly in any relevant comparisons of ontogenetic trajectories.

PMID- 1853948
TI  - Prolactin and cortisol responses to d-fenfluramine in major depression: evidence
      for diminished responsivity of central serotonergic function.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Theoretically, d-fenfluramine should be a more selective serotonin (5
      HT) challenge agent and has much greater clinical tolerance than the racemic
      compound that has previously been used. The authors' goal, therefore, was to look
      at 5-HT function in depression using the d isomer of fenfluramine as a probe.
      METHOD: They evaluated central 5-HT function in 23 patients with DSM-III-R
      diagnosed major depression and 16 healthy control subjects. The depressed group
      included 10 men and 13 women; four were outpatients, two attended a day hospital
      facility, and 17 were inpatients. Subjects were cannulated at 8:30 a.m. after an
      overnight fast. After baseline samples were drawn, 30 mg of d-fenfluramine was
      administered orally and blood samples were drawn over the following 5-hour period
      for prolactin and cortisol estimation. RESULTS: The plasma prolactin responses of
      the depressed patients were significantly lower than those of the control
      subjects. This blunting was not related to the severity of the depression but was
      significantly related to the patients' levels of state anxiety. Cortisol
      responses as well as prolactin responses were impaired in depression. High
      baseline cortisol levels were correlated with the severity of depression and the
      presence of weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings indicate that there
      is diminished 5-HT responsivity in the depressed state.

PMID- 1853949
TI  - Correlates of psychiatric distress among wives of hemophilic men with and without
      HIV infection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors' objectives were 1) to examine symptoms of depression,
      anxiety, and anger-hostility among the wives of men with hemophilia, a major risk
      group for AIDS, and 2) to identify psychosocial characteristics of the women
      and/or their husbands that were associated with elevated distress in the women.
      METHOD: Thirty-six women married to men with hemophilia were studied; the
      husbands of 17 of these women were HIV-seropositive. The men were drawn from the
      population of adults with hemophilia residing in a 24-county region of western
      Pennsylvania. Measures of wives' psychiatric symptoms were obtained, as were
      measures in three psychosocial domains: predispositional sociodemographic
      characteristics, psychosocial stressors, and husbands' strategies for coping.
      RESULTS: The psychiatric symptoms of the women did not differ as a function of
      their husbands' serostatus or across subgroups defined according to stages of HIV
      infection or clinical severity of hemophilia. Instead, other factors--perceptions
      of personal risk of AIDS, husbands' use of particular coping styles with respect
      to HIV infection, and the experience of other life events--were the principal
      correlates of psychiatric distress. CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection acted primarily as
      an indirect source of stress for these women, mediated by other psychosocial
      characteristics of both the women and their HIV-seropositive husbands. Mental
      health interventions for caregivers of HIV-seropositive individuals should target
      the identified psychosocial correlates of psychiatric distress.

PMID- 1853950
TI  - Disturbances of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning during ethanol
      withdrawal in six men.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Excessive exposure to glucocorticoids can have neurotoxic effects. The
      behavioral, cognitive, and neurochemical changes observed following the cessation
      of heavy drinking, therefore, may be associated with disturbances of the
      hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. To investigate HPA axis disturbances
      during the ethanol withdrawal syndrome, the authors examined diurnal changes in
      plasma cortisol in six alcohol-dependent men following the abrupt discontinuation
      of alcohol intake. METHOD: Plasma cortisol concentrations were quantified every
      30 minutes for 24 hours in the early stage (1 day after cessation) and the middle
      to late stage (3 days after cessation) of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome as well
      as after the resolution of acute symptoms (8 days or more after cessation).
      RESULTS: Plasma cortisol concentrations were almost twice as high during acute
      withdrawal as they were following recovery. The duration of the cortisol diurnal
      cycle on the first day of withdrawal was negatively correlated with the severity
      of withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: There is a marked activation of the HPA axis
      associated with the ethanol withdrawal syndrome. The authors hypothesize that
      this activation may account for some of the signs and symptoms of acute and
      subacute withdrawal. They discuss the potential long-term physiological effects
      of the episodic increases in cortisol associated with repeated episodes of
      ethanol withdrawal. The alterations in cortisol rhythmicity during early
      withdrawal may also have clinical implications.

PMID- 1853951
TI  - Childhood antecedents of homelessness in psychiatric patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between childhood experience and
      homelessness in psychiatric patients. METHOD: Three large and diverse samples of
      homeless patients (N = 512) were compared with a sample of patients who had never
      been homeless (N = 271), with respect to childhood experience of foster care,
      group home placement, and running away. One of the homeless samples and the never
      homeless sample were drawn from patients admitted to a state mental hospital. In
      this state hospital population, risk ratios for lifetime prevalence of
      homelessness could be derived. RESULTS: In the three homeless samples, over 15%
      had a history of foster care, over 10% had a history of group home placement, and
      over 20% had a history of running away. These figures compared with 2%, 1%, and
      5%, respectively, in the never homeless sample. In the state hospital, the
      lifetime prevalence of homelessness in patients with any one of these childhood
      experiences was about threefold that of other patients. A history of homelessness
      was reported by the great majority of state hospital patients who had had one of
      these childhood experiences. CONCLUSIONS: These childhood experiences were
      strongly associated with adult homelessness in these psychiatric patients. It
      might be possible to prevent homelessness in some cases by interventions aimed at
      patients with such childhood histories.

PMID- 1853952
TI  - Screening for dysfunction in the children of outpatients at a psychopharmacology
      clinic.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The goals of this study were 1) to determine whether the use of the
      Pediatric Symptom Checklist in an adult-oriented psychiatric practice was
      feasible, 2) to determine if scores indicative of dysfunction on the Pediatric
      Symptom Checklist were associated with parental or background factors, 3) to
      determine whether children flagged by their scores on the Pediatric Symptom
      Checklist were receiving psychiatric services, and 4) to compare the psychosocial
      dysfunction in this group of children with that found in children screened as
      part of routine pediatric visits. METHOD: Adult outpatients in a hospital's
      clinical psychopharmacology unit were asked to complete the Pediatric Symptom
      Checklist regarding their children. These patients were the parents of 100 school
      aged children. Factors such as the parents' diagnoses and demographic variables
      were also examined. RESULTS: The Pediatric Symptom Checklist was readily accepted
      by parents and fit easily into the routine of general psychiatric practice.
      Significantly more of the children of these outpatients than of children in
      comparable pediatric offices had scores indicative of psychiatric dysfunction
      (scores above the cutoff). Children of parents who were single, of low
      socioeconomic status, or with a diagnosis of personality (especially borderline)
      or mood disorder were more likely to have scores above the cutoff. More than a
      third of the children who had scores above the cutoff on the Pediatric Symptom
      Checklist were not currently receiving psychiatric services. CONCLUSIONS: The
      Pediatric Symptom Checklist provided a rapid and simple method for general
      psychiatrists to identify psychosocial dysfunction in their patients' children.

PMID- 1853953
TI  - Determining disability due to mental impairment: APA's evaluation of Social
      Security Administration guidelines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: APA evaluated the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) medical
      standards and guidelines for determining disability due to mental impairment to
      determine how well the standards and guidelines operationalize the statutory
      definition of disability in a manner consistent with current psychiatric
      practice. METHOD: Seventy-two psychiatrists were trained in one of two
      procedures: those in the sequential evaluation condition were trained in the
      process and forms used by the SSA's reviewing medical consultants, and those in
      the statutory definition condition were trained in the statutory definition of
      disability and application of clinical judgment according to this standard.
      Decisions regarding claimant's ability or inability to work were recorded on an
      instrument designed for the study. Each condition consisted of 12 panels of three
      members. They reviewed 732 actual claims for disability benefits. The panelists
      reviewed claims independently, then rendered panel judgments. Each claim was
      reviewed by one panel in each condition. RESULTS: The proportion of agreement
      between conditions for panel decisions (0.77) was higher than chance agreement
      (kappa = 0.46). The high level of agreement on claims judged to have good medical
      evidence and on which confident decisions were made (proportion of agreement =
      0.96, kappa = 0.78) suggests that disagreements largely reflected ambiguities in
      application of the standards and guidelines to more complex cases or those with
      inadequate information. CONCLUSIONS: The SSA's revised medical standards and
      guidelines reflect clinical decisions about ability to work based on the statute
      and, with procedural modifications, should be retained. The SSA should be
      involved in further systematic studies to develop a field of scientific inquiry
      into disability and psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 1853954
TI  - Cost offset from a psychiatric consultation-liaison intervention with elderly hip
      fracture patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors hypothesized that psychiatric liaison screening of elderly
      patients with hip fractures would shorten the average length of hospital stay and
      increase the proportion of patients who returned home after discharge. METHOD:
      The study was performed at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and
      Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The subjects were 452 patients 65
      years or older who were consecutively admitted for surgical repair of fractured
      hips. During a baseline year the patients received traditional referral for
      psychiatric consultation. During the experimental year all the patients at Mount
      Sinai and the patients on one Northwestern Unit were screened for psychiatric
      consultation. RESULTS: The patients who received psychiatric liaison screening
      had a higher consultation rate than those who received traditional consultation.
      The rates of DSM-III disorders in the experimental year were 56% at Mount Sinai
      and 60% at Northwestern. The mean length of stay was reduced from 20.7 to 18.5
      days at Mount Sinai and from 15.5 to 13.8 days at Northwestern, resulting in
      reductions in hospital costs ($647/day) of $166,926 and $97,361, respectively.
      Fees generated from Medicare service delivery could have paid for the $20,000
      psychiatric intervention cost at each site. There was no difference, however,
      between the two years in the discharge placement of patients. CONCLUSIONS:
      Admission psychiatric liaison screening of elderly patients with hip fractures
      results in early detection of psychiatric morbidity, better psychiatric care,
      earlier discharge, and substantial cost savings to the hospital.

PMID- 1853955
TI  - Detection of dissociative disorders in psychiatric patients by a screening
      instrument and a structured diagnostic interview.
AB  - OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Diagnosis and treatment of the dissociative disorders may
      be delayed for many years because of difficulties in detecting patients at high
      risk for dissociative disorders. This study investigates the utility of the
      Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a self-report instrument for dissociative
      experiences, in detecting patients at high risk for dissociative disorders. The
      clinician-administered Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Dissociative
      Disorders (SCID-D) was used as the diagnostic standard, and 36 outpatients with
      mixed diagnoses and nine normal subjects were evaluated for the presence and
      absence of a dissociative disorder. DES scores were then compared. RESULTS:
      Results indicate that a DES cutoff score of 15-20 yields good to excellent
      sensitivity and specificity as a screening instrument. However, for higher cutoff
      points the sensitivity can be much lower. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, although the DES can
      be used to identify some high-risk patients, they should be further evaluated
      with such diagnostic instruments as the SCID-D or by in-depth clinical follow-up.

PMID- 1853956
TI  - Comparison of the effects of hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide on lithium
      disposition.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study examined the interaction between lithium and diuretics,
      comparing both the pharmacokinetic and the pharmacodynamic variable of
      hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, and placebo. METHOD: The study, which took place
      in an outpatient research clinic of a university hospital, used a double-blind,
      placebo-controlled crossover design. The subjects were normal, healthy male
      volunteers who responded to recruitment announcements. Thirteen subjects entered
      and completed the study. All subjects took lithium, 300 mg b.i.d., for 6 weeks.
      Hydrochlorothiazide, 25 mg b.i.d.; furosemide, 20 mg b.i.d.; and placebo were
      given during weeks 2, 4, and 6 in a random order of assignment. Serum lithium
      levels and indices of diuretic activity were measured during each week. RESULTS:
      The subjects' serum lithium levels after 5 days of taking hydrochlorothiazide
      were significantly higher than after 5 days of taking furosemide and placebo. At
      the doses studied, hydrochlorothiazide was also more potent than furosemide in
      increasing plasma renin activity, increasing sodium excretion, and decreasing
      lithium excretion. CONCLUSIONS: The observed differences between diuretics in
      effects on serum lithium may have been due to differences in the potency of the
      diuretics at the doses studied as well as in the site of action of the diuretic
      effect. The results must be interpreted cautiously, however, because the effects
      were small and of questionable clinical significance, and the study used healthy
      volunteers and low doses of lithium instead of psychiatric patients and the usual
      therapeutic levels of lithium.

PMID- 1853957
TI  - Fluoxetine in the treatment of borderline and schizotypal personality disorders.
AB  - Twenty-two patients meeting the criteria for borderline or schizotypal
      personality disorder or both participated in a prospective, nonblind 12-week
      trial of fluoxetine. There were significant reductions in self-injury and in
      scores on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist regardless of diagnosis. The results
      suggest that controlled trials of fluoxetine and investigations of the
      serotonergic system in these disorders would be useful.

PMID- 1853958
TI  - Manic syndrome in AIDS.
AB  - A manic syndrome in eight patients with AIDS is described. On the basis of
      clinical, neuropsychological, laboratory, magnetic resonance imaging, and
      epidemiological evidence, the authors suggest that the manic syndrome was
      secondary to HIV infection. The patients also developed concomitant cognitive
      impairment.

PMID- 1853959
TI  - Decrease in resting metabolic rate during abstinence from bulimic behavior.
AB  - Among eight normal-weight bulimic women studied during 1 week of binge eating and
      vomiting and 7 weeks of abstinence without weight loss, resting metabolic rate
      and T3 and T4 levels fell significantly during abstinence. These data suggest
      that a physiological consequence of binge eating and vomiting is an increase in
      metabolic rate, in part due to increased thyroid hormone activity.

PMID- 1853960
TI  - The course of psychological symptoms after resolution of lawsuits.

PMID- 1853961
TI  - Prevalence of substance abuse in psychiatric patients.

PMID- 1853962
TI  - Divalproex in posttraumatic stress disorder.

PMID- 1853963
TI  - The obsessive quality and clomipramine treatment in PTSD.

PMID- 1853964
TI  - DSM-III-R criteria for cocaine disorders.

PMID- 1853965
TI  - Bruxism and sexual abuse.

PMID- 1853966
TI  - Fluoxetine in autism.

PMID- 1853967
TI  - Treatment of cancer phobia with fluoxetine.

PMID- 1853968
TI  - Preoccupation with suicide in patients treated with fluoxetine.

PMID- 1853969
TI  - Prediction of suicide.

PMID- 1853970
TI  - Need for reporting of gender differences.

PMID- 1853971
TI  - Innovations in use of pharmacological treatments.

PMID- 1853972
TI  - Comments on the natural history of alcohol abuse.

PMID- 1853973
TI  - Social phobia and agoraphobia in alcoholism.

PMID- 1853974
TI  - Nonpurging bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

PMID- 1853975
TI  - Request for more information about study of rapid cycling in affective disorders.

PMID- 1853976
TI  - Factors influencing response to placebo.

PMID- 1853977
TI  - Severe forms of tardive dyskinesia.

PMID- 1853978
TI  - Trauma in childhood.

PMID- 1853979
TI  - Behavioral disorders in animals.

PMID- 1853980
TI  - Cortical glucose metabolism and clinical depression.

PMID- 1853981
TI  - Cyclothymic mood swings in major and minor psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 1853982
TI  - Hypnotizability and dissociation.

PMID- 1853983
TI  - Dissociative disorders and complex partial seizures.

PMID- 1853984
TI  - Computerized literature searches.

PMID- 1853985
TI  - Maladaptive denial of pregnancy.

PMID- 1853986
TI  - Third-party management of utilization of health services.

PMID- 1853987
TI  - Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in psychiatry: potential, pitfalls, and promise.
AB  - Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a novel noninvasive approach to
      measuring important metabolites in living tissue. Its application to psychiatry
      is just beginning. In vivo MRS with 31P provides important information on brain
      phospholipid metabolism and energy production. In vivo 13C and 1H MRS can reveal
      information about carbohydrate, protein, and amino acid metabolism. In vivo 7Li
      and 19F MRS can be used to study the pharmacology of lithium and fluorinated
      psychopharmacological agents. MRS with 23Na can yield information about
      electrolyte balance. The limitations of in vivo MRS include poor sensitivity,
      poor resolution, and the fact that only highly mobile atomic nuclei can be
      detected. Future clinical application of MRS will benefit from improvements in
      the technology of localization, use of spectroscopy contrast agents, stronger
      magnets, and the merging of MRS and imaging technology.

PMID- 1853988
TI  - Kleptomania: making sense of the nonsensical.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Kleptomania, or the irresistible impulse to steal unneeded objects, is
      a poorly understood disorder. The objectives of this paper are to critically
      review and integrate existing data and to make suggestions for further research.
      DATA COLLECTION: Information was gathered by reviewing the English-language
      literature on kleptomania. Cases were chosen for review that approximated the
      diagnosis as defined in DSM-III-R. These cases were analyzed in terms of their
      relationship to previous theories about the disorder, and larger relevant studies
      were examined. Using the data organized into a table, the author explores areas
      of convergence and disagreement and discusses the methodological difficulties of
      the different studies. FINDINGS: Kleptomania is more common than previously
      thought. The "typical" individual with kleptomania is a 35-year-old woman who
      began to steal when she was 20 years old. Her thefts bring both relief and guilt.
      She probably has not sought treatment on her own but suffers from a necessary,
      pervasive, repetitive, and self-destructive act. She may have a history of sexual
      dysfunction or sexual preoccupation and may be unhappily married to an
      emotionally unsupportive husband. She has been labile and dysphoric for many
      years and may have a personality disorder. She has probably had a tumultuous,
      stressful childhood and may dissociate. CONCLUSIONS: The author proposes a
      biopsychosocial model of the etiology of kleptomania based on data from the
      literature. This model emphasizes possible childhood abuse as a precipitating
      factor in later development of kleptomania. More complete research is needed in
      the study of kleptomania.

PMID- 1853989
TI  - Patient predictors of response to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy: findings in
      the NIMH Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated patient characteristics predictive of
      treatment response in the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Treatment of
      Depression Collaborative Research Program. METHOD: Two hundred thirty-nine
      outpatients with major depressive disorder according to the Research Diagnostic
      Criteria entered a 16-week multicenter clinical trial and were randomly assigned
      to interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, imipramine with
      clinical management, or placebo with clinical management. Pretreatment
      sociodemographic features, diagnosis, course of illness, function, personality,
      and symptoms were studied to identify patient predictors of depression severity
      (measured with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) and complete response
      (measured with the Hamilton scale and the Beck Depression Inventory). RESULTS:
      One hundred sixty-two patients completed the entire 16-week trial. Six patient
      characteristics, in addition to depression severity previously reported,
      predicted outcome across all treatments: social dysfunction, cognitive
      dysfunction, expectation of improvement, endogenous depression, double
      depression, and duration of current episode. Significant patient predictors of
      differential treatment outcome were identified. 1) Low social dysfunction
      predicted superior response to interpersonal psychotherapy. 2) Low cognitive
      dysfunction predicted superior response to cognitive-behavior therapy and to
      imipramine. 3) High work dysfunction predicted superior response to imipramine.
      4) High depression severity and impairment of function predicted superior
      response to imipramine and to interpersonal psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The
      results demonstrate the relevance of patient characteristics, including social,
      cognitive, and work function, for prediction of the outcome of major depressive
      disorder. They provide indirect evidence of treatment specificity by identifying
      characteristics responsive to different modalities, which may be of value in the
      selection of patients for alternative treatments.

PMID- 1853990
TI  - Controlled trial of Giardia lamblia: control strategies in day care centers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Strategies for control of Giardia lamblia in day care differ in
      numbers of children treated and in costs to parents and day care operators. The
      effectiveness of these strategies has not been systematically evaluated. METHODS:
      We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing three strategies
      for control of Giardia in infant-toddler day care centers: Group 1, exclusion and
      treatment of symptomatic and asymptomatic infected children; Group 2, exclusion
      and treatment of symptomatic infection only; Group 3, exclusion and treatment of
      symptomatic infection, treatment of asymptomatic infection in the center. The
      study included 31 day care centers with 4180 child-months of observation. Giardia
      prevalence was determined before intervention and 1, 2, 4, and 6 months later;
      new infants and toddlers were tested on admission. RESULTS: Initial Giardia
      prevalences were 18% to 22% in the three groups. Giardia was identified in 10.5%
      of 676 new infants and toddlers entering study day care centers during the 6
      month follow-up. Giardia prevalences by intervention group were 8%, 12%, and 7%
      at 1 month, and 7%, 8%, and 8% at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The stricter
      intervention resulted in greater cost in terms of child day care and parents'
      work days lost, but did not result in significantly better control of Giardia
      infections in this day care environment.

PMID- 1853991
TI  - Characteristics of maternal employment during pregnancy: effects on low
      birthweight.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although maternal employment is considered a risk factor for low
      birthweight (LBW), the manner in which employment might affect birthweight is
      poorly understood. In this analysis, selected characteristics of employment
      during pregnancy were examined for effects on pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: Work
      characteristics included the number of hours per week, physical activities, and
      environmental conditions. The outcomes of interest were fetal growth retardation
      (less than 2500 grams at term) and preterm delivery (less than 37 weeks). The
      study population consisted of 2711 non-Black, married mothers who participated in
      the 1980 National Natality Survey (NNS). The NNS data were merged with data from
      the 1977 revision of The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) from which
      measures of occupational physical activities and environmental exposures were
      obtained. Logistic regression was used in the analysis. RESULTS: Those who worked
      40 or more hours per week were more likely than women who worked fewer hours to
      have a low birthweight delivery at greater than or equal to 37 weeks. No physical
      or environmental characterics of work were associated with low birthweight or
      preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS: Non-Black married American women may face a risk
      of delivering low-birthweight babies at or near term only if they work 40 or more
      hours each week. However, the lack of risk associated with other characteristics
      of work may be a function of measurement error in the DOT data source or of low
      levels of exposure in the analysis population.

PMID- 1853992
TI  - Source of bias in prenatal care utilization indices: implications for evaluating
      the Medicaid expansion.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recent expansions in eligibility for coverage of prenatal care
      services by the Medicaid program reflect national initiatives to improve
      pregnancy outcomes. This study investigates the potential impact that
      completeness of reporting of prenatal care and gestational age variables and
      strategies to impute missing data may have on evaluations of the Medicaid
      expansion. METHODS: This study, examining 15 years of vital record data from a
      single state and comparing 1 year of data from four mid-Atlantic states, selected
      single live births to resident mothers for analyses. The "day 15" and the
      "preceding case" methods were used to impute missing gestational age data.
      RESULTS: Considerable temporal and geographic variation was detected in
      completeness of reporting of variables used to construct prenatal care indices.
      After imputing values for cases with missing data, the proportion of cases for
      which adequacy of prenatal care utilization could not be determined ranged from
      3% to 24% among the states investigated. For those cases where gestational age
      data could be imputed, the distribution of prenatal care utilization was not
      markedly disparate from those cases with complete reporting of gestational age.
      CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that variations in reporting, decisions
      regarding the treatment of missing data, and the choice of the denominator can
      alter prenatal care utilization percentages and have implications for evaluations
      of the impact of the recent Medicaid expansion on prenatal care utilization.

PMID- 1853993
TI  - Uncompensated hospital care for pregnancy and childbirth cases.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The large number of medically indigent patients in the United States
      is a major concern to policymakers and may be due to recent increases in the
      number of uninsured people. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors
      that affect the amount of unpaid hospital charges for services provided to
      pregnant women. METHODS: Individual and hospital data were collected on a
      representative set of 235 pregnancy and childbirth patients with unpaid hospital
      charges from 28 hospitals in the state of Indiana. RESULTS: Most of these
      patients did not have insurance coverage (63.8%), yet the majority were employed
      in the public or private sector (72.3%). Over half (55.5%) of the total
      uncompensated care amount for this group was from the $1000 to 2499 debt
      category. The median charge for these patients was $1468, of which the typical
      hospital was able to collect only 25.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the
      belief that any national effort to expand the availability of health insurance
      coverage to women through increased employment will not totally eliminate the
      uncompensated care problem. The findings also indicate that rural hospitals face
      the uncompensated care problem mainly because a significant portion of rural
      patients are without adequate health insurance coverage.

PMID- 1853994
TI  - Effects of paternal occupational exposure on spontaneous abortions.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Paternal exposure to mutagenic agents has been suggested to affect
      pregnancy outcome adversely. METHODS: A nationwide data base of medically
      diagnosed spontaneous abortions and other pregnancies and national census data
      was used to evaluate the effects of men's occupational exposures on risk of
      spontaneous abortion in 99,186 pregnancies in Finland. Census data from the years
      1975 and 1980 provided information about the occupation, industry, and
      socioeconomic status. A job-exposure classification was developed to classify
      women and their husbands according to possible occupational exposures on the
      basis of their occupational title and industry. RESULTS: In 10% of the
      pregnancies, the husband was exposed to one or more of the mutagens, and the rate
      of spontaneous abortion was unaffected (OR = 1.0). Of the 25 specific mutagenic
      exposures evaluated, paternal exposure to four (ethylene oxide, rubber chemicals,
      solvents used in refineries, and solvents used in the manufacturing of rubber
      products) was associated with an increased relative risk of spontaneous abortion.
      In addition, the risk of spontaneous abortion was higher among wives of rubber
      products workers than among unexposed men. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is some
      biological rationale for the findings of this study, these findings need to be
      confirmed by studies in which individual exposures can be measured directly.

PMID- 1853995
TI  - The health hazards of saunas and spas and how to minimize them.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The rapidly increasing number of spas, hot tubs, and saunas
      intensifies the potentials for deaths from hyperthermia and drowning. METHODS: I
      analyzed 54 such deaths reported to me by 55 medical examiners and coroners in
      the United States and 104 deaths reported to the US Consumer Product Safety
      Commission (CPSC). RESULTS: Only seven of the 158 deaths analyzed occurred in
      saunas. All of the remaining deaths occurred in spas, jacuzzis, or hot tubs,
      which were far more numerous. The chief risk factors identified were alcohol
      ingestion, heart disease, seizure disorders, and cocaine ingestion (alone or in
      combination with alcohol ingestion). These factors accounted for 71 or 44.7% of
      the 159 fatalities. Of these risk factors, alcohol represented 38%; heart
      disease, 31%; seizure disorders, 17%; and cocaine ingestion, alone or in
      combination with alcohol, 14%. Sixty-one of the 151 spa-associated deaths
      occurred in children under 12 years of age. Accidental drownings from uncovered
      or improperly covered spas and, to a lesser extent, entrapment by suction, were
      the chief causes of childhood drownings. CONCLUSIONS: Children and older persons
      who have heart disease or seizure disorders or who use alcohol or cocaine are
      especially vulnerable. Recommended preventive measures include shortening the
      time of exposure, lowering the temperature, establishing safety standards for
      covers and for baffles for suction outlets, and using warning notices.

PMID- 1853996
TI  - Serum total cholesterol: HDL cholesterol ratios in US white and black adults by
      selected demographic and socioeconomic variables (HANES II).
AB  - BACKGROUND: Framingham Study findings suggest that total cholesterol (TC):High
      density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio is a useful summary of the joint
      contribution of TC and HDL-C to coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Information on
      the distribution of TC:HDL-C in the US population is limited to selected
      populations and the relationship of the ratio distribution and its correlates has
      received little attention. METHOD: TC/HDL-C ratios were examined in a
      representative sample of the United States adult population ages 20 to 74 years,
      between February 1976 and February 1980 during NHANES II, using stratification
      and multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Age-adjusted mean ratios were
      higher in men compared with women and were higher in Whites compared with Blacks.
      White men had the highest TC/HDL-C mean ratios. These relationships remained
      after stratification by age, education, body mass index, alcohol use, cigarette
      smoking, and physical activity. Using multivariate analyses, the ratios were
      positively related to BMI, age, and smoking; and negatively related to female
      sex, alcohol use, being Black, and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Using a ratio
      reference point of greater than or equal to 4.5 from the Framingham study, at
      least an estimated 44 million persons ages 25 to 74 years in the US were found to
      be at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1853997
TI  - Physicians promoting bicycle helmets for children: a randomized trial.
AB  - Head injury is the leading cause of death and serious morbidity in bicycle
      accidents. There is good evidence to recommend helmets, yet few children wear
      them. We evaluated helmet promotion in a randomized trial targeting children
      presenting to primary care settings for routine ambulatory care. The intervention
      consisted of physician counseling and take-home pamphlets. The study involved 339
      families, 167 in the intervention group and 172 in the control group. In a follow
      up telephone call, 2 to 3 weeks later, only 7.2% of the intervention group had
      purchased helmets, compared with 7.0% of the control group (chi 2 = 0.0056, P =
      .94). During the latter half of the study, bicycle safety received considerable
      media attention in Ottawa, and the provincial medical society sponsored a $5
      discount campaign. Therefore both groups were subject to community "co
      intervention." Nonetheless, we were surprised that physician counseling made no
      additional impact. Our results and the success of certain community programs
      suggest that physicians interested in helmet promotion would do better to
      participate in the design and implementation of multidisciplinary campaigns.

PMID- 1853998
TI  - Preventing and postponing death: trends in Tennessee infant mortality.
AB  - Infants born in Tennessee between 1984 and 1988 experienced reduced mortality
      compared with those born in the 5 years previous. For all birthweight singleton
      infants, the reduction from 10.2 to 8.4 deaths per 1000 live births represents an
      18% decline in mortality. The most impressive gain made was for very low
      birthweight (less than 1500 g) infants in the neonatal period, where mortality
      was reduced 24%. However, for these infants there was nearly a sixfold increase
      in the postneonatal mortality associated with prematurity-related causes.

PMID- 1853999
TI  - A comparison of breast-feeding data from the National Surveys of Family Growth
      and the Ross Laboratories Mothers Surveys.
AB  - This study compares rates of breast feeding reported in the National Surveys of
      Family Growth with those from the Ross Laboratories Mothers Surveys. Both surveys
      have documented rates of breast feeding over the last 30 or more years. Despite
      differences in survey methodology, both surveys document similar long-term trends
      in breast feeding. The similarities of rates in breast feeding also are evident
      across several maternal sociodemographic characteristics. We conclude that both
      surveys produce reliable and useful estimates of breast feeding.

PMID- 1854000
TI  - Risk factors for childhood homicides in Ohio: a birth certificate-based case
      control study.
AB  - Death certificate of children less than 8 years of age who were killed between
      1979 and 1986 were linked to their Ohio birth certificates and compared with
      those of Ohio children born in 1983 (controls). Having an unmarried mother
      increased risk of homicide almost fivefold (odds ratio 4.87). Having a teenage
      mother, a mother who had not graduated from high-school, and being of Black race
      or low birthweight each increased the risk by approximately threefold. Increases
      in the proportion of children born to unmarried mothers may contribute to
      increases in childhood homicide rates.

PMID- 1854001
TI  - Costs and benefits of implementing child survival services at a private mining
      company in Peru.
AB  - Costs and savings of child health services were studied in a private mining
      company in Peru. Despite considerable outlays for medical services, few children
      under age 5 were vaccinated, and half of their illnesses went untreated. Children
      who were attended at the company clinic usually received unnecessary medication.
      As a result of the study, the company hired additional staff to provide
      integrated maternal-child preventive health care and family planning and
      contracted for intensive training and periodic on-site supervision. In less than
      2 years, vaccination coverage reached 75%, and virtually all children under age 1
      were enrolled in growth monitoring. Prescriptions were reduced by 24%, including
      a 67% drop in antimicrobials. The cost of the new services was $13,200 for the
      first 2 years. Approximately $6800 has been saved in pharmaceuticals prescribed
      for respiratory infection and diarrhea. Recently, two more mines adopted maternal
      and child health and family planning services. It is hoped that cost-benefit
      arguments will encourage other companies to incorporate aggressive child survival
      measures into their health plans.

PMID- 1854002
TI  - Measles vaccination coverage among Latino children aged 12 to 59 months in Los
      Angeles County: a household survey.
AB  - A high rate of measles transmission has occurred in Los Angeles County since
      1987. To determine measles vaccination coverage among Latino preschoolers, the
      group at highest risk of measles during this period, a cluster survey was
      conducted among Latino households with children aged 12 to 59 months. Of 279
      children enrolled, 240 (86%, 95% confidence interval = 81% to 91%) reportedly had
      received the measles vaccine. Measles vaccination coverage among Latino
      preschoolers in Los Angeles County is insufficient to halt measles transmission
      within this subpopulation.

PMID- 1854003
TI  - Low-level air pollution and upper respiratory infections in children.
AB  - Effects of low-level air pollution were studied in one polluted city and two
      reference cities in northern Finland by comparing the frequency of upper
      respiratory infections over a 12-month period in 1982 as reported by parents of
      children ages 14 through 18 months (n = 679) and 6 years (n = 759). A similar
      comparison was carried out between children living in the more polluted and less
      polluted areas of the polluted city. The annual mean and the greatest half-hour
      concentrations of sulfur dioxide (23 and 807 micrograms/m3), particulates (31 and
      291 micrograms/m3), nitrogen oxides (15 and 160 micrograms/m3), and hydrogen
      sulfide (2 and 177 micrograms/m3) in the polluted city were mainly due to
      industrial sources. In the reference cities, air pollution was produced mainly by
      traffic and heating. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for one or more upper respiratory
      infections of residents in the polluted city vs those in the reference cities
      were 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-3.2) in the younger age group and
      1.6 (95% CI = 1.1-2.1) in the older age group. Within the polluted city, OR
      calculated for living in more vs less polluted areas were 2.0 (95% CI = 1.0-4.0)
      in the younger and 1.6 (95% CI = 1.0-2.7) in the older children. The present
      results suggests that, for children, air pollution can be hazardous in
      concentrations lower than those recorded in earlier studies from Britain and
      central Europe. The synergistic effect of sulfur dioxide, particulates, nitrogen
      oxides, hydrogen sulfide, and other pollutants may be a contributing factor.

PMID- 1854004
TI  - Decline in the use of illicit drugs by high school students in New York State: a
      comparison with national data.
AB  - A school-based epidemiological survey of the use of drugs was carried out in
      Spring 1988 among 7,611 adolescents representative of students in grades 7
      through 12 in New York State public and private schools. This survey provides the
      most recent data on the use of crack in that population. Comparison with a
      statewide survey carried out five years earlier reveals a large decline in the
      use of illicit drugs in that period. This decline appears to be stronger than the
      decline reported for national samples.

PMID- 1854005
TI  - Surveillance of attempted suicide among adolescents in Oregon, 1988.
AB  - In January 1988, Oregon became the first state to require hospital-based
      reporting of attempted suicide (AS) in all adolescents less than 18 years old.
      From January to December 1988, 644 cases of AS were reported (annual rate of 214
      per 100,000 population, ages 10 to 17 years). We compared these 644 cases of AS
      with all 137 Oregon adolescents less than 18 years old who committed suicide in
      Oregon during the 10-year-period 1979 through 1988, and found that the strongest
      predictor of outcome was method used.

PMID- 1854006
TI  - Knowledge of diagnosis and reproductive history among survivors of childhood
      plumbism.
AB  - As part of a study of the long-term consequences of childhood plumbism, 35
      survivors of lead poisoning in the period 1930 through 1944 were interviewed
      along with 22 controls matched for age, sex, and town of residence. Subjects were
      asked to recall all pregnancies they engendered (men) or carried (women),
      outcome, and intellectual development of resulting children. Matched female
      plumbism subjects reported a higher proportion of spontaneous abortion or
      stillbirths among pregnancies (relative risk = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]
      = 0.6-4.0) and a higher proportion of learning disabilities among school-age
      children (relative risk = 3.0, 95% CI = 0.9-10.2) in comparison with their
      controls. There was no evidence of clustering of learning disabilities within
      families or confounding by parental educational level. These results suggest that
      women with a history of childhood lead poisoning may be at risk for having
      spontaneous abortions or stillbirths and having children who manifest significant
      learning disabilities.

PMID- 1854007
TI  - MOM-mobile brings ultrasounds to moms.

PMID- 1854008
TI  - Maternal transfers and hospital perinatal mortality rates.

PMID- 1854009
TI  - Characteristics of infant deaths due to HIV/AIDS.

PMID- 1854011
TI  - Number of bicycle injuries unrealistic.

PMID- 1854010
TI  - Crack cocaine, fellatio, and the transmission of HIV.

PMID- 1854012
TI  - How can physicians get kids to wear bicycle helmets? A prototypic challenge in
      injury prevention.

PMID- 1854013
TI  - Adverse working conditions and premature delivery.

PMID- 1854014
TI  - Service needs of severely disturbed children.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As one piece of a statewide Children's Mental Health System Analysis
      conducted in Washington State, the specific service needs of severely emotionally
      disturbed children were investigated. METHODS: The primary case-workers of 3398
      children under the care of the state responded to a survey of the child's
      treatment history, social and clinical condition, and service needs. Service need
      data on the 2455 children in the sample who were classifiable as severely
      emotionally disturbed were examined using log linear analysis. RESULTS: School-
      and home-based services were frequently reported needs of school-aged children.
      Adolescent children were reported to be in need of services which prepare them
      for adulthood. Services endorsed for female children tended to focus on
      assistance to family members, therapy, and protection, whereas services endorsed
      for male children focused on home removal, substance abuse treatment, and
      preparation for employment. CONCLUSIONS: Severely emotionally disturbed children
      are in need of a variety of nontraditional mental health services. Significant
      differences in the needs of male versus female children, and of differently aged
      children, are present that have serious implications for service system
      development.

PMID- 1854015
TI  - Analysis of US child care safety regulations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: With 1.9 million US children cared for in organized group child care,
      the safety of these children is a public health concern. In the absence of
      federal policy, each state has developed its own day care safety regulations.
      METHODS: After creating a set of 36 criteria from three sets of national
      guidelines, we assessed the safety regulations of 45 states. With a mailed survey
      of state day care regulatory personnel, we examined the processes of formulating
      and implementing safety policy in 47 states. RESULTS: For 24 of the 36 items,
      more than half the states' regulations were below the criteria or failed to
      mention the topic. Most notable is the inattention to playground safety, choking
      hazards, and firearms. CONCLUSION: The uneven quality of regulations may be a
      reflection of a regulatory process that is fragmented, with many different groups
      sharing authority and with limited involvement of injury prevention specialists.

PMID- 1854016
TI  - Promoting physical activity and a healthful diet among children: results of a
      school-based intervention study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: National health objectives call for improved diet and more regular
      physical activity among children. We tested the effects of a school-based program
      to improve students' diet and physical activity behavior at school. METHODS: Two
      of the four elementary schools in one Texas school district were assigned to
      intervention and two to control conditions. The three intervention components
      were classroom health education, vigorous physical education, and lower fat,
      lower sodium school lunches. Nutrients from school lunches and the total day and
      the amount of physical activity students obtained during physical education were
      assessed as outcome. RESULTS: Analysis of school lunches showed declines from
      base line to posttest in the two intervention schools of 15.5% and 10.4% for
      total fat, 31.7% and 18.8% for saturated fat, and 40.2% and 53.6% for sodium;
      posttest values were lower in the intervention schools. Observation of physical
      activity during physical education classes indicated an increase in the
      intervention schools from baseline to posttest in the percent of time children
      engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from less than 10% of class
      time at baseline to about 40% of class time at posttest; posttest values were
      higher in the intervention schools than in the control schools. CONCLUSIONS: This
      efficacy study demonstrates the feasibility of substantially modifying school
      lunches and school physical education to improve children's diet and physical
      activity behavior at school.

PMID- 1854017
TI  - Attitudes toward abortion among parents of children with cystic fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: DNA prenatal diagnosis for cystic fibrosis (CF) has been available
      for parents of affected children since late 1985. METHODS: Using anonymous
      questionnaires, we surveyed 395 parents of children with CF at 12 New England CF
      centers with regard to 12 maternal or family situations and 11 fetal
      characteristics; 271 (68%) responded. RESULTS: The majority supported legal
      abortion in the first trimester for all 23 situations; 58% would abort for severe
      mental retardation (MR), 40% would abort for a genetic disorder leading to death
      before age five years, 41% for a child bedridden for life, 35% for moderate MR,
      20% for CF and 17% for a severe incurable disorder starting at age 40 years. Few
      would abort for a disorder starting at age 60 years, for genetic susceptibility
      to alcoholism or for sex selection. Variables most strongly related to abortion
      for CF were attitudes of spouse, respondent's siblings, and CF doctor toward
      abortion for CF as well as infrequent attendance at religious services.
      CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal diagnosis may not reduce substantially the number of CF
      births to parents of CF children because most do not accept abortion for CF.

PMID- 1854018
TI  - Infant diet and salmonellosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The Island of Guam has experienced a high incidence of infant
      salmonellosis for a number of years (age-specific incidence rate of approximately
      3700 cases per 100,000 infants in 1984). Interviews of case parents suggested
      that the use of high-iron infant formula was associated with this problem.
      METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to test this hypothesis. Information
      on feeding practices and a variety of medical and socioeconomic factors was
      collected for 78 laboratory-confirmed Salmonella-case infants and 167 control
      infants. RESULTS: Case infants were less likely to have been breast-fed (odds
      ratio [OR] = 9.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.71-30.9) and more likely to
      have been fed infant formula with an iron content of 10 mg/L or greater (OR =
      2.96; 95% CI = 1.24-7.08) than were control infants. CONCLUSIONS: Although the
      precise means by which infants are most commonly exposed to Salmonella bacteria
      remain obscure, breast-feeding apparently protects against the development of
      physician-diagnosed clinical salmonellosis, while the feeding of high-iron infant
      formula has the opposite effect.

PMID- 1854019
TI  - Use of ion-selective electrodes in kinetic flow injection: determination of
      phenolic and hydrazino drugs with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene using a fluoride
      selective electrode.
AB  - A flow injection (FI) kinetic potentiometric method for the determination of
      phenolic (acetaminophen and isoxsuprine) and hydrazino (isoniazid) drugs is
      described. This work shows the usefulness of ion-selective electrodes as
      detectors in FI systems, not only for direct ion determination but also in
      routine kinetic analysis. The method is based on the reaction of 1-fluoro-2,4
      dinitrobenzene (FDNB) with the analytes in a weakly alkaline medium, which
      proceeds through the liberation of fluoride from the reagent. The slow reactions
      with phenols are catalysed by micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The
      reaction rate is monitored with a fluoride-selective electrode in a wall-jet
      configuration and is used to construct a calibration graph of antilog(delta E/S)
      1 versus c (where E = potential, s = slope of the electrode and c =
      concentration), using the fixed-time approach. The response time and the long
      term stability of the electrode were found to be adequate for such kinetic
      determinations. The proposed method overcomes problems associated with end-point
      spectrophotometric methods using FDNB and allows measurements in highly coloured
      or turbid solutions. The optimized method has a linear concentration range of 1 x
      10(-4)-50 x 10(-4) mol dm-3, a measurement throughput of 20 or 40 per hour and
      the precision ranges from 1.8 to 3.6% relative standard deviation (n = 3).
      Results obtained for commercial pharmaceutical formulations compare favourably
      with those given by reference methods.

PMID- 1854020
TI  - Amitriptyline-selective plastic membrane sensors and their pharmaceutical
      applications.
AB  - The construction and general performance characteristics of potentiometric
      amitriptyline-plastic membrane sensors, based on ion-pair complexes with
      triphenylstilbenylborate and tetra(2-chlorophenyl)borate, respectively, are
      described. Both electrodes show near-Nernstian responses over the range 1 x 10(
      2)-7 x 10(-6) mol dm-3 with a detection limit of about 5 x 10(-6) mol dm-3. The
      electrodes proved useful in the determination of amitriptyline hydrochloride in
      pure drug substances and pharmaceutical preparations. They were also applied to
      the determination of content uniformity and dissolution rate of sugar-coated
      amitriptyline tablets. The physical processes were numerically simulated by
      typical equations.

PMID- 1854021
TI  - Simplified method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey.
AB  - A method is described for the detection and quantitative determination of
      organochlorine pesticides in honey. After extraction with hexane, the pesticides
      were cleaned-up by adsorption chromatography on a Florisil Sep-Pak cartridge and
      eluted with 15% diethyl ether in hexane. The detection of organochlorine
      pesticides was performed by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture
      detection. The quantification limit obtained for different pesticides ranged from
      0.56 to 2.78 micrograms kg-1 and recoveries from fortified honey samples averaged
      89.6%.

PMID- 1854022
TI  - Spectrofluorimetric determination of 5-hydroxyindoles with benzylamine or 3,4
      dimethoxybenzylamine as a selective fluorogenic reagent.
AB  - A spectrofluorimetric method has been developed for the sensitive and selective
      determination of 5-hydroxyindoles; the method is based on the reaction of 5
      hydroxyindoles in a weakly alkaline solution (pH 9.0) with aromatic methylamines
      in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) and dimethyl sulphoxide; the
      compounds produced fluoresce intensely in an alkaline solution (pH 11-12). Of the
      eight aromatic methylamines tested, benzylamine and 3,4-dimethoxybenzylamine were
      found to be the most favourable fluorogenic reagents in terms of sensitivity and
      reactivity. The methods with benzylamine and 3,4-dimethoxybenzylamine permit the
      determination of 5-hydroxyindoles at concentrations as low as 22-72 pmol ml-1 and
      1.0-2.4 nmol ml-1, respectively.

PMID- 1854023
TI  - High-pressure flow-injection assembly. Indirect determination of glycine by
      atomic absorption spectrometry.
AB  - A procedure for the determination of glycine is described. The method is based on
      the reaction of the analyte with finely powdered, solid copper(II) carbonate in a
      continuous-flow assembly. The optimum experimental conditions of pH, temperature,
      sample volume, flow-rate, column length and internal diameter, and the linear
      range of calibration, were studied. Interference from foreign substances that
      accompany this amino acid in pharmaceutical formulations was studied, and the
      method was applied to the determination of glycine.

PMID- 1854024
TI  - Perioperative maternal and neonatal acid-base status and glucose metabolism in
      patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Maternal and neonatal acid-base status and glucose metabolism were studied in 20
      patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (group 1) undergoing elective
      cesarean section under lumbar epidural anesthesia. All patients were given
      glucose/insulin infusion before delivery. Fifteen healthy patients with
      iatrogenic hyperglycemia (group 2) and 15 healthy euglycemic patients (group 3)
      served as controls. Results were expressed as mean +/- 1 SE and were analyzed
      using analysis of variance and chi 2 analysis at P less than 0.05. No significant
      differences were seen at delivery either in maternal arterial and neonatal
      umbilical venous and arterial blood acid-base status or in neonatal Apgar scores
      among the three groups. Patients in groups 1 and 2 had larger blood glucose
      concentrations than those in group 3 (P = 0.01). Diabetic mothers and their
      neonates had a 25%-50% reduction in pyruvate concentration in maternal venous,
      and neonatal umbilical venous and arterial blood compared with that in the other
      two groups (P = 0.001). Postpartum neonatal hypoglycemia (less than 30 mg/dL)
      developed in seven of the group 1 neonates (P = 0.05). Thus, epidural anesthesia
      in diabetic women is associated with normal acid-base status in the mother and in
      the neonate. The data also show an increased incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia
      and altered maternal and neonatal glycolysis in patients with diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1854025
TI  - Effect of intravenously administered dexmedetomidine on pain after laparoscopic
      tubal ligation.
AB  - Ninety-six women undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation were randomized to
      receive intravenously either 0.2 or 0.4 microgram/kg of dexmedetomidine, 60
      micrograms/kg of oxycodone, or 250 micrograms/kg of diclofenac for postoperative
      pain in a double-blind study design. The study drugs were administered in the
      recovery room for moderate or severe pain and were repeated until pain subsided
      or disappeared. In the group receiving diclofenac, 83% of the patients required
      analgesic supplementation with morphine. This contrasted (P less than 0.01) with
      33% of the patients receiving either oxycodone or the higher dose of
      dexmedetomidine. After the first dose of oxycodone was injected, the visual
      analogue scale for pain (0%-100%) was reduced from 58% to 33%, whereas
      corresponding pain relief was only achieved after the third injection of 0.4
      microgram/kg of dexmedetomidine. Repeated doses of 0.2 microgram/kg of diclofenac
      or dexmedetomidine did not reduce the visual analogue scale value by more than
      17%. More sedation was seen with the higher dose of dexmedetomidine than with
      either diclofenac or oxycodone (P less than 0.001). Both doses of dexmedetomidine
      decreased heart rate when compared with diclofenac (P less than 0.001). In the
      group given 0.4 microgram/kg of dexmedetomidine, 33% of the patients required
      atropine for bradycardia. The authors conclude that after laparoscopic tubal
      ligation, intravenously administered dexmedetomidine relieves pain and reduces
      opioid drug requirement but is attended by sedation and a high incidence of
      bradycardia.

PMID- 1854026
TI  - Effect of prior anesthetic solution on epidural morphine analgesia.
AB  - The quality and duration of analgesia and incidence of side effects following
      epidurally administered morphine after cesarean section are highly variable. Two
      suggested sources of this variability are prior use of epinephrine-containing
      solutions, which may enhance both analgesia and side effects of morphine, and
      prior use of 2-chloroprocaine, which may inhibit epidural morphine analgesia. To
      examine these proposed sources of this variability we performed two studies. In
      the first, designed to test epinephrine's effect, 30 women underwent testing for
      epidural catheter tip location with injection of 2-chloroprocaine, followed by
      either 0.5% bupivacaine alone or 0.5% bupivacaine with 5 micrograms/mL
      epinephrine for epidural anesthesia. Inclusion of epinephrine with bupivacaine
      decreased the bupivacaine dose needed to achieve a T-4 sensory block by 24% (P
      less than 0.05), but did not alter analgesic duration or the incidence of side
      effects of epidural morphine (5 mg). In the second study, designed to test the
      effect of 2-chloroprocaine, 30 women received 7 mL of either 2% 2-chloroprocaine
      or lidocaine for epidural catheter testing, followed by 0.5% bupivacaine for
      epidural anesthesia. Compared to lidocaine testing, 2-chloroprocaine decreased
      the duration of epidural morphine analgesia (median 16 h with 2-chloroprocaine vs
      24 h with lidocaine; P less than 0.05) without altering the incidence of side
      effects. The authors conclude that addition of epinephrine to local anesthetic
      does not increase the incidence of side effects or the analgesic effect from
      epidurally administered morphine. 2-Chloroprocaine, even when administered in
      small doses remote to the time of morphine injection, interferes with the
      duration of epidural morphine analgesia.

PMID- 1854027
TI  - Comparison of continuous epidural bupivacaine infusion plus either continuous
      epidural infusion or patient-controlled epidural injection of fentanyl for
      postoperative analgesia.
AB  - We compared the postoperative epidural analgesia provided by the continuous
      epidural infusion of bupivacaine supplemented with patient-controlled injection
      (PCA) of epidural fentanyl with that provided by a continuous infusion of
      bupivacaine supplemented with a continuous epidural infusion of fentanyl. Our
      patient population comprised 16 ASA physical status I or II patients undergoing
      laparotomy with a midline incision under general anesthesia combined with
      bupivacaine epidural analgesia. Post-operatively, a continuous epidural infusion
      of bupivacaine (0.1 mg.kg-1.h-1) was combined with epidural fentanyl given by
      either (a) PCA (15-micrograms bolus with a lockout interval of 12 min, n = 8) or
      (b) continuous infusion (1 microgram.kg-1.h-1, n = 8). In the case of inadequate
      pain relief in the latter group, the fentanyl infusion rate was increased by 10
      micrograms/h. Analgesia evaluated by a visual analogue pain score and by a verbal
      pain score was similarly effective in both groups. The sedation score was also
      similar in both groups. The total dose of epidural fentanyl administered during
      the first 24 h was significantly lower in the PCA group than in the continuous
      infusion group (405 +/- 110 micrograms vs 1600 +/- 245 micrograms, P less than
      0.001). The dose of fentanyl given during each 4-h interval ranged between 40 and
      160 micrograms in the PCA group and 251 and 292 micrograms in the continuous
      infusion group. Clinically detectable respiratory depression was not observed in
      either group. In conclusion, epidural administration of 0.1 mg.kg-1.h-1
      bupivacaine combined with fentanyl provides effective postoperative analgesia
      with a total dose of fentanyl required that is lower when fentanyl is
      administered by epidural PCA rather than by continuous epidural infusion.

PMID- 1854028
TI  - Can galvanic skin response be used as a quantitative estimate of sympathetic
      nerve activity in regional anesthesia?
AB  - To study the relationship between skin sympathetic nerve activity and changes in
      skin resistance (galvanic skin response--GSR), efferent sympathetic and sensory
      nerves to the hand were blocked by an axillary nerve blockade in 15 healthy
      subjects. Subsequently, intraneural electrical stimuli in the median nerve distal
      to the axillary nerve block were used to evoke changes in skin resistance and in
      water vapor partial pressure in the sensory and sympathetically denervated hand.
      With increasing frequency of stimulation, skin resistance decreased and water
      vapor partial pressure increased until stimuli exceeded 10 Hz. When an additional
      burst of impulses was added to the background stimulation, GSR amplitude varied
      in a nonlinear fashion with the background frequency. Stimulation-induced GSR was
      completely abolished in a dose-dependent manner by systemically (intravenously)
      administered atropine. The results indicate that GSR depends on the preceding
      level of nerve traffic in the sympathetic sudomotor nerve fibers. Consequently,
      skin resistance recordings cannot be used to quantify sympathetic nerve traffic
      and thus do not express the completeness of sympathetic blockade in regional
      anesthesia.

PMID- 1854029
TI  - Cardiovascular actions of desflurane in normocarbic volunteers.
AB  - The cardiovascular actions of three concentrations of desflurane (formerly I
      653), a new inhalation anesthetic, were examined in 12 unmedicated normocapnic,
      normothermic male volunteers. We compared the effects of 0.83, 1.24, and 1.66 MAC
      desflurane with measurements obtained while the same men were conscious.
      Desflurane caused a dose-dependent increase in right-heart filling pressure and a
      decrease in systemic vascular resistance and mean systemic arterial blood
      pressure. As measured by echocardiography, left ventricular end-diastolic area
      did not change except for a small increase at 1.66 MAC desflurane, and systolic
      wall stress was less at all concentrations of desflurane than during the
      conscious state. Desflurane did not change cardiac index or left ventricular
      ejection fraction. Heart rate did not change at 0.83 MAC, but progressively
      increased with deeper desflurane anesthesia. Stroke volume index was less at all
      concentrations of desflurane than while the men were conscious, but desflurane
      did not alter the velocity of ventricular circumferential fiber shortening. Mixed
      venous blood PO2 and oxyhemoglobin saturation were higher during all
      concentrations of desflurane anesthesia than during the conscious state. No
      volunteer developed a metabolic acidosis. We conclude that desflurane with
      controlled ventilation and constant PaCO2 causes cardiovascular depression, as
      indicated by the increased cardiac filling pressure and decreased stroke volume
      index and by no change in the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening in the
      presence of decreased systolic wall stress. However, cardiac output is well
      maintained, and heart rate does not increase at light levels of anesthesia. The
      cardiovascular actions of 0.83 and 1.66 MAC desflurane were also reexamined in 6
      of the 12 men during the seventh hour of anesthesia. Prolonged desflurane
      anesthesia resulted in lesser cardiovascular depression than was evidenced during
      the first 90 min. The measures of cardiac filling (central venous pressure and
      left ventricular end-diastolic cross-sectional area) did not differ between the
      early and late periods of anesthesia. Systemic vascular resistance decreased
      further during the late period, but systolic wall stress did not differ between
      the two time periods. During the seventh hour of desflurane anesthesia, heart
      rate and cardiac index were higher at both anesthetic concentrations than during
      the first 90 min of anesthesia. Left ventricular ejection fraction and velocity
      of fiber shortening did not change with duration of desflurane anesthesia. Oxygen
      consumption, oxygen transport, the ratio of the two, mixed venous PO2, and mixed
      venous oxyhemoglobin saturation (SO2) increased late in the anesthetic in
      comparison with the first 90 min.

PMID- 1854030
TI  - Hemodynamic effects of desflurane/nitrous oxide anesthesia in volunteers.
AB  - We determined the cardiovascular effects of 0.91, 1.34, and 1.74 MAC of
      desflurane/nitrous oxide anesthesia (60% inspired nitrous oxide contributed 0.5
      MAC at each level) in 12 healthy, normocapnic male volunteers. Desflurane/nitrous
      oxide anesthesia decreased systemic blood pressures, cardiac index, stroke volume
      index, systemic vascular resistance, and left ventricular stroke work index, and
      increased pulmonary arterial pressures and central venous pressure in a dose
      dependent fashion, while heart rate was 10%-12% and mixed venous oxygen tension
      was 2-4 mm Hg higher at all MAC levels than at baseline (awake).
      Desflurane/nitrous oxide anesthesia modestly increased left ventricular end
      diastolic cross-sectional area (preload) and decreased velocity of left
      ventricular circumferential fiber shortening, systolic wall stress (afterload),
      and area ejection fraction; this combination of changes indicates myocardial
      depression. At approximately comparable MAC levels, heart rate was lower and
      systemic blood pressures, central venous pressure, left ventricular stroke work
      index, and systemic vascular resistance usually were significantly higher during
      anesthesia with desflurane and nitrous oxide than during desflurane anesthesia
      alone (same volunteers, data collected in crossover design). After 7 h of
      anesthesia, regardless of the background gas, somewhat less cardiovascular
      depression and/or modest stimulation was apparent: cardiac index, area ejection
      fraction, and velocity of left ventricular circumferential fiber shortening
      recovered to or toward awake values, whereas heart rate was further increased.
      Evidence of circulatory insufficiency did not develop in any volunteers during
      the study. Segmental left ventricular function was normal at baseline, and no
      segmental wall-motion abnormalities, ST-segment change, or dysrhythmias
      developed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854031
TI  - Cardiovascular actions of desflurane with and without nitrous oxide during
      spontaneous ventilation in humans.
AB  - We investigated the cardiovascular actions of desflurane (formerly I-653) during
      spontaneous ventilation. We gave 0.8-0.9, 1.2-1.3, and 1.6-1.7 MAC desflurane in
      oxygen (n = 6) and in 60% nitrous oxide, balance oxygen (n = 6) to unmedicated
      healthy male volunteers. Both anesthetic regimens decreased ventilation,
      increased partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, and produced similar
      cardiovascular changes. In comparison with values obtained when the volunteers
      were conscious, desflurane anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation decreased
      systemic vascular resistance and mean arterial blood pressure. Cardiac index,
      heart rate, stroke volume index, and central venous blood pressure increased.
      Left ventricular ejection fraction increased at 0.83 MAC desflurane in oxygen,
      and otherwise did not differ from the conscious value. The velocity of
      ventricular circumferential fiber shortening, estimated by echocardiography,
      increased with desflurane in oxygen but did not change with desflurane in nitrous
      oxide. Oxygen consumption increased during desflurane and oxygen anesthesia, but
      not when nitrous oxide plus oxygen was the background gas. Desflurane increased
      oxygen transport, the ratio of oxygen transport to oxygen consumption, mixed
      venous partial pressure of oxygen, and oxyhemoglobin saturation. The
      cardiovascular changes with desflurane during spontaneous ventilation differ from
      those during controlled ventilation. With both background gases, spontaneous
      ventilation, in comparison with controlled ventilation, increased cardiac index,
      stroke volume, central venous pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction,
      velocity of circumferential fiber shortening, oxygen transport, and the ratio of
      oxygen transport to oxygen consumption but did not change mean arterial blood
      pressure except at 1.66 MAC desflurane in oxygen (when it was higher with
      spontaneous than with controlled ventilation).

PMID- 1854032
TI  - Does desflurane modify circulatory responses to stimulation in humans?
AB  - We asked if desflurane with or without nitrous oxide at 0.83, 1.24, and 1.66 MAC
      prevented cardiovascular responses to stimulation. We measured cardiac output,
      heart rate, systemic arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary
      arterial blood pressure, and systemic vascular resistance in six healthy male
      volunteers before (control) and at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 min after tetanic electrical
      stimulation (50, 100, and 200 Hz) of the ulnar nerve. At 0.83 and 1.24 MAC,
      cardiac output, mean systemic arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and pulmonary
      arterial blood pressure increased. Peak changes averaged 13%-20% and most
      frequently occurred 0-2 min after stimulation (P less than 0.05) with return to
      control values at 4-6 min (except for pulmonary arterial blood pressure). At 1.66
      MAC, heart rate and systemic blood pressure responses were attenuated, but this
      level of anesthesia had equivocal effects on the cardiac output and pulmonary
      blood pressure responses. The addition of nitrous oxide attenuated the peak
      response of heart rate and cardiac output but not the peak response of mean
      systemic arterial blood pressure. In summary, 0.83 and 1.24 MAC desflurane did
      not abolish cardiovascular responses to stimulation, but 1.66 MAC attenuated the
      responses.

PMID- 1854033
TI  - Fluoride metabolites after prolonged exposure of volunteers and patients to
      desflurane.
AB  - We examined the metabolism of desflurane in 13 healthy volunteers given 7.35 +/-
      0.81 MAC-hours (mean +/- SD) of desflurane and 26 surgical patients given 3.08 +/
      1.84 MAC-hours (mean +/- SD). Markers of desflurane metabolism included fluoride
      ion measured via an ion-specific electrode, nonvolatile organic fluoride measured
      after sodium fusion of urine samples, and trifluoroacetic acid determined by a
      gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method. In both volunteer and patient
      groups, postanesthesia serum fluoride ion concentrations did not differ from
      background fluoride ion concentrations. Similarly, postanesthesia urinary
      excretion of fluoride ion and organic fluoride in volunteers was comparable to
      preanesthesia excretion rates. However, small but significant levels of
      trifluoroacetic acid were found in both serum and urine from volunteers after
      exposure to desflurane. A peak serum concentration of 0.38 +/- 0.17 mumol/L of
      trifluoroacetic acid and a peak urinary excretion rate of 0.169 +/- 0.107 mumol/h
      were detected in volunteers at 24 h after desflurane exposure. Although these
      increases in trifluoroacetic acid after exposure to desflurane were statistically
      significant, they are approximately 10-fold less than levels seen after exposure
      to isoflurane. Thus, desflurane strongly resists biodegradation, but a small
      amount is metabolized in humans.

PMID- 1854034
TI  - A survey of 800 patients' knowledge, attitudes, and concerns regarding
      anesthesia.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to assess patients' knowledge, attitudes, and
      concerns regarding anesthetic management. A survey of 34 items was developed and
      administered preoperatively to 800 consecutive patients. Included were 303 men
      and 497 women with a mean age 52 yr and a mean educational level of 12 yr.
      Patients were interviewed on their knowledge of the role and training of
      anesthesiologists and on their preferences regarding anesthetic management.
      Patients also rated the intensity of their concern on 20 written statements
      expressing potential anesthetic complications. Results indicated that patients'
      perceptions of the anesthesiologist's training and role were accurate. Most
      patients preferred (a) general to regional anesthesia and (b) not to select their
      own anesthesiologist. Most significant preoperative concerns regarding the
      anesthesiologist focused on experience, qualifications, and presence or absence
      during the anesthesia. Patient concerns also included the possibility of not
      waking up postoperatively, experiencing pain, and becoming paralyzed. Intensity
      of concern was inversely related to age and unrelated to educational level or
      occupation. Variables related to type of concern included patient's sex, type of
      anesthesia, and proposed surgical procedure. Issues of least concern included
      disclosure of personal matters during anesthesia, experiencing impaired judgment
      postoperatively, and being asleep or bedridden for a prolonged period of time. It
      is suggested that anesthesiologists address significant patient concerns during
      the preoperative visit to enhance their effectiveness in patient care. Efforts to
      educate the public on the anesthesiologist's role in perioperative care should
      improve patient confidence.

PMID- 1854035
TI  - Visceral losses of desflurane, isoflurane, and halothane in swine.
AB  - Percutaneous loss of inhaled anesthetics is small relative to their uptake. The
      minor nature of this loss results in part from the substantial barrier to
      diffusion posed by the skin. Pleural and peritoneal surfaces pose less effective
      barriers because diffusion distances are smaller than in the skin. Accordingly,
      we measured visceral loss to air of desflurane, isoflurane, and halothane from
      pleural and peritoneal surfaces in five juvenile swine. Pleural and peritoneal
      losses per percent end-tidal anesthetic correlated directly with the solubility
      of the anesthetic in blood or tissues. The total pleural losses for the first 30
      min of anesthetic administration were desflurane, 1.22 +/- 0.22 mL (mean +/-
      standard deviation for the 30-min period); isoflurane, 2.34 +/- 0.52 mL; and
      halothane, 4.69 +/- 0.98 mL; respective peritoneal losses were 0.64 +/- 0.12 mL,
      1.23 +/- 0.25 mL, and 2.69 +/- 0.57 mL. Pleural loss per unit time did not change
      with increasing duration of anesthesia, whereas peritoneal loss increased for all
      anesthetics. These visceral losses are greater than total percutaneous losses in
      humans given these anesthetics for the same period of time, but the loss of
      anesthetic by either route is too small to affect measurements of anesthetic
      kinetics or recovery.

PMID- 1854036
TI  - Simultaneous comparison of intraarterial, oscillometric, and finapres monitoring
      during anesthesia.
AB  - In 30 patients (15 with normal peripheral vascular status and 15 with peripheral
      vascular disease, hypertension, or a heavy smoking history), systolic, mean, and
      diastolic arterial pressures were recorded simultaneously every 5 min using a
      radial arterial catheter, an oscillometric arm cuff, and a Finapres finger cuff
      during 1-6 h of anesthesia and operation. The average accuracy of oscillometric
      and Finapres pressure measurements was good. Comparisons of arterial,
      oscillometric, and Finapres pressures showed only a small bias in the
      oscillometric and Finapres pressure estimations. Finapres pressures
      underestimated arterial pressures by 1 mm Hg more than oscillometric pressures
      did. Peripheral vascular status had no effect on comparisons made between
      pressures measured with these two techniques. Although bias was small, precision
      was often lacking as shown by the large variability of the difference between
      individual values from the three monitors. However, the precision of Finapres
      pressure measurements was about the same order of magnitude as that of
      oscillometric measurements.

PMID- 1854037
TI  - Ethical issues in anesthesia: management of the do-not-resuscitate patient.

PMID- 1854038
TI  - Spinal anesthesia using subcutaneously implanted pumps for intrathecal drug
      infusion.

PMID- 1854039
TI  - Prevention of nitrous oxide-induced increases in endotracheal tube cuff pressure.

PMID- 1854040
TI  - Sensitivity and specificity of tests of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.

PMID- 1854041
TI  - Map of contributions to Anesthesiology and Anesthesia and Analgesia.

PMID- 1854042
TI  - Alternative chin-support device during face mask anesthesia.

PMID- 1854043
TI  - Bleeding diathesis after perioperative ketorolac.

PMID- 1854044
TI  - A hidden leak in the circle system.

PMID- 1854046
TI  - A "new" brachial plexus block: some questions and objections.

PMID- 1854045
TI  - Additional factor related to suction trauma.

PMID- 1854047
TI  - [Hemodynamic effects of the induction of general anesthesia after low thoracic
      epidural anesthesia].
AB  - Sixteen ASA 1 or 2 patients scheduled for abdominal surgery were included in the
      study after they had given their informed consent. Thirty minutes after starting
      a low-thoracic epidural anaesthesia (median level of sensitivity loss: T5), the
      patients were randomly given an intravenous bolus injection of either thiopentone
      (4 mg.kg-1, n = 8) or etomidate (0.5 mg.-1, n = 8), associated with
      succinylcholine 1 mg.kg-1. One minute after induction of general anaesthesia, the
      patients were intubated and mechanically ventilated (V(T) 8 ml.kg-1, rate 12
      c.min-1). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (oscillometric method), cardiac
      output (CO) (transthoracic bioimpedance) and heart rate were recorded semi
      continuously. Total peripheral resistances (TPR) were calculated using the
      formula TPR = (MA/CO)*80. There were no differences between the groups in patient
      age, height, weight, and cardiovascular consequences of epidural anaesthesia.
      After anaesthetic induction and before endotracheal intubation, there was a
      slight decrease in CO in both groups, without any change in MAP. After
      intubation, MAP increased in both groups through peripheral vasoconstriction,
      whereas CO did not increase further. A significant tachycardia was occurred only
      seen in the thiopentone group, before and after tracheal intubation. This study
      showed that thiopentone and etomidate were suitable drugs for anaesthetic
      induction in a patient under epidural blockade. However, the absence of
      tachycardia following etomidate may be beneficial in cardiac patients. The
      monitoring of cardiac output determinants during thiopentone and etomidate
      anaesthesia require further invasive investigations.

PMID- 1854048
TI  - [Amikacin concentrations in lung and serum after single intratracheal
      administration in men].
AB  - This study was designed to assess the diffusion into lung tissue and systemic
      circulation of amikacin administered endotracheally. Eleven consecutive patients,
      suffering from lung carcinoma and scheduled for elective pneumonectomy or
      lobectomy, were included in the study. After induction of anaesthesia and before
      tracheal intubation, a single 500 mg amikacin dose was administered
      endotracheally through a catheter whose tip was located 5 cm below the vocal
      cords. Blood was then collected every 15 min for serum assays, until pulmonary
      resection had been carried out. Pulmonary concentrations were assessed in a
      healthy area. Measurements were carried out in duplicate using fluorescence
      polarizing immunoassay and microbiological methods. Serum peak concentrations
      were found 105 min after administration (7.97 +/- 5.62 micrograms.ml-1). Six and
      12 h after administration, serum concentrations were 3.19 +/- 1.87 and 1.20 +/-
      0.67 micrograms.ml-1 respectively. Mean lung concentrations were 1.85 +/- 2.12
      micrograms.g-1, with a corresponding serum level of 7.22 +/- 4.36 micrograms.ml
      1. However, endotracheal instillation of amikacin provided serum concentrations
      which, were not high enough for treatment of gram negative pneumonia. Lung
      concentrations are lower than both serum levels and MIC90 for gram negative
      bacilli. Moreover, there was a major heterogeneity in serum and lung levels,
      which seemed to be unpredictable. This was probably due to heterogenous tracheal,
      bronchial and alveolar absorption. The results obtained in this study with a
      single dose administration should be reassessed in the light of data obtained
      with long-term amikacin administration.

PMID- 1854049
TI  - [Anesthesia in unilateral pulmonary transplantation].
AB  - Single lung transplantation was performed in several steps: laparotomy to prepare
      an omentopexy, followed by pneumonectomy and implantation of a pulmonary graft,
      both by postero-lateral thoracotomy. The patients suffered from
      lymphangiomyomatosis (1), panacinar emphysema (2) and idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis (1). Immunosuppressive treatment was started before surgery. Anaesthesia
      was induced and maintained with alfentanil, midazolam and vecuronium. The
      patients were intubated with a Carlens endotracheal tube. Ventilation was carried
      out using an oxygen-air mixture, without any nitrous oxide or halogenated
      anaesthetic agent. Besides the usual parameters, expired CO2 concentrations, and
      oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery were monitored. Partial femoro-femoral
      cardiopulmonary bypass was not required. Three major problems were encountered:
      hypoxia, hypercapnia, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Hypoxia first occurred
      during the period of one-lung ventilation, during pneumonectomy, and again after
      unclamping of the graft vessels before the bronchus had been anastomosed. It was
      treated either by increasing the FiO2, inflating the lungs with pure oxygen, or
      partial clamping of the homolateral pulmonary artery. Hypercapnia occurred in
      three of the four patients until the graft was ventilated again. Except in one
      patient with preoperative pulmonary hypertension, the increase in pulmonary
      vascular resistances remained moderate after clamping of the pulmonary artery.
      Sufficient oxygen delivery, with more than 50% venous oxygen saturation, was
      maintained at this time by the infusion of dopamine and dobutamine. Two other
      specific problems were encountered in the emphysematous patients: severe
      hypotension following the start of artificial ventilation and after placing the
      patient in lateral position; thoracic asymetry with overdistension of the
      emphysematous lung, and mediastinal shift.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854050
TI  - [Peripheral nerve block during ambulatory surgery of varicose veins].
AB  - This retrospective study of the 46 operations, carried out over a one year period
      for lower limb varicose veins using peripheral nerve blocks, included 45 patients
      (35 women and 10 men, mean age 49.3 years), all ASA 1 or 2, except for 4 elderly
      patients with a varicose ulcer (ASA 2 or 3). In 40 procedures, a sciatic nerve
      block combined with a "3 in 1" lumbar plexus block at the level of the groin (as
      described by Winnie) were used. In the remaining six, either a sciatic nerve
      block (short saphenous vein crossectomy; n = 3), or a "3 in 1" lumbar plexus
      block alone (short stripping of the long saphenous vein; n = 3) were required. A
      peripheral nerve stimulator to locate accurately each nerve was used. For each
      nerve block, the anaesthetic mixture consisted of 20 ml lidocaine 1.5% with
      1:200,000 adrenaline, and 10 ml of bupivacaine 0.375% with 1:200,000 adrenaline.
      Surgery was only performed on one limb at a time, as the required dose of local
      anaesthetic was too high to safely carry out bilateral nerve blocks. In 71.7% of
      patients surgery was made on an day-case basis. Of those patients who had to
      remain in hospital overnight or longer, the peripheral nerve block was never
      responsible for this. During the same period, nine similar procedures were
      carried out under general anaesthesia, and two under epidural anaesthesia. They
      included seven bilateral varicose veins, three patient refusals for peripheral
      nerve blocks, and one allergy to lidocaine. Already used for some procedures in
      orthopaedic and casualty surgery, peripheral nerve blocks seem to be well suited
      for surgery of unilateral varicose veins.

PMID- 1854051
TI  - [Vascular effects of adenosine-triphosphate].
AB  - This study assessed the effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on systemic
      vascular resistances during the hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass phase of
      cardiac surgery. Twenty patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were randomly
      divided into an ATP group (n = 10), and a placebo group (n = 10). Anaesthesia was
      similar for all the patients (diazepam, fentanyl and pancuronium). During the
      heart arrest phase, and as soon as the arterial pressure, the level in the venous
      return reservoir, and the pump flow rate had all been in steady state for 5 min,
      ATP or placebo was injected into the venous line of the oxygenator. Injection
      speed was doubled every three minutes, twice. The following ATP doses were
      administered: 0.012, 0.025 and 0.05 mg.kg-1.min-1. The level in the venous return
      reservoir was kept constant. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pump flow rate (DP)
      were assessed every half minute. Systemic vascular resistances were calculated
      with the relationship MAP/DP. Changes in vascular capacitance were directly
      proportional to changes in DP as the heart had been excluded, and all the blood
      returned to the pump, the blood volume being kept constant. MAP and DP remained
      unchanged in the placebo group. In the opposite ATP induced a dose-related
      systemic vasodilation: MAP decreased from 82.8 +/- 12.5 mmHg (control) to 66.0 +/
      14.8 mmHg, 59.8 +/- 10.6 mmHg, and 49.0 +/- 4.7 mmHg with 0.012, 0.025 and 0.05
      mg.kg-1.min-1 ATP respectively. The MAP returned to preinfusion control levels
      when the ATP infusion was discontinued (90.0 +/- 17.8 mmHg). The DP, and
      therefore venous return, did not change, neither during ATP infusion, nor after
      its discontinuation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854052
TI  - [Comparison of thrombogenic risk between teflon and polyethylene in prolonged
      catheterization of the radial artery].
AB  - This prospective study was designed to compare the rates of radial artery
      thrombosis after long-term cannulation with two different types of catheters with
      similar size. It included 101 patients, randomly assigned to group A (n = 51, 61
      +/- 17 years, 80% males), and group B (n = 50, 55.8 +/- 18 years, 54% males).
      Patients in group A were cannulated with a polyethylene catheter (Leader Cath.
      115-09), and those in group B with a Teflon catheter (Plastimed Seldicath). The
      diagnosis of arterial occlusion was made by way of a bedside angiography
      performed before catheter removal. An X-ray was taken after injection of 10 to 15
      ml Hexabrix through the catheter. The two groups were similar with regard to
      anthropometric parameters (except for the sex ratio), cannulation technique, used
      drugs, duration of cannulation, pathological events during the stay in intensive
      care. The rate of complete arterial thrombosis in the two groups was similar
      (10%). There were no differences in the rates of partial thrombosis (51 vs. 36%,
      n.s.) and of absence of thrombosis (39 vs. 54%, n.s.). The rate of arterial
      thrombosis did not vary with the duration of cannulation, nor with age, sex,
      systemic heparinization, vascular collapse, cannulation technique. However, 4
      polyethylene catheters were infected on removal (coagulase negative
      Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) versus only one Teflon catheter
      (Staphylococcus epidermidis). In conclusion, the biocompatibility of Teflon and
      polyethylene catheters was found to be similar.

PMID- 1854053
TI  - [Effects of an additional dose of propofol on intraocular pressure in patients
      over 60 years of age].
AB  - Changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were
      studied in fifty patients, ASA 1 or 2, aged more than 60 years and scheduled for
      surgery of the anterior chamber of the eye. The exclusion criteria were: arterial
      hypertension, raised IOP, obesity, renal or hepatic disease, treatment likely to
      alter IOP, and a possibly difficult intubation. The patients were randomly
      assigned to groups P1 (n = 25) and P2 (n = 25). All were given lorazepam 1 mg
      orally 90 min before induction, which was carried out with propofol 1.5 mg.kg-1
      and vecuronium 0.1 mg.kg-1. Patients in group P1 were intubated as soon as the
      train-of-four response (TOF) had been abolished. Those in group P2 were given an
      additional 0.7 mg.kg-1 dose of propofol before intubation. MAP, heart rate and
      IOP were measured before and after induction, and 1, 2 and 3 min after
      intubation. IOP decreased after induction, and remained below the baseline values
      at all times in both groups. MAP had a similar course in both groups up to 1 min
      after intubation: a decrease after induction followed by an increase after
      intubation. In group P1, MAP remained above control values 2 and 3 min after
      intubation, whereas in P2 it remained below. From this study, it can be concluded
      that using an additional dose of propofol in elderly patients was not useful for
      avoiding the rise in IOP due to endotracheal intubation. This was all the more so
      as the haemodynamic effects of such a dose of propofol could have deleterious
      effects in these patients.

PMID- 1854054
TI  - [Effect of the association propofol-alfentanil on bronchial resistances in
      asthmatic patients].
AB  - The bronchial resistances in 17 patients scheduled for ENT surgery were studied
      during general anaesthesia carried out with propofol and alfentanil. There were
      nine controls, all free from any allergic pathology. The other eight had
      bronchial hyperreactivity, with clinical asthma (one or two crises a month)
      treated with bronchodilators. Two had a complete Fernand-Widal syndrome, and the
      remaining six documented allergic asthma. All the patients were premedicated with
      hydroxyzine 2 mg.kg-1 orally on the eve of surgery, and two hours beforehand.
      Those patients who were on bronchodilators were given their drugs as usual with
      the premedication. Because bronchial resistances were measured with the patient
      breathing spontaneously (forced oscillation technique), induction was carried out
      in two steps, first with propofol 1.5 mg.kg-1, followed, two minutes later, by
      alfentanil 7 micrograms.kg-1. Once the bronchial resistances had been assessed
      the patient was given a further 2 mg.kg-1 dose of propofol, and alfentanil 40
      micrograms.kg-1. The patient was then intubated, and anaesthesia maintained with
      propofol 9 mg.kg-1.h-1, and alfentanil 15 micrograms.kg-1 every fifteen minutes.
      In all, bronchial resistances were measured on the day before surgery, after
      premedication but before the patient had been given any anaesthetic drug, two
      minutes after the first injection of propofol, two minutes after the first
      injection of alfentanil, and after extubation. There were no significant
      differences between the two groups. Despite the small number of patients included
      in this study, it would seem that hydroxyzine, propofol and alfentanil may be
      used safely in patients with hyperreactive bronchi.

PMID- 1854055
TI  - [Patient-controlled analgesia].
AB  - Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is a drug delivery system aimed to control
      acute pain using negative feedback technology in a closed loop system in which
      the patient plays an active role. It overcomes the inadequacies of traditional
      analgesic protocols due to marked differences in pharmacokinetic and dynamy of
      analgesis between patients. Moreover, doctors and nurses frequently
      underprescribe opioids in patients with severe pain for fear of dangerous side
      effects. A safe and effective delivery of these drugs on patient demand can be
      achieved using various delivery systems, modes and dosing parameters. Most
      devices provide both demand dosing, where a constant predetermined dose is self
      administered, and constant rate infusion plus demand dosing, where the minimum
      administration rate is determined by the doctor, but can be supplemented by
      patient demand. Morphine sulphate remains the drug most commonly used in PCA
      therapy, but meperidine hydrochloride, alfentanil, nalbuphine and buprenorphine
      are also sometimes administered. The doctor determines the incremental dose per
      demand, the lockout interval, and the maximum dose per time unit, possibly also
      the loading dose and the minimum dose rate when a continuous flow is used. PCA
      provides improved analgesia, which is immediate and independent of nurse
      availability. This technique decreases opioid requirements, and the required
      total amounts are lowered. PCA gives patients both behavioural and decisional
      control. They can titrate the analgesic dose in such a way as to balance pain
      relief with the degree of side-effects, the patient is willing to tolerate.
      Patients often choose less than the available total dose of analgesic. The risks
      consists in the usual opioid side-effects, mainly respiratory depression. These
      may be due to mechanical problems, machine failure, or user incidents
      (misprogramming, or miscalculation of doses). Standards help to ensure consistent
      care and avoid errors that can occur even with handwritten orders. The principles
      of demand analgesia are now being investigated using other agents, such as local
      anaesthetics, and other routes of administration, mainly epidural injection. In
      most patients, even in children, PCA can replace intramuscular injections, which
      are the standard route for opioid administration. Today PCA and spinal opioids
      are the two main methods of analgesia for postoperative pain management.

PMID- 1854056
TI  - [Heparin and spinal or epidural anesthesia: decision analysis].
AB  - The incidence of thromboembolism justifies prophylactic measures, the most
      efficient of which is the use of heparin. However this agent may be responsible
      for haemorrhagic complications during regional anaesthesia. The risk of bleeding
      in a poorly accessible area, e.g. the epidural space, the brachial plexus sheet,
      the space behind the eyeball, is one of the concerns of anaesthetists. A review
      of case reports of haemorrhagic complications of spinal anaesthesia shows that
      the risk of bleeding or of spinal haematoma is very low. In fact, a blood or
      epidural vessel is punctured in 2.8 to 11.5% of cases of epidural anaesthesia,
      without any sequelae. Some authors suggest that low molecular weight heparin may
      be given to patients before spinal anaesthesia. In all cases, patients should be
      carefully assessed before, during and after the procedure, clinically and
      biologically. The absolute contra-indications to these techniques are a refusal
      by the patient, an uncooperative patient, severe coagulation disorders, untreated
      hypovolaemia, infection of the puncture site, severe generalized infection, and
      raised intracranial pressure. Decision as to whether a regional anaesthetic
      technique should be used in a particular patient who is under anticoagulant
      treatment, or who is to receive such a treatment intra or postoperatively, must
      be made on an individual basis. The risk of thromboembolism must be weighted
      against the risk of haemorrhagic complications. Unfortunately, in the absence of
      relevant studies, anaesthetists can only rely on their clinical judgment.

PMID- 1854057
TI  - [A rare cause of difficult intratracheal intubation: Langenbeck's disease].
AB  - A case of difficult tracheal intubation due to insufficient mouth opening once
      anaesthesia had been induced is described. At the pre-anaesthetic visit, the 47
      year-old female patient had painless restricted mouth opening (two fingers'
      breadth), dental malpositions, and slight lateral mandibular deviation. Cervical
      spine movements were normal. She was ranked 3 on the Mallampati scale. The
      anaesthetic technique preserved spontaneous breathing (induction with propofol
      1.5 mg.kg-1 and alfentanil 15 micrograms.kg-1). Manual ventilation was
      impossible. An oral cannula could not be inserted. As intubation by the normal
      route was impossible, the retromolar approach had to be used. Several attempts
      were required for successful intubation by this route. At the end of surgery, the
      patient was extubated without any difficulties. Postoperative investigations
      revealed hypertrophic coronoid processes. In this condition, the mandible is
      jammed by hitting the maxilla, especially when mandibular lifting manoeuvres are
      used to facilitate manual ventilation and tracheal intubation. Clinical and
      paraclinical predictors of difficult tracheal intubation seem to be unreliable in
      such dynamic abnormalities of mouth opening.

PMID- 1854058
TI  - [Anesthesia for thalamic stimulations: value of flumazenil].
AB  - Five cases are reported of peroperative awakening in order to obtain patient
      cooperation during stereotaxic procedures. General anaesthesia was induced with
      0.25 mg.kg-1 midazolam, 1.5 to 2 micrograms.kg-1 fentanyl, and 0.1 mg.kg-1
      vecuronium. Maintenance was obtained with isoflurane, nitrous oxide, and small
      doses of fentanyl. Isoflurane inhalation was discontinued 30 to 40 min before the
      time of awakening required by surgery. Once expiratory isoflurane concentration
      reached a level less than or equal to 0.1%, nitrous oxide administration was
      stopped, and 0.5 mg flumazenil administered. After surgical checking, on the
      fully awake patient of the efficiency of thalamic stimulation and the lack of any
      motor deficit, anaesthesia was deepened again, with either isoflurane or a non
      benzodiazepine intravenous agent. All five patients recovered rapidly and calmly.

PMID- 1854059
TI  - [Subacute arsenic poisoning].
AB  - A cas is reported of a 23-year-old man who voluntarily took a massive dose of
      arsenic (at least 8 g). In spite of the ingested amount and the acute nature of
      the poisoning, the patient survived 8 days. Gastrointestinal, neurologic and
      cardiac features were predominant including nausea, vomiting, choleroid
      diarrhoea, encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and finally a fatal toxic
      cardiomyopathy. Metabolic acidosis, moderate cytolysis and an anticoagulant
      effect were also observed. This unique characteristic was partly due to a
      circulating anticoagulant with prothrombinase activity, as well as direct
      antivitamin K activity. Postmortem examination revealed: a congestive
      oesophagitis; a necrosing gastritis involving all the stomach wall; diffuse
      hepatic steatosis; skin lesions with vascular congestion and dermoepidermal
      detachment; discrete subepicardial congestive lesions. Arsenic was found in all
      tissues.

PMID- 1854060
TI  - [Intratracheal intubation using a fiberoptic laryngoscope].
AB  - Experience with a new type of laryngoscope (Bullard) is reported. It weighs 1,200
      kg, and has fiberoptic fibers both for lighting and viewing. Angle of vision is
      about 55 degrees. Endotracheal intubation with this device requires a semi-rigid
      stylet to bend the tracheal tube at 90 degrees just above its cuff, so as to
      reproduce the curvature of the laryngoscope blade. Intubation is carried out in
      five steps: 1) introducing the laryngoscope blade, and visualising the vocal
      cords through its lens; 2) introducing the tube with its stylet, just above the
      laryngoscope blade; 3) placing the tube between the vocal cords under fiberoptic
      vision; 4) adjusting tube position in the trachea, the stylet still in place; 5)
      removing both stylet and laryngoscope. The use of this apparatus in an obese
      patient with reduced mobility of the cervical spine, who was ranked 4 on the
      Mallampati scale, is reported. The Bullard laryngoscope enabled easy tracheal
      intubation (duration 1 min 30 s), whereas direct laryngoscopy and the use of a
      Huffman prism were unsuccessful. The fiberoptic laryngoscope may be of help in
      case of difficult intubation.

PMID- 1854061
TI  - [Comment on the checking of nasogastric tubes by epigastric auscultation].

PMID- 1854062
TI  - [Sublingual hematoma after difficult intubation].

PMID- 1854063
TI  - [Consensus conference in intensive care and emergency medicine. 7th conference:
      management of non tumoral intracranial hypertension caused by brain edema during
      intensive care. Paris, December 14 1990].

PMID- 1854064
TI  - Evaluation of liver function tests in screening for intra-abdominal injuries.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the utility of serum glutamic oxaloacetic
      transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) in predicting
      intra-abdominal injury in blunt trauma patients. DESIGN: Descriptive review of
      309 blunt trauma admissions during study period. SETTING: A 1,000-bed Level I
      trauma center in a major metropolitan area. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive
      adult blunt trauma admissions to the trauma service. INTERVENTIONS: Serum levels
      of study enzymes were measured at initial evaluation and subsequent
      hospitalization. Results of all intra-abdominal evaluations were recorded. MAIN
      RESULTS: Significantly greater numbers of patients with SGOT and/or SGPT elevated
      to more than 130 IU/L had associated intra-abdominal injuries as compared with
      patients with enzyme elevations of less than 130 IU/L (52% versus 8%). All 18
      patients with liver injuries had one or both enzymes elevated to more than 130
      IU/L. Higher enzyme levels were more frequently associated with liver injury.
      CONCLUSIONS: Elevation of serum levels of the study enzymes is a marker for intra
      abdominal injury. Levels in excess of 130 IU/L are relative indicators of
      abdominal computed tomography scan. Levels of less than 130 IU/L are unlikely to
      be associated with liver injury.

PMID- 1854065
TI  - Base deficit as an indicator of significant abdominal injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative predictive value of the arterial base
      deficit (BD) as an indicator of intra-abdominal injury (AI) and to compare BD
      with other indicators (chest injuries, pelvic fractures) of AI. DESIGN:
      Retrospective case-control analysis. SETTING: University of California San Diego
      Medical Center. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Between January 1985 and July
      1988, 3,223 blunt trauma patients were admitted, with complete records available
      on 3,011. Using a "best fit" multiple logistic regression, BD less than or equal
      to -6 was the single most important indicator of AI (P less than or equal to
      .0001), and the odds ratio for AI increased with each category of increasing
      severity of BD. Admission hypotension, major chest injury, pelvic fracture, and
      field hypotension (in odds ratio order) also were significantly associated with
      AI. CONCLUSION: BD is a powerful indicator of AI. A normal BD does not exclude
      AI, but the presence of a BD less than or equal to -6 in a blunt trauma patient
      should be considered a strong indication for objective evaluation of the abdomen
      (ie, diagnostic peritoneal lavage).

PMID- 1854066
TI  - Blunt traumatic bladder rupture: the role of retrograde cystogram.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the importance of microscopic and gross hematuria
      and the role of retrograde cystography and computed tomography (CT) in the
      diagnosis of blunt traumatic bladder rupture. DESIGN: All cases at a Level I
      trauma center between January 1, 1986, and March 31, 1989, were reviewed
      retrospectively. SETTING: Level I trauma center, university hospital. TYPE OF
      PARTICIPANTS: All patients with acute blunt abdominal trauma admitted to this
      Level I trauma center. INTERVENTIONS: The patients' charts were reviewed with
      emphasis on mode of diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: Twenty-one patients had bladder rupture. All 21 had hematuria with more
      than 50 RBCs/high-power field, 17 gross and four microscopic. Twenty patients
      underwent retrograde cystography, which accurately identified bladder rupture,
      and one was found at laparotomy for other injuries. Seven patients had CT of the
      abdomen and pelvis, which failed to demonstrate bladder rupture. There were no
      associated urethral injuries in any of the patients with bladder rupture.
      CONCLUSION: Significant (more than 50 RBCs/high-power field) hematuria is the
      principal indication for evaluation for blunt bladder injury, and retrograde
      cystography is the diagnostic procedure of choice. CT is neither sensitive nor
      specific enough as primary diagnostic modality.

PMID- 1854067
TI  - Injuries from tire and wheel explosions during servicing.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate injuries from tire and wheel explosions that occur
      during servicing. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of all injury reports from the
      National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Occupational Safety and
      Health Administration, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. RESULTS:
      For the period of 1978 through 1987, there were 694 reported injuries from
      explosions during tire servicing; 143 of them were fatal, resulting mainly from
      truck tires. Because the three data sources used different methods for case
      finding and covered different time periods, the actual number of such injuries
      was probably greater. Head injuries accounted for 78% of the deaths and 24% of
      nonfatal injuries. The proportion of injuries occurring during tire inflation
      declined from 51% in 1978 to 33% in 1987 (P less than .05). Fatal injuries
      involving single-piece rim wheels increased during the 1980s as multipiece rim
      wheels were phased out by the trucking industry. CONCLUSIONS: Exploding truck
      tires and wheel rims cause serious injuries. The use of safety cages during
      inflation as required by a 1980 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
      standard appears to have reduced injuries during truck tire inflation. The use of
      helmets during servicing may further reduce serious injuries.

PMID- 1854068
TI  - A prospective study of the impact of helmet usage on motorcycle trauma.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of the use of a motorcycle helmet on
      reducing the mortality, morbidity, and health care costs resulting from
      motorcycle crashes. DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter study of all eligible
      motorcycle crash victims. SETTING: The emergency departments of eight medical
      centers across the state of Illinois, including representatives from urban,
      rural, teaching, and community facilities. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: All motorcycle
      crash victims presenting less than 24 hours after injury for whom helmet
      information was known. Data were collected from April 1 through October 31, 1988.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-eight of 398 patients (14.6%) were helmeted,
      and 340 (85.4%) were not. The nonhelmeted patients had higher Injury Severity
      Scores (11.9 vs 7.02), sustained head/neck injuries more frequently (41.7 vs
      24.1%), and had lower Glasgow Coma Scores (13.73 vs 14.51). Twenty-five of the 26
      fatalities were nonhelmeted patients. By logistic regression, the lack of helmet
      use was found to be a major risk factor for increased severity of injury. A 23%
      increase in health care costs was demonstrated for nonhelmeted patients (average
      charges $7,208 vs $5,852). CONCLUSION: Helmet use may reduce the overall severity
      of injury and the incidence of head injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes. A
      trend toward higher health care costs was demonstrated in the nonhelmeted
      patients.

PMID- 1854069
TI  - Study design in prehospital trauma advanced life support-basic life support
      research: a critical review.
AB  - The best method of prehospital care for the trauma victim remains controversial.
      Nine studies that compare advanced life support to basic life support for
      prehospital trauma care are reviewed. Limitations in the study designs are noted,
      and suggestions are made for more uniform reporting in prehospital trauma
      research.

PMID- 1854070
TI  - Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrest: the Utstein Style. Task Force of the American Heart Association, the
      European Resuscitation Council, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and
      the Australian Resuscitation Council.

PMID- 1854071
TI  - Forces acting during air and ground transport on patients stabilized by standard
      immobilization techniques.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Transportation, whether by air or ground, exposes the injured patient
      to mechanical shocks and vibrations. These forces and their hazardous potential
      remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify, characterize,
      and compare the forces generated during patient transport in helicopter and
      ground ambulances. METHODS: Forces generated during transport were measured using
      an instrumented, low mass triaxial accelerometer fixed to a standard backboard.
      Measurements were recorded in three axes with an adult subject immobilized on the
      board during experimental ambulance and helicopter trials. Acceleration waveforms
      were analyzed in each mode of transport. RESULTS: Forces for both ground and air
      transport ranged 0.07g to 0.19g root mean square, and 0.32g to 0.83g mean peak.
      The vibrational forces in the helicopter were fairly discrete, located at 6.6,
      19.5, and 39 Hz, and axis dependent. Ground ambulance vibrations were more
      diffuse, occurring below 1 Hz and between 10 and 15 Hz. Crest factor analysis
      shows that shocks were more uniform in the helicopter than on the ground,
      especially in the anterior-posterior axis. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that
      transportation by helicopter subjects supine patients to greater lateral and
      vertical forces, but smaller head to toe forces, than ground transportation (P
      less than .05). In general, the forces to which a backboarded subject is
      subjected during transport range from 0.32g to 0.83g, vary by direction, and are
      more predictable for air than for ground transport. The clinical significance of
      these measurements requires further study.

PMID- 1854072
TI  - Spinal immobilization on a flat backboard: does it result in neutral position of
      the cervical spine?
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the amount of occipital padding required to
      achieve neutral position of the cervical spine when a patient is immobilized on a
      flat backboard. Neutral position was defined as the normal anatomic position of
      the head and torso that one assumes when standing looking straight ahead. DESIGN:
      Descriptive with hypothesis testing of selected descriptive elements. SETTING:
      University campus and hospital. SUBJECTS: One hundred healthy young adults with
      no history of back disease. INTERVENTIONS: Volunteers were measured in standing
      and supine positions. MEASUREMENTS: Occipital offset; height; weight; and head,
      neck, and chest circumferences were measured for each subject. MAIN RESULTS: The
      amount of occipital offset required to achieve neutral position varied from 0 to
      3.75 in. (mean, 1.5 in.). Mean occipital offset for men (1.67 in.) was
      significantly greater than that for women (1.31 in.) Easily obtained body
      measurements did not accurately predict occipital offset. CONCLUSION:
      Immobilization on a flat backboard would place 98% of our study subjects in
      relative cervical extension. Occipital padding would place a greater percentage
      of patients in neutral position and increase patient comfort during transport.

PMID- 1854073
TI  - Outcome of patients with blunt trauma transferred after diagnostic or treatment
      procedures or four-hour delay.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the outcome of patients
      suffering multiple injuries from blunt trauma who were transferred to a Level I
      trauma center for definitive care after special diagnostic or treatment
      procedures (DTPs) or after a simple delay of four hours at a primary receiving
      hospital. DESIGN: Retrospective review of aeromedical registry data and clinical
      chart review. MEASUREMENTS: Aeromedical trauma transfers made during a four-year
      period were studied. The TRISS method was used to determine predicted survivals
      for DTP patients, patients transferred after a four-hour delay, and patients
      transferred promptly. RESULTS: The observed survival for 469 aeromedically
      transferred patients with blunt trauma was the same as that predicted by TRISS
      analysis (394 vs 392.5). Survival for 86 patients with DTP was also the same as
      predicted (62 vs 61.6). Outcomes for nonDTP patients and for 92 patients
      experiencing a delay in transport of four hours or more were also the same as
      predicted. CONCLUSION: Early versus delayed decision to transfer patients with
      blunt trauma did not appear to influence overall outcome. These data suggest that
      minor delays in recognizing the need to transfer patients with blunt injuries to
      a trauma center for definitive care may be offset by rapid, skilled transfer and
      highly specialized trauma care and support the hypothesis that regional trauma
      center care after initial evaluation and resuscitation elsewhere can be effective
      even when the timing of transfer is not ideal.

PMID- 1854074
TI  - An evaluation of pulse oximetry in prehospital care.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to evaluate the accuracy of pulse
      oximetry oxygen saturation (SpO2) against direct measurements of arterial oxygen
      saturation (SaO2) in the field. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional, paired
      measurements of SpO2 against SaO2. SETTING: This evaluation was done in the
      prehospital setting. INTERVENTIONS: A pulse oximeter with digital probe was used
      to measure SpO2 in 30 patients. Arterial blood gases were drawn in the field
      while the pulse oximeter was in use, and oxygen saturation (HbO2) was measured by
      CO-oximetry. MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant difference between SpO2 (94.6
      +/- 5.4%) and HbO2 (94.9 +/- 5.1%) (P = .495, beta less than .2). There was a
      strong correlation between SpO2 and HbO2 (r = .898). The bias between SpO2 and
      HbO2 was -0.3, with a precision of 2.4. When SpO2 was 88% or more, HbO2 was 90%
      or more in every case. Mean carboxyhemoglobin was 1.3 +/- 0.9%, and mean
      methemoglobin was 0.9 +/- 0.3%. There was no significant difference between the
      pulse oximeter heart rate and the ECG heart rate (P = .223, beta less than .2).
      CONCLUSION: We conclude that pulse oximetry is sufficiently accurate to be useful
      in the field when SpO2 is more than 88%. It is potentially useful in patients
      with clinical signs of acute hypoxemia and in patients receiving interventions
      that may produce acute hypoxemia. Further work is needed to evaluate the accuracy
      of pulse oximetry in the settings of elevated carboxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin,
      and very low saturations.

PMID- 1854075
TI  - Efficacy and safety of prehospital rewarming techniques to treat accidental
      hypothermia.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of inhalation rewarming and peripheral rewarming for
      reducing the body core temperature afterdrop and accelerating rewarming rates.
      DESIGN: Prospective, randomized human experimentation. SETTING: Physiology
      laboratory with cooling during ice water immersion and rewarming in rescue
      sleeping bags in a windy, cold (2 C) air environment. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Eight
      experimental subjects who were cooled to clinical hypothermia (35.0 C), rectal or
      esophageal temperature (Tr or Te). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Afterdrop was
      characterized as minimum Tr and Te plus recovery time to the Tr and Te levels at
      the onset of rewarming. Rewarming rates 30 and 60 minutes after maximum afterdrop
      for Tr and Te were measured. By analysis of variance, inhalation rewarming and
      peripheral rewarming evaluated separately or in combination did not significantly
      influence afterdrop duration, afterdrop recovery, or rewarming rates. CONCLUSION:
      With no physiological benefit and hazards identified (inhalation rewarming
      burning the face, peripheral rewarming eliminating carbon monoxide equal to 300
      to 600 ppm), inhalation rewarming and peripheral rewarming are not recommended
      for the prehospital treatment of mild hypothermia.

PMID- 1854076
TI  - Cardiac rupture secondary to blunt trauma: a rapidly diagnosable entity with two
      dimensional echocardiography.
AB  - A 58-year-old woman involved in a single automobile accident sustained an
      isolated rupture of the right ventricle without any other obvious form of
      external trauma. On presentation to an outlying hospital, hypotension was the
      only apparent clinical finding suggestive of injury. After several hours of
      delay, the patient was transferred to a tertiary medical center. The diagnosis of
      cardiac rupture was made by two-dimensional echocardiography. The patient
      underwent successful surgical repair and was discharged home in good condition
      eight days after sustaining this potentially fatal injury.

PMID- 1854077
TI  - Blunt trauma-induced pacemaker failure.
AB  - A 54-year-old man with an artificial pacemaker sustained blunt trauma to his
      chest when he was struck with a baseball bat. Within 15 minutes after the injury,
      the patient experienced cardiovascular collapse. His pacemaker failed, and he
      required insertion of a temporary transvenous pacemaker. At surgery, the defect
      was traced to failure of the pulse generator, a rare cause of pacemaker failure.
      Emergency department evaluation should include prompt and continuous ECG
      monitoring, an overpenetrated chest radiograph, and telemetry evaluation after
      discharge.

PMID- 1854078
TI  - Successful epicardial pacing in blunt trauma resuscitation.
AB  - Epicardial pacing wires were used successfully in the resuscitation of a moribund
      victim of blunt trauma after fluid resuscitation and chemical measures had
      failed. Application of these wires to treat the bradycardia of shock should be
      considered in selected patients when standard measures fail.

PMID- 1854079
TI  - Ruptured interstitial pregnancy presenting as an intrauterine pregnancy by
      ultrasound.
AB  - Interstitial pregnancy is an uncommon subset of ectopic pregnancy in which the
      conceptum implants in the intrauterine portion of the fallopian tube. These
      pregnancies tend to progress further before rupture than do other tubal
      pregnancies and subsequently have greater propensity for massive intra-abdominal
      bleeding and maternal demise. Abdominal ultrasound can be deceptive in evaluating
      interstitial ectopic pregnancies. Transvaginal ultrasonography is more sensitive
      in the diagnosis of early ectopic pregnancy. Knowledge of the application and
      limitations of both transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound will assist the
      emergency physician in the timely evaluation of this potentially lethal
      condition.

PMID- 1854080
TI  - Continuous intravenous infusion fentanyl for sedation and analgesia of the
      multiple trauma patient.
AB  - Fentanyl is an attractive agent for analgesia in the emergency department. Its
      use in this setting has been limited to IV bolus administration. We report
      successful sedation, muscle relaxation, and analgesia of a multiple trauma
      patient with fentanyl IV bolus and continuous infusion in the ED.

PMID- 1854081
TI  - A pseudoaneurysm of the superficial femoral artery as a late complication of a
      stab wound.
AB  - Limited arteriography based on clinical indications has become increasingly
      popular. We present the case of a patient with pseudoaneurysm formation of the
      superficial femoral artery as a late consequence of a lateral stab wound to the
      thigh. This case demonstrates the need for postinjury follow-up to identify
      missed injuries before they are limb threatening.

PMID- 1854082
TI  - The Utstein Abbey and survival from cardiac arrest: what is the connection?

PMID- 1854083
TI  - Core Content for Emergency Medicine. American College of Emergency Physicians.
      American Board of Emergency Medicine. Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

PMID- 1854084
TI  - Prehospital 12-lead ECGs.

PMID- 1854085
TI  - 'Economic malpractice': inappropriate use of cost analysis.

PMID- 1854086
TI  - Lost dog tag chain.

PMID- 1854087
TI  - Cardiovascular effects of xylazine and detomidine in horses.
AB  - The cardiovascular effects of xylazine and detomidine in horses were studied. Six
      horses were given each of the following 5 treatments, at 1-week intervals:
      xylazine, 1.1 mg/kg, IV; xylazine, 2.2 mg/kg, IM; detomidine, 0.01 mg/kg, IV;
      detomidine, 0.02 mg/kg, IV; and detomidine, 0.04 mg/kg, IM. All treatments
      resulted in significantly decreased heart rate, increased incidence of
      atrioventricular block, and decreased cardiac output and cardiac index; cardiac
      output and cardiac index were lowest following IV administration of 0.02 mg of
      detomidine/kg. Mean arterial pressure was significantly reduced for various
      periods with all treatments; however, IV administration of 0.02 mg of
      detomidine/kg caused hypertension initially. Systemic vascular resistance was
      increased by all treatments. Indices of ventricular contractility and relaxation,
      +dP/dt and -dP/dt, were significantly depressed by all treatments. Significant
      changes were not detected in stroke volume or ejection fraction. The PCV was
      significantly reduced by all treatments. Respiratory rate was significantly
      decreased with all treatments, but arterial carbon dioxide tension did not
      change. Arterial oxygen tension was significantly decreased briefly with the 3 IV
      treatments only.

PMID- 1854088
TI  - Comparison of effects of cimetidine and omeprazole on mechanically created
      gastric ulceration and on aspirin-induced gastritis in dogs.
AB  - A double-blind study was conducted to compare gastric ulcer healing time in
      nontreated dogs with that in dogs treated with either cimetidine or omeprazole.
      Single ulcers were created in the gastric antrum by use of a suction biopsy
      capsule. Each dog was given 25 mg of aspirin/kg of body weight orally for 20 days
      after ulcer induction. Five control dogs were given aspirin only (no anti-ulcer
      medication) during the 20-day study. Six dogs were given cimetidine at dosage of
      10 mg/kg orally every 8 hours, and 6 dogs were given omeprazole orally at dosage
      of 2 mumol/kg (0.7 mg/kg) once daily. All dogs were examined endoscopically on
      days 5, 10, 15, and 20 and were given a score for the size of the mechanically
      created ulcer and a score for the degree of aspirin-induced gastritis. All dogs
      were euthanatized on day 21, and gastric lesions were examined histologically.
      Significant differences were not evident in ulcer healing scores or degree of
      aspirin-induced gastritis among treated and nontreated dogs on days 5, 10, 15,
      and 20. However, aspirin-induced gastritis was less severe in dogs of the
      omeprazole group than in dogs of the cimetidine or control group on each day
      observations were made. The effect of omeprazole given once daily was comparable
      with that of cimetidine given every 8 hours in lessening aspirin-induced
      gastritis.

PMID- 1854089
TI  - Effect of midazolam preanesthetic administration on thiamylal induction
      requirement in dogs.
AB  - The thiamylal sparing effect of midazolam was studied in 30 healthy Beagle and
      mixed-breed dogs. Using a replicated Latin square design, all dogs were given
      placebo (saline solution) and 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg of midazolam/kg of
      body weight prior to IV administration of thiamylal sodium. The 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg
      dosages significantly decreased the amount of thiamylal required to obtund
      swallowing reflex and easily achieve endotracheal intubation. Midazolam at 0.1
      and 0.2 mg/kg reduced thiamylal requirement by 16.4% and 18.9%, respectively,
      whereas the 0.05 mg/kg dosage decreased thiamylal requirement by only 6.8%. The
      0.2 mg/kg dosage did not further decrease thiamylal requirement beyond that
      achieved with the 0.1 mg/kg dosage of midazolam. This study demonstrates that the
      preanesthetic IV administration of midazolam reduces the thiamylal dose necessary
      to accomplish intubation. The optimal preanesthetic dosage (lowest dosage with
      significant effect) was 0.1 mg/kg.

PMID- 1854090
TI  - Comparison of several combinations for anesthesia in rabbits.
AB  - Few safe and effective anesthesia regimens have been described for use in
      rabbits, partially because of the susceptibility of this species to sometimes
      fatal respiratory depression. Although inhalant anesthetics are generally safer
      than injectable anesthetics, their use may be limited by lack of equipment or
      facilities. This study was conducted to compare effects of several injectable
      anesthetics in rabbits on response to noxious stimuli, heart rate, respiratory
      rate, and rectal temperature. Six injectable anesthetic combinations were
      administered to rabbits: xylazine-ethyl-(1-methyl-propyl) malonyl-thio-urea salt
      (EMTU), ketamine-EMTU, xylazine-pentobarbital, xylazine-acepromazine-ketamine
      (XAK), ketamine-chloral hydrate, and ketamine-xylazine. All combinations induced
      a depression of respiratory rate. Although rectal temperature values were reduced
      to some degree in each group, the most profound hypothermia was induced by XAK.
      The combination that induced the longest duration of anesthesia was XAK. It was
      concluded that XAK was preferable for longer periods of anesthesia (60 to 120
      minutes), although it induces severe hypothermia. For short periods of
      anesthesia, xylazine-pentobarbital, xylazine-EMTU, or ketamine-xylazine were
      deemed adequate; however, xylazine-EMTU induced the best survivability and
      consistency.

PMID- 1854091
TI  - Effect of administration of phenylbutazone or progesterone on recovery of embryos
      from the uterus of mares 5 days after ovulation.
AB  - Twelve horse mares were used to investigate the effect of phenylbutazone or
      progesterone administration on uterine tubal motility, as reflected by embryo
      recovery from the uterus on day 5 after ovulation. Four treatment groups were
      used: group A (controls), in which uterine flush was performed 7 to 11 days after
      ovulation; group B (5-day controls), in which uterine flush was performed 5 days
      after ovulation; group C, in which uterine flush was performed 5 days after
      ovulation following administration of phenylbutazone (2 g, IV) on day 3; and
      group D, in which uterine flush was performed 5 days after ovulation following
      administration of progesterone in oil (250 mg, IM) on days 0, 1, and 2. Each mare
      was randomly assigned to each group once. Embryo recovery for each group was:
      group A, 13 embryos from 12 mares; group B, 3 embryos from 12 mares; group C, 4
      embryos from 11 mares; and group D, 1 embryo from 11 mares. Recovery of embryos
      on day 5 in 3 of 12 nontreated mares indicated that equine embryos may enter the
      uterus before day 6. Neither treatment increased embryo recovery from the uterus
      on day 5 over that from the uterus of the 5-day controls.

PMID- 1854092
TI  - Retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary bladder of cats during
      electroejaculation, collection of semen with an artificial vagina, and mating.
AB  - The effect of methoxamine on retrograde flow of spermatozoa into the urinary
      bladder of domestic cats during electroejaculation and the incidence of
      retrograde flow during the collection of semen with an artificial vagina, or
      during mating was examined. In experiment 1, urine collected by cystocentesis
      prior to electroejaculation was azoospermic or contained few, nonmotile
      spermatozoa, whereas urine collected after electroejaculation contained more (P =
      0.002) spermatozoa, and motile spermatozoa were evident in urine obtained from 6
      of 8 cats. Administration of methoxamine hydrochloride (200 micrograms/kg of body
      weight, IV) did not affect spermatozoal output or percentage of retrograde flow.
      Percentage of retrograde flow for control cats ranged from 61.18 to 92.95% (mean
      +/- SD, 80.00 +/- 14.28%) and for methoxamine-treated cats, ranged from 15.25 to
      92.49% (mean +/- SD, 58.10 +/- 32.28%), but the difference was not significant.
      In experiment 2, an artificial vagina was used to collect semen from 5 of the 8
      cats used in experiment 1. Urine collected by cystocentesis after ejaculation
      contained spermatozoa, and motile spermatozoa were evident in the urine from 4 of
      5 cats. The mean (+/- SD) percentage of retrograde flow for these 5 cats was
      46.82 +/- 31.67% (range, 14.56 to 90.32%). In experiment 3, each of the 5 cats
      that were used in experiments 1 and 2 were mated. Spermatozoa were recovered from
      the vagina of each mated female, and motile spermatozoa were also present in
      postejaculation urine obtained by cystocentesis from each of the 5 male cats.
      Mean total number of spermatozoa in the postmating urine was 29.42 +/- 33.58 x
      10(6) (range, 0.22 x 10(6) to 76.05 x 10(6) spermatozoa).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854093
TI  - Evaluation of intravenous administration of concentrated immunoglobulin G to
      colostrum-deprived foals.
AB  - Ten foals of various breeds were deprived of colostrum from birth to 36 hours of
      age, then were allotted to 2 groups. Foals of group 1 (n = 6) were given 20 g
      (200 ml) of purified equine IgG IV in a 10% solution, and foals of group 2 (n =
      4) were given 30 g (300 ml) of the same preparation. Total administration time
      for each 10 g of IgG in 100 ml was approximately 10 minutes. Serum IgG
      concentration in foals was assessed prior to, between 24 and 48 hours, and at 7
      and 14 days after IgG administration. Between 24 and 48 hours after IgG
      administration, mean serum IgG concentration in group-1 foals was 425 mg/dl
      (range, 350 to 480 mg/dl). Mean body weight for this group of foals was 50.3 kg
      (range, 43.3 to 54.7 kg). For group-2 foals, mean serum IgG concentration was 768
      mg/dl (range, 640 to 920 mg/dl) between 24 and 48 hours after administration of
      IgG. Foals of this group had mean body weight of 43.2 kg (range, 36.5 to 47.5
      kg). Serum IgG concentration in group-2 foals at 24 to 48 hours was significantly
      (P = 0.005) greater than that in group-1 foals. Mean total IgG recovery at 24 to
      48 hours, calculated on the basis of 94.5 ml of plasma volume/kg of body weight,
      was approximately 100%. Values of IgG measured in all foals 1 and 2 weeks after
      administration of the IgG concentrate were equivalent to values expected after
      normal decay of passively acquired IgG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854094
TI  - Isolation of a major form of pepsinogen from gastric mucosa of horses.
AB  - In mammalian species studied previously, pepsinogen consisted of biochemically
      different groups of isozymogens. By use of gel filtration chromatography and
      electrophoresis, we isolated a predominant pepsinogen from the gastric mucosa of
      a horse. Peptide mapping with V8 protease revealed differences with its porcine
      homologue. However, porcine and equine pepsinogens, when activated to pepsin, had
      a similar pattern of activity when hemoglobin was used as substrate. Those
      results suggest that differences must exist in the primary structure of the
      pepsinogens of the 2 species.

PMID- 1854095
TI  - Comparison of fractional excretion and 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium and
      potassium in clinically normal cats and cats with induced chronic renal failure.
AB  - The influence of induced chronic renal failure on 24-hour urinary excretion and
      fractional excretion of sodium and potassium was studied in cats. Induction of
      chronic renal failure significantly increased fractional excretion of potassium
      (P less than 0.0001) and sodium (P less than 0.05); however, 24-hour urinary
      excretion of sodium and potassium decreased slightly following induction of
      chronic renal failure. Fractional excretion and 24-hour urinary excretion of
      sodium and potassium were compared by linear regression in clinically normal
      cats, cats with chronic renal failure, and clinically normal and affected cats
      combined. In clinically normal cats, linear regression revealed only moderate
      correlation between fractional excretion and 24-hour urinary excretion for sodium
      and potassium. Linear regression of these same relationships in cats with chronic
      renal failure, and in clinically normal cats and cats with chronic renal failure
      combined, indicated low correlation. Fractional excretions of sodium and
      potassium were not reliable indicators of 24-hour urinary excretion of these
      electrolytes in cats with chronic renal failure or unknown glomerular filtration
      rate. Fractional excretion of potassium and sodium correlated only moderately
      with 24-hour urinary excretion in clinically normal cats.

PMID- 1854096
TI  - Evaluation of flow cytometric counting procedure for canine reticulocytes by use
      of thiazole orange.
AB  - An automated reticulocyte counting method that used a flow cytometer and the
      nucleic acid staining dye, thiazole orange, was developed. Anticoagulated (EDTA)
      blood specimens were suitable for flow cytometric reticulocyte counting when
      stored at 4 C for 96 hours after collection. Thiazole orange-stained samples were
      stable for 5.5 hours after staining when stored capped at 20 C and protected from
      light. Flow cytometric and manual microscopic reticulocyte counts were compared
      for counts in the 0.27 to 5.32% range (as determined by flow cytometry) and 0.10
      to 4.90% range (as determined by 1 technician). Although the results of flow
      cytometric analysis generally correlated well (r = 0.821) with manual counts,
      there was poor correlation between the procedures for counts less than or equal
      to 2.0% (r less than or equal to 0.272). Linearity of flow cytometric counts over
      the range 0.27 to 14.46% was excellent (r = 0.999). Within-run precision of flow
      cytometric counts (% coefficient of variation [cv] = 3 to 5) was superior to
      manual microscopic counts obtained by one technician (% cv = 19 to 23) and to
      manual microscopic counts, which were an average of counts done by 3 technicians
      (% cv = 8 to 18). Comparable flow cytometric counts were obtained by counting
      50,000 or 100,000 blood cells in the flow cytometer.

PMID- 1854097
TI  - Effect of repeated phlebotomy on iron status of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).
AB  - Iron status, as determined by hematologic values, serum iron concentration, total
      iron-binding capacity, and zinc protoporphyrin concentration, was determined in 2
      groups of 6 nonpregnant monkeys. Monkeys of groups 1 and 2 had 10 and 5%,
      respectively, of their blood volume withdrawn per week for up to 10 weeks or
      until blood hemoglobin concentration was less than or equal to 10 g/dl. A third
      group of 6 monkeys served as controls. The majority (8/12) of the monkeys became
      anemic (hemoglobin concentration, less than or equal to 10 g/dl) after
      approximately 30 to 70% (mean, 49%) of their blood volume was removed. Anemia was
      accompanied by decrease in serum iron concentration and percentage of transferrin
      saturation. Microcytosis, hypochromasia, and increased zinc protoporphyrin
      concentration, all hematologic characteristics of iron deficiency, developed
      later. The calculated iron stores ranged from 1 to 133 mg, with mean value of 51
      mg. Iron-depleted monkeys had mean calculated available iron store of 20.8 mg,
      whereas iron-replete monkeys had mean available iron store of 114.0 mg. Changes
      were not observed in monkeys of the control group during the study period. None
      of the baseline hematologic or biochemical analytes measured were good predictors
      of iron stores. The diet used at the research center did not provide sufficient
      iron to prevent iron deficiency in most of the monkeys from which a total amount
      of 30 to 70% of blood volume at 5 or 10%/week was withdrawn. Studies requiring
      that much blood may need to be modified to include iron supplementation,
      reduction of sample volume, or iron replacement after termination of projects.

PMID- 1854098
TI  - Intestinal responses to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-stable toxin b in
      non-porcine species.
AB  - The Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STb) is the most prevalent toxin
      associated with diarrheagenic E coli isolates of porcine origin. Unequivocal
      biological activity of this toxin has been observed only in swine intestine. In
      this study, when endogenous protease activity was blocked with soybean trypsin
      inhibitor, intestinal secretion was stimulated by STb in jejunal loops of rats,
      mice, calves, and rabbits. Compared with pigs, rats, mice, and calves, rabbits
      were relatively insensitive to STb. These data demonstrate that the activity of
      STb is not a species-specific toxic activity; there is species variation in
      sensitivity to STb, and some common laboratory animals may have potential to be
      used to measure biological activity of STb.

PMID- 1854099
TI  - Identity of Bacteroides isolates and previously named Bacteroides spp in clinical
      specimens of animal origin.
AB  - During the years 1984 through 1987 2,574 isolates of obligately anaerobic
      bacteria were isolated from samples submitted for analysis. The most common
      anaerobic isolates were members of the genus Bacteroides, representing 44.6% of
      the isolates. Of these, the most commonly isolated identifiable microorganisms
      were bile-resistant and nonpigmented, belonging to the B fragilis group of
      Bacteroides. Importantly, obvious predilections for any one species or group of
      Bacteroides were not apparent for animal or site (condition), except that the
      proportion of isolates belonging to the nonpigmented, bile-resistant group
      obtained from the respiratory tract was significantly (P less than 0.005) higher
      than that not belonging to this group. On the other hand, the proportion of
      isolates of the non-pigmented, bile-resistant group obtained from abscesses was
      significantly lower than that not belonging to this group.

PMID- 1854100
TI  - Acute hemolytic anemia after oral administration of L-tryptophan in ponies.
AB  - The hematologic and pathologic effects of orally administered L-tryptophan and
      indoleactic acid and of L-tryptophan administered IV were studied in ponies.
      Sixteen adult Shetland ponies were allotted into 4 experimental groups. Group 1
      consisted of 5 ponies (1-5) given 0.6 g of tryptophan/kg of body weight in a
      water slurry via stomach tube. Group 2 included 4 ponies (6-9) given 0.35 g of
      tryptophan/kg orally. Group-3 ponies (10-13) were given 0.35 g of indoleacetic
      acid/kg orally. Group 4 consisted of 3 ponies (14-16) given a single 4-hour IV
      infusion of 0.1 g of tryptophan/kg. Restlessness, increased respiratory rate,
      hemolysis, and hemoglobinuria were detected in 4 of the 5 group-1 ponies. Only
      pony 7 in group 2 developed hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, and a significant increase
      in respiratory rate. Renal pathologic lesions, consistent with hemoglobinuric
      nephrosis, were seen in ponies 2, 4, 5, and 7. Bronchiolar degeneration was
      evident in 4 of 9 ponies given tryptophan orally. The importance of these
      respiratory lesions was unknown. Clinical or pathologic abnormalities were not
      noticed in the ponies of groups 3 and 4. Mean plasma tryptophan values increased
      significantly in groups 1 and 2 at 6 hours after dosing. A second peak of
      tryptophan was detected in both groups at 12 hours. Values returned to predose
      values by 48 hours. Plasma indole and 3-methylindole concentrations were
      detectable in only 2 ponies (4 and 7). In vitro incubations of cecal fluid from
      ponies 6, 8, and 9 yielded a percentage conversion of tryptophan to indole of
      16.75%, 5.84%, and 7.96%, respectively. 3-Methylindole was not produced. These
      results suggested that indole was the major metabolite of orally administered
      tryptophan in these ponies.

PMID- 1854101
TI  - Acute hemolytic anemia induced by oral administration of indole in ponies.
AB  - Eight ponies were allotted to 2 groups of 4. Group-1 ponies (1-4) were given 0.2
      g of indole/kg of body weight orally and group-2 ponies (5 to 8) were given 0.1 g
      of indole/kg. Various physical, hematologic, and physiologic measurements were
      obtained after administration of indole. Intravascular hemolysis and
      hemoglobinuria were detected in both groups within 24 hours of dosing. Hemolysis
      was reflected by decreases in PCV, hemoglobin concentration, and RBC count, and
      an increase in indirect bilirubin. Erythrocyte fragility appeared to increase in
      both groups at 8 hours after dosing and peaked at 16 hours after dosing. At 72
      hours after dosing, the RBC fragility value was less than predose measurements.
      Heinz body formation was noticed in group-2 ponies, but not in group 1. Plasma
      indole concentrations increased in both groups from the nondetectable predose
      concentrations. Group-1 values were 203% of group-2 values. In group 2, plasma
      indole was nondetectable by 12 hours, whereas low concentrations could still be
      measured in the group-1 ponies at 24 hours. Ponies in group 1 died or were
      euthanatized between 24 and 72 hours after dosing, whereas group-2 ponies were
      euthanatized between 48 and 120 hours. At necropsy, all body fat, mucous
      membranes, and elastic tissue were stained yellow. Hemoglobinuric nephrosis was
      the most prominent microscopic lesion. Results of this study indicated that
      indole, a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan, causes acute intravascular
      hemolysis in ponies.

PMID- 1854102
TI  - Immunity in swine inoculated with larvae or extracts of a pig isolate and a
      sylvatic isolate of Trichinella spiralis.
AB  - Inoculation of swine with a sylvatic isolate of Trichinella spiralis, designated
      T s nativa, resulted in low numbers of muscle larvae, compared with muscle larvae
      accumulation in swine inoculated with a pig type of T s spiralis. Despite low
      infectivity of T s nativa for swine, primary inoculation resulted in high levels
      of immunity against challenge infection with T s spiralis. This immunity was
      expressed in accelerated expulsion of challenge adults from the intestine and
      reduced numbers of muscle larvae. Pigs inoculated with T s nativa developed
      cellular and humoral responses similar to those in pigs inoculated with T s
      spiralis. However, in immunoblots, sera from pigs inoculated with T s nativa
      recognized additional proteins in muscle larvae excretory-secretory (ES)
      products, compared with sera from pigs inoculated with T s spiralis. Active
      immunization of pigs with ES products from T s nativa resulted in numerically
      higher, but not significantly different levels of immunity, compared with pigs
      immunized with ES from T s spiralis. The highest levels of immunity were obtained
      in pigs immunized with a T s spiralis newborn larval extract. The combination of
      ES products and newborn larval extract did not result in additive levels of
      immunity. These results indicate that the major immune effector response to
      Trichinella sp in pigs is against the newborn larvae, regardless of the genetic
      type of Trichinella sp.

PMID- 1854103
TI  - Prospective vaccine prepared from a new mutant of Toxoplasma gondii for use in
      cats.
AB  - Kittens are the principal disseminators of Toxoplasma gondii. They can shed
      greater than 10(8) oocysts in the feces after initial infection with bradyzoites
      in tissue cysts. Thereafter, most kittens develop protective immunity and do not
      shed oocysts again if they are reinfected. Bradyzoites of a T gondii mutant,
      designated T-263, were used to vaccinate kittens. Their use did not result in
      oocyst shedding, but successfully prevented 84% (31/37) of the kittens from
      shedding oocysts when challenge exposed with a normal isolate of T gondii.
      Vaccination of outdoor-roaming cats and kittens would be a useful public health
      measure to prevent transmission of toxoplasmosis near homes, on farms, and in
      zoos. It is anticipated that several years will be required for a lyophilized
      bradyzoite vaccine to be ready for licensing and possible commercial
      availability.

PMID- 1854104
TI  - Effects of sodium hyaluronate on tendon healing and adhesion formation in horses.
AB  - Sodium hyaluronate reduces adhesions after tendon repair in rodents and dogs, and
      has been used in limited clinical trials in people. To evaluate its effect on
      tendon healing and adhesion formation in horses and to compare these effects with
      those of a compound of similar visco-elastic properties, a study was performed in
      horses, using a model of collagenase injection in the flexor tendons within the
      digital sheath. Eight clinically normal horses were randomly allotted to 2
      groups. Adhesion formation between the deep digital flexor tendon and the tendon
      sheath at the pastern region was induced in the forelimbs of all horses. Using
      tenoscopic control, a 20-gauge needle was inserted into the deep digital flexor
      tendon of horses under general anesthesia and 0.2 ml of collagenase (2.5 mg/ml)
      was injected. The procedure was repeated proximally at 2 other sites, spaced 1.5
      cm apart. A biopsy forceps was introduced, and a 5-mm tendon defect was created
      at each injection site. Group-A horses had 120 mg of sodium hyaluronate (NaHA)
      gel injected into the tendon sheath of one limb. Group-B horses had
      methylcellulose gel injected at the same sites. The contralateral limbs of horses
      in both groups served as surgical, but noninjected, controls. Horses were
      euthanatized after 8 weeks of stall rest. Ultrasonographic evaluation revealed
      improved tendon healing after NaHa injection, but no difference in peritendinous
      adhesion formation. Tendon sheath fluid volume and hyaluronic acid (HA) content
      were greater in NaHA-treated limbs. Gross pathologic examination revealed
      considerably fewer and smaller adhesions when limbs were treated with NaHA.
      However, significant difference in pull-out strengths was not evident between
      NaHA-treated and control limbs. Histologically, the deep digital flexor tendon
      from the NaHA-treated limbs had reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, improved
      tendon structure, and less intratendinous hemorrhage. Treatment with
      methylcullulose had no significant effect on tendon healing, adhesion size,
      quantity, or strength or on the volume and composition of the tendon sheath
      fluid. Sodium hyaluronate, administered intrathecally, appears to have a
      pharmaceutically beneficial action in this collagenase-induced tendinitis and
      adhesion model in horses.

PMID- 1854105
TI  - Effect of left hepatic vein ligation on hepatic circulation, function, and
      microanatomy in dogs.
AB  - Eighteen healthy dogs were allotted to 3 groups (n = 6 dogs each). All dogs were
      evaluated at the beginning of the study by complete physical examination; total
      and differential WBC counts; serum biochemical analysis (alanine transaminase and
      alkaline phosphatase activities and bilirubin and albumin concentrations);
      sulfobromophthalein excretion, ammonia tolerance, and glucagon response testing;
      portal and intraparenchymal pressure determinations; operative mesenteric
      portography; and histologic assessment of hepatic biopsy specimens. The left
      hepatic vein was ligated completely in dogs of groups 1 and 2. Group-3 (control)
      dogs had a ligature placed loosely around the left hepatic vein. Dogs of groups 1
      and 3 were reevaluated 24 hours after surgery by use of the aforementioned
      hematologic and biochemical tests. Group-1 dogs were reevaluated by use of portal
      and intraparenchymal pressure determinations, jejunal vein portography, and
      complete necropsy at 48 hours after surgery. At 4 weeks after surgery, dogs of
      groups 2 and 3 were reevaluated by use of all aforementioned tests. Results
      indicated transient hepatic congestion, which resolved by the fourth
      postoperative week. Longstanding effect on hepatic structure, circulation, or
      function was not found. We concluded that left hepatic vein ligation in
      clinically normal dogs does not cause severe or permanent liver damage.

PMID- 1854106
TI  - Use of biometry and keratometry for determining optimal power for intraocular
      lens implants in dogs.
AB  - Axial length and corneal curvature were determined by use of A-scan
      ultrasonography and keratometry on both eyes of dogs of various breeds, sizes,
      and ages. Mean axial length was 20.43 +/- 1.48 mm; axial length was not related
      to age or sex, but was significantly greater (P = 0.047) in dogs of larger
      breeds. Mean corneal curvature was 39.94 +/- 2.61 diopters. Dogs of large breeds
      had significantly (P less than 0.001) flatter corneas. Mild, roughly symmetric
      astigmatism was detected in a majority of dogs. Use of mean values in a theoretic
      artificial intraocular lens power equation suggests that aphakic dogs require an
      implant of approximately 40 diopters to achieve emmetropia.

PMID- 1854107
TI  - Association between solar radiation and ocular squamous cell carcinoma in cattle.
AB  - The association between ocular squamous cell tumors and various measures of solar
      radiation was evaluated for 2,775 contemporaneous Hereford cattle. The animals
      were from 34 herds located in 21 states in the United States and in one Canadian
      province. Examinations and photographs were made of the eyes of all cows and
      heifers in a herd; 33 herds were examined between June and August 1957 and 1 herd
      was examined in 1958. Solar radiation was measured by altitude and mean annual
      hours of sunshine applying to an individual herd, and global radiation, a
      cloudiness index, and elevation of nearby National Weather Service stations. All
      measures of solar radiation provided evidence of a significant association
      between increasing risks of developing cancer eye and increasing levels of
      radiation; adjustments were made for possible confounding effects of age and
      corneoscleral pigmentation. Associations were evident whether affliction was
      defined as the occurrence of any type of tumor (ie, plaque, papilloma, or
      carcinoma), or as the occurrence of only papilloma or carcinoma. Average ages of
      affected cattle also tended to be lower at high radiation levels than at low
      levels, further supporting the hypothesis that solar radiation has an important
      role in the development of this disease. In view of the heritability of eye
      pigmentation and its inhibitory effect on lesions, cancer eye may be controlled
      by selective breeding for increased pigmentation in and around the eye to afford
      protection against the harmful effects of incident UV radiation.

PMID- 1854108
TI  - Aminophylline therapy for acute bronchospastic disease in the emergency room.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of aminophylline in the treatment of acute
      exacerbations of bronchospastic disease when used in addition to inhaled beta
      agonists and intravenous corticosteroids. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind,
      placebo-controlled intervention study. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-three adult
      patients with either asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who
      presented to the emergency department with asthma or wheezing. INTERVENTIONS: All
      patients received therapy with both aerosolized metaproterenol and intravenous
      methyl-prednisolone. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a loading
      dose of aminophylline followed by a routine infusion (n = 65) or an equal volume
      of placebo as a loading dose and infusion (n = 68). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: At discharge from the emergency department, the median serum
      theophylline concentration for the aminophylline group was 54 mumol/L (9.7 mg/L).
      The two groups showed no differences (P greater than 0.2) in measurements of
      forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), or peak
      expiratory flow rate (PEFR) at baseline or at 60 or 120 minutes after
      aminophylline administration. Neither patient satisfaction nor physician
      assessment of response to therapy differed between the two groups. There was no
      difference (P greater than 0.2) in the frequency of side effects, except for a
      trend toward a higher frequency of nausea (P = 0.13) in the aminophylline group.
      There was, however, a threefold decrease in the hospital admission rate for
      patients treated with aminophylline (6%) compared with placebo recipients (21%)
      (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Aminophylline, in doses producing levels just below the
      commonly accepted therapeutic range, appears to decrease hospital admissions in
      patients with acute exacerbation of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease. This finding, if confirmed in larger studies, may represent a
      substantial cost savings.

PMID- 1854109
TI  - Comparison of an aggressive (U.S.) and a less aggressive (Canadian) policy for
      cholesterol screening and treatment.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the point at which adverse quality-of-life effects
      engendered by an aggressive cholesterol-lowering strategy dictate the use of a
      less aggressive approach. DESIGN: Decision analysis was used to compare the
      effects of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines, an
      aggressive program, with those of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health
      Examination (CTF) guidelines, a more conservative program. Quality-adjusted life
      expectancy was calculated for a theoretical cohort of middle-aged men treated
      according to each program using Markov cohort analysis. MEASUREMENTS: Guidelines
      were applied to the population of the Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary
      Prevention Trial (LRC-CPPT), under the assumption that cholesterol levels had the
      distribution of the age- and sex-matched general population. Outcomes were
      calculated using a three-state (health, coronary heart disease, and death) Markov
      model. State transition probabilities were calculated using bivariate (age and
      cholesterol) proportional hazards and logistic regression functions. MAIN
      RESULTS: The result was a "toss-up"; the number of expected quality-adjusted life
      years was similar for both programs at all time intervals, although the
      conservative program was consistently slightly favored. The result was very
      sensitive to the disutility of dietary therapy (threshold value, 0.0014 compared
      with the baseline estimate of 0.02) but was also affected by the time frame of
      the analysis and the rate at which adverse effects of treatment decline.
      CONCLUSIONS: Even small disutilities associated with treatment may outweight the
      benefits of aggressive cholesterol-lowering strategies. Research should be
      directed toward measuring these disutilities and finding ways to reduce their
      size. Incorporation of the disutility of treatment into policy formulation may
      result in less interventionist and less costly policies.

PMID- 1854110
TI  - Effect of triple therapy (antibiotics plus bismuth) on duodenal ulcer healing. A
      randomized controlled trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether antimicrobial therapy for Helicobacter pylori
      infection accelerates the healing of duodenal ulcers. DESIGN: Single-blind,
      randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS:
      One hundred and five patients with endoscopically verified duodenal ulcers.
      INTERVENTION: Patients received either ranitidine, 300 mg/d, or ranitidine, 300
      mg/d, plus "triple therapy" (2 g/d of tetracycline, 750 mg/d of metronidazole,
      and 5 or 8 bismuth subsalicylate tablets per day). Triple therapy was
      administered for only the first 2 weeks of ulcer treatment. MEASUREMENTS:
      Videoendoscopic assessment of ulcer status was done until ulcer healing was
      complete. Evaluations were done after 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of therapy. MAIN
      RESULTS: Ulcer healing was more rapid in patients receiving ranitidine plus
      triple therapy than in patients receiving ranitidine alone (P less than 0.01).
      The cumulative percentages of patients with healed ulcers in the group receiving
      ranitidine plus triple therapy and in the group receiving ranitidine alone were
      as follows: 37% and 18% after week 2; 74% and 53% after week 4; 84% and 68% after
      week 8; 96% and 80% after week 12; and 98% and 84% after week 16. CONCLUSION:
      Combined therapy with anti-H. pylori agents and ranitidine was superior to
      ranitidine alone for duodenal ulcer healing. Our results indicate that H. pylori
      plays a role in duodenal ulcer disease.

PMID- 1854111
TI  - Cocaine and chest pain: clinical features and outcome of patients hospitalized to
      rule out myocardial infarction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features, electrocardiographic findings,
      and hospital course in patients admitted with acute chest pain temporally related
      to cocaine use. DESIGN: Retrospective data analysis. SETTING: A 485-bed county
      hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred and one consecutive patients with cocaine-related
      chest pain admitted to the hospital to rule out myocardial infarction.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The quality of the chest pain frequently suggested
      myocardial ischemia. Dyspnea was common (56%). The onset of chest pain occurred
      during cocaine use in 21% of patients, within 1 hour of use in 37%, and after 1
      hour of use in 42%. Admission electrocardiographic findings were interpreted as
      normal in 32% of patients; as acute myocardial injury in 8%; as early
      repolarization variant in 32%; as left ventricular hypertrophy in 16%; and as
      "other" in 12%. Forty-three percent of patients had ST-segment elevation meeting
      the electrocardiographic criteria for use of thrombolytic therapy, but such
      elevation was usually due to the early repolarization variant. The initial total
      creatine kinase was elevated more than 3.3 mu kat/L (200 U/L) in 43% of patients,
      and an elevated total creatine kinase was recorded at some time during the
      hospital course in 47% of patients. The creatine kinase MB fraction was less than
      0.02 in all patients. Myocardial infarction was ruled out in all patients. No
      patient experienced in-hospital cardiovascular complications. CONCLUSION: The
      quality of acute chest pain related to cocaine use is indistinguishable from that
      experienced in acute myocardial ischemia. Abnormal or normal variant
      electrocardiographic findings are common in patients with chest pain related to
      cocaine use, but nevertheless the incidence of acute myocardial infarction is
      low. The ST-segment and T-wave changes can mimic acute myocardial injury and are
      most likely normal findings in young black men that can be readily recognized in
      the emergency department. Most of these patients do not require admission to an
      intensive care unit.

PMID- 1854112
TI  - Fluconazole treatment of persistent Cryptococcus neoformans prostatic infection
      in AIDS.

PMID- 1854113
TI  - Hypertension in women: what is really known? The Women's Caucus, Working Group on
      Women's Health of the Society of General Internal Medicine.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine whether there is sufficient information in the medical
      literature to guide appropriate treatment of hypertensive women. DATA
      IDENTIFICATION: Epidemiologic surveys of hypertension, clinical trials of
      antihypertensive therapy, and studies of selected adverse effects of
      antihypertensive agents were identified through a computerized search using
      MEDLINE and by identifying all studies cited in current medical textbooks as
      supporting evidence for the guidelines for the treatment of hypertensive
      individuals. All epidemiologic studies selected were cross-sectional or
      longitudinal, multicenter, population-based surveys. All clinical trials were
      large, randomized studies comparing one or more antihypertensive agents with a
      placebo or nonplacebo control group. Epidemiologic studies and clinical trials
      were reviewed to assess the quantity and quality of information available
      regarding important aspects of hypertension in women. Data pertaining to
      epidemiology, natural history, results of treatment, and two significant side
      effects of antihypertensive treatment were examined. RESULTS OF DATA ANALYSIS:
      The prevalence of hypertension is greater in black women than in black men and is
      about equal in white women and men. Because women outnumber men in the
      population, there are more hypertensive women than men. The attributable risk
      percent (the proportion of end points that could be eliminated by removing
      hypertension) for cardiovascular complications of hypertension is higher for
      women than men. Clinical trials show clear benefit of therapy for black women but
      no clear benefit for white women; some studies suggest that treatment of white
      women is harmful. Lipid profiles and their relation to ischemic heart disease
      differ for women and men; there is currently no information on the effects of
      antihypertensive agents on serum lipids in women. Few data have been published on
      the frequency of sexual dysfunction in treated hypertensive women. CONCLUSIONS:
      Hypertension in women and its related cardiovascular outcomes are a major public
      health problem. Clinical trials of antihypertensive therapy do not fully support
      current guidelines for the treatment of hypertensive women. Research concerning
      adverse effects of antihypertensive agents has largely excluded women from
      consideration; further studies are required to guide appropriate treatment.

PMID- 1854114
TI  - Biologic response modifiers in primary immunodeficiency disorders.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To propose a new classification for the primary immunodeficiency
      disorders and to review potential therapeutic applications of biologic response
      modifiers in these disorders. DATA SOURCE: Relevant articles were identified
      through a search of MEDLINE using the following indexing terms: primary
      immunodeficiencies (and subclassifications), and human immunomodulators (and
      subclassifications). STUDY SELECTION: Articles were critically reviewed and
      included if relevant. DATA SYNTHESIS: The primary immunodeficiency disorders are
      classified according to functional abnormalities, specifically, abnormalities in
      early cellular maturation, differentiation, regulatory cell function, enzymatic
      function, and cytokine responses. Such a classification clarifies the potential
      role of biologic response modifiers in primary immunodeficiency disorders.
      Intravenous gammaglobulin and histamine-2 (H2)-receptor blockers modify
      regulatory cell function; retinoids modify abnormal cellular differentiation,
      gene transfer and enzyme replacement can be applied in disorders characterized by
      specific functional gene abnormalities; and interferons modify abnormal cytokine
      responses. Interleukin-2, thymic hormones, transfer factor, and levamisole appear
      to affect multiple functional defects. CONCLUSIONS: Biologic response modifiers
      are currently important ancillary tools in the treatment of immunodeficiency
      disorders, and their therapeutic role will become even more important in the
      future. Multi-center cooperative trials of new and existing agents are needed to
      fully define their roles and efficacy in the treatment of these disorders.

PMID- 1854115
TI  - The U.S. and Canadian health care systems: views of resident physicians.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate U.S. and Canadian resident physicians' views about their
      health care systems. DESIGN: Self-administered questionnaire survey in 1989.
      PARTICIPANTS: Senior family medicine and internal medicine residents in Canada
      and in ten geographically representative American states. MAIN RESULTS: American
      and Canadian residents had similar levels of professional satisfaction and almost
      universally agreed on the ethical obligation to provide care to persons of all
      social circumstances, but U.S. residents were more likely to perceive a serious
      access problem in their country (75% compared with 18%) and to think that current
      controls on the medical profession interfere with patient care (81% compared with
      58%; P less than 0.001). In addition, U.S. residents were more likely than
      Canadian residents to believe that primary care salaries were too low (78%
      compared with 38%) and that salaries of medical subspecialists (57% compared with
      17%) and surgeons (85% compared with 28%) were too high. In general, residents
      preferred their own country's predominant health care system. Whereas 87% of U.S.
      physicians supported private fee-for-service health care, 85% of Canadian
      physicians supported government-funded national health insurance. Nonetheless,
      42% of U.S. physicians supported and only 17% strongly opposed national health
      insurance as an alternative approach. About two thirds of respondents from both
      countries opposed a salaried national health service. CONCLUSIONS: American
      residents perceived greater problems with access, overall intrusions into medical
      practice, and fee disparities than did their Canadian counterparts. They
      preferred private fee-for-service health care, but few strongly opposed
      government-funded national health insurance as an alternative approach to the
      health care needs of the United States.

PMID- 1854116
TI  - Scientific evidence versus therapeutic demand: the introduction of the
      sulfonamides revisited.
AB  - Because of recent changes in Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
      regulations, new medications may now be marketed before completion of rigorous
      controlled testing. In order to understand the ramifications of this development,
      it is instructive to recall the introduction of the sulfonamides in the 1930s.
      The sulfonamides, the first effective antibacterial agents, were marketed in an
      era of relatively few regulations. Although investigators at times designed
      controlled trials to evaluate use of the drugs, both researchers and
      practitioners generally prescribed them for severe infections, despite a lack of
      conclusive data as to their efficacy. The clinical usefulness of sulfonamides for
      a given condition often became known through uncontrolled case studies and
      comparisons with historical control groups. Given the relaxation of FDA
      regulations, this method of drug evaluation may again become more commonplace.

PMID- 1854117
TI  - Discoveries.

PMID- 1854118
TI  - Methylxanthines in the treatment of asthma: the rise, the fall, and the possible
      rise again.

PMID- 1854119
TI  - Guidelines for the detection and treatment of elevated serum cholesterol: which
      is the baby and which is the bathwater?

PMID- 1854120
TI  - Markers of coronary disease.

PMID- 1854121
TI  - AIDS enteropathy.

PMID- 1854122
TI  - Pneumothorax in AIDS.

PMID- 1854123
TI  - Digoxin: mythology or evidence?

PMID- 1854124
TI  - Rigors with vancomycin.

PMID- 1854125
TI  - Urinary urgency and acute intrarenal bleeding.

PMID- 1854126
TI  - Cost of treating travelers' diarrhea.

PMID- 1854127
TI  - The doctor's role in wartime.

PMID- 1854128
TI  - [Screening of asymptomatic pulmonary embolisms by systematic scintigraphy in
      apparently uncomplicated phlebitis].
AB  - To evaluate the presence of asymptomatic pulmonary emboli, a prospective study
      was conducted in 21 patients with radiologically confirmed phlebitis. Systematic
      screening by means of radioisotope perfusion lung scanning revealed 8 pulmonary
      emboli (38%), 6 of which were confirmed by pulmonary angiography (28% using this
      criterion). In 3 of these patients, the cutoff affected more than 60% of the
      lung. All the patients remained asymptomatic throughout the study. It is our
      opinion that the presence of a latent pulmonary embolus should modify the
      therapeutic approach. In addition to screening for asymptomatic pulmonary emboli,
      systematic radioisotope perfusion scanning will enable the compilation of a
      reference document useful in the interpretation of clinical events arising during
      treatment.

PMID- 1854129
TI  - [Localization of pheochromocytomas by 131-I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine
      scintigraphy].
AB  - Scintigraphy using 131I-labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine was performed in 89
      patients. A diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was indicated by urinalysis in 28 cases
      and confirmed histologically in the 27 patients who underwent surgery. The tumor
      was located using scintigraphy and computed tomography. Fourteen isolated and 6
      malignant metastatic pheochromocytomas were found as well as 8 pheochromocytomas
      associated with genetic disease. Scintigraphy located the tumors in 22 out of 28
      cases; however, 3 adrenal pheochromocytomas and 3 malignant pheochromocytomas
      were not detected. Radioisotope perfusion scanning was more sensitive than
      computed tomography for the detection of bilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma. In
      the only case of a multifocal tumor, a combination of scintigraphy and computed
      tomography located all pheochromocytomas which were later resected. The high
      number of patients without elevated urine catecholamines and in whom scintigraphy
      did not alter the diagnosis shows that his technique should be applied only after
      demonstration of catecholamine hypersection.

PMID- 1854130
TI  - [Preventive non-estrogenic therapies of post-menopausal osteoporosis].

PMID- 1854131
TI  - [Hashimoto's disease and hyperthyroidism].

PMID- 1854132
TI  - [Early treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection].

PMID- 1854133
TI  - [Myocardial involvement in AIDS. Echographic study in 85 human immunodeficiency
      virus infected patients].
AB  - Histological and echographic studies of HIV-seropositive patients demonstrated
      the reality of myocardial involvement during the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome. Eight-five seropositive, asymptomatic patients, 55 of them classified
      as group IV (CDC criteria), were subjected to echocardiography and measurement of
      the reduction of the left ventricle fraction. An echographic anomaly was found in
      8/85 seropositive patients and in 7/55 group IV patients. This affect on left
      ventricular contractility seems to occur in patients with a low number of CD4+
      lymphocytes (p = NS) and is statistically significantly associated with the level
      of anti-P24 antibodies/antigenemia (absence of antibodies and positive
      antigenemia) (p less than 0.05).

PMID- 1854134
TI  - [Visceral leishmaniasis and immunosuppression].

PMID- 1854135
TI  - [Liver and human immunodeficiency virus type 1].

PMID- 1854136
TI  - [Hepatic involvement in human immunodeficiency virus infection. 104
      histologically documented cases].

PMID- 1854137
TI  - [Tuberculous meningitis without biological symptoms in AIDS].

PMID- 1854138
TI  - [Systemic lupus erythematosus associated with cirrhosis due to alpha-1
      antitrypsin deficiency].

PMID- 1854139
TI  - [Fatal acute pancreatitis in systemic lupus erythematosus].

PMID- 1854140
TI  - [Cavum tuberculosis. Apropos of 2 cases].

PMID- 1854141
TI  - [HELLP syndrome: physiopathological and pathogenic uncertainties].

PMID- 1854142
TI  - [Apropos of respiratory manifestations of rheumatoid polyarthritis].

PMID- 1854143
TI  - [Evaluation of the prognosis of facial paralysis after surgery of acoustic
      neurinoma by an early Hilger's test].
AB  - Surgery for acoustic neuroma is highly risky for the facial nerve. This is why we
      have tried to assess immediate postoperative facial impairment by performing
      Hilger's test within the first few hours. Further evolution of the facial
      function showed the predictive value of Hilger's test as regards facial recovery.
      Indeed, a difference greater than 2 mA as compared with the opposite side
      indicates a lack of facial recovery at the 3rd postoperative month. In addition,
      facial muscle testing performed within the first postoperative 72 hours makes the
      prognosis of facial function recovery possible. Lack of facial recovery at the
      3rd postoperative month was observed for neuromas with a diameter exceeding 2 cm.
      Preoperative assessment of the risk of facial sequellae is fundamental and
      essentially depends on the size of the tumor and on the surgical approach.
      Intraoperative facial monitoring allows better ensuring the preservation of the
      VIIth cranial nerve and consequently improves postoperative function.

PMID- 1854144
TI  - [Unusual circumstances of disclosure of acoustic neurinoma].
AB  - While progressive unilateral deafness remains the most typical symptom of the
      development of acoustic neuroma, the study of at least 1,200 cases operated since
      1966 shows that in at least 16.5% of all cases, the triggering signal to seek
      medical advice was either otologic but atypical, or non-otologic but including
      symptoms in another pair of cranial nerves, or without any apparent relationship
      with the area showing a tumor of the eight pair, or even occurring under
      etiological circumstances that were misleading at first.

PMID- 1854145
TI  - [Culture of the epithelium of middle ear in the study of seromucous otitis].
AB  - Preliminary results on transport properties of middle ear epithelium in primary
      culture are reported. Primary cultures of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones
      unguiculatus) middle ear epithelial cells were undergone. These cells formed
      polarized monolayers that exhibited domes when grown to confluence on non porous
      support. Domes are the consequence of active transepithelial transports of
      solutes and water. On porous support, Na+ and Cl- accumulated in the basal bath
      and generated a basolateral hyperosmolarity that drove a net water flow. This
      solutes and water absorption was the consequence of an active Na+ transcellular
      transport, by means of apical sodium channels, that was responsible for the
      transepithelial potential difference, lumen negative: -39 +/- 1.2 mV (mean +/-
      SEM, n = 63). Transport of fluid and ions in the middle ear cavities could play a
      major role in keeping the cavities fluid-free and air-filled and modulating the
      mucociliary clearance. Modulation of these transports could be involved at the
      start of otitis media with effusion, and would contribute to the mucociliary
      clearance impairment.

PMID- 1854146
TI  - [Presentation of a 16-filter hearing aid with selective amplification and
      compression].
AB  - The hearing aid device is a 4 X 10 X 15 cm box. It is battery operated and
      monitored by a PC computer. The Texas 320C25 microprocessor performs real-time
      signal analysis at 16 kHz and gives 16 energy levels ranging from 0 to 8 kHz by
      Fourier transform. For each frequency band, the energy received is multiplied by
      a gain determined according to the patient's audiometric characteristics stored
      in the device's memory. The signal is then synthesized by reverse Fourier
      transform and sent to the earphone. The performances of this device are discussed
      and compared with present hearing aid devices.

PMID- 1854147
TI  - [Hazards and complications of ethmoidal surgery].
AB  - The most important publications concerning the complications following transnasal
      ethmoid surgery are reviewed by the authors who underline the dangers in this
      type of surgery: meninges, the orbit and orbital elements especially the muscles,
      the extra-orbital portion of the optic nerve and the internal carotid artery. A
      great prudence during surgical procedure is emphasized as well as the necessity
      of a perfect knowledge in scannographic and endoscopic anatomy of ethmoid to
      avoid the inflation of these complications.

PMID- 1854148
TI  - [Therapeutic strategy for cervicofacial lymphangioma in children].
AB  - The authors report a series of 22 cervicofacial lymphagiomas treated from 1984 to
      1990, and try to define a therapeutic strategy. In 11 cases, facial, laryngeal or
      pharyngeal extension was observed, and 1 cas showed mediastinal extension. These
      cases are not easily treated, and it is impossible to perform complete surgery,
      thus leading to recurrence. Tracheotomy was necessary in two cases. In 5 cases,
      the extension was limited to the cervical area and surgical exeresis was
      considered complete. Sclerosing injections gave variable results.

PMID- 1854149
TI  - [Value of cricoid split in congenital subglottic stenoses].
AB  - The authors report about the cases of two infants less than 5 weeks old, who
      presented with congenital subglottic stenosis and in whom a cricoid split
      produced good results. This procedure, which is classically reserved for
      difficult extubation of infants due to acquired subglottic stenosis, is compared
      with the other surgical techniques used in the congenital condition. It may be
      useful in the latter case owing to its simplicity and to the possibility of
      performing laryngoplasty later in case of failure.

PMID- 1854150
TI  - [Sinusitis of the middle turbinate. Descriptive study and treatment].
AB  - The middle turbinate inflammatory disease is a well a clinical as a radiological
      reality which is often unknown because of the rich sinusal surrounding diseases.
      This pathology represents less than 2% of the total sinusal pathologies we meet
      daily, and it always occurs on a concha bullosa: the middle turbinate becomes a
      real sinusal cavity with its own diseases. The new methods of diagnosis, nasal
      endoscopy and CT scanning, let identifie this turbinal own pathology better than
      ever. The authors emphasize a surgical treatment.

PMID- 1854151
TI  - [Difficult intubations. A prospective study].
AB  - A prospective tubing of tracheal tubing in view of general anesthia was performed
      in 441 adults undergoing scheduled surgery. Before surgery, the anesthesists and
      ENT specialists tried to independently predict the cases of difficult tubing,
      according to different criteria. Tubing actually was difficult in 38 patients
      (8.6u) instead of the 21 (55.2%) expected by the ENT specialists and/or the
      anesthesists. These difficulties were solved by bronchoscopy, which allowed
      tubing to be performed with a guide-probe (3 cas), by scheduled fiberendoscopy
      (6), tracheotomy (1), nasotracheal tubing (1), spontaneous ventilation (2), and
      orotracheal tubing in 25 cases. Current knowledge of the predictive criteria is
      incomplete: anesthesists must be aware of the assistance techniques required in
      case of difficult tubing in a non-ENT context.

PMID- 1854152
TI  - [Benign adenoma of the middle ear].
AB  - Starting from one case, the authors review the recent literature data on this
      very rare lesion. Elements of clinical and histological diagnosis are discussed.
      Treatment is surgical and must be complete to prevent recurrence.

PMID- 1854153
TI  - [Tumors of the cerebellopontine angle. Fortuitous association of meningioma and
      neurinoma].
AB  - The authors report the case of a totally accidental meningioma/neuroma
      association in the same internal auditory meatus, although no Recklinghausen's
      disease seems to be involved. In relation with this case and with the literature
      data, the authors review the frequency and diagnosis of meningiomas of the
      cerebellopontine angle. Lastly, this case helps avoiding a diagnostic error,
      since the imaging may lead to diagnose one tumor only.

PMID- 1854154
TI  - [Liposarcoma of the infratemporal fossa. Apropos of a case].
AB  - The authors report about one female patient with a liposarcoma of the right
      infratemporal fossa. Such tumors are rare, making up 10 to 12% of all soft-tissue
      sarcomas. Their occurrence in a cervical site is rare, unlike that in the
      inguinal region, the retroperitoneum or the lower limbs. Their diagnosis is
      mainly established by the histopathological study. Computed tomography and
      magnetic resonance imaging are particularly useful to choose the surgical
      approach. The technique chosen for this infratemporal tumor was a transmandibular
      cervical approach. Evolution was favorable, and the patient has currently had no
      reoccurrence after two years.

PMID- 1854155
TI  - High-level resistance to cefotaxime and ceftazidime in Klebsiella pneumoniae
      isolates from Cleveland, Ohio.
AB  - Two isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae possessing both TEM-1 and SHV-2 beta
      lactamases were isolated from patients at the Cleveland Clinic in 1988. The beta
      lactamases were discriminated and identified by using substrate hydrolysis data
      and an isoelectric focusing procedure in which the gel was overlaid with beta
      lactamase inhibitors.

PMID- 1854156
TI  - Effect of staggered dose of calcium on the bioavailability of ciprofloxacin.
AB  - The effect on ciprofloxacin's bioavailability (F) of calcium carbonate given 2 h
      before ciprofloxacin administration in 12 male volunteers was studied. The
      relative F with calcium was 0.98, maximum concentration of drug in serum
      increased significantly from 1.98 to 2.42 mg/liter (P = 0.039), and time to
      maximum concentration of drug in serum decreased from 1.82 to 1.26 h (P = 0.038).
      Thus, a single calcium carbonate dose, administered 2 h before ciprofloxacin,
      does not alter the F of this quinolone.

PMID- 1854157
TI  - MICs and MBCs of chemotherapeutic agents against Renibacterium salmoninarum.
AB  - The efficacies of 21 chemotherapeutic agents for controlling bacterial kidney
      disease were evaluated. The bactericidal and/or bacteriostatic effects of these
      drugs were tested against 11 Renibacterium salmoninarum strains with different
      origins. The most effective compounds displaying both bacteriostatic and
      bactericidal activity for all the isolates were tetracycline and erythromycin,
      with MICs ranging from less than 0.62 to 10.95 micrograms/ml for tetracycline and
      from less than 0.62 to 5.47 micrograms/ml for erythromycin. Whereas tetracycline
      showed identical MICs and MBCs, erythromycin showed bactericidal effects at
      concentrations of 5.47 to 21.87 micrograms/ml. Similarly, cefazolin and tiamulin
      proved to be very effective bactericidal compounds against the majority of R.
      salmoninarum isolates, with MBCs for 90% of the strains tested of 21.87 and 10.95
      micrograms/ml, respectively. Neither nitrofuranes, quinolones, nor sulfonamides
      showed inhibitory effects on the growth of the strains.

PMID- 1854158
TI  - Lack of ciprofloxacin ototoxicity after repeated ototopical application.
AB  - The possible side effects of ototopically applied ciprofloxacin on inner ear
      function were investigated. The hearing function of pigmented guinea pigs was
      evaluated by daily frequency-specific evoked response audiometry after repeated
      application of the drug to both ears. Ciprofloxacin appeared to have no
      statistically significant effect on the hearing thresholds of the experimental
      animals.

PMID- 1854159
TI  - Plasmid-encoded fosfomycin resistance.

PMID- 1854160
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine and its catabolites and
      interactions with probenecid in rhesus monkeys.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) were
      investigated in rhesus monkeys after subcutaneous administration of 33.3 mg of
      AZT per kg of body weight alone or in the presence of 100 mg of probenecid per
      kg. In addition to unchanged drug, two catabolites, 5'-O-glucuronide (GAZT) and
      3'-amino-3'-deoxythymidine (AMT), were detected in plasma within 30 min. GAZT
      exhibited a kinetic profile similar to that of AZT, with an elimination half-life
      of approximately 1 h, while AMT was more variable, with an apparent half-life of
      1.6 +/- 1.5 h. Approximately 90% of the total administered dose was recovered in
      urine within 24 h as AZT, GAZT, AMT, and the 5'-O-glucuronide of AMT. AZT and AMT
      demonstrated similar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration 1 h after AZT
      treatment, while GAZT poorly crossed the blood-brain barrier. Concomitant
      administration of probenecid greatly altered the pharmacokinetics of AZT, GAZT,
      and AMT, resulting in prolongation of their apparent elimination half-lives,
      increased concentrations in plasma, and marked reduction in renal clearances. In
      addition, the CSF/plasma concentration ratios for AZT and its catabolites were
      greatly increased, suggesting that probenecid inhibits efflux of AZT and its
      catabolites from CSF to plasma. The substantial levels of AMT in plasma suggest
      that this catabolite affects the pharmacodynamic properties of AZT in relation to
      its activity against human immunodeficiency virus replication and cytotoxicity to
      host cells. Enhanced AMT levels in plasma in the presence of probenecid may
      decrease the therapeutic efficacy of the AZT-probenecid combination.

PMID- 1854161
TI  - Tetracycline resistance heterogeneity in Enterococcus faecium.
AB  - The tetracycline (Tet) determinants, which encode resistance either to
      tetracyclines without minocycline (Tcr) or to tetracyclines including minocycline
      (Tcr-Mnr), of 30 wild-type clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium were
      identified and localized. The Tet determinants were transferred by conjugation
      into a plasmid-free Enterococcus faecalis recipient at frequencies of 10(-6) to
      10(-9) transconjugants per donor, as follows: Tcr, 6 strains; Tcr-Mnr, 14
      strains; both Tcr and Tcr-Mnr, 6 strains; no detectable transfer, 4 strains.
      Classes L (Tcr phenotype) and M and O (Tcr-Mnr phenotype) of the Tet determinants
      were identified by DNA-DNA hybridization experiments. The Tet L determinant was
      plasmid-borne in 18 strains and was chromosomal in 2 strains. Tet M was
      chromosomal in 27 strains and plasmid-borne (pIP1534) in 1 strain; pIP1534 also
      carried Tet L. Tet M was located on Tn916-like elements in 22 strains and on a
      Tn916-modified element in 1 strain. Tet O was detected in only one strain in
      which it was plasmid-borne. Both Tet L and Tet M determinants were carried by 19
      strains. One strain carried, in addition to chromosomal nonconjugative Tet L and
      Tet M determinants, a conjugative Tcr-Mnr marker which did not correspond to any
      Tet determinant tested in this study. These results attest to the genetic
      complexity of tetracycline resistance in E. faecium strains.

PMID- 1854162
TI  - Role of the beta-lactamase of Campylobacter jejuni in resistance to beta-lactam
      agents.
AB  - We studied the role of the beta-lactamase of Campylobacter jejuni in resistance
      to beta-lactam agents. beta-Lactamase-positive strains were more resistant than
      beta-lactamase-negative strains to amoxicillin, ampicillin, and ticarcillin (P
      less than 0.05). With penicillin G, piperacillin, imipenem, and six
      cephalosporins, the susceptibility levels were similar for both beta-lactamase
      positive and -negative strains. By using spectrophotometric and microbiological
      assays, the beta-lactamase from three strains hydrolyzed ampicillin, amoxicillin,
      penicillin G, cloxacillin, and, partially, cephalothin. Ticarcillin and
      piperacillin were partially hydrolyzed in the microbiological assay. There was no
      activity against five other cephalosporins or imipenem. Isoelectric focusing of
      the enzyme showed a pI of 8.8. Tazobactam was the best inhibitor of the enzyme,
      followed by clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and cefoxitin, while EDTA and p
      chloromercuribenzoate had no activity. All beta-lactamase-positive strains became
      susceptible to amoxicillin and ampicillin with 1 micrograms of clavulanic acid
      per ml. With the same inhibitor, there was a reduced but significant effect for
      ticarcillin but no effect for penicillin G or piperacillin. Sulbactam had no
      effect and tazobactam was effective only at 2 micrograms/ml on amoxicillin and
      ampicillin. The beta-lactamase of C. jejuni seems to be a penicillinase with a
      role in resistance for only amoxicillin, ampicillin, and ticarcillin.

PMID- 1854163
TI  - Mercuric reductase activity and evidence of broad-spectrum mercury resistance
      among clinical isolates of rapidly growing mycobacteria.
AB  - Resistance to mercury was evaluated in 356 rapidly growing mycobacteria belonging
      to eight taxonomic groups. Resistance to inorganic Hg2+ ranged from 0% among the
      unnamed third biovariant complex of Mycobacterium fortuitum to 83% among M.
      chelonae-like organisms. With cell extracts and 203Hg(NO3)2 as the substrate,
      mercuric reductase (HgRe) activity was demonstrable in six of eight taxonomic
      groups. HgRe activity was inducible and required NADPH or NADH and a thiol donor
      for optimai activity. Species with HgRe activity were also resistant to
      organomercurial compounds, including phenylmercuric acetate. Attempts at
      intraspecies and intragenus transfer of HgRe activity by conjugation or
      transformation were unsuccessful. Mercury resistance is common in rapidly growing
      mycobacteria and appears to function via the same inducible enzyme systems
      already defined in other bacterial species. This system offers potential as a
      strain marker for epidemiologic investigations and for studying genetic systems
      in rapidly growing mycobacteria.

PMID- 1854164
TI  - Comparative efficacies of ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic
      acid, and cefaclor against experimental Streptococcus pneumoniae respiratory
      infections in mice.
AB  - Experimental respiratory infections were established in mice by intranasal
      inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Inoculation of 10(7) CFU of either S.
      pneumoniae 1629 or S. pneumoniae 7 produced a fatal pneumonia in nontreated mice
      2 to 3 days after infection. Oral therapy was commenced 1 h after infection and
      was continued three times a day for 2 days. The doses used in mice produced peak
      concentrations in serum and lung tissue similar to those measured in humans.
      Ciprofloxacin failed to eliminate either strain of pneumococcus from mouse lungs
      at any of the doses tested (40, 80, or 160 mg/kg of body weight) by the end of
      therapy (33 h). Mice that received ciprofloxacin at 160 mg/kg were clear of S.
      pneumoniae 7 5 days later, whereas persistence and regrowth of S. pneumoniae 1629
      resulted in the death of 20% of animals treated with ciprofloxacin. Therapy with
      cefaclor (20 mg/kg) produced an effect similar to that of ciprofloxacin. In
      contrast, amoxicillin (10 and 20 mg/kg) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (10/5 and
      20/10 mg/kg) were significantly (P less than 0.05) more effective in eliminating
      both strains of S. pneumoniae from the lungs by the end of therapy and, by 168 h,
      had prevented mortality in 80 to 100% of treated animals. The efficacy of
      ciprofloxacin against these experimental pneumococcal respiratory infections was
      poor, despite good penetration into lung tissue, and is a reflection of the low
      in vitro activity of the quinolone against S. pneumoniae, one of the most common
      pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia.

PMID- 1854165
TI  - Interface-area-to-volume ratio of interstitial fluid in humans determined by
      pharmacokinetic analysis of netilmicin in small and large skin blisters.
AB  - Human pharmacokinetics of netilmicin during multiple dosing were studied in serum
      and in the fluid of skin blisters with two different ratios of interface area to
      fluid volume. The kinetics in the blisters followed the serum concentration-time
      curve with a delay but with a similar elimination half-life of 2.4 h. The
      kinetics in the 40-microliters blisters followed closely the theoretically
      calculated concentrations of the peripheral compartment of a two-compartment
      model. In contrast, the concentrations in the 120-microliter blisters increased
      less rapidly, lower peaks were achieved, and concentrations decreased with a
      significantly longer delay. A very similar area-specific flow or clearance rate
      of 1.6 microliters.h-1.mm-2 was calculated for the interface area between the
      serum compartment and either the small or large blisters. The observed rapid mass
      transfer between serum and blister fluid suggests similar oscillations of
      concentrations in serum and in small interstitial fluid compartments.

PMID- 1854166
TI  - Standardization of a fluconazole bioassay and correlation of results with those
      obtained by high-pressure liquid chromatography.
AB  - An improved bioassay for fluconazole was developed. This assay is sensitive in
      the clinically relevant range (2 to 40 micrograms/ml) and analyzes plasma, serum,
      and cerebrospinal fluid specimens; bioassay results correlate with results
      obtained by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Bioassay and HPLC
      analyses of spiked plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid samples (run as
      unknowns) gave good agreement with expected values. Analysis of specimens from
      patients gave equivalent results by both HPLC and bioassay. HPLC had a lower
      within-run coefficient of variation (less than 2.5% for HPLC versus less than 11%
      for bioassay) and a lower between-run coefficient of variation (less than 5%
      versus less than 12% for bioassay) and was more sensitive (lower limit of
      detection, 0.1 micrograms/ml [versus 2 micrograms/ml for bioassay]). The bioassay
      is, however, sufficiently accurate and sensitive for clinical specimens, and its
      relative simplicity, low sample volume requirement, and low equipment cost should
      make it the technique of choice for analysis of routine clinical specimens.

PMID- 1854167
TI  - Comparative in vitro antibacterial activity of sparfloxacin (AT-4140; RP 64206),
      a new quinolone.
AB  - The in vitro activity of sparfloxacin (AT-4140; RP 64206), a new fluoroquinolone,
      was compared with those of 10 other agents against 1,222 clinical isolates.
      Sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin were the most active quinolones against members of
      the family Enterobacteriaceae and nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli;
      sparfloxacin had superior activity against gram-positive cocci in comparison with
      the activities of ciprofloxacin and the other quinolones tested (norfloxacin,
      lomefloxacin, and pefloxacin). Among the inhibited strains, several were
      resistant to the tested beta-lactam antibiotics or to aminoglycosides. The
      activity of sparfloxacin was not influenced by the medium that was used; lowering
      of the pH to 5 had a marked effect on the MICs for two strains each of
      Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and one strain each of
      Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; the MBC of sparfloxacin was within 1
      to 2 dilution steps of the MIC for the strains that were tested.

PMID- 1854168
TI  - Bactericidal effect of amoxicillin on Helicobacter pylori in an in vitro model
      using epithelial cells.
AB  - The treatment of Helicobacter pylori with antimicrobial agents has largely been
      ineffective, and susceptibility results are in disagreement with those obtained
      by standard in vitro testing. The bactericidal effect of amoxicillin was tested
      in an in vitro model by using sessile bacteria attached to HEp-2 cells; this
      bactericidal effect was compared with that against planktonic bacteria. Viable
      cell counts were performed by standard procedures after 1, 6, and 24 h of contact
      with the antibiotic at different concentrations. A bactericidal effect (99.9%
      killing) was observed against sessile bacteria after 24 h with concentrations of
      only 10, 1, and 0.1 mg/liter, while against planktonic bacteria it was also noted
      at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.001 mg/liter, and the effect was observed after 6
      h with the three highest concentrations. When the results for five strains were
      studied by analysis of variance at 6 and 24 h, the main variable was the
      antibiotic concentration, followed by the culture conditions, e.g., planktonic or
      sessile bacteria, the strain tested, and the time of contact. A decreased pH of
      5.4 did not affect the action of amoxicillin. The bactericidal effect of the
      combination of amoxicillin and metronidazole was additive against sessile H.
      pylori.

PMID- 1854169
TI  - Prospective randomized evaluation of ciprofloxacin versus piperacillin plus
      amikacin for empiric antibiotic therapy of febrile granulocytopenic cancer
      patients with lymphomas and solid tumors. The European Organization for Research
      on Treatment of Cancer International Antimicrobial Therapy Cooperative Group.
AB  - Empiric therapy for febrile granulocytopenic patients is mandatory, but whether
      monotherapy is a safe alternative and whether fluoroquinolones are useful agents
      for this indication are still controversial issues. The use of monotherapy with
      intravenous ciprofloxacin (200 to 300 mg every 12 h) was evaluated against
      combined therapy with piperacillin plus amikacin in febrile granulocytopenic
      patients with solid tumor or lymphoma. The study was discontinued prematurely
      because patients treated with ciprofloxacin had a significantly lower overall
      success rate than patients treated with piperacillin plus amikacin (31 of 48
      patients [65%] versus 48 of 53 patients [91%], P = 0.002). Patients with gram
      positive coccal bacteremia had a particularly poor outcome: therapy failed for
      six of eight patients (75%) treated with ciprofloxacin, while therapy failed for
      none of four patients treated with piperacillin plus amikacin. Death from primary
      infection during initially randomized protocol therapy occurred in 7 of 48
      patients (14.5%) treated with ciprofloxacin and in 3 of 53 (6%) treated with
      piperacillin plus amikacin. This study does not support the use of this dose of
      intravenous ciprofloxacin as empiric monotherapy for fever in granulocytopenic
      patients.

PMID- 1854170
TI  - Liposomal amphotericin B inhibits in vitro T-lymphocyte response to antigen.
AB  - The effects of free amphotericin B (as Fungizone) and amphotericin B (AMB)
      incorporated into liposomes on the proliferation of lymphocytes were determined.
      Freshly obtained guinea pig and rat antigen-specific lymphocytes were compared
      with rat T-lymphocyte cell lines cultured for a long period of time.
      Incorporation of AMB into multilayered vesicles significantly reduced its effect
      relative to that of Fungizone on cultured T-cell lines, as reported by others for
      mammalian cells. In contrast, the effects on freshly obtained antigen-specific
      lymphocytes were different. Fungizone inhibited proliferation of antigen-specific
      lymph node cells freshly obtained from immunized guinea pigs at fungicidal
      concentrations, and incorporation into multilayered lipid vesicles did not have
      much of a protective effect. Higher concentrations of Fungizone were required to
      inhibit proliferation of fresh rat lymph node cells, but incorporation into
      multilayered lipid vesicles still did not have much of a protective effect. Some
      T lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation of guinea pigs and in the lymph nodes
      of rats were more resistant to liposomal AMB than another more sensitive T
      lymphocyte population was. Proliferation of lymphocytes in response to mitogens
      was inhibited less than that in response to specific antigen was. Thus,
      sensitivity to AMB depended on the species, the strength of the stimulus used to
      activate the lymphocytes, and on some other property of the lymphocytes, possibly
      their state of differentiation. Regardless of the reason for the difference in
      effects on freshly obtained lymph node lymphocytes and cultured line cells, the
      former may be more relevant to effects in vivo and should be considered in a
      complete evaluation of the in vivo toxicity of these forms of the drug.
      Incorporation into sonicated unilamellar vesicles had more of a protective
      effect, while equimolar drug-lipid complexes had even more of a protective
      effect. These forms of AMB might have less of an immunosuppressive potential than
      multilayered vesicles containing low amounts of AMB do.

PMID- 1854171
TI  - Characterization of a beta-lactamase found in Eikenella corrodens.
AB  - Eleven strains of Eikenella corrodens with beta-lactamase activity were isolated
      from a patient with refractory periodontitis who had previously been treated with
      penicillin antibiotics. These strains were relatively resistant to
      benzylpenicillin, amoxicillin, and ampicillin (MICs, greater than or equal to 64
      micrograms/ml); susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanate (2:1) (MICs, less than or
      equal to 4 micrograms/ml); and moderately susceptible to cephalothin and
      cephaloridine (MICs, 0.12 to 16 micrograms/ml). The addition of 1 microgram of
      potassium clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, per ml resulted in a
      significant increase in the susceptibilities of these strains to penicillins but
      not to cephalosporins. Potassium clavulanate had no effect on non-beta-lactamase
      producing strains. Enzyme production was constitutive since activity was not
      increased when cells were cultivated in the presence of benzylpenicillin. Enzyme
      activity was strongly inhibited by potassium clavulanate, sulbactam, and iodine;
      weakly inhibited by cloxacillin, imipenem, and moxalactam; but not inhibited by
      aztreonam, EDTA, or p-chloromercuribenzoate. By gel infiltration, the enzyme had
      an estimated molecular mass of 29 kDa. Isoelectric focusing of the partially
      purified enzyme gave a major beta-lactamase band at pH 5.50 and a minor band at
      pH 5.60. Plasmids were not detected in any of the 11 beta-lactamase-positive
      strains. This enzyme is considered to belong to class 2a of the Bush
      classification scheme.

PMID- 1854172
TI  - Comparative activity of macrolides against Toxoplasma gondii demonstrating
      utility of an in vitro microassay.
AB  - The utility of spiramycin for preventing transplacental transmission of
      toxoplasmosis and the efficacy of conventional macrolides against Toxoplasma
      gondii are subjects of active debate. An in vitro microassay was developed to
      determine the relative inhibitory activity against T. gondii of 24 conventional
      macrolides derived from erythromycin and tylosin (14- and 16-membered macrolides,
      respectively). Macrolides and T. gondii RH tachyzoites were added to monolayers
      of BT cells grown in 96-well plates. Plates were incubated for 20 h at 37 degrees
      C, and the growth of T. gondii was then measured by the selective incorporation
      of [3H]uracil in trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material during an additional
      incubation of 20 h. Dose-response curves and 50 and 90% inhibitory concentrations
      (IC50 and IC90, respectively) were determined for each drug. Microscopic
      examination was performed on stained replicates of the infected monolayers, and
      the relative toxicities of the drugs for host cells were determined. Spiramycin
      and tylosin showed only limited activity against T. gondii (IC50 of 20.16 and
      20.00 micrograms/ml, respectively). Erythromycin and azithromycin had a better
      anti-Toxoplasma activity with IC50 of 14.38 and 8.61 micrograms/ml, respectively,
      whereas drugs like desmycosin, dirithromycin, and roxithromycin had no detectable
      activity. Although many macrolides inhibited intracellular proliferation of T.
      gondii, azithromycin was the only macrolide demonstrating prolonged inhibitory
      activity on the replication of intracellular tachyzoites. We conclude that
      conventional 14- and 16-membered macrolides often interfere with the growth of,
      but may not kill, T. gondii RH tachyzoites in vitro.

PMID- 1854173
TI  - In vitro activity and in vivo efficacy of a new series of 9-deoxo-12-deoxy-9,12
      epoxyerythromycin A derivatives.
AB  - Analogs of 9-deoxo-12-deoxy-9,12-epoxyerythromycin A with an epimeric hydroxy,
      amino, or ketone substitution at the 11 position of the macrolide ring and an
      amino or epimeric hydroxy substitution at the 4" position of the cladinose sugar
      were synthesized in an attempt to produce acid-stable derivatives of erythromycin
      with improved bioavailability and activity against gram-negative bacteria. These
      modifications produced compounds with in vitro activities which were generally
      similar to that of erythromycin. In mice, however, selected analogs were more
      active than was erythromycin against staphylococci, streptococci, Haemophilus
      influenzae, and Legionella pneumophila. In mice, the 11-keto (A-63881), 11
      epiamino (A-69334), 11-epiamino-4"-amino (A-71671), and 11-epiamino-4"-epiamino
      (A-73020) analogs achieved peak concentrations in serum and lung, serum half
      lives, and/or areas under the serum curve which were greater than those of
      erythromycin. Improved pharmacokinetics, as compared with those of erythromycin,
      may explain the increased in vivo antibacterial activities of these compounds.

PMID- 1854174
TI  - In vitro evaluation of GR69153, a novel catechol-substituted cephalosporin.
AB  - GR69153 is a C-7 catechol cephalosporin with a broad spectrum of activity against
      members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (MICs for 50% of strains tested
      [MIC50s], 0.008 to 0.5 micrograms/ml), Staphylococcus aureus (MIC50, 4
      micrograms/ml), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC50, 0.25 micrograms/ml), Haemophilus
      influenzae (MIC50, 0.03 micrograms/ml), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (MIC50, 0.03
      micrograms/ml), and Acinetobacter spp. (MIC50, 2 micrograms/ml). Potent GR69153
      activity was also demonstrated against Moraxella catarrhalis, pneumococci, beta
      hemolytic streptococci, gram-positive anaerobes, and most species of coagulase
      negative staphylococci. The activity of GR69153 was generally two- to fourfold
      greater than that of ceftazidime. Resistance level GR69153 MICs for 90% of
      strains tested (greater than or equal to 32 micrograms/ml) were found most often
      among Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp. and Morganella morganii strains.
      GR69153 did not significantly inhibit enterococci, Xanthomonas maltophilia, the
      Bacteroides fragilis group, Corynebacterium jeikeium, or Listeria monocytogenes.
      GR69153 was bactericidal and was generally beta-lactamase stable, and MICs were
      only slightly increased by high inoculum concentrations. Activity was enhanced in
      an iron-deficient medium, and a modest MIC difference attributed to iron
      availability was noted between standard agar and broth test results. GR69153 was
      confirmed to be a potent, catechol-substituted cephalosporin with a spectrum
      slightly wider than that of ceftazidime, but it was less active than cefpirome or
      imipenem against some gram-positive pathogens and anaerobes.

PMID- 1854175
TI  - Amikacin pharmacokinetics in patients receiving high-dose cancer chemotherapy.
AB  - We retrospectively analyzed amikacin pharmacokinetics in 28 patients (mean age,
      47.4 +/- 13.6 years) who received high-dose chemotherapy during a neutropenic
      febrile episode. Patients received an experimental protocol of high-dose
      anticancer chemotherapy. Amikacin pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from
      two or more concentrations in serum around a single dose by the method of
      Sawchuck and Zaske (J. Pharmacokinet. Biopharm. 4:183-195, 1976). Predicted
      parameters were calculated by using standard methods. The observed amikacin
      volume of distribution and clearance were significantly greater and the
      elimination half-life was longer than predicted (0.38 +/- 0.13 versus 0.25
      liter/kg [P = 0.0001], 1.51 +/- 0.92 versus 1.17 +/- 0.38 liters/h/kg [P =
      0.012], and 3.8 +/- 2.4 versus 2.9 +/- 1.1 h [P = 0.011], respectively).
      Multivariate analysis revealed that albumin correlated negatively and creatinine
      correlated positively with the volume of distribution and the elimination half
      life. Creatinine and the percentage below the ideal body weight correlated
      negatively and hematocrit correlated positively with clearance. Administration of
      dosage regimens based on predicted pharmacokinetic parameters yielded
      subtherapeutic amikacin concentrations in serum in our patients. Because of the
      increased dosage requirements and the need for adequate antibiotic treatment in
      this population, we suggest guidelines for empiric dosing for patients with
      advanced cancer receiving intensive chemotherapy.

PMID- 1854176
TI  - Mechanisms that may account for differential antibiotic susceptibilities among
      Coxiella burnetii isolates.
AB  - The Nine Mile, S Q217, and Priscilla isolates, representative of the three major
      genetic groups of Coxiella burnetii, are known to differ in their
      susceptibilities to antibiotics. Mechanisms potentially responsible for these
      differences were investigated. Accumulation of antibiotics by infected L929 cells
      and purified isolates was measured. In addition, C. burnetii plasmid-transformed
      Escherichia coli HB101 cells were used to study the possibility that different C.
      burnetii plasmids are responsible for disparate antibiotic susceptibilities of
      the isolates. L929 cells recently or persistently infected with the Priscilla
      isolate exhibited a significantly reduced accumulation of [3H]tetracycline as
      compared with that in L929 cells infected with either the Nine Mile or S Q217
      isolates; accumulation of this drug was greater in cells recently infected each
      isolate. In contrast, L929 cells recently or persistently infected with the
      different isolates accumulated [3H]norfloxacin to an equivalent extent.
      [3H]tetracycline accumulation was approximately the same among the purified
      isolates. However, as measured by both scintillation and spectrofluorometry,
      norfloxacin accumulation was significantly diminished in the purified Priscilla
      isolate. pH had no apparent effect upon isolate permeabilities. The presence of
      C. burnetii QpH1 or QpRS plasmids did not alter the antibiotic susceptibility of
      E. coli. Collectively, these results indicate that differential susceptibilities
      to tetracyclines or fluoroquinolones in C. burnetii isolates may be the result of
      distinct mechanisms involving altered host-cell (tetracyclines) or isolate
      specific (fluoroquinolones) permeabilities.

PMID- 1854177
TI  - Synergistic effects between amoxicillin, metronidazole, and the hydroxymetabolite
      of metronidazole against Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
AB  - Interactions between metronidazole and amoxicillin, metronidazole and its
      hydroxymetabolite, and amoxicillin and the hydroxymetabolite of metronidazole
      were investigated with checkerboard titrations in combination with accurately
      determined MICs and MBCs. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans was used as the
      test organism. Synergism was found for all three combinations. Fractional
      inhibitory concentration indices and fractional bactericidal concentration
      indices varied from 0.3 to 0.7. These synergistic interactions between these
      antibiotics may explain the efficacy of the combination of metronidazole and
      amoxicillin in various bacterial infections, including periodontal disease.

PMID- 1854178
TI  - Comparative evaluation of loracarbef and amoxicillin-clavulanate for acute otitis
      media.
AB  - One hundred five infants and children with acute otitis media were randomized to
      therapy with loracarbef, an experimental carbacephem antibiotic, or amoxicillin
      clavulanate (Augmentin), an approved drug for this disease. Ninety-two were
      evaluable (46 in each group). Middle ear fluid samples obtained for culture
      before therapy grew Haemophilus spp. in 30% of cases, pneumococci in 29% of
      cases, and Moraxella catarrhalis in 15% of cases. beta-Lactamase-producing
      bacteria were found in 37% of patients. Clinical failure occurred in four
      loracarbef-treated patients and one amoxicillin-clavulanate-treated patient (P =
      0.361). Recurrence of acute otitis media was more common in the 2 to 3 weeks
      after loracarbef treatment (eight patients) than it was after amoxicillin
      clavulanate therapy (three patients), but not significantly so (P = 0.197). Thus,
      combined failure and recurrence occurred in 12 loracarbef-treated patients and
      four amoxicillin-clavulanate-treated patients (P = 0.052). Gastrointestinal side
      effects occurred in 13 loracarbef-treated and 21 amoxicillin-clavulanate-treated
      patients (P = 0.13). Diaper rash was more common with amoxicillin-clavulanate (22
      patients) than with loracarbef (10 patients; P = 0.016). Satisfactory results
      were achieved with both antibiotics, and adverse effects, although common, were
      minor.

PMID- 1854179
TI  - Steady-state pharmacokinetics of intramuscular imipenem-cilastatin in elderly
      patients with various degrees of renal function.
AB  - We studied the concentrations in plasma and pharmacokinetics of imipenem and
      cilastatin in elderly patients (greater than 65 years old) who had various
      degrees of renal function and who were hospitalized with soft tissue infections.
      Three groups of patients received imipenem-cilastatin (500/500 mg)
      intramuscularly every 12 h: group I consisted of eight patients with a creatinine
      clearance (CLCR) of greater than 50 ml/min (range, 51 to 84 ml/min; mean, 65.8
      ml/min); group II consisted of three patients with a CLCR of 20 to 50 ml/min; and
      group III consisted of two patients with a CLCR of less than 20 ml/min. Imipenem
      and cilastatin concentrations were measured at steady state on day 5. Mean peak
      and trough plasma imipenem concentrations were 5.28 +/- 1.78 and 1.43 +/- 0.76
      micrograms/ml in group I, 6.25 +/- 0.78 and 2.50 +/- 0.00 micrograms/ml in group
      II, and 14.3 +/- 0.71 and 6.85 +/- 1.06 micrograms/ml in group III, respectively.
      Mean peak and trough plasma cilastatin concentrations were 11.8 +/- 2.85 and 0.31
      +/- 0.43 microgram/ml in group I, 15.5 +/- 2.48 and 2.03 +/- 2.05 micrograms/ml
      in group II, and 24.5 +/- 6.72 and 10.7 +/- 5.94 micrograms/ml in group III,
      respectively. Mean imipenem AUCss (area under the concentration-time curve over a
      dosage interval at steady state) values were 38.7 +/- 7.9 micrograms.h/ml for
      group I, 52.3 +/- 7.3 micrograms.h/ml for group II, and 143.7 +/- 11.9
      micrograms.h/ml for group III. Mean cilastatin AUCss values were 45.6 +/- 12.5
      micrograms.h/ml for group I, 93.8 +/- 51.2 micrograms.h/ml for group II, and
      217.5 +/- 57.8 micrograms.h/ml for group III. Cilastatin mean apparent body
      clearance values (normalized to weight) were 2.78 +/- 0.67 ml/min for group I,
      1.43 +/- 0.81 ml/min for group II, and 0.71 +/- 0.24 ml/min for group III.
      Imipenem open-lactam metabolite levels were all below the level of detective of
      the assay (<3.9 micrograms/ml). There was a progressive increase in plasma
      imipenem and cilastatin levels and AUCss and there was a decline in body
      clearance as renal function declined.

PMID- 1854180
TI  - Modulation of the intestinal flora of mice by parenteral treatment with broad
      spectrum cephalosporins.
AB  - A study was performed to determine the effect of parenteral treatment with four
      broad-spectrum cephalosporins (cefoperazone, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, and
      cefepime) on the number of aerobic gram-negative rods and on the outgrowth of
      Candida albicans and a multiresistant strain of Citrobacter freundii in the feces
      of mice. The estimated fractions of a parenteral dose that were excreted into the
      gastrointestinal tract were 0.37 for cefoperazone, 0.11 for ceftriaxone, 0.03 for
      ceftazidime, and 0.002 for cefepime. All four cephalosporins significantly
      decreased the number of aerobic gram-negative rods in the feces, and virtually
      all gram-negative rods were eliminated at high doses of cefoperazone,
      ceftazidime, and ceftriaxone. Furthermore, at high doses these three compounds
      led to a significant increase of the outgrowth of resistant Citrobacter freundii.
      The outgrowth of Candida albicans was increased at high doses of cefoperazone and
      ceftriaxone, whereas ceftazidime and cefepime did not have this effect. The most
      profound changes in the gastrointestinal ecology were observed during treatment
      with high doses of cefoperazone. The results suggest that the colonization
      resistance of the gastrointestinal tract can be substantially decreased by
      parenteral treatment with cefoperazone and, to a lesser extent, with ceftriaxone
      and ceftazidime.

PMID- 1854181
TI  - Modulation of the intestinal flora of mice by treatment with aztreonam and
      tigemonam.
AB  - Oral and parenteral administration of aztreonam and oral administration of
      tigemonam to conventional mice caused a decrease in the number of aerobic gram
      negative rods in the feces. Oral treatment with high doses of aztreonam (greater
      than or equal to 25 mg/kg/day) and tigemonam (100 mg/kg/day) adversely influenced
      colonization resistance, whereas oral treatment with lower doses of the
      monobactams or parenteral treatment with aztreonam did not.

PMID- 1854182
TI  - Effect of low-level and intermittent minocycline therapy on the growth of
      Mycobacterium leprae in mice.
AB  - We evaluated the minimal concentrations of minocycline in the diet and in serum
      required to inhibit the growth of seven Mycobacterium leprae isolates in mice.
      Minocycline concentrations of 0.01 and 0.04% in the diet, which resulted in
      levels in serum of less than or equal to 0.17 and 0.51 microgram/ml,
      respectively, were consistently and completely inhibitory. Even 0.004% dietary
      minocycline (levels in serum, less than or equal to 0.08 microgram/ml) partially
      inhibited five of these strains, while 0.001% minocycline was consistently
      inactive. For five of these isolates, minocycline at a concentration of 0.04% in
      the diet given 3 days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and 1 day weekly completely
      inhibited the growth of M. leprae, and minocycline given even 1 day monthly was
      partially inhibitory for three of these five M. leprae isolates.

PMID- 1854183
TI  - In vitro susceptibilities of clinical isolates of cysteine-requiring Escherichia
      coli to 12 antimicrobial agents.
AB  - The MICs of 12 antimicrobial agents for 42 cysteine-requiring strains of
      Escherichia coli showed a high concordance when determined on three different
      media, one of which was supplemented with cysteine. Differences in the MICs of
      several agents were detected between 18 prototrophic revertants and their parent
      auxotrophs. A total of 64.7% of the isolates were fully susceptible to all
      agents, and no particular resistance pattern was evident.

PMID- 1854184
TI  - Serine proteinase from Staphylococcus aureus enhances elastin degradation by
      elastases in the presence of human alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor.
AB  - During staphylococcal pneumonia massive destruction of lung tissue is often
      observed. Staphylococcal serine proteinase (SSP) inactivates alpha-1-proteinase
      inhibitor (alpha 1PI) a major factor which protects lungs from phagocyte
      proteases. We investigated the effect of SSP on elastin degradation by porcine
      pancreatic elastase (PE) and crude extract of human neutrophil elastase (NE) in
      solution and gel containing alpha 1PI. SSP having no elastase activity enhanced
      PE and NE-induced elastinolysis in solution when added to alpha 1PI before mixing
      with elastase and then with elastin. SSP added simultaneously with alpha 1PI to
      PE had no influence on elastin degradation. However, SSP added simultaneously, 30
      min before or 30 min after PE significantly increased elastin digestion in
      elastin-agarose plate with alpha 1PI. Maximal increase in elastinolysis about 3
      fold was for SSP added 30 min prior to PE. Since elastin is the major component
      of the alveolar walls it is possible that lung damage in the course of
      staphylococcal infection may partly depend on action of SSP.

PMID- 1854185
TI  - Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a recA analog from
      Pseudomonas stutzeri and construction of a P. stutzeri recA mutant.
AB  - A recombinant plasmid carrying the Pseudomonas stutzeri recA gene was isolated by
      complementation of the Escherichia coli recA13 mutation. Subcloning experiments
      showed that the gene was located on a 1500 bp PvuII-BglII fragment. The cloned
      gene complements an E. coli recA mutant for resistance to Methylmethanosulphonate
      (MMS) and UV irradiation. It was also capable of restoring the recombination
      proficiency in that mutant. The cloned fragment was used to construct a recA
      deletion mutant of P. stutzeri. This mutant too was shown to be sensitive towards
      MMS and UV irradiation. The mutant strain was found to be completely deficient in
      natural transformation with chromosomal DNA, due to the impairment in homologous
      recombination.

PMID- 1854186
TI  - Williopsis salicorniae sp. nov.
AB  - Four strains of an undescribed species of the genus Williopsis were isolated from
      brackish water. A description of the new species, Williopsis salicorniae (type
      strain, CBS 8071, NRRL Y-12834), is given.

PMID- 1854187
TI  - Arxula adeninivorans, a yeast assimilating many nitrogenous and aromatic
      compounds.
AB  - A detailed description of the yeast species Arxula adeninivorans (syn.
      Trichosporon adeninovorans) was given. The yeast assimilated all the sugars,
      polyalcohols and organic acids used in the conventional carbon compound
      assimilation test rapidly, except for L-rhamnose, inulin, lactose, lactate and
      methanol. As nitrogen sources served all conventionally used compounds except
      creatine and creatinine. Several nitrogenous compounds, e.g. amino acids, purine
      derivatives, served as sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. This was also
      true of many primary n-alkylamines and terminal diamines, but of nitrogen-less
      analogous compounds such as alcohols, dialcohols, carboxylic acids and
      dicarboxylic acids only intermediates of general metabolism were assimilated. For
      observing growth at the expense of potentially toxic compounds the slant culture
      method was developed. In this test lactate was readily assimilated but proved to
      be toxic at the same time. Several aliphatic organic acids and their esters
      supported growth in this test, as was the case with several benzene compounds
      such as hydroquinone, 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic, gentisic,
      gallic and ferulic acids, 4-hydroxyacetophenone and 1-phenyl-n-dodecane.

PMID- 1854189
TI  - Septal micropores in Zygozyma and their taxonomic significance.
AB  - Septal micropores or plasmadesmal canals have been observed in two species of the
      lipomycetaceous genus Zygozyma. The presence of these canals is considered as
      further evidence for the connexion between the Lipomycetaceae and the
      Dipodascaceae. The genus Zygozyma has been emended.

PMID- 1854190
TI  - Bulleromyces genus novum (Tremellales), a teleomorph for Bullera alba, and the
      occurrence of mating in Bullera variabilis.
AB  - Mating is observed in Bullera alba and B. variabilis, resulting in the formation
      of dikaryotic mycelium with clamps, haustorial branches, and lateral and terminal
      dikaryotic, clavate, lageniform or subglobose cells. These cells develop in B.
      alba into tremellaceous phragmobasidia. Karyogamy has been observed in young non
      divided basidia. Germination of the phragmobasidia occurred by acropetal chains
      of yeast cells, ballistospores or hyphae. Septal pores are dolipores with
      parenthesomes made up of U-shaped vesicles (Tremellales type). For the teleomorph
      of B. alba a new genus, Bulleromyces, is proposed, with only one species, viz.
      Bulleromyces albus.

PMID- 1854188
TI  - Oxygen regulated gene expression in Escherichia coli: control of anaerobic
      respiration by the FNR protein.
AB  - Molecular oxygen is an important regulatory signal in facultative anaerobic
      bacteria and controls the expression of a great variety of genes positively or
      negatively. The expression of anaerobic respiration and of related functions of
      E. coli is controlled by the positive gene regulator FNR, which activates
      transcription in the absence of O2. The regulated genes carry a FNR consensus
      sequence upstream of the promoter. Under the same conditions FNR represses some
      of the genes of aerobic respiration. The binding to the DNA occurs by an alpha
      helix-turn-alpha-helix DNA-binding domain. FNR contains 5 cysteine residues, four
      of which are arranged in a cluster close to the N-terminal end. For the function
      of FNR as a O2-dependent regulator three of the cysteine residues in the cluster
      and the residue outside the cluster are essential. FNR binds iron as a cofactor
      which most likely is involved in the O2-sensing by the protein. The experiments
      indicate that the cysteine residues are responsible for the binding of the iron.
      From the protein in vivo two functional states can be differentiated, an aerobic
      or metal-depleted form and an anaerobic form. Only the anaerobic form acts as a
      gene activator or repressor. Sensing of O2 or of positive redox potentials by the
      iron ion is thought to cause the conversion of the two functional states. The FNR
      protein in addition contains a potential nucleotide binding domain. The
      significance and function of this site is not clear.

PMID- 1854191
TI  - Sympodiomycopsis: a new yeast-like anamorph genus with basidiomycetous nature
      from orchid nectar.
AB  - A description is provided for a new anamorph genus Sympodiomycopsis
      (Hyphomycetes), which is neither ballistosporogenous nor sterigmatosporogenous.
      The genus is typified by S. paphiopedili sp. nov. and accommodates one species
      which was isolated from nectar of Paphiopedilum primurinum in Japan.
      Phenotypically, the genus shows some similarity to Sympodiomyces because of the
      presence of a yeast morph with sympodial conidiogenous cell proliferation, but it
      is distinguished from that genus morphologically by a yeast morph with the
      enteroblastic-annellidic conidiogenesis and the conspicuous development of a
      hyphal morph with holoblastic-sympodial conidiogenous cells, and
      chemotaxonomically by the ubiquinone system Q-10 and 10% difference in the
      guanine plus cytosine (G + C) content of the nuclear DNA. Phylogenetically, the
      type of cell wall and septal pore ultrastructure, and the primary biochemical and
      chemotaxonomic characters of S. paphiopedili indicate a basidiomycetous affinity.

PMID- 1854192
TI  - Biodegradation of creosote and pentachlorophenol in contaminated groundwater:
      chemical and biological assessment.
AB  - Shake flask studies examined the rate and extent of biodegradation of
      pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 42 components of coal-tar creosote present in
      contaminated groundwater recovered from the American Creosote Works Superfund
      site, Pensacola, Fla. The ability of indigenous soil microorganisms to remove
      these contaminants from aqueous solutions was determined by gas chromatographic
      analysis of organic extracts of biotreated groundwater. Changes in potential
      environmental and human health hazards associated with the biodegradation of this
      material were determined at intervals by Microtox assays and fish toxicity and
      teratogenicity tests. After 14 days of incubation at 30 degrees C, indigenous
      microorganisms effectively removed 100, 99, 94, 88, and 87% of measured phenolic
      and lower-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and S
      heterocyclic, N-heterocyclic, and O-heterocyclic constituents of creosote,
      respectively. However, only 53% of the higher-molecular-weight PAHs were
      degraded; PCP was not removed. Despite the removal of a majority of the organic
      contaminants through biotreatment, only a slight decrease in the toxicity and
      teratogenicity of biotreated groundwater was observed. Data suggest that toxicity
      and teratogenicity are associated with compounds difficult to treat biologically
      and that one may not necessarily rely on indigenous microorganisms to effectively
      remove these compounds in a reasonable time span; to this end, alternative or
      supplemental approaches may be necessary. Similar measures of the toxicity and
      teratogenicity of treated material may offer a simple, yet important, guide to
      bioremediation effectiveness.

PMID- 1854194
TI  - Development of species-specific hybridization probes for marine luminous bacteria
      by using in vitro DNA amplification.
AB  - By using two highly conserved region of the luxA gene as primers, polymerase
      chain reaction amplification methods were used to prepare species-specific probes
      against the luciferase gene from four major groups of marine luminous bacteria.
      Laboratory studies with test strains indicated that three of the four probes
      cross-reacted with themselves and with one or more of the other species at low
      stringencies but were specific for members of their own species at high
      stringencies. The fourth probe, generated from Vibrio harveyi DNA, cross-reacted
      with DNAs from two closely related species, V. orientalis and V. vulnificus. When
      nonluminous cultures were tested with the species-specific probes, no false
      positive results were observed, even at low stringencies. Two field isolates were
      correctly identified as Photobacterium phosphoreum by using the species-specific
      hybridization probes at high stringency. A mixed probe (four different
      hybridization probes) used at low stringency gave positive results with all of
      the luminous bacteria tested, including the terrestrial species, Xenorhabdus
      luminescens, and the taxonomically distinct marine bacterial species Shewanella
      hanedai; minimal cross-hybridization with these species was seen at higher
      stringencies.

PMID- 1854193
TI  - Detection of luciferase gene sequence in nonluminescent Vibrio cholerae by colony
      hybridization and polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - Bioluminescence is a trait observed among approximately 10% of Vibrio cholerae
      isolates. We have demonstrated that not only do some strains of V. cholerae
      produce low levels of light, undetectable by the human eye, but the luciferase
      gene sequence is present in strains of V. cholerae which emit no detectable
      light, evidenced by hybridization with a luciferase DNA probe. Comparisons of the
      amino acid sequences of luciferase enzymes of marine species have shown that
      these proteins have diverged to the point where they have only short regions of
      amino acid identity. The polymerase chain reaction method of DNA amplification
      with oligonucleotide primers based on these regions was used to isolate a region
      of the luxA gene from both luminescent and nonluminescent V. cholerae strains.
      The nucleotide sequence of this region was determined and reveals that
      nonluminescent V. cholerae have 99.7% nucleotide sequence similarity in this
      region with the luminescent biovar V. cholerae bv. albensis as well as
      significant similarity to other species of bioluminescent bacteria, a finding
      that is in accord with the hypothesis that these species have a common
      luminescent ancestor, most probably from the marine environment.

PMID- 1854195
TI  - Isolation and characterization of chromosomal promoters of Streptococcus
      salivarius subsp. thermophilus.
AB  - A promoter probe vector, pTG244, was constructed with the aim of isolating
      transcription initiation signals from Streptococcus thermophilus (Streptococcus
      salivarius subsp. thermophilus). pTG244 is based on the Escherichia coli
      streptococcus shuttle vector pTG222, into which the promoterless chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase gene of Bacillus pumilus (cat-86) was cloned. Random Sau3A
      fragments from the S. thermophilus A054 chromosomal DNA were cloned upstream of
      the cat-86 gene by using E. coli as the host. The pool of recombinant plasmids
      were introduced into S. thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis in
      order to search for promoter activity in these hosts. For S. thermophilus, it was
      necessary to first select erythromycin-resistant transformants and then to screen
      for chloramphenicol resistance among these. Direct selection of chloramphenicol
      resistant clones was, however, possible in L. lactis subsp. lactis. Six fragments
      exhibiting promoter activity were characterized in S. thermophilus by measuring
      the levels of cat-86 transcription and/or chloramphenicol acetyltransferase
      specific activity. Three of the promoter-carrying fragments were sequenced. The
      5' ends of their corresponding mRNAs were determined by S1 mapping and shown to
      correspond to a purine residue in all cases. Upstream from these potential
      transcription start points, sequences homologous to the E. coli sigma 70 and the
      Bacillus subtilis vegetative sigma 43 (or sigma A) consensus promoters were
      identified.

PMID- 1854196
TI  - Enzymatic conversion of norsolorinic acid to averufin in aflatoxin biosynthesis.
AB  - 5'-Hydroxyaverantin (HAVN) was isolated from a mold, Emericella heterothallica
      IFO 30842. Aspergillus parasiticus NIAH-26, a UV-irradiated mutant of A.
      parasiticus SYS-4, produced neither aflatoxins nor precursors in yeast extract
      sucrose (YES) medium. When the postmicrosome (cytosol) fraction of NIAH-26, which
      had been prepared from the culture in YES medium, was incubated with norsolorinic
      acid (NA) in the presence of NADH or NADPH, averantin (AVN) was produced. The
      reverse reaction from AVN to NA was promoted by the addition of NAD or NADP
      (dehydrogenase reaction). When the microsome fraction of NIAH-26 was incubated
      with AVN, HAVN was produced in the presence of NADPH (monooxygenase reaction).
      HAVN was, furthermore, oxidized to averufin (AVR) by the cytosol fraction of NIAH
      26 in the presence of NAD or NADP (dehydrogenase reaction). In the feeding
      experiments with A. parasiticus NIAH-26, aflatoxins were produced from AVN, HAVN,
      NA, and AVR but not from averufanin or averythrin. These results indicate that
      the reaction sequence NA in equilibrium AVN----HAVN----AVR is involved in the
      biosynthetic pathway of aflatoxins. The enzyme activities described here were
      dependent on the culture medium, and no enzyme activities were observed in the
      nonaflatoxigenic strain A. oryzae SYS-2 (IFO 4251).

PMID- 1854197
TI  - Expression of an L-alanine dehydrogenase gene in Zymomonas mobilis and excretion
      of L-alanine.
AB  - An approach to broaden the product range of the ethanologenic, gram-negative
      bacterium Zymomonas mobilis by means of genetic engineering is presented. Gene
      alaD for L-alanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.1.) from Bacillus sphaericus was
      cloned and introduced into Z. mobilis. Under the control of the strong promoter
      of the pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc) gene, the enzyme was expressed up to a
      specific activity of nearly 1 mu mol . min -1 . mg of protein -1 in recombinant
      cells. As a results of this high L-alanine dehydrogenase activity, growing cells
      excreted up to 10 mmol of alanine per 280 mmol of glucose utilized into a mineral
      salts medium. By the addition of 85 mM NH4+ to the medium, growth of the
      recombinant cells stopped, and up to 41 mmol alanine was secreted. As alanine
      dehydrogenase competed with pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) (EC 4.1.1.1.) for the
      same substrate (pyruvate), PDC activity was reduced by starvation for the
      essential PDC cofactor thiamine PPi. A thiamine auxotrophy mutant of Z. mobilis
      which carried the alaD gene was starved for 40 h in glucose-supplemented mineral
      salts medium and then shifted to mineral salts medium with 85 mM NH4+ and 280
      mmol of glucose. The recombinants excreted up to 84 mmol of alanine (7.5 g/liter)
      over 25 h. Alanine excretion proceeded at an initial velocity of 238 nmol . min-1
      . mg [dry weight]-1. Despite this high activity, the excretion rate seemed to be
      a limiting factor, as the intracellular concentration of alanine was as high as
      260 mM at the beginning of the excretion phase and decreased to 80 to 90 mM over
      24 h.

PMID- 1854198
TI  - Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and transcriptional analysis of the NAD(P)
      dependent cholesterol dehydrogenase gene from a Nocardia sp. and its
      hyperexpression in Streptomyces spp.
AB  - NAD(P)-dependent cholesterol dehydrogenases [NAD(P)-CDH], which allow easier
      quantification of cholesterol by means of directly measuring the A340 of NAD(P)H,
      are useful for clinical purposes. The amino acid sequences of the NH2 terminus
      and the fragments obtained by CNBr decomposition of the NAD(P)-CDH from a
      Nocardia sp. were determined for preparation of synthetic oligonucleotides as
      hybridization probes. A 4.4-kbp BamHI fragment hybridizing to these probes was
      cloned on pUC19 in Escherichia coli. The nucleotide sequence together with the
      determined amino acid sequences revealed that this enzyme consists of 364 amino
      acids (Mr, 39,792) and contains an NAD(P)-binding consensus sequence at its NH2
      terminal portion. High-resolution S1 nuclease mapping suggested that in NAD(P)
      CDH of both Nocardia and Streptomyces spp. transcription initiates at the adenine
      residue, which is the first position of the translational initiation triplet
      (AUG) of this protein. The S1 mapping experiments also showed that cholesterol
      dependent regulation in the Nocardia sp. occurred at the level of transcription.
      In Streptomyces lividans containing the cloned fragment, however, this promoter
      was expressed constitutively. DNA manipulation of the cloned gene in E. coli,
      including the generation of a ribosome-binding sequence at an appropriate
      position by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, led to production of this
      protein in a very large amount but in the enzymatically inactive form of
      inclusion bodies. On the other hand, a Streptomyces host-vector system was
      successfully used for producing 40 times as much enzymatically active NAD(P)-CDH
      as that produced by the original Nocardia sp.

PMID- 1854199
TI  - Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the N-acyl-D-mannosamine dehydrogenase
      gene from Flavobacterium sp. strain 141-8 in Escherichia coli.
AB  - The gene coding for N-acyl-D-mannosamine dehydrogenase (NAM-DH) from
      Flavobacterium sp. strain 141-8 was cloned and expressed under the control of a
      lac promoter in Escherichia coli JM109. The DNA sequence of the gene was
      determined, and an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide composed of 272
      amino acid residues (Mr, 27,473) was identified. The E. coli transformants which
      showed over 200-fold higher NAM-DH activity than did the Flavobacterium strain
      produced the enzyme as a protein fused with beta-galactosidase. Despite being a
      fusion, NAM-DH produced by E. coli transformants appeared unchanged in pH
      optimum, Km, and substrate specificity from Flavobacterium sp. strain 141-8. This
      newly recombinant enzyme may be applicable to the quantitative determination of
      sialic acid in serum.

PMID- 1854200
TI  - Fate of DNA encoding hygromycin resistance after meiosis in transformed strains
      of Gibberella fujikuroi (Fusarium moniliforme).
AB  - Stability of foreign DNA transformed into a novel host is an important parameter
      in decisions to permit the release of genetically engineered microorganisms into
      the environment. Meiotic instability of transformed DNA has been reported in
      fungi such as Ascobolus, Aspergillus, and Neurospora. We used strains of
      Gibberella fujikuroi (Fusarium moniliforme) transformed with the hygr gene from
      Escherichia coli to study meiotic stability of foreign DNA in this plant
      pathogenic fungus. Crosses with single-copy transformants segregated hygr:hygs in
      a 1:1 manner consistent with that expected for a Mendelian locus in a haploid
      organism. Multicopy transformants, however, segregated hygr:hygs in a 1:2 manner
      that was not consistent with Mendelian expectations for a chromosomal marker,
      even though two unrelated auxotrophic nuclear genes were segregating normally.
      Segregation ratios in crosses in which hygr was introduced via the male parent
      did not differ significantly from crosses in which the transformed strain served
      as the female parent. Some of the sensitive progeny from the crosses with the
      multicopy transformants carried hygr sequences. When these phenotypically
      sensitive progeny were crossed with a wild-type strain that carried no hygr
      sequences, some of the progeny were phenotypically hygr. Some progeny from some
      crosses were more resistant to hygromycin than were their sibs or the
      transformant strains that served as their parents. Transformants passaged through
      a maize plant only rarely segregated progeny with the high levels of resistance.
      The mechanism underlying these genetic instabilities is not clear but may involve
      unequal crossing over or methylation or both. Further work with cloned genes with
      homology to sequences already present in the Fusarium genome is warranted.

PMID- 1854201
TI  - Identification of a specific manganese peroxidase among ligninolytic enzymes
      secreted by Phanerochaete chrysosporium during wood decay.
AB  - The specific enzymes associated with lignin degradation in solid lignocellulosic
      substrates have not been identified. Therefore, we examined extracts of cultures
      of Phanerochaete chrysosporium that were degrading a mechanical pulp of aspen
      wood. Western blot (immunoblot) analyses of the partially purified protein
      revealed lignin peroxidase, manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), and glyoxal
      oxidase. The dominant peroxidase, an isoenzyme of MnP (pI 4.9), was isolated, and
      its N-terminal amino acid sequence and amino acid composition were determined.
      The results reveal both similarities to and differences from the deduced amino
      acid sequences from cDNA clones of dominant MnP isoenzymes from liquid cultures.
      Our results suggest, therefore, that the ligninolytic-enzyme-encoding genes that
      are expressed during solid substrate degradation differ from those expressed in
      liquid culture or are allelic variants of their liquid culture counterparts. In
      addition to lignin peroxidase, MnP, and glyoxal oxidase, xylanase and protease
      activities were present in the extracts of the degrading pulp.

PMID- 1854202
TI  - Designation of Streptomycete 16S and 23S rRNA-based target regions for
      oligonucleotide probes.
AB  - The 16S and 23S rRNA of various Streptomyces species were partially sequenced and
      screened for the presence of stretches that could define all members of the
      genus, groups of species, or individual species. Nucleotide 929 (Streptomyces
      ambofaciens nomenclature [J.L. Pernodet, M.T. Alegre, F. Boccard, and M.
      Guerineau, Gene 79:33-46, 1989]) is a nucleotide highly unique to Streptomyces
      species which, in combination with flanking regions, allowed the designation of a
      genus-specific probe. Regions 158 through 203 of the 16S rRNA and 1518 through
      1645 of the 23S rRNA (helix 54 [Pernodet et al., Gene 79:33-46, 1989]) have a
      high potential to define species, whereas the degree of variation in regions 982
      through 998 and 1102 through 1122 of the 16S rRNA is less pronounced but
      characteristic for at least certain species. Alone or in combination with each
      other, these regions may serve as target sites for synthetic oligonucleotide
      probes and primers to be used in the determination of pure cultures and in the
      characterization of community structures. The specificity of several probes is
      demonstrated by dot blot hybridization.

PMID- 1854203
TI  - Quantitative assessment of the effects of metals on microbial degradation of
      organic chemicals.
AB  - Biodegradation inhibition of a benchmark chemical, 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic
      acid methyl ester (2,4-DME), was used to quantify the inhibitory effects of heavy
      metals on aerobic microbial degradation rates of organic chemicals. This
      procedure used lake sediments and aufwuchs (floating mats) collected in the field
      or from laboratory microcosms. Effects of CuCl2, HgCl2, ZnCl2, Cd(NO3)2, and
      Cr(NO3)3 at initial concentrations ranging from 0.3 microM to 73 mM
      (approximately 0.1 to 10,000 mg liter-1) were investigated. In general, such
      metallic compounds appeared to be considerably more inhibitory to the
      biodegradation of an organic chemical than high concentrations of microbially
      toxic organics studied previously. Effects of various metal concentrations were
      evaluated based on the following: (i) estimated MICs, (ii) concentrations that
      caused a significant effect on biodegradation parameters (both a greater than 10%
      decrease in Vmax and a greater than 10% increase in t1/2 for 2,4-DME
      degradation), and (iii) concentrations that caused biodegradation half-life
      doublings (HLDs). The MICs of metals in sediment were lowest for Zn2+ (0.10
      microM) and highest for Cd2+ and Cu2+ (0.9 and 1.2 microM, respectively). The
      MICs of metals in aufwuchs were lowest for Hg2+ (0.01 microM), intermediate for
      Cu2+ and Zn2+ (0.42 and 0.62 microM, respectively), and highest for Cr3+ and Cd2+
      (3.4 and 5.6 microM, respectively). Compared with Cu2+ on aufwuchs, 70 times more
      Zn2+, 250 times more Cr3+, and 1,000 times more Cd2+ was required to
      significantly affect aufwuchs biodegradation rate parameters and coefficients
      (Vmax and t1/2). Aufwuchs was significantly affected by the lowest Hg2+
      concentration tested (5 microM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854204
TI  - Polyethylene glycol-induced internalization of bacteria into fungal protoplasts:
      electron microscopic study and optimization of experimental conditions.
AB  - We studied the mechanism of internalization of Escherichia coli into
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) and optimized the
      experimental conditions. Transmission electron microscope studies revealed that
      the principal factor involved in the internalization was the degree of cell
      aggregation attained. Internalization occurred mainly by an endocytosis-like
      mechanism and took place during the elimination of PEG. The optimum conditions
      were to treat a mixed pellet of both microorganisms with 15% PEG and then
      gradually dilute the polymer. The same conditions were applied to E. coli and
      Aspergillus nidulans, with similar results.

PMID- 1854205
TI  - Comparative study of commercial 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide
      preparations with the Standard Methods membrane filtration fecal coliform test
      for the detection of Escherichia coli in water samples.
AB  - The performance capabilities of two commercial 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D
      glucuronide preparations were evaluated for the detection of Escherichia coli
      from water samples. Eighty-three water samples were collected from a treated
      water reservoir, and 32 samples were collected from untreated surface water.
      There was a statistically significant difference between the two commercial
      preparations compared with the Standard Methods membrane filtration fecal
      coliform (MFC) method for the detection of E. coli from treated water samples.
      However, there was no difference between the two methods and the MFC test for E.
      coli detection from the untreated surface water samples. The disagreement between
      the two commercial products and the MFC method was primarily due to the
      occurrence of false-negative results with the two commercial products. The data
      indicate that the occurrence of false-negative samples could be attributed to
      impaired substrate specificity and sensitivity of the two tests for E. coli
      detection. There was no apparent relationship between the occurrence of false
      negative results and heterotrophic plate counts in samples.

PMID- 1854206
TI  - Total coliform detection in drinking water: comparison of membrane filtration
      with Colilert and Coliquik.
AB  - The Colilert (CL) and Coliquik (CQ) systems were compared in a presence-absence
      format against the Standard Methods membrane filtration (MF) technique to
      determine whether differences existed in total coliform detection. Approximately
      750 water samples were collected from distribution systems, covered and uncovered
      storage reservoirs, well sites, and the influent to drinking water treatment
      plants. Samples were analyzed for total coliforms and heterotrophic bacteria with
      MF, CL, and CQ. The agreements between CL and MF and between CQ and MF were both
      greater than 94.8%, which indicates that both may be acceptable methods for total
      coliform detection. Disagreement between the CL and CQ methods was primarily due
      to false-negative results. Furthermore, laboratory and field inoculation methods
      were compared for CL, more than 98% agreement was obtained. This finding
      indicates that sampling and immediate field inoculation may be an alternative to
      the traditional laboratory inoculation.

PMID- 1854207
TI  - alpha-Amylase of Clostridium thermosulfurogenes EM1: nucleotide sequence of the
      gene, processing of the enzyme, and comparison of other alpha-amylases.
AB  - The nucleotide sequence of the alpha-amylase gene (amyA) from Clostridium
      thermosulfurogenes EM1 cloned in Escherichia coli was determined. The reading
      frame of the gene consisted of 2,121 bp. Comparison of the DNA sequence data with
      the amino acid sequence of the N terminus of the purified secreted protein of C.
      thermosulfurogenes EM1 suggested that the alpha-amylase is translated from mRNA
      as a secretory precursor with a signal peptide of 27 amino acid residues. The
      deduced amino acid sequence of the mature alpha-amylase contained 679 residues,
      resulting in a protein with a molecular mass of 75,112 Da. In E. coli the enzyme
      was transported to the periplasmic space and the signal peptide was cleaved at
      exactly the same site between two alanine residues. Comparison of the amino acid
      sequence of the C. thermosulfurogenes EM1 alpha-amylase with those from other
      bacterial and eucaryotic alpha-amylases showed several homologous regions,
      probably in the enzymatically functioning regions. The tentative Ca(2+)-binding
      site (consensus region I) of this Ca(2+)-independent enzyme showed only limited
      homology. The deduced amino acid sequence of a second obviously truncated open
      reading frame showed significant homology to the malG gene product of E. coli.
      Comparison of the alpha-amylase gene region of C. thermosulfurogenes EM1
      (DSM3896) with the beta-amylase gene region of C. thermosulfurogenes (ATCC 33743)
      indicated that both genes have been exchanged with each other at identical sites
      in the chromosomes of these strains.

PMID- 1854208
TI  - Immunofluorescence and morphology of Giardia lamblia cysts exposed to chlorine.
AB  - Giardia cyst-like objects detected by immunofluorescence in chlorinated water
      samples often cannot be positively identified by their morphological appearance.
      To determine the effect of chlorine on cyst immunofluorescence and morphology,
      Giardia lamblia cysts were exposed to chlorine for 48 h. The majority of cysts
      exposed to chlorine concentrations of 1 to 11 mg/liter at 5 and 15 degrees C lost
      their internal morphological characteristics necessary for identification, but
      most of them were still detectable by immunofluorescence.

PMID- 1854209
TI  - [Changes in future prospect in the management of breast cancer with special
      reference to BHENO- and GENO-type typic expression].

PMID- 1854210
TI  - [Present status of computer utilization in cancer clinical trials].
AB  - The present status of computer utilization in cancer clinical trials as regards
      trial planning, data management, statistical analysis and dissemination of
      knowledge is reviewed and some proposals for designing a new system are
      presented. In Japan, the importance of a statistical center for collaborative
      clinical trials has come to be recognized and interdisciplinary discussion on
      computer information system is just beginning.

PMID- 1854211
TI  - [Data input management in clinical trial].
AB  - Data management in the clinical trial is not always processed adequately in
      Japan. Data management largely depends on the doctor who is in charge of the
      study. For the effective data processing to the computer, careful attentions
      should be paid to the proper selection of data-items and quantity, design of data
      format, coding of data to the format, and the procedure of data input into the
      computer. These procedures are mainly owed to data managers and computer
      engineers in the large clinical trials of western countries. Establishing local
      and central data center and identify of the data manager in our country are
      urgent for effective implementation of multiinstitutional clinical trial.

PMID- 1854212
TI  - [Cost of leukemia treatment].
AB  - Medical cost has increasingly become an important problem in the medical
      practice. As one of the useful fields of computer in the hospital, we have
      analyzed the costs of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation in patients
      with leukemia who were diagnosed between 1983 and 1986 and followed up till Dec.
      1989. For CML the difference in the cost was 5 million yen and a survival rate
      was 75% and was higher in BMT than in chemotherapy. For Acute leukemia the
      difference of the costs was 8 million yen and survival rates were 89% and 30%.
      These data may show that BMT is a very effective and economical treatment for
      leukemia. In this study we have analyzed only the direct medical cost paid by the
      governmental insurance, however there seems necessary many other costs which are
      not covered by the insurance such as the cost for the family members, the cost
      for cryopreservation of cells and sterilization tentatively covered by the
      hospital or the cost of blood or marrow bank which are covered or should be
      covered by the government. Evaluation of the treatment outcome by the parameters
      such as length and quality of life, productivity of the patient, prevention of
      the loss of social investment including education on the patient, seemed also
      necessary for justification of the medical cost.

PMID- 1854213
TI  - [Predictability of preclinical evaluation of anticancer drugs by human
      gastrointestinal cancer--nude mouse panel].
AB  - We evaluated the predictability to clinical response of experimental effects of
      various anticancer agents on human cancer--nude mouse panel established in our
      department. The human cancer lines used were 12 gastric, 4 colorectal, 3 breast,
      2 pancreatic cancers and 1 melanoma xenografted into BALB/c athymic nude mice
      under SPF conditions. Seven mice each with equivalent mean volume of sc
      inoculated tumor (about 100 mm3) were subjected to the treatment and control
      groups. Experimental treatment was conducted daily 25 times for antimetabolites,
      and intermittently 5 times once or twice a week for other drugs. Dosage of each
      drug adopted was maximal tolerated dose predetermined for the treatment schedule.
      Four weeks after the initiation of treatment, the therapeutic effect of each
      experiment was evaluated by the tumor growth inhibition rate (IR) based on the
      comparison of mean tumor weight between the 2 groups. When the IR was greater
      than 58%, the drug was evaluated as effective. The clinical response rate of each
      drug was referred from the result of the phase II study. Direct comparison of
      effects on 16 experimental chemotherapies in xenografts with responses to the
      corresponding clinical therapy of each donor patient revealed a fairly high
      accordance rate (94%). To elucidate the value of human cancer--nude mouse panel
      as the preclinical secondary screening, the response rates of 8 anticancer drugs
      treated to 15 cancer xenografts were compared with the cumulative clinical data
      available in each drug. Generally, the response rates of the human cancer
      xenografts to the drugs showed fairly good correlations with the cumulative
      clinical response rates of the corresponding drugs to the same organs. Using this
      panel, preclinical examinations of 6 new agents under development, including 254
      S and other 2 CDDP derivatives, were performed in expectation the positive
      correlation with further clinical data.

PMID- 1854214
TI  - [Preclinical screening of chemotherapeutic and endocrine agents using human tumor
      xenografts--nude mouse system].
AB  - Although newly developed antitumor agents had been screened using cultured human
      cell lines and rodent tumor systems, it was apparent that the positive antitumor
      activity of the agents on these experimental tumors is not a sufficient but a
      necessary condition to elucidate the antitumor activity on clinical human
      cancers. We have clarified that the chemosensitivity of human gastric, breast
      colon carcinoma xenografts could reproduce the essentially identical
      chemosensitivity of clinical carcinomas when the maximum tolerable doses of the
      conventionally available agents were administered to tumor bearing nude mice, and
      human breast carcinoma xenografts had a similar estrogen dependency and endocrine
      sensitivity to clinical human breast cancer. These findings indicated that the
      human tumor xenografts--nude mouse is an appropriate model to predict the
      clinical antitumor activity of newly developed antitumor agents.

PMID- 1854215
TI  - [Cancer therapy and nude mice].

PMID- 1854216
TI  - [Drug sensitivity panel of human cancers transplanted in nude mice].
AB  - Drug sensitivities of 76 human tumor lines/nude mice to 9 anti-cancer drugs were
      tested. Human tumor lines include pancreas cancers, brain tumors, neuroblastomas
      and etc. Tested anti-cancer drugs include MMC, 5-FU, and etc. When clinically
      equivalent dose of anti-cancer drugs were administered, drug sensitivities of
      these carcinomas were well correlated with clinical one, although blood brain
      barrier must be considered when brain tumors were tested. Our drug sensitivity
      panel revealed that cancers originated from the same organ showed the same
      tendency of drug sensitivity. Therefore, our drug sensitivity panel is thought to
      be useful to know the anti-cancer spectrum of newly developed anti-cancer drugs.
      Our panel is also useful to study the chemotherapy of rare cancers, because
      clinical studies of rare cancers are difficult. Expression of P-glycoprotein is
      correlated with drug resistance when treated with CED, but is not correlated with
      those when treated with MTD (maximum tolerate dose). That is human tumor lines
      with P-glycoprotein detected by C219 monoclonal antibody showed resistance to
      ADR, VCR and VLB when treated by CED, but the relationship was not observed when
      treated with MTD.

PMID- 1854217
TI  - [Preclinical trials from the standpoint of clinical trials].
AB  - The establishment of reliable preclinical test is essential for the reasonable
      clinical trial. As a methodology for the screening of new active anticancer
      agents, disease oriented strategy using human tumor cell lines has been proposed
      in USA. The important questions in DOS are to determine the representative cell
      lines of specific cancer and it is also extremely important to decide the numbers
      of cell lines used for the screening. CPT-11, topoisomerase I inhibitor,
      developed in my country has been demonstrated to be active against lung cancer
      cell lines compared with mice tumors such as S-180 and P-388. However, no
      compound is demonstrated to be clinically active so far by this methodology. The
      criteria for the application of clinical trial are obscure and each drug company
      decides empirically by themselves. We have proposed to use PEI (predictive
      efficacy index) for the prediction of antitumor activity of new compounds. The
      clinical effect of new platinum analogue well correlated with this value. We have
      conducted phase II trial of 5-FU + LV against NSCLC without no prior
      chemotherapy. No responder was observed in the trial. Augmentive effect of
      leucovorin on the cytotoxicity of 5-FU and FdUrd was examined in vitro against
      NSCLC and colon cancer cell lines. Leucovorin stimulated the cytotoxicity of both
      drugs only against colon cancer cell lines. We tried to predict the response rate
      of new platinum derivative based on the data of bioassay of patient's serum
      administrated with platinum compounds. The predicted response rates of 254-S were
      57-67% and 16-27% against SCLC and NSCLC, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1854218
TI  - [Phase I trials--clinical studies of antineoplastic agents].
AB  - The establishment of the starting dose and the dose escalation are the principal
      issues of the Phase I trials of anticancer agents. We report the procedures and
      results of the Phase I studies we participated in Japan in the 1980's concerning
      17 intravenous anticancer agents. The drugs indicated a correlation between the
      mouse LD10 and the man MTD (maximum tolerated dose) in mg/m2. Median mouse LD10
      (135 mg/m2) approximated to median man MTD (137 mg/m2) in mg/m2. One fifth of the
      mouse LD10 was lower than the man MTD. Therefore, as recognized at the 23rd
      Annual Congress, Japan Society for Cancer Therapy, the lower one of either 1/5
      the mouse LD10 or 1/3 the dog TDL (toxic dose low) in mg/m2 has to be determined
      as safe starting dose. The modified Fibonacci search scheme has been generally
      adopted for the dose escalation. 14 applicable drugs were examined including 7
      drugs in the early 1980's and 7 drugs in the late 1980's. The real number of
      steps that reached the man MTD was compared to the number of the steps taken in
      the dose escalation by the Fibonacci's method. The real steps were more than the
      Fibonacci's ones in the late 1980's. It showed the tendency of a more careful and
      safer dose escalation, however, to put it critically, the dose escalation was not
      efficient enough. It is expected that the contradictory problem between safety
      and efficacy in the Phase I studies will be solved by developing methods like
      pharmacokinetic study in animals and man.

PMID- 1854219
TI  - [Phase I clinical study of antineoplastic agents].
AB  - Routinely, phase I clinical study starts with 1/10 of MELD10, provided dog does
      not produce toxicity. This is empirical method depend upon previous agents. In
      these days, many new agents appear to clinical study and some of them require so
      many steps to reach MTD. This is mainly depends upon differences of ADME between
      animals and human, which is possible to eliminate by pharmacokinetic studies. On
      the other hand, some of agents exceed MTD with initial dose of 1/10 MECL10. This
      is mainly due to difference of target organ sensitivity, and could be eliminated
      by assay of tissue enzyme activities. Another point should be emphasized is the
      existence of plasma peak level toxicity. This should be eliminated to perform
      preclinical study of LD10 by continuous infusion rather than iv bolus injection.
      Since some of new agents have DLF of neuro, hepato or cardiac toxicity rather
      than bone marrow, those would show quite different behaviors, therefore a special
      attention should be given for further studies.

PMID- 1854220
TI  - [Phase II clinical trial of anticancer drugs].
AB  - For the evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs, we should
      perform the clinical trials step by step under the protocol with well designed
      and considered the ethical aspects. In the phase II study, it should determine
      whether a drug has antitumor activity. In our country, many investigators used
      the criteria of the Japan society for cancer therapy and also used the criteria
      made by every society of medical department. It should have a formal registration
      mechanism for entry. And all patients including the ineligible and incomplete
      cases (withdrawal and dropouts) should be reported. This is particularly
      important in the assessment of response rate, because response rate is directly
      influenced by the numbers of ineligible and incomplete cases. The efficacy is
      effected by the various prognostic factor and it is necessary to arrange the
      patients with uniform prognostic factor. The adequate sample size also should be
      required enough to establish the efficacy of the antitumor activity.

PMID- 1854222
TI  - [Extraordinary symbiosis: skeletal muscle and non-repairable myocardium].

PMID- 1854221
TI  - [Problems of clinical trials as viewed in the perspective of decision theory].
AB  - In this paper, the current clinical trial based on the Neyman-Pearson's principle
      of hypothesis testing is reviewed in the perspective of decision theory, its
      shortcomings are revealed and alternative methods proposed. In the current trial
      design, the alpha error is arbitrarily fixed at a level (e.g., 0.05), even lower
      than the beta error level (0.1 or 0.2). This results in failure with smaller
      trial size to identify the better treatment, dose-patient interaction, or optimal
      patient stratum for treatment. If on the other hand, the most harmless alpha
      error is ignored, the total number of patients expected to be cured can be
      substantially increased due to earlier identification of the better treatment. In
      case treatment, A has some disadvantages compared with B in terms of cost,
      toxicity etc., then the null hypothesis should be changed to "the cure rate of A
      is greater than that of B by delta", an adjustment for the disadvantages, which
      can be estimated by utility analysis. The loss to the society and target
      population may be further increased if improper regimen is provided including
      omission of the best treatment arm, suboptimal treatment intensity, selection of
      improper patient stratum, failure to individualize treatment plan (inflexible
      regimen). In order to maximize the benefit of our patients and society, radical
      changes of the current clinical trial design is needed using decision analytical
      approach.

PMID- 1854223
TI  - [Doppler color transesophageal echocardiography. Report of the first 110 studies
      carried out at the Ignacio Chavez National Institute of Cardiology].
AB  - Transesophageal echocardiography allows views of the posterior structures of the
      heart. This approach provides additional and complementary information to the
      transthoracic study, it is also an alternative in those patients with technical
      limitations for optimal precordial imaging. This study analysis the first 110
      cases studied with transesophageal echocardiography in the National Institute of
      Cardiology Ignacio Chavez. They correspond to patients with valvular heart
      disease, prosthesis, acute and chronic ischemic heart disease, dissecting aortic
      aneurysm, cardiomyopathies, thrombus, tumors and masses. As well as paediatric
      and adult with complex congenital heart disease. The advantages of the
      transesophageal technique compared with the precordial approach are described.

PMID- 1854224
TI  - [Comparative study of 2 mechanical mitral valves].
AB  - We present the long term follow-up of two groups of patients under 16 years of
      age in whom two different types of mitral valve prostheses were used for the
      treatment of mitral valve disease. Group I was formed by 74 patients with Starr
      Edwards (6120) prosthesis and group II by 36 cases with Bjork-Shiley prosthesis.
      Group I was followed for a mean period of 11 years and group II for a mean period
      of 7.5 years. The clinical evolution of both groups assessed according to the New
      York Heart Association criteria showed improvement of the functional class (p
      less than 0.006). Twenty seven cases of group I and 21 of group II underwent
      cardiac catheterization for the evaluation of surgical results. In group I, the
      mean pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) decreased from 57 mmHg to 33
      mmHg (p less than 0.001) and the mean pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP)
      from 20.8 mmHg to 12.1 mmHg (p less than 0.05). In group II, the mean PASP
      decreased from 59.2 mmHg to 28.5 mmHg (p less than 0.001) and the mean PAWP from
      24.6 mmHg to 8.5 mmHg (p less than 0.001). There was statistically significant
      difference for a greater incidence of thromboembolism in group I (p = 0.037). No
      differences were found for bacterial endocarditis, dysfunction and death.

PMID- 1854225
TI  - [Mitral valve insufficiency in acute myocardial infarction. Assessment with
      pulsed and coded Doppler color].
AB  - We studied 108 patients who sustained an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by
      means of echocardiography, pulsed doppler (PD) and Doppler color flow imaging
      (CD). We evaluate the presence of mitral regurgitation (MR) and it relationship
      to the site of the AMI and also to the ventricular function. The incidence of MR
      was 50.92%, (55/108), it was detected in higher percentage when the AMI was
      inferior (61.8%) than when anterior (39.6%). The correlation with the ejection
      fraction (EF) was only significative when the AMI was anterior. The incidence of
      MR was 57.1% when the EF was below 25%. CD had better diagnostic capabilities
      independently of the site of the AMI, (48% vs 32.1% when the AMI was anterior and
      76.1% vs 52.6% when it was inferior).

PMID- 1854226
TI  - [Balloon catheter valvuloplasty for calcified aortic stenosis in adults. Report
      of a case and review of the literature].
AB  - The first procedure of balloon valvuloplasty in adult calcific aortic stenosis
      was performed in Mexico on July 17 of 1987. It was a 69 year old female with
      calcific aortic stenosis and unstable, progressive angina pectoris. Cardiac
      catheterization showed trans-aortic gradient of 90 mmHg, minimal aortic
      regurgitation and ejection fraction of 85 percent. Aortic valvuloplasty was
      performed immediately after cardiac catheterization using the arterial retrograde
      way by means of a 15 mm. in diameter catheter initially and another of 18 mm. in
      diameter afterwards. At the end of procedure the gradient diminished to 56 mmHg
      and an slight increase of the aortic insufficiency was observed. The Doppler
      echocardiogram showed decreased severity of the stenosis. The patient was
      discharged asymptomatic and continued to do well for six months. She died
      suddenly after that period of time. A review of the literature is also presented.

PMID- 1854227
TI  - [Correlation of the transaortic gradient determined with doppler echocardiography
      versus catheterization in patients with aortic stenosis].
AB  - The purpose of this report is to evaluate the reliability of a non-invasive
      estimation of a transaortic gradient in patients with valvular aortic stenosis by
      doppler echocardiography. We compared the transvalvular gradients obtained by
      cardiac catheterization (invasive) versus the estimation by non-invasive
      technique such as continuous-wave doppler in 30 consecutive patients with
      valvular aortic stenosis. When compared the peak velocity (Vmax) of the aortic
      jet versus the gradient obtained by cardiac catheterization we found a
      correlation coefficient (r) of 0.83 and when compared the gradient obtained by
      both methods we found an r value of 0.85. These results show that the
      calculations of aortic gradient by echo-doppler, are reliable. Besides this
      method allowed us to establish the correct diagnosis and to follow up these
      patients.

PMID- 1854228
TI  - [Electrophysiologic effect of intravenous propafenone in supraventricular
      tachycardia].
AB  - The electrophysiologic effects of intravenous propafenone were studied in twenty
      six patients with supraventricular tachycardias. Ten patients (38%) with
      intranodal reentrance tachycardia common type, and sixteen patients (62%)
      atrioventricular orthodromic reentrance tachycardia. Propafenone (2 mg/kg
      intravenously) given over ten minutes period caused termination of the intranodal
      reentrance tachycardia in 60% of the cases and 50% to the patients with
      atrioventricular reentrance tachycardia. The antiarrhythmic effects observed are
      related to the slowing of the conduction velocity and to the prolongation of the
      refractoriness in the AV node and accessory pathways preventing the reentrance
      mechanism. The reinduction of the tachycardia was possible in 46% of the
      patients. This effects was more significative in the group with accessory
      pathways (50%), and 40% of the patients with intranodal reentrance. The
      supraventricular tachycardia was inducible by programmed electrical stimulation
      in 46% of the patients. None of the patients developed side effects to the
      administration of the propafenone.

PMID- 1854229
TI  - [Rheumatic cardiopathy in children younger than 6 years of age].
AB  - Most of the published papers on Rheumatic Fever (RF) have not included the
      younger population. We selected 211 cases of children with RF younger than 6
      years of age from 9,471 clinical files from 1944 to 1982. These were followed
      retrospectively to identify the presence of rheumatic activity, subsequent
      attacks and penicillin profilaxis. From de 211 cases, 209 had carditis; 57% of
      them were girls and 43% boys. There were no previous infections of the upper
      respiratory tract in 36% of the patients. The number of cases with RF increased
      abruptly after 3 years of age and continued increasing until 5 years of age when
      70.5% of the population had there first clinically recognized attack. Lesions
      were present in the mitral valve in 80% of the cases, in the aortic valve in 12%,
      in the tricuspid in 5% and in the pulmonary valve in 3%. The death rate during
      the first attack was 20% being refractory heart failure the main cause of death.
      Thirteen cases suffered rheumatic pneumonia, 9 of whom died (69.2%). CONCLUSIONS:
      1) The incidence of acute rheumatic fever in children under 6 years of age has
      decreased with time. 2) The death rate as well as the valvular damage decreased
      with the parents cooperation with the treatment. 3) The changes in the clinical
      picture and the severity of valve sequelea may be due to penicillin profilaxis
      and the better understanding of the disease.

PMID- 1854230
TI  - [Primary anti-phospholipid syndrome. Clinical experience at the Ignacio Chavez
      National Institute of Cardiology].
AB  - This paper describes 15 patients who had elevated IgG antibodies reactive with
      cardiolipin. Outstanding clinical features were: recurrent venous and/or arterial
      thrombosis--often extensive and severe--in 9 cases. Thrombocytopenia, in 11 cases
      and spontaneous recurrent fetal loss in 8 out of 10 females with marital life. In
      addition there were vasospastic/thrombotic features such as livedo reticularis,
      Raynaud's phenomenon and leg ulcers. Involvement of central and/or peripheral
      nervous system was present in 10 cases. Valvular heart disease was conspicuous,
      10 out of 15 patients (66%) had organic lesions in both sides of the heart. There
      were also laboratory abnormalities such as prolonged partial thromboplastin time,
      false positive V.D.R.L., plasmatic anticoagulant activity and low incidence of
      antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factors. The clinical syndrome seems to be
      related to the presence of antibodies reactive with anionic phospholipids,
      although there is not formal proof of a direct cause effects relationship.
      Recognition of these distinct clinical entity is important, the use of simple
      anti aggregating agents like aspirine and careful anticoagulant therapy may
      modify the course of this newly recognized autoimmune condition.

PMID- 1854231
TI  - [Assessment of the ejection fraction of the right ventricle with
      echocardiography].
AB  - The purpose of this article is to evaluate and compare the right ventricular
      ejection fraction (RVEF) as parameter of right ventricular function by means of
      echocardiography. We studied 16 patients (15 male, 1 female) from 48 to 82 years
      of age (mean 58 years) from whom 8 had history of myocardial infarction (MI) with
      extension to the right ventricle (RV) in a period of time no longer than 7 days.
      The MI was diagnosed clinically as well as by enzymes, electrocardiogram and
      cardiac gammagram with 99mTc-pyrophosphate. The other 8 patients were healthy
      subjects or patients with stable angina pectoris. In all patients a two
      dimensional echocardiogram was performed with and apical four and two chamber
      view according to Simpson's rule; a subcostal approach was performed for the area
      length method of Dodge. The values obtained of RVEF with each method were
      compared with those obtained by nuclear medicine. The apical views were obtained
      in 14 patients (87%) and the RV outflow tract was seen in 15 patients (93%).
      There were no significant statistical difference between the two methods. The
      highest correlation for RVEF respect to nuclear medicine was obtained with the
      area-length method with r = 0.85 and p less than 0.001 while for the Simpson
      method we obtained r = 0.79 and a p less than 0.001. We conclude that the
      determination of the RVEF is achievable in patients with MI of the RV and area
      length method is the most useful.

PMID- 1854232
TI  - [Current causes of mortality in acute myocardial infarction].
AB  - The mortality rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has decreased from 50% in
      1926 to 9% nowadays. The reason for this change has been the development of
      coronary care units, the use of new inotropic agents, antiarrythmic drugs,
      pacemakers, as well as the better knowledge of the right ventricular infarction
      and heart failure. We studied 100 fatal AMI (group II) out of 1187 patients
      admitted to the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia "Ignacio Chavez" CCU up to
      august 1987 and compared them with 500 survivors of acute coronary occlusion in
      the same period., (group I) - In both groups there were more men between 50 and
      70 years. Females older than 60, had a higher mortality rate. Twenty patients
      died with clinical evidence of tamponade, five of them had left ventricular
      rupture at autopsy. The fatal AMI group had higher rates of past history of
      myocardial infarction, also higher rates of persistent angina, myocardial re
      infarction, 3er degree AV block and RBBB. The more frequent causes of death were
      grade III-IV heart failure and left ventricular wall rupture.

PMID- 1854233
TI  - [Long-term follow-up of the Hancock prostheses].
AB  - Our purpose was to investigate the long term outcome of Hancock bioprostheses at
      our Hospital. There were 128 bioprostheses, with histopathological study on 17 of
      them. The 12.8 years follow-up disclosed dysfunction on 48.18% with an annual
      dysfunction rate of 3.34 +/- 1.3. One half of the patients with prosthetic
      dysfunction were re-operated. A comparison of our results is made with those of
      the literature, either with biological or mechanical prostheses.

PMID- 1854234
TI  - [Lipoprotein metabolism disorders. II. Epidemiology, classification, and
      diagnosis].

PMID- 1854235
TI  - Tumor inhibiting [1,2-bis(difluorophenyl)ethylenediamine]dichloroplatinum (II)
      complexes, I: Synthesis.
AB  - The synthesis of the diastereomeric 1,2-bis(2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-, 3,4-, 3,5
      difluorophenyl)ethylenediamine (meso, D/L 8-13) from meso 1,2-bis(2
      hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine and the respective difluorobenzaldehyde by a diaza
      Cope-rearrangement and their conversion into the [1,2-bis(2,3-, 2,4-, 2,5-, 2,6-,
      3,4-, 3,5-difluorophenyl)ethylenediamine]dihaloplatinum(II)- complexes (meso, D/L
      8-13 PtCl2; meso D/L 9- and 11-PtI2) with K2PtHal4 (Hal = Cl, I) is described.
      From the diiodoplatinum(II)-complexes (meso D/L 9- and 11-PtI2) the better water
      soluble diaqua[1,2-bis(2,4- and 2,6-difluorophenyl)ethylenediamine]platinum(II)
      sulfates (meso, D/L 9- and 11-PtSO4) are obtained by reaction with Ag2SO4.

PMID- 1854236
TI  - Analogues of biologically active compounds, IV: Synthesis of some 8
      arylazoguanines.

PMID- 1854237
TI  - [Synthesis and cytostatic actions of 10- and 11-nitronoracronycins, molecular
      variations of cytostatically active acronycine].
AB  - The syntheses of 11- and 10-nitronoracronycine (10 and 11) from 1,3-dihydroxy-10
      methyl-5-nitroacridinone (7) or 1,3-dihydroxy-10-methyl-6-nitroacridinone (8),
      respectively, and 2-chloro-2-methyl-3-butyne are reported. In screening tests
      with the transplantation tumor leukemia P 388 10, 11, 7 and 1,3-dimethoxy-10
      methyl-6-nitroacridinone showed cytotoxicity. 8 and 1,3-dimethoxy-10-methyl
      nitroacridinone (5) proved to be inactive.

PMID- 1854238
TI  - [Studies on the chemistry of O,N- and S,N-containing heterocylics. 10. Synthesis
      and biologic activity of 2-substituted 2-ethylbenzoxazoles].
AB  - 2-Vinylbenzoxazole (3) is obtained by condensation of acrylic acid with 2
      aminophenol in a mixture of phosphorus pentoxide/methansulfonic acid. Interaction
      of 3 with N-, O-, and C-nucleophiles yields 2-substituted 2-ethyl-benzoxazoles.
      Compounds 8a, 8b and 8e show analgetic activity in mice. Moreover, fungicide,
      insecticide and nematocide activity of some compounds is found.

PMID- 1854239
TI  - One of us.

PMID- 1854240
TI  - Surgical options in 424 patients with primary breast cancer without systemic
      metastases.
AB  - Mastectomy was dictated by medical considerations in about 40% of 424 consecutive
      patients who had invasive breast cancer with no evidence of systemic metastases.
      Half of the women considered suitable for local excision of the breast cancer
      followed by radiotherapy (conservation) elected to have mastectomy, and
      intraoperative findings dictated mastectomy in about 20% of those electing
      conservation. Consequently, conservation was accomplished in about one quarter of
      those treated for breast cancer. Younger rather than older women more frequently
      expressed the desire for breast conservation.

PMID- 1854241
TI  - The role of tagged red blood cell imaging in the localization of gastrointestinal
      bleeding.
AB  - The records of 162 patients who underwent technetium-99m-tagged red blood cell
      scans for the localization of gastrointestinal hemorrhage were studied. Ninety
      eight scans were read as positive, with bleeding sites determined by a
      radiologist. Forty-six patients had a definitive diagnosis made by other means.
      Tagged scans accurately localized the site of bleeding in only 52% of cases.
      Analysis of the value of these tagged scans in predicting a subsequent positive
      angiogram indicated that there were 14 positive and 12 negative angiograms of 26
      positive scans. Of the nine patients with negative scans who underwent
      arteriography, the arteriogram was positive in five. These data suggest that
      tagged red blood cell scanning is a poor diagnostic technique for the
      localization of gastrointestinal bleeding, and its use as a screening tool before
      angiography is questionable.

PMID- 1854242
TI  - Extracorporeal lithotripsy. An important adjunct in the nonoperative management
      of retained or recurrent bile duct stones.
AB  - Retained or recurrent bile duct stones can be successfully removed in up to 80%
      to 85% of patients with the use of percutaneous or endoscopic techniques.
      However, problems related to difficult biliary access, large stones, and biliary
      strictures may decrease the success rate of this approach. We evaluated the
      safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 16
      patients with complicated biliary stones treated prospectively over a 24-month
      period. Successful stone fragmentation was achieved in 15 patients (94%) using a
      Dornier HM3 lithotripter (average of 2290 shocks at 22 kV). Three patients (19%)
      required a second ESWL treatment. Biliary clearance of stone fragments was
      spontaneous in seven (43%) of the patients and required additional treatment in
      eight (57%) of the patients. Complications from ESWL were minor and included
      transient hematuria and ecchymoses at the skin entry site. Extracorporeal shock
      wave lithotripsy failed in one patient (6%) with a biliary stricture and surgery
      was required. At hospital discharge, all patients were asymptomatic and stone
      free. Treatment with ESWL appears to be a safe and effective adjunct for selected
      patients with complex biliary stone disease.

PMID- 1854243
TI  - Biliary pancreatitis. Operative outcome with a selective approach.
AB  - To evaluate the efficacy of a selective approach to biliary pancreatitis, we
      reviewed the outcomes in 276 consecutive patients undergoing operations for this
      diagnosis during a 7-year period. Initial conservative therapy resulted in
      elective operations in 63% and urgent operations in 37%. Only 10 patients (3.6%)
      required primary pancreatic operations, 50% of them as emergencies. The
      proportion of common duct surgical explorations fell from 70% of those operated
      immediately after hospital admission to 20% by the third hospital day. Overall
      mortality was 1.8% but was increased to 30% in patients having an initial
      pancreatic operation. We conclude that a selective approach to biliary
      pancreatitis allows the operation to be performed electively in most patients and
      is associated with a low mortality and an acceptable length of stay. Most common
      duct stones pass spontaneously permitting cholecystectomy alone.

PMID- 1854244
TI  - Surgical evaluation of Henoch-Schonlein purpura. Experience with 110 children.
AB  - Henoch-Schonlein purpura is a disorder of unknown origin that is probably related
      to an autoimmune phenomenon. This report concerns 110 children (mean age, 6.2
      years; range, 6 months to 14 years) with Henoch-Schonlein purpura. Seventy-two
      (65%) had abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting, bloody stool, and
      upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Sixty patients with abdominal pain were
      evaluated and treated conservatively. However, 12 patients underwent laparotomy.
      Six underwent unnecessary appendectomy for wrongly diagnosed appendicitis. Bowel
      resection was performed in one patient for an obstructive ileal lesion. Six
      additional patients had intussusception; surgery was required in three, while
      barium enema reduction was successfully accomplished in three others. Massive
      gastric hemorrhage required ligation, vagotomy, and pyloroplasty in two
      instances. One child with severe scrotal pain, hemorrhage, and swelling underwent
      unnecessary scrotal exploration. Four additional patients with similar symptoms
      avoided operation after a testicular scintiscan demonstrated good blood flow. A
      high index of suspicion and early diagnosis of Henoch-Schonlein purpura based on
      clinical, roentgenographic, and laboratory findings may avoid unnecessary
      operations in most cases. However, life-threatening complications (hemorrhage,
      obstruction, and intussusception) may occur and require operative intervention.
      All of the patients survived.

PMID- 1854245
TI  - Acute diverticulitis. A complicated problem in the immunocompromised patient.
AB  - We reviewed the records of 209 patients with acute diverticulitis treated from
      1984 through 1989 to determine if immunocompromised patients have a worse
      prognosis than nonimmunocompromised patients. Forty immunocompromised patients
      and 169 nonimmunocompromised patients with acute diverticulitis were identified.
      Free perforation into the peritoneal cavity occurred in 43% (17/40) of
      immunocompromised patients and 14% (24/169) of nonimmunocompromised patients.
      Operations were performed in 58% (23/40) of immunocompromised patients and 33%
      (55/169) of nonimmunocompromised patients. Postoperative morbidity was 65%
      (15/23) in immunocompromised patients and 24% (13/55) in nonimmunocompromised
      patients; postoperative mortality was 39% (9/23) and 2% (1/55), respectively. We
      conclude that acute diverticulitis in the immunocompromised patient is a
      complicated problem; there is a greater risk of free perforation and need for
      surgery than in the nonimmunocompromised patient. Furthermore, the prognosis for
      immunocompromised patients who undergo surgery is worse than that for
      nonimmunocompromised patients.

PMID- 1854246
TI  - A growing spectrum of surgical disease in patients with human immunodeficiency
      virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Experience with 120 major cases.
AB  - One hundred twenty major general surgical procedures were performed on 88 adult
      patients harboring the human immunodeficiency virus. Fifty-eight (48%) of the
      procedures were performed on patients who fulfilled the criteria for acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome. The patients were predominantly male (94%). Single
      risk factors included homosexuality (73% of cases), intravenous drug abuse (8%),
      and previous blood transfusions (8%). Four patients (5%) had multiple risk
      factors; risk factors were denied by seven patients (8%). The mean age at surgery
      was 41.6 years (range, 22 to 67 years). Surgical conditions that rarely affect
      the population without the human immunodeficiency virus presented diagnostic
      challenges. Altered physiologic responses to even routine conditions were
      observed. Thirty-day morbidity rates for emergency (group A) and elective (group
      B) procedures were 19% and 9%, respectively. This included seven surgical deaths
      (13%) in group A and one in group B (2%). Patients undergoing 92 of 112
      procedures (82%) not associated with surgical mortality were followed up.
      Patients who were dead at follow-up had mean procedure-survivals of 19 weeks
      (group A) and 21 weeks (group B) for 33 procedures. Those who remained alive had
      a mean procedure-survival of 86 weeks for 59 procedures. No single prognosticator
      could be correlated with outcome, although the combination of hypoalbuminemia
      with a history of opportunistic infection(s) was associated with short survival.
      Emergency and elective procedures can be performed in the patient with human
      immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with acceptable
      morbidity and mortality. Procedures are indicated to extend patient life or to
      improve quality of life.

PMID- 1854247
TI  - Management of infected aortoiliac aneurysms.
AB  - A 30-year retrospective review identified 13 patients treated for infected
      aneurysms of the abdominal aorta or iliac arteries, for an overall incidence of
      0.65%. A constellation of clinical findings led to the correct preoperative
      diagnosis in 11 (85%) of 13 patients. Treatment methods included resection and in
      situ replacement grafting in seven patients, resection and extra-anatomic bypass
      in five patients, and resection-ligation in one patient. Four (31%) of 13
      patients died within 30 days of operation, three of whom died of rupture.
      Overall, good results were achieved in five patients (38%), while poor results
      were noted in the remaining eight patients (62%). The determinants of outcome
      were aneurysm location or rupture, the presence of established infection, and the
      virulence of the infecting organism. In 10 (77%) of the 13 aneurysms, Salmonella
      species, Bacteroides fragilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      accounted for all deaths, ruptures, and suprarenal aneurysm infections. These
      data suggest that patients with primary infections of the abdominal aorta or
      iliac arteries continue to present with advanced infections or aneurysm rupture
      that result in a high mortality.

PMID- 1854248
TI  - Dipyridamole thallium scanning in the evaluation of coronary artery disease in
      elective abdominal aortic surgery.
AB  - Dipyridamole thallium scanning was routinely performed on 68 consecutive patients
      who presented for elective aortic surgery. All 68 patients were judged by
      clinical assessment to be at low risk for perioperative cardiac complications. In
      addition, 42 of 68 patients had a history of myocardial infarction, stable
      angina, or abnormal echocardiographic findings (group 1). Twenty-six of 68
      patients did not have a history of myocardial infarction, angina, or abnormal
      echocardiographic findings (group 2). In group 1, 34 of 4 patients had positive
      results on dipyridamole thallium scanning, and 15 of these patients were found to
      have critical coronary artery disease on subsequent cardiac catheterization; nine
      underwent immediate coronary artery bypass grafting, and six had their coronary
      artery disease treated medically and their vascular operations cancelled. The
      remaining 27 patients in group 1 underwent elective operations, with six (22%) of
      27 sustaining postoperative cardiac complications. None of the group 2 patients
      was found to have critical coronary artery disease. All patients in group 2
      underwent aortic operation without cardiac complication. Routine dipyridamole
      thallium scanning detected a 22% (15 of 68) incidence of critical coronary artery
      disease overall. There was a 36% (15 of 42) incidence of critical coronary artery
      disease in group 1 patients vs 0% in group 2 patients (95% confidence interval,
      21% to 50%). We conclude that the use of dipyridamole thallium scanning in low
      risk patients for cardiac screening prior to elective aortic operations is
      beneficial in selected patients who have a history of myocardial infarction,
      angina, or abnormal echocardiographic findings, but is not necessary in patients
      with no history of coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1854249
TI  - Concomitant benefit of preoperative irradiation in preventing pancreas fistula
      formation after pancreatoduodenectomy.
AB  - Preoperative irradiation improves both the resectability and curability of
      carcinoma of the pancreas head area and should improve patient survival. We
      retrospectively investigated the value of preoperative irradiation in preventing
      pancreatic fistula formation. Of 76 consecutive patients who underwent
      pancreaticojejunostomy by mucosa-to-mucosa anastomosis with a stent catheter
      after pancreatoduodenectomy, 22 had received preoperative irradiation. The
      irradiation field included the anastomotic site. In two patients, accidental
      dislocation of the stent catheter was the apparent cause of fistula formation,
      but the other 21 patients in the irradiated group developed no fistula. In
      contrast, nine (17%) of 53 patients in the nonirradiated group developed
      fistulas. In the irradiated group, preoperative selenomethionine Se 75
      scintigraphy revealed a cold area corresponding to the pancreas body, which was
      included in the irradiation field. Thus, a putative decrease in exocrine function
      at the pancreatic anastomotic site could explain why fistula formation was
      prevented by preoperative irradiation.

PMID- 1854250
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of cefazolin applied topically to the surgical wound.
AB  - Topical application of antibiotics is used in the prophylaxis of postoperative
      surgical infections. However, whether topically applied antibiotics remain
      primarily in the surgical wound fluid or are systemically absorbed is uncertain.
      The pharmacokinetics of topically applied cefazolin were studied in a canine
      model that allowed simultaneous determination of serum and wound fluid antibiotic
      concentrations. Topical administration of cefazolin resulted in high antibiotic
      concentrations in the wound fluid for prolonged periods and rapid systemic
      absorption. Bioavailability after topical administration was 95%. Within 1 hour,
      the serum concentrations after topical administration equaled the serum
      concentrations after intravenous administration, and the concentration time
      curves declined in parallel. In wound fluid, the mean time above the
      susceptibility break point minimum inhibitory concentration after topical
      administration of cefazolin was 5.76 hours compared with the estimated time above
      the minimum inhibitory concentration of 2.55 hours after intravenous
      administration.

PMID- 1854251
TI  - Bleeding peptic ulcer after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.
AB  - A retrospective study of 112 patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and
      232 with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) demonstrated that 16.7% of those with
      AAA and 1.6% of those with ASO had a history of gastroduodenal ulcer; 83% of
      these lesions with AAA were gastric ulcers. Ulcer bleeding after vascular
      reconstruction developed in seven patients with AAA and one with ASO. Serum
      fibrinogen levels and platelet counts were significantly lower in patients with
      AAA than in those with ASO or controls. A prospective study showed that 25
      (52.1%) of 48 patients with AAA and six (20.0%) of 30 patients with ASO had
      endoscopically proved gastroduodenal lesions before vascular reconstruction. None
      of them developed postoperative bleeding after treatment of both their
      gastroduodenal lesions and coagulopathy. Furthermore, the significant decrease in
      blood flow and prostaglandin content of gastric mucosa was demonstrated in
      patients with AAA.

PMID- 1854252
TI  - Randomized study of interleukin 2 (IL-2) alone vs IL-2 plus lymphokine-activated
      killer cells for treatment of melanoma and renal cell cancer.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a continuous
      infusion interleukin 2 (IL-2) regimen for patients with metastatic melanoma and
      renal cell cancer. To investigate the contribution of adoptively transferred
      lymphokine-activated killer cells, patients were randomized to receive either IL
      2 alone or IL-2 plus lymphokine-activated killer cells. Twenty-three patients
      with renal cell carcinoma and 20 with melanoma were entered into the protocol.
      There were no objective responses noted in the 38 assessable patients (20 with
      renal cell carcinoma, 18 with melanoma). Most patients demonstrated progressive
      disease following one 31-day cycle of weekly continuous-infusion IL-2. Grade I
      and II toxic reactions, including fever, rash, anorexia, and weight gain, were
      common and treated symptomatically. Significant in vivo stimulation of lymphokine
      activated killer and natural killer cell activity was noted in most patients.
      This continuous-infusion IL-2 regimen with or without lymphokine-activated killer
      cells was ineffective in the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1854253
TI  - Inflammatory pseudotumors of the spleen.
AB  - Inflammatory pseudotumors are uncommon benign lesions that have been found in
      numerous organ systems. However, their appearance within the spleen is decidedly
      rare. Grossly, pseudotumors appear as well-circumscribed, encapsulated masses,
      while microscopic examination reveals a polymorphous inflammatory cell infiltrate
      occurring variably with granulomatous reaction, fibrosis, and cell necrosis.
      Because they often present either as unexplained, asymptomatic masses or with
      vague constitutional symptoms, splenic inflammatory pseudotumors can raise
      suspicion for a primary splenic neoplasm, such as lymphoma. Splenectomy is the
      treatment of choice.

PMID- 1854254
TI  - [Investigation of the genetics in allergic children: the first report--Twin study
      on HLA in allergic disease].
AB  - Twenty-two twins' families were investigated to determine the influence of a
      genetic factor in the etiology of allergic diseases in children. Zygosity was
      confirmed by eight red cell blood types and HLA type. Eight pairs of monozygotic
      twins were divided by a probability of monozygosity as calculated from Essen
      Moller's method. Concordance rate of allergic disease and asthma were 88% in MZ,
      86% in DZ, 75%, 73% and that of positive rate of DF-specific IgE antibody were
      60% in MZ, 58% in DZ. In DZ, not sharing the same HLA haplotypes, concordance of
      the positive rate of DF-specific IgE antibody was 0%. Concomitant coefficiency of
      total serum IgE levels were 0.593 in MZ, 0.063 in DZ. These data suggested that
      IgE production may be influenced by genetic factors.

PMID- 1854255
TI  - [Kinetics of the falling of airborne mite allergens (Der I and Der II)].
AB  - A futon (Japanese quilt) was beaten to disperse mite allergens into the air in a
      closed room, and the airborne allergens were collected both by Andersen air
      sampler for particle size analysis and by slit air sampler for kinetic analysis
      of the clearing of the allergens from the air. After extraction of the allergens
      from the agar plates in the samplers, two kinds of major mite allergens (Der I
      and Der II) were immunochemically quantitated. We found that the aerodynamic
      diameters of both allergens were mainly above 5.5 microns, and that airborne
      allergen levels decreased to about 10% of the starting level in 30 minutes,
      indicating the rapidity of the falling of both allergens.

PMID- 1854256
TI  - [Evaluation of different treatments of Japanese bed quilts for reducing mite
      allergens].
AB  - We evaluated the effectiveness of different treatments of Japanese bedquilt
      (futon) in reducing mite allergens: vacuum-cleaning, beating plus vacuum-cleaning
      and washing of the whole futon in water. Before and after these treatments, small
      amounts of cotton were taken out of the futon and mite allergens were extracted
      from the cotton into water. The absolute contents of two kinds of major allergens
      of two Dermatophagoides species were immunochemically quantitated. We found that
      beating and vacuum-cleaning reduced the allergen contents by only about 40%,
      whereas washing reduced the allergens by more than 90%. Therefore, for reducing
      airborne mite allergens generated from futon, we think that washing the whole
      futon in water is the most effective method.

PMID- 1854257
TI  - [Usefulness of AlaSTAT, a new method for the measurement of IgE].
AB  - AlaSTAT is an enzyme-immunoassay method for the measurement of allergen specific
      IgE antibodies. This method has a special feature in that carbohydrate, nucleic
      acid and fat as well as protein allergens can be used as antigens. In this study,
      IgE antibodies were measured by the use of AlaSTAT kits which were able to detect
      IgE antibodies to protein or nucleic acid allergens, and the results were
      compared to those of skin tests and RAST. 1367 samples from 479 patients were
      examined with 20 allergens. The capacity in the AlaSTAT system was larger than
      that in the RAST system. The correlation coefficient between AlaSTAT and RAST was
      0.90 (p less than 0.01) and the correspondence rate was 90.7%. When the rice
      allergen was used in RAST, a nonspecific reaction was observed at high
      concentrations of total IgE. However, no such reaction was observed in AlaSTAT,
      even with total IgE of 10,000 IU/ml. The sensitivity, specificity and
      correspondence rate to skin tests was 71%, 87% and 75% respectively. The
      specificity of AlaSTAT seemed to be slightly higher than that of RAST, but the
      sensitivity and the correspondence rate were similar to those of RAST. From these
      results, AlaSTAT appears to be a good or better method for the measurement of IgE
      antibodies in comparison with RAST.

PMID- 1854258
TI  - [The role of 5-lipoxygenase products in the development of airway responsiveness
      induced by platelet activating factor inhalation in dogs].
AB  - To determine whether 5-lipoxygenase products are involved in the development of
      airway responsiveness and in the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the
      airway after platelet activating factor (PAF) inhalation, we studied the effect
      of a selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, AA-861 on PAF-induced airway
      hyperresponsiveness and on the increase of neutrophil and eosinophil counts in
      bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after PAF inhalation in seven dogs. Airway
      responsiveness to inhaled methacholine was determined by modified Astograph (7Hz
      oscillation method). PAF (1000 mu/ml) was delivered as an aerosol, generated from
      a Devilbiss 646 nebulizer for ten minutes. Airway responsiveness to inhaled
      methacholine increased significantly 3 hr after PAF inhalation (p less than
      0.01). After PAF inhalation, neutrophil and eosinophil counts in BALF increased
      significantly (p less than 0.01), and the levels of thromboxane (Tx)B2 in BALF
      also increased (p less than 0.05). Pretreated AA-861 significantly inhibited the
      increase of airway responsiveness after PAF inhalation (p less than 0.01). The
      increase of neutrophil and eosinophil counts in BALF after PAF inhalation was
      also inhibited significantly by pretreated AA-861 (p less than 0.01). The levels
      of TxB2 in BALF did not change after PAF inhalation following pretreatment with
      AA-861. These results suggest that 5-lipoxygenase products play important roles
      in the increase of airway responsiveness and in the infiltration of inflammatory
      cells into the airway after PAF inhalation in dogs. TxA2 released from
      inflammatory cells may be involved in the increase of airway responsiveness
      induced by PAF inhalation.

PMID- 1854259
TI  - [Effect of histamine on electrical properties in canine tracheal epithelium].
AB  - To characterize the action of histamine on ion transport across the airway
      mucosa, we measured the electrical properties of cultured tracheal epithelium
      from dogs by Ussing's short-circuited technique in vitro. The addition of
      histamine to the submucosal side increased short-circuit current (Isc), whereas
      mucosal addition of histamine had no effect. The histamine-induced increase in
      Isc was dose-dependent with the maximal increase from the baseline value and EC50
      being 4.4 +/- 0.5 microA/cm2 and 10(-6) M, respectively. We also tested the
      effects of pharmacological blocking agents on the histamine-induced Isc increase.
      The effect of histamine on Isc was partially inhibited by pretreatment of cells
      with amiloride, furosemide and diphenylamine carboxylate. Furthermore, the effect
      of histamine was inhibited by pyrilamine, but not by cimetidine. To determine the
      contributions of several intracellular second messenger systems to the histamine
      induced increase in Isc, we studied the change of Isc by pretreatment of cells
      with indomethacin, mepacrine and H-7. The increase in Isc produced by histamine
      was inhibited by indomethacin and mepacrine but not H-7. These results suggest
      that histamine stimulates both Cl secretion and Na absorption and may affect the
      subsequent movement of water across the airway epithelium through the activation
      of submucosal H1-receptor probably involving prostaglandin synthesis.

PMID- 1854260
TI  - Health for all through research.
AB  - John F. Kennedy's vision of man on the moon by the year 1970 set a goal for
      technological research and development. The World Health Organization's vision of
      health for all by the year 2000 set a similar goal not only for health policy but
      also for health research. Drawing on the analogy between these goals, this paper
      first explores what health for all means as a policy goal. It calls for changes
      in most aspects of the health care system. In the European Region of the World
      Health Organization, 38 specific targets show how approaches to health problems,
      lifestyles, environment, health care and various support measures (e.g.,
      planning, management and training) should be changed to reach the over-all goal.
      These changes should be based on sound scientific knowledge. Health for all
      therefore also calls for a health research policy and reorientation of research.
      The second part of the paper looks at the research implications of health for
      all. Assisted by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization, the
      European Advisory Committee for Health Research analysed the 38 targets to see
      what kind of research would help to achieve them. The result of this analysis
      were two publications: "Research Policies for Health for All" and "Priority
      Research for Health for All". The first volume explains why a country needs a
      health research policy. The second one identifies, target by target, research
      necessary to reach them. Translated into several languages, they have begun to
      influence national research policies. The third section of the paper describes
      the research priorities identified in the two research for health for all
      volumes. It also aims at showing their relevance for the European health research
      community. It finally discusses the prerequisites that the countries have to set
      up to make research for health for all possible. They include changes in the
      incentives for and financing of research, personnel development, research
      organization and communication between the researchers and decision-makers.

PMID- 1854261
TI  - [Circadian variation in alertness, readiness for work and work efficiency].
AB  - Among various rhythmic processes with different frequencies (periods), which are
      present in the human organism, for normal functioning the most important are the
      rhythms with a cycle length of about 24 hours (termed circadian rhythms).
      Circadian rhythms have been confirmed at all levels of physiological functions:
      from subcellular and cellular mechanisms, to the organic systems and organism on
      the whole. In normal everyday circumstances the rhythmic processes in the human
      organism are synchronised with the rhythmic processes in the environment. The
      external rhythmic variations support internal synchronisation between various
      rhythms, and in that way make it possible for the organism to better adapt to the
      environment. The sleep--wake rhythm is inverted during night work: the worker has
      to work in the period of low activity level, and sleep during the day, when he is
      usually active and alert. In order to work in shifts the worker has to adapt to
      such disruptions of the sleep--wake pattern. Tolerance to shift work was found to
      be associated with some features of the worker. The measurement of such features
      could serve as determinate of interindividual differences in shift work tolerance
      level.

PMID- 1854262
TI  - [The effect of a preventive health care program in a textile plant].
AB  - A two-month field experiment was carried out on a sample of 95 women spinners and
      weavers in a textile plant. In the experimental group, which consisted of 54
      workers, a programme of four preventive health measures was applied. The workers
      were asked to wear a combination of ear-muffs and cotton-wool offering optimal
      hearing protection and to take up individual mini programmes of physical exercise
      at work; they were offered a meal of the Pliva dietetic preparation Vitamalt
      before work and Donat-Mg natural mineral water from Zdravilisce Rogaska Slatina
      as a magnesium supplement. The measures from the programme were accepted and
      respected by 85-94% of the workers. As a result, fatigue at work was
      significantly reduced, and the subjectively estimated work satisfaction was
      markedly improved. A statistically insignificant trend towards the rise of
      productivity was also noticed during the period of programme application.

PMID- 1854263
TI  - Granulocyte reserve in chronic experimental benzene poisoning in rats.

PMID- 1854264
TI  - The effect of dose on maternal-foetal transfer of fluoride in rabbits.
AB  - Placental transfer of fluoride was investigated by fluoride determination in the
      bones and teeth of newborn rabbits whose mothers had been treated with fluoride
      during pregnancy. The mothers were given doses of 0, 0.10, 0.52 and 1.05 mmol
      fluoride per kg body weight as sodium fluoride, from the 16th day after
      conception to the end of pregnancy. All the doses produced a significant increase
      of fluoride level in the bones and teeth of newborn rabbits, indicating that the
      placenta was no barrier for the passage of fluoride.

PMID- 1854265
TI  - [Work capacity evaluation in inorganic lead exposure].
AB  - When estimating the work ability of workers exposed to inorganic lead four zones
      should be differentiated: a zone of normal exposure (I), a zone of abnormal but
      acceptable exposure (II), a zone of abnormal but still acceptable exposure (III)
      and a zone of abnormal and unacceptable exposure (IV). In the zone of normal
      exposure specific work ability is preserved. In zones of abnormal but acceptable
      exposure specific work ability can, also, be preserved. However, in the zone of
      abnormal, unacceptable exposure specific work ability, temporarily or
      permanently, is lost. Combinations of three relevant laboratory tests are
      presented, which, while warning of the presence, i.e. the effect, of inorganic
      lead in the organism, directly dictate the estimation of specific work ability
      (blood lead, ALAD, EP, ZPP). Attention has been drawn to other contraindications,
      set by positive legislation, which also directly dictate the estimation of
      workers exposed to inorganic lead. It is emphasized that permanent disruption of
      relevant laboratory parameters (blood lead, ALAD, EP, ZPP) is a sufficient basis
      for recognizing occupational lead poisoning, within positive legislation.

PMID- 1854266
TI  - [Determination of aluminum in serum using electrothermal atomic absorption
      spectrophotometry].
AB  - A simple and sensitive method for the determination of aluminium in human serum
      by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry has been developed. In view
      of contradictory data in literature all relevant analytical conditions have been
      tested. The method involves simple dilution with a 0.05% solution of Triton X-100
      and atomization on the wall of a pyrolytically coated graphite tube. The
      sensitivity of the method is about 1 microgram/L and precision less than 11%. The
      method of standard addition is recommended for calibration, but the use of a
      calibration curve based on serum with a low content of aluminium is also
      possible.

PMID- 1854267
TI  - [Mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of vinyl chloride monomers in humans].
AB  - The use of vinyl chloride monomer in industry dates back to the late 1930s. Today
      the number of occupationally exposed industrial workers is estimated to be
      several million. After the first described cases of cancer among workers exposed
      to high concentrations of this gas, extensive research was initiated into its
      possible mechanism of action on the living organism. This paper is a review of
      some current knowledge about the action of vinyl chloride monomer as a substance
      which after metabolic activation in the organism becomes a strong carcinogenic
      and mutagenic agent.

PMID- 1854268
TI  - [Diagnosis of transplanted heart acute rejection on the basis of endomyocardial
      biopsy morphologic examination].
AB  - Results of morphological diagnosis of acute rejection on the material of 265
      endomyocardial biopsies from 26 patients after an orthotopic donor heart
      transplantation are presented. The structural characteristics of different stages
      of acute rejection are given which is revealed in 85.7% observations.
      Ultrastructural myocardial changes in the early postoperative period not
      connected with the acute rejection crisis but resulting from a reperfusion
      cardiomyocytes damage are described. Results of electron microscopic examination
      of myocardium in rejection crisis are also given.

PMID- 1854269
TI  - [Immunomorphologic diagnosis of early myocardial necrosis using monoclonal
      antibodies to desmin and vimentin].
AB  - Apart from monoclonal antibodies against cytoskeleton proteins, polyclonal
      antibodies to gamma-globulin and immunoglobulin G were used. Mosaicism of
      myocardial damage was observed: the intermittence of acute necrosis foci with
      areas of ischemia and normal myocardium. Desmin may serve a marker of early
      necrosis in the myocardium.

PMID- 1854270
TI  - [Alterations of the myocardium and adrenergic nerves of the isolated rat heart
      under conditions of total ischemia and normothermic cardioplegic reperfusion].
AB  - The increase of the ischemic period from 30 to 60 min did not enhance the degree
      of the contractural myocardial damage in connection with progression of "no
      reflow" phenomenon. Endogenous catecholamines do not play a decisive role in
      genesis of ischemic (reperfusion) heart damage. Cardioplegic reperfusion with a
      high K+ content results in a considerable loss of mediator from the adrenergic
      nerve fibres thus leading to the partial isolated heart desympathization.

PMID- 1854271
TI  - [Role of monocytes-macrophages in atherogenesis].
AB  - The study of the coronary arteries atherogenesis with the use of scanning and
      transmission electron microscopy was performed on the material of emergency
      necropsies of 45 patients who suffered the primary cardiovascular pathology. The
      transformation of macrophages into the foamy cells were studied in vitro with the
      use of peritoneal mouse macrophages and modified LDL labelled with colloidal gold
      as well as a method of phase-contrast cinemicrography. Two types of macrophages
      were distinguished ultrastructurally: scavenger-macrophages participating in the
      phagocytosis of lipoproteins and transforming into the foamy cells and secreting
      macrophages determining vascular wall homeostasis and ensuring the T-lymphocyte
      inclusion into the immune reactions and the contact with target cells. Balanced
      cell kinetics and cytokine secretion at early stages of atherosclerosis determine
      whether the lipid spot would regress or would transform into the atherosclerotic
      plaque.

PMID- 1854272
TI  - [Interorgan relationships in alcoholic intoxication].
AB  - It is suggested, on the basis of 315 necropsies of patients who died of
      drunkenness and alcoholism and examination of 300 rats with acute and chronic
      alcoholic intoxication, to distinguish an "alcoholic disease" as a separate
      nosological entity. The stages of this disease are drunkenness, alcoholism and
      alcoholic abstinence syndrome. Multiple organ pathology is characteristic for the
      disease with obligatory microangiopathy, alcoholic encephalo-, cardiomyo- and
      hepatopathy. The development of the disease follows a principle of vitium cordis
      at which the changes in certain organs result in the progression of pathological
      lesions in other organs. The course of the disease is characterized by periods of
      remission and exacerbation provoked either by a regular alcohol consumption or by
      an alcoholic abstinence syndrome. Toxic effects of alcohol, acetaldehyde and
      catecholamines are main factors in the pathogenesis of lesions in various organs.

PMID- 1854273
TI  - [Ultrastructural analysis of aortic endothelium after the host's death].
AB  - The changes of the endothelium of abdominal and thoracic aorta of rats and man
      (71 Wistar rats and 4 humans) during different periods after the death of the
      organism were analysed by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy.
      Soon after death of the organism endotheliocytes are shortened and the
      cytoskeleton is structuralized. The changes result from hypoxia and the reaction
      develops within 60 minutes after death. Aortic endothelium is heteromorphic in
      its sensitivity to hypoxia. In the segments with high hemodynamic loads to the
      vessel wall the injury of endothelium develops more rapidly. The conversion from
      reversible to irreversible changes includes certain stages. In spite of different
      structure of rat and human aortic wall the stages of the endothelial injury after
      death and the time of beginning of irreversible injury are similar.

PMID- 1854274
TI  - [Secretory immunoglobulin A and pyloric helicobacteriosis in patients with
      duodenal ulcer].
AB  - 57 patients with duodenum ulcer were examined. Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA)
      was determined by an immunofluorescent method in the gastric and duodenum mucosa
      depending on the population size of pyloric helicobacter (HB). The frequency of
      SIgA detection in the gastric mucosa depends on the HB population size: when it
      is considerable SIgA was not detected in 41% cases. SIgA was detected in the
      gastric mucosa without pathological lesions in 85% cases, in atrophic gastritis
      in 70% and in superficial gastritis in 54% cases.

PMID- 1854275
TI  - [Disturbance of epithelial proliferation of the gastro-intestinal tract mucosa in
      ulcers and erosion].
AB  - Epithelial proliferation in the mucosa of the gastro-intestinal tract was studied
      autoradiographically with 3H-thymidine under the following conditions: acute
      gastric ulcers as complication of acute pancreatitis; exacerbation of duodenal
      ulcer; ulcers and erosions in bacterial dysentery. Mucosa of practically healthy
      persons as well as mucosa of patients with the same diseases not complicated with
      ulcers and erosions served as control. Biopsies of mucosa were taken 2 cm from
      ulcers and erosions. The decrease of DNA-synthesizing nuclei number in the mucosa
      epithelium at early stages of ulcer formation was observed in all these
      conditions.

PMID- 1854276
TI  - [Routes of resorption of peritoneal fluid in the diaphragm in liver cirrhosis
      (morphologic study)].
AB  - The diaphragm peritoneum from 12 operated patients and 34 patients who died from
      liver cirrhosis with or without ascites was studied by means of light microscopy
      and electron transmission and scanning microscopy. Considerable lesions are found
      in the peritoneum: cuboidization of mesothelial cells, basal membrane thickening,
      dilation of stomata, lymphatic lacunae and collectors lumina. Liver cirrhosis
      with ascites is frequently followed by lymphatic vessels thrombosis and firm
      attachment of the diaphragm to the liver resulting in the inhibition of the
      ascitic liquid elimination. Thus both the enhancement of liquid transudation into
      the abdominal cavity and the disturbance of the drainage function of the
      diaphragm peritoneum take place.

PMID- 1854277
TI  - [Immunohistochemical characteristics of the epithelial transformation zone in the
      uterine cervix using monoclonal antibodies against various epithelial markers].
AB  - Epithelium transformation zone in the uterine cervix was studied by means of
      monoclonal antibodies (MAB) against cytokeratin (CK) peptides, epithelial
      membrane antigen (EMA) and skin granular layer proteins. It is shown that in the
      region of epithelial junction metaplastic epithelium is, as a rule, observed
      which possesses a unique spectrum of CK distinct from that in the ecto--and
      endocervix. The features of the expression of CK N8, N17, EMA in metaplasia are
      described. MAB EE 2I-06 against CK N1, 2, 9-11 and MAB G 36-19 are suggested as
      markers of the metaplastic epithelium maturity in the uterine cervix.

PMID- 1854278
TI  - [Sepsis and local inflammatory processes in infants: mathematical approach to
      pathomorphological differential diagnosis].
AB  - The structure of thymus, spleen, adrenal and thyroid glands and changes in
      peripheral white blood cells formula were studied in 97 cases of sepsis and local
      inflammatory processes (LIP) in infants. A complex of differential diagnostic
      features of sepsis and LIP was defined. Mathematical use of the complex
      significantly increases the objectivity of sepsis and LIP diagnosis.

PMID- 1854279
TI  - [Development of endometrial cancer in one half of a double uterus].
AB  - Two observations (patients of 52- and 48-years old) in which endometrial
      carcinoma developed in one half of a double uterus. Tumours were highly
      differentiated and completely replaced a left half of the uterus. The endometrium
      of the right half was with no change. 52-year--old patients had endometrioid
      carcinoma of the right ovary as well.

PMID- 1854280
TI  - [Necrotic medulloepithelioma of the eye].
AB  - An exceptionally rare case of the ciliary body medulloepithelioma is described.
      The distinctive feature of this case was the subtotal necrosis of the tumour. The
      development of necrosis is attributed to the destruction of the lens capsule and
      lens fibres by tumour cells. It resulted in phako--anaphylactic endophthalmitis
      which is likely to have been the cause of the tumour necrosis. Possible immune
      and autoimmune mechanisms of inflammatory--destructive changes of the eye tissue
      and the tumour are discussed.

PMID- 1854281
TI  - [Use of the computer in the pathology department for improvement of the
      prophylactic medical examination and treatment of newborns and women].
AB  - The practice of prognosis of the pathological conditions development in newborns
      on the basis of placenta examination and the evaluation of results by a computer
      is described. The same method was used for the determination of the risk groups
      among the women. The results of cytological diagnosis of some chronic infections
      on the basis of examination of endocervix and urethra smears are also presented.
      According to the authors the work performed helped in reducing the children
      mortality.

PMID- 1854282
TI  - [Establishment of a medical diagnosis].

PMID- 1854284
TI  - Politics, pregnancy and profitability.

PMID- 1854283
TI  - [A method for storage and transportation of human and animal tissue specimens in
      a condition suitable for subsequent histochemical investigations].
AB  - A method for storage and transportation of human and animal tissue specimens
      suitable for subsequent histochemical investigations is described. Tissue cut
      into pieces of 1 X 1 cm is placed into penicillin flask containing 60-80%
      glycerol in a saline. The flask is hermetically closed. In such a state tissue is
      preserved suitable for histochemical analyses (including those for oxidative
      reduction enzymes) and routine histological investigations, various fixation
      procedures and paraffin and celloidin embedding for 30 days at room temperature.

PMID- 1854285
TI  - Optimal axillary thermometer placement time for recording neonatal temperature.

PMID- 1854286
TI  - It is often argued that nurses are an oppressed group in society.

PMID- 1854287
TI  - Ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations in pregnant rats after administration of
      ethanol.
AB  - Concentrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde in 20- day pregnant rats were
      determined following administration of ethanol. A single dose of 2 g ethanol/kg
      body weight was given via stomach tube and a rat was sacrificed every hour for 8
      hours. In both the blood and livers of mother and fetus ethanol, concentrations
      were maximal at 2 hrs after administration, and the ethanol concentration-time
      curves were virtually identical during the 8 hrs. There was a time lag in the
      appearance of ethanol in the amniotic fluid, as compared with the appearance in
      the maternal and fetal blood and liver. Also, the ethanol concentration in the
      amniotic fluid was higher than that in the maternal and fetal blood during hours
      4 to 8. Acetaldehyde was found in maternal blood, fetal blood, and amniotic fluid
      at concentrations at least 1000-fold lower than the ethanol concentrations, and
      was variable. For each biological fluid the acetaldehyde and ethanol
      concentration-time curves were not parallel. The acetaldehyde concentration in
      the maternal blood was about 10-fold greater than in the fetal blood. These data
      indicate that ethanol administered to pregnant rats undergoes unimpeded
      bidirectional placental transfer between the mother and fetus and that the
      amniotic fluid may serve as a reservoir for ethanol in utero.

PMID- 1854288
TI  - [Secondary development of psychological dependence in a methamphetamine
      dependent].
AB  - A case of methamphetamine dependence was presented, who had used a large amount
      of the drug for a long time during both of the first and the second period of its
      prevalence. He led a socially and psychologically stable life with neither drug
      habits nor episodes of flash-back phenomenon in 20's and 30's of his age. While
      in the former period of the prevalence, visual illusion had occurred in him 3
      months after the first injection of the drug, in the latter, auditory
      hallucination occurred in a month after the initiation of the reinjection. This
      hallucination was so invasive and persistent that he became insomniac and could
      not keep stable daily life. Recently the auditory hallucination has disappeared
      by the reinjection of the drug, resulting in releasing him from the sufferings
      like insomnia, and then promoting the drug use more frequently. Even at the law
      court to decide the penalty against his illegal drug use, he recurrently insisted
      that methamphetamine was his necessity in order to be freed from the
      hallucination and keep stable daily life. He declared his intention not to
      abandon his drug habit in spite of any punishments. On the central nervous system
      (CNS) depressants such as the morphine- and barbiturate-type drug, the
      psychological dependence is brought about secondarily by the mechanism to avoid
      the withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, the secondary development of
      psychological dependence through avoidance of the chronic toxicity by the acute
      drug effect itself, should be considered as one of the characteristics of the CNS
      stimulants like methamphetamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854289
TI  - General practitioner's health--a non event.

PMID- 1854290
TI  - Influenza vaccination: is it worth it?
AB  - Australian government policy is to offer influenza vaccine every autumn to all
      Australians over the age of 65 and to those of any age who suffer from any
      chronic condition that predisposes to serious complications following influenza.
      Despite this clear advice from NHMRC and the financial incentives provided by
      Medicare and the PBS, less than one in three of this vulnerable cohort receives
      the vaccine. In this article the medical profession is exhorted to encourage and
      facilitate influenza vaccine delivery to the old and to the frail.

PMID- 1854291
TI  - Managing viral upper respiratory infections.
AB  - The epidemiology of the common cold is reviewed with the aim of providing helpful
      advice for patients. Future management will include limiting the spread of the
      cold virus by attention to the mode of transmission and the development of anti
      viral drugs, of which interferon holds the most promise.

PMID- 1854292
TI  - Chronic suppurative otitis media.
AB  - Chronic suppurative otitis media refers to those ears in which the ear drum has a
      chronic non healing perforation. The perforation may or may not be associated
      with ossicular fixation or necrosis, middle ear infections, tympanosclerosis or
      mastoiditis. It is a disease commonly found in lower socio-economic areas and is
      particularly prevalent worldwide in groups with low living standards.

PMID- 1854293
TI  - Which antibiotic and when.
AB  - Initial empirical antibiotic therapy for infection requires knowledge of the
      likely causative organism and its expected antibiotic susceptibilities. By
      definition, initiation of such therapy is required before culture results are
      available. Although antibiotic therapy appears complex and confusing owing to the
      ever increasing list of new agents, the factors to consider before choosing an
      antibiotic remain the same. This article looks at these factors and presents
      treatment choices for some common infections.

PMID- 1854295
TI  - Signs, symptoms, and the new descriptors.
AB  - Data from 143 consultations in general practice were assessed by factors relevant
      to the four-category descriptive system developed by the Royal Australian College
      of General Practitioners. It seems that there is no relationship between
      consultation length, apparent symptom seriousness or the occurrence of a physical
      examination. Suggestions are offered for improving the clarity of consultation
      descriptor categories.

PMID- 1854294
TI  - Competency of medical students in general practice procedural skills.
AB  - A self-reported competency survey of 1988 sixth year medical students in
      Queensland revealed that only 2 of 47 procedural skills considered essential for
      general practice had been performed alone by 80 per cent or more of students. Six
      of the essential skills had not been performed by more than 80 per cent of
      students. Consideration needs to be given to the content and effectiveness of
      undergraduate general practice procedural skills training.

PMID- 1854296
TI  - Cervical cytology in central Australian Aboriginal women.
AB  - Cervical smears were taken from 113 Aboriginal women who attended an Aboriginal
      community controlled health service in Alice Springs for gynaecological,
      obstetric or other unrelated conditions over a 6 month period. Nine women (8%)
      had cervical atypia and two (1.8%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. These
      rates are similar to those observed among other population groups in larger
      Australian and overseas studies, as was the high prevalence of abnormal smears in
      women under 25 years of age (11% of this age group). Urban dwellers had a higher
      prevalence of abnormal smears (15%) compared with town camp and rural women (2%).
      This pilot study emphasises the importance of routine screening for central
      Australian Aboriginal women and identifies possible risk groups for further
      research.

PMID- 1854297
TI  - The RACGP William Conolly Oration 1990. Personality, the profession and change.

PMID- 1854298
TI  - Conversion of a medical records system.
AB  - The author describes the conversion of a practice's medical records from the old
      card system to the RACGP record system. The exercise has resulted in improved
      patient care and, at the same time, enabled the partners to satisfy the
      requirements for a Quality Assurance option.

PMID- 1854300
TI  - Patient education. Making your marriage work.

PMID- 1854299
TI  - It could only happen in Papua New Guinea.

PMID- 1854301
TI  - Intercostal nerve block.

PMID- 1854302
TI  - Onychogryphosis.

PMID- 1854303
TI  - The health of general practitioners. A pilot survey.
AB  - A pilot survey of the health behaviour of West Australian general practitioners
      revealed a lack of adherence by doctors to accepted preventive health measures.
      Medical care in the group was not well structured, with many GPs self medicating.
      Levels of psychological distress in the surveyed sample exceeded 50 per cent.

PMID- 1854304
TI  - Samuel Charles Fitzpatrick.
AB  - Samuel Fitzpatrick, MBE, CBE, was an outstanding general practitioner and surgeon
      in the Western District of Victoria for 50 years. He became a world authority on
      the surgical management of hydatid disease. He is also an accomplished and
      prolific painter, especially in watercolours. Many of his works are displayed in
      the Hamilton Art Gallery, Victoria.

PMID- 1854305
TI  - Sinus rhythm.

PMID- 1854306
TI  - Before your very eyes.

PMID- 1854307
TI  - Pain in the leg.
AB  - Pain in the leg is a common yet confusing problem. It has many causes, varying
      from a simple cramp to an arterial occlusion. Overuse of the leg, as in athletic
      competitions, can lead to a multiplicity of painful leg syndromes, once again
      varying from simple sprains and strains of soft tissue to compartment syndromes.
      This paper presents an overview of the causes of painful lower limit, especially
      the more general causes, without discussion of specific areas such as the knee
      and foot.

PMID- 1854308
TI  - Post menopausal osteoporosis. Part 2: Treatment and prevention.
AB  - Part 1 of this two part series on post menopausal osteoporosis, which appeared in
      AFP April 1991, presented the diagnostic features of osteoporosis. Part 2
      outlines the modern concepts of treatment and prevention.

PMID- 1854309
TI  - A variant of HELLP syndrome.

PMID- 1854310
TI  - Chlamydia tests.

PMID- 1854311
TI  - Comparison of live avirulent M-9, Minnesota, and CU fowl cholera vaccines.
AB  - The M-9 and Minnesota (MN) avirulent Pasteurella multocida vaccines were
      evaluated and compared with the Clemson University (CU) vaccine, which had been
      shown to be highly effective in preventing fowl cholera in turkeys. Neither the M
      9 nor the MN vaccine given in the drinking water was as effective as the CU
      vaccine in protecting turkeys against challenge with virulent P. multocida. When
      grown in brain-heart infusion (BHI) agar as recommended, the M-9 was not as
      efficacious as when it was grown in BHI broth. The M-9 was as effective as the CU
      vaccine only when grown in BHI broth and given at 10 times the standard dosage.
      Injection of the M-9 vaccine into the air spaces of the head at a site near the
      caudal rim of the ear after one vaccination in the drinking water was not as
      effective for hyperimmunizing potential breeders as was the CU vaccine injected
      at the same site. A microtiter agglutination test demonstrated a significant (P
      less than 0.05) correlation between the level of anti-P. multocida antibody found
      1 week after vaccination and survival after challenge with virulent P. multocida.

PMID- 1854312
TI  - Economic effects of subclinical chicken anemia agent infection in broiler
      chickens.
AB  - To evaluate the economic effects of subclinical chicken anemia agent (CAA)
      infection on broiler performance, clinically normal broiler flocks were grouped
      into two categories: A) flocks in which none of 10 birds sampled at slaughter had
      antibody to CAA, and B) flocks in which six or more of 10 similarly sampled birds
      had CAA antibody. Production and performance parameters of 25 flocks in each
      category were compared. No statistically significant differences were found
      between category A and category B flocks in major production parameters such as
      sex, feed manufacturer, type of litter, stocking density, and age at slaughter.
      However, category A flocks achieved 13% (P less than 0.05) greater net income per
      1000 birds, 2.0% better feed-conversion ratio (P less than 0.05), and 2.5% (P
      less than 0.05) greater average weight per bird than category B flocks. No
      significant differences in hockburn bonus per 1000 birds (a bonus payable to
      growers whose broilers have the lowest prevalence of contact dermatitis lesions
      on the hocks) and mortality were found between category A and category B flocks.
      These results show that subclinical CAA infection has a substantial,
      statistically significant effect on commercial broiler performance and
      profitability.

PMID- 1854313
TI  - An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of Bordetella avium infection
      in turkey flocks: sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility.
AB  - An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of Bordetella avium
      infection in turkey poults was developed. One-week-old poults challenged
      intratracheally with 10(12) colony-forming units of B. avium had detectable
      titers (greater than or equal to 11), with an average of 13.6% positive samples
      when the birds were 6 to 11 weeks old. The method was sensitive enough to detect
      maternal antibodies to B. avium in poults up to 3 weeks of age. The same poults
      challenged at 1 week of age had 100% tracheal infection up to 3 weeks of age,
      which dropped to 0% by 6 weeks. The method resulted in no false-positive samples
      (titer = 0) from birds not infected with B. avium and tested weekly between 4 and
      11 weeks of age. Antibodies in turkey flocks infected with Newcastle disease
      virus, hemorrhagic enteritis virus, and Mycoplasma meleagridis, and birds
      infected with Escherichia coli had no apparent cross-reactivity to the B. avium
      antigens used in the ELISA. The percentages of B. avium-positive serum samples
      collected from different turkey flocks did not significantly differ (P greater
      than 0.05) when samples were tested by the developed ELISA at different times, an
      indication of the reproducibility of the method.

PMID- 1854314
TI  - Use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure antibody levels in turkey
      breeder hens, eggs, and progeny following natural infection or immunization with
      a commercial Bordetella avium bacterin.
AB  - Twelve large white turkey hens were immunized with a commercially available
      Bordetella avium bacterin. Hens and eggs were tested using an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the response to the bacterin. Three
      hundred poults were then obtained from two commercial flocks, the hens of one
      flock having been immunized with the same bacterin used on the group of 12
      turkeys. Titers of the poults were monitored for 7 weeks, and poults were
      challenged by exposure to infected poults at 1, 7, 14, and 21 days post-hatch.
      Hens produced an antibody response following immunization, with a parallel
      antibody response being detected in eggs. Maternal antibodies were present in
      poults from immunized hens. Poult titers declined to near the level of poults
      from unimmunized hens by 14 days of age. Poults from immunized hens challenged at
      1 and 7 days were resistant to development of clinical disease and gross lesions,
      whereas all poults from unimmunized hens exhibited clinical signs and gross
      lesions. After 14 days, the resistance of both groups to development of clinical
      disease, became near equal, neither group being affected as severely as the
      unimmunized hens challenged at days 1 and 7. Six commercial turkey breeding
      flocks and their progeny that had not been vaccinated for B. avium and had no
      history of B. avium infection were evaluated with the B. avium ELISA. There were
      variations between the flocks, with poult titers reflecting those found in the
      hens.

PMID- 1854315
TI  - Effect of feeding selected carbohydrates on the in vivo attachment of Salmonella
      typhimurium in chick ceca.
AB  - Two-day-old chicks were orally inoculated with 1 ml of Salmonella typhimurium
      (10(5) colony-forming units/ml) and divided into four groups. Three groups were
      fed 2.5% carbohydrates starting on day 1 (arabinose, galactose, and lactose),
      while the fourth group served as the control. Ceca were obtained from each group
      at 7, 14, and 21 days. At the end of 14 days, all three carbohydrates
      statistically reduced Salmonella recovery. However, lactose failed to reduce
      recovery between day 14 and day 21. Arabinose and galactose continued to show
      significant reductions of recovery through 21 days. No statistical difference was
      found between Salmonella recovery from whole ceca (with cecal material) and
      inverted ceca (washed free of cecal material).

PMID- 1854317
TI  - Effect of anaerobic cecal microflora and dietary lactose on colonization
      resistance of layer chicks to invasive Salmonella enteritidis.
AB  - The effect of oral inoculation with anaerobic cultures of cecal microflora and
      providing lactose in the feed on colonization resistance to invasive Salmonella
      enteritidis was evaluated in newly hatched leghorn chicks. Salmonella
      colonization of the ceca, tissue invasion and organ colonization, horizontal
      transmission, and seroconversion were significantly decreased (P less than 0.01)
      in chicks inoculated with cecal flora. The addition of lactose to the feed, in
      the absence of cecal microflora, failed to provide protection. Dietary lactose
      enhanced colonization resistance in chicks that were inoculated with anaerobic
      cultures of cecal flora. The results indicated that establishment of normal cecal
      flora in layer chicks together with the addition of lactose to the diet markedly
      increases resistance to cecal colonization and organ invasion, and decreases
      horizontal transmission of S. enteritidis.

PMID- 1854316
TI  - Immunobinding assay for the speciation of avian mycoplasmas adapted for use with
      a 96-well filtration manifold.
AB  - An immunobinding assay capable of distinguishing among Mycoplasma synoviae, M.
      gallisepticum, M. gallopavonis, and M. meleagridis was developed. A low-protein
      binding membrane filter served as the solid support, and a 96-well microsample
      filtration manifold was used. The assay detected 50 ng of mycoplasmal protein, or
      approximately 3 x 10(4) colony-forming units, from pure or mixed cultures. No
      cross-reactions were observed among the mycoplasma species tested. The assay was
      inexpensive, easy to interpret, and required approximately 3 hr to perform. The
      96-well format allowed screening of numerous cultures and use of several antisera
      in a single assay.

PMID- 1854318
TI  - Effect of fasting on plasma thyroid and adrenal hormone levels in turkey poults
      infected with Bordetella avium.
AB  - Plasma triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and corticosterone (CS) were
      measured in fasted and nonfasted control and Bordetella avium-infected poults.
      The stress of B. avium infection increased plasma CS, and fasting for 24 hours
      caused a further significant increase in CS levels. Plasma T3 was not affected by
      the infection, but fasting caused a significant reduction in both control and
      infected poults. Plasma T4 of fasted poults was increased in both control and
      infected groups, but infection attenuated the plasma T4 response. Total
      iodothyronines were increased in the control-fasted poults more than in infected
      fasted poults, indicating a reduced responsiveness to stress by the thyroids of
      infected poults. Changes in plasma thyroid hormones and CS partially explain the
      decreased body weight gain and decreased body temperature after exposure to B.
      avium.

PMID- 1854319
TI  - Reduced erythrocyte deformability as a possible contributing factor to pulmonary
      hypertension and ascites in broiler chickens.
AB  - Deformability of erythrocytes and hematological parameters in white leghorn and
      broiler chickens were measured at age 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days. For
      deformability testing, a simple vertical apparatus containing a polycarbonate
      membrane with 5-microns pores was used. This technique assesses erythrocyte
      deformability by measuring the filtration time of an erythrocyte suspension
      through the pores. There was a significant difference in filtration time between
      the leghorns and broilers at all sampling times. These results indicate that
      reduced erythrocyte deformability in broilers may be one of the predisposing
      factors that increase resistance to blood flow and alter the rheology of blood in
      the microcirculation in the lung. Increased resistance to flow may result in
      pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and ascites in broiler chickens.

PMID- 1854320
TI  - Effect of a live reovirus vaccine on reproductive performance of broiler breeder
      hens and development of viral tenosynovitis in progeny.
AB  - A live commercial reovirus vaccine, Enterovax, was administered to adult broiler
      breeder hens via the drinking water to determine its efficacy in stimulation of
      circulating antibody. This vaccine was compared with a commercial inactivated
      reovirus vaccine. Only the inactivated product resulted in increased antibody as
      measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. However, the live
      reovirus vaccine caused diarrhea in the hens and decreased eggshell quality,
      fertility, and hatchability. In addition, the live vaccine virus was vertically
      transmitted from hens to their progeny, resulting in increased embryonic
      mortality and viral tenosynovitis.

PMID- 1854321
TI  - Comparison of three velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus by RNA
      oligonucleotide fingerprinting.
AB  - The purified RNA from three velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus (Ca-1083
      [Fontana], Largo, and Texas GB) was analyzed by oligonucleotide fingerprinting.
      An image-processing system used to manipulate and rescale autoradiographs to
      uniform dimensions assisted the manual comparison of RNA fingerprints. Based on
      this analysis, the fingerprints of the Largo and Ca-1083 viscerotropic strains
      were more similar to each other than either virus was to the Texas GB neurotropic
      strain. By contrast, the Largo and Texas GB strains displayed more differences in
      the pattern of RNA fragment migration than other strain comparisons. Fingerprint
      comparisons were also performed between velogenic and previously reported
      lentogenic strains of NDV. No large RNA fragments were identified as NDV-specific
      or virulence-specific. This study evaluates the relationships among these NDV
      strains.

PMID- 1854322
TI  - In vivo antigen expression by Pasteurella multocida.
AB  - Pasteurella multocida was purified from the blood of turkeys affected with acute
      fowl cholera, and membrane preparations from those bacteria were separated by
      sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized on
      immunoblots. Antigens were detected in the membranes of these in vivo-propagated
      bacteria that were not detected in membrane preparations of the same P. multocida
      strain grown in vitro. The unique antigens were detected in the detergent
      insoluble phase and were enriched to various degrees by different detergents.

PMID- 1854323
TI  - Evaluation of radiolabeled and colorimetric DNA probes in comparison with an
      antigen screening assay for the detection of Salmonella from poultry farms.
AB  - A total of 48 environmental drag-swab samples from various poultry farms were
      tested for the presence of Salmonella spp. by culture, an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay-based Salmonella antigen screening (SAS) assay, and two DNA
      probes (radiolabeled and colorimetric). The radiolabeled DNA probe was allowed to
      hybridize with culture-positive samples (n = 8) and was found to detect
      Salmonella spp. in all cases (100%). Both of the probes, subsequently hybridized
      with culture-negative samples (n = 8), were observed to yield good agreement
      (91%) with the culture findings. The remaining samples (n = 32) were tested by
      the SAS assay, and where there was no agreement between the culture and SAS,
      samples were further examined by the DNA probes. Results using both probes agreed
      with those obtained by culturing the samples but did not agree with the SAS assay
      result when the ratio of samples tested to samples positive (S/P) cutoff value
      used was 0.5.

PMID- 1854324
TI  - Health survey of backyard poultry and other avian species located within one mile
      of commercial California meat-turkey flocks.
AB  - A survey was conducted to characterize domestic and exotic bird populations,
      estimate seroprevalence to selected disease agents, and describe health
      management practices on 62 premises containing "backyard" flocks located within
      one mile of 22 commercial California meat-turkey flocks participating in National
      Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS). Chickens were present on 56 backyard
      premises and turkeys on seven. Antibodies were identified against Mycoplasma
      gallisepticum, M. synoviae, M. meleagridis, Salmonella pullorum, Newcastle
      disease virus, avian encephalomyelitis virus, Bordetella avium, hemorrhagic
      enteritis virus, infectious bronchitis virus, and infectious bursal disease virus
      in 367 blood samples from 32 backyard premises. Twenty-two owners of backyard
      premises said they restricted visitor contact with their birds, and two required
      visitors to wear rubber boots and use boot disinfectant. Owners of seven premises
      used biologics and/or pharmaceutics for disease prevention. One family member
      worked on a commercial turkey ranch, but no other contact between owners,
      relatives, or employees and commercial poultry was reported.

PMID- 1854325
TI  - Late clinical expression of lameness related to associated osteomyelitis and
      tibial dyschondroplasia in male breeding turkeys.
AB  - A sudden outbreak of lameness related to transport stress is described in a flock
      of male breeding turkeys. Most of the affected turkeys exhibited obvious
      unilateral leg disorders. All were affected with tibial or metatarsal
      dyschondroplasia with at least one lesion associated with a large focus of
      necrosis. By histological examinations, bone lesions showed the typical feature
      of osteomyelitis. The inflammatory bone lesions appeared at only single isolated
      sites and were always associated with obvious sequestra of dyschondroplastic
      retained cartilage. Osteomyelitis seems to be an unexpected acute complication of
      previous dyschondroplasia in relation with different breeding stress situations.
      The resulting pain of the associated lesions could be the main cause of clinical
      expression of lameness. The pathogenesis of the phenomenon remains uncertain.

PMID- 1854326
TI  - Systemic trichomoniasis in a squab operation.
AB  - Systemic trichomoniasis was responsible for severe morbidity and mortality in a
      commercial squab operation. Squabs of 1 to 3 weeks of age were primarily
      affected. Extensive caseous necrosis of the liver, heart, lung, and intestinal
      mesentery was observed grossly. Histologically, extensive heterophilic
      inflammation surrounded the necrotic areas and was observed perivascularly in
      areas that were uninvolved grossly. Numerous trichomonads were demonstrated in
      affected tissues with Bodian's silver stain.

PMID- 1854327
TI  - Interaction between mRNA, ribosomes and the cytoskeleton.

PMID- 1854328
TI  - Metabolism of inositol phosphates in ATP-stimulated vascular endothelial cells.
AB  - The accumulation of InsP1, InsP2, InsP3 and InsP4 isomers was investigated in
      bovine aortic endothelial cells labelled with [3H]inositol and stimulated with
      ATP. The separation of these isomers was performed by ion-pairing reverse-phase
      h.p.l.c. on a mu Bondapack C18 column for the InsP3 and InsP4 isomers and by ion
      exchange h.p.l.c. on a Partisil SAX column for the InsP1 and InsP2 isomers. In
      unstimulated endothelial cells, a large amount of material was co-eluted with
      InsP5 and InsP6, whereas amounts of InsP3 and InsP4 were small. The addition of
      ATP (100 microM) induced a striking (35-fold stimulation) and transient increase
      of Ins(1,4,5)P3 that was maximal around 15 s. This peak was followed by a more
      sustained accumulation of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and Ins(1,3,4)P3, but the amounts of
      these two metabolites accumulated in response to ATP were much smaller than that
      of Ins(1,4,5)P3. The increase in InsP2 isomers in response to ATP had similar
      characteristics: a rapid and transient accumulation of Ins(1,4)P2, followed by an
      increase of Ins(3,4)P2 and Ins(1,3)P2, which was more sustained but had a smaller
      magnitude. ATP also induced the accumulation of both Ins1P and Ins4P, but with
      different time courses: the level of Ins4P was maximal at 1 min (60 times the
      control value) and returned to baseline after 5 min, whereas the increase in
      Ins1P was undetectable at 1 min and reached a maximum after 5 min, which
      represented 240% of the basal level. These data indicate that Ins(1,4,5)P3, which
      is rapidly formed in aortic endothelial cells as a result of activation of P2Y
      receptors, is preferentially metabolized at early times (less than 1 min) by a 5
      phosphatase, with the sequential formation of Ins(1,4)P2 and Ins4P. Afterwards, a
      small but sustained increase in the content of Ins(1,3,4)P3, Ins(1,3)P2,
      Ins(3,4)P2 and Ins1P was observed, reflecting the activation of the Ins(1,4,5)P3
      3-kinase.

PMID- 1854329
TI  - Gas phase oxidants of cigarette smoke induce lipid peroxidation and changes in
      lipoprotein properties in human blood plasma. Protective effects of ascorbic
      acid.
AB  - Cigarette smoke (CS) is known to contain a large number of oxidants. In order to
      assess the oxidative effects of CS on biological fluids, we exposed human blood
      plasma to filtered (gas phase) and unfiltered (whole) CS, and determined the rate
      of utilization of endogenous antioxidants in relation to the appearance of lipid
      hydroperoxides. Lipid peroxidation was measured with a specific and sensitive
      assay that can detect lipid hydroperoxides at plasma levels as low as 10 nM. We
      found that exposure of plasma to the gas phase of CS, but not to whole CS,
      induces lipid peroxidation once endogenous ascorbic acid has been oxidized
      completely. In addition, CS exposure caused oxidation of plasma protein thiols
      and albumin-bound bilirubin, whereas uric acid and alpha-tocopherol were not
      consumed at significant rates. In plasma exposed to the gas phase of CS, low
      density lipoprotein exhibited slightly increased electrophoretic mobility, but
      there was no apparent degradation of apolipoprotein B. Our results support the
      concept of an increased vitamin C utilization in smokers, and suggest that lipid
      peroxidation induced by oxidants present in the gas phase of CS leads to
      potentially atherogenic changes in lipoproteins.

PMID- 1854330
TI  - A large accumulation of non-muscle myosin occurs at first entry into M phase in
      rat vascular smooth-muscle cells.
AB  - Vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMCs) from rat aortae contained very little non
      muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) immediately after dispersal, and the protein did
      not accumulate if the cells were held in G0/G1 phase by withholding serum or were
      held in first S phase by the addition of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). However, non
      muscle MHC accumulated by greater than 20-fold per cell during first M phase,
      when over 80% of the cells divided between 48 h and 72 h after addition of serum.
      Delaying the addition of serum caused a delay in the accumulation of the non
      muscle MHC until the cells subsequently entered M phase. If the cells were held
      in M phase at the metaphase/anaphase boundary by nocadazole, the accumulation of
      non-muscle myosin still occurred, although division was blocked. When the cells
      were pulse-labelled with [35S]methionine, it was found that non-muscle MHC was
      one of the major proteins being made and that its synthesis occurred at similar
      rates throughout the cell cycle. This implied that the rate of degradation of the
      protein before first M phase was much faster than in M phase, when the protein
      accumulated rapidly. This was confirmed by direct measurements of the rate at
      which [35S]methionine-labelled non-muscle MHC disappeared from the cells, which
      gave a half-life for the protein of about 8 h before M phase but about 5 days in
      post-mitotic cells, i.e. an increase of approx. 15-fold. These data are
      consistent with the hypothesis that there is a mechanism in VSMCs which shortens
      the half-life of the protein before first M phase and that the accumulation of
      non-muscle MHC which results from the increase in half-life at first M phase may
      be necessary for division of these cells.

PMID- 1854331
TI  - Lipoylation of the E2 components of the 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase multienzyme
      complexes of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The number of functional lipoyl groups in the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase
      (E2) chain of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex from Escherichia
      coli has been re-assessed by means of a combination of protein-chemical and mass
      spectrometric techniques. (1) After the complex had been treated with N-ethyl[2,3
      14C]maleimide in the presence of pyruvate, the lipoyl domains were excised from
      the complex, treated with NaBH4 and re-exposed to N-ethyl[2,3-14C]maleimide. All
      the chemically reactive lipoyl groups in the native complex were found to be
      catalytically active. (2) Proteolytic digests of the separated lipoyl domains
      were examined for the presence of the lipoylation-site peptide, GDKASME, with and
      without the lipoyl group in N6-linkage to the lysine residue. Only the lipoylated
      form of the peptide was detected, suggesting that all three lipoyl domains are
      fully substituted at this site. (3) The behaviour of each lipoyl domain was
      examined on ion-exchange chromatography in response to alkylation with 4
      vinylpyridine after either chemical reduction of the lipoyl group with
      dithiothreitol or reductive acetylation by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in
      the presence of pyruvate. All three domains exhibited a quantitative shift in
      retention time, confirming that each domain was fully substituted by an
      enzymically reactive lipoyl group. (4) When subjected to electrospray mass
      spectrometry, each domain gave a mass consistent with a fully lipoylated domain,
      and no aberrant substitution of the target lysine residue was detected. The same
      result was obtained for the lipoyl domain from the E. coli 2-oxoglutarate
      dehydrogenase complex. (5) Previous widespread attempts to assess the number of
      functional lipoyl groups in the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex, which
      have led to the view that a maximum of two lipoyl groups per E2 chain may be
      involved in the catalytic mechanism, are in error.

PMID- 1854332
TI  - Expression and site-directed mutagenesis of hepatic glucokinase.
AB  - Soluble rat liver glucokinase was expressed at high levels at 22 degrees C in the
      BL21(DE3)pLysS strain of Escherichia coli. Aspartate-211 of yeast hexokinase has
      been implicated as a catalytic residue from crystallographic data. The
      corresponding residue in rat liver glucokinase, aspartate-205, was mutated to
      alanine and the expressed mutant had 1/500th of the activity of the wild type,
      with no change in the Km values for glucose or ATP. The results support a role
      for this residue as a base catalyst in the glucokinase reaction and, most
      probably, a similar role in the reactions of all members of the hexokinase
      family.

PMID- 1854333
TI  - Kinetic studies on protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibition by diphenyl ether
      herbicides.
AB  - Diphenyl ethers (DPEs) and related herbicides are powerful inhibitors of
      protoporphyrinogen oxidase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of haems and
      chlorophylls. The inhibition kinetics of protoporphyrinogen oxidase of various
      origins by four DPEs, (methyl)-5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2
      nitrobenzoic acid (acifluorfen and its methyl ester, acifluorfen-methyl), methyl
      5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl) phenoxy]-2-chlorobenzoate (LS 820340) and methyl
      5-[2-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid (RH 5348), were
      studied. The inhibitions of the enzymes from maize (Zea mays) mitochondrial and
      etiochloroplastic membranes and mouse liver mitochondrial membranes were
      competitive with respect to the substrate, protoporphyrinogen IX, for all four
      molecules. The relative efficiencies of the inhibitors were: acifluorfen-methyl
      greater than LS 820340 much greater than RH 5348 greater than or equal to
      acifluorfen. The four molecules showed mixed-competitive type inhibition of the
      enzyme from yeast mitochondria where acifluorfen, a carboxylic acid, had the same
      inhibitory activity as its methyl ester, acifluorfen-methyl, and both were much
      greater than that of LS 820340 and RH 5348.

PMID- 1854334
TI  - Comparison of the activity and conformation changes of lactate dehydrogenase H4
      during denaturation by guanidinium chloride.
AB  - The inactivation and unfolding of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) during denaturation
      by guanidinium chloride (GuHCl) under diverse conditions have been compared.
      Unfolding of the native conformation, as monitored by fluorescence and c.d.
      measurements, occurs in two stages with increasing GuHCl concentrations, and the
      inactivation approximately coincides with, but slightly precedes, the first stage
      of unfolding. The enzyme is inhibited to about 60-70% of its original activity by
      cross-linking with glutaraldehyde or in the presence of 1 M-(NH4)2SO4, with its
      conformation stabilized as shown by the requirement for higher GuHCl
      concentrations to bring about both inactivation and unfolding. Low concentrations
      of GuHCl (0.2-0.4 M) activate the cross-linked and the (NH4)2SO4-inhibited enzyme
      back to the level of the native enzyme. For the enzyme stabilized by (NH4)2SO4 or
      by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde, inactivation occurs at a markedly lower
      GuHCl concentration than that required to bring about its first stage of
      unfolding. It is concluded that the active site of LDH is situated in a limited
      region relatively fragile in conformation as compared with the molecule as a
      whole. The GuHCl activation of LDH stabilized in (NH4)2SO4 or by cross-linking
      with glutaraldehyde suggests that this fragility and consequently flexibility of
      the active site is required for its catalytic activity.

PMID- 1854335
TI  - Assembly of chick brain MAP2-tubulin microtubule protein. Characterization of the
      protein and the MAP2-dependent addition of tubulin dimers.
AB  - The principle proteins present in twice-cycled chick brain microtubule protein
      were characterized. The protein consists of a stoichiometric mixture of MAP2 and
      tubulin, together with a number of minor components. Its composition remains
      unaltered after a third cycle of assembly in a buffer supplemented with 67 mM
      NaCl, with the exception of the phosphorylation of MAP2 to a low level (congruent
      to 1 mol.mol-1). The inclusion of 67 mM-NaCl dissociates the MAP2-tubulin
      oligomers, and restricts the assembly to the MAP2-dependent addition and loss of
      tubulin dimers, such that the assembly kinetics approximate to a simple pseudo
      first-order reaction. The assembled microtubules exhibit dynamic instability,
      with no evidence for end-to-end annealing.

PMID- 1854336
TI  - Kinetics of GTP hydrolysis during the assembly of chick brain MAP2-tubulin
      microtubule protein.
AB  - The kinetics of GTP hydrolysis during microtubule assembly have been examined
      using chick brain MAP2-tubulin microtubule protein in a NaCl-supplemented buffer.
      The elongating microtubules terminate in a 'GTP cap', since the kinetics of GTP
      hydrolysis are slower than those of subunit addition. GTP hydrolysis is (a)
      stoichiometric, (b) occurs as a vectorial wave as the initial rate of hydrolysis
      is proportional to the molar concentration of microtubule ends and not to the
      initial rate of subunit addition, and (c) either does not occur, or occurs only
      at a much lower rate, in the terminal subunits.

PMID- 1854337
TI  - Assembly of chick brain MAP2-tubulin microtubule protein. Analysis of tubulin
      subunit flux rates by immunofluorescence microscopy.
AB  - A filter-based immunofluorescence-microscopy method for obtaining microtubule
      lengths has been developed and evaluated. Kinetic constants and mean lengths
      obtained show close agreement with those obtained by complementary methods
      applied to chick brain MAP2-tubulin microtubule protein in NaCl-supplemented
      buffer. The filter-based method has been used to estimate tubulin subunit flux
      (Jon) resulting from isothermal dilution of microtubule populations to various
      free tubulin concentrations, (c). This experimental Jon(c) plot is significantly
      different from that predicted by a variety of theoretical models, but is
      consistent with a 'lateral cap' model of dynamic instability [Bayley, Schilstra &
      Martin (1990) J. Cell. Sci. 95, 33-48] adapted to accommodate the observed
      vectorial GTP hydrolysis.

PMID- 1854338
TI  - D-Xylose (D-glucose) isomerase from Arthrobacter strain N.R.R.L. B3728.
      Purification and properties.
AB  - D-Xylose (D-glucose) isomerase was purified to homogeneity in yields of approx. 1
      g/kg of wet cells from a strain of Arthrobacter that produces it as about 10% of
      total soluble protein. It is a tetramer of identical 43,114 Da subunits
      containing a preponderance of acidic residues and no cysteine. Partial protein
      sequences were determined as a step to gene cloning. It requires Mg2+, Co2+ or
      Mn2+ for activity, Mg2+ being best; Ca2+ is an inhibitor, competitive with Mg2+.
      It is a good D-glucose isomerase with kcat. 1200 min-1 at pH 8 at 60 degrees C,
      which is higher than that of any other enzyme of this class. L-Arabinose, D
      ribose and D-lyxose are poor substrates, with kcat. 78, 31 and 3.7 min-1
      respectively at pH 8 at 30 degrees C, compared with 533 min-1 for D-xylose.
      Xylitol is a true competitive inhibitor for D-xylose (Ki 0.3 mM), but D-sorbitol
      shows mixed inhibition (Ki 6.5 mM). For D-fructose the pH optimum at 60 degrees C
      is 8, and at pH 7 the Arrhenius activation energy is 75 kJ/mol over the range 30
      70 degrees C.

PMID- 1854339
TI  - D-Xylose (D-glucose) isomerase from Arthrobacter strain N.R.R.L. B3728. Gene
      cloning, sequence and expression.
AB  - Arthrobacter strain N.R.R.L. B3728 superproduces a D-xylose isomerase that is
      also a useful industrial D-glucose isomerase. The gene (xylA) that encodes it has
      been cloned by complementing a xylA mutant of the ancestral strain, with the use
      of a shuttle vector. The 5' region shows strong sequence similarity to
      Escherichia coli consensus promoters and ribosome-binding sequences and allows
      high levels of expression in E. coli. The coding sequence shows similarity to
      those for other D-xylose isomerases and is followed by 22 nucleotide residues
      with stop codons in each reading frame, a good 'consensus' ribosome-binding site
      and an open reading frame showing similarity to those of known D-xylulokinases
      (xylB). Studies on the expression of the cloned gene in Arthrobacter and in E.
      coli suggest that the two genes are part of a xyl operon regulated by a repressor
      that is defective in strain B3728. Codon usage in these two genes, and in another
      open reading frame (nxi) that was adventitiously isolated during early cloning
      attempts, shows some characteristic omissions and a strong G + C preference in
      redundant positions.

PMID- 1854340
TI  - Requirements for the inactivation of ribosomes by gelonin.
AB  - Inactivation of Artemia salina and rabbit ribosomes by gelonin requires ATP and a
      high-Mr factor present in the rabbit reticulocyte-lysate post-ribosomal
      supernatant. The kinetic constants of the gelonin-catalysed release of adenine
      from A. salina ribosomes are Km = 4.35 microM and Kcat. = 0.1 min-1 in the
      absence of cofactors, and Km = 1.15 microM and Kcat. = 108 min-1 in their
      presence. The last two values are similar to those measured for ricin A chain in
      the absence of cofactors (Km = 2.02 microM and Kcat. = 317 min-1).

PMID- 1854341
TI  - The Id gene is activated by serum but is not required for de-differentiation in
      rat vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - Primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells cultured on fibronectin in the absence
      of serum lost smooth-muscle-specific myosin heavy chain but did not enter the
      cell cycle and proliferate until they were stimulated by serum. Under these
      conditions accumulation of Id mRNA occurred only in response to serum and was
      maximal during the G1 phase of the cycle.

PMID- 1854342
TI  - Effect of cold acclimation on GSH, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in
      brown adipose tissue.
AB  - Cold acclimation increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase,
      total and selenium (Se)-dependent glutathione peroxidases (GPx) and glutathione
      reductase by 2-4-fold in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) of cold-acclimated rats.
      Nevertheless, when expressed per unit protein, the antioxidant enzyme activities
      were unaltered. Sensitivity to lipid peroxidation and GSH levels both increased
      by one order of magnitude in the cold on a per weight basis and were still 3-5
      times greater in the cold when expressed per mg of protein. We suggest that
      activation of BAT leads to a large increase in the potential for lipid
      peroxidation and that the tissue responds to this challenge by increasing
      practically all of its antioxidant defences. Nevertheless, GSH, and possibly GPx
      activity, seem to be the principal defences involved in adaptation of the tissue
      to a higher sensitivity to peroxidative damage after activation.

PMID- 1854343
TI  - Distinction between endo-oligopeptidase A (EC 3.4.22.19) and soluble
      metalloendopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15)

PMID- 1854344
TI  - Thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15): the same by any name?

PMID- 1854345
TI  - Analysis and physiological implications of renal 2-oxoglutaramate metabolism.
AB  - The relative significance of the flux through the glutamine aminotransferase
      (glutaminase II) pathway to renal ammoniagenesis is poorly understood. A basic
      and unresolved question is whether 2-oxoglutaramate (2-OGM), a product of the
      glutaminase II reaction, is deamidated to yield 2-oxoglutarate and NH3, or
      whether 2-OGM accumulates as an unreactive lactam, depending on the environmental
      pH. In the current studies we utilized 13C n.m.r. as well as 15N n.m.r. as well
      as 15N n.m.r. to demonstrate that 2-OGM occurs as a lactam, i.e. 5
      hydroxypyroglutamate, regardless of the environmental pH. Our additional aims
      were to determine whether human kidney cells (HK cells) in culture can produce 2
      OGM and to ascertain a pH-dependent relationship between NH3 and 2-OGM production
      from glutamine. We therefore developed an isotope dilution assay for 2-OGM
      utilizing 5-hydroxy[4-13C,1-15N]pyroglutamate as the labelled species.
      Incubations of HK cells in minimal essential medium supplemented with 1 mM-[2
      15N]glutamine demonstrated significantly higher production of 2-OGM at pH 6.8 and
      lower production at pH 7.6 compared with pH 7.4. Similarly both 15NH3 and
      [15N]alanine formation were significantly higher in acute acidosis (pH 6.8) and
      lower in acute alkalosis (pH 7.6) compared with that at physiological pH.
      Addition of 1 mM-amino-oxyacetate to the incubation medium at pH 7.4
      significantly diminished [15N]alanine and 2-OGM production, but the production of
      15NH3 via the glutamate dehydrogenase pathway was significantly stimulated. The
      current observations indicate that the glutaminase II pathway plays a minor role
      and that flux through glutamate dehydrogenase is the predominant site for
      regulation of ammoniagenesis in human kidney.

PMID- 1854346
TI  - Processing of the precursor of protamine P2 in mouse. Peptide mapping and N
      terminal sequence analysis of intermediates.
AB  - Protamine P2, the major basic chromosomal protein of mouse spermatozoa, is
      synthesized as a precursor almost twice as long as the mature protein, its extra
      length arising from an N-terminal extension of 44 amino acid residues. This
      precursor is integrated into chromatin of spermatids, and the extension is
      processed during chromatin condensation in the haploid cells. We have studied
      processing in the mouse and have identified two intermediates generated by
      proteolytic cleavage of the precursor. H.p.l.c. separated protamine P2 from four
      other spermatid proteins, including the precursor and three proteins known to
      possess physiological characteristics expected of processing intermediates.
      Peptide mapping indicated that all of these proteins were structurally similar.
      Two major proteins were further purified by PAGE, transferred to poly(vinylidene
      difluoride) membranes and submitted to automated N-terminal sequence analysis.
      Both sequences were found within the deduced sequence of the precursor extension.
      The N-terminus of the larger intermediate, PP2C, was Gly-12, whereas the N
      terminus of the smaller, PP2D, was His-21. Both processing sites involved a
      peptide bond in which the carbonyl function was contributed by an acidic amino
      acid.

PMID- 1854347
TI  - Transport of taurine and its regulation by protein kinase C in the JAR human
      placental choriocarcinoma cell line.
AB  - The JAR human placental choriocarcinoma cell line transports taurine,
      concentrating it over 1000-fold inside the cell. The transport system is
      energized by a Na+ gradient and exhibits an absolute requirement for Cl-. Neutral
      beta-amino acids such as beta-alanine and hypotaurine effectively compete with
      the system, whereas neutral alpha-amino acids such as alanine, leucine and alpha
      aminoisobutyric acid do not. The transport system interacts with gamma
      aminobutyric acid to an appreciable extent. Kinetic analysis reveals that the
      taurine transport system in this cell line is of a high-affinity and low-capacity
      type (apparent dissociation constant 2.3 +/- 0.3 microM; maximal velocity 88.5 +/
      5.0 pmol/3 min per mg of protein). Pretreatment of the JAR choriocarcinoma cells
      with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate results in the inhibition of the taurine
      transport system in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition is blocked by co
      treatment of the cells with staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C. The
      inactive phorbol ester, 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, has no effect on the
      transport system. These data show that the choriocarcinoma cells express a
      taurine transporter with characteristics similar to those of the taurine
      transporter described in the normal human placenta, and that the activity of the
      transporter in these cells is under the regulatory control of protein kinase C.

PMID- 1854348
TI  - Processing of prothrombin in the secretory pathway.
AB  - Antibodies raised against plasma prothrombin and the prothrombin propeptide were
      used to identify prothrombin precursors in rough and smooth microsomes and in the
      Golgi apparatus. The data demonstrate that the propeptide is part of the
      prothrombin molecule when undergoing a variety of modifications in the Golgi
      apparatus. It is shown that these modifications result in an increase in the
      apparent molecular mass of the prothrombin precursor from 78 kDa in early
      processing to 83 kDa in late processing. The 83 kDa prothrombin precursor was not
      recognized by the anti-propeptide antiserum and most likely represents the final
      product of the precursor in the secretory pathway. Evidence is presented that the
      propeptide is released from the parent molecule in the Golgi apparatus by a
      membrane-bound Ca(2+)-dependent serine proteinase(s) with characteristics similar
      to those of the proalbumin-to-albumin-converting enzyme. Vitamin K-dependent
      carboxylase activity was measured in membrane fragments obtained from the Golgi
      apparatus preparation. Sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation and the use of
      marker enzymes showed that carboxylase activity was highest in fractions enriched
      in cis-Golgi cisternae. Two different synthetic peptides were used as substrates
      for the carboxylase. These peptides were from the N-terminal and the C-terminal
      part of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) region of prothrombin. It is shown
      that the N-terminal and the C-terminal peptides were preferred as substrates for
      the carboxylase in the microsomal and the Golgi apparatus preparations
      respectively. It is also shown that the prothrombin precursor acquires negative
      charges in the Golgi apparatus that do not result from addition of sugars in late
      processing. These negative charges could be eliminated by thermal
      decarboxylation, suggesting that Gla residues may also be synthesized in late
      processing.

PMID- 1854349
TI  - Rat and human neutrophil N-formyl-peptide chemotactic receptors. Species
      difference in the glycosylation of similar 35-38 kDa polypeptide cores.
AB  - Rat and human neutrophil N-formyl-peptide chemotactic receptors were subjected to
      glycosidase and proteinase treatments to determine the extent and species
      differences of glycosylation and the carbohydrate requirement in the high
      affinity ligand binding. N-Formyl-Nle-Leu-Phe-Nle-125I-Tyr-Lys was attached to
      rat and human neutrophils either before or after glycosidase and proteinase
      treatments, and the labelled receptors were solubilized after glutaraldehyde
      cross-linking and analysed by SDS/PAGE and autoradiography. Both the rat and
      human N-formyl-peptide chemotactic receptors contain only N-linked
      oligosaccharides, as demonstrated by their sensitivity to peptide N-glycosidase F
      (PNGase F) and resistance to O-glycanase treatment. The N-linked oligosaccharides
      seem to be of the complex type rather than the high-mannose or hybrid type and
      lack terminal sialic acid, as demonstrated by their resistance to
      endoglycosidases D and H and neuraminidase treatments. This sensitivity pattern
      was similar in both species, and the shift in the molecular size of the receptors
      to 35-38 kDa after PNGase F treatment occurred through one intermediate product,
      suggesting that both receptors contain a similar 35-38 kDa polypeptide core with
      two N-linked complex-type oligosaccharides, the heterogeneity of which is
      responsible for the species difference in receptor size. Papain treatment alone
      or followed by PNGase F produced in both species a 33-36 kDa membrane-bound
      fragment that was still able to bind the ligand, suggesting that the
      oligosaccharides are located on the approx. 2 kDa papain-cleavable polypeptide
      fragment of the receptors. The cleavage sites for both papain and PNGase F were
      hidden in occupied receptors, suggesting a conformational or topographical change
      in these upon ligand binding. Scatchard analyses and cross-linking experiments
      demonstrated that carbohydrates are not required for high-affinity ligand binding
      and that the 33-36 kDa membrane-bound papain fragment of both receptors contains
      the ligand-binding site.

PMID- 1854350
TI  - Characterization of proteoglycans synthesized by human adult glomerular mesangial
      cells in culture.
AB  - 1. The newly synthesized proteoglycans from human adult glomerular mesangial
      cells labelled in vitro for 24 h with [35S]sulphate have been characterized using
      biochemical and immunological techniques. 2. The following proteoglycans were
      identified (% of total synthesized). (i) A large chondroitin sulphate
      proteoglycan, CSPG-I, Mr approximately 1 x 10(6) (10.6%). This proteoglycan
      consisted of a protein core of Mr approximately 4 x 10(5) and glycosaminoglycan
      chains of Mr 2.5 x 10(4), and was present in both the cell layer and the culture
      medium. (ii) A major small dermatan sulphate proteoglycan, DSPG-I, Mr 3.5 x 10(5)
      (46%), which was mainly located in the culture medium. (iii) A second minor small
      dermatan sulphate, DSPG-II, Mr approximately 2 x 10(5) (9.8%). This molecule was
      exclusively located in the culture medium. (iv) A large heparan sulphate
      proteoglycan, HSPG-I, Mr 8 x 10(5) (3.3%). (v) A second large heparan sulphate
      proteoglycan HSPG-II, Mr approximately 6 x 10(5) (23%). HSPG-I and HSPG-II were
      extracted from both the culture medium and the cell layer. 3. Western blot
      analysis of the core proteins released by chondroitin ABC lyase treatment of DSPG
      I and DSPG-II identified these dermatan sulphate proteoglycans as biglycan and
      decorin respectively. Both DSPG-I and DSPG-II had core proteins of Mr 45,000. 4.
      The cell-layer-associated forms of CSPG-I, HSPG-I and HSPG-II were accessible to
      limited trypsin treatment, bound to octyl-Sepharose and could be inserted into
      liposomes, indicating a possible cell membrane location. 5. Pulse-chase
      experiments indicated that the cell-layer-associated [35S]proteoglycans undergo
      limited metabolism to inorganic [35S]sulphate, the majority of which is accounted
      for by the degradation of HSPG-II and to a lesser extent DSPG-I.

PMID- 1854351
TI  - Effect of Mg2+ on the binding of oxytocin to sheep myometrial cells.
AB  - Binding isotherms of oxytocin to sheep myometrial cells in a short-term cell
      culture were investigated in the presence of Mg2+ in the concentration range 0-10
      mM. The occurrence of at least three binding sites had been demonstrated earlier.
      Mg2+ influences individual sites and individual features of the binding isotherm
      differently. Dissociation constants (Kd) of the high- and medium-affinity sites
      attain a minimum of 6.8 x 10(-10) and 4.2 x 10(-8) mol/l respectively at 2.75 mM
      Mg2+. The two sites display the highest binding capacity (B) at 1 mM-Mg2+ (ratio
      of high affinity/medium affinity is 1:16). The B/Kd quotients reflecting relative
      binding (bound-to-free concentration) at the half-saturation of binding sites
      also have their maxima at 1 mM-Mg2+. The high-affinity site displays a strong
      positive co-operativity (Hill coefficient at 4 mM-Mg2+ of 2.4), which is
      amplified in the presence of Mg2+. Positive co-operativity of the medium-affinity
      site is markedly lower (Hill coefficient at 4 mM-Mg2+ of 1.5) and shows less
      dramatic Mg(2+)-dependence. Low-affinity sites are not co-operative at any Mg2+
      concentration. It is concluded that Mg2+ may display its effect upon the oxytocin
      receptor interaction predominantly by influencing positive co-operativity.

PMID- 1854352
TI  - Calcium uptake by leukemic and normal T-lymphocytes exposed to low frequency
      magnetic fields.
AB  - Calcium-ion uptake by normal and leukemia lymphocytes increased during a 30-min
      exposure to a 13.6 Hz, sinusoidal magnetic field at 20 microT peak. The time
      varying field was horizontal and parallel to a 16.5 microT component of the
      ambient static magnetic field. The uptake of 45Ca2+ increased 102% in a line of
      murine, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (C57B1/6-derived CTLL-1), increased 126% in
      freshly-isolated spleen lymphocytes (C57B1/6 mice), and increased 75% in a line
      of lymphoma cells (C57B1/6-derived EL4). In contrast, there was no effect when
      the same field was applied for 30 min immediately before--as opposed to during-
      incorporation of calcium ions. When spleen lymphocytes were exposed during
      incubation with 45Ca2+ to a 60 Hz magnetic field at 20 microT peak, a small but
      statistically significant increase (37%) in uptake of the labeled ions occurred.
      These results indicate that weak, alternating magnetic fields might affect
      calcium-dependent functions of normal and leukemic lymphocytes.

PMID- 1854353
TI  - Miniature-probe measurements of electric fields and currents induced by a 60-Hz
      magnetic field in rat and human models.
AB  - A miniaturized probe was designed and built to provide detailed data on fields
      induced by a uniform 60-Hz magnetic field in homogeneous models of rat and human.
      The probe employed three silver wires twisted and potted in an 8-cm hypodermic
      needle. The exposed tips of the wires formed three sensing electrodes with a
      centered ground; highly sensitive voltage measurements were enabled by a lock-in
      amplifier. Tests were conducted in a 1-mT rms field that was uniform within +/-
      5%. The models were made by casting 1.5% agar at 1-S/m conductivity into plastic
      foam molds. The rat model was scaled 1:1 as an adult (22 cm length; mass about
      640 g). The human model was scaled 1:4 as an adult (height = 46.5 cm; mass 1.4
      kg). The probe was inserted into each model in several regions, and readings of
      induced fields were made under different exposure geometries. Maximal strengths
      of fields induced near the surface of the torso were as high as 120 microV/cm in
      the laterally exposed rat model. Data extrapolated from the quarter-scale human
      model revealed that an induced field as high as 700 microV/cm could occur at the
      torso of a frontally exposed human adult. An overall size-scale factor of about 5
      appears to be appropriate for experimental exposures of rats that are intended to
      simulate currents induced in human beings by magnetic fields. The average
      strength of electric fields induced in the torso by a 1-mT magnetic field is
      comparable to that by a vertical electric-field at 60 kV/m and 28 kV/m,
      respectively, for the rat and human.

PMID- 1854354
TI  - The influence of temperature during electric- and magnetic-field-induced
      alteration of calcium-ion release from in vitro brain tissue.
AB  - A technique based on release of calcium ions from in vitro preparations of avian
      brain tissues has been used by several investigators to demonstrate a biological
      effect of weak electric and magnetic fields. When the tissues have been exposed
      to ELF-modulated, VHF or UHF fields, enhanced release of calcium ions has
      resulted. In contrast, when the tissues have been exposed directly to an ELF
      field, outcomes have differed. Both inhibition and enhancement in release of
      calcium ions have been reported. We now find that either outcome--or a null
      result--is possible, depending on the temperature of tissue samples before and
      during exposure. Avian-brain tissues were exposed to 16-Hz sinusoidal
      electromagnetic fields at 14.1 Vrms/m (in air) and 64 nTrms. During 20-min
      exposures, as tissue-sample temperature rose by 0.7 to 2.5 degrees C to a final
      temperature of 35, 36, or 37, but not of 38 or 39 degrees C, an enhanced release
      of ions was observed. When the temperature was stable during exposure (i.e.,
      constant within +/- 0.3 degrees C) at a final value of 36 or 37, but not of 35 or
      38 degrees C, the quantity of ions released was reduced. And when descending by
      0.7 to 1.5 degrees C to any final temperature from 35 to 38 degrees C, a null
      result occurred. These findings may reconcile the apparent disagreement in the
      direction of a field-induced response, and they may explain why experimental
      outcomes have been difficult to confirm in some laboratories. Of greater
      importance, the findings may also provide insight into the mechanism of the field
      induced phenomenon.

PMID- 1854355
TI  - Immediate post-exposure effects of high-peak-power microwave pulses on operant
      behavior of Wistar rats.
AB  - Behavioral effects of high-peak-power microwave pulses on Wistar rats were
      studied by operant schedules. Each of twelve rats that had been trained to press
      a lever to receive food pellets was assigned randomly in groups of four to three
      different schedules of reinforcement: fixed-ratio (FR), variable-interval (VI),
      and differential-reinforcement-of-low-rates (DRL). After achieving a steady
      baseline performance, each animal was exposed for 10 min to 1.25-GHz microwave
      radiation at 1-MW peak-power (10-microseconds pulse width). Each pulse produced a
      peak whole-body SA and SAR of 2.1 J/kg and 0.21 MW/kg. Total doses (SAs) were set
      to 0.50, 1.5, 4.5, and 14 kJ/kg by adjusting the pulse-repetition rate. The
      corresponding time-averaged whole-body SARs were 0.84, 2.5, 7.6, and 23 W/kg. A
      microwave-transparent animal holder was used to keep the animal's body axis
      parallel to the E-field. Exposures at the highest dose caused an average colonic
      temperature rise of 2.5 degrees C and these animals failed to respond at all for
      about 13 minutes after the exposure. Their colonic temperatures had decreased to
      1.1 degrees C, or less, above their pre-exposure (normal) temperature level when
      they began to respond. The FR and VI animals failed to reach their baseline
      levels of performance thereafter, while those on the DRL schedule displayed
      variable effects. No behavioral effects were found at the lower dose levels. It
      is concluded that the behavioral perturbations produced by pulsed microwave
      irradiation were thermal in nature.

PMID- 1854356
TI  - An increase in the negative surface charge of U937 cells exposed to a pulsed
      magnetic field.
AB  - Pulsed magnetic fields have been used to enhance healing of bone fractures and
      purportedly of lesions in soft tissue. However, their mechanism of action is
      poorly understood. We report changes in the plasma membrane of a nonadherent
      mammalian cell line, U937, which was exposed to a 25-pps magnetic field for 48
      hours. Aqueous polymer two-phase partition studies showed that magnetic-field
      exposed cells exhibited an increased negative surface charge but membrane
      hydrophobicity was not significantly altered. The observed increase in membrane
      electronegativity of exposed cells did not reflect a significant change in growth
      rate.

PMID- 1854357
TI  - Lipid lowering therapy leads to a reduction in sodium-lithium countertransport
      activity.
AB  - Erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport (SLC) was measured in 17 patients
      with either combined hyperlipidaemia or hypercholesterolaemia before and after
      lipid lowering therapy. Before treatment SLC related to the serum triglyceride
      level and was increased in combined hyperlipidaemia. After treatment the SLC had
      returned to normal and the change in SLC was related to the change in serum
      triglyceride levels. Raised SLC is associated with essential hypertension but is
      not related to blood pressure. Therefore, the association of raised SLC with
      hyperlipidaemia and essential hypertension appears to have different underlying
      mechanisms.

PMID- 1854358
TI  - Relationship of arterial wall uptake of radiolabeled liposomes to the presence of
      monocyte/macrophage cells in the hypertensive and atherosclerotic arterial wall.
AB  - In vivo radiolabeled liposome uptake in 5 sham-operated, 7 coarctation-induced
      hypertensive, and 8 atherosclerotic arterial walls from New Zealand White rabbits
      was compared to determine the mechanism of arterial wall uptake of liposomes.
      Uptake between the three groups was significantly different (P less than 0.001)
      with a 3-fold difference in uptake between the sham-operated and hypertensive
      groups and the hypertensive and atherosclerotic groups. Liposome uptake was
      significantly higher in the atherosclerotic group of animals (P less than 0.05).
      Avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase staining for monocyte/macrophage cells revealed
      that liposome uptake increased concomitantly with arterial wall
      monocyte/macrophage cellular invasion and that liposome localization, determined
      by autoradiography, paralleled the monocyte/macrophage cellular distribution in
      both hypertensive and atherosclerotic arterial walls. This study provides the
      first direct evidence that liposomes can escape from the circulation and enter
      the diseased arterial wall. Furthermore, it suggests that one possible mechanism
      of arterial wall uptake of liposomes is via the monocyte/macrophage cell which
      avidly and preferentially engulfs liposomes and then passively carries them into
      the arterial wall during hypertensive and atherosclerotic lesion development.
      Liposomes could potentially be used to carry agents into the arterial wall in the
      study of arterial wall lesion development.

PMID- 1854359
TI  - The ratio of ankle and arm arterial pressure as an independent predictor of
      mortality.
AB  - We carefully ascertained deaths for a cohort of 744 patients who had undergone
      noninvasive testing for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a
      university affiliated, community hospital. Using a ratio of the ankle and
      brachial blood pressures (ABI) of less than 0.85 as the criteria, the relative
      risk (RR) for total mortality associated with PAD was 2.36 (95% CL = 1.60, 3.48)
      after adjusting for baseline covariates in a proportional hazards model. There
      was a strong trend for increasing risk with decreasing ABI (P less than 0.0001).
      Specific causes of death for which survival was directly related to the magnitude
      of ABI were myocardial infarctions, and deaths other than vascular disease and
      cancer. There was no relationship between ABI and the risk of mortality from
      cancer. The mortality experience of those with normal ABI was very similar to
      that of the general U.S. population (age adjusted RR = 1.14, 95% CL = 0.78,
      1.61), whereas the risk for those with an ABI less than 0.4 was markedly elevated
      in comparison to the U.S. population (RR = 4.49, 95% CL = 3.52, 5.64). Our
      results suggest that the relatively technically simple measure of the ratio of
      ankle to brachial blood pressures, if low, carries a very poor prognosis and
      should prompt investigation and treatment of atherosclerotic disease in other
      vascular systems.

PMID- 1854360
TI  - Serum selenium and coronary heart disease risk factors in southern Italian men.
AB  - The association between serum selenium concentration and a number of coronary
      heart disease risk factors is studied in 364 males from southern Italy
      participating in the Olivetti Heart Study. Selenium correlates positively and
      significantly with serum cholesterol (r = 0.120; P = 0.022), and this positive
      association persists after adjustment for age and body mass index. Selenium
      levels in heavy smokers are lower than both light smokers and current non
      smokers, but these differences do not reach statistical significance. Selenium is
      not significantly associated with any of the other CHD risk factors (e.g.,
      triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, age, and body mass index). It is
      hypothesized that the association between selenium and serum cholesterol reported
      in this and previous studies could be due to dietary interrelationships between
      selenium intake and foods that affect serum cholesterol concentrations.

PMID- 1854361
TI  - Effects of fluvastatin (XU 62-320), an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, on the
      distribution and composition of low density lipoprotein subspecies in humans.
AB  - We studied the effect of fluvastatin (XU 62-320), a new HMG-CoA reductase
      inhibitor, on the distribution of low density lipoprotein (LDL) subspecies and
      composition in humans. As expected, fluvastatin significantly lowered serum LDL
      levels (25% after 6 weeks of therapy). In addition, treatment with fluvastatin
      changed the LDL subspecies. In the group treated with fluvastatin, 38.5% of the
      individuals showed changes in the shape of LDL absorbance profile obtained from
      density gradient ultracentrifugation and 54% of the group showed changes in the
      electrophoretic mobility of the LDL bands. Of those showing changes in
      electrophoretic mobility, the majority (78%) shifted to slightly larger, less
      dense LDL after drug therapy. However, the LDL-cholesterol/apo B ratio changes
      were relatively small in all fluvastatin-treated individuals including the group
      with changes in electrophoretic mobility, confirming that HMG-CoA reductase
      inhibitor causes relatively small and subtle changes in the distribution of LDL
      subspecies.

PMID- 1854362
TI  - Platelet membrane fluidity in type IIA, type IIB and type IV
      hyperlipoproteinemia.
AB  - Fluorescence spectroscopy, a very sensitive index for measuring the biophysical
      properties of living cell systems, was used to examine the structural order of
      intact, resting, gel-filtered platelets from hyperlipidemic subjects (n = 48, 25
      70 years) and normolipemic subjects (n = 34, 19-68 years). Fluorescence
      anisotropy (r[s]), which is inversely related to membrane fluidity, was estimated
      using 3 different fluorescent dyes, DPH, TMA-DPH, and 6-AS, known to label
      different regions of biological membranes. Increased membrane fluidity was
      observed in type IIB (n = 24, 36-62 yrs; r[s] = 0.0692 +/- 0.09) and type IV (n =
      10, 33-57 yrs; r[s] = 0.058 +/- 0.006) hyperlipidemics in comparison to type IIA
      (n = 14, 25-70 yrs; r[s] = 0.086 +/- 0.019) and control subjects (n = 24, 28-68
      yrs; r[s] = 0.079 +/- 0.012). The temperature dependency of r[s]-DPH values was
      significantly different (P less than 0.01) in platelets from type IIB and type IV
      patients compared to type IIA and control subjects of similar age. A significant
      positive correlation (P less than 0.005) between membrane fluidity and age was
      found only in healthy control subjects (n = 34, 19-68 yrs). Despite significant
      (P less than 0.01) differences in plasma lipid concentrations in hyperlipidemic
      patients and controls, significant ex vivo relations between membrane fluidity
      and lipoprotein concentrations, free fatty acid distribution, and increased age
      were found only in healthy control subjects. Plasma levels of thromboxane as well
      as serum selenium concentrations did not significantly differ between
      hypercholesterolemic, hypertriglyceridemic, and control subjects.

PMID- 1854363
TI  - Cholesterol metabolism in hypercholesterolemia-resistant rabbits.
AB  - Normal rabbits typically respond to a diet high in cholesterol with a large
      increase in the concentration of plasma cholesterol. We have previously described
      the breeding and partial characterization of a variant rabbit which does not
      respond to a high cholesterol diet with changes in plasma cholesterol
      concentration. In the present report we have characterized three components
      involved in cholesterol homeostasis: the B/E (LDL) receptor, 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity (HMG-CoA reductase, EC 1.1.1.34) and
      acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase activity (ACAT, EC 2.3.1.26) in the
      livers of the hypercholesterolemia-resistant rabbits. Using normal cholesterol
      fed rabbit [125I] beta-VLDL as a ligand, liver membranes prepared from resistant
      rabbits fed a low-cholesterol diet had 70% higher binding capacity than membranes
      from normal rabbits fed the same diet. Similar experiments demonstrated that the
      resistant rabbits had a 240% higher B/E receptor binding capacity compared to
      normal animals when liver membranes were prepared from animals fed a 0.25%
      cholesterol-enriched diet. No difference in the binding affinity of [125I]beta
      VLDL was detected in membranes prepared from normal or resistant animals. When
      fed a low-cholesterol diet, the resistant rabbits had approximately 2-fold higher
      hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity (97.4 +/- 3.5 pmol product/mg/min in resistant
      animals compared to 45 +/- 1.1 pmol product/min/mg in normal animals). The
      difference was exaggerated in animals fed the 0.25% cholesterol-enriched diet,
      73.3 +/- 5.5 vs 2.4 +/- 0.56 pmol product/min/mg for resistant and normal
      membranes respectively. The basal activity of ACAT in hepatic membranes was
      significantly lower in the resistant rabbits compared to normal rabbits (138 +/-
      11 vs 268 +/- 19 pmol cholesteryl ester/min/mg in resistant and normal rabbits
      respectively); when fed a 0.25% cholesterol-enriched diet, the enzyme was induced
      6-fold in normal animals but was increased only 2-fold in the resistant animal.
      These biochemical data suggested that the resistant rabbit maintained low
      intracellular cholesterol even when fed a cholesterol-enriched diet. Direct
      measurement of cellular cholesterol and cholesteryl esters demonstrated that the
      concentration of these lipids was significantly lower in the resistant animal
      than in normal animals with the largest differences found in the cytoplasmic
      rather than the membrane compartment. These studies demonstrate that the
      resistant rabbit manifests several quantitative differences in cholesterol
      metabolism and in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism; but these studies do
      not directly explain the underlying cause of the resistance to
      hypercholesterolemia in the resistant rabbit.

PMID- 1854364
TI  - Calcification of aortic wall in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
AB  - Development of the mineralization process in the course of atherogenesis was
      studied using the cholesterol-fed rabbit model. The aorta samples were
      investigated by means of proton and electron microprobes, infrared spectroscopy
      and X-ray diffraction as well as selected histochemical staining. Blood serum was
      analysed every 2 weeks to determine the content of cholesterol, triglycerides,
      inorganic phosphorus, ionized calcium, elemental composition as well as activity
      of alkaline phosphatase. It was found that the administered diet did not disturb
      the calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Histochemical findings confirmed the
      formation of lipid-rich lesions blocking the lumen of the vessel. The dystrophic
      calcification was observed only in the atheroma, while in the tunica media a
      slight mineralization similar to that found in controls was observed after 210
      days of the diet. In the atheroma the only phase detected was a defective
      hydroxyapatite. The perfection of the crystals, as well as the diameter of the
      deposits, increased during the course of the diet reaching about 2 microns after
      210 days. The crystals were not contaminated with carbonate groups regardless of
      the duration of the diet.

PMID- 1854365
TI  - Effect of insulin, glucagon or dexamethasone on the production of apolipoprotein
      A-IV in cultured rat hepatocytes.
AB  - We studied the effects of insulin, glucagon or dexamethasone on the production of
      apolipoprotein A-IV (apo A-IV) by cultured rat hepatocytes, using specific
      radioimmunoassay for rat apo A-IV. We also compared the effect of these hormones
      on the production of apo A-IV with those of albumin and apo A-I, reported
      previously. In the absence of hormones, apo A-IV and albumin in culture medium
      increased almost linearly for periods up to 24 h. The rates of accumulation of
      apo A-IV and albumin in the medium were 15.4 ng/mg cell protein per h and 1.2
      micrograms/mg cell protein per h, respectively. The concentration of
      intracellular apo A-IV remained constant during the incubation. Insulin
      stimulated the production of albumin, but inhibited the production of apo A-IV
      dose-dependently. Glucagon inhibited the production of both albumin, and apo A-IV
      dose-dependently. Dexamethasone showed no significant effects on albumin
      production, but stimulated apo A-IV production. Thus, apo A-IV production in
      hepatocytes is regulated by several hormones with different effects on albumin
      production. The regulatory effects of these hormones on apo A-IV production were
      almost identical with the effects observed in a course of apo A-I synthesis,
      suggesting that the production of the two apoproteins are regulated by similar
      mechanisms.

PMID- 1854366
TI  - Fat distribution and gender differences in serum lipids in men and women from
      four European communities.
AB  - We studied male/female differences in serum lipids in randomly selected 38-year
      old men (n = 337) and women (n = 342) from various cities in The Netherlands,
      Sweden, Italy, and Poland. Overall, men had higher triglycerides and total
      cholesterol levels and lower HDL-levels compared to women (P less than 0.001).
      Adjustment for smoking habits, city, and body mass index did not remove the
      gender difference. Further adjustments for waist circumference alone and
      waist/hip and waist/thigh circumference ratio removed the gender differences in
      serum triglycerides and total cholesterol. Only adjustment for waist/thigh ratio
      removed the gender difference in HDL-cholesterol but linear relationships were
      different in men and women. The average male/female difference in serum lipids,
      particularly for total and LDL-cholesterol varied considerably among centers. In
      analyses of the data from the separate centers we found that sex differences in
      serum triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol in all 4 centers disappeared when
      adjusted for waist circumference alone and for waist/hip and waist/thigh ratio.
      For total and LDL-cholesterol, however, adjustment for circumference ratios
      tended to increase the male/female difference in 2 of the 4 centers. It is
      concluded that, in European men and women, fat distribution may be responsible
      for male/female differences in serum triglycerides but that such conclusions are
      less clear for HDL-, total- and LDL-cholesterol.

PMID- 1854367
TI  - Formation of a lipid gradient across the human aortic wall during ageing and the
      development of atherosclerosis.
AB  - The smooth muscle cell invasion and macrophage stimulation within the intima
      during prolonged exposure to high blood levels of cholesterol esters contribute
      to increased production of connective tissue matrix. The thickened intima in turn
      immobilising more LDL derived lipid from the plasma. With damage to the internal
      elastic lamellae, from essential hypertension, the absorbed lipid can move down a
      concentration gradient into the medial tissue. This model was supported by our
      laboratory finding of a lipid gradient across the aorta wall. The gradient
      commenced shortly after completion of body growth, when the transmedial gradient
      became detectable. The slope of the gradient progressively increased during
      ageing. Association of the lipid medial gradient with the degree of
      atherosclerotic involvement suggested that the gradient influenced the
      development of intimal lesions. Accumulation of lipid within the medial tissue
      may then reduce the inward lipid transfer rate from the intima, promoting
      increased intimal retention and cause the formation of atherosclerotic plaques
      from the fat saturated intima.

PMID- 1854368
TI  - Diet-induced alteration in the activity of plasma lipid transfer protein in
      normolipidemic human subjects.
AB  - Studies were performed to investigate the effect of diets rich in oleic or
      linoleic acids on the activity of plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein
      (CETP) in normolipidemic subjects. Previous to the test diets, all subjects
      consumed a baseline diet rich in saturated fatty acids ("sat-diet") for 17 days.
      The test diets, rich in either monounsaturated fatty acids ("mono-diet") or rich
      in polyunsaturated fatty acids ("poly-diet"), were given for 5 weeks to 52
      normolipidemic healthy volunteers. The activity of CETP was measured, using a
      method independent of endogenous plasma lipoproteins, as the rate of exchange of
      radioactive cholesteryl oleate between labelled LDL and unlabelled HDL. The "mono
      diet" induced a statistically significant decrease in CETP activity (from 115 +/-
      20 to 102 +/- 19 units/ml plasma, P less than 0.01), while the small decrease on
      the "poly-diet" (from 111 +/- 23 to 107 +/- 22 units/ml plasma) did not reach
      significancy. The percentual decrease in CETP activity induced by the "mono-diet"
      was higher than that induced by the "poly-diet" as was also found for the
      decrease in LDL cholesterol. In both diet groups a positive correlation was found
      between changes in CETP activity and changes in plasma total or (VLDL + LDL)
      cholesterol. The results suggest that high levels of dietary monounsaturated
      fatty acids may result in decreased plasma CETP activity, as well as LDL
      cholesterol levels. The mechanisms of these effects, and their possible
      interrelations, remain to be established.

PMID- 1854369
TI  - Models of arterial aneurysm: for the investigation of pathogenesis and
      pharmacotherapy--a review.
AB  - Arterial aneurysms continue to provide a clinical challenge for neurosurgeons and
      vascular surgeons. Many different animal models have been developed in which the
      pathogenesis, growth, rupture and treatment of these aneurysms can be
      investigated. These animal models have been reviewed here, with the focus on
      saccular aneurysms in the muscular cerebral arteries and fusiform aneurysms in
      the elastic aorta. Consideration of the animal models described indicates
      appropriate experimental models and new directions for the development of
      improved models in which to test the effects of pharmacologic factors in limiting
      the growth and rupture of aneurysms.

PMID- 1854370
TI  - Bone collagen, mineral and trace element composition, histomorphometry and
      urinary hydroxyproline excretion in chronically-treated alcohol-fed rats.
AB  - (1) We examined the possibility that enhanced fragility of the bony skeleton in
      alcohol abusers may be a consequence of a reduction in collagen composition. Male
      rats were fed a liquid diet containing 36% of total calories as ethanol; controls
      were pair-fed iso-caloric glucose. At 3, 7 and 14 days of treatment, collagen
      contents of tibia were unaltered, but small and significant reductions (15-30%)
      were observed at 28 and 42 days of treatment. Urinary hydroxyproline excretion
      was increased by 40-60% at 42 days of treatment, suggesting enhanced collagen
      degradation. (2) Bones of rats treated with ethanol for 42 days had significantly
      reduced mineral content (approximately 20%) with accompanying reductions in
      phosphate, calcium, copper and magnesium, but not sodium or potassium. Water
      content was unaltered, but tibial zinc and iron were increased by approximately
      15%. (3) Histomorphometric analysis of bones taken at 42 days showed significant
      reductions in cortical bone thickness of lower tibia (by 28%). The thickness of
      the upper cortices and cancellous bone of the tibia was unaffected. Reductions in
      trabecular bone volume (approx. 25%) did not achieve statistical significance.
      (4) These observations are consistent with the known enhanced fragility of bones
      in alcoholic rats. The regional susceptibility of the tibia may be related to
      reduced load bearing as a result of muscle atrophy.

PMID- 1854371
TI  - Pituitary gonadal functioning in male alcoholics in an Indian psychiatric
      hospital.
AB  - Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone and hepatic functions were
      measured in 38 male alcoholics and in 24 male control subjects. Significant
      elevation of serum LH and a trend of low serum testosterone were noted with scant
      evidence of advanced liver disease. None of the alcoholics had clinical stigmata
      of hypogonadism and feminization.

PMID- 1854372
TI  - A century of alcoholism conferences: unchanging themes.
AB  - Modern conferences on alcoholism receive research papers and stimulate
      multidisciplinary discussion, but this is not new, similar events took place 100
      years ago. The published proceedings of Chester's conference of 1895 are reviewed
      and compared with recent conferences. Subjects then included alcohol's effect on
      the foetus, particular facets of women's drinking and increased availability in
      grocer's shops, the young and evaluation of educational programmes, alcohol in
      the workplace, long term control studies on alcoholics, laboratory studies on
      reaction time, attitude of the popular press, effects of restrictions in outlets
      and hours and lessons to be learnt from such in Scotland, and political and
      legislative remedies including evidence from Scandinavia. A full knowledge of
      earlier research and experience may modify current thinking and prevent simple
      repetition of previous endeavour.

PMID- 1854373
TI  - The effect of fructose on alcohol metabolism and on the [lactate]/[pyruvate]
      ratio in man.
AB  - Ten male subjects were given alcohol by intravenous infusion and maintained at a
      constant blood alcohol level. The rate of alcohol metabolism was measured before
      and after an oral dose of fructose (100 g), as the amount of alcohol required to
      maintain the steady state. The mean rate of alcohol metabolism increased by 80%
      after fructose but there was considerable variation among the subjects, which was
      related to their plasma fructose concentrations. Blood lactate increased after
      fructose to a greater degree than blood pyruvate, resulting in a significant
      increase in [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio. Since fructose increased the
      [lactate]/[pyruvate] ratio when it increased alcohol metabolism, the action of
      fructose cannot be explained by a decrease in the liver cytoplasmic [NADH]/[NAD]
      ratio and some other mechanism must be sought.

PMID- 1854374
TI  - Does alcohol modify responses to reward in a competitive task?
AB  - Alcohol in two doses (0.75g/kg and 0.25/kg) and a placebo were administered to
      three matched groups of subjects. Subjective ratings and breath alcohol levels
      were completed pre-intake and at 30 min intervals up to 2 hr after intake. At 1
      hr post-intake, the subjects took part in a competitive task with increasing
      rewards during which cardiac and electrodermal activity were monitored. Alcohol
      had very little effect. It did not affect the level of reward administered nor
      the physiological parameters measured. The only mood effect was sedation. There
      was no evidence of tension reduction or response disinhibition.

PMID- 1854375
TI  - The effects of alcohol and other drugs on psychomotor performance and cognitive
      function.
AB  - The effects of four doses of alcohol (0.25 g/kg-1 g/kg) and placebo on a standard
      test battery of cognitive and psychomotor performance are described. The tests
      included critical flicker fusion threshold, choice reaction time, tracking and
      memory scanning. The results of this experiment are compared with those of a
      number of similar studies which examined the effects of other psychoactive
      substances. Using relative effect sizes, the behavioural toxicity of alcohol is
      compared with the effects of these other drugs on psychomotor performance and
      cognitive function.

PMID- 1854376
TI  - A three-sample test of a masked alcohol screening questionnaire.
AB  - The study tested an expanded version of a masked alcohol screening instrument
      developed by Wallace and Haines [Use of a questionnaire in general practice to
      increase recognition of patients with excessive alcohol consumption. British
      Medical Journal 290, 1949-1953 (1985)]. The alcohol subscales include the CAGE,
      consumption, trauma, medical advice, past problems, and present problems with
      alcohol. There is preliminary evidence of the construct validity and reliability
      of the Health Screening Survey (HSS). As expected the HSS was sensitive in known
      populations of alcoholics (0.96; 0.95) correctly identifying at least 95% of the
      alcoholic patients recruited from two treatment centers. Specificity was adequate
      with identified nonalcoholics (0.80; 0.70). It was also sensitive in a community
      primary care sample, correctly classifying 78% of the subjects meeting DSM-III
      criteria for alcohol abuse and/or dependence. There were gender differences in
      the validity of the subscales in the community sample with alcoholic males more
      likely to report problems on the questionnaire than alcoholic females. Based on
      results, the HSS was revised to improve validity.

PMID- 1854377
TI  - Alcohol consumption in young adults in the rural communities of Spain.
AB  - In the spring of 1987, the patterns of alcohol consumption in 1,886 young people
      (14-30 years old) from the rural communities (less than 10,000 inhabitants) of
      Castile and Leon (Spain) were analysed. 64.1% of the young adults took alcoholic
      drinks at least once a week, while 24.4% were 'daily' consumers. Beer (56%) was
      the preferred drink, followed by gin (22.4%) and wine (21.3%). The age of
      starting to drink was close to 16 years old and the alcohol intake per capita was
      19 g/day. Both frequency and intake were higher among males and at weekends. The
      main reported reason for drinking was 'because I like its taste' (39.1%). The
      results confirm the common consumption of alcoholic drinks among Spanish young
      adults, the establishment of beer as the preferred drink and the more extensive
      consumption of alcohol by males and at weekends.

PMID- 1854378
TI  - [Biology of the human immunodeficiency virus: a review].
AB  - The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a retrovirus responsible for the condition
      known as AIDS is presented from its biologic perspective. The viral structure and
      its relation to the pathogenesis of the infection is described. The course of the
      cellular infection is described and its relation to the manifestation of disease.
      The technology for detection of viral infection is described and the importance
      of seropositivity. The manifestations are described in relation to the virus as
      well as the possible intervention. There is still no alternative but education.

PMID- 1854379
TI  - Career choice and professional trajectory of Fifth Pathway students.
AB  - We have studied the professional trajectory of 177 participants of the Fifth
      Pathway Program of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine between July
      1973 and June 1987. Eighty six per cent of the students were Puerto Rican. Sixty
      seven per cent had studied in the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. Ninety
      seven per cen of the respondents specialized and 39 per cent subspecialized;
      sixty nine per cent selected primary care specialties. Eighty three per cent of
      the fifth pathway participants are licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico
      and 37% are licensed to practice in one or more of 21 states of the Nation.
      Twenty one per cent held academic positions and 11.4 per cent were department
      chairpersons or chiefs of sections. The professional trajectory of Fifth Pathway
      participants is similar to that of medical graduates of the University of Puerto
      Rico School of Medicine.

PMID- 1854380
TI  - The Raffucci forum and honor lecture--10 years later.

PMID- 1854381
TI  - Surgical education--a dinosaur in the medical education closet.

PMID- 1854382
TI  - Ultratrace minerals mythical elixirs or nutrients of concern?
AB  - Demonstration of the nutritional significance of the ultratrace elements has
      resulted from studies indicating enhanced need in organisms exposed to various
      metabolic, hormonal, physiological and nutritional stresses. These studies
      indicate that some ultratrace elements, namely boron and silicon, will be found
      to be nutritionally important. The dietary lack of these elements may result in
      suboptimal function and composition of bone and brain.

PMID- 1854383
TI  - Carnitine and lipid metabolism.
AB  - Carnitine, a short-chain nitrogen containing carboxylic acid, is found in meat
      and dairy foods. Carnitine aids in a shuttle process that makes long-chain, fatty
      acid coenzyme A derivatives available for B-oxidation. Normal healthy adults have
      adequate carnitine stores and do not require dietary carnitine. However,
      neonates, chronically and critically ill patients with decreased muscle and liver
      carnitine store seem to benefit from carnitine supplementation to enhance their
      tolerance of metabolic stress.

PMID- 1854384
TI  - [Post-mortem cesarean sections in Puerto Rico, 1805-1807].
AB  - The idea of saving an infant by incising the abdomen of the recently deceased
      mother was first put into practice in ancient times, and the Catholic Church
      endorsed its use to provide baptism for the infant's soul. The practice received
      official support in Madrid in 1804 with a Real Cedula (royal order) of Charles IV
      to the civilian and ecclesiastic officials of the Indies and the Philippines.
      This operation was used, before the cedula, in Spain, Mexico, Venezuela and Peru,
      but in Puerto Rico this order seems to have provoked the practice of post-mortem
      caesarean section. In a review of burial records of the San Juan cathedral for
      1797 to 1814, one such operation is mentioned (1807), but the records of Cayey (a
      town in the mountains) from 1801 to 1812 show three cases (1805-6). We transcribe
      here (with modern spelling) the cedula and burial certificates, and we then
      comment on their significance.

PMID- 1854385
TI  - Prevalence of the microbiologic flora in contact lens wearers at the Puerto Rico
      Medical Center.
AB  - The prevalence of microbioogic flora was determined in a convenience sample of
      contact lens wearers at the Puerto Rico Medical Center, ophthalmology clinics
      obtaining cultures from the conjunctival fornices. Gram positive bacterial
      prevalence was 100% in the control group, as well as in rigid gas permeable lens
      wearers. In the soft contact lens group, gram positive bacterial prevalence was
      94.7%. On the other hand prevalence of Gram negative bacteria is null in the soft
      contact lens wearer population, being only 2.5% in control group, and 45.5% for
      Rigid Gas Permeable wearers. These contact lens wearers were using different
      disinfection systems.

PMID- 1854386
TI  - Pacemaker atrial lead dislodgement and malposition inducing ventricular pacing.
AB  - Pacemaker atrial lead dislodgement inducing ventricular pacing is reviewed, and
      four such observed cases are described. This interesting complication of the
      atrial lead producing ventricular depolarization results in an array of
      electrocardiographic manifestations and vignettes. These documented experiences
      emphasize the infrequent persistence of this event, even with the utilization of
      modern atrial passive and active fixation leads.

PMID- 1854387
TI  - Bittering agents in the prevention of accidental poisoning: children's reactions
      to denatonium benzoate (Bitrex).
AB  - The responses of young children to Denatonium Benzoate (Bitrex) were observed, in
      order to assess the potential of this bittering agent in the prevention of
      accidental poisoning. Thirty-three children aged 17-36 months were offered orange
      juice containing Bitrex (in a concentration of 10 parts per million). Of the 30
      children who took some of this juice, only seven were willing to take more than
      10 gm. A variety of negative verbal and non-verbal responses were noted. It is
      suggested that the highly unpalatable nature of Bitrex makes this compound a
      useful additive that could well prevent accidental poisoning from household
      products of mild to moderate toxicity.

PMID- 1854388
TI  - A review of 7 years of complaints in an inner-city accident and emergency
      department.
AB  - In 7 years between 1982-88, 122 complaints were lodged against the Accident and
      Emergency department of King's College Hospital. A high percentage mentioned more
      than one aspect per complaint. Commonest were those regarding attitude (37.7%),
      missed diagnosis (36.6%), waiting time (32.8%), cursory examination (14.7%) and
      poor communication (11.5%). These causes of complaint are amenable to
      improvement. Training in interpersonal skills may reduce complaints of attitude.
      A high index of suspicion for the unusual and careful examination of patients
      would reduce complaints of missed diagnosis. Sufficient medical and nursing staff
      would reduce waiting time and improvements in communication with patients would
      keep this aspect to a minimum. Complaint investigation can be time consuming,
      when dissatisfaction is expressed explanations at the time of presentation by
      senior staff members may head-off a formal complaint.

PMID- 1854389
TI  - Minor procedures in the accident and emergency department: can Entonox help?
AB  - The efficacy of Entonox as a supplement to local anaesthesia for minor surgical
      procedures was studied. Eighty-five patients undergoing surgery for the incision
      and drainage of a subcutaneous abscess using a local anaesthetic were involved in
      a trial to ascertain the level of pain associated with such procedures and to
      investigate the possibility of using on-demand Entonox to supplement the local
      anaesthesia provided. Patients received either the standard local anaesthesia,
      or, alternatively, the local anaesthesia was supplemented with oxygen or Entonox
      via on-demand apparatus. Patients indicated on three linear visual analogue
      scales their pain, anxiety and total discomfort, and also on a cartoon pain
      rating scale, at different stages during the operation. Results showed that there
      was no statistically significant reduction in pain provided by the Entonox,
      despite general patient approval. Both oxygen and Entonox showed some anxiolytic
      properties. Pure oxygen was also seen to produce a rise in heart rate, while both
      gases (pure oxygen and Entonox) caused an increase in diastolic blood pressure.
      It was also seen that the patient's short term memory of the pain experienced was
      unaffected by pure oxygen or Entonox.

PMID- 1854390
TI  - Which dogs bite?
AB  - Young children (less than 11 years old) are a particular risk group for dog
      bites. Dog bites commonly occur from the family pet. Alsatian or alsatian mixes
      are the biggest group in the study causing dog bites. Alsations are a popular
      breed. By comparison Retrievers (Labrador and Golden), also a popular breed,
      caused few bites.

PMID- 1854391
TI  - A review of radiological abnormalities in 135 patients presenting with acute
      asthma.
AB  - Six hundred and ninety-five attendances were made to the Accident and Emergency
      Department of a district general hospital over a 6-month period by patients with
      acute asthma. On hundred and thirty-five chest radiographs were performed, and
      the radiologists' reports analysed. Nineteen abnormalities were reported (14%)
      which may have altered the management of the patient. It is recommended that
      chest radiographs be considered in patients who do not rapidly respond to initial
      therapy.

PMID- 1854392
TI  - Do patients presenting to accident and emergency departments have low serum
      anticonvulsant concentrations?
AB  - It is often felt that poorly controlled epileptic patients, who are taking
      anticonvulsant medication, are over represented in A&E departments compared to
      the general population. This A&E based study set out to determine whether such
      patients do have inadequate serum anticonvulsant levels, when they present
      following a seizure, to A&E departments. All epileptic patients, taking
      medication, who presented to the A&E departments of St. Bartholomew's and Hackney
      Hospitals, London, over a 4-month period were studied. Serum anticonvulsant
      concentrations were measured on their arrival in the departments. Forty-six
      patients were studied. Only 21% of anticonvulsant drug concentrations were within
      'therapeutic' ranges. A total of 66% were below 'therapeutic' ranges and 13% were
      potentially toxic. The implication of these findings is discussed.

PMID- 1854393
TI  - Hip dislocations in chronic osteomyelitis.
AB  - We present two cases of spontaneous dislocation of the hip joint due to chronic
      osteomyelitis of the upper femur. Spontaneous hip dislocations occur in certain
      pathological conditions such as poliomyelitis (Ingram, 1980), cerebral palsy
      (Howard et al., 1985), osteomyelitis and neurofibromatosis.

PMID- 1854394
TI  - Pulmonary embolism in patients attending the accident and emergency department
      with pleuritic chest pain.
AB  - A series of 92 patients presenting to an accident and emergency department with
      pleuritic chest pain is described. Only one of the patients had a diagnosis of
      pulmonary embolus. All the patients were followed up over a period of 3 months.
      During this time none of them suffered from mortality or morbidity which could be
      related to pulmonary embolism. No evidence was obtained during this study that a
      more aggressive approach to such patients is required in order to achieve the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1854395
TI  - Baby walker related injuries--a continuing problem.
AB  - Baby walkers have been associated with burns, head trauma and other types of
      injury. A retrospective study of all infants under the age of two years attending
      an accident and emergency unit demonstrated 22 injuries associated with baby
      walkers from a total of 1049 attendances. The most serious injuries were three
      skull fractures, with the most common mechanism being of a fall downstairs in the
      walker. Injury while in a baby walker occurred with a similar frequency to injury
      due to road traffic accidents. We conclude that despite previous warnings Baby
      Walkers still represent a considerable hazard to infants.

PMID- 1854396
TI  - Anterior dislocation of the restrained shoulder: a seat-belt injury.
AB  - The reduction in morbidity and mortality since the enforcement of seat-belt usage
      is well documented. Complications from the belt are also reported and the authors
      present anterior dislocation of the restrained shoulder, an injury not previously
      described. The mechanism of injury is explained and a change to the present
      standard of restraints is suggested.

PMID- 1854397
TI  - The need for ventilation holes in children's dummies.
AB  - A 2-year-old child was brought into the Accident Department with a history that
      he had swallowed his dummy. There were no direct witnesses to the injury. The
      child had come up to its mother salivating and pointing to its mouth. The initial
      incident happened approximately 20 min prior to presentation at the Accident
      Department after a 999 call. Attempts at digital removal of the dummy by
      ambulancemen had failed. The child was pink and quiet but responding to commands
      and cooperative. He had a small abrasion to his forehead presumably due to his
      initial fall when his dummy was forced into his mouth. The teat of the dummy was
      clearly visible in the pharynx. The child was able to breathe by virtue of the
      two air holes in the flange piece of the dummy.

PMID- 1854398
TI  - A chicken bone in the rectum.
AB  - A case of an ingested chicken bone lodging in the anal canal is described which
      presented as severe rectal pain. Certain people are at increased risk of foreign
      body ingestion, in particular denture wearers. The foreign body is usually
      obvious and easily removed and although the risks of perforation are not high it
      is important to exclude it by proctosigmoidoscopy following removal of the
      foreign body.

PMID- 1854399
TI  - Intraosseus needles.

PMID- 1854400
TI  - The hanging head method for the treatment of acute wry neck.

PMID- 1854401
TI  - Acyclic nucleoside and nucleotide analogues: a new class of antivirals.

PMID- 1854402
TI  - Antitumor imidazotetrazinones: prodrugs targeted to the major groove of DNA.

PMID- 1854403
TI  - Adenosine derivatives as agonists of adenosine receptors.

PMID- 1854404
TI  - Imidazolyl derivatives in medicinal chemistry.

PMID- 1854405
TI  - 2-Amino phenylhydrazine derivatives in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds of
      pharmacological interest.

PMID- 1854406
TI  - Nonpsychotropic synthetic cannabinoids as therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1854407
TI  - Nursing, then and now.

PMID- 1854408
TI  - Lyme disease update.

PMID- 1854409
TI  - Teaching early breast cancer detection strategies.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most common cancer occurring among women. Currently, breast
      cancer can be detected early and treated effectively if all asymptomatic women
      participate in the screening program. Screening strategies include a mammogram,
      medical examination of the breast, and breast self-examination. This article
      describes the nurse's role in promoting and decreasing barriers to these
      strategies for early detection of breast cancer.

PMID- 1854410
TI  - Nursing intervention with the family of the critically ill patient. Videotape: an
      option for family orientation to the critical care unit.
AB  - It is important for the critical care nurse to consider the family of the patient
      in all phases of care to the individual within the critical care setting. The
      family's structure and usual patterns of functioning will be significantly
      altered by the illness of one member. By using an "Orientation to the Critical
      Care Unit" program for the family as well as the impact variables involved, the
      nurse is better able to assist the family cope with the situation within. (This
      video orientation program was implemented at a hospital in Northeastern Ohio in
      1988 and is currently being shown to families of critical care patients. Feedback
      from nursing staff and family members has proven to be very positive.

PMID- 1854411
TI  - Innovative clinical teaching.
AB  - Participating faculty are entering their third year using this type of student
      rotation and have found that it continues to be a positive teaching-learning
      experience for faculty, staff, and students. It has enabled a greater number of
      students to enjoy a positive clinical experience in areas that previously were
      limited to a smaller number of students. Perhaps this strategy, or a part of it,
      may be of benefit to other nurse educators as a method of improving undergraduate
      clinical experiences.

PMID- 1854413
TI  - Industrial rehabilitation of mentally ill patients--Soviet perspective.

PMID- 1854412
TI  - Grand rounds for SNs and RNs.
AB  - The use of Nursing Grand Rounds as a teaching tool helps students gain clinical
      competence and become more proficient in nursing processes. Adaptation of this
      learning tool for staff development could be an important strategy for personal
      and professional growth of nurses in gerontological settings.

PMID- 1854414
TI  - Receipts.

PMID- 1854415
TI  - Reducing the pain of intramuscular (IM) injections.
AB  - The rate of administration of the drug may be a factor in pain from the injection
      site. This information, as well as other techniques to reduce the pain of IM
      injections, is presented.

PMID- 1854416
TI  - The energy of love. As nurses, we see miracles all around us.

PMID- 1854417
TI  - Estrogen replacement therapy.
AB  - In summary, oral estrogens are often prescribed to relieve menopause symptoms.
      They should not be used in women who have had breast cancer, thrombophlebitis,
      hypertension, gallstones, or undiagnosed abnormal genital bleeding. Hormone
      replacement therapy has proven to be very useful in preventing osteoporosis, hot
      flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness. More information is needed before
      they should be recommended for the prevention of heart disease in postmenopausal
      women.

PMID- 1854418
TI  - The history of nursing and politics in the United States.

PMID- 1854419
TI  - Honoring elders: empowering caregivers. Student Nurse Day. Community College of
      Philadelphia.

PMID- 1854420
TI  - The use of carbamazepine to treat benzodiazepine withdrawal in a geriatric
      population.
AB  - Rapid withdrawal of short to intermediate half-life benzodiazepines may be
      hazardous, particularly in the elderly. The use of carbamazepine to facilitate
      withdrawal has been reported in younger patients. We describe four elderly
      patients (average age, 72.5 years) who had each experienced at least one
      unsuccessful attempt at alprazolam withdrawal and who were subsequently
      successfully withdrawn via the use of carbamazepine over a period ranging from 2
      to 6 days. These geriatric patients experienced no major withdrawal symptoms, but
      mild symptoms were common. There was no correlation between dose or duration of
      alprazolam use and extent of withdrawal symptoms. We recommend use of this
      treatment regimen in a hospital setting only, where close monitoring can occur.

PMID- 1854422
TI  - Hydergine in Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1854421
TI  - Adult dementia due to intraneuronal accumulation of ceroidlipofuscinosis (Kufs'
      disease): ultrastructural study of two cases.
AB  - Two cases, a man and a woman, presented the initial signs of progressive dementia
      at about age 40 years. Aphasia, facial dyskinesias, and ataxia were associated
      with behavioral disturbances in the first patient. Aphasia, oculomotor
      disturbances, and ataxia coexisted with dementia in the second patient. In both
      cases, ultrastructural examination of a cerebral biopsy showed intraneuronal
      granular osmiophilic deposits mixed with lamellar structures and fingerprint
      profiles. Such deposits are characteristic of Kufs' disease. In the first
      patient, brain autopsy was performed 3 years after cerebral biopsy. Our two cases
      presenting dementia with motor disturbances correspond to type B Kufs' disease.

PMID- 1854423
TI  - Response to treatment of depression in the old and very old.
AB  - Treatment responses were monitored in 101 depressed patients, ranging in age from
      64 to 92 years, hospitalized on a geropsychiatry unit. Forty-six percent of the
      patients received ECT. Medications were used in the majority of patients.
      Responses were assessed with both depression inventories (Beck Depression
      Inventory and Geriatric Depression Scale) and physician-rated global improvement
      scores. Advanced age was not associated with poor outcome. ECT was the most
      important variable associated with a good response, regardless of age.

PMID- 1854424
TI  - Psychiatric symptoms in cases of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - All incident cases of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease were identified
      through the unique record linkage system of the Mayo Clinic. Thirty-nine (32%) of
      the sample of 122 had a psychiatric history that preceded the onset of CDAD by at
      least 3 years. Twenty-five percent of the study population had had an episode of
      delirium within 2 years of the onset of CDAD. Eighty-four percent of the cases
      had psychiatric symptoms in the course of CDAD that were documented in their
      medical records. Specific symptom patterns included agitation, combativeness,
      confusion and disorientation, depression, psychosis, and wandering. These
      symptoms occurred more frequently in clusters than singularly.

PMID- 1854425
TI  - Tardive dyskinesia in Alzheimer's disease: clinical features and neuropathologic
      correlates.
AB  - Medical record review was conducted on 14 patients with neuropathologically
      confirmed Alzheimer's disease, all of whom had been treated with antipsychotic
      medications, to determine the relationship between neuropathology and the
      development of tardive dyskinesia. Four cases were found to have chart
      descriptions of hyperkinetic movement disorders consistent with tardive
      dyskinesia. When the group with tardive dyskinesia was compared to the group
      without tardive dyskinesia, there were no statistically significant differences
      regarding gender, age of onset of dementia, duration of dementia, age at death,
      or duration of antipsychotic treatment. Neuropathologic comparisons revealed
      greater degenerative changes in the substantia nigra in those patients with
      tardive dyskinesia. These preliminary observations suggest that patients with
      Alzheimer's disease and significant coexisting substantia nigra pathologic
      changes may be at higher risk for developing tardive dyskinesia when treated with
      antipsychotic medication.

PMID- 1854426
TI  - Differential diagnosis of dementia: intra- and interdiscipline agreement.
AB  - Ninety clinicians from six disciplines diagnosed ten case descriptions of
      patients, judged by a multidisciplinary expert committee to suffer from dementia.
      Five cases were diagnosed before and five after a consensus meeting on the
      diagnosis of dementia. A significant change in the level of agreement between the
      disciplines could not be established. The analysis did show a significant
      difference between the disciplines in the use of etiologic diagnoses. The results
      indicated that, in order to avoid possible bias caused by medical specialization,
      a multidisciplinary approach for this type of patient is recommended.

PMID- 1854427
TI  - Geriatric epilepsy: a review.
AB  - After the turn of the century, the proportion of population over 60 years of age
      is expected to be over 20%. Recent epidemiologic studies show a higher incidence
      of new-onset epilepsy in the population over 60 years of age compared with
      preceding decades of life. The predominant seizure type in up to 80% of these new
      cases of epilepsy is simple and complex partial manifestation. This paper reviews
      the literature documenting the increased incidence of partial seizures in the
      aging population, explores the known etiologies of new-onset epilepsy, and uses
      five case vignettes presenting with complex partial symptomatology.

PMID- 1854428
TI  - Cellular interactions in asthma.
AB  - Immediate phase of asthma is induced by mast cells. Late phase asthmatic response
      is related to other cells such as, macrophages, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and
      could pass to chronicity and is usually associated with bronchial
      hyperreactivity. Pathological or functional studies of the different cells
      involved, could be done in peripheral blood, broncho-alveolar lavage, bronchial
      biopsies or nasal lavages.

PMID- 1854429
TI  - Nocturnal asthma: a model of chronobiologic and pathophysiologic interactions.
AB  - Nocturnal asthma is an important component of asthma, which affects more than 90%
      of asthmatics. It has a relationship with morbidity and mortality in 70% of
      cases. The most vulnerable period is between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with a peak at 4
      a.m. Nocturnal asthma undoubtedly creates a consideration of many complex
      factors, of which some are circadian.

PMID- 1854430
TI  - [Specific immunotherapy using Alpha-Fraction-Retard-D. pteronyssinus. Double
      blind study in asthma].
AB  - A multicenter, double blind clinical study on two homogeneous, treated and
      untreated groups, has allowed an objective appreciation of the results of
      specific immunotherapy using the alpha-fraction of D. pteronyssinus in asthma. A
      statistically significant difference was seen of the consumption of drugs in the
      treated group and in infants of less than 5 years (p = 0.047). Tolerance,
      evaluated as a function of local and secondary effects was excellent and
      comparable in the two groups.

PMID- 1854431
TI  - Biochemical activities of entomophagous fungi.
AB  - This review is directed toward the study of the physiology and biochemistry of
      parasitic fungi on insects and stresses the usefulness and utility of these
      organisms from the standpoint of applied research and biotechnology. The review
      covers the principal contributions made by investigators toward elucidation of
      the infective mechanisms of the entomogenous fungi, and the various biochemical
      attributes of these organisms. The interplay of the various enzymes and
      associated biochemical substances which are involved in the infective process is
      discussed as well as the important studies of the peculiar physiology frequently
      associated with these microorganisms.

PMID- 1854432
TI  - Enterococci in milk and milk products.
AB  - Enterococci are widely distributed in nature. They gain entry into milk and milk
      products through the water supply, equipment, and insanitary and unhygienic
      conditions of production and handling. They have been incriminated as direct or
      indirect agents of disease. The evidence concerning their involvement is only
      circumstantial. These reports are also disputed as the disease symptoms have not
      been experimentally induced in animal models. However, there is sufficient
      evidence to indicate that prolific growth of enterococci in foods may lead to
      formation of clinically significant levels of pressor amines. These amines are
      very thermostable and therefore remain active even after heat processing, which
      eliminates all viable streptococci. These pressor amines may be involved in the
      onset of migraine attacks and produce hypersensitive crises in psychiatric
      patients who are being treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors for depression.

PMID- 1854433
TI  - Interfaces of the yeast killer phenomenon.
AB  - A new prophylactic and therapeutic antimicrobial strategy based on a specific
      physiological target that is effectively used by killer yeasts in their natural
      ecological competition is theorized. The natural system exploited is the yeast
      killer phenomenon previously adopted as an epidemiological marker for
      intraspecific differentiation of opportunistic yeasts, hyphomycetes, and
      bacteria. Pathogenic microorganisms (Candida albicans) may be susceptible to the
      activity of yeast killer toxins due to the presence of specific cell wall
      receptors. On the basis of the idiotypic network, we report that antiidiotypic
      antibodies, produced against a monoclonal antibody bearing the receptor-like
      idiotype, are in vivo protecting animals immunized through idiotypic vaccination
      and in vitro mimicking the antimicrobial activity of yeast killer toxins, thus
      acting as antibiotics.

PMID- 1854434
TI  - Beyond water activity: recent advances based on an alternative approach to the
      assessment of food quality and safety.
AB  - Water, the most abundant constituent of natural foods, is a ubiquitous
      plasticizer of most natural and fabricated food ingredients and products. Many of
      the new concepts and developments in modern food science and technology revolve
      around the role of water, and its manipulation, in food manufacturing,
      processing, and preservation. This article reviews the effects of water, as a
      near-universal solvent and plasticizer, on the behavior of polymeric (as well as
      oligomeric and monomeric) food materials and systems, with emphasis on the impact
      of water content (in terms of increasing system mobility and eventual water
      "availability") on food quality, safety, stability, and technological
      performance. This review describes a new perspective on moisture management, an
      old and established discipline now evolving to a theoretical basis of fundamental
      structure-property principles from the field of synthetic polymer science,
      including the innovative concepts of "water dynamics" and "glass dynamics". These
      integrated concepts focus on the non-equilibrium nature of all "real world" food
      products and processes, and stress the importance to successful moisture
      management of the maintenance of food systems in kinetically metastable,
      dynamically constrained glassy states rather than equilibrium thermodynamic
      phases. The understanding derived from this "food polymer science" approach to
      water relationships in foods has led to new insights and advances beyond the
      limited applicability of traditional concepts involving water activity. This
      article is neither a conventional nor comprehensive review of water activity, but
      rather a critical overview that presents and discusses current, usable
      information on moisture management theory, research, and practice applicable to
      food systems covering the broadest ranges of moisture content and
      processing/storage temperature conditions.

PMID- 1854435
TI  - Hydrolysis kinetics of 1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione (a potential salicylamide
      prodrug) and various N-substituted derivatives.
AB  - The kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis of 1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione and its N
      methyl and N-benzoyl derivatives were studied in aqueous solution to provide
      basic information on the reactivity of the benzoxazinedione structure and to
      assess the potential of unsubstituted 1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione as a prodrug for
      salicylamide. The compounds were found to hydrolyze quantitatively to the parent
      salicylamide. The pH-rate profiles obtained at pH 1-11 were accounted for by a
      spontaneous or water-catalyzed reaction which predominated at pH 1-4 and a
      hydroxide ion-catalyzed reaction. The rates of hydrolysis were catalyzed slightly
      in the presence of human plasma and rat liver homogenate, the exception being the
      N-benzoyl derivative which was hydrolyzed very fast in plasma solutions to N
      benzoylsalicylamide. The aqueous solubility and lipophilicity characteristics of
      1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione were determined. The results obtained suggest that the
      latter may function as a prodrug for salicylamide with the potential of
      depressing the extensive first-pass metabolism of salicylamide following oral or
      rectal administration.

PMID- 1854436
TI  - Synthesis and antiinflammatory activity of indole carboxylic acids and esters.
AB  - 1-Phenylalkylindole-3-carboxylic acids 1-4, indole-1-acetic acids/esters 5-10 and
      the hydrazones 11-15 were prepared and submitted to the rat paw edema test using
      carrageenin. In the first two groups of compounds, the 2-chloro indoles were more
      active than the corresponding indole derivatives. In the third group the activity
      seemed to be determined largely by the substituent at the 1-position.

PMID- 1854437
TI  - Prodrugs of cimetidine with increased lipophilicity: N-acyloxymethyl and N
      alkoxycarbonyl derivatives.
AB  - Bioreversible derivatization of cimetidine to afford more lipophilic prodrugs was
      performed by N-acyloxymethylation of its imidazole group as well as by N
      acylation with various chloroformates. Both the N-acyloxymethyl and N
      alkoxycarbonyl derivatives were readily hydrolyzed to cimetidine in human plasma
      and in rat liver homogenate. The pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of the
      derivatives were derived at 60 degrees C. The derivatives were all more
      lipophilic than the parent drug as determined by partition experiments in octanol
      aqueous buffer systems. In vitro studies using the modified Ussing-chamber
      technique showed that some derivatives possessed increased permeability
      coefficients for the transport across the rat jejunum relative to cimetidine. The
      results obtained suggest that these derivatives may be useful to improve the
      biomembrane transport characteristics of the hydrophilic cimetidine.

PMID- 1854438
TI  - Inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain by alkylthiolated 2,3-dicyano-1,4
      benzoquinones.
AB  - A series of alkylthiolated 2,3-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinones was synthesized and
      tested for the effects on the respiratory chain in beef heart mitochondria as an
      antimetabolite of ubiquinones (coenzyme Q). It was proved that these analogs are
      among the best inhibitors of both succinate oxidase and NADH oxidase systems. The
      introduction of a 2,3-dicyano group to the quinone ring was found to be more
      favorable for inhibitory activity than 2,3-dimethoxy, 2,3-dimethyl groups and
      bicyclic quinones such as 2,3-ethylenedioxy-1,4-benzoquinones and 1,4
      naphthoquinones. The inhibitory activity was minimally sensitive to the length of
      the alkylthio side-chain. On the other hand, the difference spectra of reduced
      minus oxidized forms of cytochromes were investigated to identify the inhibitory
      site, suggesting that alkylthiolated 2,3-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinones inhibit at
      sites between the substrates (succinate and NADH) and cytochrome b, and at the
      site after cytochrome a + a3 in the respiratory chain.

PMID- 1854439
TI  - Solution of a Fab (26-10)/digoxin complex by generalized molecular replacement.
AB  - The structures of a Fab fragment of a monoclonal murine antidigoxin antibody (26
      10) complexed with digoxin and of a mutant of the Fab itself have been solved by
      molecular replacement. The solution strategy employed a generalization of
      molecular replacement. Prior to translation searches, a large number of the
      highest rotation-function peaks were subjected to a rigid-body refinement against
      the linear correlation coefficient between intensities of observed and calculated
      structure factors in which first the overall orientation of the model and then
      the orientations and translations of the individual domains (VH, VL, CH1 and CL)
      were refined. This procedure clearly identified the correct orientation of the
      search model. Furthermore, it produced a significant and unambiguous solution for
      the translation search. After rigid-body refinement, the R factor was in the low
      forties at 8-2.5 and 8-2.7 A resolution for the Fab mutant and the Fab/digoxin
      complex, respectively. One round of simulated annealing refinement of all atomic
      positions reduced the R factor to the low twenties in both cases.

PMID- 1854440
TI  - Ab initio phase determination for X-ray diffraction data from crystals of a
      native protein.
AB  - An efficient algorithm for the determination of an everywhere positive electron
      density distribution that agrees with observed structure amplitudes has been used
      to determine the phases of X-ray diffraction data from recombinant bovine
      chymosin, a protein with 323 amino-acid residues in the molecular chain whose
      structure was recently determined using molecular replacement methods. A
      systematic procedure for testing the signs of centric reflections, using the
      total entropy of the map as a figure of merit, was used to produce a low
      resolution map. The phases of acentric and additional centric reflections were
      then chosen by adding them to the map with various possible phases and computing
      the total entropy of the resulting map. Of 159 centric reflections whose phases
      were chosen by this procedure, 141 had the same phase as in the refined
      structure. The median absolute phase difference for 1811 acentric reflections was
      32 degrees. A map produced from these 1970 reflections, out of 12,346 reflections
      in the data set, showed a remarkable agreement with the refined structure. This
      molecule is many times larger than any whose structures have previously been
      determined without the use of isomorphous replacement, molecular replacement or
      anomalous dispersion, and the map demonstrates the potential of maximum-entropy
      methods in macromolecular structure determination.

PMID- 1854441
TI  - Acid-abrasive enamel reduction for tooth color correction.
AB  - The purpose of this article is to present an acid-abrasion ("enamel
      microabrasion") technique which can eliminate superficial enamel discoloration.
      The technique provides a conservative alternative for some patients who might
      otherwise have received porcelain or composite resin veneer restorations.

PMID- 1854442
TI  - Root caries: some facts and treatment methods.
AB  - It has been projected that by the year 2000 every fifth person in the United
      States will be 65 or older, and root caries will create special restorative needs
      for this population. This article discusses the characteristics of root caries,
      the clinical conditions that should be anticipated in diagnosing it, their
      histologic and bacteriologic aspects, the misleading factors in radiographic
      diagnosis, the specific and general treatment concepts, the advantages and
      disadvantages of the popular restorative materials, and the principles applied in
      specific patients requiring restorations for root caries.

PMID- 1854443
TI  - Microleakage of three resin placement techniques.
AB  - The microleakage associated with three composite resin placement techniques was
      compared using Class V preparations that extended just beyond the cemento-enamel
      junction of extracted human molars. The placement techniques were evaluated in
      conjunction with four adhesive bonding agents. The restored teeth were stored in
      tap water for 24 hours and then thermally stressed for 100 temperature cycles.
      Marginal leakage was assessed by measuring the linear penetration of a dye
      solution. Dye penetration was minimized by using an incremental placement
      procedure in which the first increment was placed in the coronal portion of the
      cavity, extended down to the gingivo-axial line angle, and cured. The second
      increment was used to fill the remainder of the preparation.

PMID- 1854444
TI  - Marginal ridge strength in Class II tunnel restorations.
AB  - This in vitro study evaluated the compressive fracture resistance of marginal
      ridges of teeth with Class II tunnel preparations. Tunnel preparations were
      completed in extracted human bicuspid and molar teeth (bicuspids, bur size: #2,
      #4, #6; molars, bur size: #4, #6, #8). Control teeth in both the molar and
      bicuspid groups remained unprepared. Half the preparations in each group were
      restored with a glass ionomer cermet. After thermocycling, each marginal ridge
      was loaded in compression in an Instron Universal testing machine. Fracture
      values were compared with a two-factor ANOVA. A Dunnet post hoc test was used to
      compare the strength of each group to its control. Results indicated that up to a
      certain size, tunnel preparations could be completed without diminishing the
      strength of the undermined marginal ridges. Placement of a glass-ionomer cermet
      in the tunnel preparations restored the strength of all but the largest
      preparations (#6 bur in the bicuspid group) to a level which was not
      statistically significantly different from the controls.

PMID- 1854445
TI  - Clinical efficacy of an anticalculus fluoride dentifrice containing triclosan and
      a copolymer: a 6-month study.
AB  - A 6-month, double-blind, parallel and unsupervised clinical study was conducted
      to compare the effects on supragingival calculus formation of a dentifrice
      containing 0.3% triclosan and 2.0% of a copolymer in a 0.243% sodium
      fluoride/silica base, as compared to a placebo dentifrice containing 0.243%
      sodium fluoride in a silica base. Subjects were initially stratified into two
      balanced groups based on their Volpe-Manhold calculus index scores that were
      obtained from a 3-month pre-test period using a placebo dentifrice. All subjects
      received an oral prophylaxis and were assigned to the use of either the
      fluoride/triclosan/copolymer dentifrice or the placebo dentifrice. Seventy adult
      male and female subjects completed the entire 6-month study. The results after 3
      months' use of their respective dentifrices indicated that the subjects using the
      fluoride/triclosan/copolymer dentifrice had 26.34% less supragingival calculus
      formation than the subjects using the placebo dentifrice. This reduction in
      supragingival calculus was significant at the 99% level of confidence. The
      results after 6 months indicated that the subjects using the
      fluoride/triclosan/copolymer dentifrice had 36.27% less supragingival calculus
      formation than the subjects using the placebo dentifrice. This reduction was
      significant at the 99% level of confidence.

PMID- 1854446
TI  - Delayed cementation and bond strength of dual-cure cements.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether the shear bond strength to
      enamel of three dual-cure resin cements is affected by delaying the time between
      cement mix and application. Etched, silanated Dicor cylinders were bonded to
      etched enamel with each cement at various time intervals: Immediately after mix,
      just prior to chemical set and at an intermediate time. Shear bond values were
      determined using the Instron. No significant differences were found among any of
      the cements at any of the times. The clinical implication is that as long as
      these cements remain fluid, there will not be a significant change in the bond
      strength of Dicor to enamel.

PMID- 1854447
TI  - Dual-arch and custom tray impression accuracy.
AB  - This study compared the accuracy in three dimensions of casts made from complete
      arch custom acrylic resin trays and two types of dual-arch impression trays.
      Using addition silicone impression material, 30 impressions (10/group) were made
      of a typodont. Reference marks on the typodont allowed measurements in the
      mesiodistal, buccolingual and occlusogingival dimensions. Gypsum casts were made
      and the distances between the reference marks on each cast were determined with a
      measuring microscope. The measurements from each cast were compared with one
      another and expressed as a percent deviation from the typodont measurements.
      Analysis with a two-way ANOVA and a Tukey B post hoc test established that the
      dual-arch trays were at least as accurate as the custom tray in every dimension
      measured.

PMID- 1854448
TI  - Removal of intrinsic enamel stains with vital bleaching and modified
      microabrasion.
AB  - This study utilized a vital bleaching agent as well as an enamel microabrasion
      compound with low hydrochloric acid concentration to remove intrinsic stains on
      the facial surfaces of anterior teeth. In addition, scanning electron microscopic
      analyses of enamel from extracted teeth compared the etching pattern of the
      commercial compound used in this study to 18% hydrochloric acid. Type 1 and Type
      2 etch patterns were observed with 18% hydrochloric acid after 5 and 20 seconds,
      respectively. Milder and more diffuse etch patterns were observed with the enamel
      microabrasion compound. A conservative form of treatment to remove intrinsic
      stains would employ the use of a vital bleaching agent, followed by an enamel
      microabrasion compound.

PMID- 1854449
TI  - Nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Introduction.

PMID- 1854450
TI  - Nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists: a new concept for pharmacologic
      control of the renin system. A symposium.

PMID- 1854451
TI  - Renin system blockade as a therapeutic strategy. Past, present, and future.

PMID- 1854452
TI  - The discovery of a new class of highly specific nonpeptide angiotensin II
      receptor antagonists.
AB  - Since angiotensin II (AII) is the effector molecule of the renin angiotensin
      system, the most direct approach to interfere with this system would be to
      antagonize AII at the level of its receptor. AII receptor antagonists would
      represent an ideal species, for regardless of how and where AII is produced, its
      function could be specifically turned off. However, the AII receptor antagonists
      currently available have been limited to AII-like peptides and their usefulness
      as therapeutics and pharmacologic tools has been hampered by their lack of oral
      bioavailability, metabolic instability, and partial agonistic activity. A
      detailed pharmacologic characterization of some simple N-benzylimidazoles,
      originally described by Takeda Chemical Industries (Osaka, Japan), identified
      this class of compound as very weak but selective AII receptor antagonists with a
      competitive mode of action. Encouraged by the quality of these lead compounds, we
      embarked on a synthetic program aimed at designing more potent and orally
      effective antagonists, while preserving their selectivity for the AII receptor.
      Our efforts have culminated in the discovery of DuP 753, 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5
      hydroxymethyl-1-[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biph eny l-4-yl) methyl]imidazole,
      potassium salt, a potent, nonpeptide AII receptor antagonist.

PMID- 1854453
TI  - In vitro pharmacology of DuP 753.
AB  - DuP 753, 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5-hydroxymethyl-1-[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) biphenyl-4
      yl)methyl]imidazole, potassium salt, was characterized in vitro with respect to
      its affinity and specificity for functional antagonism of angiotensin II (AII)
      receptors. In rat adrenal cortical microsomes and cultured aortic smooth muscle
      cells DuP 753 inhibited the specific binding of [125I]AII in a concentration
      dependent manner yielding IC50 values of 1.7 and 2.0 x 10(-8) mol/L,
      respectively. In contrast, DuP 753 had no appreciable affinity for other receptor
      systems as well as for Ca2+ channels. Functional antagonism was demonstrated by
      its blockade of AII-induced 45Ca2+ efflux in rat smooth muscle cells. The AII
      induced contraction of rabbit aortic strips was competitively antagonized by DuP
      753 resulting in a pA2 value of 8.48. Responses induced by other agonists, such
      as norepinephrine and KCl, were not altered. No partial agonistic effect was
      noted in any of the in vitro assays. In addition, DuP 753 (10(-5) mol/L) had no
      effect on rabbit lung converting enzyme or rat/human renin activity. These data
      demonstrate that DuP 753 is a highly potent and specific AII receptor antagonist.
      DuP 753 represents a useful experimental tool for dissecting the role of the
      renin-angiotensin system.

PMID- 1854454
TI  - In vivo pharmacology of DuP 753.
AB  - A review of the in vivo pharmacology of DuP 753 (2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5
      hydroxymethyl-1-[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphen yl-4- yl)methyl]imidazole, potassium
      salt) is presented. In the pithed rat, DuP 753 exerted a selective and
      competitive inhibition of the pressor response to angiotensin II (AII). In
      conscious normotensive rats, DuP 753 inhibited the AII-induced aldosterone
      secretion and drinking response. DuP 753 lowered blood pressure in conscious
      normotensive rats pretreated with furosemide but not in untreated normotensive
      rats. Unlike saralasin, DuP 753 given intravenously did not cause pressor
      response. In conscious renal hypertensive rats (RHRs), a high renin model, DuP
      753 decreased blood pressure with an intravenous ED30 of 0.78 mg/kg and an oral
      ED30 of 0.59 mg/kg. The antihypertensive efficacy of DuP 753 in RHRs was similar
      to that of captopril. In DOCA hypertensive rats, a low renin model, DuP 753 did
      not lower blood pressure. In conscious 18- to 21-week-old spontaneously
      hypertensive rats (SHRs), DuP 753 given orally or intravenously reduced blood
      pressure dose-dependently and did not alter heart rate at these doses. The acute
      antihypertensive efficacy of DuP 753 was greater than that of captopril in SHRs.
      In contrast, DuP 753 and captopril given orally at 10 mg/kg/day for 15 days in
      SHRs caused a similar decrease in blood pressure. Bilateral nephrectomy but not
      inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis abolished the antihypertensive effect of
      DuP 753 in SHRs. Our study, therefore, indicates that DuP 753 is an orally
      active, nonpeptide, selective, and competitive AII receptor antagonist lacking
      agonism. It appears that there is a relationship between basal renin level and
      the acute antihypertensive effect of DuP 753 in rats. Further, our results
      suggest that the renin-angiotensin system plays a significant role in the control
      of blood pressure in conscious SHRs.

PMID- 1854455
TI  - Angiotensin II receptor heterogeneity.
AB  - The possibility of receptor heterogeneity in the angiotensin II (AII) system has
      been suggested previously, based on differences in Kd values or sensitivity to
      thiol reagents. One of our earliest indications was the frequent observation of
      incomplete inhibition of the binding of AII to adrenal cortical membranes.
      Autoradiographic studies demonstrated that all of the labeling of the rat adrenal
      was blocked by unlabeled AII or saralasin, but not by DuP 753. The predominant
      receptor in the rat adrenal cortex (80%) is sensitive to dithiothreitol (DTT) and
      DuP 753, and is designated AII-1. The residual sites in the adrenal cortex and
      almost all of the sites in the rat adrenal medulla are insensitive to both DTT
      and DuP 753, but were blocked by EXP655. These sites have been confirmed by
      ligand binding studies and are designated AII-2. The rabbit adrenal cortex is
      unique in yielding a nonuniform distribution of AII-2 sites around the outer
      layer of glomerulosa cells. In the rabbit kidney, the sites on the glomeruli are
      AII-1, but the sites on the kidney capsule are AII-2. Angiotensin III appears to
      have a higher affinity for AII-2 sites since it inhibits the binding to the
      rabbit kidney capsule but not the glomeruli. Elucidation of the distribution and
      function of these diverse sites should permit the development of more selective
      and specific therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 1854456
TI  - DuP 753 is a potent nonpeptide antagonist of angiotensin II receptors in isolated
      perfused rat kidney and cultured renal cells.
AB  - In the present study we investigated the antagonist action of DuP 753 (2-n-butyl
      4-chloro-5-hydroxy-methyl-1-[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphe nyl-4-yl)
      methyl]imidazole, potassium salt) on angiotensin II (AII) binding and vascular
      effects in the isolated perfused rat kidney. In addition, we determined binding
      of DuP 753 in cultured glomerular mesangial cells and renomedullary interstitial
      cells. In the isolated kidney, DuP 753 fully displaced AII from its specific
      binding sites with high affinity (IC50 = 200 nmol/L) and antagonized the
      vasoconstrictive effect of AII in a dose-related manner with an ED50 of 170
      nmol/L. These effects of DuP 753 were qualitatively similar to those of saralasin
      and the antagonist effect of DuP 753 on AII-induced renal vasoconstriction was
      fully overcome by excess AII. DuP 753 had no effect on its own on renal vascular
      resistance. In cultured glomerular mesangial cells and renomedullary interstitial
      cells, DuP 753 fully inhibited the specific binding of [125I]-Sar-AII at 1
      mumol/L with IC50s of 6.7 and 11 nmol/L for glomerular mesangial cells and
      renomedullary interstitial cells, respectively. The present results demonstrate
      that a novel imidazole derivative, DuP 753, is a powerful non-peptide antagonist
      of angiotensin II receptors in isolated perfused rat kidney and in cultured
      glomerular mesangial and renomedullary interstitial cells.

PMID- 1854457
TI  - Characterization of the renal microvascular effects of angiotensin II antagonist,
      DuP 753: studies in isolated perfused hydronephrotic kidneys.
AB  - The renal microvascular effects of DuP 753, an orally active imidazole
      angiotensin II (ANG II) receptor antagonist were assessed directly in isolated
      perfused hydronephrotic rat kidneys. Unilateral hydronephrosis was induced to
      facilitate direct visualization of renal microvessels. Hydronephrotic kidneys
      were perfused in vitro and microvessel diameters were measured by automated
      computer-assisted image processing. The administration of 0.3 nmol/L ANG II
      decreased afferent arteriolar (AA) and efferent arteriolar (EA) diameters by 34
      +/- 3% (from 17.9 +/- 0.6 to 11.9 +/- 0.6 microns, P less than .001, n = 11) and
      28 +/- 3% (from 17.1 +/- 1.3 to 12.3 +/- 1.3 microns, P less than .001, n = 11),
      respectively. The subsequent administration of 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mumols/L DuP 753
      reversed ANG II-induced vasoconstriction of the AA by 39 +/- 10%, 81 +/- 8%, and
      103 +/- 9%, and of the EA by 22 +/- 7%, 51 +/- 6%, and 87 +/- 13%, respectively.
      These observations indicate that DuP 753 completely blocks both the renal
      afferent and efferent arteriolar actions of ANG II. In light of the pathogenetic
      role of ANG II in mediating the deranged renal hemodynamics associated with
      hypertension, congestive heart failure, and some forms of renal insufficiency,
      our findings provide a theoretical framework for future studies assessing the
      potential therapeutic applicability of DuP 753 in reversing ANG II-mediated renal
      vasoconstriction.

PMID- 1854458
TI  - Effects of DuP 753 on proximal nephron and renal transport.
AB  - We used the nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist DuP 753, which lacks
      the agonist and kinin/prostaglandin-inducing properties of saralasin and
      captopril, respectively, to examine the role of endogenous angiotensin II in
      regulating transport in the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) and whole kidney.
      During in vivo microperfusion in the Munich-Wistar rat, a maximally effective
      dose of DuP 753 (10 mg/kg, intravenously) powerfully inhibited absorption of
      bicarbonate (370 +/- 3 to 200 +/- 9 pEq/mm.min, P less than .001), chloride (214
      +/- 3 to 105 +/- 9 pEq/mm.min, P less than .001), and water 5.2 +/- 0.1 to 2.8 +/
      0.2 nL/mm.min, P less than .001) in the S1 subsegment of the PCT. DuP 753 was
      significantly more effective than captopril (3 mg/kg, intravenously) in
      inhibiting sodium chloride transport and is the most potent diuretic ever
      described in this segment. Consistent with the axial decline of angiotensin II
      receptor density in the PCT, DuP 753 was a less effective transport inhibitor in
      the S2 subsegment of the PCT, similar to captopril. Using free-flow micropuncture
      and clearance techniques, though inhibition in the earliest segment of the
      nephron is partially compensated by downstream reabsorption, DuP 753 induces a
      substantial diuresis, natriuresis, and chloruresis. In conclusion, DuP 753
      markedly decreases S1 PCT fluid and electrolyte absorption, indicating that
      endogenous angiotensin II exerts significant tonic support of proximal transport
      in vivo.

PMID- 1854459
TI  - Effects of DuP 753 on renal function of normotensive and spontaneously
      hypertensive rats.
AB  - This study examined the effects of a new, orally-active, nonpeptide angiotensin
      II (AII) receptor antagonist, 2-n-butyl-4-chloro-5-hydroxymethyl-1-[2'-(1H
      tetrazol-5-yl)biph eny l-4- yl)methyl] imidazole, DuP 753, on renal function of
      anesthetized, volume-expanded Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive
      rats (SHR), and in a group of euvolemic Munich-Wistar (MW) rats. Plasma renin
      activities were similar and averaged 4.4 +/- 0.7 and 4.3 +/- 1.4 ng AI/mL.h,
      respectively, in the SHR and WKY rats. In WKY rats (n = 15), DuP 753 (2 or 10
      mg/kg, intravenously) had no effect on urine flow, sodium excretion, renal blood
      flow (RBF), or glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Fractional excretion of lithium
      (FELi) rose from 32 +/- 5 to 40 +/- 4% of the filtered load and arterial pressure
      decreased slightly from 129 +/- 2 to 122 +/- 2 mm Hg. In SHR (n = 9), urine flow
      fell 24%, and FELi and RBF increased by 27% and 30%, respectively, after 2 mg/kg
      DuP 753, but sodium excretion, GFR, and arterial pressure were not significantly
      altered. A higher dose of DuP 753 (10 mg/kg; n = 8) reduced arterial pressure,
      urine flow, and sodium excretion in the SHR. RBF increased 34%, while GFR and
      FELi were not significantly altered. Similar effects were seen in SHR (n = 11),
      given an equivalent antihypertensive dose of captopril (20 mg/kg). In euvolemic
      MW rats in which plasma renin activity was elevated to 18.8 +/- 3.3 ng AI/mL.h,
      DuP 753 (2 mg/kg, n = 7) increased RBF, urine flow, and sodium excretion, while
      mean arterial pressure and GFR were unaltered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854460
TI  - Effects of the nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist DuP 753 on blood
      pressure and renal functions in spontaneously hypertensive PH dogs.
AB  - A colony of genetic hypertensive dogs with systolic blood pressure of 140 to 220
      mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure greater than 100 mm Hg in the trained state
      was used. The objective of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic and
      renal effects of the novel angiotensin II receptor antagonist DuP 753 given
      intravenously to these dogs. Renal functions and blood pressure were measured 45
      to 75 min after the intravenous administration of DuP 753 at 1, 3, 10, and 30
      mg/kg and were compared to control (placebo) treatment. Arterial pressure was
      slightly but significantly and dose-dependently reduced by DuP 753. Glomerular
      filtration rate increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly,
      effective renal plasma flow was dose-dependently increased. Filtration fraction
      was unchanged. Renal vascular resistance was significantly reduced in a dose
      dependent manner at 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg of DuP 753. DuP 753 increased fractional
      sodium excretion at all doses and increased fractional potassium excretion only
      at the highest doses. The vasopressor effects of angiotensin I and II were dose
      dependently inhibited by DuP 753. These data show that DuP 753 has beneficial
      renal hemodynamic effects and lowers arterial pressure in this canine model of
      essential hypertension.

PMID- 1854461
TI  - Hemodynamic effects of direct angiotensin II blockade compared to converting
      enzyme inhibition in rat model of heart failure.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to compare the chronic effects of
      converting enzyme inhibition with captopril to direct blockade of angiotensin II
      (AII) with DuP 753 in the rat model of heart failure. Rats with chronic heart
      failure postinfarction were treated for 2 weeks with either captopril (2 g/L, N =
      9) in their drinking water or with DuP 753 (40 mg/kg/day for two weeks by gastric
      gavage, N = 10), or placebo (N = 9). At this dose, DuP 753 shifted the log dose
      pressor response curve to AII parallel to the right by two orders of magnitude in
      both chronically treated normal and heart failure rats. In rats with heart
      failure, DuP 753 and captopril reduced left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
      from 26.7 +/- 1.5 to 14.2 +/- 3.0 (P less than .01) and 15.8 +/- 2.2 mm Hg (P
      less than .05), respectively, left ventricular end-diastolic volume index from
      2.71 +/- 0.10 to 2.03 +/- 0.17 (P less than .05) and 2.18 +/- 0.15 (P less than
      .05), respectively; venous compliance increased from 2.27 +/- 0.06 to 2.80 +/-
      0.18 (P less than .05) and 3.02 +/- 0.21 mL/mm Hg/kg (P less than .01),
      respectively. There were no significant changes in left ventricular weight/body
      weight ratio, mean aortic pressure, heart rate, or right atrial pressure. There
      was a trend, but not significant, for a reduction in total blood volume from 65.8
      +/- 1.1 to 59.4 +/- 3.0 and 64.9 +/- 3.9 mL/kg, respectively. Thus, direct
      blockade of AII with DuP 753 or with converting enzyme inhibition with captopril
      produces similar hemodynamic changes in rats with heart failure after myocardial
      infarction.

PMID- 1854462
TI  - DuP 753 increases survival in spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats fed a
      high sodium diet.
AB  - We studied the effects of the nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, DuP
      753, on blood pressure, body weight, plasma renin activity, sodium excretion, and
      mortality in male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRsp) fed a 4%
      NaCl diet for 12 weeks. The rise in blood pressure, due to high sodium intake,
      was blunted in the first 8 weeks of the study in the DuP 753-treated group;
      however, it started slowly to rise in the following weeks. In the untreated
      group, blood pressure rose steadily and it was significantly higher than that of
      the treated group during the whole experimental period. DuP 753-treated rats
      gained weight continuously during the study in contrast to the untreated group,
      where weight gain was arrested after 4 weeks. Plasma renin activity rose
      significantly after 4 weeks of treatment with DuP 753; by week 6 its values
      returned to baseline values and remained at these lower values until week 12. In
      the untreated group, plasma renin activity was not suppressed by high sodium
      intake after 4 weeks; it continued to rise and it was significantly elevated by 8
      and 12 weeks. Survival at 12 weeks was 84% in DuP 753-treated group and 26% in
      the untreated group. The data demonstrate that DuP 753 decreased mortality and
      dramatically blunted the blood pressure rise in SHRsp fed a high sodium diet.

PMID- 1854463
TI  - Angiotensin II receptor antagonist markedly reduces mortality in salt-loaded Dahl
      S rats.
AB  - We investigated the effect of blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on
      morbidity and hypertension in salt-loaded Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats. Six
      week-old male Dahl S rats (n = 198) were fed a high sodium diet (8% NaCl) for 10
      weeks. One group of rats (n = 91) was treated with 30 mg/kg/day of the nonpeptide
      angiotensin II receptor antagonist, DuP 753, whereas the control group (n = 107)
      was left untreated. Blood pressure rose steeply in both groups, reaching levels
      above 200 mm Hg by week 6. DuP 753-treated animals were less hypertensive than
      controls between weeks 3 and 5 of the study, but had similar blood pressure
      before and after that time. Although the angiotensin II antagonist had only a
      transient effect on blood pressure it markedly prolonged survival. After 10
      weeks, 68.3% of rats receiving DuP 753, but only 30.1% of controls, were still
      alive (P less than .0001). Higher morbidity in controls than in DuP 753-treated
      rats was also suggested by body weights. Following 6 weeks of high salt diet,
      untreated rats progressively lost weight while DuP 753-treated animals maintained
      a steady body weight. These results show that the angiotensin II receptor
      antagonist DuP 753 greatly enhanced survival in salt-loaded Dahl S rats although
      it reduced blood pressure only transiently. Our data are consistent with a
      contribution of the RAS to morbidity in this model of hypertension.

PMID- 1854464
TI  - Dose-response relationships following oral administration of DuP 753 to normal
      humans.
AB  - We assessed the inhibitory effect of DuP 753, an orally active angiotensin II
      receptor antagonist, on the pressor action of exogenous angiotensin I and II in
      healthy volunteers. In a single dose study, doses of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg of
      DuP 753 or placebo were tested serially at one week intervals. In the multiple
      dose study, the administration of placebo or DuP 735 (5, 10, 20, or 40 mg, per os
      once daily) for eight consecutive days was evaluated. The blood pressure response
      to angiotensin I and II was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion with a blocking
      effect still present 24 h post drug. DuP 753 also induced a dose-dependent
      compensatory rise in plasma renin. This new compound was well tolerated by these
      normal volunteers. Thus, DuP 753 appears to be a well tolerated, orally active,
      potent and long-lasting antagonist of angiotensin II in humans.

PMID- 1854465
TI  - Consistency of hand preference: predictions to intelligence and school
      achievement.
AB  - Gottfried and Bathurst (1983) reported that hand preference consistency measured
      over time during infancy and early childhood predicts intellectual precocity for
      females, but not for males. In the present study longitudinal assessments of
      children previously classified by Gottfried and Bathurst as consistent or
      nonconsistent in cross-time hand preference were conducted during middle
      childhood (ages 5 to 9). Findings show that (a) early measurement of hand
      preference consistency for females predicts school-age intellectual precocity,
      (b) the locus of the difference between consistent vs. nonconsistent females is
      in verbal intelligence, and (c) the precocity of the consistent females was also
      revealed on tests of school achievement, particularly tests of reading and
      mathematics.

PMID- 1854466
TI  - The occurrence of different intrusive errors in patients with Alzheimer's
      disease, multiple cerebral infarctions, and major depression.
AB  - Recent evidence suggests that specific types of intrusive errors may occur more
      often in the protocols of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients than in those of
      patients diagnosed with other types of dementia. Using the FULD Object Memory
      Evaluation, we documented the occurrence of five qualitatively different types of
      intrusive errors for mildly and moderately impaired patients with AD and multiple
      cerebral infarctions (MCI). Depressed and normal elderly controls were also
      studied. Despite an equivalent degree of impairment on a broad array of
      neuropsychological measures, mildly impaired AD patients evidenced greater
      deficits on a measure tapping retrieval from semantic memory and demonstrated a
      higher occurrence of specific types of intrusive errors relative to their mildly
      impaired MCI counterparts. Further, both of these measures were highly
      correlated, suggesting that these indices may be particularly sensitive to
      semantic dysfunction associated with early AD.

PMID- 1854467
TI  - Visual neglect and left-sided context effects.
AB  - Patients with visual neglect generally fail to respond to an item placed on the
      left of a target location, even when both stimuli are situated in the right
      visual field. Little is known, however, about the level of processing for the
      unattended items. Two patients with left visual neglect served as subjects in
      several experiments measuring passive contextual effects of a left-sided item on
      responses to a focal target. The results reveal that a neglected item may
      influence the speed of responding. The findings are interpreted relative to the
      loci of context effects in normal subjects.

PMID- 1854468
TI  - Denial of visual perception.
AB  - An adult with the diagnosis of cortical blindness, complaining of a complete
      visual loss of 2 years in duration, was found to have a small preserved visual
      field and remarkably preserved visual abilities. Although denying visual
      perception, he correctly named objects, colors, and famous faces, recognized
      facial emotions, and read various types of single words with greater than 50%
      accuracy when presented in the upper right visual field. Upon confrontation
      regarding his apparent visual abilities, the patient continued to deny visual
      perceptual awareness, typically stating "I feel it." CT indicated bioccipital
      lesions sparing the left inferior occipital area but involving the left parietal
      lobe. The denial of visual perception evidenced by this patient may be explained
      by a disconnection of parietal lobe attentional systems from visual perception.
      The clinical presentation is described as representing "inverse Anton's
      syndrome."

PMID- 1854469
TI  - Effects of handedness and sex on the morphology of the corpus callosum: a study
      with brain magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - In view of conflicting data in the existing literature, we examined 53 normal
      subjects using a handedness questionnaire and callosal area measurements obtained
      from midsagittal MRI images. The callosum was found to be significantly larger in
      nonconsistent right-handers (NCRH), especially in its anterior half and
      especially for males. A significant hand x sex interaction, favoring consistent
      right-handed (CRH) females, was also found for the posterior midbody, a region
      known to house interhemispheric fibers connecting the right and left posterior
      association cortices. These results (1) confirm Witelson's (1985) first findings
      on postmortem specimens; (2) validate a dichotomy between CRH and NCRH rather
      than simply considering the writing hand, as was the case in most other similar
      studies; and (3) suggest that at least two different sex-related--probably
      hormonal--factors may be acting during the callosal development, one explaining
      the larger anterior half in NCRH males and the other the larger posterior midbody
      in CRH females.

PMID- 1854470
TI  - Hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of absolute versus relative spatial
      frequency.
AB  - Observers indicated whether a stimulus presented to one visual field or the other
      consisted of two sine-wave gratings (the baseline stimulus) or those same two
      gratings with the addition of a 2 cycle per degree (cpd) component. When the
      absolute spatial frequencies of the baseline stimulus were low (0.5 and 1.0 cpd),
      there was a left visual field-right hemisphere (LVF-RH) advantage in reaction
      time (RT) to respond to the baseline stimulus which disappeared when the 2 cpd
      component was added (i.e., the stimulus consisted of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 cpd
      components). When the absolute spatial frequencies of the baseline stimulus were
      moderate to high (4.0 and 8.0 cpd), a right visual field-left hemisphere
      advantage in RT to respond to the baseline stimulus approached significance and
      shifted to a significant LVF-RH advantage when the 2 cpd component was added
      (i.e., the stimulus consisted of 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 cpd components. That is,
      adding the same 2 cpd component caused opposite shifts in visual laterality
      depending on whether 2 cpd was a relatively high or relatively low frequency
      compared to the baseline.

PMID- 1854471
TI  - Sensory and motor aspects of pseudoneglect, hemifield, and hemispace in the
      tactile modality.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted with right-handed adult subjects to investigate
      motor and sensory components of a tactual line bisection task performed under
      three conditions: at midline, in the left, and in the right hemispaces. In the
      sensory experiment we found a left-hand rather than a right-hand superiority
      under the midline condition and, in the motor experiment, a right-hand rather
      than a left-hand superiority. The results were discussed with respect to
      hemispheric specialization and hemispace theories. Furthermore, we found a
      pseudoneglect (subjects bisected to the left of the midpoint) in the sensory
      experiment and a surprising reversed pseudoneglect (subjects bisected to the
      right of the midpoint) in the motor experiment.

PMID- 1854472
TI  - Perceptual asymmetries for free viewing of several types of chimeric stimuli.
AB  - We examined perceptual biases of right-handers on six free-vision chimeric tasks;
      two involving a judgement of happiness of a facial expression in photographic and
      cartoon chimeras, two involving a judgement of femininity in male/female
      photographic and cartoon chimeras, and two involving a spatial judgement of
      nonface chimeric stimuli. All four of the face tasks and one of the nonface tasks
      elicited left spatial field biases of varying magnitudes, and perceptual
      asymmetries on all tasks were positively correlated. However, multiple
      correlational analyses revealed that these tests shared differing proportions of
      variance with each other. Results indicate that, in addition to a common factor
      or set of factors contributing to lateral biases that is independent of both the
      nature of the stimulus and whether the stimulus engages lateralized mechanisms,
      there are distinct lateralized mechanisms which yield different patterns of
      perceptual asymmetries for different stimuli.

PMID- 1854473
TI  - Assembly of cytoplasmic and smooth muscle myosins.
AB  - Filaments formed from a variety of smooth and non-muscle myosins are dynamic
      polymers whose phosphorylation-dependent assembly and disassembly can be coupled
      to changes in enzymatic activity. Phosphorylation-insensitive assembly, which
      allows independent control of activity and polymerization, is an alternative
      mechanism used by Acanthamoeba myosin. Domains of the tail responsible for
      assembly and regulation have now been identified for a number of myosins.

PMID- 1854474
TI  - Elastic filaments and giant proteins in muscle.
AB  - Striated muscle is now known to contain a third major class of filaments,
      additional to the thick and thin filaments. The presence of such extra filaments
      has seemed likely for many years, but details of their location, structure, and
      composition are only now becoming clear. They are composed of massively large
      proteins and, in contrast to thick and thin filaments, they are elastic.

PMID- 1854475
TI  - Nucleotide hydrolysis in cytoskeletal assembly.
AB  - Two major polymers of the cytoskeleton, actin filaments and microtubules, are
      assembled with expenditure of energy: the ATP/GTP tightly bound to actin/tubulin
      is irreversibly hydrolyzed to ADP/GTP during the assembly process, and liberation
      of Pi in the medium occurs subsequent to the incorporation of subunits in the
      polymer. Pi release acts as a switch, causing the destabilization of protein
      protein interactions in the polymer, therefore regulating the dynamics of these
      fibres. An understanding of this regulation in vivo requires that progress be
      made in four areas: the chemistry of the NTPase reaction; the structure of the
      intermediates in nucleotide hydrolysis and the nature of the conformational
      switch; the regulation of parameters involved in dynamic instability of
      microtubules; and the possible involvement of nucleotide hydrolysis in the
      macroscopic organization of these polymers in highly concentrated solutions,
      compared with the simple case of a equilibrium polymers. Progress made along
      these lines will define trends for future investigation.

PMID- 1854476
TI  - Molecular links between the cytoskeleton and membranes.
AB  - This review covers recent advances in non-erythroid spectrin re-distributions
      during development, structural motifs recently discovered in ankyrin, band 4.2,
      band 4.1, ezrin, talin, and myosin I, and our present understanding of actin
      membrane interactions at focal adhesions and in liver, platelet, and
      Dictyostelium discoideum plasma membranes.

PMID- 1854477
TI  - Intermediate filament-plasma membrane interactions.
AB  - In this review we will discuss the molecules involved in intermediate filament
      desmosome and intermediate filament-hemidesmosome interactions, and the means by
      which certain of these molecules may bind to intermediate filaments. The
      possibility that intermediate filaments interact directly with peripheral
      membrane proteins and membrane lipids will also be addressed.

PMID- 1854478
TI  - Cytoplasm and cell motility.

PMID- 1854479
TI  - Phenotypes of cells with cytoskeletal mutations.
AB  - Analysis of the cytoskeleton has relied heavily on the identification of
      phenotypic alterations associated with mutations in cytoskeletal components. This
      approach has led to important findings for specific proteins. The last year has
      also strengthened the view that certain functions of the cytoskeleton are
      safeguarded by the presence of multiple protein forms.

PMID- 1854480
TI  - Dynamics of the cytoskeleton in live cells.
AB  - Actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments, have all been found to
      be dynamic structures in living cells. Recent studies have shed important light
      on the assembly, disassembly, and mobility of these structures. In addition, a
      growing emphasis has been placed on the regulation of cytoskeletal activities by
      various signal transduction pathways.

PMID- 1854481
TI  - The plant cytoskeleton.
AB  - Significant progress has been made in four areas: in appreciating the speed with
      which cortical microtubules reorient in response to environmental signals; in a
      consolidated understanding of the cytoskeletal nature of the phragmosome--the
      device that predicts and structures the division plane in vacuolated cells; in
      the description of new cytoskeletal proteins; and in reports that herald an
      attack on the cell cycle control of cytoskeletal organization.

PMID- 1854482
TI  - Mechanical properties of cytoskeletal polymers.
AB  - The mechanical properties of cytoplasm are dominated by microfilaments,
      microtubules, and intermediate filaments, collectively termed the cytoskeleton.
      This review discusses how the physical properties of these biopolymer systems are
      related to their molecular structures and interactions, and how remodelling of
      these biopolymers in vivo affects cell shape and motility.

PMID- 1854483
TI  - Functions of tubulin isoforms.
AB  - The biological significance of tubulin isotypes lies in their ability to function
      in different chemical and physical environments. Recent papers document the
      origin and distribution of several new tubulin isotypes and suggest new ways for
      studying their assembly and function in specialized cells.

PMID- 1854484
TI  - Non-motor microtubule-associated proteins.
AB  - Cloning of primary sequences has generated information on the structures of the
      non-motor microtubule-associated proteins and their relationship to one another.
      Questions about how classes of microtubule-associated proteins interact are
      starting to be addressed in vitro and, in vivo, tests of function are being
      pursued using a variety of cellular and molecular biological strategies.

PMID- 1854485
TI  - Mitosis: towards a molecular understanding of chromosome behavior.
AB  - The past year has seen important contributions made to resolving how chromosomes
      attach to and move on the mitotic spindle of animal cells. These include the
      findings that: kinetochore microtubules are derived from the asters (i.e.
      centrosomes); poleward chromosome motion need not be coupled to kinetochore
      microtubules disassembly; the motor for poleward chromosome motion is associated
      with the kinetochore; and immunological evidence that this motor is cytoplasmic
      dynein.

PMID- 1854486
TI  - Regulation of intermediate filament gene expression.
AB  - Members of the intermediate filament protein family exhibit complex patterns of
      development-specific and tissue-specific expression. Studies exploring the
      mechanisms of gene regulation are underway and key regulatory factors are
      currently being described and isolated for certain genes encoding intermediate
      filament proteins. Selected systems from this diverse group of about 50 genes
      will be discussed.

PMID- 1854487
TI  - Intermediate filament-associated proteins.
AB  - The term intermediate filament-associated proteins refers to a growing number of
      proteins whose ability to interact with intermediate filaments has been either
      directly demonstrated or inferred from indirect evidence. Here we discuss
      recently published data on the identification and characterization of such
      proteins, with emphasis on their tissue/cell type-specific expression,
      subcellular distribution and possible function(s).

PMID- 1854488
TI  - Nuclear lamin proteins: domains required for nuclear targeting, assembly, and
      cell-cycle-regulated dynamics.
AB  - The nuclear lamin proteins assemble at the nuclear membrane into a highly dynamic
      network whose integrity is exquisitely controlled by the major cell cycle
      regulators. Although the actual cellular functions of the lamins remain elusive,
      the processes of targeted lamin assembly and phosphorylation-induced disassembly
      have come to light recently. These processes require functionally interacting
      lamin domains to execute targeting to the nucleus and the nuclear membranes,
      lamina assembly, and the disassembly response to cell-cycle-dependent
      phosphorylation.

PMID- 1854489
TI  - Actin-binding proteins.
AB  - Much new information on the sequence, structure, and function of filament
      crosslinking, capping, and severing proteins is now known. Other significant
      findings include identification of a new abundant monomer-sequestering protein in
      platelets, and evidence that many actin-binding proteins interact with
      phosphoinositides and that this interaction may have metabolic consequences.

PMID- 1854490
TI  - Regulation of cytoplasmic and smooth muscle myosin.

PMID- 1854491
TI  - Echocardiography in serial evaluation of left ventricular systolic and diastolic
      function: importance of image acquisition, quantitation, and physiologic
      variability in clinical and investigational applications.
AB  - Quantitative echocardiography is frequently used for serial evaluation of left
      ventricular performance. This prospective study was designed to determine the
      extent to which the acts of image acquisition and quantitation, and the subjects
      themselves, affect total variability in two-dimensional and Doppler
      echocardiographic indexes of left ventricular morphology and performance.
      Therefore, two technicians and two readers acquired and analyzed 60
      echocardiograms from 15 normal subjects, each of whom was studied four times
      (twice on each of two visits). Analysis of variance based on generalizability
      theory was used to estimate the magnitude of these variability sources by
      calculating standard deviations (SD) and used to estimate their contribution to
      total variability. Of the two-dimensional echocardiographic indexes tested,
      ejection fraction varied least (SD, 6.6%) and left ventricular mass varied most
      (SD, 35.3 gm). Of the Doppler indexes, normalized early diastolic filling
      velocity integral varied least (SD, 8.4%) and deceleration time varied most (SD,
      48.6 msec). Technical (image acquisition and quantitation) variability
      contributed most (and subject variability least) to total variability of stroke
      volume (68%) and deceleration time (67%). Technical variability contributed least
      (and subject variability most) to variability of ejection fraction (43%) and
      diastolic filling time (25%). The acts of image acquisition and quantitation
      varied more between than within technicians and readers. Peak atrial filling
      velocity and the ratio of peak early to atrial filling velocity significantly
      differed between technicians. Left ventricular ejection fraction, left
      ventricular mass, peak atrial filling velocity, early filling integral, and
      deceleration of early filling differed significantly between readers. Therefore
      the acts of image acquisition and quantitation, and subject variability itself,
      all contribute to total variability in echocardiographic indexes. Changes seen on
      clinical studies should be interpreted as abnormal only when exceeding the total
      variability originating from these sources. Generalizability theory allows one to
      tailor strategies to reduce variability. These strategies include increasing the
      number of observations, readers, and technicians for any given "baseline" study
      and using the same readers and technicians for sequential follow-up studies.

PMID- 1854492
TI  - Predicting left heart failure after a myocardial infarction: a preliminary study
      of the value of echocardiographic measures of left ventricular filling and wall
      motion.
AB  - Heart failure occurs from both systolic and diastolic dysfunction. To determine
      whether simple Doppler echocardiographic measures of left ventricular filling
      could improve upon the ability of systolic function to predict heart failure
      after infarction, patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied within
      the first 36 hours by Doppler and two-dimensional echocardiography. Forty-eight
      patients who did not have heart failure before the Doppler echocardiographic
      study and who did not have myocardial revascularization, moderate or severe
      mitral regurgitation, or other complications during recovery were monitored for 6
      months or to the onset of heart failure (n = 10). The univariate predictors of
      heart failure were age (p less than 0.05), anterior infarction (p less than
      0.05), early diastolic peak filling velocity (p = 0.05), filling velocity with
      atrial systole (p less than 0.05), the ratio of these velocities (p less than
      0.001), the percentage of filling with atrial systole (p less than 0.001), and
      the wall motion score index (p less than 0.001). However, the only independent
      predictors of heart failure by use of multivariant stepwise logistic regression
      analysis were the wall motion score index (p less than 0.05) and either the ratio
      of early and late peak filling velocities (p less than 0.001) or the percentage
      of filling with atrial systole (p less than 0.001). The combined use of a measure
      of systolic function and measures of the relative contribution of atrial systole
      to ventricular filling were useful predictors in identifying patients likely to
      develop subsequent heart failure after myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1854493
TI  - Reference systems in echocardiographic quantitative wall motion analysis with
      registration of respiration.
AB  - Registration of respiration allows analysis at the end-expiratory phase and may
      thus favor the use of the fixed-reference system versus the floating-reference
      system in echocardiographic quantitative wall motion analysis. Analysis is
      performed on two-dimensional echocardiograms of 44 normal subjects, 38 patients
      with anterior myocardial infarction, and 17 patients with posterior myocardial
      infarction. Two different models for wall motion analysis are applied, each using
      the fixed-reference system and the floating-reference system, respectively. In
      patients with anterior myocardial infarction, the fixed-reference system
      indicates severe wall motion abnormalities at the anterior, septal, and apical
      walls, whereas the floating-reference system indicates less severe wall motion
      abnormalities almost equally at every wall. In patients with posterior myocardial
      infarction, the fixed-reference system indicates severe wall motion abnormalities
      at the posterior wall, whereas the floating-reference system indicates less
      severe wall motion abnormalities almost equally at every wall. These findings
      indicate that the fixed-reference system is superior to the floating-reference
      system in quantification of wall motion of end-expiratory two-dimensional
      echocardiograms.

PMID- 1854494
TI  - A method for evaluation of enhancement operations in two-dimensional
      echocardiographic images.
AB  - A means of estimating the degree of enhancement of structure and suppression of
      background noise in filtered two-dimensional echocardiographic images is
      described. The method is termed the peak-to-background ratio. To test the method,
      two-dimensional short-axis echocardiographic images were enhanced with Laplacian
      operations of increasing mask size. There was excellent correlation between the
      calculated peak-to-background ratio and the subjective opinion of trained
      echocardiographers. Furthermore, radial length measurements made from images that
      were thought to be optimally enhanced by the peak-to-background ratio calculation
      showed the lowest interobserver mean differences. We conclude that the peak-to
      background ratio does reflect improvement in characteristics of the image that
      favor more precise measurement (amplification of peaks and suppression of
      background) and can be used to help guide a dynamic approach to image processing.

PMID- 1854495
TI  - Intraventricular blood flow during isovolumetric relaxation and diastole in
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Forty patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were investigated by Doppler
      echocardiography for intraventricular blood flow abnormalities. None had a bundle
      branch block. The patients were recruited on the basis of the presence of at
      least one of four different types of abnormal left ventricular blood flow
      movements during systole, isovolumetric relaxation, and diastole (time after
      mitral valve opening). The abnormal blood flow patterns were composed of the
      following: (1) systolic left ventricular outflow and midventricular obstruction
      in 20 of 40 and in 6 of 40 patients, respectively; (2) retrograde isovolumetric
      relaxation flow (IVRFretro; mean velocity, 0.7 +/- 0.3 m/sec), that is, flow
      toward the apex of the left ventricle, in 28 of 40 patients; (3) antegrade
      isovolumetric relaxation flow (IVRFante; mean velocity, 1.6 +/- 1.0 m/sec), that
      is, flow toward the left ventricular outflow tract, in 3 of 40 patients; and (4)
      diastolic antegrade flow (DFante; mean velocity, 0.9 +/- 0.3 m/sec), that is,
      flow opposite to mitral inflow, in 10 of 40 patients. There were significantly
      fewer patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy (group 1) than with apical
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (group 2) showing DFante (1/29 versus 9/11, p less
      than 0.01). IVRFretro and DFante revealed higher velocities in patients with
      marked left ventricular asymmetric hypertrophy than in those with mild
      hypertrophy. Thus, in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and especially in patients with
      marked asymmetric hypertrophy, there are different types of abnormal
      intraventricular blood flow movements during isovolumetric relaxation and
      disatole. This phenomenon is probably caused by asynchronous relaxation of the
      asymmetrically distributed, hypertrophied myocardium. DFante is more often
      observed in the apical cardiomyopathy than other forms of hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy probably attributable to apically localized left ventricular
      cavity obliteration.

PMID- 1854496
TI  - Respective timing of maximal color Doppler jet areas and of peak velocity of jets
      in left-sided valvular lesions: clinical implications.
AB  - Time intervals between the R wave of the electrocardiogram and maximal dimension
      of jet areas of color Doppler and the R wave of the electrocardiogram and peak
      velocity of valvular jets of continuous-wave Doppler were compared by use of
      paired and correlative studies for a group of 55 patients with a total of 71 left
      sided lesions. Mean values of both time intervals, mean difference, and its
      standard error were equal to zero for stenoses. Time intervals of 71% for mitral
      stenosis and 52% for aortic stenosis did not differ by more than 0.01 second;
      correlation coefficients were 0.96 for mitral stenosis and 0.85 for aortic
      stenosis. For regurgitations, differences in mean values and a mean difference
      with a standard error were found but remained unsignificant. However, the
      percentage of differences in time intervals below or equal to 0.01 second
      decreased to 35 for aortic regurgitation and 13 for mitral regurgitation, which
      showed the widest 95% range of differences. Correlation coefficients were 0.84
      for the aortic regurgitation and 0.33 for mitral regurgitation. Thus the close
      relationship of time intervals suggests that standardized timing of area
      measurements at peak velocity is feasible for stenoses and remains under
      consideration for aortic regurgitation. Timing of measurements should remain
      empiric for mitral regurgitation.

PMID- 1854497
TI  - Anomalous papillary muscle producing dynamic left ventricular outflow tract
      obstruction.
AB  - A patient with a dynamic left ventricular outflow murmur was shown to have an
      anomalous anterolateral papillary muscle by transthoracic and transesophageal two
      dimensional Doppler echocardiography. High late systolic outflow velocity and
      systolic anterior motion were demonstrated in the lateral outflow tract near the
      anomalous muscle, suggesting a role for the Venturi effect. This is the first
      confirmation by Doppler echocardiography of an anomalous papillary muscle
      contributing to abnormal left ventricular hemodynamics.

PMID- 1854498
TI  - An acquired interatrial fistula secondary to para-aortic abscess documented by
      transesophageal echocardiography.
AB  - Para-aortic ring abscess and resulting fistulous communication between adjacent
      structures frequently occur in prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis but are
      rarely diagnosed preoperatively. We report a patient who had an abscess involving
      the aortic-mitral intervalvular fibrosa that eroded into the interatrial septum,
      causing an interatrial communication with a left-to-right shunt. The abscess was
      detected by transthoracic echocardiography, but the fistula was only seen by the
      subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram. To our knowledge, this is the first
      report of an interatrial fistula secondary to a para-aortic valve abscess and its
      diagnosis preoperatively. Transesophageal echocardiography should be performed in
      any patient suspected to have complicated aortic endocarditis.

PMID- 1854499
TI  - The neuroendocrine system of the gut--an update.
AB  - During the last few years the endocrine stomach has come into focus much due to
      the side-effects produced by powerful acid blockers. A sustained and marked
      inhibition of acid secretion in the rat results in hypergastrinemia, with gastrin
      cell hyperplasia, and a consequent hyperplasia of the ECL cells. This response of
      the ECL cells was predictable in view of previous observations that sustained
      hypergastrinemia causes ECL cell hyperplasia. While the gastrin cell hyperplasia
      levels off at about twice the normal cell density a few weeks after start of
      treatment, the ECL cells continue to proliferate for months to reach a five-fold
      higher density than normally. Evidence is accumulating that ECL cells proliferate
      through self replication. After life-long inhibition of acid production (high
      doses of ranitidine or omeprazole) or after extirpation of 75% of the acid
      producing part of the stomach, ECL cell carcinoids develop. Endocrine cells in
      the gut often contain more than one putative messenger. Thus, gastrin cells in
      many species store GABA and peptide YY; in e.g. cat and man they store in
      addition a xenopsin-like peptide. Neuromedin U and pituitary adenylate cyclase
      activating peptide (PACAP) have recently been demonstrated in gut nerves. Their
      role in gut physiology remains to be identified.

PMID- 1854501
TI  - Pancreastatin--a novel regulatory peptide?
AB  - Pancreastatin is a 49 amino acid peptide originally isolated from porcine
      pancreas on the basis of its C-terminal glycinamide as isolation criterion. It is
      derived by proteolytic processing from chromogranin A, an acidic protein
      component of secretory granules in endocrine and neuronal cells. The primary
      structures of human, porcine, bovine and rat pancreastatin have been determined
      on the protein or cDNA level and show 70% sequence homology. By
      immunocytochemistry, pancreastatin has been detected in the pituitary, adrenal
      gland, pancreas, CNS and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. In pancreatic
      islets, pancreastatin is co-localized with insulin, glucagon and somatostatin.
      The principle biological activities of this peptide are: inhibition of insulin
      release and of exocrine pancreatic secretion. These effects which can be assigned
      to the amidated C-terminal part of the molecule have been demonstrated in several
      species. Whether or not pancreastatin can be classified as a novel peptide
      hormone that under physiological conditions plays a role in the regulation of the
      endocrine and exocrine pancreas, is still a matter of controversy.

PMID- 1854500
TI  - The expression of peptide hormones in normal cells and tumour cells.
AB  - Insight in the mechanisms of peptide hormone expression has grown explosively by
      elucidation of gene, mRNA and preprohormone structures for most hormone systems
      during the 1980s. In addition, information about the structure and substrate
      specificity of many prohormone processing enzymes is rapidly accumulating in
      these years. The preprohormones vary considerably in size and organization from
      poly- to monoprotein structures. According to the structural organization and
      sequence homology the hormones are grouped in families. The prohormones are
      processed to bioactive peptides by multiple enzymatic modifications during the
      intracellular transport from the rough endoplasmatic reticulum to the mature
      secretory granules. The modifications comprise different proteolytic cleavages
      and amino acid derivatizations. The same prohormone may be expressed in several
      different cell types that process the precursor in entirely different ways.
      Awareness of such cell-specific processing patterns is important for the
      understanding of ectopic synthesis in neuroendocrine tumours.

PMID- 1854502
TI  - Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). A short review.
AB  - The islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) was originally identified by chemical
      analysis of the amyloid component in a human pancreatic islet cell tumor. It
      consists of 37 amino acids and displays about 50% homology with the neuropeptide
      calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In the pancreatic islets the IAPP is
      confined to the beta-cells, co-stored with insulin in the secretory granules and
      apparently co-secreted with insulin on glucose stimulation. In beta-cell
      depletion states such as streptozotocin diabetes in animals and in human type I
      diabetes mellitus both the IAPP and the insulin levels display reduction or are
      even absent. Within the mature IAPP molecule the amino acid sequence 23-29 shows
      considerable amino acid heterogenicity among various mammalian species. The amino
      acid composition of human IAPP in this specific region promotes the development
      of pancreatic islet amyloidosis, a phenomenon related to the ability to develop
      type II diabetes in that particular species. However, as type II diabetes is an
      inherited disease affecting a subpopulation of humans, not only the gene coding
      mature IAPP, but also one or several other hereditary factors of unknown origin
      are needed for the disease to develop. We have established a radioimmunoassay for
      plasma measurements of IAPP. During screening investigations of a large material
      of endocrine tumors we found a patient with extremely elevated plasma levels of
      IAPP, about 20,000 pmol/l. Immunohistochemical investigations confirmed the IAPP
      content and also revealed amyloid deposits. While performing an oral glucose
      tolerance test insulin levels remained unchanged whereas there was an increase in
      the glucose and IAPP levels. It is thus concluded that IAPP can be used as a
      tumor marker in pancreatic islet cell tumors and that high plasma levels of IAPP
      can inhibit glucose stimulated insulin secretion.

PMID- 1854503
TI  - In situ hybridization for detection of hormone and peptide mRNA in carcinoid
      tumors.
AB  - In situ hybridization (ISH) is a widely used method to detect particular mRNA
      synthesizing cells. The method can be used to determine neuroendocrine properties
      of tumors by identifying the hormone and neuropeptide mRNA-producing tumor cells.
      Also, monitoring the production of particular mRNA under tumor progression or
      during certain therapies might be of prognostic value in the management of the
      tumor. In this paper are described methodological backgrounds and applications of
      the ISH method in detecting hormone and peptide mRNA in neuroendocrine tumors,
      especially midgut carcinoid.

PMID- 1854504
TI  - Diagnostic criteria of classical carcinoids.
AB  - The classical (mid-gut) carcinoids of the intestinal tract display a
      characteristic light microscopic morphology. However, sometimes intestinal
      tumours are seen resembling carcinoids and differential diagnostic difficulties
      arise. In the present study silver stains and immunoreactivities to chromogranin
      A + B, cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were evaluated as
      diagnostic adjuncts in six classical carcinoids and six intestinal carcinomas
      with carcinoid-like features. All classical carcinoids were argentaffin and
      argyrophil and contained a majority cell population with chromogranin
      immunoreactivity while only one carcinoid-like carcinoma was chromogranin
      immunoreactive and the stained cells in that case represented a minority of the
      tumour cell population. The cytokeratins were shown to be non-discriminatory.
      However, EMA expression occurred in five intestinal carcinomas and in the
      majority of the tumour cells of four of these cases, while only one classical
      carcinoid displayed a few EMA positive cells. Thus, silver stains in combination
      with chromogranin A + B and EMA appears to be of value to discriminate between
      classical carcinoids and carcinoid-like intestinal carcinomas. Further when
      intestinal carcinoids and carcinoid-like carcinomas are diagnosed with the aid of
      various tumour markers both qualitative and quantitative considerations must be
      made.

PMID- 1854505
TI  - Peptide hormones as tumor markers in neuroendocrine gastrointestinal tumors.
AB  - Since the development of the radioimmunoassay, the determination of serum or
      plasma levels of peptides has improved the diagnostic possibilities in
      neuroendocrine gastrointestinal and pancreatic tumors. Once the diagnosis of a
      carcinoid or an endocrine pancreatic tumor has been established the analyses of
      various peptides can help to characterize the tumor. Up till now there has been
      no 'screening' marker for the early detection of these tumors. The development of
      radioimmunoassay for analyses of chromogranins in plasma might imply such
      possibilities. In the management of the patients it is also important to have
      tumor markers that can give prognostic information. Recent findings might
      indicate that CA-50 could be an indicator of malignant disease and possibly also
      correlate with survival.

PMID- 1854506
TI  - Enterochromaffin-like cells and gastric argyrophil carcinoidosis.
AB  - The relevance of enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in gastric pathobiology has
      generated considerable interest particularly since the recent description of a
      pathological state characterized as gastric argyrophilic carcinoidosis. The
      morphological and biofunctional properties of these cells are distinct from other
      gastric endocrine cells. It is probable that ECL cells have a major role in the
      regulation of parietal cell function. Other possible functions may include a
      trophic regulatory influence. Of particular interest is the recent observation
      that agents which result in profound and sustained acid inhibition may cause ECL
      cell hyperplasia. This phenomenon has also been noted in human disease states in
      which a significant decrease in acid section is evident (pernicious
      anemia/atrophic gastritis). In patients with gastrinomas of the multiple
      endocrine neoplasia type I group, therapeutically induced acid inhibition may
      result in gastric ECL hyperplasia and even neoplasia (gastric carcinoid or
      ECLoma). Similarly, in the rodent species mastomys, which is genetically
      predisposed to the formation of gastric carcinoids, exposure to acid inhibitory
      agents results in rapid (90-120 days) development of gastric carcinoids. The
      pathobiological relevance of ECL cells and the mechanisms of their inducible
      hyperplasia and neoplasia may be of considerable significance in understanding
      the regulatory role of gastric endocrine cells.

PMID- 1854507
TI  - Carcinoid heart disease. A cardiologist's viewpoint.
AB  - In patients with malignant midgut carcinoid tumors, characteristic cardiac
      abnormalities can be demonstrated by cardiac ultrasound in 60-70%. These
      ultrasound findings include morphological and functional changes of the tricuspid
      and pulmonary valves, enlargement of the right heart cavities and paradoxical
      septal contraction pattern. In patients with severe carcinoid heart disease
      leading to right ventricular failure, reconstructive valvular surgery is of
      obvious beneficial value and should be considered when the malignant disease is
      under control and clinical signs of right heart failure cannot be managed
      medically. The pathognomonic carcinoid lesions are mainly located on the right
      side of the heart and consists microscopically of fibrous tissue superimposed on
      mural and valvular endocardium. Infiltration into underlying endocardium and
      myocardium has been demonstrated. The etiology of carcinoid heart disease remains
      obscure. The extent of the cardiac disease seems related to circulating tumor
      released substances such as serotonin and tachykinins.

PMID- 1854508
TI  - Treatment of malignant midgut carcinoid tumours with a long-acting somatostatin
      analogue octreotide.
AB  - Treatment with the somatostatin analogue octreotide, SMS 201-995 (Sandostatin),
      has been carried out in a series of 23 patients with malignant midgut carcinoid
      tumours. The patients received initially 50 micrograms twice a day for six
      months, thereafter a median of 100 micrograms twice daily. Six of 22 evaluable
      patients (28%) showed objective tumour response lasting for 6 to 30 months.
      Stable disease was observed in 8 of the 22 patients (36%) and progressive disease
      in a further 8 patients (36%). A subjective response with decrease of diarrhoea
      or flushing was noted in 11 out of 22 patients (50%). Two out of 6 patients with
      objective response demonstrated a significant decrease of tumour size lasting for
      6 and 30 months respectively. In order to maintain the clinical response, the
      dose had to be increased in all 6 responders. The adverse effects included
      development of diabetic blood glucose levels in 8 out of 22 patients (36%).
      Albumin-modified serum calcium levels were significantly reduced after treatment
      with octreotide 50 micrograms twice a day. One patient developed symptoms of
      hypocalcemia which was reversed by supplementation with calcium and D-vitamins.
      The somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 has a beneficial effect in the treatment of
      patients with the carcinoid syndrome. However, the precise role of the drug in
      the long-term management of these patients has to be further investigated.

PMID- 1854509
TI  - The role of interferons in the management of carcinoid tumors.
AB  - Malignant carcinoid tumors with the carcinoid syndrome has over the years
      presented a therapeutic challenge. Surgery is the treatment of choice in local
      disease but when liver metastases have developed other treatment procedures must
      be considered. Conventional chemotherapy has been of little benefit, whereas a
      new somatostatin analogue octreotide gives a good control of clinical symptoms
      but not of tumor progression. Interferon treatment was introduced in 1982 by our
      group and we are now presenting results of medical treatment in 130 patients with
      histologically verified malignant carcinoid tumors and liver metastases. One
      hundred and eleven patients were treated with alpha-interferon, whereas 19
      patients received conventional chemotherapy. Forty-seven out of 111 patients
      (42%) treated with alpha-interferon demonstrated a significant biochemical
      response and 15% also more than 50% reduction of tumor size. In another 43 (39%)
      patients stabilization of the carcinoid disease was noted whereas 21 (19%) showed
      progressive disease. The median duration of response was 34 months. Subjective
      response with improvement of diarrheas, flush and/or bronchoconstriction was
      noticed in 76 patients (68%). Among the 19 patients treated with conventional
      chemotherapy only 2 showed biochemical response and it lasted only for 3-5
      months. The patients treated with chemotherapy had a median survival of only 8
      months compared with 80+ months in the group treated with alpha-interferon. The
      adverse reactions of alpha-interferon are manageable and consist mainly of
      fatigue, weight reduction and reduction of blood cell counts. Neutralizing
      interferon antibodies might occur in patients treated with recombinant alpha
      interferons (5-15%).

PMID- 1854510
TI  - Extended experience with recombinant alpha-2b interferon with or without hepatic
      artery embolization in the treatment of midgut carcinoid tumours. A preliminary
      report.
AB  - Thirty-six patients with histologically verified midgut carcinoid tumours and
      liver metastases were included in a prospective study with daily interferon
      therapy 5 x 10(6) IU s.c. for one or two years. All had the primary tumour
      removed at laparotomy, and whenever technically possible, an embolization of the
      hepatic arteries was performed prior to interferon start. Recombinant human alpha
      2b interferon from Schering-Plough was employed. When interferon was given alone,
      24% responded after one year, judged from a 50% reduction in excretion of 5
      hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the urine. Three patients had died. Stable disease
      was found in 43%, while 19% progressed. Survival rate was 40% after 5 years from
      start of therapy. The median survival time from start of therapy was 3 years and
      4 months. When embolization of the liver arteries had been performed prior to the
      start of interferon treatment, the response rate was 60% after one year, 20% had
      stable disease and 20% progressed. Survival rate was 75% up to 5 years of
      observation. We conclude that interferon is an effective treatment of malignant
      metastatic midgut carcinoid and that survival might be prolonged compared with
      historical controls. Embolization of the liver arteries seems to increase the
      response rate after one year. Kaplan-Meier plots suggest prolonged survival when
      interferon treatment is combined with embolization.

PMID- 1854511
TI  - Autoimmune phenomena in patients with malignant carcinoid tumors during
      interferon-alpha treatment.
AB  - Several previous reports suggest an association between treatment of patients
      with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and development of autoantibodies and
      autoimmune disease. We here summarize the experience from a group of 135 patients
      with midgut carcinoid tumors treated with natural leukocyte IFN-alpha or
      recombinant IFN-alpha (rIFN-alpha). An unusual high incidence of antimicrosomal
      antibodies (MsAb) or anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid disease
      manifested as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism or a biphasic Hashimoto-like
      disease was seen, with female predominance. The incidence of antinuclear
      antibodies (ANA) was also increased, but equally in both sexes. Antibodies to
      parietal cells were found in 5 cases and 4 patients with pernicious anemia were
      detected. Two patients developed vasculitis of leukocytoclastic type and one a
      syndrome resembling systemic lupus erythematosus. Some patients treated with rIFN
      alpha develop anti-IFN antibodies. Such antibodies may also be autoantibodies
      reacting with autologous IFN-alpha. They can neutralize the biologic activity of
      administrated IFN preparation and cause therapeutic failure. The implications of
      the various autoimmune manifestations during IFN-alpha treatment are discussed.

PMID- 1854512
TI  - Abdominal surgery in patients with midgut carcinoid tumors.
AB  - In patients with midgut carcinoid tumors a curative, radical tumor removal should
      be attempted when possible. As these tumors are generally malignant, irrespective
      of size, the radical surgery implies that intestinal resection for excision of a
      primary tumor should be combined with an extended mesenteric resection. When the
      patients present with the carcinoid syndrome the disease is, with few exceptions,
      too advanced for curative surgery. However, surgery often has to be performed
      also in patients with the advanced carcinoids. Patients with more extensive
      disease may thus benefit from surgical debulking of large mesenteric or hepatic
      metastases. Moreover, when the patients present with abdominal symptoms it is
      important to exclude a threatening major abdominal complication, such as
      intestinal obstruction or ischemia. As these complications may cause malnutrition
      and deterioration, it is important to treat them properly, sometimes by repeated
      surgery.

PMID- 1854513
TI  - [Diagnostic exercise tests in adult men with no symptoms or with non-angina
      complaints].
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: to investigate clinical and ECG stress test differences in
      middle aged males either asymptomatic or with non-anginal symptoms and no
      previous myocardial infarction. DESIGN: retrospective stress data file analysis.
      SETTING: Outpatients at the stress test laboratory. PATIENTS: 296 consecutive
      patients referred to diagnostic treadmill testing from January-1988 to June-1989.
      RESULTS: no differences were found between symptomatic or asymptomatic
      individuals in the 17 variables analysed. CONCLUSIONS: despite the fact that
      patients with chest symptoms even if obviously non-anginal have an increased
      coronary disease prevalence when compared with age-matched asymptomatics, this
      difference seems to insufficient to be demonstrated by the ECG stress test
      results, making questionable the practical relevance of this symptomatic
      classification.

PMID- 1854514
TI  - [Stenosis of the common trunk with and without ostium involvement: clinical and
      angiographic characteristics].
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and angiographic profile of patients
      with left main coronary artery stenosis with (LM-OS) and without left coronary
      ostial stenosis (LM-NOS). DESIGN: Retrospective study of patients submitted to
      coronary angiography. SETTING: Laboratory of Hemodynamics and Interventional
      Cardiology at Bellvitge Hospital -Barcelona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 4663
      consecutive patients (pts) with angiographically defined coronary artery disease.
      139 pts had left main stenosis greater than or equal to 50%. Twelve pts were
      excluded because nonatheroesclerotic disease. Twenty two pts (17%), had LM-OS and
      105 (83%) LM-NOS. INTERVENTIONS: Pts records were reviewed, to analyse the
      following clinical and angiographic variables: age, gender, risk factors to
      coronary artery disease, history of myocardial infarction, anginal class,
      presence of unstable angina, basal ECG ischemia, percentage and localization of
      left main stenosis, number and degree of vessels diseased, indexes of left
      ventricular function and coronary dominance. MAIN RESULTS: 1. Clinical
      characteristics--In the LM-OS group 18 pts were male and 4 female, while in the
      LM-NOS the numbers were respectively 90 and 15, p = ns. As for the gender the age
      showed also a similarity: 58 +/- 8 and 57 +/- 8 years, p = ns. A history of
      arterial hypertension was present in 73% of pts with LM-OS and 47% with LM-NOS, p
      greater than 0.05. With respect to the other clinical variables both groups were
      similar. The incidence of LM-OS was 0.4%. 2. Angiographic characteristics--The
      severity of left main stenosis was identical in the two groups: 80 +/- 15 in LM
      OS and 75 +/- 16% in LM-NOS (p = NS). Four (18%) of the pts with LM-OS had no
      associated coronary disease versus 7 (7%) of the LM-NOS (p = 0.08). There were
      1.3 +/- 1 diseased vessels in the LM-OS group and 2.1 +/- 1 in the LM-NOS (p
      greater than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In the present series, the clinical and
      hemodynamic profile of patients with left main disease suggest that the following
      characteristics are more frequently seen in patients with ostial stenosis: 1)
      history of arterial hypertension; 2) no associated coronary disease; 3) smaller
      number of diseased vessels; 4) less significant stenosis.

PMID- 1854516
TI  - [Hemodynamic assessment after heart transplantation].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Comparative analysis of the results of the hemodynamic evaluations
      performed at the preoperative period, during the first week and at the end of the
      first and second years, after orthotopic heart transplantation. DESIGN:
      Retrospective study of hemodynamic evaluation of patients submitted to orthotopic
      cardiac transplantation from April 1987 to April 1990. SETTING: Transplanted
      patients admitted at the cardiology and cardio-toracic surgery departments of the
      Hospital Santa Marta. PATIENTS: 15 patients (eleven males and four females) aged
      21 to 55 years (mean = 33.3 +/- 10.5), with the preoperative diagnosis: dilated
      cardiomyopathy in 11, ischemic heart disease in three and hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy in one patient. All the patients were on triple immunosuppressive
      therapy (cyclosporine A, azatioprine and prednisolone) at the time of the first
      week evaluation. Three of the eight patients evaluated at the end of the first
      year were with double immunosuppressive regimen (without steroids), seven at NYHA
      functional class I and one patient at class II. The three patients evaluated at
      the end of the second year were on triple immunosuppressive regimen and in class
      I. INTERVENTIONS: We considered, preoperatively (PrOp), at the first week (1W),
      and at the end of the first (1Y) and second (2Y) years: mean right atrial
      pressure (RA), systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAs), mean pulmonary
      arterial pressure (PAm), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW), mean systemic
      arterial pressure (SAm), cardiac index (CI), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR)
      and systemic vascular resistance (SVR). At 1Y and 2y there were also considered
      the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and the ejection fraction
      (Ej). RESULTS: (table; see text) The results found at 2Y were similar to those
      showed at 1Y. At 1Y and 2Y LVEDP and Ej were normal. CONCLUSIONS: A high
      prevalence of mild to moderate hemodynamic disturbances characterizes the early
      post-operative period in cardiac transplantation. Abnormal pressures on right
      atrium, pulmonary artery, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, are found on a
      significant number of patients, and pulmonary and systemic vascular resistances
      are also elevated. However at the end of the first year there is a significant
      improvement compared with the first week. Normality is the hallmark of
      hemodynamic evaluation performed in transplant recipients at the end of the first
      and second years.

PMID- 1854515
TI  - [Indirect criteria of coronary reperfusion and permeability in patients with
      acute myocardial infarction who have received thrombolytic therapy].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of some indirect reperfusion signs (IRS) as
      markers of coronary artery patency in patients (PTS) with acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) submitted to intravenous (IV) thrombolytic therapy (TT). DESIGN:
      Retrospective study, with analysis of the sensibility (S), specificity (SP) and
      predictive value (PV) of three IRS: 1. Pain and ST resolution in the first three
      hours; 2. Peak CK in the first 13 hours; 3. accelerated idioventricular rhythm
      (AIVR) in the first three hours. SETTING: Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of the Santo
      Antonio Hospital and Hemodynamic Laboratory of the S. Joao Hospital, Oporto.
      PATIENTS: Sixty seven PTS (mean age 53.4 +/- 10.6 years) with confirmed AMI, 62
      male and five female, 34 with anterior and 33 with inferior infarction, TT
      started in the first three hours of the beginning of symptoms in 34 PTS and from
      three to six hours in 33 PTS, all submitted to coronary angiography in the
      hospital setting (7.6 +/- 5.9 days after AMI). INTERVENTIONS: IV administration
      of 1,500,000 U of streptokinase (SK) in 47 PTS and 30 U of APSAC in 20 PTS,
      preceded by 200 mg IV prednisolone and oral 100 mg acetilsalicylic acid, and
      followed by IV heparin therapy. Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and
      serial 12 leads ECG and enzymatic assays (at start and 1, 3, 7, 13 and 25 hours
      of TT). Analysis of the correlation of the three IRS (isolated and in
      association) with coronary artery patency (TIMI 2 or 3). MEASUREMENTS AND
      RESULTS: The total patency rate was 79.1%; there was no statistically significant
      difference with regard to AMI location, time of symptoms onset (0-3 vs 3-6 hours)
      or thrombolytic agent (SK vs APSAC). The first and second IRS had a high S and a
      low SP; together S = 79.2%, SP = 64.3% and PV = 89.4%. The third IRS with the
      first and/or the second one had a low S (about 25%) but SP and PV of 100%. The
      coronary patency rate of PTS without IRS was always greater than 50%.
      CONCLUSIONS: The analysed IRS although not very reliable are useful when
      considered in association. It is possible to assess PTA with high probability of
      reperfusion if AIVR is present. The absence of IRS does not exclude coronary
      artery patency. There is still missing more reliable no-invasive reperfusion
      markers.

PMID- 1854517
TI  - [Exercise test parameters after acute myocardial infarction. Relationship with
      coronary angiography].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relation between characteristics of symptom-limited
      treadmill exercise stress test, after acute myocardial infarction (MI) and
      coronariographic results (number of diseased vessels). Both tests were performed
      before hospital discharge. DESIGN: Retrospective study with comparative analysis
      between variable defined groups. POPULATION AND SETTING: From 232 patients
      interned in the department of Cardiology of Hospital de Santa Marta with a first
      acute MI, a population of 112 patients submitted to exercise stress test and
      coronary angiography before discharge were selected (aged 29 to 69 years).
      METHODS: Symptom-limited treadmill exercise stress tests were performed according
      to Bruce protocol, with no heart-rate limitation. The following parameters were
      analyzed: Stress test duration (DUR); Double product variation (varDP); Metabolic
      equivalent units (METS); Maximal heart rate (FCmax); Percentage of the maximal
      reached heart rate (% FCmax); Incidence of ST segment depression (InfST); Maximal
      ST segment depression (Max-InfST); Onset minute of ST segment depression
      (MinInfST); Heart rate at the onset of ST segment depression (FCInfST); Double
      product at the onset of ST segment depression (DPInfST); Recovery minute of ST
      segment depression (MinRInfST); Onset minute of angina (MinAng); Heart rate at
      the onset of angina (FCAng); Double product at the onset of angina (DPAng).
      RESULTS: Statistical significant differences were obtained between
      coronariographic groups concerning the following parameters: DUR: 1-vessel/3
      vessel P = 0.02; VarDP: 1-vessel/3-vessel p = 0.008, 2-vessel/3-vessel p = 0.004;
      METS: 1-vessel/3-vessel p = 0.01. No differences were seen between anterior and
      inferior myocardial infarctions regarding all the stress test parameters. However
      in patients with anterior MI significant differences were obtained concerning the
      following variables: VarDP: 1-vessel/2-vessel p = 0.02; InfraST: 1-vessel/2
      vessel p = 0.006, 1-vessel/3-vessel p = 0.03; MaxInfST: 1-vessel/2-vessel p =
      0.01, 1-vessel/3-vessel p = 0.0006; Angina: 1-vessel/2-vessel p = 0.0005, 1
      vessel/3-vessel p = .001. In inferior myocardial infarctions only the stress
      duration differed between 1-vessel and 3-vessel groups (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS:
      Symptom-limited treadmill exercise stress tests, safely performed in our
      institution, were an important method for post MI evaluation and allowed the
      diagnosis of a great number of patients with residual ischemia. Statistical
      significant differences were found in ergometric parameters, between
      coronariographic groups (defined by the number of diseased vessels), emphasising
      the importance of stress tolerance analysis.

PMID- 1854518
TI  - [Primary heart tumors. Report of a clinical case].
AB  - The authors describe the case of a 52-year-old patient with several
      hospitalizations due to acute pulmonary edema, clarified only during the
      performance of cardiac surgery for the correction of presumable mitral valvular
      pathology. A leiomiossarcome of the left auricle was concerned, which involved
      the posterior ring of the mitral valve, the interauricular septum and the
      orifices of the pulmonary veins. Due to the impossibility of proceeding with the
      complete resection of the tumor, the tumoral mass was wasted away in order to
      liberate the involved structures, this followed by chemotherapy. Two years since,
      the patient shows a generally deteriorated state, submitted to various
      hospitalizations due to cardiac insufficiency, having been objectivated hepatic
      metastization and recurrence of the primary neoplasm.

PMID- 1854519
TI  - [Acute dissection of the aorta with involvement of the right coronary artery and
      the aortic valve: report of a case].

PMID- 1854520
TI  - How valid are responses to questions about behaviour in hypothetical illness
      situations?
AB  - Questions concerning the respondents' actions in response to hypothetical
      illnesses have been used in a number of studies of illness behaviour and health
      service utilization, but the answers obtained have never been validated by direct
      comparison with the respondents' behaviour during episodes of real illness. Five
      hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were returned by parents giving details of
      how they would respond to hypothetical episodes of cough, fever and sore throat
      in their children. During a two-month period of recording, the children suffered
      78 episodes of one or other of these symptoms which led to a consultation. The
      aim of this study was to compare the parents' responses to the hypothetical
      situations in the questionnaire with what they said they had done before each of
      these consultations for real illness. The comparison concentrated on the
      intervals that parents waited before requesting consultations, and on their
      medication of their children. The parents' responses to the questionnaire were
      poor predictors of their reported behaviour during actual illness episodes.

PMID- 1854521
TI  - Consumers' views of the maternity services: implications for change and quality
      assurance.
AB  - The feasibility and usefulness of consumer surveys for quality assurance and
      planning maternity services were assessed in a postal survey of 1807 women in
      four health districts representing a range of social and demographic
      characteristics. A response rate of 79 per cent was achieved. Scope was
      identified for some reduction in length of stay: 43 per cent of postnatal women
      wished for a shorter stay than they have actually experienced. The Domino system
      and a 1-2 days stay were the preferred options (25 and 24 per cent respectively).
      Six per cent of postnatal women would have preferred a longer stay than
      experienced and consisted mainly of women with birth complications including
      caesarean deliveries, women with lack of help at home and Afro-Caribbeans.
      Schemes to increase continuity of care and make the delivery suite more home-like
      would be favoured by a large proportion of women. Sixty-five per cent of women
      regarded continuity of midwifery care and familiarity with the delivering midwife
      as important. Seventy-five per cent considered a home-like environment in the
      delivery suite as important, and gave specific suggestions of how this might be
      achieved. The results show that consumers' surveys are feasible, with a good
      response rate and range of views expressed by the study population. They can
      assist in monitoring quality and provide guidance for planning at local and
      regional levels.

PMID- 1854522
TI  - Communicable Disease Report October to December 1990. From the PHLS Communicable
      Disease Surveillance Centre.

PMID- 1854524
TI  - Rabies control.

PMID- 1854523
TI  - Associations between water quality and GIT symptoms in country dwellers.

PMID- 1854525
TI  - The problems of using multiple regression for modelling the demand, supply and
      use of health services.

PMID- 1854526
TI  - Smoking by adults in the European community: 1963 and 1987.

PMID- 1854527
TI  - The foetal and infant origins of inequalities in health in Britain.

PMID- 1854528
TI  - Changes in life and care in the year before death 1969-1987.
AB  - Studies based on random samples of adult deaths in 1969 and 1987 show that,
      although more people in the recent study were living alone in the year before
      they die (32 per cent compared with 15 per cent in the earlier study), there had
      also been an increase in the proportions living in institutions and being
      admitted to hospital in the 12 months before their death. More of those dying in
      1987 than in 1969 had had a home help, whereas the proportion receiving care from
      district nurses was similar for the two studies and the amount of home visiting
      by general practitioners had fallen. A higher proportion of those dying of cancer
      in 1987 than in 1969 were thought to have known that they were dying (44 per cent
      against 16 per cent) and that they had cancer (73 per cent compared with 29 per
      cent). However, the proportion of relatives and others who thought the dying
      person's awareness, or lack of awareness, of the prognosis was 'best as it was'
      was lower for people dying of cancer in the more recent study (57 per cent
      against 69 per cent). The symptoms reported for those dying in 1969 and 1987 were
      generally similar but more of those who died in 1987 had suffered from mental
      confusion, depression and incontinence for a year or more. This reflects the
      increased age at which people were dying in the later study: longer life was
      sometimes associated with the prolongation of unpleasant symptoms.

PMID- 1854529
TI  - The pattern of childhood and related adult malignancies near Kingston-upon-Hull.
AB  - A study of childhood malignancies in North Humberside for 1974-1986 has revealed
      significant spatial aggregations. Though no specific reason was found, certain
      geographical areas, tumour groups and putative risks were identified for further
      study. One possible risk was a tin smelter to the west of Hull. A new method of
      analysis (Stone's conditional Poisson maximum) was used and showed some evidence
      of increased risk close to the smelter. This was accounted for by the solid
      tumours (primarily central nervous system malignancies) and was not apparent for
      the leukaemias. The Poisson maximum method is a special case of isotonic
      regression; a more general isotonic regression method, also due to Stone, Maximum
      Likelihood Ratio (MLR), is also available, and for reasons described elsewhere we
      prefer the more general method. The present study begins by applying this to the
      childhood data and then to data for corresponding adult disease (leukemias and
      central nervous system tumours) in the same area and time period. In both
      children and adults the results are negative for the leukaemias. For the
      remaining tumour categories, there is a significant increase in risk close to the
      smelter, but it is not possible to identify any aspect of the smelter or feature
      in its vicinity as causative.

PMID- 1854530
TI  - Setting up consensus standards for the care of patients in general practice.

PMID- 1854531
TI  - Medical confidentiality and records in general practice.

PMID- 1854532
TI  - Raising standards in family planning services.

PMID- 1854533
TI  - Prevention in general practice: the views of doctors in the Oxford region.
AB  - A postal questionnaire was sent to all 1291 general practitioners in the Oxford
      region to determine the pattern of preventive care and their beliefs about its
      effectiveness. Replies were received from 1014 doctors (79%). Doctors' attitudes
      to their role in prevention and health promotion were very positive and a large
      majority claimed to discuss health related topics with their patients when
      indicated. Fewer respondents said they made a point of discussing smoking habits
      (64%), alcohol intake (26%), diet (12%), or exercise (11%) as a matter of routine
      with all their adult patients. Most general practitioners said they usually
      offered simple advice, leaflets, or other aids when they had identified a
      problem, but few said they would refer these patients to the practice nurse. With
      the exception of cervical screening (45%), few respondents said they maintained
      statistics on the distribution of risk factors in their practice population.
      Despite considerable enthusiasm for their role in preventive health care, before
      the imposition of the new contact most general practitioners in the Oxford region
      had not yet embraced the model of prevention which the contract aims to
      encourage: systematic screening for risk factors and lifestyle advice for all
      patients.

PMID- 1854534
TI  - Two stage audit of cerebrovascular and coronary heart disease risk factor
      recording: the effect of case finding and screening programmes.
AB  - The level of recording of risk factors for cardiovascular disease by general
      practitioners in north east Scotland has been audited. The effect of the audit on
      recording levels has also been determined by means of a second audit one year
      later. Twenty four practices in Grampian took part in the study, each auditing a
      random selection of 100 records of male patients aged 35-64 years. The risk
      factors chosen were blood pressure, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, weight
      and height. Blood pressure was recorded in the majority of the records (68.0%)
      and the mean level of recording of all of the risk factors increased between the
      two audits. The increase in the recording of smoking habit, alcohol consumption
      and weight was statistically significant. Practices with organized systems of
      data collection had higher levels of risk factor recording than those without.
      The levels of recording achieved were thus dependent on factors that existed in
      the practices prior to the study. This suggests that to increase recording
      levels, future educational intervention should be aimed at changes of motivation.

PMID- 1854535
TI  - Development of an electronic prescription processing option: an aid for general
      practice.
AB  - An interactive computer-supported prescription processing system has been
      developed as an add-on to existing general practitioner information systems. The
      aim of the system is to improve the clarity, efficiency and economy of drug
      treatment choices and prescription writing. It enables the doctor to choose the
      best treatment from the system's formulary according to the patient's complaint,
      symptom or diagnosis. The selections are based on complaints and diagnoses from
      the International classification of primary care (ICPC). A prescription is
      printed and the potential exists for individualized patient instruction leaflets
      to be printed. Furthermore, the system may prove useful for retrospective and
      prospective statistical and epidemiological studies. This implies continuous
      adaptation, which is also necessary to keep the system updated. As well as an aid
      in daily general practice, the system is also designed to serve the needs of
      graduate and postgraduate training programmes.

PMID- 1854536
TI  - Teaching problem handling in general practice: a computer assisted learning
      software package for medical students.
AB  - A computer assisted learning software package for medical students, EnMesh,
      designed to increase understanding of the problem-handling skills needed in
      general practice has been developed at the University of Liverpool. Users access
      the system anonymously and respond in sequence to problems in the form of
      clinical vignettes. Responses to each problem, in the form of up to six two-line
      text statements, are generated by the user with a simple word processing
      facility. Users compare their responses with those of established general
      practitioners, searching for similar or matching ideas. After completing not less
      than four problems users are provided with feedback on their performance in
      relation to the physical, psychological and social dimensions of the problems.
      The frequency with which the system is being used and the results of self scoring
      are monitored by a parallel teacher programme. The programmes are designed to run
      on a wide range of microcomputers. EnMesh was designed to provide an informal
      learning resource within an established clinical course. The challenge of valid
      problems, the option to respond anonymously, self scoring and feedback on
      performance are features designed to attract student participation in computer
      assisted learning. Although in EnMesh the expert data is categorized in three
      dimensions, in designing such software the number of categories is limited solely
      by the range of responses which feedback is required to reflect.

PMID- 1854537
TI  - A survey of the health of British missionaries.
AB  - The results of medical examinations carried out on 212 missionary personnel from
      one missionary society returning on leave to the UK are presented. The great
      majority of missionaries worked in developing countries. They served in 27
      countries altogether and for a total of 488 person years. The commonest illnesses
      reported overseas were malaria (87.3 per 1000 person years at risk), diarrhoea
      (63.5), anxiety (63.5), depression (41.0) and giardiasis (38.9). More illnesses
      were reported from West Africa (698 per 1000 person years at risk) than from any
      other region. Ten people (4.7%) were repatriated for health reasons and 10
      relatives also returned as a consequence. Sixty per cent of those returning did
      so because of psychiatric illness. The highest rates of immunization achieved
      were for yellow fever (100% of those travelling to affected countries), tetanus
      (93%), polio (85%), typhoid (71%) and tuberculosis (53%). The results of
      urinalysis (100% of adults), full blood counts (78% of adults) and stool tests
      (74% of all people) are reported. The study shows that the history and
      psychiatric examination are an important part of the medical examination of
      people returning from overseas. Physical examination and urinalysis did not
      contribute much information, although the full blood count and absolute
      eosinophil count were useful tests.

PMID- 1854538
TI  - Breast screening: a subject for debate.
AB  - The National Health Service Breast Screening Programme was instituted in 1988
      following the recommendations of the Forrest report in 1986. From the beginning
      it has been controversial. Is breast cancer screening efficacious? Can the
      efficacy produced in trials be reproduced nationwide in the UK? Do the benefits
      of screening outweigh the adverse effects? Answers to all these questions are not
      yet available but in the light of current evidence, breast screening does appear
      to offer a realistic opportunity to reduce the mortality from a disease which
      constitutes a major public health problem in the UK. The role of the general
      practitioner and the primary care team is considered in the light of the
      experience gained in the first phase of the screening programme.

PMID- 1854539
TI  - Use of antibiotics and antifungal agents in herpetic gingivostomatitis.

PMID- 1854540
TI  - Testicular self examination: evaluation of an educational leaflet.

PMID- 1854541
TI  - General practice at the coalface.

PMID- 1854542
TI  - MD theses from general practice.

PMID- 1854543
TI  - Videos in the waiting room.

PMID- 1854544
TI  - GPs for lesbians and gay men.

PMID- 1854545
TI  - Improving communication between the national general practice organizations.

PMID- 1854546
TI  - An enhanced outlet port clamp for blind patients on CAPD using the UVXD device.

PMID- 1854547
TI  - Direct measurement of pulmonary and systemic flow during assisted circulation.
AB  - During biventricular assistance as a bridge to cardiac transplantation, the flow
      data provided by the pumping systems were compared with flow data obtained with
      the Fick method. There was a difference between the data sets only in the first
      20 hr of observation, with the Fick method giving higher values. During the same
      period, analysis of the arterial and pulmonary pressure traces showed pulsatile
      activity to be related with the electrocardiogram's T waves. In the long run, the
      flow data provided by both methods were no different and the T wave-related
      pulsatile activity disappeared. The authors concluded that the Fick method
      represents a useful tool when measuring total flow during biventricular support.

PMID- 1854548
TI  - The inhibition of calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves by Al and Fe
      pretreatment.

PMID- 1854549
TI  - Randomized clinical trials.

PMID- 1854550
TI  - The coming generation of new small vascular grafts.

PMID- 1854551
TI  - Biomaterials science, medical devices, and artificial organs. Synergistic
      interactions for the 1990s.

PMID- 1854552
TI  - Urea monitoring during dialysis: the wave of the future. A tale of two cities.
AB  - The National Cooperative Dialysis Study (NCDS) suggested that the removal of
      small molecules controls the adequacy of the dialysis prescription, and it would
      seem appropriate that renal units regularly carry out formal urea kinetic
      modeling to ensure that the adequacy of dialysis is provided. Current methods of
      calculating Kt/V (urea) are complex and require the accurate measurement of
      dialyzer urea clearance and calculation of the volume of distribution of urea.
      This may be done by the direct measurement of total urea removed or by the use of
      computer programs that examine plasma urea and weight changes over time. Both
      methods have inherent problems, and this has stimulated the search for easier
      "bedside" formulas for the calculation of Kt/V. These newer formulas involve
      examination of the percentage reduction in blood urea concentration during
      hemodialysis. Two such formulas were examined and applied to 78 patients
      undergoing hemodialysis in two centers. One center routinely carried out formal
      urea kinetic modeling; the other did not. In the first center, it was found that
      the majority of patients were receiving more dialysis than necessary to achieve
      Kt/V (urea) = 1 when the latter was judged by those formulas. This suggested the
      possibility of time savings, with considerable implications for cost efficiency.
      In the second center, the majority of patients required more dialysis. It was
      concluded that intermittent formal urea kinetic modeling tends to overshoot the
      necessary prescription to allow for occasional "imperfect" dialyses and also that
      it is impossible to base dialysis prescriptions on routine pre-dialysis blood
      work and a "feel" for patients' needs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854553
TI  - ECMO in premature infants. Review of factors associated with mortality.
AB  - During the first few years of clinical research on neonatal extracorporeal
      membrane oxygenation (ECMO), 16 premature infants of less than 35 weeks
      gestational age were treated by the authors (RHB), and only four (25%) survived.
      Intracranial hemorrhage was common, prompting the authors to recommend that ECMO
      not be used in premature infants with respiratory failure. Since diagnostic
      methods, indications, and techniques of extracorporeal support have improved
      considerably, the records of these previous cases were reviewed in detail to
      determine if there was reason to believe that results might be better in the
      modern era. Of the 16 patients, four had pre-ECMO conditions that would now be
      considered contraindications and five of the remaining patients had major
      technical complications that are now rare. Anticoagulation and fluid management
      of these patients also would be handled much differently. Based on this review
      and on current experience with extracorporeal support in near-term infants, it is
      reasonable to expect that survival of moribund premature infants might be 50% or
      greater with extracorporeal support. New phase I trials using improved
      indications and technology are suggested.

PMID- 1854554
TI  - Evaluation of extracorporeal perfusion catheters using a standardized measurement
      technique--the M-number.
AB  - Cannulas used for extracorporeal circulating devices are made in many shapes and
      sizes. Side hole placement, length, and wall thickness can make the pressure-flow
      characteristics of catheters with similar French sizes quite different in their
      actual performance. A single value, the M-number, has been developed that
      describes the pressure-flow characteristics of an individual cannula. This number
      can be used to compare catheters and assess their potential utility for given
      bypass requirements. The M-numbers for commonly used catheters that are placed by
      extrathoracic dissections are determined. Clinical situations are presented that
      demonstrate applications of the M-number.

PMID- 1854556
TI  - Intraoperative determination of mediastinal constraints for a total artificial
      heart.
AB  - The anatomic constraints to mediastinal fit of a total artificial heart (TAH)
      were largely neglected during the early developmental stages, precipitating
      failure due to compression or torsion of intrathoracic conduits and vascular
      structures. Cadaveric studies quantifying anatomic constraints are limited by
      postmortem factors causing distortion of critical structures. This study defines
      the anatomic constraints and parameters necessary for designing an implantable
      TAH. Importantly, these parameters were measured in 12 consecutive patients
      undergoing orthotopic cardiac transplant (mean body surface area, 2.0 +/- 0.1 m2)
      after native heart amputation. A full sized contour model of the cylindrical TAH
      (diameter, 97 mm; width, 78 mm) was inserted into the pericardial cavity to
      verify fit, which was found adequate in each case, with no identifiable
      compression of adjacent vascular structures. Intraoperative measurements obtained
      define intrathoracic and pericardial constraints for a cardiac prosthesis (mean
      pericardial dimensions: length, 133.0 mm; width, 154.0 mm; depth, 129.0 mm). The
      parameters measured will provide useful reference for other prosthetic devices,
      since they were obtained intraoperatively rather than postmortem. The current
      dimensions of our TAH were found to be acceptable for orthotopic implantation.

PMID- 1854555
TI  - A comparative analysis of mass transport models in peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - To better understand the differences in published estimates of peritoneal mass
      transport coefficients, a comparative analysis of seven mathematical models of
      peritoneal transport was performed. Uniform investigation involving measurements
      of solute concentrations and accurate determination of peritoneal dialysate
      volume was undertaken in twenty-eight 6 hour dwell studies using 3.86% glucose
      dialysate in non-diabetic patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal
      dialysis (CAPD). The investigated models were all based on the theory of
      transport across a homogeneous membrane. Diffusive mass transport coefficients
      (KBD) calculated during a period of dialysate isovolemia served as reference
      values in the comparative analysis. The evaluation of models involved
      calculations of transport coefficients and comparison of calculated dialysate-to
      plasma concentration ratios (D/P) with experimental D/P. The best fit of
      theoretically predicted D/P to experimental D/P was obtained with Pyle-Popovich's
      model, which accounts for both the diffusive (KBD) and convective (sieving
      coefficient [S]) characteristics of the peritoneal membrane. Garred's model,
      assuming S = 1, yielded acceptable results for small solutes (except sodium),
      whereas Henderson's model, in which convective transport is neglected, proved to
      be surprisingly accurate for KBD for both small solutes (except sodium) and
      protein. S values (mean +/- SD) calculated using Pyle-Popovich's model were found
      to be out of the physically interpretable range for glucose (S = -0.38 +/- 0.48)
      and potassium (S = 1.57 +/- 0.19), and therefore these S values should be treated
      as phenomenologic rather than physical quantities.

PMID- 1854557
TI  - The effect of heparin on three whole blood activated clotting tests and thrombin
      time.
AB  - Whole blood activated clotting time (ACT) can be determined by many different
      methods that use a variety of clotting cascade activators and end-points. This
      study compared the results of three whole blood ACT instruments at equivalent
      concentrations of heparin. Whole blood (9.8 ml) from 10 healthy adult volunteers
      without coagulation abnormalities was added to 0.2 ml of heparin solution
      producing heparin concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 U/ml.
      Coagulation status was determined in duplicate with the Hemochron 400 System
      (HC), the HemoTec Automated Coagulation Timer (HT), and the TriMed ACTivator
      (TM). Thrombin times or dilutions (TT) were also determined for each sample.
      Baseline values did not differ (p greater than 0.05); however, the HT and TM ACT
      values were significantly longer (p less than 0.05) than the HC ACT values at
      predicted heparin concentrations greater than 0.2 U/ml. Results from the HT and
      TM instruments were not significantly different. The HT and TM instruments both
      provided a greater ACT range over the heparin concentrations tested. Of the tests
      studied to monitor heparin therapy, mean scaled TTs showed the best correlation
      with predicted heparin concentrations.

PMID- 1854558
TI  - [Psychiatric practice and dentistry: anthropological and clinical relations].
AB  - The authors establish the clinical and anthropological connections relative to
      the buccal patient. Although apparently the relationship between the psychiatrist
      and the patient is diametrically opposite to the relationship that a buccolic
      professional may have with a patient, however, the reflexion which is developed
      in the work shows, from a wholistic and anthropological perspective, that both
      professional activities are confluent when dealing with the conception of "sick
      patient". Two clinical cases illustrate the difficulties which, sometimes, appear
      in the relationship between the psychiatrist and the ondotologist.

PMID- 1854559
TI  - [Osteoanthropology of the craniognathic system].

PMID- 1854560
TI  - [Changes in vertical dimension in orthognathic surgery].

PMID- 1854561
TI  - [The past and present of dentistry in Spain].

PMID- 1854562
TI  - [Differential diagnosis of endoperio problems].

PMID- 1854563
TI  - [Mucogingival surgery and root recovering (1)].

PMID- 1854564
TI  - [Periapical odontogenic processes of inflammatory origin. Enzyme activity].
AB  - A histoenzymological study was carried out on 40 tissues specimens removed at
      biopsy and for surgical operations of the following lesions: 5 normal oral
      mucosa, 5 periapical granulomas, and 30 periapical inflammatory cysts. The
      purpose of this study was to study some possibly significant variations in levels
      o activities of oxidative enzymes, and hydrolaxes enzymes. In inflammatory cysts,
      enzymatic activities were similar to normal epithelium. There was high levels of
      acid phosphatase LDH and G6PDH activity in the central cells of apical granulomas
      and in the exfoliating epithelial cells of periapical inflammatory cysts. There
      were differency in the glycosaminoglicans activity on the different epitelial
      pattern.

PMID- 1854565
TI  - HIV cardiomyopathy: a dark cloud with a silver lining?

PMID- 1854566
TI  - Thrombolytic treatment in acute myocardial infarction: neutrophil activation,
      peripheral leucocyte responses, and myocardial injury.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine early leucocyte responses and neutrophil activation in
      acute myocardial infarction treated by streptokinase and to relate the findings
      to coronary recanalisation and indices of myocardial damage in order to provide
      further information about the role of neutrophils in the evolution of injury.
      DESIGN: Group analysis of paired blood samples, obtained before streptokinase
      treatment and one hour after it, and of three indirect measures of myocardial
      injury: left ventricular ejection fraction, QRS score, and peak creatine kinase.
      SETTING: The coronary care unit of a district general hospital. PATIENTS: 39
      patients with acute myocardial infarction who underwent paired blood sampling
      (before streptokinase and one hour after streptokinase) and cardiac
      catheterisation 5 (3-8) days later. END POINTS: Changes in peripheral white cell
      and neutrophil counts and plasma elastase one hour after streptokinase infusion.
      Comparison of these variables in patients with and without patency of the infarct
      related coronary artery. Correlations between these variables and indirect
      measures of myocardial injury. RESULTS: Neutrophil activation, as reflected by
      plasma elastase, increased sharply one hour after streptokinase. Total white cell
      and neutrophil counts also increased. Changes tended to be more pronounced in
      patients with patency of the infarct related artery, though the trend was not
      statistically significant. Neutrophil activation before streptokinase was
      unrelated to indirect indices of myocardial injury but only one hour after
      streptokinase a weak negative correlation with left ventricular ejection fraction
      had developed. Peripheral neutrophil responses showed a similar relation to
      ejection fraction and also correlated with peak creatine kinase and QRS score.
      CONCLUSIONS: Thrombolytic treatment in acute myocardial infarction is associated
      with an abrupt reactive neutrophil response which provides an early measure of
      injury. It is also associated with neutrophil activation, probably in response to
      coronary recanalisation and myocardial reperfusion. Activated neutrophils are
      recognised as mediators of reperfusion injury in experimental infarction and the
      data in the present study provide preliminary evidence of a similar pathogenic
      role in the clinical setting.

PMID- 1854567
TI  - Cardiac catheterisation with 5 French catheters.

PMID- 1854568
TI  - A controlled trial of community based coronary rehabilitation.

PMID- 1854569
TI  - Aging, autonomic function, and the perception of angina.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of age and autonomic function on the
      perception of angina. DESIGN: Prospective evaluation of the relations between
      anginal perceptual threshold, autonomic function, and systolic blood pressure in
      patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. Statistical analysis was by
      non-parametric techniques. SETTING: Cardiology departments of a district general
      hospital and a post-graduate teaching centre. SUBJECTS: 82 non-diabetic men with
      typical exertional angina and coronary artery disease confirmed by arteriography
      (n = 64) or a history of Q wave infarction (n = 18). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age,
      anginal perceptual threshold, autonomic function, and blood pressure. Anginal
      perceptual threshold was defined as the time from onset of 0.1 mV ST depression
      to the onset of angina during treadmill stress testing. Autonomic function was
      measured as the ratio of peak heart rate during the Valsalva manoeuvre to the
      minimum rate after release. RESULTS: Anginal perceptual threshold showed a weak
      but significant correlation with age, with older patients tending to have a
      longer interval between the onset of ST depression and the onset of angina.
      Comparison of patients in the upper and lower quartile age ranges showed a
      difference of 50 seconds between median threshold measurements. Blood pressure
      and heart rate responses to the Valsalva manoeuvre also correlated with age, but
      neither variable correlated with the anginal perceptual threshold. CONCLUSIONS:
      In non-diabetic men with coronary artery disease the perception of angina tends
      to deteriorate with advancing age. The mechanism is unclear but is not
      attributable solely to alterations in blood pressure or autonomic function.

PMID- 1854570
TI  - Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and magnesium conservation in patients
      with congestive cardiac failure.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors reduce
      diuretic induced magnesium excretion in patients in congestive cardiac failure.
      DESIGN: Cohort analytic study. SETTING: A London district general hospital.
      SUBJECTS: Thirty four patients with chronic congestive cardiac failure caused by
      ischaemic heart disease or cardiomyopathy selected consecutively from inpatients
      under the care of two consultant cardiologists. Nineteen patients (group 1) on
      diuretics alone were compared with 15 patients (group 2) taking diuretics plus
      either enalapril or captopril. All drug regimens were stable for at least three
      months before the study. Patients with impaired renal function (plasma creatinine
      greater than 120 mumol/l) were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: An intravenous loading
      dose of magnesium sulphate was given to minimise the variability in baseline
      magnesium state. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Total urine magnesium excretion and
      creatinine clearance in 24 hour urine collections. RESULTS: Plasma magnesium was
      similar in the two groups. However, 24 hour urine magnesium excretion was
      significantly lower in group 2 than in group 1. Furthermore, creatinine clearance
      was also significantly lower in group 2 and correlated strongly with magnesium
      excretion. There was no such relation in group 1. There was no difference in
      fractional clearance of magnesium between groups. CONCLUSION: Angiotensin
      converting enzyme inhibitors have an important magnesium conserving action,
      possibly via their effect on glomerular filtration rate.

PMID- 1854571
TI  - Intracardiac mobile thrombus and D-dimer fragment of fibrin in patients with
      mitral stenosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between intracardiac thrombus and blood
      coagulability in patients with mitral stenosis. DESIGN: Prospective study. Cross
      sectional echocardiography and plasma concentrations of the D-dimer fragment of
      fibrin were used concurrently to detect intracardiac thrombus in patients with
      mitral stenosis. SETTING: Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Centre,
      Osaka, Japan. PATIENTS: 63 patients with mitral stenosis. None of them had been
      receiving any anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Plasma concentrations of D-dimer in patients with a mobile intracardiac thrombus,
      those in patients with a non-mobile intracardiac thrombus, and those in patients
      without an intracardiac thrombus. RESULTS: A mobile intracardiac thrombus was
      found in 10 patients and a non-mobile thrombus in eight. The remaining 45
      patients had no intracardiac thrombi. Plasma concentrations of D-dimer in the 10
      patients with a mobile thrombus were all greater than 300 ng/ml (mean 983.3, 95%
      confidence interval 498.9 to 1467.7 ng/ml) and they were significantly higher
      than those in the patients with a non-mobile thrombus (226.2, 33.6 to 418.8
      ng/ml) and the patients without an intracardiac thrombus (147.2, 110.4 to 184
      ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: A high plasma concentration of D-dimer seemed to reflect a
      hypercoagulable intracardiac state and may be a helpful indicator of the possible
      presence of mobile intracardiac thrombus in patients with mitral stenosis.

PMID- 1854572
TI  - Familial Ebstein's anomaly: a report of six cases in two generations associated
      with mild skeletal abnormalities.
AB  - In a family of 11 persons in three generations six had Ebstein's anomaly. Five of
      the six showed mild skeletal anomalies--that is, restricted finger extension,
      with or without limitation of larger joints, and externally rotated little toes.
      Two other members of the family had the skeletal features without Ebstein's
      anomaly. The findings suggest a dominantly inherited syndrome of Ebstein's
      anomaly and skeletal abnormalities. The four female patients were all mildly
      affected whereas three of the four male patients were severely affected.

PMID- 1854573
TI  - Influence of racial origin on admission rates of patients with suspected
      myocardial infarction in Birmingham.
AB  - All patients with suspected myocardial infarction admitted to hospital in four
      Birmingham health districts were studied to test the hypothesis that Asian
      patients would be overrepresented and Caribbean patients underrepresented
      compared with the indigenous population. One thousand four hundred and ninety six
      patients had a final diagnosis of myocardial infarction or severe angina
      pectoris. The relative risk of admission for Asian men compared with white men
      aged 45-64 years was 2.65 (95% confidence interval 2.20 to 3.19) and the risk for
      Asian men was high for both myocardial infarction and ischaemia when analysed
      separately. The relative risk of admission for Caribbean men compared with white
      men was 0.53 (95% CI 0.33 to 1.20). The relative risk for Asian women compared
      with white women in the same age group was 2.58 (95% CI 1.68 to 3.96), but this
      was due to an excess of admissions diagnosed as ischaemia rather than infarction
      in the Asian women. For Caribbean and white women the risk of admission was the
      same, although significantly fewer Caribbean women were admitted with myocardial
      infarction. The study was undertaken in 1986-87 and population data had to be
      derived from the 1981 census. The resident population changed in those five years
      and so the results were recalculated making allowances for these changes in the
      health districts involved. Based on these data the admission rate for Asian men
      with suspected myocardial infarction aged 45-64 was nearly twice that for white
      men (1.8): the relative risk of admission for Asian men compared with white men
      was 2.04 (95% CI 1.53 to 2.18). For Caribbean men the relative risk compared with
      white men was 0.45 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.71). For Asian women the relative risk of
      admission calculated from the adjusted census data resemble that in white women
      aged 45-64 years. The relative risk for admission with coronary heart disease in
      Asians is higher than expected work; one possible explanation for this is that
      the Asian population resident in the area under study was larger than estimated.
      The single major difference in risk factors was the high prevalence of diabetes
      mellitus in Asians (19.5% compared with 8.3% for white residents) but this did
      not wholly account for the excess of admissions from the Asian community.

PMID- 1854574
TI  - Outcome of extensive coronary artery dissection during coronary angioplasty.
AB  - A total of 32 (3.6%) patients of 880 undergoing coronary angioplasty during a
      nine year period at one hospital had extensive dissection (defined as a
      dissection extending beyond the limits of the dilated angioplasty balloon) in the
      coronary artery in which the angioplasty procedure was performed. Two (6.25%) of
      the 32 patients (both of whom were undergoing angioplasty because of unstable
      angina that was refractory to medical treatment) died as a consequence of the
      coronary artery dissection. Twelve (38%) needed immediate coronary artery bypass
      surgery and 11 (34%) had a myocardial infarction, which in four was minor in
      extent. During follow up, 20 of the 32 patients were successfully managed by
      medical treatment; only two needed further angioplasty procedures. There were no
      late deaths. Extensive coronary artery dissection is a serious complication of
      coronary angioplasty, with a high early mortality and a high incidence of
      infarction and requirement for bypass surgery. None the less, patients with
      extensive dissection who are free from the manifestations of acute ischaemia at
      the end of the procedure can be managed conservatively and have a good immediate
      and medium term outlook. Attempts should be made to stabilise extensive
      dissection during coronary angioplasty so that surgical intervention can be
      delayed or avoided altogether if possible.

PMID- 1854575
TI  - Percutaneous laser valvotomy with balloon dilatation of the pulmonary valve as
      primary treatment for pulmonary atresia.
AB  - A neonate with pulmonary atresia and an intact ventricular septum with a
      tripartite right ventricle was successfully treated by percutaneous balloon
      dilatation of the pulmonary valve. This was facilitated by previous laser
      valvotomy with a hot tip Trimedyne laser wire. There were no major complications.
      Four weeks later the patient was discharged home on no medication with peripheral
      oxygen saturations of 70% in air.

PMID- 1854576
TI  - Proceedings of the British Cardiac Society. Glasgow, 30 April-3 May 1991.
      Abstracts.

PMID- 1854577
TI  - Plasma endothelin in coronary venous blood from patients with either stable or
      unstable angina.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the active coronary endothelial
      lesions in unstable angina raise the endothelin concentration in coronary venous
      blood. DESIGN: Systemic and coronary venous blood samples were obtained from
      unselected patients with the clinical syndromes of either stable or unstable
      angina at the time of cardiac catheterisation and coronary arteriography. Control
      venous blood samples were obtained from healthy laboratory workers and from
      patients with chronic renal failure treated by intermittent haemodialysis.
      PATIENTS: Twelve patients with angina: seven with stable symptoms and five with
      unstable angina. RESULTS: The mean coronary venous endothelin concentration in
      unstable angina was 2.32 ng/l (range 1.7-3.2 ng/l). In stable angina it was 2.77
      ng/l (range 2.1-4.4 ng/l). These values were not significantly different from one
      another nor from the values obtained in systemic venous blood from either group
      or from the healthy controls. Circulating endothelin concentrations were much
      higher in venous blood from the patients treated by haemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS:
      These data do not support the hypothesis that raised endothelin concentrations in
      coronary blood in patients with unstable angina may modulate variations in
      coronary arterial tone thereby contributing to the clinical syndrome of chest
      pain and electrocardiographic changes at rest. The raised endothelin
      concentrations seen in systemic venous blood after myocardial infarction may be
      part of the systemic response to myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1854578
TI  - [Some considerations in relation to the biological dimension of the periodontium.
      Synonyms: biological width--biological space].

PMID- 1854579
TI  - [Basic characteristics of the University of Antioquia Dental School in the
      context of other dental education institutions].

PMID- 1854580
TI  - [Prosthetic-periodontal relations].

PMID- 1854581
TI  - [Evaluation of etiological factors in relation to myofascial pain dysfunction
      syndrome. Clinical study of 100 students of the University of Antioquia Dental
      School].

PMID- 1854582
TI  - [Rapid palatal expansion].

PMID- 1854583
TI  - [Radiographic comparison of changes in apical lesions of teeth treated with
      conventional endodontics and with calcium hydroxide (Dycal)].

PMID- 1854584
TI  - A brief history of iron metabolism.
AB  - A concise history of selected aspects of iron metabolism is presented. According
      to present understanding, the element is known to be required for transport and
      reduction of O2, for reduction of CO2, N2 and ribonucleotides, and for other
      essential cellular processes. The contributions of pioneers in the field,
      preeminent among them the cell physiologist and biochemist Otto Warburg, are
      recounted.

PMID- 1854586
TI  - Regulation of plasmid-mediated iron transport and virulence in Vibrio
      anguillarum.
AB  - Iron is essential for bacterial growth and metabolism. In vertebrates this metal
      is complexed by high-affinity iron-binding proteins, such as transferrin in
      serum. The fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum possesses a very efficient iron
      uptake system which is encoded in the virulence plasmid pJM1. This allows the
      bacterium to utilize the otherwise unavailable iron in the fish host, resulting
      in the septicemic disease vibriosis. This system includes the siderophore
      anguibactin and transport components. We have cloned this iron-uptake system and
      have defined several genetic units by transposition mutagenesis. Nucleotide
      sequence analysis identified four open reading frames in the transport region,
      one of these corresponding to the gene for the outer membrane protein OM2 and
      another to a 40-kDa polypeptide. Complementation analysis indicated that products
      from all four reading frames are required for the transport of iron-anguibactin
      complexes. We have also identified positive and negative-acting regulatory
      elements that modulate in concert the expression of anguibactin biosynthetic
      genes and iron transport. The deletion or mutation of the positive-acting
      regulatory genes results in an iron-uptake-deficient phenotype and leads to an
      attenuation of virulence, underscoring the importance of this iron-uptake system
      as a virulence attribute of V. anguillarum.

PMID- 1854585
TI  - Transport of iron across the outer membrane.
AB  - The TonB protein is involved in energ-coupled receptor-dependent transport
      processes across the outer membrane. The TonB protein is anchored in the
      cytoplasmic membrane but exposed to the periplasmic space. To fulfill its
      function, it has to couple the energy-providing metabolism in the cytoplasmic
      membrane with regulation of outer membrane receptor activity. Ferrichrome and
      albomycin transport, uptake of colicin M, and infection by the phages T1 and phi
      80 occur via the same receptor, the FhuA protein in the outer membrane.
      Therefore, this receptor is particularly suitable for the study of energy-coupled
      TonB-dependent transport across the outer membrane. Ferrichrome, albomycin and
      colicin M bind to the FhuA receptor but are not released into the periplasmic
      space of unenergized cells, or tonB mutants. In vivo interaction between FhuA and
      TonB is suggested by the restoration of activity of inactive FhuA proteins,
      bearing amino acid replacements in the TonB box, by TonB derivatives with single
      amino acid substitutions. Point mutations in the fhuA gene are suppressed by
      point mutations in the tonB gene. In addition, naturally occurring degradation of
      the TonB protein and its derivatives is preferentially prevented in vivo by FhuA
      and FhuA derivatives where functional interaction takes place. It is proposed
      that in the energized state, TonB induces a conformation in FhuA which leads to
      the release of the FhuA-bound compounds into the periplasmic space. Activation of
      FhuA by TonB depends on the ExbBD proteins in the cytoplasmic membrane. They can
      be partially replaced by the TolQR proteins which show strong sequence similarity
      to the ExbBD proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854587
TI  - Characteristics of the interaction of the ferritin repressor protein with the
      iron-responsive element.
AB  - The iron-responsive regulation of ferritin mRNA translation is mediated by the
      specific interaction of the ferritin repressor protein (FRP) with the iron
      responsive element (IRE), a highly conserved 28-nucleotide sequence located in
      the 5' untranslated region of ferritin mRNAs. The IRE alone is necessary and
      sufficient to confer repression of translation by FRP upon a heterologous
      message, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, in an in vitro translation system.
      The activity of FRP is sensitive to iron in vivo. Cytoplasmic extracts of rabbit
      kidney cells show reduction of FRP activity when grown in the presence of iron,
      as detected by RNA band shift assay. Using a nitrocellulose filter binding assay
      to examine the interaction of FRP with the IRE in more detail, we find that
      purified FRP has a single high-affinity binding site for the IRE with a Kd of 20
      50 pM. Hemin pretreatment decreases the total amount of FRP which can bind to the
      IRE. This effect is dependent on hemin concentration. Interestingly, the FRP
      which remains active at a given hemin concentration binds to the IRE with the
      same high affinity as untreated FRP. A variety of hemin concentrations were
      examined for their effect on preformed FRP/IRE complexes. All hemin
      concentrations tested resulted in rapid complex breakdown. The final amount of
      complex breakdown corresponds to the concentration of hemin present in the
      reaction. The effect of hemin on FRP activity suggests that a specific hemin
      binding site exists on FRP.

PMID- 1854588
TI  - Ferritin mRNA probed, near the iron regulatory region, with protein and chemical
      (1,10-phenanthroline-Cu) nucleases. A possible role for base-paired flanking
      regions.
AB  - Iron stimulates ferritin synthesis in whole cells and animals, by increasing the
      entry of ferritin mRNA into polyribosomes. Dissection of the regulation at the
      molecular level has identified a 28-nucleotide, conserved, regulatory sequence
      (IRE = iron regulatory element) in the 5' non-coding region of ferritin mRNAs,
      plus trans-acting factor(s), one of which is a 90-kDa protein. The site of iron
      action is not entirely characterized but may involve heme; sequences in the 3'
      non-coding region of ferritin mRNA can modulate regulation. Ferritin mRNA is the
      first eukaryotic mRNA for which a conserved regulatory sequence and regulator
      protein have been identified. The same RNA-protein motif is used, through iron
      dependent degradation of transferrin receptor mRNA, to decrease synthesis of the
      receptor and cellular iron uptake. The regulatory structure of the transferrin
      receptor mRNA is composed, in part, of five copies of the IRE in the 3' non
      coding region. IRE structure, probed by cleavage with RNases T1, V1, 1,10
      phenanthroline-Cu or modification with dimethyl sulfate, is a hairpin loop with
      conformational variations dependent on magnesium; a base-paired region flanking
      the IRE is also structurally sensitive to magnesium. Similar results were
      obtained with a synthetic 55-mer containing the IRE and with a full-length in
      vitro transcript with a G----A substitution in the loop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854589
TI  - Augmentation of antitumor effect on syngeneic murine solid tumors by an
      interleukin 2 slow delivery system, the IL-2 mini-pellet.
AB  - We evaluated the antitumor effect of an interleukin 2 (IL-2) slow delivery
      system, the IL-2 mini-pellet, in two murine solid tumor models, and also
      investigated the enhancement of its therapeutic effect by serial administration.
      The IL-2 mini-pellet contains 1 x 10(6) units of IL-2 and releases it slowly in
      vivo. In our experiment, the IL-2 mini-pellet was administered subcutaneously
      near the tumor site in combination with the intravenous injection of lymphokine
      activated killer (LAK) cells. When this regimen was given on days 8 and 11 after
      the subcutaneous inoculation of Meth A fibrosarcoma into BALB/c mice, tumor
      growth was significantly inhibited (p less than 0.05) compared to tumor growth in
      untreated controls. Moreover, the IL-2 mini-pellet alone was also effective in
      inhibiting tumor growth. In another experiment, MH134 hepatoma was inoculated
      into C3H/He mice. Both administration of the IL-2 mini-pellet alone and in
      combination with LAK cells resulted in complete tumor regression in four of five
      mice. In a third experiment, serial administration of the IL-2 mini-pellet at 3-
      or 5-day intervals prolonged the suppression of Meth A fibrosarcoma growth in
      BALB/c mice. These results suggested that the IL-2 mini-pellet could be applied
      to cancer immunotherapy and that its antitumor effect could be prolonged by
      serial administration.

PMID- 1854590
TI  - Inhibition of growth of rat hepatoma by local injection of liposomes containing
      recombinant interleukin-2. Antitumor effect of IL-2 liposome.
AB  - Human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) was entrapped in liposome, consisting of
      egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol. The peri-tumor injections of IL-2
      liposome inhibited significantly the growth of solid tumor and prolonged the
      survival time of rats with solid tumors which were induced by a subcutaneous
      (s.c.) inoculation of AH-66 cells. Immunohistochemical staining of peritoneal
      exudate cells and tumor tissues revealed a marked accumulation of activated
      macrophages in and around the tumor tissues induced by the local injections of IL
      2 liposome.

PMID- 1854591
TI  - In vitro modulation of canine polymorphonuclear leukocyte function by granulocyte
      macrophage colony stimulating factor.
AB  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GMCSF) promotes the growth of
      granulocytes and macrophages from undifferentiated bone marrow cells and
      modulates the oxidative responses of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) to
      endogenous chemoattractants. We found that, in vitro, naturally occurring
      glycolsylated human GMCSF does not disturb the resting canine PMN membrane
      potential, may attentuate PMN oxidative responses to PMA, and is, to a small
      degree, chemotaxigenic. GMCSF, however, inhibits PMN chemotaxis to zymosan
      activated plasma (ZAP). Compared to temperature controls, GMCSF (1-100 U/ml)
      produced up to 1.5-fold increases in H2O2 production after 15 minutes, while
      phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) treated cells increased H2O2 production 8-12-fold
      after 15 minutes. Preincubation of cells with GMCSF (1-100 U/ml) prior to PMA
      stimulation significantly reduced the H2O2 levels induced by PMA. H2O2 production
      was inhibited up to 15% after 15 minutes of GMCSF preincubation and up to 40%
      after 60 minutes of preincubation. As a chemotaxigenic agent, GMCSF (10-1000
      U/ml) was able to elicit 49%-102% increases in quantitative cellular migration,
      compared to random migration. Total cellular chemotaxis to GMCSF was less than
      30% of the response to ZAP. Preincubation of PMNs with GMCSF for 15 minutes
      significantly inhibited ZAP-induced cellular migration. Human GMCSF does not
      appear to activate canine PMN in vitro and may actually down-regulate PMN
      inflammatory responses.

PMID- 1854592
TI  - The effect of photosensitive dye platonin on juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Two children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) were given photosensitive
      dye Platonin in combination with prednisolone. Analysis of clinical and
      laboratory data showed that Platonin was efficacious in the improvement of the
      clinical symptoms and the severity of inflammation, or in the maintenance of the
      remission state. There were no adverse side effects during long-term
      administration of medication.

PMID- 1854593
TI  - A regimen of surgical adjuvant immunotherapy for cancer with interleukin 2 and
      lymphokine-activated killer cells. Basis, clinical toxicity, and immunomodulatory
      effects.
AB  - We designed a unique regimen of adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine-activated
      killer (LAK) cells and recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) for application with
      surgical adjuvant therapy of cancer. The regimen features the prolonged (6
      consecutive days) s.c. administration of low-dose rIL-2 and the transfer of ex
      vivo generated LAK cells from regional lymph node lymphocytes, obtained at the
      time of surgical operation. According to this regimen, 5 patients with primary
      lung cancer received immunotherapy about 2 weeks after surgery (pulmonary
      lobectomy). Clinical toxicities included fever(5/5), fatigue(5/5), slight(less
      than 5%) weight gain(5/5), increase of pleural effusion at the lobectomy
      site(2/5), and edema formation(1/5). All toxicities reversed within 4 days after
      the completion of therapy. Rebound lymphocytosis after therapy ranged from 2.4 to
      5.5-fold (mean, 4.3-fold) over the baseline. Peripheral blood lymphocytes
      obtained during this lymphocytosis exhibited in vitro LAK activity in 4 of 5
      patients. Thus, the regimen is considered to be well-tolerable and
      immunologically active in regard to the postoperative state of the patients.

PMID- 1854594
TI  - BLT-esterase activity following in vitro and in vivo activation of human
      lymphocytes with interleukin-2. In vivo IL-2 induces BLT-esterase.
AB  - BLT-esterase and cytolytic activity by human in vitro and in vivo generated
      Lymphokine Activated Killer (LAK) cells were measured. Lysates made from
      peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of both normal donors and cancer patients
      receiving IL-2 therapy were assayed for BLT-esterase activity in a spectro
      photometric assay. Cytotoxicity of PBL was measured in a 51Cr-release assay. Both
      BLT-esterase activity and cytotoxicity increased when normal-donor PBL were
      stimulated in vitro with IL-2, with greater activities at higher IL-2
      concentrations. The activities also increased over time, peaking at 6 days of in
      vitro stimulation. Patient PBL had increased BLT-esterase and cytotoxic
      activities after 4 weeks of in vivo IL-2 treatment. This association of BLT
      esterase activity and cytotoxicity with IL-2 activation is consistent with the
      model that LAK cytotoxicity is mediated by secretion of BLT-esterase associated
      cytolytic granules. Lymphocytes obtained after in vivo IL-2 treatment and
      cultured for 3-4 hours in IL-2 show markedly augmented cytotoxic activity but no
      increase in their BLT-esterase activity. These results indicate that the
      increased cytotoxicity observed after this brief pulse of in vitro IL-2 following
      in vivo IL-2 treatment must result from effects of IL-2 other than the production
      of more esterase-containing cytolytic granules.

PMID- 1854595
TI  - Atherosclerosis: cellular aspects and potential interventions.
AB  - The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has been extensively studied and the cellular
      aspects increasingly characterized. This review will focus on the basic
      pathology, presumed cellular events, cellular interactions, cell-lipid
      relationships, and potential therapies of atherosclerosis. Fatty streaks, fibrous
      plaques, and complicated plaques are the pathologic hallmarks of atherosclerosis.
      These lesions insidiously progress, and symptoms appear to develop when the
      plaque luminal surface destabilizes. The major cellular contributors to plaque
      development are monocytes/macrophages, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells,
      and, to a lesser degree, lymphocytes and platelets. They interact in a
      complicated fashion. Growth factors and cytokines produced by these cells are
      also of great importance for cell-cell interaction. Hemodynamic factors
      contribute to atherogenesis at preferential sites within the arterial
      vasculature, presumably by effects on the cellular mechanisms. Hyperlipidemia,
      especially elevations of total and LDL-cholesterol, has been well characterized
      as an atherosclerotic risk factor. Cellular modification of LDL-cholesterol,
      primarily by oxidation, leads to more rapid uptake by macrophage-derived foam
      cells, enhancing plaque growth by this and other mechanisms. These observations
      may unify the cellular and lipid contributors to atherogenesis. Therapies
      directed at the cellular contributors to atherosclerosis are being assessed.
      Dietary n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces the extent of experimental
      atherosclerosis, and human studies are in progress. Many potential cellular
      effects of n-3 fatty acids have been demonstrated. Other potential therapies for
      atherosclerosis that probably work at the cellular level include calcium channel
      blockers, antioxidants, and heparinoids. An exciting new era of atherosclerosis
      research and, hopefully, therapy has dawned, as knowledge about its cellular
      basis accrues.

PMID- 1854596
TI  - Monosialoganglioside GM1 in cerebral ischemia.
AB  - In vitro studies have shown that monosialoganglioside GM1 reduces excitatory
      amino acid-related neurotoxicity by limiting the downstream consequences of
      abusive excitatory amino acid receptor stimulation, while enhancing
      neuronotrophic factor action in a variety of neuronal cell types. Systemic
      administration of GM1 appears to be efficacious in reducing acute nerve cell
      damage and in facilitating medium- and long-term functional recovery after brain
      injury. Although the mechanism of action remains unclear, it appears likely that
      GM1 protective effects in the acute injury phase are at least in part due to the
      attenuation of excitotoxicity, while the long-term functional recovery might
      reflect GM1 potentiation of neuronotrophic factors. The potential therapeutic
      efficacy of GM1 administration in different conditions in humans, as suggested by
      pioneer clinical studies, is reviewed. Further larger, randomized, double-blind
      clinical studies are necessary to define the therapeutic efficacy.

PMID- 1854597
TI  - Thrombolytic therapy for stroke.
AB  - Thrombolytic therapy has recently been shown to be beneficial in the setting of
      acute myocardial infarction, and thrombolysis resulting in vascular
      recanalization has been achieved in several other human disease states, including
      stroke. Advances in the understanding of the fibrinolytic system have led to the
      development of several new and distinctive thrombolytic strategies. Animal
      studies of stroke have been encouraging with regard to arterial recanalization
      and safety. Clinically, the availability of brain computed tomography has allowed
      pilot studies to proceed by providing rapid identification of patients with
      nonhemorrhagic stroke. Arterial recanalization has been demonstrated in patients
      with ischemic stroke following the administration of any one of several
      thrombolytic drugs. Placebo-controlled trials have not been completed, and so
      clinical benefit has not been established. Even though the development of brain
      hemorrhage has been an infrequent complication, the very high morbidity and
      mortality have been worrisome. Ironically, thrombolytic therapy holds promise for
      treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage and perhaps also for spontaneous
      intracerebral hemorrhage. Human studies have been limited, but complications have
      been modest, and clinical outcomes have been encouraging.

PMID- 1854598
TI  - Escherichia coli O157:H7 and its significance in foods.
AB  - Escherichia coli O157:H7 was conclusively identified as a pathogen in 1982
      following its association with two food-related outbreaks of an unusual
      gastrointestinal illness. The organism is now recognized as an important cause of
      foodborne disease, with outbreaks reported in the U.S.A., Canada, and the United
      Kingdom. Illness is generally quite severe, and can include three different
      syndromes, i.e., hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, and thrombotic
      thrombocytopenic purpura. Most outbreaks have been associated with eating
      undercooked ground beef or, less frequently, drinking raw milk. Surveys of retail
      raw meats and poultry revealed E. coli O157:H7 in 1.5 to 3.5% of ground beef,
      pork, poultry, and lamb. Dairy cattle, especially young animals, have been
      identified as a reservoir. The organism is typical of most E. coli, but does
      possess distinguishing characteristics. For example, E. coli O157:H7 does not
      ferment sorbitol within 24 h, does not possess beta-glucuronidase activity, and
      does not grow well or at all at 44-45.5 degrees C. The organism has no unusual
      heat resistance; heating ground beef sufficiently to kill typical strains of
      salmonellae will also kill E. coli O157:H7. The mechanism of pathogenicity has
      not been fully elucidated, but clinical isolates produce one or more verotoxins
      which are believed to be important virulence factors. Little is known about the
      significance of pre-formed verotoxins in foods. The use of proper hygienic
      practices in handling foods of animal origin and proper heating of such foods
      before consumption are important control measures for the prevention of E. coli
      O157:H7 infections.

PMID- 1854599
TI  - Aeromonas and Plesiomonas as food- and waterborne pathogens.
AB  - Aeromonas and Plesiomonas have become increasingly recognized as human
      enteropathogens. Plesiomonas shigelloides has mainly been recovered from various
      sea foods, whereas Aeromonas sp. have also been cultured from pigs, broilers,
      eggs, milk and vegetables. Aeromonas sp. also multiply rapidly at +4 degrees C
      which is a significant risk in food storage. Aeromonas sp. have furthermore been
      recovered from fresh water sources, and some isolates are resistant to
      chlorination which makes it a further risk factor. No large food- or waterborne
      outbreaks have been reported so far with Aeromonas sp. Various virulence factors
      involved in intestinal infections are described such as enterotoxins, cytotoxins,
      and adhesins.

PMID- 1854600
TI  - Detection of Clostridium perfringens type A enterotoxin in faecal and food
      samples using immunomagnetic separation (IMS)-ELISA.
AB  - A simple, rapid and sensitive immunoassay, based on immunomagnetic particles
      (Dynabeads M-280) was developed for detection and quantitation of Clostridium
      perfringens type A enterotoxin from faecal and food extracts. The assay had a
      detection limit of 2.5 ng/ml enterotoxin in homogenates of faeces and inoculated
      meat extracts. The specificity was confirmed by both crossed
      immunoelectrophoresis and Western immunoblotting techniques, using a purified
      enterotoxin as standard.

PMID- 1854601
TI  - Bioluminescence as a real-time monitor of injury and recovery in Salmonella
      typhimurium.
AB  - Bioluminescence provides a novel tool with which to probe in real time the
      recovery of microorganisms such as Salmonella typhimurium from sub-lethal injury,
      a condition of immense importance in the enumeration of microorganisms in food
      and environmental samples such as from estuarine waters. We describe the
      application of in vivo bioluminescence to monitor the recovery of S. typhimurium
      from freeze injury and, in addition, we explore the effect of multiple stress
      conditions on microbial recovery where we compare bioluminescence with viable
      count measurement.

PMID- 1854602
TI  - Detection of Escherichia coli and identification of enterotoxigenic strains by
      primer-directed enzymatic amplification of specific DNA sequences.
AB  - The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify DNA sequences from the
      malB operon of Escherichia coli. All E. coli strains tested yielded the specific
      DNA fragment. No amplification products were obtained with other
      Enterobacteriaceae. E. coli strains which produce enterotoxins were identified
      with additional primer pairs specific for the genes coding for the heat-labile
      toxin type I (LTI) and the heat-stable toxin type I (STI). Amplification products
      were identified by DNA-DNA hybridization. Alternatively, restriction endonuclease
      analysis was used for identification and to distinguish between different alleles
      of the enterotoxin genes. The detection limit was 10 bacteria. The PCR systems
      were validated by testing 27 E. coli of known enterotoxigenic properties. The PCR
      results were consistent with factual toxin production as determined by
      immunoassays. In addition, 58 E. coli strains isolated from soft cheese and
      mayonnaise were analyzed by PCR. One strain from a cheese sample was found to
      have the genetic information for STI production. This strain produced STI as
      determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

PMID- 1854603
TI  - Italian experience in Salmonella enteritidis 1978-1988: characterization of
      isolates from food and man.
AB  - Salmonella enteritidis accounted for 5.45% of the 118.685 Salmonella isolates
      from man and for 2.65% of the 3.315 Salmonella isolates from food in Italy in the
      eleven year period 1978 to 1988. In the years 1978-1982 no S. enteritidis strain
      was isolated from eggs and poultry; in the years 1983-1988 the 53% of S.
      enteritidis isolates from food were from eggs and poultry. In 1989 S. enteritidis
      accounted for 744 isolates from man and 22 from food of which 80% were from eggs
      and poultry (partial data). In that year 18 outbreaks caused by S. enteritidis
      were reported to the National Centre of Enteric Pathogens in Rome.
      Characteristics of 81 S. enteritidis isolates were examined of which 27 were from
      sporadic cases involving humans and 40 from outbreaks in humans; 14 isolates were
      from food, all but one connected with the outbreaks. All the isolates studied
      were sensitive to the antibiotics tested; plasmid profile analysis showed a
      predominant profile pattern in both epidemic and non-epidemic strains; lysine
      decarboxylase was present in all the strains tested. Although in at least three
      epidemics a common supplier of eggs was proved, the source was not identified.
      Unfortunately it was not possible to determine the phage type of isolates because
      of the unavailability of specific phages.

PMID- 1854604
TI  - Enzyme-linked immunoassays for the detection of Salmonella spp.: a comparison
      with other methods.
AB  - The first enzyme immunoassay for Salmonella was reported in 1977 and since that
      time several enzyme-linked immuno assays (ELISAs) have been developed, using
      either polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies that will detect most Salmonella
      serotypes. Two of these kits have been declared official first status by the
      Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). In comparison with a culture
      method used in collaborative studies, the total assay time is reduced by 2 days
      and statistical analysis of the data indicated no significant difference. The
      main problem related to all methods other than traditional culture methods is the
      occurrence of false-positive and/or false-negative results. False-positive ELISA
      results can be eliminated by using (combinations of) highly specific monoclonal
      antibodies. Good enrichment procedures are very important to be sure that the
      detection limit of approx. 10(5) cells/ml will be reached. In the future even
      better limits of detection may be achieved by using enzyme amplification or
      chemiluminescence to decrease the number of false-negative results.

PMID- 1854605
TI  - Slaughter pigs and pork as a source of human pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica.
AB  - Pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains (serogroups 0:3;0:9 and 0:5.27) were
      isolated from 36 (42%) of 86 porcine tonsils, 8 (20%) of 40 tongues, 17 (17%) of
      100 rectal swabs and from 4 (1%) of 400 pork samples. Pathogenic Yersinia strains
      were not isolated from samples of 210 pig carcasses and from 20 samples of
      porcine head meat. These results confirm that pigs are an important reservoir of
      pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. However, contamination of carcasses during the
      slaughtering process with Yersinia from either faecal material or from the
      tonsillary region does not seem to occur frequently and this may also explain the
      low contamination rate of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica found for pork. For the
      isolation of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains from foods, enrichment in
      irgasan-ticarcillin-chlorate broth (ITC) and isolation on SS-deoxycholate-calcium
      agar (SSDC) is recommended.

PMID- 1854606
TI  - The late effects of cancer therapy in childhood.

PMID- 1854607
TI  - ras gene alterations in invasive and non-invasive rat bladder carcinomas induced
      by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea.
AB  - We have established a reliable method to induce invasive and non-invasive
      carcinomas in the heterotopically transplanted urinary bladder of rats by
      repeated injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), and examined the alterations
      of the ras oncogenes and ras oncogene product (p21) in the induced tumours. The
      incidence of muscle-invasive carcinomas was proportional to the total dose of
      MNU. When 5, 6 or 12 doses of MNU were used, muscle invasive carcinomas developed
      in 22, 58 or 45% of animals, respectively, after a mean observation period,
      respectively, of 54 +/- 9, 45 +/- 13 and 38 +/- 3 weeks. Whereas activated H-ras
      gene was detected in only one non-invasive carcinoma by DNA transfection assay,
      seven of 18 non-invasive and invasive carcinomas showed activated ras p21 when
      examined by immunoblot analysis. Amplification or rearrangement of myc or
      epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor gene was not observed. The results
      indicate that alterations of ras gene may be involved in the development of rat
      bladder carcinomas but not of invasiveness.

PMID- 1854608
TI  - The vascularity of cutaneous melanoma: a quantitative histological study of
      lesions 0.85-1.25 mm in thickness.
AB  - The vascularity of 107 primary cutaneous melanomas has been characterized by
      morphometric histological analysis. The lesions selected for study were of
      thickness 0.85-1.25 mm and the aim was to evaluate the prognostic significance of
      tumour vascularity. Two groups of patients were identified; 86 with no evidence
      of recurrence after a minimum follow-up period of 5 years and 21 with
      locoregional recurrence and/or metastasis. The lectin Ulex europaeus type I was
      used for endothelial cell staining of tissue sections and morphometric analysis
      was performed to derive the vascular length, surface and volume density from
      independent measurements of tumour, adjacent dermis and the junctional zone
      between tumour and underlying tissue. A wide range of values was obtained for
      each parameter with increased vascularity always found at the tumour base
      compared with the tumour as a whole. In relation to the adjacent normal dermis,
      vascularity was generally found to be higher at the tumour base but either higher
      or lower in the tumour overall. Tumour recurrence could not be predicted by any
      of the derived vascular parameters either independently or together with other
      histological and clinical features. This study suggests that tumour vascularity
      is of no prognostic significance in melanoma of the above thickness range. The
      highly variable extent of tumour vascularity was not correlated with other
      clinical or histological parameters, but may have implications for the delivery
      of pharmaceutical agents used for diagnosis or therapy.

PMID- 1854609
TI  - Comparative pathology of breast cancer in a randomised trial of screening.
AB  - In the Edinburgh Randomised Breast Screening Project (EBSP) to December 1988
      there were 500 cancers in the study population invited to screening and 340
      cancers identified in the control population. The size and negative lymph node
      status characteristics of invasive cancers from the two populations were
      significantly different (P less than 0.05). The cancers detected by screening
      were predominantly 'early stage', with 16% noninvasive (PTIS) and 42% invasive
      stage I (pT1 node negative), whereas cancers were frequently 'late stage' (more
      than pT2) and inoperable in nonattenders (44%) and controls (36%). Grouped
      according to customary size ranges of invasive cancers, the proportion of cases
      lymph node positive differed in those screen detected compared with controls, but
      the benefit in favour of screen detection was not constant. In comparisons of
      cancers detected at prevalence and incidence screens, as a test of conformity
      with screening theory, no significant differences were apparent according to size
      and lymph node status, yet the characteristics of histological type of cancer
      discriminated significantly (P less than 0.05). When these same histological
      characteristics were used to compare survival, the capacity to separate invasive
      cancers into two groups having good and poor survival probabilities was evident,
      with a significant improvement for the screen detected poor survival group
      compared with controls (P less than 0.05).

PMID- 1854610
TI  - Angiotensin II as a potential method of targeting cytotoxic-loaded microspheres
      in patients with colorectal liver metastases.
AB  - Regional chemotherapy is commonly used to treat patients with colorectal liver
      metastases. However, improvement in survival has still not been demonstrated.
      Cytotoxic loaded albumin microspheres for arterial administration have been
      described as a means of improving the the therapeutic index, but their
      distribution depends upon the prevailing pattern of arterial blood-flow at the
      time of injection. In this study, the ability of the vasoactive drug angiotensin
      II to target arterially injected microspheres to colorectal liver metastases is
      assessed in nine patients using scintigraphic planar and tomographic imaging. The
      median tumour: normal ratio in nine patients with colorectal liver metastases was
      3.4:1 before the administration of angiotensin II. The corresponding ratio after
      administration of angiotensin II was 7.3:1. The median improvement factor was 1.8
      (P less than 0.05). The data suggest that worthwhile tumour targeting can be
      achieved with angiotensin II in patients with colorectal liver metastases.

PMID- 1854611
TI  - The prognostic value of immunoperoxidase staining with monoclonal antibodies NCRC
      11 and 3E1.2 in breast cancer.
AB  - The variation in survival of women with clinically similar breast cancers may
      lead to difficulty in clinical management so it is important to recognise factors
      which indicate the prognosis. Immunoperoxidase staining patterns of primary
      breast tumours using monoclonal antibody NCRC-11 have been shown to relate to
      overall survival (Ellis et al., 1985) but the results have not been reproducible
      in other centres. In this study paraffin sections of 483 primary breast cancers
      were stained with NCRC-11 and 3E1.2 using an immunoperoxidase system. The tumour
      staining patterns were compared with overall survival using life tables and
      tested for relative prognostic significance by Cox's multivariate analysis. NCRC
      11 related to survival in all 483 cases (chi 2 5.8, P = 0.02) but both antibodies
      achieved maximum prognostic significance in lymph node negative patients (chi 2
      9.4, P less than 0.002 and chi 2 10.7, P less than 0.001) in whom no other factor
      was more significant. Immunoperoxidase staining patterns produced by monoclonal
      antibodies NCRC-11 and 3E1.2 are important prognostic factors in breast cancer.

PMID- 1854612
TI  - Defective erythropoiesis in primary myelofibrosis associated with a chromosome 11
      abnormality.
AB  - A case of primary myelofibrosis was identified with a previously unreported
      complex karyotype with two abnormal clones in addition to a proportion of normal
      cells: 46,XY,-2,-11, + der(2)t(2;11) (q24/31;q13), + mar and 45,XY,-2,-11, +
      der(2)t(2;11)(q24/31;q13), + mar, -17, del(7q). Study of circulating committed
      progenitors from this patient consistently showed (1) an absence of erythroid
      progenitors which is uncommon and (2) greatly increased granulocyte-monocyte
      progenitors (CFU-GM) which is generally observed in myelofibrosis. Further study
      showed that peripheral blood mononuclear cells co-cultured with irradiated normal
      bone marrow stroma generated increased numbers of CFU-GM compared with controls
      but failed to generate erythroid progenitors, providing evidence for an intrinsic
      defect in erythropoiesis. Only once previously has the absence of erythroid
      progenitors in primary myelofibrosis been studied in relation to cytogenetic
      abnormalities. This case also revealed a complex karyotype which, however, shared
      with our case a defect on chromosome 11. The identification of two cases of
      primary myelofibrosis which lack committed erythroid progenitor cells and which
      show in common a chromosomal defect on chromosome 11 point to the existence of
      genes on this chromosome which play a key role during erythropoiesis.

PMID- 1854613
TI  - DNA ploidy of primary breast cancer and local recurrence after breast-conserving
      therapy.
AB  - The value of DNA-flow cytometry and clinico-pathological prognostic factors for
      the prediction of local recurrences after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) were
      evaluated in a retrospective study. Thirty-one patients with a local recurrence
      were compared with 31 matched patients without a local recurrence. Morphology and
      DNA-indices of the local recurrences and their corresponding primary tumours were
      compared. Ductal carcinoma in situ was present significantly more often in the
      group with a primary recurring tumour, than in the matched group (P less than
      0.001), and the same holds for lobular carcinoma (n = 5). Half of the tumours
      that recurred had macroscopically positive surgical margins compared to about one
      fourth of the matched group. Fifty-six per cent of the DNA-aneuploid stemlines in
      cases with local recurrence were present in the corresponding primary tumour as
      well (confidence limits 45%-75%), an indication that the majority of local
      recurrences are true recurrences and not independently developed tumours. The
      lack of similarity of DNA stemlines between some primary DNA-aneuploid tumours
      and their local recurrences indicates that these tumours had developed
      independently. The percentage of DNA-aneuploid cases in the group with local
      recurrence (89%) did not differ significantly from that in the matched group
      (70%). However, the findings suggest a selective recurrence of DNA-diploid
      stemlines. This might indicate increased resistance of DNA-diploid tumour cells
      to radiotherapy as compared with the resistance level in DNA-aneuploid cells.

PMID- 1854614
TI  - Seasonal changes in serum melatonin in women with previous breast cancer.
AB  - A seasonal variation in the month of initial detection of breast cancer has been
      previously observed in pre-menopausal women, and it has been proposed that this
      may be due to cyclic changes in tumour growth mediated by the effects of
      melatonin on ovarian function. To investigate this possibility serum melatonin
      concentrations have been measured every 2 h for 24 h at the summer and winter
      solstice in 20 pre-menopausal women with previous breast cancer and nine
      controls. Twelve women had detected their tumour in winter and eight in summer.
      Overall melatonin secretion assessed by either amplitude of the nocturnal
      melatonin pulse or the area under the 24 h melatonin curve (AUC) was not
      different between breast cancer women or controls. However, the amplitude and AUC
      fell in winter in breast cancer patients (summer to winter 93.6 to 77.5 pg ml-1,
      P less than 0.002 and 743 to 634 AUC units, P less than 0.005 for amplitude and
      AUC respectively), whereas the winter minus summer values were significantly
      positive in controls compared with cancer patients. The abnormal fall in winter
      values in the women with previous breast cancer was confined to the group of
      women who had been winter detectors (mean summer to winter levels 94.9 to 72.6 pg
      ml-1, P less than 0.01 and 775 to 637 AUC units, P less than 0.05 for amplitude
      and AUC respectively) whereas there was no significant seasonal alteration in
      these measurements in summer detectors. The acrophase of the nocturnal pulse of
      serum melatonin was significantly advanced in both groups of women with previous
      breast cancer (change in acrophase winter to summer from 0210 h to 0140 h in
      summer detectors, P less than 0.01, 0330 h to 0210 h in winter detectors, P less
      than 0.05) with a similar although nonsignificant trend in control women. The
      abnormal reduction of serum melatonin seen in wintertime in winter detectors of
      breast cancer could promote tumour growth at this season and so contribute to the
      decreased survival previously observed in this group compared with summer
      detectors. The relatively normal seasonal profile of melatonin observed in summer
      detectors could allow increased ovarian steroidogenesis in spring/summer with a
      resulting increase in tumour growth and consequent rise in tumour detection rate
      at this time.

PMID- 1854615
TI  - Evaluation of serum CA15-3 determination with CEA and TPA in the post-operative
      follow-up of breast cancer patients.
AB  - The usefulness of post-operatively serial serum CA15-3 determination with CEA and
      TPA was evaluated in a group of 285 breast cancer patients. In particular, the
      CA15-3 sensitivity to 'early' diagnosis and monitoring of the response to
      treatment of breast cancer relapses, was compared with those of the two other
      markers in order to define the most suitable association. Moreover, in a group of
      169 non relapsed patients with a prolonged follow-up (40 +/- 8 months; mean +/-
      s.d.) CA15-3 specificity was investigated. During post-operative follow-up in 27
      (10%) patients, distant metastases occurred. In most of them, elevated values of
      one or more tumour markers were the first pathological sign and CA15-3, CEA and
      TPA sensitivity to 'early' diagnosis of metastases were 46%, 7% and 63%
      respectively. When each tumour marker was considered in combination, CA15-3-CEA
      TPA association showed a higher sensitivity (87%) than both CA15-3-TPA (83%) and
      the CEA-TPA (70%). Serum CA15-3 increase preceded the certain sign of metastases
      2.7 +/- 2.6 months (mean +/- s.d.). Shortly before appearance and during
      treatment of distant metastases, constant elevation and/or progressive increase
      in serum CA15-3 values occurred in all evaluated patients except three in whom
      isolated elevated values were found as well. In 24 (14%) of 169 non relapsed
      patients with prolonged follow-up (40 +/- 8 months; mean +/- s.d.) high serum
      CA15-3 values occurred. In 16 of these 24 patients, an isolated elevated value
      was found, while four (2.3%) or the eight remaining ones with constant elevation
      and/or progressive increase were falsely suspected of metastases. In this group
      of non relapsed patients, chronic liver failure, diabetes and/or hepatic
      steatosis were the reasons more commonly responsible for the CA15-3 increase. In
      metastatic patients, no organ-specificity was shown either by CA15-3 or by CEA
      and TPA. In these patients serum TPA values showed the highest sensitivity and
      paralleled clinical and/or instrumental signs better than the CA15-3 and even
      more than CEA values. These data indicate that in the post-operative follow-up of
      breast cancer patients, TPA is the most useful tumour marker and TPA-CA15-3 the
      most suitable association. Contemporaneous measurement of serum CEA levels only
      slightly increases sensitivity and positive predictive value of TPA-CA15-3
      combination.

PMID- 1854616
TI  - Cancer risks in thyroid cancer patients.
AB  - Cancer risks were studied in 834 thyroid cancer patients given 131I (4,551 MBq,
      average) and in 1,121 patients treated by other means in Sweden between 1950 and
      1975. Record-linkage with the Swedish Cancer Register identified 99 new cancers
      more than 2 years after 131I therapy [standardised incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.43;
      95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.75] vs 122 (SIR = 1.19; 95% CI 0.88-1.42) in
      patients not receiving 131I. In females treated with 131I overall SIR was 1.45
      (95% CI 1.14-1.83) and significantly elevated were noted for tumours of the
      salivary glands, genital organs, kidney and adrenal gland. No elevated risk of a
      subsequent breast cancer or leukaemia was noted. SIR did not change over time,
      arguing against a strong radiation effect of 131I. Organs that were estimated to
      have received more than 1.0 Gy had together a significantly increased risk of a
      subsequent cancer following 131I treatment (SIR = 2.59; n = 18). A significant
      trend was seen for increasing activities of 131I with highest risk for patients
      exposed to greater than or equal to 3,664 MBq (SIR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.58). No
      specific cancer or group of cancers could be convincingly linked to high-dose
      131I exposures since SIR did not increase after 10 years of observation. However,
      upper confidence intervals could not exclude levels of risk that would be
      predicted based on data from the study of atomic bomb survivors. We conclude that
      the current practice of extrapolating the effects of high-dose exposures to lower
      dose situations is unlikely to seriously underestimate radiation hazards for low
      LET radiation.

PMID- 1854617
TI  - The influence of serum methotrexate concentrations and drug dosage on outcome in
      childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
AB  - Sequential methotrexate (Mtx) absorption studies were undertaken in 127 children
      undergoing treatment for childhood non-T acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) to
      determine whether serum drug concentration, clearance and dosage affect event
      free survival (EFS). Higher serum concentration and area under the plasma
      concentration curve (AUC) were not associated with an improved EFS. Methotrexate
      clearance was not found to be of prognostic significance. Patients who tolerated
      only low 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) doses because of neutropaenia and those who
      randomly were prescribed higher doses of Mtx had a lower rate of leukaemia
      relapse after the completion of therapy. This suggests that the use of
      maintenance therapy in maximally tolerated doses may be associated with an
      increased survival in childhood ALL.

PMID- 1854618
TI  - c-Ki-ras gene mutations in dysplasia and carcinomas complicating ulcerative
      colitis.
AB  - One hundred and nine samples comprising carcinomas, adenomas, dysplastic,
      inflamed and normal mucosa from patients with sporadic colon cancer and
      ulcerative colitis (UC) were analysed for c-Ki-ras mutations. DNA was extracted
      from archival paraffin-embedded material, amplified using the polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) and the PCR products analysed using restriction enzyme digestion.
      Forty-two per cent (14/33) of the sporadic carcinoma controls contained Ki-ras
      codon 12 mutations in contrast to 24% (8/33) of ulcerative colitis carcinomas. A
      significantly higher c-Ki-ras mutation rate was observed in rectal carcinomas
      (72%) in comparison to colonic carcinomas (28%) in control patients (P less than
      0.04), while the opposite was observed in UC patients. The difference between the
      incidence of c-Ki-ras mutations in rectal carcinomas in UC (9%) and in sporadic
      rectal carcinomas (72%) was also significant (P less than 0.01). This lower
      prevalence rate and different site distribution of c-Ki-ras mutations in UC
      carcinomas compared to sporadic carcinomas suggests that specific genetic
      differences may underlie the causation of carcinomas arising in these situations.

PMID- 1854619
TI  - Cathepsin D assay in ovarian cancer: correlation with pathological features and
      receptors for oestrogen, progesterone and epidermal growth factor.
AB  - Using an immunoradiometric assay, Cathepsin-D (Cath-D) concentrations were
      measured in the cytosol of 68 normal and neoplastic human ovarian tissues. Cath-D
      levels were higher in malignant tumours than in normal tissue samples (P less
      than 0.01) and benign tumours (P less than 0.01). In six out of seven cases,
      metastatic deposits showed Cath-D concentrations higher than the respective
      primary tumours. Using 12 of 17 pmols.mg-1 protein as cut-off levels, the Cath-D
      status (high or low) was not related to any pathological parameter. Moreover, no
      correlation was found between Cath-D levels and receptors for oestrogen,
      progesterone and epidermal growth factor. Our results indicate that ovarian
      tumours produce Cath-D. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether this
      protein could represent a prognostic factor for this neoplasia.

PMID- 1854620
TI  - Cancer patterns among Vietnamese immigrants in Los Angeles County.

PMID- 1854621
TI  - The role of diet in the development of breast cancer: a case-control study of
      patients with breast cancer, benign epithelial hyperplasia and fibrocystic
      disease of the breast.
AB  - A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the role of diet in women with
      breast cancer, and in two groups of women with benign breast disease: epithelial
      hyperplasia, and fibrocystic disease without hyperplasia. The study provides data
      which suggest that the consumption of red meat, savoury meals (pizza, pies, stew,
      etc.) and of starches is disadvantageous, while the consumption of chicken and
      fish, and of fruit, appears to be beneficial. These patterns were present for
      both the breast cancer patients and the patients with benign epithelial
      hyperplasia. One-third of breast cancer patients had changed their diet after
      their diagnosis, compared to only around 12% in controls and patients with benign
      breast disease. Overall, the women studied had changed their diet to reduce their
      intake of sugars, dairy products and meat, and increased their intake of poultry,
      fish, fruit and vegetables over the past decade; but the breast cancer group was
      less likely to have made this change.

PMID- 1854622
TI  - Drug-target interactions: only the first step in the commitment to a programmed
      cell death?
AB  - The search for novel antitumour drugs has reached a plateau phase. The carcinomas
      remain almost as intractable as they did 40 years ago and the need for effective
      therapy is pressing. There is an argument that the current pharmacopoeia is
      sufficient but, to be effective, the biochemical mechanisms of drug resistance
      must be circumvented. In tackling the question of why certain cancer cells are
      resistant, the converse question of why others are sensitive still remains to be
      answered fully. Asking the fundamental question of why and how a cell dies may
      provide clues as to what avenues lie open for improved chemotherapy. In this
      review we survey the recent literature on cell death and we argue that it is
      possible that the outcome of chemotherapy may be determined by the response of
      the cell to the formation of the drug-target complex, and/or its sequellae,
      rather than to the biochemical changes brought about by the drug alone. One of
      these responses, determined by the phenotype of the cell, may be activation of a
      genetic programme for cell death.

PMID- 1854623
TI  - 25th Paterson Symposium--is there a future for radiosensitivity testing?

PMID- 1854624
TI  - Lung cancer and passive smoking (continued)

PMID- 1854625
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma.

PMID- 1854626
TI  - Comparison of the antitumour effects and nephrotoxicity-inducing activities of
      two new platinum complexes, (-)-(R)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine(1,1
      cyclobutanedicarboxylato+ ++)-platinum (II) monohydrate, and its enantiomeric
      isomer.
AB  - New platinum complexes, (-)-(R)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine(1,1-
      cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) monohydrate (DWA2114R) and its enantiomeric
      isomer, (+)-(S)-2-aminomethylpyrrolidine(1,1-
      cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) monohydrate (DWA2114S), were compared in
      their antitumour effects and nephrotoxicity-inducing activities. Both compounds
      were effective against the murine tumours L1210 and Colon 26 by i.p. injection of
      20-100 mg kg-1. While DWA2114S showed marked increases in blood urea nitrogen
      (BUN) and urinary protein and sugar in BDF1 mice treated i.p. at the maximum
      tolerated dose, DWA2114R showed no increases in these parameters. To clarify the
      difference of nephrotoxicity between the isomers, tissue distribution was
      examined. Renal Pt concentration in DWA2114S-treated mice was more than 5-fold
      higher compared with that in DWA2114R-treated mice 2h after i.p. injection of 80
      mg kg-1. However, there were no such marked differences in the lung, liver,
      heart, spleen and plasma. The low content of Pt in the kidneys of DWA2114R
      treated mice could explain its lower nephrotoxicity. The in vitro experiments for
      uptake of the drugs into the cultured normal rat kidney cells and fresh
      splenocytes revealed that the Pt amount in the cells treated with DWA2114S,
      especially in the kidney cells, was much higher than DWA2114R.

PMID- 1854627
TI  - Changes in tumour morphology with alterations in oxygen availability: further
      evidence for oxygen as a limiting substrate.
AB  - The ability of cancer cells to survive at a distance from blood vessels should be
      dependent on the local supply of nutrients to each vessel. The corded growth of
      tumour cells around blood vessels within regions of necrosis in the RH carcinoma
      in the mouse allows the limit to which cells can be supported by individual
      vessels to be observed. The thickness of individual tumour cords was measured in
      conventionally stained tumour sections using a scanning technique to determine
      the distance between the blood vessel wall and the most distant viable cell
      adjacent to necrosis. Cord radius was found to vary with the oxygen supply
      conditions. Control animals had a mean radius of 105 +/- 2 microns while animals
      that had breathed 10% oxygen had significantly narrower cords (93 +/- 3 microns
      after 48 h) and animals breathing 100% oxygen had significantly wider cords (117
      +/- 3 microns after 24 h). Mice made anaemic (mean hct. 28%) by phlebotomy and
      plasma transfusion had cord radii that were not significantly different from
      controls at any time up to 48 h. We conclude that this relatively slow growing
      mouse tumour is capable of rapid morphological adaptation (less than 3 h) to
      changes in nutrient availability and that oxygen is probably the limiting
      substrate.

PMID- 1854628
TI  - The detection of alkylation damage in the DNA of human gastrointestinal tissues.
AB  - Damage arising from putative environmental sources has been found in the DNA of
      the gastric and colorectal mucosae of patients presenting with gastrointestinal
      disorders from the South Manchester area. O6-Methylguanine (O6-MeG) in the range
      0.010- greater than 0.300 mu moles mole-1 adenine was heterogeneously distributed
      both between and within individuals. The pattern of alkylation of tissue DNA
      appears to differ when comparison is made between gastric and colorectal samples.
      Most of the gastric tumour DNA samples were alkylated (5/6; 0.087 +/- 0.097),
      whereas the DNA of the associated mucosa was alkylated less frequently (2/7) and
      to a lesser extent; (0.017 +/- 0.030; P = 0.07). Conversely, colorectal tumour
      DNA was alkylated infrequently (1/7) and to a lower extent (0.003 +/- 0.007) than
      the DNA of the adjacent mucosa (8/10 samples alkylated with a mean of 0.083 +/-
      0.106; P = less than 0.01), or indeed of any other tissue. Although increased
      levels of DNA damage in tissue associated with malignant disease have been
      indicated by independent studies of DNA damage at other cancer sites, significant
      differences were not observed in the present report, neither was there any
      suggestion of a relationship with smoking or alcohol consumption. The data
      provided by this report indicate that exposure to putative environmental
      alkylating agents occurs in the UK at levels comparable to those previously
      detected in areas of higher cancer risk. Although we cannot determine the extent
      to which this DNA damage is attributable to normal background exposures, it is
      evident that the alkylation of tissue DNA occurs and is not uniform. In
      conjunction with other reports, therefore these differences may begin to provide
      indications of mechanisms that could be of relevance in the aetiology of
      gastrointestinal cancers.

PMID- 1854629
TI  - The identification of heme oxygenase as a major hypoxic stress protein in Chinese
      hamster ovary cells.
AB  - Chronic hypoxia increases the expression of a set of stress proteins (oxygen
      regulated proteins or ORPs) which is implicated in the development of drug
      resistance and radiation sensitivity in tumour cells. Five major ORPs have been
      documented, and two, ORP 80 and ORP 100, are considered to be identical to the
      glucose regulated stress proteins GRP78 and GRP94, respectively. We report here
      that ORP 33 is a form of the heme catabolic enzyme, heme oxygenase, using
      evidence obtained from northern blotting, two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis and western analysis. Heme oxygenase is believed to be an
      important component of the cellular response to oxidative stress. The
      significance of heme oxygenase as a hypoxia-induced stress protein is discussed.

PMID- 1854630
TI  - Chemotherapy for metastatic soft tissue sarcomas--another full circle?

PMID- 1854631
TI  - Antitumour response and nephrotoxicity following intraperitoneal administration
      of a slow release formulation of cisplatin to rats bearing cancers restricted to
      the peritoneal cavity.

PMID- 1854632
TI  - Tumour-localising and -photosensitizing properties of liposome-delivered Ge(IV)
      octabutoxy-phthalocyanine.

PMID- 1854633
TI  - The long term prognostic significance of oestrogen receptor analysis in early
      carcinoma of the breast.
AB  - The long term prognostic significance of oestrogen receptors was assessed in a
      prospective study of 767 patients presenting between the years 1975 and 1981 with
      stage 1 and 2 breast cancer treated by mastectomy with either full axillary
      dissection or nodal sampling. Oestrogen receptor binding was determined by a
      dextran coated charcoal method and median follow up was 11 years. Oestrogen
      receptors were present in 396 (54%) of tumours. Absence of oestrogen receptors
      was associated with tumours of high histological grade, but there was no
      relationship between nodal status or tumour size. Oestrogen receptor status did
      not predict survival for the group as a whole or when stratified by nodal status.
      In multivariate analysis both nodal status and tumour size were powerful
      independent prognostic factors, but oestrogen receptors failed to achieve
      statistical significance.

PMID- 1854634
TI  - Taxonomy and pathogenicity of Erwinia cacticida sp. nov.
AB  - A total of 108 pectolytic, soft-rotting Erwinia strains were collected from 11
      types of cacti growing in Arizona, Texas, northern Mexico, and Australia between
      1958 and 1989. Four strains were collected from soils beneath or close to
      naturally rotting saguaro cacti. Collectively, these strains caused soft rots of
      saguaro, organ pipe, and senita cacti, Opuntia (cactus) fruits and pads, tomato
      fruits, and potato slices, but only occasionally caused soft rots of slices of
      carrot roots. A numerical cluster analysis showed that 98 of the 112 strains
      formed a uniform group (cluster 1A) that was distinguished from other pectolytic
      erwinias by an API 20E code of 1205131, by negative reactions in API 50CHE tests
      for L-arabinose, myo-inositol, D-cellobiose, melibiose, and D-raffinose, and, in
      supplemental tests, by positive reactions for malonate and growth at 43 degrees
      C. The average levels of DNA relatedness of 22 cluster 1A strains to the proposed
      type strain (strain 1-12) as determined by the hydroxyapatite method were 88% in
      60 degrees C reactions (with 1% divergence within related sequences) and 87% in
      75 degrees C reactions. The levels of relatedness to the type strains of other
      Erwinia spp. were less than or equal to 38% in 75 degrees C reactions. Cluster 1A
      strains also had a characteristic cellular fatty acid profile containing cyclo
      (11,12)-nonadecanoic acid (C19:0 Cyclo C11-12) and missing tridecanoic acid
      (C13:0), heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), and cis-9-heptadecenoic acid (C17:1 CIS 9),
      which separated them from other pectolytic erwinias. Collectively, these data
      indicate that the members of cluster 1A are members of a new species, which we
      name Erwinia cacticida. Three cactus strains in cluster 1B appear to represent a
      second new species that is closely related to E. cacticida; these strains are
      designated E. cacticida-like pending the availability of additional strains for
      testing. The remaining cactus strains (in cluster 4) have the physiological, DNA,
      and fatty acid profiles of Erwinia carotovora.

PMID- 1854635
TI  - Distribution and phylogenetic significance of 27-hydroxy-octacosanoic acid in
      lipopolysaccharides from bacteria belonging to the alpha-2 subgroup of
      Proteobacteria.
AB  - Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from a number of bacteria belonging to the alpha-2
      subgroup of the class Proteobacteria were screened for the presence of 27-hydroxy
      octacosanoic acid (27-OH-28:0). With few exceptions, most of the bacteria
      contained 27-OH-28:0 in their lipid A fractions. In addition, some of the
      bacteria contained other n-2-hydroxylated long-chain fatty acids hitherto not
      reported. The distribution of 27-OH-28:0 was restricted to the alpha-2 subgroup.
      LPSs from members of the other subgroups (the beta and gamma subgroups),
      including some well-characterized enterobacterial LPSs, were devoid of 27-OH
      28:0. Our results indicate that the presence of n-2-hydroxylated long-chain fatty
      acids in LPSs might be used as a chemophylogenetical marker.

PMID- 1854637
TI  - Mycoplasma spermatophilum, a new species isolated from human spermatozoa and
      cervix.
AB  - A mycoplasma isolated from human spermatozoa and a human cervix was shown to be
      serologically distinct from 98 previously recognized Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma
      spp. Six mycoplasma colonies were cloned and examined in detail for morphology,
      growth, and biochemical characteristics; five of these were from sperm samples
      and one was from a cervix. These strains were closely related and had the
      following properties: guanine-plus-cytosine content of 32 mol%, requirement for
      sterol, and anaerobic growth. Glucose was not metabolized, and arginine and urea
      were not hydrolyzed. Strain AH159 (= NCTC 11720) is the type strain of a new
      species, Mycoplasma spermatophilum.

PMID- 1854636
TI  - Wolinella recta, Wolinella curva, Bacteroides ureolyticus, and Bacteroides
      gracilis are microaerophiles, not anaerobes.
AB  - Although the nonfermentative, asaccharolytic, putative anaerobes Wolinella curva,
      Wolinella recta, Bacteroides ureolyticus, and Bacteroides gracilis are
      phylogenetically related to the true campylobacters, the type strains of these
      species exhibited O2-dependent microaerophilic growth in brucella broth and on
      brucella agar. The optimum O2 levels for growth of these strains ranged from 4 to
      14% in brucella broth and from 2 to 8% on brucella agar, when H2 was provided as
      the electron donor. No growth occurred under 21% O2, and scant or no growth
      occurred under anaerobic conditions unless fumarate or nitrate was provided as a
      terminal electron acceptor. Aspartate, asparagine, and malate also served as
      apparent electron acceptors. The organisms were catalase negative and, except for
      B. gracilis, oxidase positive. Catalase added to brucella broth enhanced growth.
      O2 uptake by all species was inhibited by cyanide and 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline
      N-oxide. We concluded that these organisms are not anaerobes but instead are
      microaerophiles, like their campylobacter relatives.

PMID- 1854638
TI  - Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of ribosomal protein AT-L30 as a
      novel approach to actinomycete taxonomy: application to the genera Actinomadura
      and Microtetraspora.
AB  - Actinomycete ribosomal protein AT-L30 exhibits electrophoretic mobility that is
      specific for each genus. On the basis of this fact, we analyzed ribosomal AT-L30
      proteins from 26 type strains of species belonging to the genera Actinomadura and
      Microtetraspora. The electrophoretic mobilities of AT-L30 preparations from these
      strains, as determined by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,
      revealed that they could be divided into two groups, one group with relative
      electrophoretic mobilities of 14.0 to 41.5 and another group with relative
      electrophoretic mobilities of -6.5 to 0. The first group corresponded to the
      genus Actinomadura, and the second group corresponded to the genus
      Microtetraspora. Partial amino acid sequencing of AT-L30 preparations from
      several strains proved that we were indeed dealing with the specified protein
      homologous to ribosomal protein L30 of Escherichia coli. Our results strongly
      supported the conclusions of previous work and thus proved the efficacy of
      ribosomal protein analysis as a novel approach for taxonomy of actinomycetes.

PMID- 1854639
TI  - Characterization of yeast strains of the genera candida, Hansenula,
      Kluyveromyces, Pichia, Rhodotorula, and Saccharomyces by mixed-dye fluorometry.
AB  - An analytical method in which we used the selective adsorption of several
      fluorophores by yeast cells is described. The suitability of using binary
      mixtures of 1-pyrene butyric acid, 3,6-dimethylamino acridine, 4-acetamido-4'
      isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, and rhodamine B isothiocyanate for
      the characterization and identification of microorganisms was tested with 98
      yeast strains belonging to the genera Candida, Hansenula, Kluyveromyces, Pichia,
      Rhodotorula, and Saccharomyces. The application of multivariate statistical
      methods and pattern recognition methods to the allocation of the yeast strains
      into genus-species-strain structures and to a comparison of fluorescence data
      sets for differentiation and identification purposes showed the usefulness of the
      method.

PMID- 1854640
TI  - Lactobacillus uli sp. nov. and Lactobacillus rimae sp. nov. from the human
      gingival crevice and emended descriptions of lactobacillus minutus and
      Streptococcus parvulus.
AB  - Lactobacillus uli sp. nov. and Lactobacillus rimae sp. nov. are described. These
      organisms are short, gram-positive, strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria that
      have DNA G+C contents of 53 and 45 mol%, respectively, produce major amounts of
      lactic acid, and have been isolated from human gingival crevices and periodontal
      pockets. The major cellular fatty acid derivatives for both species are C18:1 cis
      9 fatty acid methyl ester and C18:1 cis-9 dimethylacetyl. The type strain of L.
      uli is strain VPI D76D-27C (= ATCC 49627), and the type strain of L. rimae is
      strain D140H-11A (= ATCC 49626). Emended descriptions of Lactobacillus minutus
      (based on selected strains) and Streptococcus parvulus (based on many additional
      strains) also are given.

PMID- 1854641
TI  - Staphylococcus cohnii subspecies: Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. cohnii subsp. nov.
      and Staphylococcus cohnii subsp. urealyticum subsp. nov.
AB  - Two major subspecies of Staphylococcus cohnii, namely S. cohnii subsp. cohnii,
      from humans, and S. cohnii subsp. urealyticum, from humans and other primates,
      are described on the basis of a study of 14 to 25 strains and 18 to 33 strains,
      respectively. DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in our laboratory in 1983
      (W. E. Kloos and J. F. Wolfshohl, Curr. Microbiol. 8:115-121, 1983) demonstrated
      that strains representing the different subspecies were significantly divergent.
      S. cohnii subsp. urealyticum can be distinguished from S. cohnii subsp. cohnii on
      the basis of its greater colony size; pigmentation; positive urease, beta
      glucuronidase, and beta-galactosidase activities; delayed alkaline phosphatase
      activity; ability to produce acid aerobically from alpha-lactose; and fatty acid
      profile. The type strain of S. cohnii subsp. cohnii is ATCC 29974, the designated
      type strain of S. cohnii Schleifer and Kloos 1975b, 55. The type strain of S.
      cohnii subsp. urealyticum is ATCC 49330.

PMID- 1854642
TI  - Vibrio navarrensis sp. nov., a species from sewage.
AB  - A group of 11 strains, mostly isolated from sewage water in the Province of
      Navarra, Spain, were found to constitute a DNA relatedness group which is 2 to
      39% related to 23 species of the genus Vibrio and 2 to 3% related to two
      Aeromonas species. Phenotypically, these strains have all of the properties that
      define the genus Vibrio. However, they differ from the previously described
      species by three or more properties. The strains are negative for arginine,
      ornithine, and lysine decarboxylase activities and the Voges-Proskauer test and
      are unable to utilize putrescine, gluconate, glucuronate, and histidine. They
      utilize and produce acid from sucrose and grow at 40 degrees C. All strains grow
      in the presence of 0.5% (wt/vol) NaCl, and seven strains grow weakly in peptone
      water lacking NaCl. The group of strains which we studied can also be
      differentiated from other Vibrio species by fatty acid content. The G+C ratio of
      the DNA is 45 to 47 mol%. The name Vibrio navarrensis sp. nov. is proposed for
      these strains; strain 1397-6 (= CIP 103381) is the type strain.

PMID- 1854643
TI  - Two cellulolytic Clostridium species: Clostridium cellulosi sp. nov. and
      Clostridium cellulofermentans sp. nov.
AB  - Two cellulolytic clostridia, one thermophilic and the other mesophilic, were
      isolated and characterized. Cells of the thermophile are gram-negative rods that
      are motile with lophotrichous flagella and spherical terminal endospores which
      swell the cells. The optimum growth temperature is 55 to 60 degrees C, with a
      range of 40 to 65 degrees C. The deoxyribonucleic acid composition is 35 mol% G +
      C. The name Clostridium cellulosi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AS
      1.1777. Cells of the mesophile are gram negative and motile with peritrichous
      flagella and terminal oval or spherical spores which swell the cells. The
      deoxyribonucleic acid composition is 34 mol% G + C. The name Clostridium
      cellulofermentans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AS 1.1775. Both C.
      cellulosi AS 1.1777 and C. cellulofermentans AS 1.1775 are deposited in the China
      Committee for Culture Collection of Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology,
      Academia Sinica, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

PMID- 1854644
TI  - Phylogenetic analysis of Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum using polymerase chain
      reaction-amplified 16S rRNA-specific DNA.
AB  - The 16S rRNA gene of the magnetotactic magnetogen Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum
      MS1 was amplified by a polymerase chain reaction, using two eubacterial consensus
      oligodeoxynucleotide primers flanking the majority of the 16S rRNA gene, cloned,
      and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. magnetotacticum MS1 belongs
      to the alpha-group of proteobacteria. This assignment offers perspective on the
      biochemical properties of A. magnetotacticum, since this organism is expected to
      have the general properties that are common to this phylogenetic group.

PMID- 1854645
TI  - Health and the environment.

PMID- 1854647
TI  - Occupational medicine for one and all.
AB  - In the 1930s in Britain, industrial medicine was a clinical discipline, the main
      purposes of which were to diagnose disability in applicants for work, to identify
      industrial disease in the dangerous trades, and to provide first aid treatment
      for those injured or taken sick in the workplace. Following rapid developments in
      epidemiology and occupational hygiene and with more emphasis on "group health"
      and less on "individual care", occupational medicine has tended to become less of
      a clinical discipline; yet clinical skills are needed to assess fitness for work,
      to identify adverse effects of work, and to undertake consultations on a variety
      of health problems. Although care of the individual worker is a major task, an
      occupational health service has a responsibility for the health of the workforce
      as a whole, using epidemiology to plan and administer health care, to identify
      and control work related disorders, and to promote health by identifying positive
      factors in the organisation that induce a sense of well being; and by health
      screening and education programmes. Academic occupational health should not lose
      its identity as a clinical discipline in any merger with environmental health.
      Medical skills are needed to assess fitness for work and to identify human
      responses to adverse factors in the environment and to evaluate control measures.

PMID- 1854646
TI  - The toxicity of benzene and its metabolism and molecular pathology in human risk
      assessment.
AB  - Benzene, a common industrial chemical and a component of gasoline, is
      radiomimetic and exposure may lead progressively to aplastic anaemia, leukaemia,
      and multiple myeloma. Although benzene has been shown to cause many types of
      genetic damage, it has consistently been classified as a non-mutagen in the Ames
      test, possibly because of the inadequacy of the S9 microsomal activation system.
      The metabolism of benzene is complex, yielding glucuronide and sulphate
      conjugates of phenol, quinol, and catechol, L-phenylmercapturic acid, and
      muconaldehyde and trans, trans-muconic acid by ring scission. Quinol is oxidised
      to p-benzoquinone, which binds to vital cellular components or undergoes redox
      cycling to generate oxygen radicals; muconaldehyde, like p-benzoquinone, is toxic
      through depletion of intracellular glutathione. Exposure to benzene may also
      induce the microsomal mixed function oxidase, cytochrome P450 IIE1, which is
      probably responsible for the oxygenation of benzene, but also has a propensity to
      generate oxygen radicals. The radiomimetic nature of benzene and its ability to
      induce different sites of neoplasia indicate that formation of oxygen radicals is
      a major cause of benzene toxicity, which involves multiple mechanisms including
      synergism between arylating and glutathione-depleting reactive metabolites and
      oxygen radicals. The occupational exposure limit in the United Kingdom (MEL) and
      the United States (PEL) was 10 ppm based on the association of benzene exposure
      with aplastic anaemia, but recently was lowered to 5 ppm and 1 ppm respectively,
      reflecting a concern for the risk of neoplasia. The American Conference of
      Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has even more recently recommended
      that, as benzene is considered an A1 carcinogen, the threshold limit value (TLV)
      should be decreased to 0.1 ppm. Only one study in man, based on nine cases of
      benzene associated fatal neoplasia, has been considered suitable for risk
      assessment. Recent re-evaluation of these data indicated that past assessments
      may have overestimated the risk, and different authors have considered that
      lifetime exposure to benzene at 1 ppm would result in an excess of leukaemia
      deaths of 9.5 to 1.0 per 1000. Although in this study, deaths at low levels of
      benzene exposure were associated with multiple myeloma and a long latency period,
      instead of leukaemia, which might justify further lowering of the exposure limit,
      the risk assessment model has been found to be non-significant for response at
      low levels of exposure. The paucity of data for man, the complexity of the
      metabolic activation of benzene, the interactive and synergistic mechanisms of
      benzene toxicity and carcinogenicity, the different disease endpoints (aplastic
      anaemia, leukaemia, and multiple myeloma), and different individual
      susceptibilities, all indicate that in such a complex scenario, regulators should
      proceed with caution before making further changes to the exposure limit for this
      chemical.

PMID- 1854648
TI  - Environmental, occupational, and personal factors related to the prevalence of
      sick building syndrome in the general population.
AB  - Possible relations between prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) and
      environmental, occupational, and personal factors were studied in a random sample
      (0.1%) of the general population aged 20-65 in a three county region in middle
      Sweden. Childhood exposure to environmental tobacco smoke from smoking mothers
      and a childhood in urban areas was related to SBS symptoms. Current urban
      residency, fresh paint, and preschool children in the dwelling were also related
      to symptoms. Other residential factors such as age of building, type of building,
      degree of crowding, mechanical ventilation, or signs of moisture or mould growth
      were not related to symptoms. Other factors related to symptoms were history of
      atopy, allergy to nickel, proneness to infection, hyperreactivity, static
      electricity, work with video display units (VDU), work satisfaction, and climate
      of cooperation at work. Age, sex, marital state, education level, work stress,
      obesity, current or earlier smoking, regular physical exercise, or occupational
      exposure to chemicals did not correlate with symptoms. Women had a higher
      proportion of symptoms than men but these differences were not significant when
      adjusting for differences in allergy to nickel, hyperreactivity, and proneness to
      infection. Maternal smoking was related to a twofold increase of both atopy and
      allergy to nickel in the adult offspring. Eye symptoms were most common in
      administrative, managerial, and service work. Airway symptoms were most common in
      transport and communication work. Dermal symptoms were most common in
      professional and technical and related work. General symptoms were most common in
      service, health, hospital, and social work. The lowest prevalence of symptoms was
      found in agricultural, forestry, and sales work. Women and subjects allergic to
      nickel worked more often in occupations without exposure to chemicals, but no
      evidence was found for selection mechanisms causing sensitive persons to move
      from exposed to unexposed occupations. It was concluded that symptoms included in
      SBS are common in the general population, and of multifactorial origin related to
      both personal, occupational, and residential factors, and certain environmental
      exposures such as maternal smoking, the urban environment, VDU work, and volatile
      organic hydrocarbons from newly painted dwellings.

PMID- 1854649
TI  - Chest x ray screening for lung cancer at three British chromates plants from 1955
      to 1989.
AB  - Chest x ray screening for lung cancer had been undertaken over a period of 34
      years, initially at yearly intervals, then at eight-monthly intervals, on
      chromates workers at three plants in the United Kingdom. A review of the records
      of 229 employees who were diagnosed as having carcinoma of the lung during the
      screening programme was conducted. Survival data were available on 124 cases (123
      now deceased) who constitute the study population. The cases were analysed by age
      and regularity of attendance for screening. The numbers detected by works x ray
      screening and by other means were determined with five and 10 year survival
      rates. A modest but predictable improvement in the five year survival of those
      who attended regularly for radiography was shown. Taking the total population of
      cases for whom screening was available, no significant improvement in five year
      survival was found.

PMID- 1854650
TI  - Finger blood pressure and rewarming rate for screening and diagnosis of Raynaud's
      phenomenon in workers exposed to vibration.
AB  - Both the finger systolic blood pressure (FSP) and the rewarming test of finger
      skin are measures of circulation in the finger; the first reflects the
      vasoconstriction phase and the second the vasodilatation phase. The combinations
      of the specificity and the sensitivity of these methods were evaluated by a
      receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The material included 37 vibration
      induced white finger (VWF) cases, five primary Raynaud's cases, and 37 controls.
      The specificity of the FSP test was high with regard to the anamnesis of white
      finger and the test was useful for the diagnosis of Raynaud's phenomenon, but the
      sensitivity was too low for screening. The rewarming test was useful for
      screening primary Raynaud's case and possibly for screening disorders in
      peripheral vasodilative function. The connections between the rewarming test and
      VWF are not clear and according to the present study the rewarming test was not
      suitable for screening VWF.

PMID- 1854651
TI  - Thioether excretion in urine of applicators exposed to 1,3-dichloropropene: a
      comparison with urinary mercapturic acid excretion.
AB  - The excretion of thioethers in urine of applicators occupationally exposed to the
      soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (DCP) was determined by the thioether assay.
      The mercapturic acid metabolite of E-1,3-dichloropropene, N-acetyl-S-(E-3
      chloropropenyl-2-)-L-cysteine (E-DCP-MA), was the reference compound in the
      thioether assay. The mean recovery of E-DCP-MA was 58.5% (coefficient of
      variation (CV) 9%, n = 4). In non-exposed men mean background of urinary
      thioethers was 6.05 mmol SH/mol creatinine (n = 56). In applicators exposed to
      soil fumigants containing DCP, urinary excretion of thioethers followed first
      order elimination kinetics. Urinary half lives of elimination of thioethers were
      8.0 (SD 2.5) hours based on excretion rates and 9.5 (SD 3.1) hours based on
      creatinine excretion. The urinary half life of elimination of thioethers was
      almost twofold higher compared with half lives of elimination of the mercapturic
      acids of Z- and E-1,3-dichloropropene. The post- minus pre-shift thioether
      concentrations in urine and the cumulative urinary thioether excretions
      correlated well with exposure to DCP. In urine samples the mean thioether
      concentration was 1.38 higher than mean DCP mercapturic acid concentration. This
      suggests the presence of unidentified thioether metabolite(s) due to exposure to
      soil fumigants containing DCP. According to the present data, an eight hour time
      weighted average exposure to the Dutch occupational exposure limit of 5 mg/m(3)
      DCP results in a post- minus pre-shift thioether concentration of 9.6 mmol SH/mol
      creatinine (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 7.4-11.8 mmol SH/mon creatinine) and
      in a cumulative thioether excretion of 139 micromol SH (95% CI 120-157 micromol
      SH). It is concluded that the thioether assay can be used to assess comparatively
      high levels of exposure to DCP.

PMID- 1854653
TI  - Exposure to benzene and mortality from leukaemia: results from coke oven and
      other coal product workers.

PMID- 1854652
TI  - Increased erythrocyte volume in car repair painters and car mechanics.
AB  - The biological effect of occupational long term low level exposure to organic
      solvents was studied in 17 car repair painters and 28 car mechanics, and compared
      with a control group consisting of 46 healthy men not exposed to organic
      solvents. The erythrocyte count (RBC) was significantly decreased for both the
      painters and the mechanics compared with the control group, and a significant
      increase in the mean erythrocyte volume (MCV) was seen in painters. The mode in
      size distribution of the erythrocytes (MAXRBC) was shifted towards larger cell
      volumes for both painters and mechanics. When data from painters and mechanics
      were combined, the exposed group showed a significantly reduced erythrocyte count
      (RBC), an increased mean erythrocyte volume (MVC), and an increased mean platelet
      volume (MPV) compared with the controls. Exposure measurements in combination
      with analysis of haematological parameters may be a tool for early detection of
      cellular changes in the blood caused by exposure to solvents, before the
      appearance of clinical symptoms.

PMID- 1854654
TI  - Bootstrap estimate of the variance and confidence interval of kappa.

PMID- 1854655
TI  - The treatment of coronary artery disease in the elderly.
AB  - Changing population demographics dictate that in the next decade physicians will
      be increasingly faced with treating coronary artery disease in the elderly.
      Despite this, there is a paucity of data to guide management decisions in this
      population. Currently, it appears that "low-risk" or mild coronary artery disease
      can be treated medically so long as appropriate adjustments are made for aging
      changes in renal function, hepatic metabolism, noncompliance, multisystem
      disease, etc. Unfortunately, most elderly patients have "high-risk" or severe
      coronary artery disease. Balloon dilatation can yield excellent results in
      certain highly selected "high-risk" patients, but its role in the frequently
      encountered multivessel disease patient is unclear until current studies are
      completed. Coronary bypass grafting in selected patients clearly prolongs
      survival, but careful patient selection and meticulous preoperative and
      postoperative is required. Finally, the importance of issues such as quality of
      life, function independence, and cost must be addressed in more detail if
      physicians are to make rational decisions in treating this expanding population.

PMID- 1854656
TI  - Effect of a bradycardic agent on the isolated blood-perfused canine heart.
AB  - Bradycardic agents could limit the consequences of myocardial ischemia via two
      mechanisms: by decreasing myocardial oxygen demand (MVO2) and by increasing
      diastolic coronary blood flow (CBF). We investigated whether the benzazepinone UL
      FS 49 affects only sinus node cells or also smooth muscle and/or myocardial
      cells. To avoid confounding interactions with the periphery, we performed
      experiments on 11 isolated, blood-perfused canine hearts. Injection of UL-FS 49
      (1 mg/kg i.c.) significantly reduced heart rate (HR) from 104 +/- 7 to 93 +/- 7
      min-1 (mean +/- SEM) and increased stroke volume (n = 6: 9.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 13.2 +/-
      1.6 ml), so that cardiac output remained unchanged (n = 6: 1.1 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.2 +/
      0.1 l/min). The contractile state, assessed by isovolumic peak systolic
      pressure, was unaltered by UL-FS 49 (n = 5: 72 +/- 6 vs. 72 +/- 6 mmHg). At a
      constant coronary arterial pressure (CAP) of 80 mmHg, mean CBF was slightly
      decreased (102 +/- 11 vs. 97 +/- 10 ml/[min.100 g]) by UL-FS 49, such that mean
      coronary resistance remained unchanged (0.9 +/- 0.1 vs 1.0 +/- 0.1 mmHg.min.100
      g/ml). The slight decreases in arteriovenous oxygen content difference (n = 6:
      6.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 6.5 +/- 0.7 ml/100 ml) and in CBF lead to a calculated,
      significant decrease in MVO2 (n = 6: 6.9 +/- 0.5 vs. 6.0 +/- 0.4 ml.100 g/min).
      In conclusion, UL-FS 49 at the dose used decreases MVO2 by reducing HR in
      isolated canine hearts. In the absence of negative inotropic and vasodilating
      effects, cardiac output is maintained via increased stroke volume, and CAP will
      likely be preserved in situ. Thus, this specific bradycardic agent could be
      useful in treating ischemic myocardial disease.

PMID- 1854657
TI  - Protective effects of felodipine and verapamil against imipramine-induced lethal
      cardiac conduction disturbances in the anaesthetized rat.
AB  - The effect of verapamil and felodipine on imipramine-induced cardiac toxicity was
      assessed in anaesthetized rats. Rats received either infusion of saline (n = 13),
      or non-hypotensive doses of felodipine (n = 36) or verapamil (n = 36) over 40
      minutes. In saline-pretreated rats IV bolus injection of imipramine (10 mg/kg)
      resulted in severe hypotension, bradycardia, electromechanical dissociation, and
      death within 3 minutes. Rats pretreated with nonhypotensive doses of felodipine
      (1, 3, 6, and 10 micrograms/kg/min) or verapamil (10, 30, 100, and 300
      micrograms/kg/min) survived throughout the experiment, despite an initial fall in
      blood pressure within the first 5 minutes after imipramine administration. Blood
      pressure returned to baseline levels within 15 minutes. Intermittent ECG
      monitoring showed significant prolongation of QRS duration after imipramine in
      both saline (by 138%) and verapamil-pretreated rats (by 63%), whereas in the rats
      pretreated with felodipine no prolongation was observed (+3%). We conclude that,
      in our experimental model, felodipine, more than verapamil, protects against the
      cardiac effects of imipramine intoxication.

PMID- 1854658
TI  - Pulmonary edema during cardiac catheterization successfully treated with bolus
      administration of nicardipine.
AB  - This report describes a 62-year-old patient with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy
      who presented pulmonary edema during cardiac catheterization. Bolus
      administration of nicardipine (5 mg in 5 min) into the pulmonary artery
      determined prompt recovery from the crisis and optimal hemodynamic conditions for
      completion of the catheterization. The action of the drug was mediated by the
      rapid reduction of the left ventricular preload and afterload. We believe that
      bolus administration of nicardipine is useful in treating episodes of acute left
      ventricular insufficiency.

PMID- 1854659
TI  - Terminology of torsades de pointes.
AB  - Marked prolongation of the QT interval may be associated with life-threatening
      ventricular tachycardia. The ventricular tachycardia has a polymorphous
      appearance and is usually induced by antiarrhythmic drugs. This peculiar type of
      ventricular tachycardia was termed by Desserstenne torsades de pointes because of
      its twisting ORS axis. The main reason to give this entity a special name that
      differentiates it from other types of ventricular tachycardia is the unique
      therapeutic approach to its treatment. Torsades de pointes can be suppressed by
      interventions that shorten the QT interval by increasing the heart rate, such as
      ventricular or atrial pacing, isoproterenol infusion, or atropine. Recently
      intravenous magnesium was also shown to be extremely effective. If torsades de
      pointes is treated as a conventional ventricular tachycardia by drugs that may
      further prolong the QT interval, it may lead to fatal results. To draw the
      attention of physicians to this unusual form of ventricular tachycardia, we
      suggest that the term torsades de pointes be kept. This specific diagnosis will
      hopefully guide the treating physician in selecting the appropriate mode of
      therapy.

PMID- 1854660
TI  - Torsades de pointes: prevention and therapy.
AB  - Torsades de pointes (TdP) is a life-threatening ventricular tachycardia that
      occurs in the setting of a prolonged QT interval and is most frequently related
      to administration of antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients with organic heart disease,
      with low serum electrolyte levels, with a previous episode of TdP and with
      bradycardia or baseline QT prolongation may be at increased risk of developing
      TdP. After initiation of a QT prolonging therapy, the dosage should be modified
      if the QT interval reaches 560-600 ms. Cessation of medication and immediate
      hospitalization are indicated in the presence of lightheadedness, syncope, or
      increased frequency and complexity of ventricular premature beats. The
      conventional therapy of TdP with isoproterenol or cardiac pacing, although
      usually effective, has certain disadvantages. Isoproterenol is contraindicated in
      patients with hypertension or ischemic heart disease, whereas institution of
      cardiac pacing requires skilled personnel and fluoroscopy. Recently, infusion of
      magnesium sulfate has been shown to abolish TdP both in the clinical and
      experimental setting. Compared with conventional therapy, magnesium sulfate has
      the advantage of safety and simplicity of its administration. In doubtful cases,
      if does not aggravate a ventricular tachycardia that is not TdP, as may occur
      with isoproterenol. This advantage and the prompt effectiveness of the drug in
      four clinical series, including 31 patients, support the use of magnesium sulfate
      as the first line of therapy for TdP.

PMID- 1854663
TI  - Modern concepts of reperfusion injury in the ischemic heart disease.

PMID- 1854662
TI  - Torsades de pointes and early afterdepolarizations.
AB  - It is suggested that torsades de pointes may be only one of a group of
      arrhythmias that are characterized by being pause induced or bradycardia induced.
      A distinction is made between the cause of the "twisting of the points" and the
      cause of the action potentials that initiate and sustain the tachycardia. It is
      pointed out that torsades de pointes and other pause-induced arrhythmias share
      many features with rhythmic activity arising from early afterdepolarizations.
      Both are seen after pauses or at low rates, both are seen in quinidine
      intoxication, and both are seen in hypokalemia. The short-long-short sequence
      that is seen in torsades de pointes and certain other pause- or bradycardia
      induced arrhythmias can be fully explained by the behavior of rhythmic activity
      initiated and sustained by early afterdepolarizations, as can the abrupt onset
      and termination of pause-induced arrhythmias and their tendency to show initial
      warming up and terminal slowing down.

PMID- 1854664
TI  - Reperfusion injury--fad, fashion, or fact?

PMID- 1854661
TI  - QT-interval prolonging drugs: mechanisms and clinical relevance of their
      arrhythmogenic hazards.
AB  - The antiarrhythmic principle of drug-induced QT-interval prolongation is well
      known. However, with the widespread use of the presently known and new Class III
      antiarrhythmic agents under investigation, and the growing number of agents not
      primarily designed as antiarrhythmic drugs that potentially cause QT
      prolongation, we have also become aware of the proarrhythmic hazards associated
      with many of these agents. The proarrhythmic risk differs markedly from one agent
      to another and interferes with many individual clinical variables (e.g.,
      hypokalemia, sinus bradycardia). This paper summarizes the present data on the
      proarrhythmic risk of drug-induced QT prolongation, including the value and
      problems of the rate-corrected QT interval, the mechanisms involved in the
      genesis of proarrhythmia, and the clinical cofactors that facilitate the
      occurrence of proarrhythmic events. In addition, an extensive database provides
      information on the known proarrhythmic risk of all currently used QT-prolonging
      agents.

PMID- 1854665
TI  - Reperfusion-induced injury: a possible role for oxidant stress and its
      manipulation.
AB  - While some investigators recognize "reperfusion-induced injury" as an important
      component of the overall injury that occurs during ischemia and reperfusion,
      others question its existence. Resolution of this controversy is of considerable
      importance, particularly in an era of thrombolysis, since reperfusion-induced
      injury might be amenable to treatment. Although reperfusion is an absolute
      prerequisite for the recovery of ischemic tissue, it undoubtedly has some
      unfavorable effects. The identification of four (possibly sequential) components
      of reperfusion-induced injury helps to clarify the situation: a) Reperfusion
      after brief periods of ischemia can trigger arrhythmias in tissue that is
      potentially salvable; there is abundant experimental and clinical evidence for
      this form of reperfusion injury. b) Reperfusion may also be associated with
      "myocardial stunning"; however, given sufficient time, this prolonged
      postischemic contractile and metabolic dysfunction will recover. There is good
      experimental evidence and some clinical evidence for the existence of this type
      of reperfusion-induced injury. c) Reperfusion is commonly thought to cause lethal
      injury in cells that, until the time of reperfusion, were potentially salvable.
      However, conclusive evidence that reperfusion can kill cells does not yet exist.
      d) Reperfusion may alter the nature of necrotic processes in tissue that has
      already sustained lethal injury, while not altering the number of cells that die
      this may change the manner in which they die; this form of reperfusion injury
      could lead to differences in scar formation and vulnerability to aneurysm. There
      is considerable evidence for the existence of this form of reperfusion-induced
      injury. Many candidate mechanisms have been proposed for each form of reperfusion
      injury. Ionic disturbances (particularly for calcium) are often cited and, most
      recently, free radical-induced induced injury (oxidant stress) has been suggested
      as important. Considerable evidence exists that oxidant stress is involved in
      stunning and in reperfusion-induced arrhythmias, and characterization of
      underlying mechanisms might lead to novel therapeutic principles, such as
      antioxidant therapy. However, much remains to be learned.

PMID- 1854666
TI  - Role of calcium and other ions in reperfusion injury.
AB  - Calcium-related mechanisms may play a role in several aspects of reperfusion
      injury. One proposal is that internal cytosolic calcium concentration is elevated
      early in the reperfusion period and that excess oscillations of calcium can very
      significantly contribute to reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias. Alternate
      hypotheses, such as those involving free radicals and the local tissue renin
      angiotensin system, can be married to the existing hypothesis. Furthermore, the
      hypothesis allows for a role of the sodium-calcium exchange system and the proton
      sodium exchanger. The hypothesis also provides an explanation for "stunning," as
      it is proposed that early excessive cytosolic calcium damages the organelles
      regulating the contractile cycle, which subsequently develops into imperfect
      functioning of the contractile apparatus. Calcium antagonist drugs given during
      the ischemic period may lessen reperfusion injury by decreasing the severity of
      ischemic damage. When given at the time of reperfusion, results are complex and
      to some extent conflicting. The biggest challenge is to understand how relatively
      low doses of calcium antagonists given after the onset of reperfusion help to
      decrease delayed reperfusion "stunning." A logical but untested proposal is that
      calcium antagonists help to prevent delayed contraction-band necrosis, one of the
      causes of delayed no-reflow.

PMID- 1854669
TI  - Clinical experience of coenzyme Q10 to enhance intraoperative myocardial
      protection in coronary artery revascularization.
AB  - Seventy-eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were
      compared retrospectively to evaluate whether pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ)
      is effective in preventing left ventricular depression in early reperfusion
      following CABG. CoQ (5 mg/kg, intravenously) was given to 60 patients, 2 hours
      prior to the onset of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). CABG was performed using
      saphenous vein under CPB associated with cold cardioplegia in the standard
      fashion. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and cardiac index showed no
      significant difference between the CoQ and control groups. However, left
      ventricular stroke work index was significantly elevated at 6 and 10 hours of
      reperfusion following CABG in the CoQ-treated group compared with the controls.
      Serum MB-CK was lower at 0 and 6 hours of reperfusion in the CoQ group compared
      with the controls. These results suggest that pretreatment with intravenous CoQ
      is effective in preventing left ventricular depression in early reperfusion and
      in minimizing myocardial cellular injury during CABG followed by reperfusion.

PMID- 1854668
TI  - The occurrence of oxidative stress during reperfusion in experimental animals and
      men.
AB  - Reperfusion is the prerequisite for the ischemic myocardium to recover its
      metabolic and mechanical function. However, reperfusion after a prolonged period
      of ischemia in the experimental animal may exacerbate, or at least accelerate,
      the occurrence of ischemic injury, whilst in humans at the least it is not
      beneficial. This entity has been called reperfusion damage, since much of the
      damage is believed to be caused by events occurring at the moment of reperfusion
      rather than by changes occurring during ischemia. The existence of reperfusion
      damage, however, has been questioned, and evidence in favour of the concept is
      sparse. At the moment the molecular events occurring at the time of reperfusion
      are not completely understood, and the relative importance of several proposed
      deleterious mechanisms is not yet established. One of the most fashionable ideas
      for the cause of reperfusion damage is that the function of cell membrane is
      modified by oxygen radicals generated at the moment of reperfusion. Evidence in
      favour of and against this hypothesis is described in detail in the present
      article.

PMID- 1854670
TI  - Effect of orally administered alpha-tocopheryl acetate on human myocardial alpha
      tocopherol levels.
AB  - Free radical injury may contribute to the delayed postoperative recovery of
      myocardial metabolism and ventricular function after elective coronary artery
      revascularization. This clinical study was designed to evaluate, in stable angina
      patients having aortocoronary bypass surgery, whether orally administered alpha
      tocopheryl acetate was effective in increasing myocardial alpha-tocopherol levels
      and the effect of cardioplegic arrest followed by reperfusion on the myocardial
      alpha-tocopherol levels. Twenty-four patients with stable angina pectoris for
      elective revascularization received preoperatively the natural stereoisomer of
      alpha-tocopheryl acetate labelled with deuterium (D3) and six patients were used
      as controls. Since four patients who received 300 mg of D3-alpha-tocopheryl
      acetate preoperatively for 1 and 2 days did not have significant increases in
      their myocardial total or D3-tocopherol levels, the remaining 20 patients
      received 100 mg (n = 6), 300 mg (n = 8), or 900 mg (n = 6) of D3-alpha-tocopheryl
      acetate for 14 consecutive preoperative days. The left ventricular deuterated and
      nondeuterated alpha-tocopherol levels were measured by gas chromatography/mass
      spectrometry. Although there was a decrease (p less than 0.05) in myocardial
      alpha-tocopherol levels with the onset of reperfusion (cross-clamp removal), the
      myocardial tocopherol levels were not statistically different from preoperative
      levels by 20 minutes of reperfusion. At least 300 mg of alpha-tocopherol must be
      taken orally for 14 consecutive days to double the myocardial alpha-tocopherol
      levels.

PMID- 1854671
TI  - Modelling of oxygen transport in systemic circulation in a hyperbaric
      environment.
AB  - A mathematical model is developed for analysing the transport of oxygen in the
      systemic capillaries and surrounding tissue in a hyperbaric environment. The
      governing equation in the capillary describes the transport due to molecular
      diffusion (radial as well as axial) and the convective effect of the blood. The
      non-linear oxygen dissociation curve is represented by a linear function
      simulating the conditions of a hyperbaric environment. The corresponding equation
      in the tissue region is based on the transport of oxygen due to radial as well as
      axial diffusion and the zero order metabolic consumption rate. The equations in
      both the regions are connected through the interface conditions. An analytical
      solution of the resulting system of elliptic partial differential equations with
      the physiologically relevant boundary conditions is obtained by the method of
      eigenfunction expansion. It is found that the amount of oxygen decreases from the
      core of the capillary to the periphery of the tissue. It is shown that
      significant radial diffusion of oxygen takes place in the initial part of the
      tissue close to the arterial end. The accumulation of oxygen in the tissue has
      been examined in terms of various non-dimensional parameters. The physiological
      relevance of these parameters in determining the degree of accumulation of O2 in
      the tissue in a hyperbaric environment is discussed in the light of previous
      experimental studies.

PMID- 1854667
TI  - Oxygen-derived free radicals and myocardial reperfusion injury: an overview.
AB  - Reperfusion of acutely ischemic myocardium is associated with various distinctive
      pathophysiologic derangements, which are collectively referred to as reperfusion
      injury. Among these, three have been attributed to oxygen radicals: a)
      arrhythmias, b) transient mechanical dysfunction ("stunning"), and c) cell death.
      a) Reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. Although the precise mechanism for
      reperfusion arrhythmias remains to be determined, considerable evidence suggests
      that oxygen radicals play an important pathogenetic role in these rhythm
      disturbances. b) Transient mechanical dysfunction ("myocardial stunning").
      Studies suggest that this abnormality is caused by events occurring in the
      initial seconds of reperfusion, and therefore represents a manifestation of
      sublethal, reversible reperfusion injury. Although our understanding of the
      mechanism of myocardial stunning is still fragmentary, there is overwhelming
      evidence for a pathogenetic role of oxygen radicals. c) Cell death. The evidence
      that reperfusion causes extension of the infarct produced by the antecedent
      ischemia is highly controversial. Although several studies have reported
      reduction of infarct size with antioxidants applied at the time of reperfusion,
      numerous other investigations have failed to reproduce these results. At present,
      there is no obvious explanation for this discrepancy. What is clear is that short
      term administration of antioxidants at the time of reperfusion will not produce
      sustained limitation of infarct size. However, the possibility that long-term
      administration of antioxidants will produce sustained limitation of infarct size
      merits further consideration. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that the
      generation of oxygen radicals upon reperfusion plays an important pathogenetic
      role in two manifestations of reperfusion injury, namely, arrhythmias and
      stunning. Intense controversy persists regarding whether oxygen radicals
      contribute to extending cell death upon reperfusion and whether reperfusion in
      itself causes cell death. On the basis of the evidence available at this time,
      oxygen radicals appear to be important in the genesis of relatively mild,
      sublethal forms of myocellular damage, but their role in the genesis of lethal
      myocellular injury remains to be established.

PMID- 1854672
TI  - Status of medical engineering technology assessment in Japan.
AB  - Today in Japan, although the installation rates of high level medical engineering
      (ME) equipment at hospitals and clinics are the highest in the world, actual and
      effective technology assessment programs are lacking. In this paper, the author
      introduces the unique situation and tendency of ME in Japan as compared to
      western countries and also discuss the role which ME has played in this
      transition of the health care system. Furthermore the author introduces a
      developing program for ME technology assessment (MTA) recently investigated in
      Japan.

PMID- 1854673
TI  - A method of measuring the peak flow rate and the regurgitant volume of
      regurgitation based on the characteristics of turbulent free jets.
AB  - The issuing flow rate of a jet, Q0, is given by Q0 = U0A, where U0 is the issuing
      velocity of the jet and A is the cross-sectional area of the orifice. However,
      measurement of A of a regurgitant jet in the cardiovascular system is difficult.
      On the assumption that the jet is 'free' and turbulent, the following relations
      apply between the diameter of the orifice D, the length of the core region of the
      jet L, the centerline velocity of the jet Uc(chi) at an arbitrary distance
      chi(greater than L) from the orifice, and U0:L = 6.8D and Uc(chi)/U0 = L/chi.
      From these equations we obtain Q0 = 0.017 (chi Uc(chi))2/U0. Pulsatile jets
      issuing into an aqueous glycerol bath through orifices with various diameters
      were studied. U0, chi and Uc(chi) were measured with a color Doppler system.
      There was a good linear correlation between the peak flow rates estimated from
      the above equation and those measured with a flowmeter irrespective of the
      diameter of orifices (y = 0.93 chi + 3.8, r = 0.95, SEE = 6.6 ml/s). Assuming
      that the flow rate waveform is similar to the issuing velocity waveform, we
      estimated the issuing volume per stroke by integrating the issuing velocity.
      There was a good linear correlation between the estimated issuing volume and the
      known stroke volume of the pump (y = 1.0 chi + 2.6, r = 0.92, SEE = 2.8 ml).

PMID- 1854674
TI  - Enhancement of fracture healing by specific pulsed capacitively-coupled electric
      field stimulation.
AB  - The histologic procedure technique was used to evaluate the bone fracture healing
      rate of manually fractured fibulae after they were submitted to several different
      types of capacitively-coupled electric field stimulation, classified depending on
      the parameters of peak-to-peak voltage, frequency and duration. Using a
      completely randomized design, 30 New Zealand male rabbits were divided into six
      different groups: a control group, a 60 kHz and 220 mVp-p sine wave group as
      proposed by Brighton in 1985, and four special parameters of pulse wave groups.
      After comparing these different types of electrical stimulation, the group with
      the parameters of a pulse train repetition frequency of 15 Hz, a pulse frequency
      of 10 kHz and 5 V peak-to-peak intensity experienced the same enhancement of bone
      fracture healing as the group with the parameters suggested by Brighton in 1985.

PMID- 1854675
TI  - Low birth weight and a family history of schizophrenia predict poor premorbid
      functioning in psychosis.
AB  - Risk factors thought to predispose to schizophrenia, and premorbid functioning,
      were assessed blind to diagnosis by interviewing the mothers of 73 patients with
      DSM-III schizophrenia or affective psychosis. Higher risk of schizophrenia in
      relatives, lower mean birth weight, a more frequent history of obstetric
      complications, and poorer educational achievement distinguished the patients with
      schizophrenia from those with affective psychosis. Low birth weight and obstetric
      complications each predicted childhood schizoid and schizotypal traits. Poor
      social adjustment between ages 5 and 11 was predicted by low birthweight and by a
      family history of schizophrenia.

PMID- 1854676
TI  - A clinical study of schizophrenic suicides. 42 cases in Taiwan.
AB  - A clinical study of 25 male and 17 female schizophrenic suicides is presented.
      Jumping from a height was the most common method used. The 42 suicidal
      schizophrenics in Taiwan were compared with both 84 sex- and age-matched and 60 5
      year illness course non-suicidal schizophrenic control groups. The suicidal
      schizophrenics were not significantly different from the non-suicidal
      counterparts of both control groups with regard to age, sex, ethnicity, religion,
      educational background, the presence of suicide cases in the family history, and
      the presence of insight, but were significantly different in characteristics of a
      history of previous suicide attempts, presence of psychotic symptoms during their
      final month, depression during their final month, a history of depression, a
      history of previous psychiatric hospitalizations, and the number of
      hospitalizations. We discuss the findings from this study and others in the
      literature in the context of the different clinical and socio-cultural
      backgrounds of these Taiwanese schizophrenic suicides.

PMID- 1854677
TI  - Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Their course and relationship
      over time.
AB  - Recent approaches to subtyping schizophrenia have made use of the concepts of
      positive and negative symptoms. It is sometimes assumed that positive and
      negative symptoms are distributed discontinuously or inversely. Many of the
      studies that have examined this concept are cross-sectional. This research
      examines the relationships among positive and negative symptoms in a sample of 41
      DSM III diagnosed schizophrenics. Using the SANS and the SAPS, symptoms are
      assessed, first, in the acute phase of the illness and then, 6 months later, in a
      period of relative remission. Results showed that positive and negative symptoms
      were not inversely related at either phase of the illness. Secondly, in
      comparison to positive symptoms, negative symptoms were highly intercorrelated at
      both times. Thirdly, the presence of negative symptoms in the acute phase was
      highly predictive of the presence of negative symptoms at follow-up. Implications
      for the longitudinal course of symptoms in schizophrenia are discussed.

PMID- 1854678
TI  - Prostaglandin E1 suppression of platelet aggregation response in schizophrenia.
AB  - The inhibitory effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on the platelet aggregation
      response (PAR) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in 103 schizophrenics, 55 patients
      with other mental disorders, and 71 controls were examined. The three groups did
      not differ in PAR to ADP. However, schizophrenic patients, especially in the
      acute state, showed a significant reduction in the inhibitory effects of PGE1 on
      PAR compared to the other two groups. These results suggest PGE1 hyposensitivity
      exists in some schizophrenic patients, which may result from PGE1 deficiency. As
      clinical characteristics of the subgroup showing platelet PGE1 subsensitivity,
      relatively successful heterosexual relations, less anergia, and a more severe
      activation factor on BPRS were identified. Furthermore, the relationship between
      platelet sensitivity to PGE1 and brain morphology, using magnetic resonance
      imaging on 39 male schizophrenics was examined. Of 11 parameters obtained from
      MRI measurements, only callosum: brain ratio showed a significant negative
      correlation with a platelet sensitivity to PGE1. The current study suggested
      existence of a subgroup of schizophrenia having platelet hyposensitivity and a
      definite clinical feature as state markers and small corpus callosum as a trait
      marker.

PMID- 1854679
TI  - Pineal calcification in schizophrenia. Relationship to age of onset and tardive
      dyskinesia.

PMID- 1854680
TI  - Leo Vroman, scientist: an appreciation.

PMID- 1854681
TI  - Festschrift in honor of the 75th birthday of Dr. Leo Vroman: Part I.

PMID- 1854682
TI  - Vroman effects, techniques, and philosophies.
AB  - Leo Vroman's work on blood-materials interaction over the years has motivated and
      influenced much of our work in this field. Here we show how most of our studies
      on proteins at interfaces can be traced to Vroman's ideas presented in Blood over
      25 years ago. Specifically, we briefly discuss simple proteins at simple
      interfaces, complex interfaces, complex proteins at interfaces, multi-parameter
      phenomena, and scientific communication and education.

PMID- 1854683
TI  - Mechanism of the participation of the contact system in the Vroman effect. Review
      and summary.
AB  - The contact system comprises three zymogens (factor XII, factor XI, and
      prekallikrein) and the non-enzymatic activation cofactor, high-molecular-weight
      kininogen (HK). When blood comes into contact with negatively charged surfaces, a
      small amount of factor XII is adsorbed and activated which, in turn, generates
      kallikrein from prekallikrein. Kallikrein amplifies the activation of the contact
      system by producing additional factor XIIa molecules as well as by activating the
      cofactor, HK, to HKa. HKa, while complexed with either prekallikrein or factor
      XI, can penetrate a barrier of fibrinogen and adsorb to the surface, where it
      optimally positions these zymogens for activation by adjacent factor XIIa
      molecules. Factor XIa can then degrade the light chain of HKa, producing the
      inactive cofactor HKi, which no longer has the ability to adsorb to a surface or
      support coagulation. The Vroman effect refers to the 'conversion' of fibrinogen
      from plasma on a negatively charged surface. Fibrinogen is detectable within
      seconds after normal plasma contacts the surface but, within minutes, is
      undetectable. On the other hand, HK, although not initially detectable on the
      surface, is found at later times when fibrinogen is no longer visible. However,
      in plasma lacking factor XII or HK, fibrinogen remains detectable at times when
      it is undetectable in normal plasma. The phenomenon of the Vroman effect is
      explained by the mechanism of surface-dependent activation of factor XII, which
      both directly and indirectly (through the formation of kallikrein) generates HKa
      from HK. HKa (but not HK) displaces fibrinogen from the surface.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854684
TI  - Why proteins prefer interfaces.

PMID- 1854685
TI  - The Vroman effect in tube geometry: the influence of flow on protein adsorption
      measurements.
AB  - The transient adsorption of fibrinogen from plasma (a manifestation of the Vroman
      effect), due in large part to displacement by trace proteins such as high
      molecular-weight kininogen (HK), factor XII, and plasminogen, has traditionally
      been studied in nonflowing systems in this laboratory. This paper reports new
      data on adsorption in tubing geometry under laminar flow. Fibrinogen adsorption
      from human blood plasma and whole blood diluted to varying exents was measured on
      glass and polyethylene tubing. The presence of flow did not change the nature of
      the Vroman effect, except that the processes of adsorption and displacement,
      which are typically diffusion-limited in static systems, were augmented by
      convective transport. At the highest applied shear rates of 408 and 510 s-1, the
      initial adsorption rate of fibrinogen was estimated to be 5.0 X 10(-5) cm/s on
      both surfaces. The intrinsic rate of displacement of fibrinogen (due to the
      Vroman effect) at high shear rates was about ten times faster from glass than
      from polyethylene based on data taken 5 min after the experiment started. The
      rates of fibrinogen adsorption and displacement were not observed to be
      significantly augmented by the cellular elements of whole blood at dilutions
      exceeding 20:1. The consistently observed axial dependence of adsorption in
      static and flow experiments in tubing geometry was investigated. It was concluded
      that the effect results, under most conditions, from the creation of a
      concentration boundary layer during the displacement of the equilibrating buffer
      by the injected protein solution. The possibility of local depletion due to rapid
      adsorption during injection or the final displacement of the protein solution was
      concluded to make lesser contributions to axial variations in measured
      adsorption.

PMID- 1854686
TI  - Surface exclusion and molecular mobility may explain Vroman effects in protein
      adsorption.
AB  - Data on protein adsorption usually show that for increasing surface coverage the
      adsorption velocity decreases much faster than linearly. This contrasts to the
      classical Langmuir model with an adsorption velocity proportional to the number
      of unoccupied binding sites. It has been shown that this non-linearity may
      explain phenomena like transient adsorption of different proteins from a protein
      mixture or dilution-dependent changes in binding properties, collectively called
      Vroman effects. However, the molecular mechanisms explaining this non-linear
      behavior remain to be established. A Monte Carlo simulation model is presented
      that incorporates steric hindrance, lateral mobility and mutual interactions of
      adsorbed molecules. Experimental data on the adsorption kinetics of prothrombin
      and annexin V, a recently discovered anticoagulant protein, at phospholipid
      bilayers are analyzed with this model. A major conclusion is that the steep
      decline in adsorption rates for increasing surface coverage can be explained,
      without assuming repulsive forces between adsorbed molecules, as a surface
      exclusion effect combined with lateral mobility of adsorbed molecules. The fact
      that annexin V shows this effect to a much lesser degree than prothrombin is
      tentatively explained by clustering of adsorbed annexin V molecules. A
      qualitative effect of lateral mobility on the adsorption characteristics,
      predicted by the model, is confirmed in experiments in which the fluidity of the
      bilayers was manipulated.

PMID- 1854687
TI  - The effects of temperature and buffer on fibrinogen adsorption from blood plasma
      to glass.
AB  - [125I]-Fibrinogen was used to measure the adsorption of fibrinogen from baboon
      plasma to two types of glass (Pyrex and a borosilicate glass) at 25 and 37
      degrees C using two different buffers to dilute the plasma, the first being
      citrate-phosphate buffered saline (CPBSz) and the second isotonic Tris-saline
      (TRIS), both pH 7.4. In addition, the effects of hydration conditions, rinsing
      techniques, and glass-cleaning treatments on fibrinogen adsorption were
      evaluated. The data reveal that lower temperatures and the use of TRIS to dilute
      the plasma significantly enhance fibrinogen adsorption to both types of glass. As
      has been observed in the past, fibrinogen adsorption peaked at intermediate
      plasma concentrations on both Pyrex and borosilicate glass (the so-called Vroman
      effect), but almost twice as much fibrinogen adsorbed to glass when TRIS was used
      to dilute the plasma instead of CPBSz. Moreover, up to five times as much
      fibrinogen adsorbed to both types of glass at 25 degrees C compared with 37
      degrees C. No effects of the rinsing technique or glass-cleaning treatment were
      observed.

PMID- 1854688
TI  - Laser beam clipping: two aspects and a safety device.

PMID- 1854689
TI  - Iris clipping of a diode laser beam when performing retinal photocoagulation.
AB  - The Microlase infrared diode laser has recently become available for retinal
      photocoagulation. It uses a laser beam with a large convergence angle (23
      degrees). This gives rise to a laser beam with a relatively large cross section
      at the subject's pupil. In this study the pupillary area required to view the
      fundus at the slit-lamp with a 90-dioptre lens is determined. It is found that
      the pupillary area required to view the fundus is smaller than the cross section
      of the Microlase laser beam at the pupil. Thus iris clipping of the laser beam
      can occur even though the surgeon has a clear and bright view of the fundus. Care
      should be taken to use the Microlase only in the presence of a widely dilated
      pupil.

PMID- 1854690
TI  - Ultrastructural pathology of the 'barrier sites' in experimental autoimmune
      uveitis and experimental autoimmune pinealitis.
AB  - Lewis rats were immunised with retinal S-antigen to induce experimental
      autoimmune uveitis and experimental autoimmune pinealitis. The blood-retinal and
      blood-pineal 'barrier sites' were examined by transmission electron microscopy.
      Inflammatory cell movement through Bruch's membrane involved separation of its
      constituent layers, cell migration through pores in the membrane, and between
      retinal pigment epithelial cells without causing significant displacement of the
      retinal pigment epithelial cell layer. The endothelial cells of retinal and
      pineal vessels with perivascular infiltrates showed morphological features
      resembling endothelium of 'high endothelial venules'.

PMID- 1854691
TI  - Review of fluorescein angiograms performed in one year.
AB  - In this study 374 consecutive fundus fluorescein angiograms (FFAs) were performed
      on 330 patients. Of these, 165 (50%) were investigated for age related
      maculopathy. In only 12% did this investigation lead to an alteration in
      treatment. The remaining 50% of angiograms were requested for diabetic patients
      (15%), retinal vein occlusion (5%), tumours (6%), and various other disorders. In
      the diabetic patients treatment could have proceeded without FFA in 24% of
      patients who underwent it. Missed diagnoses corrected by angiography and areas
      where unnecessary angiograms were performed were identified. One interesting
      subgroup of eight patients with unexplained loss of central vision was
      identified. Careful clinical examination had failed to reveal any abnormality.
      FFAs were of no diagnostic value in these patients.

PMID- 1854692
TI  - North Carolina's dominant progressive foveal dystrophy: how progressive is it?
AB  - We studied 34 family members at risk of having dominant progressive foveal
      dystrophy of Lefler, Wadsworth, and Sidbury (also called North Carolina macular
      dystrophy) and found 17 to be affected. Fifteen of these affected subjects were
      observed over at least a 10-year period for evidence of progressive macular
      degeneration. Only one subject showed objective evidence of progressive
      deterioration in only one eye. Our findings further substantiate that this
      dystrophy generally has a stable course, contrary to its original description.

PMID- 1854694
TI  - Emmetropisation, squint, and reduced visual acuity after treatment.
AB  - In a sample of children used to assess the value of optical correction of
      hypermetropia from the age of 6 months the refraction of the most hypermetropic
      meridian frequently became less than 3.5 D as the children grew. When this
      occurred, the incidence of squint was significantly less (p less than 0.001) and
      the last known acuity after treatment was significantly better (p less than
      0.001) than when it did not. This process of emmetropisation appears to have been
      impeded by the consistent wearing of hypermetropic spectacle correction from the
      age of 6 months.

PMID- 1854693
TI  - Cis-platinum chemotherapy for ocular basal cell carcinoma.
AB  - We have used intravenous cis-platinum chemotherapy in the treatment of three
      patients with basal cell carcinoma of the lid extending into the orbit. Cis
      platinum chemotherapy caused a reduction in tumour size and thereby delayed
      surgery in all cases. It allowed for local resection in one case, appeared to
      delay a patient's exenteration in a second case, and was used prior to
      radiotherapy in a third case. While not curative, cis-platinum may be useful as
      an adjuvant to decrease tumour mass prior to local excision and for patients who
      refuse or must delay exenteration.

PMID- 1854695
TI  - Comparison of retrobulbar and periocular injections of lignocaine by computerised
      tomography.
AB  - Ten patients undergoing cataract surgery were given a local anaesthetic with
      lignocaine solution which was mixed with iohexol contrast medium. The location of
      the needle and the substance injected was determined by computerised tomography
      following retrobulbar or periocular anaesthesia. The retrobulbarly inserted
      needles were within the muscle cone, directed towards the optic foramen. The
      periocular needles were outside the muscle cone, tangentially along the orbital
      floor or pointing slightly upwards. After the retrobulbar injection the contrast
      medium was seen within the cone immediately after the injection and outside the
      cone as early as 3 minutes after the injection. With the periocular technique,
      however, diffusion of the anaesthetic in the opposite direction (that is, into
      the muscle cone) was rapid. The contrast medium was identified inside the muscle
      cone 2 minutes after the injection. Compression with an intraocular pressure
      reduction device after both of these techniques prevented exophthalmos. It is
      concluded that retrobulbar-like anaesthesia can also be induced by an appropriate
      periocular technique.

PMID- 1854696
TI  - Experimental Acanthamoeba keratitis: II. Immunohistochemical evaluation.
AB  - In a Wistar rat experimental model of Acanthamoeba keratitis immunohistochemical
      techniques were used to analyse the host cellular response. The inflammatory cell
      profile was observed to change at intervals. In tissue sections the cellular
      response consisted of neutrophils on the first day but predominantly macrophages
      on the following days. Some T lymphocytes but no B lymphocytes were observed.

PMID- 1854697
TI  - Childhood blindness in the Republic of Ireland: a national survey.
AB  - We completed a national study of blindness in children under 16. Approximately
      80% of the blind children (that is, with vision of 3/60 or less) in the Republic
      of Ireland (172 children) were seen, 93 males and 79 females. The survey was
      carried out between July 1989 and June 1990. It is the first such study to be
      carried out. Ninety seven (56%) children had lesions due to factors acting before
      the perinatal period. Of these, 28 (16% of the total number surveyed) had lesions
      due to genetic causes; 69 (40%) had lesions due to factors operating in the
      prenatal period other than genetic factors. Forty six (27%) had lesions due to
      factors acting in the perinatal period. Twenty two (13%) had lesions due to
      factors acting in childhood. (4% could not be categorised in this way). The
      commonest single primary diagnoses were birth asphyxia in 19 (11%) cases and
      retinopathy of prematurity in 19 (11%) cases.

PMID- 1854698
TI  - Intraocular coenurosis: a case report.
AB  - A case of intraocular coenurosis was clinically diagnosed and treated with
      praziquantel. The drug destroyed the coenurus, but vision was lost through toxic
      endophthalmitis and retinal detachment. There were no systemic side effects.

PMID- 1854699
TI  - Treatable blindness in temporal arteritis.
AB  - Temporal arteritis is a common cause of blindness. Prompt steroid treatment
      limits unilateral visual loss while protecting the contralateral eye. Established
      blindness is irreversible. We report a case of temporal arteritis in which an eye
      with no light perception secondary to an arteritic anterior ischaemic optic
      neuropathy regained 6/6 vision.

PMID- 1854700
TI  - Welding arc maculopathy and fluphenazine.
AB  - A 45-year-old male patient presented with a bilateral maculopathy following
      unprotected exposure of less than two minutes' duration to a manual metal arc
      welding unit. He had been receiving the drug fluphenazine for the previous 10
      years for treatment of depression. We believe that the drug fluphenazine, which
      had accumulated in his retinal pigment epithelium, may have rendered him
      particularly susceptible to retinal photic damage.

PMID- 1854701
TI  - Bilateral retinal artery occlusion due to mitral valve prolapse.
AB  - We report a case of bilateral retinal artery occlusion due to mitral valve
      prolapse. Most patients with retinal ischaemia in whom it is found have not been
      previously known to have it. Since it is a common condition it would seem
      essential that it be included in the differential diagnosis of amaurosis fugax
      and retinal artery occlusion if future ischaemic events are to be prevented. All
      patients with retinal ischaemia should have a full cardiovascular examination
      supplemented by echocardiography.

PMID- 1854702
TI  - Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the maxillary antrum and orbit presenting
      as acute bacterial orbital cellulitis.
AB  - Orbital involvement by plasma cell tumours is rare. Orbital tumours do not
      generally present as an acute orbital inflammatory disease in adults, though
      tumours such as rhabdomyosarcoma may cause clinical signs similar to an acute
      orbital cellulitis in children. We describe a patient with bacterial orbital
      cellulitis and sinusitis who was found to have an extra-medullary plasmacytoma of
      the maxillary antrum and orbit and coexisting testicular seminoma.

PMID- 1854703
TI  - Late onset endophthalmitis associated with intraocular lens: a case of
      molecularly proved S. epidermidis aetiology.
AB  - A case of severe endophthalmitis after cataract extraction followed by posterior
      chamber lens implantation is reported. Microbiological cultures from a tap of the
      patient's aqueous humour prior to lens explantation as well as from the explanted
      lens and aqueous and vitreous humour during operation yielded Staphylococcus
      epidermidis sensu stricto. Scanning electron microscopy showed massive
      colonisation of the lens loop by staphylococci. Clonal identity of all isolates
      was demonstrated by plasmid DNA analysis and sodium dodecyl sulphate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of extra-cellular products. This is
      strongly suggestive of the aetiological role of S. epidermidis in this case of
      late onset endophthalmitis.

PMID- 1854704
TI  - Ptosis caused by pachydermoperiostosis.
AB  - Pachydermoperiostosis is a rare inherited disorder which presents with finger
      clubbing, facial enlargement, and periostitis. A case is described in which
      surgery for ptosis was performed and the differential diagnosis of the condition
      is discussed. The histological and ultrastructural appearances of the eyelids
      show sebaceous gland hyperplasia and excessive deposition of mucin in the dermis
      and would suggest that pachydermoperiostosis may be an example of a cutaneous
      mucinosis.

PMID- 1854705
TI  - Beam obstruction hazard on Q-switched Nd-YAG ophthalmic lasers: a safety device
      for the Nanolas laser.

PMID- 1854706
TI  - Genetic counseling in retinoblastoma.

PMID- 1854707
TI  - Practical hazards of photic sneezing.

PMID- 1854708
TI  - Acute multilocular osteomyelitis in infancy and childhood.
AB  - 38 cases of acute multilocular osteomyelitis out of a total of 165 osteomyelitis
      patients were treated between 1974 and 1986 at the Department of Paediatric
      Surgery and Paediatric Diseases at the University of Mainz. Osteomyelitis in
      infants was separated from juvenile osteomyelitis because of the different
      problems inherent to this disease depending upon the age; likewise, multilocular
      remote involvement was separated from regional multiple involvement. It was found
      that distant involvement is of special importance in infancy. 6 of the 8 cases in
      this group presented with symmetrical involvement. This interesting phenomenon is
      described in this article for the first time in acute multilocular osteomyelitis;
      so far, it was known to occur only in chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis
      (CRMO). The infants in this group were predominantly newborn who were
      particularly severely handicapped by predisposing factors such as necessary
      intensive-care measures or surgical interventions. Our findings showed that in
      this age group most of the problems occurred, namely: 3 deaths and 2 healing
      defects in 8 children. For this reason it is imperative to effect particularly
      close monitoring of multilocular acute osteomyelitis in infancy. This must be
      considered as a paediatric and paediatric-surgical emergency requiring not only
      accurate diagnostic measures but also early internistic and surgical treatment to
      improve the prognosis of this specific disease pattern.

PMID- 1854709
TI  - Neonatal primary hyperparathyroidism--a case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Primary Hyperparathyroidism in the neonate is exceptionally rare and is almost
      invariably fatal unless a prompt diagnosis is made and urgent surgical
      intervention instituted. The first case was reported in 1947 by Prat et al (30)
      and since then 35 cases have been published. The true number is probably greater
      due to the diagnosis being missed both clinically and at autopsy and it has been
      suggested as a possible contributor to a small number of cases of the Sudden
      Infant Death Syndrome (17). The authors report on a case presenting in a female
      neonate, review the world literature and discuss the clinical manifestations,
      investigators findings and the management options available.

PMID- 1854710
TI  - Congenital lumbar (Grynfelt-Lesshaft) hernia.
AB  - Two children with superior lumbar hernias are presented in this report. The first
      one had many additional anomalies different from the literature and the other one
      is the second case report of congenital lumbar hernia with posterior
      meningomyelocele in the literature. Operative repair is recommended for these
      patients before 12 months of age.

PMID- 1854711
TI  - Ectopic gastric mucosa in a polyp causing ileo-ileal intussusception: a case
      report of a three-month-old baby.
AB  - Ectopic gastric mucosa in the small bowel not associated with Meckel's
      diverticulum, is rare. Most of the few cases found in the literature are
      symptomatic and complicated. We report a case of a three month-old baby, the
      youngest patient reported thus far. He had ectopic gastric mucosa in a polypoid
      lesion of the mid-ileum, which caused ileo-ileal intussusception.

PMID- 1854712
TI  - Esophageal pH monitoring: methodology, indication and interpretation.
AB  - Reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus has for long been accepted as a
      cause of esophagitis, failure to thrive, and anemia. But, at the same time,
      gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) is recognized as a physiological phenomenon
      occurring now and then in every one, especially in the postprandial period.
      Esophageal pH monitoring is an attractive technique for separating
      "physiological" from "pathological" GER incidence and duration by measuring
      incidence and duration. In principle, esophageal pH monitoring is simple, but in
      practice there are technical and clinical problems. The pH monitoring equipment,
      the type of electrode, the location of the electrode are examples of equipment
      and/or methodology related influencing factors. Age, position, duration of the
      investigation (day/night, fasting/postprandial), feeding and drugs are patient
      related factors. Despite all these factor, pH data have been shown to be
      reproducible. The major advantages of pH monitoring are that it evaluates GER in
      (1) physiological circumstances over (2) a prolonged duration. (3) The
      investigation can be repeated and can therefore (4) evaluate the efficacy of
      treatment. (5) The possibility of establishing a relation in time between pH
      changes and symptoms constitutes another advantage of the technique.

PMID- 1854713
TI  - Midline dermal sinuses and cysts and their relationship to the central nervous
      system.
AB  - Sixty-one children (below 12 years) with midline dermal inclusions of the cranium
      and spine were operated on at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital
      between 1969-1990. The bregmatic area was the most common position for
      superficial cysts (33). Eight children had sinuses or cysts near the external
      occipital protuberance, 2 had isolated fourth ventricular cysts and 1 had a cyst
      in the quadrigeminal plate cistern. Fifteen children had spinal dermal
      inclusions, 13 of these were in the lumbosacral area, there was 1 sinus in the
      cervical spine and another in the midthoracic area attached to an intramedullary
      cyst. Two children had frontal sinuses, one of which was connected to an
      interhemispheric dermoid cyst and a lipoma of the corpus callosum. A midline
      swelling or sinus was the most common clinical presentation. Four out of 15
      spinal inclusions and 1/11 occipital sinuses had a meningitic history. Five of 11
      of the posterior fossa inclusions had raised intracranial pressure and signs
      suggestive of cerebellar tumor or abscess. Not one of the 33 bregmatic lesions
      had any connection to the central nervous system. MRI has proved useful in
      diagnosing both dermal sinuses and cysts, but CT scanning was our standard
      investigation. Plain x-ray revealed bony abnormalities in only 60% of our
      patients with spinal sinuses. We feel that all dermal sinuses or cysts in the
      midline should be surgically explored after CT or MRI scanning. Lesions mistaken
      for bregmatic cysts have included hemangiomas (4), hamartomas (2), an
      encephalocele through the anterior fontanelle (1) and lipomas (2).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854714
TI  - Use of a collagen coated vicryl tube in reconstruction of the porcine esophagus.
AB  - This experimental study assessed the use of a collagen-coated vicryl mesh tube to
      reconstruct the esophagus in growing piglets. Initial experiments, in which a
      segment of thoracic esophagus was excised and replaced by this prosthetic tube,
      resulted in all the animals succumbing to mediastinitis within the first 3-4
      days. This was shown, at post-mortem, to be due to leakage of the prosthesis,
      secondary to acid reflux, resulting in dissolution of the prosthesis. The
      collagen-coated vicryl mesh was thereafter treated with glutaraldehyde and in
      vitro studies showed that the glutaraldehyde-treated material exhibited a higher
      resistance to 0.01 M HCl at pH 2.0, when compared with untreated material. In
      addition, the glutaraldehyde-treated material also showed an increased resistance
      to digestion by bacterial collagenase. Further experiments to reconstruct the
      cervical esophagus in growing piglets were performed using the revised
      glutaraldehyde cross-linked collagen coated vicryl mesh tube. All the animals
      survived the procedure and the prosthesis were leakproof immediately post
      operatively. The animals, however, developed severe stenosis at a mean of 11 days
      post-operatively. Attempts at neo-epithelialization of the graft were seen
      histologically. There was considerable granulation tissue and scar tissue
      formation on the mediastinal aspect of the graft. It is suggested that collagen
      coated vicryl mesh tube may find applications in the treatment of esophageal
      atresia only if the problem of stenosis of the prosthesis can be solved.

PMID- 1854715
TI  - Morphology of the diaphragmatic muscle in CDH.
AB  - Muscle tissue from the wall of CDH demonstrated normal muscle structure with
      normal fibre types. It could be shown that a large fibrotic wall surrounds the
      muscular defect.

PMID- 1854716
TI  - Experimental intestinal obstruction in rats. Studies on structure and
      disaccharidase activities.
AB  - An experimental model of congenital intestinal obstruction (CIO) was created in
      rats by means of fetal intrauterine surgery between the 16th and 20th days of
      gestation. By the use of a microsurgical technique areas at the mid-jejunum or
      the jejuno-ileal junction were infarcted by coagulation of mesenteric vessels.
      Gestation was terminated by Cesarean section within 24 hours before expected term
      to avoid cannibalism. The structure of the intestinal mucosal cells proximal and
      distal to the CIO at the light microscopy as well as the ultrastructure level was
      not changed indicating that the surgical method was successful. The activities of
      the brush border enzymes, maltase and lactase were significantly reduced distal
      to the obstruction as compared to controls. Proximal to the obstruction lactase
      was the only enzyme showing reduced activity in comparison to controls. These
      findings were not dependent on the localization of the obstruction or when it was
      performed and suggest that CIO causes selective changes of the biochemical
      properties of the cell membrane. The results are in agreement with the findings
      of disaccharidase activities in biopsies taken from human infants with CIO and
      point to the importance of a normal intestinal passage for the development of
      brush border enzymes.

PMID- 1854717
TI  - Familial aspects of Hirschsprung's disease.
AB  - Twenty-eight of 370 patients (14 families) treated for Hirschsprung's disease
      (HD) over a 34 year period had a family member with histologically proven HD.
      These 14 represented 4% of the 351 families: more than one affected child per
      family in 10 (2.8%) and both parent and child in 2 families. Neuronal intestinal
      dysplasia (NID) in a parent was associated with total colonic aganglionosis in
      two siblings of one family which suggests a similar genetic inheritance pattern
      to HD. Aganglionosis extended beyond the rectosigmoid in 61% of the familial
      group as opposed to 27% of the non-familial group. A significantly higher number
      of total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) was noted in those with a family history; 11
      out of 28 (39%) as opposed to 19 out of 342 (5.6%) without a family history (p
      less than 0.001). Fifty percent of males with TCA had a family history but in
      only 2 cases was this transmitted through a female sibling. Although no
      significant difference was noted between male and female probands, a three times
      higher incidence of familial occurrence was noted in females with rectosigmoid
      disease than in males. Progression of length of segment in succeeding generations
      was noted in two families. Associated anomalies occurred in 16% without familial
      occurrence and 11% of the familial group.

PMID- 1854718
TI  - Isolation and partial characterization of mitogenic factors from cementum.
AB  - Cementum is the mineralized structure through which soft connective tissues are
      attached to the teeth. It is a unique calcified tissue characterized by a low
      metabolic turnover, lack of blood supply, and presence of very few cells.
      However, it contains substances that influence the biological activities of
      fibroblasts of adjacent soft tissues. We have partially characterized cementum
      proteins that have mitogenic activity toward fibroblasts. Cementum was harvested
      from bovine teeth, and mitogenic factors were extracted in 0.5 M CH3COOH. Heparin
      Sepharose chromatography separated the mitogenic activity into a major and a
      minor fraction eluted by 0.5 and 2.0 M NaCl, respectively. The distribution of
      cementum mitogens in heparin-Sepharose fractions was different from that of
      alveolar bone and other bones. The cementum mitogenic factor eluting with 2.0 M
      NaCl from a heparin-Sepharose column was shown to be basic fibroblast growth
      factor (bFGF) on the basis of inhibition by anti-bFGF antibody and Western blots.
      The 0.5 M NaCl fraction was purified by HPLC with use of a combination of a DEAE
      3W column followed by TSK-250 and C18 columns. NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis revealed that the purified fraction contained two protein bands
      with Mr 22,000 and 19,000, and mitogenic activity was associated with the Mr
      22,000 species. The activity of this mitogen, designated as CGF, was potentiated
      by small quantities of plasma-derived serum or epidermal growth factor. It was
      heat resistant, but was destroyed by reduction. Assays of CGF preparations
      revealed that they contained no detectable platelet-derived growth
      factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854719
TI  - Characterization of covalent protein conjugates using solid-state 13C NMR
      spectroscopy.
AB  - Cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) 13C NMR spectroscopy has been
      used to characterize covalent conjugates of alachlor, an alpha-chloroacetamide
      hapten, with glutathione (GSH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). The solid-state
      NMR method demonstrates definitively the covalent nature of these conjugates and
      can also be used to characterize the sites of hapten attachment to proteins.
      Three different sites of alachlor binding are observed in the BSA system.
      Accurate quantitation of the amount of hapten covalently bound to GSH and BSA is
      reported. The solid-state 13C NMR technique can easily be generalized to study
      other small molecule/protein conjugates and can be used to assist the development
      and refinement of synthetic methods needed for the successful formation of such
      protein alkylation products.

PMID- 1854720
TI  - Alternating zinc fingers in the human male associated protein ZFY: refinement of
      the NMR structure of an even finger by selective deuterium labeling and
      implications for DNA recognition.
AB  - ZFY, a male-associated Zn-finger protein encoded by the human Y chromosome,
      exhibits a distinctive two-finger repeat: whereas odd-numbered domains fit a
      general consensus, even-numbered domains exhibit systematic differences. Do these
      odd and even sequences encode structurally distinct surfaces for DNA recognition?
      As a first step toward answering this question, we have recently described the
      sequential 1H NMR assignment of a representative nonconsensus Zn finger
      (designated ZFY-6T) based on 2D NMR studies of a 30-residue peptide [Kochoyan,
      M., Havel, T.F., Nguyen, D.T., Dahl, C.E., Keutmann, H. T., & Weiss, M.A. (1991)
      Biochemistry 30, 3371-3386]. Initial structural modeling by distance
      geometry/simulated annealing (DG/SA) demonstrated that this peptide retained the
      N-terminal beta-hairpin and C-terminal alpha-helix (beta beta alpha motif)
      observed in consensus Zn fingers. However, the precision of this initial
      structure was limited by resonance overlap, which led to ambiguities in the
      assignment of key NOEs in the hydrophobic core. In this paper these ambiguities
      are resolved by selective deuterium labeling, enabling a refined structure to be
      calculated by DG/SA and restrained molecular dynamics. These calculations provide
      a detailed view of the hydrophobic core and protein surface, which are analyzed
      in reference to previously characterized Zn fingers. Variant (even) and consensus
      (odd) aromatic residues Y10 and F12, shown in an "aromatic swap" analogue to
      provide equivalent contributions to the hydrophobic core [Weiss, M.A., &
      Keutmann, H.T. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 9808-9813], nevertheless exhibit striking
      differences in packing interactions: Y10--but not F12--contributes to a
      contiguous region of the protein surface defined by putative specificity
      determining residues. Alternating surface architectures may have implications for
      the mechanism of DNA recognition by the ZFY two-finger repeat.

PMID- 1854721
TI  - Nucleotide positions responsible for the processivity of the reaction of
      exonuclease I with oligodeoxyribonucleotides.
AB  - The processive hydrolysis of single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides by
      exonuclease I from Escherichia coli has been investigated.
      Oligodeoxyribonucleotides and their analogues, which contain either an abasic
      site or a methylphosphonate internucleotide linkage, were partially hydrolyzed by
      exonuclease I. The relative dissociation constant for the enzyme and each
      oligomeric product was calculated from the concentration of that oligomer found
      in solution and hence released by the enzyme before complete hydrolysis. The
      results have led to a characterization of the two oligodeoxyribonucleotide
      domains that bind to exonuclease I. The first domain, which begins at the
      reactive 3'-terminal phosphodiester and extends to the 7th nucleoside base,
      requires both phosphodiester monoanions and base residues for its interaction
      with the enzyme. The second domain includes phosphodiester monoanions in
      positions 9-13 from the 3'-terminus but does not require nucleoside bases.
      Methylphosphonate substitutions indicate that only two or three of these
      phosphodiesters, in variable positions, must remain anionic in order to obtain
      full enzyme binding. The residues between the two binding domains do not play a
      significant role in the enzyme-oligomer interaction.

PMID- 1854722
TI  - Regulation of extracellular matrix production by chemically synthesized
      subfragments of type I collagen carboxy propeptide.
AB  - The complete COOH-propeptide of human alpha 1(I) procollagen was chemically
      synthesized as a series of overlapping subfragments which were then tested for
      their effect on extracellular matrix protein production by subconfluent human
      lung fibroblasts (HFL-1). One peptide (R11; residues 197-241) stimulated
      production of both collagen and fibronectin by 6-8-fold while a second peptide
      with a partial overlap with R11 (R9; residues 182-216) enhanced collagen
      accumulation. The peptide R12 (residues 197-216), which has a sequence common to
      both R9 and R11, also stimulated collagen production, suggesting that this 20
      residues peptide alone contains the required structure for activity. The other
      synthetic peptides, R1-R13, were inactive in their ability to alter collagen or
      fibronectin production. Consistent with previously published data, the COOH
      terminal peptide, R14, inhibited extracellular matrix production [Aycock, R.A.,
      Raghow, R., Stricklin, G.P., Seyer, J.M., & Kang, A.H. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261,
      14355-14360]. Both R9 and R11 preferentially stimulated production of collagen
      types I and III and fibronectin in dose-dependent manner. Elevated collagen and
      fibronectin production was evident at 4-h posttreatment, and maximal enhancement
      was seen at 8 h after exposure to peptides. Interestingly, subconfluent cultures
      of HFL-1 fibroblasts responded vigorously to the stimulatory action of R9 and R11
      while confluent cells failed to show any response. Steady-state levels of
      messenger RNAs encoding type I procollagen and fibronectin were not measurably
      altered by treatment with R9 or R11, suggesting that the regulation of
      procollagens and fibronectin by these peptides involves posttranscriptional
      mechanisms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854723
TI  - An in vitro novel mechanism of regulating the activity of pyruvate kinase M2 by
      thyroid hormone and fructose 1, 6-bisphosphate.
AB  - We have recently shown that the cytosolic thyroid hormone binding protein (p58
      M2) in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells is a monomer of pyruvate kinase,
      subtype M2 (PKM2). To characterize further the molecular properties of p58-M2, we
      overexpressed p58-M2 in Escherichia coli and purified it to homogeneity. At 22
      degrees C, the monomeric p58-M2, exhibited kinase activity with an apparent Vmax
      of 22 +/- 9 units/mg. The Km for adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and
      phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) are 3.85 +/- 2.4 and 1.55 +/- 0.73 mM, respectively.
      Upon activation by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-P2), Vmax and Km for ADP
      and PEP were changed to 490 +/- 27 units/mg and 0.63 +/- 0.09 and 0.13 +/- 0.01
      mM, respectively. These results indicated that p58-M2 has intrinsic kinase
      activity. Analysis of the molecular size indicated that the activation of p58-M2,
      by Fru-1,6-P2 resulted in the association of the monomeric p58-M2 to the
      tetrameric PKM2. p58-M2 bound to 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) (Ka = 1.7 x
      10(7) M-1) and exhibited analogue specificity, whereas PKM2 did not bind thyroid
      hormone. The order of binding affinity was L-T3 greater than L-thyroxine greater
      than 3,3',5-triiodothyropropionic acid greater than 3'-isopropyl-3,5-triiodo-L
      thyronine greater than 3'5',3-triiodo-L-thyronine. Binding of T3 and its
      analogues resulted in the inhibition of the kinase activity of p58-M2. The order
      of kinase inhibitory activity and preventing its association to tetrameric PKM2
      was parallel to that of binding activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854724
TI  - Identification of cysteine-319 as the target amino acid of 8-[(4-bromo-2,3
      dioxobutyl)thio]adenosine 5'-triphosphate in bovine liver glutamate
      dehydrogenase.
AB  - The affinity label 8-[(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)thio]adenosine 5'-triphosphate (8
      BDB-TA-5'-TP) has been shown to react with bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase
      in the region of the GTP-dependent NADH inhibitory site with incorporation of
      about 1 mol of reagent/mol of subunit [Ozturk, D. H., Safer, D., & Colman, R. F.
      (1990) Biochemistry 29, 7112-7118]. The modified enzyme was shown to contain only
      5 free sulfhydryl groups upon 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoate) titration as
      compared with 6 in the unmodified enzyme. In the unmodified enzyme digested with
      trypsin, 6 cysteinyl peptides were detected by high-performance liquid
      chromatography upon treatment with iodo [3H]acetic acid. In contrast, only 5
      (carboxymethyl)cysteinyl peptides were detected in 8-BDB-TA-5'-TP-modified
      enzyme. When carboxymethylated modified and unmodified enzymes were digested with
      thermolysin, 6 peptide sequences containing (carboxymethyl)cysteine were obtained
      in the unmodified enzyme, but only 5 were observed in the modified enzyme. The
      (carboxymethyl)cysteine which was absent in the modified enzyme was determined to
      be Cys-319, leading to the conclusion that 8-BDB-TA-5'-TP reacts with Cys-319,
      thereby preventing it from subsequent reaction with radioactive iodoacetate. It
      was previously reported that 6-[(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)thio]-6-deaminoadenosine
      5'-diphosphate (6-BDB-TA-5'-DP) modifies Cys-319 in this enzyme [Batra, S. P., &
      Colman, R. F. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 3508-3515].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1854725
TI  - Effect of lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination on the Ca(2+)-dependent
      interactions of human C1s. Location of the iodination sites.
AB  - C-1s, one of the two serine proteases of C-1, the first component of complement,
      has the ability to mediate heterologous (C-1r-C-1s) as well as homologous (C-1s-C
      1s) Ca(2+)-dependent interactions both involving the NH2-terminal alpha region of
      its A chain. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination of C-1s in its monomeric form
      was found to abolish its ability to form Ca(2+)-dependent homodimers, without
      impairing its ability to mediate C-1r-C-1s heteroassociation. C-1s iodinated in
      its dimeric form, in contrast, fully retained the ability to self-associate. With
      a view to identify the tyrosine residues iodinated in each case, C-1s was
      radioiodinated in its monomeric and dimeric forms, and comparative tryptic
      mapping was performed on the resulting 125I-labeled A chains. Most of the
      tyrosine residues either were not iodinated or were equivalently but not in the
      dimer. Conversely, Tyr-52 and Tyr-147 were iodinated only in the dimer. These
      results provide further evidence that the structural determinants of C-1s
      required for Ca2+ binding and Ca(2+)-dependent protein-protein interactions are
      contributed by both the NH2-terminal motif I (positions 1-110) and the epidermal
      growth factor like motif II (positions 111-159) of the alpha region. On the basis
      of available information, tentative models of the C-1s-C-1s and C-1r-C-1s Ca(2+)
      dependent interactions are proposed.

PMID- 1854726
TI  - Contributions of engineered surface salt bridges to the stability of T4 lysozyme
      determined by directed mutagenesis.
AB  - Six designed mutants of T4 lysozyme were created in an attempt to create putative
      salt bridges on the surface of the protein. The first three of the mutants, T115E
      (Thr 115 to Glu), Q123E, and N144E, were designed to introduce a new charged side
      chain close to one or more existing charged groups of the opposite sign on the
      surface of the protein. In each of these cases the putative electrostatic
      interactions introduced by the mutation include possible salt bridges between
      residues within consecutive turns of an alpha-helix. Effects of the mutations
      ranged from no change in stability to a 1.5 degrees C (0.5 kcal/mol) increase in
      melting temperature. In two cases, secondary (double) mutants were constructed as
      controls in which the charge partner was removed from the primary mutant
      structure. These controls proteins indicate that the contributions to stability
      from each of the engineered salt bridges is very small (about 0.1-0.25 kcal/mol
      in 0.15 M KCl). The structures of the three primary mutants were determined by X
      ray crystallography and shown to be essentially the same as the wild-type
      structure except at the site of the mutation. Although the introduced charges in
      the T115E and Q123E structures are within 3-5 A of their intended partner, the
      introduced side chains and their intended partners were observed to be quite
      mobile. It has been shown that the salt bridge between His 31 and Asp 70 in T4
      lysozyme stabilizes the protein by 3-5 kcal/mol [Anderson, D. E., Becktel, W. J.,
      & Dahlquist, F. W. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 2403-2408]. To test the effectiveness
      of His...Asp interactions in general, three additional double mutants, K60H/L13D,
      K83H/A112D, and S90H/Q122D, were created in order to introduce histidine
      aspartate charge pairs on the surface of the protein. Each of these mutants
      destabilizes the protein by 1-3 kcal/mol in 0.15 M KCl at pH values from 2 to
      6.5. The X-ray crystallographic structure of the mutant K83H/A112D has been
      determined and shows that there are backbone conformational changes of 0.3-0.6 A
      extending over several residues. The introduction of the histidine and aspartate
      presumably introduces strain into the folded protein that destabilizes this
      variant. It is concluded that pairs of oppositely charged residues that are on
      the surface of a protein and have freedom to adopt different conformations do not
      tend to come together to form structurally localized salt bridges. Rather, such
      residues tend to remain mobile, interact weakly if at all, and do not contribute
      significantly to protein stability. It is argued that the entropic cost of
      localizing a pair of solvent-exposed charged groups on the surface of a protein
      largely offsets the interaction energy expected from the formation of a defined
      salt bridge. There are examples of strong salt bridges in proteins, but such
      interactions require that the folding of the protein provides the requisite
      driving energy to hold the interacting partners in the correct rigid alignment.

PMID- 1854727
TI  - Average membrane penetration depth of tryptophan residues of the nicotinic
      acetylcholine receptor by the parallax method.
AB  - The membrane penetration depths of tryptophan residues in the nicotinic
      acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo californica have been analyzed in
      reconstituted membranes containing purified receptor and defined lipids.
      Dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and three spin-labeled phosphatidylcholines with the
      nitroxide group at three different positions on the fatty acyl chain were used
      for reconstitution of the receptor. The spin-labeled phospholipids serve as
      quenchers of tryptophan fluorescence. Differential quenching of the intrinsic
      fluorescence of the acetylcholine receptor by the spin-labeled phospholipids has
      been utilized to analyze the average membrane penetration depth of tryptophans by
      the parallax method [Chattopadhyay, A., & London, E. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 39
      45]. Analyses of the quenching data indicate that the tryptophan residues on the
      average are at a shallow location (10.1 A from the center of the bilayer) in the
      membrane. In addition, the generally low levels of quenching imply that the
      majority of tryptophan residues are located in the putative extramembranous
      region of the receptor. These results are consistent with several proposed models
      for the tertiary structure of the acetylcholine receptor and are relevant to
      ongoing analyses of the overall conformation and orientation of the acetylcholine
      receptor in the membrane.

PMID- 1854728
TI  - Effects of the crystalline structure of purple membrane on the kinetics and
      energetics of the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle.
AB  - Time-resolved difference spectra were measured for Triton X-100 solubilized
      bacteriorhodopsin monomers between 100 ns and 100 ms after photoexcitation. The
      results are consistent with the general scheme K in equilibrium L in equilibrium
      M1 in equilibrium M2 in equilibrium N in equilibrium O----BR proposed previously
      for purple membranes [Varo, G., & Lanyi, J.K. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 2241-2250].
      The rate constants which involve proton release or uptake, i.e., kLM1, kNO, and
      kON, were significantly higher in the monomeric protein than in purple membrane;
      the other steps were less affected. Analysis of the temperature dependencies of
      the rate constants between 5 and 30 degrees C yielded the enthalpies and
      entropies of activation for all steps except the two absent back-reactions.
      Comparison of these with data for purple membranes [Varo, G., & Lanyi, J.K.
      (1991) Biochemistry 30, 5016-5022] shows that the crystalline structure affects
      the energetics of the photocycle. In bacteriorhodopsin immobilized by the lattice
      of the purple membrane, the entropy changes leading to all transition states are
      more positive. Thus, the forward reactions proceed with less conformational
      hindrance. However, the thermal (enthalpic) barriers are higher. These effects
      are particularly pronounced for the M1----M2 and O----BR reactions. Large changes
      of the enthalpy and entropy levels of intermediates in the M2----BR reaction
      segment, but not in the K----M1 segment, upon solubilization of the protein are
      consistent with our earlier proposal that major protein conformational changes
      occur in the photocycle and they begin with the M1----M2 reaction.

PMID- 1854729
TI  - How membrane chain-melting phase-transition temperature is affected by the lipid
      chain asymmetry and degree of unsaturation: an effective chain-length model.
AB  - Hydrocarbon effects on the lipid chain-melting phase-transition temperature are
      analyzed. The membrane fluidization temperature is shown to increase with the
      effective chain length, which is proportional to the thickness of the well-packed
      hydrocarbon region. The latter, as a rule, increases with the length of the
      longest ordered and aligned segment on each chain. This conclusion is independent
      of the cause for the reduced chain packing in membrane interior: chain
      unsaturation (which effectively decouples the two hydrocarbon segments disjoined
      by a double bond) or chain asymmetry (which causes the terminal hydrocarbon
      segments to lose close contact) both affect the bilayer chain-melting phase
      transition temperature comparably on the effective chain-length scale.
      Thermodynamic consequences of the trans unsaturation are approximately 50%
      smaller than the effects of the double bonds in the cis conformation, owing to
      the smaller membrane perturbation by the former double bonds. A simple
      quantitative model is introduced for the analysis of the phospholipid chain
      melting phase behavior. This new model permits quantitative predictions of the
      chain-melting transition temperature solely on the basis of the known lipid
      chemical composition. It also explains lipid sensitivity to the hydrocarbon type
      and attachment. The model agreement with the experimental data is usually better
      than to within 99% and thus comparable to experimental scatter, even when only a
      few or no adjustable parameters are used. The membrane fluidization temperature
      is calculated for a number of potentially interesting, also as yet unexplored,
      phospholipids, and the biological significance of the effective chain-length
      concept is discussed.

PMID- 1854730
TI  - Thermotropic and mixing behavior of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines with
      molecular weights identical with that of L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine.
AB  - The thermotropic phase behavior of 10 mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines, in excess
      water, has been examined and compared with that of identical-chain C(16):C(16)PC
      by using high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The molecular
      weights (MW) of these 11 molecular species are the same, but their delta C/CL
      values, or the normalized chain length differences, vary considerably, ranging
      from 0.035 to 0.540. The thermodynamic parameters (Tm, delta H, and delta S)
      associated with the main phase transitions for these lipid dispersions exhibit
      biphasic V-shaped curves, when plotted against delta C/CL. Similar characteristic
      curves have been reported previously for aqueous dispersions of mixed-chain
      phosphatidylcholines with MW identical with that of C(17):C(17)PC [Lin et al.
      (1990) Biochemistry 29, 7063-7072]. The initial decrease in Tm (delta H or delta
      S) with increasing values of delta C/CL is attributed to the progressive increase
      in the magnitude of the chain-terminal perturbations on the conformational
      statistics of the adjacent hydrocarbon chains and hence the lateral chain-chain
      interactions of these mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines in the gel-state bilayer.
      At delta C/CL approximately equal to 0.42, the chain-end perturbation is
      presumably at its maximum; beyond this point, the highly asymmetric
      phosphatidylcholines are proposed to pack, at T less than Tm, into the mixed
      interdigitated bilayer. In this new packing mode, the methyl ends of the longer
      acyl chains are relocated at the interfaces between the hydrocarbon core of the
      bilayer and the aqueous medium. This disposition of the bulky chain ends releases
      a certain degree of chain-chain packing disorders, leading to an increase in Tm
      (delta H or delta S) with increasing delta C/CL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854731
TI  - Molecular organization and stability of hydrated dispersions of headgroup
      modified phosphatidylethanolamine analogues.
AB  - Measurements of the thermotropic behavior of various headgroup-modified analogues
      of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (POPE) and of the ion-triggered
      destabilization of unilamellar vesicles containing these species have been
      correlated with X-ray diffraction measurements of the organization of hydrated
      dispersions of these analogues in the absence and presence of dodecane. The
      hexagonal II lattice repeat dimension -dhex for dodecane-supplemented
      dispersions, which reflects the optimal or "spontaneous" radius of surface
      curvature of the phospholipid component, is increased relative to POPE for most
      analogues with N-alkyl substitutents or increased amino-to-phosphate group
      separations. Interestingly, however, POPE analogues that are alkylated on C-1 or
      C-2 of the ethaolamine group show smaller -dhex values (and hence smaller
      spontaneous radii of surface curvature) than does POPE itself, despite the
      greater steric bulk of their headgroups. The lamellar-to-hexagonal II transition
      temperatures of the various POPE analogues and their abilities to promote contact
      dependent vesicle destabilization both show strong correlations with the
      analogues' measured -dhex values (and hence with their spontaneous radii of
      curvature). The uniformity of these correlations over a wide range of headgroup
      structures strongly supports, and may help to refine, recent theories which
      postulate that the spontaneous surface curvature of a lipid or lipid mixture is a
      central, quantitative determinant of its tendency to adopt nonlamellar phases and
      to undergo contact-dependent bilayer destabilization.

PMID- 1854732
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of a heterobifunctional mercurial cross-linking
      agent: incorporation into cobratoxin and interaction with the nicotinic
      acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - The heterobifunctional organomercurial reagents 3-(acetoxymercurio)- and 3
      (chloromercurio)-5-nitrosalicylaldehyde were prepared, characterized in model
      studies, and used to probe the interaction between cobratoxin, purified from the
      venom of the Thailand cobra (Naja naja siamensis), and the affinity-purified
      nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChR) from Torpedo california electroplax.
      These reagents may also be useful in introducing chemically well-defined heavy
      metal atoms into proteins containing no reactive thiols. Model reagent adducts
      were prepared in situ by reductive amination with N-butylamine and N alpha
      acetyllysine-N-methylamide. The nitrophenolic pKaS of the amine adducts were
      similar to those of the aldehyde reagents through reduced by 1.3-1.5 units when
      compared with the hydroxylmethyl reduction product. Reaction of either
      mercuriosalicylaldehyde with cobratoxin led to a single major modification
      product incorporating 1 mol of the reagent into cobratoxin at Lys 23. The Lys 23
      modified toxin had a reduced binding affinity for the AcChR over that of the
      native toxin (Kd 2.75 nM cf. 0.3 nM). Reduction of the purified AcChR with 1 mM
      dithiothreitol (DTT) followed by removal of excess thiol led to cross-linking
      reactions with the Lys 23 modified cobratoxin to both the alpha and beta subunits
      of the AcChR complex. Reaction of DTT-treated AcChR with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)
      blocked cross-linking, while treatment of the initially cross-linked toxin-AcChR
      complex with mercaptoethanol leads to reversal of cross-linking. These
      observations strongly support cross-linking mediated by the formation of a
      mercury-sulfur bond and further lend support the identity of the respective
      interacting sites in AcChR and toxin.

PMID- 1854733
TI  - Calcium-induced sensitization of the central helix of calmodulin to proteolysis.
AB  - The rate of proteolysis of trypsin-sensitive bonds was used to examine the nature
      of the structural changes accompanying Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding to calmodulin. In
      the Ca(2+)-free form, the rates of proteolysis at Arg-106 and Arg-37 are rapid
      (greater than 300 and 28 nmol min-1 mL-1, respectively), the bonds at Arg-74, Lys
      75, and Lys-77, in the central helix, are cleaved more slowly (10 nmol min-1 mL
      1), and a lag in the cleavage at the remaining bonds (Lys-13, Lys-30, Arg-86, Arg
      90, and Arg-126) suggests that they are not cleaved in the native protein. High
      concentrations of Ca2+, but not Mg2+, almost completely abolish proteolysis at
      Arg-106 and drastically reduce the rate of cleavage at Arg-37. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+
      exert a moderate protective effect on the proteolysis of the central helix. These
      results suggest that the F-helix of domains III and, to a lesser extent, the F
      helix of domain I are somewhat flexible in the Ca(2+)-free form and are
      stabilized by Ca2+. Whereas full occupancy of the four Ca(2+)-binding sites
      produces little change in the susceptibility of the central helix to proteolytic
      attack, binding of two Ca2+ produces a 10-fold enhancement of the rate of
      proteolysis in this part of the molecule. We propose that at intermediate Ca2+
      levels the flexibility of the central helix of calmodulin is greatly increased,
      resulting in the transient formation of intermediates which have not been
      detected by spectroscopic techniques but are trapped by the irreversible action
      of trypsin.

PMID- 1854734
TI  - Variations of electrostatic interactions in myoglobin probed by UVRR
      spectroscopy. Effect of iron ligand and pH on tryptophan and tyrosine vibrations.
AB  - The present work investigates the variations of electrostatic interactions within
      the myoglobin molecule associated with azide heme binding and pH variations. Far
      ultraviolet (223 nm) resonance Raman spectroscopy of the tryptophan and tyrosine
      residues, along with acid-base titration measurements, have been used to monitor
      variations in the protein matrix. With previously determined mode assignments, it
      is shown that the Trp and Tyr residues of the globin moiety are influenced by the
      charge spatial distribution. Upon ligand binding or under various pH conditions,
      the polar interactions inside the protein appear to be modulated by the electric
      field generated by the charge array. It is concluded that the binding site
      properties of myoglobin can be modulated by the charge spatial distribution
      within the protein, even in the absence of measurable conformational changes of
      the bulk.

PMID- 1854735
TI  - Experimental resolution of cooperative free energies for the ten ligation species
      of cobalt(II)/iron(II)-CO hemoglobin.
AB  - Cooperative free energies have been determined for the 10 ligation species of
      human hemoglobin in the Co(II)/Fe(II)-CO system. In this system, subunits
      containing unligated cobaltous hemes coexist in the same tetramer with naturally
      occurring ferrous hemes that are ligated with carbon monoxide. Tetramers
      comprising the 10 structurally unique combinations of ligated and unligated
      subunits were characterized in terms of their dimer-tetramer assembly free
      energies. By use of the thermodynamic linkage between assembly and ligation, the
      experimentally resolved values were used to obtain the corresponding cooperative
      free energies (i.e., the differences between actual free energies of ligation and
      the summed contributions of intrinsic values). The results obtained are in
      general accord with previous findings on this same system (Imai et al., 1980).
      The present study extends this earlier work by resolving the cooperative
      properties of each configurational isomer of the doubly ligated tetramers. The 10
      ligation species were found to distribute into 5 discrete cooperative free energy
      levels according to a combinatorial code which includes, as a special case, the
      code found previously with cyanomethemoglobin and manganese-substituted
      hemoglobin (Smith et al., 1987; Daugherty et al., 1991). This distribution
      exhibits additional characteristics found in the oxygenation of normal ferrous
      hemoglobin including the quaternary enhancement effect (Mills & Ackers, 1979a,b).
      These results, and those of the following paper (Doyle et al., 1991), strongly
      support the premise that a common set of qualitative rules governs the
      cooperative interactions in hemoglobin irrespective of

PMID- 1854736
TI  - Linkage between cooperative oxygenation and subunit assembly of cobaltous human
      hemoglobin.
AB  - The thermodynamic linkage between cooperative oxygenation and dimer-tetramer
      subunit assembly has been determined for cobaltous human hemoglobin in which
      iron(II) protoporphyrin IX is replaced by cobalt(II) protoporphyrin IX. The
      equilibrium parameters of the linkage system were determined by global nonlinear
      least-squares regression of oxygenation isotherms measured over a range of
      hemoglobin concentrations together with the deoxygenated dimer-tetramer assembly
      free energy determined independently from forward and reverse reaction rates. The
      total cooperative free energy of tetrameric cobalt hemoglobin (over all four
      binding steps) is found to be 1.84 (+/- 0.13) kcal, compared with the native
      ferrous hemoglobin value of 6.30 (+/- 0.14) kcal. Detailed investigation of
      stepwise cooperativity effects shows the following: (1) The largest change occurs
      at the first ligation step and is determined on model-independent grounds by
      knowledge of the intermediate subunit assembly free energies. (2) Cooperativity
      in the shape of the tetrameric isotherm occurs mainly during the middle two steps
      and is concomitant with the release of quaternary constraints. (3) Although
      evaluation of the pure tetrameric isotherm portrays identical binding affinity
      between the last two steps, this apparent noncooperativity is the result of a
      "hidden" oxygen affinity enhancement at the last step of 0.48 (+/- 0.12) kcal.
      This quaternary enhancement energy is revealed by the difference in subunit
      assembly free energies of the triply and fully ligated species and is manifested
      visually by the oxygenation isotherms at high versus low hemoglobin
      concentration. (4) Cobaltous hemoglobin dimers exhibit apparent anticooperativity
      of 0.49 (+/- 0.16) kcal (presumed to arise from heterogeneity of subunit
      affinities).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854737
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: determination of the interfacial
      kinetic rate constants.
AB  - Hydrolysis of vesicles of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphomethanol (DMPM) by
      pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) occurs in a highly processive "scooting"
      mode, and the rate is comparable to or exceeds the rates observed with detergent
      dispersed mixed micelles under optimal conditions. A complete kinetic description
      of the steady-state time course of the hydrolysis is developed. The analysis
      covers the whole Michaelis-Menten space: it emphasizes the key features of
      interfacial catalysis by a detailed theoretical analysis, describes the
      experimental protocols to determine the values of the kinetic and equilibrium
      constants for interfacial catalysis, and provides an interpretation of the effect
      of calcium, substrate, products, apparent activators, and competitive inhibitors
      on the reaction progress curve by a single set of rate and equilibrium
      parameters. In this paper, the integrated reaction progress curve was rigorously
      interpreted in terms of a minimal model involving the Michaelis-Menten reaction
      sequence in the interface: E* + S in equilibrium E*S----E*P in equilibrium E* +
      P, and most of the individual rate and equilibrium constants for the catalytic
      cycle were determined. This rigorous description of interfacial catalysis was
      made experimentally possible by examining the action of PLA2 in the scooting mode
      under conditions of at most one enzyme per vesicle, where it hydrolyzed all of
      the substrate in the outer monolayer of vesicles without leaving the surface.
      Other experimentally verified constraints for this analysis include the
      following: all enzyme was bound to vesicles; the integrity of vesicles was
      maintained during the course of hydrolysis; and the substrate, enzyme, and
      products did not exchange between vesicles nor did they exchange across the
      bilayer. The mechanistic significance of the rate constants is discussed in the
      accompanying papers.

PMID- 1854738
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: evaluation of the interfacial rate
      constants by steady-state isotope effect studies.
AB  - The kinetics of hydrolysis of phospholipid vesicles by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in
      the scooting mode can be described by the Michaelis-Menten formalism for the
      action of the enzyme in the interface (E*). E* + S in equilibrium E*S in
      equilibrium E*P in equilibrium E* + Products The values of the interfacial rate
      constants cannot be obtained by classical methods because the concentration of
      the substrate within the lipid bilayer is not easily manipulated. In the present
      study, carbonyl-carbon heavy atom isotope effects for the hydrolysis of
      phospholipids have been measured in both vesicles and in mixed micelles in which
      the phospholipid was present in the nonionic detergent Triton X-100. A large
      [14C]carbonyl carbon isotope effect of 1.12 +/- 0.02 was measured for the cobra
      venom PLA2-catalyzed hydrolysis of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in Triton X
      100. In contrast, no isotope effect (1.01 +/- 0.01) was measured for the action
      of the porcine pancreatic and cobra venom enzymes on vesicles of
      dimyristoylphosphatidylmethanol in the scooting mode. In a second experiment, the
      hydrolysis of vesicles was carried out in oxygen-18 enriched water. Analysis of
      the released fatty acid product by mass spectrometry showed that it contained
      only a single oxygen-18. All of these results were used to estimate both the
      forward and reverse commitments to catalysis. The lack of doubly labeled fatty
      acid demonstrated that the product is released from the E*P complex faster than
      the reverse of the esterolysis step. The small isotope effect in vesicles
      demonstrated that the E*S complex goes on to products faster than substrate is
      released from the enzyme. The relevance of these results to an understanding of
      substrate specificity and inhibition of PLA2 is discussed. In addition, the
      conditions placed on the values of the rate constants obtained in the present
      study together with results obtained in the other studies described in this
      series of papers have led to the evaluation of most of the interfacial rate
      constants for the hydrolysis of phospholipid vesicles by PLA2.

PMID- 1854739
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: dissociation constants for calcium,
      substrate, products, and competitive inhibitors.
AB  - Interpretation of the kinetics of interfacial catalysis in the scooting mode as
      developed in the first paper of this series [Berg et al. (1991) Biochemistry 30
      (first paper of six in this issue)], was based on the binding equilibrium for a
      ligand to the catalytic site of phospholipase A2. In this paper, we describe
      direct methods to determine the value of the Michaelis-Menten constant (KMS) for
      the substrate, as well as the equilibrium dissociation constants for ligands (KL)
      such as inhibitors (KI), products (KP), calcium (KCa), and substrate analogues
      (KS) bound to the catalytic site of phospholipase A2 at the interface. The KL
      values were obtained by monitoring the susceptibility to alkylation of His-48 at
      the catalytic site of pig pancreatic PLA2 bound to micellar dispersions of the
      neutral diluent 2-hexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. The binding of the
      enzyme to dispersions of this amphiphile alone had little effect on the
      inactivation rate. The half-time for inactivation of the enzyme bound to micelles
      of the neutral diluent depended not only on the nature of the alkylating agent
      but also on the structure and the mole fraction of other ligands at the
      interface. The KL values for ligands obtained from the protection studies were in
      excellent accord with those obtained by monitoring the activation or inhibition
      of hydrolysis of vesicles of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycerophosphomethanol. Since
      only calcium, competitive inhibitors, and substrate analogues protected
      phospholipase A2 from alkylation, this protocol offered an unequivocal method to
      discern active-site-directed inhibitors from nonspecific inhibitors of PLA2, such
      as local anesthetics, phenothiazines, mepacrine, peptides related to lipocortin,
      7,7-dimethyleicosadienoic acid, quinacrine, and aristolochic acid, all of which
      did not have any effect on the kinetics of alkylation nor did they inhibit the
      catalysis in the scooting mode.

PMID- 1854740
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: substrate specificity in vesicles.
AB  - The binding equilibrium of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) to the substrate interface
      influences many aspects of the overall kinetics of interfacial catalysis by this
      enzyme. For example, the interpretation of kinetic data on substrate specificity
      was difficult when there was a significant kinetic contribution from the
      interfacial binding step to the steady-state catalytic turnover. This problem was
      commonly encountered with vesicles of zwitterionic phospholipids, where the
      binding of PLA2 to the interface was relatively poor. The action of PLA2 on
      phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles containing a small amount of anionic
      phospholipid, such as phosphatidic acid (PA), was studied. It was shown that the
      hydrolysis of these mixed lipid vesicles occurs in the scooting mode in which the
      enzyme remains tightly bound to the interface and only the substrate molecules
      present on the outer monolayer of the target vesicle became hydrolyzed Thus the
      phenomenon of scooting mode hydrolysis was not restricted to the action of PLA2
      on vesicles of pure anionic phospholipids, but it was also observed with vesicles
      of zwitterionic lipids as long as a critical amount of anionic compound was
      present. Under such conditions, the initial rate of hydrolysis of PC in the mixed
      PC/PA vesicles was enhanced more than 50-fold. Binding studies of PLA2 to
      vesicles and kinetic studies in the scooting mode demonstrated that the
      enhancement of PC hydrolysis in the PC/PA covesicles was due to the much higher
      affinity of the enzyme toward covesicles compared to vesicles of pure PC
      phospholipids. A novel and technically simple protocol for accurate determination
      of the substrate specificity of PLA2 at the interface was also developed by using
      a double-radiolabel approach. Here, the action of PLA2 in the scooting mode was
      studied on vesicles of the anionic phospholipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphomethanol that contained small amounts of 3H- and 14C-labeled
      phospholipids. From an analysis of the 3H and 14C radioactivity in the released
      fatty acid products, the ratio of substrate specificity constants (kcat/KMS) was
      obtained for any pair of radiolabeled substrates. These studies showed that the
      PLA2s from pig pancreas and Naja naja naja venom did not discriminate between
      phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipids or between
      phospholipids with saturated versus unsaturated acyl chains and that the pig
      enzyme had a slight preference for anionic phospholipids (2-3-fold). The
      described protocol provided an accurate measure of the substrate specificity of
      PLA2 without complications arising from the differences in binding affinities of
      the enzyme to vesicles composed of pure phospholipids.

PMID- 1854741
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: monomeric enzyme is fully
      catalytically active at the bilayer interface.
AB  - Interfacial catalysis in the scooting mode by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from
      pancreas and venoms (18 different preparations) was examined on vesicles of 1,2
      dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphomethanol under the conditions where the rates of
      transbilayer and intervesicle exchanges of the enzyme, substrate, and the
      products of hydrolysis were negligible on the time scale (less than 30 min) on
      which all the substrate molecules on the outer monolayer of the target vesicles
      were hydrolyzed. The reaction progress curves for all PLA2s exhibited no latency
      period (less than 3 s). When the vesicle to PLA2 ratio in the reaction mixture
      was high so that according to the Poissonian distribution model at most one
      enzyme was bound to a vesicle, the extent of hydrolysis increased linearly with
      the amount of enzyme in the reaction mixture. However, the extent of hydrolysis
      per enzyme, NS, remained the same for all PLA2s, and it corresponded to the size
      of the target vesicles determined by independent methods. Similarly, the initial
      rate of hydrolysis increased linearly with the enzyme concentration, and the
      slope of the log-log plot was one under the conditions of one or more enzyme per
      vesicle. Such observations showed that monomeric PLA2 is fully catalytically
      active at the interface. This conclusion was supported by the absence of
      intermolecular resonance energy transfer from tryptophan-3 donor in the native
      PLA2 to the anthraniloyl acceptor in An87-PLA2, the catalytically active
      derivative of PLA2 with an anthraniloyl fluorophore on lysine 87. In this system,
      intermolecular resonance energy transfer was seen only when the donor-acceptor
      molecules were "crowded" at a high surface density with a relatively low lipid to
      protein mole ratio. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that
      secretory PLA2s from venoms and pancreas are fully catalytically active as
      monomers. Additional studies reported here showed that acylation of PLA2 was not
      necessary for catalysis or binding to the interface and that the binding of the
      substrate to the active site of PLA2 was not necessary for the binding of the
      enzyme to the interface.

PMID- 1854742
TI  - Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: activation by substrate replenishment.
AB  - Polymyxin B (Px), a cyclic cationic peptide, was shown to act as a potent
      activator of interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) acting on
      dimyristoylphosphatidylmethanol vesicles in the scooting mode. A 7-fold increase
      in the initial enzymatic velocity was seen with the pig pancreatic PLA2 in the
      presence of 1 microM Px. Initial experiments including the dependency of the
      degree of activation by Px on the source of the PLA2 suggested that Px bound to a
      cationic binding site on the enzyme. However, numerous additional observations
      led to the conclusion that activation by Px was due to its effects on the
      substrate interface. For example, the activation by Px was only seen when the
      PLA2 acted on small vesicles rather than larger ones, and all of the available
      substrate was eventually hydrolyzed in the presence of a small mole fraction of
      Px. Px did not promote the intervesicle exchange of PLA2, and it did not alter
      the binding of the evidence led to the conclusion that Px activated interfacial
      catalysis by promoting the replenishment of substrate in the enzyme-containing
      vesicles. When PLA2 was acting on small vesicles in the scooting mode, the
      observed initial velocity was lower than that measured with large vesicles
      because the surface concentration of substrate decreased relatively rapidly in
      the small vesicles. Px promoted the transfer of phospholipids between the
      vesicles and functioned as an activator by keeping the mole fraction of substrate
      in the enzyme-containing vesicles close to 1. This effect of Px was consistent
      with the ability of polycationic peptides to induce the intervesicle mixing of
      anionic phospholipids in vesicles [Bondeson, J., & Sundler, R. (1990) Biochim.
      Biophys. Act 1026, 186-194]. Activation by substrate replenishment was
      quantitatively predicted by the theory of interfacial catalysis on vesicles in
      the scooting mode. The role of substrate replenishment in the kinetics of
      interfacial catalysis in phospholipid micelles was discussed. Finally, the
      protocols developed in this paper were outlined in view of their utility in the
      analysis of activators of interfacial catalysis.

PMID- 1854743
TI  - Three-dimensional structure of echistatin, the smallest active RGD protein.
AB  - Echistatin is a 49 amino acid protein isolated from the venom of a viper (Echis
      carinatus) and is one of the smallest natural adhesive ligands that interacts
      with integrin-type receptors through an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence. The structure
      of echistatin in aqueous solution has been determined by nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy. Nuclear Overhauser spectra yielded 490 interatomic
      distance constraints, which were used in distance geometry calculations. The
      chain is shown to fold in a series of irregular loops to form a rigid core
      stabilized by four cystine cross-links. From this core an irregular hairpin and
      the C-terminus protrude. The core and the hairpin are further stabilized by a
      network of hydrogen bonds. The RGD sequence is located in a mobile loop at the
      tip of the hairpin. The mobility and its significance for activity are discussed.

PMID- 1854744
TI  - Investigations of optical line shapes and kinetic hole burning in myoglobin.
AB  - We present the results of an extensive investigation of the optical line shapes
      of deoxymyoglobin (Mb), the ligand-bound form (MbCO), and the low-temperature
      photoproduct (Mb*). The thermal properties and the pH dependence of the Soret
      band and the near infrared band III (approximately 760 nm) are analyzed, taking
      into account the underlying vibrational properties of the absorption bands. The
      strong temperature dependence associated with the Soret band of MbCO and band III
      of Mb indicates significant coupling to low-frequency modes that may not be
      directly observed in the resonance Raman spectra. On the basis of analogous line
      shape studies in a variety of heme systems, we assign the low-frequency coupling
      in MbCO to torsional motions of the CO molecule. The low-frequency mode coupled
      to band III (approximately 70 cm-1) is found to lie quite close to the value for
      the heme-doming motion (approximately 50 cm-1) calculated by using the
      kinetically determined value of the force constant (17 N/m). Significant
      inhomogeneous broadening in the Soret region of Mb and Mb* is found to be due to
      a "nonkinetic" coordinate that we associate with the orientation of the proximal
      histidine. A "kinetic" coordinate, associated with the equilibrium displacement
      of the iron atom from the porphyrin plane (a) is found to contribute to the
      inhomogeneous broadening of both the Soret band and band III. The relaxation of
      the heme as the system evolves from from Mb* to Mb is followed optically as a
      function of temperature, and a sharp transition temperature is found at 185 K.
      The blue shifts of the Soret band and band III as Mb* evolves to Mb are found to
      be nearly identical (delta v*ABS approximately 140 cm-1) and attributed to
      changes in the mean value of a between Mb* (a*0) and Mb (a0 = 0.45 A). A simple
      quadratic model for the coordinate coupling that simultaneously accounts for the
      observed shift, delta v*ABS, the low-temperature kinetics and the kinetic hole
      burning predicts a*0 = 0.2 +/- 0.05 A and EA = 16 +/- 2 kJ/mol for the room
      temperature Arrhenius barrier height at the heme. A simple quantitative method
      for the analysis of kinetic hole-burning experiments is also developed and
      applied to recent studies involving quaternary and subunit-specific hemoglobin
      structures.

PMID- 1854745
TI  - Sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments, secondary structure, and location of the
      calcium binding site in the first epidermal growth factor like domain of blood
      coagulation factor IX.
AB  - Factor IX is a blood clotting protein that contains three regions, including a
      gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) domain, two tandemly connected epidermal growth
      factor like (EGF-like) domains, and a serine protease region. The protein
      exhibits a high-affinity calcium binding site in the first EGF-like domain, in
      addition to calcium binding in the Gla domain. The first EGF-like domain, factor
      IX (45-87), has been synthesized. Sequence-specific resonance assignment of the
      peptide has been made by using 2D NMR techniques, and its secondary structure has
      been determined. The protein is found to have two antiparallel beta-sheets, and
      preliminary distance geometry calculations indicate that the protein has two
      domains, separated by Trp28, with the overall structure being similar to that of
      EGF. An NMR investigation of the calcium-bound first EGF-like domain indicates
      the presence and location of a calcium binding site involving residues on both
      strands of one of the beta-sheets as well as the N-terminal region of the
      peptide. These results suggest that calcium binding in the first EGF-like domain
      could induce long-range (possibly interdomain) conformational changes in factor
      IX, rather than causing structural alterations in the EGF-like domain itself.

PMID- 1854746
TI  - Conformation of an enzyme-bound substrate of staphylococcal nuclease as
      determined by NMR.
AB  - The dinucleoside phosphodiester dTdA is a slow substrate of staphylococcal
      nuclease (kcat = 3.8 X 10(-3) s-1) that forms binary E-S and ternary E-M-S
      complexes with Ca2+, Mn2+, Co2+, and La3+. The enzyme enhances the paramagnetic
      effects of Co2+ on 1/T1 and 1/T2 of the phosphorus and on 1/T1 of six proton
      resonances of dTdA, and these effects are abolished by binding of the competitive
      inhibitor 3',5'-pdTp. From paramagnetic effects of Co2+ on 1/T2 of phosphorus,
      koff of dTdA from the ternary E-Co(2+)-dTdA complex is greater than or equal to
      4.8 X 10(4) s-1 and kon greater than or equal to 1.4 X 10(6) M-1 s-1, indicating
      the 1/T1 values to be in fast exchange. From paramagnetic effects of enzyme-bound
      Co2+ on 1/T1 of phosphorus and protons, with use of a correlation time of 1.6 ps
      on the basis of 1/T1 values at 250 and 600 MHz, 7 metal-nucleus distances and 9
      lower-limit metal-nucleus distances are calculated. The long Co2+ to 31P distance
      of 4.1 +/- 0.9 A, which is intermediate between that expected for direct
      phosphoryl coordination (3.31 +/- 0.02 A) and a second sphere complex with an
      intervening water ligand (4.75 +/- 0.02 A), suggests either a distorted inner
      sphere complex or the rapid averaging of 18% inner sphere and 82% second sphere
      complexes and may explain the reduced catalytic activity with small dinucleotide
      substrates. Seventeen interproton distances and 108 lower limit interproton
      distances in dTdA in the ternary E-La(3+)-dTdA complex were determined by NOESY
      spectra at 50-, 100-, and 200-ms mixing times. While metal-substrate and
      interproton distances alone did not yield a unique structure, the combination of
      both sets of distances yielded a very narrow range of conformations for enzyme
      bound dTdA, which was highly extended, with no base stacking, with high-anti
      glycosidic torsional angles for dT (64 degrees less than or equal to chi less
      than or equal to 73 degrees) and dA (66 degrees less than or equal to chi less
      than or equal to 68 degrees) and predominantly C-2'-endo sugar puckers for both
      nucleosides. Although the individual nucleosides are like those of B-DNA, their
      unstacked conformation, which is inappropriate for base pairing, as well as the
      conformational angles alpha and gamma of dA and zeta of dT, rule out B
      DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1854747
TI  - Substrate-decreased modification by diethyl pyrocarbonate of two histidines in
      isocitrate lyase from Escherichia coli.
AB  - The inactivation of tetrameric 188-kDa isocitrate lyase from Escherichia coli at
      pH 6.8 (37 degrees C) by diethyl pyrocarbonate, exhibiting saturation kinetics,
      is accompanied by modification of histidine residues 266 and 306. Substrates
      isocitrate, glyoxylate, or glyoxylate plus succinate protect the enzyme from
      inactivation, but succinate alone does not. Removal of the carbethoxy groups from
      inactivated enzyme by treatment with hydroxylamine restores activity of
      isocitrate lyase. The present results suggest that the group-specific modifying
      reagent diethyl pyrocarbonate may be generally useful in determining the position
      of active site histidine residues in enzymes.

PMID- 1854748
TI  - Thyroid hormone dependent pituitary tumor cell growth in serum-free chemically
      defined culture. A new regulatory role for apotransferrin.
AB  - Thyroid hormone dependent GH1 rat pituitary tumor cell growth in serum-free
      chemically defined medium required a serum-derived mediator (i.e., thyromedin)
      which was identified as transferrin [Sirbasku, D.A., Stewart, B.H., Pakala, R.,
      Eby, J.E., Sato, H., & Roscoe, J.M. (1990) Biochemistry 30, 295-304]. The
      transferrin isolated was consistent with the equine R or D variants and was
      biologically active only as apotransferrin (apoTf). To determine if other
      variants of horse transferrin also were thyromedins, a purification was developed
      which yielded seven separate forms. Initially, only four of these had activity
      when assayed in standard "iron salts containing" medium (ED50 values of 290-1160
      nM). To further assess activity, the iron contents of all seven were altered
      either by saturation with ferric ammonium citrate or by citrate/acid depletion of
      the metal ion. Thereafter, potencies were compared in "iron salts containing" and
      "iron salts reduced" media. All seven variants proved to be active as apoTf.
      Bioassays in which apoTf was maximized showed ED50 values of 2.1-3.8 nM.
      Conversely, assays in which thyromedins were converted to Tf.2Fe showed no
      activity. Previously, the only known physiological function of apoTf was that of
      a carrier/detoxifier of iron; this study indicates a new role in hormone
      dependent pituitary cell growth.

PMID- 1854749
TI  - Binding sites for alpha-bungarotoxin and the noncompetitive inhibitor
      phencyclidine on a synthetic peptide comprising residues 172-227 of the alpha
      subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - The binding of the competitive antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-Btx) and the
      noncompetitive inhibitor phencyclidine (PCP) to a synthetic peptide comprising
      residues 172-227 of the alpha-subunit of the Torpedo acetylcholine receptor has
      been characterized. 125I-alpha-Btx bound to the 172-227 peptide in a solid-phase
      assay and was competed by alpha-Btx (IC50 = 5.0 x 10(-8) M), d-tubocurarine (IC50
      = 5.9 X 10(-5)M), and NaCl (IC50 = 7.9 x 10(-2)M). In the presence of 0.02%
      sodium dodecyl sulfate, 125I-alpha-Btx bound to the 56-residue peptide with a KD
      of 3.5 nM, as determined by equilibrium saturation binding studies. Because alpha
      Btx binds to a peptide comprising residues 173-204 with the same affinity and
      does not bind to a peptide comprising residues 205-227, the competitive
      antagonist and hence agonist binding site lies between residues 173 and 204.
      After photoaffinity labeling, [3H]PCP was bound to the 172-227 peptide. [3H]PCP
      binding was inhibited by chlorpromazine (IC50 = 6.3 x 10(-5)M), tetracaine (IC50
      = 4.2 x 10(-6)M), and dibucaine (IC50 = 2.7 x 10(-4)M). Equilibrium saturation
      binding studies in the presence of 0.02% sodium dodecyl sulfate showed that
      [3H]PCP bound at two sites, a major site of high affinity with an apparent KD of
      0.4 microM and a minor low-affinity site with an apparent KD of 4.6 microM. High 
      affinity binding occurred at a single site on peptide 205-227 (KD = 0.27 microM)
      and was competed by chlorpromazine but not by alpha-Btx.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854750
TI  - Partitioning of fluorescent phospholipid probes between different bilayer
      environments. Estimation of the free energy of interlipid hydrogen bonding.
AB  - Fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to monitor the partitioning of a series
      of exchangeable neutral phospholipid probes, labeled with carbazole, indolyl or
      diphenylhexatrienyl moieties, between large unilamellar vesicles containing 1
      palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC), 1,2-dioleoyloxy-3
      (trimethylammonio) propane (DOTAP) or N-hexadecyl-N-(9-octadecenyl)-N,N
      dimethylammonium chloride (HODMA). Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) probes desorb
      from POPC-containing vesicles at markedly slower rates than do
      phosphatidylcholine (PC) probes with the same acyl chains. The rate of probe
      desorption from such vesicles is progressively enhanced by successive N
      methylations of the amino group but not by methylation of C-2 of the ethanolamine
      moiety, a modification that leaves unaltered the hydrogen-bonding capacity of the
      polar headgroup. By contrast, the rates of desorption of different probes (with
      the same acyl chains) from HODMA or from DOTAP vesicles are much more comparable
      and reflect no clear systematic influence of the headgroup hydrogen-bonding
      capacity. Equilibrium-partitioning measurements indicate that the relative
      affinities of different probes for PC-rich vesicles, in competition with HODMA or
      DOTAP vesicles, increase with increasing hydrogen-bonding capacity of the probe
      headgroup in the order PC less than N,N-dimethyl PE less than N-methyl PE less
      than PE approximately phosphatidyl-2-amino-1-propanol. From such partitioning
      data, we estimate that interlipid hydrogen-bonding interactions (in competition
      with lipid-water interactions) contribute roughly -300 cal mol-1 to the free
      energy of a PE molecule in a hydrated liquid-crystalline phospholipid bilayer;
      this free-energy contribution is somewhat smaller, but still significant, for N
      mono- and dimethylated PE's.

PMID- 1854751
TI  - Mechanism of altered renal glutaminase gene expression in response to chronic
      acidosis.
AB  - Increased rat renal ammoniagenesis is sustained during chronic metabolic acidosis
      by the cell-specific induction of the regulatory enzymes of glutamine catabolism
      and of gluconeogenesis. A glutaminase-specific cDNA hybridizes to 6.0- and 3.4-kb
      mRNAs that are contained in total or poly(A)+ RNA isolated from rat kidney. When
      translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate, each of the fractionated mRNAs
      produces the 72-kDa precursor of the mitochondrial glutaminase. The levels of
      both mRNAs are increased 5-fold within 1 day following onset of chronic acidosis
      and reach a maximum (8-fold) after 5 days. During recovery from chronic acidosis,
      the levels of the glutaminase mRNAs are returned to normal within 1 day. The
      observed changes in mRNA levels correlate with equivalent changes in the relative
      levels of translatable glutaminase mRNA. Nuclear run-on assays indicate that the
      rate of transcription of the renal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene is
      increased and decreased in response to onset and recovery from chronic acidosis,
      respectively. In contrast, the rates of transcription of the glutaminase and beta
      actin genes are unaffected by alterations in acid-base balance. Thus, the
      increase in renal glutaminase activity during chronic acidosis results from an
      equivalent increase in the levels of total and translatable glutaminase mRNAs
      which apparently results from an increased stability of the glutaminase mRNA.

PMID- 1854752
TI  - HIV-1 Rev expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli: purification,
      polymerization, and conformational properties.
AB  - The high-level expression of HIV-1 Rev in Escherichia coli is described. Protein
      in crude bacterial extracts was dissociated from bound nucleic acid with urea. A
      simple purification and renaturation protocol, monitored by circular dichroism,
      is described which results in high yields of pure protein. The purified protein
      binds with high affinity to the Rev-responsive element mRNA and has nativelike
      spectroscopic properties. The protein exhibits concentration-dependent self
      association as judged by analytical ultracentrifugation and gel filtration
      measurements. Purified Rev showed reversible heat-induced aggregation over the
      temperature range 0-30 degrees C. This hydrophobic-driven and nonspecific protein
      association was inhibited by low concentrations of sulfate ions. Rev solutions at
      greater than 80 micrograms/mL, incubated at 0-4 degrees C, slowly polymerized to
      form long hollow fibers of 20-nm diameter. Filament formation occurs at a lower
      protein concentration and more rapidly in the presence of Rev-responsive mRNA.
      The nucleic acid containing filaments are about 8 nm in diameter and up to 0.4
      micron in length. On the basis of physical properties of the purified protein, we
      have suggested that in the nucleus of infected cells, Rev binding to the Rev
      responsive region of env mRNA may be followed by helical polymerization of the
      protein which results in coating of the nucleic acid. Coated nucleic acid could
      be protected from splicing in the nucleus and exported to the cytoplasm.

PMID- 1854753
TI  - Relative affinities of divalent polyamines and of their N-methylated analogues
      for helical DNA determined by 23Na NMR.
AB  - Interactions of divalent polyamines with double-helical DNA in aqueous solution
      are investigated by monitoring the decrease in 23Na NMR relaxation rates as NaDNA
      is titrated with H3N(+)-(CH2)m-+NH3, where m = 3, 4, 5, or 6. Analogous
      measurements are made for the same homologous series of methylated polyamines
      (methonium ions). The dependence of the 23Na relaxation rates on the amount of
      added divalent cation (M2+) is analyzed quantitatively in terms of a two-state
      model. The sodium ions are assumed to be in rapid exchange between a "bound"
      state, where they are close enough to DNA so that it affects their relaxation
      rate, and a "free" state in bulk solution, where their relaxation rate is the
      same as in solutions containing no DNA. The distribution of Na+ and M2+ between
      these states is described quantitatively in terms of an ion-exchange parameter:
      DM = (pMB)(1-pNaB)n/(pNaB)n(1-pMB), where pNaB and pMB are the fractions of Na+
      and M2+ that are close enough to DNA to be considered bound (by the NMR
      criterion), and n is the number of sodium ions displaced from DNA by the binding
      of one M2+ ion. For each of the polyamines and methonium ions investigated here,
      equations derived from this two-state model yield acceptable fittings of the
      titration curves if roNa, the number of sodium ions bound per DNA phosphate when
      no competing cations are present, is assigned a value between 0.6 and 1.00.
      Within this range, changing the value assigned to roNa does change the best
      fitted values of DM determined for these polyamines (DH) and for the methonium
      ions (DMe) but does not alter the following conclusions about the trends in these
      parameters. (1) For polyamines and methonium ions of the same m, DH exceeds DMe
      by factors that are significantly larger for m = 3 and 4 than for m = 5 and 6.
      (2) DH for m = 3 and 4 is larger than DH for m = 5 and 6. (3) DMe for m = 3 and 4
      is smaller than DMe for m = 5 and 6.

PMID- 1854754
TI  - In vitro and in vivo DNA bonding by the CC-1065 analogue U-73975.
AB  - CC-1065, a cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI), is a highly potent antitumor DNA
      alkylating agent. We have devised a simple method to detect CPI bonding sites on
      double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The technique utilizes a modified form of
      bacteriophage T7 polymerase, Sequenase, to synthesize a radiolabeled nascent
      strand from dsDNA that has been reacted in vitro with the CC-1065 analogue U
      73975 (adozelesin). The reaction products were electrophoresed on sequencing gels
      containing 8 M urea and visualized by autoradiography. The transit of this DNA
      polymerase is inhibited at the sites where CPIs are bound to the template strand.
      Thus, the enzyme stalls or stops at the nucleotide immediately adjacent to the
      modified base, resulting in the accumulation of DNA strands at these sites and in
      diminished read-through beyond these sites in a set of CPI-treated DNA molecules.
      The precise positions of polymerase inhibition can be determined by comparison of
      CPI-treated and unreacted DNA reactions. This modified dideoxynucleotide
      sequencing technique has been used to establish the sequence selectivity of U
      73975. Approximately 1 kilobase of dsDNA has been analyzed to derive a consensus
      canonical bonding sequence, 5'(T/A)-T/A-T-A*-(C/G)-(G), where A* is the site of U
      73975 alkylation and parentheses denote deoxynucleotide preferences. Noncanonical
      sites were also found at poly(A) sites. This technique yielded a consensus
      sequence for U-73975 bonding that is similar to, but not identical with, the
      published consensus obtained for CC-1065 by a modified Maxam and Gilbert
      sequencing technique. We have also examined the bonding of [3H]U-73975 to the DNA
      of viable cultured mammalian cells, using gel electrophoresis and
      autoradiographic techniques.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854755
TI  - Thermodynamics of DNA duplexes with adjacent G.A mismatches.
AB  - The sequence 5'-d(ATGAGCGAAT) forms a very stable self-complementary duplex with
      four G.A mismatch base pairs (underlined) out of ten total base pairs [Li et al.
      (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 26-30]. The conformation is in the
      general B-family and is stabilized by base-pair hydrogen bonding of an unusual
      type, by favorable base dipole orientations, and by extensive purine-purine
      stacking at the mismatched sites. We have synthesized 13 decamers with systematic
      variations in the sequence above to determine how the flanking sequences, the
      number of G.A mismatches, and the mismatch sequence order (5'-GA-3' or 5'-AG-3')
      affect the duplex stability. Changing A.T to G.C base pairs in sequences flanking
      the mismatches stabilizes the duplexes, but only to the extent observed with B
      form DNA. The sequence 5'-pyrimidine-GA-purine-3', however, is considerably more
      stable than 5'-purine-GA-pyrimidine-3'. The most stable sequences with two pairs
      of adjacent G.A mismatches have thermodynamic parameters for duplex formation
      that are comparable to those for fully Watson-Crick base-paired duplexes. Similar
      sequences with single G.A pairs are much less stable than sequences with adjacent
      G.A mismatches. Reversing the mismatch order from 5'-GA-3' to 5'-AG-3' results in
      an oligomer that does not form a duplex. These results agree with predictions
      from the model derived from NMR and molecular mechanics and indicate that the
      sequence 5'-pyrimidine-GA-purine-3' forms a stable conformational unit that fits
      quite well into a B-form double helix.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854756
TI  - Observation of multiple radical pair states in photosystem 2 reaction centers.
AB  - Charge recombination of the primary radical pair in D1/D2 reaction centers from
      photosystem 2 has been studied by time-resolved fluorescence and absorption
      spectroscopy. The kinetics of the primary radical pair are multiexponential and
      exhibit at least two lifetimes of 20 and 52 ns. In addition, a third lifetime of
      approximately 500 ps also appears to be present. These multiexponential charge
      recombination kinetics reflect either different conformational states of D1/D2
      reaction centers, with the different conformers exhibiting different radical pair
      lifetimes, or relaxations in the free energy of the radical pair state. Whichever
      model is invoked, the free energies of formation of the different radical pair
      states exhibit a linear temperature dependence from 100 to 220 K, indicating that
      they are dominated by entropy with negligible enthalpy contributions. These
      results are in agreement with previous determinations of the thermodynamics that
      govern primary charge separation in both D1/D2 reaction centers [Booth, P.J.,
      Crystall, B., Giorgi, L. B., Barber, J., Klug, D.R., & Porter, G. (1990) Biochim.
      Biophys. Acta 1016, 141-152] and reaction centers of purple bacteria [Woodbury,
      N.W.T., & Parson, W.W. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 767, 345-361]. It is
      possible that these observations reflect structural changes that accompanying
      primary charge separation and assist in stabilization of the radical pair state
      thus optimizing the efficiency of primary electron transfer.

PMID- 1854757
TI  - The conserved, buried aspartic acid in oxidized Escherichia coli thioredoxin has
      a pKa of 7.5. Its titration produces a related shift in global stability.
AB  - Aspartic acid 26 in Escherichia coli thioredoxin is located at the bottom of a
      hydrophobic cavity, near the redox-active disulfide of the active site. Asp 26 is
      embedded in the protein except for part of the surface of one carboxyl oxygen.
      The high degree of evolutionary conversion of Asp 26 suggests that it plays a
      critical role in thioredoxin function. We have determined the pKa of Asp 26 by a
      novel electrophoretic method based on the relative electrophoretic mobilities of
      wild-type thioredoxin and of D26A thioredoxin (with Asp 26 replaced by alanine).
      The pKa of Asp 26 determined by this technique is 7.5, more than 3 units above
      the pKa of a solvated carboxyl side chain. The titration of Asp 26 is
      thermodynamically linked to the stability of thioredoxin. As expected if
      thioredoxin stability depends on the ionization state of Asp 26, delta Go WT, the
      free energy of the cooperative denaturation reaction of wild-type thioredoxin by
      guanidine hydrochloride, varies with pH in a sigmoidal fashion in the vicinity of
      pH 7.5. Over the same pH range, the free energy for D26A folding, delta Go D26A,
      is pH independent and D26A is highly stabilized compared to wild type. From the
      thermodynamic cycle describing the linkage of Asp 26 titration to thioredoxin
      stability, the difference in free energy between wild-type thioredoxin with
      protonated Asp 26 and wild-type thioredoxin with deprotonated Asp 26, delta delta
      Go (COOH----COO-), is calculated to be 4.9 kcal/mol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1854758
TI  - Fluorescence analysis of calmodulin mutants containing tryptophan: conformational
      changes induced by calmodulin-binding peptides from myosin light chain kinase and
      protein kinase II.
AB  - Peptide-induced conformational changes in five isofunctional mutants of
      calmodulin (CaM), each bearing a single tryptophan residue either at the seventh
      position of each of the four calcium-binding loops (i.e., amino acids 26, 62, 99,
      and 135) or in the central helix (amino acid 81) were studied by using
      fluorescence spectroscopy. The peptides RS20F and RS20CK correspond to CaM
      binding amino acid sequence segments of either nonmuscle myosin light chain
      kinase (nmMLCK) or calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMPK-II),
      respectively. Both steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence data were
      collected from the various peptide-CaM complexes. Steady-state fluorescence
      intensity measurements indicated that, in the presence of an excess of calcium,
      both peptides bind to the calmodulin mutants with a 1:1 stoichiometry. The
      tryptophans located in loops I and IV exhibited red-shifted emission maxima (356
      nm), high quantum yields (0.3), and long average lifetimes (6 ns). They responded
      in a similar manner to peptide binding, by only slight changes in their
      fluorescence features. In contrast, the fluorescence intensity of the tryptophans
      in loops II and III decreased markedly, and their fluorescence spectrum was blue
      shifted upon peptide binding. Analysis of the tryptophan fluorescence decay of
      the last mentioned calmodulins supports a model in which the equilibrium between
      two (Trp-99) or three (Trp-62) states of these tryptophan residues, each
      characterized by a different lifetime, was altered toward the blue-shifted short
      lifetime component upon peptide binding. Taken together, these data provide new
      evidence that both lobes of calmodulin are involved in peptide binding. Both
      peptides induced similar changes in the fluorescence properties of the tryptophan
      residues located in the calcium-binding loops, with the exception of calmodulin
      with Trp-135. For this last mentioned calmodulin, slight differences were
      observed. Tryptophan in the central helix responded differently to RS20F and
      RS20CK binding. RS20F binding induced a red-shift in the emission maximum of Trp
      81 while RS20CK induced a blue-shift. The quenching rate of Trp-81 by iodide was
      slightly reduced upon RS20CK binding, while RS20F induced a 2-fold increase.
      These results provide evidence that the environment of Trp-81 is different in
      each case and are, therefore, consistent with the hypothesis that the central
      helix can play a differential role in the recognition of, or response to, CaM
      binding structures.

PMID- 1854759
TI  - Photoaffinity labeling of human serum vitamin D binding protein and chemical
      cleavages of the labeled protein: identification of an 11.5-kDa peptide
      containing the putative 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 binding site.
AB  - In this paper, we describe photoaffinity labeling and related studies of human
      serum vitamin D binding protein (hDBP) with 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 3 beta-3'-[N-(4
      azido-2-nitrophenyl)amino]propyl ether (25-ANE) and its radiolabeled counterpart,
      i.e., 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 3 beta-3'-[N-(4-azido-2-nitro-[3,5
      3H]phenyl)amino]propyl ether (3H-25-ANE) (Ray et al., 1986, 1991). We have
      carried out studies to demonstrate that (1) 25-ANE competes with 25-OH-D3 for the
      binding site of the latter in hDBP and (2) 3H-25-ANE is capable of covalently
      labeling the hDBP molecule when exposed to UV light. Treatment of a sample of
      purified hDBP, labeled with 3H-25-ANE, with BNPS-skatole produced two Coomassie
      Blue stained peptide fragments, and the majority of the radioactivity was
      associated with the smaller of the two peptide fragments (16.5 kDa). On the other
      hand, cleavage of the labeled protein with cyanogen bromide produced a peptide
      (11.5 kDa) containing most of the covalently attached radioactivity. Considering
      the primary amino acid structure of hDBP, this peptide fragment (11.5 kDa)
      represents the N-terminus through residue 108 of the intact protein. Thus, our
      results tentatively identify this segment of the protein containing the binding
      pocket for 25-OH-D3.

PMID- 1854760
TI  - Metal-induced changes in the fluorescence properties of tyrosine and tryptophan
      site-specific mutants of oncomodulin.
AB  - Oncomodulin is a 108-residue, oncodevelopmental protein containing two calcium
      binding sites identified as the CD- and EF-loops. The protein contains no
      tryptophan and only two tyrosine residues, one which is a calcium ligand in the
      CD-loop (Tyr-57) and one which lies in the flanking D-helix of this loop (Tyr
      65). Site-specific mutagenesis was performed to yield five mutants, two with
      phenylalanine substituted for tyrosine in positions 57 and 65 and three with
      tryptophan substituted into position 57 in the CD-loop, position 65 in the D
      helix, and position 96 in the EF-loop. The single Tyr-containing mutants
      demonstrated that position 57 was perturbed to a significantly greater extent
      than position 65 upon calcium binding. Although both tyrosine residues responded
      to decalcification, the fluorescence intensity changes were in opposite
      directions, with the more dominant Tyr-57 accounting for the majority of the
      intrinsic fluorescence observed in native oncomodulin. The substitution of
      tryptophan for each tyrosyl residue revealed that in both positions the
      tryptophan resided in polar, conformationally heterogeneous environments. The
      environment of Trp-57 was affected by Ca2+ binding to a much greater extent
      compared to that of Trp-65. Only 1 equiv of Ca2+ was required to produce greater
      than 70% of the Trp fluorescence changes in positions 57 and 65, indicating that
      Ca2+ binding to the higher affinity EF-loop had a pronounced effect on the
      protein structure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854761
TI  - Heart transplantation in females.
AB  - To confirm reports of a higher rate of rejection in female recipients of cardiac
      allografts and to determine whether infection rates and actuarial survival differ
      from that in males, we reviewed the results of 150 consecutive heart transplant
      procedures. Of these, 27 were in females and 123 were in males. Three different
      regimens were used over a 5-year period: group 1 (n = 37), cyclosporine and
      prednisolone; group 2 (n = 61), cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisolone;
      group 3 (n = 52), cyclosporine and azathioprine. All groups received a 7- to 10
      day induction course with antithymocyte globulin. Female recipients had
      significantly more rejection episodes than male recipients to 3 months after
      transplantation (females 2.3 vs males 1.5 episodes/patient, p less than 0.01) and
      to 12 months (females 2.4 vs males 1.5 episodes/patient, p less than 0.02). These
      differences were largely caused by higher rates of rejection in females in both
      "double" therapy groups (groups 1 and 3). All surviving females in group 3
      required the addition of maintenance steroids to control rejection. Gender
      mismatching of donors (male donor, female recipient) was identified as a factor
      associated with this requirement for conversion. Augmented treatment for
      rejection resulted in a higher rate of infection at 12 months in female
      recipients (females 1.5 vs males 0.7 episodes/patient, p less than 0.02), yet no
      female died of infection, and actuarial survival was comparable to that in male
      recipients. In view of the propensity of females to reject more frequently and
      earlier than males, triple therapy is currently the regimen of choice for female
      patients in the first 3 to 6 months after heart transplantation. Steroid
      withdrawal may be possible at a later time in those in whom this is indicated.

PMID- 1854762
TI  - Heart transplantation: hemodynamics over a five-year period.
AB  - Long-term hemodynamic evaluation after heart transplantation has rarely been
      reported. Fifty-seven heart transplant recipients (mean age, 42.1 years: range,
      22 to 56 years) were investigated with annual cardiac catheterization. Mean
      follow-up was 2.2 years (range, 1 to 7 years). Years 1 through 5 were evaluated
      statistically. Hemodynamic variables did not change significantly during the 5
      year period. Mean aortic pressure (105 +/- 16 to 115 +/- 17 mm Hg, minimum and
      maximum annual average value +/- SD of the 5-year period) and LVEDP (13 +/- 6 to
      15 +/- 7 mm Hg) were slightly elevated. Borderline values were found for mean
      pulmonary artery pressure (18 +/- 4 to 21 +/- 5 mm Hg), systemic vascular
      resistance (1407 +/- 227 to 1487 +/- 409 dynes.sec.cm-5), pulmonary vascular
      resistance (86 +/- 42 to 118 +/- 66 dynes.sec.cm-5), and heart rate (85 +/- 17 to
      95 +/- 14 beats/min). Mean right atrial pressure (5 +/- 2 to 8 +/- 4 mm Hg),
      cardiac index (2.8 +/- 0.6 to 3.5 +/- 1.1 L/min/m2), end-diastolic volume (111 +/
      37 to 137 +/- 35 ml) and ejection fraction (69% +/- 10% to 75% +/- 9%) were in
      the normal range. Pressure-volume loops for each year excluded the development of
      either restrictive or dilated cardiomyopathy with time. Contractility, as
      measured by imposing afterload stress, was normal in 12 of 14 representative
      patients. Prevalence of coronary abnormalities (circumscript coronary stenoses,
      diffuse vessel obliteration or dilated angiopathy) increased from 14.9% in the
      first to 66.7% in the fifth year. Of the patients, 93% received antihypertensive
      drugs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854763
TI  - Prospective study of the safety and financial benefit of ketoconazole as
      adjunctive therapy to cyclosporine after heart transplantation.
AB  - In a prospective study of the relative safety and potential benefit of
      concomitant ketoconazole and cyclosporine after heart transplantation, 15
      transplant recipients were followed up for up to 1 year (mean, 10.7 months) after
      ketoconazole was added to their immunosuppressive regimen of cyclosporine,
      prednisone, and azathioprine, and these patients were compared with a matched
      cohort over the same time. There was an 88% reduction in the mean (+/- SD) dose
      of cyclosporine, from 394 (115) mg/day to 47 (21) mg/day (p less than 0.0005) in
      the ketoconazole group, compared with an insignificant change in the control
      group. The projected annual cost of cyclosporine was reduced by 88%, with a 72%
      reduction in the projected cost of immunosuppressive drugs and prophylactic
      antifungal therapy, from a mean of $6800 to $1862 per year per transplant
      recipient in the ketoconazole-treated group. Other beneficial effects found over
      the study period included a significant reduction in the mean and diastolic
      systemic arterial pressure and a significant reduction in serum cholesterol. The
      mean total serum cholesterol fell from 265 (44) to 204 (38) mg/dl in the
      ketoconazole group but did not change significantly in the control group (p less
      than 0.005). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol also fell from a mean of 167
      (32) mg/dl to 112 (28) mg/dl (p less than 0.005). Renal function was not
      significantly affected by ketoconazole when compared with the control group.
      Ketoconazole and other drugs of potential use in organ transplant recipients
      should be evaluated for financial as well as for other potential clinical
      benefits in the long-term management of these patients.

PMID- 1854764
TI  - Long-term preservation of renal function in hypertensive heart transplant
      recipients treated with enalapril and a diuretic.
AB  - Hypertension and progressive deterioration in renal function are commonly seen in
      heart transplant recipients treated for the long term with cyclosporine. Because
      angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors have been associated with amelioration
      of renal dysfunction in some patients with hypertension and preexisting mild
      moderate kidney failure, we treated nine hypertensive recipients of orthotopic
      heart transplants with enalapril (11 +/- 2 mg/day) and furosemide (62 +/- 15
      mg/day) for 23 +/- 4 months. Most of the enalapril dose was given at bedtime,
      which minimized nocturnal and early morning hypertension. In addition to
      controlling blood pressure (154 +/- 6/100 +/- 2 mm Hg before enalapril vs 120 +/-
      5/81 +/- 2 mm Hg currently; p less than 0.001 for both systolic and diastolic
      blood pressures by paired t test), there has been no increase in serum creatinine
      level over 684 +/- 102 days of follow-up (1.88 +/- 0.20 mg/dl before enalapril vs
      1.81 +/- 0.17 mg/dl currently; p greater than 0.70). This is unlikely to be
      caused by the reduction in daily cyclosporine dose (492 +/- 60 mg/day before
      enalapril to 305 +/- 47 mg/day currently) because there were no significant
      changes in mean blood cyclosporine level (which has been maintained between 100
      and 500 ng/ml). Treatment of hypertension with enalapril and a diuretic after
      heart transplantation may help prevent or delay the impairment of renal function
      often seen during prolonged cyclosporine therapy.

PMID- 1854765
TI  - Late infection in cardiac allograft recipients: profiles, incidence, and outcome.
AB  - Infection continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality after heart
      transplantation. Studies focusing on this problem have concentrated on the early
      posttransplant period, and it is uncertain to what extent infection continues to
      add to morbidity later after transplantation. Fifty-four patients surviving at
      least 1 year after heart transplantation made up the study population in this
      study, and they were surveyed for infections beyond 1 year. In this group there
      were 15 infections, an incidence of 0.3 infections per patient or 0.016
      infections per patient-months of follow-up. Only nine of these infections
      necessitated hospitalization; two, however, were fatal. Actuarial risk of all
      late infections and late infections necessitating hospitalization was 13% and 6%,
      respectively, at 2 years. As expected, bacterial infections made up the largest
      group (60%), followed by viral disease (27%). Two patients had pulmonary
      infections, one with Aspergillus and one with Pneumocystis. These data
      demonstrate that although rates of infection in heart recipients continue to
      exceed those in the general population, the rates are considerably lower than
      those in what is seen early after heart transplantation. Despite this, the more
      unusual infectious agents associated with immune compromise continue to be
      present.

PMID- 1854766
TI  - Catabolism of high energy phosphates during long-term cold storage of donor
      hearts: effects of extra- and intracellular fluid-type cardioplegic solutions and
      calcium channel blockers.
AB  - Dog hearts were harvested and stored cold (0.5 degree C) for 24-hours. Cardiac
      arrest was induced by means of low-sodium and calcium-free cardioplegic (n = 6)
      or hyperkalemic cardioplegic (n = 6) solution. Nifedipine (2 micrograms/gm
      estimated heart weight) was added to each cardioplegic solution in two additional
      groups (n = 6 each). High energy phosphates (creatine phosphate and adenosine
      triphosphate) and catabolites (adenosine diphosphate and monophosphate,
      adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine) were determined in the myocardium
      before and during 24 hours of cold storage. With use of the standard hyperkalemic
      cardioplegic solution, breakdown of high energy phosphates was less pronounced
      than after the use of a low sodium, calcium-free solution: after 24 hours of cold
      storage myocardial ATP content was 57% of control versus 32% (p less than 0.05).
      The addition of nifedipine to the hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution delayed ATP
      breakdown during the first hours of cold storage: at 5 hours of preservation the
      myocardial ATP level was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than in hearts
      preserved without nifedipine. Addition of nifedipine to the low-sodium, calcium
      free solution did not influence catabolism of high energy phosphates
      significantly. It is concluded that preservation of high energy phosphates during
      long-term cold storage of donor hearts can be best achieved by simultaneous
      myocardial metabolic blockade at two specific sites: at the "fast" sodium
      potassium channels by hyperkalemic depolarization and at the "slow" channels by
      means of calcium channel blockers.

PMID- 1854767
TI  - Extending cardiac allograft ischemic time and donor age: effect on survival and
      long-term cardiac function.
AB  - Of 219 heart transplant patients with follow up for at least 3 months after
      transplantation, cardiac allograft ischemic time was more than 4 hours in 28% and
      more than 5 hours in 10%. In 1988 and 1989 grafts with ischemic times longer than
      4 hours were used in 44% and 45% of cases, respectively. Overall, donor age has
      been 35 or more years in 22% and 45 or more in 9%. In 1989 donor age was 35 or
      more years in 39% of cases and 45 or more in 18%. Fifteen of 20 grafts from
      donors 45 years or older were used for patients aged 50 or older. There was no
      relationship between donor age or ischemic time and 90-day graft loss. At 3 and
      12 months, cardiac function, assessed by treadmill exercise duration,
      radionuclide angiography, and rest and peak supine exercise hemodynamics, was
      also unrelated to donor age or ischemic time. Therefore by careful selection of
      appropriate donors, extending both graft ischemic time and donor age has
      increased the potential donor pool and has not to date been associated with
      increased graft loss or adverse effects on cardiac function 3 months and 1 year
      after heart transplantation.

PMID- 1854768
TI  - Functional studies of the heart during a 24-hour preservation using a new
      autoperfusion preparation.
AB  - Serial cardiac function studies were carried out during a 24-hour preservation in
      a new autoperfusion multiorgan preparation using adult Yorkshire swine (n = 8).
      The heart was removed with the lungs, liver, pancreas, duodenum, and both kidneys
      while they were still perfused by the heart and oxygenated by the lungs. The
      organs were placed in a 32 degrees C bath solution containing lactated Ringer's,
      heparin, and neomycin. Fresh blood and a solution containing glucose (10%) with
      potassium chloride (2 gm/L), calcium chloride (1 gm/L), heparin sodium (100
      mg/L), mannitol (12.5 gm/L), insulin (100 U/L), metronidazole hydrochloride (500
      mg/L), penicillin (1,000,000 U/L), and methylprednisolone (250 mg/L) were given
      slowly through the portal vein. A fat emulsion 2 ml, methylprednisolone 30 mg,
      and heparin sodium 20 mg were given through the portal vein every 2 hours. No
      inotropic drugs were used. Aortic systolic pressures ranged from 79 to 97 mm Hg;
      the aortic diastolic pressures ranged from 44 to 61 mm Hg. Central venous
      pressures ranged from 0.4 to 2.0 mm Hg, and the heart rate was 69 to 81
      beats/min. Left ventricular maximum dp/dt ranged from 1405 to 1836 mm Hg/sec, and
      maximum dp/dt/p ranged from 17.0 to 26.2 (sec-1). Aortic blood flow ranged from
      1.2 to 1.6 L/min, and systemic resistance ranged from 33 to 53 U. Lactic acid
      decreased from 8.15 to 2.80 mmol/L. Myocardium wet/dry weight ratio after
      preservation averaged 5.13 (vs 5.09 for control). These results suggest that the
      heart may be preserved up to 24 hours with minimal change in function with this
      new autoperfusion preparation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854769
TI  - Major histocompatibility antigens in transplanted human hearts before perfusion.
AB  - The expression of major histocompatibility class I and II antigens is described
      in human normal donor hearts before perfusion with recipients' blood. Class I and
      II major histocompatibility antigens were found on interstitial but not on
      myocardial cells. Endothelial cells accounted for most of the generic class I
      reactions (that is, W6/32 and beta 2 microglobulin), and endothelial cells
      accounted for most of the HLA-DR and -DP reactivity. HLA-DQ antigens were not
      found in this series of normal donor hearts. The earliest time we were able to
      identify HLA-DQ antigens during the follow-up biopsies from these patients was 1
      week after the allograft had been in place. Macrophages accounted for little of
      the class II reactivity. Variations in the HLA-DQ antigen expression on
      endothelial cells may be useful in the follow-up of transplanted hearts,
      considering that these antigens have been found to be more susceptible to the
      effects of interferon-gamma than either HLA-DR or -DP.

PMID- 1854770
TI  - Problems in assessment of pulmonary parenchymal consolidation in heart transplant
      candidates.
AB  - Radiologic assessment of the cause of pulmonary parenchymal consolidation in end
      stage heart failure may be difficult. From August 1982 to May 1989, 22 patients
      being considered for orthotopic cardiac allografts had parenchymal consolidation
      on their chest radiographs, most commonly in the right lower lobe. Our purpose
      was to determine from standard radiologic studies whether this consolidation
      represented alveolar pulmonary edema in an atypical basal distribution,
      pneumonia, or pulmonary infarction. This differentiation is important because
      pneumonia is an absolute and infarction is a relative contraindication to
      surgery, whereas successful transplantation can be performed in a setting of
      pulmonary edema. The chest radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. When
      available, pulmonary angiograms, nuclear medicine ventilation/perfusion scans,
      and needle biopsy findings were also evaluated. The radiologic assessment was
      correlated with the results of surgical, autopsy, or clinical outcome. None of
      the conventional modalities was very accurate--the plain chest film was correct
      in only 63%, nuclear medicine studies in 50%. Angiography was the single most
      useful test, with an accuracy of 75%.

PMID- 1854771
TI  - Heart-lung xenotransplantation in primates.
AB  - Heart and heart-lung xenografts are a potential solution to the shortage of
      donors. Concern over the adequacy of conventional immunosuppression in prevention
      of xenograft rejection, however, has hindered their use. Cyclosporine has not
      been successful in suppressing the rejection process in cardiac
      xenotransplantation, and other methods of immunosuppression need to be
      investigated. Therefore we studied the effect of preoperative total lymphoid
      irradiation (TLI) in combination with cyclosporine in a primate heart-lung
      xenograft model using cynomolgus monkey donors and baboon recipients. Heart-lung
      grafts were harvested from donors and transplanted orthotopically in baboons with
      use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Recipients were treated in one of three groups:
      (1) cyclosporine and steroids (controls), (2) cyclosporine and steroids plus TLI
      20 Gy, or (3) cyclosporine, steroids, antithymocyte globulin, and TLI 6 Gy. Mean
      survival time of the baboons treated with cyclosporine and steroids was 8 +/- 0.6
      days. The group receiving 20 Gy TLI had prohibitive perioperative mortality;
      however, one baboon lived an additional 90 days, and at autopsy the heart showed
      minimal rejection. Treatment with TLI at 6 Gy in combination with cyclosporine,
      antithymocyte globulin, and steroids comparatively prolonged survival (16 +/- 7.8
      vs 8 +/- 0.6 days; p less than 0.001), and all animals in this group died of
      infection, with only minimal evidence of heart rejection noted in animals
      surviving 30 days. We conclude that the addition of TLI and antithymocyte
      globulin to cyclosporine-based standard immunosuppression is a potent
      immunosuppressant in heart-lung xenotransplantation; nevertheless, infection
      remains a common complication.

PMID- 1854772
TI  - Obesity and hyperlipidemia after heart transplantation.
AB  - Body weight and serum lipids were retrospectively analyzed in 54 heart transplant
      recipients (mean age, 43 years; 80% male) who survived at least 1 year. Data were
      collected preoperatively and at 1, 2, and 3 years after heart transplantation.
      Analysis was performed using item frequencies, analysis of variance, and Pearson
      product moment correlations. From preoperatively to 1 year after heart
      transplantation, the weight of patients increased significantly from 100% to 117%
      of ideal body weight and did not decrease significantly over the first 3
      postoperative years. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride values increased
      significantly from preoperative values of 175 mg/dl and 139 mg/dl, respectively,
      to 1-year postoperative values of more than 200 mg/dl (p = 0.01). Serum
      cholesterol, but not triglyceride levels, decreased significantly 3 years after
      surgery as compared with 1 year after surgery. In addition, overall serum
      cholesterol and triglyceride levels were higher in patients with coronary artery
      disease (248 mg/dl) than with dilated cardiomyopathy (207 mg/dl). Serum high
      density lipoproteins remained within acceptable clinical levels (greater than 35
      mg/dl) during all 3 postoperative years. Serum low-density lipoproteins, elevated
      (139 mg/dl) for the first 2 postoperative years, fell to within the desirable
      range (less than 130 mg/dl) by the third posttransplant year. Heart function was
      normal throughout all 3 years. Six patients (11%) were given lipid-lowering
      medications after heart transplantation (mean, 25 postoperative months).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854773
TI  - Quality of life after orthotopic heart transplantation.
AB  - During the last decade heart transplantation has become the chosen method to
      treat terminally ill patients suffering from severe cardiac illness. It was the
      aim of our study to retrospectively survey life quality of donor organ recipients
      who underwent heart transplantation during the first years of transplantation at
      our center (1984 through 1987). Thirty-five patients were asked to evaluate their
      postoperative improvement or deterioration and their satisfaction with the level
      reached on visual scales. Life quality was defined in nine areas: physical,
      emotional, mental, vocational, and sexual status, financial situation, leisure
      activities, partnership, and overall life quality. The following results were
      obtained: (1) our former patients informed us about a distinct improvement in
      almost all dimensions (except financial situation). We found an absolute increase
      in life quality after heart transplantation. (2) Although improvement was ranked
      best for physical status, there was also a high amelioration in psychosocial
      fields. (3) A significant difference was seen between changes in condition and
      satisfaction in the financial situation (z = 2.3) and in partnership (z = 2.9),
      in which the latter was ranked higher. (4) The date of transplantation (less/more
      than 2 years ago) had no influence on the evaluation of postoperative life
      quality.

PMID- 1854774
TI  - Long-term assessment of renal function under cyclosporine in pediatric heart
      transplant recipients.
AB  - Renal function was monitored in eight children who were long-term survivors of
      heart transplantation and who were treated with cyclosporine. Both creatinine
      clearance and true glomerular filtration rate remained normal 17 to 69 months
      after transplantation. The survival rate was 80% at 6, 12, and 24 months, and the
      rejection rate in survivors was only 0.37. Thus adequacy of renal function can be
      preserved, without jeopardizing overall transplant results, by using small doses
      of cyclosporine.

PMID- 1854775
TI  - Unusual form of biliary obstruction in an orthotopic heart transplant recipient
      managed with cyclosporine.

PMID- 1854776
TI  - Tailored therapy before transplantation for treatment of advanced heart failure:
      effective use of vasodilators and diuretics.
AB  - Because of the limited supply of donor hearts, many candidates for heart
      transplantation must remain on waiting lists for several months. Although most
      such patients are considered to be refractory to standard therapy with
      vasodilators, diuretics, and digoxin, many will respond to a more intensive
      approach specifically tailored to hemodynamic goals in advanced heart failure. In
      this article the principles, design, and benefits of tailored therapy are
      reviewed. In addition, six common ideas about the management of advanced heart
      failure, derived from other patient populations, are shown to be myths. These
      myths are (1) that a low ejection fraction precludes good hemodynamics, exercise
      capacity, and survival; (2) that high ventricular filling pressures are necessary
      to maintain cardiac output in patients with chronic dilated heart failure; (3)
      that vasodilators in chronic advanced heart failure act primarily to increase
      ejection fraction and total stroke volume; (4) that hemodynamics measured during
      drug titration do not predict long-term benefit; (5) that the interval risk of
      deterioration and death without transplantation increases with time from
      evaluation; and (6) that for patients with low ejection fractions, heart
      transplantation is always better than medical therapy.

PMID- 1854777
TI  - Outpatient dobutamine for refractory congestive heart failure: advantages,
      techniques, and results.
AB  - Patients with refractory, end-stage congestive heart failure awaiting heart
      transplantation may be treated efficaciously with intermittent infusions of
      dobutamine given on an outpatient basis. The treatment appears to be well
      tolerated. Nevertheless, careful attention to electrolyte balance and arrhythmia
      control is essential to minimize the risk of sudden death. Use of a tunneled
      subcutaneous catheter essentially eliminates the risk of infection associated
      with this type of delivery system. Patients who have worsening heart failure
      while receiving dobutamine as outpatients should be fitted for a mechanical
      assist device before complications develop that may contraindicate
      transplantation.

PMID- 1854778
TI  - Coronary angioscopy in the diagnosis of graft coronary artery disease in heart
      transplant recipients.

PMID- 1854779
TI  - Changes in cellular membrane and paracellular conductances by amphotericin B in
      the epithelium of the bullfrog cornea.
AB  - In the isolated bullfrog cornea, measurements of DC electrical parameters in
      conjunction with AC impedance and ultrastructural analyses were used to determine
      the effects of 10(-5) M amphotericin B on epithelial cellular membrane and
      paracellular conductances. In NaCl Ringers, amphotericin B elicited a 3.5-fold
      increase in the specific apical membrane conductance (Ga/Ca); where Ga and Ca are
      the apical membrane conductance and capacitance, respectively. The basolateral
      membrane conductance (Gb) and the basolateral membrane capacitance (Cb) fell by
      57% and 50%, respectively. In the paracellular pathway, the tight junctional
      complex (Gj) was unchanged whereas the lateral intercellular space resistance
      (Rp) decreased by 55%. The declines in Gb and Cb were suggestive of cell volume
      shrinkage because these changes were consistent with a previously described
      decline in intracellular K+ content and reduction in exposed basolateral membrane
      area to current flow. Ultrastructural analysis validated that amphotericin B
      caused cell volume shrinkage because there was: (1) increased folding of the
      basolateral membrane and waviness of the basal aspects- of the plasma membrane;
      (2) dilatation of the lateral intercellular spaces. This agreement suggests that
      intracellular activity decreased following exposure to amphotericin B which
      resulted in cell volume shrinkage and an impairment of Cl- uptake across the
      basolateral membrane.

PMID- 1854780
TI  - Mechanism of cell protrusion formation in electrical field: the role of actin.
AB  - An intense alternating current electrical field that imposes membrane-applied
      force on the cell surface can induce formation of cell protrusions (Popov, S.V.
      and Margolis, L.B. (1988) J. Cell Sci. 90, 379-389). This technique has been used
      to investigate the role of actin in the cell protrusion formation. Platinum
      replicas of the cytoskeleton were prepared to characterize the organization of
      the cytoskeleton in external force-induced protrusions. Bundles of microfilaments
      were found in the processes. A specific inhibitor of actin polymerization,
      cytochalasin B, as well as inhibitors of ATP synthesis (sodium azide and carbonyl
      m-chlorophenylhydrazone) did not change the morphology of electrical field
      generated protrusions, revealed by scanning electron microscopy. However,
      organization of the cytoskeleton inside the processes changed drastically using
      these inhibitors. The results of these experiments demonstrate that (i) Membrane
      applied force is sufficient to produce native-like cell protrusions, even in
      conditions where activity of the cytoskeleton is inhibited; (ii) Actin
      microfilaments can be organized into bundles directly under the action of
      membrane-applied force. The significance of these observations to cell protrusion
      formation under normal physiological conditions is discussed.

PMID- 1854781
TI  - Large liposomes containing ganglioside GM1 accumulate effectively in spleen.
AB  - Large liposomes, with a composition of egg phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and
      ganglioside GM1, prepared by an extrusion method, were injected intravenously
      into mice. After 24 h, up to 50% of injected dose was accumulated in spleen
      compared with about 15% in spleen for liposomes containing no GM1. The effect of
      GM1 on spleen accumulation of liposomes was liposome size dependent. Only
      relatively large liposomes (d greater than 300 nm) showed high accumulation;
      smaller liposomes were progressively less accumulated. The spleen accumulation
      increased with increasing injection dose of the liposomes. It was noted that the
      enhanced uptake by spleen was accompanied by a decrease in the liver uptake, but
      the total uptake of liposomes by liver and spleen was not dependent on the
      diameter of liposome or the presence of the ganglioside GM1. Autoradiographs of
      fixed and sectioned spleen using 125I-labeled tyraminylinulin as a content marker
      for the liposomes, showed that liposomes localized at the reticular meshwork of
      the red pulp. These results suggest that larger liposomes containing GM1 are
      filtered by the spleen during the circulation in blood. The smaller ones with a
      mean diameter of less than 100 nm are not retained by the filter. The function of
      GM1 is to prevent liposomes from a rapid uptake by the liver so that liposomes
      may circulate through the spleen and be filtered. These results, together with
      the observation that the liposome-entrapped proteins were degraded by the spleen,
      suggest the potential use of these liposomes for specific drug delivery to the
      spleen.

PMID- 1854782
TI  - Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in cardiolipin.
AB  - Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to determine whether
      intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the C-OH and P-OH groups exists in beef
      heart cardiolipin (CL) or in hydrogenated beef heart cardiolipin (18:0-CL) as
      compared to the synthetic 2'-deoxy analogue of cardiolipin (16:0-dCL). Such
      intramolecular hydrogen bonding would provide a structural basis for proton
      conduction on the molecular level. In aqueous dispersions at 20 degrees C, both
      18:0-CL and 16:0-dCL exist in the gel phase as bilayers with gel to liquid
      crystalline transitions (Tm) at 61 and 56 degrees C, respectively, whereas the
      unsaturated CL exists in the non-bilayer (hexagonal II) state. Evidence for
      intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the C-OH group in aqueous dispersions of 18:0
      CL is provided by the large increase in Tm observed on changing the aqueous
      medium from H2O to D2O but specific hydrogen-bonded C-OH...PO2- species cannot be
      identified because water molecules also compete for the PO2- binding sites.
      However, C-OH...PO2- hydrogen bonds can be identified in dry films of the sodium
      salt of 18:0-CL or in CCl4 solution. In contrast, such hydrogen bonds cannot be
      formed in the deoxy analogue (16:0-dCL) indicating that the central C-OH group in
      18:0-CL could provide a structural basis for proton conduction, involving the
      phosphate groups.

PMID- 1854783
TI  - Transmembrane distribution of sterol in the human erythrocyte.
AB  - The transbilayer cholesterol distribution of human erythrocytes was examined by
      two independent techniques, quenching of dehydroergosterol fluorescence and
      fluorescence photobleaching of NBD-cholesterol. Dehydroergosterol in conjunction
      with leaflet selective quenching showed that, at equilibrium, 75% of the sterol
      was localized to the inner leaflet of resealed erythrocyte ghosts. NBD
      cholesterol and fluorescence photobleaching displayed two diffusion values in
      both resealed ghosts and intact erythrocytes. The fractional contribution of the
      fast and slow diffusion constants of NBD-labelled cholesterol represent its inner
      and outer leaflet distribution. At room temperature the plasma membrane inner
      leaflet of erythrocyte ghosts as well as intact erythrocytes cells contained 78%
      of the plasma membrane sterol. The erythrocyte membrane transbilayer distribution
      of sterol was independent of temperature. In conclusion, dehydroergosterol and
      NBD-cholesterol data are consistent with an enrichment of cholesterol in the
      inner leaflet of the human erythrocyte.

PMID- 1854784
TI  - Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange activity in synaptic plasma membranes derived from the
      electric organ of Torpedo ocellata.
AB  - Synaptic plasma membranes obtained by hypo-osmotic treatment of purified Torpedo
      ocellata synaptosomes, contain an electrogenic Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange system. The
      dependence of the initial reaction rate on [Ca2+] reveals a single binding site
      for Ca2+ with an average apparent Km of 13.66 (S.D. = 12.07) microM [Ca2+] and
      maximal reaction velocity of Vmax = 11.33 (S.D. = 5.93) nmol/mg protein per s.
      The dependence of the initial rate of the Na+ gradient dependent Ca2+ influx on
      the internal [Na+] exhibits a sigmoidal curve which reaches half-maximal reaction
      rate at 170.8 (S.D. = 19.9) mM [Na+]. Addition of ATP gamma S does not change the
      K0.5 to Na+. The average Hill coefficient is 3.09 (S.D. = 0.86) indicating that 3
      4 Na+ ions are exchanged for each Ca2+. Na+ gradient dependent Ca2+ uptake in
      Torpedo SPMs takes place also in the absence of K+ suggesting that K+ co
      transport is not obligatory. The temperature dependence of the initial and steady
      state rates of Na+ gradient dependent Ca2+ influx reveal that maximal reaction
      velocities of the Torpedo exchanger are attained between 15 and 20 degrees C. The
      energy of activation between 0 and 20 degrees C is 20,826 cal/mol. In comparison,
      rat brain synaptic plasma membrane Na(+)-Ca2+ exchanger reaches maximal reaction
      rates between 30 and 40 degrees C. Reconstitution of Torpedo or rat brain Na(+)
      Ca2+ exchangers into a membrane composed of either Torpedo or brain
      phospholipids, does not alter the temperature dependence of the native Torpedo or
      rat brain Na(+)-Ca2+ exchangers; inspite of considerable differences in the
      composition of the fatty acyl chains that are esterified to brain and Torpedo
      phospholipid head groups and differences in membrane fluidity that were detected.
      An ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump, which is insensitive to FCCP, is also present in the
      same synaptic membrane.

PMID- 1854785
TI  - High pressure antagonism of alcohol effects on the main phase-transition
      temperature of phospholipid membranes: biphasic response.
AB  - The combined effects of high pressure (up to 300 bar) and a homologous series of
      1-alkanols (ethanol C2 to 1-tridecanol C13) were studied on the main phase
      transition temperature of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicle
      membranes. It is known that short-chain alkanols depress and long-chain alkanols
      elevate the main transition temperature. The crossover from depression to
      elevation occurs at the carbon-chain length about C10-C12 in DPPC vesicle
      membranes coinciding with the cutoff chain-length where anesthetic potency
      suddenly disappears. Alkanols shorter than C8 linearly decreased the transition
      temperature and high pressure antagonized the temperature depression. Alkanols
      longer than C10 showed biphasic dose-response curves. High pressure enhanced the
      biphasic response. In addition, alkanols longer than the cutoff length depressed
      the transition temperature under high pressure at the low concentration range.
      These non-anesthetic alkanols may manifest anesthetic potency under high
      pressure. At higher concentrations, the temperature elevatory effect was
      accentuated by pressure. This biphasic effect of long-chain alkanols is not
      related to the 'interdigitation' associated with short-chain alkanols. The
      increment of the transition temperature by pressure was 0.0242 K bar-1 in the
      absence of alkanols. The volume change of the transition was estimated to be 27.7
      cm3 mol-1. This value stayed constant to the limit of the present study of 300
      bar.

PMID- 1854787
TI  - Phagocytosis of liposomes by macrophages: intracellular fate of liposomal malaria
      antigen.
AB  - Liposomes containing a synthetic recombinant protein were phagocytosed by
      macrophages, and the internalized protein was recycled to the cell surfaces where
      it was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The transit time of the
      liposome-encapsulated protein from initial phagocytosis of liposomes to
      appearance of protein on the surfaces of macrophages was determined by pulse
      chase experiments. The macrophages were pulsed with liposomes containing protein
      and chased with empty liposomes, and vice versa. The amount and rate of protein
      antigen expression at the cell surfaces depended on the quantity of encapsulated
      protein ingested by the macrophages. Although liposomes were rapidly taken up by
      macrophages, the liposome-encapsulated protein was antigenically expressed for a
      prolonged period (at least 24 h) on the cell surface. Liposomes were visualized
      inside vacuoles in the macrophages by immunogold electron microscopy. The
      liposomes accumulated along the peripheries of the vacuoles and many of them
      apparently remained intact for a long time (greater than 6 h). However,
      nonliposomal free protein was also detected in the cytoplasm surrounding these
      vacuoles, and it was concluded that the free protein in the cytoplasm was
      probably en route to the macrophage surface. Exposure of the cells to ammonium
      chloride did not inhibit the appearance of liposomal antigenic epitopes on the
      cell surface, and this suggests that expression of the liposomal antigenic
      epitopes at the surface was not a pH-sensitive phenomenon. There was no
      significant effect of a liposomal adjuvant, lipid A, on the rate or extent of
      surface expression of the liposomal protein.

PMID- 1854786
TI  - A statistical mechanical analysis of the effect of long-chain alcohols and high
      pressure upon the phase transition temperature of lipid bilayer membranes.
AB  - Long-chain n-alcohols decrease the main phase-transition temperature of lipid
      vesicle membranes at low concentrations but increase it at high concentrations.
      The nonlinear phenomenon is unrelated to the interdigitation and is analyzed by
      assuming that alcohols form solid solutions with solid as well as liquid phases.
      The biphasic response originates from the balance of the free energy difference
      of alcohols in the liquid and solid membranes (delta gA) and the alcohol-lipid
      interaction free energy difference (delta u) between the two phases. When delta
      gA less than 0 and delta u greater than 0, or delta gA less than delta u less
      than 0, the transition temperature decreases monotonously according to the
      increase in the alcohol concentration. When delta gA greater than 0 and delta u
      less than 0, or delta gA greater than delta u greater than 0, it increases
      monotonously. Biphasic response occurs with a minimum temperature when delta u
      greater than delta gA greater than 0, and with a maximum temperature when delta u
      less than delta gA less than 0. When the alcohol carbon-chain length becomes
      closer to the lipid carbon-chain length, delta u is equalized by delta gA, and
      the temperature minimum of the main transition is shifted to extremely low
      alcohol concentrations. Hence, long-chain alcohols predominantly elevate the main
      transition temperature and lose their anesthetic potency. High pressure decreased
      both delta gA and delta u. Presumably, high pressure improves the packing
      efficiency of liquid membranes and decreases the difference between the solid and
      liquid membrane properties.

PMID- 1854788
TI  - Regulation of Cl-dependent K transport by oxy-deoxyhemoglobin transitions in
      trout red cells.
AB  - The oxygenation of trout red cells opens a Cl-dependent K pathway inhibited by
      furosemide, and by inhibitors of the erythrocyte anion exchanger such as DIDS and
      niflumic acid. The trigger is the deoxy-oxy conformational change of hemoglobin.
      The binding of carbon monoxide to heme, which induces a similar conformational
      change, mimics the effect of oxygen. The possible mechanisms enabling molecular
      oxygen to control the transport protein are discussed. This oxygenation-activated
      K transport appears to play a regulatory role in the control of the extracellular
      K concentration.

PMID- 1854789
TI  - Characterization of glucosylceramide from plasma membranes of plant root cells.
AB  - Plasma membranes of oat root cells were isolated from intracellular membranes by
      subfractionation of the microsomal fraction using an aqueous polymer two-phase
      system. The plasma membranes originated from oat plants which were acclimated to
      dehydration by exposure to a repeated water-deficit stress program.
      Glucosylceramides was a major component of the plasma membrane lipids and
      amounted to 9% of the lipid of control plants and 5% of the lipid of acclimated
      plants. Structural analysis using FAB-MS showed only one type of
      glucosylceramides. The constituent monosaccharide was exclusively glucose and the
      sphingosine base was 4,8-sphingadienine. The fatty acid composition was
      determined to 24:1-OH, with only trace levels of non-hydroxy acids. The decrease
      in the level of glucosylceramides during acclimation to dehydration was
      accompanied by a corresponding decrease in phospholipids and increase in free
      sterols.

PMID- 1854790
TI  - Protein carboxyl methylation in kidney brush-border membranes.
AB  - Protein carboxyl methylation activity was detected in the cytosol and in purified
      brush-border membranes (BBM) from the kidney cortex. The protein carboxyl
      methyltransferase (PCMT) activity associated with the BBM was specific for
      endogenous membrane-bound protein substrates, while the cytosolic PCMT methylated
      exogenous substrates (ovalbumin and gelatin) as well as endogenous proteins. The
      apparent Km for S-adenosyl-L-methionine with endogenous proteins as substrates
      were 30 microM and 4 microM for the cytosolic and BBM enzymes, respectively.
      These activities were sensitive to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, a well known
      competitor of methyltransferase-catalyzed reactions, but were not affected by the
      presence of chymostatin and E-64, two protein methylesterase inhibitors. The
      activity of both cytosolic and BBM PCMT was maximal at pH 7.5, while BBM
      phospholipid methylation was predominant at pH 10.0. Separation of the =
      methylated proteins by acidic gel electrophoresis in the presence of the cationic
      detergent benzyldimethyl-n-hexadecylammonium chloride revealed distinct methyl
      accepting proteins in the cytosol (14, 17, 21, 27, 31, 48, 61 and 168 kDa) and in
      the BBM (14, 60, 66, 82, and 105 kDa). Most of the labelling was lost following
      electrophoresis under moderately alkaline conditions, except for a 21 kDa protein
      in the cytosol and a 23 kDa protein in the BBM fraction. These results suggest
      the existence of two distinct PCMT in the kidney cortex: a cytosolic enzyme with
      low selectivity and affinity, methylating endogenous and exogenous protein
      substrates, and a high-affinity BBM-associated methylating activity.

PMID- 1854791
TI  - The effect of ionizing radiation on lipid membranes.

PMID- 1854792
TI  - Membrane insertion and lateral mobility of synthetic amphiphilic signal peptides
      in lipid model membranes.
AB  - Amphiphilic signal sequences with the potential to form alpha-helices with a
      polar, charged face and an apolar face are common in proteins which are imported
      into mitochondria, in the PTS permeases of bacteria, and in bacterial rhodopsins.
      Synthetic peptides of such sequences partition into the surface region of lipid
      membranes where they can adopt different secondary structures. A finely
      controlled balance of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions determines the
      'affinity' of amphiphilic signal peptides for lipid membranes, as well as the
      structure, orientation and depth of penetration of these peptides in lipid
      bilayer membranes. The ability of an individual peptide to associate with lipid
      bilayer membranes in several different modes is, most likely, a general feature
      of amphiphilic signal peptides and is reflected in several common physical
      properties of their amino acid sequences.

PMID- 1854793
TI  - Cellular functions of metallo-endoproteinases.

PMID- 1854794
TI  - Nonparallel transport and mechanisms of secretion.
AB  - After many years of controversy, it is now clear that at least some cells and
      tissues that secrete more than one product can vary the composition of the
      secreted mixture as the result of the differential transport of various
      substances out of the cells that secrete them. In this article we discuss this
      phenomenon, non-parallel transport or secretion, and how it has and continues to
      inform us about how cells release the products they manufacture. We focus on
      expression of the phenomenon in the secretion of digestive enzymes by the
      exocrine pancreas, where it has been studied most extensively.

PMID- 1854795
TI  - Phospholipid fatty acid remodeling in mammalian cells.

PMID- 1854796
TI  - Feeding rats a diet enriched with saturated fatty acids prevents the inhibitory
      effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on the in vitro uptake of hexoses
      and lipids.
AB  - Chow-fed rats were given 15% ethanol in their drinking water for 4 weeks, and
      then for the next 2 weeks of ethanol exposure they were fed isocaloric
      semisynthetic diets enriched in either saturated (S) or polyunsaturated (P,
      linoleic acid) fats. Food intake was lower in ethanol-fed (ETH) than in control
      (C) rats, but the average body weight gain was similar in ETH and C fed S or P.
      Intestinal dry weight and the percentage of the intestinal wall comprised of
      mucosa were more than 2-fold higher in ETH than C fed P, whereas these values
      were 50% lower in ETH than C fed S. The in vitro jejunal uptake of glucose and
      galactose was higher in ETH than C fed S, whereas the converse was true when
      feeding P. These effects were due to differences in the values of the maximal
      transport rate (Vmax), the Michaelis constant (Km), and the contribution of
      passive permeation. The relative permeability of the intestine to lipids was
      unchanged by giving ethanol or by feeding S or P, but the individual rates of
      uptake of most medium- and long-chain fatty acids and cholesterol were lower in
      ETH fed P as compared with S. In a second series of studies the acute effect of
      ethanol exposure was examined: animals were fed S or P for 2 weeks and the
      intestine was then removed: when 5% ethanol was added directly to the test
      solutions, there was lower in vitro jejunal and ileal uptake of glucose and
      higher jejunal uptake of 18:2 when rats were previously fed P, but not in those
      fed S. In summary; (1) feeding an isocaloric polyunsaturated fatty acid diet has
      a trophic effect on the intestinal mucosa of animals chronically drinking
      ethanol; and (2) feeding rats a diet enriched with saturated fatty acids prevents
      the inhibitory effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on the in vitro
      jejunal uptake of glucose, galactose and lipids observed in animals fed a
      polyunsaturated diet. Thus, the effect of chronic consumption of ethanol on the
      active and passive jejunal uptake of nutrients is influenced by the type of
      lipids in the animal's diet.

PMID- 1854797
TI  - Increased levels of monohydroxy metabolites of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid
      in LDL and aorta from atherosclerotic rabbits.
AB  - Lipid peroxidation results in the formation of peroxy and hydroperoxy metabolites
      of polyunsaturated fatty acids which can directly or indirectly affect many
      cellular processes. Lipid hydroperoxides are rapidly metabolized to the
      corresponding monohydroxy products by various cellular peroxidases. We have
      measured the amounts of monohydroxy metabolites of linoleic acid (18:2) and
      arachidonic acid (20:4) in lipids derived from aorta and LDL from rabbits fed a
      diet enriched in cholesterol and peanut oil for either 8 or 15 weeks. Increased
      amounts of the 9-hydroxy, and, to a lesser extent, the 13-hydroxy metabolite of
      18:2 were observed in aorta and LDL from cholesterol-fed rabbits at both 8 and 15
      weeks. The amounts of esterified 11-, 12- and 15-hydroxy metabolites of 20:4 in
      aortae from cholesterol-fed rabbits were similar to controls after 8 weeks, but
      about 3-fold higher after 15 weeks. These monohydroxy metabolites of 20:4 were
      also detected in LDL lipids in cholesterol-fed rabbits. The greater amounts of
      hydroxy-18:2 in the cholesterol-fed group could be explained by an approx. 2-4
      fold increase in 18:2 in aorta and LDL. In contrast, the amounts of 20:4 in
      aortic lipids were lower in cholesterol-fed rabbits than in controls. Thus, the
      percentage of esterified 20:4 which had been oxidized to its 11, 12, and 15
      hydroxylated metabolites was about 5-times higher in the cholesterol-fed group.
      Our results would be consistent with the hypothesis that increased amounts of
      peroxidized 18:2 and 20:4 in lipids could be involved in the development of
      atherosclerotic lesions in cholesterol-fed rabbits.

PMID- 1854798
TI  - Enhancing effects of bile salts on the degradation of glycosphingolipids by
      glycosidases from bacteria of the human fecal flora.
AB  - Different concentrations of ionic and non-ionic detergents were examined for
      optimization of the in vitro degradations of intestinal glycosphingolipids by
      alpha- and beta-glycosidases from human fecal bacteria. In 5 mM Triton X-100 the
      enzymes hydrolyzed glycosphingolipids with lactoseries type 1 and 2 chains
      essentially to lactosylceramide (LacCer). In 5 mM sodium di- and trihydroxy bile
      salts lactosylceramide was degraded to glycosylceramide (GlcCer) in varying
      extent by enzymes from all five strains. The minimal bile salt concentrations for
      optimal 1,4-beta-galactosidase activities varied between 1 and 20 mM, i.e., close
      to or above the critical micellar concentrations (cmc). Dihydroxy bile salts were
      the most efficient in promoting conversion of LacCer to GlcCer at concentrations
      below 10 mM and conjugation with a taurine residue did not markedly lower the
      GlcCer yield. The optimal detergent concentrations for hydrolyses of the p
      nitrophenyl (pnp) glycosides Gal beta 1-pnp and GalNAc alpha 1-pnp were
      approximately 0.05 mM for Triton X-100 and 0.5 mM for sodium taurodeoxycholate,
      i.e., clearly below their reported cmc values. Galabiosylceramide, globotria- and
      globotetraosylceramides, not degraded in the Triton X-100 micelles, were also
      resistant to hydrolysis using the sodium bile salts as detergents. In contrast,
      lactotetraosylceramide and isoglobotriaosylceramide were significantly more
      degraded by enzymes from a Ruminococcus gnavus strain and
      gangliotetraosylceramide by enzymes from a Bifidobacterium bifidum and a
      Bifidobacterium infantis strain using bile salt detergents. All strains but R.
      gnavus released terminal GalNAc from para-Forssman but not from the
      globotetraosylceramide or Forssman structures using 5 mM sodium deoxycholate as
      detergent. GM1 desialylation by two Ruminococcus torques strains and the R.
      gnavus and B. bifidum strains were enhanced under identical conditions. We
      conclude that the observed effects on glycosphingolipid hydrolyses reflects
      variations in the micellar presentation of the substrates. In addition,
      detergents seem to have a direct stimulating effect on the glycosidases, however
      at concentrations 10-100-times below the ones optimal for glycolipid
      degradations. These results with optimized bile salt concentrations, further
      support our previous observations that these five fecal bacterial strains produce
      enzymes with selected specificities towards glycosphingolipid core chains of the
      lactoseries type 1 and 2.

PMID- 1854799
TI  - Further studies on the purine phosphoribosyltransferase 'burst' velocity
      reaction.
AB  - In the assays used to determinate the adenine and hypoxanthine-guanine
      phosphoribosyltransferases activities from Artemia cysts two phases of velocity
      are observed in the synthesis of AMP, IMP and GMP: one initial burst and a
      second, slower, steady-state velocity. Both reaction velocities are divalent
      cation-dependent and temperature-resistant, as they are detectable at
      temperatures from 0 to 100 degrees C. Butanol, frequently employed to interrupt
      the purine phosphoribosyltransferase reactions, does not inhibit the enzyme
      activities. The 'burst' phase is not detected when the reaction is ended by the
      addition of EDTA. These data support that the initial velocities of these
      enzymatic reactions may be due to the accumulation of products formed by the
      overall reaction, developed subsequent to the controlled reaction period, being
      the 'burst' a result from the relative resistance of these enzymes to the agents
      that are often used to stop the reaction, such as heat or butanol.

PMID- 1854800
TI  - Phospholipase D-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine occurs with P-O bond
      cleavage.
AB  - Mammalian phospholipase D has been implicated in signal-transduction mechanisms,
      most recently in association with stimuli that enhance phosphatidylcholine (PC)
      turnover. It was previously unknown whether hydrolysis of PC by phospholipase D
      proceeds via P-O or C-O bond cleavage. Commercially available phospholipase D
      isolated from Streptomyces chromofuscus was used to hydrolyse distearoyl
      phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a detergent-containing buffer consisting of 90% 18O
      water. The product of hydrolysis, phosphatidic acid (PA), was purified by thin
      layer chromatography and analyzed using californium-252 plasma desorption mass
      spectrometry. An increase of two mass units was observed, compared to a
      distearoyl PA control, consistent with a reaction mechanism involving cleavage of
      the P-O bond.

PMID- 1854801
TI  - The catabolism of exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine in isolated perfused rat and
      guinea pig hearts: a comparative study.
AB  - Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) is an arrhythmogenic phospholipid metabolite
      which accumulates in the ischemic myocardium. Reduced catabolism of lysoPC has
      been proposed to be one of the biochemical mechanisms responsible for the
      increase in lysoPC content. In this investigation we compared the microsomal
      catabolism of exogenous labeled lysoPC in isolated perfused rat and guinea pig
      hearts. Analysis of the amount of radioactivity in microsomal phosphatidylcholine
      (PC) and free fatty acid (FFA) was used as an index of the participation in
      lysoPC clearance by acylation catalyzed by acyl-CoA:lysoPC acyltransferase and
      deacylation catalyzed by lysophospholipase, respectively. There was no
      significant difference in the incorporation of radioactivity into rat and guinea
      pig heart microsomes; however, the patterns of radioactivity in lysoPC
      metabolites were notably different. Equal participation by deacylation and
      reacylation was observed in rat microsomes, whereas deacylation was clearly the
      preferred route for lysoPC clearance in guinea pig microsomes. Modulation of
      enzyme activity by treatment of the isolated heart with pHMB, a sulfhydryl agent,
      was used to probe the relationship among acylation, deacylation and the extent of
      lysoPC clearance. In guinea pig microsomes impairment of lysoPC acylation was not
      associated with any change in the amount of radioactivity in lysoPC because of a
      compensatory increase in deacylation. In contrast, impaired deacylation in rat
      microsomes led to significant elevations in the amount of radioactivity in
      lysoPC. We conclude, therefore, that in intact perfused rat and guinea pig hearts
      the relative participation of acylation and deacylation in lysoPC clearance
      differs. Moreover, we propose that the level of deacylation by lysophospholipase
      is an important factor in the extent of clearance of lysoPC.

PMID- 1854802
TI  - The fatty acid composition of placenta in intrauterine growth retardation.
AB  - To examine the impact of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) on essential
      fatty acids in human placenta, fatty acid composition in total acylglycerol and
      in the major phosphoglycerides phosphatidylcholine (PC) and
      phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), of 15 placentas from small for gestational age
      (SGA) births was compared with that of 7 control placentas. The acylglycerol
      fatty acid content was similar between the two groups, but the proportion of
      fatty acids of the linoleic acid series, including arachidonic acid, was
      significantly lower in SGA placentas. When the fatty acid composition in PC was
      studied, the reduction in fatty acids of the linoleic acid series was even more
      striking, and fatty acids of the linolenic acid series was also significantly
      less in the SGA group. These fatty acid changes in placenta membrane
      phospholipids can affect the transport of important nutrients to the fetal
      compartment. The decreased level of arachidonic acid and docosahexanoic acid
      might also lead to a disturbed formation of fetal thromboxane and prostacyclin.
      However, cord plasma PC fatty acid patterns were nearly identical in the two
      groups suggesting that in IUGR, the essential fatty acids will be transported to
      the fetus at the expense of the placenta.

PMID- 1854803
TI  - Differential actions of diacyl- and alkylacylglycerols in priming phospholipase
      A2, 5-lipoxygenase and acetyltransferase activation in human neutrophils.
AB  - One aspect of human neutrophil (PMN) function during inflammation is formation of
      platelet-activating factor (PAF), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and 5
      hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), but production of these lipid mediators is
      limited if PMN are directly stimulated with soluble, physiologic agonists. In
      vitro, PMN activities can be enhanced by the process of primed-stimulation where
      cells are sequentially treated with non-stimulatory concentrations of different
      agonists. Many agents that prime PMN also induce production of 1,2-diacyl- and 1
      O-alkyl-2-acylglycerols. Therefore, we investigated whether diglycerides were
      involved in priming PMN for production of lipid mediators. We previously
      described the ability of the diacylglycerol, 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), and
      its alkylacylglycerol analog, 1-O-octadecenyl-2-acetylglycerol (EAG), to prime
      phospholipase A2 (PLA2) for subsequent activation by a second stimulus. However,
      while OAG also primed 5-lipoxygenase activity (LTB4 and 5-HETE production), EAG
      priming inhibited LTB4 and 5-HETE formation. We now report the effects of
      diglyceride priming on acetyltransferase activation (PAF formation). PMN,
      prelabeled with 1-O-[9',10'-3H]hexadecyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, were
      primed with OAG or EAG before stimulation. Neither OAG nor EAG induced formation
      of labeled PAF. Treatment of PMN with the chemotactic peptide, N-formyl-met-leu
      phe (FMLP), induced low but significant production of PAF; PAF formation doubled
      in PMN primed with 20 microM OAG before FMLP stimulation while priming with 20
      microM EAG more than tripled the level of PAF. Calcium ionophore strongly induced
      PAF formation; OAG priming before ionophore challenge had no effect but EAG
      priming further enhanced PAF formation. These results suggests a role for
      alkylacylglycerols in modulating the production of lipid mediators of
      inflammation.

PMID- 1854804
TI  - Inhibition of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis by
      cytochalasin B in cultured glioma cells: potential regulation of biosynthesis by
      Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms.
AB  - The major route of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) biosynthesis in mammalian cells
      is the sequence: choline (Cho)----phosphocholine (PCho)----cytidinediphosphate
      choline (CDP-Cho)----PtdCho. Recently, we have found that intermediates of this
      pathway are not freely diffusible in cultured rat glioma (C6) cells but are
      channeled towards PtdCho biosynthesis (George et al. (1989). Biochim. Biophys.
      Acta. 1004, 283-291). Channeling of intermediates in other mammalian systems is
      thought to be mediated through adsorption of enzymes to membranes and
      cytoskeletal elements to form multienzyme complexes. In this study, agents which
      perturb the structure and function of cytoskeletal elements were tested for
      effects on phospholipid metabolism in glioma cells. The filament-disrupting agent
      cytochalasin B (CB), but not other cytochalasins or the microtubule depolymerizer
      colchicine inhibited PtdCho and phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) biosynthesis as
      judged by dose-dependent reduction of labeling from [3H]Cho and [14C]ethanolamine
      (Etn). 32Pi pulse-labeling indicated that CB selectively decreased PtdCho and
      PtdEtn biosynthesis without affecting synthesis of other phospholipids. Synthesis
      of water-soluble intermediates of PtdCho metabolism was unaffected but the
      conversion of phosphoethanolamine to CDP-ethanolamine was reduced by CB. Effects
      of CB on phospholipid biosynthesis were not due to inhibition of glucose uptake
      as shown by experiments with 2-deoxyglucose, glucose-starved cells and other
      cytochalasins. Experiments with Ca(2+)-EGTA buffers and digitonin-permeabilized
      cells, and the Ca(2+)-channel blocker verapamil suggest that effects of CB on
      PtdCho and PtdEtn biosynthesis are due to alteration of intracellular Ca2+. Taken
      together, these results suggest that CB acts at sites distinct from glucose
      transport and cellular microfilaments to specifically inhibit PtdCho and PtdEtn
      biosynthesis by mechanisms dependent on intracellular Ca2+.

PMID- 1854806
TI  - Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by copper and iron in phosphate buffer.
AB  - We examined the effect of phosphate buffer on the iron- and copper-catalyzed
      peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The incubation of LDL with CuSO4
      in 0.15 M NaCl led to the peroxidation of LDL as evidenced by the detection of
      thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxides (LPO).
      The peroxidation of LDL was also observed with FeSO4 and FeCl3 in 0.15 M NaCl,
      although there was a lag phase with FeCl3. In 10 mM phosphate buffer, the
      peroxidation of LDL was observed with CuSO4 to an extent similar to that in 0.15
      M NaCl. However, the peroxidation induced by incubation with FeSO4 and FeCl3 was
      significantly inhibited in phosphate buffer. Iron and copper each formed a
      complex with lipoprotein during incubation with LDL in 0.15 M NaCl. Although no
      effect on the formation of copper-LDL complex was observed in phosphate buffer,
      the formation of iron-LDL complex was reduced in the buffer. These observations
      suggest there are marked differences in the peroxidation of LDL and in the
      formation of complexes with LDL between iron and copper in phosphate buffer.

PMID- 1854805
TI  - Effect of pancreatic phospholipase A2 and gastric lipase on the action of
      pancreatic carboxyl ester lipase against lipid substrates in vitro.
AB  - Preincubation of a triolein/phospholipid/cholesteryl oleate-emulsion in vitro
      with either pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) or gastric lipase (GL) resulted in
      hydrolysis (measured by pH-stat-titration) of cholesteryl [3H]oleate only after
      human pancreatic carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) was added to the system. No
      appreciable hydrolysis was observed when CEL was added alone. Consequently, a
      concerted action either of PLA2 and CEL or of GL and CEL made the substrate
      cholesteryl oleate available for hydrolysis by CEL. This was the case when
      cholesteryl oleate was solubilised in a phospholipid-stabilised triglyceride
      emulsion, which is the physico-chemical form in which the major part of dietary
      cholesteryl esters are presented to the gastro-intestinal tract of man.

PMID- 1854807
TI  - Analysis of non-heme iron in arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase of porcine leukocytes.
AB  - Arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase of porcine leukocytes, which was purified to
      homogeneity by immunoaffinity chromatography, was analyzed for iron content by
      atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The enzyme contained 0.70 +/- 0.09 g atom of
      iron per mol of enzyme (mean +/- S.D., n = 4). Inorganic iron, which was added to
      the enzyme solution as an internal standard, was recovered in almost 100% yield.
      Among various iron chelators tested, only 2,2'-dipyridyl at 1 mM inactivated the
      enzyme by 87%, but the enzyme was not reactivated by the addition of excess
      ferrous or ferric iron.

PMID- 1854808
TI  - An exploration of AIDS education and teaching methods.
AB  - The purpose of the present research was to examine the relationships between AIDS
      educational methodologies and learning/retention of medical students. The results
      suggest that certain teaching methods may be more effective in the development of
      positive attitudes about caring for persons with AIDS.

PMID- 1854809
TI  - Sexual behaviour and use of the condom among Ugandan students.
AB  - HIV infection is widespread in Uganda. Have its university students, the
      country's leaders of tomorrow, taken appropriate action? A questionnaire was
      completed by 661 men and 270 women in a one-in-four sample of Makerere University
      undergraduates (93% response rate). More than 60% of the men and 36% of the women
      reported at least two sexual partners in the past year. Over 18% of respondents
      reported at least one episode of sexually transmitted disease in the past year.
      Most respondents correctly identified the main routes of HIV transmission but
      risk was also often incorrectly associated with non-penetrative sex. Only a
      minority saw the condom as an effective preventive method: most saw it as unsafe
      or an encouragement to promiscuity. Condoms had been used by 35% of men and 24%
      of women but were currently always used by only 9% of men and 11% of women. The
      condom was approved of by only one quarter of respondents. Condom use increased
      with the number of sexual partners but was less likely if the respondent had seen
      official publicity about the condom. Whilst there were some encouraging signs of
      behaviour change, opportunities for the spread of HIV continued to abound in this
      important group. More positive promotion of the condom is urgently required.

PMID- 1854810
TI  - World Health Organization Global AIDS Statistics.

PMID- 1854811
TI  - Limited changes in sexual behaviour of heterosexual men and women with multiple
      partners in The Netherlands.
AB  - To study changes in sexual behaviour, heterosexuals with multiple sexual partners
      were recruited through an STD-clinic and asked to return every 4 months for
      follow-up. Between October 1987 and June 1989, 512 heterosexuals entered the
      study and 140 men and 200 women had at least one follow-up visit. No changes were
      found between 3 visits in the kind of sexual techniques practiced. Condom use
      during vaginal intercourse with commercial partners (prostitutes or clients) was
      relatively high and remained high, but was low and remained at that level with
      private partners. Men and women reduced their number of private sexual partners
      by 50%, but the decline in the number of commercial partners was nonsignificant.
      Although more information is needed about the underlying social-psychological
      aspects of behavioural change, it seems necessary to redesign prevention
      activities to stress the effectiveness of condoms and to encourage condom use
      especially among heterosexuals with multiple private partners.

PMID- 1854812
TI  - The formulation and implementation of a national policy on condoms in the context
      of HIV/AIDS--a review.
AB  - The AIDS pandemic has brought into sharp focus the role of condoms in preventing
      the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. In the vast majority of
      countries, the condom prevalence rate is very low and to varying extents socio
      cultural, infrastructure and logistics, quality control and incorrect usage
      problems have made it difficult to promote the use of condoms. It is only by
      developing a national policy on condoms that countries could mobilize within a
      short span of time all the resources to ensure that condoms are used by those who
      are at risk of contracting or transmitting HIV. The conditions necessary to
      develop such a policy and the elements of the policy are described.

PMID- 1854813
TI  - Condom use in a large cohort of homosexually active men in England and Wales.
AB  - As part of a prospective study of the seroprevalence of HIV, a cohort of 930 men
      were interviewed regarding their condom use. Of the 270 respondents that engaged
      in insertive anal intercourse in the month preceding interview 38.9% always used
      a condom, 49.6% never used one, and 11.5% sometimes used one. Of the 254
      respondents that engaged in receptive anal intercourse in the same time period
      42.5% always used a condom, 45.7% never used one, and 11.8% sometimes used one.
      Compared to other research the proportion of respondents who always use a condom
      for anal intercourse is relatively high, though use is by no means universal.
      Condom use is more widespread and consistent with casual rather than regular
      sexual partners, and it is significantly more common within open rather than
      monogamous relationships. Out of a wide range of other factors only geographical
      location (London against outside), marital status, perceived HIV status, number
      of sexual partners, and how seriously respondents take safer sex are correlated
      with condom use.

PMID- 1854814
TI  - The experience of having a positive HIV antibody test.
AB  - Little is known about the logistics of taking an HIV antibody test and yet
      knowledge of people's experiences of having a test result is helpful to evolving
      a sensitive and client oriented service and can provide some guidelines for
      organisation issues around testing. This paper reports the experiences of 252 gay
      men who had an HIV test which proved to be positive. The most frequent reasons
      for people to take a test were perception of personal risk or were related to
      perceived health problems. Ten per cent of people did not know they had had a
      test until they were told they were anti HIV positive--lack of knowledge was
      related mostly to the place where the test was done. Over one third of people
      said they knew little about the test or its implications before they contacted
      anyone, over half said they did not receive information at the time of the test
      and 41% when they were given the result. There were few changes over time in the
      experience of having a test.

PMID- 1854815
TI  - Racial differences in social support and mental health in men with HIV infection:
      a pilot study.
AB  - The mediating role of social support in the mental health and behaviours of
      persons coping with life-threatening chronic illness is of potentially great
      importance in determining the quality of life of persons with HIV infection
      (PWHs). As part of a biracial pilot study of the ways black and white men manage
      the stresses of sexually acquired HIV infection, we have examined the
      relationship between social support and mental health and behaviours. Forty
      homosexual/bisexual men (20 white and 20 black) attending a Detroit hospital
      based HIV outpatient clinic were recruited for the study and underwent physical
      and mental health (HSCL-59 and NIMH DIS interview), behavioural and psychosocial
      evaluations, and a neuropsychologic screening test battery. The black and white
      men did not differ in terms of age, education, sexual behaviours, physical or
      mental health status. However, the black men were less likely to be open about
      their sexuality to their primary social support network, and to report that their
      social support was less affirmative than did the white men. When correlations
      between the six-dimensional social support measures (Wortman & O'Brien, 1987) and
      HSC-L distress scores were examined, both availability of material social support
      and affirmation were correlated negatively with distress among the white men but
      positively among the black men. Similarly, the previously observed positive
      relationship between perceived adequacy of social support and adoption of safer
      sexual practices was observed among white but not black participants.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1854816
TI  - Risk reduction among injecting drug users: changes in the sharing of injecting
      equipment and in condom use.
AB  - In an investigation of risk behaviour among injecting drug users in the North
      West of England, information was obtained concerning the sharing of injecting
      equipment, respondent's sexual partners and the use of condoms. Between six and
      nine months after the initial contact, 169 respondents (56%) were contacted
      again. The emphasis in the second phase of the project was on changes, if any, in
      risk behaviour that had occurred in the intervening period. Significant
      reductions were found in sharing, mostly in the more indiscriminate use of
      others' injecting equipment. No reduction was observed in sharing between
      injecting partners and little in sharing between close friends. The number of
      sexual partners had decreased and the use of condoms, although it increased among
      those involved in temporary relationships, remained low. Impediments to further
      progress in risk reduction are discussed.

PMID- 1854817
TI  - Mental health and substance abuse staff: HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes.
AB  - Mental health and substance abuse treatment staff completed a set of measures
      assessing their attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs concerning AIDS. Results
      indicated that while most staff were aware of basic information about the
      disease, approximately one-third were not aware of the neuropsychological and
      psycho-behavioural concomitants of the disorder. Those surveyed were aware of the
      main transmission routes, but overgeneralized their concern to casual contact.
      Most staff indicated willingness to work with HIV-infected individuals, although
      29% stated they would try to avoid working with them. Interestingly, mental
      health staff expressed greater hesitancy than substance abuse staff. These and
      other results are interpreted to suggest that some desensitization of concern may
      have already occurred among those who have worked with HIV-positive clients.
      Individuals who had worked with an HIV-positive client had greater knowledge,
      less discomfort, and were less likely to want to avoid those who are HIV
      positive. Questions attempting to identify sources of discomfort in working with
      AIDS or HIV-positive clients suggested that fear of contagion may be the primary
      concern, followed by discomfort of working with the terminally ill, and then
      discomfort with IV drug users and homosexuals. The implications of these results
      for continuing education activities and staff readiness are discussed.

PMID- 1854818
TI  - [The effect of low concentrations of adaptogen solutions on the functional
      activity of murine bone marrow cells in vitro].
AB  - Influence of water solutions of chemically pure adaptogens--a synthetic analog of
      Rhodiola rosea extract phenol combination (SAR) and Dibazol on the functional
      activity of mice hemopoietic cells in vitro was studied. A clear periodical
      character of drugs effects manifestation with a tendency to the stimulating
      activity domination was revealed. A reliable stimulation of clonogenic activity
      was in correlation with 4 x 10(-11) and 4 x 10(-15) adaptogens molecules in SAR
      and Dibazol solutions per 1 blood marrow cell. This phenomenon is suggested to be
      connected with the solvent (water) molecules changes and the formation of
      structures, keeping the information of adaptogenes with possible translation of
      the latter during the process of consistent dissolution of the solvent.

PMID- 1854819
TI  - [Computer analysis of the dynamics of two tumor foci with respect to circulating
      immune cells].
AB  - A mathematical model of the bilocal immunogenic tumors was analysed by a
      computer. An increase of the intensity or/and growth of asymmetry in cytotoxic
      cells migration between two tumor centres could lead to bifurcations in the
      system. This approach allows interpretation of a number of paradoxes in the
      interrelations between the original tumor and metastases.

PMID- 1854820
TI  - [A method of computing the degree of periodic arrangement of leukemia cells in
      suspension].

PMID- 1854821
TI  - [A magnetic field arising upon passage of an electrical current through the human
      arm].
AB  - Asymmetry of the magnetic field density along the arm perimeter under electric
      pulse with the usage of various electrodes was investigated. This research helped
      to prove the existence of special passageways in the human body (besides the
      nervous ones) which transmit the electric pulse. It was revealed that induction
      of electrodes into acupuncture points determined the distribution of power
      density along the arm section. In this case it depends upon the points used.

PMID- 1854822
TI  - [Determination of the turbidity temperature of solutions of the nonionogenic
      surface-active agent LF-57 after the action on urinary calculi in uric acid].
AB  - Non-ionogenic surfactant LF-57 contributes solving of urinary calculi from uric
      acid and is a component of the drug Pharmalit for curing kidney-stone disease.
      Turbidity temperature was determined of the solution LF-57-78, 1C, and in the
      presence of uric acid--80.2C.

PMID- 1854823
TI  - [The effect of nitrogen and oxygen on triboluminescence generated by blood].
AB  - The spectrum of triboluminescence by dried blood on a TPA-2 triboluminometer was
      shown to display four bands of emission with maximum levels at 262, 321, 422 and
      649 nm, which are due to the processes of gas discharge in nitrogen and oxygen
      and to the luminescence of polytetrafluorochlorethylene probe, triboelectriating
      the samples under study. The intensity of triboluminescence of dried blood and
      its components depends on the value of pO2 in the liquid phase of the samples.

PMID- 1854824
TI  - [Magnetohydrodynamic effects during blood movement].
AB  - Theoretical investigations of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects in flowing blood
      are briefly reviewed in their formal and physiological aspects. It is shown that
      the great part of published works contain serious errors, as well as groundless
      practical propositions without any satisfactory explanation.

PMID- 1854825
TI  - [A quantitative assessment of the "tendon" action of two-joint muscles].
AB  - Two-joint muscles are able to transmit mechanical energy between the links of the
      body having no common joint ("tendon action" of the muscles). It is proposed to
      calculate difference between control moment power in a joint and the sum of
      powers developed by all muscles serving this joint in order to determine the
      direction and rate of mechanical energy transfer through the two-joint muscles.
      It was shown that in the shock-absorbing phase of support in running two-joint
      muscles the energy transfers from distal to proximal links (from foot to thigh,
      and from shank to pelvis), in take-off phase-from proximal links to distal ones
      (from pelvis to shank, and from thigh to foot).

PMID- 1854826
TI  - [Ca+-dependent efflux of K+ from erythrocytes, induced by an oxidative process].
AB  - Effects of inhibitors of energetic processes, antioxidants and SH-reagents on
      Ca(2+)-dependent K+ efflux from human red blood cells induced by oxidizing
      agents, electron donor system ascorbate + phenazine methosulphate (PMS) and Na
      periodate were investigated. We concluded that different regulatory mechanisms of
      K+ efflux from cells existed. In contract to periodate effect, Ca(2+)-dependent
      K+ channel activated by ascorbate + PMS is functionally connected with the
      membrane redox components.

PMID- 1854827
TI  - [Effect of pH and preparation method on thermal denaturation of thymus DNA in
      salt-free solutions].
AB  - Thermal denaturation of calf thymus DNA was studied by scanning microcalorimetry.
      It has been shown that long dialysis of DNA against water causes a sharp decrease
      of DNA thermal stability due to biopolymer protonation. The literature data on
      the properties of DNA salt-free solutions obtained by dialysis are discussed.

PMID- 1854828
TI  - [Features of the interaction of antitumor mitoxantrone compounds with sarcoma 45
      tumor DNA].
AB  - The interaction of antitumoral drug mitoxantrone with DNA of the tumor sarcoma 45
      and healthy animals liver has been investigated according to the character of
      changes on the absorption spectra at binding at 30 degrees C and 0.11 M NaCl. The
      investigation shows that the interaction of mitoxantrone with DNA of sarcoma 45
      differs from that with DNA of healthy animals liver. The calculations show that
      the saturation stoichiometry by both DNA is one mitoxantrone molecule per 2.5
      base pairs with the binding constant k = 4 x 10(5) M-1 (for binding mitoxantrone
      with liver DNA) and k = 3 x 10(6) M-1 (with tumor DNA). Possible reason of such a
      difference is discussed on the basis of structural peculiarities of tumor DNA.

PMID- 1854830
TI  - [The role of water in cell function].

PMID- 1854829
TI  - [Number of cooperative regions (energy domains) in the pepsin molecule depends on
      the pH of the medium].
AB  - Ethanol and pH influence on the number and dimensions of cooperative regions in
      pepsin molecule was studied by scanning microcalorimetry. It is shown that
      ethanol solution causes a decrease of temperature of protein denaturation but
      does not influence the number of energetic domains. While changing pH from 6.7 to
      2.0 the number of thermodynamic cooperative units (defined as the ratio delta
      Hcal/delta Heff) decreases from four to two. This process, as shown by CD
      technique, is followed by changes neither in the secondary structure, nor in the
      local environment of aromatic amino acids. A conclusion is made that the
      distinctions in cooperative characteristics of the protein globule at different
      pH are determined by electrostatic interactions of separate parts of the
      molecule.

PMID- 1854831
TI  - [Design of a mathematical model of the formation of erythrocyte shape as an
      autowave process].
AB  - The phenomenological model of T. Teorell's "biomembrane generator" underlies the
      mathematical model of erythrocyte forms as an autowave process. For a distributed
      system the model is formulated as a differential equation of the second order in
      partial derivatives with a small parameter. It is stated that a substantial thing
      in the model is the presence of mass-transfer through a pore membrane determined
      by its electrostatic and hydrostatic permeabilities, as well as the fact that
      mass-transfer through the membrane results in a non-uniform distribution of the
      liquid current through it. It is suggested that as a consequence of this process
      there appears mechanical instability of the spherical membrane, which is the
      cause of the autowave process. Due to the membrane elasticity this process can be
      compared with the movement of "tank caterpillar".

PMID- 1854832
TI  - [Asymptotic solution of the model of the erythrocyte shape as an autowave
      process].
AB  - An asymptotic solution was plotted for a model of erythrocyte forms assuming that
      the biomembrane is anisotropic and of "small" thickness. This leads to small non
      linearity and low diffusion, therefore the solution is unrelaxational. The model
      was investigated qualitatively assuming that the liquid current directed inside
      the spheric membrane induces its "distension", while that directed outside-its
      "crumpling". In the spherical system of coordinates the lines of solution level
      at theta = const are circumferences, while at phi-const-trochoids (Pascal coil,
      for example). Trochoids rotation areas show stomacyte and discocyte forms.
      Several hypotheses based on the analysis performed are advanced.

PMID- 1854833
TI  - Retroviral oncogenes: interrelationships between neoplastic transformation and
      cell differentiation.

PMID- 1854834
TI  - Current status of protein methylation in carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1854835
TI  - [Endocarditis caused cy Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. Study of 2 cases and review
      of the literature].
AB  - Endocarditis produced by E. rhusiopathiae is a uncommon disease. Most of the
      infected persons (90%) work in environments with frequent exposure to E.
      rhusiopathiae (butchers, fisherman). Although the clinical picture of
      endocarditis produced by E. rhusiopathiae is indistinguishable from other forms
      of subacute endocarditis, this infection has a mortality rate of 40% and a high
      morbidity. Microbiological diagnosis should consider the possibility of making a
      mistake considering that isolation of a gram-positive bacillus may represent
      contamination by an agent without clinical relevance. Treatment with penicillin G
      during 4 weeks is commonly sufficient to cure the disease.

PMID- 1854836
TI  - [Molecular mechanisms of invasion and virulence in strains of the mesophilic
      aeromonas group isolated from human beings].

PMID- 1854837
TI  - [Ticks and Lyme disease].

PMID- 1854838
TI  - [Suppurative lumbar swelling].

PMID- 1854840
TI  - [Bilateral plantar lesions].

PMID- 1854839
TI  - [Fever, pain in the right leg and an abdominal mass].

PMID- 1854841
TI  - [Calcified pulmonary lesions].

PMID- 1854842
TI  - [Outbreak of borreliosis. Apropos of 7 cases].

PMID- 1854843
TI  - [Infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi in Extremadura].

PMID- 1854844
TI  - [Study of cross reactions using serological techniques between Borrelia
      burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum].

PMID- 1854845
TI  - [Isolation of Salmonella spp. from feces. Comparison of Rappaport-Vassiliadis
      media with selenite and tetrathionate basal media].

PMID- 1854846
TI  - [Ampicillin resistance in Salmonella].

PMID- 1854847
TI  - [Infection of a subcutaneous venous reservoir in a patient wtih AIDS].

PMID- 1854848
TI  - [Application of various epidemiological markers during an outbreak of food
      poisoning caused by Salmonella].

PMID- 1854849
TI  - [IgA glomerulonephritis associated with pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma
      pneumonia].

PMID- 1854850
TI  - [Aphthosis major treated with thalidomide in a patient with AIDS].

PMID- 1854851
TI  - [Autochthonous amebic liver abscess in a heterosexual man with human
      immunodeficiency virus infection].

PMID- 1854852
TI  - [Vancomycin resistance in Gram-positive bacteria].

PMID- 1854853
TI  - [Selective digestive decontamination. An entity to be defined].

PMID- 1854854
TI  - [Yield from studying the contacts of patients with tuberculosis].
AB  - Between march '88 and august '89 a total number of 437 contacts (CT) with 69
      patients with tuberculosis were analyzed. According to the bacteriological status
      of the index case the observations were distributed into: Group I (197) CT with
      patients with positive sputum AFB stain test; Group II (24) CT with cases with
      positive sputum culture but negative AFB stain; and Group III (216) CT with cases
      with histologic diagnosis or cases in children. Following identical criteria and
      according to the bacteriologic situation of the Source case, we grouped the
      contacts on groups A (246), B (17), and C (174). A clinical history, thorax
      radiography, and tuberculin test with 2 UT of PPD-RT 23 were performed in all CT
      cases. Tuberculin reaction was equal or greater than 6 mm in 45% (88/197), 25%
      (6/24), and 36% (77/216) of groups I, II, and III respectively. This reaction was
      also positive in 49% (121/246), 23% (4/17), and 26% (46/174) of groups A, B, and
      C respectively. Sixteen new cases of tuberculosis were discovered among which we
      identified 5 new source cases. A second tuberculin test was performed in 44%
      (116/266) of CT with a previous negative test, and in this population we observed
      16 conversions. It is demonstrated: 1) a high yield in the detection of
      infection/tuberculous disease; 2) the analysis of CT in group A provided the
      highest index of tuberculous infection, and 3) revision of CT of groups II and
      III provided most of the new cases of disease as well as the identification of 5
      new source cases.

PMID- 1854855
TI  - [Brain lesions in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].
AB  - During a period of 3 years 14 patients with AIDS and CNS focal lesions documented
      by CT scan were evaluated. All patients received empirical treatment against
      Toxoplasma. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the different
      etiologies of the neurologic lesions as well as to evaluate the usefulness of
      routine cerebral biopsy before establishing empiric antitoxoplasma treatment in a
      population of AIDS patients with a high incidence of drug addiction. Eleven
      patients developed histologic and clinical criteria of cerebral toxoplasmosis,
      one patient presented progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and in the
      remaining two patients the etiologic diagnosis could not be established. Only one
      patient presented multiple etiologic lesions and in no cases the presence of
      mycobacteria or fungi could be demonstrated in the cerebral tissue. The overall
      percentage of responses to the empiric antitoxoplasma treatment was 42%. This
      percentage increased to 54% if patients with coma were not included in the
      analysis. Cumulated mortality of the entire group was 78.5%. It is concluded: 1)
      the predominance of Toxoplasma gondii as a cause of cerebral lesions in our AIDS
      population; 2) the acceptable percentage of response to empiric antitoxoplasma
      treatment in non-comatose patients, and 3) the high overall mortality rate in
      these patients. It is therefore suggested that routine cerebral biopsies will not
      be justified as initial diagnostic approach in HIV positive patients with focal
      CNS lesions.

PMID- 1854856
TI  - [16 cases of infection by Cryptococcosis neoformans in patients with AIDS].
AB  - Sixteen patients with AIDS (6% of the total AIDS patients) who had infection by
      Cryptococcus neoformans were studied. Most of these patients (94%) had
      cryptococcal meningitis. Only 50% of the cases showed clinical manifestations of
      neurological involvement. Blood cultures and antigen level measurement were the
      diagnostic techniques with best results due to their high percentage of
      positivity. Sixty nine percent of patients survived the acute phase of the
      infection and only 3 of those who died in this period showed evidence of active
      infection patients by the fungus.

PMID- 1854857
TI  - [Evaluation of the Vitek system in the identification and biotyping of
      Streptococcus agalactiae].
AB  - Using the Vitek card for identification of gram-positive agents, 244 strains of
      Streptococcus agalactiae were studied. Twenty five out of these strains were
      studied during 3 consecutive days. The study also involved 25 pairs of maternal
      and neonatal strains. The system gave correct identification of only 52 out of
      244 strains of S. agalactiae. Due to the low reproducibility of the system it is
      suggested that the bionumbers used in the codification of a microorganism should
      be avoided.

PMID- 1854858
TI  - Psychophysics of muscle tension in psychiatric inpatients.
AB  - Twelve psychiatric inpatients and 16 control subjects each took part in a
      psychophysics experiment in which the method of production was used to study the
      perception of tension in the frontalis and forearm extensor muscles. Subjects
      tensed each muscle between 0% and 50% maximum effort, with 25% effort repeated
      every third trial, and used as a reference stimulus. Patients showed
      significantly lower correlations between frontalis EMG and percent effort than
      the control subjects, but no between-groups differences were found for forearm.
      Correlations were higher for differences between successive trials than for
      absolute values because of apparent baseline shifts in perception and/or
      production of muscle tension. The performance among the patients was not
      correlated with severity of psychiatric symptoms, antipsychotic medication,
      abnormal movements, or parkinsonian symptoms, although the n was small. Analysis
      of the regression of EMG on percent effort revealed approximately equal
      descriptive strength for three functions: a linear relationship, Stevens' power
      function, and Fechner's law. The implications of these findings for self
      regulation therapies are discussed.

PMID- 1854859
TI  - Muscular response to the therapist and symptomatic improvement during biofeedback
      for tension headache.
AB  - The relationship between muscular response to the therapist's presence and
      symptomatic improvement was studied during biofeedback. Thirty-two patients
      suffering from tension headaches received muscular biofeedback training of six
      sessions plus a follow-up session two months later. Patients' electro-myographic
      frontal response was measured prior to treatment both with and without the
      therapist present. A relationship was found between symptomatic improvement at
      follow-up and muscular response to the therapist's presence before treatment:
      patients showing a decrease of at least 10% in muscular tension response to the
      presence of their future therapist improved more regarding headache intensity
      than the patients showing increase or smaller variation of their EMG. A
      significant correlation of .59 was found between the frontal EMG response to
      therapist presence during the evaluation session and headache improvement at
      follow-up. The results suggest that the decrease of muscular tension during the
      first contact with the therapist could be an indicator of good prognosis,
      possibly because of an immediate positive therapeutic relationship and/or
      favorable expectancies concerning future benefit of treatment.

PMID- 1854860
TI  - An analogue study of the initial carryover effects of meditation, hypnosis, and
      relaxation using native college students.
AB  - An analogue study involving two experiments was conducted to test the initial
      carryover effects of hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation upon self-reports of
      awareness. In the first experiment, concentrative meditators reported fewer
      nonsensorial events than controls. In the second experiment, concentrative
      meditators again reported fewer nonsensorial events, but covariate analysis and
      pretest/posttest comparisons revealed that it was the controls who had changed,
      increasing their nonsensorial reports. In addition, the relaxation group
      increased its reports of somatic awareness. Results were discussed in terms of
      the effects of performance demands and the possibility that meditation and
      hypnosis might be able to disinhibit awareness processes otherwise inhibited by
      normal daily routines.

PMID- 1854861
TI  - EMG muscle scanning: comparison to attached surface electrodes.
AB  - Electromyographic (EMG) muscle scanning measures brief samples of integrated
      muscle action potentials from individual muscles using a hand-held scanner with
      post-style electrodes. This "scanning" technique is widely used by biofeedback
      practitioners to quickly assess muscle activity in the diagnosis of
      musculoskeletal disorders. In an effort to compare muscle scanning with the
      established technique using attached surface electrodes, ten healthy subjects (25
      35 years old) were scanned using 2-second sampling at five bilateral muscle sites
      while simultaneously monitoring the same sites with surface electrodes. This was
      repeated using 10-second scanning samplings. Pearson's product-moment
      correlations between scanning for 2 seconds and prolonged surface recording at
      all sites were 0.54-0.89. Scanning for 10 seconds improved the correlations to
      0.68-0.91. EMG scanning for 2 seconds compares favorably with attached surface
      electrode recording. Comparisons are further improved by 10-second scans.

PMID- 1854862
TI  - A preliminary investigation of prediction of mean arterial pressure after self
      regulatory treatments.
AB  - This study investigated the ability of pretreatment variables from three
      different domains (social-demographic, psychological, and psychophysiological) to
      predict posttreatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 59 unmedicated males with
      mild hypertension who were participating in a cross-cultural (USA-USSR)
      comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback to a self-relaxation
      control. The overall multiple regression equation consisted of two variables and
      indicated that higher diastolic blood pressures during a cold pressor task were
      predictive of greater MAP reductions while higher scores on the Irritability
      subscale of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Scale were predictive of less MAP
      reductions. Suggestions for future research in this area are provided.

PMID- 1854863
TI  - Negative side effects of self-regulation training: relaxation and the role of the
      professional in service delivery.
AB  - Procedures used for relaxation training can resolve or precipitate dysfunction in
      patients undergoing self-regulation treatments. The present article discusses the
      role of the clinician in administering relaxation training via thermal
      biofeedback and coping with unforeseen negative effects of treatment. A case
      illustration involving the biobehavioral treatment of chest pain is presented and
      discussed to remind the reader of the significance of the therapist's role in
      helping tailor treatment programs to unique responses of the individual patient.
      The case highlights the value of thorough case management and clinical
      formulation in the successful resolution of relaxation-induced leg pain.

PMID- 1854865
TI  - The industrialization of the hospitals and the unhappiness of the physicians.

PMID- 1854864
TI  - Physiological mechanisms of temperature biofeedback.
AB  - Research on the physiological mechanisms of finger temperature biofeedback with
      normal subjects and Raynaud's disease patients is reviewed. Studies conducted in
      the author's laboratory have shown that feedback-induced vasodilation is mediated
      through a non-neural, beta-adrenergic mechanism rather than through reductions in
      sympathetic nervous system activation. In contrast, feedback-induced
      vasoconstriction is mediated through the traditional, sympathetic nervous
      pathway. When used with primary Raynaud's disease patients, feedback-induced
      vasodilation has achieved reductions in reported symptom frequency ranging from
      66% to 92% in controlled investigations. Future research directions are
      discussed.

PMID- 1854866
TI  - Host defense mechanisms in the peritoneal cavity of continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis patients. 2. Humoral defenses.
AB  - This is the second of a 2-part series reviewing host defense mechanisms of the
      peritoneal cavity of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.
      This article discusses humoral aspects of host defenses and accompanies the first
      article that focused upon cellular defenses. The purpose of this review is to
      provide a critical analysis of studies that have investigated the importance of
      peritoneal humoral immunity of CAPD patients in the pathogenesis of peritonitis.
      Specific attention is given to how CAPD alters normal humoral defenses of the
      peritoneal cavity and the clinical significance of such alterations.

PMID- 1854868
TI  - Reduced risk for peritonitis in CAPD with the use of a UV connector box.
AB  - A common route for peritoneal infection is the bag transfer connecting site. To
      investigate possible reduction of such transfer infections with the use of a bag
      transfer set (UV-XD, Travenol, Baxter, Minneapolis), this study sampled patients
      using a transfer set with or without UV light sterilization. Calculations
      excluded peritonitis due to penetrating tunnel infection or defective peritoneal
      dialysis bag (4 episodes in 2 patients). The study included 51 patients with a
      median age of 62 years (range 25-81). Five were switched from manual connection
      (Travenol, Type II) to UV-XD, and each suffered from at least 2 peritonitis
      episodes during 9-24.5 months prior to the change to UV-XD. In this patient
      group, the incidence of peritonitis fell significantly from 1 peritonitis/4 to
      1/21 months. The bag transfer set was used without UV light in 35 patients for a
      total of 178 months, producing an incidence of 1 episode/7.7 treatment months.
      These patients had significantly more peritonitis than 35 patients who used the
      UV light for a total of 416 months (1 episode/21 months). In 19 patients who used
      both techniques, there was less risk for peritonitis when UV light was used (p =
      0.001). We conclude that the UV-XD device is simple to handle and may reduce the
      incidence of peritonitis, especially if the box is used in tandem with UV light
      sterilization.

PMID- 1854867
TI  - A multicenter, selection-adjusted comparison of patient and technique survivals
      on CAPD and hemodialysis.
AB  - Four hundred and eighty CAPD and 373 HD patients started regular dialysis
      treatment between 1981 and 1987 in 6 dialysis centers. The CAPD patients were 6
      years older, on average, than the HD patients and had more complicating
      conditions (43.3% with 3 or more coexisting risk factors versus 28.9% with
      coexisting complications). The 7-year patient survival rate was not significantly
      different. Cox's proportional hazards regression showed that age, cardiovascular
      disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes,
      malignancy and multisystem disease had significant adverse effects on patient
      survival. After correcting for the influence of these factors, no significant
      differences in patient survival were seen. However, after 53.5 years of age, the
      increase in the risk of death was significantly higher in HD than in CAPD
      patients. Technique survival was significantly different in the 6 centers and was
      better for HD than for CAPD. There was no statistically significant difference
      between CAPD and HD technique survival when peritonitis was eliminated as a cause
      of failure. Based on this 7 year analysis, CAPD would appear to be an excellent
      alternative to HD.

PMID- 1854869
TI  - Design and testing of the Baxter Integrated Disconnect Systems (IDS).
AB  - This paper describes the result of a miltidisciplinary approach to the design and
      evaluation of a new CAPD disconnect system: the Baxter Integrated Disconnect
      System (IDS). This system consists of a bag full of fresh Dianeal, an empty bag
      for the drainage of spent dialysate and tubings connecting the 2 in a Y fashion.
      With this system, the patient makes only one connection. The system is
      disposable. The major property that makes this unique is that all components are
      preassembled, and the whole system is steam-sterilized as 1 unit. In general,
      similar systems use different sterilization methods for the various components of
      the system. Those components are then assembled, under clean conditions by the
      manufacturer, without final sterilization of the unit. Assembly of the components
      is sometimes left to the patient. The concept of IDS, therefore, is unique and
      warrants lower rates of contamination. This system has been tested on patients
      for a total observation period of 765 patient months, and has proven to be
      simple, safe and effective. It yields a 63% probability of peritonitis-free
      patients at 24 months.

PMID- 1854870
TI  - Comparative study between intact PTH and fragments of PTH in patients on
      hemodialysis and CAPD.
AB  - Twenty-nine patients on hemodialysis (HD) and 29 patients on continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were studied. Serum calcium and phosphorous
      levels were similar in the 2 groups. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were
      determined by 4 different methods. Mid-molecule PTH levels were higher in HD
      (1099.5 +/- 876.8 pmol/L) than in CAPD patients (541.0 +/- 138.8 pmol/L), p less
      than 0.001, while intact PTH levels were similar. The ratio MM-PTH/Intact PTH was
      higher in HD (55.2 +/- 29.0) than in CAPD patients (39.0 +/- 20.0), where p less
      than 0.01. In patients with similar C-PTH, those on CAPD had higher levels of
      intact PTH (46.0 +/- 27.0 pmol/L) than those in HD (29.3 +/- 29.0 pmol/L), p less
      than 0.01. The ratio C-PTH/intact PTH was higher in HD (104.9 +/- 39.6) than in
      CAPD patients (59.3 +/- 32.3), p less than 0.001. The Peritoneal Saturation Index
      (PSI) of MM-PTH was 23.4 +/- 12%, and it showed a hyperbolic correlation in
      respect to MM-PTH serum levels. We concluded that CAPD can modify the plasma C
      PTH and MM-PTH serum levels by peritoneal losses of these fragments.

PMID- 1854871
TI  - Influence of dialysate exchange on cardiac left ventricular function in children
      treated with CAPD.
AB  - The influence of peritoneal dialysate exchange on the ventricular function in 11
      children on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) therapy was studied
      before and after instillation dialysate. Systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and
      echocardiographical data (shortening fraction and pre-ejection period/left
      ventricle ejection time-ratio) were obtained before and after instillation. There
      were no differences present with respect to the measured parameters after the
      abdomen was filled. It is concluded that in children treated with CAPD the
      exchange of normal volumes of dialysate has no influence on the function of the
      left ventricle.

PMID- 1854872
TI  - Factors affecting lymphatic absorption in Chinese patients on continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).
AB  - The pathways and physiology of lymph absorption (LA) from the peritoneal cavity
      are well documented; however, much uncertainty still exists as to the various
      clinical and demographic factors affecting LA. We studied LA measured by the
      albumin instillation method, in adult Chinese CAPD patients, and showed that it
      was independent of age, sex, body surface area, duration of dialysis, intrinsic
      renal disease, use of intraperitoneal drugs (heparin/antibiotics/deferroxamine)
      and frequency of past bacterial peritonitis. High lymph absorbers had a
      relatively higher transcapillary cumulative ultrafiltration than low lymph
      absorbers. An enhanced LA was associated with a high initial intraperitoneal
      volume. Assessment of diaphragmatic strength by the decrement in vital capacity
      on changing from an erect to a supine position failed to distinguish patients
      with high and low LA.

PMID- 1854873
TI  - Vestibular toxicity due to gentamicin in peritoneal dialysis patients.
AB  - Gentamicin is well known to be a cause of vestibular toxicity. Despite this,
      gentamicin is often used to treat peritonitis and exit-site infections in
      peritoneal dialysis patients because of the ease of intraperitoneal
      administration and the broad coverage of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli, including
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We report 4 cases of severe vestibular toxicity occurring
      in peritoneal dialysis patients treated with gentamicin. They were all treated as
      outpatients for peritonitis or an exit-site infection while on continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis
      (CCPD). The drug was administered to 3 patients in each peritoneal exchange (5
      mg/L) after a loading dose. A fourth patient was given 1 mg/kg of intraperitoneal
      gentamicin every other day. The mean length of treatment was 21 days. Levels were
      not used to adjust the doses. All developed severe vertigo from which there was
      incomplete or no recovery. We suggest that gentamicin and the other
      aminoglycosides should be used in peritoneal dialysis patients only when there is
      no suitable alternative antibiotic. When gentamicin is administered, levels
      should be carefully followed. Studies should be performed in peritoneal dialysis
      patients on the feasibility of dosing gentamicin intermittently, which may be
      less toxic than continuous intraperitoneal administration.

PMID- 1854874
TI  - Is intraperitoneal tobramycin ototoxic in CAPD patients?
AB  - In 40 CAPD patients treated for peritonitis, the authors did a prospective study
      of ototoxic effects of intraperitoneal tobramycin. They evaluated cochlear
      function in pure-tone threshold audiograms over a range of frequencies from 250
      10,000 Hz, in the speech-reception threshold test and in the speech
      discrimination test. These tests were performed within 48 hours of initiation of
      tobramycin treatment and within 2 or 3 weeks of the drug's discontinuation. With
      the aminoglycoside doses used in this study, no statistical difference between
      the mean baseline and mean follow-up hearing levels was seen in these 40
      patients. However, according to the standard criteria of ototoxicity, the hearing
      in 10 of 40 patients (25%) deteriorated after tobramycin, while it improved in
      seven patients (17.5%). In the remaining 23 (57.5%), hearing remained stable.
      With respect to the risk factors for ototoxicity such as advanced age, increased
      duration of treatment, elevated plasma aminoglycoside levels, concomitant
      treatment with other ototoxic drugs, pre-existing hearing loss, renal dysfunction
      and hyperthermia, no statistically significant difference was demonstrated
      between the patients with deteriorated, stable or improved hearing. The results
      of this study do not confirm that tobramycin given intraperitoneally to CAPD
      patients produces auditory toxicity. The hearing deterioration observed in 10
      patients may be due to synergistic factors. The improvement observed in 7
      patients could not be explained.

PMID- 1854875
TI  - The utility of a structured evaluation of elderly patients for continuous
      peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - The elderly comprise an increasing proportion of chronic dialysis patients.
      Recruiting them for continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD) would help CPD programs
      maintain a patient population. We retrospectively studied the ability of a
      prospective evaluation to predict success with CPD in elderly (age greater than
      60 years) patients. PD nurses and a renal social worker assigned scores in 10
      categories, which were then averaged to obtain an over-all evaluation score.
      Scores were from 1-5 with 1 = good, 5 = poor, and 3 = average. Thirty-four
      elderly patients began CPD during the study period. Evaluation scores were
      available for 28 of these patients before they began dialysis. Evaluation scores
      less than 3 predicted success with CPD (2.2 +/- 0.2 versus 3.2 +/- 0.4 in
      patients transferring to hemodialysis, p less than 0.02). Patient motivation and
      preference were the categories that predicted success with CPD. Elderly patients
      were more likely than younger patients (those less than 60 years of age) to
      decline CPD for social reasons (46% versus 4% respectively, p less than 0.001).
      Elderly patients required more CPD training time than young patients (4.9 +/- 0.7
      days versus 3.3 +/- 0.8 days respectively, p less than 0.01). We conclude that a
      prospective assessment of elderly patients can predict success with CPD and
      provide information important to individual structuring of CPD training and
      follow-up.

PMID- 1854876
TI  - Sclerosing peritonitis complicating prolonged use of chlorhexidine in alcohol in
      the connection procedure for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - Sclerosing peritonitis (SP) is an uncommon but serious complication of CAPD with
      various suggested etiologies. We have documented 14 cases of SP in 18 patients
      who had used chlorhexidine in alcohol (ChA) in the connection procedure for CAPD.
      Thirteen died. Nine of the 14 patients had been transferred to hemodialysis or
      renal transplantation, yet all still developed symptoms of SP within a few months
      after transfer - even the 5 who were originally asymptomatic. The main symptoms
      of SP were peritoneal ultrafiltration failure, exudative bloody ascites and
      intestinal obstruction. They presented at around 5 years (30-80 months) after
      commencement of CAPD. Most deaths were related to intestinal obstruction. Four
      other patients with a comparable duration of ChA exposure were continued on CAPD
      with the Travenol Spike System (TSS), without further exposure to ChA. They were
      all asymptomatic of SP after 9-12 months. Comparing the 2 groups of asymptomatic
      patients, those transferred to TSS had a much better outcome after 9 months than
      those transferred to HD or renal transplantation (P = 0.0476). We suggest that
      ChA is the main cause of SP in our patients and that continuing CAPD without
      further exposure to ChA is a better alternative than stopping CAPD to prevent the
      progression of SP.

PMID- 1854877
TI  - Strategies for improving dialysis decision making.
AB  - It is important that every professional involved with guiding ESRD patients
      through the maze of dialysis decision making critically analyze his or her own
      behaviors, possible biases and thought processes influencing discussions with
      patients. Health care professionals need to continue to strive to improve their
      skills for assuring optimal assistance to their patients in making decisions
      about the best types of treatments for them. In this era of evermore challenging
      patients and technologies, the skills for informing patients and assisting them
      with effective decision making about issues such as medical management, dialysis,
      transplantation or treatment termination are vital for assuring quality care.

PMID- 1854878
TI  - MTC of inulin from blood to peritoneum and from peritoneum to blood in CAPD
      patients.

PMID- 1854879
TI  - Pasteurella multocida peritonitis in CAPD: beware of the cats.

PMID- 1854880
TI  - Cure of persistent Pseudomonas peritonitis after prolonged antibiotic
      administration in CAPD patients.

PMID- 1854881
TI  - Literature. April-June 1991.

PMID- 1854883
TI  - Transforming genes and chromosome aberrations in therapy-related leukemia and
      myelodysplastic syndrome.
AB  - The presence of activated transforming genes was investigated in four patients
      with therapy-related leukemia and in three with therapy-related myelodysplastic
      syndrome. DNA of bone marrow cells from six of the patients exhibited
      transforming activity in the tumorigenicity assay. Five of the six patients who
      were positive in the tumorigenicity assay contained activated N-ras oncogenes,
      and three contained activated K-ras oncogenes. Thus, concurrent activation of N
      ras and K-ras oncogenes was observed in two patients. In vitro DNA amplification
      followed by oligonucleotide dot-blot analysis was used to investigate mutations
      in codons 12, 13, and 61 of the N-ras and K-ras oncogenes. Two patients exhibited
      an N-ras mutation, substituting aspartic acid (GAT) for glycine (GGT), and three
      patients exhibited an N-ras codon 13 mutation, substituting valine (GTT) for
      glycine. Two patients exhibited K-ras codon 12 mutations, substituting aspartic
      acid (GAT) or cysteine (TGT) for glycine (GGT), respectively, and one case
      exhibited a K-ras codon 61 mutation, substituting lysine (AAA) for glutamic acid
      (CAA). Cytogenetic analysis revealed that loss of chromosome 7 was frequent (four
      patients: 57%). Our data indicate that activation of N-ras and K-ras genes, as
      well as loss of heterozygosity for specific alleles on chromosome 7, plays a more
      important role in the leukemogenesis of both therapy-related leukemia and
      myelodysplastic syndrome.

PMID- 1854882
TI  - Interleukin-6 in clinical medicine.
AB  - This article covers the basic biological functions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in
      man. Three major topics are addressed more closely: the involvement of IL-6 in
      various disease states, particularly those of hematopoietic origin; the
      diagnostic usefulness of IL-6 measurements in biological fluids; the possible use
      of IL-6, IL-6 antagonists or IL-6 derivatives as therapeutic means.

PMID- 1854884
TI  - Further evidence for the molecular heterogeneity of chronic myeloid leukemia.
AB  - Cytogenetic and molecular techniques were performed on samples obtained from 29
      patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML); 27 were in the chronic phase and
      two were in blast crisis. A further five cases were also analyzed, two with
      atypical CML (aCML), one with chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL), and two with
      juvenile CML (JCML). Most of the cases with typical CML were Philadelphia
      chromosome (Ph) positive and had a rearrangement within the major breakpoint
      cluster region (M-bcr). One of these cases was shown to be Ph positive but showed
      no rearrangement within the M-bcr. Two cases with clinical features typical of
      CML were Ph negative. One of these showed a rearrangement within the M-bcr, but
      no rearrangement was demonstrated in the other. Both patients in blast crisis
      were Ph positive and M-bcr positive. One showed a second Ph. Patients with aCML
      were Ph negative and had no M-bcr rearrangement. A polymorphism within the M-bcr
      was found with BglII in one case. No Ph chromosome or M-bcr rearrangement was
      found in CNL or JCML. These data support the molecular heterogeneity reported in
      CML.

PMID- 1854885
TI  - A study of the myeloid differentiation antigens of the peripheral blood
      neutrophil granulocytes in the different evolutive phases of chronic myeloid
      leukemia.
AB  - To ascertain whether progression from the chronic to the accelerated and blastic
      phases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is associated with the loss of the
      myeloid differentiation antigens of the neutrophil granulocytes (NG), we analyzed
      two monoclonal antibodies (PMN 31D8 and PMN 13F6) recognizing normal peripheral
      blood NG membrane antigens in 49 patients in different evolutive stages of CML.
      Since five patients were studied twice, a total of 54 studies were carried out.
      Fourteen patients were evaluated at diagnosis, 12 in the controlled chronic phase
      within 1 year from diagnosis, 14 in the advanced chronic phase (median evolution
      3.25 years), and 14 in the accelerated (five cases) or blastic (nine cases)
      phases. Fourteen normal subjects served as a control group. At diagnosis, a
      significant decrease in the positivity for both antigens was observed with
      respect to controls, probably due to the circulation of incompletely mature NG.
      In the early chronic phase the values were within the normal range, whereas a
      significant decrease was registered in the advanced chronic phase and especially
      in the accelerated/blastic phase. A negative correlation between the NG
      positivity for both markers and the time elapsed from the moment of obtaining the
      initial control of the disease was found, suggesting that a progressive loss of
      the myeloid antigens of the NG occurs during the evolutive course of CML. These
      results seem to confirm the usefulness of the NG myeloid differentiation antigen
      study as an evolutive parameter in CML.

PMID- 1854886
TI  - Cyclosporin for hypereosinophilic syndrome.
AB  - The idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) comprises a heterogeneous group
      of disorders with unknown pathogenesis characterized by persistent peripheral
      blood and bone marrow eosinophilia and eosinophil infiltrates of multiple organs,
      leading to severe organ dysfunction. Lymphokine-mediated T-lymphocyte control of
      human eosinophilic granulopoiesis is though to play a major role in the
      pathogenesis of HES. Treatment of this disease with cyclosporin-A (CSA) therefore
      appears to be sensible. We report the case of a patient with a severe HES who
      failed to respond adequately to glucocorticoid treatment. With additional CSA
      therapy, disease activity showed a favorable remission and eosinophil counts
      rapidly decreased to the normal range and remained normal even after reduction of
      the methylprednisolone dosage to 7.5 mg daily. To date his remission has
      continued for more than 6 months. In the meantime we have confirmed the
      beneficial effects of CSA in two other cases of HES. This suggests that CSA
      treatment is justified, at least in combination with glucocorticoids, in severe
      cases of HES to prevent the side effects of a long-lasting high-dose
      glucocorticoid therapy.

PMID- 1854887
TI  - Post-transfusion purpura as the main manifestation of a trilineal transfusion
      reaction, responsive to steroids: flow-cytometric investigation of granulocyte
      and platelet antibodies.
AB  - We report a typical case of post-transfusion purpura (PTP) due to anti-PlA1 in a
      65-year-old woman. Serological studies were carried out using flow cytometry
      (FCM). The patient also developed red cell alloantibodies that produced a delayed
      hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR) and broad HLA antibodies. Treatment with
      high-dose intravenous IgG (HDIgG; a first-generation preparation) was
      ineffective, but a course of steroids resulted in a rapid increase in the the
      platelet count.

PMID- 1854888
TI  - Sebastian platelet syndrome. Two new cases in a Spanish family.

PMID- 1854889
TI  - [The permeability of thymocyte plasma membranes for calcium ions].
AB  - The passive calcium transport through the plasmatic membranes of thymocytes of
      cattle has been investigated. It has been found that this process is a reaction
      of the first order. The kinetic values of the reaction have been calculated.

PMID- 1854890
TI  - [Alkoxyl lipids--relics of the organic world: their formation, biotransformation
      and evolution].
AB  - The data on discovery, biosynthesis and distribution of alcoxylipids in different
      kingdoms of the organic world, their physiologic role and biologic action are
      given. A conception of possible abiotic synthesis of alcoxylipids on the early
      stages of the Earth evolution and the ways of their biotransformation is
      considered. The first biologic membranes are suggested to contain primarily
      alcoxylipids. During the appearing of photosynthetic mechanism and its improving
      the alcoxylipids of biomembranes oxidized in plasmalogens and then into diacyl
      lipids. The possibilities to use alcoxylipids as chemical makers of biomembranes
      for chemotaxonomy are under discussion.

PMID- 1854891
TI  - [The long-term storage of spermatozoa and its role in vertebrate fertilization].
AB  - A hypothesis according to which the prolonged sperm storage in female sex tracts
      optimizes the fertilization process, permitting to synchronize an encounter of
      completely formed fertile spermatozoa and ovule under the most favourable for
      syngamy conditions is proposed. Spermatozoa in the state of "conservation" are
      the main source of male gametes under internal fertilization. Synchronization in
      encounter of gametes is achieved by the action on sperm-storage structures of
      follicular fluids, which brings about evacuation of a portion of sperm-storage
      structures to be in time with ovulation: yield, reactivation and advancement of
      sperm to the site of fertilization. The activating agents of follicular fluids
      act inside the oviduct. The limited number of spermatozoa is sufficient for
      successful fertilization. Ovule participates actively in the fertilization
      process.

PMID- 1854892
TI  - [The effect of electrostimulation of the locus coeruleus, the medial parabrachial
      nucleus and the dorsal raphe nucleus on the paired activity of the respiratory
      center in rats].
AB  - Using the electromyographic method in acute experiments on anaesthetized with
      urethanum rats the different influence of locus coeruleus, nucleus medialis
      parabrachialis and nuclei raphae on respiratory centre activity has been
      established. The effect of the locus coeruleus depended on parameters of
      stimulation and on the character of the tested structures between each other and
      the bilateral regions of the respiratory centre.

PMID- 1854893
TI  - [The behavioral and cardiovascular reactions of the young chimpanzee in the 1st
      month of life].
AB  - The analysis of behavioral reactions and cardiac rhythm of 9-30 days old
      chimpanzees is given. It has been found that the active emotionally negative
      reaction with signs of avoidance and the passive defensive reaction of fading
      appear first. This behavioral reactions are reflected in the mechanisms of the
      cardiovascular system regulation. The active defensive reaction is accompanied by
      tachycardia growing from the beginning up to realization, and the passive
      defensive reaction is accompanied by bradycardia. The emotional reactions
      influence the tonus of floating nerve even at this age.

PMID- 1854894
TI  - Detection of protein deposition on contact lens type polymeric hydrogels by
      Coomassie blue R staining.
AB  - Using an aqueous solvent of high methanol content, we have been able to extend
      the use of Coomassie blue R protein staining to contact lens-type acrylate
      hydrogels of 35-80% water content. Protein deposition on a wide range of
      hydrogels was compared after exposure to protein and there was good agreement
      between in vitro and in vivo studies to assess deposit resistance. Staining was
      sensitive down to a 2 micrograms lysozyme/cm2 zone extending from one polymer
      surface to the other, and linear with protein content up to 40 micrograms/cm2.
      The staining method permits unusual deposit morphologies to be easily visualized
      and is best used for qualitative or semiquantitative evaluation of protein
      deposition during the development of new polymeric materials. We propose a new
      classification system for protein deposition based on the degree of Coomassie
      blue R staining.

PMID- 1854895
TI  - Biocompatible polyphosphazenes by radiation-induced graft copolymerization and
      heparinization.
AB  - Investigations were carried out on the radiation-induced graft copolymerization
      by direct irradiation of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate on to
      poly(bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene) and on to poly (bis(phenoxy)phosphazene).
      Kinetics of grafting were followed with the polyphosphazenes immersed in monomer 
      methanol mixtures of various composition. The grafted film samples were
      quaternized with methyl iodide and, to the produced ammonium group, heparin was
      ionically bonded with high yield. On the grafted and heparinized-grafted film
      samples an evaluation of hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, biocompatibility
      and anticoagulating properties was carried out.

PMID- 1854896
TI  - Wound management with N-carboxybutyl chitosan.
AB  - In patients undergoing plastic surgery, donor sites were treated with soft pads
      of freeze-dried N-carboxybutyl chitosan to promote ordered tissue regeneration.
      Compared to control donor sites, better histoarchitectural order, better
      vascularization and the absence of inflammatory cells were observed at the dermal
      level, whilst fewer aspects of proliferation of the malpighian layer were
      reported at the epidermal level. Accordingly, N-carboxybutyl chitosan leads to
      formation of regularly organized cutaneous tissue and reduces anomalous healing.

PMID- 1854897
TI  - X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the surface chemical structure of
      some biodegradable poly(orthoesters).
AB  - The surface analysis of some biodegradable poly(orthoesters) has been undertaken
      using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). There is very good agreement
      between the experimental and theoretical surface compositions. All the carbon
      environments of the poly(orthoesters) are detected within the high-resolution C1s
      peak envelopes and again, good agreement is observed between the theoretical and
      experimental proportions of each carbon environment. The data confirm the high
      surface purity of these polymers and demonstrate the potential for the use of XPS
      in future studies of the solid state in-situ degradation of poly(orthoesters).

PMID- 1854898
TI  - In vivo and in vitro degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in rat.
AB  - The inflammatory activity and biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) were
      examined. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) sheet did not cause any inflammation in the
      chorioallantoic membrane of the developing egg. The i.v. injection of 14C
      labelled poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) granules showed that 86, 2.5 and 2.4% of the
      total radioactivity administered were distributed in the liver, spleen and lung,
      respectively, and the radioactivity decreased slowly but steadily in most tissues
      examined during 2 month. Crude extracts of rat tissues showed that the activity
      degraded the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) granules in vitro.

PMID- 1854900
TI  - New collagen implant as dural substitute.
AB  - A collagen prosthesis was developed as a dural substitute. It is composed of a
      Dallop matrix-polyester knitted net with radiation cross-linked collagen on both
      sides. Collagen was derived from enzyme-treated bovine Achilles tendons. Improved
      hydrophilic properties of the polyester base ensuring stronger adhesion to
      collagen were obtained by pretreating the net with a low-temperature plasma in
      air. Cross-linking of collagen and simultaneous sterilization of the final
      prosthesis was obtained by irradiation with 5 MeV electrons. Measurement of the
      physicochemical parameters of the prostheses gives satisfactory results. In vitro
      biological examinations show that the prostheses are non-toxic. The results of in
      vivo clinical experimental evaluation are positive and lead to the conclusion
      that the collagen-covered polyester net does not differ significantly from
      Zenoderm dural substitute.

PMID- 1854899
TI  - In vitro association of type III collagen with elastin and with its solubilized
      peptides.
AB  - Elastin fibres or elastin solubilized peptides associated with type III collagen,
      under physiological conditions, to form a gel-like substance. The gel cohesion
      could be markedly improved either by desiccation process (gently air-dried rather
      than lyophilized) or by addition of adhesive connective proteins such as
      fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen. They conferred to the material the
      composition and the structural appearance of typical basement membrane-like
      structure. Their properties enable us to investigate the biomaterial in several
      domains.

PMID- 1854901
TI  - Effect of surface hydrophilicity on ex vivo blood compatibility of segmented
      polyurethanes.
AB  - The relationship between surface, bulk and ex vivo blood-contacting properties of
      segmented polyurethanes with various polyol soft segment was investigated. The
      polyols used in this study were poly(ethylene oxide), poly(tetramethylene oxide),
      hydrogenated poly(butadiene), poly(butadiene) and poly(dimethylsiloxane). The
      hard segment of these segmented polyurethanes was composed of 4,4'
      diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1,4 butanediol, present at 50 wt%. An
      experimental polyurethane, Biostable PUR, which has shown excellent biostability,
      was used in this study. The segmented polyurethanes based on the hydrophobic
      polyols such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) and hydrogenated poly(butadiene) showed
      distinct microphase separation between hard and soft segments. X-ray
      photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the surface enrichment of the hydrophobic
      component at the air-solid interface. Dynamic contact angle measurements
      indicated that the poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based segmented polyurethane possessed
      a hydrophobic surface in water. The poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based segmented
      polyurethane had the lowest platelet adhesion among the segmented polyurethanes
      investigated in this study, whilst the platelet deposition on the poly(ethylene
      oxide)-based polymer increased with time.

PMID- 1854902
TI  - Soft filamentous woven polyester arterial prosthesis from China.
AB  - Woven polyester arterial prostheses have traditionally been known for their tight
      construction and smooth surface which has limited their healing capacity and
      resulted in poor attachment of their internal and external capsules. A new woven
      prototype has recently been developed in the Peoples' Republic of China. Among
      its unique features are its high physical porosity, softness and flexibility.
      This study undertook a series of in vitro tests to characterize its structure and
      physical properties in comparison with four commercial polyester grafts of North
      American origin. In addition, an animal trial was completed in which the new
      prototype was implanted as an infrarenal aortic substitute in 20 dogs for periods
      ranging from 4 h to 12 month. The in vitro tests confirmed a unique lightweight,
      highly porous, satin weave construction. Because of its high water permeability,
      preclotting was necessary before implantation. Once preclotted and installed, no
      significant blood loss was observed, and 19 of the 20 grafts remained patent at
      the sacrifice. Rapid full-width healing was achieved with tightly bound capsules,
      and more extensive tissue ingrowth was observed. Further work is needed to
      evaluate its long-term durability as an arterial substitute.

PMID- 1854903
TI  - Long-term behaviour of active glasses in sheep mandibular bone.
AB  - Granules of a glass (A) prepared according to Hench's formula and a new vitreous
      material for biological applications (AKRA 15) were used for repair of bone
      defects in the dental field. The behaviour of these materials implanted in holes
      drilled in sheep's mandibular bone was examined 4, 8, 12 month after
      implantation. Microradiographic analyses, optical and scanning electron
      microscopic observations, and X-ray microprobe evaluations were carried out using
      undecalcified, methacrylate-embedded sections of the jaw containing the granules.
      After one year the granules of A disappeared, but not important bone growth was
      observed also in the holes containing AKRA 15. SEM and microprobe showed:
      disappearance of Na and Si ions at different stages; increase of P and Ca up to 4
      month and then decrease, but in different ways in the two glasses; unexpected
      appearance of K ions after 4 month only in AKRA 15.

PMID- 1854904
TI  - [Structural description of the human eye using Petri nets].
AB  - Petri nets are a tool for analysing and modelling processes and systems. Here
      they are used to describe the human visual canal for the first time. A dynamic
      net describes the formation of a glaucoma.

PMID- 1854905
TI  - [Measuring electric impedance of organs--methodologic principles].
AB  - Ischemia causes changes in organ tissue (e.g. during operation or
      transplantation) which may finally lead to irreversible injury, so that the organ
      can no longer be resuscitated. To the extent that these changes affect the
      electrical properties of the tissue they are manifested in the impedance
      spectrum. As an example, the course of impedance of a HTK-protected porcine liver
      is presented in the frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 10 MHz, which includes two
      dispersion--alpha- and beta-dispersion. Using a suitable electrical equivalent
      circuit analogue to the structure of the liver, the behavior of the alpha- and
      beta-dispersion is explained on the basis of gap junction closure and narrowing
      of the extracellular space due to cell swelling.

PMID- 1854906
TI  - A device for functional residual capacity controlled biofeedback of respiratory
      resistance.
AB  - A computer-aided procedure is presented providing subjects with analogous visual
      feedback of respiratory resistance, which is continuously measured using the
      forced oscillation method. Simultaneous pneumotachographical control of the
      breathing volume curve makes it possible to prevent reinforcement for decreases
      of respiratory resistance which are due to increases of functional residual
      capacity (FRC). Lung hyperinflation is an unsuitable way to reduce respiratory
      resistance; if it occurs, feedback is interrupted until the subject decreases his
      FRC to its initial level. Analysis of the data of 15 adult asthmatic subjects
      which underwent a 12-sessions feedback training showed that no substantial
      changes of FRC appeared within feedback trials. Advantages of this new
      biofeedback technique compared to other procedures are discussed with regard to
      volume control and feedback signal.

PMID- 1854907
TI  - Passive viscoelastic properties of the rabbit aorta in vitro.
AB  - Tensile tests on longitudinal and circumferential strips of the rabbit aorta have
      been performed. Stress-strain and relaxation parameters have been estimated with
      respect to four stress levels and three positions on the aorta. Stress-strain
      data indicate that in longitudinal direction the aorta becomes more compliant
      with distance from the aortic arch. The opposite tendency is found for the
      circumferential direction. Stress-relaxation is found to be strongly dependent on
      the stress level. The results are discussed with regard to arterial dynamics.

PMID- 1854908
TI  - Cladistic methods and chromophyte phylogeny.
AB  - An examination of systematic methods is undertaken to establish
      interrelationships within the chromophytic algae, focussing on their relationship
      to the Oomycota. Evidence from both molecular and morphological studies suggests
      that the Oomycota appeared before the pigmented chromophytes. Theories on the
      origin of the chromophyte chloroplast are examined in the light of these
      findings.

PMID- 1854909
TI  - A proposed phylogeny of the flagellated protostelids.
AB  - The flagellated members of the group of mycetozoans known as protostelids have
      been recognized for some time to be members of a monophyletic group which also
      includes the myxomycetes. This inference was based primarily upon comparisons of
      the flagellar apparatus of the amoeboflagellate state. However, more detailed
      comparisons based on the whole life history and comparisons with an outgroup were
      necessary to have information sufficient to determine the interrelationships
      within the group. Recent studies of the other states of the life history of
      protostelids have provided a wealth of additional morphological and developmental
      characters such that an in depth phylogenetic analysis is possible. The results
      show that the group can be resolved into two major clades, one of which contains
      the myxomycetes and the myxomycete-like protostelid genera, Protosporangium,
      Clastostelium, and Ceratiomyxa, and another which contains the protostelid genera
      Planoprotostelium, Cavostelium, and Ceratiomyxella. As the myxomycetes appear to
      be part of the ingroup, and not a sister group to the protostelids, L.S. Olive's
      subclass Protostelia must be considered paraphyletic.

PMID- 1854910
TI  - Fossils as keys to evolution in fungi.
AB  - Both flagellated and nonflagellated fungi have an extensive fossil record, which
      is, however, unevenly documented and often difficult to interpret. Recent work on
      Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous terrestrial assemblages has provided
      plausible evidence for all major groups of extant fungi in the Paleozoic. Key
      events in fungal macroevolution thus probably took place in the early Paleozoic
      or the late Precambrian, and the likelihood of finding definitive fossil evidence
      for them is small. The fossil record also provides evidence for morphological
      conservatism and early establishment of a spectrum of intimate associations
      between fungi and vascular plants. A model for the origin of terrestrial fungi
      involving two distinct lines of biotrophs in lichen-like symbioses with algae is
      proposed.

PMID- 1854911
TI  - A model for diurnal patterns of carbon fixation in a Precambrian microbial mat
      based on a modern analog.
AB  - Microbial mat communities are one of the first and most prevalent biological
      communities known from the Precambrian fossil record. These fossil mat
      communities are found as laminated sedimentary rock structures called
      stromatolites. Using a modern microbial mat as an analog for Precambrian
      stromatolites, a study of carbon fixation during a diurnal cycle under ambient
      conditions was undertaken. The rate of carbon fixation depends primarily on the
      availability of light (consistent with photosynthetic carbon fixation) and
      inorganic carbon, and not nitrogen or phosphorus. Atmospheric PCO2 is thought to
      have decreased from 10 bars at 4 Ga (10(9) years before present) to approximately
      10(-4) bars today, implying a change in the availability of inorganic carbon for
      carbon fixation. Experimental manipulation of levels of inorganic carbon to
      levels that may have been available to Precambrian mat communities resulted in
      increased levels of carbon fixation during daylight hours. Combining these data
      with models of daylength during the Precambrian, models are derived for diurnal
      patterns of photosynthetic carbon fixation in a Precambrian microbial mat
      community. The models suggest that, even in the face of shorter daylengths during
      the Precambrian, total daily carbon fixation has been declining over geological
      time, with most of the decrease having occurred during the Precambrian.

PMID- 1854912
TI  - Archamoebae: the ancestral eukaryotes?
AB  - The archezoan phylum Archamoebae Cavalier-Smith, 1983 is here modified by adding
      a new order Phreatamoebida (presently containing only Phreatamoeba) and removing
      the family Entamoebidae. Entamoebidae are instead tentatively placed as a class
      Entamoebea together with the classes Heterolobosea, Percolomonadea and
      Pseudociliatea in the new protozoan phylum Percolozoa Cavalier-Smith, 1991. Thus
      emended the phylum Archamoebae is more homogeneous; it is more distinguished from
      the other two phyla of the primitively amitochondrial kingdom and superkingdom
      Archezoa (i.e. Metamonada and Microsporidia) by having kinetids with only a
      single flagellum and basal body and a flagellar root consisting of a cone of
      evenly spaced microtubules. This unikont character of the archamoebae suggests
      that they may be ancestral to the tetrakont Metamonada, from which the non
      flagellate Microsporidia possibly evolved. Higher eukaryotes (superkingdom
      Metakaryota) probably evolved from a tetrakont metamonad by the symbiotic origin
      of mitochondria and peroxisomes. If so, the Archamoebae are the most primitive
      extant phylum of eukaryotes; if molecular phylogenetic studies confirm this idea,
      Archamoebae will deserve intensive study, which could reveal much about the
      origin of the eukaryote condition and also establish what is truly universal
      among eukaryotes. Archamoebae, like other Archezoa, lack mitochondria and
      peroxisomes and have no obvious Golgi dictyosomes. Their evolutionary
      significance is discussed and a detailed classification is presented in which the
      two earlier classes are merged into a single one: Pelobiontea Page, 1976 stat.
      nov., containing two orders Mastigamoebida Frenzel, 1892 (Syn. Rhizo-Flagellata
      Kent, 1880 non Rhizomastigida auct.) (including Mastigamoeba, Mastigina,
      Mastigella, Pelomyxa and probably a few other genera, which have one or more
      flagella or cilia (motile or immotile, 9 + 2 or otherwise) in the amoeboid
      trophic phase), and Phreatamoebida ord. nov. (including only Phreatamoeba in the
      new family Phreatamoebidae, which has alternating phases of non-flagellate
      amoebae and uniflagellate cells). Mastigamoebida are divided into three families:
      Mastigamoebidae Goldschmidt, 1907; Mastigellidae fam. nov.; Pelomyxidae Schulze,
      1877. Archamoebae may be uni- or multi-nucleate and either gut parasites or (more
      usually) free-living in soil, freshwater, or marine habitats. Some can form cysts
      that would probably fossilize; the earliest (1450 My old) smooth-walled fossil
      cells large enough to be probable eukaryotes might therefore be archamoebal
      cysts.

PMID- 1854913
TI  - Paleozoic Foraminifera.
AB  - The approximately 300 million years that make up Paleozoic time saw the evolution
      of eight of the fifteen recognized suborders of Foraminifera. Of the suborders
      present in the Paleozoic, seven are morphologically relatively simple, slowly
      evolving, and continued into Mesozoic and Cenozoic times to become the ancestoral
      lineages from which evolved several additional post-Paleozoic suborders. In
      contrast, an eighth Paleozoic suborder, the Fusulinina, was an abundant,
      ecologically dominant group that evolved from simple to highly specialized forms
      and had a history of rapid evolution with diverse lineages. Fusulinines became
      extinct at the end of the Paleozoic. Their early representatives may have given
      rise to three and eventually four post-Paleozoic suborders. A number of suborders
      in the Paleozoic have similar, supposedly independent, early evolutionary
      patterns with the following series of morphological steps: (1) single chambers
      with or without apertures depending on the amount of wall cement; (2) groups of
      chambers that appear to be buds or aggregations of individuals rather than true
      chambers; (3) a proloculus followed by a tubular second chamber that is first
      erect and gradually evolves into enrolled free-living individuals; (4)
      development of constrictions in the tubular chamber; and finally (5) evolution of
      true chambers. These morphological steps, which are basic organizational steps
      with evolutionary significance, appear in lineages with quite different test
      compositions and, therefore, are considered only distantly related in the present
      classification.

PMID- 1854914
TI  - Microtubular spindle and centrosome structures during the cell cycle in a
      dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii B.: an immunocytochemical study.
AB  - In order to determine if a mitotic spindle organizing center is present in
      dinoflagellate cells, we used a library of 12 monoclonal antibodies obtained by
      immunizing mice with isolated human centrosomes. When tested by
      immunofluorescence on cryosections of the dinoflaggelate Crypthecodinium cohnii
      B., a positive labeling was obtained with three of these antibodies. In
      interphase cells, the anti-centrosome antibodies labeled structures located
      either in the cell periphery, corresponding probably to both basal bodies (i.e.
      kinetosomes) and in the perinuclear area. In the latter case, two punctate
      structures were observed near the nuclear envelope. They have never been
      described, either in light, or in electron microscopic studies of
      dinoflagellates. We have designated them as centrosome-like structures. A
      microtubular desmose reacting positively with anti-tubulin Ab was also visible,
      linking kinetosomes and centrosome-like structures. During mitosis, the double
      punctate structures were observed at the poles of the nucleus. Double
      immunolabeling with tubulin and anti-centrosome Ab was also carried out and
      strongly suggested that in mitotic cells, centrosome-like structures, located at
      the poles of the mitotic spindle, were associated with microtubular bundles and
      probably organize and polarize them. These data indicate the existence of
      centrosome-like structures in C. cohnii cells and the strong conservation of some
      centrosomal epitopes from dinoflagellates to human. One of the antibodies (CTR
      210) recognized by immunoblotting, a single protein band at 72 kDa from a total
      protein extract. The direct demonstration that this protein is located at the
      centrosome-like structures and at the kinetosomes deserves further study.

PMID- 1854915
TI  - Phylogeny of the colonial green flagellates: a study of 18S and 26S rRNA sequence
      data.
AB  - A study of phylogenetic relationships of the colonial green algal flagellates
      based on nuclear 18S and 26S rRNA sequence data suggests that the colonial habit
      has had at least two independent origins. All colonial taxa included in the
      analysis, except Stephanosphaera, are allied in a clade with Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii and other Chlamydomonas taxa ascribed to the Euchlamydomonas group by
      Ettl. In contrast, Stephanosphaera is allied with other unicellular flagellates
      including Haematococcus. Comparison of the 18S and 26S data shows that the two
      sets of data yield different results following cladistic analysis. The 18S data
      provide the principal signal that supports the more basal divergences, but the
      data do not unambiguously address relationships among taxa in the clade that
      includes most colonial flagellates and Chlamydomonas taxa representative of the
      Euchlamydomonas group (sensu Ettl). In contrast, the 26S data have fewer
      informative sites that support basal divergences than the 18S data, but provide
      much of the signal that supports resolution of taxa in the colonial flagellate
      clade in an analysis of the combined 18S and 26S rRNA sequence data. Additional
      sequence data from the 26S molecule and additional taxa may reduce the
      topological ambiguity inferred from the sequence data for the colonial
      flagellates. Alternatively, an ancient and rapid radiation of taxa in the
      colonial lineage could account for the topological ambiguity. Despite some
      unresolved questions of relationships, cladistic analysis of the combined data
      sets provides some robustly supported concepts of evolution in these flagellates.

PMID- 1854916
TI  - [Episodic progression of periodontitis--histologic associations].
AB  - Periodontal lesions are primarily diagnosed using the periodontal probe. Using
      site-specific probing attachment level measurements in defined time intervals,
      dentists can identify patients and dentition segments that suffer temporarily
      from a high periodontitis progression rate. The present article describes whether
      sites where clinical measurements suggested a high progression rate had tissue
      characteristics different from nonprogressing sites. Ten patients with untreated
      advanced adult periodontitis were monitored for 10 months by measuring clinical
      parameters every 30 days. These parameters were gingival index, plaque index,
      bleeding index, bleeding on probing, probing depth and probing attachment levels.
      Every month pairs of contralateral sites were sought where one site had lost 2 mm
      (P-2) or more (P greater than 2) probing attachment (P-sites) and the other site
      had not (C-site). From these sites supracrestal soft tissue biopsies were taken.
      After histological processing, a first analysis determined the number of
      inflammatory cells in 9 standard areas in P- and C-biopsies. A second analysis
      evaluated cell populations at the apical end of the junctional epithelium. The
      results showed that bleeding on probing, probing depth and probing attachment
      loss were statistically significantly greater at P-sites. At C-sites there were
      only few inflammatory cells. At P-2-sites there were numerous inflammatory cells,
      and in P greater than 2-sites the number of these cells was statistically
      significantly greater than in corresponding control sites. The cell populations
      at the apical end of the junctional epithelium were different between P- and C
      sites. At P-sites, the percentage of mast cells, monocytes/macrophages and plasma
      cells was statistically significantly greater than at C-sites. At C-sites, the
      percentage of fibroblasts was statistically significantly greater than at P
      sites. These results demonstrate that clinical probing identifies episodes of
      periodontitis progression, which are associated with pronounced changes in tissue
      characteristics, namely greater numbers of inflammatory cells.

PMID- 1854917
TI  - [Intensive studies seminar for dental prophylaxis].
AB  - The significant role oral prophylactic measures play in the prevention of caries
      and periodontal disease and the importance of continuing systematic treatment for
      patients suffering from periodontitis have been scientifically documented in
      clinical studies. Practical application of this knowledge on a day-to-day basis
      in dental offices has thus far been hampered by the shortage of appropriately
      trained personnel. In September 1989, the Zahnarztekammer Berlin founded the
      "Intensive Studies Seminar for Dental Prophylaxis". In a one-year, vocational
      course of study, participants acquire the knowledge and practical skills
      necessary to establish and maintain a system of prophylactic treatment capable of
      being integrated into the dental practice. The purpose of the following article
      is to give information concerning the concept behind the program, as well as to
      introduce the course of study and its various aspects. The experiences gained in
      the program's first year were positive, and graduates of the course are in
      demand. It is therefore to be hoped that the concept underlying this seminar will
      take hold.

PMID- 1854918
TI  - [Collagen as a basic element of the periodontium: immunohistochemical aspects in
      the human and animals. 2. Cementum and periodontal ligament].
AB  - Immunohistochemical knowledge of the distribution of the collagen types in the
      cementum and periodontal ligament were reported in this paper. Because of the
      different localization of each of these collagenous components in the two
      periodontal tissues its function in the matrix was explored. It was also possible
      to clarify the role of collagen in healthy periodontium as well as in
      regeneration and wound healing mechanisms.

PMID- 1854919
TI  - [Rehabilitation of partially edentulous cases with telescope crowns: modified,
      fully veneered tapered crowns].
AB  - Telescope crowns are well established as prosthodontic retainers for removable
      partial dentures. After a short review of the advantages and disadvantages of
      telescope crowns, the specifies of tapered crowns are described. By the use of
      appropriate tooth preparation and the fabrication of modified, fully resin
      veneered tapered crowns, it is possible to improve on the crown contours and the
      aesthetics provided by conventional tapered crowns. Periodontal prophylactic
      conditions are also considered.

PMID- 1854921
TI  - [Glossary of basic definitions for dental practice].

PMID- 1854920
TI  - [The Pontic. Preventive consideration of pontic design].
AB  - When fixed partial dentures are provided for edentulous areas of the alveolar
      ridge, the previously impaired masticatory and phonetic functions as well as
      esthetics are restored immediately; in the long run, the restoration helps to
      stabilize the occlusion, thus maintaining the integrity of the temporomandibular
      joints and the neuromuscular system. The reabsorption of connective tissues
      following the loss of teeth as well as the changes in the dimensions of
      edentulous areas that occur over time will have to be taken into account in that
      the basic shape of the tooth or teeth to be replaced needs to be modified.
      Pontics usually present a larger surface than natural teeth; on this surface,
      plaque may accumulate. The self-cleaning mechanisms are ineffective on the
      surfaces facing the adjacent teeth or the tissues of the alveolar ridge. For this
      reason, the pontics and their flexible or rigid connectors to the abutments must
      be considered the weakest parts of the restoration. The long-term success of the
      restoration, once periodontal treatment and optimum prosthodontic care have been
      provided, depends on whether considerations of periodontal prevention played a
      role in the design of the restoration and on postinsertion periodontal care.

PMID- 1854922
TI  - [Interdental brushes and toothpicks--presentation of useful prophylaxis
      articles].

PMID- 1854923
TI  - [65 years ARPA/DGP--development of periodontology in the Federal Republic of
      Germany].
AB  - A review of the founding and development of the German ARPA (Association for
      Periodontal Research) and the ARPA International is presented. Those researchers
      who shaped and influenced the ARPA were also instrumental in the development of
      periodontics in Germany. The changes in nomenclature and therapeutic concepts
      over the decades are also depicted. In 1970 the ARPA became the DGP (German
      Society of Periodontology). The DGP was one of the founders of the Journal of
      Clinical Periodontology. In Germany over the past few decades, an attempt has
      been made to place periodontics in its appropriate position within dentistry with
      respect to teaching and research.

PMID- 1854924
TI  - [Teamwork in the dental practice with special regard to periodontology].
AB  - A prophylactically oriented concept of periodontal treatment is inconceivable
      without purpose-trained personnel. This fact led to the new profession of dental
      hygienist, being introduced into many countries more than 15 years ago. In
      Germany, attempts were made to close the gap with the profession of dental
      assistant (ZMF). This model has, however, proved a failure because--besides the
      advanced training curriculum not being sufficiently specialized--the demand for
      dental assistants is far greater than the supply. Many dentists, therefore,
      employ assistants with relevant training in the form of updating courses. Apart
      from the fact that this frequently results in legal misgivings, it also fails to
      meet the demand. For this reason, it is absolutely essential that personnel
      structures be adapted nationwide to a prophylactically oriented concept of
      periodontal treatment. Account is being taken of experience already gained
      abroad, as well as current opportunities for training and advanced training in
      Germany, including the legal principles valid in this country.

PMID- 1854925
TI  - [Methods aimed at lengthening the clinical crown: a review].
AB  - This review deals with the different methods of lengthening the clinical crown
      and discusses the advantages and/or disadvantages of each method. Different flap
      procedures, including ostectomy and osteoplasty, reduce the height of the
      alveolar crest aiming at a distance of about 3 mm to a future reconstruction
      margin. Root planing may avoid reattachment of surgically separated fibers. Other
      methods like gingivectomy, electrosurgery, intra-alveolar transplantation, and
      forced eruption might contain considerable biological disadvantages. However, if
      the extrusion is combined with regular fiberotomy, this method becomes the most
      conservative with respect to the periodontal tissues of neighboring teeth. On the
      other hand, not all situations which require lengthening of the clinical crown
      can be solved by orthodontic extrusion and fiberotomy. Therefore, depending on
      the clinical problem, either the surgical lengthening of the clinical crown or
      the orthodontic extrusion with separation of the fibers are the recommended
      procedures.

PMID- 1854926
TI  - [Subgingival irrigation in periodontal therapy].
AB  - Subgingival plaque control is a decisive factor in periodontal therapy. Up to the
      present, removal of plaque and calculus by repeated scaling procedures has been
      regarded as the only viable method to achieve this goal. Recent investigations,
      however, suggest that the topical application of antibacterial substances or
      subgingival irrigation procedures are capable of yielding comparable improvements
      of periodontal health. This review paper is dedicated to subgingival irrigation.
      Besides an overview of techniques and results, we discuss our own experiences,
      including two case presentations. The results so far are encouraging.
      Nevertheless, due to the general lack of scientific data with extended time
      intervals, this method is not suitable yet as an alternative to conventional
      procedures in periodontal routine care. Until further long-term evidence has been
      gathered, subgingival irrigation should be regarded only as a valuable adjunct to
      scaling and root planing.

PMID- 1854927
TI  - [Treatment of a patient with advanced periodontitis].
AB  - This case report presents the planning and clinical treatment of a patient with
      advanced periodontitis and insufficient prosthetic reconstruction. After initial
      therapy with extraction of the unrestorable teeth, periodontal surgery was
      performed partly by means of the implantation of hydroxyapatite into bony
      defects. The prosthodontic treatment consisted of a fixed/removable prosthesis in
      the maxilla, together with a shortened teeth arch in the mandible. This clinical
      treatment, combined with regular recalls, has ensured the patient a functional
      and esthetic reconstruction for a period of 4 years.

PMID- 1854928
TI  - [Glossary of basic definitions for dental practice. Use of clinical indexes in
      daily dental practice].

PMID- 1854929
TI  - [Interplak--a new concept for mechanical plaque removal].

PMID- 1854930
TI  - [Interventional radiology. A cooperative future for radiologists and surgeons].

PMID- 1854931
TI  - [Observations on the formation of the secondary venous system of the abdominal
      cavity with special reference to idiopathic left-sided varicocele].
AB  - Based on 1,778 radiologic investigations of vena cava inferior, left renal vein
      and left spermatic vein the anomalies due to incorrect transformations from the
      first to the second abdominal venous system are presented. A persistent vena
      cardinalis posterior could be demonstrated in two cases. Varicoceles were seen
      with and without insufficient valves of the spermatic vein and venous outflow
      obstruction of the renal vein, respectively. Based on the demonstrated
      phlebographies disorders of ontogenesis seem to be the cause of the idiopathic
      left-sided varicoceles.

PMID- 1854932
TI  - [CT-guided course-punch biopsy of the adrenals. The indications, technic and
      results].
AB  - Adrenal lesions exceeding 1.5 cm diameter were biopsied with a Tru-Cut needle (G
      14) under CT guidance for histologic evaluation in 61 patients. Using CT for
      guidance, special techniques for safe access to the adrenals are described. Large
      bore biopsy yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.4%. Diagnostic
      accuracy was 98.3%. No significant complications occurred. In comparison to the
      results of FNA reported in the literature, large-bore biopsy of adrenal lesions
      improves the rate of adequate material and the histopathologic differentiation
      without increase of complications.

PMID- 1854933
TI  - [The skeletal changes in premature infants with a copper deficiency].
AB  - We describe 5 preterm infants (25th to 30th week of gestation) suffering from
      alimentary copper deficiency. The diagnosis was confirmed by low serum copper and
      caeruloplasmin concentrations. Characteristic clinical findings were repeated
      apnoeic attacks, hypopigmentation of skin and hair, anaemia, neutropenia and
      leucopenia refractory to other therapy, as well as increasing serum alkaline
      phosphatase activity in the first month of life. Starting in the 3rd to 12th week
      of life the radiographic findings were general skeletal osteoporosis and
      retardation, metaphyseal radiodense lines, irregular metaphyses, cupping and
      spurring of the metaphyses, followed by multiple fractures and subperiosteal new
      bone formation and enlarged costochondral junctions. Copper was substituted
      orally resulting in complete healing of fractures and improvement in both
      clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters.

PMID- 1854934
TI  - Denta Scan: CT software program used in the anatomic evaluation of the mandible
      and maxilla in the perspective of endosseous implant surgery.
AB  - A radiological technique, using a new CT software program for the evaluation of
      alveolar process height and width, is presented. Irradiation is kept within
      acceptable limits when this technique is used. Measurements obtained with this
      technique were compared with those obtained on panoramic radiographs in 40 "half
      jaws" (21 maxillar and 19 mandibular). We found that new indications for
      implantation emerge in the mandibular region because 'Denta Scan' can sometimes
      show possibilities to place implants on the buccal side of the canal (2 of 19
      mandibular cases) when no possibilities are present above the canal on both the
      panoramic radiographs and Denta Scan images. In the maxillar region Denta Scan
      avoids unnecessary interventions by demonstrating the insufficient width of the
      alveolar ridge, often missed on panoramic radiographs (4 of 21 maxillar cases).
      Moreover the use of Denta Scan allows the use of implants with optimal length and
      diameter (23 of the 40 cases), giving better long-term results.

PMID- 1854935
TI  - [Computed tomography of the upper mediastinum. Optimized contrast media
      application by the use of an infusion pump].
AB  - The aim of this study is to show the advantages of a power injector for contrast
      media application in comparison to manual bolus injection. The evaluation of 144
      studies showed significant improvements for the examinations using the power
      injector based on densitometry in selected vessels (average enhancement 348 vs
      280%) as well as subjective evaluation of contrast quality (3.4 pts vs 2.3 pts on
      a subjective scale) and contrast-induced artifacts (1.8 vs 2.3 on a subjective
      intensity scale). All parameters show that an increased, more reliable, and
      homogeneous enhancement can be obtained by application of the power injector
      compared to manual bolus injection technique using the same amount of contrast
      media (100 cc). Due to the possible standardisation of this technique, the
      results are reproducible. Increased reliability in expected diagnostic gain can
      be obtained using our technique for intravenous contrast application. This
      introduced technique requires no additional monetary or time expense and is
      therefore applicable for clinical routine work.

PMID- 1854936
TI  - [The percutaneous ultrasonic-guided fluoroscopy-controlled drainage of
      pericardial fluids].
AB  - The results of 25 ultrasonographically guided percutaneous pericardial drainage
      procedures and of one pericardiocentesis performed in 25 patients with
      pericardial fluid collections are reported. After initial puncture of the
      pericardial cavity under sonographic guidance, dilatation and placement of 5F to
      8.3F catheters in Seldinger technique was controlled fluoroscopically in 22
      procedures. Clinical indications were emergency treatment of tamponade (n = 6) or
      urgent treatment of large (n = 14) pericardial effusions. The remaining 6
      procedures were performed to establish specific diagnoses of small effusions.
      Puncture sites were subxiphoid in 23 and left parasternal in 3 cases. The volume
      of aspirated fluid ranged from 20 to 1710 ml (median: 615 ml). Median duration of
      pericardial drainage was 3 days (range less than 1 day to 21 days). A specific
      diagnosis was obtained in 48% of patients. 4 patients had subsequent elective
      surgical intervention for recurrent effusion or for pericardial biopsy. Three
      minor complications included one vasovagal reaction and two asymptomatic
      pneumothoraces. Percutaneous ultrasonically guided and fluoroscopically
      controlled placement of a pericardial catheter is safe and effective for
      treatment and diagnosis of pericardial effusions.

PMID- 1854937
TI  - [The radiological image of pleural lipomas with special reference to computed
      tomography].
AB  - Diagnostic assessment of focal pleural mass requires CT examination, particularly
      in follow-up of anamnestic tumour conditions. Since 1976 well-delineated pleural
      masses that were suspicious for malignancy on chest films, were identified in 11
      patients as lipomas, using CT. They showed semicircular, oval or polygonal shape,
      but no really "spheric" aspect on biplane chest films. Main diameters of these
      masses were 2.5 to 6 cm and only once 11 cm. Density values mostly ranged from 
      110 to -70 HE (min. -133, max. -22 HE) in nonenhanced CT studies. Findings were
      localised adjacent to the parietal pleura seven times (in one patient two
      separate findings) and to the diaphragmatic pleura five times. In 7751 CT
      examinations of the chest, the incidence of pleural lipomas was 0.14%, their
      prevalence concerning solid pleural lesions being 5.3%. Among all intrathoracic
      lipomas those in mediastinal and paracardial location respectively were
      definitely more often (30 patients).

PMID- 1854938
TI  - The value of ultrasound mammography in palpable breast masses.
AB  - Between January 1987 and May 1988 a prospective study was carried out on 232
      women with a palpable breast mass. They underwent physical examination, x-ray
      mammography and ultrasound mammography. The results of each study were
      interpreted independently by separate observers, and consensus was achieved. From
      all solid tumours histology was available. Compared to x-ray mammography,
      ultrasound mammography proved to be significantly (p less than 0.025) more
      sensitive in diagnosing malignant palpable breast masses (98.7% versus 86.8%).
      However there was no statistical significant difference in specificity between
      ultrasound mammography and x-ray mammography. Using ultrasound mammography we
      classified 9 histological proven malignant tumours as such which were negative on
      plain x-ray mammography. Despite the good results of ultrasound mammography in
      diagnosing palpable breast lesions it can never replace x-ray mammography in
      cases of malignancy, because the results of ultrasound mammography with non
      palpable synchronous tumours with or without microcalcifications are poor. In
      some cases of benign lesions diagnosed with ultrasound mammography no x-ray
      mammography is necessary.

PMID- 1854939
TI  - [Intra-arterial chemotherapy in locally advanced breast carcinomas].
AB  - Transcatheter arterial chemotherapy with mitoxantrone was carried out in 9
      patients suffering from advanced breast cancer. The anticancer agent was
      selectively injected in the internal mammary artery. In 2 cases the catheter was
      super-selectively advanced into a peripheral branch of the internal mammary
      artery supplying the breast carcinoma. No complication of the transcatheter
      treatment could be observed. CT examinations for controlling the catheter
      position showed perfusion of breast cancers between 40 and 90 per cent.
      Histological examinations of the 7 resected specimens revealed extensive necrosis
      in all cases. All 7 patients who underwent surgery have been without local
      recurrence for 3 to 12 months after treatment.

PMID- 1854940
TI  - [Transcranial Doppler sonography in cerebrovascular diseases].
AB  - A review of our 1 1/2 years' experience with transcranial Doppler sonography
      (TCD) is given. In total, 619 TCD examinations were performed. Considering
      physiological variations of blood flow velocities in the intracranial arteries,
      TCD findings in stenoses and occlusions of the extracranial and intracranial
      brain-supplying arteries as well as in intracranial vasospasms were evaluated. In
      patients with leptomeningeal anastomoses demonstrated by TCD in the region of the
      peripheral middle cerebral artery, the regional cerebral blood flow was measured
      by 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT. The value and limitations of TCD in cerebrovascular
      diseases and the indications to TCD examination of the intracranial arteries are
      discussed.

PMID- 1854941
TI  - [Gliomatosis cerebri: the diagnostic potential of MRT].
AB  - Gliomatosis cerebri is a rare tumor of neuroepithelial origin in middle aged
      persons presented by deterioration of cognitive functions, psychomotor
      retardation and cerebral convulsions. MRI predominantly shows a bilateral and
      diffuse infiltration of midline adjacent brain structures including medulla.
      Areas with focal anaplasia occasionally reveal an accumulation of contrast media.
      The diffuse tumor manifestation requires a differentiation from encephalitis and
      demyelinating diseases with a similar distribution pattern of lesions. Three
      cases have been examined. In conclusion the performance of MRI including control
      and brain biopsy are indicated to establish an in vivo diagnosis.

PMID- 1854942
TI  - Progressive hemifacial atrophy: CT findings. A case report.

PMID- 1854943
TI  - A case of primary osseous pelvic hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosus).

PMID- 1854944
TI  - Alternating scoliosis as a symptom of spinal tumour.

PMID- 1854945
TI  - [The effect of heparin and thromboplastin on the half-life of 125I-protein C in
      the blood flow of rats].
AB  - The influence of heparin and thromboplastin on the halflife of 125I-protein C in
      rat blood was under investigation. It was found that t1/2 of protein C was of 2.3
      h. The intravenous administration of heparin resulted in the prolongation of t1/2
      to 6.5 h, that could be explained by inhibition of thrombin generation. Upon the
      40-min infusion of thromboplastin the rate of 125I-protein C decay in blood
      enhanced. That could be explained by the generation of the endogenous thrombin
      and participation of thrombomodulin in the protein C activation as well as in the
      removal of the endogenous thrombin from blood.

PMID- 1854946
TI  - [The effect of calcitonin on the mechanisms of urine formation and sodium
      excretion in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats].
AB  - The effects of the pig calcitonin on the kidney excretory function in
      normotensive (NR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were examined.
      Calcitonin injection in the dose of 0.6 U/100 g of the body mass in NR and SHR in
      the conditions of 6-hour spontaneous diuresis caused the increase in the
      urination volume due to the inhibition of the tubular water reabsorption and
      growth of the glomerular filtration rate. The important role in the mechanism of
      the decrease in the water reabsorption in SHR plays the decrease in the content
      of vasopressin in the blood and urea in the kidney interstitium while in NR a
      more marked inhibition of the water reabsorption is caused by the decrease in the
      concentration of both urea and sodium in the kidney layers. The natriuretic
      effect of calcitonin was noticed only in NR.

PMID- 1854947
TI  - [The effect of leukotriene LTC4 on the coronary vascular bed and on myocardial
      contractile function].
AB  - The effects of intracoronary LTC4 administration have been studied in narcotized
      dogs with an intact chest. LTC4 in doses of 0.5-40 micrograms produced a dose
      dependent decrease in coronary flow, inhibition of myocardial contractility and
      disturbance of cardiac rhythm. A decrease in myocardial contractility was shown
      to take place before the signs of myocardial ischemia had appeared that could not
      be entirely due to the decrease in coronary blood flow. Ultrastructural changes
      in the endothelium of the coronary vessels have also been observed under the
      action of LTC4.

PMID- 1854948
TI  - [Emotional behavioral disturbances in rats administered subconvulsive doses of
      korazol].
AB  - The injection of subconvulsive doses of pentylenetetrazol (corazol, 10 mg/kg,
      intraperitoneally) leads to the appearance of a complex of the emotional
      behavioral disturbances in rats which consists of three main syndromes: anxiety,
      pathologically enhanced fear and inactivation state. Each of syndromes is
      characterized, by a particular pattern of electrical activity (EA) recorded from
      brain structures. The bursts of EA (10-11 oscillations per s) with maximum
      amplitude and duration in locus coeruleus (LC) correspond to the syndrome of
      anxiety. The wave EA of a frequency coincident with a frequency of rat
      respiration corresponds to the syndrome of pathologically enhanced fear. The
      appearance of spindle-like EA (6 oscillations per s) in striatum (STR)
      corresponds to the syndrome of inactivation state. The amplitude and duration of
      generalized spindle-like EA are maximum in STR. The change from anxiety to
      inactivation state is accompanied by the change of corresponding EA patterns. It
      can be suggested that the injection of subconvulsive doses of pentylenetetrazol
      in rats leads to LC and STR hyperactivation because of which LC and STR acquired
      the properties of a pathological determinant whose appearance induces the
      formation of pathological systems with corresponding clinical manifestations. The
      relationship between the systems created by LC and STR hyperactivation is of
      antagonistic character.

PMID- 1854949
TI  - [The effect of microinjections of morphine and tramadol into the locus coeruleus
      on the nociceptive responses of the spinal cord neurons and on shifts in the
      arterial pressure].
AB  - Morphine and tramadol produces selective inhibition of the spinal noxious-evoked
      activity, but does not change blood pressure reactions. Antinociception was
      reversed by this structure injection of the naloxone. These data suggest that
      locus coeruleus realized the pain-relief effect of the opiate drugs.

PMID- 1854950
TI  - [The functional-morphological state of the myocardium in experimental massive
      embolism of the pulmonary artery].
AB  - A comparative study of hemodynamic and structural-metabolic changes in the
      myocardium of the right (RV) and left ventricles (LV) in acute massive pulmonary
      artery embolism was made in 19 mongrel dogs. In the control group the activity of
      SDH, MDH, GDH, NADH-DH in LV were higher than in RV. The numeral density and
      relative area of mitochondrial profile surface in LV was higher that in RV. A
      significant increase in afterload on RV causes intensification of cell
      respiration, a rise in numeral density and relative area of mitochondrial profile
      surface. Weakening of LV work leads to contrary structural-metabolic changes.
      Thus, contrary changes in hemodynamic loads on RV and LV in acute compensative
      massive pulmonary artery embolism correlated with contrary changes in their cell
      metabolism.

PMID- 1854951
TI  - [Systemic and regional hemodynamic reactions to metabolic stress caused by 2
      deoxyglucose].
AB  - Changes in parameters of systemic and regional hemodynamic, elicited by
      intraarterial administration of 250 or 500 mg/kg of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) were
      studied in the awake Wistar rats with microsphere technique. Measurements were
      performed before, 15-and 40-min after 2-DG administration. Significant decrease
      in the heart rate as well as increase in stroke volume were observed 15 min after
      2-DG. It was a tendency to increase in cardiac output. Blood flow in skin and
      skeletal muscles were decreased whereas in the brain, heart, adrenal glands and
      small intestine there were significant increases in the blood flow. We conclude
      that hemodynamic responses to 2-DG reflect the effects of humoral (adrenaline)
      and central sympathetic factors.

PMID- 1854952
TI  - [The effect of diabetogenic substances on the zinc and calcium content in the
      pancreatic islet cells of rabbits].
AB  - The injections of diabetogenic drugs to rabbits induced a decrease in zinc and
      calcium content in B insulocytes dependent on the degree of these cells damage
      and hyperglycemia. The content of these metals in A insulocytes was not
      significantly altered due to a light injury of these cells. A high concentration
      of calcium in islet A cells is suggested to be a protective factor to the action
      of alteration agents.

PMID- 1854953
TI  - [The convulsive activity of white rats after immunization with a conjugate of
      sidnofen and serum albumin].
AB  - The influence of white rats immunization by a covalent conjugate of serum albumin
      with sydnophen on the seizure activity in the single and repeated injections of
      pentylenetetrazole was investigated. The immunization lowered the seizure
      activity in single injections of threshold doses, (60 mg/kg) of
      pentylenetetrazole. The repeated daily injections of the drug in subthreshold
      doses (30 mg/kg) inhibited the process of "kindling" effects formation.

PMID- 1854954
TI  - [Rhythmic changes in protein synthesis in mouse pancreatocytes after food
      stimulation, in alloxan diabetes and in isoproterenol exposure].
AB  - Radioautography revealed data on protein synthesis dynamics in pancreacytes of
      intact mice, subjected to alloxan diabetes and isoproterenol (ISP) injection
      after synchronized secretion. Rhythmic fluctuation of protein synthesis with
      maximum uptake of 3H-leucine 40 and 80 min after treatment was observed in intact
      animals. The above maximums correlated with the increase in the cell size. In
      alloxan diabetes, injections of ISP and their combination the rhythm of protein
      synthesis is retained, the total intensity of isotope uptake increases
      significantly, but at the same time secretion periods, particularly in the latter
      case decrease. The results obtained revealed the existence of endogenic rhythms
      in protein synthesis with certain secretion plasticity within pancreacytes.

PMID- 1854955
TI  - [The activation of the early chemiluminescent response of human neutrophils by
      joint treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and the calcium ionophore
      A-23187].
AB  - The influence of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and
      calcium ionophore A23187 on luminol- and lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence
      capacity (CL) of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) has been studied. The
      CL response of TNF-alpha treated PMN is amplified by lucigenin, but not luminol.
      TNF-alpha and A23287 synergistically induced both the luminol- and lucigenin
      dependent early CL response. The combination of A23187 and activator of protein
      kinase C--phorbol (myristoyl-13-acetyl)--also provoked early CL response. While
      the combination of TNF-alpha and A23187 decreased late CL response compared to
      A23187 alone. The obtained results suggests that synergistic CL response of PMN
      induced by TNF-alpha and A23187 is connected with activation of protein kinase by
      TNF-alpha.

PMID- 1854956
TI  - [Age-related differences in the effect of osmotic pressure on liver mitochondrial
      respiration in rats].
AB  - The subject under investigation is the influence of osmotic pressure of
      incubation medium (25-500 mM of sucrose) upon the respiration and the respiration
      control (RC) of mitochondria of the liver of rats aged 1, 3, 12 and 24 months
      when oxidizing succinate. In a medium with 0.3 M of sucrose the respiration rate
      under condition 3 (V3) and RC increased from the age of 1 to 12 months and
      decreased by 24 months. In a medium with 0.15 M of sucrose the age differences
      have not been observed. In a uncoupling state the osmotic dependence of the
      respiration of mitochondria of 1- and 12-month-old rats did not vary. It is
      assumed that with age there is a change in the rate of structural coupling of the
      carrier of adenine nucleotides with H(+)-ATP synthetase complex and (or) the
      viscosity of the matrix.

PMID- 1854957
TI  - [Phosphatase activity in the lymph during a fever reaction].
AB  - Activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases, as well as isoenzymes of alkaline
      phosphatase in the lymph of the thoracic lymphatic duct, hepatic lymph and the
      peripheral blood have been studied on rabbits in the dynamics of the fever
      reaction of different duration. The fever reaction was followed by enzyme
      activity increase in all the body biologic fluids. However the degree of increase
      of their activity in the lymph was greater that that in the blood. Our data
      indicate that in the transport of phosphatases released from the tissues in the
      common circulation the essential role is played by the lymphatic system, the
      resorption and transport functions of which significantly characterise the
      dynamics and the level of their changes in the blood in fever reaction.

PMID- 1854958
TI  - [Benzonal--a phenobarbital-type of inducer of the mono-oxygenase system].
AB  - It has been found that the Soviet anticonvulsant drug Benzonal is an inducer of
      the liver cytochrome P-450 of the phenobarbital type. The drug causes formation
      of the cytochrome P-450 form which is immunologically identical to the
      phenobarbital inducible form of the hemoprotein with identical molecular mass
      determined with the SDS-gel electrophoresis method in PAAG. The microsomes,
      obtained from the rats treated with Benzonal display increased rates of
      metabolism of 7-pentoxiresorufin and 16 beta-hydroxylation of androstenedione
      which are specific substrates for the cytochrome P-450b.

PMID- 1854959
TI  - [Changes in the emotionally conditioned behavior of rats under the influence of
      the hexapeptide fragment GLLDLK of the protein inhibitor of diazepam binding].
AB  - It is shown that suboccipital injection of 100 micrograms of the gexapeptide
      GLLDLK (the fragment of endogenous peptide--the inhibitor of diazepam binding)
      modified (for 1-3 days) the emotionally conditioned behaviour of the rats (the
      test of "emotional resonance"). This modification was realized in some
      reinforcement of different behavioural patterns and had signs of anxiety and
      depression. In the test "social hierarchy" the injection of GLLDLK didn't change
      significantly the hierarchy in the whole rat society, but in the recipient
      behaviour the exploratory activity has been changed, the time of grooming
      increased and the quantity of social contacts decreased.

PMID- 1854961
TI  - [The evaluation of the efficacy of antihypoxic agents lowering hemoglobin oxygen
      affinity in acute cerebral ischemia].
AB  - Influence of natrii hydroxybutyrate (100 mg/kg), ascorbate (100 mg/kg), cavinton
      (5 mg/kg), bemitil (50 mg/kg), ethomersol (50 mg/kg) on Hb-O2 affinity and cortex
      PO2 after both carotid artery occlusion in rats was investigated. Correlation (r
      0.87; P less than 0.05) between lowering of Hb-O2 affinity and antihypoxic effect
      was demonstrated in the line of these drugs.

PMID- 1854960
TI  - [The role of the Ca2(+)-blocking effect of alcohol in the genesis of ischemic
      myocardial damage].
AB  - The experiments on Wistar male rats with induced myocardial infarction have
      studied the role of Ca-blocking effect of acute ethanol administration in
      ischemic injury of myocardium. It has been established that acute alcohol
      intoxication led to destabilization of adaptive processes in ischemic myocardium.

PMID- 1854962
TI  - [The characteristics of the cardioprotective action of fructose-1,6-diphosphate].
AB  - The cardioprotective effects of fructose-1,6-diphosphate (FDP) were investigated
      in infarcted rats and in conscious rabbits with myocardial ischemia. The
      influence of FDP on metabolic acidosis was studied in isolated hypoxic rat
      hearts. It was shown that FDP did not change the threshold of the initiation of
      ischemia in conscious rabbits, but decreased necrotic zone in infarcted rat
      hearts. After administration of FDP the myocardial contractility was prolonged
      significantly as compared with control under conditions of severe metabolic
      acidosis. However, FDP was not effective in hypoxic hearts with compensated
      metabolic acidosis. It was considered, that FDP influenced only ischemic myocytes
      with the changes in sarcolemmal permeability.

PMID- 1854963
TI  - [Changes in the profile of cytotoxic mediator monocytes in patients with cancer
      and precancerous conditions of the stomach].
AB  - Peripheral blood monocytes from healthy subjects, patients with gastric precancer
      disease (chronic gastric ulcer, stomach polyps and chronic atrophic gastritis)
      and different stages of gastric cancer were used. Spontaneous and
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated TNF-like factors production by monocytes was
      significantly higher in the precancer gastric disease patients than in the
      healthy subjects. At the same time the spontaneous capacity of monocytes to
      produce NTF-like factors was 2.5 lower in the gastric cancer patients compared to
      the healthy subjects. Moreover, in 5/13 of the gastric cancer patients in TNF
      like factors production by the LPS-stimulated and non-stimulated monocytes was 1
      unit/ml less. Spontaneous and reactive CL indexes were higher in the cancer
      patients monocytes than in the healthy subjects. The obtained results suggest
      that reactive oxygen species production can be an alternative mechanism by which
      a cytotoxic action of monocytes is regulated.

PMID- 1854964
TI  - [The resistance of in vivo selected tumor cells of malignant phenotype to the
      cytolytic action of activated peritoneal macrophages in vitro].
AB  - Using radioisotope cytolytic 3H-thymidine release assay the sensitivity of low
      malignant spontaneously in vitro transformed hamster embryo cells (STHE strain)
      and its in vivo selected malignant variants (STHE-LM-4, STHE-LM-8, STHE-75/18) as
      well as Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) (Schmidt-Ruppin strain) tumorigenic
      transformants (HET-SR-1, TU-SR) were tested to cytolysis by peritoneal Syrian
      hamster macrophages (MP) activated in vitro with levan, LPS, MDP and PMA. It has
      been shown that the only parental cells STHE strain (non-selected in vivo) were
      sensitive to cytolysis by activated MP. All in vivo selected malignant variants
      of STHE cell sublines as well as tumorigenic RSV-SR-transformants were resistant
      to cytolysis by activated MP. Thioglycollate-elicited but not activated MP did
      not destroy any tumour target cells.

PMID- 1854966
TI  - [The coadaptation of the lymphocyte and neutrophil enzyme systems in intact mice
      and against a background of infectious exposures].
AB  - In experiments on mice the authors studied the correlation of the levels of the
      activity of a number of enzymes (dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase) of
      lymphocytes and neutrophils at three levels of organization: subcellular--inside
      the lymphocytes and neutrophils; intercellular--coordination of the enzymatic
      activity of two types of blood cells; temporary--inter-conjunction of the levels
      of metabolism in the blood cells prior to and in dynamics after infection. R. P.
      Nartsissov's cytochemical method with the use of n-nitrotetrazolium was employed.
      Introduction of systemic conceptions into the cytochemical analysis of
      neutrophils and lymphocytes made it possible to reveal a peculiarity of the
      metabolic status of the blood cells involved into the inflammatory process and
      also to determine coadaptation elements of the two types of leukocytes.

PMID- 1854965
TI  - [The significance of chorionic gonadotropin in regulating the antigen-independent
      differentiation of immunocompetent splenic cells].
AB  - The functional activity of fractionated splenocytes were investigated in the
      syngeneic transfer system. Chorionic gonadotrophin (CG) was injected to
      ovariectomized and noncastrated lymphocyte donors, the T or B lymphocytes being
      isolated on a column with a nylon fiber and by means of anti-BaO-serum
      accordingly. In some series CG was introduced only into recipients before their
      being irradiated and before syngeneic cells transferring. CG has been stated to
      be capable of influencing either independently or by means of ovarian hormones
      splenic B lymphocytes without exhibiting a significant effect on T helper
      precursors as well as radioresistant cells of the splenic stroma. The character
      of immunoregulating effect was completely dependent on the presence of ovaries in
      mice and on the hormone dose.

PMID- 1854967
TI  - [The characteristics of the programming action of androgens on the formation of
      sexual dimorphism in the level of corticosteroid-binding globulin in rats].
AB  - The role of sex steroids in the programming of the level of serum corticosteroid
      binding globulin (CBG) of male and female rats has been studied at different
      stages of ontogenesis. It was shown that castration of adult males lead to the
      increase of the level of CBG, but not to the elimination of sex differences.
      Gonadectomy of males up to 28th day of postnatal life results in complete
      feminization of the CBG content in these animals at the age of 10-12 weeks. The
      castration after 35th day of life does not prevent the formation of the male
      phenotype of CBG content. The results of administration of testosterone
      propionate (TP) to castrated males at different periods of ontogenesis suggests
      that the sensitivity to irreversible negative action of androgens appears after
      28th day of life and disappears after the puberty. It was concluded that short
      period of ontogenesis from 29th to 35th days of life is critical for the
      realization of the irreversible masculinization of CBG level upon the influence
      of androgens in the physiological conditions. It was found that injections of
      both synthetic estrogens diethylstilbestrol or TP in the sensitive period of
      ontogenesis lead to the expression of male phenotype of CBG level in a similar
      fashion.

PMID- 1854968
TI  - [Vitamin E decreases the neurocytotoxic action of kainic acid in a cerebellar
      neuron culture].
AB  - Using primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells from 4-6-day old Wistar rats
      we showed the protective effect of vitamin E against kainate-induced
      neurotoxicity. The preincubation of 7-8-day old cultures with 5 x 10(-4) M alpha
      tocopherol solution significantly (on 10-20%) reduces the number of damaged
      granule cells. As vitamin E takes part in stabilization of membrane lipids the
      data presented allows us to suggest that one of the possible mechanisms of
      neuronal injury includes lipid oxidation of the neuronal membranes which leads to
      additional influx of Ca2+ and results in neuronal death.

PMID- 1854969
TI  - [The function of the liver mitochondria in rats with experimental cirrhosis
      undergoing an organ-preserving operation on the spleen].
AB  - The effect of splenectomy and of spleen-preserving operation with suture ligation
      of the left gastric artery on the functional status of liver mitochondria was
      studied by using 102 white male-rats of mixed population with experimental
      cirrhosis. The obtained data made it evident that in the immediate postoperative
      period (from 1 to 3 weeks after the procedure) in the animals of both the first
      and the second series, the disorder of energetic regulation of mitochondria
      hepatocytes respiration and the decrease in phosphorylation efficiency had the
      same tendency, which were seemingly caused by stress-action of the operative
      trauma. The data accumulated in the more distant postoperative period (8 weeks
      after the procedure) indicated that the resection of the lower splenic pole in
      combination with supplementary liver arterialization improved essentially the
      functional status of mitochondria hepatocytes and was more beneficial in
      contradistinction to splenectomy.

PMID- 1854970
TI  - [The characteristics of osteogenesis under conditions of stretch tension].
AB  - Structure of rough-fibrillar, netted and laminated bone tissues, formed in
      distraction regenerates on various stages of leg lengthening, was studied
      experimentally on dogs, using light, transmission and scanning electron
      microscopy and electron probe microassay. It was ascertained, that the first two
      types of tissues belong to the category of provisory, rapidly renewing ones, the
      volume increase of which is possible not only at the expense of appositional
      growth but also interstitially. Their formation in the area of the regenerate,
      more proximally and more distally than the medial layer, provided longitudinal
      growth of primary osteons forming here and thereby the growth of the whole bone
      regenerate.

PMID- 1854971
TI  - [A comparative radioautographic analysis of DNA synthesis by enterocytes of the
      small intestine in in vivo and in vitro experiments].
AB  - A method of radioautography was used to study DNA synthesis in mice enterocytes
      as an index of their proliferative activity. Cells were labelled by means of
      incorporation [3H]thymidine in vivo and in vitro. The program was worked out to
      computed analysis of the reflected light intensity of obtained radioautographs
      and estimation of reliability data. Our experiments showed that thymidine
      diffused very slowly.

PMID- 1854972
TI  - [The morphometric and immunohistochemical characteristics of the gastric and
      duodenal mucosa in systemic lupus erythematosus].
AB  - Histological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical studies of biopsy specimens
      from the mucosa of the body and antral portion of the stomach, the bulb and
      descending portion of the duodenum were performed in 27 children with systemic
      lupus erythematosis (SLE) and in 12 with chronic gastroduodenitis. The
      inflammatory infiltrate from SLE patients was found to contain higher levels of
      young and mature fibroblasts than that from patients with chronic
      gastroduodenitis, mature fibroblasts being prevalent. The inflammatory changes in
      the gastric and duodenal mucosa were ascertained to be associated with the
      progression of SLE. In exacerbation of SLE, the walls of vessels (arterioles)
      exhibited immune complexes classified mainly as IgG and, to a lesser degree, as
      IgM. In remission, the luminescence of the vessels decreased. The serum level of
      immunoglobins did not correlate with their regional production in the gastric and
      duodenal mucosa.

PMID- 1854973
TI  - [The cellular polymorphism of the myointimal thickening in the rabbit aorta].
AB  - Partly endothelialized myointimal thickening formed in rabbit aorta after balloon
      catheter injury. It was populated by cells of different shape. There were spindle
      shaped cells. Y-shaped cells, cells of irregular shape with processes and
      stellate-shaped cells. As a rule stellate cells situated just near the
      endothelium. It is supposed, that the endothelium can influence the shape of
      myointimal cells.

PMID- 1854974
TI  - [An ultrastructural stereological analysis of the myocardium in homoiothermal
      animals during cooling].
AB  - By methods of electron microscopy and stereology the ultrastructural
      cardiomyocyte reorganization of rats exposed to influence of low temperatures
      (exposure during 16 days at -7 degrees C) was studied. It was shown, that with
      this regime of cooling the disturbance of intracellular regeneration in
      cardiomyocytes occurred and the complex of morphological changes typical for the
      syndrome of regenerative-plastic deficiency was developed. The most essential
      changes were seen in myofibrils and mitochondria. According to the stereologic
      data a change in spatial reorganization of cardiomyocytes was connected largely
      with these organelles. With the increase in cooling duration an increase in the
      volume density of myofibrils and a decrease in this parameter for mitochondria
      were marked. As a result of these changes the mitochondria/myofibrils volume
      ratio was essentially decreased. As a whole, ultrastructural reorganization of
      cardiomyocytes under the influence of low temperatures on rats was characterized
      by a decrease in the ratio of the organelle volume to myofibrillar volume. The
      same quantitative reorganization was revealed in atrophied cardiomyocytes under
      the conditions of the decreased inflow of plastic substances to cells.

PMID- 1854975
TI  - [Nd:YAG laser radiation alters the proteolytic resistance of the liver tissue
      proteins in rats].
AB  - Small tissue strips were excised from rat liver and exposed to extensive
      irradiation with Nd:YAG laser followed by homogenization and spectrophotometric
      detection of 5% TCA-soluble protein fractions (oligopeptides) in both
      supernatants and 5NKOH-soluble sediments of the irradiated specimens. Trypsin
      along, or with chemotrypsin was added to the specimens to evaluate their
      proteolytic resistance during and after incubation for 24 h in the proteinase(s).
      The results showed that Nd:YAG laser irradiation resulted in significantly more
      oligopeptides following either schedule of the proteolysis employed in both
      supernatants and sediments as compared to the unaffected proteolytically tested
      specimens. At the same time a proteolytically resistant 5% TCA-insoluble fraction
      was elicited which belonged to proteins and, judging by the parallel
      ultrastructural data, was located in the cellular membranes. The probable
      mechanisms of the observed protein modifications, along with some pertinent
      clinical implications of Nd:YAG laser surgery, are considered.

PMID- 1854976
TI  - Cell kinetics and hormonal features in relation to pathological stage in breast
      cancer.
AB  - Proliferative activity (expressed as 3H-thymidine labeling index, 3H-TdR LI) was
      evaluated on a series of 281 primary tumors recruited in two years in 6 different
      institutions from central Italy. 3H-TdR LI proved to be low in intraductal, or
      well and moderately differentiated, or hormone receptor positive tumors.
      Conversely, no relation was observed between 3H-TdR LI and menopause, tumor size,
      or lymph node involvement. An inverse relation was observed between 3H-TdR LI and
      hormone receptor content. Specific patterns of 3H-TdR LI value and ER content
      association were observed as a function of menopause, lymph nodal status, and
      degree of lymph nodal involvement.

PMID- 1854977
TI  - Steroid hormone receptor activity of primary human breast cancer and pattern of
      first metastasis. The Breast Cancer Study Group.
AB  - A series of 258 breast cancer patients with known estrogen receptor (ER) status
      of the primary tumour who subsequently developed metastases were reviewed for
      site of first metastasis. In 188 cases progesterone receptor (PgR) data were also
      available. Univariate analysis showed metastatic patterns to differ statistically
      significantly related to ER status and (less pronounced) PgR status of the
      primary tumour. Patients with ER-positive tumours had bone metastases three times
      more often than patients with ER-negative tumours. With respect to PgR-positive
      and PgR-negative tumours this frequency differed by a factor of two. With regard
      to visceral metastases ER and PgR status were equally potent prognosticators,
      patients with receptor negative tumours having a 50% higher frequency of visceral
      metastasis than patients with receptor positive tumours. Assessment of metastatic
      patterns in relation to combined receptor status did not substantially enhance
      the discriminatory value of ER and PgR when assessed separately. Multivariate
      analysis showed that the observed differences in metastatic patterns were all
      attributable to differences in the ER status of the primary tumour, and were not
      influenced by age, menopausal status, axillary lymph node involvement, duration
      of disease-free interval (DFI), mode of postoperative treatment, or the PgR
      status of the primary tumour.

PMID- 1854978
TI  - Metabolism of debrisoquine and susceptibility to breast cancer.
AB  - There may exist an association between the genetically determined oxidation
      status of the antihypertensive agent debrisoquine (DEB) and the propensity to
      develop tumours. The metabolism of DEB is extensive in 90% of healthy subjects
      (metabolic ratio = MR = 0-12.6; MR = % DEB excreted divided by % 4-hydroxy-DEB
      excreted) and poor in 10% (MR greater than 12.6). In patients with cancer of the
      lung, urinary bladder, and gastrointestinum, the percentage of high metabolizers
      is increased to greater than 98%. The poor metabolizer mode is almost devoid of
      cancer patients. It was investigated whether breast cancer patients show a
      similar association with respect to the oxidative status of DEB. 108 breast
      cancer patients and 123 women with benign gynecologic disorders received 1 tablet
      of 10 mg DEB orally in the evening. Urine was collected for the subsequent 8 hrs
      and analysed for its content of DEB and its main urinary metabolite 4-OH-DEB by
      means of HPLC. No decreased amount of poor metabolizers was seen in the cancer
      group.

PMID- 1854980
TI  - Differential retention of rhodamine 123 by breast carcinoma and normal human
      mammary tissue.
AB  - We have qualitatively evaluated the retention of the fluorescent dye rhodamine
      123 by malignant or non-malignant breast epithelial cells in passively-infused
      fresh surgical specimens. Our findings demonstrate a microscopically-visible
      increase in the ability of primary and metastatic tumor cells to retain the dye,
      as compared to non-malignant epithelium. Some variability in fluorescence
      intensity was seen within and between tumor specimens. The optimal length of
      incubation in the presence of the dye was critical in achieving differential
      fluorescence intensity between normal and malignant cells. This method of
      examining rhodamine 123 uptake and retention in tissue explants provides a
      reliable means for direct, comparative visualization in situ of any tissue and
      its associated disorders. The results of this study also demonstrate the validity
      of extending the use of lipophilic, cationic compounds such as rhodamine 123 as
      antitumor agents, from model systems to the treatment of malignant disease.

PMID- 1854981
TI  - Video endoscopy, the electronic endoscopy unit and integrated imaging.

PMID- 1854979
TI  - Randomized study of mammography screening--preliminary report on mortality in the
      Stockholm trial.
AB  - In March 1981, 40,318 women in Stockholm, aged 40-64, entered a randomized trial
      of breast cancer screening by single-view mammography alone versus no
      intervention in a control group of 20,000 women. The attendance rate during the
      first screening round was 81 per cent and the cancer detection rate was 4.0 per
      1000 women. The detection the rate fell to 3.1 per 1000 in the second round,
      which was completed in October 1985. During 1986 the controlled design of the
      study was broken and the control women were invited once to screening which was
      completed the same year. A total of 428 cases of breast cancer were thus
      diagnosed in the study group and 439 in the adjusted control group. After a mean
      follow-up of 7.4 years the number of breast cancer deaths in the study and
      control groups was 39 and 30 respectively. The relative risk of breast cancer
      death (screening versus control) was 0.71 (95 per cent confidence interval: 0.4
      1.2). Among women older than 50 years at entry the relative risk was 0.57 (95
      percent confidence interval: 0.3-1.1). Cancer deaths among women under 50 were
      few and perhaps because of this no mortality reduction was seen in this age
      group. The estimate of mortality reduction lies between the results from two
      earlier Swedish randomized controlled trials.

PMID- 1854982
TI  - Endoscopy update.

PMID- 1854983
TI  - Variceal injection sclerotherapy.
AB  - With the development and widespread use of flexible endoscopes, injection
      sclerotherapy of oesophageal varices has advanced beyond the early stages.
      Although slightly different techniques and different sclerosants are used, the
      results are not strikingly different. The cumulative rate of adverse effects is
      in the range of 20 to 40%, with a procedure-related mortality of around 1 to 2%.
      Sclerotherapy is the best available treatment for haemostasis of acute
      oesophageal variceal bleeding. However, as a long-term therapy it is less
      effective in the prevention of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding events, since
      obliteration of all varices often takes several months. Furthermore, extra
      oesophageal bleeding is not amenable to sclerotherapy. Thus, if repeated
      injections fail to prevent recurrent bleeding, other options such as shunt
      surgery, transection, chronic medical portal decompression with beta-blockers or
      even liver transplantation should be considered according to the needs of the
      individual patient. Prophylaxis of first variceal haemorrhage was beneficial in
      selected patients with a high bleeding risk. It cannot, however, be generally
      recommended at present.

PMID- 1854984
TI  - Endoscopic management of pancreatic disease.
AB  - Since its introduction in 1968, ERCP has developed from being a purely diagnostic
      method, mostly used in the investigation of unexplained upper abdominal pain, to
      an invaluable tool for the management of patients with pancreatic disorders. In
      cases with severe gallstone pancreatitis, the biliary obstruction is disclosed
      and relieved by ERCP and ES. In patients with severe acute pancreatitis of other
      aetiologies, as well as in post-traumatic pancreatitis, ERCP is indispensable for
      revealing complications (e.g. pancreatic duct rupture) and/or for planning the
      treatment strategy. Furthermore, in cases of pancreatitis not related to alcohol
      or gallstones, it often demonstrates causes which may be treatable, and it is
      also useful for evaluation of the gland after massive pancreatic necrosis.
      Moreover, ERCP is helpful in establishing the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis
      and its complications as well as in demonstrating morphological grounds for
      therapeutic intervention. Although the indications, limitations, and
      practicability of the different techniques of therapeutic ERCP in various
      pancreatic diseases still remain to be defined, the method appears to offer an
      alternative to surgery, particularly in cases in which operative treatment is
      technically difficult and the results are less favourable. Frequency and severity
      of complications associated with both diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP seem to be,
      at least in the hands of experts, reasonably low.

PMID- 1854985
TI  - The appreciation of colour in endoscopy.
AB  - The perception of colour at endoscopy has been taken for granted since the
      discovery of the fibreoptic bundle and the advent of fibreoptic endoscopy.
      Fibreoptic and lens assemblies can distort the impression of colour by
      selectively absorbing some wavelengths of light. In the case of electronic
      endoscopes, the principal sensor is the charge-coupled device (CCD), a small
      microelectronic device that converts an image into a sequence of electronic
      signals which, after appropriate processing, are transformed into an image on the
      monitor screen. The image is therefore visualized as a mosaic of small images,
      one from each sensing element. Colour is synthesized by using sequential
      illumination using filters or by filters placed over the CCD. Fibre-endoscopes
      may alter colour by selectively transmitting certain portions of the visible
      spectrum, while electronic endoscopes are susceptible to errors due to poor
      calibration of the instrument and manipulation of the colour controls by
      endoscopists. Colour information provides the endoscopist with clues to the
      nature of the lesion and also a site for biopsy. In experimental situations,
      colour information has been used to determine blood flow and classify lesions.
      Much work needs to be done to define normal and abnormal colour in the
      gastrointestinal tract and to develop a standard terminology for colour
      nomenclature in endoscopy.

PMID- 1854986
TI  - Endoscopic ultrasonography of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
AB  - EUS unites two established imaging techniques and extends the range of
      observation into and beyond the wall of the GI tract. The close proximity of the
      sonographic probe to the region of interest combined with high ultrasonic
      frequencies of between 7.5 and 12 MHz yields images of high resolution. EUS is
      used in the staging of benign and malignant neoplastic disorders of the
      oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and extrahepatic bile ducts. It helps to establish
      operability, to plan surgical approach, to follow response to therapy and to
      search for recurrence. The predictive value in defining the T and N stages of
      oesophageal carcinoma lies between 80 and 90% and 65 and 85%, respectively. It is
      clearly superior to CT in tumour stages T1 and T2. In gastric cancer,
      resectability based on the TNM staging system can be correctly assessed by EUS in
      85% of cases and EUS detection and staging of early gastric cancer reaches an
      accuracy of 90%. The EUS accuracy rate for resectability of pancreatic carcinoma
      is 83% and tumour infiltration into the portal and splenic vein can be correctly
      determined by EUS in 94% and 67%, respectively. A reliable EUS differentiation
      between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma based on the echo pattern
      and outer margins is not possible. The development of EUS-guided needle biopsy
      should improve the specificity of EUS in this regard. Experience to data suggests
      as well that EUS will assume an important place in the staging of bile duct
      tumours. EUS has expanded our endoscopic and sonographic capabilities and it is
      to be hoped that further technical improvement, e.g. the construction of forward
      viewing endoscopes combined with radial scanning devices, will contribute to a
      widespread use of this technique by gastroenterologists.

PMID- 1854987
TI  - Balloon technology and its applications in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

PMID- 1854988
TI  - Primary colonoscopy.
AB  - There is good evidence that colonoscopy, in expert hands, is the most accurate
      investigation for the diagnosis of colorectal disease, and it also allows
      histological confirmation and therapeutic procedures to be carried out.
      Furthermore, by screening high-risk groups together with regular follow-up of
      patients with known colorectal neoplasia and surveillance of long-standing
      ulcerative colitis patients, it may be possible to reduce the incidence of
      colorectal cancer. However, at the present time, the lack of widespread
      availability and the variability in the quality of examinations precludes the
      employment of colonoscopy as the first-line investigation in colorectal disease.
      Flexible sigmoidoscopy combined with good quality double contrast barium enema is
      a reasonable alternative in the majority of cases, reserving colonoscopy for
      investigation of the elderly and high-risk patients, together with surveillance
      of patients with premalignant conditions. Technologically, colonoscopy has
      probably reached its peak and it is now necessary to make provision for more
      widely available colonoscopy services, provided by adequately trained
      endoscopists who can guarantee total colonoscopy in more than 90% of cases safely
      and rapidly. This requires structured training programmes for gastrointestinal
      physicians and surgeons and ultimately changes in patterns of working practice if
      adequate numbers of colonoscopy sessions capable of dealing with a steadily
      increasing workload are to be achieved.

PMID- 1854989
TI  - Monitoring and safety in endoscopy.
AB  - Over 50% of the complications and 60% of the deaths associated with upper GI
      endoscopy are cardiopulmonary in type. Oxygen desaturation and cardiac
      arrhythmias at the time of endoscopy are common. Ways of trying to prevent
      hypoxia occurring are discussed. The most effective of these is the use of
      supplemental oxygen. Pulse oximeters are being used increasingly frequently by
      endoscopists. The way in which oximeters work is described in some depth, as are
      some of the potential errors that may result from their use. The author believes
      that, as in anaesthetic practice, pulse oximeters will be used ever more
      frequently by endoscopists and finally become standard equipment in all endoscopy
      units. The case for using continuous ECG monitoring and blood pressure
      measurement is briefly discussed. The ASGE have recently published their
      recommendations on monitoring patients undergoing GI endoscopic procedures. The
      BSG's own working party on safety and monitoring is in the process of finalizing
      its recommendations, and the final part of the chapter discusses the views of
      this working party and gives some insight into what its final recommendations are
      likely to be.

PMID- 1854990
TI  - The place of endoscopy in the management of gallstones.

PMID- 1854991
TI  - Disappearance of oxyfluorfen (goal) from onions and organic soils.

PMID- 1854992
TI  - Persistence of the insecticide dimethoate in three different soils under
      laboratory conditions.

PMID- 1854993
TI  - Fate of the fungicide tolylfluanid in the pear cold stored in controlled or non
      controlled atmosphere.

PMID- 1854994
TI  - Extraction of pesticides from soil leachate using sorbent disks.

PMID- 1854995
TI  - Dissipation of alachlor under in situ and simulated vadose zone conditions.

PMID- 1854996
TI  - Organochlorine pesticides in cow's milk from agricultural region in northwestern
      Spain.

PMID- 1854997
TI  - Transport of a BTX mixture in a groundwater aquifer material.

PMID- 1854998
TI  - Determination of crop-specific parameters used in foliar mass to area conversion:
      I. For selected varieties of grapes.

PMID- 1854999
TI  - Microtox assay of trinitrotoluene, diaminonitrotoluene, and dinitromethylaniline
      mixtures.

PMID- 1855000
TI  - Blood aluminum levels as a function of aluminum intake from drinking water.

PMID- 1855002
TI  - Effects of salinity on the toxicity of parathion to the estuarine crab
      Chasmagnathus granulata (Decapoda, Grapsidae).

PMID- 1855001
TI  - Mutagenicity assays of leachate from domestic waste landfills in Japan: the
      establishment of a protocol for measuring mutagenicity levels of leachate.

PMID- 1855003
TI  - Acute toxicity of parathion and 2,4 D to estuarine adult crabs.

PMID- 1855004
TI  - In vivo effects of cadmium chloride on certain aspects of protein metabolism in
      tissues of a freshwater field crab Barytelphusa guerini.

PMID- 1855005
TI  - Volatilization of mercury compounds and utilization of various aromatic compounds
      by a broad-spectrum mercury resistant Bacillus pasteurii strain.

PMID- 1855006
TI  - Interactions between trichlorfon and three Chlorophyceae.

PMID- 1855007
TI  - Effects of water-borne copper and lead on the peripheral blood in the rosy barb,
      Barbus (Puntius) conchonius Hamilton.

PMID- 1855008
TI  - Influence of Pb, Cd, Zn, Mn, Cu, Hg, or Be salts on the glutathione S
      transferases of the rat liver.

PMID- 1855009
TI  - Synergism and antagonism induced by three carrier solvents with t-retinoic acid
      and 6-aminonicotinamide using FETAX.

PMID- 1855010
TI  - Drugs, HIV, and prisons.

PMID- 1855011
TI  - Consultants, contracts, and fundholders.

PMID- 1855012
TI  - Baby stealing.

PMID- 1855013
TI  - Randomisation.

PMID- 1855014
TI  - Juniors' new deal on hours.

PMID- 1855015
TI  - Persistence of antibody after accelerated immunisation with
      diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the persistence of antibody to diphtheria, tetanus, and
      pertussis in children receiving an accelerated schedule of primary immunisation.
      DESIGN: Controlled study of antibody testing of blood samples from children
      immunised according to various schedules: three doses of triple vaccine completed
      at 8-13 calendar months, 6-7 calendar months, before 6 calendar months, or three
      doses followed by diphtheria/tetanus before age 2. SETTING: Plymouth Health
      Authority. SUBJECTS: 129 children aged 4 years who had received three doses of
      diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis vaccine with or without a diphtheria/tetanus
      booster. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin concentrations
      and antibody titres to pertussis toxin, filamentous haemagglutinin, and
      agglutinogens 2 and 3. RESULTS: All children had protective concentrations of
      antitoxin to diphtheria and tetanus (greater than or equal to 0.01 IU/ml). There
      was no evidence of a significant difference in diphtheria or tetanus antitoxin
      concentrations and pertussis antibody titres in children immunised with an
      accelerated course (third dose of triple vaccine before 6 months) compared with
      those who received a longer course (third dose at 8-13 months) with no booster
      (geometric mean antitoxin concentration 0.411 (95% confidence interval 0.273 to
      0.618) v 0.426 (0.294 to 0.616) for diphtheria and 0.358 (0.231 to 0.556) v 0.299
      (0.197 to 0.453) for tetanus; geometric mean antibody titres 903 (500 to 1631) v
      1386 (848 to 2266) for pertussis filamentous haemagglutinin, 179 (130 to 248) v
      232 (167 to 322) for pertussis toxin, and 2002 (1276 to 3142) v 3591 (2220 to
      5809) for agglutinogens 2 and 3). CONCLUSION: Immunisation with three doses of
      triple vaccine at monthly intervals completed before 6 months of age probably
      provides adequate protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough
      which will persist until the age of the preschool booster.

PMID- 1855016
TI  - Relation between nicotine intake and Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the association between Alzheimer's disease and nicotine
      intake through smoking. DESIGN: Population based case-control study. SETTING:
      City of Rotterdam and four northern provinces of The Netherlands. SUBJECTS: 198
      patients with early onset Alzheimer's disease, 198 controls matched for age and
      sex, and families of 17 patients in whom Alzheimer's disease was apparently
      inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age of onset
      of dementia, relative risk of Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: 89 of 193 patients
      with Alzheimer's disease had a history of smoking compared with 102 of 195
      controls. Among the patients and controls with a family history of dementia,
      smoking was significantly less common in those with dementia (40/95 with dementia
      v 55/96 controls; relative risk 0.35; 95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.78). The
      risk of Alzheimer's disease decreased with increasing daily number of cigarettes
      smoked before onset of disease (relative risk 0.3 in those smoking greater than
      21/day v 1 in non-smokers). In six families in which the disease was apparently
      inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder, the mean age of onset was 4.17 years
      later in smoking patients than in non-smoking patients from the same family (p =
      0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest an inverse association between smoking
      and Alzheimer's disease, although smoking cannot be advocated for other health
      reasons. We speculate that nicotine may have a role in the aetiology of both
      Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 1855017
TI  - Can computer aided teaching packages improve clinical care in patients with acute
      abdominal pain?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare three methods of support for inexperienced staff in their
      diagnosis and management of patients with acute abdominal pain--namely, with (a)
      structured data collection forms, (b) real time computer aided decision support,
      and (c) computer based teaching packages. DESIGN: Prospective assessment of
      effects of methods of support on groups of doctors in one urban hospital and one
      rural hospital. SETTING: Accident and emergency department at Whipps Cross
      Hospital, London, and surgical wards of Airedale General Hospital, West
      Yorkshire. PATIENTS: Consecutive prospective series of all patients presenting to
      each hospital in specified time periods with acute abdominal pain; total patients
      in the various periods were 12,506. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic accuracy of
      participating doctors, admission rates of patients with non-specific abdominal
      pain, perforation rates in patients with appendicitis, negative laparotomy rates.
      RESULTS: Use of any one modality resulted in improved diagnostic accuracy and
      decision making performance. Use of structured forms plus computer feedback
      resulted in better performance than use of forms alone. Use of structured forms
      plus a computer teaching package gave results at least as good as those with
      direct feedback by computer. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm earlier studies in
      suggesting that the use of computer aided decision support improves diagnostic
      and decision making performance when dealing with patients suffering from acute
      abdominal pain. That use of the computer for teaching gave results at least as
      good as with its use for direct feedback may be highly relevant for those who are
      apprehensive about the real time use of diagnostic computers in a clinical
      setting.

PMID- 1855019
TI  - Golf related head injuries in children.

PMID- 1855018
TI  - Intra-articular distension and steroids in the management of capsulitis of the
      shoulder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is any synergistic effect in the
      administration of intraarticular steroids with distension in the management of
      early capsulitis of the shoulder. DESIGN: Prospective randomised trial of three
      treatments--namely distension only, steroid only, and steroid with distension.
      SETTING: Academic department of orthopaedic and accident surgery at Queen's
      Medical Centre, Nottingham. SUBJECTS: 47 patients (30 women) with capsulitis
      affecting 50 shoulders. INTERVENTIONS: Three intra-articular injections into the
      shoulder given at six week intervals by the same technique. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Passive range of abduction, forward flexion, and external rotation;
      results of shoulder dynamometry measuring work done and torque produced; pain
      levels at rest and with resisted movement. RESULTS: All patients reported
      improvement during the study. Analysis of the mean improvements in abduction and
      forward flexion showed these to be significantly greater in the steroid with
      distension and steroid only groups than in the distension only group (mean
      improvements in abduction (degrees/week (95% confidence interval)) 4.3 (3.4 to
      5.2), 3.4 (2.4 to 4.5), and 1.0 (-0.8 to 2.8) in the three groups respectively;
      mean improvements in flexion (degrees/week (95% confidence interval)) 3.6 (3.2 to
      4.0), 3.3 (2.3 to 4.3), and 1.5 (0.5 to 2.5) respectively). Shoulder dynamometry
      failed to show a significant difference among the treatment groups. No severe
      complications occurred as a result of the injections, but two patients reported
      facial flushing related to the use of steroids. CONCLUSION: Intra-articular
      steroid injections have a useful role in the outpatient management of early
      capsulitis.

PMID- 1855020
TI  - Intravenous drug misuse among prison inmates: implications for spread of HIV.

PMID- 1855021
TI  - Drug misuse and sharing of needles in Scottish prisons.

PMID- 1855022
TI  - Sexual behaviour in Scottish prisons.

PMID- 1855024
TI  - The future of general practice: Personal care or the polyclinic?

PMID- 1855023
TI  - Twenty five years of case finding and audit in a socially deprived community.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate audit and case finding (whole population care) in a
      community over 25 years. DESIGN: Contemporary screening for and audits of care of
      chronic disease and risk factors; retrospective review of computerised practice
      records; and comparisons of mortality and social indices with neighbouring
      communities. SETTING: One general practice in Glyncorrwg, West Glamorgan.
      SUBJECTS: 1800 people registered with the practice in 1987 and 558 people who
      died from 1964 to 1987, whose records had been retained. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Detection of high blood pressure, smoking, airways obstruction, obesity,
      diabetes, and alcohol problems in adults aged 20-79; prevalence of smoking in
      this population and in hypertensive and diabetic groups; age standardised
      mortality ratios in relation to indices of social deprivation. RESULTS: In the
      population aged 20-79 (1207 patients) 249 (21%) had peak expiratory flow rate
      less than 50% of expected value or which improved by 15% or more with an inhaled
      beta agonist, 207 (17%) had body mass index at or over 30 kg/m2, 118 (10%) had
      untreated mean arterial pressures greater than 159/104 mm Hg (three readings), 80
      (7%) (65 (16%) men, 15 (4%) women) had recognised alcohol problems, and 35 (3%)
      had diabetes. The proportion of men aged 20-64 who said they smoked fell from 61%
      (290/476) in 1968-70 to 36% (162/456) in 1985 whereas that of women who smoked
      was unchanged (43%, 187/436 v 42%, 190/448 respectively). In 116 screened
      hypertensive patients group mean blood pressure fell from 186/110 mm Hg before
      treatment to 146/84 mm Hg at 1987 audit, as did the proportion of smokers (56% v
      20%), but body mass index and total cholesterol concentration showed no
      significant change. In 34 diabetic patients mean blood pressure and the
      proportion of smokers fell (171/93 mm Hg v 155/81 mm Hg; 44% v 12%). The age
      standardised mortality ratio in 1981-6 was lower than in a neighbouring village
      without a developed case finding programme (actual to expected deaths less than
      65 = 21 to 22 in Glyncorrwg, 48 to 30 in control village). CONCLUSIONS: Whole
      population care through organised case finding and audit is feasible but only
      with a labour intensive approach combining accessibility, flexibility, and
      continuity, as well as a planned and structured approach, which requires
      substantial expansion of staff numbers and assiduous recording. It may reduce
      risks for at least some high risk groups. Despite their shortcomings the
      available data are consistent with the hypothesis that whole population care
      helps reduce mortality. Incentives in the new contract, which encourage the
      uncritical development of structured process, may diminish health outputs.

PMID- 1855025
TI  - "Heartstart Scotland"--initial experience of a national scheme for out of
      hospital defibrillation.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcome of out of hospital defibrillation in Scotland
      during the year after the introduction of automated external defibrillators in
      October 1988. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of ambulance service reports and
      hospital records. SETTING: Scottish Ambulance Service and acute receiving
      hospitals throughout Scotland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Delay from cardiac arrest
      to first defibrillator shock; vital state on arrival at hospital accident and
      emergency department; survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: During the study
      period 268 defibrillators were purchased by public subscription and 96% of the
      2000 ambulance crew underwent an eight hour training programme in cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation and defibrillation. A total of 1111 cardiac arrests were recorded,
      and defibrillation was indicated and undertaken in 602 (54%) patients, mean age
      63 (range 14-92) years. A spontaneous pulse was present on arrival at hospital in
      180 (30%) of the defibrillated patients, and 75 (12.5%) were subsequently
      discharged alive. As expected, the likelihood of survival was inversely related
      to the delay from the onset of cardiac arrest to the time of the first shock and
      was greater in the case of witnessed arrest. If ventricular fibrillation occurred
      after the arrival of the ambulance, survival to discharge was 33%. CONCLUSIONS:
      An effective scheme for out of hospital defibrillation can be introduced rapidly,
      and with limited training implications and costs, by the use of automated
      external defibrillators in ambulances.

PMID- 1855026
TI  - The south Manchester Accident Rescue Team and the earthquake in Iran, June 1990.

PMID- 1855028
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Antepartum haemorrhage.

PMID- 1855027
TI  - Your child is dead.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine parent's views on how death of their children should have
      been handled. DESIGN: Retrospective questionnaire survey of parents who had
      experienced death of their child. SETTING: Charitable organisation of bereaved
      parents. SUBJECTS: 150 bereaved parents, all members of the organisation, of whom
      120 (80%) participated voluntarily in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Child's
      age; date and cause of death; details of person breaking the news and handling of
      the interview; time parents spent with dead child, their attitude to requests for
      organ donation, and follow up support received. RESULTS: 122 children's deaths
      were described; the largest single group was due to road traffic accidents, 16
      were suicides, and eight were murders. Twice as many interviews were rated as
      sympathetically or reasonably handled as badly or offensively handled (68 v 34).
      The interview ratings depended on the sensitivity and personal skills of the
      interviewers rather than on their previous contact or professional position;
      police were rated as more sympathetic than doctors and nurses. Of 109
      respondents, 81 had seen their child's body, 44 of whom thought that sufficient
      time had been denied. Of the 28 parents who did not see the body, 17 subsequently
      stated their regret. In 82 parents organ donation had not been discussed. Only 16
      parents recorded any follow up support from hospital staff and very few support
      at the time. CONCLUSIONS: The consistency of the responses suggests a serious
      need to revise the in service training and education of the police and health
      professionals in their approach to informing of death; organ donation should be
      discussed sensitively and parents allowed time with their dead child with fewer
      restrictions.

PMID- 1855029
TI  - Junior doctors' hours.

PMID- 1855030
TI  - Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric cancer.

PMID- 1855031
TI  - Helicobacter pylori infection and duodenal ulcer.

PMID- 1855032
TI  - Lithium and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

PMID- 1855033
TI  - Deaths of patients waiting for coronary surgery.

PMID- 1855034
TI  - The cyclotron saga continues.

PMID- 1855035
TI  - What determines the age at the menopause?

PMID- 1855036
TI  - Increasing the uptake of cervical smear testing among Asian women.

PMID- 1855037
TI  - The new NHS: restricting GPs' access to x ray services.

PMID- 1855038
TI  - The vaso-occlusive crisis of sickle cell disease.

PMID- 1855039
TI  - Non-operative management of blunt splenic injury.

PMID- 1855040
TI  - AIDS spreads eastward.

PMID- 1855041
TI  - Siriraj stroke score and validation study to distinguish supratentorial
      intracerebral haemorrhage from infarction.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To develop a simple, reliable, and safe diagnostic tool for acute
      stroke syndromes in a setting where computerised brain scanning was not readily
      available and to validate its accuracy with regard to pathological types of
      stroke. DESIGN: 13 clinical variables that potentially might differentiate
      supratentorial cerebral haemorrhage from infarction were recorded and tested by
      multivariate analysis in a prospective study of 174 patients with acute stroke.
      In developing the Siriraj stroke score stepwise discriminant analysis of the
      variables was followed by a linear discriminant equation to differentiate between
      supratentorial haemorrhage and infarction. The score obtained was validated
      against scores in 206 other patients with stroke, computerised brain scans being
      used for definitive diagnosis. SETTING: Siriraj Hospital Medical School, Mahidol
      University, Bangkok. SUBJECTS: Prospective study: 174 consecutive patients with
      acute supratentorial stroke syndrome (not subarachnoid haemorrhage) admitted to
      Siriraj Hospital during 1984-5; validation study: 206 patients admitted to
      Siriraj Hospital or another hospital for supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage
      or infarction. RESULTS: The Siriraj stroke score was developed and calculated as
      (2.5 x level of consciousness) + (2 x vomiting) + (2 x headache) + (0.1 x
      diastolic blood pressure) - (3 x atheroma markers) - 12. A score above 1
      indicates supratentorial intracerebral haemorrhage, while a score below -1
      indicates infarction. The score between 1 and -1 represents an equivocal result
      needing a computerised brain scan or probability curve to verify the diagnosis.
      In the validation study of the Siriraj stroke score the diagnostic sensitivities
      of the score for cerebral haemorrhage and cerebral infarction were 89.3% and
      93.2% respectively, with an overall predictive accuracy of 90.3%. CONCLUSION: The
      Siriraj stroke score is widely accepted and applied in hospitals throughout
      Thailand as a simple and reliable bedside method for diagnosing acute stroke.

PMID- 1855042
TI  - Complications of pregnancy and delivery in relation to psychosis in adult life:
      data from the British perinatal mortality survey sample.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether events occurring at or around the time of birth
      contribute to the onset of psychotic illness in adult life. DESIGN-Pregnancy and
      birth complications as possible causes of adult mental illness were studied in
      the population sample of the British perinatal mortality survey. Subsequent
      psychiatric admissions were independently identified through the Mental Health
      Enquiry and records of regional and special health authorities. Logistic
      regression was used to compare data on perinatal deaths with those on survivors
      to determine factors independently associated with perinatal death, and this
      equation was then used to calculate the risk of perinatal death for each
      survivor. SUBJECTS: 16,980 people born in a single week in 1958 (the British
      perinatal mortality survey sample), including 252 patients admitted to
      psychiatric care; case notes of 235 patients were supplied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
      AND RESULTS: Patients with a schizophrenic illness (whether defined by "broad" (n
      = 57) or "narrow" (n = 35) diagnostic criteria) did not have a greater mean risk
      of perinatal death than the population in general, but there was some evidence of
      increased liability (relative risk 2.43; 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 5.05)
      for those with affective psychosis (n = 32). Specific high risk variables for
      affective psychosis were decreased gestation time (273.9 v 281.2 days; mean
      difference 7.3 days, 95% confidence interval 3.1 to 11.5; p less than 0.002) and
      prescription of vitamin K to the child in the first week of life (19% of patients
      v 5% of controls, p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The findings give no support to
      theories that factors predicting perinatal mortality contribute significantly to
      causation of schizophrenic illness. Further investigation of decreased gestation
      length in relation to affective disorder is required.

PMID- 1855043
TI  - Infant feeding practices and ulcerative colitis in childhood.

PMID- 1855044
TI  - Somatic component to myocardial infarction: three year follow up.

PMID- 1855045
TI  - Fundholding in general practice and financial risk.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To estimate the financial effect of random yearly variations in need
      for services on fundholding practices with various list sizes. DESIGN: A
      simulation model was derived using historical data on general practitioner
      referrals for the 113 surgical procedures covered by the general practitioner
      fund, combined with data on the hospital prices for those procedures. PATIENTS:
      Resident population of Central Birmingham Health Authority. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Expected expenditure on the relevant surgical procedures for the whole
      district and for practices with list sizes of 9000, 12,000, 15,000, 18,000,
      21,000, or 24,000 for each of 100 simulated years. RESULTS: By using average
      hospital prices for the West Midlands region the mean (SD) annual expenditure for
      the 179,400 residents was 4,832,471 pounds (87,149 pounds); the random variation
      between the 5th and 95th most expensive years was 5.7% of the mean cost. For a
      practice with a list size of 9000 the values were 244,891 pounds (18,349 pounds),
      with a variation of 27.5%. With a list size of 24,000 the values were 652,762
      pounds (32,512 pounds), with a variation of 15.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Random variations
      in need for inpatient services will have a significant financial impact on the
      practice fund. The problem will be particularly great for smaller practices.
      Additional measures are required to ensure that the scheme is not undermined and
      that the potential benefits are secured.

PMID- 1855046
TI  - Out of hours work in general practice.

PMID- 1855047
TI  - Need for relevance in management information systems: what the NHS can learn from
      industry.

PMID- 1855048
TI  - Women and scuba diving.

PMID- 1855049
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Small for gestational age.

PMID- 1855050
TI  - Eye injuries in racquet sports.

PMID- 1855051
TI  - Home nebulisers.

PMID- 1855052
TI  - A methodological quibble about QALYs.

PMID- 1855053
TI  - Prevalence of asthma in Melbourne schoolchildren.

PMID- 1855054
TI  - Randomised controlled trials of surgical procedures.

PMID- 1855055
TI  - Preventing needlestick injuries.

PMID- 1855056
TI  - The cyclotron saga continues.

PMID- 1855057
TI  - Tuberculosis and HIV infection.

PMID- 1855058
TI  - Use of thalidomide in leprosy.

PMID- 1855059
TI  - HIV infection and hepatitis B in adopted Romanian children.

PMID- 1855060
TI  - Morphine for painful crises in sickle cell disease.

PMID- 1855061
TI  - Birth weight, current body weight, and blood pressure.

PMID- 1855062
TI  - Hospital case notes and medical audit.

PMID- 1855063
TI  - Screening in general practice.

PMID- 1855064
TI  - Efficiency of referral for suspected glaucoma.

PMID- 1855065
TI  - Swallowed coins.

PMID- 1855066
TI  - A victim of AIDS--or medical negligence?

PMID- 1855067
TI  - Proceedings of the international course on Bone Marrow Transplantation in
      Children. 28 November-1 December, 1990, Erice, Italy.

PMID- 1855068
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation for immunodeficiencies and osteopetrosis.

PMID- 1855069
TI  - The role of high dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplant in children
      with malignancies.

PMID- 1855070
TI  - Autologous bone marrow transplantation in pediatric solid tumors: phase II
      studies.

PMID- 1855071
TI  - Unpurged autologous bone marrow transplantation for neuroblastoma: the AIEOP-BMT
      group experience.

PMID- 1855072
TI  - ENSG 1-randomised study of high-dose melphalan in neuroblastoma.

PMID- 1855073
TI  - Did BMT change the clinical course of neuroblastoma?

PMID- 1855074
TI  - Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children from other than HLA-identical
      sibling donor.
AB  - Optimal allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) presupposes the use of a HLA
      identical sibling as donor. Unfortunately, only about 30% of patients have an HLA
      matched donor, so that the use of alternative donors has been increasingly used.
      We report an analysis of 13 children transplanted using an HLA-partially matched
      donor as source of haemopoietic stem cells. They suffered of ALL (3 pts), ANLL (1
      pt), SAA (2 pts), Osteopetrosis (1 pt), Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (2 pts), Severe
      Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (2 pts) and Familial Haemophagocitic
      Lymphohistiocytosis (2 pts). Full engraftment was obtained in all 11 of the
      patients who survived longer than 14 days and, globally, a moderate incidence of
      acute GvHD (grade II-IV) was observed in the evaluable patients (3 out of 11 with
      a percentage of 27%); only a patient of the six survivors more than one hundred
      days after BMT had severe chronic GvHD (16.6%). Four pts (31%) are actually alive
      and well (mean follow-up 358 days) with a mean Karnofsky score of 95%. Our data
      suggest that BMT from HLA-partially matched donors could represent a possible
      alternative therapeutic strategy in children when a compatible donor is not
      available. This is especially due to the reduced severity of GvHD in childhood
      and because of T-cell depleted marrow transplants could obtain more satisfactory
      results when employed in typical pediatric non-malignant disorders (i.e.
      immunodeficiencies) rather than in leukemia.

PMID- 1855075
TI  - Successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a child affected by Fanconi
      anemia.

PMID- 1855076
TI  - Autologous bone marrow transplantation in secondary acute monoblastic leukemia
      following Hodgkin's disease.
AB  - Acute non lymphocytic leukemia (AnLL) is the most common second malignancy (SM)
      in survivors of childhood Hodgkin's Disease (HD). Chemotherapy responsiveness is
      usually poor and death ensues briefly after diagnosis. We report the case of a 13
      year-old girl, affected by HD, stage IV, mixed cellularity, who developed AnLL
      one year after the HD treatment was stopped. Autologous Bone Marrow
      Transplantation (ABMT) was performed 9 months after complete remission (CR) was
      achieved by chemotherapy. Presently, the patient is alive and on continues CR, 3
      years and 7 months after ABMT. ABMT may be a promising approach for secondary
      AnLL, the prognosis of which is almost invariably fatal with conventional
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 1855077
TI  - MYCN amplification does not affect survival of neuroblastoma patients treated
      with autologous bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - From an extended series neuroblastoma cases evaluated for MYCN amplification
      (MNA) at the "G. Gaslini" Hospital 15 (4 with and 11 without NMA) underwent
      myeloablative therapy and bone marrow transplantation (MAT-ABMT). Such cases
      ranged in age at diagnosis from 13 months to 7 years and were followed up at
      least 8 months after MAT-ABMT. MNA was present in 2/10 cases dead for disease, in
      0/1 cases alive with disease, and in 2/4 cases presently in complete clinical
      remission. This preliminary evidence would discourage to consider MNA as a marker
      capable of predicting the final outcome of patients with metastatic Nb.

PMID- 1855078
TI  - Use of the highly polymorphic DNA marker CRI-S232 for monitoring of engraftment
      and chimerism following bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1855079
TI  - Familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis treated with allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation.

PMID- 1855080
TI  - Role and perspectives of BMT in ALL: the BFM experience.

PMID- 1855082
TI  - The use of recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in
      autologous bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - Phase I, II trials indicate that Recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF), stimulates recovery of neutrophils following
      myelosuppressive chemoradiotherapy. In Seattle it was administered to patients
      undergoing autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) for lymphoid malignancy. The
      data indicate that rhGM-CSF was well tolerated and associated with earlier
      neutrophil recovery, fewer infections and shorter initial hospital duration.
      Survival was not improved, however, less regimen-related toxicity was observed.
      Studies in patients with marrow graft failure are strongly suggestive of improved
      survival and rhGM-CSF is recommended for therapy in those patients. Although
      numbers were small, results in pediatric patients were not significantly
      different than results in adults.

PMID- 1855083
TI  - Autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the high
      dose vincristine study of AIEOP BMT group.
AB  - This study was performed in 5 pediatric centers. It considered a group of
      children affected by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with ABMT. 56
      patients were considered, 35 males and 21 females, with a median age of 11 years.
      The children were transplanted in 2nd (36) or subsequent (20) complete remission.
      The mean of 1st remission duration was 32 months. Analysis of the sites of
      relapse before transplantation showed that 39 patients had bone marrow relapses,
      17 patients had CNS and/or testicular isolated relapses only. 32 harvests were
      purged in vitro by 1 mcgr/ml Vincristine and 30 mcgr/ml Prednisone, 16 by 100
      mcgr/ml Mafosfamide, 8 were not cleaned. 29 patients received high dose
      Vincristine (4 mg/m2), TBI (1200 cGy), Cyclophosphamide (3600 mg/m2) as standard
      conditioning regimen before transplant. 27 patients received other conditioning
      treatments with (14) or without (13) TBI. Of the 56 children 25 relapsed from 1
      to 42 months after ABMT, 7 toxicity related deaths were registered and 1 death
      for second tumor was observed. 23 children remained in continuous complete
      remission from 1 to 49 months after transplantation. The probability of EFS at 4
      years was 21%. High dose Vincristine did not statistically improve the EFS, but a
      trend was observed (44% versus 0%). Vincristine, Asta-Z or none purging did not
      show any significant effect on EFS (37% vs 32% vs 0%). On the contrary when the
      EFS was related to the site of relapse, isolated or sistemic, the difference was
      almost statistically significant (46% vs 18%). The analysis of our results
      indicates the isolated relapse as good prognostic factor in ABMT for ALL and high
      dose Vincristine associated to conditioning regimen as worthy of further
      investigations.

PMID- 1855081
TI  - An Italian study comparing allogeneic and autologous BMT in childhood acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia using HD-vincristine, F-TBI and cyclophosphamide.

PMID- 1855084
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation in childhood: a report from the AIEOP-BMT group
      registry.
AB  - A multicenter cooperative group has been activated in Italy in 1986, with the aim
      of focusing on the following issues: to standardize perspectively the approach to
      bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in pediatric centers granting the
      recommendations of the Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica
      (AIEOP); to study effects and toxicity of preparative regimens to BMT; to
      evaluate the special features of BMT in children, such as clinical management,
      care and late effects, as peculiar issues of a pediatric setting. Indeed, one of
      the major aims of the group is to attempt to address in the most appropriate
      ways, such as in children only and at a nation-wide level, the most crucial
      questions about the real role of BMT, taking advantage from the fact that most of
      the children with cancer undergoing BMT in Italy have been treated homogeneously
      before transplant, i.e. according to AIEOP protocols (70%). Accordingly, specific
      information were recorded by means of problem oriented forms, aimed to generate a
      full registry. The registry has been collecting the experiences of 10 pediatric
      hematology and oncology centers where children eligible for BMT were registered
      and/or where BMT was performed. This paper was meant both to summarize the 4
      years activity of the registry and to analyze what we have learnt so far, as well
      as what may be suggested to design our future strategies by presently available
      although retrospective data. It is concluded that the pediatric BMT registry we
      set up appears useful and of growing interest and potential relevance.

PMID- 1855085
TI  - The role of TBI in conditioning regimens for children.
AB  - TBI is currently used as a conditioning regimen in bone marrow transplantation
      (BMT) with various Radiation doses, fractionation scheduling and dose rate. In
      children, the most frequent neoplasms treated with TBI are leukemias and advanced
      Neuroblastoma (NB). In leukemias the radiation dose plays an important role,
      particularly in patients at high risk of relapse. In NB the inclusion of TBI in
      pretransplant therapy does not seem to produce any difference in survival. In
      pediatric patients TBI involved particular problems of technique dosimetry and
      toxicity.

PMID- 1855086
TI  - The role of thoraco-abdominal irradiation before marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1855087
TI  - Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children with acute leukemia: TBI is it
      necessary?

PMID- 1855088
TI  - Early infectious complications in children undergoing BMT.

PMID- 1855089
TI  - Impaired polysaccharide responses in immunodeficient patients: relevance to bone
      marrow transplant patients.
AB  - Bone marrow transplant patients are at increased risk for pneumococcal and H.
      influenzae type b (HIB) infections. These polysaccharide encapsulated bacteria
      are also pathogens for young healthy children. In healthy children age related
      susceptibility has been associated with poor response to polysaccharides and low
      serum IgG2 subclass antibody concentrations. Of note, immune reconstitution
      following bone marrow transplantation has been characterized by slow return of
      both the response to polysaccharides and IgG2 serum concentrations. Thus immune
      reconstitution following bone marrow transplantation is similar to the maturation
      that occurs in healthy children. In addition to transplant patients, we have
      identified five groups of immunodeficient patients who are at increased risk for
      polysaccharide encapsulated pathogens. IgG2 subclass deficient patients were
      shown to have impaired responses to polysaccharide antigens. We have also defined
      "Selective Antibody Deficiencies" which are individuals with normal IgG subclass
      concentrations but poor responses to polysaccharide antigens. Next, patients who
      developed HIB disease in spite of immunization (i.e. HIB vaccine failures) were
      demonstrated to have lower serum IgG2 and IgG4 subclass concentrations compared
      to controls. Finally, Native Americans (an ethnic group with an increased
      incidence of pneumococcal and HIB infections) were shown to be poor responders to
      polysaccharide antigens and have significantly lower concentrations of serum IgG2
      and IgG4 as compared to controls. New HIB polysaccharide vaccines linked to
      protein antigens (conjugate vaccines) have been developed that are more
      immunogenic in healthy young children. In addition, these conjugate vaccines have
      resulted in protective responses in each of the newly described immunodeficient
      groups. We therefore now propose to evaluate bone marrow transplant patients'
      response to HIB conjugate vaccine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855090
TI  - The role of the blood bank in bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1855091
TI  - Factors influencing remission post-BMT in patients with acute and chronic
      leukemia prepared with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (TBI).

PMID- 1855092
TI  - Role and perspectives of BMT in AML: the BFM experience.

PMID- 1855093
TI  - Allogeneic vs autologous BMT vs intensive chemotherapy in childhood AnLL during
      first complete remission: AIEOP experience. AIEOP Cooperative Group.
AB  - From 1982 to 1990, 340 children with newly diagnosed ANLL entered two consecutive
      AIEOP trials: LAM 8204 (1982-1987) and LAM 87 (1987-1990). Patients in both
      studies received identical remission induction with Daunorubicin and ARA-C. In
      the first study (LAM 8204) 167/171 patients were consolidated with four courses
      of DAT, followed by six additional courses of continuation therapy with three
      drug pairs given sequentially. Periodic intra-thecal ARA-C was used for CNS
      prophylaxis. For patients remaining on protocol, the OFS and EFS probability at 8
      years was 35% and 30%, respectively. Induction response and EFS were adversely
      predicted by FAB MS subtype and hyperleukocytosis. In LAM 8204 trial there were
      30 withdrawals represented by patients undergoing allogeneic (14) or autologous
      (16) BMT. For these patients the DFS probability at 5 years was 64% and 50%,
      respectively. On LAM-87 trial, 136/169 patients were evaluable and 98 (76%)
      attained CR. After consolidation with one course of DAT, patients with an HLA
      identical donor underwent allogeneic BMT and those lacking a matched donor were
      randomized to receive either autologous BMT or the LAM 8204 postremission
      chemotherapy. The 2-year probability of DFS for allografted patients was 76%
      significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than that observed for patients on chemotherapy
      (12%) or autologous BMT (31%) arms.

PMID- 1855094
TI  - Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children with ANL: Italian experience.
      AIEOP Group and the GITMO.

PMID- 1855095
TI  - ABMT for children AML: Italian experience. GITMO-AIEOP Groups.
AB  - We report data from an Italian survey on ABMT in 93 AML children less than 14
      years in 1st or 2nd remission performed in 15 Centers. Different conditioning
      regimens have been employed: BAVC, an original schedule of chemotherapy; TBI plus
      Cy and/or other drugs (TBI + CHT); other high dose chemotherapy schedules (HD
      CHT). 62 patients have been transplanted in 1st CR; 38 have been conditioned with
      BAVC, 16 with TBI + CHT and 8 with HD CHT. Relapses were 21 in the BAVC group
      (DFS = 35% at 66 months), 5 in the TBI group (DFS = 61% at 48 months) and 5 in
      the HD CHT group; overall DFS is 39% at 66 months. 31 patients have been
      transplanted in 2nd CR; 14 were conditioned with BAVC and 16 with TBI + CHT; 6
      patients relapsed in the first group, DFS is 56% at 50 months; in the second
      group 2 early deaths and 3 relapses occurred, DFS is 65% at 65 months. 1 patient
      in 2nd CR, conditioned with HD CHT, died during aplasia. Overall DFS is 59% at 65
      months. Although no final conclusions concerning ABMT in AML children may be
      drawn from this retrospective study because of heterogeneity of population and
      methods, results obtained in 2nd CR are clearly better to those obtained with
      standard chemotherapy alone, confirming the role of ABMT in this high risk
      category of patients.

PMID- 1855096
TI  - Mismatched BMT in children.

PMID- 1855097
TI  - How to avoid bias when comparing bone marrow transplantation with chemotherapy.
AB  - It is important to know whether the survival of patients receiving an allogeneic
      bone marrow transplant (BMT) is better than that of patients receiving
      "conventional" treatment and, if BMT is better, to know how much better.
      Unfortunately, this information is surprisingly difficult to obtain accurately.
      Most studies that have attempted to define the value of BMT have been subject to
      varying degrees of bias because of the problems of identifying a "conventional
      chemotherapy" control group with which the outcome of patients who have received
      BMTs can be compared. A common bias arises when disease-free survival of BMT
      patients is compared with that of all other remitters. Early failures are then
      automatically assigned to the chemotherapy group even if they have donors and so
      would have gone on to a BMT had they not relapsed or died. Since some patients
      receive BMTs many months (or even years) after achieving remission-when their
      prognosis is already much improved-the definition of "early failure" is
      problematic. Nevertheless, although it is very rarely used, an adequate
      statistical method does exist to overcome this problem. Careful analysis cannot,
      however, overcome the problem of selection bias: patients selected for BMT are
      likely to have better (or worse) prognosis than patients who are treated
      conventionally. The only really satisfactory way of assessing the value of BMT is
      to conduct randomised trials comparing BMT with no BMT - or with extra
      chemotherapy. Several such studies are currently being undertaken assessing the
      role of autologous BMT in AML.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855098
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in children with severe aplastic anemia (SAA)
      from donors other than HLA identical siblings. EBMT Working Party on Severe
      Aplastic Anemia.

PMID- 1855099
TI  - New developments in stem cell transplantation with special reference to the first
      in utero transplants in humans.
AB  - Based on the experience acquired in post-natal liver transplantation since 1974,
      we recently initiated pre-natal, in utero stem cell transplantation from the
      human fetal liver. The first two fetuses that we treated had immunodeficiencies,
      the third one had thalassemia major. Donors and recipients were not matched. The
      fetal cells were infused in the umbilical vein of the first two patients and
      injected intraperitoneally into the third one, under ultrasonic visualization.
      The first patient, born in 1988, has both engraftment of donor cells and
      reconstitution of cell-mediated immunity. This child, who had bare lymphocyte
      syndrome, has no clinical manifestation of the disease and he lives normally at
      home. The second child, born in 1989, has not yet developed a significant
      reconstitution of immunity although donor cell engraftment has been proven (Y
      chromosome in this female patient). The third patient has also evidence of donor
      cell take (Y chromosome in a female patient) but the effect on thalassemia has
      not yet been fully analyzed (donor hemoglobin present in small quantity). In all
      3 cases, no side-effect of any kind developed in the mother nor in the fetus.
      Several advantages appear to be associated with in utero FLT: increased
      probability of graft take, ideal isolation of patient (in the uterus), optimal
      environment for fetal cell development (in the fetal host).

PMID- 1855100
TI  - HLA-mismatched bone marrow transplantation in thalassemia.

PMID- 1855102
TI  - Building a CE information base.

PMID- 1855101
TI  - Employee evaluation system.

PMID- 1855103
TI  - BMETs: the state of the profession. Interview by Michael Miller.

PMID- 1855104
TI  - A synopsis of current anesthesia machine design.

PMID- 1855105
TI  - A computerized purchase order management system.
AB  - Order processing and parts issuing are within the scope of an inventory
      management system and, as such, it was logical to incorporate the Purchase Order
      Management Menu into the biomedical engineering inventory management system. The
      Purchase Order Management function was implemented using the services of a
      biomedical engineering technician who is a staff member. Software development
      time (two months) was the only resource that was necessary to incorporate this
      function into the inventory system. This function, implemented on a PC, provided
      locally functions that had not been available on the mainframe-based hospital
      purchasing system. These functions directly addressed the needs of the users, who
      in this case are the staff members of the department of biomedical engineering at
      University Hospital, Stony Brook, New York.

PMID- 1855106
TI  - An evaluation of the DS-175, DS-145, and DS-115, digital blood pressure/pulse
      meter devices.
AB  - The performances of three electronic digital blood pressure/pulse meter models,
      Nissei DS-175, DS-145, and DS-115, were compared with measurements obtained using
      the mercury sphygmomanometer and auscultatory technique. Significant correlations
      (p less than 0.01) were found between the accepted medical criterion and the
      three models evaluated for both systolic (r = 0.64 to 0.74) and diastolic (r =
      0.58 to 0.61) pressure measurements; however, the accuracies of the devices were
      deemed inadequate. The DS-175 was found to significantly overestimate both
      systolic (p less than 0.025) and diastolic (p less than 0.05) pressures.
      Furthermore, all models tended to overestimate low blood pressures, whereas high
      blood pressures were underestimated. Variables associated with home use by the
      lay person are also discussed.

PMID- 1855107
TI  - An electrocatalytic glucose sensor for in-vivo application.
AB  - An electrocatalytic sensor was developed for continuous measurement of glucose in
      circulating blood. The sensor is constructed as a flow-through cell that can be
      integrated into a blood vessel. The principle of measurement is based on the
      electrochemical oxidation of glucose at an active noble metal electrode.
      Selectivity is achieved by covering the sensing electrode with a diffusion
      limiting membrane and by analyzing the impedance of the electrode/membrane
      system. The real and the imaginary parts of the impedance at certain potentials
      are directly proportional to the glucose concentration in the blood. These
      parameters are used in calculating the blood glucose concentration. To test the
      sensor, an in-vivo experiment was conducted in a sheep. The sensor's performance
      remained reliable 71 days after its implantation.

PMID- 1855108
TI  - A probe for measuring current density during magnetic stimulation.
AB  - Time-varying magnetic fields induce currents in conductive media, and when the
      induced current is large enough in excitable tissue, stimulation occurs. This
      phenomenon has been applied to the human brain and peripheral nerves for
      diagnostic evaluation of the neural system. One important aspect that is
      presently unknown is the current level necessary in tissue for stimulation
      induced by magnetic fields. This study presents a method of measuring the induced
      current density from pulsed magnetic fields in vitro and in vivo. The current
      density probe was inserted into three concentrations of saline and into the
      brains of ten anesthetized cats. Two stimulation systems with coils 9 cm and 5 cm
      in diameter were used. The two systems provided sinusoidal and pulsatile coil
      currents. Measurements made in saline were compared with those calculated
      theoretically for a semi-infinite medium. The measured values were within 5% of
      the calculated values. Measurements made in the cat brain showed a 67% decrease
      compared with the theoretic model. This variance is attributed to the finite
      bounds of the skull. The results indicate that direct measurement of current
      density is possible. Subsequent measurements will aid in the design of improved
      magnetic stimulation systems.

PMID- 1855109
TI  - The electromagnetic compatibility standard for medical devices.

PMID- 1855110
TI  - Medical prefixes and suffixes.

PMID- 1855111
TI  - 5-Hydroxytryptamine-induced bronchoconstriction in the guinea-pig: effect of 5
      HT2 receptor activation on acetylcholine release.
AB  - 1. The bronchoconstrictor responses to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were studied in
      the guinea-pig to establish whether they are partly attributable to
      parasympathetic activation within the airways. 5-HT dose-response curves were
      constructed in anaesthetized and ventilated guinea-pigs pretreated with saline,
      or by bilateral cervical vagotomy or vagotomy plus atropine 3 mg kg-1, i.v.
      Vagotomy had no effect on 5-HT-induced bronchoconstriction but vagotomy plus
      atropine significantly reduced it. 2. To determine whether parasympathetic
      activation within the airways resulted from pre- or postganglionic stimulation, 5
      HT dose-response curves were constructed for two groups of vagotomized guinea
      pigs treated with hexamethonium 2 mg kg-1, or hexamethonium 2 mg kg-1, plus
      atropine 3 mg kg-1. Guinea-pigs treated with hexamethonium plus atropine
      experienced significantly less 5-HT-induced bronchoconstriction than those
      treated with hexamethonium alone. 3. To characterize the subtype of 5-HT
      receptors involved in the activation of the parasympathetic system by 5-HT, dose
      response curves to 5-HT were constructed for four groups of vagotomized guinea
      pigs treated with saline, 1 mg kg-1 of the 5-HT3 antagonist ICS 205-930, or
      either 0.01 or 0.1 mg kg-1 of the 5-HT2 antagonist ketanserin. ICS 205-930
      enhanced 5-HT-induced bronchoconstriction but 0.01 mg kg-1 ketanserin inhibited
      it significantly and 0.1 mg kg-1 ketanserin abolished it. To confirm the
      involvement of 5-HT2 receptors in these responses, we studied the effects in
      vagotomized guinea-pigs of atropine on the bronchoconstriction induced by the 5
      HT2 agonist,x alpha-methyl-5-HT, infused at rates of 40 and 80ngkg-1s-'. At both
      rates, atropine significantly reduced the bronchoconstrictor responses to alpha
      methyl-5-HT. 4. The above results indicate that 5-HT-induced bronchoconstriction
      is indeed partly mediated by parasympathetic activation within the airways. This
      activation is mediated by stimulation of 5-HT2 receptors which are probably
      located on the postganglionic parasympathetic nerve endings.

PMID- 1855112
TI  - Investigation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor mechanism mediating the short
      circuit current response in rat colon.
AB  - 1. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) stimulated an increase in short-circuit current
      (SCC) in rat isolated colonic mucosa with an EC50 value of approximately 4
      microM. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the 5-HT receptor
      mechanism(s) involved in this response. 2. The relatively selective 5-HT receptor
      agonists 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) and alpha-methyl-5-HT stimulated SCC and
      were 6 to 8 times less potent than 5-HT. 2-Methyl-5-HT was inactive both as an
      agonist and an antagonist. 3. The following compounds produced no significant
      inhibition of the SCC response to 5-HT: ketanserin (1 microM), methysergide (1
      microM), methiothepin (0.3 microM), GR38032F (0.3 microM), tetrodotoxin (0.3
      microM) and sulpiride (1 microM). 4. Both metoclopramide (3 and 10 microM) and
      cisapride (0.1 and 1 microM) inhibited the SCC responses to 5-HT in a
      concentration-related manner, and the higher doses similarly inhibited the
      responses to 5-CT. With both agonists the inhibitory effects of metoclopramide
      and cisapride were insurmountable. However, these inhibitory actions appeared to
      be selective since neither metoclopramide nor cisapride affected the basal SCC or
      the SCC response to prostaglandin E2. 5. The SCC responses to 5-HT and 5
      methoxytryptamine were selectively inhibited by ICS205-930 at 3 microM, and
      respective pKB values of 6.0 and 6.6 were calculated. 6. It is concluded that 5
      HT stimulates an SCC response in rat colon via a receptor mechanism that cannot
      be clearly identified as 5-HT1-like, 5-HT2 or 5-HT3. This receptor is selectively
      antagonized by ICS 205-930 and by the benzamides, metoclopramide and cisapride.
      The 5-HT receptor in rat colon therefore exhibits some of the properties
      associated with the so-called 5-HT4 receptor.

PMID- 1855113
TI  - Haemodynamic responses to NG-monomethyl-L-arginine in spontaneously hypertensive
      and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats.
AB  - 1. Nitric oxide (NO) is a major component of endothelium-derived relaxing factor
      (EDRF) the synthesis of which from L-arginine can be inhibited by NG-monomethyl-L
      arginine (L-NMMA). To assess whether basal NO tone is different in experimental
      hypertension, the haemodynamic effects of L-NMMA have been compared in
      anaesthetized spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY)
      rats in which autonomic reflexes were blocked by ganglion blockade. 2. Bolus
      intravenous injections of L-NMMA, 1-30 mg kg-1, but not D-NMMA, 1-30 mg kg-1,
      induced dose-related increases in mean arterial pressure and decreases in
      conductances in the renal, carotid, hindquarters and mesenteric vascular beds in
      both SH and WKY rats. Although the different vascular beds varied in their
      maximum responses to L-NMMA, there were neither qualitative nor quantitative
      differences between the two rat strains in this respect. 3. The effects of L
      NMMA, 30 mg kg-1, i.v. on all parameters were rapidly and completely reversed by
      L-arginine, 30 mg kg-1, i.v., in both SH and WKY rats. 4. The results indicate
      that NO derived from L-arginine exerts a powerful vasodilator tone in both
      anaesthetized, ganglion-blocked SH and WKY rats. Although NO appears to
      contribute differentially to tone in the different vascular beds, there were no
      major differences between the two rat strains in this respect. Hence a reduced NO
      tone to the vasculature is unlikely to be a major factor contributing to the
      elevated blood pressure in the adult SH rat.

PMID- 1855114
TI  - Antagonism by reactive blue 2 but not by brilliant blue G of extracellular ATP
      evoked responses in PC12 phaeochromocytoma cells.
AB  - 1. The effects of reactive blue 2 and brilliant blue G, which have been shown to
      block extracellular ATP-evoked responses, were investigated to discover whether
      these compounds act as P2-purinoceptor antagonists in PC12 phaeochromocytoma
      cells. 2. Reactive blue 2 (10 to 100 microM) suppressed the ATP-stimulated
      dopamine secretion from PC12 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration
      response curve for ATP was shifted to the right and the maximal response was
      decreased by reactive blue (30 and 100 microM). Brilliant blue G (up to 100
      microM) did not significantly affect the secretion. 3. Reactive blue 2 (10 to 100
      microM) suppressed the ATP-activated inward current recorded from the voltage
      clamped cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Brilliant blue G (up to 100
      microM) did not affect the current. 4. The results suggest that reactive blue 2
      but not brilliant blue G is a P2-purinoceptor antagonist in PC12 cells. The
      purinoceptors in these cells may be the same type as those involved in ATP-evoked
      smooth muscle relaxation, judging from the antagonism by reactive blue 2.

PMID- 1855115
TI  - A method for studying the pharmacodynamic profile of neuromuscular blocking
      agents on vocal cord movements in anaesthetized cats.
AB  - 1. A new in vivo experimental method is described whereby the neuromuscular
      blocking effects of muscle relaxants can be investigated on the intrinsic
      laryngeal muscles of anaesthetized cats. The peripheral tibialis anterior muscle
      preparation is employed in the same animal to compare the blocking effect on both
      preparations. 2. The intrinsic laryngeal muscles react with different
      sensitivities to the neuromuscular blocking agents when compared to the tibialis
      anterior muscle. 3. The neuromuscular response in both muscle preparations is
      similar with steroidal agents but appeared to be different after suxamethonium or
      isoquinoline analogues. 4. It is concluded that this preparation may become a
      useful tool for studying new muscle relaxants developed to facilitate rapid
      intubation conditions.

PMID- 1855116
TI  - Effect of the leukotriene receptor antagonists FPL 55712, LY 163443, and MK-571
      on the elimination of cysteinyl leukotrienes in the rat.
AB  - 1. Leukotriene elimination via bile and urine is an important mechanism of
      inactivation for these potent lipid mediators. We investigated whether the
      elimination of cysteinyl leukotrienes is a target for the action of leukotriene
      receptor antagonists. 2. Experiments were performed in male rats under deep
      thiopentone anaesthesia. The bile duct and the urinary bladder were cannulated.
      Tritium labelled leukotrienes and leukotriene receptor antagonists were given via
      central venous catheters. Elimination of leukotrienes produced in vivo was
      studied following stimulation of endogenous leukotriene biosynthesis by operative
      trauma. 3H-leukotriene metabolites were identified by h.p.l.c. analysis.
      Leukotrienes produced in vivo were measured by combined use of h.p.l.c. and RIA.
      3. Under control conditions, 49 +/- 12% of the injected 3H-leukotriene
      radioactivity was recovered in bile and 1 +/- 0.8% in urine within 90 min.
      Operative trauma resulted in initial hepatobiliary secretion of 887 +/- 206 pmol
      kg-1 h-1 of the endogenous leukotriene metabolite N-acetyl leukotriene E4
      (LTE4NAc). 4. FPL 55712 strongly inhibited hepatobiliary elimination of 3H
      leukotriene radioactivity in a dose-dependent manner after i.v. injection of [3H]
      LTC4, [3H]-LTD4 or [3H]LTE4, respectively. Biliary [3H]-LTD4 was reduced most
      effectively. The leukotriene antagonist potently prevented biliary elimination of
      LTE4NAc produced in vivo. Bile flow and elimination from blood into bile of [3H]
      ouabain were also impaired by FPL 55712, but to a lesser extent. 5. LY 163443
      reduced biliary [3H]-LTD4 after i.v. administration of [3H]-LTD4. However, the
      total elimination of 3H-leukotriene metabolites into bile was not significantly
      inhibited by the drug. 6. MK-571 reduced the biliary concentration of tracer
      after administration of 3H-leukotrienes most potently with respect to [3H]-LTD4.
      In contrast, the total recovery of 3H-leukotrienes in bile tended to increase.
      This is explained by a drug-induced increase in bile flow. 7. Urinary elimination
      of 3H-leukotrienes, quantitatively less important in the rat, was not
      significantly influenced by the leukotriene receptor antagonists. Recovery of 3H
      leukotriene radioactivity in liver and kidneys was quantitatively insignificant.
      8. From our data, we conclude that leukotriene receptor antagonists have the
      potential to affect leukotriene elimination by a mechanism not necessarily
      related to receptor blockade. Inhibition of elimination by the receptor
      antagonists may prolong the biological half life of leukotrienes. This effect may
      counteract the antagonistic properties of these drugs.

PMID- 1855117
TI  - Convulsive thresholds in mice during the recovery phase from anaesthesia induced
      by propofol, thiopentone, methohexitone and etomidate.
AB  - 1. Convulsive thresholds were measured with intravenous pentylenetetrazol in mice
      during the recovery phase after intravenous anaesthetic doses of propofol (10 and
      20 mg kg-1), thiopentone (30 mg kg-1), methohexitone (10 mg kg-1), and etomidate
      3 mg kg-1). 2. The convulsive threshold rose after each agent, indicating an
      anticonvulsant action for all the drugs tested; this declined to control values
      with initial half times of: 1.56 min (propofol 10 mg kg-1); 1.03 min (propofol 20
      mg kg-1): 1.02 min (methohexitone); 3.35 min (etomidate); 13.7 min (thiopentone).
      3. At no time during the recovery phase of any agent did the convulsive threshold
      fall below control values, which might indicate an epileptogenic effect of the
      drug. 4. The threshold was depressed below control values by intravenous
      administration of Ro 15-4513, a partial inverse agonist at the benzodiazepine
      receptor, thus indicating the ability of this pentylenetetrazol test to
      demonstrate a proconvulsant effect. 5. We conclude that the abnormal movements or
      convulsions associated with recovery from anaesthesia with short-acting
      intravenous anaesthetics may not be the result of an intrinsic proconvulsant
      action of the drugs.

PMID- 1855118
TI  - The release of a non-prostanoid inhibitory factor from rabbit bronchus detected
      by co-axial bioassay.
AB  - 1. Methacholine relaxed phenylephrine-contracted aorta of the rat with the
      endothelium intact. This effect was inhibited by haemoglobin, methylene blue,
      gossypol, phenidone and L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Rat aorta
      denuded of endothelium failed to relax in response to methacholine, histamine and
      the peptidoleukotrienes C4, D4 and E4. 2. Methacholine and histamine but not
      leukotrienes C4, D4 and E4 relaxed phenylephrine-contracted rat aorta without
      endothelium when surrounded by rabbit epithelium-intact bronchus. The muscarinic
      antagonist atropine antagonized the methacholine-induced relaxation. 3. Removal
      of the epithelium either mechanically or chemically, abolished methacholine
      induced relaxation of rat aorta in the co-axial bioassay. These data indicate
      that the epithelium is responsible for the observed relaxant effect to
      methacholine and histamine. 4. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, the
      phospholipase A2 inhibitor, mepacrine and the lipoxygenase inhibitor,
      nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), failed to inhibit methacholine-induced
      relaxation of rat aorta in the co-axial bioassay. This indicates that the
      epithelium-derived inhibitory factor (EpDIF) is not a product of the cyclo
      oxygenase or lipoxygenase pathway or a product derived from activation of
      phospholipase A2. 5. Haemoglobin, methylene blue, phenidone, gossypol and L-NAME
      failed to inhibit the relaxation of rat aorta in the co-axial bioassay. These
      results demonstrate that EpDIF detected in the co-axial bioassay is not
      endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) or nitric oxide. Similarly, catalase
      was without effect. 6. EpDIF is unlikely to be a peptide since papain and alpha
      chymotrypsin failed to alter the methacholine-induced relaxation of rat aorta in
      the co-axial bioassay. Furthermore, thiorphan, captopril and aprotinin were also
      without effect, suggesting that EpDIF is not a substrate for airway peptidases.
      7. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the release of a vasoactive
      epithelium-derived inhibitory factor (EpDIF) from rabbit intrapulmonary bronchi
      by use of a co-axial bioassay preparation.

PMID- 1855119
TI  - Effects of helospectin I on insulin and glucagon secretion in the mouse.
AB  - 1. The helospectins are peptides structurally related to helodermin, vasoactive
      intestinal polypeptide (VIP), peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI) and secretin,
      which all potently stimulate glucagon secretion in the mouse. Therefore, the
      effects of helospectin I (0.1-0.8 nmol kg-1) on insulin and glucagon secretion
      under basal conditions and after stimulation with glucose (2.8 mmol kg-1) or the
      cholinoceptor agonist, carbachol (0.16 mumol kg-1), were examined in vivo in the
      mouse. 2. Helospectin I potently increased plasma levels of glucagon after its
      intravenous injection in mice. The increase was observed after only 2 min, and
      was evident also after 6 min. 3. In contrast, plasma insulin levels were not
      altered by helospectin I after 2 min, but slightly increased after 6 min. Plasma
      glucose levels were not altered by the peptide. 4. Carbachol-induced glucagon
      secretion was markedly potentiated by helospectin I. In contrast, glucose- or
      carbachol-stimulated insulin secretion was not affected by the peptide. 5. In
      conclusion, helospectin I markedly stimulates glucagon secretion in the mouse
      whereas the peptide has no direct action on insulin secretion. This pattern of
      effect of helospectin I is similar to that previously reported for helodermin,
      VIP, PHI and secretin in the mouse, i.e., for all peptides belonging to this
      superfamily of peptides.

PMID- 1855120
TI  - Characterization of Gaddum's substance R.
AB  - 1. When the isolated small intestine of the rat is perfused via the mesenteric
      artery, an oxytocic principle (Gaddum's substance R) is released which is
      detectable in the perfusate after 30 min and is present in samples collected 8 h
      later. 2. The oxytocic activity of substance R is lost after boiling but is
      unaffected by treatment with thioglycolate. Furthermore, atropine, methysergide
      and indomethacin failed to antagonize uterine contractions to substance R. 3.
      Neither substance R nor urinary kallikrein alone induce a contraction of the
      guinea-pig isolated ileum. However, in the presence of kininogen both substance R
      and urinary kallikrein produce a slow and prolonged contraction of the guinea-pig
      ileum. 4. The oxytocic and kininogenase properties of both substance R and
      urinary kallikrein are inhibited by Trasylol. 5. Soy bean trypsin inhibitor
      (SBTI) selectively inhibited both the oxytocic and the kininogenase activities of
      substance R but not those of urinary kallikrein. 6. Gel filtration of substance R
      resolved a single peak of oxytocic activity with an estimated molecular weight of
      40 kDa. 7. We conclude that substance R is a kininogenase enzyme which may be
      distinguished from plasma kallikrein by its molecular weight and from urinary
      kallikrein by its susceptibility to SBTI. The exact nature of this enzyme remains
      to be elucidated.

PMID- 1855121
TI  - Effects of hyperosmolarity on human isolated central airways.
AB  - 1. We studied the effect of hyperosmolarity on human isolated airways because a
      better understanding of the effect of hyperosmolarity on the human airway wall
      may improve insight into the pathophysiology of hyperosmolarity-induced
      bronchoconstriction in asthma. 2. In cartilaginous bronchial rings dissected from
      fresh human lung tissue, hyperosmolar krebs-Henseleit buffer (450 mosM, extra
      sodium chloride added) evoked a biphasic response: a rapid relaxation phase (peak
      after 5.0 +/- 0.3 min) followed by a slow contraction phase (peak after 25.4 +/-
      0.8 min). 3. With the histamine (H1) receptor antagonist mepyramine, the
      contraction phase was reduced to 41.2% of the control value (P less than 0.001),
      with atropine to 50.0% (P less than 0.01), with the local anaesthetic lignocaine
      to 48.7% (P less than 0.05) and with mepyramine together with atropine to 19.2%
      (P less than 0.001). 4. With the inhibitor of neutral metalloendopeptidase,
      phosphoramidon, the contraction phase increased to 128.0% of the control value (P
      less than 0.05) and after removal of the epithelium to 131.8% (P less than 0.05).
      5. Indomethacin, the leukotriene C4/D4 (LTC4/D4) antagonist FPL 55712 or the
      blocker of nerve conduction, tetrodotoxin, had no effect on the contractile
      phase. 6. The relaxation phase was not altered by any of these drugs nor by
      epithelial denudation. The relaxation phase was also unchanged in the presence of
      alpha-chymotrypsin, which degrades muscle relaxing peptides such as vasoactive
      intestinal peptide. 7. Hyperosmolar buffer slightly increased the sensitivity and
      maximal response to methacholine as well as the cholinergic twitch to electric
      field stimulation. 8. We conclude that hyperosmolarity releases acetylcholine,
      histamine and neuropeptides in the human airway wall in sufficient quantities to
      contract airway smooth muscle. This release itself or its effect on airway muscle
      is modulated by the airway epithelium. The mechanism of the relaxation phase may
      be an unknown smooth muscle relaxing substance or a direct effect on the airway
      muscle, related to ion fluxes.

PMID- 1855122
TI  - Characterization of the 5-HT receptor mediating endothelium-dependent relaxation
      in porcine vena cava.
AB  - 1. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) relaxes rings of neonatal porcine isolated vena
      cava by both an endothelium-dependent and an endothelium-independent mechanism.
      The receptor mediating the latter response has been shown to be a 5-HT1-like
      receptor (positively coupled to adenylyl cyclase) located on the vascular smooth
      muscle. The features of the endothelium-dependent response to 5-HT in this
      preparation are now described. 2. In ring preparations contracted with the stable
      thromboxane-A2-mimetic, U-46619 (10 nM), and in the presence of the 5-HT2
      receptor antagonist ketanserin (1 microM), low concentrations of 5-HT (1-100 nM)
      evoked an endothelium-dependent, rapid, 'spike-like' relaxation. Higher
      concentrations of 5-HT (0.1-10 microM) elicited a more sustained, but endothelium
      independent relaxation. 3. Relaxation induced by low concentrations (1-100 nM) of
      5-HT was abolished by endothelium removal, and was markedly (but not totally)
      inhibited by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor, methylene blue (10 microM) or by
      the inhibitor of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, L-NG
      monomethylarginine (L-NMMA; 100-500 microM). 4. The endothelium-dependent
      response to 5-HT was mimicked by alpha-methyl-5-HT, 5-methoxytryptamine,
      tryptamine and 2-methyl-5-HT, but not by sumatriptan or 8-hydroxy-di-n
      propylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT) at concentrations up to 10 microM. In contrast,
      relaxation evoked by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) was endothelium-independent.
      5. The endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by 5-HT or alpha-methyl-5-HT was
      antagonized by methysergide, methiothepin, cyproheptadine and metergoline, but
      not by ketanserin, spiperone, ondansetron, verapamil, cyanopindolol, mesulergine,
      ICS 205-930, or indomethacin. 6. These results suggest that the endothelium
      dependent relaxation of porcine vena cava induced by 5-HT is largely mediated by
      the release of NO (although other endothelium-derived relaxing factors may also
      be involved) and that 5-HT is acting at a receptor which is not '5-HT1-like', 5
      HT2, 5-HT3 or 5-HT4 and is not comparable to recognised 5-HT receptor ligand
      binding sites. The characteristics of this receptor are discussed in relation to
      the endothelial 5-HT receptor types in other blood vessels.

PMID- 1855123
TI  - Interactions between the vascular peptide endothelin-1 and sensory neuropeptides
      in gastric mucosal injury.
AB  - 1. The interactions between endogenous and exogenous sensory neuropeptides on
      gastric mucosal injury induced by endothelin-1 (ET-1) have been investigated in
      the anaesthetized rat. 2. Close intra-arterial infusion of ET-1 (4-20 pmol kg-1
      min-1) dose-dependently induced vasocongestion and haemorrhagic necrosis in the
      gastric mucosa. 3. Capsaicin-pretreatment, two weeks earlier to deplete sensory
      neuropeptides from primary afferent neurones, augmented the mucosal damage
      induced by ET-1, as assessed by both macroscopic and histological examination. 4.
      The damage induced by threshold doses of ET-1 alone or in capsaicin-pretreated
      rats was further enhanced by administration of indomethacin (5 mg kg-1, i.v.),
      indicating a modulatory influence of endogenous prostanoids. 5. Morphine
      administration (3 mg kg-1, i.v.), which can prevent neuropeptide release,
      augmented the damage induced by threshold doses of ET-1, this effect being
      reversed by naloxone (1 mg kg-1, i.v.). 6. Concurrent local intra-arterial
      infusion of rat alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (10-50 pmol kg-1 min-1)
      dose-dependently reduced the mucosal injury induced by ET-1. 7. These findings
      suggest interactions between ET-1 and sensory neuropeptides, which may reflect an
      important influence of these peptide mediators in the regulation of mucosal
      integrity.

PMID- 1855124
TI  - A selective effect of protein kinase C activators on noradrenaline release
      compared with subsequent contraction in canine isolated saphenous veins.
AB  - 1. Effects of protein kinase C (PKC) activators and inhibitors on both tritium
      overflow and subsequent contraction evoked by transmural nerve stimulation (TNS)
      were investigated in canine saphenous veins prelabelled with [3H]-noradrenaline.
      2. Activation of PKC by stepwise increasing concentrations (0.01 nM-1 microM) of
      12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) or
      mezerein caused a significant and concentration-dependent enhancement of the
      tritium overflow evoked by TNS, while the activators failed to affect the
      corresponding contraction except with the highest concentration of PDBu when the
      contraction was significantly reduced. Phorbol, which is inactive on PKC, had no
      effects on the tritium overflow and contraction induced by TNS. 3. PKC
      inhibitors, polymyxin B (1 and 10 microM) and the isoquinolinesulphonamide, H-7
      (1 microM), inhibited significantly the phorbol ester-potentiated tritium
      overflow evoked by TNS with no effects on the contraction. H-7 and the related
      inhibitor H-8 at 10 microM reduced significantly both responses to TNS in the
      presence of TPA, while they suppressed only the TNS-induced contraction in the
      absence of TPA. 4. None of the PKC activators or inhibitors affected the
      spontaneous tritium overflow. 5. PDBu (0.01 and 0.1 microM) elevated resting
      tension of the veins more effectively than TPA and mezerein. 6. These results
      suggest that PKC may modulate electrically stimulated noradrenaline release from
      adrenergic nerve endings of the canine saphenous veins and the PKC activators may
      act more selectively on presynaptic than postsynaptic sites, but have no apparent
      effect on postjunctional noradrenergic mechanisms.

PMID- 1855125
TI  - The involvement of endothelium-derived relaxing factor in the regulation of renal
      cortical blood flow in the rat.
AB  - 1. In the present study the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) was
      investigated, in the regulation of renal cortical blood flow (RCBF) in vivo in
      anaesthetized rats under conditions in which prostacyclin involvement had been
      eliminated. 2. Infusions of the NO synthesis inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine
      (MeArg) at 1 or 3 mg kg-1 min-1, i.v., produced significant decreases in RCBF of
      29 +/- 7% and 35 +/- 5%, respectively. These effects were reversed by co-infusion
      of a 3 fold excess of L-arginine (L-Arg). 3. Similarly, intravenous infusion of N
      omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NO2Arg) at 30 or 300 micrograms kg-1 min-1
      attenuated RCBF by 21 +/- 4% or 53 +/- 4%, respectively, and these effects were
      reversed by L-Arg (3 or 10 mg kg-1 min-1, i.v.). Most importantly, a low dose of
      NO2Arg (30 micrograms kg-1 min-1, i.v.), while having no pressor effect,
      considerably reduced RCBF, indicating that basal release of NO is important for
      the maintenance of renal cortical blood flow. 4. MeArg (3 mg kg-1 min-1, i.v.) or
      NO2Arg (300 micrograms kg-1 min-1, i.v.) inhibited endothelium-dependent
      acetylcholine (ACh, 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1, i.v. for 3 min) increases in RCBF
      in an L-Arg reversible manner, but did not affect endothelium-independent
      (dopamine 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1, i.v., for 3 min) increases. Endothelin- 1 (1
      nmol kg-1, i.v.), when given as a control for the vasoconstrictor effects of
      MeArg and NO2Arg, produced a slight inhibition of the ACh-induced increase in
      RCBF, but this effect was significantly weaker than that produced by MeArg or
      NO2Arg. 5. Our findings suggest that MeArg and NO2Arg inhibit basal and ACh
      stimulated release of NO in the renal cortical vasculature. Thus, endogenous NO
      formation may play an important role in the local regulation of renal cortical
      blood flow.

PMID- 1855126
TI  - Flosequinan, a vasodilator with a novel mechanism of action.
AB  - 1. The mechanism of action of flosequinan was investigated in ferret aortic
      smooth muscle by the simultaneous measurement of aequorin luminescence and
      isometric force. 2. The control calcium-force curve was obtained by plotting the
      calibrated aequorin luminescence against the force from potassium-depolarized
      muscles. Flosequinan relaxed potassium-depolarized muscles by causing parallel
      changes in [Ca2+]i and force with no shift in the control [Ca2+]i-force
      relationship. 3. The [Ca2+]i-force relationship in the presence of a maximally
      effective concentration of phenylephrine was significantly shifted to the left of
      that for the control, potassium-depolarized muscle. Flosequinan relaxed the
      phenylephrine-contracted muscle by causing a large decrease in force with only a
      minimal decrease in [Ca2+]i, resulting in an apparent rightward shift of the
      [Ca2+]i-force relationship, toward the control curve. 4. In comparison, sodium
      nitroprusside caused relaxation of either the potassium- or phenylephrine-induced
      contraction solely by a decrease in [Ca2+]i with no shift in either calcium-force
      relationship. 5. Milrinone caused no significant rightward shift of the calcium
      force relationship during phenylephrine- or potassium-induced contractions, but
      when milrinone was added in the absence of vasoconstrictors, relaxation was
      obtained with no significant decrease in [Ca2+]i. 6. Flosequinan appears to
      differ in mechanism of action from both nitroprusside and milrinone. It relaxes
      depolarization-mediated contractions solely by decreasing [Ca2+]i but also
      appears to be capable of reversing the apparent calcium sensitizing action of
      phenylephrine.

PMID- 1855127
TI  - The contribution of Rb-permeable potassium channels to the relaxant and membrane
      hyperpolarizing actions of cromakalim, RP49356 and diazoxide in bovine tracheal
      smooth muscle.
AB  - 1. Cromakalim (1 and 10 microM), RP49356 (5 and 50 microM) and diazoxide (100 and
      300 microM) produced full relaxation of smooth muscle strips pre-contracted with
      25 mM KCl. These agents caused membrane hyperpolarization and increased 42K and
      86Rb efflux. The time taken to achieve the maximum change in each of these
      parameters (tmax) was less for the higher concentration levels of cromakalim,
      RP49356 and diazoxide than for the lower concentration levels. 2. Calculation of
      permeability (P) changes showed that cormakalim (1 and 10 microM) produced a
      greater rise in PK than PRb, although the PRb:PK ratio was similar at both
      concentration levels. Similarly RP49356 produced a greater change in PK than PRb.
      However, in contrast to cromakalim, this difference was more marked at the higher
      concentration (50 microM) and was reflected by a differential effect of the two
      concentrations of RP49356 on the PRb:PK ratio. Diazoxide (100 and 300 microM)
      produced similar changes in PK and PRb. 3. For cromakalim (1 and 10 microM) the
      tmax for the electrical and mechanical effects and also the profile of change in
      these parameters corresponded to changes in both PK and PRb. For RP49356 (5
      microM), changes in tension and membrane potential were related to both changes
      in PK and PRb, whereas at 50 microM these responses more closely corresponded to
      changes in PK. For diazoxide (100 and 300 microM) the electrical and mechanical
      effects corresponded to changes in both PK and PRb. 4. The results show that
      changes in 42K and 86Rb efflux induced by cromakalim, RP49356 and diazoxide are
      good indicators of changes in membrane PK and PRb evoked by these agents.
      Furthermore, it is concluded that the K channels involved in the mechanical and
      electrical effects of cromakalim are represented by the opening of a single
      population through which Rb can pass less easily than K, whilst the K channels
      associated with actions of diazoxide are equally permeable to both K and Rb. In
      contrast, the relaxant and membrane hyperpolarizing actions of RP49356 may
      involve the opening of more than one group of K channels which differ in their
      permeability to Rb.

PMID- 1855128
TI  - Facilitation of amphetamine-induced hypothermia in mice by GABA agonists and CCK
      8.
AB  - 1. Amphetamine-induced hypothermia in mice is facilitated by dopaminergic
      stimulation and 5-hydroxytryptaminergic inhibition. The present study was
      designed to investigate: (a) the involvement of other neuronal systems, such as
      the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the opioid and the cholecystokinin (CCK-8)
      systems; (b) the possible contribution of hydroxylated metabolites of amphetamine
      to the hypothermia; (c) the capacity of dopamine itself to induce hypothermia and
      its mechanisms, in order to clarify the resistance of amphetamine-induced
      hypothermia to certain neuroleptics. 2. Pretreatment with the GABA antagonists,
      bicuculline and picrotoxin, did not inhibit amphetamine-induced hypothermia. The
      GABAB agonist, baclofen (2.5 mg kg-1, i.p.) potentiated this hypothermia, whereas
      the GABAA agonist, muscimol, did not. gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) (40 mg kg-1,
      i.p.) and the neuropeptide CCK-8 (0.04 mg kg-1, i.p.) also induced potentiation.
      The opioid antagonist, naloxone, was without effect. 3. Dopamine itself (3, 9, 16
      and 27 micrograms, i.c.v.) induced less hypothermia than the same doses of
      amphetamine. Sulpiride did not block dopamine-induced hypothermia, but pimozide
      (4 mg kg-1, i.p.), cis(z)flupentixol (0.25 mg kg-1, i.p.) and haloperidol (5
      micrograms, i.c.v.) did. The direct dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine, did
      not alter the hypothermia. Neither the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor
      blocker, cyproheptadine, nor the inhibitor of 5-HT synthesis, p
      chlorophenylalanine (PCPA), modified dopamine-induced hypothermia. Fluoxetine, an
      inhibitor of 5-HT reuptake, had no effect, whereas quipazine (6 mg kg-1, i.p.), a
      5-HT agonist, totally prevented the hypothermia. Hypothermia was unaffected by
      pretreatment with CCK-8. 4. These data indicate that the hypothermia induced by
      amphetamine involves not only dopaminergic and 5-hydroxytryptaminergic systems
      which are functionally antagonistic, but is also facilitated by direct or
      indirect GABA and CCK-8 receptor stimulation. This facilitation could result, in
      part, from modulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission. This may explain the
      apparent resistance of amphetamineinduced hypothermia to some neuroleptics, while
      dopamine-induced hypothermia is not resistant. The possible action of
      hydroxylated metabolites of amphetamine may also help to explain these
      differences.

PMID- 1855129
TI  - Blood pressure and vascular reactivity changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats
      fed fish oil.
AB  - 1. To examine possible mechanisms of antihypertensive effects of feeding fish oil
      rich in n-3 fatty acids, we have studied vascular reactivity of aortic rings and
      perfused mesenteric resistance vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)
      given such a diet. 2. In two experiments, rats were fed a semi-synthetic diet
      containing either 'fish oil' (10 and 20% by weight) or hydrogenated coconut oil
      (control) (10 and 20%) for 4 weeks. 3. Blood pressure rose significantly less in
      the fish oil group than in controls in both experiments. 4. Aortic rings from
      control rats showed endothelium-dependent relaxations to low concentrations of
      acetylcholine (ACh) but relaxed less at higher concentrations. In contrast, rings
      from the fish oil group had relaxations which increased through the range of
      concentrations used. Indomethacin (10 microM) also increased the relaxation
      responses seen in rings from control rats, suggesting that fish oil inhibits a
      contractile cyclo-oxygenase product. This contractile substance may be
      thromboxane A2 (TxA2) or its endoperoxide precursor, prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) as
      aortic incubates and serum levels of TxB2 (the stable product of TxA2) were
      greatly reduced in fish oil-fed rats, and the decrease of relaxant responses to
      high concentrations of ACh were also blocked by a TxA2/PGH2 receptor blocker (SQ
      29548). 5. In contrast to aortic rings, perfused preconstricted mesenteric
      resistance vessels of control rats relaxed to ACh in a similar fashion to tissues
      from fish oil-fed rats. However, in this preparation, fish oil feeding enhanced
      relaxations to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and contractile responses to
      noradrenaline were less than controls. After removal of endothelium with 0.05%
      saponin, contractile responses to noradrenaline increased in both groups but
      responses from fish oil-treated rats were still attenuated. This suggests that
      fish oil feeding alters reactivity of mesenteric resistance vessels at the level
      of the smooth muscle. 6. The results indicate that fish oil feeding may reduce
      blood pressure by decreasing vascular smooth muscle reactivity to noradrenaline
      in resistance vessels. The effect may be enhanced by inhibition of an endothelium
      derived cyclo-oxygenase product, such as TxA2 or PGH2 in conduit vessels.

PMID- 1855130
TI  - The mechanism of the sympathoinhibitory action of urapidil: role of 5-HT1A
      receptors.
AB  - 1. An investigation was carried out to determine if the sympathoinhibition caused
      by urapidil is due to activation of 5-HT1A receptors by investigating whether it
      could be reversed by the non-selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist spiperone. To
      control for the possibility of functional antagonism by spiperone, the ability of
      spiperone to reverse the sympathoinhibition caused by clonidine was also
      investigated. These experiments were carried out in anaesthetized prazosin
      pretreated cats to prevent the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist action of urapidil
      and spiperone from masking any effects observed. 2. Cats were anaesthetized with
      alpha-chloralose and simultaneous recordings were made of whole cardiac,
      splanchnic and renal nerve activities, blood pressure, heart rate and femoral
      arterial flow (from which conductance was derived). All animals were initially
      pretreated with prazosin (1 mg kg-1, i.v.) given in divided doses (0.75 followed
      10 min later by 0.25 mg kg-1), then either urapidil (0.75 mg kg-1, i.v.) or
      clonidine (10 micrograms kg-1, i.v. in two divided doses) followed by 3 separate
      injections of spiperone (1 mg kg-1, i.v.). In another set of experiments urapidil
      was given followed by injections of the appropriate vehicle for spiperone, while
      in another set urapidil was replaced with an injection of the appropriate vehicle
      followed by injections of spiperone. In the experiments with clonidine, the alpha
      2-adrenoceptor antagonist Wy 26392 (0.3 mg kg-1) was given after the last
      injection of spiperone. 3. The prazosin pretreatment caused a fall in blood
      pressure associated with femoral vasodilatation, a small bradycardia and little
      change in cardiac, splanchnic or renal nerve activities. Urapidil or clonidine
      injection after prazosin caused sympathoinhibition associated with an additional
      bradycardia. However, only urapidil caused an additional fall in blood pressure.
      Spiperone injections reversed the sympathoinhibition caused by urapidil but not
      that caused by clonidine. The sympathoinhibition caused by clonidine was reversed
      by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist Wy 26392. 4. These results show that the
      sympathoinhibition caused by urapidil in prazosin-pretreated cats can be reversed
      by spiperone. The reversal of this sympathoinhibition is not due to functional
      antagonism. It is concluded that urapidil can cause sympathoinhibition by
      activation of 5-HTlA receptors.

PMID- 1855131
TI  - Learning disturbances following excitotoxic lesion of cholinergic pedunculo
      pontine nucleus in the rat.
AB  - Compared to brain anterior cholinergic systems such as the septo-hippocampal and
      nucleus basalis-cortical pathways, posterior cholinergic groups have received
      little attention with respect to their involvement in learning and memory. In
      this study, the effect of lesion of the cholinergic pedunculo-pontine cell bodies
      (PPN) by the excitotoxin quisqualic acid was investigated on spontaneous
      locomotor activity and learning in rats. Behavioral tasks designed to test both
      reference memory (cross maze and water maze) or working memory (radial maze) were
      used. PPN lesion had no effect on initial nor on nocturnal locomotor activity in
      a circular corridor. The lesion disrupted learning in the water and radial mazes,
      but was without influence on acquisition in the cross maze. The difference in
      results obtained in the two tasks designed to test reference memory (cross maze
      and water maze) indicated that the disturbance depended on task difficulty rather
      than on a particular memory component. It is suggested that the PPN is involved
      in the sustained attention required to perform correctly in water and radial
      mazes. The PPN cannot therefore be considered as a uniquely extrapyramidal
      structure. In addition to its descending outputs, the PPN has ascending
      connections to the neocortex, either directly or indirectly via the thalamus, and
      so pathological changes in this region may be partly responsible for the
      cognitive disorders of aging or those observed in various neurodegenerative
      conditions.

PMID- 1855132
TI  - Memory facilitation by post-training intraperitoneal, intracerebroventricular and
      intra-amygdala injection of Ro 5-4864.
AB  - Post-training i.p. (2.0 or 5.0 mg/kg), i.c.v. (2.5 micrograms/rat), or intra
      amygdala (1.6-40 ng/amygdala) administration of Ro 5-4864 causes memory
      facilitation of step-down inhibitory avoidance in rats. The effect is expressed
      as an increased latency to step down in a retention test carried out 24 h after
      training. Ro 5-4864 is a blocker of the Cl(-)-channel associated with GABAA
      receptors, at a site sensitive to the antagonist, PK11195, and different from
      that sensitive to picrotoxin. PK11195, given i.c.v. (2.5 micrograms/rat) or into
      the amygdala (8 ng/amygdala), antagonized the effect of Ro 5-4864. Intra-amygdala
      picrotoxin administration (80 ng/amygdala) also caused retrograde memory
      facilitation, but its effect was not antagonized by PK11195. At a higher dose (40
      ng/amygdala), PK11195 had an amnestic effect of its own, which suggests that it
      might be acting against an endogenous ligand of receptor to Ro 5-4864 in the Cl(
      )-channel. These findings support the hypothesis that there is a GABAA mechanism
      in the amygdala normally involved in the modulation of the post-training memory
      processing of aversive learnings.

PMID- 1855133
TI  - Enterostatin suppresses food intake following injection into the third ventricle
      of rats.
AB  - The effect on food intake of an activation peptide from pancreatic pro-colipase,
      called enterostatin, has been studied after parenteral or third ventricular
      administration. The activation peptide (enterostatin = Val-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg =
      VPDPR) reduced food intake when given intraperitoneally. Low doses of this
      peptide also reduced food intake when given into the third ventricle, but high
      doses were ineffective. Enterostatin did not modify the stimulatory effects on
      food intake of clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, suggesting that its
      anorectic effects are not mediated via the alpha 2-adrenergic system. These data
      suggest that enterostatin, an activation peptide from pro-colipase, may play a
      role in producing satiety.

PMID- 1855134
TI  - Soma diameter and oxidative enzyme activity of identified alpha-motoneurons:
      application of a retrograde fluorescent neuronal tracer.
AB  - Using a fluorescent compound as a retrograde neuronal tracer for the
      identification of a specific motoneuron pool, we examined the soma diameter and
      oxidative enzyme activity of alpha-motoneurons innervating the extensor digitorum
      longus (EDL) and the soleus (Sol) muscles in the rat. An inverse relationship
      between soma diameter and oxidative enzyme activity was demonstrated in the EDL,
      while there was no significant relationship between these variables in the Sol.
      These results suggest that an inverse relationship between soma diameter and
      oxidative enzyme activity cannot always be demonstrated in all of the motoneuron
      pools.

PMID- 1855135
TI  - Elicitation of hippocampal theta by intraseptal carbachol injection in freely
      moving rats.
AB  - Following infusion into the septum of carbachol, a powerful muscarinic agonist, a
      theta (theta) rhythm was emitted during complete relaxed immobility as well as
      during automatic movements. This was not seen following administration of the
      drug within the caudate/putamen, which is rich in muscarinic receptors but which
      is not believed to be involved in hippocampal theta generation. Local
      administration of atropine abolished carbachol-induced theta but did not suppress
      the theta which normally occurs during voluntary movements. These findings
      clearly demonstrate that at least a component of the hippocampal theta may be
      manipulated by intraseptal administration of muscarinic agents, thus supporting
      our previous assumption that, in theta generation, the septum may be a sensitive
      site of action for exogenously administered cholinomimetic drugs. They also raise
      the possibility that the activity of the well identified septohippocampal system
      involved in the presumed cholinergic hippocampal theta generation is regulated
      trans-synaptically by acetylcholine at the septal level. Finally, our
      micropharmacological approach, by suggesting the carbachol-responding
      septohippocampal cells pacing theta rhythm which is correlated to important
      functional states, such as attentive waking and active sleep, provides a
      potential powerful tool for clarifying the neurobiological function of the
      septohippocampal pathway.

PMID- 1855136
TI  - An intracellular recording study of stimulus-specific response properties in cat
      area 17.
AB  - Stimulus-specific response properties, such as direction or orientation
      selectivity, were studied intracellularly in cells recorded from area 17 of the
      cat. In all 5 direction selective complex cells and one orientation selective
      simple cell successfully studied, visually evoked excitatory postsynaptic
      potentials (EPSPs) were tuned to the preferred direction or orientation. Visually
      evoked inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) were also tuned to the
      preferred direction/orientation of stimulus. IPSPs evoked by the non-preferred
      stimulus when present were smaller than those evoked by the preferred stimulus.
      IPSPs were undetected in two of the 5 cells tested. These results suggest that
      directionally/orientationally tuned EPSPs make a major contribution to stimulus
      specificity in visual cortical neurons but IPSPs evoked by a stimulus with null
      direction/orientation may sharpen the stimulus specificity.

PMID- 1855138
TI  - Circadian differences in neuronal activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in
      brain slices prepared from photo-responsive and photo-non-responsive Djungarian
      hamsters.
AB  - The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, as the putative generator
      of circadian rhythmicity, plays an important role in mammalian photoinduction. To
      determine if SCN function differs in photo-non-responsive Djungarian hamsters, we
      defined the pattern of spontaneous neuronal discharge of single cells from SCN
      slices in vitro of photo-responsive and photo-non-responsive phenotypes.
      Responsive hamsters exhibited a peak neuronal discharge rate (4.8 +/- 0.5 Hz)
      during the mid day which gradually attenuated through the late day and early
      night. In non-responsive hamsters, a similar discharge rate (5.1 +/- 0.5) was
      maintained through the late day and early night. The delayed decline in
      spontaneous firing rate of non-responders correlates with their delayed activity
      onset and delayed nocturnal pineal melatonin pulse. These data support the
      argument that the absence of photoperiodic adjustments in Phodopus sungorus rests
      with differences in SCN function.

PMID- 1855137
TI  - Noradrenaline release in the rat amygdala is increased by stress: studies with
      intracerebral microdialysis.
AB  - The effects of immobilization and tail-pinch stress on extracellular
      noradrenaline (NA) release in the amygdala were studied in freely moving rats
      with intracerebral microdialysis techniques. After collection of basal levels of
      NA (2.63 +/- 0.26 pg/50 microliters/20 min), the rat was exposed to either
      immobilization stress or tail-pinch stress for 20 min. Immobilization and tail
      pinch stress increased NA release to 250 and 243% of basal levels, respectively
      and the elevation of NA release was observed for 60 min and 40 min after release
      from stress, also respectively. These data suggest that microdialysis is a useful
      way to study extracellular NA release in the amygdala and that NA neurons in this
      region are activated by both immobilization and tail-pinch stress.

PMID- 1855139
TI  - Periaqueductal gray matter and nucleus raphe magnus involvement in anterior
      pretectal nucleus-induced inhibition of jaw-opening reflex in rats.
AB  - In previous studies we have shown that electrical stimulation of the cortex or
      anterior pretectal nucleus (APT) inhibits the jaw-opening reflex (JOR). In the
      present study we investigated whether these effects are mediated by a relay in
      the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) or rostroventromedial medulla (RVM).
      Experiments were performed on chloralose-urethane anesthetized rats. The JOR
      which was elicited by electrical stimulation of the mandibular incisor tooth was
      monitored by recording the evoked digastric muscle activity. Conditioning
      stimulation (20 ms train of 0.2 ms pulses at 400 Hz) was delivered to the facial
      area of the sensorimotor cortex, APT, PAG or nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) 50 ms
      prior to the test stimulus to the tooth that evoked the JOR. In addition, the
      effects of microinjections of glutamate into APT, PAG and NRM on the tooth-evoked
      JOR were also evaluated. The inhibition of the JOR by electrical and glutamate
      conditioning stimulation was found to be most potent for activation of the NRM
      and least potent for the APT. Local anesthetic (2% lidocaine, 0.3-0.6
      microliters) block of the PAG could partially, significantly (P less than 0.05)
      and reversibly reduce both the APT and cortical-induced depression of the JOR.
      Lidocaine block of the ventromedial pons reversibly reduced the PAG, APT and
      cortical-induced inhibition of the JOR (P less than 0.05). Lidocaine block of the
      lateral RVM had powerfully (P less than 0.01) and reversibly reduced the PAG
      induced inhibition, but had only a small effect (P less than 0.05) on the APT
      induced inhibition and no significant effect on the cortical-induced
      inhibition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855140
TI  - Selective degeneration of a putative cholinergic pathway in the chinchilla
      cochlea following infusion with ethylcholine aziridinium ion.
AB  - Ethylcholine aziridinium ion (AF64A) diluted in artificial perilymph, or
      artificial perilymph alone was infused into the cochlea of chinchillas. After a
      survival time of 7 days, the cochleas were fixed with aldehydes, post-fixed in
      osmium and embedded in epoxy resin for light and electron microscopy. The
      ultrastructure of the cochleas infused with artificial perilymph was normal.
      Infusion of 1 microM AF64A resulted in massive degeneration of the axons of the
      lateral efferent system, a putative cholinergic pathway that originates in the
      brainstem and terminates on dendrites of the spiral ganglion innervating cochlear
      inner hair cells. The axons and terminals of a second putative cholinergic
      pathway, the medial efferent system which terminates on the outer hair cells,
      were normal. Infusion of AF64A in a concentration of 10 microM resulted in
      significant pathology of cochlear and supporting cells as well as the loss of
      efferent terminals at both inner and outer hair cell regions. The results suggest
      that AF64A is a selective neurotoxin when used under low-dosage conditions, and
      that certain pathways may be more susceptible to the effects of AF64A than
      others. One interpretation of these findings is that lateral efferent axons may
      have a higher rate of high-affinity choline uptake than terminals of the medial
      efferent axons.

PMID- 1855141
TI  - Topographic analysis of field potentials in rat vibrissa/barrel cortex.
AB  - An 8 x 8 multichannel microelectrode array was used to simultaneously record
      epicortical field potentials, evoked by displacement of contralateral vibrissae,
      from a 4 x 4 mm2 area of vibrissa/barrel cortex in 4 rats. The epicortical
      responses began with early positive (P1) and negative (N1) sharp waves, followed
      by slower positive (P2) and negative (N2) waves. The potential complex
      systematically shifted location with vibrissa stimulated, in accordance with the
      known somatotopic anatomy of vibrissa/barrel cortex. Topographical distributions
      of potentials at the P1, N1, P2 and N2 peaks were approximately concentric, but
      had distinct spatial extents, suggesting that they were generated by different
      but overlapping neuronal subpopulations. We propose that the SEP in the
      vibrissa/barrel cortex is produced by both sequential and parallel processing of
      somatosensory information, and that all components of the epicortical SEP are
      generated only in primary somatosensory cortex of the rat. Applications and
      weaknesses of topographic analysis methods are discussed.

PMID- 1855142
TI  - Stimulation-induced peripheral nerve hyperemia: mediation by fibers innervating
      vasa nervorum?
AB  - We studied the influence of graded nerve trunk stimulation on endoneurial blood
      flow (NBF), oxygen tension and pH in the rat sciatic nerve. The purpose of the
      investigation was to explore changes in the in vivo microenvironment of axons
      which result from their metabolic activation. Using endoneurial microelectrodes,
      we made serial measurements before, during and after varying stimulation
      protocols in curarized animals. NBF was increased by stimulation and the effect
      was directly related to the frequency, length and intensity of the stimulation
      train. At an intensity designed to supramaximally recruit myelinated fibers, high
      frequency (50 and 100 Hz) and prolonged duration (5-15 min) stimulation increased
      NBF. The effect was partly blocked by infiltration of lidocaine at the
      stimulating site. High intensity stimulation, designed to also recruit
      unmyelinated fibers, was particularly effective in enhancing NBF and lowering
      microvascular resistance. Continuous measurements of endoneurial oxygen and pH
      tension failed to identify associated declines with stimulation irrespective of
      the protocol. Both oxygen tension and pH tended to rise with stimulation. These
      studies confirm the presence of stimulation-induced endoneurial hyperemia but
      provide no evidence that local hypoxia or acidosis are mechanisms. Stimulation
      recruitment of vasodilatory axons innervating vasa nervorum may be an alternative
      explanation.

PMID- 1855143
TI  - Short-term potentiation of off-responses in turtle horizontal cells.
AB  - Depolarizing responses to light off were studied in turtle horizontal cells using
      intracellular recording in the everted eyecup preparation. In many cells the off
      response showed two components (fast and slow) which could overshoot beyond the
      steady-state dark level. The peak amplitudes of the fast and slow components
      increased with increasing duration of the light stimulus. A similar enhancement
      of the off-responses could also be produced by repetitive stimulation with brief
      flashes. However, the degree of enhancement produced by repetitive stimulation
      was greater than could be produced by increasing stimulus duration, and the
      latency of the onset of depolarization was longer, suggesting that the
      enhancement produced by repetitive stimulation involves an additional mechanism.
      Dramatic enhancement of the off-response by stimuli which did not affect the on
      response during light indicates that the off-response may contain information not
      present in the on-response. The fast component of the off-response was suppressed
      to a greater degree than other components by reducing extracellular calcium or in
      the presence of 500 microM cobalt, suggesting that this component may involve a
      calcium current.

PMID- 1855144
TI  - Corticotropin releasing hormone, interleukin-1 alpha, and tumor necrosis factor
      alpha share characteristics of stress mediators.
AB  - Interleukin-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha induce an increase in pain
      thresholds in the rat. We now show that also the corticotropin releasing hormone
      induces an analgesic effect that, similarly to what is observed with the two
      cytokines, is not reversible by naloxone. Moreover, we also show that after the
      administration of interleukin-1 alpha, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and
      corticotropin releasing hormone, naloxone becomes analgesic itself. A similar
      observation was also made in the human and the experimental animal after exposure
      to stressful conditions. The results obtained suggest that the two cytokines
      share with corticotropin releasing hormone some characteristics of stress
      mediators.

PMID- 1855145
TI  - Neuronal survival and neurite growth in cultured cerebral explants: assessment of
      the effect of cytosine arabinoside using improved stereology.
AB  - Using improved stereological procedures, based on measurements of the total
      reference volume, the effect of cytosine arabinoside (AraC) on neurons and non
      neuronal cells in rat cerebral explants has been reinvestigated. These analyses
      revealed that, in the AraC-treated explants, neurons support a significantly
      increased volume of neurites, while the volume of non-neuronal cells in the
      outgrowth zone is significantly decreased. The total number of neurons is similar
      in the control and treated explants. Since AraC primarily affects dividing cells,
      these data suggest that the increased volume of neurites per neuron may be
      mediated through a curtailment of non-neuronal cell division in the AraC-treated
      explants. This volumetric approach represents a major improvement on current
      morphometric approaches for quantifying cultured explants of nervous tissue, and
      provides important evidence that the previously postulated effects of AraC are
      real ones.

PMID- 1855146
TI  - Angiotensin II receptor subtypes in rat brain: dithiothreitol inhibits ligand
      binding to AII-1 and enhances binding to AII-2.
AB  - Angiotensin II (AII) receptor subtypes have been proposed on the basis of the
      selectivity of non-peptide AII antagonists. In the present study, the sulfhydryl
      reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) was found to reduce binding to the AII-1
      receptor while enhancing binding at the AII-2 site. The neuroanatomical
      distribution of these effects were consistent with the distribution of AII-1 and
      AII-2 receptors, respectively. These data indicate that AII receptor subtypes in
      the brain can be differentiated by both biochemical and pharmacological means.

PMID- 1855147
TI  - Nematosomes in external horizontal cells of white perch (Roccus americana)
      retina: changes during dark and light adaptation.
AB  - Cytoplasmic inclusions resembling nucleoli and termed nematosomes have been
      described in several areas of the nervous system but not in the retina. Here we
      report the presence of these structures in the external horizontal cells of white
      perch (Roccus americana). Nematosomes were larger and more numerous in dark
      adapted retinas than in light-adapted ones. An inverse relation of horizontal
      cell spinules was found in these cells, suggesting that electron-dense material
      observed in spinules may originate from nematosomes.

PMID- 1855148
TI  - Compound action potential of nerve recorded by suction electrode: a theoretical
      and experimental analysis.
AB  - Suction electrodes are widely used for recording compound action potentials
      (CAPs) from peripheral nerves or central tracts. Unfortunately, the recordings
      obtained with suction electrodes often vary over time, making quantitative
      measurement of CAP amplitude difficult. We developed an equivalent electrical
      model which predicts that the magnitude of a recorded potential will be linearly
      related to the resistance of the electrode with a nerve inserted. Mathematical
      procedures were developed that allow correction of virtually all variability
      inherent in this type of recording; this variability may arise from resistance
      drift, variable stimulus artifact, or potentials generated as a result of the
      current of injury. The validity of the theoretical analysis was confirmed
      experimentally using rat optic nerves. The magnitude of the CAP and electrode
      resistance varied spontaneously by as much as 100% over time, due to changes in
      electrode resistance and size of the stimulus artifact. Because the CAP was
      linearly related to resistance, it was therefore best quantified by the slope
      computed from this relationship. The stimulus artifact, unlike the CAP itself,
      was shown to be independent of recording electrode resistance and therefore only
      resulted in a variable offset to the area vs resistance linear relationship; the
      slope of this relationship was unaffected. In the absence of stimulation, a
      steady negative DC potential was recorded from the optic nerve, which was
      greatest immediately after dissection, and was also a linear function of
      electrode resistance. In contrast to CAP amplitude, the latencies of the
      component peaks within the CAP were not significantly altered by changes in
      electrode resistance. The experimental results confirmed the validity of the
      electrical model and demonstrated that suction electrodes can be a very reliable
      and quantitative recording method if the signals are properly corrected.

PMID- 1855149
TI  - Treatment with L-dopa in early life restored pituitary-adrenocortical response to
      emotional stress in adult rats with inherited arterial hypertension.
AB  - This study investigates the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical
      system (HPAS) in adult rats with inherited stress-induced arterial hypertension
      (ISIAH rats) whose arterial blood pressure was lowered by the dopamine precursor
      L-DOPA treatment during early development (on days 21-25 of life). The response
      of the HPAS induced by emotional stress was significantly lower in intact ISIAH
      rats than in normotensive Wistar animals. Injections of L-DOPA on days 21-23 or
      21-25 of postnatal life were followed by a long-lasting complete restoration of
      the emotional stress response in adult ISIAH rats. The restoring effect of L-DOPA
      was produced through enhancement of synthesis of the brain noradrenaline and,
      perhaps, adrenaline. The effect was associated with a normalization of the
      response of the brain adrenergic system to noradrenaline and did not relate to an
      increase of the plasma corticosterone level after L-DOPA administration in early
      ontogeny.

PMID- 1855150
TI  - Adenosine A1 and non-A1 receptors: intracellular analysis of the actions of
      adenosine agonists and antagonists in rat hippocampal neurons.
AB  - Adenosine and its agonists exert a depressant effect on neuronal activity by
      interacting with the adenosine A1 receptor. There is now also evidence for
      electrophysiological effects mediated by adenosine receptors other than the A1
      type, possibly A2 receptors. A1 and A2 receptor-induced changes in the electrical
      properties of neuronal membranes were investigated by intracellularly recording
      from rat hippocampal CA1 neurons and using the adenosine agonists, 5'-N
      ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) and R-phenylisopropyladenosine (PIA), and the
      unselective A1 and A2 receptor antagonist, theophylline and the selective A1
      receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopenthyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX). PIA and NECA
      produced an inhibitory effect which was blocked by DPCPX and thus was mediated by
      A1 receptors. PIA produced inhibition at lower concentrations (0.1-1 mumol/l)
      than NECA (0.5-10 mumol/l), whereas at high concentrations (2.5 mumol/l) it
      exerted a dual effect, i.e. either an inhibitory or an excitatory one. During
      simultaneous perfusion with the A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX, PIA produced
      concentration-dependent excitatory effects at concentrations above 1 mumol/l.
      These excitatory effects were blocked by theophylline. DPCPX produced excitation
      that was enhanced by NECA. Forskolin caused no change in the membrane properties.
      It is concluded that (1) NECA and PIA affect the membrane properties not only by
      an action on the A1 but also on non-A1 receptors, because the excitatory effects
      of PIA and NECA were insensitive to DPCPX and abolished by theophylline; (2) PIA
      and NECA are more potent at A1 than at A2 receptors; (3) PIA is more potent than
      NECA at A1 and A2 receptors; (4) effects mediated by A2 receptors prevail over
      those mediated by A1 receptors when A2 receptors are activated; and (5) the non
      A1 receptor-mediated effects are independent of an increased formation of cAMP.

PMID- 1855151
TI  - Localization of cells containing estrogen receptor-like immunoreactivity in the
      Brazilian opossum brain.
AB  - The Brazilian opossum (Monodelphis domestica) is a small, pouchless marsupial
      whose young are born in an immature, sexually undifferentiated state. Etgen and
      Fadem, and Handa and coworkers have biochemically detected and characterized
      estrogen receptors in the forebrain of the Brazilian opossum. In this study, we
      have examined the distribution of estrogen receptor-like immunoreactive (ER-LI)
      cells in the brains of gonadectomized male and female Brazilian opossums using
      Abbott H222 rat monoclonal estrogen receptor antibody (H222 is a gift of Abbott
      Labs). An indirect immunohistochemical procedure employing the Vectastain Elite
      system and a nickel-enhanced DAB chromogen was used. A large number of ER-LI cell
      nuclei were observed in the medial preoptic area, ventral septal nucleus, medial
      division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, lateral part of the
      ventromedial hypothalamus, premammillary nucleus, arcuate nucleus, posterior
      amygdaloid nucleus, and the midbrain central grey. Lower numbers of ER-LI cell
      nuclei were observed in the intermediate subdivision of the lateral septal
      nucleus, and in the anterior, medial, and posterior cortical amygdaloid nuclei.
      The anatomical distribution of ER-LI in the Brazilian opossum brain is similar to
      that which has been reported for estrogen binding sites following biochemical
      analysis. Based on these findings, we believe specific regions of the Brazilian
      opossum brain may serve as substrata for the action of estrogen in the adult. In
      addition, these results are supportive of the use of this animal model to
      investigate the organizational effects of estrogen on the developing central
      nervous system.

PMID- 1855153
TI  - Gastroenterologic problems.

PMID- 1855152
TI  - Physicians' guide to driver examination. Fifth edition.

PMID- 1855154
TI  - General perspectives on the aged gut.
AB  - It is pertinent to ask what clinical conditions would geriatricians most want
      gastroenterologists to solve. I believe that the three most important are
      transfer dysphagia, constipation and diarrhea, and fecal incontinence. With
      transfer dysphagia, the older patient with central nervous system disease simply
      has forgotten how to swallow. Is it possible, with sensory retraining techniques,
      to make an impact upon this disabling problem? Although the healthy elderly
      appear to perceive constipation more often than they actually suffer from it,
      evacuation clearly is disturbed in hospitalized and nursing-home residents. Can
      we develop better prokinetic agents to alleviate this problem? Incontinence, more
      than any other gastrointestinal condition, leads to the transfer of patients from
      a protected home environment to a chronic-nursing facility. Can we study the
      pathophysiology of incontinence intensively, as Dr. Nicholas Read's group in
      Sheffield, England, has done, and develop approaches to managing this important
      problem? The presentations in this issue of Clinics in Geriatric Medicine may not
      provide all of the solutions for clinical problems in the elderly that we seek,
      but it should be a step in the right direction by making salient new information
      readily available.

PMID- 1855155
TI  - Swallowing disorders in the elderly.
AB  - The classic symptoms of dysphagia, heartburn, and chest pain are the presenting
      manifestation of oropharyngeal and esophageal disorders in the elderly as well as
      the young. Several unique conditions, including Zenker's diverticulum and
      vascular compression of the esophagus, may occur in the elderly. Certain
      disorders, such as oropharyngeal dysphagia due to neurologic disorder, increase
      in frequency with age. Treatment approaches are similar in elderly and younger
      patients, but the potential for adverse drug effects and interaction is greater
      in the elderly than in the young.

PMID- 1855157
TI  - Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
AB  - As the number of elderly Americans dramatically increases over the next three
      decades, as the amount of NSAID usage in the elderly continues to increase, and
      as the incidence of ulcer disease continues to increase in the elderly, upper
      gastrointestinal endoscopy will play an increasingly important role in the
      management of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Initial efforts should be directed
      toward stabilizing the patient and obtaining a history and physical examination.
      As the number of associated diseases increases in a patient with gastrointestinal
      hemorrhage, so does risk of mortality. Therefore, it is important to promptly
      identify the site of bleeding and to stop active or recurrent bleeding by the
      application of endoscopic therapy. Intravenous sedation should be given
      cautiously to achieve conscious sedation in a monitored patient. A skilled
      endoscopist should be available to perform endoscopy and apply the therapeutic
      modalities of electrocoagulation, photocoagulation, or injection therapy for
      bleeding or nonbleeding vessels or sclero-therapy for esophageal varices. The key
      to success is to identify the site of bleeding and then act on the finding as
      clinically indicated. By doing so, it appears that the cost of hospitalization
      and the mortality in the elderly patient are reduced.

PMID- 1855156
TI  - Acid peptic disease in the elderly.
AB  - Research in epidemiology and related fields highlights three factors contributing
      to a high prevalence of complications of ulcer disease in the elderly, namely
      anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin and NSAIDs), type B gastritis due to H. pylori
      infection, and smoking; these factors also increase the prevalence of both GU and
      DU. The major dangers with ulcer disease arise from continued exposure to the
      causative risk factors, absent or insidious symptoms, difficulties in diagnosis,
      late presentations, high rates of complications (often the presenting features),
      high preoperative and perioperative mortality, and serious postoperative
      morbidity (especially in smokers). Empiric therapy and the use of diagnoses such
      as nonulcer dyspepsia invite additional hazards. Once diagnosed and adequately
      treated, ulcers in the elderly behave similarly to those in younger subjects
      matched for risk factors, and they respond well to treatment. In high-risk
      elderly patients without previous or active ulcer disease, misoprostol may be
      used to prevent gastric ulcers; other benefits of the drug await clarification.
      In those with previous or active ulcer disease, H2-antagonists given long-term in
      higher doses appear preferable. Side effects of antiulcer drugs are rarely
      serious and are easily managed by dose reductions or changes in products. The
      major benefits to the management of ulcers in the elderly come from increased
      vigilance on the part of physicians.

PMID- 1855158
TI  - Irritable bowel syndrome in the elderly.
AB  - Although few studies to elucidate the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the
      irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in people over the age of 65, it is our thesis
      that the problem is underrecognized in older people. The available data suggest
      that 10% to 20% of elderly people in the general population have IBS. The causes
      remain unknown, but age-related changes are unlikely to alter the underlying
      pathogenesis. Treatment is still largely empiric, symptomatic, and often
      unsatisfactory; the problems of treating IBS in the elderly are compounded by the
      frequency of untoward side effects of drugs in this age group.

PMID- 1855159
TI  - Inflammatory bowel disease in older people.

PMID- 1855160
TI  - Lower intestinal bleeding in the elderly.
AB  - Lower intestinal bleeding in the elderly is a common problem with numerous and
      varied causes. Its diagnosis and treatment require a careful, systematic approach
      by physicians with special expertise. Under the proper circumstances, elderly
      patients with lower intestinal bleeding do well, even when surgery is required.
      An individual's age, by itself, should not preclude aggressive medical care.

PMID- 1855162
TI  - Cancer of the colon and rectum.
AB  - Colorectal cancer remains a significant medical illness and a leading cause of
      death in the geriatric population. Improvements in management include
      postoperative surgical adjuvant therapy for colonic cancer and postoperative
      chemotherapy and radiation for rectal cancer. Some advancement in the diagnostic
      and screening aspects has occurred. Management decisions in the older patients
      should follow the same principles as those in the younger age group, although
      preoperative medical evaluation is especially necessary to evaluate risk and
      optimize surgical, chemotherapeutic, and palliative outcomes. The best treatment
      for colon cancer, as for any malignancy, remains prevention. Therefore,
      additional efforts should focus on developing new and improved screening
      modalities (especially in the high-risk groups) to identify and remove
      premalignant lesions as well as to detect early-stage, and therefore potentially
      curable, large-bowel cancer.

PMID- 1855161
TI  - Gastrointestinal and other vulnerabilities for geriatric globetrotters.
AB  - An awareness of the journey's destination and the consequential events along the
      way will better enhance our diagnoses and in turn sustain our elder "homo
      turisticus," no longer an endangered species but worthy of our continued
      compassionate care while enjoying their longevity. All potential treacheries must
      be assessed by each elderly traveler. It may be the first of many trips or the
      last opportunity to view and relate to the sequoia's longevity, hike the Scottish
      highlands, view the game of the Serengeti, explore the Nordic fjords, indulge in
      the Patagonian scenes of the Iguazu falls, seek the habitats of the Galapagos
      tortoise, partake of the photograph opportunities of Papua-New Guinea, or
      finalize that "last" business contract in the Orient. With consideration of these
      many vulnerabilities and potential hazards, why then undertake the journey?
      Perhaps our geriatric globetrotters give credence to the age-old saying (of
      unknown origin) "Running water never freezes."

PMID- 1855163
TI  - Biliary tract disease in the aged.
AB  - Gallstone disease occurs in 20% to 30% of the elderly, is usually silent, and is
      rarely fatal. Silent GSD requires no treatment. Symptomatic GSD can be treated
      surgically, nonsurgically, or, if there are minimal symptoms, expectantly. The
      decision is based largely on physician experience and informed patient
      preference. Nonsurgical treatment is evolving and has particular appeal for the
      elderly but does have restricting eligibility requirements and limited efficacy.
      For acute cholecystitis, early surgery is advisable, except for high-risk
      patients, in whom conservative treatment or cholecystostomy may be preferable.
      For choledocholithiasis with persistent obstruction or cholangitis and for severe
      biliary pancreatitis, ERCP with sphincterotomy and stone removal is usually
      advisable. Benign biliary strictures are infrequent, usually iatrogenic, and a
      diagnostic consideration whenever biliary obstruction develops within a year
      after cholecystectomy. Treatment is usually surgical and not always successful.
      Biliary strictures in patients with ulcerative colitis suggest PSC. Malignant
      biliary obstruction is common in the elderly and with a few exceptions is rarely
      curable. Palliation is often achieved by endoscopic stenting.

PMID- 1855164
TI  - Liver diseases in the elderly.
AB  - The preceding discussions outline the various forms of cirrhosis that may be
      encountered in the elderly population. Cirrhosis is not uncommon in older
      patients. Although it has been stated that most cirrhosis in the elderly is due
      to alcohol, these assumptions are perhaps overestimations. In the authors'
      experience, many older patients are inappropriately labeled with alcoholic liver
      disease--presumed guilty until proven otherwise--and have subsequently been shown
      to have nonalcoholic liver disease. Careful investigation is required.
      Hepatotoxic drug exposure (e.g., to alpha methyldopa, nitrofurantoin, or
      isoniazid) should be ruled out, and hepatitis B and hepatitis C serology
      obtained. Primary biliary cirrhosis may occur in both sexes, and thus
      antimitochondrial antibody should be assayed. Severe heart disease may result in
      cardiac cirrhosis in the elderly, with ascites and hepatomegaly. Alpha 1
      antitrypsin deficiency, primary sclerosing cholangitis, idiopathic
      hemochromatosis, and chronic autoimmune hepatitis may result in advanced
      cirrhosis in the elderly; appropriate serum studies should be obtained. If
      questions remain and if therapy may be changed, liver biopsy can be performed. A
      recent study suggested, however, that the risk of hemorrhage from liver biopsy in
      the elderly may be increased, especially if malignancy is present. The era of
      treatment for liver diseases has arrived. Colchicine, methotrexate,
      ursodeoxycholic acid, and others have shown promise in the treatment of PBC,
      primary sclerosing cholangitis, and alcoholic liver disease. Corticosteroids may
      be lifesaving in autoimmune liver disease. Phlebotomy remains the treatment of
      choice for hemochromatosis in any age group. Interferons and other antiviral
      agents are being used in chronic type B and type C hepatitis. Treatment of the
      complications of cirrhosis in the elderly may be safely accomplished. Advanced
      age is not a contraindication to variceal sclerotherapy. Vasopressin, however,
      may be contraindicated in the elderly patient if there is an underlying history
      of atherosclerotic coronary or peripheral vascular disease. Large-volume
      paracentesis and peritoneal venous shunting can afford symptomatic relief of
      ascites, even in the geriatric population. Finally, as noted previously, advanced
      age is no longer to be considered an absolute contraindication for liver
      transplantation. The evaluation of liver disease in the elderly may be
      diagnostically challenging, and its treatment rewarding.

PMID- 1855165
TI  - A philosophic approach to aging.
AB  - Who are the old? Is age a category, like sex? Does just getting to a certain age
      justify certain rewards and certain limits? Is there a role for old physicians
      working in a hospital? What should age be a criterion for? There are no firm
      answers, but there should be more discussion.

PMID- 1855166
TI  - Ovarian cancer screening.

PMID- 1855167
TI  - Irrationality in the management of breast cancer. I. The staging system.
AB  - The historic development of breast cancer staging began early in the 20th century
      with the simple concept of early localized disease, spread to regional nodes, and
      the presence of distant metastases. This last group often was divided into
      patients with advanced but perhaps still curable locoregional disease and
      incurable patients with distant metastases. As increasing numbers of prognostic
      factors were recognized, efforts were made to incorporate them into the staging
      systems to combine patients with similar prognosis into the same stages. These
      attempts resulted in the development of four classifications, namely, the
      Columbia, Manchester, International, and American tumor-node-metastasis (TNM)
      staging systems. Although many benefits of staging were reported, the most
      important was that of permitting valid comparisons between different treatments
      and different institutions. Many success-limiting factors were noticed during the
      developmental years, and even though the TNM system has been accepted, numerous
      speakers and authors present their staged data in a confusing and ambiguous
      manner. Recommendations are made that would permit clarification of presentations
      to general medical audiences along with recognizable statistical validity.

PMID- 1855168
TI  - Mitoxantrone and high-dose etoposide for patients with relapsed or refractory
      acute leukemia.
AB  - Among 35 patients with relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
      who received salvage chemotherapy, 28 were treated with mitoxantrone (7.5 mg/m2/d
      intravenously [IV] over 1 hour for 5 days) and etoposide (VP-16) (2 g/m2 over 4
      days either as a daily infusion or as two daily doses). Seven patients received
      mitoxantrone (6 mg/m2/d for 5 days) and VP-16 (1500 mg/m2 over 3 days). The
      median duration of the initial complete remission (CR) was 6 months and 83% of
      the patients had initial CR that lasted 12 months or less. Forty-six percent of
      the patients were undergoing a second or subsequent salvage attempt. Eight
      patients (23%) achieved CR; seven of these CR were obtained after one course of
      therapy. Twelve patients (33%) died and 15 patients (42%) had disease that was
      resistant to treatment. Patients undergoing a first salvage attempt had a higher
      incidence rate of CR than those undergoing a second or subsequent salvage attempt
      (37% versus 6%; P = 0.03). CR rates were also higher in patients with a favorable
      (translocation 8;21 or 15;17) or diploid karyotype compared with other patients
      (32% versus 8%; P = 0.10). The median survival time was 2 months for all patients
      and 8 months for patients achieving CR. Mucositis occurred in 74% of the patients
      and was severe in 32%. Diarrhea and rash occurred in less than 33% of the
      patients. Fever was noticed in all but 1 of the patients and documented
      infections occurred in 65% of the patients. Six patients had pancytopenia or
      thrombocytopenia that lasted more than 42 days from the initiation of treatment.
      Although mitoxantrone and high-dose VP-16 is an effective antileukemic regimen,
      it is associated with a high incidence of mucositis. Strategies that are used to
      limit mucosal damage may improve the tolerance of this combination.

PMID- 1855169
TI  - A combination trial of human lymphoblastoid interferon and bestrabucil (KM2210)
      for adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma.
AB  - Both human lymphoblastoid interferon (HLBI) and bestrabucil, the conjugate of
      chlorambucil and beta-estradiol, have antitumor activity against adult T-cell
      leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL). Because an in vitro study showed that these two agents
      combined had a synergistic antiproliferative effect on MOLT-4 and WI-38VA13 cell
      lines, the authors evaluated the clinical efficacy of this combination in a pilot
      study with a poor-risk group of ATLL patients. The patients were treated daily
      with 6 x 10(6) IU of HLBI subcutaneously and 100 mg of bestrabucil orally. In
      patients with lymphoma-type ATLL or hypercalcemia, prednisolone also was given
      daily. Of 12 patients suitable for evaluation, nine had partial responses, one
      had a minor response, and two had no response. All five patients with skin
      infiltration and both patients with hypercalcemia responded. A history of prior
      chemotherapy did not affect the response rate. The time to clinical response was
      3 to 16 days (median, 11 days) after initiation of treatment. The response
      duration was 4 to 108+ weeks (median, 9 weeks), but all patients except one
      relapsed, even during continuing treatment. No serious side effects were
      observed. Although the response rate with this combination treatment was high,
      the response duration was short, and other treatments would have to be added to
      achieve control of this aggressive disease.

PMID- 1855170
TI  - Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and postoperative radiation therapy for
      invasive thymoma.
AB  - Between January 1988 and June 1990, seven previously untreated patients with
      histologically confirmed and clinically staged IIIa invasive thymoma (IT) were
      enrolled in a prospective, single treatment arm study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      (NC) followed by surgery and postoperative radiation therapy (4600 to 6000 cGy).
      The NC included three cycles of cisplatin (75 mg/m2 on day 1), epirubicin (100
      mg/m2 on day 1), and etoposide (120 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, and 5), every 3 weeks.
      All patients showed a partial response (greater than 50%) and underwent complete
      (n = 4) or incomplete (gross [n = 1] or microscopic [n = 2] residual tumor)
      surgical resection. Histologic examination was negative for two completely
      resected patients. Projected 2-year survival was 80%; all patients but one
      currently are alive and disease-free. This approach appeared to be feasible and
      may be a new therapeutic choice in the management of IT, but its use on a regular
      basis should be reserved until a larger number of patients and longer follow-up
      are available.

PMID- 1855171
TI  - Adjuvant intraperitoneal chromic phosphate therapy for women with apparent early
      ovarian carcinoma who have not undergone comprehensive surgical staging.
AB  - Forty-nine women with apparent Stage I and II ovarian carcinoma received
      intraperitoneal phosphate 32 as the only adjuvant therapy after primary surgery.
      In addition to bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 40 (82%) had analysis of
      peritoneal cytology, and 35 (71%) underwent omentectomy. Random peritoneal
      biopsies and retroperitoneal lymph node sampling were not done in any of these
      patients. The overall and disease-free survival rates were 86% and 75%,
      respectively, with no significant differences by stage, histologic grade,
      histologic type, or low-risk versus high-risk subsets recognized in patients who
      received comprehensive surgical staging. Seven (58%) of 12 patients had lymph
      node metastasis as the first site of recurrence, including two of three with late
      recurrences. Significant morbidity related to intraperitoneal chromic phosphate
      (32P) occurred in one (2%) woman. These results emphasize the need for
      comprehensive surgical staging of women with apparent early ovarian carcinoma to
      aid in the selection of appropriate initial adjuvant therapy.

PMID- 1855172
TI  - Increased survival, limb preservation, and prognostic factors for osteosarcoma.
AB  - Preoperative intraarterial (IA) cisplatin (CDP) was administered to 92 patients
      with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma. The ages of the patients ranged from 4 to 28
      years. Sixty-four patients (70%) received 2 or 3 preoperative courses and 28
      (30%) received 4 or more. Sixty-two specimens were available for pathologic
      examination to assess the degree of tumor necrosis. More than 90% tumor
      destruction was observed in 16 of 42 patients (38%) who received 1 to 3
      preoperative courses as opposed to 17 of 20 (85%) who received 4 or more courses.
      Patients who received 4 or more courses had a 2-fold probability of achieving
      more than 90% tumor necrosis, and 68% underwent conservative surgery. Of those
      who received 3 or less courses, 23% underwent conservative surgery.
      Postoperatively, patients were treated with intravenous (IV) CDP alternating with
      doxorubicin (ADR) (Adriamycin, Adria Laboratories, Columbus, OH). Pulmonary
      metastases developed in 36 patients, bone metastases in 2, and local recurrence
      in 6. Two patients died of cardiac failure without evidence of disease. Thus, 46
      patients (50%) were continuously free of disease 18 to 78 months after diagnosis.
      Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that male sex, low grade preoperative
      chemotherapy-induced necrosis, and nonosteoblastic histologic condition were
      prognostic factors predictive of recurrence, while male sex and large tumor size
      were prognostic factors predictive of death. These results are comparable with
      those reported by other centers and are superior to our previous experiences that
      yielded survival rates of 5% to 10%. A substantial number of patients also had
      the opportunity to achieve tumor removal with conservative surgery.

PMID- 1855173
TI  - Limb salvage surgery for bone and soft tissue sarcoma. A phase II pathologic
      study of preoperative intraarterial cisplatin.
AB  - Preoperative therapy has been tested as part of limb salvage therapy for
      localized bone and soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities. The activity of
      cisplatin (CDDP) by intraarterial (IA) infusion was evaluated in 40 cases of
      which 36 were evaluable for response. All patients had high-grade sarcomas. All
      but 3 patients received 3 or 4 courses (24 patients received 4 courses) of CDDP
      at a dosage of 120 to 150 mg/m2 given over 6 hours every 2 weeks by IA infusion.
      Patients younger than 18 years of age received the higher dose of CDDP. Treatment
      was well tolerated with combination antiemetics. One patient experienced severe
      hearing loss with the first cycle of the higher CDDP dose. Pathologic evaluation
      of resected osteosarcoma showed a favorable response (90% or greater necrosis) in
      8 of 20 evaluable cases and in 3 of 4 patients with malignant fibrous
      histiocytoma (MFH) of bone (without osteoid). In soft tissue sarcomas, minimal
      (50% to 89%) necrosis was seen in two of nine cases and none had 90% or greater
      necrosis. Patients received postoperative chemotherapy based on pathologic
      response, but the value of this postoperative adjuvant therapy requires further
      follow-up and is uncertain in this small study. IA CDDP can often cause
      significant tumor necrosis in patients with bone sarcomas, whereas soft tissue
      sarcomas are less sensitive to this therapy.

PMID- 1855174
TI  - Dual modulation of 5-fluorouracil using leucovorin and hydroxyurea. A phase I
      trial.
AB  - Oral hydroxyurea (HU) was added to a regimen of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus
      leucovorin (LCV) administered as a continuous 24-hour infusion for 14 days. A
      previous report of the 5-FU plus LCV infusion established optimal dosages of 200
      mg/m2/d and 5 mg/m2/d, respectively, for each agent. Oral HU was added to the
      regimen in total dosages of 0.5 g/d, 1.0 g/d, 1.5 g/d, or 2.0 g/d. Twenty-two
      patients received a total of 45 courses of treatment. Stomatitis was the dose
      limiting side effect; it occurred in 3 of 14 courses with HU at 0.5 g/d (21%) and
      9 of 17 courses with HU at 1.0 g/d (53%). Dosage escalation to 1.5 g/d or 2.0 g/d
      was possible in only 3 of 22 patients (17%). The median time to stomatitis was 10
      days (range, 7 to 12 days). One response was observed in this heavily pretreated
      population. Phase II trials of HU plus LCV dual modulation of infusional 5-FU
      should use initial HU dosages of 0.5 g/d for the 14-day regimen described, with
      dose escalation as tolerated. Variable oral absorption presumably accounts for
      the small group of patients who can tolerate the higher doses of HU.

PMID- 1855175
TI  - Lymphomatous presentation of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A subgroup
      at high risk of early treatment failure.
AB  - Multivariate analyses of the clinical course of 1537 children with acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) identified a subgroup which experienced short
      remission duration and a high incidence of extramedullary relapse. The patients
      differed from other ALL patients by the presence at diagnosis of two or more of a
      constellation of clinical and laboratory features: organomegaly or mass disease,
      E-rosette positivity, hemoglobin level greater than 10 g/dl, leukocyte count
      greater than 50,000/microliters, male predominance, and older age. This type of
      presentation of ALL is referred to as the "lymphoma syndrome" (LS) since such
      patients exhibit a pattern of several clinical and laboratory features which were
      observed repeatedly but in differing combinations, and some of which clinically
      resemble lymphoma. A subsequent database from 2231 patients was analyzed.
      Patients with a mediastinal mass, massive splenomegaly, or massive adenopathy,
      alone or in combination, had a worse outcome when the patient also had either
      leukocytosis, E-rosette-positive lymphoblasts, or a normal or near normal
      hemoglobin (Hb) level at diagnosis. Similarly, the above three laboratory
      features alone or in combination did not predict less than 40% disease-free
      survival (DFS) unless they were accompanied by at least one of the clinical
      features of mass disease. When at least one clinical feature and at least one
      laboratory feature were present, the overall DFS was 36% 6 years after diagnosis
      versus 64% for all other patients. The association of these features with poor
      prognosis remained significant after adjusting for the level of leukocyte count
      at diagnosis, age at diagnosis, and sex of the patients. Patients with this
      recurrent syndrome of features do not represent a homogeneous biologic entity but
      they constitute a subgroup of patients with ALL having a high risk of treatment
      failure using current therapies, including failure to achieve remission, early
      relapse, and increased frequency of relapse in extramedullary sites. They deserve
      early recognition at diagnosis and selection of treatment strategies appropriate
      for very high risk ALL.

PMID- 1855176
TI  - Surgically induced cytokinetic responses in experimental rat mammary tumor
      models.
AB  - The effect of surgical removal of "primary" tumors on the cytokinetics of local
      tumor remnants, secondary implants, and metastases was investigated in three
      different rat tumor models in the Wag/Rij rat: a slow-growing (MCR83) and a fast
      growing (EMR86) hormone-dependent mammary tumor and a rapidly, but autonomously
      growing carcinoma (MCR86). The latter two tumors had metastatic potential. Cell
      kinetic studies were done using in vivo labeling with 5'-bromodeoxyuridine
      (BrdUrd). Thirty-three hours after removal of a subcutaneous MCR83 flank tumor,
      secondary implants showed a significant (P less than 0.05) but transient increase
      in the BrdUrd labeling index (LI). A more rapid and prolonged increase, lasting
      for at least 7 days, was observed in EMR86 lymph node and lung metastases. In
      both models, no effect was observed after sham surgery (consisting of opening and
      closing of the skin under anesthesia). Removal of MCR86 tumors (growing in the
      hind leg muscle) also resulted in a rapid, transient LI increase in metastases.
      Continuous BrdUrd labeling experiments in this tumor model did not favor the
      hypothesis that the LI increase predominantly resulted from an increase in the
      growth fraction. Moreover, in this model, the effect was related to operation
      trauma. A similar increase in LI, although smaller than after tumor removal, was
      seen after major surgical trauma in MCR83 flank tumors. These results indicate
      that in the rat, tumor removal and/or major surgical trauma may modulate the
      cytokinetics of distant metastases significantly. A study of the systemic,
      possibly endocrine, factors involved in the growth-stimulating effect of surgical
      trauma in these rat tumor models may help to assess the clinical relevance of
      these findings for patients with breast cancer.

PMID- 1855177
TI  - Lymphocyte abnormalities predicting a poor prognosis in Hodgkin's disease. A long
      term follow-up.
AB  - Two hundred sixty-two adult patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) were studied.
      Incorporation of carbon-14-thymidine was measured in unstimulated monocyte
      depleted lymphocyte cultures, and in cultures activated by concanavalin A (Con-A)
      before institution of therapy in all patients. Total blood lymphocytes and T-cell
      subsets were enumerated in the last 108 patients. Patients had significantly
      decreased total (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and relative (CD3+, CD4+) T-cell counts
      compared with healthy controls. Stage IV patients tended to have lower total
      lymphocyte and subset counts than remaining patients. However, significantly
      reduced total lymphocyte and CD8+ counts were only observed in comparison to
      patients in clinical stage II. Thirty-three percent of patients had an increased
      spontaneous and a decreased Con-A-induced blood lymphocyte DNA synthesis.
      Functional lymphocyte abnormalities were related to advanced clinical stage, high
      age, mixed cellularity, and lymphocyte depletion histopathology and presence of B
      symptoms. The 10-year survival of patients in this group was 36%, compared with
      62% for the remainder. In a multivariate analysis of the whole series lymphocyte
      DNA synthesis was besides age the strongest predictor of prognosis. In univariate
      analyses of the second patient series total lymphocyte, T-cell and subset counts
      were related to prognosis. These relatively simple lymphocyte functional tests
      may help to identify young HD patients for whom intensive cytoreductive therapy
      with or without autologous stem cell support may be the best therapeutic option.

PMID- 1855178
TI  - Statin immunolocalization in human brain tumors. Detection of noncycling cells
      using a novel marker of cell quiescence.
AB  - Surgical specimens of 35 human brain tumors were examined with a novel monoclonal
      antibody, S-44, immunoreactive to statin, a nuclear protein specifically
      expressed in quiescent (noncycling) G0-phase cells. Benign tumors typically were
      statin positive with labeling indices (LI) between 22% and 96%: acoustic
      schwannomas (n = 3, mean = 29.9 +/- 19.4%); meningiomas (n = 4, mean = 59.0 +/-
      15.1%); pituitary adenomas (n = 3, mean = 79.9 +/- 28.2%), and an epidermoid cyst
      (41.0%). By contrast, the statin LI of 18 of 24 (75%) malignant brain tumors was
      less than or equal to 2%: medulloblastomas (n = 7, mean = 0.3 +/- 0.2%);
      anaplastic astrocytomas (n = 3, mean = 1.6 +/- 2.7%); glioblastomas (n = 10, mean
      = 10.3 +/- 14.4%); metastatic carcinomas (n = 3, mean = 3.0 +/- 4.6); and a
      germinoma (0.2%). The vascular endothelium among diverse tumors typically was
      statin positive. All 21 tumors with a statin LI less than 10% were malignant, and
      all nine tumors with a statin LI greater than 40% were benign. The statin LI of
      benign tumors (n = 11, mean = 55.1 +/- 26.7%) was significantly higher than that
      of the malignant tumors (n = 24, mean = 5.2 +/- 10.5%, P less than 0.001). The
      absence of statin expression is a new way to determine the malignancy of human
      brain tumors. The statin LI may be useful to guide the prognosis and treatment of
      individual patients. The mechanisms that control statin expression are important
      in therapy seeking to shift the proliferating, cycling cells to the quiescent, G0
      compartment.

PMID- 1855179
TI  - Primary intracerebral osteosarcoma.
AB  - A 64-year-old man was admitted because of a rapidly progressive left side
      hemiparesis. A computed tomography scan showed a right side intrathalamic mass,
      partially calcified. Surgical specimen proved to be an osteosarcoma. The patient
      died 3 days later from an acute myocardial infarct. Autopsy failed to discover
      any other significant lesion. A review of the literature disclosed that this case
      might be the second published primary intracerebral osteosarcoma and the first
      with immunocytochemical analysis.

PMID- 1855180
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor and somatomedin C in human medulloepithelioma.
AB  - Two published cases of medulloepithelioma, a rare malignant pediatric brain tumor
      composed of a mixture of primitive neuroepithelium and its differentiated
      neuronal and glial descendants, were examined by immunohistochemical staining for
      the presence of growth factors. From a panel of antibodies, those identifying
      basic fibroblast growth factor and insulin-like growth factor I, formerly known
      as somatomedin C, were strongly immunoreactive within the neuroepithelial cell
      population of the tumors. Immunoblots of purified recombinant basic fibroblast
      growth factor and insulin-like growth factor I showed antibody specificity
      without cross-reactivity. In controls, immunostaining of tissue sections was
      abolished by preabsorption of primary antibodies with the appropriate growth
      factor polypeptide antigen. Preabsorption with inappropriate growth factor did
      not reduce the intensity or alter the distribution of staining. The congruent
      histologic patterns of immunoreactivities suggest that more than one type of
      growth factor may be produced by the neuroepithelial component of
      medulloepithelioma. These growth factors may stimulate proliferation and
      differentiation of tumor cells by autocrine molecular mechanisms.

PMID- 1855181
TI  - Immunohistochemical evaluation of uveal melanocytic tumors. Expression of HMB-45,
      S-100 protein, and neuron-specific enolase.
AB  - The authors compared the immunohistochemical reactivity of 13 uveal nevi and 20
      uveal melanomas for HMB-45, S-100 protein, and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in
      formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. All 33 of the lesions were positive
      for HMB-45. The false-negative rates for S-100 protein and NSE were 21% and 18%,
      respectively. If only strongly positive reactions were considered, more than 50%
      of the tumors would be interpreted as negative for S-100 protein and NSE. Nevi
      stained with less intensity than melanomas using all three antibodies. The
      expression of HMB-45 appeared to be greater in active nevi than in inactive nevi.
      There was a weak association between S-100 protein reactivity and the ability of
      the uveal melanomas to metastasize (P = 0.1); however, the standard deviation of
      nucleolar area was a much better predictor (P = 0.02). These results indicate
      that pathologists will find HMB-45 to be a useful tool in differentiating uveal
      melanoma from nonmelanocytic tumors.

PMID- 1855182
TI  - Nuclear DNA content, tumor cell aggregation, and metastatic events in patients
      with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach.
AB  - Data on 100 patients who had undergone resection for poorly differentiated
      adenocarcinoma of the stomach with serosal invasion were examined to assess the
      prognostic significance of the DNA distribution pattern in relation to the
      histologic tumor cell aggregation pattern. DNA distribution patterns were
      classified into low and high ploidies and tumor cell aggregation patterns were
      classified into free-cell, small nest, and large nest types. The rates of high
      ploidy in the free-cell, small nest, and large nest types were 23.1%, 48.0%, and
      66.7%, respectively, with a significant increase according to the degree of
      aggregation. The high ploidy group and large nest type had a higher incidence of
      lymphogenous and hematogenous metastasis than the low ploidy group and free-cell
      type, respectively. DNA ploidy had no prognostic value for the free-cell type of
      tumor, but differences in prognosis and the incidence of metastasis between the
      DNA ploidies were evident in the nest-forming type. Aneuploid tumors consisting
      of a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were those with nest formation, from
      the standpoint of histologic structure and metastatic behavior. The DNA analysis
      of poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas was of prognostic value, especially in
      the nest-forming type.

PMID- 1855183
TI  - A clinicopathologic study of lymphoid neoplasias associated with human
      immunodeficiency virus infection in Italy.
AB  - The clinicopathologic features of 45 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected
      patients (mainly intravenous drug users [IVDU]) with lymphoid neoplasias seen
      from September 1984 through July 1990 at an Italian cancer center are reviewed.
      Thirty-five had systemic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and ten had Hodgkin's
      disease (HD). Histologically, 27 NHL cases were intermediate grade (five cases)
      or high grade (22 cases, 14 of the small noncleaved cell type), according to the
      Working Formulation. Eight NHL cases, including four anaplastic large cell (ALC)
      BerH2 (CD30)-positive lymphomas, were in the miscellaneous group.
      Immunohistologic and/or gene rearrangement analysis showed the B-cell origin of
      20 of the 24 NHL cases studied. At presentation, 71% of NHL patients had advanced
      stages (Stage III or IV), and 85% had extranodal disease (predominantly
      gastrointestinal tract and marrow). Of the 23 patients evaluable for treatment,
      only seven had a complete clinical response after lymphoma therapy; the median
      survival of 34 evaluable patients was 22 months after the diagnosis of NHL.
      Fifteen patients died; most deaths were attributable to progressive lymphoma and
      opportunistic infections. As with NHL, advanced disease, extranodal involvement,
      aggressive histologic findings, and poor response to therapy were also observed
      in patients with HD. This study shows that lymphoid neoplasias occurring in
      Italian IVDU with HIV infection and those previously reported in North American
      homosexual men with HIV infection share similar clinicopathologic features.
      However, some features such as the absence of history of Kaposi's sarcoma at
      diagnosis, the lack of detection of primary brain and rectal NHL, and the
      occurrence of B-cell ALC BerH2 (CD30)-positive NHL were observed uniquely in this
      series of patients.

PMID- 1855184
TI  - Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma. Ultrastructural, immunohistochemical, and DNA
      cytofluorometric study of a case.
AB  - A case of right frontal pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma that occurred in a 7-year
      old boy is reported clinicopathologically. The patient underwent surgery on
      September 29, 1988. Histologic diagnosis of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma was
      made because, in addition to the unique pleomorphic histologic features, positive
      glial fibrillary acidic protein in immunohistochemical staining and
      characteristic ultrastructural features, i.e., cytoplasmic intermediate fibrils
      and lipid vacuoles, basal lamina, and abundant reticulin networks were
      demonstrated. The DNA cytofluorometric analysis of the nuclei of the tumor cells
      disclosed the main mode to be diploid with polyploid classes (4, 8, 16, and 32C)
      without any aneuploidy. Despite the presence of many pleomorphic nuclei, DNA
      histogram of the tumor disclosed very few DNA synthetic cells indicating a
      biologically inactive nature of the tumor. The patient is still alive and totally
      asymptomatic 20 months postoperatively.

PMID- 1855185
TI  - The clinical and endocrine outcome to trans-sphenoidal microsurgery of
      nonsecreting pituitary adenomas.
AB  - From 1962 to 1987, 126 patients underwent trans-sphenoidal surgery for primary
      treatment of pituitary adenomas unassociated with clinical or biochemical
      evidence of hormonal overproduction. There were 73 male and 53 female patients
      (mean age, 50 +/- 12 years). Before surgery, 56% of the patients (70 of 124) had
      headaches, 74% (94 of 126) had deterioration of vision, and 12% (15 of 126) had
      ophthalmoplegia. Endocrine evaluation revealed the presence of hypogonadism in
      75% (87 of 115), adrenal insufficiency in 36% (46 of 126), and hypothyroidism in
      18% (21 of 122). Plasma prolactin was increased in 65% (56 of 86) with a mean
      level of 39 +/- 14 micrograms/l (normal, 3 to 20 micrograms/l). Radiologic
      enlargement of the sella turcica was documented in all cases: 67% (84 of 126) had
      enclosed and 33% (42 of 126) had invasive adenomas. After surgery, vision was
      normalized or improved in 75% (71 of 94) of the patients. Thyroid, adrenal, and
      gonadal functions were improved in 14% (three of 22), 41% (19 of 46), 11% (ten of
      87), were unchanged in 82% (100 of 122), 77% (97 of 126), 89% (102 of 115), and
      worsened in 15% (19 of 22), 8% (ten of 126), 3% (102 of 115), respectively.
      Permanent diabetes insipidus occurred in 5% (seven of 126). Two patients died
      during the immediate postoperative period. The recurrence rate in patients with a
      mean follow-up of 6.4 +/- 4.2 years was 21% (15 of 71). These data indicate that
      trans-sphenoidal microsurgery is an effective and safe initial treatment for
      patients with nonsecreting pituitary adenoma and may reverse hypopituitarism.

PMID- 1855187
TI  - Pattern of cell kinetics in colorectal mucosa of patients with different types of
      adenomatous polyps of the large bowel.
AB  - It is generally accepted that adenomatous polyps represent the natural precursor
      of many colorectal malignancies. The sequence, however, which leads from a
      normally appearing mucosa to cancer is complex and involves many steps, including
      a hyperproliferative mucosa with an upward expansion of the replicative
      compartment. The current study evaluates cell replication in normal colorectal
      mucosa of patients with adenomatous polyps of various types and relates the
      observed findings to the main clinical and morphologic features of adenomas.
      Forty-four patients with polyps and 27 controls entered the study. Samples of
      colorectal mucosa were taken at endoscopy and cell replication was evaluated with
      a standard autoradiographic procedure. Cell replication was expressed as labeling
      index (LI), in the whole crypt and in each of the five longitudinal compartments
      in which the crypts were divided. Total LI and LI per crypt compartment were
      significantly higher (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.01, respectively) than
      in controls. There was no appreciable difference of LI values between patients
      with single or multiple, tubular or tubulovillous, small or large adenomas, but
      in all of these subgroups LI was significantly higher than in controls. In
      conclusion, in normally appearing colorectal mucosa of patients with adenomatous
      polyps there was a significant increase of cell replication and a marked upward
      expansion of the proliferative zone; these changes were more evident in the left
      colon and in the rectum. Finally, cell replication did not seem to be related to
      the number of polyps, to the most common histotypes, or to the pattern of
      recurrence.

PMID- 1855186
TI  - The value of estrogen and progesterone receptor determinations in advanced breast
      cancer. Estrogen receptor level but not progesterone receptor level correlates
      with response to tamoxifen.
AB  - Four hundred fifteen patients with metastatic breast cancer with known hormone
      receptor status received primary treatment with tamoxifen. Measured values for
      the estrogen receptor (ER, i.e., with estrogen binding) followed a continuous
      distribution (range, 3 to 1000 fmol/mg of protein). These values correlated
      positively with age. The response to treatment with tamoxifen correlated with the
      ER level, with response rates of approximately 80% when the ER level was greater
      than 30.1 fmol/mg of protein. Two hundred eighteen (218 of 415, 52%) patients had
      progesterone receptor (PR) values greater than 10 fmol/mg. The PR positivity
      correlated with the ER level. Patients with PR levels greater than 10 fmol/mg of
      protein (124 of 226, 55%) had a significantly higher response rate than those
      with values less than 10 fmol/mg of protein (45 of 189, 24%). However, in a
      multivariate analysis including both receptor levels, age, site, and number of
      metastases, only the ER level was significant in predicting the response to
      treatment with tamoxifen. A quantitative estimation of the ER level thus is the
      best predictor of response to hormonal treatment with tamoxifen for advanced
      breast cancer.

PMID- 1855188
TI  - DNA ploidy and cell kinetic measurements as predictors of recurrence and survival
      in stages B2 and C colorectal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - DNA content and cell proliferation were measured by flow cytometry on paraffin
      embedded Stage B2 or C colorectal adenocarcinomas from 694 patients enrolled in
      adjuvant trials conducted by the North Central Cancer Treatment Group. Patients
      with diploid tumors had a higher survival rate than those with nondiploid tumors
      (P less than 0.001). The proliferation index (the sum of the percent of cells in
      S-phase plus those in G2M phase) was also a strong prognostic factor (P less than
      0.001). The ploidy and proliferation data were combined, and the patients in the
      favorable group (diploid and low proliferative index) had a 5-year survival of
      74% compared with 54% for the unfavorable group (high proliferative index or
      nondiploid, P less than 0.001). This grouping was prognostic for survival in B2
      (P less than 0.001), C (P = 0.013), colon (P less than 0.001), and rectal (P =
      0.026) patient subsets. This study indicates that cell kinetic parameters are
      important and independent prognostic factors for Stages B2 and C colorectal
      cancer.

PMID- 1855189
TI  - Esophageal obstruction 14 years after treatment for Hodgkin's disease.
AB  - The incidence of late radiation injury of the esophagus is not precisely
      determined but, overall, the occurrence of clinically apparent damage is
      infrequent. The authors report a complete esophageal obstruction in a 21-year-old
      man, 14 years after chemo-radiation therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Although
      endoscopy failed to demonstrate a gross morphologic abnormality, an esophagogram
      detected abnormal peristalsis and stricture, and esophageal manometry coupled
      with dynamic isotopic study clearly demonstrated a multilevel secondary neuronal
      damage. Data in the literature suggest that alteration in motility is by far the
      most frequent radiologic manifestation. Further prospective studies will probably
      clarify the actual incidence of late esophageal damage after chemo-radiation
      therapy.

PMID- 1855190
TI  - Risk factors for bilateral testicular germ cell tumors. Does heredity play a
      role?
AB  - Twenty-three bilateral testicular germ cell tumors (four synchronous and 19
      sequential tumors) were investigated for potential risk factors. The incidence of
      maldescensus testis was not found to be higher than in patients with unilateral
      disease. The histologic findings of the first tumor did not have any effect on
      the incidence of the second tumor. In 21 patients (four synchronous and 17
      sequential tumors), histocompatibility antigens (HLA) were determined; HLA-B14
      was increased significantly in the sequential tumor group. Tendencies toward an
      increase of HLA-DR5 and HLA-DR7 also were found. The HLA-DR1, HLA-DR3, and HLA
      DR4 showed a tendency toward a decreased frequency. Therefore genetic factors
      might be important in the development of sequential bilateral testicular cancers.

PMID- 1855191
TI  - Alpha-interferon (IFN) in the treatment of metastatic carcinoid tumors.

PMID- 1855192
TI  - Effect of 'Pan Masala' on the germ cells of male mice.
AB  - Cytogenetic analyses of meiotic metaphase I germ cells and abnormalities of head
      morphology of caudal sperms were conducted in male mice following oral feeding of
      Pan Masala. The substance was ground to a fine powder, dispersed in polysorbate
      solution and administered via gavage to the animals at 84, 420 and 840 mg/kg body
      weight at the rate of 10 ml/kg body weight. Polysorbate and cyclophosphamide
      served as the vehicle control and positive control respectively. The two higher
      doses, 420 and 840 mg, gave a significant increase in the frequency of X-Y
      univalents and breaks over those of the vehicle control. Frequency of sperm head
      abnormalities were significantly high for all the doses tested. The results
      indicate that Pan Masala is a potent clastogen, reaches the testes and affects
      the germinal cells.

PMID- 1855193
TI  - Postnatal vaginal nodules induced by prenatal diethylstilbestrol treatment
      correlate with later development of ovary-independent vaginal and uterine changes
      in mice.
AB  - Pregnant ICR/JCL mice were given 4 daily subcutaneous injections of 0.2-2000
      micrograms diethylstilbestrol (DES) starting on day 15 of gestation. Offspring of
      mothers given DES were killed at 1-10 days of age and examined for nodules of
      enlarged polygonal cells under the epithelium of the Mullerian (upper) vagina.
      Some offspring were ovariectomised at 30 days and killed at 120 days. The nodules
      which appeared in the prenatally DES-exposed mice (2-2000 micrograms/day) at 3-7
      days were not connected with the epithelium of the sinus vagina and reacted
      positively to an antibody to epidermal growth factor. Nodule formation may prove
      to be prodromic of later ovary-independent vaginal changes in the DES-exposed
      mice. Epithelial stratification (2-2000 micrograms/day) and downgrowths and/or
      pegs (20-2000 micrograms/day) occurred in vaginae of ovariectomized mice exposed
      prenatally to DES; however, adenosis-like lesions occurred only in the offspring
      of mothers given the highest prenatal injections of 2000 micrograms DES. Wolffian
      remnants and hypospadias (2-2000 micrograms/day) were also encountered in the DES
      exposed mice. Ovary-independent stratification of the uterine epithelium (20-2000
      micrograms/day) and disorganization of the circular musculature (2-2000
      micrograms/day) were also observed in the DES-exposed mice. None of these changes
      was found in ovariectomised 0.2 micrograms DES-exposed and control mice.

PMID- 1855194
TI  - Tumorigenicity of the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3
      pyridyl)-1-butanone in infant mice.
AB  - The tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone
      (NNK), is a potent carcinogen in adult rodents and variably effective
      transplacentally, depending on species. In pursuit of the thesis that human
      infants may be especially vulnerable targets for tumor initiation by tobacco
      smoke constituents, we tested the efficacy of NNK as a tumor initiator in infant
      mice. Cr:NIH(S) (NIH Swiss outbred) mice were given 50 mg/kg NNK i.p. on
      postnatal days 1, 4, 7, 10 and 14, with saline to controls. At an average age of
      13-15 months, 57% of the NNK-exposed male offspring had hepatocellular tumors,
      with a multiplicity of 1.15 +/- 1.4, including 4 with carcinoma. Liver tumors
      including 2 carcinomas were found in 8 (14%) of the NNK-exposed female offspring.
      There were no hepatocellular neoplasms in any control. A significant increase in
      primary lung tumors also occurred in the NNK-treated males, with an incidence of
      30/55 (57%) and a multiplicity of 0.7 +/- 0.2, vs. 7/33 (21%), multiplicity 0.3
      +/- 0.6, in controls (P less than 0.025). An apparent increase in the incidence
      of lung tumors in NNK-treated females, 21/57 (37%) vs. 7/32 (22%) in controls,
      approached significance (P less than 0.1). Thus NNK was a moderately potent
      neonatal carcinogen for liver and lung in infant Swiss mice and more efficacious
      in this regard than when received transplacentally by mice of the same strain.

PMID- 1855195
TI  - Distinct patterns of phorbol ester-induced downregulation of protein kinase C
      activity in adriamycin-selected multidrug resistant and parental murine
      fibrosarcoma cells.
AB  - Specific activators of protein kinase C (PKC), including the phorbol-ester tumor
      promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), can reduce the
      chemosensitivities of a variety of mammalian tumor cell lines and their cytotoxic
      drug-selected multidrug resistant (MDR) variants to MDR-linked drugs, thus
      implicating PKC in the MDR phenotype. Previously, we reported that the adriamycin
      selected MDR murine fibrosarcoma cell line UV-2237M-ADRR has approximately twice
      as much PKC activity as the parental UV-2237M line. In this report, we show that
      the level of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate specific binding activity was elevated
      3.5-fold in the MDR cells, thus establishing that phorbol-ester responsive PKC is
      overexpressed in the MDR line. Phorbol esters mediate downregulation of PKC by
      stimulating proteolysis of the enzyme, without altering the rate of PKC
      synthesis. We report that the kinetics of TPA-induced downregulation of PKC
      activity differ markedly in parental and MDR UV-2237M cells, providing evidence
      that the overexpression of phorbol-ester responsive PKC in adriamycin-selected
      MDR UV-2237M-ADRR cells results, at least in part, from a reduced rate of PKC
      degradation in the cells.

PMID- 1855196
TI  - 32P-postlabeling analysis of DNA adducts in rat livers after treatment with
      genotoxic and non-genotoxic 4-aminoazobenzene derivatives.
AB  - Formation of hepatic DNA adducts was studied in rats following intraperitoneal
      administration of a hepatocarcinogen, 3-methoxy-4-aminoazobenzene (3-MeO-AAB) and
      a non-hepatocarcinogen, 2-methoxy-4-aminoazobenzene (2-MeO-AAB). The 32P-post
      labeling assay revealed 3-MeO-AAB to give more than 20-fold higher amounts of DNA
      adducts than did 2-MeO-AAB. Furthermore, five adducts, one of which accounted for
      over 70% of the total modified bases, were found in DNA from 3-MeO-AAB-treated
      rats, whereas only one adduct was apparent in 2-MeO-AAB-treated DNA. Our data
      thus suggested that the difference in hepatocarcinogenic activity between 3-MeO
      AAB and 2-MeO-AAB might be, at least in part, dependent on quantitative and
      qualitative differences in their azo dye-DNA adduct formation in the rat liver.

PMID- 1855197
TI  - Mouse liver free amino acids during the development of Ehrlich ascites tumour.
AB  - Sequential amino acid concentrations were determined in the liver of mice
      infested with a highly malignant strain of Ehrlich ascites tumour cells. The
      liver concentrations of a certain group of amino acids showed changes consistent
      with those previously reported for plasma, ascitic liquid and tumour cells during
      tumour growth. Shortly after tumour transplantation a significant decrease of the
      essential amino acids methionine, threonine, valine, isoleucine + phenylalanine,
      leucine, lysine and histidine, was detected. Some non-essential amino acids,
      mainly the gluconeogenic substrates alanine and serine, showed a strong reduction
      in hepatic concentrations during the first days; these amino acids remained
      significantly lower than controls until animal death. Interestingly, hepatic
      glutamine increased at days 1 and 2 after inoculation, and proline showed a
      sustained increase from the seventh day onwards, reaching a value double the
      control at the end of animal life.

PMID- 1855198
TI  - Lack of modification by naturally occurring antioxidants of 3,2'-dimethyl-4
      aminobiphenyl-initiated rat prostate carcinogenesis.
AB  - The modifying effects of 6 naturally occurring antioxidants on 3,2'-dimethyl-4
      aminobiphenyl (DMAB)-initiated rat prostate carcinogenesis were investigated in
      male F344 rats. Animals were pretreated with DMAB in a 20-week initiation
      protocol and then administered basal diet containing 0.8% catechol, 0.8%
      resorcinol, 0.8% hydroquinone, 2 ppm selenium, 2% gamma-orysanol or 1% alpha
      tocopherol for 40 weeks. The experiment was terminated at week 60 for
      histopathological assessment of lesion development. Atypical hyperplasias and
      carcinomas of the prostate were observed in the ventral lobe in all groups
      treated with DMAB. However, the incidences of these lesions were not
      significantly different between carcinogen control and antioxidant-treated
      groups. There were also no significant increases or decreases in the incidences
      of tumors in any other organs.

PMID- 1855199
TI  - Glycoprotein patterns in normal and malignant cervical tissue.
AB  - Glycoproteins from normal and malignant human cervix were studied using an organ
      culture system and compared by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Five
      glycoproteins of 178 kDa, 95 kDa, 93 kDa, 82 kDa and 38 kDa and 1 glycolipid (46
      kDa) were detected more frequently in squamous carcinomas. Certain glycoproteins
      were shown to be oncofoetal and some had affinity for Concanavalin A (Con A). The
      82 kDa glycoprotein was present in 16/17 squamous carcinomas but in only 1/13
      normal cervices. This band represented a glycoprotein containing glucosamine,
      mannose, small quantities of methionine and no fucose. These preliminary results
      suggest that these glycoproteins and in particular the 82-kDa glycoprotein are
      worthy of further investigation and characterisation.

PMID- 1855200
TI  - Cellular energetics measured by phosphorous nuclear magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy are not correlated with chronic nutrient deficiency in multicellular
      tumor spheroids.
AB  - We have measured the 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of EMT6/Ro
      multicellular tumor spheroids over a wide range of sizes under constant nutrient
      conditions which matched those used for culturing the spheroids. The amount of
      nucleotide triphosphate per cell decreased with spheroid growth, roughly in
      proportion to the decrease in cell volume. There was no correlation between the
      intracellular pH, the nucleotide triphosphate:Pi ratio, or the phosphocreatine:Pi
      ratio and either the spheroid cellularity, the mean cell volume, the S-phase
      fraction, the clonogenic capacity, or the amount of central necrosis. The
      phosphoryethanolamine:phosphorylcholine ratio also increased with increasing
      spheroid size. There was a negative correlation between the
      phosphoryethanolamine:phosphorylcholine ratio and the S-phase cell fraction or
      the mean cell volume; this ratio was positively correlated with the extent of
      central necrosis. The membrane degradation components glycerophosphorylcholine
      and glycerophosphorylethanolamine showed no significant changes with increasing
      spheroid size. These results imply that spheroid necrotic areas induced by
      chronic nutrient deficiencies are "invisible" to 31P nuclear magnetic resonance
      and that the development of cellular quiescence in spheroids is not caused by a
      decrease in the steady-state level of high-energy phosphates or a reduced
      intracellular pH. Together, these data support a model in which cells maintain
      normal steady-state levels of high energy phosphates until they are very close to
      necrotic cell death. This implies that the deterioration of 31P nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectra of tumors with increasing size is not caused by chronic
      nutrient deficiencies resulting from cells outgrowing the capillary supply, but
      rather is more related to transient nutrient deprivation phenomena.

PMID- 1855201
TI  - Lung cancer-associated protein: development and characterization of a new assay
      that detects a circulating lung cancer marker.
AB  - A panel of murine monoclonal antibodies was generated against a high-molecular
      weight glycoprotein produced by human lung cancer cells. This lung cancer
      associated protein (LCAP) has been shown to circulate in the plasma of patients
      with lung cancer. Various combinations of MAbs were used in solid-phase enzyme
      linked sandwich immunoassays to optimize the detection of LCAP in the plasma of
      these patients. One of these monoclonal antibodies, designated DF-L1, used both
      in the solid phase as well as the tracer, was selected to evaluate circulating
      levels of LCAP in normal subjects and in patients with lung cancer. In 341 normal
      subjects, the mean LCAP level was 7 units/ml, with 47 (13.8%) and 18 (5.3%)
      subjects having levels greater than or equal to 15 units/ml and 23 units/ml,
      respectively. In contrast, 27 of 35 (77.1%) patients with lung cancer had LCAP
      levels greater than or equal to 23 units/ml. A total of 16 of 19 (84.2%) patients
      with adenocarcinoma, four of seven (57.1%) patients with squamous cell carcinoma,
      and four of six (66.7%) patients with small cell carcinoma had levels greater
      than or equal to 23 units/ml. Moreover, in a small group of patients, serial LCAP
      levels correlated with clinical course during therapy. The LCAP assay is
      technically reproducible and unaffected by interfering substances in the blood or
      by variations in the handling of samples. These results indicate that LCAP is a
      new and potentially useful marker for the evaluation of patients with lung
      cancer.

PMID- 1855202
TI  - Comparison of estrogen receptors in hormone-dependent and hormone-independent
      Grunder strain mouse mammary tumors.
AB  - Hormone-dependent (HD) Grunder strain mouse mammary carcinomas contain a 65-kDa
      estrogen receptor (ER) with minor amounts of 50- and 35-kDa components which
      apparently still contain the intact hormone-binding (COOH-terminal) domain. When
      the HD tumors lose their hormonal dependence during serial transplantation, the
      hormone-independent (HI) transplants show an increase in 50- and 35-kDa
      components relative to 65-kDa ER. In HI transplants of three of five tumor lines
      studied (TSl 85, 86, and 106), the 65-kDa receptor was entirely replaced by 50-
      and 35-kDa receptors, whereas in the two other lines (TSl 101 and 104) there
      usually were about equal amounts of 65- and 50-kDa ERs. No difference was found
      between ERs of HD and HI tumors in affinity for estradiol, steroid specificity,
      or immunoreactivity for the monoclonal antibody JS34/32. Estrogen stimulation of
      HI tumors did not increase the concentration of progesterone receptor in the
      tumor tissue, indicating that ER in these tumors was not functional in enhancing
      progesterone receptor. Incubation of 65-kDa ER with HI tumor cytosol or combined
      homogenization of HD and HI tumor tissue did not cause degradation of 65-kDa ER.
      alpha-Chymotrypsin-like protease activity generally was lower in HI than in HD
      tumor cytosols, indicating that the lower molecular size of ER in HI tumors
      cannot be attributed to the increased level of this protease activity.

PMID- 1855203
TI  - Interaction between ionizing radiation and supercoiled DNA within human tumor
      cells.
AB  - We have analyzed DNA supercoiling within histone-free nuclei (nucleoids) using
      four human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines that express varying degrees of
      radiosensitivity. The entire DNA, arranged as negative supercoiled loops attached
      to the nuclear matrix, was extracted from single cells, stained with ethidium
      bromide, and passed through a flow cytometer recording both light scatter and red
      (DNA) fluorescence. Supercoiled loops of DNA from all cells were unwound with a
      low concentration of ethidium bromide, as seen by increased light scatter.
      Nucleoids from radiosensitive but not radioresistant cells resisted the
      transition from zero to positive supercoiling at higher concentrations of
      ethidium bromide. The profile of red DNA fluorescence from ethidium bromide
      stained nucleoids showed that the radiosensitive cells expressed a greater
      variation in the total amount of ethidium bromide bound. After 12 Gy of gamma
      radiation, radiosensitive cell lines produced nucleoids that contained a greater
      proportion of relaxed supercoiled DNA, making them larger than those from
      radioresistant cell lines. We suggest these observations are secondary effects
      resulting from an altered affinity between supercoiled looped DNA and the nuclear
      matrix. Combined with radiation damage, these structural alterations may lead to
      a more complex type of damage to repair within the radiosensitive cell lines.

PMID- 1855204
TI  - Studies on the interaction between interleukin 6 and human malignant
      nonhematopoietic cell lines.
AB  - We have previously reported on stimulation of clonal growth of cell lines from
      human solid tumors by recombinant human interleukin 3, recombinant human
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and recombinant human
      granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (W. E. Berdel et al., Blood, 73: 80-83,
      1989; Exp. Hematol., 16: 510, 1988). Within an extensive screening program of
      hematopoietic growth factor activity on malignant cells, the effects of
      recombinant human interleukin 6 (rhIL-6) were tested on the growth (tritiated
      thymidine uptake and human tumor cloning assay) of 26 different human cell lines
      derived from a wide range of solid tumors (head and neck, 4; lung, 1; pancreatic,
      1; gastric, 1; colorectal, 3; renal, 3; bladder, 1; prostate, 1; breast, 2;
      ovary, 2; choriocarcinoma, 1; sarcoma, 2; glioblastoma, 2; neuroblastoma, 2).
      rhIL-6 (dose range up to 10(4) IU/ml) caused no reproducible enhancement or
      inhibition of tritiated thymidine uptake by tumor cell lines from
      nonhematopoietic origin. Furthermore, 19 of the tumor cell lines were clonogenic
      in a capillary modification of the human tumor cloning assay. No reproducible
      stimulation of clonal growth by rhIL-6 was observed in any of the cells tested.
      Particularly, there was no sensitivity of those cell lines for rhIL-6, which were
      previously shown to be sensitive for recombinant human interleukin 3 and
      recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in this assay.
      On the other hand, there were no significant growth-inhibitory effects of rhIL-6
      on the cell lines tested in this study. Further experiments showed no influence
      of neutralizing monoclonal anti-hIL-6 antibody on the growth of 3 kidney
      carcinoma cell lines, making autocrine growth-modulating loops for IL-6 in these
      lines unlikely. In conclusion, no major interactions between hIL-6 and the growth
      of the human malignant cell lines from nonhematopoietic origin tested were
      detected in this study.

PMID- 1855205
TI  - A potent specific pure antiestrogen with clinical potential.
AB  - Previous studies from this laboratory have described a series of 7 alpha
      alkylamide analogues of estradiol with pure antiestrogenic activity, exemplified
      by ICI 164,384. A new compound, 7 alpha-[9-(4,4,5,5,5
      pentafluoropentylsulfinyl)nonyl]estra-1,3,5(10 )- triene-3,17 beta-diol (ICI
      182,780) has now been identified which has significantly increased antiestrogenic
      potency and retains pure estrogen antagonist activity. The antiuterotrophic
      potency of ICI 182,780 in the immature rat was more than 10-fold greater than
      that of ICI 164,384 (50% effective doses of 0.06 and 0.9 mg/kg, respectively).
      This order of magnitude increase of in vivo potency was also reflected, in part,
      by intrinsic activity at the estrogen receptor. The relative binding affinities
      of ICI 182,780 and ICI 164,384 were 0.89 and 0.19, respectively, compared with
      that of estradiol (1.0). Similarly, the in vitro growth-inhibitory potency of ICI
      182,780 exceeded that of ICI 164,384 in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, where
      50% inhibitory concentrations of 0.29 and 1.3 nM, respectively, were recorded.
      ICI 182,780 was a more effective inhibitor of MCF-7 growth than 4'
      hydroxytamoxifen, producing an 80% reduction of cell number under conditions
      where 4'-hydroxytamoxifen achieved a maximum of 50% inhibition. This increased
      efficacy was reflected by a greater reduction of the proportion of cells engaged
      in DNA synthesis in ICI 182,780-treated cell cultures compared with tamoxifen
      treated cells. Sustained antiestrogenic effects, following a single parenteral
      dose of ICI 182,780 in oil suspension, were apparent in both rats and pigtail
      monkeys. In vivo, antitumor activity of ICI 182,780 was demonstrated with
      xenografts of MCF-7 and Br10 human breast cancers in nude mice. A single
      injection of ICI 182,780 provided antitumor efficacy equivalent to that of daily
      tamoxifen treatment for at least 4 weeks. The properties of ICI 182,780 identify
      this pure antiestrogen as a prime candidate with which to evaluate the potential
      therapeutic benefits of complete estrogen withdrawal in endocrine-responsive
      human breast cancer.

PMID- 1855206
TI  - Elevated 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels in DNA of diethylstilbestrol-treated
      Syrian hamsters: covalent DNA damage by free radicals generated by redox cycling
      of diethylstilbestrol.
AB  - The generation of free radicals by microsome-mediated redox cycling between
      catechol estrogens or diethylstilbestrol and their corresponding quinones has
      previously been demonstrated in vitro. However, the reaction of free radicals
      with DNA has not yet been detected in animals treated with estrogen and is the
      subject of this investigation. The reaction of guanine bases of DNA with hydroxyl
      radicals to form 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine has been used as a monitor of free
      radical generation in kidney and liver of Syrian hamsters, a species prone to
      estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. Prior to in vivo measurements, the in vitro
      hydroxylation of guanine bases of DNA under conditions of redox cycling of
      estrogen was investigated. In incubations of DNA or deoxyguanosine with hamster
      kidney microsomes, NADPH, and diethylstilbestrol 4',4"-quinone, the hydroxylation
      of guanine bases of free deoxyguanosine or of DNA was 50 to 100% higher than in
      controls. When incubations were carried out in the presence of iron(III)
      chloride, the hydroxylation of guanine bases was 2.5- or 10-fold higher than
      control values. There was a 65% increase from control values in levels of 8
      hydroxydeoxyguanosine in liver DNA of hamsters treated with 20 mg/kg/day
      diethylstilbestrol for 3 days and 100 mg/kg on the 4th day. In hamsters treated
      chronically with diethylstilbestrol implants for 15 days, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine
      levels more than doubled from control values in kidney but not liver DNA.
      Treatment of hamsters with estradiol for various time periods did not induce any
      changes in levels of hydroxylated guanine in either kidney or liver. It was
      concluded that in vitro and in vivo redox cycling of diethylstilbestrol
      hydroxylated guanine bases in DNA.

PMID- 1855207
TI  - Therapeutic analysis of melphalan-resistant human rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft TE
      671 MR.
AB  - Investigations with the melphalan-resistant human rhabdomyosarcoma xenograft TE
      671 MR were carried out to identify patterns of cross-resistance and collateral
      sensitivity and to define the mechanism(s) mediating melphalan resistance. TE-671
      MR was cross-resistant to thio-TEPA, mitomycin, vincristine, and cisplatin, and
      partially resistant to chlorambucil and cyclophosphamide. TE-671 MR and the
      parent line TE-671 were both resistant to 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-nitrosourea and
      expressed similar levels of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase. TE-671 MR
      retained full sensitivity to actinomycin D and demonstrated enhanced sensitivity
      to VP-16 compared to TE-671. Treatment of TE-671 MR with melphalan plus VP-16
      resulted in greater than additive growth delays. The frequency of hypoxic regions
      was similar in TE-671 MR and TE-671, respectively. Measurement of tumor-to-plasma
      levels at 180 min following i.p. administration of melphalan at 0.5 of the 10%
      lethal dosage showed mean tumor-to-plasma ratios of 3.81 in TE-671 MR and 7.38 in
      TE-671, respectively. The lower drug levels in TE-671 MR may be contributing to
      the resistance to melphalan and thus indicate the need for further studies to
      define the reasons for these differences in tumor drug level.

PMID- 1855208
TI  - Species differences in metabolic activation and inactivation of 1-nitropyrene in
      the liver.
AB  - To extrapolate from animal studies to humans the risk of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), we
      determined the differences between human and experimental animals in oxidative
      activation of 1-NP to 1-NP oxides and inactivation of 1-NP oxides by epoxide
      hydration and glutathione conjugation in hepatic subcellular fractions from 6
      species including humans. Species differences were found in both activation of 1
      NP and inactivation of 1-NP oxides. 1-Nitro-4,5-dihydro-4,5-epoxypyrene-producing
      activity was highest in guinea pig and dog, followed by hamster, rat, human, and
      mouse. 1-Nitro-9,10-dihydro-9,10-epoxypyrene-producing activity was highest in
      hamster, followed in order by guinea pig, rat, dog, mouse, and human. The ratio
      of 1-nitro-4,5-dihydro-4,5-epoxypyrene to 1-nitro-9,10-dihydro-9,10-epoxypyrene
      also varied with the animal species. Hydration of 1-nitro-4,5-dihydro-4,5
      epoxypyrene was highest in human, followed by dog, guinea pig, hamster, rat, and
      mouse. 1-nitro-9,10-dihydro-9,10-epoxypyrene was a poor substrate for epoxide
      hydrolase in all species. Glutathione conjugation of 1-NP oxides in rodents was
      higher than that in human and dog. In humans, hepatic microsomes produced the
      lowest level of 1-NP oxides but hydrolyzed them most efficiently, and glutathione
      conjugation activity of the cytosol was as low as in dogs, and there was a wide
      degree of interindividual variations in these activities. No single species
      studied was a good model for humans, and the balance of activation/inactivation
      tends toward detoxification in these adult animals.

PMID- 1855209
TI  - Elevated formation of nitrate and N-nitrosodimethylamine in woodchucks (Marmota
      monax) associated with chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection.
AB  - Nitrate balance and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) excretion were studied in
      woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV). Twenty-four
      h urinary recovery of a bolus dose of [15N]nitrate was 54 +/- 12% in woodchucks.
      WHV-infected animals formed 3-fold more nitrate endogenously than did control
      animals (P less than 0.01). Treatment of WHV-infected animals with Escherichia
      coli lipopolysaccharide increased nitrate excretion 15-fold, while uninfected
      animals increased nitrate excretion 4-fold. The endogenous formation of NDMA was
      higher in WHV-infected woodchucks than in uninfected controls. After
      administration of L-[15N2]arginine, [15N]nitrate, and [15N]NDMA were detected in
      urine indicating that arginine is a precursor of biosynthesized nitrate and the
      hepatocarcinogen NDMA. NDMA probably results from the formation of nitrosating
      agents during the oxidation of arginine to oxides of nitrogen and citrulline.
      Woodchucks chronically infected with WHV develop hepatocellular carcinomas with
      high frequency. Our observations suggest an additional mechanism that may be
      involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic
      WHV infection.

PMID- 1855210
TI  - DNA sequence specificity of doxorubicin-induced mutational damage in uvrB-
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - In the absence of excision repair, doxorubicin caused a striking (41-fold)
      increase in the frequency of large deletion mutations extending from the lac
      operator (lacO) into the lac repressor gene (lacI) of Escherichia coli. In
      contrast, there was only a 2-fold increase in the frequency of small deletions
      despite a 3-fold increase in overall mutation frequency. The 5'-endpoints of
      doxorubicin-induced lacO and lacI/lacO deletions occurred at the DNA sequence 5'
      pyTAA or 5'-AATpy (where py is pyrmidine) (16%), at runs of purines or
      pyrimidines (41%) and adjacent to 5'-dGdC or 5'-dCdG doublets (34%). Ninety % (27
      of 30) of the doxorubicin-induced deletions involving the region of the lacO
      palindrome had 3'-endpoints within the palindrome sequence as compared with 40%
      (4 of 10) spontaneous deletions in an untreated set. Doxorubicin-induced single
      base substitutions were highly focused at one site (4 of 6) in the i-d region of
      lacI, in contrast to the spontaneous distribution of point mutations, where 16
      mutants were recovered at 12 different sites. An increased frequency (3-fold) of
      highly focused base substitutions was also observed at 2 sites in the lac
      operator region (at lacO +6, which is a transition "hotspot" in the spontaneous
      spectra of both wild type and uvrB- organisms and at the adjacent +5 site).
      Notably, the frequency of 1- and 2-base frameshifts did not increase in the
      doxorubicin-induced spectrum, relative to the spontaneous mutation spectrum.
      These in vivo observations in E. coli suggest that in the absence of excision
      repair, doxorubicin causes highly focused deletions and base substitutions. These
      mutations occur adjacent to DNA sequences identified in previous in vitro studies
      as preferential sites of doxorubicin binding.

PMID- 1855211
TI  - Ionic and ligand-specific effects on the DNA binding of progesterone receptor
      bound to the synthetic progestin R5020 and the antiprogestin RU486.
AB  - Antiprogestin and other antihormones are valuable therapeutic agents in hormone
      responsive cancers. A fundamental mechanism in the action of antiprogestin is its
      binding to PR,3 an intracellular protein that mediates the action of progesterone
      by direct interaction at the regulatory sites of responsive genes. To elucidate
      the mechanism of action of PR bound to agonistic and antagonistic ligands, we
      determined the binding affinity of rabbit uterine PR bound to R5020 and RU486,
      respectively, with different DNA sequences. We used 2 recombinant plasmid DNAs,
      pDHf14 and pDHf2, with 60- and 23-base pair inserts of potential Z-DNA-forming
      (dA-dC)n.(dG-dT)n sequences, respectively, parental plasmid pDPL6 with no insert,
      calf thymus DNA, and several synthetic polynucleotides in this study. The
      concentration of DNA required to elute 50% of the receptor bound to DNA-cellulose
      (EC50) was used as a measure of the relative binding affinity of the receptor for
      DNA. EC50 values of plasmids pDHf14 and pDHf2 were 1.2 +/- 0.5 (SD) and 2.5 +/-
      0.6 micrograms/ml, respectively, for PR bound to R5020. In contrast, EC50 for
      control plasmid was 350 micrograms/ml. PR.R5020 had lower affinity for calf
      thymus DNA and polynucleotides compared with pDHf2 and pDHf14. Receptors
      complexed with the antiprogestin RU486 had lower affinity for the plasmids; EC50
      values were 2.4 +/- 0.4 and 10 +/- 1 microgram/ml, respectively, for pDHf14 and
      pDHf2. This ligand-specific difference in DNA binding was amplified by the
      presence of 5 mM Mg2+ or Ca2+. The relative binding affinity of PR.R5020 to
      pDHf14 was 6- and 7-fold higher than that of PR.RU486, in the presence of 5 mM
      Mg2+ and Ca2+, respectively. These results show that PR.RU486 has lower binding
      affinity for specific DNA sequences than PR.R5020, but the binding affinity of
      both receptors is in a range that cannot preclude competitive interactions at the
      DNA recognition site. The effects of Mg2+ and Ca2+ on PR binding to DNA further
      suggest that these cations could affect PR recognition of DNA in a ligand
      specific manner.

PMID- 1855212
TI  - Metabolism, sister chromatid exchanges, and DNA single-strand breaks induced by 4
      (methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and their modulation by vitamin A in
      vitro.
AB  - The nicotine-derived N-nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-
      butanone (NNK) is abundant in smokeless tobacco and tobacco smoke and is
      hepatocarcinogenic in F344 rats. We have investigated how vitamin A modulates
      sister chromatid exchanges and DNA single-strand breaks induced by NNK. In V79
      cells, vitamin A at concentrations ranging from 34.9 to 139.6 microM inhibited
      sister chromatid exchange frequencies induced by 20 mM NNK activated by primary
      rat hepatocytes. Sister chromatid exchanges were inhibited by 24, 44, and 55%
      when cells were cotreated with 34.9, 69.8, and 139.6 microM vitamin A,
      respectively. DNA single-strand breaks induced by NNK in rat hepatocytes were
      also inhibited by vitamin A. After 9 h of elution, DNA single-strand breaks
      induced by 1, 5, and 10 mM NNK were inhibited by 13, 5, and 3.5% in the presence
      of 69.8 microM vitamin A, respectively. This protective effect by vitamin A was
      associated with a reduction of alpha-carbon hydroxylation, an activation pathway
      of NNK. This pathway was inhibited by 50% when cells were cotreated with 3.49
      microM vitamin A. The reduction in the hepatic microsomal aminopyrine N
      demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, and N,N-dimethyl aniline N-demethylase in the
      presence of vitamin A (0.035 to 0.35 microM) suggests that vitamin A could reduce
      NNK genotoxicity by inhibiting the enzymes involved in the activation process.

PMID- 1855213
TI  - Novel Chinese hamster ultraviolet-sensitive mutants for excision repair form
      complementation groups 9 and 10.
AB  - In this paper we demonstrate that the mutants CHO7PV and CHO4PV isolated by us
      from the CHO-K1 prol- cell line represent two new complementation groups of UV
      sensitive excision repair-defective rodent mutants. We have classified the mutant
      CHO7PV as representative of Group 9 and CHO4PV as representative of Group 10.
      Cellular and biochemical characterization of these mutants indicates that they
      are moderately sensitive to a broad spectrum of mutagens (UV and mono- and
      bifunctional alkylating agents), partially unable to perform UV-induced DNA
      repair synthesis, and partially defective in the incision step of the DNA
      excision repair pathway and in the removal of the two main lesions caused by UV
      [cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4) photo-products]. In terms of UV survival
      and incision, CHO4PV is apparently more defective than CHO7PV (40% and 50% of
      wild-type survival, respectively, and 55% and 75% of wild-type incision), whereas
      when repair DNA synthesis and lesion removal are compared, CHO7PV seems to be
      more severely affected (30% of wild-type unscheduled DNA synthesis in CHO7PV and
      60% in CHO4PV). This suggests a subtlety in the relation between removal of these
      specific lesions and overall repair capacity and survival.

PMID- 1855214
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor/cachectin decreases catalase activity of rat liver.
AB  - Tumor bearing hosts and animals treated with endotoxin commonly show a decrease
      in the catalase activity of the liver and kidney. Since tumor necrosis factor
      (TNF)/cachectin may play a significant role in these conditions, we investigated
      its effects on the catalatic and peroxidatic activity of catalase in the liver
      and kidney of the rat. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and
      lactate dehydrogenase were measured simultaneously to monitor the pentose
      phosphate and glycolytic pathways, respectively. Injection i.p. of 100
      micrograms/kg/day human recombinant TNF-alpha for 5 days resulted in a
      significant (P less than 0.01) decrease in the catalatic activity of the liver
      when compared to rats fed ad libitum. The decrease in four experiments ranged
      from 21 to 56%. A significant decrease (18%; P = 0.01) in liver catalatic and
      peroxidatic activity was also observed in another experiment using pair fed rats
      as controls. The peroxidatic activity of catalase with ethanol as hydrogen donor
      closely paralleled the catalatic activity. TNF treatment had no detectable effect
      on the catalatic or peroxidatic activity of catalase in the kidney. The activity
      of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase increased (31-80%) significantly (P less
      than or equal to 0.02) in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the kidney (5
      27%, P = 0.05). Lactate dehydrogenase activity decreased (14-19%) significantly
      (P less than or equal to 0.05) in the liver and kidney but mainly in rats treated
      with TNF and additionally fasted for 24 h. Electron microscopic examination of
      liver sections showed that the hepatocytes of TNF-treated rats were undamaged but
      contained fewer and smaller peroxisomes than those of the control rats.

PMID- 1855215
TI  - Inhibition of c-myc expression by phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide
      identifies a critical role for c-myc in the growth of human breast cancer.
AB  - In search of critical genes in the mechanism of estrogen action in human breast
      cancer, we previously showed that estrogen stimulates transcription of the c-myc
      gene in estrogen-dependent (MCF-7) cells. We have now examined the role of c-myc
      in estrogen-stimulated growth of MCF-7 cells through the use of a synthetic
      antisense c-myc phosphorothioate oligonucleotide to specifically inhibit
      expression of the c-myc protein. Estrogen induces a 5-fold increase in c-myc
      protein expression within 90 min in steroid-deprived cells, as detected by
      Western blot. Prior exposure of MCF-7 cells to 10 microM c-myc antisense
      oligonucleotide results in up to 95% inhibition of the c-myc protein expression
      induced by estrogen. Antisense-myc oligonucleotide inhibits estrogen-stimulated
      cell growth by up to 75% over 9 days and also exerts a cytostatic effect on the
      growth of estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 cells which show relatively high,
      constitutive expression of c-myc. Sense-myc and antisense-pS2 oligonucleotides
      have no effect on c-myc protein level or growth in either cell line. These
      results demonstrate both the specific and durable effects of antisense
      phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Furthermore, these results indicate a critical
      role for c-myc in the growth of breast cancer cells and support the hypothesis
      that loss of estrogen regulation of this gene may be an important factor in the
      progression of breast cancer.

PMID- 1855216
TI  - Therapy of human cervical carcinoma with monoclonal antibody-Pseudomonas exotoxin
      conjugates.
AB  - Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) linked to the F(ab')2 fragment of 1H10, a murine
      monoclonal antibody recognizing a carbohydrate epitope of a glycoconjugate
      expressed on the surface of human cervical carcinoma tumor cells, was evaluated
      for in vitro and in vivo activity. PE can kill cells by ADP-ribosylating
      elongation factor 2 thus inhibiting protein synthesis. Disulfide- as well as
      thioether-linked immunotoxins (1H10-PE) killed cervical carcinoma cells in vitro
      and were 20-160 times more inhibitory to target than to control cells. Cell
      killing was antibody mediated as demonstrated by the reduction of 1H10-PE growth
      inhibition to target CaSki cells by free 1H10 F(ab')2. In addition, a control
      antibody immunotoxin was nontoxic to CaSki cells. Thioether-linked 1H10-PE
      administered either i.v. or i.p. suppressed the growth of established solid s.c.
      cervical carcinoma tumors xenografted in nude mice for over 30 days. Treatment
      with antibody alone or a control immunotoxin had no significant effect on tumor
      growth. Administration of immunotoxin i.p. was associated with less toxicity than
      administration i.v., but i.v. injections were more effective at suppressing the
      growth of established solid tumors.

PMID- 1855217
TI  - Development of two new monoclonal antibodies reactive to a surface antigen
      present on human ovarian epithelial cancer cells.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies which bind selectively to cancer cells are currently used
      for tumor localization and for targeting cytotoxic reagents. The success of these
      approaches depends on the specificity of the antibody and its reactivity to a
      majority of the tumor samples. Frequently, monoclonal antibodies are generated by
      immunizing mice with antigenic preparations from a single tumor cell line.
      Antibodies generated under these conditions often react to a narrow range of
      tumors. In the present study, mice were immunized with multiple ovarian cancer
      cell lines in a sequential manner to amplify the immune response against common
      antigenic determinants expressed in these cell lines. Spleen cells from the
      immunized mice were then fused with NS-1 myeloma cells to establish hybridomas.
      Two cell lines were selected on the basis of their selective reactivity to
      ovarian cancer cells after extensive screening. Monoclonal antibodies OVX1 and
      OVX2 bound to all 5 ovarian carcinoma cell lines tested and did not bind to
      normal fibroblast cells. These antibodies recognized a unique antigenic
      determinant present in ovarian and breast cancer cells. Cross-blocking studies
      showed that the binding of OVX1 and OVX2 is not displaceable by 10 other
      previously described anti-ovarian antibodies including OC125. In
      immunocytochemical studies, OVX1 reacted to a majority of ovarian cancer tissues
      (17 of 20) and did not bind to normal ovarian tissues. Preliminary results
      indicate that OVX1 and OVX2 antibodies are directed to a high molecular weight
      antigen. These antibodies could be used in the preparation of cytotoxic
      conjugates.

PMID- 1855218
TI  - Antitumor effect of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton on syngeneically
      transplanted P388 tumors.
AB  - The antitumor activity of the immunomodulator, Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton
      (N-CWS), was investigated using syngeneically transplanted P388 leukemia cells in
      a solid form. The s.c. growth of P388 tumors in DBA/2 mice was significantly
      suppressed by systemically administered N-CWS, and the effect was dose dependent.
      The antitumor effect of N-CWS was partially but significantly abrogated in
      splenectomized mice but not in T-cell or natural killer cell-deficient mice.
      Although spleen cells from mice treated with 1600 micrograms N-CWS contained no
      cytolytic activity, they exerted a significant cytostatic effect on P388 cell
      growth both in vitro and in vivo. Splenic cytostatic activity did not reside in T
      or natural killer cells, but in plastic adherent cell population, macrophages.
      The response to N-CWS immunotherapy appeared to be associated with the number of
      macrophages infiltrating into the tumor lesions, and this was confirmed by
      histological analysis showing that P388 tumors from N-CWS-treated mice were
      intensively and dominantly infiltrated by macrophages. Furthermore, these were
      shown to be strongly tumor necrosis factor-positive by immunohistochemical
      analysis. These findings indicate that macrophages are the main effector cells
      playing a critical role in the suppression of P388 tumor growth in DBA/2 mice,
      and that tumor necrosis factor produced by these cells may be involved in the
      macrophage-mediated cytostatic effect induced by N-CWS. The fact that N-CWS
      suppressed the growth of weakly immunogenic P388 cells in syngeneic DBA/2 mice
      even when it was systemically injected would support the clinical potential of
      this agent.

PMID- 1855219
TI  - Phase I immunotoxin trial in patients with B-cell lymphoma.
AB  - Fifteen patients with refractory B-cell lymphoma were treated in a Phase I dose
      escalation clinical trial with a highly potent immunotoxin consisting of the Fab'
      fragment of a monoclonal anti-CD22 antibody (RFB4) coupled to chemically
      deglycosylated ricin A chain. All patients had low, intermediate, or high grade
      non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The immunotoxin was administered i.v. in two to six doses
      at 48-h intervals. The peak serum concentration and the t1/2 were not dose
      dependent among patients and averaged 1.3 micrograms/ml and 86 min, respectively.
      Three patients made antibody against A chain, and a fourth made antibody against
      both A chain and mouse immunoglobulin. Antibody responses were low (less than or
      equal to 85 micrograms/ml) in three patients and were not detected until 1 mo
      after treatment. The maximum tolerated dose of the immunotoxin was 75 mg/m2. Dose
      related toxicities included vascular leak syndrome, fever, anorexia, and myalgia.
      Dose-limiting toxicities included pulmonary edema and/or effusion, expressive
      aphasia, and rhabdomyolysis (resulting in reversible kidney failure). There was
      no evidence of liver dysfunction. Partial responses were achieved in 38% of
      evaluable patients, and in those patients who had greater than 50% CD22+ tumor
      cells, 50% of the patients achieved a partial response. Clinical responses were
      not related to tumor grade and were generally transient, lasting between 1 and 4
      mo.

PMID- 1855220
TI  - Trisomy of rat chromosome 1 associated with mesothelial cell transformation.
AB  - Identification of specific chromosomal aberrations in transformed mesothelial
      cells is an important step in elucidating the mechanism of transformation of
      these cells which are targets for occupational and environmental carcinogens,
      such as asbestos fibers. Cytogenetic analysis of normal rat mesothelial cell
      lines revealed that at late passage (p20-p34), trisomy of chromosome 1 was
      present in greater than 80% of the cells in four spontaneously immortalized lines
      examined, whereas at early passage (p8-p10), only 15-44% of the cells had trisomy
      1. Trisomy of chromosome 1 had increased in the population as a function of
      passage, suggesting that cells with trisomy 1 had a selective growth advantage
      under in vitro culture conditions and that this alteration was associated with
      transformation. A commercially available rat mesothelial cell line (4/4 RM4,
      ATCC), was also found to have a duplication of a portion of the long arm of
      chromosome 1. To determine if chromosome 1 alterations have relevance to the
      transformed phenotype in vivo, a neoplastic cell line was established from a
      spontaneous rat mesothelioma. At passage 15, trisomy of chromosome 1 was observed
      in 26% of the metaphases in this line. However, when these cells were injected
      into nude mice, 99% of the cells from the resulting tumor contained an additional
      copy of chromosome 1. Therefore, trisomy 1 also conferred a selective growth
      advantage in vivo and/or was associated with the malignant subpopulation in the
      tumor derived cell line. These studies suggest that chromosome 1 contains a
      gene(s) involved in transformation of rat mesothelial cells.

PMID- 1855221
TI  - The plasminogen activation system in human colon cancer: messenger RNA for the
      inhibitor PAI-1 is located in endothelial cells in the tumor stroma.
AB  - Fourteen human colon adenocarcinomas were examined by in situ hybridization for
      the presence of mRNA for plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). All
      specimens contained PAI-1 mRNA in endothelial cells of some vessels in the stroma
      immediately surrounding the invasive tumor glands, in granulation tissue, and in
      some capillaries located under the free luminal surface of carcinomatous
      epithelium. In addition, a limited number of stromal cells in the cancerous areas
      located at the periphery of newly formed capillary networks, and presumably
      representing sprouting endothelial cells, contained PAI-1 mRNA. Cancer cells were
      devoid of detectable PAI-1 mRNA in all cases. PAI-1 mRNA was not seen in three
      biopsies of normal colon. Together with previous findings of urokinase-type
      plasminogen activator and its mRNA being located in fibroblast-like cells in the
      tumor stroma and mRNA for the urokinase receptor in the cancer cells at invasive
      foci, these results indicate a complex cooperativity among several cell types in
      regulation of plasminogen activation in colon cancer. A possible role of PAI-1 in
      protecting the extracellular matrix in the tumor tissue against degradation and a
      role in tumor-induced angiogenesis are discussed.

PMID- 1855222
TI  - Self-diffusion of water in multicellular spheroids measured by magnetic resonance
      microimaging.
AB  - Nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging measurements of the self-diffusion
      coefficient of water in large (greater than 2 mm) EMT-6 multicellular spheroids
      were performed in order to elucidate diffusion mechanisms in tumors. Pulsed
      gradient spin echo-imaging methods were developed for measuring diffusion in an
      intravoxel multicompartment system. The self-diffusion coefficient (at 22 degrees
      C) for water in the medium (Dm) consisted of only a single diffusion compartment
      [Dm = 1.99 +/- 0.03 (SE) x 10(-5) cm2/s]. Similarly, the spheroid necrotic center
      showed a single water diffusion compartment with a self-diffusion coefficient
      (Dc) significantly lower than that of the medium (Dc = 1.54 +/- 0.05 x 10(-5)
      cm2/s). The spheroid viable rim region showed two distinct compartments of
      approximately equal volume, one with a large diffusion coefficient (1.70 +/- 0.12
      x 10(-5) cm2/s) and a second with a significantly smaller diffusion coefficient
      (0.25 +/- 0.01 x 10(-5) cm2/s). We propose that these two experimentally
      distinguishable compartments correspond to the extra- and intracellular regions,
      respectively, of the viable rim of the spheroid. Although the diffusion
      coefficients were significantly different in the medium, the necrotic center, and
      the viable rim, the activation energy for diffusion was the same in the three
      regions (0.20 eV). Studies of perfused spheroids at 37 degrees C show the same
      dependence of the diffusion coefficients on the diffusion filter as observed for
      unperfused spheroids at 22 degrees C. These results demonstrate the ability of
      nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging to investigate diffusion at the cellular
      level, which will lead to a better understanding of microenvironmental regulation
      in tumors.

PMID- 1855223
TI  - DNA ploidy by image analysis of individual foci of prostate cancer: a preliminary
      report.
AB  - The malignant potential of an individual focus of prostate cancer is difficult to
      determine. The established pathological features associated with malignant
      behavior include tumor volume, grade, and invasiveness (local extension or
      metastasis). We used nuclear image analysis to determine the DNA ploidy value of
      each cancer in a series of 30 radical prostatectomy specimens from patients with
      early stage prostate cancer in order to further explore the malignant potential
      of each separate focus of cancer. The volume, grade, invasiveness (extracapsular
      extension or seminal vesicle invasion), and zone of origin of each of the 63
      separate cancers were determined. The DNA ploidy histogram of 200 cancer cells
      was compared with 50 normal epithelial nuclei on the same Feulgen-stained tissue
      sections. Sixty % of the cancers were diploid, and 40% were nondiploid. Ploidy
      correlated with volume and grade. All cancers less than 0.02 cm3 were diploid;
      26% of foci 0.02 to 2.0 cm3 and 82% of foci greater than 2.0 cm3 were nondiploid.
      There were 16 cancers of transition zone origin ranging in size from 0.02 to 12.1
      cm3 and only one (7.3 cm3) was nondiploid. There were 47 cancers of peripheral
      zone origin (range, 0.01 to 18.98) and 24 (51%) were nondiploid. Eight of the 24
      nondiploid cancers were small (less than 1.0 cm3), and two were only 0.03 cm3. We
      conclude that some very small prostate cancers are nondiploid and that
      progression of prostate cancer is not a function of volume alone, whereby tumors
      only acquire full malignant potential at large volumes. Cancers of peripheral
      zone origin acquire a nondiploid cell population at a smaller volume than do
      cancers of transition zone origin, further supporting a fundamental difference
      between cancers arising in these zones.

PMID- 1855224
TI  - p53 mutations, ras mutations, and p53-heat shock 70 protein complexes in human
      lung carcinoma cell lines.
AB  - The p53 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated and the K-ras oncogene is
      occasionally mutated in primary specimens of human lung carcinomas. These mutated
      genes also cooperate in the immortalization and neoplastic transformation of
      rodent cells. To determine whether these mutations are necessary for maintenance
      of the immortalized and/or neoplastically transformed states of human bronchial
      epithelial cells, the p53 gene and regions of the ras (K-, H-, and N-) genes were
      sequenced in nine human lung carcinoma cell lines. Detection of p53 mutations by
      polymerase chain amplification and direct DNA sequencing was corroborated by p53
      immunocytochemistry and coimmunoprecipitation of p53 with heat shock protein 70.
      p53 and ras genes were frequently, but not always, mutated in the carcinoma cell
      lines. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that multiple genetic
      changes involving both protooncogenes and tumor suppressor genes occur during
      lung carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1855225
TI  - Progression of squamous carcinoma cells to spindle carcinomas of mouse skin is
      associated with an imbalance of H-ras alleles on chromosome 7.
AB  - Analysis of benign and malignant mouse skin tumors had previously shown that
      amplification of a mutant H-ras allele or loss of the normal allele was generally
      seen only in high grade or spindle cell tumors. The normal:mutant ras gene dosage
      has been studied directly by polymerase chain reaction amplification of DNA
      derived from paraffin sections of carcinomas of defined histological types. Some
      tumors had virtually no signal corresponding to the normal allele and these were
      invariably spindle cell carcinomas. In four cases where both squamous and spindle
      cell components could be identified within the same tumor the spindle cell
      component had a higher mutant:normal gene ratio. Additional experiments on cell
      lines derived from squamous or spindle cell tumors have demonstrated a good
      correlation between the ratio of normal:mutant ras and the degree of invasiveness
      of the cells in in vitro assays.

PMID- 1855226
TI  - Genetic analysis of human esophageal tumors from two high incidence geographic
      areas: frequent p53 base substitutions and absence of ras mutations.
AB  - Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESC) samples from patients residing in
      Uruguay and in Normandy, France, where alcoholic beverages and tobacco smoke are
      major risk factors, were analyzed for point mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor
      gene. Among 34 tumors (15 from Normandy and 19 from Uruguay) 15 point mutations
      in the p53 gene that result in amino acid substitutions or chain termination were
      identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification of exons 5-8 and direct DNA
      sequencing. Base substitutions in ESC from these high-incidence areas are
      dispersed over the midregion of the p53 gene. There are differences between ESC
      and other types of gastrointestinal cancer in the nature of frequent base
      substitutions. CpG to TpG transitions were far less prevalent in these ESC than
      in colorectal tumors, whereas G to T transversions, rarely found in colon
      cancers, were found in one-fourth of the ESC samples. Base substitutions at A:T
      pairs constitute an important fraction of ESC p53 mutations, in contrast to
      mutation patterns in most other types of solid tumors. In contrast to the
      frequent mutation of the p53 gene in these samples, no mutations in the H-, K-,
      or N-ras genes were found in 16 tumors from Uruguay by direct sequencing of exons
      in which transforming mutations are known to occur. A previous study on ras
      mutations in ESC from France was also negative (M. C. Hollstein et al., Cancer
      Res., 48: 5119-5123, 1988). The role of distinct etiological factors in
      generating these differences and the potential for linking patient exposure
      histories with patterns of p53 mutations in high risk populations are considered.

PMID- 1855227
TI  - Modification of the growth rates and hypoxic fractions of xenografted A431 tumors
      by sialoadenectomy or exogenously supplied epidermal growth factor.
AB  - We studied A431 epidermoid carcinomas xenografted into male nude mice either in
      the unperturbed state or after either surgical removal of the salivary glands or
      i.p. injection of exogenous epidermal growth factor (0.2 mg/kg daily for 7 days).
      The percentage of hypoxic cells in unperturbed tumors was 10.5% (95% confidence
      limits, 6.6-16.8%). In mice that received epidermal growth factor injections,
      hypoxic percentages decreased to 3.7% (1.7-7.8%), and tumor growth rates
      increased. In sialoadenectomized mice, hypoxic percentages increased to 35.2%
      (27.1-45.6%), and tumor growth rates decreased. These data indicate that the
      biology of solid tumors can be significantly modified by the host status.

PMID- 1855228
TI  - The Mary Lasker Conference, on growth factors in hormone-related tumors.

PMID- 1855229
TI  - Balloon dilatation of intrahepatic biliary strictures for percutaneous extraction
      of residual intrahepatic stones.
AB  - Intrahepatic ductal strictures in cholangiohepatitis present an obstacle to
      successful removal of retained ductal stones via T-tube tracts. We studied the
      effectiveness of stricture dilatation for stone removal. Fifteen patients with
      intrahepatic gallstones retained behind strictures underwent balloon dilatation
      of their strictures to allow stone extraction. All had prior surgical T-tube
      placement allowing percutaneous access. Balloon dilatation was successful in
      reducing or eliminating strictures in 86.7% (13 of 15 patients), and complete
      stone extraction after the successful dilatation was possible in 76.9% (10 of 13
      patients). The reasons for failure were impacted stones and acute ductal
      angulation which prevented passage of catheters. It is concluded that balloon
      dilatation of intrahepatic biliary strictures is an effective adjunct for
      extraction of intrahepatic biliary calculi associated with recurrent pyogenic
      cholangiohepatitis.

PMID- 1855230
TI  - Percutaneous drainage of postappendectomy abscesses complicated by enteric
      communication.
AB  - Four patients with postappendectomy abscesses complicated by enteric fistulae
      were treated by percutaneous drainage. Sinograms, obtained at the time of the
      initial drainage, demonstrated communication to the cecum in 3 patients and to
      the small bowel in 1 patient. Complete cure was attained in 3 patients by
      percutaneous drainage. In the fourth patient, surgery was performed after 7 days
      of catheter drainage. Percutaneous drainage of abscesses with enteric
      communication requires a modified technique, which includes longer-term drainage
      than for simple noncommunicating abscesses.

PMID- 1855231
TI  - Treatment of biliary leaks and fistulae by simultaneous percutaneous drainage and
      diversion.
AB  - Although biliary fistulae and bilomas are often adequately managed with
      percutaneous drainage, persistent bile duct leaks are difficult to control. The
      primary surgical goal in this situation is to decompress the biliary system
      through diversion of bile flow to facilitate healing of the defect in the bile
      ducts. We report 3 patients with large biliary duct defects who underwent
      percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography which demonstrated the site of the
      biliary leakage. Then, extrapolating the aforementioned surgical tenet to these
      patients, all 3 were successfully treated with interventional radiologic
      techniques: simultaneous percutaneous transhepatic biliary diversion to control
      biliary flow and percutaneous biloma drainage to facilitate closure of the
      cavity.

PMID- 1855233
TI  - Mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm: dynamic computed tomography appearance.
AB  - Mediastinal aneurysms of the bronchial arteries are uncommon abnormalities with
      potentially fatal hemorrhagic complications. Their diagnosis is usually made by
      angiography in emergency situations but computed tomography (CT) scan may depict
      them in asymptomatic patients. We describe the CT appearance of such an aneurysm
      detected as an incidental finding in a patient with bleeding bronchiectasis.

PMID- 1855232
TI  - Treating complications of subclavian vein puncture by embolization of the
      internal mammary artery.
AB  - Embolization therapy is reported in 2 patients who had vascular complications
      following percutaneous subclavian vein catheterization. One had an arteriovenous
      fistula between the right internal mammary artery (IMA) and the brachiocephalic
      vein. The other patient presented with a pseudo-aneurysm of the IMA with life
      threatening hemorrhage and a large thoracic hematoma. A detachable latex balloon
      was used for occlusion of the arteriovenous fistula in the first patient and a
      steel spring coil was used to embolize the IMA and the pseudo-aneurysm in the
      second patient. The lesions were successfully treated on follow-up of 30 months
      for the first patient and 37 months for the other.

PMID- 1855234
TI  - Occluding staghorn calcification of the aortic arch and left subclavian artery:
      case report.
AB  - A calcified thrombus resembling a staghorn was found in the aortic arch, cast
      into this shape by the aorta and its branching vessel, the left subclavian, into
      which it projected for a short distance. Unique, in this case, is the
      extraordinarily large size of the calcification which was mostly free of the
      vessel wall, its radiological image, and its location. Digital subtraction
      angiography led to the diagnosis and was confirmed on computed tomography.

PMID- 1855235
TI  - Transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization with Avitene in dogs.
AB  - The hepatic arteries in 36 dogs were embolized with microfibrillar collagen
      (Avitene) to evaluate the effects on the liver parenchyma. Serial examinations
      were then conducted over 4 weeks. The dogs were divided into 3 groups: Group 1
      received Avitene soaked in saline, Group 2 received decanted Avitene, and Group 3
      received Avitene decanted and filtered through gauze. Coagulation necrosis and
      degeneration of the liver parenchyma was noted in all 3 groups, but was least in
      Group 3. These results in dogs suggest that gauze filtration of Avitene prior to
      arterial embolization may also reduce damage to liver parenchyma.

PMID- 1855236
TI  - A new catheter configuration for selective antegrade catheterization of the
      superficial femoral artery: technical note.
AB  - A new 5 F catheter configuration is presented with a very short, 90 degrees
      angled tip that allows safe catheter tip rotation near the puncture site. This
      facilitates catheterization of the superficial femoral artery and permits easy
      conversion of a retrograde into an antegrade guidewire placement after puncture
      of the common femoral artery.

PMID- 1855237
TI  - Embolization of a rubber disc from a hemostasis valve: technical note.
AB  - After coronary angioplasty, a patient experienced a sudden onset of claudication
      at the side of the vascular entry. Angiography demonstrated an isolated high
      grade stenosis at the bifurcation of the distal popliteal artery. Thrombolysis
      and angioplasty were unsuccessful. Surgical exploration showed a rubber disc with
      attached thrombus to be the cause of obstruction.

PMID- 1855238
TI  - Surgical and percutaneous management of contralateral thrombus dislodgement
      following stent placement and dilatation of iliac artery occlusions: technical
      note.
AB  - Primary stenting of common iliac artery occlusions was complicated by
      dislodgement of occluding material to the contralateral common iliac artery in 2
      of 59 patients following successful stent placement. In both patients, the
      complication occurred after balloon dilatation of the inserted self-expanding
      stent. In the first patient the embolus dislodged to the tibioperoneal trunk and
      required surgical embolectomy. In the second patient, percutaneous insertion of a
      self-expanding stent into the contralateral common iliac artery prevented distal
      embolization.

PMID- 1855239
TI  - Contemporary venous imaging.
AB  - Within the past 5 years, venous imaging has rapidly evolved. Ultrasound,
      predominantly utilizing compression, is now the technique of choice for
      assessment of extremity venous thrombosis. Issues regarding pulmonary embolism,
      calf clots, ancillary findings, chronic clots, and the high-risk patient are
      discussed as they relate to lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. A brief review
      of upper extremity venous imaging is also included.

PMID- 1855240
TI  - Angiotensin-II acts centrally to alter renal sympathetic nerve activity and the
      intrarenal renin-angiotensin system.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the influence that centrally
      administered angiotensin-II has on the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system and
      renal sympathetic nerve activity. DESIGN: Renal responses to centrally
      administered angiotensin-II (10 micrograms) or saralasin (50 micrograms) were
      measured in anaesthetised rats. The right kidney was vascularly isolated (but
      neurally intact) and perfused with artificial plasma at either a constant
      pressure (13.3 kPa) or constant flow (600 microliters.min-1) and renal vascular
      resistance was measured. Renal perfusate was collected at 10 min intervals after
      central administration of peptides and intrarenal concentrations of noradrenaline
      and renin were determined. SUBJECTS: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (200-225 g)
      were used. Rats were given thermal (or sham) lesions of the medial basal
      forebrain (MBF) 24 h prior to renal perfusion studies. RESULTS: Sham lesioned
      animals: central administration of angiotensin-II caused an increase in renal
      vascular resistance and intrarenal noradrenaline concentration in both the
      constant pressure and constant flow renal perfusion models. Central
      administration of angiotensin-II increased intrarenal renin concentration in the
      constant pressure model, while it decreased intrarenal renin concentration in the
      constant flow model. These effects of intracerebroventricular angiotensin-II were
      blocked by the concomitant administration of saralasin. Saralasin had no agonist
      actions on the responses measured. Medial basal forebrain lesioned animals:
      baseline levels of intrarenal noradrenaline concentration in both the constant
      flow and constant pressure perfusion models were significantly reduced compared
      to sham lesioned rats. Baseline intrarenal renin concentration was increased
      relative to sham lesioned rats in the constant flow perfusion model, but
      decreased relative to sham lesioned rats in the constant pressure perfusion
      model. Lesions of the medial basal forebrain block responses to
      intracerebroventricular angiotensin-II in both models. CONCLUSIONS: Angiotensin
      II appears to act on neurones within the medial basal forebrain to increase renal
      sympathetic nerve activity. Renal nerve activity interacts with the prevailing
      intrarenal pressure to modulate the release of renin.

PMID- 1855241
TI  - Frequency dependent myocardial potassium fluxes during beta adrenergic
      stimulation of intact pig hearts.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the frequency dependent myocardial
      potassium fluxes of intact pig hearts at control inotropy and during beta
      adrenergic stimulation. DESIGN - Atrial pacing rate was suddenly raised and
      decreased by 50 beats.min-1 at control inotropy and during infusion of
      isoprenaline, 2.5 nmol.min-1, into the left coronary artery. EXPERIMENTAL
      MATERIAL: Nine anaesthetised pigs (21-33 kg) were instrumented for electric
      pacing of the right atrium and metabolic and haemodynamic recordings.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Myocardial potassium balance was measured by PVC
      valinomycin electrodes in the left atrial cavity and in a shunt (with flow meter)
      diverting blood from the coronary sinus to the right atrium. Isoprenaline raised
      net myocardial potassium flux following the change in pacing rate from 19(14-23)
      to 38(32-46) mumol.100 g-1.min-1 (median, 95% confidence interval, difference: p
      = 0.03). The corresponding myocardial potassium flux per beat increased from
      0.38(0.29-0.45) to 0.80(0.63-0.97) mumol.100 g-1 (p = 0.03). Accumulated
      potassium flux increased from 9(8-11) to 17(11-27) mumol.100 g-1, respectively (p
      = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In intact hearts beta adrenergic stimulation doubles the
      frequency dependent myocardial potassium flux. This component constitutes 22-25%
      of the ouabain inhibitable potassium flux at both levels of inotropy.

PMID- 1855242
TI  - Quantitative indices of dispersion of refractoriness for identification of
      propensity to re-entrant ventricular tachycardia in a canine model of myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify propensity to re-entry in a canine model of 7 day
      old myocardial infarction, the sensitivity and specificity of five indices of
      dispersion of refractoriness (ERP) were investigated. DESIGN: With an epicardial
      patch electrode containing 47 electrodes, ERP was measured by S1-S2 method at
      each site overlying the infarct. ERP range, maximum adjacent dispersion,
      difference between mean ERPS of the infarct and normal zones, standard deviation
      (sigma) of the mean ERP, and sigma/mean ERP X 100 were calculated. EXPERIMENTAL
      MATERIAL: 42 dogs were divided into three groups; 20 dogs with epicardial
      functional block on induction of sustained ventricular tachycardia or
      fibrillation, 10 dogs with inducible ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation but
      without epicardial functional block, and 12 control dogs without ventricular
      tachycardia, fibrillation or block. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All five
      indices were significantly greater in the 20 dogs with ventricular tachycardia or
      fibrillation than in control dogs. A receiver operating characteristic curve
      analysis of the five indices showed that sigma was the most sensitive and
      specific index for discriminating these 20 dogs. The sensitivity and specificity
      of a sigma value greater than 14 ms (the mean value plus two SD of the control
      dogs) were 70% and 100%, respectively.

PMID- 1855243
TI  - Increased arterial oxygen content--an important compensatory mechanism in chronic
      moderate heart failure.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine whether there is a compensatory
      increase in arterial oxygen content to a hypokinetic circulation in ambulant
      patients with chronic moderate heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy.
      DESIGN - Central haemodynamics, arterial oxygen content, arterial haemoglobin
      concentration, arterial oxygen saturation, and blood gases were measured during a
      6 min supine exercise test on a symptom related submaximal workload. At rest,
      total body haemoglobin was determined. PATIENTS: 19 patients with chronic stable
      moderate heart failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy, treated with diuretics
      and digoxin, were studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During exercise
      arterial oxygen content correlated inversely with the cardiac index (r = 0.66, p
      less than 0.01). The two determinants of arterial oxygen content, arterial
      haemoglobin concentration and arterial oxygen saturation, also correlated
      inversely with the cardiac index (r = 0.60, p less than 0.01 and r = 0.70, p less
      than 0.001 respectively). Cardiac index during exercise correlated inversely with
      total body haemoglobin (r = 0.73, p less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A hypokinetic
      circulation during daily living induces an increase in arterial oxygen content in
      patients with chronic stable moderate heart failure caused by dilated
      cardiomyopathy. Renal hypoperfusion may play a role in stimulating the
      erythropoiesis and exertional hyperventilation in raising arterial oxygen
      saturation.

PMID- 1855244
TI  - Effect of BN 50739, a new platelet activating factor antagonist, on ischaemia
      induced ventricular arrhythmias in isolated working rat hearts.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the role of platelet activating
      factor (PAF) in myocardial ischaemia by using BN 50739, a new specific PAF
      receptor antagonist with a hetrazepine framework. DESIGN: Isolated working rat
      hearts were subjected to regional ischaemia, induced by ligation of the left main
      coronary artery for 30 min, followed by reperfusion. BN 50739 was applied at
      concentrations of 10(-7), 10(-6), 10(-5) and 5 X 10(-5) M, and its effects on the
      incidence of ischaemia induced and reperfusion induced ventricular tachycardia
      and ventricular fibrillation and heart functions, such as heart rate, coronary
      flow, aortic flow, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), its first
      derivative (LVdP/dtmax), and left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP),
      were determined. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL: Studies were performed on isolated
      working hearts of male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300-360 g. Hearts were
      perfused with BN 50739 dissolved in dimethylsulphoxide. Control hearts were
      perfused with the vehicle. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Regional ischaemia
      triggered ventricular arrhythmias showing high incidence between 12 and 20 min
      with peak appearance at 16 min. BN 50739 induced dose dependent protection
      against ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation: incidences declined from their
      respective control values of 91% and 75% to 33% (p less than 0.05) and 8% (p less
      than 0.05) after exposure to 10(-5) M, and to 25% (p less than 0.05) and 8% (p
      less than 0.05) after exposure to 5 X 10(-5) M concentrations. Reperfusion of the
      ischaemic myocardium resulted in an immediate appearance of ventricular
      tachycardia and fibrillation, but these were not suppressed by the PAF
      antagonist. Regional ischaemia slightly reduced heart rate, markedly decreased
      coronary flow, aortic flow, LVDP and LVdP/dtmax, and increased LVEDP. With the
      exception of LVEDP, these variables were not influenced by the drug. BN 50739,
      applied at a concentration of 5 X 10(-5) M, reduced LVEDP significantly during
      the whole ischaemic period. CONCLUSIONS: Under in vitro conditions PAF is likely
      to be involved in the genesis of ischaemia induced ventricular arrhythmias since
      BN 50739, a specific PAF receptor antagonist, exerts a protective effect against
      these rhythm disturbances. This suggests that PAF antagonists may have benefit in
      the clinical management of acute myocardial ischaemia.

PMID- 1855245
TI  - Hydrodynamic and energetic aspects of exogenous free fatty acid perfusion in the
      isolated rat heart during high flow anoxia and reoxygenation: a 31P magnetic
      resonance study.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to show differences between the effects of various
      dietary long chain fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, linoleic, alpha and gamma
      linolenic acids) perfused in isolated rat hearts subjected to a sequence of high
      flow anoxia and subsequent reoxygenation. DESIGN: Isolated working rat hearts
      perfused with selected exogenous fatty acids were allowed an initial 30 min
      equilibration period followed by 60 min of high flow anoxia and 40 min of
      reoxygenation. Ventricular function and tissue contents of phosphorylated
      metabolites were monitored concomitantly using standard procedures and 31P
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy respectively. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL: Hearts were
      removed from male Wistar rats weighing 350-400 g. Results from eight hearts were
      pooled for each of the five fatty acids perfused. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
      High coronary flow maintained during anoxia led to an increased extracellular
      washout of lactate and only to mild intracellular acidosis, limiting myocardial
      damage by metabolites of anaerobic glycolysis. Under these conditions, marked
      differences between the classes of perfused fatty acids were observed. Hearts
      which received oleic acid showed the most depressed ventricular function and a
      greater depletion in high energy phosphates content. These deleterious effects
      were completely reversed by the separate administration of two fatty acid
      metabolism blocking agents, nicotinic acid and oxfenicine. Cardioprotection was
      enhanced by perfusion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, alpha and
      gamma linolenic acids). Hearts perfused either with glucose or with palmitic acid
      behaved similarly and showed an intermediate functional and metabolic postanoxic
      recovery. CONCLUSION: This study documents the relation between the chemical
      structure of exogenous fatty acids used in heart perfusion and their ability to
      improve or impair postanoxic myocardial recovery. The cardioprotective effect of
      polyunsaturated fatty acids was documented by simultaneous evaluation of
      mechanical performance and metabolic response.

PMID- 1855246
TI  - Role of membrane potential in Ba2+ induced automaticity in guinea pig cardiac
      myocytes.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study in isolated myocardial cells the role of
      membrane potential in barium induced spontaneous activity and the ionic mechanism
      of the underlying pacemaker current. DESIGN: The membrane potential and
      resistance of single myocytes were studied at different voltage levels by means
      of current and voltage clamp steps in the absence and presence of barium (Ba).
      EXPERIMENTAL MATERIAL: The membrane potentials and currents of single guinea pig
      ventricular myocytes were recorded by means of an intracellular microelectrode
      through which current could also be passed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In the
      presence of Ba (0.1-0.2 mM), stepwise depolarisations induced a transient
      overshoot and initiated action potentials followed by an undershoot, diastolic
      depolarisation and spontaneous discharge. During progressive depolarisations,
      membrane resistance (Rm) increased, decreased transiently at the end of the
      action potential, and reincreased during diastole. Stepwise repolarisations had
      opposite effects. Hyperpolarisations reversed diastolic depolarisation and could
      unmask oscillatory potentials (Vos). Voltage clamp steps to +20 mV were followed
      by outward tail currents during which Rm increased. Larger or longer
      depolarisations were followed by larger outward tail currents at resting
      potential level. The outward tail current reversed at potentials negative to EK.
      CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of Ba, applied depolarisation facilitates the
      induction of spontaneous activity through an interplay between voltage dependent
      and time dependent Ba block and unblock of gK1, voltage dependent increase in Rm,
      increased potassium driving force, and negative shift in the slow inward current
      threshold and sometimes Vos. The pacemaker potential underlying spontaneous
      activity is due to the slow re-establishment of Ba block of IK1 during diastole.

PMID- 1855247
TI  - Systemic vasoconstriction induced by inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis is
      attenuated in conscious dogs with heart failure.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to test the hypothesis that endothelium dependent
      vasomotor control is impaired in heart failure. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The
      haemodynamic effects of NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide
      synthesis, were studied in five dogs with and without pacing induced heart
      failure. MAIN RESULTS: In healthy dogs, NNA increased total peripheral resistance
      and arterial pressure, decreasing cardiac output and heart rate. These effects
      were partially reversed by L-arginine. In dogs with heart failure, NNA did not
      change any haemodynamic variable. However, L-arginine decreased total peripheral
      resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support a physiological role for
      endothelium derived nitric oxide in control of vascular resistance and are in
      agreement with the hypothesis that endothelium dependent vasomotion may be
      impaired in heart failure.

PMID- 1855248
TI  - Current bibliography of cell calcium prepared by the University of Sheffield
      Biomedical Information Service.

PMID- 1855250
TI  - Calcium pools in sea urchin eggs: roles of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria
      in relation to fertilization.
AB  - A preparation of sea urchin eggs permeabilized with digitonin (40 microM for 2.5
      min) was used to study the kinetic characteristics of the two cellular
      compartments suspected to play a key role in cellular calcium transfer during
      fertilization: an ATP-dependent Ca2+ pool (Km = 0.47 microM; Vm = 0.48
      nmol/min.mg protein) probably located in the endoplasmic reticulum and a
      mitochondrial Ca2+ pool (Km = 1.50 microM; Vm = 0.12 nmol/min.mg protein).
      Fertilization triggered a decrease in the rate of ATP dependent uptake by the non
      mitochondrial pool (Km = 0.59 microM; Vm = 0.15 nmol/min.mg protein) while it
      transiently increased the Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria (2 min post
      fertilization: Km = 2.20 microM; Vm = 0.40 nmol/min.mg protein). Microanalysis
      studies performed on quickly frozen, freeze substituted and embedded eggs showed
      a transient Ca2+ enrichment of mitochondria soon after fertilization thus
      suggesting that mitochondria behave as a Ca2+ sink at fertilization. Results are
      discussed in relation to the role of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in
      handling free calcium during the early period following sea urchin egg
      fertilization.

PMID- 1855249
TI  - High-resolution measurement and calibration of Ca(2+)-transients using Indo-1 in
      guinea-pig atrial myocytes under voltage clamp.
AB  - Spherical atrial myocytes obtained by enzymatic dispersion of hearts from adult
      guinea-pigs were loaded with the fluorescent Ca(2+)-indicator Indo-1 via patch
      clamp pipettes. The dialysing solution additionally contained citrate (60 mM) as
      low-affinity ('linear') Ca(2+)-chelating compound in order to slow intracellular
      Ca(2+)-transients. Changes in Indo-1 fluorescence under voltage-clamp due to
      Ca(2+)-entry and/or release from the SR were calibrated using an in vivo
      procedure to determine the limiting fluorescence ratios. Sample recordings will
      be presented to demonstrate that components of a [Ca2+]i-transient due to entry
      via L-type Ca(2+)-channels and due to Ca(2+)-release from the SR can be directly
      visualized.

PMID- 1855251
TI  - How many pols does it take to replicate nuclear DNA?

PMID- 1855252
TI  - Heat shock, stress proteins, chaperones, and proteotoxicity.

PMID- 1855253
TI  - cDNA cloning and expression of the peptide-binding beta subunit of rat p21ras
      farnesyltransferase, the counterpart of yeast DPR1/RAM1.
AB  - Protein farnesyltransferase is a heterodimeric enzyme that attaches a farnesyl
      group to cysteine in ras proteins and other membrane-associated proteins. The
      beta subunit contains the recognition site for the peptide substrates, but is
      inactive in the absence of the alpha subunit. A cloned cDNA for the rat beta
      subunit predicts a protein of 437 amino acids whose mRNA is present in many
      tissues. Transfection of the beta subunit cDNA produced farnesyltransferase
      activity in human kidney cells, but only when it was transfected together with a
      cDNA encoding part of the alpha subunit. Each of the subunits appeared to be
      unstable in the transfected cells unless the other subunit was present. The rat
      beta subunit shows 37% sequence identity with the protein encoded by the yeast
      DPR1/RAM1 gene, indicating that DPR1/RAM1 is the yeast counterpart of the peptide
      binding subunit of the mammalian farnesyltransferase.

PMID- 1855254
TI  - H-2M3 encodes the MHC class I molecule presenting the maternally transmitted
      antigen of the mouse.
AB  - Mta, the maternally transmitted antigen of mice, is a hydrophobic, N-formylated
      mitochondrial peptide, MTF, presented on the cell surface to cytotoxic T
      lymphocytes by a novel major histocompatibility complex class I molecule, encoded
      by H-2M3. We have cloned and sequenced two alleles of M3, which differ in their
      ability to present MTF despite greater than 99% identity in the coding regions.
      M3 is as divergent from classical, antigen-presenting H-2 molecules as from other
      class I genes of the Hmt and the Qa/Tla regions. Amino acids critical for folding
      of class I molecules are conserved in M3. Noncharged amino acids lining the
      peptide-binding groove and phenylalanine 171 may explain the unique interaction
      with MTF, and leucine 95 appears critical for immunological activity.

PMID- 1855255
TI  - Premature initiation of mitosis in yeast lacking RCC1 or an interacting GTPase.
AB  - A fission yeast mutant is described in which the onset of mitosis is uncoupled
      from the completion of DNA replication. pim1 (premature initiation of mitosis)
      cells can undergo mitotic chromosome condensation and mitotic spindle formation
      without completion of S phase and without the cdc25 mitotic inducer. The M phase
      kinase is required for pim1-induced mitosis and becomes activated. pim1 encodes a
      homolog of the human RCC1 nuclear protein. pim1 mutants are fully rescued by
      overexpression of spi1, a newly identified essential gene whose predicted product
      shares 81% identity with human TC4. spi1 and TC4 define a new subclass within the
      "ras-like" GTPase superfamily that is structurally distinct from the ras, rho, or
      sec4 families. Diploid yeast that carry one wild-type and one disrupted copy of
      spi1 have multiple satellite nuclei, and mitotic haploidization occurs at very
      high frequency. spi1 appears to interact with pim1 in the maintenance of a
      coordinated cell cycle.

PMID- 1855256
TI  - Homologous pairing in vitro stimulated by the recombination hotspot, Chi.
AB  - Genetic recombination in Escherichia coli is stimulated at DNA sequences known as
      Chi sites, 5'-GCT-GGTGG-3'. We describe the in vitro formation of homologously
      paired joint molecules that is dependent upon this recombination hotspot. Chi
      dependent joint molecule formation requires RecA, RecBCD, and SSB proteins and a
      Chi site in the donor linear dsDNA. The donor dsDNA is unwound by RecBCD enzyme,
      and the invasive strand is generated by nicking at Chi. This Chi-dependent
      invading strand must contain homology to the recipient supercoiled DNA substrate
      at its newly formed 3' end for efficient joint molecule formation. Action at Chi
      generates invasive ssDNA from the 5' but not the 3' side of Chi, suggesting that
      the nuclease activity of RecBCD enzyme is attenuated upon encountering a Chi
      site. These results support the view that RecBCD enzyme action can precede RecA
      protein action and reconcile the seemingly opposing degradative and recombination
      functions of RecBCD enzyme.

PMID- 1855257
TI  - Primary structure of the human splicing factor ASF reveals similarities with
      Drosophila regulators.
AB  - We described previously the purification of a human protein, called alternative
      splicing factor (ASF), that can switch utilization of alternative 5' splice sites
      in an SV40 early pre-mRNA. We now report the isolation of a cDNA, designated ASF
      1, that encodes this protein. ASF-1 consists of 248 amino acid residues,
      including an 80 residue RNA-binding domain at its N-terminus and a 50 residue C
      terminal region that is 80% serine plus arginine. ASF-1 produced in E. coli can
      activate splicing in vitro and switch 5' splice-site utilization, establishing
      that the recombinant protein is sufficient to supply these activities. Analysis
      of additional cDNAs revealed that ASF pre-mRNA can itself be alternatively
      spliced, surprisingly, by utilization of a shared 5' splice site and two closely
      spaced 3' splice sites. Use of the upstream site results in a second mRNA (ASF-2)
      in which translation of the downstream exon occurs extensively in an alternative
      reading frame distinct from ASF-1.

PMID- 1855259
TI  - Sports medicine in the older athlete.

PMID- 1855258
TI  - The aging of bone and muscle.
AB  - The purpose of this article has been to summarize the existing body of literature
      on the changes in the function of muscle and bone that occur as a consequence of
      aging. Throughout this article, the importance of distinguishing between aging
      and disuse has been a recurring theme. Much of what had previously been
      considered aging is now regarded as functional disuse. With aging, muscle
      undergoes a reduction in size, and consequently strength, which is related to a
      loss of muscle fibers and a reduction in the size of existing fibers. There may
      be a selective loss of the Type II, or fast twitch fibers, but this is still
      under debate. This loss of muscle fibers is more than likely related to the loss
      of functional motor units. Muscle strength is reduced as a consequence of these
      changes, but there appears to be little loss in the metal olic potential of the
      muscle with aging. Exercise training can increase the size and strength of the
      trained muscles through hypertrophy of both Type I and II fibers and neural
      alterations but appears to have little effect on decreasing fiber number. Losses
      of bone start in the third and fourth decade of life, but the pattern of bone
      loss differs between cortical and trabecular bone, the former being less
      influenced by menstrual status. Exercise training appears to attenuate the normal
      decreases in bone with aging and can even lead to small increases in bone density
      and mass.

PMID- 1855260
TI  - Climbing and the older athlete.
AB  - Climbing may be considered appropriate for the older athlete. The requisites,
      cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness, can be attained through training; the
      skills can be acquired through schools or guide services. Inherent risks can
      enhance the enjoyment. The motivational psychology for climbing usually reflects
      positive qualities and attitudes toward life and the environment. With good
      health, the recreation of climbing can be enjoyed well into the seventh decade of
      life. Climbing may not be for everyone, but the physical and physiologic
      benefits, as well as the challenges, are available to the older athlete.

PMID- 1855261
TI  - The senior tennis player.
AB  - Mature athletes playing tennis can sustain both acute and chronic injuries. A
      number of the injuries are related to a gradual loss of flexibility and strength.
      Much of this is reversible with properly directed conditioning and rehabilitative
      programs.

PMID- 1855262
TI  - Cycling and the older athlete.
AB  - Cycling provides a dynamic form of aerobic and anaerobic fitness to more than 86
      million Americans. It provides a freedom that is attractive to individuals of any
      age, either sex, and any body type. It does not require specialized experience or
      coordination. In the older athlete, injuries result primarily from overuse or
      abuse, and are most common in the upper extremity. Such injuries are most often
      compressive and inflammatory syndromes. These injuries are in marked contrast to
      those seen in the younger cyclist. Both groups have a low and similar incidence
      of accident. Overuse injuries can be treated effectively by altering training
      technique, correcting rider malposition, and decreasing excessive stress, in
      conjunction with appropriate medical management. Prevention of injury
      (particularly overuse) is the key to avoiding recurrence. Appropriate frame size,
      rider position, personalized training techniques, and clothing are essential in
      the older athlete in whom change is poorly tolerated. Fitness is preserved by
      regular cycling, possibly by the slowing of the degenerative process, while
      relieving mental stress and providing "fun sport."

PMID- 1855263
TI  - Swimming and the older athlete.
AB  - Swimming is an organized, fast-growing sport and competitive swimmers are now
      found in abundance in all age groups. Including those athletes who do not compete
      in formal events (masters swimming program) and those participating in outside
      events (long-distance, channel swimming, triathlons, and so on), it may be one of
      the largest participant sports in this country. Injuries to the elite collegiate
      competitive swimmers have been well-documented. Considerations and injuries to
      the masters-level swimmer closely mirror those found in the younger athlete, but
      these injuries reflect the impact of tissue aging (degenerative disease). The
      preparticipation history and physical examination become more important. We are
      hopeful that this article will contribute to greater safety and enjoyment among
      all older swimmers.

PMID- 1855264
TI  - Running and the older athlete.
AB  - The beneficial effects of regular, aerobic exercise are well documented. Regular
      running fulfills the criteria for such a program. Because of the stresses
      incurred secondary to its impact loading, however, injuries are common. The
      biological changes that accompany aging can lead to a whole gamut of overuse
      injuries. To reduce these stresses, proper preparation, clothing, running shoes,
      training surfaces, and training techniques are recommended.

PMID- 1855265
TI  - Alpine skiing and the mature athlete.
AB  - Alpine skiing is a popular sport enjoyed by millions of Americans annually. As
      the average age of the world population increases, so does the average age of the
      skier. The ever-increasing older group of skiers adds a new dimension to both the
      prevention and treatment of ski injuries. Several injuries, if not unique to the
      older skier, are more common in this group, and familiarity with the causes,
      treatments, risks, and avoidance of these injuries is essential for proper
      treatment. It is possible that with proper education, prevention, and physical
      training, the incidence of these injuries can be decreased to the level of the
      general population, and skiing will not be more hazardous to the older athlete.

PMID- 1855266
TI  - Arthritis and athletics.
AB  - The number of people participating in athletics does not equal the number of
      people with arthritis. There are no data to support the concern that athletic
      participation will make the onset of arthritic joints more likely. What is clear
      is that injuries that occur with athletics can increase the incidence of
      arthritis. If a patient does develop arthritis secondary to athletics, the
      treatment is not different than that offered for a spontaneously occurring
      arthritic joint. If an operation is necessary, the best operation depends a good
      deal on the goals of the patient. Continued athletic participation may be
      reasonable as long as the athletic activity is not vigorous and does not involve
      running and jumping or contact. The recommended athletic activities for patients
      with arthritis and for those having operations for arthritis are swimming,
      hiking, bicycling, walking, and golfing. The operations recommended for arthritic
      patients under the age of 30 should be biologic operations such as fusion or
      osteotomy. In patients aged 30 to 45, the operation should be correlated to
      lifestyle and desired level of activity. A biologic operation is better for
      highly active patients. When patients reach the age of 45 or are older, total
      joint replacement usually is preferable because of the improved clinical
      functional results and the decreased stress on surrounding joints with
      arthroplasty. If patients are older than 60 years, total joint replacement is the
      operation of choice and usually will include a cemented prosthesis. Some surgeons
      at this time do prefer cementless total-joint replacement for all patients
      regardless of age. Patients who have arthritis can have a satisfying athletic and
      exercise routine if they simply apply common sense to the manner in which they
      conduct their activities.

PMID- 1855267
TI  - Exercise participation after menopause.
AB  - Who should exercise? What exercises should be performed and with what frequency
      and duration? What benefits can be expected from such exercises? These are some
      of the questions frequently asked of physicians who care for elderly and post
      menopausal patients. Data are conflicting, but significant conclusions can be
      drawn that will help provide the answers to these questions. This article is
      written to guide physicians' recommendations to their patients regarding
      postmenopausal exercise.

PMID- 1855268
TI  - Athletic participation after myocardial revascularization. Possibilities and
      benefits.
AB  - Exercise after open heart operation is not only possible but highly desirable.
      Training increases the efficiency of exercise and therefore decreases myocardial
      work for any given level of activity. Even before sternal and incisional healing
      is complete the patient may become physically active. Almost every patient can
      improve his or her level of fitness safely by following simple guidelines.
      Exercise treadmill testing is the basis for assessing exercise capacity in
      cardiac patients. Upper-body exercise is not adequately emphasized in most
      exercise programs.

PMID- 1855269
TI  - Musculoskeletal conditioning of the older athlete.
AB  - A musculoskeletal conditioning program has been shown to result in physical
      benefits for older individuals. Exercise may influence the rate of bone loss,
      muscular strength and mass, flexibility, and endurance levels. In turn, these
      factors may influence the potential for possible future injury. Special
      precautions should be taken for the older population with emphasis on
      environmental factors, hydration, and underlying health issues such as
      cardiorespiratory and orthopedic problems. These concerns may require
      modifications of the exercise program.

PMID- 1855270
TI  - The psychology of the aging athlete.
AB  - Athletes, like other patients, will adhere to their treatment more readily if
      they believe the physician really understands their needs and cares about them as
      individuals. The guidelines provided in this article are intended to help the
      practitioner respond more effectively to each individual patient because
      effective physician/patient interactions are the very heart of healing.

PMID- 1855271
TI  - Nutrition of the older athlete.
AB  - Nutritional needs and dietary goals of the older athlete involve meeting basic
      physiologic requirements of aging and exercise, promoting weight control, and
      incorporating guidelines for reducing the risk of chronic disease. Conservative
      dietary approaches to weight loss in the obese patient and a high-carbohydrate
      diet for maximum exercise performance are sound approaches, although diets often
      need to be individualized. Recent dietary recommendations to reduce fat and
      increase fiber can be applied without risk of compromising nutritional status for
      most patients. Guidance away from extremes in caloric restriction and in the
      distribution of calories may help to promote health and the maintenance of
      exercise activities. Although requirements for certain micronutrients are
      affected by aging, vitamin and mineral supplements are unlikely to be necessary
      for healthy adults and should meet basic criteria for safety if they are
      prescribed. Diet sources of calcium may require attention, although iron
      requirements are reduced among postmenopausal women when compared with younger
      athletes. Adequate fluid replacement is essential for athletes of all ages. For
      the older athlete who is competing in high-intensity endurance exercise, evidence
      for the usefulness of 4% to 10% carbohydrate-containing sports drinks exists.
      Little evidence supports the use of ergogenic aids, such as supplements and
      unusual food products. Resources and personalized guidance from a registered
      dietitian can be helpful for many older athletes.

PMID- 1855272
TI  - Penetration of carboplatin and cisplatin into rat peritoneal tumor nodules after
      intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
AB  - Platinum distribution was studied in rat peritoneal tumors after i.p. treatment
      with equimolar doses of carboplatin and cisplatin. Low platinum concentrations (4
      ppm) were detected in the periphery of the tumor after carboplatin treatment,
      whereas no platinum was detected 0.5 mm in from the periphery. In contrast, after
      cisplatin treatment, high platinum concentrations (29 ppm) were measured in the
      periphery of the tumor and moderate concentrations (14 ppm) were measured in the
      center. Only following increased carboplatin doses were low platinum
      concentrations detectable in the tumor. The total platinum concentration in the
      tumors was determined after equimolar administration of both drugs. In all, 7
      times more platinum was detected after cisplatin treatment than after carboplatin
      treatment, and 10 times more carboplatin than cisplatin had to be injected to
      obtain comparable platinum concentrations in the tumors. When single cells were
      incubated with equimolar concentrations of carboplatin and cisplatin, 6-7 times
      more platinum was found in cells treated with cisplatin. However, pharmacokinetic
      studies favored i.p. administration of carboplatin because the clearance of this
      compound from the peritoneal cavity, expressed as t1/2 beta, was lower than that
      of cisplatin (239 vs 78 min), resulting in an AUC in the peritoneal cavity for
      both total and ultrafiltered drug that was almost 3 times higher for carboplatin
      than cisplatin. The AUC for ultrafiltered carboplatin in plasma was 2-fold that
      for cisplatin (2,801 +/- 210 vs 1,334 +/- 431 microM m). The present study
      demonstrated that in spite of the pharmacological advantages of carboplatin, its
      capacity to penetrate into peritoneal tumors and tumor cells is far lower than
      that of cisplatin.

PMID- 1855273
TI  - L-cysteine prodrug protects against cyclophosphamide urotoxicity without
      compromising therapeutic activity.
AB  - 2(R,S)-D-ribo-(1',2',3',4'-Tetrahydroxybutyl)-thiazolidine-4(R)-ca rboxylic acid
      (RibCys) is a prodrug of L-cysteine that releases the sulfhydryl amino acid after
      nonenzymatic ring opening and hydrolysis. The L-cysteine then elevates
      glutathione (GSH) levels by stimulating its biosynthesis. RibCys was investigated
      for its ability to protect CDF1 mice from the potent urotoxicity of
      cyclophosphamide (CTX) without compromising the therapeutic utility of the drug.
      RibCys induced a significant reduction in weight loss of the animals and in
      bladder inflammation at 48 h after CTX administration; however, bladder tissue
      remained inflamed as compared with that in controls. Bladder histology also
      showed some pathological changes in the presence of RibCys. In contrast, all
      parameters of toxicity (body weight loss, bladder inflammation, and pathological
      abnormalities) had been virtually reversed by day 21 after administration. In
      tests against L1210 leukemia, RibCys did not interfere with CTX anticancer
      activity. From these preliminary studies, RibCys appears to be a likely candidate
      for protecting against long-term CTX toxicity, perhaps reversing the original
      damage caused by a very high dose, without compromising the therapeutic utility
      of the alkylating agent.

PMID- 1855274
TI  - The mechanism of differential sensitivity to methotrexate of normal and malignant
      human epidermal cells.
AB  - Squamous carcinoma cells are much more sensitive (greater than 10(4) times) to
      the cytotoxic effects of methotrexate (MTX) and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUDR) than
      are normal human keratinocytes as measured by cell growth. Among the drugs
      tested, this phenomenon was found to be specific for MTX and FUDR, since
      arabinosylcytidine (ARA-C), 13-bis-chloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU), and daunomycin
      failed to show differences in inhibition between the normal and malignant cell
      lines. Drug uptake studies did not reveal a significant difference in MTX
      intracellular levels between malignant and normal epidermal cell lines at 60 min.
      Thymidine (TdR) salvage was assessed by examining the effects of the presence of
      3 microM TdR on MTX-induced cytotoxicity. On the withdrawal of TdR, normal cells
      demonstrated an increased level of inhibition amounting to 4 orders of magnitude,
      whereas the squamous-cell carcinoma cells showed no change in sensitivity.
      Interestingly, the immortal nontumorigenic keratinocyte line (NM-110) was
      similarly not rescued by the addition of TdR. The high degree of sensitivity TO
      MTX shown by squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) and NM-110 cells is attributable to a
      significant diminution of their ability to use exogenous TdR as compared with
      that of normal keratinocytes and might be indicative of a biochemical change
      associated with cellular immortality.

PMID- 1855277
TI  - A pharmacokinetic study of prednimustine as compared with prednisolone plus
      chlorambucil in cancer patients.
AB  - The pharmacokinetic characteristics of prednisolone and of chlorambucil and its
      beta-oxidized metabolite, phenylacetic mustard (PAM) were studied in plasma after
      the oral administration of 200 mg prednimustine (Sterecyt) and a regimen
      consisting of 20 mg prednisolone plus 20 mg chlorambucil, respectively. A total
      of 12 cancer patients completed this trial. The drugs were given in a cross-over
      study as single doses, and serial plasma samples were collected for 32 h.
      Chlorambucil and PAM were assayed by a gas chromatographic/mass spectrometry
      method and prednisolone, by radioimmunoassay. The median relative availability of
      the prednisolone and chlorambucil moiety in prednimustine was 19% and 16%,
      respectively. Prednisolone, as well as chlorambucil and PAM, appeared later and
      at a significantly lower concentration in plasma after treatment with
      prednimustine as compared with the mixture of chlorambucil and prednisolone. We
      also found that the elimination phase of chlorambucil and PAM in plasma is
      prolonged after the administration of prednimustine as compared with chlorambucil
      per se. In contrast, the elimination of the prednisolone moiety of prednimustine
      and that following the administration of a plain prednisolone tablet did not seem
      to differ. The modified plasma profile of the alkylating components following
      prednimustine administration may be important for the clinical efficacy of
      prednimustine.

PMID- 1855275
TI  - Antibodies against cisplatin-modified DNA and cisplatin-modified (di)nucleotides.
AB  - Cytotoxic effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum-(II) (cis-DDP) are thought to
      be mediated by binding to DNA. Studies on binding of cis-DDP to cellular DNA rely
      heavily on the availability of specific antibodies. We therefore raised and
      characterized four rabbit antisera: one against cis-DDP-modified DNA (antiserum
      NKI-A59) and three others against the cis-DDP-modified (di)nucleotides cis
      Pt(NH3)2d(pApG) (NKI-A68), cis-Pt(NH3)2d(GMP)2 (NKI-A10), and Pt(NH3)3dGMP (NKI
      A39). Reactivities to platinum compounds were determined in an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and in a quantitative immunocytochemical assay. In
      the ELISA, NKI-A59 showed a high affinity for DNA heavily substituted with either
      cis-DDP or CBDCA [cis-diammine(1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II)];
      amounts of platinum per well giving 50% inhibition (IA50) were as low as 15 and
      76 fmol, respectively. NKI-A59 also showed affinity to cis-DDP-modified poly[d(G
      C)].poly[d(G-C)], poly(dC), and poly(dG). No affinity was found for trans-DDP
      [trans-diamminedichloro-platinum(II)]-modified DNA, enzymatically digested cis
      DDP-DNA, or cis-DDP-DNA, or cis-DDP-modified poly(dA).poly(dT),
      oligo(dA)15.oligo(dT)15, oligo(dG)21, oligo(dG)42, or oligo(dAAAG)10. The
      efficiency of binding to cis-DDP-DNA decreased with decreasing DNA modification
      levels. Although other cis-DDP-DNA- and cis-DDP-(di)nucleotide-specific antisera
      have been identified, NKI-A59 is the first antiserum described that is suitable
      for the in situ detection of cis-DDP-DNA adducts at clinically relevant platinum
      levels. Adduct-specific immunostaining signals in cultured RIF-1 cells or rat
      liver paralleled platinum-DNA binding as measured by atomic absorption
      spectroscopy. The antisera NKI-A68, NKI-A10, and NKI-A39 showed high affinity for
      their corresponding haptens and varying affinity for non-hapten cis-DDP-DNA
      adducts. Their affinity for digested cis-DDP-modified DNA was up to 30 times that
      for intact cis-DDP-DNA. Neither NKI-A68 nor NKI-A10 resulted in specific
      immunocytochemical staining of cis-DDP-DNA adducts. We conclude that NKI-A68, NKI
      A10, and NKI-A39 are suitable for platinum-DNA adduct analysis of digested DNA in
      ELISA and that NKI-A59 is suitable for platinum-DNA adduct detection at the
      single-cell level using immunocytochemical methods.

PMID- 1855276
TI  - Antitumor activity of a camptothecin derivative, CPT-11, against human tumor
      xenografts in nude mice.
AB  - The antitumor effects of the camptothecin (CPT) derivative CPT-11, 7-ethyl-10-[4
      (1-piperidino)-1-piperidino]-carbonyloxycamptothecin , were tested on human tumor
      xenografts in nude mice. CPT-11 showed antitumor activity higher than that of
      Adriamycin, 5-fluorouracil, or futraful, with little or no reduction of body
      weight being observed in the mice. The growth of colon adenocarcinoma Co-4 was
      significantly inhibited after a single i.v. injection of CPT-11 at 25, 50, or 100
      mg/kg. The single i.v. injection was also significantly effective against mammary
      carcinoma MX-1 and gastric adenocarcinoma St-15. All of the mice bearing MX-1
      tumors were cured by the administration of CPT-11 every 4 days for a total of
      three treatments at a total dose of 200 mg/kg given i.v. or of 400 mg/kg given
      p.o. Three i.v. or oral treatments were also effective against Co-4, St-15,
      gastric adenocarcinoma SC-6, and squamous-cell lung carcinoma QG-56. To achieve
      the same efficacy attained by i.v. injection, however, oral doses 2-4 times
      higher than the i.v. doses were required. When the total dose was fixed at 100
      mg/kg, a triple i.v. injection was most effective, followed by a single i.v.
      injection and, finally daily p.o. administration for 10 days. Although SN-38 (7
      ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin), a metabolite of CPT-11, showed much stronger
      cytotoxic activity in vitro than did CPT-11, its antitumor effects were similar,
      if not inferior, to those of CPT-11 in vivo at the same dose level. CPT-11 was
      converted into SN-38 by human tumors, but the sensitivity of these tumors to CPT
      11 in vivo was independent of their ability to produce SN-38. These results
      suggest that CPT-11 may be clinically effective, depending on the schedule of
      administration, but that its effectiveness is not related to the ability of the
      tumor to produce SN-38.

PMID- 1855278
TI  - Unaltered pharmacokinetics after the administration of high-dose etoposide
      without prior dilution.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of etoposide following a new method of administration was
      determined. Undiluted etoposide was given at a dose of 30 mg/kg as part an
      intensified conditioning regimen prior to bone marrow transplantation. A terminal
      half-life of 3.4 +/- 0.7 h and a volume of distribution of 15.4 +/- 9.6 l were
      found (n = 8); the AUC was 764 +/- 302 micrograms h ml-1. As compared with those
      obtained in other pharmacokinetic studies using etoposide diluted in normal
      saline, our data reflect full systemic bioavailability and unaltered
      pharmacokinetics. The application of undiluted etoposide makes the therapy easier
      and less time-consuming and avoids a high fluid volume and a high saline load.

PMID- 1855279
TI  - Case report of metastatic familial pheochromocytoma treated with cisplatin and 5
      fluorouracil.
AB  - We report on a rare case of malignant pheochromocytoma in a patient with a family
      history of this disease. After three cycles of treatment with cisplatin and 5
      fluorouracil, a decrease in the need for antihypertensive treatment occurred,
      which lasted almost 2 years despite the discontinuation of chemotherapy. The
      patient showed an objective response, which was technically a minor response,
      although in this slow-growing tumor it was of major clinical significance. This
      chemotherapy regimen may play a role in the management of malignant
      pheochromocytoma.

PMID- 1855280
TI  - Double-blind, randomized crossover study of metoclopramide and batanopride for
      prevention of cisplatin-induced emesis.
AB  - We conducted a double-blind, randomized crossover study to compare the toxicity
      and antiemetic efficacy of the 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor antagonist
      batanopride with that of metoclopramide in 21 chemotherapy-naive patients
      receiving at least 70 mg/m2 cisplatin. The study was terminated when hypotension
      was observed following the infusion of batanopride at other institutions testing
      similar drug schedules. Although we observed no hypotension following treatment
      with batanopride in this trial, we did note asymptomatic prolongation of the
      corrected QT interval (QTc), PR interval, and QRS complex on the EKG in the
      batanopride arm. Of 15 evaluable patients, 8 experienced less than or equal to 2
      episodes of emesis within 24 h of the first batanopride infusion, whereas 9/15
      subjects experienced less than or equal to 2 emetic episodes following the
      administration of metoclopramide. Overall, the evidence suggests that this dosing
      schedule for batanopride may be too toxic for clinical use.

PMID- 1855281
TI  - Single-dose i.v. dexamethasone--an effective anti-emetic in cancer chemotherapy.
AB  - We conducted a randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to
      assess the efficacy of a single i.v. dose of 20 mg dexamethasone as an anti
      emetic in 31 patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. Patients receiving
      dexamethasone experienced significantly less nausea and vomiting (P less than
      0.001 and P less than 0.01, respectively), and appetite and activity were normal
      in a majority of the treated group. Side effects were insignificant. We conclude
      that single-dose dexamethasone given i.v. at a dose of 20 mg is a safe and
      effective anti-emetic for patients receiving cancer chemotherapy excluding
      cisplatin.

PMID- 1855282
TI  - Bone protein and peptide assays in the diagnosis and management of skeletal
      disease.
AB  - The measurement in blood of bone proteins is an important adjunct to imaging
      procedures for clinical assessment of the skeleton. The discovery of new bone
      proteins and their structural characterization has led to immunochemical
      procedures of improved sensitivity and specificity for their quantification. An
      appreciation of the advantages and disadvantages of these evolving methodologies
      will assist in their clinical application.

PMID- 1855283
TI  - Cholesterol distribution between high-density-lipoprotein subfractions HDL2 and
      HDL3 determined in serum by discontinuous gradient gel electrophoresis.
AB  - We used discontinuous gradients of polyacrylamide gel to determine the high
      density-lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions HDL2 and HDL3 of serum lipoproteins. Serum
      (40 microL) prestained with Sudan Black was electrophoresed in cylindrical tubes
      over successive layers of 3.5%, 6%, 13%, and 17.5% acrylamide gels in a
      Tris.glycine buffer (3-4 h, 300 V). Very-low- (VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein
      (LDL) were retained by the 3.5% and 6% gels. HDL2 was concentrated at the
      interface between the 13% and 17.5% gels, and HDL3 migrated into the 17.5% gel.
      The distribution between HDL2 and HDL3 was obtained by densitometric scanning.
      Application of the respective percentages to HDL cholesterol assayed after
      phosphotung-state-Mg2+ precipitation of VLDL and LDL gave calculated
      concentrations of HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol. The calculated values for HDL2
      cholesterol were in excellent agreement with those for HDL2 isolated by
      ultracentrifugation (r = 0.920 for n = 120 sera; differences nonsignificant by
      Student's paired t-test). Besides being highly discriminating, the method is
      rapid, easily performed, and economical.

PMID- 1855284
TI  - Quantification of virus-specific antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid and serum:
      sensitive and specific detection of antibody synthesis in brain.
AB  - Specific antibody synthesis in brain could be detected with maximal sensitivity
      by combining an advanced enzyme immunoassay with a sophisticated evaluation
      method that involves calculating the ratio between the cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF)/serum quotients for specific antibodies (Qspec) and total IgG (QIgG). This
      Antibody Index (AI = Qspec/QIgG) discriminates between a blood-derived and a
      pathological, brain-derived specific antibody fraction in CSF and takes into
      account individual changes in blood/CSF barrier function. For local synthesis of
      polyclonal IgG in the central nervous system (QIgG greater than QLim), we propose
      the correction AI = Qspec/QLim (QLim represents that IgG fraction in CSF
      originating only from blood, calculated from the individual albumin quotient of a
      single patient). The normal reference range for the AI was between 0.7 and 1.3 (n
      = 250 control patients for each antibody species). Values of AI greater than or
      equal to 1.5 indicated a local specific antibody synthesis in the central nervous
      system. Sensitivity and precision were greatest if we analyzed the virus-specific
      antibodies in CSF and serum simultaneously with an enzyme immunoassay in
      continuous concentrations (arbitrary units) instead of titer steps. We have
      applied the method successfully to antibodies to measles, rubella, herpes
      simplex, varicella-zoster, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and
      cytomegalovirus, and to anti-Toxoplasma or -Borrelia antibodies. Clinical
      relevance is demonstrated for an acute zoster virus infection (monospecific
      response), chronic diseases such as HIV encephalitis with acute opportunistic
      Toxoplasma infection, and multiple sclerosis (secondary polyspecific response).

PMID- 1855285
TI  - Determination of serum cholesterol by isotope dilution mass spectrometry with a
      benchtop capillary gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer: comparison with the
      National Reference System's Definitive and Reference Methods.
AB  - We developed an isotope dilution mass spectrometric cholesterol method with
      [25,26,27-13C]cholesterol as internal standard and a benchtop gas
      chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) that is much easier and less time
      consuming than previously described Reference and Definitive Methods for
      cholesterol. The internal standard, cholesterol standards, and unknown specimen
      are delivered volumetrically with an automated dilutor and the saponifying
      reagent. After saponification, extraction, and derivatization, specimens are
      injected into a benchtop quadrupole MS with an autosampler. Unknown cholesterol
      concentrations are calculated automatically by comparing the peak area ratio of
      the m/z = 368, 371 ion pair with the ratios for the cholesterol standards (0 to
      12.93 mmol/L). We found within-run and day-to-day (overall) imprecision of 0.44%
      and 0.95%, respectively, when specimens were assayed singly. In several
      lyophilized and frozen Standard Reference Material (SRM) pools, cholesterol
      results with our GC/MS method averaged 0.4% less than the National Institute for
      Standards and Technology definitive GC/MS result performed about three years
      earlier. Our GC/MS results averaged 1.3% and 2.0% less than results by the
      National Reference System (NRS) Abell-Levy-Brodie-Kendall (ALBK) results from
      clinical specimens and the SRM pools, respectively. These results are consistent
      with the previously reported bias between the NRS Reference and Definitive
      Methods and the 0.1% per year decrease in cholesterol concentrations in SRM pools
      as determined by GC/MS analysis. These results further emphasize the small but
      consistent bias between cholesterol results by isotope dilution mass spectrometry
      and the ALBK Reference Method, the latter being the basis for the National
      Cholesterol Education Program guidelines and population reference values.

PMID- 1855286
TI  - Time-integrated measurement of corticosteroids in saliva by oral diffusion sink
      technology.
AB  - Saliva, as a medium for assessing adrenocortical function in humans, has many
      advantages and a few distinct disadvantages. Interpretation of measurements of
      saliva cortisol is complicated by the contamination of saliva by steroid-binding
      proteins from blood plasma, enzyme activity in the salivary gland that converts
      cortisol to cortisone, and the amplification in saliva of the episodic
      fluctuations in systemic cortisol concentrations. We describe a new measurement
      technology that rejects artifacts from contamination of saliva by plasma protein,
      provides for measurement of both cortisol and cortisone, and integrates episodic
      fluctuations in concentration over a period of hours. This oral diffusion sink
      technology may greatly enhance the reliable interpretation of corticosteroid
      concentrations measured in saliva.

PMID- 1855287
TI  - Isolation and characterization of zinc coproporphyrin I: a major fluorescent
      component in meconium.
AB  - We isolated a substance from an organic extract of meconium (in neutral pH) that
      exhibited a porphyrin-like fluorescence peak at 580 nm on excitation at 405 nm
      and deduced its structure. Spectrometric data suggest that the substance is not
      free coproporphyrin I or free coproporphyrin III, but is a chelate of
      coproporphyrin I with Zn2+. We also detected a chelate of coproporphyrin III with
      Zn2+ by HPLC. These substances may be useful as new indicators of the presence of
      meconium.

PMID- 1855288
TI  - Rapid and specific enzyme immunoassay of serotonin.
AB  - A new, highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) of serotonin (5HT) is described.
      The assay is based on the competition between N-succinyl-glycinamide-serotonin (N
      SGA-5HT, obtained by acylation of the 5HT in the sample to be assayed) and an
      enzymic tracer, N-succinyl-5HT-acetylcholinesterase, for binding to rabbit
      polyclonal antibody coated onto the wells of microtiter plates. The antibody is
      directed against an immunogen obtained by coupling N-succinyl-5HT to glycyl
      bovine serum albumin. The EIA permits the accurate measurement of as little
      serotonin as 0.5 nmol/L (1.8 pg per well) in blood, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal
      fluid, urine, platelets, and other tissues, with no significant cross-reactivity
      with other compounds. The results obtained correlate well with those obtained by
      HPLC after extraction. The assay has the advantage of permitting the measurement
      of 5HT in up to 500 samples in as little as 3 h.

PMID- 1855289
TI  - Micro-quantification of cyclosporine and its metabolites and determination of
      their spectral absorptivities.
AB  - We report a micromethod for the analysis of cyclosporine (CsA), based on
      quantification of its constituent amino acids. The amino acids were released by
      gas-phase hydrolysis, derivatized with fluorenylmethyl chloroformate, and
      separated and analyzed in a reversed-phase HPLC system. The imprecision (CV) of
      the amino acid analysis was less than 4%, and several determinations of the
      amount of standard CsA were within 1% of the weighed material. The detection
      limits (signal-to-noise ratio = 2) were 500 fmol for ultraviolet detection and
      100 fmol for fluorescence detection. We also used this method to determine the
      ultraviolet absorptivities of CsA and five metabolites at 210, 214, and 230 nm.
      The molar absorptivity of most metabolites was about 10% higher than that of CsA,
      although the metabolite that was oxidized to a carboxyl group on the terminal
      carbon of N-methyl-butenyl-methyl-threonine (AM1A) had a molar absorptivity about
      40% higher than that of CsA.

PMID- 1855290
TI  - Combi scheme: new combined internal/external quality-assessment scheme in The
      Netherlands.
AB  - The Dutch Foundation for Quality Assessment in Clinical Chemistry (SKZL) is the
      professional organization that conducts external quality-assessment schemes in
      The Netherlands. However, such schemes in fact assess the performance of the
      internal quality-control systems of the participating laboratories. In this paper
      we describe a new concept, relating the data for internal control materials with
      those for external samples and thereby leading to a combined external/internal
      scheme (Combi). The statistical principles underlying the Combi scheme are
      discussed and examples of the graphical presentation of the results are shown.
      Because the laboratory data are transmitted over the public telephone system to
      the computers of the SKZL, we also describe the principles of the data
      communication. At two-month intervals a statistical presentation is sent to all
      participants. The central database is updated daily with the received results,
      making possible an on-line consultation regarding the statistics of the
      accumulated findings of the control materials in use.

PMID- 1855291
TI  - Toxicological screening of drugs by microbore high-performance liquid
      chromatography with photodiode-array detection and ultraviolet spectral library
      searches.
AB  - We use ultraviolet data, acquired with a photodiode-array detector coupled to a
      reversed-phase liquid-chromatographic system, to identify unknown drugs in plasma
      samples of acutely poisoned patients. Both retention time and spectra of the
      peaks obtained with a microbore Hypersil ODS column under gradient elution are
      compared with a library of approximately 350 compounds. We present our three-year
      experience with this system, which identifies drugs in less than 1 h, with a high
      degree of confidence.

PMID- 1855292
TI  - Assessing acute parathyroid responsiveness in hemodialysis patients by measuring
      intact parathyrin in pre- and post-dialysis serum.
AB  - We measured pre- and post-dialysis concentrations of ionized calcium (iCa) in
      whole blood, total calcium (tCa) in plasma, and intact parathyrin (PTH) in serum
      of 19 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Plasma tCa was
      inappropriately increased relative to iCa in 63% of the specimens; the iCa
      correlated with the PTH concentration in 12 of 19 pre-dialysis specimens, whereas
      tCa correlated with PTH in only five patients. During dialysis, 16 patients had
      analytically significant changes in iCa (i.e., exceeded the analytical
      imprecision of 0.04 mmol/L). Pre- and post-dialysis concentrations of PTH were
      normal in six patients, four of whom showed a detectable response to changes in
      iCa. Ten patients had increased PTH in at least one specimen; of these, eight had
      responsive parathyroid glands. Five of the 16 patients had an increased set point
      for calcium. The minimal PTH responses of two patients suggested refractory
      hyperparathyroidism. We conclude that routine estimation of iCa, rather than tCa,
      in dialysis patients markedly improves the identification of patients at risk for
      secondary hyperparathyroidism, and that measurement of intact PTH in pre- and
      post-dialysis serum offers a simple means of assessing parathyroid responsiveness
      in dialysis patients.

PMID- 1855293
TI  - Rapid detection and initial characterization of genetic variants of human serum
      albumin.
AB  - We have studied the detection and classification of genetic variants of human
      serum albumin by electrophoresis. Samples from 10 patients who were heterozygous
      for eight different albumin variants were studied by two methods. In agarose gel
      electrophoresis, each of these variants has an abnormal mobility and can be
      classified on the basis that structural changes at the N-terminus abolish 63Ni
      binding. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole
      serum, glycosylated variants are easily detected because of their greater
      apparent molecular mass.

PMID- 1855294
TI  - Simple method for preparing a concentration gradient of serum components by
      freezing and thawing.
AB  - We created a simple method for obtaining a series of successively more
      concentrated samples from a serum without changing the ratio of its components.
      We froze a pooled serum and then allowed it to thaw undisturbed. The serum
      components formed a gradient of increasing concentration from the top of the
      sample to the bottom. We found that (a) in test results, each fraction of serum
      in the gradient showed almost the same relative concentrations of components
      (i.e., inorganic and organic compounds, proteins, metals, and hormones),
      irrespective of atomic or molecular mass; (b) the concentration gradient depended
      on the thawing temperature but not on the freezing temperature; (c) when we
      thawed the frozen sample with centrifugation, the slope of the concentration
      gradient increased with increasing centrifugal force; (d) when the thawed sample
      was fractionated into 10 fractions from the top to the bottom, the original serum
      concentration was always maintained between the sixth and seventh fractions from
      the top; and (e) the concentration gradient became steeper with repeated freezing
      and thawing. By using this method, one can easily prepare serum samples at
      gradients of concentration useful in the clinical laboratory, although the
      mechanism of gradient formation is still unclear.

PMID- 1855295
TI  - Modified enzyme-based colorimetric assay of urinary and plasma oxalate with
      improved sensitivity and no ascorbate interference: reference values and sample
      handling procedures.
AB  - The measurement of oxalate in urine and plasma continues to be difficult,
      particularly in the presence of ascorbate. We have modified and validated a
      colorimetric assay involving the use of oxalate oxidase (EC 1.2.3.4).
      Modification of an HPLC spectrophotometric detector improved sensitivity (to as
      much as 1000-fold that of conventional spectrophotometers) and allowed
      measurement of oxalate concentrations less than 1 mumol/L. This provided more
      than enough sensitivity for measurement of normal concentrations of plasma
      oxalate. We established reference values for oxalate concentrations in urine and
      plasma, studied sample handling, and established conditions to avoid ascorbate
      interference in urine and plasma measurements. Mean analytical recovery of
      [14C]oxalate from plasma to the filtrate was 86 (SD 10)%; recovery of unlabeled
      oxalate from filtrate was 87 (SD 9)%. Urinary oxalate excretion rates in
      apparently healthy controls were 0.11-0.46 mmol/24 h. Plasma concentrations in
      control subjects were 2.5 (SD 0.7) mumol/L, similar to concentrations determined
      by recent gas chromatographic and isotope dilution methods. Frozen and acidified
      urine samples showed no interference from ascorbate when excess ascorbate was
      avoided. Ingestion of 2 g of ascorbate daily did not increase urinary oxalate in
      healthy control subjects, but during storage ascorbate was converted to oxalate
      in all conditions tested.

PMID- 1855296
TI  - One-step chromogenic equivalent of activated partial thromboplastin time
      evaluated for clinical application.
AB  - We evaluated the clinical usefulness of a recently developed semi-automated one
      step chromogenic equivalent of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT;
      Behring). This simple test is easily adaptable for automation. Generally, the
      results with this chromogenic one-step APTT were at least as precise as those
      obtained with comparative coagulometric methods. The chromogenic one-step APTT
      showed, both in vitro and in vivo, adequate sensitivity to congenital intrinsic
      factor deficiency but no sensitivity to Factor VII deficiency. Unlike a two-step
      coagulometric APTT (Dade), the one-step chromogenic APTT seemed sensitive to
      activation products of the contact system, which are present in immunoadsorbed
      factor-deficient plasma. The in vitro sensitivity of the chromogenic APTT to
      heparin was comparable with that of a coagulometric APTT, but the sensitivity to
      heparin in patients' samples differed slightly. The chromogenic APTT is
      relatively insensitive to anomalies in the fibrinogen-fibrin conversion. Finally,
      we observed discrepancies between the chromogenic and coagulometric APTT results
      for plasma of patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation. We conclude
      that this one-step chromogenic APTT warrants further evaluation for possible use
      as a routine test for the clinical laboratory.

PMID- 1855297
TI  - Stabilization of turbidimetric immunoassay by covalent coupling of antibody to
      latex particles.
AB  - Turbidimetric immunoassay is commonly used to quantify serum proteins. Latex
      particle enhancement of this type of assay has been primarily associated with
      increasing assay sensitivity. However, covalent coupling of an antibody to a
      latex particle can offer other advantages that are also pertinent in measurement
      of high concentrations of analytes. By using a common antibody with IgG as a
      model analyte, we describe the development of a nonenhanced and a latex-particle
      enhanced turbidimetric assay for measuring serum IgG. Both assays show adequate
      analytical recovery and parallelism, and results compare well with those by rate
      nephelometry. The latex-enhanced assay has equivalent sensitivity, working range,
      and interassay precision, but much greater signal change and calibration
      stability than the nonenhanced assay. In addition, with latex particles, less
      antiserum is needed. Coupling antibodies to latex particles offers considerable
      advantages, even when an improved assay detection limit is not required.

PMID- 1855298
TI  - Clinical validation of a second-generation fructosamine assay.
AB  - The serum fructosamine assay, used to monitor short-term clinical glycemic
      control, reportedly has several technical drawbacks. However, technical
      improvements have resulted in a new second-generation assay of fructosamine. We
      evaluated this second-generation assay (from Roche Diagnostics) in 529
      nondiabetic and diabetic patients and found a highly significant correlation with
      results of the first-generation assay (r = 0.91, P less than 0.001). Use of the
      second-generation assay with samples from patients classified on the basis of
      glycemic control according to their glycohemoglobin (GHb) values, enabled us to
      discriminate between the nondiabetics, diabetics with "good/moderate" control
      (i.e., GHb less than 10%), and diabetics with "poor" control (GHb greater than or
      equal to 10%). We evaluated the validity of the second-generation assay to assess
      short-term glycemic control in 23 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients who
      participated for 10 weeks in an intensive intervention program designed to
      rapidly normalize the clinical glycemic profile. Results correlated significantly
      with the one-week average capillary blood glucose concentration (CBG) and with
      the three-week average CBG in all 23 patients. In addition, the second-generation
      fructosamine assay results demonstrated a significant decrease at each week of
      study, as did the average CBG. Results of the first- and second-generation assays
      correlated significantly at each week of study. GHb correlated significantly with
      both the second- (r = 0.78, P less than 0.001) and first-generation fructosamine
      assay results (r = 0.77, P less than 0.001) for the baseline blood samples of the
      intervention study, but this correlation decreased (to r = 0.35, P = 0.09 and r =
      0.34, P = 0.09, respectively) by the conclusion of the study.

PMID- 1855299
TI  - Detection of human apolipoprotein E3, E2, and E4 genotypes by an allele-specific
      oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction assay: development and
      validation.
AB  - A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay has been developed and validated by using
      allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) primers to specifically amplify E3, E2, and
      E4 polymorphic sequences of the human apolipoprotein E (apo E) genes. Degenerate
      ASOs containing one or two additional 3' mismatches provided greater specificity
      than did ASOs containing a single mid-sequence or 3' allele-specific mismatch
      with plasmid pEB4 or genomic DNA as template. Optimal specificity and efficiency
      of amplification did not correlate with primer annealing conditions, whether
      determined theoretically or via oligo-melting experiments. Pre-cycling
      denaturation times and high cycling denaturation temperatures were also required
      for optimal amplification, presumably because of the high G:C content (75-85%) of
      apo E gene sequences. Conditions permissive for amplification and discrimination
      with plasmid DNA did not transpose favorably to amplification from human genomic
      DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes; the latter required nested primer
      reactions. These data may be valuable in predicting PCR assay conditions for
      other G:C-rich sequences containing polymorphic sequence differences. The assay
      described is both more accurate and rapid (24 h) than previously described
      methods for phenotyping or genotyping human apo E from blood specimens.

PMID- 1855300
TI  - Effects of serum-isolated vs synthetic bilirubin-albumin complexes on dye-binding
      methods for estimating serum albumin.
AB  - Bush and Reed reported (Clin Chem 1987;33:821-3) that the reaction of albumin
      with bromcresol purple but not with bromcresol green underestimated the
      concentration of albumin in synthetically obtained bilirubin-albumin (Bd) by 29%.
      Their unproven assumption was that chemically synthesized Bd behaved in a manner
      indistinguishable from the natural Bd in icteric serum. Here we verify that Bd,
      whether synthetically obtained or isolated from serum, causes an underestimation
      of albumin in the bromcresol purple but not in the bromcresol green method. The
      molar ratio of Bd from either source to underestimated albumin approximates 1.0,
      suggesting that one molecule of Bd would react equivalently to a molecule of
      albumin in the bromcresol purple method. This underestimation might falsely
      suggest hypoalbuminemia in patients with increased serum Bd.

PMID- 1855301
TI  - Improved fluorometric determination of malonaldehyde.
AB  - Lipoperoxidation is implicated in various pathological conditions. Malonaldehyde
      (MDA) is the most commonly used marker of this process. We propose simple
      modifications to Yagi's fluorometric assay for MDA determinations, to avoid long
      and tedious manipulations by eliminating the first precipitation and washing
      steps, analogous to HPLC methods, and to increase both the sensitivity and the
      specificity of the assay by measuring synchronous fluorescence. The proposed
      technique is easier, faster, and more sensitive than Yagi's method (Academic
      Press, 1982: Lipid peroxides in biology and medicine). The results obtained with
      the novel method correlate with those from the HPLC method described by Therasse
      and Lemonnier (J Chromatogr Biomed Appl 1987;413:237-41).

PMID- 1855302
TI  - Liquid-chromatographic determination of nicotine and cotinine in urine from
      passive smokers: comparison with gas chromatography with a nitrogen-specific
      detector.
AB  - We describe a simple, sensitive, and specific high-performance liquid
      chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection (256 nm) for the simultaneous
      analysis of nicotine and cotinine in urine of passive smokers. The analytes are
      extracted and purified from the complex and impure matrix in two stages; first,
      by liquid-liquid extraction and followed by solid-phase extraction (C2 column).
      We used a "DB" C8 5-microns-particle column (25 x 0.46 cm) and a mobile phase of
      phosphate-citrate buffer and acetonitrile (91:9 by vol) containing 5 mL of
      triethylamine and 600 mg of heptanesulfonate per liter, adjusted to pH 4.4, to
      separate the compounds. Two internal standards (2-phenylimidazole and N
      ethylnorcotinine) were used. The detection limit of the HPLC assay was less than
      1 microgram/L for both analytes. The average interassay CV for nicotine was 7.6%,
      for cotinine 6.5%, in the concentration range 0-60 micrograms/L. The mean
      analytical recovery of nicotine with respect to the internal standard N
      ethylnorcotinine was 102% and that for cotinine was 99%; the mean absolute
      recoveries of the compounds were as follows: nicotine 85%, cotinine 87%, and N
      ethylnorcotinine 87%. To compare the HPLC assay results of 20 samples with the
      more-sensitive in-laboratory gas-chromatographic method with a nitrogen
      phosphorus detector, we used both N-ethylnornicotine and N-ethylnorcotinine as
      internal standards. The mean correlation coefficient for nicotine values between
      the two methods was 0.934; for cotinine, 0.987.

PMID- 1855303
TI  - Isocratic reversed-phase HPLC method to measure pyrimethamine extracted from
      plasma of infants treated for toxoplasmosis.
AB  - An isocratic HPLC method for measuring pyrimethamine extracted from infant plasma
      is reported. The method is an improvement over previously published methods by
      requiring lower volumes of plasma (100 microL) and having increased sensitivity
      to pyrimethamine at 210 nm. The procedure, which entails a basic organic
      extraction and subsequent HPLC chromatography of the reconstituted extract, can
      detect 1.4 ng and quantify 4.0 ng of pyrimethamine per 40-microL injection, with
      two analyses per 100-microL sample. Analytical recovery of pyrimethamine added to
      plasma at 10, 50, and 125 ng/100 microL averaged 80%, 92%, and 101%, respectively
      (n = 20). Within- and between-day CVs were less than 7%. Studies of various
      plasma samples from adults and infants (n = 15) revealed no interference from
      other plasma peaks with the analyte of interest.

PMID- 1855304
TI  - Aluminum phthalocyanine-streptavidin: new, sensitive fluorescent tracer for
      immunoassay.
AB  - A new fluorescent reagent based on aluminum phthalocyanine has been developed for
      general application to immunoassay. This highly sensitive fluorophore, Ultralite
      680, may be covalently attached to a variety of biological entities for use as a
      tracer. We report the use of an Ultralite 680-streptavidin-digoxin conjugate as a
      tracer in a direct, competitive, heterogeneous, fluorescent immunoassay of
      digoxin. The assay is performed manually with 50 microL of serum and no sample
      pre-treatment. Primary anti-digoxin antibody is incubated with a serum sample
      containing digoxin and Ultralite 680-streptavidin-digoxin. Bound and free tracer
      are separated, and the bound fluorescence is released and quantified with a
      commercially available spectrofluorometer. Assay precision was good (CV = 7.05%
      at a digoxin concentration of 2.00 micrograms/L) and results by our method
      correlated well with those by a conventional RIA (r = 0.9650, n = 24).

PMID- 1855305
TI  - Citrulline concentrations in human plasma after arginine load.

PMID- 1855306
TI  - Quantification of free secretory component in saliva by enzyme immunoassay.

PMID- 1855307
TI  - Methadone in saliva.

PMID- 1855308
TI  - Time course of pH regulation in free thyroxin determinations in serum.

PMID- 1855309
TI  - Comparability of alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme methods.

PMID- 1855310
TI  - 4-Hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid: a rare compound in urinary organic acid
      analysis.

PMID- 1855311
TI  - Urinary nitrite/nitrate ratio: marker for renal allograft rejection?

PMID- 1855312
TI  - Fluoxetine (Prozac) interference in CN column liquid-chromatographic assays of
      tricyclic antidepressants and metabolites.

PMID- 1855313
TI  - Biotin radioligand assay with polyethylene glycol as separation reagent.

PMID- 1855314
TI  - Interference of D-mannose, antiglycolytic agent, in glucose determinations.

PMID- 1855315
TI  - Agarose gel electrophoresis of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes with wheat germ
      lectin and fluorogenic substrate.

PMID- 1855316
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis with renal involvement: patient survival and
      correlations between initial renal function, renal histology, therapy and renal
      outcome.
AB  - Patient survival and renal outcome were followed in 25 patients with biopsy
      confirmed Wegener's granulomatosis and renal involvement. Fourteen out of 25
      patients required dialysis on admission, 11/25 patients did not. All patients
      were treated with a novel protocol comprising methylprednisolone and
      cyclophosphamide. The median follow-up observation was 36 months (12-113 months).
      With the exception of 1 patient (who died from causes not related to Wegener's
      granulomatosis) all patients are alive. Among the patients initially requiring
      dialysis (n = 14) 4 are in terminal renal failure after 0, 7, 21 and 38 months
      respectively. In the nondialysis group (n = 11) only 1 patient subsequently
      required chronic dialysis 30 months after clinical admission. Renal failure was
      due to non-compliance with immunosuppressive therapy in at least 2 patients.
      Percentage of obsolescent glomeruli and the degree of tubulointerstitial lesions,
      but not active glomerular lesions (crescents, necroses) predicted renal outcome.
      The major cause of renal functional impairment was relapse of Wegener's
      granulomatosis usually within 2 years after clinical remission. Therefore
      prolonged treatment with cyclophosphamide for at least 2 years after clinical
      remission is recommended. Two patients with initially negative immunohistology
      had a second renal biopsy which revealed de novo appearance of mesangial IgA
      deposits.

PMID- 1855317
TI  - The effect of prostacyclin on intracranial pressure in patients with acute
      hepatic and renal failure.
AB  - Prostacyclin was administered on 20 occasions to 12 patients with fulminant
      hepatic failure complicated by acute renal failure prior to commencing dialysis
      at a dose of 5 ng/kg.min. Intracranial pressure was noted to increase during the
      infusion from a median of 12 mmHg (95% confidence limits 9-14) to 17 mmHg (12
      25), p less than 0.01, at the same time the mean arterial blood pressure declined
      from 79 mmHg (65-82) to 64 (56-70), p less than 0.01, and the cerebral perfusion
      pressure from 62 mmHg (53-67) to 44 mmHg (41-55), p less than 0.01. The changes
      were greater for those patients who subsequently died from cerebral edema.
      Patients with fulminant hepatic and acute renal failure are at risk of dying from
      cerebral edema. The direct administration of prostacyclin, used for
      extracorporeal anticoagulation, may cause a further increase in intracranial
      pressure and reduce cerebral perfusion, thus resulting in patient morbidity and
      mortality.

PMID- 1855318
TI  - Effect of osmolar changes on plasma arginine vasopressin (PAVP) in dialysis
      patients.
AB  - The effect of changes in plasma osmolality and changes in plasma arginine
      vasopressin (PAVP) were analyzed in 10 stable chronic hemodialysis patients
      utilizing four protocols. During regular hemodialysis opposing influences on PAVP
      (decrease in blood pressure and intravascular volume and increase in serum
      calcium) resulted in no significant change in PAVP (by analysis of variance). In
      the second protocol low dialysate calcium (2.5 meq/l) isovolemic hemodialysis was
      used. PAVP and serum osmolality levels declined from 2.0 +/- 0.4 to 1.4 +/- 0.2
      microU/ml (p less than 0.05), and 285 +/- 2.5 mOsm/l to 275 +/- 3.2 mOsm/l
      respectively. Removal of PAVP by hemodialysis did not occur as evidenced by no
      difference in arterial-venous PAVP levels and no "rebound" of PAVP for three
      hours after completion of dialysis (second protocol). Isovolemic low calcium high
      dialysate sodium (145 meq/l) hemodialysis was utilized in the third protocol.
      Serum osmolality and PAVP did not change. Addition of a very high dialysate
      sodium (155 meq/l) to isovolemic low calcium hemodialysis resulted in an increase
      in plasma sodium, osmolality and AVP (139.7 +/- 0.62 to 144 +/- 0.67 meq/l, 294
      +/- 2.79 to 304.3 +/- 2.4 mOsm/l and 1.8 +/- 0.3 to 2.7 +/- 0.5 microU/ml (p less
      than 0.05 for each) respectively. In conclusion, PAVP responds to changes in
      plasma osmolality in chronic hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 1855319
TI  - Influence of erythropoietin treatment on urea kinetic parameters in hemodialysis
      patients.
AB  - Urea kinetic parameters were studied by means of dialysate collection in 8 stable
      hemodialysis patients before and after treatment with recombinant human
      erythropoietin (r-HuEPO), in order to investigate the impact of a rising
      hematocrit (Ht) on dialyzer performance and nutritional status. After 6 months,
      the average in vivo dialyzer urea clearance had fallen from 152 to 132 ml/min and
      consequently Kt/V values had become undesirably low in most of the patients in
      whom the relatively short dialysis regimens had been kept unchanged. There was
      also a significant decrease of protein intake. As a result of both changes there
      was only a moderate increase of predialysis mean blood urea concentration. These
      findings indicate that after correction of anemia by r-HuEPO dialyzer performance
      decreased. The concomitant decrease of protein intake seems to contrast to the
      improved general physical condition and appetite as indicated in the
      questionnaires. Although body weight remained the same, there might have been a
      tendency to avoid protein consumption with maintained total calory intake as a
      result of slight underdialysis. Therefore, in individual cases dialysis
      prescriptions may need reconsideration when Ht levels rise after r-HuEPO
      administration, especially in short dialysis regimens.

PMID- 1855320
TI  - Acute encephalopathy due to thiamine deficiency (Wernicke's encephalopathy) in a
      chronic hemodialyzed patient: a case report.
AB  - We report the case of a patient with terminal renal disease on chronic
      hemodialysis who developed acute thiamine deficiency as confirmed by erythrocyte
      transketolase determinations. The patient presented with a confusional state and
      severe memory disturbances, but other classical features of Wernicke's
      encephalopathy were absent. Almost all central nervous system symptoms rapidly
      disappeared after thiamine therapy. Therefore the possibility of thiamine
      deficiency must be considered in patients on chronic dialysis who present with
      central nervous system disturbances, even if all of the classical features of
      Wernicke's encephalopathy are not present.

PMID- 1855321
TI  - Comment on "Use of aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (AHPrBP, "APD") for the
      treatment of hypercalcemia in patients with renal impairment" by Yap et al.

PMID- 1855322
TI  - Prevalence of HLA-B27 antigens in patients with dialysis-related beta 2-M
      amyloidosis.

PMID- 1855323
TI  - Comment on "Portions of basement membrane with decreased negative charge in
      various glomerulonephritis".

PMID- 1855324
TI  - The treatment of mesangial IgA nephropathy with cyclophosphamide, dipyridamole
      and warfarin.

PMID- 1855325
TI  - Comment on "Idiopathic acute interstitial nephritis associated with anterior
      uveitis in adults" by P. Cacoub et al.

PMID- 1855326
TI  - Progression of a naproxen and amoxicillin induced acute interstitial nephritis
      with nephrotic syndrome: case report.
AB  - This article reports an unusual case of acute interstitial nephritis associated
      with nephrotic syndrome which appeared after oral intake of naproxen and
      amoxicillin and led to end-stage renal failure. In the light of recent literature
      on this clinical entity, the authors formulate hypotheses accounting for this
      outcome.

PMID- 1855327
TI  - Vaccination for prevention of CAPD associated staphylococcal infection: results
      of a prospective multicentre clinical trial.
AB  - 124 stable CAPD patients from 8 Australian and 3 New Zealand centers were
      randomly assigned in a blinded fashion to one of two groups to study the effect
      of vaccination using commercial preparations consisting of a combined
      staphylococcus toxoid and whole killed staphylococci (SB) or normal saline
      solution (SS) on the incidence of peritonitis and exit site infection and S.
      aureus nasal carriage over a 12-month prospective period. In addition, levels of
      IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4 were monitored during the trial period in serum and
      dialysate; serum levels of anti-alpha hemolysin and dialysate levels of
      fibronectin and specific antistaphylococcal antibodies were also measured. Over
      the period, treatment with SB or SS did not affect the incidence of peritonitis,
      catheter-related infection or S. aureus nasal carriage. However, vaccination with
      SB elicited a significant increase in the level of serum anti-alpha hemolysin
      throughout the 12 month duration of the study, although the level of increase was
      unrelated to the subsequent rate of peritonitis. Vaccination with SB but not SS
      elicited a significant increase in the dialysate level of specific antibodies
      against S. aureus. Serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, complement C3 and C4 were
      within the normal range in the CAPD patients studied and remained unaffected by
      vaccination with SB. In addition, dialysate levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, complement
      C3 and C4 were 50-100 times lower than corresponding serum levels and remained
      unaffected by vaccination. In summary, immunisation with an anti-staphylococcal
      agent was not successful in reducing peritonitis or exit site infection in CAPD
      patients.

PMID- 1855328
TI  - Correction of anemia in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
      with subcutaneous recombinant erythropoietin twice a week: a long-term study.
AB  - Subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) was given for 12 months
      twice weekly to 10 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD)
      with anemia (hemoglobin less than 9.0 mg/dl). All patients responded to a median
      weekly dose of between 37.5 to 100 (mean 55 to 105) units/kg and reached a target
      hemoglobin of 10-12 mg/dl in a mean of 11.7 weeks (range 5-24). Serum iron, iron
      saturation and ferritin were significantly lower and serum potassium was
      significantly higher than the pre-treatment level from 1 month onwards. Five
      patients without pre-treatment iron overload required oral iron supplement and 3
      required oral potassium-binding resin. No significant change in other serum
      biochemical parameters was observed. Blood pressure remained stable during the
      treatment period but additional or increased dosage of antihypertensive drugs was
      required in 5 patients. Peritoneal small solute clearance and ultrafiltration and
      residual renal clearance did not change significantly after correction of anemia.
      The incidence of peritonitis and exit site infection was similarly unaffected.
      One patient developed a severe headache which was not associated with
      hypertension and responded to withdrawal of rHuEPO treatment. Most of the
      remaining patients showed improvement in subjective well-being. It was concluded
      that the subcutaneous route twice a week is a safe, convenient and cost-effective
      way to administer rHuEPO to patients on CAPD.

PMID- 1855329
TI  - Removal of trace metals by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis after
      desferrioxamine B chelation therapy.
AB  - We studied the removal of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and
      zinc (Zn) with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, before and after
      desferrioxamine B (DFO) administration (2 g intravenously) in two patients with
      chronic renal failure and Al-related osteopathy. Both patients had 4 peritoneal
      dialysis exchanges (2 liters each) per day. Blood concentrations of Al increased
      413% (patient A) and 190% (patient B) after DFO. Patient B had a 15% increase in
      Fe; other metals remained unchanged. Dialysate efflux Al concentrations had peak
      post-DFO increments of 761% and 840% in patients 1 and 2, respectively. Peak post
      DFO increments in Fe dialysate concentration were 342% and 89.5% in the
      respective patients. Dialysate/plasma (D/P) concentration ratios of Al increased
      from pre-DFO levels (mean +/- SEM) of 0.370 +/- 0.048 to 0.523 +/- 0.061 after
      DFO; similarly, Fe D/P ratios increased from 0.259 +/- 0.053 to 0.446 +/- 0.075
      with DFO therapy. These results indicate an increase in the ultrafiltrable
      proportion of Al and Fe in plasma after DFO administration. During 3 days after
      DFO, patient 1 had a total removal of Al and Fe of 2.9 mg and 4.9 mg,
      respectively. Metal removal in patient 2 was 7.6 mg of Al and 2.7 mg of Fe.
      Peritoneal extraction of other trace metals was minor.

PMID- 1855330
TI  - Hypersensitivity reactions during hemodialysis related to the use of acetate
      dialysate. A case report.
AB  - A patient developed a hypersensitivity reaction two weeks after being put on
      hemodialysis with acetate dialysate. The reactions appeared exclusively during
      hemodialysis and were relieved immediately after its termination. These allergic
      manifestations disappeared with substitution of bicarbonate for acetate dialysate
      and reappeared upon rechallenge with acetate dialysate. The rest of the dialysis
      materials were excluded as possible causes of allergy by scheduled dialysis
      sessions with varying materials. Acetate dialysate is implicated as the cause of
      allergy reaction in this case.

PMID- 1855331
TI  - Shoulder ultrasound in dialysis related amyloidosis.
AB  - Ultrasonographic changes around the shoulder joint were compared in ten
      symptomatic patients with dialysis related amyloid (DRA) and seventeen patients
      without symptoms. All patients had been on long-term (greater than 7 years)
      hemodialysis (HD). Three control groups were used: 8 predialysis patients, 10
      continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and 9 HD patients who had been
      on dialysis for less than two years. Dry bodyweight, sex, handedness, length of
      hemodialysis and fistula side were not significantly different between the study
      groups. Proven amyloid patients were significantly older than other groups (p
      less than 0.001). Parameters assessed included cross-sectional area of long head
      of biceps tendon (LHB), diameter of supraspinatus tendon (SS), and general
      features (bursae, deposits) around the joint. Results demonstrated significant
      differences in all parameters in patients with symptomatic amyloid compared with
      other long-term patients: [SS: 7.4 mm +/- 0.7, mean +/- SEM, vs 5.1 +/- 0.2
      (right, R), p = 0.001; 6.7 +/- 0.7 vs 4.9 +/- 0.2 (left, L), p = 0.01. LHB: 140.0
      mm2 +/- 11.1 vs 79.6 +/- 5.1 (R), p less than 0.001; 114.5 +/- 10.5 vs 80.8 +/-
      5.4 (L), p = 0.004. Bursae: 5 vs 1 (patients), p = 0.006]. Compared with controls
      changes in the amyloid group were less marked though in most cases still
      significant. There was no significant difference between control groups nor
      between controls and asymptomatic long-term HD patients in any parameter. We
      conclude that shoulder ultrasound may have a role in identifying patients with
      dialysis related amyloid. Serial measurements may also help to elucidate the
      pathogenesis of the tendon changes.

PMID- 1855332
TI  - Evaluating the recirculation in hemodialysis without peripheral venipuncture.

PMID- 1855333
TI  - Ultrastructure in human implantation: transmission and scanning electron
      microscopy.

PMID- 1855334
TI  - Factors of importance for implantation.

PMID- 1855335
TI  - Immunocytochemical localization of oestradiol and progesterone receptors in human
      endometrium: a tool to assess endometrial maturation.
AB  - Uterine oestrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors are subject to fine
      hormonal control by oestradiol and progesterone. In order to assess the role of
      ER and PR measurement in the evaluation of endometrial maturation, both receptors
      were studied by immunocytochemical techniques using monoclonal antibodies during
      the menstrual cycle, and in women with inactive ovaries treated by different
      regimens of hormonal substitution with oestradiol and progesterone. During the
      normal menstrual cycle, the concentrations and distribution of ER and PR changed
      markedly. During the mid follicular period (days 7-8), a small proportion of
      stromal and glandular cells stained positively for PR while staining for ER was
      more intense and more frequent. During the late follicular phase and early luteal
      period (days 9-19), the staining for PR increased markedly in glandular cells.
      During the mid and late luteal phase (days 21-27), ER and PR staining disappeared
      in glandular cells. Thus, while oestradiol increases the staining for ER and PR
      in both glands and stroma, progesterone decreases ER and PR staining in the
      glands in a dramatic fashion. These variations, especially the disappearance of
      PR under the effect of progesterone, are potentially useful for studying the
      cumulative effect of progesterone on endometrial maturation. This was confirmed
      in anovulatory women, where a late luteal phase aspect was observed, i.e. the
      absence of a reduction in ER and PR in glandular cells. In women with ovarian
      failure, the disappearance of ER and PR in glandular cells is correlated with the
      duration of progesterone therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855336
TI  - Role of embryonic factors in implantation: recent developments.
AB  - The embryonic factors influencing implantation have been studied extensively in
      laboratory and domestic animals, but not in primates, including humans. Species
      differences make extrapolation inadvisable. Embryonic factors affecting
      implantation include intrinsic features of the embryo, such as its genetic
      constitution, morphology and hatching. Abnormal genetic constitutions or
      unsuccessful transitions from maternal to embryonic transcription could account
      for many failures of early embryonic growth and implantation. Morphology per se
      does not greatly influence implantation, except when it reflects an abnormal
      genetic constitution, e.g. in severe fragmentation, although subtle effects may
      be detected as experimental techniques are refined. The initiation of
      differentiation and intraembryonic communication between cells and cell types has
      been studied in animal embryos. Signals must be exchanged between the embryo and
      the mother to ensure satisfactory implantation. These could include platelet
      activating factor, prostaglandins, histamine related factors, steroids, proteins,
      metabolic products and immune-active factors. No one factor seems to be totally
      responsible for alerting the mother to the presence of an embryo, and a concerted
      action of these and other agents is probably responsible. The process of
      implantation itself is poorly understood because of a lack of adequate
      experimental models. The expression of complementary proteins and the role of
      specific enzymes and markers of endometrial and embryonic competence are factors
      well worthy of further study. Knowledge about human implantation is increasing
      because of recent developments in assisted reproductive technology, and concepts
      arising from many years of research in animals should find clinical applications
      in understanding and controlling human reproduction.

PMID- 1855337
TI  - Function of blood vessels relative to implantation.

PMID- 1855338
TI  - A consideration of the factors which influence and control the viability and
      developmental potential of the preimplantation embryo.
AB  - The advent of the new reproductive technologies (including in vitro
      fertilization) has led to a revolution in the treatment of infertility. It has
      not yet led to a marked improvement in our understanding of the control of
      development and of viability of the early embryo. It is the poor viability of
      embryos, with consequent implantation failure, which is the major limiting factor
      to successful outcomes. While much of the research in this area has concentrated
      on strategies of ovulation induction, experimental models have shown that the
      major cause of reduced embryo viability is due to the actual process of
      fertilization in vitro and subsequent culture of the preembryo in synthetic
      culture medium. It is likely that this is due to the absence of critical
      nutrients or trophic factors of maternal origin and work with co-culture of
      embryos with somatic cells suggests improved viability can be achieved. Such co
      culture is not an option for routine clinical use, however. It is essential
      therefore to understand by detailed study of the physiology of embryonic
      development their requirements for optimal development. The empirical approach of
      comparing different formulations of culture media is unlikely to be successful
      because of the vast range of parameters to be tested and the large number of
      pregnancies required to demonstrate a significant improvement in outcome. The
      strategy that is most likely to be successful in the future, therefore, is the
      use of appropriate experimental models, such as the developing rodent embryo, to
      understand the essential physiological changes in the embryo during its
      development, the control processes in place, and the effect of the embryo's
      environment on the processes. This will allow the rational design of culture
      media which can then be rigorously tested for improved outcome. An example of
      successful application of this approach is the discovery of embryo-derived
      platelet activating factor (PAF). The production of embryo-derived PAF was first
      described and validated in the rodent. In the same species it was shown to have
      an essential role in pregnancy and to act as an autocrine mediator of embryo
      viability. This fundamental observation in rodents was then confirmed in humans,
      and recent work has shown that supplementation of culture human embryo media with
      PAF results in a dramatic increase in their developmental and pregnancy
      potential. This example should be the first of many such improvements based on a
      more fundamental understanding of the embryo's developmental requirements.

PMID- 1855339
TI  - Frequency of implantation and early pregnancy loss in natural cycles.

PMID- 1855340
TI  - Morphological and histochemical factors related to implantation.

PMID- 1855341
TI  - Implantation failure: clinical aspects.

PMID- 1855342
TI  - Macrophages and migratory cells in endometrium relevant to implantation.
AB  - The implantation of an appropriately developed embryo into a suitably conditioned
      uterine lining depends on the synchronous maturation of the preimplantation
      embryo and uterine lining. The pre- and postimplantation embryo also requires
      protection from immunocompetent maternal immune effectors. Preimplantation embryo
      development is affected by genotype, intercellular communication and autocrine
      growth factors (polyamines, TGF-alpha, TGF-beta 1, PAF). Factors of maternal
      origin may also enhance embryo development (EGF, TGF-alpha, TGF-beta 1, IGF,
      polyamines). The preimplantation embryo signals its presence to the mother by
      release of factor(s) such as IFN-alpha-II and a PAF-like factor. PAF may induce
      EPF in the mother and enhances vascular permeability at the implantation site.
      Uterine or peritoneal leukocytosis may inhibit development via toxic effects of
      lymphokines/monokines (IL-2, IL-1?, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha). Immunoprotection of
      the preimplantation embryo is conferred by embryo derived maternal factors (EPF,
      T-cell suppressor factors). The uterus is receptive during a limited period of
      time (implantation window) and the substrate adhesion molecules produced by
      uterine and embryonic trophectoderm cells are crucial for the initial stages of
      implantation. At implantation, trophoblast expression of MHC and non-MHC antigens
      is shut off and both immunocompetent maternal cells (macrophages, dendritic
      cells, granulocytes, IELs, immunocytes) and lymphatics become sparse at
      implantation sites. Peri-implantation cytokines of maternal origin, such as CSF
      1, GM-CSF and IGF-1 binding protein, are probably important for trophoblast
      growth and development. Immuno-protection of the embryo at this stage may be
      mediated by embryo derived factors that inactivate macrophages and by a
      population of large, hormone dependent Lyt 2+ (CD8+) suppressor cells. It is
      possible that these CD8+ cells respond to progesterone and secrete molecules that
      inactivate natural effector (NK-type) cells against trophoblast. Prostaglandins
      (PGE2) may play a brief role in immunosuppression at the time of implantation but
      its role is probably more important with respect to the decidual response.
      Defects in the pre- and peri-implantation stages of pregnancy may lead to delayed
      failure in the form of clinical miscarriage.

PMID- 1855343
TI  - Human endometrial protein secretion relative to implantation.

PMID- 1855344
TI  - The role of prostaglandins in implantation.

PMID- 1855345
TI  - Endometrial prolactin and implantation.
AB  - The role of prolactin in human implantation and human endometrial function is
      still unclear. Synthesis of prolactin from human endometrium and decidua was
      first demonstrated in 1977. Prolactin mRNA isolation from term decidua
      subsequently confirmed expression of the prolactin gene in human endometrium.
      More recently, a glycosylated form of prolactin has been isolated from both the
      human pituitary and human endometrium. It appears that predominately glycosylated
      prolactin is secreted in the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, with
      increasingly greater amounts of non-glycosylated prolactin secreted as pregnancy
      advances. The biological significance and regulation of prolactin glycosylation
      is uncertain, although glycosylated ovine prolactin has only 20-33% of the
      lactogenic activity of ovine prolactin. Pituitary lactotropes, of ectodermal
      origin, produce pituitary prolactin and are regulated by dopamine, oestradiol and
      thyrotropin releasing hormone. Decidual cells, of mesodermal origin, are not
      influenced by these pituitary secretogogues. Progesterone and calcium both appear
      to stimulate pituitary and decidual prolactin secretion, while arachidonic acid
      seems to inhibit decidual prolactin release. More recently, insulin like growth
      factor-1, a polypeptide growth factor implicated in the oestrogen promoted growth
      reproductive tissues, has been found in high concentration in the pig uterus and
      has been shown to stimulate the synthesis and secretion of prolactin from human
      decidua. Prolactin receptors have not been reported on endothelium of blood
      vessels and no clear evidence exists that endometrial prolactin may modulate the
      secretion of endothelin, endothelium derived relaxing factor or other potentially
      important substances controlling menstruation. Prolactin does appear necessary
      for the normal production of macrophage activating factors, including interferon,
      and may have a local immunomodulatory role upon human implantation for this
      reason. Human alpha 2-interferon has sequence homology to ovine trophoblast
      protein-1 and is found in high concentration in human pregnancy and fetal
      tissues. There is some evidence that interferon may reduce human endometrial
      prolactin secretion, but whether endometrial or decidual prolactin is critical to
      human implantation awaits further study.

PMID- 1855346
TI  - Report of a survey of some aspects of editorial board peer review at Clinical
      Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

PMID- 1855348
TI  - No causal relationship between transdermal scopolamine and seizures: methodologic
      lessons for pharmacoepidemiology.
AB  - Because of case reports suggesting that use of transdermal scopolamine might be
      associated with the subsequent development of seizures, a retrospective cohort
      study was performed with computerized Medicaid claims data. Patients receiving
      transdermal scopolamine were compared with patients receiving diphenhydramine,
      meclizine, prochlorperazine, and promethazine. A four-fold increased risk of
      seizures after transdermal scopolamine use was observed in the claims data.
      However, this was not supported by the primary medical records. All patients who
      had seizures after using transdermal scopolamine either had seizures before
      receiving the drug as well or did not really suffer from seizures. The original
      finding appeared to be the result of the use of transdermal scopolamine for
      "dizziness, rule out seizures"; the ICD-9-CM coding system does not include "rule
      out" diagnoses. Thus these data do not confirm the existence of an association
      between seizures and the use of transdermal scopolamine. In addition, this study
      demonstrates the usefulness of pharmacoepidemiology studies in documenting drug
      safety and the importance of obtaining primary medical records when performing
      pharmacoepidemiologic studies with claims data.

PMID- 1855347
TI  - Increased carbamazepine plasma concentrations after fluoxetine coadministration.
AB  - The interaction between fluoxetine and carbamazepine was investigated in six
      normal, healthy male volunteers (aged 23 to 40 years). Subjects were given
      carbamazepine, 400 mg every morning, for 3 weeks. Venous carbamazepine blood
      samples were obtained at baseline and 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours after
      the morning dose. Fluoxetine, 20 mg every morning, was then coadministered with
      carbamazepine for 7 days. Venous carbamazepine blood samples were again obtained
      as described. Carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (CBZE) were assayed
      by HPLC. Addition of fluoxetine resulted in a significant increase in the area
      under the concentration-time curve of carbamazepine (105.93 +/- 18.05
      micrograms/ml.hr versus 134.97 +/- 12.15 micrograms/ml.hr; t = 3.284; df = 5; p =
      0.022) and CBZE (11.6 +/- 1.93 micrograms/ml.hr versus 15.2 +/- 2.4
      micrograms/ml.hr; t = 2.805; df = 5; p = 0.038). Both oral and intrinsic
      clearance of carbamazepine was decreased significantly on fluoxetine addition
      (3.87 +/- 0.68 L/hr versus 2.98 +/- 0.26 L/hr; t = 3.025; df = 5; p = 0.029 and
      17.90 +/- 4.9 L/hr versus 11.92 +/- 1.4 L/hr; t = 3.037; df = 5; p = 0.029,
      respectively). No significant changes were determined for fraction of absorbed
      dose, volume of distribution, absorption rate constant, and elimination rate
      constant. These findings suggest that fluoxetine can inhibit the metabolism of
      carbamazepine. Careful monitoring of patients is recommended when these two drugs
      are coadministered.

PMID- 1855349
TI  - The influence of dosage time of midazolam on its pharmacokinetics and effects in
      humans.
AB  - The influence of dosage time of midazolam on its pharmacokinetics and effects on
      the central nervous system were investigated in six healthy volunteers, with
      pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling. Each volunteer received single oral
      doses of 15 mg midazolam on four separate occasions: 8 AM, 2 PM, 8 PM, and 2 AM.
      An almost significant circadian variation was found in elimination half-life,
      shortest at 2 PM (1.26 +/- 0.47 hours, mean +/- SD) and longest at 2 AM (1.57 +/-
      0.44 hours) (p = 0.05). Drug effects measured were alpha activity of the
      electroencepalograph and P100 latency of the visual-evoked response. The maximum
      drug effect (Emax) model described the concentration-effect relationship,
      extended with either a threshold drug concentration or a sigmoidicity parameter.
      A significant circadian variation was found in baseline alpha activity: highest
      at 8 AM (109% +/- 19% of the 24-hour mean) and lowest at 2 AM (80% +/- 12%). For
      alpha activity the drug concentration at half-maximum effect of both threshold
      Emax model and sigmoid Emax model showed lower values at 8 AM and 2 AM and higher
      values at 2 PM and 8 PM. However, these differences were either not significant
      (p = 0.10, threshold model) or on the verge of statistical significance (p =
      0.05, sigmoid model). No circadian variation was found in the parameters
      describing the effect on the visual-evoked response. We conclude that the
      sensitivity of the central nervous system to midazolam, as reflected in alpha
      activity, possibly shows a circadian variation.

PMID- 1855350
TI  - Gentamicin population pharmacokinetic models for low birth weight infants using a
      new nonparametric method.
AB  - Availability of personal computer programs for control of drug regimens has
      stimulated interest in modeling population pharmacokinetics. In this study, we
      found parameter values for gentamicin in two infant populations with low birth
      weights. The models were developed by use of a parametric (i.e., standard two
      stage algorithm) and with a new nonparametric expected maximum algorithm. Data
      for the two populations (i.e., infants less than or equal to 31 weeks' and
      greater than 31 but less than or equal to 34 weeks' gestational age) were
      obtained from infants admitted to the University of Texas Medical Branch
      intensive care nursery between August 1, 1988, and July 31, 1989. The new
      nonparametric method was demonstrated to be not only the equal of the standard
      two-stage method for population modeling but better, especially in use of sparse
      data sets (e.g., single serum levels). It also obviates the need for selecting
      proper starting conditions for the least-squares fitting procedure used in the
      standard two-stage method.

PMID- 1855351
TI  - Doxapram metabolism in human fetal hepatic organ culture.
AB  - The biotransformation of doxapram, a respiratory stimulant was studied with use
      of explants from human fetal livers (n = 15 fetuses) obtained from therapeutic
      abortions (gestational age, 10 to 20 weeks). Explants were cultured in Leibowitz
      medium and the media from cultured samples were collected before and at 3, 6, 12,
      and 24 hours after incubation with 2.5, 5.0, and 10 micrograms/ml doxapram. The
      concentrations of doxapram and its metabolites (AHR 0914, an analog of doxapram,
      AHR 5955 or ketodoxapram, and AHR 5904) were measured by high pressure liquid
      chromatography. Explant histopathology and alkaline phosphatase activity showed
      no direct toxic effects of the drug on liver tissue. The fastest rate of doxapram
      metabolism occurred during the first 3 hours of incubation (198 +/- 73.3, 438 +/-
      63.3, and 538 +/- 62 ng/mg/hr liver protein at doxapram concentrations of 2.5,
      5.0, and 10.0 micrograms/ml, respectively). At 3 hours of incubation, the amount
      of doxapram metabolized (nanogram per milligram of liver protein) was
      significantly higher (p less than 0.01) at doxapram concentrations of 10.0 (1616
      +/- 186) and 5.0 microgram/ml (1315 +/- 190) than at 2.5 micrograms/ml (594 +/-
      220). The oxidative pathway producing keto-doxapram, or AHR 5955 and AHR 5904, is
      more active than the de-ethylation producing the analog of doxapram AHR 0914.
      Data indicate substantial metabolism of doxapram by the human fetal lives.

PMID- 1855352
TI  - The intellectual health of clinical drug evaluation.

PMID- 1855353
TI  - Netilmicin in the neonate: population pharmacokinetic analysis and dosing
      recommendations.
AB  - Netilmicin pharmacokinetics were studied in neonates of 27 to 42 weeks'
      gestational age and 0.8 to 5.0 kg body weight in their first 2 weeks of life by
      the population pharmacokinetic approach. The data were best described by a two
      compartment model. Clearance depends on body weight, gestational age, and
      postnatal age. Volume of distribution of the central and peripheral compartments
      was also related to body weight. Including these patient characteristics in the
      population pharmacokinetic regression model resulted in a marked reduction of the
      unexplained interindividual variability. This enabled us to derive dosage
      recommendations that result in peak and average concentrations within the desired
      range for 95% of the neonates with gestational age above 31 weeks, thus avoiding
      the need for individual drug-level monitoring in a well-defined large group of
      patients. Only for infants with gestational age less than 31 weeks who are less
      than 6 days old is individual dose adjustment based on serum concentration
      measurements required.

PMID- 1855354
TI  - Tolerance to nicotinic acid flushing.
AB  - The mechanism of tolerance to nicotinic acid flushing was determined in subjects
      during a 5-day course of treatment. Objective measures of skin blood flow were
      used to confirm the development of tolerance. Plasma levels of nicotinic acid
      showed marked intraindividual variability but were not decreased with the
      development of tolerance. However plasma levels of 9-alpha 11-beta prostaglandin
      F2, a stable metabolite of prostaglandin D2, became undetectable in most subjects
      with the development of tolerance. Thus tolerance is not associated with
      decreased levels of nicotinic acid or development of tolerance to the
      prostaglandin mediator, but with decreased levels of the mediator.

PMID- 1855355
TI  - Local anesthesia blocks the antiemetic action of P6 acupuncture.
AB  - The incidence of postoperative illness was monitored for 6 hours in 74 women
      premedicated with nalbuphine, 10 mg, and undergoing short gynecologic operations
      of similar duration under methohexitalnitrous oxide-oxygen anesthesia. Each
      patient received P6 acupuncture for 5 minutes at the time of administration of
      premedication. In random order the site of the acupuncture had been previously
      infiltrated with normal saline solution in half of the patients and 1% lidocaine
      in the remaining patients. Postoperative emetic sequelae occurred significantly
      more often in those who received lidocaine compared with the group that received
      saline solution. This demonstrates the ability of a local anesthetic administered
      at the point of stimulation to block the antiemetic action of P6 acupuncture in a
      manner similar to that shown by others for analgesia.

PMID- 1855356
TI  - Cocaine reduction in unmotivated crack users using carbamazepine versus placebo
      in a short-term, double-blind crossover design.
AB  - On the basis of cocaine-caused kindling in animals and the usefulness of
      carbamazepine in treating kindling-type seizures, carbamazepine has been tried in
      clinical settings with cocaine-dependent individuals. This report presents
      findings of a 20-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 32
      nontreatment-motivated, paid, chronic crack cocaine users. Carbamazepine
      significantly lowered the mean number of positive urine specimens compared with
      placebo. Of clinical importance, serum carbamazepine levels of 4 micrograms/ml
      (17 mumol/L) or more were associated with greater improvement. A consistent,
      clinically important trend linked therapeutic levels with improvement for all
      subjective and objective outcome variables. Comparison of daily acknowledged
      cocaine use or professed cocaine abstinence, with cocaine use indicated by daily
      urinalysis in these chronic cocaine users, has suggested the possibility of
      cocaine saturation as an important methodologic limitation inherent in outpatient
      studies of cocaine use in humans.

PMID- 1855358
TI  - Measurement of properties and function of skin.
AB  - Dermatologists and skin biologists have traditionally approached the diagnosis of
      skin diseases by either a very gross measurement of its physical state, i.e. a
      skin pinch, or at the other extreme by being concerned with the cellular and sub
      cellular organisation of the skin. Recently, using methods often borrowed from
      materials science, techniques have been developed and used to aid the
      investigation of the changes that occur with disease and ageing, for example. A
      review of these methods developed to study the structure and function of skin by
      the physical scientists working in close collaboration with dermatologists,
      pathologists and skin biologists is presented.

PMID- 1855357
TI  - Enalapril effects on alcohol intake and other consummatory behaviors in
      alcoholics.
AB  - Animal studies suggest that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors decrease
      alcohol intake. In a double-blind crossover study 42 normotensive alcoholics (36
      men and six women) aged 24 to 65 years, consuming 8.2 +/- 2.3 (mean +/- SD)
      standard alcoholic drinks per day, were randomized to enalapril, 10 mg/day (n =
      20) or 20 mg/day (n = 22), and placebo for 4 weeks. They monitored their daily
      alcohol intake and attended biweekly assessments, but no other treatment or
      advice was given. Compliance and alcohol intake were verified objectively. Mean
      daily alcoholic drinks were not significantly different during 10 mg/day
      enalapril (mean +/- SEM, 7.5 +/- 0.5), and its placebo (7.2 +/- 0.5), but both
      decreased from baseline (8.1 +/- 0.5; both p less than 0.05). Similarly, mean
      daily drinks during 20 mg/day enalapril (6.8 +/- 0.6) and its placebo (7.2 +/-
      0.4) was not significantly different, but both were lower than baseline (8.3 +/-
      0.5; both p less than 0.01). Fourteen (64%) of the patients taking 20 mg/day
      enalapril decreased alcohol intake from placebo by an average of 21% (range, 1.6%
      to 78.3%). Self-ratings of interest, desire, craving, and liking for alcohol also
      decreased from baseline during enalapril and placebo treatments, but the effects
      of both were similar. Plasma renin activity increased, compared with placebo,
      after 10 mg/day enalapril (from 0.3 +/- 0.2 [mean +/- SD] to 1.9 +/- 1.5
      ng/L/sec) and after 20 mg/day enalapril (from 0.4 +/- 0.3 to 2.8 +/- 4.0
      ng/L/sec) (both p less than 0.05). Blood pressure decreased within a normotensive
      range, compared with placebo, with 10 mg/day enalapril (by 6.0 and 8.5 mm Hg
      systolic and diastolic blood pressures) and 20 mg/day enalapril (by 7.7 and 5.0
      mm Hg, respectively). Side effects were few and mild. No patient characteristic
      or drug effect correlated with changes in alcohol intake. There were no
      significant variations in nonalcoholic beverages, cigarette smoking, or body
      weight. These results indicate that enalapril does not alter alcohol intake in
      normotensive alcoholics with normal plasma renin activity. Studies with higher
      doses of enalapril in humans may be limited by increased frequency and severity
      of side effects.

PMID- 1855359
TI  - Acoustic reflectometry for airway measurement. Principles, limitations and
      previous work.
AB  - Acoustic pulse reflectometry is a relatively recent technique which allows the
      non-invasive measurement of human airways. The technique consists of guiding an
      acoustic impulse through the subject's mouth and into the airway. Suitable
      analysis of the resulting reflection (the 'echo') allows a reconstruction of the
      area-distance function. The non-invasive nature of the technique offers
      significant advantages over the established methods of x-ray cephalometry and CT
      scanning, and makes it very attractive for the investigation of ENT problems and
      sleep apnoea, and in the anaesthetic management of patients. This paper describes
      the theory and limitations of acoustic reflectometry, discusses previous work,
      and suggests some modifications: it is currently being implemented clinically.

PMID- 1855360
TI  - Burn wound evaporation--measurement of body fluid loss by probe evaporimeter and
      weight change.
AB  - A knowledge of the rate of fluid loss from the body is a useful aid in planning
      treatment of patients with severe burns. Different methods for obtaining this
      data have been investigated. Evaporation rates recorded from a probe evaporimeter
      have been compared with gravimetric measurements. The evaporimeter underestimated
      evaporation, especially at high levels, but could be calibrated against known
      evaporation rates. Estimates of whole-body fluid loss have been made from
      calibrated evaporimeter data and results compared with measurements of fluid loss
      by weight change for three patients. Problems with assessing whole-body
      evaporation rates in the clinical environment are highlighted. Weight change
      gives a more accurate assessment of total body fluid loss, but considerable
      effort is necessary to record all relevant information. Probe evaporimeter
      measurements are simple to perform and allow local evaporation rates to be
      estimated, but results should be treated with caution. Evaporation rates from
      wounds of 17 patients with severe burns have been evaluated in terms of surface
      diffusion resistances. The diffusion resistances of some burn wounds increased
      with time, but many did not change significantly during the first ten days after
      injury, and there was considerable variation with burn type and severity.

PMID- 1855361
TI  - The resolution of transcranial Doppler scanning: a method for in vitro
      evaluation.
AB  - The circle of Willis may be examined using low frequency pulsed Doppler
      ultrasound transmitted through the thin squamous temporal bone or 'acoustic
      windows' of the skull. The thickness and shape of these windows affect the
      characteristics of the ultrasound beam and partly determine the spatial
      resolution of transcranial Doppler scanning. We have studied the effects of
      temporal bone on the ultrasound beam and sample volume characteristics of the EME
      Transcan 2 MHz transducer using a stepper motor, computer-controlled ultrasound
      plotting system. The lateral and axial spatial dimensions of the sample volume,
      and a direct estimate of the lateral resolution of the system, were determined at
      various depths of interest using Doppler targets. The results in this initial
      study of a small number of specimens indicates a decrease in sample width, and
      hence an increase in lateral resolution, presumably due to the lensing effect of
      the skull cusping. The estimated lateral resolution of the system is of the order
      of 4 mm.

PMID- 1855362
TI  - Method for evaluation of the urethral closure mechanism in women during
      standardised changes of cross-sectional area.
AB  - A method for evaluation of the closure mechanism in the female urethra during
      forced opening has been developed and tested. The cross-sectional area (CA) of
      the tube and the intraluminal pressure were measured simultaneously by a
      specially designed balloon catheter. The method enables induction of standardised
      changes of CA at different rates. Applied in the female urethra the induction
      results in a distinct pressure response which increases with increasing rate of
      change of CA as well as size of the induction. The inflation of the balloon
      simulates a forced opening of the urethra and hence leakage. Obviously, urinary
      incontinence takes place at forced opening of the urethra. Accordingly, this
      novel method can give important information on the pathophysiology of stress
      urinary incontinence in particular and the physiology of sphincter functions in
      general.

PMID- 1855363
TI  - Closed loop blood pressure control for cerebral perfusion studies.
AB  - A method is presented which maintains mean arterial blood pressure at
      predetermined values during cerebrovascular occlusion studies in a rat model. The
      system consists of a pressure measurement apparatus, a pump capable of infusing
      and withdrawing fluids, and a personal computer to control the infusion and
      withdrawal rate. An evaluation of the system is presented, and potential
      advantages and difficulties are discussed.

PMID- 1855364
TI  - A Doppler signal simulator.
AB  - A simulated Doppler signal generator has been developed using computer controlled
      band-pass filtering of a broad-band noise source. The instrument may be used to
      generate simulated Doppler signals of known spectral characteristics in order to
      test Doppler signal analysers.

PMID- 1855365
TI  - The retrieval, storage, numerical and graphical trending of data from an Ohmeda
      3700e pulse oximeter by personal computer.
AB  - A suite of computer programs are described to facilitate the transfer, disc
      storage, graphical trending and statistical analysis of data from an Ohmeda 3700e
      pulse oximeter. The programs are written in GWBASIC and designed to operate on a
      low cost IBM PC or compatible personal computer. The programs have been proved to
      be clinically useful in determining response to therapy as discerned from the
      long-term monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation. The computerised system is
      superior to analogue display system, such as a chart recorder, since it provides
      a logical method of presentation and analysis of data from long term monitoring.

PMID- 1855366
TI  - Is there a future for engineering in medicine?

PMID- 1855368
TI  - Atypical pneumonia syndromes.

PMID- 1855367
TI  - A pattern-oriented approach to chest radiographs in atypical pneumonia syndromes.
AB  - The differential diagnosis of the atypical pneumonia syndrome is facilitated by
      recognition of the chest radiographic pattern. Both infectious and noninfectious
      entities should be considered: clinical criteria may be used to exclude unlikely
      diseases and to construct an ordered list of possible causes.

PMID- 1855369
TI  - Infections with Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR.
AB  - Chlamydia pneumoniae has recently been recognized as an important cause of
      respiratory tract disease, including atypical pneumonia. Serosurveys suggest that
      C. pneumoniae is endemic in most countries and is capable of causing outbreaks
      and epidemics of pneumonia, especially in countries where the antibody prevalence
      is relatively low. The population incidence of infection appears to be cyclical,
      with approximately 4-year cycles in the US (Seattle) and 6-year cycles in Denmark
      having been demonstrated. Pneumonia caused by the organism is unusual in young
      children in developed countries but may be an important cause of lower
      respiratory infections among children in developing and tropical countries. In
      otherwise healthy adults, C. pneumoniae pneumonia usually can be treated
      effectively on an outpatient basis. Patients with C. pneumoniae pneumonia often
      have a gradual onset of symptoms: a sore throat and hoarseness followed by a
      cough. Auscultatory and radiographic findings usually are prominent, even in
      patients with mild disease, and a cough and malaise may persist for several weeks
      or more after appropriate therapy. Microimmunofluorescence serologic testing is
      available in only a few laboratories. However, the new HL cell line holds promise
      of making culture and isolation of C. pneumoniae more widely available. Questions
      remain about the routes of transmission of C. pneumoniae, its incubation period,
      its role in lower respiratory disease in children in developing countries, the
      optimal antibiotic therapy, the existence and importance of chronic and latent C.
      pneumoniae infections, and the organism's association with nonrespiratory tract
      disease.

PMID- 1855370
TI  - Legionella infection.
AB  - As specialized laboratory tests became more widely available, Legionella species
      were found to be common causes of nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia.
      Patients with chronic lung disease and organ transplants are at greatest risk.
      Clinical manifestations are non-specific, although fever greater than 39 degrees
      C and diarrhea are common. Erythromycin remains the antibiotic of choice,
      although many alternative agents are available. Once cases are discovered, a
      search for the organism in water distribution systems and respiratory equipment
      can be fruitful. Disinfection of water distribution systems by superheating and
      flushing or by hyperchlorination is feasible.

PMID- 1855371
TI  - Aspiration pneumonia.
AB  - The clinical presentation and course of chemical pneumonitis after inhalation of
      gastric contents ranges from mild and self-limited to severe and life
      threatening, depending on the nature of the aspirate and the underlying condition
      of the host. In the absence of witnessed inhalation of vomit, diagnosis is
      difficult and requires a high index of suspicion in a patient who has risk
      factors for aspiration. In the absence of an obvious predisposition, the abrupt
      onset of a self-limited illness characterized by dyspnea, cyanosis, and low-grade
      fever associated with diffuse rales, hypoxemia, and alveolar infiltrates in
      dependent lobes should suggest aspiration. Treatment consists of supportive care
      with high-flow oxygen and volume replacement. Bacteria usually play no role in
      the initial lung injury, and antibiotics should be withheld until there is
      evidence of superinfection. Prophylactic corticosteroids should not be used.
      Preventive measures should be employed in patients at high risk for aspiration.
      Patients with unexplained chronic respiratory syndromes should be evaluated for
      gastric regurgitation and aspiration.

PMID- 1855372
TI  - Atypical pneumonia and environmental factors. Where have you been and what have
      you done?
AB  - The wide variety of conditions described in this paper emphasizes the potential
      importance of occupational, environmental, travel, and avocational history in the
      correct diagnosis of lung disease (Table 3). The focus of attention in this paper
      is quite clearly North America and other developed countries. To expand this
      discussion to include illnesses limited to the underdeveloped regions of the
      world would require a treatise of tropical and geographic medicine. Many times,
      these "exotic" circumstances can be dismissed in relatively short order. Detailed
      interrogation of a sick patient with pneumonia will be impossible in many cases.
      Nevertheless, if the clinical picture does not fall rapidly in line with the more
      common causes of pneumonia, consideration of these "unusual" causes of the
      syndrome may be essential.

PMID- 1855373
TI  - Slowly resolving, chronic, and recurrent pneumonia.
AB  - Slowly resolving, chronic, and recurrent pneumonias are clinical patterns that
      are often misunderstood and mistreated. This article reviews the natural history,
      clinical presentation, roentgenography, bacteriology, and relation to underlying
      illnesses of each of these atypical forms of community-acquired pneumonia.
      Standard definitions are presented and provide the physician with a means to
      classify the pneumonias. Appropriate diagnostic evaluation and therapy are also
      discussed.

PMID- 1855374
TI  - Atypical manifestations of pneumonia in the elderly.
AB  - This article focuses on the features of common lower respiratory-tract infections
      in the elderly, specifically those age-associated physiologic and immunologic
      changes that alter the classic clinical picture of infection. Attention is
      directed at the epidemiology and clinical features of pneumonia in community,
      institutionalized, and hospitalized individuals. Those treatment factors unique
      to an elderly patient are discussed.

PMID- 1855375
TI  - Community-acquired fungal diseases.
AB  - The endemic mycoses--histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and coccidioidomycosis-pose a
      common problem in the differential diagnosis of the atypical pneumonia syndrome.
      Careful exposure-and-travel history frequently serves as a strong clue to aid
      diagnosis. Careful interpretation of serologic data may be useful but seldom
      timely. In critically ill patients, invasive diagnostic tests are frequently
      needed.

PMID- 1855376
TI  - Tuberculosis and the atypical pneumonia syndrome.
AB  - Literature over the last 30 years has warned of the atypical or unusual
      characteristics of pulmonary TB. Shifts in the demographic distribution of the
      disease in the US are ascribed in part to the occurrence of HIV disease outbreaks
      in group settings, and to recent influxes of immigrants from developing
      countries. Unsuspected pulmonary TB is particularly common among the elderly.
      Socioeconomic categories not traditionally thought of as being high risk also are
      affected. In the low-risk setting, TB can be treacherous because misdiagnosis is
      likely. Tuberculosis is a great mimicker, and it can appear to be any acute
      community-acquired pneumonia such as atypical pneumonia. Symptoms and signs are
      few. A high index of awareness is therefore essential. The approach to atypical
      pneumonia emphasizes the need to include TB in the differential diagnosis to be
      aware of the total disease spectrum of TB and understand the risk factors. The
      atypical pneumonia syndrome is only a portion of the clinical spectrum of TB.

PMID- 1855377
TI  - Noninfectious pulmonary diseases masquerading as community-acquired pneumonia.
AB  - A wide spectrum of pulmonary disorders may manifest clinical and radiographic
      features consistent with infectious pneumonitis. Bronchiolitis obliterans,
      eosinophilic pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pulmonary vasculitis,
      alveolar hemorrhage, and alveolar proteinosis all may be difficult to distinguish
      from community-acquired pneumonia. The salient clinical features of these
      disorders are reviewed in this article. In addition, specific diagnostic and
      therapeutic approaches that may aid in differentiating these unusual diseases
      from the pulmonary infections they mimic are outlined.

PMID- 1855378
TI  - Oral antibiotics for pneumonia.
AB  - The majority of patients presenting with community-acquired pneumonia can be
      treated with oral antibiotics and can be managed successfully as outpatients.
      Oral-antibiotic selection requires a knowledge of the classes of antibiotics
      available, utility of diagnostic testing, epidemiology of pneumonia, and a
      rational approach to empiric therapy when a cause cannot be immediately
      identified. These topics are reviewed, with the goal improved therapeutic
      efficacy in the oral treatment of pneumonia.

PMID- 1855379
TI  - Contraceptive female sterilization in Alabama: a replication of the WHO study.
AB  - The prevalence of female sterilization for contraceptive purposes has grown
      rapidly throughout the world, and is especially high in the United States. Yet
      the psychosocial impact of female sterilization is incompletely understood. Much
      of the previous research has been retrospective and has lacked comparison groups
      of women using other methods. Better designed, prospective studies have been
      needed, and the World Health Organization's Collaborative Prospective Study of
      Female Sterilization was conducted to address this need. No evidence was found in
      the WHO study of a significant impact of tubal ligation compared to other
      contraceptive methods on mental health, menstruation, or sexual satisfaction. The
      present study, a replication of the WHO study, compared 323 Alabama women
      undergoing elective contraceptive sterilization with 318 women using other
      techniques to control fertility. In general, the results supported the WHO study
      conclusions. Although sterilization produced a small increase in menstrual
      distress in Alabama, there were no significant differences between sterilization
      and comparison women in mental health or sexual satisfaction.

PMID- 1855380
TI  - Contraceptive efficacy of lactational amenorrhea in urban Chilean women.
AB  - The contraceptive efficacy of breastfeeding was assessed in 236 healthy urban
      women who were followed at monthly intervals during the first postpartum year.
      Proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the influence of time
      postpartum, menstrual status and breastfeeding pattern upon the risk of
      pregnancy. Time and menstrual status had a highly significant effect on this
      risk. Those women who remained in amenorrhea had cumulative probabilities of
      pregnancy of 0.9% and 17% at 6 and 12 months postpartum, respectively. In those
      who recovered menstrual cycles, the risk rose to 36% and 55% at 6 and 12 months,
      respectively. Milk supplementation also increased significantly the risk when
      considered alone but not when time and/or menstrual status were included in the
      analysis. However, amenorrheic women who introduced bottle feeding, had a higher
      risk of pregnancy after 6 months postpartum than those who remained fully
      nursing. The analysis was unable to detect a significant influence of the nursing
      frequency. The results confirm that lactational amenorrhea is an effective
      contraceptive during the first six months postpartum. The first postpartum
      bleeding marks a great increase in the risk of pregnancy. Supplementation also
      increases the risk, particularly in amenorrheic women.

PMID- 1855381
TI  - A pilot study on family spacing attitudes and practices in rural Gezira.
AB  - The attitudes towards, and practice of, modern contraception among the rural
      population of the Gezira area of the Sudan were analyzed using a structured
      questionnaire. This was part of a comprehensive community survey carried out by
      the Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira, Sudan, as part of a rural
      development program. Eight villages belonging to the Sennar Sugar Scheme were
      included in the survey. The result showed a low percentage of contraceptive users
      in all villages. The main reasons given by mothers for not using contraceptives
      were that contraceptives were against religion, mothers had not heard about them,
      mothers wanted more children, and contraceptives were not available. These
      villages were also characterized by high illiteracy rate and large family size.
      There is a need for health education concerning child spacing. This should be
      combined with religious education by religious leaders to remove
      misunderstandings concerning modern contraceptive use. Adult education programs,
      especially for females, will also have an impact.

PMID- 1855382
TI  - Parsimonious systems description for predictive modeling in cardiovascular
      medicine.

PMID- 1855383
TI  - Action of low-intensity laser radiation on Escherichia coli.
AB  - The review deals with quantitative laws of monochromatic visible light action on
      the cellular level, as well as with the primary photoacceptors and possible light
      signal transduction chains in bacterial cell Escherichia coli WP2 trp-.
      Experiments described in this paper are a part of experimental work performed for
      explaining the molecular mechanism of low-intensity laser therapy. The existence
      of certain parameters of light (dose, intensity, pulse repetition rate,
      monochromaticity within the absorbtion bandwidth of biomolecules) for stimulation
      of E. coli WP2 metabolism has been established. The necessity for a certain
      physiological state of bacteria cells sensitive to irradiation has been shown.
      The sensitivity of bacteria to irradiation with monochromatic visible light has
      been proposed to be a delta pH-dependent genetic process.

PMID- 1855384
TI  - Human postural dynamics.
AB  - The study of posture dynamics is important not only to understand disorders of
      impaired equilibrium and protective reactions to unexpected displacements of the
      human body, but also to the design of prosthesis and functional neuromuscular
      stimulation as aids to patients with impaired postural stability and locomotion.
      Coordinated control of the body segments is a complex aspect of motor behavior,
      owing to the multiple degrees of freedom of the controlled system. Several
      interacting subsystems are involved in the dynamics of human posture and
      locomotion, including the skeletal, neuromuscular, and sensory systems. Human
      posture control is maintained by somatosensory, vestibular, and visual feedback,
      integrated within the locomotor and central nervous systems. Studies of posture
      dynamics and stability therefore entail the study of mechanical aspects of the
      human body, its sensory systems, and the principles governing coordination in
      motion control. In this paper is reviewed some of the research done in the field
      of human posture dynamics, including such topics as biomechanics, equilibrium,
      stability, motion coordination, neural feedback, neural control systems modeling,
      motion strategies, optimality of motion, and adaptation. We consider experimental
      approaches and theoretical models, as well as the gap between them. Principles
      for the experimental investigation of control systems are considered.

PMID- 1855385
TI  - Centric-fusion translocation and whole-arm heterochromatin in the karyotype of
      the blue fox (Alopex lagopus L.): synaptonemal complex analysis.
AB  - Conventional observations of mitotic chromosomes from two male blue foxes,
      revealing a centric-fusion translocation and whole-arm heterochromatin, were
      verified by synaptonemal complex analysis. This analysis revealed that the
      centric fusion had been preceded by a conspicuous loss of chromosome material in
      the two one-armed chromosomes involved, but the chromosomal origin of the centric
      fusion kinetochore could not be established. The nontranslocated chromosomes of
      the trivalent, which in all cells but one were in cis configuration, had reached
      by early pachytene a stage in which almost complete homologous pairing and
      nonhomologous association or pairing of the free ends of the chromosomes could be
      observed. In later stages, complete pairing of the nontranslocated chromosomes
      with the corresponding arms of the centric-fusion translocation was seen
      occasionally. One to six autosomal bivalents demonstrated unpaired
      heterochromatic arms in early pachytene, and the heterochromatic chromosome arms
      were sometimes unpaired even in late pachytene. Some of them showed a distinct
      size heteromorphism in late zygotene and early pachytene. In most late-pachytene
      cells, however, the heteromorphic chromosomes were completely length-adjusted.
      Only a small fraction of the cells showed pairing interference between
      nonhomologous chromosomes.

PMID- 1855386
TI  - A t(X;15)(q23;q25) with Xq reactivation in a lymphoblastoid cell line from
      Fanconi anemia.
AB  - A t(X:15)(q23;q25) was detected during cytogenetic investigation of a
      lymphoblastoid cell line established from a female patient with Fanconi anemia.
      The translocation was apparently balanced at passage 300 and unbalanced at
      passage 13. A chromatid exchange between both the normal and the der(15), between
      the centromere and band 15q25, may explain these results. Replication studies,
      following BrdU incorporation, indicate that the segment Xq23----qter from the
      der(15) is early replicating whereas segment Xpter----q23 from the der(X) is late
      replicating. Since the normal X was early replicating, it is concluded that the
      segment of the long arm of chromosome X, separated from its inactivation center
      by the translocation, was reactivated. This interpretation is confirmed by the
      methylation patterns of the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase gene (HPRT),
      mapped on Xq26, which corresponds to that of an active gene, whereas that of
      phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK1), which remained on the der(X), corresponds to that
      of an inactive gene. This is the first example of reactivation of a segment of
      the X chromosome following a structural rearrangement in somatic cells.

PMID- 1855387
TI  - A fluorescence in situ hybridization technique for retrospective cytogenetic
      analysis.
AB  - Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is being used increasingly in clinical
      practice; however, current FISH techniques require fresh material, and there is
      considerable variation in hybridization efficiency between laboratories. We have
      modified a FISH technique described by Pinkel et al. (1986) that works not only
      on freshly G-banded material but also on cytogenetic preparations ranging in age
      from 2 wk to 12 yr. We have tested this technique on several centromeric alphoid
      satellite probes (D1Z5, D7Z1, D17Z1, DXZ1, and DYZ3) and one noncentromeric
      minisatellite probe (D1Z2). Our average hybridization efficiency on freshly
      banded preparations for these probes is consistently greater than 90%. The
      combination of higher efficiency and the ability to perform hybridization on
      previously G-banded material makes this a valuable technique for retrospective
      analyses.

PMID- 1855388
TI  - DNA sequences surrounding the centromere of chromosome 21.
AB  - The mapping and sequencing of two clones that surround the centromere of
      chromosome 21 are presented. These clones specify the most proximal known low
      order repeat on 21p (p21-7D) and the most proximal known single-copy sequence on
      21q (pUT-B37 at locus D21S120).

PMID- 1855389
TI  - Fine mapping of human 5S rRNA genes to chromosome 1q42.11----q42.13.
AB  - The human 5S rRNA genes have been localized by in situ hybridization to metaphase
      chromosomes. Tritiated RNA probes were made by transcription from 2.300-bp and
      638-bp DNA fragments containing an isolated human 5S rRNA gene. Hybridization to
      metaphase spreads from a balanced reciprocal translocation carrier,
      46,XX.t(1:7)(q42.13;p11.1), showed that the 5S rRNA genes were entirely localized
      on the normal and the derivative chromosome 1. This narrows the chromosome
      position of the major fraction of 5S rRNA genes and pseudogenes to the region
      1q42.11----q42.13.

PMID- 1855390
TI  - Localization of the human gene for 230-kDal bullous pemphigoid autoantigen
      (BPAG1) to chromosome 6pter----q15.
AB  - Chromosome mapping of the human gene encoding the 230-kDal autoantigen of an
      autoimmune skin disease, bullous pemphigoid, was performed using flow-sorted
      human chromosomes of cells of normal karyotype and cells carrying a reciprocal
      translocation t(6;16)(q15;q24). The cDNA of the autoantigen hybridized with
      intact chromosome 6 and translocation chromosome 6p- (6pter----q15::16q24---
      qter). The gene (BPA230) was located to the chromosome region 6pter----q15.

PMID- 1855391
TI  - The gene for human growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF) maps to or near
      chromosome 20p12.
AB  - Growth hormone-releasing factor (GHRF), a hypothalamic releasing factor also
      named somatocrinin, influences the secretion and synthesis of growth hormone.
      Human GHRF is encoded by a single gene which was assigned to chromosome 20 by dot
      blot analysis of DNA from dual laser sorted chromosomes. Using a radioactive cDNA
      probe, we localized the GHRF gene to chromosome 20p12 or near band 20p12.

PMID- 1855392
TI  - Comparison of RBG-banded karyotypes of cattle, sheep, and goats.
AB  - The karyotypes of the three main domestic Bovidae species. Bos taurus, Ovis
      aries, and Capra hircus, have been investigated by RBG-banding. Primary
      fibroblast cells were cultured from fetal lung or muscle tissue and collected for
      chromosome preparation after double thymidine synchronization. Depending on the
      culture and species, BrdU and FdU were added for 8-11 h or 7-10 h, respectively,
      before harvest. The chromosomes of the three species were classified and numbered
      according to standard conventions (ISCNDA, 1989) and compared at different stages
      of condensation. Within the resolving power of the images obtained, the RBG
      banding patterns appear to be very similar, with only minor differences existing
      between chromosome 9 and the sex chromosomes of cattle and the same chromosomes
      in the domestic sheep and the goat.

PMID- 1855393
TI  - Achiasmatic giant sex chromosomes in the vole Microtus cabrerae (Rodentia,
      Microtidae).
AB  - Conventional and microspread preparations of Microtus cabrerae spermatocytes were
      made to investigate the chromosomes of this species. Three different types of Y
      chromosomes, varying in size of the heterochromatic block, were observed; they
      were alike, however, in regard to synapsis, which was consistently absent. Our
      results suggest that the heterochromatic blocks are not involved in the lack of
      synapsis and that asynapsis is a cytological feature common to all species of the
      family Microtidae. In addition, the co-aligned configuration of the ends of the
      sex-chromosome axes of this species and the lack of silver-stainable threads or
      filaments connecting them suggest the existence of two mechanisms for association
      of the sex chromosomes during prophase I and metaphase I: attachment of the ends
      of both sex chromosome axes to the nuclear envelope and heterochromatin
      "stickiness."

PMID- 1855394
TI  - Confirmation, via in situ hybridization, of the occurrence of Robertsonian
      translocations during lemur evolution by localization of GLUDP1 DNA sequences on
      lemur chromosomes.
AB  - A human genomic DNA sequence derived from glutamate dehydrogenase pseudogene 1
      was used as a probe for in situ hybridization to the chromosomes of three lemur
      species, Eulemur fulvus mayottensis (EFU), E. macaco macaco (EMA), and E.
      coronatus (ECO). This sequence, which is 98% homologous to the nucleotide
      sequence of the gene for human glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD), was found on
      homologous bands of three morphologically similar chromosome segments, EFU14,
      EMA5p, and ECO8q, confirming that different Robertsonian translocations occurred
      during the evolution of these three species. These loci on the lemur chromosomes
      probably correspond to the human GLUD locus.

PMID- 1855395
TI  - American College of Chest Physicians. 57th annual scientific assembly. November 4
      8, 1991, San Francisco. Abstracts.

PMID- 1855396
TI  - Juvenile ageism: unrecognized prejudice and discrimination against the young.
AB  - Ageism is a form of prejudice and discrimination as virulent as racism and as
      pervasive as sexism. It has been described as it affects the elderly but has not
      been sufficiently recognized as it affects the young. Institutional juvenile
      ageism exists when social systems ignore the interests of children. Individual
      juvenile ageism exists when the developmental interests of a child are not
      respected. This article describes the dynamics, manifestations, and approaches to
      the amelioration of juvenile ageism.

PMID- 1855397
TI  - Psychological interventions after child and adolescent disasters in the
      community.
AB  - This paper describes how a community mental health center responded to requests
      in dealing with disasters which impacted on communities it serves. Two events are
      described which illustrate the theoretical understanding and practical
      interventions utilized. These aspects are examined in the context of selected
      publications on the mental health aspects of disasters.

PMID- 1855399
TI  - Suicidal behavior among psychiatric outpatient children: an estimate of
      prevalence.
AB  - The prevalence of suicidal behaviors displayed by pre-adolescent psychiatric
      outpatients has been estimated to range between 25 percent and 33 percent of the
      outpatient population. The current study assessed suicidal behaviors displayed by
      40 children aged 12 and younger who were evaluated in a psychiatric outpatient
      service. According to the Pfeffer Spectrum of Suicidal Behavior Scale, 15 percent
      of the sample had recently engaged in some form of suicidal behavior and almost 3
      percent had made a suicide attempt that was viewed as realistically endangering
      life.

PMID- 1855398
TI  - Adolescent bereavement following the death of a parent: an exploratory study.
AB  - Eleven healthy adolescents, ages 13-18, were followed through the year following
      parental death. Semi-structured interviews were used in combination with
      standardized measures to complete in-depth evaluations at 6 weeks, 7 months and
      13 months following parental death. Teacher reports and parent interviews and
      reports provided additional information. Initial responses were characterized by
      intense emotional, cognitive, physical and behavioral reactions associated with
      impaired school performance, strained peer relations, and sleep disturbances.
      Stress related symptoms were prominent and sustained. Overall, subjects reported
      a higher sustained degree of distress than adult children following the loss of a
      parent. Prominent themes are reviewed. Implications and directions for future
      research are discussed.

PMID- 1855400
TI  - Siblings in foster care: success and failure.
AB  - This article reports on a retrospective study of 59 joint placements of siblings
      in foster homes, involving a total of 137 children. An overall picture is
      presented of the agencies' considerations in making these placements. The number
      of prematurely terminated placements in this group amounted to 14 (23.7%).
      Several factors that appear related to premature termination are discussed.

PMID- 1855401
TI  - Children's ability to remember activities performed and imagined: implications
      for testimony.
AB  - This study examined the ability of six year old children to remember activities
      performed or imagined when they are done alone or interactively with another
      person. Results suggest that children remember activities performed better than
      those imagined, both immediately and after an eight week delay. Activities
      performed interactively with another person were remembered better than those
      performed alone after the delay. Children provided fewer responses to open-ended
      than to specific questions, but their responses to open-ended questions were more
      likely to be correct. Responses to questions about events that did not occur were
      quite good initially but accuracy decreased significantly in response to follow
      up probes.

PMID- 1855402
TI  - Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - Fifty-six consecutive patients, 53 males and 3 females aged from 36 to 83 with a
      mean age of 61.0, all with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), were screened for
      anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) by single sampling at time of admission to the
      medical intensive care unit; results were compared with those for age-matched,
      healthy controls. IgM and IgG-ACA were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbant
      assay technique. IgG-ACA were detected in 9 patients (16.1%); IgM-ACA were
      detected in 9 patients (16.1%). Only one of the patients had raised ACA of both
      isotypes. There was on difference in either ACA levels or frequency of ACA
      elevation between patients and controls. Risk factors of coronary artery disease
      showed no significant difference between patients with and without ACA. Low titer
      of IgG-ACA was found in one of ten patients with reinfarction and/or previous
      cerebral infarction. In conclusion, single measurements of anticardiolipin
      antibodies in general AMI patients are unlikely to yield diagnostically important
      information. The implication of occasional significant elevation of such
      antibodies in a general AMI population remains to be speculated.

PMID- 1855403
TI  - [Improvement of the EIA kit for the detection of tetanus immunoglobulin in human
      sera].
AB  - For the program to eliminate tetanus neonatorum in this country, we have improved
      the sensitivity of enzyme immunoassay kit (EIA kit) prepared on 1987 for the
      detection of human tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG) by competitive principle.
      (Chinese J Microbiol Immunol 1987; 20: 269-278) Horse-radish peroxidase
      conjugated to tetanus toxoid monoclonal antibody was involved in the new kit, and
      tetanus hybridoma clones were prepared by this laboratory. The lowest detectable
      TIG level is 0.05 IU/ml serum instead of 0.1 IU/ml serum. The dose-response curve
      and cut-off determination system of the new EIA kit are better than those of the
      original one. We proposed that the newly designed EIA kit could be used for
      understanding the TIG level in women who are in the age group for giving birth
      and in the tetanus vaccination group.

PMID- 1855404
TI  - Anaerobic growth and oxygen toxicity of Rhizopus cultures isolated from starters
      made by solid state fermentation.
AB  - To explore the relationship between Rhizopus growth and its microaerophilic
      characteristics the present study was undertaken. A survey of 18 Rhizopus
      cultures growing in anaerobic or microaerobic condition found that 11 of the
      cultures grew quite well under microaerobic condition, but all the cultures grew
      poorly under absolutely anaerobic condition. Among the 18, 8 showed definitely
      banded mycelial growth below the surface of the medium in the tube. Six of 18
      cultures--RT-1-8, RT-43, RT-46, A-1, C-1, and E-1--grew with much aerial hyphae
      when they were cultivated on media supplemented with different detoxifying agents
      under aerobic condition. These six strains are comparatively sensitive to oxygen
      toxicity (H2O2 or O2- or OH.) under aerobic condition, as many microaerophilic
      bacteria are. There were nine strains whose aerial hyphal growth was greatly
      enhanced by the presence of Aspergillus niger catalase. However, the growth of
      the majority of the cultures was not influenced by supplements of bovine liver
      catalase or bovine liver superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, some Rhizopus
      cultures from the starters exhibited both microaerophilic and aerobic growth. The
      phenomena of growth in low O2 condition, and the subsurface growth of mycelia in
      tubes, may provide a clue to exploitation of the microaerophile-like
      characteristics in some starter molds.

PMID- 1855405
TI  - [Combined methods of dialysis, cooked meat medium enrichment and laboratory
      animal toxicity for screening Clostridium botulinum spores in honey and infant
      food].
AB  - One hundred and fifty two samples of honey were purchased from apiaries and
      markets in Taiwan, meanwhile fifty samples of infant food including powders of
      infant milk, wheat, rice and commercial mixed cereals, as well as juice had been
      bought from supermarkets in Taipei city from July 1988 through April 1989. The
      samples were used for detecting the presence of Clostridium botulinum spores.
      Honey samples were prepared by dialysis to obtain the bacterial spores; however,
      infant food had been innoculated directly into the cooked meat medium. The
      suspicious isolated colonies were identified by Vitek automatic microbial
      identification system. The supernatants of cooked meat medium enrichment were
      performed for typing botulinum toxins via the laboratory animal toxicity test.
      The results showed that two samples of honey contained the spores of C. botulinum
      type B, but none in samples of infant food. The specific response of clinical
      signs in mice, after being administered the supernatant of suspected cultural
      broth, were also observed and described in this article.

PMID- 1855406
TI  - Mouse dander-allergic bronchial asthma--a case report.
AB  - A case of mouse dander-allergic bronchial asthma is reported. A 47-year-old
      female professor of pharmacy has experienced severe chest discomfort, dyspnea and
      wheezing, and itching nose and eyes each time when she contacted with mice in
      recent months although she has done animal (mouse) experiments for many years
      without any difficulty. Those symptoms usually recovered spontaneously after
      removing the mice or using bronchodilator. The causal relationship between mouse
      dander and bronchial asthma was established, in addition to history of exposure,
      by a positive skin test, a strong RAST and overwhelming bronchial provocation
      test. The allergen was identified, by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting to be a 21 Kd
      molecule.

PMID- 1855407
TI  - Critical periods in brain development.
AB  - The growth of the brain after organogenesis can be described as occurring in two
      somewhat overlapping phases: a phase of neuronal multiplication followed by one
      of glial proliferation, during and after which occur myelination and dendritic
      and axonal arborization. Within this gross chronology is a finer-grained
      chronology, with, for instance, different neuronal populations dividing at
      different times. The course of brain development can be affected by a variety of
      factors, the nature and extent of the perturbation dependent on the timing of the
      treatment with respect to stage of brain development. Growth processes completed
      before treatment are unaffected. Only those processes occurring at the time of
      the treatment are affected, plus some later-occurring processes, as a result of a
      cascade of effects. These concepts are examined briefly with reference to
      ionizing radiation, hormones and environmental stimulation and more fully with
      respect to nutrition. Undernutrition appears to depress the rate of all brain
      growth processes contemporaneous with it to the same extent. Whether the effects
      produced are likely to be permanent is discussed, together with the possibility
      that there may be mechanisms that attenuate or compensate for adverse effects.

PMID- 1855408
TI  - Sensitive and vulnerable periods in the development of the visual system.
AB  - In advanced mammals the visual system consists of a number of parallel channels
      for the efficient processing of different aspects of the visual scene. Much of
      the basic anatomical structure of the visual pathway is constructed before birth.
      A wave of maturation sweeps through the system, from the eye to the visual
      cortex, the correct formation of connections depending on precisely timed
      interactions between axons and their targets. Competition between growing axons
      (apparently dependent on spontaneous impulse activity in those axons), cell death
      (partly influenced by competition between those cells' axons), axon withdrawal,
      trophic interactions--these and other mechanisms play a part in constructing the
      visual pathway and laying down basic 'maps' of the visual field before birth.
      Disturbances in such processes might underlie disorders of the genesis of the
      nervous system. At the level of the visual cortex, synaptic plasticity continues
      after birth and may permit cortical neurons to refine their processing capacities
      on the basis of information provided by the visual environment. This makes the
      young animal vulnerable to disturbances of visual experience early in life, which
      can cause virtually irreversible deficits in stereoscopic vision, visual
      resolution and sensitivity to contrast (amblyopia) in adult life.

PMID- 1855409
TI  - Fetal brain development and later schizophrenia.
AB  - Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown cerebral
      ventricular enlargement and a decreased volume of temporal lobe structures in a
      proportion of schizophrenic patients. Neuropathological investigations confirm
      these findings and also show diminished volume of the hippocampus and abnormal
      pre-alpha cell clusters in the parahippocampal gyrus. Compared with controls,
      schizophrenic patients are more likely to have minor physical anomalies, to have
      a history of obstetric complications, and to have been born in the late winter.
      Together the evidence regarding structural brain abnormalities and epidemiology
      suggests that a significant proportion of cases of schizophrenia have their
      origins in fetal or neonatal life. The mechanisms involved in the aberrant
      neurodevelopment remain obscure but some impairment of neuronal migration is an
      appealing hypothesis.

PMID- 1855411
TI  - Early stress and adult emotional reactivity in rhesus monkeys.
AB  - This chapter examines the relationship between early social experiences and
      behavioural and emotional reactivity in adolescence and adulthood that has been
      established through extensive research with rhesus monkeys. Classic studies
      carried out in the 1960s first demonstrated that rearing under conditions of
      social isolation resulted in severe behavioural abnormalities that carried over
      into adulthood. In the 1970s techniques for reversing such isolation-induced
      deficits were developed. More recent studies have examined the long-term
      consequences of more subtle variation in early rearing environments. Monkeys
      reared from birth without mothers but with extensive peer contact develop
      relatively normal social behavioural repertoires and function well in familiar
      and stable social settings. However, peer-reared monkeys display extreme
      behavioural and physiological reactions to environmental challenges, such as
      brief social separation, later in life. In contrast, monkeys reared by unusually
      nurturant foster mothers appear to develop effective strategies for coping with
      subsequent environmental challenges. Some general principles that have emerged
      from these studies with rhesus monkeys will be outlined and their implications
      regarding possible relationships between early social experiences and responses
      to challenge later in life in humans will be discussed.

PMID- 1855410
TI  - Fetal response to intrauterine stress.
AB  - Many human infants are born inappropriately small as a result of stress suffered
      during intrauterine life. Acute reductions in oxygen delivery to fetal tissues
      have therefore been studied in animals so that insight can be obtained into the
      adaptive mechanisms that underlie human developmental abnormalities. It is now
      known that during moderate hypoxic stress fetal arterial blood pressure is
      variably increased while heart rate and cardiac output are depressed; blood
      volume is reduced but cardiac output is redistributed to spare the myocardium,
      brain and adrenal glands at the expense of most other organs. Also a greater
      fraction of oxygen-rich venous blood from the placenta is returned to the heart
      for distribution. Spared organs are those that grow disproportionately well in
      human asymmetrical intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). These cardiovascular
      responses are not fully understood although elevated fetal plasma levels of
      catecholamines and a host of fetal hormones are undoubtedly important. Chemical
      sympathectomy does not abolish the blood flow redistribution phenomenon, which
      implies that autoregulatory effects may be responsible for some of the
      redistribution of blood flow. Fetal hypoxaemia and metabolic abnormalities are
      sequelae often found with human IUGR, suggesting placental exchange defects. IUGR
      placentas appear to have defective transport mechanisms for many nutrients.
      Animal studies suggest that the placenta will give priority to its own needs over
      those of the fetus, when necessary, to support its own growth and function.

PMID- 1855412
TI  - Childhood experiences and adult psychosocial functioning.
AB  - Various studies have shown statistically significant associations between adverse
      experiences in childhood and abnormal psychosocial functioning in early adult
      life. It should not be assumed that this finding necessarily means an enduring
      effect of early experience. Part of the explanation is that adverse environments
      tend to be persistent and, hence, that what is being reflected is simply
      continuity in risk factors. But even when such continuity is taken into account,
      substantial associations over time remain. Using data from two long-term
      longitudinal studies a variety of possible mediating mechanisms are considered
      and shown to be operative. These include: an immediate effect leading to
      emotional/behavioural disturbance in childhood that then persists into adult life
      (this mechanism may be more important than appreciated hitherto, because
      heterotypic continuity has concealed the strength of the persistence of
      disturbance); one risk environment increasing the likelihood of occurrence of a
      second, different risk environment; the establishment of patterns of behaviour
      that bring about later risk environments; and the development of an increased
      vulnerability to later risk environments.

PMID- 1855413
TI  - Prolegomena to a model of continuity and change in behavioural development.
AB  - It is now widely acknowledged that personality and behaviour are shaped in large
      measure by interactions between the person and the environment. There are many
      kinds of interaction but we suggest that three types play particularly important
      roles both in sustaining behavioural continuity across the life course and in
      guiding the trajectory of the life course itself. Reactive interaction occurs
      when different individuals exposed to the same environment experience it,
      interpret it and react to it differently. Evocative interaction occurs when an
      individual's personality evokes distinctive responses from others. Proactive
      interaction occurs when individuals select or create environments of their own.
      Within this framework we also examine systematic change and turning points in
      behavioural development. We have recently advanced a paradoxical theory
      suggesting that behavioural continuities are especially likely to be evident
      during periods of social discontinuity; that is, dispositional factors influence
      behaviour most when individuals enter new situations and assume new statuses.
      This model receives empirical support from both experimental and longitudinal
      correlational research. The model also presents interesting implications for our
      understanding of turning points in behavioural development: to effect change in
      the life course, new situations must eliminate old options and create new
      opportunities. Convergent evidence from experimental and naturalistic designs is
      introduced to support this claim.

PMID- 1855414
TI  - The intrauterine environment and adult cardiovascular disease.
AB  - Two recent findings suggest that maternal nutrition, and fetal and infant growth,
      have an important effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease in adult life. (1)
      Among 5225 men who were born in Hertfordshire, England during 1911-1930 and who
      were breast fed, those who had the lowest weights at birth and at one year had
      the highest death rates from cardiovascular disease. The differences were large
      and were reflected in differences in life expectancy. (2) In England and Wales
      there is a close geographical association between high death rates from
      cardiovascular disease, and poor maternal physique and health, and poor fetal
      growth. These findings raise the question of what processes link the intrauterine
      and early postnatal environment with risk of cardiovascular disease. Blood
      pressure, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is one link. A recent
      study of 449 men and women now aged 50 showed that measurements at birth
      predicted blood pressure more strongly than current measures such as body mass.
      Levels of clotting factors in the blood and serum cholesterol (two other risk
      factors) may also be links.

PMID- 1855415
TI  - Programming by early nutrition in man.
AB  - Whether early diet influences long-term health or achievement is a key question
      in nutrition. Such long-term consequences would invoke the concept of
      'programming'--a more general process whereby a stimulus or insult at a critical
      period of development has lasting or lifelong significance. Data from small
      mammals and primates show that early nutrition may have potentially important
      long-term effects, for example on blood lipids, plasma insulin, obesity,
      atherosclerosis, behaviour and learning. Corresponding studies in man have been
      largely retrospective and difficult to interpret. The preterm infant is however
      an important model for human research because formal random assignment to early
      diet is practical. A large prospective randomized multicentre study has been
      undertaken on 926 preterm infants to test the hypothesis that early diet
      influences long-term outcome. Diets included human milk, standard formula and
      nutrient-enriched preterm formula. The diet consumed for on average the first
      month post partum had a major impact on subsequent developmental attainment,
      growth and allergic status in early childhood. That such a brief period of
      dietary manipulation has lasting significance implies that the neonatal period is
      critical for nutrition after preterm birth. These data may have broader
      implications for human nutrition.

PMID- 1855416
TI  - Programming of cholesterol metabolism by breast or formula feeding.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that breast or formula feeding and cholesterol intake
      during the neonatal period influence cholesterol metabolism and arterial fatty
      streaks in young adult baboons. Genetic variation was controlled by randomly
      assigning half-sib sire progeny to a factorial dietary design. We measured serum
      cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations enzymically and
      cholesterol production and bile acid excretion rates isotopically. The bile
      cholesterol saturation index was calculated from enzymic analyses of cholesterol,
      bile salt and phospholipid concentrations in gallbladder bile. Breast-fed baboons
      had higher serum VLDL + LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratios in the early
      postweaning period (six months) until adulthood (7-8 years) than formula-fed
      baboons. In adulthood a high cholesterol diet increased bile acid excretion by
      approximately 40% in formula-fed baboons but did not significantly increase the
      bile acid excretion rate among breast-fed animals. Adult baboons breast fed as
      infants also had an approximately 8% lower cholesterol production rate than
      formula-fed animals and a 20% higher bile cholesterol saturation index. The level
      of cholesterol in the infant formulas influenced cholesterol metabolism in
      adulthood but not serum lipoprotein concentrations. As young adults, breast-fed
      baboons had more extensive arterial fatty streaks than formula-fed baboons. This
      difference could be accounted for by differences in the lipoprotein ratios. These
      results demonstrate that breast and formula feeding differentially modify
      cholesterol metabolism. This may influence the development of chronic diseases.

PMID- 1855417
TI  - Interactions between early nutrition and the immune system.
AB  - The ontogenetic development of the immune system is a well-defined, almost
      stereotyped event. The anlagen of the human thymus can be distinguished in the
      third and fourth branchial arches in the sixth week of gestation. Several
      distinct responses have been observed in the first trimester of fetal
      development. In addition to genetic factors, environmental influences such as
      nutrition play an important role in influencing the developing human immune
      system. Adverse factors that impair fetal growth hinder immunological maturation
      as well. These include maternal malnutrition, smoking, alcohol and other
      substance abuse, placental insufficiency and infection. The immunocompetence of
      low birth weight infants is compromised; those who are small for gestation show
      persistent immunological impairment for several months, even years. Prolonged
      effects on immune responses can be seen in animal models of fetal malnutrition. A
      second area where interactions occur between dietary factors and the immune
      system is the IgE-mediated allergic response. Those with a family history of
      atopy are at high risk of developing allergic disease in late childhood and adult
      life. The enormous costs of atopic disease in terms of health management and
      physical and emotional isolation have led to attempts at prevention. These
      strategies include restriction of the mother's diet during pregnancy and
      lactation to exclude common allergenic foods and prolonged exclusive breast
      feeding. Casein or whey hydrolysate formulas are advisable in those not breast
      fed.

PMID- 1855418
TI  - Childhood infection and adult disease.
AB  - In England and Wales there is a strong geographical relation between current
      mortality from chronic bronchitis and emphysema in adults and infant mortality
      from bronchitis and pneumonia 50 years ago. Follow-up studies of infants and
      children show that certain pulmonary infections cause persisting abnormalities of
      lung function. This suggests that infection of an organ system during a period of
      rapid growth may have permanent deleterious effects. Long-term consequences of
      infection may also depend on age-related differences in the host response. The
      relationship between age of infection with hepatitis B virus and the likelihood
      of becoming a chronic HBsAg carrier is an example of this. Evidence that the
      common communicable diseases of childhood tend to have occurred late in cases of
      multiple sclerosis hints at similar mechanisms in this disease. The current
      patterns of motor neuron disease mirror the epidemiology of poliovirus infection
      40 years ago both in geographical distribution and in changes over time. The same
      neuronal populations are affected in both these conditions; is there a causal
      link?

PMID- 1855419
TI  - Surgical repair of rectovaginal fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease:
      transvaginal approach.
AB  - The surgical management of rectovaginal fistulas complicating Crohn's disease has
      been associated with unacceptably high failure rates. We sought to modify the
      available surgical techniques to provide a solution to this challenging problem.
      Between December 1983 and January 1990, 14 patients with Crohn's disease
      underwent repair of a rectovaginal fistula. A modified transvaginal approach was
      employed by the authors. A diverting loop ileostomy was performed on all
      patients, either as the initial step in the staged management of intractable
      perianal disease or concurrent with the repair of the rectovaginal fistula. The
      fistula was completely eradicated in 13 of the 14 women and did not recur during
      the mean follow-up period of 55.0 months (range, 3-77 months). Intestinal
      continuity was reestablished in these 13 patients within 6 months after the
      initial fistula repair. One patient with a very low-lying fistula constituted our
      only failure. We have found the transvaginal method preferable to the transanal
      approach because of the relative ease in raising the vaginal flap as compared
      with a flap of fibrotic and inflamed anorectal mucosa. On the basis of this
      study, we conclude that a modified transvaginal approach is an effective method
      for repair of rectovaginal fistulas secondary to Crohn's disease.

PMID- 1855420
TI  - Pilonidal disease: 25 cases treated by the Dufourmentel technique.
AB  - Twenty-five patients with pilonidal disease were treated by the Dufourmentel
      technique between 1984 and 1989. In this series, 18 patients (72 percent) were
      women and 7 (28 percent) were men (mean age, 24 years); hospital stay averaged 4
      days. There were no recurrences and no reports of surgical wound infection.
      Diagnosis was confirmed histologically in all cases.

PMID- 1855421
TI  - Consequences of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for Crohn's colitis.
AB  - Patients with Crohn's colitis are generally not considered candidates for the
      ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) procedure. We reviewed 362 consecutive
      patients undergoing IPAA and analyzed the outcome of this procedure on 25
      patients with a preoperative diagnosis of mucosal ulcerative colitis who were
      subsequently proven to have Crohn's disease. The mean follow-up was 38.1 months.
      Sixteen patients have a functioning pouch, seven have required pouch excision,
      one is diverted, and one has died. Only one of nine patients in whom there was a
      preoperative clinical feature suggestive of Crohn's disease has a functioning
      pouch, with complications uniformly occurring within months of ileostomy closure.
      In contrast, 15 of 16 patients without preoperative features of Crohn's disease
      have maintained their pouch, generally with good results. These data suggest that
      patients in whom there is clinical and pathologic evidence of Crohn's disease do
      very poorly without meaningful symptom-free intervals. However, patients without
      any clinical features of Crohn's disease, despite a histopathologic diagnosis of
      Crohn's colitis, have had a good outcome with IPAA thus far.

PMID- 1855423
TI  - Bacteriology of the anal wound after open hemorrhoidectomy. Qualitative and
      quantitative analysis.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to analyze the size of the bacterial colonies in
      anal wounds after open hemorrhoidectomy. Twenty patients were studied during
      predetermined postoperative time periods. Material was collected from the surface
      and from within the tissue of each patient's three open wounds, intraoperatively,
      on the 6th, 13th and 20th postoperative days for bacteriologic examination in
      aerobic, microaerophilic, and anaerobic media. The bacterium most commonly
      identified was Escherichia coli, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and
      Staphylococcus epidermidis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis,
      Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Proteus mirabilis were also
      identified. Critical indexes of colonization were present since the
      intraoperative stage (greater than 10(5) bacteria/g of tissue and greater than
      10(6) bacteria/ml); obligate anaerobic bacteria were not identified; neither the
      species nor the number of bacteria, even when critical indexes were present,
      prevented proper healing. The same bacteria were not necessarily present on the
      surface and in the tissue; the bacterial load observed among the three wounds
      (left lateral, right posterior, and right anterior), was the same.

PMID- 1855422
TI  - Experimental model of colon cancer: recurrences after surgery alone or associated
      with intraperitoneal 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.
AB  - The liver is the most frequent site of metastases in colon cancer. No good animal
      model has been available to help improve the treatment of liver metastases or
      their prevention after resection of a primary colon cancer. The aim of this study
      was to develop a model of colon cancer induced by azoxymethane in the rat and to
      study the outcome after surgical resection alone or in association with
      intraperitoneal chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Three hundred male Wistar
      rats received subcutaneous azoxymethane (10 mg/kg body weight/week) for 12 weeks.
      Eighty-three rats with isolated colon cancer underwent total colectomy; 40 of
      these rats with no metastases were randomized into two groups: surgery alone or
      surgery plus 5-FU (5 mg/kg body weight/day) for 5 days after surgery. Thirty rats
      were able to be evaluated. At autopsy, peritoneal carcinomatosis and liver
      metastases were more frequent in the control group than after adjuvant treatment
      with 5-FU (27.7 percent vs. 0, P less than 0.05; and 22.2 percent vs. 0, P less
      than 0.05, respectively). The rates of peritoneal and hepatic recurrence after
      resection of the primary cancer indicate that the model mimics the natural
      history of human colon cancer. In this model, 5-FU reduced the rate of peritoneal
      carcinomatosis and liver metastases but did not influence survival.

PMID- 1855424
TI  - Squamous-cell carcinoma of the anal canal: management with combined chemo
      radiation therapy.
AB  - Twenty patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the anal canal received combined
      chemo-radiation therapy as their primary treatment. There were 18 women and two
      men with a mean age of 63 years (range, 34-91 years). The mean follow-up was 34
      months (range, 6-62 months). Anal margin cancers and adenocarcinomas were
      excluded. Fourteen of 20 patients treated had a complete response. There were six
      local failures: three with residual disease at the end of treatment and three
      with recurrent disease at a later date. Of the three with residual disease, one
      underwent abdominoperineal resection and two received salvage therapy (one with
      chemo-radiation and one with radiation alone). All three patients with recurrent
      disease were treated with abdominoperineal resection. All six were disease free
      at the end of the study. Of the 14 patients with complete local response, one
      presented with liver metastases 19 months later. Sixteen patients (80 percent)
      were alive at the end of the study, and 19 patients (95 percent) had no evidence
      of disease. These data add support for salvage therapy in the treatment of
      patients with residual disease following initial chemo-radiation therapy. Salvage
      options for patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the anus who fail the Nigro
      protocol will be discussed.

PMID- 1855425
TI  - Manometric and radiologic investigations and biofeedback treatment of chronic
      idiopathic anal pain.
AB  - In 12 patients suffering from chronic idiopathic anal pain, the rectosphincteric
      function was studied using manometric and x-ray techniques. The results of
      manometric investigations were compared with those obtained in 12 healthy
      volunteers. In all patients, the resting pressure in the anal canal was
      significantly higher than in control subjects. In 10 patients, defecography
      revealed abnormalities of the pelvic muscles. We treated the patients by using
      biofeedback techniques, consisting of voluntary modifications of the state of
      contraction of the external sphincter. In all cases, pain disappeared after a
      mean of eight biofeedback training sessions. When noxious manifestations had
      disappeared, manometry showed a significant decrease in the anal canal resting
      pressure. Our results indicate 1) that chronic idiopathic anal pain is associated
      with abnormal anorectal manometric profiles, probably resulting from a
      dysfunctioning of the striated external anal sphincter, and 2) that biofeedback
      training is an effective treatment for chronic idiopathic anal pain.

PMID- 1855426
TI  - DNA ploidy pattern of flat adenomas of the large bowel.
AB  - In an attempt to clarify the nature of "flat adenomas," DNA content was measured
      by means of microspectrophotometry. Thirty-nine flat adenomas (FA), 13 with mild,
      22 with moderate, and 4 with severe atypia, were collected for this study. In FA,
      diploidy (D), polyploidy (P), and aneuploidy (A) were found 100, 0, and 0 percent
      in mild atypia, 41.9, 4.5, and 54.5 percent in moderate atypia, and 0, 0, and 100
      percent in severe atypia, respectively. It is assumed that FA have a much higher
      malignancy potential than previously expected since, histologically, benign
      appearing FA with moderate atypia have already contained malignant DNA patterns.
      In particular, those more than 5 mm in diameter show aneuploidy in 80 percent.
      These data suggest that FA with moderate atypia play an important role in the
      pathogenesis of small colonic carcinomas.

PMID- 1855427
TI  - Assessment of the defunctioning efficiency of the loop ileostomy.
AB  - The defunctioning efficiency of the loop ileostomy has been assessed using a
      radioisotope and dye technique. The median defunctioning capacity in patients
      without episodes of fecal discharge per rectum (n = 18) was 99.99 percent and was
      not affected by body position or the formation of a dependent stoma. In patients
      (n = 4) who passed fecal material per rectum but who had no stomal retraction,
      the median defunctioning efficiency was 99.99 percent, and continued fecal
      discharge was considered to be due to mucopurulent secretion from active distal
      disease. In patients who passed fecal material per rectum and also had a
      retracted stoma (n = 4), the defunctioning efficiency was significantly reduced
      (median = 84.70 [31.2-99.10 percent; P less than 0.01]), owing to the overspill
      into the distal limb. Two patients underwent stomal revision, with an improvement
      in defunctioning efficiency to 99.99 percent.

PMID- 1855428
TI  - Physiologic and anatomic assessment of patients with rectocele.
AB  - Clinical, physiologic, and anatomic assessments were carried out in 22 female
      patients with symptomatic rectocele (Group A), 15 patients with asymptomatic
      rectocele (Group B), and 14 subjects having no rectocele (Group C). Resting and
      pressure, rectal pressure, rectal compliance, anorectal inhibitory reflex, and
      rectal sensation did not differ among the groups. Proctography revealed that the
      lengths of the rectocele during attempted defecation in groups A (1.6 [1.0-3.5]
      cm) (median and range) and B (1.6 [1.0-3.0] cm) were significantly greater than
      that in Group C (0.4 [0.1-0.9] cm) (P less than 0.001 in both groups). Median
      pelvic floor descent at rest in Groups A (4.3 [1.6-7.5] cm) (median and range)
      and B (4.3 [1.3-6.9] cm) were significantly greater than that in Group C (2.5
      [1.2-5.0] cm) (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.02, respectively). These
      results indicate that rectocele is not associated with any physiologic change
      apart from a significant increase of pelvic floor descent.

PMID- 1855429
TI  - Solitary colonic metastasis from renal-cell carcinoma 17 years after nephrectomy.
      Report of a case.
AB  - Late recurrence of renal-cell carcinoma can present many years after nephrectomy.
      To the best of our knowledge, we are reporting the first known case of solitary
      metastatic renal-cell carcinoma to the colon occurring 17 years after
      nephrectomy.

PMID- 1855430
TI  - Endometriosis in episiotomy scar with anal sphincter involvement. Report of a
      case.
AB  - A case of endometriosis in an episiotomy scar with involvement of the external
      anal sphincter is presented. The clinical, operative, and pathologic findings are
      reported. The question of etiology and treatment is discussed, and the literature
      is reviewed. Wide excision of the ectopic endometrial tissue with primary
      reconstruction of the external sphincter was curative, and the functional result
      was excellent. It is suggested that this treatment policy should be recommended
      for these cases.

PMID- 1855431
TI  - Use of the optical urethrotome knife in the treatment of a benign low rectal
      anastomotic stricture.
AB  - Several methods of treatment for benign anastomotic strictures following anterior
      resection have been described. Surgical intervention in terms of re-exploration
      and excision of the stricture or the formation of a permanent colostomy will be
      accompanied by substantial morbidity. The dilatation of these strictures without
      direct vision may not be safe. We describe a simple method of treating benign
      rectal anastomotic stricture using an optical urethrotome knife under direct
      vision. This technique affords an accurate incision of the stricture to increase
      the size of the lumen, thereby relieving obstruction.

PMID- 1855432
TI  - Colonoscopically guided tube decompression in Ogilvie's syndrome.
AB  - Ogilvie's syndrome (pseudo-obstruction of the colon) may result in gangrene and
      perforation of the colon if not effectively treated. Colonoscopic decompression
      and endoscopically guided rectal tube placement were employed to treat five
      patients with this syndrome who had failed medical therapy. All patients
      tolerated the procedure well and required no further treatment.

PMID- 1855433
TI  - Peritoneal seeding following potentially curative resection of colonic carcinoma:
      implications for adjuvant therapy.
AB  - Adjuvant therapeutic strategies for colon cancer are based on the knowledge of
      tumor recurrence patterns following potentially curative resection. Innovative
      methods for regional delivery of chemotherapy to the liver and peritoneal
      surfaces are now available to complement systemic treatment. We reviewed
      clinical, reoperation, and autopsy series to determine the incidence of
      peritoneal seeding following colon cancer resection. The data suggest a 25-35
      percent peritoneal failure rate among patients that recur, indicating that
      intraperitoneal chemotherapy is a sensible adjuvant approach. The theory behind
      intraperitoneal chemotherapy and potential complications is discussed. We suggest
      initiation of clinical trials combining systemic and intraperitoneal
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 1855434
TI  - Anorectal manometric measurements.

PMID- 1855435
TI  - Glucose disposal and intermediary metabolism during one year of continuous
      subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).
AB  - To study the effects of CSII on insulin action and intermediary metabolism, seven
      type 1 diabetic patients (duration 17 +/- 4 (SEM) years), underwent sequential
      euglycemic clamps 1/4, 6 and 12 months after changing from conventional insulin
      treatment to continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII); seven healthy
      subjects served as controls. For at least 14 h before the study, blood glucose
      was maintained between 4-10 mmol/l in the patients by intravenous insulin
      infusion, to avoid negatively biased clamp measures. A metabolite profile was
      taken in the basal state and during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia. At 1/4 month
      insulin sensitivity was decreased in the patients (ED50 82 +/- 14 vs 52 +/- 4
      mU/l in controls, P less than 0.02), whereas insulin responsiveness was normal.
      During the course of one year, no change towards control values was found for
      insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Concomitantly, HbA1 did not change either,
      and remained elevated (1/4 month 11.1 +/- 0.7%, 12 months 10.0 +/- 0.9% vs 6.5 +/
      0.3% in controls, P less than 0.01). Regarding basal intermediary metabolism,
      triglycerides became significantly improved (1/4 month 1.32 +/- 0.13 mmol/l, 12
      months 0.70 +/- 0.05 mmol/l, P less than 0.05, vs 0.70 +/- 0.08 mmol/l in
      controls). The acetoacetate/3-OH-butyric acid ratio increased from 0.10 at 3 to
      0.26 at 12 months, which was similar to controls. The absolute levels of
      acetoacetate and 3-OH-butyric acid remained elevated 2-3 fold. For other basal
      metabolite levels no systematic trend for improvement was found for 1/4 to 12
      months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855436
TI  - Knowledge and concerns of newly diagnosed NIDDM patients in Singapore.
AB  - This paper describes the findings of a questionnaire survey of the knowledge and
      concern of 152 newly diagnosed NIDDM patients presenting at the Government
      Polyclinic (primary health care centre). This study is part of a project on
      outpatient diabetic care in Singapore. It was found that 23.7% of the subjects
      had no education and 51.3% had only primary school education. More than eighty
      percent of the subjects understood the importance of diet control and weight
      control in their condition. More than half of the subjects, 61% of males and
      52.7% of females were aware that diabetes could not be cured and that once
      diabetes is controlled, that medication cannot be stopped and that one must still
      take the medication even if one feels well. Less than 30% knew about the
      interpretation of blood and urine sugar findings. The two major concerns amongst
      the subjects were complications and the need for long-term medication. These
      findings will be incorporated into the next phase of the project where a health
      education programme for NIDDM patients will be developed and evaluated.

PMID- 1855437
TI  - Insulin absorption is faster when keeping the infusion site in use for three days
      during continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.
AB  - To evaluate the possible influence of regular infusion site changes on insulin
      absorption, fifteen type 1 diabetic patients using continuous subcutaneous
      insulin infusion (CSII) were studied on four occasions: the first day after an
      infusion site was settled, again the first day after a new infusion site was
      utilized and the two fourth days after the two infusion sites had been used for
      three days. A bolus of insulin (1 U/10 kg of body weight) was infused by the pump
      in the lower para-umbilical region. Plasma free insulin and blood glucose levels
      were determined before and during 240 min of the study at 30-min intervals. It
      was found that the peak times extracted from the individual insulin curves were
      shorter in 17 out of 23 curves when the fourth day was compared with the first
      day and the mean value of peak time of the fourth day was significantly shorter
      than that of the first day (56 +/- 11 vs 110 +/- 15 min, P less than 0.01). The
      mean area under the insulin curves during the first hour of the study tended to
      increase on the fourth day compared to that of the first day (25 +/- 2.2 vs 21 +/
      2.1 mU.l-1.min, P = 0.12). The decremental area of blood glucose on the fourth
      day was larger than on the first day (405 +/- 111 vs 82 +/- 160 mmol.l-1.min, P
      less than 0.05). We conclude that during CSII, the absorption rate of the
      injected insulin bolus is faster when the infusion site has been in use
      continuously for three days.

PMID- 1855438
TI  - The Thermocross: a simple tool for rapid assessment of thermal sensation
      thresholds.
AB  - We have developed the Thermocross, a simple device for rapid assessment of
      thermal sensitivity, tested it on healthy subjects and diabetic patients and
      evaluated its use in identifying patients whose sensation loss may expose them to
      the risk of neuropathic foot injury. Thermal discrimination deteriorated with age
      (P less than 0.001) in healthy subjects, but all the controls could detect a
      temperature difference less than or equal to 10 degrees C. In diabetic patients,
      the deficit in thermal sensation detected by the Thermocross paralleled the
      decline of nerve conduction. Thermocross thermal sensation was impaired in 87% of
      38 ulcerated feet of 26 diabetic patients. We conclude that the Thermocross is a
      suitable tool for screening for sensation loss and that diabetic patients with
      impaired thermal sensation are vulnerable to ulceration. The Thermocross could
      also serve a useful educational purpose, the implications of reduced thermal
      sensation probably being more meaningful to patients and health care personnel
      than those of a reduction in the traditionally tested vibration sensation.

PMID- 1855439
TI  - Possible mechanism of proteolysis for the extrapancreatic action of tolbutamide.
AB  - In order to assess the mode of the extrapancreatic action of the sulfonylureas,
      we evaluated the contribution of a proteolytic mechanism for sulfonylurea action
      by analyzing the effects of a protease inhibitor on insulin- or tolbutamide
      stimulated liver fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F-2,6-P2) formation using isolated
      rat hepatocytes. The F-2,6-P2 level in hepatocytes was significantly increased by
      the addition of insulin or tolbutamide. The stimulatory effect of insulin on the
      F-2,6-P2 formation was most significant when its level was reduced by the
      addition of 2 microM of forskolin. Insulin action on F-2,6-P2 formation was
      inhibited by the addition of a protease inhibitor, p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl
      ester hydrochloride (TAME). Tolbutamide (2 mM) significantly increased hepatocyte
      F-2,6-P2 level (P less than 0.01 vs the control level). In the presence of TAME,
      the stimulatory effect of tolbutamide was also suppressed. The present data
      suggest that a proteolytic mechanism is important in both insulin and tolbutamide
      action on the F-2,6-P2 formation, and it may be hypothesized that, like insulin,
      the chemical mediator of tolbutamide action is formed proteolytically.

PMID- 1855440
TI  - Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and insulin antibodies in
      rabbits.
AB  - Using prepubertal male New Zealand White rabbits, continuous subcutaneous insulin
      infusion (CSII), delivered by either an external or an implantable infusion
      device, resulted in significantly higher insulin antibody (I-Ab) production than
      bolus injection (BII). We tested the influence during CSII of (1) the insulin
      species, (2) the insulin diluent, (3) the materials of which the infusion devices
      were made and (4) the incubation of insulin in a syringe on the backs of rabbits
      ('sham-infusion'), with the following results: (1) beef and sulphated beef
      insulins produced high levels of I-Abs, while porcine and human insulins produced
      moderate levels; (2) with all insulins used, 0.9% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl with 24-26
      mmol NaHCO3 added, produced high levels of I-Ab. A buffer containing 0.7% NaCl,
      0.136% sodium acetate trihydrate and 0.1% methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate and a buffer
      containing 16 mg/ml glycerol and 2 mg/ml phenol, produced highly significantly
      lower I-Abs (P less than 0.001); (3) insulin glass syringes produced much lower I
      Ab levels than in standard polypropylene syringes and (4) polypropylene syringes
      in a 'sham-infusion' technique, resulted in intermediate levels of insulin
      antibodies [(P less than 0.02) vs CSII; (P less than 0.005) vs BII]. Our data
      suggest that insulin immunogenicity is influenced by all four factors tested. We
      suggest that benefits of CSII therapy may be attenuated unless a best possible
      control of these factors is achieved.

PMID- 1855441
TI  - [Additional sacculi in the orifice of the cheek pouches of Campbell's hamster
      (Phodopus campbelli Thomas, 1905; Cricetidae, Rodentia)].

PMID- 1855442
TI  - [Control over the spatial organization of liquid DNA crystals by using
      polyelectrolytes].

PMID- 1855443
TI  - [A comparative study of the effect of H-2K restricted macrophage factor and of
      isolated H-2K k antigens on the expression of phenotypic markers and interleukin
      2 production by syngeneic thymocytes].

PMID- 1855444
TI  - [HIV-associated lymphomas].
AB  - Forty-one HIV-positive homosexual men (mean age 39.8 [23-72] years) with
      malignant lymphomas were examined with the object of exploring the clinical and
      pathological spectrum of HIV-associated lymphomas in Central Europe, and their
      therapeutic aspects. There were 33 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma of high
      malignancy and four with non-Hodgkin lymphoma of low malignancy; four further
      patients suffered from Hodgkin's disease. 27 patients died during the period of
      observation. The mean survival period after diagnosis was 5.5 months. It depended
      on the stage reached by the lymphoma at the time of diagnosis: 11.8 months in
      stage I, 10.6 months in stage II, 7 months in stage III, 3.3 months in stage IV
      and 1.3 months in patients with primary involvement of the central nervous system
      by the lymphoma. Eight out of nine patients with highly malignant non-Hodgkin
      lymphoma in stage I or II attained complete and lasting remissions after
      chemotherapy or irradiation. However, only minimal prolongation of life was
      achieved in the 16 patients with lymphomas in stages III or IV. The response rate
      among all patients treated (complete and partial remissions) was 75%; 45%
      achieved complete remission. Hodgkin's disease responded well to standard
      therapy, but the disease rapidly recurred in every case.

PMID- 1855446
TI  - [Adjuvant therapy in colonic carcinoma].

PMID- 1855445
TI  - [A iatrogenic arteriovenous fistula following laminectomy. A rare differential
      diagnosis of heart failure].
AB  - An abdominal murmur was first heard in a now 46-year-old man four years after
      laminectomy at the age of 21. Signs of right heart failure and, ultimately, of
      global heart failure developed progressively and increasingly 20 years later.
      Echocardiography demonstrated enlargement of the right heart cavities, and atrial
      fibrillation was diagnosed. Cardiac catheterization revealed the typical picture
      of high output failure (cardiac output 13.9 l/min). Intra-arterial subtraction
      angiography demonstrated a fistula between the left iliac artery and vein. After
      operative closure of the fistula the signs of heart failure disappeared. Six
      months later a residual but insignificant fistula was still present, as well as
      persistent atrial fibrillation. Medical treatment having failed cardioversion
      successfully re-established sinus rhythm and the patient became symptom-free.
      Arteriovenous fistula after laminectomy is a rare cause of heart failure and
      often diagnosed very late. The prognosis is good once the fistula has been
      closed.

PMID- 1855447
TI  - [The determination of the compensation fee for medical college teachers. The
      judgement of the Sigmaringen Administrative Court of 28 Feb 1991].

PMID- 1855448
TI  - [Cobalt exposure during the grinding of hard metals].

PMID- 1855449
TI  - [The helper syndrome].

PMID- 1855450
TI  - [Anti-arrhythmia agents following a myocardial infarct: the results of the CAST
      study. Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial].

PMID- 1855451
TI  - Insulin acutely suppresses parathyroid hormone second messenger generation in UMR
      106-01 osteoblast-like cells: differential effects on phospholipase C and
      adenylate cyclase activation.
AB  - Insulin modifies the effects of PTH on osteoblast-like cells. However, the basis
      for this effect is unknown. In bone and kidney cells, the effects of PTH on
      cellular function are mediated by second messengers generated through both the
      phospholipase C and adenylate cyclase systems. Therefore, we examined the effects
      of insulin on PTH second messenger generation in UMR-106-01 rat osteoblastic
      osteosarcoma cells. PTH produced a rapid, transient increase in intracellular
      free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) which was maximal at 30 sec and was only
      minimally reduced in the absence of extracellular calcium. Inositol-triphosphate
      (IP3) production was increased in parallel. PTH stimulation of [Ca2+]i was
      concentration-dependent from 0.5-1,000 nM, with half-maximal stimulation at
      approximately 50 nM PTH. A 30-sec exposure to 50 nM PTH produced 32% and 23%
      increases in IP1 and IP3 production, respectively (both P less than 0.05).
      Although insulin alone did not significantly alter basal [Ca2+]i, a 1-min
      exposure to 1-100 nM insulin produced a concentration-dependent suppression of
      the PTH-stimulated transient increase in [Ca2+]i and IP3 generation. 100 nM
      insulin decreased 50 nM PTH stimulation of [Ca2+]i and IP3 levels by 84% (P less
      than 0.02) and 80% (P less than 0.001), respectively. Preexposure to insulin also
      decreased PTH stimulation of intracellular cAMP levels, but to a lesser degree. A
      1-min exposure to 100 nM insulin produced a 32% (P less than 0.01) decrease in
      PTH-stimulated cAMP generation, but lower insulin concentrations were without
      significant effects. These results demonstrate that in UMR-106-01 cells, insulin
      suppresses PTH stimulation of second messengers generated through both the
      phospholipase C and adenylate cyclase systems, but has a more marked effect on
      the former.

PMID- 1855452
TI  - Photoaffinity labeling of rat type I iodothyronine deiodinase.
AB  - The photoreactive compound p-nitrophenyl-2-diazo-3,3,3-trifluoropropionate (PAL)
      was coupled to [125I]rT3, T4, or T3 and incubated with liver and kidney
      microsomes of hypo-, hyper-, or euthyroid rats to identify the type I
      iodothyronine deiodinase. Various substrates or inhibitors of the enzyme,
      including rT3, T4, T3, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PTU), and iopanoic acid, were used
      as competitors to establish the specificity of protein labeling. The PAL
      derivatization enhanced the behavior of T4 and T3 as substrates for the type I
      enzyme. No specific labeling of microsomal proteins was observed with either rT3
      or T4-PAL, presumably due to deiodination of the labeled compound. In contrast,
      T3-PAL labeled a 27-kDa band, the presence of which paralleled thyroid status.
      The labeling of only this protein was blocked by either substrates or enzyme
      inhibitors in a dose-dependent fashion, with a rank order of potency predicted by
      the activity of such compounds in type I enzyme assays. The specific nature of
      these competitions provides further evidence that this 27-kDa protein, identified
      in previous studies using N-bromoacetyl [125I]T3 or -T4, contains the active site
      of the rat type I deiodinase. This is in agreement with the mol wt of the rat
      type I deiodinase deduced from the recently identified cDNA coding for this
      protein.

PMID- 1855453
TI  - Effects of gonadal steroids on the ultrastructure of GnRH neurons in the rhesus
      monkey: synaptic input and glial apposition.
AB  - The secretion of the gonadotropins is modulated by the gonadal steroids, but the
      means by which these effects are mediated are not well understood. The present
      anatomical study was undertaken to investigate the possibility that the GnRH
      system responds to alterations in the gonadal steroid environment with reversible
      changes in synaptic input and glial wrapping such as have been observed in other
      neuroendocrine systems. The ultrastructure of GnRH neurons was studied in the
      preoptic area and medial basal hypothalamus of rhesus monkeys in various steroid
      conditions including five intact cycling, four long-term ovariectomized animals,
      two long-term ovariectomized animals with steroid replacement (LtOVX+), and two
      animals replaced with steroid at the time of ovariectomy (StOVX+). Electron
      micrographic montages of GnRH neuronal profiles were analyzed using computerized
      morphometrics, and the percentages of the length of perikaryal membrane
      immediately apposed by glial processes and that with postsynaptic modification
      were calculated. Ovariectomy resulted in a significant increase in the apposition
      of glial processes to GnRH perikaryal membranes and a significant decrease in
      their innervation in both brain regions. There was also a higher incidence of
      GnRH neurons with immunostaining confined to secretory granules and a decrease in
      the volume of nucleoli, both of which could be interpreted as indications that
      GnRH peptide synthesis was reduced in ovariectomized animals. After an ovarian
      steroid replacement regimen which mimicked two menstrual cycles, the innervation
      of GnRH neurons was increased and the glial ensheathment was partially reduced.
      This was true for both the LtOVX+ and StOVX+ steroid-replacement groups. GnRH
      neurons in the medial basal hypothalamus received more synaptic input than did
      those in the preoptic area, regardless of the steroid condition of the animal.
      The degree of glial ensheathment of GnRH neurons in the preoptic area became
      significantly greater than that in the medial basal hypothalamus after
      ovariectomy. These observations suggest there may be differences in the role of
      GnRH neurons in these two brain regions. These immunocytochemical ultrastructural
      studies provide strong evidence that alterations in the gonadal steroid milieu
      can produce morphological changes in the GnRH neuron and its immediate
      environment in the primate.

PMID- 1855454
TI  - C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) in rats and humans.
AB  - We have established a specific radioimmunoassay (RIA) for C-type natriuretic
      peptide (CNP), the third member of the natriuretic peptide family, and have
      elucidated its tissue distribution and molecular form. In rats, high
      concentrations of CNP-like immunoreactivity (-LI) were detected in the anterior
      lobe (19.8 +/- 8.6 pmol/g) and neurointermediate lobe (4.64 +/- 0.74 pmol/g) of
      the pituitary gland. CNP-LI was present throughout the brain with its high
      concentrations in the hypothalamus and cerebellum. Small amounts of CNP-LI were
      also detected in the lower part of gastrointestinal tract and the kidney.
      However, no significant amount of CNP-LI was present in other organs including
      the heart. Considerable amounts of CNP-LI were detected throughout the human
      brain. High performance-gel permeation chromatography coupled with the RIA
      detected two peaks of CNP-LI in the rat brain; CNP and presumably its N
      terminally elongated form with 53 amino-acid residues, CNP-53. These findings
      indicate that the tissue distribution and processing pattern of CNP are clearly
      different from those of atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide
      and suggest possible roles of CNP as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator rather
      than as a cardiac hormone.

PMID- 1855455
TI  - Differentiated metabolic stimulation of rat pituitary lobes by peripheral and
      central endothelin-1.
AB  - Intravenous infusion (14 nmol/min) and lateral cerebral ventricular injection (9
      pmol) of endothelin-1 increased rates of glucose utilization (quantitative
      autoradiographic [14C]deoxyglucose method) by 75-219% in pars intermedia and
      distalis of the rat pituitary gland. In rats given intraventricular endothelin,
      glucose metabolism was also increased significantly in pars nervosa (+92%).
      Metabolic activation by central endothelin in pars intermedia and distalis was
      inhibited by intraventricular pretreatment with the dihydropyridine, nimodipine,
      indicating that endothelin stimulates energy metabolism and probably hormone
      secretion in melanotrophs and pars distalis cells via L-type calcium channels.

PMID- 1855456
TI  - Ultrastructural evidence for cortico-chromaffin hybrid cells in rat adrenals?
AB  - The adrenals of perfusion fixed rats were investigated by electron microscopy. In
      2 out of 12 animals studied, chromaffin cells were detected that contained
      organelles identical to adrenocortical mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic
      reticulum. The mitochondria were round-shaped with the vesicular cristae typical
      for steroid hormone producing cells. They were located within the cytoplasm of
      adrenomedullary cells neighbouring chromaffin vesicles, rough endoplasmic
      reticulum and the characteristic elongated mitochondria of chromaffin cells with
      laminar cristae. The mitochondria-like structures could be clearly differentiated
      from the extracellularly located synaptic endings. It can therefore be concluded
      that some rare cortico-chromaffin hybrid cells or chromaffin cells that present a
      mitochondrial-endoplasmic system of adrenocortical cells exist within the adrenal
      medulla. This surprising finding may offer an explanation for the long line of
      inconsistencies in clinico-pathological reports of adrenal morphology.

PMID- 1855457
TI  - Neonatal gonocytes co-cultured with Sertoli cells on a laminin-containing matrix
      resume mitosis and elongate.
AB  - We co-cultured gonocytes and Sertoli cells isolated on the day of birth and
      observed the appearance, 1 and 3 days after the start of culture, of gonocytes
      that had developed cellular processes and that were labeled by [3H]thymidine,
      respectively. These events occurred in the absence of hormones, etc. and with a
      time course very similar to that seen in vivo. In other incubations, we found
      that the presence of laminin in the underlying substrate was critical in
      promoting proliferation and elongation of gonocytes. These observations strongly
      suggest that interactions between gonocytes and other testicular cells/factors in
      the co-cultures promote maturation of these germ cells in vitro, and thus provide
      new evidence to support the concept that paracrine mechanisms are important
      during testicular development as well as in adults.

PMID- 1855458
TI  - Remembrances of the Meadowbrook conferences--when steroids came to DNA.

PMID- 1855459
TI  - Remembrances of contributions of Philip Smith and Bernardo Houssay to the
      development of neuroendocrinology.

PMID- 1855460
TI  - Glycoprotein hormones were always composed of subunits--we just had to find out
      the hard way.

PMID- 1855461
TI  - Cyclic changes in follistatin messenger ribonucleic acid and its protein in the
      rat ovary during the estrous cycle.
AB  - The purpose of this research was to characterize the localization of follistatin
      mRNA and protein in the adult rat ovary during the 4-day estrous cycle. Analysis
      of ovarian sections using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry
      demonstrated the presence of follistatin messenger RNA (mRNA) and its protein in
      granulosa and luteal cells; no follistatin (message or protein) was detected in
      any of the other ovarian cell types. An important observation was that the
      intensity of follistatin signals changed during granulosa differentiation and the
      estrous cycle. During folliculogenesis, the first detectable hybridization signal
      appeared in the granulosa cells of secondary follicles, but the signal was weak.
      However, when a preantral follicle reached the early tertiary stage (beginning
      antrum formation), the message signal was very strong, being expressed in all
      granulosa cells of all such follicles (300-400 microns in diameter). In atretic
      follicles, follistatin mRNA was localized to granulosa cells, but only during the
      early stages. The above hybridization pattern of follistatin mRNA in prenatral
      and atretic follicles appeared constant throughout the estrous cycle.
      Interestingly, immunohistochemistry studies showed that the follistatin protein
      was detected only in certain follicles, being restricted to those which were
      healthy. On the morning of estrus, the follistatin protein was localized to a
      subpopulation of early tertiary follicles, presumably the dominant follicles
      selected to ovulate in the next cycle. As the dominant preovulatory follicles
      matured through diestrus and proestrus, the follistatin mRNA and protein signals
      appeared more intense in the granulosa cells. After ovulation, the hybridization
      and immunohistochemical signals continued to be strong in the newly formed
      corpora lutea on estrus morning. After luteolysis on diestrus-I, neither the
      follistatin message nor the protein was detectable in the corpora lutea. In
      conclusion, these results suggest that the follistatin message is present in all
      the granulosa cells of every developing follicle throughout the estrous cycle,
      but the follistatin protein appears to be present in only the selected dominant
      follicles. Accordingly, the possibility that follistatin might be an important
      regulatory molecule for selection/atresia should be considered.

PMID- 1855462
TI  - Inhibition of suckling-induced prolactin release by dexamethasone.
AB  - The effect of dexamethasone (DEX) treatment (400 and 200 micrograms/kg BW 21 and
      2 h before suckling stimulus, respectively) on suckling- and domperidone (DOMP)
      induced PRL release was investigated in freely moving, primiparous lactating
      rats. DEX completely blocked suckling-induced plasma PRL release without
      affecting DOMP-induced release of the hormone suggesting a central action of DEX.
      The effect was transient because it could not be detected on the second day of
      testing. The effect of DEX implanted in three different brain areas on suckling-
      and DOMP-induced PRL release was also tested. Implants surrounding the
      hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei and dorsal hippocampus failed to affect PRL
      release induced by suckling stimulus. Surprisingly, DEX suppressed PRL release
      induced by suckling stimulus when it was implanted into the medial basal
      hypothalamus. These findings demonstrate that DEX is a potent inhibitor of the
      suckling-induced PRL release. They also indicate that the site of action of DEX
      is not at the anterior pituitary gland or the paraventricular nuclei and
      hippocampus because DEX treatment and DEX implants had no effect on plasma PRL
      levels induced by DOMP and suckling stimulus, respectively. Our data suggest that
      the effect of DEX is mediated through a region of the medial basal hypothalamus.
      The observed transient block in suckling-induced PRL release may be
      physiologically relevant during stress in lactating mothers for conserving
      pituitary stores of the hormone needed for milk production or being able to adapt
      to a rapid change in osmoregulation.

PMID- 1855463
TI  - Regulation of proenkephalin A messenger ribonucleic acid levels in normal B
      lymphocytes: specific inhibition by glucocorticoid hormones and superinduction by
      cycloheximide.
AB  - Proenkephalin A (PEA) encodes a group of small peptides known to function as
      neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and neurohormones in the nervous and
      neuroendocrine systems. This gene has been shown to be expressed in lymphoid
      cells, supporting the concept of bidirectional communication between the immune
      system and the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated the
      effect of steroids and the inhibition of protein and RNA syntheses on the
      regulation of PEA expression in normal rat B cells. The transient expression of
      PEA messenger (m) RNA levels occurring normally in B cells was markedly inhibited
      by the presence of either 50 nM prednisolone or dexamethasone, both of which are
      glucocorticoids; other steroids, such as testosterone or the steroid-inactive
      metabolite androsterone, were ineffective. In the presence of cycloheximide, a
      protein synthesis inhibitor, PEA mRNA was superinduced by a factor of 15-fold.
      Sorting by flow cytometry of cycloheximide-treated cells followed by in situ
      hybridization analysis revealed that the expression of PEA mRNA was exclusively
      confined to a small fraction of B cells. These results indicate that the
      mechanisms regulating PEA gene expression in B cells differ from those previously
      described in cells of the neuroendocrine and the nervous systems.

PMID- 1855464
TI  - Adrenocorticotropin-releasing factor down-regulates glucocorticoid receptor
      expression in mouse corticotrope tumor cells via an adenylate cyclase-dependent
      mechanism.
AB  - Anterior pituitary POMC transcription and peptide release are negatively
      regulated by glucocorticoids and stimulated by CRF. Although pretreatment of
      corticotrope cells with CRF markedly inhibits subsequent glucocorticoid effects,
      the mechanism of this action is unclear. We have thus used a mouse corticotrope
      tumor (AtT20) cell line, to examine the effects of CRF on glucocorticoid receptor
      (GR) messenger RNA levels and on GR capacity/nuclear translocation. GR mRNA
      levels were measured by solution hybridization/S1 nuclease protection, and both
      total cell binding and nuclear binding were determined with [3H]dexamethasone
      ([3H]DEX). CRF treatment of AtT20 cells led to a rapid time-dependent decrease in
      GR mRNA levels which preceded a dose- and time-dependent decrease in GR binding
      capacity. Scatchard analysis showed a single class of high affinity binding sites
      (GR) in both control and CRF-treated cultures, and a decrease in the total number
      of GR after CRF treatment. The relative proportion of nuclear vs. cytoplasmic
      localized [3H]DEX-bound GR did not differ between control and CRF-treated
      cultures, indicating that CRF does not interfere with GR nuclear translocation.
      To investigate whether CRF regulates GR expression through the adenylate cyclase
      system, as it does POMC, AtT20 cells were treated with either forskolin or 8
      bromo-cAMP, and specific nuclear GR binding was determined. Both drugs mimic the
      CRF-induced decrease in GR binding, and in addition forskolin decreased GR mRNA
      levels; in contrast, forskolin had no effect on GH3 cell GR levels. These results
      suggest that CRF can decrease the cellular concentration of GR, and thus
      potentially the response to glucocorticoids, through the same mechanism by which
      it stimulates anterior pituitary POMC expression.

PMID- 1855465
TI  - Photoperiod associated changes in insulin-like growth factor-I in reindeer.
AB  - Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations were measured in the plasma
      of reindeer calves exposed to a manipulated photoperiod, indoors, of either 16 h
      light followed by 8 h dark each day (16L:8D) (n = 3) or 8L:16D (n = 3) from about
      the autumnal to the vernal equinox, to determine whether the seasonal growth
      spurt normally seen in spring is associated with a photoperiod-induced rise in
      IGF-I. A high quality concentrate diet was available ad libitum, and individual
      food intake was recorded daily. The animals were weighed, bled, and the diameters
      of their testes were measured every 2 weeks. Plasma samples were assayed for IGF
      I by RIA. Six to 8 weeks after the start of the study those calves exposed to
      16L:8D showed a significant increase in plasma IGF-I concentration, which was
      maintained until the close 24 weeks after the start. In contrast, IGF-I plasma
      concentrations in those calves exposed to a day length of 8L:16D did not
      significantly alter during the study. The elevated IGF-I in the 16L:8D group was
      associated with rapid weight gain, higher food intake, and decreased testes size
      compared with the 8L:16D group. We have shown that the seasonal growth spurt is
      preceded by an elevation in plasma IGF-I concentration. Further, this elevation
      in IGF-I is day length dependent. This is the first account of any growth factor
      secretion being regulated by photoperiod.

PMID- 1855466
TI  - Analysis of the steroid binding domain of rat androgen-binding protein.
AB  - The site-directed photoaffinity ligand [3H]17 beta-hydroxy-4,6-androstadien-3-one
      (delta 6-testosterone) was used to label the steroid binding domain of rat
      androgen-binding protein (rABP). After digestion with trypsin, the major
      radiolabeled peptide was isolated by reverse phase chromatography. The peptide
      was found to have the following amino acid sequence: Ile Ala Leu Gly Gly Leu Leu
      Leu Pro Thr Ser. Gaps in the sequence that one would anticipate if delta 6
      testosterone formed an adduct with a single amino acid were not encountered.
      Several different amino acids appear to have been labeled as expected given the
      free radical nature of photoactivated delta 6-testosterone. The sequence obtained
      corresponded to a tryptic peptide (amino acids 171-181) of the rABP precursor.
      The only other protein having this amino acid sequence was human sex hormone
      binding globulin. The binding domain lies in a hydrophobic pocket that contains a
      predicted beta-sheet and turn secondary structure, as would be anticipated given
      the hydrophobic nature of the steroid molecule. A hydropathy and secondary
      structure analysis of rABP was performed as a basis for discussing the results of
      the current study in relation to previous studies on the steroid binding domain
      on human sex hormone binding globulin.

PMID- 1855467
TI  - Regulation of the uteroferrin gene promoter in endometrial cells: interactions
      among estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin.
AB  - Expression of the gene for the porcine transplacental iron transport protein
      uteroferrin (UF) is largely restricted to the uterus, where it is differentially
      regulated by estrogen (E) and progesterone (P). To study the regulatory
      mechanisms subserving these effects, a 2-kilobase genomic fragment corresponding
      to -2005 to 48 nucleotides of the UF gene was ligated up-stream to the reporter
      gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). This construct (UF-CAT) was
      transiently transfected into rabbit endometrial (HRE-H9), mouse fibroblastic (AKR
      2B), and human choriocarcinoma (JEG-3) cells. The basal gene promoter activity of
      UF-CAT was exhibited in H9 cells, but not in AKR-2B or JEG-3 cells. In contrast,
      a simian virus-40 early promoter (SV2) was functional in all three cell lines.
      The H9 cells were used to examine steroid regulation of the UF gene promoter. The
      CAT expression in H9 cells primed with E and PRL, but not with E or PRL alone,
      was stimulated by P. In contrast, basal activity of SV2 in these cells was
      unaffected by hormones, singly or in combination. To examine the basis for the
      E/PRL-dependent response to P, levels of P and E receptors in H9 cells were
      quantified. PRL and E plus PRL increased the number of high affinity sites for P,
      but had little effect on levels of high affinity sites for E in treated vs.
      untreated H9 cells. In vivo administration of PRL to cyclic gilts had no effect
      on levels of endometrial UF mRNA and secreted UF protein; however, E- plus PRL
      treated gilts had higher (P less than 0.05) levels of endometrial UF mRNA and
      luminal UF than PRL-treated gilts. These results demonstrate in vitro functional
      activity of the UF gene promoter and associated 5' flanking region and suggest
      that sequences within this region may mediate tissue-specific and steroid hormone
      regulated expression of the UF gene. Moreover, interactions among E, PRL, and P
      modulate UF gene expression in vivo and in vitro.

PMID- 1855468
TI  - Opposing effects of retinoic acid and dexamethasone on cellular retinol-binding
      protein ribonucleic acid levels in the rat.
AB  - Cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) is a potential mediator of vitamin A
      action. To determine whether retinoic acid and dexamethasone administration,
      alone and in combination, influence CRBP gene expression, adult female vitamin A
      sufficient Sprague-Dawley rats randomly received 1) all-trans retinoic acid (100
      micrograms) by intragastric intubation, 2) dexamethasone (2 micrograms/g BW) by
      ip injection, or 3) both all-trans retinoic acid and dexamethasone in the same
      doses. Control animals received either cottonseed oil by intragastric intubation
      or saline by ip injection. Six hours after treatment, lung and liver tissue were
      collected for Northern blot analysis with the radiolabeled cDNA specific for rat
      CRBP. Retinoic acid administration increased the amount of lung CRBP mRNA only,
      whereas dexamethasone decreased both lung and liver CRBP mRNA abundance. In
      animals treated with both retinoic acid and dexamethasone, CRBP mRNA abundance
      was also reduced. We conclude that CRBP gene expression can be modulated by both
      retinoic acid and dexamethasone in the vitamin A-sufficient animal. In the whole
      animal, our findings indicate that dexamethasone not only represses CRBP gene
      expression, but also opposes the effect of retinoic acid.

PMID- 1855469
TI  - The effects of a brain-enhanced estradiol delivery system on testosterone and
      androgen-dependent tissues. I. Dose-response and time-course evaluation.
AB  - The primary objective underlying hormone treatment of prostatic adenocarcinoma is
      to induce an effective androgen deprivation, and high dose estrogen therapy is as
      effective as surgical castration in abolishing the growth-promoting effects of
      androgens on prostatic tissue. An estradiol-chemical delivery system (E2-CDS),
      with sustained release of E2 in the brain, may be potentially useful in the
      treatment of prostatic cancer by virtue of the need for lower or less frequent
      doses of the estrogen. In this study we evaluated the dose- and time-dependent
      effects of the E2-CDS vs. 17 beta-E2 on serum testosterone (T) and weights of
      androgen-dependent tissues in male rats. Rats received a single iv injection of
      E2-CDS (0.1, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg), equimolar doses of 17 beta-E2, or the drug's
      vehicle. Sera and tissues were collected 1, 7, 14, or 21 days later for
      determination of hormone levels and tissue weights. The E2-CDS exhibited a dose-
      and time-dependent suppression of serum T and weights of the ventral prostate and
      seminal vesicles. In contrast, 17 beta-E2 had no significant effect on serum T or
      growth of these androgen-dependent tissues. Serum T levels were significantly
      reduced by 98%, 82%, and 59% at 1, 7, and 14 days, respectively, with the 1.0
      mg/kg dose of E2-CDS. The E2-CDS significantly reduced prostate weight by 45% and
      50% (1.0- and 0.5-mg/kg doses, respectively) 7 days and by 27% (0.5 mg/kg dose)
      14 days after treatment. Similarly, seminal vesicle weights were reduced by 14
      20% on day 1, maximally reduced by 39-48% on day 7, and still reduced by 24-36%
      on day 14 compared with the control levels. Weights of these tissues returned to
      control levels by day 21. Serum E2 was elevated through 7 days by E2-CDS or on
      day 1 only by 17 beta-E2. PRL secretion was stimulated for 1 week by both forms
      of estrogen. Anterior pituitary weights were increased by the E2-CDS through 14
      days, while 17 beta-E2 had no significant effect. These data indicate that the E2
      CDS causes chronic suppression of serum T, which subsequently results in
      regression of androgen-dependent tissue weight.

PMID- 1855470
TI  - The effects of a brain-enhanced estradiol delivery system on testosterone and
      androgen-dependent tissues. II. The role of testosterone.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of an estradiol
      chemical delivery system (E2-CDS) for the brain vs. estradiol benzoate (E2-BNZ)
      in suppressing serum testosterone (T) and weights of the ventral prostate and
      seminal vesicle in male rats. Also, the role of serum T in the weight reduction
      of androgen-dependent tissues observed after E2-CDS treatment was further
      evaluated in these studies. Intact male rats received a single iv injection of
      either E2-CDS at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg or an equimolar dose of E2-BNZ (0.95 mg/kg).
      Sera and tissue samples were collected 1, 7, 14, or 21 days after injection for
      determination of hormones and tissue weights. A single injection of E2-CDS
      suppressed serum T levels by 96%, 83%, 46%, or 63% 1, 7, 14, or 21 days after
      treatment, respectively. In contrast, an equimolar dose of E2-BNZ had no
      significant effect on serum T at any sampling time examined. Prostate weight was
      maximally reduced by 53% at 7 days and remained significantly suppressed by more
      than 31% throughout the 21-day time course. Similarly, seminal vesicle weight was
      reduced by 14% on day 1, maximally reduced by 41% on day 7 and remained
      significantly suppressed through day 21. In contrast, E2-BNZ was ineffective in
      inducing weight changes in either of these tissues. Serum PRL was significantly
      elevated through day 14, while E2 was elevated through day 7 by E2-CDS. Both the
      anterior pituitary and adrenal gland weights were stimulated by E2-CDS treatment.
      Testis weight was moderately reduced by both esters. In a subsequent study serum
      T was reduced by 98% and 97% 1 and 7 days, respectively, after E2-CDS treatment,
      and weights of the ventral prostate and seminal vesicle were reduced by 47% and
      40%, respectively, at 7 days. In contrast, in rats treated with Silastic capsules
      containing T, the expected E2-CDS-induced weight regression was prevented in both
      prostate and seminal vesicles. These data indicate that the prolonged effects of
      E2-CDS on weights of androgen-dependent tissues are caused by its ability to
      produce profound suppression of the serum T concentration.

PMID- 1855471
TI  - Molecular heterogeneity and cellular localization of carboxypeptidase H in the
      islets of Langerhans.
AB  - The intracellular distribution and molecular heterogeneity of carboxypeptidase H
      was studied in rat insulinoma tissue and isolated islets of Langerhans by a
      combination of immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, subcellular fractionation,
      and immunoblotting analyses. Immunofluorescence microscopy of islets demonstrated
      the presence of carboxypeptidase H in both insulin-containing B cells and
      glucagon-containing A cells. Quantitative ultrastructural analyses of islet B
      cells indicated that the enzyme was concentrated in mature insulin secretory
      granules, clathrin-coated condensing granules, and to a lesser extent the Golgi
      apparatus. Carboxypeptidase H activity was localized principally to secretory
      granule subfractions of insulinoma tissue, where it was present for the major
      part (70%) as a form which is readily solubilizable at pH values prevailing in
      the granule interior (5.5). This species migrated as a diffuse band of 53-57
      kilodaltons (kDa) on immunoblot analysis using antisera raised against the
      purified native enzyme. In contrast, the insoluble form which was associated with
      the granule membrane at pH 5.5, migrated as a relatively compact band of 55-57
      kDa. Carboxypeptidase H activity was also present in subcellular fractions which
      contained Golgi membranes together with elements of the endoplasmic reticulum,
      and in a low density secretory granule fraction which may represent immature
      granules. The enzyme in these compartments, like the granule membrane species,
      migrated as a compact 55-57 kDa band on immunoblots. Two-dimensional
      electrophoretic immunoblot analysis of secretory granules suggested that both
      membrane and soluble forms of the enzyme were glycoproteins and that the terminal
      glycosylation was similar in both instances. Antiserum raised against the deduced
      C-terminal 11 amino acids of the cloned carboxypeptidase H sequence recognized
      the 55-57 kDa membrane component in granules but did not react with the 53-57 kDa
      soluble species. A major difference between the soluble and membrane forms
      therefore appears to be a structural modification or proteolytic removal of the C
      terminal domain in the trans-Golgi or early secretory granule compartment. The
      concept that proteolysis is involved is further supported by the observation that
      the relative proportion of the high and low mol wt forms of the enzyme in
      different subcellular fractions correlated with that of proinsulin and insulin,
      respectively. The membrane association of the 55-57 kDa form of carboxypeptidase
      H is disrupted at pH values of 9 and is dependent on ionic strength. This further
      suggests that the C-terminus of the protein may have an important role in the
      sorting or concentration of the enzyme in vesicular elements of the regulated
      pathway of secretion.

PMID- 1855472
TI  - Restoration of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion after fasting in rhesus
      monkeys (Macaca mulatta): dependence on size of the refeed meal.
AB  - In men and adult male rhesus monkeys brief periods of fasting (i.e. 1-2 days) can
      often lead to a suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis activity,
      marked by decreased circulating concentrations of LH, FSH, and testosterone.
      Refeeding a normal meal can rapidly restore normal secretory patterns of LH and
      testosterone. To learn more about the nature of the signal that links
      reproductive hormone secretion to nutrient intake, we examined whether the degree
      of restoration of pulsatile LH and testosterone secretion after a brief period of
      fasting is influenced by the size of the refeed meal. Adult male rhesus monkeys
      had indwelling venous catheters surgically implanted and were maintained on
      swivel/tether systems for remote collection of blood samples. Monkeys were fasted
      for 1 day and then on the following day they were refed one of five meals which
      varied in size and calorie content (i.e. 0 Cal/0 pellets Purina monkey chow; 100
      Cal/5 pellets; 200 Cal/10 pellets; 300 Cal/15 pellets; or 600 Cal/30 pellets).
      Blood samples were collected from 0800-2400 h at 20-min intervals on the days of
      refeeding and assayed for LH and testosterone content. After a day of fasting,
      the frequency of pulsatile LH secretion the following morning was very low (0.56
      +/- 0.1 pulses/3 h, measured from 0800-1100 h). When monkeys were not refed (i.e.
      were subjected to a second day of fasting; 0 pellet group) LH pulse frequency
      remained low [2.88 +/- 0.72 pulses/13 h, measured from 1100-2400 h (equivalent to
      0.66 pulses/3 h)] throughout the day and evening hours. Refeeding monkeys 5, 10,
      15, and 30 pellets caused a progressive stimulation of pulsatile LH secretion
      (3.17 +/- 0.54, 3.67 +/- 0.56, 5.5 +/- 0.67, and 6.38 +/- 0.53 pulses/13 h,
      respectively). Like LH pulse frequency, mean circulating LH and testosterone
      concentrations progressively increased as the size of the refeed meal was
      increased. For all three parameters (i.e. LH pulse frequency, mean LH
      concentration, and mean testosterone concentration) there was a significant, P
      less than or equal to 0.001, linear trend with increasing meal size. These
      findings indicate a very strong relation between the level of nutritional intake
      and the level of central drive to the reproductive axis during nutritional
      recovery from fasting, and suggest a physiological parameter that responds in a
      progressive fashion to increasing food intake serves as the signal to link
      central drive to the reproductive axis to changes in nutrient intake.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1855473
TI  - Ontogeny of parathyroid hormone-related protein in the ovine parathyroid gland.
AB  - PTH-related protein (PTHrP) has been implicated in calcium regulation during
      fetal life. In this study the ontogeny of PTHrP was examined in ovine parathyroid
      glands. Immunohistochemical techniques, Western blot analysis, and a RIA with
      antisera raised against synthetic fragments of human (h) PTHrP (i.e. 1-34, 1-40,
      50-69, and 107-141) were used to detect the presence of immunoreactive PTHrP in
      parathyroid glands from fetal and neonatal lambs and maternal ewes. Positive
      immunostaining for PTHrP was observed in fetal (from 116 days of gestation) and
      lamb (up to 180 days post birth) but not maternal parathyroid glands with the
      PTHrP(50-69) antiserum. Fetal and lamb parathyroid glands consisted entirely of
      one cell type in which PTHrP immunoreactivity to PTHrP(50-69) antiserum was
      found. In contrast, immunoreactivity to PTHrP could not be detected in sections
      of fetal, lamb, or maternal parathyroid glands with antisera raised against
      PTHrP(1-34) or PTHrP(107-141). However, PTHrP immunoreactivity in urea/acid
      extracts of newborn lamb parathyroid glands could be detected by Western blot
      analysis and RIA with antisera raised against the N-terminal portion of PTHrP.
      Western blot analysis with the PTHrP(1-34) antisera revealed that urea/acid
      extracts of newborn lamb parathyroid glands contained a substance with a mol wt
      of 14.4K, which corresponded in size to that of hPTHrP(1-84). Newborn lamb
      parathyroid glands contained 0.35 ng PTHrP/micrograms extract, whereas maternal
      parathyroid glands contained only 0.035 ng PTHrP/micrograms extract when tested
      in a RIA employing recombinant hPTHrP(1-84) as standard and an antibody raised
      against hPTHrP(1-40). The detection of immunoreactive PTHrP in the developing
      ovine parathyroid gland provides further evidence to support the suggestion that
      PTHrP produced in the parathyroid gland is involved in the normal hormonal
      regulation of calcium metabolism in the mammalian fetus and neonate.

PMID- 1855474
TI  - Antiprogesterone, RU 486, facilitates parturition in cattle.
AB  - RU 486, a potent progesterone antagonist with high affinity for progesterone
      receptor, was used alone or in combination with relaxin in late pregnant cattle
      to determine its effect on induction of parturition. Cross-bred beef cattle were
      bred by artificial insemination. An indwelling cannula was inserted into a
      jugular vein on day 269 (expected term = day 283) for repeated blood sample
      collection. On day 277, the cattle were assigned randomly to three groups (n = 6
      each): group 1 received RU 486 (2 mg/kg BW, im) at 0800 h on days 277 and 278;
      group 2 received the same RU 486 treatment plus 3000 U relaxin, injected sc at
      0800 h on day 278; and group 3 served as controls and received vehicle injection.
      Parturition occurred 55 h after treatment in group 1 and 53 h after treatment in
      group 2 compared with 210 h in the controls (P less than 0.01). The calves from
      treated groups were vigorous at birth, and their birth weights (32 and 33 kg in
      groups 1 and 2) were less than those of control calves (38 kg; P less than 0.01).
      There was no incidence of difficult birth (dystocia) with RU 486 treatment
      compared with that in the controls. Placenta delivery averaged 6.5 h after birth
      in both RU 486-treated groups and did not differ from the control value (5 h).
      Plasma progesterone concentrations averaged 8.2 ng/ml during the pretreatment
      period for all animals. Progesterone started to decrease markedly by 1200 h on
      day 278, dropped to about 4 ng/ml by 2400 h that same day, and was at basal
      levels on day 279, the day of calving, in two hormone-treated groups. In sharp
      contrast, progesterone was maintained at about 6 ng/ml in placebo-treated
      controls during this period and did not decrease to basal levels until 2 days
      before parturition on day 286 (P less than 0.01). Peak RU 486 in plasma was 7.2
      ng/ml after the first injection and 14.3 ng/ml after the second injection, and
      averaged 7.9 ng/ml on the day of induced calving (day 279). Peak relaxin was 4.1
      ng/ml after hormone injection. The results indicate that RU 486 alone or combined
      with relaxin precisely controlled the time of parturition in cattle in late
      pregnancy. Such treatment can be used to facilitate parturition and increase
      survival rates of neonatal calves without detrimental effects of dystocia,
      retention of placenta, and delayed postpartum fertility.

PMID- 1855475
TI  - High fat feeding causes insulin resistance and a marked decrease in the
      expression of glucose transporters (Glut 4) in fat cells of rats.
AB  - With the identification of two different glucose transporter species in adipose
      cells it is crucial to determine the role of these transporters in the
      alterations in glucose transport activity associated with different metabolic and
      nutritional states. In the present study we assess levels of expression of Glut 1
      and Glut 4 transporters and basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport
      activity in adipocytes from Sprague-Dawley rats fed standard chow (control),
      combined liquid diet and standard chow (overfed), high fat diet, or energy
      restricted diet for 7 weeks. High fat feeding was associated with relative
      postprandial hypoglycemia (P less than 0.05) and hypoinsulinemia (P less than
      0.05). Although the high fat fed animals had lower body weights (P less than
      0.05) than control rats, their body compositions showed obesity, with 36% heavier
      epididymal fat pads (P less than 0.05) and a 47% increase in adipocyte volume (P
      less than 0.05). Fat feeding caused a 78% reduction in insulin-stimulated glucose
      transport per adipocyte (P less than 0.05). In parallel we found 92% and 94%
      reductions in Glut 4 protein and mRNA per adipocyte, respectively, (P less than
      0.01) in fat-fed rats. Substantial reductions were also seen in Glut 1 protein
      and mRNA per fat cell in the same rats (62% and 76%, respectively; P less than
      0.05). However, the changes in Glut 1 expression were of the same magnitude as
      changes in the cytoskeletal protein beta-actin, reflecting a decreased expression
      of several proteins in this nutritional state. Even though overfeeding and energy
      restriction brought about opposite changes in adiposity, no significant
      alterations were demonstrated in glucose transport rate or glucose transporter
      expression. The impaired insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipose cells
      from high fat-fed rats occurs in the presence of a dramatic decrease in the
      expression of the major insulin-responsive glucose transporter (Glut 4). The
      reduced gene expression may be caused by chronic hypoinsulinemia and may
      contribute to the insulin resistance observed in this state.

PMID- 1855476
TI  - Expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule in endocrine cells of the ovary.
AB  - In the adult mammalian ovary morphogenesis and differentiation processes are
      under hormonal control and, thus, occur in a highly regulated way during the
      sexual cycle. Cell-cell interactions, such as cell adhesion and cell separation,
      are crucial during these events. Here we show that the ovarian endocrine cells,
      which are prototypes of steroid-producing cells, express neural cell adhesion
      molecules (NCAMs). The combined use of in situ hybridization histochemistry,
      immunocytochemistry at the light and electron microscope levels, S1 nuclease
      protection assays, and Western blotting revealed that in the ovary of the adult
      rat during the estrus cycle and pregnancy, NCAM mRNA and the 140-kDa isoform of
      this protein are expressed mainly in granulosa cells of growing preantral and
      antral follicles and in corpora lutea. Since the granulosa cells lining the
      forming antrum and the antral fluid were strongly immunoreactive, a role for NCAM
      in the formation of the follicular antrum is proposed. The expression of NCAM was
      also associated with luteal cells of the active corpus luteum, indicating a role
      for NCAM in the morphogenesis of this endocrine compartment. Moreover, thecal
      cells of large follicles and hypertrophic thecal cells of atretic follicles
      expressed NCAM, as did interstitial cells, which are derived from thecal cells of
      atretic follicles. We propose that the adhesion molecule, NCAM, is an important
      factor involved in the recognition and intercellular interaction of ovarian
      endocrine cells and, thus, participates in the regulation of the cyclic
      remodeling processes of the ovarian endocrine compartments.

PMID- 1855477
TI  - Potassium-stimulated angiotensin release from superfused adrenal capsules and
      enzymatically dispersed cells of the zona glomerulosa.
AB  - The cells of the adrenal cortex contain angiotensin-II (AII), but whether this
      peptide is synthesized there (vs. internalized from the systemic circulation),
      whether it is secreted, and whether it is important in aldosterone production
      remain uncertain. To address these issues, we studied AI and AII release from
      superfused rat adrenal capsules and dispersed glomerulosa cells. Superfused
      adrenal capsules released 7-fold more AII in 270 min than the capsules originally
      contained (495 +/- 101 fmol AII/rat released vs. 66 +/- 8 fmol AII/rat tissue
      content). The amount of AI released in the same period only slightly exceeded the
      tissue content. In response to higher potassium concentrations in the medium (9
      vs. 3.6 mM K+), adrenal capsules and dispersed glomerulosa cells both released
      significantly more AI and AII into the superfusate. This release of AI and AII
      was oscillatory. The oscillations occurred in each of 15 experiments, with a
      period of 45-90 min. Decapsulated adrenal glands (the zona faciculata/reticularis
      plus medulla) also contained and released AII, but did not respond to potassium
      stimulation. There was a highly significant correlation between AII and
      aldosterone release. This was especially apparent if aldosterone secretion was
      examined during oscillations of AII release (r = 0.97; P less than 0.0001). We
      conclude that AII is synthesized in the zona glomerulosa and can be released in
      response to stimuli. The close correlation between AII and aldosterone secretion
      suggests that locally produced AII may play an important role in aldosterone
      biosynthesis.

PMID- 1855478
TI  - A novel vitamin D3 analog, 22-oxa-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, inhibits the growth
      of human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo without causing hypercalcemia.
AB  - Although 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] has been shown to inhibit the
      growth of certain malignant cells, its hypercalcemic effect has prevented
      clinical application. We have recently developed a novel vitamin D3 analog, 22
      oxa-1,25-(OH)2D3 (OCT), that is capable of promoting differentiation and
      inhibiting proliferation without inducing hypercalcemia. The present study was
      undertaken to determine whether OCT could be applied for the treatment of breast
      cancer with or without estrogen receptor (ER). OCT inhibited the proliferation of
      both ER-positive (MCF-7, T-47D, and ZR-75-1) and ER-negative breast cancer cells
      (MDA-MB-231 and BT-20) in vitro in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as
      determined by cell number and [3H]thymidine uptake. The antiproliferative effect
      was observed with a concentration as low as 10(-11) M OCT, and treatment of MCF-7
      cells with 10(-8) M OCT for 8 days caused more than a 50% reduction in cell
      number compared with that of vehicle-treated cells. OCT was approximately 1 order
      of magnitude more potent than 1,25-(OH)2D3 in inhibiting the proliferation of MCF
      7 cells. The in vivo effect of OCT was examined in athymic mice implanted with ER
      negative MX-1 tumor, which was established as the xenograft derived from human
      breast carcinoma. Intratumor administration of OCT three times a week remarkably
      delayed the growth of MX-1 tumor in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The
      antitumor effect of 1 microgram/kg BW OCT was greater than that of 500
      microgram/kg BW adriamycin, and the relative tumor weights in each group on day
      26 were 29.7% and 50.5% of that in the vehicle-treated group, respectively. The
      effects of OCT and adriamycin were additive, and the relative tumor weight after
      26 days of combined treatment was 21.7% of that in the vehicle-treated group.
      Oral administration of OCT was also effective, and the relative tumor weight in
      the OCT-treated group (1 microgram/kg BW) was 54.6 +/- 0.1% (mean +/- SEM) of
      that in the vehicle-treated group. Neither intratumor nor oral administration of
      OCT raised the serum calcium level in these animals. These results demonstrate
      that OCT is a potent inhibitor of the proliferation of breast cancer cells with
      or without ER and that OCT inhibits the growth of breast cancer in vivo without
      inducing hypercalcemia. We suggest that OCT may provide a new strategy for the
      treatment of breast carcinoma regardless of ER status.

PMID- 1855479
TI  - Effect of prostaglandin F2 alpha on cytosolic free calcium ion concentrations in
      rat luteal cells.
AB  - Changes in cytosolic free calcium concentrations [( Ca2+]i) in response to
      prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) were measured in single rat luteal cells,
      using the calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2. A total of 112 cells were
      studied in 20 experiments. The average resting [Ca2+]i was 113 +/- 6.4 nM. In 59
      cells (53%), there was a 4.6 +/- 0.2-fold increase in [Ca2+]i within 29.3 +/- 1.0
      sec of PGF2 alpha administration, and the cells recovered by 78.0 +/- 4.5 sec.
      The magnitude of the increase in [Ca2+]i in response to PGF2 alpha was not
      changed by an increase in the concentration of PGF2 alpha. Perifusion with low
      calcium buffer reduced, then eliminated, the [Ca2+]i response to PGF2 alpha.
      Perifusion of cells with PGF2 alpha resulted in a single transient [Ca2+]i
      response, similar to that after short term exposure to PGF2 alpha. Many (67%) of
      the cells that responded to PGF2 alpha also responded to GnRH. No additive
      increase in [Ca2+]i was seen when PGF2 alpha and GnRH were administered together.
      The source of the calcium appears to be intracellular stores that are shared by
      GnRH and PGF2 alpha.

PMID- 1855480
TI  - The 16K fragment of prolactin specifically inhibits basal or fibroblast growth
      factor stimulated growth of capillary endothelial cells.
AB  - Intact 23 kilodalton (kDa), rat PRL is enzymatically cleaved in many target
      tissues to a 16 kDa (16K PRL) and an 8 kDa fragment. After reduction of an
      internal disulfide bond the fragments are released. 16K PRL was shown to be a
      potent mitogen on mammary epithelial cells via PRL receptors. Since estradiol
      induced prolactinomas develop a new blood supply we tested the action of intact
      PRL and 16K PRL on growth of new vessels (angiogenesis). The angiogenic action of
      intact PRL and 16K PRL was tested in cultured bovine brain and adrenal cortex
      endothelial cells. Basal (b) or b-fibroblast growth factor (FGF) stimulated
      growth was estimated by counting cells or measuring the level of incorporation of
      3H-thymidine into DNA. Paradoxically, 16K PRL inhibited the basal and FGF
      stimulated growth of cultured endothelial cells in a dose-dependent fashion.
      Intact PRL or the cleaved but not reduced PRL were inactive even at a 100-fold
      higher concentration. When reformation of disulfide bonds was inhibited by
      carbamidomethylation of 16K PRL the preparations were more potent. 16K PRL had no
      effect on the mitogenic action of bFGF on baby hamster kidney cells which are
      known to have FGF receptors. These data demonstrate that in vitro 16K PRL is a
      potent and specific angiolytic factor, i.e. it inhibits angiogenesis.
      Furthermore, the action of 16K PRL does not appear to be via the known PRL or FGF
      receptors. Since angiogenesis is an essential component of tumor growth 16K PRL
      has potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer.

PMID- 1855481
TI  - Purification and characterization of thyroid hormone-responsive rat hepatic
      proteins.
AB  - Bernal et al. identified two proteins in rat hepatic nuclear extract, t- and n
      proteins, that were enriched by thyroidectomy or T3 treatment, respectively. We
      purified these proteins, raised monospecific antibodies, and characterized them
      by Western blotting. Anti-n and anti-t-protein antibodies did not recognize t-
      and n-proteins, respectively. The n-protein was present in nuclear and cytosolic
      fractions, was present at low levels in the microsomal fraction, and was absent
      in the mitochondrial fraction of rat liver. The t-protein was more abundant in
      mitochondrial and microsomal fractions than in the nuclear fraction. The t
      protein had the same molecular mass and shared immunological properties with
      peroxisomal enoyl-coenzyme-A (CoA) hydratase-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase
      bifunctional enzyme. The total cellular amount of n-protein increased 12 h after
      the administration of 1 microgram T3/100 g BW to thyroidectomized rats. Induction
      was obvious at 0.1 microgram T3/100 g BW after 24 h. Maximal induction was
      observed at 0.3 microgram T3/100 g BW. The n-protein was induced when
      thyroidectomized rat liver was perfused with 10(-7) M T3 for 6 h, excluding the
      possibility that the effect of T3 was mediated by an extrahepatic factor. The n
      protein was detected in liver and brain, but not in kidney, heart, testis, or
      spleen. However, the amount of n-protein in brain was not thyroid hormone
      dependent. Hepatic n-protein does not correspond to any other T3-responsive
      protein in terms of its molecular mass and intracellular localization and may be
      a novel T3-responsive protein.

PMID- 1855482
TI  - Anionic carbohydrate groups of human thyroglobulin containing both phosphate and
      sulfate.
AB  - We showed previously that human thyroglobulin (hTG) contains anionic complex
      carbohydrate units with up to four sulfate groups, some containing both sulfate
      and sialic acid. Recent reports indicate that the carbohydrate units of hTG may
      also contain phosphate, but these reports are not all in accord. The purpose of
      this study was to confirm the presence of phosphate on the carbohydrate units of
      hTG and to determine whether phosphate coexists with other acidic moieties, such
      as sulfate and sialic acid, on the same carbohydrate units. Alkaline phosphatase
      and acid hydrolysis were used to detect phosphate on the sulfated carbohydrate
      units of hTG derived from normal and neoplastic tissues. Thyroid fragments from
      two patients were incubated for 16 h in [35S]sulfate-containing medium, and hTG
      was purified. Complex carbohydrates were released from hTG with endoglycosidase-F
      and analyzed at pH 2.2 on a HPLC ion exchange column. Sulfate-containing peaks
      were monitored by radioactivity, and sialic acid-containing ones were identified
      by their reduced charge after neuraminidase or acid treatment. None of the
      sulfate-labeled carbohydrate peaks shifted after alkaline phosphatase treatment
      alone, indicating that none of them contained phosphomonoesters. Several of the
      sulfate-labeled peaks shifted after acid hydrolysis, some to positions of
      decreased charge, due to removal of sialic acid, and some to positions of
      increased charge, suggesting the presence of phosphodiesters. The latter was
      confirmed by the observation that some of the newly formed peaks were susceptible
      to alkaline phosphatase digestion. Thus, acid hydrolysis converted
      phosphodiesters into alkaline phosphatase-susceptible phosphomonoesters, most
      likely mannose-6-phosphate. We conclude that some anionic complex carbohydrate
      units of hTG contain exclusively sulfate, while others contain combinations of
      sulfate, sialic acid, and phosphodiesters. Phosphodiesters are present in the
      sulfated carbohydrate units of hTG from normal as well as neoplastic thyroid
      tissue.

PMID- 1855483
TI  - Presence and localization of a 30-kDa basic fibroblast growth factor-like protein
      in rodent testes.
AB  - We have used a recently characterized rabbit antiserum against basic fibroblast
      growth factor (bFGF), which recognizes various forms of bFGF, to examine the
      presence and localization of bFGF in the testes of adult rats and mice and the 5
      day-old rat. In Western blots of testicular homogenates of adult rats and mice
      and immature rats, immunoreactive single bands at approximately 30 kDa were
      detected. Immunocytochemistry revealed specific staining restricted to the
      tubular compartment. In 5-day-old rat testes, prespermatogonia were
      immunoreactive. The cytoplasm of pachytene spermatocytes was heavily stained in
      the adult testes of both species. Staining of these cells became evident around
      stage IV/V, was prominent in stage VII through IX and declined about stage
      XII/XIII (rat) or X-XI (mouse). Staining was seen in type A spermatogonia and in
      elongating spermatids in their cytoplasmatic lobes and along their flagellae.
      Sertoli cells were unstained. We propose that the pluripotential growth factor
      bFGF could be involved in the regulation of germ cell proliferation and
      differentiation in the adult and immature testis.

PMID- 1855484
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a human amnion epithelial cell line that
      expresses the pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein gene.
AB  - Human pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (PSG) is a family of closely related
      glycoproteins of 72K, 64K, 62K, and 54K. Together with the carcinoembryonic
      antigen, they form new members of the immunoglobulin superfamily. To study the
      molecular mechanisms that regulate expression of the PSG gene, we established a
      human amnion cell line, HAA58OD-8C, immortalized with an origin-defective simian
      virus-40 (SV40) temperature-sensitive A58 mutant virus. HAA58OD-8C cells were
      temperature sensitive for maintenance of transformation and expressed genes
      encoding PSG and the alpha- and beta-subunits of hCG. At the permissive
      temperature (33 C; transformed phenotype), they expressed low levels of PSG, hCG
      alpha, and hCG beta mRNAs and synthesized low levels of a 48K PSG polypeptide. At
      the nonpermissive temperature (39.5 C), HAA58OD-8C cells exhibited a
      differentiated phenotype, expressed increased levels of PSG, hCG alpha, and hCG
      beta mRNAs, and produced high levels of PSG polypeptides of 72K and 48K. Sodium
      butyrate induced PSG mRNA expression, and in the presence of butyrate, HAA58OD-8C
      cells produced high amounts of PSG polypeptides of 72K, 62K, and 48K.
      Ribonuclease protection analysis indicated that similar PSG transcripts were
      expressed by HAA58OD-8C cells and human term placenta. However, these amnion
      cells expressed selectively a certain population of PSG transcripts. Our results
      show that this amnion cell line provides a suitable model for studies of PSG gene
      expression and regulation.

PMID- 1855485
TI  - Prolactin-induced mitogenesis of lymphocytes from ovariectomized rats.
AB  - PRL can induce interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor expression in splenocytes from
      ovariectomized (OVX) female rats. In this further study of the effects of PRL on
      lymphocytes in vitro we found that PRL induced IL-2 receptor expression, IL-2
      production, and proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes from OVX rats. Cells
      from male rats were not affected. The proliferative response, as measured by
      [3H]thymidine incorporation, depended on the concentration of PRL and the
      presence of adherent cells in the culture. After a 48-h incubation with PRL (1
      microgram/ml), splenocytes from OVX rats incorporated essentially the same amount
      of [3H]thymidine as cells incubated with the polyclonal T-cell mitogen
      Concanavalin-A (ConA). As determined by autoradiography, approximately 40% of the
      splenocytes responded to PRL or to ConA. After incubation of splenocytes and
      thymocytes with PRL, bioactive IL-2 was detected in culture medium only from
      cells of OVX female rats, while incubation with ConA caused IL-2 production by
      lymphocytes from both male and OVX rats. However, ConA induced IL-2 activity
      sooner than PRL. Immunofluorescent-flow cytometric analysis revealed time
      dependent increases in percentages of IL-2 receptor-positive splenocytes as well
      as increases in percentages of total T-cells and cells of the CD8 and, to a
      lesser extent, the CD4 subclass after PRL stimulation.

PMID- 1855486
TI  - Lifestyle and environmental factors as determinants of blood lead levels in a
      Swiss population.
AB  - The determination of blood lead levels was included in a Swiss population survey
      on cardiovascular risk factors in 1984-1985; 931 men and 843 women aged 25 to 75
      years participated in the study. Mean blood lead levels (+/- SD) were 0.63 +/-
      0.27 mumole/liter for men and 0.44 +/- 0.19 mumole/liter for women, respectively,
      with a slight increase with age for both sexes. These values are below the
      maximum level recommended by the Commission of the European Community in 1977; 18
      cases were found with blood lead higher than 1.5 mumole/liter and in six of
      these, a professional exposure was suspected. Smoking habits, drinking habits,
      and consumption of dairy products were selected as lifestyle descriptors and
      educational level, occupational category, and size of the community as
      sociodemographic indicators. Smoking and alcohol consumption show a direct
      association with blood lead, consuming dairy products an inverse one. Occupation
      and level of education are significantly related to blood lead only for men, blue
      collar workers and less-educated men being more exposed. A higher blood lead
      level in cities was only found for women presumably because they stay at home
      more often than men and are therefore more sensitive to local exposure. In a
      multiple stepwise logistic regression, the lifestyle indicators showed a
      consistently stronger effect on blood lead than sociodemographic indicators. For
      men, smoking has an effect on blood lead for blue-collar workers much stronger
      than that for nonindustrial employees and may compound in some way the
      professional exposure to lead. This stresses the fact that interactions between
      lifestyle and environmental factors on blood lead are significant, complex, and
      need further investigation.

PMID- 1855487
TI  - Effects of 0.60 PPM nitrogen dioxide on circulating and bronchoalveolar lavage
      lymphocyte phenotypes in healthy subjects.
AB  - Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a common oxidant air pollutant. Animal studies have
      suggested that NO2 exposure causes a decrease in the numbers of some splenic
      lymphocyte subtypes and impairs lymphocyte-dependent immune responses. To
      investigate whether ambient levels of NO2 alter circulating and bronchoalveolar
      lavage fluid (BALF) human lymphocytes, we studied five healthy nonsmoking adult
      volunteers. In each subject, blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained
      and then, more than 2 weeks later, volunteers were exposured to 0.60 ppm NO2 for
      2 hr with intermittent light to moderate exercise on 4 separate days within a 6
      day period. We measured standard tests of pulmonary function (airway resistance,
      thoracic gas volume, maximal expiratory flow) and had the subjects rate the
      severity of respiratory symptoms before and after each NO2 exposure. Circulating
      and BALF lymphocytes were labeled with fluorochrome-conjugated monoclonal
      antibodies to human lymphocyte antigens and a flow cytometer was used to count
      lymphocyte subtypes. Neither any single day's exposure nor all four exposures
      caused a change in symptoms or in the results of tests of pulmonary function. The
      total number of circulating lymphocytes obtained after NO2 exposure was slightly
      greater than at baseline (1792 +/- 544 vs 1598 +/- 549 cells/mm3 at baseline; P =
      not significant) but the proportions of lymphocyte subtypes did not differ. In
      the BALF obtained after NO2 exposure and in the baseline state, the total number
      of lymphocytes and the percentages of T cells (CD 3), B cells (CD 20), T
      cytotoxic-suppressor cells (CD 8), T helper-inducer cells (CD 4), and large
      granular lymphocytes (CD 57) also did not differ after NO2 exposure. A slightly
      but significantly greater proportion of natural killer cells (CD 16) was found in
      the BALF obtained after NO2 exposure (7.2 +/- 3.1 vs 4.2 +/- 2.4% of total
      lymphocytes). We conclude that repeated exposures of healthy nonsmoking adults to
      0.60 ppm NO2 are not associated with clinically significant symptoms, changes in
      airway caliber, or alterations in circulating and BALF lymphocyte subtypes. We
      suggest that brief, daily exposures to NO2 at levels higher than those achieved
      in urban atmosphere are unlikely to provoke acute respiratory impairment in
      healthy, nonsmoking adults.

PMID- 1855488
TI  - Methylene chloride exposure and birthweight in Monroe County, New York.
AB  - This study examined the relationship between birthweight and exposure to
      emissions of methylene chloride (DCM) from manufacturing processes of the Eastman
      Kodak Company at Kodak Park in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. County census
      tracts were categorized as exposed to high, moderate, low or no DCM based on the
      Kodak Air Monitoring Program (KAMP) model, a theoretical dispersion model of DCM
      developed by Eastman Kodak Company. Birthweight and information on variables
      known to influence birthweight were obtained from 91,302 birth certificates of
      white singleton births to Monroe County residents from 1976 to 1987. No
      significant adverse effects of exposure to DCM on birthweight were found.
      Adjusted birthweight in high exposure census tracts was 18.7 g less than in areas
      with no exposure (95% confidence interval for the difference between high and no
      exposure - 51.6, 14.2 g). Problems inherent in the method of estimation of
      exposure, which may decrease power or bias the results, are discussed. Better
      methods to estimate exposure to emissions from multiple industrial point sources
      are needed.

PMID- 1855490
TI  - Dermal absorption of neat and aqueous volatile organic chemicals in the Fischer
      344 rat.
AB  - Quantification of dermal absorption of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from
      aqueous solutions is required to understand the potential health hazards
      resulting from skin exposure to these chemicals in contaminated water. Male
      Fischer 344 rats were dermally exposed (3.1-cm2 dorsal skin) to neat, one-third
      saturated, two-thirds saturated, or saturated aqueous solutions of 14 VOCs for 24
      hr. Blood samples were obtained via indwelling jugular catheters during exposure
      (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hr), and analyzed for the VOCs by gas
      chromatography using headspace analysis. Absorption of the neat VOCs in this
      series of chemicals decreased as water solubility decreased. Peak blood levels of
      VOCs attained during exposure for 24 hr to neat chemicals were: 1,2
      dichloroethane (135.1 micrograms/ml), bromochloromethane (113.3 micrograms/ml),
      chloroform (51.0 micrograms/ml), benzene (24.2 micrograms/ml),
      tetrachloroethylene (21.1 micrograms/ml), dibromomethane (18.2 micrograms/ml),
      trichloroethylene (11.6 micrograms/ml), toluene (9.5 micrograms/ml), xylene (8.8
      micrograms/ml), hexane (8.0 micrograms/ml), ethylbenzene (5.6 micrograms/ml),
      styrene (5.3 micrograms/ml), carbon tetrachloride (5.0 micrograms/ml), and 1,1,1
      trichloroethane (3.4 micrograms/ml). Blood levels of 1,2-dichloroethane and
      benzene continued to increase during the 24-hr exposure to neat chemical, while
      blood levels of the other neat VOCs peaked within 4 hr and then either decreased
      or remained about the same for the duration of the exposure. Absorption of VOCs
      from one-third, two-thirds, or saturated aqueous solutions was rapid, and
      resulted in depletion of the chemical from the solution although only a small
      amount of water was absorbed. Blood levels of each VOC were directly related to
      the exposure concentrations. The rapid appearance of VOCs in the blood from
      aqueous solutions demonstrates that detectable amounts of VOCs were absorbed
      during exposure of only about 1% of the skin surface area of the rat.

PMID- 1855489
TI  - Chronic carcinogenic and toxic effects of a single subcutaneous dose of cadmium
      in the male Fischer rat.
AB  - The carcinogenic effects of cadmium have not been thoroughly assessed in the
      commonly used Fischer (F344) rat. This study determined tumor incidence in
      various tissues of male F344/NCr rats after a single dose of cadmium. Cadmium (as
      CdCl2) was given sc in the dorsal thoracic midline at 30 mumole/kg to 70 8-week
      old male F344 rats while controls (n = 50) received saline. Rats were observed
      during the next 90 weeks. Early deaths (less than or equal to 32 weeks), due
      mostly to acute cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity, accounted for 37 of the cadmium
      treated rats while no control rats died in the same period. A high incidence of
      injection site sarcomas (ISS) occurred in the cadmium-treated group (21 ISS/32
      rats at risk; 66%) while only 1/50 occurred in controls (2%). In fact, ISS were
      the major cause of morbidity after 35 weeks in cadmium-treated rats. These tumors
      were mostly fibrosarcomas, although histiocytic and osteogenic sarcomas also
      occurred. Testicular interstitial cell tumors, which show a very high spontaneous
      incidence in this strain (41/49; 84%), were not markedly affected by cadmium
      (30/31; 97%). This is in sharp contrast to other strains, such as the Wistar, in
      which cadmium treatment is reported to cause as much as an eightfold increase in
      interstitial cell (Leydig cell) tumor incidence. The incidence of large granular
      lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia, which also occurred frequently in control F344 rats
      (12/47; 26%) was markedly decreased (2/31; 7%) by cadmium. Our recent studies
      indicate acute lymphonecrotic effects occur with cadmium in lymphoid tissues of
      rats, and this may be related to the suppression of the leukemia. These results
      indicate that cadmium is very effective in inducing ISS in F344 rats, as is the
      case with other strains thus far tested, and also markedly reduces spontaneous
      leukemia incidence.

PMID- 1855492
TI  - Effects of ozone on the cholinergic secretory responsiveness of ferret tracheal
      glands.
AB  - Oxidant air pollutants exacerbate several pulmonary diseases. Inhalation of ozone
      has been shown to induce airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness. Oxidant injury
      could also affect airway secretory mechanisms. We postulated that oxidant
      exposure would alter the glycoconjugate secretory function of airway submucosal
      glands. To test this hypothesis we examined the effects of in vivo ozone exposure
      on the in vitro secretory responsiveness of ferret tracheal glands. Ferrets were
      exposed to 1 ppm ozone, 24 hr/day for 3 or 7 days. Following exposure, glandular
      explants, denuded of surface epithelial cells, were prepared and incubated in
      medium containing 3H-glucosamine for 18 hr. Basal secretion of labeled
      glycoconjugates was significantly increased 31% following 3 days of ozone
      exposure (P less than or equal to 0.05) and remained elevated 11% after 7 days of
      exposure compared to the air-exposed group. After 3 or 7 days of exposure to
      ozone, tracheal gland responsiveness to carbachol was increased as indicated by
      significantly lower EC50 values (log molar concentration) of -6.43 +/- 0.04 (n =
      6) and -6.50 +/- 0.11 (n = 5), respectively; compared to -6.20 +/- 0.08 (n = 6)
      for the air-exposed group. There was no difference in carbachol EC50 values for
      air and 7-day ozone-exposed animals treated with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone did
      not attenuate the ozone-induced increase in basal secretion. Tracheal gland
      responsiveness to alpha- or beta-adrenergic agonists was not changed by oxidant
      exposure. These experiments suggest that oxidant injury not only increases basal
      secretion of respiratory glycoconjugates but also increases tracheal gland
      sensitivity to a cholinergic agonist.

PMID- 1855491
TI  - Cytochrome P450IA mRNA expression in feral Hudson River tomcod.
AB  - We sought to determine if levels of cytochrome P450IA gene expression are
      environmentally induced in feral populations of Hudson River tomcod, a cancer
      prone fish, and whether laboratory exposure of tomcod to artificially spiked and
      naturally contaminated Hudson sediments can elicit a significant response. Using
      Northern blot analysis, we found levels of P450IA mRNA in tomcod collected from
      two Hudson River sites higher than those in tomcod from a river in Maine.
      Depuration of environmentally induced Hudson tomcod P450IA mRNA was rapid, with
      an initial detectable decline in P450 gene expression by 8 hr and basal levels
      reached by 5 days. Intraperitoneal injection of beta-napthoflavone in depurated
      Hudson tomcod resulted in a 15-fold induction of P450 gene expression within 26
      hr. Exposure of depurated Hudson tomcod to natural sediment spiked with two PAHs
      resulted in a 7-fold induction of P450 gene expression. Exposure of depurated
      tomcod to sediment from a contaminated Hudson site also resulted in a 7- to 15
      fold induction of P450IA mRNA expression. Northern blot analysis revealed a
      second polymorphic cytochrome P450IA mRNA band in some tomcod which was also
      detected by Southern blot analysis. Induction of cytochrome P450IA mRNA in
      Atlantic tomcod may provide a sensitive biomarker of environmentally relevant
      concentrations of some pollutants in the Hudson and other northeastern tidal
      rivers.

PMID- 1855493
TI  - Cadmium determination in Mexican-produced tobacco.
AB  - Exposure to cadmium by inhalation or ingestion is dangerous for human health.
      This metal induces damage to the kidneys, the bones, the prostate, and the lungs.
      In the lungs, cadmium can produce cancer, emphysema, and fibrosis. It is well
      known that tobacco leaves are contaminated with cadmium, a metal that has been
      related to pulmonary damage. In this paper we report the concentration of cadmium
      in tobacco leaves and in cigarettes produced for domestic consumption. Fifty-five
      cigarettes of different brands, prices, and stocks were analyzed as well as 48
      samples from four different types of tobacco. The average concentration of
      cadmium in cigarettes was 4.41 +/- 0.67 micrograms/g, and 2.65 +/- 0.99
      micrograms/g for tobacco leaves; the content of cadmium was 2.8 +/- 0.4
      micrograms/cigarette. It was estimated that a person that smokes 20 Mexican
      cigarettes per day can increase his (her) cadmium burden by 1.4 to 2.8 micrograms
      per day.

PMID- 1855494
TI  - Regulation of in-place asbestos-containing material.
AB  - Approximately two-thirds of New York City's 800,000 buildings contain asbestos.
      Most of this material is damaged or deteriorating. Legislation pending in the New
      York City Council (Bill number 453) would require virtually all building owners
      to inspect for asbestos, to develop management and maintenance plans to prevent
      disturbance of intact material, and to provide notice of the presence of asbestos
      to building occupants. This paper reviews the legislation and discusses its
      features that have been questioned. It concludes that regulation of in-place
      asbestos is necessary and appropriate.

PMID- 1855495
TI  - Body Mass Index variations: centiles from birth to 87 years.
AB  - This report provides Body Mass Index (weight/height2) values for the French
      population from birth to the age of 87 years. BMI curves increase during the
      first year, decrease until the age of 6, increase again up to 65 years and
      decrease thereafter. These variations reflect the total changes of fat body mass
      during life. The 50th centile values of Wt/Ht2 at the ages of 20, 40, 60, 80
      years are 21.5, 24.6, 25.4, 24.4 kg/m2 for men and 20.6, 22.6, 24.1, 23.4 kg/m2
      for women. The values for the 3rd, 50th and 97th centiles in the middle years are
      approximately 18, 24 and 32 kg/m2. Graphs for these and four other percentiles
      are plotted against age, and two other graphs summarising the variation and
      skewness of the Wt/Ht2 distribution are provided to calculate exact percentiles
      and Z-scores for individuals.

PMID- 1855496
TI  - A study of the association between improved sanitation facilities and children's
      height in Lesotho.
AB  - The impact of improved sanitation on the anthropometric status of children under
      5 years in Lesotho was investigated using children recruited into a case-control
      study of diarrhoea morbidity. The children's height-for-age Z-scores were used as
      an indicator of chronic undernutrition. Classifying children as 'stunted' or
      'adequately nourished' revealed some evidence of an association between latrine
      ownership and attained height. After allowing for confounding variables, the odds
      of stunting were 18 per cent lower among children in households with latrines (95
      per cent confidence interval, 36 per cent lower to 3 per cent higher). More
      powerful analyses, using height-for-age as a continuous outcome variable,
      revealed that the mean height-for-age Z-score of children from households with a
      latrine was 0.27 standard deviations higher than that of children from households
      without a latrine (95 per cent c.i. = 0.12 to 0.42). These results suggest that
      the anthropometric status of children may be as responsive to improvements in
      sanitation facilities as diarrhoea morbidity in some settings.

PMID- 1855497
TI  - Serum lipids and apolipoprotein B values, blood pressure and pulse rate in
      anorexia nervosa.
AB  - Some risk factors associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) were evaluated in
      patients with different types of anorexia nervosa (AN). Anthropometric
      parameters, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and apoprotein (apo) B values, blood
      pressure and pulse rate were tested in 29 young female patients and 16 controls.
      Cholesterol, triglycerides and apo B were higher at the acute period of the
      illness (AN1), whereas at the chronic period the values of these parameters
      tended to normalize. Triglycerides were higher in patients who binge ate
      (bulimarexia). Systolic blood pressure decreased in all types of AN, while
      diastolic blood pressure decreased only in AN1; pulse rate was not altered.
      According to cholesterol and apo B values, AN patients may be at risk of CHD if
      they remain at low body weight.

PMID- 1855498
TI  - Intake of fluoride and excretion in mothers' milk in a high fluoride (9 ppm) area
      in Kenya.
AB  - In 27 nursing mothers a study was made on breast milk fluoride (F) levels and the
      24-h intake of F through foods and beverages. The daily F intake averaged 22.1 mg
      (range 9.5-37.2 mg); cooked food contributed 11.7 mg, water 4.5 mg and tea 5.8
      mg. The breast milk F concentration averaged 0.033 mg/l (range 0.011-0.073 mg/l).
      No significant correlation could be established between the milk F level and the
      intake of F. The milk F level was, however, correlated positively to mothers' age
      and negatively to mothers' weight. It is concluded that the milk fluoride level
      was only moderately increased by the high intake of F, and that the children's
      intake of F through mothers' milk was negligible compared to the very high F
      intake through complementary foods and beverages.

PMID- 1855499
TI  - Inter-observer variability in the measurement of body composition.
AB  - The inter-observer variation in simple bedside assessments of body composition
      has been evaluated in 12 healthy adult subjects (6 male and 6 female) by 6
      observers. Systematic bias between observers was found to be evident in each of
      the basic measurements (except height) and in each of the estimates of body
      composition (except those derived from weight and height alone). The largest
      residual coefficients of variation (rCV) for the basic measurements were found
      for skinfold thickness (11-18 per cent for individual skinfold thicknesses, and 9
      per cent for the sum of four skinfold thicknesses), and the lowest for weight
      (0.01 per cent for digital scales, and 0.05 per cent for beam balance) and height
      (0.4 per cent). The rCV for whole-body resistance (1.2 per cent), forearm
      resistance (5.4 per cent) and near infra-red interactance (optical density 1: 5.6
      per cent and optical density 2: 6.2 per cent) measurements were found to have
      intermediate values. The variability in the estimate of body fat obtained by
      skinfold thickness (rCV = 4.6 per cent) and near infra-red interactance methods
      (rCV = 4.2 per cent) was found to be greater than that from the resistance method
      (rCV = 2.6 per cent) and by methods based on weight and height alone (rCV = 1.1
      per cent). The variability in the estimate of fat-free mass showed the same trend
      as that for body fat, but the rCVs were less due to the greater mass of the fat
      free body compared to body fat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855500
TI  - Attained height of lacto-ovo vegetarian children and adolescents.
AB  - The relationship between diet and attained height was studied in children and
      adolescents in Southern California. Diet pattern was determined from an extensive
      food frequency questionnaire in 1765 Caucasian children of 7-18 years, attending
      state schools (452 m and 443 f) and Seventh-day Adventist schools (427 m and 443
      f). The major difference in diet pattern between state and Adventist school
      children was in meat consumption. The Adventist children were split evenly
      between three categories of frequency in meat consumption (less than 1/week,
      1/week-less than 1/d, and greater than or equal to 1/d), while 92 percent of
      state school children consumed meat daily. Vegetarians (those consuming meat less
      than 1/week) differed significantly in the consumption of other major food
      groups, such as fruit and vegetables. All school and diet subgroups were at or
      above the 50th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics. Age
      adjusted regression analysis showed that on average Adventist vegetarian children
      were taller than their meat-consuming classmates (2.5 and 2.0 cm for boys and
      girls, respectively). These results did not change materially when adjusting for
      other food groups. Nor did adjustment for parental height and socioeconomic
      factors in a sub-sample of 518 children. The results indicate that vegetarian
      children and adolescents on a balanced diet grow at least as tall as children who
      consume meat.

PMID- 1855501
TI  - Mechanisms of gastrointestinal immunoregulation and food induced injury to the
      gut.

PMID- 1855502
TI  - Food allergy in children.

PMID- 1855503
TI  - Adverse reactions to food and drug additives.

PMID- 1855504
TI  - The clinical use of protein hydrolysates and soya formulae.

PMID- 1855505
TI  - Food antigens in human milk.

PMID- 1855506
TI  - Psychoneurological aspects of food allergy.

PMID- 1855507
TI  - False allergic reactions in children with atopic eczema.

PMID- 1855509
TI  - The effect of scatter reduction on the signal-to-noise ratio in computed
      radiography.
AB  - Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in computed radiography (CR) was assessed by using
      the computerized image data from storage phosphor radiographs in a modification
      of the Rose model. A multiple pencil-beam (MPB) imaging device, a conventional
      1:12 grid, and an air gap of 90 cm were compared in terms of improvement of the
      signal-to-noise ratio caused by the reduction of scatter. The MPB device showed
      better SNRs by a factor of 1.25 compared to the grid and air gap which were
      approximately equal to each other. This is related to its superiority in scatter
      control, which has also been shown previously. Air gap screening has not been
      very popular because of geometrical problems, but in scatter reduction it is
      still comparable to today's grid technology. The optimization of image
      information content in CR is briefly discussed.

PMID- 1855508
TI  - Combination of multiple pencil-beam imaging to computed storage phosphor
      radiography: a new method.
AB  - Computed radiography (CR) with storage phosphors offers a wide dynamic range and
      improved sensitivity compared to film-screen technology. CR was combined in this
      study with a prototype multiple pencil-beam (MPB) imaging device which has been
      shown to be very effective in scatter reduction. The combination was analyzed and
      compared to the standard technique of grid screening in two ways: a free-response
      ROC (FROC) analysis was first performed followed by a blinded test arrangement
      for visual analysis of image quality in a series of computed radiography of the
      lumbar spine by both the MPB and grid modalities. The results of the FROC study
      showed a statistically significant (P less than or equal to 0.01) improvement in
      signal detection. The MPB-CR images of the lumbar spine had more contrast but
      also a slightly mottled or grainy appearance. Image quality was found good but
      contrast processing was criticized because it seemed to result in a too steep
      display of contrast in MPB imaging. This should be avoidable by changing the
      image processing parameters.

PMID- 1855510
TI  - Reject analysis: a pilot programme for image quality management.
AB  - The radiographic film wastage and the different parameters affecting this wastage
      were analysed for a 9-week period at a 600-bed University Hospital. An overall
      reject rate of 7.6% was found. The different reasons for rejection were
      evaluated, while retake rate, relation between working experience of the
      personnel, amount of rejected films and total film wastage in surface (m2), were
      registered and analysed.

PMID- 1855511
TI  - Assessment of radiology installations in Macedonia, Greece.
AB  - Nine, small and large radiology installations in Macedonia, Greece using 40
      generators and a total of 47 roentgen tubes were assessed and their work load was
      calculated. The results of quality control measurements in 39 of these (27
      radiographic and 12 fluoroscopic tubes) are presented. The parameters measured
      were: (a) kvp, (b) radiation output, (c) timer accuracy, (d) field coincidence
      and (e) total filtering. For fluoroscopic equipment spatial resolution and
      radiation field alignment were also measured. Equipment exploitation seems to be
      very low, since more than half of the equipment was less than 8 years old, with a
      work load under 200 mA.min per week. The total work load was calculated to be
      about 4612 mA.min per week, corresponding to 123,960 patients. These were
      examined by 52 radiologists supported by 58 radiographers. Skin exposure was
      measured for fluoroscopy patients (2.8 +/- 2.7 R/mA per min), as well as for a
      set of routine radiographic examinations.

PMID- 1855512
TI  - A new apparatus for the localization of nonpalpable mammary lesions.
AB  - A new apparatus has been used for the localization of 46 nonpalpable mammary
      lesions seen in either of two radiological projections. This device compresses
      and immobilizes the breast independently of the mammography equipment and permits
      a three-dimensional localization of the lesion by using the technique of X-ray
      angulation. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the procedure.
      Transfixation of the lesions was established in 30 cases (65.2%), the guidewire
      passed very close to the lesion in 14 cases (30.4%), and in 2 cases (4.4%) the
      guidewire was seen to be less than 10 mm away from the lesion. Correct
      preoperative localization of the lesions permitted a correct diagnosis with
      minimal biopsies.

PMID- 1855513
TI  - MRI in primary bone tumors: therapeutic implications.
AB  - The accuracy of preoperative MRI in detecting tumor extent has been evaluated in
      35 patients with primary bone neoplasms; intra-osseous extent was measured on MR
      images and compared with macroslides of surgical specimens in 26 cases. An almost
      completely accurate prediction of tumor size was obtained with the combined
      employment of Spin-Echo (SE) and Short Inversion Time Inversion Recovery (STIR)
      sequences in the various tumors, with the exception of two Ewing's sarcomas.
      Changes in Signal Intensity (SI) and tumor morphology were identified in those
      cases which had undergone presurgical chemotherapy; the reduction in SI and in
      tumor size or the appearance of a more homogeneous signal was correlated with a
      positive response to cytotoxic therapy. MR imaging fully satisfies surgeon's
      preoperative requirements in the assessment of therapy-responding neoplasms as
      well as in local tumor staging in all types of neoplasms, with the exception of
      Ewing's sarcoma.

PMID- 1855514
TI  - Normal brain maturation in MRI.
AB  - Normal brain maturation was evaluated with MR imaging of 36 neonate to 2-year-old
      patients. The myelination process in centrum semiovale was quantitatively
      assessed in 50 6-months- to 15-year-old children, and 40 adults aged 16-60 years.
      Imaging was performed with a 0.35 T superconducting MR unit using spin echo pulse
      sequences. On T1-weighted images, three stages of maturation could be observed:
      (1) neonates within 1 month; (2) 1-6 months of age; and (3) adult configuration
      after 6-7 months of age. Also on T2-weighted images three maturation stages could
      be defined: (1) neonatal pattern in the first 6 months of life; (2) signal
      inversion between 6-18 months; and (3) adult appearance after 18 months. Thus,
      the combination of T1- and T2-weighted images could lead us to the assessment of
      brain maturation in infants younger than 2 years. The myelination process in
      centrum semiovale was fast during the first 3 years followed by slow progression
      until 20-30 years of age.

PMID- 1855515
TI  - Extramedullary spinal cysticercosis.

PMID- 1855516
TI  - Spinal cord cavities: differential-diagnostic criteria in magnetic resonance
      imaging.
AB  - MRI examinations of 30 patients with idiopathic syringomyelia and 10 patients
      with cavities associated with an intramedullary neoplasm were evaluated with
      respect to typical MRI features in both groups. All tumor-associated cases
      resembled the idiopathic syringomyelias in some portions of the cavity. At the
      tumor site, however, tumor-associated cases demonstrated typical findings: the
      cavities showed abrupt changes of diameter (10/10) and position (8/10) and the
      surrounding spinal cord demonstrated an uneven thickness (10/10), an increased
      signal intensity on T2-weighted images (10/10) and pathological contrast
      enhancement (7/7). Displacement of cerebellar tonsils below the level of the
      foramen magnum (21/30) and enlargement of the spinal canal (7/29) were
      characteristic features of idiopathic cases. In conclusion, MRI provides valuable
      criteria to differentiate between idiopathic and tumor-associated cavities.

PMID- 1855517
TI  - Intramedullary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the spinal cord; a case report.

PMID- 1855518
TI  - Perfusion characteristics of hepatic cavernous hemangioma using intravenous CT
      angiography (IVCTA).
AB  - Thirty-three patients with 35 proven hepatic cavernous hemangiomas (HCH) were
      studied with intravenous CT angiography (IVCTA). 15 scans were performed during
      the first 30 s after bolus (6 ml/s) injection of 50 ml iodinated contrast
      material. Thereafter 2 scans/min were obtained up to 30 min. Three criteria were
      utilized at IVCTA to make a specific diagnosis of HCH: (1) detection of an
      intense mural nodular enhancement in the arterial phase. The density in the
      nodular region(s) should have a density level similar to that of the aorta or
      hepatic arteries; (2) well-defined nodular area(s); and (3) centripetally
      oriented enlargement of the nodular region(s). These criteria were seen in 31 of
      35 hemangiomas. In contrast the 'typical' Freeny-Marks criteria were present in
      only 23 of 35 hemangiomas. The results show that our criteria may provide greater
      specificity.

PMID- 1855519
TI  - Radiographic findings in pulmonary tuberculosis: the influence of human
      immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - The chest radiographs and medical records of 166 patients diagnosed as having
      clinically active pulmonary tuberculosis were reviewed. Forty-nine patients
      (group I) were seropositives to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and 117
      patients (group II) did not have known risk factors for HIV infection.
      Roentgenographic abnormalities were analysed in the two groups, according to nine
      different radiographic patterns previously defined. The seropositive group had a
      significantly higher proportion of hilar and/or mediastinal adenopathy (P less
      than 0.001), infiltrates confined to the lower lung fields (P less than 0.05),
      and miliary tuberculosis (P less than 0.005). Otherwise, single cavitation and
      destructive pattern were more frequent in the group II. These data suggest that
      patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV infection are much more likely to
      have atypical radiographic findings.

PMID- 1855520
TI  - Long term clinical care of parkinson's disease. A symposium. Tokyo, April 21,
      1990.

PMID- 1855521
TI  - Transplants in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - The objectives of this review are, first, to summarize results from clinical
      trials on patients with Parkinson's disease using grafts of either adrenal
      medulla or fetal substantia nigra and, second, to discuss some of the scientific
      issues that need to be clarified in more detail before transplantation can become
      a real therapeutic alternative in Parkinson's disease. Adrenal medulla
      autotransplantation using open microsurgery has been shown to effect a modest
      reduction of the duration and severity of off periods in about 30-50% of operated
      patients and to have a high morbidity and mortality rate. The mechanisms of
      improvement are unknown. It is concluded that adrenal medulla autotransplantation
      is an experimental approach and not a treatment for Parkinson's disease. Animal
      experimental data clearly favour the use of fetal dopamine (DA) neurons in
      patients, and clinical trials using such grafts are now going on in several
      countries. We have implanted human fetal mesencephalic tissue into the striatum
      in 6 patients. The findings indicate that fetal DA neurons can survive in the
      human parkinsonian brain and produce therapeutically valuable functional effects.
      Together with the solid animal experimental data the clinical observations
      support the idea that neural transplantation can be developed into an effective
      therapy in Parkinson's disease. However, it should be emphasized that such a
      treatment is presently not available and that further work is necessary to
      optimize the transplantation procedure, e.g. with respect to the yield of
      surviving DA neurons and the location and number of implantation sites to achieve
      the largest possible symptomatic improvement.

PMID- 1855522
TI  - Autonomic nervous system disorders in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - This paper gives a review on the clinical features of autonomic failure which
      occur in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), mainly based on the recent
      publications, especially from Japan. In 1817, James Parkinson already mentioned
      bowel and bladder dysfunctions in his original article. Since then, a number of
      clinical studies have disclosed the occurrence of autonomic failure in this
      disease. It is known that relatively minor degrees of orthostatic hypotension are
      not rare, but other features of autonomic failure are rather uncommon, generally
      mild in severity and nonprogressive. Orthostatic hypotension is suggested as a
      possible side effect of L-dopa. Postprandial hypotension is occasionally found,
      and vasopressin is proven to prevent it remarkably. There is low
      electrocardiographic R-R interval variability which indicates impaired
      parasympathetic activity. Thermoregulatory sweating is nearly normal, but its
      center is functionally impaired. Resting skin temperature is slightly lower. Both
      salivation and lacrymation are quantitatively within normal limits. Little is
      known on sexual function in PD.

PMID- 1855523
TI  - European experience with the urethral Wallstent for urethral strictures.
AB  - We describe the use of the urethral Wallstent in 71 patients with urethral
      strictures. The stainless steel stent is self expanding when released from its
      endoscopic introducer. The results over a 3-year period have been good with only
      mild discomfort and slight urethral leakage for up to 3 months. Migration,
      infection and encrustation have not been a problem and serial endoscopic review
      shows healing to be variable but complete in up to 12 months. It is considered
      that this simple endoscopic technique offers a simple, safe and effective
      alternative to multiple dilatations, urethrotomies and urethroplasty procedures
      in patients with bulbar urethral strictures.

PMID- 1855524
TI  - Radical retropubic prostatectomy: complications and quality of life (429 cases,
      1983-1989).
AB  - From March 1983 to December 1989 we have performed radical prostatectomy on 429
      patients with prostate cancer. With 117 of the cases we performed the sparing
      nerve procedure. Follow-up was 6-72 months. Early postoperative complications
      concerned 36 patients (8.4%). We have not had any total incontinence. After a 6
      month postoperative period we had a rate of 13.8 +/- 3% of stress incontinence
      with a confidence level of 95%. This percentage changed to 6.2 +/- 3% after a 12
      month period. 33% of the patients after 6 months and 68.5% after 1 year reported
      full potency with similar pre- and postoperative quality of sexual intercourse.
      To manage localized prostate cancer it is important to know that with radical
      prostatectomy we can obtain an excellent quality of life with low morbidity even
      if the best management of localized prostate cancer is not resolved.

PMID- 1855525
TI  - Testicular function after unilateral bacterial epididymo-orchitis.
AB  - In order to determine whether bacterial infection of the gonads may account for
      some male-related infertility, the fertility status of 45 young men who developed
      gonococcal urethritis and then epididymo-orchitis were studied prospectively. The
      fertility potential of the subjects was evaluated through history of paternity,
      repeated semen examinations, serum follicle-stimulating hormone determinations,
      and testicular biopsy. Before infection, 14 married men (100%) had proved their
      fertility through their children. Two years after infection, only 21% of these
      fathers and 40% of all subjects produced semen considered adequate for
      conception. The semen values in the rest were comparable to those of
      infertile/subfertile men. Although the lesion was clinically confined to one
      testis, testicular biopsy and follicle-stimulating hormone studies showed that
      testicular damage involved both testes. The study showed that bacterial gonadal
      infection may result in permanent azoospermia or oligospermia and this without
      question may result in male-related barrenness.

PMID- 1855526
TI  - Penile brachial index in impotent patients with coronary artery disease.
AB  - From March to July 1989, a total of 40 patients, who had received coronary
      catheterization, answered questionnaires concerning sexual potency. In those 30
      patients with a diseased coronary artery, only 2 (6.6%) had no erectile
      dysfunction subjectively. On the contrary, 4 of 10 (40%) patients with
      angiographically proven normal coronary artery complained of erectile
      dysfunction. Penile Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 30 patients. The
      mean penile brachial index (PBI) of 8 patients with a normal coronary artery was
      0.82 +/- 0.1, as compared with the diseased group, 0.73 +/- 0.1 (p = 0.05). When
      these patients were further divided into two groups by a PBI of greater or less
      than 0.65, there was also no significant difference in the degree of obstruction
      of the three main coronary arteries between these two groups. There was no
      correlation between PBI and obstruction of the left anterior descending artery (r
      = 0.316, p = 0.689). Most of the patients (93.4%) with an abnormal coronary
      artery had erectile dysfunction. Nevertheless a poor correlation was noted
      between the PBI and the severity of coronary artery obstruction. Our study
      suggests that it is hard to use PBI alone as a predictor of future major
      thromboembolic heart attack.

PMID- 1855527
TI  - Diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas in nontraumatic spontaneous perirenal
      hemorrhage.
AB  - We report on 8 patients who presented with acute abdominal pain, palpable mass
      and a rapid decrease in hemoglobin. Intravenous pyelogram, ultrasound and
      computed tomography had been performed but the underlying cause of the perirenal
      hematoma couldn't be detected. Surgical exploration was decided and 6 total and 2
      partial nephrectomies were performed. The pathological report revealed 4
      adenocarcinomas and 4 angiomyolipomas. The possibility of spontaneous rupture of
      the kidney in the evaluation of cases of acute abdomen is particularly stressed.

PMID- 1855528
TI  - Onlay urethroplasty with parameatal foreskin flap for distal hypospadias.
AB  - A new technique of onlay flap urethroplasty is described. The cosmetic and
      functional results of this logical extension of our one-stage urethroplasty with
      parameatal foreskin-flap have been good. The onlay urethroplasty with parameatal
      foreskin flap was recommended for the repair of distal hypospadias without
      chordee.

PMID- 1855529
TI  - Long-term follow-up after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in children.
AB  - In 34 children (25 girls and 9 boys), aged 1-14 years, extracorporeal shock wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed for renal and ureteral calculi between March
      1985 and December 31, 1989. The patients were treated with the HM3-Dornier
      lithotripter under general anesthesia. Of the 34 children, 24 with an interval of
      more than 12 months since ESWL were called in for control check up, 17 of them
      ultimately came. Seven were lost for long-term follow-up as they moved out of the
      area. The children were free of urinary symptoms and without urinary tract
      infections. Creatinine was normal and urinalyses were negative in all 17
      children. 16/17 children were stone free and had normal blood pressure, 1 patient
      with a polycystic kidney on the left nontreated side already demonstrated
      elevated pretreatment blood pressure. Radioisotope examinations with separate
      clearance tests gave results in the normal range in 14/17 patients. The
      sonographic findings on the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the treated
      and untreated kidneys did not show marked differences as they all remain below
      the 5% limit.

PMID- 1855530
TI  - Combined effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha and anticancer chemotherapeutic
      agents against human renal carcinoma cell lines.
AB  - Antitumor effect of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) alone or
      in combination with various anticancer chemotherapeutic agents was tested using
      an in vitro antiproliferative assay on four human renal carcinoma cell lines
      (VMRC-RCW, VMRC-RCZ, Caki-1 and A-498). When the dose-dependent effect of TNF was
      studied, none of the four cell lines showed a 50% or more inhibition even at a
      concentration of 10,000 U/ml of TNF, so that the susceptibility to TNF was low.
      An enhancing effect of TNF on the cytotoxic effect of almost all the
      chemotherapeutic agents tested was observed against VMRC-RCZ and A-498. Against
      VMRC-RCW and Caki-1, the combination of TNF with the chemotherapeutic agents did
      not result in an enhancing effect. Mitomycin C showed an enhancing effect of TNF
      against all four cell lines. These results suggested that the combined treatment
      of TNF with chemotherapeutic agents may have favorable results in clinical
      trials.

PMID- 1855531
TI  - Role of inhibitor deficiency in urolithiasis. II. Deficiency grade-adjusted and
      intermittent augmentation therapy for magnesium and citrate deficiency.
AB  - 63 patients with hypocitraturia (44.9% of the total) and 33 patients with
      hypomagnesiuria (24.8% of the total) received oral magnesium hydroxide and/or
      Na/K citrate in addition to other therapeutic agents if indicated and a common
      sense diet. Hypocitraturic patients were categorized into 3 groups and received
      27-81 mEq/day oral citrate according to the deficiency grade. Hypomagnesiuric
      patients also formed two groups according to the deficiency grade and received
      500 and 1,000 mg/day magnesium hydroxide, respectively. Replacement was
      intermittant and was controlled every 3 months until reaching normal values. We
      evaluated 28 of 63 hypocitraturic and 15 of 33 hypomagnesiuric patients who had
      inhibitory deficiency as the sole causal factor of their urolithiasis. After a
      follow-up of 13.5 +/- 10.2 months, no patient in either group developed a new
      stone. Citrate and magnesium were increased significantly in the respective
      groups; calcium and oxalate excretion was lowered, and urine pH and volume
      increased significantly. A deficiency grade-adjusted and intermittant replacement
      therapy with Mg and citrate is very effective, has less side effects and ensures
      good patients compliance.

PMID- 1855532
TI  - Immunofluorescent study on the interaction between collagen and calcium oxalate
      crystals in the renal tubules.
AB  - The interaction of calcium oxalate crystals and renal tubular cells was studied.
      Rat renal collecting tubular cells were cultured and immunologically stained with
      anti-type-IV collagen antiserum (type-IV collagen exists in renal tubular
      basement membrane). When renal tubular cells and calcium oxalate crystals were
      mixed, clumps were formed. These clumps were examined by immunological staining
      with anti-type-IV collagen antiserum. In another series of experiments, calcium
      containing crystals were found to be adsorbed onto mucous threads and cast-like
      materials, although no such adsorption was observed on squamous cells. These
      absorbed materials interacted with anti-type-IV collagen antiserum. These results
      suggest that collagen in the renal tubular basement membrane may act as matrix in
      urinary stone formation.

PMID- 1855533
TI  - Uridine, xanthine and urate concentrations in prostatic fluid and seminal plasma
      of patients with prostatitis.
AB  - The etiology of prostatitis is not fully understood and several causative factors
      have been considered in the past. In this study we analyzed the expressed
      prostatic secretion (EPS) and seminal plasma with regard to uridine, xanthine,
      urate, creatinine and zinc from patients with prostatitis (the diagnosis was
      based on symptoms for at least 1 year), together with creatinine, urate and zinc
      in the serum. In 8 of the patients, a direct comparison of these constituents was
      performed between EPS and seminal plasma. EPS contained low concentrations of
      uridine and xanthine and high concentrations of creatinine and zinc as opposed to
      seminal plasma that displayed a reverse pattern. The mean urate concentration in
      seminal plasma, exceeding that of EPS by 78%, was rather close to the mean value
      found in serum but no significant correlation was seen between urate in serum and
      urate in seminal plasma or EPS. Urate in EPS correlated significantly to xanthine
      in EPS and such a relationship was also observed between urate and creatinine in
      EPS. In seminal plasma, urate and xanthine were likewise correlated with each
      other. On division of the patients into a high-score symptom group and a low
      score group, no intergroup differences were found in EPS and seminal plasma
      constituents. Hence, we found high concentrations especially of uridine and
      xanthine in seminal plasma, compared with other body fluids, and evidence of a
      backflow of urine mixing with the prostatic fluid of these patients was seen. We
      suggest that crystal formation of these metabolites may occur under certain
      conditions and could constitute a first step in the development of prostatitis
      vesiculitis-epididymitis in some cases.

PMID- 1855534
TI  - Growing teratoma syndrome successfully treated with lymphoblastoid interferon.
AB  - In most instances mature teratoma can be successfully resected following
      chemotherapy for advanced testicular cancer. However, some patients may
      eventually die because of uncontrollable local growth of an unresectable growing
      mature teratoma. This is a report on a patient with an unresectable growing
      mature teratoma in whom a long-lasting disease stabilization was achieved after
      treatment with lymphoblastoid interferon.

PMID- 1855536
TI  - Prosthetic replacement of the inferior vena cava in renal cell carcinoma surgery.
AB  - An aggressive surgical approach is needed in cases of renal cell carcinoma with
      extension into the vena cava, since caval extension is not such a bad prognostic
      indicator as previously believed. Improvements in peri- and intra-operative
      management have enabled the resection of the tumor thrombus at all levels of the
      caval extension with acceptable morbidity and mortality. In cases where there is
      direct major invasion of the venal caval wall, we recommended complete resection
      of the involved segment and re-establishment of caval continuity using a
      polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) interposition graft. Two cases, in whom segmental
      caval resection was necessary, are reported. The pre- and intra-operative
      considerations are discussed together with support for the use of PTFE as the
      graft of choice.

PMID- 1855535
TI  - Self introduction of urethrovesical foreign bodies.

PMID- 1855537
TI  - Incomplete quadruplication of urinary tract with contralateral agenesis of the
      kidney.
AB  - We describe here the first case of an exceptional anomaly consisting of an
      incomplete quadruplication of the urinary tract in a solitary left kidney. A
      review of the English literature failed to document such a case.

PMID- 1855538
TI  - Dextran sulfate inhibits the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release
      from skinned and cultured smooth muscle cells.
AB  - Dextran sulfate inhibited the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-induced decrease
      in 45Ca2+ content, in a dose-dependent manner, in saponin-skinned and primary
      cultured smooth muscle cells from the rat aorta. The maximum inhibition was
      observed at 3-10 mg/ml, and the IC50 was about 173 micrograms/ml. Dextran sulfate
      also inhibited the IP3-induced increase in 45Ca2+ efflux rate, but did not affect
      the caffeine-induced Ca2+ release. Dextran sulfate inhibited the specific binding
      of [4,5-32P]IP3 to the skinned cells, thereby indicating that it may have an
      effect on the IP3 receptor. Dextran (without the sulfates) had no inhibitory
      effect on either the IP3-induced Ca2+ release or on the specific binding of [4,5
      32P]IP3. Thus, sulfate groups on the molecule of dextran sulfate may play an
      important role in the inhibition of the IP3-induced Ca2+ release from
      intracellular stores.

PMID- 1855539
TI  - Angiotensin II receptors in the rat lung are of the AII-1 subtype.
AB  - In the rat lung [3H]angiotensin II ([3H]AII) recognizes a single class of binding
      sites with an equilibrium constant (KD) of 2.8 +/- 0.9 nM. The corresponding
      receptor density (Bmax) was 704 +/- 60 fmol/mg protein. Equilibrium of [3H]AII
      binding was reached after 60 min. The dissociation of the radioligand was
      strongly influenced by mono- and divalent cations and the non-hydrolyzable GTP
      analog 5'-guanylyl-imido-diphosphate (Gpp[NH]p), indicating the interaction with
      a G protein. Specific binding of [3H]AII to rat lung preparations was inhibited
      by different agonists and antagonists and sensitive to DuP 753 (2-n-butyl-4
      chloro-5-hydroxymethyl-1-[(2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)bi phe nyl-4-yl) methyl]imidazol,
      potassium salt) but insensitive to PD 123177 (1-(4-amino-3-methyl-benzyl)-5
      diphenylacetyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-i midazo [4,5-c]pyridine-6-carboxylic acid) two
      non-peptide AII antagonists selective for either the AII-1 or AII-2 subtype.
      Furthermore, specific [3H]AII binding was inhibited by dithiothreitol. It is
      concluded that in the rat lung [3H]AII binds to receptors of the AII-1 subtype
      which are coupled to a G protein. These receptors may be involved in the
      regulation of pulmonary perfusion and resistance.

PMID- 1855540
TI  - The effects of age on phosphatic metabolites of the human crystalline lens.
AB  - Paired human lenses ranging from 2 to 96 yr old (n = 17) were harvested within 2
      hr post-mortem and immersed in liquid nitrogen. Phosphorus containing metabolites
      from perchloric acid extracts were quantitated using phosphorus-31 nuclear
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Low-energy metabolites detected include the
      phosphomonoesters (PME) hexose-6 phosphate, alpha-glycerol phosphate, fructose
      1,6-diphosphate, beta-glycerol phosphate (beta-GP), uncharacterized
      phosphomonoesters at 4.63 delta, 4.34 delta and 3.05 delta,
      phosphorylethanolamine (PE), inosine and adenosine monophosphates, and
      phosphorylcholine (PC). Inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), glucose 1-phosphate and
      glycerol 3-phosphorylcholine were the other low-energy metabolites detected. High
      energy metabolites phosphocreatine (PCr), adenosine tri- and di-phosphates (ATP,
      ADP), nucleoside diphosphorylsugars (NS) and the dinucleotides were also
      detected. The following metabolic indices were calculated: PCr/Pi, PME/Pi;
      ATP/Pi, PCr/ATP, ATP/ADP, PE + PC, PC/PE, energy charge, phosphorylation
      potential, and the energy modulus. A significant linear increase with age (P less
      than 0.05) occurred only in the uncharacterized resonance at 3.05 delta (r =
      0.4593). Significant linear decreases with age (P less than 0.05) occurred in the
      uncharacterized resonance at 4.63 delta (r = -0.5950), beta-GP (r = -0.5018), PCr
      (r = -0.4495), N.S. (r = -0.4882). There was a significant (P less than 0.05)
      linear decrease in the energy modulus (ratio of high-energy to low-energy
      metabolites).

PMID- 1855541
TI  - Nuclear breakdown during terminal differentiation of primary lens fibres in mice:
      a transmission electron microscopic study.
AB  - The pre and post-natal development of wild type mouse lenses was studied by
      transmission electron microscopy, with special emphasis on denucleation of
      primary lens fibres. Denucleation of primary fibres is characterized by nuclear
      accumulation of small granules, most likely nucleosomes, which are condensed to
      osmiophilic bodies in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. The osmiophilic bodies
      are laid down in apposition to the fibre membrane and are invaded by vesicles and
      granules, which probably contain proteolytic enzymes. Part of the breakdown
      products are extruded into the extracellular space, transported to the anterior
      and posterior poles where they might be finally digested or discarded from the
      lens. The morphology of the denucleation process of primary fibres is different
      from the gradual fading of nuclei in secondary fibres as described by Kuwabara
      and Imaizumi (1974: Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 13, 973-81).

PMID- 1855542
TI  - Optimal conditions for long-term photoreceptor cell rescue in RCS rats: the
      necessity for healthy RPE transplants.
AB  - Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from normal Long-Evans, healthy Royal
      College of Surgeons (RCS) pigmented congenic (rdy+p+) and RCS pigmented
      dystrophic rats were transplanted into retinas of RCS non-pigmented dystrophic
      rats at post-natal days 17 and 26 (P17 and P26). When examined at P60, rescued
      photoreceptor cells were found in all transplanted groups. In addition, a small,
      but significant increase in the outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness was detected
      in retinas injected with vehicle (sham control); however, the ONL thickness was
      reduced to control levels by 3-5 months after injections in both the sham
      controls and the group grafted with RCS pigmented dystrophic RPE cells. Likewise,
      large volumes of vehicle were injected into the subretinal space resulting in no
      long lasting beneficial effects. Also, there was no significant difference
      between the ONL thickness in retinas grafted with RCS congenic RPE and those
      grafted with Long-Evans RPE. When donor RPE cells from Long-Evans rats at
      neonatal and adult stages were transplanted into P26 RCS hosts, photoreceptor
      cell rescue could be found; however, the younger RPE cells affected a better
      rescue than those derived from adult eyes. In addition, when RPE cells from 6- to
      9-day-old Long-Evans rats were transplanted into retinas of RCS dystrophic rats
      at 10, 17 and 26 days, significant rescue of photoreceptor cells was observed. Of
      these transplantation times, day 17 appeared to affect the best rescue of
      photoreceptor cells up to 1 yr. In contrast, little or no rescue was observed in
      the retinas of those RCS dystrophic rats when RPE cell transplantation was
      performed at P38, P43 and P48. The photoreceptor cell rescue was also found to be
      dependent on the concentration of RPE cells injected, which was maximal at 60,000
      120,000 cells microliters-1. These findings lead us to conclude that in order to
      affect long-term, up to 1 yr, rescue of photoreceptor cells in the RCS rat,
      young, healthy RPE cells are required and transplantation needs to be performed
      at early stages of the disease process.

PMID- 1855543
TI  - Different cell populations in bovine trabecular meshwork: an ultrastructural and
      immunocytochemical study.
AB  - Bovine outflow tissue differs markedly from that of humans. Tissue culture
      studies on the cells of this region are often compared with those of primate
      trabecular meshwork cells. A thorough cytological and immunocytochemical
      characterization of the cells of the bovine chamber angle is lacking. We have
      therefore investigated the cells of the pectinate ligament, the reticular
      meshwork, the region adjacent to the aqueous plexus, the connective tissue region
      between reticular meshwork and ciliary muscle and the ciliary muscle itself,
      ultrastructurally and immunocytochemically with staining for the cytoskeletal
      proteins vimentin and desmin, for alpha-smooth muscle-actin and rough endoplasmic
      reticulum (rER). In the pectinate ligament and in the region adjacent to the
      aqueous plexus, the cells were found to have especially abundant rER and glycogen
      in their cytoplasm. Vimentin was abundant in the reticular meshwork as positive
      staining was seen both in frozen and paraffin sections. Alpha-smooth muscle-actin
      could be found in the region connecting ciliary muscle and reticular meshwork as
      well as in a small area adjacent to the posterior capillary loops of the aqueous
      plexus. Ultrastructurally, these cells resembled myofibroblasts. The ciliary
      muscle cells stained both for vimentin and for alpha-smooth muscle actin.

PMID- 1855544
TI  - The cone matrix sheath in the normal and diseased retina: cytochemical and
      biochemical studies of peanut agglutinin-binding proteins in cone and rod-cone
      degeneration.
AB  - The fate of the cone-associated extracellular domain, or cone matrix sheath
      (CMS), was examined in two canine models of hereditary retinal degeneration. The
      diseases, which affect cones selectively (cd = cone degeneration), or rods and
      cones temporally (prcd = progressive rod-cone degeneration), were examined
      biochemically (SDS-PAGE/lectin blots) and cytochemically (light microscopy) using
      peanut agglutinin lectin (PNA) to selectively label this domain and associated
      structures. Most of the cones had disappeared in the adult cd retina. In the
      remaining cones, PNA labeled the ectopically located somata and the CMSs that
      were present around severely diseased ones. Loss of cones resulted in background
      label in the IPM and the loss of the pedicle-associated label in the OPL. SDS
      PAGE of retinal extracts showed that all the major classes of the lower molecular
      weight PNA-binding proteins were present, but only the 40- and 60-kD bands
      remained prominent. Because of the selectivity of the cd mutation, this suggests
      considerable heterogeneity within the various size classifications of the retinal
      PNA-binding glycoproteins. In prcd, CMSs were normal at a time when cones were
      structurally normal and disease was limited to the rod outer segments. The CMSs
      remained intact during the degenerative phase of the disease, and only became
      compressed in association with the collapse and narrowing of the photoreceptor
      layer; CMS labeling was lost with disappearance of the cone inner segment. The
      lectin biochemical results were normal until 1.7 years of age; thereafter, there
      was a decreased prominence of all major bands. Because of spatial heterogeneity
      in disease severity, it was not possible to correlate the lectin biochemical and
      cytochemical results in prcd.

PMID- 1855545
TI  - Effect of pigmentation on glutathione redox cycle antioxidant defense in whole as
      well as different regions of human cataractous lens.
AB  - 'Reactive oxygen species', generated within the lens, are implicated in the
      deepening of nuclear pigmentation leading to browning of the human cataractous
      lens. The present study, which was carried out in senile brunescent cataracts,
      deals with changes in the antioxidant glutathione redox cycle defense system
      during the progression of browning (yellow to brown) in different regions of the
      human lens. A significant reduction in the levels of reduced glutathione was
      noted in the cortical and nuclear regions of the brown lens as compared to yellow
      lens, despite normal glutathione reductase activity. The rate limiting enzyme of
      the hexosemonophosphate shunt pathway, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and the
      important oxidant scavenger enzyme, glutathione peroxidase, showed significant
      changes in opposite directions (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase increased and
      glutathione peroxidase decreased), only in the cortical region of the brown lens
      as compared to yellow lens. The significance of the present findings in relation
      to the overall biochemical mechanisms underlying browning of the lens tissue in
      human cataracts is discussed.

PMID- 1855546
TI  - Outflow facility studies in the perfused human ocular anterior segment.
AB  - We have recently developed a tissue model of the human aqueous outflow pathway
      involving placement of the eviscerated anterior corneoscleral shell, [with lens
      and uveal tissue removed but trabecular meshwork (TM) attached] onto a
      specialized perfusion apparatus. The TM and associated outflow tissues are
      perfused with culture medium at a physiologically-relevant perfusion pressure in
      a 5% CO2 environment at 37 degrees C. Under these conditions, the perfused
      outflow tissues are similar for several days, to the human and/or subhuman
      primate outflow system in vivo with regard to morphology as well as several
      functional parameters. Measured facility of outflow (0.271 +/- 0.018 microliters
      min-1 mmHg-1, n = 79) is similar to facility values obtained by tonography in
      living human beings. Moreover, outflow facility decreases in a linear fashion
      with increased perfusion pressure by 1.4% mmHg-1. Finally the removal of the TM
      results in a 41% decrease in measured outflow resistance. The ability to study
      viable human outflow tissue for at least several days and the opportunity to
      establish a model which serves as an alternative to animal testing, point to the
      potential importance of this technique in investigating the biology of the
      aqueous outflow system.

PMID- 1855547
TI  - Extracellular proteases in developing chick neural retina.
AB  - During retinal histogenesis, cells and their extensions migrate within the tissue
      to final positions. In order for the cells to move through the matrix of tissue,
      space must be made available. We report evidence that extracellular proteolytic
      activity might be associated with this process. (1) When embryonic chick neural
      retinal cells are seeded onto a substrate of rhodamine conjugated fluorescent
      gelatin, the tips of growing neurites remove the fluorescence from the substrate.
      (2) Latent gelatinolytic activity can be identified with soluble assays of
      homogenates of embryonic chick neural retina. (3) Zymogram analysis demonstrates
      the presence of high molecular weight bands of proteolytic activity. The activity
      is inhibited by 1.10 phenanthroline, suggesting that it is due to a
      metalloproteinase. Activity can be detected in supernatants of retinal cells
      grown in vitro. Gelatinolysis is not the only proteolytic activity detected in
      the retina. Addition of plasminogen to zymograms results in an additional band of
      activity.

PMID- 1855548
TI  - Microtubules rich in post-translationally modified alpha-tubulin form distinct
      arrays in frog lens epithelial cells.
AB  - Isolated frog lens epithelia were stained with antibodies against tyrosinated,
      detyrosinated or acetylated alpha-tubulin and observed by several means including
      a scanning confocal microscope. The most prominent feature of Rana pipiens lens
      cells was a primary cilium close to the apical surface of the cells above the
      centrosome. This structure was associated with microtubules rich in modified
      alpha-tubulin. The cilium was less pronounced but still discernible in the cells
      of another species R. ridibunda. In both species, the modified (acetylated or
      detyrosinated) microtubules formed arrays spatially distinct from the unmodified
      (tyrosinated) microtubules. The modified microtubules formed a basket of
      microtubules with a curly distribution around the nucleus while the tyrosinated
      array consisted predominantly of rather straighter microtubules running from the
      apical centrosome to the cell periphery, down the lateral sides of the cells and
      across the basal surface adjacent to the lens capsule and basement membrane. It
      is concluded that the organization of modified microtubules previously described
      for several types of cultured cells may represent a remnant of the three
      dimensional perinuclear array of such microtubules described here for the cells
      of an intact epithelium.

PMID- 1855549
TI  - Muscarinic antagonist effects on experimental chick myopia.

PMID- 1855550
TI  - Retinoic acid decreases the number of EGF receptors in corneal epithelium and
      Chang conjunctival cells.

PMID- 1855551
TI  - Quantitative study of striate single unit responses in monkeys performing an
      orientation discrimination task.
AB  - Contour orientation discrimination accuracy is determined by the orientation
      bandwidth, response variance and response strength of single units that code for
      orientation. We measured the latter three properties for V1 cells of monkeys
      which were performing an orientation discrimination of the grating stimulating
      the cell under study. We recorded from 285 cells, of which 76% responded to the
      grating. The orientation bandwidth, measured as full width at half height of the
      tuning curve, varied over a wide range amongst cells. The median bandwidth was 41
      degrees. The response variance of the cells also varied considerably between
      cells; on average it was about two times the response strength. We also studied
      the temporal properties of the responses. Most of our cells had a latency between
      40 and 100 ms. The response variance was found to be smaller in the initial
      phases of the response than at the later response stages. In some cells the
      orientation tuning varied in successive stages of the response, while in others
      the orientation bandwidth and preferred orientation remained stable throughout
      the response. However, all orientation sensitive cells were orientation tuned
      from the start of the response, a property which contribute to the fast and
      reliable coding of contour orientation. These results provide for the first time
      an estimation of the orientation tuning properties of V1 cells during visual
      orientation discrimination. They will be very useful to compare single cell
      properties of other areas to as well as in simulation studies of models of
      primate visual discriminations.

PMID- 1855553
TI  - Integration in trigeminal premotor interneurones in the cat. 2. Functional
      characteristics of neurones in the subnucleus-gamma of the oral nucleus of the
      spinal trigeminal tract with a projection to the digastric motoneurone
      subnucleus.
AB  - Seventy-one (n = 71) premotor interneurones have been localized by extracellular
      recordings within the subnucleus-gamma of the oral nucleus of the spinal
      trigeminal tract (NVspo-gamma) in nineteen chloralose anaesthetized cats. The
      neurons were antidromically activated by microstimulation (minimum = 3 microA)
      applied to the digastric motoneurone subnucleus of the trigeminal motor nucleus.
      Fifty-one (n = 51) of the interneurones were discharged from the ipsi- and
      nineteen (n = 19) from the contralateral digastric subnucleus. One neurone out of
      four tested was antidromically activated from both stimulation sites suggesting a
      bifurcated axon. The identified premotor neurones had a unique convergence
      profile of oral and perioral primary afferents. Latency calculations indicated
      that at least 55% of these interneurones were monosynaptically activated by low
      stimulus strength applied to the inferior alveolar (minimum = 1.0 T) and/or the
      lingual nerve (minimum = 1.0 T). The thresholds for evoking the neuronal
      discharges coincided statistically with those required to evoke a jaw opening
      reflex response by stimulation of the same nerves. It is suggested that the
      specific group of NVspo-gamma interneurones under different contexts mediates the
      disynaptic reflex and participates in the centrally and reflexly evoked
      "patterning" adjustments of the digastric jaw opening motoneurones during ongoing
      jaw movements. A companion paper reports the convergence of descending cortical,
      tectal and ascending cervical inputs, as well as of oro-facial and neck primary
      afferent inputs onto an unselected population of interneurones in the NVspo-gamma
      (Westberg and Olsson 1991).

PMID- 1855552
TI  - Integration in trigeminal premotor interneurones in the cat. 1. Functional
      characteristics of neurones in the subnucleus-gamma of the oral nucleus of the
      spinal trigeminal tract.
AB  - The profile of integration in a sample of 183 interneurones localized in the
      subnucleus-gamma of the oral nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract (NVspo-gamma)
      has been analyzed. 134 neurones were tested for inputs from primary afferents of
      the trigeminal, facial and cervical nerves as well as for inputs from the
      midbrain and from the cervical spinal cord. The remaining 49 neurones were tested
      for inputs from the primary afferents and for descending convergence from defined
      sites within the oro-facial primary projections of the cerebral cortex. It was
      found that the interneurones, mainly recorded in the dorsal and dorsomedial
      aspect of the NVspo-gamma, receive short latency inputs from the low threshold
      oral and perioral afferents and longer latency inputs from the high threshold jaw
      and neck muscle afferents. There was evidence for convergence from the cervical
      segmental level (29%) and some of the neurones had axon terminals in the superior
      colliculus. However, the interneurones did not receive a descending tectal input.
      About 80% of the NVspo-gamma interneurones were activated from the orofacial
      primary projection fields within cytoarchitectonic areas 3a and 3b of the coronal
      gyrus. This input was topographically organized and the neurones were activated
      from the same oral and perioral region of the periphery as the cortical region
      from which the descending projections themselves originated. Minimum latencies
      indicated a monosynaptic connection. The convergence profile onto the NVspo-gamma
      interneurones appeared unique as compared with interneurones located in the
      intertrigeminal area. Aspects of the possible functional roles of the NVspo-gamma
      neurones are discussed in relation to ongoing oro-facial ("masticatory")
      movements. The properties of a selected sample of NVspo-gamma interneurones,
      which were antidromically activated from the digastric subnucleus of the
      trigeminal motor nucleus, are reported in a companion paper (Olsson and Westberg
      1991).

PMID- 1855555
TI  - Peripherally evoked single unit responses in ventroposterolateral nucleus in the
      absence of the dorsal column nuclei in rat.
AB  - The present experiments were designed to determine the effects of removing the
      dorsal column nuclei on the evoked responses of the ventroposterolateral nucleus
      (VPL) neurons in the rat. Previously, we have observed inhibitory interactions
      between forelimb and hindlimb inputs to VPL (Roberts and Wells 1990), and have
      also observed a synaptic recovery process within VPL following dorsal column
      nuclei (DCN) lesions (Wells and Tripp 1987). In an attempt to describe any
      changes in VPL responses that correlate with the synaptic recovery in VPL
      following lesions to the DCN, we have studied the incidence of the inhibition
      process in VPL, the latency of activation of single unit VPL responses to
      peripheral nerve stimulation, the number of evoked unit responses observed per
      track studied and the somatotopy of responses in VPL. Dorsal column nuclei
      lesions did not alter the incidence or duration of the inhibitory interaction
      between forelimb and hindlimb inputs to VPL. Following DCN lesions, there was a
      significant increase in the latency to activation of VPL neurons by both forelimb
      and hindlimb inputs. This increase in latency returned to a non-significant
      difference from control over the same interval of time that is required for the
      structural recovery in VPL. There was a significant reduction in the number of
      evoked unit responses observed per track studied in the deafferented group at the
      twenty day post-lesion time course. This difference was no longer statistically
      significant in the sixty-four day post-lesion group. Finally, we have observed
      little change in the overall anatomic distribution of responses to forelimb or
      hindlimb stimulation in VPL following DCN lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1855554
TI  - Neurons of the pretectal area convey spinal input to the motor thalamus of the
      cat.
AB  - The aim of this study was to corroborate lesioning work (Mackel and Noda 1989),
      suggesting the pretectal area of the rostral midbrain acts as a relay between the
      spinal cord and the ventrolateral (VL) nucleus of the thalamus. For this purpose,
      extracellular recordings were made from neurons in the pretectal area which were
      antidromically activated by stimulation in the rostral thalamus, particularly in
      VL. The neurons were tested for input from the dorsal columns of the spinal cord,
      the dorsal column nuclei, and the ventral quadrant of the spinal cord. Latencies
      of the antidromic responses ranged between 0.6 and 3.0 ms (median 1.0 ms): no
      differences in latencies were associated with either location of the neurons in
      the pretectal area or with the site of their thalamic projection. Orthodromic
      responses to stimulation of ascending pathways were seen in the majority of
      neurons throughout the pretectal area sampled. Latencies of orthodromic responses
      varied considerably, with ranges of 0.9-9 ms, 6-20 ms, and 2.5-20 ms upon
      stimulating the dorsal column nuclei, dorsal columns, and ventrolateral quadrant,
      respectively. The shortest-latency responses to stimulation of the dorsal column
      nuclei or of the ventral quadrant were likely to be monosynaptic. Temporal and
      spatial facilitation of the responses to ascending input were common. The data
      show that neurons of the pretectal area are capable of relaying somatosensory
      input ascending from the spinal cord to the rostral thalamus. It is suggested
      that the pretectofugal output to VL converges with cerebellar input in VL neurons
      and becomes incorporated in cerebello-cerebral interactions and, ultimately, the
      control of movement.

PMID- 1855556
TI  - Response of adult cat abducens internuclear interneurons to selective removal of
      their target motoneurons.
AB  - The morphological and physiological integrity of abducens internuclear
      interneurons was evaluated following chemical removal of their almost exclusive
      target, i.e. the contralateral medial rectus motoneuron population. Motoneuron
      death was induced by toxic ricin injection into the ipsilateral medial rectus
      muscle. The main advantage of this method is that target removal is not
      associated with presynaptic axon damage. The activity of identified abducens
      internuclear interneurons was recorded before and after target removal during
      spontaneous eye movements in the chronic cat preparation. Several abnormalities
      and a remarkable decrease in eye position and velocity sensitivities were
      observed in the discharge pattern of these neurons for a period of 15-20 days
      following target removal. After that time all recorded interneurons behaved
      normally. A parallel morphological study showed the absence of any abducens
      internuclear interneuron death. These results indicate that, after a critical
      period, the abducens internuclear interneuron population recovers its normal
      behavior following target removal with no evidence of neuronal loss.

PMID- 1855557
TI  - Intracerebroventricular vasopressin reduces CSF absorption rate in the conscious
      goat.
AB  - Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of vasopressin (AVP) are elevated in some
      disorders associated with raised intracranial pressure. We have previously
      demonstrated that intracerebroventricular infusion of AVP in the conscious goat
      leads to elevation of intracranial pressure by a mechanism independent of changes
      in arterial blood pressure or circulating neurohypophysial peptide
      concentrations. We have now examined the effect of increasing CSF AVP levels on
      CSF dynamics using the technique of ventriculo-cisternal perfusion in the
      conscious goat. Intracerebroventricular perfusion with 5 pmol/min AVP in
      artificial CSF did not alter CSF formation rate but significantly reduced CSF
      absorption rate (24% decrease; p less than 0.01), when compared with perfusion
      using artificial CSF alone. This AVP-mediated reduction in CSF absorption rate
      may represent increased resistance to resorption of CSF or may reflect the effect
      of raised intracranial pressure.

PMID- 1855558
TI  - Interneurones of the lumbar cord related to spontaneous locomotor activity in the
      rabbit. I. Rhythmically active interneurones.
AB  - In decorticate, unanaesthetized and curarized rabbit preparations displaying
      spontaneous fictive locomotor sequences, the firing pattern of neurones was
      recorded extracellularly in the L6-S1 spinal cord. These neurones, located in the
      intermediate part of the cord, were not invaded by antidromic stimulation of the
      hindlimb muscle nerves and thus were considered as interneurones (or
      propriospinal or tract cells ascending to the brain). When compared to the output
      from the ipsilateral muscle nerves, these neurones were classified as flexor (F
      INs) or extensor (E INs) according to the phase of the locomotor cycle when they
      displayed their maximal firing rate. Among 69 F INs, 33 maintained tonic firing
      during the periods between episodes of locomotor activity. Their maximal firing
      rate was in phase with the flexor efferent bursts of the locomotor sequence;
      during the extensor phase, they maintained an instantaneous frequency (i.f.) that
      was clearly above the resting i.f. Of these neurones, six became completely
      silent during the initial flexorextensor coactivation that opened the sequence
      (F1 neurones) whereas the 27 others increased their firing rate at that time (F2
      neurones). The other neurones (36 F3) were silent between the locomotor episodes.
      Although most of them had a rhythmic activity limited to the flexor bursts, some
      fired throughout locomotor sequence with a maximal rate during flexor bursts. All
      the 123 E neurones completely stopped firing during the flexor phase. As was the
      case for F3 neurone firing, E3 neurone firing (34 neurones) occurred only during
      periods of locomotor activity. Among the neurones that displayed tonic activity
      between locomotor episodes, the E2 neurones (24 from 123) remained at this
      resting value during the extensor phase whereas the E1 neurones (65 neurones)
      showed an increased i.f. for all or part of this phase. These data, which suggest
      an asymmetrical genesis of the flexor and extensor activities in locomotion, need
      to be supported by further analysis.

PMID- 1855559
TI  - The effect of muscle length on motor unit discharge characteristics in human
      tibialis anterior muscle.
AB  - Muscle length influences the contractile properties of muscle in that when muscle
      is lengthened the relaxation phase of the muscle twitch is prolonged and when
      muscle is shortened, the relaxation phase is shorter in duration. As a result,
      the force exerted by active motor units varies with muscle length during
      voluntary contractions. To determine if motoneuron spike trains were adjusted to
      accommodate for changes in the contractile properties imposed by shortened and
      lengthened muscle, motor unit action potentials were recorded from the tibialis
      anterior muscle at different muscle lengths. Twenty subjects performed isometric
      ramp contractions at ankle angles of 20 degrees dorsiflexion, neutral between
      dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, and 30 degrees plantar flexion, which put the
      tibialis anterior muscle in a shortened, neutral, or lengthened condition,
      respectively. During isometric contractions where torque increased at 5% MVC/s,
      motor unit discharge rate at recruitment was greater in shortened muscle than in
      lengthened muscle (P less than 0.05). Brief initial interspike intervals (less
      than 40 ms) occurred more frequently in shortened muscle than in either neutral
      length or lengthened muscle. During steady contractions, motor unit discharge
      rate was greater per unit torque (N.m) in shortened muscle than in neutral length
      or lengthened muscle (P less than 0.05). These findings indicate that muscle
      length does influence the discharge pattern of motor unit spike trains during
      isometric ramp contractions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855560
TI  - Direction and amplitude precuing has no effect on automatic posture responses.
AB  - Automatic postural responses of leg muscles to the sudden displacement of
      standing support were investigated under four different conditions of information
      given to subjects in advance. Results from three groups of subjects were
      compared: 6 normal subjects, 10 patients with cerebellar disease, and 9 patients
      with Parkinson's disease. Specifically, each subject was provided with visual
      information about the direction and/or the amplitude of an upcoming platform
      tilt. For the control situation no advance information on the characteristics of
      platform tilt was provided. Neither the latencies nor the integrals of postural
      EMG-responses showed alterations with advance information. In contrast, in a
      control experiment in which 3 normal subjects had to perform large or small
      forward or backward voluntary movements of the body around the ankle joint,
      shorter onset-latencies of leg muscle EMG responses were observed with increasing
      complexity of the advance information. These results suggest that, unlike
      voluntary movements, postural responses to rapid surface tilts do not benefit
      from advance visual information on direction or amplitude of a postural
      disturbance.

PMID- 1855561
TI  - Serotonin and cervical respiratory motoneurones: intracellular study in the
      newborn rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation.
AB  - Previous experiments performed in the in vitro newborn rat brainstem-spinal cord
      preparation reported that the addition of serotonin (5-HT, 30-50 microM) to the
      bathing medium induced increases in the respiratory frequency and a large tonic
      discharge on all the cervical ventral roots. The aim of the present work was to
      define whether the 5-HT-induced tonic discharge involved respiratory or non
      respiratory motoneurones. Intracellular recordings demonstrated that cervical
      (C2) motoneurones (n = 27) were depolarized by 5-HT but that the 5-HT-induced
      tonic discharge was mainly due to recruitment of silent motoneurones (n = 18)
      which fired permanently (15/18; 17 +/- 3 Hz) under 5-HT. The respiratory
      motoneurones (n = 9) retained a phasic inspiratory discharge (5/9), even if some
      (4/9) occasionally exhibited a few spikes during expiration. Therefore, it is
      concluded that the 5-HT-induced tonic discharge is unlikely to have functional
      significance in respiration.

PMID- 1855562
TI  - Visually-induced adaptive plasticity in the human vestibulo-ocular reflex.
AB  - The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is under adaptive control which corrects VOR
      performance when visual-vestibular mismatch arises during head movements.
      However, the dynamic characteristics of VOR adaptive plasticity remain
      controversial. In this study, eye movements (coil technique) were recorded from
      normal human subjects during sinusoidal rotations in darkness before and after 8
      h. of adaptation to 2X binocular lenses. The VOR was studied at 7 frequencies
      between 0.025 and 4.0 Hz at 50 degrees/s peak head velocity (less for 2.5-4 Hz).
      For 0.025 and 0.25 Hz, the VOR was tested at 4 peak head velocities between 50
      and 300 degrees/s. Before 2X lens adaptation, VOR gain was around 0.9 at 2.5-4.0
      Hz and dropped gradually with decreasing frequency to under 0.6 at 0.025 Hz.
      Phase showed a small lead at the highest frequencies which declined to 0 degree
      as frequency decreased to 0.5-0.25 Hz, but then rose to 14 degrees by 0.025 Hz.
      VOR gain was independent of head velocity in the range 50-300 degrees/s at both
      0.025 and 0.25 Hz. However, Phase lead rose with increasing head velocity, more
      so at 0.025 than at 0.25 Hz. After 2X lens adaptation, gain rose across the
      frequency bandwidth. However, the proportional gain enhancement was frequency
      dependent; it was greatest at 0.025 Hz (44%), and declined with increasing
      frequency to reach a minimum at 4 Hz (19%). Phase lead increased after 2X lens
      adaptation at lower frequencies, but decreased at higher frequencies. New
      velocity-dependent gain nonlinearities also developed which were not present
      prior to adaptation; gain declined as peak head velocity increased from 50 to 300
      degrees/s at both 0.025 (23% drop) and 0.25 Hz (15% drop). This may suggest an
      amplitude-dependent limitation in VOR adaptive plasticity. Results indicate both
      frequency and amplitude dependent nonlinearities in human VOR response dynamics
      before and after adaptive gain recalibration.

PMID- 1855563
TI  - Adaptive plasticity in the gaze stabilizing synergy of slow and saccadic eye
      movements.
AB  - When a normal human subject is briefly turned in total darkness while trying to
      "look" at a spatially fixed target, the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) produces
      slow-phase compensatory eye movements tending to hold the eyes on target.
      However, slow-phase compensation per se is generally inadequate in these
      circumstances. Nevertheless it has recently been found, that even in the dark,
      this inadequacy tends to be corrected by supplementary saccades usually acting in
      the compensatory direction. The present study further investigates this
      phenomenon by measuring the respective contributions of saccadic, slow-phase and
      overall net compensation in 9 subjects tested before and after 30% adaptive
      attenuation of VOR slow-phase gain. In each test series, subjects attempted to
      stabilize their gaze on a previously seen target during each of 40 brief
      (approximately 0.5 s) whole body rotations (40 degrees/s, 20 degrees amp)
      conducted in complete darkness. The adaptive experience comprised 2 h of full
      field visual suppression of the VOR during sinusoidal rotation of subject and
      surround at 1/6 Hz and 40 degrees/s velocity amplitude. Before adaptation, the
      cumulative slow-phase and cumulative saccadic components produced on average 78%
      and 14% respectively of the ideal (100%) compensation, thus yielding an overall
      net compensation which was 92% of the desired value. After adaptation, the
      corresponding values in the same population were 53%, 18% and 71% respectively.
      Thus after adaptation, the combined saccadic-slow-phase response brought the
      final gaze position to a point in space that was systematically shifted in the
      direction of head rotation (i.e. undercompensation). Subjects re-exposed to 30
      min of normal visual-vestibular interaction displayed a variety of recovery
      patterns using different combinations of slow and saccadic eye movements.
      However, there was a consistent "synergistic" tendency for saccadic eye movements
      to improve slow-phase performance, regardless of the subject's adaptive state. In
      one subject, compensatory saccadic eye movements corrected a consistent
      directional asymmetry in the slow-phase response. It is suggested that a
      conscious vestibular percept of self-rotation might underlie the combined
      saccadic-slow-phase response, and that the net under performance after adaptation
      might reflect attenuation of this percept relative to the actual rotational
      stimulus.

PMID- 1855564
TI  - Adaptive modification of vestibularly perceived rotation.
AB  - Results from Bloomberg et al. (1991) led to the hypothesis that saccades which
      accompany the dark-tested vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) tend to move the eyes
      towards a vestibularly derived percept of an intended oculomotor goal: also that
      this is so even when that percept has been adaptively modified by suitably
      prolonged visual-vestibular conflict. The present experiments investigate these
      implications by comparing the combined VOR + saccade performance with a presumed
      "motor readout" of the normal and adaptively modified vestibular percept. The
      methods employed were similar to those of an earlier study Bloomberg et al.
      (1988) in which it was found that after cessation of a brief passive whole body
      rotation in the dark, a previously seen earth-fixed target can be accurately
      located by saccadic eye movements based on a vestibular memory of the preceding
      head rotation; the so-called "Vestibular Memory-Contingent Saccade" (VMCS)
      paradigm. The results showed that the vestibular perceptual response, as measured
      after rotation by means of the VMCS paradigm, was on average indistinguishable
      from the combined VOR + saccade response measured during rotation. Furthermore,
      this was so in both the normal and adapted states. We conclude that these
      findings substantiate the above hypothesis. The results incidentally reaffirm the
      adaptive modifiability of vestibular perception, emphasing the need for active
      maintenance of its proper calibration according to behavioural context.

PMID- 1855565
TI  - Relationships between sensory responsiveness and premovement activity of quickly
      adapting neurons in areas 3b and 1 of monkey primary somatosensory cortex.
AB  - When monkeys make wrist movements in response to vibration of their hands,
      primary somatosensory (SI) cortical neurons that adapt quickly to the vibratory
      stimulus often exhibit two temporally separate types of activity. Initially,
      these neurons respond to the stimulus. They then cease discharging, only to
      resume firing prior to the movement. This activation, cessation and reactivation
      occurs even though the sensory stimulus remains on until after the movement is
      begun. The first change in activity is most likely related to sensory input. The
      second, which has been called premovement activity, may have a sensory component
      as well as one related to the upcoming movement. We wanted to test the hypothesis
      that the premovement activity exhibited when vibration is present represents both
      a reactivation of a neuron's vibratory response and the premovement activity that
      normally occurs when vibration is absent. We also wanted to determine if area 3b
      and 1 quickly adapting (QA) neurons show similar or different activity patterns
      during the initiation and execution of sensory triggered wrist movements. Four
      monkeys were trained to make wrist flexion and extension movements in response to
      vibratory stimuli delivered to the handle which the animals used to control the
      behavioral paradigm. Two fo the four monkeys also made similar wrist movements
      following visual cues. We found that the premovement activity of QA neurons
      located in area 1 (but not area 3b) is comprised of a sensory-related component
      as well as a movement-related component. The magnitude of these individual
      components differs in relationship to a neuron's receptive field type, the
      movement direction and the external force imposed on the stimulated forelimb.
      Premovement activity of area 3b and area 1 QA neurons occurs at the same time
      prior to movement, regardless of whether visual or vibratory cues are used to
      trigger wrist movements. This activity occurs at about the same time as others
      have observed elevations in the threshold for tactile perception, suggesting that
      premovement activity and changes in sensory responsiveness before movement may be
      related. These and previous findings are used to construct a model which may
      predict the firing patterns of SI QA neurons during behavioral tasks. These
      findings also suggest that areas 3b and 1 may have different roles in processing
      task-related somatosensory information.

PMID- 1855567
TI  - Mechanical load on the ventilatory muscles during an incremental cycle ergometer
      test.
AB  - An incremental cycle ergometer test performed with a total of 40 healthy subjects
      (25 male, 15 female) was used to study the mechanical load on the ventilatory
      muscles. The parameters for the mechanical load on the ventilatory muscles are
      the time integral of the oesophageal pressure and the mean oesophageal pressure
      change per time unit (dPoe/dTI) of each breathing manoeuvre. The pressure-time
      integral is the area delimited by the oesophageal pressure trace and the
      inspiratory time axis. It is expressed as a fraction of the product of the
      subject's maximum oesophageal pressure (Poe(max)) and total breath cycle duration
      (TTOT). This parameter is called oesophageal tension time index (TTIoe). The
      relationship between minute ventilation and these two parameters during ergometer
      test showed gender-specific variations because of the differences between men and
      women as to anthropometric data, lung function parameters and maximum ventilatory
      muscle strength. Moreover, the dPoe/dTI values significantly depend on the
      breathing frequency. The present study has provided evidence that, in general,
      the TTIoe and dPoe/dTI values in terms of a specific minute ventilation (VE) are
      higher in women than in men. Parameters for the mechanical load on the
      ventilatory muscles regarding the level of pressure to be generated as well as
      the duration and velocity of muscle contraction should therefore also allow for
      the gender of the patients.

PMID- 1855566
TI  - Influence of moderate hypothermia on ischemic brain damage incurred under
      hyperglycemic conditions.
AB  - Preischemic hyperglycemia aggravates brain damage following transient ischemia,
      and adds some special features to the damage incurred, notably a high frequency
      of postischemic seizures, cellular edema, and affectation of additional brain
      structures, such as the substanta nigra pars reticulata (SNPR). We raised the
      question whether mild intra-ischemic hypothermia (32-33 degrees C), known to
      reduce selective neuronal vulnerability in normoglycemic subjects, also
      ameliorates the characteristic damage observed in hyperglycemic animals. To that
      end, two series of experiments were performed. In the first, normo- and
      hypothermic animals were subjected to 10 min of ischemia during hyperglycemic
      conditions (plasma glucose 20-25 mmol.l-1), and allowed either 15 h or 1 week of
      recovery. In the second, both normo- and hyperglycemic animals were subjected to
      15 min of ischemia (at normal or reduced temperature) and surviving animals were
      studied after 1 week of recovery. All normothermic, hyperglycemic animals
      developed postischemic seizures and died within the first 24 h. Mild hypothermia
      afforded substantial protection. Thus, 6/7 hypothermic animals subjected to 10
      min of ischemia survived 1 week of recovery and none developed post-ischemic
      seizures. Of the hypothermic animals subjected to 15 min of ischemia 6/11
      survived for 1 week, only one of which developed seizures. Protection by
      hypothermia was also shown by the histopathological analysis. Experiments with 10
      min of ischemia and 15 h of recovery showed the expected damage in normothermic,
      hyperglycemic subjects. Hypothermia markedly reduced damage in all vulnerable
      structures, including the cingulate cortex and SNPR. The protection was most
      pronounced in the caudoputamen, where no affected neurons were seen in the
      hypothermic subjects. The experiments with 15 min of ischemia confirmed previous
      findings that mild hypothermia protects normoglycemic animals against the insult.
      The results also showed that hypothermia prevented most of the exaggeration of
      damage caused by hyperglycemia. However, under hypothermic conditions
      hyperglycemia still augmented damage in the cingulate cortex, medial and lateral
      venteroposterior thalamic nuclei, and SNPR, structures specifically damaged under
      hyperglycemic, normothermic conditions. This suggests that hypothermia has less
      of a protective effect on mechanisms causing such damage than on neuronal damage
      in the classic selectively vulnerable regions, particularly the caudoputamen.

PMID- 1855568
TI  - Diagnostic tests of hyperventilation syndrome.
AB  - In 90 patients referred to the pulmonary function laboratory for evaluation of
      hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) and in whom somatic causes of the complaints had
      been excluded, we investigated the degree of concordance between three widely
      applied diagnostic methods: 1) the standardized Nijmegen questionnaire on major
      daily complaints; 2) the reproduction of the same symptoms during the
      hyperventilation provocation test (HVPT); and 3) the responses of end-tidal CO2
      fraction (FETCO2) during the HVPT. In 86% of the patients a concordance was found
      between Nijmegen questionnaire (i.e. score of 24/64 or more) and symptom
      reproduction during HVPT (i.e. recognition of at least 2 major daily complaints).
      Based on these combined data we made a definite diagnosis of HVS in 37 patients,
      of non-HVS in 40 patients, and we retained only a possible HVS in 13 patients.
      Each of the 16 complaints in the questionnaire contributed significantly to the
      distinction between HVS and non-HVS patients, and a striking similarity in rank
      order of daily complaints and reproduced symptoms was found. The responses in
      FETCO, during HVPT had little additional diagnostic value. A spontaneous fall of
      at least 0.25% FETCO2 during the 5 min adaptation period before the HVPT, was
      most reliably correlated with the aforementioned diagnostic criteria of HVS:
      specificity 83%, sensitivity 57%, and accuracy 70%. Neither the 3 min FETCO2
      ratio nor the 5 min FETCO2 ratio during recovery after the HVPT showed a good
      correlation with the other diagnostic criteria. The response of FETCO2 during
      HVPT did especially not provide additional useful diagnostic information in the
      13 patients with only possible HVS.

PMID- 1855570
TI  - Comparison of maximal airway narrowing to methacholine between children and
      adults.
AB  - Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in adults is characterized by an increased
      sensitivity as well as an elevated maximal response to inhaled
      bronchoconstrictors. In children, however, it is unknown whether the maximal
      response increases with increasing sensitivity. We investigated the maximal
      degree of airway narrowing to methacholine in nonasthmatic and asthmatic children
      (7-12 yrs), and compared it to that in adults. Nineteen children (9 normals, 10
      asthmatics) and 19 adults (8 normals, 11 asthmatics) were selected in order to
      cover a wide distribution of bronchial responsiveness. All subjects underwent 2
      methacholine challenge tests on separate days, by inhaling doubling doses using a
      standardized dosimeter technique (up to a noncumulative dose of 59 mumol). The
      response was measured by forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and
      expressed as a percentage fall from baseline value. The complete dose-response
      curves were characterized by their position (PD20, the provocative dose causing a
      20% fall in FEV1) and maximal response (MFEV1, the mean response on the plateau,
      defined as greater than or equal to 2 points within a 5% response range).
      Plateaus were observed in 13 children and 9 adults, the coefficient of
      repeatability of MFEV1 being 10.8 and 10.4% fall, respectively. There was an
      inverse relationship between log PD20 and MFEV1, which did not differ between
      children and adults (p greater than 0.15). In most of the asthmatic children and
      adults the plateau could not be measured (exceeding 50% fall in FEV1) if PD20 was
      less than 1 mumol. We conclude that, for a given bronchial sensitivity, the
      maximal response to inhaled methacholine is similar between children and
      adults.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855569
TI  - Alveolar macrophages in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis display a more monocyte
      like immunophenotype and an increased release of free oxygen radicals.
AB  - Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 13 patients with idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and in 10 control subjects. Free oxygen radical (FOR)
      production of alveolar macrophages (AM) and of blood monocytes was measured by
      luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) without and after stimulation with
      zymosan A. We confirmed earlier studies that alveolar macrophages of IPF patients
      display a significantly elevated release of FOR under basic and under stimulated
      conditions. In contrast to alveolar macrophages, blood monocytes did not reveal
      altered LDCL in IPF. This indicates that the functional properties for augmented
      FOR release by IPF alveolar macrophages are acquired in the lungs and not in the
      peripheral circulation. To elucidate the possible mechanisms leading to the
      augmented LDCL response, immunophenotyping of alveolar macrophages was carried
      out. A panel of new monoclonal antibodies of the Ki-M-series, discriminating
      differentiation stages of monocyte/macrophage subpopulations, served for
      immunocytochemical staining. In IPF patients distribution of Ki-M2, Ki-M3, Ki-M6
      and Ki-M8 positive AM demonstrated an increased proportion of alveolar
      macrophages expressing a more monocyte-like immunophenotype. Normally, monocytes
      as precursors of AM reveal a markedly stronger LDCL than alveolar macrophages
      themselves. Therefore, it seems likely that the increased LDCL of alveolar
      macrophages in IPF is due to the higher proportion of more immature monocyte-like
      cells in the alveoli of these patients.

PMID- 1855571
TI  - Mortality and morbidity from respiratory diseases in childhood in The
      Netherlands, 1980-1987.
AB  - National mortality and hospitalization data from the Netherlands were analysed
      for asthma (International Classification of Diseases) (ICD 493), acute
      bronchi(oli)tis (ICD 466), pneumonia and influenza (ICD 480-487), and other
      chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (ICD 490 + 491 + 492 + 496) in children
      aged 0-14 yrs for 1980-1987. No trends were seen in the mortality in age groups 0
      4 yrs and 5-14 yrs, which actually concerned small numbers. In general a tendency
      towards increasing hospital admission rates for respiratory diseases was observed
      in both sexes in age groups 0-4 yrs and 5-9 yrs but not in age group 10-14 yrs,
      and significant increases were found for asthma in males and females aged 0-4 yrs
      and in males aged 5-9 yrs, and for acute bronchitis in females aged 5-9 yrs.
      Hospital admission rates in the Netherlands for asthma appeared to be low
      compared to other countries. The average length of stay, however, for both asthma
      and the other respiratory diseases was substantial though declining. Clinical
      information is required on possible causal factors of the apparent need for
      hospitalization for reactive airway disorders in young children, and on the
      management of asthma in particular.

PMID- 1855572
TI  - Domiciliary investigation of sleep-related hypoxaemia in Duchenne muscular
      dystrophy.
AB  - In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) nocturnal oxygen desaturation occurs during
      rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Polysomnography, which requires hospital
      admission, will detect sleep-related breathing abnormalities. In order to avoid
      the inconvenience of hospital admission for the disabled patient, we investigated
      overnight oxygenation in ten boys with DMD by domiciliary oximetry. In four boys
      the results of oximetry were compared with those of a polysomnographic recording.
      The "repeatability" of domiciliary oximetry was assessed in six boys by
      performing oximetry on two non-consecutive nights. Older boys with DMD may
      develop a cardiomyopathy. In order to assess cardiac rhythm and ST segment
      changes we performed simultaneous Holter monitoring and oximetry in seven boys
      with overnight hypoxaemia. Six of the initial ten boys studied demonstrated
      episodic nocturnal hypoxaemia and there was a strong correlation between minimum
      oxygen saturation overnight and daytime arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide
      tensions (PaO2 r = 0.89; PaCO2 r = -0.87). Despite adequate REM time during
      polysomnography, greater oxygen desaturation was found during domiciliary
      oximetry. No difference was found in the severity of desaturation recorded in the
      boys who were studied on two separate occasions. Five boys demonstrated marked
      heart rate variation during hypoxaemic episodes and more serious arrhythmias
      occurred overnight in the three most hypoxaemic boys. Domiciliary oximetry is a
      simple, repeatable method of assessing overnight oxygenation and compares well
      with polysomnography. In boys with advanced DMD and severe nocturnal hypoxaemia,
      24 h electrocardiographic monitoring may detect potentially life-threatening
      arrhythmias.

PMID- 1855573
TI  - Intestinal calcium absorption and parathyroid hormone secretion in asthmatic
      patients on prolonged oral or inhaled steroid treatment.
AB  - A secondary hyperparathyroidism resulting from decreased intestinal calcium (Ca)
      absorption has been proposed as a contributory factor to glucocorticoid-induced
      osteoporosis. Inhaled steroids do not usually suppress adrenal gland function
      unless daily doses above 1,500 microgram are used. A recent study, however, has
      shown a reduced total body calcium in patients on regular beclomethasone
      treatment. In theory, osteopenia in these patients could be due to a direct
      effect of inhaled steroids on bone or due to an impaired intestinal calcium
      absorption. In this study, Ca absorption and parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion
      were evaluated in three groups: 1) asthmatics on continuous oral and inhaled
      steroid treatment (11.3 +/- 4.4, range 5-33.5 mg.day-1 prednisone and 660 +/-
      265, range 400-1,600 microgram.day-1 beclomethasone, respectively); 2) asthmatics
      on regular beclomethasone therapy (585 +/- 210, range 400-1,200 microgram.day-1);
      and 3) healthy subjects. The prevalence of vertebral fractures was evaluated by a
      spinal X-ray. No differences were found in either Ca absorption or PTH serum
      levels between asthmatics and healthy subjects (analysis of variance-ANOVA).
      Vertebral fractures were significantly more frequent in patients from group 1 (14
      of 25) than in those from group 2 (2 or 25). We conclude that both prolonged oral
      steroid treatment and inhaled steroids, at doses lower than 1,600 microgram.day-1
      do not cause Ca malabsorption, and that hyperparathyroidism does not contribute
      to osteoporosis in these patients.

PMID- 1855574
TI  - Hyperreactivity and 45Ca movements in sensitized guinea-pig tracheal muscle.
AB  - Responses to KCl and histamine and 45Ca movements were studied in trachea from
      normal and actively sensitized guinea-pigs. Sensitized tracheas were
      hyperresponsive and hypersensitive to KCl and histamine. 45Ca uptake experiments
      show that sensitized tracheal muscle behaves as normal except that the uptake of
      45Ca in low concentration (0.03 mM) Ca2+ solution was higher and the number of
      binding sites for the high affinity component of 45Ca uptake (as estimated by
      Scatchard-coordinate plot) was augmented. Additionally, in sensitized tracheal
      muscle, incubation in low (0.03 mM) Ca2+ solution followed by La3+ wash-out
      resulted in a greater amount of residual 45Ca than in normal tissues. KCl, but
      not histamine, increased the La3+ resistant 45Ca content. This increase was
      greater in sensitized than in normal trachea. This demonstrates the existence of
      hyperreactivity and altered 45Ca movements in sensitized trachealis muscle.

PMID- 1855575
TI  - A single-compartment model cannot describe passive expiration in intubated,
      paralysed humans.
AB  - The time-course of thoracic volume changes (respiratory inductive plethysmograph)
      during relaxed expiration was studied in 11 intubated, paralysed, mechanically
      ventilated subjects. The semilog volume-time curves show that expiration is
      governed by two apparently separate mechanisms: one causes emptying of most of
      the expired volume (approximately 80%) with a time constant of 0.50 +/- 0.22 s
      for a baseline tidal volume of 0.44 +/- 0.12 l (mean +/- SD) and 0.37 +/- 0.14 s
      when the tidal volume is reduced (VTP); the other contributes a relatively small
      amount to the expired volume over a significantly longer time, the time constant
      amounting to 3.27 +/- 1.54 s for baseline VT and 2.95 +/- 1.65 s for VTp. The
      first mechanism probably reflects the standard elastic and flow resistive
      properties of the respiratory system, while the second, slower compartment, is
      probably an expression of the viscoelastic properties of the pulmonary and chest
      wall tissues.

PMID- 1855576
TI  - Drug-induced lung disease: 1990 review.
AB  - Numerous drug-induced pulmonary manifestations have been reported but studies of
      their pathogenic mechanisms are still rare. These mechanisms should, however, be
      precisely determined in order to identify subjects at risk and to prevent some of
      these complications by the proper use of certain drugs in more appropriate
      conditions. The possibility of an iatrogenic manifestation should always be
      considered in patients developing pulmonary symptoms. Data from biological
      investigations, although not specific, contribute to the understanding of lung
      injury mechanisms.

PMID- 1855577
TI  - The Dutch hypothesis (chronic non-specific lung disease) revisited.
AB  - In 1961 the hypothesis (later referred to as the Dutch Hypothesis (DH)) was put
      forward that asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema should be considered as
      different expressions of one disease entity, in which both endogenous (host) and
      exogenous (environmental) factors play a role in the pathogenesis. A hereditary
      predisposition to develop allergy and bronchial hyperreactivity were considered
      to be important denominators of disease susceptibility. Complications and
      complicating diseases would also contribute to the ultimate phenotype of the
      patient. In the present paper we discuss the relevance of this hypothesis in
      1990. Until now it has not been refuted; circumstantial evidence in its favour
      has accumulated, but formal proof is still lacking. Further research should pay
      more attention to the genetic aspects of the disease. Arguments are presented
      against the use of the terms asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema as
      indicators of disease entities, and in favour of the use of an umbrella-term,
      e.g. chronic non-specific lung disease (CNSLD), provided that, in addition, every
      patient is characterized using so-called defining criteria.

PMID- 1855578
TI  - A "splitting" look at chronic nonspecific lung disease (CNSLD): common features
      but diverse pathogenesis.
AB  - The term chronic nonspecific lung disease (CNSLD) was proposed by the Ciba
      Symposium in 1959 as an umbrella term grouping chronic bronchitis, asthma,
      emphysema and irreversible or persistent obstructive lung disease. However, it
      has only been widely used by proponents of the Dutch Hypothesis, which states
      that these diseases all result from a common genetic root and should be
      considered as one disease. A major reason for proposing this hypothesis in 1961
      was that these different entities share some common features, especially airway
      hyperresponsiveness. Although not formally disproven, evidence is accumulating-
      and reviewed here--against this "one disease concept"; hence, common features
      should not necessarily imply a common pathogenesis. Overlap features are
      sufficiently frequent in clinical practice to cause problems for labelling
      patients within the scope of CNSLD. The term could still be used as a starting
      point for a "splitting approach", identifying a small number of important basic
      features in order to allow a more systematic use of established labels for
      diseases within CNSLD. Our proposal for labelling emphasizes a consistent use of
      asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but restricts
      the use of chronic bronchitis to those patients with chronic bronchial
      hypersecretion without chronic airways obstruction.

PMID- 1855579
TI  - A comparison of the Yan and a dosimeter method for methacholine challenge in
      experienced and inexperienced subjects.
AB  - Bronchial reactivity is being measured with increasing frequency in
      epidemiological studies, but there debate continues about the relative merits of
      the different methods used to measure reactivity, particularly for subjects with
      no previous experience of reactivity testing as is the case in epidemiological
      studies. Repeatability is likely to improve with practice, and laboratory based
      studies on experienced subjects may overestimate the repeatability of a test in
      inexperienced subjects. We have compared the repeatability of the Yan method with
      a dosimeter (Mefar) method of administering methacholine to 40 asthmatic
      subjects: 20 with experience of methacholine challenge on at least six previous
      occasions and 20 with no previous experience. Subjects attended the laboratory on
      four days within a two week period, at the same time of day. A methacholine
      challenge was performed on two occasions using the Yan method and on two
      occasions using the dosimeter. Methacholine responsiveness was measured as the
      provocative dose causing a 20% reduction in forced expiratory volume in one
      second (PD20FEV1). Geometric mean PD20FEV1 values with the Yan method were 1.14
      doubling doses (DD) of methacholine higher than with the dosimeter method. In the
      experienced subjects, the 95% range for a single estimate was +/- 1.56 DD for the
      Yan method and +/- 1.37 DD for the dosimeter method. In the inexperienced
      subjects, the 95% ranges were +/- 2.65 and +/- 1.87 DD for the Yan and dosimeter
      methods, respectively. Thus, the differences in repeatability between the Yan and
      dosimeter methods, were small; experienced subjects gave more repeatable values
      than inexperienced subjects.

PMID- 1855580
TI  - Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to bacteraemic pneumococcal
      pneumonia.
AB  - We describe a patient, who had no pre-existing disease, with bacteraemic
      pneumococcal pneumonia and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a rare
      complication. In spite of the use of antibiotics and intensive treatment the
      mortality rate of this kind of infection remains high. Streptococcus pneumoniae
      is the most frequently found micro-organism responsible for community-acquired
      pneumonia. In 25-35% of these patients pneumococcal bacteraemia is found, with a
      2-3 times higher mortality rate than that for non-bacteraemic pneumococcal
      pneumonia.

PMID- 1855581
TI  - Pain in scar as an early symptom of acquired thoracic lung hernia.
AB  - Hernia of the lung manifests itself as an elastic, usually replaceable, swelling
      in the chest wall, which changes in size during inspiration and expiration. It
      does not generally cause any symptoms. We describe the case history of a 49 yr
      old man with an acquired thoracic lung hernia, which had first presented three
      years previously as pain in an operation scar during coughing and lifting.
      Histopathology of the excised lung tissue showed abnormalities suggestive of
      previous episodes of strangulation.

PMID- 1855582
TI  - Neurilemmoma of the intrathoracic vagus nerve.
AB  - A neurilemmoma (Schwannoma) of the left intrathoracic vagus nerve was discovered
      on a chest radiograph of a 28 yr old woman and was removed via a left
      thoracotomy. Although neurogenic tumours are the most common tumours of the
      mediastinum, they rarely involve the intrathoracic vagus nerve.

PMID- 1855583
TI  - DNA methylation and chromatin structure.
AB  - Studies of the whole genome by molecular and cytogenetic methods have implicated
      DNA methylation in the formation of 'inactive chromatin'. This has been confirmed
      by analysis of specific endogenous sequences, and has been mimicked by
      introducing methylated and non-methylated sequences into cells. As well as
      affecting chromatin structure. DNA methylation also represses transcription. A
      protein (MeCP) which binds specifically to methylated DNA has been identified.
      The properties of MeCP could account for the effects of DNA methylation on both
      chromatin and transcription.

PMID- 1855584
TI  - On the origins of genetic variants.
AB  - Two contrasting mechanisms responsible for the creation of genetic variants are
      described: one is the manifestation of the limited accuracy of the cellular
      machinery for DNA replication, the other results from the ability of cells to
      repair damaged DNA. Replication-dependent variants and those caused by episodical
      DNA damage enhance the probability that a small fraction of a cell population may
      survive a sudden (physical or biological) change of environmental conditions.
      Replication-independent variants arise during persistent but not immediately
      lethal stress (e.g. starvation) of a non-dividing population. The variants
      observed under these conditions are of selective advantage because they are able
      to cope with the particular stress situation. The molecular basis of their
      creation is a matter of intensive debate.

PMID- 1855585
TI  - Codon bias and gene expression.
AB  - The frequencies with which individual synonymous codons are used to code their
      cognate amino acids is quite variable from genome to genome and within genomes,
      from gene to gene. One particularly well documented codon bias is that associated
      with highly expressed genes in bacteria as well as in yeast; this is the so
      called major codon bias. Here, it is suggested that the major codon bias is not
      an arrangement for regulating individual gene expression. Instead, the data
      suggest that this codon bias, which is correlated with a corresponding bias of
      tRNA abundance, is a global arrangement for optimizing the growth efficiency of
      cells. On the practical side, it is suggested that heterologous gene expression
      is not as sensitive to codon bias as previously thought, but that it is quite
      sensitive to other characteristics of the heterologous gene.

PMID- 1855586
TI  - Regulation of protein synthesis at the elongation stage. New insights into the
      control of gene expression in eukaryotes.
AB  - There are many reports which demonstrate that the rate of protein biosynthesis at
      the elongation stage is actively regulated in eukaryotic cells. Possible
      physiological roles for this type of regulation are: the coordination of
      translation of mRNA with different initiation rate constants; regulation of
      transition between different physiological states of a cell, such as transition
      between stages of the cell cycle; and in general, any situation where the
      maintenance of a particular physiological state is dependent on continuous
      protein synthesis. A number of covalent modifications of elongation factors offer
      potential mechanisms for such regulation. Among the various modifications of
      elongation factors, phosphorylation of eEF-2 by the specific Ca2+calmodulin
      dependent eEF-2 kinase is the best studied and perhaps the most important
      mechanism of regulation of elongation rate. Since this phosphorylation is
      strictly Ca(2+)-dependent, and makes eEF-2 inactive in translation, this
      mechanism could explain how changes in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration
      may regulate elongation rate. We also discuss some recent findings concerning
      elongation factors, such as the discovery of developmental stage-specific
      elongation factors and the regulated binding of eEF-1 alpha to cytoskeletal
      elements. Together, these observations underline the importance of the elongation
      stage of translation in the regulation of the cellular processes essential for
      normal cell life.

PMID- 1855587
TI  - How does protein synthesis give rise to the 3D-structure?
AB  - The recent experimental data on stages and kinetic intermediates in protein
      folding are reviewed. It is emphasized that these data are consistent with the
      'framework model' proposed by the author in 1973. The model implies that protein
      folds by stage mechanism (secondary structure - molten) globule state - native
      state) in such a way that the results of previous stages are not reconsidered in
      subsequent ones. Arguments are presented that both these hypotheses and available
      experimental data do not contradict the assumption that native structures of at
      least small proteins are nevertheless under thermodynamic rather than kinetic
      control i.e. correspond to global minima of free energy.

PMID- 1855588
TI  - Protein export in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Theme with variations.
AB  - Protein export in prokaryotes as well as in eukaryotes can be defined as protein
      transport across the plasma membrane. In both types of organisms there are
      various apparently ATP-dependent transport mechanisms which can be distinguished
      from one another and which show similarities when the prokaryotic mechanism is
      compared with the respective eukaryotic mechanism. First, one can distinguish
      between transport mechanisms which involve so-called signal or leader peptides
      and those which do not. The latter mechanisms seem to employ ATP-dependent
      transport systems which belong to the family of oligopeptide permeases and
      multiple drug resistance proteins. Second, in signal or leader peptide-dependent
      transport one can distinguish between transport mechanisms which involve
      ribonucleoparticles and those which employ molecular chaperones. Both mechanisms
      appear to converge at the level of ATP-dependent translocases.

PMID- 1855589
TI  - The cystatins: protein inhibitors of cysteine proteinases.
AB  - The last decade has witnessed enormous progress of protein inhibitors of cysteine
      proteinases concerning their structures, functions and evolutionary
      relationships. Although they differ in their molecular properties and biological
      distribution, they are structurally related proteins. All three inhibitory
      families, the stefins, the cystatins and the kininogens, are members of the same
      superfamily. Recently determined crystal structures of chicken cystatin and human
      stefin B established a new mechanism of interaction between cysteine proteinases
      and their inhibitors which is fundamentally different from the standard mechanism
      for serine proteinases and their inhibitors.

PMID- 1855590
TI  - Does ferredoxin I (Azotobacter) represent a novel class of DNA-binding proteins
      that regulate gene expression in response to cellular iron(II)?
AB  - Azotobacter vinelandii (Av) and chroococcum (Ac) ferredoxin I contain [3Fe-4S]1 +
      0 and [4Fe-4S]2+1+ clusters, when isolated aerobically, which undergo one
      electron redox cycles at potentials of -460 +/- 10 mV (vs SHE) at pH 8.3 and -645
      +/- 10 mV, respectively. The X-ray structure of Fd I (Av) reveals that the N
      terminal half of the polypeptide folds as a sandwich of beta-strands which
      enclose the iron-sulphur clusters. The C-terminal sequence contains an
      amphiphilic alpha-helix of four turns which lies on the surface of the beta
      barrel. Fd I (Av) controls expression of an unknown protein of Mr approximately
      18,000. Fd I (Ac) will complex iron(II) avidly above pH approximately 8.0 only
      when the [3Fe-4S] cluster is reduced and provided that cellular nucleic acid is
      bound. Fd I (Ac) rigorously purified from nucleic acid does not undergo iron(II)
      uptake. These facts, together with recent evidence that the interconversion
      process [3Fe-4S]0 + Fe2+----[4Fe-4S]2+ in the iron-responsive element binding
      protein (IRE-BP) of eukaryotic cells is controlling protein expression at the
      level of mRNA [1991, Cell 64, 4771; 1991, Nucleic Acid Res. 19, 1739] leads to
      the following hypothesis. Fd I is a DNA-binding protein which interacts by single
      alpha-helix binding in the wide groove of DNA. The binding is regulated by
      iron(II) levels in the cell. The 7Fe form binds to DNA and represses gene
      expression. Only the DNA-bound form of the 7Fe Fd I will take up iron(II), not
      the form free in solution. Iron(II) becomes bound when the [3Fe-4S] cluster is
      reduced. The 8Fe Fd I thus generated no longer binds DNA and the gene is de
      repressed. Sequence comparisons and the crystal structure suggests that the two
      central turns of the alpha-helix are important elements of the DNA-recognition
      process and that residues Gln69 and Glu73, which lie on the outer surface of the
      helix, hydrogen-bond with specific base pairs.

PMID- 1855591
TI  - Protein secondary structure determination by NMR. Application with recombinant
      human cyclophilin.
AB  - It is a unique trait of the NMR method for protein structure determination that a
      description of the polypeptide secondary structure can be obtained at an early
      stage and quite independently of the complete structure calculation. In this
      paper the procedures used for secondary structure determination are reviewed and
      placed in perspective relative to the other steps in a complete three-dimensional
      structure determination. As an illustration the identification of the regular
      secondary structure elements in human cyclophilin is described.

PMID- 1855592
TI  - Signal transduction mechanism of interleukin 6 in cultured rat mesangial cells.
AB  - Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is one of the potent autocrine growth factors for mesangial
      cells. We investigated the signal transduction mechanism of IL-6 in cultured rat
      mesangial cells. IL-6 induced a transient increase of inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate (Ins 1,4,5-P3) followed by a transient and sustained increase of
      intracellular calcium concentration, suggesting that IL-6 stimulates
      phosphoinositide turnover. IL-6 also stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
      production. The IL-6-concentration dependency in PGE2 production was similar to
      that in Ins 1,4,5-P3 production. We concluded that the action of IL-6 on
      mesangial cells is exerted at least partially through the enhancement of
      phosphoinositide turnover and PGE2 production.

PMID- 1855593
TI  - Characterization and regulation of the expression of scyllatoxin (Leiurotoxin I)
      receptors in the human neuroblastoma cell line NB-OK 1.
AB  - 125I-[Tyr2]scyllatoxin allowed to label a single class of high-affinity receptors
      in membranes from the human neuroblastoma cell line NB-OK 1. The Kd of these
      receptors was 60 pM for scyllatoxin (Leiurotoxin I) and 20 pM for apamin and the
      Bmax was low (3.8 fmol/mg membrane protein). K+ increased toxin binding at low
      concentrations but exerted opposite effects at high concentrations. Ca2+,
      guanidinium and Na+ exerted only inhibitory effects on binding. Scyllatoxin
      binding sites were overexpressed 2.5-fold after a 24-h cell pretreatment with 2
      mM butyrate. This effect was suppressed by cycloheximide.

PMID- 1855595
TI  - [Measuring the muscular strength of the tongue and the mimetic muscles
      surrounding the oral cavity].

PMID- 1855594
TI  - [Open bite and its management].
AB  - Morphological and functional symptoms of various varients of the open bite are
      reported on. The orthodontic treatment possibilities and, then, the surgical
      methods applicable after termination of jaw bone development are summarized. The
      functional disturbances have to be considered in case of both the conservative
      and the surgical treatment. A patient treated with a fixed device and an operated
      patient are presented.

PMID- 1855596
TI  - [Experience with the clinical use of HTR (hard tissue replacement) polymer. Sinus
      elevation, human histological studies].
AB  - The HTR polymer was employed under clinical circumstances. Results supported that
      the HTR polymer may well be employed for bone replacement. The forming of the
      support tissue between the plastic granulums has been accompanied with biopsies.
      Though in some cases giant cell reaction of alien body type have been observed,
      yet this has never been of such degree that it would have impeded the reception
      of the stuff. According to the authors opinion after reinforcement of the lower
      wall of the facial cavity with HTR polymert in 8 to 10 months an enduring
      suitable support tissue is formed.

PMID- 1855597
TI  - [Incorrect technical terms in Hungarian dental terminology].
AB  - The standpoint of the Hungarian Scientific Academy in case of medical orthography
      is described. Attention is called that anatomic denominations have to be
      concordant with the currently valid international nomenclature. Improper
      technical terms frequently occurring in dental papers and parlance are pointed
      out and the correct denominations are expounded.

PMID- 1855598
TI  - [Various stages of reduction in wisdom teeth. Dentition anomalies from the case
      load of a district dentist, 10].
AB  - The isolated entire tooth group anomalies are discussed in connection with two
      cases. In the first case the lower and upper incisors are hypodontic whereas in
      the second case the hypodontia appears in the molar region. The interest of the
      latter case is increased by a microdont tooth which appeared in the place of the
      left upper seventh tooth.

PMID- 1855599
TI  - [Comparative measurements of right and left branches of the mandible].
AB  - Eighteen pairs of mandible measures were evaluated according to sex on europide
      skulls coming from south-eastern Hungarian cemeteries of the X-XII., centuries in
      order to disclose possible measure differences between the left and right side.
      Only a single measure, the smallest sagittal diameter of the collume mandibulae
      showed significant difference between both sides which was observed in both
      groups of men and women. The percentual relative frequencies according to which
      the 18 measures were equal on the left and right side (within 1 millimeter
      measuring error) changed between 39.9% and 82.0% (average 58.6%) with men, and
      between 45.9% and 83.2% (average 59.6%) with women. The examined measures proved
      to be greater on the right side by 3.2% with men and by 4.6% with women.

PMID- 1855600
TI  - [Skin test series for the determination of contact allergy to dental materials].

PMID- 1855601
TI  - [Hypodontia in isolated groups of teeth. Dental anomalies from the case load of a
      district dentist, 11].
AB  - The isolated entire tooth group anomalies are discussed in connection with cases.
      In the first the lower and upper incisors are hypodontic whereas in the second
      case the hypodontia appears in the molar region. The interest of the latter case
      is inereased byamicrodont tottht which appeared in the place of the left upper
      seventh tooth.

PMID- 1855602
TI  - [Questions of principle and practice concerning the use of Diakor aluminum oxide
      in bioceramical oral endosseous implantation. III. Surgical intervention].
AB  - The osseointegration desired in interest of lasting success may be obtained but
      by means of an aseptic atraumatic operational technique which ensures the primary
      stability of the implant. It is pointed out that the infection free wound healing
      plays a decisive role in the lasting stability of the implant also the surgical
      planning and the method of avoiding complications are described.

PMID- 1855603
TI  - Pregnancies and offspring in survivors of acute lymphoid leukemia and lymphoma.
AB  - Since few data on the reproductive outlook of patients successfully treated for
      lymphoproliferative disease are available, further experiences on the pregnancy
      outcome and offspring follow-up of 12 women treated for acute lymphoid leukemia
      and 7 women treated for malignant lymphoma are reported. Of the 20 pregnancies of
      leukemic patients in remission, 14 ended in live births, one in spontaneous
      abortion, and 5 in elective abortions among which one was performed during
      relapse. One minor (hip dysplasia) and one major birth defect (Apert syndrome)
      were seen. The Apert syndrome baby is considered as a new mutation. Of the 9
      pregnancies of lymphoma patients 5 ended in normal births and 4 in elective
      abortions. Neither relapse nor malformation was encountered. One leukemic patient
      had gestational edema and one lymphoma patient had puerperal thrombophlebitis of
      lower extremity. The offspring of the above patients appropriately developed and
      had no complication except for one with cephalhematoma and for another one with
      epilepsy attributed to birth injury.

PMID- 1855604
TI  - Preinduction cervical assessment by Bishop's score and transvaginal ultrasound.
AB  - In this pilot study, 50 patients underwent preinduction cervical assessment by
      digital Bishop Score (BS) and transvaginal ultrasonography. The BS was lower in 7
      patients requiring caesarean section than in 43 delivered vaginally (P = 0.017).
      Of seven ultrasound parameters examined, six (cervical length, width, dilatation,
      application and position and lower segment thickness) were similar in both
      groups. Cervical angle, however, was more acute in those delivered abdominally
      than vaginally (median = 60 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively, P = 0.002).
      Posterior cervical angle was more accurate than BS in predicting vaginal delivery
      (Kappa = 0.48 versus 0.21). Patient discomfort was significantly less with
      transvaginal ultrasound than digital examination. Combining posterior cervical
      angle greater than 70 degrees and BS greater than 5 yielded the best accuracy in
      predicting successful induction of labour (sensitivity = 88%, specificity = 100%,
      Kappa = 0.68).

PMID- 1855605
TI  - Length of the human umbilical cord in multiple pregnancy.
AB  - The factors controlling the length of the human umbilical cord are uncertain. In
      the generally accepted 'tension theory', the length of the umbilical cord is
      proposed to increase the tensile force on it in the uterus. The greatest tensile
      force is supposed to be fetal movement. If this is so, the length of the
      umbilical cord should be shorter in multiple pregnancy than in single pregnancy.
      To examine this possibility we measured the umbilical cord lengths in 3314
      singleton births, 82 twins births (164 infants), and 11 triplet or quadruplet
      births (35 infants). The cord lengths in multiple pregnancies (twins 51.3 cm,
      triplets and quadruplets 50.1 cm) tended to be shorter than that in singleton
      pregnancies (57.2 cm). However, no significant difference was found in the ratio
      of the umbilical cord length to the infant body weight in these groups.
      Therefore, we conclude that an important factor in determining the cord length is
      the size of the infant.

PMID- 1855606
TI  - High blood pressure during pregnancy and working conditions among hospital
      personnel.
AB  - The relationship between working conditions and high blood pressure during
      pregnancy was analysed in a sample of 621 women hospital employees in the Paris
      region over the period 1979-1981. Data were collected by interviews during the
      routine medical visit at the end of postnatal leave. Women who had to work
      standing up for extended periods of time, who had to carry heavy loads or who had
      to perform heavy cleaning tasks had high blood pressure during their pregnancy
      more often than women not exposed to these working conditions. The accumulation
      of two out of the three or these three working conditions by the same woman was
      strongly related to high blood pressure. This relation remained significant when
      other risk factors of hypertension, such as age, parity, corpulence and tobacco
      use, were taken into account in a multiple logistic regression.

PMID- 1855607
TI  - Intrapartum chemoprophylaxis of early-onset group B streptococcal disease.
AB  - A randomized study in 121 pregnant women carrier of group B streptococci is
      undertaken in order to assess the administration of 500 mg of intrapartum
      ampicillin intravenously to interrupt mother-to-fetus group B streptococcal
      transmission. In the prophylaxis group there was a significant reduction in
      neonatal colonization (3.7 vs. 42.9%) and in severe neonatal colonization (0 vs.
      25%). There was no case of group B streptococcal sepsis in the prophylaxis group
      compared to 4.6% (3 cases) in the control group (P greater than 0.05). Clinically
      infected newborns represented 3.3% in the prophylaxis group vs. 13.8% in the
      control group. When the organism was isolated during delivery in the vagina or
      amniotic fluid, prophylaxis was quickly followed by second negative cultures.
      Ampicillin levels in the amniotic fluid were detected early, and they increased
      significantly till the third hour. Bactericidal levels in the umbilical cord were
      detected in 60% of newborns. All these findings support the usefulness of
      ampicillin prophylaxis in the prevention of early-onset group B streptococcal
      sepsis.

PMID- 1855608
TI  - Intra-uterine hematoma in pregnancy.
AB  - In 60 patients with a live fetus and an intra-uterine hematoma (IUH) proven by
      ultrasonic scanning the outcome of pregnancy was spontaneous abortion in 12% and
      premature delivery in 10%. No correlation between the outcome of the pregnancy
      and the maximum size of the hematoma or the week of detection was found. A
      subplacentar localization of the hematoma was associated with a higher, but not
      statistically significant, incidence of spontaneous abortion than a subchorionic
      localization. Spontaneous abortion most often occurred in the first weeks after
      the formation of the hematoma.

PMID- 1855609
TI  - Invasive papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the endocervix in pregnancy; a case
      report.
AB  - A case of invasive papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the endocervix in pregnancy
      is described. The pure papillary pattern appears rarely, and to the best of our
      knowledge has never been described previously in pregnancy.

PMID- 1855610
TI  - Working toward a restraint-free environment.

PMID- 1855611
TI  - Maintaining a smoke-free psychiatric ward.

PMID- 1855612
TI  - Extra-Mural: the hospital without walls.

PMID- 1855613
TI  - Home care unites for a new decade.

PMID- 1855614
TI  - Codeine: developmental toxicity in hamsters and mice.
AB  - Timed-pregnant LVG Syrian hamsters and Swiss CD-1 mice were dosed orally twice
      daily (b.i.d.) with codeine in water on Gestational Days (gd) 5-13 (0, 10, 50, or
      150 mg/kg, b.i.d.--hamsters) or 6-15 (0, 37.5, 75, 150, or 300 mg/kg, b.i.d.-
      mice). Dams were necropsied on gd 14 (hamsters) or 17 (mice), and fetuses were
      weighed, sexed, and examined for external, visceral, and skeletal malformations.
      No maternal deaths were observed in hamsters, while 19% of the pregnant mice in
      the high-dose group died. Maternal weight gain (gestational and treatment
      periods) and gravid uterine weights were significantly depressed in hamsters (150
      mg/kg, b.i.d.) and in mice (300 mg/kg, b.i.d.). However, the corrected weight
      gain for both species, although decreased, was not significantly different from
      that of the controls. In both species, maternal liver weights (relative) were
      significantly increased in the high-dose groups. There were increases in the
      percentage resorptions per pregnant dam and in the proportion of litters with
      100% resorptions in the high-dose groups of both species. Considering only live
      litters, the number of live fetuses per litter and the sex ratio were unaffected
      in both species. Mean fetal body weights were also significantly decreased in the
      50 and 150 mg/kg, b.i.d. (hamsters), and the 150 and 300 mg/kg, b.i.d. (mice),
      groups. The no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) for developmental toxicity
      were 10 (hamsters) and 75 (mice) mg/kg, b.i.d., whereas the NOAELs for maternal
      toxicity were 50 (hamsters) and 150 (mice) mg/kg, b.i.d. The predominant
      structural malformation in hamsters was meningoencephalocele (high-dose group
      only), affecting 3% of fetuses and 19% of litters (neither statistically
      significant). Codeine did not induce any increase in structural malformations in
      mice. Thus, codeine produced developmental toxicity (as indicated by decreased
      fetal body weight) at doses below those producing maternal toxicity in both
      hamsters and mice. In the hamster, the more sensitive species to codeine
      developmental toxicity, effects were observed at a total daily dose of 100 mg/kg,
      which is only 11 times the maximum human therapeutic oral dose.

PMID- 1855615
TI  - Developmental toxicity of dimethylacetamide by inhalation in the rat.
AB  - Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) is a widely used industrial solvent. It has been
      reported to be teratogenic when given to rats by injection or following dermal
      application. Most of these studies employed large single doses and did not
      examine both the fetal and the maternal response. In this study, groups of
      pregnant Crl:CD rats were exposed to 32, 100, or 282 ppm DMAC by inhalation for 6
      hr/day from Days 6 through 15 of gestation (day on which copulation plug was
      detected was termed Day 1G). A control group of chambered pregnant rats was
      exposed simultaneously to air only. All female rats were euthanized on Day 21G.
      At 282 ppm, both maternal weight gain during the exposure period and fetal weight
      were significantly decreased and accompanied by a significant dose-response
      trend. These effects were not seen in rats inhaling either 32 or 100 ppm. Fetal
      resorptions were not increased in any of the groups exposed to DMAC. Fetal
      incidences of external, visceral, or skeletal variations and malformations were
      similar between the test and control groups. Therefore, both fetal and maternal
      toxicity were noted at 282 ppm and the no-observed adverse-effect level under
      these experimental conditions was 100 ppm for both the dam and the conceptus.
      DMAC was not demonstrated to produce malformations in the rat fetus even at a
      level that was toxic to the dam.

PMID- 1855616
TI  - An optimization strategy for a biokinetic model of inhaled radionuclides.
AB  - Models for material disposition and dosimetry involve predictions of the
      biokinetics of the material among compartments representing organs and tissues in
      the body. Because of a lack of human data for most toxicants, many of the basic
      data are derived by modeling the results obtained from studies using laboratory
      animals. Such a biomathematical model is usually developed by adjusting the model
      parameters to make the model predictions match the measured retention and
      excretion data visually. The fitting process can be very time-consuming for a
      complicated model, and visual model selections may be subjective and easily
      biased by the scale or the data used. Due to the development of computerized
      optimization methods, manual fitting could benefit from an automated process.
      However, for a complicated model, an automated process without an optimization
      strategy will not be efficient, and may not produce fruitful results. In this
      paper, procedures for, and implementation of, an optimization strategy for a
      complicated mathematical model is demonstrated by optimizing a biokinetic model
      for 144Ce in fused aluminosilicate particles inhaled by beagle dogs. The
      optimized results using SimuSolv were compared to manual fitting results obtained
      previously using the model simulation software GASP. Also, statistical criteria
      provided by SimuSolv, such as likelihood function values, were used to help or
      verify visual model selections.

PMID- 1855617
TI  - Assessment of mitochondrial membrane potential as an indicator of cytotoxicity.
AB  - Mechanistically based short-term in vitro tests to evaluate the relative
      cytotoxicity of of chemicals will complement in vitro genotoxicity testing during
      the initial phases of toxicity evaluation as well as provide information on the
      cellular site of action for chemicals found to be toxic in animals. The objective
      of this study was to characterize a procedure for evaluating mitochondrial
      membrane potential, an integral component of cellular energy homeostasis and
      normal cellular function, as an in vitro indicator of chemically induced
      cytotoxicity. Rhodamine 123, a cationic fluorescent dye whose mitochondrial
      fluorescence intensity decreases quantitatively in response to dissipation of
      mitochondrial transmembrane potential, was used to evaluate disturbances in
      mitochondrial membrane potential. Cultured rat liver epithelial cells (WB cell
      line) or human skin fibroblasts (MSU-2 cell line) treated with the oxidative
      phosphorylation uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) or the cytochrome oxidase
      inhibitor sodium azide were used to characterize the system. In addition,
      acetaldehyde, which has been reported to damage the plasma membrane, but not the
      mitochondrial membrane, was used to demonstrate the specificity of this assay
      system. Mitochondrial membrane potential was not significantly affected by the
      cell culture density, as long as the cells were in the logarithmic phase of
      growth. The stage of the cell cycle influenced the mitochondrial membrane
      potential in human skin fibroblasts (highest in late G1-early S) but not in rat
      liver cells. DNP and sodium azide significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced the
      mitochondrial membrane potential in both cell lines compared to untreated cells,
      while acetaldehyde did not reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential in either
      cell line. This assay provides a tool for evaluating the effect of chemical
      treatments on mitochondrial membrane potential, as well as an indicator of
      cytotoxicity which does not require the use of animals.

PMID- 1855619
TI  - Differences in the mode of lethality produced through intravenous and oral
      administration of organophosphorus insecticides in rats.
AB  - This study was undertaken to investigate the possibility that mechanisms other
      than cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition account for the acute toxicity of
      organophosphorus insecticide. Both the P = O type insecticide (direct ChE
      inhibitors: chlorfenvinphos and dichlorvos) and the P = S type insecticide
      (indirect ChE inhibitors: diazinon and fenthion) were employed. Rats treated with
      lethal doses of intravenous and oral P = O type insecticides and oral P = S type
      insecticides exhibited typical signs of anti-ChE poisoning along with marked
      inhibition of brain and erythrocyte ChE activity. In contrast, rats given lethal
      doses of intravenous P = S type insecticides exhibited tonic convulsions and
      opisthotonos, with only slight inhibition of ChE activities. When P = O type
      insecticides were intravenously administered to anesthetized and conscious rats,
      animals exhibited typical anti-ChE poisoning signs in cardiorespiration:
      hypertension and apnea which were antagonized by atropine. After administration
      of lethal doses of P = O type insecticides, breathing disappeared before the
      cessation of heart beats. Rats receiving lethal doses of intravenous P = S type
      insecticides did not show hypertension, but exhibited transient cessation of
      breathing and heart beats. Breathing was observed after the disappearance of
      heart beats. The electroencephalogram (EEG) was characterized by spike and wave
      complexes. The EEG and cardiorespiratory changes were not antagonized by
      atropine. It was concluded that lethality following intravenous P = S type
      insecticides may be independent of ChE inhibition.

PMID- 1855618
TI  - Comparison of cholinergic and neuromuscular toxicity following acute exposure to
      sarin and VX in rat.
AB  - Male Sprague-Dawley rats injected with a sublethal sc dosage of 110 micrograms/kg
      of sarin (isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate), or 12 micrograms/kg of VX (S-(2
      diisopropylaminoethyl) O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate), developed severe toxic
      signs within 5-15 min after sarin and 20-50 min after VX lasting for 5 to 7 hr.
      Myonecrotic lesions were seen in soleus and diaphragm muscles within 1 hr. A
      maximum number of lesions had developed after 24 hr, and lesions were also
      present in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) at this time. Regeneration of muscle
      fibers was slow since lesions were still evident past 7 days of treatment. Within
      1 hr following VX, AChE activity was reduced to 8, 12, and 17% of control
      activity in soleus, diaphragm, and EDL, respectively, whereas with sarin the
      enzyme activity was reduced to 23, 48, and 82% of control. A still greater
      inhibition was seen 24 hr after sarin when AChE activity was reduced to 19, 13,
      and 43% in these muscles. In skeletal muscles the different molecular forms of
      AChE, such as 16 S, 12 S, 10 S, and 4 S vary in location and functional
      importance with the 16 S form highly concentrated at the neuromuscular junction.
      All forms in a given muscle were equally sensitive to the inhibitors. In EDL,
      sarin was the least effective in reducing AChE or its molecular forms. In the
      brain structures (cortex, brain stem, striatum, and hippocampus), AChE activity
      was reduced to 1-6% of control by sarin and VX with the exception that following
      VX striatal AChE was reduced to only 41% of control activity. AChE activity in
      the brain cortex following either of the agents was maximally affected (1%). A
      slow but significant recovery of brain AChE was evident after 24 hr and more so
      after Day 7. Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity was less sensitive to
      inhibition by both inhibitors compared to AChE activity and showed a rapid
      recovery. Based on the equitoxic doses (toxic signs of similar magnitude), VX was
      found to be 10 times more toxic than sarin. The mechanisms of this disparity may
      be due to differences in rate of uptake, circulation, susceptibility to
      hydrolysis, and reactivity with nonspecific binding sites.

PMID- 1855620
TI  - Trihexyphenidyl enhances physostigmine prophylaxis against soman poisoning in
      guinea pigs.
AB  - The protective effects of simultaneous and continuous administration of
      physostigmine and trihexyphenidyl against soman-induced toxicity were studied in
      guinea pigs. Not only did trihexyphenidyl reduce physostigmine-induced toxicity
      when it was administered continuously to the animals along with physostigmine,
      the combination afforded greater protection from soman lethality than did either
      agent administered alone. The combination pretreatment also gave better
      protection against soman-induced body weight loss and decreased water consumption
      and attenuated the down-regulation of cholinergic receptors which occurred when
      physostigmine alone was used. The onsets of other soman-induced toxicity signs
      were delayed significantly by the combination pretreatment regimen. These results
      suggest that simultaneous administration of the combination of physostigmine and
      trihexyphenidyl may be more useful than physostigmine alone as prophylaxis
      against soman poisoning.

PMID- 1855621
TI  - A two-generation reproduction study in rats receiving diets containing
      hexamethylenediamine.
AB  - Rats received diets containing average daily doses of 0, 50, 150, and 500
      mg/kg/day of hexamethylenediamine over two generations. Although no treatment
      related mortality was observed in any of the groups, the weight gain of adults
      and pups was slightly reduced in the high dose group. While the litter size was
      also slightly reduced at birth in the high dose group, there was no adverse
      effect on survival during lactation in any of the treated groups. Thus, the
      dietary administration of up to 150 mg/kg/day of hexamethylenediamine over two
      generations did not adversely affect reproduction or fertility in rats.

PMID- 1855622
TI  - Validation of protocols for assessing early pregnancy failure in the rat:
      clomiphene citrate.
AB  - A battery of protocols for the assessment of maternally mediated toxicity during
      early pregnancy in the rat is being evaluated for its utility in detecting and
      defining mechanisms of early pregnancy failure. In this report, clomiphene
      citrate (CC), an estrogen agonist/antagonist, was used as a model compound in
      this evaluation process. The protocols involve dosing rats with CC during, and
      evaluation of multiple endpoints following, (a) the first 8 days of pregnancy;
      (b) early pseudopregnancy, accompanied by decidual induction; and (c) the pre-
      and postimplantation intervals of early pregnancy. In addition, the effect of CC
      on embryo transport rate was assessed. Eight days of dosing with CC during early
      pregnancy produced a dose-dependent reduction in the number of implantation sites
      seen on Day 9, concomitant with alterations in maternal hormonal parameters. No
      effect on the decidual cell response was found, indicating that the mechanism of
      fertility reduction was not mediated via compromised uterine decidualization. The
      preimplantation period was highly vulnerable to the toxic effects of CC while no
      postimplantation resorptions were seen. When embryo transport rate was measured,
      a statistically significant embryo transport rate acceleration was detected, but
      this was insufficient to account for all of the observed preimplantation loss.
      The data suggest an effect of CC on embryo viability, on the embryo's ability to
      implant, or on the reproductive tract resulting in compromised embryo survival as
      the potential mechanism(s) mediating CC-induced early pregnancy failure. The
      battery of protocols was thus successful in identifying CC as a reproductive
      toxicant and in elucidating the causes of the observed early pregnancy failure.

PMID- 1855623
TI  - Percutaneous absorption/metabolism of phenanthrene in the hairless guinea pig:
      comparison of in vitro and in vivo results.
AB  - The in vitro and in vivo percutaneous absorption/metabolism of phenanthrene was
      investigated in hairless guinea pigs. Flow-through diffusion cells and Hepes
      buffered Hanks' balanced salt solution (HHBSS) as receptor fluid were used in the
      in vitro system. When phenanthrene was applied to excised guinea pig skin mounted
      on the cells at dose levels of 6.6 and 15.2 micrograms/cm2, 89.7 and 79.1% of the
      administered doses were respectively absorbed into the skin and receptor fluids
      during a 24-hr perfusion period. These results are consistent with the in vivo
      data which showed approximately 80% absorption over the same period of time.
      Phenanthrene was metabolized in vitro into phenanthrene 9,10-dihydrodiol, 3,4
      dihydrodiol, 1,2-dihydrodiol, and traces of hydroxy phenanthrenes. Of the
      materials absorbed in vitro, 92% was the parent compound and 7% the dihydrodiol
      metabolites. When a nonviable in vitro system was used, 68% of the applied 15.2
      micrograms/cm2 dose was absorbed. Data from the present study demonstrate that
      the in vitro system is a good model for predicting in vivo percutaneous
      absorption of phenanthrene, and that penetration of phenanthrene through the skin
      is controlled more by the passive rate of diffusion than by metabolism.

PMID- 1855624
TI  - An initiation-promotion assay in rat liver as a potential complement to the 2
      year carcinogenesis bioassay.
AB  - Several pharmaceutical agents, manufacturing chemicals, and environmental
      contaminants were found to act primarily as promoting agents in an initiation
      promotion paradigm. The phenotypic distribution of four enzyme markers--placental
      glutathione-S-transferase (PGST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT),
      canalicular ATPase (ATPase), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase)--was analyzed in
      altered hepatic foci (AHF) by quantitative stereology. The number and volume
      distribution of AHF were determined for each promoter tested. For phenobarbital
      and 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-p-dioxin, PGST and GGT together scored 100% of the AHF;
      for 1-(phenylazo)-2-naphthol (CI solvent yellow 14) and chlorendic acid, PGST
      alone marked 90% of the AHF; after chronic administration of WY-14,643, ATP and
      G6Pase were the predominant markers. In rats fed tamoxifen, G6P scored more than
      half of the AHF. Differences in the number of AHF promoted by each of these
      agents and in their phenotypic distributions may reflect the differentially
      responsive nature of individual initiated hepatocytes to the action of specific
      promoters. Since the chronic bioassay of suspected carcinogens does not allow one
      to differentiate between weak complete carcinogens and those carcinogenic agents
      that act in a reversible manner to promote the growth of previously initiated
      cells, the partial hepatectomy, altered-hepatic-focus model of cancer development
      is proposed as a supplement to the chronic bioassay for the identification of
      those carcinogenic agents that are primarily, if not exclusively, promoting
      agents in rat liver.

PMID- 1855625
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oximes in unanesthetized pigs.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics and cardiovascular pharmacodynamics of two oximes were
      studied in unanesthetized pigs. Effects of 2-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-1
      methylpyridinium chloride (pralidoxime chloride; 2-PAM Cl; 50 mumol/kg) were
      compared with those of 1,1-methylene bis[4(hydroxyiminomethyl) pyridinium]
      dichloride (methoxime; MMB-4; 100 mumol/kg). Cardiopulmonary parameters were
      monitored and plasma concentrations of oximes were determined from arterial blood
      samples taken at intervals over a period of 5 hr postinjection. Plasma
      concentrations for both oximes were fitted to standard pharmacokinetic models
      using the computer program PCNONLIN. Average pharmacokinetic parameters were
      determined for each oxime. Only mild to moderate physiological side effects were
      detected following intramuscular administration. 2-PAM Cl was more rapidly
      absorbed and distributed in the blood than MMB-4. Although the latter had a
      slight lag time to attain detectable levels in the blood, retention time was
      longer than that of 2-PAM Cl.

PMID- 1855626
TI  - Rhodanese and sodium thiosulfate encapsulated in mouse carrier erythrocytes. II.
      In vivo survivability and alterations in physiologic and morphologic
      characteristics.
AB  - Biodegradable drug carrier mechanisms were employed in drug antagonism studies.
      Prior studies indicated that erythrocytes containing encapsulated rhodanese and
      sodium thiosulfate metabolized cyanide to thiocyanate in vitro. Studies were
      conducted to investigate the properties of these sulfurtransferase-loaded red
      blood cells in vivo by administering the carrier red blood cells intravenously.
      Approximately 40 to 50% of the cells were eliminated within the first few hours
      while the remaining loaded erythrocytes persisted in the circulation. The present
      studies were initiated to investigate the characteristics of the disposition of
      the loaded erythrocytes and to examine differences in the properties between
      carrier and noncarrier erythrocytes. Also, the disposition and viability of the
      erythrocytes in vivo were studied with relation to various biochemical,
      physiological, and morphological properties. These studies indicated that the
      carrier erythrocytes had a smaller cell volume and were more susceptible to
      hemolysis than normal erythrocytes. Morphologic studies by electron microscopy
      indicated that extensive morphologic changes occurred during the procedures after
      hypotonic dialysis, isotonicity adjustment, and resealing were completed.
      Differences were noted between those cells that were only resealed and those
      cells that were also subjected to annealing. The morphologic characteristics of
      most of the cells were restored to the "normal" morphologic appearance only after
      annealing. Annealed erythrocytes' in vivo survivability was correlated with the
      physical properties of these cells.

PMID- 1855627
TI  - Bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether: metabolism and embryonic disposition of a
      developmental toxicant in the pregnant CD-1 mouse.
AB  - An embryotoxic oral dose of bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether (DGDME), 3.73 mmol/kg body
      wt (500 mg/kg), administered on the 11th day of gestation to pregnant CD-1 mice
      was metabolized predominantly by O-demethylation to 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethanol
      with subsequent oxidation to (2-methoxyethoxy)acetic acid. Urinary excretion of
      this metabolite over 48 hr amounted to 63 +/- 2% of the dose. A smaller
      percentage of the administered dose was metabolized at the central ether linkage
      to produce 2-methoxyethanol, which was further metabolized by alcohol
      dehydrogenase to methoxyacetic acid. Urinary excretion of methoxyacetic acid, a
      potent developmental toxicant, amounted to 28 +/- 1% of the administered dose by
      48 hr and was the second most prominent urinary metabolite. Unchanged DGDME and
      methoxyacetic acid were detected in the embryonic tissues from these animals, and
      embryos harvested after the initial 6-hr period showed detectable amounts of only
      methoxyacetic acid. The average amount of methoxyacetic acid per embryo was
      calculated to be 1.5 +/- 1.0 mumol (5.9 mmol/kg body wt) at the 6-hr termination
      time. This finding suggests that the reported teratogenic effects of DGDME are
      due to methoxyacetic acid formed, either in the fetus or by hepatic metabolism in
      the dam with subsequent distribution to the embryonic tissue. These results
      suggest that such developmental toxicity may occur with structurally similar
      aprotic ethylene glycol ethers in which metabolic O-dearylation would yield 2
      methoxy-ethanol.

PMID- 1855628
TI  - Refinement of long-term toxicity and carcinogenesis studies.

PMID- 1855629
TI  - Fluoride-releasing liners: in vitro recurrent caries.

PMID- 1855630
TI  - A long-term provisional restoration.

PMID- 1855631
TI  - Dental erosion caused by cola beverages.

PMID- 1855632
TI  - Porcelain onlays in restoration of vertical dimension.

PMID- 1855634
TI  - Integrity: what do you want it to be?

PMID- 1855633
TI  - Erosive lichen planus exacerbated by full-metal restorations.

PMID- 1855635
TI  - Burning mouth syndrome.

PMID- 1855636
TI  - The effect of intraligamentary injections on diseased periodontiums in dogs.

PMID- 1855637
TI  - A patient instruction guide used in treating ANUG.

PMID- 1855638
TI  - Pulp testing while avoiding dangers of infection and cross-contamination.

PMID- 1855639
TI  - Diffuse discoloration of teeth.

PMID- 1855640
TI  - Unusual maxillary lateral incisors.

PMID- 1855641
TI  - Cyclic juvenile hormone biosynthesis in the cockroach, Blattella germanica:
      effects of ovariectomy and corpus allatum denervation.
AB  - The corpora allata (CA) of ovariectomized adult Blattella germanica females
      exhibited delayed but high rates of juvenile hormone biosynthesis in vitro. Using
      the onset of sexual receptivity as a probe of the degree of CA activation in
      females, we demonstrated at least one cycle of CA activity in the experimentally
      synchronized ovariectomized females. Following their activation, the CA exhibited
      a partial and transient decline in activity, but in contrast to the CA of intact
      females, this decline was not accompanied by a regression in CA volume. CA of
      intact and ovariectomized females that were denervated from the brain were
      activated, but the subsequent decline in CA activity at the end of the cycle was
      prevented in ovariectomized females. The presence of an egg-case suppressed the
      reactivation of the inactive CA in intact females but not in CA-denervated
      females. We conclude that activation of the CA in B. germanica is not dependent
      upon either the presence of the ovary or intact nervous connections between the
      CA and the brain. The brain exerts a partial inhibition on CA activity through
      intact nerves which is relieved (by disinhibition) in the presence of a young
      ovary but is enhanced and sustained in the presence of the egg-case. Inhibition
      of the CA also occurs independently of nervous connections with the brain through
      factors that originate in the mature ovary and affect both CA activity and
      morphology.

PMID- 1855642
TI  - Kinetic studies of growth hormone and prolactin during adaptation of coho salmon,
      Oncorhynchus kisutch, to different salinities.
AB  - The kinetics of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in coho salmon
      (Oncorhynchus kisutch) transferred from fresh water (FW) to seawater (SW) and
      vice versa were examined to help clarify the osmoregulatory roles of the two
      hormones during periods of migration to different salinities. Chum salmon GH or
      PRL was administered by a single injection intraarterially, and metabolic
      clearance rate (MCR) and secretion rate (SR) of injected hormones were calculated
      from the disappearance of the hormones from the plasma. When coho salmon smolts
      were acclimated to SW, MCR, SR, and plasma level of GH in SW-adapted (2-3 weeks)
      fish were twice as great as those in fish in FW. On the other hand, there was no
      difference in the kinetics of GH between the adult coho salmon in SW and those
      adapted to FW (2-3 weeks). The transfer of the adult coho salmon from SW to FW
      was followed after 2 days by a rise in plasma level and SR of PRL, which tended
      to stay at high levels after 2-3 weeks. The MCR of PRL increased significantly
      after 2-3 weeks in FW. These results support the likelihood of an important role
      of GH in SW adaptation and of PRL in FW adaptation in coho salmon.

PMID- 1855643
TI  - Estradiol-induced vitellogenin gene expression in a teleost fish, Oreochromis
      aureus.
AB  - Vitellogenesis presents a versatile model for the study of hormone-induced gene
      expression. We report here the effects of estradiol-17 beta-propionate on
      vitellogenin gene expression in male Oreochromis aureus, a teleost fish.
      Vitellogenin mRNA of 6500 nucleotides has been elucidated from the livers of
      female and estradiol-treated male O. aureus. By hybridization with a specific O.
      aureus cDNA probe, the vitellogenin mRNA transcript was detected as early as 1 hr
      following primary and secondary estradiol-stimulations, although for the latter,
      the rate of accumulation of vitellogenin-specific mRNA was 20-fold higher. The
      vitellogenin mRNA peaked at 72 and 48 hr, respectively, for primary and secondary
      stimulations. At the translational level, the increase in plasma vitellogenin was
      further enhanced during the secondary stimulation. There was a distinct shift in
      the peak of plasma vitellogenin from Day 14 in the primary induction to Day 3 in
      the secondary stimulation. The plasma vitellogenin presented in two forms, 300
      and 500 kDa, both of which were immunologically confirmed by Western blot
      analysis to be vitellogenin proteins.

PMID- 1855644
TI  - Effect of various alanine analogues on the L-alanine-adding enzyme from
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - An extract from Escherichia coli containing the L-alanine-adding enzyme with a
      high specific activity was prepared. Several compounds structurally related to L
      alanine were tested as inhibitors of this activity. Intact amino and carboxyl
      groups were necessary for an interaction with the enzyme. Certain halogenated
      (haloalanines) or unsaturated (L-vinylglycine, L-propargylglycine, 3-cyano-L
      alanine) amino acids were good inhibitors. Radioactive glycine, serine and 1
      aminoethylphosphonic acid were tested as substrates. Whereas glycine or L-serine
      gave rise to the formation of the corresponding nucleotide product, no synthesis
      of UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-L-1-aminoethylphosphonic acid could be detected.

PMID- 1855645
TI  - Differences between the LPS cores in adherent and non-adherent strains of
      enteropathogenic Escherichia coli 0119.
AB  - Adherent enteropathogenic Escherichia coli 0119 strains had a larger
      lipopolysaccharide core than non-adherent strains, although the O-chains were
      identical. The core from the non-adherent strain 19392 contained five hexose
      residues in the outer region, with three L-glycero-D-manno-heptose residues and 3
      deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (KDO) in the inner region. The core of adherent
      strain JCP88 had an atypical structure consisting of six hexose residues, KDO,
      and equimolar amounts of L-glycero-D-manno-heptose and D-glycero-D-manno-heptose.
      The core of a rough JCP88 mutant resembled an incomplete 19392 core.

PMID- 1855646
TI  - Detection of heat-stable enterotoxin in a cholera toxin gene-positive strain of
      Vibrio cholerae O1.
AB  - DNA colony hybridization with a polynucleotide clonal DNA probe for heat-stable
      enterotoxin of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 (NAG-ST) was used to screen 197 isolates of
      V. cholerae O1. Under stringent hybridizing and washing conditions, one strain
      (GP156) reacted with the probe. The concentrated supernatant from V. cholerae O1
      GP156, heated at 100 degrees C for 5 min, elicited fluid accumulation in the
      suckling mice and that could be completely neutralized by an anti-NAG-ST
      monoclonal antibody (mAb2F). The preparation from V. cholerae O1 GP156 also
      inhibited the binding of mAb2F to NAG-ST in a competitive ELISA. V. cholerae O1
      GP156 was confirmed to possess a gene encoding cholera toxin (CT). These results
      indicate that a heat-stable enterotoxin is produced by certain strains of CT
      producing V. cholerae O1.

PMID- 1855647
TI  - Establishment of Eubacterium cellulosolvens in the digestive tract of axenic and
      meroxenic mice: influence of feed cellulose content.
AB  - The cellulolytic bacterial species present in the caecum and colon contents of
      conventionally reared mature mice did not become established in the digestive
      tract when inoculated to axenic mice, whatever the size of the inoculum or the
      cellulose content of the diet. The cellulolytic bacterium Eubacterium
      cellulosolvens SC 10 isolated from mouse digestive flora was unable to become
      established in the digestive tract of axenic mice whatever the cellulose content
      of the diet; it requires a feed rich in cellulose and a highly diversified
      microflora.

PMID- 1855648
TI  - Murine monoclonal antibodies reactive with staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, C2,
      D, and E.
AB  - By fusion of mouse spleen cells immunized with five different staphylococcal
      enterotoxins (SEA, SEB, SEC2, SED, and SEE) with myeloma cells, we obtained 15
      hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Four mAbs were reactive with
      both SEA and SEE, whereas 8 mAbs were reactive with SEB and SEC2. One mAb reacted
      with SEA, SED, and SEE. The other two mAbs were found to be reactive with all
      five serotypes of SEs. The mAbs specific for five serotypes of SEs were found to
      be most reactive with SED, reactive with SEA, and slightly less reactive with
      SEB, SEC2, and SEE. Those mAbs with specificities for all serotypes of SEs may be
      valuable to prepare immunoadsorbent(s) for isolation of SEs and to detect SEs in
      foods and clinical specimens involved in outbreaks of staphylococcal food
      poisoning.

PMID- 1855649
TI  - Candida albicans and three other Candida species contain an elongation factor
      structurally and functionally analogous to elongation factor 3.
AB  - A cell-free poly(U)-dependent translation elongation system from Candida albicans
      is ATP-dependent due to the presence of an elongation factor 3 (EF3)-like
      activity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae ribosomes added to a C. albicans postribosomal
      supernatant (PRS) supported poly(U)-dependent elongation, suggesting that the C.
      albicans lysate contained a soluble translation factor functionally analogous to
      the S. cerevisiae translation factor EF-3. The presence of EF-3 in C. albicans
      was confirmed by Western blotting using an antibody raised against S. cerevisiae
      EF-3. This antibody was also used to screen a selection of Candida species, all
      of which possessed EF-3 with molecular mass in the range of 110-130 kDa.

PMID- 1855650
TI  - Enterococcus sulfureus, a new yellow-pigmented Enterococcus species.

PMID- 1855651
TI  - Identification of contemporary plasmid virulence genes in ancestral isolates of
      Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium.
AB  - Six epidemiologically distinct ancestral strains of Salmonella enteritidis and 5
      of S. typhimurium from the pre-antibiotic era were examined for plasmid content,
      and for presence of plasmid genes implicated in mouse-virulence. Five sizes of
      plasmid were detected in S. enteritidis varying from 1 to 60 MDa. Two sizes of
      plasmid were found in S. typhimurium, 28 and 60 MDa. Plasmids of the same size
      were not common to both serovars. The HindIII restriction patterns of 3 of the
      ancestral S. enteritidis plasmids were identical to the modern 38 MDa plasmid,
      while all contained identical bands of 3.5, 2.7 and 1.9 kb. All the 60-MDa S.
      typhimurium plasmids, ancestral and contemporary, had an identical restriction
      pattern. Three different sized S. enteritidis plasmids and one size S.
      typhimurium plasmid contained a 3.5-kb DNA fragment carrying the virulence locus
      VirA. The VirB virulence locus was located on a 2.7-kb DNA fragment in S.
      enteritidis and on a 2.5-kb fragment in S. typhimurium. Both loci were precisely
      conserved between the ancestral strains and the modern representatives of both
      serovars.

PMID- 1855652
TI  - Chitin content and chitin synthase activity as indicators of the growth of three
      different anaerobic rumen fungi.
AB  - Growth of three different anaerobic rumen fungi Neocallimastix frontalis,
      Piromonas communis and Sphaeromonas communis was assessed in vitro at regular
      intervals by measurements of protein and chitin content and of chitin synthase
      activity of the cell free extracts. Similar trends and a comparable amount of
      protein and chitin were observed in the three species. However, chitin synthase
      activity was higher in S. communis and contrary to the activity of the other two
      strains did not decrease after maximum enzyme activity was reached. There were
      positive correlations between chitin content, protein content and chitin synthase
      activity during the active growth phase of the fungi indicating that they could
      be confidently used to determine in vitro growth phase and biomass concentration.

PMID- 1855653
TI  - Hyphen or slash? Coming of age.

PMID- 1855654
TI  - Problematic behavior of drug-dependent patients in the general hospital. A
      clinical and administrative approach to management.
AB  - Drug-dependent patients in general hospitals behave in ways that are difficult
      for medical and surgical staff to manage. Common problems include drug-seeking,
      states of intoxication and withdrawal, poor compliance, and behavior that is
      disruptive or dangerous to others. The authors describe an approach to these
      problematic behaviors based upon early recognition, a clinical perspective, and
      administrative action. Institutional initiatives are needed to overcome the
      practical and conceptual obstacles to effective management of these patients.

PMID- 1855655
TI  - Mental disorders in the primary care setting. Research priorities for the 1990s.
AB  - New research directions should be pursued during the coming years if mental
      illness is to be properly managed in primary medical care practice. Among needed
      studies are those pertaining to the validity of diagnostic classifications
      specific to psychiatric morbidity in ambulatory medical settings; the nature of
      clinical decision-making by primary care physicians; how diagnostic formulations
      influence treatment choices; and the effectiveness of treatments transferred from
      the specialist to generalist settings.

PMID- 1855656
TI  - Psychiatric aspects of head and neck surgery. Part I: New surgical techniques and
      psychiatric consequences.
AB  - Individuals who undergo head and neck surgery experience extreme stressors that
      go beyond those which occur with the usual surgical patient. This paper will
      review the literature and discuss the psychiatric consequences of otolaryngeal
      surgery. In addition, new head and neck surgical techniques, which offer special
      challenges to the patient as well as to the psychiatric consultant, will be
      examined. Tracheostomy, which occurs as a result of head and neck surgery, is of
      particular importance with regard to postoperative adaptation and is a
      significant complication that must be reckoned with.

PMID- 1855657
TI  - The misdiagnosis of conversion disorder in a psychiatric emergency service.
AB  - During a 1-year period, 8400 patient presentations to a psychiatric emergency
      service were screened for the conversion symptom of extremity paresis/paralysis.
      Of 4220 unduplicated presentations, three patients had this complaint. These
      cases were reviewed and followed up. All had received a DSM-III diagnosis of
      conversion disorder, but in each case the patient's conversion symptom was
      attributed to organic disease. This had medicolegal consequences in one case and
      threatened legal consequences in the others. Although the frequency of this
      alleged conversion symptom was 0.07%, in reality it was 0.0%. Guidelines for the
      management of the alleged conversion symptom of paresis/paralysis are discussed.

PMID- 1855658
TI  - Consultation-liaison psychiatry. Does it help to get organized? The European
      Consultation-Liaison Workgroup.
AB  - Since 1987 consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists in Europe have decided to
      develop a closer collaboration to stimulate the development of the C-L field. A
      first result of this collaboration is a companion paper on the history and
      current state of C-L psychiatry in Europe. This paper describes the arguments for
      the development of the European Consultation-Liaison Workgroup for General
      Hospital Psychiatry and Psychosomatics (ECLW), and the results of the first 3
      years of collaboration.

PMID- 1855659
TI  - [Localization of camphor degradative plasmids on the chromosome of Pseudomonas
      putida strains PaW].
AB  - Camphor degradative plasmids (CAM, pRK1) are preferentially situated on
      chromosomes of Pseudomonas putida strains PaW. After having been transferred into
      Cam+ strains, the TOL plasmid pWWO dissociates into the cryptic plasmid pWWO-8
      and chromosome-borne transposon Tn4651. The opposite situation, i.e.
      reconstruction of the TOL plasmid pWWO from the cryptic plasmid pWWO-8 and
      chromosome-borne catabolic operons of the pWWO plasmid has been described. Cam-
      derivatives of the CAM plasmid were obtained in vivo which contain the TOL
      plasmid transposons Tn4651 or Tn4652 as obligatory structural elements. These
      plasmids as well as pWWO-8 determine conjugational mobilization of chromosome
      located cam operons followed by their integration into the chromosome of
      recipient.

PMID- 1855660
TI  - [Incomplete translocations induced in mature sperm of Drosophila].
AB  - Frequencies of incomplete translocations in subcentromeric heterochromatin
      induced by gamma-rays in mature sperm were estimated in the "two right
      acrocentrics and left compound" system of Drosophila chromosome 2. The value
      obtained at 3000R was (2.5-2.9) X 10(-3). Apart from incomplete translocations
      leading to formation of new metacentrics, acrocentrics were also formed. It is
      suggested that they appear via reunion of fragments after replication of paternal
      chromosomes. Incomplete translocation were shown to be formed as a result of loss
      of centric heterochromatin fragment of acrocentric and acentric arm of the
      compound, as opposed to formation, due to loss of acentric heterochromatin
      fragment of acrocentric and centric fragment of the compound. Analysis of the
      dose-effect curve for half-translocations show that the latter are two hit
      events.

PMID- 1855661
TI  - [Comparison of frequencies of complete and incomplete translocations induced in
      mature sperm of Drosophila].
AB  - A frequency of induction of translocations taking place in mature sperm of
      Drosophila between heterochromatic portions of the 2L compound and 2R acrocentric
      was estimated to be 9.62 X 10(-3). This value is being compared with the
      previously estimated frequency of incomplete translocations in this system which
      is (2.5-2.9) X 10(-3). The ratio of frequencies of complete and incomplete
      translocations obtained was intermediate between the Panshin data, on the one
      hand, and those of Muller and Hershkowitz, on the other. The reasons for these
      discrepancies are under discussion. Based on the value obtained for this ratio,
      the probability of reunion of chromosome break (q) is calculated to be 0.79.

PMID- 1855662
TI  - [Enzyme proteins of different classes of northern red-backed and large-toothed
      red-backed voles].
AB  - Electrophoretic characters of 9 enzyme systems from different tissue homogenates
      supposedly controlled by 17 loci are described. Polymorphism detected in loci for
      glutamate-oxalate transaminase, adenylate kinase, esterase D. glucosephosphate
      isomerase was thoroughly investigated. Methodic characteristics of enzyme
      electrophoresis and population-genetic characters of the species studied are
      under discussion.

PMID- 1855663
TI  - [Genetic characterization of hybrid Holstein-Friesian and Laisind cattle of
      Vietnam].
AB  - The types of blood hemoglobin, transferrin and albumin as well as the types of
      alpha s1-casein, beta-casein and beta-lactoglobulin revealed by starch-gel
      electrophoresis were used in analysis of the results obtained in crossings of
      Holsteins-Frisian and Laisind races of cattle bred in Vietnam. The nature of
      alteration in frequencies of alleles and genotypes for these proteins was shown.
      The indices of homo- and heterozygosity, the level of polymorphism and the number
      of effective alleles were calculated. The status of genetic balance has been
      regarded in polymorphic systems under study. Alongside with this, a type of
      inheritance of quantitative characteristics, such as milking, fat and albumin
      percentage in milk, lactation duration, the weight of newborns and cows after
      first calving were traced on the background of changes in frequencies of blood
      and milk proteins in starting variants and their crossbreeds in 3 generations.

PMID- 1855664
TI  - [Karyotype evolution in the genus Ellobius (Microtinae, Rodentia)].
AB  - Comparative analysis was undertaken of the pattern of G-dyed chromosome sets of
      three Ellobius species: E. tancrei, E. fuscocapillus, E. lutescens with
      respective diploid chromosome numbers 54, 36, 17. From the data obtained one can
      envisage probable evolutionary pathway of the Ellobius karyotype. Variability in
      chromosome numbers of this genus species was shown to be a result of both
      centromeric and centromeric-telomeric as well as telomeric translocations of
      originally acrocentric chromosomes. No combinations of acrocentric chromosomes of
      the E. tancrei Robertsonian fan were found in the karyotypes of E. fuscocapillus
      and E. lutescens, which points to independence of the evolutionary processes in
      the Ellobius genus taking different routes. The data are obtained to the effect
      that evolution of the genus Ellobius was accompanied by increase in the amount of
      C-heterochromatin.

PMID- 1855665
TI  - [Phenotypic variability and correlation between skinfold thickness and arterial
      pressure level].
AB  - Contribution of genetic and environmental factors in phenotypic variability of
      blood pressure level and skinfold thickness, and phenotypic correlation between
      these characters was calculated on the basis of familial correlations. It was
      shown that genetic determinant explains considerable portion of blood pressure
      level and skinfold thickness variability. Among common environmental effects, the
      factors affecting one generation are important with regard to variability of
      these characters. Maternal effect is expressed in the variability of systolic and
      diastolic blood pressure. Correlation between blood pressure level and triceps
      skinfold thickness is determined by genetic factors, whereas that between blood
      pressure level and subscapular skinfold thickness is mediated by environmental
      factors. The results obtained may be applied in populational prevention of
      cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1855666
TI  - [Moral considerations in the re-introduction of blood transfusion in the 19th
      century].
AB  - The reintroduction of human blood transfusion in the 19th century repeatedly gave
      rise to discussions within the profession whether this dangerous therapeutic
      procedure might be justified or not. Those who used it protested that they did
      not act irresponsibly or without a valuable indication. They stressed the
      possibly life-saving effect of transfusion in desperate cases, especially in
      cholera victims and in obstetrical cases with extreme loss of blood. Their
      opponents, on the other hand, emphasized the high risk and the insufficient
      theoretical basis of the procedure. This historical discussion illustrates a
      dilemma that is of great importance in medical ethics up to the present day.

PMID- 1855667
TI  - [Criticism of the physician in the middle ages--examples and trends from the 6th
      to the 12th century].
AB  - The author presents examples of a critical attitude towards medicine and
      physicians which may be observed, with changing tendencies, throughout the Middle
      Ages. First, medicine was despised as a mechanical art or suspected of paganism
      because of its literary sources. Later, the divine nature of disease and healing
      on the one hand and the uselessness of medicine on the other were stressed.
      Finally, the integration, at the universities, of medicine in the system of
      scholastic learning was criticized by more practically minded men. Similar
      criticism may be observed in the Islamic world. As valiant defenders of medicine,
      the author quotes the learned Isidore of Sevilla (d.636) and the famous Rhazes
      (b.865) as well as the anonymous author of the "Lorscher Arzneibuch" of the 8th
      century.

PMID- 1855669
TI  - Development of simulators in medical education.
AB  - The historical development of simulators is presented in respect to their
      application in medical training. Simulators allow, to some extent, practical
      training without any inconvenience for patients. The earliest simulators in the
      history of medicine were the obstetrical manikins introduced towards 1700 by
      father and son Gregoire of Paris and primarily intended for the instruction of
      lay people, i.e. midwives. Their further development is followed up to
      contemporary models of highly specialized use. Since 1960 simulators are more and
      more used for the training of doctors, nurses and laymen in resuscitation
      techniques. In combination with computers, high-fidelity simulators were created
      which, e.g., react to anaesthetics like real human beings. Conclusions about
      future developments and uses of simulators in medical education, in view of their
      history, are provided.

PMID- 1855668
TI  - [Medical museum--museum medicine].
AB  - The author gives a short survey of the beginnings of the Museum of the History of
      Medicine at the University of Zurich, created by Gustav Adolf Wehrli, MD (1888
      1949), and of its further development. He insists on the present-day interest of
      such a museum: the study of ancient tools of the art of healing may elucidate
      complex problems that still defy the profession, and the presentation of such
      objects in a wide cultural and historical context may lead the attentive visitor
      to a better understanding of modern medicine.

PMID- 1855670
TI  - [A show window for the public. The newly organized medical historical museum of
      the Zurich university].
AB  - The author describes the long search for a suitable place for the museum as well
      as the five years of planning, reconstructing and arranging the new display of
      often unique objects. The idea is to present the history of medicine with a view
      to lead the visitor to a better understanding of medicine in general and thus to
      a rather confident attitude towards the medicine of to-day.

PMID- 1855671
TI  - Mitochondrial damage by active oxygen species in vitro.
AB  - Under in vitro conditions involving formation of active oxygen species, rat liver
      mitochondria were found to undergo swelling, peroxidative decomposition of
      lipids, and distinct disorganization of ultrastructure. Supplementation with free
      radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), methionine, histidine, and
      tryptophan accorded considerable protection to the organelle. A possible
      correlation between oxygen radicals, membrane integrity, and calcium functions is
      indicated.

PMID- 1855672
TI  - Therapeutic potential of vitamin E against myocardial ischemic-reperfusion
      injury.
AB  - Myocardial ischemia is a disease process characterized by reduced coronary flow
      such that the supply of nutritive blood to heart muscle (myocardium) is
      insufficient for normal myocardial aerobic metabolism. Prompt reestablishment of
      coronary flow by invasive and noninvasive clinical procedures is the most direct
      and effective means of limiting myocardial damage in ischemic heart disease
      patients, although reperfusion carries with it an injury component which may
      reflect, at least to some degree, the toxic effects of partially reduced oxygen
      species and their participation in degenerative cellular processes such as
      membrane lipid peroxidation. Vitamin E, a lipophilic, chain-breaking antioxidant,
      is a prominent membrane constituent in heart muscle, where it modulates/regulates
      various aspects of heart muscle-cell metabolism and function. Vitamin E's
      beneficial effects against experimentally induced oxidative damage to the heart,
      along with inverse epidemiological correlations between plasma vitamin E level
      and either anginal pain or mortality due to ischemic heart disease, suggest that
      vitamin E might have protective and therapeutic roles against myocardial ischemic
      reperfusion injury. Laboratory investigations aimed at addressing this
      possibility have demonstrated that vitamin E supplementation protects isolated
      hearts against ischemic-reperfusion injury, and relatively more inconsistent and
      limited data document cardioprotective effects of vitamin E in some animal models
      of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, especially when administered prior to the
      ischemic period. Clinical attempts to establish whether vitamin E has therapeutic
      benefit in ischemic heart disease patients remain inconclusive, having relied
      upon a variety of nonuniformly controlled protocols and a single, rather
      subjective endpoint (anginal pain). Consequently, although laboratory data
      constitute a conceptual context for and indirect support of the idea that vitamin
      E could be a cardioprotectant against ischemic-reperfusion injury, compelling
      clinical evidence regarding vitamin E's therapeutic potential in the ischemic
      heart-disease patient is lacking. Elective coronary revascularization would
      appear to provide an attractive clinical setting for evaluating the therapeutic
      efficacy of vitamin E in the context of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion. Further
      biochemical work would still be required to define how vitamin E exerts any
      cardioprotective effect observed in these patients.

PMID- 1855674
TI  - Protein glycation and oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus and ageing.
AB  - Hyperglycemia is increasingly regarded as the cause of the diabetic
      complications, in particular via the ability of glucose to glycate proteins and
      generate Maillard browning products which cross-link proteins and render them
      brown and fluorescent in vitro. Similar changes occur in vivo to long-lived
      proteins in diabetes mellitus as well as in ageing. The evidence supporting this
      route of glucose toxicity is discussed in the context of the ability of glucose
      to oxidize in vitro (catalyzed by trace amounts of transition metal) generating
      hydrogen peroxide, highly reactive oxidants, and protein-reactive ketoaldehyde
      compounds. It is suggested that protein browning in vivo may not result from the
      reactions of glucose with protein but from the transition metal-catalyzed
      reactions of other small autoxidisable substrates, such as ascorbate, with
      protein. Overall, studies of glycation and protein browning suggest a critical
      role for oxidative processes perhaps involving decompartmentalized transition
      metals and a variety of low molecular weight reducing agents in diabetes mellitus
      and ageing.

PMID- 1855673
TI  - Oxidative status and oral contraceptive. Its relevance to platelet abnormalities
      and cardiovascular risk.
AB  - Oral contraceptive (OC) use is a risk for thrombogenic events. This paper reviews
      effects of OC on oxidative status, coagulation, and platelet activity.
      Complicating effects of cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes,
      hyperpidemia, and hypertension, are discussed. From these data we conclude that:
      1. OC use modifies slightly but significantly the oxidative status in women and
      in animals by decreasing in plasma and blood cells the antioxidant defenses
      (vitamins and enzymes). 2. The changes in the oxidative status are related to an
      increase in plasma lipid peroxides apparently responsible for the
      hyperaggregability and possibly the imbalance in clotting factors associated with
      the OC-induced prethrombotic state. 3. These effects of OC appear to be increased
      by a high intake of polyunsaturated fat and counteracted by supplements of
      vitamin E. 4. The risk factors acting synergistically with OC, have all been
      shown to increase platelet reactivity. In addition, smoking, diabetes, and, to
      some extent, dyslipidemia are associated with an increased level of lipid
      peroxides and concomitant changes in the antioxidant defenses that can be
      additive to those induced by OC. Thus, free radicals and lipid peroxidation could
      be the underlying mechanism in the predisposition to thrombosis induced by most
      risk factors in OC users. 5. Results of epidemiologic and experimental studies in
      this field will be concordant only when diet and natural antioxidants will be
      systematically taken into consideration.

PMID- 1855675
TI  - Improving the standards of endoscopy.

PMID- 1855676
TI  - Endoscopic injection sclerosis: effective treatment for bleeding peptic ulcer.
AB  - One hundred and nine patients presenting with severe haemorrhage from benign
      peptic ulcers were randomised to either endoscopic injection sclerotherapy using
      a combination of 1:100,000 adrenaline and 5% ethanolamine or to conservative
      treatment. Only high risk patients with active bleeding or endoscopic stigmata of
      recent haemorrhage and accessible ulcers were considered. The two groups were
      well matched for age, shock, haemoglobin concentration, endoscopic findings, and
      consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The group treated
      endoscopically had a significantly reduced rebleeding rate (12.5% v 47%, p less
      than 0.001). Rebleeding was successfully treated in some patients by injection
      sclerotherapy, other patients underwent urgent surgery. While there was a
      tendency towards a lower operation rate and lower transfusion requirements in the
      treated group, this failed to achieve statistical significance. The use of
      injection sclerotherapy in the conservatively treated group after rebleeding
      undoubtedly reduced the number of surgical operations. Endoscopic injection
      sclerotherapy is effective in the prevention of rebleeding in these patients.

PMID- 1855677
TI  - Relation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs and aspirin: a case-control study.
AB  - We conducted a case-control study in five general hospitals in the region of
      Antwerp, studying 161 patients (102 men, 59 women) and hospital control subjects
      matched for age and sex to explore the relation between drug use and upper
      gastrointestinal bleeding from 'erosive lesions' (peptic oesophagitis, gastric
      erosions, gastric ulcer(s), or duodenal ulcer(s]. There was a highly significant
      difference between cases and control subjects in the use of non-steroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, excluding aspirin) (odds ratio 7.4, p less than
      0.001; 95% confidence interval odds ratio 3.7 to 14.7). There also was a
      significant difference in the use of aspirin (odds ratio 2.2, p = 0.025; 95% CI
      odds ratio 1.3 to 4.0) and a highly significant difference regarding the presence
      of antecedents of peptic ulcer disease (odds ratio 5.5, p less than 0.001; 95% CI
      odds ratio 3.2 to 9.6). There was no significant difference in the use of other
      drugs, paracetamol and corticosteroids in particular, nor in the use of alcohol
      or tobacco. The patient group using NSAIDs was older, had more women, and had a
      higher mortality than the group not using NSAIDs. Among patients with bleeding
      gastric or duodenal ulcer(s), NSAID users were not more or less likely to have
      had symptoms of peptic ulcer disease, and had no higher frequency of multiple
      gastric or duodenal ulcers. The attributable risk for NSAID use was 0.30 (95% CI
      0.23 to 0.37) and for aspirin use 0.14 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.20).

PMID- 1855678
TI  - Enhanced gastric mucosal haemostasis after upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage.
AB  - An endoscopic technique for the measurement of gastric mucosal bleeding time has
      been developed to study gastric haemostasis in patients with acute upper
      gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The relation of gastric mucosal bleeding time to
      skin bleeding time and nonsterodial anti-inflammatory drug usage was examined in
      61 control patients and in 47 patients presenting with bleeding peptic ulcers or
      erosions. Gastric mucosal bleeding time was shorter in patients with haemorrhage
      (median 2 minutes, range 0-5 minutes) than in the control group (median 4
      minutes, range 2-8 minutes) (p less than 0.001). Skin bleeding times were similar
      in the two groups (medians 4 minutes in patients with haemorrhage and 4.5 minutes
      in controls). In 21 patients with haemorrhage who were taking non-steroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs, the median gastric mucosal bleeding time (2.5 minutes, range
      1.0-5.0 minutes) was similar to that in 26 patients with haemorrhage not
      associated with these drugs (2.0 minutes, range 0.0-5.0 minutes). These results
      show that gastric mucosal haemostasis is accelerated in response to haemorrhage
      in the upper gastrointestinal tract, even in patients taking nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs. This enhanced gastric haemostasis probably reflects a local
      protective response to minimise blood loss from the bleeding lesion.

PMID- 1855679
TI  - Cancer occurrence in a cohort of patients surgically treated for peptic ulcer.
AB  - A cohort of 4107 patients treated surgically for peptic ulcer between 1955 and
      1960 was followed up to determine the incidence of cancer by record linkage to
      the Danish Cancer Registry. A total of 930 cases of cancer were observed during
      76,634 person-years. Relative risks of cancer were computed by comparison with
      the recorded cancer incidence in the Danish population. During the first five
      years after surgery the relative risk of gastric cancer was slightly increased
      (RR = 1.43), but 5-15 years after the operation the risk was lower than expected
      (RR = 0.55). Thereafter, the relative risk of gastric cancer increased steadily
      and increased more than twofold after 25 years. Lung cancer occurred more
      frequently in the cohort members than expected (RR = 1.66), but the relative risk
      was independent of time since surgery. Malignancies other than gastric cancer and
      cancers related to tobacco smoking were close to the expected numbers. The
      results do not support the findings of a recent British study of similar size in
      which increased risks were reported for cancer at other sites.

PMID- 1855680
TI  - Endoscopic fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal
      and colorectal malignancies.
AB  - In a prospective study we compared the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic fine
      needle aspiration cytology with that of brush cytology and forceps biopsy in
      relation to gross tumour pattern and site in 265 confirmed consecutive cases of
      malignancy of the oesophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum. Aspiration cytology
      gave the highest diagnostic accuracy (94%), which was significantly better than
      that of brush cytology (84.9%) and biopsy (87.2%) (p less than 0.005). The
      difference was mainly related to tumour pattern. When compared to brush cytology
      and biopsy aspiration cytology was significantly better in submucosal tumours
      (92.9% v 7.1% and 14.3%, p less than 0.001); in infiltrative malignancies (95.8%
      v 90.1% and 78.9%, p less than 0.01), and in ulceronecrotic malignancies (90.9% v
      36.4% and 45.4%, p less than 0.05). In polypoid malignancies there was a
      significant trend (p less than 0.05) in favour of forceps biopsy, with a
      diagnostic yield of 100% compared with 95% for aspiration cytology and 93.3% for
      brush cytology. The accuracy of the different techniques was not significantly
      related to the site of the tumour. The cumulative accuracy of aspiration cytology
      and biopsy was significantly better than that of biopsy and brush cytology (98.5%
      v 90.9%, p less than 0.005). Aspiration cytology was diagnostic in 21 of 24
      lesions that were negative with both brush cytology and biopsy. There were no
      false positive cytology or histology results. We conclude that aspiration
      cytology is a simple, safe, and reliable technique with a high diagnostic yield
      and is of particular value in submucosal, infiltrative, and ulceronecrotic
      tumours.

PMID- 1855681
TI  - Impaired intestinal barrier function measured by differently sized polyethylene
      glycols in patients with chronic renal failure.
AB  - The intestinal mucosa plays a fundamental role as the site for absorption of
      nutrients, and as an important barrier from potentially harmful agents in the
      intestinal lumen. Little is known of the permeability properties of the
      intestinal mucosa in uraemic patients. The intestinal permeability to differently
      sized polyethylene glycols (PEGs; range 326-1254 daltons) was studied in nine
      patients with chronic renal failure (24 hour endogeneous creatinine clearance 5
      24 ml/minute). The maximum 24 hour urinary recovery of PEGs was decreased in the
      uraemic patients but relatively more of the larger than the smaller PEGs were
      found in these patients. The results suggest a reduced urinary recovery of PEGs
      caused by renal dysfunction but also a relatively increased intestinal
      permeability to larger PEGs in the uraemic patients.

PMID- 1855682
TI  - Small bowel tumours: yield of enteroscopy.
AB  - A total of 258 patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding were referred for
      small bowel enteroscopy, a procedure which allows endoscopic evaluation of most
      of the small intestine. A small bowel tumour was found in 5% of patients. In 50%
      of patients no diagnosis could be made, but when the cause of obscure bleeding
      was discovered small bowel tumours were the single most common lesion in patients
      younger than 50 years. Small bowel tumours causing gastrointestinal bleeding may
      remain undetected despite extensive diagnostic evaluation. We conclude that small
      bowel tumours are the most common cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in
      patients less than 50 years of age. Small bowel enteroscopy is diagnostic of
      small bowel tumours even when all previous diagnostic studies, including
      enteroclysis and angiography, are negative.

PMID- 1855684
TI  - Malignant colorectal polyps: venous invasion and successful treatment by
      endoscopic polypectomy.
AB  - We reviewed the pathology of 81 malignant colorectal polyps in 80 patients
      treated by endoscopic polypectomy and assessed the importance of carcinomatous
      invasion of veins in the stalk (submucosa). All the patients were followed up for
      at least five years. Venous invasion was present in 30 of the polyps (37%). The
      histological features of lymphatic invasion were considered too subjective to be
      of value. Most of the tumours were well or moderately differentiated
      adenocarcinomas, one was poorly differentiated, and one was a signet ring cell
      carcinoma. Seventy one patients were treated by polypectomy alone, and 58 of
      these were alive and well five years later, with no evidence of recurrence. Nine
      died of unrelated causes within five years, but four died of carcinomatosis: one
      with recurrent tumour, one with a possible metachronous caecal cancer, and in two
      patients there was late development of malignancy of uncertain nature. The
      remaining nine patients underwent surgical resection after initial endoscopic
      polypectomy because of incompleteness of excision, poor differentiation of the
      tumour, or a decision by the surgeon. Tumour was not present in the resection
      specimens apart from a single lymph node deposit in the patient with signet ring
      cell carcinoma. These nine patients were alive and well without evidence of
      recurrence five years later. The results reemphasize the necessity of good
      cooperation between endoscopist and pathologist, meticulous laboratory technique,
      strict histopathological criteria including examination of resection margins and
      degree of differentiation of the tumour, and regular endoscopic follow up.
      Endoscopic polypectomy of pedunculated and sessile malignant polyps is adequate
      treatment if the lesion can be removed in one piece, the tumour is well or
      moderately differentiated, and local excision is judged complete by endoscopic
      and histological criteria. Patients with histologically incompletely excised
      polyps, containing well or moderately differentiated carcinoma, can be safely
      managed by conservative treatment provided the endoscopist is certain there is no
      residual tumour. Venous invasion by tumour is a common finding in malignant
      colorectal polyps and seems to have no prognostic importance.

PMID- 1855683
TI  - Metabolism of dietary sulphate: absorption and excretion in humans.
AB  - Dietary sulphate may affect colonic pathophysiology because sulphate availability
      determines in part the activity of sulphate reducing bacteria in the bowel. The
      main product of sulphate reducing bacterial oxidative metabolism, hydrogen
      sulphide, is potentially toxic. Although it is generally believed that the
      sulphate ion is poorly absorbed, there are no available data on how much sulphate
      reaches the colon nor on the relative contributions from diet and endogenous
      sources. To resolve these questions, balance studies were performed on six
      healthy ileostomists and three normal subjects chosen because they did not have
      detectable sulphate reducing bacteria in their faeces. The subjects were fed
      diets which varied in sulphate content from 1.6-16.6 mmol/day. Sulphate was
      measured in diets, faeces (ileal effluent in ileostomists), and urine by anion
      exchange chromatography with conductivity detection. Overall there was net
      absorption of dietary sulphate, with the absorptive capacity of the
      gastrointestinal tract plateauing at 5 mmol/day in the ileostomists and exceeding
      16 mmol/day in the normal subjects. Endogenous secretion of sulphate in the upper
      gastrointestinal tract was from 0.96-2.6 mmol/day. The dietary contribution to
      the colonic sulphate pool ranged up to 9 mmol/day, there being linear identity
      between diet and upper gastrointestinal losses for intakes above 7 mmol/day.
      Faecal losses of sulphate were trivial (less than 0.5 mmol/day) in the normal
      subjects at all doses. It is concluded that diet and intestinal absorption are
      the principal factors affecting the amounts of sulphate reaching the colon.
      Endogenous secretion of sulphate by colonic mucosa may also be important in
      determining amounts of sulphate in the colon.

PMID- 1855685
TI  - More accurate diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome by the use of 'non-colonic'
      symptomatology.
AB  - The criteria now used in an attempt to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome from
      organic gastrointestinal disease rely almost entirely on symptoms of colonic
      origin. 'Non-colonic' symptoms, however, arising either from elsewhere in the gut
      or of a more general nature, are common in irritable bowel syndrome and may have
      even better diagnostic potential. The prevalence of these non-colonic features
      was assessed in 107 patients with the irritable bowel syndrome and 295 subjects
      with other gut disorders. Gastrointestinal type non-colonic symptoms are useful
      in differentiating irritable bowel syndrome from inflammatory bowel disease but,
      with the exception of early satiety, are not helpful when there is gastro
      oesophageal or biliary disease. More general 'non-colonic' features, such as
      lethargy and backache, are much commoner in irritable bowel syndrome than in all
      the organic gastrointestinal diseases studied and have good discriminant
      function. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified certain features that
      had a particularly significant independent risk for irritable bowel syndrome.
      Those were lethargy (relative risk 6.7), incomplete evacuation (RR 5.2), age
      under 40 (RR 2.1), backache (RR 2.0), early satiety (RR 1.8), and frequency of
      micturition (RR 1.8). These relative risks can be multiplied together to give an
      overall risk when more than one of these features is present in a patient. Until
      a diagnostic test is available more confident diagnosis of irritable bowel
      syndrome can be achieved by identifying symptoms that have good discriminant
      function. The results of this study indicate that the non-colonic features of
      irritable bowel syndrome may be especially valuable in this respect.

PMID- 1855686
TI  - Prospective hospital based study on persistent diarrhoea.
AB  - A total of 383 children aged less than 5 years suffering from acute watery
      diarrhoea or dysentery were studied in hospital to determine the rate of
      persistent diarrhoea. Altogether 335 (87.5%) recovered within 13 days. Only in 48
      (12.5%) did the diarrhoea continue for 14 days or more, and they were considered
      as having persistent diarrhoea. Children aged between 7 and 18 months had a
      significantly increased incidence of persistent diarrhoea. Children suffering
      from grade II-IV malnutrition constituted the majority (70.8%) of those with
      persistent diarrhoea. Higher rates of isolation of Shigella flexneri, Shigella
      dysenteriae 1, and Salmonella typhimurium were observed among patients with
      persistent diarrhoea than in those with diarrhoea of shorter duration. No
      positive correlations were observed between the clinical severity of disease at
      hospital admission and measles. Breast fed babies were not prone to persistent
      diarrhoea.

PMID- 1855687
TI  - Clostridium difficile toxin A induces a specific antisecretory factor which
      protects against intestinal mucosal damage.
AB  - Peroral challenge with toxin A from Clostridium difficile induced the formation
      of antisecretory factor in rats. The animals were given 100 micrograms of the
      toxin, which was followed by a pronounced diarrhoea and by the appearance of
      antisecretory factor in the pituitary gland. In electrofocusing, the induced
      antisecretory factor separated in two peaks (pI 5.4 and 5.0); both fractions
      showed a lectin-like binding to agarose. The pI 5.4 fraction inhibited cholera
      toxin as well as toxin A induced fluid secretion, while pI 5.0 inhibited toxin A
      induced secretion only. Immunohistochemistry showed that an antisecretory factor
      of pI 5.0 protected the mucosa from the cytotoxic effect of toxin A, but did not
      affect the binding of toxin A to the intestinal epithelium. Sodium dodecyl
      sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the pI 5.0 protein showed two
      major fractions to be present, one of molecular weight 60 kDa, the other of 30
      kDa, the latter probably being a degradation product of the former.

PMID- 1855688
TI  - Exocrine pancreatic function in children with coeliac disease before and after a
      gluten free diet.
AB  - This study was designed to determine the extent of pancreatic insufficiency in
      untreated coeliac disease and whether pancreatic secretion is impaired after a
      prolonged gluten free period. Three groups of patients were studied: group A
      comprised 44 patients, mean (SD) age 4.0 (3.1) years, with coeliac disease and
      total or subtotal atrophy of the intestinal mucosa; group B comprised 67
      patients, mean age 4.4 (3.0) years, with coeliac disease but with normal
      morphology of the intestinal villi (after 12.9 months of a gluten free diet);
      group C comprised 49 control subjects, mean age 3.2 (3.0) years, with normal
      jejunal histology. In all subjects exocrine pancreatic function was determined by
      the secretin-caerulein test; bicarbonate concentration and lipase, phospholipase,
      and chymotrypsin activity were measured after an intravenous injection of
      secretin 1 clinical unit (CU) + caerulein 75 ng/kg body weight. Faecal
      chymotrypsin concentration was also assayed. No significant difference was found
      between values of the duodenal output of pancreatic enzymes and bicarbonate
      obtained in the three groups; however, 10 of 44 untreated coeliac patients showed
      tryptic or lipolytic activity, or both, below the normal limit for our
      laboratory. The mean value of the faecal chymotrypsin concentration was
      significantly lower in untreated than in treated coeliac patients (p less than
      0.0001) or in control subjects (p less than 0.0001). It is concluded that
      untreated coeliac patients may have pancreatic deficiency independent of a
      decrease in enterohormone release. No primary or secondary pancreatic
      insufficiency was found in coeliac patients where the intestinal mucosa had
      returned to normal.

PMID- 1855690
TI  - Glutathione S-transferase in humans in health and disease.

PMID- 1855691
TI  - Combination of cimetidine and alginic acid: an improvement in the treatment of
      oesophageal reflux disease. Cooperative Oesophageal Group.
AB  - A new chewable tablet containing cimetidine 200 mg and alginic acid 500 mg, at a
      dosage of one tablet four times daily, was compared in a 12 week randomised study
      with the standard dosage of cimetidine (400 mg four times daily) in the
      management of oesophageal reflux disease. The dose of cimetidine continued
      unchanged throughout the study but the dose of the combination drugs could be
      increased after six weeks to two tablets four times a day if response was
      unsatisfactory. A total of 312 patients had data suitable for analysis. Sixty
      three per cent of those on the combination tablet completed the study without
      increasing their dose - that is taking cimetidine equivalent to half the standard
      dosage used in the control group. The improvement in heartburn symptoms was
      significantly greater in the combination group than in the group taking full dose
      cimetidine. There were no significant differences between the treatment groups in
      healing and improvement of the appearances of oesophagitis after 12 weeks, and
      healing rates were as expected from previous studies. The addition of alginic
      acid to cimetidine in this fixed combination tablet is an improvement in
      symptomatic treatment of oesophageal reflux disease.

PMID- 1855692
TI  - Recommendations for standards of sedation and patient monitoring during
      gastrointestinal endoscopy.
AB  - (1) Safety and monitoring should be part of a quality assurance programme for
      endoscopy units. (2) Resuscitation equipment and drugs must be available in the
      endoscopy and recovery areas. (3) Staff of all grades and disciplines should be
      familiar with resuscitation methods and undergo periodic retraining. (4)
      Equipment and drugs necessary for the maintenance of airway, breathing, and
      circulation should be present in the endoscopy unit and recovery area (if outside
      the unit) and checked regularly. (5) A qualified nurse, trained in endoscopic
      techniques and adequately trained in resuscitation techniques, should monitor the
      patient's condition during procedures. (6) Before endoscopy, adverse risk factors
      should be identified. This may be aided by the use of a check list. (7) The
      dosage of all drugs should be kept to the minimum necessary. There is evidence
      that benzodiazepine/opioid mixtures are hazardous. (8) Specific antagonists for
      benzodiazepines and opioids exist and should be available in the event of
      emergency. (9) A cannula should be placed in a vein during endoscopy on 'at risk'
      patients. (10) Oxygen enriched air should be given to 'at risk' patients
      undergoing endoscopic procedures. (11) The endoscopist should ensure the well
      being and clinical observation of the patient undergoing endoscopy in conjunction
      with another individual. This individual should be a qualified nurse trained in
      endoscopic techniques or another medically qualified practitioner. (12)
      Monitoring techniques such as pulse oximetry are recommended. (13) Clinical
      monitoring of the patient must be continued into the recovery area. (14) Records
      of management and outcome should be collected and will provide data for
      appropriate audit.

PMID- 1855693
TI  - Primary malignant melanoma of the oesophagus: case report and review of surgical
      pathology.
AB  - Primary malignant melanoma of the oesophagus is both a rare presentation for
      melanoma and a cause of oesophageal neoplasm. It accounts for less than 0.1% of
      all primary oesophageal neoplasms. It was first recognised as a primary tumour by
      de la Pava et al who showed the presence of melanocytes within oesophageal
      mucosa. This case report includes a review of the surgical pathology. Even though
      it is a rare lesion it must be considered as a cause of polypoidal oesophageal
      lesions as both its diagnosis and treatment can present problems. It is usually
      fatal within one year.

PMID- 1855694
TI  - Pressure-volume characteristics of the rectum.

PMID- 1855689
TI  - Biology of pancreatic cancer.
AB  - Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of death from malignant disease in
      Western society. Apart from the fortunate few patients who present with a
      resectable small pancreatic adenocarcinoma, conventional treatment offers no hope
      of cure and has little palliative value. Over the past two decades major steps
      have been made in our understanding of the biology of pancreatic growth and
      neoplasia. This review sets out to explore these advances, firstly in the
      regulation of normal pancreatic growth, and secondly the mechanism which may be
      involved in malignant change of the exocrine pancreas. From an understanding of
      this new biology, new treatment strategies may be possible for patients with
      pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 1855696
TI  - Sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

PMID- 1855695
TI  - Why do patients with ulcerative colitis relapse?

PMID- 1855697
TI  - Ultrastructural demonstration of histamine in human enterochromaffin like cell
      granules.

PMID- 1855698
TI  - [Development of an electronic calculator for gestational age in prenatal care].
AB  - The development of a portable electronic gestation calculator enables the
      obstetrician for the first time to recall all relevant data for his daily routine
      work from an electronic memory. This is useful not only for the calculation of
      the duration of pregnancies or the determination of delivery data, but also
      includes all relevant information from ultrasound biometry of the fetus. This
      paper presents the experience with this new electronic device, 'Babycomp', and
      comments on its design, technical features, functions and performance. The device
      has been thoroughly tested especially with respect to its suitability for
      practical purposes. Compared with the widely used disk for pregnancy
      calculations, the 'Babycomp' has a wide range of advantages for all users working
      in the field of obstetrics and reproductive medicine.

PMID- 1855699
TI  - [Pearl index of the new Sof-T spiral in relation to ultrasound follow-up].
AB  - 463 patients (109 nulliparae, 354 uni- and multiparae) were fitted with a new
      intrauterine device (IUD), Sof-T, and observed during 6,624 cycles. Two
      independent centres participated in the study. The T of Sof-T is made of flexible
      polyethylene, the two occlusion bodies, of medically approved silastic. If the
      Sof-T is correctly placed, they lie in the uterine horns. A copper wire of a
      total surface of 360 mm2 is winded around the vertical branch. The echogenicity
      of the occlusion bodies facilitates their visualization by ultrasound, thus
      improving the safety of the new Sof-T. The softness and the adaptability of these
      occlusion bodies to the cavity of the uterus decreased trauma, and thus
      hemorrhage and pain, compared to 16 other studies on IUDs. The small number of
      salpingitis recorded in our study of the Sof-T may be attributed to the fact that
      the pathogens transported and transmitted by sperm could probably not penetrate
      into the uterine tubes because they were stopped by the occlusion bodies.

PMID- 1855700
TI  - [Is there a correlation in the frequent association of neuroblastoma-fetal
      malformations?].
AB  - We discuss the pathogenicity of the association between neuroblastoma and fetal
      malformations. It appears to us that the role of certain oncogenes could possibly
      go further than only activate tumors and play a role in the initiation of the
      process of fetal malformations.

PMID- 1855701
TI  - [Tasks in urogynecologic ambulatory care].

PMID- 1855702
TI  - [Recurrent stress incontinence].

PMID- 1855703
TI  - The Keller resection arthroplasty: a 13-year experience.
AB  - The clinical results following Keller resection arthroplasty were reviewed in 54
      feet with a 2- to 10-year follow-up. Patients were evaluated by radiographs,
      physical examination, and questionnaire. The primary indication for surgery was
      painful hallux valgus with associated degenerative changes of the first
      metatarsophalangeal joint. Additionally, rheumatoid arthritis was the underlying
      diagnosis in four feet. Seventy-five percent of all patients had complete relief
      of their symptoms. There was significant (P less than .01) improvement in both
      the metatarsophalangeal and intermetatarsal angles, but a decreased range of
      motion in the first metatarsophalangeal joint, with a complete lack of
      plantarflexion in 67%. Application of the Bonney and MacNab2 grading system
      yielded a 72% rate of good and excellent results. The subjective patient
      satisfaction rate was 87.5%. Patient satisfaction was most strongly associated
      with the use of a K-wire for postoperative fixation (P = .03), and a limited
      resection of the proximal phalanx (P = .03). We conclude that the Keller
      resection arthroplasty is a reasonable alternative for the treatment of hallux
      valgus in the presence of degenerative changes in the first metatarsophalangeal
      joint.

PMID- 1855705
TI  - Crescentic osteotomy for hallux valgus: a biomechanical study of variables
      affecting the final position of the first metatarsal.
AB  - The position of the first metatarsal following a crescentic osteotomy for hallux
      valgus is a function of the size of the saw cut and orientation of the osteotomy.
      This study reports the effect of these variables, recommended technique, and
      potential pitfalls when using the crescent osteotomy. Using molded polyurethane
      foam metatarsals and a precision drill press which controlled the saw cuts, the
      following variables were studied: (1) orientation of the saw cut to the
      metatarsal, (2) the saw size (diameter of the saw relative to the shaft width of
      the osteotomy site), and (3) the direction toward which the crescent faces
      (proximal/distal). Best correction can be obtained if the saw diameter is larger
      than the diameter of the osteotomy site (allowing a greater degree of correction
      before impingement), the saw tip is tilted slightly toward the sesamoids (which
      ensures that the metatarsal does not rotate medially with correction), and the
      saw is rotated laterally to cause slight declination of the toe.

PMID- 1855704
TI  - Treatment of bunionette deformity with longitudinal diaphyseal osteotomy with
      distal soft tissue repair.
AB  - Twenty patients (30 feet) with symptomatic bunionettes refractory to conservative
      care underwent longitudinal diaphyseal osteotomy, lateral condylectomy, and
      distal metatarsophalangeal realignment. At an average of 31 months followup, 93%
      (28 feet) noted good or excellent results. This technique was found to be useful
      and predictable in correcting the bunionette deformity.

PMID- 1855706
TI  - The stability of fixation of first metatarsal osteotomies.
AB  - Five different types of osteotomies for the correction of the hallux valgus
      deformity were performed on dried human first metatarsal bones. These included
      the step-cut Mitchell osteotomy, a distal transverse osteotomy, a distal biplanar
      osteotomy, the Chevron osteotomy, and a basilar osteotomy. Each type of procedure
      was then fixed using a variety of clinically appropriate techniques including
      single K-wires, crossed K-wires, a single A-0 cancellous screw, a single A-0
      cortical screw, and three different types of sutures. Specimens were placed in a
      test jig and physiological loads applied with a Materials Testing Systems
      servohydraulic testing machine (Minneapolis, Minnesota). No difference in
      stability was observed between the various types of osteotomies, except for the
      Chevron osteotomy, which did possess greater inherent stability. Fixation by
      screws or multiple K-wires provided the most stable configuration when compared
      to other methods. The postoperative regimen following first metatarsal osteotomy
      should take into account the relative stability of fixation. Cast immobilization
      and a nonweight-bearing status may be preferable after procedures characterized
      by less mechanical stability.

PMID- 1855707
TI  - The use of open phenol blocks to the motor branches of the tibial nerve in adult
      acquired spasticity.
AB  - Spasticity of the posterior calf muscles often occurs following head injury or
      spinal cord injury. If left untreated, equinovarus contractures of the foot and
      ankle may occur in a relatively short time period. This paper retrospectively
      reviews nine patients with either closed head injury (six patients) or spinal
      cord injury (three patients) who underwent open phenol injections into the motor
      branches of the tibial nerve in 16 limbs. Spasticity was decreased in all
      patients. No significant equinus contractures had occurred at final follow-up.
      Five of the patients were subsequently able to ambulate. One patient had
      recurrence of spasticity requiring a second surgical procedure (split anterior
      tibial tendon transfer), and two patients had significant toe clawing at final
      follow-up. Open phenol injections to the motor branches of the tibial nerve
      safely and effectively prevent foot and ankle contractures following spinal cord
      injury or head injury.

PMID- 1855708
TI  - Tibio-talar stability in bimalleolar ankle fractures: a dynamic in vitro contact
      area study.
AB  - A dynamic weight-bearing model has been developed in a cadaveric ankle model to
      assess the contact areas of the talus in varying degrees of bimalleolar ankle
      fractures. A surgically created transverse fibula osteotomy with up to 6 mm of
      displacement did not cause a significant change in the contact area. Sectioning
      of the deltoid ligament, regardless of fibular displacement, created a 15% to 20%
      decrease in the contact area (P less than .001). This model represents a
      clinically relevant situation, as it examines motion of an unconstrained,
      axillary loaded ankle. Additional medial side disruption increases ankle
      instability by allowing anterior and lateral translation of the talus out of the
      mortise. Isolated lateral malleolar displacement does not appear to cause ankle
      instability.

PMID- 1855709
TI  - Glove perforation in foot surgery.
AB  - A total of 391 pairs of gloves were tested for punctures after 100 consecutive
      foot surgery operations to assess the rate, site, procedure, and maneuver during
      which glove puncture accidents took place. Evidence of perforation was found in
      23% of the gloves used. The surgeons are significantly more at risk of glove
      perforation than the other members of the operating team.

PMID- 1855710
TI  - Traumatic boutonniere deformity as a cause of acute hammer toe: a case report.
AB  - Traumatic boutonniere deformity, well-described when occurring in the fingers,
      can occur in a lesser toe. The deformity mimics that of a hammer toe, but the
      onset is acute, and develops immediately after trauma. Open repair of the central
      slip rupture and recentralization of the displaced lateral bands of the extensor
      mechanism with temporary pinning of the toe can give an excellent result.

PMID- 1855711
TI  - Foot and ankle disorders resulting from Lyme disease.
AB  - Ten cases of Lyme disease involving the foot and ankle are reported. Onset of
      symptoms was months to years before diagnosis. A variety of clinical foot and
      ankle problems resulted. Careful case histories and serologic testing resulted in
      proper diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1855712
TI  - Step-cut osteotomy of the medial malleolus for exposure of the medial ankle joint
      space.

PMID- 1855713
TI  - Tibialis posterior: a review of anatomy and biomechanics in relation to support
      of the medial longitudinal arch.
AB  - The medial longitudinal arch is unique among homo sapiens. This specialization of
      the human foot is believed to be necessary to the habitual bipedal gait pattern.
      Mechanical integrity of the arch depends on static and dynamic anatomic factors.
      The posterior tibial tendon in particular is situated to provide dynamic support
      along the plantar aspect of the foot and arch. Evaluation of the phasic activity
      of the posterior tibial muscle appears to confirm this premise. Furthermore,
      changes in the longitudinal arch that occur when the posterior tibialis is
      deficient lend further evidence that it is important in maintenance of the normal
      arch.

PMID- 1855714
TI  - Longitudinal attrition of the peroneus brevis tendon in the fibular groove: an
      anatomic study.

PMID- 1855715
TI  - Microscopical study on estimation of time since death in skeletal remains.
AB  - For the purpose of estimating time since death in skeletal remains, postmortem
      changes in human compact bones were examined by microradiography and electron
      microscopy. The UV-fluorescence of the peripheral zone of compact bone was also
      examined by microscopic spectrophotometry. Microradiographic examination revealed
      no morphological changes in bones left in the open air for long periods, except
      one of 15 years since death. In bones left in the soil, vacuoles of 5-10 microns
      diameter, which contained a honeycomb-like structure formed by small vacuoles of
      0.5-1 microns diameter, were found in the peripheral zone of the substantia
      compacta approximately 5 years since death, and in bones of 6 years or more, this
      change extended to the mid-zone. In bones left in the sea for 4-5 years, vacuoles
      of 5-10 microns diameter were observed in the outer peripheral zone of the
      substantia compacta. The relative intensity of UV-fluorescence in bones dwindled
      with time since death and the correlation coefficient was considerably high.

PMID- 1855716
TI  - The manner and cause of death in a forensic series of chronic alcoholics.
AB  - Chronic alcoholics account for an increasing number of the cases which are
      examined in forensic pathology. The manner and cause of death in 122 chronic
      alcoholics is described and compared with a previous investigation and to a group
      of non-alcoholics. The percentage of cases in which the manner of death is
      undetermined is twice as high as in the control group, whilst the percentage of
      suicide, surprisingly enough is only half that of the control group. The patho
      anatomic findings in the liver and the causes of death are discussed in detail.

PMID- 1855717
TI  - Interaction of butorphanol, with monoamine oxidase inhibitor, tranylcypromine.
AB  - This investigation examines the possibility of interaction between
      tranylcypromine and butorphanol in comparison to pethidine. The LD50 of pethidine
      and butorphanol were determined in mice pretreated with the non-selective
      monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, tranylcypromine orally for 8 days or with oral
      saline solution. Tranylcypromine decreased the LD50 of both pethidine and
      butorphanol by 78% and 41%, respectively. Anesthetized rabbits with halothane
      pretreated with tranylcypromine or saline were given pethidine (5 mg/kg i.v.) or
      butorphanol (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg i.v.). Pethidine produced a marked increase in
      blood pressure in rabbits pretreated with tranylcypromine and did not affect
      significantly the heart rate. Butorphanol did not affect either blood pressure or
      heart rate at doses of 0.5 or 1 mg/kg. However, the largest dose of butorphanol
      (2 mg/kg) produced hypotension and tachycardia in rabbits pretreated with
      tranylcypromine. Neither pethidine nor butorphanol affected the temperature of
      anesthetized rabbits pretreated with tranylcypromine or saline.

PMID- 1855718
TI  - A fatal case of oral ingestion of methanol. Distribution in postmortem tissues
      and fluids including pericardial fluid and vitreous humor.
AB  - A 41-year-old man ingested orally a large quantity of methanol and was found dead
      at home. The presence of methanol in body fluids and tissues was determined by
      head-space gas chromatography. The blood ethanol and acetone were negative.
      Tissue distribution of methanol showed that the kidney presented the highest
      content of methanol (5.13 g/kg) followed by liver (4.18 g/kg), vitreous humor
      (3.96 g/l), heart (3.45 g/kg), urine (3.43 g/l), pericardial fluid (3.29 g/l),
      blood (2.84 g/l) and finally stomach content (2.21 g/l).

PMID- 1855719
TI  - Analysis of methylbenactyzium bromide in human urine by thin-layer chromatography
      and pyrolysis gas chromatography.
AB  - A rapid and simple method of utilizing thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and
      pyrolysis gas chromatography (PyGC) for the identification and determination of
      methylbenactyzium bromide in human urine was studied in this report.
      Methylbenactyzium bromide was extracted from urine with ODS-cartridge (Sep-Pak
      C18), then spotted onto a silica gel 60 F254 TLC plate. After development, the
      separated spot of methylbenactyzium bromide was scraped and wrapped with a
      ferromagnetic foil without extraction by any organic solvents. The sample was
      applied into PyGC analysis. The optimum temperature for pyrolysis was 590 degrees
      C. The main degradation product of methylbenactyzium bromide was identified as
      diphenylmethane in this procedure by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
      (GC/MS). A calibration graph prepared by absolute calibration method showed a
      good linearity over the concentration range of 1-75 micrograms/spot for
      methylbenactyzium bromide. The coefficient of variation obtained for eleven
      replicate analyses of the 3 micrograms/spot of standard methylbenactyzium bromide
      was 3.8%. The detection limit of this compound by this procedure was 0.1
      micrograms/spot.

PMID- 1855720
TI  - Determination of ring- and N-substituted amphetamines as heptafluorobutyryl
      derivatives.
AB  - An improved derivatization method for analysing 12 ring- and N-substituted
      amphetamine-derivatives in body fluids or seized materials by gas chromatograph
      combined either with mass spectrometer, electron capture or nitrogen phosphorus
      detector is presented. Heptafluorobutyric anhydride is used as derivatization
      reagent. No heating or standing period is needed in this procedure. Most of the
      drugs considered were distinguishable from each other according to their
      retention times and all of them according to their EI mass spectra. The base peak
      or one of the most intense peaks in the mass spectra contained benzyl radical and
      the m/e values were different according to the substituent.

PMID- 1855721
TI  - A fatal case of parenteral paraquat poisoning.
AB  - The chief clinical and analytical aspects of the suicide of a 21-year-old male
      with psychiatric problems by parenteral administration of a 200 g/l aqueous
      solution of paraquat are described. Paraquat levels were determined in plasma,
      urine, kidney, liver and lung after autopsy. Tissue damage was studied by
      electron microscopy. The death ensued from pulmonary dysfunction 15 days after
      hospital admission.

PMID- 1855722
TI  - [Current status of linkage studies for gene localization in corneal dystrophies].
AB  - Corneal dystrophies with primarily autosomal dominant inheritance have been
      clearly identified both histologically and histochemically. No information is
      available to date on the causal enzymatic protein defect of the individual forms
      of dystrophy. By using linkage analysis to study families with various corneal
      dystrophies, an attempt is being made with polymorphous markers to find an
      indirect indication for localization in a chromosome. Numerous factors which
      exclude linkage can be named for granular, lattice and Schnyder's corneal
      dystrophy. Our linkage analysis studies of a second family with Schnyder's
      dystrophy support our indications of linkage with the sites for adenylate kinase
      (AK1) and the AB0 blood groups on chromosome 9.

PMID- 1855723
TI  - [The limbus epithelium in vitro].
AB  - The limbal basal epithelium contains the stem cells of the corneal epithelium. In
      order to study the regulation of these cells we developed models allowing their
      investigation. While an explant model based on n-heptanol debridement did not
      allow outgrowth of corneal epithelium onto culture dishes, a serum-free single
      cell clonal growth supported colony growth in limbal cells. MCDB 151 medium was
      supplemented with insulin, transferrin, selenium, hydrocortisone, phospho
      /ethanolamine and calcium. Single cells (5,000) were seeded onto 60 mm plastic
      dishes following combined digestion with dispase and trypsin/EDTA. Increasing CFE
      was noted until day 6, allowing increasing recruitment into proliferation. This
      model will serve as a tool for the further investigation of factors that might
      govern the regulation of the differentiation and proliferation of limbal
      epithelial cells.

PMID- 1855725
TI  - [Morphometric and qualitative changes in corneal endothelium in primary chronic
      open angle glaucoma].
AB  - In a prospective study begun in March 1986, specular-microscopic endothelial cell
      photographs were taken in non-selected patients with primary, chronic, open-angle
      glaucoma who had not had intraocular surgery. Age-matched cataract eyes with
      normal intraocular pressure served as the control group. Standard specular
      microscopic examinations (Bio Optics LSM 2000 and Clinical Specular Microscope
      Camera) to evaluate the endothelial cell count, as well as the morphology and
      quality of the endothelium, revealed the following results. In 3204 normal eyes
      with normal intraocular pressure (10-20 mmHg), the cell count was observed to be
      age-dependent and to have an average value of 2293 +/- 394 cells/mm2; the cells
      generally had a regular arrangement. In 302 eyes with primary, chronic, open
      angle glaucoma with intraocular pressures between 19 and 32 mmHg, there was a
      significant (p less than 0.001) reduction, in cell count to 1582 +/- 248
      cells/mm2. The cell picture was composed of clearly enlarged, but regularly
      arranged cells. A statistical evaluation (matched age groups, etc.) was carried
      out using the Mann-Wilcoxon rank test.

PMID- 1855724
TI  - [New osmotic additives to culture media for corneal preservation].
AB  - We investigated the effect of hyaluronic acid, molecular weight 250,000 and
      500,000 as an osmotic additive to corneal preservation media. Porcine corneal
      specimens were incubated in organ culture for 8 days, followed by endothelial
      cell count and ultrasonic pachymetry. The preservation medium MEM-Earle with 2%
      FCS contained either no additives, 6% dextrane, MW 500,000 2% chondroitin
      sulfate, 1% hyaluronic acid MW 250,000, or 1% hyaluronic acid, MW 500,000.
      Whereas corneal thickness was estimated to be about 4 mm in the group without
      osmotic additives, all other media kept the corneas thin between 700 and 760
      microns. The endothelial cell counts after preservation were similar in all
      groups. As hyaluronic acid is a physiological substance of the eye, it may offer
      some advantages for corneal perservation.

PMID- 1855726
TI  - [Laser coagulation of the cornea with a holmium:YAG laser for correction of
      hyperopia].
AB  - We present a new technique of hyperopic correction similar to radial
      thermokeratoplasty. A pulsed Ho: YAG laser was used that emitted radiation at
      2.06 microns and was guided by a quartz fiber and a focusing hand piece. The
      penetration depth of this light in the cornea is about 400 microns. Eight or 16
      concentric point coagulations result in steepening in the central cornea. This
      refractive change is inverse related to the distance to the cornea center, and it
      increases linearly with increasing laser pulse energy. In four blind eyes it was
      demonstrated that the parameters evaluated in cadaver eyes can be transferred to
      living eyes. Surprisingly, the refractive change so created of up to 5 dpt is
      stable within a period of 4 months. Immediately after surgery, concentric
      descemet folds can be detected, which gradually decrease within the period
      reported.

PMID- 1855727
TI  - [Glare and contrast with diffraction intraocular lenses].
AB  - The quality of vision in patients with a diffractive multifocal intraocular lens
      was tested and compared to monofocal IOLs and to eyes with a beginning cataract.
      An automatic computer-assisted visual acuity and contrast-sensitivity test was
      used. Diffractive IOLs showed reduced contrast sensitivity in both dark contrast
      testing and bright contrast testing. The differences from monofocal IOLs were not
      statistically significant. Glare sensitivity was of the same degree in both IOL
      groups. In additional, visual acuity under reduced contrast conditions was
      measured at the Ocutrast with and without glare. There was no significant
      difference between IOL groups. The results obtained showed that contrast
      sensitivity with diffractive IOLs is not as good as with monofocal IOLs. In this
      study no significant differences were found.

PMID- 1855728
TI  - [Effect of cataract extraction on aqueous humor dynamics in patients with senile
      cataract. A prospective fluorophotometric study].
AB  - The influence of posterior chamber lens implantation on the aqueous humor
      dynamics was investigated using anterior chamber fluorophotometry before and 9
      weeks after cataract extraction and IOL implantation. Thirty-four patients
      finished the protocol. Patients with preexisting glaucoma or those having a
      history of ocular or systemic inflammation were excluded from the study, as were
      those taking topical or systemic drugs with potential influence on the aqueous
      humor dynamics. Nine weeks after IOL implantation a mean increase in aqueous
      humor flow was noted. This increase was highly significant (p less than 0.01,
      Student's paired t-test). There were no significant changes in aqueous humor
      dynamics in the unoperated fellow eyes which served as controls. The significant
      difference in aqueous humor flow 9 weeks after cataract extraction and IOL
      implantation indicates that the liberation of prostaglandins may cause an
      increase in the ease of outflow facility.

PMID- 1855730
TI  - [Subretinal lavage in fresh hemorrhage in macular degeneration].
AB  - Three eyes with acute severe subretinal hemorrhages due to age-related macular
      degeneration were operated on by vitrectomy, retinotomy and subretinal lavage. It
      was possible to improve the visual acuity (VA) in case 1 from 20/500
      preoperatively to 20/200 postoperatively; VA stayed the same for 16 months. In
      case 2 the VA was hand movements preoperatively, and postoperatively 20/200;
      after 18 months it was still 20/300. In case 3 VA was 20/400 preoperatively and
      20/100 postoperatively; after 15 months it was 20/700. Even if this procedure
      cannot be recommended as routine, it can be considered in selected cases of
      subretinal hemorrhages no older than 1 week.

PMID- 1855729
TI  - [Prevention of cellular foreign body reactions to lens implants].
AB  - A heparin-surface-modified PMMA IOL has recently been developed in order to give
      the IOL a hydrophilic surface and to reduce postoperative inflammatory reactions
      in the eye. It is known that severe inflammation accompanies a tremendous
      increase in leucocytes in IOLs. A foreign-body reaction is characterized by the
      formation of histiocytic giant cells. The topical administration of
      corticosteroids, or the surface passivation of IOLs, cannot prevent a foreign
      body reaction. Specular microscopy was used for in vivo investigation of cellular
      reaction in IOL surface of heparin-surface-modified lenses versus regular PMMA
      lenses. The double-masked and randomized study included 53 patients investigated
      1 week and 1 month postoperatively. Small, round, and spindle-shaped cells were
      the cells most frequently observed after 1 week. These cells were identified in
      all cases. They were found in a higher density on the surface of the control
      lenses (43 cells/mm2) than on the heparin-surface-modified lenses (25 cells/mm2).
      Giant cells were found in two patients after 1 week; both of these patients
      belonged to the control group. Small, round, and spindle-shaped cells were also
      seen in all patients 1 month postoperatively. Again, they were found in a higher
      frequency on the control lenses (38 cells/mm2) than on the heparin-surface
      modified lenses (13 cells/mm2). Giant cells were found in 18 patients 1 month
      postoperatively. They were found exclusively on the control lenses; the
      difference was significant (p less than 0.0001).

PMID- 1855731
TI  - [Fluorescence angiography image of erythrocytes with the scanning laser
      ophthalmoscope].
AB  - Erythrocytes bind fluorescein to their surface, but they do not take up the dye
      intracellularly during fluorescein angiography. The cells are therefore
      hypofluorescent compared to blood plasma. Due to the high velocity of red blood
      cells in retinal vessels, this phenomenon has not been observed during
      conventional angiography. Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, however, allows imaging
      of the retina with a very high temporal resolution. The exposure time of the
      scanning laser beam for a single erythrocyte is in the range of only 100 ns.
      Therefore, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy permits imaging of fast-moving red blood
      cells in large retinal vessels. Pathologically reduced blood flow is clearly
      visible and can be measured with digital image analysis. The values found in
      three patients with vascular occlusions were between 0.1 and 1.8 mm/s. In cases
      with intact circulation, digital image analysis was not sufficient to measure red
      blood cell velocity. Even if a velocimeter that permits semiquantitative
      comparison between erythrocytes and moving black dots is used, superimposed on
      the angiogram, reliable results can only be obtained in cases with reduced red
      cell velocity. Nevertheless, for the clinician observation of erythrocyte flow
      during scanning laser angiography is a new and fascinating tool.

PMID- 1855732
TI  - [Aphakic retinal detachment in myopic eyes].
AB  - The incidence of retinal detachment following cataract extraction was studied in
      a myopic population of 803 eyes, which were selected by a measurement of the
      axial length out of 3,184 cases consecutively operated on. The incidence of
      retinal detachment following intracapsular cataract extraction was 1.5%, which
      was very similar to that after extracapsular cataract extraction: 1.8%, in the
      lowest range of date published in the literature. The incidence of retinal
      detachment of the pseudophakic myopic eye (operated on with the extracapsular
      technique, combined with implantation of a posterior chamber lens, the PMMA optic
      disc, diameter 5.8 mm with a 10 degrees angulated haptic and modified prolene-C
      loops) was 1.1%, in which the cases of intraoperative posterior capsule rupture
      with vitreous loss were included. There was no correlation between the incidence
      of retinal detachment and axial length. All cases of retinal detachment appeared
      in eyes with an axial length of 24.2 to 27.0 mm. In 9 of 11 (75%), retinal
      detachments occurred during the first 18 months after cataract extraction. In our
      opinion extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of a posterior
      chamber lens is the best method of providing postoperative retinal detachment of
      the cataractous myopic eye. The question of the incidence of retinal detachment
      following cataract removal by the extracapsular technique and secondary
      capsulotomy by the Nd-YAG laser is still interesting.

PMID- 1855733
TI  - The use of perfluorodecalin in diabetic vitrectomy.
AB  - Nine patients were operated on for severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy
      using a perfluorocarbon liquid, purified perfluorodecalin; 7 patients were
      operated on for traction-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, 2 for severe
      fibrovascular proliferation complicated intraoperatively by iatrogenic holes with
      surrounding retinal detachment. The intraoperative use of perfluorodecalin
      allowed flattening of the retina and endophotocoagulation to be carried out
      easily. Perfluorodecalin was removed at the end of the procedure, and intraocular
      tamponade was provided by silicone oil in 5 eyes and by a long-acting gas in 4
      eyes. Anatomic success was obtained in 8/9 cases with a minimum follow-up of six
      months; 4 eyes had improved vision, 2 had the same vision, and 3 had decreased
      vision. The main advantage of intraoperative use of perfluordecalin is to allow
      easy flattening of the retina and effective endophotocoagulation under optimal
      visual conditions.

PMID- 1855734
TI  - [Retinopathy of prematurity: why are girls more frequently affected?].
AB  - In 226 prematures (birth weight less than or equal to 1500 g), who were examined
      prospectively between 1986 and 1988, retinopathy of prematurity occurred
      significantly more often in girls: 31.0% of the eyes of 134 girls and 22.3% of
      the eyes of 92 boys showed retinopathy of prematurity (p = 0.042). Different
      factors may influence the sex ratio of retinopathy of prematurity: (1) hormonal
      differences are already present shortly after birth; (2) there are different
      ventilation rates in girls and boys; (3) the mortality varies between girls and
      boys. The influence of mortality was demonstrated in the group of preterms
      examined: in this time period, 59 of 285 prematures died: 21 of 155 girls (13.5%)
      and 38 of 130 boys (29.2%). Significantly more boys than girls died (p = 0.001).
      For this reason the percentage of surviving girls at high risk of having
      retinopathy is high. The apparently greater prevalence in girls is the result.

PMID- 1855735
TI  - [Antibody titer to Toxoplasma gondii in uveitis of toxoplasmosis and other
      origin].
AB  - The diagnostic value of toxoplasma serology in ocular toxoplasmosis is a
      controversial issue. Some authors feel that a positive titer indicates nothing
      more than that the patient had been exposed to Toxoplasma gondii at some stage.
      Even if in most cases the diagnosis is based on the morphological findings on the
      fundus, it might sometimes be useful to have an additional serologic evaluation.
      In a retrospective study we compared the level of antitoxoplasmosis antibodies
      (measured in a complement fixation test and an immunofluorescence test) in 75
      patients with clinically proven ocular toxoplasmosis and 146 patients with
      uveitis of other origin. In our results we showed that the incidence of positive
      titers and antibody levels are significantly higher in patient with ocular
      toxoplasmosis than in other uveitis patient (chi 2-test, Mann-Whitney Willcoxon
      test, p = 0.05). There was no significant difference between antibody levels in
      patients with anterior uveitis, posterior uveitis or panuveitis of
      nontoxoplasmotic origin. No correlation between the antibody levels and amount of
      retinochorioidal fundus lesions could be found. Based on our results, we conclude
      that in cases where fundus findings are compatible with ocular toxoplasmosis and
      a complement fixation or immunefluorescence test is positive, specific
      antitoxoplasmotic therapy should be started.

PMID- 1855736
TI  - [Optimizing target volume assessment in irradiation of intraocular melanomas with
      ruthenium applicators].
AB  - Radioactive applicators have been used for conservative therapy of melanomas in
      the vicinity of the nervus opticus and of melanomas of the ciliary body for a few
      years. The aim of optimal radiotherapy is to destroy all tumor cells and to
      protect the optic nerve and macula. Therefore, we calculated the dose
      distributions and isodoses for ruthenium applicators. Isodoses show underdosage
      or overdosage in the tumor area. We also present a calculation model with which
      it is possible to simulate selective shielding of activated parts of the
      applicator.

PMID- 1855737
TI  - [Bromocriptine in therapy of chronic recurrent anterior uveitis].
AB  - In animal studies, bromocriptine (Pravidel) has demonstrated immunosuppression
      because of inhibition of prolactin. After publication of positive results in the
      treatment of uveitis in a few case reports and in an uncontrolled study we
      conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled study in 13 patients with chronic
      recurrent anterior uveitis who had experienced three or more recurrences during
      the previous year. Therapy was started gradually during the symptom-free interval
      and continued for 1 year with 2.5 mg twice daily. Two recurrences or relevant
      side effects led to discontinuation of the therapy. In the bromocriptine group, 2
      of 7 patients had no recurrences during the study period. Two patients had to
      stop because of two recurrences but, in contrast to earlier recurrences, they
      responded to local corticosteriod treatment within a few days. The remaining 3
      patients (1 with one recurrence, 2 without) had to stop because of the side
      effects (arterial hypotension, arthritic complaints). In 5 of 6 patients in the
      placebo group treatment was stopped because of recurrences and in 1 patients
      because she believed she was experiencing a side effect from bromocriptine
      (breast atrophy). In summary, bromocriptine seems to have a prophylactic effect
      on anterior uveitis. Side effects were frequent but mild compared to other
      immunosuppressives. In case of arterial hypotension, additional therapy could
      make this drug more tolerable.

PMID- 1855738
TI  - [Sub-epidermal calcinosis of the eyelid].
AB  - We report on a 17-year-old male with an asymptomatic yellowish-grayish solitary
      tumor of the right medial upper lid margin. An excisional biopsy was performed
      and histopathologic examination revealed subepidermal calcinosis. The other eye
      showed a granulomatous chrorioretinits of unknown etiology. The relative rare
      occurrence of subepidermal calcification should be kept in mind when making a
      differential diagnosis of superficial lid tumors. In our histopathology
      laboratory this is the first diagnosis of subepidermal calcinosis among 1,400
      comparable specimens from 1980 to 1990. A possible relationship between the
      subepidermal calcification and granulomatous chorioretinitis of the other eye is
      discussed.

PMID- 1855739
TI  - [Epiphora as the leading symptom of Urbach-Wiethe syndrome in a sibling pair].
AB  - Urbach-Wiethe-Syndrom. syn. Hyalinosis cutis et mucosae is a rare, probably
      autosomal-recessively inherited disease. In the first weeks of life it begins
      with typical hoarness due to hyalin deposits in larynx and with increasing age
      leads to different changes in mucous membrane and later on in cutis. Etiology and
      pathogenesis are unknown. The treatment is only symptomatic. In our casuistic we
      present two sisters, who are constantly full of tears. Either show different
      stage of the typical representation of Hyalinosis cutis et mucosae. We
      demonstrate progression and penetrance of the disease and clinical alterations in
      eyes, skin and mucous membrane.

PMID- 1855740
TI  - [Effect of vasoconstrictor eyedrops on tear volume and tear secretion].
AB  - Vasoconstrictive, alpha-sympathicomimetic eye drops are ophthalmic drugs that are
      extensively used. However, patients often complain of typical dry eye symptoms,
      especially after long-lasting application of such eye drops. In the present
      study, the effect of sympathicomimetic eye drops (oxymetazoline 0.026%) on the
      tear volume and tear flow of 16 healthy individuals was determined quantitatively
      by means of objective fluorophotometry. Both tear volume and tear flow were found
      to be significantly (p less than 0.001) decreased 3 h after instillation (tear
      volume: -52%; tear flow: -31%). Thus, alpha-sympathicomimetic eye drops
      containing oxymetazoline 0.026% lead to marked and protracted decrease in tear
      volume and tear flow. After frequent or long-lasting application, this fact may
      be responsible for severe dry eye conditions.

PMID- 1855741
TI  - [Microsurgical endonasal decompression of the optic nerve].
AB  - A new endonasal microsurgical technique for decompression after traumatic optic
      neuropathy is presented. Compared to the external transethmoidal, the
      transfrontal or the pterional approach, the main benefit of this method is the
      superb stereoscopic vision of the medial aspect of the optic canal. The nerve is
      approached from a 60 degree to 90 degree angle and continuous suction irrigation
      allows for safe removal of the bony shell. This surgery is done via the endonasal
      route and therefore has fewer serious complications compared to intracranial,
      extradural or intradural approaches. Additional trauma due to retraction of the
      brain is avoided. The anterior ethmoidal cells and the nasofrontal duct remain
      untouched, avoiding late mucocele formation.

PMID- 1855742
TI  - [Comparative studies of twilight vision with the Mesoptometer I and II and the
      Nyktometer].
AB  - In 44 persons (19 to 39 years old, visual acuity better than 1.0), mesopic vision
      and sensitivity to glare were measured under binocular conditions by means of
      Mesoptometer I and Mesoptometer II (Oculus) and Nyktometer (Rodenstock). No
      differences were found between the two mesoptometers, but the nyktometer provided
      significantly worse results (a difference of 2-3 numbers). Mesopic vision was
      improved by minus glasses in 20% of the cases (Mesoptometer I), in 39%
      (Mesoptometer II) or in 50% (Nyktometer). The last instrument evoked the greatest
      amount of accomodation ("instrument myopia"). The best instrument for testing
      mesopic vision and sensitivity to glare under natural conditions was Mesoptometer
      I. Equal results were obtained by Mesoptometer II. Because of the easy handling
      and reduced reliability of the results, the nyktometer can only be recommended
      for screening examinations.

PMID- 1855743
TI  - [Ocular motility disorders after retinal surgery].
AB  - Motility disturbances after retinal detachment surgery are rare complications.
      This retrospective study examined 2427 cases from the University Eye Hospital in
      Munster (1/84-6/89). All cases underwent scleral buckling procedures for retinal
      detachment. Twelve patients developed persistent diplopia. The scleral buckle
      needed to be removed in all cases; however, additional strabismus surgery had to
      be done in 5 cases to restore binocular single vision. Evaluation of the 12 cases
      suggested that the complications were caused by hypertrophic scarring rather than
      by the buckles, suturing material or muscular decompensation.

PMID- 1855744
TI  - [Detection of retinal visual field defects by sectorial photic stimulation in
      scotopic luminance ERG].
AB  - We developed an electroretinographic procedure to assess visual field defects due
      to dysfunction of the outer retinal layers. For this objective we determined the
      amplitude/intensity function of the scotopic b-wave to full field (100 degrees of
      visual angle), quadrant and hemifield stimulation in 14 healthy volunteers and in
      patients with visual field disturbances. To prevent stray light effects, we
      confined the test light illuminance to 10(1.3) of the extrapolated normal ERG
      threshold (about 10(4.2) the sensory dark threshold). Whereas patients with
      dysfunction of the proximal retinal layers or the optic nerve did not show any
      change when the corresponding visual field was stimulated, those suffering from
      disturbances of the distal retinal layers (e.g., amotio, chorioretinal diseases)
      showed a reduction in the amplitude/intensity function, which was related to the
      extension and the degree of the field losses. The method reveals visual field
      defects caused by disturbances in the outer retinal layers where one-fourth or
      more of the corresponding retinal quadrant exhibits a sensitivity loss of more
      than 15 dB.

PMID- 1855745
TI  - [VECP (pattern threshold, amplitude, latency) in different light levels. A
      comparison between healthy eyes, organic and functional amblyopia eyes].
AB  - According to Bjerrum [5] and Ammann [2], light attenuation decreases visual
      acuity at different rates in normals, organic and functional amblyopes. In 27
      normal subjects, 19 patients with central fixating squint amblyopia and 12 with
      organically poor vision, we determined the visually evoked cortical potential
      (VECP) threshold check size, P100 latency and P2 amplitude for reversing
      checkerboards of variable size at different levels of luminance. After light
      attenuation, we found a different rate of change for VECP threshold check size in
      normal subjects and patients with squint amblyopia, which lessened after the
      fovea was occluded. With suprathreshold checks, normal subjects and patients with
      squint amblyopia exhibited significantly smaller amplitude/latency changes after
      light attenuation than patients with organically poor vision. Only patients with
      squint amblyopia exhibiting a visual acuity of greater than 0.2 showed smaller
      VECP changes than normal subjects during light attenuation. According to these
      findings, the different rate of change in visual acuity after light attenuation
      in normal subjects and patients with squint amblyopia is locus specific [7]
      rather than luminance specific [12, 13]. We conclude that cortical disinhibition
      of the parafoveal retina [20] is responsible for the preservation of visual
      acuity in squint amblyopia during light attenuation.

PMID- 1855747
TI  - [Changes in therapy of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease].

PMID- 1855746
TI  - [Effect of hyaluronidase on ocular circulatory changes caused by retrobulbar
      anesthesia].
AB  - Twenty patients had retrobulbar anesthesia with 5 ml mepivacaine (Scandicain)
      without or with addition of 150 units of hyaluronidase (Kinetin). Before and 15
      min after injection, we determined--by means of oculo-oscillo-dynamography--the
      systolic retinal and ciliary perfusion pressures, the respective ocular blood
      pressures (intramural pressures) and the ocular pulsation volume (PVoc) as well
      as the intraocular pressure (Pio; hand-applanation tonometer). Without
      hyaluronidase, the ocular perfusion and blood pressures were lowered by 11.8 and
      3.9 mmHg, respectively, and PVoc was reduced by 0,40 microliters, whereas Pio was
      increased by 7.9 mmHg With hyaluronidase, the ocular perfusion and blood
      pressures were decreased by averages of 12.7 and 6.8 mmHg, respectively, PVoc was
      reduced by 0.42 microliters, and Pio was increased by 6.0 mmHg. Within each
      group, all changes were significant. There were, however, no significant
      differences between the two groups, i.e., the "spreading factor" hyaluronidase
      does not influence the inhibitory effects of retrobulbar anesthesia on ocular
      circulation.

PMID- 1855748
TI  - [Prerequisites for therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases. Pathophysiology-
      symptomatology--diagnosis].
AB  - The etiology of the idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn's
      disease and ulcerative colitis remains unclear. Differences in prognosis, medical
      and surgical treatment, and the nature of expected complications require not only
      a differential diagnosis vis-a-vis other disorders, but also the correct
      diagnosis of these two diseases. Symptomatology and clinical presentation can be
      mimicked both by infectious, ischemic and other chronic bowel diseases such as
      collagenous colitis, eosinophilic colitis, and Behcet's disease. This means that,
      in the absence of pathognomonic changes, the correct diagnosis can be established
      only on the basis of all the findings (laboratory, endoscopy, X-rays), and
      sometimes only on the basis of the course of the condition. The most important
      differential diagnostic procedure has proved to be ileocolonoscopy, since in
      addition to gross evaluation of the mucosa, targeted removal of biopsy specimens
      is also possible.

PMID- 1855749
TI  - [Surgical techniques in Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis].
AB  - The usefulness of surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is determined
      by the results that can be achieved. In Crohn's disease, in addition to minimal
      resections, non-resective procedures such as stricturoplasty, are also available
      for the treatment of acute and chronic complications. The operative treatment of
      peri-anal Crohn's lesions is determined by the acute or chronic complications
      that develop. Ulcerative colitis can be cured by complete removal of the
      colorectal mucosa, and malignant degeneration thus avoided. Continence-preserving
      colectomy with proctomucosectomy and ileo-anal pouch anastomosis obviates the
      need for a permanent ileostomy.

PMID- 1855750
TI  - [Conservative therapy of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease].
AB  - Basis treatment of severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease comprises the
      systemic administration of corticosteroids. If the conditions are less severe,
      treatment with oral sulfasalazine or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) can be
      attempted. Distal ulcerative colitis may respond to topical corticosteroids of
      enemas with sulfasalazine or 5-ASA. In long-term treatment with high-dose
      corticosteroids, azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine may be employed to reduce the
      corticosteroid requirement. There ist no known generally applicable diet for the
      treatment or prophylaxis of these conditions.

PMID- 1855751
TI  - [Therapy of degenerative rheumatic diseases. Need for additional analgesic
      medication with Phytodolor N].
AB  - In 40 inpatients with painful degenerative diseases, the additional requirement
      for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NAIDs) to obtain results identical with
      a given daily dose of either 3 x 30 drops of Phytodolor N or placebo administered
      over 3 weeks was investigated. Under Phytodolor N, a total of 100 mg of
      diclofenac and 1 tablet (500 mg) of paracetamol were additionally administered in
      18 patients; under placebo, 2,400 mg of diclofenac and 3 tablets of paracetamol.
      In terms of days, additional medication was required on 3 days in the Phytodolor
      group, and on 47 days in the placebo group. Under Phytodolor N, the improvements
      obtained were identical to those in the group receiving in part considerably
      higher doses of NSAIDs and placebo. Clinical improvements are marked and major
      improvements (p less than 0.05) occur after only 1 week, with improvement being
      progressive. No side effects were observed.

PMID- 1855752
TI  - [Using activated macrophages for tumor therapy? Priv.-Doz. Dr. R. Andreesen
      presents new perspectives in cancer research. Interview by Elisabeth B.
      Moosmann].

PMID- 1855753
TI  - [Ascariasis pancreatitis. Endoscopic diagnosis and therapy].
AB  - Ascariasis lumbricoides is a parasitic disease of the human gastrointestinal
      tract. Migration of the worm through orifices and into ducts leads to such
      complications as cholangitis and pancreatitis; even bile duct perforation by
      Ascaris have been reported. Treatment of biliary ascariasis is usually surgical,
      although endoscopic removal of the worm has been successfully performed. We
      report on a case in whom an Ascaris worm in the common bile duct led to acute
      pancreatitis; the worm was successfully removed endoscopically after performing
      papillotomy.

PMID- 1855754
TI  - [Respiratory emergencies in childhood].
AB  - The most important maneuvers of primary treatment of respiratory emergencies in
      childhood are the securement of free airways, provision of oxygen and
      (medicamentous) tranquilization of the child. The most common causes of these
      emergencies are fulminant (infectious) diseases of the upper and lower airways, a
      particularly significant aspect being the considerable mucosal swelling as
      compared with adults. Aspiration of foreign bodies is a further cause of acute,
      life-threatening respiratory distress. Treatment requires a systematic
      examination and circumspection to achieve in the shortest time adequate temporary
      improvement until more extensive measures can be performed in the hospital.

PMID- 1855755
TI  - [Psychosomatic aspects of inflammatory bowel diseases].
AB  - The article reviews the most important psychosomatic aspects of inflammatory
      bowel diseases. It discusses aspects of etiology, coping with the disease and
      problems of psychotherapeutic treatment. At last the authors' special family
      therapy oriented consultation/liaison cooperation model with the
      gastroenterologists is described.

PMID- 1855756
TI  - [Chronic bowel diseases--is there a place for natural remedies?].

PMID- 1855757
TI  - [TNF-alpha in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Significance for
      immunologic reconstitution, acute graft versus host disease and risk of
      complications after bone marrow transplantation].
AB  - Follow-up studies on the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in
      114 patients confirm that this cytokine is released early in the course of
      endothelial complications, acute graft-versus-host disease, and interstitial
      pneumonitis following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Possible sources of
      systemic TNF-alpha activity are, in particular, tissue macrophages of the
      recipient type that are stimulated by pretransplant conditioning and endotoxin
      and subsequently further activated by interferon gamma released by donor
      lymphocytes. Consideration of these interactions permits the early recognition of
      high-risk patients, and suggests new strategies for prophylaxis and treatment of
      complications.

PMID- 1855758
TI  - [Clinical drug trials. Part 2. Legal regulations, (EG-) guidelines, ethics
      commission].

PMID- 1855759
TI  - [Lipid metabolism disorders: diagnosis and treatment. 3: Treatment goals--therapy
      groups--primary hyperlipidemias. Nationale Cholesterin-Initiative].

PMID- 1855760
TI  - [Meat as component of a balanced diet].
AB  - From the point of view of the nutritionist, meat has an important role to play in
      supplying the body with proteins (essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals).
      There is no doubt that meat is the most valuable source of dietary iron. These
      facts make meat an important constituent of a balanced diet in a range of age and
      performance groups, including children and adolescents, pregnant women and
      nursing mothers, senior citizens and athletes. In the discussion about the
      nutritional/physiological quality of meat and meat products, total fat,
      cholesterol and purines must also be considered. About 80 g of lean meat per day,
      or a portion of about 150 g three times a week in patients with disorders of fat
      metabolism or elevated uric acid levels complies with the recommendations for low
      fat and low-cholesterol alimentation, and helps ensure a balanced diet.

PMID- 1855761
TI  - [Dermatomyositis--pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy].
AB  - Dermatomyositis is a rare systemic autoimmune disease that principally involves
      the skeletal muscles. Currently, the etiopathology is suspected to involve a
      viral infection with underlying genetic susceptibility, resulting in an abnormal
      immune reaction. Autoantibodies, in particular against enzymes involved in
      protein synthesis--especially aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases--appear to be found for
      the most part when the lungs are involved. Differential diagnosis is facilitated
      by the detection of various auto-antibodies. Treatment is unsatisfactory, and
      controlled studies, in particular when resistance to prednisone presents, are
      lacking. The prognosis depends, among other things, on the internal organs
      involved (heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine system). The search for
      viruses (e.g. hepatitis B) should be intensified using the latest, more
      sensitive, methods.

PMID- 1855762
TI  - [Lipid metabolism disorders: diagnosis and treatment. 4: Drug therapy and dietary
      recommendations. National Cholesterin-Initiative].

PMID- 1855763
TI  - [Quality of life of hypertensive physicians with hypertension therapy. Randomized
      double-blind study of 237 female and male physicians with high blood pressure].
AB  - In a group of 237 hypertensive male and female physicians, a placebo-controlled
      randomized double-blind, cross-over trial was performed to investigate the
      effects of the ACE inhibitor captopril on blood pressure and well-being. A
      thoroughly tested standardized measurement of well-being was employed. On the
      basis of the multivariate linear model, differences in the response to treatment
      (t-tests for cross-over differences) were investigated in terms of the seven
      parameters of well-being measured. In comparison with placebo, captopril (50 mg
      once daily) had a significant effect on five of the seven parameters. Thus, mood,
      general well-being, work performance, regeneration and quality of sleep all
      improved under treatment. It was also found that these improvements were not an
      immediate consequence of blood pressure reduction. The standardized evaluation
      employed here thus proved to be an informative additional evaluation criterion of
      antihypertensive therapy.

PMID- 1855764
TI  - Objectification of the severity of acute pancreatitis.

PMID- 1855765
TI  - Angio-CT: diagnosis and detection of complications of acute pancreatitis.
AB  - The ability of high-resolution, current-generation fast (sub-2 sec) CT scanners
      to display the precise cross-sectional anatomy of the pancreas and surrounding
      organs and structures had made it the most efficacious imaging modality for
      evaluation of patients with known or suspected acute pancreatitis. The use of
      angio-CT (automatic table incrementation, dynamic scanning mode, simultaneous
      intravenous infusion of a large bolus of contrast) has further extended its use
      for detection of parenchymal necrosis and vascular involvement. CT now plays a
      central role in diagnosis, prognostication (staging of severity of disease),
      detection of complications, and guidance for percutaneous techniques.

PMID- 1855766
TI  - Infected necrosis: morbidity and therapeutic consequences.
AB  - Some 20% of cases of acute pancreatitis are associated with pancreatic and/or
      peripancreatic necrosis. Mortality of necrotizing pancreatitis is higher than
      that of acute interstitial pancreatitis, especially if there is secondary
      pancreatic infection. Despite the fact that patients with infected necrosis are
      in general more seriously ill than those with sterile necrosis, it is not
      possible at present by any individual laboratory test or constellation of tests
      to determine precisely which patients are infected or will develop pancreatic
      infection. CT-guided percutaneous aspiration with bacteriological sampling
      continues to be a very safe, reliable method of distinguishing severe sterile
      pancreatitis from pancreatic infection. Improved survival for infected necrosis
      depends on earlier recognition and prompt effective surgical debridement.
      Necrosectomy and post-operative local lavage appear to improve survival in
      infected necrosis.

PMID- 1855767
TI  - Biliary acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Severe biliary acute pancreatitis is frequently associated with persisting bile
      duct stones, which has important implications with regard to management. In mild
      cases, cholecystectomy with operative cholangiography during the same admission
      is the treatment of choice. In patients with a severe attack, however, management
      remains controversial. There is increasing evidence to suggest that early biliary
      decompression with endoscopic sphincterotomy is associated with a lower morbidity
      and mortality than a conservative regime. In certain situations endoscopic
      sphincterotomy may also obviate the need to explore the common bile duct, and in
      high-risk patients may allow surgery to be avoided altogether.

PMID- 1855768
TI  - Conservative treatment of acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Most attacks of acute pancreatitis) have a favorable course and can thus be
      treated by conservative measures. The purpose of this review is: a) to present
      techniques (prognostic scores, computerized axial tomography, etc.) which can
      assist in the early identification of those cases of acute pancreatitis which can
      reasonably be submitted to non-surgical treatment; b) to summarize and discuss
      the main results of recent pharmaceutical research, and various conservative
      measures which have proven helpful in the treatment of this difficult disease.

PMID- 1855769
TI  - Operative management of necrotizing pancreatitis--necrosectomy and continuous
      closed postoperative lavage of the lesser sac.
AB  - In patients with severe acute pancreatitis, the most important diagnostic goal is
      differentiation between the interstitial-edematous and the necrotizing type of
      acute pancreatitis. Surgical management in patients with proven necrotizing
      pancreatitis is indicated in patients who develop surgical acute abdomen, sepsis,
      shock syndrome, multisystemic organ failure syndrome, persistent or progressive
      despite maximum intensive care. The most appropriate procedure for surgical
      management of pancreatic necrosis is the careful removal of necrosis and
      preservation of vital pancreatic tissue. Necrosectomy supplemented by
      postoperative closed continuous lavage of the lesser sac is a procedure that
      offers the advantages of debridement of devitalized tissue only, and the non
      surgical removal of necrotic tissue and bacterially and biologically active
      compounds. In comparison with a reoperation protocol, necrosectomy and continuous
      lavage reduce the reoperation rate as well as the need for tracheostomy. In a
      prospectively treated series of patients suffering from necrotizing pancreatitis,
      hospital mortality was 8.4% and the reoperation rate 27%. Any tissue becoming
      necrotic in the postoperative course of disease is rinsed with lavage fluid, thus
      obviating the need for repeated surgical reoperation in most patients. Local
      lavage is achieved by the insertion of two, in some cases five, large double
      lumen tubus and the use of 8 liters (median) of lavage fluid per day.

PMID- 1855770
TI  - Operative management of acute pancreatitis: ventral open packing.

PMID- 1855771
TI  - Beneficial effect of therapeutic infusion of nafamostat mesilate (FUT-175) on
      hemodynamics in experimental acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Acute pancreatitis was induced in 13 anesthetized dogs by retrograde injection of
      bile mixed with trypsin into the pancreatic duct. Six animals were treated with
      intravenous infusion of new synthetic antiprotease. Nafamostat Mesilate, at a
      dose of 1 mg/kg/h. Four out of seven untreated animals died during the
      experiment. All the treated dogs survived. Hemodynamic data were regularly
      monitored during a ten-hour observation period. Cardiac output, mean arterial
      pressure and left ventricular stroke volume decreased rapidly in the untreated
      animals. An increase in systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular
      resistance was observed in dogs without treatment. Nafamostat Mesilate given as
      therapy significantly improved the hemodynamic parameters, and prevented the
      animals from developing shock. The study demonstrates an advantageous influence
      of synthetic antiprotease Nafamostat Mesilate on the course of acute experimental
      pancreatitis.

PMID- 1855772
TI  - Serum concentration and immunohistochemical localization of SPan-1 antigen in
      pancreatic cancer. A comparison with CA19-9 antigen.
AB  - We studied SPan-1 antigen in 64 patients with pancreatic cancer by measuring
      serum concentrations with RIABEAD and examining the intratumor staining patterns
      immunohistochemically. Serum concentrations were elevated (greater than 30 U/ml)
      in 46 patients (72.0%), roughly the same percentage as with elevated serum CA19-9
      concentrations. Ten out of 19 patients without CA19-9 antigen expressed SPan-1,
      and the combined rate of positivity was 86% (55/64). Immunohistochemically, CA19
      9 was localized to the apical surface and the supranuclear cytoplasm of normal
      epithelial cells, but SPan-1 was localized to the supranuclear cytoplasm or
      throughout the cytoplasm. After malignant degeneration, both antigens were found
      over the entire plasma membrane, throughout the cytoplasm (loss of polar
      distribution) and in the stroma surrounding the cells. SPan-1 was detected in 48
      out of 54 adeno-carcinomas of the pancreas (89%), and all cases with an elevated
      serum concentration displayed stromal staining in the cancer tissues. The utility
      of SPan-1 antigen as a tumor marker for diagnosing pancreatic cancer was found to
      be equal to that of CA19-9.

PMID- 1855773
TI  - Mucin-producing cells and endocrine cells of gallbladder epithelium in patients
      with uncomplicated cholelithiasis.
AB  - In this study we have investigated various morphofunctional features of
      gallbladder mucosa in patients with uncomplicated cholelithiasis. The
      histological changes, endocrine cell types and their distribution, and mucin
      producing cells were characterized by immunocytochemistry and mucin
      histochemistry; moreover, we attempted to correlate these findings to the number
      and size of gallbladder stones and the type of bacteria present in the bile. Our
      results indicate that, despite similar clinical parameters, a wide range of
      histological changes can occur in the gallbladder mucosa of these patients.
      Moreover, the presence of certain endocrine and mucin-producing cell types in so
      called "pyloric metaplasia" led us to hypothesize that this finding may be a
      trivial event in the gallbladder epithelium.

PMID- 1855774
TI  - Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage--twelve years' experience.
AB  - Our experience with percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in a total of 362
      patients carried out between January 1977 and December 1988 is described. Three
      hundred and fifty drains were correctly placed, and results were good in 285
      (81.5%), fair in 53 (15.1%) and poor in 12 (3.4%). In 12 of the total number of
      cases (3.4%) it was not possible to position the drain effectively. The mortality
      rate of the method was 0.8% (3 cases). Complications were as follows: obstruction
      7 (1.9%), dislodgement 15 (4.1%), hemobilia 15 (4.1%), hemoperitoneum 1 (0.2%),
      cholangitis 6 (1.6%), and choleperitoneum 10 (2.7%). In view of the good results
      and low incidence of complications the conclusion is that in skilled hands,
      percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is a very useful method that should be
      available in any center specializing in hepatobiliary surgery.

PMID- 1855775
TI  - Is exocrine pancreatic cancer a hormone-dependent tumor? A study of the existence
      of sex hormone receptors in normal and neoplastic pancreas.
AB  - The 5-year survival rate of patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer after
      surgery is less than 5%, in patients treated with radical surgery, with or
      without adjuvant therapy. It has been well documented clinically and
      experimentally that sex hormones influence the physiology of the exocrine
      pancreas. Hormone manipulation inhibits the growth of human pancreatic cancer in
      nude mice. Several nonrandomized studies have suggested the efficacy of
      antihormone therapy in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the
      existence of sex hormone receptors in exocrine pancreatic cancer has been a
      matter of controversy. This study was designed to investigate the presence of sex
      hormone receptors (estrogens, progesterone and androgens in normal pancreas and
      exocrine pancreatic cancer, using two different methods: immunohistochemistry and
      enzyme immunoassay. Twenty-eight biopsies of normal pancreas and 15 biopsies of
      exocrine pancreatic cancer were studied. Estrogen receptors and progesterone
      receptors were measured by enzyme immunoassay, using specific monoclonal
      antibodies. Androgen receptors were determined by radioligand assay. Sixteen
      biopsies of normal pancreas and 12 biopsies of exocrine pancreatic cancer were
      studied by immunohistochemistry. In exocrine pancreatic cancer we could not
      detect estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors, either by enzyme immunoassay
      or immunohistochemistry. Androgen receptors were always negative (less than 2
      fm/mg). In the normal pancreas, 5 out of 28 cases showed increased levels of
      progesterone receptors (greater than 10 fm/mg) as measured by enzyme immunoassay.
      Immunohistochemistry revealed progesterone receptors in the pancreatic islets of
      16 normal pancreases studied. Nuclear staining was observed in more than 70% of
      the cells. Estrogen receptors were always negative by immunohistochemistry and
      enzyme immunoassay in the normal pancreas.2+n

PMID- 1855776
TI  - Modern techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal and biliary
      tree parasites.
AB  - Parasitic infestations are endemic in tropical and subtropical areas, but rarely
      occur in temperate zones, and are imported by tourists, immigrants and
      expatriates. Gastrointestinal and biliary tree parasites are the commonest
      helminthics in humans. Previously these were diagnosed only by stool
      examinations, but recently other diagnostic techniques have been used. These
      include fibreoptic endoscopies for upper or lower gastrointestinal tract and
      biliary tree. Endoscopy plays an important role in diagnosis, treatment and
      follow-up as in gastric anisakiasis, chronic giardiasis, strongyloides,
      hepatosplenic and chronic intestinal schistosomiasis. ERCP is diagnostic in
      biliary tree obstruction due to parasites or associated stones or
      cholangiocarcinoma; worm extraction will lead to biliary decompression.
      Endoscopic instillation of drugs such as mepa-crine in chronic giardiasis,
      piperazine in biliary ascariasis and hypertonic saline in a ruptured hydatid
      liver cyst. Imaging techniques, such as barium studies, ultra-sound, CT and MRI,
      play an essential part in investigations and follow-up in parasitic disease.
      Therapeutic techniques under ultrasound or CT guidance for amoebic liver abscess
      or recent percutaneous drainage of hydatid cyst of the liver have been done
      successfully.

PMID- 1855777
TI  - Pathology and pathogenesis of toxic (alcoholic) liver disease.

PMID- 1855778
TI  - Acute pancreatitis--a challenge to gastroenterologists and surgeons.

PMID- 1855779
TI  - Surgery in acute pancreatitis.
AB  - The most important diagnostic step in the management of patients with severe
      acute pancreatitis is discrimination between interstitial-edematous pancreatitis
      and necrotizing pancreatitis. In this respect, laboratory measures like CRP, LDH,
      and antiproteases, and the application of contrast-enhanced CT are highly
      sensitive methods. Surgical decision-making should be based on clinical,
      bacteriological and contrast-enhanced CT data. Persistent or progressive systemic
      or local organ complications occurring despite ICU treatment for a minimum of
      three days are indicators for surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis.
      Patients suffering from sepsis syndrome, cardiovascular shock, multisystemic
      organ failure syndrome, or surgical acute abdomen should be treated surgically
      early in the course of the disease. The use of a major pancreatic resection for
      the surgical management of necrotizing pancreatitis should be excluded from
      treatment protocols. Carefully performed necrosectomy or debridement, in
      combination with continuous or repeatedly applied surgical evacuation techniques
      for necrotic tissue, bacteria, and biologically active compounds, has proved to
      be very effective in experienced treatment centers. Necrosectomy and
      postoperative continuous local lavage is a well-adapted, safe, and atraumatic
      procedure. It results in a hospital mortality of less than 10% in patients with
      necrotizing pancreatitis.

PMID- 1855780
TI  - Clinical picture and diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Acute pancreatitis is characterized by clinical, morphological, and functional
      aspects. Severe abdominal pain with progression during the first hours after
      onset is the leading symptom. In the majority of patients acute pancreatitis had
      a "mild" clinical course, but 10 to 20% will develop severe local and systemic
      complications. Symptoms at the onset of disease are not specific and need
      consideration of several other diagnoses. Elevation of pancreatic serum enzymes
      is the main parameter in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Besides the
      traditional parameter of total amylase, several specific pancreatic enzymes (e.g.
      pancreatic amylase, lipase, immunoreactive trypsin or elastase) are now widely
      used in clinical routine and guarantee a higher diagnostic specificity. The
      imaging procedures ultrasonography and computed tomography aid in identifying
      etiological factors in grading the severity of the disease and deciding
      therapeutic strategies. Endoscopic retrograde chol- angiopancreatography is most
      sensitive in detecting biliary lithiasis and can be successfully complemented by
      sphincterotomy if needed. Besides complex clinical and laboratory criteria,
      several biochemical markers (e.g. C-reactive protein, PMN-elastase, trypsinogen
      activation peptides) have been found to be valid for the detection of pancreatic
      necrosis and are of definite prognostic value. On the basis of such detailed
      information, the therapeutic strategy can be planned in a straight-forward
      manner.

PMID- 1855781
TI  - CHE1 UF serum cholinesterase phenotype in whites and non-whites from southern
      Brazil as determined by a new method.
AB  - A sample of 251 Whites and 818 Non-Whites, from Curitiba (southern Brazil), was
      typed with a new method with the aim of estimating the frequency of the CHE1*F
      allele. The frequency of this allele did not differ between Whites (0.60 +/-
      0.34%) and Non-Whites (0.49 +/- 0.17%), being estimated as 0.51 +/- 0.15% for the
      whole sample. The use of the inhibitors DL-propranolol and RO2-0683 with alpha
      naphthylacetate as substrate (at 37 degrees C) was efficient for discriminating
      between the CHE1 U and CHE1 UF phenotypes.

PMID- 1855783
TI  - C1R subcomponent polymorphism in Japanese: description of a new allele.
AB  - The polymorphism of C1R was investigated in 570 unrelated Japanese individuals
      using isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting. A total of 11 different C1R
      phenotypes including a new pattern designated C1R 11-1 were observed. The allele
      frequencies were C1R*1 = 0.4561, C1R*2 = 0.3377, C1R*5 = 0.1956, C1R*8 = 0.0088
      and C1R*R (C1R*9 and C1R*11) = 0.0018. The population data fitted the Hardy
      Weinberg equilibrium. The C1R polymorphism in Japanese was shown to be controlled
      by 3 common alleles, C1R*1, C1R*2 and C1R*5, as compared to Caucasians where only
      the former 2 are present commonly. This complement system can be a useful genetic
      marker for anthropological studies.

PMID- 1855782
TI  - Familial aggregation of lipids and lipoproteins in families ascertained through
      random and nonrandom probands in the Iowa Lipid Research Clinics family study.
AB  - The aggregation of lipids [total cholesterol (CH) and triglyceride (TG)] and
      lipoproteins [high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)] in families ascertained through random and
      nonrandom probands in the Iowa Lipid Research Clinics family study was examined.
      Nonrandom probands were selected because their lipid levels (at a prior screening
      visit) exceeded a certain pre-specified threshold. The statistical method
      conditions the likelihood function on the actual event that the proband's value
      is beyond the threshold. This method allows for estimation of the path model
      parameters in randomly and nonrandomly ascertained families jointly and
      separately, thus enabling tests of heterogeneity between the two types of
      samples. Marked heterogeneity between the random and the hyperlipidemic samples
      is detected in the multifactorial transmission for TG and HDL, and moderate
      heterogeneity is detected for CH and LDL, with a pattern of higher genetic
      heritability estimates in the random than nonrandom samples. The observed pattern
      of heterogeneity is compatible with a higher prevalence in the random sample of
      certain dyslipoproteinemias that are associated with nonelevated lipids. For the
      random samples, genetic heritabilities are higher for CH and HDL (about 60%) than
      for TG and LDL (about 50%). For the nonrandom samples those estimates are about
      45, 40, 35 and 30% for HDL, CH, LDL and TG, respectively. Little to no cultural
      (familial environmental) heritability is evident for CH and LDL, although 10-20%
      of the phenotypic variance is due to cultural factors for TG and HDL. These
      results suggest that the etiologies for lipids and lipoproteins may be quite
      different in random versus hyperlipidemic samples.

PMID- 1855784
TI  - Plasminogen polymorphism in Libyans: description of a new rare variant.
AB  - The genetic polymorphism of human plasminogen (PLG) was investigated in Libyans
      using wide-scale ultrathin-layer polyacrylamide isoelectric focusing with
      subsequent immunoblotting. The 2 common alleles, PLG*A and PLG*B, and 4
      previously reported rare ones, PLG*A3, PLG*M4, PLG*B1 and PLG*B2, were observed.
      In addition, a new intermediate rare allele designated PLG*MTripoli (PLG*MT) was
      encountered. The estimated allele frequencies for the genes PLG*A, PLG*B, PLG*A3,
      PLG*MT, PLG*M4, PLG*B1 and PLG*B2 were 0.6409, 0.3091, 0.0182, 0.0045, 0.0091,
      0.0045 and 0.0136, respectively. The isolated probability of exclusion in cases
      of disputed paternity among Libyans is 23.3%.

PMID- 1855785
TI  - Immunological studies of families segregating the silent gene for plasma
      cholinesterase.
AB  - Seven families segregating apparently silent gene homozygotes have been
      investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. These families confirm not
      only the heterogeneity of the silent gene in the form of E1s and E1t but in 3
      families there is support for the segregation of the new gene E1x.

PMID- 1855786
TI  - High prevalence of haemoglobin E in three populations of the Malda district, West
      Bengal, India.
AB  - High frequencies of haemoglobin (Hb) E were reported earlier from Assam in
      northeast India. In the present study one of the three populations of the Malda
      district of West Bengal, called the Deshi, was found to show one of the highest
      incidences of the Hb E gene (0.61) recorded so far. A founder effect and/or local
      inbreeding may possibly explain this observation.

PMID- 1855787
TI  - Genetic polymorphism of alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein: four new alleles and allele
      frequencies in Japanese.
AB  - alpha 2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) phenotyping was done in 655 Japanese from the Goto
      Islands, western Japan, using isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting.
      Four new AHSG alleles were encountered, AHSG*G1-G4, whose genetic transmissions
      were established in family studies. The allele frequencies were: AHSG*1 = 0.7221;
      AHSG*2 = 0.2748, and AHSG*G1-G4 = 0.0008, respectively.

PMID- 1855788
TI  - Acid phosphatase, adenosine deaminase and esterase D polymorphisms in the Spanish
      Basque population.
AB  - The 3 red-cell polymorphic systems acid phosphatase (ACP), adenosine deaminase
      (ADA) and esterase D (ESD) have been studied in a random sample of 1,112
      individuals from the Basque country: The allelic frequencies obtained were ACP*A
      = 0.275, ACP*B = 0.718 and ACP*C = 0.007; ADA*2 = 0.021, and, ESD*2 = 0.066. The
      allelic frequencies have been compared with those of other Basque and other
      European populations. In comparison with Basques, significant differences were
      detected only for ACP, whereas as regards other Europeans significant differences
      were obtained with practically all the populations compared for the 3 genetic
      systems studied. The low values of the less frequent alleles, especially that for
      the ACP*C allele which is the lowest reported in Europe, are noteworthy.

PMID- 1855789
TI  - Biomedical engineering in dentistry.

PMID- 1855790
TI  - CAD/CAM for dental restorations--some of the curious challenges.
AB  - Computer-aided design and manufacturing for dental restorations has opened a new
      world of possibilities--some that appeal to engineers and clinicians and some
      that have created some interesting challenges. The objective of this overview is
      to briefly describe a system being developed by the Universities of Maryland and
      Minnesota which is capable of producing dental crowns. Some of the challenges and
      difficulties that have arisen during the development activities will be
      addressed. The final focus will be on some of the questions that, because of the
      new technology, can now be addressed and are presenting new challenges.

PMID- 1855791
TI  - Computer-controlled differential scanning calorimetry of dental composites.
AB  - In this paper, computer-controlled differential scanning calorimetry has been
      used to evaluate the heat liberated and the temperature rise associated with the
      light cure of selected dental composites. In addition, the effect of postcure
      heating and increased ambient temperature of light cure are examined in terms of
      potential secondary cure. The results indicate significant differences between
      the mean heats of cure of different composites, primarily reflecting the filler
      fraction variations of the composites. In addition, increased cure activity
      appears to result from both postcure heating as well as thermal activation due to
      higher ambient temperature of light cure. The results are analyzed and attributed
      to variations in resin phase composition and resin content per unit weight of
      composite as well as thermally induced enhancement of cure.

PMID- 1855792
TI  - Nonlinear interpolation of mandibular kinesiographic signals by applying
      sensitivity method to a GMDH correction model.
AB  - The purpose of the present paper was to propose an improved nonlinear
      interpolation method for estimating distorted kinesiographic recording of
      interlattice points in space, and to evaluate its correction accuracy. The group
      method of data handling (GMDH) correction method we have reported previously is
      essentially different from other geometric correction methods in the sense that
      the GMDH correction model can be adapted to the measurement environment in which
      kinesiographic signals are subject to ferromagnetic interferences. Due to its
      inherent structure, however, our previous GMDH correction model was restricted to
      kinesiographic signals representing lattice points in space. In this paper, we
      explored the sensitivity method for GMDH correction modeling. This provides for
      nonlinear interpolation of kinesiographic signals for interlattice points.
      Nominals, i.e., true values, of 3-D coordinates of the interlattice points were
      determined by means of a mandibular jaw movement simulator together with
      simultaneous recording of distorted kinesiographic signals which corresponded to
      the nominals. Distorted signals were corrected by the new method of correction
      modeling. A mean estimation error of 0.16 mm (SD 0.19 mm) was determined for 24
      interlattice coordinates. Thus, nonlinear interpolation by the sensitivity method
      was confirmed to be effective.

PMID- 1855794
TI  - Computer-aided interpretation and quantification of angular periodontal bone
      defects on dental radiographs.
AB  - Capabilities of human observers to detect and describe small bone defects
      objectively are limited. Digital image processing can provide a useful
      contribution to the diagnostic process. This paper describes the evaluation of a
      computer-aided procedure for the interpretation and quantification of angular
      periodontal bone defects on dental radiographs. The computer-aided procedure was
      able to rank series of artificial periodontal bone lesions as accurate as
      experienced clinicians. Comparison of data from clinical inspection of lesions
      during surgery and quantitative results of the digitized procedure shows that the
      latter produced reliable information on the lesions size. Reproducibility is
      satisfactory. It was concluded that computer-aided detection and description of
      periodontal bone defects decreases the interobserver variability in general and
      the time-dependent variability in repeated assessments of a single observer.

PMID- 1855793
TI  - A periodontal probe with automated cemento--enamel junction detection-design and
      clinical trials.
AB  - An automated periodontal probe has been developed to measure pocket depth and
      attachment loss in a single measurement under controlled force conditions. A
      natural anatomic landmark, the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ), is used as a
      reference for attachment level measurements. The CEJ is detected automatically by
      immediate digital postprocessing of simultaneous measurements of probe tip
      acceleration and displacement during probing. Clinical trials in the beagle dog
      model for naturally occurring periodontitis have shown that the automated probe,
      when used with 35 g probing force, has a repeatability of 0.16 mm and a bias of
      0.09 mm. These results indicate that the automated periodontal probe is capable
      of attachment level measurements with a high degree of repeatability and
      validity.

PMID- 1855795
TI  - An artificial oral environment for testing dental materials.
AB  - Two servo-hydraulic actuators were combined to produce the force movement cycle
      of human mastication. A closed-loop method of control was used which functions in
      a manner similar to the human neuromuscular system. The horizontal closed-loop
      uses a linearly variable differential amplifier (LVDT) to monitor the position.
      The vertical closed-loop uses both an LVDT to monitor position and a load cell to
      monitor force with a "mode switch" being made between the two mechanisms of
      control. A function generator is used to produce a sine wave which is modified to
      produce the movement and force programs for the two servo-hydraulic actuators. An
      acrylic chamber was constructed which contains the test samples and maintains an
      environment similar to that which occurs in the mouth. Natural or artificial
      saliva maintained at 37 degrees C is continuously circulated through the chamber.
      The time to complete a single chewing cycle was decreased by eliminating that
      part of the cycle where no force is produced. This enables the chewing rate to be
      increased to four cycles per second. The wear produced in the artificial mouth
      was found to have a high correlation with clinical wear if 250,000 cycles in the
      artificial mouth are assumed to be equivalent to one year in the human mouth.

PMID- 1855796
TI  - Optical determination of dental pulp vitality.
AB  - In this preliminary study, we explored the feasibility of employing
      photoplethysmography and pulse oximetry to assess the status of the blood
      circulation in the dental pulp. A simple photometer that measures diffuse light
      transmission at 575 nm was built to record tooth plethysmograms, and the ability
      to distinguish vital from surgically devitalized teeth of a dog using
      plethysmography was demonstrated. As an extension of the photoplethysmographic
      technique, red-infrared pulse oximetry applied to the measurement of the oxygen
      saturation (SO2) of blood in the pulp was also examined using an in vitro test
      setup. Results suggest that the measurement of relative SO2 changes is feasible,
      but standard dual-wavelength pulse oximetry does not enable determination of SO2
      independent of tooth geometry and sensor placement.

PMID- 1855797
TI  - pH measurements with an ion sensitive field effect transistor in the mouth of
      patients with xerostomia.
AB  - A transistor pH electrode (ion sensitive field effect transistor), placed in the
      upper dentures of eleven xerostomia patients and five healthy volunteers, was
      used to register pH changes in five-, six- and seven-day-old dental plaque. A
      mouth rinse with a 10% sucrose solution caused a pH fall of about three decades.
      A significant difference in duration of critical plaque pH was observed: in
      xerostomia patients, a 10% longer period of pH less than 5.7 was registered
      during 60 min following a sucrose rinse. Normal oral functions were not
      influenced by the denture with an integrated electrode. This method is usable for
      plaque pH registration in xerostomia patients.

PMID- 1855798
TI  - Application of digital image analysis in dental radiography for the description
      of periapical bone lesions: a preliminary study.
AB  - This paper describes an application of digital image analysis for the description
      of periapical bone lesion in dental radiography. These techniques enable the
      problem of observer variability to be circumvented, and can eventually be used
      for the quantitative assessment of bone lesions. Since periapical bone lesions
      appear radiographically as dark areas compared with their surrounding tissues, an
      edge-detection method was developed to extract the boundaries between anatomy and
      pathology. The original data were transformed in such a way that only the
      outlines remained. The lesion was assumed to be demarcated by a continuous
      outline, so all the contour points not being part of a continuous outline were
      excluded. With only limited operator interaction, the lesion contour could be
      projected successfully onto the original image. The result of this operation was
      a simplified diagnostic examination process promising a higher degree of
      objectivity in periapical bone lesion detection. It is concluded that the results
      encourage further development of image processing techniques suitable for the
      definitive detection and diagnosis of periapical bone lesions.

PMID- 1855799
TI  - Measurements of dental cast profile and three-dimensional tooth movement during
      orthodontic treatment.
AB  - We have developed a system for measuring three-dimensional profiles of dental
      casts and three-dimensional tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. The
      profile measurement is based on the triangulation method which detects a laser
      sport on a cast using an image sensor. The system is computer-controlled and
      designed to achieve the depth and lateral resolutions of 0.05 and 0.1 mm,
      respectively, within a depth range of 25 mm. We have applied our system to
      measuring three-dimensional movement of teeth, including rotations, during
      orthodontic treatment. The movements have been obtained by means of three
      dimensional registration of tooth profiles using a computer between casts
      serially taken at different stages of the treatment. Measurements over periods of
      41 to 190 days on patients have revealed that this technique is capable of
      quantifying the difference in movements due to orthodontic therapeutics.

PMID- 1855800
TI  - Real-time sensing of tooth position for dental digital subtraction radiography.
AB  - Dental digital subtraction radiography requires accurate repositioning of the
      patient and X-ray source in order to facilitate correct diagnostic of bone loss.
      Present mechanical repositioning systems do not allow radiography of posterior
      teeth, and are uncomfortable for the patient. A new repositioning system that
      utilizes a six degrees of freedom position sensor and a robot arm with X-ray
      source is proposed. A mathematical model for the system is given, and the robot
      arm solution is obtained based on patient position. An error analysis is
      performed in order to determine the influence of sensor and robot errors on
      system accuracy. A series of experiments to determine sensor noise and accuracy
      are described. These tests showed relatively small errors over the work envelope
      of the sensor. Further tests showed that there is no adverse effect due to the
      presence of metal work in the patient's mouth. The high bandwidth of the sensor
      may allow real time tracking of small movements of the patient's head.

PMID- 1855801
TI  - A beamformer for the acquisition of evoked potentials.
AB  - Evoked potentials (EP) contain information about various physiological parameters
      and the estimation and detection of these signals can aid in the diagnosis of
      many pathological conditions. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for EP
      measurement is often very low, and thus signal processing techniques must be
      employed to enhance the SNR. A delay and sum beamformer acquisition system has
      the potential for significant SNR improvement in EP measurements. In this
      communication it is shown that an electrode array acquisition system implements a
      uniform coherent delay and sum beamformer. The performance of the beamformer is
      characterized in terms of the number of electrodes, and cross-channel
      correlation. When compared to conventional ensemble averaging, the beamformer
      reduces the number of response repetitions required to achieve a given SNR by a
      factor which approaches the number of channels in the acquisition system.

PMID- 1855802
TI  - Reconstruction of out-of-plane cardiac displacement patterns as observed on the
      chest wall during various phases of ECG by capacitance transducer.
AB  - The out-of-plane displacements due to cardiac action have been measured on the
      chest wall by an electronic distance measurement technique which is based on the
      variation of the capacitance between the probe and moving surface. The
      displacements were measured at 36 locations over the entire cardiac region along
      with ECG and were directly fed to an IBM PC/AT computer after A/D conversion.
      From these data, the displacement patterns for the whole region during the
      complete cardiac cycle could be reconstructed in a perspective view. The
      sequential analyses of the displacements shows the details of the cardiac events
      and the results obtained are in agreement with other techniques. The averaged
      displacements over various regions of the heart for normal subjects have also
      been presented.

PMID- 1855804
TI  - Comments on "Point source nerve bundle stimulation: Effects of fiber diameter and
      depth on simulated excitation".

PMID- 1855803
TI  - A qualitative approach to cell growth modeling and simulation for cancer
      chemotherapy.
AB  - A qualitative model of cell growth, based on qualitative process theory, is
      presented. The model can be used to analyze the effects of the interaction of
      antiproliferative drugs on cells when the effects of each specific drug are
      known, mainly when designing multi-drug protocols for optimal cancer treatment.

PMID- 1855805
TI  - You're right if you think that there has been a dramatic increase in the size of
      dental practices.

PMID- 1855806
TI  - [Infectious endocarditis].

PMID- 1855807
TI  - [Microbial spectrum and microbiological diagnosis of infectious endocarditis].
AB  - Still streptococci play the most important role as causatives of infective
      endocarditis. As change in composition of patient groups has taken place
      gradually pathogens like Staphylococcus epidermidis, enterococci, gram-negative
      rods and Candida species become more and more important now. Providing high-level
      accuracy if applied according to current rules blood culture is yet the basis for
      endocarditis caused by popular bacterial pathogens. If infection due to Candida
      species is suspected additional measuring of antibody response may be helpful in
      supporting the tentative diagnosis. Rare pathogens like Rickettsiae and
      Mycoplasma sp. must be considered for differential diagnosis, as infections
      caused by these organisms are to be identified by serological methods in first
      line.

PMID- 1855809
TI  - [Therapy and prophylaxis of infectious endocarditis].
AB  - Infective endocarditis remains even today a potential lethal disease. The most
      frequent bacterial agents are viridans streptococci, staphylococci and
      enterococci. Left-sided endocarditis predominates except for patients with drug
      addiction. Modern recommendations of treatment are based on in vitro studies,
      experimental data from the animal model and clinical studies. Antimicrobial
      therapy should be parenteral and bactericidal in character. Detailed
      recommendations for treatment are given. Progressive heart failure, persistent
      bacteremia and repeated embolism are the most important reasons for surgical
      intervention. Modern prevention is performed as single or short-term prophylaxis
      for about sixteen hours. Simple practicability as well as handing out of
      guidelines to the patient will contribute to improved acceptance.

PMID- 1855808
TI  - [Clinical aspects of endocarditis].
AB  - Considering the incidence of infectious endocarditis this disease is still an
      important clinical entity in internal medicine departments. Leading symptoms are
      fever, cardiac murmurs, embolic phenomena, skin alterations and also sometimes
      CNS-disturbances. Two different clinical endocarditis entities can be separated:
      an acute aggressive course of endocarditis and the subacute course (endocarditis
      lenta). Diagnostic procedures are mainly based on positive blood cultures and
      echocardiographic detection of cardiac vegetations. In case of a progressive
      development of cardiac insufficiency, non treatable infection, large vegetations
      on valve and embolic phenomena a prosthetic valve implantation is indicated.

PMID- 1855810
TI  - [Microbial pathogenicity factors and host defense mechanisms--parameters of post
      traumatic infections].
AB  - The clinical features of posttraumatic infections are due to the interactions
      between microbial pathogenicity factors and the host defense. The virulence
      mechanisms of microorganisms include the adherence, chemotaxis, invasion,
      resistance, and production of toxins. In addition, the humoral and cellular
      components of the immune system are impaired in trauma patients. The influence of
      pathogenic microorganisms on immune effector cells results in the release of
      various inflammatory mediators which participate in the protective host response
      to infection but induce local and systemic damage provided they are excessively
      produced and/or ineffectively metabolized.

PMID- 1855812
TI  - [Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with panniculitis and rhabdomyolysis].
AB  - In systemic lupus erythematosus as a multi-system disease the involvement of
      skeletal muscle has been described as a rather mild polymyositis, myopathy or
      inclusion-body myositis. Here we present a patient with a severe lupus presenting
      with a fulminant myositis with rhabdomyolysis and panniculitis.

PMID- 1855811
TI  - [Cyclophosphamide pulse therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus with renal
      involvement].
AB  - Study design and preliminary data of a prospective randomized trial with monthly
      administration of intravenous cyclophosphamide in so far 12 patients with
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis are presented.

PMID- 1855813
TI  - [Three cases of chronic polyarthritis after silicon implantation (breast
      augmentation): causal relationship?].
AB  - We describe three women with rheumatoid arthritis after augmentation mammoplasty
      with silicone implants. The possibility for a causal relationship between
      silicone implantation and arthritis as examples of a "human adjuvant disease" is
      discussed.

PMID- 1855814
TI  - [Induction of autoreactive T-cells by bacterial stress proteins in HLA-DR4
      donors].
AB  - From the peripheral blood of HLA-DR4+ healthy donors or patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis autoreactive T-cell lines were obtained after stimulation with
      bacterial heat-shock protein. All lines obtained express an alpha/beta-T-cell
      receptor and they are predominantly CD4+. The determination of the fine
      specificity of those autoreactive T cells showed, that either amino-acid position
      #71 or #86 of the HLA-DR beta 1 chain was critical for recognition by the antigen
      receptor.

PMID- 1855816
TI  - Colinearity of novel genes in the class II regions of the MHC in mouse and human.
AB  - To examine the degree of conservation of gene organization in and around the
      class II regions of the major histocompatibility complexes of mouse and human, we
      have established the positions of sequences homologous to five human non-class II
      genes (RING1-5) in mouse, and the positions of sequences homologous to three
      mouse non-class II genes (KE3-5) in human. The resulting comparative map reveals
      that the organization of genes in the entire proximal region of the MHCs of mouse
      and human is remarkably conserved, apart from the H-2K gene pair in mouse, which
      can be accounted for by a 60 kilobase (kb) insertion. The characterization of the
      novel human gene RING5 is also presented. This gene, which is widely expressed,
      maps 85 kb proximal to the DPB2 gene. Partial nucleotide sequencing of a RING5
      cDNA clone reveals that it is the human homolog of the mouse KE4 gene.

PMID- 1855815
TI  - The role of C5 and T-cell receptor Vb genes in susceptibility to collagen-induced
      arthritis.
AB  - Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a rodent arthritis model in which
      immunization with heterologous type II collagen induces an inflammatory
      polyarthritis. Susceptibility to the disease is mediated by major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes as well as genes at other loci. Previous
      studies of the SWR/J mouse strain, which is resistant to CIA despite bearing the
      susceptible H-2q haplotype, have suggested that this resistance is the result of
      a deletion of T-cell receptor (Tcr) Vb gene segments which is carried by this
      strain. Other studies have implicated a deficiency in complement component C5 as
      the cause for the resistance. In order to assess the relative importance of these
      two genes in susceptibility to CIA, and to provide an estimate of the number of
      independent genes involved in the disease, we analyzed 196 F2 progeny of a (DBA/1
      x SWR/J) cross for arthritis susceptibility, and expression of both C5 and Tcr
      genes. Thirty of the F2 progeny developed arthritis. All of the arthritic mice
      had at least one copy of the wild-type C5 allele, while the Tcr-Vb haplotypes
      were distributed in Mendelian fashion. These results demonstrate that C5
      sufficiency is an absolute requirement for CIA, but that Tcr-Vb genes located
      within the SWR deletion have little influence. Genetic analysis of the incidence
      rate suggests that there is polygenic control of susceptibility to CIA and that
      in addition to H-2, 5-6 other independent loci (including C5) may be involved.

PMID- 1855817
TI  - Nonobese diabetic and nonobese nondiabetic mice have unique MHC class II
      haplotypes.

PMID- 1855818
TI  - Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II region in humans.

PMID- 1855819
TI  - Isolation of mosquito-pathogenic Bacillus sphaericus & B. thuringiensis from the
      root surface of hydrophytes.
AB  - Attempts were made to isolate B. sphaericus and B. thuringiensis active against
      mosquito larvae from the root surface of hydrophytes. Out of 139 samples
      processed, 86 B. sphaericus and 23 B. thuringiensis isolates were obtained. Sixty
      two of the B. sphaericus isolates belonged to the serotype H5a5b, 2 to H6 and 22
      isolates did not agglutinate with any of the 6 antisera tested. Twenty of the B.
      thuringiensis isolates belonged to the H14 serotype, 1 each to the H10 and H17
      serotype(s) and 1 to an unknown serotype. Fifty nine of the B. sphaericus and 20
      of the B. thuringiensis isolates fall under highly toxic category with the LC50
      dose of 1-50 ng/ml for Culex quinquefasciatus third instar larvae.

PMID- 1855820
TI  - Psychiatric morbidity in HIV infected individuals.
AB  - Forty six subjects infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were
      followed up, for recording psychiatric morbidity if any, before and after the
      information regarding their HIV status was revealed to them. Among these, four
      patients had the AIDS syndrome, while 42 individuals were HIV carriers. The pre
      information morbidity in the AIDS group included two individuals who presented
      with delirium and one with an adjustment disorder. The psychiatric diagnosis
      among the HIV carriers revealed one patient with major depression, four with
      adjustment disorders and four with alcohol dependence syndrome. The additional
      morbidity after the diagnoses was revealed included major depression and
      adjustment disorders which could be managed by psychological intervention and
      counselling in most cases. The individual who developed major depression later,
      committed suicide. The study though preliminary in nature, suggests that it may
      be beneficial to include psychiatric management as part of the general care of
      individuals with HIV infection.

PMID- 1855821
TI  - In vitro effect of Phyllanthus amarus on hepatitis B virus.
AB  - To evaluate the effects of P. amarus on hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens and HBV
      DNA, initial ethanolic extract and subsequent fractions of the plants were
      prepared. The whole plant material was dried, powdered and extracted with alcohol
      and subsequently fractionated in hexane, chloroform, butanol and finally in
      water. All the material were tested for in vitro effects on HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV
      DNA in serum samples positive for HBV antigens followed by the screening of
      respective antigens by Elisa. HBV-DNA was determined by molecular hybridization.
      The extracts were effective against HBV antigens, the butanol extract being the
      most potent. Further chromatographic fractions showed an enhanced activity. The
      active fractions inhibited the interaction between HBsAg/HBeAg and their
      corresponding antibodies suggesting anti-HBs, anti-HBe-like activity and also an
      effect on HBV-DNA.

PMID- 1855822
TI  - Prevalence study of tuberculous infection over fifteen years, in a rural
      population in Chingleput district (south India).
AB  - As in the earlier BCG trial against tuberculosis conducted in Chingleput district
      in south India (in 1969), the entire study population was tuberculin tested
      (Survey I), a study was undertaken subsequently to see whether in this population
      there was any change in the tuberculosis situation in terms of prevalence of
      infection in children. For this purpose, in two of the panchayat unions, in a
      random sample of panchayats, tuberculin testing was repeated twice at an interval
      of 10 yr (Survey II) and 15 yr (Survey III) after the initial testing in children
      aged 1-9 yr. High coverages were obtained for tuberculin testing and reading.
      Data from 8,703 and 9,709 children at Surveys I and II respectively was used for
      comparing the prevalence of infection over a period of 10 yr and from 4,808,
      4,965 and 4,889 children at Surveys I, II and III respectively for comparing the
      prevalence of infection over a period of 15 yr. The results showed that although
      the prevalence of infection varied in the two panchayat unions, within each
      panchayat union it did not differ significantly at the three surveys. The overall
      prevalence of infection at the three surveys was 9.0, 10.2 and 9.1 per cent
      respectively. The average annual risk of tuberculous infection was estimated to
      be 1.7, 1.9 and 1.7 per cent at the three surveys respectively. Thus, the results
      clearly showed that, over a period of 15 yr, there was no change in the
      tuberculosis situation, in terms of prevalence of infection, in the study
      population.

PMID- 1855823
TI  - Enterotoxigenic Campylobacter jejuni & C. coli in the etiology of diarrhoea in
      northern India.
AB  - Faecal specimens from subjects with (320) and without (450) diarrhoea were
      screened for Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli. C. jejuni and C. coli were
      detected in 5 per cent of subjects with diarrhoea and 0.7 per cent of those
      without diarrhoea and the difference was significant (P less than or equal to
      0.01). The isolation rate was much higher in under five diarrhoeal children
      (8.3%), in comparison to the older group (3.0%). Eleven diarrhoeal isolates of C.
      jejuni and C. coli were tested in rat ileal loops for enterotoxigenicity. All the
      strains caused fluid accumulation in the loop model. However, 6 strains required
      up to 3 consecutive passage(s) to do so. Therefore, rat ileal loops were found to
      be sensitive and reproducible animal model for the demonstration of enterotoxin
      produced by C. jejuni and C. coli. The culture filtrates of 3 strains of C.
      jejuni and C. coli were subjected to neutralisation with cholera antitoxin. The
      fluid accumulation was completely neutralised up to 1 in 80 dilution showing
      immunobiological relationship between C. jejuni and C. coli enterotoxin and
      cholera toxin.

PMID- 1855824
TI  - Simplified method for the detection of DNA hydrolysis by enteric campylobacters.
AB  - A simplified medium was developed for the detection of DNase produced by enteric
      campylobacters. Sensitivity and reproducibility of the test were similar to that
      of the improved toluidine blue DNA agar method. Logistically, the simplified DNA
      hydrolysis test was cheaper (5.5 times) than the earlier medium. Based on this
      study we recommend the routine use of the simplified medium to perform the DNase
      test for biotyping enteric campylobacters.

PMID- 1855825
TI  - Murine pathogenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis & its susceptibility to
      metronidazole.
AB  - Eight isolates of T. vaginalis obtained from clinical specimens were tested for
      their pathogenicity in the murine model using the subcutaneous route of
      inoculation. In general, all isolates produced localised purulent abscesses in
      the mice. On comparison with a reference strain, all but two isolates were found
      to be significantly more pathogenic for mice than the reference strain, while two
      were comparable in their pathogenicity. All eight isolates were sensitive in vivo
      to metronidazole. In six of the eight isolates, metronidazole (30 mg/kg body wt)
      administered for four days to subcutaneously infected mice effected a 100 per
      cent cure. The ED50 values ranged from 3.4 to 23.94 mg/kg body weight. None of
      the isolates could be termed as resistant.

PMID- 1855826
TI  - Microbiological evaluation of female patients in STD clinics.
AB  - A total of 215 women patients attending the STD clinic were evaluated in an
      attempt to isolate the different microorganisms in sexually transmitted diseases
      (STD). Mycoplasmas (30.22%), Candida species (20.00%), Trichomonas vaginalis (wet
      mount study; 15.81%), beta haemolytic streptococci (13.48%), Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae (9.30%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.95%), inclusion bodies of
      Chlamydia trachomatis (11.60%) and Gram negative organisms (9.30%) were isolated
      from these patients. Sera of all patients screened for HBsAg by ELISA showed a
      carrier rate of 12.5 per cent; 29.8 per cent sera were reactive in the VDRL test
      at the dilutions varying from 1:4 to 1:64.

PMID- 1855827
TI  - Rapid identification of clinically important bacteroides by coagglutination
      method.
AB  - A coagglutination technique using indigenous reagents was applied for the rapid
      identification of Bacteroides fragilis and the black pigmented bacteroides group,
      using colony suspensions. All the 58 strains of B. fragilis and 42 strains of
      black pigmented bacteroides tested could be correctly identified by this method.
      The specificity of the coagglutination reagent was confirmed by the absence of
      cross reactivity with the related species of bacteroides, viz., B. distasonis, B.
      ovatus, B. vulgatus and B. thetaiotaomicron as well as other anaerobic and
      aerobic bacteria. A panel of four antisera against B. fragilis was required for
      correct identification of the strains tested, indicating the presence of multiple
      serotypes. On the other hand, all 42 strains of black pigmented bacteroides
      tested could be identified, using a single reagent as these strains appeared to
      have no antigenic type variants.

PMID- 1855828
TI  - N-nitroso compounds and human cancer: where do we stand?
AB  - Humans are exposed not only to preformed N-nitroso compounds (NOC) but also to a
      wide range of nitrogen-containing compounds and nitrosating agents which can
      react in vivo to form NOC, a versatile class of carcinogens. Nitrosating agents
      and NOC can also be synthesized endogenously in reactions mediated by bacteria
      and activated macrophages. Thus, endogenous formation of NOC can occur at various
      sites in the body. A sensitive procedure (the N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) test) has
      been developed to estimate exposure of humans to exogenous and endogenous NOC.
      Results of studies in human subjects with this test led to the following
      conclusions: (1) The process of endogenous nitrosation in humans is influenced by
      many factors; therefore, determination only of nitrate and nitrite in body fluids
      is insufficient to assess the extent of nitrosation in man in vivo. (2) In
      clinical studies to examine the model of gastric carcinogenesis based on
      bacterial colonization and nitrosation in vivo, progress has been made in
      explaining some steps, but several controversies remain. Although bacterial
      strains possessing enzymes that catalyse N-nitrosamine formation at neutrality
      have been isolated from the gastric juice of achlorhydric subjects, their precise
      role in gastric carcinogenesis remains to be clarified. (3) Formation of
      endogenous NOC was assessed by the NPRO test in: (i) subjects living in high- and
      low-incidence areas for stomach cancer in northern Japan, Costa Rica and Poland;
      (ii) subjects with different habits of betel-quid chewing and tobacco use; (iii)
      patients with urinary bladder infections; and (iv) subjects infested with liver
      fluke in Thailand. In all instances, greater exposure to endogenous NOC was found
      in high-risk subjects, but individual exposure was greatly affected by dietary
      modifiers of disease state: ascorbic acid efficiently lowered the body burden of
      intragastrically formed NOC. (4) Increased nitrosation is also observed in
      tobacco smokers, adding to the body burden of ingested or inhaled tobacco-related
      carcinogens. These results, together with the knowledge that NOC produce tumours
      in 40 animal species, clearly underline the potential role of NOC (and other
      nitrite-reactive compounds) in human cancer etiology, particularly when exposure
      starts early in life and persists over a long period. The demonstrated efficacy
      of certain vitamins as nitrosation inhibitors also provides a plausible
      interpretation of epidemiological findings that have shown protective effects of
      fruits and vegetables (sources of vitamins and polyphenols) against various
      malignancies and particularly stomach cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1855829
TI  - Tenth international meeting on N-nitroso compounds, mycotoxins and tobacco smoke:
      relevance to human cancer.

PMID- 1855830
TI  - A rapid gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the determination of
      urinary 3-methyladenine: application in human subjects.
AB  - A rapid gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method, employing immunoaffinity
      clean-up, has been developed for the measurement of 3-methyladenine in human
      urine samples. A wide variation in levels of urinary 3-methyladenine was
      observed, indicating that at least some may be derived from the diet and not be
      related to endogenous nitrosation and subsequent methylation.

PMID- 1855831
TI  - Tandem mass spectrometric approaches for determining exposure to alkylating
      agents.
AB  - Tandem mass spectrometric techniques have been developed for analysing alkylated
      purines in human urine. These techniques are designed with the objectives firstly
      of identifying unknown adducts derived from mixed exposures to alkylating agents,
      and secondly of quantifying these adducts with minimal sample purification.

PMID- 1855832
TI  - Relevance of N-nitrosamines to oesophageal cancer in China.
AB  - Oesophageal cancer occurs at a very high frequency in certain areas of China,
      especially in Linxian county, Henan province. Previous studies suggested that N
      nitroso compounds play a causative role. In order to study further the exposure
      of Linxian inhabitants, the intake of N-nitrosamines in the diet was determined.
      The total daily intake of volatile nitrosamines and of N-nitroso-N
      methylbenzylamine (NMBzA) was higher in Linxian than in two other counties. NMBzA
      can induce cancer in animal and human oesophageal epithelium. Human fetal
      oesophageal epithelia were cultured with NMBzA for 4 h, and eight monkeys were
      treated with NMBzA. High-molecular-weight DNA extracted from explants and from
      the oesophageal epithelia of monkeys induced malignant transformation of NIH 3T3
      cells. Alu and monkey-specific repeat sequences were present in transformed
      cells, and H-ras was found in the transforming DNA. Human fetal oesophageal
      epithelium cultured with NMBzA was transplanted into the mesentery of BALB/c nude
      mice. Tumours were found after eight months; and the Alu sequence was present in
      DNA extracted from tumours induced by NMBzA, showing that the tumours were of
      human origin. The results provide direct evidence that NMBzA is carcinogenic in
      human oesophageal epithelium and that N-nitrosamines are one of the causative
      factors of oesophageal cancer in Linxian county.

PMID- 1855834
TI  - Promutagenic lesions persist in the DNA of target cells for nitrosamine-induced
      carcinogenesis.
AB  - Immunohistochemical procedures for the location of O6-methylguanine (O6-meGua)
      permit detection of cells proficient for the metabolism of N-nitrosodimethylamine
      (NDMA) and deficient for the repair of this DNA lesion. Such cells are
      potentially at high risk for cancer induction and are present in various tissues.
      In animals maintained on a protein-deficient diet, the distribution and intensity
      of alkylation of individual cells is altered, particularly in liver where fewer
      cells apparently retain the capacity to metabolize the nitrosamine, thereby
      permitting increased levels of alkylation in other tissues. In the renal cortex,
      specific, O6-meGua-positive target cells for renal cancer induced by a single
      dose of NDMA in weanling rats persist at least up to the appearance of early
      lesions. Persistence of alkylated cells in several tissues indicates prospects
      for the detection of environmental exposure.

PMID- 1855833
TI  - Quantification of 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone released from human
      haemoglobin as a dosimeter for exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
AB  - A method was developed to quantify globin adducts of the tobacco-specific
      nitrosamines 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'
      nitrosonornicotine (NNN). Globin adducts of NNK and NNN release 4-hydroxy-1-(3
      pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB) after mild treatment with a base. HPB was analysed as
      its pentafluorobenzoate by capillary column gas chromatography with detection by
      negative-ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry and selected-ion monitoring.
      The detection limit for HPB-pentafluorobenzoate was approximately 1
      fmol/injection. The method was applied to haemoglobin from snuff dippers, smokers
      and nonsmokers. Adduct levels were highest in snuff dippers (517 +/- 538 fmol HPB
      per gram haemoglobin), followed by smokers (79 +/- 189 fmol HPB per gram
      haemoglobin) and nonsmokers (29.3 +/- 25.9 fmol HPB per gram haemoglobin). The
      method will be useful in assessing the role of tobacco-specific nitrosamines as
      causes of cancer in smokers and snuff dippers.

PMID- 1855835
TI  - Nitrite-trapping capacity of thioproline in the human body.
AB  - Human nitrosating capacity has been monitored using proline; however, N
      nitrosothiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid (NTCA; N-nitrosothioproline), one of the
      predominant N-nitroso compounds in human urine, is also nonmutagenic and,
      presumably, noncarcinogenic. Thioproline is nitrosated about 1000 times faster
      than proline in vitro, and NTCA is excreted into the urine without being
      metabolized. We have therefore proposed thioproline as an effective nitrite
      trapping agent in the human body. Recently, we found thioproline in various
      cooked foods, including cod and dried shiitake mushrooms. In the study reported
      here, we evaluate the nitrite trapping capacity of thioproline in a male
      nonsmoking volunteer ingesting NO3- and eating a controlled diet. The highest
      level of NTCA excreted, 5.89 mumol, was measured after the subject ingested 6
      mmol NO3- followed by 0.45 mmol (60 mg) thioproline. We estimated the effective
      amount of nitrite, defined as the actual amount of nitrite participating in
      nitrosation in the stomach, to be 0.3% of the NO3- ingested. Thus, the effective
      amount of NO2- for 6 mmol NO3- ingested was calculated to be 18 mumol, and 33% of
      this nitrite was trapped by ingestion of 0.45 mmol thioproline. We conclude that
      thioproline is a most sensitive probe for evaluating human nitrosating capacity
      and an effective nitrite-trapping agent.

PMID- 1855837
TI  - Effect of ascorbic acid on the intragastric environment in patients at increased
      risk of developing gastric cancer.
AB  - Ascorbic acid has been shown to decrease nitrosation in vivo, and epidemiological
      data suggest that the consumption of foods rich in this vitamin is associated
      with a reduced risk for gastric cancer. In order to study this suggestion
      further, fasting gastric juice samples were obtained from 62 high-risk patients
      (seven with atrophic gastritis, ten with pernicious anaemia, ten with partial
      gastrectomy, 21 with vagotomy and drainage and 14 with highly selective
      vagotomy), before, during four weeks' treatment with 1 g ascorbic acid four times
      daily, and four weeks after treatment. Samples were analysed for pH, total and
      nitrate-reducing bacterial counts, nitrite and N-nitroso compounds. Treatment
      with ascorbic acid lowered the median pH only in the vagotomized patients (p less
      than 0.001) but resulted in a reduction in median nitrate-reducing bacterial
      counts and in nitrite and N-nitroso compound concentrations in all groups, except
      for an increase in the nitrate-reducing bacterial count in atrophic gastritis
      patients and in nitrite in those with pernicious anaemia. These data suggest that
      treatment with a high dose of ascorbic acid reduces the intragastric formation of
      nitrite and N-nitroso compounds.

PMID- 1855836
TI  - Endogenous N-nitrosation and cancer of the biliary tract.
AB  - Evidence is presented that N-nitroso compounds occur in bile from patients who
      have undergone surgery for gallstones or had gastrectomy and from unoperated
      persons. It is unlikely, therefore, that local formation of nitrosamines can
      account for the excess risk for gallbladder cancer in the first two groups.
      Gastric formation remains the likeliest hypothesis.

PMID- 1855838
TI  - An approach to establishing N-nitroso compounds as the cause of gastric cancer.
AB  - Although gastric cancer is the most common cause of mortality from cancer, its
      etiology is not yet clear. To elucidate the role of N-nitroso compounds, we
      investigated 30 cases of gastric cancer by determination of the contents of
      nitrate and ascorbic acid and by detection of mutagens in urine. Cases were
      paired 1:1 with patients with dysplasia and normal controls of the same sex and
      age group. In comparison with normal controls, the gastric cancer group had
      higher nitrate and lower ascorbic acid levels in urine. Mutagenicity was observed
      in the urines of 83.3% of the gastric cancer cases and in 16.6% of the dysplasia
      group, but in none of those from normal controls. When the N-nitroso compound
      content of gastric juice was determined, the levels in control subjects were
      significantly lower than those in persons with gastric cancer. These results
      support the hypothesis that the cause of gastric cancer may be N-nitroso
      compounds.

PMID- 1855839
TI  - The N-nitrosoproline test as a measure of cancer risk in geographical comparison
      studies: results from Italy and an overall comparison.
AB  - The N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) test has been used in studies in which populations at
      high risk of cancer have been compared with equivalent populations at lower risk,
      to examine whether the geographical variation in cancer risk correlates with
      propensity for endogenous nitrosation, as assessed by the NPRO test. The usual
      method employed has been to determine NPRO in 12- or 24-h urine samples, after
      ingestion of L-proline, in a representative sample of the general population. We
      present results from one such geographical study conducted in two regions of
      Italy (Florence and Cagliari) with an approximately three-fold variation in
      gastric cancer mortality. The nonsignificant difference in mean NPRO excretion
      between the two populations was insufficient to explain the difference in cancer
      risk. The fact that there are appreciable international differences in formation
      of NPRO suggests, firstly, that nitrosation may be of relevance to cancer risk in
      some countries but not in others and, secondly, that variations within one
      country may not be large enough for significant geographical differences to be
      evident. Multivariate analysis of individual, rather than grouped, results from
      our Italian study made it possible to quantify the relevance of different factors
      to NPRO formation: a major factor is exposure to nitrate. Important relationships
      may be missed by analysing only grouped data.

PMID- 1855840
TI  - Role of nitrosamides in the high risk for gastric cancer in China.
AB  - Gastric cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in China. Samples of
      fish sauce, a traditional seasoning, were collected in the high-risk area for
      gastric cancer in the Fuzhou area, Fujian Province. When fish sauce samples were
      nitrosated at pH 2.0, direct mutagenicity and high contents of N-nitrosamide were
      detected (30.9-78.0 microM); the N-nitrosamide content of three samples of fish
      sauce made in Guangdong and purchased from a market outside Fujian were low (2.1
      6.0 microns). When the nitrosated fish sauce extract was given to newborn rats by
      gavage, dysplasia and adenocarcinoma were induced in the glandular stomach in the
      4th and 16th experimental week, respectively. N-Nitrosamides were also found in
      fasting gastric juice from patients with chronic gastritis in the high-risk area
      of Putian. The mean concentration of total N-nitrosamides in the extracts
      correlated with the severity of gastritis in the stomach. These findings indicate
      that N-nitrosamides may play an important role in causing gastric cancer in
      China.

PMID- 1855841
TI  - Microflora of the nasopharynx in Caucasian and Maghrebian subjects with and
      without nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - The possible role of bacteria in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)
      was studied by bacteriological and biochemical analyses of nasopharyngeal swabs
      collected in the cavum and in the fossa of Rosenmuller of NPC patients and
      healthy controls in France and Algeria. Counts of total bacteria and of total
      nitrate-reducing bacteria, mainly enterobacteria, were higher in the Maghrebians
      than in the Caucasians. The composition of the bacterial flora was different: in
      Maghrebians, enterobacteria were present in five of 17 control subjects and eight
      of 15 NPC patients, while the prevalence was only one out of 15 control subjects
      in Caucasians. Twelve of 32 bacterial species isolated from Caucasians and
      Maghrebians with normal or tumorous nasopharyngeal microflora were able to
      catalyse nitrosation of morpholine in vitro. This result suggests that
      colonization of the nasopharynx by microflora that contain nitrate-reducing
      microorganisms which can form N-nitroso compounds might represent a risk factor
      for NPC in Maghrebian populations.

PMID- 1855842
TI  - Exposure to N-nitrosamines and other risk factors for gastric cancer in Costa
      Rican children.
AB  - The hypothesis that endogenous chemical nitrosation in the normal stomach in
      early life could play a crucial role in inducing chronic atrophic
      gastritis/intestinal metaplasia in later life was tested by applying the N
      nitrosoproline (NPRO) test to 12-h urine samples from about 50 children (aged 8
      14 years) living in high- and low-risk areas for stomach cancer. The median
      values of NPRO and the sum of four nitrosamino acids analysed were 0.28-0.84
      micrograms/12 h and 0.75-1.75 micrograms/12 h, respectively. The NPRO level after
      proline intake was significantly higher in children from a high-risk area than in
      those from a low-risk area (p less than 0.04), and markedly reduced after
      ingestion of ascorbic acid and proline (p less than 0.05). Urinary nitrate level
      was lower than that of adults. NPRO levels on the day of proline intake, however,
      correlated well with nitrate levels (p less than 0.001), indicating that children
      in a high-risk area in Costa Rica have high endogenous nitrosation potential.
      Blood samples were also collected from about 300 children (aged 7-20 years) and
      analysed for antibodies against Campylobacter pylori, a suspected gastritis
      causing bacteria. About 71% of children in both high- and low-risk areas for
      stomach cancer had antibodies. In addition, raw and cooked beans, which are
      consumed very frequently in Costa Rica, were collected from families in both
      areas and analysed for levels of nitrite/nitrate, total N-nitroso compounds and
      genotoxicity in the SOS chromotest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855843
TI  - Urinary excretion of N-nitrosoproline in relation to consumption of raw and
      cooked vegetables in a Danish rural population.
AB  - Several recent case-control studies of gastric cancer have demonstrated the
      protective effect of consumption of vegetables. According to Correa's model of
      gastric carcinogenesis, the initiating agent is N-nitroso compounds either
      ingested or formed in vivo. In our study of endogenous nitrosation, we measured
      intragastric formation of N-nitroso compounds in 285 individuals by the
      nitrosation of proline; in this presentation we analysed the effect of
      consumption of vegetables on urinary excretion of N-nitrosoproline (NPRO). When
      adjustment was made for the dominating determinants of NPRO excretion (total
      nitrate intake and tobacco smoking), a marked difference in the effects of
      consumption of raw and cooled vegetables was seen: consumption of cooked
      vegetables increased endogenous nitrosation of proline, while consumption of raw
      vegetables had only a marginal effect. We suggest that the difference between raw
      and cooked vegetables is due to destruction of ascorbate in the cooking of the
      vegetables. The lack of a protective effect of consumption of raw vegetables on
      the rate on endogenous nitrosation of proline indicates, however, that the
      determinants of nitrosation of proline and the determinants of gastric cancer
      risk may be different.

PMID- 1855844
TI  - N-nitroso compounds, genotoxins and their precursors in gastric juice from humans
      with and without precancerous lesions of the stomach.
AB  - We are investigating the interrelationships between levels of total N-nitroso
      compounds (NOC), genotoxic activity (both before and after nitrosation), degree
      of bacterial colonization in gastric juice and degree of severity or absence of
      precancerous lesions of the stomach. The mean level of constitutive total NOC in
      gastric juice was similar in the different groups of patients, but it was higher
      in acidic gastric juice (n = 30) than in gastric juice at pH greater than 4.5 (n
      = 12). Acid-catalysed nitrosation of gastric juice in vitro increased the
      concentration of total NOC by up to several thousand fold, to a maximum of 1330
      mumol/l. Genotoxicity, expressed as SOS-inducing potency per 100 microliters of
      gastric juice was measurable in only 20% of gastric juice samples tested. After
      acid-catalysed nitrosation, however, all samples showed genotoxic activity, the
      mean SOS-inducing potency being four to seven times greater than the
      corresponding constitutive value. There was no association between the mean SOS
      inducing potency of gastric juice and the severity of precancerous lesions. The
      mean SOS-inducing potency of neutral or basic gastric juice was slightly greater
      than that of acidic samples. In a kinetic study on N-nitrosation of gastric juice
      in vitro, a mixture of amino and amido substrates was nitrosated; both
      qualitative and quantitative individual differences in nitrosatable substrates in
      gastric juice were seen. Fractionation of acidic, neutral and basic nitrosated
      gastric juice samples revealed a preponderance of nonvolatile, unknown NOC with
      varying polarities. The results of our study suggest that only pH determines the
      nature and level of precursors of NOC and of nitrosation-dependent genotoxins in
      gastric juice.

PMID- 1855845
TI  - Urinary nitrate, nitrite and N-nitroso compounds in bladder cancer patients with
      schistosomiasis (bilharzia).
AB  - Urinary excretion of nitrite and of volatile and nonvolatile N-nitroso compounds
      is increased in schistosomiasis (bilharzia) patients with Schistosoma haematobium
      infection. This observation suggests that the formation of nitrite and N-nitroso
      compounds in vivo in the urinary bladder of bilharzial patients may be an
      important etiological factor in the induction of bladder cancer associated with
      S. haematobium infection.

PMID- 1855846
TI  - Dietary practices and cancer mortality in China.
AB  - An ecological survey on diet, life style and cancer mortality was carried out in
      65 rural counties in China, using a questionnaire comprising 285 questions on
      environmental factors, dietary practices and other life style characteristics; in
      addition, blood, urine and food were collected and analysed. Two interpretations
      of preliminary data are presented. One is for the finding of a positive
      correlation between a latent variable, namely general nutritional status, and
      cancer mortality rates; the other is for a positive correlation between lipid
      peroxidation (plasma lipid peroxidase and copper) and oesophageal and gastric
      cancer mortality, and a negative correlation between dietary oxidants (plasma
      selenium, ascorbic acid and retinol) and mortality from oesophageal and gastric
      cancer.

PMID- 1855847
TI  - Formation of N-trimethyl-N-nitrosourea in the gastric lumen of the fistulated
      pig.
AB  - The formation of N-trimethyl-N-nitrosourea (TMNU) in the stomach of full-sized
      gastric-fistulated pigs was determined. Nitrite was added to the stomach in
      amounts that have been reported to occur in the human stomach (25-375 mumol). The
      vehicle was an 'artificial meal' made up of synthetic gastric juice. The total
      amount of TMNU formed (not concentration) was estimated by determining the
      concentration and gastric volume using multiple additions of a nonabsorbable
      marker (polyethylene glycol). At an initial pH of 3, 23-1000 micrograms of TMNU
      were found after 10-25 min. The rate of loss of polyethylene glycol and TMNU from
      the stomach were the same, indicating that TMNU was not directly absorbed. These
      data suggest that formation of TMNU under conditions similar to those found in
      the human stomach is possible.

PMID- 1855848
TI  - Bacterial formation of N-nitroso compounds in the rat stomach after omeprazole
      induced achlorhydria.
AB  - N-Nitrosamine formation by bacteria in the achlorhydric stomach has been proposed
      as an important factor in the development of gastric cancer. Thus, the effect of
      the presence of bacteria in the stomach on endogenous nitrosation was
      investigated in rats given omeprazole (an inhibitor of gastric H+, K((+)-ATPase)
      which reduces gastric secretion sufficiently to allow survival of a bacterial
      suspension of Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas. When rats were given both
      thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid and nitrate, greater endogenous nitrosamine
      formation was observed in rats receiving omeprazole and an E. coli suspension
      than in control or omeprazole-treated rats. A similar result was obtained when
      rats were given morpholine and nitrate. Since the endogenous formation of N
      nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) can be evaluated more precisely from the levels of its
      urinary metabolites, N-nitrosohydroxyethylglycine (NHEG), the metabolism of NMOR
      was studied in omeprazole-treated rats. In this preliminary study, we showed that
      60% of an oral dose of NMOR was excreted as NHEG, while in rats with a higher
      gastric pH 20% was excreted as NHEG. The amount of endogenously formed NMOR was
      increased in omeprazole-treated rats given morpholine and nitrite together with
      bacteria, and greater excretion of unchanged urinary NMOR was observed. Thus, as
      shown in this in-vivo model, bacteria efficiently reduce nitrate to nitrite and
      catalyse nitrosation, resulting in increased endogenous formation of N-nitroso
      compounds in the achlorhydric stomach.

PMID- 1855849
TI  - Epidemiological study of precursor lesions of oesophageal cancer among young
      persons in Huixian, China.
AB  - A total of 538 subjects (354 males, 184 females) were investigated in a high-risk
      area for oesophageal cancer in China to provide large-scale data on the
      prevalence of chronic oesophagitis among persons below 25 years of age. The
      survey included an oesophagoscopy with guided biopsies and cytology, a physical
      examination, an interview and collection of a 10-ml blood sample and overnight
      urine. Histologically confirmed oesophagitis was found in 43.5% of male and 35.6%
      of female subjects. Mild and moderate oesophagitis was associated positively with
      consumption of burning hot beverages, family history of oesophageal cancer,
      frequent consumption of cottonseed oil, cigarette smoking, a clinical diagnosis
      of oral leukoplakia and seborrhoeic dermatitis; negative associations were seen
      with frequent consumption of fresh fruit, meat and eggs. A significantly higher
      level of urinary nitrate was found in the diseased group, but no difference was
      seen with regard to any of the N-nitrosamino acids measured.

PMID- 1855850
TI  - Gliomas and meningiomas in men in Los Angeles County: investigation of exposures
      to N-nitroso compounds.
AB  - We conducted a case-control study of primary tumours of the brain and cranial
      meninges in Los Angeles County to investigate the hypothesis that these tumours
      are related to occupational exposures. We also collected limited data on diet and
      personal habits that are likely to involve exposure to N-nitroso compounds (NOC),
      NOC precursors and modulators of NOC metabolism. Interviews were conducted with
      272 men with a brain tumour diagnosed in 1980-84 and with 272 individually
      matched neighbourhood controls. The study was of sufficient size to allow for
      separate analyses of the 202 pairs of glioma patients and of the 70 patients of
      meningioma. Six glioma cases and one control had worked in the rubber industry,
      in which excesses of brain tumour have been shown in previous studies and where
      there are high levels of volatile NOC at various work sites. Ten meningioma
      patients and five controls had used cooling, cutting or lubricating oils, and
      most had used these daily (eight cases; four controls). Cases and controls were
      not different, however, with respect to other occupations known to involve
      exposures to NOC. Cases and controls also did not differ in their consumption of
      alcoholic beverages or cigarettes or in their passive exposure to cigarette
      smoke. The most striking dietary finding was a significant protective effect
      among glioma pairs of use of vitamin supplements, which increased with increasing
      frequency of use (p for trend = 0.04; odds ratio for use at least twice a day =
      0.4 (95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.77)).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855851
TI  - Dietary sources of N-nitrosamines in a high-risk area for oesophageal cancer-
      Kashmir, India.
AB  - Samples of foods consumed frequently in Kashmir, a high-risk area for oesophageal
      cancer, were analysed for the presence of volatile N-nitrosamines. Relatively
      high levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) and N
      nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) were detected in smoked fish (20 micrograms/kg NDMA),
      sun-dried spinach (5.8 micrograms/kg NDMA; 23.8 micrograms/kg NPIP), sun-dried
      pumpkin (24.6 micrograms/kg NPYR) and dried, mixed vegetables (10 micrograms/kg
      NDMA). The possible role of N-nitrosamines in the etiology of oesophageal cancer
      in Kashmir is discussed.

PMID- 1855852
TI  - Volatile N-nitrosamines in fish meal, with special reference to the mechanism of
      formation of N-nitrosothiazolidine.
AB  - Volatile N-nitrosamines in 32 commercial Japanese fish meal samples were
      analysed, and three compounds, N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine and N
      nitrosothiazolidine (NT), were detected. We also examined the mechanism of
      formation of NT during fish meal production. Both cysteamine and thiazolidine
      were found to be precursors of NT. The cysteamine content decreased during
      boiling and drying of the fish; but that of thiazolidine increased during
      boiling. N-Nitrosothiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid (NTCA) was formed in sardine
      meal after treatment with nitrogen dioxide gas, and the rate of formation of NT
      from NTCA added to sardine meal was as high as 10% when the meal was heated at
      160 degrees C for 60 min. We propose two pathways for NT formation during fish
      meal manufacture: (1) cysteamine----thiazolidine----NT; and (2) cysteine---
      (thiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid)----NTCA----NT.

PMID- 1855853
TI  - Regional differences in N-nitrosamine content of traditional Chinese foods.
AB  - Traditional uncooked and cooked Chinese foods from six provinces with different
      cancer patterns were analysed for volatile N-nitrosamines (VNA) by gas
      chromatography-thermal energy analysis. Selected samples were also analysed for N
      nitrosamino acids (NAA). N-Nitrosodiethylamine was the VNA found most often (in
      91/108 samples; less than 0.2-17.5 micrograms/kg), followed by N
      nitrosodimethylamine (in 75/108 samples; less than 0.2-17.3 micrograms/kg). N
      Nitrosodipropylamine was detected in 11/108 samples (0.9-6.2 micrograms/g).
      Samples selected for analysis of NAA on the basis of their VNA content contained
      one or more NAA, including N-nitrosoproline and N-nitrosothiazolidine 4
      carboxylic acid (range, 1.1-115 micrograms/kg; average, 35 micrograms/kg). Both
      the incidence and pattern of occurrence of VNA suggest that Chinese foods differ
      from western foods, which would not be expected to contain NAA as frequently nor
      to contain N-nitrosodipropylamine. The highest percentages of positive samples
      were from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces (89 and 91%, respectively), and they had
      the highest average VNA content. Beijing city and Sichuan province gave the
      lowest percentages of positive samples (75 and 56%, respectively) and the lowest
      average VNA content.

PMID- 1855854
TI  - The etiology of gastric cancer.
AB  - We review recent evidence concerning risk factors for gastric cancer. An overview
      of analytical studies shows convincing evidence of a protective effect of fruit
      and vegetables. The specific protective constituents have not been firmly
      established, but micronutrients, especially ascorbic acid, are probably of
      importance. Other dietary factors that show a consistent pattern of effect in
      different studies are the moderate risks associated with high intake of preserved
      foods and salt. Evidence also indicates that gastric cancer is associated with
      tobacco consumption, although even in continuing heavy smokers the risk does not
      exceed two fold. Another non-dietary factor of potential importance is infection
      with the bacterium, Helicobacter (Campylobacter) pylori. The model of Correa and
      co-workers currently offers the best working hypothesis to explain the etiology
      of gastric cancer. Although the endogenous synthesis of N-nitroso compounds is
      central to the model, it is not yet clear what the rate-limiting steps are.
      Exposure to nitrate per se does not directly cause gastric cancer.

PMID- 1855855
TI  - Trace analysis of N-nitrosoureas by their alkylating activity.
AB  - N-Nitrosoureas can be analysed indirectly by gas chromatography with
      chemoluminescence detection after reaction of the corresponding diazoalkanes with
      the scavenger reagent N-nitroso-N-tert-butylglycine. A lower determination limit
      of 2 ng N-methyl-N-nitrosourea per sample is achieved. The method is specific for
      N-nitroso compounds, which release nonpolar diazoalkanes upon alkaline treatment.

PMID- 1855856
TI  - Potential occupational exposure associated with parenteral administration of N
      nitrosodiethylamine to Macaca mulatta: evidence of post-injection release to the
      atmosphere.
AB  - In order to assess the exposure of workers administering N-nitrosodiethylamine
      (NDEA) parenterally to Macaca mulatta, air samples were drawn through
      Thermosorb/N cartridges. Samples were analysed by gas chromatography-thermal
      energy analysis; the limit of detection was 0.02 micrograms/m3. Significant
      amounts of NDEA were found in those samples taken in the animal holding room. The
      NDEA recovered may be accounted for by its expiration by the animals (the
      contribution from excreta and leakage from the injection site is probably minor).
      On the basis of the total amount of NDEA administered (840 mg during the first
      experiment and 250 mg in the second) and the rate at which the animal holding
      room was ventilated, and assuming that the samples were representative, we
      estimate that 0.9% of the NDEA administered was released to the atmosphere in 5 h
      in the first experiment and that 2.7% and 0.8% were released in the first and
      second 24-h periods, respectively, in the second experiment. It should be noted
      that this potential source of exposure may be significant not only for workers
      but also for control or other experimental animals housed in the same room.

PMID- 1855857
TI  - Analysis of volatile N-nitrosamines in beer and food in China.
AB  - Capillary gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis was used for the study of
      volatile N-nitrosamines in comestibles. The finding of a comparatively high
      content of N-nitrosodimethylamine in some Chinese beers confirms the results of
      other authors. We describe studies of Chinese foods and environmental samples
      carried out in this laboratory in collaboration with epidemiological groups. The
      concentrations of N-nitrosamines could be correlated with mortality from
      digestive cancer.

PMID- 1855858
TI  - Recent studies in Canada on the occurrence and formation of N-nitroso compounds
      in foods and food contact materials.
AB  - We present data on the levels of both volatile and nonvolatile N-nitroso
      compounds in various smoked meats, including bacon, and in food contact materials
      (e.g., baby bottle rubber nipples and pacifiers). Evidence presented suggests
      that the formation of N-nitrosothiazolidine and N-nitrosothiazolidine 4
      carboxylic acid in smoked meats and bacon and that of N-nitroso-N-methylaniline
      in Icelandic smoked mutton, can be minimized by changing or modifying the smoking
      methods. The presence of two other nonvolatile N-nitroso compounds in these
      products is also reported.

PMID- 1855859
TI  - Occurrence of and exposure to N-nitrosamines in Sweden: a review.
AB  - During the last ten years, over 900 samples of foods, snuff and other products on
      the Swedish market were analysed for N-nitrosamines. The average daily intake of
      volatile N-nitrosamines from foods was estimated to be 0.29 micrograms/person,
      and the daily intake of tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines from snuff was calculated
      to be up to 110 micrograms/snuff user.

PMID- 1855860
TI  - N-nitrosoalkanolamines in cosmetics.
AB  - A method has been developed for the determination of the N-nitrosoalkanolamines,
      N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) and N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine (NDHPA) in
      cosmetics. In model systems, we studied nitrosation of the most relevant
      precursors by NaNO2, by the preservatives Bronopol and Bronidox and by nitric
      oxides. Secondary amines were most rapidly nitrosated, and Bronopol, Bronidox and
      atmospheric nitric oxides appeared to be the most relevant nitrosating agents. In
      order to remove the most important sources of contamination, the Federal Health
      Office issued an official recommendation to producers to avoid use of secondary
      amines in cosmetics (March, 1987). Analysis of cosmetics taken from the German
      market 6-18 months later showed that only 19/126 samples were contaminated with
      NDELA (12-235 micrograms/kg or NDHPA (40-215 micrograms/kg). The results reflect
      a strong downward trend in contamination.

PMID- 1855861
TI  - N-nitrosodimethylamine content of US and Canadian beers.
AB  - A total of 194 beers (148 US and 46 Canadian) were analysed for volatile N
      nitrosamines. The sampling was designed to include different types of beers
      brewed from malts at all commercial-scale malt houses by the major beer
      manufacturers in both countries. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), the only volatile
      N-nitrosamine detected, was found in 56% of the beers (detection level, 0.05
      microgram/kg), at a mean level of 0.074 microgram/kg. The results indicate that
      NMDA levels in present-day US and Canadian beers are approximately 1-5% of what
      they were a decade ago.

PMID- 1855862
TI  - Nitrosation of tertiary aromatic amines related to sunscreen ingredients.
AB  - Possible routes to the formation of the sunscreen contaminant, 2-ethylhexyl 4-N
      methyl-N-nitrosoaminobenzoate, have been investigated in a study of the
      nitrosation chemistry of 2-ethylhexyl 4-N,N-dimethylaminobenzoate (Padimate-O)
      and related tertiary and secondary amines. Padimate-O and the corresponding ethyl
      ester nitrosate rapidly at 25 degrees C in either N2O3:ether or HNO2:HOAc to
      produce a mixture of alkyl 4-N-methyl-N-nitrosoaminobenzoate and alkyl 4-N,N
      dimethylamino-3-nitrobenzoate, the former of which is the major product. The
      nitrosative dealkylation of these amines at this low temperature is unusual.
      Asymmetrical amines exhibit a preference for nitrosative demethylation (methyl
      versus ethyl or benzyl), but the cleavage ratios in N2O3:ether are time
      dependent, suggesting competing mechanisms with different reactant kinetic
      orders. A radical cation route would explain the unusual reactivity, which may
      compete with the established nitrosative dealkylation mechanism. 2-Ethylhexyl 4-N
      methyl-N-nitrosoaminobenzoate was mutagenic in two strains of Salmonella
      typhimurium in the Ames assay.

PMID- 1855863
TI  - Mutagenicity of Alternaria alternata and Penicillium cyclopium isolated from
      grains in an area of high incidence of oesophageal cancer--Linxian, China.
AB  - In order to study the relationship between daily consumption of mouldy food and
      the incidence of oesophageal cancer, we examined the mutagenicity of Alternaria
      alternata and Penicillium cyclopium, which seriously contaminate grain in Linxian
      county, China. We first examined extracts of cultured strains of A. alternata. In
      the reverse mutation test, positive results were obtained in 85% of strains;
      positive results were seen in 84% of 19/20 strains in the rec assay. Eight of ten
      strains induced sister chromatid exchange, and two of eight strains induced
      chromatid breaks. Six of seven strains induced unscheduled DNA synthesis and DNA
      synthesis inhibition. One extract induced a higher frequency of sister chromatid
      exchange in lymphocytes from normal persons than in those from patients with
      oesophageal cancer, and the spontaneous break-points in patients were related to
      fragile sites and neoplasia-associated break-points. The toxins alternariol and
      its monomethyl ether, produced by A. alternata, were examined in the reverse
      mutation assay and for unscheduled DNA synthesis. The results were similar to
      those obtained with extracts of the different strains. Alternariol had a four to
      eight times greater effect than its monomethyl ether. Of 24 strains of P.
      cyclopium isolated from cereals in Linxian, four were cultured with rice and 19
      in Raulin-Thom medium. Cultures in Raulin-Thorn medium, solution and hyphae were
      then extracted. The strains cultured with rice induced sister chromatid exchange,
      unscheduled DNA synthesis and DNA synthesis inhibition. The solution extracts of
      14 strains were positive in the rec assay, and five strains were positive in the
      reverse mutation test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855864
TI  - Relationships between Alternaria alternata and oesophageal cancer.
AB  - Although it is uncertain whether fungi can produce the mycotoxins that induce
      oesophageal cancer, the tumorigenicity of fungi isolated from grain in an area of
      high incidence of oesophageal cancer has been confirmed. Alternaria alternata is
      a fungus of importance in this respect. The contamination rate with A. alternata
      in corn from areas of high morbidity from oesophageal cancer is higher than that
      in low-morbidity areas. Extracts of A. alternata induced reverse mutation in
      Escherichia coli, unscheduled DNA synthesis in cultured human amnion FL cells,
      chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchange in human peripheral blood
      lymphocytes, mutation in V79 cells and transformation of NIH3T3 cells.
      Alternariol methyl ether, which is an active compound produced by this fungus,
      also induced transformation of NIH3T3 cells, and the transformed cells grew in
      soft agar and were tumorigenic in nude mice. Food mildewed by this fungus induced
      forestomach tumours in rats. Thus, (i) A. alternata is tumorigenic, (ii) it has
      been isolated from corn in an area of high incidence of oesophageal cancer, and
      (iii) contamination with A. alternata in the area of high incidence is higher
      than that in the area of low incidence. We therefore believe that A. alternata is
      one of the causes of human oesophageal cancer.

PMID- 1855865
TI  - Enzyme mechanisms in the metabolism of nitrosamines.
AB  - Many nitrosamines are metabolized by cytochromes P450, one of which (P450IIE1)
      has received much attention because of its role in the metabolic activation of N
      nitrosodimethylamine. This enzyme exists in man, rat, mouse, hamster and other
      animal species. It is inducible by fasting, diabetes and exposure to ethanol,
      acetone, isoniazid, benzene and other chemicals. P450IIE1 is responsible for the
      low Km form of N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase and is the major enzyme
      catalysing the metabolic activation of this carcinogen. In addition, P450IIE1 is
      the most active P450 species known in the metabolism of N-nitrosoethylmethylamine
      and N-nitrosopyrrolidine. In the metabolism of N-nitrosobutylmethylamine,
      P450IIE1 preferentially oxidizes the methyl group over the butyl group, whereas
      P450IIB1 efficiently oxidizes both the methyl and butyl groups. P450IIB1 also
      catalyses the alpha-oxygenation of both the pentyl and methyl groups of N
      nitrosopentylmethylamine, forming pentaldehyde and formaldehyde at a rate ratio
      of 2:1, as well as oxygenation at other carbons of the pentyl group. Many
      nitrosamines are effectively activated in nonhepatic target tissues. The
      metabolism of 4-(N-nitroso-methylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in lung and
      nasal microsomes is discussed.

PMID- 1855866
TI  - Areca-nut toxicity in cultured human buccal epithelial cells.
AB  - In cultured human buccal epithelial cells, at doses of 3-540 micrograms/ml, areca
      nut extract significantly decreased viability, as determined by colony-forming
      efficiency, clonal growth rate, ability to take up neutral red and ability to
      exclude trypan blue, and also caused significant formation of DNA single-strand
      breaks and DNA protein cross-links. Comparisons of the areca nut-related
      compounds, 3-(N-nitrosomethylamino)propion-aldehyde (NMPA), 3-(N
      nitrosomethylamino)propionitrile (NMPN), N-nitrosoguvacoline, N-nitrosoguvacine,
      arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline and guvacine, in terms of the above endpoints,
      indicate that NMPA is ten times more cytopathic to buccal cells than the other
      agents on a molar basis. Because metabolism of NMPA can potentially yield several
      reactive breakdown products, including aldehydes, this study indicates that both
      the parent compound and its metabolites may contribute to the observed
      pathobiological effects. Taken together, the observed pathobiological effects of
      areca-nut extract and certain related compounds in cultured human buccal
      epithelial cells indicate that these agents may contribute to the oral
      carcinogenicity associated with chewing betel quid.

PMID- 1855867
TI  - Bioactivation of asymmetric N-dialkylnitrosamines in rat tissues derived from the
      ventral entoderm.
AB  - Aliphatic methylalkylnitrosamines with a chain length of three to six carbon
      atoms are powerful oesophageal carcinogens in rats and have been shown to
      methylate target organ DNA preferentially. This class of carcinogens is
      efficiently metabolized not only in the oesophageal mucosa but also in the mucosa
      of the nasal and oral cavity, trachea and bronchioli, i.e., tissues derived from
      the rat ventral entoderm. In order to determine whether more than one cytochrome
      P450 isozyme is involved in the bioactivation of asymmetrical aliphatic
      dialkylnitrosamines in these tissues, we have studied the effects of various
      modulators of nitrosamine metabolism, including dietary zinc deficiency, ethanol
      and disulfiram, on DNA alkylation by N-nitrosomethyl-n-butylamine (NMBA) and its
      ethyl analogue N-nitrosoethyl-n-butylamine (NEBA). Formation of O6-methyl- and O6
      ethyldeoxyguanosine by a single dose of NMBA and NEBA, respectively, was
      quantified after a survival time of 6 h by immuno-slot-blot assay. In control
      rats, methylation of DNA by NMBA was highest in oesophagus, followed by nasal
      mucosa, liver and lung. Formation of O6-ethyldeoxyguanosine from NEBA, however,
      was twice as high in liver as in nasal mucosa and lung and four times as high in
      liver as in oesophagus. In oesophagus, trachea and bronchioli, both nitrosamines
      were selectively metabolized in mucosal cells. Bioactivation of NMBA and NEBA was
      almost completely inhibited in nasal mucosa by ethanol. In contrast, a striking
      interorgan shift in DNA methylation by NMBA from liver (-50%) to lung (+100%),
      oesophagus (+300%) and nasal mucosa (+400%) was obtained with dietary disulfiram,
      whereas only 20-50% increases in extrahepatic DNA ethylation were determined for
      NEBA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855868
TI  - Role of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in human lung carcinogenesis.
AB  - Six families of activated protooncogenes, ras, raf, fur, neu, jun and myc have so
      far been associated with human lung cancer. Human bronchial epithelial cells in
      vitro are being used to investigate the functional role of these specific
      oncogenes and growth regulatory genes in carcinogenesis and tumour progression.
      When transferred into normal human bronchial epithelial cells by the highly
      efficient protoplast fusion method, the v-Ha-ras oncogene initiates a cascade of
      events leading to decreased responsiveness of these cells to inducers of squamous
      differentiation, aneuploidy and, less frequently, 'immortality' and
      tumorigenicity with metastasis in athymic nude mice. Transfection of the SV40 T
      antigen gene results in nontumorigenic cell lines that have a nearly normal
      pathway of terminal squamous differentiation and can be transformed into
      malignant cells by transfected Ha-ras, N-ras or Ki-ras. The combination of
      transfected c-myc and c-raf-1 also transforms human bronchial epithelial cells
      into neoplastic cells that exhibit some phenotypic traits found in small-cell
      carcinomas. These and other results indicate that proto-oncogenes dysregulate the
      pathways of growth and differentiation of human bronchial epithelial cells and
      play an important role in human carcinogenesis. Analyses of allelic deletion and
      somatic cell hybrids are being used to identify the chromosomal localization of
      tumour suppressor genes. We have examined 54 non-small-cell bronchogenic
      carcinomas with 13 polymorphic markers. Loss of heterozygosity was more frequent
      than among 23 squamous-cell carcinomas than among 23 adenocarcinomas or eight
      large-cell carcinomas. Loss of heterozygosity for chromosome 17p was found in 89%
      of cases of squamous-cell carcinoma and 18% of adenocarcinomas. Analysis of
      chromosome 11 for allelic deletions revealed two commonly deleted regions (11p13
      and 11p15.5). Somatic cell hybrids between normal human bronchial epithelial
      cells and Hut292DM, a lung carcinoma cell line, had a finite lifespan in vitro
      and were nontumorigenic in athymic nude mice. Tumour suppressive effects of
      individual or combinations of specific human chromosomes on Hut292DM are being
      examined by formation of microcell-cell hybrids. Chromosome 11 has tumour
      suppressor activity in these hybrids. Both of these studies suggest that tumour
      suppressor genes play a dominant role in lung carcinogenesis and provide in-vitro
      model systems for isolating these genes by subtraction library and insertional
      mutagenesis techniques.

PMID- 1855869
TI  - Alkylation of DNA related to organ-specific carcinogenesis by N-nitroso
      compounds.
AB  - Alkylation of DNA by a number of methylating and ethylating carcinogens, mainly N
      nitroso compounds, has been examined in target and non-target organs of rats and
      Syrian hamsters. Six hours after administration by gavage of small doses
      identical to those given twice weekly for several months to elicit tumours,
      animals were killed and dissected. DNA was isolated from several organs and
      hydrolysed, and the content of methyl- and ethylguanines was measured using high
      performance liquid chromatography for separation. In most experiments,
      radiolabelled carcinogen was used, but in some cases measurement of alkylguanines
      was by fluorescence. Methylation, O6- and N7-, by methylating compounds was much
      more extensive than ethylation by the corresponding ethyl compounds, irrespective
      of their relative potencies in inducing tumours. Similar patterns of alkylation
      were found in target organs and in non-target organs of the carcinogens. Only
      marginal differences in methylation were seen with N-nitro-sobis(2
      oxopropyl)amine between male and female rat livers, although liver tumours are
      induced only in females, in feminized males and in old males. Deuterium labelling
      of the methylene of N-nitrosoethylmethylamine had little effect on methylation or
      ethylation of DNA in rat liver, although the deuterated compound was a much more
      potent liver carcinogen. The conclusion is that reactions of the carcinogen other
      than alkylation of DNA are important in giving rise to tumours.

PMID- 1855870
TI  - Relationship between dose and risk reduction: statistical evaluation of a
      combination experiment with three hepatocarcinogenic N-nitrosamines in rats.
AB  - Data from an experiment on the single and combination effects of very low doses
      of N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N
      nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) in 1800 male Sprague-Dawley rats were analysed for
      age-specific incidence (time to death with liver tumour) by Cox's proportional
      hazards model. The model revealed a linear relationship between daily exposure to
      low levels of N-nitrosamine and time to death with liver tumour within the dose
      range investigated: an increase in individual dose resulted in a proportional
      decrease in liver tumour-free survival. The finding was established for the three
      individual carcinogens as well as for their combination. NDEA was 40 times more
      active than NDELA. Extrapolation to N-nitrosamine exposure levels lower than
      those used in the experiment revealed only a minor reduction in age-specific
      liver tumour incidence compared to that achieved by an equivalent reduction
      within the experimental dose range. In rats at advanced age a further reduction
      in carcinogen-induced liver tumour incidence did not contribute to longer overall
      survival, due to competitive, probably independent causes of death. The data thus
      support the idea of a quasi-threshold in terms of a 'no observed effect level'.

PMID- 1855871
TI  - Carcinogenic activity of endogenously synthesized N-nitrosobis(2
      hydroxypropyl)amine in rats.
AB  - The carcinogenic activity of endogenously synthesized N-nitroso-bis(2-hydroxy
      propyl)amine (NDHPA) was investigated in male Wistar rats administered bis(2
      hydroxypropyl)amine (DHPA), mixed into a powdered diet at a concentration of 1%,
      and NaNO2 dissolved in distilled water at concentrations of 0.15% and 0.3%, for
      94 weeks. Urinary excretion of NDHPA clearly demonstrated its endogenous
      synthesis in rats given 1% DHPA and 0.3% NaNO2, but not in the groups receiving
      either of these precursors alone. Tumours of the nasal cavity, lung, oesophagus,
      liver and urinary bladder were found in rats treated with 1% DHPA and 0.15% or
      0.3% NaNO2. The incidences of nasal cavity and lung tumours reached 74% and 58%
      respectively, in rats given 1% DHPA and 0.3% NaNO2. The tumour distribution was
      almost the same as that seen in rats given NDHPA. These results indicate that
      endogenously synthesized NDHPA has similar carcinogenic activity to exogenously
      administered NDHPA in rats.

PMID- 1855872
TI  - Effects of long-term inhalation of N-nitrosodimethylamine in rats.
AB  - The toxicological evaluation and histopathological findings of a long-term
      inhalation study in progress with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) are presented.
      Exposure was to three concentrations of NDMA: 0.04, 0.2 and 1.0 ppm
      (corresponding to 120, 600 and 3000 micrograms/m3). A significant reduction in
      median survival time (nine months) was seen in animals treated with the highest
      concentration of NDMA. Tumours occurred mainly in the nasal cavity, with the
      highest incidences in the groups receiving 1.0 and 0.2 ppm NDMA (19/36 and 31/36
      tumour-bearing animals); in the lowest exposure group, 13/36 nasal tumours have
      been observed. The survival time of this treatment group, however, was about two
      months longer than that of the controls.

PMID- 1855873
TI  - Specificity in the methylation of DNA by N-nitroso compounds.
AB  - A sequencing assay was used to determine the reactivity of N-nitroso compounds
      that are simple methylating agents with individual nucleotides in a defined DNA
      sequence. The maximal difference in reactivity between guanines is about five
      fold. DNA in the Z, cruciform and H conformations was shown to be methylated by N
      methyl-N-nitrosourea in a manner which was indistinguishable from the reactivity
      of B-DNA. Electronic factors rather than steric factors appear to dominate the
      methylation reaction. Transcriptionally active genes were shown to be methylated
      by N-nitroso compounds in vivo more extensively than untranscribed genes. The
      results suggest that local sequence, secondary conformation and transcriptional
      activity may all influence the carcinogenic potential of N-nitroso compounds.

PMID- 1855874
TI  - Etiological research on gastric cancer and its precursor lesions in Shandong,
      China.
AB  - Research over the past several years in an area of Shandong, China, with one of
      the world's highest rates of gastric cancer, has yielded clues to the
      environmental determinants of this tumour. Interviews with 564 gastric cancer
      patients and 1131 population-based controls revealed increased risks associated
      with consumption of sour pancakes, a fermented staple unique to the area, in
      samples of which volatile N-nitrosamines have been detected. Lower risks were
      found among people who had a higher intake of fresh vegetables, including garlic
      and other Allium vegetables which contain constituents that can inhibit
      carcinogenesis by N-nitrosamines and other substances in experimental animals. A
      pilot study involving assays of urine and gastric juice from 60 individuals in a
      screening programme showed higher levels of N-nitrosoproline and of cis- and
      trans-N-nitroso-2-methylthiazolidine 4-carboxylic acid among persons with gastric
      dysplasia than in either normal controls or those with chronic atrophic
      gastritis. We are trying to characterize the transition and progression of
      precursor lesions to gastric cancer and to evaluate the role of dietary
      variables, nutrients, N-nitroso compounds and other factors in particular stages
      of the carcinogenic process.

PMID- 1855875
TI  - Mechanism of action of the urinary bladder carcinogen N-nitrosobutyl-3
      carboxypropylamine.
AB  - The carcinogenic action of N-nitrosodibutylamine in the urinary bladder is
      related to omega-oxidation of a butyl chain. N-Nitrosobutyl-4-hydroxybutylamine
      and its proximate metabolite N-nitrosobutyl-3-carboxypropylamine (NBCPA)
      selectively induce urinary bladder tumours in different animal species. The
      mechanism by which NBCPA exert its carcinogenic action is not known. We found a
      small but significant dealkylation of NBCPA with microsomes from rat liver or pig
      urinary bladder, which could be inhibited by SKF 525A. NBCPA was not mutagenic to
      Salmonella typhimurium (with or without external metabolizing systems from rat
      liver or pig urinary bladder) and did not induce DNA strand breaks in tumour cell
      lines (with or without external activation) or primary cells (rat hepatocytes,
      pig urinary bladder epithelia). Significant induction of sister chromatid
      exchange and micronuclei, however, was observed in human tumour cells. N
      Nitrosoureas that generate the same electrophiles as NBCPA after alpha- or via
      beta-oxidation (N-butyl-N-nitrosourea, N-3-carboxypropyl-N-nitrosourea and N-2
      oxopropyl-N-nitrosourea) induced single-strand breaks in Namalva cells, the
      oxopropyl compound being more potent than the butyl or carboxypropyl compounds.
      Our data suggest that NBCPA is activated via alpha-oxidation in the urinary
      bladder, even though the activation rate in vitro is so low that a positive
      response is not detectable by classical short-term tests. Provided that beta
      oxidation to a highly genotoxic agent proceeds at an adequate rate, it might also
      be a relevant activation pathway.

PMID- 1855876
TI  - Mutagenicity, DNA damage and DNA adduct formation by N-nitroso-2
      hydroxyalkylamine and corresponding aldehydes.
AB  - The potent carcinogen N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) becomes mutagenic to
      Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 when activated by alcohol dehydrogenase
      from yeast or horse liver. Metabolic pathways different from alpha-oxidation
      might therefore be important for the activation of N-nitroso-2-hydroxyalkylamines
      such as NDELA. In an in-vitro test system (Namalva cells), neither NDELA nor N
      nitrosoethyl-2-hydroxyethylamine was genotoxic, whereas the corresponding
      metabolites from alcohol dehydrogenase-mediated oxidation, N-nitroso-2
      hydroxymorpholine and N-nitrosoethylethanalamine, induced single-strand breaks
      even at low doses. An immuno-slot-blot assay was used to study the formation of
      O6-2-hydroxyethyldeoxyguanosine in rat liver after oral administration of
      different N-nitroso-2-hydroxyalkylamines. When given at equimolar doses (0.375
      mmol/kg), DNA hydroxyethylation was considerably lower (6.7 mumol/mol
      deoxyguanosine) with NDELA than with N-nitrosoethyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (48.7
      mumol/mol deoxyguanosine) or N-nitrosomethyl-2-hydroxyethylamine (72.1 mumol/mol
      deoxyguanosine). N-Nitroso-2-hydroxymorpholine did not form detectable levels of
      O6-2-hydroxyethyldeoxyguanosine.

PMID- 1855877
TI  - N-Nitrosobutyl(4-hydroxybutyl)amine alpha-hydroxylation by rat liver and
      urothelial cell homogenates.
AB  - Determination of molecular nitrogen formed as a consequence of nitrosamine alpha
      hydroxylation provides a useful means for studying the extent of activation of
      these compounds in target and nontarget organs and tissues. alpha-Hydroxylation
      in rat liver and urothelial cells was compared using as substrate doubly 15N
      labelled N-nitrosobutyl(4-hydroxybutyl)amine (15N-NBHBA), a potent bladder
      carcinogen in rodents. Both enzyme sources metabolized 15N-NBHBA through the
      alpha-hydroxylation pathway. 15N2 production was dependent on the amount of
      substrate incubated. Vmax values for 15N2 production by urothelial cells and by
      liver postmitochondrial supernatant were 4.47 and 3.21 nmol/mg protein per h,
      respectively.

PMID- 1855878
TI  - Mechanism of DNA binding by the oesophageal carcinogen N-nitroso-N-methylaniline.
AB  - N-Nitroso-N-methylaniline (NMA) is a strong oesophageal carcinogen in rats but
      exhibits few overt genotoxic effects. Previous work from our laboratory
      established that NMA is readily metabolized by cytochrome P450-catalysed N
      demethylation to produce the benzenediazonium ion (BDI), a relatively stable but
      reactive electrophilic agent. We have also shown that BDI reacts with DNA to form
      an acid-labile adduct. We have now shown that BDI, generated chemically or by the
      metabolism of NMA in vitro, reacts with DNA to form a triazene coupling product
      at the N6-position of adenine residues. This adduct has also been shown to be
      produced in the liver DNA of rats treated with NMA. Procedures for the isolation
      of DNA and for analysis of the adduct are presented.

PMID- 1855879
TI  - Metabolic denitrosation of N-nitrosamines: mechanism and biological consequences.
AB  - NADPH-dependent microsomal metabolism of N-nitrosamines results in both oxidative
      dealkylation and denitrosation of the molecule. For denitrosation, two enzymatic
      mechanisms have been proposed: (i) cytochrome P450 (P450)-dependent one-electron
      reduction of the nitrosamine molecule, resulting in the formation of nitric oxide
      (NO) and secondary and primary amine, and (ii) liberation of NO via an oxidative
      mechanism mediated by a P450-dependent one-electron abstraction. In order to
      clarify the mechanism of denitrosation, the metabolism and kinetics of N
      nitrosodibenzylamine (NDBzA) and its corresponding secondary amine dibenzylamine
      were studied. The main metabolites of NDBzA are benzaldehyde, the primary amine
      benzylamine and nitrite. An important finding is that benzaldehyde is generated
      more rapidly from dibenzylamine than from the parent NDBzA. During reductive
      denitrosation of NDBzA, the oxygen atom in benzaldehyde is derived from air,
      while benzaldehyde generated via the oxidative mechanism of denitrosation
      receives its oxygen atom from water due to hydrolysis of the intermediary
      benzylidenebenzylamine. Microsomal incubation of NDBzA in buffer containing 18O
      H2O resulted in no incorporation of 18O from water into benzaldehyde, which could
      be related to the formation of the corresponding benzaldehyde, which could be
      related to the formation of the corresponding benzylidenebenzylamine. It is
      concluded that NDBzA is denitrosated by the proposed reductive mechanism. Current
      belief is that denitrosation leads to detoxification of the NA molecule; however,
      toxic effects cannot be excluded if the conversion of NO into NO2- and NO3-
      involves intermediary formation of the NO2 radical.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1855880
TI  - Subcellular fractions of rat organs contain nitroreductases which reduce N
      nitrodimethylamine to N-nitrosodimethylamine.
AB  - The nasal carcinogen N-nitrodimethylamine was reduced to its N-nitroso analogue N
      nitrosodimethylamine in vivo. Liver-soluble fraction and brain mitochondria
      contained enzymes capable of reducing this compound. The activity was only partly
      inhibited by oxygen; NADPH and NADH served as cosubstrates. N-Nitromethylamine is
      also carcinogenic and was reduced by liver cytoplasm to a protein binding species
      (methyldiazohydroxide?).

PMID- 1855881
TI  - Toxicokinetic studies of N-nitrosamine carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1855882
TI  - Enzyme kinetics of N-nitrosodimethylamine demethylase in rodents and humans.
AB  - A variety of Km values have been reported for hepatic microsomal N
      nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (NDMAd). We demonstrated previously that the
      biologically important, high affinity (KmI) form of microsomal NDMAd is
      manifested by cytochrome P450IIE1 (also known as P450ac and P450j). The KmI value
      of NDMAd was, however, affected greatly by assay conditions: the possible
      presence of inhibitors and the presence of cytochrome b5. We re-examined the KmI
      value by testing the effect of enzyme concentrations and of different types of
      enzyme preparations on the Km. The KmI value ranged from 15 to 22 microM, as
      estimated by the direct linear plot, using a microsomal protein concentration in
      the range of 0.1 to 0.8 mg/ml with correction for substrate utilization. A slight
      yet significant dependency of microsomal protein concentration on the Km (r =
      0890; p less than 0.05) was seen. When five different microsomal preparations
      were compared, the KmI value ranged from 14 to 24 microM (median, 20 microM), as
      estimated by the direct linear plot. The Km estimated by the commonly used Eadie
      Hofstee plot did not differ from that by the direct linear plot. These Km values
      are close to the values obtained in studies with isolated cells and tissue
      slices. The KmI form of NDMAd (P450IIE1 and its orthologues) is present in rats,
      mice, rabbits, hamsters and guinea-pigs. It is responsible for the age-dependent
      differences between rats and hamsters and for the sex-related differences in
      mouse kidneys, and for the bioactivation and toxicity of NDMA. This enzyme also
      exists in human liver microsomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855883
TI  - Acceleration of N-nitrosation reactions by electrophiles.
AB  - Selected mechanisms by which electrophiles can facilitate N-nitrosamine formation
      are reviewed. Special attention is given to a recently discovered reaction in
      which nitrogen in its lowest (ammonia) oxidation state is efficiently converted
      to N-nitroso compounds by oxidation in the presence of secondary amines; an
      electrophilic transition metal centre (E+) makes this reaction possible by
      initially N-coordinating the ammonia (E+ + NH3----E-NH3+). Other mechanisms
      considered include: the conversion of nitrite under nonacidic conditions via
      nitro complexes to nitrosatively active transition metal nitrosyl intermediates
      (E+ + NO(2-)----E-NO(2-)----E-NO2+); catalysis of N-nitrosamine formation in
      nitrite-amine mixtures by electrophilic carbon centres that initiate the reaction
      by attack on the amine (E+ + R2NH----E-NR2); and coordination of nitrite by
      carbon electrophiles to form activated O-bound species (E+ + ONO(-)----E-O-NO)
      capable of performing the required N-nitrosation. The findings suggest that
      acceleration of N-nitrosamine-forming reactions by electrophiles may be a
      critical factor to consider in attempting to rationalize, predict and control the
      distribution of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in vivo and in the environment.

PMID- 1855884
TI  - Nitrosamine activation and detoxication through free radicals and their derived
      cations.
AB  - The enzymatic activation of simple dialkylnitrosamines is widely perceived to
      involve cytochrome P450-mediated alpha-hydroxylation to generate an unstable
      alpha-hydroxynitrosamine. This process can also result in the denitrosation of
      the nitrosamine, presumably through a common intermediate. We present evidence
      that the critical intermediate is the alkynitrosaminomethyl free radical, which
      we generated by thermal decomposition of a nitrosamino acid perester. The radical
      rapidly loses NO to generate an N-alkylmethyleneimine. The radical is also
      produced during the Ce(IV) oxidation of beta-hydroxynitrosamines after
      fragmentation, where it not only loses NO but is oxidized further to a cation
      which reacts with water to form an alpha-hydroxynitrosamine. These results
      provide models of the activation and detoxication pathways for beta-oxidized
      nitrosamines.

PMID- 1855885
TI  - Alkylating potency of nitrosated amino acids and peptides.
AB  - The alkylating potency of unstable N-nitrosamino acids and N-nitrosopeptides was
      investigated in vitro using 4-(para-nitrobenzyl)pyridine (NBP) as nucleophile. Of
      the amino acids, Met and those with an aromatic side chain were the most potent.
      The relative overall alkylating potency was 23:10:5:4:2:1: for Trp, Met, His,
      Tyr, Phe and Gly, respectively. The homo-dipeptides were much more potent than
      the amino acids, with relative potencies of 400:110:100:8:3:1, for Trp-Trp, Tyr
      Tyr, Met-Met, Asp-Asp, Phe-Phe and Gly, respectively. In the one-phase reaction
      system (in which NBP is already present during the nitrosation reaction at acidic
      pH), all amino acids tested showed a second-order reaction for nitrite. In the
      two-phase system (in which NBP is added only after bringing the nitrosation
      reaction mixture to neutrality), all amino acids tested except one again showed a
      second-order reaction for nitrite (Phe, His, Asp and the dipeptide artificial
      sweetener aspartame); only Met under these conditions had a reaction order of one
      for nitrite. This could mean that nitrosation of the side chain of Met produces a
      second N-nitroso product which is relatively stable in acid but reacts with NBP
      under neutral conditions. In the human stomach, this side-chain nitrosation might
      become more important than the reactions at the primary amino group, firstly
      because of the greater stability of the product(s) in acid and secondly because
      of the first-order reaction rate for nitrite.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855886
TI  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: epidemiology and dietary factors.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a disease with a remarkable racial and
      geographical distribution. It is very rare (incidence of less than 1 per 100,000
      person-years) in most parts of the world, and in only a handful of populations
      does this low-risk profile deviate; these groups include people in southern
      China, Eskimos and other natives of the Arctic region, natives of south-east
      Asia, and the mainly Arab populations of North Africa and Kuwait. Convincing
      evidence implicates dietary factors as the primary cause of NPC among Chinese. A
      series of case-control studies conducted in various Chinese populations with
      distinct risks of NPC, ranging from the very high-risk Cantonese populations to
      the relatively low-risk northern Chinese, have suggested that ingestion of salted
      fish and other kinds of preserved foods constitutes the most important cause of
      NPC among these people. Preliminary data on Malays in south-east Asia, Eskimos in
      Alaska and Arabs of North Africa also suggests that ingestion of preserved foods
      by these population groups may be responsible for their raised incidence of NPC.

PMID- 1855887
TI  - Use of monoclonal antibodies to identify cytochrome P450 isozymes in rat liver
      microsomes that hydroxylate N-nitrosomethylamylamine at each of six positions.
AB  - Inhibition of enzyme activity by monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was used to
      indicate which cytochrome P450 isozymes in Sprague-Dawley rat liver microsomes
      catalyse hydroxylation of the oesophageal carcinogen N-nitrosomethyl-n-amylamine
      (NMAA) to give 2- to 5-hydroxy-NMAA (HO-NMAA), formaldehyde and pentaldehyde.
      Liver microsomes (0.3-0.6 mg protein) were incubated (15 min, 23 degrees C) with
      0.4 mg MAb and, after adding NMAA to 6 mM, incubated for 20 min at 37 degrees C.
      Mixtures were analysed for HO-NMAAs by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis
      and for aldehydes by high-performance liquid chromatography of their 2,4
      dinitrophenylhydrazones. The percentage inhibition by each MAb indicates the
      percentage metabolism by the corresponding P450 isozyme(s). These results
      indicate that the MAb to P450 IIB1 cross-reacts with P450 IIE1 and that the MAb
      to male-specific constitutive IIC11 cross-reacts with female-specific IIC12.
      Taking this into account, the main results were as follows. With uninduced male
      microsomes, 4-hydroxylation was catalysed mainly by IIC11 and demethylation by
      IIC11 and IIE1. With uninduced female microsomes, P450s reacting with the MAb to
      IIC11 (probably mainly IIC12) were responsible for most of the 4-hydroxylation
      and demethylation. With 3-methylcholanthrene-induced male microsomes, most 3
      hydroxylation and some depentylation were due to IA1 or IA2. With phenobarbital
      induced microsomes, all six reactions, but especially 4-hydroxylation and
      depentylation, were largely due to IIB1. With Aroclor-induced microsomes, all six
      reactions were catalysed by IIB1 and IA1 or IA2. The role of P450 IIC11 in 4
      (omega-1)-hydroxylation was striking.

PMID- 1855888
TI  - Participation of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450 in the mutagenic
      activation of N-nitrosopropylamines by liver and lung 9000 g fractions from five
      animal species and man.
AB  - The mutagenicity of nine carcinogenic N-nitrosopropylamines was studied by the
      Ames preincubation assay using 9000 g supernatant (S9) fractions or alcohol
      dehydrogenase. Treatment of animals with polychlorinated biphenyls or
      phenobarbital resulted in a marked increase in the ability of liver S9 to
      activate N-nitrosobis(2-hydroxypropyl)amine, N-nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl)(2
      oxopropyl)amine, N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine, N-nitrosobis(2
      acetoxypropyl)amine, N-nitroso-2,6-dimethylmorpholine, N-nitroso(2
      hydroxypropyl)methylamine, N-nitroso(2-oxopropyl)methylamine, N-nitroso(2,3
      dihydroxypropyl)methylamine and N-nitroso(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)(2
      hydroxypropyl)amine to mutagens, whereas 3-methylcholanthrene induction was not
      effective. All reactions required NADP as a cofactor for mutagenic activation,
      and nitrogen, carbon monoxide, cytochrome c and metyrapone considerably inhibited
      their mutagenic activities, whereas 7,8-benzoflavone did not. Five propanol
      derivatives were not mutagenic in the presence of NAD and alcohol dehydrogenase.
      We conclude that the phenobarbital-inducible major cytochrome P450 in liver S9
      from five animal species tested was selectively involved in mutagenic activation.
      The same cytochrome in human liver S9 and in lung S9 from three rodent species
      also activated the mutagenicity of N-nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl)methylamine.

PMID- 1855889
TI  - Biological and chemical properties of alkanediazotates as active species of N
      nitroso compounds.
AB  - The mutagenicity and chemical reactivity of (E)- and (Z)-potassium
      alkanediazotates, as precursors of corresponding alkanediazohydroxides, were
      investigated. In three microbial strains, Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and
      Escherichia coli WP2 and WP2hcr-, the effect of changing the alkyl group on
      mutagenic potency was similar for (E)- and (Z)-diazotates, N-alkyl-N-nitrosoureas
      and alpha-hydroxynitrosamines. The capacity to alkylate nicotinamide, measured in
      an aqueous phosphate buffer, decreased with increasing alkyl chain length.
      Specific mutagenicity in S. typhimurium TA1535 was linearly related to alkylating
      activity. These results confirm that alkanediazohydroxides are the active
      alkylating species of N-nitroso compounds, and that their mutagenicity is
      determined by their alkylating activity.

PMID- 1855890
TI  - Activity of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyl transferase in the liver, kidney and white
      blood cells of rats of different ages.
AB  - Age-related differences in the sensitivity of rats to alkylating carcinogens may
      be dependent on various factors, including the cellular levels of O6-alkylguanine
      DNA alkyltransferase (AT). In the present study, the levels of AT were measured
      in protein extracts prepared from liver, kidney and peripheral white blood cells
      of male outbred rats aged 1, 4, 14, 22 and 36 months. The AT level (expressed as
      activity per milligram protein) in liver extracts was lower in rats aged 1, 4 or
      36 months than in extracts prepared from rats aged 14 or 22 months. This
      observation of a variation in AT level with age is in agreement with our previous
      results. The AT levels in kidney and white blood cells did not differ
      significantly with age, and in all cases the AT levels were lower than those
      observed in the liver extracts, the kidney extracts having more AT activity than
      the white blood cell extracts. The total protein content of both liver and kidney
      tissues, calculated per gram of wet tissue, increased to a maximum at 14 months
      and subsequently declined, the total protein content being always higher in the
      liver than in the kidney. In contrast, the DNA content per gram of wet tissue was
      highest in young animals and subsequently declined to a minimum at 14 months. The
      implications of this inverse relationship to the levels of AT activity are
      discussed.

PMID- 1855891
TI  - Excision of imidazole ring-opened N7-hydroxyethylguanine from
      chloroethylnitrosourea-treated DNA by Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine-DNA
      glycosylase.
AB  - Alkylkation of the N7 of guanine residues in DNA favours the opening of the
      imidazole ring, yielding a formamidopyrimidine (Fapy). This Fapy residue blocks
      DNA replication and is actively excised by a DNA glycosylase. We have cloned and
      sequenced the Escherichia coli gene responsible for synthesis of the enzyme,
      which has also been purified to homogeneity. It was found to have associated
      apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) lyase activity, nicking DNA at AP sites.
      Chloroethylnitrosoureas are used in cancer chemotherapy. The lesions induced in
      DNA by these compounds, including N7-chloro- and hydroxyethylguanine, are excised
      by E. coli 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II, and we report that the
      corresponding imidazole ring-opened forms are repaired by Fapy-DNA glycosylase.
      Human cells have the counterpart to these enzymes, which could contribute to the
      repair of these lesions during chemotherapy.

PMID- 1855892
TI  - Resistance to N-nitroso compounds in cells treated with various physical and
      chemical agents.

PMID- 1855893
TI  - Distribution and excretion of 3H-sterigmatocystin in rats.
AB  - In order to investigate the distribution and excretion of sterigmatocystin, a
      carcinogenic mycotoxin, radioactively labelled compound was studied in rats. The
      highest concentration of radioactivity in serum appeared 3 h after administration
      of 0.5 microCi/g bw. The half-lives of distribution and excretion were 0.51 h and
      43.9 h, respectively. The radioactivity was concentrated mainly in liver,
      stomach, kidney, duodenum and lung and to a lesser extent in fat, muscle, testis,
      rectum and bone. By 48 h, 56.4% had been excreted in faeces and 20.1% in urine.
      Biliary excretion may be the major route of excretion of sterigmatocystin.

PMID- 1855894
TI  - Nitrotyrosine as a new marker for endogenous nitrosation and nitration.
AB  - A sensitive and selective method has been developed for analysing 3-nitrotyrosine
      (NTTYR), an exposure marker for exogenous and endogenous nitrosating or nitrating
      agents, in tissue and blood proteins by gas chromatography-thermal energy
      analysis. Using this method, a number of kinetic studies were carried out. Free
      and protein-bound tyrosine were reacted easily to yield NTTYR. The method was
      also applied to the study of NTTYR formation in vivo; a dose-dependent increase
      in NTTYR was seen in both plasma proteins and haemoglobin obtained from rats 24 h
      after intraperitoneal injection of various doses (0.5-2.5 mumol/rat) of
      tetranitromethane. Major urinary metabolites of NTTYR, given orally to rats, were
      isolated and identified as 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (NHPA) and 3-nitro
      4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid. About 44% and 5% of the oral dose of NTTYR (100
      micrograms/rat), respectively, was excreted as these metabolites. Some human
      urine samples were analysed for NHPA by gas chromatography-thermal energy
      analysis after ethyl acetate extraction and high-performance liquid
      chromatography purification; 2.8 +/- 2.3 (mean +/- SD; n = 11) micrograms/24 h,
      ranging from 0-7.9 micrograms/24 h, were detected (detection limit, 0.2
      micrograms/l). In conclusion, NTTYR in proteins or its metabolites in urine could
      be readily analysed by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis as a new,
      additional marker for endogenous nitrosation and nitration.

PMID- 1855895
TI  - Lung cancer and the changing cigarette.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have shown that the long-term smoker of low-yield
      cigarettes has a 20-50% lower risk of lung cancer than the smoker of high-yield
      cigarettes. This risk reduction is attributed to changes in the make-up of
      cigarettes and especially to the introduction of filter tips. Other changes
      relate to the use of tobaccos that produce lower smoke yields, including
      reconstituted and expanded tobaccos, as well as utilization of porous cigarette
      paper and perforated filter tips. New developments in the make-up of commercial
      cigarettes must be monitored in order to prevent unfavourable introductions.
      Although a smoke-free society should be the major public health goal, recent
      consumer statistics do not support this goal. Thus, a strong social case is made
      for further developments in the low-yield cigarette.

PMID- 1855896
TI  - Environmental determinants of lung cancer in Shenyang, China.
AB  - To investigate determinants of the high rates of lung cancer in Shenyang, an
      industrial city in north-eastern China, a case-control study was conducted.
      Interviews with 1249 lung cancer patients and 1345 population-based controls
      revealed that cigarette smoking was the main cause of lung cancer. Smoking
      accounted for 55% of the lung tumours in men and 37% in women. In addition, air
      pollution from coal-burning heating and cooking devices was significantly linked
      to lung cancer, with risks rising in proportion to duration of exposure to indoor
      pollutants. Measurement of benzo[a]pyrene revealed average wintertime levels in
      air that were nearly 60 times the recommended upper limit for US cities, with
      even higher concentrations indoors in traditional single-storey homes using coal
      burning kang (stoves). Occupational factors were also involved, the risk being
      elevated by three fold among smelter workers. Soil levels of arsenic and other
      metals rose with increasing proximity to the Shenyang copper smelter, and
      elevated risks of lung cancer were found among men, but not women, living within
      1 km of its central stacks. Prior nonmalignant lung disease was common and was
      reported more often among the lung cancer patients than among controls. The
      findings suggest that cigarette smoking and environmental pollutants combine to
      account for most of the excess risk of lung cancer in this population.

PMID- 1855897
TI  - Betel quid and oral cancer: prospects for prevention.
AB  - Betel-quid chewing is an ancient and socially accepted practice. The introduction
      of tobacco reinforced this practice, and now almost all habitual chewers of betel
      quids include tobacco. It is well established that chewing of betel quid with
      tobacco causes oral cancer and is largely responsible for the high incidence of
      oral cancer in several South Asian countries. The feasibility of primary
      prevention of oral cancer was studied in a population-based prospective
      intervention study. A cohort of 12,212 betel-quid chewers and smokers was exposed
      to a programme of health education for stopping chewing and smoking and subjected
      to annual examinations for detection of oral precancerous lesions. Evaluations
      after one, five and eight years showed that primary prevention of oral cancer is
      feasible and practicable. Early detection of oral cancer is an important control
      measure. In a secondary prevention study, 53 basic health workers were trained in
      the detection and referral of lesions suspected of being oral cancer. Over one
      year, they examined more than 39,000 high-risk individuals, resulting in the
      detection of 20 cases of oral cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of their
      diagnoses was assessed through a re-examination of a 5% sample: we concluded that
      it was possible to incorporate a secondary prevention programme into the existing
      health care system.

PMID- 1855898
TI  - Lung cancer: political measures.
AB  - In countries where prolonged smoking of manufactured cigarettes is a widely
      established habit, it is responsible for about 90% of lung cancer. As lung cancer
      is usually incurable, even with expensive technology, the key to its control lies
      in prevention. World experience has shown the crucial need for government
      commitment, funding and action in controlling the epidemic of tobacco-related
      disease. It is recommended that each country establish a national council of
      'tobacco or health' to coordinate a comprehensive tobacco control programme. This
      programme should incorporate data collection, including evaluation of specific
      anti-tobacco measures; legislative measures, including strong, rotating health
      warnings, limits on harmful substances, establishment of smoke-free areas, bans
      on any new forms of tobacco use, and a total ban on all direct or indirect
      promotion of tobacco products; health education campaigns; and taxation and price
      policies. The support and involvement of the medical profession is vital.
      Obstacles to success include the effect of advertising revenue in silencing the
      media, the inertia of governments and the medical profession, but most
      importantly the tobacco industry--the largest, wealthiest, most determined and
      strongest opposition to tobacco control worldwide.

PMID- 1855899
TI  - Analysis and pyrolysis of some N-nitrosamino acids in tobacco and tobacco smoke.
AB  - A new tobacco-specific nitrosamine, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-4-(3-pyridyl)butyric
      acid (iso-NNAC), has been identified in tobacco, and its structure was confirmed
      by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry following enrichment of a tobacco
      extract. The levels of iso-NNAC ranged from 0.01 to 0.95 ppm. It does not induce
      DNA repair in primary rat hepatocytes and is inactive as a tumorigenic agent in
      strain A mice. In order to study the fate of nitrosamino acids during smoking, we
      spiked cigarettes with the following N-nitrosamino acids: iso-NNAC, 3
      (nitrosomethylamino)propionic acid (NMPA), 4-(nitrosomethylamino)butyric acid
      (NMBA), N-nitrososarcosine (NSAR) and N-nitrosoproline (NPRO). NMPA and NMBA were
      partially transferred, unchanged, during smoking and partially formed the
      corresponding methyl esters, while pyrolysis of NSAR and NPRO resulted mainly in
      their decarboxylating products. This is the first time that the pyrosynthesis of
      methyl esters has been observed during smoking.

PMID- 1855900
TI  - Aflatoxins: data on human carcinogenic risk.
AB  - Some of the major difficulties in assessing the role of aflatoxin (AF) in the
      causation of liver cancer are discussed. Firstly, exposure to AF in Africa and
      parts of Asia and Latin America might begin very early in life and episodically
      thereafter. The number of episodes and the degree of exposure to AF varies
      greatly by country and region, by agricultural and crop storage practices, by
      season and by other factors difficult to control in any questionnaire-based
      study. Secondly, there is a high geographical correlation between exposure to AF
      and to hepatitis B virus. Thirdly, long-lasting biological markers for AF are
      still not available. Epidemiological studies might be enhanced by the
      incorporation of new biological assays. It is to be hoped that better information
      will be generated as a result of on-going intervention projects, such as
      reduction of AF levels and agricultural development programmes, and by monitoring
      exposure to AF and the incidence of liver cancer in areas where hepatitis B virus
      vaccination is effectively reducing the prevalence of carriers of the viral
      surface antigen.

PMID- 1855901
TI  - Studies in tobacco carcinogenesis.
AB  - The vapour phase of freshly generated cigarette mainstream smoke, of sidestream
      smoke and of environmental tobacco smoke was analysed for such tumorigenic agents
      as benzene, 1,3-butadiene and acrolein with a newly developed, highly sensitive
      gas chromatography-mass selective detection method. The major carcinogen in
      tobacco smoke, catechol, was studied in regard to its specific action on the
      metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in mouse lung and mouse skin. The major tobacco
      specific carcinogens in tobacco and its smoke are the nicotine-derived N
      nitrosamines, N'-nitrosonornicotine and 4-(nitroso-methylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1
      butanone. A third nitrosamine that can be formed in vitro by nitrosation of
      nicotine is 1-(nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)butylaldehyde. This aldehyde is
      not present in tobacco products, but its noncarcinogenic oxidation product, 4
      (nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)butyric acid, was found in tobacco and can be
      formed from the major nicotine metabolite, cotinine. It is also likely that this
      acid can be formed by endogenous reactions.

PMID- 1855902
TI  - Carcinogenic substances in Soviet tobacco products.
AB  - Chemical carcinogens were determined in mainstream smoke from nonfilter
      cigarettes produced and consumed in the USSR and in nass, a mixture of tobacco,
      lime, ash and cotton oil. Cigarettes contained high levels of tar (23-25
      mg/cigarette) and nicotine (1.5-1.9 mg/cigarette) and, generally, a high content
      of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are major epithelial carcinogens, N
      nitrosamines, which are organ-specific carcinogens, and some carcinogenic metals,
      such as arsenic and chromium. Nass contained the tobacco-specific N-nitroso
      compounds, N'-nitrosonornicotine, N'-nitrosoanatabine, N'-nitrosoanabasine and 4
      (N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, as well as volatile N
      nitrosamines, but at levels lower than in other types of chewing tobacco and
      snuff. The low levels in nass are due to the short ageing process used, in
      contrast to commercially produced chewing tobacco and fine-cut snuff, which are
      highly processed products requiring long ageing and fermentation.

PMID- 1855903
TI  - Tobacco-specific nitrosamines in commercial cigarettes: possibilities for
      reducing exposure.
AB  - Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) are powerful carcinogens found in tobacco
      and tobacco smoke in relatively high concentrations. Tar delivery, which is
      generally accepted as an index for the carcinogenic potential of cigarette smoke,
      must be declared in most European countries. In this investigation of more than
      170 types of commercial cigarettes from several European countries and the USA,
      no correlation was observed between tar delivery and mainstream smoke
      concentration of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3
      pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Therefore, although crucial, tar delivery alone is not
      a sufficient index for the carcinogenic potential of cigarette smoke. It is
      proposed that TSNA concentrations be determined for characterization of the
      carcinogenic potential of cigarettes with low and ultra-low tar yields and that
      these be declared by an additional and adequate parameter. The mainstream smoke
      concentrations of NNN and NNK are given by the amounts of preformed compounds in
      tobacco, which is dependent on the nitrate content of the tobacco and the tobacco
      type. A further important determinant of the exposure of smokers to TSNA is the
      total volume drawn through a cigarette while smoking, which is dependent on puff
      volume and puff frequency and which directly influences TSNA transfer. Smokers
      inhale higher volumes when smoking low-nicotine cigarettes, so that low
      NNN:nicotine and NNK:nicotine ratios result in decreased exposure to TSNA.
      Reduction of exposure to TSNA can be achieved by selecting tobaccos with low
      levels of preformed TSNA (low nitrate content, small amounts of burley tobaccos
      and stems) and by manufacturing cigarettes with low NNN:nicotine and NNK:nicotine
      ratios.

PMID- 1855904
TI  - Occurrence of and exposure to N-nitroso compounds in tobacco.
AB  - The concentrations of 21 N-nitroso compounds in smokeless tobaccos are presented.
      Tobacco-specific nitrosamines accounted for 70-90% of the total identified N
      nitroso compounds. Daily exposure of smokeless tobacco users to preformed N
      nitroso compounds may exceed 200 micrograms/day in certain populations.

PMID- 1855905
TI  - Localization of DNA adducts formed in the nasal cavity of the rat by the tobacco
      specific nitrosamine 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).
AB  - The tissue localization of the DNA adducts O6- and 7-methylguanine induced in the
      nasal cavity by the nicotine-derived carcinogen 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3
      pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 30 mg/kg intraperitoneally) has been investigated
      immunocytochemically in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Adduct-specific nuclear
      staining, indicative of the metabolic activation of NNK to a methylating
      compound, was observed in both respiratory and olfactory mucosa. In the
      respiratory epithelium, strong staining was generally observed in areas devoid of
      goblet cells. Less intense staining was observed both in the serous gland cells
      and their efferent ducts in the respiratory submucosa, whereas the mucous gland
      cells were unstained. In the olfactory mucosa, the sustentacular and basal cells
      of the olfactory epithelium were moderately stained; staining varied
      substantially from site to site. No DNA adduct was detected in the olfactory
      cells. Strong nuclear staining, similar to that in the respiratory mucosa, was
      observed in the cells of the Bowman glands of the olfactory submucosa. A similar
      distribution of methylated DNA bases in nasal tissues has been observed in rats
      after exposure to other N-nitrosamines and in Syrian hamsters after exposure to
      NNK. This finding may indicate that in man the same cell types undergo DNA adduct
      formation after exposure to NNK and other N-nitrosamines.

PMID- 1855906
TI  - Feasibility of a prospective study of smoking and mortality in Qidong, China.
AB  - Qidong is a rural county in eastern China with particularly good facilities for
      epidemiological research: cigarette use by adult males is widespread (70% now
      smoke), male lung cancer rates already appear to be rising, the population is
      stable and well served by a county-wide network of health care facilities, and
      systematic county-wide registration of all deaths has existed since the mid
      1970s, causes currently being assigned according to the 9th International
      Classification of Diseases.

PMID- 1855907
TI  - Characterization of activation and deactivation pathways of 4-(N
      nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in rat hepatocytes.
AB  - We have characterized the metabolism of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1
      butanone (NNK) in cultured rat hepatocytes and have established the relationship
      between various metabolic pathways and single-strand breaks (SSB) in DNA.
      Metabolism of [5-3H]-NNK by carbonyl reduction, alpha-carbon hydroxylation and
      pyridine N-oxidation was linear from 0.5 to 6 h with 0.25-2 x 10(6) hepatocytes.
      Using an alkaline elution assay, we observed that NNK induces SSB in DNA in a
      dose- and time-dependent manner. SSB induced by NNK were rejoined partially
      within 2 h and totally by 12 h after exposure. NNK-N-oxide produced a smaller
      number of SSB than NNK, suggesting that pyridine N-oxidation of NNK is a
      deactivation pathway. Carbonyl reduction of NNK led to 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1
      (3-pyridyl)-1-butan-1-ol (NNAl). Reaction of NNK with methyl magnesium iodide
      gave 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(methyl)-1-(3- pyridyl)butanol-1-ol (1-MeNNAl)
      82% yield. NNAl, but not 1-MeNNA1, can be reoxidized to NNK. Doses of 5 mM NNAl
      and 1-MeNNAl both induced SSB, indicating that NNAl does not require reconversion
      to NNK to be activated to DNA damaging intermediates. alpha-Methylene
      hydroxylation resulted in the formation of 4-oxo-4-(3- pyridyl)butanal. At
      equimolar concentration (5 mM), the aldehyde was more damaging than NNK to
      hepatocyte DNA. The results of this study demonstrate that NNK is activated by
      rat hepatocytes and that metabolites formed by alpha-carbon hydroxylation induce
      SSB.

PMID- 1855908
TI  - Activation of N'-nitrosonornicotine by hydrogen peroxide in vitro.
AB  - Betel-quid ingredients were found to produce reactive oxygen species, such as
      superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, in vitro. We demonstrated that N'
      nitrosonornicotine (NNN) can be converted to its active metabolite, hydrogen
      peroxide, nonenzymatically in the presence of ferrous ions and
      ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) at pH 7.2. Three ultimate metabolites of
      NNN--NNN-1-N-oxide, 4-hydroxy-4-(3- pyridyl)butyric acid and 4-oxo-4-(3
      pyridyl)butyric acid--and nornicotine were detected by high-performance liquid
      chromatography. 3H-NNN and 14C-NNN interact with calf thymus DNA in the presence
      of hydrogen peroxide, ferrous ion and EDTA. The results suggest that formation of
      reactive oxygen species in the presence of NNN may be a key factor in the
      initiation of oral tumours in tobacco and betel-quid chewers.

PMID- 1855909
TI  - Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects of betel leaf extract against the
      tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone
      (NNK).
AB  - Earlier studies showed that betel leaf inhibits the mutagenic action of standard
      mutagens like benzo[a]pyrene and dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Since tobacco
      specific nitrosamines are the major carcinogens present in unburnt forms of
      tobacco, we studied the effect of an extract of betel leaf on the mutagenic and
      carcinogenic actions of one of the most potent, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3
      pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Betel-leaf extract and hydroxychavicol suppressed the
      mutagenicity of NNK in both the Ames and the micronucleus test. In studies in
      mice, betel-leaf extract reduced the tumorigenic effects of NNK by 25%.
      Concurrent treatment with the extract also inhibited the decreases in levels of
      vitamin A in liver and plasma induced by NNK. Betel leaf thus has protective
      effects against the mutagenic, carcinogenic and adverse metabolic effects of NNK
      in mice.

PMID- 1855910
TI  - Effect of vitamin A status of rats on metabolizing enzymes after exposure to
      tobacco extract or N'-nitrosonornicotine.
AB  - The effects of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and tobacco extract on hepatic and
      pulmonary biotransformation enzymes were studied in rats fed vitamin A-sufficient
      or -deficient for semisynthetic diets. Basal levels of cytochrome P450,
      benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylase, benzphetamine demethylase, glutathione S-transferase
      and glutathione were lower in the group on the deficient diet. Treatment with
      tobacco extract or NNN significantly increased the levels of these enzymes in the
      sufficient diet group. However, in the deficient group, phase I enzymes were
      significantly increased, but glutathione and glutathione S-transferase levels
      were drastically reduced. Urine from animals on the deficient diet and treated
      with tobacco extract or NNN were mutagenic in the Ames Salmonella/microsome test.
      The results suggest that altered metabolism resulting from a vitamin A-deficient
      diet may be an important factor in susceptibility to carcinogens.

PMID- 1855911
TI  - Inhibition of tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)
      1-butanone (NNK) tumorigenesis with aromatic isothiocyanates.
AB  - 4-(N-Nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent tobacco
      specific carcinogenic nitrosamine. At low doses, it induces primarily lung
      tumours in mice, hamsters and rats, regardless of the route of administration.
      Its unique organ specificity and potency suggest its possible role in the high
      incidence of lung cancer in smokers. The goal of this study was to find agents
      that would potentially prevent NNK tumorigenesis. Previous results led us to test
      phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) on NNK tumorigenesis in a two-year bioassay in
      Fischer 344 rats. The NNK-treated group developed 80% lung tumour incidence,
      whereas NNK-treated rats fed PEITC diets had only 40% lung tumour incidence.
      Incidences in other organs were not affected by this treatment. We also tested
      PEITC in a 16-week, short-term bioassay against NNK-induced lung adenomas in A/J
      mice. Pretreatment of mice with PEITC by gavage at four daily doses of 5 mumol or
      25 mumol reduced the formation of NNK-induced lung adenomas by 70% or 100%,
      respectively. Interestingly, benzyl isothiocyanate and phenyl isothiocyanate, the
      lower homologues of PEITC, were inactive in this bioassay. Using a protocol
      similar to that used in the bioassays, PEITC was shown to decrease DNA
      methylation by NNK in the lungs of rats and mice and suppress the metabolism of
      NNK by mouse lung microsomes. These results are consistent with the previous
      data, suggesting that the inhibition of NNK-induced lung tumour formation by
      PEITC is a consequence of reduced DNA methylation caused by inhibition of NNK
      metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1855912
TI  - Modulation of genotoxic activity of tobacco smoke.
AB  - Tobacco smoke (TS) caused a three- to nine-fold increase in the frequency of his+
      revertants in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 but not in TA97a, TA100 or TA102.
      Activation by a post-mitochondrial fraction obtained from the liver of rats
      pretreated with Aroclor-1254 or methylcholanthrene was required; fractions from
      phenobarbital-pretreated or untreated rats had no effect. Vitamins A and E, but
      not ascorbic acid, inhibited the TS-induced mutagenesis by up to 63%, whereas
      glutathione and cysteine increased it slightly. Na2SeO3, but neither CoCl2 nor
      caffeine, inhibited the mutagenic effect of TS by 46-56%. In Chinese hamster
      ovary cells, both Na2SeO3 and caffeine strongly potentiated the number of
      chromosomal aberrations induced by TS, while theophilline slightly reduced its
      clastogenic effect. Treatment of mice with TS for 60 min/day increased the
      frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes in bone marrow and in
      fetal liver and the number of NCE micronuclei in peripheral blood by four to five
      fold. Simultaneous treatment of mice with TS and Na2SeO3 reduced the clastogenic
      effect of TS. Ascorbic acid had no effect on clastogenicity but reduced toxicity
      as measured by body weight loss. Both Na2SeO3 and ascorbic acid suppressed the
      induction of TS-induced hyperplastic and metaplastic changes in bronchial mucosa
      but had no effect on the number of urethane-induced lung adenomas. Vitamins A and
      E and ascorbic acid may have a protective effect against the toxic and genotoxic
      activities of TS.

PMID- 1855913
TI  - N-nitroso compounds and tobacco-induced cancers in man.
AB  - Human exposure to N-nitroso compounds in tobacco products is more intense and
      widespread than from any other known source. This paper presents evidence that
      two of these N-nitroso compounds, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1
      butanone and N'-nitrosonornicotine are involved in causing cancers of the oral
      cavity, lung, oesophagus and pancreas in tobacco users. The reduction or
      elimination of these nitrosamines from tobacco products would probably lead to a
      decrease in the incidence of these cancers.

PMID- 1855914
TI  - Chinese tea inhibits the occurrence of oesophageal tumours induced by N
      nitrosomethylbenzylamine and blocks its formation in rats.
AB  - Chinese tea can inhibit the occurrence of oesophageal tumours not only by
      blocking the formation of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBzA) in vivo, but also by
      inhibiting the carcinogenesis of preformed NMBzA. The incidence of oesophageal
      tumours in rats intubated with preformed NMBzA (5 mg/kg bw per week) and with the
      precursors of NMBzA (methylbenzylamine, 1 mM/kg bw; nitrite, 0.5 mM/kg bw)
      without Chinese tea was higher than in tea-treated groups; the same tendency was
      found with regard to the severity of the oesophageal lesions. The
      anticarcinogenic effects of five varieties of Chinese tea were different from one
      another.

PMID- 1855915
TI  - Inhibitory effect of Chinese tea on N-nitrosation in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - The inhibitory effect of 145 samples of Chinese tea on the formation of N
      nitrosomorpholine was studied in vitro. The rates of inhibition by green tea,
      crush, tear, curl (CTC) black tea, brick tea, jasmine tea, Oolong tea, sun-dried
      tea and black tea were positively correlated with their polyphenol contents. An
      inhibitory effect of green and black tea on endogenous N-nitrosation was also
      confirmed in humans. Drinking tea after a meal had a greater effect than drinking
      it before a meal.

PMID- 1855916
TI  - Some approaches to prevention of endogenous formation of N-nitrosamines in
      humans.
AB  - In a series of experiments on formation of N-nitrosamines from precursors in the
      gastric juice, we investigated individual nitrosation capacity and the influence
      of inhibitors on this process. In the presence of a molar ratio of 2:1 ascorbic
      acid:NaNO2, we found increased nitrosamine formation in 34% of gastric juice
      samples. Ferulic acid and caffeic acid generally suppressed nitrosation at high
      concentrations and stimulated it at low concentrations. The concentration at
      which the transition from a stimulating to an inhibitory effect occurs depends on
      individual differences in the gastric juice.

PMID- 1855917
TI  - Inhibition by fatty acids of direct mutagenicity of N-nitroso compounds.
AB  - Fatty acids inhibited the direct mutagenicity of N-nitroso compounds in
      Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, Escherichia coli WP2 and WPhcr-, and E. coli
      H/r30R (wild) and Hs30R (uvrA). This inhibitory activity was dependent on the
      concentration of fatty acids, and fatty acids with longer alkyl chain were more
      potent. Of the N-nitroso compounds tested, alpha-hydroxy nitrosamines underwent
      the strongest inhibitory effect. The rate of decomposition was not changed by
      addition of fatty acids. The partitioning property of the mutagens was altered
      but not to such a degree as to explain the amount of inhibition. No significant
      difference in alkylating activity of the N-nitroso compounds was observed in
      phosphate and acetate buffers. A stronger inhibition of mutagenicity by a
      butylating mutagen was detected in E. coli WP2 than in WP2hcr- and in E. coli
      H/r30R than in Hs30R, suggesting that excision repair was a possible mechanism of
      inhibition. The mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of alpha-hydroxy nitrosamines in
      Chinese hamster V79 cells were also inhibited by acetate.

PMID- 1855918
TI  - Potent inhibition of oesophageal metabolism of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine, an
      oesophageal carcinogen, by higher alcohols present in alcoholic beverages.
AB  - The main cause of oesophageal cancer in western countries is consumption of
      alcoholic beverages, the degree of risk being much greater for certain spirits
      than for wine or beer. Risk shows a striking correlation with the content of
      higher alcohols in the drinks, although the alcohols per se have not been shown
      to be carcinogenic in experimental animals. To test the concept that higher
      alcohols modulate the oesophageal carcinogenicity of nitrosamines by altering
      their metabolism, we studied the effect of certain higher alcohols on the
      metabolism of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine by rat oesophageal mucosal and liver
      microsomes. In oesophagus, the alcohols were 1000 times more inhibitory than
      ethanol, and in liver 100 times. This suggests that enhancement of carcinogenesis
      may not result from an effect on nitrosamine metabolism. Higher alcohols could
      act by increasing the rate of replication of cells already initiated for
      malignancy by previous exposure to nitrosamines. Intubation of 2-methylbutanol
      produces a very much greater increase in oesophageal basal-cell proliferation
      than does ethanol.

PMID- 1855919
TI  - Prevention of tumour production in rats fed aminopyrine plus nitrite by sea
      buckthorn juice.
AB  - Three groups of Wistar rats were fed a diet containing aminopyrine (0.2%) and
      NaNO2 (0.2%) and either tap-water (controls), sea buckthorn juice or ascorbic
      acid solution ad libitum for 38 weeks. All 17 rats given tap-water developed
      tumours in the liver, and six developed tumours in the lungs and four in the
      kidneys; in rats given sea buckthorn juice, 15 had tumours of the liver, 11 of
      the lungs and two of the kidneys; the incidences in rats given ascorbic acid were
      18/18, 6/18 and 4/18, respectively. The average life span of the group given sea
      buckthorn juice was 270 days, which was significantly longer (p less than 0.01)
      than those of rats given tap-water (195 days) or ascorbic acid (220 days).
      Microscopic examination of the livers of rats receiving sea buckthorn juice
      showed fewer foci of carcinogenesis than those of the control and the ascorbic
      acid groups. The results suggest that sea buckthorn juice can block the
      endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds more effectively than ascorbic acid
      and thereby prevent tumour production.

PMID- 1855920
TI  - Inhibition of bacterially mediated N-nitrosation by ascorbate: therapeutic and
      mechanistic considerations.
AB  - Ascorbate is known to inhibit the acid-catalysed N-nitrosation reactions of
      nitrite in the normally acid stomach, suggesting a useful therapeutic application
      of this compound to reduce exposure to the carcinogenic products of such
      reactions. However, in the achlorhydric stomach, which is particularly
      predisposed to cancer, increased exposure to endogenous N-nitroso compounds may
      result from bacterially catalysed reactions. The mechanism of these bacterially
      mediated reactions is only just beginning to be understood, and, indeed, more
      than one such mechanism may exist. Despite its usual lack of reactivity towards
      nitrite at neutral pH, ascorbate proved to be a potent inhibitor of the
      bacterially mediated (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) nitrosation of morpholine,
      competing with morpholine for the nitrosating agent elaborated by the bacteria
      from nitrite (the kinetics of the inhibition were classically competitive). This
      and other data, particularly with regard to the dependence of the bacterially
      mediated reaction on amine pKa, are discussed in relation to the potential
      mechanisms of these bacterially mediated reactions.

PMID- 1855921
TI  - Retinoids prevent epithelial carcinogenesis induced by N-nitroso compounds.
AB  - Two new retinoic acid esters and retinamides synthesized in China, N-(4
      ethoxycarbophenyl)retinamide (RI) and N-(4-carboxyphenyl)retinamide (RII),
      significantly inhibited carcinogenesis induced in the epithelium of the
      forestomach of mice by N-nitrososarcosine ethyl ester. RI also markedly inhibited
      carcinogenesis induced in the epithelium of the oesophagus and forestomach in
      rats by this ester. No sign of hypervitaminosis was noticed with doses as high as
      six times the therapeutic dose. RI also inhibited precancerous and cancerous
      lesions in the nasal cavity and nasopharynx and oesophagus of rats induced by
      dinitrosopiperazine. In a malignant oesophageal epithelial cell line from rats,
      RE25-3, established in our laboratory, RI and RII inhibited mitosis,
      proliferation rate, chromosomal aberrations and incorporation of 3H-thymidine
      into DNA. The ability to form colonies on agar plates was also inhibited by these
      two compounds.

PMID- 1855922
TI  - Stability of mutagenic nitrosated products of indole compounds occurring in
      vegetables.
AB  - Levels of indolylglucosinolates in Brassica vegetables correlated significantly
      with the amounts of N-nitroso compounds formed in these vegetables after nitrite
      treatment. Nitrosation of indole-3-carbinol, indole-3-acetonitrile and indole,
      hydrolysis products of an indolylglucosinolate, resulted in formation of
      nitrosated products, which were directly mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium
      TA100. The nitrosated products were unstable at pH 2 but stable at pH 8.
      Experiments to elucidate the mechanisms behind these differences in stability
      showed an equilibrium between the nitrosated indole compound and the free
      compound plus nitrite.

PMID- 1855923
TI  - New sulfenamide accelerators derived from 'safe' amines for the rubber and tyre
      industry.
AB  - A reduction of the high exposures to N-nitrosamines in the rubber and tyre
      industry is possible using the concept of 'safe' amines, in which vulcanization
      accelerators contain amine moieties that are both difficult to nitrosate and, on
      nitrosation, yield noncarcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. The toxicological and
      technological properties of more than 50 benzothiazole sulfenamides derived from
      'safe' amines have been evaluated. Some of the new compounds show excellent
      vulcanization properties and seem suitable as replacements for traditional
      accelerators in this class of compounds.

PMID- 1855924
TI  - Tobacco smoking and its effect on health in China.
AB  - Production and sales of manufactured cigarettes are increasing in China;
      furthermore, the proportion of filtered cigarettes is still low, and the tar
      yield thus remains high. The prevalence of smoking in the general population aged
      20 and over is estimated to be 68.9% of men and 8.3% of women. Case-control
      studies carried out in major cities in China all showed a close relationship
      between lung cancer incidence and smoking. In Shanghai, the population
      attributable risks for lung cancer due to smoking were 0.69 in men and 0.24 in
      women. A limited number of case-control studies indicate that the incidences of
      cancers of the bladder, oesophagus and pancreas are also associated with smoking.
      Some studies on coronary heart disease reveal unequivocally a significant risk
      for this disease associated with smoking. Cancer, chronic obstructive lung
      diseases and coronary heart disease are now important causes of death in some
      large cities in China. More comprehensive investigations are needed in order to
      evaluate thoroughly the effect of smoking on health in China.

PMID- 1855925
TI  - Biomonitoring of human exposure to alkylating agents by measurement of adducts to
      haemoglobin or DNA.
AB  - Recent analytical developments in the determination of adducts of DNA and protein
      with alkylating carcinogens are described which have considerably extended the
      number of carcinogens that can be examined. While sensitivity of detection equal
      to or better than one modified DNA base per 10(8) normal bases is now achievable
      for many specific alkylating carcinogens, further developments in the analytical
      methods are still needed for the identification and quantification of adducts
      derived from unknown and/or mixed exposures to carcinogens.

PMID- 1855927
TI  - Comparison of urinary nitrate, N-nitrosoproline, 7-methylguanine and 3
      methyladenine levels in a human population at risk for gastric cancer.
AB  - We have measured the urinary excretion of nitrate, N-nitrosoproline, 3
      methyladenine and 7-methylguanine in a human population at high risk for gastric
      cancer. A strong correlation was observed between nitrate and N-nitrosoproline
      excretion (p less than 0.00000); statistically significant correlations (p less
      than 0.05) were also observed for N-nitrosoproline with 3-methyladenine (p =
      0.003) and with 7-methylguanine (p = 0.03) and for 7-methyl-guanine with nitrate
      (p = 0.02), although these correlations were sensitive to outliers. Smokers
      appeared to excrete slightly higher levels of 3-methyladenine than nonsmokers; no
      other difference was observed between smokers and nonsmokers or between drinkers
      and nondrinkers. The correlation between N-nitrosoproline excretion and nitrate
      excretion supports the hypothesis that elevated endogenous nitrate levels may
      contribute to elevated endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds.

PMID- 1855926
TI  - Novel, sensitive assays for O6-alkylguanine and its repair and their application
      to studies of the molecular epidemiology of this lesion in human populations.
AB  - Two assays suitable for monitoring human populations are presented--one for O6
      alkylguanine-type adducts and one for the corresponding repair activity. The
      assay for adducts is based on competition for repair by O6-alkylguanine-DNA
      alkyltransferase of lesions in the unknown DNA and in an oligonucleotide
      containing a single residue of O6-methylguanine (O6-meGua). The assay can
      reliably detect as little as 0.5 fmol O6-meGua or 3 fmol O6-ethylguanine in 10-15
      micrograms DNA, and it has been used to measure O6-meGua (up to approximately 5 x
      10(-7) mol/mol guanine) in lymphocyte DNA from individuals receiving procarbazine
      or dacarbazine. The assay for repair activity utilizes the same oligonucleotide
      as substrate for the enzyme, in combination with immunoprecipitation for
      convenient separation of repaired from unrepaired substrate. Examination of
      repair activity in biopsy specimens of gastric mucosa has revealed a correlation
      with the corresponding activity in lymphocytes (r = 0.7; p less than 0.01),
      indicating that lymphocytes could be used as surrogate markers for repair
      activity in gastric mucosa.

PMID- 1855928
TI  - Possible effect of infection with liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) on the
      monitoring of urine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human exposure to
      aflatoxins.
AB  - Several laboratories have initiated studies to assess human exposure to aflatoxin
      at an individual level by measuring aflatoxin metabolites in the urine by
      immunoassay. The fact that the antibodies recognize a variety of metabolites,
      albeit with differing affinities, means that any environmental factor that
      modifies the pattern of urinary metabolites associated with a given exposure
      could affect quantification in immunoassay. We have examined two such possible
      effects: (i) the pattern of metabolites after a dose of 14C-aflatoxin B1 in rats
      and (ii) the pattern of metabolites in hamsters and humans with and without
      exposure to liver flukes. We found no dose-related effect on the pattern of
      urinary metabolites over a 250-fold range, but there was a significant increase
      in the proportion of water-soluble aflatoxin metabolites in hamsters infected
      with liver fluke over that in uninfected animals. In human urine samples, there
      also appeared to be a difference in the metabolites in individuals infected with
      liver fluke from those in uninfected persons. These observations are relevant to
      both mechanistic and monitoring aspects of research into aflatoxins.

PMID- 1855929
TI  - Autopsy and clinical diagnoses in a psychiatric hospital.
AB  - We made a retrospective analysis of clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings for
      patients who died in the psychiatric hospital in the city of Zagreb in two
      different periods--1965-67 and 1985-87. Between these two periods, the autopsy
      rate decreased from 64 to 31%. The level of clinicopathological discrepancies
      remained the same, but with the decrease in autopsy rate a problem emerged in the
      diagnosis of respiratory diseases. The purpose and value of autopsy in a
      psychiatric hospital is discussed.

PMID- 1855930
TI  - Use of the autopsy in Northern Ireland and its value in perioperative deaths.
AB  - A report on the pilot study of the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths
      was published recently in the United Kingdom. The scheme was designed as a
      specialized form of clinical audit relating to perioperative patient care.
      Because the report placed little emphasis on autopsy, we have looked at all
      autopsied perioperative deaths, as defined by the enquiry, over a three-year
      period (1986-88) in a defined catchment area of Northern Ireland. Class I major
      discrepancies of diagnosis between clinical and postmortem records were found in
      21% of 213 autopsied perioperative deaths. By definition, these represented
      instances in which an adverse impact on patient survival had resulted from the
      discrepancy. In an additional 29% of cases, there were Class II major
      discrepancies, which were discrepancies in the primary diagnosis not relevant to
      life-saving treatment. In 30% of cases there was a discrepancy in a secondary
      diagnosis, which might have affected the eventual prognosis, had the patient
      survived, but which was not related directly to the cause of death; these were
      termed Class III discrepancies. In 47% of cases, there were Class IV discrepant
      secondary diagnoses, which were 'incidental' findings and had no bearing on
      prognosis. To put these findings in context, the autopsy rate in Northern Ireland
      was 12% in 1987, with a higher rate (23%) in the two main teaching hospitals and
      a lower rate (8%) in all other hospitals. The rate of coroner's autopsies, 6%, is
      uniform throughout Northern Ireland. Coroner's autopsies are carried out mostly
      by the salaried staff of the State Pathologist's department. The observed
      differences in the rates of hospital autopsies reflect local deficiencies of
      pathologists in relation to the work load. In a series of consecutive autopsies
      carried out at one of the main teaching hospitals, the highest autopsy rate (68%)
      was found for paediatric patients, with rates of 29% for surgical and 23% for
      medical cases. The proportion of hospital autopsies carried out in perioperative
      surgical patients was the same as that for medical patients, reflecting the fact
      that no particular emphasis is placed on use of the autopsy as a form of clinical
      audit for the perioperative group.

PMID- 1855931
TI  - Exposure to asbestos in Monfalcone, Italy. A necropsy-based study.
AB  - The Monfalcone area in north-eastern Italy (total population, about 60,000) is a
      small industrial district in which shipbuilding is the main industry. We examined
      thoracic cavities for hyaline pleural plaques and routine lung sections for
      asbestos bodies in 1765 necropsies performed at Monfalcone Hospital. In 553
      cases, we also isolated and quantified asbestos bodies in the lungs (Smith
      Naylor's method). Occupational histories were obtained from the relatives of 798
      patients. The prevalence of pleural plaques was significantly higher (p less than
      0.001) among residents of the Monfalcone region (73.6% of men, 26.7% of women)
      than among nonresidents. Similarly, asbestos bodies were found more frequently in
      lung sections from residents. A good correlation was observed between pleural
      plaques and the asbestos body content of the lung (Spearman's correlation
      coefficient, 0.53). Different occupational groups showed very marked differences
      in the prevalence of plaques in general, in the prevalence of large plaques and
      in the numbers of asbestos bodies in the lung. Subjects who had worked in the
      shipyard or in a sodium carbonate factory had the highest indices. Exposure to
      asbestos had occurred at work for the large majority of men for whom data on
      occupation had been collected and through domestic contacts for the large
      majority of women. In a small portion of cases, environmental exposure could not
      be excluded as the cause of the objective signs. Pleural plaques, the asbestos
      body content of the lungs and occupational history must be considered together in
      monitoring exposure to asbestos in a given geographical area.

PMID- 1855932
TI  - Autopsy indicators of exposure to asbestos and lung cancer.
AB  - In many instances, only post-mortem examination can provide probative data about
      (i) the presence of lung cancer and (ii) its relationship to exposure to
      asbestos. Moreover, the results of an autopsy may suggest that a thorough
      investigation of occupational history should be carried out, since such
      information is rarely recorded in clinical records. We considered pathological
      indicators for selecting subjects who had a high likelihood of previous
      occupational exposure to asbestos. The positive predictive value of pleural
      plaques ranged from 20 to 75%, depending on their size and on the concentrations
      of asbestos bodies and uncoated mineral fibres in the lung. The probability of no
      exposure was greater than 90% if neither asbestos bodies nor uncoated mineral
      fibres were found. Another purpose of our work on lung cancer and exposure to
      asbestos was to investigate the relationships between exposure and the occurrence
      of specific cell types of lung cancer in an autopsied population. Both work
      history and asbestos body count were considered. The matched analysis showed some
      tendency towards an association between the occurrence of adenocarcinoma and the
      presence of indicators of exposure to asbestos.

PMID- 1855933
TI  - The perinatal autopsy: a neglected source of discovery.
AB  - The perinatal autopsy is frequently viewed by pathologists as being
      scientifically unrewarding and contributing little to patient care. To emphasize
      its importance in patient management, genetic counselling and specific research,
      a ten-year review (1979-88) was made of the perinatal autopsy experience at
      Loyola University Medical Center. The 657 deaths included late fetal deaths
      (22%), early neonatal deaths (51%), late neonatal deaths (10%) and deaths between
      29 days and one year (17%). Comparison of the principal causes of death in
      various groups categorized by birth weight and age revealed significant trends.
      There has been a steady decline in mortality from immediate complications of
      immaturity, while the mortality rate from long-term complications of immaturity
      has not increased. There were increased frequencies of congenital diaphragmatic
      hernia and cardiac malformations, while the frequency of renal malformations
      decreased; the etiological significance of these changes requires further
      evaluation. A correlation of clinical observations with post-mortem findings
      indicates that newer diagnostic procedures, such as ultrasound, echocardiography
      and cardiac catheterization, are of limited value for accurate diagnosis of
      complex anomalies, cystic renal disease and chromosomal anomalies. A substudy
      included cases up to 18 years of age. The frequency of childhood neoplasia was
      low (17 cases), and among these cases there was a predominance of haematological
      malignancies (11 cases). Even with these small numbers, a shift in cause of death
      from disseminated malignancy to overwhelming infection was apparent. This paper
      includes the essential elements of a protocol for perinatal autopsies, with
      illustrations of specific applications. The perinatal autopsy is clearly an
      undervalued source of information and discovery. Little or no information is
      available from developing countries, where autopsies could provide information on
      causes of paediatric mortality and permit recognition of disease patterns, which
      is so critical to the planning of health services.

PMID- 1855934
TI  - Role of necropsy at neonatal and infantile ages.
AB  - One of the aims of necropsy at neonatal and infantile ages is to identify the
      causes of death in this population, which is decreasing continuously because of
      the decay in natality seen in Italy as well as in other western countries over
      the last few decades. Analysis of 2410 autopsies performed on 92% of deaths in
      infants under one year of age occurring at the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome in
      1974-89 shows a striking change in the principal causes of death in recent
      decades: Malformations, neonatal anoxia and immaturity have now become the main
      causes of death in the first year of life, while there is a very low rate of
      nutritional and infectious diseases, which predominated in the past. The autopsy
      results obtained indicate, however, that the policy of paediatric care in public
      health systems must be changed.

PMID- 1855935
TI  - Pathological findings in perinatal autopsies.

PMID- 1855936
TI  - Autopsy as the yardstick for diagnosis: an epidemiologist's remarks.

PMID- 1855937
TI  - Contribution of post-mortem examination to cancer registries.
AB  - In developed countries, the post-mortem examination may not be critical to the
      identification of patients with cancer, since diagnostic sophistication and
      histological verification are readily available. The autopsy should be considered
      of increasing importance, however, to epidemiologists and other investigators who
      use the data generated by cancer registries. The contribution of post-mortem
      examinations to etiological studies, to documentation of the natural history of
      disease in a changing environment and to evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic
      modalities should, in fact, be recognized as essential to the practice of modern
      medicine and to research. In the less developed countries, cancer registration
      must depend to a much greater degree on necropsy for identification of cancer
      patients, since surgical biopsy may be limited or selected and often specimens
      are not even submitted for examination. The primary site and histology of a
      tumour are frequently not available from clinical records, which may carry
      significant inaccuracies. Most of the important observations and contributions
      relating to the geographical pathology of cancer have made substantial use of
      post-mortem material. All of the investigative approaches that are dependent on
      reliable cancer registry data and that involve use of information derived from
      autopsies are equally applicable to developed and less developed countries. Such
      information is of enormous importance to public health planning, and the
      potential for disease prevention cannot be overestimated.

PMID- 1855939
TI  - The role of autopsy in cancer registration in Sweden, with particular reference
      to findings in Malmo.

PMID- 1855938
TI  - Contributions of autopsy to population-based cancer epidemiology: targetted
      intervention to improve ascertainment.
AB  - The importance of autopsy data in cancer epidemiological investigation is well
      appreciated by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. The Rochester Epidemiology Program
      Project is a complete population-based collection of morbidity and mortality data
      in Olmsted County, Minnesota (population, 100,000), funded by the National
      Institutes of Health since 1964. Comprehensive ascertainment of cancer in this
      community cohort has been augmented by initial diagnosis at autopsy for 12% of
      colorectal cancers, 35% of intracranial neoplasms, 45% of phaeochromocytomas and
      37% of renal-cell carcinomas. These rates are in stark contrast to autopsy
      diagnoses in our cancer registry--usually less than 1%. The difference is
      attributable to the denominator in these comparisons, a concept of vital
      importance to the epidemiological interpretation of autopsy findings. Despite the
      enormous value of the autopsy in our research, social and economic factors
      diminished autoptic rates in Olmsted County from 63% in 1970 to 39% in 1984.
      These rates are well above that for the USA as a whole but parallel our national
      decline in frequency of autopsy. The major factors responsible for this reduction
      appear to be the increasing proportion of deaths in nursing homes and the advent
      of declining reimbursement in US health care.

PMID- 1855940
TI  - Selection for necropsy: evaluation of 321 autopsied cases from 3041 consecutive
      deaths among residents of a defined geographical area.
AB  - By undertaking to act as 'medico necroscopo' (the medical doctors in charge of
      authorizing every burial) in the Unita Socio-Sanitaria Locale (USSL) 70, a region
      containing 92,500 inhabitants, we were able to collect over a four-year period
      (1985-88) information on 3371 deaths among residents of the area. Of these, 68.1%
      died at home, 12.6% in hospital with no autopsy, 9.5% in hospital with an autopsy
      and 9.8% outside of the USSL region. For the analysis, age, sex and leading cause
      of death were considered as explanatory variables and place of death and
      proportion of autopsied cases as the response variables. The factors found to be
      associated with deaths occurring in hospital were non-neoplastic (particularly
      cardiovascular and digestive) pathological conditions in patients under the age
      of 60. People with malignant neoplasms usually died at home, especially when they
      had a gastric or breast cancer. Factors associated with autopsy were: death at a
      young age, short length of hospitalization and death from a cardiovascular
      disease. Sex did not appear to play a direct role in selection for necropsy. Our
      results indicate that, in our and similar regions, the cases selected for autopsy
      form a subset that is so specific that any extrapolation to the total deceased
      population is misleading.

PMID- 1855941
TI  - Nationwide autopsy registration over 30 years.
AB  - In this paper, a unique, nationwide autopsy registration system used in Japan is
      introduced, which has been used by the Japanese Pathological Society since 1958.
      The autopsy data collected are published annually in an Annual of Pathological
      Autopsy Cases in Japan, known in Japanese as the Bouken Shuho. In the most recent
      volume, about 40,000 cases (representing about 5% of all deaths in Japan) were
      presented. These annual volumes comprise two parts: a description of findings and
      a statistical section. The latter is composed mainly of tables, including
      tabulations of disease, age and sex; disease and geographical location; primary
      site and histological type of cancer; and primary site/primary site for double
      primary malignant neoplasms. Since 1974, tabulation has been computerized, and
      this same file is also used to retrieve descriptive data in the book. Since 1984,
      the findings section of the Bouken Shuho has been published using a desk-top
      system. A project to incorporate the original documents stored in this system, in
      order to establish a more sophisticated, fully computerized document retrieval
      system, is under way.

PMID- 1855942
TI  - Autopsy rates in medical schools and hospitals in Japan.
AB  - The autopsy rates in Japanese medical schools and hospitals were reviewed.
      Although moderate autopsy levels have been maintained in medical schools (50%)
      and large training hospitals (30%), a slight tendency towards a decrease was
      demonstrated recently. Since autopsy is important in education, research and the
      quality control of medicine, it is essential to keep the autopsy rate high. Our
      analyses indicate that autopsy gives satisfaction to clinicians if clinical data
      are correlated in detail with pathological findings. Thus, efforts should be
      directed to strengthening the training of pathologists in the analysis of
      clinical data, which are essential for correct pathological diagnoses. In order
      to cope with the rapid progress in all fields of medicine, pathologists must
      collaborate with clinical staff to obtain all the information necessary for
      interpretation of autopsy data. This action also helps to keep the autopsy rate
      high. No international guidelines are available on autopsy. Autopsies are carried
      out for different purposes at different levels. An internationally agreed set of
      rules would allow efficient use of autopsy data for epidemiological studies.
      Genetic analysis of autopsy material is now feasible, and this may be useful in
      tracing etiological factors, such as infections and genetic predisposition.
      Various aspects of autopsy must be reconsidered in the light of modern science.

PMID- 1855943
TI  - The role of autopsy in the control of mortality in Austria.
AB  - Maintenance of an acceptable autopsy rate is important for continuous quality
      control of the mortality statistics of a population, as well as for continuous
      quality control of clinical diagnosis in general. A high autopsy rate is of
      particularly great value for maintaining the quality of data on mortality from
      neoplastic diseases and, by feed-back, for ensuring the quality and accuracy of
      clinical diagnosis of malignant neoplastic diseases.

PMID- 1855944
TI  - Latent malignancies at autopsy: a little used source of information on cancer
      biology.
AB  - Latent carcinomas, found incidentally at autopsy, are defined, and information
      about such tumours in the prostate, adrenal gland, kidney and thyroid is
      reviewed. A previously unsuspected carcinoma of the prostate was found in 350 of
      1327 (26.4%) autopsies performed in seven countries on men over 45 years of age.
      The prevalence of latent carcinoma of the prostate at autopsy was greater in
      older men and in areas of higher incidence and/or mortality, as for clinical
      carcinomas. Neuroblastomas of the adrenal gland have been reported at a rate of
      1:39 in newborn infants who died of other causes; this rate is comparable to that
      of latent prostatic carcinoma. Neuroblastomas are not found in the adrenal glands
      of infants older than three months, indicating that the body has a method for
      destroying them. Latent carcinomas are also found in the thyroid gland at
      autopsy, at rates ranging from 10 to 30%. The age and area differences seen for
      prostatic carcinoma do not appear to be operative for these tumours; moreover,
      latent carcinomas are found more frequently in males, whereas the clinical
      disease is twice as frequent in females. More research should be carried out to
      elucidate the differences between people who develop clinical carcinoma, those
      who have a latent carcinoma 'under control' and those who have neither.

PMID- 1855945
TI  - Correlation of early pathological lesions in the bronchial tree with
      environmental exposures: study objectives and preliminary findings.
AB  - Lung specimens were taken at autopsy from 214 subjects aged 35 years and over who
      had died from nonpulmonary causes in Athens or the surrounding countryside. The
      samples were coded and examined for entities thought to be linked to
      environmental exposures, reflecting epithelial, possibly precancerous, lesions,
      as well as for morphological features, which were summarized using Reid's index.
      Of the 214 specimens, 142 were suitable for pathological examination. Next-of-kin
      of 101 of the dead people were identified and asked about the subject's exposure
      to active smoking, passive smoking, possible occupational hazards, dietary
      factors and proxy indicators of air pollution (residence). Preliminary analysis,
      controlling for age and sex, indicates that active smoking is related, although
      not statistically significantly, to both the Reid index (difference, 0.28,
      corresponding to a one-tailed p value of 0.07) and epithelial, possibly
      precancerous lesions (difference, 16.7, corresponding to a one-tailed p value of
      0.09). Nonsignificant differences were found in the preliminary analysis of this
      ongoing study with respect to the other environmental factors examined.

PMID- 1855947
TI  - Autopsy in epidemiology and medical research.

PMID- 1855946
TI  - Changes in underlying causes of death during 85 years of autopsy practice in
      Trieste.
AB  - In 1901, 20% of autopsied subjects in Trieste were under the age of 30 and 28.8%
      were over 70. By 1985, only 0.2% were under 30 years of age and 74.5% over 70. An
      analysis of autopsy reports for 1901 reveals that the primary causes of death at
      that time were tuberculosis (22.4%), acute pulmonary infections (13.7%) and
      malignant neoplasms (10.6%). Other pathological conditions found at autopsy were
      infectious lesions (10.4%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (10.2%),
      arteriosclerosis (only 6.4%), syphilis (4.7%), nutritional deficiency (4.7%),
      cirrhosis of the liver (4.6%) and acute infections (1.1%). Overall, infectious
      diseases accounted for 55% of deaths in 1901. In 1985, the cause of death was
      infection in only 3.7% of cases. During the period analysed, the percentage of
      deaths from cancer tripled and mean length of survival increased by more than 20
      years. In 1901, the neoplasms found most frequently were gastric cancer in males
      (17.9%) and cancers of the uterus and ovary in females (both 13%). Lung cancer
      accounted for 7.7% of all deaths from malignant neoplasms in males, and breast
      cancer for 10.8% of such deaths among females. By 1985, lung cancer accounted for
      32.4% of deaths from malignant neoplasms among males and breast cancer for 18%
      among females. Between 1901 and 1985, there were highly significant increases in
      the numbers of deaths due to arteriosclerosis and to malignant neoplasms in
      people of each sex.

PMID- 1855948
TI  - Occurrence of liver cirrhosis among autopsies in Trieste.
AB  - The reports of 26,879 autopsies performed at the Institute of Pathological
      Anatomy at the University of Trieste during 1876-85 (70% of all deaths that
      occurred in the Province) were examined, and 2563 cases of liver cirrhosis were
      found. Analysis of the sample allowed us to make the following conclusions: (i)
      The prevalence of cirrhosis at autopsy is high in Trieste and shows no tendency
      to decrease, as has been inferred by some clinical studies. (ii) The increasing
      average age at death over the decade studied appears to be unrelated to the new,
      early treatments adopted for hepatopathic patients, since a similar yearly
      increase in mean age at death was seen for the whole population of the Province.
      The combination of a high incidence of cirrhosis and increasing average age of
      patients will probably result in an increasing occurrence of hepatocellular
      carcinoma. (iii) The observed male:female ratio (2.3) is analogous to that of
      alcohol drinkers in the Province and thus suggests a role of alcohol abuse in the
      development of cirrhosis. The distribution of markers of hepatitis B virus in the
      population of Trieste, which is very similar in the two sexes, supports this
      hypothesis.

PMID- 1855949
TI  - Comparison between diagnoses of cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, gall
      bladder, liver and pancreas on death certificates and at autopsy in Trieste, 1970
      84.

PMID- 1855950
TI  - Comparison of diagnoses of cancers of the respiratory system on death
      certificates and at autopsy.

PMID- 1855951
TI  - Comparison between diagnoses on death certificates and autopsy reports in
      Trieste: gynaecological cancers.
AB  - We have compared autopsy results with the diagnosis reported on 759 death
      certificates for gynaecological cancers. High levels of discrepancies were noted
      for all sites. Surprisingly, complete agreement between death certificates and
      autopsy reports was found for only 30% of cervical and corpus tumours and for 50%
      of ovarian tumours. This low level of agreement was due partly to the poor
      quality of death certificates of older women. No difference in accuracy was found
      over the 15-year period considered. The most obvious causes of the discrepancies
      were of two types. The first was erroneous interpretation of codes; confusion
      between 180 (cervix) and 182 (corpus) was very frequent. The second type was
      associated with clinical factors, such as confusion of anatomical site, adjacent
      organs or metastases being diagnosed as primary tumours. A relatively frequent
      cause of inaccuracy on death certificates was consideration of patients who had
      been cured of a cancer as having died of the disease.

PMID- 1855952
TI  - The role of the autopsy in assessing clinical diagnoses.

PMID- 1855953
TI  - Autopsy diagnosis versus clinical diagnosis, particularly in malignant disease.
      Comparison of two periods: 1961-70 and 1978-87.
AB  - We present a comparison of autopsy records in the Institute of Pathology of
      Munster University during 1961-70 with those from 1978-87. The study was based on
      11,716 autopsy cases in which reliable documentation of clinical diagnosis could
      be adequately correlated and compared with the respective autopsy diagnoses. In
      the decade 1961-70, 34% of the clinical diagnoses were correct, 15% were nearly
      correct and 23%, incorrect (24% had to be supplemented without relevance to
      therapy or prognosis, 4% side diagnoses). In the decade 1978-87, 50% of the
      clinical diagnoses were correct, 15% nearly correct and 18% incorrect (17%
      supplemented). With respect to malignant tumours, in 1961-70 clinical diagnoses
      were correct in 37% of cases and incorrect for 26%; in 1978-87, 47% were correct
      and 15% incorrect. This comparison covered all major tumour locations. The
      difference in incorrect clinical diagnoses between the two periods is
      statistically significant. With respect to infectious diseases, the concordance
      between clinical and autopsy diagnoses is even poorer. Lues (syphilis) is now
      rarely recognized in clinical diagnoses, even though it may be fatal; 50% of
      tuberculosis patients die from miliary tuberculosis without a correct diagnosis.
      Endocarditis in all its forms was underdiagnosed clinically in 75% of cases.
      These data provide substantial arguments in favour of autopsy control of clinical
      diagnosis, also including histological findings in biopsy specimens.

PMID- 1855954
TI  - Autopsy: clinicopathological concordance and imaging techniques.
AB  - We have assessed clinical and post-mortem diagnostic agreement, comparing two one
      year periods 10 years apart (1976 and 1986), in order to evaluate the
      contribution of noninvasive imaging techniques to diagnostic accuracy. Excluding
      stillbirths, perinatal deaths and forensic cases, a total of 434 hospital
      autopsies were analysed retrospectively, 190 from 1976 and 244 from 1986. The
      overall percentage of major disagreement between clinicians and pathologists was
      55% for autopsies carried out in 1976 and 34% for those in 1986. In the majority
      of these, the clinicians located the immediate cause of death outside the organ
      system identified by the pathologist. For major conditions not classified as the
      immediate cause of death, the concordance rates were 62% in 1976 and 75% in 1986;
      this significant improvement between the two periods suggests that the new
      modalities in widespread use in 1986 may have increased clinical diagnostic
      accuracy with respect to these conditions. We conclude that (i) the rate of
      verification at autopsy of the clinically suspected cause of death remains
      unacceptably low; (ii) the autopsy is indispensable as an instrument of quality
      control and for generating mortality and morbidity statistics; and (iii) the
      introduction of new diagnostic modalities seems not to have improved the accuracy
      of clinical diagnosis of the immediate cause of death but may significantly have
      improved the detection of other major diseases.

PMID- 1855955
TI  - Correlation of clinical diagnosis with autopsy findings.
AB  - We investigated 110 cases, selected at random out of the total of 1876 autopsies
      performed in the Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology at the
      University of Ferrara-Arcispedale Santa Anna on patients who had died at the
      hospital during 1983-87. Clinical data were taken from 'necropsy request forms'
      filled in by clinicians and from medical records. We then evaluated the extent of
      agreement and disagreement, expressed as underdiagnosis (false-negative) and
      overdiagnosis (false-positive), between the clinical and pathological records
      with regard to primary disease and to cause of death. Agreement between the
      diagnoses was 81% for primary disease and 58% for cause of death. The diagnoses
      of neoplastic, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases showed the closest
      agreement. Among the neoplasms, those of the liver, gall-bladder, pancreas,
      retroperitoneal space and prostate were most often overlooked in clinical
      diagnoses. We had conflicting results for cancer of the lung and of the colon
      rectum, for which there was a high level of agreement, but also a large number of
      false-positive cases and cases in which they were found by chance at autopsy. For
      cerebrovascular diseases, false-negative and false-positive diagnoses were seen
      most often for cause of death. With regard to cardiovascular diseases, a
      relatively uniform distribution was found for myocardial infarction among the
      three categories, and a high rate of agreement was found for pulmonary embolism.
      Of all diseases, bronchopneumonia was associated with the highest percentage of
      false-negative diagnoses for cause of death. Our data on digestive diseases show
      the strongest agreement on diagnosis of primary disease in relation to cirrhosis
      of the liver; a high rate of agreement on cause of death was confirmed for
      alimentary bleeding. Active tuberculosis was detected only at autopsy. We
      conclude that autopsy is a valid tool for investigation, despite the availability
      of sophisticated diagnostic techniques.

PMID- 1855956
TI  - [Fabrication of a unit implant prosthesis. Combined implant surgery and guided
      tissue regeneration at an extraction site].

PMID- 1855957
TI  - [The dental assistant and the first appointment].

PMID- 1855958
TI  - [Agenesis of upper lateral incisors treated with unit implants].

PMID- 1855960
TI  - [Bleaching of vital teeth. Part one of a comparative study of two ambulatory
      methods].

PMID- 1855959
TI  - [Dentistry and public health. Description of the dental status of a population.
      Need for care and care provided].

PMID- 1855962
TI  - [Original design for a new operatory].

PMID- 1855961
TI  - [Esthetic rhinoplasty. A difficult but fascinating operation].

PMID- 1855963
TI  - [Study of ceramics for ceramometal prostheses. Original fabrication of models for
      their characterization].

PMID- 1855964
TI  - [A case of gemination of two central incisors].

PMID- 1855965
TI  - [A plan for dental care in El Salvador].

PMID- 1855966
TI  - [High frequency sounds. Their adverse effects on the dentist's inner ear].

PMID- 1855967
TI  - [The development of orthodontics from yesterday to tomorrow].

PMID- 1855968
TI  - [Recovering of two gingival recessions. Submerged connective graft and coronally
      repositioned flap].

PMID- 1855969
TI  - [Comparison of analgesic activity of mefenamic acid and paracetamol in treatment
      of pain after extraction of impacted lower 3d molar].

PMID- 1855970
TI  - [DMF in 1990].

PMID- 1855971
TI  - [Three "dental kits" by Grangeret, "Cutler to the Emperor". The instrument case
      of Napoleon's dentist, the enigma of his will].

PMID- 1855972
TI  - Cloning, genetic analysis, and nucleotide sequence of a determinant coding for a
      19-kilodalton peptidoglycan-associated protein (Ppl) of Legionella pneumophila.
AB  - A genomic library of Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires
      disease in humans, was constructed in Escherichia coli K-12, and the recombinant
      clones were screened by immuno-colony blots with an antiserum raised against heat
      killed L. pneumophila. Twenty-three clones coding for a Legionella-specific
      protein of 19 kDa were isolated. The 19-kDa protein, which represents an outer
      membrane protein, was found to be associated with the peptidoglycan layer both in
      L. pneumophila and in the recombinant E. coli clones. This was shown by
      electrophoresis and Western immunoblot analysis of bacterial cell membrane
      fractions with a monospecific polyclonal 19-kDa protein-specific antiserum. The
      protein was termed peptidoglycan-associated protein of L. pneumophila (Ppl). The
      corresponding genetic determinant, ppl, was subcloned on a 1.8-kb ClaI fragment.
      DNA sequence studies revealed that two open reading frames, pplA and pplB, coding
      for putative proteins of 18.9 and 16.8 kDa, respectively, were located on the
      ClaI fragment. Exonuclease III digestion studies confirmed that pplA is the gene
      coding for the peptidoglycan-associated 19-kDa protein of L. pneumophila. The
      amino acid sequence of PplA exhibits a high degree of homology to the sequences
      of the Pal lipoproteins of E. coli K-12 and Haemophilus influenzae.

PMID- 1855973
TI  - Borreliacidal activity of sera from hamsters infected with the Lyme disease
      spirochete.
AB  - An in vitro borreliacidal assay that accurately reflects the levels of protective
      antibody determined by passive transfer of immunity studies was developed.
      Borreliacidal antibody in sera obtained from normal hamsters infected with
      Borrelia burgdorferi was readily detected. When immune serum containing
      complement was incubated with B. burgdorferi organisms, spirochetes were killed
      within 2 h. Treating immune serum with anti-hamster immunoglobulin G abrogated
      the borreliacidal activity. Killing of B. burgdorferi in serum was detected 1
      week after infection; it peaked at week 3 and gradually declined. Relatively high
      levels of borreliacidal antibody were found, especially in week 3 immune serum,
      which could be diluted 1,280-fold. The decrease in borreliacidal antibody after
      infection may account for occurrences of reinfection and the remitting course of
      Lyme disease.

PMID- 1855974
TI  - Role of host cellular response in differential susceptibility of nonimmunized
      BALB/c mice to Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites.
AB  - We found BALB/c mice to be on the order of 2,000 times more susceptible to
      Plasmodium yoelii than Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, as measured by the ability
      of these sporozoites to differentiate into microscopically detectable hepatic
      schizonts in the livers of immunologically naive mice. One of the factors that
      determine the relative insusceptibility of mice to P. berghei sporozoites is the
      innate cellular inflammatory response that the mice mount after injection with
      sporozoites. The cellular inflammatory response against P. berghei is initiated
      soon after sporozoite injection; by 24 h, substantial histopathological changes
      have developed within the liver. There is considerably less of a cellular
      inflammatory response against P. yoelii; significant histopathological changes
      within the liver are not observed until well after hepatic schizonts have begun
      to rupture at around 44 h postinjection of sporozoites. These differences in the
      cellular inflammatory response against two different, closely related species of
      sporozoites are of considerable interest. The data strongly suggest that the
      BALB/c-P. berghei sporozoite system is a relatively poor biological model for
      sporozoite immunization studies.

PMID- 1855975
TI  - Anticandidal activity of major human salivary histatins.
AB  - We have previously shown that histatins 1, 3, and 5 are homologous, histidine
      rich proteins present in human parotid and submandibular secretions which contain
      38, 32, and 24 amino acids, respectively. Interest in these proteins stems from
      the fact that histatins exhibit candidacidal and candidastatic activities. The
      goal of the present investigation was a detailed functional characterization of
      these anticandidal activities of histatins at the levels of killing of
      blastoconidia, killing of germinated cells, and inhibition of germination by
      using three bioassays. Candidacidal activities were evaluated at several ionic
      strengths, in the presence of different mono- and divalent ions, and at multiple
      pH values. In addition, the susceptibility of Candida albicans in different
      growth phases to histatins was investigated. While all three major human
      histatins demonstrated candidacidal activities, they differed in their abilities
      to kill blastoconidia and germinated cells, with histatin 5 being the most
      active, histatin 3 showing moderate activity, and histatin 1 exhibiting the
      lowest level of activity. For the inhibition of germination, however, histatin 3
      exhibited more activity than either histatin 1 or histatin 5. The candidacidal
      activity of histatins was inversely proportional to both the ionic strength and
      the divalent cation concentration in the medium. Stepwise reduction of the pH of
      the assay medium enhanced the candidacidal activities of histatins 1 and 3, while
      the activity of histatin 5 was pH independent over the range of pHs 4 to 8. C.
      albicans in log-phase growth was more susceptible to histatins 1 and 3 than cells
      in stationary phase. Cells in either growth phase were still more vulnerable to
      histatin 5 than to histatins 1 and 3. The results obtained establish the
      functional relationship of the major histatins with respect to both their
      fungicidal and fungistatic activities and provide insights into their activities
      under ionic and pH conditions likely to be encountered in vivo in the oral
      cavity. Moreover, the data point towards possible mechanisms responsible for the
      anticandidal activities of histatins.

PMID- 1855976
TI  - Identification of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli antigens with
      mucosal and systemic antibodies.
AB  - The development of a rapid and specific diagnostic assay for Campylobacter
      infections is important in determining the etiology of acute diarrhea in humans.
      Studies have shown that sonicated whole bacteria or partially purified antigens
      cross-reacted with antibodies against other closely related bacteria. To solve
      the problems of specificity, we identified specific antigens of Campylobacter
      jejuni and Campylobacter coli for use in diagnostic assays. We investigated the
      responses of serum, urine, and intestinal lavage antibodies in infected (fed live
      bacteria) and parenterally immunized (intraperitoneal injection of sonicated
      whole bacteria with adjuvant) mice directed against C. jejuni or C. coli by
      Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. Antibody responses were examined weekly for
      up to 28 days. Fewer antigens were detected by urinary and intestinal lavage
      fluid immunoglobulin A (IgA) than serum IgG and IgM for both parenterally
      immunized and infected mice. Serum from parenterally immunized mice detected more
      antigens than that from infected mice. Two high-molecular-weight antigens (62,000
      and 43,000) were predominantly detected by serum, urine, and intestinal lavage
      fluids of both parenterally immunized and infected mice. Serum antibodies from 28
      day parenterally immunized mice detected one antigen specific to C. coli with a
      molecular weight of 38,000 and one antigen specific to C. jejuni with a molecular
      weight of 27,000. An immunodominant protein with a molecular weight of 31,000
      common to both C. jejuni and C. coli was also recognized by serum antibodies from
      parenterally immunized mice.

PMID- 1855977
TI  - Role of neutrophil receptors in opsonophagocytosis of coagulase-negative
      staphylococci.
AB  - The role of neutrophil complement receptors in the opsonophagocytosis of 10
      strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci was investigated. Polymorphonuclear
      leukocytes from adults as well as term and premature newborn infants were tested
      with normal human serum, adult hypogammaglobulinemic serum, and pooled premature
      infant serum in an opsonophagocytic assay. Neutrophils from premature infants
      demonstrated significantly lower killing capacity (62%) than neutrophils from
      adults (86%) or term infants (84%; P less than 0.02). Maximum inhibition of
      opsonophagocytosis by adult or infant neutrophils occurred with an FcIII receptor
      blockade (80%), whereas a blockade of complement receptors produced minimal
      inhibition. Opsonophagocytic activity for the coagulase-negative staphylococci
      was not influenced by the serum source but was influenced by reducing the serum
      concentration below 5%. Abrogation of the complement activity of normal human
      serum by heating or the addition of ethylenediamine tetraacetate reduced
      opsonophagocytosis by 100 and 96%, respectively, whereas selective inhibition of
      the classical complement pathway reduced opsonophagocytosis by only 40%. Thus,
      opsonophagocytosis of coagulase-negative staphylococci by human sera appears to
      be mediated primarily by neutrophil Fc receptors, but complement is also
      required. The inefficiency of these interactions with neutrophils from premature
      infants may partially explain the enhanced susceptibility of very-low-birth
      weight neonates to disseminated, coagulase-negative staphylococcal infections.

PMID- 1855978
TI  - The 18-kilodalton antigen secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus.
AB  - One of the major antigens secreted in vitro by Aspergillus fumigatus is an 18-kDa
      basic protein which has been purified by cation-exchange chromatography. It is
      recognized by sera from aspergilloma patients. It is also the major circulating
      antigen found in urine of patients with invasive aspergillosis. Our results
      indicated that this antigen has potential for the diagnosis of both aspergilloma
      and invasive aspergillosis.

PMID- 1855979
TI  - Role of lipooligosaccharides in experimental dermal lesions caused by Haemophilus
      ducreyi.
AB  - The mouse and rabbit intradermal injection models have been used to define
      factors that may be important in Haemophilus ducreyi pathogenesis. We used H.
      ducreyi strains with diverse geographic origins and phenotypic characteristics to
      evaluate the experimental models. Injection of live and heat-killed bacteria
      caused skin abscesses in both models. Semiquantitative cultures of skin injected
      with live bacteria showed that H. ducreyi failed to replicate in animal tissue.
      These data suggested that the experimental lesions were caused by a heat-stable
      substance such as lipooligosaccharide (LOS). In mice, injection of H. ducreyi and
      Haemophilus influenzae LOS and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide caused mild to
      moderate inflammation. In rabbits, injection of H. ducreyi LOS caused intradermal
      abscesses that were histologically similar to those caused by live and heat
      killed bacteria. H. ducreyi and Neisseria gonorrhoeae LOS caused significantly
      larger lesions than equivalent amounts of H. influenzae LOS and E. coli
      lipopolysaccharide in the rabbit model. We conclude that the intradermal
      injection models are not valid models to study the growth of H. ducreyi in vivo.
      However, these data indicate that H. ducreyi LOS may play an important role in
      the pathogenesis of chancroid and that the rabbit model should be useful in
      studying H. ducreyi LOS toxicity at the cellular level.

PMID- 1855980
TI  - Experimental elimination of tumor necrosis factor in low-dose endotoxin models
      has variable effects on survival.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) is thought to play a major role in the
      pathogenesis of septic shock. Anti-TNF antibody was preadministered in low-dose
      endotoxin lethality models in which BALB/c mice were challenged with small
      amounts of lipopolysaccharide following their sensitization with either
      carrageenan (CAR) or D-galactosamine (D-GalN). Although the antibody virtually
      eliminated circulating TNF in both the CAR and the D-GalN models, only the D-GalN
      model mice were afforded survival, adding to a growing body of evidence that
      substances other than TNF play a key role in endotoxin-induced lethality. Further
      examination of sera from these mice showed a much greater elevation of
      interleukin-6 levels in the CAR-sensitized group than in the D-GalN-sensitized
      group.

PMID- 1855981
TI  - Experimental Staphylococcus aureus arthritis in mice.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus arthritis is usually caused by bacteremia and is highly
      destructive. Controlled studies on septic arthritis in humans are difficult to
      perform, because the time of onset of the infection is unknown. Animal models of
      bacterial arthritis make it possible to control important variables in
      experimental studies. We present a mouse model of S. aureus arthritis in which
      the intravenous administration of 10(7) cells of S. aureus LS-1 induced arthritis
      or osteitis or both within 3 weeks in 80 to 90% of the mice. Signs of arthritis
      emerged within the first few days after the injection. An interesting finding was
      that the S. aureus strain used in this study binds bone sialoprotein, a
      glycoprotein known to be specifically localized to bone tissue. This new model of
      S. aureus arthritis enables the study of the kinetics of joint destruction and
      the host-bacterium relationship as well as therapeutical approaches to septic
      arthritis and osteomyelitis.

PMID- 1855982
TI  - Neutralization of Chlamydia trachomatis: kinetics and stoichiometry.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies to the major outer membrane protein of Chlamydia
      trachomatis were used to neutralize C. trachomatis infectivity in HeLa 229 cells
      and to determine the kinetics and stoichiometry of the reaction. In vitro
      neutralization of C. trachomatis infectivity proceeded as a first-order reaction
      and required an activation energy of approximately 20 kcal/mol (ca. 84 kJ/mol).
      The rate of neutralization was linear with respect to antibody concentration and
      reaction temperature. The efficiency of neutralization decreased exponentially as
      the ratio of noninfective to infective chlamydiae increased in the antigen
      preparation. The neutralization assay was also significantly affected by reaction
      parameters such as the reaction volume and the duration of incubation.
      Stoichiometric calculations showed that an average ratio of 10(3) and 10(4)
      immunoglobulin molecules per chlamydial particle was required to yield 50%
      neutralization by monoclonal antibodies specifying serovar-specific and species
      specific epitopes, respectively. The implications of these findings for vaccine
      design and for the role of the major outer membrane protein in the pathogenesis
      of chlamydial infections are discussed.

PMID- 1855983
TI  - Lipopolysaccharidelike immunological properties of cell wall glycoproteins
      isolated from Cytophaga johnsonae.
AB  - Glycoproteins (GP) previously shown to be involved in the gliding motility of
      Cytophaga johnsonae were examined for biological activities characteristic of
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These integral membrane proteins activated 70Z/3 pre-B
      cells to synthesize immunoglobulin M, induced B cells to synthesize non-antigen
      specific polyclonal immunoglobulin, induced macrophages to produce tumor necrosis
      factor, and modulated the antibody response to type III pneumococcal
      polysaccharide in the absence of thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes. Except for the
      GP activity in the 70Z/3 assay, all activities of the GP were comparable to or
      greater than those of LPS. No LPS was detected in the preparations of GP used or
      in the phenol-water extracts of C. johnsonae. The mechanism by which these GP
      exerted their biological activities was distinct from that of LPS, since LPS
      resistant C3H/HeJ mice responded to GP. Furthermore, biologically inactive
      diphosphoryl lipid A obtained from nontoxic LPS of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides
      (an analog of toxic lipid A), which is an antagonist of LPS, did not block the
      induction of tumor necrosis factor by GP in macrophages. These results showed
      that the cell surface GP from C. johnsonae are potent LPS-like activators of B
      cells and macrophages. We suggest that these GP might be good candidates for use
      in developing an effective adjuvant system.

PMID- 1855984
TI  - Phenotypic diversity in the alpha C protein of group B streptococci.
AB  - Group B streptococci (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal sepsis and
      meningitis. C proteins are an immunologically important group of surface
      associated antigens in GBS that remain incompletely characterized. Two C proteins
      have been designated alpha and beta on the basis of protease susceptibility. We
      recently used a monoclonal antibody to describe a protective epitope of the GBS
      alpha (or trypsin-resistant) C protein in the prototype Ia/c GBS strain. In the
      present study, we examined 51 GBS isolates for expression of C-protein alpha and
      beta antigens. The alpha antigen, as detected with monoclonal antibody in sodium
      dodecyl sulfate (SDS) extracts, appears as a heterogeneous series of proteins
      spaced 8 kDa apart on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but has a maximum
      molecular mass that varies among strains from 62.5 to 167 kDa. By immunoblotting
      with human immunoglobulin A, polyclonal antiserum, or monoclonal antibody, the
      beta antigen, in contrast, appears as a single protein of molecular mass between
      124 and 134 kDa. The amount of alpha antigen expressed by each strain was
      quantified by enzyme immunoassay inhibition and was found to vary markedly from
      strain to strain. The susceptibility of strains of GBS to opsonization and
      killing by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the presence of either
      complement alone or complement with alpha-specific monoclonal antibody was
      examined. Strains expressing the alpha antigen were less readily killed in the
      absence of specific antibody than were alpha-negative strains. Killing in the
      presence of alpha-specific monoclonal antibody was found to correlate directly
      with the maximum molecular mass of the alpha antigen and with the quantity of
      antigen on the bacterial cell surface. Isolates of GBS that express the alpha C
      protein vary widely in the quantity and molecular mass of the alpha antigen
      produced, and this heterogeneity appears to have biologic importance.

PMID- 1855985
TI  - Pathogen-related spirochetes identified within gingival tissue from patients with
      acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether monoclonal antibodies
      against pathogen-restricted antigens of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum could
      be used as probes for spirochetes in diseased gingival tissue from subjects with
      acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. A biotin-streptavidin system was used to
      identify spirochetes bound by monoclonal antibodies in cryostat sections of
      tissue. Twelve of 16 tissue samples from diseased sites, but none of 8 tissue
      specimens from healthy sites, reacted with pathogen-restricted antibodies.
      Organisms were found in intact epithelium and connective tissues adjacent to
      ulcers. Staining intensity was often high in perivascular locations and around
      vesicular spaces. Monoclonal antibodies to Bacteroides gingivalis and Treponema
      denticola were each reactive with diseased gingival tissues, but staining was
      usually restricted to ulcerated areas. These studies extend recent observations
      that showed that subjects with acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis had both
      pathogen-related spirochetes in dental plaque and serum immunoglobulin G to
      pathogen-restricted antigens on T. pallidum subspecies, suggesting that pathogen
      related spirochetes may be associated with the pathogenesis of certain
      periodontal diseases.

PMID- 1855986
TI  - Effect of a factor released by K562 malignant cells in culture on human
      neutrophil bactericidal activity.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated that k562 malignant cells in culture contain and
      release a low-molecular-mass (8-kDa) factor that inhibits adherence-related
      functions of neutrophils but does not alter fMet-Leu-Phe- or phorbol ester
      induced oxidative burst (M. Amar, N. Amit, T. Pham Huu, S. Chollet-Martin, M.T.
      Labro, M.A. Gougerot-Pocidalo, and J. Hakim, J. Immunol. 144:4749-4756, 1990). In
      this study, we investigated the effects of this factor, referred to as inhibitory
      factor 1 (IF1), on the bactericidal activity of human polymorphonuclear cells
      (PMNs) on Staphylococcus aureus opsonized in various ways. S. aureus was used
      either nonopsonized or opsonized with heat-inactivated serum or normal serum
      containing complement factors. The bactericidal activity of PMNs preincubated
      with IF1-treated or control medium was examined by counting the surviving
      bacteria. The ability of IF1-treated PMNs to kill bacteria was diminished when
      they were opsonized with normal serum. When S. aureus was not opsonized or was
      opsonized with heat-inactivated serum, the bactericidal activity of IF1-treated
      PMNs was similar to that of controls. Likewise, the phagocytosis of IF1-treated
      PMNs was diminished when S. aureus was opsonized with normal serum but was not
      altered when S. aureus was not opsonized or was opsonized with heat-inactivated
      serum. These results suggest that the decrease in killing might be due to
      defective ingestion. The chemiluminescence response of IF1-treated PMNs was
      inhibited when S. aureus was not opsonized or was opsonized with normal serum. No
      effect on chemiluminescence was observed when S. aureus was opsonized with heat
      inactivated serum. These results suggest that IF1 interferes not only with S.
      aureus stimulation of PMNs via complement receptors but also with oxygen
      dependent bactericidal activity.

PMID- 1855987
TI  - Sequence and structural analysis of surface protein antigen I/II (SpaA) of
      Streptococcus sobrinus.
AB  - Streptococcal antigen I/II or the surface protein antigen A (SpaA) of
      Streptococcus sobrinus is an adhesin which mediates binding of the organism to
      tooth surfaces. The complete sequence of the gene which encodes SpaA has been
      determined. The gene consists of 4,584 bp and encodes a protein of 1,528 amino
      acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence shows extensive homology with
      those of the cell surface adhesins from Streptococcus mutans serotypes c and f
      and from Streptococcus sanguis. Structural analysis of the N-terminal region
      (residues 50 to 550), which is rich in alanine and includes four tandem repeats
      of an 82-residue sequence, suggests that it adopts an alpha-helical coiled-coil
      conformation. Cell surface hydrophobicity may be associated with this region. The
      C-terminal region is more conserved and includes two tandem repeats of a 39
      residue proline-rich sequence. A further proline-rich sequence in this region is
      predicted to span the cell wall. Although a hydrophobic sequence is present in
      the C-terminal region, it appears to be too short to span the cell membrane.
      Anchoring of SpaA in the cell membrane may therefore require some form of
      posttranslational modification or association with another membrane protein.

PMID- 1855988
TI  - Conservation of the gene encoding streptococcal antigen I/II in oral
      streptococci.
AB  - The spaP gene of Streptococcus mutans serotype c encodes a major cell surface
      protein, streptococcal antigen (SA) I/II, with an Mr of 185,000, that is thought
      to be involved in bacterial adhesion to teeth. Proteins with significant amino
      acid sequence homology to SA I/II have also been found in S. sobrinus and S.
      sanguis. The objectives of this study were to investigate the conservation of the
      spaP gene in the mutans groups of streptococci and to determine whether
      homologous genes were present in other species of alpha-hemolytic streptococci.
      DNA extracted from representative strains of 19 streptococcal species was
      examined by Southern hybridization and partial DNA sequence analysis. A series of
      five overlapping DNA probes from the spaP gene were amplified by the polymerase
      chain reaction and used in the Southern hybridizations. The entire gene was found
      to be well conserved in all strains of S. mutans serotypes c, e, and f
      investigated. A probe from the 3' region of the gene, which encodes residues 857
      to 1207 of the SA I/II protein, hybridized with DNA from a number of mutans
      streptococci, as well as with DNA from nonmutans alpha-hemolytic streptococci.
      Conservation within this region was further demonstrated by sequencing gene
      fragments of two strains of S. intermedius and S. oralis. The results show that
      some regions of the spaP gene are highly conserved not only in the mutans group
      of streptococci but also in other nonmutans alpha-hemolytic streptococci. This
      suggests that a family of cell surface proteins which, by analogy with the
      185,000-Mr SA I/II of S. mutans, could be involved in bacterial adhesion might
      exist.

PMID- 1855989
TI  - Evidence for invasion of a human oral cell line by Actinobacillus
      actinomycetemcomitans.
AB  - Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, an oral bacterial species associated with
      periodontal disease, was found to invade human cell lines. Invasion was
      demonstrated by recovery of viable organisms from gentamicin-treated KB cell
      monolayers and by light and electron microscopy. Internalization occurred through
      a cytochalasin D-sensitive process. Invasion efficiencies of some A.
      actinomycetemcomitans strains were comparable to those of invasive members of the
      family Enterobacteriaceae. Differences in invasiveness were correlated with
      bacterial colonial morphology. Smooth variants invaded more proficiently than
      rough variants. A. actinomycetemcomitans can undergo a smooth-to-rough colonial
      morphology shift which results in the loss of invasiveness. Coordinated
      regulation of genes involved in the rough-to-smooth phenotypic transitions may
      play a role in the episodic nature of periodontal disease.

PMID- 1855990
TI  - Roles of motility and flagellar structure in pathogenicity of Vibrio cholerae:
      analysis of motility mutants in three animal models.
AB  - Wild-type Vibrio cholerae of both El Tor and classical biotypes (strains N16961
      and 395, respectively) and nonmotile mutant derivatives with and without
      flagellar structures were characterized in three different animal models: (i) the
      rabbit ileal loop, (ii) the removable intestinal tie adult rabbit diarrhea
      (RITARD) model, and (iii) the suckling mouse model. Both the wild-type strains
      and nonmotile mutants were toxinogenic in the rabbit ileal loop and the suckling
      mouse models. However, all of the nonmotile mutants produced significantly less
      fluid accumulation than did the wild-type parental strains. The two nonmotile
      mutants of strain N16961 did not adhere to rabbit ileal mucosa, but both
      nonmotile mutants derived from strain 395 exhibited adherence. In the RITARD
      model, the motile El Tor strains were more virulent than both the flagellate and
      aflagellate nonmotile mutants (all infected rabbits died within 18 h), while the
      nonmotile mutants, when fatalities occurred, required 78 to 105 h to produce a
      fatal outcome. Likewise, the motile classical parent 395 produced a fatal outcome
      within ca. 25 h, while nonmotile mutants required 69 to 96 h. The nonmotile
      flagellate strain KR31 was not significantly more virulent than the nonmotile
      aflagellate strain KR26. Of the two classical nonmotile mutants, KR1, which
      produces a coreless sheathlike structure, was clearly more virulent (5 of 10
      rabbits died within 96 h), while KR3 (nonmotile, aflagellate) did not produce
      fatalities in any of the 10 rabbits tested. Similarly, no significant difference
      in diarrheagenicity or colonizing ability was detected between the two nonmotile
      mutants derived from the El Tor strain, but the classical nonmotile mutant with
      the coreless sheath caused significantly greater diarrhea and colonized for a
      longer time than did the isogenic nonmotile aflagellate strain, KR3. No
      significant differences between the nonmotile mutants were detected in
      competition studies done with suckling mice. Analysis of the wild-type and mutant
      strains in these three animal models clearly demonstrated a role for motility in
      V. cholerae pathogenicity, while analysis of only the nonmotile mutants derived
      from the classical parent suggested a role for flagellar structures.

PMID- 1855991
TI  - Immunogenicity of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 capsular polysaccharide:
      influence of carriers and adjuvants on isotype distribution.
AB  - This project investigated the effects of novel carriers and adjuvants on the
      isotype of murine immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to pneumococcal capsular
      polysaccharide type 14 (S14PS). S14PS conjugated to bovine serum albumin induced
      a weak antibody response which was 100% IgG1 following injection without
      adjuvant. The same polysaccharide conjugated to flagella of Salmonella typhi
      induced an antibody response which was 88% IgG3. S14PS-bovine serum albumin was
      injected with block copolymer L121 or Quil A in squalane-in-water emulsions. The
      copolymer L121 was at least as effective as Quil A or complete Freund adjuvant in
      inducing IgG antibodies. IgG1 was the dominant subclass for all. Addition of
      monophosphoryl lipid A, but not the threonyl derivative of muramyl dipeptide or
      nontoxic Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides lipopolysaccharide, to copolymer L121
      increased production of the IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG3 subclasses. S14PS-flagella
      with copolymer L121 induced higher titers with a markedly altered isotype
      distribution: 13% IgG1, 52% IgG2a, 6% IgG2b, and 29% IgG3. Monophosphoryl lipid A
      added to L121 reduced IgG1 antibody to 5%, but increased IgG2a antibody to 14%,
      IgG2b antibody to 3%, and IgG3 antibody to 78%. These studies demonstrate that
      both the carrier and the adjuvant can influence the titer and isotype
      distribution of antipolysaccharide antibody responses.

PMID- 1855993
TI  - Endotoxin tolerance: independent regulation of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis
      factor expression.
AB  - The injection of lethal or sublethal doses of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      into mice results in transient increases in both serum tumor necrosis factor
      (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). The peak in serum TNF was detected prior to
      maximal elevation in endogenous corticosterone and was no longer apparent 3 to 4
      h post-LPS injection, a point at which corticosterone and IL-1 levels had
      significantly increased. The initial increase in serum IL-1 may, in part, be
      modulated by the preceding TNF peak, as pretreating animals with a monoclonal
      antibody against murine TNF resulted in a significant decrease in IL-1 levels 3 h
      post-LPS injection. A second injection of LPS at 20 h failed to result in a
      secondary TNF peak, suggesting an endotoxin-tolerant state. However, in contrast
      to TNF, significant increases in serum IL-1 were detected in the endotoxin
      tolerant animals following a repeated LPS stimulus. This secondary increase in IL
      1 occurred despite the elevation in serum corticosterone. While peritoneal
      macrophages from endotoxin-tolerant mice demonstrated only a modest 10 to 15%
      increase in TNF and IL-1 mRNA relative to the levels after the primary 1-h LPS
      stimulus, a secondary increase in IL-1 but not TNF mRNA in the spleen was
      apparent following a second LPS injection. The spleen, however, was not essential
      for the increase in serum IL-1, as endotoxin-tolerant splenectomized mice had
      comparable increases in IL-1 following a repeated LPS stimulus. These results
      demonstrate the differential regulation of IL-1 and TNF in vivo during endotoxin
      tolerance.

PMID- 1855992
TI  - Humoral immune response to an antigen from Porphyromonas gingivalis 381 in
      periodontal disease.
AB  - The humoral immune responses of patients with periodontitis were evaluated to
      characterize the host response to Porphyromonas gingivalis. A sonic extract of P.
      gingivalis 381 from whole cells was fractionated by gel chromatography and ion
      exchange chromatography. The fractionated extracts were evaluated by Western blot
      (immunoblot) analyses with patient sera. A dominant antigen was identified from
      the sonic extract with an apparent molecular mass of 53 kDa. The 53-kDa protein
      antigen (Ag53) was purified by affinity chromatography by using a monoclonal
      antibody. Ag53 was detected on the vesicle surface of P. gingivalis 381 by
      immunoelectron microscopy by using the monoclonal antibody and was detected as a
      major protein in the outer membrane and in vesicles by Western blot analysis.
      Monoclonal antibody cross-reactivity to Ag53 in the sonic extracts of P.
      gingivalis ATCC 33277, P. gingivalis 1021, and Porphyromonas endodontalis ATCC
      35406 was revealed. Seventy-seven patients with periodontitis were examined for
      their responses to Ag53. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) from 54 patients reacted
      strongly to Ag53; however, serum IgG from the remaining 23 patients did not
      exhibit detectable reactivity at all to Ag53, even though the patients had high
      serum IgG titers to the sonic extract. Ag53 is a new marker that represents an
      interesting aspect of the humoral immune response to P. gingivalis in patients
      with periodontitis.

PMID- 1855995
TI  - Characterization of Borrelia coriaceae antigens with monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Three monoclonal antibodies (F6F3, F6B11, and F6B3) were developed against
      Borrelia coriaceae antigens. All three antibodies appeared to be specific for
      this species and did not cross-react with Borrelia burgdorferi (strains B31 and
      IRS), Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia anserina, Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo,
      or Treponema hyodysenteriae, as determined by indirect fluorescent antibody
      staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western immunoblot analysis.
      Only one of these antibodies, F6B3, bound to spirochetes present in organ smears
      from the argasid tick, Ornithodoros coriaceus. The antigens recognized by F6F3,
      F6B11, and F6B3 have apparent molecular weights of ca. 37,000, 35,000, and
      16,000, respectively, as determined by Western blot analysis. Antigens were
      analyzed by immune electron microscopy as well as Western blot and indirect
      fluorescent antibody staining analysis of spirochetes after enzyme (trypsin and
      protease K) and detergent (Triton X-100) treatments. These studies suggest that
      all three antigens are integral membrane proteins. The characteristics of the 37K
      and 35K proteins are consistent with the outer surface proteins of B. burgdorferi
      (OSP A and OSP B) described by Barbour et al. (A. G. Barbour, S. L. Tessier, and
      S. F. Hayes, Infect. Immun. 45:94-100, 1984), while data regarding the 16K
      protein are less conclusive but may suggest a cytoplasmic membrane location. We
      suggest that the 37K, 35K, and 16K antigens be designated integral membrane
      proteins A, B, and C, respectively, as a result of these studies.

PMID- 1855994
TI  - Phospholipase activity of Mycobacterium leprae harvested from experimentally
      infected armadillo tissue.
AB  - Three types of phospholipase activity--phospholipase A1, A2, and
      lysophospholipase--were detected in Mycobacterium leprae harvested from armadillo
      tissue at about 25% of the specific activity found in a slowly growing
      mycobacterium, Mycobacterium microti, which was grown in medium to optimize its
      phospholipase activity. The highest activity found was lysophospholipase, which
      released fatty acid from 2-lyso-phosphatidylcholine. Phospholipase activity was
      detected by using phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Differences
      in relative activities with these three types of substrate distinguished
      phospholipase activity in M. leprae extracts from armadillo liver extracts.
      Furthermore, retention of activity in M. leprae after NaOH treatment showed that
      the activity associated with M. leprae was not host derived. The specific
      activity of phospholipase was 20 times higher in extracts of M. leprae than in
      intact M. leprae organisms. Diazotization, a treatment which abolishes activities
      of surface enzymes exposed to the environment by the formation of covalent azide
      bonds with exposed amino groups, did not affect M. leprae's phospholipase
      activity, with one exception: release of arachidonic acid from
      phosphatidylcholine, which was partially inhibited. Phenolic glycolipid I, the
      major excreted amphipathic lipid of M. leprae, inhibited phospholipase activity,
      including release of arachidonic acid, for both M. leprae- and armadillo-derived
      activity.

PMID- 1855996
TI  - Virulence of Wolinella recta in a murine abscess model.
AB  - The virulence of Wolinella recta isolates was studied in an experimental animal
      model by using monoinfection of BALB/c mice. Infection with clinical isolates of
      W. recta 576 and W. recta 234 induced dry, flat, depressed gangrenous necrotic
      skin lesions, whereas W. recta ATCC 33238 failed to induce a similar lesion.
      Histological examination of the skin lesion 72 h postinfection revealed
      coagulation necrosis of the epidermis, subcutis and cutaneous truncus muscle,
      with marked exudation of serum proteins and neutrophils. Virulence-modulating
      agents such as dexamethasone, galactosamine, hydrazine sulfate, and dextran
      microcarrier beads were used in conjunction with W. recta infection.
      Dexamethasone, hydrazine sulfate, and dextran beads enhanced the infectivity and
      pathogenicity of W. recta for lesion formation and tissue destruction compared
      with what was found in untreated control mice. Galactosamine sensitization
      enhanced the virulence potential of W. recta to such an extent that a lethal
      outcome was observed. Laboratory passage of clinical isolates demonstrated a
      decreased virulence in high-passage strains, which correlated with the minimal
      virulence observed in the extensively passaged W. recta ATCC 33238. Serum
      immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM responses were detected in the serum of infected
      animals, and cross-reacting antibody indicated variation in the antigenic makeup
      of various W. recta strains. Enhanced IgG antibody responses were observed
      following the secondary challenge. Mice with acquired antibody response to
      initial infection remained susceptible to lesion formation with subsequent
      challenge, but the size of the lesion was significantly reduced, indicating
      partial protection. Serum IgG and IgM antibody levels were significantly
      increased by active immunization when compared with levels in mice which had
      recovered from infection. The immunization significantly decreased the lesion
      size; however, even these high levels of antibody failed to abrogate the lesion
      induction.

PMID- 1855997
TI  - In vivo depletion of natural killer cell activity leads to enhanced
      multiplication of Mycobacterium avium complex in mice.
AB  - Earlier investigations have shown that murine natural killer (NK) cells inhibit
      the growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens in vivo and in vitro. In order to
      define the role of NK cells in Mycobacterium avium complex infection, in vivo
      depletion of NK cells by using anti-NK1.1 monoclonal antibody and conventional
      anti-asialo-GM1 antibody has been attempted. Repeated injection of 200 micrograms
      of anti-NK1.1 or 50 micrograms of anti-asialo-GM1 antibody effectively depleted
      NK activity in the spleens of C57BL/6 mice. The growth kinetics of M. avium
      complex over a period of 4 weeks showed that the colony counts in the spleens of
      the antibody-treated group were significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than
      those of the control group and compared well with those of the genetically NK
      cell-deficient C57BL/6 bg/bg mutant. The alternate strategy of in vivo
      stimulation of NK activity by poly(I:C) administration did not show a similar
      reduction in CFU in the spleen compared with the untreated control. The in vivo
      antibody depletion of NK activity provides direct evidence on the role of NK
      cells in the control of intracellular mycobacterial pathogens such as M. avium
      complex.

PMID- 1855998
TI  - Antibody response of humans to the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium vivax.
AB  - We studied the interaction of sera from residents of an area in northern Peru
      where vivax malaria is endemic with four recombinant DNA-derived circumsporozoite
      (CS) proteins of Plasmodium vivax. The antigens used in the enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay included one Escherichia coli-produced and three
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae-produced recombinant proteins. Three of the proteins
      (NS1(81)V20, Vivax-1, and Vivax-2) contain the entire central repeat region of
      the P. vivax CS protein, and one protein (Vivax-3) contains only two repeat
      sequences. Vivax-1, Vivax-2, and Vivax-3 contain different lengths of sequences
      flanking the repeats. A higher percentage of the sera had antibodies to Vivax-2
      and Vivax-3, the two proteins containing the longest nonrepeat sequences, than to
      NS1(81)V20 or Vivax-1. Children less than 5 years of age did not have
      immunoglobulin G antibodies to NS1(81)V20; however, they had antibodies to Vivax
      1, Vivax-2, and Vivax-3. The finding that individuals living in a malaria-endemic
      area produce antibodies to peptides containing nonrepeat regions of the CS
      protein emphasizes the need to characterize the immune response to these regions
      in naturally exposed and experimentally immunized humans.

PMID- 1855999
TI  - Stimulation of proteinase and amidase activities in Porphyromonas (Bacteroides)
      gingivalis by amino acids and dipeptides.
AB  - Proteolytic enzymes from the organism Porphyromonas gingivalis are believed to be
      involved in the development of periodontitis. Studies on both crude extracts and
      purified trypsinlike enzymes from this organism indicate that substantial
      stimulation of both amidase and proteinase activities can be obtained during
      incubation with glycine-containing compounds. We postulate that P. gingivalis may
      have developed this unusual property to take advantage of the glycine-rich
      environment which occurs during the periodontitis-associated degradation of
      gingival collagen. The finding of such a stimulation in crevicular fluids from
      discrete periodontal sites has been correlated with the presence of P. gingivalis
      and could be utilized for the early detection of infection by this organism
      during the onset of periodontitis.

PMID- 1856000
TI  - Toxoplasmacidal activity of macrophages activated by recombinant major surface
      antigen (P30) of Toxoplasma gondii.
AB  - Recombinant major surface antigen (P30), which was produced as a glutathione S
      transferase (EC 2.5.1.18) fusion protein of Toxoplasma gondii, was found to be
      able to activate macrophages to kill T. gondii in vitro. The macrophage
      activation was due to P30 in the fusion protein, not to glutathione S
      transferase.

PMID- 1856001
TI  - Cloning and sequence analysis of the major outer membrane protein gene of
      Chlamydia psittaci 6BC.
AB  - The gene encoding the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of the psittacine
      Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC was cloned and sequenced. N-terminal protein
      sequencing of the mature MOMP indicated that it is posttranslationally processed
      at a site identical to the site previously identified in the MOMP of Chlamydia
      trachomatis L2. The nucleotide sequence of the C. psittaci 6BC MOMP gene was
      found to be 67 to 68% identical to those of human C. trachomatis strains, 73%
      identical to that of Chlamydia pneumoniae IOL-207, 79% identical to that of the
      C. psittaci guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis strain, GPIC, and 83% identical
      to that of the C. psittaci ovine abortion strain S26/3. In contrast, the 6BC
      sequence was found to be greater than 99% identical to the sequences reported for
      two strains of C. psittaci, A22/M and Cal-10 meningopneumonitis, believed to be
      of nonpsittacine avian origin. Monoclonal antibody analysis confirmed the
      nonpsittacine avian origin of A22/M but identified the Cal-10 strain from which
      the MOMP gene was previously sequenced as a psittacine strain. These results
      confirm that psittacine and nonpsittacine avian strains of C. psittaci are
      closely related and distinct from the mammalian guinea pig inclusion
      conjunctivitis and ovine abortion strains of C. psittaci.

PMID- 1856002
TI  - Streptococcus pneumoniae produces at least two distinct enzymes with
      neuraminidase activity: cloning and expression of a second neuraminidase gene in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - A gene from Streptococcus pneumoniae was cloned in lambda EMBL301 and then
      expressed in Escherichia coli, which cleaved the fluorogenic neuraminidase
      substrate 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-alpha-d-N-acetylneuraminic acid. The cloned
      gene therefore encodes an enzyme with neuraminidase activity. On the basis of
      restriction mapping and DNA hybridization studies, this gene could be
      distinguished from another pneumococcal neuraminidase gene cloned previously (A.
      M. Berry, J. C. Paton, E. M. Glare, D. Hansman, and D. E. A. Catcheside, Gene
      71:299-305, 1988). Both neuraminidase genes were found in each of five isolates,
      covering at least three serotypes, of pneumococci tested.

PMID- 1856003
TI  - [Lipolysis and lipid oxidation of weight stable patients with malignant tumors of
      the digestive system].
AB  - Tumor-caused weight loss is frequently associated with a high rate of lipolysis
      and fat oxidation. In order to differentiate the effect of weight-loss from the
      tumour-dependent regulation of fat metabolism, we studied weight-stable and well
      nourished patients (ideal body weight 109 +/- 4% (+/- SEM), body mass index 25.1
      +/- 0.9 kg/m2). Parameters of lipolysis (glycerol-, fatty acid concentrations)
      and the calorimetric determined fat oxidation rate of five male tumor patients
      were examined before and during an euglycaemic insulinclamp (0.2 mU
      insulin/kg/min). Concomitant with a high rate of lipolysis (glycerol
      concentration 112 +/- 20 mumol/l, free fatty acid concentration 0.72 +/- 0.13
      mmol/l) and fat oxidation (60% of energy expenditure) there was a low normal
      insulin level (5.9 +/- 0.5 mU/l). Insulin reduced lipolysis and fat oxidation and
      stimulated glucose oxidation. Weight-stable tumor patients have a high basal rate
      of lipolysis and fat oxidation; yet the insulin dependent regulation of the fat
      metabolism is intact, as we have already shown for weight-losing cancer patients.

PMID- 1856004
TI  - [Short-term infusion therapy in childhood. A comparison of individually mixed
      with commercial infusion solutions].
AB  - Data of parenteral sodium dosage in healthy children recommended by several
      textbooks vary by the factor 4. Therefore, we studied the effect of low and high
      i.v. dosage administered in 5-5.5% glucose for 12 hrs to probands without renal
      disease. Group 1: n = 13; Na 2.2 +/- 0.4, K 1.7 +/- 0.2, Cl 4.2 +/- 0.6
      mmol/kg/d, individually composed solutions. Group 2: n = 17; Na 5.1 +/- 1.3, K
      1.6 +/- 0.5, Cl 5.8 +/- 1.5, acetate 2.4 +/- 0.6 mmol/kg/d; Ca, Mg, malate,
      glycerol phosphate below 0.3 mmol/kg/d; commercial ready-for-use mixtures.
      Compared to the control period, the excretion of Na into the urine was unchanged
      in group 1 during the infusion but significantly lowered in group 2. Regression
      analysis reveals that infusion of 2.7 mmol Na/kg/d would have given a balanced
      sodium balance. The real parenteral requirement, however, may be below this
      value, as the excretion of Na during the control period indicates that the
      probands in both groups were overloaded with Na before the beginning of the
      study. During infusion, the renal clearance of creatinine was unchanged in group
      1 but significantly lowered in group 2 (131 +/- 58 vs. 94 +/- 38 ml/min/1.73 m2;
      p less than 0.01). We would like to recommend to elucidate the mechanism and the
      clinical significance of this effect before using the commercial solution in
      clinical routine.

PMID- 1856005
TI  - Fluctuation of anti-A and anti-B histo-blood-group antibodies in a patient after
      liver transplantation.
AB  - The concentrations of anti-A and anti-B IgM and IgG antibodies have been studied
      in the serum of a patient with blood group AB who received a type A donor liver.
      A newly developed ABO-ELISA was used for this purpose and the values were
      compared to hemagglutination titers. During the postoperative study period over 8
      weeks, the anti-A and anti-B levels showed a higher fluctuation than was measured
      in preoperative samples. Thus, in this AB-type patient, anti-A IgM varied 10
      fold, anti-A IgG 20-fold and anti-B IgG 16-fold. Peak values corresponded to
      rejection episodes. Immunoactivation in the patient was further documented by the
      presence of abnormally high levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) in
      serum samples. The study shows that monitoring of anti-A/B antibodies may
      represent a further criterion to follow-up transplanted patients during the
      critical postoperative graft acceptance period.

PMID- 1856006
TI  - [Decrease in the concentration of tobramycin, vancomycin and phenobarbital in
      administration with infusion filter].
AB  - To assess the loss of drugs to in-line filters, concentrations of tobramycin,
      vancomycin, and phenobarbitone were determined in vitro in samples recovered
      upstream and downstream of the filter. Binding of the drugs to new filters was
      higher than to used filters. With bolus administration, the concentrations of
      vancomycin and phenobarbitone were reduced by 1% when using old filters and by 4%
      when using new filters. Tobramycin concentrations were reduced by 7 and 12%,
      respectively. With continuous administration of the drugs, binding was highest
      during the first half hour. Differences between new and used filters were also
      seen with continuous administration: The cumulative loss was 5% higher with new
      than with old filters. This difference in binding between filters may stem from a
      saturation of free binding sites. Tobramycin showed the highest binding to the in
      line filter. The extent of adsorption of tobramycin to intravenous filters may be
      considered moderately important in adult patients. The adsorption of vancomycin
      and phenobarbitone is not clinically relevant in adult patients.

PMID- 1856007
TI  - Internal and external quality control in the toxicological analysis of blood and
      urine samples in the Federal Republic of Germany.
AB  - Due to a technical rule for dangerous agents (TRGS 410), issued by the Ministry
      of Labor in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1979, toxicological analyses in
      biological materials must be carried out under conditions of "statistical quality
      control". This quality-control scheme provides internal and external control
      programmes. For internal quality control, the results of many years of experience
      with five commercially available control specimens and one "home-made" control
      have been evaluated. The control samples showed good, comparable results over a
      long period. Except in a few cases, there was good agreement between our results
      and the assigned values. Since 1982, the German Society of Occupational Medicine
      has offered eight intercomparison programmes for external quality. In samples
      from 80-90 laboratories, 6 metals in blood and around 20 inorganic and organic
      parameters in urine in 2 concentration adjustments have been analysed. Successful
      participation was certified if both results obtained for one parameter were
      within the tolerance range (assigned value +/- 3 SD). The average success rate
      was around 60%.

PMID- 1856008
TI  - Work with chemicals on deck of Norwegian chemical tankers.
AB  - The chemical environment on deck of Norwegian chemical tankers in 1985/1986 is
      described using information obtained from an interview of 85 seamen. The seamen
      are exposed to vapours from volatile chemicals during several working operations,
      such as loading, unloading and cleaning of the tanks. The major exposure is
      probably to organic solvents and other hydrocarbon compounds, both in the cargo
      and in the chemicals used in the cleaning processes. Captains experience almost
      no chemical exposure. Mates, pumpmen and able seaman may receive exposure of a
      similar kind and magnitude, but there are individual differences within each
      group of seamen. The eldest seamen seem to be more exposed to chemicals than the
      younger. Symptoms of acute intoxication occur in 35% of the seamen, related to
      work with organic solvents, to tank cleaning work and to insufficient use of
      protective respiratory equipment. Improvements of the chemical environment on
      board are recommended, to prevent acute and chronic effects of volatile chemical
      compounds. Better information concerning chemical hazards and prevention of these
      on chemical tankers seem to be of major importance.

PMID- 1856009
TI  - Effect of lead on cardiac parasympathetic function.
AB  - A cross-sectional survey was performed on 172 male, lead exposed workers to
      clarify the effects of lead on the cardiac autonomic nervous system expressed as
      the decrease of R-R interval variation on an electrocardiogram and to obviate the
      dose-effect relationship between blood-lead level (Pb-B) and the degree of the
      decrease. For 132 workers who were exposed to lead for more than one year and
      whose Pb-B levels were relatively stable (Pb-B variation less than 20
      micrograms/dl during recent one year), a significant dose-related decrease of R-R
      interval variation during deep breathing was observed. Age-adjusted R-R interval
      variation during deep breathing in those whose Pb-B were 30 micrograms/dl or
      above was significantly decreased compared with those whose Pb-B levels were 20
      micrograms/dl or below. This decrease was observed more clearly in younger
      workers. These results suggest that an effect on autonomic nervous system
      expressed as decrease of R-R interval variation during deep breathing might be
      one of the earliest effects of lead exposure.

PMID- 1856010
TI  - A study of the prevalence of acute respiratory disorders among workers in the
      textile industry.
AB  - An epidemiological study of 774 workers in seven eastern France cotton textile
      factories was conducted to determine the prevalence of acute respiratory
      disorders. From nine non-textile companies, 464 workers, stratified as to sex,
      age and tobacco consumption participated in the study as a control population. A
      questionnaire designed to elicit the respiratory symptoms (in particular the
      Monday tightness characterizing byssinosis) was administered to the 1238 workers.
      Peak-expiratory-flow (PEF) measurement was made for each subject, exposed and non
      exposed, before the start of the shift on the day of the worker's return to work
      and repeated at the end of the shift. The PEF's variations during the workshift
      were studied. Present Monday tightness was mentioned by 48 cotton exposed workers
      (6.2%) and by 9 non-exposed (1.9%) (P less than 0.001). A 10% decrease in PEF
      during the shift was present in 63 cotton exposed workers (8.1%) and in 10 non
      exposed (2.1%) (P less than 0.001). For the exposed population, Monday tightness
      was analysed using multiple logistic regression, showing an absence of a link
      with smoking, an increased occurrence after 20 years of exposure (OR = 7.3) and a
      link with current job (more frequent among those with the dustiest jobs) (OR =
      4.9). The multiple logistic analysis of a 10% decrease in PEF showed effects of
      smoking habits (OR = 1.86). It also showed a link with "highly polluted job"
      history (OR = 2.7), but especially with present job (OR = 3.4). The absence of a
      constant link between Monday tightness and drop of the PEF was found.

PMID- 1856011
TI  - Urinary 2,5-hexanedione assay involving its conversion to 2,5-dimethylpyrrole.
AB  - High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and
      spectrophotometry were used to examine 2,5-dimethylpyrrole, derived from 2,5
      hexanedione in the acid-hydrolyzed urine of subjects exposed to n-hexane. The
      urine of a subject exposed to n-hexane was hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid and
      then neutralized. Thereafter, 2,5-hexanedione in the hydrolysate was heated with
      ammonium carbonate to yield 2,5-dimethylpyrrole. A methanol extract of the 2,5
      dimethylpyrrole formed was subjected to HPLC and an ethylacetate extract of it
      was subjected to GC, with a flame thermoionic detector (FTD). For
      spectrophotometry, the ethylacetate extract was allowed to react with Ehrlich's
      reagent and then the absorbance of the colored compound formed was read at 525
      nm. Pyrrole condensation with ammonia is specific to 1,4-diketones and these
      three assay methods can be used for determination of 2,5-hexanedione in the urine
      of workers exposed to n-hexane. The hydrolytic conditions for urine of subjects
      exposed to n-hexane for analysis of 2,5-hexanedione were discussed.

PMID- 1856012
TI  - Quality control program on biological monitoring by Japan Federation of
      Occupational Health Organizations.
AB  - Since 1980, the Japan Federation of Occupational Health Organizations has been
      conducting an external quality control survey for biological monitoring under a
      contract with the Ministry of Labour of the Japanese Government. The number of
      participating organizations has increased from 91 in 1980 to 179 in 1987. The
      items in the program were lead and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations
      in blood, and lead, coproporphyrin, delta-aminolevulinic acid, chromium, hippuric
      acid, methylhippuric acid, total trichloro-compounds, mandelic acid, and phenol
      concentrations in urine. Evaluation was based on a scoring system. The scores
      were on the slope of major axis for probable ellipse, the slope of regression
      line, square root of error mean square for regression, performance indices, and
      the difference between 'true' and observed values of each sample. There was a
      gradual improvement in the evaluation scores as a function of time. The
      improvement was paralleled by the adoption of modern analytical methods such as
      flameless atomic absorption spectrometry for blood-lead measurement and high
      performance liquid chromatography for urinary hippuric acid determination in many
      participants. These methods are simple in operation and reliable in performance.
      It was considered very probable that the program promoted the adoption.

PMID- 1856013
TI  - Metal concentrations in human lung tissue, with special reference to age, sex,
      cause of death, emphysema and contamination of lung tissue.
AB  - Nine element concentrations in the lung tissues of 2,274 autopsies were
      determined in Japan by atomic absorption spectrometry. The metals determined were
      iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, lead, and chromium. The
      range, mean, standard deviation, mode and median are described for each metal.
      Moreover, these data were analyzed statistically, based on their sex, age, degree
      of lung contamination (color and the amount of particle deposition), severity of
      pulmonary emphysema and cause of death. Iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper
      and cobalt concentrations in the lung tissue seemed to be affected mostly by
      physiological variation and the levels in the blood. On the other hand, nickel,
      lead and chromium concentrations might reflect environmental exposure. Chromium
      concentration especially increased with age and showed a significantly positive
      correlation with the degree of contamination and severity of emphysema.

PMID- 1856014
TI  - Changes of nerve excitability and urinary deltamethrin in sprayers.
AB  - The nerve excitability of median nerve as well as the urinary deltamethrin and
      its metabolite dibromovinyl-dimethyl-cyclopropane carboxylic acid (Br2A) were
      detected in 24 deltamethrin sprayers in an assessment of the exposure and effect
      of deltamethrin. Twenty-nine male, unexposed referents of the same age range were
      also selected. The urinary deltamethrin and its metabolite Br2A were detectable
      by GC and HPLC in the sprayers after exposure. The nerve excitability detected
      with an electromyograph and pairs of stimuli at variable intervals showed that
      there was a prolongation of supernormal period in median nerve of the exposed
      group after a 3-d spraying compared with that before spraying which became more
      significant 2 d after cessation of exposure. In the mean time, no change of
      supernormal period in the median nerve of reference group was found at the 3-d
      interval. Nearly half of the sprayers had a supernormal period prolonged by more
      than 4 ms after spraying, whereas nearly none of the reference group showed
      similar changes after repeated examinations. Although there was neither
      correlation between the nerve excitability changes and the urinary deltamethrin
      or Br2A excretion, nor was a case of acute deltamethrin poisoning diagnosed, the
      non invasive technique used for nerve excitability detection in this study seems
      to be valuable in studying deltamethrin toxicity on human.

PMID- 1856015
TI  - Effects of diurnal and seasonal sleep deficiency on work effort and fatigue of
      shift workers.
AB  - This study was designed to assess and compare the quantity and quality of sleep
      of morning, afternoon, and night shift workers during the winter and summer
      seasons, and to evaluate the effects of sleep deficiency on the work effort and
      fatigue of the workers. The subjects studied consisted of a sample of 150 textile
      workers, working on a monthly rotating 3-shift system: morning shift (06.00-11.00
      and 14.00-17.00) afternoon shift (11.00-14.00 and 17.00-22.00), and night shift
      (22.00-06.00). Information concerning quantity and quality of sleep were
      registered daily over a week for every subject. The Ratings of Perceived Effort
      scale and the Feeling and Symptoms of Fatigue scale were used to collect
      information about feeling of effort and fatigue of the subjects. The results
      showed that the duration of sleep length is longest in the afternoon and shortest
      in the night shift both during summer and winter. The amount of sleep is shorter
      during summer during all three shifts. The workers spent more effort and felt
      more fatigued during summer than winter. The shift workers, particularly of the
      tropical region, like Bangladesh, seem to be worst affected in terms of quantity
      and quality of sleep, health and well-being due to extremely high temperature (30
      45 degrees Celsius) during summer than winter (5-25 degrees Celsius). The workers
      think that the problems of shift work could be minimized by improving the quality
      of working and living conditions, reducing cycle of rotation, shortening working
      day and closing night shift during peak summer.

PMID- 1856016
TI  - Relationship of airborne endotoxin and bacteria levels in pig farms with the lung
      function and respiratory symptoms of farmers.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of respiratory and other
      symptoms and a decrement in lung function among pig farm workers, although the
      relationships with specific agents present in the work environment remain
      obscure. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate the relationship
      between symptoms, lung function and airborne endotoxin, ammonia and dust levels
      in piggeries. Information on symptoms, lung function, endotoxin, ammonia and dust
      levels was available for 183 pig farmers who worked in 136 farms. For 62 farms
      information was present on the levels of bacteria and gram-negative bacteria. For
      these 62 farms, endotoxin exposure measurements were taken in more than one
      stable. In general, no significant correlations were found between lung function
      and chronic respiratory symptoms, or dust and ammonia levels. The endotoxin
      concentration in stables was negatively related to most lung function variables,
      but only for the subgroup of 62 farmers was a statistically significant
      relationship found between endoxtoxin exposure and FEV1. A borderline
      statistically significant and negative relationship was found between the
      endotoxin concentration and the FVC. Symptoms experienced during or shortly after
      work showed odds ratios larger than one with the levels of bacteria, gram
      negative bacteria and endotoxin, indicating a positive relationship. No
      consistency in the relationship between symptoms and dust levels was found. The
      results suggest that endotoxins and (gram-negative) bacteria probably play an
      important role in the development of symptoms and lung function changes among pig
      farmers.

PMID- 1856017
TI  - Capillary gas chromatographic method for mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acids in
      urine.
AB  - In support of an occupational investigation of styrene exposure, a capillary gas
      chromatographic method was developed for the quantitation of the styrene
      metabolites mandelic and phenylglyoxylic acids. The method was based on that of
      Guillemin and Bauer, in which phenylglyoxylic acid was converted to mandelic acid
      by reduction before instrumental analysis. The earlier method had to be modified
      for use with capillary columns; the resulting method was sensitive, selective and
      reproducible. The detection limit was approximately 0.001 mg/ml urine.
      Approximately less than 5% relative precision was achieved in the range of 0.05-2
      mg/ml urine. Mandelic acid was resolved from other components of urine and from
      by-products of derivatization.

PMID- 1856018
TI  - Oncogene proteins as biomarkers in the molecular epidemiology of occupational
      carcinogenesis. The example of the ras oncogene-encoded p21 protein.
AB  - The use of oncogene proteins as biomarkers offers a new approach to the molecular
      epidemiologic evaluation of occupational carcinogenesis. The ras oncogene-encoded
      p21 protein represents a prototype for this type of study, since it is known to
      be activated by common occupational carcinogens, is frequently found in human
      tumors of occupational concern, and, at least in certain instances, appears to be
      expressed relatively early in the disease process, allowing the possibility of
      early detection and intervention. Herein, we review our experience with the use
      of immunologic detection of p21 in cohorts with cancer or at risk for the
      development of cancer due to their occupational exposures. The results suggest
      that p21 (particularly when used with other oncoproteins and biomarkers such as
      PAH-DNA adducts) will indeed be a useful addition to the growing armamentarium of
      molecular epidemiologic biomarkers in the study of occupational carcinogenic
      mechanisms and in the detection and prevention of occupational cancers.

PMID- 1856020
TI  - Monitoring exposure to simple epoxides and alkenes through gas chromatographic
      determination of hemoglobin adducts.
AB  - A method for monitoring exposure to ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO)
      and their corresponding alkenes through the analysis of adducts to N-terminal
      valine in hemoglobin (Hb) using gas chromatography (GC) and electron-capture
      detection has been developed. The method is a further development of the so
      called N-alkyl Edman method, which has thus far been carried out using gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The correlation between GC and GC/MS
      determinations of adduct levels in human samples was found to be good. The newly
      developed GC method enables the determination of adducts to Hb from EO and PO
      down to levels of about 100 pmol/g globin. This adduct level corresponds to the
      expected increment from ethene in inhaled tobacco smoke in a smoker of about 10
      cigarettes/day or from an average exposure to about 50 ppb EO or 1 ppm PO during
      working hours.

PMID- 1856019
TI  - Immunological and respiratory changes in soy bean workers.
AB  - Immunological and respiratory findings were studied in a group of 19 male soybean
      workers. Twenty control workers also participated in the immunological studies.
      All soybean workers had positive immediate skin reactions to soybean extract, as
      did 19/20 control workers. Similarly, 18/19 soy workers reacted to soy antigen
      prepared after separation from oil, but only 3/19 to soy lecithin antigen and 1
      to soy oil antigen. A majority of soy workers (13/19) reacted to house dust. Only
      3/19 soy workers had increased levels of soy-specific IgE. The prevalence of
      chronic respiratory symptoms was higher in exposed than in control workers, being
      significantly different for dyspnea (P less than 0.01). Workers with increased
      specific serum IgE or positive skin tests to house dust did not have any more
      symptoms than workers with negative tests. Ventilatory function was significantly
      worse in soybean workers than expected. Nevertheless, workers with positive skin
      or serological tests to house dust had across-shift changes similar to those with
      negative tests. These data suggest that skin and airway responses to soybean
      components (particularly the non-lipid ones) are very frequent among soybean
      workers. In the current study specific (soy) and non-specific (house dust) skin
      tests and immunoglobulins did not allow us to identify the workers at risk of
      developing symptoms or lung function abnormalities. This suggests that in
      addition to any atopic mechanisms, the irritant effect of soy dust may play a
      role in this occupational airway disease.

PMID- 1856021
TI  - A new derivatization procedure for the analysis of hippuric acid and m-methyl
      hippuric acid by gas chromatography.
AB  - The industrial solvents, toluene and xylene, have physicochemical properties that
      can be hazardous to the workers exposed. Since hippuric acid and m-methyl
      hippuric acid represent the products of toluene and xylene biotransformation in
      urine, they are used as biological markers in studies on occupational exposure to
      these solvents. Several methods have been used to determine hippuric acid and m
      methyl-hippuric acid--either based on gas chromatography or on high-performance
      liquid chromatography. In this study we propose the derivatization of hippuric
      acid and methyl-hippuric acid using methanol in acid medium (HCl), a low-cost
      reagent with a low level of toxicity. The method has been routinely used in our
      laboratory for 1 year and has proven to be a reliable procedure for the
      biological control of occupational exposure to toluene and/or xylene.

PMID- 1856022
TI  - An evaluation of heat stress indices (ISO 7243, ISO/DIS 7933) in the prediction
      of heat strain in unacclimated men.
AB  - The ISO 7243 heat stress standard based on the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT)
      heat stress index and the analytical standard proposal ISO/DIS 7933 were
      evaluated in eight physically trained and eight untrained, unacclimated men
      during prolonged light exercise carried out while wearing industrial work
      clothing. The exercise tests were done in a thermoneutral (20 degrees C/40%), a
      warm humid (30 degrees C/80% humidity), and a hot dry (40 degrees C/20% humidity)
      environment. Both of the standards were effective in predicting the excessive
      thermal strain observed in the dry and humid heat (WBGT, 28 degrees C). In dry
      heat, neither of the standards took into account the higher sweating capacities
      of the physically trained men. The large inter-individual variability in the
      physiological responses to heat stress questioned the calculations of definite
      allowable exposure times (ISO/DIS 7933).

PMID- 1856023
TI  - Alterations in lung function due to mixtures of organic solvents used in floor
      laying.
AB  - To determine the short-term and long-term effects of organic solvents on the
      respiratory tract, 26 male floorlayers exposed to organic solvents were compared
      with 36 persons unexposed to such substances. The investigation primarily
      included a detailed history, determination of solvent concentration in the air
      inhaled by the workers, long-term ECG during the entire shift and lung-function
      test (vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, flow volume curve)
      as well as non-specific bronchial inhalation challenge using a 3% acetylcholine
      aerosol before and after the shift. The floorlayers were primarily subjected to
      inhalative exposure to adhesives containing mixtures of toluene, petroleum
      hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, methanol and acetone or one of these substances
      alone. This frequently resulted in short-term value limit excesses, especially in
      the MAK value (standardised threshold concentration in Germany) for toluene,
      which is a prime component of neoprene glue. Of the 26 floorlayers, 6 complained
      of breathlessness and coughing, whereas 13 suffered from nasal discharge and
      blockage--symptoms closely related to work. The smokers in this group showed a
      decline in lung function during the shift--especially in the forced expiratory
      volume in 1 s (FEV1)--as compared with the non-smokers in this group and the
      persons in the control group. This probably due to the combination of noxious
      substances. A strong correlation between occupational age and changes in lung
      function was observed: the occupationally youngest workers demonstrated the
      highest decrease in values during the course of the shift. There was no evidence
      of either obstructive or restrictive respiratory disorders or of marked deviation
      from the European Community for Coal and Steel (ECCS) references.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856024
TI  - Mandatory exercise and heart disease risk in fire fighters. A longitudinal study.
AB  - After undergoing initial assessments of percentage of body fat (% fat),
      triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and maximal oxygen
      consumption (VO2Max), a group of 24 paid male fire fighters (mean age, 30.1 +/-
      7.7 years) began a mandatory exercise program. The physiological variables
      mentioned above were assessed once a year for the subsequent 5 years. A repeated
      measures multivariate analysis of variance followed by univariate post hoc
      techniques showed a minimal but statistically significant improvement in % fat (
      1.43% +/- 0.66%) and TG (-27.54 +/- 10.44 mg/dl) over the 5-year period.
      Significant differences in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and VO2Max were noted over the
      years, but their magnitudes were small and no pattern was demonstrated. Each of
      the 5-year means for TC, LDL-C, % fat, and VO2Max were outside the desirable
      ranges. We concluded that mandatory exercise programs do not significantly alter
      the risk factor status or the aerobic fitness levels of fire fighters and that a
      significant number of the latter demonstrate a higher than average risk for
      cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1856025
TI  - Urinary excretion of chlorinated phenols in saw-mill workers.
AB  - The excretion and conjugation of chlorophenols were studied in workers exposed to
      2,4,6-tri-, 2,3,4,6-tetra-, and pentachlorophenolates, the main components of the
      chlorophenolate product manufactured by direct chlorination of phenol. The
      workers were exposed in two different saw mills in which sodium chlorophenolate
      was used for treatment of lumber during the warm season. Urine specimens were
      collected at the end of the treatment season as well as at the start of a new
      treatment period in the spring. Serum specimens were collected towards the end of
      the treatment period. Total and unconjugated chlorophenols were analyzed with a
      gas chromatographic method. The maximal concentrations of urinary 2,4,6-tri-,
      2,3,4,6-tetra- and pentachlorophenol at the end of the lumber-treatment period
      were 1-11.8, 3.4-17.3, and 0.2-0.9 mumol/l, respectively, and the average
      apparent half-times calculated using a one-compartment model were 18 h, 4.3 days
      and 16 days, respectively. For 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, the data of some
      subjects showed a better fit with a two-compartment model; the corresponding half
      times were 5.3 and 26 days. During the continuous-exposure period the average
      serum levels of tetra- and pentachlorophenol were rather similar before and after
      the working day: 2.79 +/- 1.78 mumol/l for tetrachlorophenol and 0.85 +/- 0.4
      mumol/l for pentachlorophenol. Renal clearance values for tetra- and
      pentachlorophenol were related to urine flow and indicated tubular reabsorption.
      At low concentrations, sulfate conjugation was dominant. With increasing
      chlorophenol concentrations the proportion of glucuronide conjugation was
      increased, especially for pentachlorophenol.

PMID- 1856028
TI  - Factors influencing high rate of 'born-before-arrival' babies in Nigeria--a case
      control study in Ogbomosho.
AB  - The purposes of this study were to examine the records of the birth-before
      arrival mothers in order to identify factors which might explain why so few
      booked for hospital care and also to identify the post-delivery problem which
      lead them to seek professional help. Data from the hospital records and
      interviews with some of the 377 born-before-arrival mothers seen at the Baptist
      hospital, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria between 1982 and 1985 were analysed using
      descriptive statistical methods. Findings indicated that 65% of the mothers
      attending after delivery outside hospital had been delivered by a traditional
      birth attendant. Of these 73.7% sought hospital attention following retained
      placenta with bleeding. The first step towards improving perinatal care will be
      the official integration of the indigenous midwives into the national health
      services to enhance organized programmes of training for the traditional birth
      attendants. The implications of these findings suggest that traditional birth
      attendants and professional carers in Nigeria should improve liaison and
      cooperation between themselves so as to correct the imbalance in health service
      provision between the major cities and rural areas.

PMID- 1856026
TI  - Urinary methylhippuric acid isomer levels after occupational exposure to a xylene
      mixture.
AB  - The quantitative relationship between exposure to xylene vapor and urinary
      excretion of methylhippuric acid (MHA) isomers were studied in the second half of
      a working week. The participants in the study were 121 male workers engaged in
      dip-coating of metal parts who were predominantly exposed to three xylene
      isomers. The intensity of exposure measured by diffusive sampling during an 8-h
      shift was such that the geometric mean vapor concentration was 3.8 ppm for
      xylenes (0.8 ppm for o-xylene, 2.1 ppm for m-xylene, and 0.9 ppm for p-xylene),
      0.8 ppm for toluene, and 0.9 ppm for ethylbenzene. Urine samples were collected
      at the end of the shift and analyzed for metabolities by HPLC. The statistical
      analysis showed that there is a linear relationship between the intensity of
      exposure to xylenes and the concentration of MHA in urine, that the regression
      line passes very close to the origin, and that the increment in observed (i.e.,
      noncorrected) MHA concentrations as a function of increasing xylene concentration
      was 17.8 mg x l-1 ppm-1. Further examination on the basis on individual xylene
      isomers showed that the slopes of the regression lines for o- and m-isomers were
      similar (i.e., 17.1 and 16.6 mg l-1 ppm-1, respectively), whereas that for p
      xylene was larger (21.3 mg l-1 ppm-1).

PMID- 1856027
TI  - Hexahydrophthalic acid in urine as an index of exposure to hexahydrophthalic
      anhydride.
AB  - Post-shift and next-morning urine was sampled from workers exposed to
      hexahydrophtalic anhydride (HHPA), an epoxy hardener, sensitising at low exposure
      levels. Exposure levels of HHPA in air (gas chromatography, GC) in the range of
      30-270 micrograms/m3 corresponded to urinary concentrations of 0.9-2.8 mumol
      hexahydrophthalic acid (HHP acid; GC-mass spectrometry)/mmol creatinine. In the
      morning samples the concentrations were less than 0.04-0.3 mumol HHP acid/mmol
      creatinine. In unexposed controls, the level was less than 0.1 mumol/mmol
      creatinine. A correlation was found between the time-weighted levels of HHPA in
      air and HHP acid in the post-shift urine (rs = 0.93; P less than 0.023),
      indicating that the determination of HHP acid in urine is suitable for biologic
      monitoring of HHPA exposure.

PMID- 1856029
TI  - A comparison of the mealtime care given to patients by nurses using two different
      meal delivery systems.
AB  - This study explored the mealtime care given to stroke patients and general
      patients on the medical wards of two hospitals which operated different meal
      delivery systems. Overall, nurses in Hospital 1 (in which the patients' food was
      plated by catering staff in the main hospital kitchen) tended to be less involved
      in mealtimes than those in Hospital 2 (in which the nurses plated the food on the
      wards). This was particularly so for the qualified staff and applied to many
      aspects of mealtime care including meal trolley supervision, the serving and
      delivery of food, checking patients' well-being, observing their feeding
      difficulties, providing assistance during mealtimes, and observing the contents
      of discarded dishes. These differences were not related to staffing levels or the
      prevalence of feeding problems. It is possible, therefore, that a meal delivery
      system designed to free nurses from the 'non-nursing' duty of serving food may
      have an adverse effect on their involvement in other aspects of mealtimes.

PMID- 1856030
TI  - Nursing outside hospitals: the working experience of community nurses: job
      characteristics.
AB  - The Community Nursing Project reports the results of a mailed questionnaire
      survey of the working and educational experience of 689 nurses employed outside
      hospitals and nursing homes in Victoria in 1985. This paper reports that part of
      the study relevant to their practice settings, job titles, job content and
      working conditions. Confusion about titles for community nurses was evident given
      that subjects offered 281 separate job titles. A title with the general form
      'Community Nurse--specialist designation' was acceptable to 88% of nurses.
      Eighteen (of 57) job activities were identified that were performed at least
      weekly by four of the six principal practice areas. Therefore while the concept
      of the generic community nurse is a meaningful one, it is only so when the
      differences in job content across practice areas are acknowledged. Medical clinic
      nurses however do not conform to this general pattern. Seventy-nine per cent of
      the nurses currently had a job description. However, only 45% had a statement of
      job conditions, 26% had a formal job orientation, 24% worked overtime unrewarded
      by payment or time in lieu and only 59% could reschedule their work times. These
      figures varied greatly between practice areas. It is suggested that the concept
      of the community nurse--specialist designation be promoted. Specifically this
      could be done by the adoption of this title and the development of appropriate
      post-basic educational courses. While these conclusions have most relevance for
      Australia, they will also be of interest to nurses of other countries where an
      increasing emphasis on primary health care has resulted in an expansion of
      community nursing practice.

PMID- 1856032
TI  - Social correlates of satisfaction and stress among Israeli nurses within
      intensive coronary care units (I.C.C.U.s).
AB  - This study focuses on job satisfaction and work-related stress of nurses within
      the Israeli I.C.C.U.--a complex technological environment. The main purpose was
      to assess the contribution of multiple factors which may be associated with the
      nurses' level of satisfaction and stress. These factors include personal
      characteristics and professional attributes of the nurse, as well as some
      objective and subjective characteristics of their work setting. In general, with
      the exception of income, nurses are satisfied. Stress presents a big problem in
      the I.C.C.U. Structure of work was found to be correlated with satisfaction, but
      only partially with stress. It was deduced that nurses are willing to 'pay the
      price' of professionalization: to work under stress and yet be autonomous, take
      responsibility for work decisions, and be highly involved in work, thus gaining
      satisfaction.

PMID- 1856031
TI  - Nurses' interpersonal behaviours and the development of helping skills.
AB  - This study investigates the interpersonal behaviours of general nurses and
      evaluates the effectiveness of a nine-week program in developing helping skills.
      Ninety-nine nurses undertaking tertiary studies were administered the FIRO-B
      Scale, which assesses six dimensions of interpersonal behaviours, before and
      after the skills program. Changes in interpersonal behaviours were examined for
      the total sample and for six clinical subgroups based on the nurse's area of
      clinical practice. Nurses' FIRO-B scores at pre-test were also compared with
      results from a sample of occupational therapy students. The results of this study
      showed that nurses, when compared with occupational therapists, had less desire
      to belong and a stronger need to influence or control interpersonal
      relationships. When clinical subgroups of nurses were contrasted, significant
      differences in the need for inclusion and affection were identified. Evaluation
      of the communication skills program demonstrated some significant improvements in
      helping attitudes for the sample as a whole, but no differences when specific
      nursing subgroups were examined. Findings from this study are discussed in
      relation to the helping role of nurses, methodological limitations, and
      directions for future investigation.

PMID- 1856033
TI  - Educational activities on wards under 12 hour shifts.
AB  - Interest in 12 hour nursing shifts has renewed in response to demands for
      improved cost effectiveness in the NHS. But the effects of the shift on nursing
      education are unclear. A repeated measures study was conducted, using activity
      analysis to record patterns of nursing and educational behaviour under a 12 hour
      as compared to an 8 hour shift. Lower levels of ward based education occur under
      the 12 hour shift. Students pair up with trained staff less. Rather they work
      alone or with other students more. They also have less contact with patients than
      under an 8 hour shift.

PMID- 1856034
TI  - Nurses' assessment of elderly patients in hospital.
AB  - Nurses' assessment of patients' mobility in hospital provided the focus for an
      inductive qualitative study which examined how an everyday aspect of nursing
      practice was carried out. The study described assessment practices in both long
      term care and acute care wards for elderly patients as a situated activity.
      Interviews with nurses, as well as observation of their activities and records,
      resulted in explanations of their behaviour as deriving from their conceptions of
      ward functions. These conceptions arose from their adoption of the values of cure
      and discharge and so, in the different types of ward, assessment held different
      meanings and was carried out in different ways. The findings have implications
      for nursing practice in different settings but also for the care of elderly and
      chronically ill patients, where cure is an inappropriate end goal of care. This
      example of developing explanatory theory inductively also has implications for
      the development of mid-range nursing theory and suggestions are made for its
      extension.

PMID- 1856035
TI  - Staff burnout in dementia care--relations to empathy and attitudes.
AB  - Sixty nursing staff in geriatric and psychogeriatric care (RNs, LPNs and nurse's
      aides) were selected to be studied on two occasions with an interval of one year
      regarding the relationships between their experience of burnout, empathy and
      attitudes towards demented patients. A semistructured interview was performed on
      the second occasion to learn more about their work experience and to relate the
      ratings of burnout, empathy and attitudes to their experience at work. The
      staff's experience of burnout changed from a mean score of 2.7 in 1987 to 2.5 in
      1988. Their empathic ability was moderately high and increased from 398 (m) in
      (1987) to 450 (m) in 1988. The attitudes of staff remained unchanged from 1987 to
      1988 and no differences were found regarding the staff's age, place of work or
      time at present place of work. As for the staff's empathy, there was no
      difference with respect to sex, category of staff or place of work. RN's showed
      the most positive attitudes towards demented patients both in 1987 and 1988 and
      differed compared to the nurse's aides and LPN's. Burnout correlated with lower
      empathy and less positive attitudes in the staff. Regression analysis showed that
      'experience of feed-back at work' and 'time spent at present place of work' were
      the most important factors when explaining burnout among the staff. Staff with
      high empathy experienced "a close contact with the patient" as the most
      stimulating factor at work while staff with low empathy experienced "improvement
      of the patient's health" and "contact with colleagues" as the most stimulating
      factors. The importance of counteracting burnout in the care of demented patients
      is stressed.

PMID- 1856036
TI  - The experiment: is it worthwhile?
AB  - Parallel developments in social and educational research as well as more explicit
      humanistic philosophies of nursing have influenced views on what types of
      investigation are acceptable or useful to this field. Shifts in opinion towards
      more participative and qualitative studies reflect the move away from the
      predominant traditions of medical research and the experiment. This paper
      attempts to explore the reasons for such a change and examine the related
      criticisms of the positivist school and in particular deductive experimental
      approaches in order to assess whether such approaches should continue to have a
      role in building nursing knowledge.

PMID- 1856037
TI  - Nurses caring for the terminally ill in the community: a review of the
      literature.
AB  - The review considers the literature covering both general district nursing and
      specialist nursing provision for the terminally ill in the community over the
      last 10 years in the United Kingdom. It looks at the theoretical and
      methodological issues associated with research in this area and offers critiques
      of a number of individual studies in the light of these issues. Research findings
      are subject to limited comparative analysis and tentative conclusions are drawn
      regarding the model of care best suited to the needs of those dying at home.
      Recommendations for future areas of nursing research are made.

PMID- 1856038
TI  - Assessment of vitamin A deficiency in Republic of Malawi by impression cytology
      method.
AB  - During a countrywide survey, we assessed the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency
      by impression cytology method with transfer in a randomized sample of 650
      representative of the children's population of the Republic of Malawi. A vitamin
      A deficiency was indicated by the results of the ophthalmic examination (XN =
      1,4%; X2 = 0,2%) and the ICT test (22% with deficient cytology). Results of ICT
      were related to age. Vitamin A deficiency seems to be a public health problem in
      the Republic of Malawi.

PMID- 1856039
TI  - Diet-induced calciuria and nephrocalcinosis in female rats.

PMID- 1856040
TI  - Effect of vitamin A supplementation of plasma progesterone and estradiol levels
      during pregnancy.
AB  - The effect of vitamin A supplementation on plasma estrogen and progesterone were
      studied in pregnant women. While there was no change in the estrogen
      concentration, the mean increment in plasma progesterone in the supplemented
      group was significant when compared to the unsupplemented group. It is suggested
      that vitamin A supplementation to undernourished pregnant women may have
      beneficial effect on feto-placental function.

PMID- 1856041
TI  - The tocopherol, tocotrienol, and vitamin E content of the average Finnish diet.
AB  - The Finns average intake of tocopherols, tocotrienols, and vitamin E (alpha
      tocopherol equivalents) was determined. The food consumption data were derived
      mainly from the national food balance sheets (for 1987). The average Finnish
      daily diet was composed and analyzed both in spring and in autumn in order to
      minimize the effect of seasonal variation. The four tocopherols and four
      tocotrienols were then determined using high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC). For comparison, the intake of vitamin E compounds was also calculated
      using the most recent Finnish analytical data on tocopherols and tocotrienols in
      food. According to the analytical results, the average daily vitamin E intake in
      Finland was 10.7 mg alpha-tocopherol equivalents (alpha-TE) of which amount 85%
      is due to alpha-tocopherol. The analyzed values (10.8 mg alpha-TE in spring and
      10.7 mg alpha-TE in autumn) of vitamin E intake did not markedly differ from the
      calculated value (10.3 mg alpha-TE), thus indicating that the Finnish food
      composition data upon tocopherols and tocotrienols is up-to-date and accurate.
      The best food sources of vitamin E were dietary fat (41% of the total amount),
      cereals (18%), and dairy products and eggs (13%). The average Finnish diet
      contained 9.5 g of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which leads to the ratio
      of 0.9 between alpha-tocopherol (mg) and PUFA (g). According to these results,
      the dietary recommendations for vitamin E are met in Finland.

PMID- 1856042
TI  - Food groups as the source of retinoids, carotenoids, and vitamin A in Finland.
AB  - The average retinoid, carotenoid, and vitamin A (RE, retinol equivalents) intake
      of the Finnish population was determined. The food consumption data were derived
      mainly from the national food balance sheets (for 1987). In this study, the
      average Finnish diet was composed twice a year, and the retinoid and carotenoid
      composition was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The
      intake of retinoids and carotenoids was also calculated using the most recent
      Finnish analytical data on food composition. The vitamin A content of beef,
      chicken and pork liver, all of which contribute of the vitamin A intake, at
      different times of the year was determined. The beta-carotene intake in Finland
      varied between 1700 and 2100 micrograms/day, depending on the season. It is
      obvious that liver consumption plays a significant role in the vitamin A intake.
      Since the concentration of retinoids in liver, and especially in pork liver, is
      extremely high, the average vitamin A intake of the Finnish population may exceed
      3000 RE/day. If liver consumption (3.7 g/day) is excluded, the average daily
      vitamin A intake in Finland is 970-1200 RE, a value in better agreement with the
      recommended daily allowances.

PMID- 1856043
TI  - Effect of gamma irradiation on alpha-tocopherol levels in ruminant blood samples.
AB  - Quantification of circulating levels of vitamin E in free-ranging species can
      provide useful guidelines for evaluating nutrient status in captive exotic
      animals. Under current USDA regulations, ruminant plasma or serum samples must be
      subjected to 1) live-animal testing and viral screening, or 2) gamma (gamma-)
      irradiation prior to importation. Because irradiation is known to promote free
      radical formation and destruction of alpha-tocopherol in various tissues, these
      studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of irradiation on ruminant blood
      fractions with and without added antioxidant. alpha-tocopherol levels were
      measured in paired (irradiated vs. unirradiated) plasma or serum samples
      collected from zoo ruminants (n = 8 spp.). Irradiation caused highly significant
      (P less than 0.001) but inconsistent destruction of alpha-tocopherol. Addition of
      10% volume of a 1% pyrogallol solution to plasma or serum protected against alpha
      tocopherol deterioration during gamma-irradiation. In order to ensure valid
      comparative values for vitamin E studies while complying with USDA regulations,
      it is recommended that plasma or serum samples collected from ruminants outside
      the US be treated with antioxidant prior to importation.

PMID- 1856044
TI  - Plasma vitamin A and E in type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin
      dependent) adult diabetic patients.
AB  - Vitamin A and E status was studied in 35 type 1 (insulin-dependent) and 35 type 2
      (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and in 30 control subjects. Vitamin A
      blood concentration was significantly decreased in type 1 and increased in type 2
      diabetic patients as compared to control subjects. No correlation was found
      between vitamin A blood concentration and blood glucose control as evaluated with
      HbA1c. Blood Vitamin E concentrations were significantly increased in both groups
      of diabetic patients and were statistically correlated with blood cholesterol,
      apoprotein B and triglycerides, but not with HbA1c.

PMID- 1856045
TI  - Vitamin C analysis in whole blood, plasma and cells using reduced glutathione as
      preservative (stabilizer): losses and redistribution.
AB  - The losses and redistribution of vitamin C in blood fractions (stabilized with
      reduced glutathione) during 4 hours of storage at room temperature in the dark
      was studied among 27 elderly women. Storage did not have a statistically
      significant (p greater than 0.05) effect on the mean vitamin C levels in cells,
      plasma and whole blood. The results point to a redistribution of vitamin C among
      blood fractions. It is concluded that vitamin C concentrations in cells rather
      than in plasma should be the principal indicator of the vitamin C status when
      blood (stabilized with reduced glutathione) is stored at room temperature before
      specimen handling.

PMID- 1856046
TI  - Iron status in Nigerian mothers and their newborns.
AB  - An evaluation of iron status was carried out on 364 Nigerian pregnant women from
      Niamey at delivery and in cord blood from their newborns. Anemia, defined as a
      low hematocrit value, was observed in 46% of pregnant women. Iron deficiency,
      recognized by a combination of, at least, 2 abnormal values in the 3 independent
      indicators measured (serum ferritin level, erythrocyte protoporphyrin
      concentration and transferrin saturation) was present in 47.8% of pregnant women.
      Anemia was associated with iron deficiency in 60.1% of cases in anemic mothers. A
      correlation between maternal and newborn iron indicators was found. This study
      points out the necessity for developing strategies in Sahelian countries to
      combat iron deficiency during pregnancy by specific measures in combination with
      more general interventions.

PMID- 1856047
TI  - The role of zinc in endotoxin fever.
AB  - Compared to pair-fed controls, zinc deficient rats developed significantly
      smaller fevers in response to an injection of E. coli endotoxin.

PMID- 1856048
TI  - Alterations in ruminal utilization of magnesium and zinc in lambs fed different
      ratios of concentrate: forage.
AB  - Twelve wether lambs were used to study the effects of concentrate level on
      ruminal utilization of Mg and Zn. Treatments consisted of concentrate: forage
      ratios (C:F) of 10:90, 40:60, and 70:30. Ruminal pH.hours (pH x hours area below
      6.7 in 24-hour period) increased (P less than .01; linear) with increasing C:F.
      Bacterial intestinal Mg flow increased (P less than .01; linear) with increasing
      C:F and was strongly correlated with pH.hours (r = .75, P = .008). Ruminal Mg
      absorption was not affected (P greater than .05) by C:F, but correlated well with
      bacterial intestinal Mg flow (r = .66; P = .026). As with Mg, intestinal flow of
      bacterial Zn increased (P less than .01; linear) with increasing C:F and was
      highly correlated with pH.hours (r = .76, P = .006). Ruminal Zn absorption
      declined (P less than .05; linear) with increasing C:F and correlated well with
      bacterial Zn flow (r = -.82, P = .002). Data suggest that ruminal pH and (or)
      bacterial accumulation of Mg and Zn may compromise ruminal absorption of these
      minerals.

PMID- 1856049
TI  - Chromatography of selenoproteins in human serum using matrix-bound heparin.
AB  - Since previous experiments indicated that a major selenoprotein in human serum
      interacts with heparin, chromatography of serum on matrix-bound heparin was
      studied. When human serum was applied to heparin-agarose columns, approximately
      half of the applied selenium was not retained on the columns. Approx. 40% of the
      selenium could then be eluted either with increasing concentrations of heparin or
      ammonium acetate. Using a scaled-down version of this procedure, selenoproteins
      from 0.5 ml serum were separated into the heparin-binding and non-heparin-binding
      fractions. In an experiment where healthy subjects were given supplements of
      yeast selenium (200 micrograms/d) for eight weeks, the concentration of selenium
      in serum was almost doubled and then approached the original concentration 16
      weeks after the end of the supplementation. During supplementation, no change in
      the concentration of heparin-binding selenoproteins was observed, and instead the
      increase in serum selenium occurred in non-heparin-binding proteins. This
      suggests that the need for selenium by the heparin-binding proteins was saturated
      already at the starting serum selenium level (1.0 mumol/l). Since interaction
      with heparin has been observed also for selenoprotein P isolated from rat plasma,
      the protein in the heparin-binding fraction, demonstrated in this paper, may be a
      human analogue to selenoprotein P.

PMID- 1856050
TI  - The influence of dietary lactose on phosphorus-induced nephrocalcinosis in female
      rats.
AB  - The effect of dietary lactose, when compared with glucose, on phosphorus-induced
      nephrocalcinosis was studied in young, female rats. Nephrocalcinogenic diets
      containing either 0.4 or 0.6% (w/w) phosphorus were used, and lactose was added
      up to concentrations of 30%. The diets were fed for 28 days. The 0.4 and 0.6%
      phosphorus diets, when compared with a diet containing 0.2% phosphorus, caused
      mild and severe kidney calcification, respectively; kidney calcification was
      demonstrated chemically by the analysis of kidney calcium, and histologically by
      staining kidney slides for calcium deposits. Dietary lactose caused calciuria,
      decreased urinary pH and increased cecum weights. The addition of lactose to the
      diet partly counteracted nephrocalcinogenesis induced by diets containing 0.4%
      phosphorus, but it did not influence the severity of nephrocalcinosis seen in
      rats fed diets containing 0.6% phosphorus. It is suggested that high amounts of
      lactose in the diet have only weak anti-nephrocalcinogenic activity.

PMID- 1856051
TI  - Effect of thymosin fraction 5 (F5) on erythrocyte glutathione and lipid peroxide
      levels in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.
AB  - The effect of thymosin F5 injection on the erythrocyte glutathione levels were
      investigated in the rabbits fed 2% cholesterol diet for 4 weeks. Although the
      cholesterol rich diet caused a significant decrease in erythrocyte glutathione
      levels, erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels were increased considerably. After a
      cholesterol-rich diet, the rabbits were injected thymosin F5 (0.5 mg/kg body
      weight, i.p) every other day for 21 days. Thymosin F5 treatment caused a
      significant increase in erythrocyte glutathione levels. However erythrocyte lipid
      peroxide levels decreased significantly. These findings suggest that thymosin F5
      is effective on both the glutathione concentration and the propagation of lipid
      peroxidation in red blood cells.

PMID- 1856052
TI  - Quantitative determination of linoleic acid in infant formulas.
AB  - The aim of this paper is to develop a gas chromatographic method for the
      quantitative determination of linoleic acid in adapted, preterm, follow-up and
      special infant formulas. For sample preparation, lipids were extracted with a
      Soxhlet extractor after acid hydrolysis, and methyl esters of fatty acids were
      prepared in a sealed vial with hydrochloric acid in methyl alcohol and analysed
      using a packed polar column (SP 2330). Triheptadecanoin was chosen as internal
      standard. The method yielded reliable and repeatable results for all the examined
      formulas.

PMID- 1856053
TI  - Decreased plasma esterase-1 activity in rats fed a high-phosphorus diet.

PMID- 1856054
TI  - [Expectations of the general practitioner from the new psychosomatic medicine].

PMID- 1856055
TI  - [Role of the physician in open Europe].

PMID- 1856056
TI  - ["Smoking cessation"--a problem for physician and patient].

PMID- 1856057
TI  - [Continuing education in the field of internal medicine].

PMID- 1856058
TI  - [Heart failure].

PMID- 1856059
TI  - [Emergency measures in acute arterial vascular occlusions].

PMID- 1856060
TI  - [Emergency measures in respiratory failure].

PMID- 1856061
TI  - [Food poisoning].

PMID- 1856062
TI  - [Endocrine coma].

PMID- 1856063
TI  - [Endoscopic hemostasis of the upper digestive tract].

PMID- 1856064
TI  - [Ventilating the cardiac patient].

PMID- 1856065
TI  - [Preoperative cardiovascular risk assessment].

PMID- 1856066
TI  - [Hypouricemia--a differential diagnostic problem].

PMID- 1856067
TI  - [61-year-old patient with diabetes mellitus, weight loss, nausea and vomiting
      after resection of a pancreatic tumor].

PMID- 1856068
TI  - [Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: possible applications of pentamidine aerosol in
      hematology, oncology and transplantation medicine].

PMID- 1856069
TI  - Management of submandibular gland sialoliths.

PMID- 1856070
TI  - Department of Public Welfare v. Kallinger.

PMID- 1856071
TI  - State of Michigan in the Circuit Court for the County of Oakland.

PMID- 1856072
TI  - The judicial role in life-sustaining medical treatment decisions.
AB  - Although there has been speculation regarding the pervasiveness and nature of
      judicial decisions regarding life-sustaining medical treatment (LSMT), no attempt
      has been made to empirically assess their prevalence or the issues they address.
      An exploratory study utilizing a mail survey of a nationwide random sample (N =
      905) of state trial court judges was conducted to provide initial information
      regarding this decision-making process. Twenty-two percent of the responding
      judges had heard at least one LSMT case, and judicial review did not appear
      endemic to particular states. The number of judges hearing LSMT cases dropped
      from 1975 to 1981 but has increased since then. Three major issues predominate:
      patient competency, appointment of a surrogate decisionmaker, and resolution of
      the ultimate issue of forgoing LSMT. Relatively few cases either contested a
      prior directive's validity or involved imposing sanctions for instituting or
      forgoing LSMT. Although subject to different interpretations, the results suggest
      the courts are having a significant impact on certain aspects of the LSMT
      decision-making process. However, the infrequency with which any one judge is
      called upon to make an LSMT decision causes concern about the judiciary's ability
      to respond in a timely and appropriate manner. With their potential for a
      profound effect on the actions of health care providers, greater attention to
      this decision-making process is warranted.

PMID- 1856073
TI  - Institutional ethics committees and case consultation: is there a role?

PMID- 1856074
TI  - Ethics committees in hospitals: alternative structures and responsibilities.

PMID- 1856075
TI  - Payne v. Marion General Hospital.

PMID- 1856076
TI  - Deel v. Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center.

PMID- 1856077
TI  - Abstracts of papers presented at the Symposium on Polyamines: Biological and
      Clinical Aspects. June 1-3, 1990, Trento.

PMID- 1856078
TI  - Limited proteolysis of protein kinase C subspecies by calpain: stimulation by
      basic polypeptides.
AB  - Limited proteolysis of Protein Kinase C (PKC) subspecies by Ca(2+)-dependent
      neutral protease II (calpain II) was remarkably stimulated by the presence of
      basic polypeptides, such as H1 histone, protamine, poly-L-arginine, and poly-L
      lysine. The stimulatory effect of basic polypeptides was observed for proteolysis
      of the active form of PKC which was associated with diacylglycerol and
      phospholipid. The inactive form of PKC was far less susceptible to proteolysis,
      either in the presence or absence of the basic polypeptides. The basic
      polypeptides did not appear to interact with calpain II, but caused a
      conformational change in PKC to make the kinase molecule more susceptible to
      proteolysis. The relative rates of cleavage of the active form of types I
      (gamma), II (beta), and III (alpha) PKC by calpain II in the absence and presence
      of basic polypeptides were 100:48:23 and 100:100:50, respectively. Available
      evidence suggests that, like calpain I, calpain II may also contribute to the
      down-regulation or depletion of PKC.

PMID- 1856079
TI  - The Maluhia Project: Home Health Care for the Uninsured.
AB  - This is a report of preliminary findings of the Maluhia Project: Home Health Care
      for the Uninsured based on its first 12 months of experience in providing
      services to clients from September 1989 to August 1990. This Project is now in
      its third year. This report will initially discuss the rationale for Hawaii's
      participation in this 5-state national demonstration project. It will cover the
      basic components of the Hawaii Project and its relative impact followed by a
      brief description of the clients enrolled. A major component of this program is
      case management. Given the variety of previous programs that have been referred
      to as case-management services, a comparison has been provided to note
      significant differences in approaches and target groups between the Maluhia
      Project and other existing programs. Finally, this report discusses a number of
      implementation and public policy issues which have emerged and require further
      discussion. We hope that as a result of this preliminary report from our first 12
      months of operation, it will be possible to inform the medical community of the
      needs faced by this public health problem that has been previously not addressed.

PMID- 1856080
TI  - A 42-y medical follow-up of Manhattan Project plutonium workers.
AB  - Twenty-six white male subjects, who worked with plutonium (239Pu) during World
      War II at Los Alamos, have been given medical examinations periodically over a
      period of 42 y to identify potential health effects. Inhalation was the primary
      mode of Pu exposures. The latest examinations, including urine bioassay and in
      vivo measurements for radioactivity, were performed in late 1986 and 1987. The
      average age of the 22 living subjects in 1986 was 66 y. The diseases and physical
      changes noted in these persons are characteristic of a male population in their
      60s. Estimates of individual Pu depositions, including lung burdens, as of 1987
      or at time of death range from 52 to 3180 Bq (1.4 to 86 nCi) with a median value
      of 500 Bq (13.5 nCi). Four persons from the original group had died as of 1987.
      The causes of death were lung cancer, myocardial infarction, accidental injury,
      and respiratory failure due to pneumonia/congestive heart failure. Expected
      deaths based on U.S. death rates of white males, adjusted for age and calendar
      year, are 9.2 based on U.S. rates (standardized mortality ratio = 0.41).
      Subsequent to 1987, three additional deaths occurred from atherosclerotic heart
      disease, lung cancer, and osteogenic sarcoma. The bone sarcoma case is discussed
      in terms of Pu exposure, the natural incidence of this disease, anatomical
      location of the tumor, and bone tumors observed in Pu-exposed dogs. Plutonium
      deposition in this man is estimated to have been below current radiation
      protection guidelines.

PMID- 1856081
TI  - Metabolism of injected barium in six healthy men.
AB  - Data are presented on the early metabolism and long-term retention of 133Ba (half
      life 10.74 y) injected into six healthy male volunteers at ages 25-81 y. The
      tracer appeared to be mainly skeletal within several days, much earlier than
      predicted by the ICRP's model of alkaline earth metabolism. Excretion was mainly
      fecal, the relative fecal:urinary clearance up to 14 d ranging from 6 to 15 in
      the six subjects. The whole-body retention at 50 d (mean 8%, range 4.5 to 12%)
      was similar to that inferred from published data on the retention of injected Ra
      in man (mean 7%, range 3-13%). For about 1 y thereafter, the retention of Ba
      could be represented by simple power functions of time, with the rate of loss
      correlating with the excretory plasma clearance rate inferred over the first 4 d.
      In the subject aged 81 y, the pattern differed from that established following an
      earlier injection at age 60, but the differences were not necessarily related to
      advancing age.

PMID- 1856082
TI  - Radium-226 dose to a boy from playing on mill tailings.
AB  - Two boys born in September 1949 played on uranium mill tailings from about ages 8
      to 12. One of these boys was diagnosed as having leukemia at age 15.5. The 226Ra
      body burden of the survivor was measured at age 38. The whole-body 226Ra content
      measured by counting in vivo was 0 +/- 17 Bq and independently by Rn breath
      analysis as 4.3 +/- 2.1 Bq. At the same time, a control subject with no known
      exposure to 226Ra, matched in age, height, and weight, was also measured. The
      whole-body content was estimated as 4 +/- 15 Bq and independently by Rn breath
      analysis as 5.5 +/- 3.7 Bq. The body burden of the control subject was not
      significantly different from that of the exposed person. The radiation dose to
      the marrow-free skeleton assuming a constant 226Ra:Ca ratio since birth was 0.49
      and 1.33 mGy at ages 14 and 38, respectively. The radiation dose to the marrow
      free skeleton assuming 226Ra intake only between ages 8 to 12 was 1.4 and 2.8 mGy
      at ages 14 and 38, respectively. The best estimate is the mean of these two
      estimates: 0.9 and 2.1 mGy at ages 14 and 38, respectively. The alpha-particle
      dose to the red marrow from 226Ra and its decay products was 0.05 mGy at age 14
      and 0.10 mGy at age 38. Since no excess was found for the radium dial painters
      whose doses were much higher, the induction of leukemia by doses of this
      magnitude would seem quite unlikely.

PMID- 1856083
TI  - Correlations for predicting air permeabilities and 222Rn diffusion coefficients
      of soils.
AB  - The rate of 222Rn gas transport through earthen materials controls 222Rn releases
      to the atmosphere and to indoor environments. The key soil-related parameters
      characterizing 222Rn transport in earthen materials are the 222Rn diffusion
      coefficient and the soil air permeability. Simple correlations have been
      developed for predicting the 222Rn diffusion coefficient and the air permeability
      of soils based on fraction of water saturation, total porosity, and arithmetic
      mean particle diameter. Correlations are based on 1,073 diffusion coefficient
      measurements and 137 soil air permeability measurements. The geometric standard
      deviations between the correlation predictions and the measurements are 1.98 for
      the diffusion coefficients and 2.31 for the soil air permeabilities.

PMID- 1856084
TI  - Determination of uranium and thorium concentrations in unprocessed soil samples.
AB  - An assay technique that directly determines the amount of 238U and 232Th in
      unprocessed, bulk soil samples has been developed. In this technique, a sample
      consisting of a 125-mL plastic bottle full of contaminated, moist, unprocessed
      soil is irradiated with gamma rays from 57Co. Induced U and Th K alpha
      fluorescent x rays are detected using a high-purity intrinsic germanium planar
      detector. Because of sample irradiation geometry, the fluorescent x-ray peaks lie
      on top of a large Compton backscatter peak. Spectral data are first fit to a
      combination polynomial and ERFc-step-function background that is subtracted from
      the peak data. The remaining peak data are fit to a Voigt Profile to properly
      determine peak area. The Voigt Profile, which is the convolution of the Gaussian
      response of the detector system and the Lorentzian energy distribution of x rays,
      describes the spectral peak better than a simple Gaussian distribution. A
      mathematical point-node model of the source-target-detector system, which
      includes fluorescent x-ray production by singly scattered Compton gamma s,
      calculates the predicted x-ray peak area per Bq cm-3 of target contamination.
      Soil attenuation coefficients, which are measured for each sample, are used by
      the model to properly transport gamma s and x rays through the soil sample. The
      sample 238U and 232Th concentrations are then calculated by dividing the measured
      peak areas by the model-predicted peak areas per Bq cm-3. No "soil standards," no
      assumptions about progeny equilibrium, and no sample preparation are required for
      this technique.

PMID- 1856085
TI  - A general multiple-compartment model for the transport of trace elements through
      animals.
AB  - Multiple-compartment models employed in the analysis of trace element transport
      in animals are often based on linear differential equations which relate the rate
      of change of contaminant (or contaminant concentration) in each compartment to
      the amount of contaminant (or contaminant concentration) in every other
      compartment in the system. This has the serious disadvantage of mixing intrinsic
      physiological properties with the geometry of the animal. The basic equations on
      which the model presented here is developed are derived from the actual physical
      process under way and are capable of separating intrinsic physiological
      properties from geometry. It is thus expected that rate coefficients determined
      through this model will be applicable to a wider category of physiologically
      similar animals. A specific application of the model for the study of
      contamination of sheep--or indeed for any ruminant--is presented, and the
      temporal evolution of contaminant concentration in the various compartments of
      the animal is calculated. The application of this model to a system of
      compartments with changing geometry is also presented.

PMID- 1856086
TI  - Radioiodine speciation in the hot cell effluent gases of a radiopharmaceutical
      production facility.
AB  - In order to characterize the various chemical forms of airborne radioiodine
      species, grab-sampling measurements were conducted at the hot cell laboratory of
      a radiopharmaceutical production facility, using a selective-adsorbent-iodine
      filter system. Volatile radioiodine species were produced in the hot cell process
      which extracted the fission product 99Mo from the irradiated uranium target. The
      effluent gases were then released through the hot cell filter bank and the main
      filter bank. Two samplings were made, one at the inlet and one at the outlet of
      the hot cell filter bank. In comparison with other radioiodine isotopes detected,
      higher than expected concentrations of 132I were found, primarily in the form of
      organic iodide--an observation that could be explained by the beta decay of
      132Te, the precursor of 132I, in the hot cell waste solution. The relative
      distribution of airborne 132I was considerably different from that of other
      iodine radioisotopes. An unexpected component of these distributions was
      radioiodine penetrating the silver zeolite filter and adsorbed on a
      triethylenediamine (TEDA) impregnated charcoal filter.

PMID- 1856087
TI  - Shielding a spectrum of workloads in diagnostic radiology.

PMID- 1856088
TI  - Radon levels in a high-rise apartment.

PMID- 1856089
TI  - Precision of alpha-track radon exposure estimates determined from field
      measurements.

PMID- 1856090
TI  - Multi-fractal nature of radioactivity deposition on soil after the Chernobyl
      accident.
AB  - Fractal analysis is introduced in the field of environmental health physics. In
      particular, it is applied to the complex and inhomogeneous deposition pattern of
      radioactivity after the Chernobyl accident. The patchiness of 137Cs hot spots is
      quantified by a fractal dimension as low as 1. The problem of finding hot spots
      that might be of health concern is discussed.

PMID- 1856091
TI  - Phosphorus-32 personnel monitoring in research institutions.

PMID- 1856093
TI  - Gould and Goldman: deadly deceit--a defense.

PMID- 1856092
TI  - Leukemias in Plymouth county, Massachusetts.

PMID- 1856094
TI  - Health issues of ultraviolet "A" sunbeds used for cosmetic purposes. A statement
      by the International Non-Ionizing Radiation Committee of the International
      Radiation Protection Association.

PMID- 1856095
TI  - Chernobyl consequences.

PMID- 1856096
TI  - Human growth hormone treatment: Henry Ford Hospital experience 1964-1990.
AB  - Treatment with human growth hormone (GH) at Henry Ford Hospital began in 1964 and
      has included 145 patients. A total of 68 patients were treated with extracted
      hormone and 77 with recombinant GH. The appearance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease,
      now five cases worldwide, in patients treated with extracted hormone abruptly
      stopped its use in the United States. The development of recombinant GH in 1985
      has resulted in greater availability of treatment. Diagnostic criteria are now
      more liberal and certain patients without GH deficiency, i.e., those with the
      Turner syndrome, are now being successfully treated with GH. GH is expensive and
      its inappropriate use would have a major impact on health care costs. Indications
      for its use are not yet fully elucidated.

PMID- 1856097
TI  - Contemporary approach to thyroid disease emphasizing use of high-sensitivity
      thyrotropin assays.
AB  - Capabilities of new high-sensitivity immunoradiometric assays for thyroid
      stimulating hormone (TSH-IRMA) to distinguish among hypothyroid, euthyroid, and
      hyperthyroid subjects and patient groups with low TSH for nonthyroidal causes
      suggested an algorithmic approach (directed TSH) to the evaluation of patients
      with suspected thyroid disease. Utilizing the algorithm, a TSH-IRMA result
      outside normal limits (0.5 to 5.0 mU/L) generates follow-up tests on the same
      sample. The interpretation of thyroid function tests (TSH-IRMA, thyroxine, resin
      uptake, free thyroxine index) and associated studies in the context of different
      clinical settings is reviewed. The approach is a cost-effective and efficient
      utilization of laboratory services.

PMID- 1856098
TI  - Festschrift: in honor of Raymond C. Mellinger.

PMID- 1856099
TI  - A thyroid testing algorithm: results of a pilot study.
AB  - We conducted a pilot study to evaluate an algorithm for thyroid function testing
      consisting of initial serum thyrotropin values, measured by a sensitive
      immunoradiometric assay (TSH-IRMA), followed by a computer-directed decision to
      order further studies. We divided 216 outpatients according to their serum TSH
      IRMA values as follows: suppressed (less than 0.1 mU/L, group I); low (0.1 to 0.4
      mU/L, group II); normal (0.5 to 5.0 mU/L, group III); and high (greater than 5.0
      mU/L, group IV). Thyroxine (T4), resin uptake (RU), and free thyroxine index
      (FTI) tests on groups I, II, and IV revealed that T4 and RU were normal for most
      patients in all groups and FTI was normal in 80% of group I, 93.4% of group II,
      and 93.3% of group IV. All patients in group I were designated hyperthyroid from
      either an exogenous or endogenous source. All patients in group II were
      clinically euthyroid except one; 50% were taking either L-thyroxine or
      propylthiouracil and 50% had no identifiable thyroid disease. Patients in group
      IV were hypothyroid. Overall, TSH was more effective in detecting both
      hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism than either serum T4, RU ratio, or both
      combined in FTI since results of these measures fell in the normal range for most
      patients in all groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856100
TI  - An ambulatory approach to self-care of diabetes.
AB  - Managing the insulin-requiring diabetic patient in an ambulatory setting includes
      metabolic regulation of the diabetes and education in its self-care. Means of
      achieving these goals include structured group or one-on-one individualized
      sessions. Third party policies relating to ambulatory care are challenged and
      their need for fiscal support emphasized. During the coming decade, diabetic
      patients should 1) have access to ambulatory care programs for metabolic
      regulation and education in self-care, 2) expect third party support of these
      programs, and 3) heighten their own priorities on diabetes care to ensure quality
      management of their diabetes.

PMID- 1856101
TI  - Primary hyperparathyroidism and monoclonal gammopathy.
AB  - Coexistent primary hyperparathyroidism and monoclonal gammopathy, although rare,
      has been reported previously by a number of investigators. We report four
      patients with such an occurrence who were seen between 1976 and 1988. Another
      patient with primary hyperparathyroidism also had multiple myeloma and was in
      remission for 12 years. These patients represent approximately 1% of the 386
      patients with primary hyperparathyroidism seen during the same 12-year period.
      Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this concurrence, we
      believe it is the result of a chance occurrence. A review of the literature, an
      estimate of the chance occurrence of coincidental monoclonal gammopathy, benign
      or malignant, in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, and some practical
      implications of this interesting coexistence are presented.

PMID- 1856102
TI  - Disturbances in lipid metabolism associated with chylothorax and its management.
AB  - Changes in circulating lipid status were studied in a 70-year-old woman during
      management of chylothorax that included chest drainage, pleuroperitoneal
      shunting, and a successful thoracic duct ligation. Hypolipidemia with a relative
      decline in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was apparent at
      presentation. Following recovery, serum HDL cholesterol rose to the upper limit
      of normal. Apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A-1) was discordantly raised during the period
      of pleuroperitoneal shunting. We speculate that diversion of chylomicrons to the
      liver with subsequent hydrolysis accounted for a release of Apo A-1 particles
      into the circulation at a time when the formation of HDL was compromised by a
      state of starvation.

PMID- 1856103
TI  - Chronic pancreatitis progressing to duodenal obstruction in the absence of
      classic symptoms.
AB  - We report the case of a 34-year-old alcoholic who was initially seen in March
      1985 because of acute pancreatitis. A mass was demonstrated in the head of the
      pancreas. Serial sonogram and computed tomography scans over 4 1/2 years revealed
      progressive encroachment of the duodenum without symptoms attributable to
      obstruction. In 1989, three separate endoscopies with multiple biopsies showed
      chronic inflammation and strictures. Hypotonic duodenography confirmed stricture
      and obstructed duodenum. Surgical intervention is being considered. Duodenal
      obstruction secondary to chronic pancreatitis is rare. It may proceed
      subclinically for several years independent of continued alcohol use. Only when
      obstruction became severe in our patient did the classic symptoms of postprandial
      nausea, emesis, and weight loss become manifest. Obstructive jaundice from
      chronic pancreatitis due to stricture in the pancreatic portion of the common
      bile duct is uncommon.

PMID- 1856104
TI  - Nutrition support of HIV+ patients.
AB  - Case management strategies for the nutritional support of patients infected with
      the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are evolving as the disease becomes less
      rapidly fatal and more chronic. Nutritional status changes in advanced HIV
      infection are similar in many respects to protein-calorie malnutrition. Current
      clinical effort and research focuses on the beneficial effects of preserving lean
      body mass and keeping asymptomatic patients in good nutritional status by
      preventing micronutrient deficiencies and by treating preexisting nutritional
      problems rather than attempting to intervene late in the disease's course, after
      secondary malnutrition has already developed. Nutrition support and intervention
      trials only late in the disease process have not been promising in reversing
      weight loss once it has occurred. Special diets, such as lactose- or gluten-free
      diets, may be helpful in some cases as asymptomatic treatment of some
      opportunistic infections, and such measures may slow additional losses. However,
      secretory diarrhea, which often seems to be inherent to the disease itself, is
      not ameliorated by such measures. Current research is focusing on the potential
      role of glutamine in slowing malabsorption and on combinations of diet and drug
      treatments. Asymptomatic patients are now the focus of concern. Preserving good
      nutritional status by attention to preventing weight loss and loss of lean body
      mass and assuring food safety are primary. Symptomatic patients require specific
      assistance depending on the presence of opportunistic infections and the drugs
      required. Specific nutrition support measures depend on whether or not the gut is
      functional.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856105
TI  - The phenomenology of Cushing's syndrome: one patient's account.
AB  - Cushing's syndrome caused by ectopic secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone
      (ACTH) is often a serious disease and a diagnostic dilemma. In the reported
      patient, the source of ACTH proved to be a benign pulmonary carcinoid tumor. The
      patient describes his trying experiences through the six months from initial
      diagnosis to definitive therapy.

PMID- 1856106
TI  - Immunohistochemical localization of metallothionein in the eye of rats.
AB  - In order to elucidate possible physiological roles of metallothionein (MT), we
      have studied immunohistological localization of MT in the eye of the rat, using
      an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex method. As a result, strong MT immunostaining
      was observed in the epithelium of the lens and cornea. In the retina,
      considerably strong MT immunostaining was observed in the pigment cell layer
      while the nerve fiber layer and inner plexiform layer showed weak MT staining.
      Glial cells in the optic nerve were found to have marked MT staining. The present
      result is consistent with the hypothesis that MT may be involved not only in
      activation of zinc enzymes and cell proliferation through supply of zinc ions,
      but also in a protective mechanism in the blood-retina barrier.

PMID- 1856107
TI  - Changes in cell surface and intracellular glycoproteins of trophoblastic giant
      cells during mouse placentation.
AB  - Changes in lectin bindings of mouse trophoblastic giant cells (TGCs) were
      examined by light and electron microscopy. Neither Griffonia simplicifolia
      agglutinin (GS)-II nor succinyl-wheat germ agglutinin (s-WGA) bound to the 1st
      and 2nd TGCs on day 6.5 post coitum (p.c.), but did so from days 8.5 to 12.5 p.c.
      Positive reactions with s-WGA were localized in the perinuclear region and cell
      surface of both 1st and 2nd TGCs; while GS-II bound only to the perinuclear
      region, where it appeared as network-like deposits. This region was identified as
      well-developed Golgi lamellae by electron microscopy. Moreover, SDS-PAGE and
      lectin-blot analysis of the 1st TGCs indicated that the intensity of s-WGA and GS
      II bindings increased in the glycoproteins of approximately 43, 40, 37, and 26
      kDa and in those of 43 and 38 kDa, respectively, during the 8.5th to 10.5th day
      p.c. The reaction with GS-I was detected on cell surface of both the 1st and 2nd
      TGCs on day 6.5 p.c. The reaction in the 1st TGCs was intensely positive
      throughout their development, whereas the reactivity decreased in the 2nd TGCs on
      day 10.5 p.c. and completely disappeared on day 12.5 p.c. The GS-I reaction in
      TGCs was more intense at the maternal side than at the embryonic side. These
      results suggest that certain Gal and/or GlcNAc glycoproteins on the cell surface
      and in Golgi lamellae of TGCs dynamically change from the 8.5th to 10.5th day
      p.c. in association with mouse placentation.

PMID- 1856108
TI  - Presence and localization of proteins immunologically related to erythrocyte
      protein 4.1 in human skin.
AB  - Analogues of human erythrocyte protein 4.1 have been examined in the human skin
      by immunochemical techniques using anti-human erythrocyte protein 4.1 antibodies.
      Immunoblot analysis revealed that human epidermis contains 4.1-like proteins of
      80 kDa and 78 kDa that cross react with anti-protein 4.1 antibodies. Analysis
      with immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that the plasma membrane of the human
      epidermal keratinocyte was stained intensively in the basal cells, whereas
      spinous cells were moderately stained. It is noted that eccrine sweat gland cells
      and ductal cells were also stained in the peripheral cytoplasma. Taken together,
      these results demonstrate that 4.1-like proteins are present in human epidermal
      keratinocytes, eccrine sweat gland cells and ductal cells. The present findings
      enable us to suggest that a membrane skeletal protein lattice might exist in
      these cells.

PMID- 1856109
TI  - In situ hybridization study of chromogranin A and B mRNA in carcinoid tumors.
AB  - The distribution of the mRNAs for chromogranin A and B was analyzed by in situ
      hybridization with 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probes in formalin-fixed paraffin
      embedded carcinoid tumor tissues. All the 15 mid-gut carcinoid tumors examined
      contained both mRNAs for chromogranin A and B at high level in tumor cells.
      Sixteen of 18 bronchial carcinoid tumors but only 2 of 5 rectal carcinoid tumors
      expressed one or both species of chromogranin mRNAs. The same tendency was seen
      with the argyrophil reaction according to Grimelius where most of the mid-gut
      tumor cells were uniformly stained, while considerable variation in reactivity
      was seen in some of the bronchial and rectal carcinoid tumor cells. The
      sequential sections were stained with a monoclonal antibody against chromogranin
      A and a polyclonal antiserum which reacts with both chromogranins. The expression
      of the mRNA for chromogranin A on the carcinoid tumors was almost concordant with
      that of chromogranin B as well as with the chromogranin A protein, whereas almost
      all tumors stained positively with the polyclonal antibodies. Analyses of mRNA
      expression of chromogranin A before and after interferon therapy on 4 patients
      with mid-gut carcinoids indicated an inhibition at pre-translational level. In
      conclusion, the mRNAs for chromogranin A and B are good markers for the carcinoid
      tumors, especially of mid-gut origin. Fore-gut, mid-gut and rectal carcinoid
      tumors are different in their endocrine properties regarding the expression of
      the chromogranins.

PMID- 1856110
TI  - Presence of renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin II in the lamb anterior pituitary
      gland: immunocytochemical study after cryoultramicrotomy.
AB  - The presence of renin, angiotensin I-converting enzyme and angiotensin II
      detected by immunocytochemistry in the adult male rat anterior pituitary has
      suggested the existence of a pituitary renin-angiotensin system. To establish
      another mammalian experimental model we have investigated the presence of renin,
      angiotensinogen, angiotensin I-converting enzyme, and angiotensin II II in five
      normal lamb anterior pituitaries by immunocytochemistry after cryoultramicrotomy.
      Renin, angiotensinogen and angiotensin II immunoreactivities were observed only
      in cytoplasmic granules of lactotrophs, and the three proteins were found co
      localized with prolactin in the same granules by double immunolabelling. No
      immunoreactive angiotensin I-converting enzyme was observed. These results
      suggest an activation of renin in the cytoplasmic granules of lactotrophs leading
      to a local synthesis of angiotensin II. Thus, the lamb anterior pituitary may
      provide a good experimental model for investigating the possible autocrine action
      of a local renin-angiotensin system on prolactin release in the human pituitary.

PMID- 1856111
TI  - Calcitonin gene-related peptide, enkephalin and serotonin coexist in
      neuroepithelial bodies of the respiratory tract of the red-eared turtle,
      Pseudemys scripta elegans. An immunocytochemical study.
AB  - The lungs of the red-eared turtle, Pseudemys scripta elegans, have been
      investigated by light-microscopical immunocytochemistry for serotonin (5-HT) and
      the neuropeptides calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), enkephalin (ENK),
      bombesin, somatostatin, calcitonin and cholecystokinin. CGRP- or 5-HT-like
      immunoreactivity (LI) was demonstrated in neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs) and
      solitary neuroepithelial endocrine cells lying between the ciliated epithelial
      cells of the intrapulmonary bronchi, and of the primary, secondary and tertiary
      trabeculae. Furthermore, ENK-LI NEBs were found between the trabecular ciliated
      epithelial cells. No reaction was observed with antisera against bombesin,
      somatostatin, calcitonin, and cholecystokinin. Using consecutive sections, CGRP
      LI appears to be colocalized with 5-HT-LI in NEB cells. In addition, it was
      demonstrated that all the ENK-LI NEBs also contain CGRP-LI, whereas only a part
      of the CGRP-LI NEBs reveal ENK-LI. To our knowledge this is the first
      demonstration of CGRP- and/or ENK-LI in pulmonary NEBs of a lower vertebrate.

PMID- 1856112
TI  - Microphotometric determination of enzymes in brain sections. V. Glycerophosphate
      dehydrogenases.
AB  - An incubation medium was adapted for the microphotometric determination (kinetic
      and end-point measurements) of the activities of mitochondrial alpha
      glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) in the rat hippocampus. For comparison, the
      activities of the cytoplasmic NAD-linked alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase
      were also measured. The study showed that in the demonstration of both enzymes
      the use of an exogenous electron carrier is necessary. Both enzymes react to
      phenazine methosulfate (PMS) which transfers reduction equivalents to the
      electron acceptor nitroblue tetrazolium chloride (NBT), thus causing a coreaction
      of GPDH in the demonstration of NAD-GPDH. Therefore, only the NAD-independent
      GPDH which is stimulated by menadione, can be selectively demonstrated in the
      histochemical procedure applied. The final incubation medium of GPDH consisted of
      15 mM L-glycerol 3-phosphate, 5 mM NBT, 0.4 mM menadione, 7.5% polyvinyl alcohol
      in 0.5 M Hepes buffer, pH 8; the final pH of the incubation medium was 7.5. A
      linear response of the reaction lasted about 5 min. There was a linear
      relationship between section thickness and the formation of reaction product up
      to a section thickness of 14 microns. The apparent Km value at 25 degrees C was
      0.6 mM. It is concluded that using menadione histochemical methods are suited to
      determine the mitochondrial GPDH activities in brain sections whereas using PMS a
      coreaction of GPDH takes place in the demonstration of NAD-GPDH, so that a
      histochemical quantification of NAD-GPDH cannot be recommended.

PMID- 1856115
TI  - The psychophysiological development of freedom. Presidential address.

PMID- 1856113
TI  - Local cerebral glucose utilization in the brain of old, learning impaired rats.
AB  - The local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured in 63 different
      cortical areas and nuclei of the telencephalon, diencephalon and rhombencephalon
      of young adult (3 to 4-month-old) rats and of 27-month-old Wistar rats, in which
      learning impairments had been proven by a water maze test. The LCGU was
      determined by [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography. In the old rats the mean LCGU
      of all brain regions was significantly reduced by about 10% compared with the
      young control group; the mean LCGU was 74.2 mumol glucose/(100 g x min) in the
      young and 66.7 in the old rats. Different degrees of LCGU decrease were found in
      the different regions. Most of the brain regions with significantly reduced LCGU
      values in the aged, learning impaired rats were associated with auditory and
      visual functions, the dopaminergic system, and structures known to be involved in
      learning and memory processes. Therefore, the regional pattern of LCGU reduction
      found in the aged, learning impaired rats did not resemble any known pattern
      found after lesions of a single transmitter system or systemic administration of
      transmitter agonists or antagonists.

PMID- 1856116
TI  - Psychophysiology: where have we been, where are we going? Vice presidential
      address.

PMID- 1856114
TI  - Microphotometric determination of enzymes in brain sections. IV. Isocitrate
      dehydrogenases.
AB  - A polyvinyl alcohol-(PVA) containing incubation medium was adapted for the
      microphotometric determination (kinetic and end-point measurements) of the
      activities of NAD- and NADP-linked isocitrate dehydrogenases (ICDHs) in cryostat
      sections of the rat hippocampus. The following incubation medium is recommended
      for the quantification of NAD- and NADP- (differences in brackets) ICDHs: 100 mM
      DL-isocitrate, 10 mM sodium azide, 5 mM (4 mM) nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), 7 mM
      NAD (4 mM NADP), 10 mM magnesium chloride, 0.25 mM phenazine methosulfate (PMS),
      with or without 5 mM ADP (without ADP), 23% PVA in 0.05 M Hepes buffer; the final
      pH was 7.5. With these incubation media a linear response of the reactions lasted
      at least 20 min. In kinetic and end-point measurements the same level of
      activities was demonstrable. The use of NaN3 (as a blocker of the respiratory
      chain) and PMS (as artificial electron carrier) was indispensible for the
      transfer of all reduction equivalents in the dehydrogenase reactions to the
      tetrazolium salt NBT. Furthermore, the activation by magnesium ions and the need
      of PVA to avoid diffusion artefacts of the loosely bound ICDHs were clearly
      shown. It is concluded that the quantification of ICDHs in situ could be a
      valuable tool for neurochemical investigations because ICDHs play a role not only
      in the substrate flux through the tricarboxylic acid cycle but also in providing
      alpha-ketoglutarate for the formation of glutamate which is an important amino
      acid in the brain.

PMID- 1856117
TI  - Psychophysiology in the changing world. Vice presidential address.

PMID- 1856118
TI  - Electrodermal differentiation of deception: perceived accuracy and perceived
      memorial content manipulations.
AB  - The demonstration of deception as a psychophysiological phenomenon requires a
      comparison of physiological responses to two conditions (experimental and
      control) which differ only with respect to deception. Such electrodermal (skin
      conductance response) differentiation was recently reported in the
      Differentiation of Deception paradigm, which controls for two potentially
      important sources of confounding in polygraph (often referred to as the Detection
      of Deception): differential question significance and differential frequency of
      question occurrence. The present study manipulated (between 32 subjects in a 2 x
      2 design) two two-level, subjective factors in the paradigm: Perceived Accuracy
      of polygraphy (written and oral instructions characterising accuracy as high vs
      low) and Perceived Memorial Content (20 more complex, less personal, and less
      meaningful questions vs 6 less complex, more personal, and more meaningful
      questions). Significant differentiation of deception was again obtained, as was
      evidence for the effectiveness of the manipulations. However, the deception
      phenomenon was not clearly affected by either of the two subjective factors. In
      addition, one post-hoc test showed significantly increased differentiation under
      the low Perceived Accuracy condition, which is contrary to the widespread belief
      of polygraphers that high perceived accuracy is not only important but even
      essential for the detection of deception. However, the applied, polygraphic aim
      of detecting guilt in individuals is quite different from the scientific,
      psychophysiological aim of differentiating deception as a psychological process,
      and the phenomena involved probably have different causes.

PMID- 1856119
TI  - Traumatic malposition of the mandible: the essence of balanced occlusion.

PMID- 1856120
TI  - Mechanism of quinolone uptake into bacterial cells.

PMID- 1856121
TI  - Neurotoxicity of beta-lactam antibiotics: predisposing factors and pathogenesis.
AB  - Neurotoxic reactions caused by beta-lactam antibiotics occur frequently following
      direct application of antibiotic to the brain surface or into the cerebral
      cisterns. Epileptogenic reactions have also been observed after administration of
      very high systemic doses. There seem to be considerable differences in the
      neurotoxic potential of the various beta-lactams; benzylpenicillin, cefazolin
      and, lately, imipenem/cilastatin appear to be drugs with higher neurotoxic
      potential than other compounds. There is now strong evidence that the
      concentration of beta-lactam in the brain, and not that in the cerebrospinal
      fluid, is the decisive factor for the risk of neurotoxic reactions. Factors known
      to increase the risk of neurotoxicity are excessive doses, decreased renal
      function, damage to the blood-brain barrier, preexisting diseases of the central
      nervous system, old age and concurrent use of drugs that are nephrotoxic or that
      may lower the seizure threshold. Another factor that may be of importance is
      blockage of the transport system that is responsible for transport of beta
      lactams out of the central nervous system.

PMID- 1856122
TI  - Possible in-vivo transfer of beta-lactamase TEM-3 from Klebsiella pneumoniae to
      Salmonella kedougou.
AB  - Salmonella kedougou BM2659 was isolated from the stools and a blood culture of a
      patient and Klebsiella pneumoniae BM2657 and S. kedougou BM2658 were isolated
      later from the stools of the same patient. Strains BM2657 and BM2658 had
      identical resistance phenotypes, to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides and
      tetracycline, due to the presence of the same genes, blaT, aacA4 and tetC,
      respectively. Oligotyping indicating that beta-lactam resistance in these strains
      was encoded by blaT-3 and synthesis of TEM-3 was confirmed by isoelectric
      focusing. In BM2657 and BM2658, the resistance characters were located on Inc7 or
      M self-transferable plasmids with indistinguishable EcoRI and HindIII restriction
      patterns. Southern hybridization of plasmid DNA of these strains with probes
      pCFFO4, the prototype plasmid encoding TEM-3, genes blaT, aacA4 and tetC gave
      identical patterns. S. kedougou BM2658 and BM2659 had identical biotypes and
      serotypes but BM2659 was susceptible to all the study antibiotics. These
      observations suggest possible transfer, in the digestive tract, of a plasmid
      encoding TEM-3 beta-lactamase from K. pneumoniae BM2657 to S. kedougou BM2659.

PMID- 1856123
TI  - Characterization of beta-lactamases encoded by pathogenic strains of Escherichia
      coli from Portugal.
AB  - A survey of 2036 strains of Escherichia coli was conducted in Oporto, Portugal,
      to establish the prevalence of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Isolates
      were from hospital and clinical practice patients, and were further divided into
      urinary and non-urinary pathogens. A high level of resistance to aminopenicillins
      (55.3%) was observed. Further examination of the resistant strains showed that
      the frequencies of occurrence of known beta-lactamases were as follows: TEM-1
      (78.2% of resistant strains); SHV-1 (7.9%); TEM-2 (0.45%); OXA-1 (1.5%); HMS-1
      (0.18%); TEM-1 + SHV-1 (4.2%). Other pairs of beta-lactamases were also
      identified in less than 2% of the resistant strains. In addition, 4.7% of the
      resistant strains produced elevated levels of a presumed chromosomal
      cephalosporinase, while 0.9% produced a ceftazimidase of pI 5.8-5.9 which was
      similar to TEM-6.

PMID- 1856124
TI  - Concomitant dissemination of three extended-spectrum beta-lactamases among
      different Enterobacteriaceae isolated in a French hospital.
AB  - From January 1988 to August 1989, 267 non-repetitive strains of
      Enterobacteriaceae producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBla) derived
      from TEM (CTX-1/TEM-3, CAZ-6) or SHV (CAZ-5) were isolated from 219 colonized or
      infected patients. ESBlas were characterized by analytical isoelectric focusing.
      Biotypes, resistance phenotypes and plasmid patterns were determined in order to
      differentiate the isolates in each species. Among the 116 CTX-1-producing
      Enterobacteriaceae, 48 strains were differentiated: 27 from 74 Klebsiella
      pneumoniae isolates, seven from 22 Enterobacter aerogenes isolates, and 14 from a
      combined total of seven K. oxytoca, five Serratia marcescens, six Escherichia
      coli, 1 Enterobacter cloacae and 1 Citrobacter freundii. CAZ-5 has been isolated
      since January 1988 in 16 different strains among 101 K. pneumoniae isolates. CAZ
      6 was first identified in K. pneumoniae (January 1988). Among the 48
      Enterobacteriaceae producing CAZ-6, 12 strains were differentiated: four from 39
      E. aerogenes isolates, three from four K. pneumoniae, and five from a combined
      total of two S. marcescens, two E. coli and one E. cloacae. During this outbreak,
      CTX-1 was found to be encoded by 85 kb (Inc 7/M) or greater than or equal to 150
      kb (Inc 6/C) plasmids. CAZ-6 was always encoded by an 85 kb (Inc 7/M) plasmid and
      CAZ-5 by a greater than 150 kb plasmid. These results show that strain epidemics
      and plasmid dissemination occurred mainly in K. pneumoniae and E. aerogenes for
      CTX-1, in E. aerogenes for CAZ-6, and in K. pneumoniae for CAZ-5. They also
      suggest that the bla(tem) gene (CTX-1) has spread between different plasmids
      present in the same ecosystem.

PMID- 1856125
TI  - Antibacterial activity and penicillin-binding protein affinity of new
      cephalosporin derivatives in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.
AB  - A series of C3-substituted cephalosporins with different levels of oxidation was
      synthesized and the activities of eight compounds, including affinity for
      penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli
      were studied. The more hydrophobic cephalosporins, with a thiophene moiety at the
      C7 position, were more active than C7-methoxyiminoaminothiazole derivatives
      against S. aureus H (beta-lactam-susceptible), and compounds with a thioether
      function at C3 were more active than those with a sulphonyl function at this
      position. In contrast, the most active compounds against E. coli were
      hydrophilic, zwitterionic C7-methoxyimino-aminothiazole C3-thioether
      cephalosporins. The physicochemical properties of the most active compounds were
      in accord with those predicted for rapid outer membrane penetration. However,
      among the thiophene cephalosporins the dianionic sulphonyl compounds were more
      active than the monoanionic thioether derivatives. There was a reasonably good
      correlation between MICs and PBP affinities for S. aureus H. The compounds had
      most affinity for PBP 1 and least for PBP 4. The two most potent compounds had
      high affinities for PBPs 1, 2 and 3. The compounds had low affinities for the
      beta-lactam-insensitive PBP 2a of methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain DU4916
      K7. The novel cephalosporins had the highest affinities for PBPs 1a/1b and 3 of
      E. coli DCO. The major morphological response of E. coli to the compounds was
      cell elongation.

PMID- 1856126
TI  - Activity of clindamycin against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus
      epidermidis from four UK centres.
AB  - MICs of penicillin, methicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, sodium fusidate and
      gentamicin were determined by an agar dilution method for 300 current isolates of
      Staphylococcus aureus and 100 of S. epidermidis, collected from four centres, and
      38 stock strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). All but one of the
      300 current isolates of S. aureus were sensitive to clindamycin (MIC less than
      0.5 mg/l), with an MIC90 of 0.12 mg/l. Of a total of 39 MRSA strains, 11 (28.2%)
      were resistant to clindamycin (MIC greater than 32 mg/l); all of these strains
      were also resistant to erythromycin. Ten of the 100 strains of S. epidermidis
      were resistant to clindamycin; they came from a reasonably equal geographical
      distribution and were also resistant to erythromycin. The results suggest that
      clindamycin might still be useful as a second-line agent for infections caused by
      S. aureus and S. epidermidis, although its activity against MRSA was limited to
      approximately two-thirds of the MRSA strains tested in this study.

PMID- 1856127
TI  - Antimicrobial effects of lomefloxacin in vitro.
AB  - The MIC of lomefloxacin was determined for 554 isolates from the urinary tract.
      Some of the more resistant strains of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis,
      Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were studied in a dynamic in
      vitro model in order to study dosing strategies. The model simulated, in Mueller
      Hinton broth, the profile of plasma lomefloxacin concentrations in volunteers.
      Bacteria were exposed to a range of lomefloxacin concentration profiles
      achievable by oral dosing. The first dose of lomefloxacin was rapidly
      bactericidal in a dose-dependent manner for all strains. On re-exposure, a dose
      dependent inhibitory effect was observed. Drug-resistant mutants were readily
      isolated from all bacteria tested on lomefloxacin-containing plates. These
      occurred at a high frequency in P. aeruginosa (10(-1)), but less frequently in K.
      pneumoniae (10(-3)). P. mirabilis (10(-5)), and E. coli (10(-6)). The number of
      resistant mutants isolated tended to be lower with use of higher drug
      concentrations. The results suggest that lomefloxacin dosing regimens ensuring
      maintenance of a high serum concentration: MIC ratio will result in maximal
      antibacterial effects and minimal problems with resistant strains.

PMID- 1856128
TI  - Interactions in vitro between polyenes and imidazoles against yeasts.
AB  - The polyenes, amphotericin B and mepartricin and the imidazoles, miconazole,
      ketoconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole, were studied either alone or in
      paired polyene-imidazole combinations to determine their activity in vitro
      against clinical yeast isolates. The methods included shaken and standing liquid
      cultures, continuous cultures and chequerboard titrations, with or without the
      incorporation of pooled human plasma. The polyenes were found to exert an
      immediate cidal action even with high cell populations whereas the imidazoles
      demonstrated a time-dependent fungistatic activity which increased very slowly
      with increase in drug concentration. The interactions observed with the paired
      combinations were consistent and were found to be anomalous with all methods
      used. The activity of the imidazoles was enhanced by the presence of the
      polyenes; by contrast the polyenes were strongly antagonized by the imidazoles.

PMID- 1856129
TI  - The in-vitro activity of drugs against Blastocystis hominis.
AB  - The development of an assay to measure the sensitivity of drugs against
      Blastocystis hominis using the incorporation of 3H-hypoxanthine is described. The
      activity of 42 compounds have been measured. Four of the 5-nitroimidazoles tested
      (satranidazole, S75 0400 A, flunidazole and ronidazole) were found to be more
      active than metronidazole, the drug commonly used to treat infections caused by
      B. hominis in humans. Other potentially useful compounds include emetine,
      furazolidone and quinacrine. Ketoconazole and iodoquinol reported to have
      therapeutic activity in infections caused by this parasite were found to be
      significantly less active than metronidazole.

PMID- 1856130
TI  - Animal pharmacokinetics and interspecies scaling of FCE 22101, a penem
      antibiotic.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of FCE 22101 were studied in rats, rabbits, Cynomolgus
      monkeys and dogs after intravenous administration. Pertinent pharmacokinetic
      parameters were determined according to a two-compartment model and correlated
      among species as an exponential function of body weight, thereby allowing an
      estimation of pharmacokinetic parameters corresponding to a 70 kg man. Allometric
      equations, including data on humans reported in the literature, were also
      established and used to study similarities and differences in the disposition of
      FCE 22101 among species. The pharmacokinetic profile of FCE 22101 was consistent
      with the principles of allometry in all animal species studied (and in man) with
      the exception of the Cynomolgus monkey, in which clearance of FCE 22101 was
      slower than expected.

PMID- 1856131
TI  - The dynamics of intraperitoneal growth and elimination of Escherichia coli and
      Bacteroides fragilis in porcine faecal peritonitis treated with fosfomycin.
AB  - The kinetics of intraperitoneal killing of proliferating bacteria was studied in
      pigs given fosfomycin. Eight animals were given intra-abdominal injection of
      Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis (10(9) cfu of each species) mixed in
      sterile faces. Three hours later, half of the animals received an intravenous
      dose of 1 g fosfomycin (0.05 g/kg). Host defences rapidly decreased the density
      of E. coli in all animals in the first hour. After 2h, growth of E. coli started
      and continued throughout the experiment in pigs not receiving fosfomycin. B.
      fragilis was slowly eliminated in the first 5 6 h, then numbers increased in all
      animals. Fosfomycin caused a reduction in E. coli density, by 10(2.19) +/- 0.29
      (mean +/- S.E.M.) cfu/ml, or more than 150 times within 1 h, while the
      concentration of B. fragilis was unaltered. After 10 h the difference in E. coli
      density between fosfomycin treated and untreated animals was 10(4.96) cfu/ml (P
      less than 0.01). Fosfomycin eradicated E. coli in faecal peritonitis but not B.
      fragilis, which is resistant in vitro. There was a prolonged elimination of the
      drug from peritoneal exudate in pigs infected with bacteria in sterile faeces
      compared to the elimination in uninfected pigs or pigs infected only with
      bacteria.

PMID- 1856132
TI  - Tissue distribution and bioactivity of amphotericin B administered in liposomes
      to cancer patients.
AB  - Amphotericin B concentration was measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) and by bioassay in tissues of 11 cancer patients who died from infection
      and/or their underlying disease after having received amphotericin B entrapped
      into sonicated liposomes (ampholiposomes). These concentrations were compared to
      those measured in 28 patients who had only received the commercially available
      preparation of amphotericin B-Na deoxycholate complex (Fungizone). The
      fungistatic and fungicidal titres of the tissue homogenates were also evaluated
      using two strains of Candida spp. and one strain of Cryptococcus neoformans to
      determine the bioactivity of amphotericin B incorporated in our liposomes. Tissue
      concentrations varied with the tested tissues and were correlated with the total
      dose of amphotericin B administered whether given as amphotericin B-Na
      deoxycholate or ampholiposomes. Amphotericin B concentrations measured by
      bioassay in tissue methanolic extracts reached 58-81% of concentrations measured
      by HPLC, whereas only 15-41% was recovered from the unextracted homogenates.
      Fungicidal titres were seldom measured in tissues, but fungistatic titres were
      observed and were linearly correlated with amphotericin B concentration measured
      by HPLC. These results were similar for the patients who received only
      amphotericin B-Na deoxycholate and for those who received both preparations
      (amphotericin B-Na deoxycholate and ampholiposomes). Our results suggest that the
      tissue distribution of amphotericin B is not significantly modified by the type
      of preparation (deoxycholate complex or liposomes) and that most of the tissue
      bound amphotericin B is not bioactive. However, higher daily doses of
      amphotericin B can be administered safely when incorporated in liposomes and
      therefore high tissue concentrations may be obtained more rapidly with
      ampholiposomes than with amphotericin B-Na deoxycholate.

PMID- 1856133
TI  - Centrifugation injury of gram-negative bacteria.

PMID- 1856134
TI  - Kinetics of antimicrobial activity of aztreonam/clavulanic acid (2:1) against
      Xanthomonas maltophilia.

PMID- 1856135
TI  - Multiresistant Salmonella typhi in Bangladesh.

PMID- 1856136
TI  - Penetration of cefuroxime into bronchial mucosa following oral administration of
      cefuroxime axetil.

PMID- 1856137
TI  - Synergistic interaction of antibiotics with nasal penetration to methicillin
      sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PMID- 1856138
TI  - Failure of a combination of vancomycin and fusidic acid in a patient with
      staphylococcal infection.

PMID- 1856139
TI  - Once daily amikacin. Report of a meeting.

PMID- 1856140
TI  - Serum concentrations and safety of single daily dosing of amikacin in children
      undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - The serum concentrations and safety of single daily dosing of amikacin were
      studied in 16 episodes of fever and granulocytopenia in children undergoing bone
      marrow transplantation. Amikacin (20 mg/kg) was administered as a 20 min iv
      infusion once daily for 7 to 19 days; all patients received concomitant therapy
      with ceftazidime. Peak amikacin concentrations measured immediately after
      infusion on day 1 and 4 of therapy averaged 72.29 +/- 11.6 mg/l and 74.02 +/-
      19.29 mg/l respectively. A slight but statistically significant increase 30
      minute post-infusion concentrations was observed in most patients during therapy.
      Serum amikacin were less than 3 mg/l in all trough samples and within 6 h post
      infusion in most patients. A significant increase in serum creatinine was
      observed in one patient, who was also receiving cyclosporin A. Auditory function
      was evaluated in 10 patients and showed no changes. Although other drugs were
      added to cover Gram-positive or fungal pathogens, all patients survived. These
      data combined with the recent experience of single daily dose amikacin in adults
      supports further evaluation of novel dosage regimens of aminoglycosides in
      children.

PMID- 1856141
TI  - Efficacy and safety of amikacin in systemic infections when given as a single
      daily dose or in two divided doses. Scandinavian Amikacin Once Daily Study Group.
AB  - Two hundred and twenty patients with serious infections verified or suspected to
      be of Gram-negative aetiology were treated in an open randomized comparative
      multicentre trial with amikacin 15 mg/kg/day given either as a single dose or in
      two divided doses at 12-h intervals. Amikacin was administered as a short-term iv
      infusion. When additional therapy was considered necessary piperacillin or
      ampicillin was recommended. The trial continues and an interim report on data
      from the 12 participating Scandinavian hospitals is presented. One hundred and
      forty-four patients have been evaluated for efficacy and 213 patients for safety.
      There were no significant differences between the two dosage regimens regarding
      efficacy and safety. A satisfactory clinical response was recorded in 129 (90%)
      of the evaluable patients. One serious adverse reaction was seen in a patient in
      the once-daily group. This was ototoxicity which was superimposed on a long
      standing hearing defect possibly caused by previous streptomycin therapy.

PMID- 1856142
TI  - Empirical antimicrobial therapy with a single daily dose of ceftriaxone plus
      amikacin in febrile granulocytopenic patients: a pilot study.
AB  - The optimal management of fever in granulocytopenic patients remains
      controversial. This pilot study investigated the potential value of single daily
      doses of amikacin administered empirically with ceftriaxone in febrile
      granulocytopenic patients. None of the patients died as a result of infection or
      toxicity from the prescribed regimen. Serum concentrations failed to show drug
      accumulation. Modifications of empirical antimicrobial therapy were made at a
      similar rate to other conventional regimens. Vancomycin seemed to increase the
      incidence of nephrotoxicity. Overall, this pilot study suggests that empirical
      therapy with single daily doses of amikacin plus ceftriaxone is safe and
      effective and should be further investigated in a larger number of patients.

PMID- 1856143
TI  - Single daily dose amikacin in paediatric patients with severe gram-negative
      infections.
AB  - Twenty-five children with serious Gram-negative infections were treated in a
      prospective study with amikacin 20 mg/kg administered in a single daily dose as a
      30 min iv infusion for 4 to 12 days. In nine cases the amikacin was combined with
      beta-lactam antibiotics. Escherichia coli were the most frequent bacteria
      isolated followed by K. pneumoniae, Providencia and Enterobacter spp. and
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MICs ranging from 1 to 16 mg/l. Mean (+/- S.D.) peak
      and trough concentrations of days 1 and 4 of therapy ranged from 49 +/- 13.5 to
      53.6 +/- 13.4 mg/l and 6 + 1.4 to 7.7 +/- 4.1 mg/l respectively. All patients
      were clinically and bacteriologically cured. No significant adverse reactions
      were observed. The results suggest that administration of a single daily dose of
      20 mg/kg amikacin should be considered practical and safe in children. Further
      studies are needed.

PMID- 1856144
TI  - Once daily dosing of aminoglycoside: one step forward.

PMID- 1856145
TI  - Influence of dosage schedule on renal cortical accumulation of amikacin and
      tobramycin in man.
AB  - The pathogenesis of aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity is directly related to the
      accumulation of drug within the renal cortex. To identify measures that might
      prevent aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity, we investigated the influence of various
      dosage regimens on the renal cortical accumulation of amikacin and tobramycin in
      man. Patients undergoing nephrectomy for a renal tumour with normal renal
      function and no proteinuria received (i) a single dose of either amikacin (15
      mg/kg) or tobramycin (4.5 mg/kg) given iv over 30 min, or (ii) a 24-h continuous
      infusion of either drug or (iii) amikacin as two injections of 7.5 mg/kg or
      tobramycin as three injections of 1.5 mg/kg over the 24 h preceding nephrectomy.
      Serum aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics were examined and renal cortical tissue was
      sampled for drug determination at operation. A single injection yielded cortical
      concentrations of 115.4 +/- 21.8 and 68.9 +/- 30.3 mg/kg for amikacin and
      tobramycin, respectively. Tissue levels after continuous infusion were 171.7 +/-
      42.9 and 100.0 +/- 30.0 mg/kg for amikacin and tobramycin, respectively. Two
      injections of 7.5 mg/kg amikacin resulted in renal cortical concentrations of
      196.9 +/- 54.9 and three injections of 1.5 mg/kg tobramycin resulted in renal
      cortical concentration of 76.5 +/- 18 mg/kg. The AUC for the three dosage
      regimens was not significantly different for the two aminoglycosides indicating
      linear serum pharmacokinetics for these drugs. In the case of amikacin, a single
      injection resulted in significantly lower drug levels than did a continuous
      infusion or administration of the same dose over three injections.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856146
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and toxicological evaluation of a once-daily regimen versus
      conventional schedules of netilmicin and amikacin.
AB  - The safety and pharmacokinetics of netilmicin (6.6 mg/kg) and amikacin (14.5
      mg/kg) once daily (od) have been compared to their corresponding conventional
      schedules thrice daily (tid), and twice daily (bd), in patients (20 per group)
      suffering from pelvic inflammatory disease. Sensitive criteria of early renal and
      auditory alterations, namely urinary excretion of phospholipids and audiometry
      over a wide frequency range (0.25-18 kHz), respectively, were used. The first
      criterion (phospholipiduria) was validated by an animal study which demonstrated
      that rats receiving poly-L-aspartic acid, which protects against gentamicin
      induced nephrotoxicity, are also protected against renal phospholipidosis and
      phospholipiduria caused by this antibiotic. On that basis, netilmicin od was
      better tolerated than netilmicin tid. Amikacin caused less phospholipiduria than
      netilmicin, and, given od, resulted in little increase over baseline (95% CI, 95
      147% increase). Reduction in threshold by greater than or equal to 15 dB for
      frequencies between 10-18 kHz occurred in nine of 19 patients receiving
      netilmicin tid compared with three or four of 19 or 20 patients treated with
      netilmicin od or amikacin (od or bd). However, changes at lower frequencies (0.25
      8 kHz) were infrequent with all regimens (from 0/19 to 2/20). In conclusion,
      these very sensitive tests of nephro- and oto-toxicity suggest that od dosing of
      amikacin or netilmicin is, if anything, safer than bd or tid dosing.

PMID- 1856147
TI  - Pharmacokinetic evaluation of single daily dose amikacin.
AB  - The pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin given once daily were compared to
      those of amikacin given bd at different daily dosages. In adult patients, 'peak'
      serum concentrations (30 min after 30 min infusion) were linearly proportional to
      the dose given with the following equation:-'peak' = 4.23 (dose in mg/kg)-3.93
      (r, 0.827; P less than 0.0001). Areas under curves were also proportional to the
      dose and were not affected by the schedule of administration (od or bd). Serum
      half-life was neither affected by the dose nor the schedule of administration.
      However, the half-life was approximately 3 h in adult patients with infections
      and was greater than 4 h in elderly patients. In multiple dose studies, no
      accumulation was observed either in children or adults. However, 'peak' serum
      concentrations increased slightly. New recommendations for therapeutic drug
      monitoring need to be formulated.

PMID- 1856148
TI  - The pharmacokinetic of amikacin in critically ill adult and paediatric patients:
      comparison of once- versus twice-daily dosing regimens.
AB  - The pharmacokinetic profile of amikacin was analysed by a two-compartment model
      in 100 critically-ill adult and paediatric patients with normal renal function.
      In addition the serum amikacin levels in 200 patients randomized to receive a
      once- or twice-daily dosing regimen are reported. The mean volume of distribution
      (Vdt) was 0.33 l/kg in the adult patients, 0.50 l/kg in patients 6 to 12 months
      of age and 0.58 l/kg in patients less than 6 months old. The elimination half
      life was prolonged, being 3.45, 2.86 and 5.02 h for the respective age groups
      (normal 2 h). The clearances dose/AUC) were 0.051, 0.068 and 0.063 l/h/kg
      respectively. Within each group of patients there was a large variation in the
      pharmacokinetic parameters, with the Vdt varying by a factor of 6 and the
      elimination half-life by a factor of 10. All patients receiving a once-daily dose
      of amikacin had therapeutic peak concentrations. In comparison, therapeutic
      concentrations were achieved in only 48% of adult and 44% of the paediatric
      patients receiving the twice-daily dosing regimen. Furthermore the amikacin
      trough concentrations were significantly higher in the patients who received a
      divided daily dose. As a consequence of the pharmacokinetic profile of amikacin
      in critically ill patients a once-daily dosing regimen may be more effective and
      less toxic than the conventional twice-daily dosing regimen.

PMID- 1856149
TI  - Clinical and bacteriological efficacy, and practical aspects of amikacin given
      once daily for severe infections.
AB  - In a multicentre non-randomized open prospective study, 124 patients hospitalized
      in medical infectious disease or intensive care units, with severe community and
      hospital-acquired bacterial infections were treated with 15 mg/kg body weight
      amikacin in a once-daily dose given as a 30 min iv infusion, combined with other
      antibiotics. Infections were bacteriologically proven in 101 patients. The
      clinical responses showed 83.1% primary success and 83.9% definitive cure
      predominantly in intensive care patients with hospital-acquired infections and
      pneumonia. Bacteriological eradication was achieved in 67.3%. Bacteria associated
      with true failures and colonizations were predominantly Pseudomonas,
      Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus spp. The risk of nephrotoxicity may be decreased
      with such a regimen of amikacin, but no conclusions could be drawn with regard to
      ototoxicity. In summary, a once-daily dosing regimen of amikacin 15 mg/kg is
      practical and probably efficacious and safe in severely infected patients.

PMID- 1856150
TI  - Murine fibrosarcoma clone established in defined medium.

PMID- 1856151
TI  - Malignant transformation of human keratinocytes during adaptation to autotrophy.

PMID- 1856152
TI  - Percoll centrifugation eliminates mold contaminants from cell cultures.

PMID- 1856153
TI  - Spontaneous development of functionally active long-term monocytelike cell lines
      from channel catfish.
AB  - During the course of studies involving the in vitro manipulation of channel
      catfish peripheral blood leukocytes, spontaneous proliferation was observed with
      unexpectedly high frequency. Propagation of these spontaneously proliferating
      cells has resulted in the development of long-term (greater than 11 mo.) cell
      lines which stain positively for nonspecific esterase and peroxidase, are
      phagocytic for latex beads, and morphologically resemble mammalian monocytes or
      macrophages. These long-term cell lines also exhibit two important additional
      functional features. First, induction with lipopolysaccharide results in the
      secretion of relatively high levels of catfish high and low molecular weight
      species of interleukin-1 active on channel catfish and mouse T cells,
      respectively. Second, these cell lines are efficient antigen-presenting cells to
      autologous peripheral blood leukocytes for antigen specific in vitro
      proliferative and antibody responses. This antigen-presenting function is blocked
      by inhibitors known to prevent antigen processing and presentation by mammalian
      monocytes. Allogeneic mixtures of cell line (used as antigen-presenting cells)
      and responding peripheral blood leukocytes, however, resulted in strong mixed
      leukocyte reaction but not in specific antibody responses. The availability of
      such cell lines should facilitate further studies on accessory cell functions in
      fish immune responses.

PMID- 1856154
TI  - Effects of aging in vitro on intracellular proteolysis in cultured rabbit lens
      epithelial cells in the presence and absence of serum.
AB  - Alterations in proteolytic capabilities have been associated with abnormalities
      in the aged eye lens, but in vivo tests of this hypothesis have been difficult to
      pursue. To simulate aging, we cultured cells from an 8-yr-old rabbit to early
      (population-doubling level 20 to 30) and late (population-doubling level greater
      than 125) passage. Long-lived (t1/2 greater than 10 h) and short-lived (t1/2 less
      than 10 h) intracellular proteins were labeled with [3H]leucine, and the ability
      of the cells to mount a proteolytic response to the stress of serum withdrawal
      was determined. For early passage cells, the average t1/2 of long-lived proteins
      in the presence and absence of serum was 62 and 39 h, respectively. For late
      passage cells, the average t1/2 of long-lived proteins in the presence and
      absence of serum was 58 and 43 h, respectively. The net increase in intracellular
      proteolysis in the absence of serum was 59 and 35% for early and late-passage
      cells, respectively. Thus, in vitro-aged rabbit lens epithelial cells amount only
      60% the proteolytic response to serum removal shown in "younger" cells. The
      enhanced ability of early passage cells to respond to serum removal seems to
      involve lower homeostatic levels of proteolysis in the presence of serum and
      greater enhancement of proteolysis in the absence of serum. Less than 2% of the
      protein is in the pool of short-lived proteins. Rates of proteolysis of short
      lived proteins in the presence and absence of serum were indistinguishable. With
      respect to basal proteolytic rates in the presence of serum and ability to mount
      a proteolytic response upon serum withdrawal, these rabbit lens epithelial cells
      are similar to bovine lens epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

PMID- 1856155
TI  - Preparation of fibroblast-free cytotrophoblast cultures utilizing differential
      expression of the CD9 antigen.
AB  - The leukemia-associated antigen CD9 is present on a variety of normal cells, with
      apparent variable expression on normal human fibroblasts. In this study, we
      demonstrate by immunoperoxidase staining and direct binding studies that the CD9
      antigen is uniformly expressed on normal human fibroblasts grown from first
      trimester and term placenta, embryonic fetal fibroblasts, and from human adult
      and fetal skin fibroblasts. Higher CD9 expression was present on fetal cells. CD9
      antigen was not present on trophoblast. Over 99% of fibroblasts could be absorbed
      onto antibody to the CD9 antigen conjugated to magnetic beads. By applying this
      selective immunoadsorption of fibroblasts to term placental cytotrophoblast
      preparations, we demonstrated that fibroblast contamination could be nearly
      completely eliminated. This is a novel technique for purifying primary
      trophoblast cultures and may have wider applicability in cell culture of other
      cell types.

PMID- 1856156
TI  - Effect of anticoagulants in vitro on the viability of lymphocytes and content of
      free fatty acids in plasma.
AB  - These authors attempted to test the effect of anticoagulants on lymphocytes
      viability by reproducing the procedure used for lymphocyte isolation for various
      immunologic tests in which blood specimens are allowed to stay at room
      temperature for 2 h before lymphocytes are isolated. Blood was obtained with
      three different anticoagulants i.e. heparin, citrate, and CPDA (citrate,
      phosphate, dextrose, and adenine). Plasma was lyophilized and extracted with
      ethanol. Dried ethanol extracts were suspended in medium (RPMI 1640 + 10% fetal
      bovine serum) and incubated with a lymphocyte cell line (MOLT-4). After 24 h of
      incubation the viability of cells was examined. The following death rates of the
      cells were observed: heparin -63 +/- 4.6% (mean +/- SEM), citrate -27 +/- 6.7%,
      and CPDA 6.2 +/- 0.6% (P less than 0.0005). A significant correlation was found
      between these results and changes in the concentrations of free fatty acids in
      the extracts. These results emphasize the importance of choosing the right
      anticoagulant when the viability of lymphocytes is obligatory.

PMID- 1856157
TI  - A comparison of primary cultures of rat cerebral microvascular endothelial cells
      to rat aortic endothelial cells.
AB  - A method to culture rat cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (RCMECs) was
      developed and adapted to concurrently obtain cultures of rat aortic endothelial
      cells (RAECs) without subculturing, cloning, or "weeding." The attachment and
      growth requirements of endothelial cell clusters from isolated brain microvessels
      were first evaluated. RCMECs required fetal bovine serum to attach efficiently.
      Attachment and growth also depended on the matrix provided (fibronectin
      approximately laminin much greater than gelatin greater than poly-D-lysine
      approximately Matrigel greater than hyaluronic acid approximately plastic) and
      the presence of endothelial cell growth supplement and heparin in the growth
      medium. Non-endothelial cells are removed by allowing these cells to attach to a
      matrix that RCMECs attach to poorly (e.g., poly-D-lysine) and then transferring
      isolated endothelial cell clusters to fibronectin-coated dishes. These cell
      cultures, labeled with 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-indocarboxyamine
      perchlorate (DiI-Ac-LDL) and analyzed using flow cytometry, were 97.7 +/- 2.6% (n
      = 6) pure. By excluding those portions designed to isolate brain microvessels,
      the method was adapted to obtain RAEC cultures. RAECs do not isolate as clusters
      and have different morphology in culture, but respond similarly to matrices and
      growth medium supplements. RCMECs and RAECs have Factor VIII antigen, accumulate
      DiI-Ac-LDL, contain Weibel-Palade bodies, and have complex junctional structures.
      The activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase were
      measured as a function of time in culture. RCMECs had higher enzymatic activity
      than RAECs. In both RCMECs and RAECs enzyme activity decreased with time in
      culture. The function of endothelial cells is specialized depending on its
      location. This culture method allows comparison of two endothelial cell cultures
      obtained using very similar culture conditions, and describes their initial
      characterization. These cultures may provide a model system to study specialized
      endothelial cell functions and endothelial cell differentiation.

PMID- 1856158
TI  - Intracellular mechanisms involved in basement membrane induced blood vessel
      differentiation in vitro.
AB  - The extracellular matrix, particularly basement membranes, plays an important
      role in angiogenesis (blood vessel formation). Previous work has demonstrated
      that a basement membranelike substrate (Matrigel) induces human umbilical vein
      endothelial cells to rapidly form vessel-like tubes (Kubota, et al., 1988; Grant
      et al., 1989b); however, the precise mechanism of tube formation is unclear.
      Using this in vitro model, we have investigated morphologic changes occurring
      during tube formation and the cytoskeletal and protein synthesis requirements of
      this process. Electron microscopy showed that endothelial cells attach to the
      Matrigel surface, align, and form cylindrical structures that contain a lumen and
      polarized cytoplasmic organelles. The cytoskeleton is reorganized into bundles of
      actin filaments oriented along the axis of the tubes and is located at the
      periphery of the cells. The addition of colchicine or cytochalasin D blocked tube
      formation, indicating that both microfilaments and microtubules are involved in
      this process. Cycloheximide blocked tube formation by 100%, indicating that the
      process also required protein synthesis. In particular, collagen synthesis seems
      to be required for tube formation because cis-hydroxyproline inhibited tube
      formation, whereas either the presence of ascorbic acid or the addition of
      exogenous collagen IV to the Matrigel increased tube formation. Our results
      indicate that endothelial cell attachment to Matrigel induces the reorganization
      of the cytoskeleton and elicits the synthesis of specific proteins required for
      the differentiated phenotype of the cells.

PMID- 1856159
TI  - Nucleotide sequence and characterization of the gene for secreted alkaline
      phosphatase from Lysobacter enzymogenes.
AB  - Lysobacter enzymogenes produces an alkaline phosphatase which is secreted into
      the medium. The gene for the enzyme (phoA) was isolated from a recombinant lambda
      library. It was identified within a 4.4-kb EcoRI-BamH1 fragment, and its sequence
      was determined by the chain termination method. The structural gene consists of
      an open reading frame which encodes a 539-amino-acid protein with a 29-residue
      signal sequence, followed by a 119-residue propeptide, the 281-residue mature
      phosphatase, and a 110-residue carboxy-terminal domain. The roles of the
      propeptide and the carboxy-terminal peptide remain to be determined. A molecular
      weight of 30,000 was determined for the mature enzyme from sodium dodecyl sulfate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid sequence was compared with
      sequences available in the current protein data base, and a region of the
      sequence was found to show considerable homology with sequences in mammalian type
      5 iron-containing purple acid phosphatases.

PMID- 1856160
TI  - Cloning, sequencing, and expression of the gene coding for bile acid 7 alpha
      hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.
AB  - Southern blot analysis indicated that the gene encoding the constitutive, NADP
      linked bile acid 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Eubacterium sp. strain
      VPI 12708 was located on a 6.5-kb EcoRI fragment of the chromosomal DNA. This
      fragment was cloned into bacteriophage lambda gt11, and a 2.9-kb piece of this
      insert was subcloned into pUC19, yielding the recombinant plasmid pBH51. DNA
      sequence analysis of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene in pBH51
      revealed a 798-bp open reading frame, coding for a protein with a calculated
      molecular weight of 28,500. A putative promoter sequence and ribosome binding
      site were identified. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA transcript in
      Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 was about 0.94 kb in length, suggesting that it
      is monocistronic. An Escherichia coli DH5 alpha transformant harboring pBH51 had
      approximately 30-fold greater levels of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
      mRNA, immunoreactive protein, and specific activity than Eubacterium sp. strain
      VPI 12708. The 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase purified from the pBH51
      transformant was similar in subunit molecular weight, specific activity, and
      kinetic properties to that from Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708, and it reached
      with antiserum raised against the authentic enzyme on Western immunoblots.
      Alignment of the amino acid sequence of the 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
      with those of 10 other pyridine nucleotide-linked alcohol/polyol dehydrogenases
      revealed six conserved amino acid residues in the N-terminal regions thought to
      function in coenzyme binding.

PMID- 1856161
TI  - Genetic organization and regulation of a meta cleavage pathway for catechols
      produced from catabolism of toluene, benzene, phenol, and cresols by Pseudomonas
      pickettii PKO1.
AB  - Plasmid pRO1957 contains a 26.5-kb BamHI restriction endonuclease-cleaved DNA
      fragment cloned from the chromosome of Pseudomonas pickettii PKO1 that allows P.
      aeruginosa PAO1c to grow on toluene, benzene, phenol, or m-cresol as the sole
      carbon source. The genes encoding enzymes for meta cleavage of catechol or 3
      methylcatechol, derived from catabolism of these substrates, were subcloned from
      pRO1957 and were shown to be organized into a single operon with the promoter
      proximal to tbuE. Deletion and analysis of subclones demonstrated that the order
      of genes in the meta cleavage operon was tbuEFGKIHJ, which encoded catechol 2,3
      dioxygenase, 2-hydroxymuconate semialdehyde hydrolase, 2-hydroxymuconate
      semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxy-2-oxovalerate aldolase, 4-oxalocrotonate
      decarboxylase, 4-oxalocrotonate isomerase, and 2-hydroxypent-2,4-dienoate
      hydratase, respectively. The regulatory gene for the tbuEFGKIHJ operon,
      designated tbuS, was subcloned into vector plasmid pRO2317 from pRO1957 as a 1.3
      kb PstI fragment, designated pRO2345. When tbuS was not present, meta pathway
      enzyme expression was partially derepressed, but these activity levels could not
      be fully induced. However, when tbuS was present in trans with tbuEFGKIHJ, meta
      pathway enzymes were repressed in the absence of an effector and were fully
      induced when an effector was present. This behavior suggests that the gene
      product of tbuS acts as both a repressor and an activator. Phenol and m-cresol
      were inducers of meta pathway enzymatic activity. Catechol, 3-methylcatechol, 4
      methylcatechol, o-cresol, and p-cresol were not inducers but could be metabolized
      by cells previously induced by phenol or m-cresol.

PMID- 1856162
TI  - Identification of two genes, kpsM and kpsT, in region 3 of the polysialic acid
      gene cluster of Escherichia coli K1.
AB  - The polysialic acid capsule of Escherichia coli K1, a causative agent of neonatal
      septicemia and meningitis, is an essential virulence determinant. The 17-kb kps
      gene cluster, which is divided into three functionally distinct regions, encodes
      proteins necessary for polymer synthesis and expression at the cell surface. The
      central region, 2, encodes products required for synthesis, activation, and
      polymerization of sialic acid, while flanking regions, 1 and 3, are thought to be
      involved in polymer assembly and transport. In this study, we identified two
      genes in region 3, kpsM and kpsT, which encode proteins with predicted sizes of
      29.6 and 24.9 kDa, respectively. The hydrophobicity profile of KpsM suggests that
      it is an integral membrane protein, while KpsT contains a consensus ATP-binding
      domain. KpsM and KpsT belong to a family of prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteins
      involved with a variety of biological processes, including membrane transport. A
      previously described kpsT chromosomal mutant that accumulates intracellular
      polysialic acid was characterized and could be complemented in trans. Results of
      site-directed mutagenesis of the putative ATP-binding domain of KpsT are
      consistent with the view that KpsT is a nucleotide-binding protein. KpsM and KpsT
      have significant similarity to BexB and BexA, two proteins that are essential for
      polysaccharide capsule expression in Haemophilus influenzae type b. We propose
      that KpsM and KpsT constitute a system for transport of polysialic acid across
      the cytoplasmic membrane.

PMID- 1856163
TI  - The Aeromonas hydrophila cphA gene: molecular heterogeneity among class B metallo
      beta-lactamases.
AB  - An Aeromonas hydrophila gene, named cphA, coding for a carbapenem-hydrolyzing
      metallo-beta-lactamase, was cloned in Escherichia coli by screening an Aeromonas
      genomic library for clones able to grow on imipenem-containing medium. From
      sequencing data, the cloned cphA gene appeared able to code for a polypeptide of
      254 amino acids whose sequence includes a potential N-terminal leader sequence
      for targeting the protein to the periplasmic space. These data were in agreement
      with the molecular mass of the original Aeromonas enzyme and of the recombinant
      enzyme produced in E. coli, evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis of crude beta-lactamase preparations followed by renaturation
      treatment for proteins separated in the gel and localization of protein bands
      showing carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase activity by a modified iodometric
      technique. The deduced amino acid sequence of the CphA enzyme showed regions of
      partial homology with both the beta-lactamase II of Bacillus cereus and the CfiA
      beta-lactamase of Bacteroides fragilis. Sequence homologies were more pronounced
      in the regions encompassing the amino acid residues known in the enzyme of B.
      cereus to function as ligand-binding residues for the metal cofactor. The CphA
      enzyme, however, appeared to share a lower degree of similarity with the two
      other enzymes, which, in turn, seemed more closely related to each other. These
      results, therefore, suggest the existence of at least two molecular subclasses
      within molecular class B metallo-beta-lactamases.

PMID- 1856164
TI  - In vitro synthesis and O acetylation of peptidoglycan by permeabilized cells of
      Proteus mirabilis.
AB  - The synthesis and O acetylation in vitro of peptidoglycan by Proteus mirabilis
      was studied in microorganisms made permeable to specifically radiolabelled
      nucleotide precursors by treatment with either diethyl ether or toluene. Optimum
      synthesis occurred with cells permeabilized by 1% (vol/vol) toluene in 30 mM
      MgCl2 in in vitro experiments with 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 6.80). Acetate
      recovered by mild base hydrolysis from sodium dodecyl sulfate-insoluble
      peptidoglycan synthesized in the presence of UDP-[acetyl-1-14C]N-acetyl-D
      glucosamine was found to be radioactive. Radioactivity was not retained by
      peptidoglycan synthesized when UDP-[acetyl-1-14C]N-acetyl-D-glucosamine was
      replaced with both unlabelled nucleotide and either [acetyl-3H]N-acetyl-D
      glucosamine or [glucosamine-1,6-3H]N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. In addition, no
      radioactive acetate was detected in the mild base hydrolysates of peptidoglycan
      synthesized in vitro with UDP-[glucosamine-6-3H]N-acetyl-D-glucosamine as the
      radiolabel. Chasing UDP-[acetyl-1-14C]N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with unlabelled
      material served to increase the yield of O-linked [14C]acetate, whereas
      penicillin G blocked both peptidoglycan synthesis and [14C]acetate transfer.
      These results support the hypothesis that the base-labile O-linked acetate is
      derived directly from N-acetylglucosamine incorporated into insoluble
      peptidoglycan via N----O transacetylation and not from the catabolism of the
      supplemented peptidoglycan precursors followed by subsequent reactivation of
      acetate.

PMID- 1856165
TI  - Purification, characterization, and molecular cloning of S-adenosyl-L-methionine:
      uroporphyrinogen III methyltransferase from Methanobacterium ivanovii.
AB  - An S-adenosyl-L-methionine:uroporphyrinogen III methyltransferase (SUMT) activity
      has been identified in Methanobacterium ivanovii and was purified 4,500-fold to
      homogeneity with a 38% yield. The enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of
      58,200 by gel filtration and consisted of two identical subunits of Mr 29,000, as
      estimated by gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. The Km value for
      uroporphyrinogen III was 52 nM. The enzyme catalyzed the two C-2 and C-7
      methylation reactions converting uroporphyrinogen III into precorrin-2. Unlike
      Pseudomonas denitrificans SUMT, the only SUMT characterized to date (F. Blanche,
      L. Debussche, D. Thibaut, J. Crouzet and B. Cameron, J. Bacteriol. 171:4222-4231,
      1989), M. ivanovii SUMT did not show substrate inhibition at uroporphyrinogen III
      concentrations of up to 20 microM. Oligonucleotide probes from limited peptide
      sequence information were used to clone the corresponding gene. The encoded
      polypeptide showed more than 40% strict homology with P. denitrificans SUMT. The
      M. ivanovii SUMT structural gene is likely to be, as is P. denitrificans cobA,
      involved in corrinoid synthesis.

PMID- 1856166
TI  - RNase I*, a form of RNase I, and mRNA degradation in Escherichia coli.
AB  - A previously unreported endoRNase present in the spheroplast fraction of
      Escherichia coli degraded homoribopolymers and small RNA oligonucleotides but not
      polymer RNA. Like the periplasmic endoRNase, RNase I, the enzyme cleaved the
      phosphodiester bond between any nucleotides; however, RNase I degraded polymer
      RNA as fast as homopolymers or oligomers. Both enzymes migrated as 27-kDa
      polypeptides by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and
      could not be separated by various chromatographic procedures. In rna insertion
      mutants, both enzymes were completely missing; the spheroplast enzyme is called
      RNase I*, since it must be a form of RNase I. The two forms could be
      distinguished by physical treatments. RNase I could be activated by Zn2+, while
      RNase I* was inactive in the presence of Zn2+. RNase I was inactivated very
      slowly at 100 degrees C over a wide pH range, while RNase I* was inactivated
      slowly by heat at pH 4.0 but much more rapidly as the pH was increased to 8.0. In
      the presence of a thiol-binding agent, the inactivation at the higher pH values
      was much slower. These results suggest that RNase I*, but not RNase I, has free
      sulfhydryl groups. RNase I* activity in the cell against a common substrate was
      estimated to be several times that of RNase I. All four 2',3'
      phosphomonoribonucleotides were identified in the soluble pools of growing cells.
      Such degradative products must arise from RNase I* activity. The activity would
      be suited for the terminal step in mRNA degradation, the elimination of the final
      oligonucleotide fragments, without jeopardizing the cell RNA. An enzyme with very
      similar specificity was found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that the
      activity may be widespread in nature.

PMID- 1856167
TI  - Sequence and transcriptional regulation of com101A, a locus required for genetic
      transformation in Haemophilus influenzae.
AB  - A 2.8-kb EcoRI-BglII fragment cloned from the wild-type Haemophilus influenzae Rd
      chromosome is shown to increase the transformability of the Com-101 mutant
      through trans complementation. Deletion and sequence analyses indicate that the
      active region of the clone carries a 687-bp open reading frame. A 0.3-kb
      insertion in the corresponding EcoRI-BglII fragment of the Com-101 chromosome is
      shown to be a partial (331-bp) duplication of this open reading frame. The wild
      type sequence produces a peptide of a size that is consistent with the sequence
      data when this sequence is expressed in Escherichia coli with a T7 promoter-based
      transcription vector. RNA hybridization analysis using a DNA probe derived from
      the open reading frame suggests that the sequence is transiently expressed during
      competence development. On the basis of these observations, it is proposed that
      the open reading frame corresponds to the com101A gene.

PMID- 1856168
TI  - Expression of the bop gene cluster of Halobacterium halobium is induced by low
      oxygen tension and by light.
AB  - The bop gene cluster consists of at least three genes: bop (bacterio-opsin), brp
      (bacterio-opsin-related protein), and bat (bacterio-opsin activator). We have
      quantitated transcript levels from these genes in a wild-type and bacterioruberin
      deficient mutant of Halobacterium halobium under conditions which affect purple
      membrane synthesis. In wild-type cultures grown under high oxygen tension in the
      dark, bop and bat transcript levels were low during steady-state growth and then
      increased approximately 29- and approximately 45-fold, respectively, upon entry
      into stationary phase. brp gene transcription remained very low and essentially
      unchanged under these conditions. In addition, exposure of wild-type cultures
      growing under high oxygen tension to 30,000 lx of light stimulated expression of
      all three genes, especially brp. In contrast to the wild-type, transcription from
      all three genes in the bacterioruberin mutant was very high during steady-state
      growth under high oxygen tension in the dark. Cultures of the bacterioruberin
      mutant were shifted at early stationary phase to low oxygen tension to determine
      whether oxygen concentrations lower than those present in stationary phase would
      induce transcription of the bop gene cluster in this strain. Indeed,
      transcription was induced, suggesting that the bop gene cluster is not completely
      uncoupled from regulation by oxygen tension in the bacterioruberin mutant. From
      these data, we propose a regulatory model involving two different mechanisms: (i)
      bat gene expression is induced under conditions of low oxygen tension and the bat
      gene product activates bop gene expression and (ii) light induces brp
      transcription, which stimulates or modulates bat transcription.

PMID- 1856169
TI  - Rifampin-resistant replication of pBR322 derivatives in Escherichia coli cells
      induced for the SOS response.
AB  - Replication of plasmid pBR322 in Escherichia coli cells normally requires RNA
      synthesis and thus is sensitive to rifampin, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase. In
      cells induced for the SOS response, however, derivatives of pBR322 were found to
      replicate in the presence of rifampin. This rifampin-resistant replication of
      pBR322 requires the insertion of certain sequences of DNA. The replication
      depends on recF+ and DNA polymerase I.

PMID- 1856170
TI  - Autoradiographic analysis of diaminopimelic acid incorporation in filamentous
      cells of Escherichia coli: repression of peptidoglycan synthesis around the
      nucleoid.
AB  - Peptidoglycan synthesis rate in nonconstricting filaments of Escherichia coli
      dnaX(Ts) has been studied by autoradiography of incorporated [3H]diaminopimelic
      acid. Analysis of autoradiograms of whole cells and sacculi showed that
      peptidoglycan is synthesized at a reduced rate in the nucleoid-containing parts
      of these filaments. The lower rate of peptidoglycan synthesis in the cell center
      coincides with a higher local rate of protein synthesis. DNA-less cell formation
      in dnaX(Ts), dnaX(Ts) sfiA, and the minB minicell-forming mutant is accompanied
      by a local increase in peptidoglycan synthesis at the constriction site.

PMID- 1856171
TI  - Role of two flagellin genes in Campylobacter motility.
AB  - Campylobacter coli VC167 T2 has two flagellin genes, flaA and flaB, which share
      91.9% sequence identity. The flaA gene is transcribed from a o-28 promoter, and
      the flaB gene from a o-54 promoter. Gene replacement mutagenesis techniques were
      used to generate flaA+ flaB and flaA flaB+ mutants. Both gene products are
      capable of assembling independently into functional filaments. A flagellar
      filament composed exclusively of the flaA gene product is indistinguishable in
      length from that of the wild type and shows a slight reduction in motility. The
      flagellar filament composed exclusively of the flaB gene product is severely
      truncated in length and greatly reduced in motility. Thus, while both flagellins
      are not necessary for motility, both products are required for a fully active
      flagellar filament. Although the wild-type flagellar filament is a heteropolymer
      of the flaA and flaB gene products, immunogold electron microscopy suggests that
      flaB epitopes are poorly surface exposed along the length of the wild-type
      filament.

PMID- 1856172
TI  - The Vlp system of Mycoplasma hyorhinis: combinatorial expression of distinct size
      variant lipoproteins generating high-frequency surface antigenic variation.
AB  - Isogenic populations of Mycoplasma hyorhinis undergo in vitro high-frequency
      phase variation in the expression of surface lipoproteins; these products also
      vary markedly in size through changes in periodic protein structure (R.
      Rosengarten and K.S. Wise, Science 247:315-318, 1990). In this report, we
      rigorously define three distinct translation products comprising the Vlp
      (variable lipoprotein) system of M. hyorhinis SK76 and establish parameters of
      Vlp structural diversity and expression that distinguish the Vlp system from
      previously described examples of antigenic variation. VlpA, VlpB, and VlpC are
      prominent amphiphilic membrane lipoproteins characterized by detergent-phase
      fractionation and metabolic labeling with [35S]cysteine and [3H]palmitate. VlpA
      is distinguished from VlpB and VlpC by its selective labeling with
      [35S]methionine; VlpB and VlpC are distinguished by specific epitopes defined by
      surface-binding monoclonal antibodies (MAbs); a third MAb defines a surface
      epitope shared by VlpB and VlpC (but absent from VlpA). Each Vlp displays 12 to
      30 spontaneous size variant forms comprising a periodic ladder that could also be
      generated by partial trypsin digestion of individual Vlp size variants. Different
      periodic intervals within VlpB and VlpC further distinguish these two products
      structurally. Mycoplasma colony opacity correlates inversely with Vlp size. Each
      Vlp undergoes independent, oscillating high-frequency phase variation in isogenic
      populations and can be expressed individually or concomitantly with other Vlps in
      a noncoordinate manner. All seven possible combinations of these three products
      were observed; however, no variants were found that lacked a Vlp. High-frequency
      size variation of each Vlp superimposed on combinatorial diversity in Vlp
      expression yields greater than 10(4) possible structurally distinct Vlp mosaics,
      of which 104 were documented along with 24 of 42 possible transitions among the
      seven Vlp combinations. In addition to these features, VlpA, VlpB, and VlpC were
      specifically recognized by serum antibodies from swine with experimental M.
      hyorhinis SK76-induced arthritis, indicating expression and immunogenicity of
      Vlps in the natural host. The structure and variation of Vlps and their known
      involvement in MAb-mediated modulation of mycoplasma-infected host cell
      properties and mycoplasma killing are discussed in relation to the surface
      architecture and adaptive potential of the wall-less mycoplasmas.

PMID- 1856174
TI  - Relationships among the rfb regions of Salmonella serovars A, B, and D.
AB  - The O antigens of Salmonella serogroups A, B, and D differ structurally in their
      side chain sugar residues. The genes encoding O-antigen biosynthesis are
      clustered in the rfb operon. The gene rfbJ in strain LT2 (serovar typhimurium,
      group B) and the genes rfbS and rfbE in strain Ty2 (serovar typhi, group D)
      account for the known differences in the rfb gene clusters used for determination
      of group specificity. In this paper, we report the nucleotide sequence of 2.9 kb
      of DNA from the rfb gene cluster of strain Ty2 and the finding of two open
      reading frames which have limited similarity with the corresponding open reading
      frames of strain LT2. These two genes complete the sequence of the rfb region of
      group D strain Ty2 if we use strain LT2 sequence where restriction site data show
      it to be extremely similar to the strain Ty2 sequence. The restriction map of the
      rfb gene cluster in group A strain IMVS1316 (serovar paratyphi) is identical to
      that of the cluster in strain Ty2 except for a frameshift mutation in rfbE and a
      triplicated region. The rfb gene clusters of these three strains are compared,
      and the evolutionary origin of these genes is discussed.

PMID- 1856173
TI  - Cloning, mapping, and characterization of the Escherichia coli prc gene, which is
      involved in C-terminal processing of penicillin-binding protein 3.
AB  - The prc gene, which is involved in cleavage of the C-terminal peptide from the
      precursor form of penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP 3) of Escherichia coli, was
      cloned and mapped at 40.4 min on the chromosome. The gene product was identified
      as a protein of about 80 kDa in maxicell and in vitro systems. Fractionation of
      the maxicells producing the product suggested that the product was associated
      with the periplasmic side of the cytoplasmic membrane. This was consistent with
      the notion that the C-terminal processing of PBP 3 probably occurs outside the
      cytoplasmic membrane: the processing was found to be dependent on the secY and
      secA functions, indicating that the prc product or PBP 3 or both share the
      translocation machinery with other extracytoplasmic proteins. DNA sequencing
      analysis of the prc gene region identified an open reading frame, with two
      possible translational starts 6 bp apart from each other, that could code for a
      product with a calculated molecular weight of 76,667 or 76,432. The prc mutant
      was sensitive to thermal and osmotic stresses. Southern analysis of the
      chromosomal DNA of the mutant unexpectedly revealed that the mutation was a
      deletion of the entire prc gene and thus that the prc gene is conditionally
      dispensable. The mutation resulted in greatly reduced heat shock response at low
      osmolarity and in leakage of periplasmic proteins.

PMID- 1856175
TI  - The bent-end morphology of Treponema phagedenis is associated with short, left
      handed, periplasmic flagella.
AB  - Treponema phagedenis Kazan 5 is a spirochete with multiple periplasmic flagella
      attached near each end of the cell cylinder. Dark-field microscopy revealed that
      most of the cell is right-handed (helix diameter, 0.23 micron; helix pitch, 1.74
      microns), and the ends appear bent. These ends could move and gyrate while the
      central part of the cell remained stationary. The present study examines the
      basis for the bent-end characteristic. Motility mutants deficient in periplasmic
      flagella were found to lack the bent ends, and spontaneous revertants to motility
      regained the periplasmic flagella and bent-end characteristic. The length of the
      bent ends (2.40 microns) was found to be similar to the length of the periplasmic
      flagella as determined by electron microscopy (2.50 microns). The helix diameter
      of the bent ends was 0.57 micron, and the helix pitch of the bent ends was 1.85
      microns. The periplasmic flagella were short relative to the length of the cells
      (15 microns) and, in contrast to the reports of others, did not overlap in the
      center of the cell. Similar results were found with T. phagedenis Reiter. The
      results taken together indicate that there is a causal relationship between the
      bent-end morphology and the presence of short periplasmic flagella. We report the
      first three-dimensional description of spirochete periplasmic flagella. Dark
      field microscopy of purified periplasmic flagella revealed that these organelles
      were left-handed (helix diameter, 0.36 microns; helix pitch, 1.26 microns) and
      only 1 to 2 wavelengths long. Because of a right-handed cell cylinder and left
      handed periplasmic flagella along with bent ends having helix diameters greater
      than those of either the cell cylinder or periplasmic flagella, we conclude that
      there is a complex interaction of the periplasmic flagella and the cell cylinder
      to form the bent ends. The results are discussed with respect to a possible
      mechanism of T. phagedenis motility.

PMID- 1856176
TI  - Extracellular lipase of Pseudomonas sp. strain ATCC 21808: purification,
      characterization, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray diffraction data.
AB  - A procedure for the purification of a very hydrophobic lipase from Pseudomonas
      sp. strain ATCC 21808 was elaborated by avoiding the use of long-chain detergents
      in view of subsequent crystallization of the enzyme. The purification procedure
      included chromatography on Q-Sepharose in the presence of n-octyl-beta-D
      glucopyranoside, Ca2+ precipitation of fatty acids, and Octyl-Sepharose
      chromatography. The enzyme was purified 260-fold to a yield of 35% and a specific
      activity of 3,300 U/mg. The molecular weight was determined as 35,000; a
      polyacrylamide gel under nondenaturing conditions revealed a band at 110,000, and
      the isoelectric point proved to be at 4.5 to 4.6. The lipase crystallized with
      different salts and ethylene glycol polymers in the presence of n-octyl-beta-D
      glucopyranoside and one alkyloligooxyethylene compound (CxEy) in the range from
      C5E2 to C8E4. The crystals diffract to a resolution of about 0.25 nm. Precession
      photographs revealed that they belong to space group C2 with lattice constants of
      a = 9.27 nm, b = 4.74 nm, c = 8.65 nm, and beta = 122.3 degrees, indicating a
      cell content of one molecule per asymmetric unit of the crystal. In hydrolysis of
      triglycerides, the lipase showed substrate specificity for saturated fatty acids
      from C6 to C12 and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids. Monoglycerides were
      hydrolyzed very slowly. The N-terminal sequence is identical to that of the
      lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia. Treatment with diethyl-p-nitrophenylphosphate
      affected the activities toward triolein and p-nitrophenylacetate to the same
      extent and with the same velocity.

PMID- 1856177
TI  - Identification and localization of major stage-specific polypeptides of
      infectious Holospora obtusa with monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - With the help of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) we investigated the occurrence of
      six polypeptides throughout parts of the life cycle of Holospora obtusa, a
      bacterium infecting the macronucleus of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum. The
      polypeptides of interest formed major bands in the protein pattern of the
      infectious form (IF) of H. obtusa. All MAbs used recognized individual
      polypeptide bands of the IF proteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Three polypeptides were also detected in the
      reproductive form in trace amounts. Two-dimensional electrophoresis revealed that
      the 33,000-, 28,000-, and 14,000-Mr polypeptides wre acidic and exhibited
      multiple isoelectric points under native conditions. Four polypeptides (Mrs of
      50,000, 33,000, 28,000, and 20,000) were no longer detected or became drastically
      reduced within the first 30 min of invasion. Concomitantly, a loss of electron
      dense periplasmic material occurred, which is typical for invading IFs (H.-D.
      Gortz and M. Wiemann, J. Protistol. 24:101-109, 1989). In an attempt to clarify
      the subcellular localization of the six polypeptides, we performed chloroform
      extraction studies and identified four of the released polypeptides with MAbs. A
      14,000-Mr polypeptide was immunocytochemically localized in the periplasm of the
      IF. The results showed that the six major polypeptides of the IF were stage
      specific or stage specifically enriched and are likely to contribute to the
      electron-dense periplasmic material of the IF.

PMID- 1856178
TI  - Mutational analysis and characterization of the Escherichia coli hya operon,
      which encodes [NiFe] hydrogenase 1.
AB  - Deletion mutants of Escherichia coli specific for hydrogenase isoenzyme 1 (HYD1)
      have been constructed and characterized. The hya operon, which contains genes for
      the two HYD1 structural subunits and four additional genes, was mapped at 22 min
      on the E. coli chromosome. The total hydrogenase activities of the HYD1-negative
      mutant and wild-type strains were similar. However, the formate dehydrogenase
      activity associated with the formate hydrogen lyase pathway was lower in the
      mutant. The hya mutant (strain AP1), complemented with only the hydrogenase
      structural genes (hyaAB), produced antigenically identifiable but inactive HYD1
      protein. The first five genes of hya (hyaA to hyaE) were required for the
      synthesis of active HYD1, but wild-type levels of HYD1 activity were restored
      only when mutant cells were transformed with all six genes of the operon. When
      AP1 was complemented with hya carried on a high-copy-number plasmid, the HYD1
      structural subunits were overexpressed, but the excess protein was unprocessed
      and localized in the soluble fraction of the cell. The products of hyaDEF are
      postulated to be involved in the processing of nascent structural subunits (HYAA
      and HYAB). This processing takes place only after the subunits are inserted into
      the cell membrane. It is concluded that the biosynthesis of active HYD1 is a
      complex biochemical process involving the cellular localization and processing of
      nascent structural subunits, which are in turn dependent on the insertion of
      nickel into the nascent HYD1 large subunit.

PMID- 1856179
TI  - The malX malY operon of Escherichia coli encodes a novel enzyme II of the
      phosphotransferase system recognizing glucose and maltose and an enzyme
      abolishing the endogenous induction of the maltose system.
AB  - Mutants lacking MalK, a subunit of the binding protein-dependent maltose
      maltodextrin transport system, constitutively express the maltose genes. A second
      site mutation in malI abolishes the constitutive expression. The malI gene (at 36
      min on the linkage map) codes for a typical repressor protein that is homologous
      to the Escherichia coli LacI, GalR, or CytR repressor (J. Reidl, K. Romisch, M.
      Ehrmann, and W. Boos, J. Bacteriol. 171:4888-4899, 1989). We now report that MalI
      regulates an adjacent and divergently oriented operon containing malX and malY.
      MalX encodes a protein with a molecular weight of 56,654, and the deduced amino
      acid sequence of MalX exhibits 34.9% identity to the enzyme II of the
      phosphototransferase system for glucose (ptsG) and 32.1% identity to the enzyme
      II for N-acetylglucosamine (nagE). When constitutively expressed, malX can
      complement a ptsG ptsM double mutant for growth on glucose. Also, a delta malE
      malT(Con) strain that is unable to grow on maltose due to its maltose transport
      defect becomes Mal+ after introduction of malI::Tn10 and the plasmid carrying
      malX. MalX-mediated transport of glucose and maltose is likely to occur by
      facilitated diffusion. We conclude that malX encodes a phosphotransferase system
      enzyme II that can recognize glucose and maltose as substrates even though these
      sugars may not represent the natural substrates of the system. The second gene in
      the operon, malY, encodes a protein of 43,500 daltons. Its deduced amino acid
      sequence exhibits weak homology to aminotransferase sequences. The presence of
      plasmid-encoded MalX alone was sufficient for complementing growth on glucose in
      a ptsM ptsG glk mutant, and the plasmid-encoded MalY alone was sufficient to
      abolish the constitutivity of the mal genes in a malK mutant. The overexpression
      of malY in a strain that is wild type with respect to the maltose genes strongly
      interferes with growth on maltose. This is not the case in a malT(Con) strain
      that expresses the mal genes constitutively. We conclude that malY encodes an
      enzyme that degrades the inducer of the maltose system or prevents its synthesis.

PMID- 1856180
TI  - Cloning and characterization of a glutamine transport operon of Bacillus
      stearothermophilus NUB36: effect of temperature on regulation of transcription.
AB  - We cloned and sequenced a fragment of the Bacillus stearothermophilus NUB36
      chromosome that contains two open reading frames (ORFs) whose products were
      detected only in cells of cultures grown in complex medium at high temperature.
      The nucleotide sequence of the two ORFs exhibited significant identity to the
      sequence of the glnQ and glnH loci of the glutamine transport system in enteric
      bacteria. In addition, growth response to glutamine, sensitivity to the toxic
      glutamine analog gamma-L-glutamylhydrazide, and glutamine transport assays with
      parental strain NUB3621 and mutant strain NUB36500, in which the ORF1 coding
      segment in the chromosome was interrupted with the cat gene, demonstrated that
      glnQ and glnH encode proteins that are active in the glutamine transport system
      in B. stearothermophilus. The inferred promoter for the glnQH operon exhibited a
      low homology to the -35 and -10 regions of the consensus promoter sequences of
      Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli genes. In addition, the inferred promoter
      for the glnQH operon also exhibited a low homology with the consensus promoter
      sequence deduced from the sequences of the promoters of nine different genes from
      B. stearothermophilus. Transcription of the glnQH operon was activated in a
      nitrogen-rich medium at high temperature and inhibited under the same conditions
      at low temperature. Transcription of the glnQH operon was partially activated in
      a nitrogen-poor medium at low temperature. The region upstream from glnQ contains
      sequences that have a low homology with the nitrogen regulator I-binding
      sequences and the nitrogen-regulated promoters of enteric bacteria. The effect of
      temperature on the regulation of the glnQH operon is discussed.

PMID- 1856181
TI  - Temperature-induced protein synthesis in Bacillus stearothermophilus NUB36.
AB  - Cultures of Bacillus stearothermophilus subjected to a temperature shift-up or
      shift-down of 15 degrees C within the normal temperature range of growth (45 to
      65 degrees C) enter a transient adaptation period before exponential growth at
      the new temperature. The de novo synthesis of some proteins coincides with the
      adaptation period.

PMID- 1856182
TI  - Oxygen-dependent catabolism of indole-3-acetic acid in Bradyrhizobium japonicum.
AB  - Some strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum have the ability to catabolize indole-3
      acetic acid (IAA). Examination of this catabolism in strain 110 by in vivo
      experiments has revealed an enzymatic activity catalyzing the degradation of IAA
      and 5-hydroxy-indole-3-acetic acid. The activity requires addition of the
      substrates for induction and is oxygen dependent. The highest activity is
      obtained when the concentration of inducer is 0.2 mM. Spectrophotometric data are
      consistent with the suggestion that the indole ring is broken during degradation
      of IAA. We hypothesize that the enzyme catalyzes an oxygen-consuming opening of
      the indole ring analogous to the one catalyzed by tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase. The
      pattern of metabolite usage by known tryptophan-auxotrophic mutants and studies
      of metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography indicate that
      anthranilic acid is a terminal degradation product in the proposed pathway.

PMID- 1856183
TI  - Role of translation of the pheA leader peptide coding region in attenuation
      regulation of the Escherichia coli pheA gene.
AB  - In Escherichia coli, the expression of the pheA gene is regulated by attenuation
      of transcription. To study the molecular details of pheA attenuation, we
      introduced mutations in the pheA leader peptide coding region and analyzed their
      effects by using pheA promoter-lacZ gene transcription fusions (pheAp-lacZ).
      Mutations in the ribosome-binding site (pheAe1213) or in the translation
      initiation codon (pheAe24) of the pheA leader peptide coding region resulted in
      superattenuation of pheA expression. However, the presence of a stop codon
      upstream to the tandem phenylalanine codons (pheAe3334) led to an increase in the
      basal-level expression of pheA. This increase was further enhanced in the
      presence of prfA release factor mutant. The level of pheA expression in all three
      mutants was the same when cells were starved for phenylalanine. These results
      demonstrate that efficient translation of the pheA leader peptide coding region
      and the position of the ribosome on the leader transcript play decisive roles in
      the attenuation regulation of pheA.

PMID- 1856184
TI  - Cytochrome P-450. Multiplicity of isoforms, substrates, and catalytic and
      regulatory mechanisms.

PMID- 1856185
TI  - Direct determination of free fatty acid transport across the adipocyte plasma
      membrane using quantitative fluorescence microscopy.
AB  - Movement of free fatty acids (FFA) across the plasma membrane has been directly
      measured for the first time, using fluorescent FFA analogs and quantitative
      fluorescence microscopy. The rate of short chain FFA (less than or equal to 12
      carbons) transport from the extracellular medium into intracellular lipid
      droplets of 3T3F442A adipocytes was more than 40-fold faster than long chain FFA
      (16 and 18 carbons). The membrane-impermeable amino reagent 4,4'
      diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate, inhibited greater than or equal to 50%
      of the long chain FFA transport but had no effect on short chain FFA transport.
      Oleic acid (2 microM) inhibited 90% of the fluorescent oleate transport but had
      no effect on the 11-carbon analog. These results indicate that a large fraction
      of long chain FFA uptake is mediated by a plasma membrane protein (s).

PMID- 1856186
TI  - Evidence that type II 5'-deiodinase is not a selenoprotein.
AB  - Brain type II 5'-iodothyronine deiodinase and liver type I 5'-iodothyronine
      deiodinase activities are decreased in rats fed a Se(2+)-deficient diet
      suggesting that both enzymes are Se(2+)-dependent proteins. Since serum thyroxine
      (T4) concentrations are twice normal in the Se(2+)-deficient animals, it is
      unclear whether the Se2+ deficiency or the increased circulating T4 account for
      the decrease in the brain enzyme. In order to separate these two possibilities,
      the effects of Se2+ on 5'-deiodinase in glial cells (type II) and LLC-PK1 cells
      (type I) were examined. LLC-PK1 and glial cells were grown in serum-free defined
      medium containing 0, 1 pM, 10 nM, and 40 nM Se2+ for 3-5 days or in medium
      containing 75Se2+ for 24 h. Deiodinase isozymes were determined by measuring
      catalytic activity and by quantification of the BrAc[125I]T4 affinity-labeled
      substrate binding subunits. Se2+ deficiency was confirmed by measuring the
      activity of the selenoprotein, glutathione peroxidase. Se2+ caused a
      concentration-dependent increase in glutathione peroxidase activity in both cell
      types, as well as in the type I enzyme, but had no effect on the type II enzyme.
      LLC-PK1 cells contained multiple 75Se(2+)-labeled proteins including the 27-kDa
      substrate binding subunit of the type I 5'-deiodinase. Glial cells contained
      seven 75Se(2+)-labeled proteins ranging in size from 12 to 62 kDa, none of which
      corresponded to the type II substrate binding subunit. these data show that,
      unlike the type I enzyme, the type II enzyme does not contain a selenocysteine or
      selenomethionine, further emphasizing the differences between these two isozymes.

PMID- 1856187
TI  - Evidence for a tetrahedral intermediate complex during serpin-proteinase
      interactions.
AB  - Proteinase inhibitors in the serpin family form complexes with serine proteinases
      by interactions between the gamma-OH group at serine 195 of the enzyme and a
      specific peptide bond within the reactive site loop of the inhibitor. However,
      the type of complex formed (i.e. Michaelis, acyl, or tetrahedral) is unknown.
      Until now, 13C NMR spectroscopy studies have only been useful in examining
      complexes formed with either peptide-related or small protein inhibitors, where
      13C-labeled amino acids can be inserted semi-synthetically. Recombinant DNA
      technology has, however, made it possible to specifically enrich larger proteins
      with 13C. In the case of serpins we have examined the structure of the complex
      formed between human alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor uniformally labeled with
      [13C]methionine and porcine pancreatic elastase. 13C NMR spectroscopic studies
      revealed a large upfield chemical shift of the carbonyl signal of Met-358 upon
      complex formation suggesting for the first time that a tetrahedral adduct is
      formed between a serpin inhibitor and a serine proteinase.

PMID- 1856188
TI  - Acyl carrier protein-derived sequence encoded by the chloroplast genome in the
      marine diatom Cylindrotheca sp. strain N1.
AB  - The chloroplast genome of chromophytic and rhodophytic algae differs from the
      plastid genome of plants and green algae in that it encodes the gene for the
      small subunit (rbcS) of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase.
      Hybridization studies indicated that there was a second region of chloroplast DNA
      from the marine diatom Cylindrotheca sp. strain N1 that strongly hybridized to a
      previously isolated Cylindrotheca fragment that contained the rbcS gene and
      flanking sequences. Subsequent determination of the oligonucleotide sequence of
      this second chloroplast DNA fragment, however, indicated that hybridization was
      due to identical sequences 3' to the previously cloned Cylindrotheca chloroplast
      rbcL rbcS genes. Sequences derived from the 5' end of the second chloroplast DNA
      fragment contained a short open reading frame of 80 amino acids which was found
      to be highly homologous to bacterial acyl carrier protein and nuclear-encoded
      acyl carrier protein from plants. Amino acid residues in the environment of Ser
      36 of the Escherichia coli protein, which is bound to a 4'-phosphopantetheine
      moiety, are virtually identical in the Cylindrotheca deduced sequence and all
      other sources of this protein. Unlike plant acyl carrier-deduced amino acid
      sequences, there was no leader peptide sequence found for the presumptive
      Cylindrotheca protein, consistent with the location of this DNA fragment on the
      chloroplast genome of this organism. DNA encoding the putative acyl carrier
      protein gene and rbcS thus represent two genes that are chloroplast-encoded in
      the chromophytic marine diatom Cylindrotheca, a significant departure from the
      organization of such genes in plants.

PMID- 1856189
TI  - Human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. Characterization of the catalytic site.
AB  - The substrate analogue conduritol B epoxide (CBE) is demonstrated to be an active
      site-directed inhibitor of human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. A competitive mode
      of inhibition is obtained with glycogen as natural and 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha
      D-glucopyranoside as artificial substrate. The inactivation of the enzyme is time
      and concentration dependent and results in the covalent binding of CBE. Catalytic
      activity is required for binding to occur. CBE-labeled peptides containing the
      catalytic residue of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase were isolated and identified by
      microsequencing and amino acid analysis. The peptides appeared to originate from
      a protein domain which is highly conserved among alpha-amylases, maltase,
      glucoamylases, and transglucanosylases. Based on the sequence similarity and the
      mechanism of CBE binding, Asp-518 is predicted to be the essential carboxylate in
      the active site of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. The functional importance of Asp
      518 and other residues around the catalytic site was studied by expression of in
      vitro mutagenized alpha-glucosidase cDNA in transiently transfected COS cells.
      Substitution of Asp-513 by Glu-513 is shown to interfere with the
      posttranslational modification and the intracellular transport of the alpha
      glucosidase precursor. The residues Trp-516 and Asp-518 are demonstrated to be
      critical for catalytic function.

PMID- 1856190
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a succinimide variant of methionyl human growth
      hormone.
AB  - Deamidation of asparagine and glutamine residues, isomerization of aspartic acid
      side chains, and racemization of the L- to the D-form of the amino acids are
      common spontaneous chemical reactions known to occur in proteins. Previous
      studies have implicated succinimides as intermediates in these reactions;
      however, the evidence has been indirect. Our results demonstrate, for the first
      time, the presence of a succinimide intermediate in an intact protein. The
      succinimide (cyclic imide) variant was isolated from thermally stressed
      recombinant methionyl human growth hormone (hGH) by high performance anion
      exchange chromatography, further purified by reversed-phase high performance
      liquid chromatography, and analyzed by tryptic mapping. A later eluting tryptic
      peptide, compared with the native T12 peptide (residues 128-134, Leu-Glu-Asp-Gly
      Ser-Pro-Arg), was analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). This variant had a
      protonated molecular mass of 755.3 atomic mass units (u), as compared with 773.3
      u for the native T12 peptide. A difference of 18 u, a loss of water, is
      consistent with the formation of a succinimide intermediate at Asp-130 of
      methionyl hGH. MS/MS analysis of the cyclic imide-containing peptide verified
      that the modification occurred at Asp-130. A difference of 18 u was also observed
      for the intact cyclic imide methionyl hGH variant (22,238 u), as measured by
      electrospray mass spectrometry, compared with native methionyl hGH (22,256 u).

PMID- 1856191
TI  - Synaptotagmin II. A novel differentially distributed form of synaptotagmin.
AB  - Synaptotagmin is a synaptic vesicle membrane protein with properties suggestive
      of a role in synaptic vesicle exocytosis (Perin, M. S., Fried, V. A., Mignery, G.
      A., Jahn, R., and Sudhof, T. C. (1990) Nature 345, 260-263). Here, we report the
      structure of a novel form of synaptotagmin named synaptotagmin II that is highly
      homologous to the originally described synaptotagmin, now referred to as
      synaptotagmin I. Synaptotagmins I and II exhibit the same overall structure,
      containing a small intravesicular sequence that is glycosylated, a single
      transmembrane region, and a large carboxyl-terminal cytoplasmic sequence that
      includes two copies of an internal repeat homologous to the regulatory region of
      protein kinase C. The homology between synaptotagmins I and II is not uniformly
      distributed across the molecule but is highest in their carboxyl-terminal
      regulatory repeats (88% sequence identity) and lowest in their amino-terminal
      intravesicular sequences (46% sequence identity). RNA blots demonstrate
      complementary patterns of expression for synaptotagmins I and II, with
      synaptotagmin I preferentially expressed in rostral, phylogenetically younger
      brain regions, and synaptotagmin II predominantly expressed in caudal,
      phylogenetically older brain regions. With this description of two forms of
      synaptotagmin, all major synaptic vesicle proteins implicated in membrane traffic
      have now been shown to be present in several isoforms with differential
      distributions, suggesting that this is a general organizational principle of the
      mammalian brain.

PMID- 1856192
TI  - Time-dependent biphasic regulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in rat glomerular
      mesangial cells.
AB  - Time-dependent regulation of loop diuretic-sensitive Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport and
      [3H]bumetanide binding was investigated in cultured rat glomerular mesangial
      cells. Angiotensin II or epidermal growth factor induced stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl
      cotransport within 5 min, with a return to the control values by 30 min.
      Treatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (0.1 microM) (PMA), the
      calcium ionophore A23187 (1 microM), or the combination of 5 mM NaF and 10 microM
      AlCl3 produced a transient stimulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport in 5-10 min to
      148, 135, and 163% of control, respectively, which was followed by a progressive
      decrease to 34, 64, and 20% of the base-line activity, respectively, by 60 min.
      Exposure to cyclic 8-bromo-AMP (0.1 mM) or to forskolin (1 microM) and
      isobutylmethylxanthine (0.1 mM) caused a maximal inhibition of the cotransport in
      5 min to 79 and 60% of control, respectively, with a subsequent gradual increase
      to 137 and 164% of the base-line activity, respectively, by 60 min. The effects
      of PMA, forskolin, and cyclic 8-bromo-AMP were concentration-dependent. In order
      to characterize further the alterations in the cotransport activity, binding of
      [3H]bumetanide was determined. Saturation binding analyses showed that the late
      inhibition of the cotransport by PMA and stimulation by forskolin were associated
      with a significant decrease and increase, respectively, in Bmax, with no
      significant changes in binding affinity. Correlations between changes in the
      cotransport activity and [3H]bumetanide binding were also observed in cells
      treated with cyclic 8-bromo-AMP or with NaF and AlCl3. Incubation of cells in Cl-
      or Na+ free solution greater than or equal to 60 min resulted in an increase in
      both the cotransport activity and [3H]bumetanide binding. These observations
      indicate that, in glomerular mesangial cells, persistent stimulation of second
      messengers that regulate the cotransporter induces a time-dependent, biphasic
      regulation of Na+/K+/Cl- cotransport and that the regulation occurring after
      greater than or equal to 60 min of treatment is primarily due to changes in the
      number of the active cotransport sites. Because long term removal of the
      transported ions also increases the number of active cotransport sites, these
      results suggest that alterations in intracellular ionic homeostasis may also
      mediate cotransport activity.

PMID- 1856193
TI  - Determination of disulfide bond pairs and stability in recombinant tick
      anticoagulant peptide.
AB  - Tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP) is a potent and selective inhibitor of blood
      coagulation factor Xa (Waxman, L., Smith, D.E., Arcuri, K.E., and Vlasuk, G.P.
      (1990) Science 248, 593-596). The 60-amino acid sequence of TAP shows limited
      homology to Kunitz-type inhibitors, including cysteines at positions 5, 15, 33,
      39, 55, and 59. For detailed biochemical and pharmacological studies, a
      recombinant version of TAP (rTAP) has been produced in yeast. To determine the
      arrangement of the disulfide bonds, rTAP was cleaved with trypsin and
      chymotrypsin and the purified peptides sequenced using a gas-phase sequenator.
      The positions of the disulfide bonds were assigned by identifying the cycle(s) at
      which di-phenylthiohydan-toin-cystine was released. The specific disulfide
      bridges, Cys-5 to Cys-59, Cys-15 to Cys-39, and Cys-33 to Cys-55, are analogous
      to those in the prototype Kunitz-type inhibitor, bovine pancreatic trypsin
      inhibitor (BPTI). While treatment of BPTI with dithiothreitol rapidly and
      specifically reduced one disulfide bond, the reduction of disulfide bonds in rTAP
      proceeded at a slower rate and appeared to be nonspecific, reaching a maximum of
      two disulfides reduced. Reduced rTAP derivatized with either iodoacetic acid or
      iodoacetamide lost 59% of its inhibitory activity. In contrast, BPTI alkylated
      with iodoacetic acid inhibited trypsin half as well as the iodoacetamide
      derivative. Although the arrangement of disulfides in the two inhibitors is the
      same, their susceptibility to reduction is markedly different.

PMID- 1856194
TI  - Identification of active site residues of Escherichia coli fumarate reductase by
      site-directed mutagenesis.
AB  - Menaquinol-fumarate oxidoreductase of Escherichia coli is a four-subunit membrane
      bound complex that catalyzes the final step in anaerobic respiration when
      fumarate is the terminal electron acceptor. The enzyme is structurally and
      catalytically similar to succinate dehydrogenase (succinate-ubiquinone
      oxidoreductase) from both procaryotes and eucaryotes. Both enzymes have been
      proposed to contain an essential cysteine residue at the active site based on
      studies with thiol-specific reagents. Chemical modification studies have also
      suggested roles for essential histidine and arginine residues in catalysis by
      succinate dehydrogenase. In the present study, a combination of site-directed
      mutagenesis and chemical modification techniques have been used to investigate
      the role(s) of the conserved histidine 232, cysteine 247, and arginine 248
      residues of the flavorprotein subunit (FrdA) in active site function. A role for
      His-232 and Arg-248 of FrdA is shown by loss of both fumarate reductase and
      succino-oxidase activities following site-directed substitution of these
      particular amino acids. Evidence is also presented that suggests a second
      arginine residue may form part of the active site. Potential catalytic and
      substrate-binding roles for arginine are discussed. The effects of removing
      histidine-232 of FrdA are consistent with its proposed role as a general acid
      base catalyst. The fact that succinate oxidation but not fumarate reduction was
      completely lost, however, might suggest that alternate proton donors substitute
      for His-232. The data confirm that cysteine 247 of FrdA is responsible for the N
      ethylmaleimide sensitivity shown by fumarate reductase but is not required for
      catalytic activity or the tight-binding of oxalacetate, as previously thought.

PMID- 1856195
TI  - Unassisted refolding of urea unfolded rhodanese.
AB  - In vitro refolding after urea unfolding of the enzyme rhodanese
      (thiosulfate:cyanide sulfurtransferase, EC 2.8.1.1) normally requires the
      assistance of detergents or chaperonin proteins. No efficient, unassisted,
      reversible unfolding/folding transition has been demonstrated to date. The
      detergents or the chaperonin proteins have been proposed to stabilize folding
      intermediates that kinetically limit folding by aggregating. Based on this
      hypothesis, we have investigated a number of experimental conditions and have
      developed a protocol for refolding, without assistants, that gives evidence of a
      reversible unfolding transition and leads to greater than 80% recovery of native
      enzyme. In addition to low protein concentration (10 micrograms/ml), low
      temperatures are required to maximize refolding. Otherwise optimal conditions
      give less than 10% refolding at 37 degrees C, whereas at 10 degrees C the
      recovery approaches 80%. The unfolding/refolding phases of the transition curves
      are most similar in the region of the transition, and refolding yields are
      significantly reduced when unfolded rhodanese is diluted to low urea
      concentrations, rather than to concentrations near the transition region. This is
      consistent with the formation of "sticky" intermediates that can remain soluble
      close to the transition region. Apparently, nonnative structures, e.g.
      aggregates, can form rapidly at low denaturant concentrations, and their
      subsequent conversion to the native structure is slow.

PMID- 1856196
TI  - A genetic approach for analyzing the pathway of LamB assembly into the outer
      membrane of Escherichia coli.
AB  - Results presented in this study demonstrate that a mutation which inserts an
      additional tyrosine between the 2 tyrosines at residues 118 and 119 of mature
      LamB protein results in a temperature-dependent assembly defect. This defect
      leads to the accumulation of an intermediate at the restrictive temperature that
      is most likely an assembly-defective monomer. These monomers are rapidly degraded
      in the wild type (htrA+) strain, and the biphasic kinetics of this degradation
      indicate that the mutation affects the assembly process and not the final
      product, i.e. stable trimers. In addition, our data show that the temperature
      dependent assembly defect in the mutant strain is reversible, and therefore the
      accumulated monomers represent a true assembly intermediate. Fractionation
      studies show that the monomers, which can be accumulated in htrA (degP) mutants
      at the restrictive temperature, are associated with the outer membrane,
      indicating that trimerization of LamB is not a prerequisite for localization.

PMID- 1856197
TI  - Expression and processing of mouse proopiomelanocortin in bovine adrenal
      chromaffin cells. A model system to study tissue-specific prohormone processing.
AB  - Many neuroendocrine precursor proteins, such as proopiomelanocortin (POMC), are
      cleaved in a tissue specific manner at distinct pairs of basic amino acids.
      Elucidating the specificity of the prohormone endoprotease(s) is essential to
      understanding cleavage specificity. However, isolation of these enzymes has been
      difficult, due to the inability to distinguish authentic maturation enzyme from
      the many other trypsin-like activities present in tissue homogenates. Recently, a
      "signature" of the insulin cell endoprotease(s) was defined in vivo by assessing
      the processing of a series of mutant cleavage sites in a model prohormone, mouse
      POMC (mPOMC) (Thorne, B. A., and Thomas, G. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 8436-8443.
      To investigate mechanisms of tissue-specific processing, we sought to identify
      the endoprotease signature of a cell having a processing phenotype distinct from
      insulinoma cells. In this report, the cleavage site specificity of the
      endoprotease(s) expressed in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells is examined. High
      levels of mPOMC (1.6 pmol/10(6) cells) were expressed in these cells using a
      vaccinia virus vector, and the precursor was targeted to the regulated secretory
      pathway. Analysis of POMC-derived peptides revealed that chromaffin cells
      processed the prohormone to a set of peptides highly similar to anterior
      pituitary corticotrophs, including adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and beta
      lipotropin, gamma-lipotropin, and beta-endorphin. This processing contrasted with
      the pattern of cleavage site utilization in Rin m5F insulinoma cells, which more
      closely resembled that of the intermediate pituitary melanotrophs. However, the
      processing preference for the sequences of pairs of basic amino acids (as tested
      using the entire series of mutant cleavage sites; -LysArg- (native), -ArgArg-, 
      ArgLys-, -LysLys-, -HisArg-, -MetArg- at the ACTH/beta-lipotropin junction and 
      LysLys- (native), -LysArg-, -ArgArg-, -ArgLys- in beta-endorphin) was the same in
      both insulinoma and adrenal chromaffin cells, suggesting recognition and cleavage
      by similar enzymes in both cell types. The cell-specific processing of mPOMC may
      thus result from expression of a common core set of processing enzymes and
      factors unique to each cell type affecting the enzyme accessibility to precursor
      cleavage sites.

PMID- 1856198
TI  - Identification of a nucleotide-binding site on glycoprotein IIb. Relationship to
      ADP-induced platelet activation.
AB  - Formalin-fixed platelets have been used to study the binding of adenine
      nucleotides in order to avoid the complications of nucleotide metabolism and to
      achieve steady-state binding. Sp-adenosine-5'-(1-thiotriphosphate) (Sp-ATP-alpha
      S) binds to platelets at two sites (Kd1 3 nM; 31,000 sites/platelet; Kd2 200 nM;
      300,000 sites/platelet) as compared with values for ADP under these conditions
      (Kd1 30 nM; 25,000 sites/platelet and Kd2 3 microM; 400,000 sites/platelet)
      (bound/total approximately 0.1). Competition binding experiments showed that both
      of the ATP-alpha-S sites were accessible to ADP and vice versa. [35S]ATP-alpha-S
      was photoaffinity cross-linked to unfixed platelets by direct irradiation with
      ultraviolet light. A single radiolabeled component (120 kDa) was identified and
      shown to be identical with the alpha subunit of GPIIb based on two-dimensional
      sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Western
      blotting with anti-GPIIb monoclonal antibodies, by isoelectric focusing (pI 4.5
      5.5), by immunoaffinity adsorption using monoclonal anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies
      coupled to Sepharose, and by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. Amino-terminal
      sequencing of a tryptic fragment labeled with [35S]ATP-alpha-S identified an 18
      kDa domain beginning at Tyr-198 in the primary sequence of GPIIb alpha. These
      studies demonstrate the presence of an adenine nucleotide-binding site on GPIIb
      alpha.

PMID- 1856199
TI  - Secretion of the cell surface lipoprotein pullulanase in Escherichia coli.
      Cooperation or competition between the specific secretion pathway and the
      lipoprotein sorting pathway.
AB  - The fatty acid-acylated enzyme pullulanase is normally found in either of two
      locations in Escherichia coli, depending on whether or not the producing strains
      also express the genes specifically required for the second step in pullulanase
      secretion. When they are expressed, the enzyme is localized to the cell surface,
      while in their absence, it is directed to an unidentified location in the cell
      envelope which, upon lysis, forms vesicles whose density is intermediate between
      those of outer and cytoplasmic membrane vesicles. In order to test the role of
      the putative lipoprotein sorting signal, Asp2, in pullulanase sorting and
      secretion, the structural gene (pulA) was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis.
      Replacement of the Asp2 residue by Asn, Glu, or Ser caused the enzyme to
      fractionate with outer membrane-derived vesicles rather than with intermediate
      density vesicles from E. coli cells devoid of pullulanase secretion genes. A
      pronounced secretion defect was observed in a two-step secretion assay in which
      the first (sec gene-dependent) and second (pul gene-dependent) secretion steps
      were uncoupled. We propose that the Asp residue increases the efficiency of
      pullulanase secretion by allowing the enzyme to be initially sorted to a region
      of the cell envelope wherein most of the pullulase-specific secretion factors are
      located.

PMID- 1856200
TI  - Determination of binding constants for cooperative site-specific protein-DNA
      interactions using the gel mobility-shift assay.
AB  - We have investigated the question of whether the gel mobility-shift assay can
      provide data that are useful to the demonstration of cooperativity in the site
      specific binding of proteins to DNA. Three common patterns of protein-DNA
      interaction were considered: (i) the cooperative binding of a protein to two
      sites (illustrated by the Escherichia coli Gal repressor); (ii) the cooperative
      binding of a bidentate protein to two sites (illustrated by the E. coli Lac
      repressor); and (iii) the cooperative binding of a protein to three sites
      (illustrated by the lambda cI repressor). A simple, rigorous, and easily
      extendable statistical mechanical approach to the derivation of the binding
      equations for the different patterns is presented. Both simulated and
      experimental data for each case are analyzed. The mobility-shift assay provides
      estimates of the macroscopic binding constants for each step of ligation based on
      its separation of liganded species by the number of ligands bound. Resolution of
      the binding constants depends on the precision with which the equilibrium
      distribution of liganded species is determined over the entire range of titration
      of each of the sites. However, the evaluation of cooperativity from the
      macroscopic binding constants is meaningful only for data that are also accurate.
      Some criteria that are useful in evaluating accuracy are introduced and
      illustrated. Resolution of cooperative effects is robust only for the simplest
      case, in which there are two identical protein binding sites. In this case,
      cooperative effects of up to 1,000-fold are precisely determined. For
      heterogeneous sites, cooperative effects of greater than 1,000-fold are
      resolvable, but weak cooperativity is masked by the heterogeneity. For three-site
      systems, only averaged pair-wise cooperative effects are resolvable.

PMID- 1856201
TI  - Isolation of digoxin-like immunoreactive factors from mammalian adrenal cortex.
AB  - Endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactive factors (DLIF) are present in serum and
      tissues of humans and animals. To date, a tissue source for these factors has not
      been rigorously defined nor have these factors been isolated to identifiable
      homogeneity. In this study, we define the distribution of DLIF in mammalian
      tissues, demonstrate the adrenal cortex to be the principal source of this factor
      in bovine, and isolate DLIF to chromatographic homogeneity using high performance
      liquid chromatography (HPLC). DLIF concentrations in tissue extracts from rats
      measured as follows: adrenal glands, 44.3; serum, 6.3; liver, 5.2; kidney, 1.2;
      heart, brain, or lungs, less than 1.4 ng of digoxin-equivalent per g of protein.
      Human tissues showed similar results. In dogs, the ratio of the DLIF
      concentration in lumbar vein serum to that in infrarenal inferior vena cava serum
      was 3.3 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- S.E., n = 4). Bovine adrenal cortex contained 7 times
      more DLIF per g of tissue than the adrenal medulla. 70 +/- 4% (n = 7) of the
      total bovine cortical DLIF activity (6,159 pg of digoxin-equivalent) applied to a
      reverse phase HPLC column eluted as one definitive fraction. 60% of the digoxin
      like immunoreactivity extracted from bovine serum also co-eluted with DLIF from
      adrenal. None of the 14 steroid molecules or 7 cardiac glycoside congeners co
      eluted with the major DLIF activity. Our data indicate that 947 pmol of DLIF is
      equivalent to 1 pmol of digoxin-equivalent immunoreactivity. Preliminary mass
      spectral analysis suggests that purified DLIF has a molecular mass of 780 daltons
      comprised of one 390-dalton aglycone component plus several sugar moieties. This
      study establishes a definitive link between DLIF in serum and the adrenal cortex
      as a source tissue. We also demonstrate a method for purifying DLIF to
      chromatographic homogeneity with an extraction capacity of 1.2 nmol of DLIF per g
      of adrenal cortex.

PMID- 1856202
TI  - Remodeling of rat hepatocyte phospholipids by selective acyl turnover.
AB  - Acyl turnover of rat hepatocyte phospholipids and triacylglycerols was assessed
      by incubating the cells in media containing 40% H2(18)O and measuring the time
      dependent incorporation of 18O into ester carbonyls by gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry of hydrogenated methyl esters. Incorporation of 18O into 22-carbon
      acyl groups was low in phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and
      phosphatidylserine, whereas in phosphatidylethanolamine, it was about the same as
      in the other acyl groups. Incorporation of 18O into individual molecular species
      of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine was determined after
      phospholipase C hydrolysis, derivatization to dinitrobenzoates, and separation by
      high-performance liquid chromatography. In most molecular species, acyl groups at
      the sn-1 and sn-2 positions became 18O-labeled at drastically different rates,
      indicating remodeling through deacylation-reacylation. Molecular species expected
      to arise de novo from acylation of glycerophosphate exhibited similar rates of
      18O incorporation at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions. The data suggest that
      hepatocyte phospholipids are continually synthesized, remodeled by deacylation
      reacylation at specific turnover rates up to 10-15%/h, and degraded. This acyl
      turnover probably does not involve the majority of intracellular unesterified
      fatty acids whose 18O incorporation was found to be very low. In contrast, the
      oxygens of extracellular unesterified fatty acids were readily exchanged with the
      media. This exchange was enzyme-catalyzed, possibly by lipases released into the
      media from damaged cells. Incorporation of 18O into exogenously added fatty acids
      was also rapid and resulted in enhanced uptake of 18O-labeled fatty acids into
      cellular lipids, primarily triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholine, without
      drastic change of the intracellular free fatty acid pool.

PMID- 1856203
TI  - Co-regulation of a gene homologous to early light-induced genes in higher plants
      and beta-carotene biosynthesis in the alga Dunaliella bardawil.
AB  - Dunaliella bardawil, a unicellular green alga that can be induced to accumulate
      massive amounts of beta-carotene, is particularly suitable for studies of
      carotenogenesis regulation and its links to developmental and adaptive processes
      in the chloroplast. A cDNA clone corresponding to a transcript accumulating
      coordinately with carotenogenesis induction was isolated by differential
      hybridization of a cDNA library made from intensely illuminated cells. This
      transcript was also abundant in algal mutants able to accumulate beta-carotene
      under relatively low light intensity. DNA sequence analysis indicates that cbr
      (for carotene biosynthesis-related) is closely related to early light-induced
      genes (elip) of higher plants. Similarity also exists between repeated
      oligopeptide motifs in Cbr and Cab proteins of photosystems I and II. Three
      upstream direct repeats in cbr include an octamer and hexamer related to
      mammalian sterol regulatory elements. The relationship between cbr transcript and
      beta-carotene accumulation, the structural similarity between Cbr and Cab
      proteins, and the presence of potential SRE-1 elements lead us to propose that
      Cbr represents novel carotenoid binding proteins, whose synthesis might be
      coordinated with carotenogenic enzymes via an evolutionary conserved regulatory
      mechanism.

PMID- 1856204
TI  - Structure of the gene encoding human casein kinase II subunit beta.
AB  - Casein kinase II (CKII) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinase with
      numerous key functions in cell metabolism and growth. The human CKII has a
      tetrameric structure; two catalytic subunits (alpha and alpha') form the
      holoenzyme together with two presumably regulatory subunits (beta). The gene
      encoding CKII subunit beta was isolated from human genomic DNA and analyzed for
      its primary structure using exclusively nonradioactive procedures. The gene was
      found to span 4.2 kilobase pairs and to be composed of seven exons. Exon sizes
      range from 76 (exon 5) to 329 base pairs (bp) (exon 1), intron sizes from 145
      (intron V) to 965 bp (intron II). All exon-intron junctional sequences conform to
      the canonical GT-AG rule. Primer extension analysis determined three
      transcription initiation sites, at 951, 919, and (minor) 840 bp upstream of the
      translation start site. The translation start is located early in the second
      exon; exon 1 is untranslated. The 3'-cleavage/polyadenylation signal sequence (AA
      TAAA) is in the last exon at position 4173 bp relative to the first transcription
      initiation site. The coding sequence for CKII beta comprises 648 nucleotides
      identical to the published CKII beta-cDNA sequence (Jakobi, R., Voss, H., and
      Pyerin, W. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 183, 227-233). The upstream promoter region of
      the CKII beta gene contains multiple potential gene regulatory sequence elements,
      noticeable DNA structures, and the characteristics of a housekeeping gene (more
      than one transcription initiation site, lack of a TATA-box, presence of a CpG
      island, occurrence of multiple GC boxes and of nonstandard positioned CCAAT
      boxes). The CKII beta gene promoter shares common features with that of mammalian
      protein kinases and is closely related to the regulatory subunit gene promoter of
      cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

PMID- 1856205
TI  - Identification, sequence, and expression of the gene encoding a Mr 35,000 subunit
      of the vaccinia virus DNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
AB  - The gene rpo35, encoding a subunit of the vaccinia virus DNA-dependent RNA
      polymerase, was identified, and its RNA and protein products were characterized.
      An Mr 35,000 polypeptide, which bound antibody to the purified RNA polymerase,
      was synthesized in reticulocyte lysates programmed with viral mRNA that
      hybridized to a 2,300-base pair segment of the viral genome. Determination of the
      sequence of the DNA segment revealed four potential protein coding regions, none
      of which had evident similarity to any described RNA polymerase subunit of
      prokaryotes or eukaryotes. One open reading frame that could encode a 35,400-Da
      protein was identified as rpo35 on the basis of mRNA hybridization, cell-free
      translation, and immunoprecipitation. The identification was confirmed by
      sequencing tryptic peptides of the authentic Mr 35,000 RNA polymerase subunit.
      Antiserum to the purified recombinant protein, expressed in bacteria, reacted
      specifically with a Mr 35,000 polypeptide that was detected starting 2 h after
      virus infection and that co-sedimented with RNA polymerase purified from virions.
      RNA analyses indicated that the 5'-end of an early transcript started 25
      nucleotides upstream of rpo35, which is consistent with the location of an early
      promoter consensus sequence.

PMID- 1856206
TI  - Design of constructs for the expression of biologically active recombinant human
      factors X and Xa. Kinetic analysis of the expressed proteins.
AB  - Activation of vitamin K-dependent plasma proteases occurs by specific interaction
      with components of the blood coagulation cascade. In this report, we describe the
      direct expression and enzymatic characterization of the human coagulation zymogen
      factor X and its activated form, factor Xa, from transformed Chinese hamster
      ovary fibroblast cell lines. Expression was achieved using either a full-length
      factor X cDNA or a unique mutant factor Xa cDNA. The functional factor Xa
      precursor contained a novel tripeptide bridge in place of the native 52-amino
      acid activation peptide. This mutation allowed for intracellular processing and
      secretion of the activated form of factor X. Secreted recombinant factors X (rX)
      and Xa (rXa) were purified by sequential anion-exchange and immunoaffinity
      chromatography. The enzymatic activities of factors rX and rXa were compared with
      those of plasma factors X and Xa in three independent assay systems. In
      comparison to human plasma factor X, the amidolytic, prothrombinase complex, and
      plasma clotting activities of factor rX were 50, 85, and 43%, respectively. The
      corresponding comparative activities for factor rXa were 32, 64, and 48%,
      respectively. The ability to directly express mutant forms of biologically active
      human factor X will facilitate the structure/function analysis of this important
      blood coagulation protein and may lead to the development of novel coagulation
      inhibitors.

PMID- 1856207
TI  - Biosynthesis of islet amyloid polypeptide. Elevated expression in mouse beta TC3
      cells.
AB  - Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) messenger RNA levels, biosynthesis, processing,
      and secretion were studied in cultured mouse beta TC3 insulinoma cells. Northern
      blot analysis revealed that the size of IAPP mRNA (0.9 kb) in beta TC3 cells was
      the same as that in normal mouse islets; IAPP mRNA was approximately 60% of the
      level of insulin mRNA in beta TC3 cells. However, the ratio of synthesis of
      insulin to IAPP was approximately 6:1, suggesting that IAPP mRNA is not
      translated efficiently in these cells. Metabolic labeling of beta TC3 cells with
      [3H]leucine revealed the synthesis of both a precursor form of IAPP (pro-IAPP) of
      apparent Mr 7400 and a mature form (IAPP) of apparent Mr 3900. In pulse-chase
      experiments, pro-IAPP could be shown to be processed to IAPP in a manner similar
      to proinsulin. The t1/2 for conversion of pro-IAPP to IAPP was about 25 min,
      faster than the t1/2 for proinsulin to insulin of 70 min. A significant
      proportion of newly synthesized IAPP and insulin precursors were secreted via a
      constitutive pathway from beta TC3 cells. Possible effects of dexamethasone and
      forskolin on IAPP mRNA levels and biosynthesis were examined but no effects were
      observed. In conclusion, the IAPP gene is strongly expressed in beta TC3 cells
      leading to the biosynthesis, proteolytic processing, and secretion of IAPP, a
      putative islet hormone.

PMID- 1856208
TI  - Cross-linking of residue 57 in the regulatory domain of a mutant rabbit skeletal
      muscle troponin C to the inhibitory region of troponin I.
AB  - Interactions between troponin C (TnC) and troponin I (TnI) play an important role
      in the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of vertebrate striated muscle contraction. In
      the present study, we investigated the sites of interaction between the N
      terminal regulatory domain of TnC and the inhibitory region (residues 96-116) of
      TnI, using a mutant rabbit skeletal TnC (designated as TnC57) that contains a
      single Cys at residue 57 in the C-helix. TnC57 was modified with the
      photoreactive cross-linker 4-maleimidobenzophenone (BP-Mal), and, after formation
      of a binary complex with TnI, cross-linking between the proteins was induced by
      photolysis. The resulting product was cleaved with CNBr and several proteases,
      and peptides containing cross-links were purified and subjected to amino acid
      sequencing. The results show that Cys-57 of TnC57 is cross-linked to the segment
      of TnI spanning residues 113-121. Previously, we showed that Cys-98 of TnC can be
      cross-linked via BP-Mal to TnI residues 103-110 (Leszyk, J., Collins, J.H.,
      Leavis, P.C., and Tao, T. (1987) Biochemistry 26, 7042-7047). Taken together,
      these results demonstrate that both the C- and the N-terminal domains of TnC
      interact with the inhibitory region of TnI and are consistent with the hypothesis
      that, in a complex with TnI, TnC adopts a more compact conformation than in the
      crystal structure.

PMID- 1856209
TI  - Hepatitis B virus X protein transactivates human interleukin-8 gene through
      acting on nuclear factor kB and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-like cis-elements.
AB  - Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a newly described leukocyte chemotactic and activating
      cytokine that belongs to the novel family of inflammatory cytokines whose genes
      locate on human chromosome 4, q12-21 region. The production of IL-8 is usually
      not constitutive and can be induced rapidly and abundantly in different cell
      types by a variety of stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide, interleukin-1, tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha as well as a tumor promotor phorbol myristate acetate. We
      report here that in addition to these stimuli the IL-8 gene can also be induced
      by the protein X of the hepatitis B virus (HBV-X) as evidenced by the enhanced IL
      8 mRNA expression and IL-8 production observed in HBV-X-transfected cells.
      Furthermore, using several deletion mutants of the 5'-flanking regulatory region
      of the human IL-8 gene linked to the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene as a
      reporter, we have established here that both nuclear factor kB and CCAAT/enhancer
      binding protein-like cis-elements located at -94 to -71 base pairs of IL-8 gene
      are essential and sufficient for the induction of the IL-8 gene by HBV-X. The
      same elements have been identified recently by us to be interleukin-1-, tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha-, and phorbol myristate acetate-responsive elements on the
      IL-8 gene. This suggests the existence of a common pathway for these inflammatory
      cytokines and HBV-X to activate the IL-8 gene. These observations might be
      relevant to the pathogenesis of inflammation in viral hepatitis.

PMID- 1856210
TI  - The polymeric hemoglobin molecule of Artemia. Interpretation of translated cDNA
      sequence of nine domains.
AB  - Translated cDNA for Artemia hemoglobin provided sequence data for almost nine
      domains, from the fourth residue of the A helix of one domain through 1405
      residues to a stop codon after the ninth domain. The domain sequences were all
      different (homology between pairs 17-38%) but aligned well with each other and
      with conventional globins, satisfying the requirements for Phe at CD1, His at F8
      and most other highly conserved features of globins including His at E7. Features
      found to be characteristic of Artemia globin and present in all nine domains were
      Phe at B10, Tyr at C4, Gly at F5, Phe at G5 and Gly at H22. Approximately 14
      residues including a consensus -Val-Asp-Pro-Val-Thr-Gly-Leu- were available to
      form the linker between each pair of domains. The Artemia sequence data were
      compared with the crystal structures of Chironomus thummi thummi erythrocruorin
      III and sperm whale myoglobin in order to identify features of structural
      similarity and to examine the consequences of the differences. The Artemia
      sequences were compatible with the main helices and critical features of the
      globin fold. Possible modifications to the C helix, FG turn, and GH turn were
      studied in terms of molecular coordinates.

PMID- 1856211
TI  - Thrombin Glu-39 restricts the P'3 specificity to nonacidic residues.
AB  - Residue 39 of serine proteases neighbors positions P'2 to P'4 of the substrate.
      When Glu-39 of thrombin is replaced with Lys, the resultant enzyme (E39K) retains
      similar P1, P2, and P3 specificities but has altered P'3 and/or P'4
      specificities. These conclusions are based on analysis of both p-nitroanilide and
      synthetic peptide hydrolysis. The activity of E39K is nearly normal toward 17 p
      nitroanilide substrates. In peptide substrates, an acidic residue at either the
      P3 or P'3 position reduces the rate of cleavage by thrombin. A single
      substitution of Asp with Gly in either the P3 or P'3 position of a peptide
      corresponding to the P7-P'5 residues of protein C increases the rate of cleavage
      by thrombin 2-3-fold. Replacement of both Asp residues with Gly increases the
      rate of cleavage 30-fold. With E39K, the inhibitory effect of Asp in P3 remains
      unchanged, but Asp in the P'3 site is no longer inhibitory. Significant
      differences in the catalytic activity of E39K are also seen with respect to
      protein C activation. In the absence of thrombomodulin, E39K activates protein C
      2.2 times faster than thrombin. In the presence of thrombomodulin, the rate of
      protein C activation is similar for E39K and thrombin. The second order rate
      constant of inhibition by antithrombin III, where P'4 is a Glu, is slightly
      increased (1.4-fold). The clotting activity is reduced 2.4-fold due to a lower
      rate of fibrinopeptides A and B release where P'3 is Arg. These data show that
      the P'3 position is a determinant of thrombin specificity and suggest that
      thrombomodulin may function in part by alleviating the inhibitory effects that
      may arise from the proximity of the Asp in P'3 of protein C with Glu-39 of
      thrombin.

PMID- 1856212
TI  - Identification of critical amino acid residues in human and mouse granulocyte
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor and their involvement in species
      specificity.
AB  - Segments critical to the activity of human granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were identified by scanning deletion analysis and
      compared with the critical regions previously identified in the homologous mouse
      GM-CSF protein. Three of the four critical regions thus identified are in
      equivalent positions in their respective polypeptides, while a fourth critical
      region of each is uniquely located. To investigate whether unique critical
      regions are responsible for the observed species specificity of human and mouse
      GM-CSF, all critical regions were substituted into their opposite homologue. This
      identified one specific, but different, critical region in each homologue that
      could not be replaced. Further characterization of the nature of the species
      specificity of these two proteins was accomplished by the generation of a series
      of human/mouse GM-CSF hybrids. Each hybrid protein was assayed for specific
      activity on human- and mouse GM-CSF-dependent cell lines. Significant differences
      in the specific activity of these hybrids was observed, suggesting that different
      segments of each molecule interact with their respective receptors. Based on
      these two approaches, individual amino acids were identified that could provide,
      at least in part, the interactions between these protein ligands and their
      respective receptors. These residues are Thr-78 and Met-80 in human GM-CSF and
      Asp-92, Thr-98, and Asp-102 in mouse GM-CSF.

PMID- 1856213
TI  - Secretion in yeast. Purification and in vitro translocation of chemical amounts
      of prepro-alpha-factor.
AB  - The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating pheromone precursor, prepro-alpha-factor, can
      be translocated across yeast endoplasmic reticulum membranes post-translationally
      in an in vitro system. This characteristic makes prepro-alpha-factor potentially
      useful as a probe in the biochemical dissection of the mechanism of this basic
      cellular process. Efforts have been limited by the inability to isolate
      sufficient quantities of such secretory protein precursors in a translocation
      competent form. We report here the one-step purification of chemical amounts of
      translocation-competent prepro-alpha-factor using nickel ion affinity
      chromatography on nitrilotriacetate resin. An oligonucleotide encoding 6
      histidine residues was inserted into a genomic clone encoding prepro-alpha-factor
      5' of the naturally occurring translational stop codon by site-directed
      mutagenesis. The construct was expressed at high levels in a SecY- strain of
      Escherichia coli. The produced preprotein was solubilized in 6 M guanidine
      hydrochloride and bound to nitrilotriacetate resin. Prepro-alpha-factor was
      recovered at a purity in excess of 95% by elution with 0.25 M imidazole, 8 M
      urea, which competitively displaced the histidine affinity tag from the nickel
      column. The chemical amounts of prepro-alpha-factor obtained in this way were
      determined to be competent for translocation across yeast microsomal membranes
      and for subsequent modifications such as signal sequence cleavage and N-linked
      glycosylation.

PMID- 1856214
TI  - Ribosomal proteins P0, P1, and P2 are phosphorylated by casein kinase II at their
      conserved carboxyl termini.
AB  - A potential casein kinase II (CK II) recognition site is located within the
      conserved carboxyl (COOH) terminus of the ribosomal P (phospho) proteins P0, P1,
      and P2. To determine whether the COOH termini of the P proteins are physiological
      substrates for CK II, we studied the phosphorylation of the P proteins in vitro
      and in intact cells. The results show that the addition of exogenous purified CK
      II and ATP to intact ribosomes in vitro resulted in the relatively selective
      phosphorylation of all three P proteins. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the
      COOH-terminal 22 amino acids of P2 (C-22) was also phosphorylated by CK II with a
      Km of 13.4 microM. An endogenous ribosome-associated, CK II-like enzyme also
      phosphorylated the P proteins relatively selectively in the presence of 10 mM
      Mg2+ and ATP. The endogenous kinase was inhibited by heparin, utilized either ATP
      or GTP as a phosphate donor, and phosphorylated casein. A CK II-specific peptide
      (Arg-Arg-Arg-Glu-Glu-Glu-Thr-Glu-Glu-Glu) and the C-22 peptide inhibited the
      phosphorylation of the P proteins by the endogenous kinase, providing further
      evidence for its CK II-like properties and for localization of the CK II
      phosphorylation site to the COOH termini of the P proteins. Tryptic
      phosphopeptide maps of P1 and P2 phosphorylated by exogenous CK II and the
      endogenous ribosome-bound kinase were virtually identical. These phosphopeptides
      comigrated with the tryptic digest of C-22 and with the tryptic phosphopeptides
      derived from P1 and P2 isolated from intact cells metabolically labeled with
      [32P]orthophosphate in vivo. These studies demonstrate that exogenous CK II and a
      ribosome-bound, CK II-like enzyme phosphorylate the ribosomal P proteins in vitro
      and localize the target site for phosphorylation to the COOH terminus. The
      incorporation of phosphate into the same target site in intact cells indicates
      that the P proteins are in vivo substrates of CK II.

PMID- 1856215
TI  - The chicken tropomyosin 1 gene generates nine mRNAs by alternative splicing.
AB  - Skeletal muscle beta-tropomyosin, smooth muscle alpha-tropomyosin, and a low
      molecular weight fibroblast tropomyosin are generated by alternatively splicing
      RNA transcripts of the chicken tropomyosin 1 (TM 1) gene (Forry-Schaudies, S.,
      Maihle, N. J., and Hughes, S. H. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 211; 321-330). Two novel
      tropomyosin cDNAs that derive from mRNAs of the TM 1 gene have been isolated from
      a chicken embryo brain cDNA library. Brain cDNA BRT-1 is 2.2 kilobases in length
      and encodes 283 amino acids. It is identical to skeletal muscle beta-tropomyosin
      from amino acids 1 to 258. The sequence 3' of this point is unique to BRT-1; a
      comparison to genomic sequence indicates that a new carboxyl-terminal exon is
      used to generate this sequence. 1.4-kilobase brain cDNA BRT-2 contains sequences
      found in both fibroblast cDNA FT-beta (5'-end) and skeletal muscle cDNA SKT-beta
      (3'-end). RNase and S1 nuclease assays using RNA samples from leg muscle,
      gizzard, fibroblasts, and brain indicate that the TM 1 gene expresses four
      additional tropomyosin RNAs by alternately splicing previously characterized
      exons. These results demonstrate that the chicken TM 1 gene encodes nine
      tropomyosin RNAs through the use of two promoters, two internal exons that are
      mutually exclusive, and three 3'-exons. Implications for the regulation of
      alternative splicing are discussed.

PMID- 1856216
TI  - Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces oligomerization of soluble, extracellular,
      ligand-binding domain of EGF receptor. A low resolution projection structure of
      the ligand-binding domain.
AB  - Ligand-induced oligomerization is a universal phenomenon among growth factor
      receptors. Although the mechanism involved is yet to be defined, much evidence
      indicates that receptor oligomerization plays a crucial role in receptor
      activation and signal transduction. Here we show that epidermal growth factor
      (EGF) is able to stimulate the oligomerization of a recombinant, soluble,
      extracellular ligand-binding domain of EGF receptor. Covalent cross-linking
      experiments, analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis, size
      exclusion chromatography, and electron microscopy demonstrate that receptor
      dimers, trimers and larger multimers are formed in response to EGF. This
      establishes that receptor oligomerization is an intrinsic property of the
      extracellular ligand-binding domain of EGF receptor. Ligand-induced
      conformational change in the extracellular domain will stimulate receptor
      receptor interactions. This may bring about the allosteric change involved in
      signal transduction from the extracellular domain across the plasma membrane,
      resulting in the activation of the cytoplasmic kinase domain. Electron
      microscopic images of individual extracellular ligand-binding domains appear as
      clusters of four similarly-sized stain-excluding areas arranged around a central,
      relatively less stain-excluded area. This suggests that the extracellular ligand
      binding domain is structurally composed of four separate domains.

PMID- 1856217
TI  - Outer membrane translocation of the extracellular enzyme pullulanase in
      Escherichia coli K12 does not require a fatty acylated N-terminal cysteine.
AB  - Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct three mutant derivatives of the
      extracellular, cell surface lipoprotein pullulanase (PulA) in which the normally
      fatty acylated cysteine of the signal peptide-bearing precursor was replaced by
      other amino acids. When produced in Escherichia coli expressing all genes
      required for pullulanase secretion, approximately 90% of the PulA derivatives
      persisted as cell-associated precursors, indicating inefficient signal peptide
      processing. Processed (intermediate-sized) forms of the two derivatives that were
      studied in detail were found to result from proteolytic cleavage at different
      sites within the signal peptide. Both were further processed to smaller
      polypeptides by cleavage at an undetermined site that is presumably close to
      their C termini. The intermediate-sized pullulanase derived from prepullulanase
      in which Cys+1 had been replaced by Leu and Gly-1 by Glu (PulA:C1L/G-1E) appeared
      rapidly, was apparently entirely extracellular, and accounted for approximately
      10% of synthesized PulA. Prolonged incubation did not result in further
      conversion of the precursor to the intermediate form, and the precursor remained
      anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane. The smaller processed form was also found
      extracellularly. The active form of the extracellular enzyme was monomeric, which
      is again in contrast to the fatty acylated, wild-type enzyme. Taken together,
      these results indicate that replacement of Cys+1 of prePulA eliminates processing
      by lipoprotein signal peptidase and does not permit processing by leader
      peptidase, but allows inefficient, aberrant processing by an unknown peptidase
      and immediate secretion of the resulting polypeptide, which retains most of its
      signal peptide. Processing and secretion only occur when the pullulanase
      secretion functions are expressed.

PMID- 1856218
TI  - Ethidium bromide does not fluoresce when intercalated adjacent to 7-deazaguanine
      in duplex DNA.
AB  - Several synthetic DNAs were prepared containing the unusual bases 7-deazaadenine
      (c7A) and 7-deazaguanine (c7G). As judged from changes in melting temperatures
      these modified DNAs bound ethidium to a similar extent as the parent polymers.
      However, duplexes such as poly [d(Tc7G)].poly[d(CA)] and poly[d
      (TC)].poly[d(c7GA]) gave no enhancement of ethidium fluorescence in a standard
      ethidium fluorescence assay. Fluorescence spectra in the range 400-650 nm showed
      that ethidium bound to poly[d(TC)].poly[d(Gc7A)] gave 70% of the fluorescence of
      the parent polymer poly[d(TC)].poly[d(GA)], whereas the fluorescence of
      poly[d(TC)].poly[d(c7GA)] was essentially 0%. Even the intrinsic fluorescence of
      ethidium in solution was quenched in the presence of poly[d(TC)].poly[d(c7GA)].
      Binding constants were estimated from Scatchard analysis and were 4.8, 3.4, and
      2.0 x 10(6) M-1 for poly[d(TC)].poly[d(GA)], poly[d(TC)].poly[d(Gc7A)], and
      poly[d(TC)].poly[d(c7GA)], respectively. This reduction in binding constant
      cannot account for the loss of fluorescence. The UV spectrum of ethidium was
      measured in the presence of these DNAs, and some significant differences were
      noted. Presumably the presence of 7-deazaguanine alters the electronic structure
      of bound ethidium so that it can no longer fluoresce.

PMID- 1856219
TI  - The oxidative inactivation of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 results from
      a conformational change in the molecule and does not require the involvement of
      the P1' methionine.
AB  - Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) is sensitive to oxidative inactivation,
      and it has been suggested that specific oxidation of a methionine residue,
      Met347, situated in the P1' position of the reactive center may be the cause of
      the inactivation. To test this hypothesis we have purified and biochemically
      characterized mutant proteins of PAI-1 in which Met347 and either of two other
      methionines, Met266 or Met354, has been replaced with oxidation-resistant valine
      residues. The mutant proteins were found to be equally sensitive to oxidation as
      wild-type PAI-1, suggesting that a specific oxidation of the P1' Met347 is not
      responsible for the inactivation. When PAI-1 was oxidized, circular dichroism
      analysis revealed a rapid conformational change that correlated to the loss of
      inhibitory activity. The oxidation sensitivity of PAI-1 was enhanced dramatically
      in the presence of 0.001% sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the circular dichroism
      spectrum was significantly different from that of untreated PAI-1, suggesting
      that the increased sensitivity to oxidation may be caused by a conformational
      change in the inhibitor molecule. Taken together, our data suggest that the
      oxidative inactivation of PAI-1 is not caused by the specific oxidation of the
      P1' methionine but results from a conformational change in the protein structure.

PMID- 1856220
TI  - Myristic acid utilization and processing in BC3H1 muscle cells.
AB  - Because myristic acid (14:0) is important in regulating cell function, we have
      studied its utilization in BC3H1 muscle cells. Phosphatidylcholine contained 70
      80% of the [9,10-3H]14:0 radioactivity incorporated into the cell phospholipids.
      In both myoblasts and myocytes, however, large amounts of radioactivity also
      accumulated in a labile neutral lipid pool consisting mostly of triacylglycerol.
      Therefore, radioactive lipid products formed when BC3H1 cells labeled with 14:0
      are stimulated are not necessarily derived only from phosphatidylcholine.
      Elongation of [9,10-3H]14:0 occurred rapidly in the myoblasts and myocytes, and
      extensive desaturation also occurred in the myoblasts. Thus, even after short
      periods of labeling, substantial amounts of radioactivity are contained in fatty
      acids other than 14:0. The labeling of proteins with [9,10-3H]myristic acid was
      generally similar in the myoblasts and myocytes. A number of lipid-soluble, polar
      radioactive metabolites were released into the medium during incubation of [9,10
      3H]14:0 with the cells. [1-14C] 14:0 was not converted to these compounds,
      indicating that they are chain-shortened 14:0 derivatives. Based on chemical
      analysis, two of the major products appear to be hydroxylated fatty acids. This
      oxidation process shows some specificity for 14:0 because similar compounds were
      not produced from palmitic, oleic, or linoleic acids. The myocytes formed larger
      amounts of the metabolites than the myoblasts, suggesting that differentiation
      may increase the activity of this 14:0 oxidative pathway.

PMID- 1856221
TI  - Biosynthesis of glycosylated human lysozyme mutants.
AB  - Complementary DNA encoding human lysozyme was subjected to oligonucleotide
      directed mutagenesis. At one of three selected positions, amino acid residues 22,
      68, or 118, the signal for N-linked glycosylation was created. The mutant DNAs
      were inserted into a eucaryotic vector and transfected into cultured hamster
      cells. The three mutant cDNAs directed synthesis of lysozyme mutants, which were
      named LI, LII, and LIII. The mutant lysozymes LI and LII comprised mixtures of
      glycosylated and nonglycosylated forms. The glycosylated and nonglycosylated
      forms of mutant LI were found to have an enzymatic activity similar to normal
      human milk lysozyme. The usage of the glycosylation sites in the mutants was
      similar in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and baby hamster kidney cells.
      Approximately two of every three molecules in mutant LI, approximately one of
      every eight molecules in mutant LII, and practically no molecules in mutant LIII
      became glycosylated. In CHO cells, the processing of the oligosaccharide side
      chains yielded several larger products than in baby hamster kidney cells. This
      size variability of glycosylated lysozyme from CHO cells may be explained by the
      presence of biantennary and triantennary endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H
      resistant oligosaccharides with N-acetyllactosamine repeats of variable length
      and by the presence of hybrid oligosaccharides, as suggested by affinity to
      several lectins and sensitivity to endo-beta-galactosidase. In both cell types,
      the majority of the glycosylated forms were secreted and thus behaved similarly
      to nonglycosylated lysozyme. A small proportion of mutant LI lysozyme remained
      associated with the cells. The retained lysozyme was recruited predominantly from
      the molecules bearing high mannose oligosaccharides. These molecules were
      targeted to lysosomes, and their carbohydrate was trimmed to an endo-beta-N
      acetylglucosaminidase H-resistant form. Owing to the small size of mutant LI
      lysozyme, minor changes in the size of its carbohydrate moiety result in
      detectable changes in the electrophoretic mobility of the whole glycoprotein. We
      suggest that this novel glycoprotein could be used as a reporter in studies on
      processing and segregation of glycoproteins.

PMID- 1856222
TI  - Differential regulation of iron regulatory element-binding protein(s) in cell
      extracts of activated lymphocytes versus monocytes-macrophages.
AB  - The intracellular iron level exerts a negative feedback on transferrin receptor
      (TfR) expression in cells requiring iron for their proliferation, in contrast to
      the positive feedback observed in monocytes-macrophages. It has been suggested
      recently that modulation of TfR and ferritin synthesis by iron is mediated
      through a cytoplasmic protein(s) (iron regulatory element-binding protein(s) (IRE
      BP)), which interacts with ferritin and TfR mRNA at the level of hairpin
      structures (IRE), thus leading to inhibition of transferrin mRNA degradation and
      repression of ferritin mRNA translation. In the present study we have evaluated
      in parallel the level of TfR expression, ferritin, and IRE-BP in cultures of: (i)
      circulating human lymphocytes stimulated to proliferate by phytohemagglutinin
      (PHA) and (ii) circulating human monocytes maturing in vitro to macrophages. The
      cells were grown in either standard or iron-supplemented culture. TfR and
      ferritin expression was evaluated at both the protein and mRNA level. IRE-BP
      activity was measured by gel retardation assay in the absence or presence of beta
      mercaptoethanol (spontaneous or total IRE-BP activity, respectively). Spontaneous
      IRE-BP activity, already present at low level in quiescent T lymphocytes, shows a
      gradual and marked increase in PHA-stimulated T cells from day 1 of culture
      onward. This increase is directly and strictly correlated with the initiation and
      gradual rise of TfR expression, which is in turn associated with a decrease of
      ferritin content. Both the rise of TfR and spontaneous IRE-BP activity are
      completely inhibited in iron-supplemented T cell cultures. In contrast, the total
      IRE-BP level is similar in both quiescent and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, grown
      in cultures supplemented or not with iron salts. Monocytes maturing in vitro to
      macrophages show a sharp increase of spontaneous and, to a lesser extent, total
      IRE-BP; the addition of iron moderately stimulates the spontaneous IRE-BP
      activity but not the total one. Here again, the rise of spontaneous IRE-BP from
      very low to high activity is strictly related to the parallel increase of TfR
      expression and, suprisingly, also with a very pronounced rise of ferritin
      expression observed at both the mRNA and protein level. It is noteworthy the
      effect of beta-mercaptoethanol is cell specific, i.e. the ratio of total versus
      spontaneous IRE-BP activity is different in activated lymphocytes and maturing
      monocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1856223
TI  - Single nucleotide resolution of sterol regulatory region in promoter for 3
      hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase.
AB  - Sterol-dependent regulation of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG
      CoA) reductase promoter was previously localized to a 42-base pair region
      containing an octamer sequence, referred to as the sterol regulatory element (SRE
      1). A similar motif is found in the region of DNA that is required for sterol
      dependent regulation of the HMG-CoA synthase and low density lipoprotein receptor
      genes. Single nucleotide substitution analyses of the low density lipoprotein
      receptor and HMG-CoA synthase promoters confirmed that the SRE-1 is an important
      sterol regulatory motif. In the current studies, a series of single nucleotide
      mutations were introduced into the HMG-CoA reductase regulatory region and
      transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells. RNA produced by each mutant
      promoter was then measured in the presence or absence of sterols. Thirty-seven
      independent mutations were analyzed, and two separate domains were identified as
      being critical. One essential region was spread over 10 bases and contained half
      of the SRE-1; however, the other half of the SRE-1 was not important for sterol
      regulation. The second essential region spanned four contiguous bases. These two
      critical elements are separated from each other by three nonessential bases. The
      results are interpreted to suggest that regulation of HMG-CoA reductase gene
      transcription by sterols requires additional or possibly separate factors from
      those required for sterol regulation of the low density lipoprotein receptor and
      HMG-CoA synthase promoters.

PMID- 1856224
TI  - The HgaI restriction-modification system contains two cytosine methylase genes
      responsible for modification of different DNA strands.
AB  - A DNA fragment of about 3.4 kilobase pairs that expressed the HgaI modification
      activity was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of Haemophilus gallinarum, and its
      nucleotide sequence was determined. Two open reading frames (ORF) which could
      code for structurally similar proteins were identified in the upstream and middle
      regions and a truncated ORF in the downstream region in the same orientation.
      When the respective ORFs were separately cloned, the clones carrying the upstream
      and middle ORFs both expressed the modification activity, indicating that the two
      genes are involved in modification of the HgaI restriction-modification system.
      In order to determine the sites of modification precisely, the respective genes
      were recloned into an expression vector, from which gene products were purified.
      A short DNA fragment carrying the HgaI recognition site was treated with each of
      these enzymes, and, after separation of the two strands by duplex formation with
      M13 viral DNAs carrying the respective strands, the presence or absence of
      modification was judged from susceptibility to HgaI endonuclease. The results of
      analysis showed that different strands were modified in an asymmetric way by each
      gene product. Analysis of the species and positions of modified bases by the
      Maxam-Gilbert method further demonstrated that the gene products from the
      upstream and middle ORFs participated in methylation of the internal cytosine
      residues of the strands carrying 3'-CTGCG-5' and 5'-GACGC-3', respectively. We
      concluded that the HgaI modification system consisted of two cytosine methylase
      genes responsible for modification of different strands in the target DNA.

PMID- 1856226
TI  - Localization and structure of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of type IV
      collagen from glomerular basement membrane and lens capsule.
AB  - Analysis of the Sephacryl S-200 fractionated type IV collagen domains from bovine
      and human glomerular basement membranes (GBM) and calf anterior lens capsule
      (ALC) indicated that Asn-linked oligosaccharides are primarily or exclusively
      localized in the 7 S region, whereas the hydroxylysine-linked Glc alpha 1----2Gal
      disaccharides (Glc-Gal-Hyl) are present in all the major segments of the molecule
      (7 S, NC1, and helical domain); no Ser/Thr-linked saccharide were detected. The
      Asn-linked carbohydrate units observed in the 7 S domain (Mr approximately
      300,000) occurred in a number equal to the 12 polypeptide chains constituting
      this cross-linked region, and this was consistent with lectin blots of the
      reduced electrophoretically resolved 7 S components. Fractionation of the N
      glycanase and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase-released oligosaccharides by
      concanavalin A affinity and high performance liquid chromatography indicated that
      the Asn-linked carbohydrate occurred predominantly in the form of complex tri-
      and biantennary units, although submolar amounts of polymannose variants (Man5
      7GlcNAc2) were also present in calf ALC and bovine GBM. Structural studies of the
      complex N-linked oligosaccharides employing hydrazine/nitrous acid fragmentation
      and glycosidase digestions indicated a pattern in which there was complete
      fucosylation of the innermost GlcNAc residue of the Man3GlcNAc2 core but only
      sparse substitution with capping groups of the nonrepeating N-acetyllactosamine
      branches. Whether tri- or biantennary, the oligosaccharides from bovine GBM
      contained only one capping residue, in the form of either NeuAc or alpha-D-Gal,
      whereas those from ALC had only a single alpha-D-Gal and no NeuAc; human GBM
      oligosaccharides were devoid of both NeuAc and alpha-D-Gal. The absence of
      terminal alpha-D-Gal in the human 7 S domain was reflected in its lack of
      reactivity with Bandeiraea simplicifolia I and from its failure to yield Gal
      alpha 1----3Gal beta 1----4 [3H]anhydromannitol after hydrazine/nitrous
      acid/NaB3H4 treatment. Application of the latter procedure to the collagen
      domains yielded, in addition to fragments from the N-linked oligosaccharides, a
      disaccharide (Glc alpha 1----2[3H]galactitol) derived from the Glc-Gal-Hyl units.
      The localization of Asn-linked carbohydrate units in the evolutionarily conserved
      7S domain of type IV collagens suggests that these oligosaccharides may play a
      role in the assembly of the collagen network of basement membranes.

PMID- 1856227
TI  - The priB and priC replication proteins of Escherichia coli. Genes, DNA sequence,
      overexpression, and purification.
AB  - The Escherichia coli DNA replication proteins n and n" function in vitro in the
      assembly of the primosome, a mobile multiprotein replication priming complex
      thought to operate on the lagging-strand template at the E. coli DNA replication
      fork. Both proteins have been purified from E. coli HMS83 cells based on their
      requirement for the reconstitution of bacteriophage phi X174 complementary strand
      DNA synthesis in vitro with purified proteins. As a step toward understanding the
      role of these proteins in vivo, the genes for primosomal proteins n and n",
      designated priB and priC, respectively, have been cloned molecularly. priB
      encodes a 104-amino acid 11.4-kDa polypeptide and corresponds to an previously
      identified open reading frame between rpsF and rps R within a ribosomal protein
      operon at 95.5 min on the E. coli chromosome. priC encodes a 175-amino acid 20.3
      kDa polypeptide. These two gene products were overexpressed at least 1000-fold in
      E. coli using a bacteriophage T7 transient expression system. Both proteins have
      been purified to apparent homogeneity from extracts prepared from these
      overproducing strains.

PMID- 1856225
TI  - A long helix from the central region of smooth muscle caldesmon.
AB  - The central region of smooth muscle caldesmon is predicted to form alpha-helices
      on the basis of its primary structure. We have isolated a fragment (CT54) that
      contains this region. The hydrodynamic properties and the electron microscopic
      images suggest that CT54 is an elongated (35 nm), monomeric molecule. The
      circular dichroic spectrum yields an overall alpha-helical content of 55-58%.
      These results are consistent with the model that the middle portion of CT54 forms
      a long stretch of single-stranded alpha-helix. Such a structure, if it in fact
      exists, is thought to be stabilized by numerous salt bridges between charged
      residues at positions i and i + 4. The structural characteristics of this
      fragment not only represent an unusual protein configuration but also provide
      information about the functional role of caldesmon in smooth muscle contraction.

PMID- 1856228
TI  - Immunoglobulins as nucleating proteins in the gallbladder bile of patients with
      cholesterol gallstones.
AB  - The gallbladder bile of patients with cholesterol gallstones contains
      pronucleating proteins which accelerate precipitation of cholesterol crystals
      from bile. In this study we have improved the purification procedure developed
      earlier for these nucleating proteins and have now identified the nature of these
      proteins. Gallbladder bile from patients with cholesterol gallstones was applied
      to concanavalin A affinity columns. The ConA-binding glycoprotein fractions
      containing the nucleating proteins were then separated by FPLC (fast protein
      liquid chromatography) using a Superose 12 gel filtration column. Nucleating
      activity was detected in the high molecular weight (FPLC-1) as well as in the low
      molecular weight fractions (FPLC-3). Investigation of the high molecular weight
      fraction by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by
      electroelution and amino acid sequencing suggested that these proteins were
      immunoglobulins. Immunostaining of Western blots with specific monoclonal
      antibodies identified the presence of immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgA in the FPLC-1
      fraction. These immunoglobulins were further purified by affinity chromatography
      employing an antibody exchanger (ABx) column which specifically binds
      immunoglobulins. There was no reduction in the cholesterol nucleating activity in
      the Abx-bound fraction compared to FPLC-1. Additional studies showed that the
      FPLC-1 fraction was significantly more potent than the ConA glycoproteins from
      either rapid and slow nucleating biles. Also the number of crystals formed was
      significantly greater in the FPLC-1 fraction isolated from cholesterol gallstone
      biles than from the FPLC-1 fraction from control patient biles. Commercially
      obtained IgM and IgA had no effect on nucleation, but IgM isolated from the serum
      of patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia did accelerate the nucleation of
      cholesterol. We conclude that the IgM and possibly IgA are pronucleating proteins
      and may be important in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones in man.

PMID- 1856229
TI  - Bovine liver aspartyl beta-hydroxylase. Purification and characterization.
AB  - The alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, L-asp(L-Asn)-beta-hydroxylase
      which posttranslationally hydroxylates specific aspartic acid (asparagine)
      residues within epidermal growth factor-like domains was purified from bovine
      liver and characterized. A 52-kDa and a 56-kDa species of this enzyme, which
      accounted for 60 and 30% of the total enzymatic activity, respectively, were
      purified to apparent homogeneity. Amino-terminal sequence analyses and
      immunoblots utilizing antisera raised to the intact 52-kDa species as well as to
      two complementary fragments of this species demonstrated that the 52- and 56-kDa
      species differ by a 22-amino acid amino-terminal extension. The remaining 10% of
      the purified enzymatic activity could be accounted for by the presence of
      immunologically related higher molecular mass forms (56-90 kDa) of L-Asp(L-Asn)
      beta-hydroxylase. Strong evidence was obtained from the results of
      immunoextraction studies that L-Asp(L-Asn)-beta-hydroxylase can be identified
      with the purified proteins. Kinetic and physical studies suggest that L-Asp(L
      Asn)-beta-hydroxylase exists as a monomer with a compact catalytic domain and an
      extended protease-sensitive amino terminus whose function remains to be
      determined. Since the purified L-Asp(L-Asn)-beta-hydroxylase hydroxylated both L
      Asp- and L-Asn-containing substrates, it is possible that a single enzyme is
      responsible for the hydroxylation of Asp and Asn residues in vivo.

PMID- 1856230
TI  - Function of eukaryotic initiation factor 5 in the formation of an 80 S ribosomal
      polypeptide chain initiation complex.
AB  - Eukaryotic initiation factor 5 (eIF-5), isolated from rabbit reticulocyte
      lysates, is a monomeric protein of 58-62 kDa. The function of eIF-5 in the
      formation of an 80 S polypeptide chain initiation complex from a 40 S initiation
      complex has been investigated. Incubation of the isolated 40 S initiation complex
      (40 S.AUG.Met.tRNAf.eIF-2 GTP) with eIF-5 resulted in the rapid and quantitative
      hydrolysis of GTP bound to the 40 S initiation complex. The rate of this reaction
      was unaffected by the presence of 60 S ribosomal subunits. Analysis of eIF-5
      catalyzed reaction products by gel filtration indicated that both eIF-2.GDP
      binary complex and Pi formed were released from the ribosomal complex whereas Met
      tRNAf remained bound to 40 S ribosomes as a Met-tRNAf.40 S.AUG complex. Reactions
      carried out with biologically active 32P-labeled eIF-5 indicated that this
      protein was not associated with the 40 S.AUG.Met-tRNAf complex; similar results
      were obtained by immunological methods using monospecific anti-eIF-5 antibodies.
      The isolated 40 S.AUG.Met-RNAf complex, free of eIF-2.GDP binary complex and eIF
      5, readily interacted with 60 S ribosomal subunits in the absence of exogenously
      added eIF-5 to form the 80 S initiation complex capable of transferring Met-tRNAf
      into peptide linkages. These results indicate that the sole function of eIF-5 in
      the initiation of protein synthesis is to mediate hydrolysis of GTP bound to the
      40 S initiation complex in the absence of 60 S ribosomal subunits. This leads to
      formation of the intermediate 40 S.AUG.Met-tRNAf and dissociation of the eIF
      2.GDP binary complex. Subsequent joining of 60 S ribosomal subunits to the
      intermediate 40 S.AUG.Met-tRNAf complex does not require participation of eIF-5.
      Thus, the formation of an 80 S ribosomal polypeptide chain initiation complex
      from a 40 S ribosomal initiation complex can be summarized by the following
      sequence of partial reactions. (40 S.AUG.Met-tRNAf.eIF-2.GTP) eIF-5----(40
      S.AUG.Met-tRNAf) + (eIF-2.GDP) + Pi (1) (40 S.AUG.Met-tRNAf) + 60 S----(80
      S.AUG.Met-tRNAf) (2) 80 S initiation complex.

PMID- 1856231
TI  - Strand exchange protein 1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A novel multifunctional
      protein that contains DNA strand exchange and exonuclease activities.
AB  - Strand exchange protein 1 (Sep1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalyzes the
      formation of heteroduplex DNA molecules from single-stranded circles and
      homologous linear duplex DNA in vitro. Previously, Sep1 was purified as a 132,000
      Da species; however, DNA sequence analysis indicates that the SEP1 gene is
      capable of encoding a 175,000-Da protein (Tishkoff, D.X., Johnson, A.W., and
      Kolodner, R.D. (1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 2593-2608). The SEP1 gene was cloned
      into a GAL10 expression vector and expressed in a protease-deficient yeast
      strain. Intact Sep1, which migrated as a Mr-160,000 polypeptide during sodium
      dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was purified to apparent
      homogeneity and shown to have activities similar to those of the originally
      purified Mr = 132,000 fragment. We report here that, in addition to strand
      exchange activity, Sep1 contains an intrinsic exonuclease that is active on
      single- and double-stranded DNA with a severalfold preference for single-stranded
      DNA. The nuclease was induced in crude extracts upon induction with galactose, it
      co-purified with the strand exchange activity of Sep1, and the nuclease and
      strand exchange activities of Sep1 showed the same kinetics of heat inactivation.
      Sep1 nuclease, which requires Mg2+, can be functionally separated from the strand
      exchange activity by the substitution of Ca2+ for Mg2+. Under these conditions,
      the nuclease is inactive, and strand exchange activity is dependent on prior
      resection of the DNA ends by an exogenous exonuclease. Thus, the nuclease is
      necessary for synapsis but not strand exchange. Electron microscopic analysis
      revealed that true strand exchange products, alpha molecules and nicked double
      stranded circular molecules, were formed. In addition, strand transfer proceeded
      to similar extents on 5'-resected and 3'-resected DNA. This result suggests that
      the polarity of strand transfer by Sep1 is determined by the polarity of its
      intrinsic nuclease.

PMID- 1856232
TI  - Properties of the collagenous domain of the alpha 3(IV) chain, the Goodpasture
      antigen, of lens basement membrane collagen. Selective cleavage of alpha (IV)
      chains with retention of their triple helical structure and noncollagenous
      domain.
AB  - A third chain, alpha 3(IV), of basement membrane collagen was recently discovered
      and was identified as the primary target for the autoantibodies of patients with
      Goodpasture syndrome (Saus, J., Wieslander, J., Langeveld, J. P. M., Quinones,
      S., and Hudson, B. G. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 13374-13380). In the present
      study, this chain was excised in the form of a truncated promoter by cleavage of
      basement membrane with Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase and characterized. The
      triple helical structure and NC1 domain were retained. Elastase selectively
      cleaved at a site within the triple helical domain of the alpha 3 chain that is
      distinct from the cleavage site of the alpha 1 and alpha 2 chains. The truncated
      alpha 3 chain was found to contain 1460 residues, of which 1225 comprise the
      collagenous domain, and is cross-linked within this domain by disulfide bonds,
      forming a high Mr complex (greater than 300,000). Truncated protomers with a
      length of 340 nm corresponding to the theoretical length for the truncated alpha
      3 chain were observed by electron microscopy as suprastructures in which the
      triple helical domains of three protomers were interwined. These protomers were
      also connected to each other and to the 140-nm protomers that appear to be
      comprised of the alpha 1 and alpha 2 chains. These results extended the known
      length of the alpha 3 chain by about 1000 residues and suggested that protomers
      of this chain self-associate through interactions between their triple helical
      domains and between their NC1 domains.

PMID- 1856233
TI  - Single-chain site-specific mutations of fluorescein-amino acid contact residues
      in high affinity monoclonal antibody 4-4-20.
AB  - Previous crystallographic studies of high affinity anti-fluorescein monoclonal
      antibody 4-4-20 (Ka = 1.7 x 10(10) M-1) complexed with fluorescyl ligand resolved
      active site contact residues involved in binding. For better definition of the
      relative roles of three light chain antigen contact residues (L27dhis, L32tyr and
      L34arg), four site-specific mutations (L27dhis to L27lys, L32tyr to L32phe, and
      L34arg to L34lys and L34his) were generated and expressed in single-chain antigen
      binding derivatives of monoclonal antibody 4-4-20 containing two different
      polypeptide linkers (SCA 4-4-20/205c, 25 amino acids and SCA 4-4-20/212, 14 amino
      acids). Results showed that L27dhis and L32tyr were necessary for wild type
      binding affinities, however, were not required for near-wild type Qmax values
      (where Qmax is the maximum fluoroscein fluorescence quenching expressed as
      percent). Tyrosine L32 which hydrogen bonds with ligand was also characterized at
      the haptenic level through the use of 9-hydroxyphenylfluoron which lacks the
      carboxyl group to which L32 tyrosine forms a hydrogen bond. Results demonstrated
      that wild type SCA and mutant L32phe possessed similar HPF binding
      characteristics. Active site contact residue L34arg was important for fluorescein
      quenching maxima and binding affinity (L34his mutant), however, substitution of
      lysine for arginine at L34 did not have a significant effect on observed Qmax
      value. In addition, substitutions had no effect on structural and topological
      characteristics, since all mutants retained similar idiotypic and metatypic
      properties. Finally, two linkers were comparatively examined to determine
      relative contributions to mutant binding properties and stability. No linker
      effects were observed. Collectively, these results verified the importance of
      these light chain fluorescein contact residues in the binding pocket of
      monoclonal antibody 4-4-20.

PMID- 1856234
TI  - Expression of lysosomal cathepsin B during calf myoblast-myotube differentiation.
      Characterization of a cDNA encoding bovine cathepsin B.
AB  - Expression of lysosomal cysteine proteinases was studied during fetal calf
      myoblast-myotube differentiation. Activities of cathepsin B and L, but not
      cathepsin H, increase during bovine myogenic differentiation. In fetal muscle,
      cathepsin B and L activities are 2-4-fold orders of magnitude lower than in
      cultured myoblasts. Active-site titrations of cathepsin B with E-64 nevertheless
      reveal similar concentrations of active cathepsin B in myoblasts and myotubes,
      but 5-6-fold lower concentrations in fetal muscle. To specify whether
      concentrations of cathepsin B are related to levels of cathepsin B transcript, a
      cDNA clone encoding bovine cathepsin B was isolated and liquid hybridizations
      were performed with 32P-riboprobes complementary to the mRNA. In agreement with
      active-site titrations, there is no difference in cathepsin B mRNA levels between
      cultured myoblasts and myotubes, but lower levels of mRNA are found in fetal
      muscle. Concentrations of active cathepsin B therefore reflect levels of
      cathepsin B mRNA. Kinetic studies revealed that the catalytic efficiency
      (kcat/Km) of cathepsin B is 2-3-fold higher in myotubes than in myoblasts. The
      increase in cathepsin B activity during calf myoblast-myotube differentiation is
      thus due to modifications of enzymatic properties, and not of enzyme
      concentrations. The different catalytic efficiency of cathepsin B in myotubes and
      myoblasts was related neither to modifications of mRNA size, as revealed by
      Northern blot analysis, nor to a different Mr of the active enzyme, as revealed
      by affinity labeling with benzyloxycarbonyl-Tyr(-125I)-Ala-CHN2, but to limited
      differences in cathepsin B isozymes.

PMID- 1856236
TI  - A retinoic acid-inducible mRNA from F9 teratocarcinoma cells encodes a novel
      protease inhibitor homolog.

PMID- 1856235
TI  - Maltose transacetylase of Escherichia coli. Mapping and cloning of its
      structural, gene, mac, and characterization of the enzyme as a dimer of identical
      polypeptides with a molecular weight of 20,000.
AB  - malQ mutants, lacking amylomaltase, cannot grown on maltose. However, when
      maltose is present in the medium, it can be accumulated to high internal levels.
      In a subsequent slow reaction, accumulated maltose becomes acetylated and leaks
      back into the medium. The enzyme responsible for this acetylation uses acetyl-CoA
      as acetyl donor and can be measured in crude extracts (Boos, W., Ferenci, T., and
      Shuman, H. A. (1981) J. Bacteriol. 146, 725-732). The structural gene for the
      enzyme, which we named mac, was mapped at 10.4 min on the Escherichia coli
      linkage map. We cloned a 3.4-kilobase pair PstI-EcoRI DNA fragment containing the
      mac gene. Cell-free extracts of a strain harboring the multicopy plasmid were
      used to purify the maltose-transacetylating activity to apparent homogeneity. On
      sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels the enzyme exhibited a molecular
      weight of 20,000. Using molecular sieve chromatography, a molecular weight of
      40,000 was determined for the native enzyme. Therefore, the enzyme is a dimer of
      two identical subunits. At a sugar concentration of 100 mM the enzyme acetylates
      glucose, maltose, mannose, galactose, and fructose in decreasing relative rate of
      1, 0.55, 0.20, 0.07, 0.04. Maltotriose and other oligosaccharides were acetylated
      with 2% of the rate determined for glucose. The Km for glucose and maltose were
      62 and 90 mM, and the Vmax was 0.20 and 0.11 mmol/min x mg enzyme, respectively.

PMID- 1856237
TI  - Apparatus to obtain rotational flexibility of the human knee under moment loads
      in vivo.
AB  - The contributions of this paper are twofold. One is the design and performance
      evaluation of new equipment to determine the rotational flexibility of the human
      knee in vivo. Since determining knee flexibility requires the application of
      external loads and the measurement of knee rotations, the new equipment consists
      of a load application stand and a triaxial goniometer. The triaxial goniometer
      noninvasively mounts to the leg and directly measures the relative three degrees
      of-freedom rotations of the knee sequentially and independently. The goniometer
      incorporates several unique design features which enhance measurement accuracy.
      The load stand applies pure varus/valgus and external/internal axial moments
      either individually or in combination through the use of motors controlled by the
      test subject. Unique to this design are features which enable the application of
      moments to the knee which minimise shear forces. Other unique design features
      permit the stand to control hip and knee flexion angles, muscle contraction, and
      axial loading. To assess the accuracy with which rotations are measured during
      experiments, three tests were conducted with the equipment. One test evaluated
      the inherent accuracy of the goniometer, a second test assessed the potential for
      goniometer slippage during loading, and a third explored the effect of goniometer
      mounting on the repeatability of results. A special verification apparatus
      facilitated evaluation of goniometer inherent accuracy. A second contribution of
      the paper is an investigation of the effect of foot constraints (i.e. boundary
      conditions) on flexibility results. To make this investigation, three subjects
      were tested with the knee at 15 degrees of flexion. Results revealed large
      differences in flexibility between constraining the foot in both
      external/internal and varus/valgus rotations and permitting the foot to rotate
      freely in the direction not being loaded. Further, constraint moments as high as
      23 Nm were also recorded. These results emphasise that in order to obtain
      accurate flexibility results for isolated loads, the foot must be unconstrained
      by the loading apparatus.

PMID- 1856238
TI  - Development of a three-dimensional finite element model of a human tibia using
      experimental modal analysis.
AB  - The modal analysis of a human tibia consisted of characterizing its dynamic
      behavior by determining natural frequency, damping ratio and mode shapes. Two
      methods were used to perform the modal analysis: (1) a finite element method
      (structural model); (2) an experimental modal analysis (modal model). The
      experimental modal model was used to optimize the structural model. After
      optimization, differences in results between the two models were found to be due
      only to mechanical properties and mass distribution. The influences of boundary
      conditions and geometric properties (such as inertia and length) were eliminated
      by the finite element model itself. The percent relative error between the two
      methods was approximately 3%, corresponding to the standard deviation of the
      measured frequencies. For the frequency range considered, the mode shapes were
      bending modes in two different vibration planes (latero-medial and sagittal),
      with a slight torsion effect due to the twisted geometry of the tibia.

PMID- 1856239
TI  - Stress distribution on the cusps of a polyurethane trileaflet heart valve
      prosthesis in the closed position.
AB  - In this paper, a finite element analysis of the stress distribution on the cusps
      of a polyurethane trileaflet heart valve prosthesis in the closed position is
      presented. The geometry of the valve was modified from a relationship proposed by
      Ghista and Reul (J. Biomechanics 10, 313-324, 1977). The effects of variations in
      stent height, leaflet thickness and coaptation area on the stress distribution
      were also analyzed. Analyses were performed with both rigid and flexible stents
      for the trileaflet valve in order to delineate the effect of stent flexibility on
      the leaflet stress distribution. The results showed that regions of stress
      concentration were present near the commissural attachment similar to those
      predicted with the bioprostheses. The stresses on the leaflets were reduced by
      increasing the stent height with both rigid and flexible stents. Selectively
      increasing the leaflet thickness near the commissures and also increasing the
      coaptation area did not prove to reduce the leaflet stresses when the stent
      flexibility was taken into account. The possible effect of high stresses on the
      structural integrity of polyurethane leaflets and its relationship with
      calcification is yet to be investigated.

PMID- 1856240
TI  - Canine intersegmental hip joint forces and moments before and after cemented
      total hip replacement.
AB  - Intersegmental forces and moments (i.e. resultant free body forces and moments
      computed at the joint centers) were studied in canine hindlimbs before and after
      cemented total hip replacement (THR). Five large, adult, mixed-breed dogs were
      selected. Their gait was recorded (while leash-walked) before surgery using high
      speed cinematography and a force plate. Cemented total hip replacement was
      unilaterally performed on each dog. Gait was again recorded at one and four
      months after surgery. Segmental properties (mass, center of mass, and mass moment
      of inertia) of the hindlimbs were experimentally determined, and an inverse
      dynamics approach was used to compute intersegmental forces and moments in the
      sagittal plane. Significant reductions in intersegmental joint forces and moments
      were observed in the operated hindlimb one month after surgery, although
      kinematic gait parameters were unaltered. Decreases of 77.0% for vertical forces,
      61.9% for craniocaudal forces, and 66.2% for extension moments were determined.
      Four months after surgery, the joint forces and moments had returned to their
      preoperative values. This experiment demonstrates that the dynamics of normal
      walking can be restored in a canine model by four months after THR. It also shows
      that kinetic (rather than kinematic) parameters are more descriptive of antalgic
      gait in the canine.

PMID- 1856241
TI  - Three-dimensional numerical analysis of pulsatile flow and wall shear stress in
      the carotid artery bifurcation.
AB  - To analyse the pulsatile flow field and the mechanical stresses in a three
      dimensional carotid artery bifurcation model, computer simulation is applied. The
      approximation of the Navier-Stokes equations uses a pressure correction finite
      element method. Numerical results are presented for axial and secondary flow
      velocity and wall shear stresses with special emphasis on the fluid dynamics in
      the carotid sinus. This region is of major interest because it is affected
      preferentially by lesions. Detailed local flow studies as carried out here should
      lead to a further insight into the mechanisms of atherogenesis. The flow
      conditions used in the study were chosen according to Ku et al. (Arteriosclerosis
      5, 293-302, 1985). The results of this numerical analysis agree in the essential
      features with their experimental results.

PMID- 1856242
TI  - Deformation of the distal femur: a contribution towards the pathogenesis of
      osteochondrosis dissecans in the knee joint.
AB  - Osteochondrosis dissecans (OD) is a process of subchondral bone necrosis
      occurring predominantly in young individuals at specific sites. The aetiology of
      this disease remains controversial with mechanical processes due to trauma and/or
      ischaemic factors being proposed. This study aims at explaining the aetiology of
      OD in the knee joint as a result of the particular deformation of the condyles. A
      finite element analysis of the distal third of the femur was performed. A three
      dimensional model was developed based on computed tomography scans of a normal
      femur, consisting of cortical bone, cancellous bone and articular cartilage. This
      model was subjected to physiological loads at 0, 30, 60 and 90 degrees of knee
      flexion. A complex deformation was found within each condyle as well as between
      the two condyles. Both medial and lateral condyles are deformed in the medio
      lateral direction and at the same time compressed between the patella and the
      tibia in the antero-posterior direction. This effect is highest at 60 degrees of
      knee flexion. In both planes, the medial condyle is distorted more than the
      lateral one. Strain concentration in the subchondral bone facing the patella
      varies with flexion, especially for angles exceeding 60 degrees. The deformation
      of the femur in the predominant locus of OD in the medial condyle exceeds that of
      the lateral condyle considerably. The analysis shows that repeated vigorous
      exercise including extreme knee flexion may produce rapidly changing strains
      which in turn could ultimately be responsible for local subchondral bone
      collapse.

PMID- 1856243
TI  - Unsteady wall shear stress in a distensible tube.
AB  - An asymptotic expression of the wall shear stress (WSS) in an elastic tube is
      deduced for small values of the Womersley parameter. In the case of a rigid tube
      this asymptotic expression is shown to compare better with the exact solution
      than Poiseuille's or Lambossy's approximations. Its integration in a one
      dimensional model of the internal carotid artery blood flow predicts more marked
      systolic and less marked diastolic WSS than those predicted by the commonly used
      Poiseuille's approximation.

PMID- 1856244
TI  - Application of beams on elastic foundation and B-spline solution methodologies to
      parametric analysis of intramedullary implant systems.
AB  - A simple numerical technique for parametric evaluation of orthopaedic implant
      systems, to be used as a screening tool before complex structural analysis (e.g.
      Finite Element Method), is the subject of this paper. A modified Beams on Elastic
      Foundation model (with non-constant foundation modulus) is solved using this
      numerical technique based on B-spline differential equation modelling. A model
      with variation in the modulus of the foundation, as solved with this spline
      technique, was compared with a model with constant foundation modulus, solvable
      with closed form techniques. While deflections were smaller, the reaction force
      was up to ten times greater for the models with constant modulus of foundation,
      compared with varying modulus. The model presented in this paper is a refinement
      of previous models using closed form solution techniques for foundations with
      constant moduli. It is primarily useful for detecting trends in parametric
      analyses, or to select specific cases for further analysis by more
      computationally intensive analytic methods.

PMID- 1856245
TI  - Comments on "A new theoretical model for noninvasive quantification of mitral
      regurgitation".

PMID- 1856247
TI  - Stability of steroid ointments diluted with Compound Zinc Paste B.P.
AB  - The chemical stability of a range of corticosteroid ointments diluted with
      Compound Zinc Paste B.P. was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC). Betamethasone dipropionate degraded by first-order kinetics at both 25
      degrees C and 32 degrees C. At 25 degrees C the mean first-order reaction rate
      constant was 9.58 x 10(-3)/day, with a t90 (time to reach 90% of the original
      concentration) of 11.0 days. At 32 degrees C the mean first-order reaction rate
      constant was 2.42 x 10(-2)/day, with a t90 of 4.4 days. Of the other steroids
      studied, Fluocinolone acetonide was the least stable, with 33.8% remaining after
      a 7-day storage period at 25 degrees C. Betamethasone-17-valerate and
      fluocinonide were of intermediate stability between betamethasone dipropionate
      and fluocinolone acetonide. None of the steroid ointments studied had adequate
      stability in Compound Zinc Paste B.P. to allow extemporaneous dilution with this
      base.

PMID- 1856246
TI  - Measuring subclinical neuropathy: does it relate to clinical neuropathy?
      Pittsburgh epidemiology of diabetes complications study-V.
AB  - We report results from 120 (25- to 34-year-old) participants in a neuropathy
      substudy of subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) taking part
      in a cohort follow-up study. Diabetic neuropathy was evaluated by quantitative
      sensory testing, nerve conduction studies, and clinical examination. Mean
      quantitative sensory thresholds differed significantly by clinical category of
      abnormal sensation and ankle reflex activity. Mean sural and peroneal amplitudes
      and conduction velocities were also significantly lower for subjects classified
      as having abnormal ankle reflex activity. Modeling potential correlates in
      logistic analyses showed glycemic control, triglyceride levels, and hypertension
      status to be independently associated with clinically overt neuropathy. Similar
      lipid and hemodynamic parameters were associated with abnormality by any single
      assessment method used to define neuropathy. Although follow-up is needed to
      resolve the best assessment methods for determining neuropathy, these results
      suggest that good glycemic control as well as control of blood pressure and
      lipids is advisible.

PMID- 1856248
TI  - Spectrophotometric determination of benzene in ethanol.
AB  - A rapid, simple spectrophotometric method for the detection and determination of
      benzene in ethanol is described. Thus, using 1 cm cuvettes and applying the first
      and/or the second derivative methods, benzene can be determined in ethanol over
      the concentration range of 5-25 p.p.m. with a CV% less than 1% and with a
      detection limit of 2 p.p.m. This is considered to be an improvement over the
      method currently given in the British Pharmacopoeia.

PMID- 1856249
TI  - Absorption of low and therapeutic doses of ferric maltol, a novel ferric iron
      compound, in iron deficient subjects using a single dose iron absorption test.
AB  - Ferric maltol is a novel ferric iron compound with potential use as an oral
      therapy for iron deficiency anaemia. Using a single, low dose iron absorption
      test we compared absorption of ferric maltol with absorption of ferrous sulphate
      in 21 iron deficient subjects. Absorption of 10 mg of ferric maltol as either
      aqueous solution or a single tablet compared favourably with that of an
      equivalent dose of ferrous sulphate. At a higher, more therapeutic dose of 60 mg
      elemental iron as tablets, absorption of ferric maltol appeared to be both more
      rapid and total absorption greater, than that seen with ferrous sulphate. We
      conclude that iron from ferric maltol, both at low dose and higher, more
      therapeutic doses, is at least as well absorbed as from ferrous sulphate. Ferric
      maltol is the first ferric iron formulation to be absorbed to a degree equivalent
      to that of ferrous iron salts and may represent a viable form of administration
      for ferric iron in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia.

PMID- 1856250
TI  - The stability of carboplatin, diamorphine, 5-fluorouracil and mitozantrone
      infusions in an ambulatory pump under storage and prolonged 'in-use' conditions.
AB  - Drug infusions can be exposed for prolonged periods to 'in-use' conditions where
      the temperature of an infusion in a holster-worn infusion pump may reach 37
      degrees C. In this study, the stability of three cytotoxic drug infusions
      (carboplatin, 5-fluorouracil and mitozantrone) and one analgesic infusion
      (diamorphine HCl) was determined in Parker Micropump medication reservoirs under
      refrigerated storage and prolonged in-use conditions. The stability of the three
      cytotoxic drug infusions was unaffected by 14 days storage at either 4 or 37
      degrees C. The diamorphine HCl infusion was stable over 14 days storage at 4
      degrees C but under in-use conditions at 37 degrees C, drug degradation became
      significant (greater than 5%) if storage exceeded 7 days.

PMID- 1856251
TI  - Knowledgeable non-compliance with prescribed drugs in elderly subjects--a study
      with particular reference to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and antidepressant
      drugs.
AB  - Knowledgeable non-compliance with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
      and antidepressant drugs was investigated in a community-based sample of elderly
      people. Everyone 70 years and over living in a defined area and taking one of the
      above drugs, and at least one other prophylactic or symptomatic drug, was
      studied. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressant drugs are
      commonly regarded as symptomatic only and knowledgeable non-compliance is
      consequently high. They are also regarded as less important than drugs which
      produce no immediate relief of symptoms but which the patient recognizes as
      needing to be taken regularly to maintain health. In our study, compliance with
      non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressant drugs was highest in
      those who were compliant with a prophylactic drug and were also taking a
      symptomatic drug. The greater the number of tablets the patient was taking the
      more likely he or she was to be compliant with the NSAID. Compliance with NSAIDs
      and antidepressant drugs requires clear label instructions and the patient
      knowing the purpose of the medication.

PMID- 1856252
TI  - Pilot study--an investigation of the sources and satisfaction of medication
      information provided to the elderly.
AB  - Studies have shown that consumers, in general, do not know everything they should
      know or would like to know about the medicines they are taking. In addition,
      several studies report that many older individuals are reluctant to ask questions
      about the medicines they are taking. This pilot study was conducted to assess the
      sources from which the elderly obtain their information about prescription and
      non-prescription medicines and their level of satisfaction with each source. The
      study results reveal that over half of those surveyed indicated that they
      received no information about prescription or non-prescription medicines.
      Further, a large percentage of those surveyed stated that they would like to
      receive information about non-prescription medicines from a health provider. The
      findings suggest that pharmacists should routinely provide information to the
      elderly about all aspects of their medication treatment.

PMID- 1856253
TI  - Save the Elixir! A pharmaceutical cry from the heartland.

PMID- 1856254
TI  - The expected impact of managed health organizations on U.S.-based pharmaceutical
      product development and marketing.

PMID- 1856255
TI  - A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of propranolol in
      serum.
AB  - A rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay was
      developed for quantitative determination of propranolol in serum. The assay is
      performed after single extraction of propranolol and indenolol [internal standard
      (IS)] from alkalinized serum into ether and eluted from C-18 U Bondapak column
      with a mobile phase composed of methanol: 0.01 M phosphate buffer pH 3.4 (40:60%,
      v/v). The column eluant was monitored on a fluorescence detector. Measurement was
      achieved by taking the peak height ratio of propranolol and comparing it to that
      of the IS. The detection limit for propranolol in serum is 2.5 ng/ml. Intraday
      coefficients of variation (CV) ranged from 2.84 to 4.0% and interday (CVs) from
      5.8 to 8.4% at three different concentrations. The relative and absolute
      recoveries varied from 93.8 to 102.3%. Preliminary stability tests showed that
      propranolol is stable for at least 3 weeks in serum after freezing. The method is
      applied for the determination of the pharmacokinetic parameters of propranolol
      after intravenous administration (1 mg/kg) to rabbits.

PMID- 1856256
TI  - Clinical review 24: Androgens in the aging male.

PMID- 1856257
TI  - Plasma melatonin as a measure of the human clock.

PMID- 1856258
TI  - Light exposure induces equivalent phase shifts of the endogenous circadian
      rhythms of circulating plasma melatonin and core body temperature in men.
AB  - Release of melatonin into the circulation by the pineal occurs almost exclusively
      during the nighttime hours. It has been proposed that this daily rhythm, like
      that of body temperature, reflects the output of a central circadian pacemaker in
      humans. In order to investigate the relationship of the circadian rhythms of body
      temperature and melatonin in humans and compare their resetting responses to
      light, we characterized the endogenous 24-h profiles of these rhythms in eight
      young male adults during constant routines before and after exposure to a
      stimulus consisting of bright light, room light, and darkness/sleep. We found
      that the time of the fitted maximum of the endogenous melatonin rhythm
      consistently preceded the fitted temperature minimum by a mean +/- SE of 1.8 +/-
      0.2 h. Bright-light exposure induced substantial and equivalent phase shifts of
      the melatonin and temperature rhythms (mean +/- SE difference in the phase
      shifting response, 0.03 +/- 0.32 h), and the body temperature and melatonin
      rhythms thus maintained their usual phase relationship even after light-induced
      circadian phase inversion. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that
      the endogenous circadian components of both the plasma melatonin and body
      temperature rhythms are generated by a single central circadian pacemaker in
      humans. Furthermore, using the time of the fitted temperature minimum as a
      reference standard, we found that the fitted maximum of the endogenous 24-h
      melatonin profile was a more reliable phase marker than the onset of the
      nocturnal rise of melatonin (F = 4.48; P less than 0.01).

PMID- 1856259
TI  - The incidence of thyroid stimulating blocking antibodies during the hypothyroid
      phase in patients with subacute thyroiditis.
AB  - The etiology of subacute (de Quervain's) thyroiditis (SAT) is uncertain, although
      it probably represents a nonspecific inflammatory response by the thyroid to a
      variety of viruses. It has been suggested that nonimmune processes are involved
      in SAT patients who have negative autoantibody titers. The disease has a variable
      course; although it is self-limited in most cases, some patients develop
      transient hypothyroidism, and others do not during the recovery period. The
      present study was performed to evaluate the occurrence of TSH receptor antibody
      (TRAb), measured by RRA (TSH binding inhibitor), TRAb measured by stimulation
      assay (thyroid-stimulating antibody), and TRAb measured by blocking assay [TSH
      blocking antibody (TSH-BAb)] activity in 68 patients with SAT who had negative
      autoantibody titers. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group I, 31
      patients who developed hypothyroidism during the recovery period; and group II,
      37 patients who remained euthyroid during recovery. Positive immunoglobulin
      activity occurred in about 20% of group I patients during follow-up, but in only
      3% of group II patients. About 20% of group I patients developed positive TSH-BAb
      activity and were hypothyroid, requiring exogenous hormone therapy for 1.2-3.5
      yr, whereas hypothyroidism was relatively transient in group I patients who had
      negative TSH-BAb activity (2-6 months). Although increased TSH-BAb activity may
      account for hypothyroidism in some patients with SAT, the precise mechanism for
      the development of transient hypothyroidism in SAT remains enigmatic.

PMID- 1856260
TI  - Parathyroid hormone increases epidermal growth factor receptors in cultured human
      trophoblastic cells from early and term placenta.
AB  - The effect of PTH on the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor was analyzed
      during the in vitro differentiation of human cytotrophoblasts. The
      cytotrophoblasts were isolated by a trypsin-DNase method from first trimester and
      term placentas and purified on a Percoll gradient. In culture, these cells
      aggregated and fused together to form a syncytium. This in vitro differentiation
      was associated with a 2-fold increase in 125I-EGF binding after 48 h of culture.
      The addition of 0.1 microM PTH (PTH-treated cells) to the culture medium induced
      a significant 2- to 3-fold increase (P less than 0.005) in EGF binding. The
      effect was dose related with a maximum obtained at a 1 nM concentration.
      Scatchard analyses revealed that PTH-treated cells possess a 2-fold higher number
      of high affinity sites as compared to control cells from early placenta (0.71 +/-
      0.06 pmol/mg protein and 0.34 +/- 0.04 pmol/mg protein, respectively) and from
      term placenta (1.24 +/- 0.10 pmol/mg protein and 0.61 +/- 0.07 pmol/mg protein,
      respectively). The apparent Kd values for high affinity sites (0.15 nM) and for
      low affinity sites (4 nM) were not altered either by the gestational age of the
      cells or by PTH treatment. With respect to the EGF-dependent phosphorylation in
      membranes of trophoblast cells in culture, it was found that the phosphorylation
      of two major proteins of 175 kilodaltons and 35 kilodaltons, is greatly increased
      in PTH-treated cell membranes in the presence of EGF. This PTH-induced effect on
      EGF receptors was associated with an augmented functional response of
      trophoblastic cells to EGF. PTH increased the EGF-stimulated secretion of hCG.
      These results demonstrate that PTH increases the number of biologically active
      EGF receptors during the in vitro differentiation of human trophoblast cells.
      This PTH-induced effect suggests a role for this hormone in the regulation of the
      growth and the endocrine functions of these cells.

PMID- 1856261
TI  - Glucocorticoids inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced production of tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha by human fetal Kupffer cells.
AB  - Inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha (TNF alpha) are secreted by fixed tissue macrophages and exhibit
      local autocrine and paracrine effects as well as distant endocrine effects. Human
      fetal Kupffer cells, the fixed tissue macrophages of the liver, may play a role
      as modulators of immune and endocrine function in early embryonic and fetal
      development. In the present study we isolated human fetal Kupffer cells to
      greater than 90% purity and prepared short term cultures to investigate the
      effect of glucocorticoids on the secretion of the cytokine TNF alpha. Fetal
      Kupffer cells secreted TNF alpha and IL-1 beta after culture with bacterial
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS), indicating that these cells express mature macrophage
      function. Cortisol and dexamethasone dramatically suppressed the LPS-stimulated
      secretion of TNF alpha by fetal Kupffer cells. The inhibitory effects of
      glucocorticoids appeared to be specific, since estrogen, progesterone, and
      testosterone had no effect on LPS stimulation of TNF alpha production. None of
      the steroids tested altered basal production or enhanced the LPS-stimulated
      production of TNF alpha by fetal Kupffer cells. The inhibition by glucocorticoids
      could be reversed by the addition of RU 486, indicating that this effect was
      mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor. These results demonstrate that human
      fetal macrophages demonstrate mature macrophage function in early gestation; they
      can be activated to produce TNF alpha by a well characterized modulator of
      cellular function (LPS) and suppressed by glucocorticoids.

PMID- 1856262
TI  - Growth hormone (GH) responses to the hexapeptide GH-releasing peptide and GH
      releasing hormone (GHRH) in the cynomolgus macaque: evidence for non-GHRH
      mediated responses.
AB  - GH-releasing peptide (GHRP; His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2), a hexapeptide
      derived from enkephalin, has been shown to have GH-releasing activity in man and
      several animal species. To characterize the GHRP dose-response curve and compare
      it with that of GH-releasing hormone [GHRH-(1-44)NH2], six unanesthetized young
      adult cynomolgus macaques were tested with a range of iv doses of GHRP or GHRH in
      random order. Animals were fitted with vests and tethers. Blood samples were
      obtained before and at 15-min intervals after the administration of drugs. Doses
      ranged from 0.03-3 mg/kg for GHRP and from 1-30 micrograms/kg for GHRH. The dose
      response curves for the two peptides were not parallel. GHRP had lower potency,
      but evoked a much higher peak GH response than GHRH (greater than 55 vs. 12
      micrograms/L). Because one of the proposed mechanisms of action of GHRP is the
      inhibition of somatostatin (SS), we tested the effects of propranolol, which
      inhibits SS, on the GH responses to GHRH and GHRP. Propranolol was given at a
      dose of 14 micrograms/kg, iv, 10 min before the injection of saline, GHRH (10
      micrograms/kg), or GHRP (1 mg/kg). GH responses to propranolol alone did not
      differ from those to placebo (peak, 6 +/- 2 vs. 8 +/- 2 micrograms/L). However,
      propranolol pretreatment doubled the GH responses to both GHRH and GHRP compared
      with those to GHRH or GHRP alone 28 +/- 5 micrograms/L vs. 14 +/- 5 (P less than
      0.05) and 54 +/- 2 vs. 25 +/- 6 micrograms/L (P less than 0.001), respectively].
      These results show that GHRP causes a potent dose-dependent release of GH in this
      primate species. Since GHRP can produce a greater maximal GH response than GHRH,
      mechanisms other than release of endogenous GHRH must be involved.

PMID- 1856263
TI  - Androgen resistance associated with a mutation of the androgen receptor at amino
      acid 772 (Arg----Cys) results from a combination of decreased messenger
      ribonucleic acid levels and impairment of receptor function.
AB  - Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the coding segment of the androgen
      receptor gene in a patient (N105) with the receptor-negative form of complete
      testicular feminization has revealed a single substitution (CGC----TGC) at
      nucleotide 2476. This alteration results in the conversion of an arginine at
      amino acid 772 to a cysteine. Introduction of this mutation into an androgen
      receptor cDNA and transfection of the mutant cDNA into COS cells result in the
      production of a receptor protein with an alteration in the apparent Kd of ligand
      binding (3 nM) compared to that of the normal androgen receptor (0.5 nM). The
      mutant receptor protein predicted for patient N105 also demonstrates thermal
      instability of ligand binding that is not associated with quantitative or
      qualitative changes in the immunoreactive androgen receptor protein. When assayed
      in cotransfection experiments using a mouse mammary tumor virus-chloramphenicol
      acetyl transferase reporter system, the N105 receptor protein appears to be about
      a tenth as active as the control receptor. These functional characteristics do
      not appear sufficient to account for the phenotype of complete testicular
      feminization and do not explain the profound deficiency of androgen receptor in
      cultured skin fibroblasts. Quantitative S1 nuclease protection assays reveal that
      the level of androgen receptor mRNA in fibroblasts from patient N105 is markedly
      reduced. These results suggest that the phenotype in patient N105 is due to two
      effects of the nucleotide substitution at residue 2476: the replacement of a
      crucial amino acid (772) in the hormone-binding domain that impairs the function
      of any receptor molecules formed and a decrease in the level of androgen receptor
      mRNA.

PMID- 1856264
TI  - Regulation of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in human skin
      fibroblasts: enzymatic modulation of glucocorticoid action.
AB  - The regulation of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta HSD) was studied
      in cultured human skin fibroblasts. 11-Oxo-reductase activity was 5- to 10-fold
      higher than 11 beta-dehydrogenase activity. Cells treated with 100 nM
      dexamethasone (Dex) showed a 3-fold increase in the maximum velocity of both
      activities without a change in the Km values. Dex induction of 11 beta HSD was
      half-maximal at 48 h and was blocked by glucocorticoid receptor antagonists.
      Nonglucocorticoid steroids were ineffective. Removal of serum from the culture
      medium increased maximum velocity values up to 6-fold. Treatment of cells grown
      in the absence of serum with 8-bromo-cAMP, phorbol esters, or insulin decreased
      both 11 beta HSD activities. The effects of Dex treatment and serum removal were
      additive and were blocked by cycloheximide and actinomycin-D. In all experiments
      both 11 beta HSD activities were modulated in parallel. Both cortisone (200 nM)
      and cortisol increased the aromatase activity of fibroblasts in the presence of
      serum. Prior induction of 11 beta HSD by serum removal increased the potency of
      cortisone from 10-15% to 50% that of cortisol. We conclude that 1) in human
      fibroblasts 11 beta HSD appears to be a single protein that is under
      multifactorial regulation; 2) 11 beta HSD may increase or decrease cortisol
      availability to glucocorticoid receptors; and 3) plasma cortisone levels may be
      important in assessing glucocorticoid status.

PMID- 1856265
TI  - Characteristics of growth hormone binding to liver microsomes of pregnant women.
AB  - Specific binding of hGH to liver microsomes of nonpregnant women and men is low,
      usually 10% of less in RRA. In pregnant women, however, we found that this
      binding is 10 times higher. The binding reaction shared the properties common to
      receptor systems: time, temperature and cation dependence, saturability and
      reversibility, hGH specific binding without cations was 10 times lower. The cross
      reactions of hPRL and human placental lactogen with hGH were 0.49 +/- 0.16% and
      0.10 +/- 0.05%, respectively. 125I-hPRL and 125I-human placental lactogen binding
      to microsomes of two controls and two pregnant women were very low and poorly
      reproducible. The Scatchard analysis revealed two hGH binding sites, one with an
      association constant (KA) of 2.7 +/- 0.1 x 10(10) M-1, and the other with a KA of
      1.5 +/- 0.1 x 10(9) M-1. In one nonpregnant woman, we found a single hGH binding
      site with a KA of 1.5 x 10(9) M-1, confirming results previously reported in the
      literature. A hGH RRA was set up with microsomes of pregnant women. Acromegalic
      sera produced curves parallel to the hGH standard and pituitary dwarf serum had
      no 125I-hGH displacing activity. Sera of pregnant women produced curves divergent
      to the hGH standard and showed a 125I-hGH displacing activity 20 to 40 times
      higher than could be predicted by hGH levels determined by RIA. Cord sera and
      sera from puerperal women had similar hGH levels as determined by either RRA or
      RIA (r = 0.93, P less than 0.001, slope = 0.85, n = 25). Our results show the
      existence of specific GH receptors and serum factor(s) with high 125I-hGH
      displacing activity from these receptors in pregnancy. These findings must be
      related to several metabolic changes of pregnancy, such as glucose intolerance,
      hyperinsulinemia, increased lipolysis, and ketogenesis.

PMID- 1856266
TI  - Normal bone density of the wrist and spine and increased wrist fractures in girls
      with Turner's syndrome.
AB  - Turner's syndrome is associated with multiple skeletal abnormalities, including
      osteoporosis. We evaluated the hypothesis that girls with Turner's syndrome may
      have deficient bone density before the expected age of pubertal onset (9-13 yr)
      by comparing the bone mineral content of the wrist and lumbar spine in 78 girls
      with Turner's syndrome (4-13 yr old) and 28 normal prepubertal girls who were
      matched for age, bone age, body mass index, or height age. The bone mineral
      content of the wrist and spine was measured by single photon absorptiometry (SPA)
      and dual photon absorptiometry (DPA), respectively. SPA values for girls with
      Turner's syndrome vs. normal subjects (4-6.9, 7-9.9, and 10-12.9 yr old) were
      (mean +/- SD) 0.27 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.36 +/- 0.05, 0.35 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.41 +/- 0.06,
      and 0.41 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.45 +/- 0.03 g/cm2, respectively. SPA values in the
      Turner's syndrome girls were decreased compared to those in normal prepubertal
      girls, matched for age (P less than 0.0001), bone age, (P less than 0.001), and
      body mass index (BMI; P less than 0.0001), but not for height age. DPA values for
      girls with Turner's syndrome vs. normal girls in the same age categories were
      0.65 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.09, 0.77 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.79 +/- 0.09, and 0.83 +/-
      0.12 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.07 g/cm2. DPA values in Turner's syndrome girls (as a group)
      were decreased compared to those in normal prepubertal girls matched for age (P
      less than 0.05) and BMI (P less than 0.02), but not for bone age or height age.
      The annual incidence rate of wrist fractures in Turner's syndrome girls (9.1 of
      1000) was significantly increased compared to the reported annual incidence rate
      in normal children (3.5 of 1000; P less than 0.003). We conclude that prepubertal
      aged girls with Turner's syndrome (less than 13 yr old) have normal bone density
      for height age, but significantly decreased bone density of the wrist for
      chronological age, bone age, and BMI. They also have significantly more wrist
      fractures than normal girls, but it is not clear that this is related to their
      bone density.

PMID- 1856267
TI  - Proopiomelanocortin gene expression in normal and tumoral human lung.
AB  - Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene expression is not restricted to the pituitary
      corticotroph cell, but also takes place in many normal and tumoral nonpituitary
      tissues. In contrast, the ectopic ACTH syndrome is a rare event. Because it is
      most often associated with lung tumors, we specifically studied this tissue,
      analyzing the different forms of POMC RNAs in normal specimens as well as in
      various types of tumors. The endocrine nature of the tumors was assessed by both
      histological examination and measurements of secretogranin-I fragments in the
      tissue extracts. POMC RNA was first detected by Northern blot analysis; its
      absolute amounts and its various molecular forms were more precisely quantified
      and discriminated by S1 mapping studies using a single stranded DNA probe located
      at the 5' end of exon 3. In five bronchial carcinoid tumors associated with the
      ectopic ACTH syndrome, a highly predominant, if not single, POMC RNA identical to
      the 1200-nucleotide (nt) pituitary message was present, the high amounts of which
      were correlated with those of POMC peptides in the same tissues. In five
      bronchial carcinoid tumors not associated with the ectopic ACTH syndrome, the
      same message was detected (four of five), with a second, often predominant, short
      RNA of about 800 nt (five of five), and the overall amounts of POMC RNAs were
      low. Similar patterns of POMC RNAs were observed in squamous cell tumors,
      adenocarcinomas, and normal lung, where the short 800-nt RNA tended to be
      predominant. These results show that POMC gene expression can be demonstrated in
      normal lung tissue and in all types of lung tumors. The ectopic ACTH syndrome
      only occurs with tumors capable of generating high amounts of the pituitary-like
      message, a phenomenon that seems to be restricted to an occasional tumor with
      features of neuroendocrine differentiation.

PMID- 1856268
TI  - Spontaneous growth hormone secretion increases during puberty in normal girls and
      boys.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that GH secretion increases during puberty, we measured GH
      levels in samples obtained every 20 min for 24 h from 132 normal children and
      adolescents. In both girls and boys, GH levels increased during puberty. The
      increase in mean levels was earlier in girls than boys, was most evident at
      night, and was due to increased pulse amplitude rather than a change in pulse
      frequency. The mean nighttime GH level in girls with bone ages (BA) greater than
      12 to 14 yr were significantly greater than the mean level in girls with BA less
      than 8 yr (7.3 +/- 3.0 vs. 3.4 +/- 1.7 micrograms/L; P less than 0.01) and were
      greatest at breast stage 3 (7.9 +/- 2.5 micrograms/L). GH pulse amplitude
      increased significantly before pubertal onset in girls and was significantly
      greater at BA greater than 12 to 14 yr than at BA of 8 yr or less (13.9 +/- 6.0
      vs. 7.9 +/- 4.8 micrograms/L; P less than 0.01) and greatest at breast stage 3
      (15.0 +/- 6.3 micrograms/L). The pubertal increase in GH secretion was delayed in
      boys compared to girls, with the lowest mean 24-h GH and mean nighttime GH values
      in boys with BA greater than 8 to 11 yr. The mean nighttime GH level at BA
      greater than 11 to 13 yr in boys was significantly greater than that in the boys
      with BA greater than 8 to 11 yr (5.8 +/- 2.9 vs. 3.5 +/- 2.1 micrograms/L; P less
      than 0.05) and was greatest at a testicular volume of more than 10 to 15 mL (6.5
      +/- 2.0 micrograms/L). The mean nighttime GH pulse amplitude in boys was
      significantly greater at BA greater than 11 to 13 yr than at BA greater than 8 to
      11 yr (13.9 +/- 5.7vs. 7.3 + 2.6 micrograms/L, P less than 0.05) and was greatest
      at a testicular volume greater than 20 mL (15.8 +/- 12.0 micrograms/L). The mean
      nighttime GH levels correlated inversely with body mass index in both sexes,
      although the correlation achieved statistical significance only for the girls,
      being stronger in breast stage 3 to 5 girls (r = -0.57 P = 0.0007; n = 32) than
      in stage 1 and 2 girls (r = -0.38; P = 0.03; n = 32). These observations in
      normal adolescents emphasize the importance of interpreting spontaneous GH levels
      in short children in relation to normative data appropriate for sex, body mass,
      and bone age or pubertal stage.

PMID- 1856269
TI  - Renin increases human amnion cell prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis.
AB  - Chorionic cells are known to produce several protein hormones; among them is
      prorenin/renin, whose function is unknown at this time. Amnion is contiguous with
      chorion and plays a part in the mechanism(s) of parturition through increased
      prostaglandin (PG) production. The purpose of the present study was to determine
      whether renin has any action on amnion cell PGE2 biosynthesis. Amnion cells in
      primary monolayer culture were incubated for 16 h with increasing concentrations
      of renin. Renin induced a concentration-dependent increase in amnion cell PGE2
      production (e.g. in picograms of PGE2 per microgram protein/16 h; mean +/- SEM; n
      = 4; control, 3.01 +/- 0.15; 0.0001 U/mL renin, 9.66 +/- 2.0; 0.001 U/mL renin,
      10.36 +/- 1.91; 0.01 U/mL renin, 10.3 +/- 3.36; 0.1 U/mL renin, 13.82 +/- 2.1).
      Significant stimulation of amnion cell PGE2 by renin is not observed until 2 h of
      incubation; stimulation continues a further 6 h, with little change in the
      following 8 h. We tested the possibility that renin's stimulatory effects were
      due to angiotensin-I (AI) and angiotensin-II (AII) formation by testing the
      effects of AI and AII directly and that of renin in the presence of saralasin, a
      potent antagonist of AII action. Saralasin did not inhibit the effect of renin,
      nor was AI or AII alone (10(-10)-10(-6) M) stimulatory. Thus, we believe that
      chorionic renin may have a novel role in the regulation of amnion cell PGE2
      production that is independent of angiotensin formation.

PMID- 1856271
TI  - Citation for the Richard E. Weitzman Memorial Award of The Endocrine Society to
      Synthia H. Mellon.

PMID- 1856270
TI  - Citation for the Rorer Pharmaceutical Clinical Investigator Award of The
      Endocrine Society to Lawrence A. Frohman.

PMID- 1856272
TI  - Citation for the Edwin B. Astwood Lectureship of The Endocrine Society to Marc E.
      Lippman.

PMID- 1856273
TI  - Citation for the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Leadership Award to William D.
      Odell.

PMID- 1856274
TI  - Citation for the Ernst Oppenheimer Award of The Endocrine Society to Perrin C.
      White.

PMID- 1856275
TI  - Citation for the Fred Conrad Koch Award of The Endocrine Society to John T.
      Potts, Jr.

PMID- 1856276
TI  - Citation for the Distinguished Service Award of The Endocrine Society to Francine
      L. Trull.

PMID- 1856277
TI  - A new measurement of profile esthetics.

PMID- 1856278
TI  - Measuring symptom severity with the TMJ scale.

PMID- 1856279
TI  - Working with an interior decorator.

PMID- 1856280
TI  - Accessory aligning wires in double molar tubes.

PMID- 1856281
TI  - Adult nonextraction treatment with a Jasper Jumper.

PMID- 1856282
TI  - Don't force it.

PMID- 1856284
TI  - Use of information technology for auditing effective use of laboratory services.

PMID- 1856283
TI  - Screening for presymptomatic disease.

PMID- 1856285
TI  - Expression of intrahepatic hepatitis D viral antigen in chronic hepatitis D virus
      infection.
AB  - To elucidate the biological importance of intrahepatic hepatitis D virus antigen,
      its expression was correlated with biochemical and histological inflammatory
      activity in 98 biopsy specimens from 68 patients seropositive for total antibody
      to the virus. Seventy five specimens were positive for intrahepatic nuclear
      antigen for HDV antigen accompanied by cytoplasmic HDV antigen in only one biopsy
      specimen. This group had significantly higher serum transaminase activities and
      inflammatory activity than the remaining cases that were negative for HDV
      antigen. Among the group positive for HDV antigen, there was no correlation
      between the proportion of hepatocytes containing HDV antigen and either serum
      transaminase activity or histological inflammatory indices. In 22 HDV antigen
      positive patients who had follow up biopsy specimens taken at a median of two
      years, the proportion with cirrhosis increased from 36% to 73%. Serum
      transaminase activities remained the same during this period, but the proportion
      of HDV antigen positive cells dropped. Follow up of 51 patients showed that 21
      died or underwent liver transplantation within three years. The absence of an
      association between intrahepatic HDV antigen expression and progression of
      histological liver damage does not support the view that HDV is directly
      cytopathic to hepatocytes. Immune mediated mechanisms may have a role in the
      pathogenesis of chronic liver disease related to HDV infection.

PMID- 1856287
TI  - Histological diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis in patients with AIDS.
AB  - Fifty nine patients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and
      diarrhoea and 20 with weight loss were investigated for microsporidiosis using
      light and electron microscopical examination of duodenal and jejunal biopsy
      specimens. Eight cases of microsporidiosis were found, in five of whom it was the
      sole pathogen. In all eight cases the organism was identified at light microscopy
      without prior knowledge of the electron microscopical findings. All stages of the
      life cycle are best seen in resin sections cut at 1 micron and stained with
      Giemsa, but spores could easily be identified in paraffin sections cut at 5
      microns and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. In all cases the parasite was
      identified both in duodenal pinch and jejunal "Crosby" capsule biopsy specimens.
      All cases of microsporidiosis occurred in patients with diarrhoea. Both electron
      and light microscopical examination suggested that the pathogenic mechanism
      involves the shedding of infected enterocytes containing large numbers of spores.
      It is suggested that the optimal way to diagnose microsporidiosis is by light
      microscopical examination of duodenal pinch biopsy specimens.

PMID- 1856286
TI  - Detection of hepatitis B virus pre-S1 and pre-S2 determinants in paraffin wax
      embedded liver tissue: importance of reagents used.
AB  - The presence of pre-S polypeptides in paraffin wax embedded liver sections from
      the biopsy specimens of 15 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositive
      patients (five with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), four with chronic active
      hepatitis (CAH), four with cirrhosis and two "healthy" HBsAg carriers) was
      investigated using monoclonal antibodies directed to distinct epitopes on pre-S1
      (18/7 and TO 606) and pre-S2 (5535 and Q 19/10). Pre-S1 was found in 13 cases
      when MA 18/7 was used but in only one specimen when TO 606 was used. Pre-S2 was
      detected in all the biopsy specimens with 5535 and in eight samples with Q 19/10.
      Mild enzymatic digestion annulled the staining of all monoclonal antibodies but Q
      19/10. No association was observed between pre-S polypeptide expression and
      hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication or disease severity. Pre-S polypeptides can
      be detected readily in paraffin wax embedded material but the results obtained
      largely depend on the monoclonal antibodies used.

PMID- 1856288
TI  - Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis DNA in patients with non-gonococcal urethritis
      using the polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - A practical protocol using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was designed for
      detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical samples. DNA was extracted from
      material collected on urethral swabs and used as substrate for the PCR. The
      target was a 600 basepair DNA segment of the multicopy plasmid that is common to
      all strains of the bacterium. Negative samples were checked for loss of DNA or
      presence of polymerase inhibitors by a second PCR, targeted to a conserved
      segment of the human genome. The whole procedure was tested on 216 men with non
      gonococcal urethritis (NGU). All patients were independently assessed by tissue
      culture isolation (60 positive samples) and a commercial immunoenzymatic assay.
      The PCR protocol, while sufficiently simple for routine application, was reliable
      and, for the diagnosis of urethritis, at least as good as tissue culture
      isolation.

PMID- 1856289
TI  - Comparison of IgG antibody profiles by immunoblotting in patients with acute and
      previous Toxoplasma gondii infection.
AB  - The IgG antibody profile to Toxoplasma gondii proteins of less than 37
      kilodaltons in sera from patients with acute and previous infection was studied
      by immunoblotting. Bands at 28, 29, and 36 kilodaltons were more common in acute
      infection (10 out of 10, nine out of 10, and nine out of 10, respectively)
      compared with previous infection (five out of 10, four out of 10, and one out of
      10, respectively). The 6 kilodalton band was present in 10 out of 10 sera from
      patients with acute infection and five out of 10 sera from those with previous
      infection. A new observation is a doublet of bands of 22-25 kilodaltons present
      only in sera from patients with acute infection. This doublet may be a more
      reliable indicator of acute infection than the 6 kilodalton band.

PMID- 1856290
TI  - Endocardial fibroelastosis in infants with hydrops fetalis.
AB  - Endocardial fibroelastosis, defined as an endocardium in excess of 30 microns
      thick, was found in 10 out of 34 cases of hydrops fetalis in a review of 1589
      perinatal necropsies carried out between 1976 and 1989. The infants comprised 16
      cases of rhesus haemolytic disease, of whom three had endocardial fibroelastosis,
      and 18 cases of non-rhesus hydrops, of whom seven had endocardial fibroelastosis.
      Intrauterine congestive heart failure was thought to have been the probable cause
      of hydrops in eight of the 10 infants with endocardial fibroelastosis. None of an
      age matched control group without endocardial fibroelastosis had evidence of
      congestive cardiac failure. These observations support the hypothesis that
      endocardial fibroelastosis is an endocardial response to chronic prenatal
      myocardial stress.

PMID- 1856291
TI  - Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) isoforms in neuroblastoma.
AB  - A comparative study on the expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)
      in human neuroblastoma cell lines and tissues was undertaken. NCAMs are a family
      of closely related cell surface glycoproteins involved in cell-cell interactions.
      Using antibodies that recognise distinct epitopes on NCAM, their presence was
      shown in neuroblastoma, but these studies do not yield any information on the
      specific NCAM isoforms associated with the tumour. Western and Northern blot
      analyses were therefore carried out to characterise the NCAM isoforms in this
      neuroectodermal tumour. Western blot studies using the monoclonal antibody ERIC-1
      showed that all human neuroblastoma cell lines tested expressed the 140 and 120
      kilodalton isoforms of NCAM in their desialo state. Some of the cell lines also
      expressed NCAM-180. The data are corroborated by Northern blotting where a
      transcript of 7.4 kilobase pairs was identified only in lines expressing NCAM
      180; the 6.7 and 5.4 kilobase pair transcripts coding for 140 and 120 kilodalton
      isoforms, respectively, were present in all the cell lines tested. The NCAM
      isoforms identified in neuroblastoma were also different from those found in
      adult and fetal brain tissue, suggesting that aberrations are expressed in the
      molecule during tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1856292
TI  - Microbiological assay for vitamin B12 performed in 96-well microtitre plates.
AB  - A simplified microbiological assay for vitamin B12 estimation, completed on
      microtitre plates using a colistin sulphate resistant strain of Lactobacillus
      leichmannii (NCIB 12519), and cryopreserved cultures is described. The new assay
      correlated well with a more conventional "tube" assay and was not influenced by
      the presence of antibiotics in serum. Evaluation of assay performance showed
      excellent interassay and intra-assay precision with quantitative recovery of
      added cyanocobalamin over a wide range of additions (94.9%-102.1%). The
      advantages of short incubation time, easy reading, and minimal reagent costs make
      this assay an attractive option in the routine clinical laboratory and in
      research.

PMID- 1856293
TI  - Serum C-reactive protein and neopterin concentrations in patients with viral or
      bacterial infection.
AB  - Serum C-reactive protein and neopterin concentrations were measured in samples
      taken at an early stage in different types of infection to see whether the
      combination of markers could contribute to the diagnosis of infection and help
      distinguish between bacterial and viral infections, tuberculosis, and infections
      due to "other" pathogens. Both markers were significantly raised in all
      categories of infection compared with controls, and there were significant
      differences between the means of both markers when comparing several of the
      categories of infection. Only C-reactive protein concentrations in bacteraemic
      patients, however, were both sensitive and specific at distinguishing the type of
      infection. The additional use of neopterin estimation played only a minor part in
      increasing the specificity of diagnosis in tuberculosis and in viral infections.
      On the basis of this study it was not considered worth the time and expense of
      performing neopterin assays in addition to C-reactive protein estimations to
      differentiate viral from bacterial infection.

PMID- 1856294
TI  - Role of mesothelial cells in peritoneal antibacterial defence.
AB  - Whether phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus by polymorphonuclear neutrophils,
      monocytes, and peritoneal macrophages takes place when the staphylococci are
      adherent to monolayers of human mesothelial cells in the absence of opsonins was
      investigated. Adherence of S aureus to mesothelial monolayers increased
      significantly when the bacteria were opsonised with pooled human serum, but
      phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear neutrophils and monocytes occurred
      independently. Phagocytosis by peritoneal macrophages, however, was only
      marginal. Pretreatment of polymorphonuclear neutrophils with inhibitors of
      cellular metabolism and motility reduced their phagocytic capacity. These results
      indicate that the surface of mesothelial cells provides favourable conditions for
      the elimination of staphylococci in the peritoneal cavity. Phagocytic motility
      seems to be important in surface phagocytosis. The inability of peritoneal
      macrophages to phagocytise staphylococci adherent to the mesothelial cells
      suggests that they contribute little to the antibacterial defence of the
      peritoneal membrane of patients receiving peritoneal dialysis.

PMID- 1856295
TI  - Extracting, storing, and transporting whole blood DNA under tropical conditions.
AB  - A simple and robust technique for the extraction of DNA under tropical field
      conditions is described. It requires minimal equipment and is based on lysing
      cells in whole blood and precipitating the nuclei containing the DNA by
      centrifugation. The DNA solution can be stored in guanidinium buffer for many
      months without being refrigerated. Further purification of the DNA can then be
      carried out in a laboratory with facilities for ultracentrifugation by banding
      the DNA through cesium chloride. This method yields DNA of sufficient quality and
      purity for Southern blotting and probing and alleviates the need to transport
      whole blood between different countries and laboratories.

PMID- 1856296
TI  - Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with Lyme disease by the polymerase
      chain reaction.
AB  - Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, was detected in
      patients' serum by DNA amplification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). B
      burgdorferi was pelleted from serum samples by centrifugation (10,000 x g for 10
      minutes) and lysed by treatment with ammonium hydroxide (100 degrees C for 15
      minutes). Two pairs of "nested" PCR primers complementary to the gene encoding a
      major outer surface protein (OSP A) of B burgdorferi were used in DNA
      amplification under standard PCR conditions (Perkin-Elmer Cetus). Two out of five
      patients with erythema migrans, the characteristic primary skin lesion associated
      with early Lyme disease, were positive by the PCR. This method could form the
      basis of a useful routine laboratory test in those cases of early Lyme disease
      where conventional serological testing commonly yields equivocal or false
      negative results.

PMID- 1856298
TI  - Measurement techniques for melanoma: a statistical comparison.

PMID- 1856297
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and gastric histamine concentrations.
AB  - An enzyme isotopic assay was used to determine the histamine concentration in the
      gastric mucosa of patients positive for Helicobacter pylori with (n = 11) and
      without duodenal ulceration (n = 9) and in negative controls (n = 7). A
      significant difference was observed when the histamine content of H pylori
      negative subjects was compared with that of positive patients. On the other hand,
      there was no significant difference in histamine concentration between H pylori
      positive patients with duodenal ulceration and those without duodenal ulceration.
      H pylori positive patients with and without duodenal ulceration had significantly
      lower gastric histamine concentrations than H pylori negative subjects. The lower
      gastric histamine concentration observed in H pylori positive patients might be
      due to increased histamine release which could in turn induce increased gastric
      acid secretion.

PMID- 1856299
TI  - Survey of GPs' attitudes to microbiology services.

PMID- 1856300
TI  - Accreditation of clinical pathology laboratories in the United Kingdom: the story
      so far.

PMID- 1856301
TI  - The effect of a cognitive behavioral intervention on oral hygiene.
AB  - Several medical areas that require patient compliance have successfully used
      psychological interventions emphasizing cognitive behavioral components. However,
      there are no published reports on the effect of cognitive behavioral
      interventions on oral hygiene in adults using an experimental design. For this
      study, 100 male veterans age 21-65 years were randomly assigned to 4 groups
      (cognitive behavioral, education, attention control, and control); to compare the
      effectiveness of these interventions on oral hygiene, a 5-week pre-test-post-test
      design was utilized. The dependent variables were self-report of brushing and
      flossing behavior and dental plaque levels utilizing the plaque index. After the
      interventions, there was only one significant difference between the control and
      the experimental groups for brushing frequency. There were no significant
      differences among the experimental groups for this intervention. The self-report
      of flossing frequency significantly increased in all 3 treatment groups, but
      there were no significant differences between these groups. In addition, plaque
      levels decreased significantly in all 3 experimental groups. Plaque levels in the
      cognitive behavioral group were significantly lower than those of the educational
      group. It was not possible to determine whether the greater plaque reduction in
      the cognitive-behavioral group could be attributed to the nature of the
      intervention or to the extra time spent with patients in the cognitive behavioral
      group.

PMID- 1856302
TI  - Marginal alveolar bone height in an adult Swedish population. A radiographic
      cross-sectional epidemiologic study.
AB  - The purpose of the present cross-sectional epidemiologic study was to assess the
      interproximal alveolar bone level within the dentition of 732 randomly selected
      adult individuals, stratified according to gender and age. Full mouth series of
      periapical radiographs were used for the assessments of the relation alveolar
      bone height/root length (B/R). A computer/digitizer recording method was utilized
      for the assessments. The results were presented as (i) mean values per age group
      and gender, (ii) mean frequency of subjects with sites exceeding certain
      thresholds of bone loss and (iii) cumulative frequencies of subjects with various
      number and percentual proportion of sites in relation to different B/R-ratio
      intervals. The results showed a reduction in mean alveolar bone/root ratio with
      age. The women had a significantly more favourable mean B/R-ratio than men in the
      ages above 40 years; the women had, however, more missing sites above age 60
      years. By older age, there was observed an increased variation between individual
      mean B/R-ratios. Only a few subjects had a mean B/R-ratio less than or equal to
      50%. A subfraction of the subjects in the different age groups had greater than
      20% of their sites below a B/R-ratio of 60%. This fraction increased with age.

PMID- 1856303
TI  - Short-term effects of initial periodontal therapy (hygienic phase).
AB  - The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of non-surgical
      periodontal therapy on probing pocket depths and probing attachment levels using
      a patient group with moderate to advanced periodontitis. 68 patients with
      moderate to advanced periodontitis underwent hygienic phase therapy including
      oral hygiene instructions, scaling and root planing and elimination of plaque
      retentive factors. Assessments of the plaque control record (PCR), bleeding on
      probing (BoP), probing depths and probing attachment levels were performed at
      baseline examination and 3 to 5 months following active treatment. The
      measurements were obtained at 4 interproximal aspects of each tooth with a thin
      calibrated probe. Mean BoP values decreased from 63.2 +/- 21.9% at baseline to
      16.6 +/- 7.3% after therapy, and mean PCR decreased from 78.6 +/- 16.4% to 12.7
      +/- 7.1%, respectively. A reduction in mean probing pocket depth from 3.96 +/-
      1.39 mm at baseline to 3.30 +/- 1.16 mm after therapy was noted. Sites with
      initial probing depths of 1-3 mm showed no change, sites with initial values of 4
      6 mm revealed a reduction of 1.03 +/- 1.04 mm, while initial pockets of 7-9 mm
      decreased in depth by 2.28 +/- 1.62 mm. A gain in the mean probing attachment
      level from 4.16 +/- 1.80 mm to 3.74 +/- 1.71 mm was observed as a result of
      treatment. The group with the shallow initial probing depths of 1-3 mm showed no
      alteration in probing attachment level. Pockets with baseline values of 4-6 mm
      showed gain of clinical attachment of 0.69 +/- 1.43 mm. The greatest gain in
      clinical attachment of 1.51 +/- 1.75 mm was obtained in sites with initially deep
      pockets of 7-9 mm. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that non
      surgical periodontal therapy is an effective means to reduce probing pocket
      depths and to improved clinical attachment levels in patients with moderate to
      advanced periodontitis.

PMID- 1856304
TI  - Assessment of ultrasonic debridement of calculus-associated periodontally
      involved root surfaces by the limulus amoebocyte lysate assay. An in vitro study.
AB  - This investigation assessed the effectiveness of an in vitro ultrasonic
      debridement regime on periodontally involved teeth with visually-detectable
      calculus deposits, using the LAL assay for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as a marker
      of bacterial products. 34 single rooted teeth with extensive amounts of calcified
      accretions were selected, of which 10 served as uninstrumented controls for the
      estimation of existing LPS levels. The periodontally involved roots of the 24
      experimental teeth were debrided with a Cavitron TF-10 tip for a limited time
      using light pressure and overlapping strokes which ensured complete surface
      instrumentation without reference to the presence of calculus. Marked reductions
      in root surface area coverage by calculus were nevertheless achieved as assessed
      planimetrically from photographic records of the teeth before and after
      debridement. The root surfaces of each tooth were then stripped away and the
      harvested material subjected to 'Westphal' extraction and LAL assay for LPS. The
      resulting LPS yields from the experimental teeth ranged from less than 0.08 to
      22.387 ng compared to 1,900 to 29,200 ng from the uninstrumented controls. The
      extremely small residual LPS yields from the experimental teeth not only confirm
      the efficacy of ultrasonic debridement but, when coupled with the lack of a
      relationship with the widely varying amounts of the remaining calculus, support
      the contention that bacterial plaque rather than calculus has the greater
      pathogenic potential. These results reinforce the growing impression of the
      superficial location of bacterial toxic products associated with periodontally
      involved root surfaces.

PMID- 1856305
TI  - Comparison of the antimicrobial effect of the application of chlorhexidine gel,
      amine fluoride gel and stannous fluoride gel in debrided periodontal pockets.
AB  - The clinical and microbiological effect of locally-applied chlorhexidine gel 2%,
      amine fluoride gel 1.25%, stannous fluoride gel 4% or placebo gel in 40
      periodontal pockets of 10 patients were studied. The gels were applied 3 x within
      10 min. after mechanical debridement of the pockets. The treatment effect on the
      subgingival microflora was evaluated by microscopic and culture studies of the
      subgingival plaque samples. In addition, supragingival plaque, bleeding after
      probing and probing pocket depth were scored. Examination were carried out before
      and during a period of 36 weeks after treatment. At the start, the cultured
      microflora consisted mainly of anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria. Following
      treatment, the clinical parameters were significantly reduced. Concomitantly, the
      %s of spirochetes, motile rods and non-motile rods decreased significantly. A
      significant decrease was also found in the total anaerobic count, whereas the
      facultative counts remained at the same level found before treatment. This
      suggested that the treatment resulted in a mainly facultative subgingival
      microflora. The % Gram-negative rods showed a significant reduction after
      treatment, but returned to base line at week 12. Statistical analysis of the
      bacteriological and clinical examinations failed to demonstrate any significant
      differences between the 4 treatment groups. Thus, in comparison to the placebo
      gel, subgingival application of chlorhexidine gel 2%, amine fluoride gel 1.25% or
      stannous fluoride gel 4% did not augment the effect of mechanical debridement on
      bacteriological and clinical parameters during the experimental period of 36
      weeks. However the indicated treatments resulted in a facultative subgingival
      microflora which is compatible with the host.

PMID- 1856306
TI  - Bleeding on probing as it relates to probing pressure and gingival health.
AB  - The present study was designed to determine the threshold pressure value to be
      applied in provoking bleeding on probing (BOP) in clinically healthy gingival
      units. 12 female dental hygiene students volunteered for the study. They were
      selected on the basis of excellent oral hygiene standards, absence of probing
      depths greater than 3 mm and absence of caries or dental restorations on smooth
      and proximal tooth surfaces. Applying a probing force of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0
      N in one of the 4 jaw quadrants, respectively, on 2 different occasions with an
      interval of 10 days, bleeding on probing was assessed. Oral hygiene and gingival
      conditions were determined using the criteria of the plaque control record and
      the gingival index. On the basis of the BOP values, obtained using the lowest
      probing force (0.25 N), the subjects were divided into 2 groups: group 1
      ("minimal BOP" value) consisted of 6 subjects yielding practically no bleeding
      (mean BOP = 0.9%) at both examinations, while the subjects of group 2 ("low BOP"
      value) had slightly higher BOP% (mean BOP = 13.4%). Both groups showed
      significant increase in mean BOP% with increasing probing force (0.9%-36.1% in
      group 1 and 13.4%-47.0% in group 2). Regression analysis revealed an almost
      linear correlation and a high correlation coefficient between BOP% and probing
      force. The comparison of the regression lines of the 2 groups showed almost
      identical slope inclination. However, slight differences in slope inclination
      were found for different sites: approximal sites clearly yielded steeper
      regression lines than buccal/oral sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856308
TI  - The use of an oxidising mouthwash to reduce staining associated with
      chlorhexidine. Studies in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Discolouration of the teeth, tongue and dental restorative materials associated
      with the use of cationic antiseptics is still the limiting factor in long-term
      usage of antiplaque agents such as chlorhexidine. Oxidising agents have been used
      successfully to remove dental stain in animals, but products and regimens have
      not been evaluated in humans. These pilot studies in vitro and in vivo assessed a
      long-established oxidising mouthwash, based on peroxyborate, for stain removal
      from teeth and acrylic. The laboratory studies measured chlorhexidine tea stain
      removal from tooth and acrylic specimens. The oxidising agent markedly reduced
      staining on specimens. In a short-term clinical experiment, dental staining was
      forced over a 2 1/2-day period by reciprocal chlorhexidine and tea rinsing. 5
      rinses with the oxidising mouthwash during the next 1 1/2 days dramatically
      reduced staining compared with water after rinses. Additionally, a single rinse
      with peroxyborate following the 5 water after rinses, again considerably reduced
      the residual staining. Effects on tongue staining were less impressive. Both
      experimental models produced findings consistent with those from the animal
      model. The results suggest proprietary oxidising mouthwashes could have a place
      in the control of dental stain associated with the use of chlorhexidine. Further
      studies to evaluate such products in a more conventional chlorhexidine regimen
      are indicated.

PMID- 1856307
TI  - Altered tissue metabolism of progesterone in pregnancy gingivitis and granuloma.
AB  - The metabolism of progesterone may play a special role in the gingival
      physiology. The lower the metabolism the higher its hormonal activity in the
      tissue. In healthy human gingiva, progesterone is metabolized only partially and
      is therefore in an active form. In the present study, gingival samples from
      pregnancy gingivitis (n = 1) and granulomas (n = 4) were studied histologically
      and biochemically. All samples were homogenized and then incubated with [4-14C]
      progesterone and NADPH for 2 h at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. The metabolites were
      separated and characterized with column, solvent and thin-layer chromatographies
      as well as radioautography and quantified with liquid scintillation counting. The
      results showed low metabolism of progesterone, indicating active hormonal
      function as in healthy gingiva. It is suggested that progesterone functions as an
      immunosuppressant in the gingival tissues of pregnant women, preventing the rapid
      acute-type of inflammatory reaction against plaque, but allowing an increased
      chronic-type of tissue reaction, resulting clinically in an exaggerated
      appearance of inflammation.

PMID- 1856309
TI  - Factors associated with success among southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians.
AB  - Researchers in applied social science are seeking ways of approaching the
      facilitation of community-based development at the grass-roots level. Much
      research to date has focused on negative social aspects in communities, such as
      substance abuse and high numbers of school drop-outs. An innovative approach was
      developed that involved looking instead at successful individuals in communities.
      Individuals identified as successful were interviewed about the factors they
      associated with their own success. The experience of supportive parenting during
      their childhoods and moderation in alcohol and other substance use as adults were
      strongly correlated with success in life. The interview process provided an
      effective springboard for discussions and the development of intervention
      strategies at the community level.

PMID- 1856310
TI  - Limited impact of testicular self-examination promotion.
AB  - Analysis of data obtained through a survey of 415 men in New Orleans, Louisiana,
      and Rochester, New York, indicates that the transfer of testicular self
      examination (TSE) skills from the medical community to the public has been
      relatively ineffective. Only two of every 100 respondents reported monthly self
      examination performed at the correct time and with the proper method. The
      findings suggest that, until the transfer of self-detection skills is improved,
      one cannot assess the efficacy of the technology itself. Problems impeding such
      improvement are reviewed.

PMID- 1856311
TI  - Communicating to an alarmed community about cancer clusters: a fifty state
      survey.
AB  - A survey of all 50 U.S. states conducted in 1989 showed that 1,300-1,650 requests
      for cancer cluster investigations were received by state health departments. Most
      states responded with a three-stage process aimed at prioritizing clusters at
      each stage. Those situations deemed most serious were passed on to the next stage
      of evaluation. Thirty-eight of the 50 states said that communicating risk
      information to informants was a productive outcome, and 26 states sent materials
      to informants explaining the causes of cancer, clusters, how clusters are
      investigated, and other health education materials. Many states requested
      detailed information about reported clusters from informants. States with a major
      commitment to protecting public health and environment were more likely to
      provide information than states with weaker programs. Some officials discouraged
      people from pursuing their requests by trying to convince informants that a
      problem did not exist and by overwhelming them with questions and information. We
      recommend that health departments train their respondents in risk communications
      and establish an organizational climate that provides financial resources and
      institutional support appropriate to the complex task of communicating risk
      information to a public alarmed about a cancer cluster.

PMID- 1856312
TI  - Perceptions of community leaders and the merger of rural health services.
AB  - The merger of rural primary care and home health services offers the potential of
      increasing the administrative efficiency of health care, and thereby enhancing
      quality of care and increasing access to services, particularly health promotion.
      In a merger of rural health services in Northeastern Vermont, a survey of key
      community leaders revealed that improved organization of services, improved
      health status and greater accessibility of services were benefits expected and to
      some extent realized as a result of the merger process. The desire to preserve
      community-based services and having a common philosophy were important factors
      which served to initiate the merger. The actions of a few key individuals and the
      support of involved organizations were instrumental in continuing the process.

PMID- 1856313
TI  - Health care utilization and costs for injury in a corporate setting.
AB  - This article presents the incidence and costs for non-work-related injuries among
      15,408 employees and their families based on health insurance claims data
      analysis. The treatment of injuries accounted for 11.3% of the plan's total
      health care costs ($31 million) for the 1986 policy year. For adults, women had a
      higher incidence rate than men; but for children, males had a higher incidence
      rate than females. A disproportionately high share of claims and charges for
      adults were attributed to low back disorders. Hospital admissions, length of stay
      and hospital days per 1,000 persons were similar for males and females, but much
      higher for adults than for children. This article provides an example of the
      utility of health insurance claims data as a source of morbidity information for
      disease surveillance and epidemiologic research. The analysis of claims data can
      be seen as a prerequisite to the development of preventive programs aimed at
      reducing injury rates and health care costs for injuries in a corporate setting.

PMID- 1856314
TI  - Enkephalin immunoreactivity and messenger RNA in a discrete projection from the
      nucleus of the solitary tract to the nucleus ambiguous in the rat.
AB  - Previous work described in the rat a circumscribed, partly somatostatinergic,
      interneuronal projection from the esophageal afferent part of the nucleus of the
      solitary tract (NTSc) to esophageal motor neurons in the compact formation of the
      nucleus ambiguous (NAcf: Cunningham and Sawchenko, J Neurosci 9:1668, 1989). In
      the present study, axonal transport, immunohistochemical and in situ
      hybridization histochemical techniques were used to determine whether enkephalin
      (ENK), a peptide known to be expressed in a number of somatostatin-containing
      medullary cell groups, is also expressed in the projection from the NTSc to the
      NAcf. The results may be summarized as follows: 1) cells immunoreactive (IR) for
      prepro-enkephalin (ppENK)-derived peptides were found in the NTSc in colchicine
      pretreated animals; in untreated animals, a dense ENK-IR terminal field was
      observed in the NAcf: sections stained with antisera against dynorphin-related
      peptides showed sparse staining in both regions; 2) signal indicating the
      presence of ppENK messenger RNA (mRNA) was found over the NTSc, including over a
      majority of cells identified using a retrograde tracing technique as projecting
      to the region of the NAcf; the signal for ppENK mRNA signal was greater than that
      for prepro-somatostatin (ppSS) in the NTSc; 3) a combined anterograde tracing
      immunohistochemical technique demonstrated a strong correspondence between the
      distribution of inputs from the NTS to the NAcf, and the distribution of
      endogenous ENK-IR varicosities; in addition, leucine (L)-ENK-IR was found in an
      appreciable number of varicosities in the NAcf that had been anterogradely
      labeled from the NTSc; 4) unilateral electrolytic lesions of the rostromedial
      NTS, which included the central subnucleus, virtually eliminated ENK-IR in the
      ipsilateral NAcf, while staining on the contralateral side was unaffected. Taken
      together, these studies provide evidence that ppENK- and ppSS-derived peptides
      are expressed in the pathway from the NTSc to the NAcf, a pathway thought to play
      a role in the reflex control of esophageal peristalsis.

PMID- 1856315
TI  - Origin and distribution of neuropeptide-FF-like immunoreactivity in the spinal
      cord of rats.
AB  - Neuropeptide FF, or F8Famide (Phe-Leu-Phe-Gln-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2; "morphine
      modulating peptide"), isolated from bovine brain, is an FMRF-NH2-like peptide
      with morphine-modulating effects. Neuropeptide FF (NFF) is highly concentrated in
      spinal cords of various mammalian species. There is evidence that NFF
      participates in the modulation of nociceptive mechanisms. The present study was
      aimed at describing the distribution and origin of the neuropeptide-FF-like
      immunoreactivity (LI) in the rat spinal cord. For distribution studies spinal
      cord sections from colchicine-treated animals were processed according to the
      indirect immunofluorescence method. Retrograde fluorescent tracer was injected in
      the lumbar dorsal spinal cord to study descending NFF-LI-containing spinal
      pathways. NFF-immunoreactive (ir) cell bodies were detected in the substantia
      gelatinosa, marginal zone, laminae III, IV, and X at all levels of the spinal
      cord, and the dorsolateral funiculus, and dorsal gray commissure of the
      lumbosacral transition zone. NFF-ir fibers and terminals were identified in
      laminae I-IV and X, dorsolateral funiculus, intermediolateral cell column, dorsal
      gray commissure, sacral parasympathetic nucleus, and ventral horn. A spinal NFF
      LI-containing descending pathway originating in the lamina X neurons was
      observed, but a supraspinal origin of descending NFF-ir fibers was not
      identified. According to this study the NFF-LI of the spinal cord is of intrinsic
      spinal origin. The anatomical distribution supports the concept that the NFF-like
      peptides have a role in the nociception. They may also be involved in sensory
      visceral reflex arcs.

PMID- 1856316
TI  - Descending projections to the rat sacrocaudal spinal cord.
AB  - Descending supraspinal and propriospinal neurons projecting to the female rat
      sacrocaudal spinal cord, the portion of the spinal cord that innervates the tail,
      were identified following injection of Fluoro-Gold into the S1-Ca2 spinal cord
      segments. This study attempted to determine anatomical substrates for
      propriospinal and supraspinal control of the tail. Propriospinal neurons were
      identified throughout laminae V-VIII and X at all levels of the spinal cord. The
      greatest density of labeling was in the lumbar enlargement, followed by the
      cervical enlargement, with least in the thoracic spinal cord. Within a given cord
      level, labeling was greatest within the intermediate zone. In addition, other
      prominent spinal cord collections included neurons in 1) lamina V of the lumbar
      enlargement, 2) dorsal lamina X of the cervical enlargement, and 3) the lateral
      spinal nucleus within the cervical enlargement. Supraspinal cells were identified
      within raphe nuclei, reticular formation nuclei, dorsal column nuclei, vestibular
      nuclei, noradrenergic groups, the red nucleus, the periaqueductal gray, the
      hypothalamus, and the motor cortex. These data indicate that there are
      significant descending projections to the sacrocaudal spinal cord, with
      distributions similar to those of other cord levels. Functionally, important
      supraspinal and propriospinal influences on tail, pelvic viscera and limbs, such
      as with locomotion, balance, defense, micturition, defecation, and sexual
      functions, may be mediated by these connections.

PMID- 1856317
TI  - Evidence for the presence, synthesis, immunoreactivity, and uptake of GABA in the
      nervous system of the snail Helisoma trivolvis.
AB  - In the present study several techniques were employed to test the hypothesis that
      gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous
      system (CNS) of the pond snail Helisoma trivolvis (Mollusca, Pulmonata). First,
      by using chromatographic techniques, the presence of GABA and its differential
      distribution among the ganglia constituting the CNS was demonstrated. Second, de
      novo synthesis of 3H-GABA from 3H-glutamate was shown by the CNS. Levels of both
      endogenous and newly synthesized GABA were greatest in the buccal, cerebral, and
      pedal ganglia. Third, indirect immunohistochemistry of wholemounts revealed a
      central network of GABA-like immunoreactive neurons. With the possible exceptions
      of two pairs of fibers in nerve trunks, all projections from GABA-immunoreactive
      neurons were confined to the CNS, suggesting a predominantly central role for
      GABA. Stained neurons were found on the dorsal surface of the buccal ganglia and
      throughout the cerebral and pedal ganglia. No GABA-immunoreactive cell bodies
      were observed in the parietal, pleural, or visceral ganglia. Finally, uptake of
      3H-GABA was examined autoradiographically in sectioned ganglia. A pattern of
      radiolabelled cells was observed that closely resembled the distribution of GABA
      immunoreactive neurons. The data described above fulfill several criteria
      necessary to establish GABA as a transmitter in the nervous system of Helisoma.
      Taken together with previously obtained pharmacological evidence demonstrating
      that GABA acts on Helisoma central neurons, GABA is considered to be a strong
      candidate for a neurotransmitter in Helisoma.

PMID- 1856318
TI  - Birthdates of trigeminal ganglion cells contributing axons to the infraorbital
      nerve and specific vibrissal follicles in the rat.
AB  - Prenatal labelling with [3H]-thymidine was combined with retrograde tracing
      techniques in adult rats to determine the birthdates of the trigeminal (V)
      ganglion cells that contributed axons to the infraorbital nerve (ION) and the
      generation of the subsets of ION cells that innervated specific vibrissae
      follicles (C-1 and C-5). The V ganglion cells contributing axons to the ION are
      born between embryonic (E-, E-0 = the day of conception) days 9.5 and 14.5. The
      percentages (normalized so that they total 100%) of the total V ganglion
      population born on E-9.5 through E-14.5 were 5.8, 25.7, 19.8, 23.4, 21.0, and
      4.4%, respectively. The distribution of birthdates for the V ganglion cells that
      were retrogradely labelled from the ION closely matched that for the ganglion as
      a whole. All of these neurons were also born on E-9.5 through E-14.5, and the
      percentages born on each day were 6.3, 23.6, 18.1, 24.0, 23.6, and 4.4%. Finally,
      a similar distribution of birthdates was obtained for the V ganglion cells that
      were retrogradely labelled after injection of retrograde tracers into either the
      C-1 or C-5 vibrissae follicles. We were unable to detect any distinctive spatial
      distributions for either all V ganglion or ION cells born on a specific embryonic
      day. Furthermore, neurons with a given birthdate and that innervated a given
      follicle were distributed throughout the entire region containing all of the
      ganglion cells supplying the follicle in question. Therefore, it appears that the
      V ganglion cells contributing axons to the ION are born over the entire period of
      ganglion neurogenesis and further that the organization of the ION's innervation
      of the periphery is not a function of cell birthdate.

PMID- 1856319
TI  - Gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactivity in the
      mesencephalon of sharks and rays.
AB  - Other than association with the terminal nerve (TN), little is known concerning
      the distribution of gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) in
      elasmobranchs. The purpose of this study was to identify GnRH immunoreactivity in
      the brains of three elasmobranch species with special regard to the
      mesencephalon. The round stingray (Urolophus halleri), thornback guitarfish
      (Platyrhinoidis triseriata), and leopard shark (Triakis semifasciatus) were used
      and immunocytochemistry was performed with antisera to both salmon and mammalian
      GnRH. A large GnRH-immunoreactive (ir) nucleus extends rostrocaudally for
      approximately 1.5 mm along and adjacent to the midline of the midbrain near the
      area of the oculomotor nerve. GnRH-ir fibers surround the nucleus and are found
      diffusely throughout the mesencephalon; some of the fibers may contact the
      ventricle. The medulla and spinal cord contain ir fibers that most likely
      originate from the midbrain nucleus. Mesencephalic GnRH-ir cell groups have been
      reported in representatives of all vertebrate classes with the exception of
      agnathans and mammals. Such a well-developed cell group in elasmobranchs may aid
      in understanding the evolution of GnRH systems with regard to the mesencephalon
      as well as providing insight to the functional significance of this cell group.
      Possible homologies to mesencephalic GnRH systems reported in other vertebrates
      is discussed as well.

PMID- 1856320
TI  - Mitral cell-to-glomerulus connectivity: an HRP study of the orientation of mitral
      cell apical dendrites.
AB  - It has been suggested that the principal output cells of the main olfactory bulb,
      the mitral cells, along with the glomerulus they enter, form an anatomical and
      functional column. To test the extent to which mitral cell somata lying close
      together in the mitral cell layer are connected to the same glomerulus, we
      reconstructed 267 mitral cells labeled by extracellular injections of horseradish
      peroxidase (HRP) in the external plexiform layer. Results show that apical
      dendrites tilt rostrally from the somata to the glomeruli and this tilt is
      gradually greater as the somata are located more and more rostrally in the
      olfactory bulb. The apical dendrites of most mitral cells in the same region of
      the bulb are parallel. We analyzed the degree to which dendrites were parallel by
      measuring the difference in angle of all pairs of apical dendrites in each
      section, with the restriction that no cells were separated by more than 500
      microns. About half of these pairs of dendrites differed in angle by 20 degrees
      or less and were therefore said to be parallel. The degree of parallelism did not
      vary with the cell pair location or with intercell distance. Study of glomerular
      connections of pairs of mitral cells as a function of intercell distance revealed
      that 96% of mitral cells connected to the same glomerulus were separated by less
      than 120 microns, while 72% of cells connected to adjacent glomeruli and only 29%
      of cells connected to distant, i.e., nonadjacent, glomeruli were separated by
      less than 120 microns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856321
TI  - Lateral asymmetries and testosterone-induced changes in the gross morphology of
      the hypoglossal nucleus in adult canaries.
AB  - The caudal portion of the hypoglossal nucleus (tracheosyringeal, nXIIts) contains
      the motor neurons that innervate the syrinx in songbirds. It receives projections
      from telencephalic and midbrain nuclei that are necessary for song production.
      Its neurons concentrate androgens. The present study assesses the gross
      morphology of the hypoglossal nucleus in canaries. In this species song is more
      frequent, elaborate, and stereotyped in males than in females. Adult females
      respond to testosterone by developing a stereotyped song that is sung frequently.
      Song in male canaries is much more disrupted by damage on the left side of the
      song system than by damage on the right. We find anatomical correlates for each
      of these attributes in the nXIIts. This nucleus is 83% larger in males than in
      females. This is caused primarily by a sex difference in neuropil volume as there
      is no significant sex difference in the number of neurons in nXIIts. nXIIts grows
      by 34% in females given testosterone as adults. It is about 8% larger on the left
      than on the right in males, females, and females treated with testosterone. Sex
      differences are also found in the rostral (lingualis) portion of nXII, which
      controls muscles of the tongue, but there is no effect here of adult treatment
      with testosterone. Comparisons of these data with earlier measures of synaptic
      density and morphology in nXIIts suggest that the testosterone acts on this
      nucleus by inducing a modest increase in synapse numbers and by altering the
      efficacy of synapses in nXIIts. This contrasts with the effects of testosterone
      on n. robustus archistriatalis, a telencephalic component of the song system in
      which testosterone induces massive amounts of synaptogenesis.

PMID- 1856322
TI  - Embryonic development of choline acetyltransferase in thoracic spinal motor
      neurons: somatic and autonomic neurons may be derived from a common cellular
      group.
AB  - This investigation focused on the relationship between neurotransmitter phenotype
      expression and rat motor neuron development, as studied with choline
      acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunocytochemical techniques. The development of two
      subclasses of motor neurons, somatic and autonomic efferents, was examined in the
      upper thoracic spinal cord. ChAT was first detected in a few neurons on embryonic
      day 12 1/2 (E12 1/2), and in numerous cells located in a single, ventrolaterally
      located column in the intermediate zone on E13. By E14, this group of ChAT
      positive neurons was more intensely immunoreactive, and their axons could be
      traced to appropriate targets in developing somatic muscle and paravertebral
      sympathetic ganglia. During the E15-16 period, somatic and autonomic motor
      neurons separated into two distinct subgroups, with the latter cells being
      observed to translocate dorsally. By E17, these autonomic motor neurons reached
      their final positions in the midportion of the intermediate zone. The autonomic
      motor neurons were observed to extend transverse dendritic bundles across the
      spinal cord between E15-16, but evidence of the longitudinal bundles of
      sympathetic preganglionic dendrites was not observed until after birth. A recent
      study of cholinergic thoracic motor neurons found that both somatic and autonomic
      cells were generated synchronously during the E11-12 period (Barber et al., Soc
      Neurosci Abstr 15:588, 1989). In combination with the present results, these data
      indicate that no more than 1 1/2 days are necessary after motor neuron genesis
      before a few cells begin to express detectable levels of ChAT, and that no more
      than 2 days are required before large numbers express this marker of the
      cholinergic phenotype. Further comparisons of the present findings with those of
      previous investigations of the development of both somatic and autonomic motor
      neurons (Dennis et al., Dev Biol 81:266, 1981; Rubin, J Neurosci 5:685, 697,
      1985) indicate that these cells contain ChAT at the time their axons are growing
      toward their respective peripheral targets 1 day before the time when
      physiological evidence of function is manifest. Furthermore, the present results
      suggest that both subclasses of motor neurons initially migrate together from the
      ventricular zone into a single motor column within the ventral intermediate zone,
      and that the autonomic neurons subsequently translocate dorsally. Thus, autonomic
      motor neurons appear to be an exception to the generalization that postmitotic
      neurons migrate directly from the germinal zone to their final positions within
      the central nervous system.

PMID- 1856323
TI  - Formation of ganglia in the gut of the chick embryo.
AB  - We have examined the formation of myenteric ganglia in the developing avian
      enteric nervous system. The monoclonal antibody HNK-1 was used to identify neural
      crest-derived cells in whole mounts of fore- and midgut of chick embryos. We find
      that the crest-derived cells extend processes to their neighbors and form a
      complex network in the wall of the gut. Formation of this network is an unusual
      behavior of crest-derived cells and suggests the gut microenvironment is critical
      to this behavior. This cellular network disappears after ablation of the vagal
      neural crest, indicating the HNK-1-stained cellular network arises from crest
      derived cells. The network is found in the gut wall before the vagal nerve fibers
      are present. This network is first found in the primordium of the proventriculus,
      distal to the evagination of the lung buds, and progresses just proximal to the
      yolk stalk at embryonic day (E) 3.5 and almost to the ileocecal junction at E5.5.
      The number of cells and the complexity of the network decrease in a rostral
      caudal direction down the length of the gut at these stages. The leading edge of
      the network consists of cells serially arranged in longitudinally running
      strands. The organization of the network changes with increasing embryonic age;
      we have focused on network changes in the proventriculus. In the primordium of
      the proventriculus at E3.5, the network consists of a cluster of one or two
      adjacent crest-derived cells, which extend processes to a number of neighboring
      crest-derived cells. At E5.5 large increases in the number of cells per cluster
      and in the length of cellular connectives between clusters are apparent. At E6.5
      a crude meshwork of clusters is seen. At E10.5 the arrangement of cell clusters
      resembles the pattern of ganglia found in the adult myenteric plexus. This
      network may provide the environmental cues for the differentiation of enteric
      neurons and a framework for the pattern of ganglia found in the adult enteric
      nervous system.

PMID- 1856324
TI  - Further evidence of extrinsic forces in bending of the neural plate.
AB  - Bending of the neural plate has long been considered to be driven by principally
      intrinsic forces generated by wedging of neurepithelial cells. Our previous
      studies have shown that during neural fold elevation, significant neurepithelial
      cell wedging occurs only within the median hinge point (MHP), the midline region
      of neural plate anchored to the notochord. We have also shown that neural fold
      elevation can still occur when MHP cells are prevented from becoming wedge-shaped
      but fails to occur when the neural plate is separated from lateral
      nonneurepithelial tissues, even though MHP cells still become wedge-shaped and
      the midline neural plate still furrows. Together, these results suggest that
      neural fold elevation, rather than being driven by neurepithelial cell wedging,
      is driven, at least in part, by extrinsic forces generated by lateral
      nonneurepithelial tissues. However, it could be argued that in the absence of
      localized neurepithelial cell wedging, compensatory and atypical cell wedging
      occurred uniformly throughout the neural plate, providing forces adequate for
      neural fold elevation. Likewise, it could be argued that in the process of
      separating the neural plate from lateral nonneurepithelial tissues, the neural
      plate was damaged to the extent that the neural folds were unable to elevate. To
      investigate the validity of these arguments, we removed the following tissues
      microsurgically prior to neural fold elevation: MHP cells, varying amounts of
      lateral neurepithelial cells (L cells), and the tissues directly underlying these
      two populations of neurepithelial cells. We found that the neural folds still
      formed and underwent elevation, convergence, and fusion, resulting in an
      essentially normal neural tube, even though MHP cells, the underlying notochord,
      and some L cells were absent for long craniocaudal distances. These results
      demonstrate that microsurgery alone does not damage the neural plate sufficiently
      to prevent neural fold elevation, convergence, and fusion. Moreover, the fact
      that each of the two persisting remnants of lateral neurepithelium generally
      remained straight and consistently changed their orientation from horizontal to
      vertical rather than curling suggests very strongly that bending of the neural
      plate in these embryos is not the result of compensatory and atypical cell
      wedging. Finally, the results provide further direct evidence of extrinsic forces
      in bending because the two remnants of lateral neurepithelium, which were
      oriented horizontally at the time of tissue extirpation, could not have become
      oriented vertically in the absence of such forces.

PMID- 1856325
TI  - Morphology and frequency of axon terminals on the somata, proximal dendrites, and
      distal dendrites of dorsal neck motoneurons in the cat.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to compare the frequency of different
      classes of axon terminals on selected regions of the somatodendritic surface of
      dorsal neck motoneurons. Single motoneurons supplying neck extensor muscles were
      antidromically identified and intracellularly stained with horseradish
      peroxidase. By using light microscopic reconstructions as a guide, axon terminals
      on the somata, proximal dendrites (within 250 microns of the soma), and distal
      dendrites (more than 540 microns from the soma) were examined at the electron
      microscopic level. Axon terminals were divided into several classes based on the
      shape, density, and distribution of their synaptic vesicles. The proportion of
      axon terminals belonging to each axon terminal class was similar on the somata
      and proximal dendrites. However, there were major shifts in the relative
      frequency of most classes of axon terminals on the distal dendrites. The most
      common classes of axon terminals on the somata and proximal dendrites contained
      clumps of either spherical or pleomorphic vesicles. These types of axon terminals
      accounted for more than 60% of the axon terminals on these regions. In contrast,
      only 11% of the axon terminals found on distal dendrites belonged to these types
      of axon terminals. The most commonly encountered axon terminal on distal
      dendrites contained a dense collection of uniformly distributed spherical
      vesicles. These types of axon terminals accounted for 40% of all terminals on the
      distal dendrites, but only 5-7% of the axon terminals on the somata and proximal
      dendrites. Total synaptic density on each of the three regions examined was
      similar. However, the percentage of membrane in contract with axon terminals was
      approximately four times smaller on distal dendrites than somata or proximal
      dendrites. Axon terminals (regardless of type) were usually larger on somata and
      proximal dendrites than distal dendrites. These results indicate that there are
      major differences in the types and arrangement of axon terminals on the proximal
      and distal regions of dorsal neck motoneurons and suggest that afferents from
      different sources may preferentially contact proximal or distal regions of the
      dendritic trees of these cells.

PMID- 1856326
TI  - Estrogen influences on oxytocin mRNA expression in preoptic and anterior
      hypothalamic regions studied by in situ hybridization.
AB  - Possible estrogen influences on oxytocin mRNA expression were studied in preoptic
      and anterior hypothalamic regions as might be important for behavioral as well as
      neuroendocrine controls. In situ hybridization for oxytocin mRNA determination
      was supported by immunocytochemical identification and was compared with
      vasopressin mRNA in situ hybridization. With these techniques, oxytocin
      expressing neurons were identified in medial preoptic, anterior commissural,
      periventricular, paraventricular, supraoptic, and perifornical nuclei as well as
      the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and intersupraopticoparaventricular
      (internuclear) islands. Distribution and number of oxytocin mRNA-containing
      neurons and oxytocin mRNA levels were compared between ovariectomized control
      rats given cholesterol implants and ovariectomized rats given short-term (2 days)
      or long-term (2 months) estradiol treatment (10% estradiol, subcutaneous silastic
      implants). Effectiveness of long-term estrogen treatment was confirmed
      behaviorally. While there was a trend in several cell groups for a larger number
      of oxytocin-mRNA-containing neurons to be observed following 2 days of estrogen
      treatment, this was not statistically significant. Moreover, additional oxytocin
      mRNA containing cell groups were not seen after short or long estradiol
      treatment. With computer-aided analysis, mean pixels per oxytocin-mRNA expressing
      neuron (reflecting oxytocin mRNA content) were compared between groups: In the
      supraoptic nucleus and the anterior commissural nucleus, these were increased
      both by 2 days and 2 months of estradiol treatment. These differences may be
      important in modulating female reproductive behavior. Present findings also
      suggest that estradiol can affect the oxytocinergic system via an indirect route
      since the cell groups influenced here by estradiol do not contain estrogen
      receptors. Oxytocinergic neurons may serve as a good system to compare direct
      transcriptional with indirect effects of hormones.

PMID- 1856327
TI  - Quantitative study of the tectally projecting retinal ganglion cells in the adult
      frog. II. Cell survival and functional recovery after optic nerve transection.
AB  - It is known from previous work that ganglion cells disappear from the retina in
      significant numbers during optic nerve regeneration in the adult frog. In the
      present study, the population size of surviving ganglion cells that have returned
      axon terminals to the correct tectal loci was estimated by counts of retrogradely
      labeled cells in retina-flat-mounts after tectal injections of HRP. Bilaterally
      symmetric injections were delivered to allow comparison of the normal and
      affected retinas. The frogs studied had regenerated the left optic nerve and had
      visually guided behaviors initiated by the recovered eye (see below). The
      proportion of tectally projecting ganglion cells in the normal retinas and in
      retinas of normal frogs studied in parallel ranged from 83-86% (Singman and
      Scalia: J. Comp. Neurol. 302:792-809, 1991). In the affected retinas, the
      subpopulation of tectally projecting cells was reduced by 40-90% after
      regeneration, and the relative size of this subpopulation ranged from 67-86%. The
      optic tectum was injected unilaterally in one specimen, on the side ipsilateral
      to the regenerated (left) optic nerve. The HRP-labeled ganglion cells in the
      ipsilateral (left) retina accounted for only 0.8% of the surviving ganglion cells
      in this animal, whereas it was previously found that the ipsilateral tectally
      projecting ganglion cells normally amount to 0.9-2.3% (Singman and Scalia, op.
      cit.) In frogs recovering from transection of the left optic nerve, the
      frequency, latency, and accuracy of the prey-acquisition responses initiated by
      the recovering eye were compared with those initiated by the normal eye.
      Mealworms or lure dummies were used to stimulate prey acquisition. In one
      experiment, the stimuli were presented unilaterally in the monocular fields of
      frogs permitted to use both eyes. Prior to the fourteenth postoperative week, the
      affected eye initiated responses of abnormally long latency and low frequency. In
      contrast, responses initiated by the affected eye after 14 weeks appeared to be
      normal in all respects. In another experiment, the normal eye was sutured shut in
      some frogs recovering for at least 24 weeks and then the affected eye was
      retested. The affected eye was capable of consistently initiating brisk and
      accurate prey acquisition. In a final experiment, two stimuli were presented
      simultaneously in bilaterally symmetric regions of the monocular fields of frogs
      surviving at least 42 weeks. These fully recovered frogs showed no preference for
      using either the normal or the recovered eye. Despite severe loss of tectally
      projecting ganglion cells during optic nerve regeneration, frogs are capable of
      apparently normal visual responses in prey acquisition tests.

PMID- 1856328
TI  - Direct observations of synapses between GABA-immunoreactive boutons and
      identified spinocervical tract neurons in the cat's spinal cord.
AB  - Three spinocervical tract neurons in adult cats were physiologically
      characterized and intracellularly labelled with horseradish peroxidase. The
      neurons were reconstructed and examined with the light microscope and were
      prepared for postembedding immunochemical analysis by using an antiserum which
      specifically recognizes GABA in glutaraldehyde-fixed tissue. Semithin sections
      were tested and examined with the light microscope. Somata, proximal, and distal
      dendrites of all three cells were associated with numerous punctate GABA
      immunoreactive structures. Immunoreactive perikarya of small neurons in the
      vicinity of spinocervical tract cells were also observed. Ultrastructural
      analysis, with the immunogold technique, revealed that somata and proximal
      dendrites of all three neurons received synaptic contacts (about 37% of total
      synapses) from GABA-immunoreactive boutons and that distal dendrites were also
      associated with substantial numbers of immunoreactive structures (about 27% of
      synapses). Immunoreactive boutons were small (about 1 micron in diameter),
      contained irregularly shaped agranular vesicles, and formed symmetrical synaptic
      junctions with identified neurons. An additional group of immunoreactive boutons
      was observed to be associated with one of the cells only; these contained many
      large dense-core vesicles in addition to small agranular vesicles. Boutons
      containing round agranular vesicles and flattened agranular vesicles were not
      observed to be immunoreactive. The evidence supports the idea that much of the
      postsynaptic inhibition observed in spinocervical tract neurons is mediated by
      GABA and that even the most distal dendrites of these neurons receive inhibitory
      inputs.

PMID- 1856329
TI  - Relationship of retinotopic ordering of axons in the optic pathway to the
      formation of visual maps in central targets.
AB  - We examined in rats the relationship between the ordering of retinal axons in the
      optic pathway and the formation of a retinotopically organized projection to
      their primary target, the contralateral superior colliculus (SC). We have
      previously found that axons labeled by focal injections of 1,1'-dioctadecyl
      3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) made in temporal or nasal
      retina of perinatal rats commonly mistarget along the medial-lateral and rostral
      caudal axes of the SC. By postnatal day (P) 11-12, the retinocollicular
      projection attains an adult-like topography. Incorrectly targeted axons or axon
      segments are removed; axons that persist terminate in the topographically
      appropriate part of the SC (Simon and O'Leary: Dev Biol 137:125, 1990). In the
      present study, we made similar DiI injections, covering less than 2% of the
      retinal area, in peripheral temporal, nasal, superior, or inferior retina, in
      rats of two age groups, embryonic day (E) 21 to P (postnatal day) 2 and P11-P17.
      Whole mounts of retina, optic nerve and tract, and SC, and cross sections of the
      optic nerve, were examined. In E21-P2 rats, retinal axons labeled from each
      retinal site are diffusely distributed in the SC, and poorly ordered in the optic
      pathway. In retina, labeled axons travel in fascicles directly from the injection
      site to the optic disc, but neighbor relationships begin to degrade as fascicles
      split and mix. Retinotopic order is virtually lost in the optic nerve; axons
      labeled from each injection site disperse throughout its cross-sectional area,
      but the labeled axons tend to be concentrated toward a specific half of the nerve
      depending upon their retinal origin. This slight tendency toward retinotopic
      order increases in the optic tract, but axons are still poorly ordered as they
      leave the tract and enter the SC. Targeting errors along the medial-lateral axis
      of the SC, but apparently not along its rostral-caudal axis, are related to the
      positioning of axons across the width of the optic tract. In P11-P17 rats, axons
      labeled from each injection site arborize only in a small, topographically
      correct part of the SC. However, the distributions of labeled retinal axons
      observed in whole mounts of the retina and optic pathway have a degree of
      disorder similar to those in E21-P2 rats. Further, the scatter of labeled axons
      in optic nerve cross sections is comparable in both age groups. Therefore, the
      emergence of topographic order in the retinocollicular projection is not
      accompanied by an emergence of a retinotopic ordering of axons in the optic
      nerve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1856330
TI  - Immunohistochemical differentiation of electrophysiologically defined neuronal
      populations in the region of the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.
AB  - Intracellular recording and labeling were combined with neurophysin
      immunohistochemistry to study neurons in the paraventricular nucleus region of
      the rat hypothalamus. Neuronal membrane properties were examined in hypothalamic
      slices, and cells were labeled by injecting biocytin or Lucifer yellow. Slices
      were then embedded, sectioned, and immunohistochemically processed for
      neurophysin. Immunoreactivity patterns, and in some cases counterstaining,
      enabled determinations of the cytoarchitectonic positions of recorded cells to be
      made. Recorded cells were divided into three types according to their
      electrophysiological characteristics. The first type lacked low-threshold Ca2+
      spikes and displayed linear current-voltage relations, a short time constant, and
      evidence for an A current. These were relatively large cells that were typically
      immunoreactive for neurophysin and were situated near other neurophysin-positive
      neurons. The second type had relatively small low-threshold potentials that did
      not generate bursts of Na+ spikes. These cells had heterogeneous current-voltage
      relations and intermediate time constants. They did not label for neurophysin,
      and most were located in the parvicellular subregion of the paraventricular
      nucleus. The third type had large low-threshold Ca2- spikes that generated bursts
      of Na+ spikes, and these cells had nonlinear current-voltage relations and long
      time constants. These neurons were dorsal or dorsolateral to the paraventricular
      nucleus and were not immunoreactive for neurophysin. These results indicate that
      paraventricular magnocellular neurons lack low-threshold potentials, whereas
      paraventricular parvicellular neurons display low-threshold potentials that
      generate one or two action potentials. Neurons that fire spike bursts from low
      threshold potentials are adjacent to the paraventricular nucleus, confirming
      earlier reports.

PMID- 1856331
TI  - Disruption of developmental timing in the albino rat retina.
AB  - We have examined the spatial and temporal gradients of two developmental
      processes in albino and pigmented rats: outer plexiform layer (OPL) development,
      and rate of cell production. The OPL first appears as a thin, discontinuous break
      in the cytoblast layer that is frequently interrupted by the profiles of
      migrating neuro- and glioblasts. In both strains, this occurs in an area temporal
      to the optic disc that corresponds to the eventual site of peak ganglion cell
      density, but is not located along the line of nasotemporal division. The OPL is
      first evident at P5 in pigmented animals, but its appearance in albino animals is
      delayed approximately 30 hours, and its development appears to follow a flatter
      spatial gradient than in pigmented animals. In pigmented animals OPL formation is
      complete over most of the retina by P10, but in albino animals at this age it is
      yet to be completely formed at any retinal location. Reductions in mitotic
      activity are also first evident in temporal retina, but unlike OPL development,
      appear to follow the same temporal-spatial gradient in both strains. Reductions
      in temporal retina are obvious by P4, and mitotic activity has ceased altogether
      in midtemporal retina by P6 and throughout most remaining retinal regions by P8.
      Thus, the initial reduction of mitotic activity precedes the onset of OPL
      formation in both strains, but OPL development lags behind the reduction of
      mitotic activity to a greater extent in albino than in pigmented animals. Some
      aspects of differentiation within the inner nuclear layer (INL) were also
      examined. Just prior to the time of the onset of OPL formation, three distinct
      sublaminae are apparent in the INL. Cells in the innermost sublamina appear to be
      in an early stage of differentiation. Cells in the middle sublamina appear to be
      postmigratory, but have not yet begun to differentiate. Cells in the outermost
      sublamina have the appearance of migrating neuroblasts. At least some of these
      outer cells appear to migrate across the developing OPL to the outer nuclear
      layer, since the outermost sublamina becomes thinner and eventually disappears at
      the same time that the OPL becomes a continuous, uninterrupted plexiform layer.
      Cells of the middle sublamina apparently begin differentiation at about the time
      that this migration is complete. Although this sequence is the same in both
      albino and pigmented strains, its onset is delayed in albino animals by the same
      amount as the onset of OPL formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1856332
TI  - Active zone organization and vesicle content scale with bouton size at a
      vertebrate central synapse.
AB  - A common observation in studies of neuronal structure is that axons differ in the
      size of their synaptic boutons. The significance of this size variation is
      unclear, in part because we do not know how the size of synaptic boutons is
      related to their internal organization. The present study has addressed this
      issue by using three-dimensional reconstruction of serial thin sections to
      examine the ultrastructure of synaptic boutons that vary in size. Our
      observations are based on complete or near-complete reconstructions of 53
      synaptic boutons contacting large neurons in the ventromedial gray matter of the
      upper cervical spinal cord (probable neck motor neurons). We characterized bouton
      size in terms of volume and total area of membrane apposed to the motor neuron
      surface (apposition area). Boutons vary in apposition area by a factor of 40, and
      there is a significant positive correlation between our two measures of bouton
      size. In addition, bouton size is systematically related to four ultrastructural
      variables: 1) total active zone area, 2) number of active zones, 3) individual
      active zone area, and 4) number of synaptic vesicles. The correlations between
      these variables and both of our measures of bouton size are positive and
      significant. These data suggest that bouton size may be an index of
      ultrastructural features that are thought to influence transmitter storage and
      release.

PMID- 1856333
TI  - Cell migration in the rat embryonic neocortex.
AB  - Three-dimensional reconstructions of the normal rat embryonic (E) neocortex on
      days E15, E17, E19, and E21, using Skandha (software designed by J. Prothero,
      University of Washington, Seattle), show that the neocortical ventricular zone
      shrinks rapidly in the medial direction during cortical morphogenesis.
      [3H]thymidine autoradiography indicates that the shrinkage of the ventricular
      zone occurs before neurons in lateral and ventrolateral parts of layers IV-II are
      generated. Consequently, most of these neurons originate 400-1000 microns medial
      to their settling sites in the cortical plate. Embryos killed at daily intervals
      up to E21 after a single injection of [3H]thymidine on either E17 or E18 revealed
      the presence of a prominent migratory path, the lateral cortical stream, used by
      neurons migrating to the lateral and ventrolateral cortical plate; neurons
      migrating to the dorsal cortical plate follow a direct radial path. Arrival times
      of neurons in the cortical plate depend on the migratory path and are
      proportional to the overall distance travelled. Neurons that migrate only
      radially arrive in the dorsal cortical plate in two days (shortest route).
      Neurons that migrate laterally arrive in the lateral cortical plate in 3 days
      (longer route) and in the ventrolateral cortical plate in 4 days (longest route).
      [3H]thymidine autoradiography also shows that cells generated in the neocortical
      ventricular zone migrate in the lateral cortical stream for 5 or more days and
      accumulate in a reservoir. Cells leave the reservoir to enter the piriform cortex
      and destinations (as yet undetermined) in the basal telencephalon. The lateral
      cortical stream is found wherever the neocortical primordium surrounds the basal
      ganglia and is absent behind the basal ganglia. A computer analysis of nuclear
      orientation in anterior and posterior parts of the intermediate zone in the
      dorsal neocortex between days E17 and E22 shows that horizontally oriented nuclei
      are more common anteriorly where many cells are migrating laterally than
      posteriorly where most cells are migrating radially.

PMID- 1856335
TI  - Managed care: a boon or bane in the 90's.

PMID- 1856334
TI  - Managed dental care--coming soon to your neighborhood.

PMID- 1856336
TI  - The influence of alcohol.

PMID- 1856337
TI  - One dentist's opinion on being average.

PMID- 1856338
TI  - Human gnathostomiasis.
AB  - Two patients became infested with Gnathostoma nipponicum after eating raw loach
      fish they had caught in a rice field in central Japan. A fragment of Gnathostoma
      was found in a biopsy from one of them. The sera of both patients reacted with
      Gnathostoma antigen using indirect immunofluorescence. Scanning electron
      microscopy was performed on blocks of the paraffin-embedded parasite sample and
      the viscera of a fish from the same rice field. The risk of eating raw freshwater
      fish is discussed.

PMID- 1856339
TI  - Hyalohyphomycosis masquerading as squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - A case of primary cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis in a healthy individual is
      presented. The initial clinical impression was keratoacanthoma or squamous cell
      carcinoma. Upon excision, the lesion proved to be an example of cutaneous
      hyalohyphomycosis due to an unidentified, non-pigmented fungal organism. The
      lesion was completely excised, and the patient was treated with saturated
      solution of potassium iodide. To date, there has been no evidence of recurrence.
      The clinical, histologic and mycologic aspects of hyalophyphomycosis are
      discussed.

PMID- 1856341
TI  - Generalized eruptive histiocytoma: a report of a variant case showing the
      presence of dermal indeterminate cells.
AB  - We describe a 14-year-old Japanese girl with a variant of generalized eruptive
      histiocytoma. She presented with the characteristic features of classical
      generalized eruptive histiocytoma but with the following minor differences.
      Clinically, some of the papular eruptions tended to coalesce to form plaques.
      Histoligically, some of the histiocytic cells were S-100 protein- and OKT-6
      positive; these were thought to be indeterminate cells because they lacked
      Birbeck granules. In addition, PAS-positive cells were few and there were some
      intermingled lymphocytes and a few eosinophils.

PMID- 1856340
TI  - Ultrastructural study of a mucinous carcinoid of the skin.
AB  - A tumor of 60 years' duration overlying the sternum of an 87-year-old woman is
      described. Histologically, the tumor was composed of lobules and cords of
      epithelial cells with finely granular, eosinophilic cytoplasm. The epithelial
      nests were floating in large pools of mucinous stroma, separated by thin
      fibrovascular septa. Cytoplasmic argyrophilia was seen by Grimelius silver stain.
      Positive reactions of the tumor cells were also found for chromogranin and neuron
      specific enolase. Ultrastructural study revealed that the cytoplasm of the tumor
      cells contained two types of granules: neurosecretory and mucinous. From these
      findings, the present tumor is considered to be a carcinoid tumor with amphicrine
      cells, and the term "mucinous carcinoid" of the skin seems to be appropriate for
      the diagnosis of the present case.

PMID- 1856342
TI  - Proliferating trichilemmal cyst with apocrine-acrosyringeal and sebaceous
      differentiation.
AB  - An adnexal tumor on the scalp of a 74-year-old woman is described.
      Histologically, the tumor was composed of cystic structures showing typical
      trichilemmal keratinization. The tumor cells in the cyst walls often formed duct
      like or squamous eddy-like structures and occasionally showed vacuolation or
      poroma-like change. Ultrastructurally, some tumor cells showed differentiation
      either toward the acrosyringium or sebaceous cells. From these findings, the
      present tumor is considered to differentiate toward various parts of the hair
      follicle including infundibulo-isthmus epithelium, apocrine acrosyringium, and
      sebaceous cells.

PMID- 1856343
TI  - A third case of cutaneous papillary squamous cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1856344
TI  - Sushi and the skin.

PMID- 1856345
TI  - The spectrum of lichenoid dermatitis.

PMID- 1856346
TI  - Lysozyme in abnormal dermal elastic fibers of cutaneous aging, solar elastosis
      and pseudoxanthoma elasticum.
AB  - Staining of elastic fibres with antilysozyme antibodies has been noted
      previously. In this study, we examined the staining pattern of dermal elastic
      fibres in aging, solar elastosis, and lesional skin of pseudoxanthoma elasticum
      (PXE) using an antibody to lysozyme and the indirect-peroxidase technique. To
      assess the effects of aging, sun-protected skin (buttock) from a younger and an
      older group of patients was used. Sun damage was studied in skin specimens from
      varying sun-exposed body regions (trunk; head and neck). No staining was seen in
      sun-protected skin from younger individuals, whereas sun-protected skin from
      older persons had scattered positive fibres. Solar elastotic material was
      intensely positive and the number of positive fibres appeared to correlate with
      the amount of sun damage. Abnormal elastic fibres in PXE also stained positively,
      but less intensely, than fibres in solar elastosis. This study shows that changes
      in the elastic fibres due to degenerative processes or genetic factors results in
      altered antigenic expression of the fibres. This may be an epiphenomenon
      secondary to changes in proteoglycans, which are known to occur with solar
      elastosis and PXE, or may represent an adaptive phenomenon to maintain the
      elastic properties of the altered fibres or to decrease their antigenicity.

PMID- 1856347
TI  - Immunohistochemical demonstration of actinically damaged elastic fibers in
      keratoacanthomas: an aid in diagnosis.
AB  - The inclusion of elastic fibers within the epithelium of keratoacanthomas is a
      phenomenon suggested to be an aid in differentiating this lesion from squamous
      cell carcinoma. Antilysozyme antibodies have recently been noted to stain
      actinically damaged elastic fibers but not those from sunprotected skin. In this
      study, 54 keratoacanthomas and 46 squamous cell carcinomas were stained with a
      histochemical elastic tissue stain and polyclonal antibody to lysozyme using an
      immunoperoxidase technique. Elastic fibers were demonstrated in keratoacanthomas
      (37/54, 68%) significantly more often than squamous cell carcinomas (12/46, 26%)
      (p less than 0.001) using both techniques. This study confirms that the inclusion
      of elastic fibers occurs significantly more often in keratoacanthomas than
      squamous cell carcinomas. These elastic fibers were also actinically damaged,
      suggesting a role for sun damage in the evolution of keratoacanthoma.

PMID- 1856348
TI  - Alopecia syphilitica, a simulator of alopecia areata: histopathology and
      differential diagnosis.
AB  - Alopecia syphilitica (AS) may be "moth-eaten" or diffuse, clinically, and be
      confused with alopecia areata (AA) or other alopecias. The English language
      literature contains scant information regarding the histopathology of AS, and the
      resemblance between AS and AA has not been given adequate recognition. We report
      the histopathological findings of AS from nine patients with secondary syphilis
      and acute hair loss. The alopecia was moth-eaten in four patients and diffuse,
      but slightly moth-eaten, in five. Microscopically, the dermoepidermal interface
      was not involved. The numbers of hair follicles were diminished, with increased
      numbers of catagens and telogens. Lymphocytic infiltration was present around the
      hair bulbs and fibrous tracts in eight cases. Plasma cells were present in four
      biopsies. Other less common findings included lymphocytes in the isthmus,
      parabulbal lymphoid aggregates, and granulomatous infiltrate in the upper dermis.
      The findings, save for the follicular changes, resembled those of
      macular/maculopapular syphilides outside the scalp. With the follicular changes,
      the overall patterns resembled AA closely. The modified Steiner stain did not
      reveal spirochetes in any of our cases and failed to differentiate between AS and
      AA. Comparing the AS cases to 13 cases of AA, we found only a few differentiating
      features. The presence of peribulbal eosinophils strongly suggests AA. Without
      peribulbal eosinophils, the presence of plasma cells, abundant lymphocytes in the
      isthmus, or parabulbal lymphoid aggregates suggests AS.

PMID- 1856349
TI  - In-vivo magnetic resonance imaging studies of mammogenesis in non-pregnant goats
      treated with exogenous steroids.
AB  - Mammogenesis and lactation were induced in five multiparous, non-pregnant goats
      by treatment with oestrogen and progesterone for 11 d, followed by dexamethasone
      for 3 d. Reserpine was administered during the last 5 d. All five goats lactated,
      although milk yield was less than had been achieved in previous natural
      lactations. Mammary development was assessed in vivo, using magnetic resonance
      imaging. Although parenchyma volume increased by more than 6-fold overall, only
      25% of this increase occurred during steroid treatment. Most development took
      place after the cessation of treatment, when milking commenced. Maximum size was
      not achieved until week 8 of the induced lactation, and was only 70% of normal
      parenchyma volume. After 18 weeks lactation the activities of three key milk
      synthetic enzymes were very similar to values previously found in natural
      lactations, and secretion efficiency (milk production per unit volume of
      parenchyma) was also similar to that of natural lactations. We conclude that the
      lower than normal milk yields were associated with incomplete proliferation of
      mammary tissue, rather than inadequate differentiation of individual secretory
      cells.

PMID- 1856350
TI  - Lactational changes in oxytocin release, intramammary pressure and milking
      characteristics in dairy cows.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted to investigate possible changes of milking-related
      oxytocin release (Expt 1) and of intramammary pressure and milking
      characteristics (Expt 2) throughout entire lactations in German Braunvieh dairy
      cows. Mean oxytocin concentrations after stimulation at onset of milking
      increased from 18.3 +/- 15.9 to 30.7 +/- 24.1 pg/ml in Expt 1 and decreased from
      23.9 +/- 17.6 to 15.4 +/- 9.1 pg/ml in Expt 2, respectively, but remained above
      the level necessary to elicit complete milk ejection in both trials. Premilking
      baseline intramammary pressure had its maximum in early lactation until about
      month 4 and then decreased to approximately 50% of its initial level. Ejection
      pressure followed a similar pattern, but dropped only to approximately 75% of its
      maximum. This was due to the constant elevation of pressure increase, reaching
      its highest level in late lactation. Time from commencement of stimulation until
      maximum pressure exceeded 1 min in almost all instances even in early lactation
      and increased throughout lactation. Despite the normal decrease of milk yield
      average milk flow fell only slightly while maximum flow rate remained almost
      constant. Pressure increase, milk yield and milk flow were not different after 1
      min and after extended stimulation. Thus there were no indications of a
      decreasing sensitivity of the milk ejection reflex during lactation, and milking
      characteristics were positively affected by intense teat stimulation. Suggestions
      for practical dairying are made.

PMID- 1856351
TI  - Changes in concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1, insulin and growth
      hormone in bovine mammary gland secretion ante and post partum.
AB  - Concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin and growth
      hormone were measured in the secretion of the bovine mammary gland from day 70
      ante partum until 6 d post partum. Highest levels were found during the last 2
      weeks ante partum followed by a rapid decrease during the first milkings post
      partum. The association of IGF-1 with its binding proteins in milk was analysed
      and striking differences were found in the distribution of bound and free IGF-1.
      IGF-1 appeared mainly in the bound form (91%) at days 40-2 ante partum. Free IGF
      1 preponderated in the first milkings post partum (73%) and changed again to
      about 85% in the bound form after day 4 post partum. A slightly acidic pH (6.3)
      of the secretion was correlated with high amounts of free IGF-1. Gel filtration
      experiments revealed a possible pH-dependent mechanism for the binding of IGF-1
      to its binding proteins in milk.

PMID- 1856352
TI  - Bacteriological investigations of clinical mastitis in heifers in Sweden.
AB  - Bacterial analyses were carried out of 2069 udder secretions, isolated from 1481
      heifers with mastitis in eight veterinary districts in Sweden. Streptococci, e.g.
      Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Str. uberis, dominated the bacterial flora, being
      isolated from 34.4 and 19.5% respectively of heifers with clinical mastitis
      occurring from puberty up to 14 d post partum. Bacterial species generally
      regarded as important pathogens in the summer mastitis complex, e.g. Actinomyces
      pyogenes, Stuart-Schwan coccus and strictly anaerobic bacteria such as
      Peptostreptococcus indolicus, Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides
      melaninogenicus were isolated at low frequencies (13.2, 6.3, 9.4, 3.8 and 1.3%
      respectively). When the cases of mastitis studied were restricted to those
      appearing in heifers pre partum, May 15 to October 14 (summer mastitis), these
      bacterial species were isolated at higher percentages (27.1, 14.4, 21.4, 13.5 and
      5.2% respectively). These figures were, nevertheless, still lower than those
      published in reports from other countries. Whether considered up to 14 d post
      partum or only pre partum, there were no significant differences in the
      frequencies of A. pyogenes isolated at different seasons. There were geographical
      differences in bacterial incidence, e.g. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated
      significantly more often in northern regions whereas Str. dysgalactiae was more
      common in the south. This and other Swedish investigations support the theory
      that A. pyogenes and strictly anaerobic bacteria are 'secondary invaders' that
      depend on Str. dysgalactiae to cause a primary infection. It is stressed that the
      udders of all heifers should be examined daily so that cases of mastitis can be
      treated immediately.

PMID- 1856353
TI  - Purification of disulphide-linked alpha s2- and kappa-casein from bovine milk.
AB  - Naturally occurring disulphide-linked alpha s2- and kappa-casein in bovine milk
      were purified by gel chromatography on a column of Sepharose CL-6B. Four
      fractions (A-D) were obtained by elution with ammonium acetate-urea buffer.
      Fractions A and B, identified by SDS gel electrophoresis and amino acid sequence
      analysis, corresponded to disulphide-linked kappa-casein and alpha s2-casein
      respectively. Fraction C consisted of a mixture of alpha s1-, alpha s2-, and beta
      casein. Separation of fraction C into its components was achieved by reversed
      phase HPLC. The stability of the disulphide bridges in alpha s2- and kappa-casein
      was shown to differ with respect to reducing agents (dithioerythritol and 2
      mercaptoethanol).

PMID- 1856354
TI  - Ovine lactoferrin: isolation from colostrum and characterization.
AB  - Highly purified lactoferrin was isolated from ovine colostrum by sequential
      purification on CM-Sephadex C-50 and Blue-Sepharose, with overall yield of 55%.
      The ovine lactoferrin was characterized by SDS-PAGE, its amino acid composition
      and N-terminal sequence to residue 30. Homology with bovine and human
      lactoferrins was greater than 80 and 50% respectively. Antibodies to ovine
      lactoferrin were raised in rabbits and used to develop an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The antiserum was not cross reactive with other
      colostrum proteins.

PMID- 1856355
TI  - American Dairy Science Association. 86th annual meeting. August 12-15, 1991,
      Logan, Utah. Abstracts.

PMID- 1856356
TI  - [A diffusion kinetics model of the growth of a cancerous tumor].
AB  - Diffusion kinetics model of development of solid tumor has been proposed. This
      model allows qualitative description of a number of experimental effects, e.g.
      formation of necrosis zones, change of exponential growth to linear one. Critical
      parameters for transfer from tumor stabilization mode to its growth have been
      obtained. Methods of calculation have been elaborated and model calculations have
      been carried out.

PMID- 1856357
TI  - [The effect of thymalin on the count of large granular lymphocytes in the
      peripheral blood of mice with leukemia P388].
AB  - Effect of thymaline injections on peripheral blood natural killer cells in mice
      with p388 leukemia has been studied. The content of natural killers that have
      been identified as large granular lymphocytes decreased in blood of leukemia
      mice. Multiple thymaline injections (0.66 mg/kg) maintain the numbers of the
      lymphocytes at the level of control animals but did not increase the life span of
      leukemia mice.

PMID- 1856358
TI  - [The functional activity of the central nervous system in the early postradiation
      periods after exposure to gamma quanta at different doses].
AB  - Behavioral reactions of rats at early postradiation period have been studied
      after irradiation in sublethal and lethal dose range. Changes in functional
      activity of the central nervous system develop in correlation with the stages of
      X-ray damage.

PMID- 1856359
TI  - [Patterns of highly glycosylated proteins from human saliva].
AB  - Mucine-like glycoproteins have been studied by structural indication. Textures of
      these compounds have been described. Possibility for using mucines as matrix
      structures in microcrystallographic method of analysis of complex multicomponent
      systems has been discussed.

PMID- 1856360
TI  - [The concept of "species--ecological mates" and some obscure points in the
      evolution of the family of hominids].
AB  - Species-ecological twins are the related species that inhabit the same habitats.
      Both micro- and macroevolution proceeds faster in a system with two such species
      than in a single species. The hypothesis that evolution of hominids was
      accelerated by the existence of twin species has been proposed. Species of the
      Australopithecus genus were twin species for Homo habilis and H. erectus. Both
      paleontological and cryptozoological data indicate that H. sapiens also has a
      complimentary species. Small population of the twin species may still exist in
      obscure parts of the Earth.

PMID- 1856361
TI  - [The effect of the ligand state of mercury (II) on its coagulating action in
      relation to human oxyhemoglobin in Tris buffer].

PMID- 1856362
TI  - [The "sensory" safety of drugs: photosensitizing damage to the structures of the
      eye].
AB  - Phototoxic side effects of a number of different drugs and natural
      photosensitizers [correction of photosensors] (psoralenes, psychotropic
      phenotiazines, anti-malaria drugs, porphirines, adriamycine, etc.) have been
      analyzed. The ways of study of sensory harmlessness of drugs have been discussed.

PMID- 1856363
TI  - [Insulin-inducible structural reorganizations in the lipid bilayer of fatty
      tissue plasma membranes and their age-related characteristics].
AB  - Effect of insulin on properties of plasmatic membranes (PM) from adipose tissue
      of young and aged rats has been studied. Insulin increased the anisotropy of PM.
      The data obtained indicate that this effect of insulin was specific and was
      confined to specific domains of the membrane matrix. Both the level of insulin
      induced structural changes in PM and fluidity of lipid bilayer decreased with
      age.

PMID- 1856364
TI  - [The macrosystematics of mammals according to energy metabolism criteria].
AB  - Criteria of evolutionary progress and complexity of organization have been
      proposed on the basis of the data on energetic metabolism. These criteria can
      serve as a basis of macrosystematics of mammals at the level of orders. The
      orders with the known data on energetic metabolism have been ranged.

PMID- 1856365
TI  - [The structural characteristics of the hepatoid circumanal glands in the dog: the
      intercellular secretory tubules and excretory ducts].

PMID- 1856366
TI  - References to contemporary papers on acoustics.

PMID- 1856367
TI  - Power in nursing.

PMID- 1856368
TI  - Research in practice: an 'experiment' in researcher-practitioner collaboration.
AB  - There are signs that researchers and practitioners are seriously attempting to
      work more closely together to bring research and practice into closer alliance.
      This paper describes one such attempt in the form of an 'experiment' in
      collaboration between academic researchers and practising nurses in the
      undertaking of a practice-based research project. Positive benefits of
      collaborative research became evident and are highlighted in this paper. No
      attempt was made to evaluate the 'experiment' objectively and so this is a
      subjective account, aimed at encouraging other efforts towards closer
      collaboration between researchers and practitioners in nursing.

PMID- 1856369
TI  - Quality of care assessed: using the Senior Monitor index in three wards for the
      elderly before and after a change to primary nursing.
AB  - Assessments of quality of care using Senior Monitor in three matched wards for
      elderly patients were carried out on three occasions. The first assessment was
      carried out in June 1987 as a trial of the measurement tool. The instrument
      allows for a maximum score of 100. All three wards scored above 60, with two
      wards scoring above 70. Primary nursing was introduced in one of the wards in
      January 1988 and the assessment was repeated in June 1988. All ward scores were
      above 70, with one ward, not the primary nursing ward, scoring above 80. A third
      assessment was carried out in June 1989. Again, all three wards scored above 70
      but this time the primary nursing ward scored 86; the highest ward score of the
      series. The results for the sub-sections of the assessment are explored in the
      paper and issues about validity, reliability and inter-rater reliability are
      discussed. It is argued that Senior Monitor is a useful tool for assessing
      changes in the quality of care delivered to patients in wards for the elderly but
      that its full value only becomes apparent with repetition over an extended time
      period. It may be less appropriate for assessing the impact of a change in the
      organization of care, not because of any inherent fault in the test but because
      the very process of using it makes staff look at their practice more critically.
      It is this critical re-appraisal rather than the change in organization per se
      which stimulates the improvement in the quality of care.

PMID- 1856370
TI  - Clients' perceptions: the use of case studies in developing theory.
AB  - This paper describes some aspects of a study which looked at clients' perceptions
      of health visiting, and how, if at all, these related to their perceptions of
      health needs. The researcher explored the alterations of these perceptions over
      time, and also examined how they related to professional perceptions. The
      background to this study is described. The methods used are outlined. The study
      was carried out in two phases. The first phase used semistructured interviews and
      diaries to explore 41 parents' perceptions at one point in time. In phase two, a
      series of three semistructured interviews were completed over a 10-month period
      with 19 primiparous parents, commencing antenatally, and with 10 of their health
      visitors. Analysis was by the grounded theory method. The eight concept areas
      which emerged from the data are listed. The paper goes on to discuss the use of
      case studies in developing a substantive theory. Finally, some of the
      implications which this study has for health visiting practice are outlined.

PMID- 1856371
TI  - Critical thinking: impact on nursing education.
AB  - Critical thinking is considered an essential component of nursing science. As a
      concept in nursing education, however, critical thinking is not clearly
      understood nor systematically applied. A survey of deans and directors of
      baccalaureate and higher-degree schools of nursing accredited by the National
      League for Nursing examined perceptions of critical thinking as it is currently
      characterized in nursing education. Results indicated that critical thinking was
      conceptualized as a variant of the scientific method. It was explicated as a
      rational-linear problem-solving activity which reflected the nursing process. The
      findings demonstrated the respondents' lack of clarity about the fullest
      expression of the mechanisms and operations of critical thinking process and
      applications.

PMID- 1856372
TI  - The use of a teaching model to promote reflection and the experiential
      integration of theory and practice in first-year student nurses: an action
      research study.
AB  - This study developed and evaluated an experiential teaching model which aimed to
      improve the integration of theory and practice for first-year RGN students. This
      work took a qualitative approach and used Lewin's action research methodology.
      Using a participant observation approach, data, in the form of diaries,
      interviews and spot checks, were gathered. To evaluate the teaching model, the
      spot checks were developed as an indicator of theory-practice integration. The
      analysis of these spot checks revealed that this teaching approach had value. The
      strengths and weaknesses of the teaching model, in relation to possible origins
      of the theory-practice gap, are outlined. The validity of action research is
      discussed, as are similar issues that are related to the methodology of this
      study.

PMID- 1856373
TI  - Developing and documenting a qualitative methodology.
AB  - Using an ethnographic approach, the phenomenon of the routine of 'doing the obs'
      (nursing observations of vital signs) was examined with particular reference made
      to its rationale. This involved a period of fieldwork in a ward which consisted
      of non-participant observation of the nurses at work and short interviews with
      them. The experience of the study raised awareness of the research process for
      the researcher and is explored in detail in this article. The dissemination of
      such an account offers valuable insight for future researchers and occupies a
      vital role in determining the validity and reliability of qualitative work.

PMID- 1856374
TI  - Affective neutrality and involvement in nurse-patient relationships: perceptions
      of appropriate behaviour among nurses in acute medical and surgical wards.
AB  - This paper explores ideas about the appropriate basis for nurse-patient
      relationships which underwrite the nursing practice of experienced staff nurses
      on the acute surgical and medical wards of a Scottish general hospital. Three
      central features of involvement with patients are identified, knowledge,
      reciprocity and investment, and these are related to three general models of the
      nurse-patient relationship, characterized as primary, demonstrative and
      associational. The implications of the nursing practice on which these models are
      based are discussed in the context of issues of quality of care and orientation
      to work.

PMID- 1856375
TI  - Service needs of stroke survivors and their informal carers: a pilot study.
AB  - This pilot study prepares the way for a controlled evaluation of counselling of
      disabled stroke survivors and their carers. It assesses feasibility of methods
      and outcome measures potentially useful in the main study. The study elicited
      information about the psychological, physical, social and service needs, and the
      feelings of stroke survivors and their informal carers. Twenty patients and their
      carers were interviewed separately in their own homes. Results describe research
      tools which were refined, and demonstrate several unmet needs in the psychosocial
      domain. The main findings were a requirement for more information about stroke
      and for counselling in relation to 'care' problems arising out of the disability
      of stroke disease and the changes in dependency produced.

PMID- 1856376
TI  - Community psychiatric nursing and the depressed elderly: a case for using
      cognitive therapy.
AB  - This paper examines whether the literature suggests that Beck's cognitive therapy
      is a treatment helpful to depressed elderly people, and highlights the issues and
      adaptations which are considered in its use with this client group. Evidence from
      outcome studies and case studies is presented which does suggest that it is
      helpful. A number of issues are raised which require certain special
      sensitivities on the part of the therapist. Evidence is discussed which suggests
      that certain adaptations to style and content of therapy may be needed for it to
      be maximally effective. It is argued that the use of cognitive therapy by
      community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) could contribute to making the service to
      depressed elderly people more comprehensive.

PMID- 1856377
TI  - Institutional loss: an examination of a bereavement reaction in 22 mental nurses
      losing their institution and moving into the community.
AB  - Grief has distinctive characteristics. Mental nurses working in a hospital due
      for closure in 15 months were assessed, and it was found that nurses with long
      service experienced an anticipatory bereavement in response to the expected loss
      of their hospital. This reaction is different from the uncomplicated grief which
      follows the death of a loved person, and is therefore called institutional loss.
      Twenty-two nurses were assessed, including 13 nurses who were still working in
      the hospital and nine ex-hospital nurses now working in the community. A sentence
      completion form was used, together with a measurement of feeling and observed
      emotion for each sentence. Participants had no prior knowledge about the study.
      Feelings identified included: initial disbelief; personal anxiety and anxiety
      about community care; physiological symptoms of anxiety; guilt; anger; feelings
      of internal loss; avoidance and searching behaviours; acknowledgement of grief;
      idealization; and identification phenomena. Institutional loss is characterized
      by: anticipatory grief; an acute stage of mourning in nurses who are physically
      distanced from the hospital; a refusal to accept closure as 'right'; and a strong
      identification with the old hospital. Institutional loss in nurses has important
      implications for the successful rehabilitation of large numbers of patients, and
      this research suggests that additional support and counselling should be offered.

PMID- 1856379
TI  - A caring-based AIDS educational model for pre-adolescents: global health human
      caring perspective.
AB  - With the prolific messages shown to children today through the media and other
      sources about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), what sexual questions
      are on the minds of the fifth and sixth grade students as a result of this
      exposure? What is the role and responsibility of nurses with regard to this
      problem? This descriptive study focused on fifth and sixth graders' questions
      about AIDS and provides some directions for theory-based nursing interventions
      related to AIDS and children. This paper proposed a theory-based model of caring
      as a teaching intervention programme about AIDS for pre-adolescents. The model
      resulted from a sex education programme for fifth and sixth graders in an
      international school setting in Japan. The nature of the students' questions
      about AIDS revealed transcultural concerns which suggested that a model of human
      caring was needed to develop a systematic approach to AIDS education for pre
      adolescents. The model proposed has global implications for nurses and other
      health professionals in schools and primary health-care settings in various parts
      of the world.

PMID- 1856378
TI  - Comparison of selected college students' and sexually transmitted disease clinic
      patients' knowledge about AIDS, risk behaviours and beliefs about condom use.
AB  - Selected college students and sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic patients
      of the same age were compared for knowledge about AIDS, use of condoms, sexual
      behaviours and intentions to engage in various sexual practices. The Theory of
      Reasoned Action model was used to elicit beliefs about condom use and significant
      referents who influence condom-use decision making. Eighty-seven per cent of
      college students were sexually active. College students had significantly fewer
      sexual partners in a 30-day period than STD patients, but in a 6-month period the
      mean number of sexual partners was the same for both groups. Significant
      difference was found in frequency of condom use for subjects with more than one
      partner. Of the college student sample, 60% did not use condoms compared with 32%
      of STD patients. Eighteen per cent of college students reported intention to
      engage in anal intercourse. No STD patients reported such intention. No
      statistical difference was found between groups on overall knowledge about AIDS:
      both groups manifested adequate knowledge of basic AIDS-related facts.
      Significant differences between groups were found in rank order of beliefs about
      using condoms as well as those referents who influenced decision making. Beliefs
      about disease, pregnancy, worry and normative influences of sexual partner and
      friends had the strongest impact on college students. Sexual partner and mother
      had a strong influence on STD patients' decision making while 'disease',
      'pregnancy', 'decreases feeling' and 'decreases partner's pleasure' were among
      the beliefs influencing condom use.

PMID- 1856380
TI  - An investigation into why qualified nurses inappropriately describe their own
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills.
AB  - Recent studies have indicated that significant numbers of nurses are ineffective
      in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Furthermore, the studies
      indicate that many nurses are unable to appraise realistically their own CPR
      performance. This study sought to ascertain the reasons why qualified nurses are
      unable or unwilling to appraise themselves realistically with regard to
      resuscitation skills. The investigation employed both quantitative and
      qualitative methods to establish the existence of the phenomenon and facilitate
      its analysis. The findings of the study suggest that unrealistic self-appraisal
      arises out of poor and infrequent resuscitation training, nurses' attempts to
      identify with roles which they perceive they should fulfill and past experience
      of cardiac arrests. The data suggest that current resuscitation training is
      inadequate, inappropriate and inconsistent for the needs of practising nurses.

PMID- 1856381
TI  - The effect of employment on the relationship between gender-role preference and
      self-esteem in married women.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among gender-role
      preference, self-esteem and employment category (full-time, part-time, homemaker)
      while controlling for the effects of income and religion. Data were collected
      from 79 White married women using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a gender
      role preference scale developed by the author. Findings indicated that: (a) there
      are significant differences in gender-role preference among categories of
      employment, with full-time workers having more modern views; (b) category of
      employment did not influence self-esteem; and (c) women with mixed gender-role
      preference had lower self-esteem than those with modern gender-role preference.
      The strength of the relationship between self-esteem and gender-role preference
      varied by category of employment. Gender-role preference made a significant
      contribution as a predictor of self-esteem (above and beyond the effects of
      income and religion) for full-time workers only.

PMID- 1856382
TI  - Ethnographic traits in the writing of Mary Breckinridge.
AB  - Mary Breckinridge, founder of The Frontier Nursing Service, employed ethnographic
      methodologies--participant observation, interviewing and fieldwork--as foundation
      efforts toward construction of highly responsive health-service systems,
      developed under circumstances of duress, e.g. after World War I and pre
      industrial Appalachia. In culturally representing the Appalachian, she drew upon
      two vast resources, her first-hand field experience as well as her considerable
      rhetorical skill. She narrated and described an enormity of selected 'realities'
      of Appalachian life with immediacy of detail and nonpatronizing sensitivity for
      'insider' perspectives. In an era of transition with few indigenous cultural
      writers, Breckinridge capitalized on her family heritage in Appalachia, which
      further underscored the intimacy and authenticity of her accounts. As portrayed
      in her autobiography, crosscultural encounters of one kind and time or another
      supplied an infrastructure of longstanding meaning throughout her life. The final
      and lasting impression is that, in both skills and orientation, Breckinridge's
      were essentially those of the ethnographer.

PMID- 1856383
TI  - The National Practitioner Data Bank.

PMID- 1856384
TI  - The history and development of the Alabama Dental Association. Voluntary
      continuing education program.

PMID- 1856385
TI  - Face masks are flawed.

PMID- 1856386
TI  - The cruel hoax of rubber gloves.

PMID- 1856388
TI  - Craniofacial pain--chronic or psychogenic?

PMID- 1856387
TI  - Ethical and legal duties of a parent to provide dental treatment to a minor.

PMID- 1856389
TI  - Medical center experiences.

PMID- 1856390
TI  - Natural adult survival patterns.

PMID- 1856392
TI  - Cyanotic congenital heart disease: dynamics of oxygen uptake and ventilation
      during exercise.
AB  - The presence of intracardiac shunts dissociates the right and left circulations,
      making dynamic coupling of cellular and pulmonary gas exchange inefficient or
      impossible. As a result, patients may have profound changes in arterial blood
      gases and prolongation of adaptation and recovery even with low levels of
      physical activity. Because the exercise-induced symptoms in patients with
      cyanotic congenital heart disease have bases apart from heart failure, assignment
      of a New York Heart Association functional class may be misleading if not
      erroneous. Dr. Jane Somerville recommends the "Ability Index" shown in Table 1.

PMID- 1856391
TI  - Cyanotic congenital heart disease: hematologic management.

PMID- 1856393
TI  - The risks of noncardiac surgery.

PMID- 1856394
TI  - The physician's responsibilities: residua and sequelae.
AB  - Cardiologists assuming responsibility for adults with congenital heart disease
      must have knowledge of electrophysiologic, valvular (native valves), prosthetic
      (valves, patches and conduits), ventricular (especially chamber function),
      vascular (especially elevated pulmonary vascular resistance) and
      noncardiovascular residua and sequelae. Acquired cardiac and noncardiac diseases
      coexist in older adults with postoperative congenital heart disease and add to
      the physician's responsibilities.

PMID- 1856395
TI  - The adult with congenital heart disease: cardiac catheterization as a therapeutic
      intervention.
AB  - The adult with congenital heart disease who undergoes cardiac catheterization at
      the present time is most likely to have complex heart disease and is left with
      clinically important sequelae or residual defects, ventricular dysfunction or
      arrhythmias. Residual defects such as paravalvular leaks, coronary fistulas and
      pulmonary artery narrowings may be corrected with transcatheter techniques.
      Patients with simple forms of congenital heart disease (for example, atrial
      septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, aortic valve stenosis, pulmonary valve
      stenosis) will go to the catheterization laboratory for treatment, not diagnosis.
      Certain lesions previously considered benign (for example, patent foramen ovale)
      may require definitive interventional therapy to reduce the risk of stroke from
      paradoxic embolism.

PMID- 1856396
TI  - Electrophysiologic residua and sequelae.

PMID- 1856397
TI  - Psychosocial concerns and life-style.

PMID- 1856398
TI  - Insurability and employability.

PMID- 1856399
TI  - Infective endocarditis: risks and prophylaxis.

PMID- 1856400
TI  - Assessment of genetic risk in congenital heart disease.

PMID- 1856401
TI  - Pregnancy and congenital heart disease.

PMID- 1856402
TI  - Prevalence and prognostic significance of silent and symptomatic ischemia after
      coronary bypass surgery: a report from the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS)
      randomized population.
AB  - The prevalence and prognostic significance of postoperative myocardial ischemia,
      as detected by exercise testing, were prospectively assessed in 174 patients from
      the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) randomized surgical population who had
      exercise testing before and 6 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
      Whereas the prevalence of symptomatic ischemia significantly decreased
      postoperatively (52% vs. 6%, p less than 0.001), the frequency of silent
      myocardial ischemia did not change (30% vs. 29%). Survival at 12 years after
      bypass surgery based on the 6-month postoperative exercise test results was
      significantly better for the 112 patients with no ischemia (80%) than for the 51
      patients with silent ischemia (68%) or the 11 patients with symptomatic ischemia
      (45%). These data show that coronary artery bypass graft surgery diminishes the
      overall prevalence of symptomatic but not silent ischemia and that both silent
      and symptomatic ischemia adversely affect the postoperative prognosis of these
      patients.

PMID- 1856403
TI  - Canadian Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation (CAFA) Study.
AB  - The Canadian Atrial Fibrillation Anticoagulation Study was a randomized double
      blind placebo-controlled trial to assess the potential of warfarin to reduce
      systemic thromboembolism and its inherent risk of hemorrhage. As a result of the
      publication of two other "positive" studies of similar design and objective, this
      study was stopped early before completion of its planned recruitment of 630
      patients. There were 187 patients randomized to warfarin and 191 to placebo.
      Permanent discontinuation of study medication occurred in 26% of warfarin-treated
      and 23% of placebo-treated patients. The target range of the international
      normalized ratio was 2 to 3. For the warfarin-treated patients, the international
      normalized ratio was in the target range 43.7% of the study days, above it 16.6%
      of the study days and below it 39.6% of the study days. Fatal or major bleeding
      occurred at annual rates of 2.5% in warfarin-treated and 0.5% in placebo-treated
      patients. Minor bleeding occurred in 16% of patients receiving warfarin and 9%
      receiving placebo. The primary outcome event cluster was nonlacunar stroke,
      noncentral nervous systemic embolism and fatal or intracranial hemorrhage. Events
      were included in the primary analysis of efficacy if they occurred within 28 days
      of permanent discontinuation of the study medication. The annual rates of the
      primary outcome event cluster were 3.5% in warfarin-treated and 5.2% in placebo
      treated patients, with a relative risk reduction of 37% (95% confidence limits, 
      63.5%, 75.5%, p = 0.17).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856404
TI  - Clinical, physiologic, anatomic and procedural factors predictive of restenosis
      after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
AB  - In a recent prospective double-blind placebo-controlled trial, a combination of
      aspirin and dipyridamole was not associated with a reduction in the rate of
      restenosis within the 1st 6 months after coronary angioplasty. The purpose of
      this study was to determine whether clinical, anatomic or procedural factors were
      predictive of the observed restenosis rates in that prospective trial. A total of
      247 patients and 280 segments underwent follow-up angiography and quantitative
      coronary angiographic analysis between 4 and 7 months after coronary angioplasty.
      Two baseline clinical characteristics--angina class and duration of angina in
      months--were related to the rate of restenosis by univariate analysis. Patient
      related stepwise logistic regression analysis identified severity of angina as
      the only clinical predictor of restenosis. Three univariate baseline anatomic
      characteristics--percent diameter stenosis before angioplasty, stenosis greater
      than 10 mm in length and calcific stenosis--and two early postangioplasty
      characteristics--residual percent diameter stenosis and residual mean pressure
      gradient--were predictive of restenosis. Of these, only two--length of stenosis
      and residual percent diameter stenosis--were independently related to restenosis
      by multivariate analysis and only the former is identifiable before the
      procedure. It is concluded that in prospective studies in contrast to
      retrospective studies, few clinical and anatomic factors appear to be predictive
      of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.

PMID- 1856405
TI  - Congestive heart failure symptoms in patients with preserved left ventricular
      systolic function: analysis of the CASS registry.
AB  - The clinical characteristics and long-term survival of 284 patients from the
      Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry data base who had moderate to
      severe congestive heart failure symptoms and a left ventricular ejection fraction
      greater than or equal to 0.45 were studied. A control group consisting of
      registry patients with an ejection fraction greater than or equal to 0.45 who did
      not have heart failure was used for comparison. Patients who had heart failure
      were older and more likely to be female and to have a higher incidence of
      hypertension, diabetes and chronic lung disease than registry patients who did
      not have heart failure. As a group, patients with heart failure had more severe
      angina and were more likely to have had a prior myocardial infarction than were
      registry patients without heart failure. At 6 year follow-up, 82% of patients in
      the heart failure group survived compared with 91% of patients in the control
      group (p less than 0.0001). Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional
      hazards model identified the following independent predictors of mortality:
      regional ventricular systolic dysfunction, number of diseased coronary arteries,
      advanced age, hypertension, lung disease, diabetes, increased left ventricular
      end-diastolic pressure and heart failure symptoms. Among patients with heart
      failure, the 6-year survival rate of those who had three-vessel coronary artery
      disease was 68% compared with 92% for the group without coronary artery disease.
      However, the 6-year survival rate for patients with heart failure who underwent
      surgical revascularization of diseased coronary arteries was not significantly
      improved compared with that of patients treated medically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856406
TI  - Diagnostic value of transesophageal compared with transthoracic echocardiography
      in infective endocarditis.
AB  - To compare the diagnostic value of transesophageal and transthoracic
      echocardiography in infective endocarditis, paired transesophageal and
      transthoracic echocardiograms were obtained prospectively for 66 episodes of
      suspected endocarditis in 62 patients. Echocardiographic results were compared
      with the presence or absence of endocarditis determined by pathologic or
      nonechocardiographic data from the subsequent clinical course. All
      echocardiograms were interpreted by an observer told only that the studies were
      from patients in whom the diagnosis of endocarditis was suspected. The diagnosis
      of endocarditis was eventually made in 16 of the 66 episodes of suspected
      endocarditis (14 by pathologic and 2 by clinical criteria). In 7 of 16
      transthoracic and 15 of 16 transesophageal echocardiograms, endocarditis was
      diagnosed at a probability level of "almost certain," giving a sensitivity of 44%
      and 94%, respectively (p less than 0.01). For the remaining episodes, 49 of 50
      transthoracic and all transesophageal studies yielded normal results, giving a
      specificity of 98% and 100%, respectively. This study suggests that
      transesophageal echocardiography is highly sensitive and specific for the
      diagnosis of infective endocarditis and significantly more sensitive than
      transthoracic echocardiography. Although echocardiography cannot rule out
      endocarditis, the high diagnostic sensitivity of transesophageal echocardiography
      results in a low probability of the disease when the study yields negative
      results in a patient with an intermediate likelihood of the disease.

PMID- 1856407
TI  - Left atrial spontaneous echo contrast: a clinical and echocardiographic analysis.
AB  - The clinical and echocardiographic variables related to left atrial spontaneous
      echo contrast were prospectively evaluated in a consecutive series of 400
      patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography with a 5-MHz single plane
      transducer. Left atrial spontaneous echo contrast was found in 75 patients (19%)
      and was significantly associated with atrial fibrillation, mitral stenosis,
      absence of mitral regurgitation, increased left atrial dimension and a history of
      suspected embolism. Seventy-one (95%) of the patients with spontaneous echo
      contrast had atrial fibrillation or mitral stenosis. Anticoagulant therapy had no
      significant association with spontaneous echo contrast. Multivariate analysis in
      89 patients with mitral stenosis or mitral valve replacement showed that
      spontaneous echo contrast was the only independent predictor (p = 0.03) of left
      atrial thrombus or suspected embolism, or both. In 60 patients with atrial
      fibrillation of nonvalvular origin, spontaneous echo contrast (p = 0.01) and age
      (p = 0.03) were the only independent predictors of left atrial thrombus or
      suspected embolism, or both. It is concluded that left atrial spontaneous echo
      contrast is 1) a common finding in patients undergoing transesophageal
      echocardiography, 2) associated with conditions favoring stasis of left atrial
      blood, and 3) a marker of previous thromboembolism in patients with nonvalvular
      atrial fibrillation and those with mitral stenosis or mitral valve replacement.

PMID- 1856408
TI  - Myocardial ischemia during daily activities: the importance of increased
      myocardial oxygen demand.
AB  - The role of increased myocardial oxygen demand in the pathophysiology of
      myocardial ischemia occurring during daily activities was evaluated in 50
      patients with coronary artery disease and exercise-induced ST segment depression.
      Each patient underwent ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring for ST
      segment shifts during normal daily activities and symptom-limited bicycle
      exercise testing with continuous ECG monitoring. All 50 patients had ST
      depression greater than or equal to 0.1 mV during exercise. A total of 241
      episodes of ST depression were noted in the ambulatory setting in 31 patients;
      only 6% of these were accompanied by angina pectoris. Significant (0.1 mV) ST
      depression during ambulatory monitoring was preceded by a mean increase in heart
      rate of 27 +/- 12 beats/min. Patients with ischemia during daily activities
      developed ST depression earlier during exercise (7.9 +/- 4.4 vs. 14.2 +/- 6.4
      min, p less than 0.001) and tended to have significant ECG changes at a lower
      exercise heart rate and rate-pressure product than did those without ST
      depression during ambulatory monitoring. In the 31 patients with ischemia during
      daily activities, the mean heart rate associated with ST depression in the
      ambulatory setting was closely correlated with the heart rate precipitating ECG
      changes during exercise testing (r = 0.74, p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856409
TI  - Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy characterized by marked hypertrophy of the posterior
      left ventricular free wall: significance and clinical implications.
AB  - This report describes a subgroup of 17 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
      and an unusual and distinctive pattern of left ventricular hypertrophy
      characterized on echocardiography by marked thickening of the posterior left
      ventricular free wall and virtually normal or only modestly increased ventricular
      septal thickness. This distribution of hypertrophy often created a distinctive
      pattern of "inverted" asymmetry of the posterior wall relative to the septum. The
      thickness of the posterior wall was 20 to 42 mm (mean 25), while that of the
      basal ventricular septum was only 12 to 24 mm (mean 17). The left ventricular
      outflow tract was narrowed because of anterior displacement of the mitral valve
      within the small left ventricular cavity. Systolic anterior motion of the mitral
      valve was present in 16 of the 17 patients. The patients ranged in age from 13 to
      54 years (mean 31) at most recent evaluation; most (11 of 17, 65%) were severely
      symptomatic and had experienced important symptoms early in life (before age 40).
      The condition of only 4 of these 11 patients improved with medical therapy over
      an average follow-up period of 9 years; however, 6 of the 7 patients who had
      unsuccessful medical treatment and underwent operation with mitral valve
      replacement (5 patients) or ventricular septal myotomy-myectomy (1 patient)
      experienced symptomatic benefit from surgery. The subgroup of patients described
      in this report underscores the morphologic and clinical diversity that exists
      within the overall disease spectrum of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
      Characteristically, the patients were young, severely symptomatic and
      demonstrated evidence of outflow obstruction and an "inverted" asymmetric pattern
      of posterior free wall left ventricular hypertrophy. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1856410
TI  - Effects of a meal on hemodynamic function at rest and during exercise in patients
      with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Many patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy experience postprandial
      exacerbation of their symptoms. The vasodilation associated with eating may be
      deleterious in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, especially during exercise. To
      examine the hemodynamic effects of a meal in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 11
      patients were studied with invasive hemodynamic monitoring during exercise
      testing in the fasting state and 45 min after a 740 kcal (3,100 J) meal. The meal
      induced a decrease in systemic vascular resistance index at rest (mean +/- SD, 
      17 +/- 14%), increases in mean right atrial (31 +/- 21%), mean pulmonary artery
      (14 +/- 14%) and mean pulmonary capillary wedge (17 +/- 14%) pressures and an
      increase in cardiac index (18 +/- 10%) due to an increased heart rate without any
      significant change in stroke volume. During postprandial exercise, heart rate,
      rate-pressure product, cardiac index and cardiac filling pressures were higher
      than during fasting exercise and one patient had a decrease in exercise blood
      pressure compared with the fasting test. Five patients with postprandial
      exacerbation of symptoms in everyday life had a lesser increase in systemic
      arterial pressure and stroke volume during both exercise tests and a smaller
      increase in cardiac index after the meal than did the six patients without
      postprandial symptom exacerbation, suggesting more severe cardiac disease. It is
      concluded that patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have an abnormal
      hemodynamic response to food, in which stroke volume fails to increase and
      pulmonary capillary wedge and pulmonary artery pressures increase. These adverse
      changes persist during postprandial exercise and may predispose to exertional
      collapse in certain patients.

PMID- 1856411
TI  - Differential effects on right ventricular function of transient right, left
      anterior descending and left circumflex coronary occlusions during percutaneous
      transluminal coronary angioplasty.
AB  - Right ventricular function was studied by means of a thermodilution catheter
      before, during and after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the proximal
      right (group 1, n = 8), left anterior descending (group 2, n = 8) or left
      circumflex (group 3, n = 8) coronary artery. All patients had evidence of
      myocardial ischemia, with single-vessel disease affecting the proximal segment of
      one of the three major coronary arteries; no patient had had a previous
      myocardial infarction and all had normal cardiac function at baseline study.
      Cardiac index decreased during balloon inflation. Mean pulmonary artery pressure
      was unaffected in group 1 but increased in group 2 (from 19 +/- 5 to 31 +/- 11 mm
      Hg, p less than 0.01) and in group 3 (from 19 +/- 2 to 22 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less
      than 0.05). Right ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 62 +/- 9% to 52 +/
      10% (p less than 0.01) in group 1 and from 64 +/- 7% to 44 +/- 10% (p less than
      0.005) in group 2, and returned to normal within 2 min after balloon deflation in
      both groups. In group 3, right ventricular ejection fraction was unchanged during
      balloon inflation (58 +/- 5% at baseline, 58 +/- 9% at 60 s, p = NS). Therefore,
      brief occlusion of the proximal segments of the left anterior descending or right
      coronary artery results in marked alteration of right ventricular performance
      that is probably caused by right ventricular free wall ischemia in the right
      coronary group and by the concomitant effects of septal ischemia and increased
      right ventricular afterload in the left anterior descending artery
      group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856412
TI  - Influence of contrast media on thrombus formation during coronary angioplasty.
AB  - The influence of contrast media on thrombus formation during percutaneous
      transluminal coronary angioplasty was assessed in 124 consecutive patients
      undergoing coronary angioplasty and receiving either ionic (n = 57) (Group I) or
      nonionic (n = 67) (Group II) contrast medium. The presence of thrombus was
      assessed by qualitative analysis of angiograms in identical pre- and
      postangioplasty projections by four observers who had no knowledge of other data.
      Quantitation of stenosis severity before and after angioplasty and qualitative
      analysis of lesion eccentricity and complexity and of the presence of dissection
      were also performed. Although the baseline clinical characteristics of the two
      groups (including presenting syndromes and procedural and angiographic variables)
      did not differ, more patients in Group II than Group I developed new thrombus
      during coronary angioplasty (18% vs. 4%, p less than 0.02). In particular,
      patients with a presenting syndrome of recent myocardial infarction or rest
      angina, or both, and patients with an eccentric coronary plaque were more likely
      to develop new thrombus if they received nonionic than if they received ionic
      contrast medium (p less than 0.05). Patients with new thrombus formation and
      patients with thrombus present both before and after angioplasty had a high
      incidence of acute procedural complications (36% and 23%, respectively). Patients
      in Groups I and II had a similar incidence of ischemic events during follow-up.

PMID- 1856413
TI  - Contrast controversy: more to it than meets the eye.

PMID- 1856414
TI  - Parasympathetic withdrawal is an integral component of autonomic imbalance in
      congestive heart failure: demonstration in human subjects and verification in a
      paced canine model of ventricular failure.
AB  - Although enhanced sympathetic tone is a well recognized component of the
      autonomic profile characteristic of congestive heart failure, the contribution of
      parasympathetic withdrawal to this autonomic imbalance is less well described.
      The technique of spectral analysis of heart rate variability provides a dynamic
      map of sympathetic and parasympathetic tone and was thus used to define the
      nature of sympathetic-parasympathetic interactions in humans with idiopathic
      dilated cardiomyopathy and in a paced canine model of congestive heart failure.
      Humans with cardiomyopathy were found to have an augmentation of the
      sympathetically mediated low frequency area of the power density spectrum.
      Parasympathetic withdrawal was demonstrated by significant reductions in the
      parasympathetically mediated high frequency area (p less than 0.05) and the ratio
      of high to low frequency areas (p less than 0.01). Administration of atropine to
      normal subjects resulted in a significant reduction in the high frequency area (p
      less than 0.05) and the high/low frequency area ratio, both of which decreased
      within the range noted in patients with congestive heart failure. Administration
      of isoproterenol in normal subjects led to an augmentation of the low frequency
      area but to only a small decrease in the high/low frequency area ratio. Induction
      of congestive heart failure in a paced canine model resulted in alterations in
      the autonomic profile that resembled those seen in humans with ventricular
      failure. The prominent high frequency region of the spectrum at baseline,
      indicating a predominance of parasympathetic tone, was absent after the evolution
      of congestive heart failure, and there was a marked augmentation of the low
      frequency region of the spectrum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856415
TI  - Imaging of myocardial infarction in dogs and humans using monoclonal antibodies
      specific for human myosin heavy chains.
AB  - The use of three different monoclonal antibodies specific for human ventricular
      myosin heavy chains in the visualization of the location and extent of necrosis
      in dogs with experimental acute myocardial infarction and in humans is described.
      Using a classic immunohistochemical method or ex vivo analysis of heart slices in
      dogs with acute myocardial infarction subjected to intravenous injection of
      unlabeled antimyosin antibodies or antimyosin antibodies labeled with indium-111,
      it was observed that all antibody fragments specifically reached the targeted
      necrotic zone less than 2 h after antibody injection and remained bound for up to
      24 h. In a limited but significant number of cases (5 of the 12 humans and 11 of
      43 dogs), it was possible to image the necrotic zone in vivo as early as 2 to 4 h
      after antibody injection. In other cases, individual blood clearance variations
      retarded or even prevented in vivo necrosis detection. Higher antimyosin fixation
      values were obtained in the necrotic zones in dogs with a rapid blood clearance
      relative to that of the other dogs. It is concluded that antimyosin antibodies
      always reached necrotic areas within 2 h. If blood clearance was rapid, in vivo
      imaging of the necrotic area was possible 2 to 6 h after necrosis, even in
      humans. In some cases, however, uncontrolled individual variations in the timing
      required for sufficient blood clearance hampered this rapid in vivo detection of
      myocardial necrosis.

PMID- 1856416
TI  - Comparison of coronary vasodilation with intravenous dipyridamole and adenosine.
AB  - Although both intravenous dipyridamole and adenosine have been used to produce
      coronary vasodilation during cardiac imaging, the relative potency of the
      commonly administered doses of these agents has not been evaluated. Accordingly,
      the coronary and systemic hemodynamic effects of intravenous adenosine (140
      micrograms/kg per min) and intravenous dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg over 4 min) were
      compared with a maximally dilating dose of intracoronary papaverine in 15
      patients. Coronary blood flow responses were assessed using a Doppler catheter in
      a nonstenotic coronary artery. The protocol was discontinued in two patients
      because of transient asymptomatic atrioventricular (AV) block during adenosine
      infusion. The mean heart rate increased more with adenosine (11 +/- 9 beats/min)
      and dipyridamole (11 +/- 7 beats/min) than with papaverine (4 +/- 3 beats/min, p
      less than 0.05 vs. adenosine and papaverine). The mean arterial pressure
      decreased less with dipyridamole (-10 +/- 3 mm Hg) and papaverine (-9 +/- 4 mm
      Hg) than with adenosine (-16 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less than 0.01 vs. dipyridamole and
      papaverine). The peak/rest coronary blood flow velocity ratio was greater with
      papaverine (3.9 +/- 1.1) than with adenosine (3.4 +/- 1.2, p less than or equal
      to 0.05 vs. papaverine) or dipyridamole (3.1 +/- 1.2, p less than 0.01 vs.
      papaverine). A larger decrease in coronary resistance as measured by the coronary
      vascular resistance index occurred with papaverine (0.25 +/- 0.06) and adenosine
      (0.26 +/- 0.09) than with dipyridamole (0.31 +/- 0.10, p less than 0.01 vs.
      papaverine, p less than 0.05 vs. adenosine).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856418
TI  - Effect of peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass on left ventricular size, afterload
      and myocardial function during elective supported coronary angioplasty.
AB  - Although cardiopulmonary bypass support has been increasingly used for high risk
      coronary angioplasty, few data exist regarding its effects on left ventricular
      function. Accordingly, in 20 patients changes in left ventricular size, afterload
      and myocardial function were assessed by continuous hemodynamic monitoring and
      simultaneous two-dimensional echocardiography during cardiopulmonary bypass
      supported high risk angioplasty. The cross-sectional left ventricular area during
      bypass support remained unchanged during diastole, whereas during systole it
      decreased (from 29.6 +/- 11.4 to 27.6 +/- 10.4 cm2, p less than 0.05). Global
      left ventricular function expressed as fractional area change remained unchanged
      from baseline to bypass support but decreased during balloon inflation (from 0.27
      +/- 0.11 to 0.17 +/- 0.09, p less than 0.001). The end-systolic meridional wall
      stress decreased during bypass support (from 141 +/- 75 to 110 +/- 58 x 10(3)
      dynes/cm2, p less than 0.02). Regional myocardial function was assessed by a wall
      motion score (0 = normal, 1 = hypokinesia, 2 = akinesia and 3 = dyskinesia).
      Regions supplied by a stenotic (greater than or equal to 50% diameter) vessel
      deteriorated during bypass support (score from 0.9 +/- 0.8 to 1.06 +/- 0.8, p
      less than 0.01), whereas regions supplied by a nonstenotic vessel did not.
      Regions supplied by the target vessel deteriorated further during balloon
      inflation (score from 0.7 +/- 0.6 to 1.7 +/- 0.75, p less than 0.001). Thus,
      although left ventricular size and global function remain unchanged and afterload
      decreases during bypass support, myocardial dysfunction in regions supplied by a
      stenotic vessel may occur. Furthermore, regional and global left ventricular
      dysfunction still occur with angioplasty balloon inflation during cardiopulmonary
      bypass support.

PMID- 1856417
TI  - Respiratory muscle deoxygenation during exercise in patients with heart failure
      demonstrated with near-infrared spectroscopy.
AB  - Exertional dyspnea in patients with heart failure may be due, in part, to
      respiratory muscle underperfusion. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a new technique
      that permits noninvasive assessment of skeletal muscle oxygenation by monitoring
      changes in near-infrared light absorption. With use of near-infrared
      spectroscopy, serratus anterior muscle oxygenation during maximal bicycle
      exercise was compared in 10 patients with heart failure (ejection fraction 16 +/-
      5%) and 7 age-matched normal subjects. Oxygen consumption (VO2), minute
      ventilation (VE) and arterial saturation were also measured. Changes in
      difference in absorption between 760 and 800 nm, expressed in arbitrary units,
      were used to detect muscle deoxygenation. Minimal change in this difference in
      absorption occurred in normal subjects during exercise, whereas patients with
      heart failure exhibited progressive changes throughout exercise consistent with
      respiratory muscle deoxygenation (peak exercise: normal 3 +/- 6, heart failure 12
      +/- 4 near-infrared arbitrary units, p less than 0.001). At comparable work loads
      patients with heart failure had significantly greater minute ventilation and
      respiratory rate but similar tidal volume when contrasted with normal subjects.
      However, at peak exercise normal subjects achieved significantly greater minute
      ventilation and tidal volume with a comparable respiratory rate. No significant
      arterial desaturation occurred during exercise in either group. These findings
      indicate that respiratory muscle deoxygenation occurs in patients with heart
      failure during exercise. This deoxygenation may contribute to the exertional
      dyspnea experienced by such patients.

PMID- 1856419
TI  - Influence of balloon size and stenosis morphology on immediate and delayed
      elastic recoil after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
AB  - After successful coronary angioplasty, the minimal luminal diameter of the
      dilated coronary artery segment is generally smaller than the diameter of the
      largest balloon catheter at the maximal inflation pressure. The determinants of
      this phenomenon were studied in 28 patients. Biplane angiograms were obtained
      after intracoronary administration of isosorbide dinitrate (1 mg) before,
      immediately and 24 h after coronary angioplasty. Balloon and coronary luminal
      diameters were measured by automated contour detection. Immediately after the
      procedure, the difference between inflated balloon diameter and minimal luminal
      diameter averaged 0.93 +/- 0.43 mm for the entire group and was greater both in
      eccentric stenoses (1.13 +/- 0.39 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.36 mm; p less than 0.01) and
      after angioplasty with an oversized balloon (1.20 +/- 0.37 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.33 mm;
      p less than 0.005). At 24 h, the balloon - minimal luminal diameter difference
      was unchanged at the group level (0.86 +/- 0.38 mm, but the minimal luminal
      diameter increased significantly in the subgroup of coronary segments dilated
      with an oversized balloon (1.97 +/- 0.37 vs. 1.81 +/- 0.28 mm; p less than 0.05).
      Thus, the difference between the minimal diameter of a dilated coronary segment
      immediately after a successful coronary balloon angioplasty procedure and the
      maximal diameter of the inflated balloon catheter is dependent both on
      eccentricity of the stenosis and on the balloon/artery diameter ratio. Moreover,
      the increase in minimal luminal diameter 24 h after angioplasty performed with an
      oversized balloon suggest that in addition to elastic recoil partly reversible
      factors related to vessel barotrauma are involved.

PMID- 1856420
TI  - Quantification of absolute myocardial perfusion at rest and during exercise with
      positron emission tomography after human cardiac transplantation.
AB  - The maximal exercise capacity of cardiac transplant recipients is reduced
      compared with that of normal subjects. To determine if this reduced exercise
      capacity is related to inadequate myocardial perfusion during exercise,
      myocardial perfusion was measured noninvasively with use of positron emission
      tomography and nitrogen (N)-13 ammonia. Twelve transplant recipients with no
      angiographic evidence of accelerated coronary atherosclerosis were studied.
      Serial N-13 ammonia imaging was performed at rest and during supine bicycle
      exercise. The results were compared with those from 10 normal volunteers with a
      low probability of having cardiac disease. A two-compartment kinetic model for
      estimating myocardial perfusion was applied to the data. Transplant recipients
      achieved a significant lower exercise work load than did the volunteers (42 +/-
      16 vs. 128 +/- 22 W), but a higher venous lactate concentration (31.3 +/- 14.9
      vs. 13.7 +/- 4.1 mg/100 ml). Despite the difference in exercise work load, there
      was no significant difference in the cardiac work achieved by transplant
      recipients and normal subjects as evidenced by similar rate-pressure products of
      24,000 +/- 3,400 versus 21,300 +/- 2,800 betas/min per mm Hg, respectively. In
      addition, myocardial blood flow during exercise was not significantly different
      between the two groups (1.70 +/- 0.60 vs. 1.56 +/- 0.71 ml/min per g,
      respectively). This study demonstrates that the myocardial flow response to the
      physiologic stress of exercise is appropriate in transplant recipients and does
      not appear to explain the decreased exercise capacity in these patients.

PMID- 1856421
TI  - Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography of pulmonary venous flow: a new marker
      of mitral regurgitation severity.
AB  - Pulmonary venous flow varies with different cardiac conditions. Flow patterns in
      response to mitral regurgitation have not been well studied, but flows may vary
      enough to differentiate among different grades of regurgitation. Accordingly,
      pulmonary venous flow velocities were recorded in 50 consecutive patients
      referred for outpatient (n = 26) or intraoperative (mitral valve repair; n = 24)
      echocardiographic examination for mitral regurgitation. Recordings were made of
      right and left upper pulmonary veins with pulsed wave Doppler transesophageal
      echocardiography. Mitral regurgitation was graded from 1+ to 4+ by an independent
      observer using transesophageal color flow mapping. The results of cardiac
      catheterization performed 5 weeks earlier in 43 of the patients were also graded
      for mitral regurgitation by an independent observer. Pulmonary venous flow
      patterns, the presence of reversed systolic flow and peak systolic and diastolic
      flow velocities were compared with the severity of mitral regurgitation indicated
      by each technique. Of the 28 patients with 4+ regurgitation by transesophageal
      color flow mapping, 26 (93%) had reversed systolic flow. The sensitivity of
      reversed systolic flow in detecting 4+ mitral regurgitation by transesophageal
      color flow mapping was 93% and the specificity was 100%. The sensitivity and
      specificity of reversed systolic flow in detecting 4+ mitral regurgitation by
      cardiac catheterization were 86% and 81%, respectively. Discordant flows were
      observed in 9 (24%) of 38 patients; the left vein usually showed blunted systolic
      flow and the right showed reversed systolic flow. In 22 intraoperative patients,
      there was "normalization" of pulmonary venous systolic flow after mitral valve
      repair in the postcardiopulmonary bypass study compared with the prebypass study
      after the mitral regurgitant leak was corrected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856422
TI  - Predictive accuracy of electrophysiologic localization of accessory pathways.
AB  - Operative ablation of accessory pathways depends critically on preoperative
      localization when technical limitations preclude complete intraoperative mapping.
      To assess the accuracy of localization, 345 patients undergoing operative
      ablation were studied; 316 (91.6%) had a single accessory pathway and 29 (8.4%)
      had multiple accessory pathways. The electrophysiologic study was diagnostically
      complete and accurate in 294 patients (93%) with a single accessory pathway and
      19 (61%) with multiple accessory pathways. A left lateral accessory pathway was
      most accurately localized with excellent sensitivity (99%) and positive
      predictive value (98.5%). Diagnostic errors occurred in 33 patients because of 1)
      incorrect localization (n = 16), 2) failure to detect a second pathway (n = 9),
      and 3) diagnosis of a second pathway not verified intraoperatively (n = 8).
      Multiple pathways were more prevalent in the group with errors (33.3% vs. 5.8%, p
      = 0.0001), as were unidirectional pathways (48.5% vs. 24.3%, p = 0.003). It is
      concluded that preoperative localization of accessory pathways is sufficiently
      accurate to allow intraoperative mapping to be brief and focused.

PMID- 1856423
TI  - Doppler echocardiography of fetal ductus arteriosus constriction versus increased
      right ventricular output.
AB  - A prospective longitudinal study from 121 examinations of 41 normal pregnant
      women showed that fetal ductal flow velocities increased with gestational age.
      These normal data were compared with data in three groups of fetuses with altered
      ductal flow velocities: 22 fetuses (mean gestational age 31.3 weeks) had ductal
      constriction due to maternal indomethacin treatment; 10 fetuses (mean gestational
      age 27.9 weeks) had been exposed to terbutaline, a positive inotropic agent and
      14 fetuses (mean gestational age 33.3 weeks) had hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
      In normal fetuses maximal systolic, mean and end-diastolic ductal flow velocities
      increased linearly (p less than 0.0001). The pulsatility index did not change
      (mean +/- 2 SD: 2.46 +/- 0.52). Fetuses with ductal constriction had higher
      maximal, mean and end-diastolic flow velocities and a significantly lower
      pulsatility index than did normal fetuses (1.25 +/- 0.76; p less than 0.0005).
      Six of 10 fetuses of the terbutaline group and 8 of 14 fetuses with hypoplastic
      left heart syndrome had increased maximal flow velocity, but normal or only
      mildly elevated mean flow velocity. The pulsatility index in fetuses during
      terbutaline therapy and with hypoplastic left heart syndrome was significantly
      higher than in normal fetuses (3.11 +/- 0.46 and 3.09 +/- 0.7, respectively, vs.
      2.46 +/- 0.52; p less than 0.0005). Fetal ductal waveform analysis was necessary
      to distinguish fetal ductal constriction from increased right ventricular output.
      These measurements may be helpful in the diagnosis of left-sided outflow
      obstruction and assessment of fetal hemodynamic data.

PMID- 1856424
TI  - Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography of atrioventricular septal
      defect.
AB  - To determine the accuracy and utility of single-plane transesophageal
      echocardiography in analyzing atrioventricular (AV) septal defect, intraoperative
      transesophageal echocardiography was performed before and after institution of
      cardiopulmonary bypass in 16 patients (age 24 days to 14 years, weight 3 to 47
      kg). Prebypass transesophageal echocardiography (including two-dimensional
      echocardiography, Doppler color flow mapping and pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound)
      correctly diagnosed divided AV valve, common AV valve and unbalanced AV valve, as
      well as atrial or ventricular septal defect, or both, in all cases. It correctly
      analyzed AV valve regurgitation in all 10 patients with right and all 14 with
      left AV valve regurgitation and correctly analyzed 30 of 33 additional cardiac
      anomalies. Transesophageal echocardiography was able to detect the absence of
      normal pulmonary venous connections but failed to demonstrate all of the complex
      anomalous pulmonary venous connections in three patients with atrial isomerism.
      Postbypass transesophageal echocardiography documented the absence of a
      significant residual shunt in 11 of 11 patients undergoing corrective surgery and
      verified residual AV valve regurgitation in 7 of 9 patients with tricuspid
      regurgitation and 11 of 13 with mitral regurgitation. Transesophageal
      echocardiographic information that altered or refined the surgical treatment was
      obtained in 5 (31%) of 16 patients. Epicardial and transesophageal
      echocardiography results were concordant in all 13 patients in whom both were
      performed. Transesophageal echocardiography provides useful and accurate imaging
      of the important two-dimensional, pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound and Doppler
      color flow mapping features in AV septal defect.

PMID- 1856425
TI  - Early surgical closure of a large ventricular septal defect: influence on long
      term growth.
AB  - The pre- and postoperative growth patterns of 52 otherwise normal infants
      undergoing primary surgical closure of a large ventricular septal defect before 7
      months of age were reviewed. Serial measurements of weight, length and head
      circumference were compiled for all patients preoperatively and in 46 long-term
      survivors and were expressed as Z scores (in standard deviations from the mean
      for age and gender). By the time of surgery at a mean age of 0.33 year, the mean
      weight, length and head circumference Z scores of all 52 infants were -2.9, -0.9
      and -0.6, respectively, and were all significantly below normal (p less than
      0.001). At a mean age of 5.7 years, the mean weight, length and head
      circumference Z scores of 35 patients of normal birth weight were normal or
      varied only marginally from those of the reference population (-0.4, -0.1 and
      +0.5, respectively; p less than 0.02, p greater than 0.05 and p = 0.008,
      respectively) and did not differ significantly in any variable from those of 44
      normal siblings. However, among 11 infants with a low birth weight, all three
      variables remained abnormal at long-term follow-up when compared with the
      reference population (-1.7, -1.7 and -0.9, respectively; p less than 0.001 for
      each) and 22 normal siblings (p less than or equal to 0.008).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856426
TI  - Double-inlet single left ventricle: echocardiographic anatomy with emphasis on
      the morphology of the atrioventricular valves and ventricular septal defect.
AB  - The echocardiographic anatomy of double-inlet single left ventricle was studied
      in 57 patients, aged 1 day to 27 years (mean 6 years); the variables examined
      included morphology, size and function of the atrioventricular (AV) valves and
      ventricular septal defect and their relation to pulmonary stenosis, aortic
      stenosis and aortic arch obstruction. The visceroatrial situs was solitus and the
      heart was in the left side of the chest in all 57 patients. A d-loop ventricle
      was present in 21 patients and an l-loop ventricle in 36. The great arteries were
      normally related (Holmes heart) in 8 patients and transposed in 49. In all
      hearts, the right AV valve was anterior to the left AV valve. In 53 patients, the
      tricuspid valve (right valve in d-loop and left valve in l-loop) was closer to
      and had attachments on the septum. The tricuspid valve straddled the outflow
      chamber in eight patients. No significant difference was noted in the mean AV
      valve diameter when comparing mitral and tricuspid valves within the same group
      or between the groups with a d- or l-loop ventricle. The right AV valve diameter
      had a significant direct correlation with the aortic valve diameter and the size
      of the ventricular septal defect regardless of ventricular loop. Both AV valves
      were functionally normal in 34 patients. Among patients with AV valve
      dysfunction, the tricuspid valve tended to be stenotic in patients with an l-loop
      ventricle and regurgitant in patients with a d-loop ventricle. Mitral valve
      dysfunction was uncommon. The ventricular septal defect (46 patients) was
      separated from the semilunar valves in 24 patients (muscular defect) and adjacent
      to the anterior semilunar valve as a result of hypoplasia or malalignment, or
      both, of the infundibular septum (subaortic defect) in 19 patients. Multiple
      defects were present in three patients. The defect was unrestrictive in 26
      patients, restrictive in 23 and could not be evaluated in 8. Pulmonary artery
      banding had been performed in 8 of the 26 patients with an unrestrictive defect
      and in 10 of the 23 patients with a restrictive defect. Only 4 of 19 subaortic
      defects compared with 16 of 24 muscular defects were restrictive. The size of the
      defect was significantly correlated with the measured pressure gradient. Among
      patients with transposition, only 2 of 13 with pulmonary stenosis had a
      restrictive ventricular septal defect compared with 15 of 30 without pulmonary
      stenosis. In patients with transposition, the defect size was significantly
      smaller when coarctation was present.

PMID- 1856427
TI  - Transesophageal real-time echocardiography in infants and children with
      congenital heart disease.
AB  - Transesophageal echocardiography using Doppler color flow mapping with both
      single plane transverse and longitudinal pediatric probes was performed in 127
      infants and children both intraoperatively and postoperatively. The 127 patients
      ranged in age from 1 day to 18 years (mean 37 months) and in weight from 2.4 to
      45 kg (mean 13.2); 157 studies were successfully performed (100% of attempted)
      with no complications. Transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography combined
      with pulsed wave Doppler ultrasound and color flow mapping provided detailed
      morphologic as well as physiologic information, with additional information
      provided overall in 56% of the cases. Typical limitations of single-plane
      transverse imaging were overcome using a prototype longitudinal-axis pediatric
      probe. Both left and right ventricular outflow tracts, distal pulmonary arteries
      and all of the interventricular and atrial septa were visualized. Assessment of
      surgical repair intraoperatively as well as assessment postoperatively for
      cardiac function, residual intracardiac shunts, residual valvular sequelae and
      other hemodynamic events was important and easily performed in an otherwise
      inaccessible patient. Transesophageal echocardiography in infants and in small
      children is a valuable "noninvasive" imaging technique that offers important
      additional and complementary information.

PMID- 1856428
TI  - Repetitive sinoatrial exit block as the major mechanism of drug-provoked long
      sinus or atrial pause.
AB  - Prolonged sinus or atrial pause occurred in six patients with paroxysmal
      supraventricular tachycardia after drug administration. All six patients had
      normal sinus node function during control electrophysiologic study; the sinus
      cycle length ranged from 510 to 900 ms (mean 743 +/- 141) and the longest sinus
      node recovery time ranged from 800 to 1,230 ms (mean 1,018 +/- 168). A long sinus
      or atrial pause occurring at the termination of tachycardia or cessation of
      atrial pacing, ranging from 3,100 to 8,200 ms (mean 6,270 +/- 1,674), was
      provoked by the administration of various drugs. These included an intravenous
      bolus injection of adenosine triphosphate (5 mg; one patient), intravenous bolus
      injection of verapamil (5 mg; one patient), a combination of a single oral dose
      of diltiazem (120 mg) and propranolol (20 to 40 mg; three patients), oral
      diltiazem (240 mg/day; one patient) and a combination of oral diltiazem (240
      mg/day) and propranolol (160 mg/day; one patient). In five patients, low
      frequency deflections suggestive of sinus node activity with a cycle length
      between 620 and 3,500 ms were recorded during pauses. These findings suggest that
      repetitive sinoatrial exit block was responsible for the pause. Sinus slowing
      with a long arrest suggesting suppression of sinus automaticity was also noted in
      three of these five patients; the longest sinus arrest in these three patients
      was 4,160, 4,800 and greater than 4,910 ms, respectively. The remaining patient
      with a pause of 6,840 ms had no recordable sinus activity, either reflecting
      suppression of sinus automaticity or technical failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1856429
TI  - Effect of long-term enalapril therapy on cardiopulmonary exercise performance in
      men with mild heart failure and previous myocardial infarction.
AB  - Forty-one men with documented myocardial infarction greater than 6 months
      previously were randomized to long-term (48 weeks) therapy with placebo or
      enalapril on a double-blind basis. All patients were receiving concurrent therapy
      with digitalis and a diuretic drug for symptomatic heart failure (functional
      class II or III). The mean age was 64 +/- 7.3 years and no patient suffered from
      exertional chest pain. Patients underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exertional
      chest pain. Patients underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing to
      exhaustion on an ergometer cycle nine times over the course of 48 weeks. Gas
      exchange data were collected on a breath by breath basis with use of a continuous
      ramp protocol. In the placebo group (n = 21), the mean (+/- SD) peak oxygen
      consumption (VO2) at baseline was 18.8 +/- 5.2 versus 18.5 +/- 5.5 ml/kg per min
      at 48 weeks (-1.4%, p = NS). In the enalapril group (n = 20), the corresponding
      values were 18.1 +/- 3.1 versus 18.3 +/- 2.6 ml/kg per min (+2.8%, p = NS). The
      mean VO2 at the anaerobic threshold for the placebo group at baseline study was
      13.1 +/- 3.5 versus 12.8 +/- 2.1 ml/kg per min at 48 weeks (-2.2%, p = NS). The
      corresponding values for the enalapril group were 11.8 +/- 2.3 versus 11.8 +/-
      2.4 ml/kg per min (+1.4%, p = NS). The mean total exercise duration in the
      placebo group at baseline study was 589 +/- 153 versus 620 +/- 181 s at 48 weeks
      (+5.4%, p = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856430
TI  - Pharmacokinetic analysis of coronary venous retroinfusion: a comparison with
      anterograde coronary artery drug administration using metoprolol as a tracer.
AB  - Plasma and myocardial tissue concentrations of metoprolol were studied in
      ischemic and nonischemic areas of 22 pigs after 90 (n = 19) and 16 (n = 3) min of
      left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Group A (n = 6) received
      simultaneous intravenous metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg body weight) and tritium-labeled
      (3H)-metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg) retrogradely into the coronary vein. In group B (n =
      5), metoprolol and 3H-metoprolol were administered in the same way, but at half
      the volume to study the influence of derived coronary venous pressure on the
      myocardial concentration of drug. In group C (n = 3), metoprolol was given
      retrogradely and saline solution was infused into the left anterior descending
      artery before induced death to wash out metoprolol from the coronary veins. To
      rule out a possible influence of the development of myocardial necrosis on drug
      distribution, metoprolol was retroinfused after 1 min of arterial occlusion in
      three pigs (group D). In group E (n = 5), metoprolol (0.2 mg/kg) was infused
      anterogradely into the left anterior descending artery. Peak plasma concentration
      was significantly higher after intravenous infusion of metoprolol (1,188 +/- 503
      nmol/liter) than after coronary venous infusion (417 +/- 155 nmol/liter; p less
      than 0.001). In groups A and B, the nonischemic myocardial concentration of
      metoprolol was 250 to 300 pmol/g, whether the drug was infused intravenously or
      into the coronary vein. Coronary venous retroinfusion, however, resulted in a
      substantial accumulation of metoprolol in the ischemic myocardium. In group A
      pigs, subendocardial myocardial concentration was 16,800 +/- 7,774, mid
      myocardial 39,590 +/- 18,043 and subepicardial 57,143 +/- 29,030 pmol/g (mean +/-
      SE). The ischemic myocardial concentration in pigs from group B was somewhat less
      pronounced, probably secondary to a lower coronary venous pressure (15 +/- 3 mm
      Hg) with the lower volume of infusion (6.1 +/- 0.3 ml) in group B compared with
      32 +/- 5 mm Hg with a 14 +/- 1 ml infusion in group A. Coronary artery
      anterograde administration resulted in myocardial ischemic and nonischemic zone
      drug concentrations similar to those observed after retroinfusion into the
      coronary vein. With both modes of administration, there was a transmyocardial
      gradient from a somewhat lower drug concentration in the subendocardium, toward
      an increasing level in the mid-myocardium, to the highest concentration in the
      subepicardial zone of the ischemic myocardium. Coronary venous retroinfusion
      resulted in pronounced drug accumulation in the ischemic myocardium. The derived
      coronary venous pressure during infusion influenced the concentration of
      drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1856431
TI  - Coronary venous retroinfusion of deferoxamine reduces infarct size in pigs.
AB  - The efficacy of coronary venous retroinfusion of the iron chelator deferoxamine
      was studied in 24 pentobarbital-anesthetized open chest pigs with a 60 min
      occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 3 h of
      reperfusion. Eight retrogradely treated pigs were given 10 mg/kg body weight of
      deferoxamine by way of the anterior interventricular vein and eight systemically
      treated pigs received the same doses of deferoxamine intravenously. Drug
      infusions lasted for 5 min, beginning 15 min before reperfusion. Eight control
      pigs received systemic intravenous saline solution. Myocardial area at risk and
      necrotic area were assessed by the monastral blue dye and the
      triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining method, respectively. There were no
      significant differences in hemodynamics or regional myocardial function
      (sonomicrometry) among the groups. Infarct size expressed as percent of risk area
      was 73.9 +/- 13.5% in the control group, 70.6 +/- 16.4% in the systemically
      treated group and 48.5 +/- 21.4% (p less than 0.05) in the retrogradely treated
      group. In conclusion, deferoxamine significantly reduced infarct size after
      coronary occlusion only when given regionally by way of the coronary vein.
      Because there was no significant hemodynamic effect caused by deferoxamine
      infusion, it is suggested that this drug prevents postischemic reperfusion injury
      by a direct cardioprotective effect.

PMID- 1856432
TI  - Cardioplegia by way of the coronary sinus for valvular and coronary surgery.
AB  - Retrograde coronary sinus perfusion has recently reemerged as an attractive means
      of delivering cardioplegic solutions during open heart procedures. In patients
      undergoing aortic valve or aortic root surgery, there is no evidence that
      coronary sinus cardioplegia results in a better myocardial protection than that
      achieved with the use of standard methods of anterograde cardioplegia delivery.
      However, the retrograde approach provides distinct technical advantages that
      might favor its use as an alternative to direct coronary ostial cannulation. In
      select subgroups of patients undergoing coronary bypass procedures, there is a
      growing body of evidence that the coronary sinus route may be more effective than
      the anterograde route because of its superior capacity to ensure homogeneous
      distribution of cooling and cardioplegia in myocardial areas supplied occluded
      arteries. The well established safety of coronary sinus cardioplegia in the
      clinical setting further justifies its inclusion among techniques for ensuring
      adequate myocardial preservation during surgically induced ischemic arrest.

PMID- 1856433
TI  - ACC policy statement. Recommended guidelines for training in adult clinical
      cardiac electrophysiology. Electrophysiology/ Electrocardiography Subcommittee,
      American College of Cardiology.
AB  - Training in clinical cardiac electrophysiology should take place in an
      Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited cardiology
      program, and the electrophysiology training program itself should be accredited
      by the Council. Each trainee must be eligible for board certification in Internal
      Medicine and either eligible for certification in Cardiovascular Diseases or in a
      program leading to eligibility. Training faculty should be certified in clinical
      cardiac electrophysiology or demonstrate equivalent credentials. At least two
      training faculty members are preferred. The faculty must be dedicated to
      teaching, active in performing or promoting research and must spend a substantial
      portion of their time in research, teaching and practice of clinical
      electrophysiology. A curriculum of training should be established. Faculty
      experts in the related basic sciences should be available and involved in
      teaching. The institution should have a fully equipped clinical electrophysiology
      laboratory and complete noninvasive capabilities. A close working relation with a
      cardiac surgery faculty member skilled in surgical treatment of arrhythmias is
      required. Training in application of pharmacologic and all current
      nonpharmacologic therapies, in the outpatient and inpatient setting, is
      necessary. The clinical exposure must include all facets of arrhythmia diagnosis
      and treatment and must be quantitatively sufficient to allow the trainee to
      develop proficiency. The period of training should not be less than one year in
      addition to the period of cardiology fellowship required by the ABIM for board
      eligibility. A continuous period of training is preferred.

PMID- 1856434
TI  - Angioscopy after coronary excimer laser angioplasty.

PMID- 1856435
TI  - Cardiac-specific antibodies in dilated cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 1856436
TI  - Some comments on masochism and the delusion of omnipotence from a developmental
      perspective.
AB  - This paper explores the relation of the delusion of omnipotence to masochism and
      suggests that this fantasy constitutes a major component of the resistance so
      prominent in work with masochistic patients. The connections among masochism,
      omnipotence, negative therapeutic reaction, and clinging to pain are discussed.
      The classical view has been that the failure of infantile omnipotence forces the
      child to turn to reality. Our experience with masochistic patients suggests that
      it is the real failure to achieve competent interactions with others that forces
      the child to turn to omnipotent solutions. The distinction is made between
      fantasies that enhance the real capacities of the self and those aimed at denying
      and transforming the pain and inadequacy of the mother-child relationship. The
      epigenetic transformations of omnipotent fantasies through all levels of
      development are described. The patient's need to protect the omnipotent fantasy
      is discussed in relation to resistance at each phase of analysis.

PMID- 1856437
TI  - Sadomasochism, sexual excitement, and perversion.
AB  - Sadomasochism, an ingredient of infantile sexuality, is an essential part of
      normal sexual functioning and love relations, and of the very nature of sexual
      excitement. Sadomasochistic elements are also present in all sexual perversions.
      Sadomasochism starts out as the potential for erotic masochism in both sexes, and
      represents a very early capacity to link aggression with the libidinal elements
      of sexual excitement. Sexual excitement may be considered a basic affect that
      overcomes primitive splitting of love and hatred. Erotic desire is a more mature
      form of sexual excitement. Psychoanalytic exploration makes it possible to
      uncover the unconscious components of sexual excitement: wishes for symbiotic
      fusion and for aggressive penetration and intermingling; bisexual
      identifications; the desire to transgress oedipal prohibitions and the
      secretiveness of the primal scene, and to violate the boundaries of a teasing and
      withholding object. The relation between these wishes and the development of
      erotic idealization processes in both sexes is explored in the context of a
      critical review of the pertinent psychoanalytic literature.

PMID- 1856438
TI  - Sadomasochism in the neuroses conceived of as a pathological compromise
      formation.
AB  - Masochistic phenomena in adults are discussed as derivatives of conscious and/or
      unconscious fantasies. These masochistic fantasies are always associated with
      conscious and/or unconscious narcissistic and sadistic fantasies. These
      fantasies, like all fantasies in adults, are conceived of as compromise
      formations. After a selected review of the literature, analytic data are
      presented to highlight the clinical advantages of a contemporary elaboration of
      the structural hypothesis for the understanding of sadomasochistic and
      sadonarcissistic phenomena.

PMID- 1856439
TI  - The dread to repeat: comments on the working-through process in psychoanalysis.
AB  - This paper focuses on the process of working through in psychoanalysis.
      Reemphasis of the centrality of the empathic listening perspective and discovery
      of the selfobject transferences made it necessary to reconceptualize various
      aspects of the analytic process from the perspective of psychoanalytic self
      psychology. With the help of a clinical vignette, the paper illustrates the
      manner in which archaic defense organizations and newly developing psychic
      structures find a compromise solution in a transference symptom. Such symptoms
      can serve as nodal points in the process of working through; they represent a
      transitional phase between the old automatic responses to narcissistic injury and
      an increased capacity to use signal anxiety. The psychopathology that became
      illuminated in this process can be described phenomenologically as a self
      defeating personality disorder.

PMID- 1856440
TI  - Sadomasochism in the perversions: some thoughts on the destruction of reality.
AB  - The author summarizes and develops some of her viewpoints on the perversions
      (outlined in several of the books and articles she has written). For her all the
      perversions, whatever their content, develop against an anal sadomasochistic
      backdrop. Their aim is to destroy reality. Reality, from a psychosexual
      perspective, may be defined as resulting from the existence of the father
      separating the mother and the child. This may be formulated in another way:
      reality is recognition of sexual and generational differences. Or, yet again:
      mother and father have a procreative sexuality, whereas the child does not. This
      leads to the idea that the destruction of reality is equivalent to destruction of
      the paternal universe. Clinical case illustrations are provided, one of which
      centers on the assassination of an old man who, besides representing a paternal
      oedipal image, also represents reality itself. This case illustrates in concrete
      form the murder of the father, and hence of reality, accomplished by the pervert
      when he eradicates the paternal dimension of psychosexuality by regressing to the
      anal sadomasochistic dimension.

PMID- 1856441
TI  - Sadomasochism and the defense against recall of painful affect.
AB  - Defense against recall of painful affect is proposed as a significant element in
      the complex entity of neurotic sadomasochism and symptom formation. This
      formulation requires that the fantasy of reversibility--what happened can be
      undone--be analyzed in the transference and predict, for the patient, a painful
      feeling of loss and rage. The structure and tenacity of the powerful resistance
      to this work has the regressive, anal nature of reversibility which is also seen
      in the sadomasochistic characteristic of self and object interchangeability. The
      perceived threat of loss may be understood as related to early object loss,
      either whole or partial, and is associated with a flawed body image. Because the
      formative circumstances lie deep within the patient's past, reuniting residual
      affect, historical event, and early wishes by means of reconstruction is the only
      means of resolution. But, because it requires the relinquishment of the
      sustaining illusions of the sadomasochistic structure--omnipotentiality,
      omnipotence and bisexuality--the process will be experienced by the patient as
      intensely narcissistically dangerous. Vignettes from the analyses of two women
      illustrate the thesis and suggest the scope and direction of its clinical
      application.

PMID- 1856442
TI  - Sadomasochism in the psychoanalytic process, within and beyond the pleasure
      principle: discussion.

PMID- 1856443
TI  - The real person of the analyst and his role in the process of psychoanalytic
      cure.
AB  - This paper focuses on the real relationship with the analyst in the
      psychoanalytic situation as an aspect of the therapeutic process that leads to
      change. The role of free association, clarification, and interpretation of the
      transference are taken for granted as major activities of the analyst, and the
      real relationship with him is seen as a complementary but important ingredient
      for change. In particular, his emotional availability determines the climate of
      analysis. The concepts of neutrality, anonymity, and abstinence, though of
      importance as guideposts in the conduct of an analysis, have conceptual
      limitations that not infrequently bind the analyst in a stance that is not useful
      for the progress of the analysis. On occasion, confirmation by the analyst of the
      verity of an experience in the patient's early life facilitates the analytic
      process. This occurs particularly in situations of early trauma, but at times may
      include chronically traumatic early life experiences. An important motivating
      force in analysis is the patient's unconscious wish to find the ideal parent
      absent in early life experience, a wish that is experienced and ultimately
      analyzed. This is to be distinguished from a defensive idealized transference.
      Psychoanalytic developmental psychology contributes to our understanding of how
      the real person of the analyst, his emotional availability, his responsiveness at
      particular times, his attitude toward action and progressive change in the
      patient, affect the therapeutic process that leads to change.

PMID- 1856444
TI  - Beyond the what, when, and how of transference: a consideration of the why.
AB  - Transference has generally been discussed in terms of its operating to distort
      the way in which a current relationship is dealt with and experienced because of
      one's past. In the present paper, emphasis is placed on that aspect of
      transference which operates as a defense, and which is called into play in
      response to signal anxiety associated with a "pathogenic complex" and is based on
      (1) a traumatic experience of stimulus overload or (2) an intrapsychic conflict
      stemming from instinctual drive pressure which in turn threatens a repetition of
      the traumatic experience. Clinical illustrations are presented in which both
      traumatic experience and drive-conflict forces are prominent, leading to a
      discussion of the here-and-now versus reconstruction of the past, as well as
      affective/cognitive and interpersonal/intrapsychic factors.

PMID- 1856445
TI  - Freud and the figure of Moses: the Moses of Freud.
AB  - Moses was a lifelong preoccupation of Freud, representing a double and idealized
      self and object. Freud identified with different aspects of Moses during
      different periods of development, from concrete hero to abstract ideal. He turned
      to Moses in the concluding phase of his relationship with Fliess and his self
      analysis, and then at other times of crisis. The Moses recreated by Freud is
      important to the evolution of the concepts of the superego, and his Moses studies
      simultaneously illuminate the developmental significance of internalization,
      identification, and abstract symbolic thought. Latently autobiographical, the
      Moses motif is related to the analysis of unconscious conflict and trauma and to
      issues of Jewish identity and analytic ideals.

PMID- 1856446
TI  - On methods of reporting clinical material.
AB  - The members of the Committee on Scientific Activities of the American
      Psychoanalytic Association are concerned about the paucity of clinical data in
      psychoanalytic reports and by the quality of what does exist. We have proposed a
      few standards for clinical reports that we believe will be reliable and clear and
      will have enduring usefulness. We recognize the need for maintaining
      confidentiality and, at times, for disguise; we also recognize the need to
      balance these requirements against the dangers of misleading the reader (or
      listener). These conflicting requirements have resulted in our concentrating on
      some general principles for clinical reporting. We have appended a tentative
      form, and examples, to be considered for that purpose.

PMID- 1856447
TI  - Georg Groddeck's racism--a dismal discovery.

PMID- 1856448
TI  - A survey concerning the frequency of fantasies about the supervisor in candidate
      analysis.

PMID- 1856449
TI  - On Hispanic and Spanish as dream elements.

PMID- 1856450
TI  - The schema model.

PMID- 1856451
TI  - Presence of adenosine deaminase on the surface of mononuclear blood cells:
      immunochemical localization using light and electron microscopy.
AB  - Adenosine deaminase, which is essential for lymphoid differentiation and
      function, has previously been considered to be a cytosolic enzyme. In this report
      we demonstrate that it can be found associated with the plasma membrane of
      lymphocytes. By means of immunological techniques using both light and electron
      microscopy, adenosine deaminase was localized on the external side of the plasma
      membrane of normal lymphocytes and monocytes. Since the enzyme expression
      differed depending on the type of cell examined, new hypotheses about the
      mechanisms involving purine metabolism in immune dysfunctions or immunodeficiency
      syndromes may be considered.

PMID- 1856452
TI  - Ultrastructural distribution of myosin heavy chain mRNA in cardiac tissue: a
      comparison of frozen and LR White embedment.
AB  - Electron microscopy (EM) in situ hybridization provides the higher resolution
      necessary to determine the spatial relationship between a specific mRNA and the
      organelle containing the protein encoded by that message. EM in situ
      hybridization was used to determine the subcellular myosin heavy chain (MHC) mRNA
      distribution with respect to the myofibril in normal cardiac tissue. Sections of
      frozen or acrylic-embedded tissue were compared for ultrastructural integrity and
      content of endogenous mRNA. Papillary muscles dissected from hearts of normal
      rabbits were aldehyde-fixed and either frozen or embedded in LR White. EM in situ
      hybridization with no riboprobe, vector sequence, same-sense, and anti-sense
      biotinylated riboprobes was detected by indirect immunocytochemistry. Labeling
      density using an antisense probe was highest over the intermyofibrillar space,
      with an average signal five times that of background. Background labeling by
      nonspecific sense probe was consistently low but not random, also having the
      highest density of gold clusters over the intermyofibrillar space.
      Ultracryomicrotomy yielded a higher absolute number of gold clusters, but
      sections were fragmented and disrupted striated muscle morphology. LR White
      embedment maintained ultrastructural integrity but gave a lower absolute signal.
      Fortunately, MHC mRNA is an abundant message and can tolerate the decreased
      sensitivity of LR White.

PMID- 1856453
TI  - Ultrastructural localization of nuclear matrix proteins in HeLa cells using
      silver-enhanced ultra-small gold probes.
AB  - We describe a method for immunogold staining of nuclear matrix proteins using
      ultra-small gold particles. The nuclear matrix of HeLa cells is obtained by two
      fractionation steps: (a) cell permeabilization with Triton X-100 to isolate the
      cytoskeleton, and (b) nuclease digestion followed by an incubation in 0.25 M
      ammonium sulfate to isolate the nuclear matrix. To prevent redistribution of
      internal matrix proteins during nuclear matrix preparation, pre-fixation with
      0.1% acrolein was performed. Under this condition up to 80% of protein and 90% of
      DNA and RNA could be removed on nuclear matrix isolation, without redistribution
      of internal nuclear matrix proteins. For immunogold labeling, 1-nm gold probes
      appeared to be required to obtain optimal penetration into the nucleus. These
      particles can be visualized after silver enhancement. After gold labeling the
      matrices are stained, embedded in Epon, and ultra-thin sections are prepared for
      examination in the electron microscope. The applicability of this method is
      examplified by the localization of a 125 KD internal nuclear matrix protein and
      the lamins A and C in nuclear matrix preparations of HeLa cells.

PMID- 1856454
TI  - Podocytes in glomerulus of rat kidney express a characteristic 44 KD protein.
AB  - We describe a new monoclonal antibody (MAb) directed against glomerular visceral
      epithelial cells (podocytes), generated by immunization with isolated rat kidney
      glomeruli. In immunoblotting experiments this MAb (IgG1 subclass) reacted with a
      44 KD protein. In cryostat sections of normal rat kidney the MAb stained
      glomerular podocytes; therefore, we called the antigen pp44 (podocyte protein 44
      KD). On 0.5-micron cryostat sections the signal could be more precisely ascribed
      to the podocyte foot processes, whereas the cell bodies appeared virtually
      unreactive. On ultra-thin frozen sections pp44 was found within the cytoplasm of
      podocyte foot processes at their origin from their parent processes. The podocyte
      cell membrane was not labeled. All other parts of the nephron were unreactive. An
      additional but weaker immunoreaction was found in the arterial endothelium; the
      endothelia of other vessels (peritubular capillaries, veins) were negative. In
      human kidney anti-pp44 revealed the same staining pattern as in rat kidney. The
      expression of pp44 was also studied in newborn rat kidney. The early stages of
      glomerular development (renal vesicle, S-shaped body) were negative. pp44 first
      appeared during the capillary loop stage, i.e., when formation of podocyte foot
      processes commences. In comparing the present results with published data, pp44
      is clearly different from other antigens thus far described in podocytes. From
      the results of this investigation we conclude that pp44 represents a novel
      cytoplasmic protein of podocytes. Our data suggest a cytoskeletal role for pp44
      in preserving the complex architecture of podocytes. This idea is confirmed by
      the simultaneous appearance of foot processes and anti-pp44 immunoreactivity
      during glomerular development.

PMID- 1856455
TI  - Protein AG-gold complex: an alternative probe in immunocytochemistry.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of protein AG tagged with
      colloidal gold as a reliable immunocytochemical reagent. Protein AG is a
      recombinant of 47.3 KD molecular weight and pI = 4.3, which displays
      immunoglobulin Fc binding sites for both staphylococcal protein A and
      streptococcal protein G. It adsorbs to 10-nm colloidal gold particles with a
      lower affinity than does protein A, and is saturable. A maximal number of 12
      protein AG molecules could be accommodated on the gold particle surface. Protein
      AG-gold conjugates yielded positive signals in post-embedding immunocytochemical
      assays when used as a secondary reagent in conjunction with several species and
      classes of polyclonal (rabbit, goat, sheep, guinea pig) and mouse monoclonal
      immunoglobulins (IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3). In addition, protein AG-gold was found to
      be a useful reagent in immunoblot analysis because of its ability to bind and
      identify nitrocellulose-immobilized IgGs (rabbit, mouse, goat, sheep, rat, and
      cow). Its spectrum of specificity towards various types of antibodies combines
      those of the parental protein A and protein G molecules. The protein AG-gold
      complex therefore appears to be a highly versatile and convenient alternative
      probe for immunochemical and immunocytochemical studies.

PMID- 1856456
TI  - Changes in cell polarity during mitosis in rat parotid acinar cells.
AB  - We studied the ultrastructure and cytochemistry of mitotic parotid acinar cells
      in vivo after induction of mitosis by isoproterenol injection. With entrance of
      the cells into the division cycle, the Golgi apparatus lost its characteristic
      stacked structure and internal polarity among the cisternae, appearing as
      fragments distributed throughout the cytoplasm. These fragments consisted of
      electron-lucent vesiculotubular structures and electron-dense 70-nm vesicles;
      neither component showed thiamine pyrophosphatase activity, a marker for trans
      cisternae of the Golgi apparatus, but the 70-nm vesicles showed a positive
      reaction for osmium impregnation, indicating retention of the cis nature. The
      rough endoplasmic reticulum was dilated and fragmented. Recovery of the structure
      of Golgi apparatus and rearrangement of rough endoplasmic reticulum occurred in
      daughter cells during telophase. These changes were the same as those observed
      after drug-induced inhibition of protein transport. The secretory granules were
      not dispersed but were divided into two groups with which centrioles were closely
      associated. Both groups migrated with the centrioles as far as the next
      interphase. The distribution of 5'-nucleotidase on the luminal plasma membrane
      showed no change during the process of division, thus demonstrating that surface
      polarity was maintained during mitosis. These changes in organelle structure and
      distribution may be due to the conversion of cell function from a secretory to a
      mitotic action.

PMID- 1856457
TI  - Different immunoelectron microscopic locations of progesterone receptor and HSP90
      in chick oviduct epithelial cells.
AB  - The intracellular locations of the components of the heterooligomeric
      progesterone receptor (PR), heat-shock protein (hsp90), and the ligand-binding
      component were studied by immunoelectron microscopy in the chick oviduct, using
      immunogold double labeling and peroxidase techniques with monoclonal antibodies
      (MAb) against hsp90 (7D alpha and 4F3) and against PR (PR6 and PR13). PR was
      located in the nuclei of epithelial cells independently of the presence or
      absence of ligand. Cells with apically located nuclei were often PR negative. Ten
      minutes after progesterone administration no apparent change was seen in PR
      immunoreactivity, but chromatin underwent extensive rearrangement and PR was seen
      at the margins of the hetero- and euchromatin. The nucleoli did not contain PR.
      Hsp90 was located in the cytoplasm as aggregates, often inside small vesicles. In
      the apical part of the cell, hsp90 was located at the Golgi complex. The nuclei
      contained no detectable amounts of hsp90 except for that in the nucleoli. Ten
      minutes after progesterone administration the location or immunoreactivity of
      hsp90 did not alter. Thus, there seems to be a clear difference in the
      intracellular distribution of PR and hsp90. The epithelium also exhibited some
      cells with high levels of hsp90 and no or low levels of PR. These results raise
      the question of whether PR is associated with hsp90 in intact cells.

PMID- 1856458
TI  - Differentiation-dependent expression of lectin binding sites on normal and
      neoplastic keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - We used lectins as probes to demonstrate the composition of membrane
      carbohydrates of canine keratinocytes in various functional stages and various
      degrees of differentiation. Keratinocytes during normal epidermal turnover were
      compared by lectin immunohistochemistry to cells of hyperplastic epidermis and
      neoplastic keratinocytes. Three types of epidermal tumors and oral squamous cell
      carcinomas were examined. In addition, two in vitro tissue culture systems for
      keratinocytes were studied and compared with in vivo epithelium. In normal skin,
      PNA reacted only weakly with basal cells, whereas in hyperplastic skin basal
      cells bound this lectin strongly, demonstrating increasing expression of PNA
      binding sites with increasing thickness of the stratified squamous epithelium.
      ConA bound to basal cell tumors only. In oral squamous cell carcinomas, the
      expression of distinct lectin binding sites correlated with certain histological
      growth patterns, e.g., UEA-I reacted with highly invasive tumors but not with
      tumors showing a solid growth pattern. Using cell surface iodination and
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, distinct differences in cell membrane protein
      expression were demonstrated between normal and neoplastic keratinocytes. SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of cultured normal and neoplastic
      keratinocytes revealed several cell surface proteins that are specific for either
      cell type. Neoplastic cells specifically express a 140 KD lectin binding cell
      surface glycoprotein. The results of this study show that lectin binding patterns
      of keratinocytes are dependent on the functional state and the degree of
      differentiation of the cells and demonstrate correlation of some histological
      growth patterns with distinct lectin binding phenotypes, suggesting association
      of expression of cell membrane carbohydrate moieties with growth patterns. In
      addition, close similarities between "lifted cultures" grown at the air-liquid
      interface and native tissue demonstrate the value of this culture system as a
      model for differentiated stratified squamous epithelium.

PMID- 1856459
TI  - Microquantitative analysis of the intra-acinar profiles of glutamate
      dehydrogenase in rat liver.
AB  - In adult male and female rat liver, the activity of NAD(+)-and NADP(+)-dependent
      glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was microquantitatively measured in tissue samples
      of 50-150 ng, microdissected continuously along the sinusoidal length. Total
      activity of GDH with NAD+ as co-factor was found to be higher by a ratio of about
      1:2.3 than with NADP+. All intra-acinar enzyme profiles, irrespective of sex,
      showed an increasing gradient of GDH activity from the periportal beginning to
      the perivenous end. These findings are at variance with the immunohistochemical
      localization of GDH in rat liver. The microquantitative GDH profiles with higher
      perivenous values could indicate a more pronounced glutamine synthesis in Zone 3
      of the liver acinus.

PMID- 1856460
TI  - Measurement of proliferation nuclear and membrane markers in tumor cells by flow
      cytometry.
AB  - Nuclear and membrane markers that have been related to proliferative activity
      were measured by flow cytometry. The markers studied were transferrin receptor
      (TR), Ki-67 antigen, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Two-color
      analysis for DNA via propidium iodide binding and for antigen expression via
      either a direct or indirect immunofluorescence assay was performed on three
      different cell lines and a solid human tumor model. The three cell lines tested
      were MCF-7 (breast), K-562 (leukemia), and A431 (a squamous cell). The solid
      tumor was obtained by subcutaneous injection of A431 cells into an athymic nude
      mouse. Our results demonstrate that TR are cell-cycle specific and can be readily
      measured in the cell lines. Ki-67 antigen is also cell-cycle specific in the cell
      lines tested, but the mean channel specific fluorescence uptake varies in the
      cell types. Finally, the EGFR was observed only in the A431 cell line, with most
      cells equally expressing this receptor. A bimodal distribution of EGFR was
      observed in A431 cells obtained from a solid tumor grown in an athymic nude mouse
      system. This suggests that cell line analysis may not always represent what might
      be observed under in vivo conditions. There are advantages to flow cytometry
      measurements of these factors which might be useful in predicting how patients
      should be treated and possibly the prognosis of cancer patients.

PMID- 1856461
TI  - Localization of hyaluronan in regions of the human female reproductive tract.
AB  - Accumulation of hyaluronan has previously been observed in various organs as an
      inflammatory response. To study the presumed connection between infertility due
      to a tubal factor and inflammation, we performed an analysis of the hyaluronan
      distribution in biopsy specimens from the female reproductive tract, using a
      biotinylated hyaluronan binding protein (HABP) as a histochemical probe. In
      normal specimens hyaluronan was localized in the dense, irregular connective
      tissue surrounding blood vessels of various sizes. Smooth muscle and columnar
      epithelium were devoid of hyaluronan. The isthmic part of the normal Fallopian
      tube showed moderately intense staining of the entire lamina propria, whereas
      normal fimbriae stained weakly. No cyclic changes in hyaluronan content were
      observed. In biopsy specimens from women with infertility due to a tubal factor,
      intense staining, stronger than in normal tubes, was detected in the adhesions
      and in the lamina propria of sactosalpinx. This may indicate that infertility due
      to a tubal factor is associated with an ongoing inflammatory and/or proliferative
      process.

PMID- 1856462
TI  - Generation of monoclonal antibodies directed against organ-specific endothelial
      cell surface determinants.
AB  - Organ-specific determinants expressed on the luminal surface of vascular
      endothelia are often unstable when cells are removed from their normal tissue
      environment and grown in culture. Unspecific endothelial cells of large vessel
      origin [e.g., bovine aorta (BAEC)] can be modulated to express and preserve such
      determinants when they are grown on the extracellular matrix of the desired
      organ. Lung matrix-modulated BAEC were used here to generate MAb against lung
      specific vascular endothelia. Immunization was accomplished with outside-out
      membrane vesicles obtained by incubating BAEC monolayers grown on lung matrix
      with a low-strength paraformaldehyde solution. In four of the six fusions
      performed, this active immunization was preceded by passive immunization with
      mouse antiserum directed against membrane vesicles from BAEC grown on plastic.
      Among the growing hybrids, 7.6% secreted MAb that bound efficiently to both BAEC
      grown on lung-derived matrix and BAEC grown on plastic, while 3.5% (50) secreted
      MAb that bound primarily to BAEC grown on lung matrix. The fusion data show that
      only a passive/active immunization protocol yielded MAb directed against lung
      specific endothelia. For example, MAb 6D3 and 5F5 selectively recognized
      endothelia from small- and medium-sized venules of bovine lungs, but failed to
      react with endothelial cells in other organs and tissues.

PMID- 1856463
TI  - Gay people, sex and the media.

PMID- 1856464
TI  - Sex and genre on prime time.
AB  - Sexual activity is never explicitly represented on network television programs.
      Rather, realms of sexuality are suggested. These realms are represented
      differently according to the genre of the program; sitcoms explore the realm of
      the taboo, while nighttime soaps plumb the inevitable consequences of sexual
      activity. Detective shows display the sexual underworld. When a program shows
      sexuality from more than a generic perspective, it provides a more global
      representation and is also a more fruitful object of study.

PMID- 1856465
TI  - Dr. Ruth Westheimer: upsetting the normalcy of the late-night talk show.
AB  - For the most part, the late-night talk/variety television genre has been analyzed
      as little more than a promotional device for producers of popular culture
      products. Using concepts of dialogic discourse borrowed from M.M. Bakhtin and of
      star discourse theorized by Jimmie Reeves, this paper explores the ideological
      complexity available in the content of late-night programming. The various
      inflections of Dr. Ruth Westheimer within the broadcast context of the late-night
      talk/variety genre provide the focus of this analysis.

PMID- 1856466
TI  - Of mice and men: an introduction to mouseology or, anal eroticism and Disney.
AB  - This essay deals with two important comics, Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse and George
      Herriman's Krazy Kat, and considers the social, cultural, psychological and
      symbolic significance of the main characters and their creators. In the
      discussion of Disney and his work (based, in part on writings about him) it is
      suggested that he exhibited traits associated with anal eroticism, which raises
      an interesting question about the popularity of his work with the American
      public. The two dominant themes found in Krazy Kat are described as "the triumph
      of illusion over reality" and "anti-authoritarianism." In a comparison of the two
      characters, it is shown they are polar opposites: Mickey Mouse is sadistic,
      asexual, and anal while Ignatz Mouse, the hero of Krazy Kat, is playful, sexual,
      and phallic.

PMID- 1856467
TI  - The magazine of a sadomasochism club: the tie that binds.
AB  - The monthly magazine of a sadomasochism club was investigated as a means of
      describing important issues for club members. The magazine was selected for this
      exploratory study because it is: (a) The club's only recorded history; (b) the
      only repository of club members' writings and photographs; and (c) the only link
      to the club for about 15% of the membership who do not attend meetings or other
      club activities because they reside some distance from the club's two West Coast
      chapters. A descriptive content analysis was performed on 47 issues of the club's
      magazine, published between October 1983 and January 1988, and the results were
      combined with the findings of a December 1987 magazine readership survey
      completed by 44% of the 812 dues-paying club members. The author's nonparticipant
      observations of club programs are also reported. The results indicate the
      magazine's space is filled by seven subject categories: S/M media reviews (2% of
      space), S/M poetry (5%), S/M issues (10%), S/M "how-to" (12%), S/M photography
      (14%), fantasy and real S/M stories (17%), and organizational reports (40%).

PMID- 1856468
TI  - Out of the mainstream: sexual minorities and the mass media.
AB  - In a society dominated by centralized sources of information and imagery, in
      which economic imperatives and pervasive sources of values promote the search for
      large, common-denominator audiences, it is useful to look at the fate of those
      who, for one reason or another, find themselves outside of the mainstream. This
      paper addresses the general questions of minority perspectives in the context of
      the study of mass media content and effects. More specific attention is paid to
      the situation of lesbian women and gay men as members of the mass media audience.

PMID- 1856469
TI  - Lesbian and gay rights as a free speech issue: a review of relevant caselaw.
AB  - The legal struggles waged by lesbian and gay male litigants almost invariably
      involve issues of freedom of expression, broadly construed. To illustrate this
      point, a wide array of caselaw is examined--ranging from classic "access to a
      forum" controversies to those concerning symbolic conduct and freedom of
      association (including marriage and child custody law), employment
      discrimination, and proscriptions against deviant sexual conduct. In each
      category, claims to a right of freedom of expression are manifested. Cautionary
      notes are offered concerning those cases in which gay litigants try to protect
      their rights by inhibiting the speech of others. A brief concluding section
      assesses the long-term and short-term efficacy of raising First Amendment
      arguments (as opposed to privacy or equal protection arguments) in lesbian/gay
      male litigation.

PMID- 1856470
TI  - Gays, lesbians, and the media: a selected bibliography.
AB  - The focus of this selected bibliography is on print, aural, and visual resources
      dealing with gay males, lesbians, and the mass media. Listings were selected on
      the basis of their perceived value to scholarly researchers and interested
      members of the more general public. Individual news stories, reviews of specific
      films or television programs, and coverage of gay males and lesbians in the
      theatre and arts are not included. While references to popular music were sought,
      only a few items were located and are included. There were two major obstacles
      confronted when compiling this bibliography. First, much of the media of the gay
      and lesbian communities in the United States is not indexed. Second, very few
      libraries subscribe to many of the more popular and important print resources
      (e.g., Advocate, Gay Community News) on the topics of focus. Even more
      inaccessible are regional publications and literature that focus on erotica but
      often include valuable items on the gay and lesbian communities as well.

PMID- 1856471
TI  - Sensationalism or sensitivity: use of words in stories on acquired immune
      deficiency syndrome (AIDS) by Associated Press Videotext.
AB  - Although it appeared initially reluctant to cover the story at all, the
      mainstream press in the United States has supplied almost daily reports on AIDS
      since the mid-1980s. The author examined four weeks of stories on the Associated
      Press Videotext service in early 1986 in an effort to evaluate the validity of
      critics' charges that journalists were over-emphasizing the role of homosexuals
      in the progress of the disease, and that their stories were laden with negative
      or sensationalistic terms. The author found little evidence from the words used
      in the stories of distortion in telling the AIDS story, but speculated that such
      distortion might be found in selection, editing, and presentation decisions made
      by gatekeepers.

PMID- 1856472
TI  - The important role of mass media in the diffusion of accurate information about
      AIDS.
AB  - This paper explores the vital role of mass media in diminishing the lack of
      consensus among those at risk for AIDS and those who treat them. It examines the
      perceptions of these groups with regard to the seriousness of the AIDS threat,
      what people at risk are really doing to protect themselves and others, and the
      accuracy and objectivity of media reports about AIDS. Results indicate that there
      is a disarming lack of consensus among those people who can do the most to
      influence the spread of AIDS. Results also indicate that those people at greatest
      risk for AIDS and for spreading the disease distrust the accuracy and objectivity
      of the media. The authors argue that consensus is required for a concerted fight
      on AIDS and that the mass media offer an effective avenue for encouraging it.
      They also explore methods for regaining media respect among high risk groups with
      regard to AIDS reporting.

PMID- 1856473
TI  - Introduction: the body electric--human sexuality and mass media.

PMID- 1856474
TI  - Television viewing and adolescents' sexual behavior.
AB  - Over the past two decades the sexual content on television has increased in
      frequency and explicitness but has seldom included depiction of the use of
      contraceptives. Concurrently, the age of initiation of heterosexual intercourse
      has decreased and the number of teenaged pregnancies has remained high. Are these
      trends related? This survey of 391 adolescents found that those who chose heavier
      diets of sexy television shows were more likely than those who viewed a smaller
      proportion of sexual content on television to have had sexual intercourse. This
      relationship held regardless of perceived peer encouragement to engage in sex and
      across race and gender groups. While causal direction is not clear from these
      data, the relationship suggests that either sexual activity results in increased
      interest in sexual content in the media and/or that viewing such content leads to
      sexual activity. In either case, the finding points to the need for further
      research and increased discussion and portrayal of the use of contraceptives on
      television.

PMID- 1856475
TI  - Television viewing and early initiation of sexual intercourse: is there a link?
AB  - Using data from the National Survey of Children, this paper examines the
      hypothesis that the amount of time children spend viewing television and the
      extent to which the content viewed is sexual in nature is related to the
      initiation of sexual activity. Several theories that would lead to this
      hypothesis are reviewed. The data do not provide any strong or consistent
      evidence for such links. However, some aspects of the context in which television
      is viewed are related to sexual activity. The authors suggest ways in which the
      design and measures could be strengthened to provide a more rigorous test of the
      hypothesis.

PMID- 1856476
TI  - Application of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequence polymorphisms to the study of
      HBV transmission.
AB  - Short sequences in hypervariable regions of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome
      can be used to identify different strains, providing a novel approach to the
      study of HBV transmission. The nucleotide sequence in positions 2551-2650
      (1:EcoRI site) was determined for serum HBV DNA from 96 Chinese children living
      in Hong Kong and from 38 of their parents. HBV DNA was extracted and sequenced
      after amplification with the polymerase chain reaction, using as primers
      oligonucleotides corresponding to two conserved sequences. Among 82 unrelated
      children, 32 HBV DNA variants were present. One sequence was present in 33
      children and 31 variants were found among the other 49. Siblings within each of
      nine families had the same variant; in three families siblings had different
      variants. Six of the eight fathers and 28 of the 30 mothers had HBV DNA sequences
      identical to those of their offspring. A total of 34 variants were found among
      the 134 individuals. The hypothesis of random assortment of sequences in parents
      and children was rejected (P less than .00005). Thus, this new approach proves
      the occurrence of intrafamilial transmission of HBV among Chinese.

PMID- 1856477
TI  - Development of cross-reactive antibodies to plasminogen during the immune
      response to dengue virus infection.
AB  - The four serotypes of dengue virus (a mosquito-borne flavivirus) cause an acute
      febrile illness (dengue fever) or a more prolonged illness with plasma leakage
      resulting in hypovolemia (dengue hemorrhagic fever). Hemorrhage may accompany
      either. Epidemiologic data suggest a role for dengue antibodies in pathogenesis.
      Computer analysis revealed a 20-residue region of similarity in amino acid
      sequence between the dengue type 4 envelope glycoprotein (E) and a family of
      clotting factors, including plasminogen, the prime mediator of fibrinolysis. By
      use of synthetic peptides in ELISA, E antibodies that potentially bind
      plasminogen were detected in 75% of 40 Thai patients acutely infected with dengue
      virus type 1, 2, 3, or 4. Plasminogen cross-reactivity of dengue antibodies was
      shown to be specific for the related sites in E and plasminogen. The dengue E
      sequence with similarity to plasminogen is largely conserved within the currently
      known flavivirus E sequences. However, 15 Thai patients hospitalized for illness
      caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (a flavivirus not associated with
      hemorrhage) did not develop plasminogen-cross-reactive antibodies, and this
      finding correlated with failure of Japanese encephalitis virus antibodies to bind
      to the plasminogen-cross-reactive site in E.

PMID- 1856479
TI  - Variability of penicillin-binding proteins from penicillin-sensitive
      Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AB  - Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) from penicillin-susceptible strains of
      Streptococcus pneumoniae are believed to be fairly similar in contrast to PBPs
      occurring in resistant isolates. The antigenic variation of PBPs 1a and 2b in 65
      penicillin-susceptible strains from different geographic areas and a wide variety
      of isolation sites was analyzed using a set of specific antisera and monoclonal
      antibodies. Three strains contained different antigenic variants of PBP 1a, and
      50 strains contained one of three antigenic variants found in PBP 2b. Seven
      patterns of antibody reactivity could be defined; all but one were distinct from
      those found recently in resistant strains. In addition, electrophoretic
      mobilities of all six PBPs, compared after conventional SDS-PAGE and
      fluorography, revealed an unexpected variation of PBP-profiles even for strains
      of one sero-group. Few strains appeared identical to each other or to the
      laboratory reference strain R6.

PMID- 1856478
TI  - Intercontinental spread of a multiresistant clone of serotype 23F Streptococcus
      pneumoniae.
AB  - Isolates of serotype 23F Streptococcus pneumoniae with high levels of resistance
      of penicillin have been commonly recovered in Spain for more than a decade.
      Recently penicillin-resistant serotype 23F S. pneumoniae strains were also
      isolated from children attending a day-care center in Cleveland. A number of
      Spanish and Cleveland isolates were compared by electrophoretic analysis of
      penicillin-binding protein (PBP) profiles and DNA restriction endonuclease
      cleavage profiles of the PBP 2X and 2B genes amplified with the polymerase chain
      reaction and by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. All strains were identical by
      these criteria. The findings demonstrate that the Spanish and Cleveland isolates
      are clonally related and suggest that this antibiotic resistant clone of serotype
      23F S. pneumoniae has spread intercontinentally from Spain to the United States.

PMID- 1856480
TI  - Antigenic variation of penicillin-binding proteins from penicillin-resistant
      clinical strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
AB  - Penicillin-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae that are isolated with
      increasing frequency worldwide contain low-affinity penicillin-binding proteins
      (PBPs). The relatedness of PBPs from 55 resistant strains isolated on three
      continents was investigated by testing the reactivity of antibodies specific for
      PBP 1a or 2b and by comparing the PBP patterns. Seventeen patterns of antibody
      reactivity could be distinguished, 12 of which were specific to one isolate. Most
      strains, including all German and South African strains, had a unique PBP
      profile. A few groups of Spanish and Finnish isolates were identified where the
      strains within each group shared the same PBP profile, the same antigenic
      variants of PBPs 1a and 2b, and the same serogroup, suggesting that they
      represent different clones of S. pneumoniae. The results demonstrated highly
      variable pathways of resistance development and confirmed that resistant strains
      have emerged independently in different locations.

PMID- 1856481
TI  - Pathophysiology and histopathology of group B streptococcal sepsis in Macaca
      nemestrina primates induced after intraamniotic inoculation: evidence for
      bacterial cellular invasion.
AB  - Four pregnant Macaca nemestrina dams at 140-145 days of gestation received an
      intraamniotic inoculation of group B streptococci (GBS). All four premature
      infants were born by cesarean delivery, were bacteremic at birth, and showed
      symptoms of GBS sepsis similar to infected human infants with early-onset
      disease. Three infants did not receive antibiotics and died of GBS sepsis by 10 h
      of age despite mechanical ventilation and fluids for blood pressure support.
      Penicillin treatment of the fourth infant prolonged survival and decreased the
      requirement for supportive therapy. Quantitative cultures and histopathology were
      done on all four infants. Transmission electron microscopy of lung tissue
      demonstrated GBS within membrane-bound vacuoles of type I and II alveolar
      epithelium and interstitial fibroblasts. This model should be useful for studying
      the early steps in the pathogenesis of early-onset GBS infections. GBS may enter
      alveolar epithelial cells to transit this barrier and ultimately disseminate via
      the blood-stream.

PMID- 1856482
TI  - Enteropathogens associated with acute diarrheal disease in urban infants in Sao
      Paulo, Brazil.
AB  - To determine the prevalence and epidemiology of enteropathogens in acute
      infantile diarrhea, 500 infants less than or equal to 12 months of age with
      diarrhea and 500 age-matched control subjects coming to a Sao Paulo emergency
      room were studied. Enteropathogens were identified in 55% of case infants and 10%
      of controls; enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) of classic EPEC serotypes
      producing EPEC adherence factor (EAF) (26% of case infants), rotavirus (14%),
      Salmonella species (8%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (7%), and Shigella species (5%)
      were associated with diarrhea. Isolation of EAF+ classic EPEC decreased with
      increasing age of cases and peaked in spring, whereas rotavirus was least common
      in early infancy and peaked in fall and winter. Bloody stool had a 36% positive
      predictive value for Shigella infection, EAF+ classic EPEC were highly resistant
      to antimicrobial drugs. Among poor Sao Paulo infants, EAF+ classic EPEC equaled
      or exceeded rotavirus throughout the year as a cause of diarrhea bringing
      children to medical attention.

PMID- 1856483
TI  - An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 colitis associated with consumption of
      precooked meat patties.
AB  - An outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 hemorrhagic colitis at a Minnesota junior
      high school in October 1988 comprised 32 cases among 1562 students (attack rate,
      2.0%). Four children were hospitalized; none developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome.
      Case children were more likely than controls to have eaten heat-processed meat
      patties (odds ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-20.1; P less than .001) in
      the school cafeteria on a specific day. The minimum estimated attack rate among
      students who ate these patties was 8%. The patties should have been sufficiently
      cooked by the manufacturer to destroy enteric pathogens before they were frozen
      and distributed. E. coli were cultured from frozen patties that were manufactured
      at the same plant on the same dates as the implicated patties, but serotype
      O157:H7 was not isolated. Heat-processed meat patties may serve as vehicles for
      E. coli O157:H7 infection, and currently there are no federal or state regulatory
      standards to ensure the safety of these products.

PMID- 1856484
TI  - Detection of experimental Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteremia and
      endotoxemia by means of an immunolimulus assay.
AB  - The rapid quantitation of bacteria in blood was achieved by using a novel assay
      method for gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin, LPS). The assay
      involves the capture of specific LPS onto microtiter plates by means of
      monoclonal antibodies directed against the oligosaccharide region of the LPS,
      followed by detection of the bound LPS by a chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate
      (LAL) system. This immunolimulus (IML) assay combines the specificity of
      monoclonal antibodies with the sensitivity of the LAL system to achieve the first
      specific, sensitive quantitation of bioactive endotoxin in plasma. In the animal
      model tested, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacteremia in infant rats,
      there was a strong correlation between IML results and the concentration of Hib
      colony-forming units in blood samples (r = .845, P less than .001). Using
      antibodies with appropriate specificities, this approach should be useful for
      rapid detection of a wide range of gram-negative bacteria and endotoxins in
      blood.

PMID- 1856485
TI  - A temperature-dependent rabbit model for production of dermal lesions by
      Haemophilus ducreyi.
AB  - The fact that optimal in vitro growth of Haemophilus ducreyi occurs at 33 degrees
      C prompted evaluation of the effect of temperature on the ability of this
      organism to produce skin lesions in rabbits after intradermal inoculation.
      Animals housed at a reduced ambient temperature (15-17 degrees C) consistently
      developed necrotic lesions when injected intradermally with 10(5) cfu of H.
      ducreyi; this inoculum did not produce necrotic lesions in animals housed at
      normal room temperature (23-25 degrees C). Lesion production in this new model
      was dependent on both viability of the H. ducreyi inoculum and replication of
      these organisms after intradermal injection. Histopathologic examination of the
      lesions revealed that H. ducreyi infection of the rabbit dermis evolves from an
      acute inflammatory reaction to abscess formation. Evaluation of three additional
      strains of H. ducreyi in this model confirmed that lesion formation was not
      bacterial strain-dependent. This new temperature-dependent rabbit model for
      productive H. ducreyi infection will facilitate investigation of the molecular
      pathogenesis of chancroid.

PMID- 1856486
TI  - Characteristics of experimental Candida albicans infection of the central nervous
      system in rabbits.
AB  - Different concentrations (10(7), 10(5), 10(3) cfu/ml) of Candida albicans were
      injected intracisternally in rabbits. The highest inoculum was fatal within 14 h
      in all animals. In recipients of 10(5) and 10(3) cfu/ml inocula, the mean +/- SD
      peak cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha)
      concentrations were 1.6 +/- 2.42 and 0.3 +/- 0.59 ng/ml, respectively, at 6 h;
      the mean +/- SD CSF leukocyte and protein concentrations were 6291 +/- 6515 and
      453 +/- 674 cells/mm3 (at 24 h) and 118 +/- 90 and 109 +/- 122 mg/dl (at 12 and
      24 h), respectively. At 6-10 days after inoculation, a second peak of TNF alpha
      activity was accompanied by increased CSF inflammation. Mortality in the 10(5)
      and 10(3) cfu/ml inoculum groups was 56% and 22%, respectively. Fatal infection
      was associated with higher second CSF peak TNF alpha and leukocyte concentrations
      and a larger proportion of culture-positive CSF samples. Histopathology revealed
      hyphal invasion, vasculitis, abscesses, and acute and chronic inflammatory
      infiltration of meninges and brain parenchyma. This model can be useful for
      evaluation of the pathogenesis and therapy of central nervous system fungal
      infections.

PMID- 1856487
TI  - Modified Western blot assay for confirmation and differentiation of human T cell
      lymphotropic virus types I and II.
AB  - Disease association studies of human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) types I and
      II are hindered by the need for multiple assays to confirm and differentiate
      between the viruses. A modified Western blot assay has been developed using HTLV
      I viral lysate and unique (MTA-4) and shared (p21E) HTLV recombinant proteins. By
      defining confirmation of infection as the presence of antibodies to p24 gag
      protein and to p21E, all 56 HTLV-I and 49 HTLV-II antisera were confirmed by this
      modified Western blot alone. Differentiation was determined by reactivity to MTA
      4. All HTLV-I antisera reacted with MTA-4 and all HTLV-II antisera did not react
      with MTA-4. These findings indicate the utility of selected HTLV-I recombinant
      proteins in a single assay format to confirm and differentiate infections with
      HTLV-I and HTLV-II.

PMID- 1856488
TI  - Antibody responses after immunization with killed oral cholera vaccines during
      the 1985 vaccine field trial in Bangladesh.
AB  - Sera collected during the 1985 oral cholera vaccine trial in Matlab, Bangladesh,
      which demonstrated efficacy of a whole cell combined with cholera B subunit
      vaccine (WC/BS) and a whole cell only vaccine (WC), were analyzed for antitoxin
      and vibriocidal antibodies. Before vaccines were given, antitoxin titers were
      highest in children, especially those with O blood group, whereas vibriocidal
      titers rose throughout life. Two weeks after three doses of vaccine, geometric
      mean antitoxin titers were 2.5-4.5 times higher in vaccinees who received the
      WC/BS vaccine; the vibriocidal titers were 1.3-2.1 times higher in vaccinees who
      received either vaccine. The titer elevations were relatively brief and were
      barely detectable 7 months after the third dose even though significant levels of
      protection persisted greater than or equal to 3 years. Thus, the oral vaccines
      induced a serum response in this large field trial that was similar to that seen
      in earlier pilot studies, but the duration of the serum responses was much
      shorter than the duration of the protection.

PMID- 1856489
TI  - Culture-confirmed pneumonia due to Chlamydia pneumoniae.
AB  - Diagnosis of infection caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae, a newly recognized
      respiratory pathogen, has proved difficult. Between July 1987 and April 1988,
      culture and serologic tests for C. pneumoniae were done on specimens from 49
      patients with pneumonia seen at an Atlanta hospital emergency room. Cultures from
      3 patients (6%) grew C. pneumoniae. Genus-specific Chlamydia complement fixation
      titers and microimmunofluorescence titers for C. pneumoniae were suggestive of
      acute infection in all 3 culture-positive patients. Three other patients had
      evidence of acute disease by published criteria for antibody titers. Most studies
      of C. pneumonia have not had culture-proven cases; the 6% rate of positive
      cultures in this study support the role of C. pneumoniae as a cause of pneumonia.
      More widespread availability of simplified culture systems for C. pneumoniae is
      needed. Caution should be used when interpreting serologic tests in the absence
      of culture confirmation.

PMID- 1856490
TI  - Quantitative culture of bronchoalveolar lavage from patients with anaerobic lung
      abscesses.
AB  - The study of anaerobic infections of the lung is usually limited to the use of
      invasive techniques such as transtracheal aspiration (TTA) to avoid contamination
      by oral flora. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) has been used successfully in the
      study of the etiology of pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. This study
      evaluated the role of the quantitative culture of BAL in the diagnosis of lung
      abscess. Four episodes of lung abscess in three patients were studied, and the
      results of quantitative culture of BAL were compared with those of the standard
      technique of TTA. Nineteen anaerobic bacterial species were recovered from the
      BAL fluid, all but one at concentrations greater than 10(3) cfu/ml. Culture of
      BAL fluid yielded 18 of 22 of the isolates cultured from TTA, including 12 of 16
      of the anaerobic bacteria. This study suggests that quantitative culture of BAL
      fluid may be useful in the bronchoscopic evaluation of lung abscess.

PMID- 1856491
TI  - Comparative safety, tolerance, and pharmacokinetics of amphotericin B lipid
      complex and amphotericin B desoxycholate in healthy male volunteers.
AB  - Amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), a lipid complex formulation of amphotericin
      B, and amphotericin B desoxycholate (AB) were compared for safety, tolerance, and
      pharmacokinetics in two groups of eight healthy male volunteers. After a 1-mg
      test dose, study drug was infused at 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg; the 0.5-mg/kg dose
      was not given to subjects receiving AB. ABLC caused few acute adverse effects
      except for mild somnolence (drowsiness) in six volunteers. In addition, three of
      eight ABLC recipient had asymptomatic, transient serum transaminase elevations
      that resolved spontaneously. The AB recipients experienced more acute side
      effects, but only one had a mild shaking chill: three of eight also experienced
      sleepiness. No significant changes in vital signs, electrocardiogram, oximetry,
      pulmonary function, or clinical status were observed in either group. Due to its
      increased estimate volume of distribution and estimated clearance. ABLC yielded
      decreased amphotericin B levels and area under the serum concentration versus
      time curve relative to AB.

PMID- 1856492
TI  - Diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis based on
      the detection of anti-parasite-enzyme antibodies.
AB  - A sensitive diagnostic assay for parasitic infections based on the detection of
      anti-enzyme antibodies is presented. All serum antibodies produced in response to
      parasite antigens are immobilized via their Fc domain on matrix-bound protein G.
      Incubation of the immobilized antibodies with saturating amounts of parasite
      extract results in the binding of all recognized antigens, including those
      directed against a specific and readily measurable enzyme. The amount of bound
      enzyme is proportional to the anti-enzyme antibody concentration in the serum.
      The application of this principle is demonstrated for the diagnosis of both human
      African trypanosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis by the detection of antibodies
      against parasite acid phosphatases.

PMID- 1856493
TI  - Herpes simplex encephalitis: the case against brain biopsy.

PMID- 1856494
TI  - Elevated serum interleukin-2 receptors in a newly identified group with high
      rates of human T cell leukemia virus type I infection in Israel.

PMID- 1856495
TI  - Disseminated mixed Mycobacterium simiae-Mycobacterium avium complex infection in
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

PMID- 1856496
TI  - Randomized trial of 5-day rifampin versus 1-day doxycycline therapy for
      Mediterranean spotted fever.

PMID- 1856497
TI  - Transient acquired factor II deficiency with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

PMID- 1856499
TI  - Evidence of coccidioidomycosis in the skeleton of an ancient Arizona Indian.

PMID- 1856498
TI  - Persistence of Cryptococcus neoformans in the prostate: failure of fluconazole
      despite high doses.

PMID- 1856500
TI  - Stabilization of drug resistance (chloroquine and amodiaquine) of Plasmodium
      falciparum in semiimmune populations in the Congo.

PMID- 1856501
TI  - Adult human toxocariasis acquired by eating raw snails.

PMID- 1856502
TI  - Privacy (or liberty) and assisted suicide.
AB  - There is renewed professional and popular interest in the questions surrounding
      the legality of assisted suicide. With the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the
      Cruzan case, the legal questions will be determined by state courts and
      legislatures. This article examines the arguments underlying the claim for
      legalization of assisted suicide. Although it appears to come within the confines
      of privacy, assisted suicide constitutes a more radical change in the law than
      its proponents suggest. Assisted suicide in the context of its own complexities
      and other problems facing society, represents a dubious advance in patient rights
      or social justice.

PMID- 1856503
TI  - The relationship of pain and symptom management to patient requests for physician
      assisted suicide.
AB  - Uncontrolled pain and multiple adverse symptoms compel some cancer patients with
      advanced disease to consider suicide or to request physician-assisted suicide as
      their only option. Any debate that focuses on the options to terminate life in
      patients with advanced disease must give adequate consideration to the existing
      level of care for patients with these distressing symptoms. Numerous studies have
      described the educational, attitudinal, and legislative barriers that exist and
      prevent patients from receiving acceptable pain and symptom management during
      their illness. Lack of knowledge about the use of analgesics, coupled with the
      lack of sophistication in diagnosing and treating the psychological complications
      of cancer, are examples of such educational barriers. Existing continuing care
      programs, like hospice, that manage symptoms in patients with far-advanced
      disease are currently insufficient to meet the needs of this large population. We
      need to address the access to expert care of distressing symptoms including pain
      and psychological distress as well as the quality of life of this patient
      population before we can fully address the options for terminating life.

PMID- 1856504
TI  - Euthanasia: the way we do it, the way they do it.
AB  - Although the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States are alike in having
      aging populations who die primarily of deteriorative diseases, they face end-of
      life dilemmas quite differently. In the United States, withholding and
      withdrawing of treatment are the only legally recognized means for easing dying.
      In Holland, voluntary active euthanasia is also practiced; in (West) Germany,
      assisted suicide is a legal option, usually outside the medical setting. This
      paper examines objections to these three practices, and observes the differences
      in the background cultures. Rather than reliance on any of the three, it argues
      that physician-assisted suicide in terminal illness is the practice most
      compatible with the United States' special characteristics.

PMID- 1856505
TI  - The challenge for future debate on euthanasia.
AB  - There is a significant pattern emerging in the discourse about euthanasia and
      assisted suicide as exemplified in the other articles in this special issue of
      the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. That pattern is a dynamic tension
      that should be nurtured in the best interests of our options at the end of life.
      On the one hand, there is general acceptance of the right to self-determination
      and (within debatable limits) of the rationality and mortality of suicide. And on
      the other hand, there has been emphasis on comfort care through appropriately
      chosen medications and through a wholesome doctor-patient relationship that
      fosters a view of life worth living. Thus the creative tension is between the
      freedom to be dispatched with a minimum of suffering and the efforts to make it
      more desirable to stay and fight. It is a variation of the "fight or flight"
      response. The tension must be maintained for the good of us all. Too much
      emphasis on either one would skew the balance, and a dangerous extreme could
      result.

PMID- 1856506
TI  - Active euthanasia and forgoing life-sustaining treatment: can we hold the line?
AB  - Public sentiment in favor of permitting voluntary active euthanasia creates a
      dilemma for a bioethics rooted in a libertarian notion of autonomy. At stake in
      the active euthanasia debate is actually a question of power--the individual's
      assertion of sovereignty over the timing and circumstances of his or her own
      death. Also at stake is society's unwillingness to impose a conception of the
      good--and a good dying--on individuals whose personal values and conceptions of
      the good may differ. In order both to reject voluntary active euthanasia and to
      affirm the patient's right to forgo life-sustaining treatment, some societal
      conception of the good must be developed and agreed upon to counter unbridled
      claims of individual self-sovereignty over dying. Pragmatic arguments alone, such
      as the need to maintain confidence in the doctor-patient relationship, will not
      be sufficient.

PMID- 1856507
TI  - Assisted suicide: an evaluation.
AB  - Physician-assisted suicide is a form of euthanasia. As such, it is contrary to
      one's ethical responsibility to self, community, and God. Religious tradition,
      medical tradition, and modern psychology attest that physician-assisted suicide
      does not solve any human problem.

PMID- 1856508
TI  - Physician-assisted suicide: a double dilemma.
AB  - The ethical dilemma posed by the conflicts around physician-assisted suicide
      require at least three criteria that must be passed as a prerequisite for
      contemplating assisting someone toward death. 1) The request to die must not stem
      from a treatable depression. 2) The request must not stem from treatable
      discomfort, symptoms, and pain. 3) The exploration of the request to die must
      take place within the context of a relationship between physician and patient of
      some duration, depth, and intimacy. The moral dilemma posed by such a request
      also taps into the value system of the physician, which requires exploration and
      definition. Only then can the request be treated with the seriousness it
      deserves.

PMID- 1856509
TI  - Ethical decision-making in the care of the dying and its applications to clinical
      practice.
AB  - In caring for dying patients, physicians and health team members face a number of
      decisions about how best to proceed with treatment. Many of these decisions carry
      implications for the life of the patient, either directly or indirectly. Recent
      discussions about the morality and wisdom of euthanasia provide an excellent
      stimulus to reexamine the ethical nature of these decisions. This paper reviews
      five ethical principles, and describes a process of decision-making that can
      result in two broad paths of action in relation to life-prolonging treatment.
      Case examples are presented for illustration. Appropriate ethical practice can be
      differentiated from acting with the primary intent to take life (euthanasia).

PMID- 1856510
TI  - Killing the known dying: notes of a death watcher.

PMID- 1856511
TI  - Possible utility of serum determinations of CA 125 and CA 27.29 in breast cancer
      management.
AB  - The utility of measurement of serum levels of the tumor associated antigens CA
      125 and CA 27.29 in detecting the presence of disease and in monitoring changes
      in disease status was examined in 63 patients with breast cancer. In patients
      with clinically detectable disease the CA 125 level was elevated in 59%, the CA
      27.29 level in 59.5% and one or both markers in 84.6%. Specificity for presence
      of disease was 83.6% for CA 125, 88% for CA 27.29, and 69.1% for the two markers
      combined. Changes in marker levels of more than 50% correlated with clinical
      changes in disease status in 58% of cases for either CA 125 or CA 27.29 alone. In
      87.5% of cases with clinically progressive disease one or both marker levels
      increased by more than 50% from the previous levels. In no case with greater than
      50% increase in a marker level was there regression of disease. Thus, the use of
      these markers in combination might have utility in cases where diagnosis of
      recurrent disease is difficult or where monitoring of response to treatment is
      hampered by lack of measurable disease.

PMID- 1856512
TI  - Preliminary study on serum levels of mucinous like cancer antigen (MCA) in
      patients with breast disease: comparison with CEA.
AB  - MCA (mucinous-like cancer antigen) can be measured in the biological fluids of
      patients by means of a solid phase enzyme immunoassay. This study describes the
      results of MCA determination in sera of 230 patients with benign (99) and
      malignant (131) breast diseases. MCA levels were significantly higher in breast
      cancer patients than in non cancer patients and in healthy subjects (p less than
      0.001). MCA concentrations tended to increase as the stage of the disease
      advanced. The 95th percentile of MCA value distribution in normal subjects showed
      a diagnostic sensitivity in breast cancer patients of 16.3% at stage I, 26.2% at
      stages II-III and 52% at stage IV. In a group of 118 cancer patients, MCA and CEA
      were tested simultaneously. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of MCA and
      CEA assays was very similar; nevertheless the association of the two tests showed
      11 cases with high levels of MCA and low levels of CEA and 9 patients with high
      levels of CEA and low levels of MCA. Seventy-four out of 118 patients were
      negative for both markers and in 22 out of 118 patients markers were positive.
      The new marker MCA appeared to correlate with breast cancer and gave different
      information complementary to CEA.

PMID- 1856513
TI  - Impact of preoperative CA 15-3 levels in operable breast cancer. Comparison with
      tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).
AB  - CA 15-3, TPA and CEA were assayed before surgery in 60 patients with breast
      cancer. A significant association was found between preoperative CA 15-3 levels
      and some of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer, such as lymph
      node status and tumor size. No similar association was discovered for CEA and
      TPA. Preoperative CA 15-3 levels were also significantly associated with early
      recurrences of the disease, thus adding useful information to prognosis
      especially in N+ patients.

PMID- 1856514
TI  - The clinical status of immunoscintigraphy with monoclonal antibodies in ocular
      melanoma.
AB  - A summary is given of data on the clinical experience with the anti-melanoma
      antibody 225.28S in ophthalmology and the tissue expression of the high molecular
      weight-melanoma associated antigen in choroidal melanoma. Results are discussed
      in relation to other detection methods for ocular melanoma currently employed by
      the ophthalmologist.

PMID- 1856515
TI  - Evidence of a correlation between CA15.3 and estradiol serum levels in women with
      fibrocystic (non macrocystic) mastopathy.

PMID- 1856516
TI  - Seric SLX values in patients with lung tumors.

PMID- 1856517
TI  - Seric BCM-RIA levels in patients with lung pathologies.

PMID- 1856518
TI  - Clinical value of a mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA) in patients
      with carcinomas of the kidney and the urinary collecting system.
AB  - A new tumor marker, mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA), was evaluated
      in thirty-four patients with renal cell carcinomas and forty patients with
      carcinomas of the urinary collecting system. In the first group, specificity was
      95%, sensitivity 65%, the predictive value for positive diagnosis was 94%, and
      for negative diagnosis 72%. In the second group specificity was 83%, sensitivity
      71%, predictive value for positive diagnosis was 63%, and for negative diagnosis
      88%. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the maximum amount
      of information was greater in patients of the first group than the second (0.379
      vs. 0.332 bits). In the light of these data, the MCA test can be recommended for
      assessing metastatic spread in patients particularly with renal cell carcinomas.

PMID- 1856519
TI  - [Correlation of placental villous immaturity and dysmaturity with clinical
      control of maternal diabetes].
AB  - Strict clinical management of a diabetic mother who is pregnant reduces the risk
      of neonatal complications. It also reduces the frequency of fetal macrosomia.
      Diabetic mothers have a heavier placenta than mothers who are not diabetic. Light
      microscopic placental changes associated with diabetes include villous immaturity
      and dysmaturity. We have examined the placentas of 27 diabetic mothers whose
      maternal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) levels were measured throughout pregnancy. None
      of these placentas had a trimmed weight in excess of 600 grams. Eighteen of 27
      specimens had immature villi. Four had dysmature villi. Three placentas had
      fibromuscular sclerosis within the villi. Five had cholangiosis and there was one
      cholangioma. Villous immaturity was present in 16 of 18 mothers whose HbA1C was
      more than 5.6% of the total hemoglobin. We found villous immaturity in 2 of 5,
      within 5.1-5.5% HbA1C. There was no villous immaturity in four cases whose HbA1C
      was less than 5.0% total hemoglobin. Our findings indicate that maternal
      hyperglycemia during pregnancy is associated with placental immaturity and
      dysmaturity.

PMID- 1856520
TI  - [Reevaluation of the diagnosis of placenta previa in midtrimester by means of
      transabdominal, transrectal and transvaginal ultrasonography].
AB  - The incidence of placenta previa in mid-pregnancy diagnosed by ultrasonography is
      abnormally high in comparison with its incidence during labor. The cause of this
      discrepancy has not been fully elucidated. Detection of the cervix is fundamental
      to the diagnosis of placenta previa. In the present study, the detection rates
      for three methods, abdominal, rectal and vaginal scanning were compared and the
      time course of mid-pregnancy placenta previa was traced. The cause of the above
      mentioned discrepancy was thus elucidated. 1. Rate of cervix detection 1) In the
      12-23 gestational week period, the cervix was successfully identified in 52.0
      62.5% of cases by abdominal scanning, and in 85.7-87.5% by transrectal scanning.
      2) The uterine isthmus was not identified by transabdominal scanning. 2. Changes
      in ultrasonographic findings with the passage of time 1) Transrectal scanning

PMID- 1856521
TI  - [Effect of malignant ascitic fluids and OK-432 on the induction of LAK activity
      in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of gynecological cancer patients].
AB  - Recently, successful treatment of peritonitis carcinomatosa by intraperitoneal
      administration of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells followed by
      intraperitoneal recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) has been reported by several
      authors, in spite of the well documented results of the immunosuppressive
      activity of malignant ascitic fluid. We investigated the effect of malignant
      ascitic fluid on in vitro induction of LAK cells obtained from patients'
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We also examined whether Streptococcal
      preparation OK-432, which has been instilled into the peritoneal cavity to treat
      malignant ascites, is able to synergize with rIL-2 to induce LAK activity, and
      the following results were obtained; 1. A little augmentation of LAK activity was
      observed at a lower concentration of malignant ascitic fluid, while the results
      were diversified at a concentration higher than 10%. In two cases out of six, a
      severe suppressive effect was observed at a concentration higher than 40%. At the
      higher concentration, fewer cells were recovered after a 5 day culture in all
      cases. 2. No augmentation of LAK activity following the combination of OK-432
      with rIL-2 was observed. At a lower concentration of OK-432 (ranging from 0.01
      0.04KE/ml), the number of cells increased in comparison with rIL-2 alone. These
      results suggest that the potential of adoptively transferred LAK cells followed
      by rIL-2 was not effectively suppressed by malignant ascitic fluid in vivo and
      that the administration of OK-432 followed by rIL-2 could induce a larger number
      of various killer cells than rIL-2 alone.

PMID- 1856522
TI  - [The study on the degradation of prostacyclin activity in tissue culture
      supernatant of human placental villi].
AB  - To clarify the role of placental villi in maintaining microcirculation in the
      placenta, we investigated the action to protect the activity of prostacyclin in
      the tissue culture supernatant of human placental villi. 1. The platelet
      aggregation inhibiting activity of prostacyclin was decreased very rapidly in
      Ringer buffer. 2. The tissue culture supernatant of human placental villi has an
      action which protects the activity of prostacyclin. On the other hand, in the
      tissue culture supernatant of human placental decidua no such action is
      prominent. 3. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) also has an action which
      protects the activity of prostacyclin. These results indicated that human
      placental villi play an important role in maintaining placental microcirculation
      by producing substances which have a protective on the activity of prostacyclin.

PMID- 1856523
TI  - [Re-evaluation of hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of uterine endometrial cancer].
AB  - To evaluate the clinical value of hysteroscopy in the management of endometrial
      cancer, findings in 3,681 patients with endometrial cancer treated between 1985
      and 1989 at 167 hospitals in Japan were analyzed. In 1,040 of these patients,
      hysteroscopy was performed before operation. Pre-operative staging by fractional
      curettage with or without hysteroscopy was compared with post-operative
      histological diagnoses. The accuracy rates of diagnosis at final stages I and II
      were 91.4% and 79.4%, respectively, with hysteroscopy. There figures were not
      significantly different from those of 91.4% and 77.7% without hysteroscopy. The
      accuracy rate for diagnosis at the final stage I was 98.0% with the hystero
      fiberscope and significantly higher than that with rigid hysteroscopy (86.0%).
      Tumor cells in the pelvic cavity were examined at the time of operation in 1,115
      patients. Tumor cells were found in 8.5% of those in stage I, 18.8% of those in
      stage II, 64.7% of those in stage III and 75.0% of those in Stage IV by
      hysteroscopy. These values were not significantly different from those of 7.3%,
      22.7%, 57.1% and 81.1%, respectively, observed without hysteroscopy. These
      findings indicate that hystero-fiberscopy might be valuable for the pre-operative
      diagnosis of endometrial cancer, but has no effect on cytological malignancy in
      the peritoneal cavity.

PMID- 1856524
TI  - Ultracytochemical study on the permeability of the human amniotic epithelium.
AB  - In order to elucidate and characterize the transport pathway of the substances in
      the amniotic fluid, the permeability of the term human amnion was studied
      ultracytochemically, with lanthanum or horse radish peroxidase (HRP) as a tracer.
      Pieces of the term human amnion were exposed to the solutions containing
      lanthanum or HRP, and processed for electronmicroscopy. Precipitates indicating
      lanthanum or HRP were observed in the lateral intercellular spaces of the
      amniotic epithelial cells through the entire depth of the spaces. Generally,
      pinocytosis of HPR was not observed. In rare cases, however, diffuse uptake of
      HRP was noticed in the cells of the electron-lucent cytoplasm. These facts
      indicated that the human amniotic epithelium is quite permeable and that this
      particular intercellular pathway is important in the mechanism of the transfer of
      substances between the mother and the fetus.

PMID- 1856525
TI  - Effects of maternal postural change from supine to left-lateral on tocolysis,
      maternal cardiac function and pulsatility index of uterine artery.
AB  - In order to prove the usefulness of the left-lateral position (l-lat.) in
      preventing the cardiovascular complications associated with ritodrine, twenty
      nine patients having preterm labor were employed as the subjects of this study.
      Before and during the administration of ritodrine, the cardiac function was
      recorded by impedance cardiography. (1) When ritodrine was administered in the
      supine position, SV and CO first increased but eventually tended to decrease.
      When the position was changed to the l-lat. after SV and CO had almost returned
      to the preadministration level, HR decreased and SV and CO increased in 70%
      (10/14) of the patients. However, in patients showing no change in HR in the
      supine position, the cardiac function did not change either. (2) The magnitude of
      the changes in cardiac function accompanying the postural change during ritodrine
      administration was compared with that observed before administration. The
      decrease in HR and the increase in SV due to the postural change to the l-lat.
      were larger during ritodrine administration than before administration. The l
      lat. position is recommended as a means for preventing the side effects
      accompanying ritodrine administration. This study also indicated the possibility
      that the inferior vena cava may be more strongly compressed in the supine
      position by the relaxed gravid uterus.

PMID- 1856526
TI  - Effect of left-lateral position on maternal hemodynamics during ritodrine
      treatment in comparison with supine position.
AB  - Pregnant women are generally recommended to rest in the left-lateral position (l
      lat.) to avoid caval compression. We studied the influence of postural change
      from the supine position (sup.) to the l-lat. on maternal hemodynamics and
      tocolysis. The cardiac output (CO) was measured by impedance cardiography, while
      the pulsatility index of the uterine artery (PIUtA) was determined by the pulsed
      Doppler method. When the maternal posture was changed from sup. to l-lat, the
      following results were obtained. (1) The frequency of uterine contractions (UC)
      (preterm labor = 92) was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01). (2) The
      resting uterine tonus (n = 5) was also significantly decreased (p less than
      0.05). (3) In the cases showing a decrease in the frequency of UC, the CO value
      was significantly increased (p less than 0.01), whereas PIUtA was significantly
      decreased (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that the postural change from sup.
      to l-lat. resulted in a decrease in the frequency of UC and the resting uterine
      tonus and at the same time an increase in the CO and decrease in the vascular
      resistance of the uterine artery.

PMID- 1856527
TI  - Calcium activated neutral protease and its endogenous inhibitor in human
      placental chorionic tissue.

PMID- 1856528
TI  - [A case of acute fatty liver of pregnancy].

PMID- 1856529
TI  - [Giant placenta associated with transplacental hemorrhage].

PMID- 1856530
TI  - [An operated case of gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma formed a huge abdominal
      tumor].

PMID- 1856531
TI  - [Rupture of tubal pregnancy following vaginal total hysterectomy].

PMID- 1856532
TI  - [Biomechanics of the Chiari pelvic osteotomy].
AB  - We have reviewed our findings on 476 hip joints that underwent a Chiari pelvic
      osteotomy (Chiari) between June 1983 and March 1990, employing computer
      simulation using non-linear analysis based on the rigid-body spring model (RBSM)
      proposed by Kawai. We further made estimates of the changes in the hip abduction
      force resulting from the Chiari. The abduction force was measured by a Cybex II
      machine, before and after Chiari, and they were compared with those from
      simulation modeling (using the abduction muscle model: ABMM) for the power change
      expected by Chiari. According to the results in the RBSM, the resultant force,
      the abduction force, deviation of the pelvis, and the joint stress improved
      outcome after Chiari. Chiari had a positive effect on the peak torque of the hip
      abduction, though the abduction force was not fully restored clinically. The
      simulation by ABMM, showed similar results with the abduction force decreasing
      with increasing degree of hip abduction. From these results, we have developed
      and established a new technique for the reattachment of the greater trochanter in
      Chiari.

PMID- 1856533
TI  - Enhancement of new bone formation by hematoma at fracture site.
AB  - In order to study the osteogenetic potential of fracture hematoma, pellets which
      contain fluid components extracted from human fracture hematoma were transplanted
      to the subperiosteum of the rat parietal bone. Furthermore we have examined the
      effect of the fluid extract of the fracture hematoma and factors partially
      purified from this extract on DNA synthesis of cultured osteoblast-like cell line
      MC3T3E1. Implantation of the pellets containing the fluid extract did not promote
      new bone formation regardless of the presence of periosteum. This extract, in
      contrast, enhanced DNA synthesis of osteoblast-like cell line MC3T3E1 in a
      concentration dependent fashion. When this fluid extract was partially purified
      by ion exchange chromatography, the highest peak in DNA synthesis of MC3T3E1 was
      attained at 38mM NaCl, and the second highest peak at 290mM. These results
      suggest that the soluble extract from fracture hematoma contains growth factors
      which promote osteoblast proliferation, but does not possess osteogenetic
      potential.

PMID- 1856534
TI  - [Blood flow evaluations on normal spinal cord of rabbit and the effect of aortic
      ligation by radioactive microsphere technique].
AB  - The microsphere technique was used to determine precise distribution of the
      spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) in rabbit and measurement of the SCBF was also
      carried out after the ligation of the thoracic aorta to examine the mechanism of
      collateral circulation. The results showed higher values of the SCBF in the
      cervical (42.3 +/- 17.1ml/100g/min) and lumbar spinal cord (42.2 +/-
      25.5ml/100g/min), compared with the thoracic cord (36.6 +/- 15.5ml/100g/min). The
      segmental analysis of SCBF distribution revealed relatively higher in the lower
      cervical, lower thoracic and lumbar segments but showed lower values in the upper
      thoracic segments. The SCBF was also detectable only in 2-4 thoracic segments
      below the ligation level of the thoracic aorta, which suggests that sufficient
      pathway of collateral circulation is not plausible in the thoracic cord of
      rabbit.

PMID- 1856535
TI  - [Innervation of skeletal muscle by the lumbar sympathetic nervous system].
AB  - The innervation of skeletal muscle by the lumbar sympathetic nerve was studied
      through the glyoxic acid histochemical method and the horseradish peroxidase
      method on 16 anesthesized rabbits. Blood flow changes in the quadriceps muscles
      during and after stimulation of the sympathetic nerves were evaluated by the
      heated thermocouple technique in 12 anesthesized rabbits. It seems likely that
      the postganglionic nerve fibers join to the spinal nerve at the intervertebral
      foramen and run into the peripheral nerves. The vastus medialis and rectus
      femoris were mainly innervated by the sympathetic neurons at different segmental
      levels. Sympathetic disturbance at the segmental level may occur when the spinal
      nerve is disturbed at the intervertebral foramen. Muscle blood flow decreased
      after sympathetic nerve stimulation for 1 minute. However, an increase took place
      after stimulation for 5 minutes. These results suggest the presence of some
      neurotransmitter present in the postganglionic nerve terminals.

PMID- 1856536
TI  - [MR imaging and disorders in orthopedics].

PMID- 1856537
TI  - [Biomechanical principles and clinical experience of external fixation].

PMID- 1856538
TI  - [Arthroplasty for osteoarthritis of the hip].

PMID- 1856539
TI  - [Etiological factors and treatment of the senile femoral neck fracture].

PMID- 1856540
TI  - [Endocrinologic approach to obesity and thinness ].

PMID- 1856541
TI  - [Endocrinological approach to symptom and diagnosis of hyperglycemia ].

PMID- 1856542
TI  - [Endocrinological approach to symptom and diagnosis of hypertension].

PMID- 1856543
TI  - [Endocrinological approach to symptoms and diagnosis of goiter].

PMID- 1856544
TI  - [Progress in diagnostic techniques for high-sensitivity hormone analysis and DNA
      diagnosis].

PMID- 1856545
TI  - [Progress on diagnostic techniques of MRI for endocrine diseases].

PMID- 1856546
TI  - [Progress, theory and practice of glucocorticoid therapy].

PMID- 1856547
TI  - [Progress in insulin therapy of NIDDM].

PMID- 1856548
TI  - [Progress in endocrinological therapy of abnormal calcium metabolism and
      metabolic bone diseases].

PMID- 1856549
TI  - [Drug therapy of pituitary tumors].

PMID- 1856550
TI  - [Endocrine hypertension].

PMID- 1856552
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of thyroid diseases].

PMID- 1856551
TI  - [Pitfall in diagnosis and therapy of diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1856553
TI  - [Mechanism of the development and management of a chronic state of allergic
      diseases--bronchial asthma].

PMID- 1856554
TI  - [Systemic lupus erythematosus].

PMID- 1856556
TI  - [Peptic ulcers].

PMID- 1856555
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of chronic rheumatoid arthritis].

PMID- 1856557
TI  - [Cerebrovascular disorders--current topics and therapeutic guidelines].

PMID- 1856558
TI  - [Degenerative nervous system diseases].

PMID- 1856560
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of coronary diseases].

PMID- 1856559
TI  - [Metabolic nervous system diseases].

PMID- 1856561
TI  - [Heart failure].

PMID- 1856562
TI  - [Drug therapy of ventricular arrhythmia].

PMID- 1856563
TI  - [Drug therapy of hypertension].

PMID- 1856564
TI  - [Pulmonary fibrosis].

PMID- 1856565
TI  - [Intractable airway infections and its management].

PMID- 1856566
TI  - [Chronic respiratory failure].

PMID- 1856567
TI  - [Anemia].

PMID- 1856568
TI  - [Leukemia and malignant tumors].

PMID- 1856569
TI  - [Hemorrhagic diathesis].

PMID- 1856570
TI  - [Virus diseases].

PMID- 1856571
TI  - [New antibacterial agents].

PMID- 1856572
TI  - [Glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome].

PMID- 1856573
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of acute kidney failure].

PMID- 1856574
TI  - Compositional changes in lipoproteins of subjects with non-insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1856575
TI  - Lipoprotein composition and HDL particle size distribution in women with non
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and the effects of probucol treatment.
AB  - To further characterize the spectrum of potentially atherogenic disturbances in
      lipoprotein composition in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), we
      have studied a subset of women with NIDDM before and after treatment with the
      lipophilic lipid-lowering drug probucol (1 gm day), which we have shown corrects
      certain compositional abnormalities these women share with subjects who have
      hypercholesterolemia. Before treatment, the NIDDM group had a somewhat higher
      plasma triglyceride level (154 +/- 58.3 mg/dl, vs control, 80.0 +/- 21 mg/dl
      [mean +/- SD]; p less than 0.025) than controls but their cholesterol and high
      density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels did not differ from control
      levels. A number of significant disturbances, however, were present in the
      surface and core lipid composition of their lipoproteins. Although the
      cholesterol content of NIDDM low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was similar to that of
      controls, its content of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylinositol plus
      phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin-to-lecithin ratio all were significantly
      reduced. Moreover, their very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and HDL2 tended to
      have reduced amounts of free (unesterified) cholesterol (FC) relative to
      lecithin, and their HDL2 and HDL3 tended to be triglyceride enriched. Probucol
      therapy resulted in significant decreases in total plasma cholesterol (-15%), FC
      (-28%), HDL-C (-22%), and triglyceride (-16%) and in apoproteins A-I, B, and E
      (apo A-I, B, and E), without changing diabetic control (before probucol:
      hemoglobin A1, cholesterol, 10.7% +/- 2.7%; after probucol: 10.9% +/-
      3.0%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856576
TI  - Glomerular hemodynamic effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid
      supplementation.
AB  - Dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been shown
      to alter the course of experimental renal disease. Although hemodynamic factors
      such as glomerular hypertension are felt to be important in the progression of
      renal disease, the effects of dietary PUFA supplementation on glomerular
      hemodynamics are unknown. The present investigation, therefore, was designed to
      evaluate the glomerular hemodynamic effects of dietary PUFA supplementation in
      normal rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed standard chow supplemented with
      either 20% (wt/wt) fish oil (FO) as a source of omega-3 PUFAs, 20% sunflower oil
      (SO) as a source of omega-6 PUFAs, or 20% coconut oil (CO) as a control diet.
      Micropuncture studies were performed after 4 to 6 weeks of dietary
      supplementation. Compared with CO rats, SO rats did not demonstrate any changes
      in glomerular hemodynamics. However, rats supplemented with FO demonstrated
      significant (p less than 0.05) increases in both single nephron glomerular
      filtration rate and single nephron plasma flow. These hemodynamic changes were
      not associated with alterations in glomerular capillary hydraulic pressure or the
      glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient. The increase in SNPF was primarily the
      consequence of a 37% reduction (p less than 0.05) in efferent arteriolar
      resistance. Thus dietary FO supplementation resulted in glomerular
      hyperfiltration and hyperperfusion. These hemodynamic actions may have important
      consequences in determining the effect of omega-3 PUFAs on the course of
      experimental and clinical renal disease.

PMID- 1856577
TI  - Regulation of glycolysis in the erythrocyte: role of the lactate/pyruvate and
      NAD/NADH ratios.
AB  - Mature erythrocytes, when removed from the circulation, exhibit severe
      disturbances of glycolytic flow, with accumulation not only of lactate, the
      ultimate product of glycolysis, but also of several upstream metabolic
      intermediates, primarily fructose-1,6-diphosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate,
      and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. This accumulation may be prevented (and also
      reverted) by allowing the diffusible end products lactate and pyruvate to leave
      the cell by equilibrating with a much larger extracellular compartment. The
      disturbance of erythrocyte glycolysis does not result from direct inhibition by
      lactate itself but from the interplay between the lactate dehydrogenase and
      glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (3-PGAD) reactions. The accumulation of
      intermediates reflects the increased lactate-to-pyruvate ratio; this leads to a
      secondary imbalance of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-to-reduced
      nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD-to-NADH) ratio, which in turn slows down
      glycolysis at the 3-PGAD step, whose upstream metabolites then pile up. No
      accumulation, however, takes place if the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio is maintained
      constant in the extracellular compartment, regardless of concentrations. These
      studies demonstrate that orderly glycolysis in the erythrocyte is regulated by
      the NAD-to-NADH ratio and also provide a method that makes possible the in vitro
      study of erythrocyte glycolysis.

PMID- 1856578
TI  - Clearance and synthesis rates of beta 2-microglobulin in patients undergoing
      hemodialysis and in normal subjects.
AB  - Retention of beta 2-microglobulin in patients undergoing hemodialysis is
      associated with a beta 2-microglobulin-derived amyloidosis. Removal of beta 2
      microglobulin by renal replacement therapy has been proposed for the prevention
      of this amyloidosis. Currently, however, data on the beta 2-microglobulin
      synthesis rate in patients undergoing hemodialysis are scarce, and consequently
      it remains speculative how much removal would be necessary to counterbalance
      synthesis. The plasma kinetics of iodine 131-labeled beta 2-microglobulin were
      therefore examined in 11 patients with anuria who were undergoing long-term
      hemodialysis. Five healthy persons served as controls. Kinetic modeling of the
      plasma curves showed that the data fitted a two-pool model (r2 greater than 0.96)
      consisting of a rapid 2 to 4 hour distribution phase followed by a less steep
      curve, described by the plasma (metabolic) clearance (Clp). Synthetic rates were
      calculated from Clp and the beta 2-microglobulin steady state plasma
      concentration (plus beta 2-microglobulin removal during hemodialysis in the case
      of high flux hemodialysis). The results showed a significantly higher Clp in
      normal controls as compared with patients undergoing hemodialysis (65.5 +/- 12.8
      ml/min (mean +/- SD) versus 3.4 +/- 0.7 ml/min). In contrast, the beta 2
      microglobulin synthesis rate in the patient group (3.10 +/- 0.79 mg/kg/day) was
      not significantly different from that of normal controls (2.40 +/- 0.67
      mg/kg/day), which was due to markedly elevated beta 2-microglobulin plasma
      concentrations in the patients (37.6 +/- 14.1 mg/L vs 1.92 +/- 0.27 mg/L). These
      findings suggest that the presence of end-stage renal disease does not have a
      significant impact on the beta 2-microglobulin generation rate. The degree of
      accumulation of beta 2-microglobulin in patients undergoing hemodialysis seems to
      depend on the loss of renal excretory function.

PMID- 1856579
TI  - Enhanced GFR response to oral versus intravenous arginine administration in
      normal adults.
AB  - Both oral protein ingestion and intravenous amino acid infusions have been shown
      to increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) in
      normal subjects. Although the mechanism of this effect is not known, the renal
      responses to these loads have been associated with increases in peripheral
      glucagon concentrations. Conflicting data exist concerning the role of glucagon
      in the hyperfiltration response after an oral protein meal or administration of
      an intravenous amino acid mixture. Using a single amino acid as the stimulus for
      hyperfiltration, we compared the renal responses in six normal subjects to 30 gm
      oral arginine-HCl, intravenous arginine-HCl, and intravenous glucagon infused at
      the rate of 10 ng/kg/min. GFR, RPF, and glucagon concentration, as well as levels
      of plasma amino acids and selected gastrointestinal hormones, were measured for
      six 30-minute clearance periods after each load. Significant rises in mean peak
      GFR were noted after both oral arginine (104 +/- 5 ml/min x 1.73 m2 to 145 +/- 9
      ml/min x 1.73 m2, p less than 0.02) and intravenous arginine (118 +/- 10 ml/min x
      1.73 m2 to 134 +/- 11 ml/min x 1.73 m2, p = 0.02) administration. Mean peak RPF
      rose significantly after oral arginine (510 +/- 26 ml/min x 1.73 m2 to 710 +/- 32
      ml/min x 1.73 m2, p less than 0.01) but not after intravenous arginine (616 +/-
      60 ml/min x 1.73 m2 to 687 +/- 64 ml/min x 1.73 m2, p = 0.18). Intravenous
      glucagon infusion also increased both mean peak GFR (99 +/- 9 ml/min x 1.73 m2 to
      149 +/- 10 ml/min x 1.73 m2, p less than 0.01) and RPF (514 +/- 48 ml/min x 1.73
      m2 to 771 +/- 38 ml/min x 1.73 m2, p less than 0.01) significantly. We found the
      mean peak percent rise in GFR (43% +/- 13%) and RPF (42% +/- 12%) after oral
      arginine to be notably greater than that after intravenous arginine (14% +/- 5%
      and 13% +/- 9%, respectively). However, the mean peak percent rise in glucagon
      concentration after oral arginine was significantly lower than that after
      intravenous arginine (62% +/- 25% versus 479% +/- 176%, respectively, p = 0.04).
      Infusion of glucagon increased GFR (54% +/- 13%) and RPF (55% +/- 12%) to a
      degree similar to that seen after oral arginine, but again with a significantly
      higher mean peak percent rise in peripheral glucagon concentrations when compared
      with the rise after oral arginine (798% +/- 348% vs 62% +/- 25%, p less than
      0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1856580
TI  - Carotenoids and liposoluble vitamins in liver cirrhosis.
AB  - The role played by carotenoids, retinol and tocopherol in quencing oxidative
      cellular damage and combatting tumor growth is well documented, but little is
      known about their activity in human liver cirrhosis (LC), where oxidative damage
      and tumoral complications are common-place. We investigated 59 patients with LC
      of different etiology on admission to hospital and compared them with 32 healthy
      controls, matched for age and sex. Nutritional (cutaneous skinfolds, creatinine
      height index) and serum parameters were determined; of these, alpha- and beta
      carotene, cryptoxanthin, lycopene, retinol and alpha-tocopherol were detected by
      an high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique, devised in our
      laboratory, which afforded an accurate and simultaneous resolution of all six
      compounds. The results point to a significant reduction in almost all the vitamin
      factors in LC, as well as in total serum lipids. In consequence, the ratio
      tocopherol/total serum lipids remains almost unchanged: 2.45 +/- 0.08 (m +/- se)
      in controls and 2.34 +/- 0.16 in patients. The effects of age, sex, nutritional
      habits, alcohol, malnutrition and the severity of the disease were also evaluated
      in relation to the vitamin-factor levels. It is suggested that the reduced levels
      observed in LC patients are due to a number of factors including portal
      hypertension and lymphatic circulation impairment, and it is concluded that
      thorough screening and improved diet are beneficial in the follow-up of LC.

PMID- 1856581
TI  - Detection of endotoxin in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in vitro.
AB  - Numerous investigations have been performed in which volunteers have received
      infusions of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins without apparent screening of the
      infusates for bacterial endotoxin. This study was designed to examine the
      capacity of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins to mask their endotoxin content in
      vitro as measured by a chromogenic modification of the standard Limulus assay.
      Lipoproteins and lipoprotein-deficient plasma were isolated from normal human
      plasma by sequential ultracentrifugation under apyrogenic conditions. Individual
      lipoproteins and a synthetic lipid emulsion were suspended in 10% lipoprotein
      deficient plasma. Samples were then incubated at 37 degrees C for 4 hours with
      increasing concentrations of E. coli (055:B5) endotoxin and assayed for
      detectable endotoxin activity. The capacity to inhibit detection of endotoxin in
      10% lipoprotein-deficient plasma was significantly increased (10 to 100 times) by
      the addition of VLDL (1.0 mg triglyceride/ml), chylomicrons (1.0 mg
      triglyceride/ml), or the synthetic lipid emulsion (2.5 mg triglycerides/ml).
      These data demonstrate that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and the synthetic
      lipid emulsion, can markedly inhibit the detection of endotoxin by the Limulus
      assay in vitro. In addition to the potential of harm to experimental subjects,
      infusion of endotoxin could vitiate kinetic studies by direct alteration of
      lipoprotein metabolism and by inducing changes in hepatic blood flow. Thus
      experimental protocols that involve the infusion of humans with triglyceride-rich
      lipoproteins should include detailed testing for the presence of endotoxin.

PMID- 1856583
TI  - Egas Moniz: neurologist, statesman, and Nobel laureate.

PMID- 1856582
TI  - Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of transthyretin devised for semimicro plasma
      diagnosis of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy.
AB  - A highly sensitive and reproducible enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human
      transthyretin was developed. The method is most suitable to serial monitoring of
      transthyretin peaks in reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for
      the diagnosis of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy based on isolation of
      variant transthyretin. This method semimicronized the original diagnostic method,
      requiring plasma samples of only 0.2 ml. The present enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay method is also applicable to determine transthyretin in plasma and
      cerebrospinal fluid. It correlated well when compared with a commercially
      available single radial immunodiffusion (r = 0.951, p less than 0.001).

PMID- 1856585
TI  - The respiratory complications of leptospirosis.
AB  - Leptospirosis is an uncommon disease. Respiratory failure attributable to this
      infection is unusual, but remains a major cause of mortality. Mechanical
      ventilation has been required for patients with significant alveolar hemorrhage
      and the adult respiratory distress syndrome. We report a patient with ventilatory
      failure due to the severe muscle weakness associated with leptospirosis and
      review the pulmonary consequences of this infection.

PMID- 1856584
TI  - The epidemiology of Lyme disease in Kentucky, 1985-1990.
AB  - Lyme Disease has become the most common vector-borne disease in the United
      States. To assess the extent of the disease in Kentucky, all case reports were
      reviewed for 1985-1990. A total of 51 cases met the current case definition.
      Epidemiologic features were similar to those reported nationally. Although the
      recognized tick vectors for Lyme Disease have still not been identified in
      Kentucky, physicians should educate their patients on the risk of Lyme Disease
      and measures to prevent tick bites. Reporting cases of Lyme Disease will continue
      to be important so that trends in the disease's occurrence in Kentucky can be
      monitored.

PMID- 1856586
TI  - A unique inlet [the ascending aorta] for extra-anatomic bypass of infected
      arterial prostheses.
AB  - Infection is the most dreaded complication associated with implantation of a
      prosthetic arterial graft. The reported incidence of primary graft infection
      varies from 1.3% to 6.0%, with a mortality rate from this complication as high as
      75%. Although remote bypass followed by complete removal of the infected
      prosthesis has proven to be a satisfactory method of treatment, in certain
      instances remote bypass alone is not feasible and other modes of surgical
      treatment must be employed. Such conservative methods of management of infected
      aorto-iliac-femoral prosthesis sometimes irradicate infection. The only certain
      cure, however, is obtained by totally removing the graft. And the success of
      extra-anatomic axillofemoral techniques has led to its extended use. The addition
      of a cross-limb on an axillo-unilateral femoral graft to form an axillobilateral
      femoral graft was described by Sauvage and Wood, reasoning that the higher flow
      rate in the axillary limb of the axillobilateral femoral graft would result in an
      improved patency rate compared with that of axillounilateral femoral grafts.
      Additionally, both medial (obturator foramen) and lateral extra-anatomic remote
      bypass of infected femoral prosthesis have been used, successfully. The current
      case illustrates the complexity of management, once sepsis occurs. It further
      focuses on groin, retroperitoneal and bilateral axillo-femoral tract infection
      with prolonged (apparently innocuous) graft exposure and finally points out the
      utility of the ascending aorta as an alternative extra-anatomic inlet to perfuse
      the lower extremities.

PMID- 1856587
TI  - Thallium redistribution does not predict perioperative cardiac complications
      following vascular surgery.
AB  - Utility of preoperative stress thallium scintigraphy (STS) was determined in 59
      patients, thought to be at increased risk, prior to major vascular surgery from
      July 1987 to February 1990. Forty-seven had oral dipyridamole and 12 underwent
      exercise STS. Thallium redistribution (TR) was present in 61% (n = 36); fixed
      defects were present in 59% (n = 35); and some combination of defects was present
      in 76% (n = 45). Perioperative cardiac complications (CC = congestive heart
      failure [n = 3], ventricular arrhythmia [n = 2], and MI [n = 1]) were present in
      8.5% (6 CC in 5 patients). Incidence of CC was 8.3% (3/36) in those with TR, and
      8.7% (2/23) without TR (relative risk = 0.95). Perioperative MI was present in
      2.8% (1/36) with TR vs. 0% (0/23) without. Though mortality was 3.4%, no
      perioperative deaths were from cardiac disease. Utility of STS is not clearly
      established for prediction of perioperative cardiac risk after major vascular
      surgery.

PMID- 1856588
TI  - Where nobody knows your name.

PMID- 1856589
TI  - Regulation of mail-order pharmacy.

PMID- 1856590
TI  - Medical and legal aspects of rape and resistance.

PMID- 1856591
TI  - Fetal protection policies. Effective tools for gender discrimination.

PMID- 1856592
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide-dependent and lipopolysaccharide-independent pathways of
      monocyte desensitisation to lipopolysaccharides.
AB  - The present study demonstrates that with time in culture blood monocytes (MO)
      lose their ability to express procoagulant activity (PCA) and secrete tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) in culture medium in response to
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Thus, upon 10 micrograms/ml LPS stimulation
      for 4 hours 2-day-old MO produced lower levels of PCA and TNF alpha than fresh
      MO. The decrease in responsiveness was not caused by cell death, since in the
      case of TNF alpha it was fully reversible by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma).
      Compared with cells pre-incubated in medium alone, the responsiveness of MO pre
      incubated in LPS was further decreased. Thus, in MO LPS pre-incubation was
      followed by an LPS refractory state. It was expected that the decrease in
      responsiveness induced by cultivation in medium alone was mediated by LPS
      contamination of culture medium. However, as we were unable to prevent this
      decrease by neutralizing LPS contamination of the culture medium with polymyxin
      B, the loss in LPS-induced activities of cultured MO is likely to be mediated by
      culture conditions other than LPS contamination. Taken together the present data
      demonstrate that LPS-dependent as well as LPS-independent pathways of MO
      desensitization to LPS exist.

PMID- 1856593
TI  - Phagocytosis of opsonized yeast induces tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA
      accumulation and protein release by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
AB  - In this report we show that phagocytosis of yeast particles opsonized with IgG (Y
      IgG) by human polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) results in the selective induction of
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) messenger RNA (mRNA) and release of its mature
      protein. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was also found able to induce TNF-alpha
      secretion by PMN, but was a less potent stimulus compared with Y-IgG. There was
      no evidence of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene expression in PMN after phagocytosis of
      Y-IgG or in response to LPS, whereas IL-6 mRNA expression and secretion were
      induced by either stimulus in monocytes. These findings demonstrate that a
      physiological function such as phagocytosis modulates the gene expression for a
      cytokine in PMN and shed new light on the understanding of the pathogenesis of
      the inflammatory process.

PMID- 1856594
TI  - Kinetics of phagocytosis and phagosome-lysosome fusion in hamster lung and
      peritoneal macrophages.
AB  - The time course of phagocytosis and phagosome-lysosome fusion (PLF) in lung and
      peritoneal macrophages (LMs and PMs) was measured. Lysosomes in unelicited
      hamster LMs and PMs were labeled with lucifer yellow. Macrophages then
      phagocytized heat-killed Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) and were evaluated at
      several time points for the degree to which yeast particles were adherent vs.
      internalized and for the presence or absence of PLF as based on the presence or
      absence of lucifer yellow in yeast-containing phagosomes. A three-compartment
      model (adherent, ingested, fused) of independent phagocytosis and PLF was
      developed; the number of yeast particles in each compartment was counted, and
      rate constants for ingestion and fusion were determined. Comparison of rate
      constants showed that ingestion was significantly faster in PMs (0.047 +/- 0.005
      min-1) than in LMs (0.016 +/- 0.005 min-1) (mean +/- pooled SEM; P less than
      0.001). Similarly, PLF was significantly faster in PMs (0.109 +/- 0.013 min-1)
      than in LMs (0.046 +/- 0.013 min-1) (P less than 0.003).

PMID- 1856595
TI  - Viscoelastic and motile properties of hamster lung and peritoneal macrophages.
AB  - The motile and rheologic properties of hamster lung and peritoneal macrophages
      (LMs and PMs) were examined by following the motions of magnetizable iron oxide
      (gamma-Fe2O3) particles contained within phagolysosomes of these cells. As a
      measure of intracellular motility, gamma-Fe2O3 particles in cells were
      magnetically aligned and the decay rate of the remanent magnetic field (RMF) in
      the direction of initial magnetization was monitored over time. Cytoplasmic
      rheology was measured by twisting the intracellular particles with a magnetic
      field (Btw) applied perpendicularly to the direction of initial magnetization. We
      measured changes in the RMF associated with application and removal of Btw.
      Intracellular motility in LMs and PMs was not significantly different (P greater
      than 0.20); similarly, cytoplasmic viscosity was not significantly different in
      LMs and PMs (P greater than 0.12); deformation on application of torque was
      significantly greater (P less than 0.0001) and elastic recoil on removal of
      torque was significantly smaller (P less than 0.0001) in PMs than in LMs; and by
      qualitative observation, the yield stress of cytoplasm (associated with a
      plastic, nonrecoverable deformation) was lower in PMs than in LMs. These results
      show that although cytoplasmic motion and viscosity are similar in the two cell
      types, PM cytoplasm is less stiff than LM cytoplasm as determined by yield
      stress.

PMID- 1856596
TI  - Determination of the number and distribution of macrophages, lymphocytes, and
      granulocytes in the mouse uterus from mating through implantation.
AB  - The concentration and distribution of F4-80 positive cells (macrophages) and
      common leukocyte antigen (CLA) positive (bone marrow derived) cells were assessed
      in mouse uterus between days 1 and 8 of pregnancy. High numbers of
      polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes were present on days 1 and 2, but
      not thereafter. Granulocytes were found both in the endometrium and within the
      luminal epithelium. The percentage of total cells contributed by macrophages was
      high on days 1 and 2. That percentage decreased significantly on day 3, then
      increased again on day 5 and remained high through day 8. Macrophages always were
      found in myometrial stroma. Macrophages were found throughout the endometrium on
      days 2 through 8. High numbers of macrophages were observed near epithelia,
      particularly on days 1, 2, 4, and 5. Few F4-80+ or CLA+ cells were observed
      within the developing primary and secondary decidua. The results demonstrate that
      an inflammation-like cellular response occurs in the uterus following mating and
      that macrophages are a major cellular component of the uterus during early
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1856597
TI  - Genetic resistance/susceptibility to mycobacteria: phenotypic expression in bone
      marrow derived macrophage lines.
AB  - Congenic strains of mice susceptible (B10A.Bcgs) or resistant (B10A.Bcgr) to BCG
      were established. Here we describe the model system which has been established to
      analyze the functional activities of macrophages in the two strains. We have
      immortalized bone marrow macrophages from B10A.Bcgs and B10A.Bcgr congenic
      strains of mice and derived cloned macrophage lines designated B10S and B10R,
      respectively. B10R and B10S cell lines exhibited surface markers and morphology
      typical of macrophages. B10S and B10R were similar in their phagocytic activity,
      in their level of c-fms, in their transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta)
      mRNAs expression, and in their expression of tumoricidal activity in response to
      interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) plus lipopolysaccharides (LPS). However, B10R
      macrophages expressed a higher level of la mRNA when activated with IFN gamma
      compared with B10S macrophages. Analysis of the bacteriostatic activity of the
      two cell lines revealed that B10R macrophages were much more active in inhibiting
      Mycobacterium smegmatis replication than B10S. To measure the intracellular
      destruction of bacilli, a bactericidal assay based on hybridization with an
      oligonucleotide probe specific for mycobacterial ribosomal RNA was designed. The
      results demonstrated that B10R macrophages were endowed with enhanced
      constitutive bactericidal activity as compared with B10S. In conclusion we have
      obtained macrophage lines from bone marrow of B10A.Bcgs and B10A.Bcgr mice that
      express to a similar extent functional and phenotypic characteristics of
      macrophages. However, we demonstrate that relative to B10S macrophages, the B10R
      macrophages have higher expression of la mRNA and that they are constitutively
      more active in expressing mycobactericidal activity.

PMID- 1856598
TI  - [Ca2+]i changes and respiratory burst in human neutrophils and monocytes induced
      by NAP-1/interleukin-8, NAP-2, and gro/MGSA.
AB  - The stimulatory effects of neutrophil-activating peptide 1 (NAP-1), also termed
      interleukin 8 (IL-8), neutrophil-activating peptide 2 (NAP-2), and melanoma
      growth-stimulatory activity (gro/MGSA) on human neutrophils and monocytes were
      compared on the basis of two responses that can be assessed in real time, the
      changes in cytosolic free calcium and the respiratory burst. All three peptides
      induced a rapid and transient rise of cytosolic-free calcium and the respiratory
      burst in neutrophils. Both responses were also obtained in monocytes on
      stimulation with NAP-1/IL-8 and gro/MGSA, but not with NAP-2, which appeared to
      be more selective for neutrophils. Pretreatment with concanavalin A (ConA)
      enhanced several fold the rate and duration of the respiratory burst of
      neutrophils stimulated with all three peptides and of monocytes stimulated with
      NAP-1/IL-8 and gro/MGSA, but not with NAP-2. Sequential stimulation showed mutual
      cross desensitization by NAP-2 and gro/MGSA in neutrophils. In addition,
      desensitization of neutrophils toward NAP-2 and gro/MGSA, and of monocytes toward
      gro/MGSA, was obtained by prestimulation with NAP-1/IL-8. Prestimulation with
      either NAP-2 or gro/MGSA, however, did not desensitize the cells for NAP-1/IL-8.
      These results suggest that under conditions where multiple stimulatory agents are
      produced, neutrophil-activating peptides may contribute to the formation of
      substantial amounts of oxygen-derived radicals. In addition, the study shows that
      NAP-1/IL-8 and gro/MGSA, but not NAP-2, have some stimulatory effects on
      monocytes as well.

PMID- 1856599
TI  - Mononuclear cell adherence induces neutrophil chemotactic factor/interleukin-8
      gene expression.
AB  - The accumulation of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) in tissue is an essential
      element of the inflammatory response that is important in host defense. Adherence
      to endothelium constitutes the first step in PMN migration from the vascular
      compartment to the interstitium. We demonstrate that human peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMC) adherent to plastic can result in expression of
      interleukin-8 (IL-8), a potent PMN chemoattractant and activating cytokine.
      Northern blot analyses showed PBMC adherent to plastic expressed IL-8 steady
      state mRNA levels by 30 min, peaked at 8 h, and then decreased over the next 16
      h. In contrast, nonadherent PBMC (cultured in teflon chambers) expressed less
      than 25% of the maximal IL-8 steady-state mRNA levels as compared with adherent
      PBMC. Adherent PBMC-associated IL-8 determined by immunochemistry, supernatant
      chemotactic bioactivity, and extracellular antigenic IL-8 paralleled IL-8 mRNA
      expression. Antigenic and bioactive IL-8 were significantly apparent by 4-8 h,
      respectively, and increased significantly to maximal levels by 24 h. Furthermore,
      adherent PBMC IL-8 gene expression was suppressed by either concomitant treatment
      with actinomycin-D or cycloheximide, yet specific neutralizing antibodies
      directed against either IL-1 beta or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha failed to
      alter adherence-induced steady-state IL-8 mRNA levels. These data support the
      hypothesis that PBMC adherence is an important signal for the production of IL-8,
      and may be essential to the development of the inflammatory response through the
      elicitation of PMN.

PMID- 1856600
TI  - Colony-stimulating factors increase resistance to atypical mycobacteria in
      resistant mice, whereas they decrease resistance in susceptible strains of mice.
AB  - Inbred strains of mice, notably the susceptible C57BL/6 and the resistant A/J
      strains of mice, were infected with a strain of Mycobacterium evium. The
      infection in the visceral organs of mice was then studied, and the effect of
      colony-stimulating factors, i.e., interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF
      1) on the infectious process was evaluated. Infusion of GM-CSF, CSF-1, and IL-3
      led to a significant, albeit rather modest, increase in the mycobacterial
      resistance of A/J mice, as seen by a decrease in the number of colony-forming
      units (CFU) in the organs. Conversely, these CSFs dramatically increased the
      susceptibility of C57BL/6 mice, as seen by increased bacterial numbers in the
      spleens and livers. In vitro studies demonstrated that resident peritoneal
      macrophages from susceptible mice were more permissive than cells from resistant
      mice for mycobacterial growth. Application of CSFs on peritoneal macrophage
      monolayers led to an increased growth in both A/J and C57BL/6 monolayers for IL-3
      and CSF-1 and a small microbiostatic effect for GM-CSF. Cytokine treatment did
      not, however, change the resistance/susceptibility phenotype of isolated
      macrophages. Our results indicate that CSFs may exert beneficial or detrimental
      effects on resistance to mycobacteria depending on the host genetic make up.

PMID- 1856601
TI  - Cryopreserved cytoplasts from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (cytokineplasts)
      are chemotactic at speeds comparable to those of fresh intact cells.
AB  - Cytokineplasts (CKP) are granule-poor cytoplasts from human polymorphonuclear
      leukocytes (PMN) that retain motile function, even (unlike the parent PMN) after
      cryopreservation. Employing time-lapse videomicroscopy, we examined the
      chemotactic properties of CKP after cryopreservation toward erythrocytes lysed by
      laser microirradiation. Paths of locomotion were plotted for six CKP in the
      field, and velocities were calculated at 10-sec intervals. Mean velocities of the
      six fragments, ranging from 9.3 to 20.8 microns/min, are of the order of fresh,
      intact PMN, the fastest of locomoting cells.

PMID- 1856602
TI  - Clarification of the potential role of CSF-1 in activation of macrophages.

PMID- 1856603
TI  - Guided tissue regeneration for bony defects and dehisced titanium endosseous
      implants.

PMID- 1856604
TI  - Higher aliphatic 2,4-diketones: a ubiquitous lipid class with chelating
      properties, in search of a physiological function.
AB  - A group of homologous 2,4-diketones with chain lengths from C13 to C25, derived
      from fatty acids, is present in human and mammalian tissues and urine. The
      presence of this lipid class, members of which possess marked chelating
      properties, adequately accounts for the well-documented antiallergic activity of
      tissue and urine extracts on isolated smooth muscle preparations and in guinea
      pigs in vivo. This review summarizes the investigations leading to the discovery
      of this lipid class. It is postulated that the observed antiallergic activity of
      2,4-diketones may be explained by the intracellular sequestration of calcium ions
      transiently liberated from intracellular storage pools after an agonist-receptor
      interaction, thus blocking response to the agonist. The true physiological
      function (or functions) of this lipid class has not been defined. The chelating
      properties of 2,4-diketones suggest their involvement in intracellular ionic
      interactions.

PMID- 1856605
TI  - Effects of atherogenic diet consumption on lipoproteins in mouse strains C57BL/6
      and C3H.
AB  - Inbred mouse strains C57BL/6J (B6) (susceptible) and C3H/HeJ (C3H) (resistant)
      differ in atherosclerosis susceptibility due to a single gene, Ath-1. Plasma
      lipoproteins from female mice fed chow or an atherogenic diet displayed strain
      differences in lipoprotein particle sizes and apolipoprotein (apo) composition.
      High density lipoprotein (HDL) particle sizes were 9.5 +/- 0.1 nm for B6 and 10.2
      +/- 0.1 nm for C3H. No major HDL particle size subclasses were observed. Plasma
      HDL level in the B6 strain was reduced by the atherogenic diet consumption while
      the HDL level in the resistant C3H mice was unaffected. The reduction in HDL in
      the B6 strain was associated with decreases in HDL apolipoproteins A-I(-34%) and
      A-II(-60%). The HDL apoC content in mice fed chow was two-fold higher in C3H than
      B6. Lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B (VLDL, IDL, LDL) shifted from a
      preponderance of the B-100 (chow diet) to a preponderance of the B-48
      (atherogenic diet). The LDL-particle size distribution was strain-specific with
      the chow diet but not genetically associated with the Ath-1 gene. In both strains
      on each diet, apolipoprotein E was largely distributed in the VLDL, LDL, and HDL
      fractions. The B6 strain became sixfold elevated in total lipoprotein E content
      which in the C3H strain was not significantly affected by diet. However, the C3H
      LDL apoE content was reduced. On both diets, the C3H strain exhibited
      apolipoprotein E levels comparable to the atherogenic diet-induced levels of the
      B6 mice.

PMID- 1856606
TI  - Use of determinations of 7-lathosterol (5 alpha-cholest-7-en-3 beta-ol) and other
      cholesterol precursors in serum in the study and treatment of disturbances of
      sterol metabolism, particularly cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis.
AB  - The sterol composition of sera from patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis
      (CTX) was investigated by gas chromatographic analysis of saponified extracts,
      using a polar (CP Wax 52CB) and an apolar (CP Sil 5CB) capillary column. Apart
      from already known sterols, the presence of increased amounts of 8-lathosterol (5
      alpha-cholest-8(9)-en-3 beta-ol) and significant amounts of 8-dehydrocholesterol
      (cholesta-5,8-dien-3 beta-ol) were noticed. The latter compound has not been
      detected previously in human serum and possibly represents a hitherto unknown
      cholesterol precursor. The apparently elevated levels of delta 8-sterols in CTX
      serum suggests partial inhibition of migration of the 8,9 double bond to the 7,8
      position in this condition. The concentration of 7-lathosterol, an indicator of
      cholesterol production rate, is also highly elevated in CTX serum and quickly
      returns to normal values after oral bile acid therapy. Determinations of serum
      lathosterol are not only useful in the follow-up of therapy of CTX patients, but
      also in the follow-up of hypercholesterolemic patients treated with either HMG
      CoA reductase inhibitors or bile acid sequestrants.

PMID- 1856607
TI  - Calcium binding by monosulfate esters of taurochenodeoxycholate.
AB  - The effect of sulfate esterification of the 3 alpha- or 7 alpha-hydroxyl groups
      of taurochenodeoxycholate on calcium binding was studied at 0.154 M NaCl in the
      presence and absence of phosphatidylcholine using a calcium electrode. For
      comparison, similar studies were made with taurochenodeoxycholate,
      taurodeoxycholate, and taurocholate. No high affinity calcium binding was
      demonstrable for any of these bile salts in pre-micellar solutions. Taurine
      conjugated bile salts have greater affinity for calcium when in a micellar form.
      At elevated bile salt concentrations, the calcium binding of unsulfated dihydroxy
      taurine conjugates was similar to that of the monosulfate esters of
      taurochenodeoxycholate. The presence of phosphatidylcholine decreased calcium
      binding of the unsulfated dihydroxy bile salts and slightly increased calcium
      binding by taurocholate. However, the addition of phosphatidylcholine to
      monosulfate esters of taurochenodeoxycholate results in large increments in
      calcium binding. The results indicate that increased calcium binding due to the
      presence of phosphatidylcholine in bile salt solutions depends, in part, on the
      hydrophilicity of the bile salt and that the interaction of monosulfate esters of
      taurochenodeoxycholate with phosphatidylcholine leads to the formation of a high
      affinity calcium binding site.

PMID- 1856608
TI  - Inhibition of cholesterol absorption and synthesis in rats by sesamin.
AB  - The effects of sesamin, a lignan from sesame oil, on various aspects of
      cholesterol metabolism were examined in rats maintained on various dietary
      regimens. When given at a dietary level of 0.5% for 4 weeks, sesamin reduced the
      concentration of serum and liver cholesterol significantly irrespective of the
      presence or absence of cholesterol in the diet, except for one experiment in
      which the purified diet free of cholesterol was given. On feeding sesamin, there
      was a decrease in lymphatic absorption of cholesterol accompanying an increase in
      fecal excretion of neutral, but not acidic, steroids, particularly when the
      cholesterol-enriched diet was given. Sesamin inhibited micellar solubility of
      cholesterol, but not bile acids, whereas it neither bound taurocholate nor
      affected the absorption of fatty acids. Only a marginal proportion (ca. 0.15%) of
      sesamin administered intragastrically was recovered in the lymph. There was a
      significant reduction in the activity of liver microsomal 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase after feeding sesamin, although the activity
      of hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase, drug metabolizing enzymes, and
      alcohol dehydrogenase remained uninfluenced. Although the weight and phospholipid
      concentration of the liver increased unequivocally on feeding sesamin, the
      histological examination by microscopy showed no abnormality, and the activity of
      serum GOT and GPT remained unchanged. Since sesamin lowered both serum and liver
      cholesterol levels by inhibiting absorption and synthesis of cholesterol
      simultaneously, it deserves further study as a possible hypocholesterolemic agent
      of natural origin.

PMID- 1856610
TI  - Potential bile acid metabolites. XVIII. Synthesis of stereoisomeric 3,6,12 alpha
      trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acids.
AB  - Two new 6-hydroxylated bile acids, 3 beta, 6 alpha, 12 alpha- and 3 beta, 6 beta,
      12 alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholanoic acids, were synthesized from deoxycholic
      acid. In addition, their C-3 epimers, 3 alpha, 6 alpha, 12 alpha- and 3 alpha, 6
      beta, 12 alpha-trihydroxy acids, were prepared by a new route. The principal
      reactions used were 1) 6 beta-hydroxylation of 3-methoxy-3,5-dienes with m
      chloroperbenzoic acid in aqueous dioxane; 2) catalytic hydrogenation of the
      resulting 6 beta-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-enes to the 6 beta-hydroxy-3-oxo-5 beta
      compounds with palladium on calcium carbonate catalyst in ethanol; and 3)
      stereoselective reduction of appropriate 3-oxo derivatives with potassium tri-sec
      butylborohydride and tert-butylamine-borane complex. The thin-layer
      chromatographic, gas-liquid chromatographic, and high performance liquid
      chromatographic mobilities, and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance
      spectroscopic data of the four stereoisomers are presented. With this work all
      the 6-hydroxylated derivatives of lithocholic, deoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic,
      ursodeoxycholic, and cholic acids in the 5 beta series are now known and have
      been synthesized.

PMID- 1856609
TI  - Role of phospholipids in the cytotoxic action of high density lipoprotein on
      trypanosomes.
AB  - Host range among the African trypanosomes, protozoa that cause fatal diseases
      both in humans and livestock, may be, in part, regulated by toxic properties
      associated with host high density lipoproteins (HDL). High density lipoproteins
      from hosts resistant (baboon, human) or susceptible (rabbit, rat) to Trypanosoma
      brucei infection were isolated and their trypanocidal activity was determined in
      in vitro cell lysis assays. Rabbit and rat HDL were not cytotoxic while baboon
      and human HDL rapidly lysed trypanosomes within 2 h at 37 degrees C. Analysis of
      the phospholipid composition of HDL preparations from these species suggested a
      correlation between trypanocidal activity and low phosphatidylinositol content.
      Phospholipase digestion of HDL resulted in a loss of trypanocidal activity,
      indicating the importance of native phospholipids in maintaining this biological
      activity of HDL. Cell lysis and loss of trypanosome infectivity induced by baboon
      HDL could be inhibited either by addition of rabbit or rat HDL to the incubation
      medium or by addition of purified phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol being the
      most effective inhibitor. Although the mechanism by which HDL lyses trypanosomes
      remains to be elucidated, these results suggest an important role for
      phospholipids in determining the specificity of this cytotoxic property of HDL.

PMID- 1856611
TI  - Neutral and acid retinyl ester hydrolases associated with rat liver microsomes:
      relationships to microsomal cholesteryl ester hydrolases.
AB  - We recently reported the presence of a neutral, bile salt-independent retinyl
      ester hydrolase (REH) activity in rat liver microsomes and showed that it was
      distinct from the previously studied bile salt-dependent REH and from nonspecific
      carboxylesterases (Harrison, E. H., and M. Z. Gad. 1989. J. Biol. Chem. 264:
      17142-17147). We have now further characterized the hydrolysis of retinyl esters
      by liver microsomes and have compared the observed activities with those
      catalyzing the hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters. Microsomes and microsomal
      subfractions enriched in plasma membranes and endosomes catalyze the hydrolysis
      of retinyl esters at both neutral and acid pH. The acid and neutral REH enzyme
      activities can be distinguished from one another on the basis of selective
      inhibition by metal ions and by irreversible, active site-directed serine
      esterase inhibitors. The same preparations also catalyze the hydrolysis of
      cholesteryl esters at both acid and neutral pH. However, the enzyme(s)
      responsible for the neutral REH activity can be clearly responsible for the
      neutral REH activity can be clearly differentiated from the neutral cholesteryl
      ester hydrolase(s) on the basis of differential stability, sensitivity to
      proteolysis, and sensitivity to active site-directed reagents. These results
      suggest that the neutral, bile salt-independent REH is relatively specific for
      the hydrolysis of retinyl esters and thus may play an important physiological
      role in hepatic vitamin A metabolism. In contrast to the neutral hydrolases, the
      activities responsible for hydrolysis of retinyl esters and cholesterol esters at
      acid pH are similar in their responses to the treatments mentioned above. Thus, a
      single microsomal acid hydrolase may catalyze the hydrolysis of both types of
      ester.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856612
TI  - Inhibition and promotion of cholesterol crystallization by protein fractions from
      normal human gallbladder bile.
AB  - Pooled, normal human gallbladder biles were initially separated on a molecular
      sieving chromatography column to remove soluble mucin glycoproteins as well as
      high molecular weight proteins (greater than 200,000). The remaining lower
      molecular weight proteins and other bile components were then examined by lectin
      affinity chromatography with four different types of lectin. The separated bound
      fractions were compared for inhibiting and promoting activities with a newly
      devised sensitive cholesterol crystal growth assay and for differences in
      electrophoretic patterns on SDS-gels. Protein factors (presumably glycoproteins)
      were found to have both inhibiting and promoting activities, even in the absence
      of cholesterol gallstone disease. The promoting effect was indicated by shortened
      crystal detection times and increases in crystal growth rate; whereas the
      inhibiting effect was indicated by decreases in crystal growth rate and
      reductions in the final crystal concentration as determined by the growth assay.
      Affinity chromatography mitigated the major problems of removing both lipids and
      pigment from the glycoproteins. In addition, partial purification of bound
      fractions with potent cholesterol crystal nucleation-altering activity can be
      obtained by this technique.

PMID- 1856613
TI  - Head group precursors modify phospholipid synthesis in Schistosoma mansoni.
AB  - The two predominant phospholipids in schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni are
      phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) which are found in a
      molar ratio of 0.52 (PE/PC). The incorporation of four fatty acids (arachidonic,
      myristic, oleic, and palmitic) and glycerol into phospholipids of schistosomula
      was measured. In two different media (one containing ethanolamine, the other
      without), all four fatty acids were predominantly incorporated into PC with a
      PE/PC ratio of approximately 0.1 in a 90-min label. After a 24-h chase, PC
      remained the predominant labeled phospholipid but the fatty acid-labeled PE/PC
      ratio increased slightly, the specific activity of labeled neutral lipids
      decreased, and the specific activity of labeled PE increased. Glycerol was
      incorporated with a ratio of 0.55 in the presence of ethanolamine but only 0.19
      in its absence. Schistosomula also incorporate fatty acids into
      phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine (PMME) and phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine
      (PDME) at rates intermediate to that into PE and PC in the presence of the
      respective head group precursor; this incorporation was inhibited by choline.
      Relative to PC, oleic acid is incorporated into PE, PMME, and PDME at rates
      higher than for palmitic acid. These results suggest that schistosomula possess
      acyltransferase(s) with head group specificity and that acyl chains are
      transferred from neutral lipids to phospholipids over time.

PMID- 1856614
TI  - Metabolism of D-[3H]threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, an
      inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthesis, and the synergistic action of an
      inhibitor of microsomal monooxygenase.
AB  - D-Threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (D-PDMP) is an effective
      inhibitor of the glucosyltransferase that makes glucosylceramide. Virtually all
      of the hundreds of naturally occurring glycolipids are formed from this primary
      glycolipid, so the inhibitor acts to lower their concentrations by the process of
      attrition (hydrolytic catabolism). Trials with mice carrying ascites carcinoma
      cells showed that PDMP could produce a permanent cure in some of the animals and
      marked prolongation of life in the others (Inokuchi, J., I. Mason, and N.S.
      Radin. 1987. Cancer Lett. 38: 23-30). In order to maximize the effect, we studied
      the metabolism of PDMP by labeling it with [3H] on carbon one, using a labeling
      method that discriminated against the unwanted erythro-isomer. The active
      enantiomer of the inhibitor (D-) was isolated by chromatography of the camphanate
      esters, followed by methanolytic cleavage. Examination of the fate of the labeled
      drug after a single injection showed that it was very rapidly converted to
      several polar products that were rapidly excreted. The drug penetrated all of the
      organs readily and a small portion was oxidized at the C-1 position to yield
      3H2O. From these findings it appeared likely that the amine is attacked by a
      mixed function oxidase based on cytochrome P450. This conclusion was confirmed by
      showing that the tissue levels of PDMP could be greatly elevated, for a much
      longer time, when the mice were pretreated with piperonyl butoxide or cimetidine.
      The amount of conversion to polar metabolites was substantially reduced and
      tissue levels of PDMP were maintained much longer. Analysis of mice injected with
      one or both drugs showed that piperonyl butoxide augmented the effects of PDMP on
      ceramide, glucosylceramide, and dihexosylceramide levels, as well as on the
      activity of glucosylceramide synthase. It is suggested that piperonyl butoxide be
      used as an adjuvant for the many useful drugs that are inactivated by the P450
      system.

PMID- 1856615
TI  - Isotopic exchange during derivatization of platelet activating factor for gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - One approach to the quantitative analysis of platelet activating factor (PAF, 1-O
      alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine; also referred to as AGEPC, alkyl
      glyceryl ether phosphocholine) is hydrolytic removal of the phosphocholine group
      and conversion to an electron-capturing derivative for gas chromatography
      negative ion mass spectrometry. [2H3]Acetyl-AGEPC has been commonly employed as
      an internal standard. When 1-hexadecyl-2-[2H3]acetyl glycerol (obtained by
      enzymatic hydrolysis of [2H3]-C16:0 AGEPC) is treated with pentafluorobenzoyl
      chloride at 120 degrees C, the resulting 3-pentafluorobenzoate derivative shows
      extensive loss of the deuterium label. This exchange is evidently acid-catalyzed
      since derivatization of 1-hexadecyl-2-acetyl glycerol under the same conditions
      in the presence of a trace of 2HCl results in the incorporation of up to three
      deuterium atoms. Isotope exchange can be avoided if the reaction is carried out
      at low temperature in the presence of base. Direct derivatization of [2H3]-C16:0
      AGEPC by treatment with pentafluorobenzoyl chloride or heptafluorobutyric
      anhydride also results in loss of the deuterium label. The use of [13C2]-C16:0
      AGEPC as an internal standard is recommended for rigorous quantitative analysis.

PMID- 1856616
TI  - Diagnostic challenge--pigmented lesion of the palate.

PMID- 1856617
TI  - Compound odontoma in the posterior maxilla: a case report and literature review.

PMID- 1856618
TI  - Child abuse and neglect: ethical and legal issues for dentistry.

PMID- 1856619
TI  - A clinico-pathologic presentation. Dentinogenesis imperfecta.

PMID- 1856620
TI  - A clinico-pathologic presentation. Tooth erosion.

PMID- 1856621
TI  - Dental institutions in the greater Boston area--4. Harvard University. Post-World
      War II development of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

PMID- 1856623
TI  - The scheduled associate to partner to buyout process: the SAPB.

PMID- 1856622
TI  - What is your practice worth?

PMID- 1856624
TI  - How the purchaser information service helps a dental practice.

PMID- 1856625
TI  - The regulation by iron of the synthesis of adhesins and cytoadherence levels in
      the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis.
AB  - Levels of adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to epithelial cells was found to be
      modulated by iron. Cytoadherence values were greater than or equal to twofold
      higher for trichomonads grown in a complex cultivation medium supplemented with
      iron. This increase in adherence levels was specifically mediated by iron;
      parasites cultured in a low-iron medium in the presence of salts other than iron
      were unresponsive to changes in adherence levels. Expression of the higher
      adherence property, by parasites grown first in low-iron medium followed by
      supplementation with iron, was a function of time, and the extent of
      cytoadherence was proportional to the concentration of iron added to the medium.
      Lactoferrin, an important iron source for trichomonads at the site of infection,
      elevated adherence of the parasite to epithelial cells, demonstrating the likely
      in vivo modulation of adherence by iron. The alteration of levels of adherence
      caused by iron was determined to be a reflection of gene expression of previously
      characterized trichomonad adhesins. Parasites grown under iron-replete conditions
      had higher quantities of surface-exposed adhesins, and this was a result of
      increased synthesis of adhesins. Actinomycin D and alpha-amanitin prevented
      expression of adhesin molecules, which resulted in decreased cytoadherence,
      showing that adhesin synthesis was dependent on gene transcription. Data
      indicated that genes encoding the four trichomonad adhesins are coordinately
      regulated by iron.

PMID- 1856626
TI  - Alteration of the natural killer repertoire in H-2 transgenic mice: specificity
      of rapid lymphoma cell clearance determined by the H-2 phenotype of the target.
AB  - The mechanism behind natural tumor resistance conveyed by a H-2Dd transgene to
      C57Bl/6 (B6) mice was investigated. Transgenic D8 mice were more efficient than
      control mice in natural killer (NK) cell mediated rapid elimination of
      intravenously inoculated radiolabeled lymphoma cells of B6 origin, such as RBL-5.
      There was no difference between D8 and B6 mice when elimination of YAC-1 targets
      was monitored. The effect of the transgene on the NK repertoire was related to
      the H-2 phenotype of the target: the differential elimination of RBL-5 lymphoma
      cells in D8 and B6 mice was not seen when a H-2 deficient variant of this line
      was used (efficiently eliminated in both genotypes), nor was it seen with a H-2Dd
      transfectant (surviving in both genotypes). The data show that a MHC class I
      transgene can directly control natural killing in vivo by altering the repertoire
      rather than the general levels of NK activity. Since the NK mediated elimination
      seen after introduction of a novel gene in the host was neutralized by
      introducing the same gene (H-2Dd), but not an unrelated class I gene (H-2Dp), in
      the tumor, the data support the concept of NK surveillance against missing self.
      This combined transgenic/transfectant system may serve as a tool for a molecular
      dissection of the interactions between NK cells and their targets in vivo.

PMID- 1856627
TI  - Differential disease restriction of Moloney and Friend murine leukemia viruses by
      the mouse Rmcf gene is governed by the viral long terminal repeat.
AB  - Neonatal CxD2 (Rmcfr) and Balb/c (Rmcfs) mice inoculated with Moloney murine
      leukemia virus (M-MuLV) exhibited approximately equivalent time course and
      pathology for disease. CxD2 mice showed only slightly reduced presence of Moloney
      mink cell focus-forming virus (M-MCF) provirus as seen by Southern blot analysis
      compared to Balb/c mice. This lack of restriction for disease and spread of MCF
      was in sharp contrast to that seen for CxD2 mice inoculated with Friend murine
      leukemia virus (F-MuLV), where incidence of disease and propagation of MCFs were
      severely restricted, as previously reported. Inoculation of CxD2 mice with FM
      MuLV, a recombinant F-MuLV virus containing M-MuLV LTR sequences (U3 and R),
      resulted in T cell disease of time course equal to that seen in Balb/c mice;
      there also was little restriction for propagation of MCFs. This indicated that
      presence of the M-MuLV long terminal repeat (LTR) was sufficient for propagation
      of MCFs in CxD2 mice. Differing restriction for F-MuLV vs. M-MuLV in CxD2 mice
      was explained on the basis of different "MCF propagator cells" for the two
      viruses. It was suggested that cells propagating F-MCF (e.g., erythroid
      progenitors) are blocked by endogenous MCF-like gp70env protein, whereas cells
      propagating M-MCF (e.g., lymphoid) do not express this protein on their surface.
      F-MuLV disease in CxD2 mice was greatly accelerated when neonates were inoculated
      with a F-MuLV/F-MCF pseudotypic mixture. However, F-MCF provirus was not
      detectable or only barely detectable in F-MuLV/F-MCF-induced tumors, suggesting
      that F-MCF acted indirectly in induction of these tumors.

PMID- 1856628
TI  - Early separation of B and T lymphocyte precursors in chick embryo.
AB  - Embryonic chimeras were used to demonstrate an early separation of chicken T and
      B cell precursors. Genetically polymorphic cell surface antigens, Bu-1 and Ov,
      which are expressed on cells of the B and T lineage, respectively, are useful
      markers in adoptive cell transfer studies. Allelic products Bu-1a and Bu-1b can
      be detected with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) L22 and 11G2, respectively, and the
      Ov antigen with mAb 11A9. Chimeric chickens were constructed by reconstituting
      irradiated 14-d Ov- H.B19 embryos with the sorted Bu-1+ or Bu-1- fractions of
      spleen cells from age-matched H.B19 Ov+ embryos. Chimeras were analyzed, 3-4 wk
      after hatching, for the presence of Ov+ cells in the bursa, thymus, spleen, and
      peripheral blood lymphocytes. T cell precursors giving rise to thymocytes and
      peripheral T cells were present only in the Bu-1-, but not in the Bu-1+,
      fraction. We previously demonstrated that, in contrast, all B cell precursors in
      spleen from 14-d embryos are exclusively present in the Bu-1+ fraction. We also
      analyzed the immunoglobulin light chain gene rearrangement in these populations
      by polymerase chain reaction. We show here that VJ recombination occurs in the Bu
      1+, but not in the Bu-1-, fraction of spleen. These data demonstrate an early
      commitment to the B cell lineage, which occurs before the colonization of the
      bursa of Fabricius. Segregation of B cell precursors from the other hemopoietic
      precursors, and consequently separation of T and B cell precursors, occurs before
      the colonization of the primary lymphoid organs.

PMID- 1856629
TI  - Cross-species bone marrow transplantation: evidence for tolerance induction, stem
      cell engraftment, and maturation of T lymphocytes in a xenogeneic stromal
      environment (rat----mouse).
AB  - Transplantation of untreated F344 rat bone marrow into irradiated B10 mouse
      recipients (non-TCD F344----B10) to produce fully xenogeneic chimeras resulted in
      stable xenogeneic lymphoid chimerism, ranging from 82% to 97% rat. Survival of
      animals was excellent, without evidence for GVH disease. The specificity of
      tolerance which resulted was highly donor-specific; MHC disparate third party
      mouse and rat skin grafts were promptly rejected while donor-specific F344 grafts
      were significantly prolonged (MST greater than 130 days). Multi-lineage rat stem
      cell-derived progeny including lymphoid cells (T- and B-lymphocytes), myeloid
      cells, erythrocytes, platelets, and natural killer (NK) cells were present in the
      fully xenogenic chimeras up to 7 months after bone marrow transplantation.
      Immature rat T-lymphocytes matured and acquired the alpha/beta T-cell receptor in
      the thymus of chimeras in a pattern similar to normal rat controls, suggesting
      that immature T-lymphocytes of rat origin could interact with the murine
      xenogeneic thymic stroma to undergo normal maturation and differentiation. This
      model may be useful to study the mechanisms responsible for the induction and
      maintenance of donor-specific transplantation tolerance across a species barrier.

PMID- 1856631
TI  - Endogenously synthesized peptide with an endoplasmic reticulum signal sequence
      sensitizes antigen processing mutant cells to class I-restricted cell-mediated
      lysis.
AB  - The HLA-A2-positive human mutant cell line T2 is not lysed by influenza virus
      specific HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic lymphocytes after virus infection. However,
      lysis does occur when cells are incubated with the antigenic influenza matrix
      protein-derived peptide M57-68. To examine the nature of this defect, T2 cells
      were transfected with two different plasmids. One plasmid encoded the peptide M57
      68, and the other encoded the same peptide preceded by an endoplasmic reticulum
      translocation signal sequence. Mutant T2 cells expressing the M57-68 peptide
      without the signal sequence were not susceptible to lysis by M57-68-specific HLA
      A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes, whereas T2 cells expressing the M57-68
      peptide plus signal sequence were lysed effectively. Lysis of parental T1 cells
      with either plasmid was equally effective. These results suggest that the T2
      mutant cells are defective in the transport of antigenic peptides from the
      cytosol into the secretory pathway.

PMID- 1856630
TI  - Accumulation of adoptively transferred adherent, lymphokine-activated killer
      cells in murine metastases.
AB  - While close contact between lymphokine-activated killer (LAK)/adherent,
      lymphokine-activated killer (A-LAK) cells and tumor cells is believed to be a
      prerequisite for initiating the events leading to tumor cell lysis, clear
      evidence for the ability of these effector cells to infiltrate tumors or tumor
      metastases in vivo still has to be obtained. In the present study, we report that
      a significant fraction of adoptively transferred A-LAK cells, labeled with
      fluorochromes for identification, accumulates in lung and liver metastases of the
      B16 melanoma, the MCA 102 sarcoma and the Lewis lung carcinoma lines. Thus, 5- to
      10-fold higher numbers of A-LAK cells were found in the malignant lesions
      compared to the surrounding normal tissue. The infiltration seemed very
      heterogeneous after intravenous injection of moderate numbers of A-LAK cells (15
      x 10(6)). However, after adoptive transfer of 45 million A-LAK cells, an A-LAK
      cell/tumor cell ratio higher than 1:1 in most metastases was observed.
      Surprisingly, approximately 5% of the lung metastases seemed totally resistant to
      infiltration even though neighboring metastases were highly infiltrated. While
      substantial infiltration of lung metastases was seen after i.v. injection,
      significant infiltration of liver metastases was seen only after intraportal
      injection of the A-LAK cells indicating impaired traffic of intravenous injected
      A-LAK cells through the lung capillaries. These results present direct evidence
      that A-LAK cells, upon a proper route of administration, have the potential to
      migrate to and heavily infiltrate metastases from murine tumors of different
      origin.

PMID- 1856633
TI  - Description of the abrasion furrow in hanging.

PMID- 1856632
TI  - Further discussion on discussion of "Hair analysis for drugs of abuse".

PMID- 1856634
TI  - Estimating the second breath alcohol measurement from the first: a model
      refinement.

PMID- 1856636
TI  - Chemicals reacting with various forms of hemoglobin: biological significance,
      mechanisms, and determination.
AB  - The clinical chemistry of various forms of hemoglobin occupies a large fraction
      of the total activities of hospital and forensic science laboratories. Some of
      the potential pitfalls are reviewed here along with an account of the accidental
      discovery of two novel chemical forms. Human or mouse red blood cells were
      exposed to excess sodium nitrite to convert the intracellular pigment to
      methemoglobin. When these were subsequently incubated in Krebs-Ringer-phosphate
      glucose medium, pH 7.4 at 37 degrees C under nitrogen and in the presence of
      various concentrations of methylene blue, a blood pigment was generated in high
      yield which had unique properties. In lysates, the pigment was stable in air, and
      it could be maintained in liquid nitrogen for as long as a year without
      deterioration. The pigment had properties different from those of oxyhemoglobin,
      deoxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, or carboxyhemoglobin. After separation by
      isoelectric focusing, the pigment gave a strong signal on electron paramagnetic
      resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The other forms of hemoglobin given above are EPR
      silent. The pigment was eventually identified as the nitrosylated valency hybrid
      species, (alpha 2+ beta 3+)2(NO)2. The corresponding species, (alpha 3+ beta
      2+)2(NO)2, has similar properties. These species apparently owe their unusual
      stability in air to the presence of the oxidized subunits in the same tetramer.

PMID- 1856635
TI  - Genetic markers in human bone: II. Studies on ABO (and IGH) grouping.
AB  - A combination absorption-elution, two-dimensional absorption-inhibition procedure
      was used to determine the ABH antigen composition of a series of human bone
      specimens of known ABO type that had been aged up to nine months under dry and
      humid conditions at ambient temperature, 37 degrees C, and 56 degrees C; at
      ambient temperature in dry and wet soil; and buried in soil outdoors. Grouping
      data for the separate elution and inhibition testing, as well as for the
      combination procedure, are given. The combination method was found to be a highly
      reliable procedure for bone tissue ABH typing. Some data on microbial
      contaminants of human bone specimens aging in soil, and their effects on ABH
      typing results, are presented. No direct correlation between the properties of
      microbial contaminants and specific changes in the ABH antigenic composition of
      aging bone tissue specimens could be ascertained. Data on IGH antigen
      determination and on the quantitation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in human bone
      tissue extracts indicated that immunoglobulin levels were typically too low to
      expect routinely successful Gm antigen testing results. However, these factors
      can sometimes be determined in fresh bone tissue extracts, particularly if the
      extracts are concentrated.

PMID- 1856637
TI  - Site-dependent postmortem changes in blood cocaine concentrations.
AB  - When a forensic toxicologist interprets postmortem blood cocaine findings he
      usually must make assumptions regarding perimortem drug concentrations. In-vitro
      studies have shown that cocaine rapidly hydrolyzes in unpreserved blood,
      particularly at elevated temperatures. However, other studies have demonstrated
      site-dependent postmortem release of some drugs from tissue stores accompanied by
      increases in drug concentrations in the blood. This study was undertaken to
      investigate whether blood cocaine concentrations change in the body during the
      postmortem interval and, if so, to measure the direction and magnitude of the
      changes. In medical examiner cases in which scene investigation suggested that
      the decreased was a cocaine user, blood samples were collected as soon after
      death as possible. At autopsy, a second set of samples was collected. Analysis of
      paired samples by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed dramatic
      differences in the cocaine concentration. The magnitude and direction of the
      change appears to be site dependent. Usually, but not invariably, cocaine
      concentration in subclavian vein blood decreases while that in heart, aorta, and
      femoral vein blood increases during the interval between death and autopsy. The
      findings emphasize the danger inherent in attempting to estimate the
      concentration of cocaine in blood at the time of death from postmortem data.

PMID- 1856638
TI  - Poppy seed ingestion as a contributing factor to opiate-positive urinalysis
      results: the Pacific perspective.
AB  - The possible contribution of poppy seed foods to positive opiate urinalysis
      results, especially from foods available in the Pacific Rim area, has recently
      become an issue for the U.S. Army Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory in
      Hawaii. To assess the likelihood of this possible contribution, seven different
      poppy seed food products were consumed by male and female volunteers, and urine
      specimens were collected at time increments up to either 24 or 72 h. Specimens
      were evaluated for opiates using Roche Abuscreen radioimmunoassay (RIA), and all
      RIA positive specimens were analyzed for morphine and codeine using gas
      chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Poppy seed cake, bagels, muffins, and
      rolls did not contain sufficient quantities of poppy seeds to give rise to opiate
      positive specimens by U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) GC-MS cutoff levels
      (morphine = 4000 ng/mL, codeine = 2000 ng/mL), although a number of specimens
      were positive by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cutoff levels (morphine
      and codeine = 300 ng/mL). However, ingestion of poppy seed streusel or Danish
      pastry led to confirmed morphine and codeine positive specimens, irrespective of
      the use of DOD or NIDA confirmation cutoff values. In addition, significant
      amounts of codeine were observed in a number of these specimens. These findings
      argue against the unqualified application of previously published quantitative
      guidelines for eliminating poppy seed ingestion as a possible cause for a
      positive opiate urinalysis result.

PMID- 1856639
TI  - Alleged brain damage, diminished capacity, mens rea, and misuse of medical
      concepts.
AB  - As focus on the insanity defense diminishes, defendants may place emphasis on a
      lack of knowing or purposeful behavior in order to negate a criminal charge. This
      use of a mens rea defense in accord with Model Penal Code principles is
      exemplified by the current New Jersey statute. Such a defense may result in a
      lesser charge or a finding of not guilty. In addition to reviewing applicable
      law, this report presents a sex offense case in which remote brain damage was
      invoked as a purported basis for incapacity to formulate the required intent; the
      study also raises the issue of the inappropriate or questionable use of medical
      principles, a practice that diminishes professional credibility in the courts and
      in the community.

PMID- 1856640
TI  - The Tarasoff dilemma in criminal court.
AB  - The duty to protect, or Tarasoff duty, has been conceptualized as arising solely
      in the context of a clinical setting. A recent California Supreme Court ruling in
      People v. Clark adds legal, clinical, and ethical dilemmas to the oftentimes
      contentious Tarasoff issue. Though the Tarasoff issue is but a minor legal point
      in Clark, a possible consequence of Clark is that a Tarasoff warning could be
      deemed nonconfidential and admissible in a criminal trial. Psychotherapists could
      therefore be testifying in criminal courts as prosecution witnesses. While the
      possibility of a chilling effect on patients' disclosure of violent ideation in
      the context of psychotherapy first caused apprehension after the California
      Supreme Court's 1976 decision in Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of
      California, this same Court's ruling in People v. Clark some 14 years later may
      ensure that this fear finally becomes realized.

PMID- 1856641
TI  - Interpretation of unusual wounds caused by firearms.
AB  - The interpretation of the range of fire of gunshot wounds requires coordination
      of information and observations from the autopsy surgeon, scene investigator, and
      laboratory analyst. Opinions based on incomplete information often lead to
      misinterpretation of the wound. The effects of interposed targets such as
      clothing, windows, and body parts are discussed. Case examples are given for
      interposed targets that cause confusing patterns and even lead to
      misidentification of the points of entrance and exit of the projectile in the
      body. The splitting of tissue in areas of bony prominence can be mistaken for
      evidence of discharge of a firearm at close range.

PMID- 1856642
TI  - The eyes of child abuse victims: autopsy findings.
AB  - The authors studied 77 pairs of eyes removed from children who had died of
      suspected child abuse. Forty-seven of the cases had retinal hemorrhages. Those
      showing retinal hemorrhages were younger children and had fewer other stigmata of
      child abuse. Hemorrhages are more likely to occur in cases where the child was
      shaken or swung than in those with severe direct head trauma. The authors
      recommend that examination of the eyes be included in the autopsies of all small
      children who died without an obvious cause of death. Experience in both
      processing and reading of ocular material is necessary for reliable results.

PMID- 1856643
TI  - Comparison of insect species associated with decomposing remains recovered inside
      dwellings and outdoors on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
AB  - A comparison of insects collected from 35 cases of decomposing remains on the
      island of Oahu, Hawaiian Islands (14 from indoor situations and 21 from
      outdoors), yielded a total of 22 species of insects in 3 orders and 12 families.
      Of these, five species were recovered in both indoor and outdoor situations.
      Remains recovered indoors had a greater variety of Diptera larvae associated with
      them, while remains discovered outdoors had a greater variety of Coleoptera
      species present. Some species of insects were restricted to remains discovered
      indoors, while others were found only associated with remains in outdoor
      situations. Knowledge of the species of insects associated with different
      habitats may serve to provide information concerning the history of the remains.

PMID- 1856644
TI  - Alcohol addiction of methamphetamine abusers in Japan.
AB  - Fifty-eight methamphetamine (MAMP) abusers were surveyed to demonstrate the types
      of nature of MAMP abuse. In-depth interviews using psychophysiological techniques
      assessed the subjects to be truthful or deceptive about their abuse histories.
      Research diagnostic criteria determined the subjects clinical symptoms. The
      results show that three factors characterize MAMP abuse: significant correlation
      was found between the years of abuse; the manifestation of somatic or mental
      disorders or both, and alcohol (Alc) addiction. MAMP abusers who were nondrinkers
      or light drinkers developed a tendency to dislike Alc after MAMP abuse, while
      there was no change in Alc consumption in heavy drinkers. The findings suggest
      that the combined abuse of MAMP and Alc aggravates somatic and mental disorders
      and that Alc plays an important role in the fatal effect of MAMP, especially from
      small doses. This provides support for the synergistic effects between MAMP and
      Alc. Coadministration of MAMP and Alc appears to produce long-acting and more
      complicated changes in the brain's neurotransmitter function.

PMID- 1856645
TI  - Stature- and age-related bias in self-reported stature.
AB  - The use of reported stature, especially self-reported stature such as on a
      driver's license, as a proxy for measured stature is necessary when measured
      stature is unavailable, for example, in matching data calculated from skeletal
      remains with data for missing persons. The accuracy of self-reported stature for
      older persons and especially for tall and short people is not well ascertained.
      Examination of published reports provides evidence that beginning at age 45,
      people compound their stature overestimation by an additional amount related to
      age (women by twice the amount of men). Analysis of anthropometric data from 8000
      U.S. Army personnel indicates that the amount of general overestimation of
      stature by men is 2 1/2 times greater than that by women. Neither tall men nor
      tall women underestimate their stature, but men in the upper third of the stature
      range, and women in the upper 10%, self-report their stature with greater
      accuracy. No trends in accuracy are apparent in the remainder of the stature
      spectrum for men or women.

PMID- 1856646
TI  - Maxillary suture obliteration: a visual method for estimating skeletal age.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to develop a method of estimating the age of an
      individual based on obliteration of the four maxillary (palatal) sutures. A
      sample of 186 individuals of known age, race, and sex were examined. It was found
      that males of both races (black and white) exhibit more suture obliteration than
      females at the same age. During the early adult years, maxillary suture
      obliteration progresses at nearly the same rate in both sexes; however, the age
      of old individuals may be greatly overestimated using this method. Although this
      method cannot be used for exact estimates of individual age, it is valuable in
      establishing the age range, sorting commingled remains, and estimating skeletal
      age when only the maxilla is present.

PMID- 1856647
TI  - Age estimation using the racemization of amino acid in human dentin.
AB  - This study was made to improve the validity of age estimation from teeth using
      amino acid racemization. The correlation between actual age and the D/L ratio of
      aspartic acid was investigated by analyzing not only the total amino acid but
      also its fractionated substances, insoluble collagen and soluble peptide. The
      coefficient values of correlation between the D/L ratio and actual age in adult
      lower central incisors were 0.996 (sigma = +/- 1.0 year) for the total amino
      acid, 0.988 (sigma = +/- 1.8 years) for insoluble collagen, and 0.997 (sigma = +/
      0.9 years) for soluble peptide. The corresponding figures in adult first
      premolars were 0.991 (sigma = +/- 1.6 years), 0.988 (sigma = +/- 1.9 years), and
      0.994 (sigma = +/- 1.4 years), respectively. The reactive velocity of aspartic
      acid racemization was highest for soluble peptide in both the lower central
      incisors and first premolars and approximately three times as rapid as that for
      total amino acid. As a result, age estimated from the analysis of soluble peptide
      was most accurate. The velocity for insoluble collagen was slightly lower than
      that for total amino acid. Age estimation was attempted from the teeth of an
      unknown body. These results suggest that the analyses, not only of total amino
      acid in dentin but also of its fractionated and extracted substances, can lead to
      higher reliability in age estimation. Soluble peptide, in particular, has been
      found to be most effective.

PMID- 1856648
TI  - Differentiation of hydrocephalic calf and human calvariae.
AB  - Occasionally, partial calvariae of hydrocephalic calves are found in forensic
      contexts and mistakenly identified as human. Such specimens can be properly
      identified through immunological assessment of associated soft tissue,
      microscopic analysis of associated hair, and morphological comparison with
      documented museum specimens. Morphological comparison should focus on the form of
      the occiput, supraorbital grooves, and bulbous vault and presence of coronal
      processes.

PMID- 1856649
TI  - Inaccuracy of height information on driver's licenses.
AB  - Height is an important variable in identification. In cases involving decreased
      individuals, height is measured directly on the corpse or estimated from the
      skeleton. This postmortem measurement or estimation is then compared with
      antemortem records, usually the driver's license. The accuracy of the license
      information, however, has been questioned. To assess the accuracy of driver's
      license information, volunteers' statures were measured, and then these figures
      were compared with those printed on the subjects' licenses. Even in our
      comparatively young, well-educated sample, the license height was significantly
      greater than the measured height. Some inaccuracies may be caused by failure to
      update license information when new licenses are issued, but some inaccuracies
      may be from personal deception. The implications of these results for forensic
      anthropology cases are discussed.

PMID- 1856650
TI  - Laboratory investigation of deaths due to anaphylaxis.
AB  - To establish a useful laboratory protocol to investigate possible cases of fatal
      anaphylaxis, we measured mast-cell-derived tryptase levels and allergen-specific
      immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody levels in sera obtained prior to or within 24 h
      after death from 19 anaphylaxis victims. Elevated serum tryptase levels (range =
      12 ng/mL to 150 micrograms/mL) were found in nine of nine Hymenoptera sting
      fatalities, six of eight food-induced fatalities, and two of two reactions to
      diagnostic therapeutic agents. Tryptase levels were normal (less than 10 ng/mL)
      in 57 sequential sera obtained postmortem from six control patients. Tryptase
      could not be measured in pleural or pericardial fluids for technical reasons.
      Serum IgE antibodies were elevated in five of the nine Hymenoptera sting
      fatalities and in eight of the eight fatal food reactions; assays were
      unavailable for the two diagnostic/therapeutic agents. If elevated, the victim's
      serum IgE antibodies to food could be used to identify allergens in uneaten
      portions of foods consumed shortly before the anaphylactic event. IgE antibodies
      were moderately stable during storage in a variety of anticoagulants at room
      temperature for up to 11 weeks. Elevated mast-cell-derived tryptase levels in
      postmortem sera reflect antemortem mast cell activation and may be used as a
      marker for fatal anaphylaxis. If assays are available for IgE antibodies to
      relevant allergens, such assays provide evidence for antemortem sensitization;
      these assays may be modified to identify allergens in foods consumed by victims
      of food-induced anaphylaxis.

PMID- 1856651
TI  - Polymorphisms of the enzyme systems galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase
      (GALT) and esterase D (EsD) in the province of Cadiz, southern Spain.
AB  - Galactose-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) and esterase D (EsD) phenotypes were
      determined by isoelectric focusing in ultrathin-layer polyacrylamide gel (PAGIF)
      for 406 healthy subjects randomly chosen and residing in the province of Cadiz,
      in Southern Spain. The following gene frequencies were observed: for GALT, GALT1
      = 0.952 970 3 and GALT2 = 0.047 029 71; for EsD, EsD1 = 0.895 320 2, EsD2 = 0.094
      827 59, and EsD5 = 0.009 852 21.

PMID- 1856652
TI  - Corrections for age in estimating older adults' stature from long bones.
AB  - Stature estimates based on long bone measurements require a correction factor to
      compensate for stature decrease in older people. Such a correction should exclude
      the effect of any secular trend in stature and reflect the age at which stature
      begins to decrease, sex differences, and the increasing rate of change with age.
      Stature correction which meet these requirements for ages 46 through 85, based
      upon two recent large-scale longitudinal anthropometric studies, are provided in
      tabular form.

PMID- 1856653
TI  - Cerebral tissue pulmonary embolization due to head trauma: a case report with
      immunohistochemical confirmation.
AB  - Pulmonary embolization of cerebral tissue as the result of severe head trauma is
      an uncommon, if not rare, phenomenon, and few cases have been reported in the
      literature. The authors discuss the case of a 51-year-old male who died six days
      after suffering extensive head trauma in a motor vehicle collision. At autopsy,
      white-gray emboli were found in several subsegmental pulmonary arteries. The
      results of histologic examination with the hematoxylineosin stain gave the
      impression that the emboli were necrotic cerebral tissue; however, routine
      special stains for neural tissue produced inconclusive results.
      Immunohistochemical staining of the emboli with monoclonal mouse anti-human
      neurofilament protein (Dako Corp., Carpinteria, California) confirmed the
      cerebral nature of the emboli. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first
      reported case of pulmonary embolization of cerebral tissue confirmed by
      immunohistochemistry.

PMID- 1856654
TI  - Cocaine, fetal loss, and the role of the forensic pathologist.
AB  - Adverse obstetrical outcomes are often associated with maternal cocaine use.
      These have included intrauterine growth retardation, abruptio placentae, and an
      increased incidence of spontaneous abortion and pre-term labor. This report
      details the case of an 18-week-gestation fetus recovered from a sewage treatment
      plant. A brain specimen was positive for cocaine. With the present epidemic of
      cocaine abuse, it is important for the forensic pathologist to seek toxicologic
      evidence of cocaine in all suspicious fetal and neonatal deaths.

PMID- 1856655
TI  - Fatal acetaminophen poisoning with evidence of subendocardial necrosis of the
      heart.
AB  - The authors describe a case of fatal acetaminophen overdose which occurred in a
      16-year-old female. Her serum acetaminophen concentration 11.5 h postingestion
      was 154 mg/L. Antidotal therapy was unsuccessful, and after 9 days she died.
      Autopsy findings included centrilobular zonal liver necrosis, acute proximal
      renal tubular necrosis, and diffuse alveolar pulmonary damage. Her heart was
      transplanted into a young woman with congenital heart disease. The recipient
      expired 14 days after the transplant as a result of sepsis complicating bowel
      ischemia. The transplanted heart showed extensive subendocardial myocyte necrosis
      related to acetaminophen toxicity and not rejection.

PMID- 1856656
TI  - Postmortem determination of the biological distribution of formic acid in
      methanol intoxication.
AB  - Two 25-year-old men were fatally intoxicated with methanol. The formic acid
      levels in their blood, urine, and organs were determined postmortem by headspace
      gas chromatography. The postmortem concentrations of formic acid in the two
      patients were the following: 0.32 and 0.23 mg/mL in blood, 2.27 and 0.47 mg/mL in
      urine, 0.11 and 1.17 mg/g in the brain, 0.54 and 0.51 mg/g in the liver, and 0.13
      and 1.19 mg/g in the kidneys. The total amounts of formic acid in the gastric
      contents were 108 and 23.2 mg.

PMID- 1856657
TI  - Individualization and enamel histology: a case report in forensic anthropology.
AB  - The cranium of a native Indian child about six years old was found in 1979 near
      Taseko River, British Columbia, Canada. While the remains matched the report of a
      child missing for eight years in terms of race, age at death, locale, and elapsed
      time since death, the cranium and dentition were basically unidentifiable because
      of the claimed lack of medical or dental history. There was no dental work, and
      the parents were unknown or dead. We report the presence, in the dental enamel of
      the primary and secondary dentition, of stress markers, termed striae of Retzius,
      whose locations correspond well with anecdotal reports and recently discovered
      medical records which describe the timing of specific episodes of stress. The
      enhanced probability of personal identification from dental histological stress
      markers is evaluated.

PMID- 1856658
TI  - Bones, blood, pellets, glass, and no body.
AB  - A man was found guilty of killing his wife, although her body was never found.
      The case centered on her car, which contained fragments of bone, glass, shotgun
      pellets, and dried blood. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprinting techniques
      were used to establish the decedent's identity. Examination of the bone fragments
      revealed that they were from the skull. These two pieces of information, added to
      other evidence, proved that the defendant's wife had received a fatal injury in
      her car, and a guilty verdict was rendered.

PMID- 1856660
TI  - Inheritors of the future.

PMID- 1856659
TI  - Bone fragments a body can make.
AB  - Data obtained from various analytical techniques applied to a number of small
      bone fragments recovered from a crime scene were used to provide evidence for the
      occurrence of a fatality. Microscopic and histomorphometric analyses confirmed
      that the fragments were from a human skull. X-ray microanalysis of darkened areas
      on the bone fragments revealed a chemical signature that matched the chemical
      signature of a shotgun pellet recovered at the scene of the crime. The above
      findings supported the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprint evidence which,
      along with other evidence, was used to convict a man for the murder of his wife,
      even though her body was never recovered.

PMID- 1856661
TI  - Constitutional amendment campaign. Not now.

PMID- 1856662
TI  - Conditioning.

PMID- 1856663
TI  - Practical geriatrics.

PMID- 1856664
TI  - Contrary principles.

PMID- 1856665
TI  - American medicine through another looking glass.

PMID- 1856666
TI  - Chiropractic caveats rebuttal.

PMID- 1856667
TI  - Innovation in indigent health care. Tallahassee Primary Care Project.

PMID- 1856668
TI  - EMS-C system development. Update for Florida physicians.

PMID- 1856669
TI  - Child and adolescent suicide.
AB  - This review of recent literature on child and adolescent suicide provides a
      comprehensive view of this alarming social problem which claims over 2,000 lives
      per year in the United States. It is directed at pediatricians, family physicians
      and other practitioners to alert them to the warning signs.

PMID- 1856670
TI  - Bicycle safety. What's new in '92?
AB  - There are over 100 million bicycle riders in America, according to the National
      Safety Council, and in the last two years more than 1.25 million accidents have
      been reported. About 77% of these accidents occurred among children under 15
      years old. Nearly 44% of reportable injuries were in the 5-14 year old age group
      and 30% occurred among children under five years of age, according to the
      National Center for Health Statistics.

PMID- 1856671
TI  - Do electronic fetal heart rate monitors improve delivery outcomes?
AB  - Since the development of electronic fetal heart rate monitors, there has been
      considerable debate over observable benefits of their use. Early uncontrolled
      observational studies and retrospective case studies suggested that fetal
      distress detected by monitoring could help lower both intrapartum and neonatal
      death rates, serving a utility among high risk deliveries. However, these studies
      were conducted at a time when neonatal intensive care units and advancing
      technologies were also beginning to markedly influence perinatal mortality.
      Randomized clinical trials of the past 10 years have compared electronic
      monitoring to routine periodic auscultation and have consistently failed to
      demonstrate a statistically significant difference in either the perinatal
      mortality rate or the outcome of high risk pregnancies. A few of these studies,
      however, did report a lower incidence of neurological complications within the
      monitored deliveries. The latest research, though, has failed to substantiate any
      long-term neurological benefits from electronic monitoring.

PMID- 1856672
TI  - Innovations in diagnostic imaging. Magnetic resonance angiography and color image
      display.

PMID- 1856673
TI  - A guide to interpreting single locus profiles of DNA mixtures in forensic cases.
AB  - Analysis of a mixed body fluid crime sample by means of a single locus DNA probe
      may give rise to several bands. If a suspect is found to have a profile which
      matches two of the bands, then the evaluation of the evidential strength requires
      careful analysis. This paper describes the analysis of two relatively simple case
      examples. It is intended that the principles of the interpretative process will
      provide a guide to caseworkers who may encounter similar cases. The extension of
      the treatment to more complex cases should be clear.

PMID- 1856674
TI  - Calculating the frequency of occurrence of a blood type for a 'random man'.
AB  - A scheme is offered for the calculation of blood group frequencies for mixed
      racial populations. The issue of which population to model is discussed.
      Consideration is also given to the racial composition of the desired survey and
      to the rule of mutual independence. The scheme can in many cases be applied to
      existing data.

PMID- 1856676
TI  - Biochemical and genetic studies on the function of, and relationship between, the
      PGI1- and CDC30-encoded phosphoglucose isomerases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Isoelectric focusing was used to compare the complement of phosphoglucose
      isomerase isoenzymes in a wild-type strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in a
      strain with a deletion in the PGI1 structural gene. Deletion of the PGI1 gene did
      not result in the absence of the high-Km isoenzyme I but the low-Km isoenzyme II
      was absent. Hence, the isoenzymes must be the products of two genes. If PGI1 were
      the sole structural gene its deletion would result in the disappearance of both
      isoenzymes. After a temperature shift-up a cdc30-bearing strain had cell cycle
      arrested and contained only 8% of the polysaccharide in the wild-type.
      Phosphoglucose isomerase is required for the synthesis of fructose 6-phosphate
      (F6-P), a precursor of the cell wall components chitin and mannoprotein
      ('mannan'), which are a polysaccharide and contain polysaccharide, respectively.
      Since the cdc30 mutation confers a temperature-sensitive phosphoglucose
      isomerase, the likely explanation for cell cycle arrest caused by this mutation
      is that the defective phosphoglucose isomerase results in a reduction of F6-P and
      hence an inability to synthesize the mannan and chitin needed for cytokinesis and
      cell separation. Revertants of a pgi1-1 bearing strain were selected for their
      ability to grow on glucose at 25 degrees C and this yielded a number of different
      phenotypes. Amongst the isolates was a strain which had undergone an intragenic
      reversion at the pgi1 locus, designated pgi1-1,100. This mutation permits growth
      and cell division at 25 degrees C but results in cell cycle arrest at 36 degrees
      C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856675
TI  - Post-mortem cooling of the human head: an infrared thermology study.
AB  - The post-mortem cooling of the human head, over the first fifteen hours after
      death, was measured by infrared thermology. A detailed temperature map of the
      head and face was obtained by the use of image processing techniques and the
      cooling behaviour of twelve preselected facial features was observed. The two
      main findings of the study were a difference in cooling pattern between the upper
      and the lower part of the head, and a consistency in the cooling pattern of the
      lower part of the head in all the cases studied. A comparison of various model
      fits to the raw data was undertaken and the "best" bodies, models and features
      were determined on a statistical basis. The formula that best fitted the raw data
      was a novel double application of Newton's law. The features with the least error
      in data fitting were the chin and zygoma; that with the most error was the mouth.

PMID- 1856677
TI  - Expression and secretion of staphylococcal nuclease in yeast: effects of amino
      terminal sequences.
AB  - Staphylococcus aureus nuclease A hybrid genes, encoding proteins OmpA-nuclease,
      lipo-nuclease and Pin-nuclease, were cloned downstream of the yeast GAL10
      inducible promoter. OmpA-nuclease and lipo-nuclease contain the mature
      staphylococcal nuclease sequence preceded by the Escherichia coli OmpA and
      lipoprotein signal sequences, respectively, whereas Pin-nuclease lacks a defined
      signal sequence at its amino terminus. We found that: (a) the nuclease gene
      products synthesized in yeast are active, but they do not affect cell growth; (b)
      OmpA-nuclease and lipo-nuclease are partially processed and constitute
      approximately 1.0-1.5% of the yeast cell protein; (c) OmpA and lipoprotein signal
      sequences function similarly in secretion, allowing 35-40% of the processed
      nuclease to be translocated into the yeast periplasm; and (d) Pin-nuclease, which
      lacks hydrophobic sequences at its amino-terminus, is accumulated at a level
      tenfold lower than the hybrid proteins that do contain signal sequences.
      Nevertheless, 50% of the enzyme activity of Pin-nuclease in yeast is localized in
      the periplasmic space.

PMID- 1856678
TI  - The effect of temperature shifts on protein synthesis by the psychrophilic
      bacterium Vibrio sp. strain ANT-300.
AB  - In the psychrophilic bacterium Vibrio sp. strain ANT-300, the temperature-related
      characteristics of protein synthesis in cells grown at 0 degrees C differed from
      those of cells grown at 13 degrees C. Cells grown at 0 degrees C and 13 degrees C
      transported amino acids at the same rates, dependent on the temperature at which
      rates were measured. The rates of protein synthesis in extracts of cells grown at
      0 degrees C and at 13 degrees C differed, as a result of the changes in the
      properties of the soluble fraction involved in protein synthesis. Concurrently,
      levels of more than 24 polypeptides in the soluble fraction changed considerably.
      These results suggest that the difference in temperature dependence of protein
      synthesis in cells grown at various temperatures may be brought about by specific
      changes in the levels of a small number of polypeptides (less than 15% of the
      total number of proteins detected by silver-staining) in response to a change in
      temperature.

PMID- 1856679
TI  - Characterization of Fonsecaea pedrosoi melanin.
AB  - The constituents of the melanin complex from mycelial forms of Fonsecaea pedrosoi
      were partially characterized. The pigment was mainly accumulated on large alkali
      extractable, electron-dense cytoplasmic bodies (melanosomes) and, apparently, on
      the outer layer of the cell wall as external deposits within verrucose
      outgrowths. Using electron microscopy and Thiery's
      periodate/thiosemicarbazide/silver proteinate staining method, glycogen-like
      particles were also detected at the periphery of the cells. Melanin constituents
      comprised aromatic and aliphatic/glycosidic structures with a predominance of the
      latter. Infrared spectra showed the presence of hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl
      groups. The aliphatic/glycosidic moiety consisted of fatty acids and
      polysaccharides with protein, in a ratio protein/polysaccharide 1:15. Rhamnose,
      mannose, galactose and glucose (in the ratio 1:2:4:3.5) were the constituents of
      the polysaccharide. Lipid components included even-numbered, saturated and
      unsaturated fatty acids (in the ratio 2:1) ranging from C16 to C18. Palmitic and
      oleic acids were the prominent fatty acids. Aspartic and glutamic acids, leucine,
      glycine and alanine were the major amino acids. Non-pigmented cells of F.
      pedrosoi were studied for comparison with the pigmented forms: they did not
      accumulate acid-insoluble precursors of melanin.

PMID- 1856681
TI  - Effect of iron deprivation on surface composition and virulence determinants of
      Candida albicans.
AB  - Six strains of Candida albicans were grown in defined medium which had been
      deferrated by ion-exchange chromatography and then supplemented with FeCl3 to
      give iron concentrations ranging from 0.026 microM to 0.8 microM. Growth in 0.026
      microM-iron (measured as increase in biomass) was reduced by 26-59% as compared
      with that in excess (0.8 microM) iron. With five of the strains, adhesion to
      buccal epithelial cells was maximal after growth in 0.2-0.4 microM-iron, but
      strain GDH 2023 adhered best when grown in 0.026 microM-iron. Differences in
      yeast cell-wall composition were revealed by Zymolyase treatment of whole cells
      and by 125I-labelling of surface proteins. SDS-PAGE of iodinated proteins,
      followed by autoradiography, showed quantitative but no qualitative differences
      in protein profiles of iron-deficient and iron-replete organisms. The ability of
      all strains to form germ tubes in serum was near-maximal after growth in 0.2-0.4
      microM-iron but was inhibited by up to 93% following growth in lower
      concentrations. These results indicate that expression of important virulence
      attributes by C. albicans is highly dependent on available iron and that
      expression in vivo may therefore be significantly different from that observed
      under conventional laboratory conditions.

PMID- 1856680
TI  - Efficient translation of synthetic and natural mRNAs in an mRNA-dependent cell
      free system from the dimorphic fungus Candida albicans.
AB  - An mRNA-dependent cell-free translation system has been developed from the human
      pathogenic fungus Candida albicans using either S30 or S100 lysates prepared from
      glass-bead-disrupted whole cells. Translation of the synthetic template poly(U)
      in this system is highly efficient at temperatures up to 37 degrees C and is ATP
      dependent. Studies using a range of elongation-specific inhibitors suggest that
      the mechanism of translational elongation in C. albicans is similar to that of
      another yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A micrococcal-nuclease-treated C.
      albicans S100 lysate was able to translate exogenously-supplied homologous mRNAs,
      and a range of heterologous natural mRNAs, using an initiation mechanism that is
      inhibited by the antibiotic edeine and the 5' cap analogue 7-methylguanosine 5'
      monophosphate (m7GMP). As with cell-free lysates prepared from S. cerevisiae, the
      C. albicans lysate is unable to initiate translation upon natural mRNAs at
      temperatures above 20 degrees C.

PMID- 1856682
TI  - Fatty acid oxidation and the beta-oxidation complex in Mycobacterium leprae and
      two axenically cultivable mycobacteria that are pathogens.
AB  - Intact, non-growing Mycobacterium leprae, M. avium and M. microti oxidized a wide
      range of 1-14C-labelled fatty acids (C8 to C24) to 14CO2. Laurate (C12) was
      oxidized most rapidly, and its oxidation by M. leprae was inhibited by the
      antileprosy agents Dapsone, clofazamine and rifampicin. Key enzymes of beta
      oxidation were detected in extracts from all three mycobacteria. All these
      activities (both in intact mycobacteria and the enzymes) were stimulated in M.
      avium grown in Dubos medium plus palmitate but activities in M. microti or M.
      avium grown either in Dubos medium with added liposomes or triolein, or in vivo
      were similar to those detected in the same strain grown in Dubos medium alone. M.
      avium could be grown in medium in which 95% of its fatty acyl elongase activity
      is acetyl-CoA dependent. In this medium growing M. avium organisms oxidized [1
      14C]palmitate to 14CO2 but simultaneously elongated palmitate to C24 acids and
      even longer. Acetyl-CoA-dependent elongase activity is similar but clearly not
      identical to reversed beta-oxidation, but the exact point(s) of difference have
      not yet been identified.

PMID- 1856683
TI  - Changes in the activities of key enzymes of glycolysis during the cell cycle in
      yeast: a rectification.
AB  - Activities of glycolytic enzymes were determined in elutriation fractionated
      cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on different carbon sources. Almost
      pure fractions of single cells at the G1 state of cell division were obtained for
      some of the growth conditions tested, whereas other stages were enriched in
      particular fractions. Specific activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
      and alcohol dehydrogenase were found to be constant during the cell cycle, as
      reported by van Doorn et al. (1988a), Journal of Bacteriology 170, 4808-4815, and
      (1988b), Journal of General Microbiology 134, 785-790. In contrast to the earlier
      reports, the activities of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and
      trehalase were also constant in different states of the cell cycle. For
      hexokinase and phosphofructokinase it was shown that the apparent specific
      activity in a cell-free extract strongly diminished when extracts contained less
      that 0.5-1 mg protein ml-1. In the experiments of van Doorn et al. (1988a) the
      protein content of the outer fractions was up to 20 times lower than that of the
      central fractions, suggesting an alternative explanation for the observed changes
      in enzyme activities during the cell cycle. Therefore, we want to rectify the
      observations presented by van Doorn et al. (1988a), and conclude that the
      activities of the glycolytic enzymes do not vary greatly during the cell cycle of
      S. cervisiae.

PMID- 1856684
TI  - Ammonium transport in Escherichia coli: localization and nucleotide sequence of
      the amtA gene.
AB  - Escherichia coli expresses a concentrative ammonium (methylammonium) transport
      system which is strongly repressed under conditions of nitrogen excess. We have
      previously reported the cloning of a structural gene (amtA) for this transporter
      by complementation. In this study, a 3.4 kb HindIII-BamHI fragment containing
      amtA was cloned into the pBluescript KS(+) vector, and unidirectional nested
      deletions from each end of this 3.4 kb fragment were generated by exonuclease III
      digestion. The deletions were analysed by complementation of the structural gene
      mutation produced by Tn10 insertion. This allowed amtA to be localized within a
      1.4 kb region which spans the site of the mutation. By application of the Sanger
      dideoxy method, we sequenced the region containing amtA. The gene contains an
      open reading frame which encodes a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 27
      kDa. The open reading frame is preceded by a putative Shine-Dalgarno sequence and
      followed by an inverted repeat which might function as a simple transcription
      terminator. Hydropathic analysis of the inferred amino acid sequence of the gene
      product predicts that amtA encodes a cytoplasmic component of the ammonium
      transport system.

PMID- 1856685
TI  - Cloning, sequencing, and mutational analysis of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum fumC
      like gene: evidence for the existence of two different fumarases.
AB  - The Bradyrhizobium japonicum fumarase gene (fumC-like) was cloned and sequenced,
      and a fumC deletion mutant was constructed. This mutant had a Nod+ Fix+ phenotype
      in symbiosis with the host plant, soybean, and growth in minimal medium with
      fumarate as sole carbon source was also not affected. The cloned B. japonicum
      fumC gene fully complemented an Escherichia coli Fum- mutant, strain JH400, for
      growth in minimal medium with fumarate. The predicted amino acid sequence of the
      FumC protein showed strong similarity to the E. coli FumC protein, Bacillus
      subtilis CitG protein, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fum1 protein, and the mammalian
      fumarases. The B. japonicum FumC protein accounted for about 40% of the total
      fumarase activity in aerobically grown cells. The remaining 60% was ascribed to a
      temperature-labile fumarase. These data suggest that B. japonicum possesses two
      different fumarase isoenzymes, one of which is encoded by fumC. Besides E. coli,
      which has three fumarases, B. japonicum is thus the second bacterium for which
      there is genetic evidence for the existence of more than one fumarase.

PMID- 1856686
TI  - Phylogeny of capsid proteins of small icosahedral RNA plant viruses.
AB  - Statistically significant alignment was generated between the amino acid
      sequences of the (putative) shell (S) domains of the capsid proteins of small RNA
      plant viruses with icosahedral capsids in the tombusvirus, carmovirus,
      dianthovirus, sobemovirus and luteovirus groups. Inspection of the alignment
      showed good correspondence between the experimentally defined beta-strands and
      alpha-helices of the capsid proteins of tomato bushy stunt, southern bean mosaic
      and turnip crinkle viruses, allowing prediction of the secondary structure
      elements in proteins with unresolved tertiary structure. It is concluded that
      this set of viral capsid proteins forms a tight evolutionary cluster. Comparison
      of the alignment of the proteins of this family with the sequences of other
      capsid proteins of icosahedral RNA viruses revealed more distant similarities to
      the satellites of tobacco necrosis, panicum mosaic, tobacco mosaic and maize
      white line mosaic viruses, as well as to nepo- and comoviruses. The tentative
      phylogenetic tree derived from the capsid protein alignment separated into three
      main lineages: (I) carmo-, tombus- and dianthoviruses, (II) southern bean mosaic,
      tobacco necrosis and maize chlorotic mottle viruses, and (III) luteoviruses.
      Comparison of this tree topology with the tentative evolutionary schemes for the
      respective virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerases suggested that gene shuffling is
      the universal trend in the evolution of small RNA plant virus genomes.

PMID- 1856687
TI  - The complete nucleotide sequence of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (SH
      strain) genomic RNA.
AB  - The complete nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of cucumber green mottle
      mosaic virus watermelon strain SH (CGMMV-SH) was determined using cloned cDNA.
      This sequence is 6421 nucleotides long containing at least four open reading
      frames, which correspond to 186K, 129K, 29K and 17.3K proteins. The 17.3K protein
      is the coat protein. Sequence analysis shows that CGMMV-SH is very closely
      related to another watermelon strain. CGMMV-W, although three amino acid
      substitutions in the 29K protein were found between these strains. The sequence
      was also compared to those of other tobamoviruses, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
      vulgare, TMV-L (a tomato strain) and tobacco mild green mosaic virus reported by
      other groups. It shows 55 to 56% identity with these viruses. The size and
      location of the open reading frames are very similar to those of TMV but the 129K
      and 186K proteins are composed of 1142 and 1646 amino acids, being larger than
      those of TMV by 27 and 31 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acid
      sequences of these proteins are highly homologous to those of TMV, especially in
      the readthrough downstream region of the 186K protein.

PMID- 1856688
TI  - Evidence that the 75K readthrough protein of beet necrotic yellow vein virus RNA
      2 is essential for transmission by the fungus Polymyxa betae.
AB  - Two mutant strains of beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) containing deletion
      mutants of RNA-2 were produced during serial passage in mechanically inoculated
      Tetragonia expansa leaves. The mutant strains were referred to as S-0a (RNA-1 +
      2a) and G-0b (RNA-1 + 2b). RNA-2a and RNA-2b were about 4.3 kb and 4.2 kb in
      length, respectively, whereas normal sized RNA-2 was about 4.8 kb in length. In
      vitro translation and immunoblot analysis showed that RNA-2, RNA-2a and RNA-2b
      all directed synthesis of the coat protein (Mr 22K). However, whereas wild-type
      RNA-2 also directed the synthesis of a coat protein readthrough protein with an
      Mr of 83K (predicted Mr 75K), RNA-2a and RNA-2b directed the production of
      readthrough proteins with MrS of 67K and 58K, respectively. This suggests that
      the deleted regions of RNA-2a and RNA-2b occur within the second open reading
      frame, which encodes a polypeptide of Mr 54K, which is translated by readthrough
      of the coat protein cistron. After the addition of wild-type RNA-3 and RNA-4 to
      all the strains, the mutant strains could not be transmitted by Polymyxa betae
      zoospores produced from either zoosporangia or resting spores, whereas the wild
      type strains were readily transmitted. These results indicate that the 75K
      readthrough protein encoded by RNA-2 is essential for the transmission of BNYVV
      by P. betae.

PMID- 1856689
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of tomato ringspot virus RNA-2.
AB  - The sequence of tomato ringspot virus (TomRSV) RNA-2 has been determined. It is
      7273 nucleotides in length excluding the 3' poly(A) tail and contains a single
      long open reading frame (ORF) of 5646 nucleotides in the positive sense beginning
      at position 78 and terminating at position 5723. A second in-frame AUG at
      position 441 is in a more favourable context for initiation of translation and
      may act as a site for initiation of translation. The TomRSV RNA-2 3' noncoding
      region is 1550 nucleotides in length. The coat protein is located in the C
      terminal region of the large polypeptide and shows significant but limited amino
      acid sequence similarity to the putative coat proteins of the nepoviruses tomato
      black ring (TBRV), Hungarian grapevine chrome mosaic (GCMV) and grapevine fanleaf
      (GFLV). Comparisons of the coding and non-coding regions of TomRSV RNA-2 and the
      RNA components of TBRV, GCMV, GFLV and the comovirus cowpea mosaic virus revealed
      significant similarity for over 300 amino acids between the coding region
      immediately to the N-terminal side of the putative coat proteins of TomRSV and
      GFLV; very little similarity could be detected among the non-coding regions of
      TomRSV and any of these viruses.

PMID- 1856690
TI  - The nucleotide sequence of the infectious cloned DNA components of potato yellow
      mosaic virus.
AB  - The complete nucleotide sequence of a Venezuelan isolate of potato yellow mosaic
      virus (PYMV) has been determined, showing it to be typical of subgroup I
      geminiviruses in that it is whitefly-transmitted, has a circular, bipartite ssDNA
      genome and possesses bidirectionally orientated open reading frames (ORFs). The
      two genomic components have little sequence similarity apart from a common region
      of 268 nucleotides (nt) which is almost identical. Analysis of ORFs revealed six
      potential coding regions encoding proteins of Mr greater than 10K, four in PYMV A
      (2593 nt) and two in PYMV B (2547 nt), which are preceded by regulatory
      transcription elements and have polyadenylation signals present at the ends.
      Amino acid sequence alignments of PYMV DNA ORF-encoded proteins with those
      encoded by other previously sequenced geminivirus ORFs show that PYMV is closely
      related to those geminiviruses isolated from the New World, especially in the
      putative coat protein gene regions.

PMID- 1856691
TI  - The complete nucleotide sequence of tobacco necrosis virus strain D.
AB  - The complete sequence of the RNA genome of tobacco necrosis virus strain D (TNV
      D) consisting of 3759 nucleotides has been determined. The positive strand
      contains five open reading frames (ORFs). The 5'-proximal ORF encodes a 22K
      protein terminating with an amber codon which may be read through to produce a
      82K protein (p82). Two small centrally located ORFs each encode two out-of-frame
      7K proteins (p7a and p7b). The 3'-proximal ORF encodes the 29K coat protein (CP),
      the N terminus of which has been sequenced directly. The genomic organization of
      TNV-D is very similar to that of TNV-A but differs in the placement of the p7a
      ORF, which does not overlap the p82 ORF in TNV-D, and in the absence of an ORF
      downstream of the CP gene in TNV-D. The p82 ORF shows extensive sequence
      similarity with the putative polymerases of the carmovirus group. This ORF is
      also as closely related to the corresponding ORF of TNV-A as it is to the
      corresponding ORF of the tombusvirus cucumber necrosis virus. The amino acid
      sequence of the TNV-D CP gene is similar to both the TNV-A and southern bean
      mosaic virus CP genes. Of the two p7 ORFs, p7a exhibits amino acid sequence
      similarity with corresponding proteins from TNV-A, melon necrotic spot virus,
      carnation mottle virus, turnip crinkle virus and maize chlorotic mottle virus,
      whereas the p7b ORF appears to be unique to TNV-A and TNV-D. Only the 3'-terminal
      three nucleotides of TNV-D genomic RNA are identical to the 3'-terminal
      nucleotides of the TNV satellite virus.

PMID- 1856692
TI  - Expression of potyvirus coat protein in Escherichia coli and yeast and its
      assembly into virus-like particles.
AB  - When the full-length coat protein (CP) of the potyvirus, Johnsongrass mosaic
      virus (JGMV), was expressed in Escherichia coli or yeast, it assembled to form
      potyvirus-like particles. The particles were heterogeneous in length with a
      stacked-ring appearance and resembled JGMV particles in their flexuous morphology
      and width. This cell-free assembly system should permit analysis of the
      mechanisms of particle assembly and genome encapsidation. Two mutant forms of CP
      produced by site-directed mutagenesis failed to assemble into virus-like
      particles.

PMID- 1856693
TI  - Proteolytic processing of Semliki Forest virus-specific non-structural
      polyprotein.
AB  - The processing and stability of the non-structural (ns) proteins of Semliki
      Forest virus were studied in vivo. Virus-specific proteins from infected cells
      were identified by immunoprecipitation with monospecific antisera. The complete
      ns precursor, P1234, translated within 7 to 9 min of the start of translation,
      was processed before the completion of translation into P123 and nsP4. Pulse
      chase experiments showed that the mature ns proteins were relatively stable for
      at least 2 h. Interestingly, the decrease in the amount of the P34 precursor
      during chase is accompanied by an increase only in the amount of nsP3, which
      could explain the observed lower amount of nsP4 in infected cells. In cells
      infected with SFV RNA- mutants ts4 and ts6 maintained at the restrictive
      temperature, nsP4 but no nsP1, nsP2 or nsP3 accumulated in addition to the ns
      precursor proteins P1234, P123, P12 and P34. Translation in vitro of mRNAs from a
      cDNA clone, encoding P1234 with a deletion in the carboxy-terminal proteinase
      domain of nsP2, did not yield nsP1, nsP2 or nsP3 but only nsP4, indicating that
      cleavage at the nsP3/4 sites is independent. Evidently, nsP4 is produced by a
      nascent cleavage of the growing P1234, catalysed by its own proteinase activity;
      the proteolytic cleavages at the nsP1/2 and nsP2/3 sites are catalysed by the
      proteinase moiety of nsP2.

PMID- 1856694
TI  - Characterization of defective interfering RNAs of Berne virus.
AB  - Defective interfering (DI) RNAs of Berne virus (BEV) were generated by serial
      undiluted passaging of the virus in embryonic mule skin cells. Two DI RNAs of 1.0
      and 1.4 kb (designated DI1000 and DI1400) were characterized in more detail.
      Isokinetic sucrose gradient analysis showed that these DI RNAs are specifically
      packaged into particles with smaller S values than standard virions. Both DI RNAs
      were cloned and sequenced. Three genomic cDNA clones were identified using probes
      complementary to the 5' end of a DI RNA, which are thought to be derived from the
      5'-terminal region of the BEV genome. A non-translated region of about 700 nt and
      the 5' end of the putative BEV replicase gene were identified in the consensus
      nucleotide sequence. Both DI RNAs were shown to contain sequences from the 5' and
      3' ends of the BEV genome. A conserved sequence motif, which has been postulated
      to be involved in sub-genomic RNA transcription, was also identified just
      downstream of the extreme 5' ends of DI1000 and DI1400.

PMID- 1856695
TI  - Sequence analysis of the turkey enteric coronavirus nucleocapsid and membrane
      protein genes: a close genomic relationship with bovine coronavirus.
AB  - The 3' end of the turkey coronavirus (TCV) genome and the gene encoding the
      nucleocapsid protein (N) were cloned and sequenced. The gene encoding the
      membrane protein (M) was obtained by cloning a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      amplified fragment obtained using bovine coronavirus (BCV)-specific primers.
      Furthermore, five TCV DNA fragments, obtained by PCR on RNA from clinical
      specimens and corresponding to either the N terminus of the M protein or the
      complete M protein were also cloned and sequenced. The sequence revealed a 3' non
      coding region of 291 bases, an open reading frame (ORF) encoding the N protein
      with a predicted size of 448 amino acids, or an Mr of 49K, and an ORF encoding
      the M protein with a predicted size of 230 amino acids and an Mr of 26K. A third
      ORF, encoding a hypothetical protein of 207 amino acids with an Mr of 23K was
      found within the N gene sequence. The amino acid sequences of both the N and M
      proteins were more than 99% similar to those published for BCV. Extensive
      similarity was also observed between the amino acid sequences of the TCV N
      protein and those of murine hepatitis virus (MHV) (70%) and human respiratory
      coronavirus strain OC43 (HCV-OC43) (98%) and between the amino acid sequences of
      the predicted M proteins of TCV and MHV (86%). Such striking identity suggests
      that BCV, TCV and HCV-OC43 must have diverged from each other only recently. A
      potential N-glycosylation site was found at the N terminus of the TCV M protein
      and is situated at the same location in BCV, MHV and transmissible
      gastroenteritis virus.

PMID- 1856696
TI  - Localization of the influenza virus nucleoprotein: cell-associated and
      extracellular non-virion forms.
AB  - Both the supernatant of influenza virus-infected chick embryo cells and allantoic
      fluid containing influenza virus were shown to contain non-virion nucleoprotein
      (NP), which reacted readily with anti-NP monoclonal antibodies. Adsorption onto
      erythrocytes and centrifugation at 70,000 g for 2 h resulted in the removal of
      about 20% of the extracellular NP, whereas centrifugation at 100,000 g for 4 h
      eliminated about 50%, and practically all [3H]uridine-labelled virions. These
      results suggest that of the extracellular NP about 30% exists in the form of
      ribonucleoprotein, about 20% is precipitated with virions and about 50% occurs as
      free molecules. Comparative analysis of the kinetics of the accumulation of NP in
      the supernatant of infected cells, on the cell surface and inside the cells in
      relation to virus production, showed that there is a significant correlation
      between them.

PMID- 1856697
TI  - The 36K polypeptide synthesized in Newcastle disease virus-infected cells
      possesses properties predicted for the hypothesized 'V' protein.
AB  - Newcastle disease virus (NDV) virions possess two proteins which react strongly
      with monoclonal antibody 688 following separation by high resolution two
      dimensional (isoelectric focusing/SDS) PAGE and detection by Western blotting.
      One is the phosphorylated nucleocapsid-associated 53K [P (NAP)] protein, the
      other comigrates with the 36K protein detected by radiolabelling NDV-infected
      chick embryo fibroblasts. [35S]Cysteine/[3H]leucine dual-labelling experiments
      show that the 36K protein is very rich in cysteine compared to the P (NAP)
      protein. In the Beaudette C strain it comigrates on one-dimensional SDS
      polyacrylamide gels with the matrix protein (M); however, it is resolved from the
      slower migrating M protein from the Ulster strain of NDV. The size, strain
      specific isoelectric point, high cysteine content and antigenic relatedness to
      the P (NAP) protein suggest that the 36K protein is the 'V' protein of NDV, the
      counterpart of which is found in other Paramyxoviridae.

PMID- 1856698
TI  - Nucleotide sequence analysis of a matrix and small hydrophobic protein
      dicistronic mRNA of bovine respiratory syncytial virus demonstrates extensive
      sequence divergence of the small hydrophobic protein from that of human
      respiratory syncytial virus.
AB  - The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the matrix (M) and small
      hydrophobic (SH) proteins of bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) have been
      determined from a dicistronic mRNA. Comparison of these sequences with the
      corresponding published sequences of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV)
      revealed extensive overall homology at both the nucleotide and amino acid levels
      in the M protein, but low overall homology at both the nucleotide and amino acid
      levels in the SH protein. There was only 16 to 22% identity between the BRSV SH
      protein and the HRSV SH proteins at the C terminus. There were also an additional
      eight amino acids at the C terminus of BRSV. Despite the low level of identity,
      there were similarities in the predicted hydropathy profiles of BRSV and HRSV SH
      proteins. The transcription start and stop signals, which are conserved among
      HRSV mRNAs, were also identified in the M-SH dicistronic mRNA of BRSV. In
      addition, the intergenic sequence for the M-SH gene junction of BRSV was
      determined.

PMID- 1856699
TI  - Binding of the BL/VL3 murine T cell lymphoma to radiation leukaemia virus is
      specific for viral env determinants.
AB  - Molecularly cloned radiation leukaemia viruses (RadLVs) isolated from the BL/VL3
      radiation-induced thymoma have been used in assays to compare the binding
      specificity of the BL/VL3 cell line for different retroviruses. BL/VL3 cells
      bound well to two of three thymotropic, leukaemogenic viruses produced by this
      cell line. BL/VL3 did not bind to a cloned fibrotropic, non-leukaemogenic RadLV.
      BL/VL3 appears to have receptor specificity for only some of the leukaemogenic
      RadLVs, and this appears to be related to differences in the viral env sequence.

PMID- 1856700
TI  - Characterization of the genome of cacao swollen shoot virus.
AB  - Cacao swollen shoot disease has been known to be caused by a small non-enveloped
      bacilliform virus for more than 25 years. Purification using a combination of
      celite filtration, polyethylene glycol concentration and sucrose density gradient
      centrifugation has yielded concentrated preparations of purified cacao swollen
      shoot virus (CSSV). Results of nuclease sensitivity tests indicated that the CSSV
      genome consists of dsDNA which has two single-stranded regions. The approximate
      size of CSSV DNA calculated from restriction enzyme digests is 7.4 kbp. It is
      very likely that CSSV is a member of the commelina yellow mottle virus group.

PMID- 1856702
TI  - Temperature-sensitive replication of cucumber mosaic virus in muskmelon (Cucumis
      melo cv. Iroquois), maps to RNA 1 of a slow strain.
AB  - Several strains of cucumber mosaic virus have been categorized as either 'fast'
      or 'slow', based on the time of appearance of symptoms after inoculation onto
      zucchini squash (Curbita pepo cv. Black Beauty). These strains were examined for
      their ability to replicate in muskmelon (Cucumis melo cv. Iroquois) at elevated
      temperatures. All of the fast strains were able to replicate at 37 degrees C in
      muskmelon, whereas all of the slow strains were unable to replicate to detectable
      levels at 37 degrees C, but replicated efficiently at 27 degrees C. Using
      previously constructed pseudorecombinants between a fast and a slow strain, Fny-
      and Sny-CMV, temperature sensitivity was mapped to RNA 1 of the Sny-CMV strain.

PMID- 1856701
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal region of the RNA of the El Amar strain of
      plum pox potyvirus.
AB  - The nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal 4773 nucleotides of the RNA of a
      widely divergent, aphid-transmissible strain of plum pox potyvirus isolated from
      Egypt (PPV-El Amar) was determined. The sequenced region covers the carboxy
      terminus of the cylindrical inclusion (CI) gene, and the putative 6K protein, the
      NIa protease, the NIb RNA polymerase and the coat protein genes, linked together
      as one large open reading frame (ORF) in a fashion similar to the canonical
      genomic organization of other potyviruses. The large ORF encoding the polyprotein
      is followed by a 217 nucleotide non-coding region and a poly(A) tail. However,
      whereas the three PPV strains previously sequenced show levels of identity in
      excess of 98%, PPV-El Amar shows levels of heterogeneity of 20% in the nucleotide
      sequence and 10% in the amino acid sequence, when compared with these previously
      sequenced strains. The N-terminal region of the capsid protein, postulated to be
      involved in the aphid transmission mechanism of the virus, was found to be the
      region which differed most between PPV-El Amar and the other strains.

PMID- 1856703
TI  - A model for the generation of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) anomalous isolates: pea
      early browning virus RNA-2 acquires TRV sequences from both RNA-1 and RNA-2.
AB  - Comparison of the 5'-terminal sequences of several tobraviruses suggests that the
      RNA-2 molecule of the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) anomalous isolate TCM arose from
      pea early browning virus (PEBV) RNA-2 by acquisition of 3' and 5' sequences from
      TRV RNA-1 and RNA-2 molecules, respectively. We have identified a region of
      homology in the RNA-2 molecules of PEBV, TRV and pepper ringspot virus which
      could have facilitated this recombination.

PMID- 1856704
TI  - Recognition of the N-terminal, C-terminal, and interior portions of HBx by sera
      from patients with hepatitis B.
AB  - We have cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli three different parts of the HBx
      open reading frame, the N- and C-termini and the interior or central portion,
      using two vector systems. The sera of 43 hepatitis B virus patients representing
      three clinical categories--asymptomatic carriers, chronic active hepatitis, and
      hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis--known to be anti-HBx positive, were tested
      for reactivity against these constructs by Western blotting. The great majority
      of sera, regardless of the clinical categories, clearly recognise all three parts
      of HBx, strongly suggesting that the normal mechanism of biosynthesis of the HBx
      gene product is a straight-forward translation of the open reading frame starting
      from the first ATG. However, asymptomatic carriers show a marked, often almost
      exclusive, preference for recognition of the central portion of HBx, while
      patients with chronic hepatitis and patients with cirrhosis generally recognise
      all three parts of HBx to a similar extent.

PMID- 1856705
TI  - Characterization of HBV2-like infections in Spain.
AB  - Hepatitis B viral serum markers suggestive of infection by hepatitis B virus type
      2 were found in 354 patients tested in the laboratory during a 2.5 year period of
      study. Confirmation of the HBsAg reactivity by neutralization and subtyping
      analysis and determination of serum HBV-DNA by molecular hybridization were
      carried out on selected samples from these patients. Clinical and epidemiological
      data were obtained from 234 patients and serological follow-up was done in 70
      cases. The results obtained from the confirmatory tests and DNA assays indicated
      that HBsAg reactivities were specific, being frequently associated to low levels
      of HBV-DNA. The incidence rates obtained for HBV2 serological patterns among
      patients at different level of risk for HBV infection, as well as the finding of
      a high rate of coinfection with hepatitis A virus among those showing acute
      hepatitis, suggested that the HBV2 agent could be transmitted by the oral route.
      An hypothesis considering the so called HBV2 infections as resulting from
      infections by an HBV variant strain which has an improved ability for non-sexual,
      non-parenteral transmission is suggested. Specific recommendations for detection
      and confirmation of such cases in blood banks are also outlined.

PMID- 1856706
TI  - Significance of IgM anti-hepatitis D virus (HDV) in chronic HDV infection.
AB  - Intrahepatic hepatitis D virus (HDV) antigen (HDAg) and serum HDV RNA are
      excellent markers of active HDV replication but the relation of IgM anti-HDV to
      HDV replication and histological activity is less certain. To further elucidate
      the significance of serum IgM anti-HDV, 90 paired sera and liver biopsies from 64
      patients seropositive for total antibody to HDV were analysed for IgM anti-HDV,
      intrahepatic HDAg expression, and histological inflammatory activity. IgM anti
      HDV was strongly associated with intrahepatic HDAg expression with a sensitivity
      of 94.1% but the assay lacked specificity since 14 out of 22 cases negative for
      intrahepatic HDAg were also positive for IgM anti-HDV. In 20 patients in whom
      follow-up biopsies and paired sera were available, two patients lost intrahepatic
      HDAg but paired serum remained IgM anti-HDV positive. Although the presence of
      serum IgM anti-HDV correlated significantly with a higher histological
      inflammatory activity (P = 0.001), there was a considerable overlap with the
      group seronegative for IgM anti-HDV, again indicating a poor specificity. This
      lack of specificity of IgM anti-HDV for both HDV replication and histological
      activity indicates that this assay provides no additional information over and
      above assay for total antibody to HDV.

PMID- 1856707
TI  - A cognitive morphology of psychopathology.
AB  - In contrast to contemporary approaches to psychopathology that establish
      diagnostic taxonomies derived primarily from differences in manifest symptoms,
      this paper, based on an integration of cognitive and psychoanalytic developmental
      theory, proposes a structural cognitive morphology for understanding and
      assessing differences among various forms of psychopathology, from schizophrenia
      to the neuroses. A theoretical model based on the development of cognitive
      schema, consistent with clinical and research data, considers schizophrenia and
      paranoid schizophrenia as involving fundamental disturbances in boundary
      articulation and recognition constancy, and considers borderline personality
      disorders as involving disturbances in evocative constancy. Also, a lack of
      integration of object and self-schema, expressed in either a distorted and
      exaggerated preoccupation with interpersonal relatedness or self-definition,
      defines two primary personality configurations that have implications for
      understanding the neuroses and subtypes of depression, as well as differential
      response to various types of psychotherapeutic intervention.

PMID- 1856708
TI  - Cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic: an open study.
AB  - This paper reports results of an open prospective study of 26 patients who met
      DSM-III criteria for panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks. Cognitive
      behavioral treatment alone produced clinically and statistically significant
      improvement in panic symptoms, including both full-blown and limited symptom
      episodes. In addition, the treatment produced improvement in associated symptoms
      of phobic avoidance and generalized anxiety. This work provides further
      preliminary indication of the usefulness of cognitive-behavioral strategies as an
      alternative to medication in symptom-oriented treatments.

PMID- 1856709
TI  - Cognitive-behavior therapy for panic disorder delivered by
      psychopharmacologically oriented clinicians.
AB  - A cognitive-behavioral treatment program for panic disorder was delivered by
      staff members of a psychiatric center that traditionally utilizes pharmacological
      methods. Psychiatrists, a nurse practitioner, and psychologists not previously
      exposed to behavioral techniques were trained by a behavioral psychologist to
      utilize a treatment program consisting of breathing control, cognitive
      restructuring, and exposure to panic-eliciting somatic cues. Of the 24 patients
      treated as part of this training in panic control therapy, 14 were panic-free
      after treatment and three additional patients showed moderate improvement and
      decreased frequency of panic. A case example is presented to demonstrate the
      application of behavioral techniques to individual patients. Discussion is
      focused on issues surrounding training in behavioral methods and problems in
      exporting behavioral technology to centers that emphasize psychopharmacological
      approaches to treatment.

PMID- 1856710
TI  - Early dropouts from psychotherapy.
AB  - Ninety-six patients requesting psychotherapy were studied prospectively at the
      time of screening interview by four senior psychiatrists using a variation on
      Luborsky's Helping Alliance questionnaire and the Osgood Semantic Differential.
      Significant differences were found at the time of screening between early
      dropouts and continuers, among screeners' rate of early dropouts, and among
      patients' perceptions of screeners. The screener with a high early dropout rate
      was seen as being more passive and less potent, and offering less new
      understanding than other screeners. Patients who dropped out early experienced a
      less strong helping alliance, felt they gained less new understanding, liked the
      clinician less well, felt less well liked and less respected, and saw the
      interviewer as more passive and psychotherapy as less potent than did continuers.

PMID- 1856711
TI  - The pet as an anxiolytic intervention.
AB  - The effect of a pet on psychological consequences of stress (i.e., state and
      trait anxiety levels) of college students was examined under three test
      conditions (i.e., reading aloud, reading quietly, and interacting with a friendly
      but unknown dog). A repeated-measures analysis of variance with three covariates
      was used to examine the effect of the treatment on each dependent variable (state
      and trait anxiety). Reading aloud differed from baseline measure under all
      treatment conditions (p less than .001). Reading quietly and interacting with the
      dog were slightly below baseline for variables, with more effect seen by reading
      quietly than by interacting with the dog. Examination of interactions among
      variables showed no significant differences. Effects upon state anxiety were
      significant, while trait anxiety levels remained fairly constant throughout the
      treatments. Baseline differences in trait anxiety scores indicate a potentially
      greater benefit for pet owners than nonowners. Selected social network and
      relationship data related to the role of the pet during anxiety-producing times
      were also analyzed. While interaction with the pet produced a decrease in anxiety
      level, pet owners did not report the use of their own pet as a social support
      (i.e., as confidant) significantly more than did previous owners. Results
      indicated that interacting with a pet for some individuals does affect both
      physiological and psychological responses by lowering response levels. However, a
      parallel effect was also seen by reading quietly. Given the effect of pet
      interaction upon selected social support indicators of health in well college
      students, these data suggest the importance of examining this treatment with an
      "at-risk" group in which it is possible to control for ownership characteristics.

PMID- 1856712
TI  - Alexithymic characteristics and metabolic control in diabetic and healthy adults.
AB  - Diabetes has long been identified as a disease with possible psychological
      components. Alexithymia--an inability to express emotions verbally, operational
      thinking, and a lack of fantasy life--is found in a high proportion of
      psychosomatic patients. We therefore tested the hypothesis that diabetics would
      be more alexithymic than controls. In addition, the lack of awareness of affect
      was hypothesized to have negative consequences for the management of diabetes, as
      reflected in metabolic glucose control (HbA1). The number of emotion words
      produced in six imaginative (Thematic Apperception Test) stories was used as the
      measure of alexithymia, with few words reflecting alexithymic characteristics.
      Diabetics were found to be significantly more alexithymic than controls. Further,
      fewer emotion words (alexithymia) was associated with poorer metabolic control.
      These data suggest that alexithymic characteristics may interfere with a
      diabetic's ability to manage their illness, and support previous research showing
      that the suppression of emotions can lead to a difficulty in regulating glucose
      levels.

PMID- 1856713
TI  - Signal detection analysis of short-term recall in schizophrenia.
AB  - Unlike many traditional performance measures, signal detection indices of
      sensitivity are free of response biases. Signal detection and traditional indices
      of performance were obtained from a short-term recall task during distractor and
      neutral conditions for schizophrenic patients and normal subjects. Items in each
      condition had been matched previously for difficulty and consistency to determine
      whether diminished recall during distraction represented a true differential
      deficit. Results showed similar patterns for both types of indices: normal
      subjects performed better than patients across both conditions, patients recalled
      less after presentation of a distractor than during a neutral condition, and
      normal subjects showed no performance decrement between the two conditions. These
      findings demonstrated that the differential deficit was due to changes in
      schizophrenic patients' sensitivity to stimulus items, not response biases.

PMID- 1856714
TI  - Discontinuation of lithium treatment in remitted bipolar patients: relationship
      between clinical outcome and changes in sleep-wake cycles.
AB  - In this preliminary report, we describe four patients in whom long-term lithium
      therapy was discontinued, combined with actigraphic monitoring to assess changes
      in motor activity and the sleep-wake cycle. Two patients experienced rapid
      relapse of manic symptomatology, while two remained stable throughout a 1-year
      follow-up. Actigraphic monitoring revealed disintegration of the sleep-wake cycle
      and increased motor activity in the relapsed patients only. It is suggested that
      actigraphic recordings can be used to monitor lithium discontinuation.

PMID- 1856715
TI  - An abbreviated questionnaire for quantifying treatment requests from Dutch
      outpatients.

PMID- 1856716
TI  - Valproate for rapid-cycling unipolar affective disorder.

PMID- 1856717
TI  - Self-mutilation by a man with posttraumatic stress disorder.

PMID- 1856718
TI  - Analysis of executive functioning in schizophrenics using the Wisconsin Card
      Sorting Test.

PMID- 1856719
TI  - Protein interactions with surface-immobilized metal ions: structure-dependent
      variations in affinity and binding capacity with temperature and urea
      concentration.
AB  - We have used equilibrium binding analyses to evaluate the influence of
      temperature and urea on the affinity of hen egg white lysozyme and bovine
      pancreatic ribonuclease A for surface-immobilized Cu(II) ions. Linear Scatchard
      plots suggested that these model proteins were interacting with immobilized metal
      ions via a single class of intermediate-affinity (Kd = 10-40 microM) binding
      sites. Alterations in temperature had little or no effect on the immobilized
      Cu(II) binding capacity of either protein. Temperature effects on the interaction
      affinity, however, were protein-dependent and varied considerably. The affinity
      of lysozyme for immobilized Cu(II) ions was significantly decreased with
      increased temperature (0 degree C-37 degrees C), yet the affinity of ribonuclease
      did not vary measurably over the same temperature range. The van 't Hoff plot (1n
      K vs 1/T) for lysozyme suggests a straight line relationship (single mechanism)
      with a delta H of approximately -5.5 kcal/mol. Urea effects also varied in a
      protein-dependent manner. A 10-fold reduction in the affinity of lysozyme for the
      immobilized Cu(II) was observed with the urea concentrations up to 3 M; yet urea
      had no effect on the affinity of ribonuclease for the immobilized metal ions.
      Although the interaction capacity of lysozyme with the immobilized Cu(II) ions
      was decreased by 50% in 3 M urea, ribonuclease interaction capacity was not
      diminished in urea. Thus, temperature- and urea-dependent alterations in protein
      metal ion interactions were observed for lysozyme but not ribonuclease A. The
      complete, yet reversible, inhibition of lysozyme- and ribonuclease-metal ion
      interactions by carboxyethylation with low concentrations of diethylpyrocarbonate
      provided direct evidence of histidyl involvement. The differential response of
      these proteins to the effects of temperature and urea was, therefore, interpreted
      based on calculated solvent-accessibilities and surface distributions of His
      residues, individual His residue pKa values, and specific features of the protein
      surface structure in the immediate environment of the surface-exposed histidyl
      residues. Possible interaction mechanisms involved in protein recognition of
      macromolecular surface-immobilized metal ions are presented.

PMID- 1856720
TI  - A circular dichroic study of Cu(II) binding to bovine alpha-lactalbumin.
AB  - The visible and ultraviolet circular dichroic spectra resulting from the
      interaction of bovine alpha-lactalbumin with successive Cu(II) ions have been
      recorded under a variety of conditions. Analysis of the observed change-transfer
      and d-d band transitions can be made in terms of two kinds of binding sites: at a
      histidyl group and at the N-terminal amino group, respectively. At basic pH the
      amide nitrogens of the peptide backbone progressively take part in the
      coordination. The occupation of the high affinity calcium binding site by Ca(II)
      and Mn(II) does not influence the Cu(II) binding process, suggesting that there
      is no direct interaction between this site and the Cu(II) binding sites.

PMID- 1856721
TI  - Thermodynamic data on the binding of six M2(+)-ions to bovine, goat, and human
      alpha-lactalbumin.
AB  - By batch microcalorimetry we titrated the apo-forms of bovine, goat, and human
      alpha-lactalbumin with Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, and Cd2+ ions at pH 7.5 and
      25 degrees C. The titration curves enabled us to calculate the apparent enthalpy
      changes and binding constants and thus, also the free energy and the entropy
      changes of the binding. CD-spectra showed that all cations induce the same
      conformational change to the native form of the protein. The calorimetric and
      spectroscopic results, as well as sequence comparisons confirm the hypothesis
      that all these ions occupy the very same site on the molecule. The thermodynamic
      parameters, plotted vs the ionic radii, run parallel for the three proteins,
      which illustrates the earlier proposed "rigid site" model.

PMID- 1856722
TI  - Organomercury(II) complexes of 6-thioguanine: synthesis, characterization, and
      biological studies.
AB  - Organomercury(II) complexes involving 6-thioguanine, of the type p-XC6H4HgL (Fig.
      1) [LH = 6-thioguanine; X = Me, MeO, NO2], have been synthesized and
      characterized. Conductance measurements indicate that the complexes are
      nonelectrolytes. From IR and UV studies, it is concluded that 6-thioguanine acts
      as a bidentate ligand, coordinating through the 6-thione group and deprotonation
      of N-7. 1H and 13C NMR support the stoichiometry of the complexes. From thermal
      studies (TG and DSC) various kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for thermal
      degradation have been enumerated. In addition, the fragmentation pattern of the
      complexes have been analyzed on the basis of mass spectra. The p-MeC6H4HgL and p
      MeOC6H4HgL complexes display significant activity against L1210 leukemia cells.

PMID- 1856723
TI  - Acetazolamide-M(II) [M(II) = Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II)] complexes with ethylamine,
      diethylamine, triethylamine, and potassium hidroxide.
AB  - Complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) with dideprotonated Acm are synthesized
      and characterized. Acm acts as bidentate ligand through the N-sulfonamido atom
      and the N-thiadiazole atom except for K6CoAcm4.6H2O in which Acm behaves as
      monodentate through the N-sulfonamido atom.

PMID- 1856724
TI  - Binding of mercury(II) to protein thiol groups: a study of proteinase K and
      carboxypeptidase Y.
AB  - Chemically modified enzymes have been prepared by incorporating an -Hg-L group
      into proteinase K and carboxypeptidase Y at the thiol groups of Cys-73 and Cys
      341, respectively (L = CN- or I-). The -S-Hg-13CN group has been applied as a
      spectroscopic label for carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy.

PMID- 1856725
TI  - The need for adequate control groups in nutrition studies.

PMID- 1856726
TI  - Increased interleukin-1 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in
      patients with multiple sclerosis.
AB  - The production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells
      (MNC) was assessed in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in both the
      active and inactive phase, in chronic progressive MS patients, in other
      neurological diseases, and in healthy subjects. Production was determined by
      measuring the IL-1 concentration in cultures with MNC supernatants using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-1 in sera of MS patients and healthy
      subjects also was investigated. MNC IL-1 alpha production was significantly
      higher in MS patients (180.2 +/- 177.5 pg/ml) than in healthy subjects (66.2 +/-
      66.0 pg/ml) (P less than 0.05). Relapsing MS patients in the active phase had
      significantly higher MNC IL-1 alpha concentrations (360.1 +/- 130.0 pg/ml) than
      normal subjects (P less than 0.001), but MNC IL-1 alpha production in patients
      with relapsing MS in the inactive phase (65.3 +/- 52.8 pg/ml) or chronic
      progressive MS (80.9 +/- 71.9 pg/ml) was not increased significantly. MNC IL-1
      beta production in MS patients was not elevated significantly. IL-1 alpha and -1
      beta were not detected in sera of MS patients. The correlation between increased
      IL-1 alpha production and the clinical course of MS suggests that activated MNC
      may play a role in the pathogenesis of MS.

PMID- 1856727
TI  - Hyaluronidase as an adjuvant in the management of tuberculous spinal
      arachnoiditis.
AB  - Spinal arachnoiditis, a complication of tuberculous meningitis, is not uncommon;
      it may develop despite specific chemotherapy and steroids, and existing avenues
      of treatment for it are unsatisfactory. The enzyme hyaluronidase, by virtue of
      its action of hydrolysing the glucosaminidic bonds of hyaluronic acid and other
      mucopolysaccharides of the ground substance, offers a promising mode of
      treatment. Sixty-six patients with spinal arachnoiditis secondary to tuberculous
      meningitis were seen over an 8-year period. All these patients received
      antituberculous drugs and steroids; 39 of them (group A), who, in addition, were
      given intrathecal hyaluronidase, fared better than the remaining 27 (group B),
      who did not receive this enzyme. This study was non-randomised. The disability
      and functional deficit score showed a significant decrease from 7.6 to 3.7 in the
      enzyme-treated group in contrast to a mild change from 8.1 to 6.9 in the
      untreated group. Further, in group A the mortality was 5.2% whereas in group B it
      was 25.9%. There was a marked 5-fold decrease in mean CSF protein in group A
      while in group B there was no significant change. There were no serious side
      effects due to repeated administration of intrathecal hyaluronidase. Thus this
      study provides convincing evidence of the therapeutic role of hyaluronidase in
      the management of tuberculous spinal arachnoiditis and replicates our earlier
      observation of the safety of hyaluronidase given intrathecally.

PMID- 1856728
TI  - Pattern and ethnic variations in stroke in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - We report our observations in 427 stroke patients (305 Saudis, 122 non-Saudis
      with an age range of 14 months to 85 years) seen in a tertiary hospital in the
      eastern province of Saudi Arabia over an 8-year period. Of these patients, 115
      (27%) were between 18 and 45 years old, and constituted the "young stroke
      patients" for this study. The hospital frequency for the young was 5/10,000
      inpatients. In general, there was a male preponderance, with a male:female ratio
      of 2.2:1 and 7:1 for Saudis and non-Saudis, respectively. Ischemic stroke (55%)
      was more frequent than hemorrhagic stroke (25%), and the stroke was unspecified
      in 20%. The main etiologic factors were hypertension, diabetes mellitus and
      cardiac disorders. In the young population, the frequencies of hemorrhagic and
      ischemic strokes were similar. In this group, the main causes of intracerebral
      hemorrhage were aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, while arteriosclerosis
      and embolism of cardiac origin were responsible for the ischemic strokes. In
      Saudis, the stroke types were 59% ischemic, and 17% hemorrhagic, as against 45
      and 48% in non-Saudis, respectively. Most ischemic strokes were found in Saudis
      (78%). Intracerebral hemorrhage accounted for 63% of all hemorrhagic strokes, and
      was more frequent in Saudis but subarachnoid hemorrhage was three times more
      common in non-Saudis. In the young stroke patients, interethnic comparison showed
      that individuals from the Far East were nine times more likely to have
      hemorrhagic than ischemic stroke compared to the others (odd's ratio = 8.7), and
      the etiology of ischemic stroke remained undetermined in 67% of those from the
      Indian subcontinent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856729
TI  - Sensitivity of eye movement registration and visual evoked potentials in
      evaluation of therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis.
AB  - A major problem in the evaluation of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment protocols
      is the lack of an objective and reliable marker of disease activity. In 24 MS
      patients who were treated with high doses of intravenous methylprednisolone
      because of an acute relapse or progressive disease the clinical improvement (as
      measured by the Kurtzke expanded disability status scale) was compared with two
      paraclinical parameters, i.e. visual evoked potentials (VEP) and the registration
      of saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements. After treatment a significant
      clinical improvement was found in 50% of the patients. The registration of eye
      movements revealed a significant improvement in 83% of the patients, the VEP in
      21%. It is demonstrated that especially the registration of eye movements can
      have an important application as an objective and sensitive method in the
      assessment of neurological functions during MS treatment protocols.

PMID- 1856730
TI  - Cerebral hypoperfusion correlates with mild and parenchymal loss with severe
      multi-infarct dementia.
AB  - Relative contributions of two potential pathogenetic factors for cognitive
      impairments among patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID) are reported.
      Cognitive test scores were correlated with measures of cerebral hypoperfusion and
      loss of brain parenchyma. Local cerebral blood flow values were determined
      utilizing stable xenon contrasted computed tomography and volumes for brain
      parenchyma were estimated from ratios of volumes of infarcted brain plus
      cerebrospinal fluid/total intracranial volume measured on the same CT slices
      among two groups of patients, one with mild and the other with severe MID. A
      total of 26 demented patients with multiple cerebral infarcts were divided into 2
      index groups, one with mild and the other with severe MID (mild MID, CCSE greater
      than or equal to 15, n = 16; severe MID, CCSE less than 15, n = 10). Results were
      compared with similar measures among age-matched neurologically normal volunteers
      (n = 14). Ratios for volumes of lost brain parenchyma were significantly higher
      among severe MID patients than among age-matched normal volunteers, whereas
      estimates of brain loss among patients with mild MID did not differ from elderly
      normal volunteers. In patients with mild MID, LCBF values for cortical gray
      matter were decreased compared with age-matched normal volunteers. Results
      suggest that chronic cerebral hypoperfusion is an important determinant for mild
      dementia among patients in the early stages of MID, but volumes of lost cerebral
      parenchyma due to cerebral infarctions is an important determinant for advanced
      stages of MID.

PMID- 1856731
TI  - Anti-presynaptic membrane receptor antibodies in myasthenia gravis.
AB  - Myasthenia gravis (MG) is considered as an autoimmune disease of neuromuscular
      junction resulting from antibodies directed to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). We
      describe the use of beta-bungarotoxin (beta-BuTx) and alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha
      BuTx) to capture their corresponding proteins from preparation of crude human
      muscle receptor. beta-BuTx binds to presynaptic membrane receptor (PsmR) of the
      whole receptor fraction, while alpha-BuTx binds to AchR. The captured proteins
      were used as antigen in ELISA to detect antibodies to PsmR and to AchR in sera
      from 82 Chinese patients with MG and in controls. In MG, antibodies to PsmR only
      were detected in 13%, to AchR only in 11% and both to PsmR and AchR in 54%. Only
      3 of 50 patients with other neurological diseases and none of 50 healthy subjects
      had these antibodies. Specificity tests for antibodies showed that the detection
      systems which we used are specific and confident. No correlation was found
      between antibody levels and clinical status. The significance of the PsmR
      antibodies in the pathogenesis of MG is unknown. We suggest that myasthenia
      gravis is not only due to damage of the postsynaptic membrane, but of presynaptic
      structures as well.

PMID- 1856732
TI  - Increased frequency of chromosome aberrations in long-term cultured cerebrospinal
      fluid lymphocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis.
AB  - A method employing long-term lymphocyte culturing was developed to study
      chromosome aberrations in samples with very few cells. It was used to examine
      lymphocytes from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood (PB) in 23
      patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS), nine patients with
      other neurological diseases (OND), and eight healthy individuals. MS patients had
      significantly more aberrations in CSF lymphocytes than in PB lymphocytes (6.4 vs
      4.1; P = 0.003). In contrast, no such difference was noted among patients with
      OND (3.8 vs. 3.7; P = 0.89) or healthy controls (3.6 vs 3.5; P = 0.90). CSF
      lymphocytes from MS patients had more aberrations than CSF lymphocytes from
      healthy controls (P = 0.012), but there was no difference between PB lymphocytes
      from MS patients and controls (P = 0.58). The patients with OND were similar to
      healthy controls both in CSF (3.8 vs 3.6; P = 0.91) and PB lymphocytes (3.7 vs
      3.5; P = 0.90).

PMID- 1856733
TI  - Search for antibodies to neutral glycolipids in sera of patients with Guillain
      Barre syndrome.
AB  - Sera from 54 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), 34 patients with other
      neurological diseases (OND) and 32 healthy controls were tested for antibodies to
      total lipid fractions and higher neutral glycolipid fractions isolated from human
      and dog nerves, purified Forssman glycolipid and a panel of purified neutral
      glycolipids by both an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a thin-layer
      chromatogram (TLC)-overlay technique. IgM and IgG antibodies to total lipid
      fractions, as well as to galactocerebroside, ceramide dihexoside, ceramide
      trihexoside, and globoside were not significantly elevated in the sera of GBS
      patients as compared to controls. High levels of anti-asialo-GM1 IgG antibodies,
      however, were detected in 6 of 54 (11%) GBS patients and 1 of 30 (3%) OND
      patients. Intense reactivity with purified Forssman glycolipid and a number of
      glycolipid antigens in higher neutral glycolipid enriched fractions of human
      cauda equina and dog sciatic nerves was noted by TLC-immunostaining in many GBS
      and control sera. Although the levels of anti-Forssman IgM were significantly
      decreased in GBS sera compared with normal sera (P less than 0.05) and OND sera
      (P less than 0.02), the levels of anti-Forssman IgG antibodies were not
      significantly different. With the possible exception of IgG antibodies to asialo
      GM1, our results suggest that serum antibodies against Forssman glycolipid and
      neutral glycolipids are not significantly elevated in GBS patients and, thus, are
      unlikely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

PMID- 1856734
TI  - A case of adult onset pure pallidal degeneration. I. Clinical manifestations and
      neuropathological observations.
AB  - We present a case of adult onset progressive neurodegenerative disease with a
      selective involvement in the globus pallidus (GP). The main symptom was extreme
      slowness in motion without rigidity, which was distinct from akinesia of
      parkinsonism. Dystonic posture developed in neck and fingers and mild
      rigidospasticity appeared in a later stage. Neuropathological examination shows a
      selective neuronal loss with gliosis in GP and degeneration of the efferent
      fibers. Although the subthalamic nucleus is slightly atrophic with minimal
      gliosis, there is no neuronal loss in the nucleus. The rest of the structures are
      pathologically insignificant. Because the pathological change is confined to GP
      neurons and their efferent fibers, we think that the marked slowness in motion
      and dystonic posture are ascribable to the selective GP lesion. A degenerative
      neurological disorder preferentially involved in GP was reported as pure pallidal
      degeneration (PPD). The onset of the PPD was in the first or second decades and
      the main symptoms were choreoathetosis, torsion dystonia and progressive
      rigidity. These distinct clinical features seemed to distinguish the present case
      from the previously described PPD. Therefore, we would like to call our case
      "adult onset" PPD. Clinicopathological correlation is discussed.

PMID- 1856735
TI  - A short plasma exchange protocol is effective in severe myasthenia gravis.
AB  - Plasma exchange has been reported to be a successful therapeutic procedure for
      the treatment of severely compromised myasthenic patients, but the optimal
      regimen in terms of costs or clinical benefit has not so far been determined. We
      have investigated the efficacy of a short plasmapheresis protocol of two
      exchanges 1 day apart in a series of 70 patients with severe forms of myasthenia
      gravis. Patients were evaluated before and 7 days after the first exchange. A
      positive outcome was observed in 70% of the plasma exchange cycles performed.
      Disease severity did not seem to be a negative prognostic factor for the efficacy
      of this short protocol, which was well tolerated by patients. In only 1 case were
      major side-effects observed. In spite of its short duration, the exchange
      treatment plus concomitant immunosuppressive drug therapy was not followed by
      early clinical deterioration.

PMID- 1856736
TI  - The effect of zidovudine on chronic myelopathy associated with HTLV-1.

PMID- 1856737
TI  - Induction of seizures by transcranial magnetic stimulation in epileptic patients.

PMID- 1856738
TI  - Glial cells and the new neurology. A meeting report on a conference entitled
      "Glial neuronal interaction", 4-7 September 1990, Cambridge, UK.

PMID- 1856739
TI  - Transplantation of embryonic dopamine neurons: what we know from rats.

PMID- 1856741
TI  - Assessment of proliferative potential in gliomatosis cerebri.
AB  - The proliferative potential of neoplastic cells in two cases of gliomatosis
      cerebri was investigated by a combined staining technique, a one-step silver
      colloid method for nucleolar organizer region-associated protein (AgNOR) and
      immunohistochemistry for fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The neoplastic cells
      in the two cases had an abnormal shape and showed positive GFAP immunostaining in
      their cytoplasm. The numbers of AgNORs were counted in central and peripheral
      lesions of the neoplastic field in each case. The mean AgNOR scores in neoplastic
      cells were almost the same as those of nonneoplastic astrocytes in both the
      central and the peripheral lesions. These values were almost equal to the AgNOR
      score of low-grade gliomas. These findings indicate that gliomatosis cerebri has
      an invasive character in the central nervous system and often shows a malignant
      tendency, but its proliferative potential is significantly lower than that of
      high-grade gliomas.

PMID- 1856740
TI  - Antibodies in sera from patients with inflammatory demyelinating
      polyradiculoneuropathy react with ganglioside LM1 and sulphatide of peripheral
      nerve myelin.
AB  - Sera from 23 patients with acute Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS), 15 patients with
      chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and from 40 age
      matched blood donors were analysed for antibodies to acidic glycosphingolipids
      from human brain and peripheral nerve. Antibodies to ganglioside LM1, the major
      ganglioside of peripheral nerve myelin. were found in 43% of GBS and in 67% of
      CIDP patients' sera, and in 20% of the blood donors. However, antisulphatide
      antibodies were detected in 65% and 87% of the sera from GBS and CIDP patients,
      respectively, but only in 15% of the control sera. Sulphatide is the major acidic
      glycosphingolipid in myelin and its concentration in peripheral nerve myelin is
      100 times higher than that of LM1. The high frequency of LM1 and, in particular
      of sulphatide antibodies, might thus be relevant to the pathogenesis of the GBS
      and CIDP.

PMID- 1856742
TI  - A community-based study of incidence, risk factors and outcome of transient
      ischaemic attacks in Umbria, Italy: the SEPIVAC study.
AB  - The SEPIVAC study is a community-based epidemiological survey of incidence and
      outcome of transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) and strokes in the territory of the
      6th Local Health Unit, Umbria, Italy, where 49,218 people live, from 1 September
      1986 to 31 August 1989. All cases were registered with the study either by
      notification from general practitioners (GPs) or by a check of hospital admission
      within the study area and in the two hospitals of Perugia. There were 94 incident
      cases of TIAs (45 males, 49 females), thus giving a crude rate of 0.64 per 1000
      per year [95% conficence intervals (CI) 0.52/0.78]. The rate adjusted to the
      European population is 0.42 (CI 0.33/0.54). Mean age was 69.4 years, and females
      were significantly older than males. The weighted relative risk for males was
      1.19 (CI 0.79/1.79). Thirty-one patients were treated at home by their GPs.
      Females had hypertension more frequently than males, whereas males smoked more
      frequently; we did not find any other statistically significant difference in the
      distribution of risk factors. Twelve patients out of 58 who had CT had an
      infarct, and 29 out of 54 submitted to Doppler ultrasonography had carotid
      stenosis. At 1 month, 4 patients had suffered an ischaemic stroke, 1 of whom
      died. At 6 months, 3 further strokes and 2 further deaths (1 due to myocardial
      infarction) had occurred.

PMID- 1856744
TI  - An investigation into attrition of dental hygienists from the work force.

PMID- 1856743
TI  - Smoking and hypertension: risk factors for carotid stenosis.
AB  - The prevalence of smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus was assessed in 221
      patients suffering from internal carotid stenosis and compared with the
      prevalences in two sex- and age-matched control groups composed of subjects
      having normal Doppler findings and from non-neurological outpatients. Of the
      subjects with carotid stenosis 27.6% were hypertensive smokers in comparison with
      9.5% and 17.2% in the two control groups. The difference of the stenosis cohort
      from the two control groups was significant (P less than 0.01 and P = 0.016
      respectively). There was no statistically significant differences between the
      occurrence of diabetes and hypertension in non-smokers and patients who smoked.
      In 394 investigated patients suffering from carotid stenosis or occlusion an
      obstruction index, based on the Doppler shift frequency, was calculated. This
      index was lowest in the normotensive smokers [corrected]. It was only
      insignificantly higher in the hypertensive non-smokers but significantly so in
      the normotensive smokers. The index was highest in the hypertensive smokers
      [corrected]. It was concluded that cigarette smoking, especially if associated
      with hypertension, is a determinant risk factor for carotid stenosis and
      occlusion.

PMID- 1856745
TI  - Can state licensing boards do better?

PMID- 1856746
TI  - Factors affecting participation in external degree completion programs.
AB  - Although many dental hygienists have considered pursuing a baccalaureate degree,
      many barriers intervene to prevent accomplishment of this goal. The external
      degree is one option that could be available to overcome some of the barriers to
      accessibility. An external program is one that makes education accessible to
      students in nontraditional ways. A characteristic of these programs is that
      students can usually pursue academic credit toward a degree without being
      physically present on the degree-granting campus for the majority of the program.
      This paper reports the results of a 1988 survey of certificate and associate
      degree dental hygienists' interest in an external baccalaureate degree completion
      program. A questionnaire was mailed to 213 certificate and associate degree
      dental hygienists in Tennessee who had expressed an interest in degree
      completion. Two hundred six questionnaires were returned for a response rate of
      96.7%. In order to determine the potential success of such programs, the
      following factors were explored: the motivations or reasons for participating;
      program design factors that might encourage or deter participation; degree of
      employer support; and individual characteristics relevant to participation, such
      as personal commitment and demographic information. Geographic location,
      flexibility in scheduling, and accessibility to course work were the program
      design factors most important to the likely participants. Likely participants
      indicated that they wanted to return to complete their baccalaureate degrees for
      personal satisfaction, for the status of the degree, and to increase their
      knowledge and skill in dental hygiene. They indicated that they did not want to
      change the focus of their careers. The area of study rated as most important was
      advanced clinical dental hygiene. The likely participants were found to resemble
      other nontraditional students. They averaged 34 years of age, were married with
      children living at home, and were able to study on a part-time basis only. The
      analysis of the data obtained from the questionnaire led to the conclusion that
      external program design factors would be essential for most certificate and
      associate degree dental hygienists to participate in a baccalaureate degree
      completion program.

PMID- 1856747
TI  - KVP meter errors induced by plastic wrap.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether erroneous kVp meter readings,
      induced by plastic wrap, affected the actual kVp (output) of a dental X-ray
      machine. To evaluate the effect of plastic wrap on dental X-ray machine kVp
      meters, a radiation output device was used to measure output in mR/ma.s. An
      intraoral dental X-ray unit (S.S. White Model #90W) was used to make the
      exposures. First, the kVp meter was not covered with plastic wrap and output
      readings were recorded at various kVp settings with the milliamperage and time
      held constant. Secondly, the same kVp settings were selected before the plastic
      wrap was placed. Milliamperage and time were again held to the same constant. The
      X-ray console was then covered with plastic wrap prior to measuring the output
      for each kVp. The wrap possessed a static charge. This charge induced erroneous
      kVp meter readings. Out-put readings at the various induced kVp settings were
      then recorded. A kVp of 50 with no wrap present resulted in the same output as a
      kVp of 50 induced to read 40 or 60 kVp by the presence of wrap. Similar results
      were obtained at other kVp settings. This indicates that the plastic wrap
      influences only the kVp meter needle and not the actual kilovoltage of the X-ray
      machine. Dental X-ray machine operators should select kVp meter readings prior to
      placing plastic wrap and should not adjust initial settings if the meter is
      deflected later by the presence of wrap. The use of such a procedure will result
      in proper exposures, fewer retakes, and less patient radiation. If plastic wrap
      leads to consistent exposure errors, clinicians may wish to use a 0.5% sodium
      hypochlorite disinfectant as an alternative to the barrier technique.

PMID- 1856748
TI  - AIDS education in dental hygiene programs in the United States and Canada.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine school policies, acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) -related content areas, and curricula hours
      devoted to AIDS study in accredited schools of dental hygiene. The sample
      included all 217 accredited programs in the United States and Canada. Eighty-five
      percent (184) of the sample completed the 10-item questionnaire. Results reveal
      that 98% of the respondents include information on the oral disease
      manifestations of AIDS in their curricula. Over 70% of the sample include
      material on AIDS etiology, incidence, epidemiology, general clinical symptoms,
      HIV testing, attitudes and fears of practitioners, and dental hygiene care and
      treatment. Most schools spend four to 10 curricula hours covering general content
      on AIDS. Over one-half of the respondents require students to use special
      infection control protocols. When treating known infectious disease patients.
      Most schools responding have policies which favor student treatment of HIV
      positive patients, and the majority of the respondents do not have a written
      policy concerning admitting students who are HIV-positive. Less than 30% of the
      schools teach financing of AIDS-related healthcare or AIDS resources. One
      respondent admitted not including any AIDS information in the curricula. Results
      suggest that most accredited schools of dental hygiene in the United States and
      Canada should include additional information on AIDS in their curricula to ensure
      student competency in providing oral healthcare to HIV-infected individuals.

PMID- 1856749
TI  - Personality characteristics and career choice among dental hygiene students
      enrolled in non-baccalaureate programs.
AB  - The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the personality characteristics of
      dental hygiene students, and (2) to determine if dental hygiene students have
      personality characteristics similar to those of the general population. Students
      from three non-baccalaureate degree programs were requested to complete a
      demographic questionnaire and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Eighty-six
      percent of the 124 students responded. The MBTI data was analyzed using frequency
      distributions, electivity indices, and chi-square analyses. Individuals
      categorized as ESFJ (extraversion, sensing, feeling, and judging) and ISFJ
      (introversion, sensing, feeling, and judging), two of the possible 16 MBTI
      personality types, comprised 39% of the sample. These two personality types were
      found in significantly greater numbers in the study population than in a random
      sample of the general population. People with the ISTJ (introversion, sensing,
      thinking, and judging), INFP (introversion, intuition, feeling, and perception),
      and INFJ (introversion, intuition, feeling, and judging) MBTI personality types
      were found in significantly lesser numbers in the study population than in a
      random sample of the general population. This suggests that dental hygiene
      students are not drawn at random from the general population. Self-knowledge, as
      measured by the MBTI, could prove beneficial for prospective dental hygiene
      students, students currently enrolled in dental hygiene programs, and educators.
      Additionally, practicing dental hygienists might find that the MBTI personality
      assessment results could help them identify career paths in the field that would
      enhance career fulfillment, thereby increasing the retention of professionals in
      the field.

PMID- 1856750
TI  - Identifying hearing impairment among older adults.
AB  - A survey of older-young and younger-old adults (ages 45-64) was conducted to
      identify the existence of a hearing impairment as described by a self
      administered hearing test. Seventy of 96 surveys were returned yielding a
      response rate of 73%. The results indicated that the younger age group (ages 45
      54) scored lower on the hearing loss test than the older age group (ages 55-64),
      suggesting a greater degree of loss in older adults, and females scored lower
      suggesting a greater degree of hearing loss in males. Responses also revealed a
      positive correlation of .77% between the respondent's perception of ability to
      hear and a relative/friend's perception of the respondent's ability to hear.

PMID- 1856751
TI  - Ovarian hormones and gingivitis.

PMID- 1856752
TI  - Assessing periodontal disease activity. The role of bacteriological,
      immunological, and DNA assays.

PMID- 1856753
TI  - A model for integrating student and faculty research.
AB  - Research productivity is a major criterion for measuring academic performance in
      most universities today. Because of heavy teaching loads, dental hygiene faculty
      often have difficulty allocating adequate time to conduct research. Thus,
      professional advancement might be impeded since faculty may be less productive in
      the research area than is desired by the academic unit. A method that might
      assist dental hygiene faculty to become more research productive focuses on
      student involvement with faculty on collaborative research projects. The purpose
      of this article is to describe a model designed to enhance the integration of
      faculty and student research in dental hygiene and to explain the benefits
      inherent in dental hygiene student involvement with faculty on collaborative
      research projects.

PMID- 1856754
TI  - Volunteers.

PMID- 1856755
TI  - High-tech removal of fractured posts, silver points and separated devices.
AB  - Situations sometimes arise in the endodontic treatment of teeth when it is
      necessary to remove intact or fractured posts, silver points or separated files.
      It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the problems and solutions associated
      with retreatment of such cases.

PMID- 1856756
TI  - Ectopic eruption of the first permanent molar.
AB  - It is possible to resolve an ectopic eruption with the placement of a steel crown
      on the second primary molar. This article is a review of the recent literature
      and the presentation of three cases showing the resolution of ectopic molars
      using steel crowns.

PMID- 1856757
TI  - Correction of an anterior crossbite with a steel crown.

PMID- 1856758
TI  - Dental complications of bulimia nervosa.

PMID- 1856759
TI  - Does your practice need another doctor?

PMID- 1856760
TI  - Bereavement. Who counsels the counselor?

PMID- 1856761
TI  - Antepartum fetal assessment. A nurse-midwifery perspective.
AB  - This article provides an in-depth review of the most current antepartum fetal
      assessment techniques. Included in this review are both low- and high-technology
      methods, such as fetal movement counting, nonstress tests, vibroacoustic
      stimulation, auscultated acceleration tests, contraction stress tests, amniotic
      fluid index, biophysical profiles, and Doppler velocimetry. The interpretation of
      antepartum testing using screening test validity concepts is addressed, as is the
      current and emerging role of the nurse-midwife in fetal assessment. By
      integrating content on maternal and fetal physiology, including a critical review
      of current literature, together with relevant clinical information, including
      protocols, this article provides a useful guide to fetal assessment for nurse
      midwives.

PMID- 1856762
TI  - Maternal health practices and complications of term labor.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between a healthful
      life-style, demonstrated by selected health practices, and complications in term
      labor. A sample of 493 clinic patients were interviewed at term, but prior to the
      onset of labor, regarding nine health practices. In a logistic regression, three
      of the nine practices examined were associated with significant changes in the
      rate of intrapartum complications: smokers experienced fewer intrapartum
      problems, whereas those with excess weight for height at conception and those
      whose gestational weight gain exceeded 40 pounds experienced an increased
      incidence of complications.

PMID- 1856763
TI  - Development and validation of the Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Data Set.
AB  - This paper describes the procedures used to develop and validate the Nurse
      Midwifery Clinical Data Set (NMCDS), a uniform, standardized tool for the purpose
      of data collection about midwifery clinical practice. The instrument was
      developed under the auspices of the ACNM Division of Research, and it was shown
      to be valid for the purposes of quality assessment data collection through the
      use of specific instrument development and field testing procedures. These
      procedures included consensus panel development, expert panel review,
      standardization, feasibility analysis, and validation through comparison with
      previous outcome data and record review. The 1990 version of the NMCDS is
      appended to the article.

PMID- 1856764
TI  - Political participation behaviors of nurse-midwives.
AB  - Political participation, which is promoted by nurse-midwifery leaders, is a
      widely studied topic in this country. Yet, there is little data that describes
      political participation among health care providers such as nurse-midwives. The
      descriptive findings presented here are from a national survey of a random sample
      of members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The data indicate that
      nurse-midwives are inclined to be liberal and Democrats and they believe that
      individuals such as themselves can influence governmental activities. As in the
      general population of the country, the electoral act of voting is the predominant
      political activity. Nurse-midwives are more apt to demonstrate nonelectoral
      political behaviors in regard to women's issues. Overall, there is a general
      assumption that the representatives of the ACNM membership maintain the
      responsibility for political action.

PMID- 1856766
TI  - Midwifery education and research in the future.
AB  - This paper is adapted from a plenary lecture presented at the 22nd International
      Congress, International Confederation of Midwives, Kobe, Japan, October 11, 1990.
      Midwifery education and research in the past, present, and future are discussed.
      Special emphasis is placed on innovation in midwifery education to address more
      adequately the worldwide concern about safe motherhood. Midwifery research and
      the integral components of information and inquiry are also discussed, with
      emphasis on five major areas in need of further research. Collaborative education
      and research are explored from both an interdisciplinary and an international
      perspective.

PMID- 1856765
TI  - Comparison between different perineal outcomes on tissue healing.
AB  - Perineal healing was compared between 181 women with episiotomies and 186 women
      without episiotomies at one to two weeks after delivery. Subjects were medically
      indigent low-risk women who had normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries at the same
      tertiary-care hospital. Maternal age, race, parity, and birth weight did not have
      an independent effect on perineal healing. Perineal outcome at delivery and
      length of second stage exhibited a significant relationship with perineal
      healing. Overall, there was a 4.9% incidence of delayed perineal healing due to
      wound separation or clinical infection. In the episiotomy group, 7.7% of the
      subjects experienced delayed perineal healing compared with 2.2% in the no
      episiotomy group. This was statistically significant using Pearson chi-square
      analysis. These results suggest that women without episiotomies exhibit better
      perineal healing than women with episiotomies.

PMID- 1856767
TI  - Comanagement of the patient on subcutaneous terbutaline pump therapy.
AB  - The subcutaneous terbutaline pump is a new modality available for pharmacologic
      treatment of preterm labor. Because nurse-midwives may be involved in the care of
      women on this therapy, an overview of terbutaline pharmacology, pump development,
      and advantages versus disadvantages of this therapy is provided. Initiation of
      therapy in the appropriate patient is described. Outpatient therapy is the goal
      for these women, and the nurse-midwife may appropriately comanage this aspect of
      care. Guidelines are presented for physical and psychosocial care.

PMID- 1856768
TI  - Reassessment of the metabolic effects of oral contraceptives.

PMID- 1856769
TI  - Facial flushing in children: a variant of the auriculo-temporal syndrome.
AB  - Duphenix in 1757 has been credited with describing the first case of gustatory
      sweating which occurred after drainage of a parotid abscess. Later, Baillarger
      reported a case in which the sweating occurred on both sides because of bilateral
      parotitis. In 1923, Frey reported a case of gustatory sweating caused by an
      infected bullet wound of the parotid. She noted that the sweating coincided with
      the skin distribution of the auriculo-temporal nerve. Since her report, gustatory
      sweating has also been known as the "Auriculo-temporal Syndrome" or "Frey's
      Syndrome."

PMID- 1856771
TI  - Dental photography with a professional approach.

PMID- 1856770
TI  - Indiana infant-toddler dental care survey.
AB  - The purpose of this project was to survey Indiana dentists concerning dental care
      for Indiana infants and toddlers. Dental care issues covered were the age for a
      child's first dental visit, frequency of rampant or nursing caries cases
      examined, and dental referral sources for infants and toddlers. The survey also
      helped determine the dentist's perception of parents' attitudes toward services
      recommended by the dentist. A twelve question survey was mailed to 2006 general
      and pediatric dentists in the State of Indiana. The results of the survey were:
      1. A large percentage of Indiana dental practitioners do not recommend the first
      dental visit or examine children for their dental visit until the child is more
      than one year of age. 2. A majority of Indiana dental practitioners see children
      with nursing caries or rampant caries on a monthly basis. 3. The majority of
      Indiana dental practitioners refer children with nursing caries to pediatric
      dentists for treatment. 4. Although the full treatment plan may undergo some
      modification based on various parental concerns, a majority of practitioners do
      not experience difficulty in obtaining treatment plan acceptance for nursing or
      rampant caries cases.

PMID- 1856772
TI  - Shortened dental arches and periodontal support.
AB  - The periodontal support of subjects with shortened dental arches (SDA, n = 74),
      and of subjects with SDA and free-end removable partial dentures in the lower jaw
      (SDA and RPD, n = 25) was compared with that of subjects with complete dental
      arches (CDA, n = 72). The periodontal support was determined by tooth mobility
      and alveolar bone height, measured on a radiograph, of the distal alveolar bone
      of the premolars. Significant differences in tooth mobility were found between
      the three groups of subjects. The relative bone height showed a trend towards
      lower values for the SDA group and the SDA and RPD group. For some teeth these
      differences were significant. Premolars that are the most posteriorly located
      occluding teeth in the dental arch tend to have a lower relative alveolar bone
      height than premolars in an intermediate location. This effect is more marked in
      the upper jaw than in the lower jaw. Premolars in the lower jaw, that serve as
      abutment teeth for free-end RPDs, tend to show lower values for the relative bone
      height. It is concluded that the differences between the three groups with regard
      to the periodontal support are small. The large amount of crowns and bridges in
      both the SDA and SDA and RPD groups, and the dental history of these subjects,
      resulting in SDA, should be taken into account. However, as indicated by the
      periodontal breakdown of premolars in some subjects with SDA, the combination of
      an existing severe periodontal involvement and a SDA is considered to be an
      unfavourable situation.

PMID- 1856773
TI  - Porosity of pit and fissure sealants.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate the bulk porosity of a range of pit and
      fissure sealants. The following materials were included in the study: Concise
      White Sealant and Delton (chemically cured); Delton (visible light-cured);
      Helioseal, Visioseal and Prolite (visible light-cured with delivery from the
      bottle via cannule); Delton, Luma Seal and Prisma Shield (visible light-cured
      with syringe-type direct delivery systems). Five cylindrical samples, 7 mm in
      diameter and 1 mm in thickness, were prepared from each sealant and the following
      parameters were analysed in a computer-controlled mercury porosimeter: (i) total
      cumulative pore volume; (ii) specific surface area of pores; (iii) percentage
      total porosity (iv) bulk density; and (v) pore radius distribution. According to
      the results, the chemically cured sealants exhibited total cumulative pore
      volume, specific surface area of pores and total porosity. Significant
      differences were detected within the group of visible light-cured materials. The
      visible light-cured sealants with syringe-type delivery exhibited the lowest
      porosity.

PMID- 1856774
TI  - Masseteric post-stimulus EMG complex following mechanical stimulation of
      osseointegrated oral implants.
AB  - Periodontal receptors can be located in the periodontal ligament itself, the
      alveolar bone, the periosteum and the gingiva. The aim of the present study was
      to quantify the contribution of the periodontal ligament receptors in eliciting a
      reflex response in human masseter muscles. Surface EMG recordings were made in 17
      human subjects, fully or partially edentulous, and all provided with
      osseointegrated oral implants ad modum Branemark. They maintained a constant
      clenching level. Mechanical stimulation of an oral implant in the upper central
      incisor region failed to elicit a reflex in fully edentulous subjects with oral
      implants in both jaws. The absence of a reflex response strongly suggests that
      the receptors in the periodontal ligament itself are mainly responsible for the
      reflex. Stimulation of the same area in subjects with oral implants in the upper
      jaw and natural teeth in the lower jaw elicited a reflex response in most
      subjects. Since they were instructed to clench in full habitual occlusion,
      transmission from the stimulated area to periodontal receptors of natural teeth
      is very probable.

PMID- 1856775
TI  - The prevalence of craniomandibular disorders in completely edentulous denture
      wearing subjects.
AB  - A total of 201 completely edentulous subjects taken consecutively from the
      waiting list of the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne were examined. Data were
      obtained from the dental history and anamnestic and clinical examinations.
      Analysis revealed that parafunctional habits were prevalent among complete
      denture wearers, and that elderly complete denture wearers potentially present
      more signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders than do younger subjects.

PMID- 1856776
TI  - Aetiological factors of craniomandibular disorders in completely edentulous
      denture-wearing patients.
AB  - A total of 201 completely edentulous patients awaiting treatment for new complete
      dentures at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne were examined for signs and
      symptoms of craniomandibular disorders, and a history was taken regarding their
      dentures. Statistical analysis by means of Student's t-test showed that the only
      reliable indicator of craniomandibular disorder was the patient's sex, i.e.
      female subjects tend to show more symptoms of craniomandibular disorders than
      male subjects. When regression and multiple regression analyses were applied, it
      was found that subjects with a history of fewer sets of complete dentures worn
      appeared to be correlated with an increase in the number of signs and symptoms of
      craniomandibular disorders. However, this correlation had a weak predictive
      power, although it was significant enough to indicate that such a relationship
      could exist in the general population.

PMID- 1856777
TI  - Influence of an occlusal splint on integrated electromyography of the masseter
      muscles.
AB  - In order to examine the effect of an occlusal splint on the integrated
      electromyography (EMG) of the masticatory muscles, EMG of bilateral masseter
      muscles of 23 patients with temporomandibular joint disturbance syndrome (TMJDS),
      with and without an occlusal splint, was measured and integrated on line during
      maximum clenching. It was found that the integrated myoelectrical value of the
      masseter muscle on the involved and non-involved side was reduced with the
      occlusal splint. The absolute difference between integrated myoelectrical values
      in the left and right masseter muscles was reduced with an occlusal splint, but
      the relative difference remained virtually unchanged. These results indicate that
      the occlusal splint can decrease masseter muscle activity and thus exert a
      therapeutic effect.

PMID- 1856778
TI  - Wedges in restorative dentistry: principles and applications.
AB  - Overhanging margins of proximal restorations are a well-known, iatrogenic cause
      of periodontal pathology. The high incidence of such findings in Western
      societies should arose the concern of the dental community. However, overhanging
      margins represent only part of the iatrogenic problem created by the misuse of
      wedges in restorative procedures. Other causes include incorrect proximal
      contouring, inadequate contact points and under- or overfilling the restorative
      material. The understanding of the variables associated with wedge selection and
      positioning has a major role to play in the prevention of iatrogenic periodontal
      pathology associated with restorative procedures. It is concluded that: (i) the
      occlusion of the matrix band to the remaining healthy tooth structure of the
      gingival cavosurface line angle should be achieved solely by the correct
      application of the wedges; (ii) the effect of the wedges on the proximal contour
      and contact area should be carefully re-evaluated prior to insertion of the
      restorative material; (iii) various sizes and shapes of wedges and a sharp knife
      for carving must be readily available.

PMID- 1856779
TI  - Occlusal force pattern during rhythmic human tapping movement.
AB  - The dynamic occlusal force patterns associated with the performance of rhythmic
      tapping movement were analysed in normal subjects, who were instructed to make
      tapping movements at four frequencies, 2, 2.5, 3.3 and 5 Hz, with as constant a
      magnitude of force as possible. The occlusal force recorded by an intra-oral
      customized device showed a triphasic pattern which could be divided into two
      components, and this pattern was more clearly defined during slower tapping
      movements. Of the two components, the first was relatively stable, regardless of
      changes in tapping frequency, while the second was highly dependent on the
      tapping cycle duration, and its duration was shortened with increases in tapping
      frequency. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the changes
      in the occlusal power phase and those in the burst duration of the masseter EMG
      simultaneously recorded by a pair of surface electrodes. On the basis of these
      findings, it is suggested that the tapping rhythm is modulated by the duration of
      the occlusal power phase and the associated jaw elevator muscle activity.

PMID- 1856780
TI  - Power spectral analysis of occlusal sounds of natural dentition subjects.
AB  - Fifteen subjects with complete natural dentitions were selected for investigation
      of their occlusal sounds on the left and right sides by means of power spectral
      analysis. It was found that the occlusal sounds consisted of various frequency
      components. Their mean power frequencies (MPF) and frequencies at 10, 20, 50, 80
      and 90% of cumulative power (F10, F20, F50, F80, F90) on the left and right sides
      were almost identical (P greater than 0.05). The correlation coefficients between
      MPF and F50, MPF and F50 with the others were high. The results indicate that
      F20, MPF or F50 and F80 may be used as indices to describe the power spectral
      shape, and that power spectral analysis of occlusal sounds may be used as a
      contribution to diagnosis of occlusal conditions.

PMID- 1856781
TI  - National Toxicology program report on fluoride and cancer.

PMID- 1856782
TI  - Management of a patient with a painful, erosive, mucosal condition.

PMID- 1856783
TI  - Breast prostheses: a critical review.

PMID- 1856784
TI  - Polyurethane-covered mammary prosthesis: a nine year follow-up assessment.
AB  - We have examined ten tissue capsules from patients ranging from five months to
      nine years of mammary implantation. Contrary to published reports of polyurethane
      foam "fragmentation" or "disappearance" in the capsules evaluated, the
      polyurethane foam was still present and embedded in the surrounding tissue
      capsule. The foam was nearly always invisible by gross observation, or manual
      palpation. Only after enzymatic digestion of the tissue capsule did the foam
      become clearly visible as continuous sheets. ESCA analyses show that explanted
      foams are devoid of nitrogen peaks. Only carbon, oxygen and silicone signals are
      observed. The same foams do show nitrogen peaks (due to urethane linkages) when
      probed by FTIR. Since ESCA only analyzes the first 40-50 Angstroms of a surface,
      we believe that a "protective coating" composed of soft segments has formed.
      Beneath this "coating" the original polyurethane composition is still present as
      evidenced by FTIR analysis. Three possible explanations are advanced: (1) The
      surface hydrolysis, which takes place within the soft segment of the polyurethane
      polymer, results in the formation of oligomer(s). These oligomers, devoid of
      urethane linkages, appear to protect the polymer from further bioresorption, by
      significantly retarding the rate of additional surface hydrolysis. (2) Chain
      cleavage occurs in the soft segment producing a hydrophilic polyester chain end
      which orients into the interfacial area. These chain ends then produce a skin
      effect which increases the distance from the surface to the hard segments, or
      urethane-containing linkages. (3) Macromolecular motion in the soft segment
      phases of the polymer could be reorienting under the influence of the in vivo
      environment, thus producing a surface layer or "coating" which is predominantly
      soft segment in composition. Regardless of which of the three hypotheses proves
      to be most plausible, we interpret the data as showing that the polyurethane foam
      cover undergoes very slow bioresorption, even after 9 years of human
      implantation. The data further suggests that the in vivo surface of the
      polyurethane foam cover is biocompatible and interfacial interactions with
      inflammatory cells are downregulated or reduced because of the apparent
      biocompatibility of the material.

PMID- 1856785
TI  - An assessment of 2,4 TDA formation from Surgitek polyurethane foam under
      simulated physiological conditions.
AB  - Samples of polyurethane foam used in the manufacture of mammary prostheses were
      enzymatically treated for a total of thirty days. Papain (a plant thiol
      endopeptidase which has similar activity to the human lysosomal enzyme cathepsin
      B) was our enzyme of choice since it has both amidase as well as esterase
      activity. The experiment was conducted under physiological conditions closely
      simulating the microenvironment likely to be found around an implanted mammary
      prosthesis. In our tests, 2,4 TDA was formed during enzymatic attack of this TDI
      based polyurethane foam for the first four (4) days, reaching a maximum of 8.3
      parts per million. After the initial burst, no further TDA was observed within
      the limits of detection of the experiment (10 parts per billion). Based on
      standard risk assessment, this amount of TDA translates into a risk of developing
      cancer of one in four hundred million.

PMID- 1856786
TI  - Time course of wound healing.
AB  - Wound healing is a special kind of inflammation. Undisturbed wound healing is
      subject to a fixed time schedule of biochemical and cellular events. It is
      virtually impossible to deal with the time course of wound healing without
      describing the cellular and non-cellular events involved. The activity and mode
      of cell action after injury are coordinated by spatial and chronological factors,
      as well as by different mediators and cell-cell interacting signals. During wound
      healing the sequence of different signals and message substances, such as
      mediators of inflammation, fulfill a key function in wound repair. The report
      describes the time course of healing and the control of cellular events by
      different mediators and cell interactions. Emphasis is placed on temporal
      aspects, including the various signals leading to typical cellular events in
      wound healing.

PMID- 1856787
TI  - In vitro maturation of mononuclear phagocytes and susceptibility to HIV-1
      infection.
AB  - In the present report, we have studied the in vitro transition of normal blood
      monocytes to macrophages by changes in cell morphology, and the expression of
      surface antigens with a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The maturation process
      was accompanied by notable changes in cell-surface markers in a time-dependent
      manner. The percentage of cells expressing CD11c, ICAM-1, HLA-DR, and Fc receptor
      class III increased while the CD4 and CD35 expression was markedly decreased.
      After demonstrating that in vitro monocytes mature to macrophages in a
      recognizable manner, we studied the susceptibility to HIV-1 infection at time
      points representing different stages of cell maturation. The results show that
      monocyte/macrophages are susceptible to HIV-1 infection at all stages of
      differentiation. However, the kinetics of virus replication depends on the degree
      of maturation at the time of infection. Two major patterns of replication were
      observed: Infection of monocytes resulted in efficient virus production
      measurable by reverse transcriptase activity in culture supernatant, whereas
      infection of fully differentiated macrophages yielded low but sustained virus
      release only demonstrable by p24 antigen assay. We were not able to detect
      differences in the capacity of the virus to infect and replicate in
      monocyte/macrophages with respect to cellular origin of the virus isolate and
      whether the viruses were laboratory-adapted strains or low-passaged patient
      isolates.

PMID- 1856788
TI  - Transepithelial transport of HIV-1 by intestinal M cells: a mechanism for
      transmission of AIDS.
AB  - This study was designed to determine whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      (HIV-1) might enter the host by penetrating epithelial barriers through antigen
      transporting M cells in lymphoid follicle-associated epithelia. Interaction of
      HIV-1 with epithelial cells was examined using mucosal explants from Peyer's
      patches of mice and rabbits. HIV-1 adhered to the luminal membranes of M cells of
      both species, and was endocytosed and delivered to intraepithelial spaces
      containing lymphocytes and macrophages. These observations suggest that M cells,
      which are numerous in the human rectal mucosa, may efficiently deliver HIV-1 to
      target cells in mucosal lymphoid tissue, and that such transport may contribute
      to sexual transmission of AIDS.

PMID- 1856789
TI  - HIV-1 proviral copy number in blood mononuclear cells from AIDS patients on
      zidovudine therapy.
AB  - The effect of treatment with 400-1,200 mg/day of zidovudine (ZDV) on HIV DNA
      concentrations in patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was studied
      in six patients during a 5- to 14-month period of therapy. HIV DNA was measured
      in PBMCs at intervals using a recently developed quantitative polymerase chain
      reaction assay. The amount of HIV DNA ranged from 2,000 to 40,000 copies of
      provirus per microgram of cellular DNA. The HIV provirus copy number showed
      little change with time in five patients, and increased and then remained
      constant in one patient. Thus, prolonged treatment with ZDV does not decrease the
      levels of HIV DNA in PBMCs.

PMID- 1856790
TI  - Norepinephrine response in early HIV infection.
AB  - Norepinephrine response to a cold pressor test was investigated in 95 homosexual
      men in a longitudinal study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The
      baseline data obtained from 76 HIV+ and 19 HIV- subjects are included in this
      report. After the insertion of a venicatheter and following a 30 min rest,
      subjects immersed one of their hands in ice water for 2 min, and serial blood
      samples were obtained for the determination of catecholamine levels. The results
      show that the norepinephrine response in HIV+ subjects compared to that of HIV-
      subjects was blunted. Examination of the responses using linear and quadratic
      orthogonal polynomials suggested that these differences between the two groups
      were primarily a function of their rate of increase in norepinephrine levels. It
      was observed also that in HIV+ subjects, norepinephrine level peaked earlier than
      that in HIV- subjects. The data suggest that autonomic dysfunction is present in
      the early stages of HIV infection.

PMID- 1856791
TI  - Results of a one year longitudinal study of HIV antibody test notification from
      the San Francisco General Hospital cohort.
AB  - We examined the psychological impact of HIV antibody testing in 107 homosexual
      men in San Francisco. Seventy-eight percent of the seropositives but only 43% of
      the seronegatives correctly anticipated their results. Twelve months after
      notification (but not earlier), notified seropositives reported significantly
      greater increases in total distress than nonnotified controls. However, notified
      seronegatives demonstrated significantly lower levels of hopelessness than
      nonnotified controls at every follow-up assessment. Thus, knowledge of HIV
      antibody status appears to dispel a sense of gloom in persons who incorrectly
      believe themselves to be infected with HIV, but does not appear to induce
      significant distress in those whose expectation of a positive result is
      confirmed. Both groups reported lower distress than men with ARC or AIDS,
      suggesting that distress was related more to symptomatology than knowing antibody
      status. These results suggest the benefits of HIV testing for the considerable
      proportion of seronegative subjects believing themselves to be seropositive and
      should be weighted against the more limited induction of distress in
      seropositives who receive confirmation of their test result expectation. The
      benefits of testing are also supported by increasing knowledge of the usefulness
      of early intervention in HIV disease.

PMID- 1856792
TI  - Transfusion-associated AIDS cases in Europe: estimation of the incubation period
      distribution and prediction of future cases.
AB  - European data on transfusion-associated (TA) AIDS cases reported by December 31,
      1989 have been analyzed using both parametric and nonparametric methods.
      Parametric estimates of the median incubation period of TA AIDS in adults vary
      from 6.5 to 11 years according to the type of distribution assumed (Weibull or
      gamma) and the latest year of diagnosis included (1987 or 1988). The latter
      finding may reflect a lengthening of the incubation period due to increasing
      treatment of HIV-infected patients prior to the development of AIDS. It is
      predicted that, by the end of 1991, between 2,000 and 3,000 cases of AIDS will
      have been diagnosed in Europe among adults infected by transfusion between 1978
      and 1985 (when systematic screening of donated blood was introduced in most
      western countries). It is not possible, however, to predict how many further
      cases may arise among those transfused more recently in countries in which
      screening was introduced at a later date.

PMID- 1856793
TI  - Influence of host genotype on progression to AIDS among HIV-infected men.
AB  - To evaluate whether host genotype influences disease progression among persons
      infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), molecular techniques
      were used to determine genotypes at immune response loci for 114 HIV-1-infected
      homosexual/bisexual white men in the San Francisco Men's Health Study. Candidate
      genes evaluated were HLA-DQA1 and -DRB1, complement C4A and C4B, alpha- and beta
      interferons, and the heavy chain of immunoglobulin gamma 1. Of the 114 men, 29
      were asymptomatic, 21 were symptomatic men and AIDS patients (p = 0.02).
      Specifically, the HLA haplotype DRB1*0702-DQA1*0201 was associated with absence
      of symptoms (p = 0.003). Conversely, the frequency of the complement C4B-L allele
      was higher among patients with symptoms or with AIDS than among asymptomatic
      subjects (p = 0.02). These results suggest that genes in or near the major
      histocompatibility complex may influence the rate of disease progression among
      HIV-1-infected men.

PMID- 1856794
TI  - An evaluation of the polymerase chain reaction in HIV-1 seronegative men.
AB  - The apparent detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) DNA by the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in seronegative individuals has been the subject
      of great concern. In this study, 324 seronegative participants in the San
      Francisco Men's Health Study were evaluated for evidence of infection using a PCR
      testing algorithm with multiple amplifications targeting different regions of the
      HIV-1 genome. While most PCR reactions were negative, 8.6% of the specimens
      showed weak reactivity with one or more primer sets. However, all were negative
      with at least one primer set and no definitively positive specimens were
      identified. This study addressed the possibility that some of these PCR reactions
      might represent latent infection or abortive exposure, leaving residual
      integrated DNA, rather than false-positive reactions. The frequency of such
      reactions was determined in homosexual men who have been at risk for HIV-1
      infection and in exclusively heterosexual men who have little or no past
      exposure. The results demonstrate an identical frequency and distribution of
      equivocal PCR reactions in both populations. Assuming that there is minimal HIV-1
      infection among seronegative heterosexual men in San Francisco, we conclude that
      PCR testing does not provide evidence for a reservoir of occult HIV-1 infection
      in seronegative homosexual men.

PMID- 1856795
TI  - An update on Kaposi's sarcoma reporting in San Francisco.

PMID- 1856796
TI  - HIV-associated wasting.

PMID- 1856797
TI  - Patterns of secondary prophylaxis with aerosol pentamidine among persons with
      AIDS.

PMID- 1856798
TI  - Inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) by low pH and pepsin.

PMID- 1856799
TI  - [Excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle: characteristics of biphasic
      potassium contractures].

PMID- 1856800
TI  - Ankylosing spondylitis and Klebsiella--the debate continues.

PMID- 1856801
TI  - Posttraumatic cartilage hypertrophy: edema or repair?

PMID- 1856802
TI  - Long acting drug combinations in rheumatoid arthritis: a formal overview.
AB  - We compared the benefits and risks of combinations of long acting antirheumatic
      drugs with those of the same drugs used singly in the treatment of rheumatoid
      arthritis. We searched the literature through MEDLINE (1966-89), Index Medicus
      (1956-65), Excerpta Medica (1982-89), Science Citation Index (1982-89), and
      bibliographic review of located articles. Of a total of 341 citations, we
      identified 7 prospective trials that specifically addressed the stated purpose.
      We independently assessed the quality of the selected trials, using published
      methodological criteria and summarized the effect of treatment on arthritis
      activity and the incidence of side effects. The trials we evaluated tested
      various drug combinations. Because of deficiencies in methods and reporting, only
      3 trials had sufficient quality to yield strong or moderately strong evidence.
      None conclusively demonstrated benefit of a drug combination: 2 suggested such
      benefit, including 1 also suggesting increased toxicity; the 3rd suggested only
      increased toxicity. The other 4 trials yielded weak evidence to support both
      increased efficacy and toxicity. The advantages of any antirheumatic drug
      combination remain unproven. Because these advantages are likely to be modest,
      they can only be shown in rigorously designed trials enrolling large numbers of
      patients. Methods and reporting of antirheumatic drug trials should be
      standardized to allow combining of study results.

PMID- 1856803
TI  - Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis: effects on disease activity in a
      multicenter prospective study.
AB  - One hundred and twenty-three patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who
      successfully completed a randomized trial comparing oral methotrexate (MTX) to
      auranofin enrolled in a longterm prospective study of oral MTX. Of the 91
      patients who completed 24 months of therapy, a significant (p = 0.0001)
      improvement was noted compared to baseline in all clinical disease variables and
      the Westergren erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Marked improvement occurred
      in 94 (76%) and 98 (80%) of the patients in the joint pain/tenderness index and
      joint swelling index at the last evaluable visit (mean 26 months). Of the 77
      patients with an elevated ESR at baseline, 29 (38%) patients normalized it (less
      than 20 mm/h) while receiving therapy (p less than 0.01). A significant reduction
      in prednisone dose was also seen. Adverse events occurred frequently but were
      generally mild in severity. Twenty-seven patients (22%) withdrew during the
      study. Four (3%) withdrew due to lack of efficacy, and 6 (5%) because of adverse
      experiences. The overall probability of continuing therapy in the study for 48
      months was projected at 72%. This large prospective study supports the
      observation of earlier smaller studies that MTX is an effective drug in the
      treatment of RA.

PMID- 1856804
TI  - Low dose prednisone does not affect calcium homeostasis or bone density in
      postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - To assess whether low doses of prednisone produce generalized alterations in
      skeletal homeostasis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), indices of calcium metabolism
      and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured in 22 women with RA treated without
      or with prednisone (6.6 mg daily). Ionized and total calcium concentrations,
      intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and osteocalcin levels were comparable in the 2
      groups. BMD measurements in the lumbar spine, and proximal femur sites including
      the femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and trochanteric region were not significantly
      different in patients with RA treated without or with prednisone. In our
      experience low dose prednisone did not adversely affect indices of mineral
      metabolism, or bone density in RA.

PMID- 1856805
TI  - Prolactin and gonadal hormones during pregnancy in systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - We performed prospective hormonal studies in 9 patients (5 active and 4 inactive)
      with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy (Weeks 10 to 37). Nine
      healthy pregnant women and 5 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were used
      for comparison. Serum prolactin (PRL), testosterone and estradiol (E2) levels
      were determined by RIA. The patients with SLE showed higher serum PRL levels, the
      difference being statistically significant at Week 20, and reaching the highest
      levels at Weeks 30 to 40 (p = 0.05 when compared to healthy pregnant women). The
      5 patients with active SLE had the highest serum PRL levels; one of these had
      fetal wastage. In active SLE the serum testosterone and E2 levels were decreased
      significantly from Weeks 10 to 30 compared with controls (p = 0.001). In patients
      with RA serum PRL levels, although higher than in controls, did not differ
      significantly, nor did the lower testosterone and E2 levels. We conclude that
      gonadal hormones and PRL changes observed in SLE are present also during
      pregnancy and may be related to fetal wastage and reactivation of disease.

PMID- 1856806
TI  - Specificity, sensitivity and diagnostic predictive value of selected laboratory
      generated autoantibody profiles in patients with connective tissue diseases.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that the application of 5 laboratory generated serologic
      profiles facilitates the interpretation of individual autoantibodies in
      connective tissue diseases without loss of specificity, sensitivity or diagnostic
      predictive value. The predetermined laboratory generated autoantibody profiles
      were analyzed in 423 sera from patients with clinically diagnosed connective
      tissue diseases. All sera positive for one or more autoantibodies to a selected
      panel of nuclear antigens could be segregated into one of 5 profiles. The
      distribution of individual autoantibodies and profiles in the sera of patients
      with various connective tissue diseases were compared in terms of their
      respective diagnostic predictive value and sensitivity. The application of these
      profiles improved the sensitivity and diagnostic predictive value of these tests
      when compared to individual autoantibodies without loss of specificity, thus
      aiding clinical interpretation.

PMID- 1856807
TI  - Detection of circulating endothelial antigen.
AB  - In order to determine whether endothelial cell antigens are detectable in serum
      from patients with rheumatic disease characterized by vascular involvement, we
      developed an ELISA using a monoclonal antibody directed against a 92,000
      molecular weight endothelial cell specific antigen designated E92. Sera were
      assayed from 191 patients and 34 healthy controls. E92 was undetectable or
      present in very low concentrations in healthy controls and was elevated in most
      patients with an active rheumatic disease. Our results indicate that circulating
      endothelial antigens are present in rheumatic vascular syndromes and may provide
      a measure of endothelial cell function.

PMID- 1856808
TI  - No conclusive evidence of an epidemiological relation between Klebsiella and
      ankylosing spondylitis.
AB  - Fifty-six patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 87 healthy controls were
      screened for Klebsiella strains in their stools using a new highly sensitive
      culture medium. The presence of Klebsiella strains in the patient group was
      compared with activity of the disease. In a dynamic study changes in Klebsiella
      quantity over a period of 3 months were compared with changes in disease activity
      over the same period. The patient and control group showed similar percentages of
      Klebsiella carriage. In the patient group no temporal relation could be found
      between activity of the disease and the presence of Klebsiella in the intestinal
      tract.

PMID- 1856809
TI  - Antinuclear antibody profile in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Immunoblot positive sera from children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
      detected from 1 to greater than or equal to 10 proteins in HeLa nuclear
      sonicates. Thirty percent of the sera reacted with histone H1. Antibodies to at
      least 1 of 6 most frequently detected nonhistone proteins were present in 85% of
      the sera. Using immunopurified antibodies to each of the 6 common antigens, we
      found that 4 of them were associated with mitotic chromosomes. Most sera detected
      at least 1 of these 4 nonhistone chromosomal proteins. Fifteen percent of the
      sera immunoprecipitated ribonucleoproteins; some exhibited a novel specificity,
      precipitating mature transcripts of RNA polymerase III. When present, antibodies
      to a 45 kDa protein occur only in sera from children without iritis and not in
      those with active iritis. Overall, the antibody profiles were highly individual
      and did not appear to correlate with disease subtype or activity.

PMID- 1856810
TI  - The value of bupivicaine hip injection in the differentiation of coxarthrosis
      from lower extremity neuropathy.
AB  - A series of 18 consecutive patients with roentgenographically proven
      osteoarthrosis (osteoarthritis, OA) of the hip and spine were evaluated because
      of concomitant lower extremity pain below the knee. To determine whether the leg
      symptoms were coxalgic or neuropathic, intraarticular hip bupivicaine was
      injected as a provocative test. This test allowed correct identification of the
      source of the pain with a sensitivity of 87%, a specificity of 100%, and an
      efficiency of 88%. This office test also provides significant savings in terms of
      diagnostic tests and patient discomfort.

PMID- 1856811
TI  - Hypertrophic repair of canine articular cartilage in osteoarthritis after
      anterior cruciate ligament transection.
AB  - Transection of the anterior cruciate ligament in the dog is used frequently to
      produce a model of osteoarthritis (OA). Although it results in metabolic,
      biochemical, biomechanical and morphological changes in the articular cartilage
      of the unstable knee which resemble those in human OA, it rarely results in full
      thickness cartilage loss. The lack of progression of the cartilage lesions in
      this model has generally been attributed to stabilization of the joint by
      osteophytes and capsular fibrosis which develop following transection of the
      ligament. In our study transection of the anterior cruciate ligament of adult
      foxhounds and mongrels resulted in a progressive increase in the amount of
      articular cartilage in the unstable knee. In articular cartilage from the medial
      femoral condyle of the unstable knee the total amount of proteoglycan, as
      assessed by hexuronic acid analysis, and, often, the proteoglycan concentration
      were increased. Furthermore, the rate of proteoglycan synthesis was commonly
      elevated, in comparison with that from the contralateral knee. Thus, in these
      animals knee instability did not lead to loss of cartilage but to an active
      synthetic response by the chondrocytes resulting in hypertrophic cartilage repair
      which was sustained for up to 64 weeks of observation.

PMID- 1856812
TI  - Anterior (cranial) cruciate ligament transection in the dog: a bona fide model of
      osteoarthritis, not merely of cartilage injury and repair.
AB  - To help elucidate the longterm outcome in the unstable knees of dogs that have
      undergone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection, conventional radiography,
      gait analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed serially on 3
      dogs over a 45-month period after ACL transection. Gait analysis showed that
      vertical forces generated by the cruciate deficient leg were smaller than those
      produced by the contralateral leg, but the decrease in loading was not
      progressive and clinical findings did not suggest that the dogs developed pain in
      the unstable limb. Despite progressive osteophytosis and subchondral sclerosis,
      as seen on plain radiographs, MRI demonstrated that articular cartilage in the
      unstable knee was thicker than that in the contralateral knee 36 months after ACL
      transection. Nine months later, however, striking focal loss of articular
      cartilage was seen in the unstable knee of each dog. Our study, which provides
      the first longterm observations of the changes in the unstable knee after ACL
      transection, shows that they represent progressive osteoarthritis and emphasizes
      that a prolonged phase of cartilage hypertrophy may precede the stage of
      cartilage breakdown.

PMID- 1856813
TI  - Clinical usefulness of amitriptyline in fibromyalgia: the results of 23 N-of-1
      randomized controlled trials.
AB  - Twenty-three double blind, randomized, multiple crossover trials (N-of-1 RCT) of
      amitriptyline were conducted in patients with fibromyalgia. The benefit of
      amitriptyline was assessed using a symptom questionnaire and count of tender
      points. To assess the usefulness of the method, the proportion of trials that
      provided a definite answer was examined. Completing the trial resulted in
      reaching a high degree of confidence in the final management decision in 74% of
      trials. In 35% of trials, results led to discontinuation of the drug which
      otherwise would have been continued indefinitely. The drug benefit, if present,
      was evident within first 2 weeks of therapy. We concluded that these results
      support the feasibility and usefulness of N-of-1 RCT in rheumatology practice.

PMID- 1856814
TI  - The effects of cyclobenzaprine on sleep physiology and symptoms in patients with
      fibromyalgia.
AB  - A double blind, placebo controlled, crossover design study examined overnight
      sleep physiology, pain, fatigue, and mood symptoms in 12 patients with
      fibromyalgia treated with cyclobenzaprine. Nine patients completed the study.
      Patients receiving cyclobenzaprine showed a decrease in evening fatigue (F = 4.7,
      p less than 0.05) and an increase in total sleep time (F = 4.4, p less than
      0.05). Pain, including tender point count and dolorimetry, mood ratings, and
      alpha non-REM EEG sleep anomaly were unchanged by cyclobenzaprine.

PMID- 1856815
TI  - Nocardia asteroides infection complicating rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - We describe a case of pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient with rheumatoid
      arthritis (RA) receiving treatment with combined immunosuppressive agents and
      prednisone. This infection is still considered rare, hard to diagnose, and
      difficult to treat. To the best of our knowledge, such a case has not been
      described in a patient with RA.

PMID- 1856816
TI  - Rheumatoid iliopsoas bursitis presenting as unilateral femoral nerve palsy.
AB  - A 65-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) developed symptomatic
      compression of the femoral nerve secondary to an iliopsoas bursitis. Her adjacent
      hip joint was not severely affected by arthritis. This entity should be included
      among the entrapment neuropathies complicating RA.

PMID- 1856817
TI  - Seronegative symmetric polyarthritis in Sezary syndrome.
AB  - We describe a patient with Sezary syndrome and seronegative symmetric
      polyarthritis. Detailed analysis of the synovial membrane, including T lymphocyte
      subset delineation, demonstrated that malignant synovial infiltration was the
      direct cause of arthritis in this patient.

PMID- 1856818
TI  - Interstitial lung disease and cryoglobulinemia in polymyositis.
AB  - Alveolar septal deposits of immunoglobulins and complement were found in the lung
      biopsy of a patient with polymyositis and interstitial lung disease. Anti-Jo 1
      antibody was present in the serum and in isolated mixed cryoglobulins of the
      patient, suggesting the role of immune complex deposition in the pathogenesis of
      lung disease. Significant amounts of cryoglobulins were found in 10 of 16 (62.5%)
      patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis tested.

PMID- 1856819
TI  - Giant cell arteritis presenting as limb claudication. Report and review of the
      literature.
AB  - Upper limb claudication and pulselessness is an uncommon presentation of giant
      cell arteritis (GCA), often resulting in delayed diagnosis. We describe such a
      case diagnosed by angiography, in which a temporal artery biopsy showed classic
      GCA, despite the absence of local signs or symptoms. A review of 26 similar cases
      revealed that in 81% of patients where the only manifestation of GCA was upper
      limb findings, temporal artery biopsy yielded positive findings. Steroid therapy
      clinically improved 24/26 patients. These findings suggest that a consideration
      of temporal artery biopsy early in the investigation will hasten diagnosis and
      appropriate therapy.

PMID- 1856820
TI  - Pyogenic arthritis caused by Streptococcus milleri in a nonimmunocompromised
      host.
AB  - We describe a case of pyogenic arthritis caused by S. milleri (S. anginosus) in a
      non-immunocompromised host. No other septic focus was found. S. milleri is now
      widely recognized as an important cause of pyogenic infection, though it eluded
      suspicion for many years. The rarity of reports of articular infections by S.
      milleri might be due to problems associated with its recognition.

PMID- 1856821
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis possible responsibility
      of captopril in the development of lesions.
AB  - Kaposi's sarcoma appeared 8 months after the start of captopril treatment in a 70
      year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis. A marked reduction of cutaneous and
      gastric lesions occurred when captopril was stopped. These findings are compared
      to immunosuppressive drug induced forms of Kaposi's sarcoma.

PMID- 1856822
TI  - Flow cytometry and the rheumatic diseases.

PMID- 1856823
TI  - Does modified autonomic nervous system activity trigger remission of RA in
      pregnancy?

PMID- 1856824
TI  - Prolactin in primary fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1856825
TI  - Erythermalgia in SLE.

PMID- 1856826
TI  - Treatment of Felty's syndrome with intravenous methotrexate.

PMID- 1856827
TI  - Borrelia infection as a possible cause of HLA-B27 negative sacroiliitis.

PMID- 1856828
TI  - Septic arthritis secondary to group C streptococcus typed as Streptococcus
      equisimilis.

PMID- 1856829
TI  - Aldolase B mutations in Italian families affected by hereditary fructose
      intolerance.
AB  - Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by
      aldolase B deficiency. The aldolase B gene has been cloned and the following
      mutations causing HFI have been identified: A149P (a G----C transversion in exon
      5), A174D (a C----A transversion in exon 5), L288 delta C (a base pair deletion
      in exon 8), and N334K (a G----C transversion in exon 9). We have investigated the
      occurrence of these mutations in 11 Italian patients affected by HFI using PCR
      and hybridisation to specific oligomers. We found that four patients were
      homozygous for the A149P mutation, two patients were homozygous for the A174D
      mutation, three patients were compound heterozygotes for both the A149P and A174D
      mutations, one patient was homozygous for the N334K mutation, and one patient did
      not show any of the reported mutations (HFI diagnosis carried out by aldolase B
      assay). The L288 delta C mutation has not been found in this survey.

PMID- 1856830
TI  - Homozygous beta+ thalassaemia owing to a mutation in the cleavage-polyadenylation
      sequence of the human beta globin gene.
AB  - A mild, non-transfusion dependent, beta thalassaemia phenotype is described in a
      Dutch patient homozygous for a mutation in the cleavage-polyadenylation sequence
      of the beta globin gene. The molecular basis of the mutation, AATAAA greater than
      AATGAA, was determined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and
      direct sequencing of genomic DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR). Different fragments of the beta globin gene were amplified and analysed on
      DGGE for the presence of mutations. The fragment with an abnormal melting
      behaviour was reamplified and the base substitution in the polyadenylation
      sequence was identified by direct sequencing.

PMID- 1856831
TI  - Paternal origin of the chromosomal deletion resulting in Wolf-Hirschhorn
      syndrome.
AB  - DNA samples were obtained from children with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and their
      parents to assist with gene mapping studies of 4p16.3 (the region known to
      contain the Huntington's disease gene). A panel of seven families was studied,
      using polymorphic DNA markers, to determine the parental origin of the chromosome
      abnormality resulting in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. All seven cases were the
      result of de novo deletions or rearrangements of 4p and in each case the
      abnormality arose on the paternal chromosome. Analysis of the 3' hypervariable
      regions of the alpha globin and mucin loci indicated that non-paternity was
      unlikely to be an explanation for these results. A paternal age effect was not
      observed. The possibilities of an environmental influence or genetic imprinting
      require further consideration. This report extends information regarding the
      preponderance of the paternal origin of de novo structural deletion syndromes.

PMID- 1856832
TI  - PCR amplification of genomic DNA from a 24 year old lysate derived from washed
      human erythrocytes.

PMID- 1856833
TI  - Hereditary multiple exostoses.

PMID- 1856834
TI  - Neonatal Marfan syndrome with congenital arachnodactyly, flexion contractures,
      and severe cardiac valve insufficiency.
AB  - We describe a male neonate with severe arachnodactyly, hypermobility of the
      fingers, flexion contractures of elbows, wrists, hips, and knees, micrognathia,
      crumpled ears, rockerbottom feet, loose redundant skin, and ocular abnormalities.
      Severe cardiac valve insufficiency and aortic dilatation resulted in cardiac
      failure and death 20 hours after birth. This case represents the severe end of
      the clinical spectrum of Marfan syndrome. As similar patients have been reported,
      they may represent a separate mutation.

PMID- 1856835
TI  - Cardiac rhabdomyomata and megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis
      syndrome.
AB  - Multiple cardiac rhabdomyomata were discovered on necropsy tissue review of a
      previously well child with megacystis-microcolon-intestinal hypoperistalsis
      syndrome, who died unexpectedly at home at 40 months of age. Multiple cardiac
      rhabdomyomata occur rarely and have not previously been reported with this
      syndrome. They are most frequently associated with tuberous sclerosis. The
      finding of multiple cardiac rhabdomyomata in this patient suggests the
      possibility that these two rare conditions may be associated. Putative gene loci
      for tuberous sclerosis have been assigned to the long arms of chromosomes 9 and
      11 and it is possible that the cardiac rhabdomyomata seen in this patient are a
      serendipitous indicator of the location of the megacystis-microcolon-intestinal
      hypoperistalsis gene.

PMID- 1856836
TI  - Short stature, brachydactyly, and Peters' anomaly (Peters'-plus syndrome):
      confirmation of autosomal recessive inheritance.
AB  - Two sibs with a phenotype characterised by short stature, brachydactyly, and
      ocular anomalies (Peters' anomaly) are reported (Peters'-plus syndrome). The
      consanguinity is in agreement with the proposed autosomal recessive inheritance.

PMID- 1856837
TI  - Deletion 14q (q22q23) associated with anophthalmia, absent pituitary, and other
      abnormalities.
AB  - A fetus is described with anophthalmia, absent pituitary, hypoplastic adrenal
      glands and kidneys, absent left horn of the uterus, underdeveloped genitalia, and
      clinodactyly, with a deletion of 14(q22q23). A review of published reports found
      no similar deletion cases.

PMID- 1856838
TI  - Schizophrenia and mental retardation in an adult male with a de novo interstitial
      deletion 9(q32q34.1).
AB  - A 28 year old man with mental retardation and therapeutically controlled
      schizophrenia was found to have a de novo interstitial deletion in the long arm
      of a chromosome 9 (46,XY,del(9)(q32q34.1). Additional phenotypic abnormalities
      included short stature, a short webbed neck with a low posterior hairline,
      dysmorphic facies, a narrow palate with an inverted V soft palate, and tapered
      fingers with bilateral short fifth metacarpals. Interstitial deletion of
      chromosome 9 is a rare finding and we are aware of only one other case involving
      the q32q34.1 region.

PMID- 1856839
TI  - Reproductive fitness and frequency of new mutations in Becker muscular dystrophy:
      implications for genetic risk estimates.

PMID- 1856841
TI  - An analysis of women dentists licensed in the State of Michigan: a demographic
      profile.

PMID- 1856840
TI  - One person's viewpoint.

PMID- 1856842
TI  - Women in dentistry--past, present and future.

PMID- 1856843
TI  - Association organized to recognize women dentists.

PMID- 1856844
TI  - A dishwasher in every operatory.

PMID- 1856845
TI  - Ukrainian heritage part of dental practice. Mother-daughter team is unique.

PMID- 1856846
TI  - Providing health care to those who provide health care for others: directive 90
      1.

PMID- 1856847
TI  - Smoking cessation counseling in the dental office: the time has come.

PMID- 1856848
TI  - "Don't be six months late for your six month checkup". New dental marketing
      campaign created for Michigan.

PMID- 1856849
TI  - Reporting child abuse and neglect: the dentist's responsibility.

PMID- 1856850
TI  - Want to help fight child abuse? Here's how.

PMID- 1856851
TI  - We can prevent murder!

PMID- 1856852
TI  - Education and infection control policy.

PMID- 1856853
TI  - Guided tissue regeneration: a new frontier in periodontics.

PMID- 1856855
TI  - Determination of the positions of bound water molecules in the solution structure
      of reduced human thioredoxin by heteronuclear three-dimensional nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy.
AB  - The presence of bound water molecules in the solution structure of reduced human
      thioredoxin has been investigated using three-dimensional 1H rotating frame
      Overhauser 1H-15N multiple quantum coherence spectroscopy. It is demonstrated
      that the backbone amide protons of Lys21, Lys39, Lys82, Gly83 and Asn102, as well
      as the side-chain amide group of Asn102, are in close proximity to bound water
      molecules. Examination of the high-resolution solution structure of reduced human
      thioredoxin reveals that these results are best accounted for by four bound water
      molecules. Subsequent simulated annealing calculations carried out on the basis
      of interproton distance and hydrogen bonding restraints to the bound water
      molecules, supplemented by the original set of experimental restraints used in
      the calculation of the three-dimensional structure of human thioredoxin, permit a
      more precise localization of the bound water positions. Potential hydrogen bonds
      to these water molecules are described and a comparison is made to corresponding
      bound water molecules in the crystal structure of oxidized Escherichia coli
      thioredoxin.

PMID- 1856854
TI  - Binding of the anticodon domain of tRNA(fMet) to Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA
      synthetase.
AB  - A stem and loop RNA domain carrying the methionine anticodon (CAU) was designed
      from the tRNA(fMet) sequence and produced in vitro. This domain makes a complex
      with methionyl-tRNA synthetase (Kd = 38(+/- 5) microM; 25 degrees C, pH 7.6, 7 mM
      MgCl2). The formation of this complex is dependent on the presence of the cognate
      CAU anticodon sequence. Recognition of this RNA domain is abolished by a
      methionyl-tRNA synthetase mutation known to alter the binding of tRNA(Met).

PMID- 1856856
TI  - Crystallization studies of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Cocrystals of the
      catalytic subunit with a 20 amino acid residue peptide inhibitor and MgATP
      diffract to 3.0 A resolution.
AB  - Crystallographic studies of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein
      kinase demonstrate that the presence of a 20 amino acid residue peptide inhibitor
      and MgATP during crystallization yields crystals with a different space group
      and, more significantly, makes an important difference in the quality of the
      resulting crystals. Under identical experimental conditions, the kinase
      crystallizes in a cubic space group P4(1)32 (a = b = c = 169.24 A), when no
      substrates or inhibitors are present, and in the hexagonal space group P6(1)22
      (or P6(5)22) (a = b = 80.16 A, c = 288.07 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma =
      120 degrees) when a 20-amino acid residue peptide inhibitor and MgATP are
      present. Moreover, the hexagonal crystal diffracts to a resolution of 3.0 A,
      while the cubic crystals diffract to a resolution of 4.0 A.

PMID- 1856857
TI  - Crystallization of a photosensitive nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus sp. N-771.
AB  - A photosensitive nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus sp. N-771 has been
      crystallized in two different crystal forms in its inactive form. One crystal
      form belongs to an orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2 with unit cell dimensions
      of a = 117.4 A, b = 145.7 A and c = 52.1 A, and the other form belongs to a
      hexagonal space group P6(3)22 with unit cell dimensions of a = 110.2 A and c =
      412.1 A.

PMID- 1856858
TI  - Crystallographic data for H-protein from the glycine decarboxylase complex.
AB  - The H-protein is the pivotal enzyme of the glycine decarboxylase complex
      responsible for the oxidation of glycine by mitochondria. It has been extracted
      and purified from pea leaf mitochondria (Pisum sativum). Its molecular weight,
      based on the amino acid sequence, is 13.3 kDa and it crystallizes in the space
      group P3(1)21 (or its enantiomorph P3(2)21) with a = b = 57.14 (3) A, c = 137.11
      (11) A. The crystals diffract until at least 3.5 A resolution.

PMID- 1856859
TI  - Crystallization and preliminary X-ray study of blood coagulation factor IX/factor
      X-binding protein with anticoagulant activity from Habu snake venom.
AB  - Crystals of a blood anticoagulant from the venom of the Habu snake, Trimeresurus
      flavoviridis, have been obtained using ammonium sulfate by the vapor diffusion
      method. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2 with cell
      dimensions a = 172 A, b = 86 A, c = 65 A, and diffract to at least 4.0 A
      resolution.

PMID- 1856860
TI  - An apparent pause site in the transcription unit of the rabbit alpha-globin gene.
AB  - Transcription of the rabbit alpha-globin gene begins primarily at the cap site,
      although some upstream start sites are also observed. Analysis by RNA polymerase
      run-on assays in nuclei shows that transcription continues at a high level past
      the polyadenylation site, after which the polymerase density actually increases
      in a region of about 400 nucleotides, followed by a gradual decline over the 700
      nucleotides. These features are also observed in the transcription unit of the
      rabbit beta-globin gene. The region with the unexpectedly high nascent RNA
      hybridization signal in the 3' flank contains a conserved sequence, KGCAGCWGGR (K
      = G or T, W = A or T, R = A or G), followed by an inverted repeat. The inverted
      repeat (perhaps with the conserved sequence) may be a pause site for RNA
      polymerase II, thus accounting for the increase in polymerase density. This
      sequence and inverted repeat are found in the 3' flank of several globin genes
      and the simian virus 40 (SV40) early genes, as well as in the regions implicated
      in pausing or termination of transcription of eight different genes. Deletion of
      the conserved sequence and inverted repeat from the 3' flank of the SV40 early
      region causes a small increase in the levels of transcription downstream from
      this site. Replacement with the conserved sequence and inverted repeat from the
      rabbit alpha-globin gene causes an accumulation of polymerases, supporting the
      hypothesis that polymerases pause at this site. This proposed pause site may
      affect the efficiency of termination at some sites further downstream, perhaps by
      loss of a processivity factor.

PMID- 1856861
TI  - Escherichia coli sigma 70 and NusA proteins. I. Binding interactions with core
      RNA polymerase in solution and within the transcription complex.
AB  - This paper describes the binding interactions of Escherichia coli transcription
      factors sigma 70 and NusA with core RNA polymerase, both free in solution and as
      a part of the functional transcription complex. High pressure liquid
      chromatography gel filtration and fluorescence techniques have been used to
      monitor the binding of these factors to core polymerase in solution at salt
      concentrations roughly comparable to the in vivo environment (250 mM-KCl, 50 mM
      potassium phosphate (pH 7.5]; under these conditions all the interacting species
      exist separately as protein monomers. We find that sigma 70 and NusA binds
      competitively to core polymerase with a 1:1 binding stoichiometry in this milieu,
      and that NusA does not bind to the polymerase holoenzyme. Association constants
      of approximately 2 x 10(9) and 1 x 10(7) M-1 have been measured for the sigma 70
      core polymerase interaction and for the NusA-core polymerase interaction,
      respectively. These findings are consistent with the original formulation of the
      NusA-sigma 70 cycle put forward by Greenblatt & Li, and provide the basis for a
      further (and preliminary) quantitative examination of these same interactions
      within the transcription complex. We use a number of molecular biological
      techniques, together with data from the literature, to estimate these binding
      constants in various phases of the transcription cycle. In keeping with our
      results in solution, we find that the effective binding affinity of sigma 70 for
      core polymerase within the "open" promoter-polymerase complex is at least 500
      fold greater than that of NusA. As the transcription complex moves from the
      initiation to the elongation phase these relative binding affinities are
      reversed; the average association constant of NusA for the core polymerase in the
      elongation complex remains practically the same as in free solution (approx. 3 x
      10(7) M-1), while the affinity of sigma 70 for core polymerase in this complex
      drops to less than 5 x 10(5) M-1. These results are used to begin to define the
      basic conformational states and interaction potentials of core polymerase in the
      various stages of the transcription cycle.

PMID- 1856862
TI  - Escherichia coli sigma 70 and NusA proteins. II. Physical properties and self
      association states.
AB  - In this paper we examine the physical properties and potential for self
      association of the Escherichia coli transcription factors, sigma 70 and NusA. We
      show, by a combination of chemical crosslinking, equilibrium and velocity
      sedimentation, quasi-elastic light scattering, and small-angle X-ray scattering
      that NusA exists as a monomer at KCl concentrations between 0.01 and 1.5 M, and
      that sigma 70 exists as a monomer at KCl concentrations between 0.1 and 1.5 M.
      The shape and hydration characteristics of each of these monomeric proteins are
      also examined. The results serve as background for the companion paper in which a
      thermodynamic analysis is made of the interactions of these transcription factor
      with E. coli core RNA polymerase in solution and as a component of the functional
      transcription complex.

PMID- 1856863
TI  - Order-disorder phenomena in myelinated nerve sheaths. III. The structure of
      myelin in rat optic nerves over the course of myelinogenesis.
AB  - An X-ray scattering study was performed on optic nerves dissected from rats aged
      from ten days to one year. The spectra were analysed using the procedure
      described in the previous papers of this series. Each experiment yields the
      values of a variety of parameters: the average D and the variance sigma D of the
      repeat distance, the average number mean value of N of motifs per crystallite,
      the fraction alpha loose of myelin that does not belong to the compact sheaths,
      the sets [idiff(h/D)] and [imotif(k/2D)] that suffice to define, respectively,
      the spurious scattering and the continuous intensity curve of the elementary
      membrane pair. A surprising result is that, in the native optic, as previously
      found in the swollen sciatic nerves, the stacking disorder affects the external
      space, whereas in native sciatic nerves the disorder affects the cytoplasmic
      space. An analysis of the evolution of the structure parameters as a function of
      the age of the animal and a comparison with the results previously obtained with
      rat sciatic nerves led to the following conclusions: the structure of the
      elementary membrane pair is constant throughout myelinogenesis; mean value of N
      is much smaller in optic than in sciatic nerves; mean value of N and the degree
      of myelination increase with age in the two types of nerve; D is smaller in optic
      than in sciatic nerves; in optic nerves, D decreases slightly with age, but in
      sciatic nerves it increases; sigma D is strongly age-dependent in optic nerves,
      but almost age-independent in sciatic nerves. In contrast to sciatic, the
      structure of optic nerve myelin was found to be almost insensitive to hypertonic
      solutions. Finally, a pair of electron density profiles was selected, quite
      similar to those selected previously in sciatic nerves, one corresponding to
      Caspar & Kirschner's the other to Worthington & McIntosh's proposals, neither of
      which can be ruled out according to the criteria used in this work.

PMID- 1856864
TI  - Neutron diffraction study of carbonmonoxymyoglobin.
AB  - Neutron diffraction data from a crystal of carbonmonoxymyoglobin were refined by
      PROLSQ, a modern restrained least-squares procedure in reciprocal space, in
      conjunction with a solvent analysis technique, to a final R-factor of 11.3%. The
      ligand CO occupies two sites and its binding conformations are distorted from the
      linear conformation. The N epsilon atom of the distal histidine residue is
      deprotonated (not deuterated), and a water molecule is bound to the N delta atom
      of the distal histidine. The side-chain of Lys56 (D6) exists in two alternative
      charge-binding sites. His24 (B5) and His119 (GH1) share a hydrogen atom. His12
      (A10) and His36 (C1) are deprotonated. The deprotonated imidazole ring of His12
      (A10) may act as a hydrogen-bond acceptor. The heme group is planar within 0.09 A
      root-mean-square (r.m.s.) deviation from planarity. The solvent environments for
      the two propionic acid groups are different. The side-chain of Arg45 (CD3) forms
      hydrogen bonds with the side-chain of Asp60 (E3) and one of the two propionic
      acid groups. An average N-2H . . . O angle in helical regions is 147 (+/- 11)
      degrees. Eleven main-chain amide hydrogen atoms from hydrophobic residues do not
      exchange with deuterium. The overall atomic occupancy factors for the main-chain
      and side-chain atoms are quite uniform, at 0.97 (+/- 0.07) and 0.93 (+/- 0.10),
      respectively, as shown by an occupancy analysis made at the end of the refinement
      procedure.

PMID- 1856865
TI  - Lysozyme revisited: crystallographic evidence for distortion of an N
      acetylmuramic acid residue bound in site D.
AB  - A structure of the trisaccharide 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-muramic acid-beta (1----4)
      2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose-beta (1----4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-muramic acid
      (NAM-NAG-NAM), bound to subsites B, C and D in the active-site cleft of hen egg
      white lysozyme has been determined and refined at 1.5 A resolution. The resulting
      atomic co-ordinates indicate that the NAM residue in site D is distorted from the
      full 4C1 chair conformation to one in which the ring atoms C-1, C-2, O-5 and C-5
      are approximately coplanar, and the hydroxymethyl group is positioned axially (a
      conformation best described as a sofa). This finding supports the original
      proposals that suggested the ground-state conformation of the sugar bound in site
      D is strained to one that more closely resembles the geometry required for the
      oxocarbonium-ion transition state, the next step along the reaction pathway.
      Additionally, detailed analysis at 1.5 A resolution of the environments of the
      catalytic residues Glu35 and Asp52 provides new information on the properties
      that may allow lysozyme to promote the stabilization of an unusually long-lived
      oxocarbonium-ion transition state. Intermolecular interactions between the N
      acetylmuramic acid residue in site D and the lysozyme molecule that contribute to
      the saccharide ring distortion include: close packing of the O-3' lactyl group
      with a hydrogen-bonded "platform" of enzyme residues (Asp52, Asn46, Asn59, Ser50
      and Asp48), a close contact between the hydroxymethyl group of ring D and the 2'
      acetamido group of ring C and a strong hydrogen-bonded interaction between the NH
      group of Val109 and O-6 of ring D that stabilizes the observed quasi-axial
      orientation of the -CH2OH group. Additionally, the structure of this complex
      shows a strong hydrogen bond between the carboxyl group of Glu35 and the beta
      anomeric hydroxyl group of the NAM residue in site D. The hydrogen-bonded
      environment of Asp52 in the native enzyme and in the complex coupled with the
      very unfavorable direction of approach of the potential carboxylate nucleophile
      makes it most unlikely that there is a covalent glycosylenzyme intermediate on
      the hydrolysis pathway of hen egg-white lysozyme.

PMID- 1856866
TI  - X-ray analysis of the single chain B29-A1 peptide-linked insulin molecule. A
      completely inactive analogue.
AB  - A crystal structure of a totally inactive insulin molecule has been determined.
      For this insulin molecule, the first without detectable activity to be
      characterized, the A and B-chains are linked by a peptide bond between A1 Gly and
      B29 Lys. The molecule has retained all its normal self-association properties and
      it can also accommodate the two different conformations designated T and R, as
      seen in 4Zn native pig insulin crystals. The hexamers of the crosslinked insulin
      molecule were crystallized using the 4Zn insulin recipe of Schlichtkrull. The
      structure has been crystallographically refined with data extending to 2 A using
      restrained least-square methods. Comparison of the B29-A1 peptide crosslink
      insulin and the 4Zn native insulin reveals close structural similarities with the
      native dimer. The analysis of the structure confirms the earlier hypothesis that
      insulin structures in crystals are not in an active conformation and that a
      separation of N-terminal A-chain and C-terminal B-chain is required for
      interaction with the insulin receptor.

PMID- 1856867
TI  - Beta-lactamase of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C. Refinement at 2 A resolution and
      analysis of hydration.
AB  - The crystallographic and molecular structure of the class A beta-lactamase
      (penicillinase) of Bacillus licheniformis 749/C has been refined with X-ray
      diffraction data to 2 A resolution. For the 27,330 data with F greater than or
      equal to 3 sigma(F), the R factor is 0.15; for all 30,090 data, R is 0.16. The
      estimated co-ordinate error is 0.15 A. In the final model, the deviation of
      covalent bonds and angles from ideality is 0.012 A and 2.2 degrees, respectively.
      The model includes two molecules of 29,500 daltons each in the asymmetric unit of
      space group P2(1), 484 water molecules and two tetrahedral buffer anions. Overlay
      of the two protein molecules results in a root-mean-square difference of 0.17 A
      and 0.41 A for alpha-carbon atoms and for all atoms, respectively. Twenty-six
      water molecules fall within 0.25 A of matching water molecules associated with
      the second protein molecule. The reactive Ser70 is on a turn of 3(10) helix at
      the N terminus of a longer alpha-helix (72-83). The penicillin-binding site near
      this helix contains at least seven water molecules. Upon penicillin entry, a
      water molecule in the oxyanion hole, hydrogen-bonded between the N terminus of
      helix (80-83) and beta-strand (230-238), would be displaced by the oxygen atom of
      the beta-lactam carbonyl group. An unexpelled molecule of water is proposed to be
      the catalytic water required for penicillin hydrolysis. The water is hydrogen
      bonded to Glu166, a conserved residue in all beta-lactamases, and it lies 3 A
      from the alpha-face of a previously modeled penicillin. The position of the water
      Glu166 pair is stabilized in the active site by a cis peptide bond at Pro167.

PMID- 1856868
TI  - Are time-averaged restraints necessary for nuclear magnetic resonance refinement?
      A model study for DNA.
AB  - A recently suggested method for refinement of structural data obtained from two
      dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments using molecular dynamics (MD)
      is explored. In this method, the time-averaged values of the appropriate internal
      co-ordinates of the molecule, calculated from the MD trajectory, are driven by
      restraints towards the experimental target values. This contrasts with most
      refinement procedures currently in use, where restraints are applied based on the
      instantaneous values of the appropriate co-ordinates. Both refinement methods are
      applied to the EcoRI restriction site DNA hexamer d(GAATTC)2, using target
      nuclear Overhauser enhancement distances derived from a one nanosecond
      unrestrained MD simulation of this structure. The resulting refined structures
      are compared to the results of the unrestrained MD trajectory, which serves as
      our "experimental" data. We show that although both methods can yield an average
      structure with the correct gross morphology, the new method allows both a much
      more realistic picture of inherent flexibility, and reproduces fine
      conformational detail better, such as sequence dependency. We also analyze the
      very long MD trajectory generated here (longer than any previously reported for a
      DNA oligomer), and find that significantly shorter simulations, typical of those
      frequently performed, may not yield acceptably reliable values for certain
      structural parameters.

PMID- 1856870
TI  - Computational method for the design of enzymes with altered substrate
      specificity.
AB  - A combination of enzyme kinetics and X-ray crystallographic analysis of site
      specific mutants has been used to probe the determinants of substrate specificity
      for the enzyme alpha-lytic protease. We now present a generalized model for
      understanding the effects of mutagenesis on enzyme substrate specificity. This
      algorithm uses a library of side-chain rotamers to sample conformation space
      within the binding site for the enzyme-substrate complex. The free energy of each
      conformation is evaluated with a standard molecular mechanics force field,
      modified to include a solvation energy term. This rapid energy calculation based
      on coarse conformation sampling quite accurately predicts the relative catalytic
      efficiency of over 40 different alpha-lytic protease-substrate combinations.
      Unlike other computational approaches, with this method it is feasible to
      evaluate all possible mutations within the binding site. Using this algorithm, we
      have successfully designed a protease that is both highly active and selective
      for a non-natural substrate. These encouraging results indicate that it is
      possible to design altered enzymes solely on the basis of empirical energy
      calculations.

PMID- 1856869
TI  - Structure of bovine prothrombin fragment 1 refined at 2.25 A resolution.
AB  - The structure of bovine prothrombin fragment 1 has been refined at 2.25 A
      resolution using high resolution measurements made with the synchrotron beam at
      CHESS. The synchrotron data were collected photographically by oscillation
      methods (R-merge = 0.08). These were combined with lower order diffractometer
      data for refinement purposes. The structure was refined using restrained least
      squares methods with the program PROLSQ to a crystallographic R-value of 0.175.
      The structure includes 105 water molecules with occupancies of greater than 0.6.
      The first 35 residues (Ala1-Leu35) of the N-terminal gamma-carboxy glutamic acid
      domain (Ala1-Cys48) of fragment 1 are disordered as are two carbohydrate chains
      of Mr approximately 5000; the latter two combine to render 40% of the structure
      disordered. The folding of the kringle of fragment 1 is related to the close
      intramolecular contact between the inner loop disulfide groups. Half of the
      conserved sequence of the kringle forms an inner core surrounding these disulfide
      groups. The remainder of the sequence conservation is associated with the many
      turns of the main chain. The Pro95 residue of the kringle has a cis conformation
      and Tyr74 is ordered in fragment 1, although nuclear magnetic resonance studies
      indicate that the comparable residue of plasminogen kringle 4 has two positions.
      Surface accessibility calculations indicate that none of the disulfide groups of
      fragment 1 is accessible to solvent.

PMID- 1856871
TI  - Molecular recognition. Conformational analysis of limited proteolytic sites and
      serine proteinase protein inhibitors.
AB  - The conformations of known tryptic limited proteolytic sites have been analysed
      and compared to the structures of the binding regions of serine proteinase
      inhibitors, as they are found when complexed to a serine proteinase.
      Conformational parameters studied include main-chain torsion angles, root-mean
      square fits, accessibility, mobility and protrusion indices. As observed before,
      the inhibitors share a common main-chain conformation at the binding loop from P3
      P'3 (Schechter & Berger notation), which is maintained throughout all the serine
      proteinase inhibitor families for which X-ray data is available, despite lack of
      similarity in the rest of the protein. This canonical structure is not found
      amongst the limited proteolytic sites (or nicksites), which differ markedly from
      the inhibitor binding loop conformation, and also amongst themselves. The
      experimentally determined nicksites are in general both accessible and
      protruding; as are the inhibitor binding loops, as well as being typically
      flexible regions of structure, as denoted by elevated temperature factors from
      crystallographic determinations. For cleavage by serine proteinases these loops
      must radically alter their local conformations and a large motion of the loop
      relative to the structure, in some cases, would be required to orientate these
      sites for cleavage.

PMID- 1856874
TI  - Abstracts of the annual meeting (North American Section) of the International
      Society for Heart Research. Cincinnati, Ohio, 29 May-2 June 1991.

PMID- 1856872
TI  - Relation between stability, dynamics and enzyme activity in 3-phosphoglycerate
      kinases from yeast and Thermus thermophilus.
AB  - 3-Phosphoglycerate kinases from yeast and the extreme thermophilic bacterium
      Thermus thermophilus HB8 have been used as models for investigating the
      relationship between stability, dynamics and activity. It was found that while at
      a given temperature the thermophilic protein is more stable, its conformational
      dynamics as measured by the ability of acrylamide to quench the fluorescence of a
      buried tryptophan as well as its specific activity, are both lower than for the
      mesophilic protein. As the temperature is increased, the thermodynamic stability
      of the thermophilic protein approaches that of the mesophilic protein at its
      working temperature. Its conformational dynamics and specific activity however
      were both shown to increase, until at the physiologically operational
      temperature, they become similar to those of the mesophilic enzyme at its
      operational temperature. These results confirm the proposal that a direct
      relationship and balance holds between thermodynamic stability, dynamics and
      specific activity in globular proteins. They demonstrate also the constraining
      effect of increased stability upon conformational dynamics and enzyme activity.

PMID- 1856875
TI  - Neurotoxicities and behavioral changes in a 12-year-old male exposed to dicofol,
      an organochloride pesticide.
AB  - The case of a 12-yr-old male exposed to a substantial amount of dicofol, a DDT
      analog, is presented. The patient was still contaminated 3 wk after exposure.
      Blood and fat analysis documented the presence of dicofol. The patient
      demonstrated subjective and objective evidence of neurological injury, which
      resolved. Other organ injury was not present. Cognitive and emotional
      difficulties persisted over an 18-mo period.

PMID- 1856873
TI  - In vivo strain in cranial sutures: the zygomatic arch.
AB  - Although cranial sutures presumably play a role in absorbing and/or transmitting
      loads applied to the skull, loading patterns on facial sutures are poorly
      understood. The zygomatic arch provides a comparatively isolated mechanical part
      of the skull containing a single suture, the zygomatico-squamosal. In pigs the
      zygomatico-squamosal suture has a short vertical segment located within the
      postorbital process and a longer horizontal segment which extends posteriorly. In
      anesthetized pigs single-element high-elongation strain gages were bonded over
      both segments of the suture. Strain was recorded during stimulation of the
      masseter muscles and while the lightly anesthetized animals masticated food
      pellets. The predominant strain patterns differed in the two segments of the
      suture. During mastication compressive strains predominated in the vertical
      segment, but tensile strains predominated in the horizontal segment. The same
      patterns were also produced by stimulation of the ipsilateral masseter muscle.
      Contraction of the contralateral masseter reversed the strain pattern, but strain
      levels were low and during mastication such reversals occurred only transiently.
      The two segments of the suture have contrasting morphologies. The vertical
      segment has broad, interdigitating contacts with fibers arranged in a compression
      resisting orientation. The horizontal segment has a simple tongue and groove
      structure with fibers arranged to resist tension. Thus, the structure of the
      suture reflects the predominant strain pattern.

PMID- 1856876
TI  - Correlation of cadmium, copper, manganese, and zinc levels in the urine of people
      in nonpolluted areas.
AB  - Quantitative correlation among the four metals cadmium, copper, manganese, and
      zinc was examined in nearly 1500 urine samples collected from adult female
      inhabitants in 8 nonpolluted regions in various parts of Japan. In addition to a
      significant correlation between urinary cadmium and zinc as previously reported,
      copper levels significantly correlated with those of cadmium and zinc. In
      contrast, manganese did not show any significant correlation with cadmium,
      copper, or zinc. These findings are in agreement with the fact that cadmium,
      copper, and zinc are known to combine with metallothionein in vivo, whereas this
      is not the case with manganese.

PMID- 1856877
TI  - Diversity of shellfish toxins of "diarrhetic" type revealed by biological and
      chemical assays.
AB  - Extracts of "diarrhetic" shellfish toxins from the edible mussel (Mytilus edulis)
      were tested with biological and chemical assays to determine toxin content. When
      tested with the standard mouse bioassay, a higher toxicity was detected in most
      samples compared to that revealed from detection of the diarrhea-causing
      substances okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1 by high-performance liquid
      chromatography. Routine extraction of toxins for the two assays was carried out
      with two different solvents, acetone versus aqueous methanol. Accordingly, we
      questioned whether the variation in results between the methods could be due to
      differences in chemical properties of these two solvents. When tested, the two
      solvent systems showed practically the same efficiency concerning the extraction
      of okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1. This demonstrated that toxins other than
      those causing diarrhea were present in the samples, and that the mouse bioassay
      was sensitive to these additional toxins. Subsequent testing of the samples with
      the mouse bioassay, employing both acetone and methanol extracts, revealed that
      at least two classes of toxins were present in the mussel samples in addition to
      okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1. It is unclear whether the shellfish toxins
      revealed in this study are partially from known, nondiarrhetic types, such as
      pectenotoxins or yessotoxins, or from unknown toxin groups exhibiting
      ichthyotoxic and hemolytic properties.

PMID- 1856878
TI  - Subchronic inhalation toxicity and reproductive assessment in rats of three
      chlorinated propenes.
AB  - Groups of 15 male and 15 female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 1 of 3
      chloropropene (2,3-Di = DCP; 1,2,3-Tri = TRCP; and 1,1,2,3-Tetra = TECP) vapors
      to provide information on repeated exposures and the potential for reproductive
      impairment by the most likely route of occupational exposure. Target exposure
      concentrations were 0, 1, 5, and 15 ppm, 6 h/d, 5 d/wk for 13 wk. The following
      parameters were evaluated: pharmacotoxic signs, survival, body weights,
      hematology, clinical blood chemistry, urine analysis, gross and histopathology
      (over 40 tissues/rat), organ weights, and selected weight ratios. Signs of nasal
      irritation were noted in rats exposed to 15 ppm of either DCP or TRCP but not
      TECP. Small decreases in overall body weight were observed in female rats exposed
      to 15 ppm TCP. An increase (approximately 15%) in spleen weight, with no
      corresponding histopathological or clinical findings, was observed in 15 ppm DCP
      treated male rats. No other effects considered related to treatment were observed
      following exposure to any of the three chlorinated propenes. Additional groups of
      10 male and 20 female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to DCP, TRCP, or TECP
      vapors at target concentrations of 0, 1, or 5 ppm for 6 h/d, 5 d/wk for a 10-wk
      premating period, a mating period, and the first 14 d (females only) of
      gestation. Females were allowed to deliver litters and the offspring were
      evaluated during a 21-d lactation period. Mating, pregnancy, and fertility
      indices were generally comparable among all test groups, although female mating
      and pregnancy indices of both DCP-treated females were lower than expected in the
      regular and postrecovery reproduction phase. No effects were seen on pup
      survival, sex distribution, body weights, organ weights, and ratios. A modest
      reduction in pup body weights was observed following TECP exposure but was
      attributed to large litter size. No treatment-related effects were seen following
      necropsy of adults or weanlings, nor were such effects noted following
      microscopic evaluation of gonads from parental animals.

PMID- 1856879
TI  - Short-term dermal toxicity and mutagenicity of coal coprocessing products in the
      rat.
AB  - The present study was conducted to determine the dermal toxicity of coal
      coprocessing products and to assess their potential health hazards. Groups of 10
      male and 10 female Sprague-Dawley rats were administered dermally coal
      coprocessing products (light gas oil, LGO; heavy gas oil I, HGOI; heavy gas oil
      II, HGOII) at 1 g/kg body weight/d for 14 d. The control and positive control
      groups received normal saline and a coal liquefaction product (CLP) at the same
      dose level, respectively. Treatment with either the three fractions of
      coprocessing products or CLP caused decreased growth rate and food consumption in
      animals of both sexes. Liver enlargement occurred in groups treated with HGOI,
      HGOII, and CLP. Decreased serum glucose was observed in animals of both sexes
      treated with the three fractions and CLP. Treatment with HGOI and CLP caused an
      elevation of hepatic microsomal ethoxyresorufin deethylase activity in the rat of
      both sexes. The three fractions and CLP caused mild anemia. Mild treatment
      related histological changes were observed in the liver, spleen, thyroid, bone
      marrow, and kidney. All three fractions of coprocessing products were tested for
      their mutagenicity in five strains of Salmonella typhimurium: TA98, TA100,
      TA1535, TA1537, and TA1538. HGOI, after metabolic activation, was found to be
      mutagenic in the strains of TA98, TA100, and TA1538. In contrast, HGOII was
      mutagenic in the five strains with or without metabolic activation. These data
      indicate that HGOI and HGOII are more toxic than LGO, and should be subjected to
      further studies to determine their long-term effects.

PMID- 1856880
TI  - Bladder and liver tumorigenesis induced by 2-acetylaminofluorene in different F1
      mouse hybrids: variation within genotypes and effects of using more than one
      genotype on risk assessment.
AB  - Several F1 mouse hybrids were used in a chronic bioassay to determine whether
      such an experimental design would provide greater statistical power than using
      only the B6C3F1 hybrid. For this purpose, the dose response of formation of
      hepatocellular and bladder tumors after 30 mo of feeding 2-acetylaminofluorene (2
      AAF) in the diet was assessed in 4 F1 mouse hybrids, including the B6C3F1 hybrid.
      No strain background-related differences in frequency of bladder neoplasms
      between any F1 hybrids were detected. Bladder tumors occurred only at the highest
      2-AAF dose in female mice. In males the lowest dose was already sufficient to
      induce bladder neoplasms with incidences of 25-48% adjusted for different
      nontumor mortality patterns across doses. No marked strain-related differences in
      hepatocellular tumor rates were apparent in either sex. Higher frequencies of
      hepatocellular neoplasms were observed among the untreated control males of the
      B6C3, AY, and CVA F1 hybrids than among the comparable females. Among treated
      mice, the lowest 2-AAF dose increased liver tumor incidence, more so among the
      females than among the males. The different background genomes resulted in
      somewhat different risk assessments for liver tumor formation in males due to
      differences in the time-to-tumor curves. Except for the much higher background
      liver tumor rate in the CVY mice, the adjusted liver tumor incidences were
      similar across the four hybrids. Hence, the levels of statistical significance
      obtained for dose-response trends and comparisons of treated and control groups
      were similar using 48 animals per dose groups with B6C3 mice, or combinations of
      24 animals per dose from 2 genotypes, or 12 animals per dose from the 4 hybrid
      genotypes. Estimates of carcinogenic potency for bladder tumors were similar,
      within a factor of two, across the four hybrids. However, estimates of liver
      tumor potency across genotypes varied by a factor of two and six for females and
      males, respectively. Thus, the mean of cancer potency estimates across these
      genotypes would be more representative for mice than results from any single
      genotype. As in chronic carcinogenesis studies with other test agents, neoplasms
      developed in only a certain proportion, rather than in all, of the genetically
      identical animals exposed to a given dose of the toxicant for the same length of
      time under the same controlled environmental conditions. This phenotypic
      variability in toxic responses may reflect differential regulation of gene
      expression among the genetically identical test animals.

PMID- 1856881
TI  - Influence of innervation on molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase in
      regenerating fast and slow skeletal muscles.
AB  - Nerve-intact muscle regenerates were prepared by ischemic-toxic injury of slow
      soleus (SOL) and fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of the rat. Rapid
      innervation of regenerating myotubes modified intrinsic patterns of AChE
      molecular forms, revealed by velocity sedimentation in linear sucrose gradients.
      Regarding their onset, the effects of innervation can be classified as early and
      late. The earliest changes in the SOL regenerates appeared a few days after
      innervation by their motoneurons: the activity of the 13 S AChE form (A 8)
      increased significantly in comparison to non-innervated regenerates. The pattern
      of AChE molecular forms became similar to that in the normal SOL muscle during
      the 2nd week after injury. In contrast, no major differences were observed
      between 8 day-old innervated and non-innervated EDL regenerates. Their patterns
      of AChE molecular forms resembled that in the normal EDL. However, the
      predominance of the 10 S AChE form (G 4) characteristic for the 2-week old non
      innervated regenerates was prevented by innervation. Early effect of innervation
      observed in the SOL regenerates but not in the EDL may be due to intrinsically
      different response of the regenerating SOL myotubes to innervation. Rather high
      extrajunctional activity of the asymmetric 16 S (A 12) molecular form of AChE in
      early regenerates was reduced to adult level in about 3 weeks in the SOL, and
      nearly completely suppressed in 5 weeks after innervation in the EDL regenerates.
      This reduction is assumed to be a late effect of innervation, as well as a
      decrease of the activity of the 4 S AChE form (G 1) in the SOL regenerates. A
      suppressive mechanism is activated in the extra-junctional regions of the
      innervated muscle regenerates during their maturation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1856883
TI  - Endogenous opioid-immunoreactive neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus
      concentrate estrogen in male and female rats.
AB  - Estrogen stimulates expression of proenkephalin mRNA in neurons of the
      hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus, and evidence is accumulating that synaptic
      release of one of the peptide end products, met-enkephalin, influences events
      that regulate reproductive behavior. To address the question of whether estrogen
      acts directly on neurons that synthesize met-enkephalin or indirectly through a
      separate neuronal population, we combined estrogen autoradiography with
      endogenous opioid peptide (EOP) immunohistochemistry. In agreement with previous
      studies, the ventrolateral subdivision of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus
      was densely packed with EOP-immunoreactive cells. In males, 48% of the estrogen
      concentrating cells of the ventrolateral subdivision of the hypothalamic
      ventromedial nucleus contained EOP, and, in females, 27% of the estrogen
      concentrating cells contained EOP. These findings indicate that estrogen acts
      directly on neurons that express EOP and suggest a mechanism that underlies
      sexually differentiated reproductive behavior.

PMID- 1856882
TI  - Regulation of heat shock protein synthesis in rat astrocytes.
AB  - Rat forebrain astrocytes synthesize heat shock proteins with molecular weights
      97, 89, 70, 68, and 30-34 kilodaltons. The stress inducible 68-kDa heat shock
      protein (HSP-68) was vigorously expressed by astrocytes in culture after a 45
      degrees C, 20 min heat shock. HSP-68 synthesis was poorly inducible by a second
      heat shock given 16 hr after the initial heat shock. Decreased [35S]methionine
      incorporation into HSP-68 correlated with low levels of HSP-68 mRNA present after
      the second heat shock. The data suggest that control of HSP-68 mRNA levels by
      transcriptional/posttranscriptional mechanisms is a major site for regulation of
      HSP-68 synthesis.

PMID- 1856884
TI  - Role of nucleus basalis in cholinergic control of cortical blood flow.
AB  - The present investigation was designed to determine the effect of lesions
      localized to the nucleus basalis/substantia innominata (NB) on resting and
      cholinergically activated regional cerebral cortical blood flow (rCBF). Ibotenic
      acid (10 micrograms) was infused locally at 1 mm caudal to bregma, 3 mm lateral
      to the midline, and 8 mm below the cortical surface. Effectiveness of lesions was
      demonstrated by histological verification of lesion sites and determination of
      choline acetyltransferase activity in cerebral cortex homogenates. rCBF was
      measured with the autoradiographic iodo-14C-antipyrine technique. Resting rCBF
      was similar in the hemisphere that received the NB lesion and in the
      contralateral (intact) side in all regions examined. Physostigmine intravenous
      infusion (3.3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) enhanced rCBF in frontal, parietal,
      occipital, and temporal cortex. The increase was symmetrical, however, indicating
      inability of NB lesion to affect this phenomenon. It is concluded that the
      cortical cholinergic afferents originating in the NB are not involved in the
      control of rCBF.

PMID- 1856885
TI  - Proliferation of chick embryo neuroblasts grown in the presence of horse serum
      requires exogenous transferrin.
AB  - We have previously shown that neuroblasts from cerebral hemispheres of 6-day-old
      chick embryos are able to proliferate when grown in the presence of fetal calf
      serum. We report here that in the presence of horse serum alone the proliferative
      rate of neuroblasts is strongly reduced. A high proliferative rate is restored
      upon the addition of bovine transferrin and to a lesser extent with added FeSO4
      or hemin. These findings suggest that the transferrin of horse serum cannot be
      used by chick neuroblasts in vitro, while bovine transferrin exogenously added is
      active in promoting cell proliferation. We propose that the stimulatory activity
      of the fetal calf serum is due to bovine transferrin, since when this serum is
      fractionated by gel filtration, the fractions that stimulate the proliferation of
      neuroblasts grown in the presence of horse serum are located in the molecular
      weight area of transferrin, and they do contain transferrin as seen by
      immunoblotting with a specific anti-transferrin antibody.

PMID- 1856886
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid catecholamine metabolites in HIV-infected patients.
AB  - Twenty-eight HIV-seropositive individuals--11 asymptomatic cases, 8 with
      lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS), and 9 with AIDS--were investigated. Clinical
      staging of the AIDS dementia complex was done in the 9 AIDS patients. The
      catecholamine metabolites 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and homovanillic
      acid (HVA) in CSF were determined in all the HIV patients and in 20 healthy
      volunteers. The CSF MHPG levels did not differ significantly between healthy
      subjects and HIV-infected patients at any stage of the infection. The CSF
      concentrations of HVA differed between the groups only during the AIDS stage. The
      mean CSF HVA value in the AIDS patients was 42% lower than in the healthy
      subjects and significantly lower than in any other stage of HIV infection (P less
      than .01). Patients with signs of the AIDS dementia complex had reduced CSF HVA
      levels, but there was no clear relationship between HVA concentration and stage
      of the AIDS dementia complex.

PMID- 1856888
TI  - [Comparison of nasal mucociliary clearance before and after operation in chronic
      sinusitis].
AB  - Nasal mucociliary clearance is a first line of defence mechanism of the
      respiratory system against inhaled particles. It transports particles depositing
      into the nasal passages to the pharynx to be swallowed or expectorated, thus
      protecting the respiratory system from injury. Clearance function is affected by
      many factors such as the chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. A group
      of 13 healthy volunteers (controls) and a group of 17 patients suffering from
      chronic sinusitis was investigated in the Department of Otolaryngology of
      Taichung Veterans General Hospital between June and October of 1990. A
      radioisotope method was used to measure the velocity of nasal mucociliary
      transport in the participants. This involved the use of radioisotope Tc99m
      combined with albumin particles and measurements were made in one nasal chamber
      at a time. The sinusitis patients were then surgically treated and they all
      improved. In all 25 tests were made in the control group and the mean velocity of
      their mucociliary transport was found to be 4.56mm/min. In the patients 28
      measurements were made and their mean velocity was found to be 2. 67mm/min before
      the operation and 4.03mm/min after the operation. The difference between pre- and
      post-operative velocities was statistically significant as was the difference
      between the pre-operative velocities of the patients and those of the controls.
      The difference between controls and patients after the operation was not
      significant.

PMID- 1856887
TI  - Study of myopathy in chronic alcoholics with neurological complication.
AB  - This study was undertaken to understand the myopathic manifestations as well as
      the electrophysiological, pathological, and histochemical changes in muscle
      tissues of chronic alcoholics. Twenty eight cases of chronic alcoholics with
      neurological complications and confirmed myopathy were included in this study. Of
      these, 11 cases (39.3%) belonged to the subclinical forms with either Korsakoff
      Wernicke encephalopathy or cerebellar atrophy. The remaining 17 cases (60.7%)
      were clinical forms with various manifestations, such as hypokalemic periodic
      paralysis, alcoholic rhabdomyolysis, vacuolar myopathy with phosphorylase
      deficiency, chronic proximal limb-girdle myopathy and neuro-myopathy.
      Electromyography (EMG) study showed both myopathic and neurogenic changes. The
      single fiber EMG revealed increased jitter and blocking rate suggesting
      reinnervation. In muscle biopsy, the histological and histochemical abnormalities
      included random atrophic fibers, necrotic fibers, fibers with internal nuclei,
      phagocytosis and moth-eaten fibers. There was selective atrophy of type 2 muscle
      fibers, particularly of type 2B fiber. Total or partial myophosphorylase
      deficiency was observed in some cases (33%). All these findings indicate typical
      myopathic changes, which might be caused by defects in the energy pathways,
      especially in the glycolytic processes. In some muscle specimens, there were
      angular atrophic fibers and fiber type groupings suggesting denervation and
      reinnervation changes. In conclusion, both myopathic and neurogenic alterations
      were frequently observed in muscles of chronic alcoholics.

PMID- 1856890
TI  - [The study of Apgar score and infant birth weight in the central Taiwan].
AB  - The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between birth weight
      and the Apgar Score. We collected data on the birth weights and the 1 min and 5
      min Apgar Score of new born infants between 1982 and 1987 at a teaching hospital
      in Central Taiwan. Compared to babies with normal Apgar Score, infants with low
      Apgar Scores were found to born with low and very low birth weights. In the 1 min
      of life test, the relative risks of low birth weights among infants with Apgar
      Scores of 0 to 3 and 4 to 6 were 115.0 and 5.9 times higher than those of normal
      infants, respectively. In the very low birth weight category, the relative risks
      of the above score were 252.5 and 51.1, in this order. In the 5 min of life test,
      the relative risks of the above scores were 16.2 and 12.1 in the low birth weight
      category, respectively. However, among babies of very low birth weight, the
      relative risks of the same scores were 121.2 and 84.9, in this order. In
      conclusion, the 5 min Apgar Score might be a useful prognostic index for the
      relationship between health and birth weight of new born infants.

PMID- 1856889
TI  - Transmission of hepatitis B virus infection by iatrogenic intramuscular
      injections in an endemic area.
AB  - The authors followed 95 people from the general and aboriginal population of
      Taiwan, aged 5 to 69 years for two years. All of subjects studied were
      susceptible to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In all, 56 of the 95 persons
      received iatrogenic intramuscular (IM) injections, and 28 of the 95 became newly
      infected with HBV during the study period. The relative risk of being infected
      with HBV was higher in people who received an IM injection (IRR = 5.8, 95% CI 1.9
      17.9) than in those who did not. New HBV infections were found to correlate
      significantly with the frequency of injections (Ptrend less than 0.000) and
      therefore, we concluded that (A) intramuscular injections played an important
      role in horizontal transmission of HBV, particularly among Aborigines and that
      (B) the infection was transmitted via inadequately sterilized syringes used for
      iatrogenic IM injections in a community in which the hepatitis B virus was
      prevalent and IM injections were common.

PMID- 1856891
TI  - Arthrographic evaluation of the internal derangement of temporomandibular joint.
AB  - From a functional point of view, the temporomandibular joint(TMJ) is one of the
      most important joints in the body. Optimal radiographic visualization is becoming
      increasingly important to medical and dental specialists as abnormal TMJ
      derangements are becoming better understood. Because the most common TMJ
      arthropathy is the internal derangement of TMJ, arthrography of the
      temporomandibular joint is widely performed in clinical practice. From January
      1986 to December 1990, twenty temporomandibular joint arthrographies were
      performed in patients with symptoms of pain, clicking and dysfunction. We report
      our findings on these twenty patients who were examined by arthrography, which
      was conducted due to internal derangements related to meniscal dysfunction.

PMID- 1856892
TI  - Experiences in the management of cerebellopontine angle tumour: an analysis of 64
      cases.
AB  - The surgical aspects of 64 consecutive cases of cerebellopontine angle tumours
      treated from January 1983 to December 1988 are reviewed. Nearly all of the
      procedures were done through a small suboccipital craniectomy. Two patients
      underwent a combined subtemporal- suboccipital approach. A stage-operation was
      performed on three patients harbouring a large to giant-size acoustic neuroma.
      The most common sign was loss of corneal reflex (29%). Hearing loss was present
      in 33 patients (51%). Trigeminal neuralgia occurred in 13 patients (20%) on the
      affected side. Hemifacial spasm was present in one patient with a 2-cm
      meningioma. The tumour pathology comprised of 37 acoustic neuromas, 16
      meningiomas, 5 epidermoid cysts, 3 trigeminal neuromas, 1 metastatic
      adenocarcinoma, 1 facial neuroma, and 1 tuberculoma. Anatomic continuity of the
      facial nerve was preserved in 40 patients (66%). Operative mortality rate in this
      series was three (4.7%). None of the patients has had other further significant
      neurological deficits postoperatively. Most of our patients were in good
      condition after the operative procedures.

PMID- 1856893
TI  - [Compressive radial nerve palsy induced by military shooting training--a case
      report].
AB  - A newly recruited soldier suffered a sudden onset of wrist-drop of left hand and
      numbness on the back of thumb after a military training course in target
      shooting. An examination disclosed decreased muscle power (0/5) in the left wrist
      dorsiflexion, disturbance of pain-temperature sensation on the radial side of
      left hand and absence of the deep tendon reflex of brachioradialis.
      Electrophysiological studies showed slowness of motor conduction velocity, delay
      of distal latency and reduced amplitude. EMG revealed fibrillation over the
      extensor digitorium communis (EDC) at rest, brachioradialis and prolongation of
      polyphasic MUAPs over EDC. Left radial nerve mononeuropathy induced by mechanical
      compression of the radial nerve on the spiral groove of humerus was conspicuous.
      We attempted to discuss the disease etiology, electrophysiological findings and
      treatment.

PMID- 1856894
TI  - [Versatility of rectus abdominis muscle or myocutaneous flap--report of seven
      cases].
AB  - The rectus abdominis muscle, due to its strategic location in the abdomen with
      its dual blood supply and wide arc of transposition, is ideally suited to repair
      defects over the chest, abdomen, groin and perineum. The muscle is generally
      based on the superior epigastric artery, deep inferior epigastric artery and
      their associated capillary communications. From September 1989 to September 1990,
      at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, seven cases were presented utilizing
      unilateral rectus abdominis muscle or myocutaneous flap for local or free tissue
      transfer. The recipient areas included abdomen, groin, perineum, lower leg and a
      penis reconstruction. Of all flaps that survived, one developed minor skin
      necrosis causing urethral orifice stricture and urethrocutaneous fistula that
      later required repair. All cases achieved the surgical goals. There was no donor
      site infection, nor abdominal wall herniation but persisted wound pain in 2 cases
      was noted during the follow-up period. All patients resumed daily activity
      without limitation about six weeks postoperatively. The large skin territory with
      abundant soft tissue offers versatile flap design. The dissection is simple,
      speedy and straight foreward. The deep inferior epigastric vessels are long and
      their calibers are suitable for vascular anastomosis. Usually, the donor sites
      are primary closed. We recommend this flap as one to be considered in
      reconstruction planning and as a donor material for free tissue transfer.

PMID- 1856895
TI  - Congenital tracheobronchomegaly (Mounier-Kuhn syndrome): a report of 10 cases and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Mounier-Kuhn syndrome is a congenital abnormality of the trachea and main bronchi
      characterized by atrophy or absence of elastic fibers and thinning of muscle,
      which allows the trachea and main bronchi to become flaccid and markedly dilated
      on inspiration with narrowing or collapse on expiration or cough. The abnormal
      airway dynamics and pooling of secretions in broad outpouchings of redundant
      musculomembranous tissue between the cartilaginous rings predispose to the
      development of chronic pulmonary suppuration, bronchiectasis, emphysema, and
      pulmonary fibrosis. A broad spectrum of clinical abnormalities has been
      documented in Mounier-Kuhn syndrome, ranging from minimal disease with good
      preservation of pulmonary function to progressive disease leading to respiratory
      failure and death. In the appropriate clinical setting, Mounier-Kuhn syndrome is
      diagnosed in women from chest radiographs when the transverse and sagittal
      diameters of the trachea exceed 21 mm and 23 mm, respectively, and when the
      transverse diameters of the right and left main bronchi exceed 19.8 mm and 17.4
      mm, respectively. In men it is diagnosed when the transverse and sagittal
      diameters of the trachea exceed 25 mm and 27 mm, respectively, and when the
      transverse diameters of the right and left main bronchi exceed 21.1 mm and 18.4
      mm, respectively. The diagnosis can be confirmed easily by computed tomography.

PMID- 1856896
TI  - Case report: computed tomography findings in Williams-Campbell syndrome.
AB  - Williams-Campbell syndrome is a rare type of cystic bronchiectasis that is due to
      defective cartilage of fourth-to sixth-order bronchi. The diagnosis has been made
      either at autopsy or by bronchographic findings. The article describes an adult
      case of this syndrome with CT findings that are characteristic of this entity. CT
      showed areas of emphysematous lung parenchyma distal to the dilated bronchi,
      suggesting bronchiolitis obliterans secondary to proximal cystic bronchiectasis.
      These findings are useful in differentiating Williams-Campbell syndrome from
      other causes of cystic bronchiectasis, thus obviating bronchography.

PMID- 1856897
TI  - A prospective evaluation of plain radiographic signs of chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease.
AB  - Plain film signs of COPD, spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction, and
      smoking history were correlated in a group of 182 men aged 32 to 85 years
      (average, 57.5 years) who presented for evaluation of possible pulmonary
      disability. There were 148 current or past smokers (range, 0.66 to 150 pack
      years; average, 31.89 pack-years) and 34 lifetime nonsmokers. A single observer,
      who had no knowledge of the other parameters, prospectively evaluated
      posteroanterior chest radiographs for 11 signs of COPD. Airflow obstruction was
      defined as a reduction in FEV1/FVC% below the 95% confidence limit of normal.
      Obstruction was classified on the basis of the reduction in FEV1 as mild (FEV1
      greater than 2.5L), moderate (FEV1 greater than 1.0 L and less than 2.5 L), or
      severe (FEV1 less than 1.0 L). Spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction was
      present in 67 patients; obstruction was mild in 26, moderate in 36, and severe in
      5. We found a statistically significant association between smoking and airflow
      obstruction on spirometry (P less than 0.001) and an equally significant
      association between smoking and radiographic signs of COPD on plain chest films
      (P less than 0.001). Both airflow obstruction and radiologic signs of COPD were
      generally absent in lifetime nonsmokers. The plain film signs of COPD were only
      of moderate value in predicting spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction in
      smokers; spirometric evidence is not the gold standard for the presence of COPD,
      however, and the strong association between smoking and these radiologic signs
      may indicate that in smokers the presence of plain film signs of COPD reflects
      morphologic abnormality in the lungs indicative of disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1856898
TI  - Differentiation of bronchogenic carcinoma from postobstructive pneumonitis by
      magnetic resonance imaging: histopathologic correlation.
AB  - Obstructive pneumonitis frequently occurs distal to hilar bronchogenic carcinomas
      or in lung adjacent to peripheral tumors. The article evaluates the role of MRI
      in the differentiation of tumor from pneumonitis. Twelve patients underwent MRI
      of the thorax before surgery. T1-weighted (SE 310/20) and T2-weighted (SE 2000/60
      120) images were obtained through the tumor and presumed areas of pneumonitis.
      Five histologic types of pneumonitis were identified on pathologic examination of
      the 12 specimens. Cholesterol pneumonitis, found in 7 patients, was the most
      common type. Organizing pneumonitis, bronchiectasis with mucus plugs,
      atelectasis, and abscess were found in 3, 4, 2, and 1 patients, respectively. MRI
      was able to differentiate tumor from pneumonitis in 5 of 6 patients with a hilar
      mass and in 5 of 6 patients with a peripheral tumor. This was achieved by a
      visual difference in signal intensity on heavily T2-weighted (SE 2000/120)
      images. Cholesterol pneumonitis and bronchiectasis with mucus plugs were always
      hyperintense relative to tumor, and organizing pneumonitis and atelectasis were
      isointense and indistinguishable from tumor. MRI can differentiate tumor from
      pneumonitis provided that pneumonitis is of the cholesterol type or if there are
      mucus plugs in the collapsed lung.

PMID- 1856899
TI  - Differentiation of central lung tumor from postobstructive lobar collapse by
      rapid sequence computed tomography.
AB  - When central lung tumor is associated with lobar collapse, discrimination of
      tumor from atelectasis is important for determining operability or for field
      planning should radiation therapy be utilized. Because tumor and collapsed lung
      have similar attenuation values, they cannot always be distinguished with usual
      contrast-enhanced CT. The article describes separation of tumor from collapsed
      lung by means of RSCT with bolus injection of nonionic contrast medium. With this
      technique collapsed lung is appreciably enhanced, but tumor enhancement is slow
      and minimal. The difference is most marked from 40 seconds to 2 minutes after
      scanning begins. This phenomenon is probably related to the marked increase in
      blood flow per unit area of collapsed lung due to crowding of relatively large
      pulmonary arteries compared to tumor blood supply through small bronchial
      arteries. Tumor can also be delineated from atelectasis by differences in
      internal structure with this technique.

PMID- 1856900
TI  - Computed tomography distinction of central thoracic masses.
AB  - In an analysis of 36 central lung, 54 mediastinal, and 10 central pleural masses,
      features were sought that would allow accurate localization of the mass by CT.
      The mass-lung interface was the most useful feature; with few exceptions a mass
      with a spiculated, nodular, or irregular edge was in the lung, and a mass with a
      smooth edge was in the mediastinum. In the superior mediastinal, supraazygos, and
      supraaortic regions lung masses were lateral to the great vessels, and
      mediastinal masses were medial to the great vessels. Anterior mediastinal masses
      were typically positioned between the sternum and great vessels; some were more
      laterally positioned, however, and could only be distinguished from lung masses
      by the mass-lung interface. In the infraazygos, infraaortic, and paraspinal
      areas, lung and mediastinal masses were best differentiated by the mass-lung
      interface. The angles formed between the mass and lung were occasionally helpful
      in localizing the mass. Central pleural masses were characterized by a lack of
      intimate mediastinal effect, obtuse angles between the mass and lung, a smooth
      mass-lung interface, and characteristic association with other similar areas of
      involvement in the pleural space. These criteria were used for the correct
      localization of 99 of 100 masses; therefore, they can simplify and focus the work
      up of most central thoracic masses.

PMID- 1856901
TI  - Bronchogenic cyst: a case report emphasizing the role of magnetic resonance
      imaging.
AB  - The article describes a patient with a right paratracheal bronchogenic cyst in
      whom the preoperative diagnosis was unclear. The fluid component of the cyst was
      not readily apparent by CT or T1-weighted MR images. Very intense signal on T2
      weighted MR images suggested a cystic lesion. Inhomogeneities evident on MR but
      not CT images provided further soft tissue characterization. These soft tissue
      elements correlated with a macroscopic ring of hyaline cartilage in the resected
      specimen. The usefulness of MRI for the differential diagnosis of mediastinal
      tumors is discussed.

PMID- 1856902
TI  - Pulmonary hemorrhage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Five patients with pulmonary hemorrhage associated with SLE were studied. Chest
      radiographs showed extensive alveolar opacity immediately after hemoptysis or
      dyspnea in four patients. In one patient an interstitial pattern seen initially
      progressed rapidly to an alveolar pattern. Three patients were successfully
      treated with corticosteroids and are doing well at present. The diagnosis and
      treatment of pulmonary hemorrhage is vital to patients with SLE. In the
      appropriate clinical setting chest radiographic findings of acute alveolar
      disease should suggest pulmonary hemorrhage, and empiric treatment with
      corticosteroids should be considered.

PMID- 1856903
TI  - Evaluation of pulmonary vascular pressures in cardiac patients: the role of the
      chest roentgenogram.
AB  - In 77 patients (34 with left heart valvulopathy, 17 with dilated cardiomyopathy,
      and 26 with chronic coronary artery disease) pulmonary vascular pressures were
      estimated from the chest film by means of a new scoring system. Standard chest x
      ray films taken immediately before diagnostic right and left cardiac
      catheterization were analyzed independently by three readers without knowledge of
      the hemodynamic findings. The radiographic signs were subdivided into three
      groups as follows, and to each one a score derived from a retrospective
      statistical analysis was attributed: (A) signs of interstitial edema, (B)
      patterns of pulmonary blood flow distribution, and (C) alterations in the
      pulmonary arteries. The sum of the scores of groups A and B x-ray findings
      correlated well with pulmonary wedge pressure, and the sum of the scores of
      groups A, B, and C correlated more strongly with the mean pulmonary artery
      pressure. These results confirm that it is possible, in patients with chronic
      heart disease, to assess accurately the pulmonary artery and wedge pressures by
      means of the noninvasive and easily performed chest roentgenogram.

PMID- 1856904
TI  - Polysplenia syndrome in the asymptomatic adult: computed tomography evaluation.
AB  - Although the majority of patients with polysplenia syndrome will present during
      infancy or childhood with congenital heart disease, 5% to 10% will have no
      cardiac disease; and the associated abnormalities may not be discovered until
      adulthood. Physicians should be familiar with the chest and abdominal
      radiographic findings so as not to confuse this syndrome with other, more common
      pathologic conditions in asymptomatic adult patients.

PMID- 1856905
TI  - Lung abscess caused by Rhodococcus equi.
AB  - In the immunocompromised patient, early diagnosis of a lung cavity is essential
      for appropriate treatment. Rhodococcus equi (formerly Corynebacterium equi) is a
      variably acid-fast bacterium that can produce cavitary disease in an
      immunocompromised host. The two cases presented here demonstrate the clinical and
      radiographic features of R equi lung abscess. The first patient was on long-term
      corticosteroid therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. The second patient had AIDS. The
      correct diagnosis in both cases was delayed because acid-fast bacilli seen on
      smears of sputum were presumed to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PMID- 1856906
TI  - Transcatheter detachable balloon embolotherapy for catheter-induced pulmonary
      artery pseudoaneurysm.
AB  - Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm formation may be due to various etiologies,
      including trauma, pulmonary artery catheterization, infection, and tumor.
      Transcatheter embolization is a nonsurgical management technique that may be
      utilized in many of these patients to occlude the affected artery and to prevent
      further extravasation. Recently, two patients with pulmonary artery
      pseudoaneurysm formation after balloon-tipped catheter placement were
      successfully managed with transcatheter embolotherapy with detachable silicone
      balloons. The article describes their diagnosis and management.

PMID- 1856907
TI  - Sports psychology.

PMID- 1856908
TI  - Failure of caffeine to affect metabolism during 60 min submaximal exercise.
AB  - Caffeine consumption prior to athletic performance has become commonplace. The
      usual dosage is approximately 200 mg, a level of caffeine ingestion equivalent to
      two cups of brewed coffee. This study was designed to examine the effects of a
      common level of caffeine ingestion, specifically 200 mg, on metabolism during
      submaximal exercise performance in five males. The subjects performed two 60-min
      monitored treadmill workouts at 60% maximal heart rate during a 2-week period.
      The subjects were randomly assigned, double-blind to receive a caffeine or
      placebo capsule 60 min prior to exercise. Testing was performed in the afternoon
      following a midnight fast. Venous blood was withdrawn pre-exercise, every 15 min
      during the workout, and 10 min after recovery. Blood was analysed for free fatty
      acid, triglycerides, glucose, lactic acid, haemoglobin and haematocrit. The
      respiratory exchange ratio (R), perceived exertion (RPE) and oxygen uptake were
      measured every 4 min during exercise. An examination of the data with repeated
      measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences between the two groups. Within
      the limitations of the study, it was concluded that 200 mg caffeine failed to
      affect metabolism during 60 min submaximal exercise.

PMID- 1856909
TI  - Anthropometric characteristics as discriminators of body-building success.
AB  - A total of 36 non-elite male body builders were observed at the time of
      competition. Their mean physical characteristics (+/- S.D.) were: age, 24.6 +/-
      4.8 years; height, 174.4 +/- 6.7 cm; bodyweight, 80.3 +/- 11.0 kg. Their body
      composition values were: percentage body fat, 9.3 +/- 1.6%; fat-free mass, 72.8
      +/- 9.8 kg. The mean somatotype for all subjects was: endomorphy, 2.3 +/- 0.6;
      mesomorphy, 6.2 +/- 0.9; ectomorphy, 1.2 +/- 0.6. The body proportions (cm)
      included: biacromial diameter/bi-iliac diameter, 1.463 +/- 0.132; torso
      length/height, 0.468 +/- 0.018; chest circumference/abdominal circumference,
      1.345 +/- 0.059. The body builders in the present study were younger, had lower
      bodyweights, lower fat-free mass, lower mesomorphy ratings, smaller
      circumferences, and smaller skeletal dimensions than elite body builders reported
      in the scientific literature. When the body builders in the present study were
      divided into successful and unsuccessful groups based on actual competition
      results, a multiple-discriminant analysis found that biacromial diameter/bi-iliac
      diameter, torso length/height, chest circumference/abdominal circumference,
      percentage body fat, height, and bodyweight accounted for 80.6% of the explained
      variance. These data indicate that the success of a body builder can be accounted
      for in large part by easily obtained physical variables.

PMID- 1856911
TI  - Effect of floor conditions upon frictional characteristics of squash court shoes.
AB  - Vertical (FN) and horizontal (FH) forces were recorded while four vertically
      loaded court shoes were dragged horizontally across six types of floor surface.
      Variation in coefficient of limiting friction (FH/FN) between floor surfaces was
      greater than that between shoes. Squash strokes were also performed on the same
      surfaces during which FH/FN was calculated. Slips occurred on some surfaces
      either at heel contact or upon attainment of full-sole contact. It is concluded
      that the coefficient of limiting friction obtained during full-sole contact with
      the floor is a suitable means of distinguishing between tractional qualities of
      shoes. Alternatively, this measure is an inadequate predictor of the likelihood
      of slips in the game of squash racquets. Dusty floor conditions produce poor
      traction as does a damp sealed floor. As sweat droplets are unavoidable in the
      game, floors sealed with urethane represent a significant hazard. Bare, clean,
      wooden flooring which can absorb moisture represents a better surface than a
      sealed floor from the point of view of traction.

PMID- 1856910
TI  - Maximal exercise performance and lean leg volume in men and women.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare the maximal exercise performance during
      cycle ergometry of 34 men and 47 women. External peak power output (OPP) and
      optimized pedalling rate (ORPM) were calculated from data gathered during an
      optimization procedure performed on a friction braked cycle ergometer. In
      addition, lean leg volume (LLV) and lean upper leg volume (LULV) were determined
      using an anthropometric technique. Both OPP and ORPM were greater in men than in
      women (1007 +/- 135 vs 673 +/- 109 W and 119.5 +/- 7.0 vs 104.5 +/- 8.4 rev min
      1, respectively; P less than 0.001). The LLV and LULV were also greater in men
      than in women (7.41 +/- 0.82 vs 5.19 +/- 0.85 l and 4.96 +/- 0.63 vs 3.35 +/-
      0.62 l, respectively; P less than 0.001). The ratio standards OPP/LLV and
      OPP/LULV did not differ significantly between men and women (136.3 +/- 14.7 vs
      131.0 +/- 20.6 W l-1 and 204.4 +/- 27.1 vs 204.4 +/- 37.0 W l-1, respectively; P
      greater than 0.05). Peak power output was related to each of the anthropometric
      indices in both men and women (LLV:r = 0.614 and 0.527, P less than 0.001; LULV:r
      = 0.489 and 0.396, P less than 0.01). Analysis of covariance revealed no
      significant differences between the groups in the variance about regression and
      the regression coefficients (P greater than 0.05), but the elevation of the
      regression lines did differ (P less than 0.001). The results suggest that there
      are differences between maximal exercise performance in men and women that are
      independent of estimated lean leg volume. They also demonstrate that, in this
      case, consideration of ratio standards is misleading and that a comparison of
      regression standards is more appropriate.

PMID- 1856912
TI  - Maximal oxygen uptake and work capacity after inspiratory muscle training: a
      controlled study.
AB  - The effect of inspiratory muscle training for 10 min twice a day for 27.5 days
      was evaluated in 20 human subjects, of whom 10 formed a training group and 10 a
      sham training group. The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), maximal ventilation,
      breathing frequency during maximal exercise and the distance run in 12 min on a
      track were determined in addition to resting peak expiratory flow, forced vital
      capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), with alveolar oxygen
      tension (pAO2) during maximal exercise being calculated. Inspiratory muscle
      training increased maximal inspiratory pressure from 93 (range 38-118) to 110 (65
      165) mmHg in the training group (P less than 0.0005), but did not affect VO2 max,
      ventilation during maximal exercise, peak expiratory flow, FEV1 or FVC. However,
      breathing frequency during maximal exercise decreased slightly from 56 (44-87) to
      53 (38-84) breaths min-1 (P less than 0.05) in the training group only; but the
      calculated pAO2 did not increase from the pre-training value of 126 (116-132)
      mmHg. The maximal distance run during 12 min increased similarly in the training
      and sham training groups by 8% (3-12%) and 6% (2-12%), respectively (P less than
      0.01). The results of this study show that inspiratory muscle training resulting
      in a 32% (0-85%) increase in maximal inspiratory pressure does not change FEV1,
      FVC, peak expiratory flow, VO2 max or work capacity.

PMID- 1856913
TI  - Anthropometric characteristics of outstanding male and female gymnasts.
AB  - Anthropometric data of outstanding gymnasts were gathered on the occasion of the
      24th World Championship Artistic Gymnastics, held at Rotterdam, The Netherlands,
      in October 1987. In total 165 males and 201 females were investigated,
      constituting 84% of the total number of participants. The data of these gymnasts
      were descriptively compared with both reference data and data reported in
      previous studies on gymnasts competing at international events. Also, based on
      the data obtained, 'gymnastic-specific' anthropometric reference values (i.e.
      profile charts), were established for both male and female gymnasts. Finally, the
      maturational characteristics (skeletal age and menarche) of the 'Rotterdam'
      female gymnasts were described.

PMID- 1856914
TI  - Pelvic lipomatosis: a review of its diagnosis and management.

PMID- 1856915
TI  - Evaluation and treatment of blunt renal trauma.
AB  - We examined retrospectively the records of 126 patients with blunt renal trauma
      to determine the criteria for radiological investigations and the imaging study
      of choice. Of the 3,993 patients admitted to our regional trauma unit during the
      last 13 years 126 (3.1%) had blunt renal trauma. Mean patient age was 32 years
      (range 13 to 87 years) and the male-to-female ratio was 3:1. Mean followup was 7
      months (median 4 months). Of the patients 72% had a minor renal injury, 17% had a
      moderate injury and 11% had a major renal injury. Treatment was conservative in
      114 patients, while 9 underwent a genitourinary operation. Results were excellent
      in 87% of the patients and good in 8%, while 5% failed treatment. All patients
      who had microscopic hematuria without shock had minor injuries. Excretory
      urograms (IVPs) were normal in 74% and 39% of the patients when performed for
      minor and moderate renal injuries, respectively. Computerized tomography (CT) was
      abnormal in all cases when performed, and was more sensitive and specific than an
      IVP. Therefore, the majority of patients with blunt renal trauma can be treated
      conservatively with an excellent result. Furthermore, radiological investigations
      are not needed in those with microscopic hematuria and no shock. When
      radiological investigations are indicated a CT scan is the imaging study of
      choice.

PMID- 1856916
TI  - Stryker frame gantry modification for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to
      circumvent positioning problems.
AB  - From July 1986 through December 1989, 45 patients with renal or biliary calculi
      were treated on a Dornier HM3* lithotriptor using a Stryker frame gantry
      modification. The modification was necessary due to inability to position the
      patients in the standard gantry. The situations that required nonstandard
      positioning techniques included stones in the distal or mid ureter, renal
      transplant, gallbladder or common bile duct, and unusual body habitus, such as
      myelomenigocele, bilateral lower extremity amputations and children with stones.
      Positioning with adequate focus of the shock wave was achieved in 87% of the
      patients and fragmentation was achieved in 89%. The Stryker frame gantry
      modification is an excellent method to circumvent positioning problems with the
      Dornier HM3 lithotriptor, extending lithotripsy capability to patients who might
      otherwise not be candidates.

PMID- 1856917
TI  - The use of local anesthesia in second generation extracorporeal shock wave
      lithotripsy: eutectic mixture of local anesthetics.
AB  - Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL&) can be painful. Of our population
      of patients treated with a Siemens Lithostar device 51.4% needed intravenous
      analgesia. A eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, a hydrophylic cream
      containing 25 mg. lidocaine and 25 mg. prilocaine per gm., proved to be effective
      for local analgesia. Therefore, we investigated its effectiveness during ESWL.
      With randomized, double-blind application the eutectic mixture of local
      anesthetics and placebo were evaluated in 83 patients according to the percentage
      of patients who required intravenous analgesia during ESWL. Of 40 patients
      treated with the eutectic mixture of local anesthetics 12 (30%) needed
      supplementary fentanyl citrate, compared to 23 of 43 (53%) placebo treated
      patients. Although there is no statistical significance (p = 0.32), the eutectic
      mixture of local anesthetics does decrease pain during ESWL and it should be
      particularly useful for patients in whom intravenous analgesia is
      contraindicated.

PMID- 1856918
TI  - Equivalence of mobile and fixed lithotriptors for upper tract stones.
AB  - Although mobile renal lithotripsy appears to be a cost-efficient method for a
      urologist to treat patients at the local hospital the quality issue has been
      raised with occasional use of a mobile lithotriptor. We reviewed 4,278 kidneys in
      3,900 patients treated by 129 urologists using a mobile Dornier HM3 and a mobile
      Medstone lithotriptor at 21 mobile sites in 6 upper midwest states during 3 1/2
      years. These results were compared with those in 524 kidneys in 480 patients
      treated by our fixed Medstone lithotriptor. After the procedure auxiliary
      treatments were needed in 3% of the patients treated with the mobile units and 2%
      of those treated with the fixed unit. The rate in 2 large published series was
      approximately 9%. The retreatment rates were 5% with the mobile lithotriptors and
      6% with the fixed (reported average 16%), and the over-all stone-free rates at 3
      months were 69% and 68% (versus 66%). Of note, the mobile units were as effective
      as the fixed unit against difficult stones. A mobile lithotriptor with a constant
      support staff that is used 1 or 2 times per month by many trained urologist will
      perform as well as fixed lithotriptor used regularly by a small unvarying staff
      of trained urologists.

PMID- 1856919
TI  - Comparative studies of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy by Dornier HM3, EDAP
      LT 01 and Sonolith 2000 devices.
AB  - During a 2-year period extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was done at
      our institution in 70 patients with the Dornier HM3, 113 with the EDAP LT 01 and
      104 with the Sonolith 2000 lithotriptors. The size and location of stones were
      comparable in all 3 series, and all treatments were done by the same team of
      urologists. Complete fragmentation occurred in 79% of the patients treated by the
      Dornier, 82% treated by the EDAP and 79% treated by the Sonolith devices, with 3
      month stone-free rates of 66, 67 and 58%, respectively. Auxiliary procedures were
      needed in 12% of the patients in the Dornier, 13% in the EDAP and 9% in the
      Sonolith groups. Repeat treatment was necessary in 4% of the Dornier group, 42%
      of the EDAP group and 26% of the Sonolith group. Therefore, all 3 lithotriptors
      are effective in stone disintegration and produce satisfactory results when
      selection criteria for ESWL are observed. The most significant difference among
      the 3 lithotriptors is the number of repeat treatments, which reflects the power
      and energy output of the lithotriptors. In conclusion, the Dornier HM3 device has
      the advantage of low repeat treatment rate and easier stone localization. The
      EDAP LT 01 unit has the advantage of lower treatment costs and anesthesia-free
      treatment with no irradiation. The Sonolith 2000 device has features of the other
      2 lithotriptors with a superior ultrasound image.

PMID- 1856921
TI  - Ileal segment for ureteral substitution or for improvement of ureteral function.
AB  - A total of 29 patients received an ileal segment interposition between the upper
      and lower urinary tract for partial or total ureteral substitution, or for ileal
      wrapping around a massively dilated, aperistaltic ureter. Indications for an
      operation included the presence of an extensively diseased or short ureter and an
      aperistaltic megaureter that had failed previous reconstructive attempts. Nine
      patients (group 1) underwent an ileal sleeve procedure in an attempt to increase
      the ureteral peristaltic activity and facilitate drainage. Among these patients 7
      (78%) had a stable upper tract radiologically and normal serum creatinine (less
      than 1.6 mg./100 ml.), while 2 (22%) had deterioration of the renal function. Ten
      patients (group 2) had undergone a myriad of reconstructions that failed and then
      underwent complete ureteral substitution with ileum. Among them, renal function
      (as evidenced by excretory urography and serum creatinine) is stable in 7 (70%)
      and deteriorated in 3 (30%). In 10 patients (group 3) the ureters were partially
      replaced by ileum in addition to a bladder augmentation procedure. Of these
      patients 8 (80%) have stable renal function and 2 (20%) had renal failure. Over
      all, 7 patients have different degrees of renal failure; among them 2 (6.9%) are
      on dialysis and 2 (6.9%) have received a transplanted kidney. In groups 2 and 3
      the results with an antireflux operation indicated that among 6 ureteroileal
      reimplantations 5 (83%) were successful, among 12 intravesical intestinal nipples
      6 (50%) failed to prevent reflux and there was no case of obstruction, while
      among 4 ileocecal intussusceptions 2 (50%) were successful and 2 failed. Mucous
      secretion produced temporary ureteral obstruction in 1 ureter (3.4%), which
      resolved without surgical intervention. Some of the aforementioned procedures
      were done in the past and in some situations a different reconstructive technique
      would be considered presently. The surgical complexity and magnitude of the
      procedures justify their performance only in difficult clinical situations as an
      alternative to urinary diversion or renal autotransplantation.

PMID- 1856920
TI  - Sonographic visualization of the ureter in pregnancy.
AB  - We describe a method of differentiating physiological from pathological
      dilatation of the renal collecting system in pregnant patients. In physiological
      hydronephrosis the dilated ureter extends down only to the level of the common
      iliac artery. In 2 patients with distal ureteral stones a dilated ureter was
      visualized past the vessels. To determine the frequency and reliability of
      visualizing the ureters in pregnant patients 105 consecutive asymptomatic
      pregnant patients were examined. Hydronephrosis was found in 83 kidneys in 59 of
      the patients. The dilated ureter was visualized in 64 of the renal units. The
      anatomy was well demonstrated by color flow Doppler scanning and in all of these
      cases the dilated ureter was seen to taper where it crossed the common iliac
      artery. These results suggest that the presence of a dilated ureter past the
      iliac artery is strong evidence for pathological distal ureteral obstruction in
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1856922
TI  - Optimization of replacement of the ureter by ileum.
AB  - Fifty patients for whom an ileal replacement of the ureter was indicated were
      prospectively randomized among 2 treatment groups according to the surgical
      technique used. In group 1 the standard operation was performed. In group 2 a
      tailored and valved (modified) ileal ureter was used. Patients were followed
      every 3 to 6 months for 12 to 28 months. Kidney functions were evaluated by 99m
      technetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid scans and by determination of the
      24-hour creatinine clearance. Urine cultures were obtained, and urine viscosity
      and flow rates were measured. A urographic study, including ascending
      cystography, was done every 6 months. Results indicated that the modified
      operation is functionally superior to the standard procedure. It provides
      efficient unidirectional flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder with less
      mucus secretion. This was ultimately reflected as better renal function when it
      was quantitated by renography and/or chemical clearance.

PMID- 1856923
TI  - Neobladder construction using completely detubularized sigmoid colon after
      radical cystoprostatectomy.
AB  - To improve the quality of life of the patient we used completely detubularized
      sigmoid colon for bladder reconstruction along with radical cystoprostatectomy in
      6 men with invasive bladder cancer. Followup was 8 to 20 months. Postoperatively,
      all of the patients were continent during the day but only 4 (66.7%) were
      continent at night, although they had to awaken twice to remain dry.
      Neocystourethroscopy in 4 of the 6 patients revealed no tumor and no stricture at
      the urethrocolonic anastomosis. However, a stone in the neobladder was found in 1
      patients. Urodynamic study of the neobladder showed a low pressure (mean 16.7 cm.
      water) at the filling phase of water cystometry and an adequate maximal urethral
      closure pressure (mean 52.0 cm. water) and functional profile length (mean 3.8
      cm.). The uroflow rate in all patients was good (1 patient even had a maximal
      uroflow rate of 31 ml. per second). There was no reflux in any patient. One
      patient had intestinal obstruction 5 months postoperatively and died 5 months
      later of widespread metastasis. The remaining 5 patients are alive with a
      satisfactory quality of life. In conclusion, use of completely detubularized
      sigmoid colon may be an ideal operation for neobladder construction after radical
      cystoprostatectomy.

PMID- 1856924
TI  - Residual tumor discovered in routine second transurethral resection in patients
      with stage T1 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
AB  - When a second transurethral resection was routinely performed 8 to 14 days after
      the initial transurethral resection in 46 patients for stage T1 bladder tumors
      residual disease was found in 20 despite the surgical report of complete
      resection in 40. In only 13 patients was residual tumor noted at repeat resection
      by the senior urologist performing the operation and residual tumor was confirmed
      histologically in 10 of them. The extent of the lesion is easily misjudged even
      by experienced surgeons. Early cystoscopy cannot exclude residual tumor. Residual
      tumor is an important cause of early recurrence and repeat resection of stage T1
      lesions is recommended.

PMID- 1856925
TI  - Particle shedding and migration from silicone genitourinary prosthetic devices.
AB  - Of 26 patients undergoing revision of genitourinary prostheses the surrounding
      reactive fibrous capsule was biopsied in 25 and the draining lymph nodes also
      were biopsied in 4. The prostheses included 16 inflatable and 14 flexible penile
      devices, and 10 artificial urinary sphincters. Tissue was examined by light and
      transmission electron microscopy. X-ray microanalysis was done on intracellular
      and extracellular foreign material from each specimen. Silicone was found in 18
      of the 25 periprosthetic specimens and in all 4 lymph nodes. Foreign body
      granulomas were identified in 14 of these 29 specimens. Examination of new and
      explanted versions of each prosthesis by scanning electron microscopy revealed
      free particles of silicone or silicates on the surface of most devices. Pitting
      and microfissuring were seen on a few of the new devices and on nearly all of the
      used ones. Thus, genitourinary prostheses shed silicone particles that can be
      found in the fibrous capsule and draining lymph nodes.

PMID- 1856926
TI  - Treatment of pharmacological priapism with phenylephrine.
AB  - Pharmacological prolonged erections or priapism due to anesthesia were treated in
      36 patients with intracorporeal injections of phenylephrine. Detumescence was
      obtained rapidly in every case and no marked side effect was reported.
      Considering the possible toxicity of other adrenergic agents, phenylephrine is
      strongly recommended in the treatment of priapism.

PMID- 1856927
TI  - The surgical treatment of chordee without hypospadias in men.
AB  - During a 2-year period we treated 26 young men for chordee without hypospadias.
      Many of these patients had straight erections as children but a ventral curvature
      developed as they achieved puberty. We describe the anatomical findings and
      discuss the possible cause for the development of this anomaly. Surgical therapy
      begins with a circumcising incision and reflection of the skin to expose the
      shaft of the penis. The corpus spongiosum containing the urethra was mobilized by
      resecting the dysgenetic tissue in the dartos and Buck's fascia layers. In 1
      patient this dissection was sufficient to straighten the penis but in the
      remaining 25 the penis was not straight. In those patients we mobilized the
      dorsal bundle of vessels and nerves, and removed 1 or several ellipses of tunica
      albuginea to equalize the lengths of the ventral and dorsal aspects of the
      corpora cavernosa. The corpus spongiosum usually is elastic and the curve almost
      never is caused by shortness of the urethra, which stretches to fit the
      straightened penis. In 24 of the 26 patients the curvature was resolved with 1
      operation, while 2 needed a second procedure.

PMID- 1856928
TI  - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma of the male
      genitalia: management with radiation therapy.
AB  - Kaposi's sarcoma of the genitalia is an infrequent complication of the acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome but it often is difficult to manage. A total of 19 men
      (mean age 39 years) with penile and/or scrotal lesions underwent radiotherapy at
      dosages of 600 to 3,000 cGy. in fractions of 150 to 800 cGy. Of the patients 6
      achieved a complete and 10 a partial response, while 2 had no response and 1 died
      too soon after treatment to be evaluated. Recurrences were noted in 8 patients, 7
      of whom received additional radiation (1 patient had 2 recurrences and both
      responded). Of the retreatments 3 effected complete and 4 partial responses. Over
      all, of 25 evaluable treatment courses 9 complete (36%) and 14 partial (56%)
      responses yielded a total response rate of 92%. There was 1 complication, a skin
      ulceration. Radiation therapy is well tolerated and will result in effective
      palliation in the majority of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma of the genitalia.

PMID- 1856929
TI  - Quantitative testicular biopsy in spinal cord injured men: comparison to fertile
      controls.
AB  - Spermatogenic abnormalities have been reported in the majority of spinal cord
      injured men on routine testicular biopsy. However, given the interim advances in
      their urological and rehabilitative care, a quantitative assessment of the
      germinal epithelium after spinal cord injury and comparison of these parameters
      to normal controls are warranted. Incisional testicular biopsy was performed in
      14 spinal cord injured men. Quantitative micrometric techniques were applied to
      assess spermatogenesis and the results were compared to a normative data base of
      testicular biopsies previously obtained from a group of 15 fertile volunteers.
      From a minimum of 10 randomly selected round seminiferous tubules per subject the
      mean number of Sertoli cells, mature spermatids, tubular diameter and tubular
      wall thickness were determined in both groups and statistically analyzed. In the
      spinal cord injury group the mean number of spermatids per tubule was
      significantly lower and the mean number of Sertoli cells per tubule was
      significantly higher than in fertile controls (p less than 0.05). Moreover, the
      mean Sertoli cell-to-spermatid ratio per seminiferous tubule was significantly
      higher in the spinal cord injury group and discriminated between spinal cord
      injured men and controls, with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 100% (p
      less than 0.0001). Half of the spinal cord injury group showed a mean tubular
      spermatid density of less than 10. Compared to the fertile population, spinal
      cord injured men show significant differences in quantitative parameters of the
      germinal epithelium that may contribute to the reproductive dysfunction.

PMID- 1856930
TI  - Refractory chronic bacterial prostatitis: a re-evaluation of ciprofloxacin
      treatment after a median followup of 30 months.
AB  - A total of 16 men suffering from refractory chronic bacterial prostatitis caused
      by Escherichia coli was treated with ciprofloxacin for 4 weeks. After a median
      followup of 30 months (range 21 to 36 months) 10 of the 16 patients were
      considered cured as judged by bacteriological results and clinical symptoms. In 2
      men a second ciprofloxacin regimen obviously showed success also. In 2 patients
      ciprofloxacin therapy failed and in 2 therapy had to be discontinued due to side
      effects of the central nervous system.

PMID- 1856931
TI  - Elevated plasma chromogranin-A concentrations in prostatic carcinoma.
AB  - Chromogranin-A is considered a sensitive immunohistochemical tissue marker in
      neuroendocrine prostatic carcinoma. We report that the plasma chromogranin-A
      level was elevated in 48% of 25 patients with stage D2 prostate cancer, and
      suggest that this marker can be used to monitor the clinical course of these
      patients.

PMID- 1856932
TI  - Effect of temporary occlusion of hypogastric arteries on blood loss during
      radical retropubic prostatectomy.
AB  - We report on a prospective, partially randomized study of 130 patients, examining
      the effect of temporary occlusion of the hypogastric arteries on intraoperative
      blood loss, perioperative blood replacement and change in preoperative to
      postoperative hematocrit. We observed no significant difference in any of these
      parameters when comparing patients who did and did not undergo intraoperative
      occlusion of the hypogastric arteries. These findings suggest that temporary
      occlusion of the hypogastric arteries during radical prostatectomy does not have
      a major effect on the blood loss associated with this operation. Extensive
      collateral circulation to the prostate and a substantial venous component of
      blood loss may explain these findings. Banking of 3 units of autologous blood
      preoperatively would have decreased the need for homologous transfusions in the
      majority of patients.

PMID- 1856933
TI  - Transrectal ultrasonography in stage A prostate cancer: detection of residual
      tumor after transurethral resection of prostate.
AB  - To evaluate the ability of transrectal ultrasonography to detect residual cancer
      in the prostate gland after transurethral resection in patients with stage A
      cancer, we studied 38 patients with stage A disease (11 stage A1 and 27 stage A2)
      in whom transrectal ultrasonography was done at least 3 weeks after resection.
      Each patient underwent radical prostatectomy, and residual cancer was present in
      97% of the specimens (peripheral zone cancer in 95% and transition zone cancer in
      61%). At sonography we identified hypoechoic areas suggestive of cancer in 10
      patients (26%). In the pathological specimen residual cancer was present at the
      hypoechoic area in 8 of these cases (positive predictive value 80%). In a
      retrospective review of the sonograms we identified 25 hypoechoic lesions greater
      than 5 mm. in diameter, including 15 that corresponded to cancer in the radical
      prostatectomy specimens (positive predictive value 60%). Granulomas due to the
      transurethral resection were found in 92% of the radical prostatectomy specimens
      but none appeared hypoechoic on ultrasound. A total of 103 separate cancers was
      identified in the whole mount step sections of the radical prostatectomy
      specimens (2.7 cancers per patient). Of the 103 separate cancers 54 were less
      than 0.1 cc in volume and none of these could be identified in the retrospective
      review of the sonograms, 37 were 0.1 to 1.0 cc and 5 of these (14%) appeared
      hypoechoic, and 12 were greater than 1.0 cc and 10 of these (83%) appeared
      hypoechoic. Hypoechoic lesions greater than 5 mm. in diameter in the transition
      zone proved to be cancer in 47% of the cases, while 88% of similar lesions in the
      peripheral zone proved to be cancer. We conclude that suspicious-appearing
      hypoechoic lesions suggestive of cancer, whether in the peripheral zone or the
      transition zone, should be biopsied before expectant management of stage A
      prostate cancer is considered. Transrectal ultrasonography is useful for
      restaging after transurethral resection and for evaluating the extent of residual
      cancer in stages A1 and A2 prostate cancer.

PMID- 1856934
TI  - Analysis of prognostic factors in men with metastatic prostate cancer. Uro
      Oncology Group of Northern Alberta.
AB  - We determined the influence of the extent of disease on bone scan, serum
      testosterone, patient age, performance status, method of initial diagnosis,
      Gleason grade, clinical stage at diagnosis, serum acid phosphatase, serum
      prostate specific antigen (PSA) and primary hormonal treatment on survival. The
      clinical and hormonal data were obtained when the presence of metastatic disease
      was established and treatment was to be initiated in 162 men with metastatic
      prostate cancer. Mean followup was 16 months (range 1 to 105 months). A total of
      70 men (43.2%) died of the metastatic disease during the evaluation period. Log
      rank analysis revealed that only serum testosterone (p = 0.035) and extent of
      disease on bone scan (p = 0.003) significantly affected over-all survival. A
      trend (p = 0.068) towards decreased survival was observed with increasing values
      of PSA. Increasing values of acid phosphatase positively correlated with extent
      of disease on bone scan but was not a significant independent prognostic factor.
      Patient age, performance status, clinical stage, method of initial diagnosis,
      Gleason grade and type of hormonal treatment did not significantly influence
      survival. Upon using multivariate Cox analysis, only extent of disease on bone
      scan was significantly correlated with over-all survival (p less than 0.014). PSA
      may also be influential but longer duration of followup will be necessary. We
      conclude that extent of disease on bone scan is the most important prognosticator
      of the analyzed factors and that serum testosterone may be of value.

PMID- 1856935
TI  - Monotherapy with nilutamide, a pure nonsteroidal antiandrogen, in untreated
      patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate. The Italian Prostatic Cancer
      Project.
AB  - A total of 26 previously untreated patients with metastatic carcinoma of the
      prostate received the pure nonsteroidal antiandrogen nilutamide as a single
      agent. Objective response rate was 38.5 +/- 18.7% (95% confidence interval).
      Median progression-free survival and median survival were 9 and 23 months,
      respectively. Of 13 patients with progression on antiandrogen 5 showed an
      additional objective response to a second-line endocrine treatment. The drug was
      generally well tolerated, except for 2 patients who discontinued treatment
      because of moderate gastrointestinal symptoms. Approximately a third of the
      patients complained of decreased adaptation to darkness. An electroretinogram and
      dark adaptation test revealed the presence of functional damage and visual
      complaints reversed in all patients on cessation of therapy. The other most
      frequent side effects were slight nausea (26.9% of the patients) and alcohol
      intolerance (19.2%). A nonsignificant increase in testosterone levels was shown
      within 1 month of treatment, after which the levels remained stable.
      Approximately half of the sexually active men claimed maintenance of libido and
      sexual potency during treatment. A slightly significant increase in hemoglobin
      was observed during the long term, suggesting the occurrence of a trophic effect
      by androgens on erythropoiesis. The results indicate that nilutamide as a single
      agent has an acceptable toxicity and a moderate activity, and may maintain sexual
      interest in a discrete number of cases. Whether monotherapy with nonsteroidal
      antiandrogens offers a valid option in the palliation of advanced disease remains
      to be seen in comparative prospective trials.

PMID- 1856936
TI  - The urology crash box.

PMID- 1856937
TI  - An improved expanding tip urethral suture guide for use in radical prostatectomy.

PMID- 1856938
TI  - Traumatic disruption of the ureteropelvic junction managed by ileal
      interposition.
AB  - The use of ileal interposition in the management of a patient with delayed
      diagnosis of traumatic disruption of the ureteropelvic junction is presented. The
      unusual presentation of this problem, potential options in reconstructing the
      ureter and successful outcome are discussed.

PMID- 1856939
TI  - The long-term results of artificial sphincters in children.
AB  - To determine the long-term efficacy of the artificial urinary sphincter, 36
      consecutive children in whom a prosthesis was implanted between August 1978 and
      July 1985 were followed for a minimum of 5 years and re-evaluated within the last
      3 months. Of the 36 sphincters 27 (75%) are currently in place; 2 of these 27
      sphincters are dysfunctional due to fluid leakage. Of the 25 functioning
      sphincters 14 have required no further prosthetic operation, 10 needed 1 revision
      and 1 patient had 5 revisions. Fluid leakage, occurring in 12 patients, was the
      most common complication requiring reoperation. Twenty patients are completely
      continent (11 of whom without any medication) and 5 are occasionally damp. The
      over-all success rate at 2 and 5 years was 84 and 62%, respectively. The mean
      survival time of the prosthesis was 7.2 years and the mean standard interval was
      greater than 10.5 years. Patients with higher balloon pressures (81 to 100 cm.
      water) had more complications, and a decreased rate of success than those with
      lower pressure balloons (51 to 80 cm. water, p = 0.02). There was no difference
      in success rates between boys and girls (p = 0.98), although girls who had a
      prior bladder neck operation tended to have a higher rate of cuff erosion.
      Sphincters placed after 1980 (model AS800) had a lower reoperation rate than
      those placed earlier. In selected instances, the artificial urinary sphincter
      appears to be a viable long-term alternative for management of children with
      intractable incontinence who have either failed or are unsuitable for other
      methods of treatment.

PMID- 1856940
TI  - Adrenal hemangioma: an unusual adrenal mass delineated with magnetic resonance
      imaging.
AB  - Adrenal hemangioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of any large
      calcified adrenal mass. We report to our knowledge the eighth surgically removed
      lesion and describe its appearance on magnetic resonance imaging. This imaging
      includes features seen in hemangiomas elsewhere, in particular a heterogeneous
      mass with enhancing peripheral high intensity foci on T1 images.

PMID- 1856941
TI  - Noninvasive radiological diagnosis of renal vein thrombosis in renal
      transplantation.
AB  - Thrombosis of the allograft renal vein is a rare complication of renal
      transplantation. Of 557 consecutive renal transplants performed between January
      1, 1985 and November 30, 1989, 3 cases occurred for an over-all incidence of
      0.4%. In 2 cases the diagnosis was made preoperatively with renal scintigraphy
      and duplex Doppler sonography. No graft was salvaged, despite timely diagnosis in
      2 patients. We conclude that the diagnosis of renal vein thrombosis in the renal
      allograft recipient should be suspected clinically and by the radiographic
      findings of absent perfusion on renal scintigraphy, and the detection of an
      arterial signal, albeit abnormal, on duplex Doppler sonography. When diagnosed,
      nephrectomy appears to be the only treatment.

PMID- 1856942
TI  - Renal pelvic explosion during conservative management of upper tract urothelial
      cancer.
AB  - Ureteroscopic fulguration of a renal pelvic papillary transitional cell carcinoma
      is a relatively new and limited procedure. We present a case of intrarenal
      explosion during ureteroscopic fulguration.

PMID- 1856943
TI  - The use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with aortic
      aneurysms.
AB  - Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL*) has revolutionized management of
      most patients with urolithiasis. The effect of ESWL on patients with an aortic
      aneurysm is unknown and its safety is questioned by the absence of any case
      reports in the urological literature. A 68-year-old man with an abdominal aortic
      aneurysm underwent successful ESWL using the Medstone STS 1050 lithotriptor for
      right renal calculi. Continuous monitoring of the aneurysm was done using real
      time ultrasound during the ESWL treatment. Careful preoperative evaluation in
      conjunction with appropriate intraoperative and postoperative monitoring makes
      ESWL management of patients with associated aortic aneurysm possible.

PMID- 1856945
TI  - Short arm dicentric Y chromosome in a sterile man: a case report.
AB  - A short arm dicentric Y chromosome as the predominant cell line in a sterile man
      is reported. We studied a 33-year-old sterile man whose seminiferous tubules had
      only Sertoli cells. Chromosomal analysis, using G, Q and C-banding techniques,
      showed that the predominant cell line had a short arm dicentric Y chromosome. By
      the deoxyribonucleic acid probe pHY10, the lack of the gene corresponding to the
      Yq heterochromatic and distal Yq euchromatic region was detected. It is suggested
      that the gene controlling spermatogenesis is located on the distal euchromatic
      region on Yq.

PMID- 1856944
TI  - Ureteronephroscopic marsupialization of obstructing peripelvic renal cyst.
AB  - Flexible ureteronephroscopy has been used for numerous therapeutic applications
      in the upper urinary tract. We report a case of a large peripelvic renal cyst
      causing obstruction to the ureteropelvic junction, which was treated by incising
      the wall of the cyst into the renal pelvis with the ureteronephroscope.

PMID- 1856946
TI  - Prostatic abscess after transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy.
AB  - We report a case of a diabetic man who had bilateral prostatic abscesses after
      ultrasound guided biopsy of the prostate. As is typical of prostatic abscesses,
      the diagnosis was not evident at presentation. We discuss the morbidity of
      transrectal biopsy and recommend consistent antimicrobial prophylaxis. We also
      recommend transrectal ultrasound in the diagnosis of such abscesses, and support
      the standard treatment of drainage and parenteral antimicrobial therapy. We
      anticipate that the incidence of prostatic abscess will increase due to the
      increasing number of men undergoing transrectal biopsy in the current age of
      transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy.

PMID- 1856947
TI  - Congenital keratinizing desquamative squamous epithelium of the entire urinary
      tract.
AB  - We report the clinical and pathological findings of a case of congenital
      desquamative squamous epithelium of the entire urinary tract associated with body
      dysmorphism. This entity has not been described previously in the literature.

PMID- 1856948
TI  - Re: Bilateral synchronous testis tumors of different histology in a patient with
      the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related complex.

PMID- 1856949
TI  - Type IV procollagen mRNA regulation: evidence for extracellular
      matrix/cytoskeleton/nuclear matrix interactions in human urothelium.
AB  - The absence of basement membrane components correlates with tumor stage and
      progression in human bladder cancers. We have previously shown that invasive
      tumors possess the ability to degrade basement membrane. However, the presence of
      basement membrane may be affected not only by its degradation, but by its
      synthesis and deposition as well. Our results in the present study suggest that
      while the invasive human transitional carcinoma cell line EJ has an increased
      amount of type IV procollagen mRNA when compared to the non-invasive RT4 cell
      line, type IV collagen staining is absent in the invasive EJ cells and intensely
      present in the non-invasive RT4 cells. Moreover, when EJ cells were grown on an
      artificial basement membrane (Matrigel), type IV procollagen mRNA expression was
      down-regulated to the levels seen with the non-invasive RT4 cells. We also
      discovered that the invasive cells, when grown on Matrigel, appeared
      morphologically different from the same cells grown on plastic tissue cultures.
      We conclude that a deficient basement membrane in invasive cancer cells may be
      due not only to active proteolytic activity but also to an abnormal production
      and deposition of extracellular matrix components. In addition, we also
      demonstrated that basement membrane components may have a significant effect on
      epithelial cell morphology and gene regulation, and that any alterations of the
      extracellular matrix-cytoskeleton-nuclear matrix interactions can lead to altered
      gene regulations and cell function.

PMID- 1856951
TI  - Effects of sensitization on female guinea pig urinary bladder function: in vivo
      and in vitro studies.
AB  - Although bladder inflammation is known clinically to produce a variety of
      symptoms including urgency, frequency, and pain, there are only a few
      experimental studies that directly relate bladder inflammation with urodynamic
      and functional alterations. We have used the sensitized guinea pig model to study
      the effects of inflammation on micturition parameters, cystometry, and in vitro
      bladder contractility. This model depends on the allergic response of the bladder
      mucosa to ovalbumin, an otherwise non-irritative agent, as an antigen. In vivo
      exposure of the bladder to ovalbumin via urethral catheterization induced a
      prompt and marked increase in the number of micturitions in antigen-sensitized
      guinea pigs. Ovalbumin had no effects on the micturition parameters in the
      control group. Using in vivo cystometry, intravesical exposure to ovalbumin
      induced a significant decrease in both the pressure at which micturition was
      induced, and the volume at which micturition was induced. Ovalbumin had no effect
      on cystometric parameters of the control animals. In vitro exposure of whole
      bladder preparations to ovalbumin induced a significant contractile response only
      in the bladders isolated from the sensitized guinea pigs. The responses of the
      isolated bladders to field stimulation and bethanechol were identical for
      bladders from both sensitized and control animals. In conclusion, exposure of the
      bladder to ovalbumin in the sensitized animal induced an increase in the
      frequency of micturitions and a decrease in the pressure and volume at which
      micturition was induced. Thus, intravesical exposure of the bladder mucosa to a
      substance that the bladder has been sensitized to can induce alterations in
      micturition that are consistent with the clinical symptoms of "urgency and
      frequency".

PMID- 1856950
TI  - The possible influence of antibiotics on results of bacillus Calmette-Guerin
      intravesical therapy for superficial bladder cancer.
AB  - Intravesical treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin is an established treatment
      of carcinoma in situ and an effective prophylaxis for the prevention of
      recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma. During instillation therapy oral
      antibiotics may be used to prevent or to treat urinary tract infections.
      Tuberculostatic agents are employed to prevent or to treat local irritative
      symptoms and systemic side effects caused by Bacillus Calmette-Guerin. We
      investigated the susceptibility of four different Bacillus Calmette-Guerin
      preparations to 18 antibiotics and to 11 tuberculostatic agents in vitro. All
      preparations were equally susceptible to most of the commonly used antibiotics
      and to all of the tuberculostatic agents with the exception of pyrazinamide. Our
      results suggest that in the absence of cystitis, instillations should not be
      accompanied by antibiotics because of the possible inhibition of antitumor
      efficacy by eradication of living Bacillus Calmette-Guerin organisms. The same
      inhibition may occur when tuberculostatic agents are used to prevent local and
      systemic complications of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin instillation therapy.

PMID- 1856952
TI  - Urease and the acidosis of urinary intestinal diversion.
AB  - Previous investigators have suggested that urinary tract infections with urea
      splitting organisms may be a primary etiologic factor in the acidosis which is
      seen after urinary diversion. This study employs a model in which small
      intestinal segments are perfused with an artificial urine solution over a three
      hour period. Urease is then added in order to determine its effect on acid-base
      balance and net intestinal electrolyte transport. Urease created no significant
      increase in acid load (delta HCO3- = -7.5 +/- 2.2 for controls vs. -8.7 +/- 2.9
      for urease group), but did increase the osmolality of the intestinal contents and
      resulted in a 24% increase in free water loss (p = .037). Analysis of sodium and
      chloride movement following the addition of urease to the perfusate suggests that
      both ammonium and bicarbonate are absorbed by the intestinal segment. Thus any
      acidosis resulting from increased ammonium absorption following the addition of
      urease appears to be offset by concomitant bicarbonate absorption. The azotemia
      of urinary diversion appears to be primarily the result of urea absorption,
      partially the result of ammonium absorption, and is not significantly increased
      by urease.

PMID- 1856954
TI  - An immunochemical and immunohistochemical study of aldolase isozymes in renal
      cell carcinoma.
AB  - To assess changes in aldolase isozyme patterns (A, B, and C) in renal cell
      carcinoma (RCC) tissues and to evaluate whether serum aldolase A might be a
      useful marker for RCC, quantitative analysis by enzyme immunoassay and
      immunohistochemical localization were performed. Concentrations of aldolase A in
      RCC (7300 +/- 6300 ng./mg. protein n = 26) were significantly higher than those
      of normal cortex (720 +/- 410 ng./mg. protein, n = 14, p less than 0.01);
      concentrations of aldolase C in RCC (48.0 +/- 8.0 ng./mg. protein) were also
      significantly higher than those of normal cortex (8.7 +/- 4.7 ng./mg. protein, p
      less than 0.01). On the other hand, concentrations of aldolase B in normal cortex
      were 18,100 +/- 10,100 ng./mg. protein (n = 14), whereas the values in RCC were
      only 130 +/- 270 ng./mg. protein, a significant lowering (p less than 0.01).
      Immunohistochemically, aldolases A and C were found localized in all RCC tissues
      (n = 10); aldolase B was faintly stained in only a few tumor cells of two cases
      (20%). Levels of serum aldolase A were elevated (greater than 300 ng./ml.) in 30
      (75%) of 40 patients with RCC as compared to three (6.3%) of 48 individuals with
      urogenital benign diseases and in seven (21%) of 34 cases with non-RCC urogenital
      malignancies. Since it is generally accepted that RCC are derived from renal
      proximal tubules, these findings indicate that aldolase B, the predominant
      isozyme in the normal case, changes into aldolases A and C during carcinogenesis
      and that serum aldolase A could be a new useful biomarker for RCC.

PMID- 1856955
TI  - Injury to the pre-pubertal vas deferens. I. Histological analysis of pre-pubertal
      human vas.
AB  - There is very little information in the literature on the development of the
      human vas deferens. Therefore, the age at which the pre- or para-pubertal vas
      deferens becomes large enough for a vasovasostomy to be technically feasible is
      unknown. To determine the age or degree of sexual maturity at which a microscopic
      vasovasostomy is technically feasible, we collected surgical or autopsy vasa from
      34 young males over a three year period, and correlated vasal size to age and
      Tanner stage (degree of sexual maturity ranging from 1-childhood to 5-adult). The
      specimens were embedded and sectioned transversely in glycol methacrylate. Using
      image analysis, the total transverse area and diameter, and luminal area and
      diameter was determined for each specimen. Surprisingly, there was no change in
      vasal size from birth up through 11 years. From age 15 years and on, the vas was
      adult in size. The vas develops to adult size between Tanner stages 2 and 3. The
      average external and luminal diameters of pre-midpuberty specimens (Tanner stages
      1 and 2) were 1.0 and 0.19 (mm.) and the diameters of post-midpuberty specimens
      were 2.1 and 0.43 (mm.), respectively. These results suggest that, in the event
      of a recognized iatrogenic injury to the vas deferens after midpuberty, a repair
      by a traditional microsurgical vasovasostomy is possible. If the vas is injured
      before midpuberty it may be technically difficult to repair by traditional
      microsurgical methods.

PMID- 1856953
TI  - Nerve growth factor, nerve grafts and amniotic membrane grafts restore erectile
      function in rats.
AB  - In an effort to reduce complications arising from radical pelvic surgery, an
      improved technique for restoration of autonomic innervation has been developed.
      The ability of nerve growth factor (NGF) alone or in combination with
      interposition nerve grafts, as well as the use of fetal amniotic membrane as an
      alternative growth matrix to enhance regeneration of ablated cavernous nerves
      were investigated in rats. Rats with ablated cavernous nerve displayed little or
      no penile erection, either in response to direct electrical stimulation or to an
      estrous female rat. A step wise improvement in electrically induced erections was
      observed by NGF alone, nerve graft alone, and the combination of NGF and nerve
      graft. Restoration of sexual behavior followed the same pattern obtained with
      electrical stimulation. Furthermore, the use of neonatal amniotic membrane as an
      alternative nerve growth matrix enhanced both electrically stimulated erection
      and mating behavior. These results suggest that the use of NGF and appropriate
      grafting materials can facilitate autonomic nerve regrowth and potentially reduce
      the morbidity of surgically induced nerve injuries.

PMID- 1856956
TI  - Injury to the pre-pubertal vas deferens. II. Experimental repair.
AB  - We have previously shown that the human vas deferens does not change in cross
      sectional size between birth and the middle of puberty. This suggests that if the
      human vas is injured prior to mid-puberty, repair by a traditional microsurgical
      vasovasostomy may be technically difficult. We propose that a chromic stent can
      be used to assist in the repair of vas injured before mid-puberty. This
      hypothesis was tested in Sprague-Dawley rats. At three weeks of age, male
      offspring were divided into three groups (eight to nine rats/group): 1) Sham
      group--a sham operation at three weeks, 2) VV group--bilateral transection of
      vasa at three weeks followed by a delayed repair at eight weeks by microsurgical
      vasovasostomy without a stent, 3) Stent group--bilateral transection of vasa at
      three weeks followed by immediate repair by aligning the lumens with a 6-0
      chromic intravasal stent (suture) and holding the transected ends together with
      several seromuscular sutures. At four months all rats were fertility tested and a
      score was given to each rat (mean number of concepti among three females for each
      male rat). Analysis of anastomotic patency by flow rates and histology was
      performed. There was no statistical difference in the mean fertility score of
      6.85 in the Stent group compared to 7.83 in the Sham group. However, a fertility
      score of 0.71 in the VV group was significantly decreased compared to the Stent
      and Sham group (p = .0003), despite no statistical difference between the groups
      in patency. This suggests that a recognized injury to the pre-pubertal human vas
      should be immediately repaired and the repair can be done using 6-0 chromic
      suture as an intravasal stent to help align the lumina of the smaller pre
      pubertal vas.

PMID- 1856957
TI  - Changes in bladder function in the one year spontaneously diabetic BB rat.
AB  - Micturition characteristics and in vitro urinary bladder function were
      investigated in insulin-treated spontaneously diabetic BB rats and age-matched
      non-diabetic controls one year after the onset of diabetes. BB rats weighed less
      than controls and were hyperglycemic. Diabetic rats consumed larger volumes of
      water and excreted larger volumes of urine than controls. The frequency of
      micturitions and the mean volumes of urine excreted per micturition were
      significantly increased in BB rats compared to age-matched controls. Associated
      with the micturition changes in the BB rats were significant increases in bladder
      body mass. Contractile responses of strips from bladder bodies and bases were
      measured in response to nerve stimulation, carbachol, phenylephrine, ATP, and
      KCl. No significant differences between controls and diabetics were found in the
      absolute contractile responses of bladder body strips to nerve stimulation,
      carbachol, ATP, or KCl. However, if the data were transformed to correct for the
      increases in tissue mass in the diabetics, there were significant decreases in
      the responses of bladder body strips from BB rats to carbachol, ATP, and KCl, but
      not to nerve stimulation. Even after transformation, there were no differences in
      the responses of bladder base strips to carbachol, phenylephrine, or KCl. The
      data indicate that significant changes in micturition characteristics are evident
      one year after the onset of diabetes in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat. These
      changes are slow in development, since they are absent six months after the onset
      of diabetes. The changes in micturition and bladder strip contractility are
      qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively modest in comparison with those
      caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. The quantitative differences
      are probably attributable to an ameliorative effect of the insulin received by
      the BB rat.

PMID- 1856960
TI  - [Guidelines for transfusion therapy].

PMID- 1856959
TI  - [Changes of the functions and activities of blood components--red blood cells,
      platelets and coagulation factors--during storage].

PMID- 1856958
TI  - Chinese medicinal herbs reverse macrophage suppression induced by urological
      tumors.
AB  - Tumors are known to produce factors suppressing macrophage function. In this
      study we demonstrated in vitro suppression of macrophage chemiluminescent
      oxidative burst associated with viable cells and cell-free extracts of two
      urological neoplasms--murine renal cell carcinoma (Renca) and murine bladder
      tumor (MBT). Suppression was reversed by extracts of two Chinese medicinal herbs,
      Astragalus membranaceus (AM) and Ligustrum lucidum (LL). Murine macrophage cell
      line J774 was incubated with either the viable tumor cells or the cell-free tumor
      extract for 18 hours at 37C and 5% CO2. Chemiluminescent oxidative burst as an
      indicator of macrophage function was triggered by adding zymosan A suspension
      containing luminol and assayed in an automated luminometer. Photon emission over
      time was counted and the results were expressed as integrated photon emission.
      Significant dose-related depression of oxidative burst occurred with either the
      viable tumor cells or the cell-free tumor extracts. Depression was partially or
      completely reversed by the presence of 50-100 micrograms./ml. of either the AM or
      the LL extract. AM and LL have previously been shown to modulate immune response.
      Data from this study suggest that they may also exert their antitumor activity
      via abolition of tumor-associated macrophage suppression.

PMID- 1856961
TI  - [Background and outline of the guideline for good practice of transfusion
      therapy].

PMID- 1856962
TI  - [Practical manual of blood transfusion in nursing settings].

PMID- 1856963
TI  - [Practical manual of blood transfusion in operation rooms and intensive care
      units].

PMID- 1856965
TI  - [Transfusion associated graft versus host disease].

PMID- 1856964
TI  - [Strategies for prevention of adverse transfusion effects. Immediate and delayed
      transfusion effects: laboratory reference for transfusion reactions].

PMID- 1856966
TI  - [HTLV-I transmission by blood transfusion].

PMID- 1856968
TI  - [Strategies and management of hospital blood center services for safety and
      efficacy of blood transfusion].

PMID- 1856969
TI  - [Rationalization of the use of blood and blood preparations].

PMID- 1856967
TI  - [Blood transfusion and HIV infection. Current status in the world and Japan].

PMID- 1856971
TI  - [Current usage of blood products in Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital].

PMID- 1856970
TI  - [Current status of organization of blood transfusion therapy in USA].

PMID- 1856972
TI  - [The history of the usage of blood products in Kurashiki Central Hospital].

PMID- 1856973
TI  - [Indication of in house blood donation during operations of patients with liver
      diseases].

PMID- 1856974
TI  - [Indication for transfusion of preserved autologous blood in elective open heart
      surgery].

PMID- 1856976
TI  - [Obstetrical hemorrhage].

PMID- 1856975
TI  - [Blood donation in a hospital for transfusion in hematological diseases].

PMID- 1856977
TI  - [Donor reactions to blood donations].

PMID- 1856978
TI  - [Standards for preoperative autologous blood donation and preservation].

PMID- 1856979
TI  - [Present and future of preservation of autologous blood set aside in a liquid
      state].

PMID- 1856980
TI  - [Autologous blood transfusion at now and future: blood stored under frozen
      conditions].

PMID- 1856981
TI  - [Informed consent for blood transfusion].

PMID- 1856982
TI  - [Autotransfusion--a hemodilutional method].

PMID- 1856983
TI  - [Autotransfusion--a salvaging method].

PMID- 1856984
TI  - [Evaluation of the guideline for a good practice of transfusion therapy].

PMID- 1856986
TI  - [Expectations on the guideline for blood transfusion. 2].

PMID- 1856985
TI  - [Expectations on the guideline for blood transfusion. 1].

PMID- 1856987
TI  - [Expectations on the guideline for blood transfusion. 3].

PMID- 1856988
TI  - [Guidelines for appropriate transfusion therapy: a discussion].

PMID- 1856989
TI  - [Report on a survey conducted among committee members of the Japanese Society of
      Blood Transfusion concerning the "Guideline for Transfusion Therapy"].

PMID- 1856990
TI  - [Present status and the future of transfusion therapy in Japan].

PMID- 1856992
TI  - [Guidelines for appropriate blood transfusion therapy: reference data].

PMID- 1856993
TI  - [Guidelines for selection of blood donors in Japanese Red Cross Blood Center].

PMID- 1856991
TI  - [Present status of the use of fresh whole blood].

PMID- 1856994
TI  - [Report by the Subcommittee for the Appropriate Use of Blood Preparations].

PMID- 1856995
TI  - [Blood grouping and crossmatching].

PMID- 1856996
TI  - [Preparation and storage of blood products].

PMID- 1856997
TI  - [Salivary epidermal growth factor in patients with peptic ulcer].
AB  - Recent animal studies suggest salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) has a
      cytoprotective effect in the upper GI tract and is one of the important factors
      to promote the healing of experimental ulcer. The present study was undertaken to
      clarify the role of salivary EGF in peptic ulcer patients. Saliva samples were
      collected from 129 endoscopically normal subjects and 232 peptic ulcer patients.
      Salivary EGF concentration was measured by RIA. Salivary EGF output in normal
      subjects was 5.26 +/- 0.26 (ng/5 min) (mean +/- SE). Those in patients with
      gastric ulcer (GU), duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastroduodenal ulcer (GDU) were 10.74
      +/- 0.15, 8.13 +/- 0.83 and 9.79 +/- 0.91. EGF output in GU and GDU patients were
      higher than that in normal subjects respectively. Tractable GU patients (healed
      within 3 months with regular regimen) had higher EGF output than intractable GU
      patients. Among tractable GU patients, those who had healing within 8 weeks had
      higher output. EGF output in patients with recurrent GU was lower than that in
      non-recurrent GU patients. In 10 GU patients, EGF output became higher in healing
      stage than in active stage. Salivary EGF may promote the healing and prevent the
      recurrence of human gastric ulcer.

PMID- 1856998
TI  - [Dysplasia in ulcerative colitis detected by surveillance colonoscopy].
AB  - A total of 222 surveillance colonoscopies were performed in 84 patients with
      ulcerative colitis between 1979-1989. In 60 patients with total colitis, 3
      carcinomas, 2 high-grade, 4 low-grade and 8 indefinite for dysplasia were found.
      In 24 with left-sided colitis, 1 low-grade and 1 indefinite for dysplasia were
      found. The overall incidence of dysplasia in patients with total colitis was 28%,
      similar to the reported incidence from the Western countries. A sequence of
      dysplasia development was recorded in 14 cases. Progression of dysplasia was
      found in some of the low-grade or indefinite cases, however regression was also
      recorded in another cases. These results suggest the usefulness of surveillance
      colonoscopy for early detection of carcinoma in long-standing ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1857000
TI  - [Clinical study of vitamin E status in patients with chronic liver diseases].
AB  - Vitamin E status was evaluated in patients with chronic liver diseases (chronic
      hepatitis, CH; n = 27 and liver cirrhosis, LC; n = 32) by the ratio of plasma
      alpha-tocopherol to plasma lipids (P-toc/lipid) and red blood cell alpha
      tocopherol (RBC-toc). P-toc/lipid and RBC-Toc were significantly reduced in LC
      patients compared to controls (n = 31). There was a significant correlation
      between P-Toc/lipid and RBC-Toc values. Low vitamin E status was found in 3
      patients with CH (11.1%) and 12 patients with LC (37.5%), but their P-Toc values
      were not necessarily reduced. Serum beta-lipoprotein concentration (beta-lipo)
      did not differ significantly between the low vitamin E group and the normal
      vitamin E group, but the ratio of P-Toc to beta-lipo was significantly reduced in
      the low vitamin E group. No significant differences were found in the clinical
      features or liver functions tests including parameters of hepatic synthetic
      functions and cholestasis between the two groups. Factors other than a
      cholestasis or an impaired synthesis of carrier protein may also be responsible
      for the frequent occurrence of low vitamin E status in patients with LC.

PMID- 1856999
TI  - [Increased polyamine levels of normal-appearing mucosa and cancers in DMH induced
      cancer-bearing colon in rats].
AB  - Polyamine levels (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) in normal-appearing colonic
      mucosa of DMH administrated rats were measured in order to assess their
      importance as markers of precancerous changes. Mean putrescine, spermidine and
      spermine levels of normal-appearing mucosa were more than three times mean
      putrescine, more than twice mean spermidine and more than 1.5 times mean spermine
      levels of normal colonic mucosa. Mean polyamine levels of colon cancers were
      higher than those of normal-appearing mucosa but only spermidine level was
      significantly different between them. The mucosal polyamine levels may be a good
      biochemical marker to detect precancerous changes. There was no correlation
      between the polyamine levels and the growth rate of the colon cancers.

PMID- 1857001
TI  - [Abnormal prothrombin in acute hepatic failure: the characterization and clinical
      evaluation].
AB  - Abnormal prothrombin was detected by latex agglutination method in the plasma of
      the patients with acute hepatic failure (AHF) at significantly higher rate (82%
      of fulminant hepatitis and 100% of subacute hepatitis) than in acute hepatitis
      (33%). The concentration of abnormal prothrombin was also significantly higher in
      acute hepatic failure. Since the concentration of abnormal prothrombin reversely
      correlated with that of hepaplastin test or prothrombin time, the measurement of
      plasma abnormal prothrombin seemed to be useful in monitoring the severity of
      acute hepatic injury. Interestingly, enzyme immunoassay which is specific for des
      gamma-carboxy prothrombin (PIVKA-II) could not detect abnormal prothrombin in
      acute hepatic failure. Furthermore, in crossed immune-electrophoresis, the
      abnormal prothrombin in AHF and that in disseminated intravascular coagulation
      syndrome showed similar mobility differing from PIVKA-II. These results suggest
      that abnormal prothrombin can be a useful marker for AHF. Further
      characterization of the abnormal prothrombin may shed light on the mechanisms of
      severe coagulopathy in AHF.

PMID- 1857002
TI  - [Cell kinetic studies on the gallbladder epithelium in patient with anomalous
      arrangement of pancreatobiliary duct].
AB  - It is well known that the patients with anomalous arrangement of pancreatobiliary
      duct (AAPBD) are combined with biliary tract cancer. To clarify possible
      carcinogenesis of the gallbladder with AAPBD, DNA analysis of the gallbladder
      epithelium was performed in control (9 cases), AAPBD (26), gallbladder cancer
      confined in mucosa (10) and noncancerous epithelium around the gallbladder cancer
      (21). The mean values of DNA score, as already reported by us as an indicator of
      cell kinetics, were 12.1 (control), 27.2 (AAPBD, Type a), 13.3 (AAPBD, Type b),
      14.8 (noncancerous epithelium around cancer) and 77.2 (gallbladder cancer
      confined in mucosa). The values of DNA score in the epithelium of AAPBD (Type a)
      showed significantly high level, which was next to that of cancer. Type a AAPBD
      may be supposed to have potential malignancy because of its accelerated cell
      cycle. But as Type b AAPBD without accelerated cell cycle combines cancer at
      least as often as Type a, further studies should be performed to reveal the
      relationship between cell cycle and malignancy.

PMID- 1857003
TI  - [Effects of CR1505, a CCK antagonist, on pancreatic growth in hamsters].
AB  - The effects of CR1505, a CCK antagonist, on CCK-stimulated and normal pancreas
      were studied in Syrian golden hamsters. The CCK-stimulated trophic effect was
      inhibited by CR1505 in a dose-dependent manner, in which CR1505 100 mg/kg bw
      resulted in a complete inhibition of the weight of pancreas, the total pancreatic
      protein and DNA contents, compared to the control. Otherwise, CR1505
      administration in doses of 25, 50, 100 mg/kg bw alone, didn't induce any
      significant changes among CR1505-treated groups and the control one. However, in
      the dose of 200 mg/kg bw, the weight of pancreas, the total pancreatic protein
      and DNA contents were significantly lower than control levels, suggesting
      pancreatic atrophy in the hamster. It's concluded that CR1505 is an effective CCK
      receptor antagonist that could inhibit the CCK-induced pancreatic trophic effect.
      Furthermore, CR1505 administration to normal pancreas brought out pancreatic
      atrophy, indicating that CCK seems to play an important role in the maintenance
      of normal pancreatic growth in hamsters.

PMID- 1857004
TI  - [A case of Ancylostoma duodenale dubini infection diagnosed by endoscopic
      removal].

PMID- 1857005
TI  - [A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the intrahepatic bile duct].

PMID- 1857006
TI  - [An autopsy case of malignant lymphoma with multiple nodular lesions in the
      cirrhotic liver].

PMID- 1857007
TI  - [A family line of acute intermittent porphyria with decreased delta-ALA
      dehydratase activity in erythrocyte].

PMID- 1857009
TI  - [A case of extrahepatic portal vein aneurysm with liver cirrhosis].

PMID- 1857010
TI  - [Idiopathic duodenal obstruction resembling pure groove pancreatitis: a case
      report].

PMID- 1857008
TI  - [Idiopathic portal hypertension associated with intrahepatic portal aneurysm and
      splenic artery aneurysm--a case report].

PMID- 1857011
TI  - [Correlation between nocturnal gastric secretory test and intragastric pH
      monitoring].

PMID- 1857012
TI  - [Effectiveness of a fibrin adhesive on the treatment of liver cyst-casereport].

PMID- 1857013
TI  - [Comparative effects between cholecystokinin-releasing peptide and monitor
      peptide on cholecystokinin release and pancreatic exocrine secretion in conscious
      rats].

PMID- 1857014
TI  - An update on thermosensitive neurons in the brain: from cellular biology to
      thermal and non-thermal homeostatic functions.
AB  - TS neurons in the brain, particularly in the POA, play a central role in
      thermoregulation, based on the good correlations between the activity of TS
      neurons and the thermoregulatory responses. Such relationships have been observed
      during (1) thermal (hypothalamic and peripheral) and (2) pharmacological (amines,
      neuropeptides, cytokines, and exogenous drugs) stimulations, (3) during
      modulation of neural inputs from extraPOA brain regions, and (4) during actual
      thermoregulatory responses. In vitro studies utilizing tissue slice preparations
      and dissociated cellular preparations have revealed some mechanisms of thermal
      transduction of central TS neurons, which are apparently endowed with the unique
      characteristics of thermosensitivity. The high degree of convergence of thermal
      signals from local and remote sites on TS neurons suggests that locally TS
      neurons in one site of CNS are connected to TS neurons in the other sites, thus
      forming neural networks of TS neurons within the brain and the spinal cord. The
      findings that 40-70% of POA TS neurons respond to divergent types of non-thermal
      homeostatic signals and have abundant mutual connections with divergent areas of
      brain (limbic system and association cortices) indicate that TS neurons may be
      involved in the coordination of thermal and non-thermal homeostatic functions
      controlled in the hypothalamus.

PMID- 1857015
TI  - Influences of lung mechanoreceptors and carotid chemoreceptors on the response of
      respiratory muscle activity to tracheal occlusion.
AB  - We examined the responses of respiratory muscle electromyograms (EMGs) from
      internal (IIC) and external intercostal (EIC) muscles and diaphragm (DIAP) to
      three successive occluded breaths in anesthetized spontaneously breathing
      rabbits. Both inspiratory and expiratory muscle EMGs progressively increased in
      the course of tracheal occlusion. An increase in these muscle EMGs was still
      observed after release of tracheal occlusion, but those effects were short
      lasting. In a separate series of experiments, for assessment of possible reflex
      effects involved, the responses of slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptor
      (SAR), rapidly adapting pulmonary stretch receptor (RAR), and carotid
      chemoreceptor activities to tracheal occlusion lasting for three respiratory
      efforts were also examined. The inspiratory discharge of SARs decreased but the
      expiratory discharge of SARs increased during tracheal occlusion. Although
      carotid chemoreceptors increased their activity in the latency of 3-6s after the
      onset of tracheal occlusion, the activity of RARs was greatly reduced throughout
      the period of tracheal occlusion. A transient increase in both carotid
      chemoreceptors and RARs was still observed after release of tracheal occlusion.
      These results suggest that alterations of inspiratory and expiratory muscle EMGs
      produced by tracheal occlusion would appear to be mediated by the afferent inputs
      from lung mechanoreceptors and carotid chemoreceptors.

PMID- 1857016
TI  - Constrictor response of small pulmonary arteries to acute pulmonary hypertension
      during left atrial pressure elevation.
AB  - Acute elevations in left atrial pressure (LAP) were induced by altering the
      volume of air within a balloon inserted into the left atrium; the changes in
      internal diameter (ID) of small muscular pulmonary arteries (100-600 microns ID)
      in response to the associated rises of pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) were
      measured using an X-ray TV system on the in vivo cat lung. When LAP was elevated
      to 14 +/- 1, 24 +/- 1, and 30 +/- 1 mmHg, PAP was increased to 21 +/- 1, 30 +/-
      1, and 37 +/- 1 mmHg, respectively. With PAP ranging from 16 (control value) to
      21 mmHg the ID did not dilate significantly. With PAP of 30-37 mmHg significant
      ID dilation occurred. The magnitude of the ID dilation (16%) with PAP of 37 mmHg,
      however, was significantly smaller than that (20%) with PAP of 30 mmHg despite
      the greater pressure rise. When the elevated PAP of 30-37 mmHg was quickly
      returned to the control level by rapid balloon deflation, the ID constricted
      significantly below the control level. The magnitude of the ID constriction was
      proportional to the degree of the preceding PAP rise and was maximal in the
      arteries of 200-400 microns ID. A papaverine hydrochloride injection combined
      with the balloon deflation completely abolished the ID constriction. A
      phentolamine injection, on the other hand, significantly attenuated the
      constriction with approximately half of the constriction persisting. The results
      indicate that an increase in vascular smooth muscle tone occurred in the small
      muscular pulmonary arteries, particularly those of 200-400 microns ID, in
      response to the acute rise of PAP above 30 mmHg during the LAP elevation. In
      addition, the data suggest the partial participation of catecholamines in the
      active contraction of vascular smooth muscle. The arterial contraction may serve
      to protect the pulmonary capillaries from an excessive hydrostatic pressure and
      pulmonary edema.

PMID- 1857017
TI  - Exercise mode affects muscle sympathetic nerve responsiveness.
AB  - To compare the responses of remote sympathetic nerves to dynamic and static leg
      exercises, we recorded sympathetic nerve activity leading to skeletal muscle
      (MSNA) using a tungsten microelectrode during one-leg cycling at loads of 0, 25,
      and 50 W and during static leg extension (SLE) at 20% of maximal voluntary
      contraction. Oxygen uptake (Douglas bag method) and local fatigue sensation (LFS)
      of the working muscle were measured during cycling and SLE. MSNA decreased from
      the control value, respectively, by 25, 21, and 12% during cycling at loads of 0,
      25, and 50 W. The differences from the control value were significant except
      during cycling at 50 W. On the contrary, MSNA increased from the control value by
      83% during SLE. Oxygen uptake during 25 and 50 W leg cycling was greater than
      during SLE, whereas LFS was higher during SLE than during leg cycling at any
      load. The results indicate that the response of muscle sympathetic nerves to
      exercise does not exclusively reflect whole body metabolism, but is instead
      related to the local metabolic changes.

PMID- 1857018
TI  - Dose effects of acetylcholine on the cell volume of rat mandibular salivary
      acini.
AB  - The effects of acetylcholine (ACh) on the cell volume of the isolated rat
      mandibular acini were studied stereologically using video-enhanced contrast
      optical microscopy. The lengths of major and minor axes of the acini were
      measured in the successive video images, from which the relative volume change
      was estimated. ACh induced a rapid shrinkage of the acinar cell to reach minimum
      volume within 1 min. Simultaneously, the acinus and acinar clump shrunk in the
      same proportion as the acinar cell. The initial volume decrease induced by ACh
      was dose dependent: 0.92 at 10(-8) M, 0.91 at 10(-6) M, 0.77 at 10(-5) M, 0.78 at
      10(-4) M, and 0.75 at 10(-3) M (the relative volume compared with the resting
      control). During sustained stimulation by ACh for 3 min, the volume of acinar
      cell remained at the plateau level at concentrations lower than 10(-5) M ACh,
      whereas the volume increased by 0.1-0.15 at concentrations higher than 10(-4) M
      ACh. The dose-dependent manner of the cell volume coincided with the fluid
      secretion measured in the isolated perfused gland. The findings on the dose
      effects of ACh are discussed in connection with the intercellular communication
      and the movement of electrolytes.

PMID- 1857019
TI  - Somatic afferent regulation of plasma corticosterone in anesthetized rats.
AB  - Effects of cutaneous stimulation on plasma corticosterone were examined in adult
      male Wistar rats anesthetized with pentobarbital. Under the resting condition,
      plasma corticosterone measured every 15 min between 1430 and 1630 h revealed no
      significant circadian fluctuations. Nociceptive mechanical stimulation of
      bilateral hindpaws by pinching for 10 min significantly increased plasma
      corticosterone for the following 1 h, whereas innocuous mechanical stimulation of
      bilateral hindlimbs by brushing for 10 min produced no significant change in
      plasma corticosterone. These results indicate that somatic sensory information
      from skin can influence secretion of corticosterone from the adrenal cortex after
      emotional factors are eliminated by anesthetizing the subjects.

PMID- 1857020
TI  - Oxygen consumption in resting dog gracilis muscle perfused at varying oxygen
      delivery.
AB  - The different response of O2 uptake (VO2) of resting skeletal muscle to the
      changes in blood flow has been thought to reflect a species difference. To
      scrutinize this notion, we investigated the relation between O2 delivery
      (arterial O2 content multiplied by blood flow) and VO2 in isolated dog gracilis
      muscle perfused solely with normal hematocrit (Ht) blood (n = 9), or alternately
      with normal and low Ht blood (n = 6), or alternately with normal and high Ht
      blood (n = 3) at varying perfusion rates. Eleven out of the 18 preparations
      showed an autoregulation of blood flow, and the others did not. But, in all
      preparations, the VO2 was delivery-independent above a critical O2 delivery (0.45
      ml/(min.100 g muscle)) and showed the constant VO2 of 0.30 ml/(min.100 g), while
      below the critical level it turned out to be delivery-dependent. The maximal
      extraction ratio was 0.67. The same relationship was found with the low and high
      Ht perfusion. The pattern observed in dog gracilis muscle was essentially the
      same as that in rat gracilis muscle (KOLAR and JANSKY, 1984).

PMID- 1857021
TI  - Optical measurement of perfused rat hindlimb muscle with relation of the oxygen
      metabolism.
AB  - Optical measurements of myoglobin (Mb) and cytochromes (Cyts) in the isolated rat
      hindlimb muscle perfused with cell-free medium were performed at 35 and 15
      degrees C under various oxygen supply, in the relation to the oxygen metabolism.
      Molar ratio of Cyt a + a3, Cyt b, Cyt c + c1, and Mb, oxygen affinity of Mb
      (P50), and the thermodynamic parameter (delta H degree) of Mb oxygenation in
      cyanide-perfused muscle were similar to those reported. The "apparent P50" of Mb
      in cyanide-free muscle was almost two orders larger in magnitude than P50 in the
      presence of cyanide. O2 uptake by the perfused hindlimb muscle was constant above
      O2 supply of 0.73 mumol/(min.g muscle) (under a flow rate of 1.0 ml/(min.g
      muscle) at 35 degrees C). Below the value of O2 supply, the O2 uptake decreased
      and lactate/pyruvate ratio increased. The critical mean oxygen tension in tissue
      (estimated by Mb oxygenation) for O2 uptake at 35 degrees C was ca. 10 mmHg. It
      was found that oxidation level (%) of Cyt a + a3 was equivalent to oxygenation
      level (%) of Mb at 35 degrees C, while the oxidation level of Cyt a + a3 was
      higher than the oxygenation level of Mb at 15 degrees C. Based on the results,
      the uneven distribution of O2 in the muscle tissue and the intracellular O2
      gradient were discussed.

PMID- 1857022
TI  - Changes in basal secretion rates of thyroxine and 3,3',5-triiodothyronine from
      the thyroid gland during aging of the rat.
AB  - The present experiments were carried out to examine age-related changes in the
      basal secretion rates of both thyroxine (T4) and 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3)
      from the thyroid gland. The experiments were performed on male Wistar rats of
      three different ages, i.e., (1) adult rats of 6-8 months old, (2) middle-aged
      rats of 25-26 months old, and (3) aged rats of 28-30 months old. The rats were
      anesthetized with 1.0% halothane. The thyroid venous blood as well as systemic
      arterial blood was collected and secretion rates of both immunoreactive T4 (iT4)
      and T3 (iT3) from the thyroid gland were calculated from the differences in
      concentrations of iT4 and iT3 in these two blood plasmas, and from the flow rate
      of thyroid venous blood plasma. The secretion rates of thyroid iT4 in the three
      different age groups were as follows: 483 +/- 68 pg/min (mean +/- S.E.) in the
      adult rats, 598 +/- 104 pg/min in the middle-aged rats, and 491 +/- 150 pg/min in
      the aged rats. There were no significant differences among the secretion rates of
      thyroid iT4 in these rats. The secretion rates of thyroid iT3 in the groups were
      as follows: 36.2 +/- 7.5 pg/min in the adult rats, 58.9 +/- 13.9 pg/min in the
      middle-aged rats, and 61.3 +/- 7.6 pg/min in the aged rats. The secretion rates
      of thyroid iT3 in both middle-aged and aged rats were approximately 1.6-1.7 times
      as high as the value in adult rats (p less than 0.05). These results indicate
      that the thyroid secretion of iT4 is well maintained, while that of iT3 increases
      during aging.

PMID- 1857023
TI  - Behavioral effects of adenosine agonists: evaluation by punishment, discrete
      shuttle avoidance and activity tests in mice.
AB  - Behavioral effects of propentofylline and N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine
      (PIA) were evaluated by operant behavior under a punishment situation, discrete
      shuttle avoidance response and ambulatory activity in mice. Propentofylline (3
      mg/kg, s.c.) and PIA (0.01 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly decreased the punished
      response without producing a significant change in the non-punished response.
      Propentofylline and PIA reduced the increase in the punished response induced by
      caffeine (30 mg/kg) and diazepam (1 mg/kg). Propentofylline and PIA also reduced
      the increase of ambulation induced by caffeine. Furthermore, the single
      administration of propentofylline and PIA decreased the response rate and/or %
      avoidance in the discrete shuttle avoidance situation. However, the effective
      doses of propentofylline and PIA to reduce the ambulation-increasing effect of
      caffeine and to produce a change in the avoidance behavior were much higher than
      those effective for eliciting a significant change in the punished response. The
      present results suggest that there is an intimate interaction between central
      adenosine and benzodiazepine systems with regards to the change of punished
      response.

PMID- 1857024
TI  - Guanosine 5'-triphosphate converts some populations of propylbenzilylcholine
      mustard-sensitive muscarinic cholinoceptor sites to sites resistant to the drug
      in intestinal smooth muscle.
AB  - From functional studies with propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM), we reported
      that there coexist PrBCM-sensitive and PrBCM-resistant muscarinic cholinoceptor
      mechanisms in guinea pig taenia caecum. We investigated the interrelationship
      between these two cholinoceptor mechanisms using an in vitro receptor binding
      assay with [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) and [3H]PrBCM. Pretreatment of the
      muscle strips with 300 nM PrBCM (in vivo alkylation) for 10-50 min resulted in
      progressive decreases of the number of the maximum [3H]QNB binding sites.
      However, a prolongation of the period of in vivo alkylation up to 90 min was
      accompanied with no further loss in the binding sites. Under these conditions,
      there is no significant change in the affinity of [3H]QNB for the binding sites.
      The concentration of carbachol required to displace 50% of the bound [3H]QNB was
      larger in membranes obtained from the tissues that had been alkylated in vivo
      with PrBCM for 50 min than that from control strips, but was not altered when the
      pretreatment with the drug was carried out after homogenization (in vitro
      alkylation). When GTP was added during in vitro alkylation, the affinity of
      carbachol was lower than that in control membranes, as observed when in vivo
      alkylation was carried out. In the presence of guanine nucleotide, PrBCM thus
      appears to recognize two distinct populations or states of muscarinic receptors.

PMID- 1857025
TI  - Ryanodine suppresses the frequency-dependent component of the spike after
      hyperpolarization in the rat superior cervical ganglion.
AB  - The spike after-hyperpolarization (AH), which is linked to the Ca-activated K
      conductance system, in the rat superior cervical ganglion was examined by means
      of intracellular recording. The AH was shortened during repetitive stimulation of
      the cell at 1 Hz and reached a steady state within 10 sec. These changes in the
      AH disappeared after a part of the AH was depressed by 5 microM ryanodine. The
      steady state of AHs was dependent on the frequency of stimulation ranging from
      0.005 Hz and 2 Hz: half depression was observed at 0.53 Hz. Half recovery time
      from the depression induced by conditioning stimuli at 2 Hz was approximately 14
      sec. Caffeine (1 mM) or TEA (3 mM) enlarged the AH at low stimulation
      frequencies. Caffeine slightly shifted the frequency depressing the AH toward
      high frequencies, and TEA did not cause significant changes. These results
      suggest that the repetitive firing of cells decreases the intracellular Ca
      release by contributing to the generation of the AH, rather than by accelerating
      the loading of Ca to its storage sites.

PMID- 1857026
TI  - Effects of indomethacin, endothelium-denudation, methylene blue and L-NG
      monomethyl arginine on the vasoactive effects of endothelin-3.
AB  - To clarify the mechanisms underlying the vasoactive effects of endothelin-3 (ET
      3), we examined the effects of indomethacin, endothelium-denudation, methylene
      blue and L-NG-monomethyl arginine (L-NMMA) on the perfusion pressures of isolated
      rat mesenteric arteries infused with ET-3. ET-3 at 10(-15)-10(-8) M elicited
      significant vasodilations in a dose-related manner, in which 10(-9) and 10(-8) M
      ET-3 caused biphasic pressure changes involving a transient dilation and
      subsequent vasoconstriction. Five micromolar indomethacin did not affect the
      vasodilations and vasoconstrictions induced by ET-3. In endothelium-denuded
      arteries, 10(-13)-10(-8) M ET-3 elicited significant vasoconstriction in a dose
      related manner without any vasodilation. In the presence of 30 microM methylene
      blue, the vasodilations induced by ET-3 disappeared. In the presence of 100
      microM L-NMMA, 10(-15)-10(-8) M ET-3 elicited significant vasoconstrictions in a
      dose-related manner, and the vasodilation by ET-3 existed only at 10(-8) M ET-3.
      These data suggest that the vasodilating effects of low doses of ET-3 through the
      endothelium overcome the vasoconstricting effects, and that the vasodilating
      effects of ET-3 are associated with an endothelium-derived relaxing factor as an
      endothelium-derived nitric oxide.

PMID- 1857027
TI  - Differential intracardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation to the SA
      and AV nodes in anesthetized dog hearts.
AB  - Stimulation of discrete intracardiac sympathetic nerves to the SA (SAS
      stimulation) or AV nodal region (AVS stimulation) increased the heart rate or
      decreased AV conduction time and caused an AV junctional rhythm, respectively, in
      anesthetized dogs treated with atropine. Topical application of tetrodotoxin
      (TTX) at the SAS or AVS stimulation locus totally inhibited the response to each
      stimulation, whereas each TTX treatment slightly attenuated the chronotropic
      response to the right ansa stimulation by 23 +/- 7.7% and the dromotropic
      response to the left ansa stimulation by 7 +/- 7.5%. TTX abolished AVS
      stimulation-induced one. Before atropine, topical application of hexamethonium at
      the locus for stimulation of intracardiac parasympathetic nerves to the SA (SAP
      stimulation) or AV nodal region (AVP stimulation) abolished almost totally
      negative chronotropic responses to SAP and cervical vagus stimulation or negative
      dromotropic responses to AVP and cervical vagus stimulation, respectively. These
      results demonstrate that activation of a very small population of intracardiac
      sympathetic nerves to target cells is enough to induced positive chronotropic and
      dromotropic responses in the heart in situ, and that SA and AV nodal pacemaker
      activity and AV conductivity are controlled multi-directionally by intracardiac
      sympathetic nerves in contrast with parasympathetic ones.

PMID- 1857028
TI  - Effects of L-tryptophan on the development of tolerance to the antitussive
      effects of dihydrocodeine.
AB  - The effects of L-tryptophan on the development of tolerance to the antitussive
      effects of dihydrocodeine were examined in rats. Chronic co-administration of L
      tryptophan with dihydrocodeine prevented the development of tolerance to the
      antitussive effects of dihydrocodeine. Furthermore, the antitussive effects of
      dihydrocodeine in dihydrocodeine-tolerant rats were fully restored by acute co
      administration of L-tryptophan, as evidenced by a decrease of about 50% in the
      ED50 value of dihydrocodeine. Thus, it is concluded that L-tryptophan may
      antagonized the development of tolerance to the antitussive effects of
      dihydrocodeine.

PMID- 1857030
TI  - The results and problems of extensive radical surgery for carcinoma of the head
      of the pancreas.
AB  - Since 1973, 152 patients with pancreatic carcinoma have undergone surgery in our
      clinic, including 110 with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Of these 110
      patients, resections were performed on 43 (39.1 per cent), 33 (30 per cent) of
      whom underwent a curative resection based on macroscopic evidence. Six of the
      patients who underwent macroscopic curative resection survived for five years,
      giving a five-year survival rate of 36.5 per cent by the Kaplan-Meier method
      after excepting 6 operative deaths. We compared the extent of pancreatic cancer
      by constructing survival curves according to the General Rules published by the
      Japan Pancreas Society. There was no statistical difference in survival based on
      tumor size or stage, however, there was a significant difference in the survival
      curves of so and se, being the absence or presence of the anterior capsule of the
      pancreas, rpo and rpe, being the absence or presence of invasion of the
      retroperitoneal tissue; ew(-) and ew(+) being the absence or presence of invasion
      at the surgical margin of resection, or n0 and n1 being the extent of lymph node
      metastasis. The results of this comparison suggest that extended radical
      pancreatectomy may be indicated for the treatment of pancreatic cancer as the
      standard radical operation for pancreatic cancer may miss tumors which have
      spread to the retroperitoneum and extrapancreatic nerve plexus.

PMID- 1857031
TI  - The formation of gastric ulcers with a tendency to hemorrhage in association with
      aortic aneurysms.
AB  - It is widely accepted that patients with aortic aneurysm (AA) show a higher
      incidence of peptic ulcers than those without. However, the pathogenesis of
      peptic ulcers associated with AA remains obscure. We measured the gastric mucosal
      blood flow (GMBF) endoscopically and also determined the gastric mucosal
      prostaglandin (PG) levels of these AA patients to investigated the mechanism
      behind gastric ulcer formation. Moreover, we investigated the consumption
      coagulopathy (CC) of AA responsible for inducing the hemorrhage from ulcers. The
      GMBF values of 7 AA cases, taken at the antrum, angle and corpus, were
      significantly decreased compared with those of control cases, while the PGE2
      levels of the gastric mucosa were also significantly reduced. With regard to CC,
      the serum levels of fibrinogen or platelets were significantly lower than those
      of the control group. These results indicate that the decrease in GMBF, followed
      by the reduction in endogenous PG, might contribute to the gastric ulcer
      formation in AA patients, and that CC associated with AA could be an important
      factor causing the hemorrhage from these ulcers. AA patients should therefore be
      treated with focusing attention on the possibility of an associated ulcer and
      ulcer bleeding.

PMID- 1857029
TI  - The clinical and biological significance of the transitional mucosa adjacent to
      colorectal cancer.
AB  - The underlying nature of the transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer is
      defined and the evidence for and against the statement that this transitional
      mucosa involves primary premalignant change presented in this article. An
      association between mucin histochemical changes at the margins of resection and a
      poorer clinical outcome of patients has been recognized in patients with
      colorectal cancer after surgery. The retained transitional mucosa at the margins
      of resection appears to correlate with tumor recurrence and a poorer survival in
      patients who have undergone radical resection. It is considered that the
      transitional mucosa adjacent to colorectal cancer and its presence at the margins
      of resection may be an important prognostic marker for patients with large bowel
      cancer following radical resection.

PMID- 1857033
TI  - Effects of the oral or intratumoral administration of OK432 on the immuno
      reactivities of regional lymph nodes in gastric cancer patients.
AB  - The effects of OK432, a streptococcal preparation, administered either orally (PO
      OK432) or intratumorally (IT-OK432) on the immuno-reactivities of regional lymph
      nodes were investigated in gastric cancer patients. Although native lymph node
      lymphocytes (LNL) from untreated patients did not show any cytotoxicities against
      K562 and Raji cells, enhanced activities were found in LNL from patients
      administered OK432. Augmenting effects on the cytotoxicities of LNL by in vitro
      additional OK432, interleukin 2 or gamma-interferon were remarkable in the
      patients given IT-OK432. Moreover, the cytotoxicities of peripheral blood
      lymphocytes were augmented in vitro more strongly in patients given IT-OK432 than
      in those given PO-OK432. Flow cytometric analysis of LNL revealed a decrease in
      CD4+ cells by PO-OK432 and an increase in CD8+ cells by IT-OK432. An increase in
      CD4+2H4+ cells and a decrease in CD4+2H4- cells were observed in the patients
      given OK432, though CD8+CD11+ cells decreased by PO-OK432 while CD8+CD11+ cells
      increased by IT-OK432. Thus, it is suggested that LNL reactive to OK432
      immunotherapy may differ between PO- and IT-OK432, and that the
      immunoreactivities of local lymph nodes and systemical immuno-reactivities may be
      highly potentiated by IT-OK432 rather than PO-OK432.

PMID- 1857032
TI  - Generalized peritonitis in India--the tropical spectrum.
AB  - Generalized peritonitis is a common surgical emergency in India, the 'Tropical
      Spectrum' of generalized peritonitis being different from the western spectrum. A
      total 155 cases of generalized peritonitis were surgically treated at the All
      India Institute of Medical Sciences between 1981 and 1987, all patients
      undergoing peritoneal toilet with drainage after the cause of their peritonitis
      had been treated. The most common cause of peritonitis was peptic ulcer
      perforation, with simple closure being associated with a 2 per cent mortality,
      while typhoid perforation was the second most common cause. The diagnosis was
      clinical, supported by the operative findings of a terminal ileal perforation
      while bacteriological, serological and histopathological confirmation was
      retrospective. Appendicular perforations were less common than in the west but
      the clinical picture was the same. Tubercular perforations were not uncommon with
      a previous history of subacute intestinal obstruction and evidence of
      tuberculosis on chest X-ray suggesting the diagnosis. Ruptured amebic liver
      abscess was the most common hepatobiliary cause of generalized peritonitis with
      drainage of the abscess producing good results. The average hospital stay was 15
      days with an overall mortality of 8 per cent.

PMID- 1857034
TI  - A hemodynamic study of the biventricular bypass total artificial heart with
      special reference to intrarenal flow distribution.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to determine whether a biventricular bypass
      total artificial heart driven in an independent variable rate mode can maintain
      circulation in vital organs such as the brain and kidney. Special emphasis was
      placed on investigating flow distribution. Two pusher-plate pumps were used to
      bypass the right and left ventricles in 11 goats and 12 sheep with fibrillating
      hearts. The carotid artery and renal artery flows were then measured using an
      ultrasonic blood flow meter and the regional renal blood flow calculated using
      the hydrogen gas clearance method. Thirteen animals were kept alive for 24 hours
      in physiological hemodynamics but 10 animals died of shock within 24 hours. In
      the latter group, a decrease in the fractional distribution of flow to the kidney
      and renal cortex were observed. At a peak aortic pressure of less than 100 mmHg,
      the renal flow ratio was significantly correlated with the peak aortic pressure.
      It was thus concluded that the biventricular bypass total artificial heart
      operated in an independent variable rate mode maintains physiological circulation
      and is therefore able to substitute for native heart function in any situation.

PMID- 1857035
TI  - Kinetic analysis of experimental post-operative peritoneal healing: the
      incorporation of proline and glucosamine by exudative and tissue repair cells.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to experimentally investigate the cellular
      composition of post-surgical peritoneal fluid and peritoneal tissue and determine
      the patterns of 14C-proline and 14C-glucosamine incorporation by the peritoneal
      exudative cells and peritoneal tissue repair cells (PEC and PTRC). One group of
      rabbits underwent resection (2.0 cm) and reanastomosis of their ileum, and
      another group underwent peritoneal wall abrasion. Postoperatively (1-28 days),
      the PEC and PTRC were collected and incubated for 5 days with 0.5 mu Ci 14C
      glucosamine or 14C-proline, and the specific activity thereafter determined by
      beta counting. On the 1st postoperative day, the total cell number (TCN) has
      increased (7.7 x 10(7) cells/rabbit) to 770 per cent of the control values
      primarily as a result of the PMN influx (89.9 per cent). On day 3, the TCN was
      6.1 x 10(7), 58.5 per cent of which comprised macrophages, which had become the
      principle cell type by day 5. The incorporation of proline and glucosamine into
      the PEC increased significantly peaking on day 7 then decreasing to the control
      value by day 21. Proline incorporation into the PTRC increased significantly,
      reaching a peak value on day 5, which decreased by day 10. Glucosamine
      incorporation reached a peak value on day 7 then decreased by day 10. In
      conclusion, the increase in glucosamine and proline incorporation into the PTRC
      parallels the increase in PEC, comprised principally of macrophages. These
      findings suggest that analysis of the metabolic activities in peritoneal
      activated macrophages may provide a useful tool to dissect the central mediation
      of postsurgical peritoneal re-epithelialization.

PMID- 1857036
TI  - Segmental primary sclerosing cholangitis mimicking bile duct cancer--report of a
      case and review of the Japanese literature.
AB  - A rare case of the segmental type of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is
      reported herein. A 27 year old Japanese man with obstructive jaundice was
      referred to our hospital with a provisional diagnosis of bile duct cancer at the
      hepatic hilum. A PTCD tube had been inserted from the right anterior segmental
      duct and direct cholangiograms showed complete obstruction of the bile duct at
      the confluence of the right and left hepatic ducts. Resection of the extrahepatic
      bile duct and partial hepatectomy were thus performed, however, the postoperative
      histological examination revealed no malignant features. Instead, the lesion was
      shown to be compatible with PSC microscopically. A diagnosis of PSC was finally
      established on the basis of clinical features, cholangiographic appearance and
      the pathological report.

PMID- 1857037
TI  - A case of calcifying carcinoma of the stomach with long-term postoperative
      survival.
AB  - A 28 year old man suffering from calcifying carcinoma of the stomach underwent a
      gastrectomy which was histologically classified as being a noncurative resection.
      As postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, he received 116 mg of Mitomycin C and
      454.8 g of Tegafur as well as 5690 g of ascorbic acid. He showed carcinoma cells
      histologically at both oral and anal edges of the resected specimen, and
      peritoneal metastases of tumor cells were also observed, but he nevertheless kept
      a performance status of 1 until 5 years after surgery. The patient finally died
      of cachexia 5 years and 6 months after his operation. Among 42 patients with
      calcifying carcinoma of the stomach reported in the foreign literature and 19
      patients reported in Japanese, those patients for whom the postoperative survival
      time was clearly indicated did not necessarily survive longer than those patients
      without calcification.

PMID- 1857038
TI  - Coombs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia in ulcerative colitis--a report of
      two cases.
AB  - Two cases of ulcerative colitis with a positive Coombs test are reported herein.
      In a 30 year old woman, hemolytic anemia was well controlled by excision of a
      rectal stump left over from a former operation. A 53 year old woman had a
      positive Coombs test without clinical hemolytic anemia 10 years after undergoing
      a total procto-colectomy with ileo-anal anastomosis. Thus we concluded that total
      procto-colectomy may be preventive, as well as therapeutic, for Coombs positive
      hemolytic anemia associated with ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1857039
TI  - Surgical treatment of a huge hepatic artery aneurysm--a case report.
AB  - A debilitated 68 year old woman with an epigastric mass previously identified as
      a hepatic artery aneurysm (HAA) by selective angiography, developed acute
      epigastric pain radiating to her back. Impending rupture was diagnosed, and the
      patient successfully underwent surgical repair using a prosthetic patch to close
      the orifice of the aneurysm. HAA is uncommon, but the risk of rupture is great,
      being 44 per cent and the mortality rate high, being 35 per cent. Abnormal
      ultrasonography and CT may suggest the diagnosis, but selective arteriography is
      definitive. Surgical treatment is indicated in most patients, although
      embolization is appropriate for intrahepatic aneurysm and extremely poor risk
      patients.

PMID- 1857040
TI  - Liver abscess as the initial manifestation of colonic Crohn's disease: report of
      a case.
AB  - Liver abscess is a rare complication of Crohn's disease and in most of the
      reported cases, the diagnosis of Crohn's disease preceded that of liver abscess.
      We report herein a case in which a liver abscess was the initial clinical
      manifestation of Crohn's disease in a 36 year old man who presented with high
      fever and weakness. The diagnosis of liver abscess was established by abdominal
      ultrasonography, computed tomography and an arterial blood culture. The abscess
      was resolved with antibiotic therapy alone and during the drug therapy, a barium
      enema examination was performed which revealed a stricture at the transverse
      colon. Resection of the transverse colon was performed and macroscopic and
      microscopic examination of the resected specimen established the diagnosis of
      Crohn's disease. The liver abscess was thus speculated to be secondary to the
      inflamed bowel. Although rare, Crohn's disease should be included in the
      differential diagnosis of diseases causing liver abscess.

PMID- 1857041
TI  - Metastasis of cancer to cancer: report of a case of esophageal carcinoma
      metastasizing to early gastric cancer.
AB  - A rare case of esophageal carcinoma metastasizing to early gastric cancer is
      reported herein. A 66 year old man who had experienced dysphagia for 8 months was
      preoperatively diagnosed as simultaneously having esophageal and gastric cancers.
      Thus, a lower esophagectomy and total gastrectomy with paraesophageal and
      paragastric lymph node dissection were performed. The surgical specimen revealed
      an ulcerative tumor in the lower esophagus and a slightly depressed lesion with a
      central elevation similar to that of early type IIc + IIa gastric cancer in the
      upper part of the stomach. Microscopically, the esophageal tumor was revealed to
      be well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma while the gastric tumor was found
      to be early gastric cancer with a metastatic focus of esophageal cancer in the
      center. Though less than one hundred cases of metastasis of cancer to cancer have
      previously been reported, metastasis from cancer of one digestive organ to that
      of another digestive organ is very rare. To our knowledge, this report represents
      the first case of an esophageal carcinoma metastasizing to a gastric carcinoma.

PMID- 1857042
TI  - Frank melena in a patient with fallopian tube pregnancy.
AB  - We present herein a case of a young woman who experienced lower intestinal
      hemorrhage caused by ischemic necrosis of the small intestine induced by the
      compression of a Fallopian tube hematoma in an ectopic pregnancy. All accessible
      preoperative attempts to clear the site of the bleeding were unsuccessful and an
      exploratory laparotomy was indicated seventeen days after the development of
      melena. An ileocecal resection and right salpingectomy finally had to be
      performed.

PMID- 1857043
TI  - Giant extrathoracic hematoma after thoracoplasty--a case report.
AB  - A rare case of an extrathoracic giant hematoma developing after a thoracoplasty
      in a 67 year old man is presented herein. The patient underwent a right
      thoracoplasty without removal of plombage and a left thoracoplasty with removal
      of plombage for tuberculosis of the bilateral upper lobes 27 and 24 years prior
      to presentation, respectively. He presented to us in May, 1987, with a
      subscapular tumor which had been growing over the last 5 years. A giant tumor,
      measuring 23 x 17 x 12 cm and weighing 2585 g was successfully removed and the
      patient has since been well without any evidence of recurrence.

PMID- 1857044
TI  - [Kawasaki syndrome in infants in the first 6 months of life].
AB  - Diagnosis in Kawasaki disease usually is made on the so called main symptoms and
      on laboratory findings. The analysis of three cases in the first six months of
      life demonstrated that the typical symptoms concerning the mucosa and the
      lymphatic nodes are rare in this age group, whereas drug resistant fever and
      polymorphic exanthema was present in all patients. Besides that accessory
      symptoms like abacterial meningitis and pathologic urine analysis seemed to be
      frequent signs. Laboratory findings such as pathologic blood sedimentation rate,
      elevated CRP and thrombocytosis on the other hand were helpful in making the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1857045
TI  - [Congenital pulmonary vein stenosis as a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension].
AB  - We report on the history, the diagnostic, and the operative procedure in an
      infant with congenital stenosis of all pulmonary veins. First symptoms such as
      failure to thrive, tachydyspnea, tachycardia and hepatomegaly occurred in the
      eighth week of life. Electrocardiography, 2-dimensional echocardiography and
      radiography of the chest were unspecific. After recurrent episodes of pulmonary
      oedema cardiac catheterization was performed: bilaterally elevated pulmonary
      artery wedge pressure and a normal left atrial pressure proved pulmonary venous
      obstruction. Severe stenosis of all pulmonary veins was apparent
      cineangiographically only by selective injections into the right and left
      pulmonary artery branches in wedge position. The operation (excision of the
      stenotic area and reimplantation using autologous pericardium) was unsuccessful
      as in most cases described in the literature. Congenital stenosis of all
      pulmonary veins is a rapidly progressive malformation. Death occurs usually in
      the first year of life with and without operation.

PMID- 1857046
TI  - [Trans-catheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus in childhood--an alternative
      to surgical ligature].
AB  - Transcatheter closure of a persistently patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) was
      successfully performed in four children using a Rashkind double disk umbrella
      device. Mean age was 5.1 +/- 1.5 (2.8 to 6.3 years) and weight 18.8 +/- 3.8 kg
      (14.1 to 22.3 kg). In all children the PDA was the only cardiac lesion and was
      diagnosed clinically and by means of continuous wave and color-coded doppler
      echocardiography. After angiographic measurement of PDA size the correlating
      device was implanted. The ductus was closed immediately in two children, whereas
      there was a residual angiographic shunt in the others. Echocardiography performed
      within 24 hours showed a minimal shunt only in one of these cases. The shunt had
      disappeared at the one month follow up study. We experienced none of the reported
      possible complications. Transcatheter closure of the PDA after the neonatal
      period seems to be a safe and effective alternative to surgical ligation as our
      early experience shows, and should become the procedure of first choice in these
      patients.

PMID- 1857048
TI  - [Secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva of healthy children and children with
      airway diseases].
AB  - Using the Elisa-Test of Dakopatts, Hamburg, described by Ishiguro et al and
      modified by us (Mikrotitration plates instead of tubes, blocking up free bonding
      capacities in the plates with 1% gel fluid, altered incubation periods) we
      determined secretory IgA (SIgA) in saliva samples of 376 infants and children.
      The probands could be divided in three groups: Group 1, serving as controls,
      consisted of 163 healthy children. Group 2 comprised 111 children suffering from
      acute infection of the respiratory tract. Group 3 consisted of 102 children with
      chronic airways diseases, in particular, asthma. In the healthy infants and
      children we found age dependent increases of SIgA until the age of 4 years. The
      median values amounted 16.7 (newborns), 59.2 (1st year), 118.2 (2nd year), 149.2
      (3rd year), 185.5 (4th year), 159 (5th year) and 175.8 mg/l (5th-13th year). A
      similar age dependent increase of SIgA was evident in the saliva samples of
      children suffering from acute infections of the respiratory tract. In the
      children with chronic airways diseases there was only a slight increase of SIgA
      during the first 4 years (mean = 78.0-113.5 mg/l) and an abrupt (statistically
      significant) rise in the fifth year. The median value of SIgA was 216 mg/l in the
      children aged 5-13 years. Serum IgA along with salivary IgA were measured in 128
      children (r = 0.40, p less than 0.001). 6 children had a complete IgA deficiency
      and 4 children an incomplete IgA deficiency, i.e. low secretory IgA levels in
      saliva (36.8-50.0 mg/l) and lacking IgA in serum (less than 14 mg/dl).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857049
TI  - [Sonographic and Doppler color sonographic findings in osteosarcoma].
AB  - Till now bone tumors are diagnosed radiologically. In this paper we describe the
      characteristic sonographic and colour Doppler sonographic features in 5 patients
      with histologically confirmed osteosarcoma. A large soft tissue tumor with
      echogenic osteosclerotic areas and echo-free caverns could be shown in all
      patients. Characteristic signs were destructions of the cortical layer and
      reactions of the periosteum. Compared to normal tissue an increased number of
      blood vessels with increased blood flow were visible by colour coded Doppler
      sonography in the region of the tumor. Sonography and colour coded Doppler
      sonography are important additions of conventional radiology to describe the
      structure, extension and blood supply of an osteosarcoma.

PMID- 1857047
TI  - [Central venous placement of silastic catheters by recording of an intravascular
      ECG--a prospective study in 50 premature infants weighing less than 1000 g].
AB  - In a prospective study 50 central venous silastic catheters were inserted in
      premature infants weighing less than 1000 g. The position of the catheter tip was
      checked by recording the intravascular ECG via catheter. All infants were
      successfully catheterized. The ECG-method proved to be very reliable.
      Corresponding radiological or ultra-sonographic investigation demonstrated a
      satisfactory position of the catheter tip in 45 of the infants. The remaining
      five catheters went into an ideal position close to the superior vena cava-right
      atrium junction by withdrawing 1-2.5 cm. There were no side effects specific to
      the ECG-method. The additional use of a diagram concerning the length of
      introduction given in the text at hand should make X-ray-control unnecessary. We
      conclude that the ECG-method can be used safely and is of advantage in extremely
      low birthweight infants.

PMID- 1857050
TI  - [Tumor necrosis factor in the serum--a useful supplemental parameter in the
      diagnosis of infection in cystic fibrosis?].
AB  - In 15 patients with cystic fibrosis 18 blood samples were investigated for signs
      of infection including full white blood count, c-reactive protein (CRP) and
      tumour-necrosis-factor alpha (TNF). Ten patients were hospitalized for pulmonary
      exacerbation, one for orthostatic collapse and one for equivalent of meconium
      ileus. The latter two as well as three out-patients with cystic fibrosis on
      routine-visits served as controls. Blood was taken on admission and at the time
      of the visit in our out-patient department, respectively. In three cases, blood
      was taken repeatedly during their stays in hospital. While leucocytosis (17.700
      +/- 3.500) and elevated CRP-levels (6.4 +/- 7.3 mg/dl) pointed to an infectious
      cause of deterioration in the exacerbation-group, TNF-levels without exception
      were undetectable (less than 15 pg/ml). In the control group, leucocyte counts
      (10.700 +/- 3.600) and CRP-levels (1.2 +/- 1.1 mg/dl) showed minor pathologic
      results. TNF-levels were undetectable, too. While elevated TNF-levels measured
      quantitatively in patients with invasive bacterial infections, e.g. septicaemia
      due to Neisseria meningitidis, correlate well with prognosis of disease, in
      patients with cystic fibrosis such a relationship can't be found.

PMID- 1857051
TI  - [Comparative immunological studies of SID-victims and hospital-treated infants of
      the same age].
AB  - A group of 103 SID victims was compared with a group of 87 clinically treated
      infants at the same age with respiratory and enteral infections. It was stated
      that immunological parameters were in agreement in both groups. These findings
      show that SID victims are ill before sudden death.

PMID- 1857052
TI  - [Microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with and without Type-I diabetes
      mellitus (IDDM)].
AB  - In 73 healthy (group I) and 32 children and juveniles with insulin dependent
      diabetes mellitus (IDDM, group II) urinary albumin excretion is determined by
      radioimmunoassay (RIA). In both groups albumin excretion is observed in every
      urine sample when measured by RIA (mean +/- SD: group I: 7-19 h: 5.17 +/- 5.28
      mg, 19-7 h: 3.86 +/- 4.00 mg, 24 h: 9.03 +/- 8.60 mg; group II: 7-19 h: 6.68 +/-
      6.86 mg, 19-7 h: 3.46 +/- 2.82 mg, 24 h: 10.13 +/- 9.25 mg). No significant
      difference is detected between the values of the two groups. However in diabetic
      patients a significant difference is observed between diurnal and nocturnal
      urinary albumin excretion. Microalbuminuria is defined as an albumin excretion
      above 30 mg/d and is present in 6.9% of the values in group I and in 3.1% in
      group II. The physiological limits of microalbuminuria in children and juveniles
      compared to adults and several methods of urine sampling are discussed.

PMID- 1857053
TI  - [Serum fructosamine in healthy and diabetic children and adolescents].
AB  - The determination of fructosamine in serum of healthy newborns, children and
      adolescents by a new colorimetric method leads to an age-dependent reference
      range. Correction of the values for total protein yields a median of the results,
      which is not dependent on age and the upper limit of the reference range is not
      significantly different from that of healthy adults; this does not hold true for
      referral to albumin. As the half-life time of glycated serum proteins is shorter
      (mean 20 days) than that of hemoglobin A1c, fructosamine can provide useful
      additional informations about the diabetic control of children and adolescents
      (medium-term record of blood glucose).

PMID- 1857055
TI  - [Richards-Rundle syndrome].
AB  - Among 43 female patients aged 17-46 years with almost severe oligophrenia there
      were four with primary hypogonadism, one of them a case of Richards Rundle
      syndrome, now aged 20 years with absence of secondary sex characters, hypoplastic
      genitals, deafness, ataxia, wasting of muscles and reduced jerks. In cases of
      hypogonadism and hypogenitalism should be searched for mental and neurologic
      disorders, also for genetic counseling of the siblings.

PMID- 1857056
TI  - [100 years of Pfeiffer's glandular fever].
AB  - Glandular fever was described by Emil Pfeiffer in 1889. He characterized the
      disease as an infectious process with fever, a swelling of the lymph nodes
      including an enlargement of the liver and the spleen and with a pharyngitis. It
      was the beginning of a very interesting chapter of medical investigations during
      the next 100 years. The reports of leucocytosis in reaction to this acute
      infection were the next important step. Sprunt and Evans recommended therefore
      the term "infectious mononucleosis" in 1920. Further Paul and Bunnell (1932)
      found the presence of heterophil antibodies in glandular fever. In 1968 Henle and
      Henle discovered the relations of Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) to infectious
      mononucleosis. In this connection the pathogenesis of glandular fever was
      investigated. Also the diagnosis of the disease found a certain base by the EBV
      antibodies and it was possible to give a reliable interpretation of the clinical
      course, the symptoms and the complications of infectious mononucleosis.
      Furthermore the atypical manifestation of glandular fever could be identified. In
      recent years the problems of persistent and chronic infections were discussed. At
      last the antiviral chemotherapy was tested.

PMID- 1857054
TI  - [Toxic shock syndrome due to osteomyelitis].
AB  - An 11 3/4 year old girl contracted Toxic-Shock-Syndrome following osteomyelitis.
      The symptoms comprised a severe fall in blood-pressure with centralisation,
      petechiae and haematoma particularly in the lower extremities, hyperaemia of the
      oral mucosa and of the throat with profuse and unstaunchable bleeding in this
      area within in a short period of time. In order to stabilise the blood-pressure
      the patient had be given approx. 15 l colloidal solution (350 ml/kg)
      intravenously, mainly frozen-plasma. The risk of aggravation of a pulmonary
      failure along the lines of ARDS particularly due to the backward flow of the
      interstitial deposited fluid was avoided by the use of continuous veno-venous
      haemofiltration (CVVH).

PMID- 1857057
TI  - [Organization of specialized treatment behind the front line of wounded and sick
      soldiers in the period of Great Patriotic War (46th anniversary of the victory)].

PMID- 1857058
TI  - [Outbreak of clonorchiasis].

PMID- 1857059
TI  - [Necessity of amputation of both legs in a patient with myocardial infarction].

PMID- 1857060
TI  - [Traumatic defect of interventricular septum].

PMID- 1857061
TI  - [Gout yesterday and today].

PMID- 1857062
TI  - [Clinical characteristics, diagnosis and therapy of chronic esophagitis].

PMID- 1857063
TI  - [Facial pains, diagnosis and therapy].
AB  - It is a review of facial pains applied to everyday clinical practice in
      etiological, pathogenetic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. The pains are
      divided into somatogenic (myogenic and arthrogenic) and neurogenic. Myogenic pain
      appears in muscular-facial dysfunction while arthrogenic is due to dysfunction of
      the mandibular joint, craniomandibulohyoid syndrome. Neurogenic pains emerge in
      trifacial neuralgia, psychalgia, vegetovascular disorders.

PMID- 1857064
TI  - [Gaps and problems in the moral-psychological education of medical students].

PMID- 1857065
TI  - [Rheumatism--current state of the problem].

PMID- 1857066
TI  - [History of disease of M.I. Kutuzov].

PMID- 1857067
TI  - [The 150th anniversary of establishment of hospital therapy department in the
      medical-Military Academy].

PMID- 1857068
TI  - [Professor P.N. Nikolaev: scientific and medical activity in the years of Great
      Patriotic war].

PMID- 1857069
TI  - [Improvement in the treatment of gunshot wounds of the stomach].

PMID- 1857070
TI  - [Prospects of bioregulating therapy].

PMID- 1857071
TI  - [Brain neuropeptides and age-related pathology].

PMID- 1857072
TI  - [Main principles of chronotherapy].

PMID- 1857073
TI  - [Diagnosis and combined treatment of duodeno-hormonal deficiency].

PMID- 1857074
TI  - [Soviet neuropathology in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945].

PMID- 1857075
TI  - [Burns as an internal disease].

PMID- 1857076
TI  - [The state of bronchial ciliated epithelium and mucociliary transport during
      chronic bronchitis in long-term smokers].
AB  - Endoscopic examination of the bronchial tree and investigation of pulmonary
      mucociliary transport by aerosol scintigraphy of the lungs were carried out in 40
      patients and 10 controls. All the patients had exacerbation of chronic
      obstructive bronchitis. 20 of these were smokers and 20 nonsmokers. Healthy
      controls without lung pathology have never smoked. The findings indicate that in
      chronic sufferers with bronchitis and long history of smoking the rate of
      mucociliary clearance is reduced to 44% of the normal value and to 65% of the
      value for nonsmoking patients. This evidence is confirmed by the data obtained on
      the involvement of bronchial mucosa epithelium and at histologic examination of
      biopsy specimens.

PMID- 1857077
TI  - [Differential diagnosis of infiltrative tuberculosis and pneumonia located in the
      the lower lobe].
AB  - Differential diagnosis was made in 2 groups of 85 patients with infiltrative
      tuberculosis and pneumonia. Clinical, laboratory and x-ray findings confirmed the
      value of standard examinations (anamnesis, complaints, physical and laboratory
      methods). Tuberculin diagnosis confirms the primary diagnosis only in case of
      hyperergic response to the Mantoux test with tuberculin PPD 2 TU.
      Tracheobronchoscopic detection of nonspecific endobronchitis is not a reliable
      enough diagnostic criterion to differentiate between tuberculosis and pneumonia.
      Roentgenologically, tuberculosis is characterized by more frequent polysegmentary
      lesions and involvement of the VI segment, pneumonia by involvement of the middle
      lobe, segments VIII and X.

PMID- 1857078
TI  - [Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of simple lung hypoplasia].

PMID- 1857079
TI  - [Immunologic disorders in the pathogenesis of acute lung abscesses].
AB  - Immune response was investigated in patients with acute pulmonary abscesses (APA)
      treated according to the discrete-dynamic scheme. The study of pathogenetic
      significance of immune response and chronic alcohol intoxication in APA
      demonstrated that failure of antiinfectious resistance of the body is one of the
      factors responsible for the onset, course and outcome of APA. This failure is
      characterized by unbalance of immune parameters, strain of immune system which is
      more pronounced in the presence of chronic alcoholic intoxication. It is evident
      that suppression of immune system shown in APA patients is an underlying cause of
      immunity deficiency in them.

PMID- 1857080
TI  - [Military medicine during the Great Patriotic War (46th anniversary of the
      victory over fascist Germany].

PMID- 1857081
TI  - [The level of biogenic amines in bronchi of patients with chronic obstructive
      bronchitis].
AB  - Histamine and serotonin levels were measured in expired air humidity condensate
      (EAHC), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and sputum of 9 patients with chronic
      nonobstructive bronchitis and 25 healthy controls. It was found that
      concentration of biogenic amines depended on the form of chronic bronchitis,
      activity of bronchial inflammation, characteristics of bronchial obstruction,
      degree of respiratory insufficiency. EAHC furnished most complete information.

PMID- 1857082
TI  - [Effect of antibacterial therapy on absorption of food in chronic bronchitis].
AB  - An absorptive function of the small intestine was examined in 79 chronic
      bronchitis patients on antibacterial therapy which is believed to induce
      dysbacteriosis. These factors seem essential in development of malabsorption
      syndrome observed in relevant patients.

PMID- 1857083
TI  - [Effect of laser acupuncture on the pulmonary vascular resistance in patients
      with obstructive chronic lung diseases].
AB  - Clinical pattern of the disease, systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery,
      external respiration, central hemodynamics were assessed in 111 patients (50 with
      chronic obstructive bronchitis and 61 with bronchial asthma) to study the effect
      of laser puncture. The treatment course consisted of 10 sessions performed with
      application of Uzor apparatus in pulse regimen with 890 nm wave length, 1500 Hz
      frequency and 2 mW mean radiation rate. The results indicate a positive response
      to infra-red laser acupuncture evident from improved bronchial patency, enhanced
      bronchial sensitivity to sympathomimetics, reduced systolic pressure in the
      pulmonary artery. The promise of the laser puncture is attributed to its separate
      broncholytic effect and the ability to lower pulmonary vascular resistance.

PMID- 1857084
TI  - [Tick-borne encephalitis associated with other infections].
AB  - Possibility of mixed infection arising in encounter of agents from different
      families (virus-virus, virus-bacteria, virus-protozoa) was demonstrated on 103
      cases of chronic tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) association with other acute and
      chronic infection. The addition of influenza, tuberculosis, pyogenic infection in
      most cases entails a relapse of TBE or promotes a primary-progressive course of
      the disease. TBE association with rheumatic fever relieves pain symptoms. It is
      emphasized that mixed infections used to bring suppression of immune reactivity
      thus necessitating serological and virological monitoring of the disease run.

PMID- 1857085
TI  - [Clinico-morphological characteristics of disseminated intravascular coagulation
      in bacterial meningoencephalitis].
AB  - Clinical, laboratory and morphological manifestations of impaired hemostasis due
      to CNS bacterial infections varying in etiology were studied in 144 patients and
      32 cadavers. Etiologic and age-specific features of hemocoagulatory homeostatic
      disorders displayed multidirectional procoagulatory, coagulatory and fibrinolytic
      components. Correlation of morphological evidence for the brain and viscera with
      clinical-laboratory findings showed that in 69% of the patients who had died of
      bacterial meningoencephalitis (a generalized form) there were signs of DIC
      syndrome. These did not always agree clinically with the picture of
      hemocoagulatory disturbances creating difficulties for its diagnosis. As a
      result, an intravital diagnosis of DIC syndrome was made in 9% of the patients
      only.

PMID- 1857086
TI  - [Surgical treatment of radiation injuries of the hand].
AB  - An analysis is given to pilot experience with up-dated plastic surgery techniques
      in management of hand radiation injuries. Seven patients underwent surgery
      involving cross-over skin, scapular, radial and inguinal grafts, sliding Littler
      island graft. The results (both short- and lond-term) turned promising.

PMID- 1857087
TI  - [Intensive therapy of DIC-syndrome in patients with acute renal insufficiency
      caused by long-term crush syndrome].
AB  - Impairment of parenchymatous organs, primarily kidneys, responsible for their
      dysfunction in crush syndrome results in many respects from disseminated
      intravascular coagulation (DIC). It is also associated with hemorrhagic
      complications. It is demonstrated that treatment modalities aimed at arrest of
      DIC syndrome (plasmapheresis, heparin, dysaggregation drugs, transfusions of
      large amounts of fresh frozen plasma) stopped bleeding and septic shock in 12
      patients with crush syndrome following the earthquake in Armenia (1988).

PMID- 1857088
TI  - [Noninvasive diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in aged and elderly patients
      with chronic pulmonary heart disease].
AB  - Pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed in 97 elderly patients (age 60-79) using
      electrokymography of the heart and vessels, ECG and rheography of the lungs. All
      the patients suffered from chronic cor pulmonale (CCP). Electrokymography proved
      an effective diagnostic tool in detection of pulmonary hypertension in CCP
      patients, whereas quantitation of the hypertension was successful at
      electrokymography with application of L. Burstin nomogram and electrocardiography
      according to S. A. Dushanin. ECG according to R. Bernar et al. appeared poorly
      sensitive, especially at early CCP stages. A. M. Novikov's rheopulmonography
      technique can provide only an approximate value of mean pressure in the pulmonary
      artery of elderly CCP patients.

PMID- 1857090
TI  - [A case of gasoline pneumonia].

PMID- 1857089
TI  - [A case of tactivin side effects in patient with eczema].

PMID- 1857091
TI  - Regression of diet-induced atherosclerosis in Gottingen miniature swine.
AB  - The regression of diet-induced atherosclerosis in Gottingen Miniature Swine was
      investigated after a 6-month induction period. At 1 month after feeding a high
      cholesterol and high-fat diet, levels of beta-lipoprotein, total cholesterol,
      free fatty acids and phospholipid had increased rapidly and the high levels were
      maintained throughout the 6 month induction period. Morphological features at 6
      months showed fatty streaks in the thoracic aorta and fibrous plaques in the
      abdominal aorta. After return to the conventional diet at 6 months, serum lipids
      decreased rapidly and maintained the baseline level throughout the 9 month
      regression period. Histopathological findings showed the regression of fatty
      streaks but the fibrous plaques did not regress. The present study therefore
      confirms the regression of fatty streaks in the aorta of Gottingen Miniature
      Swine by the administration of a cholesterol lowering diet.

PMID- 1857093
TI  - Pregnancy-associated murine protein-1 plasma levels during oestrus cycle,
      pseudopregnancy and pregnancy in the mouse.
AB  - A cyclic variation in plasma levels of pregnancy-associated murine protein-1
      (PAMP-1) during the oestrus cycle in outbred Pan: Thei mice was recorded. PAMP-1
      plasma levels were significantly elevated in dioestrus as compared with the three
      other stages of the murine oestrus cycle. Until day 7 of gestation the PAMP-1
      plasma levels remained low, and no significant differences could be observed
      between pregnant and pseudopregnant female mice. The PAMP-1 levels increased
      markedly in the circulation on day 8 of pregnancy, and continued to increase
      until peak values were reached at day 11 of pregnancy. In the latter half of
      pregnancy the PAMP-1 levels declined until day 17 of pregnancy, at which stage
      the normal non-pregnant values were recorded.

PMID- 1857092
TI  - The action of trenbolone acetate, a synthetic anabolic steroid, on ovarian
      function in the guinea pig.
AB  - The action of trenbolone acetate, a synthetic anabolic steroid, on ovarian
      function was investigated in the guinea pig. Certain comparisons were made with
      testosterone, the naturally occurring androgen, administered as the
      phenylpropionate ester. Two milligrams trenbolone acetate per kg given
      subcutaneously on alternate days for 20 days blocked oestrous cyclicity and
      ovulation in 9 of 10 animals. A similar effect was shown by 2.2 mg of
      testosterone phenylpropionate. Treatment of trenbolone acetate-treated animals
      with exogenous gonadotrophins suggested that the production of follicle
      stimulating hormone had been suppressed. Signs of abnormality were seen in the
      livers of animals receiving 2 mg trenbolone acetate and 2.2 mg testosterone
      phenylpropionate.

PMID- 1857094
TI  - Commercial rodent diets and nephrocalcinosis in weanling female rats.
AB  - This study addresses the questions to what extent commercial rodent diets would
      induce nephrocalcinosis, and which dietary components would be responsible for
      inducing this condition. For this purpose, 10 commercial diets were analysed for
      selected components and fed to weanling female rats. On the basis of histological
      inspection of kidney sections, two diets were found to produce significant
      nephrocalcinosis. The condition could be considered relatively mild because
      concentrations of Ca in kidney tissue were not increased. There was considerable
      variation between the commercial diets in the (analysed) concentrations of Ca, P,
      Mg and protein as well as in the diet-induced urinary pH, urinary volume and
      caecal weight. Of these parameters, only the dietary Ca:P ratio and group mean
      urinary pH correlated significantly with the observed variation in group mean
      calcification scores, the relationships being negative. It is suggested that the
      Ca:P ratio of commercial rodent diets is an important determinant of
      nephrocalcinosis.

PMID- 1857095
TI  - Detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae antibodies in Aotus l. lemurinus (Panamanian
      owl monkey) using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test.
AB  - An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), was adapted to detect antibodies
      against Klebsiella pneumoniae in Aotus l. lemurinus monkeys. It was used to
      define the prevalence of infection and the immunogenicity of an Al(OH)3 bacterin
      in a population of laboratory born A. l. lemurinus monkeys. This represents a
      preliminary step to reduce K. pneumoniae produced mortality. A striking finding
      during a cross-sectional prevalence study was that none of the babies of less
      than 2 months old had detectable levels of antibody. The antibody prevalence
      gradually increased in all other age groups reaching 87.5% in the 8-10-month-old
      group. These results indicate that infection with K. pneumoniae occurred sometime
      between 2 and 6 months of age, probably as a result of oral-faecal contamination
      and a change in the feeding and grooming behaviour. To determine whether infants
      had maternal antibodies or if they were asymptomatic carriers of the bacterium, a
      cross-sectional study was done in 15 infants less than 4 months old and their
      mothers. K. pneumoniae antibodies were detected in 11/15 mothers with serum
      titers ranging from 1:4 to greater than 1:256 and the bacterium was isolated from
      3 babies and one mother and her baby. Results showed that no maternal antibodies
      remained in babies older than 3 weeks old. A prospective study indicated a
      reduction in mortality from 20% for the previous 3 years to 3.7% (3/79) in
      AL(OH)3 K. pneumoniae bacterin vaccinated infants born during 1988-89.

PMID- 1857096
TI  - Prevention of catheter-related infections by a new, catheter-restricted
      antibiotic filling technique.
AB  - Catheter-related infections pose a hazard to both humans and laboratory animals.
      The aim of this study was to develop a technique preventing bacterial
      colonization of intravascular catheters. In 27 dogs a total of 70 catheters were
      implanted. On an average catheters were used for 207 days. Three protocols were
      compared: (1) flushing the catheters with a heparinized solution; (2) filling
      only the catheter lumen with alpha-chymotrypsin solution (225 units/ml); (3)
      filling only the catheter lumen with a solution containing a mixture of the
      aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin (20 mg/ml) and chymotrypsin (225 units/ml).
      Catheter fillings were always withdrawn before catheter use. Catheter exit sites
      were all treated with povidone iodine ointment once a day. Body temperatures and
      weights were recorded, bacteriological and electron microscopical examinations of
      catheters performed. Without gentamicin filling all catheters were colonized
      after a few weeks. The dogs showed clinical signs of chronic bacteraemia.
      Gentamicin filling eradicated colonization. No further bacteraemia was observed.
      We conclude that filling only the catheter lumen with a concentrated solution of
      chymotrypsin and gentamicin, combined with measures to prevent infections via the
      subcutaneous catheter tunnel, is an effective and safe technique to prevent
      catheter-related infections.

PMID- 1857097
TI  - A condition resembling pagetoid reticulosis in a laboratory mouse.
AB  - A raised, hairless cutaneous nodule was found incidentally at necropsy of a 24
      month-old CD1 mouse. Histologically there was infiltration of the epidermis by a
      monomorphic population of moderate to large lymphocytoid cells. Many large cells
      had bizarre convolutions of the nuclear membrane and resembled the so-called
      Sezary or mycosis cells seen in epidermotropic T-cell proliferative disorders.
      The pattern of cutaneous involvement and the presence of the large cells with
      convoluted nuclei is characteristic of pagetoid reticulosis. No previous reports
      of such cutaneous lymphoid neoplasms in mice were found in an extensive
      literature search.

PMID- 1857098
TI  - Incomplete protection mechanism against vesico-ureteral reflux and hydronephrosis
      in the inbred mouse strain DDD.
AB  - We have previously reported the occurrence and inheritance mode of hydronephrosis
      in the inbred mouse strain DDD. The present investigation examined the
      possibility that hydronephrosis may be caused by a vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR).
      Bladder pressure was measured under anaesthesia in 3 strains of mice (DDD, ddY
      and C57BL/6). VUR was demonstrated by lower bladder pressure only in the DDD
      strain. Loading pressure into the renal pelvis (LPP) was significantly higher in
      DDD than in C57BL/6 (P less than 0.001). Correlations between LPP and severity of
      hydronephrosis were significantly positive in DDD and ddY, indicating that mice
      showing higher LPPs had the severest disease. Scanning electron micrography
      revealed that the ureteral orifice of DDD (100-300 microns) was much larger than
      in C57BL/6 (30 microns), and thus offered scant protection against VUR in DDD.
      These results suggest that DDD hydronephrosis caused by VUR is related primarily
      to the absence of an adequate protection mechanism in the ureteral orifice.

PMID- 1857099
TI  - Source of information in heart research 1978 and 1988.
AB  - Several regulatory provisions have been introduced during the last decade that
      might interfere with the conduct of experimental medical science. In order to
      study their impact on the source of information within one major field, heart
      research, a total of 3579 abstracts from the 1978 and 1988 Scientific Sessions of
      the American Heart Association were analysed with respect to their source of
      information. There was no change in overall fractions of classical patient
      studies (45%) or experimental animal studies (30%) for the 2 years although
      regulations have been introduced in both areas. There was no evidence that the
      volume of circulatory physiology, a subset that extensively utilizes animal
      experimentation, declined relative to other subsets of the composite information
      base. The fraction of cell culture studies clearly rose over the period at the
      expense of in vitro laboratory studies but not as replacement for animal
      experimentation. Particularly tight regulations on experiments with selected
      species apparently explains why dogs and cats are less frequently used relative
      to rats, rabbits, ferrets and pigs which represent the alternatives.
      Nevertheless, the absolute number of dog studies doubled over the 10-year period
      and this species still remains the most widely used experimental model in heart
      research. The study does not reveal directly what is actually performed within
      the research community but rather identifies the source of information for those
      studies that are considered to bring about pertinent new information in modern
      heart research.

PMID- 1857100
TI  - The vascularly and luminally perfused small intestine in vitro: dissection
      technique and model system.
AB  - The quantitative study in vitro of a wide range of intestinal functions is best
      achieved by perfusing the intestine simultaneously by the luminal and vascular
      routes. A comprehensive description is given of the dissections involved in
      preparing a selected segment of jejunum for such simultaneous perfusions.
      Attention is drawn to a number of occasional aberrant vascular structures which
      require special attention if successful perfusions are to be established. It is
      essential to restore the ATP and diphosphoglycerate concentrations of
      erythrocytes, and to assess their deformability, before incorporating them in the
      vascular perfusion medium. The perfusion equipment, the perfusion media and the
      general conduct of a perfusion experiment, are described.

PMID- 1857101
TI  - An outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes infection associated with calcium oxalate
      urolithiasis in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).
AB  - An outbreak of Streptococcus pyogenes infection occurred in a colony of 800
      Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs resulting in 364 (46%) deaths involving breeders,
      sucklings, weaners, but mainly adults used as a source of blood meals for
      haematophagus flies (Glossina palpalis). Clinical signs included bleeding from
      the nose, mouth and vagina before death. Necropsy revealed pneumonia with
      consolidation of one or both lungs, haemopericardium and haemothorax. There were
      yellowish-grey deposits in the urinary bladder of more than 50% of both affected
      breeders and adults used for feeding haematophagus flies. Beta-haemolytic
      Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated in pure culture from many tissues including
      the urinary bladder. The survivors were treated with oxytetracycline (Terramycin
      LA; Pfizer) using the intra-muscular route and the response was good.

PMID- 1857102
TI  - Nasal endoscopy: an advancement in diagnosis and treatment of sinusitis.

PMID- 1857103
TI  - Clinical manifestations of perinatal sexually transmitted diseases.

PMID- 1857104
TI  - Dr. Chisolm's inhaler: a rare Confederate medical invention.

PMID- 1857105
TI  - Resurgence of a new "clean living" movement in the United States.
AB  - During the late 19th century, a "clean living" movement emerged in the U.S.
      dominated by efforts to control alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and females'
      reproductive health. The movement also advocated proper diet, exercise and
      physical fitness, pure water, and moderation in caffeine and red meat
      consumption. Remarkably similar concerns have emerged again in contemporary
      American society. The current "movement" lacks central organization. Rather, it
      reflects a loosely related coalition of single-issue advocacy groups. Yet, the
      focus seems remarkably similar to the 19th century movement--legislative
      limitation of individual choice regarding personal health behavior, particularly
      with substance use and females' reproductive health. This article reviews the
      19th century movement, describes aspects of the contemporary movement, and offers
      implications and recommendations for school health professionals.

PMID- 1857107
TI  - Utility of the PRECEDE model in differentiating users and nonusers of smokeless
      tobacco.
AB  - The utility of the PRECEDE model in identifying factors associated with smokeless
      tobacco use among male adolescents was investigated. Users and triers were more
      likely than nonusers to be white, older than average age for their grade, receive
      below average grades in school, and have had no classroom instruction on adverse
      effects of smokeless tobacco use. The standard score means of users, triers, and
      nonusers differed significantly on six of seven PRECEDE model components:
      attitudes, beliefs, values, perceptions, reinforcing factors, and enabling
      factors. The standard score means of triers and nonusers, only, differed
      significantly for the knowledge component. A stepwise multiple regression
      analysis using all seven model components as predictor variables of smokeless
      tobacco use accounted for 47.9% of explained variance among users, triers, and
      nonusers. The values component was the most powerful predictor of smokeless
      tobacco use (35% of the explained variance). Discriminant function analysis
      demonstrated the seven components of the PRECEDE mode instrument accurately
      classified 93.1% of users and nonusers.

PMID- 1857108
TI  - Restructured schools: challenges and opportunities for school health education.

PMID- 1857106
TI  - AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among inner city, junior high school
      students.
AB  - To gain information about AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of junior high
      school students, 1,967 students in three junior high schools in an inner city
      school district were surveyed. Ages of the participants ranged from 11-16 years,
      and 48% were male. Ethnically, 33% were Asian, 31% African-American, 24% Latino,
      and 5% white. African-American students had greater AIDS general knowledge than
      Asians and similar general knowledge to Latinos and whites. Most students wanted
      to be taught about AIDS in school. Misconceptions about casual contagion of AIDS
      were common. Students with these misconceptions were more likely to believe that
      students with AIDS should not be allowed to attend school. A high proportion of
      students had engaged in high-risk behavior including sexual intercourse, drinking
      alcoholic beverages, and using street drugs. More boys than girls reported each
      of these activities. Of individuals having had sexual intercourse, a positive
      association was found between the belief that condoms are effective in preventing
      HIV infection and use of condoms. These findings support the possibility that
      improving knowledge about HIV transmission would result in more tolerance toward
      students with HIV infection and would result in less high-risk behavior.

PMID- 1857109
TI  - Helping prospective school health educators develop political advocacy skills.

PMID- 1857110
TI  - Using cooperative learning to integrate math concepts into health instruction on
      sexuality and HIV education.

PMID- 1857111
TI  - Food for thought: starting a K-3 nutrition education program.

PMID- 1857112
TI  - Clinicopathologic correlation quiz: floor of mouth swellings.

PMID- 1857113
TI  - A technique for the replacement of multiple missing anterior teeth in the
      presence of a mutilated alveolar ridge.
AB  - The intent of this paper is to demonstrate a clinical technique for the
      replacement of multiple missing anterior teeth in the presence of a mutilated
      ridge. It also reviews basic rules governing the replacement of multiple adjacent
      missing teeth. The two cases presented clearly demonstrate that multiple adjacent
      missing teeth can be esthetically restored and still preserve that which remains;
      teeth, periodontium and soft tissues. The long-term success or failure of
      prosthodontic restorations relies heavily upon careful consideration of esthetic
      and foundational requirements. A technique has been described which incorporates
      the benefits of both fixed and removable dentures to restore multiple missing
      teeth in the presence of a mutilated alveolar ridge. The first patient was
      treated approximately twenty years ago. The anterior teeth and alveolar ridge
      were lost due to an automobile accident. The entire labial alveolar ridge was
      lost to the base of the nasal spine, thereby making a simple six-unit anterior
      fixed partial denture a complex and difficult problem. The second patient was
      recently treated. This patient's alveolar ridge and buccal plate were destroyed
      by a horse's hoof, again making a restoration procedure a difficult one.

PMID- 1857114
TI  - Comparative study of bone growth by pulsed electromagnetic fields.
AB  - Pulsed electromagnetic fields have been widely used for treatment of non-united
      fractures and congenital pseudarthrosis. Several electrical stimulation systems
      such as air-cored and iron-cored coils and solenoids have been used the world
      over and claimed to be effective. Electrical parameters such as pulse shape,
      magnitude and frequency differ widely, and the exact bone-healing mechanism is
      still not clearly understood. The study attempts to analytically investigate the
      effectiveness of various parameters and suggests an optimal stimulation waveform.
      Mathematical analysis of electric fields inside the bone together with Fourier
      analysis of induced voltage waveforms produced by commonly used electrical
      stimulation wave-forms has been performed. A hypothesis based on assigning
      different weightings to different frequencies for osteogenic response has been
      proposed. Using this hypothesis astonishingly similar effective values of
      electric fields have been found in different systems. It is shown that effective
      electric field rather than peak electric field is the main parameter responsible
      for osteogenesis. The results are in agreement with experimental findings made on
      human beings by different investigators.

PMID- 1857116
TI  - New algorithm for the detection of the ECG fiducial point in the averaging
      technique.
AB  - The use of the coherent averaging technique applied to the electrocardiographic
      signal implies the location of a fiducial point as a synchronisation reference.
      An algorithm easily adaptable to a personal computer, operable in real time,
      insensitive to mains and to ECG-baseline fluctuations, with a low jitter value
      and the capacity to trigger any ECG signal wave or complex, has been developed.
      The algorithm detects those waveforms which, within certain confidence intervals,
      are morphologically equal to a reference wave. This wave is chosen by the user as
      the repetitive waveform within which the fiducial point is to be located. A two
      window template and differential parameters are used. The possibility of building
      the template permits the user to adapt the algorithm to each patient's ECG. To
      evaluate its accuracy objectively, a software simulation was built of a generator
      capable of producing test signals as the sum of the 'useful' signal plus 'noise'.
      A jitter standard deviation of 1.65 ms was obtained in the worst test (SNR = 10
      dB; noiseband = 0-50 Hz), which shows the excellent recognition accuracy of the
      algorithm.

PMID- 1857115
TI  - Continuous measurement of renal cortical blood flow and renal arterial blood flow
      during stimulation of the renal nerve.
AB  - Stimulation of the renal sympathetic nerve in young pigs with biphasic pulses of
      current (3 mA, 800 microseconds per phase, 5, 10 and 50 Hz) produced decreases in
      arterial and cortical blood flow in the kidney, with the greatest decreases
      occurring at the highest stimulus frequencies. The decrease in cortical flow
      lagged that in arterial flow by 1.53-1.99 s; the delay increased with decreasing
      frequency but was unaffected by captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme
      blocking agent. This result was consistent with the hypothesis that stimulation
      of the sympathetic nerve causes constriction first in the afferent arteriole and
      then in the efferent arteriole. Systemic arterial pressure increased during
      stimulation of the nerve; the increase was greater in intact nerves than in
      nerves that had been crushed proximal to the point of the stimulus, indicating
      that pigs do have renal afferent nerves. Pressure increased after the stimulus
      ended, but the increase abated or changed to a decrease after administration of
      captopril. The changes in flow were unaffected by administration of captopril,
      but were markedly reduced by the blocking agent labetalol (renal arterial flow,
      77 +/- 14 per cent; cortical flow, 70 +/- 12 per cent). Thus, the observed
      changes in flow resulted from direct stimulation of the sympathetic nerves and
      not from stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system, which affects the pressure
      response after the stimulus.

PMID- 1857117
TI  - Noninvasive detection of ventricular wall motion by electromagnetic coupling.
      Part 1. Theory: the changes in the reflected impedance of a coil over a semi
      infinite medium with properties ranging from lossy dielectric to a conductor.
AB  - Radiofrequency coils are used as sensors in various applications such as nuclear
      magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging and displacement cardiograms (DCGs). In most
      cases the impedance and the resonant frequency of the coil are monitored to
      provide the required information. The paper describes the changes in reflected
      impedance and in resonant frequency of a coil when it is placed near a medium
      with properties ranging from a lossy dielectric to a pure conductor. The theory
      of interaction between the coil and the medium is investigated and a model based
      on the use of vector potentials is developed. One prediction of the theory is
      that placing the coil over body equivalent saline (lossy dielectric) at 15 MHz
      results in an increase in the inductance of the coil and a resultant decrease in
      resonant frequency. This prediction was supported experimentally.

PMID- 1857118
TI  - Noninvasive detection of ventricular wall motion by electromagnetic coupling.
      Part 2: Experimental: cardiokymography.
AB  - The cardiokymograph or displacement cardiograph (DCG) is a noncontacting device
      which senses movement of the heart throughout the cardiac cycle by the
      interaction of a radiofrequency (10-20 MHz) electromagnetic field, generated by a
      sensing coil, with the thorax. In the paper three different techniques of
      detecting this movement will be discussed: monitoring the changes in sensing
      resonant frequency (FM modulation), monitoring the changes in impedance of the
      coil at resonant frequency (AM modulation) and a new technique which monitors the
      changes in coil impedance at fixed frequency. The sensitivities of these three
      techniques will be compared. A simplified theory of the mode of coupling between
      the coil and the thorax will be studied in terms of a transformer model.
      Preliminary clinical measurements of anterior left and right ventricular motion
      will be given. The presence of higher-frequency features related to atrial motion
      and the opening and closing of the aortic and pulmonary values will also be
      described.

PMID- 1857119
TI  - Measurement of left ventricular heat production in man.
AB  - A system to measure left ventricular heat production phi iv in conscious human
      subjects is described. Using phi iv and the rate of energy supply to the
      myocardium, the mechanical efficiency of the left ventricle is calculated. Heat
      carriage in left ventricular myocardial blood flow phi cs is calculated from
      coronary sinus flow and the transcoronary temperature difference. Diffusional
      heat loss phi diff is derived from the ratio of areas under temperature/time
      curves recorded in the aorta and coronary sinus after a bolus injection of cold
      saline into the pulmonary artery. The sum of phi cs, phi diff and phi chem (the
      energy of endothermic reactions with haemoglobin) gives phi iv. The estimated
      errors in the derived values of heat production and mechanical efficiency are
      less than 17 per cent. At basal heart rates 17 patients with good left
      ventricular function had a transcoronary temperature difference of 0.16 +/- 0.03
      degrees C (mean +/- standard deviation), left ventricular flow blood of 145.3 +/-
      81.5 ml min-1, and phi iv of 3.1 +/- 1.8 W. Left ventricular oxygen extraction
      was strongly correlated with phi iv (r = 0.925, p less than 0.001). Left
      ventricular mechanical efficiency was 0.33 +/- 0.11, at basal heart rates, which
      fell to 0.18 +/- 0.15 (p less than 0.001) on atrial pacing at 100 beats min-1.

PMID- 1857120
TI  - Recording of physiological signals with domestic videotape storage.
AB  - A system is presented for the recording of physiological signals on an unmodified
      domestic videocassette recorder (VCR). A modification in the vertical synchronism
      pulses permits the recording of continuous analogue signals without significant
      loss of samples. The system allows up to 16 input channels, with a maximum
      bandwidth of 20 kHz for one channel (10 kHz for two channels, 5 kHz for four, or
      2.5 kHz for eight) and a minimum of 1.25 kHz for 16 channels, 12-bit resolution,
      a signal-to-noise ratio of nearly 70 dB and an additional channel for the
      recording of control and alphanumeric information. The resulting system is
      reliable, inexpensive, compact and of large capacity, allowing up to 8 h of
      uninterrupted recording.

PMID- 1857121
TI  - Parametric method for the detection of inter- and intrasweep variability in VEP
      processing.
AB  - The paper introduces a Kalman filter procedure for the processing of single-sweep
      visual evoked potentials (VEPs). The identification of the filter coefficients is
      based on a model of signal and noise interaction which considers the generating
      process as the superposition of the true evoked response to an AR process (the
      background EEG) and a broader spectrum noise. Intersweep variability is thus
      evident on the filtered response and a functional parameter of the filter (VP(t),
      namely variability path) is proposed for the automatic determination of the
      latencies associated with the main peaks of the response. Finally, the time
      variant algorithm allows the quantification of the intrasweep variability for
      possible interpretation of the physiological mechanism involved.

PMID- 1857122
TI  - Smoothed power spectrum estimate applied for analysis of the Doppler signal from
      blood flow.
AB  - A simple method for the improvement of the definition of the instantaneous
      spectrum estimate of Doppler signal is proposed. A short review of the
      stochastical properties of FFT spectrum estimates is presented. This review
      allowed us to develop a concept of the 'estimation noise' as an interpretation of
      the stochastic uncertainty of the estimation. This, in turn, permitted us to
      propose a method of adaptive filtering of spectral estimation to minimise the
      effects of the 'estimation noise'. Proposed filtering in the frequency domain
      corresponds to a procedure known as smoothing of the estimate. Two different
      smoothing procedures are presented: classical, linear smoothing and nonlinear,
      homomorphic smoothing. The performances of the smoothed spectrum estimate are
      theoretically and experimentally studied, showing that their effectiveness
      depends mostly on the shape of the Doppler spectrum. Although smoothing always
      reduces the spectral resolution, the important limitation of the variance of
      estimation can be achieved without meaningful deterioration of the resolution in
      our application. Thus, the proposed procedures may sensibly improve the accuracy
      of the relationship between the shape of the spectrum and the flow parameters. As
      a result, more exact determination of flow characteristics such as stability or
      maximum velocity, even in cases of low signal-to-noise power ratio, should be
      possible.

PMID- 1857123
TI  - SLOPE--a real-time ECG data compressor.
AB  - An ECG sampled at a rate of 250 samples s-1 or more produces a large amount of
      redundant data that are difficult to store and transmit. In the paper, a real
      time ECG data compressor, SLOPE, is presented. SLOPE considers some adjacent
      samples as a vector, and this vector is extended if the coming sample falls in a
      fan spanned by this vector and a threshold angle; otherwise, it is delimited as a
      linear segment. By this means SLOPE repeatedly delimits linear segments of
      different lengths and different slopes. The Huffman codes for the parameters to
      describe this linear segment are transmitted for that linear segment. SLOPEa,
      which is a slightly modified version of SLOPE, is used to compress ambulatory ECG
      data. All the operations used by SLOPE and SLOPEa are simple integer operations,
      both SLOPE and SLOPEa being real-time compressors. Experimental results show that
      an average of 192 bits per channel per second (bpcs) for each ECG signal is
      obtained by SLOPE and an average of 148 bpcs for each ECG signal is obtained by
      SLOPEa.

PMID- 1857124
TI  - Optimal control system for the intra-aortic balloon pump.
AB  - An optimal control system for the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is presented.
      Control of the IABP is based on a performance index formulated to reflect a
      tradeoff between maximising cardiac oxygen supply and minimising cardiac oxygen
      consumption. In the performance index, mean diastolic pressure (MDP) was used to
      represent oxygen availability and peak systolic pressure (PSP) was used to
      represent oxygen consumption. An algorithm, implemented using an 8-bit
      microcomputer, changes the deflation time of the IABP to maximise this
      performance index by using an optimisation technique that employs both a search
      and an approximation. The search produces three equally spaced points which
      define a region that includes the maximum of the performance index. From these
      points, the optimum deflation time is estimated by a quadratic approximation. The
      algorithm has been successfully tested using performance index curves generated
      by computer simulations.

PMID- 1857125
TI  - Autonomous telemetric capsule to explore the small bowel.
AB  - An intestinal telemetric capsule has been developed to study the small bowel in
      man. It consists of a cylinder (11 mm in diameter and 39 mm in length) containing
      a location detector, a radiotransmitter, a lithium battery and an interchangeable
      tip. After having been swallowed by the patient, the capsule passes through the
      whole gut and is recovered in the stools. During the transit through the small
      bowel, the information provided by the radiotransmitter allows continuous
      monitoring of the distance covered from the pylorus, the direction and the
      velocity of progression. Moreover, according to the type of interchangeable tip,
      it is possible, by remote control, to sample 0.5 ml of intraluminal fluid for
      subsequent analysis or to release 1 ml of any liquid substance in a precisely
      determined place for pharmacological studies. The main originality of the capsule
      is its ability to transmit its precise location inside the small bowel.

PMID- 1857126
TI  - Design and evaluation of closed-loop feedback control of minimum temperatures in
      human intracranial tumours treated with interstitial hyperthermia.
AB  - The dynamic nature of blood flow during hyperthermia therapy has made the control
      of minimum tumour temperature a difficult task. The paper presents initial
      studies of a novel approach to closed-loop control of local minimum tissue
      temperatures utilising a newly developed estimation algorithm for use with
      conductive interstitial heating systems. The local minimum tumour temperature is
      explicitly estimated from the power required to maintain each member of an array
      of electrically heated catheters at a known temperature, in conjunction with a
      new bioheat equation-based algorithm to predict the 'droop' or fractional decline
      in tissue temperature between heated catheters. A closed loop controller utilises
      the estimated minimum temperature near each catheter as a feedback parameter,
      which reflects variations in local blood flow. In response the controller alters
      delivered power to each catheter to compensate for changes in blood flow. The
      validity and stability of this estimation/control scheme were tested in computer
      simulations and in closed-loop control of nine patient treatments. The average
      estimation error from patient data analysis of 21 sites at which temperature was
      independently measured (three per patient) was 0.0 degree C, with a standard
      deviation of 0.8 degree C. These results suggest that estimation of local minimum
      temperature and feedback control of power delivery can be employed effectively
      during conductive interstitial heat therapy of intracranial tumours in man.

PMID- 1857127
TI  - Use of electrical impedance for continuous measurement of stroke volume of a
      skeletal muscle-powered cardiac assist device.
AB  - This study describes the use of electrical impedance Z to continuously measure
      the stroke volume SV of a skeletal muscle-powered ventricle (SMV). An SMV was
      constructed surgically in four anaesthetised dogs. The rectus abdominis (two
      dogs) or latissimus dorsi (two dogs) muscle was wrapped around a compressible
      pouch, the ends of which were connected to a saline-filled (0.9 per cent) mock
      circulation. The motor nerves to the muscle were stimulated to produce tetanic
      contractions at a rate of 10 min-1. Z was measured between brass sleeve
      electrodes within the end conduits of the pouch. To derive a simple expression
      relating pouch volume V to Z, the pouch was represented as two truncated cones
      with their bases joined. For V ranging from 53 to 103 ml, the relationship
      between Z and 1/square root of V was nearly linear; i.e. Z = m(1/square root of
      V) + b. Impedance-derived stroke volume SV (delta Z) was calculated using this
      linear approximation and the impedance measured just before and after muscle
      contraction. The stroke volume SV (EM) ejected by the pouch during muscle
      contraction was measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter. The linear regression
      coefficients ranged from 0.99 to 2.55; the correlation coefficients ranged from
      0.90 to 0.98. In general, SV(delta Z) tracked SV(EM) very well, although SV(delta
      Z) tended to overestimate SV(EM).

PMID- 1857128
TI  - Evaluation of the control function of interstitial osmolarity in coronary
      autoregulation.
AB  - A control mechanism for the control of coronary blood flow (especially coronary
      autoregulation), presuming that interstitial osmotic pressure determines vascular
      resistance, was critically examined. A theoretical model of the control mechanism
      was made and the most important parameters of this theoretical model were
      estimated from published data. The parameters are the slope of coronary
      autoregulation curves, the sensitivity of coronary resistance to plasma oncotic
      pressure and capillary resistance. It appeared that the gains of this control
      loop were not large enough to allow for a dominant role of interstitial
      osmolarity in coronary autoregulation.

PMID- 1857130
TI  - Online median filter for ultrasound signal processing.

PMID- 1857129
TI  - Pressure/flow relationships in collapsible tubes; effects of upstream pressure
      fluctuations.
AB  - An experimental investigation has been made on the pressure/flow behaviour of a
      collapsible tube. Of particular interest are the effects of upstream pressure
      fluctuations on the mean pressure/flow relationships. These mean pressure/flow
      relationships were found to exhibit features generally similar to the steady-flow
      situation, including flow limitation where the flow rate becomes independent of
      the driving pressure during the tube-collapsed phase. However, the tube collapsed
      under a higher downstream pressure and the maximum flow rate was reduced, when
      either the frequency or amplitude of the upstream pressure fluctuations was
      increased.

PMID- 1857131
TI  - Organizing the Metro Firm System for research.
AB  - During the mid-1970s, four similar groups of patients and providers were created
      with the institution of the Firm System at Cleveland Metropolitan General
      Hospital (Metro). In the early 1980s, ongoing randomization was initiated for
      patients and physicians, setting the stage for the performance of randomized
      controlled trials. Techniques such as stratification and blocking are used with
      randomization to ensure that equivalent numbers and characteristics of patients
      and physicians are distributed among the firms. Comparability of key patient and
      physician features across firms has been documented during the baseline periods
      of several recent firm studies. Dissimilarities among firms can occur secondary
      to differential drop-out of patients (residue cohort effect), or to
      administrative decisions that adversely affect the structural or operational
      integrity of the system. Prestudy evaluations of equivalence and vigilant system
      maintenance programs are methods to identify and minimize important differences
      among firms.

PMID- 1857132
TI  - Inpatient firms in a teaching hospital. The Henry Ford Hospital experience.

PMID- 1857133
TI  - The contributions of firms. A fresh movement in medicine.

PMID- 1857134
TI  - The ethics of ongoing randomization trials. Investigation among intimates.
AB  - Precisely because firm trials employ experimental designs, it is important that
      attention be paid to the rights and welfare of the human subjects of these
      evaluations. This report reviews how administrative firm trials, those that do
      not directly interfere in the practice of medicine, can be ethically conducted.
      However, because spiraling health costs are increasing pressures on managers to
      determine which medical practices are the most cost-effective, we also consider
      how clinical firm trials comparing accepted diagnostic or therapeutic modalities
      might be performed. Both of these types of trials require that patients agree to
      join clinical communities whose routine practice has been redefined to include
      some level of minimal-risk experimentation. Consequently, it may be appropriate
      for firm systems formally to adopt a new paradigm of investigation among
      intimates, one that encourages the participation of patients in all aspects of
      the research endeavor.

PMID- 1857136
TI  - Parallel providers, ongoing randomization, and continuous improvement.

PMID- 1857135
TI  - Alcohol counseling in a general medicine clinic. A randomized controlled trial of
      strategies to improve referral and show rates.
AB  - We conducted a controlled trial of two interventions to increase the number of
      patients receiving alcohol counseling in an academic, general medicine clinic.
      Ongoing randomization yielded similar groups of patients and providers. By
      applying a two-item alcoholism-screening instrument incorporated into the routine
      intake process, nursing staff were successful in screening 90.4% of the 1,328
      eligible patients seen during a 4-month study period. Of the patients screened,
      428 (35.6%) were found to be positive. In those groups where nurses were allowed
      to refer directly on the basis of a positive screening result, over four times as
      many patients (10.8% versus. 2.3%) accepted appointments for counseling, as did
      patients seen by physicians providing standard care. Patients who were briefly
      introduced to the alcohol counselor at the time referral were no more likely to
      keep their first, formal appointments than were patients scheduled in the usual
      manner. Patients who did receive counseling had their diagnoses confirmed by the
      25-item Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. We conclude that the adoption of an
      alcohol screening program in our clinic increased the number of patients
      appropriately referred for counseling.

PMID- 1857137
TI  - Practice randomization and clinical research. The Indiana experience.
AB  - Thoughtful preparation of a research laboratory is an early step in designing a
      program for scientific investigation. The Division of General Internal Medicine
      at Indiana University has maintained a "laboratory" for outpatient clinical
      investigation for more than 15 years. In this report, we describe the structure
      and function of the General Medicine Practice in the Regenstrief Health Center on
      the campus of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
      Specifically, we discuss the ongoing random allocation of subjects, the local
      resources for data management and tracking of patients' use of clinical services,
      and how combining this information system into a randomized primary care system
      has fostered successful ventures in clinical investigation.

PMID- 1857138
TI  - Initiating the firm system at a community teaching hospital.
AB  - The Medical Center of Central Massachusetts-Memorial, a 350-bed private community
      teaching hospital, initiated a firm system for multiple reasons: to improve
      teaching, improve physician nursing relations, improve discharge planning, and to
      improve quality assurance/utilization review activities. In this system, private
      physician groups were randomized to four geographic medical wards, each of which
      had a distinctive subspecialty identity: oncology, cardiology, nephrology, and
      diabetes. Primary care internists became the Firm Directors, and subspecialists,
      already identified with those geographic wards, became Associate Firm Directors.
      The new system has produced several exciting successes; better bedside teaching
      and a project to shorten the length of stay of common diagnoses are two examples.
      Problems remain: resident complaints about imbalanced admissions and an increased
      census are two issues that we must overcome.

PMID- 1857139
TI  - Randomized, controlled trials using the Metro Firm System.
AB  - The Firm System at MetroHealth Medical Center was begun almost two decades ago to
      foster improved continuity of patient care and teaching of medical students and
      residents in Internal Medicine. For the past 8 years, these parallel teams of
      providers and patients also have been used to conduct clinical, educational, and
      health care delivery research. Randomized, controlled trials are made possible by
      ongoing random assignment of patients and providers to the three teams, or small
      group practices. Each group practice has equivalent inpatient and outpatient
      areas supported by nonrotating nursing, paramedical, and clerical staff. The
      system's current relationships were established after a controlled trial
      established both decreased costs and increased effectiveness of the "group
      practice model" as compared to more traditional approaches to patient care by
      residents in an academic medical center. Other trials, both on the inpatient and
      outpatient settings, have been used to guide ongoing institutional change. The
      unique advantages of the randomized controlled trial are high-lighted by
      contrasting the results of within-group changes during an intervention with
      results that incorporate control group changes. A variety of methodologic and
      logistical issues must be addressed when conducting controlled trials that use
      ongoing randomization within a single institution. These include determination
      that the groups are equivalent for all important parameters preintervention,
      choosing an analytic approach that accounts for potential differences among
      providers and patients, and, in trials designed to affect behavior, assurance
      that a "steady state" exists prior to initiating another trial designed to affect
      similar behavior. Consideration also must be given to the possibilities of cross
      team contamination, the Hawthorne effect, the "dominant attending effect," and
      ethical issues related to informed consent. Clinical trials in a single
      institution may be performed for common problems and those with well defined
      stages of severity. Since the costs of maintaining the ongoing randomization are
      relatively small, the incremental costs of conducting randomized controlled
      trials are low by comparison to traditional approaches. The establishment of
      analogous systems at other institutions will permit multisite trials for less
      common clinical problems, enhance the generalizability of findings, and permit
      new types of health services research, including the rigorous evaluation of
      practice guidelines.

PMID- 1857140
TI  - [Distribution of serotypes A and B of Candida albicans in 502 strains isolated
      from pathological specimens].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is distributed in at least two serological groups (A
      and B) depending on its antigenic structure. These characteristics have been used
      to investigate the epidemiology of candidiasis. No information is available in
      this country about the distribution of these serotypes in a general population of
      patients with candidiasis of different localizations. The aim of the present
      study was to correlate the frequency of C. albicans serotypes with the origin of
      the clinical samples. METHODS: In 502 strains of C. albicans isolated from
      pathological products, serotype was evaluated by means of a latex agglutination
      test with polyclonal monovalent antisera. A statistical analysis was carried out
      to investigate whether there was any relationship between the serotype frequency
      and the origin of the strains. RESULTS: The serotype A of C. albicans represented
      78% of all isolates. However, there was a significantly higher relative frequency
      of serotype B in vaginal and oropharyngeal samples. No differences were found in
      isolates from AIDS patients. CONCLUSIONS: The serotyping method should be
      considered a contribution, even if limited, to the knowledge of the epidemiology
      of Candida albicans infections.

PMID- 1857141
TI  - [Internist's role in cerebral metastases].

PMID- 1857142
TI  - [T lymphoid blast crisis of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid
      leukemia: analysis of 3 cases].
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the frequency of the T lymphoid phenotype in the blast
      crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) with positive Philadelphia chromosome
      (Ph) and to evaluate the major clinical and hematologic features of the patients
      with this phenotype. METHODS: The presence of the TdT enzyme was assessed and
      specific monoclonal antibodies to the different hemopoietic lines were used to
      evaluate blast cells in 38 patients with blast crisis during Ph-positive CML.
      RESULTS: T lymphoid phenotype was found in three of the 38 patients,
      corresponding in all cases to immature T cells. In one patient, the blast crisis
      was the presenting feature of CML and in two the localization of the blast crisis
      was lymphadenopathic. In the two patients who could be followed up a favorable
      response to chemotherapy regimens including vincristine and prednisone was
      observed. CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon, T lymphoid blast crisis in CML should
      no longer be considered exceptional. This phenotypic finding suggests that, at
      least in some cases, CML originates in a pluripotential stem cell common to all
      hemopoietic cells, including T lymphocytes.

PMID- 1857143
TI  - [Idiopathic myelofibrosis with cutaneous extramedullary hematopoiesis].
AB  - Idiopathic myelofibrosis is a chronic myeloproliferative syndrome characterized
      by the proliferation of the three hemopoietic series and the marrow connective
      tissue and the development of extramedullary hemopoiesis in the liver and spleen.
      Cutaneous extramedullary hemopoiesis is and uncommon finding, and only thirteen
      cases have been reported up to now. We report the first case in the Spanish
      literature. The patient was a 78-year-old male in whom skin lesions preceded the
      diagnosis of myelofibrosis. These lesions, consisting of violet coloured maculae
      and papulae, contained elements from the three hemopoietic series. Therapy with
      hydroxyurea was started, but the patient died because of cardiorespiratory
      complications.

PMID- 1857144
TI  - [Computer-assisted design and elaboration of slides].

PMID- 1857145
TI  - [Fever, polyarthritis, left hemiplegia and loss of consciousness in a 37-year-old
      man with T-cell lymphoma].

PMID- 1857147
TI  - [CA 15.3: Bayes' theorem].

PMID- 1857146
TI  - [Publication of clinical trials and methodological accuracy].

PMID- 1857148
TI  - [Megalotrichiasis and poliosis caused by cyclosporin A].

PMID- 1857149
TI  - [A descriptive study of 105 patients with cerebral metastasis].
AB  - BACKGROUND: To investigate the hospital frequency and natural history of patients
      with cerebral metastases (CM). METHODS: A retrospective study of patients seen
      because of CM from 1984 to 1989. They were identified from the discharge reports
      and the cancer registry (CR). Data of interest were taken from the clinical
      record and the CR. RESULTS: 105 patients were identified. Mean age was 60 years.
      There were 77 males. In 44 patients cancer past history was present, in 33 lung
      cancer was simultaneously diagnosed and in 28 there was no past cancer history
      and the primary neoplasm was not identified. CM were multiple in 49 patients. In
      18 patients CM was single, with no extracerebral neoplasia. Craniotomy was
      carried out in 22 patients and 11 received postoperative radiotherapy. The
      probability of one-year survival in the operated and nonoperated group was 27%
      and 1.5%, respectively (27 +/- 20% and 1.5% +/- 1.5%; 95% confidence intervals).
      CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of the diagnosis of CM is not negligible and its
      occurrence virtually always represents a fatal prognosis. About one half are
      caused by a lung cancer that may have clinically presented with CM. Poor general
      condition, multiple CM or extracerebral neoplastic disease prevent radical
      therapeutic intervention in nearly 80% of these patients. Survival with
      palliative therapy is shorter than that with surgical treatment.

PMID- 1857151
TI  - [Female physicians as an unused resource].

PMID- 1857150
TI  - [Epidemiology of tuberculosis in the Gran Canary Island].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to obtain information about
      tuberculosis (TB) in our area that might contribute to assess the status in
      Spain. METHODS: A meticulous case finding was carried out during 1988 in all the
      hospitals of the Gran Canaria island. RESULTS: 214 cases were found (rate 32.2)
      and 77% were admitted to hospitals. In 160 (74%) the involvement was pulmonary
      and in 82 (37%) it was extrapulmonary. Mean age was 34 years (range 1-84) and 62%
      were younger than 40 years. 69% were males. Complete data were obtained in 183
      cases (85%). 56% were smokers, 34% alcoholic abusers, 15% drug abusers (35%
      parenteral) and 4% homosexuals. 26% had some risk factor for TB; 14 of them had
      been infected by the HIV (8 had AIDS). In 64% there was a diagnostic delay longer
      than one month. Out of the 214 cases, the diagnosis was made by direct microscopy
      and/or culture in 110 (51%), by consistent pathological findings in 41 (19%),
      with some of these studies but with negative results in 35 (16%) and only with
      clinical and radiological criteria in 28 (13%). 96 (60%) of the pulmonary cases
      had cavitation. The most common therapeutic schedule (84%) was the recommended 9
      month regimen. In 54% no recommendation for the investigation of contacts was
      made. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' area, the prevalence of TB is higher than in
      developed countries. It is more common in middle aged individuals, many diagnoses
      are still made without bacteriologic studies and in a high number of cases
      investigation of contacts is not carried out.

PMID- 1857153
TI  - [Advice and handy drugs can be sufficient in bee and wasp venom allergy].

PMID- 1857152
TI  - [Better health care for lower costs].

PMID- 1857154
TI  - [Future archive as a laser floppy disc in the patient's pocket].

PMID- 1857155
TI  - [Terminal intensive care--ethical viewpoints].

PMID- 1857156
TI  - [Ritual circumcision of boys should not be done in public health services].

PMID- 1857157
TI  - [Errors on dental materials].

PMID- 1857158
TI  - [AIDS campaigns have not influenced the use of condoms among young people].

PMID- 1857159
TI  - [Laryngeal mask--a new method for free airways in anesthesia and emergency care].

PMID- 1857160
TI  - [Zoster should be treated with peroral acyclovir].

PMID- 1857161
TI  - [Independent channels give the most important information on essential drug
      news].

PMID- 1857162
TI  - [The medical journals are an outstanding resource of knowledge on drug news].

PMID- 1857164
TI  - [Heart-lung radiography after myocardial infarction is of insignificant value for
      the estimation of prognosis].

PMID- 1857163
TI  - [High density lipoprotein prevents coronary heart disease].

PMID- 1857165
TI  - [Antibiotic prevention in acute Cesarean section reduces the frequency of
      infectious complications].

PMID- 1857167
TI  - [Epidural abscess--a rare but severe complication after epidural anesthesia].

PMID- 1857166
TI  - [Fertilization in vitro is becoming cheaper and easier to perform].

PMID- 1857168
TI  - [3, 4, or more. An epidemic of multiple pregnancies].

PMID- 1857169
TI  - [Show respect for judgement about benzodiazepines].

PMID- 1857170
TI  - [Time for intensive care of acute spinal cord injuries?].

PMID- 1857172
TI  - [Tasks for primary health care?].

PMID- 1857171
TI  - [It is a human being we treat--not only a disease].

PMID- 1857173
TI  - [Reintroduce vaccination against whooping cough. Why wait 5 years?].

PMID- 1857174
TI  - [Vestibular assistant--a professional identity].

PMID- 1857175
TI  - [Methylprednisolone improves prognosis in traumatic spinal cord injuries].

PMID- 1857176
TI  - [The number of railway suicides can and should be reduced. The involved drivers
      receive crisis help].

PMID- 1857177
TI  - [Severe shortages in preventive measures. Both the number and the degree of
      severity of explosive fires are increasing].

PMID- 1857178
TI  - [Drug metabolism is dynamic. It is as adaptable as the immune system].

PMID- 1857180
TI  - [A tick-picker is an effective weapon against transmission of Borrelia
      infections].

PMID- 1857181
TI  - [Diabetic patients with good knowledge of their disease have better metabolic
      control].

PMID- 1857179
TI  - [Importance to develop diagnostic methods for different types of schizophrenia.
      Patients with schizophrenia have recovered in connection with intensive
      psychotherapy].

PMID- 1857182
TI  - [A consensus in Europe--general targets and a 5-year program: the Saint Vincent
      declaration for better diabetic care].

PMID- 1857184
TI  - [Keep the line clear between killing and allowing to die!].

PMID- 1857183
TI  - [More distinct limits between health care and research are needed to solve the
      dilemma of the heads of the hospital departments].

PMID- 1857185
TI  - Seasonal variations in circulating levels of progesterone and estradiol in
      unmated adult female woodchucks (Marmota monax) in captivity.
AB  - The annual profile of serum levels of progesterone (P) and estradiol-17 beta (E2)
      was characterized in a seasonally breeding rodent, the woodchuck (Marmota monax).
      Hormonal levels were determined in serum samples taken at weekly or biweekly
      intervals from unmated female woodchucks maintained all year indoors under
      controlled conditions of photoperiod and temperature. Annual fluctuations
      included a rise of E2 levels during late January through February, followed by a
      modest increase in plasma P concentrations by late March, the latter attaining
      peak values during April and May. A temporal dissociation of peak values of
      circulating levels of P and E2 during the annual reproductive cycle was also
      detected. The timing of changes in serum levels of P and E2 in these captive
      woodchucks corresponded to reproductive events during the normal breeding season
      of the woodchuck in the southern part of its range.

PMID- 1857186
TI  - The reversal of the effects on HMG-CoA reductase activity and microsome lipid
      composition in chick livers caused by short-period cholesterol feeding.
AB  - Chicks of different ages were fed on a cholesterol diet for 48 hours and then
      switched to a standard diet. HMG-CoA reductase activity and microsomal
      cholesterol levels, altered by the cholesterol diet, returned to control values
      in younger chicks after 48 hours on the standard diet. This study clearly shows
      that early age is an important factor to be taken into account when considering
      the reversibility of cholesterol-induced membrane alterations.

PMID- 1857187
TI  - Renal mitochondrial glutathione transport.
AB  - Freshly isolated tightly coupled rabbit renal cortical mitochondria rapidly
      accumulated glutathione (GSH) against an electrical and concentration gradient,
      and in the presence and absence of pyruvate/malate, succinate, antimycin A, or
      FCCP. Mitochondrial GSH uptake was dependent on medium GSH concentration, was not
      saturable, and reached equilibrium within 1 min of addition. Mitochondrial GSH
      uptake was partially inhibited by glycine, ophthalmic acid, and serine but not
      glutamate, cysteine, gamma-glutamyl-glutamate, or proline. These results show
      that 1) mitochondrial GSH uptake is by both a carrier-mediated process and by
      diffusion, and 2) the GSH carrier system has structural specificity with the
      glycine residue being a recognition site.

PMID- 1857188
TI  - Differential effects of perinatal hypoxia and anoxia on long term seizure
      susceptibility in the rat.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated that hypoxia is acutely epileptogenic in the
      immature rat but not in the adult. The window during which hypoxia induces
      seizures in the rat ranges from postnatal day (P) 5-17, with the most severe
      seizures occurring at P10-12. Perinatal hypoxia resulted in significantly more
      acute seizure activity than perinatal anoxia. The present study evaluates the
      long term effects of perinatal hypoxia versus anoxia. Animals were exposed to
      hypoxia (3%O2) or anoxia (0%O2) at P10 and challenged later in adulthood (P55-60)
      with administration of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) (45 mg/kg subcutaneously).
      Compared to normal littermate controls, the animals which had been exposed to
      perinatal hypoxia had a significantly higher frequency of generalized convulsions
      (GC) and a significantly shorter latency to the first myoclonic jerk (MJ) after
      PTZ. In contrast, perinatal anoxia did not alter long term seizure
      susceptibility. These results are discussed in context of previous studies which
      have shown variable long term effects using different models of perinatal hypoxia
      and/or ischemia.

PMID- 1857189
TI  - Classic articles in medical computing.

PMID- 1857191
TI  - Searching gene and protein sequence databases.
AB  - A large-scale effort to map and sequence the human genome is now under way.
      Crucial to the success of this research is a group of computer programs that
      analyze and compare data on molecular sequences. This article describes the
      classic algorithms for similarity searching and sequence alignment. Because good
      performance of these algorithms is critical to searching very large and growing
      databases, we analyze the running times of the algorithms and discuss recent
      improvements in this area.

PMID- 1857190
TI  - The human genome.

PMID- 1857192
TI  - Microcomputers and prevention of drug abuse.
AB  - In recent years, the psychological treatment of drug addiction has been dominated
      by an emphasis on learning theory and an interest in minimal and self
      administered treatment. The computer provides the consummate medium for bringing
      these components together. This paper reports on two computer-assisted learning
      programs, one for the prevention of relapse in former heroin users and the other
      for the promotion of controlled drinking in early-stage problem drinkers. The
      need for this type of technology is supported by mounting evidence that drug and
      alcohol misusers prefer self-help to psychotherapy and that most addicts who
      manage to overcome their addiction do so on their own.

PMID- 1857193
TI  - An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances. 1763.

PMID- 1857195
TI  - GUESS, the great universal educational software system.

PMID- 1857194
TI  - A real-time analysis of a transplantation program with a personal computer.
AB  - This study concerns the use of commercial software (a spreadsheet combined with
      database and graphic functions) to analyze data on kidney transplantation. The
      program consists of a section containing (macro) instructions, a section for
      entering data, a database, a set of spreadsheets (one for each field) with which
      the statistical calculations and summary tables are executed, and a set of
      diagrams for the final visual output. Three kinds of data are made available:
      descriptive statistics, actuarial survival rates, and risk factor evaluation. The
      program can analyze the importance of the variables considered and estimate the
      effect of a therapeutic or diagnostic maneuver.

PMID- 1857196
TI  - Progress in the pathogenesis of Legionella pneumophila.

PMID- 1857197
TI  - Characterization of the Helicobacter pylori urease and purification of its
      subunits.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori (formerly Campylobacter pylori) is the causative agent of
      gastritis in man. Helicobacter pylori cells contain a large amount of an
      extremely active urease (E.C.3.5.1.5). This enzyme is suspected to be a virulence
      factor since the ammonium ion produced from urea may be responsible for tissue
      injury and/or survival of H. pylori in the gastric environment. Helicobacter
      pylori urease, native relative molecular mass approximately 600,000, was purified
      by agarose gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. DEAE-purified urease
      is highly active and has a Km of 0.48 mM for urea. The enzyme has a pI of 5.93
      and is active from pH 4.0 to 10.0, with an optimum at pH 8.0. The purified urease
      contains nickel and is composed of two protein subunits, with relative molecular
      masses of 66,000 and 31,000. The subunits were separated and purified and the
      first 30 N-terminal amino acid residues were determined. A remarkably close
      relationship was found between both H. pylori urease subunits and jack bean
      (Canavalia ensiformis) urease, the subunit of which is a single 840 amino acid
      polypeptide. This subunit is also largely identical to the high molecular mass
      subunits of the ureases of Klebsiella aerogenes and Proteus mirabilis, evidence
      that these four ureases are derived from a common ancestral protein.

PMID- 1857198
TI  - Expression cloning of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 rfb gene cluster in Escherichia
      coli K12.
AB  - The genes of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3 (YeO3) that determine the
      synthesis of the O-side-chain of the lipopolysaccharide, the rfb region, were
      cloned into plasmid pBR322. The O-side-chain of YeO3 was expressed by the clone
      both in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium indicating that the entire
      rfb region was included in the clone. It was shown by restriction mapping,
      deletion analysis and transposition mutagenesis that about 10.4 kilobase pairs of
      DNA was essential for the synthesis and expression of the O-side-chain. The
      correct assembly of the O-side-chain on the cell surface of the clone was
      confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy and slide agglutination.
      Immunoblotting using monoclonal antibody specific for the O-side-chain of YeO3
      revealed that the O-side-chain material synthesized by the clone in E. coli was
      similar to that of YeO3. The clone did not show the in vitro temperature
      variation in O-side-chain expression characteristic of YeO3. Instead analogous O
      side-chain was produced both at 25 degrees C and at 37 degrees C. Using
      transposon Tn2507, which carries a promotorless chloramphenicol acetyltransferase
      (CAT) gene, transcriptional fusions with the target DNA were generated. When
      testing the ability of mutated clones to produce CAT, transcription was shown to
      occur in a uniform direction throughout the whole rfb region. In colony
      hybridizations, using the cloned insert as a probe, homologous DNA was detected
      only in pathogenic Y. enterocolitica serotypes.

PMID- 1857199
TI  - Similarity of the tdh gene-bearing plasmids of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and Vibrio
      parahaemolyticus.
AB  - The gene encoding a hemolysin similar to the thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH)
      of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was previously cloned from a plasmid of Vibrio
      cholerae non-O1. The gene (designated as NAG-tdh) was subcloned and its
      nucleotide sequence was determined and compared with reported sequences of the
      four tdh gene copies encoding TDH, of which three were cloned from the chromosome
      and one was cloned from a plasmid of V. parahaemolyticus. In the coding region,
      the NAG-tdh gene had 100% homology with the plasmid-borne tdh gene (tdh4) whereas
      the NAG-tdh gene was 96.7-98.6% homologous to the three chromosomal tdh genes.
      The sequences of the NAG-tdh and tdh4 genes were nearly identical in the further
      upstream and downstream regions. The entire plasmids carrying the two tdh genes
      were found to be highly homologous when compared by restriction endonuclease and
      Southern blot analyses. The results suggest that the tdh gene has been
      transferred between V. cholerae non-O1 and V. parahaemolyticus by a plasmid,
      directly or indirectly, and that the nucleotide sequences of the tdh gene-bearing
      plasmids have undergone minor base changes in the respective genetic backgrounds.

PMID- 1857200
TI  - Characterization of classic and atypical serogroup O:11 Aeromonas: evidence that
      the surface array protein is not directly involved in mouse pathogenicity.
AB  - A number of different techniques were used to analyse classic and atypical
      serogroup O:11 Aeromonas isolates. Five of seven atypical O:11, S layer-negative
      strains lacking a homogeneous LPS side-chain pattern exhibited varying degrees of
      mouse pathogenecity. One virulent atypical strain (AH-77) synthesized a surface
      array protein (SAP) but was unable to anchor it to the cell surface in an intact
      form, presumably due to a defect in its LPS architecture. Proteinase K digestion
      to remove the SAP, or growth at elevated temperatures (42 degrees C) to reduce
      the proportion of SAP synthesized from classic O:11 S layer-positive strains, did
      not alter their LD50 values in outbred mice. In addition, a spontaneous mutant,
      AS-180-1, that was S layer-negative was as virulent as the parental S layer
      positive strain in the mouse model. These results suggest neither the SAP nor the
      characteristic serogroup O:11 homogeneous LPS side-chain pattern are directly
      involved in mouse pathogenicity.

PMID- 1857201
TI  - The effect of growth temperature on the biosynthesis of Yersinia enterocolitica
      O:3 lipopolysaccharide: temperature regulates the transcription of the rfb but
      not of the rfa region.
AB  - The rfb region of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 (YeO3) that determines the
      synthesis of the O-side chain of the lipopolysaccharide was cloned and expressed
      in Escherichia coli K12 previously. The clone did not show the in vitro
      temperature variation in O-side chain expression known for YeO3, instead
      analogous O-side-chain was produced at 25 degrees C and at 37 degrees C and both
      were similar to that produced by YeO3 at 25 degrees C. In Northern blot analysis
      marked reduction in the amount of rfb-specific mRNA was observed from YeO3 grown
      at 37 degrees C when compared with those grown at 25 degrees C. On the other
      hand, equal amounts of rfb-specific mRNA were detected in the E. coli clone at
      both growth temperatures. This indicates that the transcription of YeO3 rfb
      region is dramatically repressed at 37 degrees C. The repressor gene is located
      outside the rfb region with no analogous locus in E. coli chromosome. We cloned
      18.2 kilobase pairs of YeO3 chromosomal DNA that rendered E. coli K12 reactive
      with 2B5, a YeO3 core-specific monoclonal antibody, in colony blotting, indirect
      immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Hence this clone contains the YeO3 rfa
      region, encompassing the genes involved in the core oligosaccharide biosynthesis.
      No apparent difference, in the aforementioned tests, was noticed in the
      expression of the 2B5 epitope at different growth temperatures either in YeO3 or
      in E. coli. In Northern blot analysis comparable amounts of rfa-specific mRNA
      were detected at 25 degrees and 37 degrees C. This argues that in YeO3 the core
      oligosaccharide biosynthesis is not temperature-regulated.

PMID- 1857202
TI  - The Escherichia coli cell cycle: one cycle or multiple independent processes that
      are co-ordinated?
AB  - In the life cycle of a bacterium there are several key processes: cellular
      growth, chromosome replication and decatenation, nucleoid partition, septum
      formation, and cell division. These processes have to be carefully controlled and
      co-ordinated both with respect to each other and to the growth of the cell, and
      could be viewed as parts of a single cycle in which each step is dependent upon
      the previous one. Alternatively, they could be independently controlled and
      carefully tuned to each other without actually constituting a true cycle. In this
      review, using Escherichia coli as model system, we discuss these two ways of
      describing the bacterial life cycle. The evidence supporting independent control
      of the processes is presented, and some of the key questions in the elucidation
      of the regulation of the bacterial life cycle are discussed.

PMID- 1857203
TI  - Calcium in bacteria: a solution to which problem?
AB  - Calcium and calcium-binding proteins including those resembling calmodulin are
      implicated in numerous diverse processes in bacteria. These processes include
      chemotaxis, sporulation, virulence, the transport of sugars and proteins,
      phosphorylation, heat shock, the initiation of DNA replication, septation,
      nucleoid structure, nuclease activity and recombination, the stability of the
      envelope, and phospholipid synthesis and configuration. That such varied
      processes should have a common factor, calcium, suggests major underlying
      principles of calcium metabolism which have yet to be discovered.

PMID- 1857204
TI  - Local DNA topology and gene expression: the case of the leu-500 promoter.
AB  - Many promoters are sensitive to DNA supercoiling, and it is becoming apparent
      that this may play an important role in gene regulation. The twin supercoiled
      domain hypothesis (Liu and Wang, 1987) proposes that transcription can lead to
      local variation in supercoiling. The mutant leu-500 promoter has presented a long
      standing problem to the understanding of the control of promoter function by DNA
      supercoiling. This promoter is activated by mutations in the gene encoding
      topoisomerase I, but is apparently unaffected by mutations in the genes encoding
      DNA gyrase. We propose a model to explain the anomalous regulation of this
      promoter, based on the twin supercoiled-domain model. This allows us to account
      for the unusual properties of the leu-500 promoter, and confirms the biological
      importance of the twin supercoiled-domain model. We suggest that such topological
      coupling between promoters may be general, leading to co-operativity and anti-co
      operativity between divergent promoter pairs.

PMID- 1857205
TI  - A suppressor of yeast spp81/ded1 mutations encodes a very similar putative ATP
      dependent RNA helicase.
AB  - The spp81/ded1 mutations were isolated as suppressors of a Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae pre-mRNA splicing mutation, prp8-1. The SPP81/DED1 gene encodes a
      putative ATP-dependent RNA helicase. While attempting to clone the wild-type
      SPP81/DED1 gene we isolated plasmids which were able to suppress the cold
      sensitive growth defect of spp81 mutants. These plasmids encoded a gene (named
      DBP1) which mapped to chromosome XVI and not to the SPP81/DED1 locus on
      chromosome XV. The cloned gene suppressed the defect of spp81/ded1 mutants when
      present on both high and low copy-number plasmids but complemented spp81/ded1
      null mutants only when present on high copy-number plasmids. In contrast to the
      SPP81/DED1 gene the DBP1 gene was not essential for cell viability. The
      nucleotide sequence of the DBP1 gene revealed that it also encoded a putative ATP
      dependent RNA helicase which showed considerable similarity at the amino acid
      level to the SPP81/DED1 protein.

PMID- 1857206
TI  - Characterization of the RNA polymerases of Crithidia fasciculata.
AB  - We have characterized the crithidial RNA polymerases (RNAPs). The RNAPs from this
      organism were resolved by chromatography and could be classified into RNAP I, II
      and III because of their differential sensitivity to class-specific RNA
      polymerase inhibitors, such as alpha-amanitin (ama) and tagetitoxin. The three
      RNAP classes were subsequently characterized in nuclear run-ons using class
      specific DNA templates and the inhibitory effect of ama on RNA chain elongation.
      These experiments showed that Crithidia fasciculata contains the normal set of
      eukaryotic RNAPs. However, RNAP II was found to be relatively resistant to ama,
      which seems to be a general feature of kinetoplastid parasites. Tagetitoxin, a
      potent inhibitor of purified crithidial RNAP III, does not inhibit RNAP III in
      nuclear run-on experiments, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of tagetitoxin
      depends on the enzyme conformation, i.e. 'naked' enzyme versus that in a
      transcription complex. Finally, the role of RNAP III in the transcription of the
      mini-exon genes, which provide the 5' end of each mRNA, is discussed.

PMID- 1857207
TI  - The IgA-binding beta antigen of the c protein complex of Group B streptococci:
      sequence determination of its gene and detection of two binding regions.
AB  - The beta antigen of the lbc protein complex of Group B streptococci is a cell
      surface receptor which binds the Fc region of human immunoglobulin A (IgA).
      Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the beta antigen gene shows that it
      encodes a preprotein having a molecular weight of 130,963 daltons and a
      polypeptide of 1164 amino acid residues that is typical of other Gram-positive
      cell-wall proteins. There is a long signal sequence of 37 amino acids at the N
      terminus. Four of the five C-terminal amino acid residues are basic and are
      preceded by a hydrophobic stretch that appears to anchor the C-terminus in the
      cell membrane. To the N-terminal side of this hydrophobic stretch is a putative
      cell-wall-spanning region containing proline-rich repeated sequences. An unusual
      feature of these repeated sequences is a three-residue periodicity, whereby every
      first residue is a proline, the second residue is alternating positively or
      negatively charged, and the third residue is uncharged. The IgA-binding activity
      was approximately localized by expressing subfragments of the beta antigen as
      fusion proteins. Two distinct but adjacent DNA segments specified peptides that
      bound IgA, which indicates that the IgA-binding activity is located in two
      distinct regions of the protein.

PMID- 1857208
TI  - Two distinct steps in pullulanase secretion by Escherichia coli K12.
AB  - Two distinct steps in the secretion of the extracellular, cell-surface-anchored
      lipoprotein pullulanase by Escherichia coli were uncoupled by allowing export of
      the enzyme to the cytoplasmic membrane via the signal peptide/sec-gene-dependent
      general export pathway, and then inducing the pulC-O operon of genes required for
      translocation to the cell surface. The secretion intermediate cofractionated
      mainly with intermediate-density vesicles when cells were gently lysed and the
      resulting vesicles were separated by isopycnic sucrose density centrifugation.
      Cytoplasmic forms of pullulanase (which are not exported because they lack a
      functional signal peptide) are more sensitive to heat inactivation, denaturation
      by sodium dodecyl sulphate and carboxymethylation than the intermediate and cell
      surface forms. The latter are distinguished only by the fact that the secretion
      intermediate is less susceptible to proteinase K and trypsin, and is partially
      inaccessible to substrate or in an inactive conformation in sphaeroplasts. These
      and other results indicate that the secretion intermediate can acquire
      considerable higher-ordered structure, including disulphide bridges, before it is
      transported to the cell surface; this seems to rule out the possibility that it
      is threaded through this membrane as a locally unfolded polypeptide.

PMID- 1857209
TI  - Temperature-regulated expression of invasion genes in Shigella flexneri is
      controlled through the transcriptional activation of the virB gene on the large
      plasmid.
AB  - The invasion phenotype of shigellae is subject to thermoregulation that is known
      to be expressed through activation of some invasion (inv) genes such as ipaB,
      ipaC, and ipaD encoded by the large virulence plasmid of Shigella flexneri. The
      expression of ipa genes is regulated positively by virF through the activation of
      virB on the plasmid. To identify the mediator for the thermoregulation of the
      large plasmid, we have studied the effect of temperature on the transcription of
      virF and virB genes and ipa and the other two inv operons. The results showed
      that transcription of virB was affected by temperature more strictly than that of
      virF. Analysis of the mRNA level of virB at different levels of virF
      transcription indicated that virB transcription depended upon both temperature
      and virF. On the other hand, transcriptions of ipa and the other two inv operons
      depended on the activation of virB transcription but not on temperature. By
      inducing virB transcription from a tac promoter fused with the virB region,
      invasion ability was restored to a virF-deletion mutant at 30 degrees C as well
      as at 37 degrees C. By using conditions in which the temperature-dependent
      expression of the invasion phenotype was circumvented by the induction of virB
      transcription, intercellular spreading ability in a virF+, virB::Tn5 strain was
      shown to be expressed even at 30 degrees C. These results suggest that the virB
      transcription stage is the main target for the thermoregulation.

PMID- 1857210
TI  - Formation of Rhizobium phaseoli symbiotic plasmids by genetic recombination.
AB  - We report here the formation of symbiotic plasmids (pSyms), by genetic
      recombination between rearranged pSyms, which lack symbiotic information, and
      resistance plasmids carrying parts of different symbiotic plasmids (R's). This
      recombination was found to occur both between plasmids derived from different
      Rhizobium phaseoli isolates, and between plasmids derived from strains obtained
      from the same original isolate. We also present evidence on the formation of a
      functional symbiotic plasmid by recombination of an R', carrying nif and nod
      genes from strain CFN42, and an indigenous plasmid present in this strain
      (pCFN42e), which was thought to be unrelated to its symbiotic plasmid (pCFN42d).
      These data are discussed with respect to the stability and transfer of Rhizobium
      symbiotic information.

PMID- 1857211
TI  - Isolation and properties of the RepA1 protein of the IncFII replicon, RepFIC.
AB  - The initiator protein RepA1 of the IncFII replicon RepFIC derived from the
      enterotoxin plasmid EntP307 has been cloned under the control of the lambda PL
      promoter. This has enabled us to overproduce this protein and study its
      properties. Here we show that RepA1 is a soluble basic protein with an
      experimentally determined molecular weight of 40,000. Deletion analysis indicates
      that the overproduced protein originates from the open reading frame which we
      previously designated as coding for RepA1. We have also shown that the
      replication function of the replicon RepFIC depends on the intact RepA1 coding
      frame.

PMID- 1857212
TI  - The surface-located YopN protein is involved in calcium signal transduction in
      Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.
AB  - The low-calcium response (lcr) is strongly conserved among the pathogenic
      Yersinia species and is observed when the pathogen is grown at 37 degrees C in
      Ca(2+)-depleted medium. This response is characterized by a general metabolic
      downshift and by a specific induction of virulence-plasmid-encoded yop genes.
      Regulation of yop expression is exerted at transcriptional level by a temperature
      regulated activator and by Ca(2+)-regulated negative elements. The yopN gene was
      shown to encode a protein (formerly also designated Yop4b) which is surface
      located when Yersinia is grown at 37 degrees C. yopN was found to be part of an
      operon that is induced during the low-calcium response. Insertional inactivation
      of the yopN gene resulted in derepressed transcription of yop genes. A hybrid
      plasmid containing the yopN gene under the control of the tac promoter fully
      restored the wild-type phenotype of the yopN mutant. Thus the surface-located
      YopN somehow senses the calcium concentration and transmits a signal to shut off
      yop transcription when the calcium concentration is high.

PMID- 1857213
TI  - Modular structure of FixJ: homology of the transcriptional activator domain with
      the -35 binding domain of sigma factors.
AB  - The FixL/FixJ two-component system is a global regulator of nitrogen-fixation
      genes in Rhizobium meliloti. The transcriptional activator FixJ contains two
      modules: its N-terminal module is homologous with other two-component regulators;
      its C-terminal module shows homology with various transcriptional activators, and
      with the C-terminal region of sigma factors, which is involved in the
      discrimination of the -35 region of bacterial promoters. We show that the C
      terminal module of FixJ contains the entire transcription activation function,
      and that the N-terminal module regulates this activity negatively.
      Oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the transcriptional activator module
      demonstrated the importance of a potential helix-turn-helix structure.

PMID- 1857214
TI  - Peptide growth factors.

PMID- 1857215
TI  - Phosphorylation and identification of phosphorylated forms of basic fibroblast
      growth factor.

PMID- 1857216
TI  - Derivation of monoclonal antibody to basic fibroblast growth factor and its
      application.

PMID- 1857218
TI  - Molecular and biochemical approaches to structure--function analysis of
      transforming growth factor alpha.

PMID- 1857217
TI  - Generation of antibodies and assays for transforming growth factor alpha.

PMID- 1857219
TI  - Assessment of biological activity of synthetic fragments of transforming growth
      factor alpha.

PMID- 1857220
TI  - Purification of amphiregulin from serum-free conditioned medium of 12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-treated cell lines.

PMID- 1857221
TI  - Identification of phosphorylation sites: use of the epidermal growth factor
      receptor.

PMID- 1857222
TI  - In vitro transcription of epidermal growth factor receptor gene.

PMID- 1857223
TI  - Expression and purification of recombinant insulin-like growth factors from
      Escherichia coli.

PMID- 1857224
TI  - Generation of antibodies and assays for transforming growth factor beta.

PMID- 1857225
TI  - Purification of transforming growth factors beta 1 and beta 2 from bovine bone
      and cell culture assays.

PMID- 1857226
TI  - Assay of astrocyte differentiation-inducing activity of serum and transforming
      growth factor beta.

PMID- 1857227
TI  - Erythroid differentiation bioassays for activin.

PMID- 1857228
TI  - In vivo assay of neuron-specific effects of nerve growth factor.

PMID- 1857229
TI  - Bioassay, purification, cloning, and expression of mullerian inhibiting
      substance.

PMID- 1857230
TI  - Purification and characterization of recombinant melanoma growth stimulating
      activity.

PMID- 1857231
TI  - Purification, cloning, and expression of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth
      factor.

PMID- 1857233
TI  - Preparation and bioassay of connective tissue activating peptide III and its
      isoforms.

PMID- 1857232
TI  - Purification and cloning of vascular endothelial growth factor secreted by
      pituitary folliculostellate cells.

PMID- 1857234
TI  - Purification of growth factors from cartilage.

PMID- 1857235
TI  - Assay and purification of naturally occurring inhibitor of angiogenesis.

PMID- 1857236
TI  - Derivation of monoclonal antibody directed against fibroblast growth regulator.

PMID- 1857238
TI  - Assays for bone resorption and bone formation.

PMID- 1857237
TI  - Localization of peptide growth factors in the nucleus.

PMID- 1857240
TI  - Transgenic mouse models for growth factor studies.

PMID- 1857239
TI  - 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate as noncytotoxic
      stabilizing agent for growth factors.

PMID- 1857241
TI  - Biaffinity chromatography of fibroblast growth factors.

PMID- 1857242
TI  - Cloning, recombinant expression, and characterization of basic fibroblast growth
      factor.

PMID- 1857243
TI  - Robust trend analysis in predicting histamine provocation concentration.
AB  - Trend analysis is used to predict the histamine provocation concentration PC20
      during the so-called challenge test, where increasing doses of the
      bronchoconstricting agent are given to a patient and the spirometric examination
      is subsequently performed. Classical least-squares analysis of trends as well as
      least absolute deviations analysis are compared. The results are interesting and
      promising from a statistical as well as medical point of view. The methods
      presented can be applied to many practical problems in medicine.

PMID- 1857244
TI  - Adjusting for recall bias with the proportional hazards model.
AB  - In studying falling frequency in the elderly, we observed that having subjects
      keep a diary led to a larger number of falls reported than had been noted in a
      previous study in the same population. The previous study asked subjects to
      report any falls in the previous three months. We considered two related
      explanations for the observation of lower incidence reports with a 3-month recall
      survey. First, there may have been under-reporting of falls due to recall bias.
      Second, the less severe falls (which did not result in injuries) may not be
      reported. We suggest that the proportional hazards model may be used to adjust
      studies in which recall is used to determine incidence and time to falls.

PMID- 1857245
TI  - Multivariate procedures to describe clinical staging of melanoma.
AB  - Analyzing multivariate clinical data to identify subclasses of patients being
      treated for a specific disease may improve patient management and increase
      understanding of the behavior of disease under clinical conditions. In some
      cases, patients have been classified on prognostic characteristics using standard
      risk assessment procedures (e.g., Cox' regression). This requires long term
      follow-up, differentiates patients only on attributes relevant to survival, and
      assumes that patients are sampled from a common population. Other approaches
      involve the use of clustering algorithms to classify patients into categories
      based on multiple clinical attributes. We illustrate the use of a multivariate
      statistical procedure to directly characterize patients on multiple clinical
      characteristics. The procedure is designed to analyze discrete response data with
      parameters representing individual differences within groups. Its use is
      illustrated for patients with Stage I melanoma in determining how age is related
      to treatment response in different patient groups.

PMID- 1857246
TI  - Record linkage strategies. Part I: Estimating information and evaluating
      approaches.
AB  - Record linkage techniques can help identify the same patient for matching diverse
      files (hospital discharge abstracts, insurance claims, registries, Vital
      Statistics data) which contain similar identifiers. Prior knowledge of whether a
      linkage is feasible is important to prevent wasted effort (additional data
      collection or data manipulation), which decreases the cost-effectiveness of the
      linkage. Using examples generated by linking the Manitoba Health Services
      Commission data with Vital Statistic files, a method of estimating the
      information in each data set is presented first. Further, the feasibility of
      several different record linkage strategies is described and tested, given
      varying amounts of information. At the margin, relatively small amounts of
      information (having just one more variable to match with) can make a great
      difference. Probabilistic linkage's great advantage was found in those situations
      where only a moderate amount of extra information was available. By using the
      above techniques when working with one or both files in a proposed record linkage
      project, a much more informed judgement can now be made as to whether a linkage
      will or will not work. In facilitating record linkage, flexibility of both
      software and the strategy for matching is very important.

PMID- 1857247
TI  - Controlled trial on medical birth notification design.
AB  - In a controlled trial, two different forms were compared with respect to
      thoroughness of completing medical data on procedures during pregnancy, labor,
      and in newborns. The contents of 547 forms filled in by hospital personnel were
      compared to data abstracted from hospital records by trained research assistants.
      Forms with open-ended questions lacked information on 29% of the most common
      procedures and forms with a check-box format 9%. The results support the use of
      the check-box format in routine collection of data on common medical procedures.

PMID- 1857248
TI  - Global schistosomiasis database: practical considerations in the design of a user
      friendly database.
AB  - A computerized database for monitoring global schistosomiasis data is discussed.
      The potential target users include schistosomiasis program managers, Ministries
      of Health of endemic countries, consultants, and WHO Regional Offices. The
      concept behind the design of the database structure, the user interface and the
      query interface is addressed along with a brief description of the hardware and
      software used. The database, holding information on 76 schistosomiasis endemic
      countries around the world, has been tested in the WHO Regional Offices with
      positive results.

PMID- 1857249
TI  - Surveillance of occupational risks using job-exposure matrices.
AB  - This article deals with the problem of surveillance of occupational risks of
      workers. Computer-assisted elaboration of the job history (JH) for each worker
      was achieved by means of a job-exposure matrix (JEM) for each company. The final
      aim of the project is to find correlations between the exposure data of JHs and
      the health data of corresponding medical records. As a first experiment, some
      JEMs were computed using rectangular arrays even though it was realized that this
      simple structure was not really adequate. Later on, the structure of the
      computerized JEM included the following questions: (1) what types of information
      are involved; (2) how can the job-exposure correspondence be represented in the
      computer; (3) what characteristics of a company should be used for the
      elaboration of a JEM; (4) who is to construct each JEM, and how? This article
      shows the inadequacy of some occupational names for evoking the appropriate
      risks, a drawback which can be surmounted if the company organization is included
      in the JEM. Based on our analysis, several specifications useful for JEM
      computerization have been suggested.

PMID- 1857250
TI  - Graphical non-linear representation of multi-dimensional laboratory measurements
      in their clinical context.
AB  - A polygon-based graphical representation of laboratory test results using
      nonlinear scaling is described. It is argued that the nonlinearity of the scale
      and the use of colors in the representation facilitates interpretation of the
      test result in its relationship to the standard reference range and critical
      clinical decision levels. Preliminary results suggest that this representation
      may be fruitfully used to enhance the efficiency of the information transfer from
      the clinical chemistry laboratory to clinicians. Other applications, inside as
      well as outside the medical field, may easily be imagined.

PMID- 1857251
TI  - Is a picture worth a thousand medical words? A randomized trial of reporting
      formats for medical research data.
AB  - Monitoring data that vary over time is an essential component of medical
      practice. This is doubly true in clinical trials in which the overall safety and
      efficacy of investigational treatments in populations must be monitored in
      addition to the status of the individual patients who receive them. We report the
      results of a randomized trial of four reporting methods for time-dependent
      information derived from clinical trials; narrative text, table, pie chart and
      icon. Multivariate analysis of variance with a repeated measures design was used
      to analyze the efficiency of subjects' (physicians, research nurses and
      laboratory personnel) assimilation of information. Icons were found to be
      superior to the other reporting formats tested in both speed (p less than 0.0001)
      and accuracy (p = 0.02). The differences were most pronounced in subjects' first
      exposure to the data, suggesting that icons reduce the time needed for training.
      We conclude that icons are a valuable method for presentation of time-dependent
      information in medical settings.

PMID- 1857252
TI  - Use and abuse of computer-stored medical records.

PMID- 1857253
TI  - Algorithms for Bayesian belief-network precomputation.
AB  - Bayesian belief networks provide an intuitive and concise means of representing
      probabilistic relationships among the variables in expert systems. A major
      drawback to this methodology is its computational complexity. We present an
      introduction to belief networks, and describe methods for precomputing, or
      caching, part of a belief network based on metrics of probability and expected
      utility. These algorithms are examples of a general method for decreasing
      expected running time for probabilistic inference. We first present the necessary
      background, and then present algorithms for producing caches based on metrics of
      expected probability and expected utility. We show how these algorithms can be
      applied to a moderately complex belief network, and present directions for future
      research.

PMID- 1857254
TI  - Problem area formation as an element of computer aided diagnosis: a comparison of
      two strategies within quick medical reference (QMR).
AB  - INTERNIST-I's use of "partitioning" to group related diagnoses into problem areas
      (for competitive consideration and elimination during case analysis) is felt to
      be the source of many of its strengths as well as some of its weaknesses. QMR,
      INTERNIST-I's successor program, embodies a homology function which can act as an
      alternative to the partitioner for problem area formation. This study undertakes
      a comparison of the problem areas generated by the INTERNIST-I partitioning
      algorithm, the QMR homology function, and expert clinicians; it finds the
      correlation to be poor. The authors then discuss another method of problem area
      formation which might better mimic a human clinician and provide an alternative
      approach in diagnostic computer-aided decision making.

PMID- 1857255
TI  - Distribution-free confidence bounds for ROC curves.
AB  - ROC curves are widely used for the evaluation of diagnostic tests to decide
      between "healthy" and "diseased" individuals when the measurements are on a
      continuous scale. These curves are graphical displays of the interdependence
      between specificity and sensitivity of the test varying with the cut-off point
      chosen for the decision. Up to now only point estimators derived from the
      empirical distribution functions are used which may be misleading if they are
      based on rather small samples. In this paper we propose reasonable confidence
      bounds for ROC curves and a corresponding point estimator. Our bounds are
      strongly related to two-sided distribution-free tolerance regions because they
      are constructed from minimum and maximum coverages which at a given value chi can
      be guaranteed with a confidence (2 pi*-1). The interpretation of the bounds is
      that if a cut-off-point is chosen on the basis of the ROC curve then with a
      nominal confidence of at least (2 pi*-1)2 the real sensitivity and specificity
      will be within a rectangle.

PMID- 1857256
TI  - The midwife's contribution to the health of women and children.

PMID- 1857257
TI  - Safest birth attendants: recent Dutch evidence.
AB  - Analysis of national perinatal statistics from Holland, 1986, demonstrates that
      for all births after 32 weeks' gestation mortality is much lower under the non
      interventionist care of midwives than under the interventionist management of
      obstetricians at all levels of predicted risk. This finding confirms with great
      authority the conclusions of all earlier impartial analyses from Britain and
      other countries which agree in contradicting the claims on which the organisation
      of maternity services in most developed countries is now based, namely, that
      childbirth is made so much safer by the application of high technology that only
      this option should be provided.

PMID- 1857258
TI  - Postpartum haemorrhage: its contribution to maternal mortality.
AB  - Postpartum haemorrhage is the major cause of maternal mortality in the developing
      world. This paper presents the incidences and discusses the causes and strategies
      for its prevention. The paper is based on one originally given at the
      ICM/WHO/UNICEF pre-congress workshop in Kobe, Japan, Oct, 1990.

PMID- 1857259
TI  - Fistulae of obstetric origin.
AB  - World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in the developing countries 5
      million women each year suffer severe maternal morbidity and high on this list is
      obstetric fistulae (vesico-vaginal and/or recto-vaginal). This article tries to
      explain why these fistulae still occur, comments on measures of prevention and
      how treatment might best be provided for those women who suffer from this
      terrible affliction.

PMID- 1857261
TI  - Rooming-in at night in the postpartum ward.
AB  - Since the early 1970s it has been common practice for 'rooming-in' to take place
      during the day in Swedish maternity wards. At night newborn babies are usually
      looked after by nursing staff in special nurseries. One reason for this is to
      avoid disturbing the mothers' sleep at night. To promote mother-infant
      adaptation, we undertook a programme intended to encourage night-time rooming-in.
      Evaluation of the programme was carried out as a quasi-experiment, divided into a
      pretest period (I), a 6-month implementation period, and a post-test period (II).
      Breast feeding and maternal sleep were studied during the first 3 postpartum days
      by means of self-report by 104 mothers in Period I and 111 mothers in Period II.
      The number of hours that the babies spent in the nursery decreased from Period I
      to Period II, a difference that was most obvious during the second and third
      postpartum nights. No difference was found in the number of breast feeds in
      Periods I and II, except during the third night, when Period II mothers breast
      fed more often. In spite of increased rooming-in in Period II, these mothers
      slept the same number of hours and felt equally alert as Period I mothers.

PMID- 1857260
TI  - Consumer interest in alternatives to physician-centred hospital birth in Ottawa.
AB  - A survey of 1109 women who delivered in a hospital or at home in a major city in
      Canada was conducted. The women were asked to respond to questions concerning the
      type of health professional they would like to provide reproductive care. The
      choices they were offered were: midwife, obstetrician, general practitioner or
      nurse, or a combination. Respondents were also asked to identify if they had an
      interest in an alternative such as a birthing room, birthing centre or home
      birth, to hospital labour ward care. Almost 60% of women were interested in some
      form of midwifery care with the major emphasis placed on counselling and support.
      Of the women who expressed an interest in midwifery services a large number
      elected for that service to be shared with an obstetrician. Women who were older
      and had achieved a high level of education were more interested in midwifery
      services than other women. If given choices of a hospital labour, birthing room,
      birthing centre or home birth 53% of women would choose to give birth in a
      hospital labour ward. A major reason for this choice was the accessibility of
      epidural analgesia. The majority of women who had experienced a home birth would
      make the same choice again. There was a strong positive association between
      interest in using midwifery services and interest in a birthing centre and home
      birth.

PMID- 1857262
TI  - Marie Goubran.

PMID- 1857263
TI  - The correlation of biochemical virulence factors and enterotoxin production with
      LD50 of Salmonella typhimurium in mice.
AB  - Five strains of Salmonella typhimurium were examined to determine the parameters
      of virulence. The virulent species significantly resisted the macrophage
      bactericidal activity (p less than 0.05). The chemiluminescent (CL) response was
      studied to determine the level of Oxygen-free radicals (OFR) generated and the
      antioxidant enzymes superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione
      peroxidase were assayed to determine the antioxidant mechanism of S. typhimurium
      to subvert these microbicidal pathways. The levels of the various enzymes were
      correlated with the virulence (as determined by LD50) and the ability of the
      microorganisms to induce diarrhoea. Oxygen free radical (OFR) generation elicited
      by macrophages, in the presence of virulent and avirulent salmonellae was not
      statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). No correlation was found between
      the levels of the antioxidant enzymes and the LD50 values. Thus the oxygen
      dependent pathways do not appear to play a role in the pathogenesis of
      salmonellosis, and do not specify the virulence of the microorganism.
      Immunological and biological assays revealed the virulent strain to be more
      toxigenic than the avirulent strain. Therefore, the basis of differing virulence
      in S. typhimurium may be the ability to make and release more toxin in vivo.

PMID- 1857264
TI  - Serum-mediated killing of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli mutants
      which share a different content of major proteins.
AB  - Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli K12 mutants of R chemotype, with
      varying contents of major proteins, were studied with respect to serum-mediated
      killing. The mutants demonstrated a different susceptibility to serum lytic
      action. These results were related to phospholipid and fatty acid content, as
      well as different physico-chemical surface properties, such as outer membrane
      fluidity. Tests were carried out on all parameters considered in the literature
      to demonstrate the resistance to complement. Our results showed that in sensitive
      strains such as Salmonella strains SH6261, SH6378, SH5551, SH6017 and E. coli
      PC0479 tests taken alone were not sufficient to explain the resistance to
      complement. Therefore, complement susceptibility is probably determined by many
      factors influencing the microheterogeneity of the membrane system.

PMID- 1857265
TI  - A characterization study of a cell line (BS/BEK) from bovine embryo kidney.
AB  - A cell line (BS/BEK) which was obtained from bovine embryo kidney tissue, when
      studied at its 140th passage level it showed the following properties: 1. An
      epithelial-like morphology, possessing a heteroploid karyotype with a modal
      chromosome number ranging between 70 and 75 chromosomes. 2. It failed to produce
      tumors in mice and in hamster. 3. It was shown to be ready susceptible to the
      replication of several viral agents originated from a variety of animal species.
      4. It was not contaminated by mycoplasma or other bacterial spp.

PMID- 1857266
TI  - Rectal lymphogranuloma venereum in a bisexual patient.
AB  - Rectal Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) due to Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) serotype
      L2 is reported. LGV was isolated from the lymph node biopsy of a bisexual male
      and was cultured on McCoy cycloheximide treated-cells. Serological tests such as
      the Micro-immunofluorescent test and the indirect immunoperoxidase assay for
      Chlamydia trachomatis done on the patient's serum were positive with a titer of
      1/200 and 1/256 respectively. Smears taken from the rectal discharge were stained
      by the direct immunoperoxidase assay and showed inclusion bodies with positive
      staining. The search for the origin source of infection as well as the diagnostic
      and follow-up strategy in the male and female partners is also discussed.

PMID- 1857267
TI  - HIV-1 infection and hematologic picture.
AB  - This review examines the wide spectrum of hematological abnormalities frequently
      observed in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of HIV-1 infected subjects.
      Several pathogenetic mechanisms have been implicated in the derangement of the
      hematopoietic system occurring during the course of HIV-1 infection: imbalance of
      the T-cell subpopulation (CD4/CD8 ratio), altered cytokine production by infected
      CD4+marrow cells, production of inhibitory factors by infected marrow stromal
      cells, antibody-mediated suppression of hematopoietic progenitors, direct
      infection of hematopoetic progenitors and/or precursors, and HIV-1 mediated
      suppression of CD34+ cell growth in the absence of a complete viral replication
      cycle. Each point is considered in the text, with particular attention to the
      mechanisms most likely to operate in the early stages of the syndrome.

PMID- 1857268
TI  - Post-traumatic stress disorder affects many young adults.

PMID- 1857269
TI  - Study shows success of AIDS prevention/anti-smoking campaigns.

PMID- 1857270
TI  - Liability reform in Michigan. The climate is right.

PMID- 1857271
TI  - Lansing attorney reacts to article on assisted suicide.

PMID- 1857272
TI  - Psychosocial changes during the first year of medical school.
AB  - The goal of this study was to assess psychosocial changes during the first year,
      on measures thought related to the long-term adjustment of medical students.
      Measures of self-esteem, health locus of control, hassles, uplifts, mood, and
      symptoms of stress were administered at the beginning and end of first year to
      128 of 181 students. Self-esteem, powerful other locus of control, and uplifts
      decreased while hassles increased during the year. Positive mood decreased (joy,
      contentment, vigour, and affection) while negative mood increased (depression and
      hostility). Hassles at the beginning of the year were positively associated with
      health outcome at the beginning and end of the year. End-of-the-year first-year
      students appear to be worse off psychosocially than when they entered. With
      greater emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention and the adoption of
      other reforms in medical education, as suggested in the GPEP Report, medical
      students may learn to cope more effectively with stress as they pursue their
      medical education.

PMID- 1857274
TI  - Computer literacy among medical, nursing, dental and veterinary undergraduates.
AB  - Universities need to ensure that clinical undergraduates are educated in the use
      of computers in medical, nursing, dental and veterinary practice. We surveyed 875
      students at Glasgow University to determine their computer literacy and attitudes
      to the use of computers. One in five students had not used a computer during the
      last year and 16% thought themselves to be a complete novice with computers.
      Medical students were more likely to have used a computer recently compared to
      dental and nursing students. For one in four students, the idea of working with a
      computer makes them anxious. Seventy per cent of students wanted more use of
      computers in the curriculum and 30% applied to attend an optional computing
      course in the summer. Although a third of students had not used a computer at
      school, the proportion had increased a little in recent years. At Glasgow
      University, changes need to be made to the undergraduate curriculum to teach
      students the use of computers in clinical practice. With a few exceptions, there
      is no reason to believe that this does not apply to other British universities.

PMID- 1857273
TI  - Perceived mistreatment and attitude change by graduating medical students: a
      retrospective study.
AB  - The goal of this study was to assess types and sources of perceived mistreatment,
      perceived attitude change, and academic performance of graduating medical
      students. A total of 87 of 143 (61%) students anonymously completed a
      mistreatment questionnaire, an attitude questionnaire, and questions about
      academic performance. The percentage of mistreatment was widespread (98.9%) with
      psychological mistreatment (shouting and humiliating) by residents/interns being
      most frequent. Over half of the students perceived sexual harassment, with women
      reporting greater harassment than men. There was a high incidence of disparaging
      remarks about doctors and medicine as a profession from a variety of sources.
      Increased mistreatment was positively associated with a perceived increase in
      cynicism. The potentially adverse effects of mistreatment on the individual
      student, the teacher-student relationship, and the doctor-patient relationship
      are discussed with recommendations for improving medical education.

PMID- 1857275
TI  - Medical problem-solving: an exploration of strategies.
AB  - In contrast to factual knowledge the reasoning processes of doctors in their
      attempts to clarify the patient's problem has been a somewhat neglected domain of
      study. The rise of experimental psychology, clinical decision analysis, and
      problem-based learning fostered studies in this area. Several studies from
      different viewpoints have been performed, leading to a more profound
      understanding of these processes. I approached the issue from a general physician
      viewpoint which reverted to the old distinction between deductive and inductive
      reasoning. Within a group of 68 participating doctors (family doctors and general
      physicians) the inductive method was exclusively employed. From this finding we
      conjecture that the inductive type of reasoning is the predominant style in the
      medical world. The consequences as attached to the overall utilization of the
      inductive method are far-reaching. Among others, process retracing as a feedback
      mechanism fails to function when it results from the intuitive nature of the
      (pattern-recognition) process. As a consequence we do not and can not know what
      we may learn from experience, good things as well as bad things. The inductive
      method is a method of practice and quick reaction, but it leaves us empty-handed
      as far as understanding and teaching are concerned.

PMID- 1857276
TI  - Self-planned experimentation (SPEX) practical classes in physiology.
AB  - A new form of undergraduate physiology practical experience is described.
      Students make their acquaintance with the physiological apparatus in the usual
      manner. At the end of the afternoon each group of four students is allocated an
      item of equipment with which to perform a true investigative experiment of their
      own choice, in their own time, the results of which are to be presented 2 weeks
      later by a randomly chosen member of the group. Students may investigate any
      question that can be answered using the resources available to them without
      endangering themselves or their subjects. Marks are awarded for the planning of
      the experiment (i.e. choice of controls, etc.), the correctness of graphical
      presentation of the results, the appropriateness of the statistical analysis, and
      for the discussion. There are no penalties for negative or unexpected results.

PMID- 1857277
TI  - The student diary survey: a method of monitoring hospital-based medical
      education.
AB  - A new system of allocating the Service Increment for Teaching (SIFT) has recently
      been introduced which, by its nature, encourages universities to be more explicit
      about their teaching requirements. A detailed study of the quantity of teaching
      received by Leicester clinical medical students was carried out using a student
      diary. This instrument enables a data base to be constructed which is useful for
      academic and resource allocation purposes. This information can also be used to
      estimate the teaching time in the different sites and the source of funding of
      the teaching staff and thereby provide insights into the 'knock-for-knock' system
      of informal cost-sharing between universities and the National Health Service.

PMID- 1857278
TI  - Reliability and feasibility of measuring medical interviewing skills: the revised
      Maastricht History-Taking and Advice Checklist.
AB  - Medical interviewing skills are integral to good medical care. In order to
      measure these skills an instrument has been developed, called the Maastricht
      History-Taking and Advice Checklist (MAAS). It has been studied with regard to
      interrater reliability and validity. In this study a revised version of the MAAS
      (MAAS-R), a check-list of concrete interview behaviour, has been investigated
      concerning feasibility and reliability for examination purposes. Audio-recordings
      were obtained of 24 doctors, each interviewing eight different standardized
      patients. The recordings were independently scored by three general practitioners
      trained in using the MAAS-R. The results of generalizability analysis,
      considering the influences of doctors, cases and raters, are encouraging. In
      order to overcome case-specificity feasible and reliable measurement can be
      accomplished with 8-10 cases in 2-21/2 hours of testing time, each case being
      scored by a different rater. Reliability improves considerably if assessment is
      restricted to basic interviewing skills.

PMID- 1857280
TI  - Responses to non-emergency questions in rural medicine: their usefulness to
      practice decisions.
AB  - This study reports the nature of non-emergency, day-to-day practice-related
      questions which arose in rural practice and were phoned in to a medical
      information system (MIS). The usefulness of these questions, and their responses,
      to clinical decision-making is outlined. Sixty-seven practitioners from 10 rural
      communities enrolled in the project. In response to each inquiry two or three
      articles were sent to the practitioner and to a consultant for validation. At the
      conclusion of the study the questions posed, and their responses, were examined.
      Forty-six per cent of the questions received were categorized as diagnostic; 30%
      as management; and 24% as therapeutic. Questions were classified using the
      ICD.9.CM. Those most frequently posed were in the nervous system/sense organs
      (13%), injury/poisoning (9%), and genito-urinary (9%) categories. Interviews with
      doctors and consultants were conducted to assess the usefulness of the service.
      Study findings suggest that an MIS can provide helpful information for improving
      daily aspects of clinical care, doctor-patient communication, administrative
      decision-making, and physician education. Practitioners, consultants, and medical
      librarians reported benefits from this service.

PMID- 1857279
TI  - Health care ethics teaching for medical students.
AB  - This paper describes an innovatory teaching programme in health care ethics for
      medical undergraduates. The general aims and objectives are outlined and the 1990
      course is discussed specifically. The course has several unusual features,
      including the use of performers and the presentation of ethically based
      decisionmaking implements, which are highlighted. The course is evaluated. The
      1990 results are encouraging.

PMID- 1857281
TI  - HIV/AIDS workshop for primary health care staff.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot a workshop to train general
      practitioners and other primary care workers to become competent in the primary,
      secondary and tertiary prevention of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
      The development of the workshop took place at four venues in the South West
      Thames Region and involved 41 general practitioners and 33 primary care nurses.
      Questionnaire evaluation before and immediately after each workshop showed a
      significant improvement in participants' attitudes towards the prevention and
      management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in general practice.
      We conclude that a suitably designed workshop can be effective in improving the
      attitudes of primary health care workers towards AIDS prevention and care.

PMID- 1857282
TI  - A postgraduate training course to prepare doctors for decision-making related to
      health authorities' computing services.
AB  - A training course which has been developed for doctors in public health medicine
      is described. Its underlying purpose was to create an appreciation of general
      management principles to ensure that resources would be directed to computing
      which supports patient care. This course could be adapted for computer training
      of experienced doctors in other branches of medicine.

PMID- 1857283
TI  - Male sexuality. 2. Psychiatric aspects of male sexual dysfunction.

PMID- 1857284
TI  - Common problems. Constipation.

PMID- 1857285
TI  - A survey of the visual acuity of Brisbane drivers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To conduct a survey of the visual acuity of a group of Brisbane
      Drivers. SETTING: The outpatient department of the Princess Alexandra Hospital,
      Brisbane. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred and three subjects drawn from patients,
      visitors and staff attending the outpatient department on 10 working days from
      December 5 to December 16, 1988. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects' age, driver's
      licence details and driving history were gathered by questionnaire. Visual acuity
      was assessed with the aid of a Snellen chart. RESULTS: Nearly 6% of the survey
      group had visual acuity worse than 6/12; 15% had never had their eyes tested
      other than for licensing purposes; 21% stated that their last ophthalmic or
      optometric examination was more than five years previously; and 8% failed to meet
      the Queensland visual acuity requirements for their class of licence.
      CONCLUSIONS: The monocular driver is not detected by current licence testing
      procedures in Queensland. Many licence holders do not meet the present visual
      acuity criteria of the Queensland Department of Transport.

PMID- 1857286
TI  - The diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Ad Hoc Working Party.

PMID- 1857287
TI  - Vega testing in the diagnosis of allergic conditions. The Australian College of
      Allergy.
AB  - Vega testing (the Vega test method) is an unorthodox method of diagnosing
      allergic and other diseases. It has no established scientific basis and there are
      no controlled trials to support its usefulness. Vega testing may lead to
      inappropriate treatment and expense to the patient and community.

PMID- 1857288
TI  - Drug and alcohol use and abuse: historical and legal aspects.

PMID- 1857289
TI  - Our nursing homes.

PMID- 1857290
TI  - Beneficial effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Nocardia brasiliensis soft
      tissue infection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report the success of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of
      Nocardia brasiliensis mycetoma. We believe this to be only the second report in
      the medical literature of hyperbaric oxygen therapy used in the therapy of
      nocardial disease. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 78-year-old man presented to a general
      hospital outpatient clinic after eight months with a painless swollen left foot.
      There was no significant medical history, no trauma had occurred, and no foreign
      body had been detected. The dorsum of the foot had a discharging sinus, from
      which N. brasiliensis was isolated. INTERVENTIONS: After unsuccessful treatment
      with surgical debridement and high-dose antibiotic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen
      therapy was administered in a multiplace recompression chamber (one hour of
      treatment at 1.8 atmospheres absolute followed by a 30 minute "ascent" to surface
      pressure). A total of 19 treatments were administered. OUTCOME: Successful
      healing of an N. brasiliensis mycetoma of the left foot. CONCLUSION: In this case
      of N. brasiliensis mycetoma involving the lower extremity, the conventional
      management of surgery and antibiotic therapy was unsuccessful, and only with the
      addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy did clinical recovery occur.

PMID- 1857291
TI  - Management of massive verapamil overdose.
AB  - A 53-year-old man presented to hospital after an overdose (4.8 g) of verapamil.
      He developed profound bradycardia and hypotension, requiring treatment with
      calcium salts, dobutamine, isoprenaline and cardiac pacing. As calcium channel
      blockers are more widely used, self-poisoning will become more common. The
      effects, although serious, are self-limiting and recovery within 48 hours is the
      rule provided adequate support is given.

PMID- 1857292
TI  - Vinyl chloride related hepatic angiosarcoma in a polyvinyl chloride autoclave
      cleaner in Australia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present the first case of vinyl chloride related hepatic
      angiosarcoma in Australia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 51-year-old male caucasian former
      polyvinyl chloride autoclave cleaner in an Australian chemical plant developed
      hepatic angiosarcoma, presenting 15 years after his last exposure to vinyl
      chloride monomer. OUTCOME: He developed encephalopathy and died in oliguric renal
      failure 21 days after admission to hospital. CONCLUSION: Hepatic angiosarcoma may
      develop in other workers similarly exposed.

PMID- 1857293
TI  - Catfish trauma.

PMID- 1857294
TI  - Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in paradise.

PMID- 1857295
TI  - The media and suicide.

PMID- 1857296
TI  - Thrush in the ducts?

PMID- 1857297
TI  - Midwives' clinic.

PMID- 1857298
TI  - Portrait of a plague.

PMID- 1857299
TI  - Occupation-related leptospirosis in South Australia.

PMID- 1857300
TI  - North Coast cholesterol check campaign.

PMID- 1857301
TI  - Medical aspects of euthanasia.

PMID- 1857302
TI  - The "restless legs" syndrome.

PMID- 1857303
TI  - Management of prenatally diagnosed fetal abnormality.

PMID- 1857304
TI  - Problem drinkers.

PMID- 1857305
TI  - No association between DTP vaccination and SIDS.

PMID- 1857306
TI  - Necrotising arachnidism in Australia.

PMID- 1857307
TI  - Why are Australian peptic ulcer death rates rising?

PMID- 1857308
TI  - Developmentally disabled, doubly disadvantaged.

PMID- 1857309
TI  - Recertification of specialists.

PMID- 1857310
TI  - Dupuytren's contracture.

PMID- 1857311
TI  - Cervical cancer screening: a comparison of recruitment strategies among older
      women.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies in
      encouraging older women to have a Papanicolaou (Pap) test. DESIGN: A 2 x 2
      factorial study. SETTING: Two rural areas of Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A
      total of 10,620 persons aged between 40 and 69 years and designated as female on
      electoral lists. INTERVENTIONS: A personal letter of invitation and a community
      based campaign of 4 weeks' duration alone and in combination. A control group
      received no active intervention. OUTCOME MEASURE: The proportion of eligible
      women having a Pap test report issued by the Victorian Cytology Service during
      the 12 weeks after the intervention compared with the 12 weeks before the
      intervention, with an intervening two-week washout period. RESULTS: The odds
      ratio of an eligible woman being screened during the intervention period relative
      to the pre-intervention period was 3.00 for women who were exposed to the
      campaign and sent the letter of invitation (95% confidence interval, 2.38-3.77, P
      less than 0.001), 1.86 for women who were exposed to the campaign (95% confidence
      interval, 1.49-2.33, P less than 0.001), 1.61 for women who were sent the letter
      of invitation (95% confidence interval, 1.34-1.92, P less than 0.001). The
      baseline was a control group who received no active intervention. CONCLUSIONS:
      Both personal invitation letters and community-based campaigns are effective in
      recruiting women for Pap test screening. Combined strategies are more effective
      than single strategies.

PMID- 1857312
TI  - Obligatory nasal breathing: effects on snoring and sleep apnoea.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To test the effects on snoring and sleep disordered breathing of a
      dental prosthesis (Snore-No-More) which is designed to decrease snoring by
      preventing mouth breathing during sleep. DESIGN: A crossover controlled trial.
      Each subject was studied on two nights a week apart. There was a control (no
      treatment) night and an experimental (treatment) night. The order of control and
      experimental nights was randomised. SETTING: The Royal Adelaide Hospital Sleep
      Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen male volunteers (age range, 36-59 years) were
      studied. All had a history of chronic snoring but denied other symptoms of
      obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: On experimental nights subjects
      wore the dental prosthesis for the whole study period. On control nights no
      device was worn. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Studies were conducted overnight during
      the subject's normal sleep period. The following measurements were made: (i)
      frequency and loudness of snores; (ii) frequency of disordered breathing events
      (apnoeas and hypopnoeas); (iii) mean and minimum arterial oxygen saturation while
      asleep; and (iv) sleep stages. RESULTS: The dental prosthesis did not change the
      mean frequency or mean intensity of snores. The number of sleep disordered
      breathing events per hour of sleep decreased by approximately one-third on
      experimental nights (mean +/- SEM events/h: control, 24.7 +/- 5.3; experimental,
      16.1 +/- 3.3, P less than 0.05). Neither sleep architecture nor arterial oxygen
      saturation differed between control and experimental nights. CONCLUSION: Snores
      using the dental prosthesis Snore-No-More to produce obligatory nasal breathing
      are unlikely to experience clinical benefit.

PMID- 1857313
TI  - Prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity at different levels of
      urbanisation in Vanuatu.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of non-communicable disease, specifically
      hypertension, diabetes and obesity, amongst populations at different levels of
      urbanisation in Vanuatu, and to relate the frequency of these conditions to the
      modernisation of way of life. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based
      comparative study of indicative cluster samples. SETTING: Republic of Vanuatu
      (south-west Pacific). A relatively undeveloped malarious island country.
      PARTICIPANTS: Adult (aged greater than or equal to 20 years) Melanesian ni
      Vanuatu of both sexes. An occupation-based (civil servants) urban sample (n =
      623) and area-based semi-rural (n = 349) and rural (n = 397) samples were
      employed. Response rates were 78%-92%. INTERVENTIONS: Cases detected were
      referred for assessment and treatment by local medical staff. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, blood pressure, plasma
      glucose (fasting and 2 hours after 75 g glucose), plasma cholesterol and
      triglyceride levels. RESULTS: Modernity scores confirmed that the three locations
      represented different levels of acculturation. Prevalences of non-communicable
      disease were relatively low compared to other Pacific Island communities and
      industrialised countries. These conditions were nevertheless more common in the
      urban sample and least common in the rural sample. Non-communicable disease
      correlated positively with modernity scores and negatively with physical activity
      scores. Obesity correlated with blood pressure in the urban sample, and there was
      indirect evidence (urine sodium concentration) of higher salt intake with
      modernisation. Mean plasma cholesterol levels were lowest in the rural group.
      CONCLUSIONS: Prevalences of non-communicable disease are relatively low in
      Vanuatu, although rural-urban differentials are present, and likely to increase
      with continued development. The evidence presented is consistent with non
      communicable disease being related to the modernisation of way of life;
      specifically: decreased exercise, obesity, and dietary change. Preventive
      activities should commence now.

PMID- 1857314
TI  - Urticarial contact dermatitis in food handlers.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To show that prick testing (using fresh samples of the food suspected
      from the patient's history) and not only patch testing is the appropriate
      investigation in selected cases of hand dermatitis in patients who spend
      considerable time handling foods (for example, catering workers, cooks). SETTING:
      The Contact and Occupational Dermatitis Clinic at the Skin and Cancer Foundation,
      a tertiary referral centre in Sydney. PATIENTS: Fourteen patients with hand
      dermatitis present for an average of 6.17 years referred by dermatologists and
      occupational health physicians. INTERVENTIONS: Patch and prick tests were
      performed for each patient. RESULT: In all patients prick tests identified the
      food allergens. Seafood was the most common allergen giving positive results in
      10 patients. Patch tests did not identify any of the food allergens. Of the 14
      patients nine were followed up and seven of these had been forced to change their
      career direction. CONCLUSION: Prick testing is the appropriate investigation in
      selected cases for the diagnosis of urticarial contact dermatitis in food
      handlers.

PMID- 1857316
TI  - [Compliance and non-compliance].

PMID- 1857315
TI  - Principles behind practice. 6. Disease causation. The role of epidemiological
      evidence.
AB  - How can epidemiology contribute to understanding the cause of clinical disease?
      We discuss the nature of causality and the intrinsic limitations of all empirical
      science, including epidemiology, in establishing "proof" of causality. Our
      examples relate to eye disease: How the cause of blindness from retrolental
      fibroplasia was unravelled. How the congenital rubella syndrome was discovered as
      a cause of congenital cataract. How allopurinol was cleared from suspicion as a
      cause of cataract.

PMID- 1857318
TI  - [Poisoning caused bu mussels].

PMID- 1857317
TI  - [PDGF, EGF and TGF-alpha. Promoters of cancer growth and wound healing].

PMID- 1857319
TI  - [Hyperkinetic syndrome in childhood and adolescence. Diagnosis and therapy].

PMID- 1857320
TI  - Present state of control of chemical and biological weapons.
AB  - The use of chemical and biological weapons in war is prohibited by the Geneva
      Protocol of 1925 and the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972. Currently a new
      Chemical Weapons Convention is being negotiated in the UN Conference on
      Disarmament in Geneva. When this Convention enters into force the production,
      stockpiling and retention of chemical weapons will be prohibited. The development
      of a body of international law will enable the verifiable destruction of weapons
      such as these, and should lead to a more general programme of disarmament.

PMID- 1857321
TI  - A social pathology of human conflict.
AB  - Cybernetics Academy Odobleja commemorates the name of the Romanian physician,
      psychologist and cybernetician Stefan Odobleja. Its Vice-President in France
      organized the First Seminar on Human Autonomy and Interdependence which was held
      in June 1988. This paper reviews some of the contributions to the Seminar. It
      also describes individual and social modes of human behaviour in terms of
      cybernetics and systems analysis, with a focus on group conflict. Some extracts
      from a provisional glossary of social cybernetics are appended.

PMID- 1857322
TI  - Medical peace research.

PMID- 1857323
TI  - Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of genocidal weapons.
AB  - For certain countries the availability of the technology and know-how has turned
      the nuclear weapons option, as well as the possession of chemical and
      bacteriological weapons, into a threatened reality of the present. Once a country
      embarks on a 'solution' such as this to its security problems, the countries in
      conflict with it are obliged to follow suit, thus accelerating the process of
      development and proliferation of similar weapons. Fear stimulates the creation of
      a spiral of false security that will inevitably result, if left to its 'natural'
      forces, in world-wide destruction. Nuclear war is examined here from an
      epidemiological viewpoint as a disease with two corresponding different
      possibilities: (a) the natural history of the disease, and (b) modifications
      produced by primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Medical responsibility
      has no alternative but to work for the prevention of the incurable consequences
      of nuclear war.

PMID- 1857324
TI  - Verapamil prevents cerebral acidosis during moderate hypoxia and hypotension.
AB  - Carotid ligation and moderate hypoxia in rats causes an increase in the glucose
      metabolic rate in the caudate-putamen and more widespread reductions in pH.
      Pretreatment of animals with verapamil did not affect the abnormality of glucose
      metabolism but abolished the associated acidosis. These data suggest that calcium
      channel blockade may protect the brain from injury during hypoxic hypoxia by
      preventing the development of acidosis.

PMID- 1857326
TI  - Product review: the Coreco Oculus-500 imaging system.
AB  - Recent developments in computer imaging technology have brought about significant
      improvements in the display resolution and capabilities of desk-top imaging
      systems. The Coreco, Inc. Oculus-500 is a group of high resolution imaging boards
      for use with IBM-AT and compatible computers. The tested $8000 system consists of
      a 2 Mb interface board, display/controller board, driver, toolkit, and software
      interface package. With a display resolution of 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz non
      interlaced, the OC-500 offers excellent resolution. The accompanying software is
      being further developed by a responsive company, but can in places be tedious to
      use. However, the result of understanding the software is a system with superb
      capabilities.

PMID- 1857327
TI  - "These are the times that try men's souls" ... and their bodies.

PMID- 1857325
TI  - Vimentin mRNA expression increases after corticospinal axotomy in the adult
      hamster.
AB  - We examined changes in vimentin gene expression during Wallerian degeneration
      after corticospinal axotomy in the adult hamster. Vimentin, which is the product
      of a type III intermediate filament (IF) gene, is expressed in various cells of
      mesenchymal origin, including microvascular endothelial cells, microglia and
      developing astrocytes. While increases in vimentin protein have been observed
      after various types of central nervous system (CNS) injury, it is not known
      whether this increase is due to increased vimentin mRNA expression. There is also
      conflicting evidence as to which cells are expressing increased levels of
      vimentin. In the present study we used in situ hybridization and double-label
      immunofluorescence techniques to address these issues. A 35S-labeled vimentin
      cDNA probe was used for in situ hybridizations of brain stem sections obtained 2,
      7 and 14 days after unilateral transection of the corticospinal tract in the
      caudal medulla of adult hamsters. Autoradiography showed that an increase in
      vimentin mRNA associated with the degenerating corticospinal tract occurred by 2
      days after axotomy and that the levels remained elevated for at least 14 days.
      Immunoblotting and immunocytochemical studies indicated that vimentin protein
      levels were increased in the degenerating corticospinal tract. Double-label
      immunofluorescence revealed many vimentin-positive cells and processes that were
      also labeled with GFAP antibody. In addition, cells and processes that were
      vimentin-negative but GFAP-positive were also found in the degenerating tract. We
      suggest that the reactive cells which possessed both vimentin and GFAP were
      reactive astrocytes of astroblastic origin while those that expressed only GFAP
      were derived from mature astrocytes. Other vimentin-positive cells/processes did
      not label with anti-GFAP and thus were either microglial, endothelial or
      inflammatory cells. These results demonstrate that an increase in vimentin mRNA
      occurs during Wallerian degeneration after corticospinal axotomy and that this
      increase is likely to be due to contributions from more than one cell type.

PMID- 1857328
TI  - Rise in TB cases reported for 1990.

PMID- 1857329
TI  - Democracy is not a pretty sight.

PMID- 1857330
TI  - Dog bites.
AB  - Although our canine companions can provide us with many hours of unyielding love
      and faithfulness, it is important to remember that these same loving creatures
      inflict 500,000 to one million bites per year, accounting for one percent of all
      emergency room visits nationwide. Ten percent of these injuries require suturing,
      one to two percent require hospitalization, and approximately one-third of dog
      bite injuries cause lost time from work or school. The United States Postal
      Service spends more than $250,000 annually just for prevention and treatment of
      dog bite injuries involving letter carriers! Still think that adorable pooch is
      harmless? Read on.

PMID- 1857331
TI  - Physician peer review: have we gone far enough or too far?
AB  - The authors discuss the long history of physician peer review and offer insight
      on the process, while presenting factors that have lead to increased physician
      non-peer review. The question at hand--have we gone far enough ... or too far?

PMID- 1857332
TI  - Retroperitoneal liposarcoma: a case report.

PMID- 1857333
TI  - Congenital melanocytic nevi: update 1990.
AB  - The risks posed by congenital melanocytic nevi and best methods for their
      treatment have posed controversial questions. Here the authors review the most
      recent information and latest therapies for congenital nevi.

PMID- 1857334
TI  - Cloning and expression of an A1 adenosine receptor from rat brain.
AB  - We have used the polymerase chain reaction technique to selectively amplify
      guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein)-coupled receptor cDNA
      sequences from rat striatal mRNA, using sets of highly degenerate primers derived
      from transmembrane sequences of previously cloned G protein-coupled receptors. A
      novel cDNA fragment was identified, which exhibits considerable homology to
      various members of the G protein-coupled receptor family. This fragment was used
      to isolate a full-length cDNA from a rat striatal library. A 2.2-kilobase clone
      was obtained that encodes a protein of 326 amino acids with seven transmembrane
      domains, as predicted by hydropathy analysis. Stably transfected mouse A9-L cells
      and Chinese hamster ovary cells that expressed mRNA for this clone were screened
      with putative receptor ligands. Saturable and specific binding sites for the A1
      adenosine antagonist [3H]-1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine were identified on
      membranes from transfected cells. The rank order of potency and affinities of
      various adenosine agonist and antagonist ligands confirmed the identity of this
      cDNA clone as an A1 adenosine receptor. The high affinity binding of A1 adenosine
      agonists was shown to be sensitive to the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog guanylyl-5'
      imidodiphosphate. In adenylyl cyclase assays, adenosine agonists inhibited
      forskolin-stimulated cAMP production by greater than 50%, in a pharmacologically
      specific fashion. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses of receptor
      mRNA in brain tissues revealed two transcripts of 5.6 and 3.1 kilobases, both of
      which were abundant in cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and thalamus, with lower
      levels in olfactory bulb, striatum, mesencephalon, and retina. These regional
      distribution data are in good agreement with previous receptor autoradiographic
      studies involving the A1 adenosine receptor. We conclude that we have cloned a
      cDNA encoding an A1 adenosine receptor linked to the inhibition of adenylyl
      cyclase activity.

PMID- 1857335
TI  - Enantiomer/enantiomer interaction of (S)- and (R)-propafenone for cytochrome
      P450IID6-catalyzed 5-hydroxylation: in vitro evaluation of the mechanism.
AB  - Many drugs are used as racemates, and the enantiomers may differ in terms of
      pharmacological properties and disposition. Stereoselective disposition of the
      enantiomers can arise from metabolism of the enantiomers via different routes
      catalyzed by different enzymes. In contrast, the enantiomers may be metabolized
      by the same enzyme at different rates. In the latter case, the enantiomers can
      compete for this metabolic step, giving rise to the possibility of an
      enantiomer/enantiomer interaction. We have chosen the antiarrhythmic propafenone,
      for which in vivo data indicated an interaction between (S)- and (R)-propafenone,
      as a model substance to study the mechanism underlying that interaction in human
      liver microsomes. We used the cytochrome P450IID6-mediated 5-hydroxylation of
      propafenone as a model pathway, because this metabolic step constitutes the major
      route of biotransformation of propafenone. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics for 5
      hydroxylation were determined after incubation of (R)- and (S)-propafenone and a
      pseudoracemate consisting of (S)-[2H4]propafenone and (R)-propafenone. Inhibition
      experiments were performed using (S)-[2H4]propafenone as an inhibitor of the 5
      hydroxylation of (R)-propafenone, and vice versa. The kinetic model of mixed
      alternative substrates was used to simulate inhibition experiments. Experimental
      data were compared with those predicted by this model. We observed a substantial
      stereoselectivity after incubation of the individual enantiomers [(S)
      propafenone: Vmax, 10.2 pmol/micrograms/hr, and Km, 5.3 microM; (R)-propafenone:
      Vmax, 5.5 pmol/micrograms/hr, and Km, 3.0 microM]. In contrast, no substrate
      stereoselectivity was observed after incubation of the pseudoracemate [3.1
      pmol/micrograms/hr for (S)-[2H4]propafenone and 3.3 pmol/micrograms/hr for (R)
      propafenone]. Application of the model revealed Ki values of 2.9 and 5.2 microM
      for the inhibition of 5-hydroxylation of (S)-[2H4]-propafenone by (R)-propafenone
      and for inhibition of 5-hydroxylation of (R)-propafenone by (S)-[2H4]
      propafenone, respectively. The predicted and the experimental data were in good
      agreement, and both indicated the mode of inhibition to be competitive. In
      conclusion, the enantiomers of propafenone interact with respect to 5
      hydroxylation, with (R)-propafenone being a more potent inhibitor than the S
      enantiomer with respect to cytochrome P450IID6-mediated 5-hydroxylation. Because
      beta-blocking properties of propafenone reside in the S-enantiomer, inhibition of
      metabolism of this enantiomer by (R)-propafenone may have therapeutic
      consequences.

PMID- 1857336
TI  - Novel receptor site involved in enhancement of stimulus-induced acetylcholine,
      dopamine, and serotonin release.
AB  - The cognitive enhancer DuP 996 [3,3-bis(4-pyrindinylmethyl)-1-phenylindolin-2
      one] and its structural analogs enhance the K(+)-stimulated release of
      acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin in brain slices, without effect on basal
      release. A novel receptor site labeled by [3H]DuP 996 has been identified. The
      [3H]DuP 996 binding site has a Kd of 19 nM and a Bmax of 102 fmol/mg of protein.
      Binding to this site is specific, saturable, reversible, and time, pH, and
      temperature dependent. Specific binding is decreased by treatment with trypsin
      and not affected by phospholipase C. Specific binding is inhibited by Ca2+ and
      increased by Mn2+ but not affected by Na+, K+, or Mg2+. The [3H]DuP 996 binding
      sites are heterogeneously distributed in brain, with striatum and hypothalamus
      having highest density and cerebellum lowest. The [3H]DuP 996 binding site does
      not belong to any known class of receptor site, because [3H]DuP 996 binding could
      not be displaced by a broad variety of standard pharmacological agents and
      neuropeptides. Physiological significance of this binding site is suggested by
      the excellent correlation between the binding affinity for this site and the
      potency to enhance K(+)-stimulated release of acetylcholine for a series of DuP
      996 analogs. Ligands for this receptor site may have therapeutic potential for
      the treatment of cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID- 1857337
TI  - 5-Lipoxygenase-activating protein is the target of a quinoline class of
      leukotriene synthesis inhibitors.
AB  - An indole class of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by MK-886, which
      does not directly inhibit 5-lipoxygenase, has been shown to bind to an 18-kDa
      leukocyte membrane protein and to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase membrane translocation.
      It was demonstrated that the 18-kDa protein is necessary for the cellular
      activation of leukotriene synthesis and was named 5-lipoxygenase-activating
      protein (FLAP). We describe here a class of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors
      based on a quinoline structure, which is structurally distinct from MK-886.
      However, similar to MK-886, several quinolines are potent inhibitors of cellular
      leukotriene synthesis but are poor inhibitors of soluble 5-lipoxygenase. To
      determine whether FLAP is the protein target of leukotriene synthesis inhibitors
      of the quinoline class, we investigated the ability of these compounds to inhibit
      photoaffinity labeling of FLAP and to elute FLAP from indole affinity gels. The
      abilities of the quinoline inhibitors to interact with FLAP correlated well with
      their abilities to inhibit leukotriene synthesis in human polymorphonuclear
      leukocytes. L-674,573, a potent quinoline leukotriene synthesis inhibitor,
      inhibited indole photoaffinity labeling of FLAP in a concentration-dependent
      manner. In addition, L-674,573 selectively eluted FLAP from indole affinity gels,
      in contrast to L-671,480, a quinoline that was inactive as an inhibitor of
      leukotriene synthesis. When human leukocyte membranes were labeled with the
      indole photoaffinity probe [125I]L-669,083 and immunoprecipitated with a FLAP
      antibody, the labeling of FLAP was inhibited by L-674,573 but not by L-671,480.
      These results suggest a direct binding site for the quinoline leukotriene
      synthesis inhibitors on FLAP and provide further evidence for the essential role
      of FLAP in cellular leukotriene synthesis.

PMID- 1857338
TI  - Distribution of m2 muscarinic receptors in rat brain using antisera selective for
      m2 receptors.
AB  - The DNA fragment encoding the third intracellular loop of rat m2 muscarinic
      receptor was fused to the gene for staphylococcal Protein A. The resultant fusion
      protein, expressed in bacteria, was purified via IgG affinity chromatography and
      used as an antigen to raise a polyclonal antiserum. Chinese hamster ovary cells
      transfected with cDNA coding for a single muscarinic receptor subtype were used
      as tissue sources to screen antisera. The antiserum was shown to
      immunoprecipitate quantitatively (greater than 90%) m2 receptors but not to
      precipitate m1, m3, m4, or m5 receptors. Additionally, immunoprecipitation by m2
      antiserum could be inhibited by protein containing the third intracellular loop
      of the m2 receptor. This selective m2 antiserum was then used to study the
      distribution and density of m2 receptors in rat brain and heart. In agreement
      with previous studies, m2 receptors were found to be abundant in heart and
      comprise at least 92% of the total muscarinic receptor density. Hindbrain, brain
      stem, and midbrain regions such as cerebellum (75%), pons/medulla (70%), and
      thalamus/hypothalamus (43%) are also enriched in m2 receptors. In contrast,
      forebrain regions contain markedly lower percentages of m2 receptors, with cortex
      expressing 20%, hippocampus 19%, striatum 12%, and olfactory tubercle 20% of the
      total receptor density. Although the density of m2 receptors expressed as a
      percentage of total varied considerably from brain region to brain region, the
      absolute density of these receptors appeared relatively uniform throughout the
      brain. This study demonstrates that a gene fusion system can be used for
      efficient antibody production. The use of similar fusion protein antisera
      directed against other subtypes of muscarinic receptors should prove useful in
      future studies on regulation, function, and structure of muscarinic receptors.

PMID- 1857339
TI  - Purification, immunochemical characterization, and immunohistochemical
      localization of rat hepatic aryl sulfotransferase IV.
AB  - Aryl sulfotransferases catalyze the formation of sulfuric acid esters from a
      diverse group of endogenous and xenobiotic organic chemicals. The isoenzyme of
      aryl sulfotransferase in livers of male Sprague-Dawley rats that exhibits the
      most varied substrate specificity is aryl sulfotransferase IV. A new method for
      the purification to homogeneity of aryl sulfotransferase IV was developed that,
      when compared with previously described procedures, provided a greater than 10
      fold increase in total yield of enzyme/g of tissue. Homogeneous aryl
      sulfotransferase IV was used to prepare polyclonal antibodies in male New Zealand
      White rabbits. Results of immunochemical analyses demonstrated that these
      antibodies reacted with only a single protein in rat hepatic 100,000 x g
      supernatant fractions and, further, that the immunoreactive protein had the
      isoelectric point and subunit molecular mass characteristic of aryl
      sulfotransferase IV. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that aryl
      sulfotransferase IV is present in hepatocytes throughout the liver, although
      centrilobular cells contain a significantly greater (p less than 0.01) amount of
      aryl sulfotransferase IV than do either midzonal or periportal cells, in which
      similar levels of the enzyme are found.

PMID- 1857340
TI  - Pyridine effects on expression and molecular regulation of the cytochrome P450IA
      gene subfamily.
AB  - The expression and molecular regulation of the cytochrome P450IA (P450IA) gene
      subfamily have been examined in rat hepatic tissue after treatment with pyridine.
      The microsomal ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity, which has been shown to be
      specific for the P450IA subfamily, was increased approximately 2- and 3.5-fold
      over control values at 10 and 16 hr, respectively, after a single dose of
      pyridine (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). P450IA1 protein expression was also
      elevated in a time-dependent manner, with a maximal increase in P450IA1 protein
      being seen at approximately 16 hr after a single dose of pyridine (100 mg/kg,
      intraperitoneally), as detected by immunoblot analysis using a monoclonal
      antibody that detects both P450IA1 and P450IA2. The immunochemically detectable
      level of P450IA1 decreased to that of control at 48 hr after treatment.
      Oligonucleotide probes specific for P450IA1 and P450IA2 mRNA were used in
      hybridization analyses to examine mRNA levels of P450IA1 and P450IA2,
      respectively. The level of P450IA1 mRNA in poly(A)+ mRNA was increased
      approximately 3- and 2-fold at 5 and 12 hr, respectively, after a single
      injection of pyridine, as evidenced by both slot blot and Northern blot analyses.
      A lesser increase (approximately 1.5-2-fold) in P450IA2 mRNA was also seen at 5
      and 12 hr after treatment. The P450IA1 and P450IA2 mRNA levels returned to
      control values at 48 hr after pyridine administration. These results were
      compared with those produced by 3-methylcholanthrene at 5 hr after treatment. A
      multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay was also used to monitor simultaneously
      the changes in P450IA1, P450IA2, and P450IIE1 mRNA levels, and the results showed
      induction of P450IA1, in agreement with the results of slot and Northern blot
      analyses. In summary, metabolic activity assays, immunochemical detection, and
      Northern and slot blot analyses provide evidence to support the conclusion that
      pyridine modulates the expression of the P450IA gene subfamily and does so by
      elevating P450IA1 and P450IA2 mRNAs, through either transcriptional activation or
      increased mRNA stabilization. These results are in sharp contrast to P450IIE1
      induction by pyridine, which appears to proceed through increased translational
      efficiency. Thus, pyridine, which is present in tobacco and tobacco smoke, is
      capable of simultaneously elevating multiple forms of P450 that are active in
      carcinogen metabolism.

PMID- 1857341
TI  - Neuronal cytochrome P450IID1 (debrisoquine/sparteine-type): potent inhibition of
      activity by (-)-cocaine and nucleotide sequence identity to human hepatic P450
      gene CYP2D6.
AB  - Catalytic, pharmacological, and molecular criteria have been used to identify
      cytochrome P450IID1 in mammalian brain (enzyme, P450IID; gene, CYP2D). Sparteine
      metabolism in canine striatal membranes was shown to be inhibited in a
      concentration-dependent and stereoselective manner by quinidine (Ki,
      approximately 51 nM), quinine (Ki, approximately 5.9 microM), and various other
      known substrates and inhibitors of hepatic P450IID1 activity. In addition, canine
      striatal P450IID1 was inhibited with high affinity by dopamine uptake blockers,
      such as (-)-cocaine (Ki, approximately 74 nM), d-amphetamine (Ki, approximately
      4.5 microM), and methylphenidate (Ki, approximately 15 microM). Inhibitory
      constants (Ki) of numerous compounds for inhibition of sparteine metabolism in
      canine striatal membranes correlated well with (a) Ki values observed in human
      liver microsomes (r = 0.95), (b) [3H]GBR-12935 binding to P450IID1 in canine
      striatal membranes (r = 0.85), and (c) the inhibition (IC50) of sparteine
      metabolism in HepG2 cells expressing human CYP2D6 cDNA (r = 0.93). Moreover,
      antibodies raised against rat hepatic enzyme inhibited, in a concentration
      dependent manner, sparteine metabolism in canine striatal membranes. Enzymatic
      activity was unevenly distributed throughout the canine brain and ranged from 0.5
      to 21 pmol/mg of protein/hr in cerebellum and supraorbital cortex, respectively,
      with the striatum displaying moderate levels of activity (8 pmol/mg of
      protein/hr). The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify cDNA from a human
      caudate lambda gt11 library encoding exons 6-9 of the human CYP2D6 gene, which
      revealed, upon sequencing, 100% nucleic acid sequence identity. These data
      indicate that P450IID1 is expressed centrally and is similar, at the functional
      and molecular levels, to the human hepatic P450IID1 enzyme. Because the
      debrisoquine/sparteine mono-oxygenase is a polymorphic enzyme, in which 5-10% of
      caucasians are deficient in metabolism of various drugs, a genetic difference in
      human brain metabolism of P450IID1 substrates may possibly lead to differences in
      drug response and toxicity.

PMID- 1857342
TI  - Separation of human liver microsomal tolbutamide hydroxylase and (S)-mephenytoin
      4'-hydroxylase cytochrome P-450 enzymes.
AB  - Purification and immunoinhibition studies have suggested that the hydroxylations
      of (S)-mephenytoin and tolbutamide are catalyzed by rather similar forms of human
      liver cytochrome P-450 (P-450). However, the two activities are not well
      correlated in vivo; sulfaphenzaole is a selective inhibitor of tolbutamide
      hydroxylation, and expression of P-450 2C10 cDNA in yeast yields a protein that
      hydroxylates tolbutamide but not (S)-mephenytoin. The P-450 2C8, 2C9, and 2C10
      cDNAs have all been isolated, and their sequences are known to be closely related
      (greater than 80%). Highly sensitive radiochromatographic assays were set up, and
      tolbutamide and (S)-mephenytoin hydroxylation activities were monitored during
      chromatography of human liver microsomal fractions. The two activities could be
      separated by chromatography, and proteins were purified to near-homogeneity that
      catalyzed either tolbutamide hydroxylation (P-450TB) or (S)-mephenytoin 4'
      hydroxylation (P-450MP) but not both. Approximately 16 and 45% of the primary
      sequences of P-450TB and P-450MP, respectively, were determined by analysis of
      the tryptic peptides. The sequences of the P-450TB peptides matched those
      predicted by the P-450 2C9 and 2C10 cDNAs exactly; the P-450MP peptides showed
      two mismatches (of 219 residues) with the P-450 2C10 sequence. Proteins with the
      P-450 2C10 and P-450 2C9 sequences were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      grown under different nutritional conditions, and both were found to be
      proficient in the hydroxylation of tolbutamide but not (S)-mephenytoin. We
      conclude, on the basis of this and previous work, that 1) P-450s 2C8, 2C9, and
      2C10 all catalyze the hydroxylation of tolbutamide and 2) the protein involved in
      polymorphic (S)-mephenytoin 4'-hydroxylation is closely related to but distinct
      from P-450 2C8, 2C9, and 2C10.

PMID- 1857343
TI  - Sex-related differences in the expression of chick enterocyte
      butyrylcholinesterase during embryonic and post-hatching development.
AB  - The butyrylcholinesterase activity of chick enterocytes was studied from day 15
      in ovo up to day 90 after hatching. The activities detected in both sexes at the
      level of jejuno-ileum change in a parallel manner, but the activity is always
      higher in the female than in the male during embryonic development. After
      hatching, the differences are less apparent although the study of the enzyme
      distribution along the intestine showed sex-related variations, mainly at the
      level of the anterior and middle parts of jejuno-ileum in the young adult.
      Analysis of butyrylcholinesterase by sucrose gradient centrifugation allowed to
      identify two globular soluble species (G1 and G4 forms). The G4/(G1 + G4) ratio
      decreases during the development but this variation in the female does not
      parallel that observed in the male. Besides, the molecular form distribution
      along the intestine, studied after hatching, differs according to the sex. Taken
      together our results lead to hypothesize that the ontogeny and the regulation of
      the chick enterocyte butyrylcholinesterase depend on hormones.

PMID- 1857344
TI  - Characterization of overt carnitine palmitoyltransferase in rat platelets;
      involvement of insulin on its regulation.
AB  - Saponin-permeabilization (30 micrograms/ml) of the platelet plasma membrane,
      which enables access of added compounds to mitochondrial overt carnitine
      palmitoyltransferase (CPT I), was applied to allow the rapid determination of CPT
      I activity in situ. The effects of diabetes and short-term incubation with
      insulin in vitro on the kinetic parameters and malonyl-CoA sensitivity of CPT I
      were also studied in rat platelets. CPT I exhibited ordinary Michaelis-Menten
      kinetics when platelets were incubated with palmitoyl-CoA. Malonyl-CoA showed an
      I50 (concentration giving 50% inhibition of CPT activity) of 0.92 +/- 0.11 microM
      in permeabilized platelets. Platelets obtained from diabetic rats (induced by
      streptozotocin injection) exhibited an increased Vmax and I50 for malonyl-CoA,
      and an unaltered Km for palmitoyl-CoA. In contrast, preincubation of platelets
      prepared from both fed control rats and diabetic rats with insulin (100 and 150
      microU/ml) led to a decrease in enzyme activity when assayed with 75 microM
      palmitoyl-CoA and 0.5 mM L-carnitine as substrates. These in vivo and in vitro
      results suggested that insulin directly modulated rat platelet CPT I activity, as
      it does in the liver.

PMID- 1857345
TI  - Oxygen-derived free radicals producing activity and survival of activated
      polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
AB  - Activation of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes is known to generate oxygen free
      radicals (OFR). However the fate of activated PMN leukocytes is not known. We
      investigated the OFR producing (chemiluminescence) activity and the survival of
      the activated PMN leukocytes. The study was divided into two groups. Group I, In
      vivo study (n = 7): zymosan (8.4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously in the
      anesthetized dogs and the blood samples were collected before and after 5, 15,
      30, 60 and 120 min of zymosan administration. This group represents the in vivo
      pre-stimulated PMN leukocytes; Group II, In vitro study (n = 7): the blood were
      collected from dogs and further divided into two groups. Group A (n = 7): non
      stimulated, without any added zymosan and group B (n = 7): zymosan was added to
      stimulate PMN leukocytes. Blood samples from group A and B were also collected at
      various time intervals similar to in vivo studies. Oxygen free radical producing
      activity of PMN leukocytes was monitored by measuring luminol-dependent
      chemiluminescence (CL). Opsonized zymosan was used to activate PMN leukocytes.
      The studies in which the PMN leukocytes were stimulated in in vivo, both oxygen
      derived free radicals and superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitable oxygen free
      radical CL decreased significantly for 60 min and tended to reach thereafter to
      the pre-stimulated values. The resting chemiluminescence (chemiluminescence
      without zymosan stimulation in the assay medium) increased significantly for 15
      min reaching to pre-stimulated values at 30 min and thereafter. In in vitro
      studies, oxygen derived free radicals CL of pre-stimulated PMN leukocytes (Group
      B) was depressed for the whole duration of investigation while SOD inhibitable CL
      was depressed for only 60 min. There was approximately a two-fold increase in the
      resting CL within 5 min of PMN leukocyte activation and it remained high for the
      whole duration of study. The chemiluminescence of non-stimulated PMN leukocytes
      in vitro (group A) remained practically normal throughout the period of
      observation. In in vivo studies, total white blood cells (WBC) and PMN leukocyte
      counts decreased initially and tended to approach towards pre-stimulated values
      at the end of the protocol. There were no changes in these counts in in vitro
      studies. These results indicate that the capacity to generate OFR is decreased in
      the in vivo and in vitro pre-stimulated PMN leukocytes. However this activity
      recovers with time. This study also suggests that the activated PMN leukocytes
      are not destroyed.

PMID- 1857348
TI  - Thyroid hormone effects on the State IV proton motive force in rat liver
      mitochondria.
AB  - In order to further investigate the mechanisms regulating the control of
      mitochondrial respiration by thyroid hormone, the proton motive force was
      measured during State IV respiration in liver mitochondria isolated from
      euthyroid, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid and T3-treated hypothyroid rats. The proton
      motive force was significantly higher in the hyperthyroid group due to an
      increased delta pH. The proton motive force of hypothyroid mitochondria was lower
      than controls due to a decreased membrane potential. The proton motive force for
      the T3-treated hypothyroid group did not differ from the euthyroid group due to
      negating changes in the pH gradient and the membrane potential. The
      intramitochondrial volume was decreased in the hyperthyroid group and unchanged
      in the other groups. The results indicate that the thyroid status alters the
      proton motive force in State IV through individual changes in the pH and membrane
      potential components of the force. The component that changes in hyperthyroid
      mitochondria is different from that changing in hypothyroid mitochondria.

PMID- 1857346
TI  - Free radicals involvement in neurological porphyrias and lead poisoning.
AB  - Porphyrias are inherited and acquired diseases of erythroid or hepatic origin, in
      which there are defects in specific enzymes of the heme biosynthetic pathway. In
      patients with intermittent acute porphyria and lead poisoning the erythrocytic
      activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase are reported to be
      increased. Our studies demonstrated that d-aminolevulinic acid, a heme precursor
      accumulated in both diseases, undergoes enolization at pH less than 7.0 before it
      autoxidizes. The autoxidation of d-aminolevulinic acid, in the presence or
      absence of oxyhemoglobin has been proposed as a source of oxy and carbon-centred
      radicals in the cells of intermittent acute porphyria and saturnism carriers.
      Thus, the increased levels of antioxidant enzymes can be viewed as an
      intracellular response against the deleterious effects of these extremely
      reactive species.

PMID- 1857347
TI  - Role of sulfhydryl groups in phospholipid methylation reactions of cardiac
      sarcolemma.
AB  - The effect of reagents that modify sulfur-containing amino acid residues in the
      phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase was studied in the isolated rat
      cardiac sarcolemma by employing S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine as a methyl
      donor. Dithiothreitol protected the sulfhydryl groups in the membrane and caused
      a concentration- and time-dependent increase of phospholipid N-methylation at
      three different catalytic sites. This stimulation was highest (9-fold) in the
      presence of 1 mM MgCl2 and 0.1 microM S-adenosyl-L-[methyl-3H]methionine at pH
      8.0 (catalytic site I), and was associated with an enhancement of Vmax without
      changes in Km for the methyl donor. Thiol glutathione was less stimulatory than
      dithiothreitol; glutathione disulfide inhibited the phosphatidylethanolamine N
      methylation by 50%. The alkylating reagents, N-ethylmaleimide and
      methylmethanethiosulfonate, inhibited the N-methylation with IC50 of 6.9 and 14.1
      microM, respectively; this inhibition was prevented by 1 mM dithiothreitol. These
      results indicate a critical role of sulfhydryl groups for the activity of the
      cardiac sarcolemmal phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase and suggest that
      this enzyme system in cardiac sarcolemma may be controlled by the
      glutathione/glutathione disulfide redox state in the cell.

PMID- 1857350
TI  - Theoretical analysis of the accuracy of calibrated immunoassays for measuring
      antibody concentration.
AB  - The accuracy of calibrated immunoassays for measuring antibody concentration was
      analysed from a theoretical perspective. The study shows that there are
      theoretical limits on the accuracy of antibody immunoassays, which are determined
      by the affinity of the standard and unknown antibodies and the conditions chosen
      for the assay. As a result of these limits, calibration of an immunoassay with a
      standard antibody does not automatically ensure accurate measurements of antibody
      concentration. Extremely large errors may develop in affinity-dependent assays
      when the affinities of the standard and unknown antibodies are different. Assay
      conditions and the affinity of the standardizing antibody must be chosen
      carefully to measure antibody concentration accurately.

PMID- 1857349
TI  - Analysis of the H-2Kbm8 mutant: correlation of structure with function.
AB  - The gene for H-2K class I major histocompatibility antigen on the bm8 variant was
      cloned and the DNA sequence compared with the parental gene. Sequence analysis
      demonstrated that seven nucleotides were changed with respect to the parental
      gene sequence spanning 24 nucleotides. These changes represent an alteration of
      four amino acids from the parent protein. As this mutation occurred in a single
      generation, a potential donor gene for such a complex mutation was suggested and
      identified. The Q4 gene class I-like molecule has a stretch of 95 nucleotides of
      identity in the region of the bm8 mutation. Genomic Southern analysis of the
      mutant and parental DNA with a gene-specific oligonucleotide demonstrated that
      the potential donor gene Q4 is a likely candidate sequence for such an event. The
      amino acid alterations for the H-2Kbm8 mutation are discussed in consideration of
      hte three-dimensional structure of the characterized human class I glycoprotein.

PMID- 1857351
TI  - Identification and characterization of important allergens from mugwort pollen by
      IEF, SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting.
AB  - Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) pollen allergens, separated by SDS-PAGE or IEF,
      were identified after transfer to NCM by incubation with a panel of sera from 16
      patients with clinical mugwort pollen allergy, followed by [125I]anti-IgE and
      autoradiography. Of the at least 23 components separated by SDS-PAGE in a 15%
      polyacrylamide gel, at least 15 components with mol. wts 12,000-100,000 bound IgE
      from the panel of patient sera. A component of mol. wt 22,000 bound IgE from at
      least 94% of the patient sera tested and for all but three sera this component
      also bound the greatest quantity of IgE. Five other components with mol. wts
      12,000, 17,000, 29,000, 39,000 and 42,000 bound IgE from 75-94% of the patient
      sera. After separation by IEF, at least 28 protein bands were detected in the pI
      region 3.5-7.2 and at least seven bands were found in the region 8.6-9.3. At
      least 11 bands in the pI range 4.2-7.3 and at least five bands in the pI region
      8.5-9.2 bound IgE from the panel of patient sera. The most intense radiostaining
      was observed with a component having a pI of 4.35, which bound IgE from 31% of
      the patient sera. Immunoblotting of the SDS-PAGE and IEF gels using specific
      rabbit antisera and human sera against three important mugwort pollen allergens,
      denoted Ag 9, Ag 12 and Ag 13, was performed to determine the mol. wt and pI of
      these allergens which had earlier only been identified in CIE/CRIE. The results
      revealed that Ag 13 had a mol. wt of 61,000 and a pI of 4.35, Ag 12 had a mol. wt
      of 22,000 and AG 9 had pIs in the region 4.55-5.55 (six isoforms). Ag 9 did not
      bind IgE after SDS-PAGE and was thus not identified in the SDS-PAGE pattern, and
      Ag 12 failed to be detected in the NCM after transfer from IEF gels. By crossed
      immunoelectrofocusing, Ag 12 was found to consist of several isoforms
      predominantly located in the pI region 3.5-5.1. The immunoblotting analysis also
      revealed that the glycoprotein allergen Art v II was not detected after transfer
      from either SDS-PAGE or IEF gels. In conclusion, immunoblotting analysis of SDS
      PAGE and IEF gels are useful methods for characterization of mugwort pollen
      extract, but it should be noted that some important allergens which are easily
      identified in CIE/CRIE may fail to be detected by these methods.

PMID- 1857352
TI  - Immunogenicity of free histones and of histones complexed with RNA.
AB  - Histone antibodies have been obtained by immunizing rabbits with histones H1,
      H2A, H2B, H3, H4 and triacetylated H4, uncomplexed to RNA. The reactivity of
      these antibodies was investigated by ELISA using as antigen isolated histones and
      chromatin as well as thirty-five different synthetic peptides covering the entire
      sequence of the four core histones, two peptides of H1 and two acetylated
      peptides of H4. The binding of these antibodies to histones was also measured in
      immunoblotting and in microcomplement fixation (MCF) tests. In parallel
      experiments using the same assays the various antigens were tested with antisera
      raised against histones complexed with RNA. Antibodies induced in the absence of
      RNA did not react with histones in MCF tests nor with chromatin in ELISA but
      reacted with the histones in ELISA, although the antibody titers were somewhat
      lower than in the case of antisera to histone-RNA complexes. Antibodies to RNA
      histone complexes reacted with histones in both ELISA and MCF tests. When they
      were tested with peptide-coated microtiter plates in a direct binding ELISA
      format, antibodies induced with uncomplexed histones recognized very few
      fragments which were mainly located in the N- and C-terminal ends of the
      histones.

PMID- 1857353
TI  - Arthritis of the lumbar spine.
AB  - Many types of arthritis can disturb the normal lumbar anatomy. This review
      intentionally omits many endocrine, metabolic, and genetic disorders that
      ultimately lead to breakdown of cartilage. Osteoarthritis remains the most common
      cause of sustained back pain as well as one of the most compensable disabilities
      in the United States. As so many other authors have noted, more scientific
      investigation is needed, and funding is imperative to effect significant changes.

PMID- 1857354
TI  - Lumbar stenosis.
AB  - Lumbar stenosis continues to be inadequately appreciated as a major cause of
      sciatica, neurogenic claudication, and cauda equina syndrome. Review of the
      nineteenth-century medical literature reveals articles on narrow canal syndrome
      in achondroplastic dwarfs; connection to the clinical presentation of
      developmental spinal stenosis awaited the middle decades of the twentieth
      century. Appropriate neurosurgical intervention has evolved with a better
      understanding of the pathophysiologic changes that take place with this disorder
      and the introduction of myelography, computerized tomography, and magnetic
      resonance imaging.

PMID- 1857355
TI  - Synovial cysts of the lumbar facet joint.
AB  - A study of 42 synovial cysts arising from the lumbar facet joint is presented.
      Intraspinal cysts caused radicular pain and cauda equina syndrome in 11 patients.
      In a series of 1,400 lumbar laminotomies for a herniated disk, 31 incidental
      nodules arising from the exposed facet as paraarticular masses were found and
      excised. The limited number of reports in the orthopedic and neurosurgical
      literature has not dealt adequately with the etiology or incidence of these
      benign lesions. The neuroradiologic appearance and histopathologic findings are
      briefly discussed.

PMID- 1857356
TI  - Preoperative and postoperative neuroradiologic evaluation of lumbar disk
      herniation.
AB  - Three hundred and forty patients with signs and symptoms of lumbar disk disease
      were evaluated preoperatively by conventional X-rays, computed tomography, and
      2.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). High-resolution T2 weighted MRI
      provided a truly noninvasive myelogram. The operative findings were predicted by
      and correlated with the neuroradiologic studies. High-resolution MRI with
      intravenous gadolinium-DTPA (Magnevist, Berlex) has been particularly useful in
      evaluating patients with a history of prior disk surgery and patients who were
      not relieved of pain by lumbar diskectomy.

PMID- 1857357
TI  - Role of laminectomy in lumbar disk herniation.
AB  - A personal view of the role of laminectomy in lumbar disk herniation is
      presented. The phenomena of the true herniated nucleus pulposus and the
      asymptomatic bulging degenerative disk are discussed in relation to clinical
      presentation, neuroradiologic studies, and surgical findings. Microscopic
      technique and so-called less invasive procedures are also evaluated.

PMID- 1857358
TI  - Microdiskectomy--myth, mania, or milestone? An 18-year surgical adventure.
AB  - The term "microdiskectomy" in the medical literature defines absolutely no
      surgical parameters or specific techniques for the treatment of the herniated
      nucleus pulposus. I attempt to clarify frequently used slang and to design a
      logical mental and microsurgical approach to the problem of lumbar disk
      herniations. The rigid surgical technique of microlumbar diskectomy is closely
      examined.

PMID- 1857359
TI  - Lumbar diskectomy under the operating microscope.

PMID- 1857360
TI  - Automated percutaneous lumbar diskectomy.
AB  - Automated percutaneous lumbar diskectomy was introduced in 1985. Development of
      this technique was instigated by the general trend in medicine toward less
      invasive procedures. Technique, indications, patient selection, and a review of
      the current literature are presented. Cumulative data indicate that the procedure
      has the least potential to do harm compared to open operations for treating
      lumbar disk herniations.

PMID- 1857361
TI  - Arthroscopic microdiskectomy.
AB  - Arthroscopic microdiskectomy through a posterolateral approach has opened a new
      window of opportunity in the treatment of lumbar disk disorders. Radiographic
      identification of the triangular working zone has permitted the safe introduction
      of instruments with an external diameter of 7-8 mm into the intervertebral disk.
      The technique allows not only evacuation and decompression of contained herniated
      disks, but also the introduction of instruments for decortication of the
      vertebral plates and bone grafting for percutaneous interbody fusion. Endoscopic
      laser nucleolysis, currently under investigation, may also enhance existing
      technological achievement in the field of minimal-intervention spinal surgery.
      Arthroscopic microdiskectomy has proven to be safe, effective, and cost
      efficient. In properly selected patients, satisfactory results of approximately
      85% have been realized.

PMID- 1857362
TI  - Minilaminotomy as an alternative to laminectomy or microdiskectomy: ten years'
      experience.
AB  - Minilaminotomy as an alternative to microdiskectomy or standard laminectomy has
      been performed at two community hospitals on 1000 patients over a period of 10
      years. The operative technique, employing simple prone positioning, a 4-cm
      incision, standard instruments, X-ray guidance, a fiberoptic head light, and 4.5
      x binocular loupes, has not changed since 1986, when the initial series of 200
      cases was published. The overall results in 800 additional patients continued to
      compare favorably to all reported series of microdiskectomy: minimal blood loss,
      less narcotic requirement, fewer days in the hospital, earlier return to normal
      activity, no wound infection, and low rate of second surgery.

PMID- 1857363
TI  - Spinal instrumentation for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine.
AB  - Instrumentation for spinal implant is currently changing more rapidly than at any
      previous period in its 100-year history. At present, the most common indication
      for spinal instrumentation is degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, which can
      be roughly categorized as of three kinds: herniated lumbar disks,
      spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis. The literature on indications for
      arthrodesis is reviewed. A brief summary of the approach and type of
      instrumentation available for the lumbar spine is presented.

PMID- 1857364
TI  - The risk of wound infection in lumbar disk surgery.
AB  - A number of questions were left unanswered by the empirical success of a 15-year
      regimen of prophylactic antibiotics in preventing postoperative sepsis at three
      community hospitals. Although intraoperative cephalosporins have eliminated the
      morbidity of primary wound infection, the susceptibility to these agents of
      nosocomial flora has fallen considerably. The principles of antimicrobial
      prophylaxis have been established, but the debate over the importance of
      meticulous aseptic technique versus prophylactic antibiotics goes on. We
      investigated the microbiologic factors in lumbar disk surgery at Nyack Hospital
      over one year to study (a) potential sources of random contamination, (b) the
      flora of the operating room, and (c) the efficacy of various aspects of
      antiseptic routine.

PMID- 1857365
TI  - Causes of failure of surgery on the lumbar spine: ten-year follow-up.
AB  - A decade has passed since the primary factors in failures of surgery on the
      lumbar spine were identified, and the entity is still an expensive, disabling
      reality for too many patients. The incidence of failure has significantly
      decreased due to better practices as well as advances in the technology of
      surgical diagnostic studies and better means of conservative care. The author
      would like to join his colleagues in acknowledging the many contributions of Dr.
      Leonard Malis throughout his career toward improving the quality of patient care
      and helping avoid failure of back surgery in all patients.

PMID- 1857366
TI  - Lumbar disk disease: controversies in neurosurgery.

PMID- 1857367
TI  - Lumbar disk disease: controversies in neurosurgery.

PMID- 1857368
TI  - [A new system of selecting yeast mutants with disrupted genetic recombination
      processes].
AB  - A new convenient system for isolation of the yeast mutants deficient in the
      genetical recombination is proposed. The chimeric plasmids constructed to carry
      the noncomplimenting mutant copy of the yeast ADE2 gene and different selectable
      yeast markers (LEU2 or TRP1 genes) are the basis for the system. Interplasmid
      intragenic recombination of ADE2 gene alleles in yeast cells transformed by two
      chimeric plasmids results in appearance of the secondary white prototrophic
      clones covering the primary red colony. The number of the clones reflects the
      recombination processes and is subject to an easy visual control. The proposed
      technique allows one to reveal both hypo and hyperrecombination mutants.
      Crossover or the gene conversion events can be distinguished by the simple
      genetical analysis of the secondary clones. The collection of mutants deficient
      in the genetical recombination has been obtained by the proposed technique.

PMID- 1857369
TI  - [The effect of Yersinia pestis EV76 6 MD plasmid on the composition of outer
      membrane proteins of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis YPIII].
AB  - On the basis of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain YPIII the isogenic variants
      containing the different combinations of 47 Md plasmids from Yersinia pestis or
      Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells with the 6 Md pYP plasmid from Yersinia pestis
      EV (intact or having impaired the pla gene determining the synthesis of
      plasmocoagulase). The degradation of the secreted proteins encoded by the 47 Md
      plasmids of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in the cells
      harbouring the 6Md pYP plasmid has been registered. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
      strain YPIII carrying its own 47Md and pYP plasmids also contained no YOP1
      protein, in contract to the parent strain. The damage of the pla gene eliminated
      the destructive effect on the outer membrane proteins. Imposition of the 47Md and
      6Md plasmids from Yersinia pestis in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells may be
      used for obtaining and study of the physiological role of low molecular mass
      proteins resulting from proteolysis of proteins encoded by the 47Md virulence
      plasmid of Yersinia.

PMID- 1857370
TI  - [Detection of virulence markers in clinical strains of Yersinia].
AB  - The dispersion of plasmid pYV associated virulence markers in 474 Yersinia
      strains isolated from people has been studied. The ability to autoagglutination,
      calcium dependence of growth and the specific antigens were identified in 157
      strains of traditionally pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica serovars 03, 09,
      Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serovar I. They were not found in 223 strains of
      other 12 serovars of Yersinia enterocolitica, in 40 strains of Yersinia
      frederiksenii, Yersinia kristensenii, Yersinia intermedia. The proportion of
      virulent clones in the population of Yersinia is noted to depend on the
      conditions of its existence in vivo or in vitro. Identification of virulence
      markers is acknowledged to be expedient in epidemiological and ethiological
      estimation of the role of isolated Yersinia strains.

PMID- 1857371
TI  - [Marburg virus: the first determined nucleotide sequence of two genes].
AB  - The preparations of purified Marburg virus were isolated from blood plasma of
      infected guinea pigs and characterized. Viral RNA was extracted from the virions.
      The cDNA was synthesized on the isolated RNA matrix by the reverse transcriptase
      with the use of dissipated priming. The obtained cDNA was inserted into the
      plasmid pBR322 by the connector technique and the resulting recombinant plasmids
      were cloned in Escherichia coli cells. The specific clones selected by molecular
      hybridization method were analyzed by the restriction mapping and cross
      hybridization. Four overlapping cDNA clones were found and the virus specific
      5012 bp fragment of the viral genome was sequenced. Three open reading frames
      were found and the preliminary analysis of the coded amino acid sequence and
      corresponding genes was fulfilled.

PMID- 1857372
TI  - [The effect of a plague pathogen plasmid on lethality and immunogenicity].
AB  - On the model of Yersinia transconjugants (Yersinia pestis, Yersinia
      pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia enterocolitica) carrying the conjugative
      cointegrates containing the 47 and 65 Md plasmids from Yersinia pestis the data
      were obtained on the different affects of the latter plasmids on the lethality
      and immunogenicity conferred by the host bacterial cells. The plasmid effects
      were drastically different during bacterial infection in mice or guinea pigs. The
      possibility of appearance of the recombinant Yersinia in natural epizootic foci
      of plague and suggestions on their regulating role are discussed.

PMID- 1857373
TI  - [The effect of the bacterial genome on the expression and behavior of the plasmid
      determining the Ca2+-dependence of the plague pathogen].
AB  - The conjugative cointegrate containing the 47 Md plasmid of Yersinia pestis has
      been transferred into the strains of the different Yersinia (Yersinia pestis,
      Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Yersinia enterocolitica) and Escherichia coli CA.
      There appeared in the populations of recombinant Yersinia under the conditions of
      Ca2+ deficit at 37 degrees C the cells coming into the stasis stage or dying. It
      was shown on the model of Yersinia enterocolitica that bacterial lethality might
      be prevented by exclusion of the sheep blood from Ca2+ deficient medium. Ca(2+)
      dependence was not expressed in Escherichia coli cells in which the cointegrates
      were prone to deletions although the cad-genes were preserved intact. The latter
      conclusion is based on the positive reciprocal transfer of the Cad(+)-marker into
      Yersinia pestis cells.

PMID- 1857374
TI  - [Use of a multivariate analysis method for determining the interconnection of
      genetic markers with gene clusters and solution of taxonomy problems for the
      recombinant influenza A virus model].
AB  - The collection of influenza A viral recombinants has been studied for determining
      interconnection of the definite genetical marker (pneumovirulence for mice) with
      genes constellation by the technique of image identification. Pneumovirulence is
      found to be defined by correlation of polymerase complex M-, NS- and NA-genes.
      The data on NA influence on pneumovirulence were obtained for the first time, the
      phenomenon being found only with the use of image identification technique. The
      used methods of image identification (the method of correlation plaiads and
      cluster analysis) are recommended for use in studying the specificity of the gene
      control for different genetical features.

PMID- 1857375
TI  - [Detection of influenza virus nucleoprotein on the surface of infected cells and
      in free nonvirion form].
AB  - The inner viral nucleoprotein synthesized de novo is shown to be exposed on the
      surface of the chicken embryo infected with influenza virus. The kinetics of the
      nucleoprotein located on the surface does not correlate with the kinetics of cell
      destruction. In culture or allantois virus containing liquids the large number of
      extracellular viral nucleoprotein prone to antinucleoprotein monoclonal
      antibodies was found. The accumulation of this nucleoprotein occurs in the period
      when cell destruction is absent, it is eliminated by the adsorption of the virus
      on erythrocytes or centrifugation at 70,000 g for 2 hours (20%) or by
      centrifugation at 10,000 g for 4 hours (50%).

PMID- 1857376
TI  - [Nucleotide sequence of genes and complete amino acid sequence of tick-borne
      encephalitis virus strain 205].
AB  - The 10466 nucleotide long sequence of the cDNA copy of the tick-borne
      encephalitis strain 205 viral genome has been determined. It includes the 5'
      nontranslating region, the genes for structural as well as nonstructural proteins
      and the first 93 nucleotides of 3'-nontranslating region. The difference in amino
      acid sequences of structural and nonstructural proteins of strains 205. Sofjin
      and Neudoerfl of the tick-borne encephalitis virus and the nucleotide changes in
      5'- and 3'-nontranslating of these strains are discussed.

PMID- 1857377
TI  - Kinetic properties of fructose bisphosphate aldolase from Trypanosoma brucei
      compared to aldolase from rabbit muscle and Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - The kinetic properties of aldolase from Trypanosoma brucei were studied in
      comparison with aldolase from rabbit muscle and Staphylococcus aureus. The 3
      enzymes displayed a similar broad pH optimum for the cleavage of fructose 1,6
      bisphosphate (Fru(1,6)P2) and a similar narrow pH optimum for the cleavage of
      fructose 1-phosphate (Fru-1-P). However, small alterations in the maximal
      cleavage rate at more extreme pH values yielded disparities between the pH
      curves. The reaction catalyzed by the aldolases from T. brucei and S. aureus
      proceeded via an ordered sequence, as described for the rabbit-muscle enzyme. We
      determined for the 3 enzymes the kinetic parameters for both the cleavage and the
      formation of Fru(1,6)P2 and for the cleavage of Fru-1-P. The trypanosomal enzyme
      differed in its higher ratio of the maximal rate of Fru(1,6)P2-cleavage vs. the
      maximal rate of Fru(1,6)P2-formation, its higher affinity towards
      dihydroxyacetone phosphate, and its higher turnover number for the cleavage of
      Fru-1-P. At ionic strengths above 0.1 M the kinetic parameters of the
      trypanosomal enzyme followed the limited form of the Debye-Huckel equation. At
      ionic strengths below 0.1 M the enzyme revealed a characteristic deviation: the
      apparent Km for Fru(1,6)P2 increased with decreasing salt concentration. The
      trypanosomal aldolase was competitively inhibited by adenine nucleotides and
      phosphates. This inhibition occurred in the same concentration range as observed
      for the rabbit-muscle enzyme, while the bacterial enzyme was less affected.

PMID- 1857378
TI  - Purification and characterization of a membrane-bound acid phosphatase of
      Leishmania mexicana.
AB  - As defined by the reaction with monoclonal antibodies, Leishmania mexicana
      promastigotes contain two acid phosphatases which together comprise about 90% of
      the cellular activity. A first enzyme recognized by monoclonal antibody AP4 is
      largely membrane-bound. The protein has an apparent molecular weight of 70,000
      72,000, carries about seven N-linked glycan chains and is present in
      approximately 16,000 copies per cell. The protein is also expressed in the
      amastigote stage. A second enzyme reactive with monoclonal antibody AP3, that
      also recognizes lipophosphoglycan and a secreted acid phosphatase, is mainly
      found in the soluble fraction of promastigote lysates. It is suggested that this
      enzyme is the precursor of the secreted protein. The N-terminal sequences of the
      phosphatase recognized by AP4 and the secreted enzyme are similar but not
      identical. AP4 does not cross-react with phosphatase activity of Leishmania major
      or Leishmania donovani promastigotes, while AP3 recognizes part of the cellular
      and all of the secreted phosphatase activity of L. donovani promastigotes but not
      that of L. major which does not release an acid phosphatase into the culture
      medium.

PMID- 1857379
TI  - Purification and characterization of the 3'-nucleotidase/nuclease from
      promastigotes of Leishmania donovani.
AB  - The surface membrane-associated 3'-nucleotidase/nuclease (3'-N'ase) of Leishmania
      donovani has been purified from detergent extracted promastigotes by anion and
      cation exchange, lectin affinity and gel filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE
      analysis of the purified enzyme preparation revealed a 43-kDa polypeptide as well
      as faster migrating bands. These bands co-migrated, following both one- and two
      dimensional electrophoretic analyses, with enzyme activity as determined by an in
      situ 3'-nucleotidase gel activity assay. It is suggested that the lower molecular
      weight species arise during purification as a result of proteolytic cleavage of
      the intact 43-kDa enzyme. The 3'-N'ase exhibited a pI of 5.4, as revealed by 2
      dimensional gel electrophoresis. The glycoprotein nature of the 3'-N'ase was
      suggested by its binding to concanavalin A and by its electrophoretic shift
      following incubation with N-glycanaseR. In nucleotidase and nuclease assays, the
      3'-N'ase was most active with 3'-AMP and poly(A), respectively. Both nucleotidase
      and nuclease activities exhibited broad pH optima with peaks at 8.5 and 7.5,
      respectively. At pH 8.5 nucleotidase activity was inhibited by EDTA, Zn2+ and
      thiols, but was insensitive to tartrate, molybdate and fluoride ions, commonly
      used inhibitors of phosphatases. The properties of the leishmanial 3'-N'ase was
      similar to the 3'-N'ase purified from purine-starved Crithidia luciliae, a
      related trypanosomatid protozoan, and to group of nucleases from fungi and
      germinating plant seedlings.

PMID- 1857380
TI  - Chemical modification of fructose bisphosphate aldolase from Trypanosoma brucei
      compared to aldolase from rabbit muscle and Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - Chemical modifications of Class I aldolases from Trypanosoma brucei, rabbit
      muscle and Staphylococcus aureus with carboxypeptidase A, glyceraldehyde 3
      phosphate and cysteine-specific reagents revealed the following differences
      between the three homologous enzymes. Aldolase from S. aureus was not affected by
      any of these reagents. Carboxypeptidase-A treatment of rabbit-muscle and T.
      brucei aldolase inhibited the activity of both enzymes towards fructose-1,6
      bisphosphate (Fru(1,6)P2), while the activity towards fructose-1-phosphate (Fru-1
      P) was affected only in the case of the trypanosomal enzyme. Moreover
      carboxypeptidase-A treatment reduced the turnover numbers of these two aldolases
      for both Fru(1,6)P2 and Fru-1-P to a similar level. Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate,
      in the absence of dihydroxyacetone phosphate, also inactivated aldolases from
      rabbit muscle and T. brucei with second order rate constants of 1054 and 254 min
      1 M-1, respectively. Using 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) with rabbit
      muscle aldolase, a total of 4 thiol groups could be titrated per subunit,
      resulting in a total inactivation. The presence of substrate completely protected
      the enzyme from inactivation. Methyl methanethiosulfonate also reacted with four
      cysteine residues, but this led to very little inactivation. This indicates that
      the inactivation by modification with DTNB is due to conformational changes in
      the enzyme. In T. brucei aldolase only one thiol group could be titrated with
      methyl methanesulfonate and there was no loss of activity. With 5,5'-dithiobis-(2
      nitrobenzoic acid) five cysteines were titrated with an immediate and complete
      loss of activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857381
TI  - Characterization of a novel developmentally regulated gene from Trypanosoma
      brucei encoding a potential phosphoprotein.
AB  - We have isolated a cDNA clone corresponding to a single-copy nuclear gene that is
      upregulated at the mRNA level during in vitro differentiation of bloodstream
      trypomastigotes of strains of both Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Trypanosoma
      brucei rhodesiense to procyclic forms. Transcript levels begin to increase within
      minutes of introduction of bloodstream forms into culture and peak well before
      cultures exhibit a procyclic morphology. This increase in transcript levels was
      found to occur both in the absence of protein synthesis and in a nontransforming
      strain blocked very early in the developmental program, both conditions under
      which accumulation of procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP) transcripts did
      not occur in control experiments. DNA sequence analysis reveals an open reading
      frame sufficient to encode a protein of approximately 50 kDa within the cDNA, but
      data base searches for homology at either the amino acid or nucleotide level
      revealed no related sequences. A high density of kinase consensus target sites in
      the deduced amino acid sequence suggests that the gene product may be a
      phosphoprotein.

PMID- 1857383
TI  - Characterization of pyruvate kinase of Trypanosoma brucei and its role in the
      regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.
AB  - Pyruvate kinase from Trypanosoma brucei is a labile enzyme, losing its activity
      within several hours. In mixtures containing 50 mM triethanolamine buffer, pH
      7.2, 25% glycerol and 0.5 mM inorganic phosphate the enzyme remained active and
      could be purified to homogeneity with a specific activity of 417 units mg-1 and a
      yield of 65%. The enzyme has an activation energy of 31.9 kJ mol-1. Magnesium and
      potassium ions are essential for activity. Cobalt or manganese ions replace Mg2+
      but this leads to a decrease in maximal velocity. Potassium ions can be
      substituted by ammonium ions, while sodium ions behave as a competitive inhibitor
      with respect to both K+ and NH4+. All metal ions studied displayed sigmoidal
      kinetics. The enzyme is activated, with decreasing efficiency by fructose 2
      phosphorothioate 6-phosphate, fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, fructose 1,6
      bisphosphate and glucose 1,6-bisphosphate. They all display hyperbolic kinetics.
      Glycerate 2,3-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, CoASAc, oxalate, AMP,
      ADP, and ATP inhibit the enzyme. At substrate saturation PK was activated by Pi
      up to a concentration of 0.8 mM. At higher Pi concentrations the enzyme is
      inhibited. The enzyme is unaffected by most amino acids, only phenylalanine
      stimulates and tyrosine inhibits.

PMID- 1857382
TI  - Beta-tubulin and benzimidazole resistance in the sheep nematode Haemonchus
      contortus.
AB  - We have compared benzimidazole (BZ) susceptible (s) and resistant (R) strains of
      Haemonchus contortus from sheep by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis (2-D PAGE), Western blotting and ELISA techniques. The S strain
      bound more drug per mg protein than the R strain. BZ binding could be resolved
      into high-affinity and low-affinity binding. Low-affinity binding in parasite
      preparations devoid of tubulin was observed, but high-affinity binding occurred
      only in preparations containing tubulin. Resistance was associated with a
      decrease in the high affinity component. The S and R strains were shown by ELISA
      to contain similar total amounts of tubulin. By 2-D PAGE, the beta-tubulin
      isoform pattern of the S strain was different from that of the R strain, but the
      alpha-tubulin isoform patterns of the 2 strains were similar. BZ resistance was
      associated with a decrease in high-affinity BZ binding to tubulin and an
      alteration in beta-tubulin isoform pattern.

PMID- 1857384
TI  - Inhibition of the growth of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei by the
      DNA polymerase inhibitor HPMPA.
AB  - The acyclic adenosine analogue (S)-9-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine
      [HPMPA] belongs to a class of nucleoside analogues originally described as having
      potent activity against a broad spectrum of DNA viruses. We examined the effects
      of this class of drugs on the growth of cultured Plasmodium falciparum. Strong
      inhibition was observed by HPMPA (ID50 = 47 nM) at concentrations more than 1000
      fold less than the cytotoxic dose for human cells. 3-deaza-HPMPA was even more
      strongly inhibitory (ID50 = 8 nM), whereas several other acyclic nucleosides were
      not effective. In mice infected with Plasmodium berghei, increase of parasitaemia
      can be blocked for 4-6 days by a single injection of HPMPA. Repeated drug
      administration blocks parasite growth for prolonged periods at doses that are
      clinically feasible. We also determined the inhibition of several purified
      Plasmodium DNA polymerases by diphosphorylated HPMPA (HPMPApp). DNA polymerase
      alpha-like enzymes of P. falciparum and P. berghei are inhibited with an IC50 =
      40 microM and a gamma-like DNA polymerase from P. falciparum is even 40-fold more
      sensitive to the drug. The inhibition by HPMPApp is competitive with dATP,
      strongly suggesting that Plasmodium DNA polymerases are targets for this class of
      nucleotide analogue.

PMID- 1857385
TI  - Isolation and characterization of rhoptries of Plasmodium falciparum.
AB  - Rhoptries have been isolated from Plasmodium falciparum schizont-infected
      erythrocytes by isopycnic density centrifugation. Gradient fractions were
      analyzed by immunoblotting with antibodies against two polypeptides of 140 and
      110 kDa, known to be components of the rhoptry. The proteins were present
      primarily in fractions with a density of 1.16 g ml-1. Electron microscopy of
      these fractions indicated they were enriched in rhoptries. For the most part, the
      isolated organelle retained in situ morphology, although some rhoptries were
      distorted, indicating the structure of some of the organelles is not rigid.
      Electrophoretic analysis of the rhoptry fractions indicated the presence of a
      number of proteins, many of which have not been identified to date. Properties of
      proteins in the isolated rhoptry were examined using the 140 and 110 kDa proteins
      as representative markers. Both proteins are present in a complex with a 130-kDa
      protein, as all three co-immunoprecipitate. At the late schizont stage, the
      rhoptry proteins are present in two distinct forms; a soluble form with an Mr of
      480 000 which would correspond to a single copy of the 140/130/110 kDa complex
      and a form that can be sedimented at 130 000 x g. Properties of the sedimentable
      form suggest that the proteins are included in structures that resemble
      membranes. Ionic detergents were required to solubilize the proteins while high
      concentrations of NaCl and Na2CO3 resulted in only partial solubilization.
      Furthermore, treatment of disrupted rhoptries with phospholipase A and C resulted
      in the release of proteins into the soluble form.

PMID- 1857387
TI  - Differences in glucose transport between blood stream and procyclic forms of
      Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense.
AB  - In African trypanosomes the requirements for glucose and its metabolism vary in
      different stages of the life cycle. Here we present evidence that cultured
      procyclic trypanosomes of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense uptake glucose against a
      concentration gradient in a time and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, glucose
      transport is completely inhibited by the sulphydryl inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide,
      suggesting the presence of a protein moiety as the carrier molecule. Comparison
      of glucose uptake in bloodstream and procyclic trypanosomes point to the
      possibility that different transporters may function in the 2 developmental
      stages. Glucose uptake by bloodstream trypanosomes requires Na+ ions and is
      inhibited by phlorizin, an inhibitor of Na(+)-dependent glucose transporters in
      mammalian cells. Conversely, procyclic trypanosomes transport glucose in a Na(+)
      dependent manner, and transport is not affected by phlorizin. Finally, the
      putative procyclic glucose transporter has a higher affinity for glucose
      (apparent Km 23 microM) than the bloodstream carrier (apparent Km 237 microM).

PMID- 1857386
TI  - A recombinant clone of Wuchereria bancrofti with DNA specificity for human
      lymphatic filarial parasites.
AB  - In order to understand the immune response to Wuchereria bancrofti and to aid in
      the diagnosis of W. bancrofti infections, recombinant antigens were identified
      from a W. bancrofti genomic expression library made in lambda gt11 using a pool
      of sera from infected Indian patients. One of the recombinant clones, lambda
      WbN1, containing a 2.5-kb insert, reacted strongly to a pool of sera from
      patients with lymphatic filariasis but not to normal human sera. In addition,
      this clone showed restricted specificity at the genomic level to the major
      lymphatic filarial parasites W. bancrofti and Brugia malayi but not to the
      closely related filarial parasite Brugia pahangi or to other filarial and non
      filarial species tested. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated the cloned DNA to
      have homology to myosin-like myofibrillar proteins. Polymerase chain reaction
      amplification initiated by specific synthetic oligomers amplified DNA in a
      species-specific manner from as little as 16 pg of isolated DNA or from one
      microfilaria.

PMID- 1857388
TI  - Substrate-dependent pH optima of gp63 purified from seven strains of Leishmania.
AB  - The major surface glycoprotein of Leishmania, gp63, is a membrane-bound
      metalloprotease. Contradictory data supporting a neutral or acidic nature of this
      enzyme have been presented. Seven strains of Old and New World Leishmania,
      including Leishmania donovani complex (Leishmania infantum and L. donovani),
      Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania mexicana amazonensis were
      used for the purification and comparative study of gp63. The protein was
      extracted from promastigotes by phase separation in Triton X-114 and purified by
      anion exchange chromatography. In agreement with previous reports, all purified
      gp63 were found to be structurally and immunologically related. Both membrane
      bound gp63, on the surface of promastigotes, and the purified proteases had
      optimal activity at neutral to alkaline pH on azocasein, whereas their activity
      was optimal at acidic to neutral pH against 125I-insulin B-chain. The IC50
      concentrations of 1,10-phenathroline against the two substrates, at the optimal
      pH, were comparable, suggesting that both activities measured were associated
      with gp63 rather than another contaminating enzyme. This was further supported by
      the comparable enrichment values, estimated from the specific activity of the
      enzyme during purification, using both assays. These results explain the earlier
      apparent discrepancies and suggest that the optimum pH of gp63 is substrate
      dependent and not related to species differences or to the different purification
      procedures applied.

PMID- 1857389
TI  - Activation by extracellular nucleotides of chloride secretion in the airway
      epithelia of patients with cystic fibrosis.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis is characterized by abnormal electrolyte transport
      across the epithelia of the airways. In particular, there is excessive sodium
      absorption and deficient chloride secretion. Drugs that block excessive sodium
      absorption may provide clinical benefit in cystic fibrosis, but there are no
      available therapeutic agents to improve chloride secretion. In vitro studies in
      cultured human-airway epithelia indicate that triphosphate nucleotides (ATP and
      UTP) induce chloride secretion through apical-membrane purinergic receptors.
      METHODS: We tested the ability of nucleotides to induce chloride secretion in
      vivo in 9 normal subjects and 12 patients with cystic fibrosis by measuring
      responses of nasal transepithelial potential difference (PD) to superfusion of
      nucleotides. Changes in transepithelial bioelectric properties and the
      permeability of the apical membrane to chloride in response to extracellular
      (apical) UTP were determined with ion-selective microelectrodes in cultured nasal
      epithelia. RESULTS: ATP and UTP induced chloride secretion in vivo in both
      groups. At their maximal effective concentrations of 10(-4) M, ATP and UTP were
      more effective chloride secretagogues in the patients with cystic fibrosis (mean
      [+/- SE] change in PD, -19.8 +/- 1.4 mV and -15.0 +/- 1.7 mV, respectively) than
      in the normal subjects (-6.9 +/- 0.6 mV and -8.1 +/- 0.9 mV, respectively).
      Microelectrode studies established that extracellular UTP stimulated a larger
      increase in PD and chloride secretory current in epithelial cells from patients
      with cystic fibrosis than in cells from normal subjects, by actions localized to
      the apical membrane. CONCLUSIONS: Extracellular nucleotides are effective in vivo
      chloride secretagogues in the nasal epithelia of patients with cystic fibrosis.
      The equipotency of ATP and UTP suggests that the effect is mediated by P2
      nucleotide receptors. Selected nucleotides, such as UTP or nucleotide analogues,
      should be investigated as therapeutic agents for lung disease in cystic fibrosis.

PMID- 1857390
TI  - Rapid loss of vertebral mineral density after renal transplantation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Osteopenia is a major complication of renal transplantation.
      Immunosuppressive regimens including cyclosporine, which permit the use of lower
      doses of glucocorticoids, may reduce glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia. METHODS:
      We prospectively studied the magnitude, distribution, and mechanism of bone loss
      in 20 adults who received renal allografts from living related donors, who had
      good renal function, and who were treated with azathioprine, cyclosporine, and
      low doses of prednisone. We measured serum biochemical markers of bone
      metabolism, determined the bone mineral density of the second, third, and fourth
      lumbar vertebrae and the shaft of the radius, and analyzed the histomorphometric
      features of iliac bone at the time of transplantation and six months later.
      Measurements of vertebral mineral density were repeated 18 months after
      transplantation in 17 of the patients. RESULTS: After transplantation, the mean
      serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase
      decreased and the serum calcitriol concentration increased. The mean (+/- SD)
      bone mineral density of the vertebrae had decreased 6.8 +/- 5.6 percent 6 months
      after transplantation (P less than 0.05) and 8.8 +/- 7.0 percent 18 months after
      transplantation. In contrast, the bone mineral density of the radius had
      increased six months after transplantation (P less than 0.05). The
      histomorphometric studies showed that the rate of bone formation decreased from
      50.5 +/- 44.8 to 23.1 +/- 13.8 microns3 per square micrometer per year (P less
      than 0.05), and the formation period lengthened from 70 +/- 42 to 146 +/- 144
      days (P less than 0.05). Consequently, the amount of bone replaced during a
      remodeling cycle diminished. CONCLUSIONS: Osteopenia associated with renal
      transplantation remains a problem in the cyclosporine era. The loss of vertebral
      bone in our subjects was due to an imbalance in bone remodeling consistent with a
      toxic effect of glucocorticoids.

PMID- 1857392
TI  - Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological
      exercises. Case 34-1991. A 51-year-old man with severe hypertension and rapidly
      progressive renal failure.

PMID- 1857393
TI  - Untoward effects of gas masks during Persian Gulf war.

PMID- 1857391
TI  - The use of angioplasty, bypass surgery, and amputation in the management of
      peripheral vascular disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has been adopted widely as a
      treatment for patients with peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities.
      However, the effect of this procedure on the overall management of peripheral
      vascular disease and on the outcomes of patients has not been clearly delineated.
      In particular, it is not known whether angioplasty has replaced other treatments
      for peripheral vascular disease. METHODS: To assess the extent to which
      angioplasty is used and the associated changes in the surgical management of
      peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, we used data on hospital
      discharges in Maryland to identify all angioplasty procedures, peripheral bypass
      operations, and lower-extremity amputations performed for peripheral vascular
      disease in Maryland hospitals between 1979 and 1989. RESULTS: We estimated that
      from 1979 to 1989 the annual rate of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for
      peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, adjusted for age and sex,
      rose from 1 to 24 per 100,000 Maryland residents (P less than 0.0001 by linear
      regression). Despite this increase in the use of angioplasty, the adjusted annual
      rate of peripheral bypass surgery also rose substantially, from 32 to 65 per
      100,000 (P less than 0.001), whereas the adjusted annual rate of lower-extremity
      amputation remained stable at about 30 per 100,000. Total charges for
      hospitalizations during which a peripheral revascularization procedure was
      performed increased from $14.7 million in 1979 (in 1989 dollars) to $30.5 million
      in 1989. CONCLUSIONS: In Maryland, the adoption of percutaneous transluminal
      angioplasty for peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities has been
      associated with an increase in the use of peripheral bypass surgery and with no
      decline in lower-extremity amputations. These results could be due to increased
      diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease, expanded indications for procedural
      interventions, or an increased number of repeat procedures performed in patients
      with peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities.

PMID- 1857394
TI  - Normal plasma cholesterol in a man who eats 25 eggs a day.

PMID- 1857395
TI  - Prednisone in the prevention of early relapse after treatment of acute asthma.

PMID- 1857396
TI  - Evidence of free-radical activity in asthma.

PMID- 1857397
TI  - Confusion about drug names.

PMID- 1857398
TI  - Rhinosporidium seeberi: light, phase contrast, fluorescent and scanning electron
      microscopic study.
AB  - Phase contrast microscopic study indicated the multilayered structure of the
      sporangial wall of R. seeberi while the scanning electronmicroscopic study
      revealed a trilaminated wall compared to a thick double walled light microscopic
      structure. The scanning electronmicroscopy revealed the spores of varying sizes
      which were found either discretely or in groups interconnected and seen attached
      to the inner aspect of the sporangial wall. Autofluorescence of sporangia and
      spores was observed under microscope. Acridine orange staining revealed the
      presence of DNA materials in the spore and sporangia.

PMID- 1857399
TI  - Aspergillus clavatus as the probable cause of a lethal mass neurotoxicosis in
      sheep.
AB  - Sprouted barley grains, the waste product of malt extract production, were
      incriminated as the cause of a lethal (96% mortality) neurotoxic syndrome in
      sheep fed the grains. Clinical manifestations, comprising tremors, lameness,
      abnormal gait, paralysis and death indicated a tremorgenic mycotoxicosis. Whilst
      50% of the flock died within 17 days, mortality continued over more than 5
      months. Pathological findings were limited to neuronal degeneration and necrosis
      in the midbrain. Germinating grains were shown to be contaminated with growth of
      Aspergillus clavatus.

PMID- 1857400
TI  - Scanning electron microscopy of the conidia produced by the mycelial form of
      Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.
AB  - The conidia produced by the mycelial form of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were
      examined by scanning electron microscopy for the first time. Several different
      conidial types were characterized. These included intercalary arthroconidia,
      several types of septate conidia that are formed from other conidia, pedunculate
      conidia, and terminal hyphal conidia. In addition, the ultrastructure of the
      supporting pedestal of the pedunculate conidium was found to be separated from
      the mother conidium by a septum in some instances, and at other times it was not.

PMID- 1857401
TI  - German science. DFG selects new president.

PMID- 1857402
TI  - Boost for women's health.

PMID- 1857403
TI  - Genome researchers go hog wild.

PMID- 1857404
TI  - Zagury challenges NIH report.

PMID- 1857405
TI  - Responsibility and Weaver et al.

PMID- 1857406
TI  - Dissent on forensic evidence.

PMID- 1857407
TI  - Detection of human carcinogens.

PMID- 1857408
TI  - Retinoblastoma. A transcriptional tryst.

PMID- 1857409
TI  - Evolution. Matriarchal liberation.

PMID- 1857410
TI  - Developmental biology. A marriage is consummated.

PMID- 1857411
TI  - Anti-HIV drug mechanism.

PMID- 1857412
TI  - Risks to VDT operators.

PMID- 1857413
TI  - Stimulation by superantigen.

PMID- 1857414
TI  - Spontaneous mutation rate.

PMID- 1857415
TI  - Object awareness.

PMID- 1857416
TI  - Interaction of bride of sevenless membrane-bound ligand and the sevenless
      tyrosine-kinase receptor.
AB  - During development of the Drosophila retina, the R8 photoreceptor neuron induces
      a neighbouring cell to assume an R7 cell fate. Genetic data suggest that the
      induction is mediated by two transmembrane proteins encoded by bride of sevenless
      and sevenless. A direct interaction between these two proteins was demonstrated
      by the heterotypic aggregation of cell lines expressing them. In the developing
      eye the sevenless-dependent internalization of bride of sevenless by the R7
      precursor cell provides evidence for a direct interaction between these two
      proteins in vivo.

PMID- 1857417
TI  - Structural basis of anticodon loop recognition by glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.
AB  - The refined crystal structure of Escherichia coli glutaminyl transfer RNA
      synthetase complexed with transfer RNA(Gln) and ATP reveals that the structure of
      the anticodon loop of the enzyme-bound tRNA(Gln) differs extensively from that of
      the known crystal structures of uncomplexed tRNA molecules. The anticodon stem is
      extended by two non-Watson-Crick base pairs, leaving the three anti-codon bases
      unpaired and splayed out to bind snugly into three separate complementary pockets
      in the protein. These interactions suggest that the entire anticodon loop
      provides essential sites for glutaminyl tRNA synthetase discrimination among tRNA
      molecules.

PMID- 1857418
TI  - Better speech recognition with cochlear implants.
AB  - HIGH levels of speech recognition have been achieved with a new sound processing
      strategy for multielectrode cochlear implants. A cochlear implant system consists
      of one or more implanted electrodes for direct electrical activation of the
      auditory nerve, an external speech processor that transforms a microphone input
      into stimuli for each electrode, and a transcutaneous (rf-link) or percutaneous
      (direct) connection between the processor and the electrodes. We report here the
      comparison of the new strategy and a standard clinical processor. The standard
      compressed analogue (CA) processor presented analogue waveforms simultaneously to
      all electrodes, whereas the new continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) strategy
      presented brief pulses to each electrode in a nonoverlapping sequence. Seven
      experienced implant users, selected for their excellent performance with the CA
      processor, participated as subjects. The new strategy produced large improvements
      in the scores of speech reception tests for all subjects. These results have
      important implications for the treatment of deafness and for minimal
      representations of speech at the auditory periphery.

PMID- 1857419
TI  - Spontaneous calcium release from inositol trisphosphate-sensitive calcium stores.
AB  - Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) functions as a second messenger to mobilize
      Ca2+ from intracellular reservoirs. The release mechanism displays all-or-none
      characteristics, that may account for other observations that the InsP3-induced
      mobilization of Ca2+ is quantal. Quantal release may depend on the sensitivity of
      the InsP3 receptor being regulated by the Ca2+ concentration in the lumen of the
      endoplasmic reticulum. We report here that the InsP3-sensitive store in
      hepatocytes discharges spontaneously when overloaded with Ca2+. The release,
      which is blocked by heparin, is preceded by an increasing sensitivity of the
      InsP3 receptor to endogenous InsP3, and is promoted by those sulphydryl reagents
      (oxidized glutathione and thimerosal) that induce Ca2+ oscillations in intact
      cells (ref. 8, and T. A. Rooney, D. C. Renard, E. J. Sass and A. P. Thomas,
      manuscript in preparation). This novel process could have a role in generating
      both Ca2+ oscillations and Ca2+ waves.

PMID- 1857420
TI  - ATP-sensitive K+ channel in the mitochondrial inner membrane.
AB  - Mitochondria take up and extrude various inorganic and organic ions, as well as
      larger substances such as proteins. The technique of patch clamping should
      provide real-time information on such transport and on energy transduction in
      oxidative phosphorylation. It has been applied to detect microscopic currents
      from mitochondrial membranes and conductances of ion channels in the 5-1,000 pS
      range in the outer and inner membranes. These pores are not, however, selective
      for particular ions. Here we use fused giant mitoplasts prepared from rat liver
      mitochondria to identify a small conductance channel highly selective for K+ in
      the inner mitochondrial membrane. This channel can be reversibly inactivated by
      ATP applied to the matrix side under inside-out patch configuration; it is also
      inhibited by 4-aminopyridine and by glybenclamide. The slope conductance of the
      unitary currents measured at negative membrane potentials was 9.7 +/- 1.0 pS
      (mean +/- s.d., n = 6) when the pipette solution contained 100 mM K+ and the
      bathing solution 33.3 mM K+. Our results indicate that mitochondria depolarize by
      generating a K+ conductance when ATP in the matrix is deficient.

PMID- 1857421
TI  - Cloning of cDNAs for cellular proteins that bind to the retinoblastoma gene
      product.
AB  - The E7 transforming protein of human papilloma virus-16 binds to the
      retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) through a nine-amino-acid segment of E7 (21
      29). This segment of E7 is homologous to the pRb-binding domains of the simian
      virus 40 large T and adenovirus E1A transforming proteins. Each of these viral
      transforming proteins bind to the same region of pRb. To isolate cellular
      proteins that interact with this viral protein-binding domain on pRb, we used
      recombinant pRb to screen a human complementary DNA expression library. Two cDNAs
      were isolated that encode retinoblastoma binding proteins (RBP-1 and RBP-2). We
      report here that these RBP genes exist in separate loci and produce discrete
      messenger RNAs. The predicted amino-acid sequence of these genes showed no
      homology to known proteins, but both RBPs contain the pRb binding motif conserved
      between E7, large T and E1A14. In vitro expression of the RBP cDNAs yielded
      proteins that specifically bound to pRb. Recombinant E7 protein, the E7 21-29
      peptide and the homologous RBP-1 peptide inhibited RBP-pRb binding. Mutations
      introduced into the putative pRb-binding segment in RBP-1 impaired its binding
      activity. These studies indicate that the cellular RBP-1, RBP-2 and viral E7
      proteins interact with pRb through similar domains.

PMID- 1857422
TI  - Paternal inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in mice.
AB  - For nearly 20 years it has been assumed on the basis of low-resolution
      experiments that mitochondrial (mt)DNA, in contrast to the genes in the nucleus,
      has an exclusively maternal mode of inheritance in animals. Using the polymerase
      chain reaction, paternally inherited mtDNA molecules have now been detected in
      mice at a frequency of 10(-4), relative to the maternal contributions. These mice
      were hybrids between two inbred strains (C57BL/6J and Mus spretus) whose mtDNAs
      can be distinguished easily. This new mode of inheritance provides a mechanism
      for generating heteroplasmy and may explain mitochondrial disorders exhibiting
      biparental transmission.

PMID- 1857423
TI  - Anticodon and acceptor stem nucleotides in tRNA(Gln) are major recognition
      elements for E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.
AB  - The correct attachment of amino acids to their corresponding (cognate) transfer
      RNA catalysed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases is a key factor in ensuring the
      fidelity of protein biosynthesis. Previous studies have demonstrated that the
      interaction of Escherichia coli tRNA(Gln) with glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS)
      provides an excellent system to study this highly specific recognition process,
      also referred to as 'tRNA identity'. Accurate acylation of tRNA depends mainly on
      two principles: a set of nucleotides in the tRNA molecule (identity elements)
      responsible for proper discrimination by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and
      competition between different synthetases for tRNAs. Elements of glutamine
      identity are located in the anticodon and in the acceptor stem region, including
      the discriminator base. We report here the production of more than 20 tRNA(2Gln)
      mutants at positions likely to be involved in tRNA discrimination by the enzyme.
      Unmodified tRNA, containing the wild-type anticodon and U or G at its 5'
      terminus, can be aminocylated by GlnRS with similar kinetic parameters to native
      tRNA(2Gln). By in vitro aminoacylation the mutant tRNAs showed decreases of up to
      3 x 10(5)-fold in the specificity constant (kcat/KM)14 with the major
      contribution of kcat. Despite these large changes, some of these mutant tRNAs are
      efficient amber suppressors in vivo. Our results show that strong elements for
      glutamine identity reside in the anticodon region and in positions 2 and 3 of the
      acceptor stem, and that the contribution of different identity elements to the
      overall discrimination varies significantly. We discuss our data in the light of
      the crystal structure of the GlnRS:tRNA(Gln) complex.

PMID- 1857424
TI  - Radioactive cell membrane labelling.
AB  - Building upon earlier studies with fluorescent probes, the authors describe a new
      cell tracking compound, PKH95, with a radioactive signal, which has been
      developed specifically for high-sensitivity cell tracking and biodistribution
      studies.

PMID- 1857425
TI  - Thirty-seven-year follow-up of an infant born with severe renal tubular acidosis.
      A tribute to the care and training of Bailey Webb, Ph.D., M.D.

PMID- 1857426
TI  - The Duke University Arthritis Center.
AB  - The Duke University Arthritis Center has brought together both clinicians and
      basic scientists into a common structure to achieve a singular goal--that of
      improving the health and welfare of patients with immune-mediated diseases in
      North Carolina and surrounding states. The structure of DUAC allows new insights
      gained by basic immunologic research to be rapidly applied to clinical
      rheumatologic diseases by channelling basic information to the clinical
      investigative unit in DUAC. Here new treatment strategies are developed and
      tested and made available to patients when they are judged to be both safe and
      efficacious. In the DUAC comprehensive clinics, the best treatments available to
      patients with rheumatologic diseases are provided in a setting designed to be
      user-friendly to patients and comprehensive in services offered.

PMID- 1857427
TI  - The University of North Carolina Arthritis Center.
AB  - The University of North Carolina Arthritis Center combines the broadly-based
      research agenda of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center with comprehensive
      interdisciplinary clinical programs in rheumatology, orthopaedics, and pediatric
      rheumatology. In keeping with the University's long tradition of service to the
      people of North Carolina, a primary aim of the Center is to provide the citizens
      of this state with the best available arthritis care and prevention strategies.
      The approach here is twofold. New knowledge is created by laboratory
      investigation of basic disease mechanisms, by clinical studies of new therapies,
      by social and behavioral research to better understand how patients and their
      families cope and adjust to chronic arthritis, and by health services research
      that examines arthritis from a societal perspective. This information, together
      with advances in rheumatology and related fields from Duke and other
      institutions, is then applied to optimum clinical and educational services for
      North Carolina patients and their physicians.

PMID- 1857428
TI  - Which one is Hardy? Ibuprofen overdose.

PMID- 1857429
TI  - Adolescent childbearing.

PMID- 1857430
TI  - Adolescent health issues: what is our role?

PMID- 1857431
TI  - The North Carolina Medical Society--medical student section. Medical students
      getting involved.

PMID- 1857432
TI  - Resource-Based Relative Value Scale.

PMID- 1857433
TI  - Comment on Dr. Edell's article on the high tech newborn.

PMID- 1857434
TI  - [Intermaxillary fixation in traumatology].

PMID- 1857435
TI  - [A reputed leptospirosis epidemic as a consequence of swimming in the Spokeplas].

PMID- 1857436
TI  - [Exogenous modification of reproductive disorders; more questions than facts].

PMID- 1857437
TI  - [Pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale caused by chronic obstructive lung
      disease; pathogenesis and treatment].

PMID- 1857438
TI  - [Good results with the surgical treatment of trigger finger (tendovaginitis
      stenosans)].
AB  - Stenosing tendovaginitis (trigger finger) may be treated surgically or
      conservatively. Surgical incision of the proximal part of the flexor tendon
      sheath in 100 patients (91 adults and 9 children) proved a reliable method. In 97
      patients the resistance was abolished by surgical treatment, with good functional
      results. It is a simple procedure, with hardly any complications and a short
      follow-up period.

PMID- 1857439
TI  - [Tuberculosis in alpacas; a zoonosis as an imported disease].
AB  - In the Netherlands, in 1988, a micro-epidemic of tuberculosis in alpacas recently
      imported from Peru prompted health authorities to initiate investigation of human
      and animal contacts. Although the animal trainer and his assistant suffered from
      pulmonary tuberculosis, they turned out to be infected by Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis, while the animals later proved to be infected by M. bovis. The
      alpacas' caretaker and a laboratory technician present at the autopsy, were
      probably infected by animal contact. Elsewhere in the country, three more alpacas
      were reported with tuberculosis at the time; this initiated a large-scale
      investigation among alpacas, llamas etc., but no further cases were detected. The
      possibility of imported zoonoses, especially after 1992, is discussed.

PMID- 1857440
TI  - [Postoperative irradiation in grade III and IV astrocytoma].
AB  - The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on the value of
      postoperative radiotherapy in patients with astrocytoma grade III-IV. One hundred
      and fifteen of the 243 patients with histologically proven astrocytoma grade III
      IV received postoperative radiotherapy at the St. Radboud University Hospital
      Nijmegen. According to the protocol all patients with a fairly good performance
      status were irradiated. The extent of surgery consisted of biopsy alone in 11%,
      subtotal tumour resection in 85% and macroscopically complete tumour removal in
      4%. All patients received a whole brain irradiation of 40 Gy with a boost of 10
      15 Gy in the tumour. Patients with grade III who underwent surgical resection had
      a median survival of 2.1 months, those with grade IV 2.7 months. Patients who
      underwent surgical resection and radiotherapy had a median survival of 12 months
      (grade III) and 8.6 months (grade IV). The extent of surgery and grade of
      malignancy were the only prognostic factors. Because of the selection of patients
      this study produces no additional arguments in favour of postoperative
      radiotherapy. However, we continue our treatment strategy to irradiate patients
      with grade III-IV tumours because the median survival obtained with this strategy
      is high in comparison with data from literature.

PMID- 1857441
TI  - [Toxic damage of kidney, liver and muscle attributed to the administration of
      germanium-lactate-citrate].
AB  - The case history is described of a woman aged 57 years with renal, hepatic and
      muscular damage attributed to intake of germanium lactate-citrate (a cumulative
      dose of 32.1 g germanium) over at least one year, as alternative treatment of
      metastatic breast cancer. Histological examination of biopsies showed highly
      vacuolated cytoplasm of the epithelial cells of the distal renal tubules and
      micro- and macrovesicular steatosis of centrilobular hepatocytes. After
      discontinuation of the germanium, serum aminotransferases and creatine kinase
      values returned to normal, but moderately severe renal impairment persisted.

PMID- 1857442
TI  - [How bad was Chernobyl? Psychosocial sequelae of the reactor accident].

PMID- 1857443
TI  - [Ectopic ureter outlet in women; easy to overlook].

PMID- 1857444
TI  - [No increase in the incidence of breast carcinoma with subcutaneous
      administration of estradiol].

PMID- 1857446
TI  - [Orthomanual medicine].

PMID- 1857445
TI  - [Smoke about leg cramps].

PMID- 1857447
TI  - Changes in the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of daunorubicin linked with a
      biodegradable carrier.
AB  - The effects of the linkage of daunorubicin (DNR) and the synthetic biodegradable
      polymer polyhydroxyethyl-L-glutamine (PHEG) on general toxicity, therapeutic
      efficacy, and acute organ toxicity were investigated. General toxicity was
      assessed by means of mortality, or body weight changes of male CBA mice weighing
      22-25 g after a single-dose i.p. administration of 5 or 2.5 mg/kg DNR, free or
      bound. Linked DNR at a larger lethal dose significantly increased mean survival
      time (18 versus 12 days). Surprisingly, free DNR at a smaller dose produced
      larger increases in body weight as compared with linked DNR. The linkage of DNR
      and PHEG did not markedly change the therapeutic activity in three murine
      hemoblastoses--plasmacytoma MOPS 406, leukemia P388 and hemoblastosis La. Acute
      (24 h) changes in cardio- and hepatotoxicity were studied on female Wistar rats
      weighing 208 +/- 5 g after a single dose of 5 mg/kg i.v. both free and linked
      DNR, as well as after an administration of the PHEG polymer alone (200 mg/kg
      i.v.). Free DNR caused a three-fold increase in creatine kinase (CK) activity,
      the identical dose of linked DNR caused only a 1.7-fold increase. Free DNR
      administration resulted in a decrease in heart rate, other tested drugs did not
      significantly change either blood pressure or heart rate. Free DNR did not change
      the kinetics of bromsulphalein (BSP) except for a decrease in extraction
      effectivity. Both linked DNR and polymer alone significantly changed some kinetic
      parameters of BSP. The results showed that the biodegradable polymer PHEG cannot
      be clinically used due to its hepatotoxic action. On the other hand, a decrease
      in total toxicity and cardiotoxicity resulting from the linkage of DNR and PHEG,
      the therapeutic efficacy being preserved, stimulates the efforts to find a
      suitable polymer carrier of anthracyclines without more serious side-effects.

PMID- 1857448
TI  - Subrenal capsule assay of human tumor chemosensitivity.
AB  - Breast and colon tumor response to emoxyl, a nitroxyl derivative of daunomycin,
      was detected using human tumor heterotransplantation under the renal capsule of
      immunocompetent mice. The substitution of adriamycin by emoxyl in the combined
      therapy led to enhanced therapeutic efficacy. The evidence of enhanced response
      of breast tumors to emoxyl obtained during the histologic examination of
      xenografts is in good agreement with measurements of tumor fragment weight. It is
      suggested to use a quantitative kinetic index kappa calculated by the method of
      equivalent exponents for objective evaluation of tumor response to the drugs.

PMID- 1857449
TI  - Some electrochemical characteristics of synthetic analogs of nucleic acid
      components. IV. 5-Cyano-, 5-carboxy- and 5-azaderivatives, and the effect of this
      substitution on potential carcinogenicity.
AB  - The relation between polarographic reduction, values of half-wave potentials, and
      the parameter of potential carcinogenicity (tg alpha) was studied in a series of
      synthetic analogs of natural nucleic acid components modified by different
      substituents at position 5 of the base. The series included pyrimidine
      nucleobases (5-cyanouracil, 5-carboxycytosine, 5-azacytosine), ribofuranosyl
      nucleosides (5-cyanouridine, 5-carboxycytidine, 5-azacytidine) as well as 2'
      deoxy-5-azacytidine and 5-carboxy-1-beta-D-arabinosylcytosine. No direct
      correlation was found between the reducibility of the studied compounds and the
      parameter of potential carcinogenicity tg alpha since event a slight alteration
      in the structure of these molecules markedly affected the properties of these
      compounds.

PMID- 1857450
TI  - NK-cell activity affected by some cytostatic drugs and their additives.
AB  - The direct effect of selected cytostatic drugs on natural killer (NK) cell
      activity was evaluated. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors
      were tested for their cytolytic activity in vitro in the presence of adriamycin,
      methotrexate, leucovorin, vincristin, cytosine arabinoside and teniposide. Most
      of the tested cytostatic drugs did not show to be active at concentrations
      comparable to their plasma level. However, diluents of some preparations
      (cytosine arabinoside, teniposide) containing organic solutions and stabilizing
      additives (e.g. benzyl alcohol) suppressed the NK activity more than
      chemotherapeutic agents alone. Thus teniposide, containing such additives,
      inhibited NK activity already at 5 mg/ml, while its peak plasma concentration was
      23.8 mg/ml. The inhibitory concentrations of teniposide did not affect the target
      binding of effector cells and the expression of 14 tested leukocyte
      differentiation markers. This implies that a postbinding step of the lytic
      process was altered by the preparation. Likewise, no inhibition of lectin
      dependent cellular cytotoxicity by teniposide and its diluent was observed,
      suggesting that the lectin may substitute the missing lytic signal.

PMID- 1857451
TI  - The role of humoral factors of regenerating liver in the development of
      experimental tumors and the effect of Rhodiola rosea extract on this process.
AB  - In experiment on rats with Pliss lymphosarcoma (PLS) it was shown that partial
      hepatectomy (PHE), a course application of Rhodiola rosea extract (RRE) or
      combined effects inhibit the growth of tumors by 37, 39 and 59%, respectively,
      and that of metastases by 42, 50 and 75%. In combined treatment the process of
      hepatic regeneration was completed in earlier terms versus the animals which
      underwent PHE, and proliferative activity of the tumor and metastases decreased
      by 15 and 59%, respectively, judging by the degree of 3H-thymidine incorporation
      into DNA of these tissues. The assessment of clonogenic activity of PLS cells
      taken in the animals of this group, using the method of diffusion chambers,
      revealed a significant decrease in this index versus the rats which underwent PHE
      or which were given RRE (number of colonies per chamber being 4.8 +/- 0.5; 8.6 +/
      0.9; 5.7 +/- 0.6, respectively; in control 13.8 +/- 1.5). The assumption that
      these effects are determined by factors originating from the regenerating liver
      was confirmed in experiments with double-layer agar systems. Inhibition of colony
      forming activity of PLS cells was the maximum in application of the hepatocytes
      of the rats which underwent a complex of effects, as a feeder, versus the
      hepatocytes taken in intact or hepatectomized animals, or the rats which were
      given RRE (number of colonies per plate well being 4.6 +/- 0.3; 15.7 +/- 1.6; 7.4
      +/- 0.8; 8.7 +/- 0.9, respectively; in the control 25.6 +/- 6.5). In experiments
      on mice with Ehrlich adenocarcinoma, the factors isolated from the liver of
      animals subjected to PHE against a background of RRE administration and from the
      liver of mice which were given RRE only, as well as operated or intact ones,
      inhibited the tumor growth to 63, 38, 35 and 21%, respectively.

PMID- 1857452
TI  - Reaction to high-frequency electric impulses in two L cell sublines differing in
      high-frequency electric impedance and malignity.

PMID- 1857453
TI  - Endogenous nitrate synthesis in selected infectious diseases and ulcerative
      colitis.
AB  - Investigations into acute and chronic diarrheal patients confirmed the results of
      animal experiments on the role of cytotoxic activated macrophages in endogenous
      formation of nitrates. Because a number of inflammatory diseases did not cause a
      nitrate release in urine, blood, and saliva, the general importance of nitrates
      to characterize the initiation and course of inflammations must be questioned.

PMID- 1857454
TI  - Disorders in neuropsychological development and their relation to computed
      tomography brain scan in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in long-term
      remission.
AB  - In a group of 71 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in long-term
      remission lasting 4 to 15 years different disorders in their neuropsychological
      development were found. The disturbances observed were as follows: Emotional
      disorders in 88%, personality development disorders in 65%, mental retardation in
      58%, signs of CNS dysfunction in 54%, and neurological disorder in 31% of
      children. Abnormal computed tomography brain scans were present in 49% of
      patients. They consisted mainly of two types: Hypodense areas of the white matter
      were observed in 23% and widening of the ventricular system and subarachnoidal
      spaces was present in 26% of children. Statistical evaluation showed significant
      relations between CT brain scan abnormalities (mainly hypodense changes) and
      neurological disorders as well as the presence of signs of CNS dysfunction and
      disorders of personality development. Emotional and mental changes did not
      correlate with abnormalities of CT brain scan findings.

PMID- 1857455
TI  - Breast cancer in Argentina: case-control study with special reference to meat
      eating habits.
AB  - An exploratory case-control study of the role of diet in the etiology of breast
      cancer was conducted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the mortality rate for
      this disease is high and the consumption of meat, mainly beef, is unusually
      elevated (76.2 kilograms per head were reported for 1987). One hundred and ninety
      six women with breast cancer admitted to the Institute of Oncology "Angel H.
      Roffo" and 205 controls were interviewed to obtain information on demographic,
      socio-economic and reproductive variables, on frequency of consumption of 40 food
      items, and on methods of cooking. Special emphasis was given to different kinds
      of meat. After controlling for other risk factors for breast cancer the major
      dietary associations observed were a statistically insignificant trend of
      increasing risk with amount of beef consumed, an increase in risk in women who
      ate more than 3 eggs per week, and an increase in risk in women who ate a variety
      of fried foods.

PMID- 1857456
TI  - [Neurologic complications after bone marrow transplantation].
AB  - The retrospective study presented here reports clinical, electrophysiological and
      CT-data from 21 patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation for leukemia
      or aplastic anemia between 1980 and 1985. The aim of the investigation, which was
      performed at the end of 1986, was to elucidate whether antineoplastic drugs and
      radiation can result in long-term damage of the central nervous system. In 9
      patients we observed neurological signs (1 leukencephalopathy, 5 cerebellar
      symptoms). Seven patients revealed dysrhythmia in the EEG and five had delayed
      latencies of visual evoked potentials. Eight patients exhibited pathological
      changes in CT (3 atrophy of supratentorial structures, 3 periventricular
      lucencies, 2 a combination of both). The results indicate that long-term damage
      to the CNS may be encountered after successful bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1857457
TI  - [Quantitative and qualitative MRI changes in temporal lobe epilepsy. A comparison
      with normal parameters of nuclear magnetic resonance tomography].
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often reveals no pathology in patients with
      temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) who are candidates for surgery, even though post
      surgery histology reveals atrophy or sclerosis. To differentiate these
      pathologies in MRI, we performed a standardized acquisition and a quantitative
      analysis of MRI data (qMRI). The standard values of 43 healthy subjects (both
      sex, left and right handed) were compared with those of 10 patients with TLE and
      unilateral EEG focus. A reduced estimated total brain extension, a significant
      atrophy of both temporal lobes with accentuation on the focus side and a
      significant hippocampal atrophy on focus-side were seen even in patients with no
      visually detectable pathology. The analysis of the signal intensities did not
      give additional information. Thus, qMRI is a helpful additional tool in the
      course of presurgical evaluation for focus lateralization.

PMID- 1857458
TI  - [Cerebral hypersensitivity vasculitis].

PMID- 1857459
TI  - [A case of cerebral thromboangiitis obliterans. Clinical and autopsy findings in
      Spatz and Lindenberg type I].

PMID- 1857461
TI  - [Recommendations for clinical trials of drugs indicated for dementing diseases].

PMID- 1857462
TI  - [Comments on the contribution by C. Wurthmann, M. Daffertshofer and M. Hennerici:
      Qualitative abnormal visceral sensations in multiple sclerosis. Nervenarzt 61:361
      363 (1990)].

PMID- 1857460
TI  - [Respiration-synchronous muscle activity in proximal arm and shoulder muscles
      after traumatic plexus and root lesions].

PMID- 1857463
TI  - Adynamic bone disease in uremia: may it be idiopathic? Is it an actual disease?

PMID- 1857464
TI  - IgA nephropathy associated with Campylobacter jejuni enteritis.

PMID- 1857465
TI  - Subclavian vein stenosis, permanent cardiac pacemakers and the haemodialysed
      patient.
AB  - Two cases of subclavian vein stenosis secondary to permanent cardiac pacemakers
      are presented. Both stenoses were asymptomatic until arteriovenous
      fistulae/grafts were constructed in order to initiate haemodialysis. One patient
      experienced severe oedema of the arm which necessitated surgical closure of the
      graft. A literature review into major venous stenosis and cardiac pacemakers
      reveals an asymptomatic, but evidently underestimated, problem. As more elderly
      patients will be accepted onto haemodialysis programmes, this above-mentioned
      problem may become more common. Therapeutic answers as to haemodialysis access
      are discussed in these patients with permanent pacemakers who need haemodialysis.

PMID- 1857467
TI  - Production of interleukin-1 by mononuclear leukocytes and mesangial cells in
      experimental nephrotoxic nephritis.

PMID- 1857466
TI  - Hemodialysis and blood coagulation: the effect of hemodialysis on coagulation
      factor XIII and thrombin-antithrombin III complex.
AB  - Blood membrane interaction during hemodialysis (HD) regularly leads to
      stimulation of leukocyte function and related release of granular enzymes. The
      present study aimed to investigate the possible influence of an HD-induced
      release of granulocyte elastase on blood coagulation. Therefore a highly
      sensitive substrate of polymorphonuclear elastase, the plasma coagulation factor
      XIII and its subunits A and S were determined in the course of HD. Consumption of
      both subunit A and S have been previously shown to be due to proteolysis by
      elastase, whereas a decrease in subunit A will be typical for thrombin
      activation. Furthermore, the thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) acting as a
      predisposition parameter for thrombotic events was measured during HD treatment.
      Apart from a virtual fall in factor XIII total activity simulated by heparin, no
      significant HD-induced consumption of factor XIII could be observed. There was
      also no indication of an elastase- or thrombin-related change in subunit
      concentrations. Predialysis values of the TAT complex were generally elevated in
      HD patients, but only patients with acute renal failure showed a constant
      increase of TAT during HD. These findings suggest that HD patients are exposed to
      a latent activation of coagulation resulting in an elevated thrombogenetic risk
      mainly due to the underlying disease. An additional coagulatory stimulation by
      the HD procedure seems to be restricted to cases of acute renal failure.

PMID- 1857468
TI  - A study of the effects of ipriflavone administration on hemodialysis patients
      with renal osteodystrophy: preliminary report.

PMID- 1857469
TI  - Cyclosporin neurotoxicity presenting as an unilateral foot drop in a renal
      transplant patient.

PMID- 1857470
TI  - Wedge-shaped low-density lesion on sonography of the kidney in advanced cirrhotic
      patient.

PMID- 1857471
TI  - Hemodialysis with a Permcath kept open with streptokinase and later citrate in a
      heparin-sensitive patient.

PMID- 1857472
TI  - Carcinoma of the kidney presenting as sterile peritonitis in a patient on
      continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

PMID- 1857473
TI  - Mode of progression of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with chronic
      renal failure.

PMID- 1857474
TI  - Horseshoe kidney, focal and sclerosing glomerulonephritis and primary
      hypothyroidism.

PMID- 1857475
TI  - Comparison of methylguanidine production from creatinine and creatol in vivo.

PMID- 1857476
TI  - Impairment of amino-induced renal hyperemia in pancreatectomized dogs.

PMID- 1857478
TI  - Effects of dipyridamole on the short-term evolution of glomerulonephritis.
AB  - The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of dipyridamole (300
      mg/day) versus placebo in a double-blind randomized trial on membranous
      glomerulonephritis (M-GMN), mesangial IgA glomerulonephritis (IgA-GMN), and
      segmentary and focal hyalinosis glomerulonephritis (SFH-GMN) during the first 3
      months of treatment. In the case of M-GMN, proteinuria dropped by 60% of the
      basal value in patients treated with dipyridamole; in the case of IgA-GMN it
      dropped by 65-70%; and in the case of SFH-GMN it dropped by 40% of the basal
      value. Inhibition of proteinuria in M-GMN was correlated to platelet response,
      and above all, to the ADP-induced platelet aggregation in whole blood.

PMID- 1857477
TI  - Tubulointerstitial nephritis and Mediterranean spotted fever.

PMID- 1857479
TI  - Urinary albumin excretion in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus in an early microalbuminuric stage.
AB  - We investigated the urinary albumin excretion and renal hemodynamics of
      normotensive nonobese patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and non
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in an early microalbuminuric stage
      (defined by albuminuria less than 30 mg/day). In comparison with normal subjects,
      a significant increase in urinary albumin excretion was observed already in the
      IGT stage [U-albumin/U-creatinine: NL (20 subjects), 5.3 +/- 1.7 mg/g Cr; IGT (23
      subjects), 11.9 +/- 6.7 mg/g Cr; DM (20 subjects), 12.8 +/- 5.7 mg/g Cr]. A 3
      week diet therapy combined with physical exercise prescribed for 53 normotensive
      non-obese mild NIDDM patients resulted in improvement in glucose tolerance,
      concomitant with lowered systemic blood pressure and a decrease in urinary
      albumin excretion (SBP: 128.4 +/- 13.0 to 106.4 +/- 10.2 mm Hg, p less than 0.01;
      DBP: 78.2 +/- 10.8 to 66.0 +/- 8.0 mm Hg, p less than 0.01; U-albumin: 19.4 +/-
      10.3 to 10.1 +/- 9.1 mg/day, p less than 0.01). However, glomerular filtration
      rate, renal plasma flow, filtration fraction and urinary beta 2-microglobulin
      excretion remained unchanged. From these results, we hypothesized that focal
      glomerular hyperperfusion increases urinary albumin excretion in patients with
      early NIDDM.

PMID- 1857480
TI  - Desferrioxamine enhances the haemopoietic response to erythropoietin, but adverse
      events are common.
AB  - To determine whether the chelation of aluminium enhances the haemopoietic
      response to recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO), desferrioxamine (DFO) at
      a dose of 20-30 mg/kg was given to 7 of 17 transfusion-dependent haemodialysis
      patients treated with r-HuEPO (40 units/kg/dialysis i.v.). The two randomly
      allocated groups did not differ in age, initial haemoglobin, plasma aluminium,
      plasma aluminium after DFO challenge, and ferritin, but, by chance, dialysis time
      was longer in the DFO group (69 vs. 32 months; p = 0.02). DFO was administered
      for 16 +/- 4 (SE) dialyses. During this period, Hb rose faster in the DFO group,
      in relation to time (0.61 vs. 0.29 g/l day; p less than 0.05) and r-HuEPO dose
      (3.35 vs. 1.88 g/l/100 units r-HuEPO/kg; p less than 0.05). However, in the DFO
      group, there was a high incidence of side effects, especially visual toxicity. It
      is concluded that DFO enhances the effectiveness of r-HuEPO in correcting the
      anaemia of chronic renal failure, but the combination of DFO and r-HuEPO is
      unsafe under the conditions described.

PMID- 1857481
TI  - Total and split renal function assessed by ultrasound Doppler techniques.
AB  - We evaluated total and split renal functions from the pattern for renal arterial
      blood flow detected by ultrasound Doppler in healthy subjects and patients with
      varying degrees of renal function and disorders other than renovascular
      hypertension or severe aortic valvular disease. A renal-time pulsed ultrasonic
      echo-Doppler device at 2.5 MHz was used with a translumbar approach. The ratio of
      peak diastolic (D) to systolic (S) velocity correlated well with both p
      aminohippurate clearance and creatinine clearance. Acceleration time was
      correlated with the clearance of neither compound. To evaluate the clinical
      usefulness of ultrasound Doppler in the assessment of split renal function, we
      compared the D/S ratio with the renal function obtained by radionuclide methods
      for individuals. The split renal glomerular filtration rate, calculated by a
      method which makes use of the early renal uptake of 99mTc-diethylenetriam
      inepentaacetic acid, correlated well with the D/S ratio. These results indicate
      that the ultrasonic measurement of renal arterial blood flow by the pulsed
      Doppler method should be useful for assessment of total and split renal
      functions.

PMID- 1857482
TI  - Comparative effects of enalapril, atenolol and chlorthalidone on blood pressure
      and kidney function of diabetic patients affected by arterial hypertension and
      persistent proteinuria.
AB  - Arterial hypertension and proteinuric nephropathy are common features in diabetic
      patients. In streptozotocin-diabetic rats, it has been possible to reduce the
      blood pressure and proteinuria by converting enzyme inhibitors, and so slowing
      the decline of kidney function. These results have been confirmed in diabetic
      patients affected by arterial hypertension and persistent proteinuria. However,
      up to now it has not been clear if these favorable renal effects are related
      specifically to converting enzyme inhibition. In the attempt to clarify this last
      point, from a practical as well as from a speculative point of view, 12 type 2
      diabetic outpatients affected by mild to moderate arterial hypertension and
      persistent macroalbuminuria (greater than 250 mg/daily, at least on three
      consecutive occasions) without any other signs of renal diseases were studied. In
      a randomized sequence and in a double blind fashion, after a washout period of 3
      weeks, the patients underwent pharmacological treatment which consisted of
      enalapril 20 mg o.d., chlorthalidone 12.5 mg o.d., atenolol 50 mg o.d. and
      placebo o.d. Each treatment lasted 45 days. Kidney function, blood pressure and
      heart rate were checked at the beginning and at the end of each treatment, while
      urinary albumin excretion was measured at the end of the 4th, 5th, and 6th week
      of each treatment. Blood pressure significantly decreased in a similar fashion
      after each active treatment, while kidney function did not change significantly.
      Urinary albumin excretion rate significantly decreased after enalapril and
      atenolol, but did not change after chlorthalidone. According to these results we
      can hypothesize that the inhibition of tissue angiotensin formation and its
      related change on the glomerular permeability, rather than renal and systemic
      hemodynamic features, seem to be the common mechanisms by which both enalapril as
      well as atenolol decrease the albuminuria in our patients.

PMID- 1857483
TI  - Short-term effects of calcium antagonists on renal haemodynamics in patients with
      chronic renal failure.
AB  - Experimental evidence suggests that pharmacological manipulations of glomerular
      haemodynamics may affect the progression of chronic renal insufficiency and
      scarring. In this study, we have investigated the short-term (4 weeks) renal
      haemodynamic effects of nifedipine and nitrendipine (10 mg/thrice daily) in two
      separate groups of 6 patients with stable chronic renal failure (CRF) (glomerular
      filtration rate, GFR: 9.7-47.8 ml/min/1.73 m2). Patients were studied on three
      occasions: (1) before the administration of the calcium antagonist, (2) after 4
      weeks of treatment and (3) 4 weeks after the discontinuation of the drug. Mean
      arterial pressure fell significantly on nifedipine: from 116.33 +/- 12.25 to
      107.22 +/- 18.67 mm Hg, p less than 0.05, and on nitrendipine: from 112.22 +/-
      10.04 to 102.22 +/- 13.77 mm Hg, p less than 0.05. There was no significant
      effect of either calcium antagonist on GFR, effective renal plasma flow (ERPF),
      proteinuria or natriuresis. Consequently, renal vascular resistance (RVR) fell in
      both experimental groups, nifedipine: from 51.40 +/- 28.77 to 44.97 +/- 30 dyn s
      cm-5 x 10(3) (mean +/- SD), and nitrendipine: from 37.04 +/- 18.46 to 30.47 +/-
      15.56 dyns s cm-5 x 10(3), p less than 0.05. These results show that calcium
      antagonists reduce systemic blood pressure whilst GFR and ERPF are maintained.
      The fall in the RVR of patients with CRF treated with calcium antagonists may
      confer on these agents a therapeutic advantage in the management of progressive
      renal insufficiency.

PMID- 1857484
TI  - Cisplatin nephrotoxicity in cadmium-pretreated rats. Enzymatic, functional and
      morphological studies.
AB  - Treatment of rats with cisplatin or with cisplatin after chronic pre-exposure to
      cadmium induced a decrease in kidney cytochrome P-450 and glutathione levels, and
      in glutathione peroxidase and reductase activities. Furthermore, cadmium and
      cisplatin enhanced lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione and N-glucuronyl
      transferase activity. Glutathione S-transferase (substrate: 1-chloro-2,4
      dinitrobenzene) was increased and decreased by cadmium and cisplatin
      respectively. On morphological observation, cadmium nephrotoxicity was
      characterized by tubular proximal damage with mitochondrial and lysosomal changes
      and a widespread vesiculation of tubular cells. A marked focal tubular necrosis
      associated with cyst formation was observed in cisplatin nephrotoxicity. On the
      basis of the measured biochemical, functional and histological parameters, it is
      concluded that cadmium pretreatment did not potentiate the nephrotoxic effect of
      cisplatin.

PMID- 1857485
TI  - Isolation and characterization of chicken mesangial cells.
AB  - Experimental autoimmune glomerulonephritis (EAG) in chickens appears to be
      mediated by cellular immunity and is associated with mesangial proliferation. We
      have developed techniques for the culture of chicken mesangial cells to study
      factors in vitro which lead to this proliferation. Chicken glomeruli isolated by
      sieving collagenase-treated whole kidney homogenates were cultured in Waymouth's
      medium MB 752/1 supplemented with 20% decomplemented fetal calf serum and 1
      unit/ml insulin. Propagated cells share the following characteristics with
      mammalian mesangial cells: stellate and spindle-shaped morphology with an
      extensive microfilamentous system by light and electron microscopy; resistance to
      aminonucleoside of puromycin; susceptibility to mitomycin C; growth in L-valine
      free medium; absent staining for factor VIII-related antigen, chicken T cell and
      Ia antigen; positive staining for fibronectin, myosin, alpha-actinin and desmin,
      and angiotensin II binding and induction of contraction. Unlike cultured
      mammalian mesangial cells, chicken mesangial cells avidly phagocytize latex beads
      and display multilamellar residual bodies on electron microscopy indicative of
      phagocytic activity. They differed from fibroblasts which were non-phagocytic,
      had different growth patterns, fluorescence staining and ultrastructural
      morphology. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the culture of
      chicken mesangial cells. This in vitro system should allow further studies of
      pathogenetic processes involved in the production of EAG with elucidation of
      mechanisms relevant to human disease.

PMID- 1857486
TI  - Studies on the precursor of methylguanidine in rats with renal failure.
AB  - Each of creatinine (Cr), guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) and arginine (Arg) was
      administered intraperitoneally to rats with renal failure, and the levels of
      methylguanidine (MG) in the serum, liver, kidney, muscle and urine were
      determined at certain intervals. The levels of MG in the serum, liver, kidney,
      muscle and urine after Cr administration increased markedly with time. The amount
      of total MG at 24 h was estimated to be 114 micrograms/100 g body weight, which
      accounted for 0.46% of the Cr dose. In contrast, changes in MG levels after
      administration of GAA or Arg were only slight in comparison with those after Cr
      administration. Thus, MG was proved to be produced mainly from Cr.

PMID- 1857487
TI  - The lowering effect of probucol on plasma lipoprotein and proteinuria in
      puromycin aminonucleoside-induced nephrotic rats.
AB  - Hyperlipidemia associated with nephrotic syndrome was treated with probucol and
      the changes in plasma lipoprotein lipid concentration and urinary protein
      excretion were examined in puromycin aminonucleoside-induced nephrotic rats. Rats
      made nephrotic exhibited severe hyperlipidemia with increases in all major
      lipoprotein fractions. Probucol treatment of nephrotic rats significantly lowered
      plasma triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (Ch) phospholipid (PL) and apoprotein B
      associated with very-low-density and low-density lipoprotein and Ch and PL in
      high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Malondialdehyde (MDA) associated with the
      lipoproteins was significantly elevated in nephrotic rats and probucol treatment
      also lowered MDA concentration in all major lipoproteins. In control rats
      probucol moderately, but significantly, reduced plasma TG and HDL-Ch
      concentrations. Proteinuria associated with nephrosis was decreased significantly
      by treatment with probucol. Probucol treatment did not affect blood urea nitrogen
      and plasma creatinine levels. A significant positive correlation existed between
      the amount of protein excreted in urine and the plasma lipid concentrations in
      all nephrotic rats, suggesting that the hypolipidemic effect of probucol may
      attenuate proteinuria associated with nephrosis. These results suggest that
      probucol may be a favorable treatment for hyperlipidemia associated with
      nephrotic syndrome.

PMID- 1857488
TI  - Propionic acidaemia: a neuropathological study of two patients presenting in
      infancy.
AB  - The clinical and neuropathological findings are described in two children with
      propionic acidaemia presenting in infancy; they survived for 4 and 16 years
      respectively. Abnormalities were noted in the basal ganglia of both patients. In
      one child who clinically had severe athetosis, there was marbling of the corpus
      striatum. Clinical and morphological evidence suggests that the basal ganglia are
      especially vulnerable in propionic acidaemia.

PMID- 1857489
TI  - Heat shock in cultured neurons and astrocytes: correlation of ultrastructure and
      heat shock protein synthesis.
AB  - Cultured cerebral cortical neurons and astrocytes were compared after a brief
      shock. Morphological findings were correlated with the synthesis of the 68 kD
      heat shock protein (HSP68). Heat shocked neurons demonstrated many severe
      morphological changes after exposure to temperatures of 43 degrees C for 15 min
      and 45 degrees C for 10 min. Nuclear membrane 'blebbing' with lysis of the
      membrane, chromatin clumping, and disappearance of the nucleolus were prominent
      after both conditions. Lysis of the cell membrane was noted in severely injured
      neurons; this was more prominent at the higher temperature. In addition,
      alterations to polyribosomes, Golgi apparatus, rough endoplasmic reticulum and
      mitochondria were noted in the cytoplasm of neurons after heat shock. In
      contrast, no significant changes were noted in either the nucleus or cytoplasm of
      heat shocked astrocytes. The severity of morphological changes in neurons
      directly correlated with the low level of induction of HSP68 in neurons. Neurons
      synthesized much less 68 kD heat shock protein than similarly heat shocked
      astrocytes. We conclude that cultured cerebral cortical neurons are more
      susceptible to injury after heat shock than heat resistant astrocytes and that
      one possible mechanism of injury is failure to synthesize adequate amounts of
      HSP68 after injury.

PMID- 1857490
TI  - Multifocal multinucleated giant cell myelitis in an AIDS patient.
AB  - A 19-year-old male intravenous drug abuser, was admitted to hospital with a one
      week history of lower limb weakness and urinary retention. He was known to have
      been HIV-seropositive for 3 years and had been treated for cerebral
      toxoplasmosis. Neurological examination confirmed flaccid paraparesis with weak
      ankle jerks and bilateral extensor plantar responses. There was no obvious
      sensory deficit. Neurological examination was otherwise normal. CSF contained 63
      mg/dl protein and 10 leucocytes/mm3. Myelography was normal. He died 1 month
      later from septic peritonitis. Neuropathological examination showed chronic
      lesions of toxoplasmosis in brain. Small necrotic foci with myelin loss,
      proliferation of microglia, macrophages and multinucleated giant cells (MGC) were
      disseminated in the whole spinal cord, mostly in the white matter, but the brain
      was spared. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated p24 and p17 HIV antigens in
      macrophages, MGC and microglial cells. These lesions resemble those of so called
      'multifocal giant cell encephalitis'. The present case demonstrates that HIV
      related multifocal inflammatory changes may be restricted to the spinal cord and
      may be a cause of myelopathy in AIDS patients.

PMID- 1857491
TI  - Neurotoxic acrylamide and neurotrophic melanocortin peptides--can contrasting
      actions provide clues about modes of action?
AB  - Experimental acrylamide neuropathy has been studied as a model of degenerative
      neurological disorders of the 'dying-back' type for over 30 years. Functional,
      histological, ultrastructural, electrophysiological and biochemical aspects of
      acrylamide neuropathy have been described and several hypotheses concerning the
      mode of action proposed. However, the mechanism whereby acrylamide causes axonal
      degeneration and inhibits nerve sprouting remains unknown. By analogy with
      agonist/antagonist comparisons used by the pharmacologist, we have reconsidered
      the acrylamide problem in the light of the opposite effects summarized in Table
      1, of neurotrophic peptides related to ACTH/MSH (collectively termed
      melanocortins). The contrasting effects on sprouting and the eventual quality of
      repair of mechanically lesioned nerves have suggested a mechanism whereby
      sprouting may regulate perikaryal adjustments to injury. We have also posed the
      question as to whether a common biochemical mechanism, namely selective
      proteolysis of neurofilament protein may underlie the opposing effects of
      acrylamide and melanocortins on nerve sprouting. This possibility implies a
      hitherto unknown role for neurofilament protein turnover in neuronal maintenance
      and repair, a suggestion that may provoke further research and discussion.

PMID- 1857492
TI  - Canavan disease: value of N-acetylaspartic aciduria?

PMID- 1857493
TI  - Prenatal stroke suggested by intrauterine ultrasound and confirmed by magnetic
      resonance imaging.
AB  - Cerebral infarction is rare in premature newborns and is most commonly the result
      of arterial embolization from the placenta. A focal echodense area was identified
      on prenatal cranial ultrasonography (US) in a premature infant (34 weeks of
      gestation). After birth, cerebral infarction was confirmed by magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI). The clinical findings, imaging findings and pathogenesis are
      discussed. New diagnostic methods such as MRI show to be a useful approach in the
      neonatal period facilitating recognition of cerebrovascular accidents also in low
      birth-weight infants.

PMID- 1857494
TI  - Juvenile onset diabetes mellitus, central diabetes insipidus and optic atrophy
      (Wolfram syndrome)--neurological findings and prognostic implications.
AB  - The authors report on one case of Wolfram syndrome, a rare condition, which is
      characterized by juvenile onset diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic
      atrophy and sensorineural deafness. The findings of this 13-year follow-up show
      that this patient developed typical neurological complications of long-standing
      diabetes mellitus as in the common type 1 variant. Moreover, some peculiar signs
      occurred such as anosmia, ophthalmoplegia interna, and central nystagmus. Since
      Wolfram syndrome is probably part of a more generalized neurodegenerative
      disorder, long-term prognosis will depend both upon the severity of chronic
      diabetic complications and upon the rapidity, by which degeneration of
      cerebellar, pontine and brain stem structures appear. Prognosis of the cardinal
      clinical signs is such that optic atrophy, though usually quite rapid in the
      beginning, generally does not lead to complete blindness. Sensorineural hearing
      loss progresses very slowly so that deafness might be expected exceptionally
      only. The hearing deficit in classical diabetics, however, is of retrocochlear
      origin. Therefore, in Wolfram syndrome, a combined inner-ear and retrocochlear
      hearing loss may occur.

PMID- 1857495
TI  - Fusarium meningoencephalitis in a child with acute leukemia.
AB  - A 15-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) developed disseminated
      fusarium infection with meningoencephalitis following a contaminated skin wound.
      With antifungal therapy, the cutaneous lesions cleared but central nervous system
      (CNS) infection persisted causing a fibrosing meningitis and a brain granuloma.
      Fusaria are soil saprophytes that are more commonly associated with superficial
      eye and skin lesions, but may also cause severe systemic infections with CNS
      involvement in immuno-compromised patients. The organism may be confused with
      Aspergillus in tissue sections, and can only be diagnosed by culture.

PMID- 1857496
TI  - Infantile hereditary neuropathy with hypomyelination: report of two siblings with
      different expressivity.
AB  - We report the cases of two siblings both affected by inherited sensory-motor
      neuropathy of a demyelinative nature but with markedly different severity and
      pathological findings. The clinical, neurophysiological and morphological
      features in these two cases were consistent with the diagnosis of Hereditary
      Motor Sensory Neuropathy type 3 (HMSN 3), according to the classification of
      Dyck, with different expressivity. These results raise the still unsettled
      question of the phenotypic variants in inherited neuropathies. In fact the most
      severely affected of our cases had clinical and neurophysiological findings
      identical to those reported in cases of Congenital Hypomyelination Neuropathy
      (CHN), but the morphological picture in the sural nerve was inconsistent with
      this diagnosis. The criteria for the diagnosis and the reported cases of CHN have
      been reviewed.

PMID- 1857497
TI  - Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: classical or connatal?
AB  - The clinical features and investigation results of 7 patients with Pelizaeus
      Merzbacher disease (PMD) are described; one patient had a brain biopsy and two
      patients had an autopsy. This paper tries to differentiate the clinical features
      of the connatal and classical types of PMD. Transient stridor and nystagmus were
      early signs in both types of PMD. Our findings support the view that the more
      severe connatal form shows rapid neurological deterioration from an early age
      leading to death usually in the first decade. In younger patients in whom the
      evolution is still unclear, severe feeding problems and extrapyramidal features
      may suggest the connatal form. By contrast, in the classical form of PMD,
      cerebellar signs and cognitive deterioration are more prominent with a more
      slowly progressive course. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and brainstem
      auditory evoked potentials were very helpful in supporting the diagnosis of PMD
      either in a known affected family or in sporadic cases, but were not useful in
      distinguishing between the two types of PMD. Genetic counseling in this condition
      is difficult, particularly in the connatal form in which inheritance may be
      either X-linked or autosomal recessive.

PMID- 1857499
TI  - Effects of behavioural state on visual processing in neonates.
AB  - Assessment of visual capacity in full-term neonates as a function of behavioural
      state was investigated with the luminance flash visual evoked potential (VEP).
      Infant state (quiet sleep, active sleep, quiet wakefulness, active wakefulness)
      was determined by behavioural observation and polygraphic recording of EEG, eye
      movements, electrocardiogram, electromyogram and respiration. VEPs were recorded
      across the sleep/waking cycle only under carefully defined state conditions. The
      results indicate that state dramatically effects the amplitude, latency and
      waveform of the transient luminance flash VEP with the most significant
      differences between sleep and wakefulness. The results further suggest that
      controlled state recording reduces intra and intersubject VEP variability.

PMID- 1857500
TI  - Mental planning and anticipatory processes with acute and chronic frontal lobe
      lesions: a comparison of maze performance in routine and non-routine situations.
AB  - A series of computerized mazes were masked during presentation allowing only
      partial view of their structure. Patients suffering from acute or chronic
      unilateral frontal (medial, lateral) or retrorolandic (temporal, parietal)
      lesions and non-brain-damaged controls were required to pass through the mazes
      repeatedly, until they solved them without reaching a dead end. Because the mazes
      could not be viewed in their entirety at any one time, the subjects were forced
      to mentally generate and apply a plan of the maze. The first ("non-routine"
      situation), the second and the last ("routine" situation) trials of the mazes
      were analysed separately. The prefrontal cortex is supposed to subserve important
      functions in the planning of behaviour in unfamiliar, non-routine situations.
      Shallice (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B298, 199-209, 1982; From Neuropsychology to
      Mental Structure, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988) therefore
      postulated that the behaviour of patients with frontal lobe lesions should not be
      disturbed in routine situations, but rather these patients should exhibit
      difficulties in dealing with new and unfamiliar situations. In the present
      investigation, patients with acute and chronic frontomedial lesions exhibited
      deficits in generating mental plans. Patients with acute frontomedial lesions
      made a larger number of errors in their second trials and subsequently required
      more trials to reach task criterium. Patients with chronic frontomedial lesions
      showed more frequent rule-breaking behaviour in their second trials. The analysis
      of maze performance in the first trial and that trial in which task criterion was
      achieved, showed that frontal lobe patients were impaired in neither routine nor
      non-routine situations. The observed results suggest a modification concerning
      Shallice's assumptions. Patients with frontomedial lesions are not generally
      incapable of dealing with non-routine situations. But they seem to be slower than
      patients with retrorolandic lesions and controls in profiting from experiences
      made in an unfamiliar, non-routine situation represented by the first
      explorations of new maze problems. This deficit can possibly be explained by the
      observation that anticipatory processes or the formation of expectations about
      possibly correct decisions in non-routine situations were altered in acute and
      chronic frontomedial patients. When these patients reached a maze intersection
      for the first time and therefore had no information about the continuation of the
      correct path, they showed significantly different intuitive directional decisions
      when compared to controls.

PMID- 1857501
TI  - Generative associative naming in dementia of Alzheimer's type.
AB  - Forty-eight patients with mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer's type (DAT)
      were tested with a generative associative naming task, a task that combines the
      aspects of fluency and of word association tests. The variables taken into
      consideration were the number of adequate and inadequate responses,
      conventionality, word frequency and lexical-semantic relation to the target. DAT
      patients' performances were compared to those of a group of control subjects
      matched for sex, age and educational level. As a group, the patients gave fewer
      adequate responses, more idiosyncratic responses and perseverations, while there
      was no difference in the qualitative variables. However, the analyses of the
      performance profiles suggest that, irrespective of the severity of the disease,
      two major subgroups of DAT patients may be identified: (1) a first subgroup of
      subjects produced words with a lower conventionality rate and these were mostly
      in propositional relationship to the target; they also produced a higher rate of
      idiosyncratic responses and perseverations. (2) A second subgroup of subjects
      gave more conventional responses, mostly in the hierarchical-categorical
      relationship. The disorders of the former subgroup seem to correspond to a
      disrupted access to some relatively spared semantic abilities, whereas those of
      the latter to a semantic breakdown.

PMID- 1857498
TI  - Non-target visual event-related potentials in evaluation of children with minor
      head trauma.
AB  - In 50 children, 4 months to 12 years of age, with minor head trauma non-target
      visual event-related potentials were performed and compared to a second
      registration of the potentials some months later. On following-up there was a
      clear tendency for a relative improvement of the latencies of the endogenous
      potentials. In this way non-target visual event-related potentials proved to be
      of value in the investigation of mental impairment in early childhood.

PMID- 1857502
TI  - Different pattern of hemisphere specialization between identical kinesthetic
      spatial and weight discrimination tasks.
AB  - Thumb position discrimination and weight discrimination tasks were examined in
      female students. Task procedures were identical for the position and weight
      tasks. Different weights were loaded for each positioning and the thumb was
      abducted to discriminate the weight. The Weber ratio was obtained by the method
      of constant stimuli and was compared between right and left. The results of
      position discrimination indicated left thumb (right hemisphere) superiority,
      while the results of weight discrimination indicated no laterality despite
      identical tasks. Directed attention is suggested to play an important role in the
      appearance of hemisphere lateralization.

PMID- 1857503
TI  - Musical priming by the right hemisphere post-callosotomy.
AB  - The hemispheric representation of auditory functions mediating the perception of
      harmony in music was investigated in two split-brain patients using a musical
      chord priming task. Previous experiments in normal subjects had demonstrated that
      the harmonic context established by a prime chord influences the accuracy of
      target chord intonation judgements. Only the right hemisphere of each callosotomy
      patient manifested the normal interaction between harmonic relatedness and
      intonation. The results raise the possibility that associative auditory functions
      which generate expectancies for harmonic progression in music are lateralized
      within the right hemisphere.

PMID- 1857504
TI  - Left out axons make men right: a hypothesis for the origin of handedness and
      functional asymmetry.
AB  - The origin and underlying mechanisms of hand preference are still unresolved,
      despite extensive research and discussion. Numerous possibilities have been
      considered, including genetic and hormonal factors, brain insult and learning. We
      suggest here that naturally occurring loss of axons of the corpus callosum
      (either symmetric or asymmetric, with or without neuron death) may be one
      mechanism underlying the embryological development of hand preference and
      hemispheric anatomical and functional asymmetries in males. We note supporting
      evidence for this hypothesis from a report of increased prevalence of left
      handedness in children born prematurely at the gestational age prior to the
      likely onset of axon loss. The practical implications of this hypothesis for
      clinical management in neonatal intensive care units are discussed. It is
      suggested that the course of loss of callosal axons may have a genetic component
      which is associated with a sex-related influence and which is modifiable by
      prenatal and early postnatal events.

PMID- 1857505
TI  - Visual field asymmetries for pattern processing are present in infancy. A comment
      on T. Hatta's study on children's performances.
AB  - From a study on 4 to 6 year-old children, Hatta (Hatta, Neuropyschologia 28, 1053
      1062, 1990) concludes that (a) a left visual-field advantage develops at age 4 to
      5 years in visuo-spatial stimulus recognition, and (b) since both the right
      visual-field advantage for verbal and the left visual-field advantage for visuo
      spatial material develop at the same age, there is no support for the claim that
      the left and right hemispheres develop differentially. We contest these
      conclusions on the basis of our own infant studies which have shown a right
      visual-field advantage in 4 to 9 month-old infants for individual face
      recognition and more recently, for some aspects of visual patterns.

PMID- 1857506
TI  - Developmental changes in finger localization.
AB  - This experiment examined the basis for developmental changes in finger
      localization performance. Groups of children aged 6, 8 and 10 years were tested
      on an uncrossed localization task and a crossed localization task or a model
      localization task. In the uncrossed localization task they used the stimulated
      hand to localize the stimulated fingers on the stimulated hand. In the crossed
      localization task they used the unstimulated hand to localize the stimulated
      fingers on the unstimulated hand. In the model localization task they used the
      stimulated hand to localize the stimulated fingers on a model hand. Localization
      for the uncrossed task was more accurate than for either the crossed or model
      tasks, but developmental differences in localization accuracy were comparable for
      each of the three localization tasks. The present results do not support the
      suggestion (Galin et al., Brain Lang. 4, 588-590, 1977; Quinn and Geffen,
      Neuropsychologia 24, 793-804, 1986) that developmental changes in crossed
      localization result from changes in the efficiency of interhemispheric transfer
      of information.

PMID- 1857507
TI  - [Behavior of systolic blood pressure during recovery phase after bicycle
      ergometric test. Its value in the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease].
AB  - The diagnostic utility of an abnormal decrease in systolic blood pressure (PAS)
      after exercise, have been evaluated by an index obtained by the ratio between PAS
      at the maximal stage of exercise and PAS at the 1', 3' and 5' of recovery (PAS
      index). The 58 patients studied have been divided in two groups: group A, 32
      patients, aged 33-66 (means 51.5) with angina pectoris and significant coronary
      stenosis; group B, 26 subjects, aged 27-39 (mean 34.7), asymptomatic, without
      coronary stenosis (control group). PAS index at 1' of recovery have been 0.82 +/-
      0.08 in the group B and 0.94 +/- 0.07 in the group A (p less than 0.0005); at the
      3' of recovery 0.72 +/- 0.07 in the group B and 0.86 +/- 0.11 in CAD group (p
      less than 0.0005); at 5' of recovery 0.66 +/- 0.07 in the group B and 0.79 +/-
      0.11 in the group A (p less than 0.0005). Diagnostic accuracy have been of 60%,
      75% and 75% for PAS index respectively at first, third and fifth minute of
      recovery, while ST depression diagnostic accuracy have been of 88%.

PMID- 1857508
TI  - [Dysplasia of the right ventricle].
AB  - The end of this work is to talk about a relatively new disease: right ventricular
      dysplasia (RVD). The Authors consider clinical and instrumental features of the
      illness with particular reference to recent data for histopathological and
      instrumental diagnosis. Most interesting are the electron microscopy observations
      and, above all, nuclear resonance magnetic (NMR) findings.

PMID- 1857510
TI  - [Cardiac malformations with septal defects. Apropos of a case of biloculate heart
      with transposition and aortic atresia].
AB  - The Authors describe a case of uniatrial univentricular heart with a right
      transposition and atresia of the aorta. This case forms part of an autoptic
      series of 74 congenital cardiopathies with defects of the septal system:
      monometameric (52 cases), polymetameric (22 cases), and limited (66 cases) or
      broad DIA, DIV or FAP types (8 cases). Having outlined the correlations between
      the type of defect and the complex morphogenetic events, whose close integration
      leads to a continuous septal system, the Authors focus their attention on the
      common associations between septal defects and other cardio-vascular anomalies
      (66 cases). The analysis of findings supports hypothesis that many of these are
      due to alterations in the position and direction of individual septal buds are
      should be seen against the overall background of septal pathology. Under these
      circumstances the pathogenetic importance of alterations of the complex movements
      presented by the cardiac type during the course of septal development and, to an
      event greater extent, possible alterations of the embryonal hematic flow are
      underlined.

PMID- 1857509
TI  - [Non-invasive temporary cardiac pacing. Possibilities and limitations].
AB  - The non-invasive temporary pacemaker is a reliable and easy method for emergency
      treatment of asystole or severe bradycardias. Large electrode areas and long
      pulse width allow a low stimulation threshold (40-60 mA), and so were largely
      eliminated discomfort resulting from contraction of skeletal muscles and burning
      pain from stimulation of cutaneous nerves. In our experience, non-invasive pacing
      was effective in all thirteen patients in whom it was applied, was maintained for
      a mean time of 30 minutes and then temporary endocardial pacing was performed. In
      our opinion, this method will be a valid alternative to transvenous pacing, when
      completely eliminated stimulation of skeletal muscles and cutaneous nerves. It
      may play a role in the treatment of tachyarrhythmias.

PMID- 1857511
TI  - [Concurrence of intra-atrial conduction disorders in the initiation of paroxysmal
      atrial fibrillation].

PMID- 1857512
TI  - [Supraventricular tachycardia with PR interval shorter than RP interval.
      Electrogenetic mechanisms and diagnostic criteria].
AB  - The Authors report their experience on the different clinical
      electrocardiographic patterns of tachycardias with P'R interval shorter than RP'.
      The electrocardiographic criteria, in basal conditions and after autonomic
      stimulation, and the role of electrophysiologic study, particularly in
      transesophageal way, are discussed. Finally the Authors propose a noninvasive
      diagnostic algorithm for a correct clinical approach.

PMID- 1857513
TI  - [The eye and pregnancy].
AB  - The principal effects of pregnancy on the eye are reviewed, these effects being
      subdivided into three main sections: paraphysiological changes, pathological
      conditions developing in pregnancy and related to it, pre-existing pathological
      conditions that are to some extent altered by pregnancy. On the basis of the data
      supplied, a continuous, increasingly assiduous clinico-experimental give-and-take
      between oculist and gynaecologist is recommended to prevent possible eye
      complications.

PMID- 1857514
TI  - [Therapy of pre-invasive forms of the portio cervicis. Personal experience].
AB  - The Authors report their personal experience of the treatment of dysplasia of the
      portion over the past 5 years. Out of a total sample population of 286 patients,
      31.1% received conservative therapy (deep DTC) and 68.9% underwent conisation or
      total hysterectomy. Follow-up ranged between 24 and 48 months and revealed a
      similar incidence of relapse in both the deep DTC and conisation groups. The
      study was limited by the progressive decrease in the number of patients who
      attended regular check-ups.

PMID- 1857515
TI  - [Presenile and senile vulvovaginitis. Topical hormonal treatment with estriol].
AB  - A population of 39 women (average age 64.5 years) suffering from presenile or
      senile vulvovaginitis was subjected to topical treatment with oestriol-based
      vaginal cream (daily applications of 0.50 mg of oestriol corresponding to 4 g of
      cream for 14 days and three times a week in the three following weeks). The
      results of treatment were assessed on the basis of the clear-cut improvement in
      symptomatology and the noteworthy increase in the index and volume of maturation
      of the vaginal epithelium. The effectiveness of topical treatment of
      postmenopausal vulvovaginitis with oestriol in the absence of unwanted side
      effects is confirmed.

PMID- 1857516
TI  - [The Gemeprost test in the screening of endometrial pathology].
AB  - A randomized clinical trial has been performed to evaluate the efficacy of
      intravaginal 1 mg Gemeprost for pre-operative cervical dilatation prior to vacuum
      aspiration and curettage for endometrial biopsy. Eighty-nine patients were
      evaluated, 51 treated with Gemeprost and 38 with placebo: in the first group
      biopsy was possible in 94% of cases vs 86% in the second group. Pain was
      significantly reduced with Gemeprost improving the success rate and the patient
      compliance.

PMID- 1857517
TI  - [Management of cervico-vaginal dystrophies].
AB  - Fifty-nine outpatients affected by cervico-vaginal dystrophy with manifest
      symptoms were included in the study. Following initial tests (colposcopy with
      Schiller's test, colpocytological test, analysis of symptoms), a cycle of
      treatment was commenced using the insertion of a vaginal pessary of Polydeoxy
      ribonucleotide (PDRN) in the evening for 20 days. A control on day 28 revealed a
      marked improvement of the symptoms together with a positive evolution of
      objective tests. During the 10th week after the end of therapy, both subjective
      and objective findings tended to confirm the relapse towards pre-treatment
      conditions.

PMID- 1857518
TI  - [Preliminary study of the use of s. adenosyl methionine in the management of male
      sterility].
AB  - In a preliminary study 10 cases of male sterility were treated with 800 mg/day
      per os of Samyr-Bioresearch over three months. Increased basal motiligy of
      spermatozoa was observed in 6 out of 10 cases. The results of the study confirm
      the value and efficacy of SAM in the treatment of male sterility.

PMID- 1857519
TI  - [Monitoring of protracted pregnancy. Comparison of two methods].
AB  - Antepartum cardiotocographic patterns (NsT:Nonstress Test) and echographic
      assessments of amniotic fluid pockets were retrospectively analysed in 63
      postdate pregnancies. The results of NsT (Fisher-score) and ecographic
      examinations were correlated with obstetric outcome (5 minutes Apgar-score).
      Ecographic assessments of amniotic volumes seem more effective than NsT for the
      lower frequency of false-positive results. Anyhow, considering the low
      sensibility of NsT and Echography separatedly considered, the Authors suggest a
      simultaneous valuation of the two tests.

PMID- 1857520
TI  - [Ultrasonic diagnosis of anencephaly during the 15th week of pregnancy].
AB  - The Authors describe a case of anencephaly diagnosed by ultrasound in the XV week
      of pregnancy. They confirm the importance of anamnesis to single out the persons
      at risk, but emphasize the validity of ultrasound for the chance diagnoses.

PMID- 1857521
TI  - [Soranus of Ephesos and methodism. A gynecologist of the 2nd century A.D].

PMID- 1857522
TI  - Action of rHuEpo on mechanical membrane properties of red blood cells in children
      with end-stage renal disease.
AB  - By means of a micropipette aspiration technique mechanical membrane properties of
      RBC in ten uraemic children undergoing haemodialysis were compared to those of
      nine healthy children. In contrast to the healthy reference group (mu = 4.01 +/-
      0.71 microN/m), the mean apparent elastic shear modulus of RBC membrane mu as a
      parameter of static deformability was significantly increased to 9.05 +/- 1.61
      microN/m in children with chronic renal failure measured in the pre-study period.
      At the 7th week of the correction period of rHuEpo therapy, the haematocrit of
      treated patients is enhanced to a mean of 0.30 +/- 0.03, whereas mean mu is
      decreased to 5.41 +/- 0.63 microN/m. Within the maintenance period of rHuEpo
      treatment (30th week), the parameter mu did not show significant differences to
      the reference value 3.78 +/- 0.31 microN/m. Additionally, a significant increase
      in red cell mean corpuscular volume was obtained during rHuEpo therapy. Improved
      deformability of uraemic RBC induced by the rHuEpo therapy can only be explained
      by the assumption that in the course of this therapy an increasing number of
      cells with normalised viscoelastic properties have been formed by stimulated
      erythropoiesis.

PMID- 1857523
TI  - Endoscopic management of shoulder pain in long-term haemodialysis patients.
AB  - In 48 shoulders of 29 patients receiving long-term haemodialysis and complaining
      of intolerable shoulder pain, endoscopic resection of the coracoacromial ligament
      was performed under local anaesthesia on an outpatient basis, using the Universal
      Subcutaneous Endoscope system. Predominant endoscopic findings were proliferation
      of the subacromial bursae and popping between the coracoacromial ligament and the
      rotator cuff. Amyloid originating from beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2-M) was
      demonstrated in 87% of the resected coracoacromial ligaments and 86% of the
      subacromial bursae. Resection of the coracoacromial ligament relieved the
      shoulder pain in all patients.

PMID- 1857524
TI  - Evaluation of peritoneal dialysis solutions with amino acids and glycerol in a
      rat model.
AB  - In this study a simple rat model for evaluating the ultrafiltration by peritoneal
      dialysis solutions is described. Anaesthetised male Sprague-Dawley rats were
      injected intraperitoneally with dialysis solutions. Zero, 1, 3, or 6 h later, the
      dialysate volume was determined directly: the abdomen was carefully opened, the
      intraperitoneal liquid was withdrawn with a syringe and its volume was measured.
      Good recovery of dialysate, highly reproducible results, and the similarity
      between the ultrafiltration profiles in rats and published profiles in CAPD
      patients for control solutions, indicate that the model is valid. The model was
      then used to evaluate peritoneal dialysis solutions containing a mixture of
      glycerol and amino acids. Both osmotic agents are chemically compatible and these
      mixtures provide amino acids and carbohydrates in a single solution. For three
      mixtures, intraperitoneal dialysate volume were determined as a function of dwell
      time and the formulation with the desired ultrafiltration could be selected.

PMID- 1857525
TI  - The effect of cyclosporin administered during a third-party blood transfusion
      protocol on humoral immune responses.
AB  - Antigen pre-treatment in animals undoubtedly prolongs graft survival. In man,
      however, routine pre-transplantation blood transfusions have recently become
      controversial, principally because of the adverse effect of transfusion-induced
      sensitisation on graft survival rates. We have monitored the effect of
      cyclosporin administered during a planned programme of third-party blood
      transfusions on the development of both cytotoxic and anti-idiotypic antibodies.
      A total of 24 patients were recruited to the study; ten received cyclosporin with
      blood transfusions (BT) (group 1), 14 received BT alone (group 2). Anti-HLA
      antibodies developed in 3 of 9 patients in group 1 and 8 of 12 patients in group
      2 (P less than 0.05). Anti-idiotypic antibody activity was detectable in 9 of 9
      patients in group 1 and 7 of 12 patients in group 2 (P less than 0.006). The
      mechanism by which cyclosporin can prevent an anti-HLA antibody response and
      promote an anti-idiotypic response is unclear.

PMID- 1857526
TI  - Glomerulocystic kidney disease associated with haemolytic-uraemic syndrome.

PMID- 1857527
TI  - Spontaneous inflammation-induced remission of parathyroid tumour in secondary
      hyperparathyroidism.

PMID- 1857528
TI  - Successful pregnancy of twins in a renal transplant patient with Wegener's
      granulomatosis.

PMID- 1857529
TI  - Proteinuria, albumin synthesis and hyperlipidaemia in the nephrotic syndrome.

PMID- 1857530
TI  - Parathyroid carcinoma in renal failure.

PMID- 1857531
TI  - Interaction of cyclosporin and ticlopidine.

PMID- 1857532
TI  - Immediate and long-term prognosis in acute renal failure in the elderly.
AB  - Acute renal failure (ARF) is particularly frequent in the elderly. A few studies
      have reviewed immediate prognosis of ARF in older patients, but these do not
      allow any conclusion on long-term renal prognosis. Our retrospective study
      included 46 patients over 65 years referred to our renal unit between 1983 and
      1989. Survivors were followed up 6-71 months after discharge (mean: 39 months).
      The evolution of renal function was evaluated by measurement of serum creatinine.
      Data analysis employed chi 2 with Yates correction, Student t, and Mann-Whitney
      tests to compare survivors and deceased, and to compare patients with normal and
      abnormal renal function at follow-up. During hospitalisation 11 patients (24%)
      died. Our univariate analysis reveals that three variables independently
      influence mortality: consciousness disturbance (P less than 0.001), high urea
      concentration (P less than 0.01), and hypoalbuminaemia (P less than 0.001). Age
      does not adversely affect prognosis. At follow-up 15 patients (43%) had a
      complete functional recovery, eight (23%) had incomplete renal recovery and two
      (6%) were on chronic haemodialysis. These results are similar to those observed
      in a younger population. In conclusion we believe that age alone should not be
      used to predict the immediate survival or the long-term renal outcome in ARF in
      the elderly.

PMID- 1857533
TI  - Haemodialysis: effects on white and red blood cell sodium content and transport.
AB  - A circulating sodium pump inhibitor, released in response to volume expansion,
      may, by increasing intracellular sodium concentrations, be responsible for some
      of the features of the uraemic state. Haemodialysis, by correcting volume
      overload, would be expected to be associated with a decrease in intracellular
      sodium towards normal. The effects of a haemodialysis session on leukocyte (WBC)
      sodium content and transport have not been described and there are conflicting
      reports of the effects of haemodialysis on erythrocyte (RBC) sodium content and
      transport. We have measured sodium (NaWBC/RBC) and potassium content (KWBC/RBC),
      net ouabain-sensitive sodium flux rate (FR) and sodium flux rate constant (RC)
      before and after a standard haemodialysis session in 20 stable hospital
      haemodialysis patients. In leukocytes (n = 18), sodium (P = 0.078), FR (P =
      0.006), and RC (P = 0.071) decreased over dialysis, whereas in erythrocytes
      sodium increased (P less than 0.001, n = 19) and RC declined (P = 0.002, n = 18).
      Although in opposite directions in RBC and WBC, the changes in sodium were toward
      normal in both cell types. Changes in intracellular sodium content and transport
      did not correlate with changes in measures of ECF volume or biochemical
      efficiency of dialysis. We conclude that haemodialysis does affect cell sodium
      content and transport, but in different ways in different cell types. There was
      no evidence that haemodialysis removed a sodium pump inhibitor. The use of RBC or
      WBC as 'model' cells to study sodium transport in uraemia is of questionable
      validity.

PMID- 1857534
TI  - Comparison of calcium carbonate and aluminium hydroxide as phosphate binders on
      biochemical bone markers, PTH(1-84), and bone mineral content in dialysis
      patients.
AB  - Bone mineral content, estimated by single-photon absorptiometry of the forearm,
      serum values of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH(1-84], osteocalcin, alkaline
      phosphatase, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3), and aluminium were
      determined during treatment with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or aluminium hydroxide
      (Al(OH)3) in 11 dialysis patients participating in a randomised cross-over study.
      Each treatment period lasted 6 months. Serum phosphorus was maintained in the
      range 1.5-2.0 mmol/l. During Al(OH)3 treatment bone mineral content (BMC)
      decreased by 11% per half-year (mean), but only by 3% per half-year during CaCO3
      treatment (P less than 0.05). Comparing the CaCO3 and Al(OH)3 periods the
      following differences were found: serum calcium increased during CaCO3 treatment,
      PTH(1-84) decreased (79% of initial values during CaCO3 versus 196% during
      Al(OH)3, mean area under curve, P less than 0.05), osteocalcin decreased (89%
      versus 117%, P less than 0.01), alkaline phosphatase decreased (92% versus 116%,
      P less than 0.05), and aluminium decreased (56% versus 189%, P less than 0.05).
      1,25(OH)2D3 remained unchanged in both periods. No increase in soft-tissue
      calcification was demonstrated on X-ray of the shoulders in any of the periods.
      Thus, CaCO3 treatment seems to slow down loss of bone mineral content, and using
      CaCO3 as phosphate binder may have a more beneficial effect on the progression of
      uraemic bone disease than Al(OH)3 due to the reduction of hyperparathyroidism and
      bone turnover.

PMID- 1857535
TI  - Enhancement of neurite outgrowth from central nervous system neurons in primary
      culture by thrombin inhibitors.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that serine protease inhibitors promote neurite
      outgrowth from neuroblastoma cells, sympathetic neurons and sensory ganglia in
      culture. In the present study, a neurite promoting activity of thrombin
      inhibitors such as hirudin, D-Phe,Pro,Arg-CH2Cl, and paraamidinophenylalanine
      derivatives, was found in rat embryo (E17) septal neurons in primary culture. In
      contrast, no effect was shown on choline acetyltransferase activity of septal
      fragments in culture. These results suggest that thrombin inhibitors might
      interact with a thrombin-like protease involved in the control of neurite
      outgrowth.

PMID- 1857536
TI  - The influence of nicotine on local cerebral blood flow in rats.
AB  - Local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) was measured in conscious rats during an acute
      nicotine infusion. LCBF was measured using the autoradiographic iodoantipyrine
      method. LCBF was unchanged in most brain structures during nicotine infusion
      compared to controls. Significant (P less than 0.05) increases were found in 3
      structures (lateral geniculate body, superior colliculus, anteroventral nucleus
      of the thalamus). These structures have already shown increases in local glucose
      utilization in a previous study [2]. The observed increases in LCBF are
      interpreted to be secondary to metabolic activation by nicotine indicating the
      lack of a direct action of nicotine on cerebral blood vessels.

PMID- 1857537
TI  - The post-potential excitability modulation of alpha nerve and muscle fibers in
      human newborn and adult.
AB  - In order to assess indirectly the excitability of human motor units, the absolute
      refractory period of the ulnar nerve alpha motor fibers and the absolute
      irresponsive period of the abductor digiti minimi fibers were measured in 8
      premature, 10 fullterm newborns and 10 adults. Results indicate that absolute
      refractory period of alpha motor nerve fibers appears to be a specific functional
      property of the membrane, independent of postnatal development. Moreover the
      maturation of muscle membrane seems slightly delayed in comparison to that of
      nerve fibers. Indeed the absolute irresponsive period of muscle fibers is
      slightly higher in premature in comparison with fullterm newborn and adult.

PMID- 1857539
TI  - Enkephalinergic synaptic axon terminals on serotoninergic neurons in the dorsal
      raphe nucleus of the rat: an electron microscopic study by the double
      immunostaining method.
AB  - Met-enkephalinergic synaptic axon terminals on serotoninergic neurons in the
      dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat were observed with double immunostaining at the
      electron microscopic level. Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactive axon terminals
      were found to make asymmetrical or symmetrical synaptic contacts with serotonin
      like immunoreactive nerve cell bodies and dendrites. The findings suggest that
      opioid-containing neurons modulate serotoninergic neurons through synapses in the
      dorsal raphe nucleus.

PMID- 1857538
TI  - Direct identification of individual vasopressin-containing nerve terminals of the
      rat neurohypophysis after 'whole-cell' patch-clamp recordings.
AB  - The membrane currents in rat neurophypophysial nerve terminals, which contain
      either vasopressin or oxytocin, have been previously recorded using the 'whole
      cell' patch-clamp technique. Interpretation of the electrophysiological data
      would be significantly strengthened by the ability to correlate them with
      knowledge of the peptide contents of the terminals being studied. Here, a novel
      method for detection of the peptide hormone, arginine vasopressin, in those
      individual isolated terminals is described. The unique aspect of this procedure
      is that the contents of the terminal are aspirated into the recording electrode
      after 'whole-cell' patch-clamp recording, and then a highly sensitive dot
      immunobinding assay allows identification of the peptide contents in the
      terminals.

PMID- 1857540
TI  - The benzodiazepine triazolam phase-shifts circadian activity rhythms in a diurnal
      primate, the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus).
AB  - Triazolam can shift the phase of circadian rhythms in hamsters recorded in
      constant light or dark. This effect is apparently mediated by physical activity
      stimulated by the drug. We examined whether triazolam can shift the phase of
      circadian rhythms in a diurnal primate, the squirrel monkey, that is sedated by
      triazolam. Single injections of triazolam at 0.15-0.20 mg/kg induced phase
      advances or delays of monkey activity rhythms recorded in constant light. The
      phase-response curve is similar to that obtained for hamsters. Behavioral
      activation is evidently not necessary for a phase-shifting action of triazolam in
      this primate. A companion study in which triazolam was administered to squirrel
      monkeys in the dark in a light-dark cycle reentrainment paradigm failed to find
      evidence for a phase shifting action of triazolam. Shifts induced by triazolam in
      monkeys recorded in constant light may thus reflect changes in light exposure as
      a consequence of sedation or altered retinal processing of light.

PMID- 1857541
TI  - Amyloid beta-protein in cerebral amyloid angiopathy, senile plaques, and
      preamyloidotic lesions in subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (Binswanger
      disease).
AB  - Cerebral vascular amyloid deposits, senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
      have been found in subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (Binswanger
      disease). A mouse antiserum, prepared against a 43-amino acid synthetic peptide
      homologous to the amyloid beta-protein of Alzheimer disease (anti-SP43), revealed
      immunoreactive amyloid deposits in meningeal and intracortical blood vessels,
      senile plaques, intraneuronal amyloid and preamyloid in a neuropathologically
      confirmed case of Binswanger disease previously reported to have cerebral
      vascular amyloid deposits. These lesions contained sulfated glycosaminoglycans as
      determined by the Alcian blue/critical electrolyte concentration method. Similar
      findings were not observed in a case of Binswanger encephalopathy without
      cerebral amyloid deposits. Our study indicates that amyloidotic lesions in
      Binswanger encephalopathy with cerebral amyloid deposits contain amyloid beta
      protein and sulfated glycosaminoglycans.

PMID- 1857542
TI  - Grafts of syngenic cultured, adult dorsal root ganglion-derived Schwann cells to
      the injured spinal cord of adult rats: preliminary morphological studies.
AB  - Highly enriched cultures of Schwann cells were obtained from adult rat dorsal
      root ganglia and implanted (5 x 10(5) -9 x 10(5) cells) in the spinal cord of
      syngenic adult rats at the site of an acute compression lesion produced by a
      subdural inflatable microballoon. These autografts survived and invaded the host
      tissue, reducing central cavitation and astrocytic gliosis. They dramatically
      promoted ingrowth of axons, the majority of which appeared to come from the
      dorsal roots as judged by their neuropeptide content. Invasion of the transplants
      by descending, e.g. aminergic fibers, was negligible at survival times of up to 4
      months. Nonetheless, autologous Schwann cells, which are readily available in the
      host, represent a promising material for grafts into the injured spinal cord.

PMID- 1857543
TI  - PGI2-induced activation and sensitization of articular mechanonociceptors.
AB  - The effects of PGE2 PGI2 and the stable PGI2 analogue cicaprost on the afferent
      discharge of ankle joint mechanonociceptors were studied in the anaesthetized
      rat. Close-arterial injection of PGI2 (0.01-0.1 micrograms) or cicaprost (0.05-5
      micrograms) caused both sensitization to mechanical stimulation and excitation of
      the majority of mechanonociceptors, whereas PGE2 (0.03-3 micrograms) had only
      weak effects on a small number of nociceptive units. These results suggest the
      existence of specific PGI2 sensitive receptors (IP receptors) on rat sensory
      afferent nerves, and support the hypothesis that in the rat endogenous PGI2 plays
      an important role in the lowering of nociceptive thresholds in inflamed joints.

PMID- 1857544
TI  - A premovement silent period does not occur prior to rapid changes of velocity
      during human limb movements.
AB  - Surface electromyographic activity (EMG) of the interosseous dorsalis I, the hand
      extensors and the biceps muscles was analysed in human young normal subjects for
      the occurrence of a precontraction (PCSP) or a premovement silent period (PMSP)
      before a sudden increase in tension or rapid change of position after a small
      isometric contraction or slow isotonic movement. Contrary to the results of
      Conrad et al. (Exp. Brain Res., 51 (1983) 310-313), in whose experiments the
      contraction condition changed from isometric to isotonic, a PCSP or PMSP could
      never be observed in our experiments, where contractions or movements first
      started at a low force level or with a low speed which had to be changed most
      rapidly after 2 s and where the recording condition remained strictly either
      isometric or isotonic. It is concluded that the central nervous system resets the
      motoneuronal pool activity when the central program is changed from the control
      of an isometric to the control of an isotonic contraction.

PMID- 1857545
TI  - Neuronal activity in frontal speech area 44 of the human cerebral cortex during
      word recognition.
AB  - The activity of neurons was recorded from cortical speech area 44 of human
      patients with diagnostic and/or therapeutical depth electrodes while they were
      performing word recognition and object naming tasks. Some cells responded
      selectively to either semantic or phonological aspects of word processing with
      the same latency, others responded consecutively to both semantic and
      phonological features. The present finding provides the first demonstration of
      neuronal mechanisms in frontal language cortex and evidences that both
      consecutive and parallel processing of these speech signs occur in neuronal
      activity of this area.

PMID- 1857546
TI  - Hyperpolarizing inward rectification in rat neocortical neurons located in the
      superficial layers.
AB  - Intracellular recordings were performed in neurons located in layers II/III of
      rat neocortical slices maintained in vitro. High intensity negative current
      pulses elicited hyperpolarizing responses that were characterized by a sag of
      membrane potential towards the resting level. Graphically, this inward
      rectification was reflected as a break in the slope of the I-V plot at membrane
      level of around -98 mV. The inward rectification was only partially reduced by
      the bath perfusion of Cs+ (3 mM). In contrast, it was abolished by the
      extracellular addition of Ba2+ (3 mM) or the intracellular injection of QX-314
      (50 mM). Our findings indicate that Ba2+ and QX-314 are more effective than Cs+
      in blocking the hyperpolarizing inward rectification generated by rat neocortical
      cells located in the superficial layers.

PMID- 1857547
TI  - Functional mapping of the rat brain during vocalizations: a 2-deoxyglucose study.
AB  - Autoradiographic [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) procedures were used to map the
      functional activity in the CNS during vocalizations elicited by electrical
      stimulation of the midbrain reticular formation (MRF) in behaving rats. Following
      injection of 2-DG, rats received MRF stimulation through stainless steel
      electrodes over 90 min. Yoked controls received 2-DG injection followed by
      playback of the recorded vocalizations. Relative differences in peak isotope
      uptake (gray/white matter ratios) in 22 structures related to vocalization were
      compared between the two groups. The major findings were localized to
      hypothalamus, midbrain and brainstem structures. Significant increases in 2-DG
      uptake were noted in the following structures in MRF stimulated rats:
      dorsolateral central gray (PAG), MRF, lateral hypothalamus (LH), ventromedial
      hypothalamus (VmH), paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and nucleus ambiguus (NA).
      Cortical structures were not activated during MRF stimulation. The PAG and NA are
      known to be important relays in the production of vocalizations. MRF stimulation,
      therefore, activates the motor output pathways for vocalization, but does not
      appear to activate cortical and limbic motivational centers.

PMID- 1857548
TI  - Hypertonic media produce Ca(2+)-dependent release of calcitonin gene-related
      peptide from capsaicin-sensitive nerve fibres in the rat urinary bladder.
AB  - Superfusion of slices of the rat urinary bladder with hypertonic NaCl produced a
      remarkable and concentration-dependent (150-280 mM) increase in the outflow of
      calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI). This effect was
      completely abolished by pre-exposure of the tissue to capsaicin (10 microM for 20
      min) or by superfusion with a Ca(2+)-free medium. Capsaicin (10 microM) was still
      able to release a consistent amount of CGRP-LI from tissue pre-exposed (20 min)
      to 280 mM NaCl. Similarly, hypertonic sucrose (160 mM added to the physiological
      salt solution) induced a consistent release of CGRP-LI that was abolished by
      capsaicin-pretreatment or in a Ca(2+)-free medium. The experiments demonstrate
      that hypertonic solutions activate the efferent function of capsaicin-sensitive
      neurons and suggest that this event may have some relevance in pathophysiological
      conditions of the lower urinary tract in which hypertonic urine may diffuse to
      submucosal layers.

PMID- 1857549
TI  - Dystrophin in central nervous system: a developmental, regional distribution and
      subcellular localization study.
AB  - Dystrophin, the protein encoded by the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene has been
      shown to be expressed in central nervous system. In the present study, polyclonal
      antibodies raised against 3 fusion proteins constructed from different structural
      domains of dystrophin were used to identify dystrophin in protein extracts from
      rat and mdx mouse brain. The developmental expression of the protein, its
      regional distribution in rat brain and its localization in rat brain subcellular
      fractions were also examined. We found that dystrophin or a 'dystrophin-related
      protein' is expressed in mdx mouse brain. Dystrophin is detectable at very early
      stages of rat brain development and is expressed in all adult brain regions
      examined, although quantitative regional differences were found. Subcellular
      distribution analysis indicates that dystrophin is absent in mitochondrial and
      synaptic vesicle-enriched fractions but is recovered in the synaptic plasma
      membrane fraction.

PMID- 1857550
TI  - Marked variations of the relative distributions of neurotensin and neuromedin N
      in micropunched rat brain areas suggest differential processing of their common
      precursor.
AB  - Neuromedin N (NN) is a hexapeptide that shares a four amino acid identity with
      the C-terminus of neurotensin (NT) and exhibits NT-like effects in the central
      nervous system. Both peptides were recently shown to be encoded in the same
      precursor molecule. By means of specific and sensitive radioimmunoassays, we
      compared the distribution of immunoreactive NT and NN (iNT and iNN) in
      micropunched rat brain structures. The data revealed marked regional variations
      in the ratio of iNT over iNN. For instance, the ratio value was 4.5 in the
      posterior hypothalamus and 0.8 in the mammillary bodies. Reverse phase HPLC
      analysis of extracts of several brain regions showed that iNT and iNN coeluted
      with synthetic NT and NN, respectively. The results suggest that differential
      processing of the common neurotensin/neuromedin N precursor occurs in various
      regions of the rat brain.

PMID- 1857551
TI  - Increased cell number in remaining cerebellar nuclei after cerebellar
      hemispherectomy in neonatal rats.
AB  - After cerebellar hemispherectomy before the 10th day of life aberrant cerebello
      rubral projections develop from the nuclei in the remaining hemisphere, which
      terminate on the ipsilateral side. These aberrant fibres stem from separate
      parent cells in the lateral and interposed nuclei. The problem addressed by the
      present study was whether the number of neurones in these nuclei is increased
      after early cerebellar hemispherectomy. Results demonstrate that the number of
      neurones was increased by 50-60%. The volumes of the nuclei were also increased
      (14-31%) but much less so, which indicates a relative decrease in neuropil per
      neuron.

PMID- 1857552
TI  - Diabetes mellitus-associated decrease in nerve growth factor levels is reversed
      by allogeneic pancreatic islet transplantation.
AB  - After an untreated 5-month duration of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes
      mellitus (DM), nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in BDE rats were decreased to 45
      65% of control in the sympathetically innervated target organs iris and
      submandibular gland, in the superior cervical ganglion (containing NGF-dependent
      sympathetic perikarya projecting to the cranial targets), and in the NGF
      transporting sciatic nerve. Successful allogeneic pancreatic islet
      transplantation (providing a physiological glucose homeostasis without
      immunosuppression) after 3-4 weeks of DM reversed the DM-related decrease in NGF
      levels 4 months after transplantation as compared with untreated diabetic rats.
      By contrast, NGF levels in the treated vas deferens (innervated by short
      postganglionic sympathetic neurons) remained increased as in the untreated
      diabetic rats (175% of control). Thus, DM-associated changes in endogenous NGF
      levels seem to be reversible by institution of metabolic control, at least at an
      early stage of DM when NGF-responsive neurons have not been deprived of NGF for a
      long time.

PMID- 1857553
TI  - Intrathalamic injections of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid increase genetic absence
      seizures in rats.
AB  - The effects of intrathalamic injections of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and of
      NCS 382 85, a specific antagonist of GHB receptors, were evaluated in rats with
      spontaneous generalized absence epilepsy. Bilateral injections of GHB (25 and 50
      micrograms/side) into the mediolateral thalamus increased spontaneous spike and
      wave discharges (SWD) in a dose-dependent fashion. This effect was suppressed by
      administration of NCS 382 85 (50 micrograms/side). Bilateral injection of NCS 382
      85 alone (50 and 100 micrograms/side) into the same sites had no effect on SWD
      duration. Injection of GHB or NCS 382 85 into the midline thalamus and the area
      of reticular nuclei did not modify the SWD. These data suggest that GHB receptors
      in the mediolateral thalamus may be involved in the control of spontaneous SWD in
      this rat model of petit mal epilepsy.

PMID- 1857554
TI  - Intrastriatal dialysis evidence for a direct inhibitory effect of benztropine on
      dopamine re-uptake.
AB  - A direct inhibitory effect of benztropine on dopamine (DA) reuptake in the
      striatum was established by in vivo microdialysis of anesthetized rats.
      Benztropine was infused by means of a microdialysis probe positioned
      stereotaxically in the striatum. Extracellular DA collected from dialysate was
      measured by high-performance liquid chromatography using an electrochemical
      detector. Benztropine was found to cause a dose-dependent inhibition of re-uptake
      of DA in the nerve terminal area of the dopaminergic system.

PMID- 1857555
TI  - Expression of two forms of human dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in COS cells.
AB  - We previously reported four different cDNA clones encoding human dopamine-beta
      hydroxylase (Kobayashi et al., Nucl. Acids Res., 17 (1989) 1089-1102). These
      clones were different in a 3' untranslated region (types A and B) and/or in 6
      nucleotides in mRNAs. The difference at nucleotide 910 caused an amino acid
      change between Ala (A) and Ser (S) at amino acid residue 304 (DBH/A and DBH/S).
      We succeeded in expressing both of DBH/A and DBH/S of type A cDNAs in COS cell.
      Both of the expressed proteins showed enzyme activities and immunoreactivities.
      The two proteins had similar kinetic constants, but had different homospecific
      activities (activities per enzyme protein); the homospecific activity of human
      DBH/S was low, approximately one thirteenth that of human DBH/A.

PMID- 1857556
TI  - Central administration of interferon-alpha enhances rat sympathetic nerve
      activity to the spleen.
AB  - Intracerebroventricular injection of recombinant human interferon-alpha (IFN
      alpha) in a dose of 1 x 10(4) U, but not 3 x 10(3) U, produced a long-lasting (at
      least for 60 min) increase (2.5-5 times the preinjection level) in the electrical
      activity of splenic sympathetic nerve filaments in urethane-alpha chloralose
      anesthetized rats. Intravenous injection of IFN-alpha (3 x 10(4) U) also produced
      a similar excitation of splenic sympathetic nerves. There were no changes in
      arterial blood pressure and body temperature. The result, together with the
      previous findings, provides further evidence that the central IFN-alpha-induced
      suppression of cytotoxic activity of splenic natural killer cells may be mediated
      by the sympathetic innervation.

PMID- 1857557
TI  - Cortical post-spike facilitations in elbow muscles during isometric contraction.
AB  - Averaged responses of elbow muscles to action potentials of 37 single motor
      cortex cells were analyzed in two Macaca fascicularis monkeys during performance
      of a submaximal but high level isometric contraction. Post-spike facilitations
      (PSFs) of the rectified electromyographic activity (EMG) were frequently (72%)
      observed. They consisted of PSFs largely distributed in agonistic (biceps brachii
      and brachioradialis) and antagonistic (triceps brachii) muscles. Some post-spike
      inhibitions (7%) were also noted. As compared with distal muscles PSFs, most of
      the proximal PSFs were of lower amplitude, probably because of the higher level
      of the contractions. These PSFs were also of longer latency. The data indicate
      functional connectivity between motor cortical cells and proximal limb muscles.
      Cortical cells with oligosynaptic and even, for a few of them, with monosynaptic
      connections to the alpha-motoneurones may contribute to recruitment of motor
      units (MUs) involved in proximal limb muscle contraction.

PMID- 1857558
TI  - Autoradiographic localization of binding sites for second messengers on neurones
      and astrocytes of cultured rat cerebellum.
AB  - Using autoradiographic techniques, studies on the cellular localization of
      binding sites for second messengers in explant cultures of rat cerebellum have
      been performed. Binding of [3H]inositoltrisphosphate ([3H]IP3), [3H]phorbol
      dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) occurred to Purkinje cells whereas binding sites for
      [3H]forskolin were mainly confined to granule cells and outgrowing nerve fibres.
      A great number of astrocytes was also labelled by all three radio-ligands.
      Binding of [3H]IP3, [3H]PDBu and [3H]forskolin was displaced by unlabelled
      compounds, suggesting specific binding. Our observations provide strong evidence
      that in addition to neurones, astrocytes also express binding sites for second
      messengers.

PMID- 1857559
TI  - Interaction of Ca-channel blockers and high pressure at the crustacean
      neuromuscular junction.
AB  - Exposure to high pressure causes a significant depression of synaptic
      transmission. We examined the effects of various Ca-channel blockers and their
      interaction with high pressure on excitatory neuromuscular junction currents
      (EJCs) of lobster abdominal muscles. Reduced [Ca2+]o to half of normal
      concentration or exposure to 40-60 microM CdCl2, 10-20 microM NiCl2 and 1 microM
      omega-conotoxin decreased EJCs by 50%. Nifedipine, Nitrendipine and Bay K-8644
      were ineffective. Either Ca-blockers or reduced [Ca2+]o, enhanced EJC suppression
      exerted by high pressure. The data suggest that high pressure primarily affects
      Ca2+ inflow at the presynaptic terminals through N-type voltage-gated Ca-channel.

PMID- 1857560
TI  - Augmentation of rat brain endogenous monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity
      (tribulin) by electroconvulsive shock.
AB  - The effects of acute and subacute supramaximal and submaximal electroshock
      induced convulsions on rat brain tribulin activity were investigated. Both
      supramaximal and submaximal shocks induced a marked increase, as measured 30 min
      after the onset of convulsions, with a significantly greater effect from the
      former. The effects were no longer present 24 h after stimulus. Repeated
      electroshock for 5 and 10 days showed that submaximal stimuli produced little
      change, whereas supramaximal shock brought about a significant increase in
      tribulin activity, the effect being greater with 10-day exposure. The results are
      not inconsistent with the clinical observation that a single electroconvulsive
      therapy (ECT) shock has little clinical usefulness but that repeated shocks,
      spread over several days, result in therapeutic benefit due, perhaps, to an
      increase in brain concentrations of tribulin, an endogenous monoamine oxidase
      inhibitor.

PMID- 1857561
TI  - Retinal fibers make synaptic contact with neuropeptide Y and enkephalin
      immunoreactive neurons in the intergeniculate leaflet of the rat.
AB  - Direct synapses between retinal fibers and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and/or enkephalin
      immunoreactive (ENK-I) neurons were investigated in the intergeniculate leaflet
      (IGL) of the rat, using combined immunohistochemical and degeneration techniques.
      Degenerating retinal fibers terminated on dendrites of NPY-I and/or ENK-I
      neurons. NPY-I fibers in the IGL formed axo-dendritic synapses on non
      immunoreactive dendrites. Most of them were asymmetrical synapses. ENK-I axon
      terminals contacted non-immunoreactive dendrites with symmetrical synapse.

PMID- 1857562
TI  - Regulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide mRNA expression in the hearts of
      spontaneously hypertensive rats by testosterone.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated the existence of calcitonin gene-related
      peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive nerve fibres and nerve cell bodies in the rat
      heart. Using polymerase chain reaction we have investigated whether CGRP
      messenger RNA (mRNA) could be detected in heart tissue of spontaneously
      hypertensive rats, and whether CGRP-mRNA levels are affected by gonadectomy and
      testosterone substitution. Two weeks after castration CGRP-mRNA levels decreased
      to 65.2 +/- 6.4% of control values, whereas daily dihydrotestosterone
      substitution reversed this effect (88.0 +/- 1.2% of control). Our results
      indicate that steroid hormones control the expression of intracardiac CGRP on a
      pretranslational level.

PMID- 1857564
TI  - Nephrology in the inner city.

PMID- 1857563
TI  - Reversal of 'handedness' in rats is achieved more effectively by training under
      peripheral than under central blockade of the preferred forepaw.
AB  - Reversal of forepaw preference was studied in rats under conditions of peripheral
      (bracelet) or central (inactivation of contralateral motor cortex and caudate
      nucleus by intracerebral injection of tetrodotoxin) preferred limb block.
      Persisting change of the forepaw preferred when reaching for food into a tubular
      feeder was achieved on the average after 91 (n = 27) and 211 (n = 26) reaches,
      respectively. When tested in another task (recovering food pellets from a
      horizontal shelf accessible through a narrow slit below the ceiling of the test
      box) same rats displayed identical (45%) and opposite (15%) preference or were
      ambidextrous (40%). Forced change of handedness on the tubular feeder task was
      accompanied by similar change of preference on the shelf task in only 17% rats.
      It is concluded that rather independent lateralisation of the two tasks reflects
      differential contribution of the corticospinal, rubrospinal and ventromedial
      motor systems. Reversal training proceeds faster with peripheral blockade which
      establishes not only the new preference but also inhibits the original one.

PMID- 1857565
TI  - Nephrology in the inner city.

PMID- 1857566
TI  - The health of poor and minority people in the inner city.

PMID- 1857567
TI  - Imaging techniques and asymptomatic renal cell carcinomas.

PMID- 1857568
TI  - Trends in kidney procurement and transplantation in New York State.
AB  - The growth in the number of Medicare patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD)
      in New York State receiving cadaver kidney transplants in the 1980s substantially
      lagged behind growth in the nation. Compared to the United States, New Yorkers on
      dialysis had less access to transplants. The greatest decline in transplant rates
      was experienced by New York's black population. During the early and mid-1980s,
      considerable transplant rate growth in New York City was maintained, despite very
      slow growth in local kidney procurement, by importing kidneys from other states,
      by residents seeking transplants elsewhere, and by a greater proportion of
      transplants going to Medicare ESRD patients. Since 1986, the number of kidneys
      procured in New York City increased while the number procured nationally fell.
      However, kidney imports to New York City dropped dramatically and thus the number
      of cadaver transplants declined despite the growth in local procurement. Upstate,
      procurement and transplants started at a higher level, but grew even more slowly.

PMID- 1857569
TI  - Effective hypertension control in inner city blacks.
AB  - A clinic for patients with "resistant" hypertension was established and patients
      were followed by one physician, nurse, and secretary. The records of 105 randomly
      chosen patients out of 700 were reviewed. In 86 of 105 (82%), diastolic blood
      pressure was controlled (less than 90 mm Hg) (group I), but in 19 patients, after
      54 +/- 6 (mean +/- standard error) months, it remained greater than 90 mm Hg
      (group II) with substantial improvement in 53% (10 of 19 patients). The two
      groups were similar in age (57 +/- 1 vs 54 +/- 3 years), race (84% vs 74%
      blacks), and sex (75% vs 86% female). The entry blood pressures in groups I and
      II were similar, 170 +/- 3/101 +/- 1 and 167 +/- 6/105 +/- 3 mm Hg, respectively.
      Last visit blood pressure was 130 +/- 1/79 +/- 1 in group I, lower than 156 +/-
      5/94 +/- 2 in group II (p less than 0.05). At entry into the clinic and at the
      last visit, dosing and type of medications were similar in both groups. Although
      patient visits averaged 6.7/yr in both groups, patients in group II missed 1.7 +/
      0.3 compared with 0.9 +/- 0.1 visits/year for group I (p less than 0.01). Group
      II patients were also less compliant with medications, primarily because of
      psychosocial problems. Medications, however, were more available to this group,
      since 16 of 19 (84%) were Medicaid recipients, compared with 46 of 86 (53%) in
      group I (p less than 0.025).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857570
TI  - Lipid abnormalities in black renal patients.
AB  - Racial differences in lipoprotein (LP) and cardiovascular (CV) abnormalities have
      been noted in the general population and in the population of patients on
      dialysis. Few studies have investigated the interaction of race and LP and CV
      disturbances in other renal disease groups. We studied lipid profiles and risk
      ratios (total cholesterol (TC)/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) (HDL-C) and
      apolipoprotein (apo) A-I/apo B (A-I/B)) and the influence of race across a
      spectrum of renal disease groups (normal renal function (NRD), nephrotic range
      proteinuria (NS), hemodialysis (HD), continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
      (CAPD), post-transplant (TR), renal insufficiency (RI)). We also performed a
      longitudinal study of lipid profiles in patients with end stage renal disease
      (ESRD) and the relationship of these profiles to race and other variables. There
      was a general tendency towards a better CV risk profile for blacks than whites in
      all the groups. Blacks tended to have lower TC, higher HDL-C, lower TC/HDL-C,
      higher apo A-I, lower apo B, and higher A-I/B. We analyzed four yearly cross
      sections of the HD and CAPD populations using ANOVA with adjustment for
      appropriate covariates. Whites had lower HDL-C and a higher TC/HDL-C risk ratio
      than blacks. HD patients had lower TC, TC/HDL-C, apo A-I, and apo B than CAPD
      patients, and women had higher TC than men. When lipid profiles were studied
      longitudinally by yearly intervals, no consistent significant changes were seen,
      but over two years, levels of apo B fell and A-I/B rose. Race had no significant
      effect on any of the longitudinal data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857571
TI  - A retrospective analysis of the metabolic status of stone formers in the New York
      City metropolitan areas.
AB  - Eighty stone-forming patients were evaluated as outpatients for risk factors
      involved in stone formation. Analyses of the major stone risk parameters in the
      24-hour collections indicated low volume (less than 2L) in about 79% of these
      patients. Forty percent of all patients were found to be hypocitraturic, 30% were
      hyperoxaluric, 18% were hypercalciuric, and 13% were hyperuricosuric. Sixty-one
      percent of the patients had a normal calcium load study; of these, four patients
      were uric acid stone formers. The remaining 39% of patients were classified as
      either absorptive hypercalciuric (16 patients), or fasting hypercalciuric with
      normal (12 patients) or elevated (3 patients) serum parathyroid hormone (PTH)
      levels. Of these 31 patients, 61% were not hypercalciuric on the basis of the 24
      hour urine collections. The protocol provided a diagnosis in over 98% of
      patients. Low urinary volume was the only defect found in 5% of patients, while
      more than one risk factor was identified in 93%.

PMID- 1857572
TI  - Identification of asymptomatic renal cell carcinomas utilizing modern
      radiographic techniques.
AB  - The more liberal use of ultrasonography and computed tomography has made more
      common the incidental discovery of renal masses. The charts of 105 patients
      surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma at a teaching hospital from 1983 to
      1987 were reviewed. The incidence of incidentally found asymptomatic tumors was
      47% (49/105 patients). Of the incidentally found tumors, 55% were stage I and
      only 14% were stage III; for symptomatic patients, 39% of tumors were stage I and
      27% were stage III. This study also found that the classical triad of pain,
      hematuria, and flank mass was present in only 3.8% (4/105) of patients. Tumors
      found incidentally will usually be of lower pathologic stage and may carry a
      better prognosis.

PMID- 1857573
TI  - Diabetic nephropathy in the inner city.

PMID- 1857574
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome nephropathy in
      the inner city.

PMID- 1857575
TI  - Poverty, ethnicity, and dialysis services in Israel.

PMID- 1857576
TI  - Pulmonary-renal syndrome. Its clinicopathologic approach in 1991.

PMID- 1857577
TI  - Administrative challenges in delivering inner city renal care.

PMID- 1857578
TI  - Scintigraphy in sports injuries: is it underutilized?

PMID- 1857579
TI  - Imaging of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia with 111In-labelled non-specific
      polyclonal IgG: an experimental study in rats.
AB  - The relative sensitivity of imaging with 67Ga-citrate (67Ga) and non-specific
      human polyclonal IgG radiolabelled with 111In (111In-IgG) for the detection of
      Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) was determined in rats. Pneumocystis carinii
      pneumonia was induced by low protein diet and dexamethasone. The course of the
      disease was monitored by serial imaging with 111In-IgG and 67Ga. Diffuse
      accumulation of both radiopharmaceuticals was observed in the lungs of infected
      animals (infection was verified by histological examination of the lungs),
      however, accumulation of 111In-IgG was consistently higher. In rats with early
      PCP, 111In-IgG imaging revealed pulmonary accumulation in animals with normal
      chest radiographs and 67Ga scans. In animals successfully treated for PCP,
      decreased pulmonary accumulation of 111In-IgG coincided with histological
      improvements. Several animals developed superinfection with bacteria or fungi.
      These animals had striking focal accumulation of 111In-IgG, in addition to the
      pattern of generalized uptake. Gallium concentration in these animals did not
      show this focal accumulation. These observations suggest that 111In-IgG may be
      useful for detecting PCP and pulmonary abscesses in the immunocompromised host.

PMID- 1857580
TI  - Choice of parameter for expressing bone mineralization.
AB  - In this cross-sectional study, the relative importance of anthropometric factors
      and that of biological parameters on bone mineralization were evaluated and their
      practical implications inferred on the choice of the parameter to be used for the
      estimation of bone mineralization. A close relationship between anthropometric
      factors and bone mineral content (BMC) was observed and this relationship was
      shown to be independent of age. Furthermore, by regression analyses,
      anthropometric parameters appeared to explain a large part of the variance in BMC
      and preceded the hormonal parameters in the stepwise analysis of this model.
      Using bone mineral density (BMD) data, however, we observed a weaker relationship
      between anthropometric factors and bone mineralization and a relatively stronger
      relationship between steroid hormones and bone mineralization than those observed
      using the BMC data. Furthermore, by multiple regression analysis the hormonal
      factors preceded the anthropometric parameters in the stepwise analysis of the
      model. As strong epidemiological and clinical evidence exists on the relationship
      between steroid hormones and bone loss, these results constitute a supplementary
      argument for the use of BMD for the estimation of bone mineralization.

PMID- 1857581
TI  - Ultrasound and HIDA: scanning in evaluating bile leaks after cholecystectomy.
AB  - Ultrasound and 99Tcm-HIDA scanning were compared in the evaluation of
      postoperative biliary leakage after cholecystectomy. In thirty-five patients the
      abdomen was scanned and imaged on the first postoperative day. Isotope activity
      in the right upper quadrant and whole abdomen was determined to obtain an
      activity ratio. Ultrasonography was also performed. Accumulation of 99Tcm-HIDA in
      the gall bladder bed or over the surface of the liver was regarded as evidence of
      a bile leak. Eleven patients had abnormal 99Tcm-HIDA images (activity ratios of
      0.20-0.77, mean 0.51) but only five patients had loculated fluid on ultrasound
      scanning. Twenty-four patients had normal 99Tcm-HIDA images (activity ratios of 0
      0.17, mean 0.21), but fifteen of these had loculated fluid on ultrasound
      scanning. We conclude that bile leaks occur in 30% of patients following
      cholecystectomy and are best detected by 99Tcm scanning rather than
      ultrasonography.

PMID- 1857583
TI  - Monoclonal antibody pretargetting techniques for tumour localization: the avidin
      biotin system. International Workshop on Techniques for Amplification of Tumour
      Targetting.

PMID- 1857582
TI  - Radionuclide imaging clinical study. Corporeal 133Xe washout for detecting venous
      leakage in impotence.
AB  - A quantitative test, corporeal 133Xe washout, was developed to detect venogenic
      impotence. Data were acquired in frame mode after intracorporeal injection of 0.1
      ml (1-2 mCi or 37-74 MBq) of 133Xe in saline on one side of the midline just
      behind the glans in the flaccid state for 20 min. A time-activity curve (TAC) was
      generated from the region of interest (ROI) at the site of injection and a
      computer routine was then used to calculate clearance half-time (T1/2) in minutes
      and flow rate (Q) in ml/100 g tissue/min from corporeal 133Xe clearance. The data
      from 12 controls and 21 patients with venous leakage were analysed. In patients
      with venogenic impotence, T1/2 (mean +/- S.D.) was greatly increased (24.4 +/-
      10.7 min vs 10.7 +/- 4.6 min in controls, P less than 0.005) whereas Q markedly
      decreased (2.4 +/- 1.3 ml/100 g tissue/min vs 5.4 +/- 2.3 ml/100 g tissue/min in
      controls, P less than 0.005). The sensitivity and specificity for detecting
      venous leakage at the optimal threshold of T1/2 equal to 13 min and Q equal to
      3.7 ml/100 g tissue/min were 95 and 75%, respectively. The corporeal 133Xe
      clearance half-time and flow rate are two simple and clinically useful indices
      for detecting venous leakage.

PMID- 1857584
TI  - Measurement of hepatic blood flow by use of per-rectal portal scintigraphy with
      133Xe.
AB  - A relatively noninvasive method is needed to evaluate the hepatic blood flow of
      patients with liver disease. We used per-rectal portal scintigraphy with 133Xe,
      and analysed the time-activity curves of the liver and portal vein. To do this,
      wash-out curves of the liver were plotted, and the hepatic blood flow and the
      ratio of the blood flow to the right lobe of the liver to that to the left lobe
      (R/L ratio) were calculated. The mean hepatic blood flow was 137 +/- 23 ml/100
      g/min for four patients with fatty liver, 139 +/- 16 ml/100 g/min for seven
      patients with chronic persistent hepatitis, 120 +/- 15 ml/100 g/min for ten
      patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis, and 75 +/- 21 ml/100 g/min for 14
      patients with cirrhosis. All seven patients with hepatic blood flow that was less
      than 100 ml/100 g/min and an R/L ratio less than 1.0 had cirrhosis. Only two of
      the 22 patients with hepatic blood flow that was greater than 100 ml/100 g/min
      and an R/L ratio greater than 1.0 had cirrhosis. Per-rectal portal scintigraphy
      can be used to measure the hepatic blood flow, but it was not useful for the
      diagnosis of fatty liver.

PMID- 1857585
TI  - Purification of radioiodinated monoclonal antibodies using a simple 'closed
      procedure' device.
AB  - An elution device has been constructed which is capable of drawing radiolabelled
      monoclonal antibody through a Sephadex-G chromatography column under negative
      pressure. Monoclonal antibodies against ovarian carcinoma and T and B lymphocytes
      were radioiodinated using the Chloramine-T method. Labelling efficiencies were in
      the range 75-85%. After passing through the chromatographic eluter no 'free'
      iodide was detected in the antibody samples. The apparatus was simple to use and
      safe to the operator.

PMID- 1857586
TI  - [The space-time distribution of the mRNA of the nuclear proteins c-myc and P-53
      in the development of the clawed toad studied by hybridization in situ].
AB  - We studied distribution of mRNA for nuclear protooncogene c-myc and nuclear
      protein P-53 in mature oocytes and embryos of Xenopus laevis from the stage of
      fertilization up to the stage of hatching by in situ hybridization with
      histological sections. mRNA for c-myc was present in all cells of the embryo at
      all studied developmental stages. Between the stage of fertilization and up to
      the late blastula, mRNA concentration for c-myc decreased progressively in all
      embryonic cells. During gastrulation a local increase in the concentration of
      this messenger was found in dorsal mesoderm and ectoderm. At the stage of neurula
      increased concentration of mRNA for c-myc was observed in all cells of the embryo
      but the hybridization signal increased particularly distinctly in cells of the
      neural tube. In studies of P-53 mRNA distribution hybridization signal was
      detected only in brain cells after stage 20 of development (after closure of the
      neural folds) and up to the stage of hatching.

PMID- 1857587
TI  - [The biochemical aspects of pineal gland functioning in the rat in ontogeny].
AB  - We have studied metabolic pathways of serotonin in epiphysis of Wistar male rats
      at the age of 1; 1,5; 2; 3; 6; 12; 24 and 36 months. Epiphysis retains its
      functional activity throughout the life, however, serotonin metabolism in
      epiphysis undergoes marked changes. The main regulatory principle is the switch
      of serotonin metabolic pathways in the pineal gland. Most distinct changes
      between hydroxy- and methoxyindols in epiphysis have been observed during the
      periods of age-associated hormonal rearrangements like sexual maturation or
      involution of the gonad function at the old age.

PMID- 1857588
TI  - [The embryotoxic effects of monohydric alcohols].
AB  - We have compared the embryotoxic effect of aliphatic alcohols on antenatal
      embryogenesis of rats and the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase (EC.1.1.1.1) in
      embryonic hepatocytes. The embryotoxic activity of the used alcohols in equitoxic
      doses (assessed as the lethal effect) showed some dependence on their chemical
      structure. Earlier it has been demonstrated that there is a similar dependence
      for the mutagenic effects of the alcohols at the chromosomal level. All tested
      compounds, with the exception of decanol, distinctly retarded the development,
      but did not exert any teratogenic action. The administration of aliphatic
      alcohols also led to a significant decrease in the activity of alcohol
      dehydrogenase in fetal hepatocytes.

PMID- 1857589
TI  - [The bone marrow origin of the cells encapsulating a foreign body in the
      peritoneal cavity of xenogeneic radiation chimeras].
AB  - The origin and ultrastructure of the cells, encapsulating foreign body in
      peritoneal cavity of xenogeneic (rat in mouse) radiation chimeras was studied.
      The donor nature of the cells was identified by their karyotype and by DNA
      hybridization with rat ID-element. Cells with ultrastructural characteristics of
      fibroblasts encapsulating foreign body in the peritoneal cavity of the xenogeneic
      radiation chimeras were shown to originate from the transplanted (donor) bone
      marrow.

PMID- 1857590
TI  - [The dynamics of embryonic mortality in inbred Drosophila strains].
AB  - This paper describes embryonic mortality in selected inbred strains of Drosophila
      studied over time. We found that the incidence rate of nondeveloping eggs
      increases up to 100% during the first 4 days after oviposition in the strain
      selected for high embryonic mortality (HEM). We have analyzed the contribution of
      both sexes to the realization of this effect and possible mechanisms of its
      appearance.

PMID- 1857591
TI  - [Tissue systems with stem cells].
AB  - This paper presents a short historical review of scientific concepts and
      experimental approaches to analysis of stem cells in various tissue systems. Main
      problems and perspectives of investigation in this field are discussed.

PMID- 1857593
TI  - [Hematopoietic stem cells in mice during embryonic development preceding the
      establishment of liver hematopoiesis].
AB  - We studied the time course of appearance of CFUs (7-8 days old) in embryos of
      (C57B1/6 x CBA)F1 mice from the 8th day of embryonic development. Significant
      amounts of CFUs could be detected from the 10th day of development, initially in
      the body of the embryo from the stage of 30-33 pairs of somites, then in the yolk
      sac and still later, from the stage of about 40 pairs of somites, in liver
      anlage. CFUs could not be reliably detected until the 9th day of development
      either in the embryo itself or in the yolk sac. However, after incubation of nine
      day old embryos for four days in organ culture, such cultures contained CFUs.
      CFUs could be found in significant levels in embryos explanted from the embryos
      at the stage no earlier than 24 pairs of somites. When the yolk sac and the
      embryo were cultivated separately, CFUs could also be detected, however, the
      removal of liver primordium from the embryo did not influence the amount of CFUs
      in its body. CFUs were not found in cultures of liver primordium from nine day
      old embryos. Thus, we can detect pre-CFUs in 9 day old embryos at the stage 25-28
      pairs of somites using the system of organ culture; at the same time CFUs cannot
      be found in intact embryos of the same age. These data provide evidence that
      before the establishment of liver hemopoiesis precursors of CFUs are located both
      in the yolk sac and in the embryo outside rudimentary liver. However, our results
      do not provide any data for the conclusion about the primary source of pre-CFUs
      in the mouse embryo.

PMID- 1857592
TI  - [The precursor hematopoietic cell: its origin in ontogeny, proliferative activity
      and proliferative potential].
AB  - Cells responsible for repopulation of irradiated longterm cultures of murine bone
      marrow and capable of generating CFUs for at least 4-5 weeks after seeding
      referred here to as primitive hemopoietic stem cells (P-HSC) were assayed by
      limiting dilution analysis. During development of mice P-HSC can be detected for
      the first time in the liver of 12-13-day-old embryos and their number is about 10
      per organ. At day 17-18 of gestation the number of P-HSC increases ten-fold;
      however, we could not detect the proliferation of these cells using the technique
      of hydroxyurea suicide. In the adult mouse P-HSC content is about 100 precursors
      per femur and their concentration is one P-HSC per 1-2 x 10(5) bone marrow cells.
      P-HSC content in the spleen is 0.5 per 10(6) cells. In vivo treatment with 5
      fluorouracil or hydroxyurea (six injections every 6 h) does not alter
      significantly the number of P-HSC, although either treatment kills about 99% of
      CFUs. Several months after reconstitution of lethally irradiated mice with a
      "small" inoculum of bone marrow cells (0.20-0.35 x 10(6)) the number of bone
      marrow P-HSC was reduced as compared to that in animals reconstituted by
      injection of a "large" cell dose (20-35 x 10(6)). These data suggest that P-HSC
      have limited proliferative potential and are incapable of self-maintenance.

PMID- 1857594
TI  - [The characteristics of the hematopoietic cells forming colonies on cellulose
      acetate membranes and their distinctions from other clonogenic cells].
AB  - In order to characterize hemopoietic cells forming colonies on membranes of
      cellulose acetate (CFU-acm) implanted into the peritoneal cavity of mice, we
      studied the effect of factors stimulating and inhibiting granulocytopoiesis on
      these cells. Proliferation of CFU-acm can be controlled by humoral factors and
      this allows us to conclude that they are not identical to CFUs and probably
      belong to the compartment of early hemopoietic cells of the granulocyte series.
      We also present evidence for fractional composition, ultrastructure and bone
      marrow origin of cells belonging to the layer providing for hemopoietic
      microenvironment for the resulting foci of hemopoiesis; we also present evidence
      for the role of fibroblasts (fibroblast-like cells) in the maintenance of
      hemopoiesis. Experiments on transplantation of bone marrow from several rodent
      species to syn-, allo- and xenogenic recipients allowed us to study interactions
      of hemopoietic elements of colonies with cells of the underlying layer.

PMID- 1857595
TI  - [The regulation of hematopoietic stem cell proliferation and differentiation (CFU
      S) during antigenic exposure].
AB  - Hemopoietic stem cell (CFUs) proliferation is controlled by regulatory activities
      (stimulator and inhibitor) produced by bone marrow macrophages. Previously it has
      been shown that antigen administration stimulates CFUs proliferation. The data
      obtained in this study show the possible mechanism of antigen-induced stimulation
      of CFUs proliferation. 3-4 days after antigen injection bone marrow cells of BDF1
      mice cease to produce inhibitory activity in contrast to similar cells of control
      animals. Therefore, increased CFUs proliferation in immunized mice can be due to
      decreased production of inhibitory activity and resulting abundance of
      stimulating factors. In BAlB/c mice CFUs proliferation is not changed after
      antigen injection and their bone marrow cells continue to synthesize inhibitory
      substances. Differentiation of CFUs into committed blood precursor cells may
      depend on the proliferation level in CFUs population since activation of CFUs
      proliferation in immunized BDF1 mice is accompanied by a decreased number of CFU
      GM and CFU-M but an increased number of BFU-E. It should be noted that intact
      BAlB/c mice show a high level of CFUs proliferation similar to that of immunized
      BDF1 mice.

PMID- 1857596
TI  - [The behavior of the X chromosomes in intra- and interspecific hybrid cells of
      murine teratocarcinoma PCC4azal].
AB  - We have demonstrated that X chromosomes are reactivated in hybrids obtained by
      fusion of mouse PCC4azaI teratocarcinoma cells (XO, 39HPRT-) with splenocytes
      from mouse females heterozygous in Hprt gene. These hybrids are capable of
      spontaneous differentiation. We also obtained similar interspecies hybrids of
      PCC4azaI cells with bone marrow cells of the American mink. The majority of such
      hybrids remained undifferentiated, however, after long-term cultivation at high
      cell density they differentiated into epithelial- or fibroblast-like cells
      similarly to PCC4azaI cells. Two hybrids had the autosomal complement of the
      mouse and two X chromosomes (mouse and mink); both X chromosomes were active.
      These X chromosomes were not inactivated during differentiation in vitro.

PMID- 1857597
TI  - [Genetic control over the determination and proliferation of melanocyte stem
      cells in mammals].
AB  - Data obtained in mutant mouse strains provide evidence for multilocus control of
      determination and proliferation of melanocyte stem cells. Mice are known to have
      five loci (mi, Sp, s, Ls, Dom) controlling melanoblast determination. Locus mi is
      expressed in pluripotent cells of the neural crest from which melanocyte and
      neuron clones are formed; it is also expressed in a strain of ectomesenchyme
      cells. Loci Sp, s, ls and Dom are expressed somewhat later, probably during one
      of the last quantal cell cycles leading to the determination of unipotent
      melanocyte stem cells. Mutant genes of these loci impair the development of
      pigment cells as well as of ganglial neurons. Three loci (W, vs, Sl) control the
      proliferation of melanocyte stem cells. Mutations of locus W present in a single
      copy inhibit the proliferative activity of melanoblasts, whereas when present at
      the double dose they completely block their proliferation. Locus Sl is not
      expressed in melanocytes but acts in another cell system, which is very important
      for the proliferation of melanocyte stem cells. Mutant genes Ga, si and vit
      decrease the lifespan of stem cells for epidermal melanocytes.

PMID- 1857598
TI  - [The determination of the cytodifferentiation of the adenohypophysis in embryonic
      development].
AB  - This is a review of the literature and author's own data on determination of
      various cell types of adenohypophysis during embryonic development. Recent
      studies using techniques of organ culture and immunohistochemistry have
      established the time of determination of glandular cells of adenohypophysis. It
      has been shown in rat embryos that the direction of differentiation of all major
      cell types of adenohypophysis is programmed late during the development of the
      epithelial anlage of this organ. Similar data as concerns somatotropic and
      prolactin cells have been obtained on chick embryos. Chick embryos possess
      regional type of determination of prolactin and somatotropin-containing cells in
      the anlage in correspondence with their location in definitive adenohypophysis.

PMID- 1857599
TI  - [The stem-cell reserve of the liver].
AB  - This paper considers the problem of epithelial stem cells of the liver and
      possibilities of its experimental solution. Authors' own data obtained with the
      model of induced hepatocarcinogenesis in mice are discussed; the experiments were
      performed using electron microscopy, autoradiography and immunochemistry. In
      accordance with these data, Gering cells are stem cells of the liver, and oval
      cells correspond to committed precursors capable to differentiation in either
      hepatocellular or cholangiolar direction under the conditions of periportal
      microenvironment. We have also compared hepatocyte differentiation in
      preneoplastic mouse liver and regenerating pancreas of adult rats (Rao et al.
      Amer. J. Pathol. 1989. V. 134. P. 1069-1086). We also discuss stem cell
      compartment organization in organs having glandular structure and the possibility
      of existence in the adult of non-committed multipotent cells capable of producing
      various types of differentiation in tissues having common origin during
      embryogenesis.

PMID- 1857600
TI  - [Osteogenic stem cells of the bone marrow].
AB  - This paper presents literature and author's own data demonstrating that bone
      marrow contains determined osteogenic precursor cells with high potential to
      differentiation. They are stem cells of the bone and belong to the stromal cell
      line of the bone marrow which is histogenetically independent of hemopoietic
      cells. The paper presents detailed analysis of bone marrow stromal cells (CFUf)
      as well as of their osteogenic properties and requirements in growth factors. In
      conclusion mutual growth-stimulating interactions in the system of hemopoietic
      stromal cells are reviewed.

PMID- 1857601
TI  - [New differentiation markers of mouse liver epithelial cell lines].
AB  - We describe two new markers of mouse liver epithelial cells detected by
      monoclonal antibodies. Immunomorphological localization of antigens was performed
      using light and electron microscopy. Antigen G7 is a marker of cholangiocytes and
      oval cells. Antigen A6 is present in cholangiocytes and oval cells; moreover, it
      is expressed in normal liver in single hepatocytes adjacent to the portal vein,
      in preneoplastic liver, in newly formed hepatocytes, and in certain
      hepatocarcinomas. Thus, antigen A6 is a marker of cholangiocytes, oval cells and
      of certain stages of hepatocyte differentiation. We also detected phenotypic
      heterogeneity of Gehring cells in terms of antigen A6 content. We have formulated
      problem of the relationship between A6-negative Gehring cells and liver stem
      cells. Both marker antigens are species-specific but are not specific for the
      liver. Antigen A6 is simultaneously a differentiation marker of cells belonging
      to the erythroid series. It is expressed in erythroblasts of fetal liver and is
      absent in erythroblasts of the yolk sac and erythrocytes. The relationship
      between antigen A6 and blood group antigens is discussed.

PMID- 1857603
TI  - [An interview with Prof. T. M. Dexter (by I. Tsyrlova)].

PMID- 1857602
TI  - [A biochemical analysis of the differentiation of the epithelial stem cells of
      the crystalline lens in amphibians].

PMID- 1857604
TI  - [The validity of the universality of "rule 2k" for cellularity].

PMID- 1857605
TI  - [Importance of the detection of minimal residual disease in the management of
      acute leukemia].
AB  - Between 1984-1988, 57 adult acute leukemic patients were treated with intensive
      combined chemotherapy in the National Institute of Haematology and Blood
      Transfusion. For the evaluation of response to therapy, 4 investigations were
      performed in parallel: bone marrow aspirate, bone marrow biopsy, cytogenetic
      analysis and bone marrow culture. Nonparametric test for samples taken for the
      evaluation of remission status showed that bone marrow biopsy was significantly
      the most sensitive method for the detection of residual disease. The bone marrow
      culture was also on the borderline of significance, but the low CFU-GM level did
      not always correlate with the further clinical course. Occasionally, karyotypic
      abnormality was the only sign of the residual disease. It would be of great
      importance to quantitate the minimal residual disease in order to evaluate and
      compare the various intensive postinduction therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 1857606
TI  - [Decreased serum osteocalcin level in non-alcoholic and alcoholic chronic liver
      diseases].
AB  - Serum level of osteocalcin (OC) is believed to be a specific biochemical
      parameter of bone formation. Decreased serum OC has been reported in alcohol
      intoxicated subjects, in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and in patients
      with chronic alcoholic liver disease. The question was, whether lower OC level
      could be detected in patients with nonalcoholic and non-cholestatic chronic liver
      disease. The serum OC was measured by RIA developed in our laboratory. Results
      were compared to age and sex matched controls. Decreased OC level was found in 35
      out of 47 (74%) patients with non-alcoholic and non-cholestatic liver disease as
      chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, fatty liver and
      cirrhosis, in 21 out of 26 (80%) patients with alcoholic liver disease and in 8
      out of 15 (53%) primary biliary cirrhosis. None of the patients had elevated
      value. There was no correlation between the decreased OC level and the duration
      or severity of the liver disease and the laboratory parameters as bilirubin, AST,
      ALT, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, prothrombin, and serum 25-OH-D3 vitamin
      level. Decreased OC was found also in the patients without cirrhosis. The
      possible causes are discussed. Relying upon these findings it is supposed that
      chronic liver disease by itself can influence the osteoblast activity also by
      some unknown mechanism.

PMID- 1857607
TI  - [Family studies in idiopathic hypercalciuria].
AB  - Increased urinary calcium excretion was found in 20 of 42 family members of 14
      children with idiopathic hypercalciuria. Analysis of questionnaires on
      environmental factors and of pedigrees suggested that familial occurrence of
      absorptive hypercalciuria was mainly due to common alimentary practice. At the
      same time, the existence of an autosomal dominant form of renal hypercalciuria
      seems to be very likely, the mechanism of which is not yet understood.

PMID- 1857608
TI  - [Arthroscopy in pediatric orthopedics].
AB  - Based on his own material, author for the first time in the Hungarian literature
      discusses the special points of arthroscopy in childhood and adolescence. Within
      a period of 18 months, 64 knee arthroscopies were performed on patients with the
      mean age of 14.9 years. In 17 cases arthroscopy was followed by surgical exposure
      of the joint, while 14 of the cases remained only diagnostic interventions.
      Arthroscopic intraarticular surgery was performed in 33 knees. Based on the
      analysis of the latter two groups it is stated that arthroscopy has its value in
      the fields of pediatric orthopaedics.

PMID- 1857610
TI  - Clinical audiology.

PMID- 1857609
TI  - [Public health in the Esztergom region in the 18th century].

PMID- 1857611
TI  - Measurement of sound.
AB  - The measurement of sound involves the analysis of frequency, intensity, and
      temporal dimensions of acoustic signals. Each dimension of sound can be related
      directly to clinically observed phenomena. Frequency information, measured in Hz,
      can be extracted from pure-tone and complex stimuli. Intensity represents the
      physical energy of a signal and is described by using the decibel scale--a
      logarithmic scale of ratios. Temporal characteristics of sound include duration,
      phase, and repetition rate. In the analysis of human hearing sensitivity, the
      middle ear system and its impedance characteristics also must be considered. In
      this article, we have reviewed some major principles of sound and have presented
      a series of practical clinical applications. Such principles as these help to
      predict and explain frequency of laryngeal tones, middle ear mechanics, ear canal
      resonance, real-ear measurements of hearing aids, the Articulation Index, hearing
      loss, understanding of speech in quiet and in noise, and the relation between
      hearing and speech.

PMID- 1857612
TI  - Basic hearing tests.
AB  - This article contains a discussion of pure-tone and speech audiometry as these
      measures relate to primary audiologic evaluation of hearing. The scientific
      foundation underlying the development of stimulus-specific standards for normal
      hearing, test materials, and methods for basic tests are included. A rationale
      for test administration, masking, and interpretation of results is presented.

PMID- 1857613
TI  - Behavioral audiometry.
AB  - Behavioral audiometry is based on observation of overt responses to controlled
      auditory stimuli, as contrasted with electrophysiologic procedures, which involve
      electrophysiologic monitoring or direct recording of the bioelectric correlates
      of the original signal. When reinforcement is added to the behavioral procedures,
      the infant or young child provides highly reliable responses, and it is possible
      to test most infants 6 months of age and older with these procedures. The
      combination of both behavioral and electrophysiologic procedures can resolve most
      clinical questions regarding the auditory function of young infants and children.

PMID- 1857614
TI  - Basic principles and clinical applications of tympanometry.
AB  - This article presents an overview of tympanometric measures using a 226-Hz probe
      tone, with an additional focus on complex admittance measures at 678 Hz and an
      introduction to multiple frequency tympanometry. Basic principles underlying all
      admittance measures are presented. The clinical implementation and interpretation
      of tympanometry is discussed.

PMID- 1857615
TI  - Acoustic reflex measures in audiologic evaluation.
AB  - Measurement of the acoustic-stapedius reflex is useful in the diagnosis of
      certain otologic diseases. The anatomy and physiology of the middle ear muscles
      and the acoustic reflex arc are reviewed for normal and pathologic ears. The
      application of acoustic reflex measures to clinical diagnosis is illustrated by a
      series of case studies.

PMID- 1857616
TI  - Auditory evoked potentials.
AB  - Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) have become an integral part of the current
      otologic/audiologic test battery. With these techniques, synchronous neural
      activity can be examined from the peripheral end organ of hearing up to the
      cortical structures responsible for audition. The clinical applications of AEPs
      range from their use as an indicator of auditory sensitivity in patients who
      either cannot or will not respond in a conventional behavioral test situation to
      their use in the diagnosis and monitoring of various otologic and neurologic
      disorders. As such, measurement of AEPs allows the clinician a unique glimpse of
      the auditory system.

PMID- 1857617
TI  - Central auditory function.
AB  - Central auditory disorders in children and adults have become more widely
      recognized in patients seen by otolaryngologists and audiologists. This article
      briefly defines those clinical entities, discusses the historic background of
      testing, and describes current and future test approaches to assessment of
      central auditory disorders.

PMID- 1857618
TI  - Pseudohypacusis.
AB  - This article provides the basis for the techniques and interpretation of
      audiologic tests useful in evaluation of the patient with pseudohypacusis.
      Differences between the childhood and adult forms of the problem are discussed.
      The indications for currently popular conventional and special tests are
      presented. These include both behavioral and electrophysiologic measures for
      assessing auditory function.

PMID- 1857619
TI  - Occupational hearing conservation.
AB  - Chronic exposure to high-intensity noise can produce permanent hearing loss, the
      amount of which depends on noise intensity, temporal and spectral
      characteristics, and the length of exposure. OSHA regulates workplace noise
      exposure in accordance with the Hearing Conservation Amendment of 1983. When
      noise levels equal or exceed an 85 dBA time-weighted average (TWA), the employer
      is required to provide annual audiometric screening. When noise levels exceed 90
      dBA TWA, the worker's exposure must be reduced by engineering methods,
      administrative changes, or personal hearing protectors. If a worker demonstrates
      a standard (significant) threshold shift (10 dB or greater increased average
      hearing threshold at 2, 3, and 4 kHz in either ear) that is attributed to noise,
      the worker's exposure must be further reduced by one of the aforementioned
      methods.

PMID- 1857620
TI  - Hearing aid evaluation and fitting.
AB  - Although many patients with hearing loss benefit from medical or surgical
      intervention, the vast majority have noncorrectable hearing disorders for which
      rehabilitation through amplification is indicated. There are three goals for the
      application of hearing aids: (1) to amplify normal conversational speech to
      levels that are maximally understandable to the patient; (2) to help the patient
      hear other environmental sounds; and (3) to assist in the educational or
      habilitative process for those children who sustain hearing loss prior to
      language and speech development. In addition, there are certain issues that
      require medical consideration when a wearable device is placed in the ear. This
      article describes current hearing aid technology; reviews its benefits,
      limitations, and application for typical patients; discusses the medical aspects
      of hearing aid fitting; and describes new hearing aid technology on the horizon.

PMID- 1857621
TI  - Aural rehabilitation.
AB  - Aural rehabilitation involves a complete evaluation of the communication deficits
      and needs of the hearing-impaired patient as well as the provision of counselling
      and therapy. This article describes listening-assistive devices, speech
      production, and audiovisual training. Issues related to educational placement and
      tinnitus also are reviewed.

PMID- 1857622
TI  - Vestibular testing in hearing loss.
AB  - The basic electonystagmography battery (saccade, gaze, position, caloric tests,
      and spontaneous nystagmus) are described along with rotational testing and
      dynamic posturography. Emphasis is placed on interpretation, relative benefits,
      and limitations as an aid in diagnosis.

PMID- 1857623
TI  - Contrast thresholds for identification of numeric characters in direct and
      eccentric view.
AB  - Aubert and Foerster (1857) are frequently cited for having shown that the lower
      visual acuity of peripheral vision can be compensated for by increasing stimulus
      size. This result is seemingly consistent with the concept of cortical
      magnification, and it has been confirmed by many subsequent authors. Yet it is
      rarely noted that Aubert and Foerster also observed a loss of the "quality of
      form." We have studied the recognition of numeric characters in foveal and
      eccentric vision by determining the contrast required for 67% correct
      identification. At each eccentricity, the lowest contrast threshold is achieved
      with a specific stimulus size. But the contrast thresholds for these optimal
      stimuli are not independent of retinal eccentricity as cortical magnification
      scaling would predict. With high-contrast targets, however, threshold target
      sizes were consistent with cortical magnification out to 6 degrees eccentricity.
      Beyond 6 degrees, threshold target sizes were larger than cortical magnification
      predicted. We also investigated recognition performance in the presence of
      neighboring characters (crowding phenomenon). Target character size, distance of
      flanking characters, and precision of focusing of attention all affect
      recognition. The influence of these parameters is different in the fovea and in
      the periphery. Our findings confirm Aubert and Foester's original observation of
      a qualitative difference between foveal and peripheral vision.

PMID- 1857624
TI  - Sensorimotor synchronization: motor responses to regular auditory patterns.
AB  - Subjects (N = 32) were asked to synchronize a motor response with tones in
      auditory patterns. These patterns were created from six tones and six intertone
      intervals of equal duration. The pitch of the first tone differed from the
      others. It was found that subjects used three types of timing in their motor
      response: (1) the first intertone interval was prolonged and the second interval
      was shortened, (2) the second intertone interval was prolonged and the first
      interval was shortened, and/or (3) the first interval and the second interval
      were of approximately the same length. The prolongation of the fifth interval was
      observed during all three types of timing. The results are explained using the
      concept of suprasegmental control of timing, which explains a prolongation of
      intervals at critical control point of the patterns. The occurrence of three
      different strategies of timing is discussed in connection with similar principles
      in musical performance.

PMID- 1857625
TI  - Time course of recovery from gustatory adaptation to NaCl.
AB  - Recovery from adaptation to NaCl was tested by comparing some relevant parameters
      of response to the adapting and test stimuli separated by different recovery
      intervals. The time course of response was determined using magnitude estimations
      and using the flow chamber for stimulus delivery. The course of recovery for all
      parameters used was a negatively accelerated function of the rest time, but the
      recovery rate of different parameters did not prove to be equal. Recovery was
      fastest for the initial maximum taste magnitude, followed by the time needed for
      the taste to disappear. The taste effect summed over time and the time required
      for the taste magnitude to decrease to 30% of its preadapted maximum were the
      slowest to recover. Although the recovery processes proceeded at a rapid rate
      during the initial period, all parameters remained depressed over a rather long
      period.

PMID- 1857626
TI  - Apparent reversals of a rotating mask: a new demonstration of cognition in
      perception.
AB  - A mask of a face rotated about its vertical axis of symmetry can appear to
      oscillate rather than rotate. Do stimulus features (e.g., shape) or cognitive
      factors (e.g., differential familiarity with convex and concave views of faces)
      explain this new illusion? In Experiment 1, differential familiarity was varied
      across stimuli by using familiar and unfamiliar objects rotating at 4 rpm and
      within stimuli by showing the objects upright and inverted. True motion was seen
      more with unfamiliar objects than with familiar objects and more with an inverted
      mask than with an upright mask. The results of Experiment 2, which was done with
      static views, suggest that the upright and inverted masks present similar
      structure to the visual system. In Experiment 3, the objects were shown rotating
      at 8 rpm; the results are similar to those of Experiment 1. These experiments
      favor a differential familiarity account of this illusory motion. Cognitive
      constraints on perceived motion and perceived rigidity are discussed.

PMID- 1857627
TI  - Manual discrimination of force using active finger motion.
AB  - In these experiments, two plates were grasped between the thumb and forefinger
      and squeezed together along a linear track. An electromechanical system presented
      a constant resistance force during the squeeze up to a predetermined location on
      the track, whereupon the force effectively went to infinity (simulating a wall)
      or to zero (simulating a cliff). The task of the subject was to discriminate
      between two alternative levels of the constant resistance force (a reference
      level and a reference-plus-increment level). Results of these experiments
      indicate a just noticeable difference of roughly 7% of the reference force using
      a one-interval paradigm with trial-by-trial feedback over the ranges 2.5 less
      than or equal to F0 less than or equal to 10.0 newtons, 5 less than or equal to D
      less than or equal to 30 mm, 45 less than or equal to S less than or equal to 125
      mm, and 25 less than or equal to V less than or equal to 160 mm/sec, where F0 is
      the reference force, D is the distance squeezed, S is the initial fingerspan, and
      V is the mean velocity of the squeeze. These results, based on tests with 5
      subjects, are consistent with a wide range of previous results, some of which are
      associated with other body surfaces and muscle systems and many of which were
      obtained with different psychophysical methods.

PMID- 1857628
TI  - The effect of training on visual alignment discrimination and grating resolution.
AB  - The effect of training on an observer's ability to detect the misalignment of
      three points, a hyperacuity, and to resolve a six-line grating was studied in a
      transfer-of-training design with observers (4 in each of two experiments) who
      were experienced in making psychophysical judgments of other visual stimuli. The
      transfer-of-training design enabled us to look for any training-based
      improvement. Long periods of training produced no statistically significant
      improvement in performance under any condition. There were small practice-based
      improvements, but the primary patterns indicated threshold fluctuation rather
      than improvement. We interpret the results to indicate that the neural mechanisms
      underlying three-point alignment and grating discrimination, like those for gap
      bisection (Klein & Levi, 1985), are not malleable to any significant extent.

PMID- 1857629
TI  - Motion capture by a frame: global or local processing?
AB  - The possibility that frames serve to capture lines within them so that they
      appear on a coplanar surface was investigated, using coherence in direction of
      rotary motion (Gillam, 1972) as a quantitative measure of the coplanarity of
      frame and internal lines. It was found that perceptual coherence between a pair
      of lines was greatly increased by surrounding them with a frame, if the frame was
      perspectivally consistent with the lines. A second experiment showed that this
      grouping can be attributed to a global effect of the frame and cannot be
      accounted for by local grouping of the internal lines with components of the
      frame.

PMID- 1857630
TI  - The effects of complexity on the perception of vibrotactile patterns.
AB  - Vibrotactile patterns were presented to subjects' left index fingerpads using the
      array from the Optacon. A set of simple (one-line) patterns and a set of complex
      (two-line) patterns were constructed so that they were equally identifiable when
      presented individually. In Experiment 1, discrimination performance was lower for
      two-line patterns than for one-line patterns. Communality, the number of lines
      that two patterns share in common, appeared to be the major factor in reducing
      discrimination performance for two-line patterns. Experiment 2 measured the time
      required to identify individual patterns. There was no significant difference in
      identification times for one- and two-line patterns, suggesting that features
      within a pattern were processed simultaneously. In the presence of a temporal
      masking stimulus (Experiment 3), two-line patterns were more difficult to
      identify than one-line patterns, but reaction times were similar for the two sets
      of patterns. The results suggest that varying complexity affects perception of
      patterns at later stages of processing.

PMID- 1857632
TI  - An "open-transformed scale" for correcting ceiling effects and enhancing retest
      reliability: the example of pain.
AB  - The use of closed scales (with anchors at each end) to measure pain was found to
      produce ceiling effects characterized by a deceleration of ratings toward the
      upper end of the scale. This was consistent with previous research. Apart from
      producing nonlinear functions, the closed scale also limited test-retest
      reliability because of subjects' tendencies to correct their distorted ratings in
      subsequent trials. However, an open-ended scale coupled with transformation of
      reported ratings into a decile scale virtually eliminated the ceiling effect,
      thus producing consistently linear functions and maximizing test-retest
      reliability. This finding may have implications for the measurement of other
      sensory and psychological phenomena, especially those in which the property
      evaluated varies in a continuous fashion.

PMID- 1857631
TI  - A weighted-average model of achromatic transparency.
AB  - A model of achromatic transparency based on the idea that neural representations
      of transparency are activated by proximal contours is described. It is proposed
      that the weighted average of the magnitudes of the representations of
      transparency relative to a perceived continuous transparent surface corresponds
      to the judgement of the overall degree of transparency of the same surface. Tests
      of this weighted-average model were carried out with bistable patterns formed by
      two overlapping surfaces that appeared opaque where they were superimposed on the
      background and transparent where they were superimposed on each other (partial
      transparency). In agreement with predictions from the weighted-average model, the
      rated degrees of transparency of these two surfaces were noncomplementary and
      independent of background reflectance. Two experiments confirmed the contention
      of this model that the relevant proximal contours for the judgement of partial
      transparency of the two overlapping transparent surfaces in a bistable pattern
      correspond to the part where these surfaces are superimposed.

PMID- 1857633
TI  - Does intermittence in induced rotary movement have any explanatory significance?
AB  - Induced rotary movement has been reported to start and stop repeatedly during 1
      min of observation. This has been taken as evidence for the involvement either of
      cyclorotational optokinetic nystagmus or of roll vection. Both assertions are
      dubious. Regarding cyclorotational optokinetic nystagmus, available evidence
      shows that it is too weak to be important in induced rotary movement. Also,
      induced rotary movement and cyclorotational optokinetic nystagmus are affected
      differently by the velocity of eliciting stimulation. Regarding roll vection, the
      conditions for its intermittence do not match those for induced rotary movement.
      Also, although aftereffects for induced rotary movement are negative, those for
      roll vection are positive and negative. Intermittence in induced rotary movement
      may be parsimoniously explained as characteristic of a weak effect.

PMID- 1857634
TI  - Reoxygenation-induced arrhythmogenic transient inward currents in isolated cells
      of the guinea-pig heart.
AB  - Transient inward currents (Iti), activated by a rise in intracellular Ca
      concentration, are believed to trigger cardiac arrhythmias in reperfused hearts.
      In this report, Iti in isolated cardiocytes from the guinea-pig were evoked by
      reoxygenation following a period of anoxia of between 4 min and 35 min.
      Reoxygenation was performed 1 min after the full development of an anoxia-induced
      time-independent K current. This current disappeared within 2-6 s and in the
      following 10 s Iti developed to maximum amplitude. Iti were evoked using a
      constant pulse pattern (holding potential Vh = -45 mV; test potential Vt = +10;
      pulse duration 350 ms; frequency 1 Hz). In more than 95% of the cells, Iti at the
      holding potential Iti (-45 mV) declined with a time constant of tau = 670 +/- 240
      ms (mean +/- SD, n = 17). In two cells, undamped oscillatory currents were
      observed. The amplitude of Iti (-45 mV) was proportional to the amplitude and
      duration of the preceding depolarizing test pulse. Test pulses of long duration
      (500 ms and 1000 ms, mean +/- SD) to potentials positive to +10 mV produced
      slowly decaying tail currents (tau = 391 +/- 51 ms, mean +/- SD), which
      superimposed with Iti (-45 mV). The current/voltage relationship of Iti peaked
      between -30 mV and -10 mV and approximated zero at the most positive potentials,
      i.e. no reversal of Iti was found up to +80 mV. Using double-pulse protocols
      (prepulse potential +40 mV), Iti were enhanced at potentials negative to -30 mV
      and were also present in the range of the normal resting potential of ventricular
      heart cells. The instantaneous current-voltage relationship was monotone between 
      50 mV and +40 mV. Because of the dependence of Iti on the preceding
      depolarization, the instantaneous current-voltage relationship provides more
      reliable information on the voltage dependence of Iti. The interval between two
      subsequent Iti (-45 mV) values was 237 +/- 35 ms (mean +/- SD, n = 27) and
      depended on the amplitude of Iti (-45 mV) to increase by 5.2 +/- 0.5% (mean +/-
      SD) per 100 pA decrease in Iti (-45 mV). A simple noise analysis showed that if
      one assumes that ionic channels are responsible for the generation of Iti (-45
      mV), their unitary conductance cannot exceed 0.36 pS. We conclude that
      reoxygenation-induced Iti are triggered by a cyclic release of Ca from the
      sarcoplasmic reticulum and provide evidence that they are mediated by the
      electrogenic Na/Ca exchanger.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1857638
TI  - Biomechanics and the wheelchair.
AB  - Wheelchair biomechanics involves the study of how a wheelchair user imparts power
      to the wheels to achieve mobility. Because a wheelchair can coast, power input
      need not be continuous, but each power strike can be followed by a period of
      recovery, with the stroking frequency depending on user preferences and the
      coasting characteristics of the wheelchair. The latter is described in terms of
      rolling resistance, wind resistance and the slope of the surface. From these
      three factors the power required to propel the wheelchair is determined, and must
      be matched by the power output of the user. The efficiency of propulsion is the
      ratio of this power output to the metabolic cost and is typically in the order of
      5% in normal use. The features required in a wheelchair depend upon user
      characteristics and intended activities. The ideal wheelchair for an individual
      will have the features that closely match these characteristics and activities.
      Thus prescription is not just choosing a wheelchair, but choosing the components
      of the wheelchair that best serve the intended purpose. In this paper, each
      component is examined for available options and how these options effect the
      performance of the wheelchair for the individual. The components include wheels,
      tyres, castors, frames, bearings, materials, construction details, seats,
      backrests, armrests, foot and legrests, headrests, wheel locks, running brakes,
      handrims, levers, accessories, adjustments and detachable parts. Each component
      is considered in relation to performance characteristics including rolling
      resistance, versatility, weight, comfort, stability, maneouvrability, transfer,
      stowage, durability and maintenance. Where they exist, wheelchair standards are
      referred to as a source of information regarding these characteristics.

PMID- 1857639
TI  - The design of attendant propelled wheelchairs.
AB  - The attendant operated wheelchair is propelled by applying forces to handles at
      the rear of the chair. There are no published data to justify the design of
      pushing handles on existing wheelchairs. In Dundee, studies of pushing have been
      conducted in order to obtain subjective preferences for location and design of
      handles and an understanding of biomechanical factors associated with wheelchair
      pushing. Preferred positions for handles have been found to be in the region of
      0.75 of shoulder height, 1.14 times shoulder width although deviations of +/- 5%
      in these values are still rated as acceptable. The preferred positions do not
      correspond to minimum levels of resultant force or with lowest levels of moment
      in any of the upper body joints. Moments occurring at the lower back are not
      substantially affected by handle position. The biomechanical analysis so far has
      not revealed why some handle positions are more comfortable for pushing than
      others. Further study, involving calculation of resultant moments (rather than
      just sagittal plane moments) at these joints and at the lower body joints, is a
      next step in attempting to find the indicators of discomfort. Transferring a
      patient from or to a wheelchair can be a difficult operation with risks of
      accidents to the patient through falling and risks to the attendant of strain,
      particularly to the back. Current footrests on wheelchairs are a major source of
      the problems during transfer. A new approach to footrest design is described
      which solves these difficulties by using a footrest that lowers onto the floor.
      This has other attractive features such as providing good stability and restraint
      of the chair during transfer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857641
TI  - Wheelchair occupant restraints in motor vehicles.
AB  - The issue of safety for wheelchair users in motor vehicles has been raised in
      Australia by parents of young people with disabilities. Investigations revealed
      that wheelchair users were not covered by any legislated safety requirements, and
      each case received special dispensation from compliance with regulations covering
      the able-bodies population. Dynamic testing of restraint systems at the
      University of Michigan had revealed that existing systems were unsafe. Dynamic
      tests confirmed those findings on systems used at that time in Australia. Testing
      led to the design, development and marketing of a new wheelchair occupant and
      restraint system which remains a system of choice for use by organisations where
      the same people use the same buses in the same position each day. Australian
      Standard 2942-1987, Wheelchair Occupant Restraint Assemblies for Use in Motor
      Vehicles, has since been developed. It establishes design and performance
      requirements for these restraints and includes details of dynamic testing
      procedures. This paper describes the development of the above restraint system
      and the subsequent Australian Standard.

PMID- 1857640
TI  - Pushchairs.
AB  - Pushchairs for adults are used by two distinct groups: the high dependency users
      who cannot walk or use a self-propelling chair and the occasional users who may
      be able to walk indoors but are unable to walk significant distances outdoors. In
      the past, both disparate groups were provided with similar wheelchairs described
      as Model 9 or Model 10 in the United Kingdom. For the high dependency user the
      wheelchair may be individually adapted to accept specialized supportive seating
      and pressure relief cushions. The standard wheelchair without adaptation is
      supplied to the occasional user. For disabled children, the UK wheelchair service
      provides about 1200 pushchairs and buggies. About 400 of those are the more
      specialized type such as the Avon, while the rest are standard children's
      buggies, openly available at a High Street shop. The continued free supply of the
      standard buggy through the UK Wheelchair Service is questionable. A recent survey
      carried out by the UK Wheelchair Service showed that prescribers were not aware
      of the importance of lightness., foldability and appearance to parents and carers
      and conversely that parents often did not understand the necessity for supportive
      seating. The prevention of deformities in children by providing correctly
      supportive wheelchair seating is accepted. The Disablement Services Authority in
      the UK is investigating the possibilities of producing children's wheelchairs
      that will satisfy the requirements of user, parent and prescriber.

PMID- 1857636
TI  - Characterization of an outward K+ current in freshly dispersed cerebral arterial
      muscle cells.
AB  - This study was carried out to define some of the cellular ionic mechanisms
      controlling cerebral arterial muscle. Muscle cells were enzymatically dispersed
      from cat cerebral arteries. Cells were dialyzed and voltage-clamped using patch
      pipettes and whole-cell currents measured. Using pipette solutions allowing us to
      record K+ currents we identified an outward current elicited by depolarizing
      voltage steps beyond -20 mV. This outward current exhibited properties of delayed
      outward rectification having a peak macroscopic current at +90 mV of 504 +/- 236
      pA. The current was sensitive to 4-aminopyridine, but was sensitive to
      tetraethylammonium only at very high doses. When CsCl was in the recording
      pipette, macroscopic outward currents could not be recorded. Variations in the
      extracellular Ca2+ concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mM had no effect on current
      amplitude or voltage dependence; similarly the Ca2+ channel blockers nifedipine
      and Mn2+ were without effect on this outward current. The current inactivated
      slowly with no decay seen even with 3-s command pulses. Repetitive voltage pulses
      from -60 to +90 mV at a frequency of 1 Hz resulted in "cumulative reduction",
      depressing peak current by 60% after ten pulses. Upon reduction of pH from 7.43
      to 7.20 we observed a 350% increase in peak outward current in 7 of 12 cells
      studied in this regard. Thus, the cellular mechanism responsible for cerebral
      vascular dilation to acidosis and/or hypercapnia may involve an increase in
      outward K+ current.

PMID- 1857642
TI  - Informing the media.

PMID- 1857637
TI  - Clinical trial of a computer-aided system for orthopaedic shoe upper design.
AB  - A trial has been conducted to produce the uppers for orthopaedic shoes using an
      existing commercial computer-aided design system. The aims of the trial were to
      confirm that a CAD system developed for the volume shoe trade (Shoemaster from
      Clarks Shoes) could be used for the upper design of orthopaedic shoes and to
      assess the contribution of professional shoe design on cosmesis and acceptability
      of these shoes. A small number of adult diabetic patients and children with foot
      deformities were selected, all of who had previously been prescribed and issued
      with special shoes. The existing lasts for these patients were digitised, and new
      styles developed on the CAD system over a 3D image of the last. Pattern pieces
      were cut automatically and the uppers closed. Lasting was done as normal at the
      two collaborating orthopaedic companies and the shoes supplied to the patients.
      The CAD system proved successful in coping with orthopaedic last shapes and shoe
      requirements. Professional design produced fashionable and cosmetically-pleasing
      styles within the constraints imposed by the underlying medical conditions.

PMID- 1857635
TI  - A high-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel in cultured human eccrine sweat
      gland cells.
AB  - Recordings have been made of a potassium-selective ion channel in primary
      cultures of cells derived from explants of human eccrine sweat glands obtained
      from normal subjects and from subjects suffering from cystic fibrosis. There
      appears to be no functional difference between potassium channels derived from
      normal subjects and those from cystic fibrosis subjects. The channel falls into
      the group generally known as "Maxi-K" channels, and has a slope conductance, with
      symmetrical solutions in bath and pipette containing 140 mM K+, of approximately
      230 pS. It is calcium-activated, pH-sensitive and can be blocked by barium and
      quinine. The channel appears only very rarely in patches derived from confluent
      cells (in approximately 1 in 30 patches containing channels), but it is more
      frequently observed in younger cultures of dividing cells derived from recently
      explanted (within the previous 48-72 h) glands. It is possible that this channel
      is normally located on the basolateral membrane of the cell, and is responsible
      for the calcium-dependent secretory and absorptive events seen in the intact
      sweat gland.

PMID- 1857644
TI  - Perceived well-being of persons quitting smoking.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived well-being of persons who
      are smokers, nonsmokers, or are quitting smoking. The sample included 74
      nonsmokers, 74 smokers, and 92 self-defined quitters. Subjects' well-being was
      examined controlling for the effects of daily hassles and selected demographic
      differences. Measures of well-being included general health, morale, physical,
      and psychological symptoms. Scores for intensity of daily hassles were
      significantly higher, and well-being scores lower, for persons quitting smoking
      compared to smokers and nonsmokers. Further, even after controlling for the
      effects of daily hassles on well-being, persons quitting smoking had
      significantly lower levels of well-being than did smokers or nonsmokers.

PMID- 1857643
TI  - Psychologic and physiologic aspects of acute dyspnea in asthmatics.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare psychologic and physiologic variables
      during intense dyspnea to those at times of no or low dyspnea in people with
      asthma. Thirty-six adults ranging from 19 to 76 years old were tested when they
      first came to the emergency department in acute dyspnea and again when they had
      no or low dyspnea just prior to discharge. Clinical signs found to be higher
      during high dyspnea than low dyspnea were respiratory rate, pulse, wheezing, and
      accessory muscle use. Peak expiratory flow rates and oxygen saturation were
      significantly lower, while anxiety, depression, somatization, and hostility were
      higher during times of high dyspnea. The panic/fear, fatigue, dyspnea,
      hyperventilation/hypocapnia, congestion, and rapid breathing subscales of the
      Asthma Symptom Checklist were also higher during high dyspnea compared to low
      dyspnea.

PMID- 1857645
TI  - The abdomen, thigh, and arm as sites for subcutaneous sodium heparin injections.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate three subcutaneous injection sites for
      low-dose heparin therapy (5,000 units). One hundred and one subjects were
      randomly placed in one of three groups. Group A received injections in the
      abdomen, Group B, in the thigh, and Group C in the arm. Each subject received
      three injections at the one site. Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)
      was measured prior to initiation of heparin and again four hours after the first
      injection. Bruising was measured at 48, 60, and 72 hours postinjection. There
      were no statistically significant differences among groups for either changes in
      APTT or bruising at 60 and 72 hours postinjection. Thus the clinical practice of
      utilizing the abdomen as the only or preferred site for subcutaneous heparin
      injections was not supported.

PMID- 1857646
TI  - Psychosocial predictors of maternal depressive symptoms, parenting attitudes, and
      child behavior in single-parent families.
AB  - The purposes of the study were to identify psychosocial predictors of depressive
      symptoms among low-income, single mothers and to investigate the effects of
      maternal psychosocial factors, depressive symptoms, and parenting attitudes on
      children's behavior. In-home interviews were conducted with 225 mothers to obtain
      data on their everyday stressors, coping strategies, social resources, depressive
      symptoms, and parenting attitudes, as well as reports of their children's
      behavior. High depressive symptoms occurred among 59.6% of the women. Higher
      depressive symptoms were associated with greater everyday stressors, fewer social
      resources, and greater use of avoidance coping. Neither social resources nor
      coping strategies buffered the relationship between everyday stressors and
      depressive symptoms. Maternal depressive symptoms predicted parenting attitudes.
      Parenting attitudes, in turn, predicted child behavior. These findings suggest
      that depressive symptoms are indirectly associated with mothers' reports of child
      behavior through their influence on parenting attitudes.

PMID- 1857647
TI  - Type A behavior in children: psychometric properties of the Matthews Youth Test
      for Health.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the
      Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH) as a measure of components of Type A
      behavior in school-age children. The sample consisted of 216 middle-class, white,
      6 to 11 year old, same-sex twin children. Pairs were randomly split into two
      subgroups for cross-validation. The MYTH was completed by 88% of the children's
      teachers. The Perceived Competence Scale was completed by 118 of the 124 children
      8 to 11 years old; a parallel form of this instrument was completed by teachers
      of 108 of these children. The 17 items of the MYTH instrument were factor
      analyzed. Two factors, Impatience-Aggression and Competitive Achievement
      Striving, were derived and cross-validated. These MYTH factors were internally
      consistent and replicated previous studies of school-age children. The construct
      validity of the MYTH subscales was partially supported by evidence of
      relationships between these components of Type A behavior and teacher-ratings of
      the child's competence in specific domains. Children's ratings of their
      competence and perceptions of global self-worth were not related to total MYTH
      scores or subscale scores.

PMID- 1857649
TI  - Re: 'A review of the literature on cocaine abuse in pregnancy'.

PMID- 1857648
TI  - Applying the theory of reasoned action to AIDS risk behavior: condom use among
      black women.
AB  - This study tested hypotheses regarding attitudinal and normative influences on
      intentions to use condoms, a practice that would reduce women's risk of sexually
      transmitted HIV infection. Participants were 103 sexually active unmarried black
      women undergraduates at an inner-city commuter university, in an area with a high
      rate of reported AIDS cases among women. Consistent with the theory of reasoned
      action, multiple regression analysis on women's anonymous responses to a mailed
      survey revealed that those who registered more favorable attitudes toward condoms
      and those who perceived subjective norms more supportive of condom use reported
      firmer intentions to use condoms in the next three months. Key behavioral beliefs
      related to attitudes centered on the adverse effects of condom use on sexual
      enjoyment. Key normative influences were respondents' sexual partners and
      mothers. However, women's own attitudes were a stronger determinant of intentions
      to use condoms than were their perceptions of normative influences, particularly
      among women with above-average AIDS knowledge. The results suggest that the
      theory of reasoned action provides a potentially useful conceptual framework for
      interventions to change a key AIDS risk behavior among women.

PMID- 1857650
TI  - Re: 'Planning sample sizes: comparison of factor level means'.

PMID- 1857651
TI  - Uncertainty in illness theory: a replication of the mediating effects of mastery
      and coping.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to replicate a test of the mediating
      functions of mastery and coping and to determine whether the relationships found
      in the initial test of the model would hold with a sample more heterogenous than
      the original sample. One hundred women receiving treatment for gynecological
      cancer participated in the investigation. Of the 14 relationships in the model,
      only 5 replicated significant paths and had overlapping confidence intervals. Two
      moderators were proposed to explain the differences between the initial and
      replication tests of the model and to improve the specificity of the theory.

PMID- 1857652
TI  - Pain reduction interventions during neonatal circumcision.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of some noninvasive pain
      reduction interventions on pain in 121 neonates undergoing unanesthetized
      circumcision. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of six groups: classical
      music, intrauterine sounds, pacifier, music and pacifier, intrauterine sounds and
      pacifier, or control (no nurses present and no pain reduction interventions
      used). Physiological variables that were monitored were heart rate, rhythm,
      dysrhythmias, blood pressure, transcutaneous oxygen (tcpO2), rate pressure
      product, and behavioral state, measured during 14 circumcision steps. Over the 14
      steps, 42% of the heart rates, 78% of the systolic blood pressures (SBP), 30% of
      the diastolic blood pressures (DBP), and 81% of the tcpO2 pressures were
      abnormal. Few significant differences were found among any of the steps. SBP and
      DBP differed significantly between groups during two of the noninvasive steps;
      and tcpO2 differed significantly during six steps.

PMID- 1857653
TI  - Changes in nutritive sucking patterns with increasing gestational age.

PMID- 1857654
TI  - *, **, and ***; statistical nonsense at the .00000 level.
AB  - Researchers who report statistical significance with *, **, ***, or p values are
      confusing statistical significance with clinical significance and are wasting
      time, money, and energy with studies that are either too precise, or more likely
      too imprecise. Therefore, researchers who value their time, money, and energy
      should avoid this outmoded statistical procedure, and present alpha to engage in
      the power calculation.

PMID- 1857655
TI  - Using slopes to measure directional change.

PMID- 1857656
TI  - Diary of a nurse.

PMID- 1857657
TI  - [AIDS and the oral cavity. Clinical aspects].

PMID- 1857658
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of anesthesia using iontophoresis for pain control during
      scaling].
AB  - A double blind study, cross-over in the same subjects compares the clinical
      efficacy of anesthetic application with iontophoresis versus placebo in the
      control of pain during scaling. None of ten subjects reported pain during scaling
      after iontophoresis with anesthetic, while six of ten reported pain after
      iontophoresis with placebo.

PMID- 1857659
TI  - [Progression of DMF index--DMF from 3 to 12 years: need for preventive
      intervention].
AB  - To evaluate the prevalence of soft deposits and the trend of dmf/DMF index, a
      group of children between 3 and 12 years of age has been examined. A DMF Index of
      5.74 at 12 proves the need to promote educational and prevention programmes in
      the Ulss 34 area since the WHO program "Health for all in the year 2000" sets a
      target of a DMF Index below 3 at 12.

PMID- 1857660
TI  - [Gloves for operator and patient protection: value, defects and limitations].

PMID- 1857661
TI  - [The role of the dental hygienist in orthodontic practice].
AB  - The success of orthodontic treatment depends, in part, upon the oral hygienic
      status of the patient and his active cooperation in the treatment. The purpose of
      this paper is to review the organization of a dental hygiene program in the
      orthodontic practice. Before treatment the dental hygienists should motivate the
      patient, teach him plaque control techniques, and remove hard and soft deposits;
      she can organize the gathering of documents necessary to the orthodontist to
      study the case. The author describes the components of the recall appointment,
      that must take place frequently during treatment; and suggests technical hints
      useful for the organization of a maintenance program after treatment.

PMID- 1857663
TI  - The Practitioner Education Programme.

PMID- 1857662
TI  - [Hygienists and assistants in Finland].

PMID- 1857664
TI  - A child who has not been immunised.

PMID- 1857665
TI  - Techniques for distance learning.

PMID- 1857666
TI  - Nighttime behavioural problems.

PMID- 1857670
TI  - Pustular skin disease.

PMID- 1857667
TI  - Insurance forms.

PMID- 1857669
TI  - Treating the itchy patient.

PMID- 1857668
TI  - Critical evaluation and audit.

PMID- 1857671
TI  - Scaly lesions.

PMID- 1857672
TI  - Skin neoplasia.

PMID- 1857673
TI  - Psychological aspects of skin disease.

PMID- 1857674
TI  - PACT levels 1 and 2.

PMID- 1857675
TI  - Prescribing for children.

PMID- 1857676
TI  - [Early childhood violent and sexual traumatization].
AB  - Violent and sexual child abuse represents an extreme traumatization that can
      continue to influence the lives of affected children into adulthood. Freud (1917)
      provided a concept of the influence of this extreme form of traumatization in his
      model of the traumatic neurosis. It is described as an after-the-fact attempt to
      master the flood of sensations that characterizes the trauma. More recent
      theoretical models identify a collapse of the ego during trauma as well as the
      effects of this collapse on the formation of self and object representants at the
      heart of the traumatic event. As a result of the collapse of the ego during
      trauma, the traumatized individual does not succeed in forming mature memories of
      the experience. Immature memories of trauma are marked by, among other things,
      very diffuse, near physical feelings that cannot be integrated into the ego
      (Cohen 1980). From the perspective of object relation theories, the lack of
      integration of "bad" and "good" self of the traumatized individual is emphasized
      by the abuser. Drawing on case studies, the authors illuminate the importance of
      the principle of the answer (Heigl-Evers/Heigl 1979, 1983) to the efforts to
      differentiate and integrate in the treatment of extremely traumatized patients.

PMID- 1857677
TI  - [Pathologic anxiety in the family].
AB  - This is an attempt to present some anxiety syndromes of infancy in their psycho
      dynamic connections with the specific family situation. Particular anxiety
      conditions in the family are shown to cause psychic and psychosomatic
      consequences with children. A typical example of the network of intrapsychic and
      family causes of anxiety with separation anxiety, repressed aggression, and
      narcissistic conflict is the school phobia, which is dealt with in detail.

PMID- 1857679
TI  - [Stigmatizing patients at an inpatient unit of child and adolescent psychiatry].
AB  - In a pilot study covering a sample of n = 25 children formerly treated as in
      patients within a child psychiatric unit and n = 40 parents of former in
      patients, approx. 30% of the parents indicated that their children had been
      exposed to stigmatizing behaviour reactions by their social environment in
      consequence of their stay at the unit. The children themselves felt stigmatized
      in approx. 50% of cases. Correlations between stigmatization and demographic
      variables, characteristics of treatment or subjects' attitudes towards child and
      adolescent psychiatry were rarely found to be significant. Because of their fear
      of stigmatization, there are tendencies among parents as well as patients to
      conceal the children's in-patient treatment, these tendencies sometimes even
      concerning the inner family circle. The paper stresses the need for child and
      adolescent psychiatry to face the problem of patient stigmatization and suggests
      possible steps to be taken in order to relieve or even prevent stigmatization.

PMID- 1857678
TI  - [The effectiveness of the Background Interference Procedure in psychiatric
      differential diagnosis of organic brain damage in children].
AB  - The Background Interference Procedure (BIP) is an improved psychological test to
      discriminate brain damaged and non brain damaged adults. In the present study the
      efficiency of the BIP was compared to the psychometric standard for children, the
      Gottinger Formenreproduktions-Test, in a sample of 14 girls and 26 boys between 7
      and 13 years with minimal brain dysfunction. The background interference
      condition increased significantly the error rate for the reproduction of the test
      items, and the BIP yielded a significant concurrent validity with neurological
      criteria. In particular, an impaired motor coordination was effectively
      predicted. It is concluded that the BIP is an efficient psychometric aid for
      determining the organic contribution to psychiatric syndromes in children.

PMID- 1857680
TI  - Electrophoretic elution of macromolecules from polyacrylamide or agarose gels.
AB  - A method for elution of micrograms of macromolecules from polyacrylamide and
      agarose gels is described. The recoveries were greater than 90% with three
      different macromolecules tested (28 to 360 kDa). An amount as small as 1
      microgram of human serum albumin was eluted from polyacrylamide gel with 90%
      recovery. The eluted material is collected into a small chamber the size of which
      can be changed as required. Elution and concentration are achieved simultaneously
      and in one step under mild conditions. Sterile eluates can be obtained, if the
      apparatus is constructed under sterile conditions.

PMID- 1857681
TI  - Isolation of histone-like proteins from mitochondria of bovine heart.
AB  - Two methods for isolating and purifying histone-like proteins from mitochondria
      of bovine heart are described. In the first, a sonicated extract of the
      mitochondria was fractionated in three chromatography steps, including affinity
      chromatography on DNA-cellulose, to purify a protein that resembles very closely
      the histone-like protein (HM) of yeast mitochondria. In the second method, an
      acid extract of the heart mitochondria was the starting material; two other
      histone-like proteins were separated. Thus, as in mitochondria of Xenopus laevis,
      several histone-like proteins are present in mitochondria of bovine heart.

PMID- 1857682
TI  - Purification and characterization of a human leukemia cell-derived
      immunosuppressive factor.
AB  - A human leukemia cell-derived suppressor factor (LDSF) capable of suppressing in
      vitro proliferation and activation of normal human lymphocytes was purified from
      human leukemic HL-60 cells. LDSF is constitutively produced by the cells and was
      purified from serum free culture supernatant by a combination of ion-exchange
      chromatography, gel filtration and electrophoresis. Purified LDSF was determined
      to be a single chain protein with an apparent molecular mass of 66,000 daltons.
      LDSF was not cytolytic to lymphocytes, was heat stable at 70 degrees C, and did
      not have any effect on IL-2 or transferrin receptor expression.

PMID- 1857683
TI  - Purification of human placental trophoblast interferon by two-dimensional high
      performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - Human placental trophoblast challenged with Sendai virus induced IFNs mainly of
      the beta-type (75%) and relatively low levels of the alpha-type (25%). A two-step
      high performance liquid chromatographic procedure ("two-dimensional HPLC") has
      been developed for the complete purification of the placental trophoblast
      interferon beta (tro-IFN-beta) from serum-containing culture supernatant. The
      method involved a combination of high performance liquid affinity chromatography
      (HPLAC) on Cibacron Blue 3GA immobilized on an activated pressure stable
      macroporous synthetic polymer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate vinyl sulphone (HEMA
      BIO 1000 VS), as the first dimension and reversed-phase high performance liquid
      chromatography (RP-HPLC) on Separon SGX C-18 as the second. Sodium dodecyl
      sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblot experiments
      showed that the tro-IFN-beta was present as a 24 kDa protein. Densitometric
      scanning analysis of Coomassie-stained gel revealed the purity of the final
      preparation to be greater than 99%. The purified tro-IFN-beta had a specific
      activity of 1.03 x 10(8) IU/mg of protein and the overall recovery was 81% of the
      total IFN-beta activity in the crude preparation and 61% of the total IFN
      activity.

PMID- 1857684
TI  - An improved purification procedure for sulfite oxidase from bovine liver.
AB  - Sulfite oxidase (Sulfite:O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.3.1) has been purified 2,440
      fold from bovine liver. The procedure developed was used to isolate the enzyme
      from 1,000 g of liver and permitted the rapid isolation of enzyme with a very
      high specific activity (40,405 mU/mg). The enzyme preparations obtained have been
      characterized by electrophoretic and spectrophotometric analysis and the
      molecular mass and the Stokes radius of the enzyme have been determined.

PMID- 1857685
TI  - Purification and properties of alpha-aminoadipate aminotransferase from rat
      kidney.
AB  - Previous studies with rat kidney preparations indicated that alpha-aminoadipate
      aminotransferase (AadAT) and kynurenine aminotransferase (KAT) activities are
      associated with a single protein. However, recent studies from our laboratory
      demonstrated that AadAT and KAT activities belong to two different proteins.
      AadAT from rat kidney supernatant fraction was purified by affinity
      chromatography to electrophoretic homogeneity. This rapid and efficient procedure
      improved the yield and the degree of purification over previously published
      methods and separated AadAT from KAT. The molecular weight of the enzyme was
      estimated to be 89,000 by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE
      indicated that the enzyme is composed of two apparently identical subunits.
      Absorption spectra and the kinetic properties of AadAT are reported.

PMID- 1857686
TI  - A simple preparative procedure to extract and purify protein G from group G
      streptococci.
AB  - A rapid method for the solubilization of the bacterial type III Fc binding
      protein, protein G, from a group G streptococcus is described. Treatment of
      intact bacteria with cyanogen bromide results in the solubilization of a
      homogeneous Mr approximately 50,000 protein which retains IgG and human serum
      albumin binding properties. The solubilized protein could be purified to
      homogeneity by molecular sieving chromatography and retained all of the
      functional properties of the native protein.

PMID- 1857687
TI  - [Bronchial clearance].

PMID- 1857688
TI  - [Contribution to graphite dust lungs].
AB  - This is a report on a male patient of 71 years of age who had been a graphite
      mill worker for about 14 years. Despite respiratory insufficiency he was rejected
      in 1985 as an applicant for being recognised as a victim of a professional
      disease, because the radiologically visible changes in the lung were only
      discrete. Perbronchial lung biopsy was performed in January 1990 as his dyspnoea
      increased. Histological examination revealed graphite dust disease of the lung.
      Asteroid bodies in multinucleated giant cells were an unusual finding. Energy
      dispersing x-ray microanalysis proved that the so-called graphite dust disease
      lung was actually a type of mixed dust pneumoconiosis.

PMID- 1857689
TI  - [Tension chylothorax following left-sided lung surgery].
AB  - This is a report on 3 patients who presented with chylothoraces (chylopleurae)
      with haemodynamic effect subsequent to left-side lung surgery. This complication
      occurred twice after pneumonectomy and once after atypical resection with
      extirpation of a mediastinal lymph node. Clinical signs and symptoms appeared
      with all the patients between the 5th and 8th postoperative day, as a result of
      the haemodynamic effect of the chylothorax in the sense of volume loss combined
      with heart tamponade. In one patient there was additionally the pattern of signs
      and symptoms of an acute abdomen, which could be explained by a descended
      diaphragm with compression of the abdominal organs in case of an additionally
      present phrenicoparesis. One patient was at first treated conservatively after
      application of thoracic drainage, feeding being exclusively parenteral, and was
      finally operated on after 10 days, whereas the other two patients were primarily
      subjected to surgery. The surgical methods employed consisted of right side
      ductal ligature after Lampson, ductal ligature from the left thoracic side and
      direct closure of the chyle leakage.

PMID- 1857690
TI  - [Lung changes caused by Mycobacterium xenopi infection in a patient with bone
      marrow transplantation: problems in differential diagnosis].
AB  - Pulmonary affections caused by atypical mycobacteria are an increasingly common
      problem particularly in patients with immune deficiency disorders. We here report
      a case of pulmonary infiltrates due to Mycobacterium xenopi in a patient after
      allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia in first
      complete remission and under immunosuppressive treatment with prednisolone and
      Cyclosporin A. While sputum cultures, serology as well as bronchial lavage and
      transbronchial biopsy remained inconclusive, diagnosis could only be established
      by open lung biopsy. We suggest that particularly in immunocompromised patients
      unclear pulmonary infiltrates require rapid and possibly invasive diagnostic
      procedures.

PMID- 1857691
TI  - [Intracellular metabolism in patients with insulin-dependent and non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus].
AB  - Slow infusion of neutral insulin causes in patients with insulin dependent and
      noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus diverse changes in the levels of cAMP,
      cGMP and the cAMP/cGMP ratio in leukocytes in spite of one-type changes in the
      concentration of contrainsular hormones in the venous blood: in patients with
      noninsulin dependent DM a raised cAMP/cGMP factor was lowered whereas in patients
      with insulin dependent DM it was increased. The authors put forward for
      discussion the problem of the postreceptor mechanisms of tissue insulin
      resistance in noninsulin dependent DM and a possibility of the use of the above
      indices for differential diagnosis of DM types.

PMID- 1857692
TI  - [Medico-genetic counselling of the relatives of patients with type I diabetes
      mellitus].
AB  - Population-genetic surveys show that for the relatives of patients with type I
      diabetes mellitus (the 1st degree of kinship) a risk of developing the same type
      of diabetes is 2-5%. Tables of repeated risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM)
      of type I for persons with a different number of relatives affected by this type
      of DM were calculated on the basis of analysis of 2000 family histories of DM
      patients (a random sampling). A risk of developing this disease is in direct
      correlation with the number of sick and healthy relatives and their age. The
      presence of patients with type II DM in a family does not influence the risk of
      developing type I DM. Risk assessments are of prognostic rather than diagnostic
      value. The effectiveness of medico-genetic counselling can be increased with the
      help of various genetic markers, associated with type I DM. Risk assessment must
      lay the basis of a follow-up of persons with aggravated heredity by investigating
      immunological, hormonal and metabolic derangements in them.

PMID- 1857693
TI  - [Free fatty acid spectrum and rheological properties of erythrocytes in people
      with disturbed glucose tolerance and in patients with diabetes mellitus].
AB  - The paper is devoted to a study of mechanisms of deterioration of blood
      rheological properties in disturbed carbohydrate metabolism in 17 patients with
      disorders in GTT and in 83 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The level of
      lipids, the spectrum of fatty acids (SFA) were determined in the blood plasma
      using gas chromatography by an original method, proposed by the authors for
      assessment of the rheological properties of erythrocytes (rotation viscosimetry
      of erythrocyte suspension in standard hematocrit of 45%). The concentrations of
      saturated and polyunsaturated acids in the blood plasma of persons with disturbed
      GTT and DM were increased, and the concentration of linoleic acid was lowered.
      More noticeable changes were observed in insulin dependent DM. A simultaneous
      increase in the viscosity of erythrocyte suspension at low rates of a shift in
      the DM group and change of the spectrum of fatty acids were revealed. Changes in
      the plasma SFA composition can be one of the causes of deteriorated rheological
      properties of erythrocytes.

PMID- 1857694
TI  - [Use of lysenyl-forte and methergoline in the therapy of hyperprolactinemic
      hypogonadism].
AB  - The paper is concerned with a study of the effectiveness of lysenyl-forte
      (Hemapol, Czechoslovakia) and methergoline (Carlo Erba, Italy) for therapy of
      patients with different types of hyperprolactinemic hypogonadism. Altogether 49
      patients were investigated, of them 33 received lysenyl-forte at a dose of 0.6
      mg/day and 16-methergoline at a dose of 12 mg/day for 3 months. A degree of
      galactorrhea, a menstrual cycle and the blood level of prolactin were assessed
      before and after therapy. A prolactin inhibiting effect of both drugs comparable
      with that of bromocriptine was noted. However a clinical effect and good
      tolerance were more frequently observed in this sampling in lysenyl therapy.

PMID- 1857696
TI  - [Osteocalcin--a marker of bone metabolism and calcium regulating hormones in
      steroid osteoporosis].
AB  - Altogether 15 patients with Itsenko-Cushing disease with moderate osteoporosis
      and 10 healthy persons were investigated. Calcium metabolism, calcium regulating
      hormones and osteocalcin were studied. Endogenous hypercorticoidism was
      characterized by a higher secretion of parathyroid hormone against a background
      of hypercalcemia. Positive correlation of these indices was revealed. In patients
      with Itsenko-Cushing disease the blood level of vitamin D was decreased as
      compared to that in the controls. A significant decrease in the blood level of
      osteocalcin was observed in patients with endogenous hypercorticoidism, there
      being close negative correlation between the level of osteocalcin and cortisol,
      and between osteocalcin and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion with urine. A
      conclusion has been made that the excess of glucocorticosteroids suppresses
      osteoblast function, slows, down osteogenesis, disturbs the secretion of calcium
      regulating hormones and calcium metabolism enhancing resorption; this combined
      action of glucocorticoids causes rapid development of osteoporosis in endogenous
      hypercorticoidism.

PMID- 1857695
TI  - [Role of sex hormones in the development of atherogenic dyslipoproteinemia in
      boys of pubertal age].
AB  - Interrelationships of hypercholesterolemia (HCS), hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) or
      hypo-alpha-cholesterolemia (hypo-CS HDL) and the blood levels of sex hormones
      were investigated in boys aged 14-15 to detect variations in the levels of sex
      hormones to define groups of adolescents at the highest risk of developing
      atherogenic dyslipoproteinemia (DLP). A conclusion has been made that HCS and
      hypo-CS HDL development is associated with changes in the blood levels of
      testosterone and estradiol, and a low blood level of T in HTG is of secondary
      origin with regard to the development of this type of DLP.

PMID- 1857697
TI  - [Use of computed tomography in the examination of patients with endocrine
      ophthalmopathy].
AB  - Combined investigation of 29 patients with Basedow's disease, 5 patients with
      autoimmune thyroiditis, and 4 patients with mixed toxic goiter was carried out
      including computerized tomography (CT) of the orbits. The investigation of 10
      patients was repeated 6 months after the first one. Signs of endocrine
      ophthalmopathy were detected in 28 patients with Basedow's disease and in 2
      patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. Characteristic CT signs of retrobulbar
      tissue changes in endocrine ophthalmopathy were defined. The use of CT of the
      orbits was shown to improve early diagnosis of endocrine ophthalmopathies, to
      assess the time course of the disease and therapeutic efficacy. The authors
      proposed 3 variants of endocrine ophthalmopathy with regard to the involvement of
      the oculomotor muscles or retrobulbar fat tissue, revealed by CT.

PMID- 1857699
TI  - [Adequacy of hypoglycemic therapy in the treatment of diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1857698
TI  - [Epiphyseal-thyroid interrelations: effect of calcitonin on indole metabolism in
      health and in the presence of an excess of thyroid hormones].
AB  - A new regularity was established in a study of epiphyseal thyroid
      interrelationships: the opposite effect of the thyroid hormones (thyroxin and
      calcitonin) on the formation of methoxyindoles (melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine)
      in the epiphysis. Thyroxin was shown to stimulate and calcitonin to inhibit O
      methylation of serotonin in the pineal gland, and combined administration of both
      hormones levelled their action on one another. The inhibitory effect of
      calcitonin was more marked if a high basal level of melatonin was stimulated by
      preliminary administration of thyroxin. The authors assume that such a double
      control of the thyroid is "protective" for the epiphysis, preventing rapid
      depletion of reserves in case of excessive saturation of the body with thyroid
      hormones and maintaining its function in case of a sharp rise of the blood level
      of calcitonin.

PMID- 1857700
TI  - [Detection and prevention of the malfunction of an insulin dosing device under
      clinical conditions].

PMID- 1857701
TI  - [Patient's role in maintaining stable compensation of diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1857702
TI  - [Transmission of "hormonal memory" of a unusual estrogen-binding protein during
      rat hepatocyte proliferation in the process of regeneration].
AB  - The content of unusual estrogen-binding protein (UEBP), the level of DNA and
      common protein as well as the organ mass were studied over time during
      regeneration of the rat liver of intact males and gonadectomized males and
      females. In 21 days after partial hepatectomy of males with intact testes
      complete restoration of the UEBP content was observed simultaneously with
      restoration of the DNA and protein levels and the organ mass. There was no
      temporary decline of the UEBP content per DNA unit at the early stages of
      regeneration. The UEBP content in the liver grows during regeneration with the
      elevation of the DNA level not only in males with intact testes but also in
      preliminarily castrated males. Different UEBR programs were revcaled by the 21st
      day of liver regeneration in preliminarily gonadectomized animals: the androgen
      program of the elevated UEBP content in males, and the basal genetic program of
      the low level of UEBP expression in females. A conclusion has been made that the
      hormonal memory of a high UEBP content may be transferred to a new generation of
      hepatocytes in the absence of androgens. It has been assumed that androgens cause
      the real determination of masculinization of the EUBP content in liver cells.

PMID- 1857703
TI  - [Imprinting of metabolism of steroid hormones caused by the anabolic steroid drug
      methandrostenolone].
AB  - An ability of the anabolic steroid drug methandrostenolone to induce irreversible
      metabolic changes of steroid hormones was studied. Neonatal administration of
      methandrostenolone to castrated rats was shown to cause the imprinting of
      metabolism of male type liver androgens.

PMID- 1857704
TI  - [Changes in the receptor binding of dexamethasone and insulin by blood cells in
      rats after hydrocortisone administration in early postnatal ontogenesis].
AB  - A study was made of the effect of hydrocortisone, administered in early postnatal
      ontogenesis, on insulin and glucocorticoid reception in erythrocytes and
      mononuclear leukocytes. Hydrocortisone was administered to rat weanlings
      intraperitoneally at different ages of their life (5 days, 13, 15, 17 days, 1, 2
      and 3 months). It has been assumed that extensive corticosteroid therapy
      resulting in prolonged imbalance of the level of the adrenocortical hormones and
      blood insulin, changes the receptor binding of these hormones on target cells as
      a result of a decrease in the hormone regulated receptor pool.

PMID- 1857705
TI  - [Role of hormones in maintaining the sex-differentiated level of estrogen
      receptors in rat liver cytosol].
AB  - A study was made of the endocrine mechanisms of the formation and maintenance of
      a sex-differentiated level of estrogen receptors (ER) in rat liver cytosol. The
      administration of testosterone-propionate (TP) at a dose of 3 mg for 3 days was
      shown to cause a significant decrease in the concentration of ER in the liver of
      gonadectomized animals to the level in intact male rats. In a week after the
      discontinuation of TP, a complete restoration of the basal level of receptors was
      observed. Neonatal and prepubertal administration of TP to gonadectomized male
      rats at early stages of ontogenesis made no effect on the level of ER in the
      liver cytosol of these animals at the age of 12-14 weeks. The removal of the
      adrenal and thyroid glands produced no changes in the level of ER in the liver of
      rats of both sexes. Hypophysectomy in rats resulted even on the 1st day in a
      decrease in ER concentration in the liver of male and female animals to the same
      basal level which later on remained unchanged. Ectopic transplantation of a
      homologous hypophysis and human STH administration led to a significant rise of
      the level of ER in hypophysectomized animals. TP inhibited a stimulating effect
      of STH in rats with the removed hypophysis.

PMID- 1857706
TI  - [Effect of estrogens on the free fatty acid content and fatty acid-binding
      protein fractions in rabbit intestinal mucosa].
AB  - A study was made of the effect of ovariectomy and administration of estradiol
      dipropionate on the level of estrogen receptors, low molecular protein fractions,
      incorporating fatty acid binding proteins (FABP), and free fatty acids (FFA) in
      the protein fractions of the cytosol of the intestinal mucosa of mature and
      immature female rabbits. The female rabbit upper intestinal mucosa was shown to
      possess cytoplasmic estrogen receptors and to have low metabolic activity of
      estradiol dehydrogenase (not being target tissue). Ovariectomy caused a decrease
      in the level of estrogen receptors, protein fractions, incorporating FABP, and
      FFA in them in enterocyte mucosa cytosol as compared to respective parameters in
      female rabbits in the pubertal and mature periods of their development. Estrogens
      were involved in the regulation of the level of intestinal fatty acid binding
      protein fractions and in ensuring physiological concentrations of absorbed fatty
      acids.

PMID- 1857707
TI  - [Morphological variants of thyroid autoimmune diseases].
AB  - Analysis of the structural features of thyroid tissue, removed from 250 patients
      with Graves' disease, made it possible to define 3 morphological variants of
      Graves' disease differing not only by the type of pathological changes in the
      thyroid but also etiopathogenetically. One of the variants (parenchymatous type
      of the thyroid structure) may be of nonautoimmune origin; the second one is of
      primary autoimmune genesis (the classical variant, Basedow's disease, toxic
      goiter), and the third one is colloidal proliferating goiter with the autoimmune
      component (in approximately 50% of cases). Analysis of the structural features of
      thyroid tissue of 250 patients with Hashimoto's disease made it also possible to
      define its 3 morphological variants, differing both in a degree of expression of
      thyroid lymphoid infiltration and in the type of parenchymatous and stromal
      changes.

PMID- 1857708
TI  - [Surgical aspects of pancreas transplantation in patients with diabetes
      mellitus].

PMID- 1857710
TI  - Linear free energy relationships in enzyme binding interactions studied by
      protein engineering.
AB  - Experiments on mutants of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase have shown that there can be
      linear free energy relationships (LFERs) between changes in activation free
      energies and changes in binding energies when groups are deleted that bind to non
      reacting parts of the substrate (Fersht et al., 1986, 1987). It has now been
      proposed (Straub and Karplus, 1990) that such LFERs can occur for the mutation of
      hydrogen bonding groups only for the limiting examples of Bronsted beta of 0, 1
      or infinity, and that fractional values of beta are not permissible. The
      reasoning behind this is that the energy of a hydrogen bond is not linear with
      distance and the (false) premise that an LFER requires that there is a linear
      relationship between bond energy and distance. We show from a simple model how
      LFERs can arise for binding interactions and how they can give fractional values
      of beta, in accord with experimental evidence. An LFER occurs between binding and
      catalysis when a set of interactions exists in which each member contributes to
      the binding energy of the transition state the same fraction of the binding
      energy it contributes to the products (both relative to the ground state).

PMID- 1857709
TI  - [Sex differences in drug metabolism in various endocrine diseases].

PMID- 1857711
TI  - A novel method for the modelling of peptide ligands to their receptors.
AB  - A knowledge-based approach to the modelling of enzyme-peptide inhibitor complexes
      is described. Given the structure of an enzyme, and knowledge of its binding
      site, the method seeks to predict the binding geometry of a peptide ligand. This
      novel method involves using examples of side-chain packing derived from proteins
      of known three-dimensional structure to define possible packing arrangements of a
      peptide inhibitor group to its binding site. A suite of programs, GEMINI, was
      written and used to predict the packing of pairs of amino acid groups from three
      inhibitors complexed to their enzymes for which the X-ray structures were
      available. These included the Phe group of the inhibitor H142 bound to
      endothiapepsin, the Leu group of CLT complexed to thermolysin and the C-terminus
      of Gly-L-Tyr bound to carboxypeptidase A. A detailed comparison of the modelled
      and observed inhibitor coordinates was made. This approach may be extended to
      modelling other types of protein interactions.

PMID- 1857712
TI  - Modeling the three-dimensional structure of the monocyte chemo-attractant and
      activating protein MCAF/MCP-1 on the basis of the solution structure of
      interleukin-8.
AB  - A model of the three-dimensional structure of the monocyte chemo-attractant and
      activating protein MCAF/MCP-1 is presented. The model is predicted based on the
      previously determined solution structure of interleukin-8 (IL-8/NAP-1) [Clore,
      G.M., Appella, E., Yamada, M., Matsushima, K. and Gronenborn, A.M. (1990)
      Biochemistry 29, 1689-1696]. Both proteins belong to a superfamily of cytokine
      proteins involved in cell-specific chemotaxis, host defense and the inflammatory
      response. The amino acid sequence identity between the two proteins is 24%. It is
      shown that the regular secondary structure elements of the parent structure can
      be retained in the modeled structure, such that the backbone hydrogen bonding
      pattern is very similar in the two structures. The polypeptide backbone is
      superimposable with an atomic r.m.s. difference of 0.9 A and all side chains can
      be modeled by transferring the parent side chain conformation to the new
      structure. Thus, the deduced structure, like the parent one, is a dimer and
      consists of a six-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet, formed by two three-stranded
      Greek keys, one from each monomer, upon which lie two symmetry-related
      antiparallel alpha-helices, approximately 24 A long and separated by
      approximately 14 A. All amino acid sequence changes can be accommodated within
      the parent polypeptide framework without major rearrangements. This is borne out
      by the fact that the IL-8/NAP-1 and modeled MCAF/MCP-1 structures have similar
      non-bonding energies. These results strongly suggest that both proteins and all
      other members of the superfamily most likely have the same tertiary
      structure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857714
TI  - Recombinant hirudin: kinetic mechanism for the inhibition of human thrombin.
AB  - Recombinant hirudin variant-2(Lys47), was found to be a competitive inhibitor of
      human alpha-thrombin with respect to peptidyl p-nitroanilide substrates. These
      results contrast with those of Degryse and coworkers that suggest that
      recombinant hirudin variant-2(Lys47) inhibited thrombin by a noncompetitive
      mechanism [Degryse et al. (1989) Protein Engng, 2, 459-465]. gamma-Thrombin,
      which can arise from alpha-thrombin by autolysis, was shown to have an affinity
      for recombinant hirudin variant-2(Lys47) that was four orders of magnitude lower
      than that of alpha-thrombin. It was demonstrated that the apparent noncompetitive
      mechanism observed previously was probably caused by a contamination of the
      thrombin preparation by gamma-thrombin. Comparison of the inhibition of alpha
      thrombin by recombinant hirudins variant-2(Lys47) and variant-1, which differ
      from one another in eight out of 65 amino acids, indicated that the two variants
      have essentially the same kinetic parameters.

PMID- 1857713
TI  - A predicted three-dimensional structure of human cytochrome P450: implications
      for substrate specificity.
AB  - A three-dimensional structure for human cytochrome P450IA1 was predicted based on
      the crystal coordinates of cytochrome P450cam from Pseudomonas putida. As there
      was only 15% residue identity between the two enzymes, additional information was
      used to establish an accurate sequence alignment that is a prerequisite for model
      building. Twelve representative eukaryotic sequences were aligned and a net
      prediction of secondary structure was matched against the known alpha-helices and
      beta-sheets of P450cam. The cam secondary structure provided a fixed main-chain
      framework onto which loops of appropriate length from the human P450IA1 structure
      were added. The model-built structure of the human cytochrome conformed to the
      requirements for the segregation of polar and nonpolar residues between the core
      and the surface. The first 44 residues of human cytochrome P450 could not be
      built into the model and sequence analysis suggested that residues 1-26 formed a
      single membrane-spanning segment. Examination of the sequences of cytochrome
      P450s from distinct gene families suggested specific residues that could account
      for the differences in substrate specificity. A major substrate for P450IA1, 3
      methyl-cholanthrene, was fitted into the proposed active site and this planar
      aromatic molecule could be accommodated into the available cavity. Residues that
      are likely to interact with the haem were identified. The sequence similarity
      between 59 eukaryotic enzymes was represented as a dendrogram that in general
      clustered according to gene family. Until a crystallographic structure is
      available, this model-building study identifies potential residues in cytochrome
      P450s important in the function of these enzymes and these residues are
      candidates for site-directed mutagenesis.

PMID- 1857715
TI  - Insertion of an elastase-binding loop into interleukin-1 beta.
AB  - The protease-binding sequence EAIPMSIPPE from alpha 1-antitrypsin has been
      inserted into the cytokine interleukin-1 beta, replacing residues 50-53. The
      resulting mutant protein was cleaved specifically at a single site by elastase
      and chymotrypsin, but not by trypsin. The cleavage by elastase was shown to be
      between Met and Ser of the inserted loop. In contrast, wild-type interleukin is
      not susceptible to cleavage by any of these enzymes. The mutant protein acts as
      an inhibitor of elastase, with a KI of approximately 30 microM. The wild type
      displays no such inhibitory activity. The overall structure of the mutant, as
      demonstrated by CD, appears to be indistinguishable from that of the wild type.
      These results indicate that the protease-binding region of alpha 1-antitrypsin
      can be recognized and is active even within the context of an entirely different
      protein structure. Given that interleukin-1 beta binds to, and is internalized
      by, many types of cells, this hybrid protein also demonstrates the feasibility of
      using interleukin-1 beta as a delivery system for useful therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1857716
TI  - Protein engineering of the propeptide of human factor IX.
AB  - Vitamin-K-dependent plasma proteins contain a highly conserved propeptide
      sequence located between the classical hydrophobic leader sequence and the N
      terminus of the mature protein. This acts as a recognition sequence for the
      vitamin-K-dependent carboxylase which catalyses the conversion of specific
      glutamate residues to gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla) residues in the adjacent Gla
      domain. Protein engineering of the 18 residue propeptide from human factor IX has
      highlighted the importance of residues -16Phe and -10Ala with respect to
      carboxylase recognition. In addition, studies of haemophilia B patients have
      shown that C-terminal propeptide residues -4Arg and -1Arg are required for
      proteolysis of the propeptide from the mature protein. To extend these previous
      studies we have introduced two novel mutations into the propeptide of human
      factor IX at positions -17(Val----Asp) and -6(Leu----AsP), and studied the effect
      of these changes on gamma-carboxylation and proteolytic processing. Both
      mutations reduce the expression of a calcium-dependent epitope in the Gla domain;
      however, only -6Leu----Asp shows reduced binding to barium sulphate. In addition,
      this latter mutation prevents proteolytic processing of the propeptide. These
      data support the current hypothesis that the propeptide contains two recognition
      elements: one for carboxylase recognition located towards the N-terminus, and one
      for propeptidase recognition located near the C-terminus.

PMID- 1857717
TI  - Temperature-sensitive production of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - In order to understand how allosteric switches regulate both the catalytic
      activity and molecular interactions of glycogen phosphorylase, it is necessary to
      design and analyze variant proteins that test hypotheses about the structural
      details of the allosteric mechanism. Essential to such an investigation is the
      ability to obtain large amounts of variant proteins. We developed a system for
      obtaining milligram amounts (greater than 20 mg/l) of rabbit muscle phosphorylase
      from bacteria. Phosphorylase aggregates as inactive protein when a strong
      bacterial promoter is used under full inducing conditions and normal growth
      conditions. However, when the growth temperature of bacteria expressing
      phosphorylase is reduced to 22 degrees C we obtain active muscle phosphorylase.
      The degree to which the induced expression of phosphorylase protein is
      temperature sensitive depends on the strain of bacteria used. New assay and
      purification methods were developed to allow rapid purification of engineered
      phosphorylase proteins from bacterial cultures. The rabbit muscle phosphorylase
      obtained from the bacterial expression system is enzymatically identical to the
      enzyme purified from rabbit muscle. The expressed protein crystallizes in the
      same conditions used for growing crystals of protein from rabbit muscle and the
      crystal form is isomorphous. Rabbit muscle phosphorylase is one of the largest
      oligomeric mammalian enzymes successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. Our
      results indicate that optimization of a combination of growth and induction
      conditions will be important in the expression of other heterologous proteins in
      bacteria.

PMID- 1857719
TI  - Monthly prostaglandin bibliography prepared by the University of Sheffield
      Biomedical Information Service.

PMID- 1857718
TI  - Improving the prediction of secondary structure of 'TIM-barrel' enzymes.
AB  - The information contained in aligned sets of homologous protein sequences should
      improve the score of secondary structure prediction. Seven different enzymes
      having the (beta/alpha)8 or TIM-barrel fold were used to optimize the prediction
      with regard to this class of enzymes. The alpha-helix, beta-strand and loop
      propensities of the Garnier-Osguthorpe-Robson method were averaged at aligned
      residue positions, leading to a significant improvement over the average score
      obtained from single sequences. The increased accuracy correlates with the
      average sequence variability of the aligned set. Further improvements were
      obtained by using the following averaged properties as weights for the averaged
      state propensities: amphipathic moment and alpha-helix; hydropathy and beta
      strand; chain flexibility and loop. The clustering of conserved residues at the C
      terminal ends of the beta-strands was used as an additional positive weight for
      beta-strand propensity and increased the prediction of otherwise unpredicted beta
      strands decisively. The automatic weighted prediction method identifies greater
      than 95% of the secondary structure elements of the set of seven TIM-barrel
      enzymes.

PMID- 1857720
TI  - Triple signal transduction model for the mechanism of PGE2 actions in rabbit
      cortical collecting duct.

PMID- 1857721
TI  - Endothelin-1 stimulates prostaglandin F2 alpha release from human endometrium.
AB  - Despite a key role in the pathogenesis of menorrhagia, the factors controlling
      the uterine vascular bed are poorly understood. This study has assessed the
      effects of the potent vasoconstrictor endothelin (ET)-1 on prostaglandin (PG)
      release from human endometrial explants in short-term culture. There was no
      significant difference between the production of PGF2 alpha in proliferative and
      secretory tissue (1709 and 2434 pg/mg/h--median values, range 70,3745 and
      219,6700 pg/mg/h). Less PGE was released than PGF2 alpha, and the amount did not
      vary with the phase of the menstrual cycle (308 and 296 pg/mg/h (range 65,387 and
      105,429) for proliferative and secretory tissue). ET-1 (10 and 100 nM) and
      arachidonic acid (AA, 30 microM), stimulated PGF2 alpha release from
      proliferative, but not secretory endometrium, by 78%, 86% (P less than 0.01) and
      80% respectively, compared with control tissue. No effect was seen on PGE
      release. ET-1 may play a role in the local control of the endometrial vascular
      bed either directly, or via the release of PGF2 alpha.

PMID- 1857722
TI  - Differences between in vivo and in vitro production of eicosanoids following long
      term dietary fish oil supplementation in the rat.
AB  - The effects of different lipid supplements on endogenous and exogenous production
      of eicosanoids were investigated in the rat following a 12-month pre-feeding
      period. The urinary excretion of tetranorprostanemonoic (TPM) and
      tetranorprostanedioic (TPD) acids was measured as an index of endogenous
      production whilst myocardial release of PGI2 and TXA2 was estimated under in
      vitro conditions. Compared to the reference group, n-3 PUFA rich tuna fish oil
      (TFO) fed rats displayed a near doubling of endogenous (TPM + TPD) synthesis;
      however, myocardial production was reduced by 32% (PGI2) and 55% (TXA2). Sheep
      fat supplementation also caused a 62% rise in urinary tetranor metabolites but in
      contrast to TFO feeding, myocardial production in vitro also showed a significant
      increase (P less than 0.05). Considerable changes in PUFA profile of plasma,
      heart and kidney occurred as a result of dietary lipid treatment and in addition
      a high tissue specificity was also noted with regard to the incorporation and
      conversion of dietary n-3 PUFA. For example, the heart showed a low EPA (1.2%)
      and high DHA (28.0%), whereas their proportions in the kidney were near equal (6
      7%). As only the TFO diet exerted a significant effect on the proportion of AA,
      the changes in eicosanoid production cannot be fully explained on the basis of
      precursor/inhibitor availability. The results probably reflect the complex
      interactions between fatty acid substrates, release mechanisms and biosynthetic
      enzymes.

PMID- 1857723
TI  - Prostaglandin production by amnion and decidual cells in response to bacterial
      products.
AB  - Media from bacterial cultures have been tested for actions on prostaglandin
      biosynthesis by human amnion and decidual cells. The bacterial species, which are
      commonly associated with intrauterine infections, were Group B streptococcus,
      Escherichia coli, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Bacteroides fragilis, Gardnerella
      vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhea, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.
      Overall, low doses of bacterial products were stimulatory of amnion prostaglandin
      production, whereas high doses were inhibitory. A similar pattern of results was
      obtained for effects on decidual prostaglandin production, although stimulatory
      actions at low doses were less pronounced. In all experiments interleukin 1 beta
      consistently induced a stimulation of prostaglandin production that greatly
      exceeded that caused by any bacterial product. It is possible that the inhibitory
      action of high doses of bacterial products on prostaglandin biosynthesis may
      contribute to the poor course of labor experienced by women with
      chorioamnionitis. Furthermore, these data lend credence to the view that the host
      response to infection (i.e. cytokine secretion) is the major mediator of
      subsequent preterm labor.

PMID- 1857724
TI  - Down-regulation of prostaglandin F2 alpha receptors in rat liver during chronic
      endotoxemia.
AB  - Prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha binding parameters were measured in purified plasma
      membrane preparations isolated from livers of chronically endotoxin-(ET) treated
      rats and corresponding controls. Two classes of binding sites were detected in
      both groups: high affinity, low capacity, with a KD of 44.4 +/- 8.8 nM for saline
      and 28.6 +/- 11.3 nM for ET-treated rats (n = 5 for both, p greater than 0.05)
      and low affinity, high capacity with a KD of 1.12 +/- 0.49 microM for saline- and
      1.24 +/- 0.43 microM for ET-treated rats (p greater than 0.05). Bmax values for
      high affinity sites were 1.01 +/- 0.18 fmol.mg-1 protein for saline- and 1.02 +/-
      0.54 (same units) for ET-treated rats (p greater than 0.05). There was a
      significant difference (p less than 0.01) between the Bmax values for low
      affinity sites in saline- (675 +/- 332 fmol.mg-1 protein) and ET-treated rats (12
      +/- 1, same units). This decrease in the amount of PGF2 alpha low affinity high
      capacity binding sites may underlie the depression of the PGF2 alpha stimulatory
      effect on hepatic gluconeogenesis induced by non-lethal, chronic ET treatment of
      rats, recently described by us (9).

PMID- 1857725
TI  - Effect of dietary calcium on renal prostaglandins.
AB  - The present study was designed to clarify the possible role of renal
      prostaglandins (PGs) on blood pressure (BP) regulation during calcium (Ca)
      restriction or supplementation. Twelve normotensive women with a mean age of 21.2
      years participated in the study. After 1 week of normal Ca intake (mean +/- SE,
      536 +/- 2 mg/day), a low-Ca diet (163 +/- 1 mg/day) was given for a further 1
      week. Additional asparagine Ca (3 g as Ca/day) was also given to half of the
      subjects. BP, heart rate, and serum total and ionized Ca concentrations were
      measured at the end of each period. Levels of Ca, sodium, PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha
      and thromboxane (TX) B2 excreted into urine were also determined. The plasma
      level of ionized Ca was significantly increased without any change in total Ca in
      both groups. Low and high Ca intake decreased and increased urinary Ca excretion
      by 28% and 56%, respectively. BP was not altered after Ca deprivation or loading.
      However, urinary PGE2 excretion was significantly augmented from 668.9 +/- 68.1
      to 959.7 +/- 183.1 ng/day by Ca loading, whereas Ca deprivation decreased PGE2
      excretion (695.4 +/- 108.1 to 513.2 +/- 55.2 ng/day). No changes were observed in
      6-keto-PGF1 alpha or TXB2 urinary excretion. These results suggest that renal
      PGE2 synthesis is stimulated or decreased by 1-week Ca loading or deprivation,
      indicating a possible antihypertensive role of renal PGE2 during high-Ca intake
      in hypertensives.

PMID- 1857726
TI  - [Experimental design and interpretation of studies of radioligand binding].

PMID- 1857727
TI  - Disposition of lypophilized (methylmethacrylate-14C, 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate,
      butylacrylate) nanoparticles in rats and their effect on zoxazolamine paralysis
      time.
AB  - The fate of lyophilized (methylmethacrylate-14C, 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate,
      butylacrylate) nanoparticles was studied in male Wistar rats after p.o.
      administration. It was found that at least 4% of the dose of 14C was absorbed
      from the gastrointestinal tract after a single dose with these nanoparticles.
      Some radioactivity (less than 0.15% of dose) was found 7 d after administration
      in lung, spleen and liver. As expected excretion of the label was predominated
      via the feces. Ten d of p.o. treatment of rats with lyophilized nanoparticles (1
      g/kg of body weight) was shown to prolong significantly zoxazolamine paralysis
      time. This result suggests that lyophilized nanoparticles decreased elimination
      of zoxazolamine.

PMID- 1857728
TI  - [Bioavailability of griseofulvin in the form of liposomes].
AB  - Liposomes containing griseofulvin have been prepared by shaking method. Lecithin
      and cholesterol were used to compose phospholipid bilayer of liposomes. The
      suspension of liposomes in 0.9% sodium chloride and the suspension of
      griseofulvin in 0.25% iostonic methylcellulose solution were used in the
      comparative study in vivo. Both suspensions were administered intragastricly to
      rats. Parameters of bioavailability have been found on the basis of the changes
      in griseofulvin plasma concentrations versus time. Intragastric administration of
      griseofulvin in liposomes suspension demonstrates ca. 40% higher Cmax and AUC
      when compared to these of griseofulvin suspension which indicates a better
      bioavailability.

PMID- 1857729
TI  - In vitro inhalation behaviour and therapeutical response of salbutamol particles
      administered from two metered dose aerosols.
AB  - In this study the particle size, as well as the in vitro deposition and the
      immediate bronchodilating effect on asthmatic patients, of two salbutamol
      inhalation aerosol preparations (Ventoline, Glaxo, UK, and salbutamol inhalation
      aerosol, Orion Pharmaceutica, Finland) were compared. The in vitro deposition
      study was performed using the modified Sierra Andersen cascade impactor. The
      bronchodilating effect of inhaled aerosol doses were monitored by measuring peak
      expiratory flow (PEF) values. In the clinical study, the pulse and blood pressure
      of the patients, as well as the side effects, were also recorded. Due to the
      anatomy and physiology of human lungs, the accepted optimum size for inhaled drug
      particles is under 5 microns, and preferably under 2 microns. Over 95% of the
      drug particles in both aerosol preparations were under 5 microns. 30% of the
      salbutamol particles in the Ventoline inhalation aerosol were under 2 microns,
      whereas in Orion salbutamol aerosol 14% of the drug particles were under 2
      microns. Respectively 23% of Ventoline and 19% of the Orion salbutamol
      preparation penetrated into the therapeutically most significant imitated
      alveolar stages of the modified cascade impactor. Both salbutamol aerosols showed
      a clear clinical efficacy in the bronchodilating test. In addition, no
      significant differences existed in the bronchodilating effect of these inhalation
      aerosols. In conclusion, although there seemed to be a slight difference in the
      particle size distribution and in the in vitro inhalation behaviour, this
      variation did not have any effect on the clinical response.

PMID- 1857731
TI  - [The action of trypsin and zymosan on the respiration of cultivated endothelial
      cells].
AB  - Trypsin and Zymosan induce an increase in respiration activity of cultivated
      endothelial cells. These effects are not due to the production of oxygen
      radicals. The effect of trypsin will be explained by interfering with the
      cellular homeostasis of calcium. The stimulated respiration after incubation with
      zymosan may be connected with the increased phagocytosis.

PMID- 1857730
TI  - Influence of melanoma B16 on the pharmacokinetics of mitoguazone in mice.
AB  - In this study, the influence of different stages and transplantation routes of
      the experimentally widely used solid tumor melanoma B16 on the pharmacokinetics
      of the antineoplastic agent mitoguazone was investigated in B6D2F1 mice. It could
      be shown that changes of the pharmacokinetic parameters as well as the
      distribution pattern of this drug were clearly influenced and dependent on the
      tumor stage but not by the tumor inoculation route. Advanced melanoma (d16) led
      to a sharp decrease in the terminal elimination half-life as well as to decreased
      spleen levels and increased initial liver concentrations of the drug. With
      respect to the results obtained in leukemia P388-bearing mice it can be concluded
      that the tumor stage as well as the tumor model are to be considered as important
      factors in which way and to which extent a tumor may alter the pharmacokinetics
      of antineoplastic agents.

PMID- 1857732
TI  - [Scientific relationship between German and Hungarian pharmacy].

PMID- 1857733
TI  - Some new benzimidazolyl-N, N-aminomethyl and 1-aminomethyl derivatives of
      pharmacological interest.

PMID- 1857735
TI  - [The biochemical basis of pharmaceutical chemistry. 9. The effect of structure on
      biopharmaceutic/pharmacokinetic behavior].

PMID- 1857734
TI  - In vitro and in vivo comparison of arginine- and benzamidine-derived highly
      potent synthetic thrombin inhibitors.

PMID- 1857736
TI  - [Parenteral depot drug forms with a base of biodegradable polymers].

PMID- 1857738
TI  - Electronic states of the indole-acrylamide molecular pair.
AB  - A model is suggested for tryptophan fluorescence quenching by acrylamide based on
      the prediction that acrylamide can absorb a photon from the excited indole moiety
      and then dissipate the optical energy into a sink of fast exchanging
      conformations. Semiempirical electronic structure calculations of the indole
      acrylamide pair indicate little actual intermolecular orbital mixing at van der
      Waals contact distances. However, the two lowest singlet transitions of the
      molecular pair, assigned to the acrylamide (pi *)----n(O) line and to the indole
      1Lb----1A1 line, respectively, vary significantly in energies and in transition
      and excited state moments with the geometry of interaction between the two
      entities. The distribution of optimal quenching coordinations depends separately
      on the benzene and pyrrole portions and has a distinctly non-spherical shape at
      these distances.

PMID- 1857737
TI  - Dietary histidine increases mouse skin urocanic acid levels and enhances UVB
      induced immune suppression of contact hypersensitivity.
AB  - Urocanic Acid (UCA) exists in mammalian skin primarily as the trans isomer and is
      photoisomerized to cis UCA upon UVB absorption. Our previous studies indicated
      that the photoisomerization of UCA is the initiating event in UBV-induced
      suppression of cell-mediated immunity (tUCA----cUCA----immune suppression). The
      purpose of this study was to verify the role of UCA in UV-induced immune
      suppression of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) in BALB/c mice. Since UCA is a
      metabolite of the amino acid L-histidine, we reasoned that increased dietary
      levels of histidine should raise skin tUCA levels. If skin tUCA is the UVB
      photoreceptor for immune suppression, this increase should enhance UV-induced
      suppression of CHS. HPLC analysis of skin from BALB/c mice given a histidine-rich
      diet (10%) showed that the total amount of UCA is significantly higher in these
      animals than in mice fed a normal diet. Further, levels of suppression of CHS of
      3% and 49% in control fed mice, induced by 4.8 and 7.2 kJ/m2 UVB were
      significantly increased to 21% and 71% respectively in histidine-fed animals at
      these same UVB doses. These findings provide additional support for the UCA model
      for immune suppression, and provide the first evidence that UV-induced immune
      suppression can be enhanced by a dietary component, L-histidine.

PMID- 1857739
TI  - Species differences in response to photohemolytic agents.
AB  - Species differences in red blood cell susceptibility to the photohemolytic agents
      chlorpromazine, menadione and tetracycline were examined in mouse, rat, dog, and
      human blood. Menadione and tetracycline (25 microM) hemolyzed mouse but not dog,
      rat, or human red blood cells (RBC) when irradiated with UV light but not in the
      dark. Chlorpromazine (25 microM) produced a photohemolytic response in all four
      species with mouse and rat RBC lysing fastest followed by human then dog cells.
      Investigations into the nature of these species differences suggested that the
      size of mouse RBC may contribute to its high sensitivity to photohemolytic
      agents. An investigation of the effect of UV light on key antioxidant enzymes
      revealed species differences in enzyme inactivation. These data suggest that
      mouse RBC may be particularly vulnerable to phototoxic agents, especially those
      compounds which produce active oxygen species and, therefore, may prove more
      useful than human RBC as a model for predicting phototoxic potential of some
      chemical entities.

PMID- 1857740
TI  - alpha-Terthienyl photosensitizes damage to pBR322 DNA.
AB  - alpha-Terthienyl photosensitizes single strand breaks in pBR322 DNA. Almost
      identical results were observed under oxygen and under argon. In the presence of
      oxygen, this DNA nicking was enhanced by histidine and was not affected by
      superoxide dismutase, catalase, or the antioxidant BHT. Although chemical damage
      to DNA treated with alpha-terthienyl plus near-UV was clearly demonstrated in
      vitro, transformation in E. coli with this damaged pBR322 DNA still took place.
      Likewise, Haemophilus influenzae DNA transforming activity was not significantly
      decreased by photosensitization with alpha-terthienyl.

PMID- 1857741
TI  - Photophysical and photobiological properties of diporphyrin ethers.
AB  - Spectral properties of several diporphyrin ethers were assessed in different
      solvents and after accumulation by leukemia L1210 cells in vitro. To facilitate
      studies in a variety of solvents, both tetramethylesters of the diporphyrin
      ethers and free acids were employed. For comparison, studies on the corresponding
      porphyrin monomers were also carried out. The joining of two porphyrins by an
      ether linkage had several consequences. We observed a blue shift in the Soret
      band of the ethers, but not of the corresponding simple porphyrins, in protic
      solvents. This phenomenon is likely related to ether aggregation under conditions
      which promote H-bonding. The presence of an ether linkage was associated with
      enhanced fluorescence at 630-640 nm and decreased fluorescence lifetimes and
      yields, especially in protic solvents. The ether linkage was unaffected by
      intracellular enzymes, but porphyrin esters were readily hydrolyzed upon
      accumulation by L1210 cells. The joining of two hematoporphyrin molecules by an
      ether linkage promoted dye accumulation by L1210 cells. In contrast, accumulation
      of mesoporphyrin and protoporphyrin was thereby retarded.

PMID- 1857742
TI  - Photosensitization by synthetic diporphyrins and dichlorins in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - A group of polycarboxylic diporphyrins, two dichlorins and a porphyrin-chlorine
      dimer, with rings linked by methylene groups, were examined to help identify
      structures which can mediate photodynamic tumor eradication in vivo. Among the
      features sought were short persistence of normal tissue photosensitization and
      substantial absorbance at wavelengths longer than 630 nm. Both objectives were
      achieved, with pertinent structure-activity relationships partly characterized.
      The relative hydrophobicity of the different sensitizers was an important
      determinant of their accumulation in cell culture, but not of in vivo
      effectiveness. These compounds showed affinity for protein and high-density
      lipoprotein components of serum. Their distribution may be mediated by a
      different mechanism than that which occurs with more hydrophobic sensitizers like
      hematoporphyrin derivative which have greater affinity for low-density
      lipoproteins and less for protein components of serum, as compared with the
      products examined in this study.

PMID- 1857743
TI  - Photosensitized lipid peroxidation and enzyme inactivation by membrane-bound
      merocyanine 540: reaction mechanisms in the absence and presence of ascorbate.
AB  - The lipophilic photosensitizing dye merocyanine 540 (MC540) is being studied
      intensively as an antitumor and antiviral agent. Since plasma membranes are
      believed to be the principal cellular targets of MC540-mediated photodamage, we
      have studied membrane damage in a well characterized test system, the human
      erythrocyte ghost. When irradiated with white light, MC540-sensitized ghosts
      accumulated lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs derived from phospholipids and
      cholesterol) at a rate dependent on initial dye concentration. Neither
      desferrioxamine nor butylated hydroxytoluene inhibited LOOH formation, suggesting
      that Type I (iron-mediated free radical) chemistry is not important. By contrast,
      azide inhibited the reaction in a dose-dependent fashion, implicating a Type II
      (singlet oxygen, 1O2) mechanism. Stern-Volmer analysis of the data gave a 1O2
      quenching constant approximately 50 times lower than that determined for an
      extramembranous target, lactate dehydrogenase (the latter value agreeing with
      literature values). This suggests that 1O2 reacts primarily at its membrane sites
      of origin and that azide has limited access to these sites. Using
      [14C]cholesterol-labeled membranes and HPLC with radiodetection, we identified 3
      beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-cholest-6-ene-5-hydroperoxide as the major cholesterol
      photoproduct, thereby confirming 1O2 intermediacy. Irradiation of MC540
      sensitized membranes in the presence of added iron and ascorbate resulted in a
      large burst of lipid peroxidation, as shown by thiobarbituric acid reactivity and
      appearance of 7-hydroperoxycholesterol and 7-hydroxycholesterol as major
      oxidation products. Amplification of MC540-initiated lipid peroxidation by
      iron/ascorbate (attributed to light-independent reduction of nascent
      photoperoxides, with ensuing free radical chain reactions) could prove useful in
      augmenting MC540's phototherapeutic effects.

PMID- 1857744
TI  - Photodynamic action of merocyanine 540 in artificial bilayers and natural
      membranes: action spectra and quantum yields.
AB  - The action spectra and quantum yields for singlet oxygen (1O2) generation by
      merocyanine 540 (MC540) in liposomes and isolated erythrocyte membranes were
      obtained using electron spin resonance techniques. Oxygen consumption was
      measured by spin label oximetry in the presence of histidine for fully-saturated
      dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles, mono-unsaturated 1-palmitoyl-2
      oleoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles and erythrocyte membranes. The quantum yield
      for the photogeneration of 1O2 by membrane-bound MC540 in aqueous buffer was
      determined to be 0.065 +/- 0.005, which is approx. 1/10 of the value determined
      for Rose Bengal under similar conditions. Using unilamellar liposomes and
      isolated erythrocyte membranes containing MC540 at different monomer/dimer
      ratios, we have observed that the action spectra of 1O2 generation closely
      overlap the absorption spectra of the monomeric dye in these systems. It is
      likely that factors which affect the monomer-dimer equilibrium of MC540 will
      influence the production of 1O2. These findings have important implications for
      the phototherapeutic efficacy of MC540.

PMID- 1857745
TI  - Tanning salon exposure suppression of DNA repair capacity and mitogen-induced DNA
      synthesis.
AB  - Mitogen responsiveness and the capacity to repair genetic damage were measured in
      lymphocytes collected from young, healthy, adult Caucasians immediately before
      exposure in commercial tanning salons and again 24 h after exposure. For every
      individual studied, tanning exposure produced significant inhibition of
      phytohemagglutinin-induced mitogenesis or of the ability to repair DNA lesions by
      unscheduled DNA synthesis. The results imply that such exposure could: (1) pose a
      significant hazard for individuals who are already immunosuppressed (e.g. cancer
      patients, AIDS patients or carriers of latent HIV) and (2) increase the
      carcinogenic effects of environmental mutagens.

PMID- 1857746
TI  - Inhibitory effect of 8-methoxypsoralen plus ultraviolet-A on interleukin-1
      production by murine keratinocytes.
AB  - We report the effects of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus ultraviolet-A (UV-A)
      irradiation on interleukin-1 (IL-1) production by murine epidermal keratinocytes,
      correlating its effect on IL-1 with cell viability, DNA synthesis, and 8-MOP-DNA
      photoadduct formation. Freshly isolated murine keratinocytes were treated with
      various doses of 8-MOP (5-100 ng/mL; incubation time, 30 min) plus 1 J/cm2 UV-A
      and cultured for 1-3 days. The IL-1/epidermal cell-derived thymocyte-activating
      factor (ETAF) activity in both supernatant and cell extract was reduced
      proportionately with increasing doses of 8-MOP/UV-A. Interleukin-1 inhibitors
      induced by 8-MOP plus UV-A were not detected in either supernatant or cell
      extract. A clear reduction of the IL-1 production was induced by the treatment as
      low as 15 ng/mL 8-MOP plus 1 J/cm2 UV-A, which led to the formation of 0.52 8-MOP
      photoadducts per million DNa bases and affected neither cell viability nor DNA
      synthesis of the treated cells. Cells treated with 100 ng/mL 8-MOP and 1 J/cm2 UV
      A exhibited 57% suppression of IL-1 production in both 2- and 3-day culture
      samples. This treatment resulted in the formation of 3.8 photoadducts per million
      bases as well as significant abrogation of DNA synthesis although cell viability
      was unchanged. These observations provide some insights into the phototoxicity
      mechanisms of 8-MOP and the effect of PUVA therapy on the cytokine regulation in
      keratinocytes.

PMID- 1857747
TI  - Are the effects of light on phase and period of the Gonyaulax clock mediated by
      different pathways?
AB  - The effects of different wavelengths of light on period, phase shifting,
      entrainment and after-effects of the circadian clock of the motile marine
      dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra are described. Phase shifting and entrainment
      by light can be explained by the action of a single blue sensitive light input
      pathway. However, tonic effects of light on the period under free-running
      conditions, and also after-effects on period resulting from single 4 h light
      exposures, appear to involve two input pathways with different absorption and
      temperature characteristics. These results suggest different mechanisms for the
      control of phase and period of the circadian clock.

PMID- 1857748
TI  - Fluorescence energy transfer between dimethyldiazaperopyrenium dication and
      ethidium intercalated in poly d(A-T).
AB  - Dimethyldiazaperopyrenium is one of the largest known DNA intercalators.
      Fluorescence energy transfer occurred between dimethyldiazaperopyrenium (donor)
      and ethidium (acceptor) when these dyes were bound to a double-stranded
      polynucleotide such as poly d(A-T). The addition of increasing amounts of
      ethidium bromide led to a marked shortening of the fluorescence lifetime of the
      donor, whereas the excited state of the acceptor was progressively populated via
      energy transfer from the donor. Critical Forster distance between these two
      chromophores was calculated to be 3.8 nm. The observed transfer efficiency was
      lower than that calculated on the basis of this critical distance and a
      statistical distribution of bound drugs. These results are discussed taking into
      account the conformational change induced by intercalation of
      dimethyldiazaperopyrenium in the double-stranded polynucleotide.

PMID- 1857749
TI  - Do pyrimidine dimer yields correlate with erythema induction in human skin
      irradiated in situ with ultraviolet light (275-365 nm)?
AB  - Ultraviolet radiation produces erythema in human skin, and damages the DNA of
      living cells in skin. Previous work showed that broad-band UV-B (290-320 nm)
      radiation produced higher levels of cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers in DNA of
      individuals with high UV-B sensitivity (low minimal erythema dose) than in
      subjects of low UV-B sensitivity [Freeman et al. (1986) J. Invest. Dermatol., 86,
      34-36]. We examined the relationship between erythema induction and dimer yields
      in DNA of human skin irradiated in situ with narrow band radiation spanning the
      wavelength range 275-365 nm. We find that, in general, higher dimer yields are
      produced per incident photon in volunteers with higher susceptibility to erythema
      induced by radiation of the same wavelength.

PMID- 1857750
TI  - The bacteriophage resistance plasmid pTR2030 forms high-molecular-weight
      multimers in lactococci.
AB  - Lactococcus lactis ME2 can transfer a 46-kb plasmid, pTR2030, which encodes
      abortive phage infection (Hsp) and restriction/modification (R/M) activities.
      pTR2030 can be detected as a monomeric plasmid in transconjugants at low copy
      number, but not in ME2. pTR2030-specific probes were cloned and used to determine
      the location of the element in ME2. No homology was observed between these
      pTR2030-specific probes and the CsCl-purified plasmid content of ME2. However,
      probes specific for pTR2030 hybridized strongly to a high-molecular-weight
      moiety, and not to chromosomal DNA, in total DNA isolated by a gentle lysis
      procedure. The absence of junction fragments indicates that pTR2030 forms high
      molecular-weight multimers in lactococci. A phage-sensitive derivative of ME2, L.
      lactis N1, is cured of pTR2030 and no longer possesses the high-molecular-weight
      species. When pTR2030 was reintroduced to N1 via conjugation, an ME2-like phage
      insensitive phenotype was restored. pTR2030 could remain as a detectable
      monomeric plasmid in the N1 transconjugants or could revert to the high-molecular
      weight structure.

PMID- 1857751
TI  - Characterization and sequence analysis of a small plasmid from Bacillus
      thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain HD1-DIPEL.
AB  - The complete nucleotide sequence of a small (2.055 kb) plasmid pHD2 from Bacillus
      thuringiensis var. kurstaki strain HD1-DIPEL was obtained. The sequence encoded
      two open reading frames (ORFs) which corresponded to polypeptides of Mr 26,447
      and 9122. Comparison of the sequence with those obtained for other plasmids from
      Gram-positive organisms suggested that pHD2 may belong to the extensive and
      highly interrelated family of plasmids exhibiting replication via a ssDNA
      intermediate: a putative nick site was proposed on the basis of sequence homology
      and one ORF exhibited distant homology with the site-specific topoisomerases
      encoded by the pT181 family of staphylococcal plasmids, while the other ORF
      exhibited considerable similarity to a small polypeptide (RepA) encoded by
      plasmid pLS1. Constructs consisting of pHD2, pBR322, and the chloramphenicol
      resistance gene from pC194 were capable of stable maintenance in B. thuringiensis
      var. israelensis, but were subject to apparently specific deletions in the
      heterologous host. The same constructs could not be established in Bacillus
      subtilis.

PMID- 1857752
TI  - Plasmid Co1IB contains an ssi signal close to the replication origin.
AB  - Taking advantage of the plaque morphology method, we identified a single-strand
      initiation (ssi) signal in plasmid pSM32, a mini-Co1Ib plasmid. This ssi signal
      was situated in the 350-nt HaeIII segment of the 1.8-kb S7 fragment, and located
      nearly 400 nt downstream of the origin of DNA replication. Introduction of the
      ssi signal into a mutant of filamentous phage M13 lacking oric resulted in
      restoration of phage growth and RFI DNA synthesis. Interestingly, DNA homology
      studies showed that the nucleotide sequence of the ssi signal was extremely
      homologous with that of the "G4-type" ssi signal in plasmid R100.

PMID- 1857753
TI  - Isolation and properties of temperature-sensitive mutants of the trfA gene of the
      broad host range plasmid RK2.
AB  - Two small plasmid RK2 derivatives, pSV6 and pSV16, were constructed and used for
      the isolation and characterization of trfA mutants temperature-sensitive (ts) for
      replication in Escherichia coli. Four of the mutants were examined for their
      ability to initiate replication from the RK2 replication origin in E. coli when
      present in cis with respect to the origin and in trans when present on a
      multicopy pBR322 replicon. Each of the mutant trfA genes exhibited temperature
      sensitivity in supporting replication from the RK2 origin when present in cis,
      and the lowest nonpermissive temperature varied depending on the mutant. When the
      mutant trfA genes were present on the multicopy replicon (in trans), three of the
      four mutant genes could support replication of the RK2-oriV plasmid pSV16 at all
      temperatures tested. However, with the exception of one of the mutants, the
      activity was reduced when compared to wild-type. The increased activity in trans
      possibly is the result of the increased cellular level of the TrfA protein when
      compared with the in cis situation where the mutant trfA gene is at a much lower
      copy-number. Two of the mutants also were tested in cis for temperature
      sensitivity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. One of the mutants did not exhibit
      temperature sensitivity under the conditions employed. The second mutant showed
      some temperature sensitivity but the nonpermissive temperature pattern was
      different than that found in E. coli.

PMID- 1857754
TI  - Construction and characterization of a Mycobacterium-Escherichia coli shuttle
      vector.
AB  - We have constructed a set of novel Mycobacterium-Escherichia coli shuttle vectors
      using either a kanamycin- or hygromycin-resistance gene and the replication
      region from a Corynebacterium plasmid. Important features of these new vectors
      (pEP2 and pEP3) are that they are small, contain multiple cloning sites, and
      replicate to high copy number in various Mycobacterium species and E. coli. These
      vectors are unusual in that plasmid replication in gram-negative and gram
      positive bacteria appears to be controlled from a single region. These plasmids
      will be useful for the genetic analysis of Mycobacterium and gene expression in
      this genus, particularly Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

PMID- 1857755
TI  - The 2-micron plasmid as a nonselectable, stable, high copy number yeast vector.
AB  - The endogenous 2-microns plasmid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used
      extensively for the construction of yeast cloning and expression plasmids because
      it is a native yeast plasmid that is able to be maintained stably in cells at
      high copy number. Almost invariably, these plasmid constructs, containing some or
      all 2-microns sequences, exhibit copy number levels lower than 2-microns and are
      maintained stably only under selective conditions. We were interested in
      determining if there was a means by which 2-microns could be utilized for vector
      construction, without forfeiting either copy number or nonselective stability. We
      identified sites in the 2-microns plasmid that could be used for the insertion of
      genetic sequences without disrupting 2-microns coding elements and then assessed
      subsequent plasmid constructs for stability and copy number in vivo. We
      demonstrate the utility of a previously described 2-microns recombination
      chimera, pBH-2L, for the manipulation and transformation of 2-microns as a pure
      yeast plasmid vector. We show that the HpaI site near the STB element in the 2
      microns plasmid can be utilized to clone yeast DNA of at least 3.9 kb with no
      loss of plasmid stability. Additionally, the copy number of these constructs is
      as high as levels reported for the endogenous 2-microns.

PMID- 1857756
TI  - The processing of inflected words.
AB  - Is an inflected word identified by first decomposing it into stem plus suffix or,
      instead, is it recognized as a whole? Several lexical decision experiments
      studied the recognition of inflected words in English (a language with few
      inflections) and Serbo-Croatian (a heavily inflected language). If recognition
      depended on decomposition, preceding the inflection with a brief exposure of the
      stem (less than 100 ms) should have primed the lexical entry for the stem and,
      therefore, facilitated recognition of the whole inflected word that followed. It
      did not. It was also found that the speed of recognizing an inflected word was
      more strongly associated with the frequency of the whole inflected form than with
      the frequency of its stem. The results suggested that in word recognition,
      lexical contact is first made with the whole word form. Nevertheless,
      morphological decomposition may still occur in subsequent processing.

PMID- 1857757
TI  - The contribution of morphology to word recognition.
AB  - Evidence of morphological processing was investigated in three word recognition
      tasks. In the first study, phonological ambiguity of the base morpheme in
      morphologically complex words of Serbo-Croatian was exploited in order to
      evaluate the claim that the base morpheme serves as the unit by which entries in
      the lexicon are accessed. An interaction of base morpheme ambiguity and affix
      characteristics was obtained and this outcome was interpreted as evidence that
      all morphological constituents of a word participate in lexical access. In the
      second study, facilitation due to morphological relatedness of prime and target
      was observed with Serbo-Croatian materials in the lexical decision and naming
      versions of the repetition priming task and results were interpreted as evidence
      of a morphological principle of organization among whole-word forms in the
      lexicon. In the third study, morphological affixes of both English and Serbo
      Croatian words were segmented from a source word and affixed to a target word
      more rapidly than phonemically matched controls. Results suggest that the
      morphological constituents of complex words are available in some word
      recognition tasks and that morphological knowledge is represented in the
      speaker's lexicon.

PMID- 1857758
TI  - Phonological deficits: beneath the surface of reading-acquisition problems.
AB  - In Experiment 1, the performance of young retarded readers on speech-segmentation
      tasks was compared with the performance of normal subjects matched for
      chronological age (CA) and with subjects matched for reading age (RA). Retarded
      readers were poorer than both control groups in consonant deletion, while there
      was no difference between the groups on a rhyme-judgement task and a syllabic
      vowel-reproduction task. In Experiment 2, another group of reading retarded
      children was compared with CA and RA controls on the classification of pseudo
      words, either by common phoneme or by overall phonetic similarity. The retarded
      readers made fewer classifications based on common phoneme than both control
      groups, while there was no difference between the groups in classifications based
      on overall phonetic similarity. In Experiment 3, adult developmental dyslexics
      were compared with normal adults in the tasks of Experiments 1 and 2. The
      dyslexics made fewer classifications based on a common phoneme than the normals,
      while no difference was found in classifications based on overall phonetic
      similarity.

PMID- 1857759
TI  - Hydrogen peroxide induced reproductive and interphase death in two strains of
      L5178Y murine lymphoma differing in radiation sensitivity.
AB  - L5178Y-R (LY-R) and L5178Y-S (LY-S) cells, differing in radiation sensitivity and
      susceptibility to the radiosensitizing effect of benzamide (Bz) were examined for
      susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. Survival and chromatid aberration frequency
      indicated that LY-R cells were considerably more sensitive to H2O2 than LY-S
      cells. So, LY strains were found to be inversely cross-sensitive to X/gamma rays
      and H2O2. The relative resistance to H2O2 corresponded with the previously found
      twofold difference in catalase activity (Jaworska et al. 1987). At higher
      concentrations H2O2 treatment caused interphase death, that was delayed by
      benzamide (Bz, 2mM), an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribosylation), to a lesser extent
      in the more resistant cell subline (LY-S). From the examination of the H2O2
      induced increase in the free Ca2+ concentration (with or without 2 mM Bz
      treatment) with the use of Fura-2 it followed, that the cells responded to the
      oxidative stress by Ca2+ release. The Ca2+ concentration increase was neither
      directly related to the killing effect of H2O2 treatment, nor did it correspond
      with the twofold difference in catalase activity in LY strains.

PMID- 1857760
TI  - Direct evidence that radiation induced micronuclei of early embryos require a
      mitosis for expression.
AB  - The naturally synchronous development of early mouse embryos was exploited to
      address the question, whether micronuclei require a mitosis for expression or
      whether they can be expressed in the same cell cycle, in which exposure to X-rays
      or caffeine took place. Experiments with 2-cell and with 4-cell embryos showed
      that micronuclei are expressed only if a mitosis is completed. There was no
      indication, even after doses up to 20 Gy, that micronuclei can be expressed
      before the mitosis was reached, which followed exposure. Furthermore, no nuclear
      fragmentation pointing to apoptosis could be detected in the cycle, in which
      cells were exposed. The same results were obtained when caffeine (5 mM) was used
      as micronucleus inducing agent.

PMID- 1857761
TI  - Repair of damage caused by UV- and X-irradiation in the amoeboflagellate
      Naegleria gruberi.
AB  - Cysts of Naegleria gruberi have a normal UV- and an extremely high X-ray
      resistance compared to other protozoans. Caffeine and 3-aminobenzamide applied to
      excysting amoeba after irradiation in the encysted state (UV and X-rays) by
      feeding with drug-containing bacteria increased lethality, while fractionated
      irradiation (UV) and liquid-holding (UV and X-rays) increased survival.
      Illumination with visible light after UV-irradiation restored almost 100%
      viability. The results are discussed in regard to the activity of repair
      mechanisms.

PMID- 1857762
TI  - Photo-induced riboflavin binding to the tryptophan residues of bovine and human
      serum albumins.
AB  - The photobinding between riboflavin and the Trp residues from human and bovine
      serum albumins at two pH-dependent protein conformations was studied. At pH 7.0
      both proteins showed photo-adduct formation with hyperbolic kinetics. In the
      bovine serum albumin this is attributed to the different locations of the two Trp
      residues. In the case of the human serum albumin, which has only one Trp residue,
      this behaviour may be related to different molecular conformations of the
      protein, as is also manifest in the iodide quenching experiments. At pH 3.5, the
      kinetics of the photo-adduct formation were found to be slower and showed a
      monophasic behaviour. These results are due to the conformational change of these
      proteins at acidic pH; the Trp residues of both proteins being now located in a
      more hydrophobic environment. When bovine serum albumin was anaerobically
      irradiated at pH 7.0 in the presence of 14C-riboflavin and then cleaved by CNBr,
      two peptides were obtained, containing the Trp-134 and Trp-212 residues,
      respectively. The incorporation of 14C-riboflavin in these samples was
      significantly higher at the level of the peptide containing the Trp-134 residue.
      Furthermore, it was demonstrated, that the energy transfer from enzymatically
      generated triplet acetone to riboflavin can also promote the binding of this
      vitamin to the Trp residues of human and bovine serum albumins.

PMID- 1857763
TI  - Cs-134/137 contamination and root uptake of different forest trees before and
      after the Chernobyl accident.
AB  - The Cs-134/137 activities were measured from different tree organs of spruce,
      larch and sycamore maple. Two locations in South Bavaria were monitored during a
      period of 2.5 years following the Chernobyl accident. Samples taken in 1985 allow
      to determine the Cs-137 contamination before the accident. Increasing Cs-137
      activities from older to younger needle years of Picea abies caused by root
      uptake of the global weapons' fallout are due to the high phloem mobility of this
      element and the remaining of the needles at the tree for about 6-7 years. In
      contrast, the Cs-137 activity was much smaller in leaves of larch and sycamore
      maple. After the Chernobyl accident, the higher contamination of spruce greater
      than larch greater than sycamore maple is dependent on the roughness of bark,
      absolute bark surface and the existence of leaves during the deposition of
      Chernobyl-derived radioactivity. The Cs-134/137 activity (Bq/kg d.w.) was about
      25-times higher in bark compared to wood of Picea abies and 1.5-4.7 times higher
      in directly contaminated twig-axes than in leaves. Till the end of the
      investigation the major contamination of the shoots was due to direct deposition
      of cesium on the trees. A maximum of 5-15% of the total activity of the directly
      contaminated branches of the plants was calculated to be part of root-uptake,
      depending on the amount of initial retention. 20% of the translocated cesium into
      new leaves of larch and about 50% into sycamore maple resulted from root-uptake
      2.5 years after the accident.

PMID- 1857764
TI  - Psychiatric management of sleep disorders.
AB  - This chapter will focus on the office management of psychiatric patients with
      sleep disorders. Psychiatric aspects of insomnia, the parasomnias, circadian
      rhythm disorder and disorders of excessive sleepiness will be reviewed. The
      antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, amino acids and bright lights.

PMID- 1857765
TI  - The assessment and management of the suicidal patient.
AB  - This chapter will be oriented toward the problem faced by the clinician in
      attempting to prevent suicide in patients under treatment. It will focus on the
      clinician's difficult task of assessing suicide potential and initiating
      interventions to prevent suicide in patients at high risk. Specifically, the
      state of the art in identifying the suicidal patient will be reviewed, and
      various interventions available to the clinician will be discussed.

PMID- 1857766
TI  - Neuropsychiatric aspects of AIDS and psychopharmacologic management.
AB  - This article will review the current literature on the wide range of
      neuropsychiatric symptoms and syndromes seen in HIV illness. It will then
      describe the literature and the authors' experience in the use of psychotropic
      medications in this illness.

PMID- 1857768
TI  - Salaries and benefits.

PMID- 1857767
TI  - Investigational drugs and research.
AB  - This chapter will define investigational use for clinicians and outline FDA
      policies in this area in a simple and pragmatic way. Instances in which
      investigational use would require application to the FDA for an investigational
      New Drug Exemption (IND) and instances in which their use would require approval
      by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) will be described and examples given.

PMID- 1857770
TI  - It takes two.

PMID- 1857769
TI  - Case #1. Pyogenic granuloma.

PMID- 1857772
TI  - Dear RDH.

PMID- 1857771
TI  - Using effective aseptic procedures.

PMID- 1857773
TI  - Patient profile.

PMID- 1857774
TI  - Patient #1.

PMID- 1857775
TI  - Moms, kids and career.

PMID- 1857776
TI  - Sciences are basics for oral healthcare.

PMID- 1857777
TI  - Negative control by Sandostatin on pancreatic and duodenal growth: a possible
      implication of insulin-like growth factor I.
AB  - This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of Sandostatin, a potent
      somatostatin analogue, on pancreatic and intestinal growth and plasma and
      pancreatic levels of insulin-like growth factor I, a known growth factor. Rats
      weighing 320-330 g, equipped with an intravenous cannula were infused with either
      bovine serum albumin or Sandostatin at a dose of 5 micrograms kg-1 h-1 for 7
      days. Sandostatin caused significant reductions in pancreatic and intestinal
      weights accompanied by decreases in total DNA, RNA in both organs and total
      protein in the intestine while total pancreatic enzymes were increased. Plasma
      cholecystokinin and insulin-like growth factor I were reduced whereas total
      insulin-like growth factor I pancreatic content was increased. It is suggested
      that Sandostatin may reduce growth of these two organs by decreasing
      cholecystokinin and insulin-like growth factor release and their specific effects
      at the pancreatic and duodenal cellular level.

PMID- 1857780
TI  - [Luigi Oliva (1923-1991)].

PMID- 1857779
TI  - Distribution and function of brain natriuretic peptide in the stomach and small
      intestine of the rat.
AB  - The distribution and function of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was studied in
      the rat stomach and jejunum. BNP-like immunoreactive nerves were found in the
      myenteric plexus, circular muscle, submucosa and in the crypt region of the
      jejunum. In the stomach, BNP-like immunoreactivity was found in the myenteric
      plexus, circular muscle, submucosa and at the base of the gastric glands. In the
      submucosa, BNP-like immunoreactivity was often associated with blood vessels. In
      segments of rat jejunum mounted in Ussing chambers, serosal exposure to rat BNP
      caused a concentration-dependent increase in short circuit current. A maximal
      effect of 18 +/- 4 microA/cm2 was observed with 1 microM BNP. The effect was
      quantitatively and qualitatively similar to that elicited by serosal exposure to
      equimolar atrial natriuretic peptide. The response to BNP was reduced by 88% in
      chloride free Kreb's buffer, by 83% in tissues pretreated with cinanserin, an
      antagonist of the 5-HT2 subtype of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor, and by 96%
      in tissues pretreated with tetrodotoxin, a blocker of axonal conduction. These
      results are consistent with a physiological role for BNP as a neuromodulator of
      gastrointestinal electrolyte transport.

PMID- 1857778
TI  - Effects of pancreastatin and chromogranin A on insulin release stimulated by
      various insulinotropic agents.
AB  - The effects of porcine pancreastatin on insulin release stimulated by
      insulinotropic agents, glucagon, cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8), gastric
      inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and L-arginine, were compared to those of bovine
      chromogranin A (CGA) using the isolated perfused rat pancreas. Pancreastatin
      significantly potentiated glucagon-stimulated insulin release (first phase: 12.5
      +/- 0.9 ng/8 min; second phase: 34.5 +/- 1.6 ng/25 min in controls; 16.5 +/- 1.1
      ng/8 min and 44.0 +/- 2.2 ng/25 min in pancreastatin group), whereas CGA was
      ineffective. The first phase of L-arginine-stimulated insulin release was also
      potentiated by pancreastatin (6.9 +/- 0.5 ng/5 min in controls, 8.4 +/- 0.6 ng/5
      min in pancreastatin group), but not by CGA. Pancreastatin did not affect CCK-8
      or GIP-stimulated insulin release. Similarly, CGA did not affect insulin release
      stimulated by CCK-8 or GIP. These findings suggest that pancreastatin stimulates
      insulin release in the presence of glucagon. Because pancreastatin can have
      multiple effects on insulin release, which are dependent upon the local
      concentration of insulin effectors, pancreastatin may participate in the fine
      tuning of insulin release from B cells.

PMID- 1857781
TI  - [High resolution tridimensional study of the blood vessels of the neck and the
      intracranial circulation with magnetic resonance angiography].
AB  - Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is a modern vascular imaging technique which
      allows the noninvasive and direct imaging of vessels. The authors aimed at
      evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of MRA in the study of pathologic conditions
      in the neck and intracranial vessels; spatial resolution of the technique was
      also investigated. Twenty-four healthy volunteers and 82 patients suffering from
      various diseases of the head and neck vessels were included in the study. First
      of all, MRA capabilities were investigated in visualizing normal vessels of both
      neck and intracranial circle. The diagnostic accuracy of the method was then
      evaluated in the study of vascular diseases, and the results compared with
      conventional/digital angiographic findings. The comparison demonstrated how
      stenoses and atherosclerotic plaques tend to be overestimated by MRA because of
      technical artifacts inherent to the technique itself, whereas vascular
      ulcerations and aneurysms are frequently underestimated. However, this data was
      steady and therefore evaluable--the exact knowledge of the artifacts making
      diagnosis reliable. The diagnostic and technical problems relative to the various
      vascular diseases are discussed. Finally, several hypotheses of diagnostic iter
      are suggested.

PMID- 1857782
TI  - [Comparison of magnetic resonance angiography and digital angiography of the
      epiaortic vessels].
AB  - Atheromasic lesions and other pathologic conditions of the arterial vessels of
      the neck are the most frequent causes of cerebrovascular disease. Diagnostic
      imaging currently employs digital subtraction angiography (DSA), Doppler, and
      color-Doppler US to study these conditions. Digital subtraction intraarterial
      angiography (DSAA) can provide both an early diagnosis and an accurate
      preoperative depiction of neck vessels; however, in spite of its effective value,
      it still remains an invasive technique. Magnetic Resonance angiography (angio-MR)
      is the latest technique allowing the depiction of neck vessels morphology. It
      shares with digital angiography the capability of supplying spatial depiction of
      all the examined vascular structures, and with US its noninvasiveness. The
      authors investigated angio-MR capabilities in providing accurate and detailed
      images of neck arteries; the images were then compared with DSA ones. Thirty
      patients with cerebrovascular diseases were studied. MR imaging was performed
      with a 1.5 T unit with a dedicated coil, and gradient-echo sequences were
      employed. Refocused sequences for flow were acquired on both the coronal and the
      sagittal planes, with the following parameters: TR 40, TE 10, flip angle 25
      degrees, acquisition volumes 80-35 mm, 64-15 frames. Digital angiography
      demonstrated 101 vascular lesions: 27 slight stenoses (less than 30%), 19 mild
      stenoses (31-70%), 12 severe stenoses (71-99%), 7 occlusions, 14 coilings, 7
      kinkings, and 15 hypoplasias of vertebral artery. In slight stenoses, angio-MR
      underestimated the condition in 11/27 patients. In mild and severe stenoses, as
      well as in occlusive diseases, angio-MR tended to overestimate the condition. In
      coiling, kinking, and hypoplasia, angio-MR yielded the same results as DSA.

PMID- 1857783
TI  - [Magnetic resonance in the study of the temporo-mandibular joint. I. Anatomo
      functional findings].
AB  - Thirty-four temporomandibular joints (TMJ) were examined in 17 normal subjects
      with two superconductive MR units at 1T and 1.5T. TMJ evaluation was performed
      with both SE sequences in occlusal position and with "fast" sequences (flash)
      during the gradual opening of the mouth. Therefore, both the anatomic features of
      the TMJs and their dynamic behavior during mouth opening were analyzed. The
      information acquired allowed the complete and non-invasive evaluation of TMJ
      function. The knowledge of the normal anatomic and functional patterns is of
      paramount importance for the diagnostic approach to TMJ pathologic conditions.

PMID- 1857784
TI  - [Magnetic resonance imaging in study of the temporo-mandibular joint. II.
      Pathologic findings].
AB  - A total of 107 temporomandibular joints (TMJ) were examined with two
      superconductive MR units at 1T and 1.5T. In 73 TMJs, MR revealed 55 disk
      displacements, 7 disk perforations, 10 joint space adhesions, 33 osteoarthrities,
      3 avascular necroses of the mandibular condyle, and 25 joint effusions. These
      abnormalities are described and discussed. In spite of some limitations--e.g.,
      motion artifacts and patients' claustrophobia--MR imaging is the procedure of
      choice in abnormal TMJs, because it yields useful information as to therapeutic
      choice (conservative versus surgical). Arthrography can be used as a
      complementary study technique in the patients with marked disagreement between
      clinical and MR findings. Arthroscopy should be used as a surgical procedure in
      abnormal TMJs selected by previous MR studies.

PMID- 1857785
TI  - [Primary empty sella. Incidence in 500 asymptomatic subjects examined with
      magnetic resonance].
AB  - In 500 consecutive patients, aged 11-82 years, who underwent MR imaging of the
      brain for a variety of conditions not related to pathologic processes of the
      sellar or juxtasellar regions, the authors detected primary totally empty sella
      in 28/248 males (11.3%) and in 34/252 females (13.5%). Primary partially empty
      sella was found in 40/248 males (16.1%) and in 38/252 females (15.1%). A
      progressive increase in the incidence of the signs of primary empty sella was
      observed with aging, the increase being more conspicuous in the 5th decade of
      life in females (37.5%) and in the 6th decade in males (40%). On the whole, signs
      of primary empty sella were detected in 140/500 cases (38%)--namely, in 9.6% of
      the subjects under 40 and in 39.9% of those above 40. The incidence of primary
      empty sella, unrelated to any other clinical condition, seems to support its
      inclusion into paraphysiologic variants. On the basis of the data reported in
      literature, the authors consider the factors possibly playing a role in this
      condition. They seem to be: insufficiency or absence of diaphragma sellae, CSF
      pressure, and pituitary involution related to aging.

PMID- 1857786
TI  - [Feasibility of magnetic resonance-guided fine-needle percutaneous biopsy].
AB  - Fluoroscopic, US, and CT guidance to aspiration cytology are valuable tools for
      oncologic diagnosis. MR imaging is now replacing CT as the imaging method of
      choice to guide biopsy mainly in the abdomen and pelvis. The standard needles
      used for CT-guided biopsy are unsuitable for MR guidance because ferromagnetic
      artifacts shade the underlying anatomy. A new needle specifically designed for MR
      guidance allowed MR-guided aspiration biopsies to be carried out in a group of 17
      patients with different neoplastic diseases. To locate the lesion and to assess
      its depth, a glass pipette containing a diluted solution of paramagnetic contrast
      medium (Gd-DTPA) was placed on the skin surface. In 13/17 patients (76.5%),
      biopsy was successful and histology and/or cytology allowed a diagnosis to be
      made. In spite of their longer measurement times, T1-weighted SE images clearly
      demonstrated both needle and lesion. On the contrary, fast images (FLASH, 15
      degrees-90 degrees), with/without breath holding, although much shorter (7 s),
      were often useless, due to artifacts, mainly in small lesions.

PMID- 1857787
TI  - [Painful gleno-humeral joint instability in athletes. Radiographic findings].
AB  - Instability of the glenohumeral joint is a common cause of chronic shoulder pain
      and disability in athletes using repetitive arm movements in elevation and
      external rotation. A series of 29 athletes with persistent shoulder discomfort
      for transient subluxation was evaluated with plain radiography and tomography in
      right axillary projection. The purpose was to detect abnormalities in the osseous
      glenoid rim. Twenty-six patients (89.6% of all cases studied) had various degrees
      of skeletal damage, including 18 fractures (69.2%) of the anterior rim, 2 (7.6%)
      of the posterior rim, and 6 cases (23.07%) of local degenerative changes; 3 cases
      were negative for skeletal damages. The result of this study demonstrate
      conventional radiography to be useful in the diagnostic assessment of shoulder
      pain in athletes, where similar problems must be promptly detected and not
      ignored.

PMID- 1857788
TI  - [Radiologic and clinical aspects of osteoarticular amyloidosis caused by
      dialysis].
AB  - Many long-term (greater than 60 months) hemodialysis patients develop a severe
      osteoarticular disease, called "dialysis arthropathy", which is characterized by
      the deposition in bone and synovia of a new type of amyloid made mainly of beta 2
      microglobulin. In the present study, 31 patients (17 males, 14 females; age 54.1
      +/- 13 years), undergoing chronic hemodialysis for 60-125 months, were examined
      for dialysis arthropathy by means of clinics and of radiological investigations
      (conventional radiography and computed tomography). Sixteen patients (51.6%) had
      radiographic evidence of dialysis arthropathy: geodes (shoulders, 12 cases;
      wrists, 11; hips, 2; knees, 2) and/or destructive arthropathies (cervical spine,
      13 cases, dorsolumbar spine, 2; hands, 2; hips, 1). Within 24 months, these
      lesions were found to progress slowly in the majority of cases. In the diagnostic
      process, CT should be employed in the study of spine, shoulders and hips when the
      lesions have not been sufficiently demonstrated by conventional radiography in
      the presence of evident clinical signs. Patients with dialysis arthropathy had
      undergone dialysis for longer periods than those without it (p less than 0.005)
      and showed a significantly higher incidence of both carpal tunnel syndrome (p
      less than 0.0005) and shoulder pain (p less than 0.005). Our findings confirm the
      high incidence and clinical importance of dialysis arthropathy in long-term
      hemodialysis patients and the value of diagnostic imaging in screening such
      patients for those lesions.

PMID- 1857789
TI  - [Ultrasonography in the study of lesions of the menisci and the collateral
      ligaments of the knee. Findings in 48 surgically treated patients].
AB  - The authors report the results of the study of 48/112 patients who underwent US
      examination of the knee for gonalgia. Meniscopathy or capsular-ligamentous
      lesions were clinically suspected. US results were compared with arthroscopic or
      athrotomic findings; the latter two methods were considered as the reference gold
      standard. US exhibited 81.2% overall diagnostic accuracy, thus confirming its
      limitations, more evident than those of arthroscopy and arthrography, CT and MR
      imaging. Major limitations of US were its failed recognition of meniscal tears
      smaller than 5-6 mm, and its failed distinction of degenerative meniscopathies
      from common meniscal fractures (with the exception of 2 cases). Moreover, US did
      not allow cruciate ligament lesions to be demonstrated; however, in all these
      cases, US did demonstrate increased capsular thickness (greater than 3 mm at the
      lower margin of femoral condyle). This indirect sign, together with roudness of
      parameniscus and capsular-ligamentous limitans (at the hemirhyme), and the direct
      sign of inhomogeneous hyperechogenicity of the meniscal triangle (normally
      hypoechoic) contributed to raising overall diagnostic accuracy of US to 89.9%. In
      the 5 patients with a suspected lesion of the medial collateral ligament examined
      within 48 hours from trauma, US gave 2 false-positive results in 2 cases where
      forced abduction test was also positive. Massive edema and swelling of adjacent
      structures prevented the correct evaluation of ligament limitans. In these 2
      cases, a lesion in the anterior cruciate ligament was found at surgery; one of
      them was associated with a meniscal lesion already diagnosed at US. Both
      parameniscal and popliteal cysts were correctly diagnosed with US. Due to the
      well-known limitations of clinics in the diagnosis of knee pain, US could be
      suggested as the examination of choice to evaluate suspected meniscopathy or
      ligamentous lesions, thanks to its low cost and short execution time. The use of
      US could also spare the patients more invasive examinations--e.g., arthroscopy
      and arthrography--and more expensive ones--e.g., CT and MR imaging.

PMID- 1857790
TI  - [Ultrasonography of the borderline between normal and pathological state of the
      hip in newborn infants (borderline hip)].
AB  - Infant hips are classified, according to Graf, in 4 US types on the basis of the
      morphologic changes in both the cartilaginous and the bony roofs (type I, II,
      III, IV). Out of 6,000 examined hips, 170 (2.8%) were considered, which could be
      classified neither as type I (mature) nor as type II (delayed/immature
      ossification). These hips were called borderline hips. They exhibited some
      characteristic US features: good bone modeling, rounded cotyle, and alpha angle
      60 degrees +/- 2. They were always observed during the first month of the
      patients' life. Anamnestic data were not specific (27.5% breech delivery, and 13%
      oligohydramnios); clinics sometimes overestimated the actual anatomic development
      (64/170 cases with positivity of Ortolani's sign and/or restricted abduction; 25%
      of patients presented with no suspicious signs). Dynamic hip examination showed
      only physiological cranial deflection of the cartilaginous roof. Finally,
      borderline hips developed into type I hips in 99% of cases, within the third
      month of the patients' life.

PMID- 1857791
TI  - [Role of color coded duplex sonography in the study of thyroid pathology.
      Personal experience].
AB  - The authors examined 110 patients with suspected pathologic conditions of the
      thyroid by means of color-coded duplex US. In addition to the information yielded
      by conventional US, this technique allows organ vascularization to be
      demonstrated. Five normal patients were considered as a control group: no tissue
      vascularization was demonstrated in these cases. In 8 patients presenting with
      carcinoma or recurrences, vascularization was markedly increased both peripheral
      and central to the nodule. A few doubts are still to be solved as to the
      diagnostic value of color-coded duplex US in the evaluation of non-carcinomatous
      nodular pathologic conditions. As a matter of fact, non-functioning avascular
      adenomas can be demonstrated only in a very low percentage of cases (66%). Color
      coded duplex US proved extremely sensitive and specific in depicting malignant
      neoplasms. Moreover, the use of fine-needle biopsy could be optimized and
      subsequently reduced. Color-coded duplex US proved to be markedly superior to
      other methods and techniques in the study of thyroid diseases, especially
      thyroiditis and multiple pathologic conditions. The simultaneous presence of
      hypocapture at scintigraphy and peripheral and central vascularization in a
      single nodule or within multinodular struma at color-Doppler was highly
      suggestive of malignant thyroid neoplasm. Color-coded duplex US is a low-cost
      technique, which can be performed on an outpatient basis. Moreover, it is not
      invasive, nor does it damage the thyroid. That is why its use is almost mandatory
      in the study of pathologic conditions of the thyroid.

PMID- 1857792
TI  - [Diagnostic reliability of ultrasonography in the preoperative staging of the N
      parameter in head and neck neoplasms].
AB  - The demonstration of metastatic involvement of neck nodes is a crucial step in
      the staging of patients with head and neck tumors. Diagnostic accuracy,
      sensitivity, and specificity of US in the detection of lymph node metastases were
      evaluated in 48 patients with this type of malignancy. The patients subsequently
      underwent surgical node dissection. Comparison of US, clinical and histological
      data demonstrated US to have 93.7% diagnostic accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 84%
      specificity--the corresponding clinical values being 81%, 79%, and 84%,
      respectively. Among several US parameters, a substantial role in differentiating
      metastatic from tumor-free lymph nodes was played by the evaluation of roundness
      index (RI), and by the demonstration of an intranodal hyperechoic stria: RI value
      was always higher than 2 in tumor-free nodes and the hyperechoic stria was always
      absent in metastatic nodes. US approach never failed to demonstrate metastatic
      nodes while clinics missed them in 6 patients. Thus, US appears the most valuable
      diagnostic tool for staging head and neck tumors; its diagnostic accuracy can be
      increased by the combination with US-guided aspiration biopsy.

PMID- 1857793
TI  - [Double-contrast enema. Study of the mucosal pattern and the organ profile with
      conventional and digital methods].
AB  - A solid state digital system (FCR 101) was employed in our comparative evaluation
      of the image quality of conventional versus digital techniques in the study of
      colon by means of double-contrast enema. Sixty patients were examined with a
      single AP view, using digital radiography with 100% radiation dose and
      progressive 50% and 75% reductions; the radiographs thus obtained were then
      compared with the corresponding conventional ones. The examined parameters were
      organ profile and mucosal pattern. Each digital and conventional radiograph was
      evaluated by 2 independent radiologists and a value was given to each parameter
      i.e., 1 = good, 2 = sufficient, 3 = insufficient. Upon comparison of the average
      values obtained for digital and conventional radiographs in optimal conditions
      and with a dose reduced by 50%, the digital technique was seen to give a more
      detailed and accurate representation of both low-contrast mucosal pattern and of
      organ profile. With the dose reduced by 75%, a slight increase was observed in
      background noise which caused a slight loss in image definition, but this did not
      reduce image readability with respect to conventional radiographs. To conclude,
      the digital method with a 50% exposure reduction is to be preferred in the
      examination of the colon, especially in pediatric radiology; furthermore, since
      this technique allows better detailing at lower contrast, it is to be preferred
      in the study of the pathologic conditions affecting mainly/only the mucosal
      pattern--e.g., cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and so on. An
      exposure dose reduced by 75% may be used for following lesions previously
      diagnosed and when a less detailed depiction of the mucosal pattern is enough.

PMID- 1857795
TI  - [Radiology of craniofacial trauma].

PMID- 1857794
TI  - [Diagnostic role of echography in acute appendicitis in children].
AB  - Eighty-seven pediatric patients with suspected acute appendicitis underwent high
      resolution US with graded abdominal compression. The study was limited to the
      patients with a questionable clinical diagnosis, accounting for about 40% of the
      patients examined for acute appendicitis in our Institution. US had 87.3%
      accuracy, 81.5% sensitivity, and 90% specificity. The main US findings in the
      positive cases were: visualization of the appendix as a tubular non-compressible
      structure, with a diameter of 5 mm or more, symmetric/asymmetric wall thickening,
      possible presence of appendicoliths and variable appearance of the central
      echogenic layer (preserved, doubled for lumen dilatation, partially/totally
      lost). The above US findings were grouped in 3 basic patterns: type I (thickened
      appendix with no structural abnormalities) appeared to be related to non
      suppurative and phlegmonous acute appendicitis; type II (detectable appendiceal
      abnormalities) was observed both in phlegmonous and in suppurative acute
      appendicitis; type III (pericecal complex mass, frequently with appendicoliths)
      was found in all cases of periappendiceal abscess. In our experience, the use of
      US in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children allowed a reduction by
      about 2/3 in the rate of unnecessary laparotomies. Such a finding emerges from
      the comparison with the results obtained in the 2 years prior to the use of US.
      The technique also allowed an unquestionable diagnosis of acute appendicitis or
      periappendiceal abscess to be made in a number of clinically equivocal cases,
      thus avoiding potentially harmful delays in diagnosis. On the other hand, the
      incidence of false-negatives on US is not negligible, which calls for a cautious
      clinical and US evaluation of all equivocal cases following no typical US
      pattern.

PMID- 1857796
TI  - [Ultrasonography in medical nephropathies].

PMID- 1857797
TI  - [Development of a pendular irradiation technique, using a moving bar, for the
      treatment of head and neck tumors].

PMID- 1857798
TI  - [Role of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of class T2-3 NO MO
      adenocarcinoma of the kidney].
AB  - From 1968 to 1983, in the Department of Urology and in the Institute of
      Radiotherapy of the University of Brescia, the role of postoperative radiotherapy
      (PORT) in 95 patients with renal adenocarcinoma (T2-3 N0 M0) was investigated.
      From 1968 to 1978, 46 patients underwent radical nephrectomy and PORT; from 1978
      to 1983, 49 patients were submitted to radical nephrectomy with regional
      lymphadenectomy (CH). Overall survival (PCS) at 5 years is 63% (PORT) vs 57% (CH)
      (p greater than 0.05). The probability of survival is better for left-sided
      neoplasms than for right-sided ones. In the CH group, the 5-year PCS is 40% vs
      70%, respectively, for right vs left neoplasms (p less than 0.05); in the PORT
      group, PCS is 59% (right) vs 70% (left). For right-sided cancers, 5-year PCS is
      higher for PORT (59%) than for CH (40%) patients (p less than 0.05). In the PORT
      group acute bowel toxicity was 24% (grade 2, WHO). In 2 patients only (4.3%) PORT
      was stopped because of toxicity. PORT sequelae were investigated in: spinal cord,
      contralateral kidney, liver and bowel. Bowel sequelae (grade 2, Dische) were
      observed in 3 patients only (6.5%). In the T2-3 N0 M0 classes, radical
      nephrectomy with PORT may give the same results as aggressive surgery, with a low
      biological cost. Prognostic data might mean a different and more favorable loco
      regional evolution for left-sided renal cancers.

PMID- 1857799
TI  - [Mammographic control after quadrantectomy and radiation therapy].
AB  - The efficacy of combined surgery and radiation therapy in the treatment of breast
      cancer has increased the use of mammography in the follow-up to detect early
      recurrences. The authors report their experience in the follow-up of 43 breast
      cancers after treatment with local excision, axillary dissection, and
      irradiation. Mammography was performed at 6.12, and 24 months. The radiological
      findings were: 38/43 (88.3%) breasts with abnormal mammographic patterns, skin
      thickening in 36/43 (83.7%) cases, breast retraction in 16/43 (37.2%),
      architectural distortion in 17/43 (39.5%), increased parenchymal density in 33/43
      (76.7%), calcifications in 6/43 (13.9%), and a mass in 10/43 (23.2%) cases. The
      authors describe histologic changes, corresponding to mammographic findings, and
      evolution of the treated breasts. Suspicious findings were microcalcifications in
      one case and a mass in 6 cases (4 of them at 6 months and 2 at 12). Excisional
      biopsy, performed in the above 7 patients, confirmed recurrence in 4 cases. In 3
      cases with negative pathology, where the malignant nature of the lesion could not
      be demonstrated, we observed: a cluster of microcalcifications undistinguishable
      from neoplasm in 1 case and spiculated nodules with architectural distortion in
      the extant 2 cases. Further limitations of mammography were due to radiological
      density of the breast in one case, and to its minimal size in another--these
      elements delayed both correct interpretation of mammographic findings and final
      diagnosis. The low agreement between mammography and histology proved the
      difficulty of both analysis and evaluation of abnormal post-irradiation breast
      tissue. The authors, in agreement with literature reports, suggest the schedule
      for clinical and mammographic follow-up.

PMID- 1857800
TI  - [Progressive multiple sclerosis. Evaluation of the effectiveness of total lymph
      node irradiation].
AB  - A long-lasting immunological suppression action seems to be produced by total
      lymphoid irradiation; some authors emphasize the favorable effect of this
      treatment on chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. In order to evaluate the
      actual role of TLI, 6 patients affected with chronic progressive multiple
      sclerosis were submitted to TLI with shaped and personalized fields at the
      Instituto del Radio, University of Brescia, Italy. The total dose delivered was
      19.8 Gy in 4 weeks, 1.8 Gy/day, 5d/w; a week elapsed between the first and the
      second irradiation course. Disability according to Kurtzke scale was evaluated,
      together with blood lymphocyte count and irradiation side-effects, over a mean
      follow-up period of 20.8 months (range: 13-24). Our findings indicate that: a)
      disease progression was not markedly reduced by TLI; b) steroid hormones
      responsivity was restored after irradiation, and c) side-effects were mild and
      tolerable.

PMID- 1857801
TI  - [Role of CT in radiotherapy radiation planning for tumors of the rhinopharynx].
AB  - The authors compare the results obtained by CT with clinics and conventional
      radiography in the staging of nasopharyngeal tumors. The accurate evaluation of
      tumor size, localization, and spread, helps optimize treatment planning and fit
      radiation boosts on small fields. Twenty-six patients underwent clinical
      examination, radiography of the skull and neck, lateral stratigraphy of
      epipharynx, and CT of head and neck. We compared the results obtained in the
      study of: nasopharyngeal walls, parapharyngeal space, paranasal sinuses, nasal
      cavity, bone erosion of the base of skull, and continuous invasion without bone
      erosions. Our results point to conventional radiology as the examination of
      choice for the study of upper nasopharyngeal wall, while CT allows a better
      evaluation of the lateral wall, and is clearly superior in demonstrating
      parapharyngeal space, contiguous intracranial invasion, and neck nodes
      involvement.

PMID- 1857802
TI  - [Patient exposure during radiodiagnosis. The Nationwide Evaluation of X-ray
      Trends (NEXT) program in Italy].
AB  - The aim of this paper is the critical analysis of the results obtained with the
      quality control program in X-ray diagnosis called NEXT (Nationwide Evaluation of
      X-ray Trends). It is also aimed at comparing the above results with guidelines
      and trends of international radiology, for both technical features and patient
      protection from radiations. The main purpose of patient protection is the
      reduction of unnecessary exposure through the optimization of radiodiagnostic
      procedures. In order to identify the fields requiring the application of specific
      quality control programs, the Istituto Superiore di Sanita, together with
      ENEA/DISP have been running the NEXT program in Italy since 1977. The program,
      through data collection and measurements in more than 2,500 radiologic units,
      allowed both state of the art and progress in radiodiagnostic practice to be
      studied over a long period of time. Data computation provides, for a standard
      patient, the skin entrance exposure and the main organ doses for the examinations
      which are most frequently performed. In this paper, the fundamentals of the NEXT
      program are reported and the most significant results are discussed, and
      compared, when possible, with the values recommended by international scientific
      organizations. The analysis of the results demonstrates a decreasing trend in
      patient exposure over the last years.

PMID- 1857803
TI  - [A case of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the breast. Mammographic and
      sonographic analysis].

PMID- 1857804
TI  - [Patterns of transition between lymphangioma and intestinal lymphangiectasia.
      RAdiologic and histologic aspects of 2 cases with predominant involvement of the
      colon].

PMID- 1857805
TI  - [Value of magnetic resonance in the diagnosis of spinal cord compression caused
      by vertebral hemangioma. Description of a case].

PMID- 1857806
TI  - [A rare complication of Crohn's disease. Description of a case].

PMID- 1857807
TI  - [Shooting in macro-stereo].

PMID- 1857808
TI  - [Influence of firing parameters on the optical properties of dental porcelains].

PMID- 1857809
TI  - [Impression tray technique in photopolymerizing resin].

PMID- 1857810
TI  - [Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Characteristics and
      boundaries of an anatomo-clinical entity].
AB  - Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) is defined by endoluminal
      obstruction of distal airspaces by a fibrous granulation tissue consisting of
      inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, and connective tissue. The morphogenesis of the
      process is the following: diffuse alveolar injury leading to basement membrane
      denudation and intra-alveolar exudate of fibrinogen, immunoglobulins, coagulation
      factors, fibronectin; intra-alveolar migration of interstitial fibroblasts
      through gaps of the epithelial basement membrane; intra-alveolar secretion of
      loose connective tissue (codistribution of collagens I, III, V, and fibronectin)
      by the fibroblasts-myofibroblasts. The main characteristic of this peculiar
      fibrosis is its possible reversibility. BOOP is not specific for any aetiology,
      and it is found in various conditions as infectious diseases, drug induced
      pulmonary diseases, connective tissue diseases. It is also present in other
      conditions where it is not the most contributive information to diagnosis
      (hypersensitivity pneumonitis, chronic eosinophilic pneumonia). But in some cases
      BOOP remains idiopathic and has to be individualized. Three clinical and imaging
      profiles are distinguished: the most characteristic consists of an inflammatory
      context with imaging patchy alveolar opacities, migrating and relapsing, and most
      steroid sensitive; the other two presentations are less remarkable: pseudo
      neoplastic localized chronic pneumonia, and diffuse infiltrative lung disease.
      BOOP is a clinico-pathologic entity that the clinician must know because of the
      efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in most cases, and it further represents an
      unique model to understand the pathogenesis of fibrosing pulmonary diseases.

PMID- 1857811
TI  - [Pleuro-pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid polyarthritis].
AB  - Sensitive investigations such as pulmonary function tests, broncho-alveolar
      lavage or computered tomography at high resolution enable pleuro-pulmonary
      disease to be detected in nearly 50% of those patients studied who had rheumatoid
      arthritis (PR). The prevalence of these manifestations is most usually elevated
      in male PR sufferers, those who are sero-positive or have associated extra
      articular signs such as sub cutaneous nodules. More recently there has been
      evidence of genetic risk factors linked to HLA grouping or Pi phenotype. Amongst
      the usual manifestations, the pleurisies and above all necrobiotic nodules, which
      are most often asymptomatic, sometimes pose difficult problems in differential
      diagnosis, particularly when they precede the articular disease. The diffuse
      interstitial fibrosis remains the most worrying specific complication due to the
      fact of its potential seriousness. The pathophysiology of this form of fibrosis
      is better understood since the introduction of LBA. In the absence of any
      specific controlled studies its treatment remains impirical and is similar to
      that given for diffuse or idiopathic interstitial fibrosis. Pulmonary
      vascularity, the bronchiolitis obliterans with organising pneumonia and apical
      fibrosis, very similar to Hamilton's syndrome, are much rarer manifestations. On
      the other hand non specific respiratory infections are the cause of death in 10
      20% of cases. Bronchiolitis obliterans induced by D Penicillamine is the most
      severe iatrogenic manifestation, since corticosteroid therapy associated with
      immunosuppressive drugs enables at best a stabilisation of the alveo bronchiolar
      lesions. More recently there have been twenty observations of hypersensitivity
      pneumonia to low dose methotrexate. The prevalence of these pulmonary disorders
      during the treatment of PR is around 5%. However the respiratory
      contraindications of these drugs which are being used more and more and the
      methods of pulmonary surveillance under treatment are not yet defined.

PMID- 1857812
TI  - [Pulmonary dendritic cells].
AB  - The dendritic cells were initially described in lymphoid organs and have been
      recently shown in the normal human lung at the level of the bronchioles,
      preferentially in the peribronchiolar connective tissue and in the alveolar
      parenchyma. Langerhans cells, which constitute a sub-population amongst the
      dendritic cells are equally present, but virtually exclusively limited to the
      bronchiolar epithelium. The pulmonary Langerhans cells probably derive from
      dendritic cells as in the skin. The number and state of differentiation of
      pulmonary dendritic cells vary as a function of the epithelial microenvironment
      which seems necessary in the differentiation of dendritic cells into Langerhans
      cells. Langerhans cells are frequently seen in zones of alveolar hyperplasia
      and/or alveolar metaplasia induced by tobacco or by inflammatory lesions.
      Dendritic cells and Langerhans cells have a potent capacity for presenting an
      antigen to lymphocytes. Their presence in the normal lung and their
      differentiation in the course of certain pathological pulmonary processes
      strongly suggest that they have a significant role in the pulmonary immune
      response as well as in the pathogenesis of certain diseases.

PMID- 1857813
TI  - [Mediastinal lymphatic staging of bronchial cancer. Respective value of x-ray
      computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Radio-surgical comparison].
AB  - Fifty patients with bronchogenic carcinoma were prospectively studied by both CT
      and MR during 10 days preceding thoracotomy. Results of CT and MR were compared
      with the surgical and pathology findings. No statistically significant difference
      was found between the two imaging methods for the evaluation of node involvement
      (N2). MR appear to be superior to CT in the aortopulmonary and subcarinal areas.

PMID- 1857814
TI  - [Postoperative pain after thoracotomy. A study of 116 patients].
AB  - We have studied post-operative pain in 116 patients who underwent a thoracotomy.
      The pains were assessed using a visual analogue scale and were significant and
      identical whatever type of operation was used and irrespective of sex or
      diagnostic disease category. On the operative day only the surgeon seemed to have
      any influence. On the first post-operative day the pain was influenced by age and
      on the eighth day by socio-professional category. The insertion of drains had no
      influence on the pain. Massage and physiotherapy decreased the pain in a
      significant fashion. The importance of taking account of post-operative pain is
      underlined.

PMID- 1857815
TI  - [The effect of continuous peri-thoracic negative pressure on nocturnal
      desaturation of chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathies].
AB  - The fall of functional residual capacity (FRC) in the genesis of nocturnal
      desaturation in chronic airflow obstruction (COPD) continues to be discussed.
      This hypothesis is being tested by applying a negative continuous thoracic
      pressure using a cuirass/poncho attached to a pump for one night (night II) after
      a control night with a cuirass/poncho at atmospheric pressure (night 1). Seven
      subjects with a mean age of 61 +/- 9, with a mean weight of 108 +/- 21% of their
      ideal weight, who were suffering from severe airflow obstruction with a mean
      forced expired volume (FEV1: 39 +/- 20% th., FEV1/FVC: 35 +/- 9%, PaO2: 60 +/- 3
      mmHg, PaCO2: 42 +/- 4 mmHg). These seven subjects had two polysomnographies on
      the two successive nights. During night II, the FRC was increased by 0.33 +/- 0.6
      L by applying a continuous negative thoracic pressure of 10 +/- 1 cm of water. A
      significant decrease in the sleep time was noted (248 +/- 86 min vs 316 +/- 74
      min, p less than 0.02) also the efficacy of sleep (54 +/- 9% vs 71 +/- 15% vm p
      less than 0.02). There was no difference between the two nights as regards the
      distribution of the sleep stages. In 2 subjects, the hypopnoea-apnoea index
      passed from 0 to 11 and from 4 to 22 respectively. The principal result was the
      absence of any significant difference in mean nocturnal oxygen saturation between
      the two nights.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857816
TI  - [Interpretation of the values of urinary cotinine in smokers and non-smokers].
AB  - The values of urinary cotinine measured using high performance liquid
      chromatography in 125 adults (44 men and 81 women) were compared with the degree
      of intoxication and/or exposure to tobacco experienced over six consecutive days
      by auto-questionnaire. The subjects were classified in 6 groups: non exposed non
      smokers and non smokers exposed for less than one hour (1, n = 16); non smokers
      exposed for between 1 and 10 hours (2, n = 26); non smokers exposed for more than
      10 hours and less than 30 hours (3, n = 33); non smokers exposed for more than 30
      hours (4, n = 13); smokers smoking less than 20 cigarettes per day (5, n = 16);
      smokers smoking 20 cigarettes or more per day (6, n = 21). The measurements were
      made on urine specimens from the first morning (fraction F1), from the day and
      night (F2) and those of the second morning (F3). The results were expressed in
      micrograms/fraction and were as follows: Group 1: 37.3 (F1); 149.5 (F2); 26.8
      (F3)--Group 2: 81.2; 234.1; 75.4--Group 3: 121.1; 383.1; 80.7--Group 4: 98.8;
      253.7; 117.2--Group 5: 206.9; 773.8; 188--Group 6: 483.1; 1908.2; 431.3. Cotinine
      was found in all individuals whether they declared that they were exposed or non
      exposed (with the exception of a single person amongs the latter). In spite of a
      certain amount of overlapping between the results of the individuals in groups 4
      and 5, the values obtained enabled a differentiation between the degrees of
      tobacco absorption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857817
TI  - [Disseminated toxoplasmosis in a patient with HIV infection].
AB  - The authors describe a case of toxoplasmosis occurring in a subject who is HIV
      positive who presented with a cough and an infectious syndrome. Toxoplasma gondii
      was identified in the broncho-alveolar lavage even though the X-ray, the
      fibroscopy, blood gases and the broncho-alveolar lavage were normal. The
      frequency of pulmonary disease in the course of a toxoplasma infection in HIV
      subjects was underlined. Amongst the non invasive diagnostic methods the authors
      stress the value of broncho-alveolar lavage with a close search for toxoplasma
      even in the absence of any suggestive paraclinical anomalies.

PMID- 1857818
TI  - [Intralobar pulmonary sequestration manifested by neonatal cardiac
      insufficiency].
AB  - The authors report the case of an intralobar pulmonary sequestration in a newborn
      presenting congestive heart failure. The clinical symptoms mimicked a persistent
      ductus arteriosus. Clinical, radiographic and echographic data suggested the
      diagnosis which was confirmed by the angiography. A surgical treatment was
      realised at seven weeks consisting in the ligation of the abnormal artery and a
      right lower lobectomy. This is the 9th case found in the literature. A congestive
      heart failure in a neonate with normal intracardiac anatomy may suggest a
      pulmonary sequestration.

PMID- 1857819
TI  - [Broncholithiasis of the upper right lobe].
AB  - A case of right upper lobe broncholithiasis is reported in a 50 years old smoker
      man. The first diagnosis was bronchial carcinoma but the diagnosis was made
      finally by fiberoptic bronchoscopy and scannography. The outcome remains
      favourable without treatment. The value of scannography for diagnosis and follow
      up is underlined.

PMID- 1857820
TI  - [Hemoptysis disclosing a plasma cell granuloma with intra-bronchial involvement].
AB  - The authors report a case of a plasma cell granuloma in a young woman of 19 with
      a past history of congenital rubella, presenting with repeated small haemoptyses
      related to a pedunculated endo-bronchial tumour. The diagnosis was only made per
      operatively, permitting an effective excision.

PMID- 1857821
TI  - [Icterohemorrhagic leptospirosis with acute respiratory distress syndrome and
      pulmonary hemorrhage].
AB  - We report a case of the respiratory distress syndrome occurring in a patient with
      leptospirosis ictero-haemorrhagica (LIH). The respiratory failure was associated
      with pulmonary haemorrhage. There was a rapid favourable outcome after treatment
      with antibiotics and artificial ventilation. The diagnosis of LIH has been
      confirmed by serological examination. The mechanisms of the pulmonary disorder
      during the course of LIH were discussed.

PMID- 1857822
TI  - [Fever and the water-air level].

PMID- 1857823
TI  - [Trans-thoracic cytologic puncture using fine needle aspiration].

PMID- 1857824
TI  - [Asthma and infection: interrelations].
AB  - The frequent interaction of infection in asthma is a result of a complex
      interrelationship. Infectious agents are capable both of inducing asthmatic
      crises and, at least for viruses, of initiating the asthmatic process. They also
      favour a specific IgE response to allergens. Similar immunity is involved in
      defence against these infectious agents but this immunity can be disturbed in
      asthmatic subjects; as seen with defects in immunoglobulin subclasses,
      disturbance in T lymphocyte function, monocytes and blood neutrophils. The
      determination of the genetic or acquired character of these disturbances is pre
      condition for the development of a therapeutic substitute.

PMID- 1857825
TI  - [The immunology of tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus].
AB  - The mechanisms of humoral and cellular immunity in the body's defences against
      tuberculosis are reviewed in the light of recent fundamental works. Major
      progress has been made in understanding the structure of mycobacteria, in
      particular in those areas concerning antigenic determinants which may have
      diagnostic or therapeutic implications. The impact of the human immunodeficiency
      virus infection on the antituberculous defences is discussed, on the
      epidemiological aspects as well as clinical and physiopathological.

PMID- 1857826
TI  - [Cystic fibrosis and bronchial hyper-reactivity].
AB  - An increased airway responsiveness to inhaled nonspecific stimuli has been often
      observed in cystic fibrosis patients. But bronchial hyperreactivity in such
      patients is due, in most cases, to damaged bronchial mucosa rather than to
      coexistent asthma, and it remains under question whether or not bronchodilators
      are of help in cystic fibrosis. Indeed some authors reported adverse effects
      after inhalation of beta-mimetic drugs. This behavior seems to be due to an
      "instability" of the bronchial walls in cystic fibrosis. Nevertheless other
      studies showed that bronchodilators could be of help when administered in some
      cases and during definite periods in the evolution of the disease. Indeed,
      variability in responsiveness to bronchodilator drugs is one of the features of
      cystic fibrosis and therapy must be adjusted to this variability in every
      patient. In any way, pulmonary functional tests must be performed before and
      after administration of a bronchodilator drug and before beginning such therapy.

PMID- 1857827
TI  - [Talc therapy during thoracoscopy of pneumothorax due to rupture of the bullae in
      emphysema. A study of 71 cases].
AB  - The treatment of pneumothorax for large emphysematous bullae is classically
      surgical. We report a study of 71 patients treated by pleural talc therapy using
      thoracoscopy with good or excellent long term results in 93% of cases at a cost
      of some minor side effects. These results were compared with other forms of
      medical treatment which were always less effective and with surgical techniques
      which had more severe side effects. These results enable us to stress the value
      of talc therapy using pleuroscopy in patients with respiratory failure.

PMID- 1857828
TI  - [Pulmonary infection with Mycobacterium szulgai].
AB  - Mycobacterium szulgai is a newly recognised species of mycobacteria whose
      pathogenicity in man can only be confirmed following certain criteria. We report
      a new observation comprising three points of interest. M. szulgai appears to be
      directly responsible for pulmonary infection and the clinical and radiological
      progress is very rapid. The human disease probably comes from infected water in
      aquaria. We have reviewed other cases of M. szulgai in the literature and for two
      out of three amongst these there is pulmonary involvement resembling
      tuberculosis; in the other cases cutaneous disease, synovial disease and bone
      disease have been described.

PMID- 1857829
TI  - [Myocardial infarction and vinorelbine. Report of a case].
AB  - The authors report a case of a patient dying as a result of a myocardial
      infarction which was probably related to the administration of vinorelbine, the
      vinca alkaloid recently introduced into the treatment of non small cell bronchial
      cancers.

PMID- 1857830
TI  - [Thrombo-embolic disease with antiphospholipid-type serum auto-antibodies].
AB  - We report a case of thrombo-embolic disease in which we were able to detect the
      presence of serum antiphospholipid auto-antibodies. The existence of
      antiphospholipid auto-antibodies has already been described in cases of recurrent
      thrombo-embolism. The thrombogenic role is only partially explained, but would
      for the greater part be linked to an action on the fibrolytic activity of the
      vascular parietal wall. Amongst these antibodies one can find amongst others
      VDRL, antiprothrombinase and anticardiolipin. The association of other stigmata
      of auto immunity is not rare, especially disseminated lupus erythematosus (LED).
      When phospholipids are found in an isolated fashion in cases of recurrent thrombo
      embolism they produce the syndrome of antiphospholipids. The long term prognosis
      of this syndrome has not yet been established but the risk of a secondary
      systemic disease developing justifies a clinical follow up and regular blood
      checks.

PMID- 1857831
TI  - [Pulmonary siderosis and long-term respiratory risks of arc welders].
AB  - Pulmonary siderosis and bronchial cancer are respiratory risks in the long term
      in arc welders. We report a case of siderosis discovered from radiological
      abnormalities in a patient of 56 who had been an arc welder for 30 years. An
      analysis of the broncho-alveolar lavage liquid and transbronchial biopsy
      confirmed an iron overload and revealed patchy interstitial fibrosis. The toxic
      risks in arc welders arise from the gaseous fumes produced and inhaled particles
      at the alveolar level. The pulmonary siderosis is currently considered as a
      simple pneumoconiosis with a good prognosis. Some recent studies suggest the
      possibility of a more serious outcome with fibrosis even in the absence of any
      associated silicosis. The risks of bronchial cancer seem to be principally linked
      to exposure to chrome. A better understanding of these risks could be furnished
      by data from epidemiological studies which are still lacking.

PMID- 1857832
TI  - [A new form of mushroom workers' lung].
AB  - The authors describe a new form of mushroom workers' lung after assessing the
      clinical situation and also the results of an immunological study. The case was
      related to the mushroom Poria megalopora. A new antigen has been identified and
      also its domiciliary origin, thus the ubiquitous nature of the antigen
      contributes to the interest of the case reported.

PMID- 1857833
TI  - [Hypervasopressinism during tuberculous meningitis].
AB  - In tuberculous meningitis there is a disturbance of control involving
      hyponatraemia and increased urinary elimination of antidiuretic hormone resulting
      in hypersecretion of vasopressin. This inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic
      hormone should not be confused with the Schwartz-Bartter syndrome, which is
      reserved for paraneoplastic syndromes. The pathophysiology remains poorly
      understood but its recognition in cases of lymphocytic meningitis is improved as
      the correct diagnosis has precise therapeutic implications.

PMID- 1857834
TI  - [Pulmonary varices].

PMID- 1857835
TI  - [The results of a survey on the attitude of pneumonologists toward sleep apnea
      syndrome].

PMID- 1857836
TI  - [The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism].

PMID- 1857837
TI  - [The validity of the association between passive smoking and the risk of primary
      bronchial cancer].

PMID- 1857838
TI  - [Surveillance of adverse reactions of drugs and monitoring of drug prescriptions
      as routine in hospital activities].
AB  - Since January 1988 is taking place a multicentre experience on pharmaco
      epidemiology named ARIES (Adverse Reaction Identification Evaluation System),
      with two primary aims: surveillance of drug adverse reactions and monitoring of
      medical prescriptions. At present 5 departments of internal medicine are involved
      in the study. The factual cooperation of the departmental doctors depends on the
      evaluation of benefits and costs of the study. The benefits for doctor are: (a)
      the possibility of contributing to the research in a field which has not been
      systematically investigated in a hospital setting; b) the acquisition of skill in
      monitoring adverse reactions: to facilitate doctors cooperation an algorithm has
      been developed to select the events to be entered into the system; c) the
      possibility of evaluating and improving the prescription habits. At present, data
      on 9,000 patients and 60,000 prescriptions are available. As an example of
      utilization study, we report a research on antibiotics prescribed for
      bronchopneumonia in two departments involved in the ARIES project. The remarkable
      differences in the prescription settings lead to some rethinking on the
      strategies of such different prescription choices. In each department, the
      contribution of doctors is integrated by a monitor, entering additional
      information on drugs and patients into the system. Thanks to the cooperation of
      doctors and contribution of monitors, the pharmaco-epidemiology research may
      become a "normal" component of the hospital activities, thus allowing to
      systematically retrieve and process some basic knowledges, which are not
      routinely used, derived from the daily activity of the departmental doctor.

PMID- 1857839
TI  - [Topical intranasal cortisone therapy].
AB  - Owing to improvements made during the last 15 years in the pathophysiological and
      pharmacological research, many new corticosteroids have been successfully
      experimented. They have high activity on the target organ and they are suitable
      for long term therapies since they have not any systemic and/or local side
      effects. Nowadays the topical intranasal corticosteroid therapy is indispensable
      for allergic rhinitis treatment and it is very useful for many nasal and
      bronchopulmonary diseases (some chronic rhinitis, nasal polyposis, bronchial
      asthma, chronic obstructive bronchopulmonary diseases). The authors use their
      personal experience and carefully review the literature to describe the general
      aspects (pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, side effects and
      contraindications) and to analyze the single drugs currently used in Italy and
      abroad. Finally, they compare the efficacy of each topical intranasal
      glucocorticoid among themselves and with other drugs.

PMID- 1857840
TI  - [Heparin anticoagulant activity: new knowledge and future prospects].
AB  - The present knowledge about the heparin molecular structure has been reported by
      current scientific literature and especially the relationship between structure
      and function. From the pharmacological point of view the authors suggest future
      lines of research in this field. The role of endothelial and the mechanisms of
      heparin removal from the circulation (saturation and desaturation) are analyzed.
      From the anticoagulation point of view the authors after the analysis of the anti
      thrombin III and anti-factor Xa activity, evaluate the heparin biological action
      on the platelets, complement, white blood cells. They also evaluate the questions
      collected to heparin use in non classical clinical situations, alternative routes
      of administration and new therapeutic and anticoagulant procedure; the
      association of prostacyclin together with heparin.

PMID- 1857841
TI  - [Mebendazole in the therapy of hydatidosis].
AB  - The effectiveness of mebendazole as adjuvant treatment in hydatidosis was
      evaluated in 19 patients; 12 were treated both before and after surgery, 6 were
      not treated, one had primary treatment only, owing to the refuse of surgery.
      Mebendazole was administrated at the dosage of 30-50 mg/kg/day po for 30 days
      followed by a washout of 15 days, for a mean of 4 cycles (range 1-7) and 12
      cycles (range 1-24) before and after surgery, respectively. Patients were
      monitored by total IgE, specific anti-echinococcus IgE and IgG, at diagnosis,
      just before surgery and thereafter every six months. Antibody titer decrease was
      observed soon after the first cycles of medical treatment before surgery, as well
      as a clear-cut drop after surgery, followed by a continuing decrease after the
      following cycles of mebendazole. Relapse of disease was observed in two patients
      only at one and two years after surgery respectively. These preliminary results
      seem to point out that mebendazole might play a role in the treatment of
      hydatidosis as adjuvant of surgical therapy.

PMID- 1857842
TI  - [Effects of simvastatin on atherogenic blood lipid pattern].
AB  - The effect of a 6-month treatment with simvastatin, an HMG CoA-reductase
      inhibitor, on serum lipoprotein pattern was investigated in patients affected by
      primary hypercholesterolemia. After 4-6 weeks of lipid lowering diet, 46 patients
      showing serum cholesterol greater than 250 mg/dl and triglycerides less than 200
      mg/dl were included in the study and treated with simvastatin (10-30 mg/day) plus
      diet. Serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and
      triglycerides levels significantly decreased at the end of the follow-up (-27%, 
      33%, -22%, -26% respectively). Apolipoprotein A1 showed a significant increase as
      well as HDL-cholesterol, HDL3-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1/B ratio. This
      study provides further findings on the simvastatin efficacy to normalize the
      lipoprotein pattern in primary hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 1857843
TI  - [Naloxone and naltrexone in the therapy of advanced COPD].
AB  - We report a patient with COPD and bullous emphysema treated with narcotic
      antagonists (naloxone and naltrexone) for severe respiratory failure, with
      hypoxemia and hypercapnia, non responding to traditional medical therapy.
      According to previous reports, this treatment was started while waiting for lung
      transplantation, and it improved clinical pattern and arterial blood gas levels.
      Though the patient died for left ventricular failure fifteen days after the
      beginning of therapy, we think that narcotic antagonists can be successfully
      administered in some patients with advanced stage COPD.

PMID- 1857844
TI  - Acute cholestatic hepatitis during simvastatin administration.
AB  - Simvastatin, recently introduced in clinical practice for pharmacological
      treatment of hypercholesterolemia, has been found to cause minor and reversible
      elevations of serum transaminases. We report a case of acute cholestatic
      hepatitis during simvastatin therapy. Clinical, biochemical, immunological, and
      histological findings were consistent with a simvastatin-induced liver damage
      through an immunological-mediated mechanism. This case suggests a careful
      monitoring of liver function tests during simvastatin therapy, and caution in
      continuing simvastatin administration when elevations of serum transaminases take
      place.

PMID- 1857845
TI  - [Cyclofenil-induced acute hepatitis. A retrospective diagnosis of a case during
      acute hepatitis B].
AB  - We report a case of acute hepatitis due to cyclofenil retrospectively diagnosed
      during acute viral hepatitis (HBV). Hepatitis developed 3 months after the
      beginning of administration and was reversible after withdrawal of the drug. The
      case is documented on the basis of liver histology and the exclusion of other
      causes of acute hepatitis.

PMID- 1857846
TI  - Terlipressin-induced metabolic acidosis.
AB  - Vasopressin and its analogue terlipressin are potent vasoconstrictors which
      reduce mesenteric blood flow and have been used in the therapy of variceal
      hemorrhage. This vasoconstrictor effect applies on vascular beds throughout the
      body. Since in literature vasopressin is rarely described to determine lactic
      acidosis, we report of a patient in whom a severe metabolic (probably lactic)
      acidosis appeared, associated with terlipressin administration for bleeding
      esophageal varices. By exclusion, the temporal sequence with terlipressin
      therapy, the contemporary increase of arterial blood pressure and autoptic data
      in the case presented make likely a diagnosis of terlipressin-induced lactic
      acidosis. Because of the seriousness of metabolic acidosis observed in our
      patient we suggest a careful monitoring of acid-base parameters in patients under
      treatment with vasopressin analogues.

PMID- 1857847
TI  - [Clinical experiences with tenoxicam. Preliminary results of a multicenter
      study].
AB  - Preliminary data concerning the efficacy and tolerability of tenoxicam in a
      large, multicenter Italian study are presented. In many centres 625 patients (31%
      of the total) have been evaluated: 283 patients with osteoarthrosis and 342 with
      extra-articular rheumatism completed the study. Efficacy of tenoxicam (20 mg/die)
      was stated as equivalent or superior to reference drugs (diclofenac 100 R,
      piroxicam 20 mg). Tolerability profile has been generally good; tenoxicam, in
      particular showed the lowest incidence of side effects (7.4%).

PMID- 1857848
TI  - [Bone mineral contents: relation to muscle force and fitness of menopausal
      women].

PMID- 1857849
TI  - Helicobacter pylori in migrants.

PMID- 1857850
TI  - [Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors].

PMID- 1857851
TI  - [An Italian or European review?].

PMID- 1857852
TI  - Use of nonpharmacological techniques to prevent chemotherapy-related nausea and
      vomiting.

PMID- 1857853
TI  - Sexuality: an unknown word for patients with a stoma?

PMID- 1857854
TI  - Cytokines and hematopoietins: physiology, pathophysiology, and potential as
      therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1857855
TI  - Hemopoietic growth factors in the treatment of acute leukemias and
      myelodysplastic syndromes.

PMID- 1857856
TI  - Recombinant human interleukin-3 in patients with hematopoietic failure.
AB  - Nine patients with bone marrow failure and prolonged severe cytopenias were
      treated with recombinant human interleukin-3 (rhIL-3) at doses ranging from 30
      micrograms/m2 to 500 micrograms/m2. rhIL-3 was administered in a subcutaneous
      bolus injection daily for 15 days. Platelet counts increased by a mean of 6-fold
      (range: 1.3- to 14.3-fold) in five out of eight evaluable patients. Reticulocyte
      counts increased 2.9-fold in three patients, and neutrophil counts increased by a
      mean of 3.1-fold in all eight patients. Platelet transfusions could be
      discontinued after treatment with rhIL-3 in two out of three evaluable
      transfusion-dependent patients. Only mild side effects, mainly fever and
      headache, were observed. These results indicate that rhIL-3 functions as a
      multilineage hematopoietic growth factor in vivo in patients with secondary bone
      marrow failure.

PMID- 1857857
TI  - Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor for the
      intensification of cytostatic treatment in advanced cancer.

PMID- 1857858
TI  - Surgical experiences with 191 implanted venous Port-a-Cath systems.
AB  - The introduction of totally implantable catheter device has provided a simple,
      permanent and safe access to the vascular system. They have greatly improved the
      quality of life of the patients involved, whose activities, daily hygiene and
      bodily attractiveness remain practically unrestricted. To gain the greatest
      freedom from complications in the use of fully implantable catheter devices, the
      following requirements are important in to our experience: 1. Experience with
      only one kind of catheter system, irrespective of whether it is claimed to be the
      best, the simplest, or the cheapest. Various companies offer a variety of totally
      implantable catheter devices. Every system has its advantages and its
      disadvantages. However, each system also requires a considerable degree of
      surgical experience and experience in postoperative care and management to keep
      the complication rate as low as possible. Frequent changing to other systems does
      not enlarge the experience obtained. 2. The experience of the surgical team. In
      Basel catheter systems are implanted by three surgeons only. We are convinced
      that this contributes to our relatively low rate of complications. Brothers et
      al. (1988) also show that the rate of complications is inversely related to the
      experience of the surgeon involved. 3. The experience, commitment and training of
      the nursing staff responsible for the care and maintenance of the implanted
      catheter device. This care and maintenance of the implanted catheter device
      should start immediately after the surgical procedure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1857859
TI  - Maintenance and care of patients with drug delivery systems.

PMID- 1857860
TI  - Implantable devices in patients with haematological diseases.

PMID- 1857861
TI  - Opiate-resistant pain: a therapeutic dilemma.

PMID- 1857862
TI  - Tumor anorexia: causes, assessment, treatment.

PMID- 1857863
TI  - Food service provisions for the cancer patient.

PMID- 1857864
TI  - Prevention of radiogenic side effects using glutamine-enriched elemental diets.

PMID- 1857865
TI  - Diet to prevent gastrointestinal cancer?

PMID- 1857866
TI  - Alternative dietary therapies in cancer patients.

PMID- 1857867
TI  - Psychological aspects of malnutrition in cancer patients.

PMID- 1857868
TI  - A model for the development of psychosocial interventions.

PMID- 1857869
TI  - Aspects of nonverbal communication.

PMID- 1857870
TI  - Alterations of host defenses: the key to the multifaceted spectrum of infections
      in immunocompromised patients.
AB  - Patients with cancer are subject to bacterial infections because of a variety of
      specific defects. Patients may suffer increased susceptibility to infection by
      virtue of the invasiveness and obstructiveness of their basic malignancy as well
      as because of malignant processes directly involved in the hematopoietic and
      lymphoid systems. Also, the potent therapeutic modalities useful in treating
      malignant disease carry with them an associated suppression of bone marrow and
      lymphoid functions which can also result in increased bacterial infection.
      Physicians caring for patients with cancer must be aware of the potential
      preventive measures, such as careful handwashing, use of laminar air flow units,
      partial gut decontamination, and possible use of vaccines and antibodies to
      minimize infection in their patients.

PMID- 1857871
TI  - Spectrum and treatment of bacterial infections in cancer patients with
      granulocytopenia.
AB  - Bacterial infections remain a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer
      patients with granulocytopenia. In recent years the proportion of patients with
      gram-positive infections, caused mainly by coagulase-negative staphylococci and
      viridans streptococci, has increased markedly in many institutions. The precise
      reasons for this recent change in the epidemiology of infection in cancer
      patients are as yet not fully ascertained. Although less prevalent, gram-negative
      infections are still the major threat, since they are associated with higher
      mortality. What constitutes the optimal empirical antibiotic therapy remains a
      controversial issue. One should however recognize that the results of one
      particular study may not be relevant to other institutions where the predominant
      pathogens and the pattern of antibiotic resistance may be different. In addition,
      the results of studies using various antibiotic regimens should be compared with
      caution. However, with these limitations in mind, the results of the most
      recently published studies support the following recommendations: in patients
      with nonmicrobiologically documented infections, monotherapy with a third
      generation cephalosporin or a carbapenem is a safe alternative to combination
      therapy. For gram-negative bacteremia, combined therapy with an extended-spectrum
      beta-lactam antibiotic and an aminoglycoside appears preferable. For gram
      positive infections, a specific anti-gram-positive antibiotic is not needed in
      every patient and can safely be added upon identification of the pathogen in
      those patients not responding to empirical therapy.

PMID- 1857872
TI  - Prevention of infections in granulocytopenic patients by fluorinated quinolones.

PMID- 1857873
TI  - Influence of infusion time on the acute toxicity of amphotericin B: results of a
      randomized double-blind study.

PMID- 1857874
TI  - New antiviral drugs for treatment of viral infections in immunocompromised
      patients.

PMID- 1857875
TI  - Effective pain control in cancer patients in the home care setting.

PMID- 1857876
TI  - Prevention, early detection, and management of oncologic emergencies.
AB  - The prevention and early detection of oncologic emergencies is critical in caring
      for the person with cancer. Although many will not develop an oncologic emergency
      during the course of their illness, the approach outlined in this paper will
      contribute significantly to the prevention and relief of suffering in those
      individuals who may develop them.

PMID- 1857877
TI  - Relief from respiratory distress in advanced cancer patients.

PMID- 1857878
TI  - Treatment and support in confusional states.

PMID- 1857879
TI  - Parental death: a preventive intervention.
AB  - The untimely death of a spouse and parent is extraordinarily painful and
      difficult. Whether a brief intervention such as the one we are exploring is
      enough to make a significant difference in the mourning process and future
      optimum survival has yet to be seen. To date we are gratified that the immediate
      response of most of the surviving spouses and children is that the intervention
      is a helpful experience.

PMID- 1857880
TI  - Is the therapeutic use of opioids adversely affected by prejudice and law?

PMID- 1857881
TI  - Optimising bereavement outcome: reading the road ahead.

PMID- 1857882
TI  - Rehabilitation of the person with cancer.

PMID- 1857883
TI  - Interdisciplinary rehabilitation of the laryngectomee.
AB  - It is to be hoped that human aspects have not been forgotten in spite of all
      these statistics. Behind all these numbers lie the personal fates of
      approximately 700 laryngectomees in Switzerland. The interview findings reflect
      their situation in life. In summary, we can say that: --Half of the
      laryngectomees lose their job and feel restricted in their daily lives; every
      third one mentions financial problems. --A third of the laryngectomees are
      totally or partly unsatisfied with the speech rehabilitation program. --There
      appear to be remarkable differences within the various language regions in
      Switzerland with regard to preparation for the operation, speech rehabilitation,
      and the current life situation of laryngectomees. From our study, we conclude
      that extensive medical, psychological, and social counseling and assistance for
      those affected is of great importance. Here we must especially mention the
      preparation of the patients and their relatives for the operation and its
      consequences. This should be the task not of one person but of an
      interdisciplinary team, including a logopedist, a social worker, and also another
      laryngectomee, with whom contact is often very valuable for the patient. Early
      speech therapy, reintegration into working life, and improvement of financial
      status are further factors of great importance.

PMID- 1857884
TI  - Treatment of severe cancer pain by continuous infusion of subcutaneous opioids.

PMID- 1857885
TI  - Coping with cancer pain.

PMID- 1857886
TI  - Controlling emesis in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

PMID- 1857887
TI  - Cancer pain: pathogenesis, therapy, and assessment.

PMID- 1857888
TI  - Present role of corticosteroids as antiemetics.

PMID- 1857889
TI  - Simulated weightlessness and bone metabolism: impairment of glucose consumption
      in bone tissue.
AB  - The effect of simulated weightlessness on bone glucose consumption was
      investigated in skeletal unloading for up to 4 days. Skeletal unloading was
      designed using the model of hind-limb hang in rats. Femoral-diaphyseal fragments
      obtained from rats bred with skeletal unloading were cultured for 24 h at 37
      degrees C in 5% CO2/95% air in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (high glucose,
      4.5 g/dl). The consumption of medium glucose by bone tissues was significantly
      decreased by skeletal unloading for 2 and 4 days, while the production of lactic
      acid from bone tissues was not significantly altered. In addition, adenosine
      triphosphate (ATP) content in the cultured bone was significantly decreased by
      skeletal unloading. The presence of calcitonin (synthetic [Asu1,7] eel, 3 and 30
      nM) fairly restored bone glucose consumption impaired by skeletal unloading.
      However, the effect of insulin (1 and 10 nM) on bone glucose consumption and ATP
      content was not seen in the bone tissues with skeletal unloading. These results
      suggest that the sensitivity of bone response for insulin action is reteriorated
      by skeletal unloading.

PMID- 1857890
TI  - Simulated weightlessness and bone metabolism: impairment of insulin effect on
      alkaline phosphatase activity in bone tissue.
AB  - The effect of simulated weightlessness on bone alkaline phosphatase was
      investigated after skeletal unloading for up to 4 days. The skeletal unloading
      was designed by using the model of hindlimb hang in rats. The femoral-diaphyseal
      fragments obtained from rats bred with skeletal unloading were cultured for 24 h
      at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2/95% air in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (high
      glucose). The bone alkaline and acid phosphatase activity were significantly
      decreased by skeletal unloading. When the bone tissue was cultured with synthetic
      [Asu1,7] eel calcitonin (3 and 30 nM), the hormone caused a significant increase
      of alkaline phosphatase activity in the bone tissues from rats with normal and
      skeletal-unloading. In culture with insulin (1.0 and 10 nM), skeletal unloading
      impaired the effect on insulin to increase bone alkaline phosphatase activity.
      Meanwhile, the culture with zinc sulfate (10 and 100 microM), which can increase
      bone protein synthesis, caused a remarkable elevation of alkaline phosphatase
      activity in the bone tissues form rats with normal and skeletal-unloading.
      Insulin (10 nM) did not alter the zinc effect. These findings suggest that the
      skeletal unloading with hindlimb hang causes the impairment of insulin's effect
      to increase alkaline phosphatase activity in the femoral diaphysis of rats,
      although the effects of calcitonin and zinc were not altered.

PMID- 1857891
TI  - Obese Zucker rat: potential role of intraglomerular proteolytic enzymes in the
      development of glomerulosclerosis.
AB  - The obese Zucker rat is a classic model of non-immune-mediated spontaneous focal
      glomerulosclerosis. An early morphological hallmark of glomerular damage in the
      obese Zucker rat is a mesangial expansion, which precedes and mediates the
      development of glomerular damage in these animals. This study was designed to
      investigate whether there might be a reduced activity of glomerular proteinases
      in kidneys of obese Zucker rats, thereby being involved in the pathogenesis of
      mesangial expansion, which is mainly due to protein overloading. In fact, we
      found a decreased proteinase activity in ultrasonically destroyed isolated
      glomeruli obtained by a differential sieving technique in obese Zucker rats
      compared with their lean littermates. This held true at acid as well as at
      neutral pH and could be confirmed when proteinase activity was related to DNA
      instead of protein. When investigating the glomerular cathepsin B content--this
      is a lysosomal enzyme with acid pH optimum, which is involved in the degradation
      of glomerular structural as well as filtered plasma proteins--we found a
      significantly increased level in the kidneys of obese Zucker rats. Hence, the
      intraglomerular proteinase activity is reduced in the face of enhanced glomerular
      content of at least lysosomal proteinases. The underlying reason for this
      depressed activity remains to be established. We propose that reduced activities
      of intraglomerular proteinases may be important in the pathogenesis of mesangial
      matrix expansion in obese Zucker rats, an important initiating hallmark of
      glomerulosclerosis in this model.

PMID- 1857892
TI  - Effect of estrogen on bone metabolism in tissue culture: enhancement of the
      steroid effect by zinc.
AB  - The present investigation was undertaken to clarify the effect of estrogen (17
      beta-estradiol) on bone metabolism in tissue culture. Calvariae were removed from
      weanling rats (3-week-old females) and cultured for periods up to 96 h in
      Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (high glucose, 4500 mg/dl) supplemented with
      antibiotics and bovine serum albumin. The experimental cultures contained 10(-10)
      to 10(-8) M estrogen. All cultures were incubated at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2/95%
      air. Bone calcium content was significantly increased by the presence of 10(-10)
      to 10(-8) M estrogen. The steroid (10(-10) to 10(-8) M) also significantly
      increased alkaline phosphatase activity in the bone, whereas it did not
      significantly alter acid phosphatase activity. No appreciable effect on bone
      alkaline phosphatase activity was produced with 17 alpha-estradiol (10(-9) and
      10(-8) M). Tamoxifen (10(-6) M), an anti-estrogen, completely blocked the effect
      of estrogen (10(-9) M) of increasing bone alkaline phosphatase activity.
      Furthermore, bone DNA content was significantly increased by 10(-10) to 10(-8) M
      estrogen. Meanwhile, the presence of 10(-4) M zinc, which can stimulate bone
      protein synthesis, significantly enhanced the effect of 10(-9) M estrogen to
      increase DNA content in rat calvaria, while the metal did not enhance the steroid
      effect on bone calcium content and alkaline phosphatase activity. The presence of
      10(-7) M cycloheximide completely prevented the stimulatory effect of estrogen
      (10(-9) M) on calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity, and DNA content in
      rat calvaria. The present study demonstrates that estrogen has a direct
      stimulatory effect on bone metabolism in tissue culture and that zinc can enhance
      the steroid effect on bone DNA.

PMID- 1857893
TI  - Extending effects of phospholipids, cholesterol, and ethanolamines on survival of
      adult rat hepatocytes in serum-free primary culture.
AB  - In a serum-free primary culture, membrane lipids, such as
      phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, or cholesterol, effectively
      prolonged the survival of adult rat hepatocytes. These lipids effectively
      prevented hepatocytes from morphologic degeneration observed in control cultures,
      such as enlargement of cell surface, degranulation of cytoplasm, and
      multinucleation. The maintenance effect of phospholipid precursors, ethanolamine,
      or phosphoethanolamine on the primary-cultured hepatocytes was similar to that of
      phospholipids. These effects appear to be due to stabilization of the plasma
      membrane.

PMID- 1857894
TI  - Oxidatively modified human low-density lipoprotein stimulates leukocyte adherence
      to the microvascular endothelium in vivo.
AB  - In vitro studies indicate that oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein
      (oxLDL) promotes leukocyte sticking to the vascular endothelium, a constant
      feature of early atherogenesis. Using intravital fluorescence microscopy in the
      dorsal skinfold chamber model in hamsters, we investigated whether systemic
      administration of human LDL, oxidized by Cu2+, elicited leukocyte/endothelium
      interaction in vivo. While no effect was seen after injection of native LDL,
      oxLDL administration resulted in an immediate induction of leukocyte rolling
      along the microvascular endothelium and subsequent firm sticking to the wall of
      postcapillary venules as well as arterioles. The presented model may provide an
      alternative experimental approach to long-term feeding studies with atherogenic
      diets for the in vivo investigation of leukocyte/endothelium interaction in early
      atherogenesis.

PMID- 1857895
TI  - Intracranial pressure changes following middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.
AB  - Prolonged recording of intracranial pressure (ICP) was performed on rats
      subjected to middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. ICP was repeatedly recorded
      before and after occlusion of the vessel via a narrow catheter placed in the
      cisterna magna. MCA occlusion was followed by an increase in ICP, and a pressure
      peak occurred after 12-24 h in all animals. Subsequently, essentially two
      patterns of ICP changes were observed. These seemed to be related to the severity
      of neurological deficits and extension of the infarct area. In the most severely
      affected animals, raised ICP was noted throughout the 1st week after MCA
      occlusion; in rats with reversible neurological deficits, ICP returned to normal
      values after the first peak at 12-24 h. The present investigation shows that
      prolonged ICP recording is feasible in MCA-occluded rats. The MCA occlusion model
      in rats is well characterized. Thus, ICP registration can be used in conjunction
      with other methods for evaluating treatment against increased ICP.

PMID- 1857896
TI  - Ronald Glenn Michels 1943-1991.

PMID- 1857897
TI  - Ronald Glenn Michels 1943-1991.

PMID- 1857898
TI  - [Epidemiology of hypertension in old age].
AB  - This article shows the epidemiologic dimension of hypertension in the elderly.
      The number of the elderly in Switzerland is expected to increase significantly
      until the first decades of the new millenium; therefore, geriatric medicine and
      hypertension in the elderly in particular will become even more important than it
      is at present. Cardiovascular disease is blamed for a major share of prematurely
      lost years of life. In the past few years the age-standardized mortality of
      ischaemic heart disease has declined in Switzerland, while the rate for
      cerebrovascular disease has gone down earlier. The project MONICA may explain the
      reasons for these trends. Hypertension shows also in Switzerland a high
      prevalence, which even increases in older age groups. In the Framingham cohort
      study (USA) it was shown that hypertension is the most important risk factor for
      cardiovascular morbidity and mortalitity in the elderly. This is particularly
      true for the most common form of hypertension in the elderly, the isolated
      systolic hypertension. Because of the described demographic development,
      hypertension in the elderly, its prevention, diagnosis and management will become
      even more significant.

PMID- 1857899
TI  - [Hypertension in the aged: how to assess it?].
AB  - In the elderly hypertensive patient several of the basic procedures during
      evaluation should be repeated or performed with particular care. Most importantly
      multiple pressure measurements should be taken repeatedly, orthostatic reactions
      have to be sought by taking the blood pressure in the standing and lying patient
      and the carotid vessels have to be auscultated. If a carotid occlusion or
      stenosis is suspected, a Doppler ultrasound study is indicated prior to therapy.
      Generalized arteriosclerosis is probably rarely the cause of so called
      pseudohypertension. It should be considered when strikingly high blood pressure
      values contrast with clinical signs of low blood pressure. Finally if
      hypertension develops rapidly in an elderly patient renal arterial stenosis
      should be suspected.

PMID- 1857900
TI  - [Hypertension in the aged: when to treat it?].
AB  - According to several recent studies prevalence of hypertension in the elderly
      ranges from 40 to 60%. Both, systolic as well as diastolic increase of blood
      pressure must be regarded as individual cardiovascular risk factors. Treatment of
      hypertension in the elderly gains special importance in the presence of
      additional risk factors. There is no doubt about the benefit of antihypertensive
      therapy when the diastolic value amounts to 100 mmHg and more. No reliable data
      exist so far on a beneficial effect of the treatment of systolic hypertension.
      Whether hypertensive patients older than 80 years and patients with only marginal
      increases of blood pressure benefit from antihypertensive treatment has not been
      proven by current studies. If the patient's anamnesis includes cerebral stroke a
      cautious antihypertensive therapy may reduce cardial insufficiency without
      increasing the risk for another apoplexia.

PMID- 1857901
TI  - [ACE inhibitors in the treatment of hypertension in elderly patients].
AB  - Recent epidemiological studies clearly indicate that blood pressure rises with
      age and that hypertension remains a major risk factor for cardiovascular
      morbidity and mortality in the elderly. An accurate antihypertensive therapy
      reduces in these patients the incidence of stroke and heart failure. Because of
      their clinical efficiency and good therapeutic tolerance, the angiotensin
      converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are first-line drugs for the treatment of
      elderly hypertensive patients. ACE inhibitions is expected to normalize blood
      pressure in approximately 40-60% of the patients. When needed, they can be
      combined with other drugs of different antihypertensive properties. In these
      cases, the most rational combination therapy consists of an ACE inhibitor with a
      diuretic or a calcium antagonist.

PMID- 1857902
TI  - [Combined orthopedic-orthodontic treatment of Class II].

PMID- 1857903
TI  - [Precautions in the use of facebows].

PMID- 1857904
TI  - [Surface treatment of mineralized tissue: different approaches and prospects].
AB  - This paper review the effects of orthophosphoric acid and other acidic agents on
      dental enamel. The effects of other treatments such as proteolytic agents or of
      mixture able to remove the lipids are also described. Specific problems are
      related to the dentine treatment. Acids and chelators should be avoided, because
      of the dentine tubules, the odontoblasts and pulp. We review also the problem of
      the smear layer, the surface of the carious dentine and the consequences for
      dental treatment. Researches which are still in progress are reported including
      the use of enzymes and alcali gels submitted to feeble electrolysis, this latter
      being able to prepare dentine, cementum and bone surfaces in order to increase
      the adhesion of biomaterials.

PMID- 1857905
TI  - [New Edgewise has arrived... (2)].

PMID- 1857906
TI  - [An indirect bonding technique].

PMID- 1857907
TI  - [Direct bonding with photopolymerization in straight-wire technique].

PMID- 1857908
TI  - [A computerized management system or how to computerize your office].

PMID- 1857909
TI  - Periodontal therapy for patients 65 years and older.

PMID- 1857910
TI  - Elective surgery in older persons.

PMID- 1857911
TI  - Surgery in the elderly.

PMID- 1857912
TI  - The post-operative care of the older patient: the geriatric and rehabilitation
      perspective.
AB  - As the population of our nation and our state grows older operative procedures
      will be performed at increasing rates on older patients. Unique aspects of older
      persons and the conditions with which they are afflicted place them at high risk
      for loss of function, medical complications, and surgical complications in the
      perioperative period. Only by conducting comprehensive preoperative assessments,
      establishing appropriate goals, maintaining meticulous perioperative care and
      beginning rehabilitation early will it be possible to reduce these risks and
      maximize the functional outcome for the older surgical patient.

PMID- 1857913
TI  - Trauma care for the elderly?
AB  - The enormous consumption of health-care resources by bluntly injured elderly
      patients can be justified if their outcome after trauma is good. In this series,
      89% of injured elderly patients ultimately returned to their homes, either
      independent of (57%) or dependent on (32%) outside help. Factors contributing to
      increased mortality in such patients included age, injury severity, and the
      presence or absence of cardiac and septic complications. A Geriatric Trauma
      Survival Score (GTSS) was devised that predicted the likelihood of mortality in
      these patients. Finally, study of reimbursement indicated that Medicare does not
      adequately reimburse hospitals for the enormous cost of providing elderly trauma
      care.

PMID- 1857914
TI  - The ethical responsibility of surgeons in conflicts with patients or their
      surrogates about treatment.

PMID- 1857915
TI  - Should practicing physicians be routinely tested for the AIDS virus?

PMID- 1857916
TI  - [Somatosensory evoked potentials after stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve
      in multiple sclerosis: comparative analysis with other modalities of evoked
      response and magnetic resonance].
AB  - Electrophysiological tests have proved to be a valuable method in assessing
      multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. In the last few years, scalp recorded short
      latency somatosensory evoked potentials to stimulation of nerves in the "lower
      extremity" have been more and more extensively employed. Some studies have aimed
      at comparing the sensitivity of MR imaging and multimodality evoked potentials,
      with somewhat conflicting results. In the present study posterior tibial nerve
      somatosensory evoked potentials (ptnSEPs) were performed in 29 MS patients with
      the aim to investigate the ability in revealing spinal cord conduction
      abnormalities and the sensitivity towards other evoked potentials and MR in MS.
      ptnSEPs showed a high percentage of abnormalities which did not significantly
      differ from that of visual evoked potentials; moreover in conjunction with median
      nerve SEPs can be used to localize thoracic or lumbar cord demielinating lesions,
      not evidenced on MR imaging. These results confirm that ptnSEPs, although non
      specific and crude in terms of precise localization, are a sensitive tool in
      detecting lesions, even subclinical, in MS patients. Moreover in anatomic regions
      like spinal cord where MR imaging is not very sensitive because the lower signal
      to-noise ratio, they represent the only method available for demonstrating
      lesions.

PMID- 1857917
TI  - HLA antigens and multiple sclerosis in the Province of Ferrara, northern-Italy: a
      community-based study.
AB  - The association between Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and DR2 HLA antigen is well known
      in Caucasoids. In the past few years a significant correlation has been found
      between DQwl and MS in North-East Scotland and in several other countries. In
      previous HLA studies in Italian MS patients, a lack of any association or an
      increased frequency of DR2 have been observed; however, the results of most
      Italian surveys derive from heterogeneous sample of affected individuals. This
      study was carried out in a homogeneous population of patients living in and
      originating from the province of Ferrara, Northern-Italy. Among the prevalence
      cases, 116, indigenous, unrelated patients, were typed for HLA-A-B, -DR and DQ
      antigens. The comparisons with 185 healthy individuals, originating from the same
      area, revealed an increased prevalence of DR2 antigen in Ferrara MS patients.
      This antigen does not appear to be related to the clinical variables of the
      disease.

PMID- 1857918
TI  - [A case of polymyositis in autoimmune thyroiditis with hyperthyroidism].
AB  - A young woman, during an autoimmune thyroiditis with hyperthyroidism, suffered
      from progressive proximal weakness at her four limbs. The diagnosis of a
      concomitant polymyositis was indicated by a marked increase of plasma CPK,
      myopathic findings at EMG and a clearcut picture of inflammatory alterations at
      muscle biopsy. Steroid therapy brought a full recovery of both thyroid and
      muscular symptoms. In the following months, the patient suffered from a second
      episode of thyroiditis and subsequently from another poussee of polymyositis. The
      possible pathogenesis underlying the unusual association of an autoimmune
      thyroiditis with a polymyositis is discussed.

PMID- 1857919
TI  - [Epidemiologic study of epilepsy in the population of Este-Montagnana (U.L.S.S.
      22-Veneto Region)].
AB  - Epidemiological data of the U.L.S.S. n. 22 of Este-Montagnana (PD) show a
      prevalence of Epilepsy of 5.94%. These data are referred to an observation period
      of ten years (1978-1987) and confirm the results of major epidemiological trials
      in U.K. and U.S.A. Distribution by sex and types of crises is the same. The
      Authors underline the importance of alcohol-related crises; however this is not
      yet confirmed by precise parallel data.

PMID- 1857920
TI  - [Mechanisms of muscular fatigue].
AB  - According to Merton (1954), Bigland-Ritchie (1978), Edwards (1981) and De Luca
      (1984), two groups of mechanisms, central and peripheral, may be distinguished in
      physiopathology of fatigue process. Central mechanisms are related to subjective
      phenomena, like fatigue sensation or motivation, and to objective aspects as
      spatial and temporal motoneurones recruitment.

PMID- 1857921
TI  - Self intra-cavernous injections as a successful treatment in pure neurogenic
      impotence.
AB  - The aim of our research is to investigate the success of the vasoactive
      intracavernous therapy in subjects suffering impotence only on a neurological
      basis. We have submitted 50 subjects to a multisciplinary study including
      P.B.P.I., intracavernous minitest plus V.S.S., M.M.P.I., B.C.R. latency,
      duration, aspect and an hormonal screening (SH, LH, PRL, F. TEST, 17 BE2). The
      patients, or their partners, were instructed in the technique of self
      intracavernous injection (S.I.C.I.) of vasoactive drugs. Papaverine alone was
      given to 37 patients in a mean dose of 20.8 +/- 11.7 mg. Other 13 patients were
      treated with papaverine plus phentolamine in order to obtain a full erection.
      Comprehensive results of the treatment were judged at 80% effective: only 10
      patients discontinued self injection treatment, unable to perform this technique
      properly.

PMID- 1857922
TI  - [Clinical and neurophysiologic study of Guillain Barre syndrome: results of
      therapy with plasmapheresis].
AB  - The Guillain Barre poliradicoloneuritis shows a high incidence of permanent
      sequelae and exitus. Recently the plasmapheresis has been applied in the acute
      stage with a beneficial effect to the rapidity and the degree of the recovery. In
      the present study the results obtained in a group of patients with Guillain Barre
      of maximal severity are reported. All the patients have received plasmapheresis
      (3-5 exchanges) in the first days of the disease. Eventual side effects during
      the procedure have been evaluated together to the neurophysiological findings.
      The recovery has been evaluated in the brief and in the long term. From this
      study the efficacy of the plasmapheresis in Guillain Barre poliradicoloneuritis
      is confirmed. Furthermore a correlation has been evidenced between the amplitude
      of the muscular potential (CMAP) registered in the acute phase and the prognosis
      of the illness.

PMID- 1857923
TI  - Hemichorea-hemiballism and anosognosia following a contralateral infarction of
      the caudate nucleus and anterior limb of the internal capsule.
AB  - The authors describe a patient who experienced the sudden occurrence of hemicorea
      hemiballism on the left side of the body and the contemporary agnosia of it. An
      unenhanced CT-scan disclosed an ischemic lesion involving the head of the caudate
      nucleus and of the anterior limb of the internal capsule of the contralateral
      hemisphere. The authors discuss the possible pathophysiologic mechanisms
      explaining the rare association of these two symptoms and suggest that the
      involvement of the pyramidal tract in the internal capsule usually does not allow
      hyperkinesis to manifest itself.

PMID- 1857924
TI  - [Respiratory distress in newborn infants. Positive diagnosis, principles of the
      emergency treatment].

PMID- 1857925
TI  - [Physiology of tendon and physiopathology of tendinitis].
AB  - Despite the histological knowledge acquired from light and electron microscopy
      and the deeper studies devoted to the composition of tendons, we are still unable
      to draw practical conclusions concerning the treatment of tendinitis.
      Experimental in vivo studies and biochemical studies are still too far from
      physiological conditions to be useful in the traumatology of tendons. They have,
      however, the merit to provide better theoretical basis and to persuade doctors
      specialized in sport not to disregard these date.

PMID- 1857926
TI  - [Achilles tendinitis].
AB  - Achilles tendinitis is particularly frequent in athletes. In fact, this entity is
      made up of various anatomical lesions located in Achilles tendon or at the point
      where it is attached to the calcaneum. The diagnosis is basically clinical, and
      it is confirmed by carefully selected paraclinical examinations. Management
      essentially relies on rest associated with adequate physiotherapy and, when
      required, with other adjuvant treatments. Management also rests on the prevention
      of recurrences and on the suppression of the frequently found sport-related
      causal agent. Surgical treatment is seldom indicated, and only when medical
      treatment has failed, usually in high-level athletes.

PMID- 1857927
TI  - [Tennis elbow].
AB  - Tennis elbow is most often due to a tendinitis of the extensor carpi radialis
      brevis, and occasionally of the extensor digitorum. Pain felt at the outer aspect
      of the elbow, is elicited by grasping. Passive movements are painless, and of
      full range, excepted for extension, and varus strain tested in slight flexion.
      Isometric contraction of all the muscles controlling the joint are painless,
      excepted resisted extension of the wrist. The most usual painful spots lay on the
      lateral epicondyle, or lower on the common tendon. Diagnosis is confirmed when
      signs disappear immediately after a correct injection of lignocaine, and persist
      at least 3 Weeks if a corticoid is added. The two outstanding differential
      diagnoses are internal derangement of the humero-radial joint, and entrapment of
      the sensory branch of the radial nerve. Many treatments are indicated. In a
      series of 58 cases, cervical manipulations give in most cases only a temporary
      relief; deep transverse massage applied on the tendon below the epicondyle, gives
      in a series of 131 cases good and excellent results in 63% of the cases. In a
      series of 257 cases, injections of corticoids gives full relief in all cases, but
      the rate of recurrences is 66.7%, although 67% of those recur only once or twice.
      Percutaneous tenotomy performed only in patients recurring after temporary cure,
      drops the rate of recurrences to 13%. The last alternative is open surgery,
      releasing the common tendon.

PMID- 1857928
TI  - [Tendinitis of the knee].
AB  - The diagnostic criteria for tendinitis of the knee are: (1) strict localization
      of the pain in the whole length of the tendon from its body to its end; (2)
      recrudescence of pain during movements that stretch or rub the tendon, and (3)
      positive local anaesthesia test if needed. Only this approach makes it possible
      not to miss a tendinitis of the extensor system in a so-called femoro-patellar
      syndrome, or to misdiagnose a tendinitis of the sartorius, gracilis and
      semitendinosus muscles when confronted with an osteoarticular pathology of the
      medial femoro-tibial compartment.

PMID- 1857929
TI  - [Tendinitis of the foot].
AB  - Tendinitis in the ankle and foot is frequent. It is due to overwork, relative
      senescence or rheumatoid inflammation. Damages are graded from isolated lesions
      of the sheath to rupture of the tendon. The diagnosis, at least anatomical, is
      facilitated by the superficiality of the tendons and by good anatomico-functional
      knowledge. Treatment rules cannot really be established. Surgery should remain
      wide open. The foot should always be the best static and dynamic conditions, and
      this can be achieved by possible plantar ortheses and by the quality of footwear.

PMID- 1857930
TI  - [Tendinitis of the hip region].
AB  - Tendinitis and bursitis are less common around the hip than around the shoulder.
      Nevertheless, they must be recognized to avoid unnecessary and costly diagnostic
      errors. Their various clinical forms are studied in detail. Tendino-bursitis of
      the gluteus medius muscle is the most frequent in its subacute form, but it is
      rare in its acute, pseudo-gouty form. Calcification of the reflected tendon of
      the rectus femoris muscle often closely resembles arthritis of the hip. Synovial
      cysts of the psoas bursa and rupture of the gluteus medius tendon are rare but
      must be known. Local injections of corticosteroids play an important part in the
      treatment of these diseases.

PMID- 1857931
TI  - [Localization of the spinal muscular atrophy gene by reverse genetic methods.
      Prospect of a gene on chromosome 5].

PMID- 1857932
TI  - [Epidermotropic T-cell lymphoma: a large variety of syndromes and prognosis].

PMID- 1857933
TI  - [Acoustic oto-emissions. Value in audiology in children].

PMID- 1857934
TI  - [Fractures of the lower end of humerus in children. Diagnosis, complications,
      principles of the treatment].

PMID- 1857935
TI  - [Schizophrenia syndromes. Diagnosis, development, principles of the treatment].

PMID- 1857936
TI  - [Epidemiology of collective infections and toxic-infections of food or water
      origin. Modalities of survey in front of outbreak].

PMID- 1857937
TI  - [Tobacco smoking (1). Epidemiology of tobacco smoking, of diseases bound to
      tobacco. Consequences on the public health, prevention].

PMID- 1857938
TI  - [Battered children. Diagnosis, medico-legal management].

PMID- 1857939
TI  - [Medical penal, civil, administrative and disciplinary responsibility. Definition
      and elementary notions].

PMID- 1857940
TI  - [Complications of acute appendicitis. Diagnosis, principles of the treatment].

PMID- 1857941
TI  - [Superficial adenopathies. Diagnosis orientation].

PMID- 1857942
TI  - [Thrombopenia. Diagnostic orientation].

PMID- 1857943
TI  - [Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis].
AB  - Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare lipid storage disorder due to an
      autosomal-recessive inherited defect of the hepatic mitochondrial steroid 26
      hydroxylase. The resultant reduced biosynthesis of cholic and especially
      chenodeoxycholic acid and the increased production and accumulation of
      cholestanol and cholesterol in most tissues is described and pathogenetic aspects
      as well as typical pathological findings are discussed. In the light of three
      personal observations the clinical symptoms and the results of auxiliary
      investigations are discussed and compared with the literature. The suspected
      diagnosis of CTX may be confirmed by demonstration of a pathologically elevated
      concentration of cholestanol or biliary alcohols in serum and urine respectively.
      The chronically progressive neurologic deficit can be halted or is in some cases
      partially reversible by treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid. Therefore, early
      diagnosis is mandatory and CTX should be considered in every patient presenting
      with intellectual impairment, spastic-ataxic signs, juvenile cataracts and tendon
      xanthomas.

PMID- 1857944
TI  - [Incidence and prognostic significance of positive blood cultures in neonatal and
      pediatric intensive care].
AB  - The incidence and prognostic importance of positive blood cultures were evaluated
      over a two-year period (1986/87) in 1371 admissions to a multi-disciplinary
      neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit (ICU). Blood cultures were performed
      in 439 patients of which 80 cultures were positive. Septicemia was confirmed in
      70 cases, the 10 remaining cases being classified as contamination or bacteremia.
      The incidence of nosocomial, ICU-acquired septicemia was low (7/70). The major
      causative organisms of sepsis were those commonly encountered in neonatal and
      pediatric infections, including Haemophilus influenzae (37), Escherichia coli
      (11, Neisseria meningitidis (9) and group B streptococci (3). Typically
      nosocomial organisms were rare. In the group of 70 septicemic cases, multiple
      organ system failure was diagnosed in 23 patients. Nine died, most often due to
      irreversible septic shock (13% mortality). In order to avoid a selection bias,
      all admissions were examined for the presence of sepsis syndrome (clinical signs
      of sepsis with negative blood cultures). Out of 21 such patients, three died. The
      results suggest that in comparison to intensive care in adults the following
      conclusions may be drawn: (1) sepsis with positive blood cultures plays a minor
      role at our unit; (2) the rate of ICU-acquired septicemia is low (10% of all
      cases of sepsis with positive blood culture); and (3) the prognostic bearing of a
      positive blood culture in patients with septic signs is not too unfavourable (87%
      survival rate).

PMID- 1857945
TI  - [Aplastic anemia combined with an autoimmune disease (eosinophilic fasciitis or
      glomerulonephritis)].
AB  - We describe 3 patients with aplastic anemia and an autoimmune disease. Two had
      eosinophilic fasciitis and 1 glomerulonephritis. In all patients both diseases
      were successfully treated by immunosuppressive therapy. Pathophysiological
      aspects of this association are discussed.

PMID- 1857946
TI  - [Long-term therapy of Menetrier disease using ranitidine and pirenzepine].
AB  - A 22-year-old woman with hypertrophic protein-losing gastropathy (Menetrier's
      disease) is described. During treatment with ranitidine (Zantic) and pirenzepine
      (Gastrozepin) the gastric mucosa and protein loss were normalized within 4 years.
      Clinical and histological remission has now been observed for 5 and 3 years
      respectively. In a 57-year-old woman with hypertrophic gastropathy, 8 months'
      treatment with ranitidine and pirenzepine was associated with decrease in protein
      loss and improvement of the histological appearance of the gastric mucosa after
      one year. Long-term treatment of hypertrophic gastropathy with ranitidine and/or
      pirenzepine should, therefore, be considered in such cases instead of
      gastrectomy.

PMID- 1857947
TI  - [Ultrasonic study of gastric emptying of various oral rehydration solutions].
AB  - Gastric emptying of 4 different oral rehydration solutions was investigated by
      ultrasound in 7 healthy volunteers in a randomized double-blind study. The final
      gastric emptying times were 32.9 +/- 4.72 minutes for the glycine solution, 55.1
      +/- 9.85 minutes for the glucose (WHO) solution. 60.8 +/- 11.58 minutes for the
      polycose solution and 58.6 +/- 10.12 minutes for the rice-flour solution (p less
      than 0.05). Gastric emptying times showed considerable person-to-person
      variability. Based on identical gallbladder volumes before and 60 minutes after
      ingestion of the rehydration solutions, there was no indication of
      cholecystokinin stimulation by any of the solutions tested.

PMID- 1857948
TI  - [Lateral intra- and extraforaminal lumbar disk hernia: clinical aspects and
      therapy].
AB  - Lateral lumbar disc herniations in or beyond the intervertebral foramen account
      for nearly 10% of all lumbar herniations. They affect the nerve root exiting at
      the same level. Such a lateral herniation of disc L4, for example, would impinge
      on nerve root L4, while a common herniation inside the spinal canal would
      compromise root L5. Myelography most often provides false-negative results. High
      resolution CT scanning is completely accurate in demonstrating these lesions and
      therefore is considered the diagnostic method of choice. We review the anatomo
      pathological and clinical features and propose guidelines for radiological
      examination of these herniations. Finally, the lateral microsurgical approach to
      the intervertebral foramen is described. It permits exposure of the lateral disc
      prolapse without opening the spinal canal or performing facetectomy.

PMID- 1857949
TI  - [Barbiturate coma in the treatment of refractory status epilepticus in adults.
      Usefulness of continuous electroencephalography in intensive care].
AB  - Status epilepticus represents one of the most frequent neurological reasons for
      admission to the intensive care ward. If it resists well-managed treatment, more
      aggressive measures must be taken. We report 3 such situations in which patients
      were treated by barbiturate coma under continuous electroencephalographic
      monitoring. On the basis of this experience we attempt to elaborate guidelines
      for the use of this technique.

PMID- 1857950
TI  - [Eosinophilic pleuritis and hepatopathy under trimipramine therapy].
AB  - A case of allergic reaction under treatment with a tricyclic drug, trimipramine,
      is described. The clinical manifestation was an acute, influenza-like syndrome
      with eosinophilic pleurisy and involvement of liver function. This case is
      compared with allergic reactions under antidepressant treatment described in the
      literature. The combination of pulmonary and hepatic involvement in an allergic
      reaction is not unusual, but has not thus far been described for tricyclic
      antidepressants. The importance of laboratory investigations during
      antidepressant therapy is emphasized.

PMID- 1857951
TI  - [Ischemic colitis. Results of conservative treatment].
AB  - 34 consecutive patients were admitted for ischemic colitis confirmed by
      colonoscopy, contrast enema, laparotomy, and/or post-mortem between 1984 and
      1988. 13 underwent excisional surgery, usually at an early stage, because of
      acute abdomen. This study is devoted to the remaining 21 patients (62%), i.e.
      nearly two thirds of the whole series, who were treated conservatively
      (intravenous hydration and antibiotics). Our results suggest that (1) ischemic
      colitis usually affects elderly patients in whom an underlying cardiovascular
      disease is seldom found; (2) the right colon is infrequently involved, and (3)
      outcome is generally favorable in the absence of superimposed major pathology or
      of peritoneal signs which would require surgical exploration.

PMID- 1857952
TI  - [Surgical significance of intestinal non-rotation in adults].
AB  - Intestinal non-rotation has been recognized as a cause of obstruction in neonates
      and children. It is very rarely seen in the adult and assumes surgical
      significance owing to the potential risk of midgut or ileocecal volvulus.
      However, it can also cause significant intermittent abdominal pain in the adult.
      We describe six personally observed patients with this malformation and analyze
      38 case reports published in the English and German literature since 1923. We
      establish that in the acute symptomatic form only emergency laparotomy can
      provide the correct diagnosis and decrease the risk of bowel disturbance. In the
      chronic forms, barium studies of the whole intestinal tract reveal varying
      degrees of midgut malrotation and the non-rotation is confirmed in each case.
      Also in these forms, exploratory laparotomy with a consequent staging of the
      abdominal situs is to be recommended. In the operation described by Ladd the
      ascending colon is sutured at the colon descendens and sigmoideum. After this
      procedure the mesenterial pedicle is fixed and the risk of midgut torsion remains
      minimal. All reported cases after surgery are symptom-free.

PMID- 1857953
TI  - Clot spotter. Does a test for fibrinogen predict risk of heart disease?

PMID- 1857954
TI  - Selling cells. Is a kidney cancer treatment a therapy or an experiment?

PMID- 1857955
TI  - Streptococcal M protein.

PMID- 1857956
TI  - Laser surgery.

PMID- 1857957
TI  - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in ambient airborne
      particles from local traffic and distant sources; variation of the PAH profile.
AB  - The temporal and spatial dependence of the PAH profile, i.e. the relative
      concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was investigated for ambient
      airborne particles during a period with moderate photochemical air pollution. The
      concentrations of 14 PAH were measured; they differed in volatility, sensitivity
      to atmospheric chemical conversion and contributing sources. Multivariate
      analysis (principal-component analysis and factor analysis) revealed that
      temporal dependence was predominantly determined by five factors clearly linked
      with volatility, reactivity and sources of the PAH, the first being by far the
      most important. The results, therefore, indicate that volatilization, conversion
      and a varying contribution of local sources were the major causes of the
      variation of the profile with time. The contribution of local sources was
      investigated by comparison of samples that were taken simultaneously at three
      different sites, one a background site and two sites downwind of traffic. A
      marked site dependence was found. The comparison suggested that the differences
      were not only determined by sources, but also by volatilization and/or conversion
      during residence of the particles in the air.

PMID- 1857958
TI  - Benzene pollution from gasoline usage.
AB  - Local gasolines contain benzene ranging from 1.8 to 3.7% and their use can lead
      to significant exposure to benzene. Gasoline station attendants were found to be
      exposed to short-term exposure levels (STEL) of 0.064-179 ppm. Their 8-h time
      weighted averaged (TWA) exposure ranged from 0.028 to 0.71 ppm. For motorcar
      service mechanics, TWA exposure levels ranged from 0.014 to 1.7 ppm. The exposure
      of drivers of gasoline delivery tankers ranged from 0.08 to 2.37 ppm for personal
      TWA exposure over the whole workshift. For local people not occupationally
      exposed to gasoline or other benzene-containing volatile chemicals, exposure from
      the ambient environment ranged from 0.0023 to 0.027 ppm. Gasoline usage also
      contributed to the contamination of surface water with benzene. Benzene levels in
      water samples taken from drains leading from gasoline stations were between 1.1
      and 40.4 micrograms l-1.

PMID- 1857959
TI  - Reproductive cycle and heavy metals in the organs of red mullet, Mullus barbatus
      (L.), from the northwestern Mediterranean.
AB  - Concentrations of the heavy metals Cd, Cu, Fe Mn, V and Zn have been measured in
      the principal tissues of the red mullet, Mullus barbatus (L.), during a complete
      sexual cycle. By comparison of metal levels during the reproductive and non
      reproductive periods, it was found that concentrations as well as total amounts
      of Cu, Mn and Zn in liver and gonads of male and female mullets were dependent
      upon the stage of the sexual cycle. No relationship with the sexual cycle was
      noted for these metals measured in muscle, kidney, spleen or pyloric caecum.
      Because of the observed variation in liver and gonad metal concentrations, these
      tissues appear to be poor indicators of ambient levels of metals in the
      surrounding waters. However, muscle may prove useful as an indicator tissue owing
      to its apparent independence of effects of the sexual cycle.

PMID- 1857960
TI  - The radioecological consequences for lowland pastures used to fatten upland sheep
      contaminated with radiocaesium.
AB  - Current farming practice in upland areas of Cumbria, England, affected by
      Chernobyl fallout is to remove lambs to lowland pastures for fattening prior to
      slaughter. The radiocaesium (137Cs and 134Cs) burden of lambs is rapidly lost via
      excreta deposited on the pasture. This may increase the radiocaesium activities
      in vegetation of these pastures. Studies were performed to assess the
      radioecological consequences of this practice. Results obtained from experiments
      were used to calibrate a soil/vegetation model which was used to predict long
      term radiocaesium behavior.

PMID- 1857961
TI  - Does war on cancer equal war on poverty?

PMID- 1857962
TI  - Promising AIDS drug looking for a sponsor.

PMID- 1857963
TI  - Oxygen activation at the diiron center of ribonucleotide reductase.

PMID- 1857964
TI  - Computations underlying the execution of movement: a biological perspective.
AB  - To execute voluntary movements, the central nervous system must transform the
      neural representation of the direction, amplitude, and velocity of the limb,
      represented by the activity of cortical and subcortical neurons, into signals
      that activate the muscles that move the limb. This task is equivalent to solving
      an "ill-posed" computational problem because the number of degrees of freedom of
      the musculoskeletal apparatus is much larger than that specified in the plan of
      action. Some of the mechanisms and circuitry underlying the transformation of
      motor plans into motor commands are described. A central feature of this
      transformation is a coarse map of limb postures in the premotor areas of the
      spinal cord. Vectorial combination of motor outputs among different areas of the
      spinal map may produce a large repertoire of motor behaviors.

PMID- 1857965
TI  - A mechanical trigger for the trot-gallop transition in horses.
AB  - It is widely thought that animals switch gaits at speeds that minimize energetic
      cost. Horses naturally switched from a trot to a gallop at a speed where
      galloping required more energy than trotting, and thus, the gait transition
      actually increased the energetic cost of running. However, by galloping at this
      speed, the peak forces on the muscles, tendons, and bones, and presumably the
      chance of injury, are reduced. When the horses carried weights, they switched
      from a trot to a gallop at a lower speed but at the same critical level of force.
      These findings suggest that the trot-gallop transition is triggered when
      musculoskeletal forces reach a critical level.

PMID- 1857966
TI  - Transcription-dependent and transcription-independent nuclear transport of hnRNP
      proteins.
AB  - Heterogeneous nuclear RNAs and specific nuclear proteins form heterogeneous
      nuclear ribonucleoprotein complexes (hnRNPs), one of the most abundant components
      of the nucleus. In mitosis, as the nuclear envelope breaks down, hnRNPs disperse
      throughout the cell. At the end of mitosis, hnRNPs dissociate and their proteins
      are transported into the daughter cell nuclei separately. Some are transported
      immediately (early group), while others are transported later (late group).
      Transport of the late group appears to require transcription by RNA polymerase
      II, in that inhibitors of this polymerase cause the late proteins to remain in
      the cytoplasm. Thus, there are two modes, transcription-dependent and
      transcription-independent, for the transport of nuclear proteins.

PMID- 1857967
TI  - Kinetic characterization of ribonuclease-resistant 2'-modified hammerhead
      ribozymes.
AB  - The incorporation of 2'-fluoro- and 2'-aminonucleotides into a hammerhead
      ribozyme was accomplished by automated chemical synthesis. The presence of 2'
      fluorouridines, 2'-fluorocytidines, or 2'-aminouridines did not appreciably
      decrease catalytic efficiency. Incorporation of 2'-aminocytidines decreased
      ribozyme activity approximately by a factor of 20. The replacement of all
      adenosines with 2'-fluoroadenosines abolished catalysis in the presence of MgCl2
      within the limits of detection, but some activity was retained in the presence of
      MnCl2. This effect on catalysis was localized to a specific group of adenines
      within the conserved single-stranded region of the ribozyme. The decrease in
      catalytic efficiency was caused by a decrease in the rate constant; the Michaelis
      constant was unaltered. The 2'-fluoro and 2'-amino modifications conferred
      resistance toward ribonuclease degradation. Ribozymes containing 2'-fluoro- or 2'
      aminonucleotides at all uridine and cytidine positions were stabilized against
      degradation in rabbit serum by a factor of at least 10(3) compared to unmodified
      ribozyme.

PMID- 1857968
TI  - Deleted HTLV-I provirus in blood and cutaneous lesions of patients with mycosis
      fungoides.
AB  - Mycosis fungoides, a rare form of cutaneous T cell leukemia/lymphoma, is
      suspected of having a viral etiology on the basis of certain similarities to
      adult T cell leukemia, which is associated with human T cell leukemia/lymphoma
      virus type I (HTLV-I) infection. Cell lines were established from peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of an HTLV-I-seronegative patient with mycosis
      fungoides. DNA hybridization analysis revealed the presence of HTLV-I-related
      sequences with unusual restriction endonuclease sites. Sequence analysis of
      subcloned fragments demonstrated the presence of a monoclonally integrated
      provirus with a 5.5-kilobase deletion involving large regions of gag and env and
      all of pol. Additional evidence for the presence of deleted proviruses was found
      by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA from cutaneous lesions of
      five other HTLV-I-seronegative patients. The findings suggest that HTLV-I
      infection may be involved in the etiology of at least certain cases of mycosis
      fungoides.

PMID- 1857969
TI  - Inhibition of entry of HIV-1 in neural cell lines by antibodies against
      galactosyl ceramide.
AB  - Although the CD4 molecule is the principal cellular receptor for the human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV), several CD4-negative cell lines are susceptible to
      infection with one or more HIV strains. These findings indicate that there are
      alternate modes of viral entry, perhaps involving one or more receptor molecules.
      Antibodies against galactosyl ceramide (galactocerebroside, or GalC) inhibited
      viral internalization and infection in two CD4-negative cell lines derived from
      the nervous system: U373-MG and SK-N-MC. Furthermore, recombinant HIV surface
      glycoprotein gp120 bound to GalC but not to other glycolipids. These results
      suggest a role for GalC or a highly related molecule in HIV entry into neural
      cells.

PMID- 1857970
TI  - Deposits of amyloid beta protein in the central nervous system of transgenic
      mice.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease is characterized by widespread deposition of amyloid in the
      central nervous system. The 4-kilodalton amyloid beta protein is derived from a
      larger amyloid precursor protein and forms amyloid deposits in the brain by an
      unknown pathological mechanism. Except for aged nonhuman primates, there is no
      animal model for Alzheimer's disease. Transgenic mice expressing amyloid beta
      protein in the brain could provide such a model. To investigate this possibility,
      the 4-kilodalton human amyloid beta protein was expressed under the control of
      the promoter of the human amyloid precursor protein in two lines of transgenic
      mice. Amyloid beta protein accumulated in the dendrites of some but not all
      hippocampal neurons in 1-year-old transgenic mice. Aggregates of the amyloid beta
      protein formed amyloid-like fibrils that are similar in appearance to those in
      the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1857971
TI  - Evidence for the effects of a superantigen in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - While studying the alpha beta T cell receptor repertoire in rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) patients, we found that the frequency of V beta 14+ T cells was
      significantly higher in the synovial fluid of affected joints than in the
      peripheral blood. In fact, V beta 14+ T cells were virtually undetectable in the
      peripheral blood of a majority of these RA patients. beta-chain sequences
      indicated that one or a few clones dominated the V beta 14+ population in the
      synovial fluid of individual RA patients, whereas oligoclonality was less marked
      for other V beta's and for V beta 14 in other types of inflammatory arthritis.
      These results implicate V beta 14-bearing T cells in the pathology of RA. They
      also suggest that the etiology of RA may involve initial activation of V beta 14+
      T cells by a V beta 14-specific superantigen with subsequent recruitment of a few
      activated autoreactive v beta 14+ T cell clones to the joints while the majority
      of other V beta 14+ T cells disappear.

PMID- 1857972
TI  - The foreign policy of U.S. universities.

PMID- 1857973
TI  - Faculty retirement.
AB  - I would like to point out several errors of citation at the end of my article
      ;;Cocaine addiction: Psychology and neuropsychology'' (29 Mar., p. 1580). In the
      References and Notes, reference 42 was missing. It should have read, ;;42. T.
      Kosten et al., in preparation.'' Also in the References and Notes, reference 44
      should have been numbered 43. In the text, citation 43 should have been numbered
      41. In figure 3, the attribution was missing. It should have read, ;;Reprinted
      with permission from T. Kosten et al. (42).''

PMID- 1857974
TI  - Artificial heart: the beat goes on.

PMID- 1857975
TI  - Sullivan overrules NIH on sex survey.

PMID- 1857976
TI  - Chiron buys Cetus: a tale of two companies.

PMID- 1857977
TI  - Kennedy resigns from Stanford.

PMID- 1857978
TI  - Computer tools for thinking in tandem.

PMID- 1857979
TI  - Networks for thinking in cliques?

PMID- 1857980
TI  - Panel wavers on roots of cancer.

PMID- 1857981
TI  - Making sense of antisense.

PMID- 1857982
TI  - A feast of gene-splicing down on the fish farm.

PMID- 1857983
TI  - Rules of language.
AB  - Language and cognition have been explained as the products of a homogeneous
      associative memory structure or alternatively, of a set of genetically determined
      computational modules in which rules manipulate symbolic representations.
      Intensive study of one phenomenon of English grammar and how it is processed and
      acquired suggest that both theories are partly right. Regular verbs (walk-walked)
      are computed by a suffixation rule in a neural system for grammatical processing;
      irregular verbs (run-ran) are retrieved from an associative memory.

PMID- 1857984
TI  - A component of calcium-activated potassium channels encoded by the Drosophila slo
      locus.
AB  - Calcium-activated potassium channels mediate many biologically important
      functions in electrically excitable cells. Despite recent progress in the
      molecular analysis of voltage-activated K+ channels, Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels
      have not been similarly characterized. The Drosophila slowpoke (slo) locus,
      mutations of which specifically abolish a Ca(2+)-activated K+ current in muscles
      and neurons, provides an opportunity for molecular characterization of these
      channels. Genomic and complementary DNA clones from the slo locus were isolated
      and sequenced. The polypeptide predicted by slo is similar to voltage-activated
      K+ channel polypeptides in discrete domains known to be essential for function.
      Thus, these results indicate that slo encodes a structural component of Ca(2+)
      activated K+ channels.

PMID- 1857985
TI  - Identification of profilin as a novel pollen allergen; IgE autoreactivity in
      sensitized individuals.
AB  - A complementary DNA encoding a pollen allergen from white birch (Betula
      verrucosa) that was isolated from a pollen complementary DNA library with serum
      immunoglobulin E from a birch pollen-allergic individual revealed significant
      sequence homology to profilins. The recombinant protein showed high affinity to
      poly-L-proline. Immunoglobulin E antibodies from allergic individuals bound to
      natural and recombinant birch profilin and also to human profilin. In addition,
      birch and human profilin induced histamine release from blood basophils of
      profilin-allergic individuals, but not of individuals sensitized to other plant
      allergens. The structural similarity of conserved proteins might therefore be
      responsible for maintaining immunoglobulin E antibody titers in type I allergy.

PMID- 1857986
TI  - Protein kinase activity closely associated with a reconstituted calcium-activated
      potassium channel.
AB  - Modulation of the activity of potassium and other ion channels is an essential
      feature of nervous system function. The open probability of a large conductance
      Ca(2+)-activated K+ channel from rat brain, incorporated into planar lipid
      bilayers, is increased by the addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the
      cytoplasmic side of the channel. This modulation takes place without the addition
      of protein kinase, requires Mg2+, and is mimicked by an ATP analog that serves as
      a substrate for protein kinases but not by a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog. Addition
      of protein phosphatase 1 reverses the modulation by MgATP. Thus, there may be an
      endogenous protein kinase activity firmly associated with this K+ channel. Some
      ion channels may exist in a complex that contains regulatory protein kinases and
      phosphatases.

PMID- 1857987
TI  - Selective inhibition of leukemia cell proliferation by BCR-ABL antisense
      oligodeoxynucleotides.
AB  - To determine the role of the BCR-ABL gene in the proliferation of blast cells of
      patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia, leukemia blast cells were exposed to
      synthetic 18-mer oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to two identified BCR-ABL
      junctions. Leukemia colony formation was suppressed, whereas granulocyte
      macrophage colony formation from normal marrow progenitors was unaffected. When
      equal proportions of normal marrow progenitors and blast cells were mixed,
      exposed to the oligodeoxynucleotides, and assayed for residual colony formation,
      the majority of residual cells were normal. These findings demonstrate the
      requirement for a functional BCR-ABL gene in maintaining the leukemic phenotype
      and the feasibility of gene-targeted selective killing of neoplastic cells.

PMID- 1857988
TI  - Differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts to adipocytes induced by transfection of
      ras oncogenes.
AB  - Mammalian 3T3-L1 cells differentiate into adipocytes after continuous exposure to
      pharmacological doses of insulin or physiological doses of insulin-like growth
      factor I (IGF-1). Expression of transfected ras oncogenes led to differentiation
      of these cells into adipocytes in the absence of externally added insulin or IGF
      I. Cells transfected with normal ras genes or the tyrosine kinase trk oncogene
      did not differentiate. Transfection with a dominant inhibitory ras mutant
      resulted in inhibition of differentiation. Exposure of untransfected 3T3-L1 cells
      to insulin stimulated formation of the active Ras.GTP complex. These observations
      indicate that Ras proteins participate in signal transduction pathways initiated
      by insulin and IGF-I in these cells.

PMID- 1857989
TI  - [Assessment of quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis].

PMID- 1857990
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of the effects of CN-100 on osteoarthritis deformans of the
      knee].

PMID- 1857991
TI  - [A clinical evaluation of CN-100 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

PMID- 1857992
TI  - [Evaluation of two quantitative tests for salivary secretion--the chewing gum
      test and the Saxon test in normal subjects and in patients with Sjogren's
      syndrome].
AB  - A cooperative multicenter study was performed to evaluate two salivary secretion
      methods-the chewing gum test and the Saxon test by a crossover method. Twenty
      healthy volunteers and 27 patients with Sjogren's syndrome were examined. In
      healthy controls the amount of saliva collected per minute was larger in the
      Saxon test. Both tests revealed a significant decrease of salivary secretion in
      patients with Sjogren's syndrome, but the amount of saliva per minute was also
      larger in Saxon test. By repeated trials of both tests a notable increase of
      saliva was always observed at the second trial. Since this phenomenon may be due
      to the learning effect of the tests, one should perform at least one practice
      before starting formal tests. Saxon test could be performed in a patient having
      dental prostheses who was unable to masticate chewing gum. The Saxon test, thus,
      may be an efficient method, to evaluate the salivary secretory function.

PMID- 1857994
TI  - [Analysis of components of immune complexes in sera of patients with systemic
      lupus erythematosus].
AB  - The samples of immune complexes (IC) isolated through Clq tube from serum of SLE
      patients were analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and
      western blotting for their antigens and antibodies. The isolated IC contained
      gamma, mu and L chain of immunoglobulin and various sizes of DNA ranging from
      16KD to 55KD. The isolated IC showed antibodies reacting to 16KD DNA. In the
      isolated IC, DNAs with molecules less than 300 base pairs were detected. These
      DNA were double-stranded and hybridized with nuclear DNAs originated from human
      but not from other species.

PMID- 1857993
TI  - [A study on treatment of hyperuricemia--effects and kinetics of allopurinol and
      oxipurinol].
AB  - In order to study the effects and pharmacokinetics of allopurinol (hereafter
      abbreviated to allo.) and oxipurinol (hereafter abbreviated to oxi.) six normal
      human subjects were given a single oral dose of either allo. (300mg) or oxi.
      (600mg), followed by serial determinations of serum and urinary levels of allo.,
      oxi., uric acid, hypoxanthine (hereafter abbreviated to hx.) and xanthine
      (hereafter abbreviated x.) over a six-hour period. With a dose of 300mg of allo.
      or 600mg of oxi., the patterns of serum uric acid were similar. When 300mg of
      allo. was given, however, a reduction in the serum uric acid level occurred
      earlier. Additionally, it was found that urinary excretion of oxi. generally
      paralleled the plasma concentration. Allo. administration resulted in rises in
      plasma concentration of x., and urinary excretion of x. and hx. Oxi.
      administration, on the other hand, did not cause significant changes in the
      plasma content of x. or urinary excretory volume of hx. Only a slight increase
      was noted in the amount of x. excreted in the urine. When allo. was compared
      against oxi., pharmacokinetics of oxypurines, especially x. were found to differ
      markedly. The results suggested that differences in the reaction sites, varied
      intra- and extra-cellular distributions of allo. and oxi., and different effects
      on purine biosynthesis contribute to the aforementioned discrepancies.

PMID- 1857995
TI  - [Change of joint synovial clearance speed in experimental arthritis].
AB  - The radio activity of 131I-Hippuran injected into the knees was investigated in
      rabbits and found to decrease with passage of the time. The disappearance curve
      was monoexponential and the disappearance rate was able to be obtained by a
      biological half life (T 1/2). This evidence showed that 131I-Hippuran was
      absorbed from the knee and excreted into body blood circulation but was not able
      to return to the knee again, and might provide a suitable parameter for the joint
      clearance. The mean value of T 1/2 in normal 25 knees was 13.9 +/- 4.5 min. The
      effect of 0.1N oxalic acid on the T 1/2 was investigated in 20 knees 24 hours
      after intra-articular injection, in 17 knees 4 days, in 14 knees 7 days, in 11
      knees 12 days and in 9 knees 20 days. The mean T 1/2 value was 50.4 +/- 9.8 min.,
      30.6 +/- 6.2 min., 20.9 +/- 4.4 min., 15.2 +/- 2.2 min., and 13.7 +/- 2.5 min.,
      respectively. The significant difference was observed between the groups of 24
      hours, 4 days and 7 days. Hemorrhagic arthritis was observed in the rabbit knee
      with oxalic acid injection. The very severe hemorrhagic change was observed in
      the specimen obtained 24 hours and 4 days after the injection. On the 7 days
      after that the arthritic condition began to heal and almost complete healing was
      observed on 12 to 20 days. These results indicated that the joint clearance of
      131I-Hippuran was reflected well in the pathological change induced by oxalic
      acid. It is interpreted to mean that the inhibition of synovial blood circulation
      by oxalic acid might cause decrease of absorption and clearance rate of 131I
      Hippuran in the knee. It is thought that the measurement of the biological half
      life (T 1/2) after the intra-articular injection of 131I-Hippuran is a suitable
      method mainly to understand the condition of absorption and excretion of the
      joint through the synovial blood vessels.

PMID- 1857996
TI  - [A case of primary Sjogren's syndrome presenting as osteomalacia secondary to
      renal tubular acidosis].
AB  - We report a 43-year-old female with primary Sjogren's syndrome (SjS) who
      presented as osteomalacia due to distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA).
      Osteomalacia was thought to be a rare complication of RTA in SjS, although it had
      been often described in association with RTA in general. In 1979, she presented
      with dry mouth, parotid gland swelling and leg purpura. A diagnosis of primary
      SjS and hyperglobulinemic purpura was made on the basis of positive staining with
      Rose Bengal stain, sialography of the parotid gland and histological examination
      of the salivary gland of the lip. She was admitted to Jichi Medical School
      Hospital in March 1988 with chest pain. X-ray films revealed pseudofractures of
      bilateral ribs. Bone scanning showed abnormal multiple accumulation of RI on the
      same parts. Laboratory studies on admission revealed: GOT 50 IU/ml, GPT 9 IU/ml,
      ALP 190 IU/ml, LDH 301 IU/ml, BUN 11.0 mg/dl, creatinine 1.0 mg/dl, uric acid 2.7
      mg/dl, total protein 7.4 g/dl (gamma globulin 22.3%), sodium 141 mEq/l, potassium
      3.7 mEq/l, chloride 106 mEq/l, calcium 8.9 mg/dl, and phosphorus 2.4 mg/dl.
      Arterial blood gas studies on room air showed: PO2 96.7mmHg, PCO2 35.5mmHg, HCO3
      19.1 mEq/l, PH 7.347 and base excess -5.4 mEq/l. The urinalysis showed: specific
      gravity 1.008, PH 7.0, and no protein and glucose. Immunologically, antinuclear
      antibody was positive at 1:640 with a speckled pattern. Anti-DNA antibody was
      negative. Antibodies to SS.A and SS.B were 1:64 and 1:32 respectively. Distal RTA
      was confirmed by the sodium bicarbonate and NH4Cl loading test.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857997
TI  - [A case of rheumatoid arthritis complicated with auranofin-induced acute
      interstitial pneumonitis].
AB  - A case of auranofin(AF)-induced acute interstitial pneumonitis in a patient with
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is reported and possible mechanism of the incidence is
      discussed. A 57 year-old woman with a history of RA starting in early April 1989,
      had been prescribed AF for seven days prior to her referral to this hospital.
      Because of the severity of her polyarthritis, AF was discontinued; therapy with
      gold sodium thiomalate (GST) instead was started on 23 June 1989. The patient
      responded quite favorably. At a total cumulative dose of 160mg of GST, however,
      she developed generalized exfoliative dermatitis and the drug was discontinued.
      On 29 Sept. 1989 when her skin lesions cleared up completely, she was put on AF
      again. Six days after resumption of AF therapy, she developed fever.
      Nonproductive cough and dyspnea on exertion was observed within the following
      three days. The chest X-ray film revealed diffuse reticular-linear infiltrates
      more prominently in both upper lobes. Arterial blood gas studies showed hypoxemia
      and a restrictive ventilatory defect was demonstrated by pulmonary function
      studies. AF was stopped. High dose pulse iv corticosteroid(CS) therapy combined
      with oral CS was instituted. Immediate improvement of both subjective and
      objective findings was observed. By using the patient's peripheral blood
      lymphocytes, delayed lymphocyte stimulation test(DLST) against the probable
      causative agents was performed before the bolus CS therapy. Stimulation
      Index(shown in percentage) was markedly elevated in AF(724%) as compared with
      GST(163%). The fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) was
      performed. Analysis of BAL fluid revealed increased cellularity (9 x 10(5)/ml)
      with marked lymphocytosis of 79%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1857999
TI  - [Receptors in rheumatoid arthritis].

PMID- 1857998
TI  - [Histopathological examination of a case of Behcet's disease with aortic
      regurgitation].
AB  - Cardiac involvement in Behcet's disease is quite uncommon. We report a case of
      Behcet's disease with aortic regurgitation of which histology was examined. A 56
      year-old male came to our hospital with a complaint of right cervical pain.
      Diagnosis of aortic regurgitation was made by echocardiography, cardiac
      catheterization and aortography. As the cardiac lesion worsened, the operation of
      the aortic valve replacement was performed. On pathological examination, there
      was marked fibrous thickening on the aortic valve and the rupture of elastic
      tissue in the media of aortic wall. There was no history of rheumatic fever nor
      syphilis, and dilation of orifice of the aorta was not observed. Thus these
      changes were probably due to Behcet's disease itself.

PMID- 1858000
TI  - [Epidemiology study on upper gastrointestinal lesions induced by non-steroidal
      anti-inflammatory drugs].

PMID- 1858001
TI  - Medicare costs prior to retirement for disabled-worker beneficiaries.

PMID- 1858002
TI  - Public social welfare expenditures, fiscal year 1988.

PMID- 1858003
TI  - Hereditary colon cancer syndromes.

PMID- 1858004
TI  - Chronic gastritis.

PMID- 1858005
TI  - The use of endothelial seeding of prosthetic arterial bypass grafts.
AB  - Endothelial seeding is the transplantation of vascular lining cells. On the basis
      of animal studies and theoretical considerations, seeding is expected to reduce
      acute thrombosis and stenoses because of NFH when segments of the vascular system
      are denuded of endothelium. Endothelialization may reduce the susceptibility of
      synthetic grafts to blood-borne bacterial infection. Seeding demonstrably
      transfers endothelium in humans. The indications for its use are limited to
      clinical trials in aorta-femoral and femoral-popliteal bypass operations, and the
      results of those trials will begin to define its indications further. In the
      future, endothelium may be applied to tibial and coronary synthetic arterial
      grafts; sites of endarterectomy, PTA, atherectomy, and laser treatments; vascular
      access; and venous replacement grafts.

PMID- 1858006
TI  - Intestinal ischemia.

PMID- 1858007
TI  - New concepts in experimental peptic ulceration.

PMID- 1858008
TI  - Update on the status of fetal surgery.

PMID- 1858009
TI  - Current concepts in the management of urethral strictures.

PMID- 1858010
TI  - Application of laser energy in urologic surgery.

PMID- 1858011
TI  - Fecal diversion for Crohn disease of the colon.

PMID- 1858012
TI  - [The value of and indications for radiotherapy in endometrial carcinoma].
AB  - Today the endometrial carcinoma is the most frequent malignant tumor found in
      female genital tract. Endometrial carcinoma ought to be operated in all cases, if
      possible. Traditionally some form of adjuvant radiotherapy has been given.
      Despite the large number of patients treated by combined therapy over the last 30
      years, surprisingly there is a lack of hard data on which to establish a theory
      for an improved outcome. It is generally accepted that the risk of local relapses
      in the vagina is lowered when postoperative vaginal irradiation is applied. The
      question of the value of additional external irradiation in stage I endometrial
      cancer still is unsettled. Only two prospective studies led to the conclusion
      that only patients with poorly differentiated tumors and with deep infiltration
      of the myometrium might benefit from additional external radiotherapy. Therefore
      a simple score for these risk factors is proposed enabling assignment into
      patient groups of similar risk on the base of a point system due to individual
      prognostic factors. With a score of one to two points prognosis is very good and
      adjuvant irradiation seems not to be necessary. With three to four points local
      vaginal irradiation is recommended, with five and more points additionally
      external beam irradiation to the pelvis should be given. This is necessary in
      more than the half of the operated cases of endometrial carcinoma. The indication
      for such a treatment has become more individual and "high risk" cases are treated
      more intensively, but "low risk" cases have to be excepted from unnecessary
      adjuvant therapy. In order to judge an individual case of endometrial cancer
      histopathologic prognosticators have to be considered. Typical adenocarcinomas
      have a five-year survival of more than 80%, but unfavourable subtypes
      (adenosquamous, clear-cell, serous-papillary carcinomas) of only 40%,
      respectively. Tumor grading and depth of myometrial invasion are of high
      importance for individual prognosis. The new histopathologic staging system of
      FIGO (1988) takes these items into account. Only patients with severe internal
      diseases should be treated with radiation therapy alone. Although radiation
      therapy alone can cure endometrial cancer (five-year-survival approximately 60%),
      the survival figures are poorer than for the operation (five-year survival 80%,
      respectively). It should be outlined that in inoperable cases radiotherapy is the
      best form of treatment.

PMID- 1858013
TI  - Radiotherapy of primary human melanomas--experiences and suggestions.
AB  - We treated 60 invasive primary human melanomas by soft X-rays. In 23 additional
      cases radiotherapy was applied after total excision of a primary melanoma. Only
      in two cases was a tumor observed in the field of irradiation during the follow
      up period: a recurrence of a primary melanoma and a skin metastasis.
      Radioresistance cannot be unequivocally assumed in either case. Since deeply
      situated in-transit metastases cannot be destroyed by soft X-rays in spite of our
      good results we regard radiotherapy of invasive primary melanomas as a second
      choice treatment to be administered if impaired general health, excessive tumor
      growth in certain localisations or refusal of the patient do not allow a major
      operation. Nodular parts of primary melanomas should be excised before
      radiotherapy to obtain material for histopathological confirmation of the
      diagnosis and to determine the thickness of the tumor. X-rays of lower hardness
      can subsequently be applied.

PMID- 1858014
TI  - Total-skin electron irradiation for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: the Northern
      Israel Oncology Center experience.
AB  - Total-skin electron irradiation (TSEI) is effective and frequently used in the
      treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A treatment technique has been developed
      at our center, using the Philips SL 75/10 linear accelerator. In our method, the
      patient is irradiated in a recumbent position by five pairs of uncollimated
      electron beams at a source to skin distance of 150 cm. This method provides a
      practical solution to clinical requirements with respect to uniformity of
      electron dose and low X-ray contamination. Its implementation does not require
      special equipment or modification of the linear accelerator, 19 of 23 patients
      (83%) with mycosis fungoides, treated by this method, achieved complete
      regression of their cutaneous lesions.

PMID- 1858015
TI  - Treatment of keloids by 90Sr-90Y beta-rays.
AB  - The use of radiations for the treatment of keloids was the topic of debate for
      years. Because of the benign nature of the keloids, surgery (keloidectomy) was
      treatment of choice. However, the use of surgery alone for arresting the keloids
      growth does not give satisfactory results due to the high frequency of
      recurrences. In this study 110 symptomatic cases were treated with 90Sr-90Y beta
      radiation either alone for flat keloids or in combination with surgery for thick
      keloids. The results obtained with this method were found to be quite
      satisfactory. Patients were given four fractions of 5 Gy per fraction either as
      weekly or twice weekly schedules. Radiation dose of 2000 cGy given twice weekly
      in four fractions showed response in 86% of the cases as compared to 73% in those
      receiving four fractions of 5 Gy weekly. Further observations on different time
      dose fractionation schedules would open up newer dimensions in the radiotherapy
      of keloids.

PMID- 1858017
TI  - [In vivo dosimetry in interstitial "low dose rate" afterloading therapy with Ir
      192 seeds exemplified with head-neck tumors].
AB  - An in vivo measuring method is introduced from mending the calculated lying time
      of implants corresponding to the given dose (reference dose) in the interstitial
      brachytherapy with iridium-192 seeds. The small effort for using this method and
      the relatively easy way of handling it allow its clinical use for quality
      assurance in brachytherapy.

PMID- 1858016
TI  - [Radiotherapy of solitary and multiple eosinophilic granulomas of bone (stage
      I)].
AB  - Between 1957 and 1990 15 patients with solitary (stage Ia by Greenberger) and 2
      patients with multiple (stage Ib) eosinophilic granuloma of the bone were treated
      by radiotherapy in 18 locations after previous surgery. The doses applied varied
      from 6 Gy to 42 Gy (median for patients under 18 years: 8 Gy, for patients over
      18 years: 30 Gy). Median follow-up was 9 years (range, 0.3-33 years). Local
      control rate and survival were 100%. Three patients with granuloma developed a
      second granuloma within 13 years after primary diagnosis (two bone
      manifestations, one cutaneous manifestation). Long-term follow-up of patients
      with solitary eosinophilic granuloma is necessary.

PMID- 1858018
TI  - [Quality assurance in x-ray installations for therapy in accordance with the x
      ray regulations].
AB  - For the conventional X-ray therapy the Rontgenverordnung demands the examination
      of the dose rate in the radiation beam. The measurements and the results are
      demonstrated. Over a long period the X-ray equipment shows a constant dose rate.
      Controls of the technical devices and situations of danger are explained.

PMID- 1858019
TI  - [Mounting devices for screening blocks on the linear accelerator--the drawbacks
      and modifications].
AB  - Block mounting devices for linacs--drawbacks and modifications: Shielding blocks
      are often used in radiotherapy. They are fixed on the linac's head by means of
      standard accessory mounting devices. The disadvantages of these parts are
      discussed and two modifications are presented: One device with adjustable focus
      support distance for standard lead blocks and another with gliding planes to
      insert easily the heavy individually formed shielding blocks. Errors in mounting
      of all these devices are very dangerous, so we developed a simple locking lever
      providing a high security.

PMID- 1858020
TI  - Antiradiation mixture and ionic-bond product of AET and adenyl nucleotides.
AB  - These experiments continued our line of inquiry into low-toxicity high
      effectiveness radiomodifying agents obtained by binding radioprotective
      substances to biogenic and biologically active components or antidotes. Testes
      for toxicity and radioprotective effects were three preparations combining within
      one molecule AET and an adenyl nucleotide (AMP, ADP, or ATP). Ionic-bond
      formation was shown to have advantages over concomitant administration of AET and
      adenosine phosphoric acids as mixtures. The evidence obtained supports the
      rational foundation of the concept being developed by our laboratory.

PMID- 1858021
TI  - Biophysical aspects of the integrated combination of cytostatic drugs with
      radiotherapy. Part 1: In vitro investigations on the kinetics of activated
      isophosphamide metabolites and the determination of selective properties of DNA
      interstrand and DNA-protein crosslinking mechanisms using 31P-NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - The pH dependence of the kinetics of the "activated" isophosphamide metabolites 4
      hydroxy-isophosphamide, isoaldophosphamide and isophosphoramide mustard has been
      characterized with the help of 31P-NMR Fourier spectroscopy. The most outstanding
      feature is the pH-dependence of the decay kinetics of 4-hydroxy-isophosphamide
      and isoaldophosphamide yielding the alkylating moiety isophosphoramide mustard
      and acrolein. With the same spectroscopic technique the alkylation of
      biomolecules containing guanine (cGMP, GDP, GTP, synthetic oligodeoxynucleic acid
      serving as a surrogate of DNA) and proteins containing cysteine as receptor
      molecule have been analyzed. The kinetic data provide information on combining
      the measured substrates with radiotherapy to be presented in further
      communications.

PMID- 1858022
TI  - [A commentary on M.L. Sautter-Bihl et al.: The radiotherapy of glioblastoma--is a
      dosage reduction justifiable?].

PMID- 1858023
TI  - In defense of information or defenders of the faith.

PMID- 1858024
TI  - Endothelium-dependent contraction and relaxation of the human and canine internal
      mammary artery: studies on bypass graft vasospasm.
AB  - The internal mammary artery (IMA) is the preferred conduit for coronary artery
      bypass graft because of superior late patency. However, IMA vasospasm may
      contribute to myocardial ischemia and early postoperative morbidity. To
      investigate mechanisms of vasospasm, we compared the reactivity of human and
      canine IMA segments in vitro to agonists known to release endothelium-derived
      contracting factor and endothelium-derived relaxing factor. Rings (4 mm in
      length) of human and canine IMA were studied in organ chambers. Human and canine
      vascular smooth muscle exhibited comparable contraction to norepinephrine
      (maximum = 7.55 +/- 0.63 gm and 6.4 +/- 0.90 gm, respectively) and relaxation to
      sodium nitroprusside. Human and canine IMAs exhibited comparable endothelium
      derived relaxing factor-mediated relaxations to acetylcholine (human) and
      methacholine (canine). Human and canine IMA also exhibited comparable endothelium
      dependent contraction to hypoxia (to 173.3% +/- 8.1% and 178.9% +/- 16.0% of
      initial prehypoxic tension; means +/- SEM; n = 12). Endothelium-dependent
      contraction to hypoxia in human and canine IMA could be attenuated by NG
      monomethyl-L-arginine (10(-6) mol/L), a competitive inhibitor of L-arginine
      metabolism (n = 9 and n = 10 for human and canine; p less than 0.05). These
      studies establish that the canine is an appropriate model for study of human IMA
      vascular reactivity and that hypoxia can induce the release of an L-arginine
      dependent, endothelium-derived contracting factor in the human and canine IMA. In
      vivo, the release of endothelium-derived contracting factor in response to
      hypoxemia may be cause of IMA vasospasm.

PMID- 1858025
TI  - Enhanced interstitial fluid adenosine attenuates myocardial stunning.
AB  - Reversible myocardial dysfunction associated with transient ischemia has been
      termed the stunned myocardium. Because exogenous adenosine has been shown to
      protect the ischemic myocardium, we hypothesized that augmentation of endogenous
      adenosine levels would attenuate myocardial stunning. To induce stunning,
      anesthetized dogs were subjected to 15 minutes of ischemia (left anterior
      descending artery occlusion) followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. Erythro-9-(2
      hydroxy-3-nonyl) adenine (EHNA; 5 mg/kg/hr), an adenosine deaminase inhibitor,
      was used to augment adenosine levels. The effect of EHNA on interstitial fluid
      (ISF) adenosine levels, coronary blood flow, and regional systolic wall
      thickening was compared with that of an untreated group (n = 8). EHNA increased
      preischemia ISF adenosine levels threefold and was associated with a
      corresponding increase in coronary blood flow. EHNA administration did not alter
      preischemia systolic wall thickening. Although ISF adenosine increased fourfold
      during ischemia in the untreated group, ISF adenosine increased nearly sixtyfold
      above preischemia values in the EHNA-treated group and remained elevated
      throughout reperfusion. Postischemic regional function was enhanced significantly
      in the group treated with EHNA. These data show that adenosine deaminase
      inhibition increased ISF adenosine levels and attenuated myocardial stunning.
      Metabolic manipulation of myocardial ISF nucleoside levels may be beneficial in
      limiting postischemic myocardial dysfunction.

PMID- 1858026
TI  - Effects of distention and short-term grafting on vasoreactivity in rabbit
      external jugular veins.
AB  - The relative effects of distention, intraluminal pressure, and wall tension on
      venous smooth muscle and endothelial cell function were examined in 40 external
      jugular veins from New Zealand white rabbits. Vein grafts (n = 5) were interposed
      in the common carotid artery and explanted after 10 minutes. Distended veins were
      inflated in vitro with modified Krebs' solution at 37 degrees C for 10 minutes at
      pressures of either 20 mm Hg (D-20; n = 5) or 80 mm Hg (D-80; n = 5). Externally
      supported veins (ES-80; n = 5) were inflated at 80 mm Hg pressure, but distention
      was prevented by covering with a 3 mm internal diameter polytetrafluoroethylene
      sleeve. Bradykinin-induced in vitro maximal tension was attenuated significantly
      in vein grafts (0.13 +/- 0.04 g) and D-80 rings (0.27 +/- 0.07 g) compared with D
      20 rings (1.20 +/- 0.14 g), ES-80 rings (0.99 +/- 0.13 g), or nondistended
      control rings (n = 40; 1.19 +/- 0.10 g; p less than 0.001). The attenuation in
      contraction in the vein graft and D-80 groups was nonspecific (i.e., similar
      results were obtained with respect to other smooth muscle agonists). Contractile
      function was inversely associated with wall tension, the product of pressure and
      radius (r2 = 0.7438; p = 0.06). In contrast, there were no differences in
      endothelium-dependent or endothelium-independent relaxation among the five
      groups. It is concluded that, in this experimental system, (1) venous smooth
      muscle function is significantly attenuated after short-term in vitro distention
      or grafting although endothelial function is largely preserved, and (2) the
      decrement in contraction is due to elevated wall tension.

PMID- 1858027
TI  - Hepatic failure and coma after liver resection is reversed by manipulation of gut
      contents: the role of endotoxin.
AB  - Despite significant improvements in the surgical care of patients, hepatic
      failure after extensive liver resection continues to be associated with a high
      morbidity and death. We postulated that hepatic failure after liver resection was
      related to gut-derived endotoxemia. Rats were randomized to receive oral gavage
      twice daily with one of the following preparations: (1) 0.9% saline; (2) neomycin
      sulfate and cefazolin; (3) cholestyramine; (4) lactulose. After 7 days of gavage,
      animals underwent either a two-thirds partial hepatectomy or sham operation. At
      time 0 (preresection), 10, 20, and 30 hours after resection, aortic blood was
      obtained for determination of ammonia, glutamine, and endotoxin levels. In
      selected animals, portal vein or inferior caval blood was obtained simultaneously
      with the aortic sample to evaluate the glutamine and ammonia exchange across the
      intestine and hind limb. Germ-free rats also underwent a partial hepatectomy or
      sham operation, and blood was obtained for glutamine and ammonia exchange at 0
      and 20 hours after resection. Hepatectomy in the saline-pretreated rats resulted
      in a sixfold increase in plasma glutamine, increased uptake of glutamine and
      release of ammonia by the gut, increased release of glutamine by the hind-limb,
      and a high mortality rate. Pretreatment with agents that altered gut contents
      reduced the endotoxemia, maintained normal glutamine and ammonia levels, and
      reduced the mortality rate. Germ-free rats had a similar response to that seen in
      treated animals. Altering the gut contents in this model reduced the level of
      endotoxemia, blunted the catabolic response, and enhanced survival.

PMID- 1858028
TI  - Cholestasis without cirrhosis alters regulatory liver gene expression and
      inhibits hepatic regeneration.
AB  - Partial hepatectomy (PH) initiates cellular signals for regeneration. Sequential
      expression of nuclear and cytosolic protooncogenes accompanies the restoration of
      normal liver function and architecture. Although cirrhosis is known to inhibit
      liver regeneration, the effects of noncirrhotic cholestasis on hepatocellular
      proliferation, differentiation, and regulatory gene expression are unknown. To
      examine this, 25 male Fisher rats underwent common bile duct ligation and
      division. A 47% +/- 5% PH was performed 10 days after common bile duct ligation
      and division when histologic analysis revealed cholestasis without cirrhosis.
      Despite early elevations of total hepatic DNA and RNA values, cholestatic livers
      demonstrated a significant threefold suppression of expected hepatocyte mitotic
      indexes 48 and 72 hours after PH, compared with livers after PH alone. Weight
      restoration in cholestatic livers was 11% +/- 5.2% compared with 40% +/- 4.3% in
      control livers (+/- SEM; p less than 0.001) 5 days after PH. Analysis of
      regenerating liver messenger RNA with complementary DNA probes revealed an
      abnormal, sustained elevation of K-ras expression in cholestatic livers through
      all time points. Cholestasis blunted but did not obliterate normal sequential
      elevations in H-ras found in control livers. The expression of c-myc was
      inhibited threefold with cholestasis 72 hours after PH. These results are the
      first indication that cholestasis alone inhibits hepatocyte proliferation and the
      expression of c-myc that normally precedes the first wave of mitosis. This
      implies that cholestasis without cirrhosis may alter programmed liver gene
      expression, inhibiting normal hepatic regeneration.

PMID- 1858029
TI  - Pentoxifylline suppression of tumor necrosis factor gene transcription.
AB  - Pentoxifylline decreases lung injury after intravenous endotoxin; the mechanism
      is unknown. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is secreted by macrophages in
      response to endotoxin and mediates some of the toxicity of endotoxin. This study
      investigates the effects of pentoxifylline on endotoxin-stimulated TNF production
      in vitro and in vivo. Pentoxifylline concentrations of 100 and 1000 micrograms/ml
      inhibited TNF production by murine adherent peritoneal exudate cells incubated
      with endotoxin 1 microgram/ml. Similarly, pentoxifylline at 100 and 1000
      micrograms/ml decreased the number of available TNF messenger RNA transcripts in
      peritoneal exudate cells assessed by Northern blot. Pentoxifylline had no effect
      on TNF mRNA stability, but appeared to act by inhibiting the rate of TNF mRNA
      production (transcription). In murine in vivo experiments at each dose of
      endotoxin administered from 0.01 to 30 mg/kg, pentoxifylline treatment
      significantly reduced serum TNF levels, suggesting a favorable shift of the
      endotoxin dose-response curve. Expression of murine TNF gene in the livers of
      these animals showed fewer TNF transcripts in the pentoxifylline-treated animals
      compared to controls. Pentoxifylline inhibited endotoxin-induced TNF production
      both in vivo and in vitro and exerted this control by inhibiting endotoxin
      induced transcription of the TNF gene. This study suggests that pentoxifylline
      may ameliorate endotoxic shock by decreasing macrophage TNF production.

PMID- 1858030
TI  - Pentoxifylline inhibits interleukin-2-induced leukocyte-endothelial adherence and
      reduces systemic toxicity.
AB  - Interleukin-2 (IL-2) mediates the regression of metastatic cancer, but clinical
      application has been limited by the induction of dose-dependent toxicities in
      normal tissues. The most clinically significant toxicities occur secondary to a
      vascular leak syndrome and include acute respiratory failure and hemodynamic
      instability. Because previous studies suggested a role for pentoxifylline in
      attenuating the toxic effects of IL-2, we hypothesized that pentoxifylline would
      inhibit alterations in the microvasculature induced by IL-2 and would ultimately
      reduce IL-2-induced toxicity. To determine the validity of this hypothesis, we
      prepared four groups of rats for in vivo microvascular observation. In the first
      group, a bolus intravenous injection of IL-2 (1 x 10(6) units/kg) acutely induced
      hypotension, tachypnea, hypoxia, increased lung water, decreased microvascular
      blood flow, and increased leukocyte-endothelial adherence. No significant changes
      occurred in animals treated by pentoxifylline alone or the control IL-2 vehicle
      alone group. However, pentoxifylline inhibited many of the IL-2-induced systemic
      and microvascular effects, such as hypotension, tachypnea, increased lung water,
      hypoxia, and increased leukocyte-endothelial adherence, but not tachycardia or
      increased microvascular protein leakage. These data support our hypothesis that
      systemic toxicities induced by IL-2 are associated with alterations in the
      microcirculation, which may be ameliorated by pentoxifylline.

PMID- 1858031
TI  - A biologic basis for limited Kupffer cell reactivity to portal-derived endotoxin.
AB  - Despite continuous exposure to gut-derived endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) under
      normal conditions, Kupffer cells (KC) fail to generate detrimental cytokine
      responses. KC function within a unique microenvironment in which high hepatic
      arginase activities (25 times greater than those activities in the kidney) result
      in negligible local L-arginine levels. To evaluate the relevance of this profound
      arginine deficiency on the physiologic function of KC, the kinetics of tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) production and autoregulatory eicosanoid
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were compared in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated
      KC cultured with (1200 mumol/L) and without (10 mumol/L) L-arginine media. In
      (+)arginine culture the KC TNF-alpha production peaked early before decreasing as
      PGE2 production increased. In (-)arginine culture, however, KC TNF-alpha
      production was significantly (p less than 0.01) reduced, whereas PGE2 production
      was amplified (p less than 0.01). When cyclooxygenase blockade with indomethacin
      completely prevented KC production of PGE2 in (-)arginine culture, TNF-alpha
      production was upregulated (p less than 0.001 vs (-)arginine; p not significant
      vs (+)arginine). These arginine-specific depression of TNF-alpha responses
      appeared unique to KC because both TNF-alpha and PGE2 levels increased when
      peritoneal, pleural, and alveolar macrophages were stimulated by
      lipopolysaccharide in (-)arginine medium. This PGE2-dependent autoregulation of
      potentially harmful lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha responses may reflect an
      evolutionary adaptation by KC to their local hepatic environment and strategic
      anatomic position in the portal circuit, which optimally removes endotoxin and
      naturally protects the host.

PMID- 1858032
TI  - Chemotherapy amplifies production of tumor necrosis factor.
AB  - Several chemotherapeutic agents exert cytotoxicity through the generation of
      reactive oxygen species (ROS), and our laboratory has shown that ROS increase
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production. Therefore, we hypothesized that cis
      dichlorodiammine platinum (CDDP), mitomycin-C, and doxorubicin hydrochloride
      (Adriamycin), by the release of ROS, would increase macrophage TNF production.
      Murine macrophages were incubated for 20 hours with varying doses of the
      chemotherapeutic drugs and 2.5 micrograms/ml endotoxin. Both CDDP and mitomycin-C
      increased TNF production compared to nondrug-exposed cells. Peak TNF values
      occurred at 10 micrograms/ml CDDP and 62.5 micrograms/ml mitomycin-C with 377 +/-
      38 and 427 +/- 54 units/ml TNF produced, respectively. These increases were
      significant (p2 less than 0.05) compared to the nonchemotherapy; but endotoxin
      exposed macrophages (CDDP 11 +/- 3 units/ml; mitomycin-C 10 +/- 3 units/ml). Only
      CDDP-increased production of TNF from non-endotoxin-primed macrophages (0
      microgram/ml CDDP - 0 +/- 0 unit/ml TNF; 50 micrograms/ml CDDP - 13 +/- 5
      units/ml TNF; p2 less than 0.038). 5-Fluorouracil, a non-ROS-generating
      chemotherapeutic, and Adriamycin failed to amplify TNF production. By Northern
      blot analysis, CDDP induced transcription of the TNF gene in non-endotoxin-primed
      macrophages as early as 3 hours after exposure to 50 micrograms/ml CDDP, and this
      preceded the increase in TNF protein in kinetic studies. Because CDDP, mitomycin
      C, and Adriamycin all produce ROS, the mechanism for this selective chemotherapy
      induced cytokine amplification remains unclear. This finding may explain both
      indirect toxic and tumoricidal properties of CDDP and mitomycin-C.

PMID- 1858033
TI  - Kinetics of early T-cell repopulation in fully xenogeneic chimeras (F344 rat---
      B10 mouse): evidence for rat T-cell maturation in a xenogeneic mouse thymus.
AB  - We recently reported the model of fully xenogeneic chimerism achieved by
      transplantation of rat bone marrow into mouse recipients (F344 rat----B10 mouse),
      resulting in stable long-term rat lymphoid chimerism. We have now extended this
      model to examine whether developing precursor rat T cells from rat bone marrow
      stem cells can undergo normal differentiation in mature lymphocytes under the
      influence of a xenogeneic mouse thymus. We examined thymic and splenic lymphoid
      cells from fully xenogeneic chimeras starting 1 week after bone marrow
      transplantation to characterize early T-cell repopulation and phenotype. Our data
      suggest that developing rat precursor T cells are able to undergo normal
      differentiation in the mouse thymus. The first precursor T cells appeared 2 weeks
      after reconstitution and by week 10 accounted for more than 90% of thymocytes
      present in the chimeras. In chimeras, developing rat T lymphocytes in the mouse
      thymus exhibited an immature pattern (Thy 1.1+, alpha beta-TCRdull, CD4+ plus
      CD8+) when analyzed by flow cytometry. This pattern was similar to a normal rat.
      In contrast, splenic T-lymphoid cells showed a mature rat phenotype (Thy 1.1-,
      alpha beta-TCRhi, CD4+ or CD8+), again similar to a normal rat. This development
      began 2 weeks after bone marrow transplantation, and both thymus and spleen from
      chimeras exhibited "normal" rat T-cell staining profiles by 10 weeks after
      reconstitution. Overall, these data indicate that developing rat T cells are
      capable of undergoing normal maturation in a xenogeneic mouse thymus of tolerant
      animals.

PMID- 1858034
TI  - Posttranscriptional regulation of neurotensin in the gut.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested an important role for neurotensin as an
      enterotrophic factor in the adaptive response of the gut. The purpose of this
      study was to determine the specific tissue distribution of neurotensin messenger
      RNA (mRNA) and to examine the molecular mechanisms that regulate intestinal
      neurotensin gene expression and content. In the first experiment, various
      segments of gut tissue from three Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested, and
      polyadenylated RNA was extracted for Northern hybridization with a rat
      neurotensin probe. In the second experiment, 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were fasted
      for 72 hours and then killed at 0, 3, 12, and 24 hours after refeeding (n = 8
      rats/group). Rats fed ad libitum were killed before fasting (control, n = 8).
      Distal ileal segments (30 cm) were resected for measurement of neurotensin tissue
      concentration by radioimmunoassay and extraction of poly (A)+ RNA for Northern
      hybridization with a rat neurotensin complementary DNA probe. Blots were stripped
      and reprobed for beta-actin as a control for RNA loading. A nuclear run-on
      transcription assay was performed to determine the relative rate of neurotensin
      transcription. In the first experiment, neurotensin messenger RNA transcripts of
      1.0 and 1.5 Kb sizes were found throughout the small intestine and proximal
      colon; the greatest abundance was found in the distal small intestine. In the
      second experiment, neurotensin tissue concentration was significantly reduced
      with fasting. Refeeding a diet for 24 hours returned neurotensin concentration to
      control levels. However, neither the amount of neurotensin messenger RNA nor its
      rate of transcription were altered by fasting and refeeding. These findings
      suggest that a posttranscriptional mechanism is responsible for regulation of
      neurotensin synthesis in gut mucosa.

PMID- 1858035
TI  - Introduction of bias in residency-candidate interviews.
AB  - We have developed, as part of our resident applicant ranking process, a
      computerized weighted scoring system incorporating, among other variables, the
      interview score (IS). This study was undertaken to test the IS as a dependent
      variable when the applicant file is available during the interview. Over a 3-year
      period, each of two faculty members interviewed 133 candidates in a "blinded"
      fashion (file unavailable) or 290 candidates with an "open" file. The mean
      discrepancy between paired interviewers (1 to 10 scale) was 1.34 +/- 0.10 for the
      blinded group versus 0.93 +/- 0.06 for the open group (p less than 0.001).
      Individual and multiple regression analysis were used to test the IS as a
      dependent variable in the open group, with the blinded group as a control. In
      each instance (except clerkship grades), the IS correlated more closely with
      other parameters (p less than 0.05) in the open group. Correlation coefficients
      were 0.27 (blinded) and 0.64 (open) for weighted scores combining all parameters
      (p less than 0.001) and 0.39 (blinded) and 0.65 (open) for multiple linear
      regression analysis (p less than 0.001). We conclude that the IS is significantly
      influenced if other objective variables are at hand, thus deflating the actual
      weight of the interview. To accurately quantify the value of the interview, a
      correction factor must be applied, or, more appropriately, the interview must be
      conducted blindly.

PMID- 1858036
TI  - Relation between p53 overexpression and established prognostic factors in breast
      cancer.
AB  - The nuclear phosphoprotein p53 is expressed in all normal cells and appears to
      function in cell cycle regulation. Abnormally high levels of the protein are
      found in many different types of cancer. In breast carcinoma overexpression of
      p53 is associated with point mutations within highly conserved regions of the p53
      gene. These altered genes encode stable p53 proteins that can be detected by
      standard immunohistochemical techniques unable to detect rapidly degraded wild
      type protein. The level of p53 expression in 184 primary breast cancer specimens
      was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis and related to the following
      established prognostic factors for breast cancer: age, stage, metastatic
      involvement, concentration of estrogen and progesterone receptors, proliferative
      index, and HER-2/neu overexpression. Fifty (27%) of these primary breast cancer
      specimens had widespread overexpression of p53. Highly significant associations
      were found between p53 overexpression and late stage, metastatic spread, and low
      concentration of progesterone receptors. The presence of elevated levels of
      mutant p53 may itself be a prognostic factor in human breast cancer and
      activation of this oncogene may be important in the ability of a tumor to
      metastasize.

PMID- 1858037
TI  - Evidence for a new tumor-suppressor gene involved in gastrointestinal
      malignancies.
AB  - Inactivation or loss of tumor-suppressor genes is believed to lead to the
      development or progression of malignancies. To determine whether a tumor
      suppressor gene is located on chromosome 8, DNA was extracted from tumor and
      normal tissue of colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic specimens, and allele loss
      was investigated by Southern hybridization techniques with the chromosome 8 probe
      D8S7. Twenty-five percent of pancreatic carcinomas, 50% of gastric carcinomas,
      and 50% of colorectal carcinomas were found to have lost an allele on chromosome
      8. These findings suggest the presence of a tumor-suppressor gene on chromosome
      8, which is involved in colorectal carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, and pancreatic
      carcinoma. Definition of the frequency with which this tumor-suppressor gene is
      involved in gastrointestinal malignancies will await the study of many patients
      who are classified as informative and the use of multiple probes for chromosome
      8.

PMID- 1858038
TI  - The Ca2+ second messenger system and interleukin-1-alpha modulation of hepatic
      gene transcription and mitochondrial fat oxidation.
AB  - Cytokines have been implicated in the modulation of fat metabolism after sepsis.
      Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), the regulatory enzyme of hepatic
      mitochondrial long-chain fatty-acid oxidation, is involved in the control of
      hepatic fat oxidation in sepsis. Using either H4IIe rat hepatoma cells or rat
      hepatocytes in primary culture, we tested the hypothesis that interleukin-1-alpha
      (IL-1 alpha) would modulate CPT transcription (CPT mRNA), CPT translation (35S
      methionine CPT protein incorporation), and hepatic mitochondrial oxidation of 1
      Carbon 14-labeled (14C) palmitate to ketone bodies (acid soluble products). We
      showed that IL-1 alpha significantly increased CPT mRNA, 35S-methionine
      incorporation CPT protein, and hepatic mitochondrial oxidation of 1-14C-palmitate
      to acid soluble products. We further hypothesized that the Ca2+ second messenger
      system may play a role in the IL-1 alpha induction of hepatic CPT gene
      transcription. We showed that either calcium ionophore (A23187) or phorbol
      myristate acetate increased CPT gene transcription and that either calcium
      chelation, protein kinase C inhibition (acridine orange), or chronic exposure to
      phorbol myristate acetate significantly inhibited IL-1 alpha induction of CPT
      mRNA. We conclude that the IL-1 alpha increases in hepatic mitochondrial fatty
      acid oxidation may be, in part, secondary to increased CPT gene transcription and
      translation and that the Ca2+ second messenger system may play an important role
      in IL-1 alpha induction of CPT gene transcription.

PMID- 1858039
TI  - Cytokine modulation of glutamine transport by pulmonary artery endothelial cells.
AB  - The effects of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 on sodium-dependent
      glutamine transport by cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) were
      studied. Incubation of PAECs with cytokines (10 to 1000 units/ml) resulted in a
      significant increase in System ASC-mediated glutamine transport that was dose
      dependent, first observable after 8 hours, and maximal after 12 hours of
      exposure. Kinetic studies indicated that the increase in carrier-mediated
      activity was not due to a change in Km (transporter affinity) but instead to a
      45% to 75% increase in maximal transport rate (Vmax). The cytokine-stimulated
      increase in glutamine uptake by PAECs was completely blocked by actinomycin D and
      cycloheximide, indicating that the accelerated glutamine transport was dependent
      on de novo RNA and protein synthesis, perhaps of the transporter itself. The data
      indicate that these cytokines accelerate glutamine uptake by PAECs, either
      directly or indirectly, a response which may be required to support endothelial
      metabolism, structure, and function during infection and inflammation. The
      results of this study represent, to our knowledge, the first reports of cytokine
      mediated modulation of System ASC activity, a carrier that has historically been
      unresponsive to hormonal regulation in other tissues.

PMID- 1858040
TI  - Nitric oxide generation from L-arginine is required for optimal human peripheral
      blood lymphocyte DNA synthesis.
AB  - We examined whether L-arginine is a substrate for nitric oxide (NO) production by
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) in vitro. Minimal extracellular arginine
      (0.04 mmol/L) is required for maximal lymphocyte proliferation after
      phytohemagglutinin stimulation. In the absence of arginine, proliferation was 41%
      of normal without loss of viability. In contrast, MNC total protein synthesis (as
      assessed by tritiated leucine incorporation) or lymphokine synthesis (interleukin
      2, as assessed by cytotoxic lymphoid line (CTLL) proliferation) were not affected
      by the absence or presence of arginine in the medium. Exogenous nitric oxide
      provided as sodium nitroprusside could replace L-arginine for maximal blastogenic
      proliferation. The addition of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA; 0.1 mmol/L), a
      specific inhibitor of the NO synthetic pathway, significantly reduced DNA
      synthesis both at 0 and 0.1 mmol/L arginine concentrations; this effect was
      reversed to 91% of normal by excess arginine (1.0 mmol/L). Homoarginine (0.1
      mmol/L; a known substrate for NO production) partially substituted for arginine,
      and this effect was also abrogated by NMMA. Nitrite levels (an end product of NO
      metabolism) were reduced when L-arginine was absent or NMMA was added to L
      arginine-containing media. Cytosol from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated MNC
      enhanced cyclic guanosine monophosphate production in the presence of L-arginine
      as substrate. The data suggest that the inductive effects of L-arginine on MNC
      DNA synthesis are not related to its nutrient requirement for protein synthesis,
      but rather caused by its role as a substrate for NO production. MNC actively
      synthesize NO during mitogenic proliferation. NO appears to be a promoter of MNC
      DNA synthesis, probably by its well-known effect as an activator of guanylate
      cyclase, which increases cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels.

PMID- 1858041
TI  - Nitric oxide synthesis in the in vivo allograft response: a possible regulatory
      mechanism.
AB  - Activated macrophages are known to oxidatively metabolize L-arginine to nitric
      oxide and citrulline. We have recently shown that nitric oxide is a potent
      inhibitory molecule in the in vitro rat mixed-splenocyte culture, resulting in
      inhibition of proliferation and cytolytic T-cell induction. We undertook this
      study using the sponge matrix allograft model in the rat to determine whether
      nitric oxide plays a role in an in vivo allograft response. Our experiments
      showed that on day 6 after grafting, when cytolytic activity of allograft
      infiltrating cells is first detected, allogeneic graft fluid contains higher
      levels of NO2-/NO3- (the stable endproducts of nitric oxide metabolism) than
      syngeneic graft fluid. Furthermore, evaluation of the supernatants of cultured
      graft-infiltrating cells revealed that allogeneic graft-infiltrating cells
      spontaneously produce higher amounts of nitric oxide than syngeneic graft
      infiltrating cells. The nitric oxide production was inhibited in the presence of
      NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMA), the competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide
      production. Most of the nitric oxide production was observed in the adherent
      macrophage fraction of the allograft-infiltrating cells. When allograft
      infiltrating cells were cultured in the presence of NMA, donor-specific cytolytic
      activity was observed, whereas allograft-infiltrating cells cultured in the
      absence of NMA showed no cytolytic activity. These data show that nitric oxide
      production may play an important regulatory role in the allograft response.

PMID- 1858043
TI  - Pentoxifylline restores intestinal microvascular blood flow during resuscitated
      hemorrhagic shock.
AB  - We studied the intestinal microvascular blood flow responses to hemorrhage and
      resuscitation with pentoxifylline by in vivo video microscopy. Male Sprague
      Dawley rats were hemorrhaged to 50% of baseline mean arterial pressure for 45
      minutes and then blindly randomized to receive pentoxifylline (25 mg/kg bolus +
      0.2 mg/kg/minute) or an equivalent volume of saline plus return of shed blood and
      an additional bled volume of Ringer's lactate solution. Hemorrhage caused
      intestinal microvascular blood flow to decrease to 10% to 15% of baseline values.
      In the control group, resuscitation restored cardiac output and mean arterial
      pressure to baseline values, but intestinal microvascular blood flow remained at
      30% of baseline values. In contrast, addition of pentoxifylline to the
      resuscitation regimen resulted in an immediate hyperemic response with an
      increase in intestinal microvascular blood flow to significantly greater than
      baseline values followed by return to baseline. Arteriolar dilation was not
      responsible for the improvement in flow implicating improved flow dynamics
      between erythrocytes, granulocytes, and vascular endothelia within the
      microcirculation. We conclude that addition of pentoxifylline to resuscitation
      from hemorrhagic shock restores intestinal microvascular blood flow.

PMID- 1858042
TI  - The role of intrarenal prostaglandins and angiotensin II in acute cyclosporine
      induced vasoconstriction.
AB  - Cyclosporine causes intrarenal vasoconstriction, which may account for its
      nephrotoxic effects. In this study we investigated the role of endogenous
      prostaglandins and angiotensin II in cyclosporine-induced intrarenal
      vasoconstriction. Split hydronephrotic kidneys in decerebrate rats (n = 16) were
      suspended in an environmentally controlled tissue bath. Interlobular, afferent,
      and efferent arteriolar diameters and red blood cell velocity were measured by in
      vivo video-microscopy and Doppler velocimetry. After topical application of
      cyclosporine to the kidney in the tissue bath, a 12% +/- 2% constriction of the
      interlobular and a 28% +/- 5% reduction in interlobular blood flow occurred. The
      afferent and efferent arterioles also constricted by 13% +/- 2% and 10% +/- 3%,
      respectively. Prostaglandin inhibition with mefenemate augmented this
      vasoconstriction (16% +/- 2% at interlobular and 21% +/- 4% at afferent
      arterioles) and reduction in interlobular blood flow (38% +/- 8%) below baseline
      values. Mefenemate alone resulted in a 35% +/- 5% reduction in interlobular blood
      flow, which was not further augmented by cyclosporine. In contrast, local
      competitive angiotensin II-receptor inhibition with saralasin maintained blood
      flow after cyclosporine and prevented intrarenal vasoconstriction by
      cyclosporine. This suggests that prostaglandins protect against intrarenal
      vasoconstriction and that acute cyclosporine-induced vasoconstriction is mediated
      through angiotensin II receptors.

PMID- 1858044
TI  - Pretreatment with a nontoxic derivative of endotoxin induces functional
      protection against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury.
AB  - We hypothesized that low-dose pretreatment of an intact animal with a nontoxic
      derivative of endotoxin, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), would induce protection
      against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The purposes of this study
      were to investigate whether MPL pretreatment would induce functional protection
      against cardiac I/R injury, to delineate the temporal induction of protection,
      and to examine antioxidant enzyme induction as a mechanism of protection. Rats
      were administered a 5 mg/kg dose of MPL at 2 hours and 24 hours before a 25
      minute, global, 37 degrees C ischemic insult followed by reperfusion (modified
      Langendorff). At 40 minutes of reperfusion, ventricular function was assessed
      (ventricular balloon; developed pressure, rate of contraction, rate of
      relaxation). Hearts from rats pretreated with MPL 24 hours before isolation
      exhibited preservation of ventricular function (p less than 0.05). After I/R,
      hearts from rats pretreated with MPL 24 hours before isolation had increased (p
      less than 0.05) catalase activity compared to saline pretreated controls and rats
      pretreated with MPL 2 hours before isolation. We conclude that (1) pretreatment
      with MPL induces functional protection against cardiac I/R injury, (2) protection
      (not evident at 2 hours) is maximal at 24 hours, suggesting enzyme induction, and
      (3) increased catalase activity correlates with the functional protection.

PMID- 1858045
TI  - Aneurysm or occlusive disease--factors determining the clinical course of
      atherosclerosis of the infrarenal aorta.
AB  - Atherosclerosis of the infrarenal aorta results in distinct clinical entities-
      aortoiliac occlusive disease (AOD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Although
      loss of collagen has been implicated in AAA, collagen accumulation plays a role
      in AOD. In vivo collagen-gene expression can be assessed using complementary DNA
      for collagen types I and III alpha-chains. The purpose of this study is to
      compare total collagen (type I + III) and collagen types I and III messenger RNA
      in AAA, AOD and normal aorta. Specimens were collected from the infrarenal aorta
      during operation for AOD (n = 7), AAA (n = 7), autopsy, or organ procurement
      (normal; n = 7). Northern transfer analysis of total RNA was used to compare mRNA
      levels for type I and III collagen. After preliminary extraction, specimens were
      hydrolyzed for hydroxyproline analysis used to calculate total collagen (type I +
      III). Relative levels of type I (pro-a1[1]) mRNA were greater in both AOD (0.77
      +/- 0.35) and AAA tissue (0.94 +/- 0.24; p = 0.6) than in normal aorta (0.02 +/-
      0.03). Type III (pro-a1[III]) mRNA levels were also greater in AOD (2.52 +/-
      0.19; p = 0.09) and AAA tissue (3.15 +/- 1.3) than in normals (0.97 +/- 0.47).
      Total collagen concentration was increased in AOD (45.6% +/- 3.1% dry weight; p
      less than 0.05) but not AAA tissue (27.8% +/- 4%) when compared to normal aorta
      (34.7% +/- 2.3%). Collagen type I and III gene expression is greater in older,
      diseased aorta, yet collagen accumulated only in AOD. This implies a similar
      synthetic response in both AOD and AAA. Thus, proteolytic degradation in AAA
      appears to determine collagen content and possibly the clinical course of the
      atherosclerotic process.

PMID- 1858046
TI  - Diltiazem administration after crystalloid resuscitation restores active
      hepatocellular function and hepatic blood flow after severe hemorrhagic shock.
AB  - Studies have shown that active hepatocellular function is depressed after
      hemorrhagic shock, despite crystalloid resuscitation. It is also known that
      calcium antagonists produce various beneficial effects on cell and organ function
      after ischemia and shock. However, it remains unknown whether such agents have
      any salutary effects on the depressed active hepatocellular function and hepatic
      blood flow in a nonheparinized model of trauma and hemorrhage. To study this,
      rats underwent a midline laparotomy (trauma-induced) and were bled to and
      maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mm Hg until 40% of the maximum
      bleedout was returned in the form of Ringer's lactate. They were then
      resuscitated with four times the volume of shed blood with Ringer's lactate over
      60 minutes, during and after which diltiazem (400 micrograms/kg body weight) was
      infused intravenously over 95 minutes. Active hepatocellular function (Vmax and
      Km) was determined with an in vivo indocyanine green clearance technique.
      Effective hepatic blood flow (EHBF) was determined by Fick principle and
      corrected by the indocyanine green extraction ratio. Hepatic microvascular blood
      flow (HMBF) was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. Results indicate that Vmax,
      Km, EHBF, and HMBF decreased significantly at 1.5 and 4 hours after
      resuscitation. Diltiazem infusion restored the depressed Vmax, Km, EHBF, and HMBF
      and prevented the occurrence of hepatic edema. Thus, diltiazem may be a useful
      adjunct in the treatment of trauma and severe hemorrhage even in the absence of
      blood resuscitation.

PMID- 1858047
TI  - Red cell deformability is an early indicator of infection.
AB  - Red blood cells (RBC) have been shown to become less deformable during infection.
      The RBC deformability index (DI) was measured within 24 hours of admission in 37
      patients who had suffered trauma and every 48 to 72 hours thereafter while they
      were in the surgical intensive care unit to assess whether DI could be used as an
      early indicator of infection after injury. Infection was defined as a temperature
      of 101 degrees F or more and a white blood cell count of more than 12,000/cm3
      associated with a positive culture. Eighteen patients developed an infection, and
      19 patients did not. On day 1, both groups showed a significant decrease in DI,
      compared to controls (0.33 +/- 0.18 and 0.34 +/- 0.25 for patients with infection
      and patients with no infection vs 1.52 +/- 0.12 for control volunteers; p less
      than 0.05). In the group with no infection, the DI improved in 16 of 19 patients
      after injury; the DI in patients with infection continued to decrease in 17 of 18
      patients. The decrease in DI occurred 4 +/- 2 days (range, 2 to 8 days) before
      the diagnosis of infection. No significant differences were apparent in the
      absolute white blood cell count between the group with infection and the group
      with no infection at any time after injury. Differences in maximal temperature
      were noted on day 3 and beyond; however, 30% of patients with no infection had a
      temperature of more than 101 degrees F for 7 days. These data show that trauma
      results in a significant decrease in RBC deformability and that serial changes in
      DI appeared to predict which patients would develop an infection and which
      patients would recover uneventfully. RBC deformability may be helpful in early
      detection of infection in patients who have suffered trauma.

PMID- 1858048
TI  - The impact of a resident-directed survey on the education curriculum of a
      university surgical training program.
AB  - Surgical training programs use various objective and subjective means to evaluate
      housestaff performance. However it is less clear how to assess the quality of the
      educational experience the program itself provides. This study examines the use
      of a resident-directed survey as a means of identifying and rectifying weakness
      in a surgical training curriculum. Multiple choice questionnaires covering each
      of 14 senior rotations were prepared by chief residents and distributed to all
      senior surgical residents in April 1989 (year I). The survey covered factors
      considered vital to resident education, including operative experience, input
      into preoperative and postoperative decisions, autonomy, and time demands, and an
      overall rating (OR) of the educational quality of the rotations. Responses were
      numerically graded: 1, appropriate; 0, fair; -1, inadequate (or "excessive" for
      the variable "time demands"). The results, which were presented and discussed at
      a departmental retreat that spring, prompted specific curriculum changes for the
      1989-1990 academic year. An identical survey was conducted the next spring (year
      II). Major reorganizational changes were made in three of the four negatively
      rated rotations from year I. The OR for each of the rotations improved
      dramatically in year II (average increase of 0.64/rotation; p less than 0.05).
      None of the eight favorably rated rotations in year I suffered a reduction in OR
      as a result of the changes. Case load, intraoperative involvement, and input in
      both preoperative and postoperative decisions correlated most frequently with
      favorable ORs in both years. This study shows that a resident survey is an
      effective tool for critically assessing the education curriculum of a surgical
      training program.

PMID- 1858049
TI  - Pathways of serotonin-induced electrolyte transport in rat distal colon.
AB  - Serotinin-stimulated electrolyte transport was examined in flat-sheet
      preparations of rat left colon with the Ussing chamber-voltage clamp technique.
      Transport was studied in tissues stripped of muscularis propria and in
      nonstripped tissue. In nonstripped colon, the action of serotonin (5
      hydroxytrytamine [5-HT]) on short-circuit current was inhibited by a factor of
      60% by tetrodotoxin (P less than 0.05; t test) and was also inhibited by the 5HT2
      antagonist ketanserin (p less than 0.05 vs serotonin; t test) and the 5-HT3
      antagonist ICS 205-930 (p less than 0.05 vs serotonin, t test). These compounds
      produced corresponding inhibition of serotonin-induced sodium and chloride flux
      in this preparation. The tetrodotoxin-sensitive component was not inhibited by
      atropine, hexamethonium, phentolamine, or propranolol. Histologic analysis of the
      stripped preparation showed that it consisted of mucosa and musclaris mucosa
      only. In this stripped preparation, serotonin-induced change in short-circuit
      current was tetrodotoxin insensitive and inhibited by ketanserin (p less than
      0.05 vs serotonin, t test) but not by ICS 205-930. Serotonin-induced sodium and
      chloride flux was inhibited by ketanserin in the presence of tetrodotoxin in this
      preparation. These results suggest that serotonin-induced electrolyte transport
      in rat distal colon is mediated by nonneural 5HT2 receptors in the mucosa or
      muscularis mucosa and by 5-HT3 receptors located on enteric nonadrenergic,
      noncholinergic nerves.

PMID- 1858050
TI  - Capsaicin-sensitive nerves mediate esophageal mucosal protection.
AB  - The esophageal mucosa is exposed to damaging agents both by ingestion and reflux.
      Using our in vivo rabbit model of esophagitis, we have observed that acute
      luminal exposure (within 1 to 5 minutes) to potentially harmful agents, such as
      acid, bile, or ethanol, induces a rapid increase in mucosal blood flow; whereas
      prolonged exposure (10 to 60 minutes) results in mucosal injury and ablation of
      blood flow. We have also shown that capsaicin-sensitive mucosal afferent nerves
      can modulate esophageal blood flow. These findings led us to hypothesize that the
      reactive increase in blood flow induced by luminal agents represents a mechanism
      of protection mediated by capsaicin-sensitive nerves. The objective of these
      experiments was to determine if luminal capsaicin, a specific probe for visceral
      afferent nerves, could both preserve mucosal blood flow and protect against
      ethanol injury. Rabbits were subjected to luminal instillation of 50% ethanol
      with or without 1% capsaicin. Blood flow was measured with microspheres at
      baseline and after 2 and 10 minutes. Rabbits exposed only to ethanol developed
      severe mucosal injury coincident with near ablation of mucosal blood flow. In
      contrast, rabbits exposed to ethanol with capsaicin showed protection of the
      epithelium with a sixfold increase in mucosal blood flow. We conclude that
      capsaicin-sensitive nerves in the esophagus are local effectors of mucosal
      protection by virtue of preserving blood flow.

PMID- 1858051
TI  - Autotransplantation of dispersed pancreatic islet tissue combined with total or
      near-total pancreatectomy for treatment of chronic pancreatitis.
AB  - Chronic pancreatitis is difficult to treat in patients with a nondilated duct.
      Patients experiencing intractable pain unresponsive to or judged untreatable by
      lesser procedures must decide between total pancreatectomy and resultant diabetes
      or a continuation of their pancreatitis. From 1977 through 1990, 26 patients
      underwent extensive pancreatectomy and dispersed pancreatic islet tissue
      autotransplantation for treatment of chronic pancreatitis pain and prophylaxis of
      surgical diabetes. Of these 26 patients, total (Whipple) or near-total (greater
      than 95%) pancreatectomy was performed in 24 patients. Of these 24 patients, pain
      relief could be assessed in 21 patients at 5 to 155 months (mean, 5.7 years), and
      19 patients (90%) reported partial or complete remission. Of the patients who
      underwent total or near-total pancreatectomy, islets were injected intraportally
      in 22 patients and into the renal subcapsule in two patients. The latter two
      patients have required insulin since surgery. Of the other 22, one patient died
      from a complication of the pancreatectomy. Nine of the 21 evaluable recipients of
      intraportal islet autografts were insulin independent for at least several months
      after surgery. Five patients are currently insulin independent at 6 years, 4
      years, 1.5 years, 9 months, and 5 months after surgery. Of the other four
      patients, one patient died insulin independent at 6 years, and three patients
      required insulin beginning 8 to 18 months after surgery. Insulin independence
      correlated with the number of islets recovered, which in turn correlated
      inversely with the degree of pancreatic fibrosis. Of our four most recent
      patients, three patients had mildly to moderately fibrotic glands, and higher
      numbers of islets were obtained. After total (Whipple) pancreatectomy, these
      three patients are insulin independent. A liver biopsy was performed in one
      patient 8 months after total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation;
      numerous clusters of islet cells staining strongly for insulin and glucagon were
      detected within portal triads on both wedge and needle biopsy specimens.
      Morbidity related to the intraportal-dispersed pancreatic islet tissue
      transplantation was low (no disseminated intravascular coagulation, significant
      portal hypertension, or hepatic dysfunction). Islet autotransplantation can be an
      effective and safe adjunct to extensive pancreatic resection for those patients
      who risk surgical diabetes for relief of their chronic pancreatitis pain.

PMID- 1858052
TI  - Insights into the mechanisms of defective antigen presentation after hemorrhage.
AB  - Although hemorrhage depresses macrophage antigen presentation (AP), a critical
      component in eliciting an antigen-specific immune response, it is not known which
      particular step in macrophage AP (i.e., uptake, ingestion, catabolism, or
      presentation of degraded antigens to T cells) is defective. To study this,
      C3H/HeN mice were bled to an arterial mean blood pressure of 35 mm Hg, maintained
      for 60 minutes, and then adequately resuscitated. Peritoneal and splenic
      macrophage cultures were prepared 2 and 24 hours after hemorrhage. Macrophage AP
      capacity was measured by coculturing macrophages with the T-helper cell clone
      D10.G4.1. To gain information about macrophage ability to digest the specific
      antigen conalbumin, lysosomal activity was bypassed by use of chemically
      denatured conalbumin peptides. To study macrophage ability to present conalbumin
      peptides, macrophages were fixed and D10.G4.1 proliferation in response to
      fragmented conalbumin was determined. AP of native conalbumin by peritoneal
      macrophages and splenic macrophages was depressed (p less than 0.05) by 50%
      (peritoneal macrophages) and 55% (splenic macrophages) 2 hours and 57%
      (peritoneal macrophages) and 35% (splenic macrophages) 24 hours after hemorrhage.
      In contrast, presentation of conalbumin peptides was only slightly decreased. In
      addition, the ability of fixed peritoneal macrophages and splenic macrophages to
      present conalbumin peptides was similar in hemorrhaged and sham mice. Because
      bypassing of macrophage lysosomal activity with degraded native antigens
      prevented the suppression of AP, the results suggest that hemorrhage-induced
      suppression of AP is not caused by a reduced macrophage capacity to present
      antigenic peptides but by decreased antigen catabolism by macrophages.

PMID- 1858054
TI  - [Psychosomatic approach to orofacial pain and its equivalents. Study of 53 cases
      at the Oral Medicine Department, E.S.M.D., Lisbon].

PMID- 1858053
TI  - Wound fluid amino acid concentrations regulate the effect of epidermal growth
      factor on fibroblast replication.
AB  - Growth factors and amino acids (AA) are required for cell proliferation. A
      comparison of the AA composition of wound fluid (WF) to that of Eagle's medium
      reveals that AA in WF may be limiting to cell replication. Yet WF supports
      fibroblast replication and stimulates AA uptake. Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
      stimulates fibroblast replication and stimulates human wound healing when applied
      topically. We evaluated the interactions between EGF and AA concentrations found
      in WF. Wound fibroblasts were cultured in media prepared to mimic the AA
      concentrations found in WF on days 1, 5, and 10 and in the presence of varying
      concentrations of EGF. Fibroblasts cultured in all three experimental media
      showed a dose response to EGF for both tritiated-thymidine uptake (proliferation)
      and AA uptake. The fibroblast proliferation in response to EGF was augmented by
      the AA composition of day-5 WF. These data show a dose-dependent effect of EGF on
      fibroblast replication and AA uptake in the absence of serum that is augmented by
      the particular AA combination found in day-5 WF and suggests that an optimal
      physiologic AA profile may aid in EGF stimulation of wound fibroblast
      replication.

PMID- 1858055
TI  - [Review of the problems of prosthetic crowns].

PMID- 1858056
TI  - [Marginal leakage of amalgam restorations].
AB  - The authoress presents a revision work on a marginal microleakage around amalgam
      restorations. After a brief introduction in which some harmful aspects of its
      formation are made clear, a reference to the causes and tooth prevention against
      its formation follows.

PMID- 1858057
TI  - [Angina bullosa haemorrhagica: clinical case, review of the literature].

PMID- 1858058
TI  - [Physiology of autotransplants in the human species. Histological analysis of
      transplanted upper canine pulps].
AB  - 10 canine pulps were examined after transplantation. The time of transplant life
      was not the same in all cases, so it was possible to record all the evolutive
      patterns during 2 months. Correlating our observations with literature and
      statistics, it was possible to draw the main aspects of transplant pulp
      physiology.

PMID- 1858059
TI  - [A case of appendicular supplementary root with external root resorption].
AB  - The case of a lateral maxillary incisor with a supplementary root fractured by
      external root resorption, is presented. The role played for the periodontal
      disease is shown in the clinical and radiographic achievements, and their
      implications in the pulpal disease. Endodontic therapy was performed and the
      diagnosis confirmed in the specimen histological research.

PMID- 1858060
TI  - [Changes in prevention of infection: a historic retrospect].
AB  - The discovery of pathogenic microorganisms in the mid 19th century made possible
      an effective prophylaxis on a scientific basis. During many centuries,
      sequestration of leprous in specific dwellings was the custom; in the hindsight
      it proved to be instrumental for the almost complete disappearance of leprosy in
      Europe. This was also the case with the epidemics of plague, which, since the
      late Middle Ages, were stopped by measures of quarantine in ports and at frontier
      passages (e.g. Austrian plague-cordon). The beginning of internationally
      coordinated health measures was equally decisive. With smallpox, the variolation
      (since 1730) gave first relief, until Sir Edward Jenner discovered in 1798 the
      highly successful cross-immunity through vaccination. The development of sanitary
      conditions through better drinking-water supply, canalization and garbage
      disposal since the mid 19th century contributed much to the betterment of health,
      especially concerning cholera epidemics in cities. The reinforcement of the
      individual hygiene (body care, extermination of lice, antiseptic treatment of
      wounds, etc.) helped to achieve an adequate prevention and, together with
      intensified health education, a decline of infectious diseases in general.

PMID- 1858061
TI  - [Skin and hand disinfection].
AB  - In modern medicine, hygiene has become an issue of ever increasing importance.
      Disinfection of hands is crucial, since hands are the main vector of bacteria.
      Successful disinfection depends not only on the appropriate choice of an active
      agent, but equally so on proper techniques and skin care. The spectre and the
      time profile of activity as well as the skin-protecting properties of the chosen
      disinfectant must be known. Basic knowledge of disinfection is necessary for a
      rational interpretation of the information given in the glossy printed material
      of advertisement.

PMID- 1858062
TI  - [Public health and isolation measures with regard to infectious patients].
AB  - Patient isolation aims at reducing the risk of infection transmission to other
      patients and the hospital personnel. Three types of disease-specific isolation
      procedures and their indications are described: strict isolation, respiratory
      isolation and enteral isolation. The type of patient isolation to be applied
      depends on the mode of pathogen transmission and on the severity of the disease
      it produces.

PMID- 1858063
TI  - [Preventive use of antibiotics for internal medicine diseases].
AB  - Prevention of infection by the interniste is less explored than perioperative
      prophylaxis. Basically, prophylaxis in internal medicine may be considered in the
      following situations: in case of chronic recurrent infections, in case of
      persisting infections, after contact with a dangerous microorganism, after
      contact with a potentially infectious vector, during bacteremia or in case of an
      anatomical defect. For some of these situations (malaria, tuberculosis, rheumatic
      fever) clear guidelines exist which, however, are rather based on the consensus
      of experts than on scientific data. For other diseases (e.g. chronic recurrent
      urinary tract infections) clinical studies are the basis for a rational
      proceeding. For a third group of situations (e.g. Lyme disease, chronic
      bronchitis, leak of cerebrospinal fluid, implant) neither guidance nor sufficient
      clinical data exist. In these cases the proceeding is individual. The basis for
      the decision is given by clinical observations, single studies, theoretical
      considerations or cost-benefit analyses.

PMID- 1858064
TI  - [Antibiotic prevention of bacterial endocarditis].
AB  - Infective endocarditis is a serious disease and should be, if possible,
      prevented. Two risk groups are classified in relation to the patient's underlying
      cardiac lesions. At high risk are patients with prosthetic valves or with a
      previous infective endocarditis. Patients with congenital and acquired heart
      disease, mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation and hypertrophic obstructive
      cardiomyopathy are at moderate risk. Patients of these two groups should receive
      antibiotic prophylaxis before dental or surgical procedures that cause
      bacteremia. For patients at moderate risk a single dose of an orally administered
      antibiotic should be given one hour before the procedure (e.g. amoxicillin 3 g
      for procedures of the oropharyngeal, gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract,
      where the causitive agents of endocarditis are Viridans streptococci or
      enterococci). Multiple doses are recommended for patients at high risk. The
      combination of amoxicillin and gentamicin (vancomycin and gentamicin in
      penicillin-allergic patients) offers the widest margin of safety in high-risk
      patients.

PMID- 1858065
TI  - [Active and passive immunization: 1991 status].
AB  - Contrary to the regular immunization schedule for children, the majority of
      immunization are done in adulthood in case of special risks only, such as old
      age, chronic illness or exposure. The protection against a variety of
      communicable diseases has to be monitored and if necessary to be boosted
      regularly. Based on the routine vaccination scheme 1991 of the Federal Department
      of Public Health, the following vaccinations which are commercially available in
      Switzerland are discussed in this review: diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae,
      hepatitis B, influenza, measles + mumps + rubella, meningococci, pertussis,
      pneumococci, poliomyelitis, tetanus, rabies, tuberculosis, varicella and tick
      encephalitis. Furthermore, the current recommendations are given for the
      prophylactic and therapeutic use of immunoglobuline preparations.

PMID- 1858066
TI  - [Prevention of infectious diseases in traveling].
AB  - Diarrhea, malaria, and viral hepatitis are among the preventable diseases of
      travellers. In Switzerland, almost all serious cases of malaria are introduced
      from tropical Africa; therefore, we recommend protection with 250 mg of mefloquin
      per week for this destination. Elsewhere, protection against mosquitoes, in
      combination with Fansimef for self-treatment, may be enough. For travellers'
      diarrhea, we prefer immediate treatment with ciprofloxacin or cotrimoxazol to
      prophylaxis. Administration of immune globulin against hepatitis A may be
      recommended for all non-immune tourists, whereas protection against hepatitis B
      is necessary for health workers and sex tourists.

PMID- 1858067
TI  - [Primary prevention of HIV infection].
AB  - Primary prophylaxis by a change of behaviour in the population continues to be
      the only effective possibility to prevent a further spread of the aids epidemic.
      The most important presupposition for this is the precise knowledge of the ways
      of transmission and the corresponding protective measures. Informations referring
      to this must turn up repeatedly and above all free of contradictions at all
      levels of the preventive campaign. The desired changes of behaviour suppose also
      a climate of confidence and solidarity. The physician's task of prevention is
      part of the comprehensive strategy of HIV-prevention in Switzerland (effect in
      width and depth on population- and target groups and on the individual level). It
      is naturally the physician's domain to look after and counsel individually. Most
      variable possibilities of beginning a conversation about Aids prevention offer
      themselves to him. He should put the indication for this as generous as possible
      and deal extensively with a possible risky behaviour which might not be conscious
      to both the patient and the physician. The HIV antibody test is indicated in
      certain situations, however the pre- and posttest counselling is in any case much
      more decisive than the result of the test. The preventive measures recommended up
      to now for the most important ways of transmission (sexual contact, intravenous
      drug use, perinatal transmission, blood/blood products) are still valid without
      modification.

PMID- 1858068
TI  - [Secondary prevention in HIV infection].
AB  - In HIV seropositive persons, secondary prophylaxis should prevent HIV-associated
      diseases, including opportunistic and other complications, and delay progression
      of HIV infection. Efforts to control transmission of secondary infections are of
      limited value, since these complications are mainly caused by endogenous
      opportunistic microorganisms. Vaccines are currently available for only a few of
      the pathogens that are potentially important in this clinical setting; they
      include influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae and hepatitis B. However, antibody
      responses to these vaccines may be unsatisfactory in immunocompromised persons.
      Chemoprophylactic regimens have been devised primarily for prevention of
      Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and tuberculosis. Recently, antiretroviral therapy
      with zidovudine has shown promise in delaying progression of AIDS in asymptomatic
      HIV seropositive individuals with impaired cellular immunity.

PMID- 1858069
TI  - Observations with Anteovin in relation to age.
AB  - Anteovin biphasic contraceptive tablet has been used in adolescent and middle
      aged women for contraception. Attempts were made with the tablet for the
      treatment of climacteric complaints. The tablet was found to be effective in both
      fields. References dealing with borderline cases and present interest in the
      question have been discussed. The author points out the importance of further
      analyses.

PMID- 1858070
TI  - Long term use of piroxicam in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Twelve patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were treated
      with piroxicam (Hotemin-EGIS) for 9-18 (mean: 13.7) months. At the beginning, the
      patients were in a moderately active stage of the disease, 10 patients also
      received low dose corticosteroid treatment. After the study was completed,
      clinical and immunological improvement was seen in 10 cases. The average daily
      dose of prednisolone could be reduced (from 10.5 mg to 5 mg). These patients
      tolerated the treatment well, no adverse effect was seen. No elevation of serum
      transaminase, creatinine or change in blood cell count and glomerular filtration
      rate were observed. Piroxicam, therefore, is recommended for the treatment of
      mildly active SLE.

PMID- 1858071
TI  - Klion in the prevention of early complications following appendectomy.
AB  - The authors observations with prophylactic administration of metronidazole
      manufactured by the Gedeon Richter Company, Hungary (trade mark Klion) in
      children with phlegmonous appendicitis are reported. The drug was administered in
      three doses to 51 children. Results of bacteriology could be assessed in 42
      children. The results of prophylactic administration of Klion in phlegmonous
      appendicitis were excellent. In our group there were no inflammatory wounds
      and/or intraperitoneal complications. For comparison, in a cohort of 1.008
      children with phlegmonous appendicitis, without prophylaxis the rate of
      inflammatory complications was 3.62%. Klion has minimal side effects and is well
      tolerated and seems to be a superb drug for prophylaxis.

PMID- 1858072
TI  - The medical aspects of doping.
AB  - One of the crucial problems in the competitive sports of our days is the illicit
      use of drugs in increasing physical performance. The moral, professional, and
      legal responsibility of the physicians having a role in doping is quite explicit.
      Sports medicine can significantly contribute to the repression of doping; due to
      the diverging interests, however, it will not be able to solve it alone. The
      paper reviews the development and background of doping and, relying on the list
      issued by the International Olympic Committee, on banned drugs discusses the
      intended and adverse effects of the drug classes used for doping. Cases of doping
      detected at the Seoul Olympic Games are presented and a brief survey is given of
      the means that should be used for check-up.

PMID- 1858073
TI  - Thrombosis prophylaxis with subcutaneous heparin Ca injection in the course of
      caesarean sections.
AB  - Subcutaneous low-dose Heparin Ca injections were given as prophylactic treatment
      to 31 women who were candidates for Caesarean section and were at high risk of
      thrombo-embolism. Postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism did
      not occur in the treated cases. Local or systemic haemorrhages or other reactions
      were not observed. The controlled haematological parameters changed as expected.
      According to the opinion of the authors Heparin Ca may be successfully used for
      the prevention of the postoperative complications of Caesarean section.

PMID- 1858074
TI  - Protective role of lipanthyl in women taking oral contraceptives.
AB  - Fenofibrate subdoses were applied as an adjuvant therapy in 64 women for
      improving lipid metabolism. The women took different oral contraceptives mainly
      with progestin dominance and the prevention of the unfavourable metabolic effects
      with drug therapy was indicated for maintaining safe contraception which was
      absolutely necessary for health and other reasons. Protective Lipanthyl therapy
      seemed to be very useful for this purpose.

PMID- 1858075
TI  - Polish health conditions in Hungary during World War II.

PMID- 1858076
TI  - Vocal cord dysfunction and wheezing.

PMID- 1858077
TI  - Prevalence of asthma among 12 year old children in New Zealand and South Wales: a
      comparative survey.
AB  - A survey of 12 year old schoolchildren was carried out in New Zealand and South
      Wales, the same questionnaire and exercise provocation test being used. The
      prevalence of a history of asthma at any time was higher in New Zealand (147/873,
      17%) than in South Wales (116/965, 12%). The New Zealand children were also more
      likely than the Welsh children to have a history of "wheeze ever" (27% versus
      22%), and wheeze brought on by running (15% versus 10.5%). The sex ratio of
      asthmatic and wheezy children was very similar in the two countries. A history of
      hospital admission for chest trouble was twice as common in New Zealand as in
      South Wales. An exercise test produced a fall in peak expiratory flow rate of 15%
      or more in more New Zealand children (12.2%) than Welsh children (7.7%). These
      results suggest that the prevalence of childhood asthma is higher in New Zealand
      than in South Wales.

PMID- 1858078
TI  - Recovery of the human immunodeficiency virus from fibreoptic bronchoscopes.
AB  - Ten bronchoscopes that had been used on patients with the acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome were sampled to determine the nature and extent of
      microbial contamination. Samples were taken by irrigating the suction biopsy
      channel with modified viral transport medium and by swabbing the insertion tube.
      Sampling was repeated after they had been cleaned in detergent and after two
      minutes' disinfection in 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde. Before being cleaned the
      seven bronchoscopes tested by polymerase chain reaction were contaminated with
      the human immunodeficiency virus, though infectivity and antigen assays gave
      negative results. Other organisms identified were hepatitis B virus (1),
      commensal bacteria (9), and Pneumocystis carinii (4). Mean bacterial
      contamination was 2.27 log colony forming organisms per millilitre. Cleaning the
      bronchoscope before disinfection removed all detectable contaminants with a
      reduction in bacterial growth of up to 8 log colony forming units/ml.

PMID- 1858079
TI  - Cephalometric measurements in snorers, non-snorers, and patients with sleep
      apnoea.
AB  - Cephalometry is often used to assess patients with sleep apnoea but whether these
      measurements differ from those in non-apnoeic snorers and how they are influenced
      by age is not clear. Cephalometric radiographs of patients with sleep apnoea were
      compared with those of snorers without sleep apnoea and those of non-snorers.
      Fifty two snorers with suspected sleep apnoea had a conventional sleep study and
      were divided into two groups: those with an apnoea-hypopnoea index greater than
      10/h (n = 40, sleep apnoea group) and those whose apnoea-hypopnoea index was 10/h
      or less (n = 12, snorer group). The cephalometric measurements in these patients
      were compared with those of 34 non-snoring control subjects. Controls were
      subdivided into two groups: control group 1 included 17 subjects similar in age
      to the sleep apnoea and snorer groups (mean (SD) age 50.0 (10.9), 50.7 (9.4), and
      50.6 (9.7) years); control group 2 included 15 young men (25.4 (2.6) years). The
      distance from the mandibular plane to the hyoid bone (MP-H) and the length of the
      soft palate were greater in the patients with sleep apnoea (28.7 (7.8) and 43.6
      (5.0) mm) than in the snorers (23.7 (4.2) and 40.3 (4.9 mm). The MP-H was similar
      in snorers and age matched control subjects, but was significantly greater in the
      older than in the younger control subjects (22.1 (6.1) vs 17.0 (6.8]. The soft
      palate was longer in subjects who snored (both sleep apnoea patients and snorers)
      than in control subjects. The MP-H distance significantly correlated with age for
      all subjects (snorers and controls) and for the control subjects alone. This
      study shows that non-apnoeic snorers have cephalometric abnormalities that differ
      from those of patients with sleep apnoea and that cephalometric values are
      influenced by the subject's age.

PMID- 1858080
TI  - Pulmonary function in chronic renal failure: effects of dialysis and
      transplantation.
AB  - Many possible pulmonary complications of renal disease have been described, but
      little is known of their physiological importance or the effects on them of
      different forms of renal replacement therapy. Four groups were recruited, each
      containing 20 patients. The groups consisted of patients with chronic renal
      failure before dialysis (group 1); patients receiving continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis, never having received a transplant (group 2); patients
      receiving haemodialysis, never having received a transplant (group 3); and
      patients after their first successful cadaveric renal transplant (group 4). All
      were attending the same regional dialysis and transplant unit. None was known to
      have clinically important lung or chest wall disease. Flow-volume loops were
      recorded before and after 400 micrograms of salbutamol, and plethysmographic lung
      volumes and airway conductance and single breath carbon monoxide transfer factor
      were measured. Only nine of 80 patients had normal lung function. The reductions
      in spirometric values were minor. Whole lung carbon monoxide transfer factor was
      reduced in all groups (mean % predicted with 95% confidence intervals: group 1
      81.7% (74-89%); group 2 69.7% (62-77%); group 3 87.5% (80-96%); group 4 82.5% (78
      87%]. The values were significantly lower in those having continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis (group 2). Residual volume was reduced significantly in the
      group who had undergone renal transplantation (85.7%, 77-94%). There was no
      correlation between these changes and smoking habit, age, duration or severity of
      renal failure, duration of treatment, or biochemical derangement. It is concluded
      that abnormal lung function is common in renal disease. The main change is a
      reduction in carbon monoxide transfer that persists after transplantation. The
      likeliest explanation is that subclinical pulmonary oedema progresses to fibrosis
      before transplantation. The fibrosis may worsen further to cause the reduced
      residual volume in the recipients of grafts.

PMID- 1858081
TI  - Asbestos induced pericardial effusion and constrictive pericarditis.
AB  - The number of disorders attributable to asbestos exposure has increased gradually
      over the years. The latest to be recorded is pericardial effusion and
      constrictive pericarditis, and three cases are reported here. A man with
      bilateral pleural thickening and plaques developed acute pericarditis and an
      effusion and was treated by pericardiectomy. Two men died from constrictive
      pericarditis associated with bilateral pleural effusions and diffusion pleural
      thickening. The pericardium showed nonspecific fibrous thickening. All had been
      occupationally exposed to asbestos. In the fatal cases the lungs contained
      amphibole fibres, in keeping with a modest degree of occupational exposure.
      Asbestos produces progressive fibrosis of the pericardium that is similar to
      diffuse pleural thickening and may be fatal. Both conditions may develop after
      relatively short or light exposure.

PMID- 1858082
TI  - Use of transcutaneous oxygen tension, arterial oxygen saturation, and respiratory
      resistance to assess the response to inhaled methacholine in asthmatic children
      and normal adults.
AB  - Respiratory resistance (Rrs6), transcutaneous oxygen tension (PtcO2), and oxygen
      saturation (SaO2) were measured during methacholine challenge in 15 asthmatic
      children and six normal adults. During bronchoconstriction, induced by a wide
      range of inhaled methacholine concentrations (0.5-256 g/l), the rise in Rrs6 was
      reflected by a fall in PtcO2 in all subjects. Although there was a significant
      mean fall in SaO2 at maximum bronchoconstriction there was no consistent relation
      between changes in SaO2 and Rrs6. The inhaled dose of methacholine causing a 40%
      increase in Rrs6 (PD40Rrs6) and a 20% fall in PtCO2 (PD20PtcO2) was calculated
      for each subject. There was no significant difference in mean PD40Rrs6 and
      PD20PtcO2, and the relation between the two was similar in the asthmatic children
      and the normal adults. It was therefore concluded that the measurement of PtcO2,
      but not SaO2, during methacholine challenge can be used for the assessment of
      bronchial responsiveness, and that it could prove particularly useful for
      children too young to cooperate with lung function tests.

PMID- 1858083
TI  - Current trends in tuberculosis mortality in England and Wales.
AB  - To determine current trends in mortality from tuberculosis according to age the
      published data on notification and deaths from tuberculosis from 1974 to 1987
      have been analysed. The ratio of deaths to notifications per year was assessed
      over this period as a measure of case fatality from tuberculosis. The mean annual
      decline in the ratio for each age group was as follows: 0-14 years 6.7% (95%
      confidence interval 4.00 to 9.6%), 15-34 years 1.4% (-0.2 to 3.0%), 35-54 years
      4.5% (2.2 to 6.9%), 55-74 years 2.8% (1.8 to 3.7%), and 75+ years 3.2% (2.1 to
      4.2%). Because the incidence of disease in the 75+ group has declined much more
      slowly than in the rest of the population and because the size of this age group
      has increased in relation to the other groups, the overall annual mortality from
      tuberculosis has declined by only 0.13% (95% CI -1.3 to 1.3%). The total number
      of deaths from tuberculosis declined from 996 in 1974 to 430 in 1987, whereas
      deaths in the 75+ age group remained relatively constant at around 200 a year.

PMID- 1858085
TI  - Effect of inhaled 15-(s)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid on tracheobronchial
      clearance in normal human airways.
AB  - 15-(s)-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) is the predominant metabolite of
      arachidonic acid in normal and asthmatic human airways and a potent mucus
      secretagogue in canine and human airways. A study was carried out on the effect
      of inhaled 15-HETE on tracheobronchial clearance, measured for six hours by a
      radioaerosol technique, in 10 normal subjects. Subjects inhaled 80 nmol 15-HETE
      or the diluent (sodium phosphate buffer) on two occasions at least two weeks
      apart in a double blind and randomised fashion (20 minutes after radioaerosol
      inhalation. Tracheobronchial clearance after inhaled 15-HETE was almost identical
      to that after placebo for all measurements up to six hours. It is concluded that
      15-HETE has no effect on tracheobronchial clearance in normal human airways and
      is unlikely to account for the impaired mucociliary clearance seen in asthma.

PMID- 1858084
TI  - Participation of the cysteinyl leukotrienes in the acute bronchoconstrictor
      response to inhaled platelet activating factor in man.
AB  - To determine whether the effects of platelet activating factor on the airways may
      be due to the production of leukotrienes we studied the effects of pretreatment
      with the selective cysteinyl leukotriene antagonist SK&F 104353-Z2 on the airway
      and cellular responses to inhaled platelet activating factor. Eight healthy men
      were studied in a randomised, double blind placebo controlled cross-over study. A
      single dose of platelet activating factor that caused a fall of at least 35% in
      specific airways conductance (sGaw) was determined initially for each subject.
      Challenge with this dose of platelet activating factor was then carried out on
      two further occasions after pretreatment with a single nebulised dose of SK&F
      104353-Z2 or placebo. The % reductions in specific airways conductance and of
      partial flow at 30% of vital capacity (PVmax30) were less after SK&F 104353-Z2
      than after placebo (22 versus 34 for sGaw, 19 versus 31 for PVmax30). The mean
      (95% confidence limits (CL] differences in the maximum % fall from control values
      for SK&F 104353-Z2 and placebo were -12.6 (-23.8, -1.4) for sGaw and -12.5, (
      20.8 -4.2) for PVmax30. The mean % fall in neutrophil count was similar after
      SK&F 104353-Z2 (46%) and after placebo (50%) (95% CL of difference 13.6, 6.6).
      Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine did not increase above baseline values
      in any subject when measured two weeks after challenge by platelet activating
      factor. This study suggests that leukotrienes play a part in the response to
      platelet activating factor in man.

PMID- 1858086
TI  - Arterial desaturation in HIV positive patients undergoing sputum induction.
AB  - Arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) was monitored continuously during and
      immediately after sputum induction in 41 HIV positive patients with respiratory
      symptoms and in 20 symptomless medical and nursing staff, who acted as control
      subjects. Arterial oxygen desaturation (defined as SaO2 less than or equal to
      92%) occurred during sputum induction and persisted for up to 20 minutes after
      the end of the procedure in 11 of the 20 patients with Pneumocystis carinii
      pneumonia and in nine of the 21 patients with other respiratory diagnoses. None
      of the control subjects showed oxygen desaturation. Neither the severity of chest
      radiographic abnormalities, the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (both measured
      before sputum induction), nor baseline SaO2 prospectively identified the patients
      who developed oxygen desaturation. Two patients, one with pneumocystis pneumonia,
      developed dyspnoea and had a fall in arterial oxygen saturation to 84% within 10
      minutes of starting sputum induction. The procedure was abandoned in both
      patients and in two further patients, who developed severe nausea and reaching
      but no oxygen desaturation. Sputum induction in HIV positive patients with
      respiratory symptoms may induce a fall in SaO2 that persists after this
      procedure. This may be important if other procedures are performed soon after
      sputum induction.

PMID- 1858087
TI  - Statistics in respiratory medicine. 2. Repeatability and method comparison.

PMID- 1858088
TI  - Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of respiratory
      failure in obstructive sleep apnoea.

PMID- 1858090
TI  - Malignant pleural effusion in chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.

PMID- 1858089
TI  - Left bronchial isomerism associated with bronchomalacia, presenting with
      intractable wheeze.
AB  - The cause of the Williams Campbell syndrome (bronchomalacia with bronchiectasis)
      is controversial. A boy with bronchomalacia, bifid ribs, and left bronchial
      isomerism presented with intractable wheeze mimicking asthma. The combination of
      the abdominal, bronchial, and atrial anatomy seen in this child has been
      described only once previously. The coexistence of these congenital abnormalities
      in this boy supports a congenital cause for the Williams Campbell syndrome. The
      need to assess wheezy children critically is emphasised.

PMID- 1858091
TI  - Radiation associated malignant pleural mesothelioma.
AB  - Malignant pleural mesothelioma of epithelial type developed in a 24 year old
      woman, 20 years after radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. This case and a review
      of published cases indicate that radiation may induce malignant mesothelioma.

PMID- 1858092
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis simulated by a T cell lymphoma of the lung.

PMID- 1858093
TI  - Local anaesthesia for fibreoptic bronchoscopy.

PMID- 1858094
TI  - Lung function 8-18 years after intermittent positive pressure ventilation for
      hyaline membrane disease.

PMID- 1858095
TI  - [Skeletal development in the dog in relation to nutrition].
AB  - Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) play important roles
      during growth, including effects on enchondral ossification. GH plasma
      concentration is strongly influenced by the nutritional status of the dog.
      Fasting induces a non-responsiveness of the liver to GH, leading to a decrease in
      IGF-I release by the liver and a delay in growth. Overfeeding leads to abnormal
      skeletal development, i.e., osteochondrosis and hip dysplasia. Subnormal plasma
      concentrations of sex hormones lead to a delay in physiologic epiphysiodesis,
      whereas high levels of sex steroids may induce premature physeal closure. Dietary
      calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D are important factors in the process of
      enchondral ossification. If these nutrients are inadequate, imbalanced, or
      oversupplemented, skeletal development in young growing dogs can be disturbed,
      leading tot severe pathologic changes. Energy requirements decrease gradually
      during the first year of life and unrestricted feeding can easily lead to pups
      being overweight. The protein requirements are strongly influenced by the quality
      and digestibility of protein sources in the food. In dog foods 12-14 g
      protein/1000 kJ appears to be adequate for growth. It is likely that the two most
      commonly made mistakes in dog nutrition in the Netherlands, are
      oversupplementation with energy and/or calcium. Restricted feeding is advised
      during growth and no food-additives are required when commercially prepared
      complete dog foods are used.

PMID- 1858096
TI  - [Peritonitis as complication of cysto-uretero-pyelonephritis in a cow].
AB  - A Holstein-Friesian heifer had shown a haemorrhagic discharge from the vulva
      since three days. The animal had delivered a calf nine months previously and was
      seven months pregnant. On admission, haemorrhagic fluid was obtained by
      catheterisation from the urinary bladder and by paracentesis from the abdominal
      cavity. At autopsy, bilateral cysto-uretero-pyelonephritis, associated with
      peritonitis, was observed. A perforation of one of the lobules of the right
      kidney was believed to be the cause of the peritonitis. The vesicoureteral reflux
      might have been enhanced by the presence of polyps in the urinary bladder.

PMID- 1858097
TI  - [Milk fever].

PMID- 1858098
TI  - [Shipping of urine samples for bacteriological studies].

PMID- 1858099
TI  - The changing elderly market.

PMID- 1858100
TI  - The nursing home industry: past, present, and future.

PMID- 1858101
TI  - Financing retirement communities: the changing picture.

PMID- 1858102
TI  - Hospital-affiliated home health care programs: successful responses to unique
      environments.

PMID- 1858103
TI  - Patterns of contraceptive use in the United States: the importance of religious
      factors.
AB  - Previous research has shown that the major religious communities in the US have
      all shifted their expected family size downward but significant differences in
      contraceptive use styles continue to characterize Catholics, Protestants, Jews,
      and those of no religious affiliation. This paper examines data from Cycle IV of
      the National Survey of Family Growth (1988) to extend the time period covered by
      previous research by comparing the emerging contraceptive use patterns and
      fertility expectations among women in the late 1980s with earlier cohorts from
      previous national studies, beginning in the 1960s. The categories of religious
      affiliation are extended to include specific religious denominations
      (fundamentalist Protestants, Baptists, and other denominations, as well as
      Mormons) and include measures of religiosity--church attendance, the extent of
      receiving communion among Catholics, and attendance at church-related schools.
      These data are examined for blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites. The
      analysis suggests how religious affiliation and religiosity continue to be
      important factors in the contraceptive paths to low fertility under general
      conditions of controlled fertility and in the context of secularization.

PMID- 1858104
TI  - Family planning in rural Uganda: knowledge and use of modern and traditional
      methods in Ankole.
AB  - Ankole has recorded the highest fertility in Uganda over the past several
      decades. One of the main proximate determinants of fertility in the area is the
      low level of contraception. A study of knowledge and use of modern and
      traditional contraceptive methods is reported in this paper. It is shown that
      higher proportions of women known and practice traditional methods compared with
      modern ones. Several factors contributing to past low use of modern
      contraceptives in the area are examined and current contraceptive use is also
      examined.

PMID- 1858105
TI  - Togo 1988: results from the Demographic and Health Survey.

PMID- 1858106
TI  - Sexual networking in the Ekiti district of Nigeria.
AB  - The confirmation of a significant number of HIV-positive persons and some deaths
      due to AIDS in Nigeria has rendered more urgent the study of sexual networking,
      both for an understanding of the risk of HIV transmission and also that of
      sexually transmitted diseases, which may serve as a vehicle for HIV infection.
      This article reports on a research project that concentrated initially on
      developing both small-scale survey and anthropological methodology to a point
      where reliable information was obtained. The research was carried out in both
      urban and rural areas of Ekiti, Nigeria, a Yoruba district 150 miles northeast of
      Lagos. Findings are reported from both the survey of 200 men and 200 women and
      the supplementary specialized in-depth studies. A high level of premarital and
      extramarital sexual activity was shown to exist, with higher levels among men
      than women and in urban than rural areas. Most female extramarital relations in
      rural areas were occasioned by the need for material or economic assistance and
      were highest among the younger wives in polygynous marriages. Male extramarital
      relations were highest in monogamous marriages and were frequently explained by
      wives' periods of postpartum sexual abstinence. Polygyny and postpartum sexual
      abstinence were underlying social institutions that explained much of the sexual
      networking. Reported levels of sexually transmitted disease were high, as were
      beliefs that these disease could be treated successfully by traditional healers.

PMID- 1858107
TI  - Sex, contraception, and pregnancy among adolescent in Mexico City.
AB  - This article presents the development and results of a study that analyzed the
      psychosocial determinants of abstaining from sexual intercourse, practicing
      contraception, and avoiding pregnancy. It was carried out with a representative
      household and a clinic sample of 12-19-year-old females of lower-middle and lower
      socioeconomic levels in Mexico City. Among the implications of the results for
      program design are: (1) the need for clarifying erroneous beliefs and providing
      detailed, practical knowledge concerning sexuality, pregnancy, use of and access
      to contraceptives; (2) a broad definition of sex education that emphasizes family
      communication, values clarification, provision of alternative role options for
      women other than motherhood, and both the goals and the skills needed to achieve
      them--for example, independent decision-making. Attention to male attitudes and
      communication skills as well as ways of improving communication and support
      networks among peers was also found to be essential.

PMID- 1858108
TI  - [The use of an optical polarization method in studying the stress deformation
      state of bone].
AB  - Use of polarizable optical method (photoelasticity) in investigation of stress
      deformity state of the bone is suggested. It enables modelling the magnitude and
      direction of external mechanical forces acting in the bone. The resulting data
      are registered visually and fixed by photographic method.

PMID- 1858110
TI  - [The characteristics of the lung structures in the freezing of the corpse].

PMID- 1858109
TI  - [The diagnosis of intravital and postmortem ecchymoses in histological sections
      by x-ray and luminescence study methods].

PMID- 1858111
TI  - [The histo- and ultrastructural characteristics of the bone tissue in
      osteogenesis imperfecta].
AB  - Histo- and ultrastructure of bone tissue in 28 persons (2 section observations
      and 26 cases of bone biopsy analysis) with congenital fragility of the bones and
      dysosteogenesis were studied. Age of the victims ranged from 6 months to 38 years
      (20 men and 8 women). Against the background of bone rarefaction and decrease in
      quality of basic bone substance the quantity of osteocytes for a unit of osseous
      beam area increases. Electron-microscopic investigation revealed changes in
      osteoblast structure (3 types detected) by the degree of development of granular
      endoplasmic reticulum. In the 2nd and 3d type of osteoblasts the decrease in the
      quantity of elements of granular endoplasmic reticulum was noted which may be
      connected with disturbance of biosynthetic processes in cell and fibrillogenesis
      with maturation of collagenous fibrils and their mineralization. Histo- and
      ultrastructure of the bone in dysosteogenesis are rather typical and in total
      with clinico-roentgenological data are informative enough for making diagnosis.

PMID- 1858112
TI  - [The terminology of self-injuries, mutilation and autoaggression].

PMID- 1858113
TI  - [Thyroglobulin and myoglobin as subjects for serological investigation for expert
      testimony purposes].

PMID- 1858114
TI  - [The simultaneous establishment of the presence and classification of human
      (primate), bird and fish blood by electrophoresis].
AB  - Electrophoretic method of simultaneous determination of blood presence and its
      human (primates), bird and fish origin was developed. Method is based on
      detection of diagnostical characteristics possessing specific electrophoretic
      mobility and doesn't require use of precipitating sera. Diagnostical feature of
      human (primates) blood is methaemalbumin detectable in anodic part of
      electrophoregram and not detectable within the given test conditions in
      bloodstains of other animals. In bird and fish blood haemoglobin is determined in
      cathodic part of electrophoregram which differs from mammals blood by its
      electrophoretic mobility.

PMID- 1858115
TI  - [Patterns in the destruction of the ribs].
AB  - The article deals with study of some patterns of long spongy rib bone destruction
      in static and dynamic load of thorax. Model of bone destruction is suggested.
      Multiple microfissures preceding formation of complete bone destruction were
      detected in border areas with fracture. They have peculiar mosaic depending on
      load conditions. Microfissure localization in relation to osteon structure of rib
      cortical lamina was stated. The results of investigations may have theoretical
      and applied value both in medicolegal and clinical traumatology.

PMID- 1858116
TI  - [The use of genomic "dactyloscopy" for the diagnosis of monozygotic twins].
AB  - Possibilities of gene identification expertise for the solution of problem on
      mono- or dizygotic origin of twins were demonstrated. It was shown that DNA
      printing method makes it possible to differentiate mono- and dizygotic twins in
      complicated cases.

PMID- 1858117
TI  - [A chemical-toxicological analysis of combined poisonings by psychotropic
      preparations with a tricyclic structure].
AB  - Conditions for chromatographic separation of melipramine with aminazine and
      melipramine with amitriptyline mixtures were stated. Method of chemical
      toxicological analysis in combined poisonings with psychotropic agents of
      tricyclic structure (melipramine in combinations with amitriptyline and
      aminazine) was suggested. Method was tested experimentally using animals.

PMID- 1858118
TI  - [The use of different physicochemical analysis methods for proving combined
      poisoning by aminazine, tizertsin and amitriptyline].

PMID- 1858119
TI  - [The detection of amizil in studying different objects].
AB  - Amisyl possesses toxic effect and it may become an object of forensic chemical
      laboratory analysis. Reactions of staining with reagents Marki, Frede and
      sulphuric acid as well as with reagent Dragendorf-orange residue--were used for
      amisyl identification. Method of amisyl detection in sorbent thin layer and
      identification by maximum light absorption in 258 nm area was also suggested.
      Usefulness of methods developed for amisyl analysis during investigation of
      pharmacological substances and human urine was studied.

PMID- 1858120
TI  - [A method for determining molybdenum in cadaveric material by using
      alkylphenylcyclohexylcarboxylic acid].
AB  - Alkylphenylcyclohexylcarboxylic acid was found to be an efficient extractant to
      extract molybdenum from the cadaveric material. Method suggested is simple enough
      for use and doesn't require considerable amounts of chemical reagents.

PMID- 1858121
TI  - [The clinical picture and forensic psychiatric evaluation of psychogenic states
      in minor victims].
AB  - Two groups of adolescent victims of sexual assault were studied, conformities of
      psychogenic state occurrence were analysed, age characteristics of their clinical
      course and dynamics were studied. Problems of forensic psychiatric evaluation of
      mental state of adolescent victims at different stages of judicially significant
      situation were developed.

PMID- 1858122
TI  - [Biochemical research on monoamine oxidases and their significance in the
      diagnosis of alcoholic intoxication].

PMID- 1858123
TI  - [Erdheim's disease as a cause of sudden death at a young age].

PMID- 1858124
TI  - [Fatal transcutaneous resorption of Lysol].

PMID- 1858125
TI  - [I. V. Buial'skii and forensic medicine (on the 200th anniversary of his birth)].

PMID- 1858126
TI  - [The signs of death from submersion in water].

PMID- 1858127
TI  - [The characteristics of injuries to the ribs in children by repeated impact with
      solid blunt objects].
AB  - Mechanisms of occurrence of thoracic lesions as well as characteristic features
      of repeated rib trauma in children with repeated blunt trauma were studied.
      Experimental data were compared with expert observations. It was stated that
      morphological features of repeated rib trauma in children are localized within
      the limits of substantia compacta or its superficial layers. There is also
      possibility for straightening primary incomplete fracture in repeated exposure
      and for forming secondary fracture, which depends on the type of force applied,
      its application area and direction of force action.

PMID- 1858128
TI  - Herpes viruses: human transducing viruses.

PMID- 1858129
TI  - Tracing origins with molecular sequences: metazoan and eukaryotic beginnings.
AB  - Milestones in the evolution of the eukaryotic cell are being discovered through
      the analysis of molecular sequences. As sequence data become increasingly
      plentiful, our ability to reconstruct the most distant evolutionary branchings of
      evolutionary trees is limited only by the mathematics of phylogenetic
      reconstruction. Analysis of ribosomal RNAs agrees with traditional analyses of
      morphological and developmental characters that all multicellular animals
      probably arose from a common ancestor, but highlights one of the major
      limitations of the various mathematical algorithms used. Refined methods of
      sequence analysis also suggest a previously unsuspected sister relationship
      between the eukaryotic nucleus and eocytes, a group of extremely thermophilic,
      sulfur-metabolizing bacteria, that questions the classical eukaryote/prokaryote
      division.

PMID- 1858130
TI  - Analysis of biochemical data by nonlinear regression: is it a waste of time?

PMID- 1858131
TI  - Frank Allison Linville's R.H. Wright award.

PMID- 1858132
TI  - Pfizer awards 1990.

PMID- 1858134
TI  - News from the nucleolus: rRNA gene expression.
AB  - Although the typical, actively growing eukaryotic cell contains over 10,000
      different transcripts, half of its RNA synthetic capacity is devoted to the
      production of a single kind of RNA. This is the pre-ribosomal RNA, which is
      synthesized in a special compartment of the nucleus, the nucleolus, and is the
      exclusive product of transcription by RNA polymerase I. In vivo and in vitro
      approaches have revealed the major features of rRNA gene transcription and of the
      subsequent processing of the primary transcript.

PMID- 1858133
TI  - Calcium binding induces conformational changes in muscle regulatory proteins.
AB  - Calcium binding to proteins containing the 'EF-hand' structural motif regulates a
      variety of biochemical processes including muscle contraction. Techniques such as
      protein crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis and domain transplantation
      experiments are being used to unravel the conformational changes induced by
      calcium binding.

PMID- 1858135
TI  - Neonatal tolerance of H-2 alloantigens. Procuring graft acceptance the "old
      fashioned" way.

PMID- 1858136
TI  - The influence of the cyclosporine vehicle, cremophor EL, on renal microvascular
      blood flow in the rat.
AB  - Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity may be due to glomerular hypoperfusion. Previous
      experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated a decrease in renal blood
      flow and an increase in renal vascular resistance. Cremophor EL, which is the
      vehicle in which CsA is dissolved, is thought to be a factor involved in
      intrarenal arteriolar vasoconstriction. To determine the relative contributions
      of the vehicle and CsA to intrarenal arteriolar vasoconstriction, we used in vivo
      videomicroscopy and Doppler velocimetry to measure changes in renal microvascular
      blood flow in the rat. A 5-min intravenous infusion of 20 mg/kg of CsA resulted
      in a 17% mean reduction (P less than 0.05) in the diameter of preglomerular
      interlobular arterioles and an associated 60% reduction (P less than 0.05) in
      microvascular blood flow by 15 min. Cremophor EL/ethanol equivalent caused less
      vasoconstriction (up to 10%) but resulted in a 42% mean decrease (P less than
      0.05) in microvascular blood flow, probably secondary to a 38% mean decrease (P
      less than 0.05) in cardiac output and 13% decrease in arterial pressure. We
      conclude that cremophor EL does contribute to in vivo reduction of preglomerular
      microvascular blood flow in the rat. This may be particularly important when
      using this intravenous preparation in the study of CsA nephrotoxicity.

PMID- 1858137
TI  - Total pancreatectomy in the pig for islet transplantation. Technical
      alternatives.
AB  - Pigs appear to be a suitable biological and logistical animal donor of islets for
      xenotransplantation in human diabetic type I recipients. To improve the islet
      isolation technique in this species, to evaluate the islet function in vivo, and
      to assess the toxic effects of various immunosuppressive regiments on
      transplanted islets will necessitate a model of the pancreatectomized pig
      suitable for islet autotransplantation. We describe three techniques of total
      pancreatectomy in pigs. The first removed the pancreas in order to study
      postoperative management and pig survival; no attempt was made to preserve the
      pancreas for islet isolation. The second consisted of a pancreatectomy in a
      surviving pig, with careful preservation of the whole pancreas for subsequent
      islet isolation. The third was rapid en bloc procurement of the pancreas and
      duodenum, to obtain a pancreas solely for the purpose of islet isolation. We
      conclude that pigs tolerate and survive a total pancreatectomy--they are suitable
      animals for islet isolation and possible autotransplantation. The result of islet
      isolation does not appear related to the pancreas procurement technique; however,
      the islet yield must be improved before autotransplantation can be functionally
      successful.

PMID- 1858138
TI  - Cluster-function relationship of rat-antimouse P55 IL-2 receptor monoclonal
      antibodies. In vitro studies of the CTL-L2 mouse cell line and in vivo studies in
      a delayed-type hypersensitivity model in mice.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies directed against the P55 component of the interleukin 2
      receptor (IL-2-R) have been used to prevent allograft rejection in various animal
      models, including primates and man. This study compares the functional effects of
      seven MoAbs directed against the mouse IL-2-R P55 chain both in vitro using the
      mouse CTL-L2 cell line and in vivo in a sheep red blood cell-induced delayed-type
      hypersensitivity model. Data from in vitro studies showed that a cluster of four
      MoAbs (cluster I: 5A2, 125, 135 [IgG2a] and AMT13 [IgG2b]) competed with IL-2 for
      binding to the P55 chain and caused an inhibition of IL-2-induced proliferation
      on CTL-L2. The respective dissociation constants (Kd) of the four MoAbs were 1.1,
      1.4, 2.5, and 5.5 nM, and they all displayed a common maximal binding capacity of
      2 x 10(5) sites per cell on CTL-L2. None of these MoAbs were found to fix rabbit
      complement. The three other MoAbs (2E4: IgG2a, 7D4: IgM, PC61: IgG1) with
      respective Kd of 0.8, 0.2, and 0.85 nM and maximal binding capacities of 2 x
      10(5), 4 x 10(5) sites per cell did not interfere with IL-2 binding and did not
      affect the IL-2-induced proliferation of the murine cell line. All three MoAbs
      were found to define three separate epitopic clusters independent of cluster I.
      Among them, only 2E4 induced a strong complement-mediated cytotoxicity. In vivo
      experiments showed that all MoAbs from cluster I were efficient in suppressing
      the DTH reaction and that the magnitude of their effect was consistent with their
      respective Kds. At a suboptimal dose of 1 microgram per day, the DTH inhibition
      indices were 40%, 43%, 23%, and 9% for 5A2, 125, 135, and AMT13, respectively.
      The 2E4 MoAb was found to be as efficient as cluster I MoAbs in suppressing DTH
      (53% inhibition at 1 microgram/day) while 7D4 and PC61 induced only a moderate
      inhibitory effect (37% inhibition for each MoAb given at 10 micrograms/day,
      compared with 70% inhibition for cluster I MoAbs). Taken together, our results
      indicate that blocking the IL-2/IL-2-R interaction without complement fixation is
      sufficient per se to attenuate the DTH reaction, and conversely that strong
      complement-mediated cytotoxicity in the absence of a functional effect in the IL
      2/IL-2-R interaction is also effective in this system. Finally, no synergistic
      effect between MoAbs belonging to different clusters was evidenced in the DTH
      model.

PMID- 1858139
TI  - The host/donor origin of cells mediating NK and NK-like cytotoxic activity in F1
      hybrid mice with acute graft-versus-host reactions.

PMID- 1858140
TI  - Simultaneous orthotopic liver and heterotopic pancreas transplantation.

PMID- 1858141
TI  - Encephalopathy associated with OKT3 administration. Possible interaction with
      indomethacin.

PMID- 1858142
TI  - Induction of long-term survival of hamster heart xenografts in rats.
AB  - The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms responsible for concordant
      xenograft rejection using the hamster-to-rat heart graft model. Even though it
      was known that rat CD4 positive T cells proliferated to hamster stimulators in
      mixed lymphocyte reactions, the depletion of CD4 positive T cells in rat
      recipients did not lead to an extension of xenograft survival. Suppression of T
      cell immunity using other monoclonal antibodies or cyclosporine also failed to
      improve survival. Only by depleting complement with cobra-venom factor could
      hamster xenograft survival be prolonged, and long-term survival was achieved by
      combining CsA with COF. High-antibody titers to hamster cells were found after
      transplantation of hamster hearts, and evidence is presented that rejection of
      these "concordant" xenografts is mediated primarily by antibody-complement
      mechanisms. The antihamster antibodies were produced in the absence of T cell
      help, which suggests that antibody-mediated graft destruction cannot be inhibited
      by suppression or depletion of T cells. Pharmacologic depletion of complement for
      the clinical application of concordant xenografts is a promising avenue of future
      research.

PMID- 1858144
TI  - New devices for harvesting a hepatic graft from a living donor.

PMID- 1858143
TI  - Esophageal complications in orthotopic liver transplant patients.

PMID- 1858145
TI  - Intrahepatic portocaval shunt for variceal hemorrhage prior to liver
      transplantation.

PMID- 1858146
TI  - Increased urinary excretion of endothelin-1 and its precursor, Big-endothelin-1,
      in rats chronically treated with cyclosporine.

PMID- 1858147
TI  - Donor essential fatty acid deficiency does not prolong heterotopic cardiac
      allograft survival in rats.

PMID- 1858148
TI  - Survival of cardiac xenografts in rhesus monkeys.

PMID- 1858149
TI  - Soluble interleukin-2 receptor in heart transplant recipients.

PMID- 1858150
TI  - Attenuation of ischemia-reperfusion injury of the liver in dogs by cyclosporine.
      A comparative study with allopurinol and methylprednisolone.
AB  - The effects of pretreatment with cyclosporine, allopurinol, or methylprednisolone
      on ischemia-reperfusion injury of the liver were investigated. A total of 32
      adult mongrel dogs that received one of the pretreatments were divided into four
      groups and were subjected to 90 min liver ischemia. Serum activities of aspartate
      aminotransferase (s-AST) and lactate dehydrogenase, (s-LDH) as well as animal
      survivals were used as indicators of liver injury. The elevation of both s-AST
      and s-LDH was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with cyclosporine as much
      as by allopurinol. However a significant improvement in animal survival was
      obtained only in the cyclosporine-pretreated group. Pretreatment with
      methylprednisolone did not affect either the activities of s-AST and s-LDH or
      animal survivals when compared with the control group. These data suggest that
      cyclosporine is a potent protector against ischemic liver injury--as effective as
      allopurinol or methylprednisolone. Although the precise mechanism of the effect
      of cyclosporine on liver ischemia still remains unknown, these observations may
      be of use in liver transplantation.

PMID- 1858151
TI  - The function of a colloid in liver cold-storage preservation.
AB  - The value of colloid in preservation of the liver by cold storage has not yet
      been fully clarified. Therefore, we studied the effects of colloid on cell
      swelling, liver weight, and bile production after cold storage in rat liver
      tissue slices and isolated rabbit liver. In rat liver tissue slices cold-stored
      for 24 hr in UW solution, total tissue water (TTW) was the same as in the control
      freshly unpreserved tissue and omitting the colloid (hydroxyethyl starch) from
      the UW solution did not affect the TTW. However, after cold storage for 24 hr in
      Perfadex, TTW was markedly increased (by 100%, P less than 0.001). Omitting the
      colloid in this solution, dextran, or replacing it with hydroxyethyl starch, did
      not affect this increase in TTW. Thus, the hypothermia-induced cell swelling
      evident after preservation in Perfadex was not prevented by colloid. Rabbit liver
      cold-stored in UW solution for 24 hr lost 15.4 +/- 4.7% of weight, but omitting
      the colloid from UW solution decreased this weight loss to 3.1 +/- 3% (P less
      than 0.01). In contrast, rabbit livers cold-preserved in colloid-free Perfadex
      gained 23.3 +/- 5.7% in weight. Adding colloid, either dextran or hydroxyethyl
      starch, decreased significantly this weight gain, to 9 +/- 3.7% and 10.4 +/-
      1.8%, respectively (P less than 0.01), probably as a result of colloid osmotic
      pressure, preventing the interstitial edema. Rabbit livers preserved for 24 hr in
      UW solution, with or without colloid, produced the same amount of bile as control
      unpreserved livers. In contrast, livers preserved in colloid-free Perfadex for 24
      hr had a markedly impaired bile production (3.9 +/- 0.9 ml/100 g) as compared
      with control livers (15.5 +/- 2.6 ml/100 g, P less than 0.01). Colloid partially
      restored this impaired bile production, to 8 +/- 1.4 mg/100 g by dextran and to
      8.5 +/- 1.7 ml/100 g by hydroxyethyl starch, respectively (P less than 0.01).
      Thus, although colloids do not prevent the hypothermia-induced cell swelling,
      they prevent the development of interstitial edema, and, hence, improve the liver
      function.

PMID- 1858152
TI  - Medicine and ethics. How to allocate transplantable organs.
AB  - Organ transplantation has made tremendous strides in the last decade. The demand
      for transplantable organs has far outstripped the supply; waiting lists have
      grown long and patients are dying for want of vital organs. Therefore policies
      and criteria that guide the allocation of transplantable organs become ever more
      important. Over the years, allocation policies have evolved by including both
      medical and ethical considerations, and much work has gone into defining and
      analyzing components of such policies. However, they have often grown by
      accretion, and a parallel analysis of both sets of approaches did not occur. This
      article attempts to integrate medical and ethical considerations, and to develop
      a schema that will permit review, redefinition, and--it is hoped--development of
      a fairer, more equitable and responsive allocation system.

PMID- 1858153
TI  - Long-term quality of life after kidney transplantation in childhood.
AB  - Transplantation is the treatment of choice for children with end-stage renal
      disease. However, the long-term quality of life and socioprofessional outcome for
      those with successful transplants have not previously been reported. We studied
      these factors in patients transplanted when less than 18 years old who currently
      have greater than or equal to 10 years of graft function. A total of 57
      questionnaires were sent out; 57 (100%) responded [24 female and 33 male
      patients; average (+/- SD) age at tx = 10 +/- 5 years (0.9-17.7); average f/u =
      15.6 +/- 3 years (10-26); current age = 26 +/- 5 years (12-38); 26 had greater
      than 1 transplant]. Of the 57 respondents, 9 are less than 18 (all are in
      school); 48 are greater than or equal to 18 (7 in school, 37 employed, 4
      unemployed); 12 are married, 1 engaged, and 2 divorced; and 9 have children.
      While in school, 43 (75%) had participated in sports, 37 (65%) in other
      extracurricular activities; 7 (12%) were A and 33 (58%) B students; 15 (26%)
      received awards or scholarships. For those working, the range of occupations is
      broad (average work week = 41 +/- 5 hr). Health-related absence from work has
      been nonexistent for 93%. Health is rated as good to excellent by 91% and fair by
      9%. The future is regarded as hopeful or promising by 80%. Similarly, 89% are
      satisfied with life in general; 95% said health never or seldom interferes with
      family life; 95% feel health and drug side effects are of no or minor concern in
      sexual relationships. Only 3% feel health is a problem in maintaining a sexual
      relationship (41% are not sexually active). Only 4% stated that health often
      interferes with social life; 98% meet with friends on a regular basis; 76% are
      satisfied with personal relationships and 8% dissatisfied; 91% are satisfied with
      their ability to perform at work or school and 5% dissatisfied. Of note, 32% are
      dissatisfied with body appearance. Major concerns are short stature and brittle
      bones. Major suggestions include education/support groups to deal with teasing at
      school and peer problems. We conclude that transplanted children with long-term
      graft function have a favorable social and professional outcome. Overall, quality
      of life seems excellent.

PMID- 1858154
TI  - A randomized prospective trial comparing cyclosporine monotherapy with triple
      drug therapy in renal transplantation.
AB  - In a prospective trial 151 recipients of renal transplants were randomly assigned
      to treatment with CsA alone (74 patients) and to low dose of AZA, prednisolone,
      and CsA (77 patients). At two years, graft survival was 84% for the monotherapy
      and 90% for the triple therapy. This difference was not statistically
      significant. The number of rejection episodes was similar in the two groups, but
      the severity of rejection was significantly worse among the patients on
      monotherapy. More kidneys were lost because of rejection (6 versus 3), and a
      higher number of methylprednisolone pulses was used for treating rejection (5.2
      +/- 2.3 versus 4.3 +/- 2.9; P = 0.0077). CsA nephrotoxicity episodes were more
      frequent among patients on monotherapy (23 versus 7; P less than 0.02).
      Infectious episodes were equally distributed between the two groups. Creatinine
      clearance was poorer in the monotherapy-treated patients at the third month (42
      +/- 16 ml/min versus 48 +/- 15 ml/min; P = 0.02), but no differences were
      observed between the two groups since the sixth month after transplantation. Many
      patients on monotherapy required changes in maintenance therapy. In fact, one
      patient was switched to conventional immunosuppression because of Cremophor
      induced anaphylaxis. Another patient who developed Kaposi's sarcoma 4 months
      after surgery was switched to steroids alone. Excluding 5 patients who lost their
      grafts a few days after transplantation, only 30 of 74 patients (40%) could be
      kept without steroids. We conclude that both the therapeutic protocols can give
      good results in renal allotransplantation; however, monotherapy could create some
      problems in keeping the balance between drug toxicity and significant
      immunosuppression. On the contrary, triple therapy is easier to handle,
      especially in the early posttransplant period when the differential diagnosis
      between acute rejection and CsA-related nephrotoxicity can be difficult even for
      a skilled clinician.

PMID- 1858155
TI  - Posttransplant neopterin excretion in renal allograft recipients--a reliable
      diagnostic aid for acute rejection and a predictive marker of long-term graft
      survival.
AB  - During the immediate posttransplant period, daily measurements of urinary
      neopterin, which is produced by stimulated macrophages, were evaluated in 294
      consecutive recipients of renal allografts for their diagnostic value in acute
      graft rejection. The ability of mean and peak neopterin excretion values to
      predict long-term graft survival was analyzed on the basis of an eight-year
      follow-up. Immunosuppressive therapy (cyclosporine +/- prednisone versus
      azathioprine + prednisone) and initial nonfunction did not influence neopterin
      excretion. In patients with rejection episodes and in those with infections,
      neopterin levels were significantly increased. Diagnostic sensitivity and
      specificity with regard to rejection diagnosis were assessed for different levels
      of neopterin. By statistical analysis, a significant association between
      increased neopterin and higher risk of rejection was found, which was
      particularly pronounced in patients receiving cyclosporine. Increase in neopterin
      excretion preceded clinical rejection diagnosis by up to four days. Peak
      neopterin values above 800 mumols/mol urinary creatinine observed during the
      posttransplant period, were associated with significantly poorer graft survival.
      A multivariate analysis showed that peak neopterin levels, age of patients, and
      early posttransplant presence/absence of acute rejection were significant and
      independent joint predictors for long-term graft survival. Measurement of
      neopterin can be of help as an additional marker in early diagnosis of renal
      allograft rejection, and high neopterin values during the initial posttransplant
      period are associated with poorer long-term graft survival.

PMID- 1858156
TI  - Renal handling of urate and the incidence of gouty arthritis during cyclosporine
      and diuretic use.
AB  - The incidence of gouty arthritis and the role of renal urate handling and
      diuretic use were studied in 85 cadaveric kidney graft recipients with a graft
      functioning for at least two years. The incidence of gout was 24% in patients
      using cyclosporine (CsA, n = 55); no patient using azathioprine (Aza, n = 23) had
      gout. In patients using CsA, the fractional urate clearance decreased between 1
      and 3 months after transplantation, thereafter remaining stable at a
      significantly lower level than in patients using Aza, pointing toward a specific
      effect of CsA on tubular urate handling. This impaired fractional urate clearance
      was not reversible up to 18 months in 7 patients after conversion from CsA to
      Aza, suggesting irreversible tubular damage. Multiregression analysis showed that
      the impaired fractional urate clearance and the use of furosemide were
      significant contributors to the occurrence of gout in patients using CsA.

PMID- 1858158
TI  - Cardiac transplantation in patients with preexisting malignancies.
AB  - A history of preexisting malignancy has been considered a contraindication to
      cardiac transplantation. The reasons for this prejudice include concerns about
      potentially deficient intrinsic immunomodulation and fear of cancer recurrence
      (or development of second cancers) because of therapeutic immunosuppression. In
      the past four years at the Northern Indiana Heart Institute seven patients with
      preexisting malignancies underwent cardiac transplantation. Their two-year
      survival rate was 100%, which is comparable to a rate of 81% in non-malignancy
      patients. After an average 31 months of follow-up (range = 6-56 months), only one
      patient has had a recurrent tumor (basal cell carcinoma). Statistical comparison
      of immunosuppression dosages, incidences of rejection, and incidences of
      infections between patients with preexisting malignancy and those without
      preexisting malignancy was performed. We found that the only significant
      difference was an increased number of infections in preexisting malignancy
      patients. Additionally, we found no difference in the incidence of posttransplant
      coronary artery disease in the preexisting malignancy group when compared with
      those patients without preexisting malignancies. This study demonstrates that
      patients who have been successfully treated for malignancies have no greater
      incidence of rejection than those patients without preexisting malignancy.
      Furthermore, preexisting malignancy patients require no significant modulation of
      immunosuppression. Although preexisting malignancy patients have a higher
      incidence of infections than patients without preexisting malignancy, their two
      year survival is not worse than the patients without preexisting malignancy.

PMID- 1858157
TI  - Dynamics of soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels immediately after heart
      transplantation. Attenuation of increase by OKT3 therapy.
AB  - Quantification of T cell activation after cardiac transplant by measuring serum
      soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels daily may give insight into immunologic
      dynamics after cardiac allograft implantation. It was our hypothesis that this
      protein would demonstrate a characteristic rise after heart transplant not
      related to severe rejection that was distinct from a control group, and that this
      increase could be attenuated with OKT3 therapy. We measured soluble interleukin 2
      receptor levels daily for two weeks in 26 patients undergoing orthotopic cardiac
      transplantation (19 receiving triple therapy immunosuppression with cyclosporine,
      azathioprine, and prednisone, and 7 with OKT3 added days 1 through 5).
      Interleukin-2 receptor levels for transplant patients were compared with 15
      control subjects (14 undergoing bypass surgery and one valve replacement). Mean
      soluble interleukin-2 receptor level for the entire two-week period was higher
      for transplants versus controls; 839 +/- 31 U/ml vs. 504 +/- 20 U/ml (mean +/-
      SEM; P less than .05). Patients receiving OKT3 had a lower level (670 +/- 39
      U/ml) than those not (902 +/- 36 U/ml, P less than .05) despite the fact that
      mean biopsy scores for the observation period were not significantly different.
      No significant rejection or infection episodes occurred in any patient. These
      results describe, for the first time, sequential changes in soluble interleukin 2
      receptor levels early after heart transplant and demonstrate that the
      characteristic early rise can be attenuated with short-term OKT3 administration.

PMID- 1858160
TI  - The long-term outcome of OKT3 compared with cyclosporine prophylaxis after liver
      transplantation.
AB  - We report the long-term follow-up (greater than 1 year) of 46 patients (12
      pediatric) randomized to receive OKT3 for the first 14 days after OLT with low
      dose steroids compared with 39 patients (8 pediatric) who received cyclosporine,
      steroids, and azathioprine. The mean period of follow-up for survivors was 648 +/
      261 days for the OKT3 group and 682 +/- 216 days for the cyclosporine group. Of
      the OKT3 patients, 46% were rejection-free in the first month compared with 31%
      of CsA-treated patients (P = NS). Rejection occurred after 1 month in 21% of the
      OKT3 group patients compared with 19% of the CsA group patients. One patient in
      each group developed vanishing bile duct syndrome. Eight patients in the OKT3
      group and 13 in the CsA group experienced steroid-resistant rejection and
      required OKT3 rescue. In the 8 patients in whom OKT3 was reused, 4 had a positive
      ELISA after prophylaxis, and in 6, CD3-positive cells were greater than 10%
      during OKT3 reuse. Five patients resolved the episode. Of patients receiving OKT3
      prophylaxis, 39% developed anti-OKT3 antibodies. In the OKT3 group 83% of
      patients and in the CsA group 75% currently have normal liver function. There was
      no difference in serum creatinine for either adult or pediatric recipients at 12
      months in the two groups. Eight episodes (2 CMV) of severe infection occurred
      after 1 month in the OKT3 group compared to 11 (4 CMV) in the CsA group. Graft
      survival, 63% for the OKT3 group and 73% for the CsA group, and patient survival,
      67% for the OKT3 group and 84% for the CsA group, were not significantly
      different in the two groups. We recommend reserving the use of OKT3 for resistant
      rejection or when cyclosporine is contraindicated, as we can show no long-term
      benefit from its routine prophylactic use.

PMID- 1858161
TI  - The lack of memory B cells in immune bone marrow.
AB  - Adoptive transfers of lymphoid populations between Ig-congenic strains of mice
      were performed to evaluate the presence of memory cells in the bone marrow of
      immune animals. Transfer of immune splenic B cells or immune peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells effectively transferred antigen-specific IgG1 antibody
      responses of donor origin. In contrast, BM from immune animals did not transfer a
      memory response. The lack of memory transfer with immune BM was not due to a
      suppressive activity of BM since (1) Purified antigen-specific B cells from BM
      did not transfer memory while purified antigen-specific B cells from immune
      spleen was a potent source of memory cells, and (2) cotransfer of immune BM with
      a source of memory B cells (immune PB) did not suppress the transfer of memory.
      Although immune BM did not have cells capable of transferring antigen-specific
      memory, copious amounts of antigen-specific antibody were spontaneously produced
      by immune BM in vitro. These studies suggest that the transfer of immunological
      memory observed in human BM transplant cases may be the consequence of PB
      contamination of BM preparations when collected.

PMID- 1858159
TI  - Long-term metabolic and quality of life results with pancreatic/renal
      transplantation in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Evaluation of whole-organ pancreas transplantation in the therapy of IDDM has
      been difficult because of generally poor graft survival and significant
      complications in past experience. We report a technically successful simultaneous
      pancreas/kidney transplant program with patient and graft survival of 85% over 3
      years of follow-up (mean 21 months) in 33 subjects with IDDM. Glucose metabolism
      was normalized without need for exogenous insulin immediately posttransplant in
      all but one recipient and remained normal in 85% of recipients. The outcome in
      pancreas/kidney recipients was compared with that in 18 insulin-dependent
      diabetic recipients of kidney transplant only performed in the same period.
      Quality of life was assessed with one general and one diabetes-specific
      questionnaire. General quality of life issues improved significantly in both
      pancreas/kidney and kidney recipients, but diabetes specific quality of life
      improved only in the pancreas/kidney recipients. Pancreas/kidney recipients
      required twice as long a period of hospitalization for the transplant and two
      times as many readmissions for a variety of complications. Only a minority of
      hospital admissions was strictly attributable to the pancreas graft. Of the five
      deaths in the pancreas/kidney recipients, two were attributable to the pancreas
      transplant. Pancreas transplantation in IDDM can now be accomplished with a high
      degree of success, resulting in normalized glucose metabolism and with overall
      mortality similar to kidney transplantation alone. Successful pancreas
      transplantation improves quality of life with respect to diabetes but this
      benefit is accomplished at a cost of increased hospital admissions and
      complications related to the transplanted pancreas. The effects of pancreas
      transplantation on the long-term complications of insulin-dependent diabetes
      remain unknown.

PMID- 1858162
TI  - Effect of dry season supplementation of Sanga cattle in Zambia.
AB  - Supplementation of lactating Sanga cows in central Zambia with low cost crop
      residues and urea-mineral licks resulted in significant increases in milk offtake
      (79%), total daily milk (86%), and daily liveweight gain of their calves (86%).
      At 1988 market prices the value of the additional milk (ZK54.00) and of
      liveweight of both cow and calf (ZK189.00) over the 13 weeks exceeded the
      estimated costs of inputs by ZK180.00.

PMID- 1858163
TI  - Influence of partial suckling of crossbred dairy cows on milk offtake and calf
      growth in the Ethiopian highlands.
AB  - The effects of implementing a restricted suckling regime with crossbred dairy
      cows have been examined in the Ethiopian highlands. Calves were allowed to suckle
      their dams for two minutes before each milking until weaning and this system was
      compared with the common practice of rearing by bucket feeding. Restricted
      suckling significantly increased calf growth rate to weaning, from 0.31 to 0.53
      kg/d (P less than 0.01). No differences in calf growth post-weaning occurred, so
      that the 20 kg difference in liveweight that had been achieved by the restricted
      suckled calves by the time of weaning persisted until the calves were nine months
      old, when observations ceased. Total milk offtake was not significantly affected
      by treatment, although that obtained from the partially-suckled animals over
      their whole lactation exceeded that from the other treatment by 15%. Partial
      suckling delayed return to oestrus post partum but this was offset to some degree
      by fewer services per conception, hence calving interval was not significantly
      increased. Voluntary feed consumption was similarly unaffected and it is
      concluded that restricted suckling offers tangible advantages for adoption by
      smallholders using crossbred cows in dairy production systems.

PMID- 1858164
TI  - Breed and environmental influences on weaner lamb production in Zimbabwe.
AB  - Performance of the Dorper and Mutton Merino breeds and their crosses was assessed
      from 1,305 ewe and 1,453 lamb records from six lambing seasons. Dorper and Mutton
      Merino were mated in all combinations under an accelerated lambing system and
      crossbred females were mated to Suffolk rams. The Dorper and Mutton Merino breeds
      were not significantly different for fertility, pre-weaning lamb growth and
      survival. Suffolk sired lambs from crossbred ewes grew rapidly and were heaviest
      at birth and at weaning. They also survived better than lambs from the other
      breeding groups and this contributed to the higher weaning rate (P less than
      0.05) in crossbred ewes. Weight of weaned lambs per ewe exposed to the ram per
      season was 12% higher (P less than 0.05) in the Dorper than the Mutton Merino
      ewes. However lifetime production was 28% higher (P less than 0.01) in Mutton
      Merino ewes due to significantly superior longevity. Crossbred ewes were highly
      productive. Individual heterosis was not significant but estimates were positive
      for most traits. Growth rate and survival of lambs increased as age of dam
      increased to 48 and 40 months respectively. Lambs born to previously non
      lactating ewes were heavier and survived better than lambs born to ewes lactating
      in the previous season. Lambs born and reared as singles were 25% heavier at
      birth (P less than 0.001) and 52% heavier at weaning (P less than 0.001) than
      those born and reared as twins. Male lambs grew faster and were 7% heavier at
      weaning than females (P less than 0.001).

PMID- 1858165
TI  - Comparison of sesame cake and cottonseed as supplementary sources of protein to
      weaned N'Dama bull calves in The Gambia.
AB  - The potential for increased productivity of N'Dama cattle in response to small
      supplementary inputs of proteinaceous by-products has been shown to be
      substantial under village husbandry conditions in The Gambia. Young N'Dama bulls
      were used to compare sesame cake with cottonseed as sources of supplementary
      protein during the wet and early dry seasons of 1987. They were fed 0, 40, 80 or
      160 g crude protein/day in these forms for four months. Supplementation
      significantly increased growth rate from 169 g/d in controls to means of 272 and
      271 g/d for those given sesame cake and cottonseed respectively; there were no
      significant differences among the supplemented groups. During the four months of
      the dry season immediately after supplementation ceased all previously
      supplemented groups grew significantly more rapidly than the controls (at least P
      less than 0.05), indicating a substantial carry over effect of the supplements.
      Over this period the mean gain of the groups previously given sesame cake
      exceeded that of those that had received cottonseed (217 cf. 158 g/d; P less than
      0.01). The economic benefits of these responses were substantial.

PMID- 1858166
TI  - Retrospective observations on the transmission of East Coast fever in Zimbabwe.
AB  - Records of 283 outbreaks of East Coast fever in Zimbabwe in the period 1914 to
      1946 reveal that transmission of infection occurred throughout the year with
      peaks in January to March and May to July. The high level of transmission in
      January to March coincides with the known seasonal occurrence of adult
      Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. It is suggested that transmission at other times of
      the year may have been effected by a population of R. appendiculatus which did
      not exhibit a strictly seasonal life-cycle and has since been eradicated.

PMID- 1858167
TI  - Effect of consumption of molasses/urea blocks on the growth of housed bullocks
      fed ad libitum with Pennisetum purpureum.
AB  - Ten bullocks in individual pens were provided ad libitum with cut chopped pasture
      grass (Pennisetum purpureum). One group of five animals had access to a
      molasses/urea block (experimental group) and the other group of five did not
      (control group). Daily dry matter intakes of 5.04 kg/animal (control group) and
      4.83 kg/animal (experimental group) were not significantly different. However the
      experimental group gained weight at a significantly (P less than 0.05) faster
      rate (514 g/animal per day) than the control group (346 g/animal per day). Food
      conversion efficiency was significantly (P less than 0.01) better in the
      experimental group (11.6 kg feed per kg weight gained) than in the control group
      (16.4 kg feed per kg weight gained). Mean daily intake of the molasses urea
      blocks was 206 g per animal.

PMID- 1858169
TI  - [Meta-analysis--a pseudoscience or a useful tool?].

PMID- 1858168
TI  - Comparison of the calf suckling technique and milk oxytocin test for estimation
      of milk yields.
AB  - The calf suckling technique and milk oxytocin test were compared as methods to
      quantify lactation yields in Sanga-type cows in the multi-purpose livestock
      sector of central Zambia. There was no significant difference between the overall
      means derived from 154 observations. The oxytocin method interferes less with the
      multi-purpose system of management, is less time consuming and does not require
      expensive calf weight scales.

PMID- 1858170
TI  - [Effect of salt-restriction on blood pressure. A review over epidemiological
      studies and a meta-analysis of clinically controlled studies].
AB  - Cross-section regression analyses of some of the world's populations suggest a
      direct linear relationship between mean blood pressure and mean salt-intake.
      Since such investigations have hitherto been partly based on information about
      dietary salt intake, which is a questionable measure, we performed an analysis
      including 28 male populations and an analysis including 21 female populations
      solely based on 24 hour sodium urinary excretion. The regression analysis
      confirmed that a direct linear relationship between blood pressure and 24 hour
      sodium urinary excretion existed, since the blood pressure in a population was
      about 7 mmHg/6 mmHg higher than in a population which consumed 100 mmol less
      salt. We were, however, not able to correct for confounders. This was done in the
      recently published "Intersalt" study in which the linear relationship between
      median blood pressure and median salt intake disappeared after correction for
      weight and alcohol intake. From the regression coefficients from "Intersalt" it
      can be deduced that a reduction in salt intake from 150 mmol to 75 mmol may
      reduce blood pressure by 1.6/0.05 mmHg. Most epidemiological studies have not
      been able to demonstrate a correlation between salt intake and blood pressure
      within population. Still, on the basis of uncontrolled clinical studies it has
      been claimed that salt-restriction may reduce blood pressure. Consequently we
      also performed a meta-analysis of 15 controlled clinical trials dealing with the
      effect of salt-restriction on blood pressure within a population. This meta
      analysis including 704 patients showed that a reduction in average salt intake
      from 150 mmol to 75 mmol may reduce blood pressure by 2.4/1.4 mmHg.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858171
TI  - [Postoperative urinary retention].
AB  - Postoperative retention of urine (PU) is a common complication which may occur
      after any surgical intervention. It may affect both sexes in all age groups and
      result in considerable morbidity. The frequency depends upon the type of
      operation and its duration but statements in the literature vary greatly on
      account of inaccurate and varying definitions and uncertain diagnostic criteria.
      Intervention in the true pelvis results in the highest frequencies of
      postoperative urinary retention. The method of anesthesia is of lesser
      significance. Spinal anesthesia and epidural morphine constitute, however, a
      particular risk for the development of postoperative retention of urine. The
      pathological physiology is complex and includes: 1) disturbance of the balance
      between the sympathetic/parasympathetic influence on bladder and urethral
      function, 2) drugs which inhibit the miction reflex, 3) anaesthesia and sedation
      which cloud the awareness of bladder filling, 4) rapid filling of the bladder
      with subsequent overdistension, 5) lesion of the nerve fibres to the lower
      urinary tract, 6) mechanical obstruction and 7) difficult positions and/or
      situations for miction. Preoperative information about difficulty in emptying the
      bladder constitutes a predisposing factor and may require preoperative
      elucidation and treatment. Postoperative retention of urine may be countered by
      informative and practical measures and restriction of fluid intake. In selected
      cases, prophylactic treatment with alpha-blockers and prostaglandin may reduce
      the frequency. Therapeutically, oral parasympathomimetica do not appear to be
      effective while alpha-blockers may be employed. In cases where catheter treatment
      is employed and which is anticipated to be required for more than 48 hours,
      suprapubic drainage is recommended as this results in fewer cases of urinary
      infection than transurethral indwelling catheters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1858173
TI  - [The patterns of admission for patients with suspected acute myocardial
      infarction].
AB  - The patterns of admission to hospital for 161 patients with suspected acute
      myocardial infarction during the period 1.2.1988-30.9.1988 were investigated.
      This revealed that 59% called their doctor, 20% called the ambulance directly,
      11% arrived at the doctor's office or casualty department and 7% were admitted
      with cardiac arrest. The durations of delay were investigated. The median
      duration of delay by the doctor was 15 minutes but only 7% of the cases were
      escorted to hospital by the doctor. In 53% of the cases, the doctors waited for
      the ambulance without escorting the patient. In 40% of the cases, the doctors did
      not wait for the ambulance. 44% of the patients with acute myocardial infarction
      referred to hospital by doctors who did not accompany them were in poor condition
      on arrival (one patient died in the ambulance). 33% of these patients died in
      hospital. The ambulances were staffed by three persons with paramedical training
      in only 5% of the cases when the patient first called the doctor and in 41% of
      the cases when the ambulance was called as an emergency. The study reveals that
      prehospital treatment of cardiac patients should be improved.

PMID- 1858172
TI  - [Autotransplantation of splenic tissue after splenectomy in adults].
AB  - Splenectomy involves a risk of development of postsplenectomy sepsis, PSS. An
      assessment of the incidence of PSS is made on the basis of a review of the
      literature. Experimental studies on animals suggest that splenic
      autotransplantation exerts a protective effect following nasal exposure to
      Streptococcus pneumoniae. Where other routes of exposure are concerned, the
      results are contradictory, but no general effect has been found. Clinical data is
      limited and the effect cannot be assessed as yet. The technique of
      autotransplantation and the commonest complications are summarised. On this
      basis, several guidelines are presented. It is concluded that splenic
      autotransplantation is a potentially beneficial alternative to total splenectomy
      but that it involves a certain risk. The procedure should, therefore, only be
      carried out under clinically controlled conditions.

PMID- 1858174
TI  - [General practitioners' attitude to prescription of psychopharmaceuticals.
      Autonomy versus paternalism, education and understanding of disease].
AB  - The object of this investigation was to illustrate the attitudes of general
      practitioners to prescription of psychotropic drugs and to mental illness. The
      qualitative research interview method was chosen as the method employed here.
      Fourteen general practitioners were interviewed while one did not wish to
      participate. A marked difference was found between the attitudes of the general
      practitioners to respect the autonomy of the patients or to act paternally. The
      paternal general practitioner could either prescribe psychotropic drugs on his
      own initiative or refuse prescription. General practitioners who respected
      autonomy were relatively restrictive in their prescribing habits so that respect
      for autonomy was by no means expression for free prescription of psychotropic
      drugs. Their goal was that the patient should be placed in a situation where
      he/she could choose and determine personally. The general practitioners
      considered that their undergraduate and postgraduate training in treating
      patients with mental illness was inadequate. Taking into consideration how
      frequently patients with conditions of this nature are seen in general practice,
      this must be regarded as a serious deficit in medical training. A number of
      general practitioners have, however, received postgraduate training in this
      subject. General practitioners did not consider patients who consulted them with
      mental conditions as mentally ill but they did not have an alternative disease
      model by which they could classify the problems and complaints of these patients.

PMID- 1858175
TI  - [Patients' attitude to long-term use of benzodiazepines. A questionnaire study].
AB  - The object of this investigation was to illustrate patients understanding of the
      background for commencing and continuing or discontinuing, respectively,
      benzodiadiazepine medication with emphasis on attitudes, norms and values on
      which this medication is based. The quantitative research interview method was
      selected as the method employed here. Twenty-one patients participated. Ten of
      these continued medication. Nine patients had originally discontinued medication
      but had begun again for various reasons. Two patients had discontinued medication
      completely. Patients who employed benzodiazepines daily had only few trepidations
      about consumption of drugs while patients who only employed medication
      occasionally had a series of trepidations. Nevertheless, a considerable tendency
      to return to benzodiazepines under conditions of stress was observed. The
      justification for intake of benzodiazepines was frequently altered during the
      course of time. Considerable "medicalization" of non-medical problems was
      observed. The problems for which the patient was prescribed medication with
      benzodiazepines were frequently bio-psycho-social-extential problems. The
      majority of patients were, however, aware of this "medicalization".
      Benzodiazepines were not employed as euphoric agents.

PMID- 1858176
TI  - [Naproxen versus indomethacin as night-time medication for patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis].
AB  - The investigation consisted of a double-blind cross-over study of the effect of
      75 mg indometacin, 500 mg naproxen or a placebo in 63 patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis accompanied by night pain and morning stiffness. All the patients
      received day treatment with 250 mg naproxen b.i.d. Only a few patients benefitted
      from the treatment at night and no differences in the effect of indometacin and
      naproxen were observed. Naproxen was better tolerated than indometacin. Day
      treatment with naproxen, which has a relatively long half life time decrease the
      need for supplementary treatment at night.

PMID- 1858177
TI  - [Breast cancer in the Faeroe Islands during 1958-1987].
AB  - From 1958 to 1987, a total of 269 primary breast cancers were diagnosed in 261
      women living in the Faroe Islands. The five-year survival was 46.7% (95%
      confidence interval 40.3-53.0%) and the median survival four years and three
      months. The incidence of breast cancer in the Faroe Islands remained constant
      from 1958 to 1972 after which an increase occurred. At present, one in 20 Faroe
      women will develop breast cancer before the age of 75 years. The time trend in
      breast cancer incidence is similar in the Faroe Islands and in Denmark, but the
      incidence is significantly lower in the Faroe Islands at a level corresponding to
      2/3 of the Danish. This difference is presumed to be due to a different
      prevalence of risk factors for development breast cancer.

PMID- 1858178
TI  - [Arthroscopic synovial resection of the talocrural joint].
AB  - Arthroscopic resection of the synovial membrane was employed in the treatment of
      chronic pain antero-laterally in the talo-crural joint in eight patients. The
      ages of the patients varied from 12 to 45 years (median age 24 years). Ten
      patients had previously sustained traumatic sprains. The duration of the symptoms
      was, on an average, two years (1-15 years). Radiographic examination of the talo
      crural joint revealed normal findings in all of the patients. Arthroscopically,
      in all of the patients, impingement of hypertrophic synovial tissue at the upper
      lateral corner of the talus was found. Trans-arthroscopic resection was performed
      with a shaver. A total of six patients became symptom-free and two experienced
      considerable relief of symptoms. The present authors have found the method to be
      suitable in selected cases of chronic pain in the talo-crural joint.

PMID- 1858179
TI  - [Recovery after ambulatory vasectomy].
AB  - The recovery after outpatient vasectomy, with particular attention to general
      postoperative complaints, was investigated by means of a questionnaire. A
      material of 115 patients who were submitted to operation during the period
      1.1.1988-31.12.1988 was covered by the investigation. Replies were obtained from
      81%. The frequency of complaints/complications apart from the first 24 hours
      postoperatively was found to be unexpectedly high as 77% had from one to seven
      complaints/complications (average 2.8), pain and swelling being the commonest.
      32% had complaints for three weeks or more while 90% were free from complaints
      after nine weeks. The secondary consequences of the complaints were apparent
      inconsiderable preoperative illness and a great number of postoperative contacts
      with the general practitioner. 23% had sick-leave for more than the first 24
      hours postoperatively, 6% for more than one week and a total of 47 contacts with
      the practitioner occurred in 82 men. It is recommended that thorough information
      about the postoperative course should be provided by the departments in order to
      reduce the number of days of postoperative sick-leave and the number of contacts
      with the health services.

PMID- 1858181
TI  - [Meta-analyses: technical remarks].

PMID- 1858180
TI  - [Duodenal ulcer in systemic mastocytosis].
AB  - Two cases of systemic mastocytosis are presented. Both patients had peptic
      ulceration. Greatly raised values on investigation of gastric acid secretion in
      patients with therapy-resistant peptic ulceration and normal serum gastrin should
      raise the suspicion of systemic mastocytosis.

PMID- 1858182
TI  - [Continuous massive overdiagnosing of painter's syndrome (presenile dementia)].

PMID- 1858183
TI  - [Screening or not--a difficult decision process].

PMID- 1858184
TI  - [Non-dietary, non-pharmacological treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia].
AB  - Non-dietary, non-pharmacological reduction of cholesterol in patients with severe
      hypercholesterolemia can be obtained by partial ileal by-pass, portacaval shunt
      operation or liver transplantation. A non-surgical method is apheresis, by which
      low density and very low density lipoproteins are removed from blood in an
      extracorporal circulation system. Apheresis methods include plasmapheresis,
      immunoadsorption, chemical affinity and Double Membrane Filtration. Treatment of
      a 30 year old man with severe familial hypercholesterolemia and ischaemic heart
      disease, by LDL-apheresis, resulted in an average decline in serum-cholesterol of
      35%. LDL-apheresis is indicated in the treatment of this type of patient and in
      homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 1858185
TI  - [Basal ganglia calcifications demonstrated by CT. Is further investigation
      necessary when this is found incidentally?].
AB  - Calcification in the basal ganglia in the brain is, as a rule, asymptomatic and
      is therefore observed as an incidental finding at CT examination for other
      cerebral conditions e.g. tumours or haemorrhage. The question is whether
      incidental finding of calcification in the basal ganglia indicates the need for
      further supplementary investigations. Three case histories and study of the
      literature are quoted to illustrate this. It is concluded that investigation is
      not indicated in patients over the age of 50 years with limited, bilateral,
      symmetrical calcifications in the globi pallidi. In patients under 50 years,
      investigation in the form of detailed history taking, neurological examination
      and haematological investigation is indicated.

PMID- 1858186
TI  - [Pulmonary embolism].
AB  - Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is associated with considerable morbidity
      and mortality and may, if unrecognized, lead to severe chronic heart failure.
      Most cases are adequately treated with anticoagulants, while thrombolytic agents
      and other, more risky treatment regimens should still be reserved for the most
      severe cases. Even so, a definite diagnosis of PTE is prerequisite to any
      treatment, because of the risk of serious bleeding complications. However, the
      diagnosis of PTE is often difficult and always depends on confirmation by one or
      more diagnostic procedures, of which only pulmonary arteriography is of
      sufficient diagnostic value to be used alone. As pulmonary arteriography is
      costly and not without risk to the patient, the paper proposes a diagnostic
      strategy to limit the need for invasive procedures maximally without loss of
      diagnostic value. In critically ill patients with suspected PTE, bedside
      haemodynamic evaluation and balloon-occlusion-angiography may be valuable, as
      illustrated by two cases histories.

PMID- 1858187
TI  - [Attitudes to cholesterol measurement and intervention among general
      practitioners in Bornholm].
AB  - In 1985 an explanatory report was published about investigation and treatment of
      hyperlipidaemia. This report, together with a consensus report published
      subsequently, formed the background for a nationwide cholesterol campaign. The
      attitudes of general practitioners to measurement of cholesterol and intervention
      must be considered to have decisive influence on performance of the goal of the
      consensus report, viz, reduction of the incidence of ischaemic heart disease
      (IHD). By means of a nine-page questionnaire, an attempt was made to assess the
      attitudes to measurement of cholesterol and intervention among the general
      practitioners on Bornholm. Out of the 35 questionnaires sent, 27 were returned
      (77%). Just under 40% of the general practitioners would screen all men aged
      between 20 and 59 years. Approximately 25% would screen women in the same age
      group. Opinions were unanimous about screening patients with diabetes,
      hypertension or IHD. Attitudes towards intervention were, by and large, in
      agreement with the cholesterol limits recommended in the explanatory report. In
      general, the general practitioners had well balanced attitudes towards tracing
      and treatment of individuals with raised serum cholesterol with relevant
      consideration of cholesterol as an important risk factor in the development of
      IHD.

PMID- 1858188
TI  - [Chorionic villi biopsy as an alternative to amniocentesis].
AB  - The results of a retrospective assessment of the first 112 chorion villus
      biopsies carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the
      Central Hospital in Randers are presented. Karyotype determination was obtained
      in 98.2% and in 83.9% already by means of direct microscopic examination after
      incubation for 24 hours. No complications which could be attributed to the
      biopsies were registered. The present authors consider that the method should be
      employed more extensively for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.

PMID- 1858189
TI  - [Indomethacin enema in treatment of postoperative pain after knee arthrotomy. A
      double-blind controlled trial].
AB  - Twenty-three patients subjected to arthrotomy of the knee were in a double-blind
      trial randomly allocated to either: 1) Indomethacin 100 mg (Confortid)
      administered as an enema immediately before induction of anaesthesia and repeated
      morning and evening for the next two days, or: b) a placebo. The patients' demand
      for postoperative pain treatment were registered. Survival analysis was applied
      to the time passed from recovery from anaesthesia until patients first asked for
      postoperative pain treatment. A significant difference was found (p less than
      0.05). The indomethacin treated group required significantly less postoperative
      pain treatment than did the placebo group. 36% of the patients in the
      indomethacin group had no additional pain treatment during the two days of
      observation. Indomethacin as an enema proved to be an easy and effective way of
      reducing postoperative pain.

PMID- 1858190
TI  - [Cerebral symptoms in hyponatremia. Treatment and course].
AB  - Pronounced hyponatraemia results in serious neurological symptoms and the
      untreated condition is associated with a great mortality. An account is presented
      of nine hyponatraemic patients (plasma sodium 101-119 mmol/l) without cardiac,
      renal or hepatic disease who were admitted to a department for intensive care. In
      all of the patients, consciousness was compromised. Three patients had
      generalized convulsions and six patients had respiratory involvement which
      required respirator treatment in two patients. In one patient, the hyponatraemia
      had developed acutely. The remaining cases had developed chronically. One patient
      was confused for one month after admission and another patient developed
      classical central pontine myelinolysis after a latent period of seven days and
      which required admission for rehabilitation for several months. The remaining
      patients, including the acute patient, had recovered completely after a few days.
      The rate of correction for plasma sodium was calculated for the patients. Animal
      experimental and clinical accounts concerning the pathological physiology and
      treatment of hyponatraemia are reviewed. It is important to differentiate between
      acutely and chronically developed hyponatraemia as treatments differ
      considerably. Severe chronic hyponatraemia should be treated with a rate of
      correction of plasma sodium of 0.5 mmol/l/hour, and the normal range for plasma
      sodium should be aimed at after a couple of days. The risk involved in more rapid
      normalization is development of central pontine myelinolysis with severe
      neurological sequelae. Hypertonic sodium chloride must only be employed in cases
      of acutely developed hyponatraemia with convulsions. Acute hyponatraemia may
      otherwise be corrected with a rate of correction of plasma sodium of 1
      mmol/l/hour or more.

PMID- 1858191
TI  - [Clinical trial of an ergometry bicycle with automatic blood pressure
      registration].
AB  - Automatic blood-pressure registration on a computerized ergometer cycle was
      compared with simultaneous manually registered blood-pressure employing a
      standard mercury sphygmomanometer during performance of maximal ergometer
      exercise testing on 50 consecutive patients. The difference in blood-pressure
      registered by the automatic and the manual methods, respectively, was, on an
      average +0.2 mmHg with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 20 mmHg. By means of
      linear regression analysis, a correlation coefficient of 0.97 (p less than 0.001)
      with an uncertainty of approximately 6% with automatic blood-pressure
      registration was found. Simultaneously, the uncertainty was independent of the
      degree of work performed. The apparatus was found to be of practical clinical
      use.

PMID- 1858192
TI  - [Acute compartment syndrome after a brief march].
AB  - A case of acute anteriolateral compartmental syndrome in an 18-year old male
      conscript, caused by moderate physical strain is reported. It is questioned, with
      reference to literature, whether elevation and observation of mild cases is
      appropriate treatment.

PMID- 1858193
TI  - [Polycythemia vera in a Danish family].
AB  - The occurrence of polycythaemia vera in a Danish woman and her two sons is
      described. No environmental agent could be identified and it is suggested that
      the cases represent a genetic susceptibility to this myeloproliferative disease.

PMID- 1858194
TI  - [Acute HIV infection after a single episode of oro-genital contact (fellatio)].
AB  - Acute HIV infection with a papular rash is described in a homosexual man ten
      weeks after a single episode of orogenital contact (fellatio). The "safe sex"
      recommendations are discussed.

PMID- 1858195
TI  - [Mammography screening].

PMID- 1858196
TI  - [Allergy tests in general practice].

PMID- 1858197
TI  - [The comprehensive examination of patients with recurrent calcium
      nephrolithiasis].
AB  - Hypercalciuria is one of the main causes of recurrent generation of urinary
      calcium-containing calculi. 107 patients with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis
      were examined and results presented. Concentrations of potassium, sodium,
      chlorides, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid and creatinine were investigated in
      serum and urine, as well as indices of acid-base balance in arterial blood. pH
      metry, "preliminary" and oral calcium tolerance test were also carried out. The
      microcomputer data analysis established that the diagnosis of primary
      hyperparathyroidism may be identified in case of increased serum calcium level
      before and after calcium load test, the same of parathyroid, and increased
      urinary cAMP excretion. Renal hypercalciuria is characterized by low blood
      calcium level in both periods of the oral test, high basal calciuria, increased
      urinary cAMP excretion and its slight decrease after the oral calcium load test,
      by a tendency to lower serum magnesium levels in high magnesuria. The patients
      with absorptive hypercalciuria had an upper normal or increased blood calcium
      level, a significant calcemic and calciuric "response" to the calcium load,
      reduction in urinary cAMP elimination and more severe decrease (close to 0) of
      these indices after oral calcium load and normal magnesium levels in blood and
      urine. On a base of the "preliminary" test data the patients with relapsing
      calcium nephrolithiasis and metabolic disorders may be differed from those
      without calcium and phosphorus metabolic deteriorations. The "preliminary" test
      defines indications for the oral calcium tolerance test, automatic diagnosis and
      computer data storage facilitate physician to work and to solve problems of the
      patients' survey.

PMID- 1858198
TI  - [Ureteral remote shockwave lithotripsy].
AB  - During 1-year exploitation of a Lithostar remote lithotriptor (Siemens) 221
      patients with concrements of various parts of the ureter were treated. The
      patients' ages were from 6 to 86 years. It the course of treatment 170 patients
      needed only 1 session of remote shock wave ureterolithotripsy; 44--2 sessions; 5-
      3; and 2--4 sessions. The ureterolithotripsy was carried out under intravenous
      and local infiltrative anesthesia, as well as under intravenous analgesia or
      without any anesthesia. According to presence or absence of the inflammation
      process, the time a concrement stood in the same place, the severity of
      obstructive nephropathy the following ureterolithotripsy methods were used: 1)
      "on the spot" (in the absence of inflammation and duration of concrement standing
      in one place no more than 6-8 weeks); 2) in the presence of an ureteral catheter
      (in more prolonged periods of concrement standing); 3) in the presence of
      transcutaneous puncture nephrostomy (in inflammatory process and severe signs of
      obstructive uropathy). Better treatment results were obtained in patients with a
      small concrement standing period and in those whose ureter concrements were
      shifted or passed the catheter. The retro- or anterograde concrement perfusion by
      physiologic saline and diuretic therapy increased the efficacy of remote shock
      wave ureterolithotripsy. The therapy was effective in 206 of 221 patients
      (93.2%); in case of failures 7 patients underwent an open ureterolithotomy; 5-
      retrograde and 3--anterograde ureteral stone extraction or lithotripsy.
      COMPLICATIONS: 6 patients had a pyelonephritis attack because of fragments
      crashed stone renal occlusion; 3 were operated on by the method of transcutaneous
      paracentetic nephrostomy; other 3 patients' kidneys were catheterized.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858199
TI  - [The selection of the method for urinary diversion in children].
AB  - Ninety-five urinary fistulas have been produced at various urinary tract levels
      in 62 infants and children, aged 20 days to 13 years, for uni- or bilateral
      megaureter and hydronephrosis 14 days to 16 months prior to major reconstructive
      plastic surgery. Efficacy of draining (21 cystostomies, ureterostomies and
      nephropyelostomies) and nondraining (74 ureterocutaneostomies) techniques was
      evaluated 2-6 months or later using clinical, laboratory, X-ray, tracer and
      urologic cinematographic studies. Fistula application and removal maneuvers and
      complications are described. The draining techniques were found to be inefficient
      in prolonged preliminary urinary diversion and to be associated with frequent
      infection relapses and less satisfactory results of plastic surgery.
      Ureterocutaneostomy proved to be the most reliable and convenient method of
      prolonged drainage even though it required additional operations to replace the
      patent ureters. The drainage should be prolonged to 12-16 months if the urinary
      tract deteriorates, especially in young children.

PMID- 1858200
TI  - [Hemodynamics in transurethral operations under peridural anesthesia].
AB  - Three types of cardiovascular system response were revealed in course of
      transurethral surgery. In the first 10-20 min after peridural anesthesia there
      was a decrease in total peripheral vascular resistance in all patients. This
      provided a positive effect in 84% of them as evidenced by normalized blood
      pressure, heart rate and cardiac output. In 8% of the operated on, lower total
      peripheral vascular resistance caused dangerous hypotension due to their weak
      compensatory mechanisms. 8% had a two-phase blood pressure decrease: firstly its
      decrease to subnormal levels was associated with lower total peripheral vascular
      resistance, but a repeated decrease (30-40 min later) in blood pressure to a
      critical level was initiated by a reduction in cardiac output and depletion of
      compensatory mechanisms, perhaps, due to a surgical hemorrhage. The both types of
      hemodynamic destabilization were easily corrected by an alpha-adrenomimetic drug
      (mezaton) infusions and graded intravenous administration. In case of a proper
      hemodynamic correction, the peridural anesthesia secured an optimal regime for
      the function of cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems.

PMID- 1858201
TI  - [The conservative treatment of kidney cancer in middle-aged and elderly
      patients].
AB  - Late results of conservative management were investigated in 102 patients with
      renal carcinoma. Their ages were 60 to 90. A symptomatologic therapy alone was
      used in the management of 60 patients, 38 were treated with hydroxyprogesterone
      capronate and 4 with nolvadex. All the patients suffered from concomitant
      diseases. The refusals of operative treatment were because of such causes as: 1)
      extension of the tumor process in 29; 2) severe intercurrent diseases in 41; 3)
      cancer of a single, single-functioning kidney or the both kidneys in 7; 4) the
      patients' refusals in 25 patients. After the described treatment 71.6% of them
      lived 1 year, 36.8%-3, and 26.2%-5 years, that was quite comparable with the
      postoperative results. Prognostically beneficial treatment criteria were: a
      patient's age of 70 or more years, the stage T1-2N0M0V0, asymptomatic course of
      the disease, absence of anemia, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
      more than 40 mm/h; the tumor size less than 10 cm. The most unfavourable
      prognostic criteria were: T4 stage of the disease, decrease of a hemoglobin level
      lees than 80 g/l, tumor size more than 10 cm. No one of the 41 patients who had
      had at least of these signs survived over 3 years. The use of hydroxyprogesterone
      capronate had no advantages over the symptomatic therapy and did not prolong a
      patient's life. A 5-year survival of patients managed on hormonal therapy was
      22%, on the symptomatic one, 27.1%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858202
TI  - [The effect of psychoemotional stress on kidney function].
AB  - Psychoemotional stress, like other kinds of emergency states, is accompanied by
      renal functional changes and accumulation of biologically active substances in
      the human body, among which middle molecular oligopeptides are classified. In
      inadequate or untimely premedication, an operative intervention of any scope
      occurs initially under unfavourable conditions due to accumulation of
      biologically active substances in blood and decrease in renal functions. The
      proposed method of preoperative measurement of the middle molecular oligopeptides
      and their correlations in plasma and urine may become an indirect indicator of
      premedication adequacy and a screening test of renal function.

PMID- 1858203
TI  - [The diagnostic and prognostic value of determining the content of beta 2
      microglobulin in the blood and urine of potential kidney donors].
AB  - The paper provides the results of a clinical observation of 20 potential kidney
      donors having various agonal periods. Significant changes in beta 2-microglobulin
      levels in blood and urine depending on the agonal duration were established. The
      nature of the changes in biological fluids suggest their significance in early
      diagnosis of renal ischemic lesions during the agonal period, as well as in the
      prognostic assessment of organ viability and functional adequacy.

PMID- 1858204
TI  - [Fine-needle aspiration and puncture biopsies in the diagnosis of lesions of
      kidney transplants].
AB  - 270 fine needle aspiration and 41 puncture biopsies were fulfilled after 92
      cadaveric renal transplantations to diagnose the status of the grafts. With the
      clinical and ultrasonographic data, the first method proved to be effective in
      diagnosing acute graft rejection in 79.9% of cases and in determining the status
      of graft reversibility or irreversibility, but the fine needle aspiration biopsy
      failed to differentiate the cellular or vascular types of the rejection. The
      method was also effective in diagnosing the tubular necrosis, acute cyclosporin
      nephrotoxicity, infectious transplant complications. The paracentetic biopsy
      essentially supplements the fine needle one and allows one to diagnose chronic
      cyclosporin nephrotoxicity and chronic transplant rejection. It appears to be the
      only method revealing the magnitude of graft rejection during oligoanuria caused
      by ischemic graft lesion. It was concluded that the results of fine needle
      aspiration biopsy were the most informative within the first postoperative month
      because later on it becomes difficult to obtain biopsy specimens adequate to
      interpret the results correctly.

PMID- 1858205
TI  - [Vitamin K1 and C metabolism in uremia during hemodialysis].
AB  - Plasma concentrations of vitamin K1, ascorbic acid and its derivatives were
      investigated in uremic patients during a session of systemic hemodialysis at the
      dialyzers input, output and in dialyzing solution. The data showed practically
      unchanged clearances of vitamin C and diketogulonic acid during the session of
      hemodialysis. In the course of its passage through the dialyzer, plasma ascorbic
      acid was partially oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, partially it converted to a
      dialysate, partially it returned to the human body. Plasma level of vitamin K1 in
      uremic patients was 1.8 times lower than that in the healthy; 24-hour its
      excretion in uremic patients and in the healthy was similar. It is supposed that
      the vitamin K1 decrease correlates with lipoid changes in uremia. During a
      session of hemodialysis no significant vitamin K1 losses were revealed.

PMID- 1858206
TI  - [The role of the phenomenon of the redistribution of aminoglycosides in their
      monitoring and dosage calculation in patients in the terminal stage of kidney
      failure undergoing systematic hemodialysis treatment].
AB  - The kinetics of aminoglycosides (amikacin, netilmycin, gentamicin, tobramycin)
      were investigated in patients with end-stage renal disease who were on systemic
      hemodialysis. Their decrease in the blood revealed in pre-dialysis and dialysis
      periods was exponential. After dialysis termination there was a gradual
      aminoglycoside increase as compared to the end-dialysis period, which was of
      linear character and depended on the degree of these agents' dialysis clearance.
      The cause of the phenomenon is likely to be higher aminoglycoside blood
      elimination rate than their entering the blood from tissues. A method is proposed
      to calculate an additional dose of aminoglycosides, taking into account their
      higher concentrations in the postdialysis period, under permanent monitoring of
      their blood levels.

PMID- 1858208
TI  - [The participation of the kallikrein-kinin system in edema formation in
      glomerulonephritis].
AB  - Involvement of the kallikrein-kinin system in the pathogenesis of renal edemas
      may be mediated by increase of vascular permeability, proteinuria, diuresis and
      natriuresis. Proceeding from these points, in 27 patients with morphologically
      proved chronic glomerulonephritis and the nephrotic syndrome, the serum
      kallikrein activity and its 24-hour urinary excretion level were measured.
      According to their edematous syndrome severity, all the patients were divided
      into 2 groups: 1) 19 patients with moderate edemas; 2) 8 patients with severe
      ones. During the follow-up period, there were no essential changes in patients'
      body weights, and no significant differences between the groups in clearances and
      excreted fractions of sodium, potassium, chlorine, osmotically active substances,
      and in serum albumin and cholesterol levels, 24-hour protein losses and blood
      pressure. As compared to the healthy (n-20) in all the patients a substantial and
      statistically significant increase in kallikrein activity was revealed in serum
      and urine. Kallikreinemia and kallikreinuria were significantly higher in Group 2
      than those in Group 1. In the total group of examinees a significant direct
      relationship was established between the urinary kallikrein activity and summary
      sodium and potassium excretion as well as between the serum kallikrein activity
      and chlorine clearance. A direct correlation between the serum kallikrein
      activity and proteinuria was also found. Thus, a role of the kallikrein-kinin
      system in development of glomerulonephritic edemas concurrent with the nephrotic
      syndrome is hetero-directional.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858207
TI  - [Intravesical distension in the corrugated tuberculotic bladder].
AB  - The treatment problem of urinary tract post-tuberculous changes is not completely
      solved. Current methods do not always give good results and are accompanied by
      some complications. The authors describe their own modified method of hydrostatic
      intravesical distension of the tuberculotic-cirrhotic bladder, using epidural
      anesthesia, and worked out indications for it. The results show an increase in
      the bladder volume from 100-120 to 250-300 ml with a decreased urination
      frequency in 8 patients. The method occurred to be very convenient-to-use due to
      the absence of any complications.

PMID- 1858209
TI  - [The effect of diabetic nephropathy on the function of the hypophyseal-gonadal
      system in men].
AB  - The functional state of the hypophyseal-gonadal system was investigated in 160
      males suffering from Types I and II diabetes mellitus. There were no correlations
      revealed in the incidence and severity of sexual dysfunction according to the
      patients' ages, diabetes type and duration. The sexual disturbances correlated
      with the severity of diabetic microangiopathy (r = +0.48) and a state of diabetic
      compensation (r = +0.36). The development and progression of diabetic nephropathy
      was accompanied by a rise of blood luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones
      and a drop of testosterone, estrogen-androgen imbalance.

PMID- 1858210
TI  - [X-ray endovascular research in varicocele in children].
AB  - 60 patients with varicocele first diagnosed and 38 with postoperative recurrences
      of varicocele were examined with use of digitalis subtraction renal and
      testicular phlebography as an optional diagnostic method. In the patients' group
      with varicocele recurrences the roentgeno-endovascular method allowed the causes
      of relapses associated with inadequate ligation of testicular vein influxes to be
      revealed (73.3%) and collateralization of the operated region (26.3%). In
      patients with firstly diagnosed varicocele the phlebography confirmed the
      diagnosis in 98.3%; revealed associated urogenital diseases; allowed indications
      for a specific mode of surgical correction to be formulated. 78 patients
      underwent testicular vein roentgeno-endovascular occlusion with 3% solution of
      thrombovar, 15 were operated on by the method of Ivanissevich in whom a level and
      character of surgical ligation were defined by phlebographic data; one patient
      had the operation testicular-saphenous anastomosis; one patient was not operated
      due to his systemic blood disease. By digitalis subtraction angiographic data
      recurrence rates after a proper treatment were 2%. 4.1% had thrombophlebitis of
      the racemose plexus after a sclerotherapy conservatively abolished. The use of
      digitalis subtraction testicular phlebography allowed one to properly choose a
      surgery and to decrease relapse rates due to its high preoperative diagnostic
      efficacy. In addition, preoperative X-ray endovascular examination made it
      possible to reveal the cause of relapses after early performed operations, to
      detect synchronous renal lesions in time, and to prevent recurrences by reducing
      the amount of a contrast medium by a factor of 2-3.

PMID- 1858211
TI  - [Cavernous hemangioma of the pelvis-ureter segment complicated by hydronephrosis
      and urolithiasis].

PMID- 1858213
TI  - [A giant stone in the posterior urethra].

PMID- 1858214
TI  - [A case of a long-term asymptomatic course in a foreign body of the prostate].

PMID- 1858212
TI  - [Calcinosis of the ductus deferens].

PMID- 1858215
TI  - [Uremic middle-molecule toxins and their removal in hemofiltration].

PMID- 1858216
TI  - [The functional activity of the urethral neutrophilic granulocytes in patients
      with chronic urethroprostatitis and its correction].
AB  - The functional state of urethral neutrophil granulocytes in patients with chronic
      urethro-prostatitis, and possibility of miramistin use in complex treatment of
      the disease were investigated. The data revealed functional suppression of these
      granulocytes in the patients. Complex treatment with miramistin normalized
      indices of urethral phagocytic activity, on the contrary, after treatment of the
      patients without the agent there was no tendency to normalize urethral phagocytic
      function. The findings suggest that miramistin supplemented to routine
      antiinflammatory therapy improves curative results in patients with chronic
      urethro-prostatitis but the drug should be prescribed in accordance with the
      initial function of urethral neutrophil granulocytes.

PMID- 1858217
TI  - Elastography: a quantitative method for imaging the elasticity of biological
      tissues.
AB  - We describe a new method for quantitative imaging of strain and elastic modulus
      distributions in soft tissues. The method is based on external tissue
      compression, with subsequent computation of the strain profile along the
      transducer axis, which is derived from cross-correlation analysis of pre- and
      post-compression A-line pairs. The strain profile can then be converted to an
      elastic modulus profile by measuring the stresses applied by the compressing
      device and applying certain corrections for the nonuniform stress field. We
      report initial results of several phantom and excised animal tissue experiments
      which demonstrate the ability of this technique to quantitatively image strain
      and elastic modulus distributions with good resolution, sensitivity and with
      diminished speckle. We discuss several potential clinical uses of this technique.

PMID- 1858218
TI  - An efficient algorithm to remove low frequency Doppler signals in digital Doppler
      systems.
AB  - In color flow imaging, a high flow map rate in combination with a reasonable
      width of the map and good velocity resolution is essential to properly appreciate
      the time-dependent phenomena. The velocity resolution depends on the length of
      the signal segment considered in combination with the settling time of the high
      pass filter used to eliminate transients and low frequency artifacts. The latter
      can be reduced by appropriate processing. This paper presents an algorithm to
      suppress low frequency Doppler signals effectively and efficiently, while all the
      data points within the segment considered contribute equally to the average
      Doppler frequency computed. The algorithm is applied to computer generated
      Doppler signals to evaluate their time and frequency behavior. It is concluded
      that the proposed scheme functions adequately under various signal conditions.

PMID- 1858219
TI  - Experimental evaluation of the correlation interpolation technique to measure
      regional tissue velocity.
AB  - A newly developed correlation interpolation method to measure the regional
      velocity of moving tissue is evaluated in an experimental setup. Pulsed
      ultrasound echo signals (center frequency 3.5 MHz) are received from a rotating
      Agar disk containing scattering particles. When averaging over a depth range of
      2.2 mm at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 930 Hz, the standard deviation of
      the measured displacement between 2 successive pulses was found to be +/- 6
      microns. In a second series of experiments, the angular velocity of the disk is
      estimated from the displacement, as measured simultaneously in two different
      regions located on separate echo lines (PRF = 465 Hz per line). The exact
      position of both regions in respect to the center of rotation was found to be
      irrelevant. The accuracy of the calculated angular velocity was found to be
      better for large angles between the two lines of observation than for small
      angles.

PMID- 1858220
TI  - Ultrasonic imaging and tissue characterization. June 3-5, 1991, Arlington, Va.
      Abstracts.

PMID- 1858221
TI  - [Experience in long-term clofelin use in the treatment of glaucoma].
AB  - A long (4-14 years, the mean period 7.8 +/- 1.5) follow-up of 52 patients with
      primary open-angle glaucoma, regularly administered clofelin instillations (over
      the entire follow-up) has demonstrated a manifest hypotensive and a good
      functional result of such therapy. Despite reduction of systemic arterial
      pressure induced by clofelin instillations, rheo-ophthalmography has shown
      enhanced blood stream in ocular vessels. 52 percent of patients were administered
      no miotics but only clofelin (16 patients, 28 eyes) or clofelin+timolol (11
      patients, 17 eyes).

PMID- 1858222
TI  - [Acute attacks in pseudoexfoliative glaucoma].
AB  - Clinical picture and the results of treatment of an acute attack in 23 eyes with
      open-angle pseudoexfoliative glaucoma are presented. A total of 47.9 percent of
      patients were hospitalized with erroneous diagnoses of neovascular, phacolytic,
      uveal, phacotopic glaucoma or suspected neoplastic process. Blurred clinical
      picture of the acute attack could be responsible for the erroneous diagnosis: the
      painful syndrome was not manifest, the anterior chamber depth and pupil width
      were normal, the patients presented with insignificant corneal edema and
      rubeosis, posterior synechia, hyphema, and iridophacodonesis. Gonioscopy showed
      an open anterior chamber angle with manifest exogenic pigmentation of all the
      areas and with endogenic pigmentation of Schlemm's canal. Sinuso-trabeculectomy
      or deep sclerectomy was carried out in 20 eyes, in 8 eyes with cataract
      extraction. Expulsive hemorrhages occurred in 2 eyes, in 1 case eventuating in
      enucleation. Primary enucleation was carried out in 3 blind eyes. Surgery
      resulted in normalization of intraocular pressure in 19 eyes. Vision acuity of
      0.1-0.3 diopters was achieved in 6 eyes, 0.02-0.08 in 8 eyes, and remained 0 in 5
      eyes. Glaucoma was developing in 3 eyes, far-advanced in 15, and terminal in 1.
      The authors claim that dystrophic changes of ocular tissues are a characteristic
      feature associated with acute attacks in pseudoexfoliative glaucoma.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858223
TI  - [Method of lensectomy in high myopia].
AB  - The authors suggest a method of removing a transparent lens in high myopia
      patients aged over 40 with a dense lens nucleus. The method consists of 3 stages.
      Stage I consists in preliminary intracapsular YAG laser fragmentation of
      lenticular fibrils, performed 2-4 days before surgery. Stage II consists in YAG
      laser anterior capsulotomy directly before lens extraction. Stage III consists in
      lenticular mass aspiration irrigation via 2 small incisions on the cornea. The
      described lensectomy method was used in 23 patients (44 eyes) aged 40 to 55 with
      refraction of 16.0 to 23.0 diopters. The time of lenticular mass aspiration was
      cut down by half as against that after lensectomy without preliminary
      intracapsular YAG laser fragmentation of lenticular fibrils. No complications
      during or after surgery were recorded. After surgery vision acuity improved by 13
      times without correction and two times with correction.

PMID- 1858224
TI  - [Prediction of functional results of extraction in complicated cataract in
      patients with tapetoretinal abiotrophy].
AB  - Relative informative value of various functional methods of investigation was
      studied in 87 patients with tapetoretinal abiotrophy and complicated cataracts in
      order to find adequate methods for the assessment of the retinal status before
      surgery and to define the criteria of visual function prediction. The efficacy of
      the diagnosis was verified after cataract extraction in these patients. The
      methods of investigation employed were instrumental electroretinogram (ERG)
      recording, Hanz-Feld stimulated microERG, high-frequency (40 Hz) rhythmic ERG,
      electrocoagulograms, determination of electric sensitivity thresholds for the
      retina and of the optic nerve axial bundle lability (ESL), perimetry, and vision
      acuity measurements. Rhythmic ERG and ESL were found the most informative;
      rhythmic ERG amplitude proved to be the most sensitive to macular area
      involvement, this prompting employment of this method for the prediction of
      visual functions. Rhythmic ERG helped single out three groups of patients with
      relatively favorable, doubtful, and unfavorable outcomes.

PMID- 1858225
TI  - [Outcomes of circular tunnel keratoplasty].
AB  - A new refraction operation for the correction of medium and high myopia,
      circulatory tunnel keratoplasty, has been theoretically validated, developed,
      experimentally tested, and tried in clinic. Experiments included 8 tested, in
      isolated cadaveric eyes and 72 surgeries on 39 rabbits. Experiments helped
      develop surgical equipment and technique. A relationship between the refraction
      effect and the diameter of the circulatory tunnel and implant thickness has been
      revealed. Time course of the refraction effect has been followed up for up to 2
      years. The refraction diminished from 4.0 to 11.0 diopters. Thirty eyes of 21
      patients with stable myopia of 6.0 to 22.0 diopters were operated on with the
      resultant refraction of 6.0 to 14.0 diopters. The results have confirmed the
      relationship between the refraction effect of surgery and the implant thickness.
      The authors claim that circulatory tunnel keratoplasty is an effective method for
      the correction of medium and high myopia and recommend it for clinical
      application.

PMID- 1858226
TI  - [Extrascleral ballooning. 2. New approaches: double and sector ballooning].
AB  - Treatment of retinal detachment with the use of distended balloons (extrascleral
      ballooning) holds good promise due to ease of operation and low traumatism.
      Unfortunately it may be used only in cases with fresh not high detachments of the
      retina with solitary or multiple ruptures up to 1-2 optic disk diameters in
      length. That is why the authors suggest two new modifications of the method:
      double and sector ballooning, widening the indications for the employment of the
      method. Double ballooning is recommended for cases with retinal detachments with
      2 ruptures up to 2 disc diameters in length, located at a distance of 2-3 disc
      diameters from each other within one quadrant or in different quadrants of the
      fundus oculi. Sector ballooning is recommended for cases with retinal detachments
      with ruptures or breaks off 3-6 disc diameters in length. The results of 24
      surgeries are analyzed. Double ballooning is effective in 77 percent of cases,
      sector ballooning in 82 percent. The presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy,
      stages C3-D, is a contraindication against the use of this technique.

PMID- 1858227
TI  - [A new method of duplex ultrasonic examination of the state of blood supply to
      the ciliary body].
AB  - Duplex ultrasonic scanning was used to examine blood supply to the ciliary body.
      The study helped quantitatively assess the ciliary body hemodynamics. The
      hemodynamic parameters in diseases of the anterior segment of the eye (cataracts,
      glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, etc.) significantly differed from the norm:
      pulsative index 2.32 vs. the normal value of 1.57, systolic/diastolic ratio 7.29
      vs. 6.23, the peak systolic rate 12.59 cm/sec vs. 34.36 cm/sec, maximal rate 6.56
      cm/sec vs. 14.36 cm/sec, mean rate 4.0 cm/sec vs. 8.76 cm/ces, volumic rate 1.47
      ml/min vs. 3.66 ml/min. The examinations helped detect early disorders in the
      blood supply to the ciliary body. New ultrasonic equipment: Quantascope (Vital
      Science, England) and DRF-1000 (Piasonics, USA) was used, that proved highly
      informative and reliable.

PMID- 1858228
TI  - [Hemosorption in multimodal treatment of endogenous uveitis].
AB  - Hemoperfusion was used in multiple modality treatment of 92 patients with chronic
      recurrent endogenic uveitis and uveitis associated with syndromic conditions. The
      treatment included systemic and local steroids, and antiinflammatory therapy.
      Clinical improvement was achieved in 75 percent of patients; it was paralleled by
      improvement of the vision acuity. In the rest patients vision acuity was
      unchanged because of irreversible impairment of the retina and optic nerve, but
      uveitis ceased. Addition of hemoperfusion of multiple-modality treatment of
      uveitis patients resulted in shortening of hospital stay by 6-7 days, in
      prolongation of remission periods to 10-15 months after a single course of
      hemoperfusion in 71 percent of patients and after two courses in the rest. A
      dynamic immunologic analysis has shown normalization of T lymphocyte functional
      activity, and of blood serum immunoglobulin and circulating immune complexes
      levels.

PMID- 1858229
TI  - [Immuno-correcting therapy of sympathetic ophthalmia].
AB  - Exchange plasmapheresis was used in correction of the immune homeostasis in 5
      patients with sympathetic ophthalmia. The inflammatory process ceased in all the
      cases. Exchange plasmapheresis resulted in improvement of the blood supply to
      ocular vessels, of intraocular vessel function, and of metabolic processes in the
      external layers of the retina. Cellular and humoral immunity parameters
      normalized. The hemo- and hydrodynamic parameters of the eye improved; all these
      results evidence that exchange plasmapheresis is an effective method in the
      treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia.

PMID- 1858230
TI  - [Role of enterovirus infection in the etiology of uveitis in children].
AB  - A total of 224 cases with endogenic uveitis in infants are analyzed. The results
      of complex clinical and immunological analysis and serologic findings bring the
      authors to a conclusion that enteroviral uveitis makes up 42 percent of all
      uveitis in children aged under 3 and that this condition is prevalent in this
      country. Typical late complications, long persistence of virus-neutralizing
      antibodies in high titers (up to 8-10 years after convalescence) permit a
      retrospective etiological diagnosis.

PMID- 1858231
TI  - [Chromatopsia].
AB  - A total of 277 chromatopsia cases (0.09 percent of the total number) are
      analyzed, including erythropsia, xanthopsia, cyanopsia, chloropsia, and
      polychromatopsia. True chromatopsia and chromatopsia due to staining of optic
      media of the eyes were distinguished and an attempt to explain this entoptic
      phenomenon made. True chromatopsias are related to depression of stimulation of
      the optic nerve route.

PMID- 1858232
TI  - [Computerized tomography in the evaluation of the state of the orbit and its
      contents in patients with post-traumatic anophthalmos].

PMID- 1858233
TI  - [Syndromic uveitis in Reiter's disease].
AB  - The authors describe the clinical picture of various forms of anterior and
      posterior uveitis associated with Reiter's disease in 28 patients; both eyes were
      involved in 11 of these. The data of laboratory tests for ophthalmic and
      urogenital chlamydiasis in these patients are presented; a relationship between
      uveitis clinical forms and Chlamydia detection rate in the conjunctiva and
      urethra has been revealed. Different pathogenesis of uveitis clinical forms is
      discussed and the necessity of their differentiated therapy emphasized.

PMID- 1858234
TI  - [Experience in the organizational activities of a service for rehabilitation of
      patients with sequelae of eye injuries].

PMID- 1858235
TI  - [Characteristics of physiopathology, clinical aspects and optical correction in
      congenital myopia. Literature review].

PMID- 1858236
TI  - [Use of botulinum toxin in ophthalmology (literature review)].

PMID- 1858237
TI  - [Organization of ocular prosthetics in the USSR].

PMID- 1858238
TI  - [Anatomo-topographical features of the oblique muscles and their surgery
      (literature review)].

PMID- 1858239
TI  - Clinical approach to infertility in bitches with primary anestrus.
AB  - In conclusion, a complete workup of the bitch that has not shown a puberal estrus
      by 24 months of age should include a general screen with hemogram, chemistries
      profile and urinalysis, karyotype, serum thyroid hormone profile, serum
      progesterone concentration, and serum luteinizing hormone concentration, if
      available. If the results of these tests are normal, an exclusion diagnosis of
      immune-mediated oophoritis, which can be confirmed by ovarian biopsy, should be
      considered. Bitches with primary anestrus secondary to thyroid insufficiency or
      chronic debilitating disease may show normal reproductive cycling and performance
      after successful treatment of these disorders; in other patients, prognosis for
      future reproduction is poor.

PMID- 1858240
TI  - Canine reproduction.

PMID- 1858241
TI  - Clinical approach to infertility in the cycling bitch.
AB  - The majority of "infertile" bitches presented to the practitioner are victims of
      mismanagement. Careful evaluation of reproductive history, physical examination,
      and vaginal cytologic evaluation permit conception in these patients. Measurement
      of serum progesterone levels can help establish occurrence and timing of
      ovulation. Diagnosing true reproductive problems may require a minimum data base,
      guarded cultures, vaginoscopy, vaginography, ultrasound, and ultimately
      laparotomy for uterine biopsy and culture. The majority of these diagnostic
      procedures are readily available for the interested practitioner.

PMID- 1858242
TI  - Diagnostic imaging of the reproductive organs of the bitch. Methods and
      limitations.
AB  - This article reviews diagnostic radiology and ultrasonography of the reproductive
      tract of the bitch. The techniques and limitations of these imaging modalities
      are described. The applications of these techniques in the bitch for illustrating
      reproductive disorders are included.

PMID- 1858243
TI  - Achieving canine pregnancy by using frozen or chilled extended semen.
AB  - Successful artificial insemination in the dog requires good timing of the
      insemination, skilled collection and handling of the semen, and mastering of
      insemination techniques. The bitch should be inseminated late in estrus. The
      insemination dose should contain at least 150 to 200 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Fresh
      semen can be inseminated vaginally, whereas frozen-thawed semen should be
      inseminated into the uterus. Pregnancy rates of 84% with fresh semen and 69% with
      frozen semen are reported.

PMID- 1858244
TI  - Use of prostaglandin F2 alpha for early pregnancy termination in the mismated
      bitch.
AB  - Natural PGF administered at a dose of at least 250 micrograms/kg twice daily
      subcutaneously for at least 4 days starting no earlier than day 5 of cytologic
      diestrus induces luteolysis and pregnancy termination in the mated bitch. The
      resulting shortening of the luteal phase is associated with a shortening of the
      interestrous interval from 1 to 4 months. Bitches treated with PGF show emesis,
      diarrhea, and panting within 5 minutes and transient hypothermia which lasts 2 to
      3 hours but generally have no further reaction. Bitches with cardiac or
      respiratory dysfunctions are not considered safe patients for early pregnancy
      termination with PGF because of the cardiovascular effects of this drug. Bitches
      treated with this regime early in diestrus resorb their conceptuses; those
      treated after days 35 to 40 show clinical abortion of viable fetuses.

PMID- 1858245
TI  - The ovarian remnant syndrome in the bitch and queen.
AB  - The ovarian remnant syndrome is a complication of ovariohysterectomy resulting in
      the presence of functional ovarian tissue in the abdomen. The usual symptom is a
      return to estrus in a previously ovariohysterectomized bitch or queen. The
      available methods of diagnosis are vaginal cytologic evaluation during estrus,
      resting hormone assays, hormone challenge testing, and exploratory laparotomy.
      Surgical removal of the ovarian remnant is the preferred treatment.

PMID- 1858246
TI  - Clinical approach to vaginal/vestibular masses in the bitch.
AB  - The most common causes of vaginal/vestibular masses in the bitch are vaginal
      prolapse, vaginal neoplasia, and urethral neoplasia protruding into the vaginal
      vault. Other possible causes are clitoral enlargement, vaginal polyps, uterine
      prolapse, and vaginal abscessation or hematoma. Vaginal prolapse usually can be
      distinguished from neoplasia by the age of the patient, the time of occurrence
      during the estrous cycle, and the site of origin of the mass. Prolapse usually
      occurs in bitches under 4 years of age during proestrus, estrus, or at the end of
      diestrus and usually arises from the floor of the vagina, except for urethral
      tumors that protrude from the external urethral orifice. Appropriate diagnostic
      workup of bitches with vaginal vestibular masses includes complete history and
      physical examination, vaginal cytologic and vaginoscopic examination, retrograde
      vaginography or urethrocystography, serum progesterone and estradiol
      concentrations, and, in the case of suspect neoplasms, surgical or excision
      biopsy of the mass.

PMID- 1858248
TI  - Performing a complete canine semen evaluation in a small animal hospital.
AB  - Normal dog semen ranges in volume from 1 to 30 mL per ejaculate and contains 300
      million to 2 billion sperm, of which more than 70% are progressively motile and
      morphologically normal. Dog semen should contain fewer than 10,000 bacteria per
      mL; higher numbers are indication of an infection of the male reproductive tract
      and usually are associated with cytologic evidence of inflammation (neutrophils
      in semen sediment) and with decreased progressive motility and decreased numbers
      of morphologically normal sperm. Measurement of pH of seminal plasma of dogs with
      infection of the reproductive tract may provide information on determining the
      choice of antibiotic. Measurement of seminal plasma alkaline phosphatase in
      azoospermic dogs is an indicator of tubular patency to the level of the
      epididymides.

PMID- 1858247
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of chronic vaginitis in the bitch.
AB  - The diagnosis of chronic vaginitis is made primarily on the basis of the
      historical and physical finding of a persistent, nonhemorrhagic vulvar discharge.
      Licking the vulva and pollakiuria are present in some (10%) bitches with
      vaginitis. The diagnosis can be confirmed with vaginal cytology and vaginoscopy.
      Treatment for vaginitis in bitches younger than 1 year of age is justifiably
      conservative, because the majority of such bitches (90%) recover with or without
      treatment. Chronic vaginitis in bitches older than 1 year of age most often is
      associated with identifiable abnormalities of the genitalia (35%) or urinary
      tract (26%). Resolution of the vaginitis is directly related to the resolution of
      the other abnormalities.

PMID- 1858249
TI  - Diagnostic imaging of the male canine reproductive organs. Methods and
      limitations.
AB  - Survey radiographic, contrast radiographic, and ultrasonographic techniques for
      evaluation of the male canine reproductive organs are reviewed. The applications
      and limitations of these technique as they apply to reproductive diseases
      involving the prostate gland and testicles are illustrated.

PMID- 1858250
TI  - Clinical approach for evaluating dogs with azoospermia or aspermia.
AB  - There are various causes for azoospermia and aspermia in dogs. Unfortunately,
      even when the site and cause of infertility are determined, reversing the
      disorder may be difficult. As new information are gathered on the maturation of
      canine spermatozoa, testicular immunity, microsurgical techniques for
      anastomosing occluded ducts, and the physiologic control of testicular and
      ejaculatory function, however, new therapies might be developed to prevent or
      reverse azoospermia and aspermia.

PMID- 1858251
TI  - Clinical approach to infertile male dogs with sperm in the ejaculate.
AB  - Categories of infertility are defined according to semen characteristics.
      Assessment of daily sperm output and carefully planned matings to determine the
      extent of infertility and to manage insemination to maximize fertility are
      described. The contributions of baseline laboratory data, evaluation of
      reproductive hormones, and testicular biopsy in determining the causes of
      infertility are discussed. Treatments of infertility secondary to systemic
      disease, infertility caused by accessory gland infections, and infertility
      associated with abnormal gonadotropin concentrations are reviewed.

PMID- 1858252
TI  - Lectin histochemistry of trachea and lung of healthy turkeys (Meleagris
      gallopavo) and turkeys with pneumonia.
AB  - Thirteen lectins were used to characterize lectin-binding specificity of
      glycoconjugates on sections of formalin-fixed lung and trachea from seven normal
      turkeys, two turkeys with acute pneumonia, and two turkeys with chronic
      pneumonia. Neuraminidase was used to digest sialic acid residues. One N
      acetylgalactosamine-binding lectin and two N-acetylgalactosamine/galactose
      binding lectins stained the apical membrane and cytoplasm of multifocal cells
      that lined air atria and hyperplastic granular cells. Other lectins in these
      groups stained ciliated cells of the trachea and bronchi and air capillary
      epithelial cells. Sialic acid residues were on apical surfaces of ciliated and
      nonciliated tracheal and bronchial lining cells, air capillary epithelial cells,
      and vascular endothelial cells. Mannose/glucose-binding lectins stained reticular
      and elastic fibers in the lamina propria of trachea, primary and secondary
      bronchi, and the tunica adventitia of arteries and veins. By transmission
      electron microscopy, colloidal gold-Arachis hypogaea (peanut agglutinin) labeled
      microvilli on the apical surface of mature granular cells. The L-fucose-binding
      lectin, in addition to several other lectins, stained nonspecifically in both
      trachea and lung. These studies show that granular cells that line air atria can
      be identified with lectins of N-acetylglucosamine and N
      acetylgalactosamine/galactose groups, and that apical surfaces of epithelial
      cells and endothelial cells in the trachea and lung express terminal sialic acid
      residues.

PMID- 1858253
TI  - Passive role of articular chondrocytes in the pathogenesis of acute meniscectomy
      induced cartilage degeneration.
AB  - The importance of viable articular chondrocytes and enzymes or factors from
      surgically traumatized synovium in the pathogenesis of acute meniscectomy-induced
      cartilage degeneration was examined in guinea pigs (nine groups of five animals
      each). Iodoacetate injected intra-articularly was used to kill articular
      chondrocytes of guinea pigs prior to meniscectomy to determine if they were
      active participants in the acute lesion induction. Lesions of similar severity to
      those occurring in animals with viable chondrocytes at the time of surgery were
      observed, suggesting that the chondrocytes were not actively involved in the
      pathogenesis in this group. In an additional group of guinea pigs in which
      chondrocytes were killed by iodoacetate, the medial collateral ligament was
      transected to determine if acute degenerative changes could be induced in
      acellular cartilage exposed to a surgical manipulation that does not by itself
      induce lesions but does expose cartilage to enzymes/factors from traumatized
      synovium. Transecting the medial collateral ligament and entering the joint space
      without induction of instability via meniscectomy did not result in histologic
      evidence of cartilage damage. This suggests that synovial trauma and mild
      inflammation were insufficient to induce matrix degeneration in the absence of
      abnormal load bearing. In further support of this, guinea pigs subjected to
      unilateral sciatic neurectomy at the time of meniscectomy were protected against
      development of acute cartilage degeneration. Results of this study suggest that
      articular cartilage devoid of viable chondrocytes at the time of meniscectomy
      responds acutely in much the same way as intact cartilage subjected to this
      procedure.

PMID- 1858254
TI  - Congenital anemia, dyskeratosis, and progressive alopecia in Polled Hereford
      calves.
AB  - A new syndrome of anemia, alopecia, and dyskeratosis was identified in Polled
      Hereford calves in this study. Cutaneous changes included hyperkeratosis and hair
      loss around the muzzle and ear margins, which progressed to a generalized
      alopecia and hyperkeratotic dermatitis. Histologically, orthokeratotic
      hyperkeratosis with dyskeratosis of epidermal and follicular keratinocytes was
      present. Alopecia was correlated with dyskeratosis of Huxley's layer and an
      increasing proportion of follicles in the telogen phase of the hair cycle.
      Dermatitis was characterized by a mild dermal mononuclear cell infiltrate and
      mild lymphocytic perivascular dermatitis. The anemia present at birth was
      nonprogressive and was classified as normochromic and normocytic to macrocytic.
      Reticulocytosis was absent, but bone marrow was markedly hyperplastic. Nuclear
      cytoplasmic asynchrony of the rubricyte and metarubricyte stages occurred in the
      bone marrow. Abnormal rubricyte nuclei and maturation arrest at the late
      rubricyte stage were common. Cytologic features of the erythroid series are
      similar to those of type I congenital dyserythropoietic anemia of human beings.
      Genealogic features suggest that this is a primary hereditary defect. The mode of
      inheritance, however, remains to be determined.

PMID- 1858255
TI  - Eight cases of canine lymphomatoid granulomatosis.

PMID- 1858256
TI  - An anaplastic astrocytoma (glioblastoma) in the cerebellum of a dog.

PMID- 1858257
TI  - Hypoplastic left ventricle and aortic atresia in a calf.

PMID- 1858258
TI  - Pulmonary blastoma in a rat.

PMID- 1858259
TI  - Do hares suffer from grass sickness?
AB  - An autopsy study of one dead and two sick hares from an East Anglian estate on
      which two mares had died of grass sickness revealed that two of the hares were
      suffering from a polyganglionopathy and alimentary tract changes, remarkably
      similar to those seen in grass sickness in horses. No such abnormalities were
      found in two healthy hares from the same locality.

PMID- 1858260
TI  - Effect of husbandry system on broken bones and bone strength in hens.
AB  - The effects of rearing system, forced moulting and three different layer housing
      systems on broken bones and bone strength, were examined in hens at the end of
      lay. Weak bones and broken bones were more common in battery hens which had been
      reared to point of lay on deep litter rather than in cages. The incidence of old
      breaks was greater in perchery birds (14 per cent) than in tiered terrace birds
      (5 per cent), and there was also a difference between their incidence in two
      types of perchery design (17 per cent and 11 per cent). Moulting was associated
      with a transient decline in bone strength, followed by an increase in strength
      during the second lay.

PMID- 1858261
TI  - Apparent decline in fertility in heifers after repeated oestrus synchronisation
      with cloprostenol.
AB  - Over several years groups of heifers which were repeatedly treated with the PGF2
      alpha analogue, cloprostenol, to synchronise oestrus were artificially
      inseminated. When sperm treatment was optimised, a reduction in conception rate
      was observed which was related to the number of synchronisation treatments the
      animals had received. Although factors such as a seasonal reduction in fertility
      may have contributed to the effect, there appeared to be a decrease in the
      proportion of animals becoming pregnant after successive synchronisations.
      Possible explanations for this observation are suggested.

PMID- 1858262
TI  - Avian tuberculosis dermatitis in a young horse.

PMID- 1858263
TI  - Aggression in golden retrievers.

PMID- 1858264
TI  - Withdrawal of Alugan.

PMID- 1858265
TI  - Renal failure in bull terriers.

PMID- 1858267
TI  - Rhododendron poisoning.

PMID- 1858266
TI  - Red deer, nematodes and anthelmintics.

PMID- 1858268
TI  - Tumours in Russian hamsters.

PMID- 1858269
TI  - Animal behaviour.

PMID- 1858270
TI  - Bacterial flora of the uterus of cows after calving on two hygienically
      contrasting farms.
AB  - Intrauterine swabs were obtained from cows after calving on two commercial dairy
      herds with contrasting hygienic environments and incidence of leucorrhea, and
      cultured aerobically and anaerobically. Of 26 cows with a normal calving and
      puerperium, eight of 14 (57 per cent) were sterile on farm B where hygiene was
      poor, compared with five of 12 (42 per cent) on farm A where hygiene was better.
      Two cows on farm B retained their placentas and subsequently developed
      metritis/endometritis. Actinomyces pyogenes was the commonest bacterial isolate
      and Fusobacterium nucleatum, Proteus mirabilis and Bacteroides melaninogenicus
      were also frequently observed. Similar isolates were obtained from cows on farm B
      with parturient or puerperal disorders. The contrasting hygienic environments had
      no influence on either the quantitative or qualitative uterine bacterial flora.
      Thus, the difference in the incidence of endometritis must have been due to
      factors other than hygiene.

PMID- 1858271
TI  - Effect of slaughter by removal from water on visual evoked activity in the brain
      and reflex movement of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
AB  - The effects of removal from water and death by anoxia on brain function and
      reflex movement were examined in conscious trout. Visual evoked responses (VERS)
      were measured in fish with a body temperature of 20 degrees C, 14 degrees C and 2
      degrees C. On average the fish took 2.6 minutes at 20 degrees C, 3.0 minutes at
      14 degrees C and 9.6 minutes at 2 degrees C to lose VERS, and 11.5, 27.7 and
      197.6 minutes, respectively, to lose all movement. VERS were absent from fish
      anaesthetised with MS222. From a humanitarian standpoint these results indicate
      that fish killed by anoxia could be exposed to periods of distress or suffering,
      and that cooling them in ice prolongs this period.

PMID- 1858272
TI  - Fertility of a stallion with low sperm motility and a high incidence of an
      unusual sperm tail defect.
AB  - At the beginning of the breeding season an eight-year-old standardbred stallion
      had semen with virtually zero sperm motility and an approximately 90 per cent
      incidence of midpiece and tail defects. The motility of the sperm improved to 7
      per cent when semen was collected daily but its morphology did not improve.
      Electron microscopy revealed that the defects consisted mainly of a loss of
      microtubules in the axoneme and of disorganised midpieces. A pregnancy rate of 24
      per cent per cycle and 44 per cent for the season was achieved in 32 mares after
      the insemination of whole ejaculates collected from the stallion frequently. The
      fertility was much higher than would have been expected from the characteristics
      of the semen. It is concluded that this sperm defect, reminiscent of the 'Dag
      defect' in bulls and the defect in T-locus mice, does not render the animal
      infertile.

PMID- 1858273
TI  - Morphology of poxviruses from reptiles.

PMID- 1858274
TI  - Vets, cats and pain.

PMID- 1858275
TI  - 'Abortus blauw'.

PMID- 1858276
TI  - Aggression in golden retrievers.

PMID- 1858277
TI  - Anthelmintic resistance.

PMID- 1858278
TI  - Aural haematomata, cauliflower ears and Psoroptes in sheep [corrected].

PMID- 1858279
TI  - Distribution of bitches' nipples.

PMID- 1858280
TI  - Tilmicosin and calf pneumonia.

PMID- 1858281
TI  - Trypanosoma evansi infection in cattle, buffaloes and horses in Indonesia.
AB  - Cattle, buffaloes and horses in several areas of Indonesia were examined for
      evidence of infection with Trypanosoma evansi by the microhaematocrit
      centrifugation technique (MHCT) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      for detection of antibodies to T. evansi. Evidence of infection was found in
      animals at each sampling site although differences were seen in prevalence rates
      between sites. Prevalence rates in buffalo were usually higher than in cattle in
      the same area while in horses they were much lower than in cattle or buffalo. An
      age-dependent prevalence rate was seen in buffalo and cattle with the highest
      rates seen in animals older than 2 years. These results concur with the view that
      T. evansi infection is widespread throughout most of the livestock-producing
      areas of Indonesia. The apparent lack of any obvious disease owing to T. evansi
      infection in the sampled animals suggests that a form of stability exists in most
      endemic areas which serves to ameliorate the effect of T. evansi infection and
      has an immunological basis linked to the parasite's limited antigenic diversity.

PMID- 1858283
TI  - Serum IgG response of Manchego lambs to infections with Haemonchus contortus and
      preliminary characterization of adult antigens.
AB  - Manchego lambs (16-18 weeks old) were infected with 2500 infective larvae (L3) of
      Haemonchus contortus and challenged 2 months later with 5000 L3. The serum IgG
      anti-Haemonchus response was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA) using soluble proteins from adults and L3. Previously infected Manchego
      lambs failed to mount a protective immune response against challenge, at least as
      assessed by faecal egg counts and pre-patency periods. Primary infection did not
      provoke any rise in specific anti-parasite serum antibodies, whereas a weak but
      significant rise was observed in challenged 6.5-month-old lambs which was very
      similar in both infected and non-infected lambs. The serum IgG anti-parasite
      response was higher against larval antigens than adult soluble proteins.
      Preliminary characterization of adult and larval soluble proteins by
      electrophoresis under reducing and denaturing conditions and Western blotting
      showed high cross-reactivity of both extracts. Immunoblots of adult H. contortus
      probed with infected and challenged lambs' sera did not yield conclusive results,
      although some low molecular weight peptides were recognized.

PMID- 1858282
TI  - A field evaluation of anthelmintics for control of cyathostomes of horses in
      Brazil.
AB  - The anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin (IVM), piperazine citrate (PPZ) and
      fenbendazole (FBZ) alone, and combinations of FBZ with varying dosages of PPZ,
      was evaluated for the control of strongyles of Mangalarga equids. In all cases of
      positive strongly egg counts per gram of faeces (EPG) before and after treatment,
      pure populations of cyathostome larvae with eight gut cells were consistently
      observed in faecal cultures. The faecal egg count reductions (FECR) were
      evaluated between Day 7 and Day 56 post-treatment. Significant differences (P
      less than or equal to 0.05) were found between Day 7 and Day 49 when comparing
      the mean EPG values of IVM with those of the other anthelmintics. PPZ alone and
      the combination of FBZ (7.5 mg kg-1) and PPZ (55 mg base kg-1) did not show
      significant differences during the trial; both groups exhibiting an FECR of
      greater than 90% between Day 7 and Day 30. Horses treated with the combinations
      of FBZ (7.5 mg kg-1) and PPZ at either 40 or 25 mg base kg-1, and with FBZ alone
      at either 7.5 or 15 mg kg-1, showed an FECR of less than 90% 2 weeks after
      treatment. The emergence of a degree of resistance of strongyles to FBZ and PPZ
      in a segment of the cyathostomes in this population is suggested.

PMID- 1858284
TI  - Changes in liveweight gain and blood constituents in experimental infection of
      goats with a goat-derived compared with a sheep-derived strain of Haemonchus
      contortus.
AB  - Two groups of goats were experimentally infected with two different strains of
      Haemonchus contortus and compared with the controls. Group A animals were
      infected with a goat-derived strain (GDS) while Group B animals were infected
      with a sheep-derived strain (SDS). Changes in the liveweights and some blood
      constitutents between the two infected groups were compared. The pathogenic
      effects of the GDS larvae were generally more serious when compared with those of
      the SDS larvae.

PMID- 1858285
TI  - Effects of challenge with trichostrongylid nematode larvae on immunologically
      resistant grazing yearling sheep in South Australia.
AB  - Paddocks near Gawler, South Australia, were grazed by newly weaned sheep which
      received either no anthelmintic treatment, regular 3-weekly treatment or a single
      treatment in February. A decline in the faecal egg count of untreated sheep in
      autumn associated with the ingestion of infective larvae indicated that the sheep
      had developed a resistance to reinfection. At the end of the experiment, 10 sheep
      were experimentally infected with Trichostrongylus vitrinus larvae to demonstrate
      this resistance. Untreated sheep grew less wool and had lower body weights when
      compared with treated animals and were extremely 'daggy'. A single treatment in
      February did not prevent production losses or scouring.

PMID- 1858287
TI  - Effect of treatment with netobimin on milk production of sheep.
AB  - In the Basque country lambing takes place during winter, followed by milking
      until late spring or summer, so it was considered that this would be the most
      profitable period for deworming, when there was an increased production pressure
      on ewes with depressed immune status owing to the peri-parturient relaxation of
      immunity. The drug employed was netobimin, and the trial was carried out in 22
      commercial flocks, in each of which ewes were allocated to one of three similar
      groups. One group was left as a non-treated control (T0), the second was dosed 15
      days before parturition (T1), and the remaining group dosed both at 15 days
      before and 15 days after lambing (T2). Mean total milk production in the T2 group
      increased by 8.8 and 6.3% in the second and third month post-partum,
      respectively, compared with that of the controls (T0), while over the standard
      lactation period of 120 days the T2 group showed a significant (8.9%) increase in
      production compared with the controls. The T1 group did not significantly differ
      from T0. The market value of the increase in milk production was calculated to be
      approximately 700% of the cost of treatment with netobimin.

PMID- 1858286
TI  - Pathophysiology of Haemonchus placei infection in calves.
AB  - This study was conducted to investigate the pathophysiology of Haemonchus placei
      infection in Friesian calves. Seven calves were divided into two groups, three
      uninfected calves (control group) and four infected animals. The latter group
      were infected orally with 500 H. placei larvae kg-1 body weight. Five weeks after
      infection they were all housed in metabolic crates and injected with 125I-bovine
      albumin. 51Cr-red cells and 59Fe-transferrin, to study albumin metabolism,
      erythrokinetics and ferrokinetics. The results showed that there was a
      significant reduction in the mean haematocrit values and reduced weight gains in
      the infected calves compared with the controls. There was also a change in the
      distribution of albumin from the extravascular to the intravascular pool and a
      significant increase in the plasma and blood volumes of infected calves although
      the blood and albumin loss via the gastrointestinal tract recorded in this study
      was similar in both groups.

PMID- 1858288
TI  - Enhanced resistance to cattle grub infestation (Hypoderma lineatum de Vill.) in
      calves immunized with purified hypodermin A, B and C plus monophosphoryl lipid A
      (MPL).
AB  - The influence of an antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune response,
      stimulated by immunization, on survival of a challenge infestation of Hypoderma
      lineatum was investigated. Calves immunized with a purified combination of
      hypodermin A, B and C plus monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) developed a strong
      antigen-specific cellular immune response by completion of the immunization
      schedule which persisted to 12 weeks post-infestation. Responsiveness of
      peripheral blood lymphocytes to the mitogens concanavalin A and pokeweed was also
      elevated at 4 and 12 weeks post-infestation. Western blot analysis at the time of
      maximum grub counts demonstrated that immunized calves responded to hypodermin A,
      B and C while those receiving only MPL or infested controls responded only to
      hypodermin B and C. The antigen-specific antibody response as measured by ELISA
      at maximum grub count was significantly higher in vaccinated calves than in
      infested controls while the response in calves receiving only immunostimulator
      was also significantly elevated. Immunized (antigen plus MPL) calves produced 5.0
      +/- 6.9 grubs per animal which successfully pupated while those receiving MPL
      alone produced 16.4 +/- 6.1 and infested controls produced 32.2 +/- 10.9 grubs
      per animal.

PMID- 1858289
TI  - Predation on livestock ticks by chickens.
AB  - Chickens were shown to be natural predators of ticks. Rhipicephalus
      appendiculatus were recovered in large numbers from the crops and gizzards of
      chickens which had scavenged for 30 min-1 h among tick-infested cattle. Other
      ticks recovered were Amblyomma variegatum and Boophilus decoloratus. The numbers
      of ticks recovered ranged from 3 to 331, with an average of 81 per chicken.
      Cattle facilitated the predation of ticks by certain behavioural actions.
      Chickens also picked up both engorged and unengorged ticks seeded on vegetation,
      but unengorged ticks were preferred. The possibility of tick predation by
      chickens forming a viable biological control component in an integrated tick
      management system in Africa is discussed.

PMID- 1858290
TI  - Histopathology of attachment sites of Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus
      appendiculatus on zebu cattle of varying resistance to ticks.
AB  - Mature, unimproved East African Zebu cattle (Bos indicus) naturally exposed to
      ticks from birth were ranked for resistance to ticks by repeated whole-body
      counts of infesting ticks. Four cattle of high resistance, four of low resistance
      and two of intermediate resistance were artificially infested with nymphs of
      Amblyomma variegatum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Two Friesian cattle (Bos
      taurus) with less exposure to ticks were similarly infested. Biopsies of tick
      attachment sites were examined histologically. All attachment sites showed acute
      inflammatory lesions, and sites of both tick species on high resistance cattle
      showed delayed hypersensitive reactions with intra-epidermal pustulation and
      significant increases in the numbers of granulocytes. The predominant cells
      infiltrating attachment sites on high resistance cattle were eosinophils with A.
      variegatum and neutrophils with R. appendiculatus. Such differences need to be
      taken into account in developing immunological tests for selecting cattle for
      resistance but there are sufficient common features of reactions to the two
      infesting tick species to justify dermal hypersensitivity tests.

PMID- 1858291
TI  - Isolation and characterization of an immunogen from the louse Polyplax spinulosa.
AB  - The reaction of Polyplax spinulosa protein components with antigen-specific rat
      antisera and with five plant lectins is described. In immunoblotting, the
      antisera from rats infested with the louse P. spinulosa specifically recognized
      from 7 to 11 antigenic components of louse whole-body homogenates. Affinoblotting
      analysis with lectins showed that 10 of these components were glycoproteins with
      different types of glycan structure. Only one immunogenic antigen was isolated
      using immunoaffinity chromatography with the gammaglobulin fraction of an antigen
      specific antiserum as immunospecific ligand. Further electrophoretic and
      immunochemical analyses revealed that it was a glycoprotein with relative
      molecular weight (RMW) 31 kDa and with high mannose type of oligosaccharide.

PMID- 1858292
TI  - Lectin binding analysis of Argas polonicus tissue glycoproteins.
AB  - Proteins of the Malpighian tubules (MT), midgut tissue (MG), salivary glands
      (SG), internal reproductive organs (RO), epidermis (EP), cerebral ganglion (CG),
      rectal ampulla (RA) and larval homogenate (LA) of Argas (Argas) polonicus were
      studied for their antigenicity and lecin affinity using sodium dodecyl sulphate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), immunoblotting, lectin
      affinoblotting and enzyme-linked lectin sorbentassay (ELLSA) techniques. A
      glycoprotein of 305 kDA was found in all tissues studied. All low molecular
      weight antigenic proteins recognized by anti-larval immune pigeon serum, except
      for one of 35 kDA, i.e. the 19-, 21-, 23-, 27-, 34-, and 46- kDa proteins, were
      shown to be glycoproteins. The glycosylation was shown to be N-linked in all of
      these antigens, but O-type glycosylation was also demonstrated in the 34-kDa
      glycoprotein. The correlation between the glycosylation and antigenicity of these
      proteins is also discussed.

PMID- 1858293
TI  - Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle, sheep and pigs in Galicia (N.W. Spain).
AB  - Infection by Cryptosporidium parvum has been detected for the first time in
      cattle and swine in Galicia (N.W. Spain). The organisms were also found in one of
      69 sheep examined. Although in most cases the parasite was found in young
      diarrhoeic animals, its presence in asymptomatic mature cattle and piglets was
      also detected.

PMID- 1858294
TI  - Trypanosoma evansi infection in bovine and buffalo calves in Indonesia.
AB  - Fifteen bovine and 11 buffalo calves born on different farms in a Trypanosoma
      evansi-endemic area of West Java were monitored for the presence of T. evansi and
      T. evansi antibody at monthly intervals until they were 12 months of age. Fifty
      percent of the bovine and 83% of the buffalo calves sampled in the first month of
      life were antibody positive. This antibody was considered to be of colostral
      origin. Antibody developing later in life persisted for up to 12 months and was
      considered to have arisen in response to T. evansi infection. No protective
      function could be ascribed to the colostral antibody.

PMID- 1858295
TI  - Chemoprophylaxis of coccidiosis in lambs with a single oral dose of toltrazuril.
AB  - The prophylactic efficacy of a single oral dose of toltrazuril against
      coccidiosis (mixed Eimeria infections) in naturally infected lambs was evaluated
      in two experiments. Toltrazuril at 20 mg kg-1, given on Day 7 or Day 10 after
      turnout on pasture, proved to be highly efficacious in preventing clinical
      coccidiosis under Norwegian conditions. Toltrazuril reduced the oocyst output to
      very low levels, prevented the development of diarrhoea and improved weight gain
      during the first 4-5 weeks after treatment. Treatment on Day 7 was superior to
      treatment on Day 10 with respect to improving weight gain and preventing the
      development of soft faeces. Lambs treated with toltrazuril on Day 7 seemed to be
      as immune as untreated lambs to natural reinfections with coccidia later in the
      grazing season. In one of the experiments, natural infections with the nematode
      Nematodirus battus produced a coccidiosis-like disease in some lambs
      simultaneously with the outbreak of coccidiosis.

PMID- 1858296
TI  - The effects of Tordon 202c exposure on urethan-induced lung adenoma formation in
      female CD-1 mice.
AB  - Female CD-1 mice were exposed to Tordon 202c, a herbicide containing 2,4
      dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and picloram, in the drinking water for 15 w at
      concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.3% of the product formulation. After 3 w of
      the 15-w treatment period, the mice received 1.5 mg/g urethan ip. Pulmonary
      adenoma production was evaluated 12 w later. Tordon 202c exposure produced a dose
      dependent increase in tumor number, but had no effect on tumor size. Urethan
      induced sleeping times which reflected the rate of urethan metabolism or
      excretion were altered, but a specific dose-related effect which could be
      correlated with tumor production was not observed. This suggests that Tordon 202c
      exposure influences adenoma formation by immunological mechanisms rather than by
      causing indirect effects on urethan metabolism or excretion.

PMID- 1858297
TI  - Percutaneous in vivo and in vitro absorption of lead.
AB  - Diffusion tubes were used to measure the degree of in vitro penetration of
      tetrabutyl lead, lead naphthanate, lead nuolate, lead acetate and lead oxide in
      excised guinea pig skin and human skin from autopsy. Tetrabutyl lead demonstrated
      the greatest penetration in skin from both guinea pig and man. Lead nuolate, lead
      naphthanate and lead acetate followed in descending order in the human tissue. A
      similar pattern occurred with guinea pig skin in most cases. There were no
      measurable amounts of lead oxide absorbed in either species. In vivo absorption
      was measured by applying 300 mg/kg tetrabutyl lead, lead nuolate, lead
      naphthanate or lead oxide to the shaved backs of guinea pigs for 7 d under
      occluded wrappings. Tetrabutyl lead was present in tissues in the highest
      quantities. Lead nuolate was present in greater amounts than lead naphthanate in
      the liver and kidneys. Lead acetate was the most poorly absorbed with the
      exception of lead oxide which demonstrated no absorption.

PMID- 1858298
TI  - Liver lead burden in hunter-killed ducks from the Coeur d'Alene River Valley of
      northern Idaho.
AB  - Liver lead burden was evaluated in ducks from an area in northern Idaho
      contaminated with mining waste and lead shot. Hunter-killed ducks with lead shot
      in their gizzard had a mean liver lead concentration of 15.18 +/- 2.51
      micrograms/g wet-weight (N = 23) and ducks without lead shot had a mean liver
      lead concentration of 4.21 +/- 0.47 micrograms/g wet-weight (N = 85). The most
      hazardous source of lead for waterfowl in this area has been thought to be mining
      waste-contaminated soils and sediments. Three sediment samples had a mean
      concentration of 4,520 micrograms lead/g wet-weight.

PMID- 1858299
TI  - Metabolic disposition of 14C-metanil yellow in guinea pigs.
AB  - The absorption, metabolism and excretion of 14C-metanil yellow was studied in
      guinea pigs. Following administration of a single po dose of 5 mg dye (7.6 mu
      Ci)/kg body weight, 83.4% was excreted through urine and feces within 96 h with
      the majority accounted for in feces. Liver, kidney and spleen did not have marked
      accumulation of counts, whereas testes and gastrointestinal tract retained 1.9
      and 9.7% of the radioactivity, respectively. Analysis of urine and feces detected
      2 azo-reduction metabolites of metanil yellow which were characterized by TLC and
      IR, NMR and mass spectroscopic studies as metanilic acid and p
      aminodiphenylamine.

PMID- 1858300
TI  - Distribution of chromium in the internal organs of potassium chromate treated
      chicks.
AB  - After exposure of growing chicks to different concentrations of dietary chromium
      (Cr) as potassium chromate (K2CrO4) for a period of 3 w, the Cr uptake by
      different internal organs was determined. More Cr was accumulated in the kidney,
      liver, pancreas and spleen than in the blood, muscle, heart and lung. A very
      small amount was found in the brains of the birds given different concentrations
      of Cr.

PMID- 1858301
TI  - Effects of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein on the cardiovascular toxicity of
      nortriptyline in a swine model.
AB  - Tricyclic antidepressant toxicity is a frequently encountered and life
      threatening problem in emergency medicine. This trial investigated the effect of
      alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), an acute phase reactant with a high affinity for
      basic drugs, on the clinical and pharmacological manifestations of nortriptyline
      (NT) toxicity. Fourteen pentobarbital-anesthetized swine (10-13 kg) were given a
      10-min loading dose followed by a 45-min maintenance infusion of NT to achieve a
      plasma level of approximately 1000 ng/ml. At the end of the infusion, 7 control
      (C) animals were given 50 ml of 0.9% saline and 7 AAG animals were given 50 ml of
      10% AAG, both over 15 min. Heart rate, QRS duration, QTc interval, blood
      pressure, temperature, arterial blood gases, albumin, and plasma-free and plasma
      bound NT levels were measured at baseline and at every hour for 4 h. One death
      was noted in the AAG group and none in the C group (p = NS). Mean total NT levels
      after infusion in the C group was 1240 +/- 1118 ng/ml and in the AAG group 804 +/
      194 ng/ml (p = NS). No significant differences were found in the plasma-free
      fractions between groups at any time interval. However, significantly shorter QTc
      intervals were found during treatment with AAG compared to controls (P = 0.02). A
      trend toward increased systolic blood pressure (p = 0.09) and shorter QRS
      duration (p = 0.09) was noted during AAG treatment. No significant changes were
      shown between groups with respect to heart rate, arterial blood gases, or albumin
      measurements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858302
TI  - Effect of glucose treatment on carbohydrate content in various organs in mice
      after acute As2O3 poisoning.
AB  - Glucose treatment improved survival and symptoms in mice poisoned with As2O3. In
      order to get more insight into the mechanisms involved, postmortum changes in
      glucose and glycogen content of various organs and pathology were investigated in
      mice acutely poisoned with As2O3 and treated with glucose. Forty mice each
      received 12.9 mg As2O3/kg sc as a single injection. The first group of 10 mice
      had no further treatment. Fifteen minutes after the As2O3 injection and every 2 h
      thereafter, the second group (10 mice) received saline and the third group (10
      mice) received 5% glucose ip. Groups 4 and 5 (5 mice each) received either saline
      or glucose only. The injection volume in all groups was 10 microliters/g mouse.
      Group 6 (5 mice) had no treatment whatsoever. Immediately after death brain,
      muscle and kidneys were prepared for the enzymatic determination of glucose and
      glycogen. Samples of the brain, muscle, kidneys, liver, small intestine, colon
      and spleen were taken for microscopic examination. Independent of the therapeutic
      procedure, decreases in the glycogen in livers and increases in fat in livers and
      muscles were observed in mice which died. All mice which died showed heavy
      leucocytes disruptions, increased fat, and decreased glycogen in the spleen.
      Intrafolliculary disruptions of leucocytes in the small intestine and colon, as
      well as patchy hyperemias and hemorrhagic spots in the papilla of the kidneys,
      were observed in non-survivor mice. Decreased glucose and glycogen was in the
      brains of non-survivor mice; no differences in glucose and glycogen were found in
      brains of the mice which survived.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858304
TI  - Drought increases forage nitrate and cyanide.
AB  - To investigate drought-associated increases in concentrations of nitrate and
      cyanide in animal forage, we compared forage nitrate and cyanide in 1986-87
      (annual rainfall 33 in) to nitrate and cyanide in a drought (1988 and 1989;
      annual rainfall 20 and 27 in, respectively). Fifteen to 20% of the nitrate and
      cyanide samples from 1986-1987 had sufficiently high concentrations to be of
      concern (3000 ppm nitrate, 20 ppm cyanide as submitted). Only 4-6% of the 1986
      1987 samples had concentrations sufficiently high to produce acute respiratory
      distress (13,000 ppm nitrate, 50 ppm cyanide as submitted). During 1988 sample
      numbers had more than doubled, suggesting increased concern for the possibility
      of nitrate or cyanide intoxication and yielding parallel increases in the number
      of samples with elevated nitrates or cyanides. By 1989, 25-33% of the samples had
      concentrations of health concern with respect to either nitrate or cyanide, while
      14-19% had concentrations sufficiently high to produce acute respiratory signs.
      Shortages of forage caused by a 2-y drought were further exacerbated by nitrate
      and cyanide increases in that feed. Future efforts should concentrate on
      controlling groundwater nitrate and delivery of nitrate to the plant root
      systems.

PMID- 1858303
TI  - Evaluation of changing patterns in children poisonings and prevention.
AB  - Poisoning prevention strategies have to be modified according to the risk
      variations with age and time. Epidemiologic surveillance usefulness was confirmed
      by studying the 0-15 y-old children in the Trieste area from 1976-1987.
      Significant differences were observed in children under 5 due to an increase in
      caustic substance and home detergents poisoning and a decrease in analgesic
      antipyretics ingestion. This was probably due to the introduction by law in our
      country of child-resistant containers and to a better awareness by parents. At 10
      y-of-age and older, alcohol is the cause of most intoxications and more recently
      benzodiazepine poisonings have significantly increased. At this age poisoning
      results from deliberate ingestion in most cases; therefore education should be
      the main preventive strategy.

PMID- 1858305
TI  - Acute oral hypoglycemic ingestions.
AB  - We reviewed the poison center records of 48 consecutive reports of oral
      hypoglycemic exposure reported to the Rush Poison Control Center between January
      1988 and December 1989. The average age of ingestion was 15.0 y (range 1 to 75
      y). Twenty-three of the patients (48%) were male, while 25 (52%) were female.
      Twenty-nine patients ingested glyburide, 10 chlorpropamide, 6 glipizide, 2
      tolbutamide, and 1 each for tolazamide and phenformin. One patient ingested both
      glyburide and tolbutamide. Sixteen cases (33%) involved coingestants. Accidental
      cause was the primary reason for ingestion in 33 cases (69%) with suicidal intent
      being mentioned in an additional 11 cases (23%). Thirteen patients (27%) were
      treated and released from a health care facility, while the same percentage of
      patients were admitted. There was no adverse effect in 24 patients (50%) while 9
      patients (19%) had minor effects without residual disability. Only 2 patients
      (4%) experienced a major effect. No deaths were reported. We conclude that oral
      hypoglycemic ingestions generally have a successful outcome and there does not
      appear to be a significant difference whether a short/long acting agent or
      first/second-generation product was ingested.

PMID- 1858306
TI  - Arsenic poisoning in livestock.
AB  - Arsenic is an important heavy metal intoxicant to livestock. Arsenical pesticides
      present significant hazards to animal health. The toxicity of arsenic varies with
      several factors--its chemical form, oxidation states, solubility. The
      phenylarsonic compounds are the least toxic and are used as feed additives in
      swine and poultry rations. However, roxarsone has a higher absolute toxicity than
      arsanilic acid. The mechanism of action is related to its reaction with
      sulfhydryl groups values to enzyme function and to its ability to uncouple
      oxydative phosphorylation. Most animals excrete arsenic quite readily. Toxicoses
      caused by inorganic and aliphatic organic arsenicals result in a different
      clinical syndrome than that from the phenylarsonic compounds. Arsenic poisoning
      may be confused with other types of intoxication. The specific antidote for
      inorganic arsenical poisoning is dimercaprol (BAL).

PMID- 1858307
TI  - Acute poisoning by lupine seed debittering water.
AB  - A case of acute poisoning by ingestion of water used to debitter lupineseeds, an
      exceptional occurrence in human clinics, is reported. The patient showed the
      anticholinergic syndrome for 48 h, which then subsided spontaneously.

PMID- 1858308
TI  - Effect of inadequate antivenin stores on the medical treatment of crotalid
      envenomation.
AB  - The case of a 27-y-old male with a serious Crotalus atrox envenomation is
      presented. His medical care was compromised by the lack of readily available
      polyvalent Crotalidae antivenin. An investigation of antivenin stocking by health
      care facilities in Arizona was undertaken. Failure to stock sufficient quantities
      of antivenin to initiate treatment of a single patient with a severe envenomation
      was found in 43.5% of urban hospitals, 41.2% of rural hospitals within 25 miles
      of another hospital, 52.9% of rural hospitals greater than 25 miles from another
      hospital, and 41.7% of Indian Health Service hospitals. Current antivenin
      stocking was related to antivenin use during the previous year. Reliance on
      recent antivenin use to guide current antivenin stocking leaves many hospitals
      with insufficient antivenin stores and may seriously compromise the medical care
      of patients suffering from rattlesnake envenomations.

PMID- 1858309
TI  - Exaggerated warfarin sensitivity: a case report.
AB  - A 64-y-old male was hospitalized because of significant bleeding and a prolonged
      prothrombin time (PT) (greater than 200 sec) following an inadvertent doubling of
      his anticoagulant dose. He was previously well controlled on 2.5 mg warfarin
      every fourth day. Treatment included vitamin K, fresh frozen plasma, and packed
      red blood cells. Warfarin plasma concentrations, clotting factor analysis (CFA)
      and PTs were analyzed to evaluate this patient. Following hospitalization, the
      patient was followed by the Anticoagulation Clinic and his dose was stabilized at
      0.5 mg daily. He experienced no further bleeding episodes and his PT ratio was
      maintained at 1.5 times control. The response to a dose of warfarin varies
      greatly from patient to patient. Previous reports of abnormal responses to
      warfarin can be categorized as either warfarin "resistant" or "sensitive." The
      preponderance of reports are compliance or hereditary warfarin resistance. This
      patient represents a case of exaggerated warfarin sensitivity that cannot be
      easily explained. There was no evidence of a drug interaction, warfarin
      concentrations were not excessive, and CFA was reflective of a moderate warfarin
      effect. Extreme tissue sensitivity to warfarin is a plausible explanation for
      this abnormal response.

PMID- 1858310
TI  - Forensic toxicology and insects: a minireview.
AB  - In cases of suspicious death, various postmortem changes and the insect species
      infesting the corpse have been employed to compute the time of death. Recently,
      chemical analysis of the life stages of insects infesting the corpse has revealed
      poisons and drugs consumed for suicide in the body of the deceased. This new area
      can provide proof of the cause of death. It is recommended that whether or not
      there is suitable tissue samples for the analysis, the developmental stages of
      insects thriving on the carcass should always be collected as exhibits for
      analysis.

PMID- 1858311
TI  - Peganum harmala L: a poisonous plant of North Africa.

PMID- 1858312
TI  - An outbreak of Vicia villosa (hairy vetch) poisoning in grazing Aberdeen Angus
      bulls in Argentina.
AB  - Vicia villosa (hairy vetch) is used as a forage source in some cattle-producing
      areas in Argentina. The plant had no previous reports of toxicity in this
      country. A herd of 33 Aberdeen Angus bulls grazed during 20 days in October on a
      pasture composed mainly of hairy vetch. Eight animals developed conjunctivitis,
      rinitis, dermatitis, loss of hair and fever. All of them died within 15 d after
      the development of signs with a marked loss of body condition. No more animals
      became sick 5 d after the removal of the herd from the pasture. Serum parameters
      tested (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, GOT, alfa-GT and bilirubin) enlarged
      liver and spleen, generalized hemorrhage in the abomasum, dilated kidneys and
      multiple pale areas on the heart. Severe necrotizing granulomatous myocarditis,
      interstitial nephritis, and necrotizing cholangitis were the most striking
      microscopic changes. Close observation of animals feeding on pastures in which V
      villosa is dominant is the only prevention.

PMID- 1858313
TI  - An investigation of metal concentrations in blood of industrial workers.
AB  - Pigments may contain chromates of zinc and lead, dioxide of manganese, oxides of
      copper and cobalt, and sulphides of cadmium. Workers engaged in the production of
      colored glass articles are exposed to fumes and dusts from these pigments.
      Exposure to these metals through inhalation may lead to a high concentration of
      these metals in blood. Correlations between biometric characteristics of workers
      and the blood levels of metals, and between blood levels of different metals were
      explored. Blood copper and chromium were correlated with occupational history.
      Significant correlations between blood levels of lead, copper, chromium and
      manganese were also observed.

PMID- 1858314
TI  - Snake venom or antivenom induced urticaria.
AB  - An amateur herpetologist developed chills, diaphoresis and generalized urticaria
      5 h after receiving Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent (Wyeth) for treatment of
      rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) envenomation. The patient had been bitten 8 mo
      earlier by a copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokeson) resulting in minimal
      envenomation. He also had been skin testing himself for 6 mo with both diluted
      Crotalus atrox venom and Antivenin (Crotalidae) Polyvalent (Wyeth) to determine
      how sensitive he was to antivenom and how resistant he was to the effects of
      venom. Unusual reactions to antivenom during the treatment of snake-bite victims,
      such as amateur herpetologists or snake fanciers, with access to both venom and
      antivenom should raise questions about unusual means of sensitization.

PMID- 1858315
TI  - Novel occurrence of cyclopiazonic acid in sunflower seeds.
AB  - Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), a secondary metabolite produced by several species of
      Aspergillus and Penicillium, was detected in moldy sunflower seed screenings fed
      to sows who experienced conception problems and feed refusal. Tandem mass
      spectrometry confirmed the CPA which was estimated by thin-layer chromatography
      (TLC) to be present at 10 ppm. A Penicillium species was isolated from the moldy
      seeds, but in culture it did not produce CPA.

PMID- 1858316
TI  - The identification of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid exposure in horses by
      the demonstration of sulphur-bound pyrrolic metabolites on their hemoglobin.

PMID- 1858317
TI  - Polarity specific adaptation to motion in the human visual system.
AB  - Three experiments investigated polarity specific adaptation to movement.
      Experiment 1 tested for temporal polarity specific adaptation, using counterphase
      sawtooth gratings as adapting and test stimuli. Each counterphase grating
      contained oppositely moving sawtooth components, and was thus balanced for
      direction, but both components of the adapting grating created only one polarity
      of luminance change over time, whereas the components of the test grating
      presented different signs. After adaptation, only the test component containing
      the unadapted temporal change was visible. A second experiment, using an
      analogous procedure, found evidence for spatial polarity specific adaptation.
      Experimental results can be explained by motion detectors which preserve
      information about spatial and temporal polarity. A third experiment found that
      spatial and temporal polarity specific adaptation differ in their dependence on
      temporal frequency.

PMID- 1858318
TI  - Foveal cone detection statistics in color-normals and dichromats.
AB  - We measured for six male observers, the psychometric functions for the detection
      of two simultaneously presented points of light. The test stimuli were two 1 min
      point sources separated by 17 min arc, and pulsed for 0.5 msec. The stimuli
      varied in wavelength from 500 to 620 nm. The psychometric functions were fit with
      a model that assumes ideal detection and the following properties: (1) Poisson
      distributed quantal absorptions; (2) binomial sampling of foveal long-wavelength
      sensitive (LWS) and middle-wavelength-sensitive (MWS) cones; (3) independent
      responses of the LWS and MWS cones; and (4) the Smith-Pokorny fundamentals for
      cone spectral sensitivities. Based on chi 2 fits to the psychometric functions
      for detecting neither, one or both of the two-point stimuli presented, estimates
      were derived for the minimum quantal catch by a single cone for detection (C),
      the number of effective cones illuminated by a point stimulus at threshold (N)
      and the proportion of central foveal cones of the LWS type (PL). Three observers
      were color-normal, two were protanopes and one was a deuteranope. A second
      deuteranope was included in the design but his data were too unreliable for an
      unambiguous solution. The estimated quantal requirement C was consistently near
      5(4-6), and the effective number of illuminated cones always was 1 or 2. The
      plausible range of PL (98% confidence interval) for the color-normal observers
      was 0.48-0.68 (observer YY), 0.76-0.90 (observer MW) and 0.77-0.95 (observer DF).
      The best fitting PL solution for these observers were 0.61, 0.82 and 0.88,
      respectively. These were comparable to the values obtained from flicker
      photometric data. The best PL value for each of the protanopes was 0.00 and for
      the deuteranope the best PL value was 0.98.

PMID- 1858319
TI  - Conditions for the detection of coherent motion.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested that human motion perception involves at least
      two different detection stages: an orientation selective or component motion
      stage and a combination stage where selectivity to the coherent motion of a
      pattern, e.g. a plaid is established. These studies are inconclusive as to the
      motion detection process per se. Here we provide evidence that the motion
      detectors involved are of the correlation type. We determined critical values for
      the temporal and spatial modulation of the stimulus structure where the motion of
      the stimulus is no longer visible. Our results indicate that the spatial
      parameters of plaid- and component-motion detectors are identical but that the
      critical temporal modulation period is shorter for plaid-motion detectors. The
      results are discussed with respect to recent neurophysiological and
      psychophysical evidence for the two-stage motion detection model.

PMID- 1858320
TI  - Nonadditivity of masking by narrow-band noises.
AB  - Characterization of the visual system as a linear system has many consequences.
      One property implied by such a characterization is that signal-to-noise ratio at
      threshold is constant, so that the contrast energy of a sinusoidal grating at
      threshold depends on the effective noise passed by the filter used to detect the
      target. When the contrast energy in an external noise is sufficiently high, the
      contribution of internal noise may be conveniently ignored. In such
      circumstances, the effectiveness of a given noise is measured by its ability to
      mask the target. One consequence of the linearity assumption is that if the
      energy of the effective noise is increased by a factor k, then threshold energy
      of the signal is increased by the same amount. The contrast energy at threshold
      in the presence of a masker created by adding two maskers should be the sum of
      the threshold energies in the individual maskers. We have tested this hypothesis
      for spectrally nonoverlapping maskers. We find that the contrast energy required
      to detect the target in the presence of the combined maskers is much greater than
      the sum of the threshold energies for the two maskers. This "excess masking"
      violates the linearity assumption. On the other hand, when maskers do have
      spectral overlap, no excess masking is found.

PMID- 1858321
TI  - A model for perceived spatial frequency and spatial frequency discrimination.
AB  - The responses of labelled spatial frequency channels are combined to generate an
      index of perceived spatial frequency. Spatial frequency discrimination thresholds
      are shown to be inversely related to the slope of the function of the index vs
      spatial frequency, when it is plotted on log-log co-ordinates.

PMID- 1858322
TI  - Texture segmentation and pop-out from orientation contrast.
AB  - In arrays of oriented lines, a target at a different orientation is effortlessly
      detected; it "pops out" from the pattern. Similarly, textures with line arrays at
      different orientations seem to dissect into separate areas with the spontaneous
      percept of distinct borders between them. In recent models, these perceptual
      phenomena were linked to the pre-attentive detection of certain features and of
      first-order differences in their spatial distribution. In contrast, however,
      psychophysical experiments show that texture segmentation and visual pop-out
      arise from orientation differences rather than from the orientation features
      themselves, a view which is supported by neurophysiological data from the monkey
      visual cortex.

PMID- 1858323
TI  - Effects of background illumination on cat horizontal cell responses.
AB  - The process of light adaptation in cat horizontal cells was studied by means of
      intracellular recordings in the optically intact, in situ eye. Response vs
      intensity profiles were measured using increment- as well as decrement-flashes of
      "white light" on steady backgrounds. The effects of background illumination in
      the mesopic and photopic range on both purely rod-driven horizontal cells and
      mixed rod and cone input horizontal cells were investigated. Increasing the
      background illumination for mixed-input horizontal cells strongly reduced the
      contribution from the rod system. The rod aftereffect in the responses to high
      intensity flashes is totally suppressed at higher background levels. Light
      adaptation resulted in a sustained hyperpolarization without a substantial effect
      on the total response range of the response vs intensity curve. At higher
      background intensities more of the response range is made up of depolarizing
      responses to decrements of light. Increasing the background illumination also
      shifted the operating curve to higher intensities. Increment threshold functions,
      measured with a 3.9 deg diameter test spot on a large background (8.8 deg
      diameter) showed a linear relation between log threshold intensity and log
      background intensity with a slope of, on average, 0.64. The response vs intensity
      curve for the rod horizontal cell typically spanned a narrower intensity range
      and was displaced toward lower intensities as compared to that for the mixed
      input horizontal cells. Background illumination greatly reduced the total
      response range for rod horizontal cells. Increment threshold curves for rod
      horizontal cells clearly indicated loss in sensitivity due to response
      compression.

PMID- 1858324
TI  - Inhibitory refinement of spatial frequency selectivity in single cells of the cat
      striate cortex.
AB  - Single cells in the cat striate cortex are more selective for the spatial
      frequency of sinewave grating stimuli than are cells of the retina or lateral
      geniculate nucleus. We have explored the possibility that this enhancement of
      selectivity results from spatial-frequency-selective inhibition. Stimulation with
      two superimposed gratings, one to excite the cell and one to prove for
      inhibition, revealed spatial frequency-dependent response suppression in 74% of
      the total population studied. Suppression was slightly more prevalent in simple
      cells (80%) than in complex cells (68%). In 93% of the cases where suppression
      was found, its tuning was complementary to excitatory spatial frequency tuning,
      and the strongest suppression was usually found where the excitatory tuning
      function approached zero imp./sec. Characteristics of the phenomenon were
      independent of cortical layers. We conclude that organized inhibitory mechanisms
      serve to refine the spatial frequency bandpass of striate cortical cells. This
      provides evidence for another degree of nonlinearity in the organization of
      cortical receptive fields and supports the hypothesis that a fundamental function
      of the visual cortex is image dissection in the domain of spatial frequency.

PMID- 1858325
TI  - The gecko visual pigment: the anion hypsochromic effect.
AB  - The 521-pigment in the retina of the Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko) readily responds
      to particular physical and chemical changes in its environment. When solubilized
      in chloride deficient state the addition of Class I anions (Cl-, Br-) induces a
      bathochromic shift of the absorption spectrum. Class II anions (NO3-, IO3-, N3-,
      OCN-, SCN-, SeCN-, N(CN)2-), which exhibit ambidental properties, cause an
      hypsochromic shift. Class III anions (F-, I-, NO2-, CN-, AsO3-, SO2(4-), S2O2(3-)
      have no spectral effect on the 521-pigment. Cations appear to have no influence
      on the pigment absorption and Class I anions prevent or reverse the hypsochromic
      shift caused by Class II anions. It is suggested that the spectral displacements
      reflect specific changes in the opsin conformation, which alter the immediate
      (dipolar) environment of the retinal chromophore. The protein conformation seems
      to promote excited-state processes most in the native 521-pigment state and least
      in the presence of Class II anions. This in turn suggests that the
      photosensitivity of the 521-pigment is controlled by the excited rather than by
      the ground-state properties of the pigment.

PMID- 1858326
TI  - Color in visual search.
AB  - Colored targets pop out of displays under conditions in which the standard red
      green, yellow-blue and black-white mechanisms cannot directly mediate detection.
      Experimental evidence suggests that observers possess chromatic detection
      mechanisms tuned to intermediate hues such as orange as well as to hues
      characterizing the standard color-opponent mechanisms and that these mechanisms,
      as a group, form a fine-grained representation of hue within the central visual
      field. Spatially-parallel search is mediated by a single such mechanism that is
      spectrally sensitive to the target chromaticity but insensitive to the distractor
      chromaticities; different mechanisms are used to detect a single target in a way
      that depends on distractor chromaticities.

PMID- 1858327
TI  - Model of peripheral and amblyopic hyperacuity.
AB  - Vernier thresholds rise much more rapidly in the periphery than do grating
      thresholds. A similar dissociation between acuity and hyperacuity has been shown
      to be present in strabismic but not in anisometropic amblyopia, thus leading to
      the suggestion that the strabismic fovea is similar to the normal periphery. Here
      it is shown that a quantitative model for spatial pattern discrimination, which
      accounts for foveal hyperacuity data, can be extended to encompass both the
      periphery and amblyopia if appropriate alterations are made. For the periphery it
      is necessary to increase the size of model receptive fields and to introduce both
      spatial undersampling and position irregularity (i.e. irregularity in the
      location of cortical filters). The strabismic fovea also requires spatial
      undersampling and position irregularity but no change in receptive field size.
      Defects in the good eye of strabismics can be explained by spatial irregularity.
      Finally, the anisometropic fovea requires a reduction in mechanism sensitivity
      but neither spatial undersampling nor position irregularity.

PMID- 1858328
TI  - A transducer model for contrast perception.
AB  - Multiple channel models of visual function proposed to date have been either
      threshold models or suprathreshold models. The transition between detection and
      perception of contrast which involves the gradual disappearance of spatial
      response pooling has not been addressed. We propose a model that allows us to
      simulate contrast detection, contrast perception and the gradual disappearance of
      spatial response pooling with contrast. The model successfully predicts
      thresholds and perceived contrast functions for several multiple component
      stimuli.

PMID- 1858329
TI  - Contribution of transient and sustained responses to the perception of apparent
      motion.
AB  - The likelihood of seeing apparent motion (AM) was measured as a function of inter
      stimulus-interval (ISI) between two isolated Gabor patches separated by 4 deg
      with spatial frequency (0.75, 2.0 and 4.5 c/deg) and exposure duration (33 and
      1000 msec) as parameters. For the short stimuli, the likelihood of AM for the low
      spatial-frequency of 0.75 c/deg was higher than that for the high-spatial
      frequency of 4.5 c/deg, but for the long stimuli, the former was similar to, or
      lower than the latter. Decreasing the mean luminance from 190 to 0.8 cd/m2
      impaired AM for the short stimuli of 2.0 c/deg, but improved AM for the long
      stimuli. The dependencies of AM on spatial frequency, exposure duration and
      adaptation level may be ascribed to the changing contribution of the transient
      and the sustained responses.

PMID- 1858331
TI  - [Strength of nucleic acid-protein interactions and synthesis of nucleic acids and
      proteins in the cell].
AB  - Nucleoprotein-celite chromatography of cultivated cells nuclei, where
      incorporation of 3H-thymidine, 3H-UTP and 14C-aminohydrolysate into the cells was
      studied, enabled to detect that lowering of DNA-protein interactions in intact
      cells occurred simultaneously with a decrease in the rate of spontaneous
      macromolecular synthesis. The natural growth-regulating drugs, which inhibited
      distinctly DNA synthesis, inhibited RNA synthesis only slightly and stimulated
      protein synthesis within the first hours of the cells cultivation, prevented a
      decrease in tightness of DNA-protein bonds at the beginning of cultivation and
      then contributed to the reaction thus correlating with inhibition of RNA and
      protein synthesis. Definite interrelationship was found between alterations in
      the chromatin structural state and the cells functional activity. The cells lost
      their functional activity after pronounced decrease in tightness of DNA-protein
      bonds.

PMID- 1858330
TI  - [The effect of thyroid hormones on DNA methylation in rat liver in vivo and in
      vitro].
AB  - Methylation of rat liver DNA was studied in vivo and in vitro in presence of
      various content of thyroid hormones. Both administration of triiodothyronine into
      intact rats and thyroidectomy led to considerable alterations in activity of
      endogenous DNA-methylases and in content of m5C in DNA although distinct
      correlation between these two factors was not detected. Alterations in the
      acceptor activity of endogenous DNA towards bacterial DNA-methylases of thy Mbu
      type demonstrated the processes occurring in vivo. The methylase probe
      5'...GGA...3' proved to be the universal means for testing of all the types of
      thyroid status involving either free DNA or whole nuclei.

PMID- 1858332
TI  - [The effect of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid on the reaction rate of phosphate
      containing metabolites in the rat brain during ischemia estimated from (31)P-NMR
      spectroscopic data].
AB  - Protective effects of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid on bioenergetic reactions were
      studied in brain of rats with ischemia using 31P-NMR spectroscopy in vivo.
      Intraperitoneal preadministration of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid at a dose of 400
      mg/kg within 30-40 min before ischemia led to a decrease in the ATP pool in
      ischemic brain tissue, to alteration in the PCr/ATP ratio in the 31P-NMR
      spectrum, to prevention of Pi concentration increase and to increase in the
      intracellular acidosis development rate. Possible mechanisms of the gamma
      hydroxybutyric acid effects on bioenergetic reactions in nervous tissue during
      ischemia are discussed.

PMID- 1858333
TI  - [Function of the pentosephosphate pathway in the rat brain during one-time
      administration of various doses of ethanol].
AB  - A rate of alterations in the enzymatic activity of pentosephosphate pathway and
      content of glucose in rat brain depended on a dose of administered ethanol. The
      alcohol inhibitory effect on the enzymatic activity was localized mainly in the
      brain steam. Impairment of the pentosephosphate pathway functions in alcohol
      intoxication demonstrated the pathway importance in realization of ethanol
      effects in nervous tissue.

PMID- 1858334
TI  - [Middle-molecular peptides in blood as endogenous regulators of lipid
      peroxidation in the normal state and during thermal burns].
AB  - Influence of middle mass peptides upon red blood cell membrane lipid peroxidation
      was studied in the cells irradiated by ultraviolet in vitro as well as content of
      the lipid peroxidation products was estimated in mice tissues after intravenous
      administration of the peptide fraction. Dissimilar effects of the middle mass
      peptides in vivo and in vitro and role of these peptides in regulation of lipid
      peroxidation under conditions of burns are discussed. Negative correlation was
      found between content of middle mass peptides and products of lipid peroxidation
      in healthy volunteers.

PMID- 1858335
TI  - [Analysis of changes in serotonin, histamine, and prostaglandin E2 levels in
      cerebrospinal fluid and body tissues during hyperthermia of various origins].
AB  - Physical hyperthermia caused distinct increase in content of serotonin in liquor
      and its decrease in hypothalamus of rabbits and rats, while histamine and PGE2
      were unaltered in liquor of these animals. Considerable increase of PGE2 in
      liquor simultaneously with unaltered content of serotonin and histamine were
      detected in rabbits with pyrogenal-caused fever. A decrease in PGE2 content and
      elevation of serotonin were found in animals liquor after normalization of body
      temperature within 7 hrs of the pyrogenal treatment. The biogenic amines studied
      appear to serve as constituents of the natural antipyretic body system in
      animals, whereas PGE2 belongs to factors responsible for elevation of body
      temperature.

PMID- 1858336
TI  - [Change in the lipid composition of the inner mitochondrial membranes in rat
      organs during adaptation to heat].
AB  - Under conditions of adaptation to heating lipid composition in mitochondrial
      membranes of rat inner tissues was altered as follows: an increase in relative
      concentration of plasmalogenous forms of phospholipids (kidney, heart) and in
      content of saturated fatty acids (liver tissue), a decrease in the index of fatty
      acids unsaturation and in the ratio of fatty acids omega-3/omega-6. The
      alterations observed enabled the membranes to keep sufficient amount of liquidity
      essential for functional activity of mitochondria in heating.

PMID- 1858337
TI  - [Enzyme system for dismutation of active forms of oxygen in the liver during
      chronic impairment of the hepatobiliary system].
AB  - A decrease in activity of main enzymes responsible for inactivation of reactive
      intermediates of oxygen was found in patients with chronic impairments of liver
      tissue. In chronic active hepatitis superoxide dismutase and catalase activities
      were decreased, while more pronounced alterations in the enzymatic activity were
      observed in primary biliary cirrhosis. Alterations in the rate of antioxidation
      enzymes activity correlated with severity of pathological process: less distinct
      alterations in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were detected in
      adipose degeneration of liver tissue as compared with those in active chronic
      hepatitis, and, especially, in primary biliary cirrhosis. The data obtained by
      means of correlation analysis suggest that interrelationship of the antioxidation
      system components was deteriorated. The decrease in activity of these enzymes
      appears to be related to destructive alterations developed in chronic impairments
      of liver tissue.

PMID- 1858338
TI  - [Biotransformation and toxicity of xenobiotics in various routes of
      administration of vitamin A into the rat body].
AB  - Deficiency of vitamin A in rats caused a decrease in metabolic rate of
      acetanilide as well as in elimination of voltaren from blood plasma, while excess
      of the vitamin (3,000 IU/kg) stimulated voltaren elimination and increased
      excretion with urine of aminophenol conjugates of acetanilide with sulfuric and
      glucuronic acids. Under conditions of vitamin A deficiency formation of
      acetanilide toxic metabolites was increased as a result of which excretion of
      mercapturic acids with urine was elevated but excess of vitamin A and its
      hyperdose inhibited these reactions. At the same time, deficiency of vitamin A
      amplified the paracetamol and voltaren toxicity and its excess exhibited
      protective effects.

PMID- 1858339
TI  - [Study of a series of enzyme systems and ultrastructure of rat liver in iron
      manganese poisoning].
AB  - During consumption of drinking water containing manganese or combination of iron
      and manganese several biochemical patterns were altered in animal blood and liver
      tissue: content of SH-groups, total lipids, activity of alkaline phosphatase,
      content of cytochromes b5 and P-450 in liver microsomal fractions. Light and
      electron microscopy showed that local unspecific alterations of hepatocytes
      structure occurred in liver tissue. Activation of cytochromes in response to
      administration of the metals appears to involve alterations in phospholipid
      composition of endoplasmic reticulum.

PMID- 1858340
TI  - [Production of a fibrinogen concentrate from small amounts of human autologous
      blood plasma and its short-term characteristics].
AB  - Simple procedure was developed for production of fibrinogen concentrate from
      small amounts of human autogenous blood using precipitation with polyethylene
      glycol and ammonium sulfate. Maximal yield of fibrinogen was obtained using
      polyethylene glycol 2,000 and 6,000 daltons at concentrations 7% and 4.5%,
      respectively. The fibrinogen preparations included fibronectin, inhibitors of
      proteinases, factor XIII of blood coagulation, plasminogen. Sigma-Aminocapronic
      acid and contrical should be added during bloodletting as well as into blood
      plasma before isolation of fibrinogen to avoid possible fibrinogen proteolysis.

PMID- 1858341
TI  - [The effect of vitamin A on the glycoprotein fraction composition of rat plasma].
AB  - Content of main glycoprotein fractions was studied in rat blood plasma under
      conditions of vitamin A avitaminosis and of subnormal consumption of the vitamin.
      Main protein fractions were estimated simultaneously with relative content of
      glycoproteins which was calculated per mg of total proteins. Relative content of
      gamma-glycoproteins was increased in avitaminosis A, which appears to occur due
      to elevation of gamma-globulin synthesis in response to secondary infection or
      intoxication, while the level of alpha 1- and alpha 2-glycoproteins was decreased
      simultaneously as a result of possible impairment of protein glycosylation in
      liver tissue. Subnormal consumption of retinol did not alter content of many
      protein fractions in blood, however under these conditions absolute content of
      alpha 1-, alpha 2- and beta 2-glycoproteins as well as relative content of alpha
      2-glycoproteins were decreased, thus leading to increase in relative content of
      underglycosylated proteins in blood. Vitamin A appears to be essential for
      biosynthesis of individual but not of total blood glycoproteins.

PMID- 1858342
TI  - [The significance of disruption of erythrocyte membrane protein and lipid
      composition on the development of a decrease in blood flow properties under
      extreme conditions].
AB  - Protein and lipid composition of erythrocyte membranes as well as loss of
      erythrocyte filtrability were studied in two experimental models: staphylococcal
      toxicosis and post-ischemic syndrome. Lipid spectrum of erythrocytes was studied
      in 16 experiments, protein composition--in 28 experiments and deformation of
      erythrocytes--in 46 experiments. Considerable destruction of erythrocyte membrane
      protein moiety and of lipid composition were found under extreme conditions
      involving distinct loss of phospholipid bilayer and decrease in content of main
      high molecular proteins. These impairments of erythrocyte membranes and a
      decrease in erythrocyte flow properties may be referred as principal reasons for
      development of microcirculation disturbance and of microvascular channel
      blockade. The alterations observed appear to be responsible for occurrence of
      components with various ability to aggregation in body fluid media as well as for
      development of disseminated intravascular coagulation in microcirculation.

PMID- 1858344
TI  - [Changes in kinetics of deaminated biogenic amines in spontaneous hypertension].
AB  - Rate of serotonin and benzylamine deamination was increased in liver tissue of
      rats with spontaneous hypertension. The increase was due to elevation in Vmax
      value for monoamine oxidases of the A and B types as compared with the
      corresponding values of control animals. The Vmax value was increased in kidney
      of hypertensive animals for MAO of the B type (benzylamine as a substrate). At
      the same time, Km for MAO of the B type was increased in liver tissue, while Km
      for MAO of the A type was decreased in brain of hypertensive animals. Titration
      of the MAO active sites exhibited their increased concentration in the B type MAO
      in liver mitochondria of experimental animals. The data obtained suggest an
      important role of alterations in the MAO catalytic activity in pathogenesis of
      spontaneous hypertension.

PMID- 1858343
TI  - [The effect of UV-radiation on the metabolic activity of human blood
      granulocytes].
AB  - Influence of UV irradiation (254 nm) on chemoluminescence of blood granulocytes
      was studied in patients with chronic unspecific lung impairments.
      Chemoluminescence of leukocytes was decreased after blood irradiation at the rate
      10 J/ml as well as after the first course of the UV irradiated blood transfusion.
      At the same time, high dissimilarity of reactions to the irradiation was found in
      individual patients: in patients with low initial parameters of metabolism a
      stable decrease of chemoluminescence was observed to the 2nd, 3d and 4th courses
      of the irradiation, while in patients with high parameters--only to the 2nd
      course. This suggests that functional activity of phagocytes may be altered due
      to UV irradiation effects.

PMID- 1858345
TI  - [Participation of opioid peptides in regulating the biosynthesis of myocardial
      protein during stress and adaptation].
AB  - After adaptation of rats to extreme conditions treatment of the animals with
      dalargin (Leu-enkephalin derivative resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis) caused a
      decrease of catabolism rate in myocardium under stress conditions. Involvement of
      endogenous opioid peptides in formation of "structure track" during body
      adaptation to extreme conditions is discussed.

PMID- 1858346
TI  - [Kinetic properties of lipoamide dehydrogenase of the oxoglutarate dehydrogenase
      complex of the human heart].
AB  - Kinetics of lipoamide dehydrogenase catalyzed reaction is described by Michaelis
      Menten equation if concentrations of NAD and dihydrolipoamide (DLA) varied.
      Effective Km values were equal to 0.11 mM for NAD and 0.50 mM for DLA,
      respectively. Kinetic indications of positive cooperation between sites binding
      both NAD and DLA were manifested in presence of NADH. Apparent Ki value for NADH
      constituted 0.88-0.10 mM, thus demonstrating the effective regulation of the
      lipoamide dehydrogenase activity by end products.

PMID- 1858347
TI  - [Physiological changes in pyridinoline excretion in urine depending on age and
      sex].
AB  - Natural physiological alterations in excretion of pyridoline (total
      hydroxypyridoline and lysyl pyridoline) with urine were studied in children and
      adults depending on age (1-86 years old) and sex. Age-dependent alterations of
      pyridoline excretion with urine had apparently four phases: an increase, a
      decrease, stabilization and secondary increase. Distinct dissimilarity between
      men and women in the rate of pyridoline excretion was found only in the age group
      of 16-21 years old.

PMID- 1858348
TI  - [The status of free radical processes in the pulmonary surfactant system in
      chronic bronchitis patients].
AB  - Lipid peroxidation-antioxidants were studied in condensed expired air of patients
      with chronic bronchitis. Under conditions of bronchopulmonary system impairment
      considerable activation of lipid peroxidation occurred in surface-active lung
      layers. These processes were elevated during development of the bronchial
      obstruction syndrome. Alterations of lipid peroxidation were amplified in
      patients with chronic bronchitis as functional impairments of the respiratory
      system increased. The antiradical defense system of lung surfactant was found to
      correlate inversely with the disease duration and severity of respiratory
      insufficiency.

PMID- 1858349
TI  - [A mathematical model of apolipoprotein B metabolism in human blood plasma].
AB  - Mathematical model was developed for transport of apo B in blood plasma, which
      allowed to estimate constants of metabolism of lipoproteins containing apo B,
      considering the alterations of apo B concentration in circulation followed by
      immuno- or hemosorption. Some cases were detected where stimulating effect of
      these procedures on the rate of apo B entering into circulation was found as well
      as definite ratios were shown between the constants using the parameters of
      alterations in apo B concentration after elimination of lipoproteins containing
      apo B from blood plasma. Existence of cases was predicted where fluctuations in
      apo B concentration attenuated after immuno- and hemosorption which were
      difficult to find in experiments.

PMID- 1858350
TI  - [The presence of antithiamine factor--thiaminase--in organs of random-bred albino
      rats and mice].
AB  - Thiaminase activity was not found in rat and mice tissues (liver, kidney tissues)
      using radiometric procedure. Intact exogenous thiaminase I from bivalve
      freshwater mollusks was effectively detected in homogenates of rat or mice liver
      and kidney tissues within 6 hrs after the enzyme parenteral administration into
      these animals; at the same time, considerable amount of 14C-thiazol developed
      after thiaminase catalysis was estimated in urine.

PMID- 1858351
TI  - [A modified method for spectrophotometry determination of monoamine oxidase
      activity with benzylamine as the substrate].
AB  - Modified assay of MAO activity with benzylamine as a substrate is described. The
      method is based on trapping benzaldehyde product of MAO-reaction by
      semicarbazide, introduced in samples in 0.6 N perchloric acid after the
      incubation period. Advantages and disadvantages of semicarbazide presence in
      incubation medium are discussed. Additional control containing 10(-3) mol/L
      semicarbazide was required during incubation.

PMID- 1858352
TI  - [The sensitivity of a number of cell cultures to different types of influenza
      viruses and their reassortants].
AB  - The study of reproductive activity of human and animal influenza A, B, and C
      viruses as well as influenza A virus reassortants in some cell cultures allowed
      one to determine the range of cells susceptible for each type (subtype) of the
      viruses. Differences in the range of cells were demonstrated for different
      strains of influenza viruses of the same antigenic subtype. It was noted that
      reassortants of influenza A viruses with the same hemagglutinin subtypes as the
      parental strains had a wider range of susceptible cell lines and a higher
      reproductive capacity in these cells.

PMID- 1858353
TI  - [Experimental phytotherapy of tick-borne encephalitis].
AB  - The virucidal effect of aqueous extracts of a number of plants was studied in
      tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus titration in SPEV cell culture in
      microplates, as well as their capacity to induce resistance in virus-infected
      mice. The aqueous extracts of ledum, motherwort, celandine, black currant,
      cowberry and bilberry inactivated TBE virus practically completely, and those of
      St. John's wort, pot marigold, tansy, chamomile, milfoil, and inula only
      partially. Studied in vivo, the extracts of motherwort, ledum, tansy and black
      currant induced resistance of mice to TBE virus infection assessed by the
      increased survival rate of the animals and significant prolongation of the
      average longevity. The degree of antiviral activity depended on the preparations
      used and the routes of their administration.

PMID- 1858354
TI  - [The process of the pH-dependent fusion of the tick-borne encephalitis virus with
      artificial membranes].
AB  - Fusion of TBE virus with liposomes was distinctly determined at pH 7.0 or lower,
      the maximum degree of fusion being observed at pH 6.4. Disorders in the native
      structure of TBE virus envelope protein E prevented virus-membrane fusion. Pre
      incubation of viral preparations at pH 6.0 completely inhibited the fusion
      process, while rupture of disulfide bonds in protein E reduced the degree of
      fusion approximately 2-fold. Reduction of TBE virus infectivity upon changes in
      the native conformation of protein E as a consequence of disorders in the process
      of fusion of virions with cell membranes is discussed.

PMID- 1858355
TI  - [Experimental herpetic infection of the CNS with predominant involvement of the
      spinal cord].
AB  - Clinical, morphological, and virological characteristics of a model of herpes
      infection of the CNS with predominant involvement of the spinal cord, an acute
      ascending myelitis with primary demyelinization, are presented. The development
      of spinal cord lesions after HSV inoculation into the spleen was observed in
      different species of laboratory animals: mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and
      rabbits; some animals (30%-70%) developed generalized infection with the
      involvement of the brain. The frequency of the spinal cord involvement was found
      to depend on the age of the animal and the dose of the virus-containing inoculum.
      Differences in the clinical and morphological manifestations of herpes infection
      were due to different mechanisms of herpes simplex virus spread in the body:
      either centripetally on the axons of the visceral nerves innervating the spleen
      into the thoracal cord, or hematogenic disseminations with virus penetration
      across the hematoencephalic barrier. The total duration of the disease was 3-12
      days depending on the animal species.

PMID- 1858357
TI  - [The isolation of the morbilli virus from the Baikal seal Phoca sibirica and its
      preliminary characterization].
AB  - A morbillivirus was isolated from the organs of a seal (Phoca sibirica) which had
      died during 1987-1988 epizootic in Baikal. This Baikal seal morbillivirus (BSM)
      was adapted to Vero cell cultures in which it induced a cytopathic effect
      developing to complete destruction of the monolayer. Typing of BSM was done by
      indirect immunofluorescence test and enzyme immunoassay using antibodies to
      distemper and measles viruses. A method for virus concentration and purification
      was developed. According to electron microscopic examinations, the virus virions
      were spherical particles of heterogeneous sizes over 100 nm in diameter. The
      clinical picture of seal infection, pathological anatomy and histopathology are
      described. A possible role of BSM in the epizootics of Baikal seals is discussed.

PMID- 1858356
TI  - [The therapeutic efficacy of ribamidil and virazole in experimental Lassa fever
      in monkeys].
AB  - The therapeutic efficacy of ribamydil and virasol was evaluated in experimental
      Lassa fever in monkeys which received these drugs at various intervals after the
      onset of the clinical illness. Ribamydil or virasol administered in the first day
      of fever protected from death 60% to 66% of the infected animals, but when the
      drugs were given 2 days after the onset of fever the number of survivors declined
      to 0.20%. When the treatment was started 4 days after the onset of fever none of
      the drugs prevented deaths of Lassa virus-infected baboons.

PMID- 1858358
TI  - [A comparative study of the paramyxoviruses of birds isolated in the USSR in
      1986].

PMID- 1858359
TI  - [The reproduction of the tick-borne encephalitis virus in human leukocytes].

PMID- 1858360
TI  - [Class-M antibodies to the nuclear antigen in chronic hepatitis B: their
      significance for the late prognosis].

PMID- 1858361
TI  - [A comparative study of monoclonal and monospecific antibodies in determining the
      immunodominant antigenic sites of influenza virus A (H3N2) hemagglutinin].
AB  - Comparative studies of monospecific (MSA) and monoclonal (MCA) antibodies showed
      MSA to detect three non-overlapping immunodominant sites on the surface of
      hemagglutinin (HA) molecule whereas MCA established more subtle differences in HA
      antigenic structure on the level of epitopes with different immunological
      significance. The activity of MSA and MCA differed in various tests. While MCA
      were more active in HI and EIA tests, MSA had a higher neutralizing activity,
      reducing the infectious virus titre by 5.0-7.5 Ig. Similar reduction of the virus
      biologic activity was observed only with two MCA whereas the other 20 MCA had a
      poor neutralizing effect (the virus titre reduction not more than by 2.5 Ig). The
      employment of MSA and MCA gives most complete information on antigenic
      restructuring of influenza virus HA at the site level and more subtle structures,
      epitopes, in the process of evolutionary variability.

PMID- 1858362
TI  - [Effective purification of substrate DNA from poliomyelitis vaccinal
      preparations].

PMID- 1858363
TI  - [Development of a test system for demonstrating the tick-borne encephalitis virus
      using lanthanide immunofluorescence analysis].

PMID- 1858364
TI  - [Use of immunoenzyme analysis for detecting antibodies to respiratory syncytial
      virus with the aid of a conjugate of staphylococcal protein A with peroxidase].

PMID- 1858365
TI  - [Properties of the attenuated strain 230 of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis
      virus].

PMID- 1858367
TI  - The diabetes mellitus pandemic.

PMID- 1858366
TI  - [Does Rift Valley fever threaten "encroachment" into the southern regions of the
      USSR?].

PMID- 1858368
TI  - Helicobacter pylori.
AB  - Since 1983, rapid advances in the knowledge of Helicobacter pylori have given new
      insights into the pathogenesis of upper gastrointestinal diseases. Several
      methods are now available for the diagnosis of the infection. Antimicrobial
      therapy has emerged as a new and effective treatment for peptic ulcer disease in
      a proportion, as yet to be determined, of patients in the Caribbean.

PMID- 1858369
TI  - An analysis of psychiatric inpatient admissions from a defined geographic
      catchment area over a one-year period.
AB  - The psychiatric inpatients from a defined geographic catchment area of 100,159
      were analysed for the year 1986. The inpatient treated prevalence was 5 per 1,000
      of the population over 15 years of age. There were 85 long-stay patients and 413
      admissions during the year. Thirty-eight per cent of all admissions for 1986 had
      schizophrenic psychoses, 34% had alcohol and drug disorders, and 15% had
      affective disorders. Forty-nine per cent of first admissions had alcohol and drug
      disorders, and 28% had schizophrenic psychoses. Schizophrenic psychosis was the
      diagnosis in 61% of those patients who had more than 3 previous admissions.
      Substance abuse, acute schizophrenic psychosis and chronic schizophrenic
      psychosis accounted for 72% of admissions for 1986. The duration of stay in
      hospital was longer for female patients than for male patients for each of the
      main diagnostic categories. The need for epidemiological and hospital utilisation
      studies to provide essential data for the rational planning of psychiatric
      services in Trinidad and Tobago is emphasized.

PMID- 1858370
TI  - A retrospective study on hypothyroid patients.
AB  - A retrospective study of 58 hypothyroid patients attending the Endocrine Clinic,
      University Hospital of the West Indies, Jamaica, between July and August 1989,
      was undertaken. The age range at initial presentation varied from one month to
      eighty-four years. The majority of cases (51 or 87.9%) were between 21 and 70
      years. There were 50 females (86.2%) and 8 males (13.8%). The underlying causes
      were idiopathic hypothyroidism (35 or 60.3%), posthyroidectomy (13 or 22.4%),
      post I131 therapy (6 or 10.4%), panhypopituitarism (3 or 5.2%), hypophysectomy (1
      or 1.7%). Biochemical parameters used in diagnosis were serum thyroxine (T4) and
      thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Forty-six patients (79.2%) had elevated TSH,
      indicative of a high correlation of elevated TSH with hypothyroidism. Duration of
      symptomatology prior to diagnosis was one year in 27 patients (46.5%), 2-10 years
      in 23 (39.6%) and 10 years in 4 cases (6.9%). The major presenting signs and
      symptoms were lethargy (20 or 34.5%), anaemia (mixed normochromic, microcytic (16
      or 27.6%), slow relaxation of tendon reflexes (16 or 27.6%), coarsening of skin
      (15 or 25.9%), weight gain 10 or 17.2%), hoarseness (9 or 15.5%) and psychiatric
      symptoms (7 or 12%). The known association of primary hypothyroidism with other
      autoimmune disorders was not borne out in this study. The time-lapse in diagnosis
      from symptomatology emphasized the need for clinicians to be more alert to the
      subtle and varied presentation of hypothyroidism.

PMID- 1858372
TI  - Aspergillosis in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
AB  - A case is described of a 3-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
      who presented initially with aspergillosis of the nasopharynx. Fungal infection
      with Aspergillus species is not uncommon in immunosuppressed children, but this
      case is noteworth in that the disease presented at the onset of therapy rather
      than during the phase of treatment, with maximum immunosuppression following
      chemotherapy. This type of infection is usually associated with the treatment of
      acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemias (AML) rather than ALL, and prolonged periods
      of neutropenia which results from aggressive treatment. This patient responded
      rapidly to treatment with amphotericin B, coincident with resolution of his
      neutropenia as the underlying disease was treated, eventually eradicating the
      fungus.

PMID- 1858371
TI  - Peritonitis in acute peritoneal dialysis at the University Hospital of the West
      Indies (a five-year review).
AB  - The records of patients receiving acute peritoneal dialysis during the years 1983
      1987 were retrospectively evaluated. Of a total of 59 patients receiving
      dialysis, 10 developed peritonitis. Staphylococcus aureus was the single most
      frequently isolated organism. However, gram-negative bacilli as a group were more
      common. We recommend the use of cloxacillin orally and gentamicin intra
      peritoneally as empiric antibiotic coverage until results of culture reports are
      available.

PMID- 1858373
TI  - A family with homozygous haemoglobin E in Trinidad and Tobago.

PMID- 1858374
TI  - Is MRCP (U.K.) a redundant qualification for graduates of D.M. (Internal
      Medicine), University of the West Indies?
AB  - M.R.C.P.(U.K.) and D.M. (Internal Medicine), University of the West Indies, are
      postgraduate qualifications that did, or now do, evaluate and set the quality of
      specialist Internal Physician training. Since the inception of the degree,
      graduates of D.M. (Internal Medicine), University of the West Indies, have
      developed sub-specialty interests and have been recognized as being of consultant
      status throughout the region and the world. D.M. is of a higher standard as it is
      an exit examination whereas the MRCP(U.K.) diploma is an entrance examination.
      Acquisition of the MRCP (U.K.) is expensive; travel to the U.K. is mandatory.
      Possession of MRCP (U.K.) is considered by most graduates of D.M. (Internal
      Medicine), University of the West Indies, to be unnecessary; it has not advanced
      their career in any discernible way. It should no longer be encouraged in any way
      at the University of the West Indies.

PMID- 1858375
TI  - [Experiences with Kahn's method of dentatotomy].
AB  - Between 1980 and 1990, 37 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy and
      syringomyelia underwent posterior decompression by laminectomy and dentatotomy.
      The preoperative symptoms are compared with the postoperative status. Spasticity
      and pyramidal signs were reduced. In our opinion, Kahn's indication for
      dentatotomy as described in 1946 is obsolete today. However, we believe that
      after extensive decompressive laminectomy an additional mobilising effect is
      recommendable, so that Kahn's operation is still of relevance as an additional
      procedure in the treatment of this condition.

PMID- 1858376
TI  - [Indirect traumatic diaphragmatic rupture].
AB  - Between 1969 and 1988 51 polytraumatized patients were treated for rupture of the
      diaphragm due to blunt trauma. In 39 cases the lesion was in the left
      hemidiaphragm, in 11 cases on the right side and in one case on both sides.
      Clinical investigation and posterior-anterior chest X-ray were the most important
      diagnostic procedures. A high percentage of ruptures was only detected
      intraoperatively during acute laparotomy/thoracotomy. Early or delayed surgery
      had no influence on the survival of patients. The prognosis depends on the
      severity of associated injuries, which are the main causes of death in these
      patients.

PMID- 1858377
TI  - [Repeat mass screening for fecal occult blood for the diagnosis of colorectal
      neoplasms in a rural district. Results of an informational campaign].
AB  - In 1987/88 and 1988/89 we tested the population (aged greater than or equal to
      40) of the district of Oberpullendorf in 2 series for faecal occult blood by
      means of the Hemdetect Test. In the first test series the test was offered to
      18,233 persons and 8235 (45%) persons completed the test; 187 (2.3%) were
      positive. In the second series 6512 (36%) out of 18,241 completed the test and
      472 (7.2%) persons were positive. The persons with positive results were examined
      by colonoscopy, gastroscopy, and abdominal sonography, in combination with
      routine investigations. Secondary compliance in these investigations was 92%. The
      screening method revealed 34 colorectal cancers with the favourable pathological
      staging: Dukes A 18 (53%), Dukes B 6 (18%), Dukes C 10 (29%), Dukes D 0. 11
      polyps showing carcinoma in situ and 174 polyps (70% of which were adenomas) in
      124 patients were treated by colonoscopy. In the meantime we have detected 14
      "interval" cancers among people with a false negative test result, also at a
      favourable staging: Dukes A 6 (43%), Dukes B 4 (29%), Dukes C 4 (29%), Dukes D 0.
      In the non-responders we found 30 colorectal cancers at a much worse staging:
      Dukes A 7 (23%), Dukes B 10 (33%), Dukes C 8 (27%), and Dukes D 5 (17%).
      Screening for faecal occult blood in combination with the necessary
      investigations of the positive persons by colonoscopy is able to detect
      symptomless colorectal cancers at a less advanced pathological stage and enables
      the treatment of precancerous adenomatous polyps. An improvement in cumulative
      sensitivity is expected on annual repetition of screening for faecal occult
      blood.

PMID- 1858378
TI  - [Complicated course of a compression syndrome of the popliteal artery in a 36
      year-old patient].
AB  - The popliteal entrapment syndrome is an entity increasingly reported over the
      past few years. Anatomical variations should be considered if a localized
      stenosis or occlusion of the popliteal artery is diagnosed in a young, otherwise
      healthy individual. This case report documents a complicated course of the
      disease in a young man in whom diagnosis was made only after futile attempts of
      intraarterial lysis and dilatation at the time of a second operation. A complex
      crural reconstruction was necessary in order to revascularize the treatment limb.

PMID- 1858379
TI  - [The importance of hammer toe in the framework of complex changes of the
      forefoot].

PMID- 1858380
TI  - Regarding: comment on the paper: Russell, G.A.: Physicians at the Ottoman Court.

PMID- 1858381
TI  - [New special agents registered in Austria. Zinnat (cefuroxime axetil, glaxo)].

PMID- 1858382
TI  - A citation analysis of Austrian medical research and Wiener klinische
      Wochenschrift.
AB  - Criteria for the prediction of Nobel prize winners based on citation and
      predictor prizes are presented. The position of Austrian medical research and the
      role of the "Wiener klinische Wochenschrift" are compared to international
      standards.

PMID- 1858383
TI  - [Research on quality of life in clinical studies: what is it and how is it
      measured?].
AB  - The failure to investigate quality of life looms as a major gap in clinical
      studies. It was the aim of the survey to demonstrate 1) the problem of defining
      quality of life, 2) the importance of measuring it, especially with respect to
      evaluating optimal therapy and 3) measurement instruments and scales (disease
      specific and overall well-being indices). Current remaining problems regarding
      quality of life research, as well as its use in clinical trials are discussed. It
      is stressed that quality of life should never be a mere slogan, but should be the
      focus for doctor and patient of interdisciplinary research regarding outcome of
      any therapy and indicator of its efficacy.

PMID- 1858386
TI  - [New special drugs registered in Austria. Losec (omeprazole)].

PMID- 1858385
TI  - William Chamberlaine (1747-1822) and his Fothergillian Medal.
AB  - The Fothergillian Medal is awarded by the Medical Society of London for medical
      distinction. It was first presented in 1787 and, apart from a short interval 1803
      1824, it has continued to be awarded until the present day. Of the original seven
      gold medals cast, only two are preserved. However, the Brettauer Collection in
      Vienna contains an unusual (third) Fothergillian Medal cast not in gold but in
      gilded silver, which is dedicated to William Chamberlaine. A search of the
      archives of the Medical Society of London has revealed the identity of William
      Chamberlaine who was Honorary Secretary of the Medical Society of London for
      eight years, and was awarded this special Fothergillian Medal in recognition of
      his services.

PMID- 1858387
TI  - Clinical syndromes with vasoconstrictor response.
AB  - Vasospasm implies reversible vasoconstriction that may diminish blood flow to the
      perfused tissues followed by an ischaemia of varying severity. The exact
      pathophysiology of the condition remains unknown to this day. Vasospasms are not
      only present in Raynaud's disease, migraine, Prinzmetal's variant angina, visual
      field defects and partially in low-tension glaucoma, but may also be involved in
      the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Vasospastic diseases may result from more
      than one mechanism. It is difficult to determine which of the underlying
      abnormalities is the most important in vasospastic syndromes of different
      vascular beds.

PMID- 1858384
TI  - [5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin in comparison to other current chemotherapy
      protocols in metastasizing colorectal carcinoma].
AB  - 17 patients with metastasizing colorectal cancer were treated in a phase II-study
      with systemic intravenous chemotherapy (Petrelli N, Proc ASCO 286, 1987)
      consisting of leucovorin 500 mg/m2 in a 2 hr infusion and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
      600 mg/m2 bolus one hour after the commencement of the leucovorin infusion.
      Limiting toxicities were gastrointestinal, in form of nausea/vomiting of WHO
      grade 3 (n = 1) and of diarrhoea of maximal grade 4 (n = 5), as well as
      haematological with a maximal nadir of leucocytes of WHO grade 4 (n = 1) and of
      thrombocytes of WHO grade 1 (n = 1). Of the 14 evaluable patients an objective
      response was achieved in 21% of cases (CR: n = 1, PR: n = 2). 64% of the patients
      showed no change and 14% showed progression of their disease, 7 out of the 17
      patients have died; the median survival was 24 months. With respect to objective
      remission, our result of 21% response rate is lower than the median of 32% of 24
      different studies comprising 695 patients; nevertheless, the present response
      rate is within the range observed in the published studies of between 0% and 67%.
      In order to estimate the antitumoral efficacy of the new regimen 5-FU/leucovorin
      more objectively, a retrospective comparison of the therapy regimens used most
      frequently in disseminated colorectal cancer (5-FU monotherapy, 5-FU/methotrexate
      (MTX), 5-FU/MTX/low dose leucovorin, 5-FU/cisplatin, 5-FU/leucovorin) has been
      performed. The continuous administration of 5-FU monotherapy, with an objective
      response rate of 26%, was superior to standard 5-FU monotherapy as a bolus
      injection or short-term infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858388
TI  - [Serum thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha in familial combined
      hyperlipoproteinemia and familial hypercholesterolemia].
AB  - In continuation of investigations on primary hyperlipidaemias, we determined
      serum thromboxane (TX) B2 and prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha after standardized
      blood clotting in patients without hyperlipidaemia and without (group 1, n = 11)
      or with coronary heart disease (CHD; group 2, n = 5), in patients with familial
      combined hyperlipoproteinaemia and without (group 3, n = 4) or with CHD (group 4,
      n = 5), as well as in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia and CHD (group
      5, n = 5). TXB2 was detected by gas chromatography and PGF2 alpha by means of
      radioimmunoassay. The TXB2 level did not differ significantly between the groups,
      but there was a tendency to higher values in hyperlipidaemia, while in group 5
      the level tended to decrease with rising serum LDL-cholesterol and in group 3 it
      tended to increase with rising serum apolipoprotein B. The PGF2 alpha level was
      significantly lower in group 4 than in groups 1 and 3. It showed in group 5 a
      negative correlation with serum LDL-cholesterol and in group 3 a positive
      correlation with serum triglycerides.

PMID- 1858389
TI  - [The artist as patient. A study of diseases of the locomotor system in orchestra
      musicians].
AB  - Professional orchestral musicians, who are subjected to considerable long-term
      static and dynamic stresses in the course of their work, frequently suffer from
      disorders of the locomotor apparatus. The complaints are typically localized in
      the region of the shoulder and neck. There are indications that specific
      disorders are typically related to particular instruments. The data of this study
      suggest that there is an urgent need for physicians specializing in diseases
      commonly found in musicians and experienced in appropriate strategies of therapy.

PMID- 1858390
TI  - Community involvement in health development: challenging health services. Report
      of a WHO Study Group.

PMID- 1858391
TI  - [Crisis as a threat and a development potential--an introduction to classical
      crisis concepts].

PMID- 1858392
TI  - [Goals and steps in crisis intervention].

PMID- 1858393
TI  - [Suicidal crisis].

PMID- 1858394
TI  - [Crisis and crisis intervention in dependency disorders exemplified by
      alcoholism].

PMID- 1858395
TI  - [Crisis and crisis intervention in adolescence].

PMID- 1858396
TI  - [Department of crisis intervention in a specialty office for child- and
      adolescent neuropsychiatry--report of initial experiences].

PMID- 1858397
TI  - [Depressed patients in daily practice. 1: Relationship with depressed patients].

PMID- 1858398
TI  - [Depressed patients in daily practice. 2: Drug treatment in depression].

PMID- 1858399
TI  - [Causes or condition complex in the etiology of diseases].

PMID- 1858400
TI  - [Abruptio placentae and responsibility of counseling--a balancing act].

PMID- 1858401
TI  - [Multiple combination of individual combined modality cancer therapy within the
      concept of unified steps].

PMID- 1858403
TI  - [The need for interpersonal relations and coping with stressful life events].

PMID- 1858402
TI  - [Microbiologic diagnosis, antibacterial chemotherapy and prevention in dental
      care--a review].

PMID- 1858404
TI  - [Myocarditis in childhood and adolescence].

PMID- 1858405
TI  - [Rehabilitation of psychological diseases in the aged].

PMID- 1858406
TI  - [Theoretical aspects of handedness].

PMID- 1858407
TI  - [Acute poisoning caused by wood preservatives from the viewpoint of the Berlin
      (East) Central Toxicologic Information service].

PMID- 1858408
TI  - Mediators of different lung cells and their function.

PMID- 1858409
TI  - Value of different bioptical methods in diagnostics.

PMID- 1858410
TI  - Bronchoalveolar lavage.

PMID- 1858411
TI  - Applied histochemistry and cytochemistry.

PMID- 1858412
TI  - Immunohistochemistry.

PMID- 1858413
TI  - Prevention of infections of the respiratory tract using the oral application of
      antigens.

PMID- 1858414
TI  - Lectin-specific receptors on BAL-cells.

PMID- 1858415
TI  - Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in pulmonary pathology.

PMID- 1858416
TI  - Chlamydia pneumoniae--a new important respiratory pathogen.

PMID- 1858417
TI  - Laboratory diagnosis of Legionella infections.

PMID- 1858418
TI  - Mycobacterium malmoense infections.

PMID- 1858419
TI  - Demonstration of important enzymes for histochemical and cytochemical
      investigations.

PMID- 1858420
TI  - Demonstration of phospholipids (including surfactant lipids) by light microscopy.

PMID- 1858421
TI  - In situ hybridization. Principles and applications in pathology.

PMID- 1858422
TI  - Functional morphology of the tracheobronchial tree and the lung periphery.

PMID- 1858423
TI  - The human secretory immune system.

PMID- 1858424
TI  - Lymphocytes in the lung--localization and kinetics.

PMID- 1858425
TI  - [The significance of the Maillard reaction in human physiology].
AB  - More than 50 years after Maillard's original paper describing the reaction of
      amino acids with glucose it was found that this reaction also occurs under
      physiological conditions in the human body. Initially, it was discovered that
      human hemoglobin contains protein-bound Amadori-products that are increased in
      diabetic patients with elevated blood glucose levels. Measurements of
      fructosylated hemoglobin are now widely used as an index of glycemia in diabetes.
      It was soon recognized that this postribosomal modification is common to other
      proteins in vivo like albumin, lens crystallins, proteins of the clotting
      cascade, collagens, lipoproteins, proteins of the cell membrane, and others. This
      may lead to alterations in structure and function of the respective protein.
      Later, the realization that long-lived proteins become browned, fluorescent, and
      insoluble with age, and at an accelerated rate in diabetes, suggested that later
      stages of the Maillard reaction might proceed in vivo and contribute to some of
      the pathophysiology associated with both aging and diabetes. Although the
      contribution of the Maillard products to the development of diabetic late
      complications is not fully understood, attempts are being made to prevent
      formation of late Maillard product with aminoguanidine, a drug currently under
      clinical testing.

PMID- 1858426
TI  - The Maillard reaction in vivo.
AB  - The Maillard or browning reaction between reducing sugars and protein contributes
      to the chemical deterioration and loss of nutritional value of proteins during
      food processing and storage. This article presents and discusses evidence that
      the Maillard reaction is also involved in the chemical aging of long-lived
      proteins in human tissues. While the concentration of the Amadori adduct of
      glucose to lens protein and skin collagen is relatively constant with age,
      products of sequential glycation and oxidation of protein, termed glycoxidation
      products, accumulate in these long-lived proteins with advancing age and at an
      accelerated rate in diabetes. Among these products are the chemically modified
      amino acids, N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), N epsilon
      (carboxymethyl)hydroxylysine (CMhL), and the fluorescent crosslink, pentosidine.
      While these glycoxidation products are present at only trace levels in tissue
      proteins, there is strong evidence for the presence of other browning products
      which remain to be characterized. Mechanisms for detoxifying reactive
      intermediates in the Maillard reaction and catabolism of extensively browned
      proteins are also discussed, along with recent approaches for therapeutic
      modulation of advanced stages of the Maillard reaction.

PMID- 1858427
TI  - [The decomposition of reducing sugars and amines in the Maillard reaction].
AB  - Through the Maillard reaction, occurring in food and in the human body, reducing
      sugars, amino acids and proteins are transformed. Some general and also specific
      degradation pathways for pentoses, mono- and disaccharides can be defined. The
      structures of the products are influenced by the type of amine (primary or
      secondary). During the degradation reactions C-C fissions of the sugars and amino
      acids (Strecker degradation) can be observed. Some Maillard products are suited
      as indicator substances to determine the extent of the Maillard reaction.

PMID- 1858428
TI  - [Effect of Maillard products and lysinoalanine on the bioavailability of iron,
      copper and zinc].
AB  - Bioavailability of iron, copper, and zinc was investigated in suckling rats. The
      essential trace elements were given once either with several isolated Maillard
      products and with LAL, respectively, or with differently heat-treated formula
      diets. The isolated substances revealed effects on bioavailability of all the
      elements tested, either on the preabsorptive or on the postabsorptive level. The
      formula diets affected only the bioavailability of copper - even when fed for
      several weeks.

PMID- 1858430
TI  - [Evaluating the validity of short witness reports using behavioral and
      psychophysiologic parameters].
AB  - Within the context of credibility assessment, the impact of behavioral and
      physiological adaptation and response patterns of truly and falsely testifying
      eyewitnesses was examined in a laboratory study. It was further examined
      statements concerning characteristics of the delict and the experimental
      situation itself. 20 subjects were instructed to truly or falsely testify after
      having witnessed a willful destruction. Eye movements, respiration, heart rate
      and skin conductance were recorded and analyzed by computer. Witnesses instructed
      to falsely testify showed elevated skin conductance responses and an increased
      variability of horizontal eye movements at the beginning of the session.
      Additionally, they also showed stronger responses in eye-blink rate, respiration
      rate and variability of skin conductance and heart rate to questions related to
      the behavior in the experimental situation. Reactivity to questions concerning
      the culprit was less pronounced. Results are discussed in terms of their
      application within the German law system.

PMID- 1858429
TI  - [Formation of IQ-compounds in meat and meat products].
AB  - During meat processing mutagenic imidazoquinolines and imidazoquinoxalines ("IQ
      compounds") may be formed by Maillard reaction of reducing sugars, amino acids,
      and creatine/creatinine. IQ-compounds isolated from low-moisture model systems
      and meat extract by liquid-liquid-distribution were fractionated on a cation
      exchanger and separated on an RP phase. After acetylation the separated compounds
      were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry based on their
      characteristic mass fragment ions. During heating the model systems at 100
      degrees C the formation of IQ-compounds begins and greatly increases by further
      raising the temperature. In different amounts IQ-compounds could also be detected
      in commercially available meat extracts.

PMID- 1858431
TI  - [Invariance in relation to transformations: a comparison of space perception and
      imagined space].
AB  - The present paper is based on the assumption of a functional equivalence between
      the processes of perception and imagination and a functional isomorphism between
      physical and phenomenal relations. The intention is to look for systematic
      deviations between 'measured', 'perceived' and 'imagined' space. Therefore a room
      was equipped with 32 pieces of furniture, giving it the appearance of a combined
      library and study room. A miniature model (1:10) of the room was constructed. In
      a two-factorial design with 10 experimental conditions, subjects performed model
      reconstructions. The first factor refers to cognitive modality and represents
      different amounts of information of the physical layout, the endpoints of the
      continuum being 'complete insight' and 'no insight'. The second factor is a
      rotation of the model during the reconstruction (0 degrees vs. 180 degrees). Data
      analysis is based on location and orientation measures of the objects and
      distinguishes between 'semantic' and 'geometric' errors. The main results are:
      Even under conditions of only partial insight the spatial relations of the
      missing objects can be consensually reconstructed. While the absolute amount of
      the reconstruction errors largely depends on the two factors (modality and
      rotation), substantial relations of the original room are preserved under the
      different experimental conditions. The results are in good accordance with the
      assumption of functional equivalence and are critically discussed with respect to
      the concept of functional isomorphism.

PMID- 1858432
TI  - [Decision making and professional experience: an experimental study of
      generating, evaluating and modifying diagnostic hypotheses].
AB  - Experimental investigations on generation, evaluation, and modification of
      diagnostic hypotheses in symptom pattern classification revealed in different
      domains (e.g. clinical decision making) that reasoning in non-experts and experts
      differ in the 'content' (e.g. issue-directed substance of concepts) rather than
      in the 'form' of reasoning (e.g. number, specificity of hypotheses). These
      results are essentially accounted for by the experts' upper-level flexibility in
      the interpretation of data. In a two-factorial design (competence x predictive
      value of data), patients' clinical data with varying predictive value were given
      singularly in succession to two groups (experts and novices; n = 20) of subjects.
      The task of the subjects was (a) to name their assumptions and (b) give a
      summarizing decision on the--probable--diagnostic category of hypothetical cases.
      RESULTS: Between experts and novices no difference was found in the number and
      degree of specification of hypotheses; in summarizing decisions, experts
      considered more categories as plausible than novices; on patient data with low
      predictive value, experts considered more specific categories. The moment of
      hypothesis formation depends not on the competence level but on the predictive
      value of the patient's clinical data.

PMID- 1858433
TI  - [Changes in mood caused by staged, moderate physical activity].
AB  - This experiment provides a test for the common sense knowledge that moderate
      physical exercise leads to mood improvement. Furthermore, it was tested whether
      light exercise intensifies negative feeling states or alleviates them. 30 female
      and 30 male students of psychology served as subjects (mean age 25.3 years, SD =
      4.8). After being exposed to a mood induction procedure designed to elicit either
      a positive or negative feeling state, the subjects had to pedal a bicycle
      ergometer with 0, 50 or 75 Watt load. Cardiovascular variables and self-reports
      of mood states were assessed during a baseline period, after the mood induction,
      following the ergometer exercise, and after a follow-up period. The mood
      induction procedures were successful, but only for a short duration.
      Physiological activation was observed according to the ergometer loadings.
      Moderate physical exercise led to an increase of positive feeling states
      (Concentration) and a decrease of negative feeling states (Tiredness) in the
      follow-up period. Corresponding changes in tension related states could not be
      observed, probably due to the weakness of the mood induction procedure employed
      and the low level of energetic activation reached.

PMID- 1858435
TI  - [Experimental induction of emotional states--does addition of music improve self
      disclosure?].
AB  - Two procedures to experimentally induce negative and neutral emotional states are
      compared: self-referent emotional statements (Velten, 1968) presented alone vs.
      combined with music. For female subjects selected according to their baseline
      mood, it could be shown that negative statements alone induced anger whereas in
      combination with music they evoked sadness, i.e. dependent on the procedure
      applied, the quality of the induced negative emotion changed. For the induction
      of a neutral state the combined procedure proved to be superior, especially to
      reduce a positive baseline mood.

PMID- 1858434
TI  - [Psychophysiologic chronometry: detection of facilitating and inhibiting
      processes in information processing using electroencephalographic and
      electromyographic data].
AB  - The objective of the present research was to tally the potential usefulness of
      psychophysiological measures in the systematic analysis of human information
      processing. Different context conditions were established in two cued choice
      reaction time experiments. The context could either facilitate or inhibit the
      processing of an imperative stimulus. Event-related brain potentials (EEG-ERP)
      and event-related electromyograms (EMG-ERP) were recorded and from these
      biosignals latencies and duration times for different aspects of stimulus
      evaluation and movement execution were derived. The EEG-ERP provided measures for
      the time of primary stimulus categorization (N2), the time necessary to test
      actual stimulus information against stimulus expectancies (P3b), and the time
      necessary to check the decision about the stimulus-response mapping (pSW). From
      the EMG-ERP, processing times were derived which are related to the initiation of
      a motor program and to distinct sections of the movement trajectory. Results show
      that these latency measures react differently to different context manipulations.
      EEG-ERP measures, for example, reflected differences during stimulus evaluation
      which were not detectable in response- or EMG-derived movement times. The
      parallel analysis of EEG-ERPs and EMG-ERPs allowed delineation of processing
      modules which are responsible for particular context-dependent facilitation and
      inhibition effects. Moreover, the data revealed substantial overlap of evaluation
      times and movement times. This finding seems to be more compatible with a
      parallel processing model than with a strictly sequential model.

PMID- 1858436
TI  - Patients with burning mouths.

PMID- 1858437
TI  - Teaching the referral process--the perspective of a part-time faculty member.

PMID- 1858438
TI  - The transmandibular implant: review of the literature, indications, and report of
      11 cases.

PMID- 1858439
TI  - [Assessment of the effect of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-rheumatic
      drugs in experimental algesimetry].
AB  - This paper describes an experimental method for the assessment of analgesic
      effects of NSAIDs in healthy human volunteers. Pain was induced by repeated
      controlled pinching of interdigital webs. The painfulness of the stimulus was
      assessed by the subjects at regular intervals on an electronically controlled
      visual analog scale. Furthermore, computer supported infrared thermography, laser
      Doppler flowmetry and photoplethysmography were used to measure the cutaneous
      vascular reactions. The results of two double-blind cross-over studies are
      described in which analgesic effects of acetylsalecylic acid, ibuprofen, and
      dipyrone were significantly demonstrated. In one of the studies it was also shown
      that ibuprofen reduced the local stimulus-induced vasodilatation. In summary,
      this algesimetric model seems to be suited to demonstrate the analgesic and
      perhaps also the antiinflammatory effects of NSAIDs in healthy subjects.

PMID- 1858441
TI  - [The course of pain with electronic diaries, real time measurements and time
      series analysis].
AB  - Important physiological parameters such as blood pressure, ECG and others are
      measured today on a continuous basis or at fixed intervals and are documented
      together with the date and the time. Individual results and subjective data are
      ascertained through questioning the patient, observation or patient's self
      assessment and are documented with paper and pencil, without having any certainty
      of the exact time of ascertainment or that such is comprehensible. Battery
      operated microcomputers have been developed in the form of electronic diaries
      (E.D.) for patients. Upon emitting an auditory signal, the questions appear in
      the computer display, and the questions are then correspondingly answered by the
      patient. These answers are fed to the permanent data store and are transferred on
      line and processed at a later time in a PC. The time and data of the entries are
      simultaneously registered and are included in the complete document when it is
      later printed out. A capacity of 64 kbytes suffices to accommodate the data
      collected; likewise, the battery is sufficient for constant use. The entries are
      made as categorical data or numerically. Free-style entries are not possible.
      With the aid of a specially-developed program, the courses of a chronic pain
      syndrome in patients with degenerative joint diseases were studied. The
      percentage change in the pain course, benefit risk considerations, prognoses with
      the aid of sequential analyses and plausibility criteria can be calculated from
      the data. The advantages of this new instrument are its simple handling and
      reliable functioning. Its disadvantage is that it lacks the possibility to allow
      free-style entries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858440
TI  - [The course and topography of pain in generalized tendomyopathies].
AB  - The generalized tendomyopathy (fibromyalgia) is characterized by the
      characteristic picture of multilocular pain symptoms, severe pressure-type pain
      in the tendon insertions and muscles, vitality deficiency, sleep disturbance and
      other vegetative disorders as well as functional complaints and is often also
      characterized by an altered psychological condition. Nevertheless, the disease is
      often not recognized, resulting in extensive superfluous diagnostic procedures
      and sometimes invasive and useless therapeutic measures. The disorder develops on
      average in the 37th year of life and initially affects, mostly monolocular, the
      cervical and lumbar region. The further course of the disease is progressive or
      recurrent and extends over years, often over decades. The patients' quality of
      life is markedly impaired and in many cases they are no longer able to carry out
      their occupational and household work. The socioeconomic significance of the
      generalized tendomyopathy probably exceeds that of chronic polyarthritis. One
      problem is the still poor therapeutic possibilities and also the assessment of
      the treatment. It is, therefore, of great importance to follow the course of the
      disease and the pain course via hand measurement methods, so as to enable the
      evaluation of new, but also known therapies. Measuring instruments, which record
      the intensity and the topography of the pain, such as dolorimetry and the pain
      score, will be presented and discussed. One of the newest possibilities is the
      computerized recording of the current symptoms, which is made by the patient
      himself by means of an electronic pain diary.

PMID- 1858442
TI  - [Real time collection of pain profile in treatment with ibuprofen].
AB  - In an open three-center pilot study, 17 patients suffering from chronic
      persistent pain syndrome, due to osteoarthritis of the hip and knee or
      spondylarthrosis, were treated orally with 1800-2400 mg Ibuprofen per day for 3
      weeks. The chronic pain syndrome and joint status were assessed by the physician
      at the beginning, and after 7, 14 and 21 days. Self-assessments were made by the
      patients six times daily during the full study period by means of battery-driven
      electronic diaries (E.D.). The data entered by the patients were stored in the
      E.D. and after online transfer, processed and evaluated in a PC using appropriate
      software programs. E.D. were returned by 16 of 17 patients for evaluation. The
      technical functioning of the instrument was perfect; its use was accepted by
      patients and physicians. The closely-meshed real-time recording of pain course
      and other subjective data, such as adverse events or medication, etc., enables
      the physician to calculate more exactly and reliably improvement rates, as well
      as to carry out prognostic trend analyses and individual benefit-risk-ratio
      estimates. By comparing different kinds of data, each entered at the same time,
      plausibility checks are possible. The procedure presented here is considered to
      be a new valuable tool for reviewing subjective data from clinical drug trials.

PMID- 1858443
TI  - [Analysis of the circadian rhythm of pain].
AB  - An electronic pulp tester was used to study the stimulus threshold in human teeth
      of 28 healthy volunteers for 1,5-4 days and the duration of local anaesthesia in
      55 patients with caries. Rhythm analysis was performed with a non-linear fitting
      program on an IBM computer (PHARMFIT); in 21 out of the 28 volunteers significant
      daily rhythms in stimulus threshold could be detected. In the patients the
      maximum duration of local anaesthesia was after drug application at 2 p.m.

PMID- 1858444
TI  - [Validation of electronic by conventional pain diaries].
AB  - A new type of electronic pain diary was validated in an open, randomized,
      crossover study. The main target variables were the comparison of the correctly
      realized pain assessment entries as well as the recording of the number of
      adverse events. Selected for the study were 20 patients, who were either
      hospitalized, partially-hospitalized or treated on an out-patient basis, with
      painful spondylogenic spinal syndrome or osteoarthritis of the trunk-proximal
      large joints. The patients were randomly-assigned to the two groups. The first
      group initially received the conventional diary and thereafter the electronic
      diary; the sequence was reversed for the second group. The drug therapy consisted
      of the NSAID, Ibuprofen, at an individually-adjusted dosage. Additional
      therapeutic measures were carried out by all the patients. The electronic pain
      diary proved to be equivalent to the conventional diary with regard to adherence
      of the pain assessment entry times. At a defined equivalence range of +/- 20%,
      the statistical comparison showed that the limits were never exceeded. The
      equivalence test of Anderson-Hauck showed a significance level of p less than
      0.0001. The minimum equivalence range was +/- 2%. It therefore follows, that the
      conventional method of data recording can indeed be fully replaced by the
      electronic method. Comparing the individual data of the 16 patients, from whom
      entries with both the electronic as well as the conventional pain diaries were
      submitted, a clear tendency for increased entries on adverse events in the
      electronic diary (C.D. 6.4 +/- 10.5/E.D. 36.4 +/- 44.1) was demonstrated. No
      significant difference, however, was shown for the number of patients making data
      entries on adverse events in the electronic pain diary compared to those
      patients, who made their entries on adverse events in the conventional diary.
      According to the data from the physicians and patients, the Ibuprofen treatment
      results in an improvement in 90%/75% of cases, respectively. Likewise, the
      functional impairment of the affected joints as well as the swelling decreased
      markedly. The advantages of the electronic data recording system, i.e. closely
      meshed controls can be carried out, transcriptional errors are minimized, data
      can be processed on-line, no possibility to subsequently change an entry, stand
      in contrast to the feature that there is no possibility to make free-style
      entries. The employment of the electronic system in the recording of individual
      data and subjective data represents a substantial improvement with regard to the
      quantity and quality of the data.

PMID- 1858445
TI  - [Pathogenetic aspects of arthrosis and its therapeutic aspects].
AB  - The hitherto accepted idea that articular cartilage is merely bradythrophic
      tissue which, like a shoe sole, is subjected to continuous wear and tear, as a
      whole must be revised by considering the growing biochemical, biophysical, and
      ultrastructural research of the matrix components. The chondrocyte is the single
      living element of the cartilage: Type-II collagenous fibres and the proteoglycans
      are its products. To what extent the regulation of collagen production and above
      all the steady-state regulation is controlled by a superordinating regulation is
      still not known. However, we must absolutely postulate such. In the mechanics of
      the joint there are two antagonists which confront each other: 1. the (to a large
      degree) intellectually regulatable physical strain; and 2. the quality of the
      cartilage matrix. This represents a refined hydroelastic system. Research into
      the biochemistry and biophysics continuously provides an increasing abundance of
      new data on the molecular biological mechanisms, which 1. induce the degradation
      of proteoglycans and collagens; 2. increase the synthesis of the matrix
      components; 3. antagonize the degradation, and 4. inhibit the synthesis. In
      addition, an interaction of these factors can also be expected. Moreover, new
      information on the components and structures of the matrix is continuously
      gathered. Up to now, we know of 14 different types of collagen, which on the
      other hand are accessible to various degradative enzymes. The most important, and
      -from the standpoint of the biomechanics--the most interesting element/building
      block is, however, the proteoglycan molecule, whose excessive water-binding
      capacity enables the hydroelasticity of the hyaline cartilage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858446
TI  - [Experiences with 800 mg ibuprofen retard in ambulatory patients with activated
      osteoarthrosis and extra-articular rheumatic manifestations].
AB  - The efficacy and tolerance of ibuprofen retard at a dose of 2 x 800 mg daily was
      investigated in an open multicenter study over a period of 3 weeks on 7931 out
      patients with activated degenerative joint disease and/or extraarticular
      rheumatic symptoms. The overall assessment of the treatment, made by the patients
      and physicians at the end of the observational study, was positive in 94.7% and
      95.7% of the cases, respectively. The therapy was assessed as inadequate in only
      5.2% and 4.3% of the cases, respectively. The patient's compliance was assessed
      by the physicians as being high at 92.6%. Adverse events during the treatment
      were observed in 7.8% of the patients; these concerned mainly intestinal
      complaints. Gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in five cases. One patient
      died from a heart attack during the observational study; this was not related to
      the drug therapy. The frequency of side effects was within the range of the
      findings from earlier studies with conventional drug formulations. It can be
      concluded from the results obtained that ibuprofen 800 retard is well-suited for
      and demonstrates a good tolerance in the treatment of acute, chronic-persisting,
      and chronic-intermittent painful conditions of degenerative joint disease and
      extraarticular rheumatic symptoms.

PMID- 1858447
TI  - [Pancreatic pseudocysts and their interdisciplinary therapy].
AB  - A retrospective analysis was performed of 87 patients with pancreatic pseudocysts
      admitted at the Dept. of Surgery University of Hamburg from 1985 to 1989.
      Pseudocysts as a result of chronic pancreatitis were found in 54%. 42 patients
      underwent 49 operations, 35 have been drained endoscopically. In 10 cases there
      was spontaneous remission. 25 patients were treated by Roux-en-Y
      cystojejunostomy. In 14 patients a resection of the pancreas was performed. The
      mean follow-up interval was 26 (operative treated) and 22 months (endoscopic
      treatment). 50% of all patients in both groups reported pain relief. The
      mortality in operated patients was 7% and 0% for endoscopic treatment. In ten
      cases a recurrent disease was observed.

PMID- 1858448
TI  - [Results of Billroth I and Billroth II stomach resection].
AB  - Between 1966 and 1986, Billroth I and Billroth II resections for gastroduodenal
      ulcers were performed at the Department of Surgery, Friedrich Schiller
      University, Jena. Early postoperative complications after Billroth II (14.6%)
      were somewhat rarer than after Billroth I (19.4%), however, bore a greater risk.
      With a permanent cure accounting for 85%, the comparison of both procedures
      reveals no significant differences in the late results. In gastric ulcer,
      Billroth's first method should be given preference because it can be carried out
      more rapidly in technical respect and takes digestive physiology into account.

PMID- 1858449
TI  - [Disorders of wound healing of the sacral cavity after abdomino-perineal
      resection of the rectum].
AB  - In 95 patients it was necessary to perform abdominoperineal resection and
      colostomy due to malignant tumours of the rectum, the anus, as well as
      gynaecological tumours. After standardized preoperative preparation and
      comparable operative techniques in more than 93 per cent of the cases we
      performed suction drainage of the sacral cavity. In 86 per cent we observed
      primary perineal wound closure and the patients were spared lengthy secondary
      wound healing.

PMID- 1858450
TI  - [Operated mechanical ileus of the small intestine].
AB  - Causes, pathophysiology, diagnosis, therapy and a retrospective analysis of small
      bowel obstruction were reviewed. 85 patients were operated during a 5-year
      period. The etiology of obstruction were adhesions (45 cases), hernia (20 cases)
      and 20 other cases. The mortality rate for the series was 8%. The most important
      factor of prognosis is the early operative treatment.

PMID- 1858451
TI  - [Preoperative hemodilution as a possibility in autologous blood transfusion. A
      report of experiences].
AB  - The various methods of autologous blood donation are gaining importance in
      clinical practice. Acute preoperative isovolaemic haemodilution represents a cost
      cutting and readily practicable option. It is a method that brings positive
      haemodynamic effects and improves the blood's flowing properties by lowering its
      viscosity and raising cardiac output, as well as avoiding the dangers associated
      with foreign blood transfusion. Risks to the patient can largely be eliminated by
      keeping an eye out for contra-indications and ensuring careful perioperative
      monitoring. The successful use of this method depends on a clear organizational
      concept and close collaboration between surgeons, anaesthesists and transfusions
      specialists.

PMID- 1858452
TI  - [Indications for resection of Meckel's diverticulum].

PMID- 1858453
TI  - [The value of serum endotoxin determination after gastrointestinal
      interventions].
AB  - Serumendotoxins were measured in 11 patients after gut surgery and compared with
      healthy people as a standard. In cases of uncomplicated course 3 to 4-fold raised
      serumendotoxin levels were observed in a typical two-peak pattern. It was not
      before the fifth day following operation that serum levels declined constantly.
      In contrast to these findings, patients suffering from septic complications
      showed a permanently raised endotoxin level, which correlated well with their
      clinical course. Therefore single peaks of serumendotoxin measured after
      operation should not be overvalued. Constantly raised levels following operation,
      however, may indicate some kind of septic complication.

PMID- 1858454
TI  - [Our surgical heritage. Albert Fromme. His 110th birthday].

PMID- 1858455
TI  - Serological (Em2-ELISA) and parasitological examinations of fox populations for
      Echinococcus multilocularis infections.
AB  - Serum or body fluid samples of 1,006 foxes were investigated in an ELISA for
      antibodies against a highly sensitive and specific antigen (Em2-antigen) of
      Echinococcus multilocularis. Parasitological examinations of the intestines and
      simultaneous serological examinations were carried out in 505 foxes: A group of
      98 blue foxes (Alopex lagopus) from Norwegian fox farms did not contain
      intestinal stages of E. multilocularis and was clearly sero-negative in Em2
      ELISA. On the other hand in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) originating from European
      areas known to be endemic for E. multilocularis the following average prevalence
      rates were found: 244 foxes from Southern Germany, E. multilocularis prevalence
      55% and sero-prevalence 60%; 139 foxes from Austria, E. multilocularis prevalence
      4% and sero-prevalence 12%. Serological identification of individual foxes with
      or without intestinal E. multilocularis infection was not possible. Only
      serological (no parasitological) examination in 402 foxes originating from
      endemic areas in Switzerland resulted in a sero-prevalence rate of 37%. Sero
      prevalence was only 6% and 4% in 54 and 26 other foxes, respectively, originating
      from Swiss and German areas where E. multilocularis has not yet been reported.
      Negative control Norwegian (farmed) silver foxes (n = 43) were all sero-negative.
      The specificity of the Em2-ELISA was confirmed by negative Em2-serologies with
      sera from dogs infected with intestinal and tissue dwelling helminth species
      (with the exception of two from 24 dogs infected with E. granulosus).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858456
TI  - Experimental oral Salmonella dublin infection in calves. A bacteriological and
      pathological study.
AB  - Groups of calves (6-7, 12-14 and 24-28 weeks old) were orally infected with
      different numbers of the virulent Salmonella dublin strain SVA47. For the 6-7
      weeks old calves the LD50-dose was estimated to be 1 x 10(7) bacteria. A dose of
      10(9) bacteria was lethal within 24 hrs with the calves dying from septicemia and
      an acute necrotizing panenteritis. Calves 12-14 weeks old given 2 x 10(10) SVA47
      bacteria succumbed to a progressive enteritis within one week. The 24-28 weeks
      old calves were resistant to an infective dose of 1 x 10(10) SVA47 bacteria. In
      the 6-7 and 12-14 weeks old calves SVA47 could be recovered from the entire
      intestinal tract, the liver and the spleen. In the oldest calves S. dublin SVA47
      was recovered only from fecal specimens. However, the immunohistopathological
      examinations, using an S. dublin O-antigen-specific mouse monoclonal antibody and
      PAP-staining, showed the presence of S. dublin SVA47 in all tissues of the
      intestinal canal from calves of all ages and with a special affinity for the
      columnar enterocytes of the terminal jejunum and ileum, the follicle-associated
      epithelium over the Peyer's patches, and glandular tissues in the duodenum,
      tonsillar area and the lungs. Surviving calves responded with serum antibody
      titers against the O-antigenic lipopolysaccharide which appeared in the order IgM
      followed by IgA, IgG1 and IgG2.

PMID- 1858457
TI  - A field study of Mycoplasma bovis infection in cattle.
AB  - After an outbreak of mastitis in cattle caused by Mycoplasma bovis a study was
      made in 5 herds with recent cases (principal herds) and in 4 control herds. In
      the principal herds, M. bovis was isolated from milk samples, nasal swabs, and
      from one vaginal swab. M. bovis was also isolated from nasal swabs of calves in 2
      of the 4 control herds, whereas all milk samples and vaginal swabs from the
      control herds were negative. Evaluation of serum antibody titres to M. bovis
      among non-mastitic animals of 3 principal herds and 1 control herd showed no
      difference in distribution of the titre values, which generally were low.
      However, cows excreting M. bovis in the milk had high antibody titres. The way of
      introduction to the herds and the spread of the infection within the herds could
      not be established by the study, which was supplemented by a DNA restriction
      fragment analysis of a number of M. bovis isolates.

PMID- 1858458
TI  - Economic and production consequences of liver fluke disease in double-muscled
      fattening cattle.
AB  - The frequency of liver fluke disease in fattening units was determined by the
      analysis of random faeces samples issued from 1,513 Belgian White Blue bulls aged
      from 5 to 7 months and weighing from 200 to 300 kg. 12.5% of the investigated
      bulls were positive for liver fluke disease. These bulls were spread over 56.5%
      of the investigated fattening units. Furthermore the infestation rate varied from
      0 to 33.3% inside the fattening units. In order to assess the economic
      consequences of bovine fascioliasis in double-muscled cattle and the beneficial
      effects of a treatment against such a disease, a trial including 30 Belgian White
      Blue bulls, weighing 365 +/- 9 kg and aged from 10 to 12 months, was conducted in
      a selected fattening unit. On the basis of faecal examinations, the 30 animals
      were subdivided in negative (group A; n = 10) and positive animals (n = 20) for
      fascioliasis, the latter being either treated with nitroxinil (group B; n = 10)
      or not (group C; n = 10) on day 0 of this trial which was conducted during 75
      days. The daily body gains in group C (1.661 +/- 0.140 kg) were significantly
      lower than those in group A (1.975 +/- 0.120 kg). On the other hand there was no
      significant difference between the daily body gains registered in group B (1.960
      +/- 0.085 kg) and A. The estimated financial loss, due to flukes and accounted on
      a 75 day-period, averaged 2,748 Belgian Francs per bull in group C.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858459
TI  - [Detection of antibodies against the larva of Anisakis simplex in the pollock
      Pollachius virens using ELISA].
AB  - From the fact that older saithes (more than 5 years old) are showing
      significantly lower prevalence of attack by Anisakis larvae in lateral muscle
      than younger saithes (3-4 years old), the question arises if this phenomenon is
      based on a specific immune response. Therefore we have investigated serum samples
      from saithes of different ages by using an indirect ELISA to estimate the
      antibody-titer against excretory-secretory Anisakis antigen. Results showing a
      moderate correlation (r = 0.66) between the height of titer and the age of
      underfeeding saithes (post spawning) and a close correlation (r = 0.93) of
      saithes in an optimal condition (pre spawning). It may be concluded that the
      migration-distance and the lifetime of Anisakis larvae in lateral-muscle is
      influenced by a specific immune response which increases with the age of the
      saithes.

PMID- 1858460
TI  - Pathogenesis of experimental combined infections with Isospora suis and rotavirus
      in conventional and gnotobiotic piglets.
AB  - 51 gnotobiotic and 63 conventional, one-, or two-days-old piglets were divided
      into five groups and infected orally either with Isospora suis or rotavirus
      alone, or with both agents simultaneously or successively with alternative
      sequences and various intervals. 15 gnotobiotic and 10 conventional piglets
      served as controls. The development of small intestinal lesions after infection
      with I. suis was biphasic. The dominant alteration resulting from rotavirus
      infection was villus atrophy, considerably more pronounced and extensive in
      gnotobiotic than in conventional piglets. Synergistic action of I. suis and
      rotavirus was manifested both clinically, and morphologically. This action
      culminated at the time of the actual, or presumed development of merogony of I.
      suis, i.e. on DPI 3 to 5. The action develops only if the intestinal epithelium
      is damaged functionally and morphologically by a preceding rotavirus infection.
      It is concluded that the synergistic action is based on a competition of
      rotavirus and I. suis for mature, enzymatically active absorptive cells.

PMID- 1858461
TI  - A note on diseases of mink.
AB  - The paper describes in brief the findings in 5,616 autopsies of adult mink,
      performed at the Institute of Pathology-CIC, La Plata, during the last five
      years. Nearly all these carcasses, coming from the most important ranches, were
      examined bacteriologically and histopathologically. Observations about the
      incidence of different causes of death, its distribution annually and
      prophylactic measures were reported. It concludes that Aleutian disease is the
      most important cause of death and produces severe economic losses.

PMID- 1858463
TI  - Economic and production repercussions of deworming by pulse release device and
      oral suspension in grazing double-muscled fattening cattle.
AB  - In this field trial, the repercussions of 2 administration forms of oxfendazole,
      namely a single administration of a front-loaded device (group 1; n = 18) and a
      repeated administration of a 90.6 per cent oral suspension (group 2; n = 18),
      were compared in first season-grazing double-muscled fattening bulls. The
      comparison was based on the production performances, the mean worm egg counts and
      the product- and labour-costs. The daily body gains determined on the whole trial
      period, i.e. 1.312 +/- 0.055 kg and 1.270 +/- 0.056 kg for groups 1 and 2
      respectively, and mean worm egg counts per gram (on days 0 and 130:200.0 +/- 44.3
      and 94.4 +/- 27.4 for group 1; 366.7 +/- 98.4 and 100.0 +/- 33.6 for group 2) did
      not differ significantly between the two groups. However, the total costs were
      lower with a front-loaded device (1,021 Belgian Francs) than with oral suspension
      (1,248 Belgian Francs per bull).

PMID- 1858462
TI  - Mycobacterial antigen detection by immunohistochemistry in goat paratuberculosis.
AB  - An immunohistochemical method (PAP) for a microscopic diagnosis of
      paratuberculosis in goats is described as an alternative method to the Ziehl
      Neelsen technique. Mycobacterial antigens are only found in enteric and
      mesenteric lymph node lesions. This method is the most sensible, particularly in
      cases in which there are no paratuberculosis lesions and the Ziehl-Neelsen
      technique shows no acid-fast bacilli (AFB).

PMID- 1858464
TI  - [The role of lipopolysaccharides in preserving the viability of bacteria in air].

PMID- 1858465
TI  - [The typing of Legionella pneumophila strains by using monoclonal antibodies to
      the cytolysin].
AB  - Studies on the typing of L. pneumophila strains of serogroup 1, isolated from
      patients and environmental objects, have been made with the use of monoclonal
      antibodies (McAb) to cytolysin. The results of the comparison of the specificity
      of our McAb with that of a commercial set McAb obtained from the USA make it
      possible to recommend preparations based on McAb to cytolysin for the detection
      of L. pneumophila pathogenic strains of serovar 1. The use of FITC- and
      peroxidase-labeled McAb to cytolysin permits the reduction of the time necessary
      for the diagnosis of Legionella infections and the detection of the antigen in a
      dose of 10 ng/ml.

PMID- 1858467
TI  - [The current characteristics of the salmonellosis epidemic process in the USSR].

PMID- 1858466
TI  - [The pharyngeal beta-hemolytic streptococcal carrier state among blood donors].
AB  - 459 blood donors aged 18-50 years were examined in 1987-1988 in Moscow. Among
      them, carrier state with respect to beta-hemolytic streptococci was detected in
      107 donors (23.3%). The number of carriers gradually decreased with the increase
      of age of the examined donors. Group C streptococci occurred least of all (6.9%).
      Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci were isolated in 16.7% of the carriers. The
      isolation rate of streptococci from blood achieved its maximum in autumn and
      winter months and did not depend on preceding diseases, unhealthy working
      conditions, the rhesus factor and, with the exception of group A streptococci,
      the blood group. Among tonsillectomized donors carrier state with respect to beta
      hemolytic streptococci occurred 2.2 times less frequently than among donors who
      had not undergone tonsillectomy. Carrier state with respect to beta-hemolytic
      streptococci was accompanied by higher levels of salivary sIgA antibodies to
      polysaccharide A, serum antibodies to polysaccharide A and circulating
      polysaccharide A. All beta-hemolytic streptococci were sensitive to erythromycin.
      All groups of streptococci showed the highest percentage of cultures resistant to
      gentamicin and tetracycline. In 100% of cases group A streptococci were sensitive
      to benzylpenicillin, methicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin and lincomycin.

PMID- 1858468
TI  - [A new prospective vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis].

PMID- 1858469
TI  - [The heterogeneity of collection strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and their
      molecular biological properties].
AB  - The capacity of Y. pseudotuberculosis strains for disassociation with the
      appearance of S- and P-forms has been studied. Strains 852 and 9547 show high
      stability in S-forms, their conversion into R-forms occurring at 40-42 degrees C.
      Strain 6953 shows pronounced polymorphism and instability of its associations at
      different growth temperatures. Strain 9532 exists in S- and R-forms which retain
      their stability during numerous subculturings at different growth temperatures
      and prolonged storage. This strain has plasmids of 130, 72.2, 5.7 kb. All
      plasmids are retained in S- and R-forms, i. e. the dissociation of the strain is
      not accompanied by the loss of plasmids. The conversion of the strain from the S
      form into the R-form leads to changes in the structure of lipopolysaccharide and
      the composition of low-molecular (less than 23 kD) proteins in the outer and
      inner membranes. In tests on guinea pigs the LD50 of the R-form of the strain is
      tenfold greater than that of its S-form. The dissociants of strain 9532 are
      transformed by plasmid DNA with equal efficiency and equally inherit them without
      selective pressure.

PMID- 1858470
TI  - [The dynamics of the morphological changes in the tissues after the subcutaneous
      administration of vaccines against Q fever].
AB  - The comparative study of the dynamics of morphological changes in tissues of
      guinea pigs after the subcutaneous injection of chemical, live and combined
      vaccines against Q fever during the period from 12 hours to 90 days was made. All
      vaccines under study were shown to produce a pronounced local damaging effect.
      Two periods were tentatively discriminated in the dynamics of changes: the early
      phase (till 48 hours) and the late phase (days 2-90). At the early stage the most
      pronounced changes were registered after the injection of the combined vaccine.
      At the late phase the use of the chemical and combined vaccines was accompanied
      by the appearance of secondary hemorrhages into newly formed connective tissue.
      Starting from day 30, practically no deviation from the normal state of tissues
      were registered at the site of injection.

PMID- 1858471
TI  - [The nonspecific changes in the immune system to the administration of the
      membrane-ribosomal fraction of the causative agent of pseudotuberculosis].
AB  - Nonspecific changes in different elements of the immune system of animals under
      the action of Y. pseudotuberculosis membrane-ribosomal fraction (MRF) with high
      protective potency have been studied for the purpose of the analysis of the
      preparation for immunological safety. MRF has been shown to produce no changes in
      humoral immune response to antigens of different nature or to enhance this
      response, to produce no essential effect on the intensity of the reaction of
      delayed hypersensitivity to sheep red blood cells and to stimulate phagocytic
      processes in peritoneal macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

PMID- 1858472
TI  - [A comparative study of the immunological properties of peptidoglycans of
      different origins].
AB  - The action of peptidoglycans (PG) of different origin has been experimentally
      studied in vivo. In these experiments PG of bacterial origin, such as blastolysin
      (BL), and synthetic PG, viz. muramyldipeptide (MDP) and its analog
      glucosaminylmuramyldipeptide (GMDP) have been used. Their toxicity, allergenic
      action, their effect on the phagocytic activity of peritoneal exudate macrophages
      (PEM), the accumulation of antibody-producing cells in the spleen, antibody titer
      in the blood serum and delayed hypersensitivity to nonbacterial antigens have
      been determined. As revealed in this study, BL does not differ from MDP in its
      toxicity and allergenic action. The phagocytic activity of PEM under the
      influence of BL only insignificantly differs from their activity under the
      influence of MDP, but is lower than under the influence of GMDP. The adjuvant
      action of BL is somewhat higher than that of synthetic PG.

PMID- 1858473
TI  - [The therapeutic use of diucifon-activated immunocytes in adoptive transfer in
      mice with burn trauma complicated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection].
AB  - The effectiveness of the therapeutic use of diucyphone-stimulated syngeneic
      spleen cells was studied in mice with a burn trauma complicated by P. aeruginosa
      infection. For this purpose CBA mice were subjected to a burn of degree IIIa,
      covering 30% of their body surface, the wound was infected with P. aeruginosa
      strain, and 24 hours later spleen cells were taken from some of these animals.
      The spleen cells, incubated for 3 hours with or without diucyphone at a
      concentration of 10-100 micrograms/ml, were washed and reinfused intravenously to
      the remaining animals. The injection of diucyphone-treated spleen cells was shown
      to greatly increase the survival rate of the animals, to accelerate healing
      processes and to enhance the proliferative response of spleen cells to mitogens
      (phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A) and interleukin-2. A conclusion was made on
      the efficacy of the therapeutic use of diucyphone-activated immunocompetent cells
      in cases of immunodeficiency induced by burn infection.

PMID- 1858474
TI  - [The use of melamine-formaldehyde latex in the automated analysis of
      immunocompetent cells].
AB  - The optimization of the loading of monodispersed melamine-formaldehyde latex with
      fluorochrome has permitted its use as indicator material, equally suitable both
      for the visual evaluation of the reaction of phagocytosis and for the automated
      evaluation of this reaction by means of a scanning fluorescent microscope. The
      study has shown the possibility of using fluorescent melamine formaldehyde latex
      for the evaluation of the phagocytosis of mouse peritoneal macrophages and human
      blood cells, as well as the analysis of the surface receptors of immunocompetent
      cells.

PMID- 1858475
TI  - [The role of macrophages in mediating the immunostimulating effects of low
      frequency ultrasound].
AB  - The action of low-frequency ultrasound on the body has been shown to lead to the
      stimulation of specific immune response, as well as immunological memory cells.
      The effects of low-frequency ultrasound are seemingly realized through the
      macrophage system of immunity, i. e. the action of ultrasound leads to the
      stimulation of the functional activity of macrophages, their metabolism, while
      blocking the macrophage system of immunity with carraginal abolishing the effects
      of ultrasound.

PMID- 1858476
TI  - [Approaches to the molecular epidemiology of the rickettsioses].

PMID- 1858477
TI  - Stability properties of proliferatively coupled cell replication models.
AB  - To address the possibility that proliferative disorders may originate from
      interactions between multiple populations of proliferating and maturing cells, we
      formulate a model for this process as a set of coupled nonlinear first order
      partial differential equations. Using recent results for the asymptotic behaviour
      of the solutions to this model, we demonstrate that there exists a region of
      coupling coefficients, maturation rates, and proliferation rates that will
      guarantee the stable coexistence of coupled cellular populations. The analysis
      shows that increases in the coupling between populations may ultimately lead to a
      loss of stability. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that increases (decreases)
      in the maturation and/or proliferation rates above (below) critical levels will
      lead either to instability in the populations or the destruction of one
      population and the persistence of the other.

PMID- 1858478
TI  - On the role of gravity and positional information in embryological axis formation
      and tissue compartmentalization.
AB  - The idea that gravity affects dorso-ventral polarization in anouran development
      contrasts with the theories of self-organization through reaction-diffusion
      processes. As a result of a literature study we discuss the role of gravity in
      embryological axis formation and speculate on an influence of gravity on tissue
      compartmentalization. The involvement of compartmentalization in tissue
      homeostasis is discussed in the light of the recent progress in mammalian cell
      culture studies.

PMID- 1858480
TI  - On the fundamental nature of perception.
AB  - The process of recognition or isolation of one or several entities from among
      many possible entities is termed intellego perception. It is shown that not only
      are many of our everyday percepts of this type, but perception of microscopic
      events using the methods of quantum mechanics are also intellego in nature.
      Information theory seems to be a natural language in which to express perceptual
      activity of this type. It is argued that the biological organism quantifies its
      sensations using an information theoretical measure. This, in turn, sets the
      stage for a mathematical theory of sensory perception.

PMID- 1858479
TI  - Computer modelling of neural tube defects.
AB  - Neurulation, the curling of the neuroepithelium to form the neural tube, is an
      essential component of the development of animal embryos. Defects of neural tube
      formation, which occur with an overall frequency of one in 500 human births, are
      the cause of severe and distressing congenital abnormalities. However, despite
      the fact that there is increasing information from animal experiments about the
      mechanisms which effect neural tube formation, much less is known about the
      fundamental causes of neural tube defects (NTD). The use of computer models
      provides one way of gaining clues about the ways in which neurulation may be
      compromised. Here we employ one computer model to examine the robustness of
      different cellular mechanisms which are thought to contribute to neurulation. The
      model, modified from that of Odell et al (Odell, G.M., Oster, G., Alberch, P. and
      Burnside, B., (1981)) mimics neurulation by laterally propagating a wave of
      apical contraction along an active zone within a ring of cells. We link the
      results to experimental evidence gained from studies of embryos in which
      neurulation has been perturbed. The results indicate that alteration of one of
      the properties of non-neural tissue can delay or inhibit neurulation, supporting
      the idea, gained from observation of embryos bearing genes which predispose to
      NTD, that the tissue underlying the neuroepithelium may contribute to the
      elevation of the neural folds. The results also show that reduction of the
      contractile properties of a small proportion of the neuroepithelial cell
      population may have a profound effect on overall tissue profiling. The results
      suggest that the elevation of the neural folds, and hence successful neurulation,
      may be vulnerable to relatively minor deficiencies in cell properties.

PMID- 1858481
TI  - Intermittent diazepam prophylaxis in febrile convulsions. Pros and cons.
AB  - Major cohort studies document that the long-term prognosis for most children with
      febrile convulsions (FC) is excellent. The 2 main treatment alternatives so far
      have been long-term prophylaxis with phenobarbital or valproate or no prophylaxis
      at all. Phenobarbital at times of fever is ineffective and obsolete. Consensus
      has emerged that long-term prophylaxis with antiepileptic drugs is rarely
      justified in FC considering the side effects and the favourable prognosis. No
      treatment at all does not appear quite satisfactory either, as FC have a high
      recurrence rate, disrupt family life and may have emotional consequences for the
      family. Moreover, all FC children face a risk, although admittedly low, of
      subsequent long-lasting potentially central nervous system (CNS)-damaging
      seizures. However, 2 further options exist: treatment with rapid-acting
      benzodiazepines solely at times of greatest risk, i.e., at high fever or at
      renewed seizures. Several clinical trials have confirmed that intermittent
      diazepam prophylaxis by way of a few doses of the drug per year provides
      effective seizure control and reduces the recurrence rate by one half or two
      thirds. The treatment is feasible and cheap, well tolerated by the child and well
      accepted by the parents. Compliance problems are common and only partly abatable.
      Trivial side effects are frequent. Transient respiratory apnoea does occur, but
      15 years' experience substantiates that serious side effects are remarkably rare.
      Acute anticonvulsant treatment with rectal diazepam in solution given by the
      parents to stop ongoing seizures and to prevent immediate recurrences is an
      attractive alternative. It is feasible, is probably effective and minimizes the
      use of drugs, but compliance problems are common and protracted seizures are not
      always controlled. The subsequent management should include a risk profile
      approach considering a combination of risk factors for new FC rather than a
      single factor. By means of a risk index, based on simple clinical data including
      age at onset, family seizure history, seizure type and frequency of fever,
      children may be identified as being at low, intermediate or high risk for further
      febrile fits. However, risk factors for new FC and not for subsequent epilepsy
      should be used. It is concluded that preventing or abbreviating new FC with
      benzodiazepines appears to be a useful, although not ideal, drug-minimizing
      approach in managing many children with simple or complex FC. From a health
      hazard viewpoint, treatment is not strictly mandatory, although advisable. A
      selective strategy seems rational. Intermittent diazepam prophylaxis may
      preferably be offered to children at high risk for new FC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1858482
TI  - Experimental serotonin myopathy as an animal model of muscle degeneration and
      regeneration in muscular dystrophy.
AB  - Degenerating and regenerating muscle fibers, in serotonin-induced myopathy (SM)
      of rats, were investigated histochemically, immunohistochemically and electron
      microscopically with polyclonal antibodies against dystrophin, type IV collagen
      and laminin. The myopathy produced was characterized by grouping of degenerating
      and regenerating muscle fibers, and degeneration of capillary endothelial cells.
      Dystrophin disappeared in an early stage of muscle degeneration and reappeared in
      an early stage of regeneration. On the other hand, type IV collagen and laminin
      were well preserved throughout the degeneration and regeneration processes, even
      on the shrunk and wrinkled basement membrane of empty muscle fibers after
      phagocytosis. Muscle fiber regeneration was completed within each tube of the
      preserved basement membrane through the fusion of myoblasts derived from
      satellite cells of single necrotic fibers, myotubes already being visible on the
      1st or 2nd day of regeneration on light microscopy. These small regenerating
      myotubes did not fuse with each other at all. The findings in the present
      experimental SM study are compatible with those in Duchenne muscular dystrophy,
      especially at the preclinical stage.

PMID- 1858484
TI  - Scrapie inoculation of mice: light and electron microscopy of the superior
      colliculi.
AB  - Ultrastructural examination of the superior colliculi of mice intraocularly
      inoculated with the ME7 strain of scrapie showed vacuolation early in the course
      of infection. Brains were examined between 85-260 days after monocular
      inoculation with scrapie. The mean incubation period for the development of
      clinical disease was 302 days. Vacuolation was seen initially in the
      contralateral superior colliculus and subsequently in the ipsilateral colliculus.
      In coded trials light microscopical vacuolation was seen from 218 days but
      ultrastructural examination showed that sparse vacuoles were inconsistently
      present in either or both of the ipsilateral and contralateral colliculi from 85
      days; frequent vacuoles were seen from 190 days. Scrapie-induced vacuoles were
      differentiated from vacuoles present in control tissue by the presence of
      loculation or by a limiting double membrane which showed protrusion or
      proliferation of the innermost lamella. Vacuolation was seen in neuronal
      perikarya, myelinated fibres, dendrites and axonal presynaptic terminals.
      Vacuoles of myelinated fibres were observed within myelin and possibly also in
      the inner tongue of oligodendroglial cytoplasm. Whorled membrane configurations
      were also seen. Tubulovesicular particles, 40 nm in diameter, were recognised in
      two scrapie-infected mice. It is suggested that some scrapie vacuoles arise as a
      result of incorporation of abnormal membrane into organelles, possibly
      mitochondria, in neuronal perikarya and neurites and probably also within
      oligodendroglial cytoplasm and myelin.

PMID- 1858483
TI  - Transthyretin-type cerebral amyloid angiopathy in type I familial amyloid
      polyneuropathy.
AB  - To clarify the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular amyloid deposits, histological and
      immunocytochemical studies were performed on the central nervous system (CNS) in
      ten cases with type I familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). They commonly
      suffered from peripheral somatic and autonomic nerve disorders without any CNS
      dysfunctions. However, all cases showed CNS amyloid deposits, mainly on the
      leptomeningeal vessels and pia-arachnoid membranes, with arteries and arterioles
      in the subarachnoidal space being the predominant site of cerebral amyloid
      accumulation. Using immunocytochemical staining methods with antibodies to
      amyloid beta-protein, human cystatin C and transthyretin (prealbumin), all of
      these amyloid deposits were specifically immunolabeled by the anti-human
      transthyretin antibody. However, there was no transthyretin-related amyloid
      deposits in the brain parenchyma. It is concluded that CNS transthyretin
      immunoreactive amyloid deposition with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a
      common pathological finding in this disease. Moreover, the patients with type I
      FAP are known to have an amyloid protein precursor (a variant of transthyretin)
      in serum. This transthyretin type of CAA, therefore, seems to be an example of
      cerebrovascular amyloid deposits derived from a serum precursor.

PMID- 1858485
TI  - Human ontogenesis. 3. Cell death in fetal muscle.
AB  - Naturally occurring muscle cell death in normal human fetal muscle was examined
      to determine the timing and structural differences with respect to muscle
      maturity. Two types of degenerative changes in developing muscle were found:
      cytoplasmic and nuclear. Degeneration of the primary and mature myotubes between
      10 and 16 weeks of gestation entailed cytoplasmic condensation and disruption,
      swelling of mitochondria and dilatation of sarcoplasmic reticulum. In contrast,
      the formation of immature muscle fibres was associated with disintegration of
      satellite myofibres characterized by nuclear degenerative changes. These findings
      indicate that naturally occurring muscle cell death appears as a two-successive
      stage phenomenon of cell necrosis. Initially, at the myotube stage, a number of
      muscle cells are eliminated. In the later stage a single cell is removed from the
      cluster which seemingly is responsible for final shape and size of the muscle
      fibre.

PMID- 1858487
TI  - Phagocytosis of beta/A4 amyloid fibrils of the neuritic neocortical plaques.
AB  - Immunocytochemistry using monoclonal antibodies to beta/A4 protein was applied to
      study the macrophages involved in the removal of amyloid deposits. The material
      examined included necrotic brain tissue areas with abundant amyloid deposits
      collected from 32 autopsy cases. The beta/A4-immunoreactive products were found
      in numerous macrophages, appearing as early as 24 h after the onset of stroke.
      Immunogold electron microscope studies allowed us to localize the reaction
      product to the secondary lysosomes. Our study clearly demonstrates the
      differences between macrophages engaged in amyloid removal and microglial cells
      associated with amyloid deposits, which according to previous observations
      contain beta/A4 material within endoplasmic reticular channels.

PMID- 1858488
TI  - Postpartum depression and the experience of motherhood.

PMID- 1858486
TI  - Neuropathology of remote hypoxic-ischemic damage in the immature rat.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine: (a) the duration of hypoxia required to
      produce brain damage in immature rats with unilateral carotid artery ligation
      (Levine technique); (b) the regions of immature brain most vulnerable to hypoxia
      ischemia (HI); and (c) the neuropathology of the remote HI insult. To this end, 7
      day postnatal rats, subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation combined with
      hypoxia of varying durations (45, 60, 75 or 90 min), were killed at 30 days of
      postnatal age and their brains examined by light microscopy. The results
      indicated that a longer duration of HI was more likely to produce brain lesions
      and that the extent and severity of the lesions closely correlated with the
      length of HI. Shorter intervals of HI primarily damaged the cerebral cortex and
      hippocampus, while longer periods resulted in more extensive damage and were
      often associated with cavitary lesions of the cerebral hemisphere. Comparison of
      HI brain damage produced by the Levine technique in immature and adult rats
      suggested that in immature rats: (a) the cavitary lesions were common; (b) the
      non-cavitary cortical lesions had a tendency to show a vertical band-like
      distribution - a pattern never seen in adults; and (c) the lesions often showed
      mineralization. The similarities between these experimentally produced HI
      cerebral lesions and those observed in the developing human brain, such as
      ulegyria and porencephaly, are discussed.

PMID- 1858489
TI  - Evaluation of symphysis-fundus measurements and weighing during pregnancy.
AB  - To evaluate the value of using symphysis-fundus (SF) distance and maternal weight
      gain measurements in predicting an infant's birth weight, these measurements were
      analysed in 831 single-birth deliveries at Aker University Hospital during a
      period of 3 months. Of the 96 babies with a birth weight below the 10th
      percentile for gestational age, 39 (41%) could be detected by a series of SF
      measurements. For every third correctly identified SGA (small for gestational
      age) baby, there were 7 false positive predictions. Only 13 (14%) of the mothers
      who gave birth to SGA babies demonstrated a weight gain at each medical check-up
      during pregnancy, whereas 197 (30%) of the women giving birth to normal-weight
      babies showed a weight gain each time (p = 0.02). However, for maternal weight
      gain, both predictive value (14%) and specificity (29%) were low. Hence, these
      two screening methods for the detection of SGA babies remain imprecise in
      practice. Test procedures should be improved, and factors influencing fetal
      growth should be emphasized to detect fetuses at risk.

PMID- 1858490
TI  - Sonographic dating of pregnancies among women with menstrual irregularities.
AB  - In order to study the benefit of sonographic dating, 277 women with irregular
      periods and 264 women with a scanty last bleeding had gestational age and
      estimated day of delivery (EDD) estimated from both last menstrual period (LMP)
      and measurement of fetal Biparietal Diameter (BPD) in the second trimester. For
      the women with irregular periods, the two estimates differed by more than 7 days
      for 51.6%, and more than 14 days for 25.6%. Corresponding figures for women with
      a scanty last bleeding were 44.3% and 21.6%, respectively. In general, the BPD
      estimates were better than the LMP estimates (P = less than 0.001) in predicting
      day of delivery, especially when the differences between the estimates exceeded 7
      days. For women with irregular periods, post-term pregnancies decreased, from
      20.2% according to the LMP estimate to 2.5% according to the BPD estimate.
      Corresponding figures for women with a scanty last bleeding were 16.7% and 4.5%,
      respectively. According to the LMP estimate, 64.8% of the women with irregular
      periods and 69.3% of the women with a scanty last bleeding gave birth within +/-
      14 days of EDD. Corresponding figures for the BPD estimate were 83.6% and 88.3%,
      respectively. The conclusion is that sonographic dating of pregnancies among
      women with irregular periods and women with a scanty last bleeding substantially
      improve the accuracy of term prediction.

PMID- 1858491
TI  - Iontophoresis of vasoactive drugs. Effect on peripheral blood flow during
      pregnancy.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate whether iontophoretic administration of the
      vasoactive agents noradrenaline (NA) and angiotensin (AII) combined with
      measurement of skin blood flow with a laser Doppler technique could serve as a
      predictive method for pre-eclampsia. Nine healthy non-pregnant women, 9 healthy
      pregnant women and 9 pre-eclamptic patients were investigated. A significant
      reduction of skin blood flow was induced by NA in all three groups and by AII in
      the non-pregnant group. There was no significant difference between healthy
      pregnant and pre-eclamptic patients in the degree of reduction of blood flow with
      respect to NA and AII administration.

PMID- 1858492
TI  - The relationship between granulocyte elastase-like activity of cervical mucus and
      cervical maturation.
AB  - Granulocyte elastase (elastase)-like activity in 119 samples of cervical mucus
      from pregnant women was measured. Though elastase-like activity in normal
      pregnant women was low in 2nd and 3rd trimesters (less than 20 units), it
      increased during labor (1st stage of labor: 70 +/- 50 U/l; 2nd stage: 72 +/- 56).
      Elastase-like activity in pregnant women with imminent premature delivery (24-30
      gestational weeks) was also high (78 +/- 57). Elastase-like activity of cervical
      mucus correlated with Bishop score in both normal term and preterm labor.
      Elastase-containing granulocytes were identified by immunohistochemistry in
      ripened cervix in normal and preterm labor. Some granulocytes degranulate and
      release elastase into the cervical stroma. Others migrate through the basement
      membrane of the endocervix to reach the cervical canal. Elastase could not be
      demonstrated in immature cervix as assessed by Bishop score. The staining
      intensity of elastase in the cervix correlated closely with elastase-like
      activity in cervical mucus. Thus elastase-like activity in cervical mucus
      reflects the degree of cervical maturation. These results lead one to speculate
      that elastase is one of the neutral proteases which depolymerize and degrade
      collagen in the ripening cervix.

PMID- 1858493
TI  - Investigations into a possible immunological origin of idiopathic non-immune
      hydrops fetalis and initial results of prophylactic immune treatment of
      subsequent pregnancies.
AB  - The cause of the non-immune hydrops fetalis (NIHF) remains unsettled despite all
      efforts. From the immunological point of view of pregnancy as a successful course
      of an allograft, it would seem possible that the idiopathic NIHF can be caused by
      an immunologic disorder in the meaning of a host-versus-graft reaction. Of 324
      cases of prenatally diagnosed NIHF, 49 (15.1%) could be classified after
      exclusion of all other causes as idiopathic and in 38 patients, as well as in 38
      age- and parity-paired controls, a differentiation of HLA-antigens and a
      determination of lymphocytotoxic antibodies using the NIH Prolonged Incubations
      and Cold-Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity Test (CoCoCy Test) were performed. In
      cases of idiopathic NIHF, the proportion of parents sharing 4 or 5 HLA antigens
      was increased significantly (p less than 0.05) compared with the control group.
      In women with idiopathic NIHF, the incidence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies was
      decreased, due to the test system used; between 28 and 68% in the NIHF group and
      24-80% in the control group. The proportion of women without lymphocytotoxic
      antibodies was increased in the NIHF group by 72% to 52%, whereas in the control
      group, in none of the patients could a higher cytotoxicity with a lysing rate of
      more than 75% be detected. In 8 cases of idiopathic NIHF, where an increased
      paternal histocompatibility and a decreased incidence and percentage of
      lymphocytotoxic antibodies were determined, an immunotherapy was performed in
      order to induce maternal blocking antibodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858495
TI  - Psychosocial indications for cesarean section. A retrospective study of 43 cases.
AB  - At Helsingborg Maternity Clinic the rate of elective cesarean section on
      psychosocial indications has increased. The purpose of this study was to identify
      and characterize those women requiring cesarean section despite the absence of
      obstetrical complications of pregnancy and childbirth and their reasons for doing
      so. Hospital case records from 1983 to 1987 were examined retrospectively. Nine
      women (20%) were primiparae, who for different reasons refused vaginal delivery;
      34 (80%) were multiparae, half of whom (n = 17) had been delivered previously by
      an unanticipated cesarean section and 4 women by elective cesarean. Seven women
      had experienced obstetrical complications during vaginal delivery. Five had a
      diagnosis of other serious medical conditions during the previous or the present
      pregnancy. The final parous woman demanded a cesarean in spite of perfect health
      and a normal previous delivery. The patients' reasons for demanding a cesarean,
      as understood from hospital records, were primarily a very serious fear of
      childbirth. A psychotherapeutically trained member of the obstetrical staff is
      well equipped to offer help. The impact of previous complicated birth is obvious
      in this study. Hopefully, we can avoid some future cesarean sections by means of
      better care for patients in crisis resulting from complicated childbirth.

PMID- 1858494
TI  - Vacuum aspiration for termination of early second trimester pregnancy after
      treatment with vaginal prostaglandin.
AB  - Vaginal and intramuscular administration of prostaglandin analogues are routinely
      used for dilatation of the cervical canal prior to vacuum aspiration in first
      trimester abortion. Whether the same procedure is also useful during the first
      weeks of the second trimester has been much less investigated. In the present
      study, 127 women in the 13th and 14th week of pregnancy were pretreated with 3 mg
      9-deoxo-16,16-dimethyl-9-methylene PGE2 administered vaginally 12 hours before
      surgery. At surgery the cervical canal was dilated to 9.8 mm +/- 2.5 mm (mean +/-
      SD) and the evacuation of the uterus was uneventful. In 21% of the patients
      vaginal bleeding occurred prior to the operation. The mean blood loss at surgery
      was 49 ml and exceeded 100 ml in only 6 patients. Gastrointestinal side effects
      were rare but analgesic injections were demanded by 29% of the patients during
      the pretreatment period. No subsequent curettage was performed during the follow
      up period but 2 patients (1.6%) were readmitted because of post-abortion
      endometritis. It can be concluded that after pretreatment with PG, vacuum
      aspiration can be safely performed during the first weeks of the second
      trimester.

PMID- 1858496
TI  - Acta seventy years ago. The very first issue.

PMID- 1858497
TI  - The effect of mediolateral episiotomy at delivery on pelvic floor muscle strength
      evaluated with vaginal cones.
AB  - In a prospective study, pelvic floor muscle strength was investigated pre- and
      post partum in 87 women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Those vaginally delivered
      were 71 primiparas, while 16 underwent an elective cesarean section. The
      objective was to evaluate the effect of the delivery procedure on the pelvic
      floor muscle strength with the aid of vaginal cones. In the group of women with
      vaginal delivery three subgroups were identified: episiotomy, spontaneous
      laceration and intact perineum. Pelvic floor muscle strength was weakest in the
      episiotomy subgroup, the difference in values between this subgroup and each of
      the other subgroups and the elective cesarean section group being significant. No
      significant difference was evident between the spontaneous lacerations and intact
      perineum subgroups.

PMID- 1858498
TI  - Maternal factors associated with high birth weight.
AB  - Maternal characteristics associated with high birth weight were studied in 473
      mothers delivered of singleton infants at term with a birth weight of 4500 g or
      more. The controls were mothers who gave birth to singleton infants at term, with
      a normal birth weight +/- 1 SD for Swedish newborns. In the multivariate analysis
      the maximum symphysis-fundus height measurement and gestational duration were
      strongly significant (p less than 0.001), after correction for other variables,
      for the probability of being delivered of an infant of high birth weight.
      Maternal height, weight at beginning of pregnancy, total gestational weight
      increase and previous live birth of an infant weighing greater than or equal to
      4500 g were also important (p less than 0.05) for high birth weight. The maternal
      characteristics included were evaluated in a prognostic model. With symphysis
      fundus height measurement included, the sensitivity increased from 80.3 to 83.3%
      and specificity from 78.8 to 85.6%, compared with a model where symphysis-fundus
      measurement was not available.

PMID- 1858499
TI  - Sexual experience, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases among young women
      at a contraceptive clinic.
AB  - All visitors who during one year visited a contraceptive clinic in the Solna
      district of Stockholm County and were below the age of 26 were asked to fill in a
      questionnaire and offered a test for C. trachomatis. Three hundred and six women
      (97%) participated. Ninety percent had at some time used oral contraceptives and
      91% had experience of condom use. One-fifth of the whole group had undergone one
      or more legal abortions, and one fourth had experience of a sexually transmitted
      disease (STD). The most common STD experienced was chlamydia, followed by
      condyloma. The actual prevalence of chlamydia in the group was 6%. Sexual
      contacts were often made early in on-going steady relations. Forty-two percent
      admitted casual sex, but the number of life-time partners was five or less among
      the majority.

PMID- 1858500
TI  - Treatment of candidal vaginitis. A prospective randomized investigator-blind
      multicenter study comparing topically applied econazole with oral fluconazole.
AB  - Two hundred and thirty-five women with clinically and microbiologically proven
      candidal vaginitis were randomly allocated for treatment with either one
      topically applied vaginal tablet of 150 mg econazole (114 women) or one orally
      administered capsule of 150 mg fluconazole (121 women). The women returned for
      follow-up visits 7-10, 28-35, and 80-100 days after the recruitment visit. Women
      with clinical and/or mycological failures and/or a recurrence were successively
      excluded from the follow-up. At the 28-35-day follow-up visit, the women treated
      with fluconazole had a significantly higher clinical/microbiological cure rate
      than those given econazole (P = 0.022; Fisher's exact 2-tail test). No
      significant such differences were observed at the 7-10 and the 80-100-day follow
      up visits, although fluconazole tended to be more efficacious. Nine women
      administered fluconazole, and 2 women given econazole reported minor systemic
      side effects of the treatment. Three women out of 4 preferred oral to local
      therapy of candidal vaginitis.

PMID- 1858501
TI  - Iron supplementation during pregnancy.
AB  - 192 pregnant women were consecutively randomized to either a vitamin-mineral pill
      or a vitamin mineral pill with a high iron content in a prospective, open,
      randomized investigation. The participants were advised about iron-rich
      foodstuffs twice during pregnancy. Iron status of the mother proved to be without
      any significance for the outcome of pregnancy. A serum ferritin level of 80
      pmol/l in mid-pregnancy followed by a control in the last trimester was suggested
      as a guide in deciding of whether or not to prescribe supplementary iron during
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1858502
TI  - Edrophonium chloride for testing colonic contractile activity in man.
AB  - The effects of cholinergic stimulation on the entire human colon are at present
      relatively unknown. For this reason, we evaluated the influence of a short-lived
      anticholinesterase agent, edrophonium chloride, on proximal and distal colonic
      contractile activity in man. Eight healthy volunteers of both sexes were studied
      with a multi-lumen manometric probe positioned with the aid of a colonoscope.
      Recordings were then obtained 30 minutes pre- and post-drug administration.
      Edrophonium chloride (10 mg intravenous) significantly stimulated both proximal
      and distal colonic contractile activity, and the maximum increase was observed
      within 10 minutes following injection, although some differences were observed
      between colonic segments in response to the drug. No important side effects were
      complained of after edrophonium. Due to the potent stimulatory property on
      colonic smooth muscle, to its short duration of action, and to the paucity of
      side effects, it is concluded that edrophonium chloride may be useful as a
      stimulating substance during manometric investigations of the human colon.

PMID- 1858503
TI  - Effects of endothelin on renal haemodynamics and segmental sodium handling in
      conscious rats.
AB  - The effects of endothelin (100 and 600 pmol/kg) on renal plasma flow (RPF),
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR), sodium excretion (UNa V) and segmental sodium
      handling were investigated in conscious rats. Low-dose endothelin decreased renal
      plasma flow by 26% without affecting glomerular filtration rate and sodium
      excretion. High-dose endothelin reduced renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration
      rate, sodium excretion and lithium clearance by 57, 45, 38 and 52%, respectively.
      The fall in sodium excretion was not due to a direct effect of endothelin on
      tubular sodium transport since sodium excretion corrected by glomerular
      filtration rate and fractional proximal and distal sodium reabsorption did not
      change throughout the study. These results indicate that the impairment in renal
      perfusion is responsible for the antinatriuretic effect of endothelin in
      conscious rats.

PMID- 1858504
TI  - Potent vasoconstrictor effects and clearance of endothelin in the human forearm.
AB  - The vascular effects of endothelin-1 in humans were investigated by infusion into
      the brachial artery of healthy volunteers. Endothelin-1 (5-500 pmol min-1) evoked
      potent and long lasting increase in forearm vascular resistance (FVR) and
      reduction in venous compliance, suggesting constriction of both resistance and
      capacitance vessels. The threshold for effect on forearm vascular resistance was
      at a calculated plasma concentration of 614 pmol 1-1. Endothelin-1 was on a molar
      basis 10-20 times more potent than noradrenaline as constrictor of both
      resistance and capacitance vessels. The increase in forearm vascular resistance
      induced by endothelin-1 lasted more than 30 min and that by noradrenaline less
      than 3 minutes. The endothelin-1-like immunoreactivity collected in the venous
      effluent during the infusion was 10-26% of the calculated arterial plasma
      concentration, indicating local removal of endothelin. After the infusion of
      endothelin-1 the urine concentration of prostacyclin metabolite increased
      significantly, indicating release of prostacyclin, whereas the concentration of
      thromboxane metabolite did not increase. It is concluded that endothelin-1 is a
      highly potent constrictor of human resistance and capacitance vessels, that it
      causes release of prostacyclin and that circulating endothelin-1 is efficiently
      removed by the forearm in vivo.

PMID- 1858505
TI  - Regional extraction of endothelins and conversion of big endothelin to endothelin
      1 in the pig.
AB  - Endothelin-like immunoreactivity (ET-LI), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and
      vascular resistance in the spleen, kidney and femoral vascular bed were measured
      during intravenous infusions (20 pmol.kg-1.min) of endothelin-2 (ET-2),
      endothelin-3 (ET-3), big endothelin-1 (big ET) and sarafotoxin 6b in the pig. All
      peptides (especially endothelin-2 and sarafotoxin 6b) caused vasoconstrictor
      effects in the kidney. Endothelin-2, endothelin-3 and sarafotoxin 6b also evoked
      significant increases in splenic and femoral vascular resistance. The relative
      vasoconstrictor response to endothelin-2 was larger in the kidney and spleen than
      in the femoral vascular bed whereas the opposite was observed for endothelin-3. A
      high degree of plasma clearance for endothelin-like immunoreactivity was
      observed. Thus, for ET-2 and ET-3 about 70% of arterial endothelin-like
      immunoreactivity was removed over the kidney while over the spleen and femoral
      vascular bed an extraction of 50% for plasma endothelin-2 and 30-40% for
      endothelin-3 was observed. Big endothelin-1 was only extracted by 34% over the
      kidney and not at all in the splenic or femoral vascular bed. The metabolic
      plasma half-lifes of endothelin-2 and endothelin-3 in vivo were in the same
      range, 1-2 minutes, whereas the half-life of big endothelin-1 was 9 minutes. HPLC
      characterization of the plasma endothelin-like immunoreactivity during and after
      big endothelin-1 infusion as well as measurements using a specific endothelin-1
      antiserum revealed formation of endothelin-1 from circulating big endothelin-1 in
      vivo but not in plasma in vitro. It is concluded that there exists specificity
      concerning the vasoconstrictor effects and the removal of endothelin-peptides
      from the circulation, both mechanisms being most prominent in the kidney. Big
      endothelin-1 has a much longer metabolic half-life, less regional clearance and
      poor vasoconstrictor activity compared with endothelin-1. Furthermore, endothelin
      1 is formed from circulating big endothelin-1 probably by an endothelin
      converting enzyme.

PMID- 1858507
TI  - Dual response from human muscle spindles in fast voluntary movements.
AB  - Single-unit impulses were recorded from the radial nerve of attending human
      subjects using the microneurography technique. The discharge of muscle spindle
      afferents from the extensor digitorum muscles was analysed while subjects
      performed fast lengthening and shortening voluntary movements as well as
      movements of moderate speed at a single metacarpophalangeal joint. Opposing or
      assisting loads of moderate size were added in some tests. Fast lengthening
      movements were, in practically all units, associated with acceleration of spindle
      discharge. However, the responses were modest and in many primary afferents it
      was of similar size as their response to small irregularities during slower
      movements. During shortening movements, most spindle afferents stopped firing
      altogether, whereas some afferents exhibited a distinct burst of impulses at the
      onset of active shortening followed by silence during the main part of the
      movement. This initial shortening responses was sometimes more prominent when the
      parent muscle worked against an opposing load. It was interpreted as a result of
      fusimotor drive associated with the building up of force in the contracting
      muscle. The initial shortening response from the contracting muscle and the
      stretch response from the antagonist constitute a dual signal, describing
      accurately the onset of joint movement as seen from the two muscles. It remains
      to be clarified which role this pattern of afferent responses may have in the
      design of the current motor output and in the capturing of nature and size of the
      external load.

PMID- 1858506
TI  - Protective role of sympathetic nerve activity to exercising skeletal muscle in
      the regulation of capillary pressure and fluid filtration.
AB  - This study describes the integrated sympathetic/metabolic control of capillary
      pressure (Pc) and filtration in cat skeletal muscle as studied during graded
      exercise and superimposed graded (2, 6 and 16 Hz) vasoconstrictor nerve
      excitation. The applied technique permitted simultaneous analysis of the
      underlying changes of resistance in the whole vascular bed (RT) and in its large
      bore arterial resistance vessels (greater than 25 microns), small arterioles
      (less than 25 microns) and veins. Graded exercise per se caused graded increases
      in capillary pressure, which at heavy work exceeded the resting control value by
      12.2 mmHg, in turn leading to marked loss of plasma fluid by filtration.
      Sympathetic nerve stimulation was much more efficient in lowering capillary
      pressure during exercise than at rest, in spite of an exercise-induced marked
      attenuation of the vasoconstrictor response (RT). The sympathetically evoked
      capillary pressure fall per unit resistance increase was larger the greater the
      degree of exercise vasodilation, implying a highly nonlinear relation between
      capillary pressure and RT and also between the more direct determinant of
      capillary pressure the post- to precapillary resistance ratio, and RT. Strenuous
      exercise in vivo is known to be associated with a markedly increased reflex
      sympathetic discharge to exercising muscle which has been a puzzling feature in
      view of its untoward restriction of the exercise hyperaemia response. To the
      extent the present results are representative for this in vivo situation, they
      suggest that sympathetic discharge to exercising muscle, in spite of some flow
      restricting effect, might serve a highly beneficial function, causing effective
      protection against excessive work-induced rise of capillary pressure and harmful
      plasma fluid loss into the extravascular space of working muscle.

PMID- 1858508
TI  - Lactate transport in skeletal muscle cells: uptake in L6 myoblasts.
AB  - During exercise, lactate is produced by degradation of glucose-6-phosphate during
      glycolysis in the contracting muscles. This lactate is metabolized during and
      after exercise in the muscle itself and also in the liver and other muscles,
      which can use it as an energy metabolite or can resynthetize glycogen. Lactate is
      transported in the blood, and the rate of muscular utilization may be limited by
      two factors: the rate of metabolic utilization by the muscle cell; and the rate
      of transport across the membrane regulating lactate transfer from the blood to
      the cell. We have studied lactate uptake in L6 muscle cells by incorporation of
      14C-lactate. The uptake rates were linear for 20 seconds with 5 mM lactate and 10
      seconds with 20 mM. The uptake during 10 seconds for physiological lactate
      concentrations (1-20 mM) gave a straight line passing through the origin. Lactate
      uptake was not altered by specific inhibitors of lactate transport (2.5 mM alpha
      cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid. 5 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene
      2,2'disulphonic acid) or by the stereospecific D-lactate inhibitor. The results
      suggest that L-lactate uptake in L6 cells occurs by passive diffusion.

PMID- 1858509
TI  - Mechanical properties of isolated human oesophageal submucosal veins.
AB  - The mechanical properties of isolated human oesophageal submucosal veins were
      investigated. The veins were without tone or spontaneous activity and possessed a
      high compliance, tolerating a stretch of several hundred per cent of the length
      at which the vessels were first able to contract with only minor increases in
      passive tension. The veins were capable of producing active tension when the
      length exceeded 30% of L0 (the length at which maximum wall tension (T0) was
      developed when activated by 124 mM K(+)-solution). The veins from the oesophageal
      body (OB) had a higher L0 than the veins from the gastrooesophageal junction
      (GOJ) (1180 microns vs 820 microns) and T0 was correspondingly higher (1.1 mN/mm
      vs. 0.6 mN/mm). However, there was no significant difference in the calculated
      effective transmural pressure (P) at the two locations. Noradrenaline induced
      contractions in all preparations tested with a maximum response equivalent to the
      tension achieved after stimulation with 124 mM K(+)-solution, pD2 values for
      noradrenaline in vessels from the oesophageal body and the gastroesophageal
      junction were 7.03 +/- 0.28 (mean +/- SEM) and 7.15 +/- 0.20, respectively. The
      present model seems suitable for future studies of human oesophageal submucosal
      veins from the oesophageal body and the gastrooesophageal junction.

PMID- 1858510
TI  - Left ventricular responses to experimental aortic coarctation in growing puppies.
AB  - The haemodynamic status of 8 coarctated and 7 sham-operated beagle puppies was
      studied by a catheterization technique at rest and during isoproterenol and
      volume loading at the ages of 7 (I) and 9 (II) months (5 and 7 months after the
      experimental coarctation). Proximal aortic systolic and pulse pressures were
      constantly higher in the coarctation group than in the control group (P less than
      0.05), and the systolic pressure gradient across the coarctation was always
      significantly higher in the coarctation group [I at rest mean 45 +/- 5 (SD) vs 5
      +/- 4 mmHg, P less than 0.001, and after I isoproterenol infusion 56 +/- 9 vs 10
      +/- 6 mmHg, P less than 0.001, and after I dextran infusion 58 +/- 10 vs 8 +/- 7
      mmHg, P less than 0.001]. The time constant of exponential isovolumic left
      ventricular pressure fall after the isoproterenol tests was longer in the
      coarctation group (I 28 +/- 8 ms and II, 30 +/- 4 ms) than in the control group
      (I, 21 +/- 2, P less than 0.05 and II, 19 +/- 3 ms, P less than 0.005),
      indicating impaired relaxation. The tension time index during the volume loading
      tests increased in the coarctation dogs (I, 4150 +/- 660 and II, 4080 +/- 810
      mmHg s min-1) to higher levels than in the control group (I, 3550 +/- 220, II,
      2540 +/- 1140 mmHg s min-1, P less than 0.05 both). Cardiac output, left
      ventricular end diastolic pressure, inotropic parameters and heart rate were
      similar in both groups during the infusions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858511
TI  - Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is reversed during positive pressure ventilation.
AB  - In order to study the relationship between heart rate and depth of anaesthesia,
      respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was investigated during enflurane and
      isoflurane anaesthesia in 28 patients (15-39 years). Positive pressure
      ventilation (six breaths min-1) was used. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia was
      evaluated during light anaesthesia, deep anaesthesia (burst suppression in EEG)
      and light anaesthesia again by using signal averaging technique. In most
      patients, decrease of the heart rate was seen during inspiration (positive
      tracheal pressure), and increase during expiration. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia
      did not disappear in deep anaesthesia. Inter-individual variation in the
      magnitude and phase relationship of respiratory sinus arrhythmia was
      considerable, and was not associated to the level of anaesthesia.

PMID- 1858512
TI  - Stimulation of airway ciliary motility by immunologically activated canine
      pulmonary macrophages: role of leukotrienes.
AB  - To elucidate a possible interaction between alveolar macrophages and airway
      epithelial cells in allergic conditions, we studied the effect of immunologically
      stimulated macrophages on ciliary beat frequency (CBF) of cultured canine
      tracheal epithelium by a photoelectric method. Administration of supernatants
      from macrophages incubated with anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibody and anti
      dinitrophenyl-human serum albumin dose-dependently increased ciliary beat
      frequency, the maximal increase from the baseline being 30.4 +/- 5.0% (mean +/-
      SE, P less than 0.01), an effect that was accompanied by the release of
      leukotriene (LT) C4 and leukotriene D4. This ciliostimulation was not affected by
      pretreatment of macrophages with indomethacin but was inhibited by that with
      nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Addition of FPL 55712 abolished the response of
      ciliary beat frequency to the stimulated macrophages, and exogenously
      administered leukotriene C4 and leukotriene D4 dose-dependently increased ciliary
      beat frequency. These results suggest that macrophages increase respiratory
      ciliary motility through the IgE-mediated release of leukotrienes and may
      modulate mucociliary transport function in the airway.

PMID- 1858513
TI  - The efflux of 86Rb and [3H]5-HT from human platelets during continuous perfusion:
      effects of potassium-induced membrane depolarization and thrombin stimulation.
AB  - In order to study the ionic efflux or granule release from human platelets
      following pulse exposure to various stimuli, a method for continuous perfusion of
      platelets was developed. The method was applied to compare the effects of
      membrane depolarization and thrombin stimulation on the release of 86Rb and [3H]5
      HT. Washed and preloaded human platelets were placed on a membrane filter in a
      temperature controlled polypropylene chamber, and subsequently perfused with
      buffer. After an initial washout period the efflux of 86Rb or [3H]5-HT reached
      steady, low levels. K+ induced concentration dependent increases in 86Rb efflux,
      corresponding to a depolarization of the membrane potential, whereas the efflux
      of [3H]5-HT was unaltered. Thrombin induced concentration dependent increases in
      the efflux of both 86Rb and [3H]5-HT. Pretreatment with K+ 12 or 30 mM did not
      alter the [3H]5-HT efflux induced by thrombin 0.1 U ml-1. Scanning electron
      micrographs of platelets on the filter showed that the unstimulated platelets had
      regular shape, whereas after addition of thrombin there was formation of
      pseudopods and minor aggregates. The effect of potassium-induced membrane
      depolarization on platelet aggregation was also studied. High concentration of K+
      did not induce aggregation or shape change during 2 or 10 minutes of incubation.
      K+ had little or no effect on aggregation induced by ADP 2 microM or thrombin 0.4
      U ml-1. The results from release experiments and aggregation tests argue against
      an immediate coupling between membrane potential and platelet reactivity.

PMID- 1858515
TI  - Does chronic hypoxaemia induce transformations of fibre types?
AB  - The study comprised nine patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.
      Quadriceps muscle biopsies were studied with respect to fibre type composition
      before and after haemodilution that brought haemoglobin (Hb) to within normal
      limits. Ten days elapsed between the two biopsy occasions. The arterial oxygen
      tension (PaO2) and saturation (SaO2) were depressed to 8.4 +/- 2.0 kPa and 89 +/-
      11% in the patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and increased to 9.2 +/
      2.1 and 91 +/- 8% with haemodilation. The type II fibre proportion was 71 +/-
      12% before haemodilation and significantly higher than normal (reference group,
      see Aniansson et al. 1981). Following haemodilation the proportion of type II
      fibres decreased significantly to 60 +/- 14%. The proportion of type II fibres
      was directly related to the haemoglobin content before, but not after,
      haemodilation and was inversely related to PaO2 and SaO2 both before and after
      haemodilation. In conclusion, hypoxaemia may be a factor underlying the high
      proportion of type II fibres found in patients with chronic obstructive lung
      disease.

PMID- 1858514
TI  - Mechanism of anoxic conduction block in mammalian nerve.
AB  - The mechanism by which anoxia blocks impulse conduction was studied in isolated
      sciatic nerves from the rat. The desheathed nerve was mounted in a recording
      chamber, and the compound action potential (CAP) was measured at controlled
      temperature (23 and 37 degrees C). When the nerve was irrigated with nitrogenated
      Ringer's solution compound action potential decreased to 50% in 10 min at 37
      degrees C and in 35 min at 23 degrees C, whereas in oxygenated solution compound
      action potential decreased less than 5% in 60 min. A Na-free nitrogenated
      solution similarly caused anoxic block, that is the effect was independent of
      impulse activity. Ouabain (1 mM) decreased compound action potential by only ca.
      4% in 30 min, and the effect of anoxia was delayed in presence of ouabain.
      Dinitrophenol (0.05 mM) reduced compound action potential to 50% in 5 min. These
      findings indicated that the anoxic block was not related to changes in axonal
      concentration of Na or K following impulse activity or inhibition of Na-K-ATPase.
      Instead the findings imply that the anoxic block is due to inactivation of Na
      channels as a consequence of inhibition of another ATP-dependent process in the
      axon.

PMID- 1858516
TI  - L-NG-nitro arginine inhibits non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic relaxation of human
      isolated corpus cavernosum.

PMID- 1858517
TI  - Cecropin P1-like immunoreactivity in epithelial cells of duodenum and glucagon
      cells of the pancreas.

PMID- 1858518
TI  - Androgen treatment prevents loss of cancellous bone in the orchidectomized rat.
AB  - This report describes histomorphometric evidence for an important role of
      androgens in maintaining cancellous bone balance at a remodeling site in vivo.
      Rats were orchiectomized (ORX) at 7 weeks of age and received either androgens or
      vehicle 1 week later (testosterone, 1-dehydrotestosterone, or 5
      dihydrotestosterone) by subcutaneous pellet, producing controlled release of the
      drug for 3 weeks. Intact male rats and untreated ORX animals served as controls.
      After 4 weeks untreated ORX resulted in undetectable serum testosterone levels
      and marked atrophy of seminal vesicles compared with intact controls.
      Histomorphometry revealed severe cancellous osteopenia in the secondary spongiosa
      of the proximal tibial metaphysis. The length of bone surface lined by apparently
      "active" osteoblasts and number of osteoclasts per length of cancellous bone
      surface were increased following ORX. Testosterone treatment at 5 mg (per 21
      days) produced subphysiologic serum testosterone levels. In contrast, 10 and 25
      mg pellets resulted in serum testosterone ORX, and the degree of protection was
      dose dependent. 1-Dehydro- and 5-dihydrotestosterones displayed a bone-protective
      effect similar to that of testosterone. The results demonstrate that gonadal
      insufficiency results in a cancellous osteopenia that is preventable by
      testosterone treatment. Further, because a similar protective action was achieved
      using the nonaromatizable androgen 5-dihydrostestosterone, the results suggest
      that this bone-sparing effect is mediated by androgen rather than by metabolism
      of the androgen to an estrogen.

PMID- 1858519
TI  - Smoking and bone loss among postmenopausal women.
AB  - We examined the effect of smoking on bone mineral density (BMD), rates of bone
      loss, and fractional whole-body retention of 47Ca in healthy postmenopausal women
      enrolled in a 2-year calcium supplementation trial. Bone density was measured by
      single- and dual-photon absorptiometry. BMD of the radius at the study baseline
      was inversely related to pack-years of exposure when controlled for body mass
      index and years since menopause (partial r = -0.18, p = 0.05, n = 125). The
      adjusted mean (+/- SD) annualized rate of bone change from the radius was greater
      among smokers than nonsmokers (-0.914 +/- 2.624%/year, n = 34, versus 0.004 +/-
      2.568%/year, n = 278, respectively; p = 0.05). Similar trends were observed at
      the femoral neck, os calcis, and spine. Rates were were adjusted for caffeine
      intake, alcohol use, supplement type, and, at the spine only, menopausal status.
      At entry into the trial higher serum levels of alkaline phosphatase and lower
      levels of total and ionized calcium were found in smokers compared to nonsmokers.
      These differences did not persist with supplementation. In 44 women studied
      fractional 47Ca retention was lower in the 8 smokers than the 36 nonsmokers (16.6
      versus 19.1%, respectively; p = 0.03). These results demonstrate an increased
      rate of bone loss at the radius after menopause and suggest that smoking is
      associated with decreased calcium absorption.

PMID- 1858520
TI  - The bisphosphonate alendronate (MK-217) inhibits bone loss due to ovariectomy in
      rats.
AB  - Estrogen deficiency in mammals is known to increase bone turnover and result in
      reduced bone mass. The bisphosphonate, 4-amino-1-hydroxybutylidene-1,1
      bisphophonic acid disodium salt, alendronate (MK-217), is a potent inhibitor of
      bone resorption and was evaluated in this study for its ability to inhibit bone
      loss following ovariectomy in rats. Alendronate was administered sc in doses of
      0.0, 0.056, 0.28, 1.40, and 7.0 mg P/kg/month, divided into two, four, or eight
      monthly subcutaneous injections for each dose, to female Sprague-Dawley rats (250
      280 g) that underwent bilateral ovariectomy. Rats were sacrificed 12 weeks
      postovariectomy, the femora ashed, and the tibiae prepared for static and dynamic
      histomorphometric analyses. Femoral bone mass in vehicle-treated rats was reduced
      by 12% 12 weeks after ovariectomy compared to the nonovariectomized control
      group. In MK-217-treated rats femoral bone mass was significantly increased in a
      dose-dependent manner compared to either ovariectomized or nonovariectomized
      controls. Histomorphometric analysis showed significant increases in tibial
      trabecular bone volume with no decrease in osteoclast number. Doses delivered
      twice per month or eight times per month were equally effective in achieving the
      peak bone volume 12 weeks after ovariectomy. In conclusion, alendronate (MK-217)
      was effective in inhibiting bone loss due to estrogen deficiency in rats, and the
      magnitude of its effect was related primarily to the total amount of compound
      administered rather than the frequency of its administration.

PMID- 1858521
TI  - Effect of chronic carbonic anhydrase inhibitor therapy on bone mineral density in
      white women.
AB  - A limited, dual-photon absorptiometry, single-center study of bone mineral
      density (BMD) was conducted on white female glaucoma subjects who were chronic
      users of the carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors acetazolamide (Az) or
      methazolamide (Mz). In postmenopausal subjects long-term (greater than 4 years)
      CA inhibitor use was associated with a bone-sparing effect as judged by spinal
      BMD in comparison to controls matched for age, sex, weight, and ethnic group or
      in comparison to a national normative data base. Short-term (0-2 years)
      postmenopausal CA inhibitor users and premenopausal subjects using CA inhibitors
      showed no sparing of spinal BMD. Femoral neck BMD was not affected by CA
      inhibitor therapy in any of the groups. This study supports a proposed role for
      carbonic anhydrase in human bone resorption and suggests a possible future
      utility for carbonic anhydrase inhibitors in prophylaxis or management of primary
      involutional osteoporosis. Future studies are necessary to verify and expand
      these findings, assess the effects of CA inhibitors on bone mechanical
      competence, and further develop CA inhibitors with some specificity for bone.

PMID- 1858522
TI  - Isolation of avian osteoclasts: improved techniques to preferentially purify
      viable cells.
AB  - Among the many different methods that have been used to obtain and study isolated
      osteoclasts from a variety of species, the egg-laying hen maintained on a low
      calcium diet has proven to be one of the richest sources of relatively large
      numbers of osteoclasts. However, recent reports and our own observations indicate
      that only a very small proportion of the osteoclasts harvested by such methods
      are viable. The difficulty in obtaining large numbers of viable osteoclasts has
      restricted studies of osteoclast function and regulation, and so new isolation
      methods were sought. This report describes an osteoclast isolation procedure
      designed to substantially enrich for large numbers of viable authentic
      osteoclasts. Size and cell density differences between osteoclasts and
      contaminating mononuclear cells have been exploited in developing the methods for
      osteoclast enrichment. Sequential nonenzymatic and enzymatic procedures, followed
      by cell density separations, have yielded three populations of osteoclasts
      derived from chick hatchlings maintained on a low-calcium diet. A corresponding
      decrease in bone-associated osteoclasts during the sequential isolation scheme
      has been monitored using an osteoclast-directed monoclonal antibody, 121F. The
      first two populations contain 40% osteoclasts, which are predominantly (greater
      than 99%) nonviable, but the third population contains 8-fold more viable
      osteoclasts, effectively increasing the proportion of viable osteoclasts more
      than 25-fold in comparison with the first two populations. The osteoclast-like
      nature of the isolated viable population 3 cells was established by demonstrating
      ruffled border formation, possession of the 121F monoclonal antibody-reactive
      osteoclast antigen, bone particle resorption activity, and resorption pit
      formation on cortical bone slices revealed by transmission and scanning electron
      microscopy.

PMID- 1858523
TI  - A systemic acceleratory phenomenon (SAP) accompanies the regional acceleratory
      phenomenon (RAP) during healing of a bone defect in the rat.
AB  - The rate of remodeling in the region of a bone defect exceeds normal tissue
      activity. It was Frost who described this reaction as a regional acceleratory
      phenomenon (RAP). We investigated the local healing process with rats with a burr
      hole defect (1.2 mm in diameter) in the left tibia. We differentiated an initial
      phase of bone formation followed by a phase of predominant resorption. To
      determine whether this regional enhancement of bone formation would result in a
      systemic impact on bone metabolism, we analyzed both tibiae and femora and the
      fourth lumbar vertebra. On day 7 both femora of rats with the tibial defect
      showed a significant increase in computerized x-ray density, dry weight, ash
      weight, and Ca2+ content. Both tibiae and the fourth lumbar vertebra showed a
      significant increase in mineralizing surface, mineral apposition rate, and bone
      formation rate. Because of these results we conclude that a systemic acceleratory
      phenomenon (SAP) accompanies the RAP. SAP affects only the cancellous, but not
      the cortical bone compartment. SAP is associated closely with the occurrence of
      woven bone during the formation phase of the healing process. Thus we assume that
      woven bone formation plays a pivotal role in the mediation of SAP.

PMID- 1858524
TI  - Comparison of dual-photon absorptiometry systems for total-body bone and soft
      tissue measurements: dual-energy X-rays versus gadolinium 153.
AB  - A total of 81 subjects (41 males and 40 females) were scanned by dual-photon
      absorptiometry by 153Gd source (DPA; Lunar DP4) and by dual-energy x-ray
      absorptiometry (DEXA; Lunar-DPX) within a 24 h period. Total-body bone mineral
      density (TBMD), calcium content (Ca), and soft tissue mass (ST) were determined
      with a precision of about 1-1.5% using DPA and 0.5-1.0% using DEXA. Measurements
      of TBMD, Ca, ST, bone area (area), percentage fat, and regional bone mineral
      densities (BMD) were compared. Paired t-tests showed small but significant
      differences between all measurements. Correlations (r) for TBMD, Ca, area, ST,
      percentage fat, arm BMD, leg BMD, and trunk BMD were 0.99, 0.99, 0.97, 0.99,
      0.97, 0.99, 0.99, and 0.98. There were small systematic differences for TBMD
      (less than 1%), calcium (3%), bone area (3%), soft tissue mass (7%), and
      percentage fat (9%) between the two approaches. Regression equations are given
      relating these measurements.

PMID- 1858525
TI  - Measurement of mechanical properties of bone material in vitro by ultrasound
      reflection: methodology and comparison with ultrasound transmission.
AB  - An ultrasound reflection technique was designed and implemented to study the
      mechanical properties of bone material. The technique uses the fact that an
      ultrasound beam produced in water undergoes total internal reflection off a bone
      sample at a critical angle formally related to the velocity of a pressure wave in
      bone. When the plane of scattering is rotated around the normal to the sample
      surface, the critical angle varies with a periodic dependence dictated by the
      intrinsic symmetry of the bone structure at the point being examined. Most
      current measurements of sound velocity are made using transmission techniques. A
      double-blind intercomparison between this technique and a transmission technique,
      which was previously validated against tensile mechanical testing, was performed
      for samples of isotropic materials and of human cortical bone. Strong
      correlations were found for both sets of samples. For the isotropic materials the
      velocities were approximately equal, but for bone they were on average 11% higher
      in reflection than in transmission. This was the result both of the higher
      frequency employed in reflection (3.5 rather than 2.25 MHz) and of the different
      effects of sample imperfections on the two measurements. In particular, the
      reflection technique used in this work studied the surface of the sample, but the
      ultrasound beam in the transmission method propagated through its interior. In
      assessing the mechanical properties of bone specimens by ultrasound, the
      reflection technique samples a discrete bone surface element and the transmission
      method analyzes the entire volume of the specimen. Thus the reflection technique
      may yield a measure of the mechanical property of bone trabeculae that is largely
      unaffected by the mass of the entire specimen, but mass and the structural
      density of the specimen affect the transmission method.

PMID- 1858526
TI  - Thirteenth annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
      San Diego, California, August 24-28, 1991. Program and abstracts.

PMID- 1858527
TI  - Acetazolamide reactivity on cerebral blood flow in patients with subarachnoid
      haemorrhage.
AB  - Cerebral vasodilatory capacity was evaluated by acetazolamide-activated N
      isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine (123I-IMP) single photon emission computed
      tomography (SPECT) in 42 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). A low
      perfusion area was present in the corresponding region of haematoma seen on the
      CT and continued to be noted throughout the time courses. Deteriorated
      acetazolamide reactivity affected by surgical intervention was seen in 100% of
      the patients who underwent aneurysm repair in the 1st postoperative week, 92% in
      the second week, 73% in the third week, and 47% in the fourth week. Three
      patients with acute diffuse brain swelling seen on CT showed intracranial non
      filling of 123I-IMP on SPECTs performed on Day 6, and all three died by Day 10.
      Some low perfusion areas, due to probable vasospasm, were present in 77% of Hunt
      and Hess grades I and II patients and in 100% of grades III, IV, and V patients
      throughout their time courses. Overall, low perfusion areas, due to probable
      vasospasm, were seen in 10 patients (31%) of 32 who underwent SPECT between Day 4
      and 8,23 (77%) of 30 between Day 9 and 14, 21 (72%) of 29 between Day 15 and 21,
      and 11 (48%) of 23 between Day 22 and 28. The results suggest acetazolamide
      activated 123I-IMP study is of value in evaluating changes in vasodilatory
      capacity in SAH patients in the acute and subacute stages.

PMID- 1858528
TI  - Modulation by interferon alpha of the decreased natural killer activity in
      patients with glioblastoma.
AB  - It is known that natural killer (NK) cells are involved in immunosurveillance
      against tumours. This study examines the NK activity of mononuclear cells (MNC)
      from the peripheral blood of patients with glioblastoma. The cytotoxic inducer
      effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) upon these MNC has also been studied. A
      marked decrease in NK activity mediated by MNC from these patients was found.
      This functional defected in MNC is not due to a decrease in phenotypically
      defined NK cells. After long-term (5-day) incubation with IFN-alpha, MNC from 5
      out of 14 patients showed strong lytic activity against NK-sensitive target
      cells. In this system, IFN-alpha failed to induce cytotoxic activity against NK
      resistant target cells in MNC from all the patients studied. This in vitro
      induction of cytotoxic activity in MNC from some patients with glioblastoma by
      IFN-alpha suggests a potential immunotherapeutic use of the lymphokine in these
      subjects.

PMID- 1858529
TI  - Muscle basal lamina as a grafting material for elongation of axons from rat
      brain.
AB  - Autografts of peripheral nerve or allografts of muscle basal lamina were inserted
      into the putamen-caudate complex of rats, with the outer end of the implant being
      sutured to the temporalis muscle. Elongation of central axons within the grafts,
      as revealed by the horseradish peroxidase retrograde labelling technique, did
      occur in the presence of basal lamina implants. With both types of grafting
      materials stained neurones exhibited a comparable distribution, being mainly
      found in the proximity of the central tip of the grafts. However, labelled cells
      in the presence of basal lamina were limited in number, compared with peripheral
      nerve autografts. Therefore, the usefulness of implants of muscle basal lamina
      into the central nervous system, in order to direct regenerating central axons
      toward distant target regions, is limited. This material might be suitable, as an
      alternative grafting material, in experimental models where avoidance of
      neurological impairment or size and length of the graft are crucial factors.

PMID- 1858530
TI  - Rat middle cerebral artery occlusion using an intraluminal thread technique.
AB  - A modification of the previous methods of producing cerebral ischaemia in rats
      (Koizumi et al., Longa et al.), using an intraluminal thread technique, is
      described. The middle cerebral artery is occluded by introducing a simple 3-0
      nylon thread (0.20-0.249 mm in diameter) through the internal carotid artery in
      the neck. It has been proven that with this method reproducible focal cerebral
      ischaemia can be achieved which resembles human stroke. Therefore this simple and
      relatively non-invasive model is suitable for the pathophysiological
      investigation of ischaemic stroke and the testing of potential therapies.

PMID- 1858531
TI  - Acute effect of neodymium yttrium aluminium garment laser on the cerebral
      cortical structure, blood-brain barrier, and pial vessel behaviour in the cat.
AB  - Experimental brain lesions were created by Nd:YAG laser (wave length 1.06
      microns) irradiation on the cerebral cortex of anaesthesized adult cats with 20
      Watts impacts of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 seconds exposure time through cranial
      windows. Histological changes, disruption of the blood-brain barrier (Evans blue
      extravasation) and pial vessel reaction (large vessels more than 100 microns and
      vessels smaller than 100 microns) were studied under constant PaCO2, blood pH,
      and mean arterial pressure. Histological changes of the lesions consisted of a
      zone of dense coagulation, a pale zone of homogeneous coagulation and an
      oedematous zone. Evans blue extravasation was uniformly seen extending from the
      histologically changed area into the surrounding tissue in all experiments. Pial
      arteries in the area with morphological changes showed pronounced dilatation
      (100.0 +/- 7.2%) and one third of these arteries were closed by thrombi. Pial
      arteries in the area of Evans blue extravasation but outside of histological
      changes also dilated (large arteries 60 +/- 4.1%, small arteries 77 +/- 5.9%).
      Pial arteries outside of the Evans blue extravasation were affected transiently
      and only in a very small zone: Within a distance of 200 microns from the Evans
      blue extravasation, large arteries initially dilated by 41 +/- 8.3%; small
      arteries dilated within 400 microns (42 +/- 3.7%). Within 4 minutes after
      irradiation arterial dilatation was again significantly reduced (p less than
      0.01). It is concluded that no important vascular changes occur beyond the zones
      of histologically altered brain tissue.

PMID- 1858532
TI  - Meningioma presenting at a site of a previously aspirated brain abscess.
AB  - We report the case of a meningioma which developed in the parieto-occipital lobe
      at the site where a brain abscess had been aspirated 9 years previously. There
      was no history of head trauma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first
      reported case of a meningioma associated and possibly aetiologically related to a
      previous inflammatory process in the absence of head trauma. The association of
      chronic inflammation and the subsequent development of a meningioma is discussed.

PMID- 1858533
TI  - Fibrosarcoma of the scalp following postoperative radiotherapy for
      medulloblastoma.
AB  - A rare case of fibrosarcoma of the scalp following postoperative radiotherapy for
      medulloblastoma is reported. A review of similar cases in the literature was
      undertaken in an attempt to find a correlation between the dose of radiation, the
      length of the latent period, and the nature of the neoplasm. A significantly
      shorter latent period was found for sarcomas. No relationship was observed
      between the radiation dose and the latent period. The present case is unique in
      that the post-irradiation neoplasm (PIN) occurred in a predominantly extracranial
      site after treatment for a desmoplastic medullobastoma and had a remarkably short
      latent period.

PMID- 1858534
TI  - Atypical vertebral artery in a patient with an intra-and extraspinal cervical
      neurenteric cyst.
AB  - A 15 year old girl experienced Horner's syndrome on the right side, paraesthesia
      of the right arm and meningitis. CT and MRI showed a cystic lesion on the right
      side of the cervical spine at C3/C4 which descended with an extraspinal portion
      down to C6. Histology revealed a complex neurenteric cyst. The ipsilateral
      vertebral artery showed an atypical course. This abnormal artery besides a
      partial fusion of the vertebrae C2/C3/C4 suggest a complex malformation at the
      site of the cyst. Disturbed developmental relationships in this case indicate
      that pathological blood vessels may represent a risk factor in the surgical
      treatment of neurenteric cysts.

PMID- 1858535
TI  - Anterior-sacral meningocele; value of magnetic resonance imaging and abdominal
      sonography. A case report.
AB  - With the presentation of a case of giant anterior sacral meningocele, the evident
      superiority of magnetic resonance imaging over any other methods for the
      diagnosis of this rare condition is demonstrated. Ultrasound as a screening tool
      is often the first to reveal the presence of the intrabdominal cystic abnormality
      and furthermore is an excellent means for checking the post-operative course. In
      addition this particular case is interesting because the dural stalk linking the
      meningocele to the dural abdominal sac was not entirely free from nervous
      structures inspite of macroscopic appearances to the contrary.

PMID- 1858536
TI  - Meningitis after transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma removal, but without CSF
      fistula.

PMID- 1858537
TI  - Clipping of the anterior communicating artery to eliminate the contralateral
      blood supply in supratentorial large AVM of the carotid system. A report of 22
      cases.
AB  - Large supratentorial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the carotid system are
      vascularized by the ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) and often, in
      addition, by the contralateral ICA via the anterior communicating artery (ACoA).
      In these AVMs we have previously advocated (1981) multiple staged operations with
      the progressive reduction of the blood stream passing through the AVM. In twenty
      two cases, starting in 1983, the reduction of the blood stream into the shunt has
      been performed as a first operation by placing a clip on the middle of the ACoA
      through a pterional approach on the opposite side of the AVM before radical open
      surgery. Results were excellent when considering the control angiogram and the
      measurement of the blood velocity in the ICA opposite to the AVM side. There were
      no neurological complications and no mortality.

PMID- 1858540
TI  - Transcriptional regulation of the human apolipoprotein genes.

PMID- 1858538
TI  - Thromboembolic phenomena in neurosurgical patients operated upon for primary and
      metastatic brain tumors.
AB  - A retrospective study was designed to evaluate clinical thromboembolic phenomena
      (TEP) in patients operated upon for brain tumours. Among 492 patients treated
      surgically in the supratentorial area, the overall incidence of clinical TEP was
      7%. There were 5% with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 4% with clinical pulmonary
      embolism (PE). Seven patients (1%) died from massive PE. Among 141 patients
      treated surgically in the infratentorial area there were no episodes of TEP.
      Significant risk factors for TEP development were operations in the
      supratentorial area, malignant gliomas (compared to meningiomas) and para- or
      hemiparesis. Age, sex and the specific location in the supratentorial area were
      not found to be statistically significant risk factors. Among 12 patients who
      presented initially with DVT two developed PE despite full heparinization. 7/19
      patients with PE died within minutes to hours of the clinical episode despite
      full conservative measures. In 2/26 patients who were treated with full
      heparinization complications occurred. There was one case of diffuse subcutaneous
      bleeding and one case of tumour bed haematoma. The identification of risk factors
      for the development of TEP will allow the implementation of prophylactic measures
      in appropriate patients undergoing elective brain tumour surgery.

PMID- 1858539
TI  - Highly sensitive detection of beta-2 transferrin in rhinorrhea and otorrhea as a
      marker for cerebrospinal fluid (C.S.F.) leakage.
AB  - As beta-2 transferrin is almost specific to the cerebrospinal fluid, its
      detection in rhinorrhea or otorrhea fluids demonstrates the occurrence of CSF
      fistula. We describe a highly sensitive method based on immunoaffinity-mediated
      capillary blotting for the detection of this cathodic isoform of transferrin in
      minute amounts (3 microliters) of rhinorrhea or otorrhea fluids. Application of
      this method in a series of 10 patients with CSF fistula is reported.

PMID- 1858541
TI  - Distribution of cholesterol within high density lipoproteins fractionated by
      immunoaffinity chromatography.

PMID- 1858542
TI  - Metabolic role of human apoprotein A-IV.

PMID- 1858543
TI  - Regression of atheroma and putative role of CETP in cholesteryl ester removal.

PMID- 1858544
TI  - Symmetry of the surface, and structure of the central core of human LDL
      particles, analyzed by X-ray small angle scattering.

PMID- 1858545
TI  - Alterations of high density lipoproteins induced by thyroid hormones in man and
      rat.

PMID- 1858546
TI  - The HELP-system in the treatment of severe hypercholesterolaemia: acute and long
      term experience.
AB  - The HELP procedure provides a new means of treating high LDL concentrations in
      severe hypercholesterolemia with the unique additional effect of lowering Lp(a)
      and fibrinogen. In combination with HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors a mean interval
      value of -75% for LDL as compared to the starting concentration may be achieved.
      The treatment has the advantage that the patient is not exposed to foreign
      proteins or compounds with attendant immunological problems. It displays a high
      degree of reproducibility and an almost unlimited capacity guaranteeing a
      constant therapy independent of the clinic performing the treatment. The first
      coronary angiographies after 2 years of HELP treatment in over 50 patients (to be
      reported elsewhere) give support to the hope that regression of coronary heart
      disease is possible in humans. Further studies and observations should eventually
      tell us at what level of LDL, Lp(a) and fibrinogen this may be expected. We trust
      that the clinical benefit of this treatment regimen will be substantial for those
      patients who have problems in clearing LDL from their plasma pool and who are at
      the same time sensitive to elevated LDL-levels by the development of premature
      coronary sclerosis.

PMID- 1858547
TI  - Familial hypocholesterolemia and HDL deficiency.

PMID- 1858548
TI  - Mechanisms of hypocholesterolemia.

PMID- 1858549
TI  - Berman's simulation analysis and modeling.

PMID- 1858550
TI  - Considerations in designing and analyzing data from apo-B turnover studies.

PMID- 1858551
TI  - What is meant by overproduction of apo B-containing lipoproteins?

PMID- 1858552
TI  - Kinetics of heterogeneous populations of particles.

PMID- 1858553
TI  - Kinetic studies of the origin of apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 in low density
      lipoproteins of normal and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits.

PMID- 1858554
TI  - Mutations and variants of apolipoprotein B that affect plasma cholesterol levels.
AB  - Apolipoprotein (apo-) B100 is the exclusive apolipoprotein of low density
      lipoproteins (LDL0, which transport most of the plasma cholesterol in humans.
      Mutations in apo-B100 can cause either hypocholesterolemia or
      hypercholesterolemia. Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia, which leads to
      hypocholesterolemia, has been shown to be caused by defects in the apo-B gene
      that terminate translation prematurely and result in the production of truncated
      proteins. The mutations responsible for the hypocholesterolemia have been either
      single nucleotide substitutions or deletions. Familial defective apo-B100, which
      leads to hypercholesterolemia, is caused by a point mutation in the receptor
      binding domain of apo-B100. The mutation disrupts the binding of LDL to the LDL
      receptor, thereby disrupting LDL receptor-mediated catabolism and resulting in
      hypercholesterolemia. A variant form of apo-B, apo-B48, is also critical for
      lipoprotein metabolism. Apolipoprotein B48 is obligatory for the secretion of
      chylomicrons. It is formed from an RNA-edited apo-B mRNA in which codon 2153 has
      been converted from a CAA (glutamine) codon to a premature UAA (stop) codon. The
      first cytosine in this codon is deaminated to form uracil. The minimum nucleotide
      recognition sequence for the editing mechanism has been reported to be between 26
      and more than 63 nucleotides surrounding codon 2153. The apo-B mRNA editing
      mechanism, which appears to be a cytosine deaminase, and its regulation are being
      actively investigated.

PMID- 1858555
TI  - Alterations in cholesterol metabolism in the genetically hypercholesterolemic
      RICO rat: an overview.

PMID- 1858556
TI  - Genetic variation at the lipoprotein lipase gene associates with coronary
      arteriosclerosis.

PMID- 1858557
TI  - The lipid surface of triglyceride-rich particles can modulate (apo)protein
      binding and tissue uptake.

PMID- 1858558
TI  - Structure and metabolism of low density lipoproteins from normal and
      hypertriglyceridemic subjects.

PMID- 1858559
TI  - The apoB 100-apo(a) complex: relation to triglyceride-rich particles.

PMID- 1858560
TI  - apoB-containing lipoprotein particles as risk factors for coronary artery
      disease.

PMID- 1858562
TI  - Concomitant inhibition of VLDL triglyceride and apoprotein secretion by
      hepatocytes of rats adapted to a high-fat diet.

PMID- 1858561
TI  - In vitro binding and in vivo uptake of chylomicron remnants after their
      hydrolysis by hepatic lipase.

PMID- 1858563
TI  - Molecular genetics of apoC-II and lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

PMID- 1858564
TI  - Molecular genetics of familial hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 1858565
TI  - What factors regulate the action of lipoprotein lipase?

PMID- 1858566
TI  - Cytotoxicity of remnants of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins: an atherogenic
      insult?
AB  - None of more widely accepted theories of atherogenesis can explain all the more
      pertinent features of atherosclerosis: a) foam dell formation; b) endothelial
      cell stress/injury; c) protective effect of HDL; d) atherogenicity of
      triglyceride-rich lipoproteins; e) the vesicular nature of early lipid deposits
      in atherosclerosis, f) dissociation of diet risk from the risk due to elevation
      in plasma cholesterol; or g) correlation of postprandial lipemia with CAD risk.
      The data obtained from our studies provide a new theory of atherogenesis. This
      theory is that: a) lipolytic surface remnants of TG-rich lipoproteins may
      represent a major class of atherogenic lipoproteins which are exacerbated during
      postprandial hyperlipidemia; b) clearance of these surfaces remnants by HDL in
      vivo may be one important way that HDL prevents atherosclerosis; c) excess
      surface remnants may be linked to delayed clearance of potentially atherogenic
      core remnants, directly linked to atherogenicity via surface remnant-mediated
      cytotoxicity to cells of the artery wall and/or linked to the deposit of
      unesterified cholesterol-rich vesicles in early atherosclerosis. An appealing
      aspect of this hypothesis is that it can account for several unexplained features
      of atherosclerosis, such as anatomic differences in susceptibility to
      atherosclerosis in the vascular tree, the preference of early atherosclerosis in
      humans to the region of the coronary artery subjected to low hemodynamic shear
      stresses, and the vesicular nature of lipid deposits in early atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1858567
TI  - The role of oxidized LDL in atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1858568
TI  - Probucol and its mechanisms for reducing atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1858569
TI  - Proteoglycans, lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis.
AB  - The arterial wall proteoglycans play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of
      atherosclerosis as depicted schematically in Figure 7. Plasma components
      including lipoproteins cross the endothelium mainly by a non-specific bulk-phase
      vesicular transport. A selective interaction of apoB-containing lipoproteins
      occurs with proteoglycans of the subendothelial layer which results in
      extracellular retention and accumulation of lipoproteins. Such interaction alters
      the structural and charge characteristics of LDL particles. These altered LDL are
      taken up by monocyte-derived macrophages by scavenger receptor-mediated
      endocytosis, leading to cholesteryl ester accumulation and foam cell formation.
      Further, retention of LDL by proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix also
      increases the chances of oxidative modification of lipoproteins. All of these
      changes may be occurring at a marginal level as a normal adaptive process of the
      arterial wall. However, focal response to chronic hemodynamic stress,
      hyperlipidemia or other forms of injury may functionally alter the endothelium,
      and cause greater influx of lipoproteins and smooth muscle cell proliferation,
      resulting in increased synthesis of proteoglycans with altered characteristics.
      Enhanced binding of apo-B containing lipoproteins to proteoglycans under these
      conditions sets the stage for the development of athersclerosis.

PMID- 1858570
TI  - Immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1858571
TI  - Investigation of structural domains in human serum low density lipoprotein
      apolipoprotein B100.

PMID- 1858572
TI  - Cholesterol level in circulating immune complexes as a marker of coronary
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1858573
TI  - Antibody-like immunoglobulins G against low density lipoprotein that stimulate
      lipid accumulation in cultured cells.

PMID- 1858574
TI  - Nutritional regulation of apolipoprotein genes: effect of dietary carbohydrates
      and fatty acids.
AB  - The effect of nutritional factors on apolipoprotein gene expression by rat liver
      were studied. Dietary carbohydrates or fatty acids regulate the expression of apo
      E gene, by altering either gene transcription or mRNA stability. Conversely, apo
      AI regulation occurs at a post transcriptional level. In vivo and in vitro
      experiments gave contradictory results concerning apo B gene expression. The more
      dramatic changes in plasma lipids and apolipoproteins are obtained under dietary
      fish oil. Hepatocytes from fish oil-fed rats retain for several days modification
      in fatty acid metabolism, i.e. a shift in oleic acid channeling towards oxidation
      at the expense of esterification and a reduced ability to synthesize and secrete
      triacylglycerol. These modifications are paralleled with a decrease in the
      synthesis and in the secretion of apo Bs. Hepatocytes from fish oil fed rats
      secrete degradative forms of apo B which might result from either a sluggish VLDL
      synthesis and secretion or a more specific effect of n-3 long chain
      polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidative products. Hepatocytes from fish oil fed
      rats exhibit a reduced ability to synthesize cholesterol, associated with a
      decrease in apo AI synthesis and secretion without any modification in apo AI
      mRNA. In contrast, the hepatocytes exhibit a concomitent decrease in apo E
      synthesis and secretion and in cellular apo E mRNA levels.

PMID- 1858575
TI  - Lipoprotein structure and metabolism during progression and regression of
      atherosclerosis in pigs fed with fish oil-derived fatty acids.

PMID- 1858576
TI  - Implications of thiolester linked fatty acids in apolipoprotein B.

PMID- 1858577
TI  - Factors regulating the distribution of cholesterol between LDL and HDL.

PMID- 1858578
TI  - Human plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT). On the role of
      essential carboxyl groups in catalysis.

PMID- 1858579
TI  - Plasma lipoprotein phenotype in response to cholesteryl ester transfer protein
      levels in dyslipoproteinemia.

PMID- 1858580
TI  - [Immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) and immunosuppressive substance (ISS) in
      patients with renal cell carcinoma].
AB  - To clarify their usefulness as markers for renal cell carcinoma, serum
      immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) and serum immunosuppressive substance
      (ISS) were evaluated by TIA (turbidometric immunoassay) for IAP and by SRID
      (single radial immunodiffusion) for ISS. The mean level of IAP and ISS was beyond
      each upper normal limit (500, 700 micrograms/ml) in every stage, and especially
      high in the M1 group. The levels of IAP and ISS were significantly correlated
      with each other. The determination of IAP and ISS levels after treatment showed a
      good correlation to the clinical course of the disease. The positive rates of IAP
      and ISS increased as the stages progressed, respectively. When the influences of
      pretreatment IAP and ISS level on survival period were investigated, the low IAP
      or ISS level group (less than two times of the upper normal limit) tended to have
      a better prognosis than the high level group (more than two times of the upper
      normal limit) in the M1 patients. These findings suggested that IAP and ISS could
      be used as markers for monitoring a disease and predicting the prognosis in
      patients with renal cell carcinoma. As for the positive rate in the combination
      assay for IAP, TPA and ferritin, or ISS, TPA and ferritin, more than 80% of the
      patients with low stage renal cell carcinoma had at least one positive marker.
      This suggested that the combination assay of these three markers was clinically
      valuable as a disease monitor in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1858581
TI  - [Statistical analysis of tumors of the renal pelvis and the ureter--determinants
      of prognostic significance].
AB  - Sixty-two patients with epithelial tumors of the renal pelvis and the ureter were
      studied with respect to 16 clinicopathological factors and their relationship to
      the patients survival. The cumulative survival curves are depicted by the Kaplan
      Meier method and the statistical difference in the survival rates were detected
      in 11 factors, age, tumor number, multicentricity, tumor size, histological tumor
      type, stage, grade, growth pattern, infiltration pattern, lymphatic invasion and
      venous invasion. Cox's proportional hazard model was applied to evaluate the
      contribution of these 11 factors to survival. With the univariate analysis,
      lymphatic invasion showed the greatest hazard ratio followed by growth pattern,
      stage, venous invasion, age, and grade in this order. Stepwise selection of these
      factors based on the relative magnitude of their contribution to the survival
      with Cox's proportional hazard model revealed the most important factor for
      survival as the lymphatic invasion (hazard ratio 5.29), followed by growth
      pattern (hazard ratio 2.89). In conclusion, patients with tumor lymphatic
      invasion and tumor of non-papillary growth pattern showed poor prognosis, and
      adjuvant chemotherapy should be performed on them to improve their survival.

PMID- 1858582
TI  - [Non-invasive imaging diagnosis of left renal vein compression causing hematuria.
      Part 1. Ultrasonography].
AB  - Left renal veins of 100 out-patients were examined by transabdominal
      ultrasonography to evaluate its usefulness in determining left renal vein
      compression which is causing renal bleeding. Ultrasonography revealed the left
      renal vein in 86 patients. In 61 of the 86 cases, the internal cavity of left
      renal vein was opened at least in diastolic phase, but in 23 cases, the internal
      cavity was closed between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery
      in both systolic and diastolic phases. In the remaining 2 cases, left renal vein
      was compressed at a point where it intersected the right renal artery. Left renal
      vein compression was observed in 18 (69%) of the 26 cases which had been
      classified as idiopathic renal bleeding and in 7 (26%) of the 27 cases which had
      urinary tract diseases causing hematuria. In 33 cases which did not have
      hematuria, left renal vein compression was not observed. These results suggest
      that diagnosis of left renal vein compression causing renal bleeding is possible
      by transabdominal ultrasonography.

PMID- 1858583
TI  - [Non-invasive imaging diagnosis of left renal vein compression causing hematuria.
      Part 2. CT].
AB  - Left renal veins of 77 patients were examined by computed tomography (CT) to
      evaluate its usefulness in determining the left renal vein compression which is
      causing renal bleeding. From CT image, left renal vein compression was observed
      in 6 (86%) of the 7 cases which had been classified as idiopathic renal bleeding,
      in 9 (21%) of the 42 cases which had urinary tract diseases causing hematuria,
      and in 3 (11%) of the 28 cases which did not have hematuria. In 15 of the 18
      cases of left renal vein compression, left renal vein was compressed between the
      superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal aorta, showing so-called nutcracker
      phenomenon. In the remaining 3 cases, however, the superior mesenteric artery
      provided sharp delineation from the abdominal aorta. The superior mesenteric
      artery and the abdominal aorta made the mean angle of 35.5 degree in patients
      with normal left renal vein, the mean angle of 45.4 degrees in those with left
      renal vein compression without nutcracker phenomenon, and the mean angle of 11.9
      degrees in those with nutcracker phenomenon. CT was superior to ultrasonography,
      in revealing left renal vein compression.

PMID- 1858584
TI  - [Urinary bladder disturbances in cervical spondylosis: improvement after surgical
      and conservative treatment].
AB  - Cervical spondylosis accompanied by urinary bladder disturbances in 38 patients
      was treated orthopedically in an attempt to improve the associated urinary
      bladder disturbances. Urodynamic examinations revealed that severe urinary
      bladder symptoms associated with detrusor sphincter dyssynergia are resistant to
      surgical and conservative treatment.

PMID- 1858585
TI  - [Continent urinary diversion using the appendix as a catheterizable stoma].
AB  - Two patients with bladder cancer underwent construction of continent urinary
      reservoir using the in situ appendix as a catheterizable stoma after total
      cystectomy. Urodynamic study revealed that the reservoir had a large capacity of
      500-800 ml and low pressure without the involuntary pressure spikes was
      maintained. X-rays of the reservoir showed no reflux. The patients achieved
      complete day and night-time continence.

PMID- 1858587
TI  - [A case of renal artery aneurysm with calcification].
AB  - We report a case of left renal artery aneurysm with ring-like calcification in a
      57-year-old man. The selective renal arteriography showed a 30 x 28 mm saccular
      type aneurysm arising from the periphery of the bifurcation of posterior segment
      artery. There were no clinical symptoms, such as hypertension and loin pain, but
      we performed aneurysmectomy for fear of rupture. Histopathological findings
      showed atherosclerotic changes with marked calcification of wall lacking natural
      collagen fibers. Renal artery aneurysm with calcification seldom ruptures because
      of its generally hard wall. However, as cases of rupture through weakness of
      calcification have been reported, we recommend positive surgical treatment.

PMID- 1858586
TI  - [Adrenal ganglioneuroma].
AB  - We report a case of adrenal ganglioneuroma. A 29-year-old man was referred to our
      clinic for further investigation of right abdominal mass incidentally discovered
      by ultrasonography. Endocrinological study was unremarkable. Abdominal computed
      tomography revealed well-defined, 6-cm-long oval mass with mottled calcification.
      Adrenal scintigraphy showed enlarged adrenal gland with low accumulation. T1
      image of magnetic resonance depicted hypointensity tumor in comparison with
      liver. Extirpation of this tumor disclosed yellowish white, homogeneous mass, 101
      g in weight and 7 by 7 by 3.5 cm in diameter. Pathological diagnosis was
      ganglioneuroma. All reported cases of adrenal ganglioneuroma exceeded 5 cm in
      diameter. This indicates malignancy in computed tomography. Therefore, we should
      be careful in diagnosing ganglioneuroma.

PMID- 1858588
TI  - [Blind ending bifid ureter with stone in the blind branch: report of a case].
AB  - Blind ending bifid ureter is a rare anomaly in the urinary tract. This anomaly
      may result from failure of a premature branch of the ureteral bud to join with
      the metanephric blastema. A 21-year-old man was admitted with macroscopic
      hematuria and colic pain in the left flank region. Urinalysis demonstrated
      hematopyuria and excretory urography suggested bifid ending accessory ureter with
      a stone on the left side. Surgical exploration showed that the accessory ureter
      was bifurcated from the left ureter at about 5 mm from the bladder wall and ran
      parallel with the left ureter. Although dense adhesions to the surrounding tissue
      existed, the accessory ureter was resected at the site of the junction. It
      measured 3 cm in length and 1 cm in greatest diameter. The stone found at the tip
      of the accessory ureter was composed of calcium oxalate (24%) and calcium
      phosphate (76%). Histological examination revealed that the ureter had all layers
      of normal ureteral structure and no renal tissue was identified in the specimen
      resected. During a follow-up period of 22 months after the operation, he was free
      of urinary tract infection and abdominal pain. Of 77 cases with blind ending
      bifid ureter reported in the Japanese literature, a ureteral stone was found in
      the blind branch in only 5 cases.

PMID- 1858589
TI  - [Intermittent hydronephrosis caused by ureteral polyp in childhood: report of a
      case].
AB  - We report a case of ureteral polyp causing intermittent hydronephrosis in a 12
      year-old boy. He was often hospitalized with episodes of right flank pain and
      gross hematuria. An excretory urogram (IVP) revealed mild hydronephrosis, but it
      showed a markedly dilated right renal pelvis during the attack. An Anderson-Hynes
      type pyeloplasty was done. At operation we found four ureteral polyps, and
      performed partial ureterectomy including polyps. Pathological examination showed
      fibrous ureteral polyps. He has reported no symptoms for 3 months after the
      operation.

PMID- 1858590
TI  - [A case of malignant pheochromocytoma of the urinary bladder].
AB  - A 31-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of miction pain and gross
      hematuria in August, 1988. Cystoscopic examination revealed a solid mass in the
      bladder. The histological diagnosis was pheochromocytoma of urinary bladder by
      biopsy. He had a history of syncope on urination several times. Abnormal
      elevation of serum noradrenaline was observed in hormonal studies and abnormal
      accumulation was seen in the bladder by 131I-MIBG scintigraphy. Total cystectomy,
      lymphadenectomy and urinary diversion were performed in November, 1988.
      Pathological diagnosis was pheochromocytoma of the urinary bladder with
      metastasis to both iliac lymph nodes.

PMID- 1858591
TI  - [Complete remission of lung metastases of bladder tumor treated by small dosage
      of UFT: a case report].
AB  - The patient was a 61-year-old woman with bladder cancer presenting in stage pT3a,
      N0, M0, T.C.C. (GIII) greater than S.C.C. Following total cystectomy and one
      course of cisplatin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide (CAP) as adjuvant chemotherapy,
      she was started on futraful and uracil (UFT) at a dose of 4 capsules daily and
      placed on observation. Since she complained of olfactory anesthesia at 2 months
      of treatment, the dosage of UFT was reduced to 2 capsules daily and the drug was
      withdrawn after another 2 months of treatment. With the detection of lung
      metastases one month later UFT was resumed at a dose of 2 capsules daily. At 4
      months of resumed treatment the foci of metastasis completely disappeared. She
      has since shown a complete remission by small dosage of UFT (2 capsules daily)
      for 12 months or more.

PMID- 1858592
TI  - [Urinary diversion using an appendix: a report of two cases].
AB  - We report two cases of urinary diversion through an appendix. Case 1. An 81-year
      old man was hospitalized with oliguria. The patient had a past history of left
      nephro-ureterectomy for left ureteral tumor. Ultrasound showed right
      hydronephrosis due to recurrence in the bladder and right ureter. A total
      cystectomy and partial ureterectomy were carried out, and an appendix conduit was
      constructed because the ureter was not sufficiently long for ureterocutaneostomy.
      Case 2. A 68-year-old woman with diabetic neurogenic bladder, hypothyroidism, and
      chronic obstructive lung disease was hospitalized with the complaint of
      difficulty in self-catheterization. Continent vesicostomy was carried out
      according to the method of Mitrofanoff using the appendix. Both patients were
      tubeless and without postoperative complications before discharge. Appendix
      conduit and Mitrofanoff operation, which can be performed by a simple surgical
      procedure, are considered to be applicable to poor risk cases.

PMID- 1858593
TI  - [A case of pelvic lipomatosis].
AB  - This is a report of the fifth case of pelvic lipomatosis in Japan. A 52-year-old
      man presented himself in our hospital with a complaint of left lower abdominal
      pain on August 28, 1988. At that time, physical examination was unremarkable with
      the exception of mild obesity. The excretory urogram and retrograde pyelogram
      revealed left hydroureteronephrosis with tapering of the left lower ureter.
      Urethrocystogram showed an elongated posterior urethra with anterior displacement
      and elevation of the bladder. Computed tomography revealed excess of diffuse
      fatty tissue in the pelvic space with bladder deformity and rectal compression.
      Pelvic arteriogram demonstrated no neovascularity. A diagnosis of pelvic
      lipomatosis was established. He lost 6 kg by diet therapy. Left lower abdominal
      pain disappeared, but excretory urogram after eight months showed no changes.

PMID- 1858594
TI  - [Intrascrotal leiomyoma: report of a case].
AB  - A case of intrascrotal leiomyoma is reported. The patient was a 56-year-old male
      who complained of painless mass in the scrotum. He noticed the mass about 10
      years ago and it had gradually enlarged. The mass was removed surgically.
      Pathohistological diagnosis of the specimen was leiomyoma. The literature
      revealed 13 cases of intrascrotal leiomyoma in Japan.

PMID- 1858595
TI  - [Ectopic parathyroid adenoma: a case report].
AB  - A 69-year-old woman suffered from bilateral renal stones. Laboratory examinations
      showed primary hyperparathyroidism. Neck exploration including left
      hemithyroidectomy and partial thymectomy failed to reveal the abnormal
      parathyroid gland. Localization studies were done for an ectopic parathyroid
      adenoma. Repeated selective arteriography with digital subtraction technique
      revealed an ectopic parathyroid adenoma in the upper mediastinum. Computed
      tomography, ultrasonotomography and selective venous sampling also confirmed this
      finding. Subsequently, mediastinal exploration with partial sternotomy was
      performed and the ectopic parathyroid adenoma was removed. We discuss the
      preoperative localization studies for ectopic parathyroid adenoma.

PMID- 1858596
TI  - Questions in a code.

PMID- 1858597
TI  - Psychostimulants and Tennessee law.

PMID- 1858598
TI  - Wound repair.

PMID- 1858599
TI  - Paper spacer device for inhalers.

PMID- 1858600
TI  - Doses per container of flunisolide.

PMID- 1858601
TI  - Adjunctive corticosteroid therapy for pneumocystis pneumonia in patients with
      AIDS.

PMID- 1858602
TI  - Adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer.
AB  - Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Screening mammography can
      detect cancer in its early stages, when it is potentially curable. Adjuvant
      chemotherapy is of major benefit in node-positive patients. It is also beneficial
      in certain node-negative patients with a high risk of breast cancer recurrence;
      these patients should be identified and offered adjuvant therapy or enrolled in a
      clinical trial.

PMID- 1858603
TI  - Sonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
AB  - Acute appendicitis can be a diagnostic dilemma. The classic triad of
      leukocytosis, pain at McBurney's point and a history compatible with appendicitis
      has a diagnostic accuracy rate of only 80 percent. Ultrasonography, combined with
      this triad, can improve the diagnostic accuracy, decreasing the negative
      laparotomy rate from 20 percent to less than 10 percent.

PMID- 1858604
TI  - Preventive therapy for malaria.
AB  - The incidence of malaria in travelers returning to the United States has been
      increasing. Persons visiting areas where malaria is endemic should use insect
      repellent, wear clothing that covers the arms and legs, and remain in screened
      areas between dusk and dawn. Chemoprophylaxis for travelers consists of weekly
      doses of chloroquine; a new drug, mefloquine, should be used in the increasing
      number of countries where chloroquine-resistant malaria is found. Travelers to
      these areas should carry three tablets of pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine, which should
      be taken for presumptive treatment of malaria at the onset of chills and fever.
      It is essential that chemoprophylaxis be continued for four to five weeks after
      departure from endemic areas. In travelers who develop symptoms of malaria after
      returning from an endemic area, it is imperative that treatment be started even
      if blood smears are negative.

PMID- 1858605
TI  - Disulfiram: a guide to clinical use in alcoholism treatment.
AB  - One option for helping chronic alcoholics remain sober is disulfiram therapy.
      Patients who take disulfiram develop a sensitivity to alcohol, resulting in
      unpleasant reactions to even small amounts of alcohol. When it is used as part of
      a comprehensive program for alcoholics who wish to remain sober, disulfiram can
      be an effective treatment aid.

PMID- 1858606
TI  - Periodontal disease and the family physician.
AB  - Periodontal disease can be divided into two categories: gingivitis (inflammation
      of the soft tissue) and periodontitis (destruction of the alveolar bone).
      Swelling, erythema, bleeding and gingival recession are common signs of
      gingivitis. However, most patients with gingivitis are asymptomatic. When
      patients complain of tooth pain and mobility, they already have severe
      periodontal disease. Dental loss secondary to periodontal disease may result in
      inadequate mastication, impaired phonetics and loss of self-esteem. Patients
      should be counseled that good oral hygiene and regular dental examinations can
      prevent periodontal disease.

PMID- 1858607
TI  - Ulnar tunnel syndrome.
AB  - The ulnar tunnel syndrome is a relatively uncommon condition resulting from
      compression of the ulnar nerve as it passes through the loge de Guyon, or ulnar
      tunnel, in the wrist. The syndrome may cause weakness and atrophy of the
      intrinsic hand muscles and loss of sensation in the ulnar nerve distribution of
      the hand. The most common cause of ulnar tunnel syndrome is chronic occupational
      trauma, either from pressure exerted over the hypothenar eminence by a tool or
      from the use of the heel of the hand as a hammer. Nonoccupational etiologies
      include congenital, inflammatory, neoplastic, vascular, metabolic, degenerative
      and traumatic disorders. Diagnosis often requires neurophysiologic evaluation, in
      addition to a careful history and physical examination. Conservative treatment
      aimed at protecting the ulnar tunnel from trauma frequently is effective.
      Occasionally, surgical decompression of the ulnar tunnel is required.

PMID- 1858608
TI  - Office dermatologic testing: the scabies preparation.
AB  - Patients with scabies may present with urticarial, eczematous or excoriated
      papules, eczematous patches or, occasionally, nodules. It is often difficult to
      differentiate scabies from eczema, folliculitis, drug eruption or lichen planus.
      The classically described burrows are often not seen. The scabies preparation, as
      described in this article, will aid in making the proper diagnosis.

PMID- 1858609
TI  - Prevention of sports-related eye injury.
AB  - Sports-related eye injury is an important cause of vision loss. Many eye injuries
      can be prevented through the supervision of play, the enforcement of game rules
      and the use of eye protective devices. State-of-the-art eye protective devices
      incorporate highly impact-resistant optical material, usually polycarbonate
      lenses, in a sturdy frame. Protective devices are available for use in racquet
      sports, baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey and other sports.

PMID- 1858610
TI  - Pneumocystis carinii: a deadly opportunist.
AB  - Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is a life-threatening complication of diseases and
      therapies associated with immunosuppression. Approximately 80 percent of patients
      with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome will develop pneumocystis pneumonia.
      Diagnosis is important, because effective therapy is available. In most cases,
      diagnosis can be made by sputum analysis. Bronchoalveolar lavage will yield a
      diagnosis in 85 to 90 percent of patients with pneumocystis pneumonia, and is
      used when sputum induction and analysis is unproductive, unavailable or negative.
      Transbronchial biopsy and, rarely, open lung biopsy will yield the etiology of
      pneumonia in the remaining patients. Pentamidine or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
      is the treatment of choice. Toxicity often occurs, including hypoglycemia,
      nephrotoxicity, neutropenia and rash. Corticosteroids are helpful in moderate to
      severe disease. Mortality for the first episode of P. carinii pneumonia averages
      20 percent. Prophylaxis effectively prevents and reduces the incidence of future
      episodes.

PMID- 1858611
TI  - Laser treatment of benign cutaneous vascular lesions.
AB  - Benign cutaneous vascular lesions have been treated with a wide array of
      modalities. Lasers are a comparatively new form of treatment for cutaneous blood
      vessel abnormalities. Initially, results following laser treatment were
      disappointing, primarily because of widespread thermal injury to surrounding
      normal tissue. Recent developments in laser technology and the introduction of
      the tunable dye laser offer the ability to selectively target laser energy at
      specific chromophores such as oxyhemoglobin. The technique of selective
      photothermolysis provides successful treatment of benign vascular lesions with
      minimal damage to adjacent structures.

PMID- 1858612
TI  - Temper tantrums.
AB  - Temper tantrums are a normal response to anger and occur commonly in the child
      between one and four years of age. They arise from the child's thwarted efforts
      to exercise mastery and autonomy. Tantrums occur more frequently in the active,
      determined child who has abundant energy. Parenting practices that may encourage
      tantrums include inconsistency, unreasonable expectations, excessive strictness,
      overprotectiveness and overindulgence. Boredom, fatigue, hunger or illness may
      reduce the child's tolerance for frustration. Management consists of teaching the
      parents to understand the underlying meaning of tantrums and to modify parental
      behaviors that may perpetuate or accentuate the problem. Temper tantrums are best
      handled by ignoring the outburst, offering nurturance to the child after the
      tantrum has subsided and helping the child learn to express negative feelings in
      more acceptable ways.

PMID- 1858613
TI  - Noninvasive diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.
AB  - Deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity poses a diagnostic challenge.
      Clinical signs and symptoms are often misleading, and sensitive and specific
      tests are essential for diagnosis. The cost, patient discomfort and risk of
      morbidity associated with contrast venography have led to the development of
      noninvasive diagnostic techniques such as Doppler ultrasound, impedance
      plethysmography and duplex ultrasound scanning. If noninvasive tests
      unequivocally indicate deep venous thrombosis, treatment may be started without
      the need for contrast venography.

PMID- 1858614
TI  - Nonpharmacologic treatment of urinary incontinence.
AB  - Standard therapy for urinary incontinence often includes pharmaceutical agents
      that carry a risk of side effects or interactions with other drugs. As an
      alternative, several nonpharmacologic management approaches are available.
      Scheduled voiding regimens are effective for patients who have uninhibited
      detrusor contractions, even when cognitive impairment is present. In motivated
      patients, pelvic muscle exercise is effective for stress incontinence. These
      methods are safe and inexpensive, and studies indicate that they can be as
      effective as or more effective than pharmaceutical agents. Other nonpharmacologic
      approaches to management include biofeedback techniques and electrical
      stimulation therapy.

PMID- 1858615
TI  - National medical and nursing organizations call for overturn of 'gag rule'.

PMID- 1858616
TI  - AIDS update.

PMID- 1858617
TI  - Early angioplasty in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by
      hypotension.
AB  - Emergency percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was performed in 62
      patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by hypotension. All
      patients were treated within 12 hours of the onset of chest pain. Angioplasty was
      completely successful (residual lesion less than or equal to 50%) in 48 patients,
      partially successful (patent vessel greater than 50% residual lesion) in four
      patients, and unsuccessful in 10 patients. Patients in whom angioplasty was
      successful had a hospital mortality rate of 19%; those in whom angioplasty was
      unsuccessful or only partially successful had hospital mortality rates of 60% and
      50%, respectively, (p = 0.012). Patients with occlusion of the proximal left
      anterior descending vessel had the highest failure rate (42%) and the highest
      mortality rate (67%). Other univariate predictors of hospital mortality were
      older age and elevated end-diastolic pressure. Successful emergency angioplasty
      improves mortality in patients with acute infarction complicated by hypotension.

PMID- 1858618
TI  - Intraaortic balloon pumping as the postangioplasty strategy in acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - To assess the usefulness of intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) in acute
      myocardial infarction (AMI), 114 patients with anterior AMI undergoing emergency
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) for total occlusion of the
      left anterior descending artery were studied. After successful PTCA 66 patients
      were treated with conventional therapy (group I), and 48 patients were treated
      with IABP for 25 +/- 8 hours (group II). The reocclusion rate was significantly
      lower in group II (2.4% vs 17.7% p less than 0.05). An increase in ejection
      fraction in group II compared with group I was marginally significant (4.5 +/-
      12.2% vs 9.2 +/- 13.0%, p = 0.08). Vascular complications occurred in two
      patients, but there were no deaths from IABP. These results suggest that after
      successful PTCA for acute myocardial infarction, IABP prevents reocclusion and
      may add strength to reperfusion in the improvement of left ventricular function.

PMID- 1858619
TI  - Collateral circulation as a marker of the presence of viable myocardium in
      patients with recent myocardial infarction.
AB  - The relationship between the presence of viable myocardium and the extent of
      coronary collateral circulation to the infarct area was evaluated in 20 patients
      with a recent anterior myocardial infarction who had complete obstruction of the
      left anterior descending coronary artery. The viability of myocardial tissue was
      assessed by exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy, and the collateral
      circulation was angiographically evaluated by means of a collateral index ranging
      from 0 to 3. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence
      (group 1, n = 10) or absence (group 2, n = 10) of viable myocardium in the
      perfusion territory of the infarct-related artery. The collateral index in group
      1 was 2.5 +/- 0.5 (SD), which was significantly higher than the 0.7 +/- 0.8 in
      group 2. These findings indicate that the presence of ischemic but viable
      myocardium is intimately related to the development of collateral circulation in
      patients with myocardial infarction, and the existence of well-developed
      collateral channels predicts the presence of viable myocardium in the infarct
      area.

PMID- 1858620
TI  - Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the left coronary artery in
      patients with chronic occlusion of the right coronary artery: clinical and
      functional results.
AB  - The safety and therapeutic benefits of percutaneous transluminal coronary
      angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the left circumflex
      coronary artery or both were assessed in 61 patients with chronic (greater than 3
      months) occlusion of the right coronary artery. Recanalization of the right
      coronary artery was not performed before dilatation of left coronary artery
      lesions. All lesions could be dilated without an acute ischemic event in the
      catheterization laboratory. However, three patients underwent coronary artery
      bypass surgery within the first 8 days after coronary angioplasty. There were no
      in-hospital deaths. Of the remaining 58 patients, 51 (88%) had repeat angiography
      at a mean of 5.2 +/- 2.5 months. Patients were divided into two groups according
      to the presence (n = 17) or absence (n = 34) of restenosis defined as greater
      than or equal to 50% diameter stenosis at the dilated site. Baseline
      characteristics were comparable. The mean value for angina functional class at
      follow-up was significantly better in the group without than in the group with
      restenosis (0.4 +/- 0.6 vs 2.1 +/- 1.1, respectively; p less than 0.001). Sixty
      five percent of the patients without restenosis were asymptomatic at follow-up.
      Seventy-five percent of the predicted maximal physical capacity was reached by
      76% of the patients without restenosis compared with 33% in the group with
      restenosis (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858621
TI  - Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty involving internal mammary artery grafts.
AB  - With the increasing use of the internal mammary artery as the conduit of choice
      in coronary bypass surgery, it is anticipated that an expanding patient
      population will have stenosis, usually at the site of internal mammary-to
      coronary artery anastomosis. In our series 31 patients underwent dilatation at
      either the site of anastomosis (24), the native coronary artery beyond the
      anastomosis (4), or both (3) with no mortality, myocardial infarction, or need
      for emergency coronary artery bypass surgery. Angiographic and clinical success
      was achieved in 28 patients (90%). There were two internal mammary artery
      dissections with both patients requiring elective coronary bypass surgery. Of the
      patients in whom dilatation was successful, 22 (79%) have been followed for
      longer than 6 months and 19 (86%) have had sustained functional improvement at a
      mean of 35 months after angioplasty. One patient is to undergo repeat coronary
      bypass surgery. No patient has had a myocardial infarction or died during follow
      up. Although percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the internal
      mammary artery has inherent difficulties because of the anatomic characteristics
      of the vessel, it can be performed with a high degree of primary success and a
      low incidence of complications and can provide long-term clinical improvement.

PMID- 1858622
TI  - Effect of the degree of effort on exercise echocardiography for the detection of
      restenosis after coronary artery angioplasty.
AB  - To determine whether the accuracy of exercise echocardiography is affected by the
      degree of effort during exercise, we examined 101 patients who had 6 months
      earlier undergone successful coronary artery angioplasty, with resting and
      immediate postexercise echocardiography and same-day coronary angiography. A
      positive exercise echocardiographic response was defined as the development of a
      new or worsening wall motion abnormality postexercise, compared with resting wall
      motion. Significant coronary disease (greater than 50% diameter stenosis) was
      present in 48 patients, 38 of whom had single-vessel disease and 10 of whom had
      two-vessel disease. Exercise echocardiography correctly identified 32 patients
      with significant disease (sensitivity 67%) and 44 patients without significant
      disease (specificity 83%). The effect of the degree of exercise effort on the
      sensitivity and specificity of the test was evaluated by three criteria; (1) the
      percentage of maximum predicted heart rate (MHR), (2) the duration of exercise
      (DUR), and (3) the double product (DP). To determine the influence of the degree
      of effort upon sensitivity and specificity, the effort criteria were compared
      between patients with true positive (TP) tests to those with false negative tests
      (FN), and in patients with true negative (TN) tests compared with those with
      false positive (FP) tests. No significant differences were detected in MHR, DUR,
      or DP between TP versus FN patients or between TN versus FP patients. These
      results indicate that for symptom-limited exercise echocardiography in
      postangioplasty patients, neither sensitivity nor specificity is significantly
      affected by the degree of effort during exercise.

PMID- 1858623
TI  - Smoking and the risk of first acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - When analyzing risk factors for first acute myocardial infarction in the
      Copenhagen City Heart Study, a large prospective population study of 20,000 men
      and women, smoking was found to influence risk significantly in a dose-dependent
      manner, the risk increasing 2% to 3% for each gram of tobacco smoked daily. Risk
      was particularly associated with inhalation, the risk for inhalers being almost
      twice that of noninhalers. No difference in risk could be demonstrated between
      various types of tobacco (pipe, cigar/cheroots, or plain and filtered
      cigarettes). The risk seemed associated with current smoking only, inasmuch as
      the duration of the smoking habit was not important. Ex-smokers had the same risk
      as those who had never smoked regardless of duration of smoking and time elapsed
      since quitting. Relative excess risk was significantly higher in female smokers
      than in male smokers, and daily alcohol intake appeared to have some protective
      effect on the risk of first acute myocardial infarction among heavy smokers.

PMID- 1858624
TI  - Absent left main coronary artery: angiographic findings in 83 patients with
      separate ostia of the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries at the
      left aortic sinus.
AB  - Among 20,332 adult patients who underwent consecutive cardiac catheterization and
      coronary arteriography, 83 (0.4%) were angiographically identified as having an
      absent left main coronary artery. The angiographic characteristics of this
      coronary anomaly include: (1) the presence of two well-separated coronary ostia
      at the left aortic sinus resulting in separate origin of the left anterior
      descending and circumflex arteries; (2) an increased incidence of left coronary
      dominance; (3) a higher (6%) than usual (0.5% to 1.5%) incidence of myocardial
      bridging; (4) lack of a high incidence of congenital heart anomalies; and (5) an
      incidence of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease similar to that of patients
      whose left main artery is intact. In 39% of the patients difficulties in
      selectively cannulating the separate ostium of the circumflex artery and
      adequately opacifying this vessel resulted in a need to change the diagnostic
      catheter size. Recognition of this coronary anomaly is needed to ensure accurate
      angiographic interpretation and is important for patients undergoing cardiac
      surgery to selectively perfuse these separate vessels during cardiopulmonary
      bypass.

PMID- 1858625
TI  - Comparative effect of heparin treatment with and without strenuous exercise on
      treadmill capacity in patients with stable effort angina.
AB  - It has recently been demonstrated that treadmill capacity and collateral
      circulation improve as a result of exercise with heparin pretreatment in patients
      with effort angina. In the present study, we assessed whether heparin alone is
      effective in increasing treadmill capacity in 14 patients with effort angina.
      Patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment arms: (1) group A--20
      treadmill exercise periods with standard Bruce protocol twice a day for 10 days
      with heparin (5000 IU intravenously) pretreatment (seven patients) or (2) group B
      -10 injections of heparin calcium (10,000 IU subcutaneously) once a day for 10
      days (seven patients). In group A, total exercise time was increased from 6.9 +/-
      1.2 (SD) to 9.9 +/- 1.9 minutes (p less than 0.0005), as was the maximal double
      product, from 21,700 +/- 3,500 to 27,000 +/- 4,800 mm Hg/min (p less than 0.05).
      The double product at the onset of angina was also increased by 34% (p less than
      0.05), and the double product at which ST depression (0.1 mV) first appeared was
      22% (p less than 0.05) greater after treatment. In contrast, in group B, all of
      the above-mentioned parameters of treadmill capacity remained unchanged. These
      data indicate that heparin does not serve as an angiogenic factor by itself, but
      that it potentiates the ischemia-derived angiogenic factor.

PMID- 1858626
TI  - Heart rate response during exercise testing and ambulatory ECG monitoring in
      patients with syndrome X.
AB  - The response of the heart rate during exercise testing and 24-hour ambulatory
      electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring performed with patients not receiving
      antianginal treatment was assessed in 26 patients (9 men and 17 women; mean age
      51 +/- 8 years) with syndrome X (angina pectoris with normal coronary arteries),
      in 27 patients with coronary artery disease (10 men and 17 women; mean age 55 +/-
      9 years), and in 21 healthy subjects (8 men and 13 women; mean age 47 +/- 11
      years). In patients with syndrome X the slope of the regression line of heart
      rate versus time (heart rate/time slope) during exercise testing was similar to
      that of patients with coronary artery disease (3.3 +/- 0.8 versus 3.1 +/- 1.2
      beats/min), but significantly lower than that in healthy subjects (4.2 +/- 1.1
      beats/min; p less than 0.003). In patients with syndrome X the intercept of the
      heart rate/time slope was significantly higher than that in coronary artery
      disease patients and healthy subjects (102 +/- 15, 86 +/- 18, and 90 +/- 16
      beats/min, respectively; p less than 0.015). Resting preexercise heart rate was
      also significantly higher in syndrome X, compared with coronary artery disease
      patients and healthy subjects (91 +/- 16, 79 +/- 16, and 80 +/- 14 beats/min,
      respectively). During ambulatory ECG monitoring, mean diurnal heart rate (from 6
      AM to 6 PM) was higher in patients with syndrome X (83 +/- 8 beats/min) than in
      patients with coronary artery disease (75 +/- 8 beats/min) and healthy subjects
      (74 +/- 11 beats/min) (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858627
TI  - Electrophysiologic and anatomic characteristics of ventricular tachycardia
      induced at the right ventricular outflow tract but not at the apex.
AB  - The site of ventricular stimulation is an important variable in the initiation of
      ventricular tachycardia (VT) by programmed ventricular stimulation. Among 169
      patients studied consecutively, 17 (10%) had ventricular tachycardia induced by
      programmed electrical stimulation from the right ventricular outflow tract but
      not from the apex. Fourteen of these 17 patients had had prior myocardial
      infarction (12 had inferior, and two had both inferior and anterior myocardial
      infarction), two had a dilated cardiomyopathy, and one had a localized
      cardiomyopathy. Fourteen patients had echocardiograms suitable for analysis. Of
      these, 12 had posterior/inferior ventricular wall motion abnormalities located at
      the base of the heart. The ventricular effective refractory periods from the
      right ventricular outflow tract and right ventricular apex were 237 +/- 4 and 244
      +/- 5 msec, respectively (p less than 0.05, mean +/- SEM). Induced VT had a cycle
      length of 229 +/- 4 msec and had the morphology of right bundle branch block in
      12 patients, of left bundle branch block in three patients, and had both
      morphologies in two patients. In 14 patients the axis was superior. VT was
      initiated with two extrastimuli in 15 patients and with burst right ventricular
      pacing in two patients. Similar pacing techniques with identical pacing intervals
      did not induce VT at the right ventricular apex in 14 of these 17 patients.
      Further, among the 15 patients whose VT was induced at the right ventricular
      outflow tract with two extrastimuli, neither burst pacing (n = 13) nor two
      extrastimuli introduced at faster paced rates (n = 12) induced VT at the right
      ventricular apex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858628
TI  - Late potentials are unaltered by ventricular filling pressure reduction in heart
      failure.
AB  - Exacerbation of heart failure may increase susceptibility to arrhythmias.
      Therefore tests to assess the risk of arrhythmia, performed after hemodynamic
      improvement, may be of limited value. To determine whether hemodynamic
      improvement alters ventricular late potentials detected by signal-averaged ECG,
      we studied 27 consecutive patients with dilated heart failure (left ventricular
      ejection fraction 0.20 +/- 0.06, 15 with coronary artery disease) before and 3 +/
      2 days after tailored vasodilator and diuretic therapy reduced ventricular
      filling pressures. QRS duration, terminal QRS amplitude (root mean square [RMS]),
      and low-amplitude (less than 40 microV) signal (LAS) duration were determined by
      an automated algorithm from the vector magnitude of the QRS high-pass filtered at
      25 Hz and at 40 Hz. Despite marked decreases in pulmonary capillary wedge (27 +/-
      7 to 16 +/- 5 mm Hg, p less than 0.001) and right atrial (13 +/- 7 to 7 +/- 4 mm
      Hg, p less than 0.001) pressures and a 20% increase in cardiac output, there was
      not a significant change in QRS duration, RMS, or LAS. Before and after therapy
      late potentials, defined as abnormal QRS duration RMS, or LAS, were present in 14
      (52%) patients with filtering at 25 Hz and in 22 (81%) patients with filtering at
      40 Hz. The signal-averaged ECG after hemodynamic improvement predicted the
      results during exacerbation of heart failure in all patients. Thus in patients
      with advanced heart failure the signal-averaged ECG obtained after hemodynamic
      improvement reflects the findings during exacerbation of heart failure.

PMID- 1858629
TI  - Frequency of deep venous thrombosis in asymptomatic patients with coronary artery
      bypass grafts.
AB  - The frequency of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing coronary
      artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has not been established. Therefore to
      estimate the frequency of clinically silent DVT, we performed ultrasound
      examinations of the leg veins in 29 asymptomatic CABG patients before hospital
      discharge. We used high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography with color Doppler
      imaging. Fourteen (48.3%, 95% confidence interval 30.1 to 66.4%) had 20
      documented leg vein thromboses, and all but one patient had DVT limited to the
      calf veins. Of the 20 thrombi 10 (50.0%) were present in the leg ipsilateral and
      10 (50.0%) in the leg contralateral to the saphenous vein harvest site. None of
      the DVTs were suspected clinically. DVT was not associated with any local sign
      attributed to saphenous vein harvest such as pitting edema, incisional drainage,
      or local tenderness or with any putative risk factor for DVT such as cigarette
      use, distant history of malignancy, or varicose veins. Follow-up of these
      patients 5 to 11 months after CABG surgery showed no clinical evidence of DVT or
      pulmonary embolism. Our findings indicate that asymptomatic DVT of the calf
      occurs with surprisingly high frequency, 44.8% after CABG surgery. Future studies
      in patients undergoing CABG surgery should address the natural history of
      asymptomatic DVT, determine its clinical importance, and develop optimal
      strategies for prophylaxis and treatment.

PMID- 1858631
TI  - Transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography of the normal St. Jude Medical
      mitral valve prosthesis.
AB  - Transesophageal color flow Doppler findings are reported in 36 patients with a
      St. Jude Medical mechanical mitral valve prosthesis who had no auscultatory
      evidence for prosthetic valve dysfunction. Multiple jets consistent with mitral
      regurgitation originating from the central and lateral portion of the prosthesis
      were found in all patients. Maximum jet length ranged from 11 to 51 mm (mean 21
      +/- 9 mm). Maximum jet area ranged from 0.2 to 4.1 cm3 (mean 1.2 +/- 0.9 cm2).
      The color M-mode Doppler interrogation showed two distinct components of the
      regurgitant jet: brief early systolic flow consistent with valve closure followed
      by holosystolic regurgitant flow consistent with transvalvular leakage. Four
      patients (11%) had a maximum regurgitant jet length exceeding 30 mm and absence
      of early systolic closure regurgitant flow by M-mode color imaging, suggesting
      clinically silent paravalvular leakage. Two pin-sized paravalvular suture line
      defects were confirmed in one patient at cardiac transplantation. We conclude
      that transesophageal echocardiography is a highly sensitive method for detection
      of mitral regurgitation in the St. Jude Medical mitral prosthesis. Clinically
      silent paravalvular leakage should be suspected if the maximum jet length exceeds
      30 mm and color M-mode interrogation fails to demonstrate an early systolic
      closure regurgitant flow component.

PMID- 1858630
TI  - Left ventricular outflow obstruction resulting from insertion of mitral
      prostheses leaving the native leaflets intact: adverse clinical outcome in seven
      patients.
AB  - Left ventricular (LV) outflow obstruction may result from retaining the anterior
      mitral leaflet when a mitral prosthesis is inserted in the mitral anulus. We
      retrospectively reviewed the echocardiograms (two-dimensional Doppler and Doppler
      color flow imaging, or transesophageal with color flow imaging) obtained in seven
      patients with preoperative mitral regurgitation who had a prosthesis implanted
      with the native mitral leaflets left intact. Systolic anterior motion of the
      native anterior mitral leaflet, as seen in dynamic LV outflow tract obstruction,
      was observed in six of seven patients. LV fractional shortening preoperatively
      was less than or equal to 0.25 in all (mean 0.20 +/- 0.04) and did not
      significantly (p = ns) increase postoperatively (mean 0.27 +/- 0.12). Color flow
      imaging revealed disturbed systolic flow in the LV outflow tract in five
      patients, and all had systolic anterior motion of the native anterior mitral
      leaflet. Continuous wave Doppler detected significant systolic LV outflow tract
      jets in five patients averaging 4.1 +/- 0.9 m/sec. Mitral prosthetic function was
      normal (pressure half-time of 81 +/- 25 msec and mean gradient of 7 +/- 3 mm Hg
      +/- SD) in five patients. Clinical follow-up revealed that all had died, six of
      them within 2 months of their operation. Thus systolic anterior motion of the
      native anterior mitral leaflet occurs commonly after prosthetic mitral valve
      insertion with the native leaflets left intact. Continuous wave Doppler often
      demonstrates increased systolic LV outflow tract velocities consistent with
      dynamic LV outflow obstruction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858632
TI  - Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of conditions
      mimicking aortic dissection.
AB  - Between September 1987 and April 1989, forty patients suspected to have aortic
      dissection were evaluated by transesophageal echocardiography. Aortic dissection
      was identified in 18 patients. This study evaluated the ability of
      transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of the 22 patients in whom
      aortic dissection was not found. A range of pathologic conditions was diagnosed
      in these patients. Five patients had ischemic heart disease when they were
      initially seen. Among the remaining 17 only one patient had a normal aorta.
      Aortic disease was present in the other 16 patients with aortic dilatation in 10.
      Atheromas were detected in seven patients with concomitant aortic dilatation in
      five of them. An extrinsic aortic mass was present in two patients.
      Transesophageal echocardiography correctly identified an anastomotic leak at the
      site of left coronary artery implantation in a patient with a recent Bentall
      procedure, and a large mobile clot within the proximal descending aorta in a
      patient with blunt chest trauma. These findings obviated the need for other tests
      in 15 patients and led to surgery in four with no ancillary tests performed in
      three of them. Thus transesophageal echocardiography has an important role in
      assessing patients with suspected dissection. Aortic disease is common even in
      patients in whom aortic dissection is excluded, and some of the conditions can be
      just as life-threatening as dissection. Transesophageal echocardiography not only
      reliably identifies dissection but can also detect luminal and extraluminal
      diseases not adequately visualized by other modalities.

PMID- 1858633
TI  - Relationship of echocardiographic, shunt flow, and angiographic size to the
      stretched diameter of the atrial septal defect.
AB  - Stretched diameter of the atrial septal defect (ASD), measured by balloon sizing,
      is generally used as a guide to the selection of the size of the device utilized
      for transcatheter closure of the ASD. Balloon sizing is a cumbersome procedure
      and sometimes requires the use of very large size balloon catheters. Several
      methods of assessment of ASD size, namely, echographic, pulmonary-to-systemic
      flow ratio (Qp:Qs), and angiographic measures, were undertaken in a group of 16
      patients, aged 7 months to 45 years (median, 4.5 years), who were being evaluated
      for transcatheter closure of ASD; the results were compared with the stretched
      diameter. Although the echographic size of the ASD (9.9 +/- 4.1 mm, mean +/- SD)
      is similar (p greater than 0.1) to the angiographic size (7.9 +/- 2.5 mm), it is
      much smaller (p less than 0.01) than the stretched diameter (16.1 +/- 5.3 mm).
      When the relationship between various measures of ASD was examined, although the
      Qp:Qs ratio and angiographic size have a significant (p less than 0.05)
      correlation with the stretched diameter (r = 0.55 and 0.54, respectively), the
      echo diameter has the best correlation coefficient, r = 0.82, p less than 0.001.
      The stretched diameter can be estimated by the equation: 1.05 x echo + 5.49 mm.
      It is concluded that the echographic diameter is a useful adjunct in the
      estimation of the stretch ASD diameter, which in turn can be used in the
      selection of the size of the device for transcatheter occlusion of the ASD.

PMID- 1858634
TI  - The ventilatory threshold: method, protocol, and evaluator agreement.
AB  - To evaluate the effects of different methods of detection, exercise modes,
      protocols, and reviewers on oxygen uptake (VO2) at the ventilatory threshold
      (ATge), 17 men with heart disease (mean age 59 +/- 6 years) and six healthy men
      (mean age 60 +/- 11 years) underwent six exercise tests on different days. Each
      subject performed three treadmill tests (Bruce, Balke, and ramp) and three
      bicycle ergometer tests (50 W/stage, 25 W/stage, and ramp) in random order. The
      ventilatory threshold was determined for each of the six exercise tests by three
      independent, blinded reviewers by means of graphic plots of three commonly used
      methods of determination: (1) changes in the ventilatory equivalents for VO2 and
      VCO2, (2) changes in end-tidal oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures, and (3) the
      intersection of the slope of VCO2 and VO2 (V slope). The largest variability in
      the ATge was observed with changes in the exercise protocol. The greatest
      absolute (ml/min) and percentage differences in oxygen uptake at the ATge as a
      result of changes in protocol, method of determination, and observers were 336
      (36%), 125 (12%), and 70 (7%), respectively. The overall intraclass correlation
      coefficient for VO2 at the ATge among the three reviewers was 0.60 and among the
      three protocols was 0.85 (p less than 0.01). The V slope method of detection had
      consistently good agreement among reviewers and was least affected by the
      protocol. The variance in the ATge (excluding intersubject and error variance)
      accounted for by differences in protocol, method, and reviewer was 82%, 14%, and
      4%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858635
TI  - Intractable heart failure despite angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors,
      digoxin, and diuretics: long-term effectiveness of add-on therapy with
      pimobendan.
AB  - In 25 patients whose chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) had recently worsened
      to New York Heart Association class IV, pimobendan (5 to 20 mg/day) was added to
      maximum conventional therapy consisting of digoxin, diuretics, angiotensin
      converting enzyme inhibitors, coumadin derivatives to prevent thromboembolic
      complications, and amiodarone to suppress serious ventricular rhythm
      disturbances. CHF was fatal in less than 1 month in five patients (two had shown
      some initial improvement). The other 20 had sustained improvement by at least one
      functional class, interrupted by episodes of CHF that usually responded to
      intravenous therapy. Median survival was 12 months (range 10 days to greater than
      3 years); five patients died suddenly, 12 died of intractable CHF, and two died
      of other causes. Six patients were alive 3 years after the onset of treatment
      with pimobendan. Add-on therapy with pimobendan produced a sustained improvement
      in many patients with severe CHF that was no longer responding to a combination
      of digoxin, diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

PMID- 1858636
TI  - Effect of exogenous fructose-1,6-bisphosphate on glycolysis in the isolated
      perfused rat heart.
AB  - To test the mechanism of action of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (F-1,6-P2),
      experiments were conducted on isolated perfused rat hearts to measure the
      glycolytic rate supported by exogenous glucose with simultaneous measurement of
      oxygen consumption and the release of lactate and pyruvate. Glycolysis was
      assayed in terms of the release of tritiated water from [5-3H] glucose, a measure
      of the rate through the aldolase step. It was found that 5 mmol/L F-1,6-P2
      reduced the glycolytic rate parallel to the decrease in oxygen consumption. The
      results suggest that the cardioprotective action of F-1,6-P2 is related to a
      substrate effect and a decrease in adenosine triphosphate consumption as
      indicated by a decrease in oxygen consumption in accordance with the recent
      demonstration of Ca2+ binding by F-1,6-P2.

PMID- 1858637
TI  - Pathophysiology of isolated systolic hypertension in elderly patients: Doppler
      echocardiographic insights.
AB  - Systemic hemodynamics were evaluated with aortic pulsed wave Doppler
      echocardiography in 79 elderly subjects with isolated systolic hypertension
      participating in the Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) and were
      compared with the values in 39 normal age-matched subjects. Cardiac output was
      elevated (4.50 +/- 1.13 L/min versus 3.94 +/- 1.12 L/min, p less than 0.05) in
      patients with isolated systolic hypertension in comparison with values in normal
      elderly subjects. Systemic vascular resistance did not differ between both groups
      (2140 +/- 536 dyn.sec/cm-5 versus 2011 +/- 553 dyn.sec/cm-5, p = NS). The mean
      acceleration of blood during left ventricular ejection was similar in patients
      with isolated systolic hypertension in comparison with normals (12.6 +/- 5.6
      m/sec2 versus 11.5 +/- 3.5 m/sec2, p = NS). Patients with isolated systolic
      hypertension had significantly decreased arterial compliance, as measured by the
      stroke volume-to-pulse pressure ratio (0.77 +/- 0.26 cm3/mm Hg versus 1.11 +/-
      0.30 cm3/mm Hg, p less than 0.0001). The prevalence of aortic and mitral
      regurgitation as well as valvular and annular calcification did not differ
      between analyzed groups. Isolated systolic hypertension in elderly patients
      appears to be multifactorial, with reduced arterial compliance and increased
      cardiac output both playing a role.

PMID- 1858639
TI  - A critical review of the relationship between impaired fibrinolysis and
      myocardial infarction.
AB  - To explore the relationship between impaired fibrinolysis and myocardial
      infarction, we conducted a literature search and reviewed the published data. The
      results indicate that myocardial infarction has a significant influence on
      fibrinolytic activity and that impaired fibrinolysis is more frequent in patients
      who have had a myocardial infarction than in healthy control subjects.
      Prospective cohort studies indicate that tests for global fibrinolytic activity
      are not of prognostic value for first or recurrent myocardial infarction.
      However, high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor and low levels of tissue
      plasminogen activator activity were associated with an increased risk of
      reinfarction in survivors of a first myocardial infarction. Whether this
      relationship between impaired fibrinolysis and reinfarction is causal or
      coincidental is unclear. There is evidence that impairment of fibrinolytic
      activity is more marked in patients with myocardial infarction who have minimal
      coronary atherosclerosis than in those who have marked atherosclerosis,
      suggesting that impaired fibrinolytic activity might be of pathogenetic
      importance in this small subgroup of patients.

PMID- 1858638
TI  - Cardiac manifestations of acquired immune deficiency syndrome: a 1991 update.
AB  - Cardiac involvement is being identified more often clinically and at autopsy in
      patients with AIDS. Recent estimates suggest that in the United States as many as
      5000 patients per year may have cardiac complications resulting from HIV
      infection. Patients with AIDS may have pericardial, myocardial, and/or
      endocardial disease. Pericardial tamponade and/or constriction may be related to
      neoplasms, infections, or nonspecific effusions. Myocardial dysfunction may
      result from specific neoplastic infiltration or myocarditis. Particularly
      intriguing is the role of HIV-1 in the nonspecific myocarditis and dilated
      cardiomyopathy that occurs in patients with AIDS. As in other debilitating
      conditions patients with AIDS can have nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis.
      Infective endocarditis may be a complication, especially in AIDS associated with
      intravenous drug abuse. Most patients with AIDS have no overt clinical evidence
      of cardiac disease. When cardiac dysfunction does develop, the signs and symptoms
      are often misinterpreted to be the result of noncardiac causes (pulmonary failure
      or infection) which can mimic heart failure. This review is intended to alert the
      reader to the cardiac manifestations of AIDS, which present a number of
      diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

PMID- 1858640
TI  - Percutaneous coronary mid-infra-red laser angioplasty.
AB  - A pilot study was performed to determine the safety and efficacy of coronary
      pulsed mid-infra-red laser angioplasty. The laser was coupled with a novel 2.0 mm
      multifiber catheter consisting of 37 optical fibers of 150 microns each arranged
      concentrically around a 0.018-inch central lumen and a soft leading tapered
      distal tip to maintain coaxial alignment and position plaque in front of fibers.
      The laser was operated at 500 millijoules/pulse, 3.5 Hz, and 250
      microseconds/pulse. Twenty-three patients with stenosis or occlusion of the left
      anterior descending or right coronary artery were selected for laser treatment.
      In three patients the catheter could not be positioned against the obstruction.
      In the 20 remaining patients laser angioplasty increased the diameter of the
      lumen from 0.3 +/- 0.3 mm to 1.4 +/- 0.3 mm and reduced the stenosis from 91 +/-
      8% to 57 +/- 10%. In three patients "stand-alone" laser treatment was sufficient.
      In 17 patients balloon dilatation further reduced the stenosis to 20 +/- 18%. In
      two patients who had previously undergone unsuccessful balloon angioplasty with
      high inflation pressure, laser angioplasty allowed subsequent successful
      dilatation with low inflation pressure. There were no deaths, perforations,
      dissections, or arrhythmias. One patient had abrupt reclosure 24 hours after the
      procedure. Spasm occurred in four patients, and six patients had chest sensations
      during laser emission. Thus mid-infra-red pulsed coronary laser angioplasty is
      safe and effective for recanalization of stenosed and totally occluded arteries.
      The efficacy may be sufficient for "stand-alone" laser treatment. The technique
      may improve the efficacy of balloon angioplasty in cases of unsuccessful primary
      dilatation.

PMID- 1858641
TI  - Initial clinical experience with a 48 by 48 element biplane transesophageal
      probe.
AB  - Recent technologic advances in ultrasound have resulted in the capability of
      transesophageal echocardiographic imaging in both transverse and longitudinal
      planes. Previous biplane probes suffered from inferior images because of reduced
      scan elements. We evaluated the utility of a prototype 48 X 48 element biplane
      transesophageal probe in 23 consecutive patients. Examinations were well
      tolerated with no side effects. In comparison to the single transverse plane,
      imaging with the longitudinal plane gave superior information on prosthetic valve
      pathology, atrial septal abnormalities, and pathoanatomy of the ascending aorta
      and mitral valve. Complementary information was provided by the longitudinal
      plane in patients with endocarditis and vegetations and in mitral protheses.
      Images obtained with this 48 X 48 element biplane probe along with color and
      spectral Doppler information were not perceptibly inferior to those obtained by
      single-plane probes. In conclusion, biplane transesophageal echocardiography with
      a 48 X 48 element probe indicates a great potential for enhanced three
      dimensional understanding of cardiac pathology and diagnostic yield in specific
      pathologies.

PMID- 1858642
TI  - Transluminal angioplasty of a single coronary artery.

PMID- 1858643
TI  - Transesophageal color Doppler diagnosis of anomalous origin of left circumflex
      coronary artery.

PMID- 1858645
TI  - Flash pulmonary edema secondary to upper airway obstruction.

PMID- 1858644
TI  - Thrombocythemia and coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1858646
TI  - Apparent reversibility of cocaine-induced congestive cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 1858647
TI  - Increased serum interleukin-6 in cardiac myxoma.

PMID- 1858648
TI  - Detection of a left atrial myxoma by systematic transesophageal echocardiography
      in stroke.

PMID- 1858649
TI  - Isolated right superior vena cava into the left atrium detected by contrast
      echocardiography.

PMID- 1858650
TI  - Subaortic aneurysm in infective endocarditis.

PMID- 1858651
TI  - Four-year follow-up of a pseudoaneurysm of the mitral-aortic fibrosa.

PMID- 1858652
TI  - Diagnosis of arteriovenous fistula between common iliac artery and vein by color
      Doppler flow imaging.

PMID- 1858653
TI  - Aortic injury as a complication of central venous catheterization.

PMID- 1858654
TI  - In utero echocardiographic diagnosis of premature closure of the foramen ovale
      with mitral regurgitation and large left atrium.

PMID- 1858656
TI  - Identifying patients for prophylactic automatic implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator therapy: status of prospective studies.

PMID- 1858655
TI  - Lipid transfer proteins, hypertriglyceridemia, and reduced high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol.

PMID- 1858658
TI  - Chronotherapeutics can improve patient care.

PMID- 1858657
TI  - 'New order' for pharmacy explored.

PMID- 1858659
TI  - Pharmacy technicians: current status in the states.
AB  - This report indicates that considerable regulation of pharmacy technicians has
      been accomplished. It further points out that regulations differ among the
      states. Given the extent of activity to date and activity currently underway, the
      states are exerting influence on the future role of the pharmacy technician.

PMID- 1858660
TI  - Photoplex.

PMID- 1858661
TI  - An overview of adverse drug reactions.

PMID- 1858663
TI  - Selection of respiratory protection against carcinogens.

PMID- 1858662
TI  - AIHA position statement on the removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM)
      from buildings.
AB  - The health risks associated with asbestos exposure for building occupants has
      been demonstrated to be very low. The decision to remove asbestos-containing
      materials (ACM) in undamaged, intact condition that are not readily accessible to
      occupants should be made only after assessing all other options. Both technical
      and financial issues should be fully explored by a team of trained specialists,
      including industrial hygienists, architects, and engineers. The optimal solution
      will vary from building to building, based on factors unique to each situation.
      One important consideration is the use of a well-designed air-monitoring program
      to identify changes in airborne levels of asbestos. Special training and
      maintenance programs are needed to ensure the safety and health of building and
      contract workers who may encounter asbestos or who may disturb it during routine
      or nonroutine activities. Each building owner who has ACM in a building should
      identify an in-house asbestos manager, and it is also necessary to provide
      appropriate resources, including professional consultants, to develop and manage
      a responsible and effective in-place management program throughout the life of a
      building containing asbestos.

PMID- 1858664
TI  - The physiological cost of wearing a disposable respirator.
AB  - In order to gain an understanding of the physiological stresses imposed by the
      wearing of a single-use disposable respirator, a series of experiments was done
      to measure the cardiopulmonary effects of wearing the respirator (heart rate,
      respiratory rate, and blood pressure); resistance to breathing while wearing a
      respirator; and heat stress imposed by the use of a respirator (changes in
      inspired and expired air temperature). Ten men, ages 24 to 35, of varying fitness
      levels, served as volunteers in the studies. All the men exercised on a treadmill
      both with and without 3M Model 8715 disposable respirators. Workloads
      corresponding to light, moderate, and heavy levels were calculated for each
      volunteer based on his maximal oxygen uptake. As work intensity increased, an
      increase in breathing resistance was found. Peak resistances were in the range of
      +/- 2 cm water. Work-intensity level increases in respiratory rates were found
      with and without the respirators, but the respirator use trial had a
      significantly increased respiratory rate. Heart rate also showed a dose-related
      increase as work intensity increased and was significantly greater in the
      respirator trials at heavy levels of work and during recovery. Systolic blood
      pressure showed a biphasic response to respirator use, being significantly lower
      at rest and higher at high levels of work. Diastolic blood pressure changes were
      less dramatic but were elevated in the respirator trials. Clinically important
      increases in blood pressure were found in two volunteers when respirators were
      worn. Air temperatures immediately anterior to the face were, on average, 7.5
      degrees C higher in the respirator trials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858665
TI  - A quantitative approach to the characterization of cumulative and average solvent
      exposure in paint manufacturing plants.
AB  - Previous reports have attributed a range of neurobehavioral effects to low-level,
      occupational solvent exposure. These studies have generally been limited in their
      exposure assessments and have specifically lacked good estimates of exposure
      intensity. In the present study, the authors describe the development of two
      exposure variables that quantitatively integrate industrial hygiene sampling data
      with estimates of exposure duration--a cumulative exposure (CE) estimate and a
      lifetime weighted average exposure (LWAE) estimate. Detailed occupational
      histories were obtained from 187 workers at two paint manufacturing plants.
      Historic industrial hygiene sampling data for total hydrocarbons (a composite
      variable of the major neurotoxic solvents present) were grouped according to 20
      uniform, temporally stable exposure zones, which had been defined during plant
      walk-through surveys. Sampling at the time of the study was used to characterize
      the few zones for which historic data were limited or unavailable. For each
      participant, the geometric mean total hydrocarbon level for each exposure zone
      worked in was multiplied by the duration of employment in that zone; the
      resulting products were summed over the working lifetime to create the CE
      variable. The CE variable was divided by the total duration of employment in
      solvent-exposed jobs to create the LWAE variable. The explanatory value of each
      participant's LWAE estimate in the regression of simple visual reaction time (a
      neurobehavioral test previously shown to be affected by chronic solvent exposure)
      on exposure was compared with that of several other exposure variables, including
      exposure duration and an exposure variable based on an ordinal ranking of the
      exposure zones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858666
TI  - The influence of the helmet respirator on peak flow rate in aluminum potroom.
AB  - The efficiency of the Racal Airstream helmet respirator in improving peak
      expiratory flow rates (PEFR) and symptoms (dyspnea, wheezing, and cough) in
      aluminum potroom workers with respiratory complaints was assessed in 19 workers.
      Peak expiratory flow readings and symptom recording from a 2-week working period
      with use of the respirator were compared with a period when the 3M 9906
      disposable mask was used. The study was designed as a randomized, parallel, cross
      over study with five or six daily measurements of PEFR and daily symptom
      recording. A significant number of workers (15) had a higher mean peak flow in
      the helmet period than in the nonhelmet period (p less than 0.01); symptoms did
      not improve significantly in the helmet period. Objective evidence of respiratory
      protection was observed for the group of workers as a whole, but the effect on
      symptoms as well as individual effect on peak flow was minor in the majority of
      the workers.

PMID- 1858667
TI  - A comparison of controlled negative pressure and aerosol quantitative respirator
      fit test systems by using fixed leaks.
AB  - An automated version of a new method for quantitative respirator fit testing by
      controlled negative pressure was compared with a computerized aerosol fit test
      system. The controlled negative pressure technique eliminates many of the
      problems associated with aerosol and pressure decay fit test methods. A series of
      fixed leaks was used to compare the leak measurement capabilities of the
      controlled negative pressure system against a standard computerized aerosol fit
      test system. Negative pressure and aerosol fit factors determined for a series of
      fixed leaks through hypodermic needles were highly correlated with each other (r
      = 0.998) and with the cross-sectional areas of the leak needles (r greater than
      0.995).

PMID- 1858668
TI  - Validated methods for degrading hazardous chemicals: some halogenated compounds.
AB  - Two techniques were investigated for degrading a number of halogenated compounds
      of commercial and research importance. Reductive dehalogenation with nickel
      aluminum alloy in potassium hydroxide solution was used to degrade iodomethane,
      chloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, 2-chloroethanol, 2-bromoethanol, 2
      chloroethylamine, 2-bromoethylamine, 1-bromobutane, 1-iodobutane, 2-bromobutane,
      2-iodobutane, 2-bromo-2-methylpropane, 2-iodo-2-methylpropane, 3-chloropyridine,
      fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, iodobenzene, 4-fluoroaniline, 2
      chloroaniline, 3-chloroaniline, 4-chloroaniline, 4-fluoronitrobenzene, 2
      chloronitrobenzene, 3-chloronitrobenzene, 4-chloronitrobenzene, benzyl chloride,
      benzyl bromide, alpha,alpha-dichlorotoluene, and 3-aminobenzotrifluoride. The
      products were generally those obtained by replacing the halogen with hydrogen
      although concomitant reduction of the other groups was also observed. Bibenzyl
      was produced during the reduction of benzyl chloride, benzyl bromide, and
      alpha,alpha-dichlorotoluene. Refluxing with ethanolic potassium hydroxide was
      used to degrade iodomethane, chloroacetic acid, 2-fluoroethanol, 2-chloroethanol,
      2-bromoethanol, 1-chlorobutane, 1-bromobutane, 1-iodobutane, 2-bromobutane, 2
      iodobutane, 2-bromo-2-methylpropane, 2-iodo-2-methylpropane, benzyl chloride,
      benzyl bromide, 1-bromononane, 1-chlorodecane, and 1-bromodecane. The products
      were the corresponding ethyl ethers. 2-Methylaziridine was cleaved with nickel
      aluminum alloy in potassium hydroxide solution to a mixture of isopropylamine and
      n-propylamine. In all cases, the compounds were completely degraded and only
      nonmutagenic reaction mixtures were produced.

PMID- 1858669
TI  - Antiischemic and metabolic effects of glutamate during pacing in patients with
      stable angina pectoris secondary to either coronary artery disease or syndrome X.
AB  - The effects of glutamate on anginal threshold, cardiac metabolism and
      hemodynamics were studied in 11 patients with stable angina pectoris, positive
      stress test results, and pacing-induced myocardial lactate release due to
      coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 9) or syndrome X (n = 2). Data were obtained
      before, during and after 2 identical periods of coronary sinus pacing, the second
      being preceded by an intravenous injection of monosodium glutamate 1.2 (n = 7) or
      2.5 (n = 4) mg/kg body weight. After glutamate administration, pacing time to
      onset of angina increased from mean +/- standard deviation 103 +/- 53 to 166 +/-
      71 seconds (p less than 0.01) and ST-segment depression after pacing decreased
      from 2.3 +/- 1.0 to 1.6 +/- 1.1 mm (p less than 0.01). Arterial glutamate
      concentration increased 60% (p less than 0.01) after the low dose and 150% (p
      less than 0.01) after the high dose of glutamate. Regardless of dose, myocardial
      glutamate uptake increased by 25% (p less than 0.01). Pacing-induced cardiac
      release of lactate diminished 50% (p less than 0.05), whereas the releases of
      xanthine and hypoxanthine were unchanged by glutamate. Arterial free fatty acids
      decreased 20% (p less than 0.01). Circulating levels and cardiac exchanges of
      alanine, glucose and citrate were unchanged. Glutamate did not influence heart
      rate, arterial blood pressure, coronary blood flow, coronary vascular resistance
      or myocardial oxygen consumption. One patient complained of short-lasting burning
      sensations after receiving the high glutamate dose. In conclusion, augmented
      provision of glutamate enhances pacing tolerance in stable angina, presumably by
      a metabolic improvement of cardiac energy production during ischemia.

PMID- 1858670
TI  - Angiographically assessed coronary arterial patency and reocclusion in patients
      with acute myocardial infarction treated with anistreplase: results of the
      anistreplase reocclusion multicenter study (ARMS).
AB  - In this open multicenter study, 156 patients with acute myocardial infarction
      received 30 U of anistreplase intravenously over 5 minutes within 4 hours of the
      onset of chest pain. The patency of the infarct-related vessel was determined by
      coronary angiography 90 minutes after anistreplase treatment, and also 24 hours
      after treatment, in patients with a patent infarct-related vessel at 90 minutes,
      to assess the reocclusion rate. The investigators categorized the infarct-related
      vessel as patent or occluded, and 2 independent cardiologists graded the infarct
      related vessel according to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI)
      perfusion criteria. At the 90-minute assessment, 106 of 145 evaluable patients
      (73%) had patent infarct-related vessels, and 39 of 145 (27%) had occluded
      infarct-related vessels. Of the 139 independently assessed patients, 98 (71%) had
      TIMI grades 2 or 3 and 41 (29%) had TIMI grades 0 or 1. At the 24-hour
      assessment, 98 of 102 patients (96%) had a patent infarct-related vessel, and
      reocclusion had occurred in 4 of 102 patients (4%). Of the 94 independently
      assessed patients 90 (96%) had TIMI grades 2 or 3, and 4 (4%) had TIMI grades 0
      or 1. The reliability of noninvasive parameters as indicators of achieved patency
      of the infarct-related vessel was estimated by means of correlation with patency
      assessed by coronary angiography. A significant correlation of 0.62 was found.
      The patency rate of 71 to 73% after use of anistreplase in patients with acute
      myocardial infarction corresponds with findings in earlier studies. The low
      reocclusion rate of 4% after use of anistreplase probably reflects the prolonged
      action of anistreplase.

PMID- 1858671
TI  - Acute effects of intravenous nicardipine on hemodynamics and cardiac function in
      patients with a healed myocardial infarction and no evidence of congestive heart
      failure.
AB  - Acute effects of intravenous nicardipine (10 micrograms/kg) on systemic
      hemodynamics and cardiac function were evaluated in 17 patients with a healed
      myocardial infarction and no evidence of congestive heart failure. Mean New York
      Heart Association functional class was 1.6 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- standard deviation).
      Aortic systolic pressure (p less than 0.001) and left ventricular end-diastolic
      pressure decreased (10 +/- 3 to 8 +/- 3 mm Hg, p less than 0.01), and systemic
      vascular resistance decreased significantly (p less than 0.001), whereas
      pulmonary and right atrial pressure and pulmonary arteriolar resistance did not
      change. Cardiac and stroke indexes showed biphasic changes. Although positive and
      negative maximal rate of left ventricular pressures decreased significantly (p
      less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01, respectively), they did not change
      significantly when aortic systolic pressure was corrected. There was a
      significant inverse correlation between the negative rate of left ventricular
      pressure/aortic systolic pressure before nicardipine infusion and its maximal
      percent increase after infusion (r = -0.56, p less than 0.05), indicating a
      beneficial effect on diastolic relaxation in patients with impaired diastolic
      function. Our data show that a low dose (10 micrograms/kg) of intravenous
      nicardipine exerts a favorable effect on impaired diastolic function, but
      depresses left ventricular pump function with much less effect on right heart
      circulation.

PMID- 1858672
TI  - Comparative efficacy and safety of bepridil and diltiazem in chronic stable
      angina pectoris refractory to diltiazem. The Bepridil Collaborative Study Group.
AB  - The efficacy and safety of bepridil hydrochloride (200 to 400 mg/day) were
      evaluated in patients with chronic stable angina refractory to maximal tolerated
      doses of diltiazem (median 360 mg/day) in a randomized, multicenter, double
      blind, parallel study. Baseline diltiazem data were obtained during a 2-week
      period, after which 86 patients were randomized to bepridil (n = 46) or diltiazem
      (n = 40). Angina frequency, nitroglycerin consumption and ischemic manifestations
      induced by exercise treadmill testing were evaluated over 8 weeks. Bepridil
      significantly (p less than 0.05) increased time to angina onset, time to 1 and 2
      mm of ST-segment depression, total exercise time and total work over baseline
      values. Changes in time to angina onset and time to 1 mm of ST-segment depression
      were significantly (p less than 0.05) greater for bepridil than for diltiazem.
      Angina frequency and nitroglycerin consumption did not differ significantly
      between groups. Compared with baseline, bepridil significantly (p less than
      0.001) decreased heart rate (mean 4 beats/min) and prolonged QTc (mean 35 ms).
      The most frequent adverse effects in both groups were nausea, asthenia,
      dizziness, headache and diarrhea. Four patients taking bepridil and 1 taking
      diltiazem withdrew from the study because of adverse reactions. No sudden deaths,
      myocardial infarctions or instances of sustained ventricular tachycardia or
      torsades de pointes occurred in either group. The data indicate that bepridil
      provided safe and effective antianginal and antiischemic therapy in patients with
      chronic stable angina who exhibited less than optimal response to maximal
      tolerated doses of diltiazem.

PMID- 1858673
TI  - Safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in patients
      with left ventricular dysfunction.
AB  - The risks and long-term outcome after 845 elective percutaneous transluminal
      coronary angioplasties (PTCA) in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction
      (ejection fraction less than or equal to 40%) were examined. Procedural results
      were compared with 8,117 consecutive procedures in patients with ejection
      fractions greater than 40%. The patients with LV dysfunction were older (63 vs 60
      years, p less than 0.01), had a greater incidence of prior myocardial infarction
      (84 vs 45%, p less than 0.001), prior bypass surgery (39 vs 21%, p less than
      0.001), 3-vessel disease (62 vs 33%, p less than 0.001), and class IV angina (48
      vs 41%, p less than 0.01) than the control group. Angiographic success was lower
      (93 vs 95%, p less than 0.01), and overall procedural mortality was increased ( 4
      vs 1%, p less than 0.001) in the study group. Emergency surgery rates were
      identical (2%). No significant difference was found in rates of nonfatal Q-wave
      myocardial infarction (2 vs 1%). At mean follow-up of 33.5 months, 15% of the
      patients with LV dysfunction required late bypass surgery, 27% underwent repeat
      PTCA, and 59% were angina free. Actuarial survival at 1 and 4 years was 87 and
      69%, respectively. Cox regression analysis identified 3-vessel disease, age
      greater than or equal to 70 years, class IV angina and incomplete
      revascularization as correlates of long-term mortality. These data suggest that
      PTCA may be an effective treatment for coronary artery disease in patients with
      LV dysfunction.

PMID- 1858674
TI  - Comparison of exercise radionuclide angiography with thallium SPECT imaging for
      detection of significant narrowing of the left circumflex coronary artery.
AB  - Although quantitation of exercise thallium tomograms has enhanced the noninvasive
      diagnosis and localization of coronary artery disease, the detection of stenosis
      of the left circumflex coronary artery remains suboptimal. Because posterolateral
      regional wall motion during exercise is well assessed by radionuclide
      angiography, this study determined whether regional dysfunction of the
      posterolateral wall during exercise radionuclide angiography is more sensitive in
      identifying left circumflex disease than thallium perfusion abnormalities
      assessed by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). One hundred ten
      consecutive patients with CAD were studied, of whom 70 had a significant stenosis
      of the left circumflex coronary artery or a major obtuse marginal branch. Both
      regional function and segmental thallium activity of the posterolateral wall were
      assessed using visual and quantitative analysis. Left ventricular regional
      function was assessed objectively by dividing the left ventricular region of
      interest into 20 sectors; the 8 sectors corresponding to the posterolateral free
      wall were used to assess function in the left circumflex artery distribution.
      Similarly, using circumferential profile analysis of short-axis thallium
      tomograms, left ventricular myocardial activity was subdivided into 64 sectors;
      the 16 sectors corresponding to the posterolateral region were used to assess
      thallium perfusion abnormalities in the left circumflex artery territory.
      Qualitative posterolateral wall motion analysis detected 76% of patients with
      left circumflex coronary artery stenosis, with a specificity of 83%, compared
      with only 44% by qualitative thallium tomography (p less than 0.001) and a
      specificity of 92%. Whereas quantitation of thallium activity increased the
      sensitivity for detecting left circumflex coronary artery stenosis to 80% with a
      specificity of 55%, it did not achieve statistical significance when compared
      with qualitative wall motion analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858676
TI  - Left ventricular shape as a determinant of functional mitral regurgitation in
      patients with severe heart failure secondary to either coronary artery disease or
      idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - The relation between left ventricular (LV) shape and functional mitral
      regurgitation (MR) was evaluated in 39 patients with congestive heart failure.
      Heart failure was due to coronary artery disease in 23 patients (group I) and to
      idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in 16 (group II). LV shape was quantitated
      based on the ratio of LV major-to-minor axis and LV sphericity index calculated
      at end-systole and end-diastole. In group I, 9 patients had angiographic evidence
      of MR and 14 did not. In group II, 10 patients had MR and 6 did not. Within each
      group, there were no differences between patients with and without MR with regard
      to LV chamber volume and regional segmental wall motion abnormalities. In both
      groups, however, a significant difference was observed between patients with and
      without MR with respect to end-systolic and end-diastolic LV shape indexes. In
      group I, the end-systolic major-to-minor axis ratio was lower in patients with
      (1.42 +/- 0.04) than without (1.72 +/- 0.05) MR (p less than 0.001). Similar
      differences were observed in group II (1.41 +/- 0.06 vs 1.69 +/- 0.04) (p less
      than 0.01). In group I, the end-systolic sphericity index was also greater in
      patients with (0.32 +/- 0.02) than without (0.25 +/- 0.01) MR (p less than 0.02).
      Similar differences were observed in group II (0.37 +/- 0.03 vs 0.26 +/- 0.01) (p
      less than 0.02). These data indicate that in patients with severe heart failure,
      functional MR is present in those who manifest a more spherical LV cavity.

PMID- 1858675
TI  - Stunned left ventricular myocardium after exercise treadmill testing in coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - Myocardial stunning (postischemic ventricular dysfunction) occurs in dogs after
      coronary stenosis following treadmill exercise. Less data are available in humans
      regarding development of stunned myocardium after exercise. Regional wall motion
      changes were evaluated in 22 patients with known coronary artery disease using 2
      dimensional echocardiography and exercise treadmill testing. Wall motion was
      scored as 1 = normal, 2 = hypokinetic, 3 = akinetic, 4 = dyskinetic. At least 1
      left ventricular segment with normal resting function developed an increase in
      wall motion score at 15 or 30 minutes compared with values at rest. The wall
      motion score in the midportion of the ventricular septum increased from 1.0 at
      rest to 1.6 (p less than 0.004) at 30 minutes after exercise; the basal inferior
      wall score worsened from 1.0 at rest to 1.9 (p less than 0.01) at 30 minutes
      after exercise. Coronary angiographic data in these patients revealed that left
      anterior descending narrowing correlated best with left ventricular septal wall
      motion abnormalities, whereas right coronary artery and circumflex narrowing best
      correlated with inferior and posterior wall motion abnormalities. Eight normal
      adult volunteers with no history of myocardial ischemia also underwent 2
      dimensional echocardiography and exercise testing. No wall motion abnormalities
      were observed at any time after exercise. The present study suggests that in
      patients with coronary artery disease, exercise treadmill testing may induce
      regional wall motion abnormalities of the left ventricle that persist greater
      than or equal to 30 minutes after exercise, an observation consistent with the
      phenomenon of stunned myocardium.

PMID- 1858677
TI  - Outcome of infants and children with dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - A review of 81 infants and children with dilated, poorly contracting left
      ventricles without associated structural abnormalities was undertaken to identify
      risk factors for poor outcome, which could be used in selecting candidates for
      cardiac transplantation. Significant atrial or ventricular dysrhythmias, or both,
      were detected on presentation or during follow-up in 24 patients. Arrhythmias
      were present in only 8 of 51 survivors (16%) but were detected in 16 of 30
      patients (53%) who died (p less than 0.05). Patients dying suddenly were even
      more likely to have had documented dysrhythmias (8 of 11, p less than 0.05). Left
      ventricular shortening fraction was similar in survivors and nonsurvivors (14.9
      +/- 1.0% vs 15.3 +/- 1.7%). Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in 44
      patients who had cardiac catheterization averaged 20.8 +/- 1.6 mm Hg. Left
      ventricular end-diastolic pressure was significantly higher in patients who died
      than in those who survived (29.5 +/- 2.2 vs 15.0 +/- 1.6 mm Hg, p less than
      0.001). Analysis of actuarial survival revealed that mortality was highest during
      the first 6 months after presentation (19% mortality). Survival declined more
      gradually thereafter and was 70% at 2 years, 64% at 5 years and 52% after 11.5
      years. Age at initial presentation did not have any significant impact on
      survival. However, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure greater than 25 torr
      was associated with a significantly increased mortality rate (p less than 0.05).
      Early cardiac transplantation should be considered in patients with markedly
      elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure or complex atrial or ventricular
      arrhythmias.

PMID- 1858678
TI  - Effects of immunosuppressive therapy in biopsy-proved myocarditis and borderline
      myocarditis on left ventricular function.
AB  - Twenty patients with decreased left ventricular (LV) function and endomyocardial
      biopsy-proved myocarditis (9 patients) or borderline myocarditis (11 patients)
      were studied to determine whether these 2 histologic subsets of patients with
      inflammatory heart disease differed in their response to a 6- to 8-week course of
      immunosuppressive therapy. All patients received a regimen of prednisone, 1.0
      mg/kg/day, and azathioprine, 1.5 mg/kg/day, followed by repeat endomyocardial
      biopsy and reevaluation of LV function. LV function improved significantly in the
      group with borderline myocarditis, as assessed by LV stroke work--end-diastolic
      volume ratio (0.26 +/- 0.17 to 0.54 +/- 0.31 kg.m.ml-1, p less than 0.02), heart
      rate corrected velocity of circumferential shortening (0.49 +/- 0.30 to 0.80 +/-
      0.29 circ.s-1, p less than 0.05), and LV ejection fraction (0.30 +/- 0.15 to 0.47
      +/- 0.13, p less than 0.05). LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indexes
      also decreased significantly from 129 +/- 40 to 94 +/- 38 (p less than 0.05) and
      90 +/- 37 to 49 +/- 26 ml (p less than 0.02), respectively. No significant change
      in these indexes of LV function or volume occurred in the myocarditis group.
      Whereas salutory improvements in cardiac output and filling pressures were found
      in both groups, objective improvement in LV function assessed by complementary
      indexes of contractility was greatest in the borderline myocarditis group. It is
      concluded that short-term immunosuppressive therapy improves LV contractile
      function and appears to be associated with regression of ventricular dilatation
      in patients with borderline myocarditis to a greater extent than patients with
      myocarditis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858680
TI  - Principles and practice of coronary thrombolysis and conjunctive treatment.

PMID- 1858679
TI  - Left ventricular filling abnormalities in asymptomatic morbid obesity.
AB  - Indexes of left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling were measured by pulse Doppler
      echocardiography in 16 asymptomatic morbidity obese patients presenting for
      bariatric surgery and were compared with an age- and sex-matched lean control
      population. No patient had concomitant disorders known to affect diastolic
      function. All patients had normal systolic function. LV wall thickness and
      internal dimension were measured in order to calculate LV mass. Fifty percent of
      morbidly obese patients had LV diastolic filling abnormalities as assessed by the
      presence of greater than or equal to 2 abnormal variables of mitral inflow
      velocity. The ratio of peak early to peak late (atrial) filling velocity was
      significantly decreased in obese compared with control patients (1.16 +/- 0.26 vs
      1.66 +/- 0.30, p less than 0.001). The peak velocity of early LV diastolic
      filling was significantly reduced in obese patients (75 +/- 15 vs 98 +/- 19 cm/s,
      p less than 0.001). The atrial contribution to stroke velocity as assessed by the
      time-velocity integral of late compared with total LV diastolic filling was
      significantly increased in obese patients (36 +/- 7 vs 27 +/- 4%, p less than
      0.001). Obese patients had significantly increased LV mass (214 +/- 45 vs 138 +/-
      37 g, p less than 0.001), even when corrected for body surface area (95 +/- 16 vs
      76 +/- 16 g/m2, p less than 0.002). However, increased LV mass did not correlate
      with indexes of abnormal diastolic filling in obese patients. These data suggest
      that abnormalities of diastolic function occur frequently in asymptomatic
      morbidly obese patients and may represent a subclinical form of cardiomyopathy in
      the obese patient.

PMID- 1858681
TI  - Immunosuppressive therapy and lipoprotein abnormalities after cardiac
      transplantation.

PMID- 1858682
TI  - Myocardial malondialdehyde and uric acid release after short-lasting coronary
      occlusions during coronary angioplasty: potential mechanisms for free radical
      generation.

PMID- 1858683
TI  - Waking up exhausted as risk indicator of myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1858684
TI  - A new noninvasive method for estimation of pulmonary arterial pressure in mitral
      stenosis.

PMID- 1858685
TI  - Evolution of the endocardial fibrotic process in endomyocardial fibrosis.

PMID- 1858686
TI  - Incidence of renal dysfunction in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease.

PMID- 1858687
TI  - Usefulness of physical exercise for maintaining smoking cessation in women.

PMID- 1858688
TI  - Cardiac transplant waiting lists, donor shortage and retransplantation and
      implications for using donor hearts.

PMID- 1858689
TI  - Noninvasive estimation of left ventricular contractile state and afterload in
      normal newborn infants.

PMID- 1858690
TI  - Transesophageal echocardiographic characterization of pulmonary vein flow not due
      to atrial contraction or mitral regurgitation.

PMID- 1858691
TI  - Dilution of potent drugs.

PMID- 1858692
TI  - What are people really eating? The relation between energy intake derived from
      estimated diet records and intake determined to maintain body weight.
AB  - Two hundred sixty-six free-living human volunteers, 21-64 y old, were trained by
      dietitians to record daily their food intake for at least 7 d. Subsequently, they
      were fed diets of conventional foods adjusted in amounts to maintain their body
      weight for greater than or equal to 45 d. Comparing their estimated energy intake
      with the intake determined to maintain weight yielded mean differences of 2365
      and 1792 kJ (565 and 428 kcal) in men and women, respectively, representing an
      underreporting of 18%. Twenty-two individuals (8%) overestimated and 29 (11%)
      were accurate to within 419 kJ (100 kcal) of their maintenance requirement. The
      remaining 215 individuals (81%) reported their habitual intake at 2930 +/- 1586
      kJ (700 +/- 379 kcal) below that subsequently determined as their maintenance
      requirement. These findings suggest caution in the interpretation of food
      consumption data.

PMID- 1858693
TI  - Body composition of low-birth-weight infants determined by using bioelectrical
      resistance and reactance.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that bioelectrical resistance and reactance are indices
      of total body water (TBW) and extracellular water (ECW), respectively. Infants
      less than 2500 g in birth weight were studied while less than 24 h old and at 4-7
      d of age. TBW (n = 32) was measured by H2(18)O dilution and ECW (n = 34), by
      bromide dilution. Measurements were made by using an impedance plethysmograph
      from each of four electrode pairs. Bioelectrical resistance correlated inversely
      with TBW (r = -0.683). When body weight and crown-heel length were factored into
      the equation, the correlation improved (r = 0.953). Bioelectrical reactance
      correlated inversely with ECW (r = -0.707). When body weight and surface area
      were factored into the equation the correlation improved (r = 0.882). We conclude
      that bioelectrical resistance and reactance are good indices of TBW and ECW,
      respectively. However, the ability to resolve small changes in body-water
      compartments when confined to the intraluminal or other third spaces remains
      questionable, particularly for single subjects.

PMID- 1858694
TI  - Changes in body weight, body composition, and energy intake in women fed high-
      and low-fat diets.
AB  - The effects of a 20%-fat diet (LF) on total body weight, lean body weight, and
      adiposity were studied in 18 premenopausal women with body mass index (BMI) of 18
      44. Subjects were fed a 37%-fat (HF) control diet for 4 wk followed by the LF
      diet for 20 wk. Total body weight, lean body weight, and fat weight were measured
      at the end of the HF and LF dietary periods by hydrostatic weighing. Despite
      adjustments in energy intake to maintain weight throughout the study, subjects
      exhibited a 2.8% decrease in total body weight (P less than 0.0006), an 11.3%
      decrease in fat weight (P less than 0.0001), and a 2.2% increase in lean body
      weight (P less than 0.0149) by the end of the LF period. Similar changes were
      observed in obese (BMI greater than 30) and non-obese women (BMI less than 30).
      By the end of the LF period, energy intake had increased significantly in
      comparison with the HF diet (119% of the HF intake, P less than 0.0001). Results
      could not be explained by changes in daily activity levels and suggest that
      macronutrient composition plays a role in energy requirements for weight
      maintenance.

PMID- 1858695
TI  - Children's food preferences and genetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n
      propylthiouracil (PROP).
AB  - Genetic sensitivity to bitter taste may be associated with preference or
      rejection of some foods by children. Thirty-four children aged 5-7 y participated
      in the following assessments: a threshold test for 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a
      scaling test to determine PROP sensitivity above threshold concentrations, a
      taste test of 11 foods and beverages with two methods of assessing preference
      (order of food selection and hedonic rating), and a verbally administered food
      preference questionnaire. The 30 children who completed these tests successfully
      were classified as nontasters or tasters based on their PROP thresholds as well
      as their suprathreshold PROP functions. Analysis of variance showed significant
      differences in acceptance of cheese and milk for the two taste groups on one of
      the three preference tasks, selection of foods in order of preference. Tasters
      selected cheese later than did nontasters, suggesting that they like it less.
      Tasters selected milk earlier than did nontasters, suggesting that they like it
      more.

PMID- 1858696
TI  - Fluoxetine's effect on weight loss in obese subjects.
AB  - Forty-five obese subjects with a mean weight of 102.9 kg and a body mass index
      (in kg/m2) of 37.6 were randomly assigned to a fluoxetine-diet group (n = 23) or
      a placebo-diet group (n = 22) for 52 wk. At week 29, 14 subjects on fluoxetine
      who completed the study attained their maximum weight loss of 12.4 kg, an amount
      significantly greater than the maximum weight loss of 4.5 kg for the 16 on
      placebo who completed the study. The fluoxetine group's significantly greater
      mean weight loss continued through week 45. However, those on fluoxetine regained
      a mean of 4.2 kg from their lowest weight (P less than 0.001) whereas the placebo
      group did not. By the end of the study, each group weighed significantly less
      than they did at baseline (fluoxetine: -8.2 kg; placebo: -4.5 kg; P less than
      0.05) although the difference between groups was no longer significant (P greater
      than 0.05). Several factors were considered as possible causes for the regain
      with fluoxetine.

PMID- 1858697
TI  - Comparison of three species of fish consumed as part of a Western diet: effects
      on platelet fatty acids and function, hemostasis, and production of thromboxane.
AB  - This study examined the effect of the consumption of moderate amounts of three
      species of fish on platelet fatty acid profile (PFA), bleeding time (BT),
      platelet aggregation, and ex vivo production of thromboxane B2 (TXB2). Twenty
      three healthy, young men consumed 200 g/d of Dover sole. Chinook salmon, and
      sablefish for 18 d in a three-way crossover design as part of a Western diet.
      Salmon and sablefish compared with sole caused significant increases in the
      eicosapentaenoic acid content of the PFA (P = 0.002). BT increased moderately
      when salmon diets were consumed (P = 0.06). Platelet aggregation decreased with
      collagen as an agonist on sablefish diets (P = 0.03) and with ADP as an agonist
      on salmon and sablefish diets (P = 0.04). TXB2 concentrations decreased
      moderately on sablefish and salmon diets (P = 0.06). Certain species of fish when
      consumed in reasonable amounts as part of a Western diet may cause modestly
      positive effects on platelet function.

PMID- 1858698
TI  - Fatty acid composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue and diet in postmenopausal
      US women.
AB  - The distributions of fatty acids in subcutaneous-adipose-tissue aspirates and
      their relation to intake as assessed by a semiquantitative food-frequency
      questionnaire were investigated in 115 postmenopausal US women free from cancer.
      Percentages of fatty acids in adipose tissue were significantly correlated with
      the percentage of total fat intake for polyunsaturated fatty acids (Spearman
      correlation = 0.37), n-3 fatty acids of marine origin (Spearman correlation =
      0.48), and trans fatty acids (Spearman correlation = 0.51) but not for saturated
      and monounsaturated fatty acids. Correlations were somewhat stronger in 78 women
      with stable weight over the 6 mo before fat aspiration. These data suggest that
      intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including n-3 fatty acids, and trans
      fatty acids are reflected in the adipose tissue but that intakes of saturated and
      monounsaturated fatty acids are not. The data also provide further support for
      the validity of the food-frequency questionnaire in the assessment of fat intake.

PMID- 1858699
TI  - Platelet aggregation in humans is affected by replacement of dietary linoleic
      acid with oleic acid.
AB  - The effect of concentrations of linoleic acid (LA) on platelet aggregation was
      measured in seven healthy adult males. Subjects were randomly divided into two
      groups; these groups were fed natural food diets of identical composition except
      that one was high in LA (11.5% of energy) and low in oleic acid (OA) (7.4% of
      energy), the other was low in LA (4.5% of energy) and high in OA (15.7% of
      energy). The thresholds of ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation were
      increased significantly by the high LA diet even though the intake of total fat
      and saturated fatty acids did not differ in these diets.

PMID- 1858700
TI  - Reassessment of trans fatty acid availability in the US diet.
AB  - This report updates our 1984 estimate of the amount of trans fatty acids
      available for consumption in the US diet, namely 7.6 g.person-1.d-1, for 1989.
      Compared with 1984 data, we found essentially no change in 1989 for the per
      capita availability of trans fatty acids from total food service fats and oils.
      The 1989 value we obtained for industrial fats and oils is somewhat higher than
      the value we reported for 1984, in part because more complete data were available
      for 1989. In contrast, however, since 1984 the per capita availability of trans
      fatty acids from household salad and cooking oils, household shortenings, and all
      margarines and spreads (retail, food service, and industrial) has decreased.
      Overall, our reassessed (1989) value for total trans fatty acid availability is
      8.1 g.person-1.d-1, which is similar to our original estimate. This total may
      increase slightly (approximately 0.3 g.person-1.d-1) as a result of the recent
      switch by many establishments from the use of tallow to partially hydrogenated
      vegetable oils for frying.

PMID- 1858701
TI  - Methionine kinetics and balance at the 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU intake requirement in
      adult men studied with L-[2H3-methyl-1-13C]methionine as a tracer.
AB  - The upper range of the requirement for methionine plus cystine in healthy adults
      was proposed in 1985 by FAO/WHO/UNU to be 13 mg.kg body wt-1.d-1. To explore the
      validity of this estimate, five healthy, young adult men were given for 7 d a
      diet based on an L-amino acid mixture supplying 13 mg methionine.kg-1.d-1 (87
      mumol.kg-1.d-1) without cystine. Constant intravenous infusions of L-[2H3-methyl
      1-13C]methionine were given on days 5 and 7 while subjects were in the fed and
      postabsorptive states, respectively. Estimates were made of methionine oxidation,
      and daily methionine balance was derived from the intake-oxidation data. For the
      five subjects, methionine balances were -0.9, +0.7, +3.5, -3.1, and -3.8 mg kg
      1.d-1, or -6, +5, +23, -21, and -26 mumol.kg-1.d-1. These findings lead to the
      conclusion that the upper range of the requirement for methionine plus cystine
      probably exceeds 13 mg.kg-1.d-1 in healthy young adults. The implications of this
      conclusion for establishing an appropriate amount of sulfur amino acids in an
      amino acid requirement pattern for adults is discussed.

PMID- 1858702
TI  - Methionine kinetics in adult men: effects of dietary betaine on L-[2H3-methyl-1
      13C]methionine.
AB  - The effects of a daily 3-g supplement of betaine on kinetic aspects of L-[2H3
      methyl-1-13C]methionine (MET) metabolism in healthy young adult men were
      explored. Four groups of four subjects each were given a control diet, based on
      an L-amino acid mixture supplying 29.5 and 21.9 mg.kg-1.d-1 of L-methionine and L
      cystine for 4 d before the tracer study, conducted on day 5 during the fed state.
      Two groups received the control diet and two groups received the betaine
      supplement. Tracer was given intravenously (iv) or orally. The transmethylation
      rate of MET (TM), homocysteine remethylation (RM), and oxidation of methionine
      were estimated from plasma methionine labeling and 13C enrichment of expired air.
      RM tended to increase (P = 0.14) but the TM and methionine oxidation were
      significantly (P less than 0.05) higher after betaine supplementation when
      estimated with the oral tracer. No differences were detected with the intravenous
      tracer. Methionine concentration in plasma obtained from blood taken from
      subjects in the fed state was higher (P less than 0.01) with betaine
      supplementation. These results suggest that excess methyl-group intake may
      increase the dietary requirement for methionine.

PMID- 1858703
TI  - Branched-chain amino acid interactions with reference to amino acid requirements
      in adult men: valine metabolism at different leucine intakes.
AB  - We explored whether the oxidation of valine and by implication the physiological
      requirement for this amino acid are affected by changes in leucine intake over a
      physiological range. Six young adult men received, in random order, four L-amino
      acid-based diets for 5 d supplying either 20 or 10 mg valine.kg body wt-1.d-1,
      each in combination with 80 or 40 mg leucine.kg-1.d-1. On day 6 subjects were
      studied with an 8-h continuous intravenous infusion of [1-13C]valine (and
      [2H3]leucine) to determine valine oxidation in the fasted state (first 3 h) and
      fed state (last 5 h). Valine oxidation in the fasted state was similar among all
      diets but was lower (P less than 0.05) in the fed state for the 10 vs 20 mg
      valine.kg-1.d-1 intake. Leucine intake did not affect valine oxidation. Mean
      daily valine balance approximated +1.3 mg.kg-1.d-1 for the 20-mg intake and -1.6
      mg.kg-1.d-1 for the 10-mg intake. These findings support our previously suggested
      mean valine requirement estimate of approximately 20 mg.kg-1.d-1.

PMID- 1858704
TI  - Branched-chain amino acid interactions with reference to amino acid requirements
      in adult men: leucine metabolism at different valine and isoleucine intakes.
AB  - Recent estimates of the leucine requirement of adult men based on 13C-tracer
      studies are substantially higher than those proposed by FAO/WHO/UNU (1985). To
      explore whether leucine oxidation and requirements are affected by the dietary
      amount of valine. 11 healthy young adult men received, in random order, for 5 d,
      one of four L-amino acid diets providing 40 or 15 mg leucine.kg-1.d-1 together
      with variable amounts mg.kg-1.d-1 of valine and isoleucine in the following
      combinations (Val:Ile): 80:62 and 20:62 (six subjects; phase 1); 20:62 and 20:20
      (five subjects, phase 2). On the morning of day 6, a continuous intravenous
      infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine was given for 7-8 h; the subject was in the fasting
      state for the initial 2.5 or 3 h and in the fed state for the remainder of the
      time. Also, [2H3]leucine was added to the diet. Leucine oxidation was similar for
      all diet groups in the fasted state. During the fed state, leucine oxidation was
      not affected by the Val:Ile pattern. Thus, changes in the pattern of branched
      chain amino acid intake within a physiological range do not affect isotopically
      derived estimates of the leucine requirement.

PMID- 1858705
TI  - Proline metabolism in adult male burned patients and healthy control subjects.
AB  - Postabsorptive proline flux, oxidation, and endogenous biosynthesis were
      determined in five severely burned intensive-care-unit patients (mean age 27 y)
      and in six healthy, young-adult control subjects. Continuous primed, intravenous,
      160-min, dual stable-isotope-tracer infusions of L-[1-13C]proline and L-[methyl
      2H3]leucine were used in conjunction with measurement of plasma proline
      concentration and 24-h urinary hydroxyproline output. Burn patients, compared
      with normal individuals, demonstrated a doubling in proline and leucine flux (P
      less than 0.01 for both findings), a threefold enhancement of proline oxidation
      (P less than 0.05), a trend toward decreased proline synthesis, and a 37%
      reduction in plasma proline concentrations (P less than 0.05). Further, the
      injured group, unlike the control group, was in a distinct negative body proline
      balance, as proline oxidation greatly exceeded endogenous proline biosynthesis (P
      less than 0.01). These studies indicate that significant proline deficits may
      evolve during the postabsorptive period in severely burned patients and that an
      exogenous supply of proline might benefit the nitrogen economy of the traumatized
      patient.

PMID- 1858706
TI  - Calcium and phosphorus deficiencies affect mineral distribution in neonatal
      miniature piglets.
AB  - Current efforts to monitor the mineral status of preterm infants fed human milk
      may not provide sufficient information on the distribution of body minerals. To
      investigate the body distribution of calcium and phosphorus during various
      degrees of mineral deficiency, neonatal miniature piglets were raised for 2 wk on
      diets differing only in calcium and phosphorus. Groups A, B, and C were fed 100%,
      60%, and 20%, respectively, of the recommended amounts of calcium and phosphorus
      that, when adjusted for rates of growth, approximated the range of dietary
      intakes of preterm infants. Group C manifested biochemical and body-composition
      evidence of mineral deficiency when compared with group A: lower serum
      phosphorus; higher serum alkaline phosphatase activity; less fat-free tissue,
      calcium, and phosphorus in tibiae, vertebrae, and whole carcasses. Neonatal
      miniature piglets are useful for studying mineral deposition during mineral
      deficiency in preterm infants.

PMID- 1858707
TI  - Influence of calcium intake and growth indexes on vertebral bone mineral density
      in young females.
AB  - This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between current calcium
      intake and vertebral bone mineral density (V-BMD) in 49 healthy Caucasian
      adolescent females aged 8-18 y. The ability of current calcium intake to account
      for the variance in V-BMD in this population was compared with that seen with
      weight, height, maturational age (determined by the Tanner Sexual Maturity
      Rating), chronological age, and total energy expenditure. Calcium intake was
      determined from the mean of 4-d, food-intake records. Average vertebral bone
      mineral density from L1-L4 was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry. A multiple
      regression model revealed that 81% of the variance in V-BMD was described by
      maturational age, chronological age, and calcium intake, with all representing
      significant predictors of bone mineral density (P less than 0.0001, 0.005, 0.04,
      respectively). This study supports the hypothesis that better calcium nutrition
      during adolescence may optimize, within genetic boundaries, peak bone mass.

PMID- 1858708
TI  - Cholestyramine and oropharyngeal cancers.

PMID- 1858709
TI  - Platelet response to intravenous lipid emulsions.

PMID- 1858710
TI  - Effect of beta-carotene on lymphocyte subpopulations in elderly humans.

PMID- 1858711
TI  - Child welfare: the phantom of the health care system.

PMID- 1858712
TI  - Resident and nurse practitioners: responding to education and patient care needs.

PMID- 1858713
TI  - Priorities in academic pediatrics.

PMID- 1858714
TI  - Thumb-sucking.

PMID- 1858715
TI  - The 80-hour workweek and residency programs: closing arguments.

PMID- 1858716
TI  - Child sexual abuse and human immunodeficiency virus transmission.

PMID- 1858717
TI  - Anal fissure produced by examination for sexual abuse.

PMID- 1858718
TI  - Gilding the lily.

PMID- 1858719
TI  - Jack Metcoff festschrift.

PMID- 1858720
TI  - Zinc deficiency. A public health problem?
AB  - Zinc deficiency occurs in individuals and populations whose diets are low in
      sources of readily bioavailable zinc such as red meat, and high in unrefined
      cereals that are rich in phytate and dietary fibers. Dietary zinc deficiency was
      described nearly three decades ago among the poor of the Middle East. It is now
      known to occur in children and adolescents from widely diverse areas including
      Egypt, Iran, Turkey, China, Yugoslavia, Canada, and the United States; and among
      pregnant women from Iran, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United
      States. Major manifestations include retarded growth and development and an
      increased incidence of pregnancy complications. Other manifestations may include
      suppressed immunity, poor healing, dermatitis, and impairments in
      neuropsychological functions. Precise information as to the numbers of people
      affected by dietary zinc deficiency is not available. Even so the nature of diets
      associated with zinc deficiency suggests that mild deficiency is common in some
      populations.

PMID- 1858721
TI  - Paleonephrology and reflux nephropathy. From the 'big bang' to end-stage renal
      disease.
AB  - Urinary tract infections, in association with ureteral reflux or dysperistalsis,
      may lead to invasive renal parenchymal infection and residual scarring (reflux
      nephropathy). Such infections in infants are often not diagnosed during the acute
      phase. Late sequelae of reflux nephropathy include hypertension, proteinuria, or
      chronic renal failure. The latter may eventuate in the subset of patients with
      urinary tract infection and unilateral reflux extending to a solitary kidney or
      bilateral reflux. Proteinuria may herald the inexorable progression of glomerular
      sclerosis in patients destined to progress to end-stage renal disease, despite
      the absence of further recurrences of urinary tract infections. The mechanism of
      progression is probably similar to that occurring in other forms of chronic,
      diffuse parenchymal renal disease, which all have similar alterations in
      glomerular hemodynamics (an increase in glomerular capillary flow, pressure, and
      filtration). The consequent hyperfiltration per nephron may be related to the
      level of dietary protein intake or to some derivative of the protein load.
      Hyperfiltration appears to recapitulate the presumed renal hemodynamic response
      to the relatively high level of episodic meat consumption by paleolithic hunter
      gatherers. A prudent therapeutic intervention in children with progressive reflux
      nephropathy may be a proportional reduction in protein intake.

PMID- 1858722
TI  - X-linked hypophosphatemia. Genetic and clinical correlates.
AB  - X-linked hypophosphatemia is a hereditary form of rickets that results from an
      isolated renal tubular wasting of phosphate. The clinical features unique to this
      disorder, and the recent advances in our understanding of vitamin D metabolism
      and molecular genetics in X-linked hypophosphatemia are reviewed. Finally, a
      succinct critique of the controversial treatment modalities round up this review.

PMID- 1858723
TI  - Studies in fetal malnutrition.
AB  - Fetal malnutrition, a worldwide problem, is accompanied by varying degrees of
      lifelong morbidity for the child. Only 25% of fetal malnutrition is accomplished
      by maternal risk factors known to cause intrauterine growth retardation (ie,
      chronic hypertension, advanced diabetes mellitus, or severe preeclampsia). If the
      malnourished fetus could be detected early in pregnancy, nutritional intervention
      might be successful in improving fetal growth rate and in avoiding the morbidity
      due to malnutrition. This communication reviews the almost 40 years of studies by
      Jack Metcoff, MD, and coworkers to unravel the causes of fetal malnutrition and
      their efforts to prevent it.

PMID- 1858724
TI  - Partial hypoparathyroidism. A variant of transient congenital hypoparathyroidism.
AB  - We encountered three children who had neonatal hypocalcemia followed by a period
      of normocalcemia and recurrence of hypocalcemia later in childhood. They were
      full-term infants with normal birth weights who developed hypocalcemia within the
      first 48 hours after birth. The hypocalcemia resolved in 1 week, 3 months, and 14
      months in the three patients. The recurrences of hypocalcemia occurred at 4, 7,
      and 12 years of age. Their plasma parathyroid hormone concentrations were
      consistently low but detectable. We suggest that partial hypoparathyroidism is
      the underlying abnormality in these patients and that neonatal hypocalcemia in
      otherwise healthy infants indicates the need for calcium measurements during
      childhood and adolescence.

PMID- 1858725
TI  - Clinic-based intervention to promote literacy. A pilot study.
AB  - Educational research has shown that children become literate more easily if their
      parents read to them. A clinic-based program was designed to encourage early book
      use among parents of children at risk. It included (1) waiting room readers, (2)
      guidance about literacy development, and (3) provision of children's books at
      each visit. Seventy-nine parents of children aged 6 to 60 months were
      interviewed. Parents who had previously received a book were more likely to
      report looking at books with their children or that looking at books was a
      favorite activity (adjusted odds ratio, 4.05). This association was strongest
      among parents receiving Aid to Families With Dependent Children (odds ratio,
      7.8). This preliminary study suggests that pediatricians can play a role in
      enriching children's early literacy environments, especially for children at high
      risk of school failure.

PMID- 1858726
TI  - Immunization response varies with intensity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      therapy.
AB  - Twenty-four children receiving maintenance chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic
      leukemia were given booster doses of tetanus-diphtheria combined toxoids. One
      month later, 19 of the 24 children were given Haemophilus influenzae B
      oligosaccharide-cross-reacting material conjugate vaccine. Following
      immunization, all patients had protective antibody titers against tetanus, 92%
      had protective antidiphtheria titers, and 84% had protective titers against H
      influenzae. Preimmunization titers, postimmunization titers, and response to
      immunization varied according to the intensity of therapy. There was no
      correlation with duration of therapy or quantitative hematologic values in the
      peripheral blood. These observations support the recommendation that children
      treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia should be immunized against H influenzae
      B.

PMID- 1858727
TI  - Response of 7- to 15-month-old infants to sequential immunization with
      Haemophilus influenzae type b-CRM197 conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immunologic potential of infants 7 to 15 months of age
      to respond to Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine following
      immunization with H influenzae b oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine. STUDY
      DESIGN: One hundred seventy-one infants, aged 7 to 15 months, were consecutively
      and alternatively assigned to one of three immunization protocols. Group 1 (n =
      71) received three doses of H influenzae b oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate
      vaccine, group 2 (n = 47) received two doses of H influenzae b oligosaccharide
      CRM197 conjugate vaccine followed by one dose of H influenzae type b
      polysaccharide vaccine, and group 3 received one dose of H influenzae b
      oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine followed by two doses of H influenzae
      type b polysaccharide vaccine. Immunizations were given on day 0 and at 2 months
      and 6 months. Anti-H influenzae type b polysaccharide antibody levels were
      measured on day 0 and 2, 3, 6, 7, and 12 months after the study began. RESULTS:
      Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine given as a second dose
      stimulated an antibody rise but did so less effectively than H influenzae b
      oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine. Two doses of H influenzae b
      oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine were highly immunogenic; geometric means
      were 31 and 35 micrograms/mL in the 7- to 11-month and 12- to 15-month age
      groups, respectively. Following two doses of H influenzae b oligosaccharide
      CRM197 conjugate vaccine, both immunization protocols resulted in (1) equally
      high geometric mean antibody levels 1 month after immunization and (2) similar
      geometric mean antibody levels 6 months after immunization. CONCLUSIONS:
      Haemophilus influenzae b oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate vaccine induces
      antibody levels that would be expected to protect infants from initial invasion
      and primes the immune system for an anamnestic response. Our data indicate that
      if a booster immunization is needed, H influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine
      could be an alternative to H influenzae b oligosaccharide-CRM197 conjugate
      vaccine.

PMID- 1858728
TI  - Transfusion therapy in neonates.
AB  - Infants, particularly those who were very small premature neonates, are among the
      most common of all patient groups to undergo extensive transfusion. It is
      estimated that approximately 300,000 neonates undergo transfusions annually. Most
      infants who undergo transfusion are exposed to multiple blood donors, and
      although each exposure poses only a small risk, the potential for adverse effects
      of multiple transfusions is not variable, and based on scanty scientific
      information. For the most part, controlled scientific studies have not been
      performed to clearly establish the indications for the transfusion of blood
      components to neonates. Considering these limitations, guidelines are offered for
      the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets, and neutrophils into neonates.

PMID- 1858729
TI  - Testing the psychogenic vomiting diagnosis. Four pediatric patients.
AB  - We treated four patients with chronic vomiting during childhood in whom a
      tentative diagnosis of psychogenic vomiting was made after an extensive
      evaluation. In each case, the diagnosis was reconsidered during the course of
      treatment, as observations about the patients and their response to interventions
      accumulated. In three instances, these observations did not fit those expected if
      the diagnosis of psychogenic vomiting was correct. This led to a reexamination of
      the organic evaluation and the discovery of an undiagnosed organic contribution
      to the vomiting. In the fourth patient, gastric emptying studies confirmed that
      there was a strong psychological contribution to the vomiting, and helped to more
      carefully define this contribution. Family and individual psychotherapy and
      treatment were aided by the greater clarity in diagnosis.

PMID- 1858730
TI  - A practical guide to successful breast-feeding management.
AB  - It is often difficult for new mothers to know whom to approach for the necessary
      guidance and practical problem solving required for successful long-term
      lactation. Although obstetricians are familiar with the care of the breast, they
      may not maintain the degree of postpartum follow-up necessary to ensure its
      proper function nor is it their responsibility to ensure that the infant receives
      proper nourishment. Pediatricians are expected to offer advice and information
      regarding not only the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding but also
      practical management of this art. We provide a guide for practitioners who wish
      to assist breast-feeding mothers and their infants.

PMID- 1858731
TI  - Use of infant walkers. Board of Trustees, American Medical Association.
AB  - Infant walkers are used by many parents because of the convenience they provide
      in keeping children occupied. Unfortunately, parents may develop a false sense of
      security that leads to diminished vigilance over the safety of their infant.
      Although most injuries that result from walkers are minor, serious trauma from
      head injuries, lacerations, and burns does occur occasionally. The American
      Medical Association recommends that physicians counsel parents on the risk of
      injury that can occur from the use of infant walkers and inform parents that
      these devices do not either promote bipedal ambulation or offer a substitute for
      careful parental supervision.

PMID- 1858732
TI  - Rice solution and World Health Organization solution by gastric infusion for high
      stool output diarrhea.
AB  - We sought to determine the efficacy of three different types of treatment in
      children with acute diarrhea who, during the oral rehydration period, had high
      stool output (greater than 10 mL/kg per hour). Sixty-six children, aged 1 to 18
      months, with an average stool output of 22.6 mL/kg per hour were randomly
      distributed into three groups: group 1 received a rice flour solution, group 2
      received the World Health Organization rehydration solution by gastric infusion,
      and group 3 continued to receive this solution orally. In all three groups, a
      decrease in stool output was observed, with the higher decrease observed in group
      1 patients. Such a decrease facilitated rehydration of all 22 patients in group 1
      (100%) in 3.3 +/- 1.5 hours, 16 (73%) in group 2 in 4.3 +/- 2.1 hours, and 15
      (69%) in group 3 in 4.9 +/- 2.0 hours. No complications were observed. These data
      indicate that the rice flour solution is effective in children with high stool
      output diarrhea.

PMID- 1858733
TI  - Low serum calcium and high parathyroid hormone levels in neonates fed 'humanized'
      cow's milk-based formula.
AB  - We previously suggested that "late" neonatal hypocalcemia is related to a low
      calcium-phosphorus ratio of current cow's milk-based formula compared with human
      milk. However, there are no longitudinal studies of ionized calcium and
      parathyroid hormone concentrations in neonates receiving formulas with varying
      Ca/P ratios. Sixty-nine term neonates were studied through 2 weeks of age, and
      formula-fed neonates were randomized at birth to receive formula with molar
      ratios of 0.9, 1.2, or 1.4. Serum phosphate concentrations on days 2 and 6 of age
      were higher, and ionized calcium levels lower on days 6 and 14, in formula-fed vs
      human milk-fed neonates. Serum intact parathyroid hormone level increased between
      days 2 and 6 in formula-fed neonates compared with a decrease in human milk-fed
      neonates. Serum parathyroid hormone level on day 6 correlated with phosphorus
      intake among formula-fed neonates. No differences were noted in serum mineral or
      hormone levels among formula-fed groups. We speculate that the lowering of serum
      ionized calcium concentrations in neonates fed a modern "humanized" cow's milk
      formula may be a factor in late neonatal hypocalcemia.

PMID- 1858734
TI  - Evaluation of intraosseous vs intravenous antibiotic levels in a porcine model.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To compare intraosseous vs intravenous routes of administration and
      their effects on serum levels of four antibiotics in an animal model. DESIGN:
      Prospective controlled study comparing two routes of drug administration.
      SETTING: Research laboratories of a large pharmaceutical company. PARTICIPANTS:
      Twenty male and female domestic swine weighing 10 to 20 kg. INTERVENTIONS: The
      animals were anesthetized and treated with controlled ventilation. The animals
      were divided into one of four groups: (1) intravenous and intraosseous cefotaxime
      sodium (50 mg/kg), (2) intravenous and intraosseous chloramphenicol sodium
      succinate (25 mg/kg), (3) intravenous and intraosseous vancomycin hydrochloride
      (15 mg/kg), or (4) intravenous and intraosseous tobramycin sulfate (2.5 mg/kg).
      There was a 24-hour clearance period for groups 1 and 2 and a 48-hour clearance
      period for groups 3 and 4. Serum drug levels were measured at 1, 15, 30, 45, 60,
      90, and 120 minutes after intravenous and intraosseous administration of the
      respective antibiotics. Control and treated tibias were sampled for drug levels
      at the end of the experiment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: - Peak serum
      concentrations for intravenously administered antibiotics were within the
      therapeutic range. Peak serum levels after intravenous and intraosseous
      administration were 102 and 82 mg/L, respectively for cefotaxime; 13.9 and 6.3
      mg/L, respectively, for chloramphenicol; 24.5 and 3.8 mg/L, respectively, for
      vancomycin; and 7.1 and 1.3 mg/L, respectively, for tobramycin. CONCLUSIONS:
      Cefotaxime may be administered intraosseously when intravenous access is not
      possible. We cannot recommend chloramphenicol or vancomycin for intraosseous
      administration, because serum levels were not comparable with those following
      intravenous administration. Findings with tobramycin suggested a lack of
      achievement of serum levels comparable with those following intravenous
      administration.

PMID- 1858735
TI  - Gallstone formation after rapid weight loss: a prospective study in patients
      undergoing gastric bypass surgery for treatment of morbid obesity.
AB  - The present study evaluated the incidence of gallstone formation in 105 morbidly
      obese patients undergoing rapid weight loss after proximal gastric bypass
      surgery. Intraoperative ultrasonography demonstrated gallstones in 20 (19%) and
      gallbladder sludge in four (4%) patients. Eighty-one patients had a normal
      gallbladder ultrasound. After bariatric surgery, these patients were followed
      prospectively with periodic gallbladder ultrasound examinations. At 6 months,
      gallstones had developed in 36% and gallbladder sludge in 13% of patients. These
      percentages remained relatively constant at 12 and 18 months. Body weight
      declined rapidly after surgery from a mean of 132.3 kg to 95.5, 87.0, and 84.0 kg
      at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. Gallstones developed significantly more
      often in the white race, and in women. No significant differences in age, body
      weight, percent ideal body weight, percent weight loss, or percent of excess body
      weight lost existed between patients who developed gallstones or sludge and those
      who did not. Patients who developed gallbladder sludge had less cholesterol and
      lower cholesterol saturation (1.25 +/- 0.42) in their gallbladder bile than
      persons who developed gallstones (2.00 +/- 0.79). Forty percent (13/32) of
      patients who developed gallstones became symptomatic; nine (28%) underwent
      elective cholecystectomy. An attempt to prevent gallstone formation during rapid
      weight loss appears warranted.

PMID- 1858736
TI  - Choledocholithiasis in cirrhotic patients: is endoscopic sphincterotomy the
      safest choice?
AB  - Of the 18 endoscopic sphincterotomies performed on 18 cirrhotic patients for
      choledocholithiasis, a mortality rate of 16.6% was registered. However, this
      figure can be limited to 6.6% if we take only successful sphincterotomies (15/18,
      83.3%) into account. After closely reviewing relevant literature, it would appear
      that operative mortality in comparable cases is much higher. We therefore
      recommend that endoscopic sphincterotomy, despite higher mortality rates when
      compared to the general population, should be the initial choice of management of
      choledocholithiasis in cirrhotic patients.

PMID- 1858737
TI  - Preoperative and intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytology of pancreatic
      lesions.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to describe our experience from 1976 through
      1988 with fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of pancreatic lesions in 90
      patients. Fine needle aspirations were performed preoperatively under ultrasound
      guidance (USG) in 46 patients, under computed tomographic guidance (CTG) in seven
      patients, and intraoperatively in 37 patients. Based on histologic, cytologic,
      and clinical findings, final diagnoses were reached in 80 patients, of whom 62
      had malignant pancreatic disease (MPD) and 18 had benign pancreatic disease
      (BPD). The accuracy of cytologic diagnoses was verified by histologic, cytologic,
      and clinical findings. In 62 patients with MPD, the cytologic findings suggested
      malignancy in 54 patients, suspected malignancy in five, and did not reveal
      malignancy in three patients. Among 18 patients with BPD, all of the cytologic
      findings were reported as benign. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and
      negative predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy for intraoperative FNA
      cytologic results were 96%, 100%, 100%, 91%, and 97%, respectively, and for USG
      FNA cytologic results were 94%, 100%, 100%, 78%, and 95%, respectively. No
      complications followed the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Both transabdominal
      percutaneous imaging-guided and intraoperative FNA cytology of pancreatic lesions
      are simple, safe, and highly accurate methods in differentiation of benign from
      malignant pancreatic lesions.

PMID- 1858738
TI  - Relationship between glucose tolerance and quantitative changes of islet cells in
      chronic obstructive pancreatitis due to pancreatoduodenal cancer.
AB  - This study was conducted to clarify the relationship between indicators of
      preoperative glucose tolerance and quantitative changes of endocrine cells in the
      islet of Langerhans in patients with chronic obstructive pancreatitis due to
      pancreatoduodenal cancer. Twenty-one specimens of pancreatic tissue obtained from
      patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy or total pancreatectomy for
      pancreatoduodenal cancer were divided into four groups according to the degree of
      fibrosis (Grades 0-III). Islet cells in serial sections were stained
      immunohistochemically to determine the proportions of B-, A-, D-, and PP-cells in
      the islets of Langerhans. In patients with pancreatic tissue with the most severe
      fibrosis, of several preoperative glucose metabolism indices measured, it was
      found that the ratio of integrated value of change in serum insulin to that of
      serum glucose (sigma delta IRI:sigma delta BS) was significantly decreased. There
      was a significant positive correlation between proportion of B-cells, and both
      the ratio of change in insulin to that of glucose (delta IRI:delta BS) and sigma
      delta IRI:sigma delta BS. On the other hand, there was a significant negative
      correlation between proportion of A-cells and sigma delta IRI:sigma delta BS. The
      present data strongly suggest that it is possible to estimate the degree of
      fibrosis and to quantify changes of the islet cells prior to surgery in patients
      with obstructive pancreatitis due to pancreatoduodenal cancer by calculating
      these glucose metabolism indices, and that sigma delta IRI:sigma delta BS is a
      particularly useful index.

PMID- 1858739
TI  - Prognostic implications of the localization of carcinoma in the head of the
      pancreas.
AB  - Between 1974 and 1989, 411 patients with pathologically and anatomically proven
      carcinoma of the head of the pancreas underwent endoscopic retrograde
      cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). According to the localization of the tumor,
      these patients were divided into those with a cranially, centrally
      (periductally), caudally, or indeterminately localized tumor. In cranially
      localized tumors, extrahepatic metastases and vessel invasion were absent or
      resectable in 53% and 46%, respectively. The tumor was resectable in 41% of
      cases. If a patient with a cranially localized tumor could not be operated
      curatively for secondary reasons, the prognosis was better than for tumors with
      another localization. If there was unresectable vessel invasion and the tumor was
      not resectable, the 0% survival rate was reached at 33 months. Of the curatively
      operated patients, 26% were alive at 36 months after the start of complaints. Of
      the centrally or periductally localized tumors, there were no liver metastases in
      73%. Extrahepatic metastases and vessel invasion were absent or resectable in 57%
      and 53%, respectively. The tumor was resectable in 48% of cases. If there was
      unresectable vessel invasion or the tumor was unresectable, the 0% survival rate
      was reached after 18 months. These tumors have maximal chances at curative
      resection. Of the curatively operated patients, 31% were alive at 36 months after
      the start of complaints. In caudally localized tumors, there were liver
      metastases in 59%, unresectable other abdominal metastases in 93%, unresectable
      vessel invasion in 91%, and the tumor was unresectable in 96%. In patients with
      an unresectable vessel invasion or an unresectable tumor, the 0% survival rate
      was reached after 33 months; 3% of these patients were operated curatively.
      Indeterminately localized tumors had liver metastases in 77%, unresectable
      extrahepatic metastases in 90%, unresectable vessel invasion in 95%, and the
      tumor was unresectable in 91%. Only one of the 44 patients (2%) could be operated
      curatively.

PMID- 1858740
TI  - Small bowel length in Crohn's disease.
AB  - The length of the small intestine in patients with Crohn's disease who are
      referred for surgery has not been well studied. In this report, 25 patients with
      Crohn's disease who were being operated on for the first time had their small
      intestine measured at the time of surgery. The mean length of small intestine in
      this group was 501 cm, which was not different from a group of patients without
      Crohn's disease who were being operated on for other problems. In the group of
      patients with Crohn's disease, as well as the entire group, there was a
      correlation between increasing height and longer small bowel length. No other
      parameters investigated, including weight, surface area, age, sex, and duration
      of disease, correlated with bowel length. The results of this study are somewhat
      encouraging to patients with Crohn's disease, since these patients do not start
      off with a shortened bowel prior to surgery.

PMID- 1858741
TI  - Endometriosis of the terminal ileum simulating the clinical, roentgenographic,
      and surgical findings in Crohn's disease.
AB  - A 38-yr-old nulliparous female presented with endometriosis of the terminal ileum
      which mimicked the clinical, roentgenographic, and surgical findings of Crohn's
      disease. The patient presented with diarrhea, right lower quadrant pain, fever,
      and significant weight loss. At surgery, the terminal ileum was inflamed,
      indurated, thickened, and angulated. Ileal endometriosis may be expected to
      simulate Crohn's disease, because intestinal endometriosis frequently produces
      local bowel inflammation, adhesions, stricture, and angulation. Ileal
      endometriosis should be carefully considered in the differential diagnosis of
      Crohn's disease in menstruating females who are nulliparous and have
      dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, dyschezia, menometrorrhagia, or other perimenstrual
      symptoms. It is important not to mistake endometriosis for Crohn's disease
      because endometriosis has a different therapy.

PMID- 1858742
TI  - Crohn's colitis complicated by superimposed invasive amebic colitis.
AB  - The clinical characteristics and endoscopic appearance of inflammatory bowel
      disease (IBD) may be very similar to those of amebic colitis. Physicians,
      especially in areas in which amebiasis is endemic, are familiar with this
      difficulty. Moreover, in individual cases, it may even be impossible to
      distinguish between the two conditions, since stool specimens, bowel biopsies,
      and serological studies may be negative for Entamoeba histolytica, even in the
      presence of invasive amebic colitis. Invasive amebiasis may rarely be
      superimposed on IBD, which further complicates the issue. We report here a young
      patient with a 7-yr history of Crohn's colitis proven histologically who
      developed invasive amebic colitis during steroid and 6-mercaptopurine treatment
      for active disease. Stool specimens, mucosal biopsies, and serological studies
      were negative for E. histolytica, and the diagnosis was established on
      pathological examination of a surgically resected bowel. Anti-amebic therapy
      should be considered in endemic areas in cases of persistent IBD.

PMID- 1858743
TI  - Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas: a rare cause of left-sided portal
      hypertension.
AB  - Isolated splenic vein obstruction with left-sided portal hypertension is a rare
      clinical condition. Owing to the close relationship of the splenic vein and the
      pancreas, this rare phenomenon is usually secondary to pancreatic inflammation or
      neoplasm. Acinar cell carcinoma has long been recognized as a distinctive, rare
      type of pancreatic carcinoma. A case of isolated splenic vein obstruction with
      left-sided portal hypertension secondary to acinar cell carcinoma of the
      pancreas, which we are reporting here, is thought to the first documented in the
      literature.

PMID- 1858744
TI  - Carcinoid tumor of the common bile duct: evidence for its origin in metaplastic
      endocrine cells.
AB  - Carcinoid tumors of the extrahepatic bile ducts are extremely rare neoplasms. The
      authors report the case of a 36-yr-old male patient with a carcinoid tumor that
      arose in the common hepatic bile duct. The non-neoplastic mucosa showed areas of
      gastric and intestinal metaplasia that included scattered argyrophil endocrine
      cells. Since the normal mucosa of the bile ducts lacks the latter type of cells,
      this case provides evidence for the first time that carcinoid tumors of this
      anatomic site probably originate from metaplastic endocrine cells.

PMID- 1858745
TI  - A case of extragenital choriocarcinoma in the jejunum.
AB  - A case of extragenital choriocarcinoma which produces human chorionic
      gonadotropin (HCG) in the small intestine of a 48-yr-old Japanese women is
      reported. Only seven such cases have been reported. The patient complained of
      postprandial upper abdominal pain and vomiting of 5 months' duration. Nine years
      before, right upper lobectomy was performed because of lung undifferentiated
      carcinoma. Double-contrast examination of the small intestine showed irregular
      ulceration in the lower jejunum. Celiac angiography demonstrated a hypervascular
      tumor stain in the branch of the jejunal artery. The serum HCG level was
      elevated. Gynecological examination revealed nothing abnormal. A small intestinal
      neoplasm was diagnosed, and a partial resection of the jejunum was performed.
      Endoscopy on the operating table showed a large, irregularly shaped sessile
      ulcer. Histologically the tumor was diagnosed as choriocarcinoma, composed of
      syncytiotrophoblastic cells and cytotrophoblastic cells. Immunohistochemical
      staining for HCG was positive. No metastasis was present. Although extragenital
      choriocarcinoma in the small intestine is rare, it should be included in the
      differential diagnosis of small intestinal neoplasm.

PMID- 1858746
TI  - Primary squamous cell carcinoma of a gastric remnant.
AB  - A 77-yr-old male developed primary gastric squamous cell carcinoma 33 yr after
      gastric resection for peptic ulcer disease. At the time of diagnosis, he was
      being endoscopically followed for large irregular stomal polyps. Infiltrating
      squamous cell carcinoma with focal keratinization and stomal polypoid
      hypertrophic gastritis was found. Previous reports describe adenocarcinoma and
      adenosquamous carcinoma in gastric remnants. There are various theories as to how
      such a tumor may arise in this setting.

PMID- 1858747
TI  - Pill-esophagitis caused by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
AB  - A case of meclofenamate-induced pill-esophagitis is reported, and the relevant
      literature is reviewed. The role of posture, amount of fluid chaser, esophageal
      obstruction or dysmotility, drug formulation, physical and chemical properties of
      the drug, and concomitant ingestion of alcohol, as well as the diagnosis and
      management of such cases, are discussed.

PMID- 1858748
TI  - Angiography in massive UGI bleeding--would you believe better than endoscopy?

PMID- 1858749
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and NSAIDS--more questions than answers.

PMID- 1858750
TI  - HIDA imaging in postcholecystectomy syndrome--clinical value or romancing the
      stone?

PMID- 1858751
TI  - Cholestasis, hypoprothrombinemia, and cefotaxime, or how to prolong a short
      story.

PMID- 1858752
TI  - Comment on editorial by Dr. Rogers.

PMID- 1858753
TI  - Congenital microgastria in an adult.

PMID- 1858754
TI  - Cost-effective way of removing gastrostomy tubes.

PMID- 1858755
TI  - Omeprazole-cyclosporin interaction.

PMID- 1858756
TI  - Post-endoscopy arterial oxygen desaturation and pulse oximetry.

PMID- 1858757
TI  - Prevalence and malignant potential of colorectal polyps in asymptomatic, average
      risk men.
AB  - Screening colonoscopy was performed on 119 asymptomatic elderly men with no other
      risk factors for colonic neoplasms. Ninety adenomas were detected in 49 (41%)
      subjects. Mean adenoma size was 6.5 mm, with 83 (92%) less than or equal to 10
      mm. Forty-nine (54%) adenomas were located proximal to the splenic flexure, and
      17 (19%) were classified as tubulovillous or villous. Moderate- to high-grade
      dysplasia was found in 29 (32%) adenomas and was associated with larger size (p
      less than 0.0001) and villous architecture (p = 0.0038). Two subjects harbored
      adenomas with invasive cancer. Seventy-one hyperplastic polyps were found in 40
      (34%) subjects. The mean size of hyperplastic polyps was 3.4 mm, and 64 (90%)
      were located in the left colon. We conclude that, in this population, adenomas
      are common lesions that are frequently small. However, substantial proportions of
      these adenomas may be at risk for malignant degeneration due to the presence of
      villous architecture and higher grades of dysplasia. Because adenomas and
      hyperplastic polyps are endoscopically indistinguishable, all polyps found at
      endoscopy should be removed or ablated.

PMID- 1858758
TI  - Screening for colon malignancy with colonoscopy.
AB  - Screening of asymptomatic individuals for colon malignancy has been advocated for
      the past 20 yr in the hopes of reducing colon cancer mortality. Although
      sigmoidoscopy is an important element of current screening recommendations, the
      sensitivity of this test in asymptomatic subjects has never been studied. The
      purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and location of polyps and
      cancers in an asymptomatic population by performing full colonoscopy. We wished
      to assess the sensitivity of screening flexible sigmoidoscopy to 60 cm by
      determining how many patients with adenomas or cancer had "index" adenomatous
      polyps in the distal 60 cm. One hundred five healthy male outpatients, over 50 yr
      old, with negative examinations for occult blood in stools and no prior history
      of colon pathology, had full colonoscopy. Careful examination of the distal 60 cm
      was performed, followed by a full colon examination to the cecum. Forty-three
      patients (41%) had adenomatous polyps, and only 19 of these patients had an index
      adenomatous polyp in the distal 60 cm. Therefore, the sensitivity of
      sigmoidoscopy was 44%. The prevalence of adenomas increased with age. Patients
      were assigned to one of three groups based on the findings in the distal 60 cm.
      Group 1 (n = 65) had no polyps in the distal 60 cm, but 18 of these patients
      (28%) had adenomatous polyps in the proximal colon. Among 21 patients with only
      hyperplastic polyps in the distal 60 cm (group 2), six patients (29%) had
      proximal adenomas. In group 3, eight of 19 patients (42%) with adenomas in the
      distal 60 cm also had proximal adenomatous polyps. We conclude that adenomatous
      polyps are common in asymptomatic men who have negative tests for fecal occult
      blood. Sigmoidoscopy to 60 cm had a sensitivity of only 44% in this patient
      population, suggesting that this is an insensitive test for the detection of
      patients with adenomatous polyps.

PMID- 1858759
TI  - Same-day upper and lower inpatient endoscopy: a trend for the future.
AB  - Performance of same-day upper and lower endoscopy has many potential advantages,
      as it may reduce costs, shorten hospital stay, and expedite patient care, but its
      feasibility, efficacy, and potential have not been carefully defined. We report
      here our experience with a group of 87 patients who underwent same-day upper and
      lower endoscopy (174 procedures) over a 2-yr period at a tertiary care VA
      Hospital, compared with an alternate-day upper and lower endoscopy group of 50
      patients (100 procedures) over the same time period. Most patients were elderly
      males. Common indications for endoscopy were occult or overt gastrointestinal
      bleeding, previous or concomitant history of pertinent pathology (i.e., polyps,
      ulcers), abdominal pain, diarrhea, or other symptoms, abnormal radiological
      studies, and iron deficiency anemia. Both groups required similar amounts of
      intravenous sedation. There were no complications in either group. In both
      groups, common positive findings were inflammation (i.e., colitis, esophagitis),
      benign neoplasms, diverticulae, peptic ulcer, and cancer. In both groups, only 2
      6% had negative upper and lower endoscopy, whereas either one procedure was
      negative in 25% and 18% of cases, respectively. We conclude that the practice of
      same-day inpatient upper and lower endoscopy is feasible, has excellent
      diagnostic yield, even in the elderly, and carries no increased risks. When
      indicated, the practice of same-day upper and lower endoscopy should be
      encouraged.

PMID- 1858760
TI  - Monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate during routine endoscopy: a
      prospective, randomized, controlled study.
AB  - Six hundred and eighteen patients were randomized to have automated
      cardiovascular monitoring or clinical observation during routine endoscopy.
      Hemodynamic parameters were recorded at 3-min intervals before, during, and after
      the procedure. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy resulted in an increased heart
      rate (HR), while colonoscopy caused a decreased blood pressure (BP) and HR.
      Hemodynamic aberrations occurred in 71% of monitored patients, including
      hypotension 6%, hypertension 30%, bradycardia 26%, and tachycardia 32%. Only one
      third of the hypotensive episodes were recognized as aberrations, and therapeutic
      intervention did not improve outcome. No monitored or control patient had an
      adverse result. Certain hemodynamic changes were directly correlated with the
      baseline BP or HR and associated with the presence of coronary artery disease,
      particular medicines with cardiovascular effects and longer procedure duration.
      We conclude that automated monitoring during routine endoscopy unmasks frequent
      hemodynamic aberrations that are clinically insignificant. Routine monitoring
      during endoscopy does not improve outcome.

PMID- 1858761
TI  - Upper gastrointestinal lesions in elderly patients presenting for endoscopy:
      relevance of NSAID usage.
AB  - The occurrence of upper gastrointestinal disease and the relevance of
      nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) usage were documented in 511
      consecutive patients (321 women, 190 men) over 70 yr old, referred for upper
      gastrointestinal endoscopy in a district general hospital. The findings were
      benign esophageal disease (43%), normal (15%), gastric ulcer (11.5%), and
      duodenal ulcer (11%). Gastric ulcers were more common in women taking NSAIDs
      (25%) than in NSAID abstainers (7%) p less than 0.001 and male NSAID users (8%) p
      less than 0.001. Esophagitis and esophageal stricture were not influenced by
      NSAID usage, but gastric erosions were more common (10% vs. 3%) p less than 0.01.
      Of 142 patients receiving NSAIDs, 41% presented with hemorrhage, compared with
      20.5% of NSAID abstainers (p less than 0.001). Hemorrhage was as common in
      aspirin takers (15 of 33, 45%) as in standard-dose NANSAID takers (43 of 109,
      39%), even though 86% were taking 300 mg of aspirin per day or less. In elderly
      patients, esophageal disease is common. NSAID use, even low-dose aspirin, is
      associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage. In females, NSAID usage is
      associated with gastric ulcer.

PMID- 1858762
TI  - Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux in elderly patients in a primary care
      setting.
AB  - Despite the aging of our population, there remains a paucity of information about
      gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in the elderly. To assess the prevalence and
      characteristics of GER within this patient population, questionnaires evaluating
      symptoms associated with GER were administered to 313 consecutive patients 62 yr
      old or older from a primary care setting. Fourteen percent of these patients
      reported having at least weekly heartburn. Ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH
      monitoring was accomplished in 54 of the 313 patients surveyed. Twenty percent
      (11/54) of this subgroup exhibited increased acid contact time (pH less than 4
      for more than 6% of the monitoring period). Twenty-two percent (12/54) complained
      of heartburn, yet only six individuals (11%) exhibited both symptomatic and
      objective indications of acid reflux. Surprisingly, 31% (17/54) of the patients
      studied exhibited significant alkalinity within the distal esophagus (pH greater
      than 8 for greater than 1.5% of the monitoring period). Whereas 29% of these
      patients (5/17) reported heartburn, 40% of those reporting heartburn (2/5) had
      acid GER as well as excessive alkalinity. In contrast to patients with acid GER-
      none of whom reported pulmonary symptoms--24% (4/17) of these patients with
      esophageal alkalinity reported wheezing, nocturnal cough, or paroxysmal nocturnal
      dyspnea. Of the four patients with significant distal esophageal exposure to both
      acid and alkali, two reported heartburn and a third reported dysphagia. In
      addition to the somewhat higher prevalence of acid reflux than anticipated, a
      surprisingly high prevalence of esophageal alkalinity was observed.

PMID- 1858763
TI  - Five-day bismuth-free triple therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori
      and reduction of duodenal ulcer relapse.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori
      (H. pylori) is associated with a significant reduction of the rate of duodenal
      ulcer (DU) relapse. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effect of a
      bismuth-free triple therapy on the eradication of H. pylori and reduction of DU
      relapse. After informed consent, 61 patients with endoscopically proven DU and H.
      pylori infection detected on 14C-urea breath test (BT) were included in the
      study. All patients received a combination of furazolidone, amoxicillin, and
      metronidazole, three times a day, for 5 days, in addition to eventual classical
      antiulcer agents prescribed by their attending physicians. BT was repeated after
      an interval of at least 60 days to evaluate H. pylori eradication. Endoscopy and
      another BT were performed again at 6.5 months after therapy to detect possible
      recurrences. Forty-eight patients completed the trial: 26 (54%) patients were
      negative for H. pylori at 6.5 months after the end of treatment, and 22 (46%)
      persisted H. pylori positive. Ninety-two percent of the patients in whom the
      bacteria were eradicated showed endoscopically healed ulcers and were
      asymptomatic, and two that were symptomatic presented only occasional pain not
      requiring therapy. Among the 22 patients who persisted H. pylori positive, six
      (27%) showed endoscopically active ulcers (p = 0.012) and eight (36%) patients
      continued to be symptomatic (p less than 0.01), and were still using antiulcer
      drugs (p = 0.002) 6.5 months after treatment. It is concluded that combined
      treatment with furazolidone, amoxicillin, and metronidazole for 5 days represents
      a well-tolerated, inexpensive, and effective therapeutic regime for the
      eradication of H. pylori and abolition of DU relapse in more than 50% of the
      patients during a follow-up period of 6.5 months.

PMID- 1858764
TI  - Diverticulitis of the duodenum: clinical and radiological manifestations of seven
      cases.
AB  - Seven patients with duodenal diverticulitis were evaluated by computed tomography
      (CT) and various other abdominal imaging techniques. The series included four men
      and three women who ranged in age from 47 to 84 yr (mean: 65 yr). They had
      presented with epigastric or periumbilical pain, low-grade fever, leukocytosis,
      and loss of appetite and weight due to postprandial cramps or vomiting. In each
      instance, the abdominal CT examination proved crucial in the diagnosis of
      duodenal diverticulitis, with contained perforation or inflammatory changes
      involving the adjacent structures. Five patients underwent laparotomy while two
      others were treated conservatively with antibiotics and/or percutaneous drainage
      of peridiverticular abscess. The clinical and radiological features of this
      uncommon entity are herein described, along with a brief review of the medical
      literature regarding the current approach to its diagnosis and management.

PMID- 1858766
TI  - Effect of clonidine on gallbladder contraction and small bowel transit time in
      insulin-treated diabetics.
AB  - Cholelithiasis is more prevalent in diabetics than in nondiabetics. Gallbladder
      dysmotility is supposed to be one of the causative factors. Reduced alpha
      adrenergic tone has been demonstrated in the enterocytes of diabetic rats, and
      its correction by clonidine might explain the beneficial effect that the drug has
      on diabetic diarrhea. We therefore surmised that diabetic cholecystoparesis could
      also be due to alpha-adrenergic alterations. To test this hypothesis, we studied
      gallbladder contractions by real time ultrasonography, and small bowel transit
      time by lactulose hydrogen breath test, in 13 insulin-requiring diabetics before
      and after administration of the alpha-adrenergic stimulant clonidine (0.3 mg
      orally). That plasma levels were sufficient was evidenced indirectly by a fall in
      blood pressure. Clonidine significantly improved the rate of emptying (0.0193 +/-
      0.00057/min vs. 0.0318 +/- 0.0027/min; p less than 0.005), but not the fasting
      and residual gallbladder volumes. Small bowel transit time was significantly
      prolonged after clonidine (169 +/- 17 min vs. 208 +/- 17; p less than 0.05).
      These results suggest that 1) reduced alpha-adrenergic tone corrected by
      clonidine may be present in the diabetic gallbladder, and 2) clonidine's
      antidiarrheal effect might be explained, at least in part, by a prolongation of
      the small bowel transit time.

PMID- 1858765
TI  - Alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance as an aid in the management of patients with celiac
      disease.
AB  - One hundred and thirty-two different intestinal alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance
      tests were performed in 48 untreated adult celiac patients, 64 patients taking a
      gluten-free diet, and 20 adult healthy controls. In the untreated group, 95% of
      patients had enteric protein loss with values higher than the upper limit of
      normality (mean +/- 2 SD). In the treated group of patients, only 22% had
      abnormal levels of alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance. Sixteen patients who had
      elevated clearance before treatment had decreased clearance after an average of
      7.4 months on a gluten-free diet. There was a significant relation (p less than
      0.05) between the alpha 1-antitrypsin clearance and the degree of alteration of
      the jejunal histological structure. We conclude that enteric protein loss is a
      very frequent finding in celiac patients and the measurement of alpha 1
      antitrypsin clearance may be a reliable method to evaluate the activity of the
      disease and useful in following the efficacy of treatment.

PMID- 1858767
TI  - Plasma level of tumor necrosis factor in disseminated intravascular coagulation.
AB  - The plasma level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was determined in 20 normal
      individuals, 52 patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), 22
      pre-DIC patients, and 39 non-DIC patients. TNF was not detected in the normal
      subjects, and the level was very low in non-DIC patients. However, the TNF level
      was significantly elevated in DIC patients, and it was moderately increased in
      pre-DIC patients shortly before the onset of DIC. This increase in circulating
      TNF may be associated with DIC. TNF was higher in DIC associated with solid
      cancer than in DIC associated with leukemia or sepsis. The increase in plasma TNF
      level was mildly correlated with DIC score, and it was significantly increased in
      patients with poor prognosis. However, the plasma TNF level in DIC patients with
      organ failure was not significantly different from those without organ failure.
      We conclude that the increase in circulating TNF reflects the pathogenic factors
      in DIC rather than being a consequence of organ failure due to DIC.

PMID- 1858768
TI  - Plasma adenosine deaminase2 is a marker for human immunodeficiency virus-1
      seroconversion.
AB  - Plasma adenosine deaminase2 (ADA2) has recently been proposed to be a marker for
      human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) infection. We measured ADA2 levels in plasma
      from two groups of white homosexual males at 6-month intervals for a total of 2.5
      years. One group consisted of 6 subjects who seroconverted for HIV, and the other
      consisted of 8 HIV seropositive patients who progressed from asymptomatic (CDC
      Groups II/III) to symptomatic (CDC Group IV) disease. Seroconversion was
      associated with a significant increase in plasma ADA2 which persisted throughout
      follow-up of 1.5 years. However, disease progression in HIV seropositive patients
      was not associated with any significant change in plasma ADA2. In conclusion,
      ADA2 may represent a unique marker for HIV seroconversion which does not change
      with later progression to symptomatic disease.

PMID- 1858769
TI  - Transient erythroblastopenia in the first year of life.
AB  - The distinction between transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC) and
      congenital red cell aplasia (Blackfan-Diamond anemia) is usually possible at
      presentation using clinical and laboratory data. When hypoplastic anemia occurs
      in the first year of life, however, the distinction is more difficult. We
      describe 7 infants with hypoplastic anemia who illustrate this diagnostic
      dilemma.

PMID- 1858770
TI  - On the temporal development of erythrocyte sedimentation rate using sealed vacuum
      tubes.
AB  - The temporal development of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was studied
      in wide, short vacuum tubes. It was found that in about 3% of the specimens
      arriving in the laboratory the ESR developed in three different phases during 60
      min, whereas the other showed only two. The specimens with three phases behaved
      similarly in the Westergren method. It was shown that the Westergren ESR can be
      estimated with an acceptable accuracy already from measurements obtained after 30
      min. Reproducibility and precision were improved by using a special instrument.
      Several advantages by this procedure were recognized, e.g., quicker results,
      identification of several otherwise missed rapid ESR. Accurate timing of the
      readings further improves accuracy and precision, and permits estimation of ESR
      (Westergren) up to 100 mm. In view of the obvious phases in the development of
      the ESR, it is proposed that this abbreviation is interpreted as erythrocyte
      sedimentation reaction and that the kind of quantity that is length is expressed
      in mm.

PMID- 1858771
TI  - Computed tomography for diagnosis of hepatic rupture in primary systemic
      amyloidosis.
AB  - Hepatic rupture in primary systemic amyloidosis is extremely ominous; death
      occurs in hours to days. We present two cases of hepatic rupture diagnosed ante
      mortem with computed tomography (CT). Surgical repair was possible in one
      instance and successfully controlled the bleeding. In the setting of primary
      amyloidosis, the early use of CT scanning for undiagnosed ascites, hypotension,
      or rapid organ enlargement may lead to early diagnosis and potential surgical
      correction.

PMID- 1858772
TI  - Warfarin skin necrosis: recurrence in the absence of anticoagulant therapy.
AB  - Skin necrosis is a well-known yet rare complication of oral anticoagulant
      therapy. We report the unusual recurrence of lesions typical of warfarin skin
      necrosis in the absence of anticoagulant therapy. A 59-year-old woman developed
      skin necrosis while receiving prophylactic warfarin following the detection of a
      large left ventricular thrombus. The warfarin was discontinued and the lesions
      improved. One month later new areas of skin necrosis developed although the
      patient had received no further warfarin. Progressive congestive heart failure,
      poor nutrition, and prolonged oral antibiotic therapy preceded the recurrence.
      Vitamin K deficiency was present on admission. The potential role of vitamin K
      dependent coagulation factors in the pathogenesis of anticoagulant-associated
      skin necrosis is discussed.

PMID- 1858773
TI  - Spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary hematopoiesis: a noninvasive
      management based on MRI.
AB  - We report the first case of spinal cord compression secondary to extramedullary
      hematopoiesis in which the diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI). Based on the great advantage of this imaging test that visualizes the
      entire spine, the noninvasive approach to such patients, using low-dose radiation
      therapy and guided by MRI is discussed. This management appears to be both
      efficacious and safe.

PMID- 1858774
TI  - Retroperitoneal fibrosis accompanying immune thrombocytopenia.
AB  - Retroperitoneal fibrosis represents an idiopathic systemic fibrosing syndrome
      which leads to the development of progressive hydronephrosis and azotemia
      (Stewart and Friberg: Southern Medical Journal 77:1185-1187, 1984; Morad et al.:
      American Journal of Medicine 82:363-366, 1987). Evidence in the literature
      supports a hypothesis that retroperitoneal fibrosis represents a systemic
      autoimmune process (Lichon et al.: Journal of Rheumatology 11:373, 374, 1984;
      Lipman et al.: JAMA 196:204-206, 1966; Littlejohn and Keystone: Journal of
      Rheumatology 8:665-669, 1981; Katz et al.: American Journal of Clinical Pathology
      67:436-439, 1977). We report a case of a patient with retroperitoneal fibrosis,
      immune thrombocytopenia, presence of antinuclear antibody, and direct Coombs
      positivity which provides further evidence that retroperitoneal fibrosis is an
      autoimmune process. Progressive obstructive uropathy related to his fibrosis led
      to bilateral hydronephrosis and significant renal function impairment. Also, he
      developed marked immune thrombocytopenia. Treatment with prednisone produced a
      dramatic response in both platelet count and renal function.

PMID- 1858775
TI  - Preliminary report on the use of desferrioxamine in the treatment of Plasmodium
      falciparum malaria.
AB  - The administration of 0.5 g (IM) of desferrioxamine every 12 hr for 3 days with
      25 mg/kg (total dose for three days) of chloroquine abated the parasitemia of
      Plasmodium falciparum infected individuals more rapidly than chloroquine alone.
      Two patients with in vitro evidence of total or partial resistance to chloroquine
      also were successfully treated with the combination of drugs, and were free of
      parasitized red cells by day 7. Further clinical trials and development of
      desferrioxamine in the treatment of P. falciparum are warranted.

PMID- 1858777
TI  - Ph-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia evolving after polycythemia vera.

PMID- 1858776
TI  - Platelet aggregation in hyperapobetalipoproteinemia.
AB  - Hyperapobetalipoproteinemia (HyperapoB) is a lipid disorder characterized by
      premature coronary disease, although the mechanisms have not been elucidated.
      Because abnormalities in platelet function may represent an enhanced
      susceptibility to coronary thrombosis, the aggregability of platelets was
      examined in hyperapoB subjects. Compared to controls, there were no significant
      differences in either platelet lipid composition or in aggregation to
      epinephrine, ADP, or collagen. In contrast to other dyslipidemias, platelet
      function does not appear to be abnormal in this well defined lipid disorder.

PMID- 1858779
TI  - Would "bull's eye cell" be a better morphological description than "target cell"?

PMID- 1858778
TI  - Abnormal megakaryocytes in thrombocytopenia associated with HIV-1 infection.

PMID- 1858780
TI  - Agranulocytosis caused by ticlopidine and its mechanism.
AB  - A 75-year-old female patient with agranulocytosis caused by ticlopidine is
      reported. She took the drug at 200 mg/day for 30 days to prevent recurrence of
      cerebral infarction. The leukocyte count at the nadir was 500/microliters on the
      34th day since she started to take the drug. Complete recovery of her peripheral
      leukocytes came 12 days after its withdrawal. In this patient, mechanisms of
      ticlopidine-caused agranulocytosis were studied. The lymphocyte stimulation test
      using ticlopidine was negative. In the culture of marrow cells depleted of
      lymphocytes, ticlopidine directly inhibited the CFU-C in a dose-dependent manner.
      Neither the serum on the day of admission nor the T-lymphocytes pre-cultured with
      ticlopidine had any effect on the CFU-C. The lymphocyte stimulation test is
      useless in an attempt to find the causal drug in agranulocytosis if it is caused
      in a directly toxic manner. Agranulocytosis caused by ticlopidine is rare, but
      careful follow-up is necessary in the case of patients on the drug because there
      are some whose marrow cells are very sensitive to it.

PMID- 1858781
TI  - Expression of transferrin receptors on monocytes in hemochromatosis.
AB  - To assess whether an abnormality in transferrin receptor expression or regulation
      could represent an underlying metabolic defect in the reticuloendothelial (RE)
      system in hemochromatosis, monocytes were analyzed for the expression of the
      transferrin receptor using a monoclonal antibody (Act II) to the transferrin
      receptor (CD71) and flow cytometric analysis. Hemochromatosis patients (n = 14),
      and normal volunteers with no clinical evidence of iron overload (n = 14) were
      studied. A significant inverse relationship was observed for the relationship
      between the expression of transferrin receptor on monocytes and log(hepatic iron
      concentration) in hemochromatosis patients (r = -0.59, P less than .02) and also
      for the relationship between the expression of transferrin receptor and log(serum
      ferritin) in normal volunteers (r = -0.90, P less than .001). There was no
      significant difference in the mean expression of monocyte transferrin receptor
      between hemochromatosis patients and normal volunteers. However, the expression
      of the transferrin receptor in hemochromatosis patients was disproportionately
      higher than would be predicted from the relationship between serum ferritin and
      transferrin receptor expression in normal volunteers. The inverse relationship of
      the monocyte transferrin receptor relative to body iron stores in hemochromatosis
      is consistent with observations in other tissues, and suggests that non
      transferrin iron metabolism, including ferritin, requires further investigation
      in the RE cell in hemochromatosis.

PMID- 1858782
TI  - Therapeutic implications and sites of relapse predicted by elevated posttherapy
      erythrocyte sedimentation rate in early stage Hodgkin disease.
AB  - An analysis was performed of all 57 early relapses (ER) (within 18 months of
      therapy initiation) seen in a group of 301 patients treated on three successive
      European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) protocols from
      1964 to 1981; to determine whether a posttherapy elevated erythrocyte
      sedimentation rate (ESR) (greater than or equal to 30 mm) could predict the type
      of relapse and the effect upon the relapse of different therapies received.
      Overall most ER occurred in extranodal (EN) (42%) or irradiated
      transdiaphragmatic nodal (TDN) (40%) sites. Compared to patients with normal
      posttherapy ESR (n = 12), patients with elevated posttherapy ESR (n = 45) had the
      same proportions of outfield and late relapses; more frequent multiple sites of
      ER (38% vs. 25%), increased proportions of early EN relapses (16% vs. 3%), TDN
      relapses (17% vs. 2%), and other ER (6% vs. 1%). ER were most frequently observed
      between 1964 and 1971, and "modern" radiotherapy (Rt) decreased ER overall from
      27% to 13% and for elevated posttherapy ESR patients from 54% to 25%. When
      chemotherapy (Ct) was used as either adjuvant or initial therapy, ER were greatly
      reduced vs. Rt alone [overall (6% vs. 28%) and for patients with elevated
      posttherapy ESR (10% vs. 39%)]. Stepwise logistic regression showed Ct to be the
      most important factor "protecting" from EN relapse, but elevated posttherapy ESR
      was still significant. For early TDN relapse, elevated posttherapy ESR had the
      highest predictive value for relapse, greater than the types of radiation fields
      used and chemotherapy. An unexplained elevated posttherapy ESR, regardless of
      previous therapy, predicts for ER from aggressive HD, frequently in EN and
      irradiated areas, and warrants further early therapy.

PMID- 1858783
TI  - Suppressed natural killer cell activity in patients with chronic autoimmune
      thrombocytopenic purpura.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) cell activity was studied in 17 patients with primary chronic
      idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP). Fifteen of 17 patients had
      a significantly reduced NK cytotoxicity against 51chromium labeled K562 target
      cells (mean LU20% = 18 +/- 20 in patients versus 65 +/- 25 in controls, P less
      than 0.001). NK activity was also significantly reduced in all of six patients
      with secondary ATP as compared with normal controls (LU20% 28 +/- 15,
      respectively, P less than 0.005). The NK activity in both patient groups
      correlated with the duration of therapy being received (r = 0.60, P less than
      0.001). Immunophenotypic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from
      patients with ATP revealed that CD8- cells bearing CD57 (HNK-1, Leu 7) and CD3-
      cells bearing CD56 (Leu 19) were quantitatively within the normal range. These
      findings indicate that patients with ATP have a functional defect in NK cytolytic
      activity.

PMID- 1858785
TI  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor for the treatment of drug
      induced agranulocytosis.
AB  - Drug induced agranulocytosis is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication.
      In some cases, it may be associated with hypoplasia and depletion of granulocytic
      precursors in the marrow, leading to prolonged neutropenia. We report on the use
      of granulocytic-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in two such cases,
      at a dose of 10 micrograms per kilogram per day subcutaneously. The absolute
      neutrophil count rose above 500/mm3 in 3 days in both cases. We believe that GM
      CSF expedited the recovery of granulocyte counts in our patients and warrants
      further study in the management of drug induced neutropenia.

PMID- 1858784
TI  - The respiratory burst oxidase and the molecular basis of chronic granulomatous
      disease.

PMID- 1858786
TI  - Isolated relapse of acute myelogenous leukemia presenting as a gastric ulcer.
AB  - Isolated gastrointestinal (GI) infiltrate is unusual at presentation or relapse
      of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). We report a case of acute myelogenous
      leukemia (FAB-M4) whose isolated relapse presented as a bleeding gastric ulcer.
      The patient was a 30-year-old male who had been diagnosed to have AML in June
      1988. While in third complete remission, he underwent a sibling allogeneic HLA
      matched bone marrow transplant. Five months after transplantation, he was
      readmitted for pneumonia. While in the hospital, he had an episode of upper GI
      bleeding. The endoscopy revealed a leukemic gastric ulcer, with morphology and
      immunophenotyping identical to his initial AML. There was no evidence of leukemia
      in the blood or bone marrow. Although different types of leukemic infiltrates
      have been recognized at post-mortem examination, our case is unique because AML
      presenting as an isolated malignant ulcer has not been described previously. We
      conclude that relapsing AML may present as an isolated gastric ulcer and suggest
      that any suspicious lesion on upper GI endoscopy should be biopsied after
      aggressive platelet support.

PMID- 1858787
TI  - Flow cytometric analysis of anti-platelet antibodies in patients with chronic
      idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) using acid-treated, formalin-fixed
      platelets.
AB  - Acid treatment of normal washed platelets prepared by albumin density gradient
      centrifugation followed by formalin fixation effectively eliminates HLA class I
      antigens from the platelet surface, without altering the immunoreactivity of
      platelet membrane glycoproteins Ib and IIb/IIIa complex. Using these platelets,
      flow cytometric analysis was performed on a total of 20 sera from different
      patients with chronic ITP, and revealed an inverse linear correlation between the
      platelet count and the mean fluorescence intensity which represents a relative
      amount of platelet-bound IgG. These results suggest that acid-treated, formalin
      fixed platelets can be used as specimens to detect anti-platelet antibodies to
      differentiate from those to HLA-class I antigens.

PMID- 1858788
TI  - Usefulness of electron microscopy in the diagnosis of congenital
      dyserythropoietic anemia type I: report of a case.
AB  - This report describes a case of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia (CDA) type I
      diagnosed in a 22-year-old woman with a two year history of macrocytic anemia.
      Light microscopy study of bone marrow disclosed only minor and nonspecific
      findings, without erythroid hyperplasia. Electron microscopy of bone marrow
      erythroblasts surprisingly showed most of the classical features of CDA type I.
      Electron microscopy may be an important tool for the diagnosis of macrocytic
      anemia of obscure origin, especially in young patients.

PMID- 1858789
TI  - Stability of peripheral hematological parameters after chronic
      acetylcholinesterase inhibition in man.
AB  - Acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7) is present in both primitive and mature
      erythroid cells, and a role has been suggested for the enzyme in regulation of
      differentiation in the human erythron. AChE is also a major enzyme in the central
      nervous system; alteration of its activity has been proposed as a therapeutic
      strategy in Alzheimer disease. We recently treated 18 Alzheimer disease patients
      with metrifonate, a long-acting AChE inhibitor, over periods up to 7 months, with
      resulting erythrocyte AChE inhibition as high as 82 per cent of baseline values.
      Despite chronic reduction of enzyme activity, no significant alterations were
      noted in erythrocyte, leukocyte or platelet characteristics or numbers that would
      suggest a deleterious effect of AChE inhibition on normal differentiation. Thus,
      any modification of developmental pathways appears to be compensated by other
      regulatory mechanisms in the intact organism.

PMID- 1858790
TI  - Paraprotein index: a simple prognostic parameter for multiple myeloma.

PMID- 1858791
TI  - Leukemic pneumonitis in monocytic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia.

PMID- 1858792
TI  - Anomalous anticardiolipin antibody results may be due to cofactor variability.

PMID- 1858793
TI  - Satisfaction of physicians and nurses with clinical pharmacy services.

PMID- 1858795
TI  - Expressing the mission of pharmacy practice.

PMID- 1858794
TI  - H2-receptor antagonists and acute intermittent porphyria.

PMID- 1858796
TI  - Counseling patients about drug use.

PMID- 1858797
TI  - Use of cytogenetic methods to determine mutagenic changes in the blood of
      pharmacy personnel and nurses who handle cytotoxic agents.
AB  - Lymphocytes of subjects from throughout the United Kingdom were studied over a
      two-year period beginning in January 1985 to determine the level of chromosomal
      damage produced by environmental exposure to cytotoxic agents. A small pilot
      study was conducted to determine the expected background level of chromosomal
      aberrations. Four groups of subjects were then recruited: pharmacy personnel who
      reconstituted the drugs under recommended conditions, nurses who did not
      reconstitute the drugs but worked on units where patients received cytotoxic
      chemotherapy, unexposed office workers from the same geographic location as the
      pharmacy personnel and nurses (negative control), and patients receiving
      cytotoxic drugs (positive control). Subjects completed questionnaires about
      smoking, viral illnesses, radiation exposure, and medication use in the past 12
      months; pharmacy personnel were asked the numbers of times (1) they had handled
      specific drugs and (2) spills had occurred with these drugs. Lymphocytes from
      subjects were incubated for 48 hours, and first-division metaphases were examined
      for chromosome and chromatid aberrations; damage was measured as the number of
      aberrations per 100 cells. For a blood sample to be included in the analysis, at
      least 100 metaphase divisions had to be examined. Data were analyzed for 50
      pharmacy staff members, 11 nurses, 12 controls, and 6 patients. Metaphase
      divisions in cells of the pharmacy personnel and nurses indicated no significant
      difference in chromosomal damage compared with the unexposed office workers. When
      the pharmacy, nurse, and control groups were pooled into a nonpatient group and
      compared with the patient group, significantly greater damage was observed in the
      patient group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858798
TI  - Extemporaneous compounding activities and the associated informational needs of
      pharmacists.
AB  - The results of an ASHP survey of extemporaneous compounding activities and the
      associated informational needs of selected pharmacists are reported. A
      questionnaire on extemporaneous drug formulations was mailed in September 1989 to
      517 pharmacists with presumed interest in or knowledge of extemporaneous
      compounding activities. There were 235 questionnaires returned by recipients, for
      a net response rate of 45.6%. Of these 235 questionnaires, 210 were usable for
      the analyses. Eighty percent of the respondents practiced in hospitals. The
      respondents listed 314 single-entity and combination drug formulations that are
      frequently compounded in their institutions but for which adequate information on
      stability was judged not to be available. Oral suspensions were the most commonly
      listed dosage forms for which stability information was deemed to be needed.
      Other frequently reported informational needs pertained to the preparation of
      topical and ophthalmic drug formulations and pediatric dilutions. Data on the
      patient age groups involved, the usual routes of administration, and the
      approximate total volume and dose (volume) per patient were also reported for
      each drug formulation. Pharmacists perform a broad range of extemporaneous
      compounding activities, and further efforts are needed to supply practitioners
      with pertinent information on extemporaneous drug formulations.

PMID- 1858799
TI  - Multidimensional work sampling to study the activities of decentralized clinical
      pharmacists.
AB  - Self-reported multidimensional work sampling (MDWS) was used to study the
      activities of decentralized clinical pharmacists at six hospitals in Portland,
      Oregon, and Seattle-Tacoma, Washington, in March through June 1989. A community
      hospital, a university hospital, and a hospital associated with a health
      maintenance association were selected in each city, and pharmacists at each site
      who provided clinical services were recruited. Each pharmacist wore a random
      reminder device and recorded the activity during which the device sounded by
      writing on a card numbers assigned to describe work activity, contact, location,
      and function. Of 6609 classifiable observations, 34.5% (2280) were of clinical
      activities and 35.8% distributive activities. Pharmacists spent 28.6% of their
      clinical time reviewing and assessing patients' charts, 17.1% on clinical rounds,
      15.9% on activities related to therapeutic drug monitoring, 10.2% providing drug
      information, 11.6% attending or giving formal education, 6.1% doing research, and
      2.6% attending meetings. The average pharmacist spent less than 10 minutes each
      day with patients but spent a substantial portion of time providing clinical
      services to other health professionals. Self-reported, multidimensional work
      sampling appears to be a valuable method for describing and monitoring
      decentralized pharmacists' work activities at multiple sites and work settings.

PMID- 1858801
TI  - Attitudes of Ohio hospital pharmacists toward pharmacy technicians.
AB  - A survey was conducted to determine the attitudes of Ohio pharmacists toward
      pharmacy technicians. A questionnaire was developed with questions about the
      current and future scope of technician responsibilities; training, certification
      and licensure; and possible displacement of pharmacist positions. The
      questionnaire was mailed in January 1990 to a random sample of 357 hospital
      pharmacists registered with the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. There were 182
      usable questionnaires returned, for a response rate of 51%. Nearly all the
      respondents (98.4%) employed pharmacy technicians. Of 32 functions listed in the
      questionnaire, 16 were performed by technicians at more than half of the
      responding hospitals. The functions performed by technicians varied depending on
      the size and location of the hospital; and the education, experience, and current
      position of respondents influenced their opinions on the appropriateness of
      having technicians perform several functions now and in the future. Most
      respondents agreed that all technicians should receive standardized training and
      education, and more than a third believed that technicians should be certified.
      The respondents did not believe that increased use of technicians would eliminate
      present pharmacist positions in their department but were neutral toward a
      statement that technicians would eliminate pharmacist positions in general. Ohio
      pharmacists' attitudes toward the expanding role of pharmacy technicians seemed
      in concert with the recommendations that have emerged in the profession.

PMID- 1858800
TI  - Use of antimicrobial drugs in adults before and after removal of a restriction
      policy.
AB  - The effects on the quantity and quality of antimicrobial drug use of removing an
      antimicrobial restriction policy are reported. Monthly totals for the number of
      courses of antimicrobial therapy and expenditures based on grams used were
      obtained from pharmacy records on adult inpatients for a portion (July-December
      1987) of the restriction policy term and for the six months (July-December 1988)
      immediately after the policy ended. Data were obtained for nine restricted drugs
      and for three that were never restricted. Retrospective drug-use reviews were
      conducted for ceftazidime and imipenem-cilastatin. For the restricted agents, the
      total number of courses of therapy increased by 158% after the restriction policy
      was removed, and total expenditures increased by 103%. There were no significant
      changes in the number of courses of therapy or cost for the unrestricted
      antimicrobials. In the postrestriction period, ceftazidime and imipenem
      cilastatin were used more often in patients who were less critically ill.
      Inappropriate use of imipenem-cilastatin occurred significantly more often after
      the restrictions were removed. Other factors potentially affecting the use of
      antimicrobials, such as patient age and the incidence of nosocomial infections,
      did not differ substantially between the two periods. The removal of an
      antimicrobial restriction policy resulted in increased use of and higher
      expenditures for previously restricted agents, as well as an increase in the
      inappropriate use of at least one agent.

PMID- 1858802
TI  - Stability of dobutamine hydrochloride in peritoneal dialysis solutions.
AB  - The stability of dobutamine hydrochloride in peritoneal dialysis solutions at 4,
      26, and 37 degrees C was determined. Dobutamine (as the hydrochloride salt) was
      added to dialysis solutions containing 1.5% or 4.25% dextrose to concentrations
      of 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg/mL. Samples were stored at 4, 26, and 37 degrees C to
      mimic refrigerator, room, and body temperature, respectively. At 0, 4, 8, and 24
      hours, the samples were analyzed in triplicate by stability-indicating high
      performance liquid chromatography to determine the percentage of drug remaining.
      More than 90% of the drug was retained under all storage conditions in 1.5%
      dextrose dialysate containing an initial dobutamine hydrochloride concentration
      of 5.0 or 7.5 micrograms/mL. The mean concentration in the samples containing an
      initial dobutamine hydrochloride concentration of 2.5 micrograms/mL and stored at
      room temperature remained greater than 90% of the initial concentration for the
      first four hours and then decreased to less than 90%. Dobutamine was stable in
      4.25% dextrose dialysate regardless of the initial concentration or the storage
      condition. Dobutamine hydrochloride 5.0 and 7.5 micrograms/mL in 4.25% dextrose
      dialysis solution was stable under all the test conditions. Dobutamine
      hydrochloride 2.5 micrograms/mL was stable in 1.5% dextrose dialysate for only
      four hours at room temperature.

PMID- 1858803
TI  - Stability and compatibility of methylprednisolone sodium succinate and cimetidine
      hydrochloride in 5% dextrose injection.
AB  - The stability and compatibility of methylprednisolone sodium succinate in
      admixtures with cimetidine hydrochloride in 5% dextrose injection were
      determined. Admixtures containing methylprednisolone sodium succinate, in
      concentrations equivalent to methylprednisolone 0.4 or 1.25 mg/mL, and cimetidine
      3 mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt) were prepared in 5% dextrose injection 100
      mL. Control solutions containing each drug alone at the same concentrations were
      also prepared. The admixtures were prepared in triplicate and were kept in
      polyvinyl chloride infusion containers at controlled room temperature (24 degrees
      C). Immediately after mixing and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours, samples were
      removed and visually inspected, measured for pH, and assayed by stability
      indicating high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the concentrations
      of methylprednisolone 21-succinate ester and cimetidine. No visual evidence of
      incompatibility was noted either with the unaided eye or a microscope. No
      substantial changes in pH occurred over the study period. The addition of
      cimetidine decreased the pH of the methylprednisolone sodium succinate control
      solutions from about 7.3 to about 5.6. The concentrations of methylprednisolone
      21-succinate ester and cimetidine in both test and control solutions did not
      change significantly over the 24-hour study period. Methylprednisolone sodium
      succinate, in concentrations equivalent to methylprednisolone 0.4 and 1.25 mg/mL,
      was chemically stable and visually compatible in admixtures with cimetidine 3
      mg/mL (as the hydrochloride salt) in 5% dextrose injection 100 mL at 24 degrees C
      for 24 hours.

PMID- 1858804
TI  - Stability of acetazolamide in suspension compounded from tablets.
AB  - The stability of acetazolamide in an extemporaneous suspension compounded from
      tablets was studied. Acetazolamide 25-mg/mL suspension was prepared by levigating
      the comminuted 250-mg tablets with 70% sorbitol solution. The mixture was
      incorporated into a suspension vehicle containing magnesium aluminum silicate and
      carboxymethylcellulose sodium. Appropriate sweeteners, flavoring agents,
      preservatives, humectants, and pH adjusters were then added. The suspension was
      stored in amber glass bottles at 5, 22, 30, 40, and 50 degrees C. Samples were
      analyzed for the concentration of acetazolamide by stability-indicating high
      performance liquid chromatography on days 3, 7, 11, 18, 24, 32, 42, 54, and 79.
      For batches stored at 5, 22, and 30 degrees C, the initial acetazolamide
      concentration was maintained during the entire 79 days of the study. However, the
      concentrations in the batches stored at 40 and 50 degrees C were below 90% of the
      initial value after 79 and 32 days, respectively. The Arrhenius plot was used to
      predict a shelf life of the suspension at room temperature of 371 days.
      Acetazolamide oral suspension 25 mg/mL was stable for at least 79 days at 5, 22,
      and 30 degrees C. The formulation should be maintained at pH 4-5 and stored in
      amber glass bottles.

PMID- 1858806
TI  - Outcome-focused patient-care standards developed by a local society of hospital
      pharmacists.

PMID- 1858807
TI  - Time requirements associated with three pharmacy inventory-control methods.

PMID- 1858805
TI  - Stability of methadone in four vehicles for oral administration.
AB  - The stability of methadone in vehicles commonly used for oral administration was
      determined. Solutions of methadone were prepared in (1) orange-flavored Tang, (2)
      grape-flavored Kool-Aid, (3) apple juice, (4) grape-flavored Crystal Light, and
      (5) grape-flavored Crystal Light plus 0.1% sodium benzoate. For each of the first
      four preparations listed, two solutions were formulated at each methadone
      hydrochloride concentration of 0.2, 0.8, and 1.5 mg/mL; one set of three
      concentrations of each solution was stored in a refrigerator at 5 degrees C for
      up to 55 days, and the other set was stored unprotected from light at 20-25
      degrees C for up to 17 days. Only three Crystal Light plus sodium benzoate
      solutions were prepared at the same methadone concentrations and stored at 20-25
      degrees C for up to 29 days. Methadone concentrations were measured by high
      performance liquid chromatography. Methadone was stable (loss of potency, less
      than 5%) for up to 17, 11, 9, and 8 days when stored at 20-25 degrees C in Kool
      Aid, Tang, apple juice, and Crystal Light, respectively, and for up to 29 days
      when stored at 20-25 degrees C in Crystal Light plus sodium benzoate. Methadone
      was stable for up to 55, 49, 47, and 34 days when stored at 5 degrees C in Kool
      Aid, Tang, apple juice, and Crystal Light, respectively. All the solutions that
      did not contain sodium benzoate and were stored at room temperature displayed
      unacceptable microbial growth after approximately two weeks. No significant loss
      of methadone potency occurred in any of the vehicles for oral administration
      during the study.

PMID- 1858808
TI  - A nontraditional approach to internship programs.

PMID- 1858809
TI  - Computer system for determining trends in controlled-substance discrepancies.

PMID- 1858810
TI  - Stability of oxybutynin chloride syrup after repackaging in unit doses.

PMID- 1858811
TI  - Physical stability of repackaged enteric-coated magnesium chloride tablets.

PMID- 1858812
TI  - Stability of antipyrine plus caffeine in intravenous solution.

PMID- 1858814
TI  - Executive summary of petition requesting recognition of psychopharmacy. Task
      Force on Specialty Recognition of Psychopharmacy Practice.

PMID- 1858813
TI  - Women of childbearing capacity may not be excluded from working with hazardous
      substances because of their gender.

PMID- 1858815
TI  - Safe use of benzodiazepines and other drugs: the pharmacist's duty to counsel.

PMID- 1858816
TI  - Ten years' experience with AIDS: current status and future prospects.

PMID- 1858818
TI  - Free T3 toxicosis: a distinct entity?

PMID- 1858817
TI  - Monitoring L-thyroxine therapy: lessons from the effects of L-thyroxine on bone
      density.

PMID- 1858819
TI  - Poor tolerance of zidovudine in an HIV-asymptomatic patient with alpha
      thalassemia.

PMID- 1858820
TI  - Tranexamic acid in the treatment of hereditary angioedema.

PMID- 1858821
TI  - Etiology of chest pain in mitral valve prolapse.

PMID- 1858822
TI  - Staphylococcus aureus Hickman catheter infections.

PMID- 1858823
TI  - ACE inhibitor-induced hypoglycemia.

PMID- 1858824
TI  - Helicobacter pylori-negative duodenal ulcer.
AB  - PURPOSE PATIENTS AND METHODS: Helicobacter pylori (HP) is present in more than
      90% of duodenal ulcers (DUs). To investigate the pathophysiology in those
      patients with DU who are HP-negative compared with those who are HP-positive, we
      interviewed consecutive patients prior to endoscopy regarding factors often
      associated with ulcer disease. At esophagogastroduodenoscopy, antral biopsy
      specimens were obtained for urease test, culture, and Warthin Starry staining for
      HP in all patients with DU who did not have active bleeding. RESULTS: Compared
      with HP-positive patients who had DU, HP-negative patients with DU were more
      likely to be aspirin users and less likely to have had prior ulcers. HP-positive
      patients with DU had more severe antral inflammation than HP-negative patients.
      Whites were more likely to be HP-negative than blacks. HP-negative patients with
      DU most commonly presented with bleeding, whereas HP-positive patients with DU
      presented with pain. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a different mechanism for
      DUs in patients who are HP-positive versus those who are HP-negative, and this
      difference might have a bearing on treatment. The absence of HP should lead to a
      more thorough search for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug/aspirin use,
      Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and other potential causes of DUs.

PMID- 1858825
TI  - Radiographically occult endobronchial obstruction in bronchogenic carcinoma.
AB  - PURPOSE: While central endobronchial tumors may become radiographically
      detectable when they cause significant endobronchial obstruction, the incidence
      of radiographically undetectable obstruction is not known. This study
      prospectively examined the incidence of radiographically undetectable completely
      obstructing lesions encountered during routine diagnostic bronchoscopy. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: Patients referred for bronchoscopy at the San Diego Veterans
      Administration Medical Center because of suspected bronchogenic carcinoma formed
      the population base. Chest radiographs were interpreted routinely 24 hours prior
      to bronchoscopy. Patients found to have complete endobronchial obstruction during
      bronchoscopy were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-one completely
      obstructing lesions were found in 77 patients. No radiographic signs of
      obstruction were found in 36 (44%) completely obstructing endobronchial lesions.
      There was no difference in the rate of radiographically occult tumors based on
      cell type. Obstruction of segmental bronchi was more likely to be undetectable
      than obstruction of more proximal airways. Chest radiographs were normal in 13
      (16%). All 13 had risk factors for and symptoms suggestive of bronchogenic
      carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Complete endobronchial obstruction due to bronchogenic
      carcinoma can occur frequently in patients at risk for lung cancer. The
      significant incidence of radiographically undetectable complete obstruction has
      implications for the diagnosis, staging, and assessment of treatment of lung
      cancer.

PMID- 1858826
TI  - Malaria in travelers in Rhode Island: a review of 26 cases.
AB  - PURPOSE: We reviewed our experience with malaria in two community hospitals in
      Rhode Island from 1986 to 1990. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with malaria were
      identified. Fifteen patients were immigrants who had acquired malaria while
      visiting their country of origin, particularly West Africa. Fever was present in
      67% of cases and gastrointestinal complaints were prominent in 26%. Individuals
      with a past history of malaria could accurately distinguish current malarial
      infections from other febrile illnesses. Two patients developed cerebral malaria.
      Plasmodium falciparum was identified in 77% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Malaria is
      an important diagnosis that United States physicians must consider in the medical
      evaluation of returning travelers. A significant increase in the number of cases
      of P. falciparum acquired in East Africa has been reported in recent years. P.
      falciparum infection must be rapidly diagnosed and treated since delays may
      result in complications of malaria that may lead to death. Mefloquine is
      currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for prevention of
      malaria in travelers visiting countries endemic for chloroquine-resistant
      malaria. This change may alter the epidemiology of malaria in the United States
      in the future.

PMID- 1858827
TI  - Activation of the host response in human Plasmodium falciparum malaria: relation
      of parasitemia to tumor necrosis factor/cachectin, thrombin-antithrombin III, and
      protein C levels.
AB  - PURPOSE: Hemostatic alterations and elevated tumor necrosis factor/cachectin (TNF
      alpha) serum levels may contribute to the pathogenesis of organ complications in
      human Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Therefore, we examined whether altered
      protein C (PC) and thrombin-antithrombin III (TAT) plasma levels correlated with
      TNF alpha serum concentrations, parasitemia, and the clinical course of human P.
      falciparum malaria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients with P. falciparum
      malaria were evaluated prospectively before and during antiparasitic therapy. TNF
      alpha serum levels were determined by immunoradiometric assay, PC and TAT plasma
      antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and PC and PC inhibitor-1 (PCI-1)
      activity levels by functional tests. Cultured endothelial cells were incubated
      with serum from four patients with malaria and from healthy control subjects and
      then assayed for procoagulant activity. Northern blot hybridization was used to
      detect tissue factor mRNA. RESULTS: In vivo, TNF alpha serum concentrations were
      elevated (median: 38.6 pg/mL; n = 47) while plasma levels of PC (antigen 55.4%;
      activity 39.0%; n = 47) and PCI-1 (0.56 U/L) were decreased in almost all
      patients before antiparasitic treatment. At the same time, TAT concentrations
      were high. These alterations correlated significantly (p less than 0.01) both
      with the severity of the disease (as defined by organ impairment) and with the
      number of circulating parasitized erythrocytes. Low PCI-1 activity correlated
      with low PC activity (p less than 0.001) and antigen (p less than 0.05) levels.
      The plasma level of coagulation factor IX, another vitamin K-dependent protein,
      was not significantly changed. In vitro, incubation of endothelial cells with
      patient serum (severe P. falciparum malaria) increased both endothelial cell
      procoagulant activity and cytoplasmic tissue factor mRNA levels. CONCLUSION:
      Elevated levels of TNF alpha and TAT, decreased plasma levels of anticoagulant
      PC, and the induction of procoagulant activity in endothelial cells by patient
      serum indicate a shift in the balance of hemostatic activity towards a
      procoagulant state in P. falciparum malaria. The alterations in TNF alpha, TAT,
      and PC levels may be a response to infection, since they correlate with
      parasitemia and are reversed during antiparasitic treatment.

PMID- 1858828
TI  - Cerebrovascular accident complicating acute myocardial infarction: incidence,
      clinical significance and short- and long-term mortality rates. The SPRINT Study
      Group.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the incidence, the antecedents,
      and the clinical significance of clinically recognized cerebrovascular accidents
      or transient ischemic attacks (CVA-TIA) complicating acute myocardial infarction.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: During 1981 to 1983, a secondary prevention study with
      nifedipine (SPRINT) was conducted in 14 hospitals in Israel among 2,276 survivors
      of acute myocardial infarction. During the study, demographic, historical, and
      medical data were collected on special forms for all patients with diagnosed
      acute myocardial infarction in 13 of these 14 hospitals (the SPRINT registry, n =
      5,839). Mortality follow-up was completed for 99% of hospital survivors for a
      mean follow-up of 5.5 years (range: 4.5 to 7 years). RESULTS: The incidence of
      CVA-TIA was 0.9% (54 of 5,839). The latter rate increased significantly only with
      age, from 0.4% among patients up to 59 years old to 1.6% among those aged greater
      than or equal to 70 years. Multivariate analysis identified age, congestive heart
      failure, and history of stroke as predictors of CVA-TIA during the acute phase of
      myocardial infarction. Patients with CVA-TIA exhibited a complicated hospital
      course, with a 15-day mortality rate of 41%. Subsequent mortality rates in
      survivors at 1 and 5 years were 34% and 59%, respectively. Rates at the same time
      points in patients without CVA-TIA were 16%, 11%, and 29% (p less than 0.01). In
      a multivariate analysis that included age, gender, congestive heart failure,
      history of previous myocardial infarction, and hypertension, CVA-TIA was
      independently associated with increased 15-day mortality (covariate-adjusted odds
      ratio [OR] = 2.62; 90% confidence interval [CI], 1.59 to 4.32), as well as
      subsequent 1-year (OR = 3.29; 90% CI, 1.70 to 6.36) and long-term (mean follow-up
      = 5.5 years) mortality (OR = 2.46; 90% CI, 1.30 to 4.69). CONCLUSION: In this
      large cohort of consecutive patients with myocardial infarction, CVA-TIA was a
      relatively infrequent complication of acute myocardial infarction. Factors
      independently favoring the occurrence of CVA-TIA were old age, previous CVA, and
      congestive heart failure. CVA-TIA occurring during acute myocardial infarction
      independently increased the risk of early death threefold as well as the risk of
      long-term mortality in early-phase survivors. (2.5-fold).

PMID- 1858830
TI  - Coronary heart disease risk factor profiles in black patients with non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus: paradoxic patterns.
AB  - PURPOSE: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in black Americans
      consists of two variants: one with insulin resistance and one with normal insulin
      sensitivity. This study examined whether cardiovascular disease risk factors are
      significantly different between the two variants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty
      two black patients with NIDDM in near-normoglycemic remission who were receiving
      no pharmacologic therapy for NIDDM were evaluated for insulin sensitivity by the
      euglycemic insulin clamp, plasma insulin levels, degree of obesity, glucose
      metabolism, serum total, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, and fasting plasma triglyceride levels.
      RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of these patients had normal insulin sensitivity
      (glucose disposal rate in response to a 1 mU.kg-1.minute-1 insulin infusion
      greater than 6.0 mg.kg-1.minute-1). The insulin-sensitive patients were less
      obese (body mass index [BMI] 26.5 +/- 0.6 versus 30.8 +/- 0.9 kg/m2) and had
      lower fasting plasma insulin levels (56.9 +/- 7.8 versus 88.0 +/- 6.0 pmol/L),
      lower serum cholesterol (4.47 +/- 0.30 versus 6.39 +/- 0.26 mmol/L), lower serum
      LDL cholesterol (2.77 +/- 0.31 versus 4.51 +/- 0.27 mmol/L), and lower fasting
      plasma triglyceride levels (0.83 +/- 0.08 versus 1.45 +/- 0.16 mmol/L) than the
      insulin-resistant patients. Serum HDL cholesterol was not different between the
      two groups and was in the high-normal range (1.31 +/- 0.08 and 1.19 +/- 0.07
      mmol/L). Univariate analysis demonstrated that serum total cholesterol, LDL
      cholesterol, and fasting plasma triglycerides were highly correlated with insulin
      mediated glucose disposal and fasting plasma insulin. The differences in insulin
      sensitivity and lipid profiles were independent of obesity, as they were present
      in six insulin-resistant and six insulin-sensitive patients matched for BMI.
      CONCLUSIONS: Black patients with the insulin-sensitive variant of NIDDM have a
      low risk factor profile for cardiovascular disease as compared with those with
      the insulin-resistant variant, who have a high risk factor profile. A high
      prevalence of the insulin-sensitive variant of NIDDM in the black population
      might explain the lower prevalence of angina and myocardial infarction in black
      patients with NIDDM as compared with white patients with NIDDM.

PMID- 1858829
TI  - Skeletal integrity in premenopausal and postmenopausal women receiving long-term
      L-thyroxine therapy.
AB  - PURPOSE: The impact of long-term L-thyroxine replacement therapy on skeletal
      integrity is a growing concern because of the large number of women receiving
      thyroid hormone therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis
      that long-term L-thyroxine therapy in which the free thyroxine index (FT4I) is
      maintained within a physiologic range has minimal impact on vertebral or femoral
      bone mineral density in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: We measured hip integral and spinal trabecular and integral bone
      densities in 28 premenopausal and 28 postmenopausal women who had been receiving
      L-thyroxine therapy for a median of 12 and 15 years, respectively, and in whom
      therapy was titrated to keep the FT4I within the normal range. The relationship
      between bone density parameters and thyroid hormone status was examined using
      univariate and multivariate statistical methods. RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent of
      the premenopausal women and 86% of the postmenopausal women had FT4I values in
      the normal range at the time of bone density determination. Moreover, throughout
      the study's duration, the majority of annually measured values were in the normal
      range for more than 80% of subjects. Premenopausal women had slightly lower bone
      density than would be expected for age: -6.7% (z = -0.39 +/- 0.74 [mean +/- SD],
      p less than 0.01), -3.1% (z = -0.22 +/- 0.78, p = 0.15), and -5.1% (z = -0.36 +/-
      0.74, p less than 0.02) for spinal trabecular, spinal integral, and hip integral
      bone density, respectively. Postmenopausal women likewise had slightly lower bone
      density values that were significant only at the hip: -0.2% (z = -0.01 +/- 1.01,
      p = 0.95), -1.0% (z = -0.05 +/- 1.11, p = 0.80), and -6.2% (z = -0.39 +/- 0.80, p
      less than 0.02) for spinal trabecular, spinal integral, and hip integral bone
      density, respectively. When patients with previously treated Graves' disease (n =
      4 in each group) were eliminated, the differences in bone density at the hip were
      no longer seen. Correlation analysis revealed only weak and generally
      nonsignificant relationships between parameters of thyroid hormone status and
      bone density at any site in either subgroup. Results of multiple regression
      analysis among the pooled data of all subjects showed that age provided a
      consistently significant contribution (R2 = 0.18 to 0.66) to the variability in
      bone density at the spine and the hip, but parameters of thyroid hormone status
      did not. CONCLUSION: These data provide the first supportive evidence that long
      term L-thyroxine therapy that maintains the FT4I in the physiologic range is
      associated with a statistically significant, but clinically minimal, decrement in
      spinal and hip bone density in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. The
      decrement at the hip was entirely due to the inclusion of patients with treated
      Graves' diseases. Thus, the changes in bone density in women receiving long-term
      L-thyroxine therapy are minimal at most and should not be a contraindication to
      therapy.

PMID- 1858832
TI  - Is it time for a comprehensive AIDS medical center?

PMID- 1858831
TI  - A prospective evaluation of elevated serum theophylline concentrations to
      determine if high concentrations are predictable.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate prospectively whether serum theophylline concentrations of
      25 mg/L and greater were predictable (and presumably preventable) by use of basic
      pharmacokinetic calculations. DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS: Fifty-five
      patients with a serum theophylline concentration of at least 25.0 mg/L were
      evaluated initially and if subsequent elevated theophylline concentrations
      occurred. INTERVENTIONS: The predicted steady-state serum theophylline
      concentration was calculated from the dosage rate divided by the predicted
      clearance to determine how many elevated concentrations (greater than 20 mg/L)
      were predictable. Predicted clearances were 0.04 L/kg/hour for normal subjects
      less than 70 years of age and 0.02 L/kg/hour for patients with congestive heart
      failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or liver disease. Estimated
      clearances were determined and compared with predicted clearances. If patients
      did not have steady-state concentrations, additional calculations were made. MAIN
      RESULTS: From 6,368 consecutive theophylline determinations, 69 (1.08%) samples
      from 55 patients were 25 mg/L or higher. Predictably high concentrations occurred
      in 23 of 33 (69.7%) fully evaluable cases. These concentrations occurred because
      of a failure to consider decreased elimination clearance from congestive heart
      failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or hepatic disease. Five
      fatalities occurred, and in two cases, theophylline appeared to contribute to the
      patient's death. Three other patients experienced syncope. The predicted
      elimination clearance of theophylline of 0.02 L/kg/hour was too high in eight
      patients over 70 years old with cardiac or pulmonary disease. Nursing and
      pharmacy oversights were identified as three patients were given two theophylline
      products simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: Most elevated theophylline concentrations
      are predictable (and preventable) by basic pharmacokinetic calculations. Patients
      experiencing elevated theophylline concentrations often had comorbid conditions
      and were greater than 60 years of age. The dosage rate of theophylline (mg/hour)
      can be estimated from predicted clearance (L/kg/hour) times desired steady-state
      serum concentration (mg/L).

PMID- 1858833
TI  - Nephrotic syndrome in a 76-year-old man.

PMID- 1858834
TI  - Spinal epidural abscess caused by group G streptococci.

PMID- 1858835
TI  - Localized rheumatoid vasculitis presenting as acute alithiasic cholecystitis.

PMID- 1858836
TI  - Pulmonary infarction associated with crack cocaine use in a previously healthy 23
      year-old woman.

PMID- 1858837
TI  - Reversible pulmonary hypertension associated with anorexigen use.

PMID- 1858838
TI  - What does time mean to you?

PMID- 1858839
TI  - Relieving constipation and pain in the terminally ill.

PMID- 1858840
TI  - Called to testify.

PMID- 1858841
TI  - Building a critical path for ventilator dependency.

PMID- 1858842
TI  - Death by choice.

PMID- 1858843
TI  - Blueprint for restraint-free care.

PMID- 1858845
TI  - Western states jobfocus. Critical care nursing: action on the western front.

PMID- 1858844
TI  - How to defeat a 'tet spell'.

PMID- 1858846
TI  - Mountain states jobfocus. A wide-open world for nursing.

PMID- 1858847
TI  - Blackie.

PMID- 1858848
TI  - Clear zone in osteoclast function: role of podosomes in regulation of bone
      resorbing activity.
AB  - The adhesion of osteoclasts to the bone matrix is mandatory for bone resorption.
      Contact of the osteoclast with bone surface induces, in fact, cell polarization
      and organization of the resorbing apparatus, the so-called "ruffled border." Cell
      matrix interaction in osteoclasts is a complex phenomenon resulting from
      formation of the "clear zone," a cytoplasmic area presenting the adhering plasma
      membrane, or "sealing membrane." The sealing membrane surrounds the ruffled
      border and seals the resorbing compartment, namely the extracellular space in
      which bone resorption takes place. Adhesion at this level occurs via specialized
      discrete structures, the "podosomes." Podosomes present most of the protein
      commonly found in focal adhesions, but with a peculiar organization. They are
      dynamic elements suitable for regulation, according with the functional demand of
      the cell. Their assembly increases during bone resorption and is regulated by the
      cytosolic free calcium concentration and the activity of protein kinase C.

PMID- 1858849
TI  - Chronic cobalt causes hypertrophy of glomus cells in the rat carotid body.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that chronic cobalt administration would induce carotid
      body cellular response along with polycythemia as found in chronic hypoxia if
      common oxygen-sensitive mechanisms were involved in the two instances.
      Morphometric studies were performed on carotid bodies in male rats that were
      chronically treated with cobalt chloride (0.17 mumol/kg, ip, daily for 6 wk) and
      in control rats that received blank saline injections. The rats were
      anesthetized, blood samples were collected for hematocrit, and the carotid bodies
      were surgically exposed and were perfused and superfused with the buffered
      fixative (3% glutaraldehyde plus 1% paraformaldehyde, pH 7.40, 330-340 mosM). The
      carotid bodies were processed, and ultrathin sections were cut for electron
      microscopy and morphometry of type I (glomus) and type II cells. Hematocrit
      increased from 44% in the control to 74% in the cobalt-treated rats, and the mean
      volume of type I cells increased from 424 to 1,061 microns 3. Type II cells did
      not show any significant change in size. The results suggest that cobalt
      stimulated oxygen-sensitive mechanism in the glomus cells of the carotid body and
      that the glomus cell is a site of oxygen chemosensing.

PMID- 1858850
TI  - Inwardly rectifying potassium current in mammalian lens epithelial cells.
AB  - Lens potassium conductance is essential for the maintenance of lens volume and
      transparency. Recent work has identified three major potassium currents in lens:
      1) an outwardly rectifying current, 2) an inwardly rectifying current, and 3) a
      calcium-activated current. This paper presents a study of the lens inward
      rectifier using whole cell and single-channel patch-clamp techniques. Inwardly
      rectifying potassium current is present in isolated human, rabbit, rat, and mouse
      lens epithelia. The voltage about which rectification occurs depends on the
      external potassium concentration. Internal magnesium is not necessary for
      rectification. In physiological saline, a time-dependent decrease in current
      during sustained hyperpolarization is seen. This "droop" is due to voltage
      dependent block by external sodium. The inward rectifier is also effectively
      blocked by external cesium or barium but not by tetraethylammonium or 4
      aminopyridine. The mouse lens inward rectifier has a single-channel conductance
      of 32 pS (measured on-cell with 150 mM potassium in the pipette). The single
      channel current-voltage relationship is linear in the inward direction. In
      contrast to the macroscopic case, no outward current was measurable. The inward
      rectifier in lens has the necessary properties to be involved in setting resting
      voltage.

PMID- 1858851
TI  - pHi regulation in frog retinal pigment epithelium: two apical membrane
      mechanisms.
AB  - This study demonstrates that the apical membrane of frog retinal pigment
      epithelium (RPE) contains two intracellular pH (pHi) regulatory mechanisms, an
      electrogenic Na-HCO3 cotransporter blocked by DIDS and an amiloride-inhibitable
      Na-H antiporter. pHi was studied using the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2
      carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). In these cells resting pHi equals
      7.26 +/- 0.09 (n = 58). After an acid load (NH4Cl prepulse), pHi recovery
      required apical extracellular Na concentration ([Na]o) in HCO3 or HCO3-free
      Ringer. In HCO3 Ringer recovery was completely blocked by 1 mM apical DIDS (n =
      5) but was not affected by absence of Cl. In HCO3-free Ringer, recovery was
      completely blocked by 1 mM apical amiloride (n = 3). At resting pHi, the
      intrinsic pH-buffering capacity of the cell is approximately 7.1 mM/pH and rises
      monotonically as pHi decreases. In HCO3 Ringer, the initial rate of acidification
      caused by apical Na removal, 0.39 +/- 0.03 pH/min (n = 26), was 80-90% inhibited
      by apical DIDS (n = 5) and 16% inhibited by 1 mM apical amiloride (n = 7), but
      not affected by absence of Cl. In HCO3 Ringer, initial rates of acidification
      induced by apical DIDS or amiloride were 0.11 +/- 0.06 (n = 5) and 0.03 +/- 0.02
      pH/min (n = 7), respectively. These results indicate that the Na-HCO3
      cotransporter accounts for 80-90% of the acid extrusion from frog RPE cells.
      Increasing apical [K]o from 2 to 5 mM approximates the in vivo apical [K]o
      changes during a light-dark transition and alkalinizes the cells. [K]o-induced
      alkalinization had an initial rate of 0.11 +/- 0.02 pH/min (n = 16), which was
      approximately 75% inhibited by apical DIDS (to 0.04 +/- 0.01 pH/min, n = 7) and
      completely blocked by HCO3/CO2 removal from both bathing solutions. [K]o-induced
      pHi changes alter RPE transport mechanisms and may affect RPE-photoreceptor
      interactions.

PMID- 1858852
TI  - Prolonged incubation of skeletal muscle in vitro: prevention of increases in
      glucose transport.
AB  - During experiments involving prolonged incubation of skeletal muscle, we observed
      large increases in glucose transport activity. The basal rate of 3-O
      methylglucose (3-MG) transport increased two- to fourfold in rat epitrochlearis
      muscles incubated for 9 h without insulin in Krebs-Henseleit buffer supplemented
      with 8 mM glucose. The stimulatory effect of a low concentration of insulin (30
      microU/ml, added during the final 30 or 60 min of incubation) on glucose
      transport activity was enhanced 2.5-fold after 6 h and approximately 5-fold after
      9 h of incubation. Exposure of muscles to 100 microU/ml of insulin for the first
      8 h inhibited slightly but significantly the increase in insulin-stimulated 3-MG
      transport over a 9-h incubation period. Incubation of muscles in minimal
      essential medium (MEM) for 9 h inhibited the time-dependent rise in basal and
      insulin-stimulated transport by approximately 45%. The effect of MEM was
      reproduced with MEM essential, but not nonessential, amino acids. Incubation of
      muscles with MEM plus 100 microU/ml of insulin for the first 8 h prevented the
      increases in 3-MG transport activity measured after a 9-h incubation period.
      Muscles incubated for 9 h maintained ATP and phosphocreatine concentrations, and
      changes in glycogen concentrations were small. Thus we have defined conditions
      for long-term incubation of skeletal muscle under which a progressive increase in
      glucose transport is prevented.

PMID- 1858853
TI  - Reduced glycolytic metabolism in regenerated fast-twitch skeletal muscle.
AB  - Freely grafted rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were subjected to low
      frequency stimulation in an anaerobic environment to determine whether
      regenerating fast-twitch muscles regain normal glycolytic metabolic capacity.
      Regenerating muscles were tested at 28, 42, and 76 days after the graft
      procedure. Stabilized grafts (76 days) produced approximately 60% of the lactate
      generated by intact, control EDL subjected to the same stimulus paradigm and
      developed half the estimated increase in H+. The grafts exhibited the same
      relative decline in force after 5 min of anaerobic stimulation as control EDL but
      maintained relatively constant levels of ATP while consuming phosphocreatine.
      This study indicates that regenerating fast-twitch skeletal muscle has a reduced
      ability to initiate glycolytic activity during exercise. The data also indicate
      that a small population of regenerating fast-twitch fibers express the slow
      isoform of myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) with maximum expression occurring at 56
      days postsurgery.

PMID- 1858854
TI  - Rapid increase in inositol phosphate levels in norepinephrine-stimulated vascular
      smooth muscle.
AB  - We examined the correlation between agonist-stimulated increases in inositol
      phosphates and force development in vascular smooth muscle. Segments of rat tail
      artery were preincubated with [3H]inositol and treated with norepinephrine (10(
      5) M) for 3-10 s. Tissue levels of inositol monophosphate (IP), inositol
      bisphosphate (IP2), and inositol trisphosphate (IP3) were measured. IP and IP2
      increased significantly after 3 s of norepinephrine treatment. IP3 increased
      significantly after 5 s of norepinephrine treatment. Analysis of tissue extracts
      by high-pressure liquid chromatography demonstrated that the only isomer of IP3
      present in any tissue extract was the 1,4,5-isomer [Ins(1,4,5)P3]. Contractile
      response to norepinephrine stimulation showed that the increase in inositol
      phosphates coincides well with the time course of force development. This is the
      first report demonstrating such an early increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 in agonist
      stimulated vascular smooth muscle. These results are consistent with the
      hypothetical role of Ins(1,4,5)P3 as a mediator linking agonist-receptor
      activation to increased intracellular calcium and force development in
      norepinephrine-stimulated vascular smooth muscle.

PMID- 1858855
TI  - Agonist-induced frequency modulation of Ca2+ oscillations in salt gland secretory
      cells.
AB  - Oscillations in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by the
      acetylcholine analogue carbachol (CCh) were characterized by
      microspectrofluorimetry of fura-2 in single secretory cells from the avian salt
      gland. The frequency of oscillations increased in graded fashion with [CCh]
      between 25 nM (2.7 +/- 0.6 min-1) and 250 nM (11.8 +/- 1.4 min-1), whereas the
      amplitude of the spikes was independent of [CCh]. An interperiod return to
      prestimulatory [Ca2+]i was generally seen only at very low (25 nM) CCh. Between
      50 and 250 nM CCh, oscillations were associated with sustained elevated [Ca2+]i
      levels. The amplitude of the oscillatory spikes was found not to exceed that of
      initial spikes arising from prestimulatory [Ca2+]i, despite the dose-dependent
      [effective concentration at 50% (EC50) = 200 nM CCh] sustained rise in [Ca2+]i.
      At 1 microM CCh, oscillations gave way to a maximal sustained increase in
      [Ca2+]i. Reduction of [Ca2+]o to 1.5 microM during an oscillatory train or
      blockage of Ca2+ influx with Ni+ resulted in a reduction in sustained Ca2+i
      levels and in frequency, but not amplitude, of oscillations. A relationship
      between the sustained partial rise in [Ca2+]i derived from Ca2+ influx and the
      oscillatory frequency at a given [CCh] was further indicated by the lower
      frequency (P less than 0.01) of the early spikes in a train when interspike
      [Ca2+]i initially returned to near-basal levels. In some cells, oscillations were
      slow enough (less than 2 min-1) to resolve an interperiod of elevated baseline
      [Ca2+]i, showing that the latter can occur independent of the repetitive Ca2+
      spikes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858856
TI  - Na-Ca exchange: evidence against a ping-pong mechanism and against a Ca pool in
      ferret red blood cells.
AB  - To determine the mechanism of Na-Ca exchange, we estimated the ratio of maximum
      velocity to Michaelis constant for extra-cellular Ca by measuring the rate of Ca
      uptake at very low extracellular Ca. In a Ping-Pong mechanism, one set of sites
      alternatively transports Ca and Na. In a sequential mechanism, Ca and Na sites
      are both filled during part of the transport cycle. In each set of experiments,
      two intracellular Na concentrations were studied. The Ca uptake rate (at low Ca)
      increased as Na increased; this is consistent with a sequential model, as has
      been found in other cells. We also examined the alternative hypothesis that the
      exchanger followed Ping-Pong kinetics and that the red blood cells had a
      submembrane pool for Ca that limited mixing with the cytosol. In these
      experiments Ca pump activity was monitored by measuring ATP hydrolysis. This
      model was disproven by experiments that indicated that greater than 80% of the Ca
      that entered the cell became bound to EGTA and less than 20% resulted in Ca
      efflux by the Ca pump.

PMID- 1858857
TI  - Depression of delayed outward K+ current by Co2+ in guinea pig ventricular
      myocytes.
AB  - Effects of Co2+ on the delayed outward K+ current (IK) in guinea pig ventricular
      myocytes were studied using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. IK was
      activated by depolarizing voltage pulses positive to -30 mV and reached half
      maximal activation at +24 mV. Co2+ shifted the activation curve to a more
      depolarized voltage range in a concentration-dependent manner, with a Co2+
      concentration at which half-maximal response occurs (IC50) of 8 mM and a
      saturation value of +38 mV. The voltage dependency of IK gatings showed a shift
      similar to that of activation. In both cases the shift could be explained by
      screening of surface potential. The density of total negative surface charges
      sensed by Co2+ was estimated to be 1 e/225 A2. Co2+ also reduced the fully
      activated IK [IK(full)], and the dose-response curve had a Hill coefficient of
      0.5 and an IC50 of 1 mM at 0 mV. Depression of IK(full) was mainly voltage
      independent. The single-channel unitary current estimated by fluctuation analysis
      was approximately 0.1 pA at -30 mV either in the absence or presence of Co2+.
      Therefore, the depression of IK(full) is due to an equivalent reduction in the
      number of functional channels. It is concluded that Co2+ depressed IK through
      multiple mechanisms.

PMID- 1858858
TI  - Regulation of permeabilized endothelial cell retraction by myosin
      phosphorylation.
AB  - Permeabilized endothelial cell monolayers retracted on exposure to ATP and Ca2+.
      ADP, inosine triphosphate (ITP), GTP, adenosine 5'-(gamma-thio)triphosphate (ATP
      gamma S), and 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate failed to support retraction. However,
      ATP gamma S, a substrate for myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) but not myosin
      adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase), combined with ITP, a substrate for myosin
      ATPase but not MLCK, supported retraction. Two MLCK pseudosubstrate peptides, M5
      and SM-1, inhibited endothelial cell retraction equally and more effectively than
      myosin kinase-inhibitory peptide with a sequence based on the phosphorylated site
      of myosin light chain. M5 was shown to inhibit thiophosphorylation of endothelial
      cell myosin light chains. Endothelial cells incubated with exogenous unregulated
      kinase in the presence of ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'
      tetra-acetic acid retracted on addition of ATP. This retraction was accompanied
      by thiophosphorylation of the 19 kDa myosin light chains in the presence of ATP
      gamma 35S. The N-ethylmaleimide-modified subfragment 1 of myosin heads, a
      specific inhibitor of actin-myosin interaction, prevented retraction. These data
      add support to the proposal of a central role for MLCK activation of myosin in
      endothelial retraction.

PMID- 1858859
TI  - Relaxation, [Ca2+]i, and the latch-bridge hypothesis in swine arterial smooth
      muscle.
AB  - During vascular smooth muscle relaxation, myosin light-chain phosphorylation
      values decrease to resting values more rapidly than do stress values. Because
      phosphorylation is proportionally low, the latch-bridge hypothesis predicts that
      stress during relaxation should be predominantly carried by latch bridges. I
      evaluated the mechanical properties of latch bridges by changing tissue length
      and measuring myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]) with aequorin during
      relaxation of swine carotid medial tissues. Stress production was predicted with
      the latch-bridge model of Hai and Murphy, in which the measured aequorin [Ca2+]
      signal is the only determinant of stress. The aequorin-based latch-bridge model
      predicted relaxation induced by removal of the histamine stimulation. However,
      when tissues were relaxed by removal of extracellular Ca2+ or Ca(2+)-channel
      blockers in the continued presence of histamine, the aequorin-based model
      modestly underestimated the resulting relaxation. This underestimation was most
      likely caused by a small increase in the [Ca2+] sensitivity of phosphorylation
      since a model with an altered [Ca2+] sensitivity of phosphorylation more
      accurately predicted the resulting relaxation. The time course of relaxation in
      swine carotid artery was not substantially altered when the tissue was either
      briefly stretched or shortened and then returned to the original length. Because
      stretch should detach cross bridges, I modified the aequorin-based latch-bridge
      model to account for stretch-induced cross-bridge detachment. Because [Ca2+]
      values were slightly above resting values both before and after the stretch, the
      model predicted that phosphorylated cross bridges could reattach, be
      dephosphorylated, and form new latch bridges. The model predicted relaxation
      except during the first few seconds after stretch. These results suggest that
      latch-bridge reattachment is not necessary to explain the majority of the
      response to stretch during relaxation. The rate-limiting step for relaxation
      appears to be removal of [Ca2+] and not latch-bridge detachment.

PMID- 1858860
TI  - Carbohydrate supplementation attenuates IMP accumulation in human muscle during
      prolonged exercise.
AB  - The effect of carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion on metabolic responses to exercise has
      been investigated. Subjects cycled at approximately 70% of maximal oxygen uptake
      to fatigue [135 +/- 17 (+/- SE) min] on the first occasion (control, CON) and at
      the same work load and duration on the second occasion but with addition of
      ingestion of CHO during the exercise. Biopsies were taken from the quadriceps
      femoris muscle before and after exercise. The sum of the hexose monophosphates
      (HMP), as well as lactate and alanine, in muscle was higher after CHO exercise (P
      less than or equal to 0.05, P less than or equal to 0.05, and P less than or
      equal to 0.01, respectively). Acetylcarnitine increased during exercise but was
      not significantly different between treatments after exercise (CON, 6.6 +/- 1.7;
      CHO, 10.0 +/- 1.2 mmol/kg dry wt; P = NS). The sum of the tricarboxylic acid
      cycle intermediates (TCAI; citrate + malate + fumarate) was increased during
      exercise and was higher after CHO exercise (2.34 +/- 0.32 vs. 1.68 +/- 0.17
      mmol/kg dry wt; P less than or equal to 0.05). IMP was less than 0.1 mmol/kg dry
      wt at rest and increased to 0.77 +/- 0.26 (CON) and 0.29 +/- 0.11 mmol/kg dry wt
      (CHO) (P less than or equal to 0.05) during exercise. It was recently found that
      during prolonged exercise there is initially a rapid and large expansion of TCAI
      and glycogenolytic intermediates in human muscle followed by a continuous decline
      in TCAI and glycogenolytic intermediates [K. Sahlin, A. Katz, and S. Broberg. Am.
      J. Physiol. 259 (Cell Physiol. 28): C834-C841, 1990].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1858861
TI  - Differences between OK and LLC-PK1 cells: cystine handling.
AB  - Cultured opossum kidney (OK) and porcine kidney (LLC-PK1) cells were compared for
      biochemical characteristics and cystine transport systems. The cell lines differ
      in amount of protein per cell, with OK cells having approximately one-half the
      amount found in LLC-PK1. Both cell lines contain 19 micrograms DNA/10(6) cells.
      As cells reach confluence, cystine uptake increases in OK and decreases in LLC
      PK1 cells. Throughout the growth period, only lysine inhibits cystine uptake in
      OK, whereas glutamate is the inhibitor in LLC-PK1. The predominant site of
      cystine transport in OK cells is across the apical membrane, and the basolateral
      membrane is the corresponding site of transport in LLC-PK1 cells. Although the
      intracellular reduced glutathione pool is the same, the cysteine pool in OK cells
      is approximately one-fourth that found in LLC-PK1 cells. The ability of OK cells
      to reflect the shared cystine-dibasic amino acid transport system and LLC-PK1 to
      exhibit the cystine-glutamate antiporter system makes available two models for
      investigation of the development and structure of cystine transport systems.

PMID- 1858862
TI  - Frog semitendinosis tendon load-strain and stress-strain properties during
      passive loading.
AB  - The mechanical properties of the frog semitendinosis (ST) tendon, bone-tendon
      junction, and aponeurosis were measured during passive loading to a tension equal
      to maximum isometric tension (Po). Stiffness and strain in these regions
      continuously increased as load increased. Tendon stiffness was approximately four
      times the aponeurosis stiffness. Tendon Young's modulus at Po was only 188 MPa,
      which is approximately 10 times less than the modulus reported for most mammalian
      tendons. Similarly, tendon stress at Po was only approximately 3 MPa, which is
      also less than that predicted for many tendons. Tendon strain at Po was
      approximately 2% after passive loading. We conclude that different regions of the
      frog ST tendon have different mechanical properties and that the frog ST tendon
      operates physiologically in the "toe" region of the stress-strain curve with a
      variable stiffness that increases with load. Taken together, these results have
      significant implications in understanding muscle-tendon design and neuromotor
      control strategies.

PMID- 1858863
TI  - MHC composition and enzyme-histochemical and physiological properties of a novel
      fast-twitch motor unit type.
AB  - Determinations of fatigue ratio, twitch and tetanus tension, and contraction and
      half-relaxation times of the isometric twitch were made in 21 single fast-twitch
      motor units from the rat tibialis anterior muscle. Single motor units were
      functionally isolated by microdissection of the ventral root, and the glycogen
      depletion technique was used to demonstrate the muscle fibers in the unit.
      Morphological and immuno- and enzyme-histochemical methods were applied to serial
      muscle cross sections to characterize the muscle fibers in the unit. Three of the
      units had muscle fibers of the IIa type according to staining both for
      myofibrillar adenosinetriphosphatase after acid preincubation and with the use of
      monoclonal antibodies specific for myosin heavy chains (MHCs), i.e., the IIa-MHC
      isoform. The other 18 units were of the IIb type according to enzyme
      histochemistry, but immunohistochemistry showed that in six of these units the
      muscle fibers exhibited the novel type IIx-MHC isoform and in the other 12 units
      the IIb-MHC isoform. It was found that the IIx motor units have contraction and
      half-relaxation times similar to those of types IIa and IIb units but have
      morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties that distinguish them
      from the latter two types.

PMID- 1858864
TI  - Nerve blood flow in early experimental diabetes in rats: relation to conduction
      deficits.
AB  - A reduction in nerve blood flow in chronic experimental diabetes has been linked
      to impaired conduction. Recently, there have been reports that this is preceded
      by a period of functional hyperemia. The present investigation explored early
      changes in sciatic nerve endoneurial blood flow and function in streptozocin
      treated rats with durations of diabetes from 1 wk to 4 mo. Blood flow was
      monitored by microelectrode polarography and hydrogen clearance in
      thiobutabarbital (Inactin)-anesthetized animals. It was reduced by 41% as early
      as 1 wk after diabetes induction. There was no evidence of an early functional
      hyperemia, flow remaining 44% depressed up to 4 mo. In another investigation,
      similar reductions in blood flow were acutely induced in normal rats rendered
      hyperglycemic by glucose infusion. In diabetic animals, conduction velocity in
      sciatic branches supplying gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles was
      correlated with blood flow. The link was further tested using a group of 2-mo
      diabetic rats treated with guanethidine. Treatment caused a functional adrenergic
      sympathectomy, and blood flow increased to within the normal range. Conduction
      velocity, depressed by 26% with diabetes, was normalized by treatment. These
      observations support the hypothesis that hyperglycemia-induced blood flow
      reductions and resultant endoneurial hypoxia are important factors underlying
      nerve conduction deficits early in the development of diabetic neuropathy.

PMID- 1858865
TI  - Measuring body fat: calibrating the rulers. Intermethod comparisons in 389 normal
      Caucasian subjects.
AB  - A systematic study of 389 normal Caucasians stratified for sex and age compared
      all of the traditional methods for measuring fat: body water, underwater
      weighing, body potassium, and anthropometrics and the newer methods of dual
      photon absorptiometry, bioimpedance analysis, and total body electrical
      conductivity. Measurements by all methods are highly intercorrelated, but methods
      differences show the population means for fat percent to range from 26 to 35% of
      body weight across eight methods. All methods show increasing fat (as % body
      weight) with age in both sexes but vary in secular slope. The goal of this report
      is to provide direct translations between each of the eight methods. Intermethod
      comparison equations are given as simple linear regressions by using each method
      both as dependent and independent variable for each sex, permitting translation
      for results by any method to any other.

PMID- 1858866
TI  - Differential effects of omega-3 fish oils on protein kinase activities in vitro.
AB  - We studied the in vitro effects of omega-3 fish oils and other fatty acids on the
      activity of crude protein kinase C from S49 lymphoma cells, on partially purified
      enzyme from rat cerebrum, on homogeneous protein kinase C from bovine brain, and,
      for comparison, on type I adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent
      protein kinase. In the absence of exogenous phospholipid, the fish oils cis
      5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and acid (DCHA) enhance the catalytic
      cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic activity of protein kinase C and support the
      binding of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, both to approximately 50% of the level
      supported by phosphatidylserine. In the presence of phosphatidylserine, the omega
      3 fatty acids reduce catalytic activity and [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding
      by about one-half. The effects of the omega-3 fatty acids on enzyme activity
      suggest that fish oils act as partial agonists competitively with
      phosphatidylserine. EPA, DCHA, and arachidonate (but not a variety of saturated
      fatty acids) inhibit the cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Thus dietary fish oils
      and cellular fatty acids mobilized by the action of phospholipase A2 may
      differentially modulate the activities of protein kinase C and cAMP-dependent
      protein kinase. These data suggest means by which unsaturated fatty acids
      mobilized within cells may act as second messengers.

PMID- 1858867
TI  - Kinetics of copper metabolism in rats: a compartmental model.
AB  - Model-based compartmental analysis was used to describe data on the whole body
      kinetics of copper metabolism in rats. Data were collected on recovery of radio
      copper in plasma, liver, skin, skeletal muscle, bile, and feces for 3 days after
      the injection of 10 micrograms iv of copper labeled with 64Cu. Data on copper
      masses and on 64Cu kinetics were analyzed by the stimulation, analysis, and
      modeling computer programs. Observed data were fit to a 16-component "working
      hypothesis" model; fractional transfer coefficients were estimated, and steady
      state compartment masses and copper transfer rates were calculated. The model
      postulates a rapid turnover of plasma nonceruloplasmin (NCp) copper (8.5 h-1),
      which exchanged a large amount of copper with extrahepatic tissues (16
      micrograms/h) as well as liver (13 micrograms/h). In comparison, ceruloplasmin
      (Cp) transferred relatively little copper to tissues (less than 1 microgram/h).
      NCp copper is postulated to be the precursor for biliary copper. Regarding the
      intracellular metabolism of copper in hepatic and extrahepatic tissues, the data
      were compatible with a faster turning-over compartment that exchanged copper with
      NCp and a slower turning-over compartment with input from Cp. In the liver, the
      slower turning-over compartment was the copper present in peak II (mol mass
      30,000-40,000 Da); this received much of its input from the faster turning-over
      compartment (peak III), which was hypothesized to represent, in large part,
      copper in metallothionein.

PMID- 1858868
TI  - Adrenal steroid receptor activation in vivo and immune function.
AB  - Recent studies have indicated significant differences among immune and other
      tissues in in vivo adrenal steroid receptor activation after a given hormone
      exposure. Nevertheless, the relationship between in vivo receptor activation and
      functional measures of the immune response has not been determined. Type I and
      type II adrenal steroid receptor binding in conjunction with mitogen-induced T
      cell proliferative responses were measured in the spleens of Sprague-Dawley rats
      that were administered various concentrations of dexamethasone (DEX). A linear
      relationship between type II receptor binding and splenocyte proliferation was
      found, with decreases in measurable type II receptors (indicating in vivo
      receptor activation) being highly correlated with decreases in immune function.
      There was no evidence of spare type II receptors. In vitro studies using the type
      II receptor antagonist RU 486 confirmed that the inhibitory effect of DEX on
      splenocyte proliferation was mediated via the type II receptor. These findings
      provide a foundation for future studies evaluating glucocorticoid effects on
      immune system function and suggest that evidence of in vivo receptor activation
      may be critical for predicting when and in which tissues adrenal steroid hormones
      may be capable of modulating the immune response.

PMID- 1858869
TI  - Dose-response characteristics of impaired glucose oxidation in non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - To determine the dose-response characteristics of impaired glucose oxidation in
      non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), indirect calorimetry was
      performed on eight matched control and NIDDM subjects during the basal state and
      during three glucose clamps at insulin infusion rates of 150, 300, and 1,500
      pmol.m-2.min-1. Hyperglycemia was used to achieve matched rates of glucose uptake
      at each insulin infusion. Glucose uptake in the basal state was greater in NIDDM
      [3.75 +/- 0.23 vs. 2.50 +/- 0.10 mg.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1.min-1, P less than
      0.005] but was similar at approximately 8, 12, and 26 mg.kg FFM-1.min-1 at each
      insulin infusion. Basal protein oxidation, fat oxidation, and plasma free fatty
      acids were similar and equally sensitive to suppression by insulin in both
      groups. Glucose oxidation was reduced 20-26%, and circulating lactate increased
      50-90% at physiological but not at pharmacological insulin concentrations in
      NIDDM. The dose-response relationship between serum insulin and glucose oxidation
      was right shifted in NIDDM with half-maximal activation at 368 +/- 91 vs. 179 +/-
      27 pM in controls (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, glucose oxidation is reduced
      at physiological insulin concentrations in NIDDM and cannot be explained by
      concomitant obesity, increased fat oxidation, or reduced glucose uptake but
      results from impaired sensitivity to stimulation by insulin, possibly at pyruvate
      dehydrogenase.

PMID- 1858870
TI  - Cytosolic calcium responses of single rMTC 44-2 cells to stimulation with
      external calcium and potassium.
AB  - Few endocrine tissues can detect changes in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration
      within the physiological range and modify their hormone secretion accordingly. A
      rat cell line of C-cell origin (rMTC 44-2) secretes calcitonin and neurotensin in
      response to small increases in external Ca2+. To better understand the mechanism
      of extracellular Ca2+ sensing in this cell type, we studied single fura-2-loaded
      rMTC 44-2 cells perfused with increasing concentrations of Ca2+ and K+. In the
      basal state (Ca2+ = 0.5 mM), cytosolic Ca2+ levels were 53 nM, with 27% of the
      cells having spikes or oscillations. With elevation of the external Ca2+ to
      between 0.5 and 4 mM, 84% of the cells showed a rapid (less than 5 s) rise in
      cytosolic Ca2+ to values 2- to 10-fold higher than basal levels. Most of the
      responding cells exhibited complex patterns of cytosolic Ca2+ fluctuations,
      including oscillations with frequencies varying from less than 1/min to as many
      as 6/min. When averaged over time, the cytosolic Ca2+ of individual cells showed
      a dose-dependent response with changes in external Ca2+, resembling the
      relationship between extracellular Ca2+ and calcitonin secretion. With continued
      or repeated stimulation, the spike amplitude often declined. These cytosolic Ca2+
      responses were attenuated in the presence of the Ca(2+)-channel blockers cadmium
      and nifedipine. Cytosolic Ca2+ responses to perfusion with elevated K+ (20 mM)
      were similar in waveform to those seen with Ca2+ stimulation. Most cells
      displayed cytosolic Ca2+ changes in response to both ionic secretagogues when
      stimulated with external Ca2+ or K+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858871
TI  - Splanchnic osmosensation and vasopressin: mechanisms and neural pathways.
AB  - Hypertonic (2 ml, 598 mosmol/kgH2O) solutions were infused over 4 min via a
      stomach tube in 12 groups (n = 5-10) of conscious rats with indwelling arterial
      catheters. Mean changes over 4-21 min of plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) were
      6.1 +/- 0.9 for NaCl (P less than 0.01), 9.3 +/- 3.0 for LiCl (P less than 0.01),
      4.5 +/- 1.3 for sodium isethionate (P less than 0.01), 2.8 +/- 0.9 for sucrose (P
      less than 0.025), 3.9 +/- 2.8 for mannitol (P less than 0.01), and -0.1 +/- 0.1
      (SE) pg/ml for urea. The AVP responses to NaCl and sucrose were proportional to
      the rate of gastrointestinal absorption of radiolabeled NaCl and sucrose,
      respectively. The AVP response to 598 mosmol/kgH2O NaCl was attenuated by 60.6%
      (P less than 0.001) in rats with lesion of the side branches of the major
      splanchnic nerves innervating the mesentery of the upper small intestine and the
      portal vein area, by 34-37% (P less than 0.05) in rats with right or left
      splanchnic nerve lesions, and was not affected by subdiaphragmatic vagotomy.
      Changes in systemic plasma osmolality were small and could not explain the AVP
      responses. Thus splanchnic receptors are osmosensitive, are situated in the
      mesentery of the upper small intestine and possibly the portal vein area, and
      project to the spinal cord via the right and left major splanchnic nerves.

PMID- 1858872
TI  - Response of rat selenoprotein P to selenium administration and fate of its
      selenium.
AB  - Selenoprotein P is a glycoprotein that contains greater than 60% of the selenium
      in rat plasma. Physiological experiments were undertaken to gain insight into
      selenoprotein P function. Selenium-deficient rats were injected with doses of
      selenium ranging from 25 to 200 micrograms/kg, and the appearance of
      selenoprotein P was compared with the appearance of glutathione peroxidase
      activity in plasma and in liver. Selenoprotein P concentration increased to 35%
      of control by 6 h, whereas glutathione peroxidase activity increased minimally or
      not at all. Moreover, in rats given 100 and 200 micrograms selenium/kg,
      selenoprotein P reached 75% of its concentration in control rats at 24 h, whereas
      glutathione peroxidase activity reached only 6% of control. Cycloheximide
      pretreatment blocked the appearance of selenoprotein P in response to selenium
      injection. Male and female rats had similar concentrations of selenoprotein P.
      Partially purified selenoprotein P and plasma glutathione peroxidase labeled with
      75Se were administered intravenously to selenium-deficient and control rats. 75Se
      given as selenoprotein P disappeared more rapidly from plasma than did 75Se given
      as glutathione peroxidase. Selenium deficiency did not significantly affect 75Se
      disappearance from plasma. At 2 h, brain, but not other tissues, took up more
      75Se in selenium-deficient rats than in control rats when 75Se was given as
      selenoprotein P. This suggests that brain has a specific uptake mechanism for
      selenium given in the form of selenoprotein P. These results demonstrate that
      several physiological properties distinguish selenoprotein P from glutathione
      peroxidase. However, they do not clearly indicate its function.

PMID- 1858873
TI  - Hypoinsulinemia is not critical to glucose recovery from hypoglycemia in humans.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that glucose recovery from hypoglycemia can occur in the
      absence of decrements in insulin below baseline, we studied nine normal humans on
      six occasions. In a control study, saline was infused. In five experimental
      studies, insulin (0.6 mU.kg-1.min-1) was infused from 0 to 80 min, to produce
      hypoglycemia (approximately 3.3 mM). Then, from 80 to 180 min, insulin was not
      infused or was infused in four different doses 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mU.kg-1.min
      1), and glucose recovery was assessed. In the recovery periods, approximately
      fourfold peripheral with approximately twofold portal insulin elevations
      prevented glucose recovery (glucose = 3.6 +/- 0.1 mM, counter-regulatory hormone
      levels elevated throughout). However, biological glucose recovery, documented by
      increments to 4.3 +/- 0.1 mM and decrements in all counterregulatory hormones
      (glucagon, epinephrine, growth hormone, and cortisol) to control levels, occurred
      despite nearly twofold peripheral hyperinsulinemia (54 +/- 4 vs. 32 +/- 4 pM, P
      less than 0.01) in the absence of portal hypoinsulinemia (58 +/- 4 vs. 68 +/- 8
      pM). Thus we conclude that, although dissipation of insulin normally plays an
      important role in the correction of hypoglycemia, biological glucose recovery
      from hypoglycemia to glucose levels more than sufficient to disengage glucose
      counterregulatory systems and well above those required to produce symptoms of
      hypoglycemia can occur in the absence of decrements in portal insulin below
      baseline and despite mild peripheral hyperinsulinemia.

PMID- 1858874
TI  - Nuclear calcium gradients in cultured rat hepatocytes.
AB  - Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]) in cytosol and nucleus in fura-2-loaded cultured rat
      hepatocytes were determined by three-dimensional (3-D) optical-sectioning
      microscopy. After determining the empirical 3-D point spread function of the
      fluorescence microscope-coupled digital video imaging system, contaminating light
      arising from optical planes above and below the plane of interest was removed by
      deconvolution using the nearest-neighboring approach (NNA) algorithm. Although
      deconvolution resulted in substantial improvement in accuracy of fluorescence
      intensity determinations in single-wavelength excitation images as well as
      sharper delineation of boundaries between cellular compartments, the complicated
      mathematical process did not significantly enhance the precision of [Ca2+] values
      derived from ratiometric (ratio of dual-wavelength excitation) images. In resting
      hepatocytes, cytosolic Ca2+ (210 +/- 15 nM) was 1.6- to 2-fold higher than
      nuclear Ca2+ (128 +/- 12 nM). This difference in Ca2+ between the two
      compartments was detected both in raw ratiometric images and in those processed
      with NNA algorithm. Addition of arginine vasopressin or epidermal growth factor
      resulted in significant increases (2- to 3-fold) in both cytosolic and nuclear
      Ca2+; however, the nuclear-to-cytosolic Ca2+ gradient was preserved in
      hepatocytes stimulated with mitogens. We conclude that the hepatocyte nuclear
      membrane contains Ca2+ permeability barriers and Ca2+ transport mechanisms that
      may be hormonally sensitive. We postulate that the increase in nuclear Ca2+ may
      be important in regulation of cell proliferation induced by mitogens, possibly by
      activating Ca(2+)-dependent endonucleases, nuclear calmodulin, or nuclear protein
      kinase C.

PMID- 1858875
TI  - Evidence for a delayed rectifier-like potassium current in the clonal rat
      pituitary cell line GH3.
AB  - Whole cell patch-clamp techniques were used to investigate voltage-dependent
      potassium currents in the clonal rat pituitary cell line GH3. Inactivation of the
      voltage-dependent potassium current was best fit by two time constants (50-80 ms
      and 2-3 s) plus a sustained value. These components of inactivation could be
      separated based on their voltage-dependent properties and pharmacological
      sensitivity to 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 5 mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP).
      The fast component begins to activate around -50 mV, is half-maximally activated
      at -19 mV, is 50% inactivated at -55 mV, and is sensitive to 4-AP but insensitive
      to TEA. The slow component begins to activate at around -10 mV, is half-maximally
      activated at +4 mV, is 50% inactivated at -23 mV, and is sensitive to both TEA
      and 4-AP. The sustained component is apparent by 0 mV but has not yet reached
      half-maximal activation at +57 mV. It is somewhat sensitive to TEA but relatively
      resistant to 4-AP. In the presence of TEA it was found that the fast-inactivating
      component actually inactivated in a biphasic manner with time constants of
      approximately 50 and 500 ms. From the properties of these components it is
      concluded that at least three distinct voltage-dependent potassium channel types
      exist in GH3 cells as follows: an A-like current (fast-inactivating component), a
      delayed rectifier-like current (slow-inactivating component), and the voltage
      dependent properties of calcium-dependent potassium channels (the sustained
      component).

PMID- 1858876
TI  - Metabolism of oleic acid in differentiating BFC-1 preadipose cells.
AB  - Incorporation of [3H]oleate and [14C]glucose into cellular lipids was studied in
      the preadipose cell line BFC-1 to determine flux changes that accompany the
      adipose conversion process. Dilution of oleate by intracellular fatty acids (FA)
      was estimated from the 3H/14C incorporation ratios and from relating steady-state
      radioactivity in diglycerides to their measured cellular levels. The data
      indicated that exogenous FA mixed with less than 1% of endogenous FA on its
      pathway to esterification. Conversion of preadipocytes to adipocytes increased
      uptake of FA and glucose by approximately 3-fold and synthesis of diglycerides
      and triglycerides by 5- and 16-fold, respectively, with little if any increase of
      phospholipid synthesis. A 50% drop in 3H/14C incorporation ratio indicated a
      doubling of the rate at which endogenous FA mixed with the exogenous FA that had
      entered the cell. Adipocytes compared with preadipocytes exhibited a 50% greater
      cell diameter and a doubling of intracellular water volume and of protein and
      phospholipid levels, reflecting cellular enlargement consequent to the arrest of
      cell division that precedes adipose conversion. Diglyceride levels were also
      increased in adipocytes, however, since their turnover was fast, as indicated by
      rapid equilibration of diglyceride labeling; the increase reflected changes in
      their relative rates of synthesis and disposal. Diglyceride levels related to
      cell phospholipid, and other indexes of cell size remained constant. This
      indicated that the supply of diglycerides was tightly coupled to the synthesis of
      triglycerides and phospholipids, which suggested feedback regulation of
      diglyceride formation. The studies provide a methodological approach to
      measurement and interpretation of rates of lipid deposition in cultured cells.

PMID- 1858877
TI  - Muscle insulin resistance in uremic humans: glucose transport, glucose
      transporters, and insulin receptors.
AB  - To determine the cellular basis for insulin resistance observed in patients with
      uremia, we investigated insulin action in vivo and in vitro using skeletal muscle
      obtained from patients with chronic renal failure. Uremic subjects had
      significantly reduced rates of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, as determined
      by a 3-h intravenous glucose tolerance test and using the hyperinsulinemic
      euglycemic clamp technique. Hepatic glucose production was similar before
      (control, 76.2 +/- 6.3 vs. uremic, 74.2 +/- 6.9 mg.kg-1.min-1) and during insulin
      infusion at 40 mU.m-2.min-1 (control, -60.9 +/- 6.6 vs. uremic, -53.9 +/- 6.3
      mg.kg-1.min-1). In incubated human skeletal muscle fiber strips, basal 2-deoxy-D
      glucose transport was unchanged in uremic subjects compared with controls.
      However, the increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport was significantly
      reduced by 50% in muscles from uremic patients (P = 0.012). In partially purified
      insulin receptors prepared from skeletal muscle, 125I-labeled insulin binding,
      beta-subunit receptor autophosphorylation, and tyrosine kinase activity were all
      unchanged in uremic subjects. The abundance of insulin-sensitive (muscle/fat,
      GLUT-4) glucose transporter protein measured by Western blot using Mab 1F8 or
      polyclonal antisera was similar in muscles of control and uremic patients. These
      findings suggest that the insulin resistance observed in skeletal muscle of
      uremic patients cannot be attributed to defects in insulin receptor function or
      depletion of the GLUT-4 glucose transporter protein. An alternative step in
      insulin-dependent activation of the glucose transport process may be involved.

PMID- 1858878
TI  - Free-living energy expenditure measured by two independent techniques in pregnant
      and nonpregnant Gambian women.
AB  - Free-living energy expenditure (EE) was assessed in 37 young pregnant Gambian
      women at the 12th (n = 11, 53.5 +/- 1.7 kg), 24th (n = 14, 54.7 +/- 2.1 kg), and
      36th (n = 12, 65.0 +/- 2.6 kg) wk of pregnancy and was compared with nonpregnant
      nonlactating (NPNL) control women (n = 12, 50.3 +/- 1.6 kg). The following two
      methods were used to assess EE: 1) the heart rate (HR) method using individual
      regression lines (HR vs EE) established at different activity levels in a
      respiration chamber and 2) the doubly labeled water (2H2(18)O) method in a
      subgroup of 25 pregnant and 7 control women. With the HR method the EE during the
      agricultural rainy season was found to be 2,408 +/- 87, 2,293 +/- 122, and 2,782
      +/- 130 kcal/day at 12, 24, and 36 wk of gestation and were not significantly
      different from the control group (2,502 +/- 133 kcal/day). These findings were
      confirmed by the 2H2(18)O measurements, which failed to show any effect of
      pregnancy on EE. Expressed per unit body weight, the free-living EE was found to
      be lower (P less than 0.01 with 2H2(18)O method) at 36 wk of gestation than in
      the NPNL group. It is concluded that, in these Gambian women, energy-sparing
      mechanisms that contribute to meet the additional energy stress of gestation are
      operating during pregnancy (e.g., diminished spontaneous physical activity).

PMID- 1858879
TI  - Sympathoadrenal responses during hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypoxemia in
      the ovine fetus.
AB  - Interrelations of sympathoadrenal function and changes in glucose and insulin
      homeostasis were studied in chronically cannulated late gestation fetal sheep.
      Catecholamine secretory rates (based on direct adrenal sampling) and plasma
      concentrations were determined in the fetus during 2 h of insulin-induced
      hypoglycemia, during a period of hypoxemia, and during hyperinsulinemia per se
      (i.e., without hypoglycemia). Fetal insulin infusion (5-10 mU.kg-1.min-1)
      resulted in hypoglycemia and a significant rise in secretion of epinephrine but
      not of norepinephrine. By contrast, fetal hypoxemia caused a prompt and
      significant increase in adrenal secretion of both norepinephrine and epinephrine.
      Changes in peripheral plasma catecholamine levels were usually, but not always,
      qualitatively similar to those in adrenal secretion; the latter was a far more
      sensitive indicator of adrenal function. Hyperinsulinemia per se caused no change
      in adrenal secretory rates or plasma concentrations of catecholamines.
      Nevertheless, insulin infusion caused a fetal tachycardia even in the absence of
      hypoglycemia and hypoxemia, suggesting either a direct effect on the heart or
      stimulation of sympathetic nerves.

PMID- 1858880
TI  - Vagal stimulation-induced gastric damage in rats.
AB  - The role of the vagus nerve in the development of gastric mucosal damage was
      examined in urethan-anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. Electrical stimulation
      was applied to the vagus nerves for a period of 60 min, after which macroscopic
      gastric damage was scored and samples of the stomach were fixed for later
      histological assessment. Damage scores were assigned blindly based on a 0
      (normal) to 3 (severe) scale. Stimulation of vagal afferents or efferents in
      isolation did not result in significant damage to the gastric mucosa (P greater
      than 0.1). In contrast, stimulation of both intact vagus nerves resulted in
      significant gastric mucosal damage (mean damage score, 2.0 +/- 0.33, P less than
      0.01). A second series of experiments demonstrated this gastric damage to be
      induced within 30-60 min; extending the stimulation period to 120 min did not
      worsen the gastric damage scores significantly (P greater than 0.1). In a third
      study, stimulation of both intact vagus nerves after paraventricular nucleus
      (PVN) lesion resulted in damage scores (0.33 +/- 0.17) that were significantly
      reduced compared with intact PVN and non-PVN-lesioned animals (P less than 0.01).
      These results indicate that the development of vagal stimulation-induced gastric
      damage requires the activation of both afferent and efferent vagal components and
      suggest further that such damage is dependent upon an intact PVN.

PMID- 1858882
TI  - Radiation and indomethacin effects on morphology, prostaglandins, and motility in
      dog jejunum.
AB  - Irradiation can have a profound effect on intestinal motor activity. Previous
      studies have suggested that prostaglandins may play some role in radiation
      induced enteritis. The present study investigated the effects of abdominal X
      irradiation with or without indomethacin treatment on jejunal myoelectric
      activity and prostaglandin synthesis by measuring the prostaglandin content of
      mesenteric arterial and venous plasma and in the intestinal lumen in dogs. After
      X-irradiation, venous concentrations and arteriovenous concentration differences
      of prostaglandin (PG)E2, PGF2 alpha, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha increased markedly.
      The increased venous concentrations were in part attributable to increased
      mucosal and/or submucosal synthesis by inference from increased concentrations of
      these metabolites assayed from the jejunal lumen. Irradiation produced
      histological damage to the mucosa and submucosa and abnormalities in the
      migrating motor complex, jejunal slow waves, and a decrease in spike burst
      activity. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by treating the animals with
      indomethacin reduced the severity of illness, the histological injury, and
      changes in myoelectric activity induced by irradiation. Such treatment should be
      evaluated further to treat patients exposed to large doses of irradiation.

PMID- 1858881
TI  - Mechanism of agonist-induced downregulation of muscarinic receptors in rat
      pancreatic acini.
AB  - Exposure of pancreatic acini to cholinergic agonists reduces their muscarinic
      acetylcholine receptor content. To investigate the mechanism of this reduction,
      rat pancreatic acini were cultured in the presence of carbachol and its effects
      on binding of [N-methyl-3H] scopolamine (NMS), which labels only cell surface
      receptors, and [3H]scopolamine, which also accesses intracellular receptors, were
      determined. Carbachol (0.1 mM) caused disappearance of 90% of binding sites for
      [3H]NMS and [3H]-scopolamine with half-time values of 3.9 +/- 0.4 and 5.7 +/- 0.7
      h, respectively. Nocodazole and cytochalasin D, ouabain, ionophore A23187, 12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), bombesin, cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK
      8), secretin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) had no effect on the
      carbachol-induced decrease in binding sites for either antagonist, although
      staurosporine and the calmodulin inhibitor W-7 each caused slight inhibition. By
      contrast, the lysosomotropic agents methylamine and ammonium chloride caused 80%
      inhibition of disappearance of binding sites for [3H]scopolamine, although they
      only slightly inhibited disappearance of [3H]NMS binding sites. These results
      implicate the endosomal/lysosomal pathway in cholinergic agonist-evoked
      downregulation of muscarinic receptors in the pancreatic acinar cell.

PMID- 1858883
TI  - Effects of hypoxia and ischemia on autoregulation in postnatal intestine.
AB  - Pressure-flow autoregulation was quantified within in vitro intestine from 3- and
      35-day-old swine before and after lowering arterial PO2 (hypoxia) or lowering
      baseline blood flow by means of norepinephrine infusion (ischemia).
      Autoregulation was elicited by reducing arterial pressure approximately 33% from
      an age-appropriate baseline pressure. In 3-day-old intestine, autoregulation was
      unaffected by hypoxia or ischemia: vascular resistance was unchanged after
      pressure reduction, while Gf averaged -0.33 +/- 0.15 vs. -0.26 +/- 0.05 under
      control vs. hypoxic conditions, and -0.48 +/- 0.15 vs. -0.46 +/- 0.11 under
      control vs. ischemic conditions, respectively. In 35-day-old intestine,
      autoregulation was enhanced by hypoxia and ischemia. Under both experimental
      conditions, vasodilation was noted in response to pressure reduction: Gf averaged
      -0.04 +/- 0.14 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.08 under control vs. hypoxic conditions, and -0.12
      +/- 0.10 vs. 0.28 +/- 0.08 under control vs. ischemic conditions, respectively.
      Regression analysis revealed a significant inverse linear correlation between Gf
      and venous PO2 in older, but not younger, subjects. Significant relationships
      between Gf and blood flow were not demonstrated in either group under any
      experimental condition. We conclude that autoregulation is enhanced within in
      vitro intestine from 35-, but not 3-day-old, swine during hypoxia or ischemia,
      and that reduction of venous PO2 is the principal factor responsible for the
      effect noted in older subjects.

PMID- 1858884
TI  - Hormonal control of avian pancreas by gastrin-releasing peptide from the
      proventriculus.
AB  - Endocrine cells in the acid-secreting part of the avian stomach, the
      proventriculus, contain two forms of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) of 27 and 6
      residues, respectively. We have examined the actions of exogenous GRP-27 and GRP
      6 and endogenously released GRP in the control of pancreatic secretion in urethan
      anesthetized turkeys. Chicken GRP-27 and the structurally related amphibian
      peptide bombesin were potent stimulants of fluid and protein output from the
      pancreas (at 6-100 pmol/kg, iv). GRP-6 had no significant effect at doses up to
      1,000 times higher. A bombesin antagonist, (CH3)2-CHCO-[D-Ala24]GRP-20--26-NHCH3,
      inhibited the action of exogenous chicken GRP-27 but did not inhibit intravenous
      cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8). Distension of the proventriculus with a
      solution of peptone produced an increase in the flow of pancreatic juice and an
      increase in protein output, which was not reduced by atropine. The bombesin
      antagonist produced a reversible inhibition of this response. A CCK-gastrin
      antagonist, BOC-beta-Ala-Trp-Leu-Asp-O(CH2)2- phenyl(4F), which inhibited the
      action of exogenous CCK, had no effect on the pancreatic response to exogenous
      GRP-27 or to distension of the proventriculus with peptone. We suggest that
      protein-rich solutions in the proventriculus release GRP, which in turn acts
      directly on the pancreas to stimulate enzyme secretion.

PMID- 1858885
TI  - Use of a modified Ussing chamber to monitor intestinal epithelial and smooth
      muscle functions.
AB  - A technique that allows the simultaneous monitoring of epithelial and smooth
      muscle function was developed and used to study rat small intestine in vitro. A
      Ussing chamber was modified so that a strain gauge force transducer could be sewn
      to the serosal surface of an intestinal segment clamped in the chamber. The
      apparatus was used to monitor short-circuit current, potential difference, and
      resistance across the segment, and contractions of the longitudinal layer of the
      muscularis externa. Both spontaneous activity and responses to the application of
      carbachol were recorded. Carbachol applied to the serosal side induced dose
      dependent increases in both short-circuit current and contractile force. The
      median effective doses of the two responses differed, with contractions being
      more sensitive to the drug. Carbachol applied to the mucosal side induced no
      changes in either epithelial or contractile activities. The ability of the
      serosal strain gauge transducer to monitor contractions faithfully was tested in
      an organ bath in which the gut segment was attached to an external force
      displacement transducer. There was a close correlation between the dose-dependent
      increase in force in response to carbachol measured by the serosal transducer and
      that measured by the force-displacement transducer (r = 0.988). Thus our
      technique can be used to study simultaneously epithelial and smooth muscle
      functions of the intestine.

PMID- 1858886
TI  - Adaptive regulation of brush-border amino acid transport in a chronic excluded
      jejunal limb.
AB  - We examined the alterations in brush-border glutamine transport that occurred in
      a surgically defunctionalized jejunal limb excluded from mucosal food contact.
      Dogs were surgically prepared with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomies to permit same
      intestine comparisons of glutamine transport and glutaminase activity in jejunal
      segments that were in incontinuity or excluded for a 6-mo period. Transport of
      glutamine, alanine, and glucose was measured in brush-border membrane vesicles
      prepared from each intestinal section; membrane marker enzymes were enriched to
      the same degree in incontinuity and excluded portions. The Na(+)-dependent
      glutamine cotransport apparent Km was the same in the excluded (779 +/- 63
      microM) and incontinuity (873 +/- 105 microM) limbs. However, the Jmax for Na(+)
      independent glutamine transport in the incontinuity jejunum (158.7 +/- 15.7
      pmol.mg protein-1.s-1) was double that in the excluded limb (71.2 +/- 4.6 pmol.mg
      protein-1.s-1). Na(+)-dependent carrier-mediated glutamine transport rates were
      lower than the Na(+)-dependent system, but Na(+)-independent kinetic parameters
      were not significantly different in incontinuity vs. excluded limbs (Jmax 7.9 +/-
      0.6 pmol.mg protein-1.s-1; Km 140 +/- 20 microM). Similarly, the passive
      diffusion permeability coefficient was the same for both excluded and
      incontinuity jejunal limbs (22.7 +/- 0.9 nl.mg protein-1.s-1). Mucosal
      glutaminase enzyme activity was increased by 28% in the incontinuity limb (4.32
      +/- 0.21 vs. 3.36 +/- 0.35 mumol.mg protein-1.h-1; P less than 0.02). Transport
      rates of alanine and glucose were also diminished in the excluded limb (P less
      than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858887
TI  - Effect of hibernation and jejunal bypass on mucosal structure and function.
AB  - Intestinal mucosal structure and function may be regulated by systemic factors
      associated with oral feeding, as well as local responses initiated by contact of
      the mucosa with food. This study compared the relative effects of these factors
      in an animal model that undergoes seasonal long-term fasting. Jejunal bypass
      operations or sham surgeries were performed on active fed ground squirrels or on
      squirrels that subsequently ceased feeding and hibernated. Mucosal wet weight,
      protein content, villus height, and surface area were reduced in jejunal segments
      that had minimal exposure to luminal contents (bypassed segments of active
      squirrels and all segments of hibernators) compared with segments exposed to the
      luminal stream (incontinuity and sham segments of active squirrels). When
      normalized to mucosal weight, transepithelial absorption of 3-O-methylglucose and
      alanine-dependent sodium flux were greater in jejunal segments with minimal
      exposure to luminal nutrients. Altered structure in bypassed segments of active
      and hibernating squirrels paralleled changes in functional parameters despite the
      presence of different systemic factors in the two groups. Thus, in this animal
      model, contact of the mucosa with food, and not systemic factors associated with
      oral feeding, is the primary factor maintaining mucosal mass. The absence of
      mucosal contact with nutrients enhances specific absorptive function by
      mechanisms that have yet to be determined.

PMID- 1858888
TI  - Reduced glutathione protects cultured gastric mucosal cells from suckling rats
      against acid.
AB  - We examined the role of reduced glutathione as a defense mechanism against acid
      induced gastric mucosal cell damage in vitro. Cellular stores of reduced
      glutathione were depleted by reaction with diethyl maleate (DEM) or 1-chloro-2,4
      dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and increased by reaction with L-cysteine. Depletion of
      cellular glutathione by reaction with DEM or CDNB potentiated gastric mucosal
      cell lysis by acid. Increase of cellular glutathione by L-cysteine decreased cell
      lysis by acid. Altering the cellular reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio by
      tert-butyl hydroperoxide or diamide increased cellular susceptibility to acid.
      Reduced glutathione is essential for glutathione peroxidase to catalyze hydrogen
      peroxide. We further studied whether oxygen free radicals were involved in the
      pathogenesis of acid-induced gastric mucosal injury in vitro. Neither superoxide
      dismutase, catalase, nor dimethyl sulfoxide decreased acid-induced gastric
      mucosal cell damage. We conclude that reduced glutathione plays an important role
      as a defense mechanism against acid-induced injury in cultured rat gastric
      mucosal cells. Production of oxygen radical in response to acid exposure may
      occur intracellularly, since exogenous oxygen radical scavengers, which do not
      gain access to the interior of cells, had no protective effect. Reduced
      glutathione might protect gastric mucosal cells by mechanisms other than the
      elimination of oxygen free radicals.

PMID- 1858889
TI  - Electrical slow-wave activity from the circular layer of cat terminal antrum.
AB  - Intracellular recording techniques were used to characterize the electrical slow
      wave activity through the thickness of the circular muscle layer of the cat
      terminal antrum. Muscle strips were pinned out in cross section to the floor of a
      recording chamber perfused with Krebs buffer. Circular muscle cells from the
      myenteric to the submucosal border then were impaled with 20- to 40-M omega glass
      microelectrodes, and slow-wave activity was recorded. Slow waves from the
      myenteric side of the circular layer consisted of an upstroke depolarization, a
      prominent plateau phase, and a downstroke repolarization. Slow-wave
      characteristics for cells along the myenteric border were Em, -74.2 +/- 1.3 mV;
      duration, 5.3 +/- 0.5 s; upstroke amplitude, 29.4 +/- 3.4 mV; upstroke velocity,
      0.20 +/- 0.03 V/s; and frequency, 5.8 +/- 0.5/min. Slow waves from muscle cells
      along the submucosal side of the preparation lacked a discernible plateau phase.
      Slow waves from submucosal border cells had the following characteristics: Em, 
      80.4 +/- 1.4 mV (P less than 0.01); duration, 3.5 +/- 0.4 s (P less than 0.01);
      upstroke amplitude, 44.0 +/- 2.4 mV (P less than 0.01); upstroke velocity, 0.56
      +/- 0.06 V/s (P less than 0.01); and frequency, 4.2 +/- 0.4/min (P less than
      0.05). Slow waves were not affected by 10(-7)M tetrodotoxin and 10(-6)M atropine
      or by removal of the longitudinal muscle layer. Slow-wave activity within each
      region was maintained after dissecting the circular layer into submucosal and
      myenteric segments. The results suggest that two distinct slow waves exist within
      the circular muscle layer of the cat terminal antrum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1858890
TI  - Hepatic transport of a fluorescent stearate derivative: electrochemical driving
      forces in intact rat liver.
AB  - We determined the effect of varying the transmembrane Na+ electrochemical
      gradient on extraction of a fluorescent derivative of stearate, 12-N-methyl-7
      nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3,-diazol-amino stearate (NBD-stearate), by the isolated
      perfused rat liver. Membrane potential difference (PD) of individual hepatocytes
      and extraction of NBD-stearate were measured simultaneously under basal
      conditions and during changes in PD induced by perfusate ion substitutions. Under
      basal conditions, PD average -30 +/- 1 mV, and extraction of 10 microM NBD
      stearate from 1% albumin solutions averaged 0.54 +/- 0.03. Fluorescence
      microscopy indicated that uptake exhibited a declining portal-to-central gradient
      in the presence but not absence of Na+. Substitution of nitrate for Cl-
      hyperpolarized PD to -59 mV and increased extraction to 131% of control values.
      Withdrawal of nitrate and substitution of gluconate for Cl- depolarized PD to -3
      and -15 mV, respectively, and decreased extraction to 63 and 73% of control
      values. Substitution of choline for Na+ eliminated the out-to-in Na+ gradient,
      depolarized PD to -16 mV, and decreased extraction to 27% of control values, an
      effect greater than expected for membrane depolarization alone. Uptake of NBD
      stearate was saturable and caused Na(+)-dependent membrane depolarization at
      higher concentrations (300 microM). These studies indicate that uptake of NBD
      stearate occurs in large part by an efficient Na(+)-dependent mechanism
      compatible with electrogenic Na(+)-fatty acid cotransport.

PMID- 1858891
TI  - Adenosine is a vasodilator in the intestinal mucosa.
AB  - The vasoactivity of adenosine in the intestinal mucosa of anesthetized dogs was
      determined using two experimental techniques. By use of the microsphere
      technique, infusion of adenosine (1 mumol/min ia) was found to increase
      significantly venous outflow and mucosal and muscularis blood flows in both
      jejunum (+77, +72, and +78%) and ileum (+111, +146, and +71%). In constant flow
      jejunal preparations, intra-arterial adenosine significantly decreased perfusion
      pressure (-32%), an index of vascular resistance, but did not significantly alter
      the blood flow distribution between the mucosa and muscularis as determined by
      microspheres. Thus adenosine equally dilated the mucosal and muscularis
      vasculatures. Using the second experimental technique, we found that local
      mucosal application of adenosine or non-metabolizable adenosine analogues [N6
      cyclohexyladenosine or 5'-(N-ethylcarboxamido)-adenosine] dose dependently
      increased jejunal venous outflow. Almost all of the adenosine absorbed from the
      lumen was localized in the mucosal tissue, suggesting that the above hyperemia
      resulted from exposure of the mucosal vasculature to these compounds. The
      hyperemia produced by the luminal placement was not mediated by stimulation of
      the mucosal nerves, because the hyperemia was unaltered after treating the
      mucosal surface with a local anesthetic. The present results demonstrate
      therefore that adenosine is a vasodilator in the canine intestinal mucosa.

PMID- 1858892
TI  - Regulated expression of endothelin 1 in glomerular capillary endothelial cells.
AB  - Endothelin (ET)-1 is a powerful vasoconstrictor known to be produced and secreted
      by endothelial cells lining large vessels. Because ET-1 stimulates glomerular
      mesangial cell contraction, glomerular capillary endothelial cells (GEN),
      normally situated in close apposition to mesangial cells, were examined for
      potential ET expression and secretion. Cultured bovine GEN released ET in a time
      dependent fashion. ET secretion was significantly stimulated by bradykinin, an
      agonist known to activate phospholipase C in these cells. Preproendothelin 1
      (preproET-1) mRNA levels in GEN rose in a biphasic manner on stimulation with
      bradykinin. The early increments (at 30 min) were not dependent on new protein
      synthesis, whereas the late rise (6 h after addition of bradykinin) appeared to
      be protein synthesis dependent. Neither early or late bradykinin-stimulated
      preproET-1 mRNA expression in glomerular endothelial cells was due to inhibition
      of mRNA breakdown. Both phases of preproET-1 mRNA expression were observed with
      other glomerular endothelial cell calcium-mobilizing agonists, namely thrombin,
      and were mimicked by the calcium ionophore ionomycin. By contrast, the protein
      kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate only enhanced preproET-1 mRNA
      expression at 30 min and suppressed expression thereafter. It is concluded that
      GEN have the potential to express and secrete ET-1 in a phospholipase C-regulated
      fashion. Furthermore, because glomerular mesangial cells respond to this peptide,
      the findings raise the possibility of paracrine regulation of mesangial cell tone
      by glomerular endothelial cell-derived ET-1.

PMID- 1858893
TI  - Clonidine and PGE2 have different effects on Na+ and water transport in rat and
      rabbit CCD.
AB  - We examined the effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the adrenergic agonist
      clonidine on osmotic water permeability (Pf), lumen-to-bath 22Na+ flux (Jl----b),
      and transepithelial voltage (VT) in isolated perfused cortical collecting ducts
      (CCD) from rats and rabbits. Although PGE2 inhibited arginine vasopressin (AVP)
      dependent Jl----b and Pf in CCDs from deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-treated and
      untreated rabbits, 0.1-10 microM PGE2 had no inhibitory effect on any of these
      transport parameters in CCDs from DOC-treated rats in presence of AVP. On the
      other hand, clonidine (1 microM in bathing solution) reversibly inhibited AVP
      dependent Pf, Jl----b, and VT in the rat CCD by 30-40%, and 0.3 microM yohimbine,
      a specific alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, reversed these effects. However, we
      were unable to demonstrate any inhibitory effect of 1-10 microM clonidine on Pf,
      Jl----b, or VT in the rabbit CCD using a variety of protocols. These results are
      consistent with the pattern of inhibition of AVP-dependent adenosine 3',5'-cyclic
      monophosphate (cAMP) production in the rat and rabbit CCD in that PGE2 inhibits
      both transport and cAMP production in the rabbit but not the rat CCD, and
      clonidine inhibits both transport and cAMP production in the rat but not the
      rabbit CCD [D. Chabardes, C. Brick-Ghannam, M. Montegut, and S. Siaume-Perez, Am.
      J. Physiol. 255 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 24): F43-F48, 1988].

PMID- 1858894
TI  - Adaptation of distal convoluted tubule of rats. II. Effects of chronic thiazide
      infusion.
AB  - Mammalian distal tubules adapt structurally and functionally when NaCl
      concentration in tubule fluid is altered chronically. These experiments were
      designed to test the hypothesis that chronic administration of
      hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a drug that blocks Na and Cl uptake across apical
      membranes of rat distal tubule cells, would reduce intrinsic transport capacity
      of distal tubules and reduce the number of thiazide-sensitive transporters.
      Osmotic pumps were implanted into rats to deliver 3.75 mg/day HCTZ or vehicle for
      10-14 days. All animals were offered a solution containing 0.8% NaCl and 0.1% KCl
      as drinking fluid. Free-flow micropuncture after 10-14 days indicated that Na and
      Cl delivery to distal tubule was not significantly different in HCTZ- and vehicle
      treated animals. Microperfusion in vivo with an artificial interstitial solution,
      with no thiazide, indicated that 10-14 days of HCTZ infusion did reduce Na
      transport capacity of distal tubules from 390 +/- 32 to 203 +/- 24 pmol/min (P
      less than 0.01). In contrast, the number of thiazide-sensitive NaCl transporters,
      determined as high-affinity receptors for [3H]metolazone in renal cortical
      membranes, was higher in HCTZ group than in controls (2.2 +/- 0.4 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.1
      pmol/mg protein, P less than 0.01). These data support the hypothesis that
      chronic blockade of NaCl entry across apical membranes of distal tubule cells
      reduces NaCl transport capacity, an effect that occurs despite an increase in the
      number of thiazide receptors. They indicate that thiazide receptor binding
      studies should be interpreted in combination with direct functional measurements.

PMID- 1858895
TI  - Impaired renal hemodynamic response to protein feeding in dogs with experimental
      Fanconi syndrome.
AB  - These studies were designed to test the hypothesis that intact proximal tubular
      function is required for protein-stimulated renal vasodilation. In normal
      chronically instrumented conscious dogs, a meal of raw beef (10 g/kg) caused
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to increase significantly from 63 +/- 5 to 94 +/
      10 ml/min after 90 min, while plasma alpha-amino nitrogen rose from 3.9 +/- 0.2
      to 6.7 +/- 0.6 mg/dl. In another group of dogs experimental Fanconi syndrome
      (generalized proximal tubular dysfunction) was induced with maleic acid (25 mg/kg
      iv, pH 7.3). GFR fell slightly but significantly from 91 +/- 18 to 66 +/- 9
      ml/min after maleic acid, while Na+ excretion rose from 24 +/- 8 to 176 +/- 24 mu
      eq/min, alpha-amino nitrogen excretion rose from 82 +/- 40 to 148 +/- 47
      micrograms/min, and glucose excretion rose from 0.2 +/- 0.1 to 6.1 +/- 1.0
      mg/min. In response to a subsequent meat meal, plasma alpha-amino nitrogen rose
      significantly from 3.8 +/- 0.4 to 6.2 +/- 0.5 mg/dl, but GFR did not change,
      averaging 66 +/- 9 ml/min over the next 120 min. These results suggest that
      normal proximal tubular function is necessary for protein-stimulated renal
      vasodilation to occur. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the
      tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism may be involved in mediating the normal renal
      hemodynamic response to protein feeding.

PMID- 1858896
TI  - ADH-induced water permeability and particle aggregates: alteration by a synthetic
      estrogen.
AB  - In the amphibian urinary bladder, the increase in water permeability induced by
      antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is accompanied by the appearance of apical
      intramembrane particle (IMP) aggregates that are believed to contain specific
      channels for water. In a previous work, we have shown that 3,3'
      diallyldiethylstilbestrol (DADES), a synthetic estrogen which is a blocker of the
      glucose transporter, also inhibits the hydrosmotic response to ADH in the
      bladder. Our aim in the present study was to analyze the alterations of the
      membrane fine structure further and to correlate them with the water permeability
      changes. The results point to a selective inhibition of the ADH-induced net water
      flow, probably due to an interference with one of the last steps of the response
      to the hormone. This inhibition is associated with an increase in the density of
      the apical IMP aggregates, which are thus probably not operational. The resting
      net water flow is not inhibited and, surprisingly, typical IMP aggregates are
      frequently observed in the apical membrane after DADES treatment. The compound
      also induces the appearance of unusual loose IMP clusters that can only be seen
      on the apical membrane of the granular cells and that share several
      ultrastructural similarities with the ADH-induced aggregates. These results
      suggest that 1) apical DADES treatment stimulates the insertion of IMP aggregates
      in the apical membrane of the urinary bladder and 2) DADES inhibits the ADH
      induced water flow by interfering with the aggregates and thus probably by
      blocking the specific water channels.

PMID- 1858897
TI  - Changes in NMR-visible kidney cell phosphate with age and diet: relationship to
      phosphate transport.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that growth and dietary Pi affect the intracellular
      concentration of Pi ([Pi]i) as well as its renal reabsorption, we measured
      nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-visible [Pi]i in isolated perfused kidneys of
      less than 1- and greater than 4-wk-old guinea pigs fed various amounts of Pi.
      Changes in [Pi]i were correlated with those in fractional Pi reabsorption (FRPi)
      in vivo and in capacity (Vmax) for Na(+)-Pi cotransport in microvilli derived
      from animals of similar age and fed the same diets. In animals fed normal (0.76%
      Pi) diet, [Pi]i was lower (0.91 +/- 0.14 vs. 1.85 +/- 0.23 mM, P less than 0.05),
      whereas FRPi was higher (0.90 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.03, P less than 0.01) in
      less than 1- than in greater than 4-wk-old guinea pigs. Pi deprivation decreased
      [Pi]i in mature animals to 0.74 +/- 0.29 mM, P less than 0.05, and increased FRPi
      to 0.99 +/- 0.01. Excess dietary Pi increased [Pi]i in immature animals to 1.67
      +/- 0.56 mM, P less than 0.05, and decreased FRPi to 0.55 +/- 0.03. Diet-induced
      changes in [Pi]i were associated with reciprocal changes in Vmax of similar
      absolute magnitude in immature and mature animals. However, diets that resulted
      in comparable [Pi]i at the two ages were associated with higher (P less than
      0.05) Vmax in less than 1- than in greater than 4-wk-old animals. The reciprocal
      nature of the relationship between [Pi]i and renal Pi transport indicates that
      [Pi]i is primarily determined by Pi efflux from the cells or Pi organification
      rather than Pi influx through Na(+)-Pi cotransport. Findings indicate that
      changes in [Pi]i with growth or diet may be a cause but cannot be the consequence
      of changes in abundance or maximal mobility of Na(+)-Pi cotransporters. Data also
      indicate that factors in addition to low [Pi]i contribute to the high Na(+)-Pi
      cotransport capacity observed in renal microvilli of growing animals.

PMID- 1858898
TI  - Cholesterol esterase in preglomerular microvessels from normal and cholesterol
      fed rabbits.
AB  - Feeding cholesterol to rabbits produces an atherosclerotic model sharing common
      metabolic features with the disease in humans, including the vascular lipid
      accumulation. In coronary vascular cells, this lipid accumulation has been
      associated with decreased prostacyclin (PGI2) biosynthesis and acid cholesterol
      esterase activity. Unlike the coronary vascular bed, renal microvasculature
      appears relatively resistant to atherosclerotic injury. This study examined
      whether renal microvessels from cholesterol-fed rabbits demonstrated similar
      metabolic changes in coronary vascular cells. Rabbits were fed either a 0% or 2%
      cholesterol diet for 1 mo. Similar to coronary vascular cells, in renal
      microvessels from cholesterol-fed rabbits PGI2 biosynthesis decreased and tissue
      concentrations of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters increased. However, unlike
      coronary vascular cells, renal microvascular cholesterol esterase activity
      increased. Light and electron microscopy revealed sporadic lipid deposits in
      renal microvessels from cholesterol-fed rabbits and no foam cells or occlusive
      lesions. In vitro addition of prostanoids to normal renal microvessels had no
      effect on cholesterol esterase activity. It is inviting to speculate that the
      increased acid cholesterol esterase activity in renal microvessels from
      cholesterol-fed rabbits protected them from developing extensive microvascular
      lesions. These biochemical events may explain the relative resistance of human
      renal microvessels to the development of occlusive atherosclerotic microvascular
      lesions.

PMID- 1858899
TI  - Dynamics of intrarenal pressures and glomerular filtration rate after
      acetazolamide.
AB  - The dynamics of intrarenal pressures, early distal tubular fluid conductivity
      (EDC), and renal flood flow (RBF) were studied in rats given acetazolamide (ACZ),
      an inhibitor of proximal reabsorption. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and end
      proximal flow were estimated by clearances of 51Cr-EDTA and lithium. Proximal
      tubular pressure (Pprox) increased initially by 1.7 +/- 0.1 mmHg after ACZ,
      causing a decrease in the hydrostatic pressure difference across the glomerular
      membrane (delta P). EDC increased, and then RBF, glomerular capillary pressure
      (Pgc), Pprox, and star vessel pressures (Psv) dropped as a result of afferent
      vasoconstriction. Pprox decreased less than Pgc, resulting in a further decrease
      in delta P, which after 25-30 s reached a constant level 3-4 mmHg below control.
      After a transient increase the pressures declined to a new steady state, in which
      Pprox was equal to control, Pgc was decreased, and distal tubular pressure, end
      proximal flow, and EDC were increased. GFR was depressed by 29%. The results
      indicate that the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism controls Pgc and Pprox by
      afferent vasoconstriction, as well as efferent vasodilation. The data also
      indicate that proximal reabsorption rate is important in determining the changes
      in delta P by its effect on Pprox at least in the early transient phase.

PMID- 1858900
TI  - Myo-inositol and betaine transporters regulated by tonicity are basolateral in
      MDCK cells.
AB  - Myo-inositol and glycinebetaine are compatible osmolytes accumulated in the renal
      medulla and in MDCK cells cultured in hypertonic media. Both osmolytes are taken
      up by MDCK cells on Na-coupled transporters. The maximal velocity (Vmax) of both
      cotransporters is increased by culture in hypertonic medium. When hypertonic MDCK
      cells are shifted to isotonic medium there is a large transient efflux of
      osmolytes. To determine the polarity of the cotransporters and the transient
      efflux, we grew MDCK cells on a porous support to assay transport separately at
      their apical and basolateral surfaces. In hypertonic cells, basolateral uptake of
      both osmolytes was 1) more than 10-fold apical uptake, 2) greater than 96% Na
      dependent, 3) 25- (myo-inositol) and 16-fold (glycinebetaine) uptake in isotonic
      cells, reaching a maximum 24 h after the switch to hypertonic medium. When medium
      osmolarity was decreased from hypertonic to isotonic, myo-inositol uptake
      reversed to the isotonic level within 1 day; glycinebetaine uptake decreased more
      slowly. When medium osmolarity was decreased from hypertonic to isotonic, there
      was a large transient increase in basolateral efflux of both osmolytes.

PMID- 1858901
TI  - Photon-counting microcolorimeter with 40-nl cuvette.
AB  - A colorimeter with a 40-nl cuvette has been constructed. The wall of standard
      capillary glass was perforated to produce a sample injection port. A section of
      the capillary glass was drawn to a length of 1/2 cm and 80 microns ID by heating
      on a microforge. This produced a cuvette volume of approximately 40 nl. Two fiber
      optic filaments, 80 microns in diameter, were fixed into the cuvette to transmit
      and receive light from the sample. The output of the colorimeter was measured
      with a microscope photon-counting detection assembly. It has been shown that the
      colorimeter enables a reduction of the plasma volume requirements of the Lowry
      microprotein assay from several nanoliters to 60 pl. The linearity and
      reproducibility of the microcolorimeter when used with the Lowry assay has been
      verified. The colorimeter output is several orders of magnitude above the lower
      limit of detection of the photon counter.

PMID- 1858902
TI  - Interaction of trichlormethiazide or amiloride with PTH in stimulating Ca2+
      absorption in rabbit CNT.
AB  - To determine the renal tubular site and mechanism of the anticalciuric effects of
      trichloromethiazide (TCM) and amiloride, we studied the effects of these
      diuretics on net Ca2+ absorption (JCa) in isolated rabbit connecting tubules
      (CNT) and cortical collecting ducts (CCD). TCM (100 microM) in the lumen
      increased JCa in the CNT without affecting lumen-negative transepithelial voltage
      (VT). This effect was dependent on the amount of parathyroid hormone (PTH, 0.1 or
      1 nM) in the bath. TCM had no detectable effect on JCa in the absence of PTH.
      Addition of 100 microM ouabain to the bath decreased PTH-stimulated JCa and
      abolished the TCM-stimulated JCa. Elimination of Na+ from the lumen increased PTH
      stimulated JCa. Under this condition the ability of TCM to increase JCa was
      abolished, suggesting that the inhibition of Na+ entry from the lumen with TCM
      may account for the increase in PTH-stimulated JCa. Elimination of Na+ from the
      bath in the presence of PTH decreased JCa and abolished the stimulatory effect of
      TCM on JCa in the presence of PTH. Changes in VT caused by amiloride may not
      account for the increase in JCa, because JCa was not changed when VT was
      deflected to more positive direction by increasing bath K+ from 5 to 15 mM.
      Neither TCM nor amiloride affected JCa in the CCD. From these observations, we
      speculate that the inhibition of Na+ entry across the apical cell membrane by
      either thiazides or amiloride may stimulate PTH-induced JCa. The intact Na(+)
      Ca2+ antiporter in the basolateral cell membrane is essential for the
      anticalciuric effect of thiazides and amiloride.

PMID- 1858903
TI  - Norepinephrine spillover faithfully reflects renal sympathetic nerve activity in
      conscious rabbits.
AB  - The relationship between directly recorded renal sympathetic nerve activity
      (RSNA) and simultaneous renal norepinephrine (NE) spillover rate across the
      kidney at rest and in response to changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) was
      examined in six conscious rabbits. Integrated RSNA and renal NE spillover rate at
      rest were 5.1 +/- 1.1 microV/s and 20.8 +/- 3.0 ng/min, respectively. Sodium
      nitroprusside infusions at 10 and 20 microgram.kg-1.min-1 significantly increased
      RSNA by 42 +/- 14 and 84 +/- 14% and renal NE spillover rate 39 +/- 22 and 107 +/
      22% in response to falls in MAP of 15 +/- 2 and 21 +/- 2 mmHg (19 and 27%),
      respectively. During phenylephrine infusion at 8 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, RSNA and
      renal NE spillover rate significantly decreased by 65 +/- 14 and 67 +/- 16%,
      respectively, in response to a 15 +/- 2 mmHg (19%) rise in MAP. There was a
      highly significant positive correlation between changes in directly recorded RSNA
      and changes in renal NE spillover rate (r = 0.81, P less than 0.01). The ratio of
      renal to total NE spillover rate at rest was 0.44 +/- 0.06. This ratio was
      decreased during both sympathetic stimulation (0.30 +/- 0.04) and inhibition
      (0.26 +/- 0.06). This study indicates that the measurement of renal NE spillover
      rate is a useful reliable method for detecting the changes in RSNA and its
      relative contribution to overall sympathetic nerve activity in response to
      physiological stimuli in conscious rabbits.

PMID- 1858904
TI  - Role of cytoskeleton in isotonic cell volume control of rabbit proximal tubules.
AB  - Stability of mammalian cell volume depends primarily on the sodium pump. When
      active cation transport of rabbit renal proximal tubules is blocked by ouabain,
      cells swell, but their size is limited by residual volume control mechanisms.
      This "ouabain-resistant" volume control is not an active process, as it operates
      in the presence of cyanide and dinitrophenol and in the absence of exogenous
      energy. Nevertheless, it remains incompletely explained by known transmembrane
      oncotic and hydrostatic forces. We tested the hypothesis that the cytoskeleton
      contributes to isotonic cell volume control. Isolated, collapsed rabbit proximal
      convoluted tubules (PCT) were crimped at both ends with micropipettes and had
      their volume assessed optically. PCT in ouabain (1 mM) swelled to 1.40 above
      control with protein, 1.62 without protein, and 1.89 with the cytoskeleton
      inhibitors vincristine (5 microM) and cytochalasin B (50 microM) and without
      protein. Tubulozole-C and cytochalasin D gave similar results. A hydrostatic
      pressure of 50 cmH2O increased tubule volume to 1.93 before the tubule basement
      membrane (TBM) prevented further volume increase. We conclude that volume of
      renal tubule cells in ouabain is limited partly by external protein, but
      primarily by the cytoskeleton. The TBM prevents massive swelling and tubule
      disaggregation.

PMID- 1858905
TI  - Effects of dopamine-receptor antagonists and renal denervation on amino acid
      induced hyperfiltration.
AB  - The mechanism whereby an infusion of amino acids (AA) leads to increments in
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow (RPF) is incompletely
      understood. Dopamine (DA) is a catecholamine in which known actions at low doses
      include the ability to increase both GFR and RPF. Furthermore, urinary DA
      excretion has been shown to be augmented after an oral protein load. We therefore
      studied the renal hemodynamic response to intravenous infusion of a 10% mixed AA
      solution in anesthetized euvolemic Wistar-Furth rats in the presence or absence
      of specific DA1 [Sch 23390 (SCH)] and DA2 [S-sulpiride (S-SP)] receptor
      antagonists. Infusion of AA in vehicle-pretreated rats resulted in a 28 +/- 8%
      increase in GFR and a 29 +/- 6% increase in effective ERPF over baseline values.
      Administration of AA in the presence of SCH also resulted in elevations in both
      GFR and ERPF by 23 +/- 3% and 26 +/- 6%, respectively. In contrast, when AA were
      given in the presence of S-SP, the rise in both GFR and ERPF was completely
      prevented. To examine whether the AA-induced hyperfiltration was due to DA
      release from renal nerves or enhanced renal tubule DA synthesis, we administered
      AA to rats in which the left kidney had been chronically denervated while the
      right kidney remained intact. Infusion of AA led to significant increments in GFR
      (33 +/- 4%) and ERPF (34 +/- 7%) only in the intact control kidney, whereas GFR
      and ERPF remained unaltered in the denervated kidney.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1858906
TI  - Alteration in surface ion composition of cultured bone during metabolic, but not
      respiratory, acidosis.
AB  - Acidosis produced by a fall in [HCO3-] (metabolic acidosis, Met) produces greater
      Ca efflux from cultured bone than that produced by a rise in PCO2 (respiratory
      acidosis, Resp). To compare the effects of Met and Resp on bone surface ion
      composition we measured the surface abundance of 40Ca, 23Na, and 39K in cultured
      bone with a scanning ion microprobe utilizing secondary-ion mass spectrometry.
      Neonatal mouse calvariae were incubated for 24 h in medium simulating either Met
      (pH = 7.193 +/- 0.034, [HCO3-] = 15.1 +/- 1.4 meq/l), Resp (pH = 7.153 +/- 0.014,
      PCO2 = 85.4 +/- 1.2 mmHg) or normal physiological (Ctl; pH = 7.484 +/- 0.009,
      [HCO3-] = 29.7 +/- 0.7, PCO2 = 39.6 +/- 0.3) conditions. The surface of Ctl at 2
      nm depth is rich in Na and K relative to Ca (Na/Ca = 25.6, K/Ca = 12.0, ratios of
      counts/s of secondary ions). Compared with Ctl, Met produced a sharp fall in both
      Na/Ca (6.5, P less than 0.01) and K/Ca (4.6, P less than 0.01), whereas Resp did
      not alter Na/Ca (23.8) or K/Ca (15.0). Ca efflux was greater in Met (873 +/- 54
      nmol.bone-1.24 h-1) than in Resp (546 +/- 71 nmol.bone-1.24 h-1, P less than
      0.01), which was greater than that in Ctl (315 +/- 49 nmol.bone-1.24 h-1, P less
      than 0.01 vs. Met and vs. Resp).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858907
TI  - Postnatal maturation of rabbit renal collecting duct. II. Morphological
      observations.
AB  - The renal collecting duct exhibits cellular heterogeneity. An ultrastructural
      analysis of this nephron segment during maturation has been performed to
      determine morphological characteristics of developing principal and intercalated
      cells (IC). Apical surface features and cytoplasmic ultrastructure were best
      revealed by scanning electron microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy,
      respectively. Morphological maturity was assessed by comparing measurements of
      apical perimeter, vesicular profiles, and mitochondrial volume percent. In mature
      cortical collecting duct (CCD), approximately 30% of total cells were rich in
      mitochondria and generally dark in matrix staining, i.e., IC. Most IC in outer
      cortex were microvillated, whereas in inner cortex most IC were microplicated
      with interspersed microvilli. Only approximately 16% of cells in outer medullary
      collecting duct (OMCD, outer stripe) were IC, with light cytoplasm and large
      protruding apical surfaces covered exclusively with microplicae. Neonatal CCDs
      showed no IC in outer cortex; a single type of principal-like cell was found in
      outer cortical region. Neonatal IC in both CCDs and OMCDs showed smaller apical
      perimeters, vesicular volumes, and mitochondrial volume percents than did mature
      IC. Whereas the number of cortical IC was reduced in the newborn, IC were present
      in mature numbers in OMCD and appeared relatively more mature than did IC of CCD.
      Some (approximately 10%) of IC in neonatal CCD did not show an identifiable
      apical surface pattern. Principal cells from both newborn CCD and OMCD were also
      morphometrically immature. It is clear that the neonatal collecting duct
      undergoes postnatal proliferation and differentiation.

PMID- 1858908
TI  - Postnatal changes in heart mitochondrial calcium and energy metabolism.
AB  - The newborn mammalian heart has less functional capacity compared with the adult,
      yet newborn myocardial mitochondrial respiratory activity is the same or exceeds
      that of adult. This study was aimed at determining the temporal changes in
      newborn rabbit heart mitochondrial energy-linked Ca2+ transport during early
      postnatal development. At birth, substrate-supported Ca2+ uptake is twice that of
      adult and declines toward adult rates during the first 14 days. Both NADH- and
      succinate-linked respiration are equivalent to adult values at birth, increase
      transiently during the first 7 days, and then decline toward adult. Newborn heart
      mitochondrial preparations exhibit the same membrane potential (delta psi) values
      during Ca2+ uptake and have comparable rates of Na(+)-induced Ca2+ efflux as
      adult. Creatine kinase (CK) activity is very low in 1- to 7-day-old newborn
      mitochondria and increases rapidly toward adult values after 10 days of age. The
      decreasing rates of Ca2+ uptake do not appear to be related to respiratory
      activity, membrane potential, or increased cycling of Ca2+ but rather to a direct
      effect on the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter. Preliminary studies indicate changes
      in mitochondrial membrane phospholipids during early development that may be
      related to the increasing CK activity and decreasing Ca2+ uptake and respiration.
      We postulate that mitochondrial membrane lipid changes in early postnatal
      development may be the causative factor underlying these changes in functional
      activity.

PMID- 1858909
TI  - Intracranial pressures and O2 extraction in conscious sheep during 72 h of
      hypoxia.
AB  - High-altitude cerebral edema may occur within several days after a rapid ascent
      to altitude. However, the mechanisms that produce this potentially lethal
      condition are unclear. This experiment assessed systemic arterial and
      intracranial pressures (n = 22) and cerebral blood flow per unit cerebral O2
      consumption (Qc/cVo2) and cerebral O2 extraction fraction (cEo2) (n = 9) in
      conscious sheep before and during 72 h of normobaric hypoxia (arterial O2 tension
      approximately 40 mmHg, oxygen saturation in arterial blood approximately 50%).
      Qc/cVo2 and cEo2 were calculated from systemic arterial and cerebral venous O2
      contents. Wet-to-dry brain weight ratios were calculated during normoxia (n = 4)
      or after 72 h of hypoxia (n = 5) in additional sheep. Intracranial pressures did
      not change during hypoxia (+ 1.3 to +1.8 mmHg, P = 1.0); however, estimated
      intracranial capillary hydrostatic pressure may have increased 1-20 mmHg
      depending on the arterial-to-downstream resistance ratio. During the 72 h of
      hypoxia, Qc/cVO2 doubled (P = 0.02) and cEo2 tended to decrease (5% absolute, P =
      1.0). Regional wet-to-dry brain weight ratios after 72 h of hypoxia were 4-13%
      greater than their respective ratios during normoxia (0.001 less than P less than
      or equal to 0.05); indirect evidence suggests that this increased brain water
      content was extravascular. The sheep may be an appropriate model for the further
      study of high-altitude cerebral edema.

PMID- 1858910
TI  - Variation in local cerebral blood flow response to high-dose pentobarbital sodium
      in the rat.
AB  - Microvascular bed structure and functions are known to vary throughout the brain.
      Microvascular responses to high doses of pentobarbital sodium might therefore
      differ among brain areas. This possibility was examined by measuring local
      cerebral blood flow (LCBF) with [14C]iodoantipyrine in 52 brain areas at 5, 10,
      25, and 60 min after intraperitoneal administration of pentobarbital (50 mg/kg).
      From 5 to 60 min, LCBF was significantly lowered in 17 of 25 forebrain gray
      matter areas but in only 1 of 18 hindbrain gray matter structures, the pontine
      nuclei. Smaller, shorter duration lowering of LCBF was also observed in ten other
      brain areas. In both control and treated rats, LCBF was found to vary within
      individual brain structures. The pattern of these LCBF variations was columnar in
      the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus but was patchy in the caudate-putamen,
      thalamus, and inferior colliculus. These results indicate that pentobarbital
      anesthesia more strongly alters LCBF in the forebrain than in the hindbrain and
      produces different patterns of changes in LCBF than in local cerebral glucose
      utilization, which was measured with 2-deoxyglucose in a companion study.

PMID- 1858911
TI  - Systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle induced by dietary
      taurine deficiency in cats.
AB  - Isovolumic left ventricular (LV) preparations were used to assess myocardial
      failure associated with dietary taurine deficiency in cats. Adult female cats (n
      = 12) were fed a purified diet devoid of taurine for 6-8 mo. Six of the cats
      received 1,000 mg of crystalline taurine orally once daily. The remaining six
      cats were not provided taurine replacement. Compared with control preparations,
      hearts isolated from taurine-deficient cats generated significantly lower values
      for developed LV systolic pressure (107 +/- 6 vs. 66 +/- 15 mmHg; P less than
      0.05), maximal rate of LV pressure rise (+dP/dtmax; 1,103 +/- 38 vs. 718 +/- 172
      mmHg/s; P less than 0.05), and fall (-dP/dtmax; 930 +/- 46 vs. 587 +/- 129
      mmHg/s; P less than 0.05). LV function curves generated by hearts from taurine
      deficient cats were shifted downward and to the right of control curves,
      demonstrating inotropic depression. In addition, end-diastolic pressure-volume
      (compliance) relationships in hearts from taurine-deficient cats were shifted
      downward and to the right of controls in the direction of increased chamber
      compliance or distensibility. Ten millimolar taurine significantly improved
      inotropic indexes only in hearts from taurine-deficient cats but failed to affect
      diastolic compliance. Myocardial contractile dysfunction and LV chamber
      dilatation in hearts from taurine-deficient cats verify a causal association
      between dietary deficiency of this amino acid and dilated cardiomyopathy in this
      species.

PMID- 1858912
TI  - EDRF released from microvascular endothelial cells dilates arterioles in vivo.
AB  - Microvascular endothelial cells (MECs) from rat epididymal fat pad were isolated
      and cultured in vitro on Cytodex 3 microcarrier beads. In Krebs-suffused
      cremaster muscle of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats arteriolar diameters (mean
      control diam 20.9 +/- 0.9 micron) were measured using image shearing video
      microscopy. Two lines of suffusate (1.5 ml/min each) were established; one
      contained a column of microcarrier beads only (no cells in line; NC) the other
      contained a 1-ml column of MECs grown on beads (through cells; TC). The muscle
      preparation and the MECs were first treated with indomethacin (Indo; 28 microM).
      Indo treatment blocked arteriolar dilation to A23187 (1 microM) and arachidonic
      acid (AA; 0.25 microM) administered into the NC line. A 4.0 +/- 0.6 micron
      increase in arteriolar diameter was observed, however, when A23187 (but not AA)
      was infused through the TC line containing Indotreated MECs on beads. The A23187
      elicited dilation was abolished by the introduction of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine
      (L-NMMA; 200 microM) into the TC line. Administration of atropine (2 microM) onto
      the cremaster muscle via the NC line inhibited the dilations in response to
      acetylcholine (ACh; 2.7 microM) given through the NC line. Infusion of ACh
      through the TC line onto the atropine-treated cremaster muscle, however, elicited
      a 5.8 +/- 1.3 micron increase in arteriolar diameter, a response that was blocked
      by prior administration of L-NMMA into the TC line. Arteriolar dilation induced
      by adenosine (0.5 microM) or sodium nitroprusside (0.5 microM) applied via the NC
      or TC line was unaffected by L-NMMA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858913
TI  - Enhanced renal PGE2 in hypertensives with increased red cell Na(+)-Li+
      countertransport.
AB  - In this study, maximal velocities of Na(+)-Li+ countertransport were measured in
      red blood cells of 50 untreated essential hypertensives and 30 normotensive
      controls. In addition, urinary excretion of renal prostaglandins (PG) and plasma
      renin activity (PRA) was measured in each subject. Maximal velocity of Na(+)-Li+
      countertransport was above the upper limit in controls of 525 mumol.l cell-1.h-1
      in seven patients and was normal in the remaining patients. Patients with
      increased countertransport did not differ significantly from controls and from
      patients with normal countertransport with regard to urinary excretion of 6-keto
      PGF1 alpha (the stable metabolite of prostacyclin) and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) (the
      stable metabolite of thromboxane A2). In contrast, mean values of PGE2 were
      significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in patients with increased
      countertransport (411 +/- 39 pg/min) compared with patients with normal
      countertransport (181 +/- 15 pg/min) and controls (146 +/- 13 pg/min). In
      addition, six patients with increased countertransport exhibited urinary levels
      of PGE2 higher than the upper limit in controls. Hypertensives with increased
      countertransport showed enhanced PRA when compared with the remaining patients
      (2.96 +/- 0.50 vs. 1.30 +/- 0.52 ng.ml-1.h-1, P less than 0.05) and with controls
      (1.86 +/- 0.08 ng.ml-1.h-1, P less than 0.05). Finally, the relationship between
      PGE2 and PRA was found to be significant in patients with increased
      countertransport (r = 0.776, P less than 0.05). These results indicate that renal
      synthesis of PGE2 is enhanced in essential hypertensives with increased Na(+)-Li+
      countertransport activity and hyperreninemia.

PMID- 1858914
TI  - Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy: effects on blood flow and capillary
      structure.
AB  - Chronic supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) causes a dilated cardiomyopathy. A
      potential factor contributing to the development of SVT-induced cardiomyopathy is
      abnormal myocardial blood flow (MBF). The purpose of this study was to relate
      changes in left ventricular (LV) function, MBF, and capillary structure with the
      development of SVT-induced cardiomyopathy. LV function and MBF were measured in
      two groups of conscious pigs: sham control (CON; n = 8) and after 3 wk of atrial
      pacing (SVT; 240 beats/min; n = 8) using echocardiography-catheterization and
      microspheres. Measurements were made under three states: 1) at rest with a basal
      heart rate, 2) during rapid atrial pacing (240 beats/min), and 3) during
      adenosine infusion (1.5 microM.kg-1.min-1) without pacing. LV capillary density,
      diameter, wall thickness, and capillary-myocyte distance were measured in four
      additional pigs from each group. LV fractional shortening was lower, and left
      atrial pressure was significantly higher in the SVT group compared with CON at
      rest, during pacing, and with adenosine (P less than 0.05). In the CON group,
      average LV-MBF at rest was 2.0 +/- 0.2 ml.min-1.g-1, increased with pacing to 3.0
      +/- 0.2 ml.min-1.g-1 (P less than 0.05), and increased further with adenosine to
      4.1 +/- 0.3 ml.min-1.g-1 (P less than 0.05). In all states, SVT LV-MBF was
      significantly reduced vs. CON (P less than 0.05); SVT LV-MBF was 0.8 +/- 0.2
      ml.min-1.g-1 at rest, increased to 1.3 +/- 0.3 ml.min-1.g-1 with rapid pacing (P
      less than 0.05), and remained unchanged during adenosine (1.3 +/- 0.4 ml.min-1.g
      1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858915
TI  - Flow modulation of agonist (ATP)-response (Ca2+) coupling in vascular endothelial
      cells.
AB  - ATP-induced increases of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) were
      measured as a function of flow rate in single cell recordings within a confluent
      endothelial cell monolayer. Although flow and its associated shear stress did not
      per se significantly alter basal [Ca2+]i, ATP-induced [Ca2+]i was exquisitely
      sensitive to flow. Step increases of flow in the presence of ATP triggered large
      [Ca2+]i transients that slowly (60-150 s) returned to basal values. ATP
      releasable [Ca2+]i was mobilized from intracellular stores, as well as obtained
      from the extracellular medium. Since potent ectonucleotidases on the cell surface
      are expected to influence local ATP concentrations, experiments were repeated
      using the poorly hydrolyzable ATP analogue beta, gamma-methyleneadenosine 5'
      triphosphate (AMP-PCP). Comparison between ATP and AMP-PCP responses suggested
      that flow regulates the mass transport of agonist to the endothelial cell surface
      by overcoming the local effects of degradative enzymes. An additional, quite
      different phenomenon of flow-mediated [Ca2+]i regulation in endothelial cells was
      observed when [Ca2+]i oscillations induced by AMP-PCP in the absence of flow were
      shown to be reversibly inhibited by step increases in flow. These results imply
      that the effectiveness of local or systemic agonists in stimulating endothelial
      transduction will vary with flow rates. Regional variations in hemodynamic shear
      stresses associated with altered flow patterns throughout the arterial system are
      predicted to result in large variations of vessel wall responsiveness to
      physiological and pathological agonists.

PMID- 1858916
TI  - Agents that modify EDRF formation alter antiplatelet properties of brain
      arteriolar endothelium in vivo.
AB  - In the presence of circulating Evans blue a helium-neon laser injures the
      endothelium of brain surface arterioles in situ. The injury is known to
      selectively eliminate endothelium-dependent responses. The present study
      documents in mice the fact that such endothelial sites become selectively
      attractive to passing platelets that have been activated as a result of more
      severe injury upstream. We then test the hypothesis that the "capture" of
      platelets at the downstream site is due to loss of "classical" endothelial
      dependent relaxing factor of acetylcholine (EDRFACh) at that site. EDRFACh is
      known to inhibit platelet adhesion/aggregation and is synthesized from L
      arginine. We show that agents that would either enhance or reduce the synthesis
      of local EDRFACh reduce or increase the incidence of capture as predicted by the
      hypothesis. Thus NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and arginase that would reduce
      synthesis of EDRFACh enhanced platelet capture. L-Arginine, which would enhance
      synthesis of EDRFACh, inhibited platelet capture. In addition, L-NMMA and
      arginase enhanced platelet aggregation over the more severely damaged site
      upstream from the site of capture. Ex vivo studies of platelets harvested from
      treated mice showed that the platelets themselves were unaffected by the
      treatments that, except for arginase given intravenously, all involved topical
      application of the tested drugs.

PMID- 1858917
TI  - Effect of chronic verapamil treatment on ventricular function and growth in chick
      embryos.
AB  - Adjustment of myocardial mass to work load is a fundamental characteristic of the
      heart. We studied the effect of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, on growth
      and function of chick embryonic ventricle. We treated stage 18 chick embryos with
      verapamil delivered to the extraembryonic vascular bed by a miniosmotic pump and
      compared them with saline-treated control and untreated embryos. At stages 24,
      27, and 29, we measured ventricular pressure and dP/dt by a servo-null system,
      dorsal aortic stroke volume and dV/dt by pulsed-Doppler, and ventricular and
      embryo wet weights. Mean myocyte profile area was measured by digital planimetry
      technique, and cell growth response by DNA and protein assay. Verapamil treatment
      decreased ventricular pressure in experimental (P less than 0.05) compared with
      saline control and normal embryos; at stage 27, 1.59 +/- 0.21 vs. 2.17 +/- 0.05
      and 2.35 +/- 0.08 (SE) mmHg, respectively. Mean dorsal aortic blood flow
      decreased in experimental (P less than 0.05) vs. control and normal embryos; at
      stage 27, 0.98 +/- 0.07 vs. 1.54 +/- 0.10 and 1.56 +/- 0.07 mm3/s, respectively.
      Stroke volume remained the same in all experimental, normal, and control embryos
      except at stage 29. Ventricular weight decreased in experimental (P less than
      0.05) vs. control and normal embryos; at stage 27, 1.09 +/- 0.07 vs. 1.51 +/-
      0.08 and 1.54 +/- 0.11 mg, respectively. Embryo weights, myocyte size, and
      cytoplasmic fractional volume were similar in all groups. Morphology of
      ventricles was normal. DNA was lower in experimental (P less than 0.05) compared
      with control and normal embryos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858918
TI  - L-propionylcarnitine increases postischemic blood flow but does not affect
      recovery of energy charge.
AB  - Effects of pretreatment with L-propionylcarnitine (50 mg/kg, n = 9) or saline (n
      = 10) were studied in open-chest anesthetized pigs, in which ischemia was induced
      by decreasing left anterior descending coronary artery blood flow to 20% of
      baseline. After 60 min of ischemia, myocardium was reperfused for 2 h. In both
      groups, flow reduction abolished contractile function of the affected myocardium
      and caused similar decreases in ATP (by 55%) and energy charge [(ATP +
      0.5ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP); decrease from 0.91 to 0.60], mean arterial blood
      pressure (by 10-24%), the maximum rate of rise in left ventricular pressure (by
      26-32%), and cardiac output (by 20-30%). During reperfusion, "no-reflow" was
      attenuated by L-propionylcarnitine, because myocardial blood flow returned to 61
      and 82% of baseline in the saline- and L-propionylcarnitine-treated animals,
      respectively. Cardiac output of the saline-treated animals further decreased (to
      52% of baseline), and systemic vascular resistance increased from 46 +/- 3 to 61
      +/- 9 mmHg.min.l-1, thereby maintaining arterial blood pressure. In L
      propionylcarnitine-treated pigs, cardiac output remained at 75% of baseline, and
      systemic vascular resistance decreased from 42 +/- 3 to 38 +/- 4 mmHg.min.l-1. In
      both groups, energy charge but not the ATP level of the ischemic-reperfused
      myocardium tended to recover, whereas the creatine phosphate level showed
      significantly more recovery in saline-treated animals. We conclude that L
      propionylcarnitine partially preserved vascular patency in ischemic-reperfused
      porcine myocardium but had no immediate effect on "myocardial stunning."
      Potential markers for long-term recovery were not affected by L
      propionylcarnitine.

PMID- 1858919
TI  - Microvascular recruitment in hamster striated muscle: role for conducted
      vasodilation.
AB  - The influence of conducted vasodilation upon arteriolar diameter and capillary
      red blood cell (rbc) perfusion was investigated in the cremaster muscle of male
      hamsters anesthetized with pentobarbital. The muscle was surgically exposed,
      superfused with physiological saline solution (pH 7.4; 34 degrees C), and
      transilluminated for observation of microvessels using intravital video
      microscopy. The tip (2 microns ID) of a glass micropipette filled with
      acetylcholine (ACh; 1.0 M) was positioned adjacent to an arteriole.
      Microiontophoretic delivery of an ACh stimulus (200-1,000 nA; 200-750 ms) caused
      vasodilation at the pipette tip, which conducted rapidly along the arteriole and
      decayed with distance; this was characterized by length constants of 2.1 and 2.4
      mm (P greater than 0.05) for arterioles with maximal diameters of 32 +/- 2 (means
      +/- SE; n = 8) and 63 +/- 2 microns (n = 5), respectively. When applied to the
      distal end of a terminal arteriole (TA) devoid of flow, ACh triggered a dilation
      that was conducted proximally (greater than 1,000 microns upstream) into the
      parent vessel (terminal arteriole feed, TAF) containing rbc flow, thereby
      inducing flow into the TA; stimulation of the TAF also induced rbc flow into TA.
      In capillaries fed by TA, rbc flux (rbc/s) increased from zero at rest to 23 +/-
      6 during the peak of the TA dilation (n = 9); calculated tube hematocrit
      increased from 4 +/- 2 to 28 +/- 3%. Findings demonstrate that conduction of
      vasodilation can coordinate vasomotor responses between terminal and parent
      arterioles and promote rbc delivery to capillaries supplying striated muscle
      fibers.

PMID- 1858921
TI  - Sensitivities of cardiac O2 consumption and contractility to catecholamines in
      dogs.
AB  - We studied the effects of plasma catecholamines from the adrenal gland on
      systolic pressure-volume area (PVA)-independent O2 consumption (VO2) and
      contractility index (Emax) in the left ventricle of excised cross-circulated dog
      hearts. PVA is a measure of the total mechanical energy of contraction. Under
      baseline conditions, the PVA-independent VO2 correlated with plasma catecholamine
      level in the hearts (r = 0.84). Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels
      increased gradually from 0.3 and 0.4 ng/ml to 10.3 and 2.7 ng/ml on average
      during adrenal sympathetic nerve stimulation of support dogs. Simultaneously,
      Emax and PVA-independent VO2 increased by 240 +/- 127 (SD) and 75 +/- 24%.
      Although their increases were monotonic in a given heart, their sensitivities to
      catecholamines were considerably variable among hearts. However, these two
      sensitivities were correlated (r = 0.96) with each other in the hearts, and the
      interheart variation of the sensitivity of the PVA-independent VO2 to Emax (i.e.,
      oxygen cost of Emax) was smaller. We conclude that the oxygen cost of Emax is
      less variable among hearts despite large interheart variations of Emax and VO2
      responses to plasma catecholamines.

PMID- 1858920
TI  - Effects of fasting and refeeding on the proliferative response of rat aorta to
      injury.
AB  - To explore the interplay between the mitotic activity of arterial smooth muscle
      cells and the variations of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, we have
      studied over 14 days the response of thoracic aorta to injury with a balloon
      catheter in rats submitted to fasting and refeeding. Animals were fasted from the
      day before until the third day after injury. The proliferative reaction of intima
      media was assessed 2, 3.5, 4, 6, 8, and 14 days after injury, comparing freely
      fed with fasted-refed rats. Fasting decreased plasma glucose and insulin
      concentrations and DNA synthesis by intima-media, whereas refeeding increased
      these three variables transiently. The DNA content of intima-media at any time
      during the response to injury and the intimal thickening on day 14 were not
      influenced by the sequence of fasting and refeeding, which suggests that the
      early decrease in DNA synthesis induced by fasting had been compensated for by
      the later increase in DNA synthesis induced by refeeding. In conclusion, besides
      hormonal influences (such as insulin), metabolic influences (such as the
      availability of energetic fuels) are likely to act on the proliferative response
      of arteries to injury.

PMID- 1858922
TI  - Lack of cardiovascular and vasopressin responses to human relaxin in conscious,
      late-pregnant rats.
AB  - Measurements of arterial pressure, heart rate, and plasma vasopressin were
      obtained in unanesthetized late-pregnant rats after administration of human
      relaxin (hRlx) alone or in conjunction with hemorrhage. Forty-two timed-pregnant
      rats were prepared with chronic femoral cannulas on the 17th day of pregnancy for
      measurements on the 19th day. In three separate sets of experiments, mean
      arterial pressure and heart rate were measured for 10 min before administration
      of 2 mg/kg hRlx, 100 micrograms/kg hRlx, or vehicle and for 20 h thereafter;
      plasma vasopressin was determined 20 min before and 3 min after administration of
      hRlx or vehicle and 20 min after performing a 15-ml/kg 3-min hemorrhage. Neither
      mean arterial pressure nor heart rate was significantly different among rats
      administered 2 mg/kg hRlx, 100 micrograms/kg hRlx, or vehicle. Plasma vasopressin
      was not significantly different among rats administered 2 mg/kg hRlx, 100
      micrograms/kg hRlx, or vehicle. The decreases and subsequent compensatory changes
      in mean arterial pressure and heart rate after hemorrhage and the increases in
      plasma vasopressin were not significantly different among rats administered
      vehicle or hRlx.

PMID- 1858923
TI  - Left ventricular dysfunction induced by chronic alcohol ingestion in rats.
AB  - To determine whether moderate ingestion of alcohol for protracted periods of time
      affects normal cardiac performance and produces myocyte damage, male Fischer 344
      rats at 4 mo of age were given 30% ethanol in their drinking water every day for
      a period of 8 mo. Experimental animals and age-matched controls were examined
      hemodynamically and morphometrically at 12 mo of age. Body and cardiac growth
      were depressed in alcoholic animals by 15 and 12%, respectively. Although left
      ventricular (LV) weight was reduced by 14% in alcoholic rats, no difference in
      right ventricular (RV) weight was noted, and consequently the ratio of RV weight
      to body weight increased by 12%. Systemic arterial pressures as well as LV peak
      systolic pressure decreased in alcoholic rats despite an unchanged heart rate.
      Myocardial contractility in alcoholic rats was further depressed as revealed by a
      significant decrease in the peak rate of ventricular pressure decay. Importantly,
      end-diastolic pressure was elevated 5.2-fold in the left ventricle and 2.9-fold
      in the right ventricle after 8 mo of ethanol consumption. LV diastolic chamber
      volume increased through myocardial remodeling as the longitudinal axis and
      transverse diameters from the base to the apex increased in experimental animals
      while the thickness of the LV diminished. Structural and hemodynamic alterations
      resulted in a 571% increase in the volume of diastolic circumferential wall
      stress on the left ventricle. Damage to the myocardium was increased in alcoholic
      animals with the volume percent of myocardial lesions increasing 342% in the wall
      of the left ventricle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858924
TI  - Microvascular permeability transients due to histamine in cat limb.
AB  - We measured the protein solvent drag reflection coefficient (sigma f) and the
      capillary filtration coefficient (CFC) before and after adding 1 or 10 microM
      histamine to the recirculating fluid (20% plasma, remainder albumin and
      electrolytes, hematocrit of 1-2%) perfusing the isolated cat hindlimb
      preparation. Transient sigma f measurements were made at 3- to 15-min intervals
      after histamine using a modification of the steady-state integral-mass balance
      method. CFC measurements were made at approximately 10-min intervals after
      histamine in separate experiments. A 1 microM dose of histamine caused sigma f to
      fall from approximately 0.8 to approximately 0.3 in 2-3 min; sigma f then
      returned to control in approximately 20 min. CFC response to the 1 microM
      histamine was a peak increase approximately 2 times control and a return to
      control in approximately 40 min. A 10 microM dose caused sigma f to fall rapidly
      to near zero. In general, recovery was much slower than for the 1 microM dose,
      most of the limbs not returning to control by 40 min after histamine. CFC
      measurements after 10 microM histamine increased only approximately 5 times
      control even though sigma f was near zero at the same time. CFC remained above
      control for approximately 60 min. The combined sigma f and CFC data could be
      described quantitatively if histamine simultaneously opened both short-lived
      large gaps (approximately 1,000 A) and a longer-lived pathway that sieved protein
      like the normal pathway and if the numbers of channels of each pathway closed
      exponentially with 4- and 15-min time constants, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858925
TI  - Effects of phorbol esters on canine coronary artery constriction and dilation in
      vitro.
AB  - The influence of protein kinase C (PKC) activation on canine coronary
      vasoreactivity was assessed in vitro. Activation of PKC by phorbol 12,13
      dibutyrate (PDBu) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) caused slow sustained
      constriction of isolated coronary artery rings. PDBu was a more potent and
      efficacious constrictor than PMA (169 +/- 21 vs. 81 +/- 7% of maximum KCl
      constriction). Constriction to PDBu was reduced slightly by deendothelialization
      and by meclofenamate. Pretreatment with threshold concentrations of PDBu
      increased constriction to serotonin from 3 +/- 1 to 48 +/- 4% of maximum KCl
      constriction whether or not the endothelium was present but had no effect on
      response to the thromboxane analogue U-46619. In addition, in arteries
      constricted with PDBu, dilations to ADP, thrombin, acetylcholine, and sodium
      nitroprusside were impaired when compared with arteries constricted with U-46619.
      These results suggest that activation of PKC in coronary arteries 1) produces
      potent constriction mediated only in small part by the endothelium and by
      cyclooxygenase products, 2) potentiates markedly the constrictor response to
      serotonin by an endothelium-independent mechanism, and 3) attenuates both
      endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation.

PMID- 1858927
TI  - Importance of freezing time when iodoantipyrine is used for measurement of
      cerebral blood flow.
AB  - The goal of the present study was to determine effects of delay of freezing of
      the brain on distribution of [14C]iodoantipyrine in the brain. Blood flow to
      parietal cerebral cortex (CBF) and choroid plexus was measured with the indicator
      fractionation technique and quantitative autoradiography. After injection of
      iodoantipyrine, each rat was decapitated, and the head was immersed in
      chlorodifluoromethane (-40 degrees C). The brain was removed from the skull after
      it was frozen. In some rats, heads were immersed immediately after decapitation,
      and CBF was markedly heterogeneous. In another group, heads were frozen 3 min
      after decapitation. In this case, CBF was uniform in its distribution. Average
      CBF was similar in groups with immediate and delayed freezing (90-104 ml.min-1 x
      100 g-1). In contrast, delays in freezing decreased blood flow to choroid plexus
      from 551 +/- 115 to 261 +/- 48 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1. Our findings indicate that
      immediate freezing of the brain after decapitation is necessary to prevent
      diffusion of iodoantipyrine from regions of high blood flow to regions of lower
      blood flow and underestimations of blood flow in regions with high blood flow.

PMID- 1858926
TI  - Contraction and relaxation of rat aorta in response to ATP.
AB  - Vascular responses to ATP were studied in aortic rings isolated from stroke-prone
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY).
      Low concentrations of ATP (10 nM to 10 microM) caused relaxation and high
      concentrations (0.1 mM to 10 mM) caused contraction. Both of these responses were
      accentuated by factors released from the endothelium. The endothelium-derived
      relaxing factor (EDRF) was blocked by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA). This is
      the first time that it has been reported that ATP causes the release of an
      endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF). Its release was diminished but not
      completely blocked by cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Assays of muscle bath prostanoid
      composition indicated that ATP stimulation caused the release of prostaglandins
      I2 and E2 and thromboxane A2 from intact aortic rings. Evidence is presented that
      neither endothelin nor superoxide anion contributed to the EDCF. No difference
      was observed between WKY and SHRSP with regard to either the endothelial
      contributions to the response, or the direct action on vascular smooth muscle of
      ATP. High concentrations of ATP achieved intravascularly in hypoxia may cause
      vasospasm by release of endothelial prostanoids.

PMID- 1858928
TI  - Release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor is modulated both by frequency and
      amplitude of pulsatile flow.
AB  - We have dissociated the effects of frequency and amplitude of pulsatile flow on
      flow-induced release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) using cascade
      bioassay. Rat aortic segments were buffer perfused with a peristaltic pump at a
      constant mean flow rate of 9 ml/min. EDRF activity in effluent was measured by
      relaxation of endothelium-denuded rabbit aortic rings preconstricted by
      phenylephrine. Pulse frequency was varied over the range 0.1-12 Hz at a constant
      amplitude of 2 mmHg; pulse amplitude was varied over the range 2-16 mmHg at a
      constant frequency of 0.1 Hz. Relaxation of the detector vessel depended on
      frequency of flow through the donor; peak response occurred between 4.2 and 6 Hz
      and was approximately three times greater than that induced at lower or higher
      frequencies. In contrast, increases in pulse pressure amplitude (maximum 16 mmHg)
      monotonically augmented constriction of partially preconstricted detector tissue
      by up to 10%. Incubation of the donor vessel with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl
      ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, or removal of its
      endothelium by rubbing, abolished both the frequency- and the amplitude-dependent
      effects observed in the detector tissue, indicating that these were mediated by
      changes in EDRF release. Increasing the amplitude of the pressure pulse also
      reduced mean perfusion pressure (by up to 50%), implying distension of donor
      vessel since mean flow rate was constant. This fall in pressure was not affected
      by incubation with L-NAME or removal of endothelium, indicating that it was not
      dependent on EDRF activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858929
TI  - Effect of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine on arcade arterioles of rat spinotrapezius
      muscles.
AB  - The effect of the specific inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) formation NG-monomethyl
      L-arginine (L-NMMA) on resting arteriolar diameter and on actions of both
      endothelium-dependent and -independent vasoactive substances was investigated
      using intravital microscopy in rats. The spinotrapezius muscle of anaesthetized
      normotensive rats was suspended in a Krebs-Henseleit bath containing tetrodotoxin
      (3 x 10(-7) M), indomethacin (2.8 x 10(-5) M), and propranolol (10(-6) M) to
      block sympathetic nerve conduction, prostacyclin formation, and beta-adrenergic
      receptors, respectively. Acetylcholine (ACh), nitroprusside (NP), norepinephrine
      (NE), phenylephrine (PE), and guanabenz (GB) were topically applied before and
      after superfusion of L-NMMA (10(-5) to 10(-4) M). Superfusion of L-NMMA reduced
      arteriolar diameter and caused dose-dependent increases in arteriolar tone. The
      onset of action of L-NMMA was nearly immediate. L-NMMA inhibited vasodilator
      responses to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator ACh but not to the endothelium
      independent NP. NE induced dose-related vasoconstriction that was significantly
      potentiated by L-NMMA. These effects were partially reversed by addition of L
      arginine (10(-3) M). Potentiation of vasoconstriction elicited by NE was still
      observed after inhibition of alpha 1-adrenoceptors with prazosin, but
      potentiation was abolished by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine. L
      NMMA potentiated arteriolar vasoconstriction elicited by the alpha 2-adrenergic
      receptor agonist GB but not by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist PE. These
      findings with L-NMMA suggest that resting diameter of arterioles is modulated by
      endogenous NO biosynthesis and that endothelium-dependent vasodilators act
      through the formation of endogenous NO to exert their action in vivo.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858930
TI  - Myoglobin function and energy metabolism of isolated cardiac myocytes: effect of
      sodium nitrite.
AB  - Inactivation of intracellular myoglobin by sodium nitrite or by carbon monoxide
      in isolated cardiac myocytes diminishes steady-state respiratory rate and
      phosphocreatine concentration (PCr) by approximately 25% at nonlimiting oxygen
      pressures; oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis together are insufficient to
      maintain ATP, and PCr falls. At concentrations required to convert myoglobin to
      high-spin ferric myoglobin, nitrite does not affect the respiration of isolated
      aerobic heart mitochondria. The creatine phosphokinase-catalyzed equilibrium
      between PCr and ATP is not affected by nitrite. Myoglobin inactivation reduces
      PCr in cells in which glycolytic ATP production is blocked by iodoacetate.
      However, inhibition of electron transport by rotenone does block myoglobin
      mediated oxygen uptake. These data suggest that functional myoglobin augments
      mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation [myoglobin-mediated oxidative
      phosphorylation (30)]. Myoglobin itself does not cross mitochondrial membrane(s).
      At high oxygen pressures used here, myoglobin is everywhere saturated with
      oxygen, and facilitated oxygen diffusion vanishes. Oxidative phosphorylation must
      be augmented by some effector, such as NADH or a carrier of reducing or oxidizing
      equivalents that can transduce the effect of oxymyoglobin across the
      mitochondrial membrane(s).

PMID- 1858931
TI  - Vagal reflexes and survival during acute myocardial ischemia in conscious dogs
      with healed myocardial infarction.
AB  - The role of vagal tone and reflexes in the genesis of life-threatening
      arrhythmias was investigated in a clinically relevant animal model for sudden
      cardiac death. Forty-five dogs with a healed anterior myocardial infarction in
      which transient myocardial ischemia during exercise did not induce malignant
      arrhythmias were utilized for the study. They underwent a further exercise and
      ischemia test in which atropine (75 micrograms/kg) was injected before coronary
      artery occlusion. Novel occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia, or worsening of the
      type of arrhythmia present in the control test, occurred in 23 of 45 dogs (51%)
      and ventricular fibrillation occurred in 11 of 45 (24%, P = 0.001). Analysis of
      heart rate response to acute ischemia in the control test indicates that these 11
      animals had powerful vagal reflexes during coronary artery occlusion, compared
      with the 34 survivors (-32 +/- 35 vs. +2 +/- 27 beats/min, P = 0.003). This study
      indicates that approximately 75% of animals resistant to ventricular fibrillation
      are characterized by weak sympathetic reflexes in response to acute myocardial
      ischemia. In the remaining 25% powerful vagal reflexes counteract concomitant
      reflex sympathetic hyperactivity, decrease heart rate, and are essential for
      survival.

PMID- 1858932
TI  - Left ventricular-arterial coupling in conscious dogs.
AB  - We investigated the criteria for the coupling of the left ventricle (LV) and the
      arterial system to maximize LV stroke work (SW) and the transformation of LV
      pressure-volume area (PVA) to SW. We studied eight conscious dogs that were
      instrumented to measure LV pressure and determine LV volume from three
      ultrasonically determined dimensions. The LV end-systolic pressure (PES)-volume
      (VES) relation was determined by caval occlusion. Its slope (EES) was compared
      with the arterial elastance (EA) and determined as PES per stroke volume. At
      rest, with intact reflexes, EES/EA was 0.96 +/- 0.20 EES/EA was varied over a
      wide range (0.18-2.59) by the infusion of graded doses of phenylephrine and
      nitroprusside before and during administration of dobutamine. Maximum LV SW, at
      constant inotropic state and end-diastolic volume (VED), occurred when EES/EA
      equaled 0.99 +/- 0.15. At constant VED and contractile state, SW was within 20%
      of its maximum value when EES/EA was between 0.56 and 2.29. The conversion of LV
      PVA to SW increased as EES/EA increased. The shape of the observed relations of
      the SW to EES/EA and SW/PVA to EES/EA was similar to that predicted by the
      theoretical consideration of LV PES-VES and arterial PES-stroke volume relations.
      We conclude that the LV and arterial system produce maximum SW at constant VED
      when EES and EA are equal; however, the relation of SW to EES/EA has a broad
      plateau. Only when EA greatly exceeds EES does the SW fall substantially.
      However, the conversion of PVA to SW increases as EES/EA increases. These
      observations support the utility of analyzing LV-arterial coupling in the
      pressure-volume plane.

PMID- 1858933
TI  - LV oxygen consumption and pressure-volume area: role of norepinephrine and
      verapamil.
AB  - The effect of norepinephrine or verapamil on the relationship of left ventricular
      (LV) myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) and systolic pressure-volume area (PVA)
      was investigated in hearts within the never-opened thorax of dogs with blocked
      baroreceptor reflex. LV chamber volumes and myocardial blood flow were measured
      using a fast computed tomography scanner. At 10 micrograms/min delivery rate of
      norepinephrine, MVO2 (mJ.g-1.cycle-1) equals (2.30 +/- 0.48) PVA + (20.60 +/-
      4.24) (n = 11; 1 mJ.g-1.cycle-1 is equivalent to 0.563 ml O2.100 g-1.min-1 at 112
      beats/min). With verapamil infusion, MVO2 equals (2.57 +/- 1.33)PVA + (10.73 +/-
      3.16) (n = 17). The regression slopes did not differ (P greater than 0.25) for
      any of the conditions. At comparable PVA values the norepinephrine group showed
      an increase of MVO2 compared with the prenorephrine baseline state (P less than
      0.01), and the verapamil group showed a reduction of MVO2 compared with the
      preverapamil baseline state (P less than 0.05). We conclude that the MVO2 to
      LVPVA relationship in the in situ heart, within the never-opened thorax, conveys
      that the oxygen-wasting effect of catecholamines is quantifiable using the shift
      in this relationship.

PMID- 1858934
TI  - Pressure-independent arteriolar rarefaction in hypertension.
AB  - To assess the role of pressure in the arteriolar rarefaction associated with
      hypertension, we studied microvascular density in a hindquarters muscle
      (cremaster) of rats, 8 wk after coarctation (n = 8) or sham-coarctation (n = 10)
      of the abdominal aorta. To document the level of arterial pressure in
      hindquarters vascular beds of similar rats 8-9 wk after initial surgery, we
      implanted femoral arterial catheters under anesthesia and, 2-5 days later, we
      measured conscious femoral arterial pressures in coarcted [93 +/- 4 (SE) mmHg; n
      = 7] and sham-coarcted (110 +/- 3 mmHg; n = 4) rats. The cremaster muscle
      microcirculation was examined after fixation and Microfil infusion at in vivo
      pressures. The density of distal third- to fourth-order arterioles was lower by
      19% (P = 0.03) in coarcted (1.37 +/- 0.06 mm/mm2) than in sham-coarcted (1.69 +/-
      0.11 mm/mm2) rats. We conclude that pressure-independent mechanisms are involved
      in the arteriolar rarefaction accompanying hypertension.

PMID- 1858935
TI  - Cortical blood flow changes during spreading depression in cats.
AB  - Changes in cortical blood flow and cerebrovascular activity occurring during and
      after cortical spreading depression (CSD) were studied in alpha-chloralose
      urethan-anesthetized cats. CSD was induced by superficial cortical pinprick, and
      laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV) was used to measure cerebral blood flow (CBFLD).
      CSD resulted in a wave of cortical hyperemia during which there was a 215 +/- 48%
      peak increase in cortical blood flow that lasted for 2.7 +/- 0.4 min. This
      hyperemic phase was followed by prolonged cortical oligemia, with a reduction in
      flow of 20 +/- 4% at 1 h and 28 +/- 4% at 2 h. After CSD, cerebrovascular
      reactivity to the inhalation of CO2 was abolished and did not fully recover for
      at least 10 h. Spontaneous vasomotor activity in the cerebral microcirculation
      was significantly decreased after CSD, and autoregulation of cortical blood flow
      in response to hypotension was preserved. The abnormal cerebrovascular reactivity
      seen after CSD in the gyrencephalic cortex of the cat has possible significance
      for human migraine with aura.

PMID- 1858937
TI  - Effect of water restriction during growth and adulthood on kidney morphology of
      bobwhite quail.
AB  - We raised bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) either with unrestricted water
      (HYD birds) or with restricted water (DEH birds). DEH quail grew more slowly and
      reached lower adult body mass. Despite this, kidney mass was not different in the
      two groups. The number of nephrons per kidney, heterogeneity of glomerular sizes,
      number of medullary cones per kidney, and lengths of medullary cones (equivalent
      to the lengths of the longest loops of Henle) did not differ between HYD and DEH
      quail. However, the mass of an individual medullary cone was greater in the DEH
      birds; this included both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the epithelia in thick
      ascending limbs of Henle and hypertrophy without hyperplasia in the collecting
      ducts. We found no differences among groups in the sizes of tubule cross sections
      from cortical nephron segments (proximal tubules). Water restriction of HYD birds
      for 5 days as adults stimulated tubule hypertrophy but not to the same extent as
      the chronic regimen and with no evidence for hyperplasia. DEH quail given
      unrestricted water as adults maintained elevated drinking rates for the full week
      water was available; this rehydration had no effect on sizes of tubule epithelia.

PMID- 1858936
TI  - Enhancement of tumor proteolysis by TNF-alpha: correlation of in vivo isotope
      estimates with growth.
AB  - To evaluate the accuracy of in vivo estimates of protein synthesis and breakdown,
      measurements of plasma and tissue leucine kinetics were made in rat tumor tissues
      at different conditions of growth by use of constant intravenous infusion of
      [14C]leucine. These measurements were made in Yoshida sarcoma tumors on days 10
      and 13 after implantation, with and without tumor necrosis factor (TNF) infusion
      and on day 10 in Walker-256 carcinosarcoma. Expressed as micromoles of leucine
      per gram tissue, tumor protein breakdown increased (P less than 0.01) from 0.32
      +/- 0.02 to 0.52 +/- 0.09 (SE) mumol/h, with progress of the Yoshida sarcoma
      tumor between days 10 and 13 after implantation. Similarly, TNF increased tumor
      proteolysis on day 10 (0.43 +/- 0.03 mumol.h-1.g-1, P less than 0.05 vs. day 10
      control) but not on day 13 after implantation of the Yoshida tumor. Estimates of
      growth derived from the difference between protein synthesis and breakdown rates
      were not statistically different from those based on actual tumor volume changes
      in both tumor models. However, estimates of "whole body" protein metabolism
      (plasma leucine flux) were not affected either by tumor aging or by treatment
      with TNF. This study shows that in vivo estimates of tissue protein metabolism
      based on our [14C]leucine constant infusion model closely reflect the growth
      characteristic of that tissue. A cytotoxic perfusion-independent effect for
      intravenous TNF on growing tumor tissue is demonstrable as increased protein
      breakdown. Furthermore, the commonly used concept of whole body protein
      metabolism, derived solely from tracer dilution in plasma, is an
      oversimplification.

PMID- 1858938
TI  - Normalized input impedance and arterial decay time over heart period are
      independent of animal size.
AB  - The arterial system of mammals in the weight range from 0.6 to 70 kg is
      characterized by the three-element windkessel, a succinct representation of the
      arterial tree consisting of the parameters peripheral resistance (Rp), total
      arterial compliance (C), and aortic characteristic impedance (Zc). The values of
      these parameters in resting conditions are related to body mass (M). The time
      constant, or decay time (tau), of the arterial system (defining rate of decay of
      aortic pressure in diastole), the product of Rp and C, is also evaluated. The
      dependencies of the heart period (T, inverse of heart rate), and durations of
      ejection (Ts) and of diastole (Td) in resting conditions are also determined as a
      function of M. It is found that Rp = Rp0M-0.93; Zc = Zc0M-0.97; and C = C0M+1.23,
      where Rp0, Zc0, and C0 are proportionality constants. Zc is thus a constant
      fraction of Rp in all mammals. tau is related to M as tau = tau 0M+0.29; T and Td
      are related to M as T = T0M+0.27 and Td = Td0M+0.30, where tau 0, T0, and Td0 are
      proportionality constants. The duration of diastole is thus a constant fraction
      of T, and the ratios T/tau and Td/tau are independent of M. The findings indicate
      that arterial input impedance, normalized to aortic Zc and plotted as a function
      of frequency normalized to heart rate, is similar for all mammals. The finding
      that the ratio Td/tau is the same in mammals (and Ts/T and stroke volume/M are
      constant) explains the constancy of pulse pressure (systolic minus diastolic
      pressure).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1858939
TI  - Resumption of physiological functions in the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) after
      freezing.
AB  - We monitored the resumption of physiological functions in frogs that were frozen
      at -2 to -3 degrees C for 24 h and thawed rapidly (at 23-25 degrees C) or slowly
      (at 6-8 degrees C). Bodily functions were restored sooner during fast thawing,
      but this did not enhance the survival of frogs. The first physiological parameter
      to return was cardiac function, but during the early stages of thawing heart
      rates were lower than heart rates of unfrozen frogs at comparable body
      temperatures. Heart rates increased thereafter in conjunction with the rise in
      frog body temperatures. Spontaneous breathing and hindleg reflexes resumed after
      cardiac function, but neither response was exhibited by all frogs after the
      conclusion of the observation periods (3-4 h). Finally, isolated gastrocnemius
      muscles that had undergone in vitro freezing showed no significant (P greater
      than 0.05) impairment of twitch and tetanic tensions even as soon as 1 h after
      the onset of thawing. Body systems thus vary in their rates of recovery after
      nonlethal freezing episodes. Furthermore, recovery of specific body systems
      corresponds to essential needs that must be met immediately after thawing, such
      as reperfusion of body tissues.

PMID- 1858940
TI  - Excitatory pathways in smooth muscle investigated by phase-plot analysis of
      isometric force development.
AB  - Excitatory pathways in the smooth muscle of the pig urinary bladder were
      investigated using phase-plot analysis of isometric contractions. The phase
      plots, plots of the rate of change of the force as a function of the force
      itself, were dominated by a straight line described by the horizontal intercept
      (Fiso) and the vertical intercept (U). The quotient Fiso/U is a time constant
      that characterizes the rate-limiting step in isometric force development in the
      muscle. Bladder strips of 1 mm diameter were activated by electrical field
      stimuli, acetylcholine, potassium, and ATP in combination with selective pathway
      inhibitors such as verapamil, atropine, or a calcium-free solution containing
      ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. When
      pathways that depended significantly on depolarization or intracellular calcium
      release were selected, the time constant was significantly smaller, indicating a
      faster process. The results indicated that the rate-limiting step in force
      development was determined by the influx of extracellular calcium.

PMID- 1858941
TI  - Meal-related and rhythmic drinking: effects of abolition of rat's eating rhythm.
AB  - Eating and drinking in the rat, which are both highly rhythmic and nocturnal
      activities, are temporally and quantitatively associated. The present study
      abolished the rhythmicity of eating by temporally and quantitatively restricting
      food access to 12 equally sized bihourly meals daily (total food available was
      equal to 80% of daily ad libitum intake). Water access remained ad libitum and
      was monitored and quantified in terms of 1) nocturnality, 2) association with
      meals, and 3) changes in the association of food and water intake across the
      phases of the light-dark cycle. Similar parameters were obtained from the same
      rats with ad libitum access to both food and water. The results indicate that
      both rhythmic and meal-induced effects are detectable in the drinking of rats
      with restricted food access, although both the rhythmic and meal-associated
      factors are reduced compared with drinking under ad libitum food access. Most
      important, the data clearly demonstrate large changes in the association of food
      and water intake across the phases of the light-dark cycle. These findings
      indicate a complex interaction of meal-associated and rhythmic factors in the
      control of drinking.

PMID- 1858942
TI  - Hepatic portal glucagon infusion decreases spontaneous meal size in rats.
AB  - We describe the first tests of intraportal pancreatic glucagon infusions during
      spontaneous meals in undisturbed, ad libitum-fed male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two
      minute infusions beginning at meal onset and delivering 14 micrograms glucagon
      reduced the size and duration of both early and late nocturnal meals. After
      glucagon infusion during early nocturnal meals, neither the latency nor the size
      of the next meal was affected. Meal onset infusion of 3.4-14 micrograms
      glucagon/meal dose-dependently reduced late nocturnal meal size 19-64%. Full-meal
      glucagon infusions did not inhibit feeding more than 2-min infusions begun at
      meal onset or meal middle, despite fivefold differences in amount infused. These
      data indicate that spontaneous feeding is pharmacologically inhibited by prandial
      changes in hepatic portal glucagon concentration.

PMID- 1858943
TI  - Hepatic portal infusion of glucagon antibodies increases spontaneous meal size in
      rats.
AB  - Specific antibodies to pancreatic glucagon in a dose sufficient to neutralize 1.5
      ng glucagon in vitro were intraportally infused during the first 2 min of
      spontaneous meals in ad libitum-fed male Sprague-Dawley rats. In separate tests,
      glucagon antibodies stimulated feeding during the first spontaneous meal of the
      dark phase (73% mean increase in meal size) and during spontaneous meals in the
      last quarter of the dark phase (58% increase). These results indicate that a
      glucagon-sensitive satiety mechanism has a physiological role in the control of
      nocturnal feeding in rats.

PMID- 1858944
TI  - Reduced osmotic thirst in healthy elderly men.
AB  - In response to water deprivation or heat stress, healthy elderly men experience
      reduced thirst compared with a young control group. Because water deprivation and
      heat stress produce hypertonicity as well as reduced extracellular fluid volume,
      the aim of this study was to determine whether the elderly also experience
      reduced thirst in response to hypertonicity without extracellular fluid volume
      depletion. To achieve this, after an overnight fast, healthy community-dwelling
      nonsmoking old (65-78 yr, n = 7) and young (20-32 yr, n = 7) men received 120-min
      hypertonic (0.855 M) and isotonic (0.154 M) saline infusions (0.06 ml.min-1.kg-1)
      in double-blind randomized order at least 2 wk apart. Both groups had increased
      thirst (P less than 0.001) and water intake (P less than 0.05) after the
      hypertonic saline infusion compared with the isotonic saline infusion. However,
      despite similar plasma sodium increases and less plasma volume expansion during
      the hypertonic saline infusion compared with the young group, the old group was
      less thirsty (P less than 0.01) and drank less room-temperature tap water (young
      11.1 +/- 1.2 ml/kg, old 3.9 +/- 0.6 ml/kg, P less than 0.001). This reduced
      thirst in the old group seemed to be mainly due to a lower thirst sensitivity (P
      less than 0.05) to hypertonicity, although there was also a tendency toward an
      increased thirst threshold. Plasma arginine vasopressin increases were similar
      for the old and young groups with hypertonic saline, without significant changes
      during the isotonic saline infusion in either group.

PMID- 1858945
TI  - Integrating behavior and cardiovascular responses: the code.
AB  - The next revolution in biology is predicted to be in the integrative domain, and
      the need to involve physiologists in this kind of research has been recognized.
      This paper represents an approach to providing some of the tools required for
      dealing with integrative physiology at the behavioral level. Video tape
      recordings are made of the activities of a group of five baboons (Papio
      hamadryas) while simultaneous recordings of arterial blood pressure, heart rate,
      renal blood flow, and mesenteric or iliac blood flow are telemetered from two of
      the members of the group. The telemetered cardiovascular information is recorded
      on the two audio channels of the videotape. Subsequently the videotape is viewed,
      and a two-dimensional code is used to record the behavior of the two animals with
      the telemetry equipment. The first dimension of the code categorizes the behavior
      changes precisely regarding those aspects of behavior that are related to
      cardiovascular dynamics and does so with an accuracy of 16 ms. The second
      dimension codes relevant environmental changes. The paper describes the code and
      presents illustrations of how the code reflects the cardiovascular dynamics
      associated with the behavioral changes.

PMID- 1858946
TI  - Hemodynamic effects of endothelin-1 on ovine fetal pulmonary circulation.
AB  - To determine the hemodynamic effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the fetal
      pulmonary circulation, we studied pulmonary vascular responses to brief and
      prolonged intrapulmonary infusions of the peptide in nine chronically prepared
      late-gestation fetal sheep. Left pulmonary artery (LPA) blood flow was measured
      with an electromagnetic flow transducer, and a catheter placed in the LPA allowed
      ET-1 infusion directly into the left lung. Brief (10-min) infusions of ET-1 (12.5
      100 ng/min) increased flow up to 212% of baseline without changing pulmonary
      artery pressure. With prolonged (120-min) infusion of ET-1 (50 ng/min), flow
      increased from 69 +/- 8 to 164 +/- 23 ml/min at 10 min (P less than 0.05) but
      then declined and was not different from baseline at 120 min. The gradient
      between mean pulmonary artery and aortic pressures did not change, suggesting no
      constriction of the ductus arteriosus. Systemic (vena caval) infusion of ET-1
      (100 ng/min for 30 min) caused systemic and pulmonary hypertension, as mean
      pulmonary artery pressure increased from 43 +/- 1 to 51 +/- 2 mmHg (P less than
      0.05) and remained elevated for 30 min after cessation of the ET-1 infusion. We
      conclude that intrapulmonary ET-1 is a potent fetal pulmonary vasodilator, but
      its dilator effect is transient during prolonged infusion. In contrast, systemic
      infusion causes sustained hypertension, suggesting differential effects of ET-1
      on the pulmonary and systemic circulations. These findings demonstrate marked
      vasoactivity of ET-1 in the fetus, suggesting a potential role in the normal or
      abnormal transitional circulation.

PMID- 1858947
TI  - Sleep deprivation in rats: effects on EEG power spectra, vigilance states, and
      cortical temperature.
AB  - Vigilance states, electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra (0.25-25.0 Hz), and
      cortical temperature (TCRT) of 10 rats were obtained during a baseline day, a 24
      h sleep deprivation (SD) period, and 2 days of recovery (recoveries 1 and 2). EEG
      power density in waking gradually increased in most frequencies during the SD
      period. Non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep was enhanced on both recovery days,
      and rapid-eye-movement sleep was enhanced only on recovery 1. In the initial 4 h
      of recovery 1, EEG slow-wave activity (SWA; mean power density 0.75-4.0 Hz) in
      NREM sleep was elevated relative to baseline, and the number of brief awakenings
      (nBA) was reduced. In the dark period of recovery 1 and the light period of
      recovery 2, SWA was below baseline, and nBA was increased. During the entire
      recovery period, SWA and nBA, both expressed as deviation from baseline values,
      were negatively correlated. During the SD period, TCRT was above baseline, and in
      the initial 16 h of recovery 1 it was below baseline. Whereas TCRT was negatively
      correlated with NREM sleep, no significant correlation was found between TCRT and
      SWA within NREM sleep. It is concluded that SD causes a short-lasting
      intensification of sleep, as indicated by the enhanced SWA and the reduced nBA,
      and a long-lasting increase in sleep duration. The different time courses of SWA
      and TCRT suggest that variations in NREM sleep intensity are not directly related
      to changes in TCRT.

PMID- 1858948
TI  - Characterization and development of angiotensin II receptor subtypes (AT1 and
      AT2) in rat brain.
AB  - Angiotensin II receptor subtypes (AT1 and AT2) were characterized in rat brain by
      displacement with the specific angiotensin antagonists Du Pont 753 and CGP
      42112A, respectively, and quantitative autoradiography. Young (2-wk-old) rats
      expressed AT1 receptors in selected limbic system areas, structures involved in
      cardiovascular and fluid regulation, parts of the hippocampal formation, and the
      choroid plexus. In young rats, AT2 receptors were concentrated in areas involved
      in control and learning of motor activity, sensory areas, and selected limbic
      system structures. The cingulate cortex, the molecular layer of the cerebellar
      cortex, and the superior colliculus contained both AT1 and AT2 receptors. The
      number of AT1 receptors in most areas of adult (8-wk-old) rats was similar to or
      even higher than that present in young rats. Conversely, AT2 receptors were
      always much lower in number in adult animals, and in some areas they were
      undetectable in adults. Their differential localization and development suggest
      different functions for the specific angiotensin II receptor subtypes.

PMID- 1858950
TI  - Control of renal handling of potassium loads in ducks with active salt glands.
AB  - Domestic ducks adapted to saline of 400 mosmol/kgH2O as their only water supply
      received intravenous loads of 100 mM KCl for 2 h while being intravenously
      infused with 200 mM NaCl at 1.0 ml/min to produce simultaneous salt gland
      secretion and diuresis-natriuresis. K+ loading did not alter the plasma levels of
      the osmoregulatory hormones arginine vasotocin, angiotensin II, aldosterone, and
      atrial natriuretic factor but promptly evoked kaliuresis because of a rise from
      17 to 155 mM in urinary K+, with a proportional decrease in urinary Na+.
      Continuous infusion of amiloride (0.04 mg.min.-1.kg body wt-1 iv) further
      enhanced diuresis and natriuresis and lowered urinary K+, but the kaliuretic
      response to K+ loading was only moderately reduced because of enhanced diuresis
      and a rise in urinary K+ from 3 to 33 mM, with a slight decrease in urinary Na+.
      Changes in plasma hormone levels reflected dehydration due to excessive diuresis
      but were not related to kaliuresis. Salt gland secretion was not affected
      directly by amiloride but was secondarily reduced by the induced dehydration. In
      amiloride-treated ducks, hyperkalemia in response to K+ loading was exaggerated
      relative to the modest reduction in K+ excretion and may be attributed to
      moderate metabolic acidosis and/or general effects of amiloride on K+ metabolism.
      It is concluded that none of the established osmoregulatory hormones is involved
      in short-term control of renal K+ handling in ducks and that distal tubular K+
      excretion involving amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels is quantitatively
      unimportant in this avian species.

PMID- 1858949
TI  - Cholecystokinin in nucleus tractus solitarii modulates tonic and phasic gastric
      pressure.
AB  - Local excitation of neurons at the site of termination of gastric vagal afferents
      in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) alters gastric pressure. Microinjection of
      one putative satiety peptide bombesin into NTS increases pressure while substance
      P lowers it. Therefore, we sought to determine the effects of the microinjection
      of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) from micropipettes placed stereotactically
      into the NTS of anesthetized rats with balloons placed in the gastric antrum to
      sense gastric pressure waves. Sulfated CCK-8, but not nonsulfated CCK-8, produced
      dose-dependent decreases of gastric pressure, transient blockade of phasic waves,
      and subsequent dysrhythmic phasic activity. The effects were specifically related
      to injections into NTS and did not occur with injections given intravenously,
      intracisternally, or into tissue adjacent to NTS. These results support a role
      for CCK-8 in central regulation of not only tonic gastric pressure but also
      phasic activity and gastric motility.

PMID- 1858951
TI  - Acid-base regulation in exercising squid (Illex illecebrosus, Loligo pealei).
AB  - Squid (Illex illecebrosus, Loligo pealei) were cannulated in the vena cava and
      swum in a Beamish-type respirometer. Gas tensions and acid-base variables as well
      as octopine levels were estimated in samples of the mantle and of venous blood
      collected from quiescent, exercised, and recovered animals. When exhausted, both
      species exhibited a decrease in vena cava oxygen tensions and a slight alkalosis.
      With high swimming speeds prior to exhaustion in Illex a slight acidosis
      developed in the blood, which was linked to a severe intracellular acidosis.
      Generally, the drop in intracellular pH was linearly correlated with octopine
      accumulation in this species. Metabolic proton (and end-product) release from the
      mantle, however, was minimal, thus protecting arterial oxygen binding. High PCO2
      values in the mantle of both species lead to the conclusion that the vena cava
      values analyzed in this and all literature studies on unrestrained cephalopods
      may not reflect the scope of respiratory acid-base changes in venous blood.
      Although metabolic changes in blood acid-base status are negligible, the
      respiratory acidification of venous mantle blood may allow for a classical
      function of Bohr and Haldane effects in these animals.

PMID- 1858952
TI  - Mathematical analysis of perifusion data: models predicting elution
      concentration.
AB  - System models are constructed and analyzed for combined convective flow and for
      dispersion in distorting concentrations of a chemical signal as it passes through
      a packed column. We derive general analytical solutions for these models. The
      results have applications to analyses such as in biological experiments involving
      hormonal stimulation of perifused cells, elution chromatography, adsorption
      columns, and studies of groundwater flow. The models reveal that the column
      distorts an incoming signal (such as a change in solute concentration in the
      flowing liquid) at the inlet. This distortion is greatest at low values of the
      Peclet number of the flow and is small at larger values. We explore the effects
      of the approximations inherent in the mathematical models of the system.
      Specification of the boundary conditions of the problem are shown to be
      particularly important. With the use of incorrect models, it is possible to
      obtain accurate interpolations to data obtained from perfusion experiments.
      However, the parameters derived (in particular the dispersion constant and the
      peak concentration of a solute concentration pulse) may be considerably in error.
      This may lead to errors when these parameter estimates are used to predict
      results in other experimental situations.

PMID- 1858953
TI  - Antagonism of endotoxic glucose dyshomeostasis by protein kinase C inhibitors.
AB  - Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by bacterial lipopolysaccharide had recently
      been implicated in the pathogenetic sequence of gram-negative sepsis,
      endotoxicosis, hyperinsulinism, and the alterations in glucoregulation that
      eventuate in glucose dyshomeostasis. This study used the peptide antibiotic
      polymyxin B (PMX-B) and H-7, an isoquinoline sulfonamide, as inhibitors of PKC
      activation to evaluate responses to provocative insulin and glucose tolerance
      tests in control vs. endotoxic rats. Fed male rats were treated with either
      Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin (ETX; 0.33 mg/kg iv) or saline 120 min before
      intravenous insulin tolerance testing (IVITT) with human insulin (1 U/kg) or
      intravenous glucose tolerance testing (IVGTT) with D-glucose (1.2 g/kg). H-7 in
      dimethyl sulfoxide at 25 mg/kg, PMX-B in saline at 0.25 mg/kg, or the respective
      vehicles were administered 5 min before the tolerance tests. Neither H-7 nor PMX
      B had any significant acute effects on basal plasma glucose or lactate values.
      The decline in plasma with IVITT was augmented by ETX; however, concomitant H-7
      or PMX-B attenuated the insulin hypoglycemia. The computed half-life of glucose
      in the IVGTT was decreased by ETX; however, concomitant H-7 or PMX-B decreased
      the tolerance alteration. In addition, both H-7 and PMX-B attenuated the rise in
      insulin induced by the IVGTT. Thus the hyperinsulinism and the glucoregulatory
      disturbances in endotoxicosis may be mediated by PKC activation and ameliorated
      by PKC inhibition.

PMID- 1858954
TI  - Effect of suckling on gastric motility in lactating rats.
AB  - Recent reports indicate that in male rats dehydration, LiCl, and cholecystokinin
      (CCK) each stimulate pituitary oxytocin (OT) secretion and also decrease gastric
      emptying and motility. In contrast, the present experiments demonstrate that
      nipple attachment and sucking by pups, a well-known stimulus for neurohypophysial
      secretion of OT, did not decrease gastric motility in lactating rats. Moreover,
      systemic injection of naloxone, which is known to potentiate the inhibitory
      effects of LiCl and CCK on gastric motility in male rats, had no effect on
      gastric motility of lactating rats while nursing. These data indicate that
      pituitary OT secretion from magnocellular neurons is not invariably linked to
      decreased gastric motility in rats. As such, our results support previous
      findings that inhibition of gastric motility is not secondary to the pituitary
      secretion of OT but allow a possible role for parvocellular oxytocinergic neurons
      that project from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus to the brain stem in
      the control of gastric function.

PMID- 1858955
TI  - High dietary sodium enhances gustatory nerve activity and behavioral responses to
      NaCl.
AB  - Neural and behavioral taste responses to NaCl were studied in rats receiving a
      high-salt diet. Salt preferences and voluntary sodium intake were measured by the
      24-h two-bottle choice method over a wide concentration range of NaCl solutions.
      As expected, the salt-loaded rats showed lower preference responses for all the
      solutions tested, which were presented in ascending order from 0.001 to 1.0 M
      NaCl. However, they freely ingested significantly greater amounts of sodium than
      the controls by drinking larger volumes of saline solution throughout the
      hypotonic concentration range, from 0.001 to 0.1 M NaCl. They showed lower
      voluntary intake of sodium only for isotonic and hypertonic solutions.
      Electrophysiological recordings from the chorda tympani nerve showed that the
      taste responses of the salt-loaded rats were greater in magnitude than those of
      the controls, and the neural stimulus-response function of the experimental group
      had a significantly steeper slope but no apparent difference in threshold. These
      experiments indicate that salt-loaded rats have enhanced appetitive responses to
      NaCl that may be mediated by increased sensory input.

PMID- 1858957
TI  - Integration of vagal afferent responses to gastric loads and cholecystokinin in
      rats.
AB  - The neurophysiological responses to 2-ml intragastric saline loads and 100-pmol
      celiac artery infusions of cholecystokinin (CCK) were obtained from 20 vagal
      afferent fibers in 14 rats. Two groups of fibers were identified. Discharge rates
      of group I fibers (n = 16) were significantly increased by gastric loading,
      adapted slowly to maintained gastric volume, and were inhibited by load
      withdrawal. CCK elicited a significant increase in the discharge rate of these
      group I fibers. Prior exposure to CCK nearly doubled the response of these fibers
      to a subsequent gastric load. In contrast, group II fibers (n = 4) increased
      firing rate only during infusion of a gastric load and showed rapid adaptation
      and no response to CCK. CCK failed to alter subsequent responses to gastric loads
      in these fibers. These results 1) demonstrate an integration of signals elicited
      by exogenous CCK and gastric loads at the level of vagal afferent fibers and 2)
      imply that aspects of CCK's inhibition of food intake may derive from CCK's
      ability to mimic and amplify vagal afferent activity provoked by meal-related
      gastric events.

PMID- 1858956
TI  - Naltrexone, an opioid blocker, alters taste perception and nutrient intake in
      humans.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that reduced food intake produced by opioid blockade is
      due to a reduction in the pleasant aspects of tastes, 18 fasted male college
      students rated the intensity and pleasantness of soup that contained various
      concentrations of NaCl and of Kool-Aid that contained various concentrations of
      sucrose at hourly intervals after ingesting either naltrexone (50 mg) or a
      placebo in a double-blind study. Hunger, fullness, nausea, and current mood state
      were also assessed. Lunch followed and food intake was recorded. After placebo,
      the pleasantness of the salted soup increased as lunchtime approached. After
      naltrexone, however, soup pleasantness remained unchanged across time. Similar
      changes were obtained for perceived sweetness and pleasantness of Kool-Aid and
      for the perceived saltiness of soup. Naltrexone also blocked the increases in
      hunger ratings that occurred across time in the placebo condition. Nausea was
      higher after naltrexone. After naltrexone, subjects consumed approximately 500
      kcal less at lunch than after placebo. Analysis of covariance suggested that
      decreased hunger (but not nausea or taste pleasantness) accounted for the
      naltrexone-induced reduction of food intake.

PMID- 1858958
TI  - Tetrahydrofolic acid as the principal congener of plasma folates in pigs.
AB  - Concentrations of pig plasma folates were determined by a high-performance liquid
      chromatography with an electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD). Tetrahydrofolic acid
      (THF) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MF) were found to be the plasma
      folates. The concentration of THF (10.3 +/- 4.3 ng/ml) was significantly higher
      than that of 5-MF (3.5 +/- 1.0 ng/ml). The sum of the THF and 5-MF concentrations
      determined by the HPLC-ECD analysis in Gottingen miniature pigs was comparable to
      the total folate concentration of the same plasma sample determined by a
      radioligand assay. No or only trace amounts of THF were found in the plasma of
      the rats, mice, rabbits, dogs, cows, horses, or humans. Although 5-MF is
      generally recognized as the only principal plasma folate in many species, THF may
      be the principal congener with 5-MF as a secondary congener in the pig.

PMID- 1858959
TI  - Electrophysiological evidence of baroreceptor input to area postrema.
AB  - Subpopulations of rat area postrema (AP) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS)
      neurons exist that are responsive to changes in blood pressure. The hypothesis
      that these effects may be mediated by afferent baroreceptor input was examined.
      Orthodromic responses of AP and NTS neurons to aortic depressor nerve (ADN)
      stimulation were observed. Sixty-three percent of AP neurons were affected by ADN
      stimulation, with most exhibiting short-duration excitatory responses (latency,
      27 +/- 1 ms; duration, 11 +/- 1 ms). Fifty-five percent of NTS neurons were
      influenced by ADN stimulation, although effects in this region were more
      heterogeneous (24% of neurons excited, 31% inhibited). Thus, in the rat,
      apparently both AP and NTS neurons receive afferent barosensory information.

PMID- 1858960
TI  - Carrier-mediated mechanism for biotin transport in rabbit intestine: studies with
      brush-border membrane vesicles.
AB  - Simple diffusion has been reported as the mechanism of biotin transport in rabbit
      intestine. In this study, we reevaluated this concept by examining biotin
      transport in rabbit intestine using optimal experimental conditions and a well
      established brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) technique. Uptake of biotin by
      rabbit intestinal BBMV was found by an osmolarity study to be mostly the result
      of transport of the vitamin into an osmotically sensitive intravesicular space
      with little binding to membrane surfaces. Biotin transport in rabbit intestinal
      BBMV was 1) Na+ gradient dependent (out greater than in) with a clear "overshoot"
      phenomenon, indicating the accumulation of the substrate against a concentration
      gradient; 2) initial rate of biotin transport by the Na+ gradient-dependent
      component was saturable as a function of substrate concentration with apparent Km
      and maximum velocity (Vmax) values of 6.7 microM and 10.7 pmol.mg protein-1 x 10
      s-1, respectively; 3) inhibited by high concentrations of unlabeled biotin and
      its related compounds desthiobiotin and thioctic acid in the presence, but not
      absence, of a Na+ gradient; and 4) not affected by inducing a relatively positive
      or negative intravesicular space with the use of valinomycin-induced K+ diffusion
      potential. These findings indicate that the biotin transport mechanism in rabbit
      intestine is carrier mediated in nature. Furthermore, this mechanism is Na+
      gradient dependent, capable of accumulating the substrate against a concentration
      gradient and transport the vitamin via an electroneutral process.

PMID- 1858961
TI  - Lactate metabolism in inactive skeletal muscle during lactacidosis.
AB  - Contributions of carbohydrate and fat metabolism to the removal of a lactate (Lac
      ) load were quantified in inactive soleus (SL), plantaris (PL), and white
      gastrocnemius (WG) rat hindlimb muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused
      for 60 min with normal perfusate (NP, n = 8) or a high-lactate perfusate (LP, n =
      8), simulating ionic conditions found in arterial blood and plasma after intense
      exercise: Lac- = 11.0 mM, K+ = 7.88 mM, and pH = 7.15. Metabolite fluxes across
      the hindlimb were calculated from blood flow and arteriovenous differences. In
      NP, Lac- was continuously released (2.9 +/- 0.2 mumol.min-1 x 100 g-1). However,
      in LP, a rapid and significant uptake of Lac- increased muscle Lac- fivefold to
      39.6 +/- 1.1, 33.1 +/- 2.2, and 28.8 +/- 1.7 mumol/g dry wt in SL, PL, and WG,
      respectively. Glucose and O2 uptakes were similar during LP and NP perfusion.
      Glycerol release increased eightfold to 3.3 +/- 0.7 mumol.min-1 x 100 g-1 in
      response to LP. Muscle ATP, creatine phosphate, glycogen, glycolytic
      intermediate, and triacylglycerol concentrations did not change. However, muscle
      lactate-to-pyruvate ratios were elevated in all muscles of the LP group
      postperfusion, indicating changes in the mass action ratio at the pyruvate
      dehydrogenase reaction. In LP, of 80 mumol of Lac- taken up, 11% was accounted
      for by increased muscle Lac-, 12-24% was oxidized, and 5% may have been involved
      in glycerol release. The remaining Lac- may have been involved in metabolic
      cycling along the glyconeogenic-glycolytic pathway and/or in triacylglycerol-free
      fatty acid substrate cycling.

PMID- 1858962
TI  - Immune response to Plasmodium berghei sporozoite antigens. I. Evaluation of
      murine T cell repertoire following immunization with irradiated sporozoites.

PMID- 1858963
TI  - Comparative susceptibility of anopheline mosquitoes to Plasmodium falciparum in
      Rondonia, Brazil.
AB  - Five anopheline species, Anopheles deaneorum, An. albitarsis, An. triannulatus,
      An. oswaldoi, and An. mediopunctatus were compared to An. darlingi for
      susceptibility to infection by P. falciparum in Costa Marques, Rondonia, Brazil.
      Laboratory reared F1 An. darlingi and anopheline test species were allowed to
      feed at the same time on falciparum malaria patients who had gametocytes in their
      blood, and who had not yet been treated with quinine. Mosquitoes were dissected
      and examined for oocysts on day 9, and for sporozoites on days 16-20 after
      feeding. Anopheles mediopunctatus had higher mean numbers of oocysts and oocyst
      positive rates than An. darlingi. The oocyst positive rate and the mean number of
      oocysts in An. deaneorum and An. darlingi were similar. Anopheles triannulatus
      and An. oswaldoi had fewer oocysts than An. darlingi. The salivary gland
      sporozoite infection rate was similar for An. mediopunctatus and An. deaneorum
      and much lower for An. triannulatus and An. oswaldoi when compared to An.
      darlingi. Anopheles albitarsis developed oocysts, but sporozoites did not invade
      the salivary glands. In relative levels of susceptibility to P. falciparum, An.
      darlingi was equal to An. mediopunctatus which was greater than An. deaneorum,
      which was greater than An. triannulatus, which was greater than An. oswaldoi.

PMID- 1858964
TI  - Infection of Anopheles darlingi fed on patients with Plasmodium falciparum before
      and after treatment with quinine or quinine plus tetracycline.
AB  - Anopheles darlingi fed on eight falciparum malaria patients with gametocytes
      before and after treatment with quinine sulfate or quinine sulfate plus
      tetracycline became infected. Quinine and quinine plus tetracycline had no
      apparent sporontocidal or gametocytocidal effect on late stage immature and
      mature gametocytes. Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are persistent and infected
      mosquitoes for up to 21 days after patients were treated with quinine plus
      tetracycline. Sporogonic development was similar for groups of mosquitoes fed
      before and after patients were treated with these schizontocides. The percentages
      of infected mosquitoes that developed salivary gland infections were also similar
      for groups of mosquitoes fed before and after treatment. Twenty-four hours after
      treatment with 45 mg of primaquine phosphate, falciparum malaria patients were
      not infective to An. darlingi.

PMID- 1858965
TI  - A comparison of non-radioactive labeling and detection systems with synthetic
      oligonucleotide probes for the species identification of mosquitoes in the
      Anopheles gambiae complex.
AB  - Different non-radioactive probe labeling and detection systems were used with
      pAnaI, a species-specific oligonucleotide probe that distinguishes male Anopheles
      gambiae and An. arabiensis mosquitoes. Comparisons have been made between the
      performance of each technique with respect to sensitivity and specificity against
      DNA dot-blots and mosquito squashes. Their relative costs, economy, and ease of
      use were analyzed in an attempt to develop an appropriate non-radioactive system
      for use in the field. Enzyme-labeled probes that were detected directly by label
      activity proved more suitable than probes requiring reporter molecules for
      detection. Binding of reporter molecules to mosquito squashes caused the
      appearance of false positives and, in addition, their binding to nylon filters
      caused high background coloration. Chemiluminescent detection provided an
      attractive alternative to colorimetric detection. Both systems analyzed were
      rapid, simple, and economic. However, less severe treatment of filters was
      required for reprobing with chemiluminescence. The greatest sensitivity achieved
      was with chemiluminescent detection in which the limit of detection was 0.15 ng
      of target DNA. This study suggests that a synthetic DNA probe coupled to a
      chemiluminescent detection system should provide a sufficiently simple,
      sensitive, and reliable technique for insect vector identification in the field.

PMID- 1858966
TI  - Cellular proliferative responses in squirrel monkeys immunized with recombinant
      and synthetic Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite peptides.
AB  - The role of circulating peripheral blood momonuclear cells (PBMC) in mediating
      protective immunity was examined during an immunization trial in Saimiri monkeys.
      Three engineered constructs representing different but overlapping regions of the
      circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium vivax were used to immunize the
      Saimiri monkeys. Monkeys were randomly placed into three immunization groups:
      rPvCS2, rPvCS3, and LCV3 (representing three different but overlapping portions
      of the P. vivax CS protein) and two control groups: an alum adjuvant control
      group and an unimmunized control group. Collections of PBMC were made throughout
      the study at weeks 0, 2, 8, challenge (week 16), and two weeks after challenge.
      Proliferative responses to all immunogens and pokeweed mitogen were measured in
      all monkeys. Fourteen of 18 monkeys immunized with either rPvCS2 or rPvCS3
      responded on the day of challenge to the appropriate immunogen with a stimulation
      index less than 2. Immunization with LCV3, which represents the repeat region
      only, elicited a specific response in only one monkey. However monkeys in both
      control groups also responded to rPvCS2 and rPvCS3, regardless of immunization,
      suggesting the presence of epitopes in rPvCS2 and rPvCS3 capable of associating
      with differing MHC antigens. Furthermore, the frequency of these cells in the
      periphery was increased by immunization, as demonstrated by a greater number of
      responding monkeys in the rPvCS2 and rPvCS3 immunized groups.

PMID- 1858967
TI  - Resistance to antimalarials by Plasmodium falciparum in Arso PIR, Irian Jaya,
      Indonesia.
AB  - Between 1987 and 1990, susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine and
      to Fansidar was measured in vivo in 151 volunteers using the standard 7-day test.
      All volunteers lived in Arso PIR, Irian Jaya. A 25 mg/kg dose of chloroquine base
      was administered over a three-day period to 92 volunteers positive for P.
      falciparum rings (greater than 10 rings/200 white blood cells). Fifty volunteers
      (54%) showed results consistent with resistance. Twenty-nine were classified RII,
      and 21 RIII. In November 1989, a single curative dose of Fansidar was
      administered to 59 volunteers divided among three groups with 18 months, four
      years, and life-long exposure to endemic malaria. The proportion of volunteers in
      each group still positive for P. falciparum on day 7 of followup was 54%, 0%, and
      14%, respectively. Thus, immune status profoundly effected clinically response to
      Fansidar. Standard in vitro microtests were also performed on parasites from 11
      volunteers against chloroquine, amodiaquine, quinine, pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine,
      and and mefloquine. Nine of ten isolates showed in vitro growth consistent with
      resistance to chloroquine. Tests with other drugs showed few isolates with
      results considered indicative of susceptibility. Arso PIR has a severe drug
      resistance problem.

PMID- 1858968
TI  - Characterization and classification of leishmanial parasites from humans, wild
      mammals, and sand flies in the Amazon region of Brazil.
AB  - Ninety-four leishmanial isolates from the Brazilian Amazon Region (Amapa,
      Amazonas, Para, and Rondonia) were identified and classified using specific
      monoclonal antibodies and an indirect radioimmunoassay (serodeme analysis);
      eighty-two were also characterized by enzyme electrophoresis (zymodeme analysis),
      the results of which were subjected to a numerical phenetic analysis. Six
      isolates from humans (3), Didelphis marsupialis (1), Lutzomyia olmeca nociva (1),
      and Lu, reducta (1) showed reactivity patterns and isoenzyme profiles similar to
      those obtained with the Leishmania amazonensis reference strains, and were
      identified as this species. Eighty-six stocks were classified as members of the
      L. braziliensis complex; of these, 61 were L. guyanensis or variants, which
      presented three serodeme subtypes, but whose isoenzyme profiles were all similar
      to the reference strain. A total of 15 isolates were distinguished as L.
      braziliensis or variants and were classified into five serodeme subtypes. The
      isolate from Psychodopugus davisi appeared, from the numerical analysis, to be a
      distinct parasite species. Ten isolates showed reactivity patterns and isoenzyme
      profiles similar to those obtained with the L. naiffi reference strain. A
      parasite isolated from Ps. claustrei appeared to be different from all reference
      strains by both techniques, and was classified as probably being a new species.
      The importance of these results with respect to the taxonomic status of the New
      World Leishmania, and their implications for both clinical and epidemiologic data
      are discussed.

PMID- 1858969
TI  - Five cases of encephalitis during treatment of loiasis with diethylcarbamazine.
AB  - Five cases of encephalitis following treatment with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) were
      observed in Congolese patients with Loa loa filariasis. Two cases had a fatal
      outcome and one resulted in severe sequelae. The notable fact was that this
      complication occurred in three patients hospitalized before treatment began, with
      whom particularly strict therapeutic precautions were taken, i.e., initial dose
      less than 10 mg of DEC, very gradual dose increases, and associated anti-allergic
      treatment. This type of drug-induced complication may not be that uncommon in
      highly endemic regions. It occurs primarily, but not exclusively, in subjects
      presenting with a high microfilarial load. The relationship between the
      occurrence of encephalitis and the decrease in microfilaremia is evident. The
      pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed in the light of these observations
      and the few other comments on this subject published in the literature.

PMID- 1858970
TI  - Evaluation of a monoclonal-antibody based antigen assay for diagnosis of
      Wuchereria bancrofti infection in Egypt.
AB  - Conventional methods for diagnosis of Wuchereria bancrofti infection are
      insensitive and often impractical because of the need for night blood
      collections. A sensitive and specific antigen detection assay has been developed
      for W. bancrofti, which is based on a monoclonal antibody (AD12) that binds to a
      repeated epitope on a 200 kDa adult worm excretion product present in sera from
      infected humans. The only formal evaluation of this assay to date was performed
      with sera from India. In the present study, we have evaluated the performance of
      the AD12 antigen assay in two laboratories with sera collected in endemic and non
      endemic areas in Egypt. Antigen was detected in 57 of 59 (97%) sera from
      microfilaremic subjects, and in 22 of 139 asymptomatic and amicrofilaremic
      subjects who reside in a highly endemic area. Antigen titers were significantly
      correlated with microfilaria counts (r = 0.41, P less than 0.01). Filarial
      antigen was not detected in most sera from amicrofilaremic subjects with clinical
      filariasis. Comparative antigen test results obtained from laboratories in Cairo
      and St. Louis agreed in 170 of 173 sera tested. Filarial antigen was not detected
      in sera from Egyptians with no history of residence in filaria-endemic areas.
      Specifically, nonendemic sera from patients with other parasitic infections
      (schistosomiasis, fascioliasis, ascariasis, etc.) were uniformly negative in the
      assay. We conclude that the AD12 filarial antigen assay is sensitive and specific
      for W. bancrofti infection in Egypt.

PMID- 1858971
TI  - The response to chemotherapy of serum Mycobacterium leprae-specific antigen in
      multibacillary leprosy patients.
AB  - We have examined the Mycobacterium leprae phenolic glycolipid-I (PG-I) antigen
      levels in the sera of 45 multibacillary leprosy patients commencing chemotherapy.
      The PG-I antigen levels correlated with the bacterial and morphological indices,
      but not with the serum IgM anti-PG-I antibody levels. Antigen levels were
      significantly higher in patients with diffuse skin infiltration, but did not vary
      significantly with other parameters reflecting the duration and extent of
      untreated disease. The PG-I antigen levels in 27 patients examined serially
      decreased consistently over the first year of multidrug therapy.

PMID- 1858972
TI  - Sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes of patients with cancer of the larynx.
AB  - The frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was studied in cultured
      peripheral lymphocytes from 15 untreated patients with carcinoma of the larynx
      and 10 healthy control subjects. Bromodeoxyuridine-incorporated chromosomes were
      treated with Hoechst 33258 and stained according to conventional methods. To
      measure SCE frequency, at least 15 mitoses per donor were evaluated. The SCE
      values were found to be higher in cancer cases than in control cases.

PMID- 1858973
TI  - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: progression to invasion and malignancy.
AB  - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is the most common benign tumor of the
      larynx in children. The disease often runs a protracted course necessitating
      multiple endolaryngeal procedures. Rarely, these papillomata become invasive
      and/or undergo malignant degeneration. A case report of malignant degeneration
      and widespread invasion in long-standing laryngeal papillomatosis and a review of
      the relevant literature are presented.

PMID- 1858974
TI  - Bronchogenic cysts: a cause of stridor in the neonate.
AB  - Bronchogenic cyst of the mediastinum, a cause of stridor in the neonate, is one
      of a group of congenital lesions of the mediastinum that results from abnormal
      budding of the ventral segment of the primitive foregut. A review of our
      treatment of 15 patients over 10 years at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center is
      highlighted by a case report of a newborn with stridor and severe respiratory
      distress caused by a mediastinal bronchogenic cyst. We assess the literature on
      these rare but life-threatening lesions, and discuss the embryology, diagnostic
      work-up, and treatment, emphasizing the roles of different radiologic modalities
      in evaluating patients.

PMID- 1858975
TI  - Clinical radiology quiz.

PMID- 1858976
TI  - Temporal bone histopathology: residents' quiz. Endolymphatic hydrops (Meniere's
      disease).

PMID- 1858977
TI  - Free flap reconstruction of recalcitrant hypopharyngeal stricture.
AB  - A case report is presented of the use of a jejunal microvascular free flap for
      the reconstruction of a hypopharyngeal stricture caused by caustic ingestion.
      Although the airway was reestablished, there was aspiration and diplophonia. This
      case is discussed as an example of an effective treatment of a difficult problem,
      but one posing secondary problems arising from the use of jejunum.

PMID- 1858978
TI  - Early structural changes in vascularized periosteal flaps studied in situ.
AB  - This study examines the very early stages of osteogenesis in vascularized
      periosteal flaps and completes a characterization of their behavior after
      decortication. Pleuroperiosteal flaps based on the intercostal artery were
      developed in nine dogs and studied in situ by histologic and tetracycline
      fluorescence methods over periods varying from 1 to 7 days. The earliest changes
      were noted at 72 hours and were characterized by cellular and capillary
      proliferation, osteoid deposition, and bright fluorescence. The potential
      function of retained osseous spiculae was investigated separately. It was
      concluded that microscopic fragments of mature bone trapped within the flaps
      appear to assist and consolidate new bone formation.

PMID- 1858979
TI  - Chronic toxic encephalopathy investigated using dynamic posturography.
AB  - Seven male patients previously exposed to industrial solvents and diagnosed with
      chronic toxic encephalopathy (aged 38 to 69 years; mean age, 56 years) were
      investigated by dynamic posturography and compared with healthy, age-matched male
      control patients. Dynamic posturography comprises two phases: a sensory
      organization (SO) phase, in which the support surface and visual surround are
      either stable or referenced to the patient's sway, with eyes open or closed, and
      a movement coordination (MC) phase, in which the platform makes active movements.
      In SO testing, the patient group showed significantly impaired equilibrium
      performance compared with the control group in most test conditions. The MC test
      revealed no differences between groups. A relationship was found between the
      equilibrium score resulting from SO testing with stable support and visual
      surround and the sway area of the confidence ellipse elicited 3 years previously
      by static posturography with eyes open. We conclude that patients with chronic
      toxic encephalopathy have impaired equilibrium, as demonstrated by dynamic
      posturography testing.

PMID- 1858980
TI  - Quantitation of DNA and protein impurities in biopharmaceuticals.
AB  - The development of drugs and biologicals for human injection generated from
      recombinant DNA and hybridoma technologies has resulted in new standards for
      product purity. We discuss the regulatory position relative to impurities in
      these biopharmaceuticals, focusing on the analytical goals for quantitation.
      Current methods for making these measurements are reviewed, and a new system
      designed for improved analysis is described. Assay results for both contaminating
      DNA and proteins are presented.

PMID- 1858981
TI  - Determination of boron in tissues and cells using direct-current plasma atomic
      emission spectroscopy.
AB  - We have developed a safe, simple, and efficient method for boron determination by
      means of direct-current plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Tissues were
      solubilized by using concentrated sulfuric acid and 70% hydrogen peroxide to
      digest the samples without the need of high temperatures and pressures. Boron
      cluster compounds could be measured with sensitivity, precision, and accuracy
      similar to those of boric acid standards. Results obtained with
      [(C2H5)3NH]2B12H12, Cs2B12H11SH.H2O, and C15H32B10O6 show that this analytical
      method is applicable to a variety of compounds with different chemical
      structures. A sensitivity of 0.1 ppm has been obtained with known standards alone
      and in a variety of tissue matrices including tumor, blood, liver, skin, and cell
      suspensions. The measurement of total boron by direct-current plasma atomic
      emission spectroscopy (DCP-AES) has been achieved with as little as 50 mg of
      tissue or as few as 5 x 10(7) cells. The procedure is applicable to the analysis
      of boron in the ppm range with a high degree of precision and accuracy.

PMID- 1858982
TI  - Stable isotope ratio analysis at trace concentrations using degenerate four-wave
      mixing with a circularly polarized pulsed probe beam.
AB  - Stable isotope analysis based on vectorial optical-phase conjugation by resonant
      degenerate four-wave mixing (D4WM) is reported by using a D4WM method with
      vertically polarized pump beams and a circularly polarized probe beam. Since the
      polarization of the signal beam is different from that of the pump beams, the
      background radiation is suppressed more effectively. Excellent sensitivity, high
      spectral resolution, and efficient optical detection make this an effective and
      unusually convenient nonlinear spectrometric method for the analysis of trace
      amounts of stable isotopes. Using an excimer-pumped pulsed dye laser, the fine
      structures of lithium are examined. A detection limit of 2.5 ng/mL lithium is
      observed while a Doppler-free resolution is maintained by using transient
      "coherent-grating" based D4WM spectroscopy.

PMID- 1858983
TI  - Determination of radium isotope ratios and abundances in geologic samples by
      thermal ionization mass spectrometry.
AB  - We describe chemical separation and mass spectrometric procedures for the
      measurement of radium isotopes in geologic samples. These methods provide
      226Ra/228Ra ratio measurements for 1 g or less of rock sample containing
      subpicogram amounts of radium with precision better than 1.5% (95% confidence
      level). Radium-226 concentrations were measured by isotope dilution for smaller
      sample sizes (100-500 mg) containing as little as 1-10 fg of total 226Ra with
      similar high precision.

PMID- 1858984
TI  - Isotopic determination of organic keto acid pentafluorobenzyl esters in
      biological fluids by negative chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A rapid, single-step procedure for the extraction and derivatization of organic
      alpha-keto acids from microliter quantities of human plasma has been developed.
      The keto acids were analyzed as the pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) ester by methane
      negative chemical ionization gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The PFB esters
      possess excellent chromatographic properties and required no further
      derivatization to block the keto group. They fragment to produce intense
      carboxylate anions, often as the sole ion in the spectrum, and offer detection
      limits below 1 pmol. This derivative is suitable for isotopic analysis of organic
      keto acids because it does not introduce any additional isotopic complexity into
      the target molecule. Normal human plasma 4-methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid levels were
      34.9 +/- 5.3 mumol.L-1 and could be determined with 1.1% precision by isotope
      dilution GC/MS. We have used this procedure to study leucine and 4-methyl-2
      oxopentanoic acid metabolism by using stable isotopically labeled tracers in a
      variety of normal and abnormal conditions.

PMID- 1858986
TI  - Isoflurane impairs the function of ischemic myocardium in acutely but not in
      chronically instrumented dogs.
AB  - To compare the effects of isoflurane on ischemic myocardium in acutely and
      chronically instrumented animals, 12 mongrel dogs were monitored with
      electromagnetic or Doppler ultrasonic flow transducers and hydraulic occluders
      around the left circumflex coronary artery, pressure transducers in the left
      ventricle, and heparin-filled catheters in the descending aorta. Regional
      function of normal and ischemic myocardium was assessed by sonomicrometry. The
      hemodynamic effects of isoflurane (2% inspired concentration) were more
      pronounced in the acutely than in the chronically instrumented dogs. Decreases in
      mean arterial pressure (-47% +/- 5% in the acute and -22% +/- 4% in the chronic
      preparation, P less than 0.01), left ventricular contractility (-51% +/- 6% and 
      33% +/- 4%, P less than 0.01), and coronary perfusion pressure (-59% +/- 6% and 
      12% +/- 9%, P less than 0.01) were more distinct in the acutely instrumented
      animals. Although the reduction of regional function during isoflurane anesthesia
      was similar in normal myocardium in both preparations (-33% +/- 4% acute and -34%
      +/- 6% chronic preparation, not a significant difference), an exaggerated
      dysfunction was observed in the ischemic myocardium of the acutely instrumented
      dogs (-66% +/- 2% and -30% +/- 4%, P less than 0.01). It is concluded that
      acutely instrumented dogs respond to the hemodynamic effects of isoflurane,
      resulting in ischemic myocardial dysfunction, significantly more than do
      chronically instrumented dogs.

PMID- 1858985
TI  - Hemodynamic responses to endotracheal extubation after coronary artery bypass
      grafting.
AB  - After coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, patients may remain at risk
      for myocardial ischemia and infarction and ventricular dysrhythmias. The
      hemodynamic responses to endotracheal extubation and the efficacy of intravenous
      lidocaine pretreatment were studied after CABG surgery and overnight mechanical
      ventilation. Twenty-five patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 13)
      patients who had tracheal extubation after pretreatment with a placebo; group 2
      patients who received lidocaine (1 mg/kg IV) before tracheal extubation.
      Hemodynamic data, electrocardiographic tracings, and arterial blood gases were
      obtained before tracheal extubation, during suctioning, and 1, 5, and 20 min
      after tracheal extubation. Group 1 patients displayed significant increases in
      heart rate, arterial blood pressure, rate-pressure product, right atrial
      pressure, and cardiac index during suctioning and within 1 min of tracheal
      extubation, returning to preextubation level by 5 min. There were no significant
      changes in pulmonary and systemic resistance indices. Hemodynamic changes in
      group 2 patients were similar to those in group 1. Both in the absence and
      presence of lidocaine, tracheal extubation caused hemodynamic responses that were
      small in magnitude and brief in duration. These responses were not associated
      with electrocardiographic or enzymatic evidence of myocardial ischemia or
      infarction, or with ventricular dysrhythmias. Compared with the well-documented
      hemodynamic responses to tracheal intubation, we found that extubation of the
      trachea after CABG surgery was associated with less pronounced responses. This
      may be related to avoidance of laryngoscopy and possibly accommodation to the
      endo-tracheal tube. These modest hemodynamic responses of extubation of the
      trachea after CABG surgery were not modified by intravenous lidocaine.

PMID- 1858987
TI  - Effects of atracurium and pancuronium on the oculocardiac reflex in children.
AB  - The authors compare the effect of two muscle relaxants, atracurium and
      pancuronium, on the bradycardia resulting from the oculocardiac reflex during eye
      surgery for strabismus in children. Two groups, each composed of 15 children,
      received either pancuronium or atracurium during strabismus operations. Heart
      rate and rhythm were observed at several points during the operations, and the
      changes that occurred in the two groups were compared. We found that the
      incidence and severity of the bradycardia, the incidence of dysrhythmias, and the
      need for atropine administration were significantly greater in the atracurium
      group than in the pancuronium group.

PMID- 1858988
TI  - Scalp infiltration with bupivacaine in pediatric brain surgery.
AB  - To evaluate whether local anesthetic scalp infiltration blunts hemodynamic
      responses to craniotomy in anesthetized children (age, 2-18 yr), two
      concentrations of bupivacaine (0.125% and 0.25%) with vasoconstrictor
      (epinephrine 1:400,000) were compared with control data when a solution of
      vasoconstrictor alone was injected. Arterial plasma levels of bupivacaine were
      measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Statistically significant
      increases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate above baseline measurements
      occurred in the control group during the period between scalp incision and dural
      reflection (P less than 0.05). Both concentrations of bupivacaine prevented these
      increases. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate during scalp incision and scalp
      reflection were significantly higher in the control group than in both
      bupivacaine groups (P less than 0.05). Peak bupivacaine plasma levels (mean +/-
      SD) occurred either 5 or 10 min after infiltration and were significantly higher
      in the 0.25% group (0.48 +/- 0.31 microgram/mL) than the 0.125% group (0.14 +/-
      0.13 microgram/mL) (P less than 0.05). These results suggest that bupivacaine
      infiltration blocks the hemodynamic response to craniotomy. A concentration of
      0.125% bupivacaine with 1:400,000 epinephrine is as effective as 0.25%
      bupivacaine with 1:400,000 epinephrine at reducing the hemodynamic response to
      craniotomy. Because the lower concentration of bupivacaine produces lower blood
      levels, we recommend 0.125% bupivacaine with 1:400,000 epinephrine as a useful,
      safe adjunct to general anesthesia in children undergoing craniotomy.

PMID- 1858989
TI  - Left ventricular performance during propofol or methohexital anesthesia: isotopic
      and invasive cardiac monitoring.
AB  - Using gated radionuclide ventriculography and invasive cardiac monitoring, the
      effects of propofol and methohexital on left ventricular volumes and function
      were investigated in 22 unpremedicated patients (ASA physical status III, 50-78
      yr) with chronic coronary artery disease (NYHA class II-III). Anesthesia was
      induced with either propofol or methohexital (2 mg/kg), followed by a maintenance
      infusion of 100 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. Vecuronium (0.05 mg/kg) was administered
      and ventilation (FIO2, 1.0) was manually controlled (FECO2, 0.04-0.05). Data
      acquisitions were serially obtained over 15 min. Propofol and methohexital
      anesthesia caused an average 15% decrease in mean arterial pressure, associated
      with a 20% decrease in cardiac index without a decrease in systemic vascular
      resistance index. It is interesting that the determinants of these hemodynamic
      effects were different. Heart rate did not change during propofol infusion
      despite the decrease in mean arterial pressure, whereas heart rate increased
      during methohexital infusion. In the propofol group, the decrease in cardiac
      index was associated with decreases in indicators of preload (end-diastolic
      volume and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure), whereas end-systolic volume and
      global ejection fraction did not change statistically. In the methohexital group,
      the decrease in cardiac index was associated with a decrease in global ejection
      fraction and an increase in end-systolic volume, whereas indicators of preload
      remained unchanged. It is concluded that methohexital reduces left ventricular
      performance. In contrast, propofol preserves left ventricular performance despite
      a likely negative inotropic effect.

PMID- 1858990
TI  - Clinical and metabolic responses to different types of premedication.
AB  - Clinical and metabolic responses to three types of premedication were studied in
      ASA physical status I patients given any one of the following: (a) 0.5 mg of
      atropine and 50 mg of meperidine given intramuscularly plus an oral placebo
      tablet (n = 14), (b) 10 mg of oral diazepam and an intramuscular placebo (2 mL
      NaCl, concentration = 0.9) (n = 14), or (c) oral and intramuscular placebo (n =
      14). Based both on subjective estimates (tiredness, fear, anxiety, dryness of
      mouth) and, especially, on metabolic responses (energy expenditure, oxygen
      consumption), oral diazepam appears to be superior to the combination of an
      opiate (meperidine) plus an anticholinergic (atropine). Atropine plus meperidine
      significantly increased energy expenditure above predicted values (2061 +/- 365
      vs 1714 +/- 361 kcal/24 h, P = 0.004), calculated using the Harris-Benedict
      equation, based on sex, weight, height, and age, as well as increased oxygen
      consumption above levels seen with diazepam premedication (160 +/- 29 vs 137 +/-
      17 mL.min-1. m-2). These findings indicate an iatrogenic stress factor induced by
      premedication with atropine plus meperidine.

PMID- 1858991
TI  - Blood pressure measurement by arterial tonometry in controlled hypotension.
AB  - A newly developed arterial tonometer enabled us to measure the blood pressure
      waveforms in addition to determining systolic and diastolic pressures
      noninvasively and continuously. Twenty-eight adult patients undergoing orthopedic
      surgery under controlled hypotension were studied. Systolic blood pressure was
      reduced to two-thirds of baseline values with an infusion of nitroglycerin during
      nitrous oxide/enflurane anesthesia. Intraarterial blood pressures were
      simultaneously measured in either the right or the left radial artery with a
      cannula and a Gould P23XL calibrated transducer; tonometric monitoring was
      performed on the contralateral radial artery using a Colin CBM-3000 instrument.
      The outputs of the two blood pressure measurement instruments were recorded for
      later data analysis. The shape of the tonometric pressure waveform was nearly
      identical to the waveform recorded intraarterially even during controlled
      hypotension. Regression analyses of 2039 paired tonometric and intraarterial
      blood pressure values during the hypotensive period showed good correlations (r =
      0.78 for systolic, r = 0.81 for mean, and r = 0.70 for diastolic pressures). The
      accuracy of systolic, mean, and diastolic readings was from 4 to 7 mm Hg with
      negligible bias and did not differ significantly among six systolic, four mean,
      and four diastolic pressure groups. Our results indicate that arterial tonometry
      can provide accurate, reliable, and real-time monitoring of blood pressure even
      during controlled hypotension.

PMID- 1858992
TI  - Mixtures of sodium nitroprusside and trimethaphan for induction of hypotension.
AB  - A mixture of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and trimethaphan, empirical 1:10 weight
      ratio, has been advocated to decrease untoward side effects of SNP when used to
      induce hypotension during anesthesia and operation. The purpose of this study was
      to investigate the effects of various ratios of mixtures of SNP and trimethaphan
      on heart rate (HR), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), and renal artery
      blood flow to find the best ratio of SNP and trimethaphan for producing induced
      hypotension. Five mixtures with different ratios of SNP and trimethaphan, as well
      as each drug alone, were given intravenously to mongrel dogs in amounts adequate
      to achieve a stable mean arterial blood pressure of 75 +/- 5 mm Hg. Sodium
      nitroprusside alone significantly increased HR (163% +/- 14.5%) and RSNA (222% +/
      24%). Trimethaphan alone significantly decreased RSNA (11.6% +/- 4.5%). There
      were significant positive correlations between SNP-to-trimethaphan ratios and
      percent changes in HR (r2 = 0.301, P less than 0.01) and in RSNA (r2 = 0.648, P
      less than 0.01). Renal artery blood flow was well maintained with all ratios.
      Sodium nitroprusside and trimethaphan interacted synergistically to produce
      hypotension. However, they antagonize each other in their effects on arterial
      baroreflex-mediated changes in HR and RSNA. According to linear regression lines,
      HR changed least with a SNP-to-trimethaphan ratio of 1:5, and RSNA changed least
      with SNP-to-trimethaphan ratios of 1:2.5 and 1:5. Our results indicate that
      mixtures of SNP and trimethaphan in ratios of approximately 1:2.5 to 1:5 may
      produce induced hypotension with stable reflex sympathetic nerve activity.

PMID- 1858994
TI  - Recovery of pancuronium from peritoneal dialysate in a severely burned child.

PMID- 1858993
TI  - Effects of isoflurane, midazolam, and etomidate on cardiovascular responses to
      stimulation of central nervous system pressor sites in chronically instrumented
      cats.
AB  - The systemic hemodynamic actions of isoflurane (a volatile anesthetic) and
      etomidate and midazolam (intravenous anesthetics) have been well documented.
      However, few studies have investigated the actions of these agents on central
      cardiovascular control sites. The present investigation examined the actions of
      these agents on the responses of systolic arterial pressure (SAP), heart rate,
      infrarenal aortic blood flow, and lower body vascular resistance to central
      nervous system pressor site stimulation in chronically instrumented cats. Male
      and female cats (n = 23) were chronically instrumented with bipolar stimulating
      electrodes in the regions of the ventrolateral hypothalamus (anterior, 10.0 mm;
      lateral, 2.5 mm; depth, -4.0 mm) and mesencephalic reticular formation (anterior,
      2.0 mm; lateral, 2.0 mm; depth, -1.0 mm). Control experiments consisted of
      stimulation sequences at 1x, 2x, and 4x threshold current levels to elicit
      pressor responses. Stimulation of the hypothalamic site produced current
      dependent increases in SAP (6-85 mm Hg), in heart rate (3-56 beats/min), and in
      infrarenal aortic blood flow (0-85 mL/min). Reticular formation site stimulation
      produced graded increases in SAP (6-129 mm Hg) only. Isoflurane (1.5%, 2.5%, and
      3.0%), etomidate (3.0-mg/kg bolus and 0.4-mg.kg-1. h-1 infusion), and midazolam
      (7.5-mg/kg bolus and 0.2-mg.kg-1.h-1 infusion) were then administered in separate
      experimental groups. After a steady hemodynamic state was established with each
      agent, stimulation sequences were repeated. Isoflurane produced an attenuation of
      the responses of SAP (from 85.1 +/- 8.2 to 17.8 +/- 6.1 mm Hg at 1.5%, to 7.2 +/-
      2.0 mm Hg at 2.5%, and to 4.7 +/- 2.0 mm Hg at 3%, all P less than 0.05), heart
      rate (from 41.1 +/- 13.0 to 12.5 +/- 2.7 beats/min at 2.5% and to 6.2 +/- 1.7
      beats/min at 3%, all P less than 0.05), and of the infrarenal aortic blood flow
      (from 72.6 +/- 14.3 to 11.8 +/- 4.2 mL/min at 1.5%, to 10.2 +/- 5.6 mL/min at
      2.5%, and to 3.2 +/- 1.5 mL/min at 3%, all P less than 0.05) to the highest level
      of hypothalamic site stimulation. Isoflurane similarly produced an attenuation of
      the SAP response (from 128.7 +/- 10.3 to 15.4 +/- 8.1 mm Hg at 1.5%, to 0.2 +/-
      1.1 mm Hg at 2.5%, and to 0.3 +/- 0.5 mm Hg at 3.0%, all P less than 0.05) to the
      highest level of reticular formation site stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1858995
TI  - Bronchospasm after intramuscular 15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha and
      endotracheal intubation in a nonasthmatic patient.

PMID- 1858996
TI  - Anterior spinal artery syndrome after epidural anesthesia in a pregnant diabetic
      patient with scleredema.

PMID- 1858997
TI  - Epidural air associated with multiradicular syndrome.

PMID- 1858998
TI  - Complete airway obstruction of armored endotracheal tubes.

PMID- 1858999
TI  - Erroneous measurement with invasive monitoring of blood pressure.

PMID- 1859000
TI  - A potential hazard associated with misunderstanding of pulse oximetric readings.

PMID- 1859001
TI  - Transient anisocoria after intravenous administration of butylscopolamine.

PMID- 1859002
TI  - Another cause for obstruction of intravenous infusion tubing.

PMID- 1859003
TI  - Of stethoscopes and stopcocks.

PMID- 1859004
TI  - Alfentanil infusion for postoperative pain: a comparison of epidural and
      intravenous routes.
AB  - The efficacy of intravenous (iv) and epidural infusions of alfentanil for
      postoperative pain relief was investigated in 24 patients (ASA physical status 1
      2) who were scheduled for abdominal hysterectomy. The patients were allocated
      randomly to receive either epidural or iv alfentanil. In both groups, a loading
      dose of 15 micrograms.kg-1 was administered, followed by a constant rate infusion
      of 18 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 alfentanil for 20 h. Both routes provided similar
      degrees of analgesia; however, analgesia occurred earlier in the intravenously
      treated group (P less than 0.03). Mean plasma alfentanil concentrations (Cps)
      varied between 42 and 82 ng.ml-1 in the iv group and 23 and 68 ng.ml-1 in the
      epidural group, with higher concentrations in the iv group for the first 60 min
      only (P less than 0.01). Cps increased with infusion time, suggesting
      accumulation of alfentanil. After infusion ended, pain recurred at the same time
      in both groups, whereas the alfentanil Cps still were greater than 45 ng/ml.
      Postoperative epinephrine concentrations decreased after 60 min of infusion (P
      less than 0.02), whereas, after 6 h, cortisol levels decreased to preoperative
      values. Norepinephrine concentrations decreased only slightly. The only
      clinically meaningful effect on vital signs that occurred was an abrupt reduction
      of respiratory rate after the iv loading dose. PaCO2 increased to the same extent
      in both groups during the first 15 min only. The incidence of opioid-related side
      effects was similar in both groups. These results suggest that the iv and
      epidural routes were equally effective for providing postoperative pain control
      and controlling the postoperative response to surgical stress.

PMID- 1859005
TI  - Flumazenil antagonism of midazolam-induced ventilatory depression.
AB  - Flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist, reliably reverses midazolam-induced
      sedation; however, its effect on respiratory depression has not been established
      completely. Twelve healthy volunteers received sufficient midazolam (0.13 +/-
      0.01 mg.kg-1 mean +/- SE) to render them unresponsive to verbal command; they
      then received flumazenil 1.0 mg or placebo (flumazenil vehicle) in a randomized,
      double-blind fashion. Ventilatory drive was measured before and after
      administration of midazolam, as well as 3, 30, 60, and 120 min after
      administration of flumazenil or placebo. Seven to 30 days later, the study was
      repeated, with subjects receiving placebo or flumazenil (whichever they had not
      received during their first trial). Midazolam caused significant decreases in the
      slope of the CO2 response (-29 +/- 5%; P less than 0.005); minute ventilation
      (VE) at end-tidal CO2 tension (PETCO2) = 46 mmHg (-28 +/- 4%; P less than 0.001),
      and tidal volume at PETCO2 = 46 mmHg (-44 +/- 4%; P less than 0.005). Three
      minutes after intravenous administration of flumazenil 1.0 mg, VE46 and tidal
      volume increased to 108 +/- 6% and 105 +/- 6%, respectively, of their
      premidazolam values; at the same time after administration of placebo, VE46 and
      tidal volume remained significantly depressed (between groups, P less than 0.005
      for each variable). Thirty minutes later, these variables did not differ between
      groups, probably because the effects of flumazenil and midazolam were
      diminishing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859006
TI  - The additive contribution of nitrous oxide to isoflurane MAC in infants and
      children.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of nitrous oxide to
      isoflurane MAC in pediatric patients. MAC was determined in 47 infants and small
      children (mean ages 16.6 +/- 6.7 months) during isoflurane and oxygen anesthesia
      (n = 11) and isoflurane and nitrous oxide anesthesia (25% nitrous oxide [n = 12],
      50% nitrous oxide [n = 12], and 75% nitrous oxide [n = 12]). After assigning
      patients to one of four groups, anesthesia was induced with increasing inspired
      concentrations of isoflurane in oxygen. After anesthetic induction and tracheal
      intubation, ventilation was controlled (carbon dioxide partial pressure = 32 +/-
      5 mmHg), and nitrous oxide was added to the inspired gas mixture to achieve end
      expired nitrous oxide concentrations of 0, 25, 50, or 75%. Inspired and expired
      gas samples were obtained from a distal sampling port in the tracheal tube. The
      response to skin incision in each patient was assessed at a previously selected
      end-tidal concentration of isoflurane. The MAC of isoflurane was determined in
      each group using the up-and-down method described for evaluating quantal
      responses. The mean duration of constant end-tidal concentrations prior to skin
      incision was 14 +/- 7 min (range 6-46 min). The ratio of expired to inspired
      nitrous oxide and isoflurane concentrations during the period of constant end
      tidal concentrations was 0.96 +/- 0.01 and 0.93 +/- 0.03 respectively. The MAC of
      isoflurane in oxygen was 1.69 +/- 0.13 vol% (mean +/- standard
      deviation).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859007
TI  - The neuromuscular effects of ORG9426 in patients receiving balanced anesthesia.
AB  - In searching for a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant with intermediate duration but
      more rapid onset of action than the presently available compounds, the
      neuromuscular and circulatory effects of ORG9426 were investigated in two studies
      in humans receiving fentanyl, droperidol, thiopental, and nitrous oxide-oxygen
      anesthesia. Eighty patients, randomly assigned to one of four groups of 20 each,
      received 0.12, 0.16, 0.20, or 0.24 mg/kg ORG9426. In the first study, the doses
      (in milligrams per kilogram) of ORG9426 that caused 50% (ED50), 90% (ED90), or
      95% (ED95) neuromuscular block were determined by the individual dose-response
      method; they were 0.170, 0.268, and 0.305 mg/kg, respectively. In the second
      study, after induction of anesthesia, patients received 0.6 mg/kg (about 2 x
      ED95) of ORG9426, either in a single bolus (group 1) or in two unequal (0.1 and
      0.5 mg/kg) increments 4 min apart (group 2). After the administration of 0.6
      mg/kg ORG9426, maximal neuromuscular block developed in 1.5 +/- 0.12 min in group
      1 and in 1.2 +/- 0.14 min in group 2. Patients tracheas were intubated after
      development of the maximal neuromuscular effect of the intubating dose and after
      the recording of heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. There was
      no difference in the clinical duration of the intubating doses, which were 40.0
      +/- 3.2 (15-73) min in group 1 and 39.3 +/- 2.4 (19-57) min in group 2.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859008
TI  - Effect of propofol on the incidence of postoperative vomiting after strabismus
      surgery in pediatric outpatients.
AB  - Vomiting is a common problem after strabismus surgery in pediatric outpatients.
      We compared the effects of propofol with and without N2O and droperidol to the
      effects of a conventional regimen consisting of halothane-N2O-droperidol on the
      recovery characteristics and the incidence of postoperative emesis after
      strabismus surgery in 120 ASA physical status 1 or 2 children. After induction of
      anesthesia with halothane-N2O, patients were randomly assigned to one of four
      groups. Group A (control) received halothane, 66% N2O, and droperidol 75
      micrograms.kg-1; group B, propofol 2 mg.kg-1 bolus followed by infusion of 160
      microgram.kg-1.min-1; group C, propofol (as in group B) and 66% N2O; and group D,
      propofol (as in group B), 66% N2O (as in group C), and droperidol 75
      micrograms.kg-1. Patients in group B had more episodes of intraoperative
      oculocardiac reflex responses than patients in group A, but had shorter times to
      extubation, oral intake, ambulation, and discharge, as well as a lower incidence
      of postoperative emesis (P less than 0.05). The addition of N2O to the propofol
      anesthetic regimen (group C) was associated with an increased incidence of emesis
      (P less than 0.05), whereas the addition of droperidol to the propofol-N2O
      regimen (group D) did not affect the incidence of emesis compared to the other
      three groups. We conclude that maintenance of anesthesia with a total intravenous
      regimen using propofol results in a more rapid recovery and less postoperative
      emesis than with a halothane-N2O-droperidol regimen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1859009
TI  - Oral clonidine blunts the heart rate response to intravenous atropine in humans.
AB  - Clonidine, recently introduced into anesthesia practice, may cause bradycardia.
      Whether this bradycardia is reversible with atropine is not known. Accordingly,
      we studied heart rate (HR) responses to intravenous atropine in 80 patients
      assigned randomly to either a control group, who received no medication (n = 20),
      or a clonidine group, who received oral clonidine of approximately 1.2
      micrograms.kg-1 (n = 20), 2.5 micrograms.kg-1 (n = 20), or 5 micrograms.kg-1 (n =
      20). All patients received incremental doses of atropine, 2.5, 2.5, and 5
      micrograms.kg-1, at 2-min intervals (total dose 10 micrograms.kg-1). Positive
      chronotropic response to the cumulative atropine dose of 10 micrograms.kg-1 was
      attenuated significantly only in patients given clonidine 5 micrograms.kg-1 (7 +/
      1 beats per min, mean +/- standard error) when compared with those given smaller
      doses of clonidine (15 +/- 2, 16 +/- 2 beats per min) or no clonidine (19 +/- 2
      beats per min) (P less than 0.05). To determine whether HR hyporesponsiveness to
      atropine induced by clonidine can be overcome by a larger dose of atropine, the
      authors studied 30 additional patients given clonidine 5 micrograms.kg-1 or no
      medication. In all patients not receiving clonidine (n = 15), HR increased by
      more than 20 beats per min when atropine of 15 micrograms.kg-1 was administered,
      whereas in only 5 patients (33%) receiving clonidine did the HR increase by 20
      beats per min after atropine 15 micrograms.kg-1 (P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859010
TI  - Absorption and bioavailability of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate.
AB  - Oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) is a novel, noninvasive dosage form of
      fentanyl used to provide children and adults with sedation, anxiolysis, and
      analgesia. In order to determine the bioavailability and absorption of fentanyl
      from OTFC, 12 volunteers were given intravenous fentanyl citrate or OTFC 15
      micrograms/kg on each of two occasions. On a third occasion, the authors assessed
      oral administration (gastrointestinal absorption) by giving eight of the same
      volunteers the same dose of a solution of fentanyl citrate to swallow. In each
      study, arterial blood samples were taken over 24 h for analysis of plasma
      fentanyl. After intravenous (iv) administration of fentanyl, clearance (mean +/-
      standard deviation) was 0.67 +/- 0.15 l/min; volume of distribution at steady
      state was 287 +/- 79 l; and the terminal elimination half-life was 425 +/- 102
      min. Peak plasma concentrations of fentanyl were higher (3.0 +/- 1.0 vs. 1.6 +/-
      0.6 ng/ml, P = 0.01) and occurred sooner (22 +/- 2.5 vs. 101 +/- 48.8 min, P =
      0.003) after OTFC than after oral solution administration. Plasma concentrations
      of fentanyl after OTFC decreased rapidly, to less than 1.0 ng/ml within 75-135
      min after the beginning of administration. Peak absorption rate was greater (11.1
      +/- 4.3 vs. 3.6 +/- 2.1 micrograms/min, P = 0.004) and occurred much sooner after
      OTFC than after oral solution administration (19 +/- 2.6 vs. 87.5 +/- 38.1 min, P
      = 0.001). Systemic bioavailability was greater after OTFC administration than
      after the oral solution (0.52 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.1, P = 0.01).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859011
TI  - A system model for closed-circuit inhalation anesthesia. II. Clinical validation.
AB  - Recently, we described a basic model and its more elaborate variants to predict
      the uptake and distribution of inhalational anesthetics during closed-circuit
      anesthesia. As an initial clinical validation of the linear, continuous, 14
      compartment basic model, the current study examined its predictive performance in
      50 patients by comparing quantitatively the predicted and the measured alveolar
      concentration-time profiles after bolus injections of liquid isoflurane into the
      closed system during mechanical ventilation. The two versions of the model
      studied differed in the size of their peripheral shunt, as 0% (version A) and 16%
      (version B) of the cardiac output. A total of 15,744 alveolar concentrations of
      isoflurane (one per 10s period) were measured by mass spectrometry. For each
      measured concentration we used computer simulations of version A and version B to
      calculate a predicted concentration for both versions. For each patient we
      calculated the bias (indicating over- or underprediction) and the scatter of the
      prediction errors (indicating the typical error size). The bias and the scatter
      of the prediction errors, both given as mean (and standard deviation), were 2.25
      (13.59) and 12.51 (5.84)% for version A and 12.00 (14.97) and 14.12 (6.54)% for
      B. Version A performed better than B: both the bias (P = 0.008) and the scatter
      (P less than 0.0001) were closer to zero for A. Logistic regression analysis
      showed for version A that scatter, but not bias, increased with age (P = 0.002).
      Gender, body mass index (weight x height-2), and number of injections per hour
      did not influence scatter or bias.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859012
TI  - Dose-response for atropine and heart rate in infants and children anesthetized
      with halothane and nitrous oxide.
AB  - The dose recommendations for atropine in anesthetized children vary, and the dose
      response for heart rate has not been defined. We determined the dose-response for
      atropine and heart rate in 181 healthy children anesthetized with halothane and
      nitrous oxide. After induction of anesthesia, atropine in a dose of 5, 10, 20,
      30, or 40 micrograms.kg-1 was administered by rapid intravenous infusion of each
      subject. The effects of atropine on heart rate, heart rhythm, and systolic blood
      pressure were compared among dosage groups, and a dose-response curve for peak
      heart rate was constructed. The effects of atropine were compared also between
      younger and older subjects. For the group of all 181 subjects, atropine increased
      heart rate in a dose-related manner up to 30 micrograms.kg-1. Fifty percent
      maximal response corresponded to 9 micrograms.kg-1, and 90% maximal response
      corresponded to 26 micrograms.kg-1. Some subjects had nonsinus supraventricular
      rhythms before atropine, but none had nonsinus rhythm after atropine except after
      the smallest dose, 5 micrograms.kg-1. Systolic blood pressure increased
      significantly after all doses of atropine except 5 mu.kg-1. Subjects less than 6
      months old had higher control and peak heart rates than did subjects greater than
      or equal to 2 yr old, but the older subjects had greater change in heart rate
      after atropine. For subjects greater than or equal to 2 yr old, all doses of
      atropine produced a significant increase in heart rate. The same was true for
      younger subjects, less than 6 months old, except that 5 micrograms.kg-1 did not
      increase heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859013
TI  - The effects of local anesthetics and epinephrine on rat sciatic nerve blood flow.
AB  - The effects of topical application of local anesthetics on peripheral nerve blood
      flow (NBF) were studied in the rat sciatic nerve. Sciatic NBF was measured by
      laser doppler in 45 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (90 nerves) after topical
      application of 25 microliter lidocaine and epinephrine, alone and in combination
      (lidocaine plus epinephrine), as well as bupivacaine, tetracaine, and normal
      saline, and studied in a randomized, blinded experimental design. NBF changes
      produced by lidocaine were dose-dependent. Compared with that for saline, blood
      flow reduction for lidocaine 0.5% was not significant, but it was significant for
      lidocaine 1.0% at 2-5 min and for lidocaine 2.0% at all time periods after 1 min
      (P less than 0.05). Maximum reduction was seen at all concentrations by 5 min
      after application. Average blood flow reduction at 5 min was 7% for lidocaine
      0.5%, 12% for lidocaine 1.0% and 18% for lidocaine 2.0%. Epinephrine also
      produced dose-dependent changes in NBF. Epinephrine 2.5 micrograms/ml produced a
      transient 20% increase in NBF lasting 2-3 min (P less than 0.05), followed by a
      return to baseline. Epinephrine 5.0 micrograms/ml and epinephrine 10.0
      micrograms/ml produced reductions of 20% and 35%, respectively (P less than
      0.05), which lasted throughout the study. The effects of each of the three
      concentrations were significantly different from the others. The combination of
      lidocaine plus epinephrine resulted in synergistic reduction of NBF for all drug
      concentrations (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859014
TI  - Direct vasodilation by sevoflurane, isoflurane, and halothane alters coronary
      flow reserve in the isolated rat heart.
AB  - Direct vasodilation of coronary resistance vessels by anesthetics may reduce
      coronary flow reserve and interfere with myocardial flow-metabolism coupling.
      This study was performed to evaluate the potential for the halogenated anesthetic
      agents sevoflurane, isoflurane, and halothane to alter the regulation of coronary
      flow via a direct action on coronary resistance vessels. Coronary flow and flow
      reserve were measured in the quiescent isolated perfused rat heart at anesthetic
      concentrations between 0 and 3 x MAC. In order to minimize anesthetic-induced
      secondary changes in coronary resistance, constant coronary perfusion pressure
      was maintained; the left ventricular cavity was vented; and tetrodotoxin was used
      to achieve cardiac arrest. These conditions permitted the dissociation of direct
      anesthetic actions from indirect regulatory processes affecting coronary vascular
      resistance (CVR). Coronary flow reserve was defined as the difference between
      coronary flow prior to and during administration of a maximally vasodilating dose
      of adenosine. Each anesthetic significantly reduced the magnitude of both CVR and
      coronary flow reserve in a concentration-dependent manner. Sevoflurane reduced
      coronary flow reserve significantly less than did halothane and isoflurane. At
      high concentrations (3.0 x MAC), coronary flow reserve was abolished by halothane
      and was decreased to near zero by isoflurane; however, flow reserve was reduced
      only 48% from control by sevoflurane. This difference among anesthetics is
      explained primarily by variations in the magnitude of direct coronary
      vasodilation produced by each anesthetic, rather than by effects on maximal
      vasodilator capacity. These data show that sevoflurane's intrinsic vasodilator
      action on coronary resistance vessels differs substantially from that of
      halothane and isoflurane.

PMID- 1859015
TI  - Lack of protection by the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blocker dizocilpine (MK
      801) after transient severe cerebral ischemia in the rat.
AB  - Glutamate is an important factor in the mechanisms of neuronal damage following
      cerebral ischemia. Blockade of one type of glutamate receptor, the N-methyl-D
      aspartate (NMDA) receptor, decreases brain infarct size in experimental models of
      permanent focal ischemia, but protection in models of transient reversible
      ischemia is ambiguous. We investigated the effect of the noncompetitive NMDA
      receptor antagonist dizocipiline (MK-801) on neuronal damage in the CA1 region of
      the rat hippocampus, using two models of reversible cerebral ischemia: 10 or 15
      min of bilateral common carotid occlusion combined with hypotension, or 6-8.5 min
      of cardiac arrest. Histopathologic evaluation of neuronal damage was performed 7
      days after the ischemic insults. Thirteen groups of rats (a total of 129 animals)
      were treated with saline or dizocilpine in single or multiple doses ranging from
      0.1 to 5 mg.kg-1, given intravenously or intraperitoneally prior to and/or after
      the ischemic insult. In none of the dizocilpine-treated groups could neuronal
      protection be demonstrated in the CA1 region of the septal as well as
      dorsotemporal hippocampus, compared to a corresponding saline-treated group. We
      conclude that systemically administered noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists
      do not provide a marked protection against neuronal damage after a transient
      period of severe forebrain ischemia.

PMID- 1859016
TI  - The use of immobilized protamine in removing heparin and preventing protamine
      induced complications during extracorporeal blood circulation.
AB  - Heparin, currently used in extracorporeal blood circulation procedures, may lead
      to hemorrhagic complications. Protamine, used for reversal of heparin-induced
      anticoagulation at the end of such procedures, can cause adverse hemodynamic
      responses. To prevent both types of complications, we have developed a reactor
      device containing immobilized protamine (i.e., a protamine bio-reactor) that can
      be placed at the distal end of the circuit, thus providing simultaneous
      extracorporeal heparin removal and protamine treatment. In preliminary in vivo
      studies involving dogs at a blood flow of 100 ml/min, the bio-reactor removed
      about 50% of the administered dose of heparin (i.e., 100 units/kg) in 10 min.
      While rapid injection of protamine in dogs anticoagulated with heparin produced a
      transient and significant (P less than 0.005) decreases in systemic arterial
      blood pressure (-39.5 +/- 9.2 mmHg), cardiac output (-1.59 +/- 0.23 L/min), and
      mixed venous oxygen saturation (-7.5 +/- 1.3%) and increases in pulmonary artery
      systolic (+12.7 +/- 4.4 mmHg) and diastolic pressures (+10.0 +/- 3.6 mmHg), the
      use of the protamine bio-reactor did not elicit any statistically significant
      change in any of the variables measured. Hemolysis was not significant, as
      reflected by a statistically insignificant change of the animals' red blood cell
      counts, hematocrits, and total hemoglobin values. In addition, hemolytic
      complement was found to be reduced only by 10% in animals with the protamine bio
      reactor, whereas it was reduced rapidly by 20% in animals receiving intravenous
      protamine administration and progressively by 20% in control animals with a sham
      reactor that contained no protamine. Furthermore, the use of the protamine bio
      reactor also significantly reduced the protamine-induced transient
      thrombocytopenic and granulocytopenic responses. The white blood cell counts and
      platelet counts decreased to 87.7 +/- 7.5 and 83.3 +/- 5.0% of baseline,
      respectively, in dogs with the protamine bio-reactor compared to 35.5 +/- 14.3
      and 32.1 +/- 8.1% of baseline in dogs receiving intravenous protamine. The
      protamine bio-reactor may provide a unique means to simultaneously control both
      heparin- and protamine-induced complications.

PMID- 1859017
TI  - Anesthetics and automaticity in latent pacemaker fibers. II. Effects of halothane
      and epinephrine or norepinephrine on automaticity of dominant and subsidiary
      atrial pacemakers in the canine heart.
AB  - Knowledge of anesthetic effects on the automaticity of dominant and subsidiary
      cardiac pacemakers is fundamental to an understanding of mechanisms of arrhythmia
      during anesthesia, as well as to the management of patients with sinus node
      dysfunction or atrioventricular (AV) conduction block. Among potential pacemakers
      of the heart are subsidiary atrial pacemakers (SAP), which are located outside
      the classic sinoatrial (SA) node region but still within the right atrium. SAP
      have a higher inherent rate of automaticity than AV junctional pacemakers, may
      contribute to a multicentric atrial pacemaker complex, and can control the rhythm
      of the heart when the SA node is absent or inhibited. How halothane, epinephrine
      (E), or norepinephrine (NE), alone or in combination, would affect the relation
      between the automaticity of the SA node and SAP was tested using an isolated,
      perfused canine right atrial preparation (n = 78). This preparation was perfused
      via the SA node artery with Krebs' solution (36.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C) equilibrated
      with 97% oxygen-3% carbon dioxide. Delivered concentrations of halothane of 1 or
      2% corresponded to measured perfusate concentrations of 0.50 +/- 0.02 or 0.80 +/-
      0.04 mM in experiments with E (n = 24) and 0.45 +/- 0.02 or 0.75 +/- 0.04 mM in
      experiments with NE (n = 54). E or NE perfusate concentrations were 1, 2, and 5
      micrograms/l or 2, 5, and 10 micrograms/l, respectively. To determine the site of
      earliest activation (SEA), extracellular recordings were made from the SA node
      region and distal sites (approximately 1, 2, and 3 cm) along the sulcus
      terminalis, the previously reported locations of SAP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1859018
TI  - Anesthetics and automaticity in latent pacemaker fibers. III. Effects of
      halothane and ouabain on automaticity of the SA node and subsidiary atrial
      pacemakers in the canine heart.
AB  - Atrial tachyarrhythmias are a common manifestation of digitalis toxicity. Such
      arrhythmias could be due to enhanced automaticity of subsidiary atrial pacemakers
      (SAP) compared to the sinoatrial (SA) node. Halothane is known to oppose
      digitalis-induced ventricular arrhythmias. Its effect on digitalis-caused atrial
      arrhythmias is unknown. Therefore, we tested two hypotheses, as follows. First,
      increasing ouabain concentrations would enhance automaticity of SAP compared to
      the SA node and that such enhanced automaticity could explain digitalis-caused
      atrial tachyarrhythmias. Second, halothane would oppose such enhanced
      automaticity of SAP, thereby opposing digitalis-caused atrial tachyarrhythmias. A
      canine right atrial preparation was perfused via the SA node artery with Krebs'
      solution (36.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C) equilibrated with 97% oxygen-3% carbon dioxide.
      Four bipolar extracellular electrodes recorded the site of earliest activation
      (SEA), which in this preparation could be the SA node or increasingly remote
      sites of SAP approximately 1, 2, and 3 cm distal to the SA node along the sulcus
      terminalis. Pacemaker shifts to SAP during exposure to drugs were scored for
      magnitude of shift as 1, 2, or 3 depending on which SAP site was the SEA.
      Magnitude scores were summed for each test condition and normalized by dividing
      the total number of preparations tested. Preparations (n = 48) were exposed to 1
      or 2% halothane (perfusate concentrations of 0.51 +/- 0.01 or 0.79 +/- 0.03 mM,
      respectively) and/or to low- or mid-therapeutic (2.5 or 5 x 10(-8) M) or
      borderline toxic ouabain (1 x 10(-7) M). Normalized magnitude scores were not
      significantly different from zero (control value) with any halothane or ouabain
      concentration alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859019
TI  - Comparative effects of halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane on the liver with
      hepatic artery ligation in the beagle.
AB  - Recently, there has been increasing interest in the alterations in splanchnic and
      hepatic circulation and preservation of hepatic oxygenation and function during
      anesthesia and surgery. However, the effects of volatile anesthetics under a
      condition of marginal hepatic oxygen supply are not well understood. Using a
      crossover design, we therefore studied the effects of equianesthetic
      concentrations (1.5 MAC) of halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane on hepatic
      oxygenation and function in nine beagles in which the hepatic artery had been
      ligated. Portal blood flow was measured by an electro-magnetic flow meter.
      Hepatic function was assessed by indocyanine green elimination kinetics. While
      cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were greater during halothane
      anesthesia than during isoflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia, portal blood flow
      and hepatic oxygen supply were significantly less during halothane and
      sevoflurane anesthesia than during isoflurane anesthesia. With regard to hepatic
      oxygen uptake, there was a significant difference between halothane (2.7 +/- 1.2
      ml.min-1 x 100 g-1) and sevoflurane (3.7 +/- 2.0 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1; P less than
      0.05). Consequently, the hepatic oxygen supply/uptake ratio and the hemoglobin
      oxygen saturation and oxygen partial pressure in hepatic venous blood during
      sevoflurane anesthesia were significantly less than they were with the other
      anesthetics. Indocyanine green clearance was better preserved during sevoflurane
      anesthesia (39.7 +/- 12.0 ml.min-1) than during halothane anesthesia (30.9 +/-
      8.4 ml.min-1; P less than 0.05). We conclude that sevoflurane is accompanied by a
      smaller oxygen supply/uptake ratio than is halothane and isoflurane, while it
      preserves hepatic function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859020
TI  - Arterial tonometry for noninvasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring during
      anesthesia.
AB  - Arterial tonometry is a technique used to measure arterial blood pressure
      noninvasively. The authors developed a new tonometer system containing an array
      of 15 piezoresistive pressure transducers, a mechanical positioning system,
      signal conditioning and multiplexing electronics, and a display and control
      console. The authors evaluated the accuracy, reliability, and clinical
      acceptability of this system by comparing tonometric blood pressure measurements
      with intraarterial blood pressure measurements in 60 anesthetized patients. Blood
      pressure was measured intraarterially in either the right or left radial artery
      by a Gould P23XL calibrated transducer, whereas blood pressure was measured by
      tonometer at the radial artery of the other arm. The tonometric waveform was
      similar to the intraarterial waveform. Simultaneous tonometer and intraarterial
      systolic blood pressures of the 60 patients (3,036 data sets) had an overall
      regression coefficient, r = 0.97, and an equation, regression equation = 0.95X +
      5.8. Similar values were obtained for mean and diastolic pressures. Regression
      analyses of the paired tonometric and intraarterial blood pressure values showed
      good correlations in both sexes and in ages ranging from 8 to 82 yr (r = 0.94
      0.97). Mean absolute values of error (precision) for the systolic, mean, and
      diastolic measurements did not differ significantly among the five systolic, five
      mean, and four diastolic pressure groups and ranged from 3.6 to 6.6 mmHg, with
      negligible bias, with intraarterial pressure used as the reference. Bias for the
      various pressure groups was small: -0.9-3.6 mmHg for systolic; -3.0-0.7 mmHg for
      mean; and -2.1-4.5 mmHg for diastolic. The "limits of agreement" (mean difference
      +/- two standard deviations) were within an acceptable range for clinical
      anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859021
TI  - Observation of spinal canal and cisternae with the newly developed small
      diameter, flexible fiberscopes.
AB  - Small-diameter (0.5-, 0.9-, and 1.4-mm) flexible fiberscopes were developed for
      visual diagnosis of spinal canal diseases. The fiberscopes were introduced via a
      Tuohy needle into the subarachnoid and epidural spaces of ten patients with
      various pain syndromes. Clear visualization of the subarachnoid space was
      achieved using the fiberscopes. The epidural space could be visualized only
      during withdrawal of the fiberscope. In five cases, the fiberscope could be
      advanced up to the level of the cisternae without causing the patient any
      discomfort. A slight headache and transient fever were noted after the
      examination in five and two cases, respectively, but no other complications
      occurred. Interestingly, preexisting pain diminished (two cases) or disappeared
      (one case) after the myeloscopy in three of five cases in which the myeloscopy
      revealed aseptic adhesive arachnoiditis. Further studies should be carried out to
      evaluate the usefulness of this technique.

PMID- 1859022
TI  - A system model for closed-circuit inhalation anesthesia. I. Computer study.
AB  - Developing a custom computer program to simulate the uptake, distribution, and
      elimination of inhalational anesthetics allows the anesthesiologist to address
      specific problems, but extensive skills are required to translate the involved
      processes first into a set of mathematical equations and then into a satisfactory
      computer program. The first step is often facilitated by solutions offered in the
      literature. The second step demands computer proficiency that is often not
      available, but this problem can be obviated by means of a special-purpose
      simulation language (SPSL). We therefore constructed a model for closed-circuit
      inhalation anesthesia with the aid of the block-structured SPSL TUTSIM.
      Noticeable differences with previous models are that the linear, 14-compartment
      basic model does not assume a constant alveolar concentration and mimics
      circulation times through the use of blood pools. Advanced features of the SPSL
      were used to develop variants of the basic model to simulate feedback-controlled
      isoflurane administration, nitrous oxide uptake, and the impact of a nonlinearity
      by incorporating the effect of enflurane on cardiac output. Two variants were
      concatenated to form a multiple model showing the concentration and second-gas
      effects. The model was capable of reproducing the anesthetic uptake from previous
      experimental studies for nitrous oxide. After its validation for other anesthetic
      agents, the model can be used for clinical, teaching, and research purposes. The
      SPSL freed the authors from the problems associated with computer programming and
      allowed them to concentrate on the structure of the model.

PMID- 1859023
TI  - Unintentional arterial catheterization and bupivacaine toxicity associated with
      continuous interscalene brachial plexus block.

PMID- 1859024
TI  - Phenol motor point blocks in children: plasma concentrations and cardiac
      dysrhythmias.

PMID- 1859025
TI  - Epidural analgesia in patients with congenital lumbosacral spinal anomalies.

PMID- 1859026
TI  - Postoperative apnea in a full-term infant.

PMID- 1859027
TI  - Propofol: bolus induction plus continuous infusion in a patient with Duchenne
      muscular dystrophy.

PMID- 1859028
TI  - No coronary dilation: no coronary steal.

PMID- 1859029
TI  - Inotropic effect of amrinone.

PMID- 1859030
TI  - Peripheral nerve injury and automatic blood pressure measurement.

PMID- 1859031
TI  - A cause for hemodynamic instability during hepatic tumor resection.

PMID- 1859033
TI  - Percutaneous puncture of the internal jugular vein using continuously transduced
      pressure.

PMID- 1859032
TI  - Burns associated with pulse oximetry during magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 1859034
TI  - Interpretation of pollen counts.

PMID- 1859035
TI  - Difficult hand dermatitis.

PMID- 1859037
TI  - Effectiveness of an acaricide in management of house dust mite allergy.
AB  - The effects of treating the environment of 25 dust mite-allergic patients with an
      acaracide are reported. Remarkable symptomatic improvements in asthma, eczema, or
      rhinitis were observed. Many patients could reduce or stop medication, and these
      benefits have persisted for up to a year after using Acarosan once only. Relapse
      of symptoms following exposure to untreated dusty environments was observed on
      many occasions confirming that the improvements were due to removal of the mite
      allergen.

PMID- 1859036
TI  - Effect of maternal immunotherapy on immediate skin test reactivity, specific rye
      I IgG and IgE antibody, and total IgE of the children.
AB  - The effect of specific immunotherapy during pregnancy was studied in 14 children,
      3 to 12 years after delivery. Fourteen additional children from the same allergic
      mothers, in whom immunotherapy was not given during the pregnancy, served as
      controls. The immediate skin test response to grass allergens of the children of
      mothers given immunotherapy. Levels of rye I IgG and total IgE were lower in the
      sera of children born to mothers who received immunotherapy (not statistically
      significant) than their control cohorts. Paired cord blood and maternal blood
      samples drawn at delivery showed similar levels of rye I IgG, indicating that
      blocking antibody freely crosses the placenta. This evidence indicates that
      immunotherapy during pregnancy may have an inhibitory effect on immediate skin
      reactivity to grass allergens in some of the offspring. Whether tolerance to
      other allergens can be induced in children by maternal immunotherapy remains to
      be determined.

PMID- 1859038
TI  - The skier's nose: a model of cold-induced rhinorrhea.
AB  - Cold-induced rhinorrhea (CIR) is a commonly experienced discomfort not previously
      addressed in the medical literature. In a 2-part study, we assessed the
      prevalence and described the characteristics of CIR and evaluated the efficacy of
      an anticholinergic nasal spray in its treatment. In Part 1, 90 general medical
      patients at a ski resort clinic were asked to describe their symptoms associated
      with cold exposure. Ninety-six percent reported some degree of CIR; 48% reported
      moderate to severe CIR. Fifty percent had some degree of nasal congestion and 33%
      reported sneezing. Allergic and nonallergic patients described similar degrees of
      rhinorrhea. In Part 2, 14 ski patrollers were given atropine sulfate in saline
      (AS/S) nasal spray before cold exposure in double-blinded placebo (P) controlled
      crossover fashion. Ninety-two percent noted improvement of CIR with AS/S and 8%
      experienced no change. None of the subjects noted worsening of symptoms, however,
      one subject reported excessive dryness at the AS/S concentration used. All 14
      subjects receiving P experienced no change in CIR. We conclude that CIR is a
      distinct clinical syndrome frequently seen with cold temperature exposure,
      presenting primarily as rhinorrhea and sometimes involving nasal congestion and
      sneezing. Pretreatment with a 0.005% solution AS/S can effectively block CIR with
      only minimal short-term side effects.

PMID- 1859039
TI  - Asteraceae aeropollen of the western United States Gulf Coast.
AB  - Volumetric air sampling was performed near Corpus Christi, Texas during 1988 and
      supplemented with data from 1987 and 1989. Frequencies of captured pollen grains
      of Parthenium hysterophorus, Ambrosia and allied genera, Helianthus, and other
      Asteracea were examined. Asteraceous aerospora in 1988 accounted for 22.1% of all
      pollen found, of which 83.4% were pollen of Ambrosia, 12.4% of Parthenium, and
      the remainder (4.1%) representative of other genera. Capture of native Ambrosia
      species and P. hysterophorus peaked in September and October in 1987 and 1988,
      but Parthenium pollen was also found year round with a smaller secondary peak
      during May, 1988 and 1989. In the winter a different Ambrosia pollen was captured
      which compared with A. hispida found in the Yucatan Peninsula and southern
      Florida at a time when no ragweed was flowering in the vicinity of Corpus
      Christi. Such a pollen capture probably represents long distance dispersal (ca.
      600 miles, 965 km) on strong easterly to southerly prevailing winds. Pollen
      capture occurred most frequently during daylight hours when percent relative
      humidity was lower and near midnight when inversions occur. Comparison of pollen
      capture with meteorologic data demonstrated that photoperiodic responses probably
      account for the initiation and termination of Ambrosia flowering, and to some
      extent that of Parthenium, and not sharply lowered temperatures or frost for
      ending pollen release. Previous plant surveys have shown that P. hysterophorus is
      more common in the Corpus Christi area than species of Ambrosia, or any other
      Asteraceae, even though ragweed pollen capture proved 6.9 times greater. This
      disparity is most likely due to limited long distance dispersal of Parthenium
      pollen, less pollen produced per another, and a less developed mechanism of wind
      pollination (passive dispersal or amphiphilous). Since both Parthenium and
      Ambrosia are significant allergenic plants, correlations between airborne pollen
      of Parthenium and allergic potential suggest that a prolonged pollination season
      and perhaps increased allergenicity of unique Parthenium pollen proteins allow
      Parthenium to be a major allergen despite significantly less ambient pollen.

PMID- 1859040
TI  - Aeropollen of weeds of the western United States Gulf Coast.
AB  - Volumetric air sampling was performed near Corpus Christi, Texas during all of
      1988. The most significant weeds releasing airborne pollen, besides the
      Asteraceae, were the Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae at 14.8% of total pollen
      captured, which peaked in September and October. Greater pollen capture (74%)
      occurred from a peak at 11 PM at a time when inversions are frequent to 9 AM than
      during the period from late morning to 9 PM. Frequency of amaranth-chenopod
      pollen capture in the western Gulf Coast region showed no relationship with
      frequencies along the northern and eastern Gulf Coast nor in eastern North
      America generally, but rather with western North America where these grains have
      also been sampled at high levels. As in the West, therefore, amaranth-chenopod
      aeropollen is sufficiently frequent to be a major source of allergens in the
      western Gulf Coast region. Other weedy plants, Cannabis/Humulus, Rumex, and the
      Urticaceae (Parieteria/Urtica) each account for only about 1% of the total annual
      pollen shed, and consequently they are not nearly as potentially relevant here in
      pollinosis as are the amaranth-chenopods and Asteraceae. Plantago pollen is very
      infrequently sampled (less than 0.1%) even though several species are common in
      the area. Acalypha is newly reported as releasing airborne pollen, a genus
      related to Mercurialis known to release allergenic pollen in Europe.

PMID- 1859041
TI  - Current concepts in ocular allergy.
AB  - Ocular allergy is commonly encountered by the allergist, general physician, and
      ophthalmologist. Diagnosis can usually be made by history, especially a history
      of itching and an allergic background. The diagnosis can be confirmed by skin
      testing, in vitro testing, and conjunctival scrapings to look for eosinophils.
      Once the diagnosis is made, a decision can be reached as to whether treatment is
      necessary. Often, supportive treatment, or removal of the allergen is preferred.
      When pharmacologic treatment is necessary, it is advisable to choose a benign
      form of therapy such as topical vasoconstrictor-antihistamine eyedrops or
      cromolyn sodium. Topical steroids are rarely necessary and should be used with
      great caution since they can induce serious sight threatening complications. If
      topical steroids are required, the patient should be monitored by an
      ophthalmologist.

PMID- 1859042
TI  - Bronchial reactivity and allergy-promoting factors in monozygotic twins
      discordant for allergic rhinitis.
AB  - Bronchial reactivity was studied twice in eight monozygotic twin pairs discordant
      for allergic rhinitis with pollen hypersensitivity, during the winter season (all
      eight pairs) and during the pollen season (seven pairs). On both occasions, the
      allergic twins showed significantly higher reactivity than their nonallergic
      siblings. The results indicate that moderate allergic rhinitis is associated with
      increased bronchial reactivity. This increased reactivity is an acquired trait;
      however, bronchial reactivity is not constantly increased in pollen rhinitis and
      may be normal even during the pollen season. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis
      usually started in childhood before the separation of the siblings. We could not
      demonstrate any major differences in exposure to allergens or airway irritants
      between the siblings. The allergic twins tended to have lower birth weight and
      insufficient weight increase just after birth.

PMID- 1859043
TI  - Analysis of house dust mite-specific IgE, IgG4, and IgG antibodies during
      immunotherapy in asthmatic children.
AB  - House dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, DP) specific IgE, IgG4, and IgG
      antibodies were analyzed by Western blotting in 18 asthmatic children during the
      course of 2-years' allergen-specific immunotherapy. Although more than 50 protein
      bands could be identified in the crude mite extracts by SDS-PAGE, only eight of
      them elicited both IgE and IgG4 antibodies in most patients. The molecular
      weights were 110, 60, 55, 43, 33, 27, 16, and 14 kD, respectively. No antibodies
      against new antigens were induced after immunotherapy. There was a significant
      correlation between the intensity of reactive bands of Western blotting and RAST.
      IgG4 antibody was increased in 72% (13/18) of patients, but the simultaneous
      change in IgE varied. Analysis of allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 antibodies by
      Western blotting may provide a useful tool for evaluation of clinical response to
      immunotherapy.

PMID- 1859044
TI  - Comparison of three pretreatment protocols to prevent anaphylactoid reactions to
      radiocontrast media.
AB  - Three pretreatment regimens were compared for prevention of anaphylactoid
      reactions in 149 patients who previously had reacted to radiocontrast media (RCM)
      administration. From 1976 to 1980, 52 patients were treated with 50 mg of oral
      prednisone 13, 7, and 1 hour before and 50 mg intramuscular diphenhydramine 1
      hour before procedures (group I). From 1980 to 1984, 48 patients received 300 mg
      oral cimetidine one hour before procedure in addition to the other regimen (group
      II). From 1984 to 1989, 49 patients received the three drugs and 25 mg oral
      ephedrine one hour before procedures (group III). Previous reactions were similar
      in each group, consisting of urticaria and/or angioedema in all patients,
      hypotension in some (groups I, 5; II, 6; III, 4), and wheezing in two (group I).
      Readministration of RCM was intraarterial (groups I, 18; II, 20; III, 20) or
      intravenous. Generalized reactions upon readministration of RCM occurred in 4
      (8%) of group I and 3 (6%) of both groups II and III. All reactions consisted of
      urticaria and/or angioedema, were mild, and required no specific treatment. In a
      separate group of ten patients whose previous reactions to RCM were life
      threatening (shock), pretreatment was accompanied by a provocative dosing
      regimen. Two patients (20%) experienced systemic reactions that resulted in
      termination of the procedure. All our pretreatment regimens were equally
      effective; however, we favor a more comprehensive pretreatment protocol (regimen
      III) based upon our lack of demonstrated adverse effects and a possible
      therapeutic advantage as reported by other investigators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859045
TI  - Growth and the nutritional status of nonsteroid-dependent asthmatic children.
AB  - Nonsteroid dependent children were evaluated to determine the effect of asthma on
      growth and nutritional status. No significant differences were observed for the
      growth of asthmatics and control groups. In addition, dietary records indicated
      asthmatics met or exceeded the recommended daily allowance for total calories and
      nutrients.

PMID- 1859046
TI  - Treatment of anaphylaxis.

PMID- 1859047
TI  - Neutrophils and adult respiratory distress syndrome: two interlocking
      perspectives in 1991.

PMID- 1859048
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of
      patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was measured antigenically and functionally in serum
      and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of patients with ARDS and those at high
      risk for ARDS. Of 22 patients with ARDS, 14 had sepsis or serious infection as
      the major clinical predisposition, and 10 of 20 high-risk patients had sepsis or
      serious infection. Mean levels of TNF in serum of patients with ARDS and high
      risk showed a trend toward elevation but were not significantly higher than mean
      serum levels in normal subjects. Mean levels of TNF in BAL of ARDS patients (242
      +/- 126 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in normal subjects (9 +/- 5 pg/ml),
      p less than 0.05. Antigenic levels of TNF were undetectable in approximately half
      the patients with ARDS or the high-risk state. Levels of TNF in BAL appeared to
      be highest in the first day of ARDS. There appeared to be no relationship between
      levels of TNF in serum or BAL and subsequent mortality. However, serum levels of
      TNF were significantly higher in septic patients than in nonseptic patients,
      whereas this difference was not apparent in BAL. These results show that
      functional and antigenic elevations of TNF are present in BAL and perhaps in
      serum of patients with ARDS or with the high-risk state.

PMID- 1859049
TI  - Measurement of urinary desmosine by isotope dilution and high performance liquid
      chromatography. Correlation between elastase-induced air-space enlargement in the
      hamster and elevation of urinary desmosine.
AB  - The accuracy of methods employed to measure the elastin-specific crosslinks,
      desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDES), has been called into question because
      contaminants in the urine may cause elevated values. In the present study urine
      samples were spiked with a known amount of [14C]DES and refluxed in 6 N HCl.
      Sephadex G-15 chromatography of the hydrolyzed urine employed to remove
      contaminants. DES and IDES were quantified by high performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) as well as by amino acid analysis. The amount of isotope
      recovered was used to determine losses during the overall procedure and the
      isotope dilution to calculate the amounts of endogenous DES and IDES originally
      present in the urine. Because similar values were obtained by both methods, the
      more rapid HPLC method was used for all succeeding analyses. In one experiment,
      the DES amounts in urine collected from hamsters for 3 days after intratracheal
      treatment with human neutrophil elastase (300 micrograms) or porcine pancreatic
      elastase (300 micrograms) were 0.212 +/- 0.012 (mean +/- SEM, two measurements on
      a single pool) and 0.816 +/- 0.005 (two measurements) microgram per hamster per
      day, respectively. Urine from control hamsters had a mean value of 0.074 +/-
      0.008 (eight measurements) microgram per hamster per day. The HNE- and PPE
      treated hamsters had mean linear intercept values of 119 and 159% of control
      values, respectively, giving a positive correlation between increase in airspace
      size and elevation of urinary DES.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859050
TI  - Azathioprine combined with prednisone in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis: a prospective double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical
      trial.
AB  - Twenty-seven newly diagnosed patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
      who were previously untreated for IPF were enrolled in a prospective, double
      blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to compare the therapeutic effect of
      combined prednisone/azathioprine (n = 14) with prednisone plus placebo (n = 13).
      Prednisone was started at 1.5 mg/kg/day (not to exceed 100 mg/day) for the first
      2 wk followed by a biweekly taper to a maintenance dose of 20 mg/day.
      Azathioprine was administered at a daily dose of 3 mg/kg (not to exceed 200
      mg/day). The patients tolerated the use of azathioprine well with few associated
      side effects. Changes in lung function at 1 yr, as measured by resting alveolar
      arterial oxygen difference P[A-a]O2, FVC, and single breath diffusing capacity
      for carbon monoxide (DLCOSB), were all somewhat better in the
      azathioprine/prednisone group compared with the prednisone alone group, although
      none of these comparisons were statistically significant. Six of 14 (43%)
      patients randomized to prednisone plus azathioprine died during the 9-yr follow
      up period, compared with 10 of 13 (77%) patients randomized to prednisone plus
      placebo. A Cox model survival analysis shows a nonsignificant but potentially
      large survival advantage for azathioprine/prednisone (hazard ratio 0.48, with 95%
      confidence interval increasing from 0.17 to 1.38). When adjusted for age, the
      survival advantage of azathioprine/prednisone becomes marginally significant
      (hazard ratio 0.26, with 95% confidence interval increasing from 0.08 to 0.88; p
      = 0.02 by large sample approximation, p = 0.05 by randomization test). We
      conclude that combined prednisone and azathioprine is a safe and possibly
      effective regimen for the treatment of IPF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859051
TI  - Distribution of silicotic collagenization in relation to smoking habits.
AB  - Controversy regarding the association between silicosis and lung cancer has been
      clouded by the fact that studies examining this association generally do not
      include information on smoking. A causal association between smoking and
      silicosis would seriously confound the association between silicosis and lung
      cancer. The current analysis assessed the association between silicosis and
      smoking using data on deceased white gold miners who underwent postmortem
      examination between 1976 and 1981. Smoking histories and exposure information
      were available. A subset analysis in a group of deceased miners for whom more
      detailed smoking and exposure information was available confirmed the findings of
      the larger analysis. Both analyses showed a slight inverse relationship between
      smoking and silicotic collagenization of the parenchyma and a stronger negative
      relationship between smoking and silicotic collagenization of the pleura,
      controlling for age and cumulative exposure to silica dust. No association
      between silicotic collagenization of the hilar glands and smoking was detected.
      The data should not be construed as advocating that workers exposed to silica
      dust should smoke. The hazards of cigarette smoking are likely to far outweigh
      the hazards of silicosis. The data suggest that the lack of smoking histories in
      studies of the association between silicosis and lung cancer probably does not
      seriously confound risk estimates. The distribution of silicotic collagenization
      in the lungs of smokers and nonsmokers is consistent with enhanced mucus
      interception, more central deposition in the lungs, and proportionally more
      lymphatic clearance to the hilum (as opposed to the pleura) of silica particles
      in smokers compared to nonsmokers.

PMID- 1859053
TI  - Severe community-acquired pneumonia. Epidemiology and prognostic factors.
AB  - Over a period of 4 consecutive yr, 92 nonimmunosuppressed patients (21 women and
      71 men aged 53 +/- 16 yr, means = SD) with critical acute respiratory failure
      (PaO2/FiO2, 209 +/- 9 mm Hg) caused by severe community-acquired pneumonia were
      admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of a general hospital. The
      most frequent underlying clinical condition was chronic obstructive pulmonary
      disease (44 patients, 48%). A total of 56 patients (61%) required mechanical
      ventilation for a mean period of 10.7 +/- 12.5 days, 29 of them (52%) needing
      PEEP (9.9 +/- 3.8 cm H2O). A group of 23 (25%) patients had criteria of adult
      respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A causal microorganism was identified in 48
      patients (52%), the two most frequent etiologies being Streptococcus pneumoniae
      (14, 15%) and Legionella pneumophila (13, 14%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5, 5%)
      was always associated with bronchiectasis. Mortality due to severe community
      acquired pneumonia was 22% (20 patients). According to univariate analysis,
      mortality was associated with anticipated death within 4 to 5 yr, inadequate
      antibiotic treatment before RICU admission, mechanical ventilation requirements,
      use of PEEP, FIO2 greater than 0.6, coexistence of ARDS, radiographic spread of
      the pneumonia during RICU admission, septic shock, bacteremia, and P. aeruginosa
      as the cause of the pneumonia. Further, recursive partitioning analysis selected
      two factors significantly related to the prognosis: the radiographic spread of
      the pneumonia during RICU admission and the presence of septic shock.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859052
TI  - Prospective study of pulmonary function and lung cancer.
AB  - The role of pulmonary function as an independent predictor of lung cancer risk
      was studied in a community-based cohort of 6,317 Japanese-American men who were
      aged 45 to 68 at the time of examination. After a follow-up period of about 22
      yr, 172 incident cases of lung cancer were identified. The percentage of the
      predicted FEV1 was inversely related to lung cancer (p value for trend = 0.01)
      after adjustment for age and cigarette smoking history. The subjects in the
      lowest quartile of pulmonary function (% predicted FEV1 less than 84.5) had a
      relative risk of 2.1 (95% confidence interval = 1.3 to 3.5) for lung cancer
      compared with subjects in the highest quartile (% predicted FEV1 = 103.5+). For
      the 84 cases with a squamous or small cell histologic type of lung cancer, the
      subjects in the lowest quartile had a relative risk of 2.5 (95% Cl = 1.2 to 5.6)
      compared with subjects in the highest quartile of pulmonary function. For the 84
      patients with lung cancer whose tumors were located within 4 cm of the pulmonary
      hilum, the subjects in the lowest quartile had a relative risk of 4.0 (95% Cl =
      1.7 to 9.7). The results suggest that impaired pulmonary function in a community
      based population is a predictor of lung cancer.

PMID- 1859054
TI  - Combined APACHE II score and serum lactate dehydrogenase as predictors of in
      hospital mortality caused by first episode Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in
      patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - We retrospectively analyzed data from 75 hospitalized patients with a first
      episode of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia to compare the ability of four
      parameters, including admission serum albumin, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),
      alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient, and the APACHE II score, to predict mortality
      and response to initial antipneumocystis therapy. The eight patients who died due
      to pneumocystosis and the 12 who failed initial antipneumocystis therapy had
      significantly higher admission mean APACHE II scores and serum LDH levels and
      lower mean serum albumin levels than did the 65 who survived and the 61 who
      responded to initial therapy (p less than 0.05 for each). Differences in mean
      alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients were not statistically significant with
      respect to survival or response to initial therapy. In a stepwise discriminant
      analysis of parameters associated with mortality, APACHE II score and LDH level
      were statistically significant (p less than 0.0001 for each). In a stepwise
      discriminant analysis of parameters associated with response to initial therapy,
      APACHE II score and LDH level were again statistically significant (p less than
      0.0001, respectively). The addition of the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient and
      serum albumin level did not further increase the predictive ability of the
      discriminant analyses. When analyzed alone, neither the alveolar-arterial oxygen
      gradient nor the serum albumin were statistically significant in each
      discriminant analysis. The APACHE II score combined with the serum LDH may be
      more useful than other parameters, singly or combined, to more closely match
      patients with regard to severity of illness due to first episode Pneumocystis
      carinii pneumonia when comparing experimental new therapies with standard agents.

PMID- 1859055
TI  - Reduction in the incidence of acute bronchitis by an oral Haemophilus influenzae
      vaccine in patients with chronic bronchitis in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
AB  - Following the administration of a standardized questionnaire, 62 adult patients
      with chronic bronchitis were enrolled into a double-blind controlled trial of an
      oral killed Haemophilus influenzae vaccine in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
      A 3-day course of vaccine or placebo was given monthly for 3 consecutive months.
      Participants were monitored weekly over 12 months for acute exacerbations; early
      morning sputum specimens were collected monthly and during acute exacerbations.
      Density of colonization by H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae was determined by
      standard quantitative and semiquantitative techniques, and the latter method
      (quadrant score) was used to determine the density of growth of pneumococci. A
      total of 30 patients received vaccine and 32 placebo. The incidence rate of acute
      bronchitis in the vaccine group (0.011 episodes/person-weeks) was significantly
      lower than that in the placebo group (0.021 episodes/person-weeks), but there was
      no difference between the two groups in the incidence rates of more severe
      disease. Vaccine efficacy was maximal at times of peak incidence of disease.
      There was no evidence of a decline in vaccine efficacy for acute bronchitis over
      the 12-month follow-up period. The number of viable H. influenzae in the sputum
      declined in both vaccine and placebo groups over the 12-month follow-up period.
      The average concentration of H. influenzae in the vaccine group fell below that
      in the placebo group within 1 to 2 months after first immunization and remained
      so for 12 months, although the difference between the two groups narrowed during
      the follow-up period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859056
TI  - Predictive value of oropharyngeal cultures for identifying lower airway bacteria
      in cystic fibrosis patients.
AB  - Identifying lower respiratory pathogens in young, non expectorating cystic
      fibrosis (CF) patients has been problematic. Bronchial secretions are difficult
      to obtain, and little is known about lower airway flora in these patients. We
      collected simultaneous bronchial and oropharyngeal specimens in 43 CF patients in
      optimal respiratory status, including both expectorating (17) and
      nonexpectorating (26) patients, to determine the predictive value of
      oropharyngeal cultures for identifying lower airway pathogens. An additional goal
      was to characterize the lower respiratory flora of these patients. Predictive
      values were defined as the proportion of oropharyngeal culture results that
      accurately reflected the results of bronchial cultures. Predictive values of
      positive oropharyngeal cultures in nonexpectorating patients were 83% (95%
      confidence interval 36 to 100%) for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 91% (59 to 100%)
      for Staphylococcus aureus. Predictive values of negative oropharyngeal cultures
      were lower: 70% (48 to 86%) for R aeruginosa and 80% (52 to 96%) for S. aureus. A
      relatively high proportion of nonexpectorating CF patients less than 10 yr old
      had R aerusginosa (11 of 24, 46%) or Klebsiella species (5 of 24, 21%) in their
      lower airways. The isolation of Klebsiella was associated with younger age (p =
      0.03) and recent administration of antistaphylococcal antibiotics (p = 0.05). Our
      results suggest that oropharyngeal cultures yielding R aeruginosa or S. aureus
      are highly predictive, but such cultures lacking these organisms do not rule out
      the presence of these pathogens in the lower airways of CF patients.

PMID- 1859057
TI  - Repeatability of histamine bronchial challenge and comparability with
      methacholine bronchial challenge in a population of Australian schoolchildren.
AB  - To measure the repeatability of the bronchial challenge test and the
      comparability of histamine and methacholine as provoking agents, we studied a
      population sample of children and conducted histamine bronchial challenge tests
      on each of 3 consecutive days followed by a methacholine bronchial challenge on
      the fourth day. Bronchial responsiveness was measured using the rapid inhalation
      method. A total of 393 children had satisfactory bronchial challenge data for all
      4 days. The measurements derived from the dose-response curve were the PD20 FEV1,
      which was measured as the provoking dose causing a 20% fall in FEV1, and the dose
      response slope (DRS), which was measured as the percentage fall in FEV1 at final
      dose/total dose administered. Children who had a PD20 FEV1 were categorized as
      having bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). The percentage of children with BHR
      each day was between 7 and 11. One-third of the children with BHR reacted only to
      histamine or methacholine. The within-subject range for histamine PD20 FEV1
      values compared with methacholine suggested that histamine and methacholine are
      not directly comparable bronchial challenge agents. The dose-response slope
      values, which could be obtained for all children, had slightly better
      repeatability than PD20 FEV1 values. Because DRS values obtain data for the
      entire sample, have good repeatability, and are equally repeatable in children
      with normal responsiveness or bronchial hyperresponsiveness, they should prove
      more useful than PD20 FEV1 values for measuring bronchial responsiveness in
      populations.

PMID- 1859058
TI  - Assessment of airway responsiveness in infants with cystic fibrosis.
AB  - We compared the responses of cystic fibrosis (CF) (N = 14) and normal (N = 14)
      infants with inhaled methacholine. Airway function was assessed by forced
      expiratory flows at functional residual capacity (Vmax FRC) generated by the
      rapid compression technique, and methacholine responsiveness was quantitated as
      (1) TC: the threshold concentration to decrease Vmax FRC by 2 SD from baseline;
      (2) PC50: the provocative concentration to decrease Vmax FRC by 30%; and (3)
      SPC30; the slope of the dose-response curve between TC and PC30. There were no
      significant differences in age between CF and normal infants (16 +/- 8 versus 17
      +/- 5 months, p greater than 0.3); however, the CF infants were shorter (74 +/-
      10 versus 81 +/- 5 cm, p less than 0.05), had lower absolute Vmax FRC (241 +/-
      103 versus 374 +/- 113 ml/s, p less than 0.001), and tended to have lower
      percentage of predicted flow values (87 +/- 13 versus 111 +/- 34%, p less than
      0.10). Comparison of the indices of airway responsiveness revealed no difference
      in logTC; however, the CF infants had smaller, more negative values for logPC30 (
      0.76 +/- 0.52 versus -0.22 +/- 0.53, p less than 0.02) and steeper slopes to
      their dose-response curves (logSPC30, 2.42 +/- 0.45 versus 1.88 +/- 0.74, p less
      than 0.025). Indices of airway responsiveness correlated significantly with
      baseline Vmax FRC (% of predicted). After the influence of baseline flow upon
      airway responsiveness was accounted for by multiple linear regression analysis,
      there was a tendency for CF infants to be more responsive than control
      infants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859059
TI  - Short-term effect of albuterol, delivered via a new auxiliary device, in wheezy
      infants.
AB  - In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the response of lung function to
      albuterol, topically administered by a metered-dose inhaler (MD) through a baby
      adapted auxiliary device, was evaluated in 36 wheezy infants (1.6 to 25.2 months
      of age; median 8.1 months). The auxiliary device contains an air chamber of 350
      ml and two low-resistant valves separating the inspiratory from the expiratory
      line. After baseline lung function measurements by infant whole-body
      plethysmography, the patients were randomly assigned to inhale either three times
      two puffs albuterol (100 micrograms/puff) or three times two puffs placebo at 5
      min intervals. Changes in the degree of pulmonary hyperinflation, estimated by
      thoracic gas volume (TGV) and/or in the degree of bronchial obstruction,
      estimated by thoracic gas volume (TGV) and/or in the degree of bronchial
      obstruction, estimated by airway conductance (Gaw), were measured at 5-min
      intervals for up to 30 min. TGV and Gaw were expressed as standard deviation
      scores (SDS) of values predicted, and patients improving TGV and/or Gaw more than
      2 SD were considered responders. In comparison with placebo, a significant
      percentage improvement in TGV (by the mean 26 to 53%) and a significant
      percentage improvement in Gaw (by the mean 34 to 51%) could be found in the
      active treatment groups. The study documents the usefulness of a new auxiliary
      device for the administration of aerosolized bronchodilators to wheezy infants.

PMID- 1859060
TI  - Dissimilarity in methacholine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate responsiveness 3 and
      24 h after allergen challenge.
AB  - Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine and adenosine 5'
      monophosphate (AMP) was studied in 15 allergic asthmatic patients before and 3
      and 24 h after allergen challenge with house dust mite (HDM). Subjects attended
      the clinic on 3 consecutive days. On the first day a control solution was
      inhaled, and methacholine or AMP challenge was performed 3 h later. The next day
      HDM was inhaled, and 3 and 24 h later methacholine or AMP challenge was performed
      again. There were no significant difference in FEV1 baseline value between any of
      the study days. PD20 HDM, percentage decrease in FEV1, and AUC for both the EAR
      and LAR were not significantly different in the methacholine and AMP studies.
      After HDM challenge, PC20 methacholine decreased significantly from a geometric
      mean (+/- SEM) starting value of 1.39 +/- 0.63 mg/ml to 0.30 +/- 0.78 mg/ml (p
      less than 0.001) at 3 h and to 0.22 +/- 0.75 mg/ml (p less than 0.001) at 24 h.
      The magnitude of the decrease in PC20 methacholine at 3 h correlated with the
      severity of the late asthmatic reaction (LAR) as measured by the percentage fall
      in FEV1 and area under the curve (AUC) (r = -0.60 and r = 0.55; p less than
      0.05). A significant decrease was observed in the PC20 AMP at 3 h, from a
      geometric mean value of 12.2 +/- 0.96 mg/ml after challenge with the control
      solution to 4.47 +/- 0.99 mg/ml (p less than 0.05) after HDM challenge.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859061
TI  - Transient airway cooling modulates dry-air-induced and hypertonic aerosol-induced
      bronchoconstriction.
AB  - Airflow-induced bronchoconstriction (AIB) may be initiated in asthmatic patients
      by inhaling dry air during eucapnic hyperventilation or exercise. Hypertonic
      aerosol-induced bronchoconstriction (HIB) also occurs in these patients, but it
      differs from AIB by exhibiting a faster time course. Although AIB and HIB
      probably increase airway fluid osmolality, only AIB is associated with airway
      cooling. In light of the similarities between our canine model and human AIB, we
      examined peripheral airway responses to dry air and hypertonic aerosol challenge.
      Specifically, we studied the magnitude and time course of these responses in an
      in situ, isolated, perfused lobe in which airway temperature was independently
      controlled. At body temperature, HIB peaked immediately after challenge, whereas
      transient airway cooling during aerosol challenge delayed HIB. In contrast,
      airway cooling attenuated AIB but did not alter its time course. Hypocapnia- and
      histamine-induced responses were not affected by airway cooling, suggesting that
      smooth muscle function was not impaired. To the extent that the mechanisms
      producing AIB in dogs and in humans are similar, our results suggest that (1)
      changes in airway fluid osmolality initiate AIB, (2) AIB = HIB + Cooling, and (3)
      exercise-induced asthma results from an imbalance between an excitatory pathway
      stimulated by airway drying and an inhibitory pathway initiated by airway
      cooling.

PMID- 1859062
TI  - Epithelial modulation of airway smooth muscle response to endothelin-1.
AB  - We investigated the role of epithelial modulation of contraction caused by
      endothelin-1 in airway smooth muscle in guinea pigs in situ. Airway responses
      were assessed isometrically as tracheal force and simultaneously as change in
      lung resistance. Intravenous administration of 10(-8) mol/kg endothelin-1 caused
      a biphasic response in tracheal active tension: initial relaxation (-0.82 +/-
      0.22 g/cm after 30 s, p less than 0.05 versus baseline) followed by contraction
      (1.65 +/- 0.28 g/cm after 7 min, p less than 0.05 versus baseline). Endothelin-1
      also elicited immediate bronchoconstriction; lung resistance increased from 0.148
      +/- 0.030 to 0.992 +/- 0.274 cm H2O/L/s (p less than 0.005) after 10(-8) mol/kg
      endothelin-1 given intravenously. Active tension elicited by 10(-8) mol/kg
      endothelin-1 after removal of the epithelium from the tracheal segment (0.59 +/-
      0.16 g/cm) was less than in segments with an intact epithelium (1.65 +/- 0.28
      g/cm, p less than 0.01). Both tracheal contraction and bronchoconstriction were
      attenuated by pretreatment with indomethacin orally, BW 755C intravenously, or
      substitution of endothelin-C-terminal hexapeptide for endothelin-1. However, the
      initial tracheal relaxation response was similar after each intervention. These
      data suggest actions of endothelin-1 that have not been demonstrated previously:
      (1) endothelin-1 elicits a biphasic response in tracheal smooth muscle (an
      initial relaxation response elicited by the carboxy-terminal residues and a later
      contractile response that requires synthesis of a cyclooxygenase mediator) and
      (2) epithelium adjacent to the airway smooth muscle modulates contraction
      elicited by endothelin-1.

PMID- 1859064
TI  - Flow resistance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in acute
      respiratory failure. Effects of flow and volume.
AB  - The flow and volume dependence of the total resistance of the respiratory system
      (Rrs) was investigated in six mechanically ventilated patients with chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a simple, rapid method. Isovolume Rrs
      flow (V) relationships obtained at different inflation volumes (range 0.1 to 1 L)
      fitted (p less than 0.001) the following function: Rrs = a/V + b + cV, where a,
      b, and c are constants. The term "a/V" in this equation represents the hyperbolic
      decrease in thoracic tissue resistance with increasing flow; the term "cV"
      represents the linear increase in airway resistance with increasing flow. Rrs
      initially decreased with increasing V because at low flow the weight of the a/V
      was greater than that of the cV. At higher flow, however, cV became predominant
      and hence Rrs tended to increase. At an inflation volume of 0.5 L, minimum Rrs
      occurred at average inflation flow of 1.28 L/s. At low flow, Rrs increased
      progressively with increasing inflation volume; at inflation V greater than 1
      L/s, the highest values of Rrs were obtained at low inflation volumes. The flow
      and volume dependence of Rrs implies that, for comparative purposes, measurements
      of Rrs should be standardized to a fixed inflation flow and volume.

PMID- 1859063
TI  - Late-phase asthmatic reaction to inhaled allergen is associated with early
      recruitment of eosinophils in the airways.
AB  - To determine whether a link exists between the recruitment of inflammatory cells
      in the airways and the development of the late-phase asthmatic reaction, we
      studied with bronchoalveolar lavage 54 asthmatic patients either at baseline (10
      patients) or 4 h (11 patients), 24 h (13 patients), and 72 h (20 patients) after
      allergen inhalation challenge. Among the patients studied 4 h after allergen
      challenge, five were known to have a late-phase asthmatic response and showed a
      significant increase in the number and percentage of eosinophils in
      bronchoalveolar lavage compared with either patients without late-phase response
      (p less than 0.05) or unchallenged patients (p less than 0.01). Both the number
      and the percentage of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage were also increased
      (p less than 0.05) in patients without a late-phase asthmatic reaction studied 24
      h but not in those studied 4 h after allergen challenge. The numbers and the
      percentages of macrophages, neutrophils, or lymphocytes did not differ
      significantly among the different groups of patients. Of the patients studied 4
      and 24 h after allergen challenge, only those with a late-phase asthmatic
      response showed an increased airway responsiveness to methacholine 1 h before
      bronchoalveolar lavage. We conclude that the development of the late-phase
      asthmatic response to allergen inhalation challenge and the allergen-induced
      increase in airway responsiveness are associated with an early recruitment of
      eosinophils in the airways.

PMID- 1859065
TI  - Sustained improvement in gas exchange after negative pressure ventilation for 8
      hours per day on 2 successive days in chronic airflow limitation.
AB  - Negative pressure ventilation (NPV) was applied for 6 to 8 h/day for 2
      consecutive days in 13 patients with severe airflow limitation and chronic
      respiratory failure. After cessation of NPV, the mean arterial blood gases were
      improved in 10 patients, and this improvement was sustained for the nex 2 days in
      eight patients, for 3 days in seven patients, and was still present in four
      patients on the fourth day. Respiratory muscle strength improved in all patients,
      but there was no relationship between the increase in strength and sustained
      improvement in gas exchange. Ventilation and respiratory pattern were unchanged
      in all patients, but the mean VD/VT fell and VA rose while the VO2 and VCO2 fell.
      The ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia increased in patients who
      demonstrated sustained improvement in blood gases. The mechanism underlying the
      sustained improvement in gas exchange following NPV is not clear but is likely
      multifactorial.

PMID- 1859066
TI  - Constant-flow insufflation prevents arterial oxygen desaturation during
      endotracheal suctioning.
AB  - In mechanically ventilated patients, disconnection from the ventilator and
      endotracheal suctioning can induce major arterial oxygen desaturation resulting
      from apnea, changes in inspired oxygen fraction, and decrease in lung volume. The
      aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a simple method of delivering
      oxygen and maintaining lung volume during this process. Our study was conducted
      in two parts. In the first part, constant-flow insufflation of oxygen (CFI) was
      used in seven patients ventilated for acute respiratory failure (PaO2/FlO2 = 347
      +/- 33 mm Hg) as a means of maintaining arterial oxygenation during apnea and
      disconnection from the ventilator. CFI was administered via a modified
      endotracheal tube in which small capillaries allowed delivery of a high-velocity
      jet flow near the tracheal end of the tube during disconnection from the
      ventilator. In comparison to apnea alone, CFI prevented a fall in arterial oxygen
      tension (16 +/- 7 mm Hg during CFI versus 117 +/- 27 during apnea, after 90 s of
      disconnection in the two situations, p less than 0.001), whereas it did not
      reduce the development of hypercapnia. The efficacy of CFI resulted both from the
      injection of oxygen into the trachea and from the maintenance of positive
      alveolar pressure induced by air entrainment (mean 10.4 +/- 1.1 cm H2O),
      preventing a fall in lung volume usually occurring after disconnection (+338 +/-
      88 ml during CFI versus -344 +/- 64 ml during apnea, p less than 0.01). In the
      second part of the study CFI was used to prevent arterial oxygen desaturation
      induced by endotracheal suctioning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859067
TI  - Evolution of nocturnal oxyhemoglobin desaturation in patients with chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease and a daytime PaO2 above 60 mm Hg.
AB  - We studied 31 clinically stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
      patients with a PaO2 greater than or equal to 60 mm Hg using polysomnographic
      sleep study at baseline (between 1983 and 1986) and at a mean follow-up time of
      42.5 months to examine the evolution of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep nocturnal
      oxyhemoglobin desaturation (NOD). Arterial blood gases and spirometry measured at
      baseline and follow-up were compared with mean nocturnal SaO2 and to other REM
      sleep SaO2 parameters. We postulated that the onset of NOD would be seen most
      frequently in those patients with marked derangements of lung mechanics and
      greater longitudinal deterioration in arterial blood gases. Eight of the subjects
      developed REM-NOD on follow-up polysomnography. The appearance of REM-NOD was not
      related, or only minimally so, to initial PaO2, PaCO2, or mean nocturnal SaO2.
      Upon follow-up, however, the onset of NOD was always associated with
      deterioration of daytime PaO2 and PaCO2, mainly in those patients with the most
      severe baseline derangement of spirometry (lung mechanics). On the other hand,
      one group showed equivalent deterioration in daytime PaO2 and a stable PaCO2 but
      had less severely deranged baseline mechanics and demonstrated a fall in mean
      nocturnal SaO2 only. The findings in this latter group indicate that the
      development of NOD is not purely a result of decreasing daytime PaO2. We conclude
      that the onset of REM-NOD is mainly related to a severe derangement of lung
      mechanics with deterioration of resting awake gas exchange (progressive
      hypoxemia, hypercarbia, and worsening airflow).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859068
TI  - Effect of hypercapnia on total pulmonary resistance during wakefulness and during
      NREM sleep.
AB  - We investigated the effect of different levels of hypercapnia on total pulmonary
      resistance (RL) in 13 subjects ranging from nonsnorers with low RL to snorers
      with high RL and dynamic narrowing of the upper airway during inspiration. Added
      CO2 was adjusted to achieve a steady-state increase in PETCO2 of +2, +4, or +6 mm
      Hg. RL was measured at peak inspiratory flow (RLpf), at maximal resistance within
      breath (RLmax), and at 10 equally spaced points within inspiration in several
      trials. During wakefulness, hypercapnia was associated with decreased RLmax.
      During steady state +6 mm Hg hypercapnia, RLmax decreased by 30% (p less than
      0.01). During NREM sleep, low levels of hypercapnia did not affect RL. However,
      +6 mm Hg hypercapnia was associated with decreased RLmax in six of eight subjects
      (p = 0.07), especially in subjects with high RLmax during room air breathing. The
      effects of hypercapnia on RLpf paralleled its effect on RLmax. We concluded that
      (1) the decrease in RL during awake hypercapnia suggests an increase in upper
      airway dimensions and stiffness, (2) the absence of increased RL during low level
      NREM hypercapnia (despite the increase in inspiratory flows and collapsing
      pressures) also suggests an increase in upper airway dimensions and stiffness,
      and (3) upper airway dilating muscles appear to be recruited in a coordinated
      fashion with inspiratory muscles in normal humans during NREM sleep. The
      implications of these findings in patients with obstructive sleep apnea are not
      clear at this point.

PMID- 1859069
TI  - Diaphragmatic energetics during prolonged exhaustive exercise.
AB  - The present study was carried out to examine diaphragmatic O2 extraction and
      lactate and ammonia production during prolonged exhaustive exercise. Experiments
      were performed on nine healthy exercise-conditioned ponies in which catheters had
      been implanted in the phrenic vein previously. Blood-gas variables and lactate
      and ammonia concentrations were determined on simultaneously obtained arterial
      and phrenic-venous blood samples at rest and during 30 min of exertion at 15 mph
      + 7% grade (heart rate, 200 beats/min; approximately 90% of maximum). Arterial O2
      tension and saturation were maintained near resting value but CO2 tension
      decreased markedly with exercise, and because of increased hemoglobin
      concentration, arterial O2 content rose. Concomitantly, phrenic venous O2
      tension, saturation and content decreased markedly (23.6 +/- 1 mm Hg, 24.5 +/-
      2%, 5.2 +/- 0.3 ml/dl at 3 min of exertion) and significant fluctuations did not
      occur as exercise duration progressed to 30 min. Diaphragmatic arteriovenous O2
      content difference and O2 extraction rose from 4 +/- 0.3 to 16 +/- 0.5 ml/dl and
      from 30 +/- 3 to 75 +/- 1% at 3 min of exercise, and significant deviations did
      not occur as exercise duration progressed. Arterial lactate and ammonia levels
      increased during exercise, indicating their release from working limb muscles.
      Phrenic-venous values of lactate and ammonia did not exceed arterial values.
      Ponies sweated profusely and were unable to keep up with the belt speed in the
      last 4 to 5 min of exercise. Constancy of phrenic arteriovenous O2 content
      difference in exercise indicated ability to adjust perfusion in diaphragm so as
      to adequately meet its O2 needs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859070
TI  - Oral mucosal stimulation modulates intensity of breathlessness induced in normal
      subjects.
AB  - Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often report an
      increase in breathlessness when they breathe through a mouthpiece. We
      hypothesized that stimulation of receptors in the oral mucosa modulates the
      sensation of breathlessness. We studied 10 normal naive volunteers in whom
      breathlessness was induced by having them breathe for 4 min with an inspiratory
      resistive load (18 cm H2O/L/s) while breathing was stimulated by CO2 inhalation
      (end-tidal PCO2 maintained at 55 mm Hg). Initially, subjects breathed with a
      tight-fitting face mask and inspiratory flow was displayed on a storage
      oscilloscope. In subsequent trials, the subjects were asked to match this trace,
      which controlled ventilation and the pattern of breathing. Subjects performed
      eight trials, four with the tight-fitting mask only (M) and four with a
      mouthpiece and the mask (MM). M and MM were alternated; the initial condition was
      chosen at random. Following each of the trials, subjects rated the intensity of
      their breathlessness by choosing a number from a modified Borg scale. On the
      average, subjects were more breathless while breathing with the mask and
      mouthpiece than with the mask alone (mean ratings of breathlessness 6.6 +/- 1.1
      and 5.6 +/- 1.8 units, p less than 0.01). Six subjects repeated the protocol on 2
      additional days: 1 day with inhalation of warm (34 degrees C), humidified air and
      1 day after topical application of 4% lidocaine to the oral mucosa. Both these
      interventions abolished the differences in breathlessness between mask and
      mouthpiece and mask alone. We conclude that afferent information from oral
      mucosal stimulation influences the intensity of breathlessness.

PMID- 1859071
TI  - Structural changes in the airways of sensitized brown Norway rats after antigen
      challenge.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to quantitate the structural changes in the airways
      of sensitized rats after repeated challenge with aerosolized antigen and to
      examine the relationship between these changes and alterations in responsiveness
      to methacholine (MCh). We studied 28 Brown Norway rats that were actively
      sensitized to ovalbumin (OA). Responsiveness to aerosolized MCh was quantitated
      as the concentration of MCh required to double pulmonary resistance (EC200 RL).
      The EC200 RL was determined before and 1 and 5 days after three inhalational
      challenges with OA (n = 17) or saline (n = 11) at 5-day intervals (on Days 14,
      19, and 24 after sensitization). Responsiveness to MCh increased after OA; EC200
      RL fell from 1.71 to 0.71 mg/ml at 1 day (p less than 0.01) and 0.87 mg/ml at 5
      days (p less than 0.02) after OA but did not change after saline challenge.
      Formalin-fixed lungs from a sample of OA-challenged (n = 12) and saline
      challenged (n = 6) animals were paraffin embedded, and 5-microns sections were
      stained with hematoxylin-phloxin-saffron. Cross-sectional areas of the airway
      wall and smooth muscle (ASM) were determined for all intrapulmonary membranous
      airways. There was an approximately twofold increase in the quantity of airway
      smooth muscle in airways of OA-challenged animals compared with saline-challenged
      control animals. Airway wall area did not change significantly. There was a
      correlation (r = 0.618, p less than 0.05) between the quantity of ASM in large
      airways (basement membrane length 2.00 to 2.99 mm) and change in responsiveness
      to MCh.

PMID- 1859072
TI  - Three-dimensional upper airway computed tomography in obstructive sleep apnea. A
      prospective study in patients treated by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
AB  - The success of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in treating obstructive sleep apnea
      varies considerably. Some of this variability may be accounted for by differences
      in the site of upper airway narrowing. To determine whether preoperative awake
      upper airway and soft tissue volumes predict the response to
      uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, preoperative awake computed tomograms (CT) of the
      upper airway were performed on 60 consecutive patients with symptomatic
      obstructive sleep apnea. Tracings were made from the CT scans of upper airway,
      tongue, and soft palate. Computer software was used to determine the cross
      sectional area and volume of the upper airway, tongue, and soft palate. Patients
      underwent overnight polysomnograms before and 3 months after
      uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Tongue volume was larger (p less than 0.02) and both
      upper airway to tongue volume (p less than 0.0005) and oropharynx to soft palate
      volume ratios (p less than 0.01) were smaller in obese patients. A good response
      to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty as defined by a postoperative apnea index of less
      than 5 apneas/h or a reduction in apnea index greater than or equal to 50% was
      seen in 50 patients (83%). Patients who had a good response had a smaller
      oropharyngeal cross-sectional area (p less than 0.01), a smaller upper airway
      volume (p less than 0.05), a smaller upper airway to tongue volume ratio (p less
      than 0.01), and a smaller oropharynx to soft palate volume ratio (p less than
      0.05). Obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea have larger tongues and
      smaller upper airways relative to tongue and soft palate size. Patients with
      smaller upper airways, particularly relative to tongue and soft palate size, have
      a good response to uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

PMID- 1859073
TI  - Pulmonary considerations of organ transplantation. Part 3.

PMID- 1859074
TI  - Matrix-driven pneumocyte differentiation.
AB  - This commentary presents evidence in support of a hypothesis that adult mammalian
      alveolar epithelial basement membrane possesses functional and structural domains
      that determine sites at which type I and type II cells localize. The hypothesis
      provides a framework for understanding how, after normal repair of the
      epithelium, a constant ratio of type I and type II cells, and the localization of
      the cell types is maintained.

PMID- 1859075
TI  - T lymphocyte activation in patients with active tuberculosis.
AB  - Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is a marker of T lymphocyte activation.
      We measured the amount of serum sIL-2R in 35 patients with active tuberculosis
      before the initiation of antituberculous treatment. Twenty had pulmonary
      parenchymal lesion, 8 had tuberculous pleural effusion, and 7 had tuberculous
      lymphadenitis. The serum sIL-2R values were markedly elevated in patients with
      pulmonary tuberculosis (parenchymal lesion and pleural effusion) compared with
      patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis (2,612 +/- 536 versus 538 +/- 121 U/ml, p
      = 0.023), old, inactive tuberculosis (335 +/- 23 U/ml, p = 0.001), and normal
      control subjects (376 +/- 38 U/ml, p = 0.001). No significant difference was
      found between patients with parenchymal lesion and those with tuberculous pleural
      effusion. There was a positive correlation between serum sIL-2R values and the
      extent of disease on chest radiograph (r = 0.58, p less than 0.001). We conclude
      that the amount of sIL-2R may be a useful marker of disease activity and extent
      of involvement in patients with active tuberculous lesions.

PMID- 1859076
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnea during pregnancy. Therapy and implications for fetal
      health.
AB  - A 32 yr-old woman in her last trimester of pregnancy was found to have severe
      obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The overnight polysomnogram demonstrated an apnea
      plus hypopnea index of 159 events per hour. Apneas were associated with severe
      oxygen desaturation to 40% during rapid eye movement sleep, maternal bradycardia,
      and second degree heart block. External cardiotocography showed normal fetal
      heart rate reactivity to fetal movements, even during the apneas and episodes of
      oxygen desaturation. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure at a level of 15
      cm H2O effectively treated the apneas and desaturation and had no effect on the
      fetal heart rate. The patient was induced electively during the 39th wk of
      pregnancy and gave birth to a newborn with growth retardation. Early recognition
      and treatment of OSA in pregnancy might prevent problems with fetal development.

PMID- 1859077
TI  - Health effects of atmospheric acids and their precursors. Report of the ATS
      workshop on the Health Effects of Atmospheric Acids and their Precursors.

PMID- 1859078
TI  - Intact epithelial barrier function is critical for resolution of alveolar edema
      in humans.

PMID- 1859079
TI  - Surfactant replacement improves lung recoil in rabbit lungs after acid
      aspiration.

PMID- 1859080
TI  - An outbreak of suppurative lymphadenitis connected with BCG vaccination in
      Austria, 1990/1991.

PMID- 1859081
TI  - Fatal mistaken identity.

PMID- 1859082
TI  - Human longevity and aging: possible role of reactive oxygen species.
AB  - A brief overview has been given of the biological nature of human aging
      processes, where it has been emphasized that, in addition to the diseases of
      aging, there is also great economic loss as a result of human aging processes
      that began many years before medical costs related to aging begin to escalate.
      Because of the ubiquitous nature of aging, reducing the function of essentially
      all physiological processes, it appears that the only long-term solution to human
      aging problems is to decrease uniformly the aging rate of the entire body.
      Although the uniform decrease of aging rate has usually been considered
      impossible, where emphasis has consequently been placed on diseases of aging by
      the medically-orientated investigator, there is now at least one theoretical
      argument, accompanied by some experimental data, that suggests that progress can
      be made in achieving this goal. This progress has been based on the longevity
      determinant gene hypothesis predicting the existence of a relatively few key
      regulatory factors governing aging rate of the entire organism. If this
      hypothesis is not true, then indeed the prospect for significant intervention
      into human aging would appear impossible in the near future. Experiments have
      been briefly reviewed testing the longevity determinant gene hypothesis, the
      possibility that aging may be a result of dysdifferentiation and if aging rate is
      determined by mechanisms acting to stabilize the differentiated state of cells.
      In testing the dysdifferentiation hypothesis of aging, there is not yet much data
      one way or the other. It is evident, however, that changes in gene expression do
      occur with age, sometimes involving endogenous retroviruses or oncogenes. Other
      morphological evidence shows an increase with age in unusual cell type such as
      metaplasia cells. However, there is considerably more evidence indicating that
      aging may be a result of genetic instability (as it is in cancer) and that longer
      lived species appear to have a more stable genetic apparatus and superior
      protective mechanisms against reactive oxygen species. There is a striking
      similarity in this model of aging and models of cancer, and much might be gained
      in bringing together these two fields of research. Taking all of these data
      together, as summarized in Table 14, it appears we may be on the right track and
      that mechanisms acting to protect DNA against oxidative damage may be one class
      of longevity determinant mechanisms. There is of course much work remaining to be
      done, some of which is listed in Table 15 in terms of our knowledge and our gaps
      of knowledge in this field.

PMID- 1859083
TI  - Behavioral and electrocortical spectrum power effects after microinfusion of
      lymphokines in several areas of the rat brain.

PMID- 1859084
TI  - Enkephalin-induced stimulation of humoral and cellular immune reactions in aged
      rats.
AB  - Twenty-month-old Wistar rats received intraperitoneal injections of the opioid
      pentapeptide, methionine-enkephalin (Met-Enk) in periods before and after
      immunization with cellular and soluble antigens. Animals were treated with 0.2 mg
      of Met-Enk/kg b.w., a dose previously found to increase immune capacity in young
      adult rats. Saline-treated 20-month-old, and Met-Enk-treated rats and saline
      treated 8-week-old controls were set up for each experimental group. Immune
      performance was evaluated by plaque-forming cell response, antibody production
      and various immunoinflammatory reactions. At autopsy, thymus and spleen were
      weighed and processed for histological examination. The results showed that 0.2
      mg dose of Met-Enk produced significant enhancement of both humoral and cellular
      immune responses in senescent rats. Methionine-enkephalin treatment also induced
      a significant increase in thymus and spleen weights in these animals. Analysis of
      the cellular make up of these organs revealed the enlargement of cortical and
      medullary areas, and pronounced pyroninophilia in the subcortical zone of the
      thymus and thymus-dependent areas of the spleen. The results suggest that Met-Enk
      exerts an immunorestorative activity in aged animals, and that changes in the
      opioid system may play an important role in the maintenance of immune functions
      during senescence.

PMID- 1859085
TI  - Immunostimulatory activity of prothymosin-alpha in senescence.
AB  - In this study we evaluated the immunorestorative activity of prothymosin-alpha
      (ProT-alpha) in senescence. Aged rats were repeatedly injected with ProT-alpha
      after antigen challenge. Both humoral and cell-mediated immune reactions were
      tested. The results show that ProT-alpha exerted a marked immunopotentiating
      effect in aged rats. Moreover, ProT-alpha induced enhancement of PFC response,
      and skin hypersensitivity reactions were more pronounced in senescent rats than
      in young adult controls. ProT-alpha treatment increased thymus and spleen weights
      in aged rats, and induced qualitative and quantitative improvements of the
      cellular make-up of the thymus and thymus-dependent areas of the spleen. The
      results imply that "restoring" thymus endocrine function by exogenous
      administration of ProT-alpha may improve immune system homeostasis in senescence.

PMID- 1859086
TI  - Band 3 in aging and neurological disease.
AB  - Senescent cell antigen appears on old cells and marks them for death by
      initiating the binding of IgG autoantibody and subsequent removal by phagocytes
      in mammals and other vertebrates. We have created a synthetic aging antigen that
      blocks binding of IgG to senescent cells in vitro. Synthetic senescent cell
      antigen might be effective in preventing cellular destruction in vivo in certain
      diseases, and can be used to manipulate cellular life span in situ. Senescent
      cell antigen is generated by the modification of an important structural and
      transport membrane molecule, protein band 3. Band 3 is present in cellular,
      nuclear, Golgi, and mitochondrial membranes as well as in cell membranes. Band 3
      proteins in nucleated cells participate in cell surface patching and capping.
      Band 3 maintains acid-base balance by mediating the exchange of anions (e.g.,
      chloride, bicarbonate), and is the binding site for glycolytic enzymes. It is
      responsible for CO2 exchange in all tissues and organs. Thus, it is the most
      heavily used anion transport system in the body. Band 3 is a major transmembrane
      structural protein which attaches the plasma membrane to the internal cell
      cytoskeleton by binding to band 2.1 (ankyrin). Oxidation generates senescent cell
      antigen in situ. Band 3 is present in the central nervous system, and differences
      have been described in band 3 between young and aging brain tissue. One autosomal
      recessive neurological disease, choreoacanthocytosis, is associated with band 3
      abnormalities. The 150 residues of the carboxyl terminus segment of band 3 appear
      to be altered. In brains from Alzheimer's disease patients, antibodies to aged
      band 3 label the amyloid core of classical plaques and the microglial cells
      located in the middle of the plaque in tissue sections, and an abnormal band 3 in
      immunoblots. Band 3 protein(s) in mammalian brain performs the same functions as
      that of erythroid band 3. These functions is anion transport, ankyrin binding,
      and generation of senescent cell antigen, an aging antigen that terminates the
      life of cells. Structural similarity of brain and erythroid band 3 is suggested
      by the reaction of antibodies to synthetic peptides of erythroid band 3 with
      brain band 3, the inhibition of anion transport by the same inhibitors, and an
      equal degree of inhibition of brain and erythrocyte anion transport by synthetic
      peptides of erythroid band 3. One of these segments, pep-COOH, contains antigenic
      determinants of senescent cell antigen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1859087
TI  - Platelet autoantibodies in dementia and schizophrenia. Possible implication for
      mental disorders.
AB  - Platelets isolated from blood of demented and schizophrenic patients were found
      to bear surface antibodies at a considerably higher titer than those found on
      platelets from normal age-matched groups or patients with affective disorders.
      The platelet count in demented and schizophrenic patients correlated inversely
      with the level of the platelet associated antibodies (PAA) which suggested an
      autoimmune route of opsonization. In most individual cases of dementia or
      schizophrenia PAA and platelet count were found to oscillate with time between
      high PAA-low platelet number and low PAA-high platelet number in approximately
      inverse correlation. PAA isolated from demented patients were found to cross
      react with platelets from normals and with brain tissue from rats. Furthermore,
      molecular weights of specific brain antigens were identified by binding to PAA.
      These observations support the possibility that PAA might be implicated in the
      etiology of some mental dysfunctions associated with dementia and schizophrenia.

PMID- 1859088
TI  - Calcitonin gene-related peptide in the developing and aging thymus. An
      immunocytochemical study.
AB  - Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is known to block Con A and PHA induced T
      cell proliferation. As a first step in determining the role of this peptide in T
      cell education and function we have studied the distribution of CGRP within the
      developing mouse thymus using immunocytochemistry. CGRP-like immunoreactivity
      (CGRP-IR) was found in the thymic nerves in close proximity to blood vessels in
      the 17-day-old embryonic mouse thymus. A discrete population of small cells at
      the cortico-medullary junction also stained intensely for CGRP. As the mouse
      thymus reached maturity (three to eight weeks) CGRP innervation became more
      dense, with fibers running along the vasculature at the cortico-medullary
      boundary, then branching into the cortical and medullary regions. Some fibers
      were invested in the blood vessels while a large portion formed varicosities
      among the cells of the thymus. In the mature thymus, the small CGRP-IR cortico
      medullary cells were more numerous, and CGRP-IR was also found in subcapsular and
      trabecular mast cells. The pattern of innervation remained the same in the aging
      mouse thymus (six months), but there appeared to be somewhat fewer cortico
      medullary cells and an increase in mast cell number. In the aged (eighteen
      months) thymus, the small CGRP-IR cortico-medullary cells were rarely seen, but
      mast cells were more numerous, most of which stained positively for CGRP, in the
      connective tissue. Nerves containing CGRP-IR generally had the same distribution
      as in the younger mice but appeared somewhat truncated. The distribution of CGRP
      IR nerves in the mouse thymus at different stages of development was similar to
      that reported for cholinergic (AChE-positive) nerves. Since the brain-stem vagal
      nuclei have been shown by retrograde transport studies to project to the thymus
      as well as to contain CGRP-IR neurons, our findings suggest that CGRP-IR thymic
      nerves may be derived from the vagus complex.

PMID- 1859089
TI  - Survey of thymic hormone effects on physical and immunological parameters in
      C57BL/6NNia mice of different ages.
AB  - Immunosenescence occurs with aging, which is seen in decline in response to
      mitogens PHA, ConA, decline in cell-mediated immunity, increase in anemia, and
      increase in autoimmune antibodies to erythrocytes and DNA. These studies compared
      FTS, TP5, TM4, and TF5 in C57BL/6NNia mice. Mice aged 4, 26, 52, 78 and 104 wk
      were treated with various hormones 5x/wk for 3 wk and monitored for hormonal
      effects on weight; hematocrit; peripheral blood, spleen, and thymic cell numbers;
      spleen and peripheral blood cell mitogen responses to PHA, ConA, LPS; IgM
      hemolysin autoantibody; and cell-mediated cytotoxicity to P815 allogenic cells.
      Hormone treatments altered mitogen responses, enhanced IgM hemolysin autoantibody
      production, and modulated cell-mediated immune responses. The effects were not
      consistent for every hormone. There was a tendency for enhancement in younger
      mice and suppression in older animals. Treatment with FTS showed the greatest
      changes in either enhancing or suppressing the different parameters measured. The
      hormonal effects appeared to be age specific in that certain activities were
      altered for certain age groups but not in others. Hormone treatment did not
      restore any immune parameters in old mice to the level of young animals. In
      general, the different hormones did not consistently produce the same effects in
      C57BL/6NNia mice of different age groups. Even though all animals received from
      National Institutes on Aging (NIA) animal models program were held under strictly
      controlled conditions, intrinsic variations between cohorts of different ages are
      difficult to control. Cohorts of aging animals tested at different times might be
      intrinsically different. This inherent variability in the cohorts could affect
      the range of activity, specificity and reproducibility of hormone effects in
      vivo. Most importantly, it should be emphasized that cross-sectional data
      identifies age differences rather than age changes. There is no assurance that
      age changes in any individual or in all subpopulations follow this pattern. In
      our studies only healthy animals were used. Old, sick, or tumor-bearing animals
      were culled out prior to being sent to us. Therefore, the 78- and 104-wk-old mice
      represent selected healthy cohorts. The age changes that take place can be
      answered only from repeated measurements made in the same individual over time.

PMID- 1859090
TI  - Pituitary-adrenocortical and pineal activities in the aged rat. Effects of long
      term treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine.

PMID- 1859091
TI  - Phospholipase A2 as a "death trigger" in the aging process. The use of PLA2
      inhibitors as antiaging substances.

PMID- 1859092
TI  - The decline of the immune response during aging: the role of an altered lipid
      metabolism.

PMID- 1859093
TI  - The pineal control of aging. The effects of melatonin and pineal grafting on the
      survival of older mice.

PMID- 1859094
TI  - The role of zinc in neuroendocrine-immune interactions during aging.

PMID- 1859095
TI  - Retardation of the aging processes in rats by food restriction.

PMID- 1859096
TI  - Longevity-assurance mechanisms and caloric restriction.

PMID- 1859097
TI  - Effects of factors prolonging life span on carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1859098
TI  - Pathogenetic approaches to prevention of age-associated increase of cancer
      incidence.

PMID- 1859099
TI  - Age changes in chromatin: accumulative or programmed?

PMID- 1859100
TI  - Genetic and environmental modulations of chromosomal stability: their roles in
      aging and oncogenesis.
AB  - The primary objective of this review is to suggest a major role of cytogenetic
      pathology in the genesis of both the neoplastic phenotype and the senescent
      phenotype of aging mammalian organisms. It is hypothesized that allelic variation
      at a number of genetic loci that have the potential to modulate various types of
      chromosomal mutation could account, in part, for species-specific variations in
      maximum life-span potentials and the times of onset of characteristic age-related
      neoplasms. As a corollary to this proposition, attention is directed to the
      potential importance of environmental clastogens and aneugens as both oncogenic
      and "gerontogenic" agents. By way of introduction, a series of definitions of our
      subject material is given (aging, oncogenesis, proliferative homeostasis, point
      mutation, chromosomal mutation, epimutation, mutagens, clastogens, aneugens,
      gerontogens). There follows a defense of the view that there is a tight coupling
      of abnormalities in proliferative homeostasis (including atrophies, hyperplasias,
      benign neoplasias and malignant neoplasias) with intrinsic biological aging. This
      view differs from those of other authors who either: 1) believe that, to qualify
      as a bona fide component of aging, the phenotype in question (in this case,
      neoplasia) must be "genetically programmed" or 2) insist that the rate of
      development of the neoplastic phenotype should parallel species-specific Gompertz
      kinetics for the survival of the population of organisms. After briefly reviewing
      the classification of chromosomal lesions, we consider evidence for
      constitutional genetic determinants of chromosomal stability, oncogenesis, and
      some other aspects of the senescent phenotype, both with respect to interspecific
      and intraspecific differences. The discussion will include the recent evidence
      characterizing a human segmental progeroid syndrome (Werner's syndrome) as a
      deletor mutator strain. A summary of research on environmental chemical
      clastogens and aneugens is given, showing both discordances and concordances of
      such assays with assays for point mutagens. An analysis of the literature
      indicates that there is no statistical evidence for the positive correlations
      when substances showing effects only at comparatively high concentrations
      (greater than 1 mM) are excluded from the analysis. Brief mention is also made of
      the roles of viral agents and ionizing radiation in the genesis of chromosomal
      mutations. Finally, some possible pathogenetic mechanisms common to chromosomal
      mutagenicity, oncogenicity and gerontogenicity are considered, including chemical
      free radicals (active oxygen species), DNA transposition, DNA amplification, DNA
      glycation, virally induced cell fusion, posttranslational modifications of
      centromeric and mitotic spindle proteins, and alterations in the metabolism of
      telomeric DNA.

PMID- 1859101
TI  - Two dozen current problems in neuroimmunomodulation, aging, and cancer research;
      the second Stromboli cocktail; further rambunctious remarks.

PMID- 1859102
TI  - DNA processing, aging, and cancer. The impact of new technology.

PMID- 1859103
TI  - Longevity and heredity in humans. Association with the human leucocyte antigen
      phenotype.
AB  - Several arguments support the idea of a link between longevity and heredity, both
      in experimental animals and in the human species. In mice, genes in the major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) are associated with a significant effect on life
      span. Results of analogous studies in man are confusing and contradictory. We
      have therefore investigated the question of an association of the human leucocyte
      antigen (HLA) and longevity in a large and ethnically homogeneous population. Our
      study population consisted of all 964 available inhabitants aged 85 years and
      over in the Dutch community of Leiden (pop. 104,000). Our control group comprised
      2444 young inhabitants, aged 20-35 years, with an identical ethnic and
      demographic background. In addition, control groups of different age-brackets
      from the same region were used. Two antigens differed in frequency: HLA-B40 was
      lower and HLA-DR5 was higher in the group of 85 years and over, as compared to
      the control group, aged 20-35 years. Both differences were more evident in
      females. No major disease associations with HLA-B40 or HLA-DR5 have been
      reported. It is unlikely that these results are a chance observation: the overall
      similarity of the HLA pattern of the old and young age groups is a confirmation
      of their identical ethnic and demographic background and the changes as observed
      in the different age-groups were gradual. The biological meaning of these results
      is still unclear.

PMID- 1859104
TI  - In vivo probing of the brain cholinergic system in the aged rat. Effects of long
      term treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine.
AB  - The regulation of acetylcholine (ACh) release by the different subtypes of
      muscarinic (M) receptors in the hippocampus of freely-moving Fischer and Sprague
      Dawley rats, was investigated. Atropine (10 mumol/kg i.p.) induced a pronounced
      increase of ACh release (+400% over basal values) in the hippocampus of young
      rats (3 months) while the effect was drastically reduced (+100% over basal
      values) in old rats (24 months). The preferential M2 antagonist AF-DX 116 (50
      mumol/kg i.p.) showed similar effects in young and old rats being, furthermore,
      10 times less potent than atropine. The preferential M1 antagonist pirenzepine
      (50 mumol/kg i.p.) was even less potent than AF-DX 116 in enhancing ACh release
      in young rats, while the effect was more pronounced in the old ones. Therefore,
      the effect of the preferential M3 antagonist 4-DAMP was studied. 4-DAMP 10(-6) M,
      dissolved in the Ringer solution perfusing the hippocampus, induced an
      enhancement of ACh release (+200% and +70% over basal values, in young and old
      rats, respectively) which was comparable to that obtained after atropine at the
      same concentration. AF-DX 116 and pirenzepine, on the other hand, were by far
      less potent. Six months' pretreatment with acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR) reduced the
      significant differences between young and old rats in the release response after
      M1 and M3 receptor antagonists. Taken all together, these findings indicate that
      the regulation of ACh release, at least in the hippocampus, is mainly through the
      M3 receptors subtype of muscarinic receptors and that this subtype is the most
      involved in the aging process. Moreover, the ability of ALCAR to preserve the
      receptor-mediated functional ACh release response with respect to old animals
      suggests that ALCAR could be utilized in the amelioration of receptor
      functionality in the aging brain.

PMID- 1859106
TI  - [Ultrasound endoscopy in colonic and rectal disease].

PMID- 1859105
TI  - Reactive capacities of the central nervous system in physiological aging and
      senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.

PMID- 1859107
TI  - [Feminising testicular tumors].

PMID- 1859108
TI  - [Immediate breast reconstruction].

PMID- 1859109
TI  - [Resection of the portal vein in pancreatectomy for cancer: technical
      considerations. Apropos of 4 cases].
AB  - Out of 150 carcinomas of the pancreas operated from 1970 through 1989, 50
      pancreatectomies were performed, including 4 cases of segmental resection of
      portal vein with total pancreatectomy (2 cases) or duodenopancreatectomy (2
      cases). The technical procedure is described and discussed. Segmental resection
      of portal vein is rare in our experience and has been always performed out of
      necessity because of the over estimation of the resectability. However, mortality
      and post-operative stay are not increased.

PMID- 1859111
TI  - [Perforated peptic ulcer. Immediate results of therapeutic strategy].
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate of logical program for the management of
      patients with perforated peptic ulcers. The case records of 75 consecutive
      patients were reviewed. The average age of the patients was 52 years. Ten
      patients were older than 80. The logical program was based on preoperative risk
      factors (concurrent medical illness, preoperative shock, and longstanding
      perforation more than 48 hours), history of chronic ulcer symptoms, and in
      selected cases, spontaneous seal on X-Ray gastroduodenogram with a water soluble
      contrast medium. The program was applied in 75% of cases and not applied in 25%.
      Out of 9 post-operative deaths (12%), 3 had a surgical cause: leakage of the
      suture with dehiscence in two cases. The mortality increased progressively with
      increasing of number of risk factors: 0%, 10% and 55% in patients with no, one,
      and two or three risk factors respectively. These findings constitute a
      validation of the predictive factors of death proposed by Boey et al. A logical
      program for the management of patients based on results of such multifactorial
      studies on risk factors, and on results of randomized prospective controlled
      studies may be applied in almost all patients. Our results also suggest that the
      quality of the perforation suture, and of the abdominal closure, especially in
      old and obese patients, are the most important factors to decrease the mortality.

PMID- 1859110
TI  - [Intestinal ischemia after surgery of the infrarenal aorta. Apropos of 13 cases].
AB  - Ischemic damage of the gastrointestinal tract following aorto-iliac surgery was
      estimated in a retrospective study. Between 1984 and 1988, we observed 13 cases
      of intestinal ischemia from a total of 416 surgical patients (3 per cent): 7
      cases of full-thickness necrosis and 6 cases of transient ischemia. They
      represent 23 per cent of complications in ruptured aneurysmal surgery, 2.8 per
      cent in elective aneurysmal surgery, and 1.6 per cent in operations for
      obstructive lesions. All deaths (5/13) followed necrosis. Diarrhea, sometimes
      bloody, was the main symptom. Its sensitivity was 70 per cent, and its
      specificity was 98 per cent. Leukocytosis (greater than 10000/mm3), was noted in
      70 p. cent of the cases of ischemia. The diagnosis was established by colonoscopy
      in 7 cases and by surgical examinations in 6 cases. The endoscopic injuries were
      ulcerations, punctate hemorrhages, and pseudomembranes localized in the sigmoid
      (77 p. cent), left colon (38 per cent) and small bowel (15 per cent). Of 13
      patients, 6 developed intraoperative hypotension. This study confirms the gravity
      of intestinal ischemia after aortic surgery. In high risk patients (ruptured
      aortic aneurysm, intraoperative hypotension, postoperative diarrhea) endoscopy
      offers the possibility of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

PMID- 1859112
TI  - [Aneurysms in various segments of the hepatic artery. Treatment by resection].
AB  - The authors report two cases of aneurysms of the hepatic artery, one of which,
      with a intrahepatic localisation, was complicated by rupture and infection. The
      etiology was atherosclerotic in the case involving the main trunk of the hepatic
      artery, and polyarteritis nodosa in the case with intrahepatic involvement. Both
      were resected; the extrahepatic aneurysm was excised and a venous graft inserted,
      whereas in the one with intrahepatic involvement, right lobectomy was performed.
      On the basis of these cases, the authors discuss the various etiologies and the
      problems related to the indications and surgical techniques for aneurysms of the
      main trunk of the hepatic artery and those of its intrahepatic branches.

PMID- 1859113
TI  - [Comparative study of the treatment of fractures of the head of the radius by
      resection or by Swanson's silastic implant].
AB  - The authors report 62 fractures of the head of the radius treated either by
      excision or silastic implant arthroplasty. Fifty-two patients were reviewed with
      a mean follow-up period of 5 years (range 1 to 13). Of 22 prosthetic
      replacements, 12 were satisfactory while of 30 excisions only 10 were rated good
      or excellent. Excision usually yielded valgus deformity of the elbow (range 9 to
      35 degrees) and with a risk of shortening of the radius. Range of flexion
      extension was identical after both procedures but pronation supination was better
      after prosthesis replacement (78/70) than after radial head excision (65/60) 3
      fractures of the implant were found at 6, 9 and 10 years postoperatively; only
      one of them was associated with pain and required removal of the loose fragments.

PMID- 1859114
TI  - [Intestinal intussusceptions in adults. Apropos of a case of spontaneous colo
      colonic intussusception].
AB  - A case of idiopathic colonic intussusception in a 39-year old woman is reported.
      The main features of the disease are reviewed: the clinical presentation may be
      subacute or chronic, diagnosis is based on ultrasonography and water-soluble
      contrast media enema. Because of the frequency of malignancy primary resection in
      the treatment of choice.

PMID- 1859116
TI  - [In favour of cecostomy].

PMID- 1859115
TI  - [Streptococcus pneumoniae thyroid abscess associated with a toxic nodular goiter.
      Apropos of a case].
AB  - An unusual case of acute suppurative thyroiditis in association with toxic
      nodular goiter is reported by the authors. Surgical therapy was necessary due to
      the severity of the local and systemic inflammation induced by this association.

PMID- 1859118
TI  - [Pre-peritoneal inguinal hernioplasty using Rhodergon's prosthesis. Study of a
      series of 282 hernia operations].
AB  - 282 acquired inguinal hernias in 183 adult patients were treated between 1974 and
      1986 by means of a pre-peritoneal prosthesis. Posterior herniorrhaphy with
      reconstruction of the internal inguinal ring was associated with this procedure
      from 1981 onwards. 75% of the patients were reviewed with a mean follow-up of 58
      months. Analysis of the results demonstrated a significant correlation between
      recurrences and the use of a single midline prosthesis for bilateral hernias and
      parietalisation of the spermatic cord and between septic complications and the
      use of a silicone-coated velvet prothesis, which subsequently had to be
      abandoned. Age, sex, obesity, type of hernia and a history of herniorrhaphy did
      not have any influence on the results. In group of 150 hernias treated with a
      single, lateralised Rhodergon prosthesis with a transprosthetic cord and
      reconstruction of the internal inguinal ring, the recurrence rate was 1.3% (2
      cases) and the deep infection rate was 0.6% (1 case). Apart from early
      recurrences due to technical errors, the long-term efficacy of this technique
      appears to be permanent.

PMID- 1859117
TI  - [Hydatid cysts of the spleen: splenectomy or conservative surgery?].
AB  - Conservative surgery of the spleen has become very popular. The authors report 36
      cases of splenic hydatid cysts. This third site of hydatid disease is frequently
      associated with few symptoms and clinical examination only reveals splenomegaly,
      which has typical features on ultrasonography. Twenty-four splenectomies were
      performed with a mortality of 8.3% and a morbidity of 37.5%, while 12 resections
      of the roof of the cyst were performed with no mortality and a morbidity of 16.6%
      after a follow-up of 2 to 13 years. The authors consider that resection of the
      roof of the cyst constitutes of operation of choice, as it is conservative and
      safe, regardless of the anatomical conditions.

PMID- 1859119
TI  - [General epidemiology of arterial diseases: what is a risk factor?].

PMID- 1859120
TI  - [Symposium: arterial aging--fundamental clinical and therapeutic aspects.
      Bordeaux, January 25-26, 1990. Part 1].

PMID- 1859121
TI  - [Epidemiology and molecular genetics of atherosclerosis].

PMID- 1859122
TI  - [Endothelium and aging of the arterial wall].

PMID- 1859123
TI  - [Blood platelets and the elderly. Relation to the arterial wall and hemostasis].

PMID- 1859124
TI  - [Aging of the arterial wall: endothelium, thrombosis and fibrinolysis].

PMID- 1859125
TI  - [The factors of relaxation and contraction produced by the vascular endothelium.
      Effect of aging and the cardiovascular risk factors].

PMID- 1859126
TI  - Endothelium and inflammation.

PMID- 1859127
TI  - [Eicosanoids and arterial aging].

PMID- 1859128
TI  - [Proliferation of the arterial smooth muscle cells and aging].

PMID- 1859129
TI  - [Elastin and arterial aging].

PMID- 1859130
TI  - [Role of the adventitial innervation in establishing and maintaining the
      structural and functional properties of the arterial wall. Effects during aging].

PMID- 1859132
TI  - [Retinal arterial aging].

PMID- 1859131
TI  - [Microcirculation and aging].

PMID- 1859133
TI  - [Cerebral vascular aging (excluding innervation)].

PMID- 1859134
TI  - [Renal senescence].

PMID- 1859135
TI  - [Arterial aging and lower limb arteriopathy].

PMID- 1859136
TI  - [Symposium: arterial aging--fundamental clinical and therapeutic aspects.
      Bordeaux, January 25-26, 1990. Part 2].

PMID- 1859137
TI  - [Aging of the lower limb arteries: methods of study].

PMID- 1859138
TI  - [Role of mechanical factors in the phenomena of arterial aging associated to
      human hypertension].

PMID- 1859139
TI  - [Hypertension and aging. Prognosis and treatment of the increase in blood
      pressure].

PMID- 1859140
TI  - [Role of free radicals in aging and anti-oxygen treatment].

PMID- 1859141
TI  - [Converting enzyme inhibitors in arterial hypertension].

PMID- 1859142
TI  - [Calcium antagonists and vascular aging].

PMID- 1859143
TI  - [Regulation of blood cholesterol].

PMID- 1859144
TI  - [Serotonin and arterial aging].

PMID- 1859145
TI  - [Therapeutics and arterial aging. Antiaggregants].

PMID- 1859146
TI  - [Heparin and the arterial wall].

PMID- 1859147
TI  - [Unstable angina and infarction without Q wave treated with verapamil: value of
      the early exercise test].
AB  - Twenty patients aged 56.8 +/- 10 years, hospitalised for unstable angina (12
      cases) or infarct without Q wave (8 cases) were treated with IV heparin, aspirin
      and oral verapamil. The clinical syndrome was controlled by verapamil in 16 cases
      out of 20 (80% of cases) at the dosage of 360 mg/d in 14 patients and of 480 mg/d
      in two. An exercise ECG, limited by symptoms, was obtained in 18 patients (90%)
      between the 8th and 12th day. Coronary arteriography was considered to be
      indicated in three sets of circumstances: recurrence of angina resistant to
      nitroglycerin, positive exercise ECG with verapamil, persisting despite triple
      therapy or strongly positive exercise ECG (total duration less than or equal to 6
      minutes). An infarct complicated the early course in 4 patients (20%): twice
      following angioplasty, once following exercise ECG (spastic angina) and once
      during triple therapy (refractory angina). Hospital and mid-term (18 +/- 6
      months) mortality was nil. With verapamil, the absence of recurrence of angina
      together with a negative exercise ECG enabled the identification of a large group
      of patients (40%) with a low risk of a subsequent major accident and in whom
      early and routine coronary arteriography is probably not indispensable.

PMID- 1859148
TI  - [Dobutamine: mechanisms of action and use in acute cardiovascular pathology].
AB  - High levels of circulating catecholamines associated with heart failure down
      regulate cardiac beta-receptors, with a more pronounced effect on beta-1
      receptors, leading to impaired inotropic effect. The use of exogenous inotropic
      agents is therefore a logical therapeutic approach in heart failure. Dobutamine
      is a synthetic catecholamine that acts on alpha-1, beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic
      receptors. In the heart, the stimulation of these receptors produces a relatively
      strong, additive inotropic effect and a relatively weak chronotropic effect. In
      the vasculature, alpha-1 agonist activity (vasoconstriction) balances the beta-2
      agonist effect (vasodilatation). In clinical use, dobutamine has a rapid onset of
      action and a short half-life. It increases myocardial contractility, while the
      reflex reduction in sympathetic tone, in response to augmentation of stroke
      volume, leads to a decrease in total peripheral resistance. The expected
      hemodynamic effects are an increase in cardiac output and a decrease in systemic
      vascular resistance without significant change in arterial pressure or heart
      rate. In acute cardiac failure state with elevated afterload pressures, resulting
      from myocardial dysfunction, dobutamine therapy remains, nowadays, the reference.

PMID- 1859149
TI  - Ideas towards audit in clinical biochemistry.

PMID- 1859151
TI  - Calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the premature infant.
AB  - During the last trimester of pregnancy, there is a sixfold increase in fetal
      calcium and phosphorus accumulation. Unsupplemented human breast milk may not
      provide sufficient calcium and phosphorus for the rapidly growing preterm infant
      to match the accumulation that should have taken place in utero and to permit
      normal bone mineralization. Rickets of prematurity may present clinically between
      the 6th and 12th postnatal week. The clinical diagnosis may be confirmed using
      simple biochemical tests. Inadequate mineral substrate intake, particularly of
      phosphorus, is the most common cause, although a delay in the maturation of the
      renal enzyme, 1-alpha hydroxylase, with low plasma concentrations of 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D, may also occur. The biochemical response to treatment can be
      determined by documenting a fall in plasma alkaline phosphatase activity and a
      rise in plasma phosphate concentration and urinary phosphate excretion.

PMID- 1859150
TI  - The analysis of bilirubin in serum.
AB  - The most widely used methods for the assay of total bilirubin in serum are based
      on a coupling reaction with various diazo dyes in the presence of an accelerating
      agent. The 'direct' reaction, without accelerator, gives a good estimate of the
      conjugated and protein bound (delta) species of bilirubin only if carefully
      standardized reaction conditions are used. Enzymatic methods based on bilirubin
      oxidase appear to give similar results, for both total and direct bilirubin, and
      through difficult to calibrate, spectrophotometric methods can also give reliable
      results for total bilirubin at the higher concentrations seen in neonates. More
      sophisticated HPLC or dry-slide techniques are required for the specific assay of
      the various conjugated and protein-bound species of bilirubin in serum.

PMID- 1859152
TI  - Development and evaluation of the simultaneous determination of sweat sodium and
      chloride by ion-selective electrodes.
AB  - A method for the simultaneous determination of sweat sodium and chloride was
      developed and evaluated using a Monarch 2000 centrifugal analyser with ion
      selective electrodes. In order to measure sodium and chloride in diluted sweat
      samples and sweat paper eluates an analytical working range of below 10 mmol/L
      was required. This was achieved by modification of the Monarch ISE software
      parameters for urine electrolytes together with the use of calibrators within
      this range. Evaluation of the method has included linearity, recovery and
      precision studies and the correlation between ion-selective electrode and flame
      photometry for sweat sodium and between ion-selective electrode and a continuous
      flow method for sweat chloride. Of the patients studied so far, there has been
      good discrimination in sweat electrolytes between those with and without cystic
      fibrosis.

PMID- 1859153
TI  - Use of a silver-enhanced gold-labelled immunoassay for detection of antibodies to
      the human immunodeficiency virus in whole blood samples.
AB  - A silver-enhanced gold-labelled immunosorbent assay (SEGLISA) for the detection
      of antibodies to the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in whole-blood samples is
      described. This new non-isotopic, non-enzymic immunoassay incorporates use of
      solid phase viral antigens which bind any HIV antibodies present in the test
      sample. The antigen/antibody complex is then detected by gold-labelled anti human
      immunoglobulin G (IgG) followed by silver amplification. We found that whole
      blood samples give false positives when using a horseradish peroxidase label,
      whereas the SEGLISA correctly identified 50 HIV antibody positive samples and 50
      HIV antibody negative samples when using whole blood. The use of whole blood
      collected on filter paper is also described. The SEGLISA has good precision (CV =
      7.5%) and sensitivity.

PMID- 1859154
TI  - A two-site immunoradiometric assay for PTH(1-84) using N and C terminal specific
      monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - We report the development of a two-site immunoradiometric assay for PTH(1-84)
      based on two site-specific monoclonal antibodies--3B3 (radiolabelled antibody)
      specific for PTH(1-34) and ESQ1 (on solid phase) specific for PTH(74-84).
      Antibody 3B3 is sensitive to the oxidation of the methionine residues in PTH(1
      34) therefore hydrogen peroxide (0.1 M) is added to the incubation mixture.
      Validation studies confirm quantitative recovery of both oxidized and reduced
      PTH(1-84). The assay has a minimum detection limit of 0.5 pmol/L and a range of
      1.5-250 pmol/L with an intra-assay CV of less than 10% (2.8-250 pmol/L less than
      5% CV). Studies on clinical samples indicate good discrimination between normal
      subjects (mean 2.21; range 1.0-5.0 pmol/L) and patients with primary
      hyperparathyroidism (mean 21.0; range 5.8-100 pmol/L) who in turn are well
      separated from patients with hypercalcaemia of malignancy (14/18 less than 0.5
      pmol/L).

PMID- 1859156
TI  - Transferrinuria in type 2 diabetes: the effect of glycaemic control.
AB  - Urinary excretion rates of transferrin, albumin, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase
      (NAG) and alpha-1-microglobulin (A1M) were measured in type 2 (non-insulin
      dependent) diabetic patients at diagnosis and after 6 and 12 weeks treatment.
      Initially 21 (53%) patients had elevated transferrin excretion rates. The
      proportion of patients with raised transferrin excretion rates fell to 30% at 6
      weeks and 20% at 12 weeks with treatment of diabetes. At diagnosis 11 (28%)
      patients had elevated albumin excretion rates and 10 of these had elevated
      transferrin excretion rates. After 6 weeks treatment only six (15%) had elevated
      albumin excretion rates and by 12 weeks this number had fallen to four (10%). NAG
      and A1M levels also fell with treatment of diabetes. There were correlations
      between the transferrin excretion rate and albumin excretion rate (r = 0.86, P
      less than 0.0001), transferrin excretion rate and NAG (r = 0.46, P less than
      0.0001), and transferrin excretion rate and A1M (r = 0.55, P less than 0.0001) at
      each visit. There were weaker correlations between the albumin excretion rate and
      A1M and NAG at each visit. The correlations between the transferrin excretion
      rate and markers of tubular function (NAG and A1M) suggest that tubular
      dysfunction may play a part in renal loss of transferrin in diabetes mellitus.
      There were no differences in transferrin excretion rates between patients with
      and without evidence of complications.

PMID- 1859157
TI  - Improved procedure for the second-derivative spectrophotometric analysis of
      carboxyhaemoglobin.
AB  - We describe a modification of the second-derivative spectrophotometric assay for
      carboxyhaemoglobin in blood. Using the original procedure we have often observed
      a time-dependent change in the signal leading to unreliable results. By using
      phosphate-buffered-saline (pH 7.4) instead of ammonia to dissolve the
      deoxygenating agent (sodium dithionite), we obtained stable and reproducible
      second-derivative signals from which the percentage carboxyhaemoglobin in the
      patients' samples can be calculated.

PMID- 1859155
TI  - Preanalytical errors in ionized calcium measurements induced by the use of liquid
      heparin.
AB  - The use of heparin in a liquid form to measure ionized calcium (Ca++) in plasma
      or whole blood can induce preanalytical errors by dilution and by changing the
      original Ca++ value by binding or by re-equilibration with calcium in the
      anticoagulant solution. To quantify these errors, Ca++ was measured on serum
      pools under different sampling conditions. Incomplete syringe filling and
      specimen volume/syringe nominal volume ratio effects were tested. Syringes were
      rinsed with saline to yield pure dilution effects, with sodium heparinate to
      study binding and with calcium-titrated heparinate to evaluate 'calcium
      distortion'. Detailed tables provide percentage error values for all sampling
      conditions. Dilution errors could reach -5% and binding was always important (-14
      to -50%). Distortion was minimal around 1.25 mmol/L but could reach -4% for high
      and +8% for low Ca++ values. Errors increased when syringes were not filled to
      their nominal volume, especially with small-sized specimens.

PMID- 1859158
TI  - Evaluation of the Helena REP automated electrophoresis instrument for the
      measurement of glycated haemoglobin.

PMID- 1859159
TI  - The effect of semen contamination on the concentration of low molecular weight
      proteins, albumin and total protein in male urine.

PMID- 1859160
TI  - Differential response of serum alkaline phosphatase and serum osteocalcin in
      Paget's osteosarcoma.
AB  - Serum osteocalcin did not show any response to the onset of osteosarcoma in
      Paget's disease of bone whereas serum alkaline phosphatase increased rapidly.
      This suggests that osteocalcin is not useful in the diagnosis and management of
      Paget's osteosarcoma and does not reflect the same osteoblastic processes in bone
      as serum alkaline phosphatase.

PMID- 1859161
TI  - Influence of monoclonal immunoglobulins on methods for inorganic phosphorous.

PMID- 1859162
TI  - Delayed diagnosis of Addison's disease.

PMID- 1859163
TI  - Maternal hypothyroxinemia: psychoneurological deficits of progeny.
AB  - Maternal thyroid function was evaluated clinically, by reproductive history, and
      by serial measurements of serum butanol-extractable iodine (thyroxine-like
      iodine), two before and two after 24 gestational weeks during 1,349 pregnancies.
      Three percent of the women were hypothyroxinemic. Developmental, intellectual,
      and motor abilities of progeny born to (Group I) 210 euthyroxinemic, (Group II)
      15 hypothyroxinemic given adequate thyroid replacement therapy, and (Group III)
      21 inadequately treated hypothyroxinemic women were compared. The groups of
      mothers exhibited no significant differences in intelligence, years of education,
      or chronological age. Mean developmental and intellectual scores at eight months,
      four and seven years of Group II progeny evidenced remarkably consistent
      similarity to scores of siblings and controls. At each age, mean developmental
      and intellectual scores were lower for Group III progeny, and motor scores of the
      latter were lowest. Some progeny of Group II mothers, treated only after 12 or 29
      weeks, failed the ball catch and line walk tests; some had strabismus and other
      ocular disturbances. Could these deficits have originated with maternal
      hypothyroxinemia during first semester weeks before the thyroid-pituitary axis
      matures? Now in 1990-1991, early findings fit into the modern concepts of
      significant maternal gestational transfer of thyroxine to the fetus. The authors
      encourage prenatal and/or early gestational screening for maternal
      hypothyroxinemia and urge prescription of adequate thyroid replacement therapy
      for hypothyroxinemic women.

PMID- 1859164
TI  - Carrageenan-induced intestinal injury: possible role of oxygen free radicals.
AB  - There is a growing body of evidence that implicates oxygen free radicals in a
      wide variety of inflammatory conditions in various body systems including the
      gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether or not
      oxy-radicals play a role in carrageenan-mediated intestinal injury. Allopurinol,
      superoxide dismutase-polyethylene glycol, and dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively,
      were administered to the carrageenan rat model for 30 to 32 days. Collectively,
      all three drugs attenuated the carrageenan-mediated injury as shown by four
      indices of intestinal damage: ulceration (p = 0.0007); abnormal villous pattern
      (p = 0.0002); degree of inflammation (p = 0.0001); and extent of inflammation (p
      = 0.0025). Dimethyl sulfoxide appeared to be the least efficacious of the three
      drugs. The results suggest that oxygen free radicals play a role in carrageenan
      mediated intestinal injury, and that one of the sources of these oxy-radicals may
      be the intestinal macrophage.

PMID- 1859165
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus and the placenta. Current concepts of vertical
      transmission in relation to other viral agents.
AB  - The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in women of the
      reproductive age group has been increasing and, with it, vertical transmission of
      the virus to their infants. It is currently believed that intrauterine
      transplacental infection of the fetus is the most important mechanism of vertical
      transmission; thus, a recent focus of investigation has been on the role of the
      placenta in maternofetal HIV infection. However, the mechanisms by which
      infectious agents cross the placenta to infect the fetus remain largely unknown.
      Some lessons of possible relevance to issues related to vertical HIV transmission
      may be gained by reviewing the experience with other agents that can affect the
      fetus and newborn. This communication examines current virologic and
      clinicopathologic features of perinatal HIV infection in light of concepts of
      placental and fetal infection with other viral agents in an attempt to find a
      model of vertical HIV transmission.

PMID- 1859167
TI  - Creatine kinase MB measured by fluorometric enzyme immunoassay and
      immunochemiluminescence.
AB  - Creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) was measured in serum by a fluorometric enzyme
      immunoassay on the Stratus analyzer and by an immunochemiluminometric assay using
      the Ciba Corning Magic Lite System. Both methods were standardized against
      purified CK-MB, with Stratus underestimating by 20 percent and Magic Lite
      overestimating by 28 percent. The assays proved sensitive and linear; however, at
      a CK-MB concentration of 7.0 micrograms per L, Stratus gave unacceptable inter
      assay precision. No cross-reactivity was observed with CK-MM or CK-BB and
      elevated triglycerides, bilirubin, and hemoglobin did not interfere. Correlations
      with an immunoradiometric assay (Embria), using 522 samples, gave: Stratus =
      0.999 (Embria) -3.3; r = 0.969, and Magic Lite = 1.225 (Embria) -3.03; r = 0.971.
      When using Magic Lite, results from 40 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients
      gave a mean CK-MB value of 93.8 micrograms per L (range: 9.2 to 428 micrograms
      per L) at the peak of enzyme release and a mean value of 69.6 micrograms per L
      (range: 6.7 to 319 micrograms per L) when using Stratus. Both methods proved to
      be highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of AMI; however, the need for
      standardization of CK-MB assays is stressed.

PMID- 1859166
TI  - Pathological reactions in lung, liver, thymus, and spleen of rats after subacute
      parenteral administration of nickel sulfate.
AB  - Male Fischer-344 rats (10 to 12 rats per group) were given 14 i.m. injection of
      nickel sulfate (NiSO4) over a period of 26 days in order to delineate the two
      year survival, body weight curves, hematocrit responses, and histopathological
      reactions, including carcinogenesis. Group A (vehicle controls) received the NaCl
      vehicle; Groups B, C, and D received NiSO4 solution at dosages of 63, 83, or 125
      mumol per kg, respectively. Rats in Group D all died during the period from 4 to
      32 days after the first injection; survival of rats in Groups B and C did not
      differ significantly from the controls (Group A). No differences were found at
      any time between the mean body weights or blood hematocrits of the NiSO4-treated
      groups vs. the controls. In Group D, histopathological lesions of the lung,
      liver, thymus, and spleen were consistently observed; these lesions were most
      severe in rats that died during the period from 22 to 32 days after the first
      injection. The lungs showed proliferation of alveolar lining cells, thickening of
      the alveolar wall, and proteinaceous alveolar exudate. The livers showed
      microvesicular steatosis, and necrotic hepatocytes were scattered throughout the
      lobules. Degeneration of lymphocytes, with pyknosis and karyorrhexis, was
      observed in the thymic cortex and the white pulp of the spleen. At necropsy, no
      significant differences were found between the NiSO4-treated rats of Groups B and
      C and the controls (Group A). No sarcomas or other neoplasms occurred near the
      injection sites in NiSO4-treated rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859168
TI  - [A comparative prospective study of an edrophonium test and an esophageal balloon
      distension test in 78 patients with non-coronary angina and 12 healthy controls].
AB  - The aim of this study was to compare the most current tests used for the
      diagnosis of esophageal angina-like pain: manometry, balloon distension,
      edrophonium provocation. METHOD: 78 patients with angina-like pain, who had
      normal coronary arteriograms, and 12 healthy controls were prospectively
      evaluated with esophageal manometry, esophageal balloon distension, according to
      Barish's method (2), edrophonium provocation and 3 h pH-monitoring. Provocation
      tests were considered positive if they reproduced the angina-like pain. RESULTS:
      basal manometry was abnormal in 23 patients (29%); nutcracker esophagus; 8,
      achalasia; 1, diffuse esophageal spasm: 1, hypertensive LES: 2, non specific
      motility disorders: 5, It was abnormal in 1 healthy control (1 nutcracker
      esophagus). Edrophonium provocation was positive in 19 patients (24%) and in none
      of the controls. Balloon distension was positive in 33 patients (42%) and none of
      the controls, but 3 controls experienced a back pain at 7, 9 and 9 cc. Balloon
      distension was more sensitive than edrophonium provocation (p less than 0.001).
      There was no correlation between the results of the basal manometry and those of
      balloon distension and no correlation between pH monitoring and balloon
      distension. 1) Balloon distension is the most sensitive test and should be used
      at first. 2) If balloon distension is negative edrophonium provocation can be
      useful because the pain mechanism is different. 3) Some controls can experience a
      back pain without irradiation, then balloon distension must be considered
      positive only if it strictly reproduces the spontaneous angina-like pain.

PMID- 1859169
TI  - [Epidemiology, physiopathology and natural history of diverticulosis of the
      colon].

PMID- 1859170
TI  - [Medical attitude toward colonic diverticulosis].

PMID- 1859171
TI  - [Elective surgical treatment of colonic diverticulosis].
AB  - In a retrospective study from 1978 to 1990, 143 patients had elective surgery for
      colonic diverticular disease. Surgical indications were: uncomplicated
      diverticulitis (128), functional discomfort (6), suspicion of associated
      neoplasia (6), bleeding (3). The overall mortality is 1/143 (0.6 p. cent). 3
      patients (2.2 p. cent) had to be reoperated for anastomotic fistula with
      peritonitis. Definitive re-establishment of digestive continuity was done in 139
      patients (98.6 p. cent). Our results suggest that surgery is to be widely
      indicated for diverticular disease. Resection must be performed in every patients
      presenting with an history of two or more acute recurrences, with a fistula, and
      when clinical and/or radiological abnormalities continue after a first acute
      crisis.

PMID- 1859172
TI  - [The scanner in diverticular disease].

PMID- 1859174
TI  - [Long-term results of endoscopic neodymium YAG (Nd:YAG) laser treatment of
      vascular malformations of the digestive tube].

PMID- 1859173
TI  - [Surgical treatment of acute complications of diverticular disease].

PMID- 1859175
TI  - Nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PMID- 1859176
TI  - The clinical course of perimesencephalic nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - We studied the early clinical course of 65 patients with perimesencephalic
      (nonaneurysmal) subarachnoid hemorrhage. None of the patients rebled; none had
      delayed cerebral ischemia; and only 3 patients (5%) developed clinical signs of
      acute hydrocephalus, 2 requiring ventricular shunting. Hyponatremia and
      electrocardiographic changes were found in the same proportions as in patients
      with aneurysmal rupture. All patients had a good outcome after 3 months. To
      control for the influence of the relatively small amount of cisternal blood in
      perimesencephalic hemorrhage on the absence of delayed cerebral ischemia, we
      compared these 65 patients with 49 patients who had aneurysmal subarachnoid
      hemorrhage. This control group with aneurysms was selected according to a similar
      amount of cisternal blood, a comparable level of consciousness on admission, and
      absence of other factors known to increase the risk for delayed cerebral
      ischemia. We found that 4 of the 49 patients with aneurysmal hemorrhage developed
      delayed cerebral ischemia (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.03); therefore the
      relatively small amount of blood does not account for the absence of delayed
      cerebral ischemia in perimesencephalic hemorrhage. Patients with a
      perimesencephalic pattern of hemorrhage and a normal angiogram should be
      considered to have a distinct subset of subarachnoid hemorrhage and should be
      excluded from future treatment trials of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PMID- 1859177
TI  - Benign familial neonatal convulsions: evidence for clinical and genetic
      heterogeneity.
AB  - The gene for autosomal dominant "benign" familial neonatal convulsions, a
      transient, primary epilepsy of infancy, has recently been assigned to chromosome
      20q. To determine whether this disorder is genetically heterogeneous, we
      performed linkage analysis in two previously unreported pedigrees with benign
      familial neonatal convulsions in which clinical heterogeneity was evident. There
      were 14 affected persons in the first family, and none had seizures (febrile or
      afebrile) after the age of 2 months. The second family had 13 affected
      individuals and 2 obligate carriers; seizures frequently did not remit until 6 to
      24 months, febrile convulsions occurred in at least 2 patients, apparent
      audiogenic seizures occurred in 4 patients, and 1 individual had refractory
      epilepsy until late adolescence. Linkage studies with the chromosome 20 markers
      D20S19 and D20S20 were performed in both families. The resulting data favored
      linkage of the disease and marker loci in Family 2 by a maximum odds ratio of
      45:1 at 6% recombination. In Family 1, however, the odds were greater than
      20,000:1 against linkage at 10% recombination or less. We conclude that the
      syndrome of benign familial neonatal convulsions is clinically and genetically
      heterogeneous. Further study will be necessary to clarify the relationship
      between phenotype and genotype in this disorder.

PMID- 1859178
TI  - Immunocytochemical and virological characteristics of HIV-associated inflammatory
      myopathies: similarities with seronegative polymyositis.
AB  - We performed an immunoperoxidase study on muscle biopsy specimens from 19
      patients with polymyositis who were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) (21 specimens) and 5 HIV-seronegative patients with polymyositis and
      compared the findings. A quantitative analysis of T cells and T-cell subsets, B
      cells, natural killer cells, interleukin-2 receptor-positive cells, and
      macrophages was performed on serial sections from all the specimens. Localization
      of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and -II antigens, alpha and gamma
      interferon, and HIV antigens (p24, gp120, and gp41) was performed using specific
      antisera. In specimens from HIV-positive and seronegative patients, the
      predominant cell population was CD8+ cells and macrophages invading or
      surrounding healthy muscle fibers that expressed MHC-I antigen on their surface.
      The endomysial infiltrates in specimens from HIV-positive patients differed from
      those seen in specimens from the seronegative patients only by a significant
      reduction of the CD4+ cells (12.6 +/- 3.2% versus 21.1 +/- 4.2%). HIV antigens
      were seen in occasional interstitial mononuclear cells (but not in muscle fibers)
      in 6 of the 21 specimens from HIV-positive patients. Interferon was not
      localized. We conclude that the development of HIV-associated polymyositis does
      not appear to be related to direct infection of the muscle fibers by HIV but
      rather is due to a T-cell-mediated and MHC-I-restricted cytotoxic process,
      perhaps triggered by HIV. Because this immunopathological mechanism is common in
      both HIV-associated polymyositis and polymyositis alone, it is suggested that
      viruses may also be responsible in triggering polymyositis.

PMID- 1859179
TI  - Cold-induced brain edema and infarction are reduced in transgenic mice
      overexpressing CuZn-superoxide dismutase.
AB  - It has been proposed that oxygen-derived radicals, superoxide in particular, are
      involved in the alteration of blood-brain barrier permeability and the
      pathogenesis of brain edema following trauma, ischemia, and reperfusion injury.
      Using transgenic mice that overexpress the human gene for copper-zinc-superoxide
      dismutase, we studied the role of superoxide radicals in the blood-brain
      permeability changes, edema development, and delayed infarction resulting from
      cold-trauma brain injury. At 2 hours after a 30-second cold injury, cerebral
      water and Evans blue contents were reduced, respectively, from 80 +/- 0.2% and
      132.7 +/- 12.9 micrograms/gm of dry weight for nontransgenic mice to 78.5 +/-
      0.3% and 87.1 +/- 9.9 micrograms/gm of dry weight for transgenic mice.
      Infarction, as measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, was
      reduced by 52% in transgenic brains. These data indicate that an increased level
      of superoxide dismutase activity in the brain reduces the development of
      vasogenic brain edema and infarction. Superoxide radicals play an important role
      in the pathogenesis of these lesions in cold-traumatized brain.

PMID- 1859180
TI  - Epidemiology of encephalitis in children: a 20-year survey.
AB  - Four hundred five children from the Helsinki area who were 1 month to 16 years
      old were treated for acute encephalitis at the Children's Hospital, University of
      Helsinki, from January 1968 through December 1987. Encephalitis occurred most
      commonly in children 1 to 1.9 years of age, among whom the incidence was 16.7 per
      100,000 child-years. The incidence remained quite high until the age of 10 years,
      and then gradually declined to 1.0 per 100,000 child-years at the age of 15
      years. Since 1983, when mumps, measles, and rubella vaccination eradicated the
      encephalitides associated with these microbes, the major associated agents have
      been varicella-zoster, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and respiratory and enteroviruses.
      In infants younger than 1 year of age, the major agents were enteroviruses,
      herpes simplex virus, and the group of "others," whereas in older children,
      respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, as well as varicella-zoster virus,
      dominated. In children aged 1 to 11 months, the causal agent could not be
      identified in one-half of all cases, whereas in children who were at least 10
      years old, the etiology remained unknown in only one-fourth of cases. Male
      dominance was most evident in the 4- to 9-year age group. The difference in
      etiology between males and females was significant (p = 0.02); mumps and
      varicella were more common in boys, and adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae were
      more common in girls. The overall male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. Characteristic
      seasonal variation occurred in encephalitides associated with mumps, measles, and
      entero- and respiratory viruses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859181
TI  - Lhermitte-Duclos disease and Cowden disease: a single phakomatosis.
AB  - Two unrelated patients with macrocephaly, seizures, and mild cerebellar signs had
      a dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum (Lhermitte-Duclos disease). Both
      also had autosomal dominant Cowden disease as evidenced by facial, oral, and
      acral papules. In the two families, 9 sibs demonstrated the mucocutaneous
      lesions, thyroid disease, breast tumors, and ovarian tumors compatible with the
      diagnosis of Cowden disease. Some of the sibs also showed various degrees of
      neurological signs such as macrocephaly, mental retardation, seizures, tremor,
      and dysdiadochokinesia. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of sibs of one family
      demonstrated megalencephaly and other mild abnormalities. The occurrence of these
      two rare disorders in single patients is more than a coincidence, and the
      clinical findings in the combined condition establishes it as a new phakomatosis.

PMID- 1859182
TI  - Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome: I. Immunocytochemical evidence for a T-cell
      mediated immune effector response.
AB  - Specimens of muscle and fascia from 13 patients fulfilling the Centers for
      Disease Control criteria for the eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS) were studied
      by quantitative immunocytochemical analysis. The immunolocalization of CD3, CD4,
      CD8, CD22, and CD56 markers, the gamma delta T-cell receptor, major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I complex and class II antigens, and
      complement membrane attack complex (MAC) were examined. The distribution and
      relative proportions of T cells and T-cell subsets, B cells, macrophages, and
      eosinophils were determined at perivascular, perimysial, endomysial, and fascial
      sites of accumulation. At all sites, T cells were predominant, CD8+ cells
      outnumbered CD4+ cells 6- to 20-fold, and between 60 and 80% of T cells were
      activated. B cells and eosinophils each accounted for less than 3% of
      inflammatory cells. Very few cells expressed either the gamma delta T-cell
      receptor or natural killer cell markers. As in dermatomyositis (DM), MHC class I
      antigen complex expression was increased on many structurally normal muscle
      fibers, but in contrast to DM, microvascular MAC deposits were not a feature of
      EMS. The findings implicate a cellular immune response directed against a
      connective tissue component in EMS.

PMID- 1859183
TI  - The role of prolactin in autoimmune demyelination: suppression of experimental
      allergic encephalomyelitis by bromocriptine.
AB  - Several lines of evidence suggest that the anterior pituitary hormone prolactin
      has a stimulatory role on immune function and that pharmacological suppression of
      prolactin secretion with the dopamine-agonist bromocriptine suppresses both
      humoral and cellular immunity. Here, we describe the effects of prolactin
      suppression on the course of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in female
      Lewis rats. Initiation of continuous bromocriptine treatment before immunization
      reduced both the severity and incidence of clinical signs of acute experimental
      allergic encephalomyelitis. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis-immunized
      rats experienced a threefold rise in basal prolactin levels on day 4 after
      immunization and maintained elevated prolactin levels on day 10, before the onset
      of neurological signs of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Bromocriptine
      treatment reduced prolactin levels to those of sham-immunized rats. In vivo
      bromocriptine pretreatment inhibited splenic lymphocyte proliferative responses
      in vitro to the immunizing antigen and to concanavalin A. Moreover, bromocriptine
      therapy was protective when initiated 1 week after the initial immunization and
      was also effective in suppression of late disease. These results indicate that
      (1) prolactin levels are elevated after immunization and before the onset of
      experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, (2) bromocriptine inhibits both
      prolactin secretion and the severity of acute experimental allergic
      encephalomyelitis, and (3) inhibition is also present when treatment is begun
      after sensitization, suggesting an effect of prolactin on the effector limb of
      the immune response during experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

PMID- 1859184
TI  - Serial gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scans in patients with
      early, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: implications for clinical trials
      and natural history.
AB  - Six patients with early, mild, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis were
      studied with monthly gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scans for 8
      to 11 months. Numerous enhancing lesions were observed irrespective of clinical
      activity. Four of the 6 patients had one or more enhancing lesions present on
      each examination. The other 2 patients had enhancing lesions noted in 7 and 9 of
      11 months. In contrast, only two clinical exacerbations were observed during the
      study period. Neither the exacerbations nor other changes in symptoms or signs
      correlated with occurrence of the enhancing lesions. Enhancement generally
      persisted for less than 1 month. The opening of the blood-brain barrier as
      reflected by gadolinium enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging may represent
      ongoing disease activity in patients with mild, relapsing-remitting multiple
      sclerosis who are clinically stable. The frequency of these lesions appears to be
      sufficient to use as an outcome measure in clinical trials testing clinical
      efficacy in patients with early, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

PMID- 1859185
TI  - Temporal relationships between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid pharmacokinetics of
      levodopa and clinical effect in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - We studied the pharmacokinetics of levodopa and its metabolites in plasma and
      ventricular cerebrospinal fluid in 4 parkinsonian patients with indwelling Ommaya
      reservoirs placed at the time of previous adrenal-medullary to caudate nucleus
      transplantation. Cerebrospinal fluid levodopa levels were 11.9% of those in
      plasma. Motor performance and dyskinesia correlated more closely with the time
      course of the appearance of levodopa in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid than
      with the plasma levodopa concentration and did not correlate with plasma 3-O
      methyldopa or cerebrospinal fluid 3-O-methyldopa or homovanillic acid. Our data
      confirm that the wearing off of the levodopa effect in patients with advanced
      Parkinson's disease is a function of drug concentration in the central nervous
      system.

PMID- 1859186
TI  - Central sleep apnea and arterial compression of the medulla.
AB  - We report a 5-year-old with central sleep apnea associated with compression of
      the medulla oblongata by abnormal looping of the left vertebral artery. The
      magnetic resonance imaging findings raise the possibility that compression of the
      respiratory center by an aberrant vertebral artery might cause central sleep
      apnea.

PMID- 1859187
TI  - Altered glucose metabolism in microvessels from patients with Alzheimer's
      disease.

PMID- 1859188
TI  - Intellectual functioning in treated Wilson's disease.

PMID- 1859190
TI  - Adenosine and seizure termination.

PMID- 1859189
TI  - Dysarthria--clumsy hand syndrome or homolateral ataxia and crural paresis?

PMID- 1859191
TI  - Carbamazepine and the heart.

PMID- 1859192
TI  - [Quantitative dermatoglyphic markers in fra-X-syndrome].
AB  - Quantitative dermatoglyphic characters of fingers and palms of 61 male patients
      with fra-X-syndrome and 20 female heterozygote carriers were analysed and
      compared with the data from 84 male and 90 female normal individuals. Univariate
      and multivariate analysis of the data led to the following conclusions: 1. The
      fra-X-syndrome patients show higher ridge count and higher MLI value (increased
      transversality of the main lines), and lower a-b ridge counts than the controls.
      In addition to this, differences are observed also for the diversity and
      asymmetry measures. 2. Discriminant analysis as applied to the sexes separately,
      showed that 75% of males can be correctly classified in their group. However, the
      percent of correctly classified females is lower than the males; it is 70% (fra-X
      female) ad 64.4% (control female). 3. D2-matrix and the comparison of TFR C
      values support the hypothesis of X-chromosomal doses effect on the
      dermatoglyphics.

PMID- 1859193
TI  - [Factor 13 B (FSF) polymorphism in the Swiss population, with reference to
      European frequency gradients].
AB  - Phenotype and allele frequencies of the coagulation factor 13 B (FSF B) of three
      Swiss populations (Northern Switzerland, upper Rhone valley and valley of Safien)
      have been determined after electrophoresis and passive immunoblotting and are
      discussed with respect to the geographical distribution and to the history of
      these populations. The populations of the upper Rhone valley and the valley of
      Safien reveal a closer genetical relationship obviously due to the migration of
      the antecedents of the recent Safier from the Rhone valley to the Safien valley
      from the 13th to 14th century. The allele frequencies of the Swiss German
      population fit rather well the North-South genetical cline which has to be
      considered in the light of the early settlement of Central Europe and of the
      numerous migrations thereafter.

PMID- 1859194
TI  - [Phenotype incidence of some hemo-genetic polymorphism markers in the Lower Rhine
      region (Kleve, Goch, Kalkar area)].
AB  - In a sample of 262 individuals from the Lower Rhine region (Kleve, Goch, Kalkar:
      Germany) 27 hemogenetic polymorphisms have been studied. There were no
      significant differences in phenotype frequencies between the Lower Rhine and the
      Dusseldorf region.

PMID- 1859195
TI  - [Excavation in middle Iraq. Anthropologic results of findings from the thousand
      years before Christ].
AB  - In the years from 1970 to 1985 the "Belgian Archaeological Expedition to Iraq"
      excavated the remains of the ancient cultural and commercial centers Sippar and
      Sippar Amnanum. In connexion with this work it was possible to remove twelve
      human skeletons from the Persian and Hellenistic Period which are described here.

PMID- 1859196
TI  - [Neanderthal markers of the frontal bone--a conspicuous Hallstatt cranium of the
      burial field Dietfurt/Oberpfalz].
AB  - Between the skulls from early Iron Age cemeteries of the Hallstatt period
      (Beilngries, Dietfurt, Schirndorf and some other localities) in the Upper
      Palatinate (Bavaria) the skull Dietfurt 13/1 attracted attention because of its
      archaic traits at the viscerocranium and because of its extraordinarily large
      cranial capacity (1654 cm3). Such large cranial capacities were well known from
      Neandertals. Therefore this skull was examined for other neandertaloid traits: It
      was shown that the values for the angle of inclination and the vault-angle of the
      frontal bone fell into the neandertaloid range. With regard to the traits of the
      frontal bone Dietfurt 13/1 takes a more intermediate position between Homo
      sapiens sapiens and the Neandertals than the frontal bone from Hahnofersand,
      which is dated about 36.300 +/- 600 years B.P. (Brauer 1980). It is discussed,
      whether the specific traits of the frontal bone of Dietfurt 13/1 could fall
      within the variability of the subfossil Homo sapiens sapiens without postulating
      a phase of hybridization between Neandertals and anatomically modern man.
      Consequently, in the compilation of prehistorical skeleton-series more attention
      should be given to measures of the frontal bone.

PMID- 1859197
TI  - [Unexplained findings in anthropologic study material from Egypt. Addenda to
      Herodotus' "Historian", Lib. II, 86-88 and Egyptian "Sparagmos"?].
AB  - The authors report on recently excavated mummified human remains from Buto and
      Minshat Abu Omar in the Nile Delta (Lower Egypt). There is evidence that besides
      the conventional mummification techniques described for example by Herodotus
      rather invasive methods have been applied, i.e. maceration and dissection of the
      soft tissue, partly followed by modelling the skeleton with a thin layer of mud.
      This practise remembers of certain mutilated anthropological material of
      predynastic origin discovered towards the end of the last century by W.M.
      Flinders Petrie, which additionally seems to show significant parallels to
      ancient Egyptian mythological and religious texts (Pyramid texts, Coffin texts,
      Book of the Dead, etc.). Probably the presented findings, dated between 700 B.C.
      and 400 A.D., must be explained as a local rebirth of an archaic but non-specific
      Egyptian custom, preceding the inauguration of mummification in Egypt. The main
      task of this paper is to introduce important new material and to ask those
      missions also involved in archaeological fieldwork in Egypt for paying special
      attention to this subject.

PMID- 1859199
TI  - [Results of computer-assisted studies of population structure and burial
      practices of adults of the late Roman burial ground in the Minshat Abu Omar (east
      Nile delta)].
AB  - The results of 1448 skeletons met the requirements (database) for the completed
      examinations. Statistical correlations between situation of the skeletons in view
      of compass directions, position of the skeletons, grave type and mumification
      traces were calculated. More than 90% of the analyzed individuals were buried in
      west-east direction (head-feet). In 69% of all cases the skeletons were buried
      with their hands on or next to the pelvis. 98% of all mummies examined were found
      in the position hand/hands on shoulder. Special grave architecture was given in
      15.8% of the examined individuals. The average life-expectancy for the group
      between 20 to 29 amounted to 14.65 years. The cluster-analysis showed clear
      differentiation of the male group in 3 to 4 subpopulations. For the female group
      a mathematical probability for 3 subpopulations was given. Connecting the data of
      cluster and burial types a significant distinction between the four male clusters
      - according to the distribution of the skeleton positions - could be seen. Within
      the female group a clear correlation between clusters and common characteristics
      could be found in 7 subgroups. Differentiated distribution was revealed in the
      different alignments of the skeletons.

PMID- 1859198
TI  - [Paleodemographic and cultural historical studies of skeletal remains of the pre-
      and early dynasty necropole in Minshat Abu Omar (east Nile delta)].
AB  - The pre- and early dynastic necropole near by Minshat Abu Omar can be dated
      (Carbon dates) in the time from 3300 till 2900 B.C. Till now, there were 418
      graves investigated. The dead people were buried in left or right flexed
      position. High salt concentration in sand destroyed the bone material
      extraordinary, so that morphometric analysis could not be done. The determination
      of sex and/or age was possible for 87.08% of the individuums. The average of the
      life-span was about 26 years. The village consists of 20 till 50 huts with 107
      till 120 inhabitants.

PMID- 1859200
TI  - [Stress on the human body when falling into a rope harness and its sequelae].
AB  - The stress during holding a fall of a climber was evaluated in practical tests
      with human subjects. Depending on the situation of the fall forces up to 4 kN are
      acting on the body through the harness. With extreme rope friction at the rock
      and running belays the forces can increase up to 6.5 kN. These forces depend on
      the method of belay and the situation of the fall and are mostly independent from
      the weight of the climber. Therefore light climbers are subjected to greater
      deceleration forces than heavy climbers. For a given force of 4 kN the
      biodynamics during impact is shown. If only a seat harness, surrounding only the
      pelvis, is used, the bending loads on the spine exceed under certain
      circumstances the human tolerance considerably. Whiplash effects, head down falls
      or severe pressure loads on the viscera can also occur. Besides these acute
      injuries chronic injuries of ligaments of the spine and the invertebral discs can
      occur because every stress overcharging the muscles must be taken up by the
      ligaments.

PMID- 1859201
TI  - [Biology of human speech communication].
AB  - In this paper the analysis of the human acoustic communication channel is
      presented as a potentially bio-anthropological subject of interest. After a crude
      survey concerning some important aspects of speech and expressive behaviour a
      hypothesis is outlined saying that the verbal and the nonverbal content of the
      speech signal are not just transferred side by side; rather there exist close
      interconnections between the linguistic and the expressive structures, which is
      shown regarding the speech melody; the 'cultural' language code makes use of a
      predominantly 'non-cultural' code of vocalisations for the purpose of linguistic
      disambiguation and speeding up the communication process. The complementarity of
      these two codes, their principal independence of each other as well as their
      different cerebral representation contribute to the high efficiency of speech as
      a communication tool.

PMID- 1859203
TI  - Influence of trifluoperazine on the late stage of influenza virus infection in
      MDCK cells.
AB  - We investigated the influence of the anticalmodulin drug, trifluoperazine (TFP)
      on influenza virus growth in MDCK cells. The inhibitory effect of TFP on virus
      growth was observed even when TFP was added at a late stage of infection. This
      inhibitory effect was concentration-dependent in the concentration range of 20-35
      microM. At 35 microM, TFP caused a complete alteration in the distribution
      pattern of hemagglutinin (HA), concomitant with a decrease in the appearance of
      HA on the cell surface. After removal of the drug, the HA gradually began to show
      a normal distribution pattern and reappeared on the cell surface. The time course
      of rearrangement of HA was in accord with that of the recovery of cell
      supernatant infectivity. Scanning electron microscopic study revealed that the
      drug did not cause accumulation of the progeny viruses on the cell surface. The
      drug effect on the virus growth was reversed by the simultaneous presence of
      purified calmodulin (CaM). These data suggest that TFP acts as a reversible
      inhibitor of influenza virus morphogenesis, but not budding, by disturbing
      cellular CaM and/or CaM-dependent functions.

PMID- 1859202
TI  - Inhibition of proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 by novel
      heteropolyoxotungstates in vitro.
AB  - Fifteen heteropolyoxotungstates were tested for their effects on the
      proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) using an in vitro
      system consisting of MT-4 cells and HTLV-IIIb. Eight heteropolyoxotungstates
      (HPOTs) with the Keggin structure or dimerized deficient Keggin structure proved
      to be potent inhibitors of HIV-1. In contrast, seven non-Keggin HPOTs including
      HPA 23 did not have significant effects on HIV-1 proliferation at non-toxic
      doses. [PTi2W10O40]7- (PM-19) was the most potent inhibitor of HIV-1 among the 15
      HPOTs tested. The inhibition of HIV-1 replication by PM-19 presumably results
      from impaired virus adsorption and/or penetration into target cells. Viral spread
      of HIV-1 and HIV-2 on cell-to-cell basis was also susceptible to PM-19. In
      combination, PM-19 and 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine were synergistic in inhibiting
      HIV-1 proliferation.

PMID- 1859205
TI  - Tributyltin antifoulings: a threat to the Hong Kong marine environment.
AB  - Tributyltin (TBT), the active ingredient in antifouling paint, has demonstrated
      extreme potency but also high toxicity to non-target marine organisms; it
      bioaccumulates in the food chain, and research evidence of its damaging effect on
      the reproduction and growth of various marine life forms have prompted action by
      various countries to regulate or ban its use in antifouling products. The Hong
      Kong Environmental Protection Department has embarked on a monitoring programme,
      and TBT has been detected in polluted clam samples, as well as water and sediment
      samples in certain marinas, typhoon shelters, and mariculture sites. This paper
      reports some of the findings to date.

PMID- 1859204
TI  - Toxic effects of long-term intratracheal administration of vanadium pentoxide in
      rats.
AB  - The toxic effects of vanadium pentoxide were investigated following chronic
      exposure. Rats were exposed intratracheally once a month (0.56 mg V2O5/kg) for 12
      months. Body weight gain of exposed animals slowed down following the 10th
      treatment when compared to the corresponding controls. Lung weights were
      significantly greater than controls; however, other organ weights were not
      changed. Blood glucose of treated animals was slightly decreased whereas blood
      total cholesterol was reduced markedly. The in vitro experiments were performed
      to explain the mechanism of chronic toxic effects. The results of these
      experiments confirmed that vanadium(V) undergoes one-electron redox cycling in
      rat lung biomembranes and that reoxidation of vanadium(IV) initiates lipid
      peroxidation under aerobic conditions. The lung is the primary target organ
      during the intratracheal exposure to V2O5. It is postulated that free-radical
      redox cycling of vanadium may be responsible for the observed pulmonary toxicity.

PMID- 1859206
TI  - Acute toxicity of permethrin to four size classes of red swamp crayfish
      (Procambarus clarkii) and observations of post-exposure effects.
AB  - The mean static acute 96-h LC50 of permethrin [(3-phenoxybenzyl (+) cis, trans, 3
      (2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylate)] to red swamp crayfish
      (Procambarus clarkii) 8-12 mm (0.017 g), 25-35 mm (0.64 g), 45-55 mm (2.45 g),
      and 65-75 mm total length (8.98 g) was 0.44, 0.85, 1.30, and 0.81 micrograms/L,
      respectively. Permethrin toxicity did not differ among immature or mature male
      and female P. clarkii. Crayfish surviving permethrin exposures exhibited no
      differences in post-exposure growth, survival, onset of sexual maturity, or the
      reproduction of viable young when compared to non-exposed controls. Teratogenesis
      was not observed in third-instar crayfish produced from permethrin-exposed
      parents.

PMID- 1859208
TI  - 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin in fish from the Pigeon River of eastern
      Tennessee, USA: its toxicity and mutagenicity as revealed by the Ames Salmonella
      assay.
AB  - Levels of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) were determined in both
      striated muscle (fillets) and whole body extracts of fish specimens harvested
      during a two-year period (1987-1989) from the Pigeon River (between Hartford and
      Newport) of Eastern Tennessee (USA). Whole body (wet weight) fish extract levels
      as high as 117 micrograms/kg body weight and composite fish fillet (wet weight)
      extract levels as high as 87 micrograms/kg fillet weight were observed. Pure TCDD
      was found to be highly toxic to the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97, TA98,
      and TA100 at dosages which exceeded 825 ng TCDD/ml in the top agar of the Ames
      Salmonella assay. An 825 ng/ml TCDD dosage was not mutagenic to any of the tested
      Salmonella strains, either with or without metabolic activation (S9 mix).
      However, when acidic fish extracts from the Pigeon River were tested for
      mutagenicity, most of the fish extracts were mutagenic to Salmonella strains
      TA97, TA98, and TA100. These mutagenic extracts also demonstrated mutagenic dose
      response curves. Other chemicals within the extracts as well as synergistic
      effects may account for the mutagenicity.

PMID- 1859207
TI  - The possible role of phospholipase A2 in hepatic microsomal lipid peroxidation
      induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in rats.
AB  - The induction of lipid peroxidation in hepatic microsomes of rodents treated with
      2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is well documented. The potential
      mechanisms involved in TCDD-induced microsomal lipid peroxidation were
      investigated, using selected inhibitors and free radical scavengers in vitro.
      Rats were treated with 40 micrograms TCDD/kg orally as a single dose. Inhibitors
      of phospholipase A2, including a variety of phenothiazines, dibucaine,
      imipramine, and verapamil, inhibited in vitro microsomal lipid peroxidation in
      response to TCDD administration. In addition, the lipoxygenase inhibitor
      quercetin, and the hydrogen peroxide scavenger aminopyrine inhibited lipid
      peroxidation with microsomes from TCDD-treated rats. The singlet oxygen scavenger
      beta-carotene, the cytochrome P-450 substrate benzphetamine, and the
      cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin produced moderate enhancement of hepatic
      microsomal lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that activation of
      phospholipase A2 may play a critical role in the metabolic events associated with
      hepatotoxicity and ultimate cell death produced by TCDD. The results also support
      the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in TCDD-induced microsomal lipid
      peroxidation.

PMID- 1859209
TI  - Effect of beta-cyclodextrin on mucochloric acid and 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5
      hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone.
AB  - Cyclodextrins form inclusion complexes with a wide range of guest molecules which
      wholly, or in part, fit into their hydrophobic cavity. Since no covalent bonds
      are formed in this complexation, the guests can subsequently be eluted. The
      possibility of such complexation was envisioned as a means of removing
      chlorinated furanones from drinking water. Using a combination of infrared and
      ultraviolet techniques, evidence is presented for inclusion complex formation
      between mucochloric acid and beta-cyclodextrin in acidic aqueous solutions.
      Ultraviolet evidence supports the conclusion that under these acidic conditions,
      mucochloric acid exists in its cyclic form. Solid samples of the mucochloric acid
      beta-cyclodextrin complex could be isolated by recrystalization of a 1:1 mole
      ratio of the above compounds from water at pH approximately 2. Solid sample
      infrared (potassium bromide or Nujol) showed a carbonyl shift of approximately 20
      cm-1 when mucochloric acid was compared to the mucochloric acid-beta-cyclodextrin
      complex. No such shift was found upon simply grinding together the above
      components. Thus the carbonyl shift is ascribed to inclusion complexation of
      mucochloric acid into the beta-cyclodextrin cavity. Melting point and thin-layer
      chromatographic analyses also yielded supporting evidence for the formation of
      solid mucochloric acid-beta-cyclodextrin complexes. Pilot studies with 3-chloro-4
      (dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX), suggest a similar beta
      cyclodextrin-complex formation in acidic solutions.

PMID- 1859210
TI  - Oxidant, mixed-function oxidase and peroxisomal responses in channel catfish
      exposed to a bleached kraft mill effluent.
AB  - Channel catfish (Ictalarus punctatus) were exposed to 0, 10, 20, and 40% bleached
      kraft pulp and paper mill effluent (BKME) for up to two weeks. Fish were
      sacrificed on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 of exposure. Blood, liver, and gill tissues
      were assayed for biochemical responses associated with oxidative stress
      (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and
      methemoglobin, reduced glutathione, and malondialdehyde concentrations),
      peroxisome proliferation (palmitoyl-CoA oxidase and lauroyl-CoA oxidase
      activities) and the mixed-function oxidase system (cytochrome P-450 difference
      spectra and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities). There were significant dose
      related increases in hepatic catalase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activities
      and significant decreases in hepatic reduced glutathione concentrations. There
      were also significant increases in lauroyl-CoA oxidase and palmitoyl-CoA oxidases
      activities, both components of the fatty acid beta-oxidation system and located
      in peroxisomes. No statistically significant changes were seen in the other
      components studied. The increases in catalase and the fatty-acid oxidase
      activities suggest that BKME exposure may have resulted in peroxisome
      proliferation in catfish hepatic tissue.

PMID- 1859212
TI  - The mechanism of pesticide transmission through apparel fabrics: a comparison of
      drop and spray exposure methodologies.
AB  - The effect of exposure methods on pesticide solution transmission and mechanism
      was examined for three fabrics. Drop and spray methods of exposure were used. The
      drop method of exposure resulted in significantly higher amounts of pesticide
      transmission than did the spray method. Using the drop method, a lower proportion
      of the particles remained in the top of the test fabric indicating much had
      transmitted into or through the fabric. The large droplet mass and increased
      volume per unit area produced during drop exposure resulted in a combination of
      increased force and saturation, enhancing the movement of the particle through
      the fabric. Fabric characteristics of construction and fiber content also
      influenced the transmission mechanism and quantity. The twill fabric was a better
      barrier to transmission than the plain fabrics. The cotton fabrics prevented
      transmission better than the cotton/polyester fabric.

PMID- 1859211
TI  - A rapid lead test: public outreach and testing to detect leachable lead in
      ceramic ware.
AB  - A modification of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lead screening test
      of ceramic ware was made to screen large numbers of samples in a short time
      frame. Ceramic ware in use by Davis and Sacramento, California residents was
      tested. Lead was leached from ceramic ware with citric acid and identified by
      rhodizonic acid in this quick, qualitative test. Of 92 individual pieces of
      pottery tested, approximately 6.6% were positive for leachable lead.
      Approximately 67% of the positive samples were handmade in Mexico. This rapid
      test is sensitive to two (2) parts per million (ppm, microgram/g) leachable lead.
      Ceramic ware with detectable leachable lead levels may present a health risk to
      individuals who habitually use such items for food storage and/or consumption.
      Because only 20-30 minutes is needed to perform the test, immediate communication
      of results to the participant is possible.

PMID- 1859213
TI  - [Identification of dog bites using a comparative video analysis].
AB  - Pictures from wounds are identified as bite marks of dogs with help of the video
      comparison-technic. It is shown, that two dogs had left bite marks.

PMID- 1859215
TI  - [Unusual wound morphology after textile penetration by the automatic rifle (StG)
      58. A case report].
AB  - Technical characteristics of the used fire-arm and ammunition, the firing range
      and the shot through garments of the victim are essential factors, that exercise
      an influence on the appearance of gunshot injuries. An exemplary case-report
      shall emphasize the importance of these factors. It deals with a suicidal double
      shot fired from an automatic rifle by a young soldier. The wounds were localized
      in the left chest region and the adjacent skin was blackened by soot in a
      remarkable geometrical pattern, although an ammunition with a smokeless charge
      has been used. By means of comparative shots we have good reasons to suppose this
      phenomenon to be caused by rests of gun powder and pressure of the explosion gas
      leaved in the barrel after the first shot. The second projectile pushed out this
      explosion gas to the skin that had been uncovered in a star-shaped way by the
      first shot.

PMID- 1859217
TI  - [Practical value of LDH-X determination for the detection of sperm traces].
AB  - The examination of 38 stains collected in sexual offences provided spermatozoa
      positive, LDH-X-negative results in 4 samples and spermatozoa-negative, LDH-X
      positive results in 6 samples. The results suggest that besides the microscopic
      detection of spermatozoa the demonstration of LDH-X should be performed in
      medicolegal identification of seminal stains.

PMID- 1859214
TI  - [Death caused by sharp injury. Criminologic and criminalistic aspects].
AB  - From 3497 obductions during the ten years between 1979 and 1988 100 homicides and
      18 suicides were caused by sharp trauma. Homicide by sharp trauma is the most
      frequent method for killing. These 100 homicides were analysed in relation to the
      age and nationality of victims and perpetrators, place of action, number and
      localisation of wounds, cause of death. The main results are discussed,
      particularly those which vary from the results of other authors.

PMID- 1859216
TI  - [Group-specific component imaging from trace material using isoelectric focussing
      and electroblotting].
AB  - GC-subtyping was carried out on blood stains, that had been made on glass and
      stored under room temperature-conditions. Using isoelectric focusing in
      polyacrylamide gel, followed by transfer to nitrocellulose membrane by semi-dry
      electroblotting and detection with enzyme-linked antibody complex the GC
      detection was possible even after 64 days. Methodical problems are discussed.

PMID- 1859218
TI  - [Morphology of Kronlein cranial gunshot exemplified by a suicide with a model
      cannon].

PMID- 1859219
TI  - [Holderlin: review of pathographic analysis].
AB  - The life and work of Holderlin confront the psychiatrist with the age-old problem
      of the relationship between artistic creation and mental illness. This theme has
      inspired multitud of writings, many of which fail to stand up to serious
      analysis. Although in the last century interest centred on the literary value of
      his work, more recently various authors have approached his life and work from a
      psychopathological standpoint, generally choosing one of two perspectives. The
      first tries to find the schizophrenic aspects of his poetry, and how it changed
      after the illness appeared. The other tries to find biographical clues which
      could throw some light on the development of his psychosis or, at least, on his
      reactions to its progression. The following study review several works which
      focus on the poet's illness, by authors ranging from Jaspers to Jung, Laplanche,
      Peters and others.

PMID- 1859220
TI  - [Schizophrenia and panic attacks].
AB  - The coexistence of schizophrenia and panic attacks has been reported several
      times in the literature on this topic. In this paper two new clinical cases of
      this association have been exposed. Also, diagnostic and therapeutic implications
      have been debated. The literature related to this topic is reviewed.

PMID- 1859221
TI  - [Auditory hallucinations in bilingual subjects].
AB  - The relationship between bilingualism and psychopathology has received scant
      attention is psychiatric literature. We present four psychotic patients whose
      mother language which they usually spoke, was basque, whereas the
      psychopathological auditory phenomena took place in spanish.

PMID- 1859222
TI  - [Isolated sleep paralysis in patients with disorders due to anxiety crisis].
AB  - The relationship between isolated sleep paralysis and panic disorder in adults is
      analyzed in this study. The patients included in this work presented anxiety
      disorder with agoraphobia and were compared with a group of normal controls. The
      percentage of patients with sleep paralysis was 40% significantly higher than
      those encountered in the control group (20%). The existence of this syndrome do
      not seem to modify the clinical manifestation or severity of panic disorder.

PMID- 1859223
TI  - [Secondary effects of lithium. Their evaluation].
AB  - A groupe of 52 patients in long-term lithium treatment were questioned about side
      effects. The K. Ghose questionnaire was used which contained 36 items. The most
      frequent complaints were hand-tremor, dry mouth, poor memory, polyuria,
      diarrhoea, weight gain. We hypothesize that apart from symptoms clearly
      demonstrated to be caused by lithium treatment (polyuria, hand-tremor, weight
      gain diarrhoea). Other complaints such as dry mouth, poor memory or skin
      eruptions occur frequently and they are also related to lithium.

PMID- 1859224
TI  - [Neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV infection].
AB  - The results of a study about psychiatric morbility in patients suffering from HIV
      infection treated in a psychiatric consulting department of a general hospital
      are presented. Out of one hundred of individuals studied, 93 showed a diagnosis
      in Axle I according to DSM-IIIR criteria for mental disorders classification. The
      diagnosis most frequently found was the one of disorders due to drugs dependence,
      in 41%; organic mental disorder in 29%; adaptation disorders in 15% and affective
      one in 5% of cases. In sixteen patients of the sample a follow-up was carried out
      finding ad evolution towards dementia. Diagnostic difficulties of this population
      and usefulness of carrying out a revision of diagnostic classifications usually
      employed are debated.

PMID- 1859225
TI  - [Dystonia in the painting of Matias Grunewald . Epidemic ergotism in the late
      middle ages].
AB  - Mathias Grunewald painted in the Rhin vallee at the time of Albert Durer and
      Lucas Cranach. In the first part of the XVI Century he painted for the antonin
      friars at Issenheim, place devoted to the care of patients with "St Anthony's
      fire" or chronic ergotism. He despicted figures with abnormal postures simulating
      focal and generalized dystonia. It is likely that patients with chronic ergotism
      modelled for Grunewald and that his paintings are the first artistic
      representation of dystonia.

PMID- 1859226
TI  - [Family studies in the fragile X syndrome].
AB  - A family study and detection of bearer individuals has been carried out in five
      families suffering from the fragile X syndrome by means of clinical and
      cytogenetical examination, as well as by DNA recombination techniques in one of
      them. In 14 males the X marker chromosome was found. In 45 females studied in
      order to find bearer features, 23 heterozygote individuals have been detected.
      Out of those 23 cases, 11 were fragile X positive and in the remaining 22 a
      previous risk of 25-50% was estimated. In this group we used the Bayes theorem
      considering as conditional probabilities to bear a healthy male and to be fragile
      negative and the risk of being a bearer person decreased in all the cases. The
      significance and difficulties of the genetical prevention in families suffering
      from this syndrome because of the great number of young female with risk at the
      reproductive age are debated. The DNA study with the St14 sound (DXS52 Locus) in
      a family was concordant with the cytogenetical studies. A possible recombination
      in an individual suffering from fixation, atypical phenotype and low percentage
      of the maker expression.

PMID- 1859227
TI  - [Short-term effects of the isolated platform on corticosterone plasma level].
AB  - Plasma corticosterone was measured, in rats, after a 30 min, treatment either on
      small platforms used to induce paradoxical sleep deprivation, on large platforms
      utilized as control or in home cages ("Dry Control"group). The subjects on both
      platforms showed similar plasma corticosterone levels, those levels being
      significantly higher than the ones shown by "Dry Controls". It is concluded that
      the use of large platforms as control of the stress induced by the small
      platforms in those experiments aimed at determinating the relationship between
      short-term post-training paradoxical sleep deprivation and memory consolidation
      allow to discriminate the specifical effects induced by paradoxical sleep
      deprivation from the putative modulatory effects of learning exerted by the
      stress induced by the method.

PMID- 1859228
TI  - [Subcellular distribution of soluble and membrane-bound aminopeptidase in the
      left and right hemispheres of young and adult rats].
AB  - The levels of soluble and membrane-bound aminopeptidase activities were assayed
      in subcellular fractions from young (1 month old) and adult (5 month old) left
      and right rat brains, using Leu-, Arg- and Asp-2-naphthylamide as substrates.
      Both soluble Leu- and Arg-aminopeptidase activities showed the highest levels in
      the synaptosomal fraction in the two groups of rats. The highest levels of
      membrane-bound Leu- and Arg-aminopeptidase activities were found in the
      microsomal fraction of the two ages studied. There were no differences between
      the two ages in soluble Leu- and Arg- aminopeptidase activities. However, a
      significant decrease in both membrane-bound activities was evidenced in the
      synaptosomal fraction of adult rats. The young rats showed the highest soluble
      and membrane-bound levels of Asp-aminopeptidase activity in the microsomal
      fraction but no differences among fractions were found at 5 months of age. The
      soluble Asp-aminopeptidase activity of the homogenate and the mitochondrial
      fraction was significantly increased in adult animals when compared to that of
      younger ones. Finally, no differences between left and right brains, in soluble
      or membrane-bound activities, were found neither in young animals nor in the
      adult ones.

PMID- 1859229
TI  - [Tropical pediatrics: necessary exchanges].

PMID- 1859230
TI  - [Organ transplantation in children. Which donors? At what cost?].

PMID- 1859231
TI  - [Children with short stature].

PMID- 1859232
TI  - [Neonatal septicemias: biological diagnosis and antibiotherapy. Apropos of a
      series of 46 cases].
AB  - The records of 46 neonates with proven septicaemia were retrospectively studied.
      Patients could be divided in 2 groups: in group 1 (21 infants) a positive blood
      culture was obtained before one day of life; in group 2 (25 infants) a positive
      blood culture was obtained between days 1 and 28. The sensitivity of 9 chemical
      and bacteriological tests and the efficacy of the initial antibiotic treatment
      were examined in both groups. Of the 21 germs isolated in patients from group 1,
      86% were Gram positive bacteria and 95% were susceptible to ampicillin. Of the 26
      germs isolated in patients from group 2, 80% were Gram negative enteric bacteria
      and 86% were susceptible to cefotaxime. Bacterial tests (gastric aspiration,
      antigen detection, feces culture) had a better sensibility than biochemical tests
      (C reactive protein, orosomucoid, fibrinogen).

PMID- 1859234
TI  - [Compliance in adolescents with chronic disease].
AB  - This study was undertaken with the aim of improving the understanding of the
      phenomenon of compliance in adolescents presenting with chronic diseases. In 192
      subjects aged 12 to 20 years presenting with diabetes, asthma, cystic fibrosis,
      systemic lupus erythematosus or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, appointment
      keeping, compliance with prescribed medical regimens or general instructions and
      the filling up of a calendar describing the daily levels of fatigue were studied.
      Correlations (Pearson) between these various types of measurements were weak:
      from 0.04 to 0.26. Appointment keeping was about 90%. Overall compliance either
      with treatments or with general instructions was 50% only (without clearcut
      changes according to diseases); however only 11% of subjects presented with a
      good compliance with all the treatment components. Various factors (familial
      environment, perception of the disease and of the patient-physician
      relationships) were significantly associated with compliance (p less than 0.005).
      These results emphasize the necessity of taking care of all aspects of
      compliance, which is difficult to predict at this age, due to the multiple
      factors involved.

PMID- 1859233
TI  - [Infants born to kidney transplant recipients].
AB  - Over a period of 24 years, 23 women who had undergone renal transplantation gave
      birth to 26 children whose gestational ages were above 28 weeks. The average
      duration of stable kidney function tests before the onset of pregnancy was 34.5
      months (6 to 109 months). Immunosuppressive treatment consisted mostly of
      azathioprine and steroids (20/26), steroids and cyclosporin A (CyA) in one case,
      and azathioprine, steroids and CyA in 5 cases. Average gestational age at birth
      was 35.2 weeks (30-40 weeks), average birth weight was 2,330 g (1,160-3,700 g).
      Caesarean section was performed in 73% of cases. The most frequent neonatal
      pathological condition was the occurrence of respiratory distress, most often
      related to prematurity and the mode of delivery. No child presented with any
      lethal congenital malformation. Children born to mothers who were given CyA did
      not present with more congenital malformations or renal function impairment.

PMID- 1859235
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics of aspirin in African children with normal nutrition and
      malnutrition].
AB  - Pharmacokinetics of aspirin given orally at antipyretic dose (12 mg/kg) were
      studied in 11 African children aged 4-48 months. In order to examine the
      influence of nutritional status on aspirin kinetics, children were classified
      according to Waterlow criteria. Blood samples were collected during the 8 hours
      following the initial dose. Albumin, prealbumin and transferrin plasma levels
      were measured and plasma salicylic acid (SA) concentrations determined by a
      fluorometric method. Nutritional status seemed to have no prominent effect on
      plasma concentrations of SA. The volume of distribution found in our study was
      lower than those obtained in other studies. This could be explained by lower
      plasma aspirin esterase activities in black children. There were large individual
      variations in plasma salicylate concentrations. For example, even at antipyretic
      doses, saturation phenomena appeared in two children.

PMID- 1859236
TI  - [Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia].
AB  - The case of an hyperthermia-induced sudden death in an infant with anhidrotic
      dysplasia is reported. This disease, easily diagnosed, should now be better known
      and its early assessment, with thermal monitoring might improve the initial
      severe prognosis. A genetic counselling might be possible.

PMID- 1859237
TI  - [Neonatal kidney insufficiency and intrauterine exposure to ketoprofen].
AB  - An acute kidney failure (AKF) was present at birth in a 28 week-old premature
      infant exposed in utero to ketoprofen during the last 4 days of pregnancy. Usual
      causes of AKF were not identified. Thus, AKF might be due to a ketoprofen-induced
      impairment in renal prostaglandin synthesis.

PMID- 1859238
TI  - [Transitory acute kidney insufficiency and insulin-dependent after treatment of
      kala-azar with pentamidine and N-methylglucamine antimony].
AB  - Azotemia and diabetes mellitus are now well-known adverse reactions associated
      with Pentamidine treatment, especially since its prescription in case of
      Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. We report the case of a 2 year-old boy, treated
      for kala-azar with pentamidine and N-methyl glucamine antimoniate who developed
      adverse effects, characterized by a nephrotic syndrome associated with the
      classic acute tubular necrosis, and transient diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1859239
TI  - [Iconographic rubric. Acute lithiasic pancreatitis, exceptional cause of
      abdominal pain crisis in sickle cell anemia patient].

PMID- 1859240
TI  - [Immune neonatal thrombocytopenia].

PMID- 1859241
TI  - [Feeding of young children in the European Economic Community and perspective in
      1993].

PMID- 1859242
TI  - [Correlations between genotype and phenotype in children with phenylketonuria?].

PMID- 1859244
TI  - [Management of abused children].

PMID- 1859243
TI  - [Child abuse mistreated].

PMID- 1859245
TI  - [Giardiasis and biopsy of small intestine for growth retardation].

PMID- 1859246
TI  - [Accelerated desensitization in asthma. 2-year evaluations follow-up of 16
      children].

PMID- 1859247
TI  - [Cardiotoxicity of intravenous erythromycin lactobionate in the neonatal period].

PMID- 1859248
TI  - [49,XXXXY syndrome and congenital cardiopathy].

PMID- 1859249
TI  - [Hypertensive action of 5-(beta-aminoethyl)aminoisoxazoles: synthesis and
      screening of isoxazolopyrazines and isoxazolodiazepines].
AB  - The 5-aminoisoxazole 1 is converted via the 4-nitro derivative to the 4,5-diamino
      compound 4, which cyclises with glyoxal to yield the isoxazolo[4,5-b)pyrazine 5.
      Decomposition of the isoxazole moiety is always observed in experiments to
      hydrogenate partially the pyrazine ring and to phenylate the N-atom,
      respectively. Therefore, the corresponding tetrahydro derivative 6 is prepared
      from 4 and 1,2-ethandiol ditosylate. Starting with benzohydroxamic acid chloride
      and a cyanoacetic acid amide the tetrahydro isoxazolo[5,4-e]1,4-diazepinone-4 18
      is synthesized. All new compounds are characterized by their spectroscopic data,
      the reaction mechanisms are discussed. Using the model of the pithed and the
      anaesthetized rat, resp., the pyrazino- and diazepino-isoxazoles (compounds 5, 6,
      13, 18) have less or no hypertensive activity as compared to the corresponding
      derivatives with fully flexible side chains.

PMID- 1859250
TI  - Investigations on the antiproliferative effects of amino acid antagonists
      targeting for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Part III--Combination experiments.
AB  - The combined effects of amino acid antagonists with proven or potential
      inhibitory activities on aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases were investigated on the
      murine leukemic cell line P388 D1. As the best result a summation of the
      antiproliferative effects was observed. Combinations with established cytostatic
      agents like platinum complexes or other antitumor compounds also yielded partly
      additive effects. In experiments performed with asparaginase L-aspartic acid-beta
      hydroxamate gave synergistic growth inhibition of P388 D1 cells in vitro, which
      was reflected by additive effects against murine leukemia P388 in vivo.

PMID- 1859252
TI  - [Antineoplastics 17. Analysis of mono- and disubstituted 2,4-dichloro-5
      diethylamino-1,3,5-triazines].
AB  - The reactions of 2,4-dichloro-6-diethylamino-1,3,5-triazine (1) with the
      secondary amines 2a-g lead to the diamino-1,3,5-triazines 3a-e and the melamines
      4a and 4b. The structures of the reaction products were established
      spectroscopically (IR, 1H-NMR, and MS).

PMID- 1859251
TI  - Induction of drug metabolism can be a homeostatic response.
AB  - The invasion of the body by toxic agents, in addition to the specific effects,
      causes a stereotype non-specific response -stress-, and an adaptive phenomenon
      like drug metabolism. Reserpine or hydrocortisone, causing a typical stress
      response, produce increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone in rats. 
      Here it is shown that corticosterone administration once, or for three days twice
      daily (200 mumoles/kg) increase body resistance to zoxazolamine, methyprylon, and
      tetraethylammonium bromide, reduce their plasma concentrations and augment
      zoxazolamine, hexobarbital, and aniline in vitro drug metabolism (9000 g liver
      supernatant). This constitutes a good evidence that drug metabolism can be
      induced in response to need.

PMID- 1859253
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics of carboplatin after intraperitoneal administration].
AB  - The concentration-profile of the antineoplastic agent carboplatinum in serum and
      intraperitoneal-fluid (IPF) of six female patients was studied. Pharmacokinetical
      analysis showed a rapid distribution-phase between both compartments within the
      first 4h after administration (t1/2 serum = 4.4 h, t1/2 IPF = 3.3 h). Elimination
      half-life of carboplatinum of 20.3 h from the blood-vessel-system was
      significantly higher than from the intraperitoneal-compartment (t1/2 = 10.6 h).
      The relative bioavailability (calculated as AUC-values) was at least 6 times
      higher for the IPF than for serum within the first 48 h. 98% of measured amount
      were eliminated from both compartments within this time. The desired high IPF
      levels support this route of administration.

PMID- 1859254
TI  - Spectrofluorimetric assay of fluoride ions in pharmaceutical formulations.

PMID- 1859255
TI  - Applying psychometric criteria to functional assessment in medical
      rehabilitation: I. Exploring unidimensionality.
AB  - While rehabilitation providers are facing increasing pressure to document
      treatment outcomes, critics have warned against the inappropriate use of ordinal
      functional assessment data in arithmetic operations. Two salient criticisms
      concern the combination of items representing multidimensional abilities into a
      single total score, and the indeterminate distances between hierarchical
      functional assessment scale categories. In this initial study, the factor
      structure of the Patient Evaluation and Conference System (PECS) was studied to
      assess the potential for unidimensional measurement. Factor analysis of a
      multidiagnostic dataset (n = 3,564) yielded eight factors accounting for 60% of
      the variance among 68 PECS items. The factors indicate that several
      unidimensional measures may underlie the PECS. These factors are delineated, and
      further studies of unidimensionality and additivity are recommended.

PMID- 1859256
TI  - Effects of trunk support and target distance on postural adjustments prior to a
      rapid reaching task by seated subjects.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of postural adjustments
      before a reaching task by seated subjects. Nine seated subjects performed a rapid
      reaching task to a target placed at shoulder height, 45 degrees to the right of
      midline. Reach time, timing and magnitude of forces produced by the movement, and
      onset of deltoid muscle activity were analyzed under supported versus
      unsupported, and near versus far reach conditions. Reach time was proportional to
      reach distance. For all reach conditions, initial movement of the center of body
      mass occurred in a direction toward the target, ie, opposite in direction to
      reactive forces produced by the accelerating arm. Regardless of support, reactive
      forces were recorded approximately 30 to 50 msec before arm movement, and
      represented a greater percentage of body weight, for the far reach conditions.
      Peak acceleration to the right occurred at proportionately the same time into
      reach regardless of support or reach distance. Peak acceleration occurred earlier
      in the supported conditions. This paper provides kinetic evidence of postural
      adjustments before a rapid reaching task performed by seated subjects.

PMID- 1859257
TI  - Respiration effect on standing balance.
AB  - An attempt was made to determine the effect of respiration on standing balance.
      Ten able-bodied subjects were asked to stand upright on a force platform and were
      asked to hold their breath after inspiration and after expiration, and to breathe
      regularly, 4, 6, and 8 respirations per 20 seconds. Sway was measured over 20
      second periods with eyes open and eyes closed. The results show that both
      respiration and eye condition affect the sway distance of the center of pressure
      on body balance. The sway distance in holding breath after inspiration is
      significantly greater than in holding breath after expiration, and increasing the
      respiration rate produces a greater postural sway. Also, the grade of visual
      compensation for body balance is higher in the regular respiration condition than
      in breath holding. These findings are applicable for ergonomics, sports, and
      clinical situations.

PMID- 1859258
TI  - Leg-length discrepancy: effect on the amplitude of postural sway.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate whether leg-length discrepancy (LLD)
      influences a person's standing balance as measured by the amplitude of his/her
      postural sway. Twenty volunteers between the ages of 20 and 32 participated.
      Eleven individuals with no measurable LLD constituted the control group. The
      experimental group consisted of nine individuals with at least a 9.5mm LLD. Each
      subject stood barefoot on a force platform with their feet together. Center-of
      pressure data were collected at a rate of 10Hz for 12.8 seconds while the
      subjects stood with their eyes opened and again with their eyes closed. The
      amplitude of each person's postural sway in the medial-lateral and anterior
      posterior directions was calculated from the center-of-pressure data. The results
      of the study showed that no significant difference existed between the
      experimental and control groups. There was, however, a significant difference (p
      less than .05) between the conditions of eyes opened and closed. These results
      indicate that individuals with an LLD do not have more postural sway than those
      without an LLD.

PMID- 1859259
TI  - Treadmill gait retraining following fractured neck-of-femur.
AB  - The rehabilitation outcome of two methods of gait retraining, was studied in 40
      elderly women who had fractured the neck-of-femur. Twenty control subjects
      received conventional gait retraining, and 20 experimental subjects participated
      in a treadmill gait retraining program. Rehabilitation outcome was determined by
      temporal-distance gait parameters and mobility level (house-bound, limited, or
      unlimited). Muscle strength and range of movement of the lower limb were
      measured. Previously reported predictors of poor outcome (age, prefracture
      mobility, admission from sites other than own home, availability of caring
      person, type of ambulatory aid, presence or absence of senile dementia, and
      number of concomitant medical diseases) were recorded. Subjects were assessed on
      admission to the gait retraining program and at discharge from hospital. A 3 x 2
      chi-square analysis on discharge mobility level showed the mobility level of the
      treadmill group to be significantly (p less than .05) higher than the mobility
      level attained by the control group. Analysis of variance showed no significant
      differences between the two groups at either assessment time. However, a
      significant increase in within-group variance from admission to discharge (p less
      than .01) was noted, and this led to the analysis of a subgroup containing six
      pairs of subjects matched for number of predictors of poor outcome.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859260
TI  - Postural differences between asymptomatic men and women and craniofacial pain
      patients.
AB  - A forward head position and rounded shoulders have been implicated in the
      development or perpetuation of craniomandibular disorders. Since women seek
      treatment for these problems more frequently than men, postural differences may
      account for the increased incidence of symptoms in women. The purposes of this
      study were (1) to compare the sagittal head and shoulder posture of asymptomatic
      men and women and (2) to compare the posture of asymptomatic and symptomatic
      women to determine differences in sagittal plane posture. Subjects were 20
      asymptomatic men and women volunteers and nine consecutive women patients
      presenting for evaluation and treatment of craniomandibular pain. The subjects
      were compared using a valid, reliable, computer-assisted slide digitizing system
      called the Postural Analysis Digitizing System (PADS). Asymptomatic men and women
      did not differ in the postural characteristics associated with craniomandibular
      disorders. Sagittal posture does not appear to be a gender-related factor in
      these disorders. Symptomatic women, however, do display these postural
      characteristics to a greater extent than asymptomatic women. Evaluation and
      treatment of postural dysfunction should be included in the management of these
      patients.

PMID- 1859262
TI  - Intermittent pneumatic compression therapy in posttraumatic lower limb edema:
      computed tomography and clinical measurements.
AB  - The purpose of our study was to assess the amount of posttraumatic lower limb
      edema and its distribution between subcutaneous and subfascial compartments
      before and after intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy in patients
      with fractures of the lower leg immobilized with a cast for six to 12 weeks.
      Computed tomography (CT) was used as an objective method of measuring the
      compartmental distribution of edema. Sixteen patients with a mean age of 37 years
      (range 19 to 64 years) were investigated by clinical measurement of the leg
      circumference and by CT at the ankle joint and at three equidistant (10cm) levels
      above it. The unaffected leg served as a control for the evaluation of the amount
      of edema and density of the tissues. Edema was found primarily in subcutaneous
      tissue. The IPC treatment decreased relative edema from 23% to 15.9% (p less than
      0.01) as measured by CT, and from 23.5% to 13.2% as measured clinically. The
      density of muscle tissue increased 9% (p less than 0.01) and that of subcutaneous
      tissue decreased 5.6% (p less than 0.05). The IPC treatment influenced both the
      amount of edema and the density of tissue compartments.

PMID- 1859261
TI  - External loading comparisons between able-bodied and below-knee-amputee children
      during walking.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to determine external loading variables
      that could describe any statistically significant differences between the limbs
      of below-knee-amputee (BKA) and able-bodied children. Eleven able-bodied children
      and four BKA children volunteered to participate in this investigation. Force
      platform data were collected for two consecutive foot falls during two
      experimental sessions. Significant external load differences existed between the
      prosthetic limbs and nonprosthetic limbs of BKA children and between limbs of the
      BKA and able-bodied children. The prosthetic limb generally displayed a
      subordinate role when compared to nonprosthetic and normal limbs. The
      nonprosthetic limbs displayed a dominant role when compared to the other limbs.
      These external loading characteristics of the prosthetic and nonprosthetic limbs
      may be a logical consequence of the morphologic and functional differences that
      exist between the groups. It was concluded that as long as the prosthetic limb
      functions differently from a normal limb, BKA children may have a difficult time
      walking the same as able-bodied children. It would appear to be advantageous to
      determine the most appropriate gait pattern for BKA children, given the influence
      of such factors as prosthetic design, construction, and alignment,
      rehabilitation, and joint loading.

PMID- 1859264
TI  - Quantitative cervical flexor strength in healthy subjects and in subjects with
      mechanical neck pain.
AB  - Although weakness of anterior cervical muscles is postulated to contribute to
      persistent neck pain in patients with mechanical neck pain, quantitation of
      weakness has never been reported. We compared anterior cervical muscle strength
      in 30 subjects with mechanical neck pain and in 30 asymptomatic control subjects.
      Testing was performed with the subject supine, chin retracted, and neck flexed.
      Assessment was made using a hand-held dynamometer with head held at the midline
      and with rotation left and right within a pain-free range. Analysis with Wilcoxon
      scores showed that patients with neck pain had significantly less (p less than
      .05) strength (N.Kg-1) in all three positions than controls (1.16 +/- 0.49 vs
      1.71 +/- 0.42, sagittally; 1.01 +/- 0.52 vs 1.47 +/- 0.41, rotation left; .99 +/-
      0.46 vs 1.43 +/- 0.43 rotation right; neck pain vs control, respectively.) This
      weakness and its role in persistent neck pain should be recognized. The
      efficiency and effect of cervical muscle strengthening in treatment of chronic
      neck pain should be further defined.

PMID- 1859263
TI  - Clinical findings associated with pulmonary embolism in a rehabilitation setting.
AB  - In a rehabilitation setting, pulmonary embolism is a relatively frequent and life
      threatening complication. Deciding when a patient may be experiencing this
      condition is difficult, however, because of frequent deficits in patient
      communication skills (eg, aphasia and cognitive deficits) and the multisystem
      illnesses affecting many rehabilitation patients. We reviewed the charts of 30
      rehabilitation patients transferred emergently during the years 1986 to 1988 with
      a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, which was subsequently documented by
      ventilation-perfusion scanning. The average age of the 30 patients was 65; 63%
      were women and 20 (67%) had an admitting diagnosis of stroke. The most common new
      onset clinical findings in the 24 hours before discharge were unusual facial skin
      color changes (pale, flushed, or cyanotic) (57%), chest or upper back pain (47%),
      tachycardia (heart rate more than 100 bpm) (40%), hypoxemia (arterial oxygen
      saturation less than or equal to 90%) (40%), and fever less than 101F (37%). In
      63% of the patients, either anxiety, restlessness, diaphoresis, or dyspnea was
      also noted in the 24 hours before discharge. The data suggest that careful
      physician and nursing scrutiny may identify clinical signs characteristic of
      pulmonary embolism, and that the de novo appearance of these constellations of
      findings may help to select candidates for ventilation-perfusion scanning.

PMID- 1859265
TI  - Motor variables correlated with the hand-to-mouth maneuver in stroke patients.
AB  - This study investigated the relationship between each of three independent
      variables and the completion of the hand-to-mouth maneuver in 23 hemiparetic
      stroke patients. The independent variables were elbow-extensor muscle tone
      (graded using the Modified Ashworth Scale); active elbow-flexion range-of-motion
      deficit measured without the influence of gravity; and elbow-flexion strength
      measured without the influence of gravity with a hand-held dynamometer. The hand
      to-mouth maneuver was graded according to the degree of completion using a three
      level ordinal scale. Spearman (rs) correlations demonstrated a significant
      relationship between the extent of completion of the hand-to-mouth maneuver and
      both the active elbow-flexion-range deficit (rs = -.853) and the elbow-flexor
      muscle force (rs = .829). The correlation of the maneuver with elbow-extensor
      muscle tone (rs = -.063) was not significant, but the relationship may have been
      influenced by the fact that only a minority of subjects had elevated tone, and
      that elevation was minimal. The result suggest that both active-movement deficits
      and muscle strength may be important to upper extremity function.

PMID- 1859266
TI  - Characteristics of hospital patients receiving medical rehabilitation: an
      exploratory outcome comparison.
AB  - This study classified consecutive hospital admissions to acute medical and
      surgical wards (n = 3,170) into clinical subgroups based on diagnostic,
      prognostic, and functional criteria. The groups were (1) independent, (2)
      terminal, (3) medical, (4) dementia, and (5) rehabilitation candidate. Medical
      record data from hospital admission, discharge, and nine-month follow-up were
      collected. The groups had unique patterns of survival, residence, and use of
      health care services during follow-up. Rehabilitation participants were compared
      with a group similar in age, major diagnostic category, and functional ability,
      who did not receive rehabilitation. Only 21% of persons meeting the study
      criteria for rehabilitation actually received rehabilitation services. At follow
      up, participants in rehabilitation had lower mortality, spent less time in
      skilled nursing care, and were less frequently hospitalized. Although exploratory
      in nature, this study supports previously observed benefits of rehabilitation. In
      combination with clinical assessment, the process of identifying patient
      subgroups may be useful in planning interventions more uniformly and in
      developing measures to reduce selection bias in rehabilitation admission
      decisions.

PMID- 1859267
TI  - Hand and wrist strengthening exercises during rehabilitation of a patient with
      hereditary distal myopathy.
AB  - The effects of isometric and resistive strengthening exercises on myopathic
      distal muscles were examined by implementing a program of hand and wrist
      exercises during the rehabilitation of a patient with adult-onset hereditary
      distal myopathy. A 78-year-old man with this diagnosis for 18 years entered the
      hospital after a lumbar laminectomy and complete bedrest for seven weeks. After a
      three-week course of twice-daily Velcro board, therapeutic putty, and table-side
      isometric exercises, his hand and wrist manual muscle testing score, hand grasp
      and pinch strength, and nine-hole peg test times had all improved. In addition,
      the patient had moved from minimum-moderate assist in dressing and hygiene, and
      maximum assist in homemaking, to stand-by assist in both areas. The outcome
      demonstrates the feasibility and functional value of isometric and resistive
      strengthening exercises in muscles severely affected by a myopathic process.

PMID- 1859268
TI  - Hereditary coproporphyria: an imitator of multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Hereditary coproporphyria can cause both peripheral neuropathy and central
      nervous system abnormalities. There are several similarities between multiple
      sclerosis and hereditary coproporphyria that are probably due to the central
      nervous system dysfunction present in both. This report describes a 62-year-old
      man with a five-year history of progressive paraparesis initially diagnosed as
      multiple sclerosis. Supporting evidence for the diagnosis of a demyelinating
      disease included three oligoclonal bands in the patient's cerebral spinal fluid,
      a prolonged visual evoked response bilaterally, abnormal sensory evoked
      potentials, and an area of increased signal in the posterior cervical cord
      suggestive of demyelination that was demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI). Features atypical for multiple sclerosis were hypoactive deep-tendon
      reflexes, electromyographic evidence of peripheral neuropathy, and severe
      constipation. Elevated urine porphyrins and decreased levels of
      coproporphyrinogen oxidase confirmed the correct diagnosis of hereditary
      coproporphyria. The patient improved after being placed on a high-carbohydrate
      diet. Although central demyelination is known to occur in patients with
      porphyria, delayed evoked potentials and MRI abnormalities have not been
      previously reported.

PMID- 1859269
TI  - [Energy metabolism of growing broiler chickens kept in groups in relation to the
      environmental temperature. 1. Feed intake, heat production and energy
      utilization].
AB  - In 5 experiments with young broiler chickens kept in groups at environmental
      temperatures (ET) of 35, 30, 25, 20 and 15 degrees C feed intake, live weight
      development and heat production were ascertained between their 5th and 57th days
      of life. Feed intake and live weight were ascertained separately according to
      sex. With live weight being the same, feed intake increased with decreasing ET.
      There was no maximum feed intake up to the 57th day of life at between 20 and 25
      degrees C. At the end of their 57th day of life the male and the female chickens
      had achieved the following live weights (in the sequence of decreasing ET 35-15
      degrees C): 1342; 2014; 2829; 2946; 2374 and 1367; 1900; 2512; 2496 and 2200
      g/animal resp. The highest live weight gain of the chickens was achieved at
      between 25 and 20 degrees C with 60-70 g/d for male and with 50-60 g/d for female
      animals. Heat production (HP) increased progressively with age. The highest HP
      was registered at 20 degrees C ET.

PMID- 1859270
TI  - [Energy metabolism of growing broiler chickens kept in groups in relation to the
      environmental temperature. 2. Heat production, thermoregulatory heat production
      and thermoneutral temperature (short term measurement)].
AB  - In 5 experiments the weekly rhythm of the heat production of growing young
      broiler chickens kept in groups between their 5th and 57th days of life was
      measured according to the method of short-time measuring (30-minute measuring
      periods) in dependence on environmental temperature (ET) between 40 and 5 degrees
      C in stages of 5 K by means of gas exchange and indirect calorimetry. The keeping
      temperature ranged from one experiment to the other from 35, 30, 25, 20 to 15
      degrees C. The dependence of heat production on ET is parabolic in the medium and
      high ranges of temperature. As a rule, heat production increases progressively
      with very low ET. Thermoneutral temperature depends on both, the age (live
      weight) of the chickens and environmental temperature. Thermoregulatory heat
      production decreases with growing age. It changed from 24 kJ/kg LW0.75.d.K at the
      beginning to 8 kJ/kg LW0.75.d.K at the end of the experiments.

PMID- 1859271
TI  - [Energy metabolism of growing broiler chickens kept in groups in relation to the
      environmental temperature. 3. Moderated model description of the efficiency of
      the utilization of variable energy for body energy retention].
AB  - An attempt is made on the basis of extensive studies on the energy metabolism of
      growing broilers to describe as a model the efficiency of the energetic
      utilization of the feed. The following parameters are components of the model:
      metabolizable energy, energy maintenance requirement, thermoneutral temperature,
      thermoregulatory heat production, heat production from the partial utilization of
      metabolizable energy for body energy retention, heat production (total), energy
      retention, utilization of metabolizable energy (total), live weight,
      environmental temperature. At environmental temperatures of 35, 30, 25, 20 and 15
      degrees C resp. the model statement for the total utilization of metabolizable
      energy amounts to 32.4, 39.4, 39.6, 37.3 and 36.2% resp.

PMID- 1859272
TI  - [Effect of flavomycin on the apparent digestibility of crude nutrients in
      wethers, parameters of rumen fermentation in cattle and feed intake and weight
      gain of heifers].
AB  - Three experiments with five wether each were carried out in order to investigate
      the influence of various levels of flavomycin (0, 5 and 10 mg per animal and day)
      on apparent digestibility of artificially dried grass. A short time individual
      feeding experiment (42 days) with 9 bulls and a long term individual feeding
      experiment (225 days) with 52 heifers were conducted. Animals consumed 0 or 30 mg
      flavomycin per day. Parameters of rumen fermentation were investigated. Feed
      intake and weight gain were measured in the experiment with heifers. Flavomycin
      did not significantly influence the apparent digestibility of organic matter and
      crude nutrients as well as parameters of rumen fermentation. Flavomycin did not
      influence dry matter intake, but increased significantly weight gain (49 g per
      animal and day, 10.5%) and reduced feed and energy required per kg weight gain
      (10.6%) in heifers. The reasons of ergotropic effects of flavomycin are mostly
      unknown at present.

PMID- 1859273
TI  - [Sexual dimorphism in the response of the large-cell neurons of the rat
      hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei to water-salt loading and water deprivation].
AB  - The responses of large-cell populations of the hypothalamic paraventricular
      nuclei (PVN) to salt loading and water deprivation in adult male and female rats
      were studied using morphometric methods at the level of light microscopy. Sexual
      dimorphism, especially pronounced during functional stress, has been observed in
      the responses of all large-cell PVN populations. The males proved to be more
      sensitive.

PMID- 1859274
TI  - [Cortical-cell thymomas with predominance of so-called nurse-cells in patients
      with myasthenia].
AB  - 30 thymomas in patients with generalized myasthenia studied histologically and
      immunohistochemically are classified as cortico-cell thymomas (n-15), medullary
      cell (n-1), mixed-cell (n-10) and cortical-cell thymomas consisting mainly of
      thymic "nurse"-cells. Pronounced histological features of thymomas with the
      predominance of "nurse"-cells allow one to consider them as a special variant of
      thymic tumours. Production of thymic hormones by tumour cells in combination with
      the loss of HLA-DR antigen expression may be of importance in the pathogenesis of
      autoimmunization in patients with myasthenia.

PMID- 1859275
TI  - [Estrogen effect on the development of neurons in an intraocular transplant of
      rat solitary tract nuclei].
AB  - At the light and electron-microscopic levels, using morphometric methods, we
      investigated the estradiol-17 beta effects on neural growth in the solitary tract
      nucleus grafts. Estradiol-17 beta increased the functional activity in some
      neurons of the grafts and caused their cell processes to grow. It also affected
      the synaptogenesis in the neuropil of the graft tissues.

PMID- 1859276
TI  - [Combined morphologic criteria in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases].
AB  - The use of scanning and translucent electron microscopy, morphometry with the
      automatic system of analysis in the study of thyroid in patients with nodular
      euthyroid goiter, diffuse toxic goiter and papillary carcinoma, aged from 27 to
      52 years, allowed us to establish the complex of morphologic criteria
      (qualitative and quantitative) on the cellular and subcellular level, which can
      be applied for the study of the thyroid under different pathological conditions.

PMID- 1859277
TI  - [Ultrastructural changes in the adenohypophysis-thyroid system in chronic
      poisoning by the herbicide linuron].
AB  - Ultrastructural adenohypophysis-thyroid system investigation of Wistar male rats
      under conditions of chronic poisoning by Linuron herbicide and administration of
      thymohemin immunomodulator was performed. The release of thyrocyte fragments into
      the vascular lumen, electron-dense deposits in the area of vascular basal
      membrane, dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum cisternae as well as inhibition of
      Golgi complex in thyrocytes are observed in the thyroid exposed to Linuron; in
      the adenohypophysis under the same conditions swelling and splitting of
      microvessel basal membrane as well as the increase of biosynthetic and secretory
      thyrotrophic function can be seen. Thymohemin reduces the degree of degenerative
      processes in the thyroid gland.

PMID- 1859279
TI  - [Morphofunctional characteristics of the adrenals in patients with cardiovascular
      pathology].
AB  - The adrenals of 65 patients who had died of rheumatism, endocarditis septica
      lenta, simple chronic bronchitis, atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis and acute
      trauma were studied histologically, histochemically, morphometrically and using
      impregnation methods. Processes in the stroma and endocrine tissue were divided
      into two groups. The first group included changes relating to the manifestation
      of general adaptation syndrome. The second one deals with changes reflecting the
      features of the given disease pathogenesis: degenerative and inflammatory
      processes typical for certain conditions, various states of different adrenal
      zones.

PMID- 1859278
TI  - [The endocrine hypothalamus].
AB  - Existing data on the peptide hormones in connection with the hypothalamus
      topography, close interrelationship in the vegetative brain centre of a number of
      specialized neuronal nuclei with unknown hormonal activity give an example of a
      highly developed system of the homeostatic function regulation. The author's
      concept of the neurosecretion mechanism is presented.

PMID- 1859280
TI  - [Distribution of type I, III, IV, V collagen and fibronectin in the extracellular
      matrix of malignant schwannomas (immuno-morphologic study)].
AB  - The main feature of the malignant schwannoma matrix studied by means of
      monospecific polyclonal antibodies and method of indirect immunofluorescence is
      the presence of focally distributed deposits of type IV collagen. Besides this,
      collagen of types I, III, V and fibronectin are also found. Qualitatively, the
      extracellular matrix of both benign and malignant schwannoma is similar. The
      focal localization of type IV collagen is probably associated with areas of the
      anaplastic lemmocytes proliferation. It is suggested to use the obtained data for
      the differential diagnosis of malignant schwannoma and fibrosarcoma.

PMID- 1859281
TI  - [Immunomorphologic study of the extracellular matrix in neurofibroma and benign
      schwannoma].
AB  - The distribution of type I, III, IV and V collagen and fibronectin in schwannomas
      and neurofibromas showed the similarity in the extracellular matrix structure of
      both tumours. Both the components of the interstitial connective tissue (collagen
      of I, III, V types and fibronectin) and component of basal membrane (the IV type
      collagen) are found in the fibrillar matrix of these two tumours. It is shown for
      the first time that matrix of rhythmical structures of schwannoma contains the
      collagen of type IV and fibronectin while the interstitial collagen of types I,
      III and V is absent. The application of the results obtained for the differential
      diagnosis of fibrous and neurogenic tumours is discussed.

PMID- 1859282
TI  - [Morphologic changes in the skin and superficial temporal arteries in Sneddon's
      syndrome].
AB  - Skin biopsies from livedo's areas of 25 patients and fragments of superficial
      temporal arteries of 10 patients with Sneddon's syndrome were examined.
      Pathological changes in the dermis arteries of small and medium calibers were
      found in the form of the intima hyperplasia, proliferation of vascular wall cell
      elements (80%), arterial thrombosis (with diameter of 60-200 microns). These
      changes were found in 68% of observations when clinical and morphological signs
      of vasculitis were lacking. "Arteriopathy" is the most appropriate term for such
      lesions. Focal and diffuse fibro-muscular elastic hyperplasia of the intima and
      muscular layer fibrosis in the wall of superficial temporal arteries may be
      considered as age-associated lesions. Ultrastructurally, a selective damage of
      the non-adrenergic part of the nervous apparatus of the dermal arteries and
      superficial temporal arteries were observed; this suggests the participation of
      the damaged vascular neurogenic regulation in the formation of organic vascular
      changes.

PMID- 1859283
TI  - [Knowledge of general pathologic anatomy in 5th-year students].
AB  - Students of the 5th year rather well retain their knowledge of the pathologic
      anatomy obtained during the 3rd year although their mean indices are relatively
      low. The index of student efficiency may be used for the improvement of teaching
      and for the student specialization in pathology.

PMID- 1859284
TI  - [Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the radius with metastases in the internal
      organs].
AB  - A rare variant of chondrosarcoma--a mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the right
      radiocarpal articulation--is described. The tumour was very small, painless, and
      did not disturb the joint function but possessed a high mitotic activity and gave
      lymphogenic metastases to the viscera of the right half of the body. It was not
      diagnosed clinically.

PMID- 1859285
TI  - [Primitive trigeminal artery combined with arteriovenous malformation of the
      brain].
AB  - Analysis of the brain circulation and consequences of the intravascular surgery
      in a woman of 22 with a combined pathology--a primitive trifacial artery with an
      arteriovenous brain malformation--are presented. The arteriovenous malformation
      was cured surgically with the use of polystyrene emboli some of which penetrated
      through the primitive trifacial artery into the branches of carotis interna. The
      possibilities of the above combinations should be taken into consideration when
      the method of the intra-vascular surgery is to be chosen.

PMID- 1859286
TI  - [Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis combined with retroperitoneal
      xanthogranuloma, simulating kidney tumor].
AB  - Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a special variant of interstitial
      nephritis, when an inflammatory infiltration contains xanthomatous cells. Its
      diagnosis is difficult and possible only on the basis of a histologic analysis of
      a surgically removed kidney. A case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis
      combined with retroperitoneal xanthogranuloma is presented. Kidney carcinoma was
      suspected and in the course of operation the biopsy of kidney was taken. In the
      authors' opinion a histologic express diagnosis is recommended during the
      operation.

PMID- 1859287
TI  - [Use of a mixture of three types of antibodies for immuno-histologic detection of
      stomach cancer micrometastases].
AB  - The stomach carcinoma micrometastases to lymph nodes were revealed by nondirect
      immunoperoxidase method. The reaction was performed on the slides of lymph nodes
      stained with hematoxylin and eosin taken from pathomorphologic archives, by the
      mixture of polyclonal antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen, beta-I-meconial
      antigen and pepsinogen C. The micrometastases were found in 7 of 58 cases (10.8%)
      that had initial histologic diagnosis "lack of metastases".

PMID- 1859289
TI  - [Ludvig Aschoff (on the 125th anniversary of his birth date)].

PMID- 1859288
TI  - [Use of the immunoperoxidase method at the light microscopic level].

PMID- 1859290
TI  - [Functional morphology of peripheral endocrine glands after thymic polypeptide
      administration in secondary immunodeficiency].
AB  - The state of thyroid, adrenal cortex and testicular endocrine cells during the
      course of thymalin administration was studied. Morphological signs of transitory
      inhibition of steroidogenic gland function and thyroid stimulation were revealed
      in rats with intact immune system. Hyperplastic changes in thyroid epithelium
      were associated with decreased levels of total T3 and T4 and increased serum
      level of TTH. Regressive changes in the thyroid parenchyma and hyperplasia of
      steroid-producing elements of the testis and adrenal cortex in the thymectomized
      guinea pigs could not be corrected by the thymalin administration 45 days after
      the operation. Our data suggest the search of possible means of control and
      correction of the patient endocrine status during the administration of
      immunomodulators.

PMID- 1859292
TI  - Electrodiagnosis corroborates the neuropathology in the Guillain-Barre syndrome.

PMID- 1859291
TI  - [Brazilian consensus on the treatment of arterial hypertension. 28-30 September
      1990, Sao Paulo].

PMID- 1859293
TI  - Natural history and effectiveness of aspirin in asymptomatic patient with
      cervical bruits. The Asymptomatic Cervical Bruit Study Group.
AB  - We report a multicenter study in progress involving a prospective follow-up of
      asymptomatic patients with cervical bruits. The project consists of two
      components. All patients meeting clinical criteria for eligibility undergo duplex
      ultrasonography at the time of entry into the study. Those with a carotid
      stenosis of 50% or greater are enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled trial
      of aspirin. All other patients are followed up in a natural history study, also
      involving biannual clinical and duplex ultrasonographic examinations. Both
      clinical and anatomic outcomes are assessed. The project consists of a 3-year
      accrual phase and a 3-year follow-up phase with completion planned for May 1994.
      Total anticipated enrollment is 588 patients.

PMID- 1859294
TI  - Predictors of intracranial carotid artery atherosclerosis. Duration of cigarette
      smoking and hypertension are more powerful than serum lipid levels.
AB  - The effect of cigarette smoking on intracranial internal carotid artery
      atherosclerosis (ICAS) was studied by obtaining cigarette smoking histories and
      data on other potential predictors, including serum lipid estimations, for
      consecutive patients undergoing carotid arteriography. The duration of cigarette
      smoking was the most significant independent predictor of the presence of ICAS.
      Other independently significant predictors of ICAS were hypertension, diabetes
      mellitus, and current systolic blood pressure. The interaction of diabetes and
      duration of smoking was a significant negative predictor. In patients for whom
      serum lipid values were available, lower levels of apolipoprotein A-I were
      associated with a higher risk of having ICAS. However, the effect of
      apolipoprotein A-I as a predictor of the presence of ICAS was far outweighted by
      the effects of duration of smoking and hypertension.

PMID- 1859295
TI  - Correlative angiographic and pathologic findings in the diagnosis of ulcerated
      plaques in the carotid artery.
AB  - We determined the accuracy of angiography in the diagnosis of internal carotid
      ulcers by comparing the angiographic reports with the pathologic findings in 36
      endarterectomy specimens. Eighteen of these specimens had microscopic
      ulcerations, and the observer with the highest accuracy rate read 12, of which
      ten were ulcerated. These results revealed a sensitivity of 56%, a specificity of
      89%, and an overall accuracy of 61% for angiography. The ulcers were classified
      into types A, B, and C to assess the interobserver agreement rate among three
      readers. This resulted in a 4% interobserver agreement among a total of 75
      ulcers. Because of the high interobserver disagreement and the poor correlation
      between angiographic and pathologic findings in the surgical specimens, we
      conclude that the diagnosis of carotid artery ulceration by angiography is not
      reliable.

PMID- 1859297
TI  - Neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-seropositive individuals. A
      prospective study.
AB  - The prevalence of neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
      seropositive (HIV+) persons was assessed during the course of a study of the
      neurological complications of HIV-1 infection. One hundred sixty-six asymptomatic
      HIV+ subjects, 63 neurologically symptomatic HIV+ subjects, and six at-risk HIV-1
      seronegative (HIV-) control subjects underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
      on entry into this longitudinal study. Three (1.8%) of the asymptomatic HIV+
      subjects had both a reactive CSF VDRL test and a reactive CSF fluorescent
      treponemal antibody-absorption (FTA-ABS) test. Two of these three subjects had a
      history of appropriately treated early syphilis, and all had a reactive serum
      rapid plasma reagin test. Of the 63 neurologically symptomatic HIV+ subjects, one
      patient with dementia had both a reactive CSF VDRL test and a fluorescent
      treponemal antibody-absorption test. Subjective improvement in cognitive skills
      followed high-dose, intravenous penicillin therapy. Another subject had a
      penicillin-responsive myelopathy accompanied by a reactive CSF fluorescent
      treponemal antibody-absorption test result, but a nonreactive CSF VDRL.
      Unsuspected neurosyphilis is relatively common in our population of asymptomatic
      HIV+ subjects and may be responsible for neurological disease in a significant
      minority of neurologically symptomatic HIV+ persons. Cerebrospinal fluid
      examination should be performed in all HIV+ persons with a history of syphilis or
      serological evidence of syphilis, regardless of prior treatment. Additionally,
      neurosyphilis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neurological
      disease in any HIV+ person.

PMID- 1859296
TI  - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Cerebrospinal fluid findings in patients
      before and during long-term oral zidovudine therapy.
AB  - Fifty-two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were enrolled in this
      study to evaluate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) zidovudine
      concentrations and neurologic and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) culture
      findings. Paired HIV-CSF culture and neurologic measurements were available in 30
      and 45 patients, respectively. Twenty-nine patients were assessable for
      zidovudine CSF concentrations. Patients underwent lumbar puncture and neurologic
      testing before and after 8 weeks or more of oral zidovudine therapy (600 to 1500
      mg/d). After 8 weeks of therapy, the frequency of HIV isolation from CSF cultures
      was unchanged. Significant neurologic improvement by examination was noted in
      61.5% (32/52) of the patients. The median CSF zidovudine concentration among 29
      patients was 0.047 mg/L (range, 0.015 to 0.198 mg/L). No correlation between CSF
      zidovudine concentration, cumulative dose, or HIV isolation from CSF and
      persistence or resolution of neurologic symptoms or signs was observed. The
      mechanisms by which zidovudine improves neurologic function are unclear and
      appear unrelated to direct clearance of virus from CSF.

PMID- 1859298
TI  - Expression of 'Alzheimer antigens' in cultured skin fibroblasts.
AB  - When cultured skin fibroblasts were exposed to culture conditions designed to
      favor the expression of neuronal antigens, cells from each of 19 patients with
      Alzheimer's disease reacted immunocytochemically with antibodies to paired
      helical filaments, Alz-50, or both compared with only a small fraction of cells
      from 19 identically treated age-matched control cultures. Immunoblots confirmed
      the presence of soluble material reacting with Alz-50 antibody in the Alzheimer
      fibroblasts. Ultrastructurally, fascicles of 10-nm filaments were seen that
      occasionally twisted around each other, but no structures were seen that were
      identical to paired helical filaments. Thus, cultured skin fibroblasts from
      patients with Alzheimer's disease developed greater immunocytochemical reactivity
      with antibodies raised to paired helical filaments than did fibroblasts from
      control subjects, when cultured under the specified conditions.

PMID- 1859299
TI  - Alterations in brain monoamine oxidase activity in aging, Alzheimer's disease,
      and Pick's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Pick's disease (PD) are dementing disorders of
      unknown origin. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is important in the metabolism of a
      number of monoamine neurotransmitters. This study investigates MAO activity in
      aging, AD, and PD in frontal and temporal poles, nucleus basalis of Meynert
      (nbM), and hypothalamus. Regional variations in the activity of the two MAO forms
      (A and B) were found in aging, AD, and PD. Age-related increase of MAO-B was
      found in all four areas of the brain, and MAO-A was increased in the nbM and
      temporal pole. In AD, MAO-B was decreased in the nbM and increased in the
      temporal pole, while MAO-A was increased in the hypothalamus and frontal pole. In
      PD, MAO-B was decreased in the nbM and increased in the hypothalamus, while MAO-A
      was increased in the hypothalamus and decreased in the nbM and temporal pole.
      These data indicate that with regard to MAO activity, AD and PD are dissimilar
      diseases and neither strictly follows age-related changes.

PMID- 1859300
TI  - The short test of mental status. Correlations with standardized psychometric
      testing.
AB  - The Short Test of Mental Status can be administered to patients in inpatient and
      outpatient settings in approximately 5 minutes, and it contains items that test
      orientation, attention, immediate recall, arithmetic, abstraction, construction,
      information, and delayed (approximately 3 minutes) recall. The test was
      administered to a group of demented community patients and their age- and sex
      matched control subjects. Using an age-adjusted approach, sensitivity of the test
      to identifying dementia is 86.4, with a specificity of 93.5. The test was
      compared with standardized tests of cognitive function such as the Wechsler Adult
      Intelligence Scale, Mattis Dementia Scale, and the Auditory Verbal Learning Test,
      and showed a high degree of correlation. Group means and standard deviations for
      subtest items and total score are presented for control subjects (n = 138),
      demented patients (n = 130), and patients with memory impairment only (n = 20).
      Percentile scores for subtest items in control subjects are also provided.

PMID- 1859301
TI  - Epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in Denmark. A longitudinal and comprehensive
      population survey.
AB  - The incidence of myasthenia gravis (MG) was found to be constant in calendar
      time. The mean annual incidence rate was 4.4 per million population. Age- and sex
      specific incidence rates disclosed a bimodal appearance for both sexes, with a
      peak age at onset located in the early-onset group and another peak for late
      onset of MG. Early onset of MG appeared 10 years later for male individuals than
      for female individuals, whereas the peak for late onset of MG was located at the
      same age for both sexes. It is suggested that the separation between early onset
      and late onset of MG should be at the age of 50 years for both sexes, rather than
      at 35 to 40 years as accepted in most studies. The prevalence of MG has increased
      in time. On January 1, 1988, the point prevalence rate was 77 per million
      population (female subjects, 96, and male subjects, 57). This reflects an
      improvement in prognosis despite the fact that life expectancy was found to be
      significantly lower for MG patients than that of the sex- and age-matched
      population. The factors causing increased mortality were found to be operative
      throughout the duration of the disease. Maximum severity of disease was reached
      within 2 years from onset in 78% of the cases, and more than 50% of all MG
      related deaths occurred during the same period. In the course of MG, 70% of all
      patients experience generalized muscular weakness, and 30% to 40% also suffer
      from respiratory problems.

PMID- 1859302
TI  - The pseudotumor syndrome. Disorders of cerebrospinal fluid circulation causing
      intracranial hypertension without ventriculomegaly.
AB  - We report a series of eight cases that show a close resemblance to, but are not
      identical with, pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) as normally defined. The majority of
      these cases are characterized by raised intracranial pressure without
      ventriculomegaly. They include two cases of cranial venous outflow obstruction in
      which clinical or radiologic abnormalities precluded the diagnosis of PTC proper
      (cases 1 and 2); one case of chronic meningitis in which an abnormal
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition precluded the diagnosis of PTC (case 3);
      two cases without either papilledema or a measured increase of CSF pressure,
      which in other respects, particularly in response to treatment, resembled PTC
      (cases 4 and 5); and three cases of what is thought to represent an infantile
      form of PTC (cases 6 through 8). The purpose of the analysis of these cases is
      twofold. First, it is argued that these cases throw light on the mechanism of PTC
      itself, supporting a concept of a disturbance of CSF circulation in this
      condition, and that they are themselves illuminated by considerations of typical
      PTC. Second, the cases are used to frame a proposed classification of the
      pseudotumor syndrome aimed at broadening the diagnostic criteria applied
      currently to PTC. It is suggested that the pseudotumor syndrome has a single
      underlying mechanism (disturbed CSF circulation) and that recognition of this
      mechanism not only clarifies the pathophysiologic processes of PTC but also has
      important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

PMID- 1859303
TI  - The origin of pain in optic neuritis. Determinants of pain in 101 eyes with optic
      neuritis.
AB  - In 101 eyes with either anterior or retrobulbar optic neuropathy of ischemic or
      inflammatory origin, ocular pain occurred significantly more often with
      retrobulbar optic neuropathy. The association of pain with posterior optic nerve
      lesions supports Whitnall's hypothesis that the pain of optic nerve inflammation
      is caused by traction of the origins of the superior and medial recti on the
      optic nerve sheath at the orbital apex. Eye pain reflected neither severity nor
      origin of optic neuropathy.

PMID- 1859304
TI  - Cognitive neuropsychology. Resolving enigmas about Wernicke's aphasia and other
      higher cortical disorders.
AB  - Cognitive neuropsychology is a young branch of neuroscience whose ancestral
      influences include a rich pool of experimental (eg, cognitive, psychology),
      theoretical (eg, epistemology), and clinical (eg, neurology, neuropsychology)
      disciplines. An essential principle of cognitive neuropsychology is that
      disorders of higher cortical functions can be understood in terms of breakdowns
      of one or more information-processing modules. Each module is the most basic
      element of intelligence that can be defined based on current knowledge. This
      approach is a refinement of-not a fundamental departure from-the 19th-century
      "localizationist" view of language disorders. Wernicke's aphasia, for example,
      classical attributed to a single cognitive deficit (loss of word sounds), is
      shown in this review to require damage to multiple distinct information
      processing modules. Cognitive neuropsychology provides the tools for the type of
      fine-grained analyses of behavior that are needed to capitalize on recent
      advances in neuroimaging techniques, including the development of more
      sophisticated models of brain-behavior relationships.

PMID- 1859305
TI  - Broca's aphasia following damage to Wernicke's area. For or against traditional
      aphasiology?
AB  - Classic aphasiology has been challenged by studies that have employed cranial
      computed tomography to test predicted anatomic-behavioral correlations. We
      treated a patient who developed a classic Broca's aphasia but whose computed
      tomographic scan revealed damage to Wernicke's area, thus seeming to contradict
      the principles of traditional aphasiology. However, subsequent information
      obtained by magnetic resonance imaging, intracarotid amobarbital (Amytal)
      testing, and electrophysiologic studies, including cortical stimulation,
      demonstrated that the brain-behavior correlations in this patient can be
      understood in terms of the formulations of traditional aphasiology.

PMID- 1859307
TI  - Rarer complications of Crohn's (Dalziel's) disease.
AB  - During the past 30 years, several rarer complications of Crohn's disease have
      been recognized. Most are life-threatening, and doctors undertaking the
      management of such patients must be aware of the possibility of such dangerous
      complications arising.

PMID- 1859306
TI  - Update on spinal cord paralysis. A preventable injury, a surgical challenge?
AB  - Spinal cord injuries will not disappear, but the incidence can be reduced. A
      reduction of up to 50% of spinal cord injury cases is, in the opinion of Menzies'
      seminar participants, practical and possible but will only occur if the subject
      is accepted as a major challenge in the surgical world. Great advances in spinal
      cord injury care were made by surgeons. Prevention is a programme already
      targeted in other surgical areas. As a multidisciplinary medical and surgical
      area, spinal cord injury prevention now needs the effective activity of groups of
      health professionals. Primary prevention must therefore be a target for surgical
      communities. Surgeons should be among the leaders in the field ensuring good
      overall management of prevention programmes.

PMID- 1859308
TI  - Complications following closure of loop ileostomy.
AB  - The morbidity and mortality of 50 patients undergoing closure of loop ileostomy
      was reviewed. The patients had a mean age of 57.9 years and significant
      intercurrent disease. There were no in-hospital deaths or anastomotic leakage at
      the site of closure. Small bowel obstruction occurred in 12% of patients, all of
      whom responded to conservative treatment. The wound infection rate was 14%, but
      the development of a wound infection did not result in a significantly longer
      hospital stay. We conclude that, when a careful technique of sharp dissection is
      used, closure of a loop ileostomy is associated with an acceptably low incidence
      of complications even in elderly and often unwell patients.

PMID- 1859309
TI  - Medial unicompartment knee replacement. Minimum five year follow-up.
AB  - Forty-four medial Marmor unicompartment knee arthroplasties were performed at the
      Hutt Hospital from 1976 to 1983 on 35 patients. Seventy-five per cent were rated
      as excellent or good, using the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Rating System.
      Four arthroplasties were revised at an average of 6 years (range: 2-8), two for
      late degenerative change in the lateral compartment, one for malposition and one
      for loosening. There was one late deep infection requiring an arthrodesis at 2
      years. It is concluded that medial compartment knee arthroplasty provides
      satisfactory treatment in the elderly patient, although attention must be
      directed to technical aspects and patient selection, to afford long-term success.

PMID- 1859310
TI  - Type IVa choledochal cysts: surgical management and literature review.
AB  - Type IVa choledochal cysts with cylindrical dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts
      constitute a relatively less recognized variety of choledochal cysts, and differ
      from cystic dilatation of intrahepatic ducts in their clinical manifestations and
      response to treatment. Five patients with type IVa choledochal cysts and
      cylindrical dilatation of major intrahepatic ducts who underwent cyst excision
      and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy are reported. The duration of symptoms was less
      than 1 year in all patients. Palpable abdominal mass and abdominal pain were
      present in 3 patients. The traid of jaundice, abdominal pain and mass was present
      in only 1 patient. The intrahepatic dilatation regressed after excision of the
      extrahepatic cyst just below the hilum of the liver. The surgical technique is
      described and the need for excision of the cyst is emphasized.

PMID- 1859311
TI  - Aurum and Aesculapius: the adventures of Dr Thomas Tate--surgeon, gold seeker,
      adventurer and teacher.

PMID- 1859312
TI  - Rhabdomyolysis requiring fasciotomy following heroine abuse.
AB  - A 29 year old man presented with heroin overdose and rhabdomyolysis necessitating
      fasciotomy of the left leg muscle compartments. Early recognition of the syndrome
      of heroine-induced rhabdomyolysis and compartment syndrome is essential to
      prevent long-term orthopaedic complications.

PMID- 1859313
TI  - Cutaneous button battery injury: a new paediatric hazard.
AB  - Button or disc batteries have become increasingly popular as the energy source
      for electronic devices such as cameras, calculators, computers, watches, hearing
      aids and children's toys. Button battery burns to the gastrointestinal tract, ear
      and nose have been reported in children from many centres. Cutaneous injury from
      these sources has not been similarly reported. We believe our case represents the
      first, reported to date, to have suffered this injury and highlights this further
      potential hazard of the small, benign-looking button batteries.

PMID- 1859314
TI  - Colorectal haemangioma and its relationship to haemorrhoids in childhood.
AB  - A case of diffuse cavernous haemangioma of the rectum and sigmoid colon is
      presented to exemplify the propensity for this tumour to be misdiagnosed as
      haemorrhoids in the paediatric age group. In view of the prolonged morbidity and
      high mortality associated with this tumour we suggest that, in any child referred
      for management of haemorrhoids, a diagnosis of colorectal haemangioma be
      considered. Appropriate investigations include plain abdominopelvic X-rays,
      sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsy, and barium enema. Selective inferior
      mesenteric angiography and computerized tomography may be helpful. Excision and
      coloanal sleeve anastomosis is the most favoured operative procedure for this
      tumour.

PMID- 1859315
TI  - Galactorrhoea. Report of a case in a male patient.
AB  - Galactorrhoea is the secretion of milk from the breast in non-physiological
      circumstances. It is rare in males of any age. We report the case of an adult
      male who presented with enlarged breasts and tenderness of the left breast, with
      milky discharge. Bilateral subcutaneous mastectomies were performed.

PMID- 1859316
TI  - Duodenal necrosis and intramural haematoma complicating acute pancreatitis.
AB  - Although segmental bowel necrosis is a recognized complication of pancreatitis,
      the duodenum is rarely involved. We report a unique case of acute duodenal
      obstruction characterized by transmural necrosis and intramural duodenal
      haematoma in a young man with acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis. The patient
      recovered following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PMID- 1859317
TI  - Metastatic melanoma of the orbit. A case report.
AB  - We report a metastatic cutaneous melanoma of the medial rectus muscle of the
      right orbit which presented with diplopia, exophthalmos and retrobulbar pain.
      Radioimmunoscintigraphy using melanoma-specific monoclonal antibody was used to
      confirm the diagnosis and to show the presence of disseminated disease in other
      areas. Effective palliation was achieved with external beam irradiation.

PMID- 1859318
TI  - Bechet's colitis: a differential diagnosis in inflammations of the large
      intestine.
AB  - A previously well 39 year old woman presented with severe localized and painful
      anorectal ulceration. There were no other associated symptoms apart from
      arthritis of the hips and fingers. In the absence of definitive tissue diagnosis,
      a presumptive diagnosis of Crohn's disease was made. After a period of
      progression, the inflammation and ulceration subsided with conservative therapy.
      Following a relatively symptom-free period of 7 years, painful ulceration
      recurred in the same segment of bowel, which was refractory to steroid therapy
      but responded to defunctioning of the rectum. Upon excision of the defunctioned
      rectum, multiple discrete ulcers developed in the remaining colon, with a fistula
      from the distal sigmoid colon to the midline wound. The patient simultaneously
      developed painful apthous ulceration of the mouth and throat, and pustules
      appeared on the perianal skin and trunk for the first time. A colectomy was
      performed, with good results. The pathology of the colonic lesions is described.
      The characteristic appearance of these lesions, together with associated 'major'
      and 'minor' clinical criteria, enabled a diagnosis of Bechet's disease to be
      made. Although there is some overlap, particularly in the distribution of this
      condition with Crohn's colitis, the pathologic appearances in Bechet's colitis
      are relatively distinct. A diagnosis of Bechet's colitis should not be excluded
      in a patient presenting with atypical inflammatory bowel disease, even if
      associated clinical criteria are not simultaneously present.

PMID- 1859319
TI  - Adenocarcinoma arising in a duodenal duplication cyst: a case report.
AB  - A case of adenocarcinoma complicating a pyloro-duodenal duplication cyst is
      reported. The diagnosis and therapy are discussed.

PMID- 1859320
TI  - Central tumour necrosis: a cause for the acute presentation of benign
      meningiomas.
AB  - Occasionally, large benign intracranial tumours which have existed for many years
      present as a relatively acute problem. The mechanisms underlying the sudden
      change are sometimes unclear but infarction of the benign tumour, subsequent
      cerebral oedema and an increase in intracranial pressure have been reported. The
      authors describe such a case of focal infarction in a meningioma with a precise
      chronology of the clinical, radiological and pathologic findings.

PMID- 1859321
TI  - Staging abdominal ultrasonography in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - Abdominal ultrasonograms were performed on 81 unselected patients with newly
      diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma without clinical evidence of distant
      metastases. Two patients had ultrasonographic features suspicious of, but not
      diagnostic of, hepatic metastases. One of these two patients developed hepatic
      metastases six months after the examination while the other was free of
      metastases at follow-up 33 months afterwards. Of the 79 patients without evidence
      of metastases on ultrasonogram, two developed hepatic metastases after 22 and 32
      months. Based on these results, we do not recommend abdominal ultrasonography as
      a routine staging investigation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PMID- 1859323
TI  - Supratentorial tumours. Part I: General role of imaging.

PMID- 1859322
TI  - Ultrasound guided percutaneous renal biopsy.
AB  - We performed percutaneous ultrasound guided renal biopsy on 27 patients ages 16
      to 76 years. A 14 gauge cutting needle was used. Twenty-six patients had medical
      renal disease; one patient had a renal mass. Patients were followed by sonograms
      performed immediately post procedure as well the following day. Serum hemoglobin
      was obtained prior to the procedure as well as one day post biopsy. Complications
      included five small hematomas and one transient mild hydronephrosis secondary to
      blood clots. The hematomas were all first noted on the scan one day post biopsy.
      We conclude that ultrasound guided percutaneous renal biopsy is a safe procedure
      which is easily performed by the radiologist.

PMID- 1859324
TI  - Duplex ultrasound assessment of extra cranial carotid artery disease: its
      introduction into a radiology department.
AB  - Duplex Doppler ultrasound (DDU) is a non-invasive and potentially accurate
      modality for assessing carotid bifurcation disease. It is however technically
      difficult and an appreciable learning curve has been identified. To assess the
      accuracy of DDU upon introduction into a radiology department with experienced
      sonographers and radiologists we reviewed the first twenty-five (25) cases in
      patients, having both DDU and carotid angiography. Sensitivity of 95% and
      specificity of 81% were obtained for differentiating greater or less than 50%
      internal carotid artery diameter stenosis, and in detection of 80% or greater
      stenosis sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 100% respectively. We conclude
      that DDU is accurate when introduced into a department already competent in
      ultrasonography, with results being achieved similar to those reported from more
      experienced centres. Our results also support the appropriateness of the applied
      criteria for grading of carotid stenosis.

PMID- 1859325
TI  - Congestive hepatomegaly--typical features on computed tomography, ultrasound and
      nuclear medicine.
AB  - The features of hepatic congestion on computed tomography, ultrasound and nuclear
      medicine sulphur colloid scans have been reviewed. Hepatic congestion may not be
      appreciated clinically, especially in the elderly, but the features described
      should be sufficiently characteristic to establish the diagnosis. The CT
      appearance may be confused with neoplastic infiltration, so that recognition of
      the condition may avoid further unnecessary investigations.

PMID- 1859326
TI  - Carotid and vertebral artery trauma: clinical and angiographic features.
AB  - Injury to the carotid or vertebral artery is an important clinical entity that
      requires angiography for definitive diagnosis and evaluation. The common carotid
      artery may be injured by penetrating trauma while the internal carotid artery is
      usually damaged by either trivial or blunt trauma. With trivial trauma
      extracranial internal carotid artery dissection should be considered if there is
      unilateral headache, Horner's syndrome or delayed transient ischaemic attack, and
      intracranial dissection if a profound neurological defect occurs immediately
      following trauma. Injury to the internal carotid artery following blunt trauma
      includes dissection of the extracranial internal carotid artery, carotid
      cavernous fistula and pseudoaneurysm formation. These should be considered in a
      patient with delayed neurological deficit, mandibular or skull fracture, a
      constellation of orbital signs or diffuse subarachnoid haemorrhage, respectively.
      Vertebral artery injury is less frequent. Dissection typically follows abrupt
      cervical rotation and occurs at C1-2, whereas penetrating trauma may involve
      either the proximal or distal vertebral artery and occlusion, arteriovenous
      fistula or pseudoaneurysm may be found. Endovascular techniques may be used in
      either the carotid or vertebral artery to close fistulae or occlude an
      extensively damaged vessel.

PMID- 1859327
TI  - Linear atelectasis in the lingula as a diagnostic feature of left lower lobe
      collapse: Nordenstrom's sign.
AB  - Collapse of the left lower lobe is sometimes accompanied by linear atelectasis in
      the lingula. The lingular atelectasis may be more readily apparent than
      conventional signs of left lower collapse. The mechanism of this association as
      first described by Nordenstrom is discussed and its value as a diagnostic sign
      emphasised.

PMID- 1859328
TI  - A simple prosthesis for ready access to the closed afferent limb of a hepatico
      jejunostomy.

PMID- 1859329
TI  - A mattress suitable for use with tilting tables in a radiology department.
AB  - It has been possible to design a comfortable, yet highly practical mattress for
      use in general purpose screening rooms with tilt tables. Attention has been paid
      to materials and fittings and because it is easy for the staff to use it is in
      constant use. It has become an essential part of our equipment and has
      considerably improved the comfort of many procedures.

PMID- 1859330
TI  - Mammographically detected microcalcifications due to pseudoxanthoma elasticum.
AB  - Mammographic detection and analysis of microcalcification is a key component in
      the detection of early breast cancer. A casting configuration or granular
      morphology has a strong association with malignancy. These are relatively easily
      recognised, but with the proliferation of mammographic screening, other varieties
      of calcification are being encountered which may pose diagnostic dilemmas. This
      case report describes the findings in a patient with Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum
      (PXE) who presented in this way. To our knowledge, this has not previously been
      documented. Such calcification is not usually visible on conventional
      radiographs.

PMID- 1859331
TI  - Antibody to cardiolipin causing hepatic infarction in a post partum patient with
      systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - This is a case of a thirty one year old post partum patient, with SLE and
      antibodies to cardiolipin causing hepatic vascular thrombosis leading to
      infarction. No previous literature account is recorded.

PMID- 1859332
TI  - Case report--CT findings in adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder.
AB  - A case report of the CT findings in adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder is
      presented. Significant CT findings of this entity are variation in wall density,
      marked differential enhancement of wall layers during dynamic liver scanning and
      detection of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses within the wall. CT apparently depicts
      both mucosal and muscularis thickening.

PMID- 1859333
TI  - Sonographic diagnosis of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm incorporated within an
      infected pancreatic pseudocyst.
AB  - In pancreatitis the involvement of adjacent vessels resulting in pseudoaneurysm
      formation is well known, though quite rare (Gadacz 1978, Kadell & Riley 1967).
      The diagnosis is usually established on angiography or surgery. We report here a
      case where the diagnosis of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm incorporated within
      an infected pseudocyst, was made sonographically.

PMID- 1859334
TI  - Polyp masquerading as orbital blowout fracture.

PMID- 1859335
TI  - Severe reaction to a non-ionic contrast medium.

PMID- 1859336
TI  - Permanent grounding and flying restrictions in Canadian Forces pilots: a 10-year
      review.
AB  - The medical files were reviewed of all Canadian Forces pilots in whom a permanent
      change in flying category was recommended during the period 1 January 1978
      through 31 December 1987. In an average pilot population of 2,697 pilots, 60
      permanent groundings (2.2 per thousand) and 209 permanent operational flying
      restrictions (7.7 per thousand) were assigned among 258 pilots. Coronary heart
      disease was the most common cause for permanent grounding (25% of total),
      followed by neurologic disorders including migraine (22% of total), other
      cardiovascular disorders, including mitral valve prolapse and arrhythmias (17%),
      and psychiatric problems (12%). Refractive errors were the most common basis for
      an operational flying restriction (25%), followed by orthopedic disorders (17%),
      mainly low back pain. The relevance of these observations is discussed in terms
      of medical selection and surveillance procedures.

PMID- 1859337
TI  - Personality types among experienced military pilots.
AB  - Three distinct personality subtypes were empirically identified in a sample of
      170 experienced U.S. Army pilots, using a new measure of personality developed
      for use in occupational settings. The subtypes are similar to those previously
      derived in a sample of military aviation trainees. No significant differences
      across the clusters were found for the types of missions flown, years of aviation
      or military service, or number of flight hours. A significantly greater number of
      instructor pilots was found among a cluster which comprised the smallest
      percentage of pilots in the sample. Overall, the results support the notion that
      no one type of personality is a prerequisite for success in military aeronautics,
      and highlight the need for additional studies of personality type in military and
      commercial aviation, using more sophisticated measures of aeronautical
      adaptability.

PMID- 1859338
TI  - Scopolamine blood levels following buccal versus ingested tablets.
AB  - Speed of absorption and elimination of an antimotion sickness drug sets limits on
      the protection afforded. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether a
      well proven antimotion sickness drug--scopolamine (hyoscine)--could be absorbed
      more rapidly from buccal tablets than from the standard issue ingested tablets.
      Plasma scopolamine levels were measured using a radioreceptor assay of repeated
      blood samples from 10 volunteers, each of whom took buccal and standard ingested
      tablets (both 0.6 mg scopolamine hydrobromide) on two different occasions, and
      from a further 8 volunteers following ingestion of a pharmacy-prepared
      scopolamine capsule (0.6 mg scopolamine hydrobromide). There was no statistically
      significant speed advantage for the buccal tablet (mean time to peak levels
      approx 50 min). Individual variation in the speed of scopolamine absorption and
      rate of elimination (mean half-life approx 170 min) was great. This may account
      for failure of motion sickness protection in some individuals.

PMID- 1859339
TI  - Visually-induced sickness in normal and bilaterally labyrinthine-defective
      subjects.
AB  - A group of nine normal subjects (with no overt vestibular dysfunction) and a
      group of 6 bilaterally labyrinthine-defective subjects were exposed to a visual
      field rotating about an Earth-horizontal axis (orthogonal to the gravity axis).
      The visual stimulus was provided by a 3-m diameter sphere with random dots
      rotating at 30, 45, and 60 degrees per second (degree/s) about the stationary
      subject's roll, pitch and yaw axes. The subject's head was positioned at the
      center of the sphere such that it experienced apparent motion in all three axes.
      Results indicated that in the normal group, symptoms of motion sickness were
      reported in 21 of 27 test-trials. When labyrinthine-defective subjects were
      exposed to the roll and pitch stimulus, no sickness symptoms were reported or
      observed. These results strongly suggest that the vestibular system is necessary
      for sickness induced by moving visual fields.

PMID- 1859340
TI  - Effect of extraneous targets on identification of color-coded targets.
AB  - Subjects matched the color of a vertical target line, presented in 1 of 10
      colors, to a set of 10 colors. The target line was presented either in isolation
      or together with 5 additional colored lines. Neither mean reaction time nor the
      number of matching errors increased when the extraneous lines were present, and
      the types of color confusions did not change systematically.

PMID- 1859341
TI  - Importance of eccentric actions in performance adaptations to resistance
      training.
AB  - The inability of the exercises presently used during space-flight to maintain
      muscle strength and mass may reflect the absence of eccentric (ecc) muscle
      actions. This study examined the importance of ecc actions in performance
      adaptations to resistance training. Middle-aged males performed 4-5 sets of 6-12
      repetitions (rep) per set of the leg press and leg extension exercises 2 d each
      week for 19 weeks. Group CON/ECC (n = 9) performed each rep with concentric (con)
      and ecc actions, group CON (n = 8) with only con actions. Group CON/CON (n = 10)
      performed twice as many sets with only con actions. The resistance per set was
      selected to induce failure within the prescribed number of rep. Eight subjects
      did not train and served as controls. The increase in the three rep maximum (3RM)
      after training, in general, showed a hierarchy such that CON/ECC greater than
      CON/CON greater than CON. The differences (p less than 0.05) were: leg press 3RM
      with con and ecc actions, CON/ECC greater than CON/CON greater than CON (26
      greater than 15 greater than 8%); leg press 3RM with only con actions, CON/ECC or
      CON/CON greater than CON (22 or 18 greater than 14%); and leg extension 3RM with
      con and ecc actions, CON/ECC greater than CON (29 greater than 16%). These
      differences (p less than 0.05) were still evident after 1 month of de-training.
      The results indicate that omission of ecc actions from resistance training
      compromises increases in strength, probably because intensity is not
      optimal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859342
TI  - The effect of prolonged intermittent exercise, combined with food deprivation, on
      plasma metabolite concentration.
AB  - To examine the effect of continuous fasting combined with prolonged, intermittent
      exercise on glucose homeostasis, 16 endurance-trained subjects, ranging in age
      from 18-21 years, were completely deprived of food during 81 h of field
      maneuvers. Water was supplied to avoid dehydration. Participants marched 10 h
      each night at an estimated intensity of 35-45% of mean VO2 max covering a total
      distance of 105 km, and had a relative rest during day time. Blood was sampled
      prior to the beginning of the march, at the end of 81 h, and after 24 h of
      recovery. Samples were analyzed for plasma glucose, insulin, alanine, free fatty
      acids (FFA), and 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB). Body weight decreased from a mean (+/-
      S.E.M.) of 73.0 +/- 0.6 kg at pre-march to 66.5 +/- 0.6 kg at 81 h of fasting (p
      less than 0.05), and remained unchanged at 24 h after march termination. Glucose,
      insulin, and alanine decreased, whereas FFA and 3-HB increased significantly at
      81 h fast (p less than 0.05). Within 24 h of recovery all parameters changed
      significantly (p less than 0.05), approaching baseline values. The results
      indicate that in trained individuals under extreme survival conditions, as in the
      present study, blood glucose is maintained above hypoglycemic levels at the
      expense of fat and fat-derived substrates that become the main energy sources
      utilized.

PMID- 1859343
TI  - Fluid replacement during sustained activity in the heat: nutrient solution vs.
      water.
AB  - This study examined the thermoregulatory and hydrational status of men during
      sustained activity in a hot-dry (37 degrees C, 20% rh) environment while they
      consumed only a nutrient solution (nutrient), or consumed only colored, flavored
      water (control). Eleven heat acclimated young men attempted 24-h sustained
      activity experiments. These experiments consisted of alternating 45-min bouts of
      treadmill walking (410 W, approximately 30% VO2max) and rest (including sedentary
      activity). Data were analyzed through 13 h (after 13 h subjects began to
      discontinue testing). No significant differences between trials were observed for
      metabolic rate, fluid intake, skin or rectal temperature, sweating rate, plasma
      volume (as indicated by hemoglobin concentration) or plasma glucose
      concentrations. By the 8th h plasma osmolality was higher and by the 11th h
      plasma free fatty acids were lower during the nutrient trial compared to the
      control. In separate experiments with nine different men, the gastric emptying
      rates of the nutrient solution and water were compared during exercise (55%
      VO2max) in the heat (35 degrees C, 20% rh). The gastric emptying rates of the
      nutrient solution and water were similar (approximately 20 ml.min-1). These data
      indicate that during 13 h of sustained activity in a hot environment, the
      nutrient solution and water provided similar thermoregulatory and hydrational
      benefits.

PMID- 1859344
TI  - The durability of hydrogel extended-wear contact lenses worn for daily wear by
      USAF aircrew members.
AB  - Hydrogel extended-wear contact lenses, worn on a daily-wear regimen, were tested
      for 1 year by USAF aircrew members. A total of 62 eyes were fitted with
      Hydrocurve II (55% water content) spherical lenses, 29 with Hydrocurve II (55%
      water content) toric lenses, and 61 with CSI-T (38.5% water content) spherical
      lenses. The mean lens replacement rate for torn lenses per aircrew member was
      determined to be 1.45 lenses a year. The replacement rate of Hydrocurve II
      spherical lenses compared to CSI-T lenses was not statistically significant.
      However, the replacement rate for Hydrocurve II toric lenses was significantly
      lower than both Hydrocurve II spherical lenses and CSI-T lenses (p less than
      0.01). The extended-wear lenses tested in this study appeared to be durable
      enough for the rigors of daily wear.

PMID- 1859345
TI  - Transcranial Doppler evaluation of syncope: an application in aerospace
      physiology.
AB  - A non-invasive method which combines the simultaneous measurement of mean
      arterial blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR) and mean cerebral blood flow
      velocity (MFV) was used to monitor patients with history of syncope, in
      horizontal and vertical posture tilt at 80 degrees. MFV in the right middle
      cerebral artery was measured using a transcranial Doppler instrument (TCD). MFV
      decreased concurrently with the onset of symptoms, and at the time of syncope
      reached an average of 68% below pre-tilt values. At the same time MBP showed an
      average decline of 25%, and HR increased by 38%. There was no correlation between
      MBP and MFV, at the onset of tilt, presyncope and syncope. MFV, but not HR or
      MBP, showed significant transition from one condition to the other. These data
      suggest that there may be a useful application of TCD measurements of MFV in
      aeromedical evaluation of syncope or syncopal tendency. These measurements would
      necessarily be used in conjunction with a tilt-table procedure. The possibility
      exists that MFV might be useful to preclude the actual occurrence of syncope in
      test subjects, or to show an abnormal tendency toward syncope, but will require
      more extensive testing than that carried out in the present study.

PMID- 1859346
TI  - Asymmetric visual deficit at high sustained Gz.
AB  - Occasionally, acceleration research personnel see an individual who experiences
      consistent asymmetric visual deficits at high sustained Gz (HSG). Recently, one
      such centrifuge research subject from this laboratory was investigated with
      transcranial Doppler sonography. The results indicate an abnormal circle of
      Willis which could explain the asymmetric visual deficit at HSG.

PMID- 1859347
TI  - Comments on asymmetric visual loss associated with +Gz-stress.

PMID- 1859348
TI  - Evaluation of the disposable absorption containment trunk for female U-2 and TR-1
      pilots.
AB  - Female U-2 and TR-1 pilots needed a urine collection device as part of their high
      flight pressure suit ensembles. The Disposable Absorption Containment Trunk
      (DACT) had been designed for short term use with the NASA Space Shuttle Program.
      This study evaluated the DACT for the extended and repetitive use required for
      integration into the U-2 and TR-1 aircraft. Six female subjects were tested
      wearing a custom-fit DACT and the 1030 full pressure suit ensemble with torso
      harness. They were strapped into the U-2 ejection seat with parachute and seat
      kit for 10 h and 45 min every 3 d for a total of 5 sessions. The DACT was
      evaluated for absorptive capability and comfort. Subjects were monitored for
      dermatitis, vaginitis, and urinary tract infections. The DACT reliably absorbed
      menstrual flow and urinary outputs to 950 cc. Higher urinary outputs resulted in
      minimal leakage. Dermatitis in the form of mild erythema and chafing was present,
      but cleared between sessions without medical intervention. Complaints concerning
      comfort were minor and limited to fit problems. One case of vaginitis developed.
      There were no cases of urinary tract infection. The DACT was found to be an
      acceptable method of urine collection for female U-2 and TR-1 pilots. Minor
      changes in design will enhance the comfort and performance of the DACT.

PMID- 1859349
TI  - Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in airliners--a health hazard evaluation.
AB  - Some passengers and airline attendants have expressed concern about exposure to
      environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in commercial airlines. Irritation of the eyes
      and respiratory tract, odor, and personal sensitivities are often the bases of
      complaints. Previous studies demonstrate low concentrations of materials,
      including ETS. Attendants fly some 800 h per year, passengers much less. Based on
      previous studies and duration of exposures, the absorbed dose of ETS is less than
      a cigarette equivalent per year. Nicotine absorption of 0.2 to 0.3 mg in 8-10 h
      flights has been reported as unlikely to have physiologic effects. The retained
      'dose' in relation to the hypotheses of risks to health based on the conflicting
      results of studies on 'passive smoking' are discussed. There are additional
      confounding factors in aircraft. We consider segregation into smoking and
      nonsmoking zones to be reasonably effective in meeting the preferences of
      passengers.

PMID- 1859351
TI  - Cases from the aerospace medicine residents' teaching file. Case #44. An aviator
      with high attitude pulmonary and cerebral edema presenting acute mountain
      sickness.
AB  - An aviator with high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema presenting with Acute
      Mountain Sickness. The clinical presentation, evaluation and diagnosis of an
      aviator with acute mountain sickness are discussed. The aeromedical disposition
      of this patient is also presented.

PMID- 1859350
TI  - The failure analysis of composite material flight helmets as an aid in aircraft
      accident investigation.
AB  - Understanding why a flying helmet fails to maintain its integrity during an
      accident can contribute to an understanding of the mechanism of injury and even
      of the accident itself. We performed a post-accident evaluation of failure modes
      in glass and aramid fibre-reinforced composite helmets. Optical and microscopic
      (SEM) techniques were employed to identify specific fracture mechanisms. They
      were correlated with the failure mode. Stress and energy levels were estimated
      from the damage extent. Damage could be resolved into distinct impact, flexure
      and compression components. Delamination was identified as a specific mode,
      dependent upon the matrix material and bonding between the layers. From the
      energy dissipated in specific fracture mechanisms we calculated the minimum total
      energy imparted to the helmet-head combination and the major injury vector (MIV)
      direction and magnitude. The level of protection provided by the helmet can also
      be estimated.

PMID- 1859352
TI  - Rational medical standards.

PMID- 1859353
TI  - Allozyme variation among biotypes of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens in
      the Philippines.
AB  - Allozyme variation was studied in three Nilaparvata lugens biotypes infesting
      specific rice varieties and a biotype infesting a weed grass, Leersia hexandra.
      Of the 20 enzymes in N. lugens for which activity was noted, 9 were polymorphic.
      Eleven enzyme loci were monomorphic for the same allele in all biotype
      populations; the rest were polymorphic for two or more alleles. The mean number
      of alleles per polymorphic locus was 2.3, while the mean number of alleles per
      locus was 1.5; heterozygosity ranged from 0.02 to 0.06 (biotype 1 greater than
      biotype 3 greater than Leersia-infesting biotype greater than biotype 2). Allelic
      frequency differences were observed in five loci among the four biotypes.
      However, the coefficient of genetic identity (I) of 0.99+ showed that the four
      biotype populations were genetically close relatives or merely populations of N.
      lugens undergoing genetic differentiation.

PMID- 1859354
TI  - Normal expression of thymidine kinase and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase
      in cultured fibroblasts from individuals with hereditary galactokinase
      deficiency.
AB  - Expression of the enzymes galactokinase, thymidine kinase, and O6-methylguanine
      DNA methyltransferase is occasionally coordinately regulated in human cell lines.
      We have measured the activities of these three enzymes in extracts of fibroblasts
      from individuals with hereditary galactokinase deficiency. These cells do not
      express measurable galactokinase activity. The levels of O6-methylguanine-DNA
      methyltransferase were in the normal range in cells from three galactokinase
      deficient individuals. The activity of thymidine kinase in the affected cells was
      in the normal range for two of the three individuals. The reduced thymidine
      kinase activity in the third individual reflected the extremely poor growth of
      the cells in culture. Immortalization of one galactokinase-deficient cell line
      resulted in loss of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase activity, but the
      galactokinase and thymidine kinase levels remained unchanged. The data indicate
      that the loss of galactokinase activity in these individuals is the consequence
      of an alteration of gene expression which does not involve coordinate silencing
      with the thymidine kinase and methyltransferase loci.

PMID- 1859356
TI  - Alpha-type prolamins are encoded by genes on chromosomes 4Ha and 6Ha of Haynaldia
      villosa Schur (syn. Dasypyrum villosum L.).

PMID- 1859355
TI  - Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozymes in the gray short-tailed opossum
      (Monodelphis domestica): tissue and subcellular distribution and biochemical
      genetics of ALDH3.
AB  - Polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing (PAGE-IEF), cellulose acetate
      electrophoresis, and histochemical techniques were used to examine the tissue and
      subcellular distribution, genetics and biochemical properties of aldehyde
      dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozymes in a didelphid marsupial, the gray short-tail
      opossum (Monodelphis domestica). At least 14 zones of activity were resolved by
      PAGE-IEF and divided into five isozyme groups and three ALDH classes, based upon
      comparisons with properties previously reported for human, baboon, rat, and mouse
      ALDHs. Opossum liver ALDHs were distributed among cytosol (ALDHs 1 and 5) and
      large granular (mitochondrial) fractions (ALDHs 2 and 5). Similarly, kidney ALDHs
      were distributed between the cytosol (ALDH5) and the mitochondrial fractions
      (ALDHs 2, 4, and 5), whereas a major isozyme (ALDH3), found in high activity in
      cornea, esophagus, ear pinna, tail, and stomach extracts, was localized
      predominantly in the cytosol fraction. Phenotypic variants of the latter enzyme
      were shown to be inherited in a normal Mendelian fashion, with two alleles at a
      single locus (ALDH3) showing codominant expression. The data provided evidence
      for genetic identity of corneal, ear pinna, tail, and stomach ALDH3 and supported
      biochemical evidence from other mammalian species that this enzyme has a dimeric
      subunit structure.

PMID- 1859357
TI  - Sequence analysis of heparan sulphate indicates defined location of N-sulphated
      glucosamine and iduronate 2-sulphate residues proximal to the protein-linkage
      region.
AB  - A strategy that we originally used to identify an N-acetylated domain adjacent to
      the protein-linkage sequence of heparan sulphate proteoglycan (HSPG) [Lyon,
      Steward, Hampson & Gallagher (1987) Biochem. J. 242, 493-498] has been adapted
      for analysis of the location of GlcNSO3-HexA and GlcNSO3(+/- 6S)-IdoA(2S) units
      most proximal to the core protein. [3H]Glucosamine-labelled HSPG from human skin
      fibroblasts was depolymerized by using HNO2 or heparinase under conditions that
      allowed cleavage of all susceptible linkages. The degraded PG was coupled to
      Sepharose beads through the protein component, enabling specific recovery of
      protein-linked resistant oligosaccharides. These were released by treatment with
      alkaline borohydride and analysed by gel filtration and gradient PAGE. This
      strategy allowed investigation of the sequence of sugar residues along the chain
      relative to a common reference point (i.e. the reducing end of the chain). HNO2
      scission confirmed the presence of a well-defined N-acetylated sequence
      predominantly 9-12 disaccharide units in length proximal to the core protein.
      Heparinase scission produced two classes of oligosaccharides (Mr approx. 7000 and
      15,000) with the general formula: IdoA(2S)-GlcNSO3-[HexA-GlcNR]n-HexA-GlcNSO3
      [Hex A-GlcNAc]9 12-GlcA-Gal-Gal-Xyl in which the average value for n is 1-2 for
      the 7000-Mr species and approx. 22 for the 15,000-Mr species. The latter
      oligosaccharides extend to about one-third of the total length of the HS chains
      (Mr approx. 45,000). HNO2 scission of these oligosaccharides enabled hypothetical
      models for their sequence to be proposed. The general arrangement of N-sulphated
      and N-acetylated disaccharides between the proximal GlcNSO3 and terminal IdoA(2S)
      residues of the 15,000-Mr fragment was similar to that in the original
      polysaccharide, suggesting the possibility of a tandemly repeating pattern in the
      sequence of HS.

PMID- 1859358
TI  - Direct electrochemistry of two genetically distinct flavodoxins isolated from
      Azotobacter chroococcum grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions.
AB  - Two genetically distinct flavodoxins, designated AcFldA and AcFldB, were isolated
      from Azotobacter chroococcum (MCD1155) grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions.
      AcFldA and AcFldB differ in their midpoint potentials for the semiquinone
      hydroquinone couple (Em -305 mV and -520 mV respectively). Only AcFldB was
      competent to act as an electron donor to the Mo-containing nitrogenase of A.
      chroococcum. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (20 residues) of AcFldB was
      identical with that predicted from the nifF DNA sequence of A. vinelandii OP
      [Bennett, Jacobsen & Dean (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1364-1369], suggesting that
      AcFldB is the nifF gene product of A. chroococcum (MCD1155). Direct fast
      reversible electrochemistry of these flavodoxins has been achieved at a polished
      edge-plane graphite electrode using the aminoglycoside neomycin as a promoter.
      The heterogeneous rates of electron transfer between the graphite electrode and
      AcFldA and AcFldB were determined to be 1.2 x 10(-3) cm.s-1 and 2.0 x 10(-3) cm.s
      1 respectively. The natures of two minor species of flavodoxin designated AcFldC
      and AcFldD, which were resolved by f.p.l.c., are also discussed.

PMID- 1859359
TI  - Metabolic substrate utilization by tumour and host tissues in cancer cachexia.
AB  - Utilization of metabolic substrates in tumour and host tissues was determined in
      the presence or absence of two colonic tumours, the MAC16, which is capable of
      inducing cachexia in recipient animals, and the MAC13, which is of the same
      histological type, but without the effect on host body composition. Glucose
      utilization by different tissues was determined in vivo by the 2-deoxyglucose
      tracer technique. Glucose utilization by the MAC13 tumour was significantly
      higher than by the MAC16 tumour, and in animals bearing tumours of either type
      the tumour was the second major consumer of glucose after the brain. This extra
      demand for glucose was accompanied by a marked decrease in glucose utilization by
      the epididymal fat-pads, testes, colon, spleen, kidney and, in particular, the
      brain, in tumour-bearing animals irrespective of cachexia. The decrease in
      glucose consumption by the brain was at least as high as the metabolic demand by
      the tumour. This suggests that the tissues of tumour-bearing animals adapt to use
      substrates other than glucose and that alterations in glucose utilization are not
      responsible for the cachexia. Studies in vitro showed that brain metabolism in
      the tumour-bearing state was maintained by an increased use of lactate and 3
      hydroxybutyrate, accompanied by a 50% increase in 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase. This
      was supported by studies in vivo which showed an increased metabolism of 3
      hydroxybutyrate in tumour-bearing animals. Thus ketone bodies may be utilized as
      a metabolic fuel during the cancer-bearing state, even though the nutritional
      conditions mimic the fed state.

PMID- 1859360
TI  - Interleukin 1 induces the expression of a heat-shock gene in chondrocytes.
AB  - The presence of T cells and antibodies reactive with heat-shock proteins (hsps)
      in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis may indicate a role of hsps
      in this disease. In the present study we examined whether increased temperature
      and interleukin 1 (IL 1), both of which are elevated in arthritic joints, induced
      the expression of two hsp70 genes in bovine chondrocyte cultures. We found that
      heat shock resulted in increased expression of constitutive and inducible hsp70
      mRNA species. IL 1 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also induced an
      increase in the constitutive hsp70 mRNA species, but without affecting the
      expression of the inducible hsp70 gene. The increase induced by IL 1 was observed
      only after 3 h, whereas increases induced by PMA were observed within 1 h. For
      all treatments, the hsp70 mRNA decreased by 24 h. Heat treatment of chondrocytes
      did not affect levels of collagenase and caseinase activity in the medium, nor
      did it alter proteoglycan synthesis by these cells.

PMID- 1859361
TI  - The amino acid sequence of the aspartate aminotransferase from baker's yeast
      (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
AB  - 1. The single (cytosolic) aspartate aminotransferase was purified in high yield
      from baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). 2. Amino-acid-sequence analysis
      was carried out by digestion of the protein with trypsin and with CNBr; some of
      the peptides produced were further subdigested with Staphylococcus aureus V8
      proteinase or with pepsin. Peptides were sequenced by the dansyl-Edman method
      and/or by automated gas-phase methods. The amino acid sequence obtained was
      complete except for a probable gap of two residues as indicated by comparison
      with the structures of counterpart proteins in other species. 3. The N-terminus
      of the enzyme is blocked. Fast-atom-bombardment m.s. was used to identify the
      blocking group as an acetyl one. 4. Alignment of the sequence of the enzyme with
      those of vertebrate cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferases and
      with the enzyme from Escherichia coli showed that about 25% of residues are
      conserved between these distantly related forms. 5. Experimental details and
      confirmatory data for the results presented here are given in a Supplementary
      Publication (SUP 50164, 25 pages) that has been deposited at the British Library
      Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa. Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7 BQ, U.K.,
      from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1991)
      273, 5.

PMID- 1859362
TI  - Induction of acyl-CoA-binding protein and its mRNA in 3T3-L1 cells by insulin
      during preadipocyte-to-adipocyte differentiation.
AB  - The induction of acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) and ACBP mRNA was investigated
      in 3T3-L1 cells during growth and insulin-induced differentiation. The level of
      ACBP relative to both total soluble protein and DNA increased during insulin
      stimulated conversion of 3T3-L1 cells from preadipocytes into fully developed
      adipocytes. So did the total rate of lipogenesis, as measured by incorporation of
      [1-14C]acetate. A similar increase in ACBP mRNA relative to total RNA was
      observed. These results therefore suggest that ACBP plays a specific role in the
      lipogenic process. However, this role might be indirect, as the increase in
      lipogenesis preceded the increase in ACBP. The significance of this finding is
      discussed.

PMID- 1859363
TI  - A potent antiplatelet peptide, triflavin, from Trimeresurus flavoviridis snake
      venom.
AB  - The interaction of fibrinogen with its receptors on platelet surfaces leads to
      platelet aggregation. A snake-venom peptide, trigramin, has previously been
      demonstrated to inhibit platelet aggregation by acting as a fibrinogen-receptor
      antagonist. By means of gel filtration, ionic-exchange chromatography and reverse
      phase h.p.l.c., a potent platelet-aggregation inhibitor, triflavin, has now been
      purified from the venom of Trimeresurus flavoviridis. The purified triflavin is a
      single-chain polypeptide, consisting of about 71 amino acid residues with a
      molecular mass of 7600 Da, and its N-terminal sequence is Gly-Glu-Glu-Cys-Asp.
      Triflavin dose-dependently inhibited human platelet aggregation stimulated by
      ADP, adrenaline, collagen, thrombin or prostaglandin endoperoxide analogue U46619
      in preparations of platelet-rich plasma, platelet suspension and whole blood. Its
      IC50 ranged from 38 to 84 nM, depending on the aggregation inducer used and the
      platelet preparation. However, triflavin apparently did not affect the platelet
      shape change and ATP-release reactions caused by these agonists. Triflavin
      inhibited fibrinogen-induced aggregation of human elastase-treated platelets in a
      dose-dependent manner, indicating that it directly interferes with the binding of
      fibrinogen to its receptors on platelet membranes exposed by elastase treatment.
      Additionally, triflavin dose-dependently blocked 125I-labelled fibrinogen binding
      to ADP-activated platelets. In conclusion, triflavin inhibits platelet
      aggregation through the blockade of fibrinogen binding to fibrinogen receptors on
      platelet membranes.

PMID- 1859364
TI  - Molecular comparisons of the beta 2-microglobulin-binding site in class I major
      histocompatibility-complex alpha-chains and proteins of related sequences.
AB  - beta 2-Microglobulin (beta 2m) binds non-covalently to the alpha 1, alpha 2 and
      alpha 3 domains of the alpha-chain of Class I major-histocompatibility-complex
      (MHC) molecules. On the basis of the crystal structures of human leucocyte
      antigens HLA-A2.1 and HLA-Aw68.1, we have used molecular-graphics analyses to
      define 44 contact points between 19 alpha-chain residues and 18 beta 2m residues.
      In 88 other alpha-chain sequences from the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-D, HLA-E, HLA
      F and HLA-G locus products in man and the H-2, Qa and Tla loci in mouse, 37
      contact sites were conserved to 90% or more, and in beta 2m sequences from seven
      other species 40% of contact sites were totally conserved. Four distinct regions
      form the contact points between the alpha-chain and beta 2m, one on each of the
      alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains and two on the alpha 3 domain. We have further
      studied the alpha-chain sequences of three non-MHC molecules, human CD1 and rat
      Fc receptor (FcRn), known to bind to beta 2m, and a third molecule, the putative
      product of the H301 (UL18) gene of human cytomegalovirus (CMV). CMV has been
      shown to bind beta 2m, and it has been postulated that the H301-gene product,
      which has sequence similarity to Class I HLA, is the protein responsible. These
      sequences exhibited much lower residue conservation with the MHC-linked group,
      although the alpha 3 domain was the most highly conserved, and gaps and
      insertions were required for optimal alignments with the 90 alpha-chain
      sequences. Of the 44 beta 2m-alpha-chain contacts defined for Class I HLA, 24
      alpha-chain contact sites were conserved in CD1, 25 in FcRn and 17 in the H301
      gene product. For CD1 and FcRn, the majority of the conserved beta 2m contacts
      were found in the alpha 2 domain and the major contact region in the alpha 3
      domain. Together with the use of secondary-structure predictions, it was
      concluded that the binding of beta 2m in CD1 and FcRn was MHC-like at the alpha 3
      domain, and probably also at the alpha 2 domain for FcRn, but non-MHC-like for
      the alpha 1 domain of both molecules and the alpha 2 domain of CD1. In the H301
      gene product sequence, only the beta 2m contacts with the main region of the
      alpha 3 domain were noticeably conserved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1859367
TI  - Specificity of dopachrome tautomerase and inhibition by carboxylated indoles.
      Considerations on the enzyme active site.
AB  - Dopachrome tautomerase (EC 5.3.2.3) catalyses the tautomerization of dopachrome
      to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) within the melanin-formation
      pathway. We have analysed a series of substrate analogues and related compounds
      as possible substrates and inhibitors of tautomerization. The enzyme appears to
      be highly specific since D-dopachrome, alpha-methyldopachrome, dopaminochrome,
      adrenochrome methyl ether and deoxyadrenochrome are not substrates. Conversely,
      dopachrome tautomerase catalyses the tautomerization of dopachrome methyl ester,
      suggesting that a carboxy group, either free or as a methyl ester, is essential
      for enzyme recognition. No inhibition of dopachrome tautomerization was observed
      in the presence of either semiquinonic compounds, such as tropolone and L
      mimosine, or pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid and unsubstituted indole. However, a
      number of indole derivatives, including DHICA, the product of dopachrome
      tautomerization, and the analogues 5-hydroxyindole-2-carboxylic and indole-2
      carboxylic acid were able to inhibit the enzyme. Furthermore, indoles with a side
      chain at position 3 of the ring and containing a carboxylic group at the gamma
      position of this chain, such as L-tryptophan or indole-3-propionic acid, are
      stronger inhibitors of the enzyme. Indole-3-carboxylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid
      and indole-3-butyric acid are very weak inhibitors, showing that the carboxylic
      group needs to be located at an optimal distance from the indole ring to mimic
      the carboxylic group at position 2 on the authentic substrate.

PMID- 1859365
TI  - Activation of membrane protein kinase C by glucagon and Ca(2+)-mobilizing
      hormones in cultured rat hepatocytes. Role of phosphatidylinositol and
      phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis.
AB  - We found that glucagon stimulated membrane protein kinase C (PKC) activity and
      phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis in 24 h-cultured rat hepatocytes. Phorbol
      myristate acetate, 8-bromo cyclic AMP, vasopressin, noradrenaline and the Ca2+
      ionophore A23187 also stimulated membrane PKC activity. However, only vasopressin
      and noradrenaline stimulated inositol phosphate accumulation, whereas all
      agonists stimulated the rate of release of water-soluble choline metabolites into
      the medium. Choline, and to a much lesser extent phosphocholine, were released,
      suggesting predominantly phospholipase D activation. This was supported by the
      finding that the accumulation of phosphatidate and diacylglycerol was enhanced by
      the agents in [3H]myristate-labelled hepatocytes, as was [32P]phosphatidylethanol
      formation. Since the time courses for the release of choline into the medium and
      the accumulation of phosphatidate and diacylglycerol caused by vasopressin and
      glucagon were similar, the more rapid activation of PKC by vasopressin probably
      reflects diacylglycerol formation from phosphoinositide breakdown. The inability
      of glucagon to stimulate inositol phosphate production was not due to the
      prolonged culture, since similar results were obtained in 4 h cultures. We
      conclude that the stimulation of membrane PKC activity by glucagon correlates
      with accumulation of diacylglycerol and phosphatidate derived from the hydrolysis
      of phosphatidylcholine.

PMID- 1859368
TI  - Rat liver guanidinoacetate methyltransferase. Proximity of cysteine residues at
      positions 15, 90 and 219 as revealed by site-directed mutagenesis and chemical
      modification.
AB  - Cys-90 of rat liver guanidinoacetate methyltransferase is a very reactive
      residue, and chemical modification of this residue results in a large decrease in
      activity [Fujioka, Konishi & Takata (1988) Biochemistry 27, 7658-7664]. To
      understand better the role of Cys-90 in catalysis, this residue was replaced with
      alanine by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. The mutant is active and has
      kinetic constants similar to those of wild-type, indicating that Cys-90 is not
      involved in catalysis and substrate binding. The u.v.-absorption, fluorescence
      and c.d. spectra are also unchanged. Reaction of the mutant with an equimolar
      amount of 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) or 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid
      results in an almost quantitative disulphide cross-linking between Cys-15 and Cys
      21). The same treatment effects disulphide bond formation between Cys-15 and Cys
      90 in wild type [Fujioka, Konishi & Takata (1988) Biochemistry 27, 7658-7664].
      Since the mutant and wild-type enzymes appear to have similar secondary and
      tertiary structures, these results suggest that Cys-15, Cys-90 and Cys-219 of the
      methyltransferase occur spatially close together. The mutant cross-linked between
      Cys-15 and Cys-219 and the wild-type cross-linked between Cys-15 and Cys-90 show
      very similar spectroscopic properties. Although treatment of the mutant and wild
      type enzymes with equimolar concentrations of 5,5'dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)
      causes a large loss of enzyme activity in each case, kinetic analyses with the
      modified enzymes suggest that cross-linking of Cys-15 with Cys-90 or Cys-219 does
      not abolish activity and does not result in a large change in the Michaelis
      constants. Incubation of the mutant enzyme with excess 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic
      acid leads to modification of Cys-207 in addition to Cys-15 and Cys-219.
      Retention of considerable enzyme activity in the modified enzyme indicates that
      Cys-207 is also not an essential residue.

PMID- 1859366
TI  - Bacterial lipopolysaccharide-stimulated GTPase activity in RAW 264.7 macrophage
      membranes.
AB  - The molecular mechanisms surrounding the toxicity and high mortality rate that
      accompany the release of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are unclear, although
      its potent activity suggests that an amplification system is involved. Because
      previous studies suggest that a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein)
      may participate in LPS action, we have evaluated the effects of LPS on GTPase
      activity in membranes isolated from macrophage (RAW 264.7) and fibroblast (B82L)
      cell lines. LPS induced substantial GTPase activation (200-300% above basal), and
      kinetic analyses indicated that the maximal LPS-stimulated increase in velocity
      is observed within 15 min, that it is a low-Km (for GTP) activity, that it can be
      enhanced by ammonium sulphate, and that it appears to be pertussis toxin
      insensitive. Moreover, the LPS-enhanced GTPase activity was not antagonized by
      phosphatase/ATPase inhibitors such as p-nitrophenyl phosphate, ouabain,
      bafilomycin or N-ethylmaleimide, and in fact was potentiated by the addition of
      ATP or ADP. Conversely, the LPS precursor, lipid X, which can decrease the lethal
      effects of LPS, was found to dose-dependently inhibit the LPS-mediated
      stimulation of GTPase activity. Half-maximal inhibition was seen at the same
      lipid X/LPS ratio known to be effective in vivo, i.e. 1:1(w/w). These effects
      appear to be specific because other phospholipids, detergents and glycosides
      neither stimulated basal, nor inhibited LPS-induced, GTPase activity. These data
      suggest the involvement of a GTPase in LPS action, and indicate that lipid X may
      act to directly antagonize LPS at this level.

PMID- 1859369
TI  - Lobster haemocyanin. Influence of acclimatization on subunit composition and
      functional properties.
AB  - Haemocyanin from the lobster Palinurus elephas has been shown to change in its
      subunit composition according to the time of year. In contrast, in Palinurus
      mauritanicus, a lobster living at greater depth, no seasonal changes in subunit
      composition have been observed. The results obtained from a set of experiments
      performed on some Palinurus mauritanicus acclimatized in an aquarium have clearly
      indicated that modifications of haemocyanin subunit composition may be involved
      in the adaptation of arthropods to environmental change.

PMID- 1859370
TI  - The oligomeric structure of rat and human gastric mucins.
AB  - Intact oligomeric gastric mucins were isolated from the fundic part of rat and
      human stomach. Physicochemical properties of the oligomeric mucins from both
      species, such as buoyant density, molecular mass, proteinase-resistance, amino
      acid composition and monosaccharide composition were similar. Biochemical
      analysis showed that the oligomeric mucins from both species consist of
      disulphide-linked mucin monomers exclusively: no other covalently attached
      proteins were detected in purified monomeric mucin. Four major differences were
      found between the monomeric mucins of these species: (1) the human monomer is
      larger, (2) the proteolytic-digest peptides derived from proteinase-sensitive
      portions of the polypeptide backbone displayed no sequence similarity, (3) the
      human mucin was less sulphated compared with rat mucin, and (4) the proteinase
      sensitive part of the human mucin was relatively larger. However, analyses of
      [3H]galactose-labelled mucin from both species on gel filtration revealed that
      both gastric mucins were exclusively synthesized as oligomers. The results
      indicate that the oligomeric structures of human and rat gastric mucin are
      similar and their biosyntheses are not affected by the differences in the
      subunits.

PMID- 1859371
TI  - Glucose disposal by skeletal muscle in response to re-feeding after progressive
      starvation.
AB  - We investigated the extent to which increases in glucose utilization indices
      (GUIs) in individual skeletal muscles during chow re-feeding after 6 h, 24 h or
      48 h starvation are related to the antecedent duration of starvation. Chow re
      feeding after either acute or prolonged starvation led to an increase in glucose
      disposal by the muscle mass. Glucose intolerance after prolonged starvation was
      not associated with lower values of GUI in skeletal muscle. In both working and
      non-working muscles, the increment in GUI during the first 2 h of re-feeding was
      less after acute than after prolonged starvation. In non-working muscles the
      differential responses to re-feeding were due to higher GUI values after re
      feeding rather than lower pre-prandial GUI values. Therefore the contribution of
      non-working muscles to glucose clearance is higher as the antecedent period of
      starvation is extended. Rates of glycogen deposition in non-working muscles after
      refeeding were similar to absolute values of GUI, and a strong relationship
      existed between measured GUI values and rates of glycogen deposition.

PMID- 1859372
TI  - Calmodulin inhibits the protein kinase C-catalysed phosphorylation of an
      endogenous protein in A10 smooth-muscle cells.
AB  - The protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate stimulated the
      phosphorylation of a 75 kDa protein (p75) in intact cultured A10 smooth-muscle
      cells and sonicated cell preparations; p75 was the only major substrate for
      endogenous PKC in sonicated A10 cells. The Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of
      p75 in vitro was dramatically decreased in PKC-down-regulated A10 cells; however,
      p75 from identical sonicated cell preparations was still phosphorylated by an
      exogenous aortic PKC preparation. Calmodulin inhibited the phosphorylation of p75
      by PKC, but not the phosphorylation of other PKC substrates (platelet P47 protein
      and histone). The addition of calmodulin after the phosphorylation reaction was
      started prevented further phosphorylation, but did not decrease the extent of
      phosphorylation of p75 that was reached before the addition of calmodulin. The
      inhibition of p75 phosphorylation was concentration-dependent, with IC50 values
      (concn. giving 50% inhibition) ranging from less than 0.5 to 10 micrograms of
      calmodulin/ml, and was Ca(2+)-dependent, requiring a free Ca2+ concentration of
      10 microM or greater. These results suggest that the inhibition of the PKC
      catalysed phosphorylation of p75 by calmodulin may be due to its interaction with
      the substrate, rather than a direct inhibitory effect on the enzyme, and that
      this inhibition could be regulated by intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
      Therefore, p75 may be a physiological link between the PKC and Ca2+/calmodulin
      pathways.

PMID- 1859373
TI  - Down-regulation of mannose receptors on macrophages after infection with
      Leishmania donovani.
AB  - Macrophages express a mannose-specific endocytosis receptor that binds and
      internalizes mannose-terminated glycoproteins. Infection of mouse peritoneal
      macrophages with Leishmania donovani resulted in a decrease in mannose-receptor
      activity. With 125I-labelled beta-glucuronidase as ligand, a 2-fold decrease in
      uptake rate was observed in infected cells, with no change in Kuptake. Cell
      surface binding of 125I-mannose-BSA was diminished 2.5-fold after infection. The
      decrease in ligand binding appeared to be due to a decrease in the number of
      sites, with no change in affinity. Elimination of parasites from infected cells
      by treatment with neoglycoprotein-conjugated methotrexate resulted in an increase
      in receptor number. Cycloheximide suppressed the drug-treatment-mediated rise in
      receptor number in infected macrophages. A decrease in receptor activity was also
      observed in liver Kupffer cells isolated from parasite-infected mice. Binding of
      ligand by another carbohydrate receptor, the mannose 6-phosphate receptor, was
      not altered by infection. Phagocytosis of yeast cells was also not altered. These
      results suggest that mannose receptor synthesis in macrophages is specifically
      suppressed after infection with Leishmania parasites.

PMID- 1859374
TI  - Hydrazine is a product of dinitrogen reduction by the vanadium-nitrogenase from
      Azotobacter chroococcum.
AB  - During the enzymic reduction of N2 to NH3 by Mo-nitrogenase, free hydrazine
      (N2H4) is not detectable, but an enzyme-bound intermediate can be made to yield
      N2H4 by quenching the enzyme during turnover [Thorneley, Eady & Lowe (1978)
      Nature (London) 272, 557-558]. In contrast, we show here that the V-nitrogenase
      of Azotobacter chroococcum produces a small but significant amount of free N2H4
      (up to 0.5% of the electron flux resulting in N2 reduction) as a product of the
      reduction of N2. The amount of N2H4 formed increased 15-fold on increasing the
      assay temperature from 20 degrees C to 40 degrees C. Activity cross-reactions
      between nitrogenase components of Mo- and V-nitrogenases showed that the
      formation of free N2H4 was associated with the VFe protein. These data provide
      the first direct evidence for an enzyme intermediate at the four-electron-reduced
      level during the reduction of N2 by V-nitrogenase.

PMID- 1859375
TI  - Properties and structural requirements for substrate specificity of cytochrome P
      450-dependent obtusifoliol 14 alpha-demethylase from maize (Zea mays) seedlings.
AB  - The biochemical properties of cytochrome P-450-dependent obtusifoliol 14 alpha
      demthylase (P-450OBT.14DM) from maize (Zea mays) seedlings were defined. In
      particular, the enzyme was shown by differential centrifugation to be localized
      in the endoplasmic reticulum. P-450OBT.14DM had an apparent Km of 160 +/- 5
      microM and an apparent Vmax of 65 +/- 5 pmol/min per mg of protein for its best
      substrate, obtusifoliol. The substrate specificity of P-450OBT.14DM was
      thoroughly investigated by comparing the demethylation of obtusifoliol with that
      of a series of 15 natural or novel synthetic analogues of obtusifoliol. The
      results obtained clearly indicate that three distinct domains of the sterol
      substrate are governing obtusifoliol demethylation by P-450OBT.14DM. They
      revealed that (i) P-450OBT.14DM has probably a specific apolar binding site for
      the side chain, (ii) the delta 8-double bond is an absolute requirement for
      substrate demethylation and (iii) the 3-hydroxy group plays a critical role in
      the enzyme-substrate interaction. Interestingly the binding site, beyond the C-3
      position, contains a cleft which cannot accommodate a 4 beta-methyl substituent
      present in lanosterol or eburicol, the precursors of 14-desmethylsterols
      respectively in mammals and yeast. This result indicates that P-450OBT.14DM is a
      novel constitutive cytochrome P-450 with a high degree of substrate and product
      specificity.

PMID- 1859376
TI  - The pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) precursor is a type II transmembrane
      protein.
AB  - Human pulmonary-surfactant-associated protein C (SP-C) is an extremely
      hydrophobic peptide comprising 34-35 amino acids. It is involved in the reduction
      of surface tension at the air/liquid in the lung. In order to understand the
      mechanism by which this molecule is generated from its 197-amino-acid-residues
      long precursor and secreted into the alveolar space, we analysed the biosynthesis
      and processing of this precursor in an 'in vitro' system. Our results show that
      the SP-C precursor is a 21 kDa integral membrane protein. It is anchored in the
      membrane by a hydrophobic domain that comprises the 20-amino-acid-residues-long
      hydrophobic core of the mature SP-C peptide. The N-terminus remains in the
      cytoplasm, which leads to a type II transmembrane orientation of the precursor.
      Membrane integration occurs in a signal-peptidase-independent manner. The
      hydrophobic domain acts as both signal sequence and membrane-anchoring domain. We
      suggest that correct membrane insertion of the SP-C precursor, which is strictly
      dependent on the hydrophobic-amino-acid sequence represented by the hydrophobic
      core of the mature SP-C, is itself a prerequisite for further processing and
      intracellular transport of the mature SP-C.

PMID- 1859377
TI  - Hepatic glutathione S-transferases in mice fed on a diet containing the
      anticarcinogenic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole. Isolation of mouse
      glutathione S-transferase heterodimers by gradient elution of the glutathione
      Sepharose affinity matrix.
AB  - Induction of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) is believed to represent an
      important mechanism whereby butylated hydroxyanisole inhibits chemical
      carcinogenesis. The soluble hepatic GSTs expressed by mice fed on normal diets
      are all homodimers comprising Ya3 (Mr 25,800), Yb1 (Mr 26,400) and Yf (Mr 24,800)
      subunits. In addition to these constitutively expressed GSTs, we have identified
      enzymes containing Ya1 (Mr 25,600), Ya2 (Mr 25,600), Yb2 (Mr 26,200) and Yb5 (Mr
      26,500) subunits from the livers of Balb/c mice fed on diets containing butylated
      hydroxyanisole (BHA). Gradient affinity elution of GSH-Sepharose has been used to
      resolve the mouse liver enzymes into several discrete pools of activity from
      which GSTs were purified by cation-exchange chromatography. The inducible Mu
      class Yb2 and Yb5 subunits were separately isolated as the heterodimers GST
      Yb1Yb2 and GST Yb1Yb5 and their catalytic properties are described; this showed
      that 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene and trans-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-one are marker
      substrates for the mouse Yb1 and Yb2 subunits respectively, but no discriminating
      model substrate was found that allows the identification of the Yb5 subunit.
      Individual GST subunits were resolved by reverse-phase h.p.l.c. and their amino
      acid compositions were determined. Certain subunits (Yb1, Yb2, Yb5 and Yf) were
      also subjected to automated amino acid sequence analysis, and this demonstrated
      that the Yb5 subunit has a blocked N-terminus. The mouse Yb1, Yb2 and Yb5
      subunits from the major inducible Mu-class heterodimers were cleaved with CNBr
      and purified peptides from the Yb2 and Yb5 subunits were sequenced. These data
      show that the Yb2 subunit is distinct from the GSTs that are encoded by the cDNAs
      that have been cloned from mouse liver cDNA libraries but possesses identity with
      the protein that is encoded by pmGT2, a cDNA isolated from a mouse fibroblast
      cell line by Townsend, Goldsmith, Pickett & Cowan [(1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264.
      21582-21590]. The sequence data also show that the cDNA encoding the mouse Yb5
      subunit has not, to date, been cloned, and the relationship between this subunit
      and Mu-class GSTs in other species that possess a blocked N-terminus (e.g. rat
      GST YoYo) is discussed.

PMID- 1859379
TI  - Inhibition of human leucocyte elastase by ursolic acid. Evidence for a binding
      site for pentacyclic triterpenes.
AB  - Several pentacyclic triterpenoid metabolites of plant origin are inhibitors of
      hydrolysis of both synthetic peptide substrates and elastin by human leucocyte
      elastase (HLE). Ursolic acid, the most potent of these compounds, has an
      inhibition constant of 4-6 microM for hydrolysis of peptide substrates in
      phosphate-buffered saline. With tripeptide and tetrapeptide substrates, the
      inhibition is purely competitive, whereas with a shorter dipeptide substrate the
      inhibition is non-competitive, suggesting that ursolic acid interacts with
      subsite S3 of the extended substrate-binding domain in HLE, but not with subsites
      S1 and S2. The carboxy group at position 28 in the pentacyclic-ring system of the
      triterpenes contributes to binding to HLE, since replacement of this group with a
      hydroxy group, as in uvaol, the alcohol analogue of ursolic acid, reduces the
      potency of inhibition. The inhibitory potency of ursolic acid is also reduced by
      addition of 1 M-NaCl, further supporting a postulated electrostatic interaction
      between the negative charge on the triterpene and a positively charged residue on
      the enzyme, which we assign to the side chain of Arg-217, located in the vicinity
      of subsites S4 and S5 in HLE. These observations are consistent with a binding
      site for ursolic acid which extends from S3 towards S4 and S5 on the enzyme.
      Other triterpenes, including oleanolic acid, erythrodiol, hederagenin and 18 beta
      glycyrrhetic acid, can also interact with this binding site. On the basis of
      these results we conclude that the extended substrate-binding domain of HLE can
      accommodate a variety of hydrophobic ligands, including not only such molecules
      as fatty acids [Ashe & Zimmerman (1977) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 75, 194
      199; Cook & Ternai (1988) Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 369, 629-637], but also
      polycyclic molecules such as the pentacyclic triterpenoids.

PMID- 1859378
TI  - Human and sheep growth-plate cartilage type X collagen synthesis and the
      influence of tissue storage.
AB  - Direct comparison of type X collagen synthesized by human, sheep and chick growth
      plate cartilage has shown that the human type X collagen is similar to the chick
      in both its molecular mass, containing component alpha-chains of 59 kDa with
      helical regions of 45 kDa, and apparent absence of disulphide-stabilized
      aggregates, whereas the sheep type X collagen has slightly larger alpha-chains
      (63 kDa) accounted for by a longer helical region (49 kDa) that contains cystine
      residues essential for the formation of the high-molecular-mass aggregates found
      with this species. Type X collagen from all three species showed heterogeneity in
      primary collagen structure as revealed by Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase
      generated peptide maps. Collagen synthesis by growth-plate cartilage in culture,
      particularly synthesis of type IX and X collagen, was shown to be very sensitive
      to prior storage and suggests caution in the interpretation of changes detected
      when examining collagen synthesis by growth plates in culture.

PMID- 1859380
TI  - Metabolism in vivo of all-trans-[11-3H]retinoic acid after an oral dose in rats.
      Characterization of retinoyl beta-glucuronide in the blood and other tissues.
AB  - Soon after [11-3H]retinoic acid (RA) (1.1 x 10(8) d.p.m.) was administered orally
      to rats either as a large dose (115 micrograms = 0.38 mumol/rat) or mixed with
      unlabelled RA as a huge dose (22 mg = 73.33 mumol/rat), retinoyl beta-glucuronide
      (RAG) was identified and characterized as a significant metabolite in the serum
      and small intestine. Of the administered dose, 70% remained unchanged as retinoic
      acid in the stomach up to 1 h. Significant amounts of 5,6-epoxyretinoic acid, 4
      hydroxyretinoic acid, esters of retinoic acid and several polar retinoids,
      including 4-oxoretinoic acid, were also detected in the stomach. No significant
      difference was observed in the nature of the retinoids found after a large or a
      huge dose; however, the ratio of RAG/RA was higher after a huge dose than after a
      large dose. Thus RAG, which is biologically active in vivo and in vitro, is
      formed quickly in significant amounts in tissues after a dose of RA.

PMID- 1859382
TI  - An improved assay for pyruvate dehydrogenase in liver and heart.
AB  - A radiochemical assay was developed to measure pyruvate dehydrogenase complex
      (PDC) activity in liver and heart without interference by branched-chain 2-oxo
      acid dehydrogenase (BCODH). Decarboxylation of pyruvate by BCODH was eliminated
      by using low pyruvate concentration (0.5 mM), a preferred substrate for BCODH (3
      methyl-2-oxopentanoate) that is not used by PDC, and a competitive inhibitor of
      BCODH, dichloroacetate. This method was validated by assaying a combination of
      both purified enzymes and tissue homogenates with known amounts of added BCODH.
      The actual percentage of active PDC decreased after 48 h starvation from 13.6 to
      3.1 in liver and from 77.1 to 9.0 in heart. Total PDC activity (munits of
      PDC/units of citrate synthase) in starved rats was increased by 34% in liver and
      decreased by 23% in heart. Total PDC activity (munits/g wet wt.) in fed- and
      starved-rat liver was 0.8 and 1.3, and in heart was 6.6 and 5.8, respectively.

PMID- 1859381
TI  - Increased glucose oxidation and contents of insulin and ATP in polyamine-depleted
      rat insulinoma cells (RINm5F).
AB  - In order to elucidate the role of polyamines in the replication and insulin
      production of insulin-secreting cells, we have investigated the impact of partial
      polyamine depletion on the proliferation, metabolism, insulin synthesis and
      ultrastructure of clonal rat insulinoma cells (RINm5F). For this purpose RINm5F
      cells were exposed for 4 days to the specific ornithine decarboxylase (ODC)
      inhibitor difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). This resulted in a profound decrease in
      ODC activity and cytoplasmic polyamine contents. The polyamine content of cell
      nuclei was, however, not altered by DFMO. Addition of small amounts of putrescine
      during culture elevated the intracellular content of this diamine and suppressed
      ODC activity. The decrease in polyamine contents was accompanied by a pronounced
      inhibition of the cellular proliferative activity. The rates of glucose
      utilization, oxygen uptake and activity of the pentose cycle were decreased in
      DFMO-treated cells, whereas the glucose oxidation rate, oxidation/utilization
      ratio, ATP content and ATP/ADP ratio were increased. Insulin mRNA content and
      synthesis of proinsulin, insulin and total protein were not altered by DFMO. In
      contrast, there was a sizeable increase in the cellular insulin content, despite
      a lowered total protein content. Electron-microscopic analysis revealed an
      accumulation of insulin-secretion granules in the DFMO-treated cells. In
      addition, short-term insulin release was increased after DFMO exposure, but was
      not rendered glucose-sensitive. It is concluded that polyamines are necessary for
      the maintenance of rapid insulinoma-cell replication and that DFMO-treated RINm5F
      cells acquire an enhanced substrate oxidation and increased content of insulin
      and ATP.

PMID- 1859383
TI  - Heparin-polypeptide interaction. Near-i.r. spectroscopy in an anhydrous
      dispersant allows the involvement of polymer-associated water to be assessed.
AB  - Involvement of polymer-associated water in the interaction of heparin with poly-L
      arginine and poly-L-lysine was studied by i.r. spectroscopy of complexes
      suspended in a non-aqueous dispersant. Movement of i.r. absorption bands due to
      heparin-associated water to lower frequencies upon polymer interaction indicates
      that hydrogen-bonding accompanies complexation. We suggest that this bonding
      includes water bridging between the interacting species, and that the resulting
      changes in water chemistry may affect the biological activity of such interacting
      macromolecules.

PMID- 1859385
TI  - Influence of the trapidil derivative AR 12463 on serum and tissue lipids and
      development of aortic lesions during experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits.
AB  - Daily administration of the trapidil derivative AR 12463 (20 mg/kg body weight
      i.p.) to cholesterol-fed rabbits diminished statistically significantly the
      increase in serum total cholesterol. After 8 weeks of treatment all measured
      lipoprotein fractions were significantly lower in animals treated with AR 12463
      (group 3) compared with the values of the untreated control (group 1) or vehicle
      treated group (group 2). The reduction of serum levels was associated with
      statistically significantly reduced levels of cholesterol esters in kidney, liver
      and aorta. The levels of free cholesterol in the liver of group 3 animals were
      statistically significantly lower compared with the levels in the two other
      groups, whereas in kidney and aortas the levels of free cholesterol remained
      unchanged under the influence of AR 12463. The area of aorta covered with fatty
      streaks was significantly smaller in group 3 versus group 1. The results of this
      study indicate that treatment of rabbits with AR 12463 while feeding a
      cholesterol-rich diet prevents hypercholesterolemia as well as the cholesterol
      incorporation into tissues. The mode of action of AR 12463 on serum and tissue
      lipids as well as on the development of atherosclerosis is discussed.

PMID- 1859384
TI  - Dose-dependent acinar induction of cytochromes P450 in rat liver. Evidence for a
      differential mechanism of induction of P450IA1 by beta-naphthoflavone and dioxin.
AB  - Rats received various doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD),
      Aroclor 1254 (ARO), beta-naphthoflavone (BNF) or phenobarbital (PB), and the
      hepatic expression of cytochromes P450IA1 and/or P450IIB1/IIB2 was analysed by
      immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. A clear heterogeneous acinar induction
      of IA1 was detected when a low dose of TCDD, ARO or BNF was administered. When a
      low dose of TCDD or ARO was administered, IA1 was found to be induced primarily
      in hepatocytes located in acinus zone 3, whereas when a low dose of BNF was
      administered, IA1 was found to be preferentially induced in hepatocytes located
      in acinus zone 1. A clear zonal induction of IIB1/IIB2 was also observed when a
      low dose of PB or ARO was administered. Both compounds induced IIB1/IIB2
      preferentially in hepatocytes located in acinus zone 3. When rats were
      administered high doses of TCDD, ARO, BNF or PB there was no zonal pattern of
      induction of IA1 or IIB1/IIB2; instead, a pan-acinar induction of these enzymes
      was observed. These results indicate that the overall hepatic concentration of
      IA1 or IIB1/IIB2 is merely dependent on the proportion of 'induced hepatocytes'
      within the acinus, which in turn depends on the dose of the inducer.

PMID- 1859386
TI  - Inhibition of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase and rabbit muscle lactate
      dehydrogenase by phenylhydrazine.
AB  - The activity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase was inhibited by
      phenylhydrazine. Kinetic experiments showed that this compound produced linear
      competitive inhibition with respect to NAD+ and linear noncompetitive inhibition
      with respect to ethanol. These results suggested that the inhibitor competes with
      NAD+ for the coenzyme binding site of alcohol dehydrogenase, forming a dead-end
      complex with the free form of the enzyme. A Ki value of 393 +/- 51 microM was
      estimated for the enzyme-inhibitor complex. Further evidence for this mechanism
      of inhibition arose from the fact that the same kind of inhibition was found for
      rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenase. The Ki value for the lactate dehydrogenase
      phenylhydrazine complex was 43.41 +/- 2.10 mM. The significant difference between
      these Ki values is explained in terms of known differences in hydrophobicity of
      the nicotinamide binding region in the two enzymes.

PMID- 1859387
TI  - Serum albumin stimulates the reactivation of bovine lens epithelial cells in
      primary culture.
AB  - Small amounts of serum added to lens epithelial cells in primary culture give
      rise to an initial retraction of the epithelial sheet and a following stimulation
      of spreading. It could be shown that albumin or a component tightly bound to
      albumin is responsible for triggering off these early events of reactivation in
      culture. The stimulation of spreading is accompanied by an increase of protein
      biosynthesis. The albumin-produced stimulation of both spreading and protein
      synthesis are counteracted by adenine or adenosine in the presence of inorganic
      phosphate. The albumin as well as the purine effects disappear after subculturing
      of the cells.

PMID- 1859388
TI  - Erythrocyte rheology and lipid peroxidation in burns.
AB  - Alterations in the erythrocyte rheology and the contents of activated free
      radical oxidation products (conjugated dienes, products of thiobarbituric acid
      and Schiff bases) in the acute phase of experimental thermic injury of the skin
      were studied. Erythrocyte flexibility reduction and erythrocyte aggregation
      increase correlated with elevated amounts of free radical oxidation products.
      Alpha-tocopherol avoided the accumulation of free radical oxidation products and
      improved both antioxidant defence and erythrocyte rheology. Thus we suppose that
      free radical oxidation products probably participate in the pathogenesis of
      erythrocyte rheology disturbances after thermic trauma.

PMID- 1859389
TI  - Lesion of pontine micturition area in rat causes a severe kidney syndrome.
AB  - Bilateral symmetric lesions of a small strip in the dorsal pontine reticular
      formation between the locus coeruleus and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus
      caused a severe disturbance of kidney and urinary bladder function beginning with
      haematuria, micturition paralysis and incontinence on the second postoperative
      day. Thirteen rats with these lesions were killed on the sixth postoperative day,
      dissectioned and their kidneys were pathomorphologically investigated. Their
      urinary bladders were extremely expanded and filled with bloody urine. All
      kidneys showed a picture of hydronephrosis and were enlarged from 15 mm
      preoperatively to 30 mm in their longitudinal axis and from 9 to 15 mm in their
      transverse axis. In seven further rats with partial or asymmetric lesions of this
      pontine micturition area the micturition cessation and the haematuria disappeared
      between the 4th and 8th postoperative days: kidney enlargement and hydronephrosis
      were still found on the 20th postoperative day.

PMID- 1859390
TI  - Increased acylcarnitine clearance and excretion in septic rats.
AB  - Carnitine has been hypothesized to be a semi-essential nutrient in the nutrition
      of critically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect
      of sepsis upon carnitine metabolism in the rat, using the model of cecal ligation
      and puncture. Three treatment groups, septic, sham, and non-operative controls,
      were used. The septic rats had significantly increased (p less than 0.05)
      excretion of acylcarnitine and over six-fold higher urinary acylcarnitine/free
      carnitine ratio, relative to the other two groups. The septic rats also had
      significantly higher liver and plasma free and total carnitine compared to the
      other two groups. A possible explanation for the increased urinary acylcarnitine
      excretion is that carnitine may be acting to remove toxic metabolites from the
      body. The septic model of cecal ligation and puncture was suitable for the study
      of carnitine metabolism during sepsis in the rat.

PMID- 1859391
TI  - Anti-elastin antibodies in rabbits fed an atherogenic diet.
AB  - Anti-elastin antibodies which seem to play an important role in atherogenesis
      were studied in serum of rabbits fed with a cholesterol-rich diet using the dot
      immunobinding assay. These antibodies appeared only in rabbits of the
      experimental group after the sixth week of the experiment and a progressive rise
      in their titer was observed. The concentration of total serum cholesterol and the
      elastase-like activity in aorta which were determined additionally showed a
      statistically significant increase of both analyzed parameters in animals from
      the experimental group when compared to the controls. Anti-elastin antibodies
      seem to reflect an increased elastin turnover during the induction of
      experimental atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1859392
TI  - Development of the mammalian gonad: the fate of the supporting cell lineage.
AB  - Sex determination in mammals is mediated via the supporting cell lineage in the
      fetal gonad. In the very early stages of gonadal development, the fate of the
      supporting cell population is critically dependent on the expression of the male
      determining gene on the Y chromosome. If this gene is absent or fails to be
      expressed, or is expressed too late or in too small a number of supporting cells,
      all supporting cells (XX or XY) differentiate as pre-follicle cells and
      development proceeds along the female pathway. Supporting cells in which the male
      determining gene is expressed in a timely manner differentiate as pre-Sertoli
      cells; given sufficient such cells, testis cords form and development proceeds in
      a male direction. If XX supporting cells are also present, a few may be recruited
      into the pre-Sertoli population and participate in testis cord formation. The
      subsequent fate of pre-follicle cells depends critically on interaction with the
      germ cell population in the developing gonad: absence of germ cells may lead to
      partial masculinization of the gonad, and/or to disappearance of the supporting
      cell component.

PMID- 1859394
TI  - The molecular genetics of alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.
AB  - The human serum protein alpha 1-antitrypsin is the major source of antiprotease
      activity found in the blood. The protein is synthesised primarily by liver cells
      but, to a lesser extent, by at least one other cell type. Expression of the gene
      has provided a paradigm for studies on transcriptional regulation in liver and of
      tissue-specific promoter activity. The pleiomorphic nature of the gene has given
      rise to a variety of alpha 1-antitrypsin variants some of which are clinically
      important. These abnormal variants may be poorly synthesised, rapidly degraded or
      inefficiently secreted; studies on the molecular mechanisms which underly these
      events are providing interesting insights into the general processes of protein
      transport and intracellular protein degradation.

PMID- 1859393
TI  - Titin, a huge, elastic sarcomeric protein with a probable role in morphogenesis.
AB  - Titin, the largest protein identified to date (over 1 micron long, almost 3
      million daltons in mass) is the third most abundant component of the sarcomere.
      In the mature myofibril, titin molecules span from M line to Z line, forming a
      third filament system which provides sarcomeric alignment and elastic recoil. In
      the developing sarcomere, accumulating evidence from studies both in vivo and in
      vitro implicates titin as part of a morphogenetic scaffolding, upon which
      critical events in myofibrillogenesis are coordinated in a time- and space
      dependent manner.

PMID- 1859396
TI  - Translational control during early development.
AB  - Early development in many animals is programmed by maternally inherited messenger
      RNAs. Many of these mRNAs are translationally dormant in immature oocytes, but
      are recruited onto polysomes during meiotic maturation, fertilization, or early
      embryogenesis. In contrast, other mRNAs that are translated in oocytes are
      released from polysomes during these later stages of development. Recent studies
      have begun to define the cis and trans elements that regulate both translational
      repression and translational induction of maternal mRNA. The inhibition of
      translation of some mRNAs during early development is controlled by discrete
      sequences residing in the 3' and 5' untranslated regions, respectively. The
      translation of other RNAs is due to polyadenylation which, at least in oocytes of
      the frog Xenopus laevis, is regulated by a U-rich cytoplasmic polyadenylation
      element (CPE). Although similar, the CPE sequences of various mRNAs are
      sufficiently different to be bound by different proteins. Two of these proteins
      and their interactions are described here.

PMID- 1859395
TI  - Actin filaments and photoreceptor membrane turnover.
AB  - The shape and turnover of photoreceptor membranes appears to depend on associated
      actin filaments. In dipterans, the photoreceptor membrane is microvillar. It is
      turned over by the addition of new membrane at the bases of the microvilli and by
      subsequent shedding, mostly from the distal ends. Each microvillus contains actin
      filaments as a component of its cytoskeletal core. Two myosin I-like proteins co
      localize with the actin filaments. It is suggested that one of the myosin I-like
      proteins might be linked to the microvillar membrane. By interacting with the
      actin filaments, this motor should move the membrane of a microvillus in a distal
      direction, thus providing a possible mechanism for the turnover of the membrane.
      A vertebrate photoreceptor cell contains a small cluster of actin filaments in
      its connecting cilium at the site where new transductive disk membranes are
      formed. Disruption of the actin filaments perturbs disk morphogenesis. The most
      likely explanation for this perturbation is that the process of initiating a new
      disk is inhibited. Conventional myosin (myosin II) is found in the connecting
      cilium with the same distribution as actin. A simple model is proposed to
      illustrate how the actin-myosin system of the connecting cilium might function to
      initiate the morphogenesis of a disk membrane.

PMID- 1859397
TI  - An ancient intron in eubacteria: new light on intron origins.

PMID- 1859398
TI  - Exons--original building blocks of proteins?
AB  - In a recent paper, Walter Gilbert's group has estimated the number of original
      exons from which all extant proteins might have been constructed. The approach
      used is subjected to a critical analysis here. It is shown that there are flawed
      assumptions about both the mechanism and generality of exon-shuffling and in the
      sequence comparison procedures employed, the latter failing to distinguish chance
      similarity from similarity due to common ancestry. These methodological errors
      lead to the omission of many known cases of exon-shuffling and the inclusion of
      others which may not be genuine. In consequence, the analysis from the Gilbert
      group cannot give a reliable estimate of those modules that actually participated
      in exon-shuffling and provides no information on the number of protein archetypes
      that did not participate in these processes.

PMID- 1859399
TI  - Genome mapping: PCR based meiotic and somatic cell hybrid analysis.

PMID- 1859402
TI  - Dark adapted leaves of paraquat-resistant tobacco plants emit less ultraweak
      light than susceptible ones.
AB  - Long term light emission was compared from leaves of paraquat-resistant and 
      susceptible tobacco plants. In the minutes time scale, delayed light emission of
      the two biotypes was similar both in kinetics and in intensity. However, after
      several hours in the dark, ultraweak light emission from leaves of resistant
      plants was about one third of the light emitted by susceptible samples. We
      suggest, that this difference is due to the higher activity of superoxide
      dismutase in resistant biotypes, earlier reported by Tanaka et al. (1988) (Plant
      Cell Physiol. 29, 743-746), and propose a model for the mechanism of ultraweak
      light emission from these samples.

PMID- 1859400
TI  - Actin in the Drosophila embryo: is there a relationship to developmental cue
      localization?
AB  - Recent genetic manipulations have revealed that the cytoplasm of the early
      Drosophila embryo contains localized information that specifies the future
      embryonic axes. It is the restricted distribution or activity of particular gene
      products, either messenger RNA or protein, that is crucial for this
      specification. While some of the genes responsible for this information have been
      sequenced and the nature and distribution of their products examined, it is not
      known how this localization is established or maintained. The actin-based
      cytoskeleton is a likely candidate for the formation of a cytomatrix that would
      allow such distributions and yet no direct evidence has yet been found that
      implicates actin in positional cue localization. In this review I summarize what
      is known about actin filament behavior in Drosophila embryos and compare it to
      the distribution of positional cues. My purpose is to juxtapose these two bodies
      of information such that the relationship between them may be revealed.

PMID- 1859401
TI  - Staurosporine inhibits the soluble and membrane-bound protein tyrosine kinases of
      human neutrophils.
AB  - Superoxide production by neutrophils triggered with a chemotactic peptide or a
      phorbol ester is inhibited by the protein kinase antagonists staurosporine or 1
      (5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). We evaluated the effects of
      these antagonists on the protein tyrosine kinases and protein kinase C activities
      of neutrophils. Staurosporine completely inhibited all of these enzymes, whereas
      1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine was only substantially effective
      against protein kinase C. Thus, if a protein tyrosine kinase is involved in
      superoxide production, it is likely to function with a second kinase sensitive to
      1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine.

PMID- 1859403
TI  - Isolation and sequencing of a cDNA clone encoding 85kDa sialoglycoprotein in rat
      liver lysosomal membranes.
AB  - We used the oligonucleotide probe corresponding to the internal amino acid
      sequence of a lysosomal membrane glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 85 K
      (LGP85) and isolated and characterized cDNA clones containing the entire coding
      region. The isolated cDNA comprised 2065 nucleotides. The predicted amino acid
      sequences of LGP85 consisted of 478 amino acid residues (Mr.54,090) and the
      protein has 11 potential N-glycosylation sites. Since the NH2 terminal sequence
      determined from purified LGP85 was identical to the NH2 terminal sequence deduced
      from the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA, except for the lack of initiator
      methionine which is likely to be cleaved off posttranslationally, it is likely
      that LGP85 has an uncleavable signal peptide at the NH2 terminus. Hydropathy
      plots show that LGP85 possesses two strong hydrophobic regions at the NH2
      terminus (residues 4-26) and near the COOH terminus (residues 433-457),
      respectively. Either one or both of the domains might be used for membrane
      anchoring. A comparison of the sequences of the other lysosomal membrane
      glycoproteins with that of LGP85 revealed no homology. Glycine-tyrosine residues
      (so-called GY motif) which are thought an important signal for delivery of
      lysosomal membrane glycoproteins to lysosomes were not contained in the
      cytoplasmic tail of LGP85 (residues 458-478). LGP85 appears to be an unique
      lysosomal membrane glycoprotein that does not require tyrosine residues for
      targeting to lysosomes. Tyrosine residue may not be an essential signal for
      delivering newly synthesized lysosomal membrane glycoproteins to lysosomes.

PMID- 1859404
TI  - Temperature-sensitive synthesis of a metalloproteinase in ts110-MSV-M-transformed
      NRK cells.
AB  - Previously, we reported that transformation associated protein (TAP) was over
      expressed in the 6m2 line, but not in their normal counterparts (1,2). 6m2 is a
      culture of NRK cells transformed by the ts-110 mutant of MSV-M. The synthesis of
      TAP and the expression of transformation properties in the 6m2 cells are all
      temperature-sensitive (2; 3; 4). TAP is secreted as two polypeptides of 64 kD and
      68 kD (P64 and P68) (2). Experiments were carried out to determine whether any
      metalloproteinase (MP) activity was associated with TAP. Results of zymograms
      indicated that the two forms of purified TAP (P64 and P68) had MP activity, using
      gelatin or collagen type IV as substrates. Serum-free medium (SFM) of 6m2 cells
      incubated at 33 degrees C also showed two bands of MP activity, while the
      corresponding SFM from 6m2 cells at 39 degrees C lacked such MP activity,
      indicating that the synthesis of MP was temperature-sensitive. The association of
      MP activity with the P64 and P68 bands of TAP (purified or in SFM) was confirmed
      by simultaneous Western blot analysis, which showed the reactivity of the two MP
      bands with monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies to TAP. Accordingly, what we
      previously designated as TAP is apparently one form of MP, which are known to be
      involved in tumor cell metastasis.

PMID- 1859406
TI  - HLA-DR is a procoagulant.
AB  - Numerous incidents of thromboembolic complications have been documented in cancer
      patients and in recipients of mismatched organ transplants. Tumor procoagulants
      have also been implicated in the process of metastasis. Two protein bands of
      35,000 and 28,000 daltons isolated from human ovarian carcinoma possessed
      procoagulant activity. The 35,000 dalton protein had an amino terminal sequence
      identical to that of the major histocompatibility antigen HLA-DR. Further,
      isolation of the protein using immunoaffinity column chromatography with
      monoclonal antibody to HLA-DR resulted in the isolation of procoagulant activity.
      The immunoaffinity purified protein enhanced thrombin generation in recalcified
      normal plasma approximately 20- fold. HLA-DR procoagulant activity was completely
      inhibited by Staphylococcal enterotoxin A. We propose that the procoagulant
      nature of HLA-DR may contribute to thrombotic disorders in several cancers and in
      association with graft rejection. The ability of enterotoxin A to inhibit this
      procoagulant may lead to development of future therapeutic strategies.

PMID- 1859405
TI  - Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) deficiency with a missense mutation
      in exon 6 of the LCAT gene.
AB  - The plasma enzyme, human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is
      responsible for the majority of cholesterol ester formation in human plasma and
      is a key enzyme of the reverse transport of cholesterol from peripheral tissue to
      the liver. We sequenced genomic DNA of the LCAT gene from a Japanese male patient
      who was clinically and biochemically diagnosed as a familial LCAT deficiency.
      Analysis of all exons and exon-intron boundaries revealed only a single G to A
      transition within the sixth exon of both allele of the gene, leading to the
      substitution of methionine for isoleucinle at residue 293 of the mature enzyme.
      This mutation creates a new hexanucleotide recognition site for the restriction
      endonuclease Ndel. Familial study of Ndel digestion of the genomic DNA and
      determination of plasma LCAT activity established that the patient and his sister
      whose plasma LCAT activity were extremely reduced were homozygous and his
      children whose plasma LCAT activity were about half of normal controls were
      heterozygous for this mutation.

PMID- 1859407
TI  - Cell-density dependent expression of the c-myc gene in primary cultured rat
      hepatocytes.
AB  - During culture of mature rat hepatocytes as monolayers, c-myc mRNA was found to
      be expressed transiently within 2 h, decreasing rapidly to the basal level at 10
      h. Then its level increased again to over 10-fold the basal level at 24 h, and
      remained at this high level during culture. The increase of c-myc mRNA in the
      second phase was shown by nuclear run-off experiments to be due to an increase of
      its transcription. The second, but not the first, increase in c-myc expression
      was inversely proportional to the cell density in culture. The expression of c
      myc mRNA was not affected by various hormones including growth factors. These
      results indicate that hepatocytes in culture at lower cell density tend to move
      from the Go phase to the G1 phase, but remain in the Go phase when cultured at
      high cell density.

PMID- 1859409
TI  - The primary structure and elastinolytic activity of medullasin (a serine protease
      of bone marrow).
AB  - The amino acid sequence around the carboxyl terminal of medullasin was determined
      by digesting the protease with carboxypeptidase Y and measuring the rate of
      release of amino acids from the carboxyl terminal. By considering the structure
      of the protease's cDNA, we concluded that His-238 is the C-terminal residue of
      medullasin. Therefore, medullasin is composed of 238 amino acid residues with Ile
      as the amino terminal and His as the carboxyl terminal. Medullasin is essentially
      devoid of elastinolytic activity, because it failed to digest orcein-elastin.

PMID- 1859408
TI  - Fulicin, a novel neuropeptide containing a D-amino acid residue isolated from the
      ganglia of Achatina fulica.
AB  - A novel pentapeptide containing a D-amino acid residue was purified from the
      central ganglia of the African giant snail Achatina fulica Ferussac, and it was
      named fulicin. The primary structure of the peptide was determined to be Phe-D
      Asn-Glu-Phe-Val-NH2. Fulicin potentiated tetanic contraction of the penis
      retractor muscle of this snail at very low concentrations, and also showed
      modulatory actions on the activity of the buccal and ventricular muscles and the
      central ganglionic neurons.

PMID- 1859410
TI  - Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of complementary DNA encoding rabbit
      alpha 1-acid glycoprotein.
AB  - Alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) complementary DNA clone has been isolated from an
      acute phase rabbit liver library. Complete and full-length nucleotide sequence of
      this cDNA has been determined. The cDNA contains 35 nucleotides 5' untranslated
      region followed by 606 nucleotides of coding region and a 112 nucleotides 3'
      untranslated region. Comparison of this sequence with that of human, rat and
      mouse reveals a high degree of homology with human alpha 1-AGP. Northern blot
      analysis of messenger RNA for alpha 1-AGP in normal and acute livers demonstrates
      remarkable induction of transcription of this gene in rabbit in response to acute
      inflammation by the administration of turpentine. Such a response of AGP gene
      expression makes it a major member of the acute phase responsive genes in rabbit
      liver.

PMID- 1859411
TI  - Role of the C-terminus in the biological activity of human interleukin 5.
AB  - Alterations of the C-terminal amino acid sequence of recombinant human
      interleukin 5 (rhIL-5) caused significant changes in its biological activity.
      Removal of eight amino acids from the C-terminus of rhIL-5 by CNBr treatment led
      to a complete loss of biological activity as determined by the BCL1 cell IgM
      inducing assay. Oxidation of Met residue located at C-terminus also resulted in a
      loss of activity. These results suggest that the C-terminal amino acids of rhIL-5
      are crucial for its biological actions.

PMID- 1859412
TI  - Inhibitory effect of bombesin and SMS 201-995 on DNA synthesis in the rat thyroid
      lobes incubated in vitro.
AB  - The effects of 4-h incubation in the presence of bombesin on the incorporation of
      [3H]-thymidine into DNA of the rat thyroid lobes, collected from animals treated
      in vivo with a long-acting somatostatin analog (SMS 201-995) or with 0.9% NaCl,
      were investigated. It was shown that not only in vivo injections of SMS 201-995,
      but also, unexpectedly, in vitro incubation with bombesin inhibited [3H]
      thymidine incorporation. The two examined substances did not reveal any additive
      action in their inhibitory effects on the thyroid growth.

PMID- 1859413
TI  - Primary structures of the bombesin-like neuropeptides in frog brain show that
      bombesin is not the amphibian gastrin-releasing peptide.
AB  - Peptides displaying gastrin-releasing peptide/bombesin-like immunoreactivity were
      isolated in pure form from an extract of the brain of the European green frog,
      Rana ridibunda. The primary structure of the more abundant peptide was
      established as: Gly-Ser-His-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-Met. NH2. This sequence shows
      one substitution (Ser for Asn) compared with mammalian gastrin-releasing peptide
      (18-27) (neuromedin C). The extract also contained gastrin-releasing peptide but
      bombesin was absent. The data indicate that bombesin is not the amphibian
      counterpart of gastrin-releasing peptide.

PMID- 1859414
TI  - N-ethylmaleimide differentiates endothelin converting activity by two types of
      metalloproteinases derived from vascular endothelial cells.
AB  - We have recently found that cultured vascular endothelial cells (ECs) contain two
      types of metalloproteinases which convert big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) to
      endothelin-1 (ET-1) via a single cleavage between Trp21 and Val22. In the present
      study, two enzymes were clearly differentiated by using sulfhydryl blocking
      reagents and anion-exchange HPLC. As reported, the converting activity of the
      membrane fraction of ECs was specifically inhibited by phosphoramidon. N
      ethylmaleimide (NEM) markedly enhanced the apparent converting activity of the
      membrane fraction. This enhancement was not due to the direct action on the
      converting enzyme, but rather to inhibition of the degradation of big ET-1 and/or
      ET-1. In contrast, the converting activity of the cytosolic fraction was
      abolished by NEM treatment. Effects of phosphoramidon and NEM on converting
      activities of both fractions were confirmed after anion-exchange HPLC of each
      fraction, using a COSMOGEL QA column. Our results provide new information on two
      types of metalloproteinases which convert big ET-1 to ET-1, in vascular ECs.

PMID- 1859415
TI  - Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation modulation of an inverse temperature
      transition.
AB  - Poly[15(IPGVG),(RGYSLG)], where RGYSLG is a protein kinase site, was synthesized.
      On raising the temperature of a 5 mg/ml solution, this polypeptide undergoes an
      inverse temperature transition at 18 degrees C in which it folds into a
      contracted state by optimizing intramolecular hydrophobic interactions. Averaging
      the data of five experiments, phosphorylation by means of a 3':5' cyclic AMP
      dependent protein kinase to the extent of one phosphate in 360 residues raises
      the temperature of the folding transition to 32 degrees C. The shift is
      completely reversed on dephosphorylation by alkaline phosphatase. Phosphorylation
      is hereby shown to be the most potent chemical perturbation known for shifting
      the temperature of an inverse temperature transition, which has been shown to be
      an efficient mechanism for achieving chemomechanical transduction
      (mechanochemical coupling).

PMID- 1859417
TI  - The conformation of endothelin-1 in aqueous solution: NMR-derived constraints
      combined with distance geometry and molecular dynamics calculations.
AB  - The aqueous solution conformation of the bicyclic, 21 amino acid vasoconstrictor
      peptide, endothelin-1, has been determined using two dimensional NMR and a
      combination of distance geometry and molecular dynamics. The dominant structural
      feature is a helical region between Lys9 and Cys15 characterized by strong NHi
      NHi+1 NOEs and several long range NOEs spanning 3 to 5 residues. Solvent
      inaccessibility and possible hydrogen bonding in the Cys3-Cys11 loop is suggested
      by the temperature independence of the chemical shifts of several amide protons.
      There is no evidence for association of the C-terminal hexapeptide with the
      bicyclic region.

PMID- 1859416
TI  - Fluorescent and photoaffinity labeling derivatives of rhizoxin.
AB  - A fluorescent probe (D-RZX) and a photoreactive fluorescent probe (AD-RZX) for
      studying the rhizoxin binding site on tubulin were prepared by the derivatization
      of rhizoxin (RZX). D-RZX consists of a rhizoxin moiety and a dansyl moiety. AD
      RZX has a 5-azidonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl moiety instead of the dansyl moiety of D
      RZX. Both D-RZX and AD-RZX bound tubulin in a mutually competitive manner with
      rhizoxin, indicating their binding to the rhizoxin site on tubulin. AD-RZX bound
      the rhizoxin site covalently after UV-irradiation, thus showing its usefulness as
      a photo-affinity probe for labeling of the rhizoxin site.

PMID- 1859418
TI  - Initial characterization of several actin genes in the parasitic nematode,
      Ascaris suum.
AB  - Southern hybridization data suggest a large actin gene family in Ascaris suum.
      Our genomic reconstruction experiment indicated that it consists of 50-75
      members. Polymorphism was uncovered in the actin genes or in their surrounding
      sequences. From the genomic library 5 nonoverlapping actin clones were isolated
      and characterized.

PMID- 1859419
TI  - Demonstration of a heterogeneous transcription pattern of thyroglobulin mRNA in
      human thyroid tissues.
AB  - Previous reports on human thyroglobulin (hTg) modifications in thyroid carcinomas
      prompted us to study hTg mRNA in thyroid adenomas and carcinomas. The
      quantification of hTg mRNA showed a decrease in its levels of expression in both
      pathological conditions which differed by a factor of 2 between adenomas and
      carcinomas. Furthermore, PCR was used to analyse the characteristics of hTg mRNA
      by amplifying 4 regions of the hTg mRNA. When applied to 2 normal, 17 benign and
      13 malignant pathological tissue specimens, PCR showed no modification in the
      size of Tg mRNA. However, abnormal sized cDNAs appeared in all tissues with no
      distinction between the pathologies; the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
      study of these cDNAs suggests the existence of alternate splicing patterns in
      thyroglobulin mRNAs.

PMID- 1859420
TI  - Malonyl-CoA inhibits proteolysis of carnitine palmitoyltransferase.
AB  - Incubation of isolated mitochondria in the presence of malonyl-CoA prevented
      proteolysis of the outer carnitine palmitoyltransferase by Nagarse and trypsin.
      Malonyl-CoA had no direct action on trypsin when present in a chromogenic assay
      system for proteolysis or when preincubated with the proteases in the absence of
      mitochondria. As reported previously, Nagarse had a differential effect on
      carnitine palmitoyltransferase in which malonyl-CoA inhibition was diminished to
      a greater extent than activity was lost, but all effects were blocked by malonyl
      CoA in a concentration-dependent manner. These data suggest a specific effect of
      binding of malonyl-CoA to carnitine palmitoyltransferase as the protective
      mechanism.

PMID- 1859421
TI  - Binding specificity of human nuclear protein interacting with the Alu-family DNA
      repeats.
AB  - We have demonstrated earlier that human cells contain nuclear protein interacting
      with conserved GC-rich sequence motifs of human Alu-family DNA repeats. One of
      these sequences is located in the region between elements A and B of bipartite
      RNA polymerase III promoter of Alu (AB-region). In this study we have used a
      DNase I footprinting assay with an Alu restriction subfragment covering AB
      region, as well as a gel mobility shift assay with appropriate synthetic
      oligonucleotides to analyse in more detail the interaction of the protein with AB
      region. We have also used antibodies raised against a zinc-finger peptide to
      examine the presence of a zinc-finger in the Alu-binding protein. The results
      indicate that AGG triplets may be important for high-affinity binding of the
      protein to DNA, and that the Alu-binding protein is a zinc-finger protein.

PMID- 1859422
TI  - Changes in fibronectin mRNA splicing with in vitro passage.
AB  - Senescent human fibroblasts produce larger fibronectin molecules with altered
      binding properties. To determine if this change could involve alternative
      splicing of fibronectin precursor mRNA, we developed an approach using reverse
      transcription and the polymerase chain reaction to study fibronectin mRNA
      splicing at each of the three alternatively spliced regions. Two of the three
      regions showed changes with in vitro passage incorporation of the ED-A region
      increased 8 fold.

PMID- 1859423
TI  - Regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism by phenylarsine oxide.
AB  - Preincubation of rat liver cells (the C-9 cell line) for 25 min with phenylarsine
      oxide at levels ranging from 0.06 to 0.6 microM amplifies prostaglandin I2
      production when subsequently stimulated by platelet activating factor, lysine
      vasopressin, bradykinin, thapsigargin, and the Ca2+ ionophore, A-23187, but not
      that stimulated by exogenous arachidonic acid. The amplification is decreased
      after preincubation for 25 min with 1.8 microM phenylarsine oxide. Preincubation
      of mouse lymphoma cells (the WEHI-3 cell line) with phenylarsine oxide at levels
      ranging from 0.06 to 1.8 microM for 60 min does not affect prostaglandin E2
      levels but inhibits leukotriene B4 and C4 production stimulated by the Ca(2+)
      ionophore, A-23187. Amplification of prostaglandin production by phenylarsine
      oxide is reversed 100 times more effectively by 2,3-dimercaptopropanol than by 2
      mercaptoethanol. Deesterification of lipids appears to be regulated positively in
      rat liver cells and leukotriene production negatively in mouse lymphoma cells by
      phosphorylation of tyrosine.

PMID- 1859424
TI  - Bufalin as a potent inducer of differentiation of human myeloid leukemia cells.
AB  - Bufalin was found to be a potent inducer of differentiation in human
      erythroleukemia K562 cells by examination of various differentiation markers (as
      assessed by the morphology, histochemistry, and the abilities to phagocytose
      latex particles, to reduce nitro-blue tetrazolium and to develop Fc receptors).
      Bufalin, at a concentration as low as 10 nM, also produced a strong
      differentiation-inducing activity in three other human leukemia-derived cell
      lines (human promyelocytic HL60, monoblastic U937 and myeloblastic ML1).
      Treatment of K562 cells with other cardiotonic steroids, such as cinobufagin,
      ouabain and digitoxigenin, at the concentration of 10 nM for four days resulted
      in weak or no effect on the cells. These findings suggest that bufalin might have
      potentiality as a new agent in the differentiation therapy for human myelogenous
      leukemia.

PMID- 1859425
TI  - Interleukin-4 blocks parathyroid hormone-related protein-induced hypercalcemia in
      vivo.
AB  - Interleukin (IL)-4 inhibits bone resorption. In the present study, the effect of
      IL-4 on hypercalcemia in nude mice under two experimental conditions was
      assessed. IL-4 inhibited plasma calcium elevation induced by parathyroid hormone
      related protein (PTHrP) infusion. In hypercalcemic nude mice bearing PTHrP
      producing tumors, IL-4 lowered plasma calcium levels to almost the normal range.
      These results indicate that IL-4 blocks PTHrP-induced hypercalcemia in vivo.

PMID- 1859426
TI  - Ba2+ current oscillation evoked by bradykinin in ras-transformed fibroblasts.
AB  - By voltage-clamp recording, we show a novel inward current which oscillates after
      activation with bradykinin or serum in v-Ki-ras-transformed NIH/3T3 cells. The
      current oscillation was infrequently observed in control NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. The
      same stimulation evokes Ca2+ oscillations in the ras-transformed cells but not in
      parental cells (Fu et al., FEBS Lett. 281, 263-266, 1991). The results suggest
      that the oscillatory currents are generated by influxes of divalent cations to
      maintain Ca2+ oscillations in ras-transformed NIH/3T3 cells.

PMID- 1859427
TI  - Subtypes of protein kinase C in isolated nerve growth cones: only type II is
      associated with the membrane skeleton from growth cones.
AB  - The growth cone particle (GCP) fraction was isolated from fetal and neonatal rat
      brains and the distribution of protein kinase C subtypes in the fraction was
      examined by using subtype-specific antibodies. The main subtype in the GCP
      fraction from fetal forebrain was type II, and type III was also present, but not
      type I. The pattern was not altered from embryonic day 17 to postnatal day 5. The
      membrane skeleton subfraction from the GCP fraction contained type II, but far
      less amount of type III. Our results suggest that type II and type III may be
      closely related to the functions of growth cones but that they appear to be
      associated with distinct signal transduction processes.

PMID- 1859429
TI  - Inhibition of protein kinase C by semisynthetic phospholipid plasmanyl-(N-acyl)
      ethanolamine, a nontoxic antitumor preparation.
AB  - Protein kinase C was extracted from mouse brain and partially purified by ion
      exchange chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose column. Its activity was determined
      by incorporation of phosphate from [gamma-32P]ATP into histone H2b. The
      semisynthetic alkyl-phospholipid plasmanyl-(N-acyl)-ethanolamine (PNAEs) with
      selective antitumor activity inhibited the activity of the protein kinase in a
      cell-free system in the presence of phosphatidylserine, a protein kinase C
      activator. The inhibition was competitive with respect to phosphatidylserine, the
      inhibition constant being 40 microM.

PMID- 1859428
TI  - Pertussis toxin blocks melatonin-induced inhibition of forskolin-stimulated
      adenylate cyclase activity in the chick brain.
AB  - The high-affinity guanine nucleotide-sensitive receptor sites for melatonin in
      the mammalian hypothalamus and pars tuberalis mediate inhibition of adenylate
      cyclase (AC) activity. Therefore, we have examined whether similar sites in the
      chick brain and retina also modulate AC activity. Melatonin did not alter basal
      or forskolin-stimulated AC activity in whole forebrain or retinal homogenates. In
      contrast, melatonin significantly inhibited forskolin-stimulated AC activity in
      forebrain synaptosomal membranes and partially purified retinal membranes in a
      concentration-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition (approximately 25-30%) of
      stimulated AC activity was observed at 10-100nM melatonin, while the
      concentrations (EC50's) which caused half-maximal effects were 22 +/- 6 pM and 30
      +/- 5 pM in the brain and retina respectively. Pretreatment of forebrain slices
      with pertussis toxin abolished the inhibitory effect of melatonin on stimulated
      AC activity. These data provide the first evidence that melatonin suppresses AC
      activity in the chick CNS via a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein.

PMID- 1859430
TI  - Effect of hyperglycemia on acetylcholinesterase and catecholamine levels in rat
      brain and heart.
AB  - The effect of hyperglycemia due to experimental diabetes induced in rats, causes
      a decrease in the activity of Acetylcholinesterase in brain regions and heart;
      changes in the heart being more significant than the brain. Insulin
      administration reversed this effect in both the hear and the brain. Significant
      increase in the levels of catecholamines were also found in the brain regions in
      diabetes, which was reversed by insulin. The decreased activity of
      acetylcholinesterase observed in diabetes may be due to an early impaired glucose
      oxidation and glucose transport as a result of lack of insulin, which causes
      specific alterations in neurotransmitter levels, thereby effecting blood brain
      barrier transport, thus causing brain dysfunction.

PMID- 1859431
TI  - Modulations in nitrogen metabolism in the hepatic and neuronal tissues of fish,
      Tilapia mossambica exposed to atrazine.
AB  - The present study deals with the effect of atrazine on nitrogen metabolism in the
      liver and brain of fish. Significant changes were seen in the levels of proteins,
      free amino acids, ammonia, urea, glutamine and the activity levels of proteases,
      glucogenic aminotransferases, branched-chain aminotransferases, glutamate
      dehydrogenase, glutaminase, arginase, AMP deaminase and adenosine deaminase in
      both the tissues of fish exposed to sublethal concentration of atrazine. The
      study reflects a shift in nitrogen concentration of atrazine. The study reflects
      a shift in nitrogen metabolism in the tissues of fish for efficient mobilization
      of end products of protein catabolism as a consequence of atrazine.

PMID- 1859432
TI  - Measurement of brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein by enzyme linked
      immunosorbent assay.
AB  - Antibody to uncoupling protein (UCP) purified from rat brown adipose tissue (BAT)
      was raised in rabbits and an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was developed. The
      antiserum did not cross-react with other mitochondrial proteins from BAT and from
      other tissues but cross-reacted with UCP from hamster, guinea pig and mouse. The
      assay is capable of detecting 5 ng of UCP. Using this assay and a crude
      mitochondrial preparation, UCP content of BAT was shown to increase during cold
      adaptation.

PMID- 1859433
TI  - Regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from maize leaves by nitrate and
      alanine.
AB  - Nitrate and alanine were found to stimulate partially purified maize leaf
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase under specific assay conditions. Both metabolites
      stimulated the enzyme at low pH (7.0-7.5) and low substrate levels (1mM
      phosphoenolpyruvate). Nitrate was found to have a biphasic effect on the enzyme,
      stimulating at low concentrations (1mM-3mM), with a decrease in stimulation at
      higher levels. Nitrate caused inhibition of activity at pH 8.0 and although
      alanine caused some stimulation in activity at pH 8.0 this was not as marked as
      at the lower pH levels.

PMID- 1859434
TI  - Changes in mouse brain monoamine oxidase activity in the first, second and fourth
      generations after manganese administration.
AB  - The present study was conducted to explore whether or not manganese effect on
      brain monoamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.4) is subject to hereditary genetic
      amplification. Mice of both sexes were given manganese through four generations,
      and the enzyme activity was measured in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum,
      hypothalamus and hippocampus of each of the generations except for the third,
      whose activity we were not in a position to measure. Intrinsic enzyme activity
      was highest in the cerebellum, and was followed by those in the cerebral cortex
      and hypothalamus. The activity in the hippocampus was the lowest. Manganese
      administration greatly stimulated the activity in the cerebellum. However, as
      generation succeeded, the level of susceptibility to manganese gradually
      declined. Manganese concentration in pooled suborgan fractions proved to be, in
      every case, higher in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus and lower
      in the hypothalamus. No indication was found that the manganese effect is
      genetically inherited.

PMID- 1859435
TI  - Comparison of plasma clearance of low density lipoprotein with beta-very low
      density lipoprotein or acetoacetylated low density lipoprotein in cholesterol-fed
      rabbits.
AB  - The plasma clearance and tissue distribution of radioiodinated low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL), beta-very low density lipoprotein (beta-VLDL), and
      acetoacetylated LDL were studied in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Radioiodinated LDL
      ([125I]LDL) was cleared more slowly than either [125I]beta-VLDL or
      acetoacetylated-[125I]LDL and its fractional catabolic rate was one-half that of
      [125I]beta-VLDL and one-ninth that of acetoacetylated-[125I]LDL. Forty-eight
      hours after the injection of the labeled lipoproteins, the hepatic uptake was the
      greatest among the organs evaluated with the uptake of [125I]LDL being one-third
      that of either [125I]beta-VLDL or acetoacetylated-[125I]LDL. The reduction in the
      hepatic uptake of LDL due to a down-regulation of the receptors would account for
      this retarded plasma clearance.

PMID- 1859436
TI  - Characterization of gingival epithelium epidermal growth factor receptor.
AB  - The binding characteristics of gingival epithelium epidermal growth factor (EGF)
      receptor were investigated using epithelial cell membranes from bovine gingiva.
      The binding of [125I]EGF was found to be time and protein concentration
      dependent, reversible, and specific. Unlabeled EGF competed for [125I]EGF binding
      with IC50 of 0.25nM and maximum displacement of 93% at 0.81nM. Scatchard analysis
      of the binding data inferred the presence of two binding sites, one of high
      affinity (Kd = 3.3 nM and Bmax = 47.3fmol/mg protein) and the other of a low
      affinity (Kd = 1.6 microM and Bmax = 1.9pmol/mg protein). Crosslinking of
      [125I]EGF to gingival membranes followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
      and autoradiography revealed a receptor protein of 170kDa.

PMID- 1859437
TI  - The possible metabolic diversions adapted by the cockroach, Periplaneta americana
      to counteract the toxicity of fenvalerate.
AB  - Effects of sublethal doses of fenvalerate through topical application were
      monitored in the central nervous system (CNS) of P. americana. A decrease in
      total and soluble proteins with an increase in free amino acids, alanine
      aminotransferase (AlAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) was observed during
      fenvalerate toxicity. Further the levels of glycogen, pyruvate and activities of
      succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) dropped
      significantly. Lactate content and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity also
      showed an elevation following fenvalerate toxicity.

PMID- 1859438
TI  - Phosphatidylcholine transfer protein from porcine liver.
AB  - A phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PC-TP) of porcine liver was purified to
      exhibit transfer activity similar to that of bovine liver but with different
      structural properties. By using hydrophobic Phenyl-agarose column as the last
      purification step, a 1400-fold purification with 20% yield was attained.
      Comparative studies on the effects of pH, salt, and temperature on the
      phosphatidylcholine transfer activity revealed that PC-TP from porcine and bovine
      livers were similar as far as its activity is concerned. However, the amino acid
      compositions, the molecular weight, and the elution profiles during protein
      purification for the two proteins are markedly different. It is suggested that
      the amino acid composition of PC-TP could be significantly altered without
      changing its activity and specificity.

PMID- 1859440
TI  - Degradation and internalization of bound insulin in human erythrocytes.
AB  - Internalization and degradation of insulin by human erythrocytes were studied.
      Erythrocytes were incubated with 125I-insulin at 4 degrees C, 15 degrees C, and
      37 degrees C for varying time intervals. These erythrocytes were then subjected
      to a low pH wash to release bound insulin followed by TCA precipitation. After 4,
      22, and 24 hours of insulin binding at 4 degrees C, 92 to 95% of the bound 125I
      insulin was dissociable and 92 to 98% of the extractable insulin was undegraded.
      After 3.5 hours of incubation at 15 degrees, 82% of the bound insulin was
      dissociable and 60% of this was intact. However, after 60, 90, 120, and 180
      minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C, only 42, 34, 24, and 37%, respectively, of
      the bound insulin was dissociable. The undissociated insulin in the 37 degrees C
      studies was considered to be intracellular. With increasing time of incubation at
      37 degrees C, the extractability of cell bound insulin and the proportion of
      undegraded dissociable insulin were decreased. When 125I-insulin binding was 95%
      blocked by preincubating the erythrocytes with anti-insulin receptor antibody,
      95% of the degradation of 125I-insulin was also blocked. These studies indicate
      that mature human erythrocytes degrade internalized insulin and this process is
      time, temperature, and insulin receptor dependent.

PMID- 1859442
TI  - Allosteric antagonists of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.

PMID- 1859441
TI  - Hepatic and renal metallothionein induction in the rat and mouse after treatment
      with furosemide.
AB  - Induction of hepatic and and renal metallothionein by furosemide was studied in
      the rat and mouse. Treatment of mice with 200 and 300 mg/kg furosemide elevated
      hepatic metallothionein by 117% and 366%, while renal metallothionein was induced
      by 29% and 380%, respectively. In the rat the drug was less potent i.e. liver
      metallothionein was increased by 167% and 217% following injection of 300 and 400
      mg/kg furosemide, respectively, whereas kidney was not significantly changed by
      this treatment. The mouse hepatic and renal metallothionein was identified as
      zinc-containing thionein by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration (Ve/Vo = 2.0). In both
      species maximal induction was observed 24 hours post exposure. However, the mouse
      hepatic and renal metallothionein content declined after additional 24 hours
      whereas the rat metalloprotein was not reduced even after 72 hours of treatment.
      It is suggested that alterations in metal homeostasis may be responsible for
      hepatic and renal metallothionein induction caused by furosemide.

PMID- 1859439
TI  - Glucocorticoids "receptors" in human gingiva.
AB  - Specific binding of [3H]-dexamethasone by the cytoplasmic fraction of normal
      human gingiva was carried out. Different concentrations of [3H]-dexamethasone
      were used with or without cold dexamethasone to determine the binding. Binding
      data by Scatchard plot yielded a straight line indicating a single class of
      specific receptors with equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.39 x 10(-9) M and
      B max of 80 fmol/mg protein. The proteins satisfied the high affinity and low
      capacity requirements of receptor.

PMID- 1859443
TI  - Antiprotozoal activity of 3'-deoxyinosine. Inverse correlation to cleavage of the
      glycosidic bond.
AB  - Two nucleosides related to the known antiprotozoal agent 1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)
      1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo-[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-one (allopurinol riboside, 1) were
      prepared and evaluated against Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma cruzi, and
      Trypanosoma gambiense. 3'-Deoxyinosine (2) exhibited potent antiprotozoal
      activity against the three protozoal pathogens with minimal toxicity for host
      cells. It was found to be especially effective against the Columbia strain of T.
      cruzi reported to be resistant to 1. The antiprotozoal activity of 2 appeared to
      be inversely related to the rate of cleavage of the glycosidic bond, as shown by
      metabolic profiles of 2 in the various pathogenic hemoflagellates and host cells.
      Combining the key structural elements of 1 and 2 led to the synthesis of 1-(3
      deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidin-4
      one (3'-deoxy-allopurinol riboside, 3). which was found to be inactive as an
      antiprotozoal agent.

PMID- 1859444
TI  - Effect of ethanol on phospholipid turnover and calcium mobilization in chick
      embryos.
AB  - Effects of ethanol on [3H]inositol and [14C]choline incorporation into
      phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), free intrasynaptosomal
      Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and synaptosomal 45Ca2+ uptake, were investigated in the brain and
      heart of 17-day-old chick embryos to which a 10% ethanol solution had been
      injected on the 3rd day of embryogenesis. In brain synaptosomes, ethanol
      increased the incorporation of [3H]inositol and [14C]choline into PI and PC,
      increased [Ca2+]i, and decreased 45Ca2+ uptake. On the other hand, in heart
      synaptosomal membrane, ethanol decreased the incorporation of [3H]inositol and
      [14C]choline into PI and PC, decreased [Ca2+]i, and increased 45Ca2+ uptake.
      Ethanol stimulated in vitro [3H]inositol and [14C]choline incorporation into PI
      and PC in the brain and heart in both the control and ethanol-treated groups.
      However, addition of ethanol did not affect the release of 45Ca2+ from the
      synaptosomal membrane of either organ in either group. Addition of ethanol
      inhibited 45Ca2+ uptake in a dose-dependent manner in the brain but not in the
      heart. In both organs, there was a relationship between phospholipid turnover and
      [Ca2+]i after ethanol.

PMID- 1859445
TI  - Effect of sorbic acid feeding on peroxisomes and sorboyl-CoA metabolizing enzymes
      in mouse liver. Selective induction of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA hydratase.
AB  - On the basis of the finding that sorbic acid (SA)-induced hepatoma was correlated
      with the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) in mouse liver (Tsuchiya et al.,
      Mutation Res 130: 267-262, 1984), the possible conversion of SA to a metabolite
      which is reactive with SH-compounds was studied. Sorboyl-CoA was hydrated and
      then reduced to 3-keto-4-hexenoyl-CoA by the combined actions of mitochondrial
      hydratase (crotonase) and L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Upon the addition of
      GSH or coenzyme A, 3-keto-4-hexenoyl-CoA was nonenzymatically converted to
      another 3-ketoacyl-CoA derivative, possibly a Michael type adduct, in a time- and
      concentration-dependent manner. Alternatively, sorboyl-CoA can be reduced by 2,4
      dienoyl-CoA reductase and completely beta-oxidized without the generation of 3
      keto-4-hexenoyl-CoA. Two-week feeding of mice of 15% SA caused a 2.0-fold
      induction of peroxisome beta-oxidation in the liver. SA caused a marked induction
      (3.6-fold) of hydratase toward sorboyl-CoA but a less pronounced induction (1.3
      fold) of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase, leading to about a 3-fold elevation in the
      hydratase: reductase ratio. The elevated ratio was sustained throughout the
      period of SA feeding up to 12 weeks. Thus, a large amount of SA could be
      converted to 3-keto-4-hexenoyl-CoA during this period. Oxidative stress caused by
      a depleted cellular SH-pool together with the induction of peroxisome
      proliferation by SA-feeding may implicate the mechanism by which non-mutagenic SA
      caused hepatoma.

PMID- 1859446
TI  - Na(+)-dependent, concentrative nucleoside transport in rat macrophages.
      Specificity for natural nucleosides and nucleoside analogs, including
      dideoxynucleosides, and comparison of nucleoside transport in rat, mouse and
      human macrophages.
AB  - The effects of natural nucleosides and various analogs thereof on Na(+)
      dependent, concentrative transport of formycin B by cultured rat macrophages were
      investigated. Concentrative transport is the sole nucleoside transport system of
      these cells. The results indicated that uridine, 5'-fluorouridine, all natural
      purine nucleosides, 2-chloroadenosine and 5'-deoxyadenosine are efficient
      substrates for the transporter. None of nine other pyrimidine nucleosides was
      transported. 3'-Deoxy-adenosine, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, 8-azidoadenosine,
      tubercidin, 5'-methylthioadenosine 6-mercaptopurine riboside and adenosine
      arabinoside were either poor substrates or not transported significantly. The
      substrate activity of some of the natural nucleosides and the lack of substrate
      activity of 3'-deoxyadenosine, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine, 8-azidoadenosine and 2',3'
      dideoxycytidine were confirmed by direct uptake measurements. No significant
      concentrative nucleoside transport was detected in cultured human
      monocytes/macrophages, whereas mouse macrophages possessed both concentrative and
      equilibrative nucleoside transporters.

PMID- 1859447
TI  - Inhibition of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase by the peroxisome proliferator
      perfluorodecanoic acid in rat hepatocytes.
AB  - Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) is a potent peroxisome proliferator and is known to
      affect hepatic lipid metabolism in rats. The effects of PFDA on fatty acid
      utilization were examined in isolated rat hepatocyte suspensions and in rat liver
      mitochondria and microsomes. PFDA inhibited the oxidation of palmitic acid but
      not octanoic or pyruvic acids when hepatocytes were incubated with 1 mM PFDA. At
      this PFDA concentration the esterification of palmitic acid into triacylglycerols
      was also reduced. The activity of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), an enzyme
      essential for both oxidation and esterification of fatty acids, was reduced in
      hepatocytes incubated with 1 mM PFDA. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), an
      important enzyme for the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, was not altered in
      hepatocytes incubated with this PFDA concentration. In rat liver mitochondria,
      palmitate oxidation and ACS activity were reduced significantly (P less than
      0.01) at a PFDA concentration that had no effect on CPT activity. The inhibition
      of ACS by PFDA was similar in liver mitochondria and microsome preparations. In
      mitochondria incubated with PFDA, the inhibition of ACS appears to be
      noncompetitive for the substrates palmitic acid and CoA. However, the ACS
      inhibition by PFDA appeared to be competitive for the ATP binding site of the
      enzyme. Several chain length perfluorinated fatty acids were examined for their
      ability to inhibit mitochondrial ACS. Short-chain perfluorinated fatty acids
      (perfluoroproprionic and -butyric acid) did not inhibit ACS activity. However,
      medium-chain perfluorinated acids (perfluorooctanoic, -ananoic and -decanoic
      acid) were found to be potent inhibitors of ACS in isolated mitochondria. Whether
      ACS inhibition is causally related to PFDA-induced peroxisome proliferation and
      altered lipid metabolism seen in vivo is yet to be determined.

PMID- 1859448
TI  - Differential effects of recombinant interferon alpha on constitutive and
      inducible cytochrome P450 isozymes in mouse liver.
AB  - The hepatic cytochrome P450 (P450)-dependent monooxygenase system is subject to
      regulation by a variety of xenobiotics and endogenous factors. During infection
      and inflammation the P450 system is usually suppressed, but the factors
      responsible for this phenomenon and the P450 isozymes involved have not been
      identified conclusively. We have studied the effects of a specific inflammatory
      mediator, recombinant interferon alpha, on the constitutive and inducible
      expression of P450 isozymes (from the CYP1A, CYP2B, and CYP2C) gene families
      using isozyme preferred substrates and Western blot analysis. Both increases and
      decreases in P450 levels occurred in response to interferon alpha. Suppression of
      constitutive P450 isozyme expression occurred and was shown to involve a decrease
      in steady-state protein expression. The induction of 7-ethoxyresorufin O
      deethylase activity by 3-MC was potentiated whereas induction of 7
      pentoxyresorufin- and 7-benzyloxyresorufin O-dealkylases by PB was suppressed by
      interferon alpha. These data demonstrate that the effects of interferon alpha on
      the P450-dependent monooxygenase system are complex, involving differential
      regulation of several isozymes. Both direct and indirect mechanisms may
      participate in these phenomena.

PMID- 1859449
TI  - Soman and sarin inhibition of molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase in mice.
      Time course of recovery and reactivation by the oxime HI-6.
AB  - The in vivo sensitivity of the molecular forms of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase
      to inhibition by either soman or sarin, reactivation by HI-6 and the time course
      of recovery following inhibition by soman were investigated in mice.
      Administration of HI-6 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) immediately after soman (100
      micrograms/kg, s.c.) or sarin (150 micrograms/kg, s.c.) resulted in an apparent
      selective reactivation of the 10S and 16S molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase
      and no reactivation of the 4S form of diaphragm acetylcholinesterase. The
      apparent selectivity of the reactivation of the molecular forms of the
      acetylcholinesterase was probably due to the fact that the 10S and 16S forms of
      acetylcholinesterase are located primarily extracellularly and the 4S form
      intracellularly. The HI-6 was restricted primarily to the extracellular
      compartment due to its quaternary, hydrophilic nature. If the administration of
      HI-6 was delayed until 60 min following soman (100 micrograms/kg, s.c.)
      injection, no reactivation of any of the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase
      could be found in the diaphragm. The soman-inhibited acetylcholinesterase had
      probably aged and, thus, was not susceptible to reactivation by HI-6. The time
      course of recovery of the molecular forms in the diaphragm occurred rather
      quickly with the smaller 4S and 10S forms recovering to control levels faster
      than the larger 16S form. It took between 8 and 16 days for the 16S form to
      recover to normal. In the brain, hypothalamic acetylcholinesterase molecular
      forms such as the 4S recovered faster than the 10S form which had not recovered
      to control 16 days after soman administration; the 16S form of
      acetylcholinesterase was not detected in the brain.

PMID- 1859450
TI  - Cellular pharmacokinetics of carboplatin and cisplatin in relation to their
      cytotoxic action.
AB  - We have studied the cellular pharmacokinetics of carboplatin (CBDCA), as part of
      the evaluation of the antitumor activity of CBDCA in cancers limited to the
      peritoneal cavity in comparison with cisplatin (cDDP). The uptake of CBDCA into
      L1210 (lymphosarcoma), CC531 (colonic carcinoma), COV413.B (human ovarian
      carcinoma) and NB1 (human neuroblastoma) cells was 1.5 to 13 times lower than the
      uptake of cDDP. The uptake of CBDCA into human ovarian carcinoma cells, taken
      directly from patients, was also 8-20 times lower than cDDP. Platinum
      concentrations, expressed as a percentage of the total intracellular Pt
      concentration, were similar for CBDCA and cDDP in cytosol and nucleus/membrane
      fractions. A second major difference between the drugs was their binding to DNA.
      Less CBDCA-DNA than cDDP-DNA adducts were formed after incubation at equimolar
      amounts of drug with isolated salmon sperm DNA (5-25 times less). A 16-69 times
      higher concentration of CBDCA than cDDP was needed to induce similar changes in
      cell growth activity (50% [3H]thymidine inhibition) in CC531 and COV413.B cells,
      indicating that equitoxicity can only be achieved when tumor cells are exposed to
      higher concentrations of CBDCA than cDDP. Similar toxicity was achieved in CC531
      cells after incubation with a 16-fold higher CBDCA dose than cDDP. Comparable
      intracellular platinum concentrations, however, were obtained with a 10-fold
      higher CBDCA dose, suggesting that cellular pharmacokinetics of the drugs are
      different. Regarding drug uptake and pharmacokinetics the mechanism of action of
      CBDCA differed from cDDP at a cellular level.

PMID- 1859451
TI  - Site-specific hypomethylation of c-myc protooncogene in liver nodules and
      inhibition of DNA methylation by N-nitrosomorpholine.
AB  - The protooncogene c-myc was investigated in N-nitrosomorpholine-induced rat liver
      nodules to elucidate the role of altered DNA methylation in chemical
      carcinogenesis. Furthermore, Micrococcus luteus DNA and chicken erythrocyte DNA
      were modified in vitro by reactive metabolites of N-nitrosomorpholine, generated
      by P450-dependent monooxygenases. The modified DNAs were less methylated in vitro
      than control DNAs by DNA-(cytosine-5)-methyltransferase (DNA methylase). The DNA
      methylase assay and 32P-postlabeling analysis revealed lowered levels of DNA
      methylation in nodular DNA. In nodular tissue, c-myc messenger RNA levels were
      found to be increased compared to normal liver. DNA methylation analysis using
      the restriction endonucleases HpaII/MspI indicated hypomethylation in the first
      intron of c-myc DNA in liver nodules. The results suggest that genotoxic lesions
      may cause stably inherited, aberrant DNA methylation patterns which may be
      responsible for site-specific hypomethylation of the c-myc protooncogene in liver
      nodules.

PMID- 1859452
TI  - Comparison of cytochrome P450 isoenzyme profiles in rat liver and hepatocyte
      cultures. The effects of model inducers on apoproteins and biotransformation
      activities.
AB  - The metabolic profile of seven subfamilies of cytochrome P450 (P450IA, IIA, IIB,
      IIC, IIE, IIIA, IVA) was studied in rat liver (in vivo) and in primary hepatocyte
      cultures (in vitro) after treatment with various inducers. The dealkylation of 7
      ethoxyresorufin (EROD) and 7-pentoxyresorufin (PROD), aniline 4-hydroxylation and
      the regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of testosterone were measured to
      characterize the isoenzyme pattern in intact hepatocytes and in liver microsomes.
      Occurrence of isoenzyme apoproteins was determined using Western blotting.
      Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes retain the capacity to respond to inducers of
      isoenzymes belonging to six different subfamilies (P450IA, IIA, IIB, IIC, IIIA
      and IVA). Treatment of cells with beta-naphthoflavone revealed a P450-activity
      profile similar to in vivo, namely a highly induced EROD (P450IA1), a small
      enhancement of testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylation (P450IIA) and a marked
      reduction in 2 alpha- and 16 alpha-hydroxylation (P450IIC11). Exposure of
      cultured cells to phenobarbital resulted in a higher testosterone 16 beta
      hydroxylation (reflecting P450IIB), though to a lesser extent than in vivo. The
      induction of P450IIIA due to both phenobarbital and dexamethasone, as mirrored by
      6 beta- and 15 beta-hydroxylation of testosterone, was the same in cultured
      hepatocytes and in vivo. Treatment of cells with clofibric acid resulted in an
      induction profile similar to the one observed in liver microsomes from clofibrate
      treated rats: the apoprotein P450IVA as well as the apoprotein P450IIB1/2 and its
      associated activities (PROD and testosterone 16 beta-hydroxylation) were induced.
      Isoniazid, a known in vivo inducer of P450IIE1 and aniline 4-hydroxylation, did
      not change any of the determined P450-dependent activities in vitro.

PMID- 1859453
TI  - Eicosanoid release and mepyramine, LTC4 and LTD4 binding in passively sensitized
      human lung parenchyma in vitro.
AB  - In vitro passive sensitization of human lung parenchyma with hyper-immune serum
      did not affect the release of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) or leukotriene (LT)-like
      activity upon challenge with anti-IgE antibody with respect to control lung,
      despite a marked difference in IgE levels between control (C) and sensitized (S)
      tissue. Binding studies with [3H]LTC4, [3H]LTD4 and [3H]mepyramine (a histamine
      H1 antagonist) showed a statistically significant increase in the amount bound in
      sensitized vs control lung for [3H]mepyramine only. Contractile response to 5 x
      10(-5) M histamine (H) in C and S lung parenchymal strips did not correlate with
      binding data. It is concluded that in vitro elevated IgE levels do not affect the
      interaction of sulfidopeptide leukotrienes with their putative receptors. As for
      the observed increase in [3H]mepyramine binding, this might not represent a true
      increase in histamine receptors on lung smooth muscle cells.

PMID- 1859454
TI  - Opposite effect of cytochalasin B on agonist-induced respiratory burst in
      neutrophils and monocytes.
AB  - The effects of cytochalasin B on the respiratory burst, calcium transients and
      cell shape change of neutrophils and monocytes has been studied. Cytochalasin B
      enhanced fMLP-induced respiratory burst in neutrophils whereas the opposite
      effect, i.e. an inhibition close to 50%, was elicited in fMLP-stimulated
      monocytes. The differences did not depend on calcium homeostasis. On the basis of
      cell shape changes, and the well known effect of cytochalasin B on actin
      polymerization, the opposite effects of cytochalasin B could stem from
      differences between both cell types concerning the pattern of cytoskeleton
      membrane interaction which could affect the recruitment and assembly of membrane
      bound or cytosolic components of NADPH-oxidase.

PMID- 1859455
TI  - Reversal of melphalan resistance in vivo and in vitro by modulation of
      glutathione metabolism.

PMID- 1859456
TI  - Presence of flavin-containing monooxygenase in rat brain.

PMID- 1859457
TI  - Protective effect of alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and rutin against
      peroxidative stress induced by oxidized lipoproteins on lymphoid cell lines.

PMID- 1859458
TI  - Is clonal adaptation a product of evolution over the millennia?

PMID- 1859459
TI  - Antioxidative properties of harmane and beta-carboline alkaloids.
AB  - beta-Carboline alkaloids are derived as a result of condensation between
      indoleamine (e.g. tryptamine) and short-chain carboxylic acid (e.g. pyruvic acid)
      or aldehyde (e.g. acetaldehyde), a reaction that occurs readily at room
      temperature. These compounds have been found endogenously in human and animal
      tissues and may be formed as a byproduct of secondary metabolism: their
      endogenous functions however, are not well understood. Indoles and tryptophan
      derivatives exhibit antioxidative actions by scavenging free radicals and forming
      resonance stabilized indolyl radicals. Harmane and related compounds exhibited
      concentration-dependent inhibition of lipid peroxidation (measured as
      thiobarbiturate reactive products) in a hepatic microsomal preparation incubated
      with either enzymatic dependent (Fe3+ ADP/NADPH) or non-enzymatic dependent (Fe3+
      ADP/dihydroxyfumarate) oxygen radical producing systems. Alkaloids with hydroxyl
      substitution and a partially desaturated pyridyl ring were found to have the
      highest antioxidative potencies. Substitution of a hydroxyl group by a methoxyl
      group at the 6-position resulted in a decrease of greater than 10-fold in the
      antioxidative activities. Harmane showed high efficacy in an enzymatic system but
      low efficacy in a non-enzymatic system. The antioxidative effects of harmane in
      the former system may be attributed to its ability to inhibit oxidative enzymes
      in the microsomal system. These results suggest that beta-carbolines may also
      serve as endogenous antioxidants.

PMID- 1859460
TI  - Glutathione-dependent biliary excretion of arsenic.
AB  - This study aimed to clarify whether glutathione (GSH) plays a role in the
      hepatobiliary transport of arsenic. For this purpose, the biliary excretion of
      74As was measured in urethane-anaesthetized rats for 2 hr after the
      administration of labelled sodium arsenite (50 mumol/kg, i.v.) or arsenate (150
      mumol/kg, i.v.) and under the influence of sulfobromophthalein (BSP), indocyanine
      green (ICG) or diethyl maleate (DEM) which are known to diminish hepatobiliary
      transport of GSH. Although the biliary excretion of arsenic was different after
      arsenite and arsenate administration in terms of quantity (19% vs 6% of dose in 2
      hr, respectively) and time course, arsenic excretion responded similarly to BSP
      (50 mumol/kg, i.v.), ICG (25 mumol/kg, i.v.) or DEM (4 mumol/kg, i.p.)
      irrespective of the injected arsenical. Initially the biliary excretion of
      arsenic in rats with either arsenite or arsenate was significantly reduced, but
      then moderately increased by BSP and, more lastingly, depressed by ICG, whereas
      it was virtually abolished by DEM. The responses of arsenic excretion to BSP, ICG
      and DEM were related, both proportionally and temporally, to the effects exerted
      by these agents on the hepatobiliary transport of GSH, as assessed by the biliary
      excretion of non-protein thiols. These findings indicate that the biliary
      excretion of arsenic after the administration of either arsenite or arsenate is
      dependent on the hepatobiliary transport of GSH. Transport of arsenic as a GSH
      complex may account for the GSH dependence of biliary arsenic excretion.

PMID- 1859462
TI  - Effect of the aging process on the gender and phenobarbital dependent expression
      of glutathione S-transferase subunits in brown Norway rat liver.
AB  - The effect of age, gender and phenobarbital treatment on the hepatic cytosolic
      glutathione S-transferase subunit composition was studied in Brown Norway rats.
      Affinity chromatography followed by reversed phase HPLC was used in order to
      separate the various glutathione S-transferase subunits. Corresponding steady
      state mRNA levels were measured by Northern Blot analysis using cDNA clones
      hybridizing to mRNA encoding glutathione S-transferase subunits 1/2, 3/4 and 7,
      respectively. In all the age groups studied (15, 25, 53, 99, 112 and 136 weeks)
      the total amount of glutathione S-transferase protein was in untreated rats
      significantly higher in males (132 micrograms/mg cytosolic protein) than in
      females (91 micrograms/mg cytosolic protein) and significant gender dependent
      differences in the subunit composition were demonstrated. Aging seemed to be of
      minor importance in untreated as well as in phenobarbital treated rats. Under
      control conditions, the subunit composition of male rats between 15 and 136 weeks
      old consisted of 28, 12, 11 and 49% of subunits 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively and of
      female animals of the same age groups of 38, 26, 7 and 30%, respectively. In all
      the age groups studied phenobarbital administration (45 mg/kg body weight, i.p.,
      once a day for 7 days) doubled total glutathione S-transferase protein in both
      genders and affected the subunit composition in a significant way, emphasizing
      the already existing differences between genders. Subunits 1, 2 and 3,
      especially, were increased in male rats in comparison to females resulting in the
      observation that levels of glutathione S-transferase subunits studied became
      higher in males than in their female counterparts. The HPLC results were
      confirmed by steady-state mRNA analysis. In untreated rats, higher levels of mRNA
      encoding glutathione S-transferase subunits 1/2 and 3/4 were present in male than
      in female livers. Phenobarbital treatment increased mRNA levels in both genders.
      Subunit 7 was never detected. These effects were demonstrated in both young and
      old rats.

PMID- 1859461
TI  - Elevation of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase and cytochrome PB1 P450 messenger
      RNA levels by dihydropyridines, dihydroquinolines, sydnones, and N
      ethylprotoporphyrin IX.
AB  - A series of compounds that increase the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid
      synthase (ALAS) in chick embryo hepatocyte cultures were studied for their
      effects on steady-state levels of mRNA for ALAS and phenobarbital-inducible
      cytochrome PB1 P450. N-Ethylprotoporphyrin IX (N-EtPP), which is believed to
      lower heme levels by inhibition of ferrochelatase (FC), had little effect on
      steady-state ALAS mRNA levels. 3,5-Diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-
      isobutylpyridine (4-isobutyl DDC), which is believed to lower heme levels by
      repetitive destruction of the heme moiety of cytochrome P450, increased steady
      state levels of ALAS mRNA levels approximately 2-fold. 3,5-Diethoxycarbonyl-1,4
      dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-ethylpyridine (4-ethyl DCC) which inhibits FC activity and
      destroys the heme moiety of cytochrome P450, increased ALAS mRNA levels
      approximately 4-fold. A combination of N-EtPP and 4-isobutyl DDC produced a
      synergistic increase in ALAS mRNA levels to approximately 6-fold over control
      levels. The synergistic increase in ALAS activity observed previously with this
      combination can be explained, at least in part, by a synergistic increase in ALAS
      mRNA levels. Other porphyrinogenic agents, which function as mechanism-based
      inactivators of cytochrome P450 and elevate ALAS activity, were found to elevate
      ALAS mRNA. These compounds included 3-[2-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)thioethyl]-4
      methylsydnone (TTMS), 2,4-diethyl-2-methyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline (DMDQ), and 2,2,4
      trimethyl-1,2,dihydroquinoline (TMDQ). The elevation of ALAS mRNA by these
      porphyrinogenic agents is probably due to their lowering of cellular heme levels
      by a combination of ferrochelatase inhibition and repetitive destruction of the
      heme moiety of cytochrome P450. The lowering of heme levels should result in an
      enhancement of ALAS mRNA half-life as it has been demonstrated by others that
      heme shortens the half-life of ALAS mRNA. It was of interest that some of these
      drug treatments also caused an elevation in steady-state levels of cytochrome PB1
      P450 mRNA; the exception was TTMS, which along with its analogue 3-(2
      phenylethyl)-4-methylsydnone (PEMS), did not alter cytochrome PB1 P450 mRNA
      levels. Increases in steady-state levels of cytochrome PB1 P450 mRNA subsequent
      to increases in steady-state levels of ALAS mRNA were observed with 4-ethyl DDC,
      4-isobutyl DDC, DMDQ, and TMDQ. The data obtained with N-EtPP and a combination
      of N-EtPP and 4-isobutyl DDC on cytochrome PB1 P450 mRNA levels do not support
      the contention that heme functions as a positive regulator of cytochrome P450
      gene expression.

PMID- 1859463
TI  - Inhibition of 2-desamino-2-methyl-10-propagyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid cytotoxicity
      by 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate in L1210 cells with decrease in DNA fragmentation
      and deoxyadenosine triphosphate pools.
AB  - 5,10-Dideazatetrahydrofolate (DDATHF) is an antifolate drug, the cytotoxic
      effects of which can be fully reversed by hypoxanthine, suggesting that DDATHF
      exerts its effects by inhibiting de novo purine biosynthesis. ICI198583 is a
      quinazoline based inhibitor of thymidylate synthase. In this study we examine the
      interaction between treatment of mouse leukaemic L1210 cells with these drugs.
      The addition of DDATHF with ICI198583 was correlated with a decrease in ICI198583
      cytotoxicity in a dose dependent manner. This protection was associated with a
      decrease in DNA fragmentation, and a drop in intracellular dATP pools. These
      results support the hypothesis that inhibitory effects on de novo purine
      biosynthesis by inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase may limit cytotoxicity, and
      indicate that a rise in dATP pools may be an important cytotoxic signal.

PMID- 1859464
TI  - Effects of ethanol consumption on bioactivation and hepatotoxicity of N
      nitrosodimethylamine in rats.
AB  - To study the effects of ethanol on the hepatotoxicity of N-nitrosodimethylamine
      (NDMA), 5 mg NDMA/kg body weight was injected intraperitoneally 3 times a week
      for 6 weeks into rats pair-fed liquid diets containing 36% of energy either as
      ethanol or as additional carbohydrates. Another group of rats was pair-fed with
      the same diets but injected with saline instead of NDMA. Co-administration of
      ethanol and NDMA produced much higher elevations of serum alanine and aspartate
      aminotransferase and glutamic dehydrogenase activities than the administration of
      either agent alone. The combined treatment also slightly increased focal
      necrosis, whereas other liver lesions (steatosis and fibrosis) and the functional
      impairment of mitochondrial respiration were not affected significantly.
      Microsomal low Km NDMA demethylation, as well as NDMA denitrosation, were
      inhibited markedly by incubation with an antibody against P450IIE1, suggesting
      the involvement of this alcohol-inducible P450 in both NDMA bioactivation
      reactions. The addition of ethanol inhibited P450-dependent demethylation and
      denitrosation of NDMA in liver microsomes, whereas both activities were enhanced
      markedly by chronic ethanol administration. At ethanol concentrations similar to
      those prevailing in the blood of alcohol-fed animals at the time of NDMA
      administration, hepatic microsomal demethylation and denitrosation remained
      significantly higher in ethanol-fed rats given NDMA than in controls. Our results
      suggest that bioactivation plays a critical role in the hepatotoxicity of NDMA
      and its aggravation by chronic alcohol consumption.

PMID- 1859465
TI  - Relationships between energy level and insulin secretion in isolated rat islets
      of Langerhans. A study at various pH values.
AB  - To define better the role of [ATP]/[ADP] in insulin release from pancreatic
      islets, changes in the adenine nucleotide ratios elicited by alterations in
      external pH were correlated with the secretion profiles produced by
      administration of two metabolic secretagogues, 16 mM glucose and 10 mM alpha
      ketoisocaproic acid. Experiments were carried out in buffers with and without
      bicarbonate, in the pH range 6.5-7.7. Insulin release was dependent on pHe
      irrespective of the secretagogue used. Secretion profiles for alpha
      ketoisocaproic acid were the same both with and without bicarbonate; the release
      was decreased below pH 7.1 but maintained at 7.4-7.7. The same pattern was seen
      with glucose in media buffered with Hepes. With bicarbonate present, secretion
      caused by high glucose showed a bell-shaped dependence on [H+], with reductions
      at the acid and alkaline sides of pH 7.1-7.4. [ATP] and [ADP] were higher when
      Hepes was the buffer, at all pH values studied. The [ATP]/[ADP] declined with
      increasing pH under both basal and stimulated conditions; the values were always
      larger after stimulation although at pH 7.7 with bicarbonate present and glucose
      as the stimulant the difference was very small. It is concluded that: (i) the
      [ATP]/[ADP] in pancreatic islets is markedly dependent on pHe; (ii) there is no
      straight-forward correlation between either [ATP] or the absolute value for
      [ATP]/[ADP] and insulin secretion; and (iii) a rise in [ATP]/[ADP] is necessary
      for glucose-stimulated insulin release although it is not always the rate
      determining event.

PMID- 1859466
TI  - Evidence for the in vivo formation of ascorbic acid 2-O-alpha-glucoside in guinea
      pigs and rats.
AB  - In vivo formation of ascorbic acid 2-O-alpha-glucoside (AA-2G) in guinea pigs and
      rats given ascorbic acid (AA) orally in combination with maltose was examined. A
      metabolite of AA which has the same HPLC retention characteristics as authentic
      AA-2G was detected in the blood, urine and liver of guinea pigs 1-2 hr after
      their administration. The metabolite was isolated from the urine by
      chromatographic procedures and identified as AA-2G by its UV spectrum, non
      reducibility, susceptibility to alpha-glucosidase hydrolysis, HPLC profile and
      elementary analysis. The same glucoside was also synthesized by rats and found in
      the urine, although it could not be determined qualitatively in the blood. AA-2G
      forming activities of tissue homogenates from both animals were apparently
      correlated with their alpha-glucosidase activities and, moreover, both activities
      were completely inhibited by a specific neutral alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.
      Thus, we conclude that AA-2G is a possible metabolite produced by enzymatic alpha
      glucosidation after a combined administration of AA and maltose to guinea pigs
      and rats.

PMID- 1859467
TI  - Protection from CCl4 toxicity by prestimulation of hepatocellular regeneration in
      partially hepatectomized gerbils.
AB  - The present investigation was undertaken to test our hypothesis that the slow
      responses of hepatocellular regeneration and tissue repair after CCl4-induced
      liver injury are responsible for the high sensitivity of gerbils to the
      hepatotoxic and lethal effects of CCl4. These studies were conducted in normal
      and actively regenerating livers using male gerbils 5 or 15 days after partial
      (2/3) hepatectomy (PH5 and PH15, respectively), or those undergoing sham
      operation (SH). An LD50 dose of CCl4 (80 microL/kg, i.p.) resulted in a mortality
      (21%) significantly (P less than 0.05) less than 50% in PH5 gerbils 48 hr after
      CCl4 administration, whereas the mortality observed in PH15 or SH gerbils was not
      significantly different from 50%. The elevations of alanine aminotransferase
      (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly (P less than
      0.05) less in PH5 gerbils than in PH15 or SH groups after the administration of
      either the LD50 dose or a low dose (15 microL/kg) of CCl4. Histopathological and
      histomorphometric examinations also indicated that CCl4-induced liver injury was
      less severe in PH5 gerbils than in the PH15 and SH groups. The hepatic microsomal
      cytochrome P450 content measured before CCl4 administration in the PH5 gerbils
      was decreased (26%) significantly (P less than 0.05) as compared with the SH
      group, but was not significantly different from that of PH15 gerbils. In vivo
      metabolism of 14CCl4 and lipid peroxidation in liver tissue were not
      significantly different among the various groups. Therefore, the protection
      against CCl4 toxicity observed in PH5 gerbils is unlikely to be due to decreased
      bioactivation of CCl4 or lipid peroxidation in that group. [3H]Thymidine
      incorporation into hepatocellular nuclear DNA was 4- to 5-fold higher in PH5
      gerbils than in the PH15 and SH groups, indicating active hepatocellular
      proliferation in PH5 gerbils. [3H]Thymidine incorporation was further increased
      significantly (P less than 0.05) 24 hr after challenge with a low dose of CCl4 in
      PH5 gerbils, whereas it remained low until 48 hr after the CCl4 injection in the
      PH15 or SH group. The protection against CCl4 toxicity afforded by partial
      hepatectomy was closely associated with active hepatocellular regeneration. The
      overall results confirm the concept that the high sensitivity of gerbils to CCl4
      is due to very sluggish hepatocellular regeneration and tissue repair response to
      the CCl4-induced liver injury.

PMID- 1859468
TI  - 86Rubidium efflux and negative inotropy induced by P1- and muscarinic-receptor
      agonists in guinea-pig left atria. Effects of potassium channel blockers.
AB  - Guinea-pig isolated left atria, paced at 2 Hz were incubated with 86rubidium
      (86Rb) for 120 min. They were then washed every 2 min for 2 hr, each sample being
      retained for scintillation counting. Left atrial isometric tension was recorded
      simultaneously. A concentration-response curve for the muscarinic agonist
      carbachol or the P1-receptor agonists adenosine and L-N6-phenyl
      isopropyladenosine (L-PIA) was obtained. Antagonists were present from 20 min
      before agonist exposure. The rate constant (k) for 86Rb efflux was calculated for
      each 2 min sample and the mean increase for each concentration of agonist
      determined. In the absence of drugs there was no significant alteration in the
      rate constant during the 2 hr experimental period. Adenosine, L-PIA and carbachol
      produced concentration-related increases in rate constant for 86Rb efflux. The
      adenosine and L-PIA concentration-response curves were virtually superimposed
      upon the curves for the negative inotropic responses. The 86Rb efflux induced by
      adenosine was antagonized in an apparently parallel manner by 8
      phenyltheophylline (8-PT) indicating involvement of P1-receptors. Alone, the
      putative potassium channel blockers, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and
      bromobenzoylmethyladamantylamine (BMA) caused, respectively, no change and a
      reduction in resting 86Rb efflux immediately prior to the agonist exposure. 4-AP
      reduced the L-PIA- and adenosine-induced increases in 86Rb efflux and, to a
      lesser extent, the negative inotropic response to adenosine. BMA caused
      "flattening" of the dose-response curves for 86Rb efflux induced by L-PIA,
      adenosine and carbachol with a significant reduction in response at the highest
      concentrations of adenosine and carbachol. The negative inotropic response to
      adenosine was also reduced. These results suggest that 4-AP and BMA block the P1
      receptor-linked potassium channels and that BMA interacts with common K+ channels
      linked to P1- and muscarinic receptors. The negative inotropic responses of the
      guinea-pig left atrium to P1- and muscarinic agonists can be attributed, at least
      in part, to the opening of outward K+ channels.

PMID- 1859469
TI  - Inhibition of phosphorylation of troponin I in rat heart by adenosine and 5'
      chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine.
AB  - We have investigated the effects of adenosine on protein phosphorylation in
      extracts of rat heart. Incubation of a myofibrillar fraction with [gamma-32P]ATP
      resulted in the phosphorylation of several proteins by endogenous protein
      kinases. The adenosine analog 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine inhibited the
      phosphorylation of a 29 kD protein in this preparation. The protein was
      identified as cardiac troponin I (cTnI) by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis,
      using purified cTnI as standard. Addition of the catalytic subunit of cAMP
      dependent protein kinase to the myofibrillar fraction increased phosphorylation
      of cTnI; this increase was inhibited by 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine and
      adenosine. Phosphorylation of purified cTnI by the catalytic subunit was also
      inhibited by 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine. Under these conditions used, 50%
      inhibition of phosphorylation by either endogenous or exogenous kinase was
      observed at approximately 50 microM 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine or adenosine. The
      inhibition described here occurred independently of catecholamines. The effects
      of ADP, AMP, and adenine on cTnI phosphorylation are also described.

PMID- 1859470
TI  - Selective 3-hydroxylation deficiency of lidocaine and its metabolite in Dark
      Agouti rats.
AB  - Selective and marked 3-hydroxylase deficiency of lidocaine and its N-deethylated
      metabolite, MEGX, were observed in male and female DA rats. These findings
      suggest that cytochrome P450 isozymes metabolizing debrisoquine may be involved
      in the 3-hydroxylations of lidocaine and MEGX in rats and humans.

PMID- 1859471
TI  - Glutathione transferase mu deficiency is not a marker for predisposition to
      sulphonamide toxicity.
AB  - Glutathione transferase mu activity, a marker for susceptibility to lung cancer
      and chemically induced cytogenetic damage, is not a predictive index for the
      predisposition to sulphonamide hypersensitivity reactions. However, considering
      the functional diversity and broad, overlapping substrate specificity of GSH
      dependent enzymes, it is conceivable that an as yet unidentified deficiency in
      another GST isozyme or GSH-related enzyme may be a marker for sulphonamide
      toxicity. In addition, heterogeneity in cellular repair mechanisms and the
      diversity of the human immune response [22] may also contribute to the
      manifestation of the toxic effects of sulphonamides. Experiments are currently in
      progress to determine which of this myriad of variables is predominantly
      responsible for inter-individual susceptibility to the idiosyncratic reactions
      produced by these antibacterial agents.

PMID- 1859472
TI  - Dose- and time-dependent effect of an acute 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole injection on
      rat brain catalase activity.
AB  - The results presented in this study demonstrate a progressive inhibition of rat
      brain catalase activity by AT in vivo. Furthermore, the inhibition of brain
      catalase by AT demonstrates the presence of hydrogen peroxide in brain, since AT
      inhibits catalase in the presence of this compound. The rate of inhibition of
      catalase seems to be dependent upon the rate by which H2O2 is generated. A time
      course study showed slower onset of the inhibition of brain as compared to liver
      catalase, possibly reflecting tissue hydrogen peroxide levels or, alternatively,
      a rate-limiting penetration of AT into brain and into the catalase compartment.
      The presence of AT in brain was confirmed over the time period of the observed
      inhibition of brain catalase. Catalase inhibitors are of particular interest in
      the study of the physiological role of catalase. This study further supports the
      use of AT in investigations designed to further understand the role of brain
      catalase.

PMID- 1859473
TI  - Drug oxidation and N-acetylation in rats pretreated with subtoxic doses of
      streptolysin O.
AB  - SLO in sublytic doses (100 HU/kg body wt) depressed the hepatic microsomal
      cytochrome P450 and aminopyrine-N-demethylase but increased significantly the
      cytosolic N-acetyltransferase after acute and subacute (5 days) pretreatment of
      male Wistar rats. Aniline hydroxylase was reduced after acute and unchanged after
      subacute pretreatment. The effects of SLO on the oxidative enzymes and drug N
      acetylation might have been caused by the membranal and immunological properties
      of the toxin.

PMID- 1859474
TI  - Effect of experimental cirrhosis on cholephilic dye metabolism and excretion in
      the rat.

PMID- 1859475
TI  - Transport of 2'-deoxycoformycin in human leukemic and lymphoma cells.

PMID- 1859476
TI  - Protective effects of propylene glycol, a solvent used pharmaceutically, against
      paracetamol-induced liver injury in mice.

PMID- 1859478
TI  - Treatment of collagen-induced arthritis in rats with a monoclonal antibody
      against the alpha/beta T cell antigen receptor.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the alpha/beta T cell receptor (TCR alpha/beta),
      R73 MAb, completely blocked the induction of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in
      rats when the MAb was administered at the time of immunization with type II
      collagen. When administered after CIA had begun, the progression of the arthritis
      was suppressed significantly by R73 MAb treatment. The preventive and suppressive
      effects of R73 MAb on CIA were associated with the depletion of peripheral blood
      alpha/beta-positive T cells. These results indicate that alpha/beta-positive T
      cells play a role in the progression of existing CIA as well as in its induction.

PMID- 1859477
TI  - Modulation of interleukin-1-induced alterations in cartilage proteoglycan
      metabolism by activation of protein kinase C.
AB  - Interleukin-1 (IL-1) stimulates proteoglycan degradation and prostaglandin E2
      (PGE2) release and inhibits proteoglycan synthesis by cartilage in organ culture.
      Addition of the protein kinase C (PKC) activator, mezerein, resulted in the
      concentration-dependent inhibition of IL-1 activity on proteoglycan metabolism.
      Similar effects were seen with other compounds which stimulated PKC, such as
      teleocidin B4 and phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu), but not with a phorbol analog that
      is inactive in stimulating PKC. Simultaneous addition of the PKC antagonist,
      staurosporine, blocked the mezerein-induced inhibition of IL-1 activity on both
      proteoglycan degradation and synthesis in a concentration-related manner. In
      contrast to its inhibition of the effect of IL-1 on proteoglycan metabolism,
      mezerein did not block the release of PGE2 by cartilage in response to IL-1 but
      caused a synergistic stimulation of PGE2 release. Importantly, in cultures made
      deficient in PKC by prolonged incubation with PDBu, the effects of this PKC
      agonist on proteoglycan breakdown and PGE2 were blocked, while stimulation by IL
      1 persisted. These data indicate that the effects of IL-1 on proteoglycan
      metabolism and prostaglandin production are mediated by an intracellular signal
      distinct from PKC and suggest that activation of PKC in chondrocytes may play a
      role in modulating the action of IL-1 on proteoglycan metabolism.

PMID- 1859479
TI  - Enkephalinase: a physiologic neuroimmunomodulator detected in the synovial fluid.
AB  - Enkephalinase (endopeptidase 24.11) is a metallopeptidase that is able to cleave
      not only neuropeptides and hormones but also immune mediators. The enzyme was
      quantified in synovial fluid obtained from 36 swollen joints. Its concentration
      correlated with the synovial fluid cell count, mainly the polymorphonuclear cells
      and lymphocytes, and with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. No statistically
      significant difference in enkephalinase levels was demonstrated between the
      groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative spondylarthropathy,
      microcrystalline arthritis, or osteoarthritis. The presence of enkephalinase in
      the synovial fluid could reflect the intensity of the inflammatory process, or it
      could represent a physiologic regulator of inflammation and pain within the
      joint.

PMID- 1859480
TI  - Cerebral vasculopathy associated with collateralization resembling moya moya
      phenomenon and with anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibodies.
AB  - We describe a 48-year-old, previously healthy, anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B
      antibody positive black woman with negative risk factors for atherosclerosis, who
      developed mental status and personality changes over a 6-12-month period, and
      progressive cortical blindness over a 2-week period. Angiographic and computed
      axial tomographic studies of the brain demonstrated multiple large areas of
      infarction correlating with stenosis and occlusions of the internal carotid and
      posterior cerebral arteries. Moya moya-like findings were prominent
      radiographically. Results of angiographic, computed tomographic, and magnetic
      resonance imaging studies were interpreted as being compatible with large,
      medium, and small vessel disease, most likely a vasculitis.

PMID- 1859481
TI  - Treatment of refractory chronic Lyme arthritis with arthroscopic synovectomy.
AB  - Of 20 patients who underwent arthroscopic synovectomy for refractory chronic Lyme
      arthritis of the knee, 16 (80%) had resolution of joint inflammation during the
      first month after surgery or soon thereafter, and they have remained well during
      the 3-8-year followup period. Three of these 16 patients who were more disabled
      preoperatively, still had mild functional limitation at long-term followup. The
      remaining 4 patients (20%) had persistent or recurrent synovitis. We conclude
      that arthroscopic synovectomy is effective in treating chronic Lyme arthritis in
      patients in whom the disease does not respond to antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1859483
TI  - C-reactive protein in rheumatology.

PMID- 1859482
TI  - Radiologic vignette. Amyloid arthropathy accompanying hemodialysis.

PMID- 1859484
TI  - All that glitters may be gold.

PMID- 1859485
TI  - Labial salivary gland lymphocytic infiltration in Sjogren's syndrome.

PMID- 1859486
TI  - Monozygotic twins concordant for Behcet's syndrome.

PMID- 1859487
TI  - Definition, incidence, and clinical description of flare in systemic lupus
      erythematosus. A prospective cohort study.
AB  - The course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by
      exacerbations (or flares) and remissions of disease activity. As part of an
      ongoing prospective cohort study, 3 disease activity indices, the physician's
      global assessment, the Lupus Activity Index, and the University of Toronto SLE
      Disease Activity Index, have been recorded, at least quarterly since 1987, on 185
      SLE patients. We developed a definition of SLE flare and a description of its
      clinical epidemiology. Disease flare was defined as a change of greater than or
      equal to 1.0 in the physician's global assessment of disease activity (measured
      on a 0-3 scale) from the previous visit or from a visit within the last 93 days.
      Of the 185 patients, 98 (53%) had greater than or equal to 1 flare; the total
      number of flares was 146. The incidence of flare was 0.65 per patient-year of
      followup. The median time from the first study visit to a flare was 12 months.
      Flares were frequently characterized by constitutional symptoms, musculoskeletal
      involvement, cutaneous involvement, and decreasing levels of C3 and C4. At the
      time of flare, the mean University of Toronto SLE Disease Activity Index score
      increased by 3.0 and the mean Lupus Activity Index score (modified to omit the
      physician's global assessment) increased by 0.26. Overall, 44.8% of the flares
      prompted a change in treatment. Patients who experienced flares fulfilled more of
      the SLE criteria at entry and had been followed up for a longer duration after
      entry into the study, compared with those who did not have flares.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859488
TI  - Long-term preservation of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis
      receiving treatment that includes cyclophosphamide versus those treated with
      prednisone only.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to assess long-term preservation of renal function
      in 111 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and active glomerulonephritis
      who participated in a randomized treatment trial. Four different drug treatment
      programs, each of which allowed the use of low-dose oral prednisone in addition
      to the study drug(s), were compared with a regimen consisting solely of high-dose
      oral prednisone. Patients randomized to receive intravenous cyclophosphamide,
      oral cyclophosphamide, or oral azathioprine plus cyclophosphamide had
      significantly better preservation of renal function than did patients who were
      randomized to receive prednisone only. Results in the azathioprine group did not
      differ from those in the prednisone-only group. Cyclophosphamide appears to have
      long-term benefit in the delay or prevention of end-stage renal disease in
      patients with lupus nephritis.

PMID- 1859489
TI  - The latex test revisited. Rheumatoid factor testing in 8,287 rheumatic disease
      patients.
AB  - Rheumatoid factor (RF) testing by latex fixation in 8,287 outpatients yielded a
      sensitivity of 81.6% and 78.0% at titers of 1:20 and 1:80, respectively, and a
      specificity against noninflammatory rheumatic disorders (NIRD) of 96.6% and 97.9%
      and against NIRD plus inflammatory disorders of 95.2% and 96.8%, respectively.
      The predictive value of a positive test result at the clinic prevalence rate for
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (16.4%) was approximately 80%, and was 70% at 10%
      prevalence and 10% at 1% prevalence. No associations of RF with age or sex were
      found in non-RA patients. RF titers increased minimally with age in RA patients
      and were higher in men than in women. This study suggests that latex testing is
      far more specific than has been believed and that the titer is not spuriously
      increased with age.

PMID- 1859491
TI  - Long-term colchicine treatment in children with familial Mediterranean fever.
AB  - Three hundred fifty children (younger than age 16) who had familial Mediterranean
      fever (FMF) were given continuous prophylactic treatment with colchicine (1-2
      mg/day) for 6-13 years. Complete remission of febrile attacks was achieved in 64%
      of the patients, and partial remission in 31%. Protracted attacks of arthritis
      virtually disappeared. None of the children developed amyloidosis while on the
      colchicine regimen. Side effects of colchicine were insignificant, and did not
      prompt permanent discontinuation of treatment in any of the children. Their
      growth, development, and subsequent fertility were normal. The efficacy of long
      term colchicine treatment of children with FMF makes early diagnosis life saving.

PMID- 1859490
TI  - Methotrexate versus azathioprine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A
      forty-eight-week randomized, double-blind trial.
AB  - We conducted a double-blind, randomized trial comparing azathioprine (AZA) and
      methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in whom
      parenteral gold and/or D-penicillamine treatment had been unsuccessful. Patients
      were randomly assigned to receive either AZA (100 mg daily) or oral MTX (7.5 mg
      weekly). After 8 weeks, the dosage was increased depending on the clinical
      improvement. Sixty-four patients were followed up for 48 weeks (33 AZA, 31 MTX).
      Comparison of values at week 24 with baseline values revealed significant
      improvement in 12 of 13 disease variables in the MTX group and in 6 of 13 in the
      AZA group. Comparison between the 2 treatment groups at 24 weeks, by area-under
      the-curve analysis, showed significantly more improvement in the MTX group in
      terms of the swollen joint count, pain score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C
      reactive protein level, hemoglobin level, thrombocyte level, and disease activity
      score. A significant overall clinical improvement (disease activity score) was
      found in 7 of 20 patients treated with AZA and 18 of 30 patients treated with MTX
      after 24 weeks of therapy, and in 6 of 12 AZA-treated patients and 19 of 25 MTX
      treated patients after 48 weeks. The number of withdrawals due to side effects
      was significantly higher in the AZA group. After 48 weeks, only 12 patients from
      the AZA group (36%), but 25 from the MTX group (81%), were still using the
      initial drug. These results demonstrate MTX to be superior to AZA in the
      treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with a more rapid clinical improvement which
      is sustained after 1 year, accompanied by a lower rate of serious adverse
      reactions.

PMID- 1859492
TI  - Endothelin, an endothelial-dependent vasoconstrictor in scleroderma. Enhanced
      production and profibrotic action.
AB  - The vascular endothelium is an important functional unit in the regulation of the
      vascular and perivascular environment. Various chemical and physical stimuli
      mediate an endothelial-dependent vasoconstriction through the release of
      endothelial soluble factors, such as the recently recognized endothelium-derived
      vasoconstrictor peptide called endothelin. The presence of circulating endothelin
      and the effect of cold exposure on plasma endothelin levels were investigated in
      patients with scleroderma and in healthy control subjects. Radioimmunoassay
      demonstrated a mean +/- SD plasma level of 10.7 +/- 7.3 pg/ml in the patients (n
      = 19) and 3.7 +/- 2 in the control subjects (n = 16) (P less than 0.005). These
      levels were also assessed in 5 control subjects and 5 scleroderma patients before
      and after 30 minutes of total body cooling (to 15 degrees C). The endothelin
      level did not change significantly in either group; however, 2 scleroderma
      patients showed a significant increase after cooling. The effects of endothelin
      on fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis were evaluated in order to
      assess the impact of released endothelin on the interstitium. A significant
      mitogenic effect and a collagen synthesis-enhancing effect, which were dose
      dependent, were seen. The strong, characteristically prolonged, vasoconstrictor
      activity coupled with the profibrotic effect demonstrated here make it likely
      that disturbances in the control of endothelin production can contribute to the
      pathogenesis of scleroderma.

PMID- 1859494
TI  - [Acute cerebral ischemia: pathogenesis and therapy. 24th Deidesheimer Lecture.
      28/29 April 1990].

PMID- 1859493
TI  - Occupation, income, and education as independent covariates of arthritis in four
      national probability samples.
AB  - The strong associations between education level and prevalence and severity of
      arthritis have recently been investigated, with some suggestion that the
      relationships might be causal. Data from 4 national probability samples were
      analyzed, in which occupation and income were measured currently and prior to the
      development of arthritis. These data indicate that previous studies overestimated
      the strength of the association between schooling and arthritis because income
      and, especially, occupation were not analyzed as separate covariates. The
      overestimate appears to be especially high for persons currently employed, for
      men, and for persons employed in dangerous jobs. Health policy strategies
      directed toward reducing arthritis rates require not simply a focus on education,
      but the additional socioeconomic status dimensions of income and occupational
      safety and health.

PMID- 1859495
TI  - [Acute cerebel ischemia: pathogenesis and therapy. Introduction to the theme].

PMID- 1859496
TI  - Physiology of cerebral blood flow and metabolism.
AB  - At a normal blood flow and oxygen consumption, the brain uses exclusively glucose
      as metabolic substrate. Coupling between blood flow and metabolism takes place on
      a local level. This adjustment occurs in two different ways: 1. Short-term,
      dynamic coupling mediated by local vasoactive factors that ensure second-to
      second regulation. Such reactions appear to be partly dependent on the vascular
      endothelium. 2. Long-term, static coupling apparently mediated by capillary
      density and developed in response to local functional and metabolic activity.
      Recognizing these two mechanisms permits the distinction of apparent uncoupling
      during physiological conditions from real uncoupling during brain ischemia.

PMID- 1859498
TI  - [Studies of experimental cerebral ischemia with NMR spectroscopy].
AB  - In vivo NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy allows for non-invasive
      measurement of the intracellular pH and the concentration of different
      metabolites in defined areas of the brain. Phosphocreatine, ATP and lactic acid
      are of prime interest in ischaemia research. Moreover, a distinction can be made
      between glycolysis and the oxidative breakdown of glucose after administering C
      13-labelled glucose. Finally, spectroscopy of fluorine-containing inert gases
      such as Freon-23 allows for measuring cerebral blood flow and for directly
      relating the metabolic alterations to the changes in cerebral blood flow. Given
      the non-invasive character of NMR spectroscopy all metabolic process occurring
      throughout one experiment can for the first time be followed up. Thus metabolic
      alterations during ischaemia can directly be correlated with post-ischaemic
      recovery processes. It has been shown with the cerebral ischaemia model in the
      cat that recovery after circulatory failure rather depends on post-ischaemic
      changes such as the recirculation rate or the speed of high-energy phosphate
      formation than on the speed of energy metabolism breakdown or acidosis occurring
      during ischaemia. The future of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in
      experimental ischaemia research certainly lies in the therapeutic range. As the
      exact extent of ischaemic damage can be determined in each experiment it is
      possible for the first time to define the effect of a drug substance on metabolic
      dysfunction in each individual experiment. This method is not only expected to
      reduce the number of laboratory animals but also to dramatically improve
      statistical variability compared to group comparisons.

PMID- 1859497
TI  - The biochemical basis of ischemic brain lesions.
AB  - A major mechanism leading to ischemic damage is loss of cellular ion homeostasis.
      Energy failure with shortage of ATP is responsible for presynaptic release of
      glutamate, which then triggers rapid cellular efflux of K+, and influx of Ca2+,
      Na+, and Cl-, with osmotically obligated water. The neuronal damage occurring in
      ischemia is probably secondary to the influx of Ca2+, and/or to the intracellular
      release of Ca2+, with the subsequent activation of proteases and lipases. A
      delayed form of ischemic damage, observed after transient ischemia, may be caused
      by increased calcium cycling across metabolically perturbed membranes. Another
      type of damage, typically leading to pan-necrosis (infarction), seems related to
      excessive acidosis and to production of free radicals. The mechanisms may involve
      release of pro-oxidant iron-catalyzed free radical reactions. It has been
      proposed that free radical damage may preferentially affect microvessels,
      predisposing to vasogenic edema.

PMID- 1859499
TI  - [Positron emission tomography for the determination of pathophysiology of
      cerebral ischemia].
AB  - Positron emission tomography (PET) measurements of regional cerebral blood flow,
      blood volume, oxygen extraction, oxygen consumption and glucose consumption
      permit a detailed investigation of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia. The
      magnitude of the reduction of oxygen consumption appears generally as most
      important for tissue viability. In general, cerebral blood flow is severely
      reduced at the onset of an acute ischemic stroke. Subsequently, a very variable
      increase of cerebral blood flow may be found, often as "luxury perfusion" of
      irreversibly damaged tissue or relative hyperperfusion which is most frequently
      seen in the periphery of an ischemic infarct. Measurements of cerebral blood flow
      without measurement of oxygen metabolism are therefore of limited value. Glucose
      metabolism is less reduced than oxygen metabolism in most cases, indicating
      substantial anaerobic glycolysis. In few cases very high fluorodeoxyglucose
      uptake can be seen as an indicator of massive lactate production, which may cause
      additional toxic tissue damage. In cases of chronic or transient ischemias two
      stages of cerebral vascular decompensation can be distinguished by measurements
      of local blood volume, blood flow and oxygen consumption: the first stage is
      characterized by vasodilatation of peripheral vessels, resulting an increased
      ratio of cerebral blood volume to cerebral blood flow; the second stage is
      characterized by decreased blood flow and increased oxygen extraction. Ischemic
      brain lesions frequently cause alterations of blood flow and metabolism also in
      remote brain areas, apparently due to neuronal functional inactivation of
      incomplete ischemic damage. Global metabolic alterations correspond to the
      general clinical impairment of patients, whereas asymmetric focal deactivations
      correspond frequently to neuropsychological deficits. Studies of metabolic
      activation by functional stimulation appear promising as a tool to assess
      therapeutic strategies for rehabilitation.

PMID- 1859500
TI  - [Pharmacologic basis of therapy for cerebral ischemia].
AB  - During the last 5 years neuroprotective effects of drugs have been intensively
      investigated. Various in vivo and in vitro models are available for testing
      neuroprotective actions of drugs. Calcium antagonists, glutamate antagonists,
      oxygen radical scavengers, 5-hydroxytryptamine-1A (5-HT1A) agonists and platelet
      activating factor (PAF) antagonists are experimentally well characterized as
      neuroprotectives and, thus, provide a basis for the development of clinically
      effective drugs.

PMID- 1859502
TI  - Intracellular calcium and pathophysiological changes in cerebral ischemia.
AB  - The role of calcium as a mediator in neuronal death during ischemia is now quite
      strong. Evidence supporting this link included studies in cell cultures,
      measurements of calcium accumulation in the mitochondria during ischemia as well
      as direct measurements of shifts in extracellular calcium using microelectrodes.
      Since high concentrations of intracellular free calcium have been hypothesized to
      lead to neuronal damage, direct in vivo measurements of this parameter in
      ischemia are important. The studies outlined demonstrate that changes in
      intracellular free calcium occur in focal ischemia and describe the time course
      of these changes. They indicate that cellular damage can be attenuated by the use
      of agents that block calcium channels (both voltage-sensitive and receptor
      operated) and support the concept that these agents owe their beneficial effects
      to their ability to reduce the accumulation of intracellular calcium.

PMID- 1859501
TI  - Neuroeffector functions of sensory nerve fibers in the cerebral circulation after
      global cerebral ischemia.
AB  - The importance of trigeminal neuroeffector mechanisms in the regulation of
      postischemic cerebral blood flow (CBF) was evaluated in cats subjected to chronic
      unilateral denervation of cortical sensory nerve fibers by trigeminal
      ganglionectomy or by the topical application of capsaicin to a cortical branch of
      the middle cerebral artery. CBF was determined using isotopically labeled
      microspheres before and at intervals after reperfusion following 10 min of global
      cerebral ischemia induced by four vessel occlusion combined with systemic
      hypotension. Postocclusive hyperemia 30 min after reperfusion in cortical gray
      matter ipsilateral to the side of denervation was attenuated by up to 58% (176
      vs. 91 ml/100 g per min; p less than 0.05), but resting CBF, the duration of
      hyperemia, and the cerebrovascular response to hypercapnia were unaffected. These
      data underline the influence of neurogenic mechanisms in the regulation of
      postischemic CBF. Blockade of this axon reflex-like mechanism may reduce the
      morbidity associated with several hyperperfusion syndromes.

PMID- 1859504
TI  - Assessment of therapeutic effects in ischemic stroke.
AB  - The three fundamental methods of assessing the therapeutic effects in ischemic
      stroke are measurements of mortality, morbidity and quality of life. Increasingly
      more sophisticated cerebral blood flow and metabolism determinations are allowing
      insights into pathophysiology and giving guidance to the most promising
      therapeutic approaches. Experimental work and pathophysiological studies provide
      the scientific basis for therapy, but the assessments that ultimately matter to
      the patient are clinical, and preferably ones derived from controlled clinical
      trials.

PMID- 1859503
TI  - Calcium antagonists in the treatment of experimental cerebral ischemia.
AB  - Calcium ion functions widely as an intracellular messenger and regulator.
      Intracellular calcium dyshomeostasis occurs during hypoxic/ischemic cell injury,
      and pharmacological antagonism of calcium entry into neurons has been considered
      to be of potential therapeutic value. Calcium antagonists, in addition, tend to
      improve cerebral perfusion of both the normal and abnormal (post-ischemic) brain.
      Studies of these agents have shown variable degrees of cerebroprotection in focal
      and global ischemia models. (S)-Emopamil is a phenylalkylamine-type calcium
      channel blocker which also exhibits stereoselective antagonism of the serotonin
      S2 receptor and has excellent blood-brain barrier penetrability. Protection of
      hippocampal CA1 neurons has been demonstrated with pre-ischemic administration of
      (S)-emopamil in global ischemia models. Our laboratory has compared the efficacy
      of pre- vs. post-ischemic (S)-emopamil treatment on neuronal necrosis resulting
      from 10 min of transient normothermic global ischemia in the rat. (S)-Emopamil
      pre-treatment, 20 mg/kg i.p., 30 min prior to ischemia, with a second dose 2.5 h
      later, resulted in 1.8-2.4 fold increases in numbers of surviving CA1 pyramidal
      neurons. Post-ischemic administration was ineffective. Intracerebral
      microdialysis has revealed a partial attenuation of dopamine release with pre
      ischemic (S)-emopamil administration. In focal cerebral ischemia (middle cerebral
      artery occlusion in the rat), our laboratory has demonstrated a marked reduction
      in cortical infarct volume with (S)-emopamil pre- or post-treatment.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859505
TI  - Clinical trials in stroke prevention.
AB  - The randomized clinical trial has no satisfactory substitute in the evaluation of
      preventive treatment for stroke-threatened patients, and is the gold standard
      also in studies designed to test strategies which may reduce the impact of brain
      damage after ischemic stroke has occurred. Stroke data banks and contemporary non
      randomized comparisons are imperfect or flawed as bench-marks against which to
      judge treatments for these types of patients. Flaws in the design, execution and
      analysis of randomized clinical trials have been eliminated gradually over the
      past 35 years. On the basis of the existing trials in stroke prevention it may be
      stated that anticoagulants are effective in patients with non-rheumatic atrial
      fibrillation and after myocardial infarction. No other uses of anticoagulants in
      preventing ischemic stroke have been proven. Acetylsalicylic acid between 325
      1300 mg/d will prevent stroke; lower doses have not been proven of value.
      Ticlopidine is effective. Benefit for dipyridamole, suloctidil or sulfinpyrazone
      has not been shown. Cerebral by-pass surgery has not been shown to have any role
      in stroke prevention in arteriosclerotic cerebral vascular disease. Carotid
      endarterectomy is still undergoing careful evaluation.

PMID- 1859506
TI  - Controlled clinical trials in stroke.
AB  - Reasons for the unsatisfactory number and reliability of most trials on the
      pharmacological treatment of acute cerebral ischemia are reviewed, focusing
      mainly on the clinical aspects of the issue. The opportunity of early
      intervention, supported by current pathophysiological hypotheses, is recognized.
      Past and recent Italian trials on ischemic stroke patients evaluated and treated
      within the first 6 h from onset are reported, also mentioning the results of a
      study including early cerebral angiography and SPECT (Single Photon Emission
      Computed Tomography). Early fibrinolytics associated to brain protecting agents
      are regarded as the future choice in clinical trials of acute cerebral ischemia.

PMID- 1859507
TI  - Local thrombolysis in the management of acute cerebral ischemia.
AB  - Local intraarterial fibrinolytic therapy (LIF) in patients with acute
      vertebrobasilar occlusion (AVBO) is a rational and, if successful, life saving
      treatment. The recent progress in this field is determined by the use of
      microcatheters for superselective basilar artery catheterisation and a "short
      time, high-dose" regimen using 750,000 IU urokinase in not more than 2 h. Two out
      of 7 patients died and 1 did not improve to a better than a locked-in-state. Four
      patients, however, survived with excellent outcome.

PMID- 1859508
TI  - Activation of rehabilitation.
AB  - Following the demonstration that catecholamine levels in the cerebral hemispheres
      were considerably reduced with stroke, efforts were made to change this situation
      in experimental animals. It was found that the use of amphetamine (CAS 300-62-9)
      greatly enhanced the recovery time of animals following experimental stroke, and
      that agents which block the release or function of catecholamines in the central
      nervous system seem to delay recovery. These observations have been used to
      determine whether or not the same conditions exist for humans with stroke. To
      date in one study there is evidence that use of amphetamine early after a stroke
      may enhance the rehabilitation process. The rehabilitation process can be
      impaired by a number of situations, the most common of which is depression. It
      has been shown that treatment of depression for patients with stroke in
      rehabilitation may improve the outcome as well as the speed of outcome. Prognosis
      for patients with stroke who enter rehabilitation programs is related to the
      degree of central nervous system damage. Those patients with only motor
      dysfunction tend to do much better in programs than those who have in addition
      sensory or visual disturbances. Usually maximum improvement of function following
      stroke and rehabilitation care occurs in the first three months. Carefully
      planned rehabilitation programs for patients following stroke with realistic
      goals can greatly improve the patients' function and enable them to remain as
      independent as possible.

PMID- 1859509
TI  - [Plasma and urine kinetics of amitriptyline oxide and its metabolites. Comparison
      of intravenous infusion and oral administration in volunteers].
AB  - The study objective was to obtain detailed information on the plasma and urine
      kinetics of amitriptylinoxide (CAS 4317-14-0) and its metabolites. For this
      reason, 60 mg of amitriptylinoxide was administered to 12 subjects, both by
      intravenous infusion and by oral dosage, in a study performed according to a
      randomized two-way cross-over design. In plasma, we succeeded in analyzing the
      metabolites amitriptyline and nortriptyline in addition to the parent substance
      amitriptyloxide. The tests for the parent substance amitriptylinoxide revealed
      maximum plasma levels of 721 and 686 ng/ml at 1.96 h (i.v. infusion) and 0.82 h
      (oral formulation), respectively. Mean values of 2331 (infusion) and 1714 h.ng/ml
      (oral formulation) were determined for the area under the curve from time 0 to
      infinity AUC (0-infinity). We also produced a comprehensive evaluation of
      amitriptyline, however, this was not possible for the metabolite nortriptyline.
      In urine, we succeeded in a reliable quantification of 4 metabolites, namely cis
      OH-amitriptylinoxide, trans-OH-amitriptylinoxide, amitriptyline and OH
      nortriptyline, in addition to the parent substance amitriptylinoxide. In
      individual samples, nortriptyline, cis-OH-amitriptyline and trans-OH
      amitriptyline were additionally identified. In the course of the study, there
      were no reports or observations of any adverse reactions in addition to the side
      effects known for amitriptylinoxide from literature. There were no clinically
      relevant differences in tolerability observed between these two preparations.

PMID- 1859510
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of 3H-terguride in elderly volunteers.
AB  - Blood and plasma levels and excretion of labeled compounds and of the unchanged
      drug were measured after i.v. injection of 54 micrograms and p.o. administration
      of 540 micrograms of the ergoline derivative, terguride (CAS 37686-84-3), labeled
      with tritium, in 6 elderly male volunteers. Following i.v. injection plasma
      levels of terguride declined with a half-life of 0.5 h and those of radiolabeled
      compounds with half-lives of 0.5 h, 7 h and 19 h. The total clearance was 17
      ml/min/kg and the volume of distribution was 0.7 l/kg. After p.o. administration
      terguride was rapidly and completely absorbed. The bioavailability was around
      20%. Elimination of labeled compounds was complete within 7 days and proceeded
      mainly via the urine. Computer simulation of plasma levels after 4-times-a-day
      multiple administrations indicated slight accumulation of metabolites (factor 3)
      and no accumulation of terguride (factor 1).

PMID- 1859511
TI  - Effects of ouabain and digitoxin on the respiration of chick embryo
      cardiomyocytes in culture.
AB  - The effect of digitoxin (CAS 71-63-6) and ouabain (g-strophantin, CAS 630-60-4)
      on respiration, morphology and beating activity of cardiomyocytes in culture
      derived from embryonic chick hearts has been investigated. The drugs were applied
      in a perfusion system using a protein- and substrate-free perfusion medium (BSS)
      at two concentration of K+ (5.4 and 4 mmol/l). In either K+ concentration oxygen
      consumption was 0.13 +/- 0.05 nmol O2 h-1 per 1000 cells. During 3 h of perfusion
      with BSS oxygen consumption declines only slightly to 79 +/- 15% of the initial
      value. No relation was found between beating frequency and oxygen consumption.
      Increase in respiration ranged from 5 to 45% and lasted between 5 and 120 min. At
      concentrations being inhibitory to the Na+/K(+)-ATPase (greater than or equal to
      1 mumol/l) ouabain stimulated respiration by about 20% at 4 mmol/l K+ and 10% at
      5.4 mmol/l K+ while digitoxin was effective at 5.4 mmol/l only (a transient
      increase of 20%). At 0.1 nmol/l, (a concentration below the KD of the high
      affinity binding site of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase) ouabain caused a long lasting
      activation of respiration by about 30%, digitoxin induced a transient rise of up
      to 20% at 5.4 mmol/l K+. At 4 mmol/l K+ digitoxin did not affect respiration
      while ouabain caused a transient increase. The lowest concentration of ouabain
      inducing a reproducible activation of oxygen consumption was 0.1 pmol/l. At this
      concentration digitoxin was no longer effective. At 1 fmol/l respiration was
      stimulated only occasionally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859512
TI  - Biotransformation of nimodipine in rat, dog, and monkey.
AB  - 14C-labelled (+/-) 3-isopropyl5-(2-methoxyethyl)1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4- (3
      nitrophenyl)-pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (nimodipine, Bay e 9736, Nimotop; CAS
      66085-59-4) was administered orally to rat, dog, and monkey (each 5, 10, or 20
      mg/kg) and intraduodenally to rat (5 mg/kg). Urine was collected over a period of
      24 h (bile 6 h). Dog bile was obtained from the gall bladder 4 h after oral
      dosing. Rat plasma was taken 1 h p. appl. of the unlabelled compound and
      additionally at different times following administration of [14C]nimodipine. The
      metabolite profiles in the excreta were established by TLC
      (radioscan/autoradiography). The unchanged drug was neither detectable in urine
      nor in bile, but was present in rat plasma. Nimodipine was extensively
      metabolized. 18 metabolites were isolated by LC, HPLC, and preparative TLC and
      identified by comparison with the reference substances using two-dimensional TLC,
      HPLC, GC/radio-GC, 1H-NMR-spectroscopy, MS, and GC/MS. About 75% of the renally
      excreted biotransformation products, more than 50% of the metabolites present in
      the bile (rat, dog) and approx. 80% of the plasma metabolites (rat only) have
      been identified. The large number of metabolites was produced by some common
      biotransformation reactions: dehydrogenation of the 1,4-dihydropyridine system,
      oxidative ester cleavage, oxidative O-demethylation and subsequent oxidation of
      the resulting primary alcohol to the carboxylic acid, hydroxylation of the methyl
      groups at 2- or 6-position, hydroxylation of one methyl group of the isopropyl
      ester moiety, reduction of the aromatic nitro group, and glucuronidation as phase
      II-reaction.

PMID- 1859513
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics of clonidine following intravenous administration of high doses
      for the treatment of delirium tremens].
AB  - Concentrations of clonidine (CAS 4205-09-7. Catapresan) were measured in the
      plasma and the urine of 6 patients with delirium tremens who received 1.8-13.8 mg
      clonidine on the third treatment day. There was a linear correlation between the
      daily dose of clonidine and the steady state concentration of clonidine in the
      plasma, even with the high doses of clonidine used in this study. The total
      clonidine clearance was 29-62% lower than in normal volunteers. The renal
      clearance were 49-75% lower than normal. The renal excretion of the non
      metabolized clonidine was significantly lower than the normal range. The
      creatinine clearance on the other hand was only slightly reduced. The present
      study gives first hints that the metabolic clearance of clonidine in patients
      with delirium tremens is not decreased remarkably.

PMID- 1859514
TI  - Safety of ibopamine therapy in congestive heart failure. Ibopamine cohort study:
      baseline and 1-year results.
AB  - The study was designed to evaluate the safety of ibopamine (3,4-diisobutyryl
      ester of N-methyldopamine. SB(-)-505. Inopamil; CAS 66195-31-1) for the chronic
      treatment of congestive heart failure. It was conducted as a comparative cohort
      survey, versus digitalis. A third cohort was made with patients who received both
      drugs in association. Any differences between cohorts at baseline were dealt with
      by identifying explanatory variables with linear discriminant analysis and by
      performing multivariate statistical analysis by Cox's proportional hazard model.
      During 16 months, 3.330 patients were enrolled and then followed-up for a median
      time of 1 year. Baseline characteristics are reported as well as follow-up
      results on mortality, disease progression, anginal episodes, arrhythmias, need
      for cointervention and other undesired on-therapy events. Results pointing to
      efficacy are consistent with the favourable results from controlled randomized
      double blind medium--long term clinical trials. In addition, data from the
      present study do indeed provide strong evidence on the safety of long-term
      treatment with ibopamine. At variance with inotropic agents ibopamine did not
      increase mortality. The results rather suggest that long-term treatment with
      ibopamine affords an increase in survival and a delay in the progression of the
      disease, without adverse effects on cardiac rhythm and myocardial oxygen balance,
      and with a general improvement in the patients' quality of life.

PMID- 1859515
TI  - Decrease of fibrinogen in patients with peripheral atherosclerotic disease by
      ticlopidine.
AB  - Ticlopidine (Ticlodone: CAS 55142-85-3) is able to develop a positive effect on
      claudication in patients affected by peripheral atherosclerotic disease (PAD). It
      is also known that ticlopidine decreases fibrinogen levels in plasma. 15 PAD
      patients treated with ticlopidine for 3 months were studied, evaluating the
      drug's effect both on maximum walking distance and on fibrinogen. Plasma
      fibrinogen as coagulable protein, fibrinogen antigen (Partigen method), 125I
      fibrinogen survival, euglobulin lysis time and plasminogen were determined with
      the aim of clarifying if the decrease of plasma fibrinogen induced by ticlopidine
      is due to an increased destruction of a decreased production of the molecule. The
      normal levels of all tests before and after therapy both in ticlopidine treated
      patients and in the control group (acetylsalicylic acid + dipyridamol) indicate
      that the two hypotheses are not true. It is proposed that ticlopidine developing
      the known effect in decreasing the binding of fibrinogen to platelets induces a
      decrease only of activated fibrinogen.

PMID- 1859516
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of omeprazole in cirrhotic patients.
AB  - Omeprazole (CAS 73590-58-6), an H+, K+ ATPase inhibitor, is a potent suppressor
      of gastric acid secretion and a very active substance in the treatment of
      duodenal and gastric ulcers. The kinetic profile of omeprazole is well defined
      for healthy volunteers and for some high-risk population, but not so far for
      patients with liver disease. As the substance is mainly metabolized in the liver,
      changes in liver circulation and/or function might lead to changes in the
      pharmacokinetics of omeprazole. Aim of the study was to evaluate the kinetic
      profile in patients with liver disease and compare the results obtained in
      healthy volunteers, 16 subjects were included in the study: 8 patients with liver
      cirrhosis and 8 healthy volunteers. A single oral dose of omeprazole 20 mg was
      administered: plasma samples were collected for 24 h since omeprazole
      administration. The principal pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated for the
      two studied populations.

PMID- 1859517
TI  - Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects of the novel agent gamma-(2
      aminoethylamino)-2-butyrothienone. 1st communication: inhibitory effects on mouse
      paw edema.
AB  - A series of 4-hydroxy-(or-amino)-ethyl-amino butyrophenones or butyrothienones
      were synthesized. For detail studies on antiinflammatory effects, gamma-(2
      aminoethylamino)-2-butyrothienone (gamma-ABT) was chosen as representative of
      these new non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID). The effect on mouse paw
      edema induced by various phlogistic agents was first investigated. The inhibitory
      effect of gamma-ABT on carrageenin-induced edema was remarkable and nearly equal
      to that of indometacin. Similarly to indometacin, gamma-ABT inhibited the early
      and late stage of yeast-induced edema in contrast to concanavalin A (Con A)
      induced edema which was only inhibited by gamma-ABT. Both the above induced edema
      are supposed to be unrelated to prostaglandins in the rat system. gamma-ABT
      displayed an inhibitory effect on nystatin-induced edema similar to indometacin
      suggesting that gamma-ABT has significant membrane stabilizing action and a
      strong blocking action on synthesis of prostaglandins. gamma-ABT inhibited as
      well the sustained edema induced by mustard. In conclusion gamma-ABT is an
      effective agent not only on acute but also on subacute and chronic inflammation
      and its mode of action appears similar to other NSAID. gamma-ABT posses in
      addition the advantage of antioxidant activity which is not shared by selective
      cyclooxygenase inhibitors and thus should be potentially effective in autoimmune
      diseases.

PMID- 1859518
TI  - Analgesic potency of a new anticonvulsant drug versus acetylsalicylic acid via
      laser somatosensory evoked potentials. Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind
      (5-way) crossover study.
AB  - A randomized, double-blind crossover study was performed with three different
      acute oral dosages of CM 40907 (3-(4-hydroxypiperidyl)-6-(2'-chlorophenyl)
      pyridazine) (600, 900 and 1200 mg), a newly developed anticonvulsant drug, vs
      acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 1000 mg) and placebo in 12 male healthy volunteers to
      check analgesic potency. Objective algesimetry was done by Laser Somatosensory
      Evoked Potentials (LSEP). Subjective pain intensities were measured by
      retrospective visual analog scale ratings (VAS). Effects on objective vigilance
      were checked by Auditory Evoked Potentials (AEP). For both types of evoked
      potentials there was a simultaneous control of alterations in vigilance by means
      of the adaptive pursuit tracking task (APTT). A vigilance-controlled EEG (V-EEG)
      and a resting (R-EEG), visual analog scales (VAS) on sedation, excitation and
      anxiety as well as vital parameters (blood pressure and heart rate under supine
      and upright conditions) and adverse event scales were included in this trial as
      well. CM 40907 showed distinct analgesic effects on objective and subjective
      algesimetric parameters, which for the highest dosage (1200 mg) were superior in
      ("central") P2-amplitude suppression of LSEPs to those of ASA in ("peripheral")
      N1-amplitudes suppression and ongoing for more than 6 h. Subjective sedation was
      decreased, however, AEP-findings indicated a decreased vigilance after CM 40907.
      Some EEG-patterns, specifically related with CM 40907--although being ambiguous
      in classification terms--resembled features of benzodiazepines. Blood pressure
      and heart rate were raised in a clinically irrelevant manner.

PMID- 1859519
TI  - Escherichia coli bacteriuria and contraceptive method.
AB  - We evaluated the effects of contraceptive method on the occurrence of bacteriuria
      and vaginal colonization with Escherichia coli in 104 women who were evaluated
      prior to having sexual intercourse, the morning after intercourse, and 24 hours
      later. After intercourse, the prevalence of E coli bacteriuria increased slightly
      in oral contraceptive users but dramatically in both foam and condom users and
      diaphragm-spermicide users. Twenty-four hours later, the prevalence of
      bacteriuria remained significantly elevated only in the latter two groups.
      Similarly, vaginal colonization with E coli was more dramatic and persistent in
      users of diaphragm-spermicide and foam and condoms. Vaginal colonization with
      Candida species, enterococci, and staphylococci also increased significantly in
      diaphragm-spermicide users after intercourse. We conclude that use of the
      diaphragm with spermicidal jelly or use of a spermicidal foam with a condom
      markedly alters normal vaginal flora and strongly predisposes users to the
      development of vaginal colonization and bacteriuria with E coli.

PMID- 1859520
TI  - The validity of lecturer ratings by students and trained observers.
AB  - This study sought to determine to what degree student ratings of specific
      lecturer characteristics relate to trained observer ratings of such
      characteristics and to identify the distinguishing delivery characteristics of
      highly rated lecturers. The 15 lowest-rated lecturers and the 15 highest-rated
      lecturers, based on the mean ratings of students from two consecutive years (1982
      and 1983) in a large multi-instructor course, served as the target group. Blinded
      non-student raters observed the lectures in 1984 (two per lecture) and completed
      quantitative and qualitative forms. For all six subscores from the quantitative
      form, statistically significant differences between the lecturers given the
      highest and lowest ratings were obtained. It is concluded that the students'
      ratings were stable across the three years; the independent observers
      discriminated between the lecturers the students rated the highest and the
      lowest; voice presentation characteristics discriminated the most effectively;
      and nonmedical non-student observers are potentially a useful source of
      information regarding faculty teaching skills.

PMID- 1859521
TI  - Monosialoganglioside in subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - We studied 119 patients with disturbance of consciousness following subarachnoid
      hemorrhage, due mostly to verified aneurysm rupture, admitted to five Italian
      neurosurgical departments over 18 months. Level of consciousness as assessed by
      score on the Glasgow coma Scale ranged from 8 to 14 before the beginning of
      treatment; level of consciousness was assessed again 7, 14, and 21 days later.
      Patients were randomly allocated to treatment with monosialoganglioside or
      placebo according to a double-blind experimental design. The two treatment groups
      were homogeneous at entry with regard to the main clinical parameters. Both
      groups improved, but the rate and degree of improvement were greater in the
      monosialoganglioside-treated group. The difference was significant on days 14 (p
      = 0.04) and 21 (p = 0.02). Our results seem to confirm the hypothesis that
      monosialoganglioside reduces brain edema and provides nonspecific neuronal
      membrane protection.

PMID- 1859522
TI  - Ethics after Cartwright.

PMID- 1859523
TI  - 'Use of rubber dam in the UK'.

PMID- 1859524
TI  - Measuring health status: an approach for family practice researchers.
AB  - Research in family practice frequently involves the measurement of subjects'
      perceived health status. Those who are unfamiliar with this area may find the
      task difficult and frustrating. This paper offers an approach to the selection
      and assessment of measures of health status and specifically examines issues of
      feasibility, instrument content, appropriateness for subjects, instrument
      construction, reliability, validity, sensitivity to change, and measurement
      strategy.

PMID- 1859525
TI  - Laser treatment of a filtration bleb.

PMID- 1859526
TI  - The effects of sepsis and endotoxemia on gut glutamine metabolism.

PMID- 1859527
TI  - Synovial fistula of the knee: a complication of arthroscopy.
AB  - The occurrence of a synovial fistula after knee arthroscopy is uncommon. In a
      retrospective review of 976 arthroscopies of the knee over 3 years, six patients
      developed synovial fistulae (incidence 6.1/1,000). All patients were treated with
      short-term immobilization and oral prophylactic antibiotics. All fistulae closed
      after an average of 9 days of immobilization, and none required further
      treatment. Risk factors that may predispose a patient to fistula formation are
      posterior compartment portals and the presence of significant degenerative joint
      disease. A treatment protocol is presented.

PMID- 1859528
TI  - Maternal effect proteins.

PMID- 1859529
TI  - Oklahoma statute on donor oocytes.

PMID- 1859530
TI  - Geriatric consultation services: benefits and pitfalls.

PMID- 1859531
TI  - Carbamate formation and the neurotoxicity of L-alpha amino acids.

PMID- 1859532
TI  - Cardiac sources of cerebral embolism.

PMID- 1859533
TI  - Punch biopsy technique for the ophthalmologist.

PMID- 1859534
TI  - Loss of medicines with the licence review.

PMID- 1859535
TI  - Oral cancer: is it more common than cervical?
AB  - In Britain, mouth cancer is about half as common as cervical cancer, a
      significant level and one that deserves more attention than currently given by
      health care professionals, the media and the general public. If greater attention
      is called for in Britain, it is certainly needed worldwide. Oral/oropharyngeal
      cancer and cancer of the uterine cervix have comparable global averages and in
      some communities, oral/oropharyngeal cancer is actually more common.

PMID- 1859537
TI  - Management of ARDS.

PMID- 1859536
TI  - Drug interactions with methotrexate.

PMID- 1859538
TI  - Mediastinal pseudocyst associated with chronic pleural effusions.

PMID- 1859539
TI  - Effect of folate supplementation on the incidence of dysplasia and cancer in
      chronic ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1859540
TI  - Sudden sensorineural hearing loss and non-otological surgery.

PMID- 1859541
TI  - Hypoglycemia and focal neurologic deficits in diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1859542
TI  - Diagnosis of scrapie.

PMID- 1859543
TI  - Pain relief in labour. Commentary.

PMID- 1859544
TI  - Axillary dissection in primary breast cancer.

PMID- 1859545
TI  - Spontaneous pneumothorax.

PMID- 1859546
TI  - Vitamins and IQ.

PMID- 1859547
TI  - Trials of homeopathy.

PMID- 1859548
TI  - Preoperative fasting: in medio stat virtus.

PMID- 1859549
TI  - Melatonin in health and disease.

PMID- 1859550
TI  - "Subjectively perceived quality of life".

PMID- 1859551
TI  - Pharmaceutical representatives.

PMID- 1859552
TI  - Segregation analysis of breast cancer: histopathologic data.

PMID- 1859553
TI  - Barrier-spermicide use and bacteriuria.

PMID- 1859554
TI  - Toothpaste-induced bronchospasm.

PMID- 1859555
TI  - Nasal mucosa grafting in ocular pemphigoid.

PMID- 1859556
TI  - The fallacy of the lacune hypothesis.

PMID- 1859557
TI  - The Level 1 Fluid Warmer.

PMID- 1859558
TI  - Clarifying confusion.

PMID- 1859559
TI  - Nuclear venography.

PMID- 1859560
TI  - Leadership in internal medicine; APM responds.

PMID- 1859561
TI  - Cervical necrotizing fasciitis: an uncommon sequela to dental infection.

PMID- 1859562
TI  - Continuous warm blood cardioplegia.

PMID- 1859563
TI  - Nocturnal cramps, quinine, and thrombocytopenia.

PMID- 1859564
TI  - Preventing fraud.

PMID- 1859565
TI  - Radiation workers and childhood leukaemia.

PMID- 1859566
TI  - Reporting of fine needle aspiration.

PMID- 1859567
TI  - Nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

PMID- 1859568
TI  - How idiopathic is idiopathic external hydrocephalus?

PMID- 1859569
TI  - Anorectal surgery in HIV-seropositive patients.

PMID- 1859570
TI  - Brown-Sequard and SLE.

PMID- 1859571
TI  - Rapp-Hodgkin ectodermal dysplasia.

PMID- 1859572
TI  - Rapp-Hodgkin syndrome.

PMID- 1859573
TI  - Dysbaric osteonecrosis.

PMID- 1859574
TI  - Thyroxine suppressive therapy of benign solitary thyroid nodules: some problems.

PMID- 1859576
TI  - [When to start orthodontic treatment].
AB  - We are frequently ashed by patient and dentist what the best age is to begin
      orthodontic treatment. In this article we will try to classify what the best age
      to begin treatment is, according to the type of malocclusion.

PMID- 1859575
TI  - Selective DNA interaction of the novel distamycin derivative FCE 24517.
AB  - N-Deformyl-N-(4-N-N,N-bis(2-chloroethylamino)benzoyl)distamy cin A (FCE 24517) is
      a novel cytotoxic and antitumor agent shortly to be investigated in phase I
      clinical trials. It was equally effective in inhibiting the growth of the murine
      L1210 line and of a subline (L1210/PAM) resistant to nitrogen mustards, whereas
      distamycin A was virtually inactive. The cellular uptake and retention of FCE
      24517 and distamycin A were similar, thus excluding the possibility that this
      marked variation in cytotoxic activity was due to different intracellular
      concentrations of the two compounds. FCE 24517 did not appear to act as an
      inhibitor of macromolecule synthesis. As shown by radioactively labeled precursor
      incorporation only 24 h after drug treatment a significant inhibition of DNA
      synthesis was observed in L1210 or in L1210/PAM, when a marked proportion of
      cells was arrested in premitotic phase. FCE 24517 did not cause DNA breaks, DNA
      interstrand cross-links, or DNA-protein cross-links in L1210 cells exposed to
      active drug concentrations. A very low amount of radioactivity was found to be
      bound irreversibly to DNA in L1210 cells exposed for 1 h to [14C]FCE 24517. Using
      plasmid pBr322 DNA fragments in a modified version of the Maxam and Gilbert DNA
      sequencing technique we found no detectable binding of FCE 24517 to N-7-guanine
      (the major site of alkylation for classical alkylating agents), whereas some
      alkylations to adenine (presumably to N-3-adenine) were demonstrated. Thus it
      appears that FCE 24517 is a novel antitumor agent with a mode of action different
      from that of the drugs currently used in the clinic. In summary it is suggested
      that FCE 24517 acts by causing a few selective alkylations to adenines in the
      minor groove of DNA, although the precise base sequence necessary has yet to be
      elucidated.

PMID- 1859577
TI  - [Electron microscopic study of a case of compound odontoma in an adolescent].
AB  - We describe a case of compound odontome in a adolescent thirteen years old. The
      electronics microscopy reveale that the compound odontome is constituted for
      various dental formations which histologically composition is similar to the
      normal teeth.

PMID- 1859578
TI  - [Eruption anomalies: presentation of a case of retention].
AB  - Dental retention is a cause of irregularities in the dental eruption. The
      retention of upper central incisors, although it is not very frequent, presents
      peculiar diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. We present a case of retention of a
      upper central incisor, due to a total inversion of said incisor.

PMID- 1859579
TI  - [Computer assisted orthodontic diagnosis].
AB  - Quick Ceph is a program to help in orthodontic diagnosis, which is not limited to
      lateral cephalometric analysis but also allows, thanks to the Macintosh graphic
      interface the simulation of all orthodontic and surgical movements and so this to
      establish a treatment plan.

PMID- 1859580
TI  - [The pedodontist and dentinogenesis imperfecta].
AB  - The purpose of this article is to present a treatment of dentinogenesis
      imperfecta in a 3 years old child. We reviewed some of the aspects to consider in
      the treatments of this alteration in primary dentition.

PMID- 1859581
TI  - [Absolute or relative isolation for fissure sealants? 12-month clinical study].
AB  - The purpose of this clinical study is to analyse the effectiveness of a sealant.
      Rubber dam and cotton roll methods of isolation where compared with respect to
      the effect of isolation method on retreatment and protection from caries during
      12 months. We study the cost effectiveness ratio for both methods of isolation.
      The results could not be substantiated any differences between two methods.

PMID- 1859582
TI  - [Osteogenesis imperfecta: presentation of a case].
AB  - Osteogenesis Imperfecta constitutes a group of anomalies include between the
      lethal form of the disease and a condition in which the cortical bone is thiness
      and more breakable. It's frequently associated to dental abnormalities. It's
      possible to found serious bone alterations associated to regular dentition or on
      the contrary. The present article reports a clinical case with Osteogenesis
      Imperfecta Tarda.

PMID- 1859583
TI  - [Follicular cyst. Apropos of a case].
AB  - When there's a diagnosis of follicular cyst. In front of lesions of advanced
      decay in deciduoud teeth about which is possible to presume chronical apical
      infection, we have to evaluate carefully the choice of treatment: pulpectomy or
      exodontia and the placement of a space maintainer. In this article there's a case
      in which a non-indicated pulpectomy was practised and caused a follicular cyst
      which is a menace to the formation and position of the unerupted permanent teeth.
      After the surgery we proceeded to exodontia and subsequently to place a space
      maintainer.

PMID- 1859584
TI  - [Nursing caries. Therapeutic needs].
AB  - The purpose of the study was to investigate a pattern of caries in preschool
      children, associated with a history of frequent drinking of fruit juices or
      sugered milk, into the feeding bottle, often given at bedtime. The rampant caries
      which are produced affect all maxillary primary incisors and the first primary
      molars, the canines and the second primary molars are less affected and the
      mandibular primary incisors never are affected. The treatment needs have been
      determinated. The extractions, the obturations, pulpotomy and stainless steel
      crown together with infant denture, this therapeutic ways have been utilized.

PMID- 1859586
TI  - [Approach to esthetic dentistry].

PMID- 1859585
TI  - [Chronology and sequence of tooth eruption. A review of the literature].

PMID- 1859587
TI  - Pharmacomodulation of 7-(2-methylene-butyryl)-2,3-dihydrobenzoxazin-[1,4]-3-one
      structure and normolipemic activity.
AB  - A series of compounds from 7-(2-methylene butyryl)-2,3-dihydro benzoxazin-[1,4]-3
      one was synthesized and evaluated for its lipid lowering action in animal models.
      Substitutions in positions 2, 4 and 7 were performed. The results of the
      structure-activity relationships are very difficult to be interpreted. The
      different modifications tested did not show any improvement in the normolipemic
      activity.

PMID- 1859588
TI  - Synthesis and antihypertensive activity of some 2-aminobenzimidazole and indole
      derivatives.
AB  - The synthesis of some 2-aminobenzimidazole and indole amide derivatives
      containing a 2,6-dichloroaniline moiety is described. The preparation of a
      theophylline derivative is also reported. All the compounds tested showed no
      appreciable antihypertensive activity on spontaneously hypertensive rats.

PMID- 1859590
TI  - Synthesis and anti human immune virus activity of some new fluorine containing
      substituted -3-thioxo-1,2,4-triazin-5-ones.
AB  - Some new fluorine containing substituted 3-thioxo-1,2,4-triazin-5-ones (2-17)
      have been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro anti human immune virus (HIV)
      activity. Most of the new compounds displayed a lethal activity, while compounds
      2, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 14 displayed a significant antiviral activity. The structures
      are supported by elemental analysis, IR, UV and 1H-NMR spectral data.

PMID- 1859589
TI  - Formamidines with antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities.
AB  - Pursuing our investigations on 7-amino-2,3-polymethyleneindole derivatives, a set
      of 7-(dimethylaminomethylene)-amino-2,3-polymethyleneindoles, together with some
      other aryl or cycloalkyl substituted formamidines, were prepared and tested for
      analgesic and antiinflammatory activities. Several compounds resulted endowed
      with one or both of these activities; the indole derivatives 1 and 2 exhibited a
      good degree of both of them.

PMID- 1859592
TI  - Community participation in research and action against alcoholism.
AB  - An epidemiological study of sickle cell disease in the Gadchiroli district of
      India established it as a major problem but resulted in no public initiative or
      action. In contrast, research and action against alcoholism using the
      participatory approach resulted in massive community participation and proved
      highly successful. Public health programmes need community participation, yet
      most research in this field is self-defeating because it alienates lay people.

PMID- 1859593
TI  - Meeting the pharmaceutical needs of a developing country.
AB  - Zimbabwe is making advances in the selection, procurement, distribution, storage,
      management and use of pharmaceutical products. The periodic updating of the
      country's essential drugs list is a vital part of this process.

PMID- 1859591
TI  - Safe motherhood: a challenge to midwifery practice.
AB  - The principal way of achieving maternal health and safe motherhood is to expand
      the specific functions and/or categories of midwifery personnel. This includes
      strengthening knowledge and skills to improve the quality and quantity of care.
      Success would ensure that for millions of women the prospect of childbirth would
      be one of joy rather than misery.

PMID- 1859595
TI  - Drugs: towards sound prescribing and pricing.
AB  - In Mali, uninformed self-medication is widespread, much prescribing is faulty,
      drug prices are often too high, and the distribution of drugs leaves much to be
      desired. It is expected that, through a new procurement policy, the situation
      will improve.

PMID- 1859594
TI  - Drug information for patients in the community.
AB  - The failure of patients to follow drug regimens may be due to lack of information
      or the negative attitudes of patients and health care providers. We have found
      that most patients in rural areas did not ask for information about their
      treatment because they felt their health carers had little time for such matters.
      These problems will continue unless practitioners at all levels make better
      efforts to understand their patients' perceptions of illness and treatment, and
      especially whether compliance with drug treatment is feasible.

PMID- 1859596
TI  - Feeling unwell? Must you go straight to hospital?
AB  - If people ignore the primary level and go directly to hospital when they are ill
      the health care system becomes overburdened at the higher levels, inefficient,
      and unjustifiably expensive. The most effective way to persuade people to use the
      first level of care is to ensure that its services are reliable and its
      facilities are attractive as those of the referral levels. Financial incentives
      aimed at encouraging respect for the system can also play a part.

PMID- 1859597
TI  - Self-reliance in health among village women.

PMID- 1859598
TI  - American medical students broaden their horizons in the Third World.
AB  - Every year for several decades some American medical students have been visiting
      Third World countries in order to participate in the practices there. These
      experiences have proved invaluable in helping them to work in the USA among
      minorities having unorthodox views on health and disease.

PMID- 1859599
TI  - Training primary health care workers to foster community participation.
AB  - A low level of community participation was identified as one of the weaknesses of
      the health sector in the United Republic of Tanzania. In order to remedy this
      situation, a systematic process of training trainers and students was established
      with full involvement of village people. Twenty-five themes were put forward as
      starting points for discussions between students and villagers. The students were
      encouraged to learn from the villagers by listening to them and asking them
      questions. They also participated in community activities and lived with
      villagers so as to obtain a good understanding of rural living conditions. In
      this way, problems were identified and solutions were jointly formulated. A
      workbook was developed during a series of workshops with students, trainers,
      village communities, and planners. At least two teachers were trained from each
      health training school; all schools were supplied with workbooks. The approach
      has been adopted by most health training schools in Tanzania, and the Ministry of
      Health is now committed to it. Both students and trainers find this to be a
      valuable learning experience.

PMID- 1859601
TI  - One disease, one name.

PMID- 1859602
TI  - Implications of the tobacco dependence syndrome for smoking control programmes.
AB  - Motivational and psychosocial treatments for tobacco dependence, while valuable,
      are not sufficient to solve nicotine-related problems, which usually require a
      pharmacological approach. There is also a need for training programmes for health
      workers and major educational campaigns on the nature of tobacco dependence to be
      directed at opinion leaders, teachers and the public at large.

PMID- 1859600
TI  - A partnership in epidemiological research.
AB  - Four medical research teams completed ten epidemiological investigations in
      Djibouti and thus provided the country's Ministry of Health with valuable
      information on infectious disease risks. A major factor contributing to the
      success of the work was the high degree of cooperation between the Ministry, a
      United States naval medical research unit, and the World Health Organization as
      coordinator.

PMID- 1859603
TI  - The index technique for rapid assessment of district health situations.

PMID- 1859604
TI  - Competition for promoting family health.

PMID- 1859605
TI  - Determining the respiratory rate in children.

PMID- 1859606
TI  - Social attitudes and family planning in rural Kenya.

PMID- 1859607
TI  - A smoking cessation campaign in a Norwegian newspaper.

PMID- 1859608
TI  - Much blindness is avoidable.
AB  - The main strategy of the World Health Organization's Programme for the Prevention
      of Blindness is to make simple eye care available to all populations. In many
      countries, national committees are responsible for the optimal utilization of
      resources and the coordination of work in this field. Several major international
      nongovernmental organizations provide support. Factors limiting the effectiveness
      of national programmes are being addressed in WHO collaborating centres.

PMID- 1859609
TI  - Health programme planning for consolidation and quality.
AB  - Botswana's Ministry of Health is implementing a new approach to resource planning
      and management whereby the work of planners and technical experts is integrated
      with that of managers of programmes and facilities. The aim is to help the
      managers to make better use of resources in service delivery.

PMID- 1859610
TI  - Decentralizing health services in Australia.
AB  - During the past 15 years the district health services in some parts of Australia
      have been reorganized, with the development of coordinated programmes that
      provide services across hospital and community boundaries as well as continuity
      of care over prolonged periods. Some financial resources have been redirected
      from institutions to community-based services. The process has been so successful
      that district reorganization has now been implemented throughout New South Wales
      (population, 5.5 million) and elsewhere in Australia.

PMID- 1859611
TI  - World trends in alcohol consumption.
AB  - Data from a worldwide alcohol project suggest significant changes in world
      alcohol consumption since the early 1970s, with many developing countries showing
      large increases up to 1981. Whether the recent declines in consumption observed
      in developed countries will be mirrored in the developing world remains to be
      seen.

PMID- 1859612
TI  - In search of a simulator.

PMID- 1859613
TI  - Demonstration of lateral patellar subluxation: the 30 degrees LR projection
      lateral rotation.

PMID- 1859614
TI  - Methods for the removal of a single layer of photographic emulsion from
      duplitised x-ray film.

PMID- 1859615
TI  - Scattered radiation and the lateral lumbar spine.

PMID- 1859616
TI  - Evidence against a specific effect of cholinergic drugs on spatial memory in
      primates.
AB  - A scopolamine-like delay-dependent impairment in spatial delayed response
      performance in rhesus monkeys was induced by irrelevant interpolated activity or
      by using extended retention intervals. Physostigmine readily reversed the effects
      of scopolamine but had no effect on performance in young monkeys performing an
      irrelevant distractor task or in monkeys tested using extended retention
      intervals. Reducing stimulus control did not impair performance and did not alter
      the dose-response curve for induction of a deficit by scopolamine. Reducing the
      stimulus presentation time impaired performance across all retention intervals in
      a way which did not resemble the effect of scopolamine and which disappeared with
      practice. Our findings do not support the proposal that physostigmine interacts
      specifically with short-term spatial memory in primates.

PMID- 1859617
TI  - Effects of unilateral thalamic lesion upon interocular transfer of visual
      discrimination in pigeons. II: Lesion in the untrained hemisphere (sensory
      deficits).
AB  - In a previous study, rotundal lesions in the 'trained' hemisphere caused deficits
      in interocular transfer of visual discrimination when the lesion was made after
      acquisition of the monocular learning, but not when the lesion was made before
      the monocular learning. In the present study, a rotundal lesion was made in the
      'untrained' hemisphere before and after monocular training. The lesion caused
      deficits in transfer regardless of the temporal relation between the lesion and
      the training. Such deficits are likely to be 'sensory deficits' since visual
      information from the eye goes to the damaged rotundus when tested with the
      untrained eye. The relation between the 'sensory' versus 'mnemonic' deficits from
      damage to nucleus rotundus in the trained hemisphere are discussed.

PMID- 1859618
TI  - Synchronisation of tongue and forepaw movements in the rat: a model of
      instrumental muscle synergy.
AB  - Acquisition of new skills is often implemented by the formation of coordinated
      movements of functionally unrelated muscles. This situation was modelled in rats
      trained to lick at a retractable spout which was automatically withdrawn after
      termination of every lick but could be returned by pressing and releasing a lever
      placed 4 cm below the spout. Rats (n = 12) learned to perform short presses (50
      ms) synchronized with the lick cycle in a way allowing continuous drinking. When
      the distance of the lever from the box was increased from 5 mm to 12.5 mm or when
      the force required for lever operation was raised from 20 g to 90 g, the lick
      press interval increased in multiples of the interlick interval. Licking ceased
      during the lever pressing but regular timing of subsequent licks indicated
      uninterrupted activity of the licking generator. It is concluded that the
      coordination of orofacial and forelimb muscles engaged in licking and lever
      pressing, respectively, is accomplished by propagation of the activity of the
      lick generator to cortical and subcortical motor centers.

PMID- 1859619
TI  - Single-unit activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex during the expression
      of discriminative bradycardia in rabbits.
AB  - Much recent evidence suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (PFCm)
      participates in the development and/or expression of learned, primary
      bradycardiac adjustments in rabbits. Accordingly, the present experiments were
      undertaken to determine whether single-unit activity in the precentral agranular
      and anterior cingulate regions of the PFCm is systematically affected by
      differential aversive Pavlovian conditioning and, if so, whether such activity is
      correlated with concomitant heart rate (HR) variables. In these studies,
      extracellular recordings were made during a training procedure that involved two
      distinctive, tone conditioned stimuli (CSs); one of these (CS+) was often paired
      with eye-shock (unconditioned stimulus, US), whereas the other (CS-) was never so
      paired. Of the 100 spontaneously-active cells whose activity was so evaluated, 74
      were found to be tone-responsive and could be classified as belonging to one of 5
      subpopulations on the basis of their specific patterns of evoked changes in
      discharge; additional data suggested that these cells were also generally
      responsive to the eye-shock US. Regarding the effects of training, the vast
      majority of cells in these subpopulations showed greater evoked activity changes
      on CS+, as opposed to CS-, trials, irrespective of the sign (i.e. increase and/or
      decrease) of their responses. This finding was not confounded by differences in
      baseline activity preceding CS+ vs CS- trials, which was generally characterized
      as being both irregular and unrelated to concomitant HR variables; nor could it
      be attributed to unconditioned responses biases. Thus, the discriminative
      activity patterns of these cells appeared to reflect the differential Pavlovian
      contingencies in effect. Moreover, approximately half of these cells exhibited
      tone-evoked activity changes that were reliably correlated with concomitant HR
      changes on a trial-by-trial basis. Consequently, the present data indicate that
      training-induced changes in the CS-evoked activity of PFCm cells are
      significantly related to aversively conditioned bradycardia in rabbits.

PMID- 1859620
TI  - Enhanced recovery of learned alternation in ganglioside-treated rats after
      unilateral entorhinal lesions.
AB  - The present study demonstrates that an abbreviated regimen of ganglioside
      treatments attenuates the behavioral impairments produced by unilateral lesions
      of the entorhinal cortex. Ganglioside treatments not only accelerate recovery of
      learned alternation on a Y-maze, but also reduce total errors and perseverative
      errors.

PMID- 1859622
TI  - [Photography in dentistry].

PMID- 1859621
TI  - [A new natural collagen hemostatic sponge].

PMID- 1859623
TI  - [Cerasand ceramic implants].

PMID- 1859624
TI  - [Statistical methodology in the dental field].

PMID- 1859625
TI  - [Preparation for ceramic veneers].

PMID- 1859626
TI  - Purification and characterization of two types of Cytisus sessilifolius anti-H(O)
      lectins by affinity chromatography.
AB  - Two anti-H(O) lectins were separated from extracts of Cytisus sessilifolius seeds
      by successive affinity chromatographies on columns of di-N-acetylchitobiose- and
      galactose-Sepharose 4B. One was found to be inhibited most by di-N
      acetylchitotriose or tri-N-acetylchitotriose [Cytisus-type anti-H(O) lectin
      designated as Cytisus sessilifolius lectin I (CSA-I)] and the other anti-H(O)
      lectin was inhibited by galactose or lactose and designated as Cytisus
      sessilifolius lectin II (CSA-II). These two anti-H(O) lectins were further
      purified by gel filtration on TSK-Gel G3000SW. These preparations were
      homogeneous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration.
      The molecular masses of the purified lectins I and II were found to be 95,000 and
      68,000 Da, respectively, by gel filtration on TSK-Gel G3000SW. On polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and 2
      mercaptoethanol, both lectins gave a single component of molecular masses of
      27,000 +/- 2,000 and 34,000 +/- 2,000 Da, respectively, suggesting that the
      lectins I and II were composed of four and two apparently identical subunits,
      respectively. Lectins I and II contain 38% and 13% carbohydrate, respectively,
      and only very small amounts of cysteine and methionine, but they are rich in
      aspartic acid, serine and glycine. The N-terminal amino-acid sequences of these
      two lectins were determined and compared with those of several lectins already
      published.

PMID- 1859627
TI  - Protein structure and cDNA nucleotide sequence of the Japanese quail alpha A
      globin.
AB  - The primary structure of the alpha polypeptide chain (alpha A) of the major
      component (QII) of Japanese quail hemoglobin was determined by protein and cDNA
      sequence analysis. The amino-acid sequences of all the soluble tryptic peptides
      were determined by the conventional protein sequencing technology. The sequence
      of the remaining portion, which contained an insoluble "core region", was
      determined through determination of the cDNA nucleotide sequence. The cDNA clones
      coding for the alpha A globin were isolated from the quail reticulocyte cDNA
      library, mapped by restriction enzyme digestion, and the nucleotide sequence was
      determined completely. The primary structure of quail alpha A globin shows a
      close similarity to that of chicken alpha A globin.

PMID- 1859628
TI  - Determination of the molecular structure of the human free secretory component.
AB  - Here, we present the experimental data, leading to determination of the primary
      structure, the linkage of the carbohydrates and the arrangements of the disulfide
      bonds of the human free secretory component. Methods of protein chemistry were
      used. The protein can be divided into five homology regions and is a member of
      the immunoglobulin superfamily.

PMID- 1859629
TI  - Difference in polyamine transport in human B and T lymphocytes.
AB  - Preparations enriched in human blood B lymphocytes are able to take up polyamines
      efficiently. Uptake by T cells is barely detectable. Human non-circulating B
      cells (from tonsils) have a much lower ability to take up polyamines, as do mixed
      populations of bovine lymph nodes. B cells contain a higher amount of endogenous
      polyamines and show higher ornithine decarboxylase activity than T cells.

PMID- 1859630
TI  - Enhancement of ouabain and calcium ionophore A23187 of outward transport of
      polyamines from lymphocytes.
AB  - Human lymphocytes in culture loaded with radioactive polyamines slowly release
      radioactivity into the medium. N1-Acetylspermidine is mostly released from
      spermidine and spermine. Both ouabain and calcium ionophore A23187 increase the
      outward transport, but by different mechanisms. Ouabain inhibits the acetylation
      of spermidine, and free spermidine is released, whereas A23187 increases both
      acetylation of spermidine and the efflux of N1-acetylspermidine.

PMID- 1859631
TI  - Bacterial pyruvate kinases have a shorter N-terminal domain.
AB  - The N-terminal portions of the two forms of pyruvate kinase (EC2.7.1.40) from
      Escherichia coli have been sequenced up the 48th and 43rd residue, respectively.
      Comparison with the known primary structures shows that bacterial enzymes lack a
      substantial portion of the N-terminal sequence with respect to pyruvate kinases
      from vertebrates. This makes the suggested functional role of the N-terminal
      domain unlikely [Muirhead, H. (1990) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 18, 193-196] although
      an elongation of this domain with evolution is apparent.

PMID- 1859632
TI  - Purification and characterization of a new type lactose-binding Ulex europaeus
      lectin by affinity chromatography.
AB  - A new type lactose-binding lectin was purified from extracts of Ulex europaeus
      seeds by affinity chromatography on a column of galactose-Sepharose 4B, followed
      by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-300. This lectin, designated as Ulex europaeus
      lectin III (UEA-III), was found to be inhibited by lactose. The dimeric lectin is
      a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 70,000 Da; it consists of two apparently
      identical subunits of a molecular mass of 34,000 Da. Compositional analysis
      showed that this lectin contains 30% carbohydrate and a large amount of aspartic
      acid, serine and valine, but no sulfur-containing amino acids. The N-terminal
      amino-acid sequences of L-fucose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin I (UEA-I) and di-N
      acetylchitobiose-binding Ulex europaeus lectin II (UEA-II), both of which we have
      already purified and characterized, and that of UEA-III were determined and
      compared.

PMID- 1859635
TI  - Prevention is better than cure.

PMID- 1859634
TI  - A remit to care.

PMID- 1859633
TI  - The company of strangers.

PMID- 1859636
TI  - A positive force.

PMID- 1859637
TI  - A peaceful death.

PMID- 1859638
TI  - Questions of quality.

PMID- 1859640
TI  - Taking a break.

PMID- 1859639
TI  - Instructive exercise.

PMID- 1859641
TI  - Testing times.

PMID- 1859642
TI  - Voting rights.

PMID- 1859643
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and associated gastroduodenal diseases. Review article.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic, Gram-negative, spiral rod, the role of
      which in different gastric diseases has been investigated worldwide since the
      beginning of the 1980s. H. pylori has been shown to be the causative agent in
      active chronic gastritis, and it is regularly found in patients endoscopied for
      duodenal ulcer. The bacterium is also frequently isolated from persons with
      gastric ulcer, gastric carcinoma and non-ulcer dyspepsia. Apart from cultivation
      of the bacterium, other diagnostic procedures include various staining methods
      and urease tests of gastric biopsy samples. The application of non-invasive
      diagnostic methods, serology and urea breath tests, is rapidly increasing. H.
      pylori is susceptible to several antimicrobials in vitro, but eradication of the
      bacterium from the gastric mucosa is not always achieved. The best results until
      now have been obtained with the combined use of bismuth salts and two
      antibiotics. In active chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcer patients, eradication
      of the bacteria has resulted in healing of the disease with permanent decrease of
      circulating antibodies and negative urease tests. H. pylori has been found
      worldwide and the infection shows an age-dependent increase. Man, apparently, is
      the reservoir of the bacterium, but the exact mechanisms of interhuman
      transmission are still not defined.

PMID- 1859644
TI  - Susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria. Regression lines for six
      antibiotics determined with and without prediffusion.
AB  - The relationship between susceptibility testing by an agar dilution test and a
      tablet diffusion test was studied for 60 anaerobic bacteria (20 B. fragilis, 20
      anaerobic cocci, 20 Clostridium species). For cefoxitin, no prediffusion and
      prediffusion times of one h, three h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h were examined. For
      metronidazole, erythromycin, clindamycin, penicillin and imipenem, only 24 h
      prediffusion and no prediffusion were studied. Measurements were made after
      incubation for 24 h and 48 h. Prediffusion improved the correlation for all
      antibiotics tested, and 24 h prediffusion gave the best results. The slope of the
      regression line increased and the influence of the individual growth parameters
      on zone size was reduced. Prediction of susceptibility based on three zone
      breakpoints to estimate MIC was also better with 24 h prediffusion. However, the
      variation about the regression line for many of the antibiotics was still
      extremely high. Measurements after 24 h and 48 h incubation times showed almost
      identical regression equations, except for erythromycin, where the regression
      lines differed.

PMID- 1859646
TI  - Antibiosis between bacteria isolated from the vagina of women with and without
      signs of bacterial vaginosis.
AB  - Lactobacilli from women with and without bacterial vaginosis (BV) were tested for
      H2O2 production. Thirty-seven (79%) of the 47 strains of lactobacilli isolated
      from the women without BV produced H2O2, while only nine (23%) of the 39 strains
      of lactobacilli obtained from women with BV did so. Five of 20 H2O2-producing and
      two of 26 non-producing strains of Lactobacillus exhibited antibiosis against
      four of 12 strains of peptostreptococci and two of 10 strains of Mobiluncus spp.
      None of a further 41 different anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacterial
      strains were inhibited by any of the isolates of lactobacilli tested. Some
      strains of Gardnerella vaginalis, Bacteriodes spp., Mobiluncus spp. and
      Peptostreptococcus spp. inhibited the growth of three strains of lactobacilli
      belonging to different species. When the pH of the culture medium was increased
      from 6.0 to 6.5 this led to a decrease in the number of strains inhibited and/or
      the size of the growth-inhibitory zones. Different concentrations of H2O2 did not
      inhibit any of the strains tested. The growth-inhibitory effect of lactobacilli
      could not be related to their bacteriocin production. Increasing the iron content
      of the medium by adding FeCl3 (0.01 mM-1 mM) decreased or completely abolished
      the antibiosis.

PMID- 1859647
TI  - Prognostic implications of image cytometric assessments of nuclear DNA
      distribution pattern of neoplastic cells in thyroid medullary carcinoma. A
      retrospective study using disaggregated, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded
      specimens.
AB  - A modified technique for cytometric analysis of the nuclear DNA distribution
      pattern of neoplastic cells has been applied on archival histopathological
      specimens originating from 42 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy for
      medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Five of the cases were of familial
      type. The DNA cytometric assessments were made by means of computerized image
      analysis techniques on Feulgen-stained, intact, cytodiagnostically identified
      neoplastic nuclei obtained from histopathologically selected areas of paraffin
      blocks. The nuclei were enriched by means of a cytospin technique after
      deparaffinization of pronase-induced disaggregation of 50 microns thick sections.
      Only seven of the tumours were found to consist of neoplastic cells where the
      nuclei showed a DNA distribution pattern of "aneuploid" type; six of these
      patients had a rapidly progressive neoplastic disease, but the seventh patient
      did not. Among all the patients whose tumour cell nuclei showed a cytometric DNA
      ploidy pattern of "euploid" type, not less than about half had a rapidly
      progressive neoplastic disease. Thus, even when a refined cytometric technique is
      used, the value of the nuclear DNA ploidy pattern of the neoplastic cells as a
      prognostic variable in MTC is limited.

PMID- 1859645
TI  - Antimicrobial resistance of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains from a
      nosocomial outbreak in Kenya.
AB  - The majority of the 78 enteropathogenic (EPEC) and the 151 non-EPEC Escherichia
      coli strains isolated from preterm neonates during an outbreak of gastroenteritis
      in a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxaxole,
      chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline and ampicillin, but only a few strains were
      resistant to cefazolin, cefamandole, cefotaxime, amikacin and nalidixic acid.
      Fourteen different antimicrobial resistance patterns were observed in the 229
      strains of E. coli analysed. Eighty-two percent of the EPEC strains belonged to
      two resistance pattern compared with 79% of non-EPEC strains which exhibited
      three resistance patterns. There was no consistent relationship between plasmid
      profile group and antimicrobial resistance pattern, although one resistance
      pattern was more frequently observed in EAF-positive strains belonging to the
      dominant plasmid profile group. Nine percent of the EPEC strains were resistant
      to gentamicin compared to 37% in the non-EPEC group. No correlation was observed
      between administration of gentamicin and percentage of resistant strains
      isolated. None of the nine neonates receiving gentamicin died during the
      outbreak. Gentamicin resistance was observed in E. coli strains from six out of
      these nine neonates. Five out of fourteen neonates who received other
      antimicrobials, or no antibiotic treatment at all, died.

PMID- 1859648
TI  - Interleukin-2 stimulation of blood mononuclear cells from patients with
      inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - The functional capacity of biologically active, high-affinity interleukin-2
      receptors (IL-2R) was studied by means of interleukin-2 (IL-2) stimulation of
      blood mononuclear cells (BMC) from 22 patients with inflammatory bowel disease
      (IBD) and 24 controls. The spontaneous, as well as the IL-2-induced,
      proliferative responses were significantly decreased in patients with active IBD,
      whereas the expressions of biologically inactive, low-affinity IL-2R (i.e. TAC
      antigen or CD25) were significantly increased in the same BMC cultures. In
      contrast, no significant differences were seen between patients and controls when
      BMC were stimulated with a nonspecific mitogen (phytohemagglutinin). The results
      suggest that a downregulation of IL-2 responsiveness may contribute to decreased
      BMC proliferation in vitro in active IBD.

PMID- 1859649
TI  - Central nervous system calcifications following tap water rinsing in autopsy
      material from children. A pitfall.
AB  - CNS from 80 children collected consecutively at the Institute of Forensic
      Medicine, Aarhus, were investigated. Owing to peculiar calcifications of the
      first 41 CNS examined, we gradually came to suspect that some external factors
      had influenced the results. Different fixation methods used on the CNS, rinsed or
      not rinsed in tap water, led us to suggest that the relatively high calcium
      content in the tap water in our part of the country was the cause. The non
      pathologic calcification could presumably mimic metabolic diseases.

PMID- 1859650
TI  - Beneficial effects of intranasal applications of capsaicin in patients with
      vasomotor rhinitis.
AB  - Capsaicin, a nonenamide derived from Capsicum plants, has proven useful in
      patients with vasomotor rhinitis. In the present study, we studied the effects of
      15 micrograms capsaicin suspended in 100 microliters solution in patients with
      known vasomotor rhinitis. Drug was given 3 times/day for 3 days to each patient
      by means of a spray delivered to the nasal mucosa. Acute effects induced by the
      drug included painful sensation and secretion of nasal fluid but were no longer
      observed at the last capsaicin application. Patients recorded their symptoms over
      a 1-month period. The mean symptom score involving nasal obstruction and nasal
      secretion was markedly reduced by capsaicin treatment. We advance the hypothesis
      that the beneficial effect of drug treatment may be due to its specific action on
      the peripheral endings of primary sensory neurons leading to their functional
      blockade. Further randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is now
      needed.

PMID- 1859651
TI  - Gentamicin-induced alterations of succinic dehydrogenase activity in the organ of
      Corti as revealed by non-decalcified frozen sections of the guinea pig's cochlea.
AB  - The distribution of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and the changes of SDH
      activity after injection of gentamicin (GM) were observed in the organ of Corti
      using non-decalcified frozen sections of the guinea pig's cochlea. The
      distribution of SDH activity was found to increase from the apex to the basal
      turn. At each turn, SDH activity of the inner hair cells, the inner supporting
      cells and the nerve endings surrounding the supporting cell and on the hair cells
      presented a greater activity than that found in the outer hair cells, adjacent
      Deiter's cells and associated nerve endings. It was further observed that GM had
      a greater effect on SDH activity in the basal turn than the other turns. At each
      turn, a more sensitive area of response to GM was found on the nerve endings one
      each hair cell, especially on the outer hair cells of the basal turn.

PMID- 1859652
TI  - Immune response after collagen injection for laryngeal rehabilitation:
      development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
AB  - The appearance of circulating antibodies directed against bovine collagen has
      been observed in dermatology after collagen injections with or without clinical
      reactions. Knowing the serologically positive patients among the clinically
      negatives ones is important if a second collagen injection should be planned. In
      these cases, skin and blood tests have to be carefully checked to confirm
      reactivity. In connection with this, we have developed an enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determining the response to GAX collagen
      injections. Such injections induce a very low rate of anti-collagen antibodies.
      However, without having recourse to a positive control permitting statistical
      analysis of data, no conclusions can be made about significant positivity. In the
      present investigation of 12 patients following GAX collagen injections into the
      larynx, 1 was found to be borderline and 1 positive (17%). The positive control
      was made up with 20 ng/ml anti-type III collagen antibodies, which was purified
      and tested against type III bovine and human collagen. The present study showed
      that the systematic detection of antinuclear or anti-DNA antibodies after GAX
      collagen injection is not useful. However, the anti-collagen positivity of two
      control samples from 3 patients already positive for antinuclear antibodies
      demonstrates that bovine collagen injections are contraindicated in auto-immune
      disease.

PMID- 1859653
TI  - Blockage of longitudinal flow in endolymphatic hydrops.
AB  - The external shunt operation on the endolymphatic sac is based on the concept
      that it will drain excess endolymph and thus arrest the progression of
      endolymphatic hydrops. We performed histological studies on 46 temporal bones
      from 13 cases of bilateral and 20 cases of unilateral Meniere's disease to
      evaluate the status of the pathways of longitudinal flow of endolymph to the sac.
      The endolymphatic ducts were blocked in 8 specimens (17%), the endolymphatic
      sinuses in 9 (19.5%), the utricular ducts in 12 (26%), the saccular ducts in 7
      (15%), and the ductus reuniens in 27 (59%). These blockages arrested longitudinal
      flow from both the pars superior and inferior in 21 cases (46%), the pars
      superior only in 3 (6.5%), and the pars inferior only in 16 (35%). In the 6 ears
      with all pathways open, 2 were found to have fistulae between the saccules and
      the perilymphatic spaces, which theoretically results in internal shunting, thus
      alleviating the need for the external shunt procedure. In the aggregate,
      therefore, 42 (91%) of 46 ears showed either areas of blockage of longitudinal
      flow or internal shunts that would theoretically negate the value of external
      endolymphatic shunt procedures. These temporal bones, however, are from an
      autopsy population and the severity of pathological changes is probably greater
      than it would have been at an earlier age when external shunt surgery might have
      been a therapeutic consideration.

PMID- 1859654
TI  - The detrimental effect of aminohydroxypropylidene bisphosphonate (APD) in
      otospongiosis.
AB  - Two middle-aged female patients with active stapedial otosclerosis and
      sensorineural hearing loss have been treated with aminohydroxypropylidene
      bisphosphonate (APD). No effect on the Schwartze sign was observed either during
      or following therapy. No changes were seen in the audiometric data of the
      patients during the 1st year. Then, within a few weeks, both patients complained
      of sudden deterioration of the existing hearing losses in both ears, with an
      alteration of tinnitus. One patient became totally, bilaterally deaf, while the
      other retained minimal auditory function in the low frequencies in one ear. A
      sudden bilateral hearing loss in cochlear otosclerosis never develops under
      normal circumstances and we are convinced that in the cases that we have observed
      it is due to the treatment with APD.

PMID- 1859655
TI  - Preinvasive stages of adenocarcinoma of the nose after exposure to wood dust.
AB  - The early stages of adenocarcinoma of the nose due to exposure to beech and oak
      wood dust show superficial preinvasive growth. The papillary and tubular
      structures of this "adenocarcinoma in situ" are identical with those of invasive
      adenocarcinomas. There are no indications that cuboid or squamous metaplasia
      precedes the development of this type of carcinoma.

PMID- 1859656
TI  - A comparison of hyaluronan and fibronectin in the healing of tympanic membrane
      perforations.
AB  - Fibronectin and 1% hyaluronan, two extracellular matrix components, were applied
      to tympanic membrane (TM) perforations, using the laboratory rat as an animal
      model. The perforations occupied the upper, posterior quadrant of the TM. Saline
      treated and untreated perforations of equal size served as controls. Fifty
      percent of the perforations treated daily with hyaluronan healed prior to the
      first closures of the other groups. The use of fibronectin did not enhance the
      healing rate. The hyaluronan-treated perforations were covered initially by a
      sheet of keratin and hyaluronan containing abundant inflammatory cells. Within
      this keratin-hyaluronan cover, hyperplastic stratified keratinizing epithelium
      advanced and bridged the gap of the perforation ahead of the approaching
      connective tissue. These findings indicate that exogenously applied hyaluronan
      could be valuable in the clinical situation and should be tried to improve the
      healing of TM perforations.

PMID- 1859657
TI  - Calcium-binding sites in the inner ear after pure-tone stimulation.
AB  - Five guinea pigs were exposed to an interrupted 90 dB SPL pure tone of 3.2 kHz
      for a total application time of 5 min. Following sound application all animals
      were decapitated and the cochleae were removed. After that, calcium-binding sites
      were located by the potassium pyroantimonate precipitation method. Another three
      animals served as control animals and did not receive the sound treatment.
      Findings confirmed previous studies showing the spatial arrangements of
      precipitate rich regions in the inner ear's two acellular structures (the basilar
      membrane and tectorial membrane) and the two cellular structures (the inner hair
      cells and Huschke's teeth). By using semiquantitative evaluation we found a
      relative diminution of precipitable calcium in inner hair cells and in Huschke's
      teeth of sound-exposed animals when compared to untreated animals.

PMID- 1859658
TI  - Clinical efficacy of budesonide in the treatment of eczematous external otitis.
AB  - Sixty patients with mild to moderate forms of eczematous otitis externa were
      treated with budesonide and placebo in a double-blind controlled study using
      parallel groups. Each treatment period was preceded by otomicroscopic examination
      and thorough cleaning of the ear canal. The symptoms and signs were assessed with
      a score system ranging from 0 (no symptoms/signs) to 3 (severe symptoms/signs).
      Budesonide treatment was associated with a reduction in severity of all symptoms
      recorded and a marked improvement in erythema, swelling and discharge. Mechanical
      cleaning of the ear canal and placebo was not a sufficient treatment for this
      group of patients.

PMID- 1859659
TI  - Inner ear fine structures of the hamster in frozen sections used for
      immunohistochemical assays for inner ear diseases.
AB  - Frozen sections of the inner ear of the hamster enable detailed investigations of
      the fine structures in immunofluorescence assays. At high magnification single
      mitochondria can be identified by their reactions with an antiserum containing
      antibodies against mitochondria. In the positive reaction with an antiserum
      against nuclei, the typical green fluorescence is restricted to the nuclei, which
      are mostly separated by the surrounding cytoplasm. The method of
      immunohistochemical assay using frozen sections from the non-decalcified inner
      ear is very time-consuming and cannot be recommended for the routine diagnosis of
      inner ear diseases, although it may be useful in research and for studying
      critical clinical cases.

PMID- 1859660
TI  - Posterior pericardial annuloplasty: a physicological correction?
AB  - Since the introduction of the annuloplasty ring, many attempts have been made to
      obtain a flexible ring that preserves the physiological motion of the mitral
      annulus. We experimented with a new technique using autologous pericardium to
      construct a more flexible ring. Twenty patients underwent mitral valve repair for
      degenerative disease and were treated by a posterior pericardial annuloplasty and
      the usual valvuloplasty procedures. A long strip of pericardium was prepared,
      marked with metal clips and rolled up in a tubular fashion with the serosal
      surface on the outside. The pericardial tube was apposed on the posterior annulus
      just beyond the commissures. No patient required early or late reoperation.
      Doppler analysis showed good valve function: 18 patients had no or mild, and 2
      had moderate regurgitation. Transmitral flow indexes were nearly normal (MVA =
      3.7 +/- 0.4 cm2; flow velocity peak = 1.06 +/- 0.2 m/s). Fluoroscopic examination
      was employed for assessing annular motion using the metal clips as radiopaque
      markers. Planimetry of the hemiarea showed a mild narrowing (mean 8.5% +/- 6.4%)
      of annular size during ventricular systole. There was a trend toward a systolic
      reduction of the anteroposterior diameter of the annulus. These findings
      demonstrate that the mitral orifice preserves its flexible properties after this
      type of annuloplasty. Posterior pericardial annuloplasty seems to be a
      physiological correction of annular dilatation in patients with degenerative
      disease.

PMID- 1859661
TI  - Coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with angina pectoris and
      hypothyroidism.
AB  - The treatment of hypothyroidism in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass
      surgery is a difficult clinical problem. To determine perioperative thyroid
      replacement therapy in patients with hypothyroidism, plasma total thyroxine (T4),
      total triiodothyroxine (T3), free T4, free T3 and thyroid-stimulating hormone
      levels were measured preoperatively and at 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 days after
      operation in 9 patients with hypothyroidism and were compared with levels in 14
      patients with normal thyroid function who underwent coronary bypass surgery. In
      the normal control group, total T4 decreased to its lowest level on the 1st
      postoperative day and then increased gradually to the preoperative level at 7
      days. Total T4 remained within the normal range throughout the entire
      postoperative course. In 6 patients with hypothyroidism who were treated with
      thyroid hormone before surgery, total T4 decreased immediately after operation
      and only increased after starting thyroid replacement therapy. In 3 hypothyroid
      patients without prior thyroid replacement, total T4 showed a change similar to
      patients in the control group but remained below the normal range until starting
      thyroid replacement therapy. Coronary bypass surgery was performed safely in
      patients with hypothyroidism. Preoperative thyroid replacement with suboptimal
      doses was safe in patients with severe hypothyroidism. Adequate postoperative
      thyroid replacement was achieved in all patients without complications.

PMID- 1859662
TI  - Current risk of coronary bypass for unstable angina.
AB  - The risk associated with surgical revascularization for unstable angina is
      critically dependent upon the clinical presentation of the patient. For this
      study, between January 1982 and December 1987, clinical, angiographic, operative
      and hospital outcome data were collected prospectively for 6539 patients
      undergoing surgery for unstable angina. Urgent surgery was performed in 1523
      patients (23.3%), while 5016 (76.7%) underwent semielective revascularization.
      The mean age was 58.9 +/- 9.2 years and 805 patients (12.3%) were aged 70 years
      or above. The male:female ratio was 3.6:1. Depressed left ventricular function
      (left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40%) was present in 27.2% of the
      population. Preoperative myocardial infarction (within 30 days of surgery) had
      occurred in 588 patients (9.0%). Operative mortality was 4.6% (301 deaths).
      Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent
      predictors of operative mortality. The following variables were selected in
      descending order: urgent surgery (P less than 0.001), coronary reoperation (P
      less than 0.001), depressed left ventricular (P less than 0.001), female gender
      (P less than 0.001), increasing age (P less than 0.001), left main stenosis (P =
      0.002), and preoperative myocardial infarction (P less than 0.001). Predicted
      operative mortality varied between 0.5 +/- 0.3% and 82.6 +/- 12.7%. The most
      important determinant for patients with a preoperative myocardial infarction was
      left ventricular dysfunction, whereas urgent surgery for unstable angina was the
      most important risk variable in those without preoperative necrosis.

PMID- 1859663
TI  - Comparative study between the gastroepiploic and the internal thoracic artery as
      a coronary bypass graft. Size, flow, patency, histology.
AB  - Ninety-two gastroepiploic artery (GEA) and 322 internal thoracic artery (ITA)
      grafts which underwent postoperative angiography (0.5-24 postoperative months,
      mean 2.0 months) were compared. The sites of GEA anastomosis were 5 left anterior
      descending, 3 diagonal, 16 circumflex and 68 right coronary arteries and for ITA
      grafts, 241 left anterior descending, 40 diagonal, 36 circumflex and 5 right
      coronary arteries. Patency rates were 96% (88/92) of GEA and 98% (314/322) of
      ITA, respectively. No focal stenosis in the graft trunk was found in both GEA and
      ITA except occasional spasm in GEA. Six (6%) GEAs were opacified via the superior
      mesenteric artery. Mean diameter of grafts just proximal to the anastomosis
      measured by angiogram was 2.3 mm in GEA and 1.9 mm in ITA (P less than 0.01).
      Free flow after intraluminal papaverine injection was 90.6 ml/min (50-300 ml/min)
      in 48 GEAs and 81.3 ml/min (50-150 ml/min) in 98 ITAs. Histology showed normal to
      mild intimal sclerotic changes in 58 of 63 (92%) GEAs and in 94 of 95 (99%) ITAs.
      From these results, we concluded that GEA is a suitable conduit and good long
      term patency similar to ITA grafting can be expected in coronary artery bypass
      grafting.

PMID- 1859664
TI  - Fifteen-year follow-up for double internal thoracic artery grafts.
AB  - The internal mammary artery (IMA) is the conduit of choice for myocardial
      revascularization. From 1972 to 1989, 586 patients received bilateral IMA and
      supplemental vein grafts. There were 506 men (86%) and 79 women (14%) with a mean
      age of 55.5 years (range 32-77 years). Unstable angina was present in 138
      patients (24%), insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus in 83 (14%) and previous
      myocardial infarction (MI) in 25 (4%). Preoperative angiography demonstrated
      triple-vessel disease in 286 patients (49%) and double-vessel disease in the
      remaining 300 patients (51%). Left main coronary artery disease (stenosis greater
      than or equal to 50%) was present in 53 (9%). The mean left ventricular score was
      7.4 with a range of 5 to 20. The mean number of grafts performed was 3.4 per
      patient. Hospital mortality was 3.6% (21 patients). Follow-up was done through
      direct patient contact, via the patient's physician or by telephone contact with
      the patient themselves or surviving family members. Follow-up was complete in 518
      hospital survivors and ranged from 1 month to 17.5 years with a cumulative follow
      up of 911 patient years. At 10 and 15 years, respectively, the actuarial freedom
      from MI was 78% and 72% and freedom from reoperation was 93% and 86%. Actuarial
      survival at 10 and 15 years was 85% and 70%, respectively. This longitudinal
      analysis demonstrates that bilateral IMA grafting has a low operative risk. The
      data suggest that utilization of two IMA grafts yield excellent freedom from
      recurrent symptoms and provides excellent long-term survival.

PMID- 1859665
TI  - Lung mechanics and airway pressure transmission in infants after open heart
      surgery.
AB  - To evaluate the effects of positive airway pressure on lung mechanics and airway
      pressure transmission into the intrathoracic space, airway and intrathoracic
      pressure were recorded during stepwise lung inflation in 17 infants undergoing
      open heart surgery during the first year of life. Eleven of the 17 patients had
      cuffed tracheal tubes allowing calculation of lung and chest wall compliance. In
      7 of these 11 patients, lung inflation to 2.5 ml/kg above functional residual
      capacity produced an improvement in initially low lung compliance. This volume
      increment required elevation of airway pressure by 4-11 cm H2O above ambient.
      Further lung inflation to 10 ml/kg did not effect an improvement in lung
      mechanics. In the remaining patients, initial lung compliance was high and
      remained unchanged throughout the range of lung inflation. Transmission of
      pressure into the intrathoracic space averaged 47 +/- 9% (mean +/- SD) and ranged
      from 33% to 61% when airway pressure was 10-15 cm H2O. The results indicate that
      the use of moderately elevated airway pressure is required to optimize lung
      distensibility in most infants immediately after open heart surgery. When
      evaluating circulatory effects of elevated airway pressure, assumption of a 50%
      pressure transmission is appropriate for clinical purposes. However, the observed
      wide range of pressure transmission warrants careful hemodynamic monitoring
      during continuous positive pressure breathing.

PMID- 1859666
TI  - Perioperative monitoring of total body water by bio-electrical impedance in
      children undergoing open heart surgery.
AB  - Knowledge of the changes in total body water (TBW) following cardiac surgery
      (OHS) in children would be of value in fluid therapy and in researching the
      causes and management of capillary leak. We have validated a bioelectrical
      impedance technique (BEI) for non-invasive estimation of TBW in children after
      OHS. We report the use of this method in a longitudinal study. Twenty patients
      (mean age 4.7 years +/- 3.5 (SD), mean weight (WT) 16.2 kg +/- 1 kg) undergoing a
      variety of complex OHS procedures were studied from 1 day preoperatively to 4
      days postoperatively. Anaesthetic and basic bypass (CPB) techniques were uniform.
      Six patients underwent CPB at less than 20 degrees C, 10 at 20 degrees - 25
      degrees C and 4 at 26 degrees - 33 degrees C. TBW (BEI), core (ctemp) and
      peripheral (ptemp) temperatures and fluid balance (TFB) were recorded at frequent
      intervals. TBW (by BEI) rose (P less than 0.001) following CPB in all patients
      from 62% +/- 9% (SD) body weight preoperatively to 73% +/- 13% in the ICU (an
      increase of 11% +/- 5%). TBW remained significantly elevated until the 3rd
      postoperative day. Multivariate analysis (MVA) confirmed that TBW was
      significantly related to TFB, but not to ctemp or ptemp. MVA also revealed
      smaller patient size (height and weight), younger age and longer CPB time as
      incremental risk factors for the rise in TBW. CONCLUSIONS: (1) BEI permits the
      non-invasive study of TBW in children after OHS, when TBW variation may be
      considerable. (2) The smaller the child and the longer the CPB, the greater the
      rise in TBW. (3) The technique should be a valuable tool in researching the major
      water fluxes associated with CPB in children.

PMID- 1859667
TI  - Immunosuppression with aerosolized cyclosporine for prevention of lung rejection
      in a rat model.
AB  - The efficacy of local delivery of aerosol cyclosporine (CsA) for prevention of
      lung rejection was compared with the intramuscular route (IM) in a fully
      allogeneic rat model (BN/LEW) of lung transplantation (LTx). Control rats (group
      1, n = 6) received no CsA after LTx. Rats in group 2 (n = 10) received 4 doses of
      CsA in olive oil (25 mg/kg) intramuscularly starting on postoperative day (POD)
      0. Group 3 (n = 9) was treated with aerosolized CsA for 3 h/day for 7 days
      starting on POD 0. All animals were sacrificed on POD 6. Transplanted lungs were
      graded histologically in a blind manner on a 0-4 scale. Control animals all
      showed grade 4 rejection. i.m. CsA therapy reduced lung rejection with a
      rejection grade of 1.8 +/- 0.35 (mean +/- SD) but was associated with a 50%
      incidence of pneumonia. Aerosol CsA provided better control of rejection with a
      rejection grade of 1.2 +/- 0.4 (group 3 vs. group 2: P less than 0.05 Wilcoxon)
      and none of these animals had penumonia. Trough blood levels of CsA were
      significantly lower in the group treated with aerosolized CsA when compared with
      the IM group (P less than 0.05). Therefore we conclude that: (1) aerosol CsA is
      effective in preventing lung allograft rejection following lung transplantation
      in rats, and (2) local delivery of aerosol CsA is superior to the i.m. route
      because better control of rejection is achieved with a lower systemic delivery of
      CsA.

PMID- 1859669
TI  - Coarctation of the aorta in complex congenital heart disease: simultaneous repair
      via sternotomy.

PMID- 1859668
TI  - Early experience with crimped bovine pericardial conduit for arterial
      reconstruction.
AB  - A bovine pericardial conduit was developed in the laboratory incorporating the
      principle of crimping used for synthetic vascular prostheses. The pericardium was
      processed in glutaraldehyde and the tube was crimped by a technique which
      preserves the integrity of collagen fibres. This vascular substitute presents a
      non-thrombogenic and non-porous inner surface which does not require preclotting
      and does not leak. The material is very soft, easy to handle and suture, coapts
      nicely to suture lines resulting in a hemostatic anastomosis. The crimping design
      provides longitudinal elasticity and resistance to collapsing, retains its shape
      with bending and avoids kinking. Crimping provides a circular tube which makes
      the construction of the anastomosis easier. Experimental studies in dogs
      demonstrated absence of thromboembolism with the conduit implanted in the
      abdominal aorta. Fibrin accumulation was not noted in the convexities of the
      crimps. This conduit was designed for aortic and pulmonary reconstruction and
      available in different sizes with or without a biological valve. Initial clinical
      experience included its use in 10 patients with aortic dissections or aortic
      aneurysms from August 1989 to March 1990. A reconstruction of the abdominal aorta
      was performed in 2 patients, the descending thoracic aorta in 2, the ascending
      aorta in 2 and the ascending aorta including the aortic valve and reimplantation
      of coronary arteries in 4. For the latter 4, composite crimped pericardial tubes
      containing a porcine bioprosthesis were used. An additional patient with a single
      ventricle underwent a Fontan type operation also employing a valved crimped
      pericardial conduit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1859670
TI  - Current early results of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary
      embolism.

PMID- 1859671
TI  - A tail length modifier gene discovered in the Japanese wild mice (Mus musculus
      molossinus).
AB  - The presence of the t haplotypes in strains derived from the Japanese wild mice
      (Mus musculus molossinus) was investigated. Crosses between the T/+ heterozygous
      short tailed mice and five normal tailed molossinus strains (MOL-ANJ, MOA, MOL
      NEM, MOM and Mns) produced no tailless mice, indicating that these strains
      possess no t haplotype. In contrast, tailless mice were produced by a cross
      between the T/+ heterozygotes and a MOL-NIS strain. Mating experiments showed
      that the tailless character was due to an interaction between the T gene and an
      autosomal recessive gene carried by the MOL-NIS strain that expresses the short
      tail character under the homozygous condition. We have tentatively named this
      gene brachyury-interacting tail length modifier (btm). It remains to be
      investigated whether the btm gene is located in the t complex region or in the
      other locus.

PMID- 1859672
TI  - Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the Arthrobacter dextranase gene
      and its expression in Escherichia coli and Streptococcus sanguis.
AB  - A bacterial strain, which assimilated dextran and water-insoluble glucan produced
      by Streptococcus mutans, was isolated from soil. The bacterium produced and
      secreted potent dextranase activity, which was identified as Arthrobacter sp. and
      named CB-8. The dextranase was purified and some enzymatic properties were
      characterized. The enzyme efficiently decomposed the water-insoluble glucan as
      well as dextran. A gene library from the bacteria was constructed with
      Escherichia coli, using plasmid pUC19, and clones producing dextranase activity
      were selected. Based on the result of nucleotide sequencing analysis, it was
      deduced that the dextranase was synthesized in CB-8 cells as a polypeptide
      precursor consisting of 640 amino acid residues, including 49 N-terminal amino
      acid residues which could be regarded as a signal peptide. In the E. coli
      transformant, the dextranase activity was detected mostly in the periplasmic
      space. The gene for the dextranase was introduced into Streptococcus sanguis,
      using an E. coli-S. sanguis shuttle vector that contained the promoter sequence
      of a gene for glucosyltransferase derived from a strain of S. mutans. The active
      dextranase was also expressed and accumulated in S. sanguis cells.

PMID- 1859673
TI  - [Association of aortocoronary bypass and intraoperative laser recanalization of
      the coronary arteries in ischemic heart disease. Initial clinical results].
AB  - The work discusses the results of intraoperative laser recanalization (LR) of the
      coronary arteries (CA). It is shown that the method facilitates increase of the
      degree of myocardial revascularization after a combined operation--aortocoronary
      shunting and intraoperative CA LR. The intervention was carried out on 10
      patients, in 9 of them retrograde CA LR was conducted for recanalization of
      proximal affection of the CA and one patient underwent retrograde LR of a
      distally occurring stenosis of the anterior interventricular artery. Among the 10
      interventions 7 were successful: in 5 patients the narrowed CA lumen was
      completely restored without residual stenosis, in 2 patients the stenosis reduced
      by 50-60% with a residual stenosis of no more than 30-40%. Perforation of the CA
      wall occurred in 2 cases and was repaired surgically. Still in another case an
      attempt to perform laser recanalization of the right CA failed because of
      technical reasons. Reocclusion of the recanalized CA segment was encountered in
      the late-term period in 2 of 4 patients. The conclusion may be drawn that CA LR
      is an effective auxiliary method in the formation of an aortocoronary shunt. The
      presence of diffuse, multiple lesions of the shunted CA and occlusion of the
      vascular lumen, affection of the distal arterial channel of the CA are the main
      indications for the use of intraoperative CA LR.

PMID- 1859674
TI  - [Total anomalous drainage of pulmonary veins into the coronary sinus (clinical
      aspects, diagnosis and surgical treatment)].
AB  - Total anomalous drainage of the pulmonary veins into the coronary sinus is a
      complicated congenital heart disease which takes a particularly severe course at
      early age. Its diagnosis is based on the discovery of overfilling of pulmonary
      circulation on radiography in a cyanotic patient, atrial septal defect and
      distended coronary sinus on echocardiography, and, in some cases, anomalous
      drainage of the pulmonary veins into the coronary sinus. The final diagnosis may
      be established during selective pulmonary arteriography. Operations were
      performed on 12 patients with this pathological condition under extracorporeal
      circulation and hypothermia with good results. In patients over one year of age
      the operation consisted in widening the atrial septal defect with resection of
      the part of the interatrial septum between the defect and the superior border of
      the coronary sinus and closure of the newly formed defect with a graft and
      transposition of the coronary sinus and the abnormally draining pulmonary veins
      into the left atrium. In patients under one year of age the interatrial septum
      was not resected.

PMID- 1859675
TI  - [Diagnosis and surgical treatment of anomalous drainage of the venae cavae].

PMID- 1859677
TI  - [Surgical treatment of artificial heart valve damage developing in relation to
      prior surgery with extracorporeal circulation].

PMID- 1859676
TI  - [Morphogenesis of apico-aortic conduit implantation (data of an experimental
      study].
AB  - The article discusses the results of complex morphological research concerned
      with study of the histological structure of an extracardiac conduit in late-term
      periods after its implantation into the left ventricular-aortic position. The
      authors conducted a qualitative analysis of the morphogenesis of implantation of
      a conduit--an original new outlet tract from the left ventricle of the heart. The
      rich experimental material confirms the conclusion that the new outlet tract from
      the left ventricle of the heart is marked by complete functional competence
      adequate for conditions of systemic circulation.

PMID- 1859679
TI  - [Gas embolism of cerebral vessels in surgery with extracorporeal circulation
      (clinical and pathophysiological aspects)].
AB  - Examination of 746 cardiosurgical patients revealed a statistically significant
      dependence between the frequency and degree of gas embolism recorded by the
      ultrasonic method during the operation and the probability and severity of
      cerebral circulatory disorders in the postoperative period. Experiments on 13
      dogs showed the possibility of gas bubbles passing through the microcirculatory
      channel of the brain. Under satisfactory hemodynamic conditions up to 1/4 of the
      volume of air which has entered the cerebral arteries is "washed out" from the
      cerebral venous system. The revealed fact is most important in explaining the
      discrepancy between the frequency of gas embolism recording during the operation
      and the frequency of acute cerebral circulatory disorders in the postoperative
      period.

PMID- 1859678
TI  - [Experimental premises and 1st experiences in the clinical use of antibacterial
      vascular prostheses under circumstances of increased risk of suppuration].
AB  - It was shown on the basis of laboratory and experimental data that created
      antibacterial vascular prostheses are marked, on the main, by local
      bacteriostatic and anticoagulative effect. It was found that heparin
      concentration of 3 to 500 U per 1 kg collagen causes a hyperadhesive effect on
      blood platelets and facilitates the formation of the primary thrombocytic
      thrombus. The free surface energy grows in this case from 34 +/- 0.8 to 66.3 +/-
      erg/cm2. The optimal thromboresistant effect occurs in heparin content of 1 U per
      1 mg collagen. That this choice is correct is confirmed on examination of the
      inner surface of the prostheses with an electron microscope after being in the
      blood flow for 45 minutes. Bifurcation and linear antibacterial prostheses were
      used in 9 patients with a high risk of suppuration verified by cultures of
      discharge from ulcers and lymph nodes, and the presence of lymphangitis and
      lymphadenitis. The effect was positive in 8 patients, 2 of them had superficial
      suppuration of the operative wounds.

PMID- 1859680
TI  - [Long-term results of mitral valve prosthetics depending on the prosthesis model
      (ball, disk)].
AB  - The authors conducted a comparative analysis of patients of 2 groups--with a MK4
      model ball prosthesis and an folding disc prosthesis. It was found that the
      number of late-term (repeated) thromboembolic complications was significantly
      less in patients with a disc prosthesis (3.95 cases per 100 patient-years) and
      4.28 cases among patients with a ball prostheses. No fatal outcomes associated
      with thromboembolism occurred among patients with a disc prosthesis, the
      lethality among those with a ball prosthesis was 27.5%. The advantages of a disc
      prosthesis in indices of physical activity and increased survival were also
      established.

PMID- 1859681
TI  - [Prospective modeling of coronary bypass surgery].
AB  - Operation for mammary-coronary shunting was reproduced on experimental dogs.
      Myocardial perfusion during shunting was accomplished through a shunt, passing in
      the mammary artery and introduced into the distal part of the coronary artery
      through an incision. This allowed the use of extracorporeal circulation and the
      development of myocardial ischemia to be avoided. The method makes it possible to
      create stenoses in any part of the vascular block. The authors analysed the
      dependence between the coronary blood flow and the pressure in the left ventricle
      and aorta by means of a mathematical model, which made it possible to separate
      the effect produced on the coronary blood flow by such parameters as the
      resistance and capacity of the large vessels, resistance of small vessels,
      pressure of arrest of the blood flow, and extravascular compression.

PMID- 1859682
TI  - [Surgical treatment of "minor" forms of bronchiectasis].
AB  - A total of 835 operations were conducted for bronchiectasis on 734 patients
      (75.9% were children and adolescents). The late-term results of operations for
      "minor" forms of the disease in 118 patients are discussed. The increase of the
      proportion of "minor" forms in the structure of bronchiectasis calls for changes
      of the tactics with prevalence of segmental and polysegmental lung resections.
      The relative number of the last named has been constantly growing in the recent 2
      decades. The methods for determining the volume of the operation in
      bronchiectasis must be improved. All patients who underwent operation for "minor"
      forms of bronchiectasis must be kept under dynamic observation and more than half
      of them must be given regular anti-recurrence treatment for some years.

PMID- 1859683
TI  - [Results of the surgical treatment of pleural empyema after lung resection and
      pneumonectomy].
AB  - Pneumothorax was treated by operation in 189 patients, after pneumonectomy in 111
      of them and after various types of lung resection in 78. The treatment was
      complex in character but surgery was the principal method. The choice of the
      operation was guided by various factors, but the determinants were the phase of
      the empyema, the presence of a bronchial fistula, and the volume of the first
      lung resection. Postoperative complications occurred in 32.8% of cases, lethality
      was 11.5%. Complications developed most frequently after extensive and traumatic
      operations for removal of remaining parts of the lung after the type of
      pleuropneumonectomy. On the whole, operative methods allowed recovery or
      improvement to be achieved in 76.2% of patients in whom nonoperative methods
      failed to cure of produce a stable remission.

PMID- 1859684
TI  - [Use of endoscopic laser and electrosurgical interventions in thoracic surgery].
AB  - A total of 320 endoscopic yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser and electrosurgical
      operations were carried out on 186 patients with tumors of the trachea and
      bronchi. Most operations were performed with the use of Friedel's respiratory
      bronchoscope and general anesthesia. Optimization of the methods of endoscopic
      laser and electrosurgical interventions made it possible to achieve a positive
      clinical result in the form of recanalization of the stenosis and arrest of
      bleeding in 143 (75.3%) patients. Laser and electrosurgical endothoracic
      operations performed through a thoracoscope in 81 patients with traumatic and
      spontaneous pneumothorax removed the cause of the pneumothorax in most of them
      and allowed endoscopic hemostasis to be conducted and thoracotomy to be avoided
      in some of them.

PMID- 1859685
TI  - [Causes, surgical treatment and prevention of chondritis and osteomyelitis of the
      ribs and sternum].
AB  - The causes of chondritis and osteomyelitis of the ribs and sternum in 33 patients
      were analysed. It was found that in 70% of them purulent inflammation developed
      in the first 2-12 weeks after injury to and operations on the thoracic and
      abdominal organs. The average duration of the disease prior to hospitalization
      was about 16 months. Pathogenic microflora was isolated from the secretions of
      the affected tissues in 70.96% of patients. Different forms of the clinical
      course of the disease were distinguished according to the manifestation of the
      principal symptom: infiltrative-inflammatory, algesic, fistulous, empyema-like,
      mediastinitis-like, and a form poor in symptoms. The results of nonoperative
      treatment were studied. The use of X-ray therapy in a complex with nonoperative
      measures in 9 (25.71%) patients proved to be ineffective. Surgery was the main
      method for the management of chondritis and osteomyelitis of the ribs and
      sternum. It led to recovery of 31 (89.57%) patients without a second surgical
      intervention.

PMID- 1859686
TI  - [Experience in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant and benign tumors of the
      chest].
AB  - The article analyses the follow-up of 155 patients among whom 63 had malignant
      tumors, 65 had benign tumors, while in 27 patients the tumor-like lesions were
      recognized as posttraumatic and post-inflammatory processes. Among 61 patients
      with sarcomatous lesions of the thoracic wall 21 had a resectable tumor.
      Operation was undertaken as a component of combined treatment in 21 patients. In
      a group of 19 patients 10 (16.4% of those admitted for treatment) have a survival
      period of 6 months to 18 years without signs of tumor growth. The other patients
      died in periods of 3 to 18 months. In a group of 65 patients with benign tumors
      51 were treated by operation. Complications were not encountered. Among 27
      patients with "false" tumors 5 underwent operation. The results of the study
      allow combined treatment of malignant tumors of the thoracic wall to be
      recommended for wider application.

PMID- 1859687
TI  - [Syndrome of rupture of the mitral valve chordae: etiology, clinical aspects and
      surgical treatment].

PMID- 1859688
TI  - [Experience in the use of Soviet-made disk prostheses EMIKS and LIKS].
AB  - Experience in the application of and disc prostheses in 614 patients in
      generalized. Mitral prosthetics was conducted in 256, aortic in 229, and mitral++
      aortic in 129 patients. Hospital lethality was, respectively, 3.9, 4.8, and 8.5%.
      In postoperative follow-up periods of up to 7 years 92.1% of patients were
      examined. Survival was 88.1 +/- 0.71% in the mitral, 87.0 +/- 0.62% in the
      aortic, and 80.2 +/- 0.84% in the mitral-aortic group. No thromboembolic
      complications occurred in 88.7 +/- 0.64%, 96.9 +/- 0.31%, and 88.3 +/- 0.68% of
      patients, respectively. In the mitral position the mid-diastolic gradient was 4.0
      +/- 0.31 mm Hg on the prosthesis and 3.8 +/- 0.82 mm Hg on the prosthesis; in the
      aortic position the peak systolic gradient was, respectively, 23.2 +/- 0.58 and
      22.4 +/- 0.7 mm Hg. At the time of examination 97% of patients belonged to I and
      II functional classes.

PMID- 1859690
TI  - [Those mysterious people came home].

PMID- 1859689
TI  - [Association of myxoma of the left atrium and mitral stenosis].

PMID- 1859691
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association): "NSF in touch with
      members?"].

PMID- 1859692
TI  - [Victory for neonatal nurses. How is it in other cities?].

PMID- 1859694
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association). More capable elected
      representatives--happier members].

PMID- 1859693
TI  - [Child care: let parents guide children!].

PMID- 1859695
TI  - [EEC directive for pregnant women: prohibition against night shift].

PMID- 1859696
TI  - [We were cowards].

PMID- 1859697
TI  - [AKAN (Work-Life Committee against Alcoholism and Drug Abuse)--no abstinence
      movement].

PMID- 1859698
TI  - [Wage negotiations: spring break-up for special nurses and managers?].

PMID- 1859699
TI  - ["World sensation"--old news].

PMID- 1859700
TI  - [Philippines: nurses are "export commodity"].

PMID- 1859701
TI  - [Nurses abroad: number of certifications halved].

PMID- 1859702
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association): new structure in the local
      plan].

PMID- 1859703
TI  - [An investment in children is an investment in the future].

PMID- 1859704
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association)--designate free positions for
      professional groups].

PMID- 1859706
TI  - [With the pink snowplows behind you. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859705
TI  - [Private life is perilous. Interview by Bjorn Arild Ostby].

PMID- 1859707
TI  - [From Teheran to Gjovik. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859708
TI  - [Make quality assurance the order of the day?].

PMID- 1859709
TI  - [Do nurses have something to fear?].

PMID- 1859710
TI  - [Quality and accessibility].

PMID- 1859711
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association): paragraphs with goals
      remain].

PMID- 1859713
TI  - [What do the architects say?].

PMID- 1859712
TI  - [NSF's new profile: proposal clarified--national assembly settled].

PMID- 1859715
TI  - [10 years after examination: she is manager, she works part-time. Interview by
      Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859714
TI  - [NSF's new profile--nurse anesthetists in or out of the NSF?].

PMID- 1859716
TI  - [Take it full-time!. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859717
TI  - [Yes, to nursing assistants].

PMID- 1859718
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association): lively discussion in North
      Trondelag].

PMID- 1859719
TI  - [NSF's new profile (Norwegian Nurses' Association): districts say no].

PMID- 1859720
TI  - [NSF's new profile--Oslo district: reject proposal for new structure].

PMID- 1859721
TI  - [NSF's new profile--Akershus district: vague about district residents].

PMID- 1859722
TI  - [NSF's new profile--Sogn and Fjordane districts: what does it mean for local
      apparatus?].

PMID- 1859723
TI  - [NSF's new profile: reduced and more goal-oriented secretariat].

PMID- 1859724
TI  - [NSF's new profile: goals will guide expenditures].

PMID- 1859726
TI  - [KS (Community's Central Organization) wants an end to conflict among
      professions. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859725
TI  - [NSF's new profile--what happens to my organization?].

PMID- 1859727
TI  - [NSF's new profile: is there room for nurse managers in the Norwegian Nurses'
      Association?].

PMID- 1859728
TI  - [Norwegian study support poorest in Scandinavia].

PMID- 1859729
TI  - [New structure in the Norwegian Nurses' Association].

PMID- 1859730
TI  - [The Norwegian Medical Society and the Norwegian Nurses' Association: agreement
      on management in the hospital].

PMID- 1859731
TI  - [NSF's new profile: duo of leaders wants to turn the NSF toward the future.
      Interview by Kjell Arne Bakke and Vidar Kildahl].

PMID- 1859732
TI  - [National insurance--are you depending on it? Short and sweet about national
      insurance].

PMID- 1859733
TI  - [Home nursing: short stop in the community].

PMID- 1859734
TI  - [NSF's extraordinary national assembly: important democratic principles upheld].

PMID- 1859735
TI  - [NSF's changed structure: started to put into effect].

PMID- 1859736
TI  - [Norwegian model should prevent the Danish from committing suicide].

PMID- 1859737
TI  - [An international nursing education?].

PMID- 1859738
TI  - [Sponsoring OK--but without repayment. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1859739
TI  - [Civic sector: a few central, some local].

PMID- 1859741
TI  - [National insurance--are you depending on it?].

PMID- 1859740
TI  - [Disbursement for special nurses].

PMID- 1859742
TI  - Synergism among i.v. anaesthetics.

PMID- 1859743
TI  - Fibreoptic sensors in clinical measurement.

PMID- 1859744
TI  - Propofol sedation for outpatient upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: comparison
      with midazolam.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to assess midazolam and propofol as sedative
      agents for outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopy, with particular reference to
      recovery profile, amnesic effects, and haemodynamic state and oxygenation during
      the procedure. Forty consecutive patients were allocated randomly to two groups.
      Patients in group I (n = 19) received midazolam 81 (SEM 32) micrograms kg-1;
      those in group II (n = 21) received propofol 950 (400) micrograms kg-1. Both
      agents were administered as single injections to similar end-points of sedation.
      Psychomotor function was assessed using the digit symbol substitution test
      (DSST). Amnesia was measured with a visual memory test and subjective
      questionnaire. Patients in group I had a lower DSST score than those in group II
      (P less than 0.01), indicating a hangover effect from midazolam. Amnesia was
      similar in the two groups up to the time of removal of the endoscope. More
      patients in group II remembered removal of the endoscope (P less than 0.001).
      Oxygen desaturation from baseline was similar in both groups (P less than 0.01).
      An increase in heart rate and decrease in mean arterial pressure were noted in
      both groups. Propofol provided more rapid recovery compared with midazolam, but
      was associated with pain on injection, a short amnesia span, and reduced patient
      acceptance.

PMID- 1859745
TI  - Extradural haematoma after continuous extradural anaesthesia.
AB  - We report a case of extradural haematoma occurring after extradural anaesthesia
      in an anticoagulated patient. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance
      imaging and the haematoma was evacuated surgically. A search of the literature
      revealed only five previous reports of extradural haematoma in association with
      extradural anaesthesia.

PMID- 1859746
TI  - Non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema after transfusion with granulocyte antibody
      containing blood: treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
AB  - A 45-yr-old man developed severe non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema after a blood
      transfusion reaction which was resistant to standard therapy. We describe its
      successful treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

PMID- 1859747
TI  - A system for automatic feedback control of plasma potassium concentration.
AB  - A system is described for automatic feedback control of plasma potassium
      concentration in experimental animals. Plasma potassium was monitored
      continuously and the signal compared with the desired plasma potassium
      concentration. The resulting error signal controlled the infusion rates of a
      concentrated potassium chloride solution (50 or 200 mmol litre-1) and a solution
      of 50% glucose with insulin 200 u litre-1. Plasma potassium was increased or
      decreased to the desired concentration at various rates, dictated by the
      controller constants. Increases were achieved significantly faster than
      reductions. The system may prove useful for elucidating the fate of infused
      potassium and for determining the optimum rate of insulin infusion in
      hyperkalaemia. If adapted for clinical use, it may find applications in the
      management of various abnormalities of potassium homeostasis.

PMID- 1859748
TI  - Transfer of patients by helicopter.

PMID- 1859749
TI  - Deep venous thrombosis and anaesthesia.

PMID- 1859750
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of atracurium.

PMID- 1859751
TI  - Antagonism of intense atracurium-induced neuromuscular block in children.
AB  - Antagonism of intense neuromuscular block induced by atracurium 0.5 mg kg-1 was
      attempted in four groups of six children using one of two doses of neostigmine
      (0.05 mg kg-1 and 0.1 mg kg-1) or of edrophonium (0.5 mg kg-1 and 1.0 mg kg-1)
      when the first twitch of the post-tetanic count (PTC1) was 10% of control. For
      comparison with normal practice, a fifth group received neostigmine 0.05 mg kg-1
      when the first twitch of the train-of-four was 10% of control. Total recovery
      time from PTC1 10% to a train-of-four ratio of 0.8 was not reduced by early
      administration of the anticholinesterases, compared with conventional
      administration of neostigmine at T1 10%. However, recovery from intense block was
      faster after neostigmine than edrophonium (P less than 0.01). Doubling the doses
      of the anticholinesterases did not reduce the recovery time and had the effect of
      increasing variability. We conclude that there is no clinical advantage in
      attempting to antagonize intense neuromuscular block in children using normal or
      increased doses of neostigmine or edrophonium.

PMID- 1859752
TI  - Headache after continuous spinal anaesthesia.

PMID- 1859753
TI  - Midazolam and erythromycin.

PMID- 1859754
TI  - Haemodynamic effects and outcome analysis of hypotensive extradural anaesthesia
      in controlled hypertensive patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - We have examined the safety of induced hypotension produced by extradural
      anaesthesia in patients with medically controlled hypertension. The haemodynamic
      response to induced hypotension was assessed in 38 non-hypertensive and 31
      controlled hypertensive patients. All received extradural anaesthesia to T4 or
      above which decreased mean arterial pressure to 52 mm Hg and 55 mm Hg in
      normotensive and hypertensive patients, respectively. Cardiac output
      (thermodilution) was maintained by low dose i.v. infusions of adrenaline (1-5
      micrograms min-1). No differences in the haemodynamic response to induced
      hypotension were observed in hypertensive patients. Data were collected also from
      987 consecutive patients (353 hypertensive and 634 non-hypertensive) undergoing
      total hip replacement. Patients with hypertension were significantly older (68 vs
      60 yr; P less than 0.001) and had greater ASA ratings (P less than 0.001). The
      smallest recorded systolic pressures were reduced more in patients with
      hypertension (57% vs 52%, respectively; P less than 0.001). The mean duration of
      maintained intraoperative hypotension (100 and 98 min) and estimated
      intraoperative blood loss (278 vs 281 ml) were similar in each group. After
      operation, two patients developed myocardial infarctions. None developed acute
      renal failure or stroke. There were three deaths; one of a patient who had
      hypertension. This suggests that induced hypotension with extradural anaesthesia
      is a safe technique for patients with medically controlled hypertension
      undergoing total hip arthroplasty.

PMID- 1859755
TI  - Comparison of invasive and non-invasive measurements of continuous arterial
      pressure using the Finapres.
AB  - A comparison was made of arterial pressures measured invasively from a radial
      arterial cannula and non-invasively from the middle finger using the 2300
      Finapres (Ohmeda) during induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. Digital
      outputs of both pressures were captured directly onto computer hard disk; data
      recorded during flushing of the arterial line were excluded from analysis. We
      studied 53 patients undergoing cardiac, major vascular and neurosurgical
      procedures; 17705 comparisons of systolic, diastolic and mean pressure were
      analysed. Overall correlations between Finapres and invasive pressures were poor
      (r = 0.82, 0.68 and 0.78 for systolic, diastolic and mean pressures,
      respectively). The Finapres exhibited a high level of accuracy and precision in
      some recordings. However, patient data sets showed marked variability in average
      pressure differences (invasive minus Finapres) when examined individually or
      grouped by operation type. Unexplained variations in pressure difference with
      time and absolute pressure were observed also. Whilst providing useful beat-to
      beat information on arterial pressure trends, the Finapres cannot be recommended
      as a universal substitute for invasive arterial pressure monitoring.

PMID- 1859756
TI  - Comparison of the Finapres and direct arterial pressure monitoring during
      profound hypotensive anaesthesia.
AB  - The Finapres was compared with direct intraarterial pressure monitoring in 10
      patients undergoing local resection of choroidal melanoma, an operation that
      requires a period of profound hypotension. Good agreement was recorded for
      systolic arterial pressure and heart rate over a range of pressures. However,
      agreement of mean and diastolic pressures was poor, with the Finapres tending to
      overestimate these values. In cases requiring profound hypotension, direct
      arterial pressure monitoring remains the method of choice.

PMID- 1859757
TI  - Thiopentone-propofol hypnotic synergism in patients.
AB  - The hypnotic effects of thiopentone, propofol and their combination were studied
      in 120 unpremedicated ASA group I patients. The end-point for induction of
      anaesthesia was taken as inability to open the eyes to command 60 s after the end
      of injection. The dose-response curves were determined by probit analysis.
      Isobolographic and algebraic (fractional) analyses were used to assess
      quantitatively the combined hypnotic effect of thiopentone and propofol and to
      define the type of interaction between these two drugs. The interaction between
      thiopentone and propofol was found to be synergistic.

PMID- 1859758
TI  - Pharmacokinetic model driven infusion of propofol in children.
AB  - A computer controlled infusion device for propofol was used to induce and
      maintain general anaesthesia in 20 children undergoing minor surgical procedures.
      The device was programmed with an adult pharmacokinetic model for propofol.
      During and after anaesthesia, blood samples were taken for measurement of
      propofol concentrations and it was found that the values obtained were
      systematically overpredicted by the delivery system algorithm. New
      pharmacokinetic microconstants were derived from our data which reflected more
      accurately the elimination and distribution of propofol in a prospective study
      involving another 10 children.

PMID- 1859759
TI  - Disposition of propofol at caesarean section and in the postpartum period.
AB  - We have compared the pharmacokinetics of a bolus dose of propofol 2 mg kg-1 in
      eight patients undergoing Caesarean section with those in eight postpartum
      patients undergoing sterilization by mini-laparotomy. The Caesarean section group
      had a total body clearance of (median) 31.5 (range 24.4-53.3) ml min-1 kg-1,
      apparent volume of distribution at steady state 5.10 (2.46-6.61) litre kg-1 and
      mean residence time 161 (52.3-251) min; values for the post-partum group were
      33.8 (21.5-47.2) ml min-1 kg-1, 5.17 (3.47-8.09) litre kg-1 and 163 (92.3-238)
      min, respectively. The 95% confidence interval for the umbilical venous to
      maternal venous ratio of propofol at delivery was 0.62-0.86. Plasma protein
      binding studies showed there was less unbound propofol in maternal plasma (1.28
      2.29%) compared with umbilical plasma (2.08-3.88%) (P less than 0.01). Neonatal
      concentrations of propofol were greater than maternal concentrations at 2 h and
      were in the range 0.05-0.11 micrograms ml-1 at 4 h.

PMID- 1859760
TI  - Gastric emptying in pregnancy.
AB  - The rate of gastric emptying in pregnancy was measured indirectly using the rate
      of paracetamol absorption in four groups of 15 patients: non-pregnant controls,
      first trimester patients presenting for termination of pregnancy, second
      trimester patients presenting for prostaglandin termination of pregnancy, and
      patients presenting for elective Caesarean section. All patients were fasted for
      6 h and then received paracetamol tablets 1.5 g orally with water 50 ml. Blood
      samples were taken at 15-min intervals for 120 min and analysed for paracetamol
      concentration. There was no significant difference between the groups in the
      maximum concentration and time to maximum concentration (ANOVA). The AUC was
      reduced for the first trimester group at 60 and 120 min (P less than 0.05). No
      significant delay in gastric emptying was demonstrated in any of the three
      trimesters of pregnancy compared with the control group.

PMID- 1859761
TI  - Cardiac function in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a study of
      electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities.
AB  - Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes are reported frequently after subarachnoid
      haemorrhage (SAH). The aim of this study was to investigate the functional
      significance of ECG changes by echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function.
      Forty-five patients with intracranial aneurysms were studied. All patients had a
      12-lead ECG and a two-dimensional echocardiogram. After patients with an history
      of chronic cardiac disease (n = 4) were excluded, only four patients were found
      to have wall motion abnormalities. These patients had only minor ECG
      abnormalities, but severe neurological dysfunction. Conversely, patients with
      other ECG abnormalities including the deep inverted T waves associated usually
      with SAH, had normal echocardiograms. We conclude that the ECG is not an accurate
      predictor of myocardial function after SAH and that myocardial dysfunction is
      related more closely to severity of neurological condition.

PMID- 1859762
TI  - Non-invasive measurement of cardiac output during induction of anaesthesia and
      tracheal intubation: thiopentone and propofol compared.
AB  - We have investigated the haemodynamic changes in response to induction of
      anaesthesia and tracheal intubation in patients who received either thiopentone 5
      mg kg-1 or propofol 3 mg kg-1 followed by atracurium 0.5 mg kg-1 and fentanyl 1.5
      micrograms kg-1. Anaesthesia was maintained with 0.6% enflurane and 50% nitrous
      oxide in oxygen with assisted ventilation. Cardiac output and heart rate (HR)
      were monitored continuously with a transthoracic impedence monitor. Mean HR did
      not change after induction in each group, but increased after tracheal intubation
      in both groups (P less than 0.01). Mean cardiac index (CI) decreased after
      induction (P less than 0.05) and decreased further after tracheal intubation in
      both groups (P less than 0.05). There was no difference between the two groups
      with respect to changes in CI and HR. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and systemic
      vascular resistance (SVR) did not change significantly after induction in the
      thiopentone group. Both variables increased from preinduction values 1 min after
      tracheal intubation (P less than 0.001). In contrast, both MAP and SVR decreased
      after induction in the propofol group (P less than 0.001) and did not differ from
      preinduction values 1 min after tracheal intubation. MAP and SVR were greater in
      the thiopentone group compared with the propofol group after induction and
      tracheal intubation (P less than 0.01).

PMID- 1859763
TI  - Effect of thiopentone, etomidate and propofol on systemic vascular resistance
      during cardiopulmonary bypass.
AB  - We have studied the effect of thiopentone, etomidate and propofol on systemic
      vascular resistance (SVR) during cardiopulmonary bypass with constant pump flow
      in 30 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery. SVR decreased
      to 78% of control values after thiopentone 4 mg kg-1, to 72% of control after
      etomidate 0.3 mg kg-1, and to 68% of control after propofol 2 mg kg-1; it
      returned to control values 10 min after administration of thiopentone and
      propofol and 7 min after administration of etomidate. Analysis of variance showed
      that there were no significant differences in the changes in SVR between the
      groups.

PMID- 1859764
TI  - Effect of P6 acupressure on postoperative vomiting in children undergoing
      outpatient strabismus correction.
AB  - A prospective, double-blind study was conducted to compare the effect of pressure
      at the P6 (Neikuan) point with placebo as an antiemetic in children. Sixty-six
      patients, ages 3-12 yr, undergoing outpatient surgery for correction of
      strabismus, were allocated randomly to receive either bilateral P6 acupressure or
      placebo during the perioperative period. The study was designed to detect a 50%
      difference in the incidence of postoperative vomiting between the two groups,
      with a 90% power of achieving a statistically significant result at the 5% level
      (two-tailed). The incidence of postoperative vomiting for the placebo group was
      58% before discharge from hospital, 73% at home and 82% in the first 24 h after
      surgery. The corresponding results for the acupressure group were 58% before
      discharge, 71% at home and 94% in the first 24 h. These differences were not
      significant; P6 acupressure did not reduce the incidence of postoperative
      vomiting in children undergoing strabismus surgery.

PMID- 1859765
TI  - Preanaesthetic medication with clonidine: a dose-response study.
AB  - Eighty normotensive female patients were studied in a randomized, double-blind
      investigation, in which orally administered clonidine 0.1 mg, 0.2 mg and 0.3 mg
      were compared with a standard benzodiazepine premedicant. Clonidine 0.2 mg
      produced a significant reduction in anxiety (P less than 0.05) compared with all
      the other groups, and a better quality of induction of anaesthesia when compared
      with temazepam 20 mg and clonidine 0.1 mg. The decreases in arterial pressure and
      heart rate with clonidine 0.3 mg were significant compared with the other
      treatment groups. Hypotension persisted into the postoperative period after
      premedication with clonidine 0.3 mg, and this dose is not recommended as a
      routine premedicant.

PMID- 1859766
TI  - Halothane hepatitis.
AB  - The historical background, clinical features, morphology, epidemiology and
      aetiology of halothane hepatitis have been presented. Animal models of halothane
      hepatotoxicity have been described, although their application to humans is of
      doubtful significance. Two, probably distinct, forms of liver damage associated
      with halothane have been identified. The much more common mild form may result
      from reductive biotransformation of halothane, possibly influenced by genetic
      factors, or reduced liver oxygenation, whereas the rare fulminant form is most
      likely to be immune-mediated. The role of altered calcium homeostasis has not yet
      been established. In addition, a common mechanism for liver dysfunction
      associated with halogenated volatile anaesthetic agents has been proposed. The
      hepatotoxicity of enflurane cannot be excluded; while hepatic dysfunction after
      isoflurane or nitrous oxide is considered unlikely, further attention is
      necessary. It is too soon to comment on the hepatotoxic potential of sevoflurane
      or desflurane.

PMID- 1859768
TI  - Lung cancer staging.
AB  - Radiologic evaluation is an integral part of the staging of lung cancer. The
      potential for resection in cases of mediastinal invasion and other advanced
      disease places special demands on imaging techniques. The ability of CT or MR
      imaging to detect mediastinal invasion accurately is limited, and patients
      deserve the chance for cure by surgical resection in equivocal cases. Slight
      increments in improving accuracy in the evaluation of nodal disease has been
      shown by using different size criteria for different nodal stations and by
      evaluating nodal architecture or extracapsular spread. CT remains cost-effective
      in the overall evaluation of the patients, enabling the direction of invasive
      procedures and the elimination of unnecessary ones. In the evaluation of
      metastatic disease, most patients do not appear to benefit from bone scanning
      and, in a limited subset of patients, brain CT scanning should be performed.

PMID- 1859767
TI  - Detection and diagnosis of the primary tumor in lung cancer.
AB  - The role of radiology in the initial detection and diagnosis of primary lung
      cancer is well established. Recent advances in the detection of lung cancer stem
      from research into the visual search patterns used by a radiologist when reading
      a chest radiograph. Computer feedback of "visual-dwell" positions can lead to an
      increase in true-positive detection of lung nodules and decrease the false
      positive rate. Plain film radiography and CT continue as the mainstays for the
      characterization of lung nodules. New studies involving the use of conventional
      tomography to detect contrast enhancement of malignant lesions and the use of
      axial multiplanar reconstruction CT to demonstrate involvement of pulmonary veins
      by malignant lesions are detailed. Transbronchial and percutaneous transthoracic
      biopsy techniques are widely used to diagnose the nature of solitary pulmonary
      nodules. The dependent positioning of the biopsy site has been shown to decrease
      both the pneumothorax rate and the frequency of chest drain insertion, whereas
      the blood patch technique was shown not to affect the pneumothorax rate at all.

PMID- 1859769
TI  - The chest film in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - This paper is a selective review of the past year's literature on the infections
      and neoplasms that develop in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome. In general, the recent literature supports information previously
      reported and includes further suggestions about the pathogenesis of findings seen
      on chest radiographs.

PMID- 1859770
TI  - Digital chest radiology.
AB  - With an increasing number of storage phosphor computed radiography units being
      installed worldwide, the evaluation of digital chest radiology is no longer being
      confined to experimental determinations of adequate imaging variables. There has
      been a substantial increase in the number of clinically based studies that have
      compared computed radiography with conventional film radiography. The
      applications of computed radiography are widening and further developments in
      dual-energy imaging and scanning equalization radiography have become possible
      through the use of phosphor storage computed radiography. Computer-assisted
      diagnosis applied to chest radiography may shortly be revolutionized by
      artificial intelligence, which is capable of assimilating both radiographic and
      clinical data.

PMID- 1859771
TI  - Computed tomographic diagnosis of diffuse lung disease.
AB  - Much work has been published on CT and high-resolution CT findings in diffuse
      lung disease. In the past year, there were a few additional reports of high
      resolution CT features of specific diseases. Most studies compared high
      resolution CT with radiographic and functional assessment of disease. Important
      CT and pathologic correlative studies were done and several excellent reviews of
      CT of diffuse lung disease were published.

PMID- 1859772
TI  - Imaging of pulmonary embolisms.
AB  - The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism remains a difficult problem. the clinical
      findings are insensitive and often nonspecific. The exact role of imaging,
      specifically ventilation-perfusion scanning, has been controversial. This year,
      the results of the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis were
      published. The findings confirm that lung scintigraphy remains a key diagnostic
      procedure in the work-up of pulmonary embolism. "Normal" and "high"-probability
      scans are reliable categories and can usually be used without further
      investigation to make treatment decisions. "Intermediate"-and "low"-probability
      scans are not adequately reproducible as categories and are therefore difficult
      to separate. Most patients with scan results in these two categories will require
      further confirmatory tests.

PMID- 1859773
TI  - Imaging of the pleura.
AB  - With the use of plain radiography, CT, sonography, and more recently MR imaging,
      radiology has played a pivotal role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients
      with pleural effusions. The expanding use of CT scanning in patients with pleural
      disease has enhanced not only our understanding of the factors that affect the
      distribution of pleural fluid within the thorax, but also our understanding of
      pathologic and pathophysiologic changes in patients with pleural disease. This
      paper reviews significant recent developments in this area.

PMID- 1859774
TI  - Imaging of the pharynx and the esophagus.
AB  - In the past year there have been an unusual number of new concepts developed
      concerning the pharynx and the esophagus. The normal swallowing mechanism has
      been studied in detail using a variety of techniques that have increased our
      understanding of the normal and abnormal swallowing mechanism. In the esophagus,
      simultaneous barium swallows and esophageal manometry have created new insights
      into esophageal peristalsis. Based on this material, new recommendations have
      been developed for a standard barium swallow for the evaluation of esophageal
      motility. Also, findings previously considered to be abnormal, such as mild
      tertiary contractions, have now been demonstrated to be within normal limits. For
      the first time, detailed criteria for abnormal esophageal peristalsis have been
      described. This article reviews the literature, emphasizing those areas in which
      new concepts will affect the practicing radiologist.

PMID- 1859775
TI  - Imaging of the stomach and duodenum.
AB  - Twenty-two papers are reviewed; one on double contrast upper gastrointestinal
      tract studies and two on technical points relating to these; two on the biphasic
      upper gastrointestinal tract study; two on gastric cancer; and five on varied
      gastric topics. Six papers demonstrate continued interest in transabdominal
      gastroduodenal sonography. Four papers cover interventional techniques relating
      to the stomach, one with a novel approach to the removal of ingested metallic
      objects and three relating to percutaneous gastrostomy or gastroenterostomy.

PMID- 1859776
TI  - Imaging of the small bowel.
AB  - Radiologic imaging continues to play an integral role in the diagnosis and
      management of diseases of the small bowel. Except for the most proximal jejunal
      loop, which may occasionally be reached during upper gastrointestinal tract
      panendoscopy, and the terminal ileum, which can frequently be examined by the
      colonoscope, the mesenteric small intestine is the only gastrointestinal tract
      segment for which diagnostic study is not principally dependent upon endoscopic
      viewing. To the extent that radiologists assume primary responsibility in the
      diagnostic evaluation of the small bowel, it is essential that methods capable of
      accurately demonstrating small bowel morphology are appropriately applied
      (Maglinte et al., Radiology 1987, 163:297-305). Barium contrast studies and
      enteroclysis in particular remain the primary diagnostic methods in the small
      bowel for most clinical indications. Cross-sectional imaging modalities often
      provide unique diagnostic information, but their role remains either
      complementary to the demonstration of surface details by barium contrast studies
      or directed toward specific clinical circumstances that require discrete
      evaluation of the small-bowel wall and the adjacent tissues and organs.

PMID- 1859777
TI  - Imaging of the colon.
AB  - The highlight of articles published on radiologic examination of the colon is the
      increasing indication for use of the barium enema for screening for colorectal
      carcinoma. Radiologic screening for colorectal cancer promises to be more
      effective than mammograptive screening and more cost-effective than alternative
      means, such as colonoscopy. Important work on defocography suggests that
      measurements of anorectal angle and pelvic floor descent are nondiagnostic, and
      that rectal-wall changes are the important findings. Findings on CT scanning
      continue to be investigated in diseases, such as diverticulitis and tuberculosis,
      that affect both the colonic mucosa and pericolonic tissues. An important new
      trend is the use of sonography to investigate the colon for the presence of
      neoplasms.

PMID- 1859778
TI  - Imaging of the liver.
AB  - New developments in imaging of the liver have continued during the past year.
      Ultrasonography, particularly color Doppler applications, and invasive CT
      techniques are used with increasing frequency. New contrast agents are being
      tested for improved ultrasonographic detection of liver lesions, and faster
      imaging sequences and variations on older techniques are innovations in the field
      of MR imaging. Correlation studies addressed the issue of which are the best
      suited imaging methods for the various pathologic changes in the liver.

PMID- 1859779
TI  - Radiology of the pancreas.
AB  - This paper summarizes the major publications regarding imaging and intervention
      in pancreatic diseases from December 1989 through November 1990. This year, many
      of the most notable papers were published in the medical and surgical journals,
      reflecting that radiologic evaluation and intervention in patients with
      pancreatitis and pancreatic neoplasms are becoming standards of practice in many
      institutions.

PMID- 1859780
TI  - Diagnostic and interventional procedures for the biliary tract.
AB  - Various diagnostic imaging studies have been employed in the past year to
      evaluate the normal and abnormal biliary ductal system. Variations in the normal
      ductal drainage of the left lobe of the liver, in which the right lateral hepatic
      duct drained into the left hepatic duct, were studied because of the implications
      for the surgical resection of the left lobe. Choledochal cysts have been studied
      in adults using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to evaluate the
      abnormal junction between the common bile duct and pancreatic duct and the long
      dilated common channel. An ultrasound study indicated that children with
      choledochal cysts also may have intrahepatic duct dilatation. An increased
      incidence of malignancy has been noted in adults with choledochal cysts, and
      their appearance on ultrasound, CT, and cholangiography were described. Cystic
      fibrosis produces abnormalities of the biliary tree, extrahepatic strictures, and
      more interestingly, intrahepatic ductal dilatation and abnormal contour without
      strictures. The usefulness of the preoperative ultrasonographic evaluation of the
      biliary tract in Oriental cholangiohepatitis was stressed. Bile duct
      abnormalities in fascioliasis were also noted on CT scans. Patterns of
      abnormality in the CT appearance of the thickened, contrast-enhanced,
      extrahepatic bile ducts were elucidated. Focal concentric, focal excentric,
      diffuse concentric, and diffuse excentric ducts were seen with various forms of
      pancreatic disease, choledocholithiasis, and various forms of cholangitis. An
      enhanced, thick-walled duct indicates disease, but is a nonspecific finding.
      Chronic cholecystitis was found to produce false-positive cholescintigram results
      in patients with suspected acute cholecystitis, but only in those with severe
      degrees of chronic cholecystitis. The results of multicenter trials using
      extracorporeal biliary lithotripsy in the United States have been published. They
      are somewhat disappointing and do not confirm the original excellent results
      reported in Germany for treatment of gallbladder stones. Much interest has been
      focused on the use of expandable metallic stents for the treatment of benign and
      malignant biliary obstruction. Preliminary data suggest good patency rates for
      benign lesions. Patency rates for malignant lesions are similar to those of
      previously available plastic stents.

PMID- 1859781
TI  - Magnetic resonance angiography in the abdomen and pelvis.
AB  - Magnetic resonance angiography of the abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities is
      still under clinical investigation. This article represents a short review of the
      current literature in the subject, with emphasis on newer imaging techniques such
      as two-dimensional and three-dimensional gradient-echo pulse sequences, their
      current and future clinical applications, and their practical limitations. If the
      preliminary results hold up, MR angiography may become a standard tool for the
      evaluation of vascular disorders such as portal hypertension and renal artery
      stenosis, particularly in conjunction with quantitative measurements of blood
      flow. The published results making use of MR angiography either alone or in
      combination with quantitative MR flow measurements in the aorta, the portal
      system, and in femoral and iliac artery disease are very promising indeed.
      However, the studies published still comprise a very limited number of patients,
      and there is a paucity of well-controlled clinical studies applying standardized
      techniques to a large number of subjects.

PMID- 1859782
TI  - Imaging of the peritoneal cavity.
AB  - Newer techniques and applications of cross-sectional imaging of the abdomen with
      CT, ultrasound, and MR imaging have facilitated the diagnosis of diseases
      primarily involving the peritoneal cavity. CT peritoneography may aid in
      diagnosing complications of peritoneal dialysis, and detecting internal hernias
      and small peritoneal implants. Uncommon abnormalities such as sclerosing
      encapsulating peritonitis, cystic mesothelioma, and peritonitis from rupture of a
      retroperitoneal teratoma may also be diagnosed with CT or ultrasonography.

PMID- 1859784
TI  - Chest.

PMID- 1859783
TI  - Contrast material for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the
      gastrointestinal tract.
AB  - Various contrast agents are applied in both CT and MR imaging to improve the
      detection as well as the differentiation of focal liver lesions. In detecting
      hepatocellular carcinoma, the accuracy of Lipiodol-enhanced CT is comparable to
      that of CT during arterial portography. Tissue-specific contrast agents for the
      liver are superparamagnetic iron oxide particles, which are characterized by
      uptake in the reticuloendothelial system, and the paramagnetic hepatobiliary
      contrast agent manganese (II)-N,N'-dipyridoxylethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetate-5,5'
      bis(phosphate). Both substances have the potential for markedly improving the
      detection of malignant liver tumors. The already good differentiation of focal
      hepatic lesions on plain MR images can be further improved by dynamic gadolinium
      diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid-enhanced MR imaging. In the diagnosis of
      bile duct disorders, contrast-enhanced CT continues to be the method of choice.
      Water applied as a gastrointestinal contrast agent improves the staging of rectal
      carcinoma by CT. The development of suitable orally applied gastrointestinal
      contrast agents has now also improved the differentiation of the intestine from
      other abdominal structures on MR images, and this will lead to a general
      improvement of abdominal MR imaging.

PMID- 1859785
TI  - Gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1859786
TI  - The metabolism of lactate.
AB  - Lactate contents of tissues can vary during normal physiological conditions in
      mammals from 0.5 to over 5 mM, and higher in pathological states, suitable for
      measurement by NMR. Lactate itself is a dead-end metabolite, metabolized only by
      lactate dehydrogenase. The extent and direction of that reaction is determined by
      the free [NAD+]/[NADH][H+] ratio of cytoplasm with which lactate and pyruvate are
      in near-equilibrium. Pyruvate is a crossroads of most of the major degradative
      and synthetic pathways, but present in about one-tenth the amount of lactate.
      Information on the content of both lactate and its redox partner pyruvate is
      likely to provide more information on the metabolic state of tissue than are
      measurements of lactate alone.

PMID- 1859787
TI  - Multiple quantum NMR spectroscopy methods for measuring the apparent self
      diffusion coefficient of in vivo lactic acid.
AB  - Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods are presented for measuring the
      apparent self-diffusion coefficient of lactic acid in vivo. These techniques
      incorporate diffusion-sensitive gradients into multiple quantum NMR pulse
      sequences that are employed for spectral editing. Both diffusion-sensitive zero
      quantum (ZQ) and double quantum (DQ) spectral editing techniques have been
      developed and the DQ method has been used to measure the apparent self-diffusion
      coefficient of in vivo lactic acid in H-MESO-1 human tumor xenografts
      subcutaneously implanted in athymic mice.

PMID- 1859789
TI  - Traffic accidents. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth and young
      adults, 1982-1989.

PMID- 1859790
TI  - Sexually transmitted diseases. Increasing incidence of gonorrhoea and syphilis in
      homosexual men in Edinburgh.

PMID- 1859791
TI  - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS-related knowledge and behaviour
      among teenagers, 1990.

PMID- 1859788
TI  - What the clinician can learn from MRS lactate measurements.
AB  - Lactate is of special importance in brain metabolism. In the 1980s, noninvasive
      methods for measurement of lactate concentration and turnover rate in living
      brain by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy were implemented in both animals and humans,
      opening the way to innovative examination of lactate's role in normal and
      deranged brain function. Early data on elevation of lactate in human visual
      cortex by physiologic stimulation and turnover of pathologically elevated brain
      lactate pools in animals and humans suggest that the new methods are likely to
      benefit clinical practice both directly--by providing information useful in
      management of individual patients--and indirectly--through improved understanding
      of disease processes.

PMID- 1859792
TI  - Syphilis.

PMID- 1859793
TI  - Trichinosis. Outbreak in Auvergne associated with the consumption of horseflesh.

PMID- 1859794
TI  - Hand ischemia.

PMID- 1859795
TI  - Vascular graft research: endothelial cell seeding of synthetic bypass grafts.
AB  - Over thirty years ago, bypass grafts first became available for human use. This
      technological development provided patients with improved functioning and quality
      of life. It is a peculiarity of nature that humans do not heal synthetic bypass
      grafts with an endothelial lining as other animals will. Researchers have
      developed the technology to take endothelial cells from a peripheral vein of a
      person and plant them inside a synthetic bypass graft. Now, science has progress
      to the point of applied research. In the application of this research to
      patients, knowledge will be obtained to see if seeding of grafts makes a
      difference. Hope is on the forefront that peripheral vascular surgery patients
      may be able to have synthetic grafts that are more like the vessels that they
      were created with and this will lead to improved functioning and quality living.

PMID- 1859796
TI  - Peripheral vascular trauma: case history.

PMID- 1859797
TI  - Management of facial arteriovenous malformations.
AB  - Today's management of vascular anomalies requires that the nurse be a vital
      element in the recovery process. Understanding the role of embolization in
      managing vascular lesions and keeping informed about the newest developments in
      this fast changing field enables the nurse to better help the patient toward a
      successful outcome.

PMID- 1859798
TI  - Chronic arterial occlusive disease of the lower extremity.

PMID- 1859799
TI  - Angioscopy.
AB  - Improved technology has made the technique of video angioscopy available. This
      technique, when routinely applied, can provide a wealth of important information
      to the vascular surgeon. The long term benefits will include improvement of
      surgical techniques and the potential to simplify and lower the cost of vascular
      surgery. The angioscope has emerged as a potentially powerful tool for today's
      vascular surgical team. Nurses need to be aware of this procedure so that they
      can provide quality care for these patients.

PMID- 1859800
TI  - "Adenomatous polyps of the gallbladder" adenomas of the gallbladder.
AB  - The finding of adenomatous polyps of the gallbladder is a rare occurrence and an
      unusual clinical problem. Among 2,145 patients who underwent cholecystectomy for
      gallbladder disease only 9 (0.4 per cent) presented with adenomatous polyps.
      There were 6 women and 3 men, aged 17 to 70 years. Preoperative ultrasonographic
      diagnosis was made in only 1 of 7 patients with gallstones, in contrast polypoid
      lesions within a gallbladder without stones were easily confirmed by both
      ultrasonography and oral cholecystography in the remaining 2 patients. All polyps
      were 1.0 cm or less in size and without histologic evidence of malignant change.
      The clinical significance of this rare condition is discussed, with particular
      reference to a possible role in development of gallbladder carcinoma. Surgical
      treatment should be advocated regardless of clinical manifestation when the polyp
      exceeds 1.0 cm in diameter or rapid growth of the lesion is seen on
      ultrasonographic follow-up examinations.

PMID- 1859801
TI  - Impact of the CUSA and operative ultrasound on hepatic resection.
AB  - New technologies have been developed for liver surgery, and, like all new
      technologies, they have a glamour which makes them seem desirable. There is an
      understanding abroad that they make liver surgery easier and open up the field to
      those without special training. But there is no proof that the new devices are in
      any way cost-effective, and certainly no proof that liver surgery has become
      safer since their advent. Fifty consecutive elective liver resections have been
      studied, almost half performed with the aid of the ultrasonic dissector and
      aspirator and diagnostic intraoperative ultrasound. There was no mortality in the
      whole group, but a 24% morbidity. Operative diagnostic ultrasound was thought to
      allow more precise planning of surgery. Its use was not associated with any
      increase in operative time, nor was there any increase in postoperative
      morbidity. The ultrasonic dissector and aspirator improved technique, reflected
      in a lower blood loss for each case, in fewer transfusions required, in a shorter
      postoperative hospital stay and in an ability to achieve these benefits in older
      patients. Neither device could be said to offer an entree to instant liver
      surgery. The use of the two devices apparently offered savings measured by a fall
      in the median postoperative hospital stay of 4.5 days, by a saving of 700 mls in
      median blood requirement and by a fall in transfusion rate from 64% to 9%.

PMID- 1859802
TI  - An unusual case of hepatic tumor.
AB  - A case is reported of a large hepatic tumor in a patient aged 71. Preoperative
      diagnostic techniques, including echography, CT and angiography, did not provide
      sufficient criteria for a precise diagnosis. The mass was removed with an
      extended right hepatectomy with no particular physiopathological consequences.
      Histological analysis revealed that this was a metastasis from a melonoma of the
      choroid, operated on 17 years previously.

PMID- 1859803
TI  - Construct validity of two heterosocial perception skill measures for assessing
      rape proclivity.
AB  - Rape-supportive attitudes and self-reported rape proclivity (using a measure by
      Malamuth, Haber, & Feshbach, 1980) were negatively correlated with decoding
      accuracy of women's negative cues (measured by the TRAC-D; McDonel, McFall,
      Schlundt, & Levenson, 1985) in an unselected sample of male college students.
      Better decoders of negative female cues on the TRAC-D, as well as subjects
      expressing fewer rape-supportive beliefs and less rape proclivity, were more
      conservative in their estimates of a man's justification in continuing to make
      sexual advances in the face of a woman's negative cues on the Heterosocial
      Perception Survey (HPS; McDonel, 1986). Ability to decode men's interpersonal
      cues was not correlated with responses on the HPS or rape attitude and proclivity
      measures, suggesting that specific rather than global decoding deficits were
      useful predictors of rape correlates. These results support the construct
      validity of the two social perception measures, the TRAC-D, and the HPS, as
      measures of rape proclivity.

PMID- 1859804
TI  - Self-reports of spousal violence in a Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white
      population.
AB  - As part of a survey of Los Angeles households, 1,243 Mexican Americans and 1,149
      non-Hispanic whites were surveyed about their experiences of spousal violence.
      Questions to assess violence included both perpetration (whether they had been
      physically violent toward a partner) and victimization (whether they had been the
      victim of sexual assault by a partner). Over one-fifth (21.2%) of the respondents
      indicated that they had, at one or more times in their lives, hit or thrown
      things at their current or former spouse or partner. Spousal violence rates for
      Mexican Americans born in Mexico and non-Hispanic whites born in the United
      States were nearly equivalent (20.0% and 21.6%, respectively); rates were highest
      for Mexican Americans born in the United States (30.9%). While overall rates of
      sexual assault were lower for Mexican Americans, one-third of the most recent
      incidents reported by Mexico-born Mexican-American women involved the husband and
      approximated rape.

PMID- 1859805
TI  - For better or worse: attributions about drunken aggression toward male and female
      victims.
AB  - Research on attributions about drunken violence has suggested that intoxication
      serves to decrease responsibility attributed to aggressors while increasing
      responsibility attributed to victims. In this study, we used a scenario depicting
      a violent interaction in which intoxication of aggressor and victim and victim
      sex were varied. Subjects made attributions of blame, causality, responsibility,
      and normative judgements about aggressor and victim. In general, drunkenness made
      things worse for the intoxicated person in terms of observers' judgments: A
      drunken aggressor was blamed more than a sober aggressor, an intoxicated victim-
      whether male or female--was blamed more than a sober victim, and aggression
      toward a drunken victim was rated as more acceptable than aggression toward a
      sober victim. Results are discussed in terms of the use of alcohol intoxication
      as a gender-independent cue to blame the victim, and the increasing societal
      disapproval of drunkenness.

PMID- 1859806
TI  - Police response to wife assault in Northern Ireland.
AB  - To a large extent research on police response to wife assault had been dominated
      by the North American experience. Recent work in Britain has cast doubt on the
      extent to which these findings are applicable to the British context and drawn
      attention to the need for studies which explore the specific context in which
      policing occurs. It is argued that this approach has particular relevance in
      Northern Ireland where, in contrast to North America and Britain, the police
      operate in a context of political violence. Using data obtained from a series of
      semi-structured interviews with 67 women who defined themselves as victims of
      wife assault, the study examines police response in Northern Ireland. While the
      results indicate similar patterns of police response in Northern Ireland as those
      found elsewhere, the results also suggest that factors specific to the Northern
      Ireland context may influence women's use of the police, police procedures and
      police attitudes, and women's experience as victims.

PMID- 1859807
TI  - A multimethod approach to the assessment of physical abuse.
AB  - Numerous and heterogeneous symptoms of maladjustment have been documented among
      victims of physical abuse. Much of the well-controlled, theoretically guided
      research is rooted in methodology designed to search for group differences
      between abused children and a comparison group. Given the recognized
      methodological problems in constructing appropriate comparison groups for abused
      children, this study is designed to examine alternative methodological
      approaches. The purpose of the study is to utilize a case study to illustrate the
      utility of a multimethod approach to highlight intraindividual variation in the
      impact of abuse. This study of physically abused twin boys demonstrates that
      differential patterns of findings are revealed by standardized assessment in
      comparison to behavioral observation. The results underscore intraindividual
      variation in the impact of abuse. It is suggested that innate temperamental
      factors interact with parent-child interaction patterns to account for such
      intraindividual variation.

PMID- 1859808
TI  - History of child sexual abuse and adult sexual fantasies.
AB  - The study investigated the hypothesis that women with a history of childhood
      sexual abuse would report different sexual fantasies from women with no childhood
      sexual abuse. Women with a history of abuse had more force in their fantasies,
      had more sexually explicit fantasies, began having sexual fantasies at a younger
      age, and had more fantasies with the theme of being under someone's control.
      Women with a history of childhood physical abuse did not have a similar pattern.
      It was suggested that the sexual fantasies may reflect the sexualizing effect of
      childhood sexual experiences and that fantasies of the abusive experience may
      become intrusive.

PMID- 1859810
TI  - [Lesions of the oral mucosa. Epidemiological study of 7,297 patients].
AB  - To our Knowledge, this is the first work in a number population (higher than 500
      sample WHO) that is carried out in our country about lesions in the Oral Mucosa.
      The advantages in this Kind of studies are recognized particularly in the fields
      of academic, research and services. This work presents the first view of a
      permanent research project of Oral Mucosa Lesions at the admission clinic, School
      of Dentistry, Universidad del Bajio. The findings are from the evaluation of
      7,297 patients, 15 years or older, that seek dental services between January 1982
      and June 1989 (7.5 years). The lack of national data and the oldest population
      samples in other countries studies stopped wider evaluations, even though the
      study purpose was not affected, it was possible to offer qualitative data in the
      respect of prevalecence, variety and etiopathogenesis of those type of pathosis
      in the Oral Mucosa. The general prevalecence in the group was approximately 13%,
      identifying lesions more frequently in males, but higher variety in females.
      Report on 40 different entities, presented in general according to a descent
      order of prevalencece and reagrouped by sex and pathology. In half the lesions
      was possible to identify as the cause, acute and cronic traumatic agents; The
      infectious associations were also very frequent. Those last observations are of
      high relevance concerning the prevention of Oral Mucosa lesions.

PMID- 1859809
TI  - [Current status of therapy with dental implants].
AB  - The objective of the present article was to review the literature concerning the
      use of dental implants during the last decades. It is based on the excellent
      paper published by Dr. Roland Meffert in the Proceedings of the World Workshop in
      Clinical Periodontics of 1989. The following points were analyzed: 1) The current
      criteria of success for dental implants. 2) The histology of the perimucosal or
      transgingival area surrounding the dental implants. 3) The means of retention of
      the different types of dental implants. 4) Four basic forms of dental implants:
      a) Blade-Vent implants, b) Transosteal Implants, c) Osseointegrated Implants, and
      d) Subperiosteal Implants. 5) The steps for the construction of an
      osseointegrated prosthesis. 6) The maintenance of the case. 7) Indications and
      contraindications of the different types of implants. 8) Conclusions. 9)
      Bibliography.

PMID- 1859811
TI  - [Observational study of craniofacial growth and development in Mexican children].
AB  - The election of a investigation about craniofacial growing and development in
      Mexican children, was done due to a lack of national information in this rubric
      and as a fundamental part of the "growing and development in the scholastic"
      module of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, which work
      hypothesis was that "craniofacial growing and development in Mexican, 6 to 12
      children in Xochimilco area are due to nutritional deficiency, second dentition
      eruption delay and dental maloclution "which was totality confirmed in a 100
      Mexican facial characteristic children field work study, with cephalometric
      studies which permit to determine the craniofacial growing standard. This study
      was corroborated with a 40 children, 4 years later follow up.

PMID- 1859812
TI  - [Amelogenesis imperfecta. Description of a clinical case].
AB  - A family of five was examined. Four of them presented with enamel alteration
      including changes in colour and loss of enamel surface. A genetic study was
      undertaken which revealed an autosomal dominant inheritance with complete
      penetration and variable expressivity. This is reflected in shape, number,
      extension and depth of the affected areas. Amelogenesis Imperfecta type IV was
      diagnosed using Shields classification.

PMID- 1859813
TI  - The medical care of young adults: the practice of ephebiatrics.

PMID- 1859814
TI  - Medical needs of performing arts students.
AB  - A questionnaire was administered to 71 college students enrolled in dance, drama,
      and musical theater programs to assess health care problems, injuries, risk
      taking behaviors, and sources of care. Many desired help with depression,
      fatigue, and chronic bone or joint pain, although 37% identified no regular
      physician. Thirty-nine students reported 87 injuries involving the back, foot,
      ankle, and knee; 12% sustained injuries at least monthly; and 72% of injuries
      occurred in class. The incidence of eating disorders appears to be low, as
      assessed by indirect measures such as body weight, oligomenorrhea, diet pill or
      laxative use, and scores on a body image index. The 30-day prevalence of tobacco
      use was 26%; marijuana, 11%; and alcohol, 71%. This survey suggests that
      performing arts students have important unmet health care needs.

PMID- 1859815
TI  - Radionuclide ventriculography in severely underweight anorexia nervosa patients
      before and during refeeding therapy.
AB  - Congestive heart failure is a well-recognized complication of refeeding therapy
      in underweight patients with anorexia nervosa but there are few data describing
      cardiac function during the critical refeeding period. This prospective study
      examined left ventricular function with conventional electrocardiographic-gated
      radionuclide ventriculography (RVG) in severely underweight anorexia nervosa
      patients both before and during refeeding therapy. Eight patients underwent rest
      and exercise RVG at admission and after regaining approximately 5% to 10% of
      their ideal body weight. With the admission study serving as a control, the left
      ventricular ejection fraction and regional wall motion analysis were analyzed
      before and after refeeding and weight gain. Resting left ventricular ejection
      fractions were not significantly different between the first and second RVGs (64
      +/- 11% vs. 62 +/- 8%, respectively; P greater than .05). Likewise, the left
      ventricular ejection fraction with maximal exercise did not significantly differ
      when comparing the first or the second RVG (74 +/- 10% vs. 72 +/- 8%, P greater
      than .05). During the baseline RVG, the left ventricular ejection fraction
      increased from 64 +/- 11% (rest) to 74 +/- 10% (maximal exercise) (P less than
      .001). During the second RVG, the ejection fraction increased from 62 +/- 8%
      (rest) to 72 +/- 8% (maximal exercise) (P = .003). However, the left ventricular
      exercise ejection fraction in the second RVG in one patient increased only by one
      absolute percentage point. Four of the eight patients had regional wall motion
      abnormalities detected during resting and/or exercise RVG. Abnormal cardiac
      function occurs in asymptomatic patients with anorexia nervosa undergoing
      refeeding therapy.

PMID- 1859816
TI  - Adolescent body image during pregnancy.
AB  - This study compares the body perceptions of pregnant teenagers with those of
      their never-pregnant peers. Forty-three third-trimester pregnant girls were
      matched by age, race, socioeconomic status, and pubertal development to 43 never
      pregnant girls. Subjects were given the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS), a
      self-administered questionnaire consisting of 100 self-descriptive statements
      which are divided into nine subscales. When compared with never-pregnant girls,
      the pregnant girls have a higher overall self-esteem, a more positive body image,
      a surer self-identity, and feel more productive as a family member, but appeared
      limited in their capacity for self-criticism.

PMID- 1859817
TI  - Depression in inner city adolescents attending an adolescent medicine clinic.
AB  - Interviews of 70 healthy inner city adolescents attending an adolescent medicine
      clinic, using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents (DICA),
      revealed that 13% met criteria for current major depressive disorder. Lifetime
      diagnoses of major depression were found in 30% of the subjects, with many
      describing recurrent episodes and chronic residual symptoms. Depression in inner
      city adolescents represents a serious problem that may be best first detected in
      a medical setting.

PMID- 1859818
TI  - Unwanted sexual experiences among middle and high school youth.
AB  - Of the 1197 middle and high schoo students who participated anonymously in a
      health survey, 15% reported they had had a past unwanted sexual experience.
      Females were more likely than males and older students more likely than younger
      students to have had such experiences, which were categorized into six types:
      force/rape, child abuse, influence of drugs/alcohol, partner pressure, regret,
      and peer pressure. Male students tended to report peer pressure and regret more
      often than females, who tended to report forced situations and child abuse. The
      genders were similar, however, regarding partner pressure and the influence of
      drugs and alcohol. Students who reported having had an unwanted sexual experience
      were more likely to report current risk taking behaviors, school problems, and
      health problems that those who had not had such experiences. Students who had
      been physically forced were less likely to be currently sexually active and
      scored lower on a measure of current substance use than those who were not
      forced.

PMID- 1859819
TI  - Bibliography of recent journal articles.

PMID- 1859820
TI  - Folding studies of the cysteine proteinase inhibitor--human stefin A.
AB  - Reversible GuHCl denaturation of human stefin A (25 degrees C, pH 8) was
      monitored by the tyrosine fluorescence, by circular dichroism in the near UV and
      by circular dichroism in the far UV. In each case a midpoint of 2.8 +/- 0.1 M
      GuHCl was obtained, demonstrating the cooperativity of the denaturation. Kinetics
      of the slow folding on diluting the protein from the GuHCl denatured state, was
      also measured by the three spectroscopic probes (10 degrees C, pH 8). Results
      conform to a sequential mechanism. Denaturant concentration and temperature
      dependence of the slow folding were measured by fluorescence. From a linear
      Arrhenius plot the Ea of 100 +/- 5 kJ/mol was read. 'Double mixing' experiments
      revealed a slow reaction going on in the unfolded state which influenced the
      amplitude of the fluorescence changes. 'Double mixing' experiments performed by
      FPLC have shown that the folding itself, i.e., the formation of a compact state,
      was not dependent on the time spent under unfolding conditions.

PMID- 1859821
TI  - Binding sites of pyridine in cytochrome P-450cam.
AB  - Careful titration of oxidized cytochrome P-450cam from Pseudomonas putida with
      pyridine revealed deviations of the Eadie plot from linearity in the substrate
      bound as well as in the substrate-free protein. A binding model which assumes two
      binding sites for pyridine--the iron and the camphor binding site--is able to
      describe completely the nonlinear Eadie plot.

PMID- 1859822
TI  - Salt hydrates buffer water activity during chymotrypsin-catalysed peptide
      synthesis.
AB  - Chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) powder suspended in hexane in the presence of
      Na2CO3.10H2O is a good catalyst for peptide synthesis. The salt hydrate releases
      water to fix the thermodynamic water activity of the system in accord with its
      dissociation pressure. Salt hydrates can be useful to buffer water activity in
      mainly organic enzyme reaction mixtures at a value permitting activity of the
      catalyst while minimising hydrolytic side reactions.

PMID- 1859823
TI  - Characterization of a novel 14 kDa bile acid-binding protein from rat ileal
      cytosol.
AB  - A 14 kDa polypeptide in rat ileal cytosol has been identified as the major
      intestinal cytosolic bile acid-binding protein (I-BABP) by photoaffinity labeling
      with the radiolabeled 7,7-azo derivative of taurocholate (7,7-azo-TC). To further
      characterize I-BABP, the protein was purified by lysylglycocholate Sepharose 4B
      affinity and DE-52 anion-exchange chromatography. The purified I-BABP contained a
      single 14 kDa band on SDS-PAGE. The 14 kDa protein showed a 26-fold increase in
      binding affinity for [3H]7,7-azo-TC compared to cytosolic protein. Immunoblotting
      of protein fractions separated by affinity chromatography showed that neither
      liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) nor intestinal fatty acid binding
      protein (I-FABP) bind to the affinity column and that the 14 kDa protein which
      bound to the column and was subsequently eluted with detergent did not cross
      react with anti-L-FABP or anti-I-FABP. The 14 kDa protein labeled with [3H]7,7
      azo-TC was radioimmunoprecipitated from cytosol by rabbit antiserum raised
      against purified I-BABP. I-BABP was shown to have a blocked N-terminus; however,
      its mixed internal sequence generated from cyanogen bromide-cleaved protein and
      amino acid composition indicated that it was related to (although clearly
      distinct from) both I-FABP and L-FABP. These studies have isolated a 14 kDa bile
      acid-binding protein from rat ileal cytosol which is immunologically and
      biochemically distinct from I-FABP and L-FABP.

PMID- 1859825
TI  - Modulation of lipase hydrolysis and synthesis reactions using carbohydrates.
AB  - A novel method for modulation of lipase hydrolysis and synthesis lipase was
      investigated by using carbohydrates in the microenvironment of the Candida rugosa
      enzyme. The influence of the addition of different sugars to the previously
      dialysed enzyme was tested on the two reactions. Rates of hydrolysis were lowered
      by using dialysed enzyme but were increased after sugar addition, regardless of
      the identity of the added sugar. In contrast, synthesis reaction rates depended
      on the nature of the carbohydrate. Rates were increased by adding lactose, which
      is not a water activity depressor, but were lowered by adding fructose, glucose,
      sucrose or sorbitol, which are all water activity depressors.

PMID- 1859824
TI  - The interaction of [13C]-enriched colchicine with tubulin as determined by NMR
      spectroscopy.
AB  - [13C]Colchicine, labeled at the tropolone ring methoxy carbon, was used to study
      interactions with tubulin containing either Mg2+ or Mn2+ at the high affinity
      divalent cation binding site. Similar experiments were carried out in the
      presence of excess free divalent cation. The results show that: (1) when Mn2+
      occupies the N-site, the 13C signal of the colchicine methoxy carbon of protein
      bound colchicine is not broadened, indicating that in protein-bound colchicine
      the tropolone methoxy group is not close to the N-site cation; (2) when excess
      Mn2+ is present in solution this 13C signal is severely broadened, indicating
      that a low affinity divalent cation site or the exchangeable site (E-site)
      divalent cation is situated near the colchicine binding site; and (3) in the
      absence of paramagnetic ions a downfield chemical shift is observed for the
      tropolone methoxy carbon of colchicine upon binding to tubulin, suggesting that
      colchicine binds near an aromatic group(s) on tubulin.

PMID- 1859826
TI  - Characterization of a family of high-molecular-weight plasminogen activators
      secreted by a lung tumor cell line.
AB  - In an earlier publication (Harvey, et al. (1982) J. Biol. Chem., 257, 5645-5651)
      the discovery of a family of unusually large molecules with plasminogen activator
      activity in the conditioned medium of a human lung cancer cell line was reported.
      These molecules are related to urokinase (uPA) by functional and immunological
      criteria. We have now purified two representatives of this glycoprotein family of
      Mr 900,000 (PA900) and Mr 660,000 (PA660). While these could be fractionated into
      subspecies exhibiting size and charge differences, reduction yielded in all cases
      two predominant chains of 70 and 40 kDa, respectively. Since the amino acid
      composition of the subfractions was identical, we conclude that the heterogeneity
      is due to demonstrated differences in glycosylation. The amino acid composition
      of the unreduced species and of the major reduced chains differed from that of 55
      kDa uPA. These enzymes are active toward the substrate, plasminogen, as well as
      toward the uPA-specific synthetic substrate, Spectrozyme UK, and these activities
      are inhibitable by diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP). Treatment of PA660 with
      [3H]DFP resulted in the incorporation of 1.4 mol of DFP into 1 mol of enzyme,
      suggesting the presence of a single active site. The label was quantitatively
      recovered in a 21 kDa fragment in a reduction experiment. This fragment also
      demonstrated immunological reactivity with antiurokinase. It is postulated that
      PA660 is composed of five or six pairs of the 70 and 40 kDa chains, and of a
      single uPA-like entity. All of these chains are linked by disfulfide bonds.
      Whether larger portions of uPA are also present in this molecule, is not yet
      clear. By electron microscopy, PA900 shows a filamentous structure, while PA660
      is predominantly globular. The occurrence of large uPA-like activators in
      extracts of human colon carcinomas that crossreact with monospecific antibody
      against uPA, is discussed.

PMID- 1859828
TI  - The complete amino acid sequence of growth hormone of the bullfrog (Rana
      catesbeiana).
AB  - The primary structure of growth hormone (GH) isolated from the adenohypophysis of
      the bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) was determined. The hormone was reduced,
      carboxymethylated and subsequently cleaved with cyanogen bromide. Intact bullfrog
      GH was also digested with lysyl endopeptidase and trypsin. The resulting
      fragments were separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography
      and subjected to sequence analysis using an automated gas-liquid sequencer
      employing the Edman method. Bullfrog GH was found to consist of 190 amino acid
      residues. The amino acid sequence determined is in accord with that deduced from
      bullfrog GH cDNA by Pan and Chang (1988) except for nine residues at positions 43
      48, 73, 80 and 87. Sequence comparisons revealed that bullfrog GH is more similar
      to tetrapod GHs (e.g., 69% homology with sea turtle GH, 66% with chicken GH and
      61% with ovine GH) than to GHs of teleosts (e.g., 35% homology with chum salmon
      GH and 33% with bonito GH) except for eel (52% identity). Bullfrog GH and
      prolactin exhibit a sequence homology of 25%.

PMID- 1859827
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a thermolabile beta-2 macroglycoprotein
      ('thermolabile substance' or 'Hakata antigen') detected by precipitating (auto)
      antibody in sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - A novel thermolabile beta-2 macroglycoprotein ('thermolabile substance' (TLS) or
      'Hakata antigen' (HA], which was detected by the precipitating (auto) antibodies
      of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, was isolated and characterized.
      The purification procedure entailed the following steps: isoelectric
      precipitation in the range between pH 5.2-6.1, hydroxyapatite absorption
      chromatography, 35% saturated ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-200 gel
      filtration, Pevikon block electrophoresis, lentil lectin affinity chromatography
      and immobilized rabbit anti-human whole serum IgG column chromatography.
      Utilizing these procedures, 0.1 mg of HA was purified from 3 1 of pooled human
      serum. The molecular mass of HA was determined as 650 kDa by Sepharose 4B gel
      filtration. On SDS-PAGE analysis, HA showed a single band at 35 kDa under reduced
      conditions and numerous ladder bands between 35 kDa to more than 300 kDa under
      nonreduced conditions. On analytical ultracentrifugation, HA gave a molecular
      mass of 520 kDa with a single meniscus and a sedimentation constant of 12.0. The
      amino acid and carbohydrate analysis of reduced and S-pyridylethylated HA
      revealed that it contained five residues of hydroxyproline and an N-linked type
      sugar chain.

PMID- 1859829
TI  - Purification and characterization of cytochrome P-45014DM (lanosterol 14 alpha
      demethylase) from pig liver microsomes.
AB  - Cytochrome P-45014DM, which catalyzes lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation, from pig
      liver microsomes was purified to a state of virtually homogeneous by gel
      electrophoresis. Its apparent monomeric molecular weight was estimated to be
      53,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the amino
      terminal amino acid sequence was Gly-Leu-Leu-Thr-Gly(Leu)-Asp-Leu-Leu-Gly-Ile.
      When reconstituted with NADPH-cytochrome P-450-reductase, the enzyme showed a
      high activity for lanosterol and 24,25-dihydrolanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation.
      Furthermore, the oxygenated intermediates of 24,25-dihydrolanosterol 14 alpha
      demethylation, 32-hydroxy-24,25-dihydrolanosterol and 32-oxo-24,25
      dihydrolanosterol, were converted to the 32-nor compound, 4,4-dimethylcholesta
      8,14-dien-3 beta-ol, by the reconstituted enzyme system.

PMID- 1859830
TI  - Isolation and characterization of thermostable chitinases from Bacillus
      licheniformis X-7u.
AB  - Four kinds of thermostable chitinase were isolated from the cell-free culture
      broth of Bacillus licheniformis X-7u by successive column chromatographies on
      Butyl-Toyopearl, Q-Sepharose, and Sephacryl S-200. We named the enzymes
      chitinases I(89 kDa), II(76 kDa), III(66 kDa) and IV(59 kDa). Chitinases II, III
      and IV possessed extremely high optimum temperatures (70-80 degrees C), showing
      remarkable heat stability. Chitinases II, III and IV produced (GlcNAc)2 and
      GlcNAc from colloidal chitin and chitinase I predominantly produced (GlcNAc)2.
      The action pattern of chitinase I on PN-(GlcNAc)4 also showed a stronger
      propensity to cleave off the (GlcNAc)2 unit from the non-reducing end than the
      other three chitinases. Chitinases II, III and IV catalyzed a transglycosylation
      reaction that converted (GlcNAc)4 into (GlcNAc)6.

PMID- 1859831
TI  - Metabolic stereoisomeric inversion of ibuprofen in mammals.
AB  - Studies on the mechanism and enzymology of metabolic ibuprofen isomerization
      constituted the focus of this investigation. Comparative in vivo studies revealed
      that this biotransformation proceeded via a proton abstraction mechanism in all
      tested species of mammals, which is in agreement with the previous reports.
      Direct evidence supporting this conclusion stemmed from the in vitro
      epimerization of ibuprofen-CoA thioester in rat liver homogenates. Chemically
      synthesized (R)-ibuprofen-CoA thioester was rapidly transformed to its (S)
      counterpart by subcellular hepatic preparations. Examination of this epimerase
      activity in various rat tissue homogenates indicated that this enzyme was highly
      tissue specific. This biochemical reaction mainly took place in the liver and
      kidney, whereas low levels of enzyme activity were associated with other tissues.
      Nevertheless, the liver and kidney homogenates failed to invert (R)-ibuprofen
      directly even in the presence of all the necessary cofactors. Presumably, the
      failure to characterize this bioconversion was due to the lack of enzymatic acyl
      CoA synthesis in these homogenates. It is noteworthy that the '2-arylpropionyl
      CoA epimerase' catalyzed the transformation from either direction and with high
      turnover rates. The catalytic efficiency of (S)-ibuprofen CoA epimerization
      appeared to be greater than that of the (R)-counterpart. These in vitro findings
      suggest that the step of acyl-CoA formation assume a pivotal role in controlling
      the stereoselectivity and efficiency of the in vivo metabolism. As the
      responsible acyl-CoA synthetase(s) in different species of animals may exert the
      reaction with different degrees of enantiomeric preference and efficiency, the
      resulting stereochemical outcome and metabolic rates of this bioinversion vary
      accordingly. Consequently, in guinea pigs, this biotransformation proceeds in
      both directions with nearly equal efficiency, whereas it is virtually
      unidirectional and slow in humans. Currently, the purification and
      characterization of this novel '2-arylpropionyl-CoA epimerase' from rat livers
      constitute the focus of this investigation.

PMID- 1859832
TI  - Escherichia coli seryl-tRNA synthetase: the structure of a class 2 aminoacyl-tRNA
      synthetase.

PMID- 1859833
TI  - Anti-cruciform DNA affinity purification of active mammalian origins of
      replication.
AB  - A novel approach that employs anti-cruciform DNA monoclonal antibodies was used
      to isolate segments of cruciform-containing DNA from genomic DNA, in an effort to
      obtain fragments containing active origins of replication. High molecular weight
      DNA (greater than 50 kb) was extracted from log phase CV-1 cells and 6 micrograms
      incubated with approximately 2.5 micrograms of a monoclonal antibody, 2D3,
      specific for cruciform-containing DNA. The 2D3-bound DNA was digested with EcoRI
      and antibody-bound fragments were recovered using rabbit anti-mouse immunobeads.
      The beads were washed free of nonspecifically bound DNA and the 2D3-bound DNA was
      eluted with 2% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The yield of DNA recovered by 2D3
      was 2000-fold less than the initial amount and was 17-20-fold more than that
      recovered nonspecifically using the control mAb, P3. The 2D3-bound DNA ranged
      from 0.15- greater than 23 kb with a major peak at approximately 12 kb. Specific
      enrichment of origin-containing DNA by 2D3 over P3 was suggested by a 10-100-fold
      greater recovery of a 9 kb fragment hybridizable to a low-copy monkey
      autonomously replicating sequence, ors 8. 20 ng of affinity-purified DNA was
      cloned into lambda Zap II and excised into Bluescript phagemids in vivo. Of nine
      randomly-selected clones between 0.15 and 3.2 kb, four were able to replicate
      autonomously when transfected into HeLa cells. Two of the nine clones contained
      sequences hybridizable to both monkey alpha-satellite and human Alu DNA, and two
      others to Alu alone. The present work provides further evidence for the
      involvement of cruciforms at active mammalian origins of DNA replication.

PMID- 1859835
TI  - Restructuring the translation initiation region of the human parathyroid hormone
      gene for improved expression in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Overexpression of native human parathyroid hormone in Escherichia coli was
      achieved by a modification of the 5' end of the genomic gene sequence, thereby
      adapting this part of the translation initiation region to the bacterial host.
      Some simple rules abstracted from optimization studies of translation initiation
      of a beta-interferon gene were applied. These included (a) extending
      complementarity of the mRNA to the anticodon loop of tRNAfMet by use of a codon
      with a purine nucleotide directly following the ATG, (b) avoidance of stable
      secondary structure in the mRNA by use of synonymous A/U-rich codons, (c)
      elimination of a potential second Shine-Dalgarno sequence. The appropriate silent
      changes led to a 20-fold increase in parathyroid hormone production resulting in
      4.3% of total soluble protein. This result proves the validity of our simple
      approach for optimization of foreign gene expression in E. coli.

PMID- 1859834
TI  - Effects of protein synthesis inhibition on the transcription and transcript
      stability of Dictyostelium prespore genes.
AB  - The in vivo accumulation of several prespore transcripts of Dictyostelium
      discoideum has previously been shown to depend upon concomitant protein synthesis
      (Ratner, D.I., Pentz, W.H. and Pelletier, D.A. (1989) Biochim. Biophys. Acta
      1008, 71-78). Measurements of in vivo mRNA decay and nuclear run-on transcription
      assays have now been used to learn whether protein synthesis is required
      primarily for mRNA synthesis or transcript stability. The translational
      inhibitors cycloheximide and pactamycin stabilized existing prespore transcripts,
      despite their effect upon mRNA accumulation. Transcriptional assays, performed at
      intervals throughout the developmental cycle, demonstrated that temporal changes
      in the abundance of several cell-specific transcripts correlated closely with
      changes in their rates of synthesis. Finally, blocking protein synthesis strongly
      inhibited the transcription of the prespore genes examined. These results imply
      that one or more developmentally regulated, labile proteins are needed for the
      activation of prespore gene transcription.

PMID- 1859836
TI  - Exonuclease III promotes in vitro binding of the replication initiator protein of
      plasmid pSC101 to the repeated sequences in the ori region.
AB  - Purified Rep protein, a replication initiator protein of plasmid pSC101, has less
      binding affinity for the direct repeats (DR) in the replication origin region
      (ori) than that for the inverted repeats (IR) in the promoter region of the
      structure gene of Rep (rep) (Sugiura, S. et al. (1990) J. Biochem. 107, 369-376).
      We found a protein factor that promotes binding of purified Rep to the DR
      sequence in the cell extract of Escherichia coli. In the presence of the factor,
      DNA fragments containing the DR sequence can form a specific DNA-protein complex
      by the addition of low concentrations of Rep. On the contrary, IR-containing DNA
      loses its binding activity for Rep by preincubation with the factor. We purified
      extensively the factor and identified it as exonuclease III (exo III). Enzymatic
      action of the factor or authentic exo III at 37 degrees C is necessary for
      binding of Rep to DR-DNA. This binding of Rep to duplex DNA treated with exo III
      is DR-sequence specific. Since Rep cannot bind to the single stranded DR
      sequence, the present finding suggests that partial single-stranded regions
      around the DR sequence are required for binding of Rep.

PMID- 1859837
TI  - Construction and expression of synthetic wild-type and mutant genes encoding
      porcine pancreatic colipase: tryptophan fluorescence studies.
AB  - Based on the known (95-residue) amino acid (aa) sequence of porcine pancreatic
      colipase (CLP), a cofactor of pancreatic lipase, a 297 bp gene was designed and
      assembled from eight synthetic, overlapping DNA fragments. Optimized for
      expression in bacteria, the CLP-encoding gene (CLP) was inserted into the lacZ
      gene fragment contained in the small expression vector, pUC8, and cloned in
      Escherichia coli JM109. Expression of this construct yielded a protein approx. 11
      kDa in size, equivalent to CLP, with an Mr of 10,336, plus ten additional amino
      acids at the N-terminus. The recombinant CLP (reCLP) was solubilized from
      bacterial inclusion bodies and then purified and refolded. A mutant CLP gene,
      changing Tyr-55 to Trp, was then constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. Since
      porcine CLP contains no Trp, this strategy provided a protein with an internal
      fluorescent probe for biophysical studies. The presence of Trp in the mutant
      protein was confirmed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Both wild-type (wt) and
      mutant reCLP reacted on Western blots with an affinity-purified rabbit anti-CLP
      antibody, raised against native CLP. The Tyr-55 to Trp exchange did not affect
      the activity of reCLP. Fluorescence studies of the interaction between reCLP and
      the bile salt, taurodeoxycholate (TDOC), showed that Trp-55 in the hydrophobic
      binding site of mutant reCLP inserted into the interior of the bile salt micelle.

PMID- 1859838
TI  - The use of genetic engineering to obtain efficient production of porcine
      pancreatic phospholipase A2 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - We have developed an efficient production system for porcine pancreatic
      phospholipase A2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast). The cDNA encoding
      the prophospholipase A2 was expressed under the control of the galactose
      inducible GAL7 promotor, and secretion was directed by the secretion signals of
      yeast invertase. This construct yielded up to 6 mg prophospholipase A2 activity
      per 1 fermentation broth, secreted as a glycosylated invertase prophospholipase
      A2 hybrid protein. Upon genetically deleting the glycosylation site, the level of
      secretion decreased to 3.6 mg prophospholipase A2 per 1. Changing the invertase
      secretion signals for an invertase/alpha-mating factor prepro sequence-fusion
      increased the secretion level up to 8 mg per 1. The secreted non-glycosylated
      prophospholipase A2 species was correctly processed. Our results demonstrate the
      promises and limitations for rational design to obtain high level expression and
      secretion of heterologous proteins by S. cerevisiae.

PMID- 1859840
TI  - New elements of glucocorticoid-receptor binding sites of hormone-regulated genes.
AB  - The structure of the DNA regions recognized by glucocorticoid-receptor complexes
      (GIRC) was analyzed using frequency matrices and a modified perceptron method.
      Some complementary conservative elements which may modulate the efficiency of
      GIRC binding were found at both sides of the previously established conserved
      nucleotide sequence (core) (Beato, M. et al. (1987) J. Steroid Biochem. 27, 9
      14). A criterion based on the concurrent use of several perceptron matrices to
      search for the potential GIRC binding site sequences has been worked out. By
      applying this criterion 73 sites were identified in 28 sequences of
      glucocorticoid regulated genes and 7 sites were identified in 26 sequences
      independent from glucocorticoid regulation.

PMID- 1859839
TI  - Structural characterization and tissue-specific expression of the mRNAs encoding
      isoenzymes from two rat mitochondrial creatine kinase genes.
AB  - Creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) isoenzymes play prominent roles in energy
      transduction. Mitochondrial CK (MtCK) reversibly catalyzes the transfer of high
      energy phosphate to creatine and exists, in the human, as two isoenzymes encoded
      by separate genes. We report here the cDNA sequences of the two isoenzymes of
      MtCK in the rat. Rat sarcomeric MtCK has 87% nucleotide identity in the 1257 bp
      coding region and 82% in the 154 bp 3' untranslated region as compared with human
      sarcomeric MtCK. Rat ubiquitous MtCK has 92% nucleotide identity over the 1254 bp
      coding region with human ubiquitous MtCK and 81% identity of the 148 by 3'
      untranslated region. Nucleotide identity between the rat sarcomeric and
      ubiquitous MtCK coding regions is 70%, with no conservation of their 3'
      untranslated regions. Thus, MtCK sequence is conserved in a tissue-specific,
      rather than species-specific, manner. Conservation of the 3' untranslated regions
      is highly unusual and suggests a regulatory function for this region. The NH2
      terminal transit peptide sequences share 82% amino acid homology between rat and
      human sarcomeric MtCKs and 92% homology between rat and human ubiquitous MtCKs,
      but have only 41% homology to each other. This tissue-specific conservation of
      the transit peptides suggests receptor specificity in mitochondrial uptake. Rat
      sarcomeric MtCK mRNA is expressed only in skeletal muscle and heart, but rat
      ubiquitous MtCK mRNA is expressed in many tissues, with highest levels in brain,
      gut and kidney. Ubiquitous MtCK mRNA levels are dramatically regulated in uterus
      and placenta during pregnancy. Coexpression of sarcomeric and ubiquitous MtCK
      with their cytosolic counterparts, MCK and BCK, respectively, supports the
      creatine phosphate shuttle hypothesis and suggests that expression of these genes
      is coordinately regulated.

PMID- 1859841
TI  - cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) modified chromatin and nucleosomal core
      particle.
AB  - The influence of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cis-DDP) binding to chromatin
      in chicken erythrocyte nuclei and the nucleosomal core particle is investigated.
      The cis-DDP modifications alter DNA-protein interactions associated with the
      higher order structure of chromatin to significantly inhibit the rate of
      micrococcal nuclease digestion and alter the digestion profile. However, cis-DDP
      modification of core particle has little effect on the digestion rate and the
      relative distribution of DNA fragments produced by microccocal nuclease
      digestion. Analysis of the monomer DNA fragments derived from the digestion of
      modified nuclei suggests that cis-DDP binding does not significantly disrupt the
      DNA structure within the core particle, with its major influence being on the
      internucleosomal DNA. Together these findings suggest that cis-DDP may
      preferentially bind to the internucleosomal region and/or that the formation of
      the intrastrand cross-link involving adjacent guanines exhibits a preference for
      the linker region. Sucrose gradient profiles of the modified nucleoprotein
      complexes further confirm that the digestion profile for micrococcal nuclease is
      altered by cis-DDP binding and that the greatest changes occur at the initial
      stages of digestion. The covalent cross-links within bulk chromatin fix a sub
      population of subnucleosomal and nucleosomal products, which are released only
      after reversal by NaCN treatment. Coupled with our previous findings, it appears
      that this cis-DDP mediated cross-linking network is primarily associated with
      protein-protein crosslinks of the low mobility group (LMG) proteins.

PMID- 1859842
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a mosquito 18S ribosomal RNA gene.
AB  - We have sequenced an 18S ribosomal RNA gene from the mosquito, Aedes albopictus.
      Computer alignment of the 1950 nucleotide coding region (56% A + T) with 18S rRNA
      sequences from two insect and three vertebrate species revealed greater sequence
      divergence among the insects than among the vertebrates. Sequence alignments
      showed that variable region V4, which has been considered to be the most poorly
      conserved domain in the 18S rRNA gene, was better conserved among insects and
      vertebrates than was the V6 domain.

PMID- 1859843
TI  - cDNA cloning, sequence analysis and tissue distribution of a precursor for
      vasoactive intestinal contractor (VIC).
AB  - A full-length cDNA encoding preprovasoactive intestinal contractor (PPVIC) has
      been cloned. From the deduced 160 amino acid PPVIC, the mature VIC is predicted
      to be produced via a 37 residue intermediate, big VIC. The PPVIC also contains a
      VIC-like peptide of 16 amino acids structurally related to to the amino-terminal
      residues of VIC and flanked by pairs of dibasic amino acids, putative processing
      sites. RNA blot hybridization with PPVIC cDNA confirmed the PPVIC gene to be
      expressed in the small and large intestinal tract in a tissue specific manner.

PMID- 1859844
TI  - Elucidation of cDNA sequences for metallothioneins from rainbow trout, stone
      loach and pike liver using the polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - Metallothionein cDNAs were generated from the livers of three fish species and
      amplified by PCR. Two distinct coding sequences (A and B) were elucidated for
      rainbow trout metallothioneins but single isoforms were encoded by genes isolated
      from the stone loach and pike. Different sized transcripts were observed both
      with stone loach and pike but these were accounted for by altered lengths of 3'
      untranslated regions.

PMID- 1859845
TI  - Pollen specific cDNA clones from Zea mays.
AB  - We have cloned and sequenced four pollen-specific cDNAs. None of the clones are
      complete at their 5' ends. One of the clones shows significant homology to the
      tomato fruit-ripening polygalacturonase and to a pollen-specific
      polygalacturonase from Oenothera. The other three clones have no significant
      homologies to any reported sequence.

PMID- 1859846
TI  - Complete coding nucleotide sequence of cDNA for the class II RT1.B beta I chain
      of the Lewis rat.
AB  - We have established the first full length cDNA clone for the beta light chain of
      the MHC class II alpha, beta heterodimer (isotype RT1.B) of the rat. Clone pLR
      beta 118 was obtained from a self-primed lambda gt10 cDNA library of IFN-tau
      treated bone marrow-derived macrophages of the Lewis rat. Subcloning of pLR beta
      118 into a transcription vector with subsequent in vitro transcription and
      translation using the reticulocyte lysate system in the presence of microsomes
      followed by immunoprecipitation with mAb OX6 and two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis revealed the intact RT1.B beta I-chain.

PMID- 1859848
TI  - Liposomes for the transformation of eukaryotic cells.
AB  - Gene therapy of human disease is a method of treatment under active development.
      DNA-loaded liposomes exhibit great promise for use in this field. Liposome-based
      transfection vectors have many inherent advantages that will likely lead to their
      wide in vivo use. Vectors with low toxicity and a high degree of targetability
      can now be easily prepared. These vectors are also free of the length constraints
      governing retroviral vectors. In this review we discuss recent developments in
      the use of liposomes for transfection of eukaryotic cells.

PMID- 1859847
TI  - Cloning and characterization of the flavodoxin gene from Desulfovibrio
      desulfuricans.
AB  - The gene coding for the flavodoxin protein from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans
      [Essex 6] (ATCC 29577) has been cloned and sequenced. The gene was identified on
      Southern blots of HindIII-digested genomic DNA by hybridization to the coding
      region for the flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio vulgaris [Hildenborough] (Krey,
      G.D., Vanin, E.F. and Swenson, R.P. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 15436-15443).
      Ultimately, a 1.8 kb TaqI fragment was cloned which contains an open reading
      frame of 447 nucleotides coding for an acidic protein of 148 amino acids and
      calculated molecular weight of 15,726. The derived amino acid sequence of this
      protein is 47% identical to the flavodoxin from D. vulgaris. Regions of the
      polypeptide which form the flavin mononucleotide binding site are largely
      homologous; however, some perhaps significant differences are noted. The aromatic
      amino acid residues that flank the flavin isoalloxazine ring in the D. vulgaris
      structure, i.e., tryptophan-60 and tyrosine-98, are conserved in this flavodoxin.

PMID- 1859849
TI  - Glycoasparaginase in human urine.
AB  - Glycoasparaginase was purified 15,000-fold from human urine. The enzyme is a
      tetrameric protein of 86 kDa, composed of two heavy chains (25 kDa) and two light
      chains (18 kDa). Its structure and properties are very similar to those of human
      leukocyte glycoasparaginase. Glycoasparaginase activity is totally absent from
      urine of aspartylglycosaminuria patients.

PMID- 1859851
TI  - Structural characterization of a glycoprotein variant of human serum albumin:
      albumin Casebrook (494 Asp----Asn).
AB  - Albumin Casebrook is an electrophoretically slow genetic variant of human albumin
      with a relative molecular mass 2.5 kDa higher than normal albumin. It constitutes
      about 35% of total serum albumin in heterozygous carriers. The decrease in
      negative charge observed on incubation with sialidase suggested the presence of a
      carbohydrate moiety and the normalization of molecular weight following treatment
      with Endo-F indicated that this was an N-linked oligosaccharide. Partial acid
      hydrolysis and limited tryptic digestion established that the oligosaccharide was
      located in the C-terminal domain, between residues 367 and 585. Tryptic,
      chymotryptic and S. aureus V8 proteinase digestions were carried out and the
      resulting glycopeptides were purified on concanavalin A-Sepharose. Peptide
      mapping of bound and unbound fractions followed by amino acid composition and
      sequence analysis, established a point mutation of 494 Asp----Asn. This
      introduces an Asn-Glu-Thr N-linked oligosaccharide attachment sequence centered
      on Asn-494 and explains the increase in molecular mass. There was no apparent
      pathology associated with the presence of this new glycosylated albumin, which
      was detected in two unrelated individuals of Anglo-Saxon descent.

PMID- 1859850
TI  - 5-Lipoxygenase products: their biosynthesis in human gastric mucosa and possible
      involvement in inflammatory response and oxygen saturation index reduction in
      gastric ulcer patients.

PMID- 1859852
TI  - Plasmodium falciparum polypeptides interacting with human red cell membranes show
      high affinity binding to Band-3.
AB  - P. falciparum proteins were labelled with [35S]methionine and harvested at
      various asexual stages. A number of parasite proteins bound to uninfected red
      cell membranes (ghosts). Some of these proteins differentially partitioned when
      ghosts were extracted with detergent. Several of these proteins bound very
      strongly to immobilised whole ghost proteins or immobilised purified Band-3 in a
      stage-specific manner, but not to a sham-coupled matrix or to immobilised Band-3
      extract from cells rendered refractory to invasion. Such specific binding of
      parasite proteins to immobilised Band-3 supports recent conjecture as to its role
      as a host receptor during parasite invasion. However, our results demonstrate the
      complex and multifactorial nature of the interaction between parasite and host
      proteins during invasion and development.

PMID- 1859853
TI  - The supply and distribution of dental manpower in the state of Arkansas: a
      report.

PMID- 1859854
TI  - A second messenger RNA species of transforming growth factor beta 1 in infarcted
      rat heart.
AB  - Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is encoded predominantly by a 2.4
      kb mRNA in most tissues. However, an additional transcript of 1.9 kb can be
      detected in rat heart after experimental myocardial infarction caused by ligation
      of the left coronary artery. This transcript level is significantly higher in
      infarcted heart tissue than in normal heart tissue, suggesting an important role
      for this mRNA species in response to injury. Structural characterization of the
      1.9-kb mRNA showed that it included the entire coding sequence present in the 2.4
      kb TGF-beta 1 mRNA, but also contained an additional nonhomologous 3'
      untranslated region (UTR). The junction between the shared and unique 3' sequence
      in the 1.9-kb mRNA occurred only two nucleotides before the proposed
      polyadenylation site of the rat TGF-beta 1 2.4-kb mRNA. The unique 3'-UTR and the
      deduced shortened 5'-UTR in the novel 1.9-kb TGF-beta 1 mRNA suggest different
      transcriptional and translational regulatory mechanisms under conditions of
      tissue injury.

PMID- 1859856
TI  - [The role of separate subpopulations of bone marrow elements in regulating the
      proliferation processes of hemopoietic and tumor cells].
AB  - The role of intercellular interactions in regulation of proliferation process in
      normal and tumor cells has been studied in experiments with mouse hybrids F1 (CBA
      X C57BL/6). The cytostatic activity to tumor cells has been shown to possess both
      adherent and nonadherent cells of bone marrow. The adherent cell-effectors
      inhibit, nonadherent ones stimulate the DNA synthesis in myelokaryocytes of
      normal bone marrow. During the activation of bone-marrow proliferation (under 10
      hour immobilized stress) the cytostatic effect of nonadherent cells to tumor ones
      grows; the myelokaryocyte proliferation is stimulated on the 4th day after
      immobilized stress. The cytostatic activity of adherent cell-effectors remains to
      be low up to 7th day after immobilization. The maximum of depression in
      cytostatic function of the adherent elements coincides with the peak of bone
      marrow proliferation activity (6th day). The character of changes in cytostatic
      activity of adherent cells to tumor and nontumor ones is of the same type. The
      data obtained testify to the generality of regulation mechanisms in proliferation
      of tumor and normal cells.

PMID- 1859857
TI  - [The immunological status of Cyprinus carpio L. in experimental mycotoxicosis].
AB  - Some humoral factors of nonspecific resistance have been determined in carp
      yearlings in 28 days after intraperitoneal administration of fungi culture
      filtrate (I), conidia (II), micellar extract (III) of the fungus Aspergillus
      fumigatus Fres., physiological solution (control). The toxicogenic and
      immunogenic effect of the fungus has been shown in I and II variants of the
      experiment respectively. The injection of fungus micella did not have any
      influence on the studied factors. The account of specific and quantitative
      composition of zooparasites in experiments and under control has been carried
      out; no truly differences have been revealed.

PMID- 1859855
TI  - Localization of the protein product of the immediate early growth response gene,
      Egr-1, in the kidney after ischemia and reperfusion.
AB  - Egr-1 is an "immediate early" gene that is induced by growth factors and agents
      that induce differentiation and encodes a protein with a "zinc-finger" motif.
      This protein is believed to be involved in transcriptional regulation. Because
      the fate of the kidney, and hence the organism, after an ischemic insult is
      dependent upon cellular repair, differentiation, and proliferation, we examined
      whether there was expression of the Egr-1 protein after an ischemic insult to the
      rat kidney. We have previously reported that Egr-1 mRNA accumulates to high
      levels in mouse kidneys after 30 min of ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion. In the
      present study, performed in rats, we show that Egr-1 mRNA transiently accumulates
      to very high levels after 40 min of ischemia and 1 h of reperfusion, is decreased
      by 3 h, and is nondetectable by 24 h of reperfusion. Reperfusion is required for
      Egr-1 protein accumulation to occur. The Egr-1 protein was localized by
      immunohistochemical techniques primarily to the nuclei of the thick ascending
      limbs and principal cells of the collecting ducts in the cortex and medulla. The
      subcellular localization was exclusively nuclear. There was some staining of the
      glomerular tuft and staining was particularly prominent in the parietal
      epithelial cells. In parallel to the accumulation of Egr-1 mRNA, the expression
      of the protein was transient and was no longer apparent after 5 h of reperfusion.
      The Egr-1 protein may play an important role in regulation of the response to
      ischemia of those segments of the nephron that are highly susceptible to oxygen
      deprivation and have a high level of intrinsic plasticity. It is possible that
      this protein may modulate cellular processes important for the ultimate ability
      of these critical nephron segments to recover from an ischemic insult.

PMID- 1859858
TI  - [A comparative analysis of the action of zootoxins on the isolated heart].
AB  - A comparative analysis of cardiotropic activity of toxins has been studied in
      experiments on isolated heart of the poisonous animals from different systematic
      groups living on the territory of the USSR: reptiles (the venom of cobra, Vipera
      lebetina, Ancistrodon blomhoffi), amphibian (the venom of Bufo, Bombina,
      salamander), arachnids (the venom of Apis, Scolopendra, scorpion). The specific
      cardiotropic activity of the scorpion and Bufo venom has been discovered. The
      mechanisms of the cardiostimulative activity of scorpion venom have been found to
      be due to the activation of cellular adrenoreactive structures, and the Bufo
      venom to the activation of the intracellular calcium. The prospects of zootoxins
      using in cardiology for development of cardiotonic drugs and modelling the
      pathologic states in blood circulation system is substantiated.

PMID- 1859859
TI  - [Dot immunoenzyme analysis in biological research].
AB  - The modern state, general methodologic problems and the possibilities to use in
      biological research the dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) are
      analysed in the review. New types of microporous polymer membranes and equipment
      for the application of the solid-phase reagent and performing the assay are
      considered. Different variants of dot-ELISA and methods for the evaluation of
      results obtained in the assay as well as the ways for its optimization are
      discussed.

PMID- 1859860
TI  - [A measuring procedure for experimental determination of tensile strength of
      catheters and flexible probes].
AB  - In order to obtain a more objective description of the properties usually
      subsumed under such terms as the "handling" of catheters, it is necessary to
      measure the significant parameter bending stiffness. A contact-free method of
      recording the oscillations of rod-shaped elements is presented. The stiffness EI
      can be calculated from the measured characteristic frequency. The logarithmic
      decrement can be derived from the damped natural oscillation and the damping
      properties of the catheter thus characterised. In addition, a consideration of
      imposed oscillations can be employed to calculate resonance frequency. A computer
      driven measuring set-up employing a CCD line camera for the non-contact recording
      of oscillations of rodshaped elements, together with the software required is
      presented. The measuring principle and possible errors are discussed and a
      measurement described by way of an example.

PMID- 1859861
TI  - [Joint prostheses components of warm-forged and surface treated Ti-6Al-7Nb
      alloy].
AB  - In 1978 development of a TiAl alloy with the inert alloying element niobium was
      initiated. In 1984, the optimal composition was found to be Ti-6Al-7Nb (Protasul
      100). This custom-made alloy for implants has the same alpha/beta micro-structure
      and equally good mechanical properties as Ti-6Al-4V. The corrosion resistance of
      Ti-6Al-7Nb is better than that of pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V, due to the very
      dense and stable passive layer. Since 1985, highly stressed anchoring stems of
      various hip prosthesis designs have been manufactured from hot-forged Ti-6Al
      7Nb/Protasul-100. Polished surfaces of hip, knee or wrist joints made of Ti-6Al
      7Nb intended to articulate with polyethylene are surface-treated by the
      application of a very hard, 3-5 microns thick titanium nitride coating (Tribosul
      TiN), or by oxygen diffusion hardening (Tribosul-ODH) to a depth of 30 microns.

PMID- 1859862
TI  - [Removal of bone cement with laser].
AB  - In operations requiring replacement of cemented endoprothesis, the removal of
      both the prosthesis and the cement is often difficult as the cement adheres
      strongly to the bone. Mechanical removal frequently results in fenestration or
      traumatisation of the bone. The aim of non-contact removal of
      polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) with the laser, is to access normally inaccessible
      regions while inflicting a minimum amount of damage to the bone substance. The
      much cited cw or superpulsed CO2-laser cannot be used clinically, due to the
      thermal stressing of the bone. The paper shows spectra of PMMA with and without
      dopants, e.g. Tinuvin as UV absorber, optical staining with a high-pressure
      mercury lamp at lambda = 275 +/- 25 nm, lambda = 350 +/- 25 nm and various
      radiation times, as well as with an excimer laser lambda = 248 nm, FWHM 20 ns,
      and ablation measurements were made with the following lasers: excimer laser,
      Lambda Physics, EMG 102, FWHM 25 ns, lambda = 351 nm, excimer laser, Technolas,
      MAX 10, FWHM 60 ns, lambda = 308 nm, and a pulsed CO2 laser from PSI, lambda =
      9.2 and 10.6 microns, FWHM 130 and 65 microseconds, pulse peak power 3.8 and 7.7
      kW. The excimer laser, pulse length less than 100 ns, is unsuitable for clinical
      use because the required removal rate cannot be achieved either with doped PMMA
      or with pure PMMA. More promising results have been obtained with the pulsed
      (microseconds range) CO2 laser which has a removal rate of up to 30 times that of
      the above-mentioned excimer laser, with significantly lower thermal stressing of
      the bone than with the cw or super pulsed CO2 laser.

PMID- 1859863
TI  - Characterization of the level, target sites and inheritance of cytosine
      methylation in tomato nuclear DNA.
AB  - The tomato nuclear genome was determined to have a G + C content of 37% which is
      among the lowest reported for any plant species. Non-coding regions have a G + C
      content even lower (32% average) whereas coding regions are considerably richer
      in G + C (46%). 5-methyl cytosine was the only modified base detected and on
      average 23% of the cytosine residues are methylated. Immature tissues and
      protoplasts have significantly lower levels of cytosine methylation (average 20%)
      than mature tissues (average 25%). Mature pollen has an intermediate level of
      methylation (22%). Seeds gave the highest value (27%), suggesting de novo
      methylation after pollination and during seed development. Based on isoschizomer
      studies we estimate 55% of the CpG target sites (detected by Msp I/Hpa II) and
      85% of the CpNpG target sites (detected by Bst NI/Eco RI) are methylated.
      Unmethylated target sites (both CpG and CpNpG) are not randomly distributed
      throughout the genome, but frequently occur in clusters. These clusters resemble
      CpG islands recently reported in maize and tobacco. The low G + C content and
      high levels of cytosine methylation in tomato may be due to previous transitions
      of 5mC----T. This is supported by the fact that G + C levels are lowest in non
      coding portions of the genome in which selection is relaxed and thus transitions
      are more likely to be tolerated. This hypothesis is also supported by the general
      deficiency of methylation target sites in the tomato genome, especially in non
      coding regions. Using methylation isoschizomers and RFLP analysis we have also
      determined that polymorphism between plants, for cytosine methylation at allelic
      sites, is common in tomato. Comparing DNA from two tomato species, 20% of the
      polymorphisms detected by Bst NI/Eco RII could be attributed to differential
      methylation at the CpNpG target sites. With Msp I/Hpa II, 50% of the
      polymorphisms were attributable to methylation (CpG and CpNpG sites). Moreover,
      these polymorphisms were demonstrated to be inherited in a mendelian fashion and
      to co-segregate with the methylation target site and thus do not represent
      variation for transacting factors that might be involved in methylation of DNA.
      The potential role of heritable methylation polymorphism in evolution of gene
      regulation and in RFLP studies is discussed.

PMID- 1859864
TI  - Accurate in vitro transcription of plant promoters with nuclear extracts prepared
      from cultured plant cells.
AB  - A simple method is presented for the preparation of nuclear extracts from
      suspension cultures of rice, wheat and tobacco cells. These extracts are shown to
      be capable of RNA Polymerase II-dependent transcription from two plant promoters
      in vitro; a 250 bp fragment of a wheat gliadin promoter containing sequences from
      -167 bp to +83 relative to the in vivo transcriptional initiation site and two
      fragments of the CaMV 35S promoter, containing sequences from -419 to +17, and
      from -90 to +17. Using the rice extract, transcription is shown to be extract
      dependent, DNA-dependent, alpha-amanatin-sensitive, promoter-dependent, and
      accurate with respect to initiation site selection on the gliadin promoter and
      the -90 to +17 35S promoter, but not accurate on the -419 to +17 35S promoter.

PMID- 1859865
TI  - Characterization of a maize cDNA that complements an enolase-deficient mutant of
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - A cDNA encoding maize enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase) was purified by
      functional genetic complementation using an enolase deficient mutant of
      Escherichia coli, DF261. This cDNA, pZM245, was characterized by restriction
      mapping and DNA sequence analysis. The cDNA contained an open reading frame
      encoding a protein of 446 amino acids with a high degree of similarity to enolase
      sequences from other organisms (72% identity to yeast enolase and 82% identity to
      human enolase). The pZM245 contains a correctly positioned consensus prokaryotic
      translation initiation sequence. The specific activity of enolase in maize
      increases to about twice its initial level after 48 hours of anaerobiosis.
      Northern-blot analysis showed a five-fold anaerobic induction in enolase mRNA,
      while heat shock or cold shock increased enolase mRNA levels only slightly.
      Southern-blot analysis of maize genomic DNA indicated that there is one copy of
      the pZM245 hybridizing sequence per haploid genome in maize.

PMID- 1859866
TI  - Differential expression of alpha-amylase genes in germinating rice and barley
      seeds.
AB  - Steady-state levels of mRNA from individual alpha-amylase genes were measured in
      the embryo and aleurone tissues of rice (Oryza sativa) and two varieties of
      barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya and cv. Klages) during germination. Each
      member of the alpha-amylase multigene families of rice and barley was
      differentially expressed in each tissue. In rice, alpha-amylase genes displayed
      tissue-specific expression in which genes RAmy3B, RAmy3C, and RAmy3E were
      preferentially expressed in the aleurone layer, genes RAmy1A, RAmy1B and RAmy3D
      were expressed in both the embryo and aleurone, and genes RAmy3A and RAmy2A were
      not expressed in either tissue. Whenever two or more genes were expressed in any
      tissue, the rate of mRNA accumulation from each gene was unique. In contrast to
      rice, barley alpha-amylase gene expression was not tissue-specific. Messenger
      RNAs encoding low- and high-pI alpha-amylase isozymes were detectable in both the
      embryo and aleurone and accumulated at different rates in each tissue. In
      particular, peak levels of mRNA encoding high-pI alpha-amylases always preceded
      those encoding low-pI alpha-amylases. Two distinct differences in alpha-amylase
      gene expression were observed between the two barley varieties. Levels of high-pI
      alpha-amylase mRNA peaked two days earlier in Klages embryos than in Himalaya
      embryos. Throughout six days of germination, Klages produced three times as much
      high-pI alpha-amylase mRNA and nearly four times as much low-pI alpha-amylase
      mRNA than the slower-germinating Himalaya variety.

PMID- 1859867
TI  - Inoculation of Vicia sativa subsp. nigra roots with Rhizobium leguminosarum
      biovar viciae results in release of nod gene activating flavanones and chalcones.
AB  - Flavonoids released by roots of Vicia sativa subsp. nigra (V. sativa) activate
      nodulation genes of the homologous bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar
      viciae (R. l. viciae). Inoculation of V. sativa roots with infective R. l. viciae
      bacteria largely increases the nod gene-inducing ability of V. sativa root
      exudate (A.A.N. van Brussel et al., J Bact 172: 5394-5401). The present study
      showed that, in contrast to sterile roots and roots inoculated with R. l. viciae
      cured of its Sym plasmid, roots inoculated with R. l. viciae harboring its Sym
      plasmid released additional nod gene-inducing flavonoids. Using 1H-NMR, the
      structures of the major inducers released by inoculated roots, 6 flavanones and 2
      chalcones, were elucidated. Roots extracts of (un)inoculated V. sativa contain 4
      major non-inducing, most likely glycosylated, flavonoids. Therefore, the released
      flavonoids may either derive from the root flavonoids or inoculation with R. l.
      viciae activates de novo flavonoid biosynthesis.

PMID- 1859868
TI  - 35S-beta-glucuronidase gene blocks biological effects of cotransferred iaa genes.
AB  - The iaaM and iaaH genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes
      play an important role in crown gall and hairy root disease. The iaaM gene codes
      for tryptophan monooxygenase which converts tryptophan into indole-3-acetamide
      (IAM). IAM is converted into the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) by
      indoleacetamide hydrolase, encoded by the iaaH gene. In functional studies on the
      activity of the iaa genes of the TB region of the A. tumefaciens biotype III
      strain Tm4, the frequently used 35S-beta-glucuronidase (35S-UidA or GUS) marker
      gene was found to inhibit IAA synthesis and root induction encoded by the TB iaa
      genes. To exert this inhibition, the 35S-UidA gene must be cotransferred with the
      iaaH gene. The 35S promoter alone is sufficient to cause the inhibitory effect.

PMID- 1859869
TI  - Expression of nuclear tRNA(Tyr) genes from Arabidopsis thaliana in HeLa cell and
      wheat germ extracts.
AB  - The transcription of thirteen Arabidopsis tRNA(Tyr) genes in a tRNA gene cluster
      was studied in HeLa cell nuclear extracts. All tRNA(Tyr) genes are efficiently
      transcribed. Initiation of transcription starts at adenosine residues at
      positions -5 or -6, and termination occurs at an oligo(T) stretch located 17 to
      21 bp downstream of the 3' end of the structural genes depending on the gene
      studied. Maturation of intron-containing pre-tRNAs was compared in HeLa cell and
      wheat germ extracts and revealed that 5' and 3' end processing precedes splicing
      in both systems. Two pre-tRNAs which carry mutations in the mature domain are not
      processed at all in the HeLa extract, whereas one of them matures with low
      efficiency in the wheat germ extract. The thirteen pre-tRNAs(Tyr) possess highly
      conserved intron sequences of 12 nucleotides. Twelve of these introns are
      efficiently excised, whereas one is removed at a reduced rate, possibly due to a
      slightly destabilized extended anticodon stem.

PMID- 1859870
TI  - Stress responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). 8. Cis-elements and trans
      acting factors for the quantitative expression of a bean chalcone synthase gene
      promoter in electroporated alfalfa protoplasts.
AB  - A chimeric gene consisting of a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) chalcone synthase
      (CHS) promoter fused to a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT)
      reporter gene was strongly expressed, and further induced by fungal elicitor,
      when electroporated into alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) suspension cell
      protoplasts. Functional analysis of 5' deletions of the CHS promoter-CAT
      construct in these protoplasts indicated that the region between -326 and -130
      contained both activator and silencer elements. Co-electroporation experiments
      confirmed that these cis-acting elements were binding sites for functionally
      active trans factors. In vitro DNase I footprinting revealed four potential
      binding sites for alfalfa suspension cell nuclear proteins between positions -326
      and -130 of the CHS promoter. These sites mapped to regions shown to contain
      functional cis-acting elements on the basis of the deletion analysis. Three of
      these sites mapped to previously identified binding sites for bean nuclear
      proteins. Competition gel retardation analysis using oligonucleotide probes
      containing binding site sequences revealed sequence-specific binding of alfalfa
      nuclear proteins to an AT-rich element and a putative GT-1 factor consensus
      binding sequence. Our results define cis elements and their cognate trans factors
      functionally active in determining the quantitative expression of a defense
      response gene in a heterologous transient expression system.

PMID- 1859871
TI  - Nucleic acid sequence of a 21 kDa cocoa seed protein with homology to the soybean
      trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) family of protease inhibitors.

PMID- 1859872
TI  - Electroporation of megaplasmids into Agrobacterium.

PMID- 1859873
TI  - Identification of the viroid-induced tomato pathogenesis-related (PR) protein P23
      as the thaumatin-like tomato protein NP24 associated with osmotic stress.
AB  - P23, a 23 kDa pathogenesis-related (PR) protein, was purified from citrus
      exocortis viroid (CEVd)-infected tomato leaves. Partial amino acid sequencing of
      this protein including the N-terminal and nine additional tryptic fragments
      covering about 50% of its primary structure revealed extensive homologies to the
      members of the family of plant thaumatin-like proteins. Sequence alignment
      revealed that tomato P23 is the previously described NP24 protein found to be
      associated to osmotic stress in tomato. In view of this fact the possible role of
      pathogenesis-related P23 protein as a component of a general mechanism of
      response of the plant is discussed.

PMID- 1859874
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of 'repeat-2' of the mitochondrial DNA from the maize N
      cytoplasm.

PMID- 1859875
TI  - Dr Ham's test revisited.

PMID- 1859876
TI  - Autoantibody activity of immunoglobulins isolated from B-cell follicular
      lymphomas.
AB  - Previous work with monoclonal Igs (MIgs) has demonstrated that a high proportion
      of paraproteins bind to self-antigens such as the Fc fragment of IgG, Ii blood
      group antigens, cytoskeleton proteins, DNA, and myelin-associated glycoprotein
      (MAG). Recent work in CLL indicates that CD5+ B lymphocytes are frequently
      committed to production of autoantibodies. We have examined the antibody
      specificity of MIgs derived from the tumor cells of 31 different patients with
      CD5- B-cell lymphomas. Our results indicate that the tumor cells from 8 of these
      31 patients (25.8%) express Igs with autoantibody activity. In two cases antibody
      activity was multispecific. In four cases, antibody activity was exclusively
      directed against the Fc fragment of IgG, whereas the two other cases bound to
      both Fc fragment of IgG and nuclear antigens. Most non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL)
      are derived from CD5- B cells. These results indicate that like CLL, NHL also
      express Igs that frequently have autoantibody activity.

PMID- 1859877
TI  - Multidrug resistance (mdr1) gene expression in adult acute leukemias:
      correlations with treatment outcome and in vitro drug sensitivity.
AB  - Resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic agents has been related to the production
      of P-glycoprotein, a trans-membrane drug efflux pump that is encoded by the
      multidrug resistance (MDR) gene mdr1. To investigate whether mdr1 could be
      involved in clinical resistance to chemotherapy in acute leukemias, we have
      analyzed retrospectively the RNA from adult acute leukemia cells by slot-blot
      hybridization with a human mdr1 probe. Units of mdr1 expression were defined by
      reference to drug-sensitive human sarcoma and K562 leukemia cell lines (1 U) and
      the highly resistant doxorubicin selected leukemia cells K562/R7 (50 U). We
      studied 41 adult patients with acute leukemias: 5 acute lymphoblastic leukemias,
      23 acute myeloid leukemias, and 13 secondary leukemias or blast crisis of chronic
      myelogenous leukemia. Expression of 10 U or more of mdr1 was found in 6 of 31
      (19%) leukemias at diagnosis, versus 5 of 10 (50%) after relapse from therapy, P
      = .06. The complete remission rate and in vitro sensitivity to daunorubicin were
      both correlated with low expression (1 U, v 2 U or more) of mdr1. Among 36
      evaluable attempts to induce remission, the complete remission rate was 67% (8 of
      12) for patients with undetectable or minimal mdr1 expression (1 U), versus 29%
      (7 of 24) in patients with 2 U or more of expression, P = .03. In vitro
      resistance to daunorubicin or other MDR-related drugs was associated with
      expression of 2 U or more of mdr1 in 11 of 11 cases, while specimens that were
      sensitive to these agents were negative for mdr1 expression in 5 of 11 cases, P =
      .03. These data suggest that mdr1 expression contributes to chemoresistance in
      acute leukemia. Determination of mdr1 gene expression may be useful in designing
      therapy for patients with leukemia.

PMID- 1859878
TI  - Secondary erythrocytosis due to a cerebellar hemangioblastoma: demonstration of
      erythropoietin mRNA in the tumor.
AB  - Cerebellar hemangioblastoma is a rare cause of secondary erythrocytosis. Although
      the erythrocytosis is a result of erythropoietin (Ep) stimulation, direct
      evidence of Ep synthesis by the tumor has been lacking. In an erythrocytotic
      patient with a cerebellar hemangioblastoma we found elevated levels of Ep in the
      tumor cyst fluid and for the first time demonstrated Ep mRNA in the tumor by
      Northern blotting. This finding confirms cerebellar hemangioblastoma as a site of
      ectopic Ep production.

PMID- 1859879
TI  - Erythropoiesis in Fanconi's anemia.
AB  - Fanconi's anemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive condition in which greater than
      90% of the homozygotes develop aplastic anemia. To determine the relation between
      erythroid progenitors and clinical status, blood and marrow mononuclear cells
      were cultured in methyl cellulose with erythropoietin, plus other hematopoietic
      growth factors, and growth in normal oxygen (20%) was compared with growth in
      low, physiologic oxygen (5%). Peripheral blood cultures were performed from 24
      patients, and marrows from six. Patients were classified into six clinical
      groups. Group 1: Severe aplasia, transfused; one patient; no erythroid
      progenitors. Group 2: Severe, transfused, androgen unresponsive; one patient; no
      blood burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E). Group 3: Androgen responsive; eight
      patients, with decreased blood BFU-E. Group 4: Aplastic, about to start
      treatment; two patients; below normal numbers of colony-forming units-erythroid
      (CFU-E) and BFU-E. Group 5: Stable, with mild anemia, and/or thrombocytopenia,
      and/or macrocytosis; seven patients; with below normal numbers of blood BFU-E.
      Group 6: Hematologically normal; five patients; blood BFU-E low normal to normal.
      One marrow had normal numbers of CFU-E and BFU-E. Incubation in 5% oxygen doubled
      CFU-E and BFU-E only in the patients with close to normal or normal growth in 20%
      oxygen. Hemin and interleukin-3 increased growth slightly in those cultures where
      there was some growth with erythropoietin alone. Our data show that there is a
      correlation between current clinical status and in vitro erythropoiesis. Cultures
      of erythroid progenitors may also be useful predictors of hematologic prognosis
      in FA, although our follow-up period is too short to prove this hypothesis.

PMID- 1859880
TI  - Gene transfer into normal human hematopoietic cells using in vitro and in vivo
      assays.
AB  - The ability to transfer new genetic material into human hematopoietic cells
      provides the foundation for characterizing the organization and developmental
      program of human hematopoietic stem cells. It also provides a valuable model in
      which to test gene transfer and long-term expression in human hematopoietic cells
      as a prelude to human gene therapy. At the present time such studies are limited
      by the absence of in vivo assays for human stem cells, although recent
      descriptions of the engraftment of human hematopoietic cells in immune-deficient
      mice may provide the basis for such an assay. This study focuses on the
      establishment of conditions required for high efficiency retrovirus-mediated gene
      transfer into human hematopoietic progenitors that can be assayed in vitro in
      short-term colony assays and in vivo in immune-deficient mice. Here we report
      that a 24-hour preincubation of human bone marrow in 5637-conditioned medium,
      before infection, increases gene transfer efficiency into in vitro colony-forming
      cells by sixfold; interleukin-6 (IL-6) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)
      provide the same magnitude increase as 5637-conditioned medium. In contrast,
      incubation in recombinant growth factors IL-1, IL-3, and granulocyte-macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor increases gene transfer efficiency by 1.5- to 3-fold.
      Furthermore, preselection in high concentrations of G418 results in a population
      of cells significantly enriched for G418-resistant progenitors (up to 100%).
      These results, obtained using detailed survival curves based on colony formation
      in G418, have been substantiated by directly detecting the neo gene in individual
      colonies using the polymerase chain reaction. Using these optimized protocols,
      human bone marrow cells were genetically manipulated with a neo retrovirus vector
      and transplanted into immune-deficient bg/nu/xid mice. At 1 month and 4 months
      after the transplant, the hematopoietic tissues of these animals remained
      engrafted with genetically manipulated human cells. More importantly, G418
      resistant progenitors that contained the neo gene were recovered from the bone
      marrow and spleen of engrafted animals after 4 months. These experiments
      establish the feasibility of characterizing human stem cells using the unique
      retrovirus integration site as a clonal marker, similar to techniques developed
      to elucidate the murine stem cell hierarchy.

PMID- 1859881
TI  - Inhibition of hematopoiesis in normal human long-term marrow cultures treated
      with recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
AB  - The effects of recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhCSF-1)
      in long-term marrow cultures (LTMC) established from normal bone marrow cells
      were examined. When added during the first 3 weeks of culture (every second day,
      at 15 ng/mL), rhCSF-1 strongly inhibited the growth of all hematopoietic
      progenitors analyzed (colony-forming unit-MIX [CFU-MIX], CFU-granulocyte
      macrophage [CFU-GM], CFU-M, CFU-G, burst-forming unit-erythroid). Paralleling the
      inhibition of progenitors was the complete loss of adipocytes from the stromal
      layer of rhCSF-1-treated cultures. The inhibitory effect of rhCSF-1 correlated in
      all instances with the accumulation in the supernatants of these cultures of an
      activity (different from CSF-1) that inhibited colony formation in semisolid
      cultures. When addition of rhCSF-1 was delayed 3 weeks, its inhibitory effects
      were significantly reduced, which correlated with reduced inhibitory activity
      detected in the supernatants. Analysis of CSF-1 concentration by radioreceptor
      assay confirmed that added rhCSF-1 increased culture CSF-1 levels and showed that
      the decreased inhibition observed when rhCSF-1 is added later in culture was not
      due to decreased CSF-1 levels at that point. In contrast, the ability of rhCSF-1
      to inhibit hematopoiesis and accumulate inhibitory activity in LTMC correlated
      with its rate of utilization, much higher in the first 2 weeks of culture, when
      the stromal layer was being established, than later. These observations document
      the inhibitory effect of rhCSF-1 on all aspects of hematopoiesis conducted in
      cultures that simulate the hematopoietic microenvironment, demonstrate the
      importance of accessory/stromal cells in mediating the effects of rhCSF-1 in
      LTMC, and point to an inhibitory activity as the mediating agent.

PMID- 1859882
TI  - Examination of the roles of glycoprotein Ib and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa in platelet
      deposition on an artificial surface using clinical antiplatelet agents and
      monoclonal antibody blockade.
AB  - The mechanism of platelet thrombus growth on an artificial surface is
      incompletely understood. While glycoprotein (GP)Ib and GPIIb/IIIa are required
      for normal attachment and thrombus formation on subendothelium, their roles in
      platelet deposition to artificial surfaces remain unclear. Using selected
      platelet inhibitors (aspirin [ASA], low molecular weight dextran, monoclonal
      antibodies 10E5 [v GPIIb/IIIa], and 6D1 [GPIb]) we examined the mechanism of
      platelet deposition to polyethylene (PE) surfaces under steady laminar and
      oscillatory flow conditions. Polyethylene-100 (PE-100) tubes (0.86 mm internal
      diameter) were perfused under steady laminar flow with citrated human whole blood
      reconstituted with 111indium-labeled platelets at 312 seconds-1 shear rate in the
      presence and absence of platelet inhibitors. The effect of oscillatory flow on
      platelet deposition was examined in a microwell system using 3/16-inch diameter
      discs of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute primary reference PE as the
      test surface. ASA and dextran did not significantly (P greater than .05) inhibit
      platelet deposition in laminar flow (not tested in oscillatory). Antibody 10E5
      was a potent inhibitor (laminar less than 1%, P less than .0001, oscillatory less
      than 1.6%, P less than .01) of platelet deposition in both systems, and in this
      case, true adhesion (first attached layer) was blocked. Antibody 6D1 unexpectedly
      inhibited 70% of platelet deposition (P less than .01) in steady laminar flow and
      56.5% in oscillatory flow (P less than .01). Scanning electron microscopy
      demonstrated platelets atop platelets in the controls, rare platelets in the 10E5
      group, and a patchy monolayer of platelets in the 6D1 group. Transmission
      electron microscopy of cross-sections confirmed these observations. We conclude
      that the adhesion of the first platelet layer to an artificial surface requires
      GPIIb/IIIa. The data also suggest that GPIb is required for the development of
      the second layer in vertical platelet thrombus growth.

PMID- 1859883
TI  - High doses of intravenous immunoglobulin do not affect the recognition phase of
      the classical complement pathway.
AB  - We have recently found that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) prevents deposition
      of C3 and C4 fragments onto antibody sensitized erythrocytes. To find out if such
      an effect results from the blockade of the recognition phase of the classical
      complement cascade, we investigated the ability of human serum containing high
      concentrations of IVIg to deposit the recognition subunit of the first complement
      component (C1q) onto targets. Normal human serum supplemented in vitro with IVIg
      did not demonstrate reduced C1q binding to targets as determined by radiolabeled
      antihuman C1q antibody uptake. Similarly, methylamine-treated normal human serum
      to which IVIg was added was equally effective in terms of C1q binding as the same
      serum without IVIg. At increasing doses of sensitizing antibody, C1q uptake
      decreased proportionally; however, at all antibody dilution points C1q uptake was
      not significantly different in the serum with IVIg in comparison with normal
      serum. Serum from a patient treated with IVIg did not differ in its capacity to
      deposit C1q from the same patient's serum before therapy. Our data suggest that
      IVIg does not interfere with the recognition step of classical complement
      pathway. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.

PMID- 1859884
TI  - Expression of interleukin-4 receptors on early human B-lineage cells.
AB  - Interleukin-4 (IL-4) regulates multiple stages of the antigen-dependent phase of
      B-cell development. However, its precise role in regulating B lymphopoiesis in
      bone marrow is not as well defined. We examined whether surface IgM- normal and
      leukemic human B-cell precursors (BCP) expressed IL-4 receptors using
      biotinylated IL-4. Constitutive expression of IL-4 receptors was detected on both
      normal and leukemic BCP. A higher percentage of normal BCP (82% +/- 15%)
      expressed IL-4 receptors compared with leukemic BCP (44% +/- 8%). Using mean
      fluorescent intensity as an indicator of receptor level on the IL-4 receptor
      positive cells, normal (91 +/- 41) and leukemic (44 +/- 37) BCP expressed
      comparable numbers of receptors. IL-4 induced the expression of CD23 on 30% of
      the leukemic BCP cases examined. IL-4 induced CD23 on surface IgM+ fetal bone
      marrow lymphoid cells but not on the surface IgM- normal BCP, despite the
      presence of detectable receptors on the surface IgM- cells. IL-4 did not
      stimulate proliferation of normal BCP, nor could it enhance the effect of
      recombinant IL-7 or low molecular weight B-cell growth factor. However, IL-4
      increased the expression of surface IgM and surface Ig kappa on in vitro
      differentiated pre-B cells. Our collective results identify no role for IL-4 in
      the proliferation of normal or leukemic BCP, but identify a role in the
      enhancement of surface Ig expression during pre-B to B-cell differentiation.

PMID- 1859885
TI  - Detection of lymphomatous bone marrow involvement with magnetic resonance
      imaging.
AB  - We reviewed magnetic resonance (MR) staging examinations of 98 patients with
      malignant lymphoma who failed other therapy and were under evaluation for bone
      marrow transplantation. MR scan results were compared with blind posterior iliac
      crest aspirations and biopsies. Images of vertebral, pelvic, and femoral marrow
      were obtained using a standard T1-weighted, short repetition time (TR), short
      time to echo (TE) (TR700/TE22), spin-echo (T1-SE) method in 92 patients and short
      TI inversion recovery (STIR) technique (TR1,500/TE36/TI100) in all. On standard
      T1-SE sequence, normal marrow is bright due to the predominance of marrow fat,
      and tumor is dark. With STIR images, water containing tumor has a very high
      signal intensity in a dark (fat suppressed) background. Thirteen patients had
      positive MR scans and marrow biopsies, whereas 49 had negative MR scans and
      biopsies. Of 36 discordant MR/histology results, 10 had positive biopsies and
      negative MR exams; eight of these had microscopic infiltration (less than or
      equal to 5%) with tumor. MR detected marrow tumor either in the crests or
      elsewhere in 25 of 75 (33%) patients with negative study biopsies. We could
      confirm marrow involvement in 15 of these 25 (60%) by clinical methods.
      Therefore, up to one third of the patients evaluated with routine biopsies may
      have occult marrow tumor detectable by MR exam. In patients with negative marrow
      biopsies, especially those with Hodgkin's disease or intermediate to high-grade
      non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, MR scans found focal lesions distant from the crests.
      Biopsy better detected lower grade microscopic involvement. We conclude that
      optimal marrow staging of lymphoma patients incorporates both biopsy and MR
      imaging.

PMID- 1859886
TI  - Detection of minimal residual disease in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      using polymerase chain reaction predicts impending relapse.
AB  - After achieving remission, approximately one-third of patients with T-cell acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) relapse due to the resurgence of residual leukemic
      cells that cannot be detected in remission by morphologic methods. Thus, the
      early detection of residual disease is highly desirable to monitor the efficacy
      of therapy, or to institute an alternative mode of therapy. Toward this aim, we
      have examined the applicability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification
      in the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in bone marrow samples from
      patients with T-ALL in morphologic remission. Two different approaches were taken
      to identify leukemic clone-specific sequences that could be used as targets for
      PCR amplification. The first technique used T-cell receptor-delta (TCR-delta)
      gene rearrangements that were sequenced directly after PCR amplification of
      leukemic DNA. This method was successful in generating clone-specific probes for
      76% of T-ALL patients screened. An alternative method was used to clone and
      sequence a TCR-beta chain gene from leukemic cells to generate a specific probe.
      The PCR assays that we used were specific for each patient's leukemic clone, and
      were capable of routinely detecting one leukemic cell in 10(4) normal cells.
      Using these sensitive PCR-based assays, we found no evidence for persistence of
      the leukemic clone in any of the bone marrow samples from four T-ALL patients who
      are in long-term (3.9 + to 8.1 + years) remission. In contrast, we detected
      residual disease in clinical remission samples from two patients who subsequently
      relapsed. In one patient, where we had appropriate samples, we observed a
      dramatic expansion of the leukemic clone 3 months before clinical relapse. These
      results suggest that PCR-based assays for detection of MRD in T-ALL patients have
      great potential in predicting impending relapse, and in determining the efficacy
      of the anti-leukemic therapy. These methods may also allow the identification of
      long-term survivors.

PMID- 1859887
TI  - The t(1;22) (p13;q13) is nonrandom and restricted to infants with acute
      megakaryoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group Study.
AB  - We report the nonrandom occurrence and frequency of the t(1;22)(p13;q13) in acute
      myeloid leukemia (AML) and its close association with the French-American-British
      M7 subtype of AML in infants (less than 1 year). This chromosomal abnormality
      occurred in 6 of 252 (2.4%) children and adolescents with AML (6 of 28 infants,
      22%; 6 of 18 M7 AML cases overall, 33%; and 6 of 6 M7 cases in infants). Infants
      with AML of M7 subtype and the t(1;22) often presented with prominent abdominal
      masses. Two of these infants were not treated and died early. Three of four
      treated infants entered complete remission with therapy for AML; the remaining
      infant died of hemorrhage on day 8. Of the three infants who entered remission,
      only one remains alive and disease free at 5+ months. The other two infants
      relapsed in the bone marrow at 5 and 2 months from the start of therapy,
      respectively. We conclude that M7 AML with the t(1;22) usually presents in
      infants with extensive infiltration of abdominal organs by leukemic cells and may
      confer a poor prognosis despite intensive AML-directed treatment. Identification
      of this nonrandom translocation exclusively in infants with acute
      megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMkL) implies that it may serve as an additional
      diagnostic marker for this disease and links it to the pathogenesis of AMkL in
      infants.

PMID- 1859889
TI  - Acute leukemia after a primary myelodysplastic syndrome: immunophenotypic,
      genotypic, and clinical characteristics.
AB  - We studied the nature of blast cells in 41 patients with acute leukemia following
      a previous primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) by a combined multiparameter
      analysis including morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular genetic (Igs, T
      cell receptor (TCR)-beta, -gamma, and -delta and the major breakpoint cluster
      region [M-bcr]) investigations. In addition, the clinical and hematologic
      characteristics according to the immunophenotype of blast cells were analyzed.
      Our results show that, although the granulocytic and/or monocytic lineages are
      those most commonly involved in these acute leukemias, other cell components,
      including the megakaryocytic and lymphoid, may be present (12% and 15% of the
      cases, respectively). Moreover, both morphologic and phenotypic studies show the
      frequent coexistence of two or three cell populations. Interestingly, in all
      cases the lymphoblastic component constantly displayed an early B phenotype
      (CD19+, CD10-, TdT+). Upon analyzing whether the type of MDS conditioned any
      differences in the immunophenotype of blast cells, we observed that, although the
      lymphoid lineage may be involved in all MDS subgroups, some differences emerge
      within the myeloid leukemic transformations. Thus, the refractory anemias with
      excess of blasts (RAEB) and RAEB in transformation displayed a significantly
      higher incidence of myeloblastic and megakaryoblastic transformations, while in
      the RA, RA with ring sideroblasts and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, the
      granulo-monocytic phenotype predominated. In addition, our results show that the
      clinical and hematologic characteristics of these patients may be partially
      related to the immunophenotype of the blast cells. Ig heavy chain gene
      rearrangements were found in two of 19 patients analyzed (11%), one with a hybrid
      leukemia (lymphoid-myeloid) and the other with a granulo-monocytic phenotype. Two
      other hybrid transformations analyzed were in germline configuration. Gamma and
      delta gene rearrangements were found in 21% and 37% of these acute
      transformation, respectively. The TCR-beta and M-bcr were in germline
      configuration in all 19 cases studied. In summary, immunophenotype and molecular
      studies point to a pluripotent stem cell with preferential myeloid commitment as
      the target cell of leukemias following a primary MDS.

PMID- 1859888
TI  - Human interleukin-7 induces proliferation of neoplastic cells from chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia and acute leukemias.
AB  - The biologic effects of interleukin-7 (IL-7) and the expression of specific IL-7
      membrane receptors on isolated neoplastic cells from previously untreated
      patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia as well as acute leukemias were
      investigated in vitro. Leukemic cells were incubated for up to 6 days with
      various concentrations of IL-7 (0.01 to 2,000 U/mL). Neoplastic cells of the T-
      or B-phenotype from chronic as well as from acute leukemias proliferated in a
      dose-dependent manner. Cells from acute myeloid leukemias also proliferated in
      response to IL-7. An optimal proliferative effect was achieved between 96 and 120
      hours with 200 U/mL IL-7. Combinations of IL-7 with IL-2 and tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha showed an additive effect on [3H]TdR incorporation. IL-7 binding
      assays gave a value of approximately 33 to 180 high-affinity (kd approximately 20
      pmol/L) binding sites/cell and approximately 241 to 3,280 low-affinity (kd
      approximately 600 pmol/L) binding sites/cell. Receptor expression correlated with
      the proliferation in response to IL-7. These data indicate that IL-7 can induce
      proliferation of relatively mature tumor cells, and that this effect is not
      restricted to the lymphoid lineage.

PMID- 1859890
TI  - Trisomy 12 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: an interphase cytogenetic study.
AB  - Interphase cytogenetics by means of in situ hybridization with the chromosome 12
      specific biotinylated alpha satellite DNA probe pSP 12-1 was used for the study
      of trisomy 12, the most common chromosomal abnormality in chronic lymphocytic
      leukemia. In situ hybridization was performed on methanol/acetic acid fixed cells
      of conventional cytogenetic preparations from eight patients and on
      morphologically and immunologically classified cells of cytospin preparations
      from seven patients. The results show that trisomy 12 is more common than assumed
      on the basis of karyotype analysis of metaphase chromosomes: 2 of 13 patients
      with a normal karyotype in G-banding analysis were shown to have trisomy 12 by
      interphase cytogenetics. Immunophenotyping of the cells of one patient showed
      that the trisomy was restricted to cells with Ig light chain clonality. For the
      evaluation of the prognostic, therapeutic, and biologic significance of trisomy
      12, in situ hybridization should be used in parallel with karyotype analysis
      because it allows the study of all cell populations of both interphase and
      mitotic cells, whether neoplastic or normal.

PMID- 1859891
TI  - Activation of platelet heparitinase by tumor cell-derived factors.
AB  - The nature of the cooperation between platelets and tumor cells during the
      process of blood-borne metastasis is essentially unknown. In previous in vitro
      studies we showed that platelets participated in the formation of gaps in the
      endothelial cell lining, and that concomitantly heparan sulfate
      glycosaminoglycans were degraded by the platelet heparitinase, released on
      activation of platelets. In the current study we show that the ability to degrade
      proteoheparan sulfate derived from endothelial extracellular matrix is gradually
      eliminated when the number of human platelets is decreased from 5 x 10(7) to
      10(6) cells/mL. When aliquots of conditioned media or lysates of either Eb or
      heat-inactivated ESb mouse lymphoma cells (both of which showed no heparanase
      activity) were added to freeze-thawed lysates of 10(6) platelets, a reappearance
      of platelet heparitinase activity was observed. A similar activation was not
      elicited by lysates of several normal mammalian cells. These data suggest that in
      its native form, a fraction of the platelet heparitinase is stored in an inactive
      form that can be activated by a factor secreted by lymphoma, but not by normal
      cells. Partial characterization of the heparitinase-activating factor showed that
      it is a heat-stable polyanionic molecule, devoid of proteolytic activity and
      resistant to both proteolytic and chondroitinase digestions. Activation of
      platelet heparitinase was also observed on coincubation with chondroitinases ABC
      and AC, suggesting that the inactive form of platelet heparitinase could result
      from a complex formation with a chondroitinase-sensitive proteoglycan. The
      lymphoma-derived heparitinase activating factor itself is, however, not a
      chondroitinase, because activity of chondroitinase could not be detected in Eb
      and ESb cells. A possible mechanism by which tumor cells recruit and regulate the
      activity of platelet heparitinase, and its relevance to the progression of blood
      borne metastasis, is discussed.

PMID- 1859892
TI  - Emergence of a B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in a patient with B-cell chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia: evidence for the single-cell origin of the two tumors.
AB  - A patient is described who presented with a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
      and later developed a lymphoblastic lymphoma. The cells from the CLL were typical
      mature B lymphocytes as could be assessed by morphologic, cytochemical, and
      surface marker analyses. The cells from the lymphoblastic lymphoma were immature
      B cells that expressed CD10, CD20, and HLA-DR markers, but not surface Ig or
      cytoplasmic mu chains, and were negative for terminal deoxynucleotidyl
      transferase (TdT). The cells of two continuous cell lines, obtained from the bone
      marrow and the peripheral blood of the patient, had the same phenotype as the
      lymphoblastic lymphoma cells, did not contain the Epstein-Barr virus genome, and
      displayed malignant features in vitro, including the capacity to form colonies in
      agar. The two cell lines also shared identical chromosomal abnormalities, a
      finding which suggests that they derived from the same malignant cell already
      present in vivo. Such chromosomal abnormalities were not seen in the karyotype of
      the peripheral blood cells at the onset of the disease. Analysis of the Ig heavy
      chain genes using a DJ-specific probe showed the very same monoclonal
      rearrangement in the cells from the B-CLL, the lymphoblastic lymphoma and the two
      cell lines, thus demonstrating their common clonal origin. By contrast, a
      monoclonal rearrangement of the lambda chain gene locus was found in the B-CLL
      cells only, a finding consistent with their exclusive capacity to express surface
      IgM lambda. This patient represents a rare case in whom a chronic
      lymphoproliferative disorder with mature malignant cells transforms into a
      lymphoblastic lymphoma characterized by cells frozen at a very early maturational
      stage. The possible mechanisms leading to such transformation within the same
      cell clone are discussed.

PMID- 1859893
TI  - Rosetting of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells with uninfected red
      blood cells enhances microvascular obstruction under flow conditions.
AB  - The occurrence of rosetting of Plasmodium falciparum-infected human red blood
      cells (IRBC) with uninfected red blood cells (RBC) and its potential
      pathophysiologic consequences were investigated under flow conditions using the
      perfused rat mesocecum vasculature. Perfusion experiments were performed using
      two knobby (K+) lines of P falciparum, ie, rosetting positive (K+R+) and
      rosetting negative (K+R-). The infusion of K+R+ IRBC resulted in higher
      peripheral resistance (PRU) than K+R- IRBC (P less than .0012). Video microscopy
      showed that under conditions of flow, in addition to cytoadherence of K+R+ IRBC
      to the venular endothelium, rosette formation was also restricted to venules,
      especially in the areas of slow flow. Rosettes were absent in arterioles and were
      presumably dissociated by higher wall shear rates. The presence of rosettes in
      the venules must therefore reflect their rapid reformation after disruption.
      Cytoadherence of K+R+ IRBC was characterized by formation of focal clusters along
      the venular wall. In addition, large aggregates of RBC were frequently observed
      at venular junctions, probably as a result of interaction between flowing
      rosettes, free IRBC, and uninfected RBC. In contrast, the infusion of K+R+ IRBC
      resulted in diffuse cytoadherence of these cells exclusively to the venular
      endothelium but not in rosetting or large aggregate formation. The cytoadherence
      of K+R+ IRBC showed strong inverse correlation with the venular diameter (r = 
      .856, P less than .00001). Incubation of K+R+ IRBC with heparin and with
      monoclonal antibodies to glycoprotein IV/CD36 abolished the rosette formation and
      resulted in decreased PRU and microvascular blockage. These findings demonstrate
      that rosetting of K+R+ IRBC with uninfected RBC enhances vasocclusion, suggesting
      an important in vivo role for rosetting in the microvascular sequestration of P
      falciparum-infected RBC.

PMID- 1859894
TI  - Recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor after autologous
      bone marrow transplantation for relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: blood and bone
      marrow progenitor growth studies. A phase II Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
      Trial.
AB  - Sixteen patients with relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma underwent autologous bone
      marrow transplantation and infusion of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF). Treatment consisted of involved-field
      radiotherapy, cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg/d intravenously (IV) for 2 days, and
      fractionated total body irradiation (1,200 cGy). Autologous bone marrow was
      thawed and infused IV, followed 3 hours later by the first infusion of IV rhGM
      CSF 11 micrograms/kg/d over 4 hours. Infusions of rhGM-CSF were continued daily
      until either both neutrophil count exceeded 1,500/microL and platelet count
      exceeded 50,000/microL, or until 30 days after marrow re-infusion. Toxicities
      encountered were mild and included fever, chills, hypertension, alopecia, rash,
      diarrhea, stomatitis, myalgias, and synovial (knee) effusions. Neutrophil
      recovery greater than 500/microL occurred a median of 14 days (range, 9 to 30
      days) after marrow infusion, significantly earlier than in a comparable group of
      historic controls who recovered counts at a median time of 20 days (range, 12 to
      51 days) (P = .00002). Median time to self-sustaining platelet counts greater
      than 20,000/microL was 23.5 days (range, 12 to 100 days), comparable with the
      historic group (P = .38). One bacteremia (central venous catheter exit site
      infection with Staphylococcus epidermidis) and one local infection (Giardia
      lamblia in stool) occurred. Patients received a median of 11.4 (range, 4.4 to
      20.2) x 10(4) colony-forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) progenitors per
      kg. Stem cell progenitors CFU-GM, CFU-granulocyte, erythroid, monocyte,
      megakaryocyte (CFU-GEMM), and burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E) were detected
      in the bone marrow as early as 7 days after marrow re-infusion, and increased in
      proportion to peripheral blood counts, but by 30 to 60 days still remained much
      lower than before transplant. Neutrophils transiently decreased in 13 of 16
      patients (median decrease, 42%) within 24 to 72 hours of discontinuing rhGM-CSF
      infusions. These data suggest that rhGM-CSF therapy enhances neutrophil recovery
      by forcing stem cells to produce mature elements at an enhanced rate but may not
      affect marrow stem cell and early progenitor population sizes.

PMID- 1859896
TI  - Interleukin-1 beta expression and treatment outcome in acute myelogenous
      leukemia.

PMID- 1859895
TI  - Treatment for acute myelocytic leukemia with allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation following preparation with BuCy2.
AB  - One hundred twenty-seven patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) were given
      busulfan 4 mg/kg on each of 4 days and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg on each of 2
      days (BuCy2) followed by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA
      identical or one antigen disparate sibling. For 71 patients in first complete
      remission, 23 in second complete remission or initial relapse, and 33 patients
      with primary refractory disease, second or subsequent relapse, or a preceding
      hematologic disorder, the 3-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) is 63.1%, 32.6%,
      and 24.2% respectively. The actuarial probability of relapse for each group is
      14.1%, 40.6%, and 61.0%. In multivariate analyses, relapse and decreased LFS were
      associated with advanced disease phase and with M4/M5 French-American-British
      classification. The LFS of first remission patients was adversely associated with
      a short time interval from diagnosis to transplantation. This study indicates
      that BuCy2 is an attractive preparative regimen for marrow transplantation in
      patients with AML and that prognostic factors for relapse and LFS are similar
      those described for regimens containing total body irradiation.

PMID- 1859897
TI  - Human T-lymphotropic virus type I: new risk for Chilean population.

PMID- 1859899
TI  - [Evolution of cancer mortality. Reflexions of a physician].
AB  - Changes in cancer mortality trends in Europe and the USA are correlated with
      changes in the environment. Active prevention by means of antioxidants and
      antiproliferative agents etc should be used more extensively and advertisements
      regarding tobacco habits should rely more on methods intended to project a
      negative image of smokers. At the present time, anticancer therapies lengthen the
      survival of patients, which could induce bias in statistics. In the future it
      seems likely that they will play a greater role against cancer than early
      detection. Nevertheless, efforts should be made in this direction, at least with
      regard to young people due to the decreasing mean age of the appearance of
      several tumors.

PMID- 1859898
TI  - Rapid diagnosis of alpha-thalassemia-1 of southeast Asia type and hydrops fetalis
      by polymerase chain reaction.

PMID- 1859900
TI  - [Observance in cancerology].

PMID- 1859901
TI  - [Incidence, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cancer of the pancreas:
      development in Cote-d'Or from 1976 to 1985].
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological aspects of pancreatic
      cancers and their time trends in the Cote-d'Or population between 1976 and 1985.
      Over a period of ten years, 444 cases were diagnosed. The incidence rates
      standardized according to the world reference population were 8.2/100,000 in
      males and 3.8/100,000 in females. The Cote-d'Or is an intermediate risk area for
      pancreatic cancer. This cancer was slightly more common in urban than in rural
      areas (NS). The initially urban predominance of pancreatic cancer in males was no
      longer present 10 years later. Between 1976 and 1985, incidence of pancreatic
      cancer decreased by a mean of 4.7% per year in males (NS) and 0.5% per year in
      females (NS). A high proportion of the cancers (73.9%) were located in the head
      of the pancreas; among histologically confirmed cases, 69.7% were
      adenocarcinomas. Criteria for diagnosis evolved throughout the 10 years. The rate
      of histological confirmation increased annually by a mean of 3.0% (P less than
      0.001). The relative importance among diagnostic procedures of direct biliary and
      pancreatic examinations decreased (P less than 0.05) whereas that of
      ultrasonography and radioscan increased (P less than 0.001). The overall surgical
      rate was 64.4% and the rate of curative surgery was 4.4%. The operability rate
      increased annually by a mean of 2.0% (NS). The overall survival rate was 13.2%
      after 1 year, 4.5% after 3 years and 3.2% after 5 years. Prognosis depended
      neither on age nor on sex or cancer location. The 5-year survival rate was 38.5%
      in the limited group of patients (n = 13) who underwent surgery for cure, and
      0.0% in patients with palliative treatment. These data emphasize the severity of
      pancreatic cancers and the absence of any therapeutical improvement between 1976
      and 1985 in spite of the evolution in diagnostic procedures.

PMID- 1859903
TI  - [Oral contraception and benign breast diseases: point of view of the
      epidemiologist].
AB  - The study of the association between oral contraceptives (OC) and benign breast
      disease (BBD) is of great interest for the epidemiologist, because of the impact
      that this association may have on the risk of breast cancer. In fact, three
      factors have to be analysed simultaneously: OC use, the occurrence of BBD and the
      occurrence of breast cancer. This analysis is complex because two out of the
      three factors are not univocal in their definition (various composition and doses
      for pills, numerous histologic types of BBD). Moreover, a fourth parameter is to
      take into account: the time factor. This last factor intervenes in the
      chronological order of events (OC before or after BBD), and for the use of
      different types of pills (duration of use, age at the start of OC use before or
      after the first full-term pregnancy, etc). Although all the relationships between
      these different factors are still insufficiently known at the present time,
      certain points are acquired: 1) OC use decreases the risk of BBD (particularly
      when pills contain high doses of progestogens); 2) a history of BBD increases the
      risk of breast cancer (particularly when BBD is a fibrocystic mastosis with
      cellular atypia); 3) in spite of the decrease in the risk of BBD associated with
      OC use, OC use does not decrease the risk of breast cancer. For a long time, this
      third proposition appeared as paradoxal. In 1986, Stadel and Schlesselman tried
      to estimate the terms of this paradoxe. Their estimations allowed to show that
      the risk of breast cancer associated with OC use, for women with a history of
      BBD, was overestimated in all previous reports. Indeed, the decrease of the
      occurrence of BBD due to OC use, which was associated with an important reduction
      in the number of breast cancer cases, was not taken into account in the
      estimation of this risk. Other epidemiological investigations with a greater
      number of subjects are needed to further analyse complex relationships between OC
      use, BBD and breast cancer.

PMID- 1859902
TI  - [Brain metastases of malignant melanomas].
AB  - Cerebral metastases of malignant melanoma are correlated with a very poor
      prognosis. Surgery of an isolated metastase can lead to a long survival but the
      brain lesions are frequently numerous and associated with an extracerebral
      diffusion. Dacarbazine (DTIC) gives a mean response rate of 21% on visceral
      localisations but doesn't cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Neither do the
      biological response modifiers like Interleukin 2 (Il2) that leads to 25% response
      rate in disseminated melanoma. Nitrosoureas like carmustine (BCNU) and semustine
      (CCNU) have been investigated in different non randomised studies and the
      clinical results didn't illustrate their theorical ability to cross the BBB.
      Radiotherapy is also used as a palliative therapy with 7 to 16 weeks survival.
      Fotemustine (muphoran), a new amino acid linked nitrosourea, can give a response
      rate up to 28.2% in patients with cerebral metastases and the increased survival
      of responding patients is significant. The availability of this new drug may
      suggest associations with surgery and radiotherapy in the future to improve the
      survival of such patients.

PMID- 1859904
TI  - [Hormone treatment of benign breast diseases].

PMID- 1859905
TI  - [Treatment of postoperative lymphedema of the upper limb].
AB  - In breast cancer the overall incidence of post-therapeutic lymphedemas of the arm
      remains at 20% despite the use of new conservative treatments. Patients suffering
      from pains and heaviness require additional treatment for their swollen arm. One
      hundred and seventy-nine women with a post therapeutic edema of the upper limb
      have been treated in a special medical unit where medical and physiotherapeutic
      care were given as an intensive treatment for 4 weeks. More than 80% of good
      results were obtained with a median decrease in volume of swelling of 45%. The
      duration of the clinical improvement during the 6 months following the intensive
      first treatment was excellent for 76% of all improved cases. Treatment failure
      occurred in 16.2% of upper limb swelling mostly in relation to a recurrence of
      the disease (81%). 84.3% of cases undergoing a second intensive treatment 6
      months later displayed a new decrease in volume and a new real clinical
      improvement. Small post therapeutic lymphedemas must be treated as soon as
      possible to avoid more serious delayed disorders.

PMID- 1859906
TI  - Adjuvant endocrine therapy for operable breast cancer.
AB  - A brief resume of adjuvant endocrine therapy for operable breast cancer is given.
      This was first suggested in the 1930's but has only become accepted in the last
      10-15 years. The reason for the lack of survival benefit in the first randomised
      trial, which began in 1948 in Manchester, was thought to be due to the increasing
      use of hormone therapy for metastases. Revival of interest came with the survival
      gain reported in the Toronto ovarian trial and the success in post-menopausal
      patients of the non-toxic anti-oestrogen tamoxifen. The different dose schedules
      used in the various large tamoxifen trials could explain the confusingly variable
      results in the literature. Combined analysis of trial results indicates that CMF
      is the adjuvant therapy of choice for pre-menopausal patients but this therapy
      may in part be acting through the ovaries. The Scottish and NATO trials have an
      overall survival advantage from adjuvant tamoxifen, even in pre-menopausal
      patients, and both have shown results to be independent of oestrogen receptor
      (ER) status. Whether the extra 3 years given in Scotland adds an additional
      benefit over the more commonly used 2-year course is uncertain. A statistically
      invalid look at selected data in the Scottish trial suggests that, in ER positive
      cases, post-relapse tamoxifen may have as great an effect on total survival as
      adjuvant use, a finding similar to that suggested by the first ovarian ablation
      trial and one requiring continued review.

PMID- 1859908
TI  - Future directions in tobacco research.

PMID- 1859907
TI  - The tobacco habit as drug dependence.

PMID- 1859909
TI  - Implications of tobacco use as an addiction.

PMID- 1859910
TI  - The influence of stress on psychopharmacological responses to nicotine.
AB  - This essay considers the mechanisms which may mediate the apparent anxiolytic
      properties of nicotine and which are thought to be responsible for the 'calming'
      effect of tobacco smoke experienced by many smokers. It summarizes the evidence
      that, in many tests for anxiolytic activity, the effects of nicotine do not
      resemble those of established anxiolytic drugs such as diazepam and concludes
      that it is likely that neural systems other than those which mediate the
      responses to the benzodiazepines are responsible for the putative anxiolytic
      properties of nicotine. Circumstantial evidence which suggests that the increase
      in mesolimbic dopamine secretion evoked by nicotine may not only be rewarding per
      se but may also contribute to the ability of the drug to alleviate the effects of
      stress is presented. The essay also summarizes results which suggest that chronic
      nicotine evokes changes in the mesolimbic dopamine system which resemble those
      seen in animals treated chronically with antidepressant drugs and proposes that
      the mechanisms which mediate the ability of antidepressant drugs to alleviate the
      effects of stress may also mediate the apparent anxiolytic properties of
      nicotine. The possible consequences of this hypothesis for future research are
      considered.

PMID- 1859911
TI  - Pharmacodynamics of nicotine: implications for rational treatment of nicotine
      addiction.
AB  - Rational treatment of the pharmacologic aspects of tobacco addiction includes
      nicotine substitution therapy. Understanding the pharmacodynamics of nicotine and
      its role in the addiction process provides a basis for rational therapeutic
      intervention. Pharmacodynamic considerations are discussed in relation to the
      elements of smoking cessation therapy: setting objectives, selecting appropriate
      medication and dosing form, selecting the optimal doses and dosage regimens,
      assessing therapeutic outcome, and adjusting therapy to optimize benefits and
      minimize risks.

PMID- 1859912
TI  - Nicotinic receptor blockade therapy and smoking cessation.
AB  - Smoking is a behaviour with a significant conditioned component. Attempts to quit
      will likely fail unless the effects of primary and secondary reinforcers are
      extinguished. Current smoking cessation methods scarcely address this issue,
      which may explain why they meet with little success in the long term. In
      contrast, the administration of centrally-active nicotinic receptor antagonists
      should provide a means of extinguishing both primary and secondary reinforcers
      associated with smoking. Thus, nicotine blockade therapy presents a promising new
      approach to smoking cessation.

PMID- 1859913
TI  - Understanding brain mechanisms in nicotine reinforcement.
AB  - Current understanding of the mechanisms through which nicotine acts to reinforce
      behavior is limited. Demonstrated interactions between nicotine and the
      mesolimbic dopamine system have provided the impetus for investigations of the
      role of this particular brain pathway in nicotine reinforcement, and preliminary
      studies do indeed suggest that the dopamine system might be involved in self
      administration of nicotine. However, there are clearly other possible brain sites
      and neurotransmitter mechanisms that could be critical to reinforcement processes
      for nicotine. This article proposes that a broadly-based attack on the question
      of nicotine reinforcement would be the most fruitful; basic biological research
      should aim to verify the involvement of the mesolimbic dopamine system, but also
      to elucidate other candidate brain systems that may contribute to the reinforcing
      properties of nicotine.

PMID- 1859914
TI  - Rehabilitating a genetic perspective in the study of tobacco and alcohol use.
AB  - Despite comparable estimates of 'heritability' for tobacco smoking and alcohol
      drinking, the human genetics of drinking has been a fashionable topic for
      research, while the human genetics of smoking has been neglected or viewed with
      suspicion. The differing course of genetic themes in the alcohol and tobacco
      areas is discussed in relation to (a) different historical pressures which
      promoted disease models of alcoholism and 'bad habit' models of heavy smoking and
      (b) possible fundamental differences in the nature of cigarette and alcohol use.
      This topic is further complicated by the substantial co-occurrence of heavy
      smoking and heavy drinking, so that the genetic determinants may well over-lap.
      'Cross-cultural' comparison of these contrasting interests in genetics is argued
      to be an important topic for future research.

PMID- 1859915
TI  - Biobehavioral research on nicotine use in women.
AB  - More American women are taking up smoking than men and fewer are quitting; if
      current trends continue, rates for women will surpass those for men by the mid
      1990's. But ironically, much of what is known about the biobehavioural aspects of
      smoking is based on research using male subjects. The present paper reviews
      evidence suggesting that: (1) women may differ from men with regard to nicotine
      intake and/or effects; (2) nicotine intake and effects may be influenced by
      menstrual cycle phase; (3) oral contraceptive use and estrogen replacement
      therapy may affect intake and effects of nicotine; (4) the effects of chronic
      nicotine use on female reproductive endocrinology may have implications for the
      reinforcement of smoking; and (5) pharmacological agents used to treat smoking
      may have different effects in women than in men. Guidelines and suggestions are
      presented by future biobehavioural research in women, including standardization
      of assessment procedures, attention to the use of appropriate controls, and use
      of pharmacological probes.

PMID- 1859916
TI  - Towards better diagnoses and more individual treatment of tobacco dependence.
AB  - The nicotine dependence concept is well founded and it is clear that it is
      necessary to assess this before treatment starts. Behavioural dependence,
      although difficult to disentangle from the pharmacological dependence, is also
      important. With the development of tools for assessing behavioural dependence,
      the behavioural treatment methods could be applied to patients more
      appropriately. The place of new drugs such as clonidine and antidepressants is
      also discussed. It is suggested that some of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome may
      have similarities with hypoglycemia and increased eating after stopping smoking
      may be a form of self-medication. Lastly, the new forms of giving nicotine
      replacement are put in perspective.

PMID- 1859917
TI  - Smoking and smoking cessation in cancer patients.
AB  - Persons with malignant disease have been a neglected population for research in
      smoking cessation. Besides the well-established role of cigarette smoking in the
      development of several types of cancers, there are numerous adverse health
      consequences of continued smoking for the diagnosed cancer patient. These
      include: increased risk of further neoplasms, poorer survival, and complications
      of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy; risk of non-neoplastic smoking-related
      diseases; and additional impairment of appetite and nutrition. Smoking prevalence
      at diagnosis is highest among patients with smoking-related cancers. Prospective
      studies of a variety of cancer patient populations are needed to assess patterns
      of continued smoking and cessation. Systematic quit smoking programs should be
      integrated into cancer treatment regimens. Currently, two trials testing
      interventions delivered by medical providers are in progress. Important research
      issues concerning intervention in cancer patient smoking behavior include:
      identification of relevant target groups; definition of intervention style and
      content; delineation of dimensions of treatment; and documentation of beneficial
      effects. The growing number of long-term cancer survivors and the complications
      from other smoking-related diseases dictate that the smoking cessation needs of
      this population be addressed.

PMID- 1859919
TI  - Smokeless tobacco: current status and future directions.
AB  - Smokeless tobacco is addicting, can cause physical dependence, and is associated
      with many health risks. In spite of these concerns over its use, minimal research
      has been conducted to understand the effects from and factors associated with
      smokeless tobacco use. Additionally, relatively few studies have examined
      potentially effective treatments for the smokeless tobacco user. This paper
      reviews the existing literature in this area and considers future directions for
      research.

PMID- 1859918
TI  - Individual differences in difficulty quitting smoking.
AB  - This essay comments on the main approaches to studying individual differences in
      ability to quit smoking, and suggests complementing them with a concept of
      'difficulty of quitting'. Several areas of research into determinants of ability
      to quit smoking are discussed, including measures of dependence, reactivity to
      nicotine, severity of withdrawal symptoms, endurance of discomfort, and
      psychological well being. A number of correlates of inability to quit may have a
      common denominator in stress and neuroticism. If these are the primary obstacles
      to quitting, changes in the composition of the smoking population and in the
      image of smoking can be expected which could lead to smoking losing some of its
      appeal for potential new recruits.

PMID- 1859920
TI  - Is nicotine more addictive than cocaine?
AB  - Is nicotine more addictive than cocaine? That claim is increasingly in vogue,
      often supported by data showing the high likelihood of progression to daily
      tobacco use following experimentation and the high percentage of cigarette
      smokers, compared with cocaine users who appear addicted. In the context of
      criteria for addiction of dependence presented by the World Health Organization,
      the American Psychiatric Association, and the US Surgeon General, we consider
      several lines of evidence, including patterns of mortality, physical dependence
      potential, and pharmacologic addiction liability measures. Within each line of
      evidence, we compare nicotine with cocaine. We conclude that on the current
      evidence nicotine cannot be considered more addicting than cocaine. Both are
      highly addicting drugs for which patterns of use and the development of
      dependence are strongly influenced by factors such as availability, price, social
      pressures, and regulations, as well as certain pharmacologic characteristics.

PMID- 1859921
TI  - Beneficial effects of nicotine.
AB  - Nicotine in tobacco brings illness and death to millions of people. Yet nicotine
      in its pure form has the potential to be a valuable pharmaceutical agent.
      Nicotine fairly specifically binds to the cholinergic nicotinic gating site on
      cationic ion channels in receptors throughout the body. This action stimulates
      the release of a variety of neurotransmitters including especially catecholamines
      and serotonin. When chronically taken, nicotine may result in: (1) positive
      reinforcement, (2) negative reinforcement, (3) reduction of body weight, (4)
      enhancement of performance, and protection against; (5) Parkinson's disease (6)
      Tourette's disease (7) Alzheimers disease, (8) ulcerative colitis and (9) sleep
      apnea. The reliability of these effects varies greatly but justifies the search
      for more therapeutic applications for this interesting compound.

PMID- 1859922
TI  - Smoking cessation and weight gain.
AB  - Significant progress has been made in the research on smoking cessation and
      weight gain since the 1988 Surgeon General's Report, particularly on mechanisms
      and treatment methods. Smoking cessation results in weight gain in most quitters,
      primarily due to changes in caloric intake and to a lesser extent from changes in
      energy expenditure. Thus far, pharmacologic treatments appear more efficacious at
      preventing the weight gain than behavioral methods. And regarding who should
      receive treatment, preliminary research suggests that females are more concerned
      about postcessation weight gain than males, and it is the concern about weight
      gain--more than the weight gain itself--that appears to play an important role in
      relapse to smoking. Given the progress that has been made along the spectrum from
      mechanisms to treatment, those concerned about postcessation weight now have
      treatment options for preventing weight gain in the critical period immediately
      after smoking cessation. However, continued research into mechanisms, treatment
      methods, and individual differences will surely result in new and more
      effectively tailored treatment options.

PMID- 1859923
TI  - Smoking prevention: towards a process approach.
AB  - Current studies of smoking prevention treat the adolescent as a target of
      influence, they emphasize the acquisition of skills for resisting peer pressure
      and give too little attention to motivation for resistance. Studies consistent
      with this social learning framework show moderate reductions in the incidence of
      smoking for the short term; recent, long-term follow-ups show no reduction in
      experimental over control conditions. We propose a re-examination of the
      influence framework and suggest that adolescents use smoking and dress, to
      project an image of self that will increase the likelihood of success in the
      formation of relationships in which participants share feelings and attitudes
      toward each other and the adult world. We also suggest that adults focus upon
      external, perceptible, and remote threats, e.g. smoking is seen as evil, a
      response to peer pressure, and a long term threat to health, and ignore discourse
      about proximal, subjective feelings respecting the changing sexual urges and
      feelings of social anxiety that accompany adolescence. The socialization of these
      affects is left to the peer group. It is suggested that future programs intensify
      their focus on motivation for resisting smoking based upon a revised view of the
      adolescents objectives in self definition, and combine this with the best of the
      current skills approaches.

PMID- 1859924
TI  - The development of dependence on smoking in children.
AB  - The development of dependence on smoking has been largely unexplored and has
      theoretical importance and implications for interventions aimed at interrupting
      the early stages of smoking behaviour. Data are presented which indicate the
      importance of the first few cigarettes. The development of a regular smoking
      pattern had previously been reported to take about 2 years and involve a
      progression through a series of stages from smoking for psychosocial motives, to
      smoking for a positive nicotine effect and finally for some smokers, smoking to
      avoid withdrawal. Results from a small scale study with girls are described which
      give no support to the notion of any such well-defined stages in the novice
      smoker's career. Inhalation was apparent from early on indicating that nicotine
      can play an active role in reinforcing smoking from a very early stage.
      Furthermore, the majority of the young smokers perceived themselves to be
      dependent on their cigarettes. The nature of any positive reinforcement was
      unclear, the dependence-producing potential of smoking appearing to be largely
      due to relief of unpleasant feelings. These findings need to be replicated and
      the paper highlights other key areas in this field for future research.

PMID- 1859925
TI  - A bioinformational systems perspective on tobacco dependence.
AB  - Recent thinking about tobacco dependence has been influenced largely by a focus
      on the pharmacological effects of nicotine. We advocate a return to earlier views
      of dependence as comprising both pharmacological and non-pharmacological aspects.
      Moreover, we suggest that it may be profitable to reformulate research on
      dependence in terms of a bioinformational process model. The basic tenets of such
      a model are outlined, as are the challenges in exploring the nature of dependence
      simultaneously across the cognitive, physiological and behavioral domains of
      function.

PMID- 1859926
TI  - Research on stress and smoking: progress and problems.
AB  - Despite evidence that smoking behaviour increases in the context of stress, there
      has yet to be a clear-cut demonstration that nicotine intake is similarly
      enhanced. Although nicotine intake has been shown to reduce reported anxiety in
      the context of stress, the controlling conditions (type of stressor, intensity,
      temporal relationships, etc.) need further exploration. Recent findings involving
      nicotine's effects on the hypophyseal-adrenal axis provide a new perspective on
      these issues, in that increased nicotine intake during exposure to a stressor may
      represent, at least in part, behavioral compensation for diminished sensitivity
      to nicotine brought about by nicotine-stimulated corticosteroid release.
      Corticosteroids may decrease central nervous system excitability in a way that
      could account for anxiety reduction; on the other hand, anxiety reduction may be
      an epiphenomenon with respect to the reinforcement of smoking behaviour. The
      integration of behavioural, physiological, and biochemical research exemplified
      by the above approach should lead to a better understanding of stress and
      smoking.

PMID- 1859927
TI  - Inter-relationships between conditioned and primary reinforcement in the
      maintenance of cigarette smoking.
AB  - Research on smoking cessation has increasingly focussed on pharmacological
      aspects of nicotine and nicotine withdrawal. However, cigarette smoking also
      provides a characteristic set of sensory cues. These sensory aspects of smoking
      are important to address in that they may be potent conditioned reinforcing
      stimuli linked to the actions of nicotine. The repetition of the smoking act
      thousands of times per year by a moderately heavy smoker leads to a strong
      conditioned association between the sensory aspects of smoking (the putative CS)
      and the pharmacological effects of nicotine (the putative UCS). Strategies for
      disrupting CS-UCS associations may be useful in developing more effective smoking
      cessation treatments. These include: counterconditioning of the CS; presenting
      the CS alone; presenting the CS with the UCS but pharmacologically blocking the
      UCS; and presenting the CS and UCS in an unconnected fashion. The role of sensory
      cues in alleviating craving for cigarettes is discussed, and specific techniques
      for duplicating relevant sensory aspects of smoking without delivering
      significant doses of nicotine are described. The combination of nicotine and
      nicotinic antagonists to block primary reinforcement and hasten extinction of
      conditioned reinforcement is also considered.

PMID- 1859928
TI  - Refining models of dependence: variations across persons and situations.
AB  - Having established that tobacco smoking is addictive, research should proceed to
      refine our models of dependence on nicotine and other drugs. Current theories of
      addiction do not account for between- or within-subjects variations in addictive
      behavior. Recent evidence that some people can smoke for decades without
      developing dependence demonstrates the potential for individual differences in
      vulnerability to dependence. Study of such anomalous smokers may provide insight
      into the mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence. Current theory and data also
      fail to provide adequate accounts of situational variation in addictive behavior
      and of the developmental progression from initial experimentation to dependence.

PMID- 1859930
TI  - Smoking and economic incentives in Europe.
AB  - This paper reviews the agenda for economic research near the beginning of a
      formative period for policy marked by much greater involvement by the EC
      (European Community). There are few signs as yet of any diffusion process at work
      in Europe to bring about reductions in smoking. Effective use of incentives will
      be needed to bring about reductions in smoking by 2000 and to stop yet further
      massive increases in mortality from smoking related disease. Research is needed
      on price and income elasticities in Europe as the EC introduces new policies for
      raising cigarette taxes and prices. Currently most estimates are based on US and
      UK data. There is also an important research agenda on the decision-making
      process in Europe covering the policy response of national governments and
      professions as well as the future role of the EC Commission. Finally, research is
      needed on the micro-economic determinants of the demand for tobacco products
      across Europe by households. Household data from family expenditure surveys are
      now available across Europe so that it is now possible to construct micro demand
      systems for each European country.

PMID- 1859929
TI  - The application of 1980s psychology to 1990s smoking research.
AB  - The 1988 Surgeon General's report (US DHHS, 1988) argued that smoking should be
      considered an addiction because it displays the features common to all addictive
      disorders, which were, most importantly, highly controlled or compulsive use of a
      psychoactive substance. Furthermore, urges to smoke were identified as directly
      responsible for this pattern of drug use. Although it is commonly asserted that
      urges are central to the addictive process, relatively little research has been
      devoted to this issue and the evidence that is available provides little support
      for the assumption. This paper argues that the role of urges in addictive smoking
      should receive greater attention from smoking researchers and offers several
      suggestions for overcoming the methodological and theoretical limitations of
      previous research on smoking urges.

PMID- 1859931
TI  - Comprehensive approaches to tobacco use control.
AB  - This essay suggests approaches to two issues of importance to the future of
      tobacco use control research. First, there is need to identify those areas of
      tobacco use prevention and cessation research which have evolved to the point
      where additional investigation would only bring incremental gains. The reduction
      potential of this research should then be consolidated by applying existing,
      effective interventions widely and systematically. Conversely, there is need to
      identify those areas in which additional research is necessary. Second, the most
      logical way to reach agreement on those areas which are ready to move from
      research to applications-of-research is, with the co-operation and advice of the
      research community, through the large funding organizations which have supported
      this research over the past 2 decades. It is these organizations which, once the
      most effective intervention are identified, are capable of supporting the
      centrally-planned, consensus-driven, comprehensive approaches to tobacco use
      control which will be necessary to continued success in reducing tobacco-related
      morbidity and mortality in the industralized world and to begin addressing the
      growing problems of tobacco use in the developing world.

PMID- 1859932
TI  - Conceptual and methodological considerations for tobacco addiction research.
AB  - The 1988 Surgeon General's Report on nicotine addiction has research and
      treatment implications. It focuses clinical treatments on tobacco use as an
      addiction and highlights the importance of examining actions of nicotine relevant
      to dependence. It also indicates the value of comparing the pharmacologic and
      behavioral processes underlying use of nicotine with other addictive drugs. This
      essay points out gaps that remain in our understanding of nicotine addiction. For
      example, the exact mechanisms underlying nicotine addiction are unknown. Also,
      the reasons for individual differences in initiation, withdrawal, relapse and
      reinforcing effects of tobacco use are not understood. Research designed to
      address these issues should be problem-driven and multidisciplinary. Parallel
      human and animal studies that include unconditioned as well as conditioned
      behaviors are particularly valuable.

PMID- 1859933
TI  - A time for conceptual stocktaking.
AB  - The Surgeon-General's report, by redefining the nature of the tobacco problem,
      invites a re-examination both of our goals and of our concepts and categories of
      tobacco use. A crucial pre-requisite to the acceptability of the development of
      refined nicotine-containing products, and of long-term nicotine maintenance
      therapy, will be progress in understanding the health risks of nicotine use per
      se. A broader conceptualization of prevalence and cessation is urged, one which
      takes account of cigar and pipe smoking as well as cigarettes. In addition to
      increasing overall prevalence somewhat, this approach drastically alters
      estimates of cessation rates, and indicates that the often-claimed gender
      difference in cessation is myth rather than reality. An analysis which combines
      social class and housing tenure as conjoint indicators of socio-economic position
      sharpens class gradients of smoking prevalence and shows that smokers are still
      comfortably in the majority among substantial groups of the population in the UK.
      Future progress in lowering prevalence, and hence smoking-related disease, is
      increasingly going to depend on reaching the most disadvantaged members of
      society.

PMID- 1859934
TI  - Toward a comprehensive strategy for reducing the health burden of tobacco.
AB  - In the absence of concerted worldwide action, the annual death toll from tobacco
      may reach 10 million by the middle of the next century. Smoking cessation
      approaches represent an important, but limited, means of reducing this death
      toll. Needed are co-ordinated strategies that address all facets of the tobacco
      issue. Especially important are advocacy campaigns targeting the tobacco industry
      and its supporters. Just as the Broad Street pump was isolated as the source of a
      cholera epidemic, the tobacco industry must be isolated as the source of a far
      greater epidemic.

PMID- 1859935
TI  - The future of nicotine replacement.
AB  - Following in the wake of progress forged by nicotine chewing gum, a new
      generation of nicotine replacement products will soon be available as aids to
      giving up smoking. These range from nicotine skin patches, which take 6-8 hrs to
      give very flat steady-state peak blood levels, to nicotine vapour inhalers which
      mimic the transient high-nicotine boli that follow within a few seconds of each
      inhaled puff of cigarette smoke. Other products undergoing clinical trials
      include a nasal nicotine spray and nicotine lozenges. It is argued here that it
      is not so much the efficacy of new nicotine delivery systems as temporary aids to
      cessation, but their potential as long-term alternatives to tobacco that makes
      the virtual elimination of tobacco a realistic future target. Their relative
      safety compared with tobacco is discussed. A case is advanced for selected
      nicotine replacement products to be made as palatable and acceptable as possible
      and actively promoted on the open market to enable them to compete with tobacco
      products. They will also need health authority endorsement, tax advantages and
      support from the anti-smoking movement if tobacco use is to be gradually phased
      out altogether.

PMID- 1859936
TI  - Great expectations: some suggestions for applying the balanced placebo design to
      nicotine and smoking.
AB  - There are a number of methodological problems with the traditional placebo
      controlled design used to investigate the effects of nicotine in human subjects.
      For example, the experimental instructions may create a 'guessing set' in the
      participants such that they search for possible clues to try to identify which
      condition they are in. If they guess correctly, the internal validity of the
      design may be threatened. Furthermore, by attempting to control for the effect of
      subjects' expectancies, the traditional placebo design precludes any estimate of
      expectancy effects. Continued use of this methodology in the smoking field is
      likely to lead to an overemphasis on pharmacological factors in smoking and a
      corresponding underemphasis on cognitive factors and nicotine-expectancy
      interactions. These problems can be overcome by the use of the balanced placebo
      design which orthogonally manipulates instructions (Told Nicotine versus Told
      Placebo) and nicotine (Received Nicotine versus Received Placebo). The balanced
      placebo design offers a powerful methodology for studying many aspects of smoking
      behaviour and nicotine effects, and three examples are given to illustrate its
      potential in this field: nicotine titration, nicotine and performance, and
      priming effects in smoking relapse.

PMID- 1859937
TI  - The focus and conduct of clinical trials.
AB  - This paper discusses some issues regarding how putative stop-smoking treatments
      should be evaluated. Preliminary evaluations of treatments have used withdrawal
      symptoms as a surrogate for abstinence in an attempt to decide those treatments
      on which to carry out expensive full-scale clinical trials. However, withdrawal
      symptom severity has not been shown to relate to long-term abstinence in any
      prospective studies. Until a better understanding of the relationship between
      withdrawal symptoms and abstinence is obtained withdrawal symptoms cannot be
      considered an appropriate surrogate for abstinence. Research is needed into what
      pattern of short-term abstinence provides the best predictor of long-term
      abstinence. Evidence from carbon monoxide validation of short-term abstinence
      raises doubts about whether minor lapses back to smoking are likely to lead to
      full blown relapse. Further research into the use of expired-air CO in validation
      of claims of abstinence is required. Finally, the traditional clinical trials
      format is not well suited to evaluation of treatment programmes with a large
      behavioural component. An alternative based on the principles underlying
      biological evolution is proposed.

PMID- 1859938
TI  - Immunology of the lung in HIV infection: the pathophysiologic basis for the
      development of tuberculosis in the AIDS setting.
AB  - Active tuberculosis is now recognized as a frequent and serious complication of
      infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of
      AIDS. HIV mediated alteration in host defenses against mycobacteria contribute to
      the magnitude and severity of this problem. HIV can affect a variety of cellular
      mechanisms important in the restriction of mycobacterial growth. Qualitative and
      quantitative defects in T lymphocyte function result from direct HIV infection of
      cells expressing the CD4 epitope, and can severely limit the production of
      macrophage activating cytokines capable of inducing an anti-mycobacterial state
      in cells of monocyte lineage. In addition, macrophages themselves are susceptible
      to HIV infection, and have been shown to be defective with respect to a variety
      of host defense functions. Both T4 lymphopenia and HIV infected macrophages are
      present in the lower respiratory tract of HIV infected individuals, a
      circumstance which likely underlies the unique susceptibility of HIV infected to
      tuberculosis.

PMID- 1859940
TI  - The impact of HIV infection on the global epidemiology of tuberculosis.
AB  - HIV is the strongest risk factor for tuberculous disease observed in the last 100
      years in subjects infected with tubercle bacilli. Its impact upon tuberculosis
      incidence is so great that it has disrupted the balance between the tubercle
      bacillus and the community. The breakdown rate from tuberculous infection to
      active tuberculosis in persons infected dually is at least 30%. Although adequate
      chemoprophylaxis would prevent a considerable number of tuberculosis cases among
      these individuals, its application is not feasible in developing countries with a
      high prevalence of both tuberculous and HIV infections. Thus it seems that very
      little can be done against the increase in the incidence of tuberculosis caused
      by HIV. The only feasible measure to contain the transmission of tuberculous
      infection is to achieve a high cure rate and a high detection rate of smear
      positive and other cases. This would enable us to contain-to an extent-the
      transmission of tuberculous infection. The results of IUATLD assisted National
      Tuberculosis Programmes in Tanzania and Malawi show that this can be achieved.

PMID- 1859939
TI  - Tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection during the 1990's.
AB  - Among the many infectious complications of infection with human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV), tuberculosis is now recognized as one of the most important.
      Coexisting HIV infection is believed responsible for the soaring incidence of
      tuberculosis in Africa, and for the increase in the number of reported cases in
      the United States. As HIV-induced immunosuppression worsens, tuberculosis may
      supervene by reactivation of remotely acquired infection or failure to defend
      against newly acquired Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Both mechanisms undoubtedly
      occur in Africa where the rate of exposure is high; the former prevails in the
      United States. The risk of tuberculous infection progressing to tuberculous
      disease is about six times higher in HIV seropositive than seronegative persons.
      Although not incontrovertibly established, tuberculosis probably also has a
      deleterious effect on coexisting HIV infection, either by accelerating the rate
      of destruction of CD4+ lymphocytes and/or promoting the release of new virions
      from HIV-infected macrophages. Tuberculosis, whether HIV-linked or not, can be
      controlled by the traditional means of case-finding and treatment, vaccination
      with BCG, and chemoprophylaxis. HIV infection can be controlled by eliminating
      high-risk behavior, and using uncontaminated blood and other medical supplies. An
      extensive campaign is needed to prevent further spread of these dual scourges
      that are overwhelming already meager health resources in many parts of the world.

PMID- 1859942
TI  - A transitional phase.

PMID- 1859941
TI  - Government intervention programs in HIV/tuberculous infection. Outline of
      guidelines for national tuberculosis control programs in view of the HIV
      epidemic.
AB  - Tuberculosis is one of the most widespread infections known in the world. WHO
      estimates that in 1990, 1.7 billion people, or one third of the world population,
      are or have been infected with the tubercle bacillus. Fortunately, few of those
      infected develop active forms of the disease but it is estimated that in 1990,
      there will be 8 million new cases and 2.9 million deaths from tuberculosis in the
      world. This already alarming situation of the tuberculosis problem is getting
      worse, mainly due to the AIDS epidemic. A basic understanding of tuberculosis/HIV
      epidemiology is necessary and priority actions are to be strongly recommended for
      application in government intervention programs. They are specified in the
      present article.

PMID- 1859943
TI  - The annual tuberculosis infection rate, the tuberculin survey and the tuberculin
      test.
AB  - In the present stage of development where tuberculosis mortality has lost its
      statistical significance because of effective chemotherapy, it is generally
      recognized that the most reliable measure of the extent of the tuberculosis
      problem in a population is the "annual tuberculosis infection rate" or incidence
      of infection. In countries where infection with the bovine type of tubercle
      bacilli no longer exists, as is the case in the majority of low prevalence
      countries, the annual infection rate expresses that proportion of the population
      under study which will be primarily infected, or reinfected with tubercle bacilli
      from a human source in the course of one year. The annual tuberculosis infection
      rate is also the best measure for following the trend of the tuberculosis problem
      in a given population and for evaluating the total effects of organized efforts
      to control tuberculosis.

PMID- 1859944
TI  - Evaluation of the BCG revaccination programme of schoolchildren in Finland.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the need for the BCG revaccination programme of
      schoolchildren in Finland. DESIGN: Investigating tuberculin sensitivity using the
      standard WHO Mantoux test and developing a model to estimate the risk of
      discontinuation, assuming that the annual incidence of tuberculosis within ten
      years after revaccination will remain at its present level; that the
      revaccination rate will be 2, 6 or 20%; and that the degree of protection will be
      10, 20, 40 or 80%. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Urban and rural schoolchildren-
      3,346 vaccinated with Copenhagen and 655 with Glaxo BCG vaccine at birth. RESULTS
      OF DATA ANALYSIS: The annual incidence of tuberculosis was 4.2 per 100,000 in the
      age-group 15-24 years. BCG revaccination was given formerly to 20% of the age
      cohort but nowadays only 6% or 2% meet the criteria after receiving either
      Copenhagen or Glaxo BCG at birth. After discontinuation the expected increase of
      tuberculosis in the age-group 15-24 years is predicted to fall within the limits
      of 0.1-24 cases per year. If 2% are left without revaccination the increase will
      be 0.1-2.4 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the low annual incidence of tuberculosis in
      adolescents and to the small risk of increase the BCG revaccination programme has
      been discontinued from 1990 onwards.

PMID- 1859945
TI  - Tuberculosis in children. Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and treatment (a
      statement of the Scientific Committees of the IUATLD).

PMID- 1859946
TI  - T cell response in acquired protective immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
      infection.

PMID- 1859947
TI  - The mysterious "urethral syndrome".

PMID- 1859948
TI  - Sex hormones, autoimmune diseases, and immune responses.

PMID- 1859949
TI  - Risk of neoplasia and malignancy in "dominant" thyroid swellings.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of neoplasia and malignancy in "dominant"
      thyroid swellings. DESIGN: Prospective analysis during six years. SETTING:
      Thyroid clinic serving the Grampian region. PATIENTS: 574 consecutive patients
      presenting with a discrete thyroid swelling, of whom 179 (31%) were classified
      clinically as having a dominant area of enlargement within a multinodular gland.
      RESULTS: After clinical and cytological assessment 77 dominant swellings were
      excised. Of the excised swellings, 45 were non-neoplastic and 32 neoplastic,
      including 11 malignant lesions. The minimum incidence of neoplasia and malignancy
      in all 179 dominant swellings was therefore 18% and 6% respectively. CONCLUSION:
      Dominant thyroid swellings should be regarded with greater clinical suspicion
      than has been traditional.

PMID- 1859950
TI  - Reported social alcohol consumption during pregnancy and infants' development at
      18 months.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between mothers' self reported drinking
      habits before, during, and after pregnancy and infants' mental and motor
      development at 18 months of age. DESIGN: Follow up study of all singleton live
      births born to primigravidas living in Dundee and booked into antenatal clinics
      from 1 May 1985 to 30 April 1986. SETTING: District of Dundee. SUBJECTS: 846
      children aged 18 months, of whom 592 attended for assessment. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Scores on Bayley scales of infant mental and motor development.
      RESULTS: For full term children, maternal alcohol consumption was not
      significantly related to any adverse effect on the children's mental or motor
      development measures at age 18 months. After confounding factors had been
      controlled for, alcohol consumption before pregnancy and after pregnancy was
      significantly related to better motor performance and mental performance.
      CONCLUSION: Pregnant women probably need not abstain from alcohol altogether as
      no detectable adverse relation was found between the child's mental and physical
      development and the mother's weekly consumption at levels in excess of 100g
      absolute alcohol. However, to allow for a margin of safety and taking into
      account the findings of an earlier phase of this study on the immediate effects
      on the newborn, it is recommended that pregnant women should drink no more than
      eight units of alcohol a week, the equivalent of about one drink a day.

PMID- 1859951
TI  - What makes insulin injections painful?

PMID- 1859952
TI  - Cost of road traffic accidents to an orthopaedic department.

PMID- 1859953
TI  - Multilevel assessment of immunisation uptake as a performance measure in general
      practice.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To provide a measure of general practitioners' performance regarding
      uptake of immunisation against pertussis, taking account of the impact of patient
      characteristics on levels of uptake. DESIGN: Multilevel model of immunisation
      status against six measures of patient characteristics (level 1 predictor
      variables) with practice constraints as level 2 variables. SETTING: 126 practices
      in southern England. SUBJECTS: 2048 infants identified from infant surveillance
      and immunisation records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Top 10 practices with respect to
      uptake of pertussis immunisation according to a "null" model (model A) and
      according to a model that included six level 1 variables (model B); differences
      in ranking between the two models. RESULTS: Practices with low numbers of
      infants' requiring immunisation had imprecise and unstable uptake rates (range 0%
      100%). With the multilevel procedure, after controlling for patient
      characteristics, practices in suburban catchment areas comprised largely of
      mature or young professionals performed best. Most improved performances when
      patient characteristics were taken into account were in practices in areas with a
      stable population and local authority housing--one such practice improved its
      ranking by 47 places. CONCLUSIONS: Crude uptake rates are inadequate performance
      indicators. Alternative approaches suggest that praiseworthy efforts to raise
      immunisation rates in unpromising areas are unrewarded by simple target based
      assessments.

PMID- 1859954
TI  - Adenoma screening and colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1859955
TI  - Audit and standards in new general practice.

PMID- 1859957
TI  - Forensic use of DNA tests.

PMID- 1859956
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging--1: Basic principles of image production.

PMID- 1859958
TI  - Undergraduate medical education: present state and future needs.

PMID- 1859959
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Preterm labour.

PMID- 1859960
TI  - Psychological therapy in the NHS.

PMID- 1859961
TI  - Assessing protective effect of sunscreen products.

PMID- 1859962
TI  - Disciplinary procedures and secrecy.

PMID- 1859963
TI  - Freedom of speech in the new NHS.

PMID- 1859964
TI  - Deaths certified as due to coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1859965
TI  - Golf related head injuries in children.

PMID- 1859966
TI  - Diastasis of the pubic symphysis in pregnancy.

PMID- 1859967
TI  - Immunoreactive trypsinogen concentrations in infants with meconium ileus.

PMID- 1859968
TI  - Sodium valproate in pregnancy.

PMID- 1859969
TI  - Rapid one step urine tests in early pregnancy.

PMID- 1859970
TI  - Altitude treatment for whooping cough.

PMID- 1859972
TI  - Breast cancer screening: the current position.

PMID- 1859971
TI  - Talc granulomas.

PMID- 1859974
TI  - General practitioner outpatient referrals.

PMID- 1859973
TI  - Nightmare of extracontractual referral.

PMID- 1859976
TI  - Liaison between child psychiatrists and social services staff.

PMID- 1859975
TI  - General practitioners' attendance at case conferences.

PMID- 1859977
TI  - Part time training in obstetrics and gynaecology.

PMID- 1859978
TI  - Surveys of patient satisfaction.

PMID- 1859979
TI  - Duties of juniors and consultants.

PMID- 1859980
TI  - Junior doctors, nurses and drips.

PMID- 1859981
TI  - Research posts for general practitioners.

PMID- 1859982
TI  - Scandal threatens French blood transfusion service.

PMID- 1859983
TI  - When medical audit starts to count.

PMID- 1859984
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging--2: Clinical uses.

PMID- 1859986
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Multiple pregnancy.

PMID- 1859985
TI  - Ethics, commerce, and kidneys.

PMID- 1859988
TI  - Zidovudine after occupational exposure to HIV.

PMID- 1859987
TI  - Drugs, HIV, and prisons.

PMID- 1859989
TI  - Domiciliary thrombolytic treatment.

PMID- 1859990
TI  - Routine testing for HIV at infertility clinics.

PMID- 1859991
TI  - Thalassaemia in pregnancy.

PMID- 1859992
TI  - Recording diastolic blood pressure in pregnancy.

PMID- 1859993
TI  - Persistent vegetative state.

PMID- 1859994
TI  - Surgeons who undertake surgery for colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1859995
TI  - General practitioners' access to x ray services.

PMID- 1859996
TI  - Intra-articular injections in capsulitis.

PMID- 1859997
TI  - General practitioners' attendance at child protection case conferences.

PMID- 1859998
TI  - How to produce a service specification.

PMID- 1859999
TI  - Benefits of changes in the NHS.

PMID- 1860000
TI  - Homeless people and psychiatric care.

PMID- 1860001
TI  - Coronary heart disease and elderly people.

PMID- 1860002
TI  - New deal for old hearts.

PMID- 1860003
TI  - Where should we train doctors in the future?

PMID- 1860004
TI  - Managing violence in psychiatric hospitals.

PMID- 1860006
TI  - The BMA in agony.

PMID- 1860005
TI  - The familial transmission of alcoholism.

PMID- 1860007
TI  - AMA rejects compulsory HIV testing.

PMID- 1860009
TI  - Does plasma cholesterol concentration predict mortality from coronary heart
      disease in elderly people? 18 year follow up in Whitehall study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To explore the extent to which the relation between plasma cholesterol
      concentration and risk of death from coronary heart disease in men persists into
      old age. DESIGN: 18 year follow up of male Whitehall civil servants. Plasma
      cholesterol concentrations and other risk factors were determined at first
      examination in 1967-9 when they were aged 40-69. Death of men up to 31 January
      1987 was recorded. SUBJECTS: 18,296 male civil servants, 4155 of whom died during
      follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cause and age of death. Cholesterol
      concentration in 1967-9 and number of years elapsed between testing and death.
      RESULTS: 1676 men died of coronary heart disease. The mean cholesterol
      concentration in these men was 0.32 mmol/l higher than that in all other men (95%
      confidence interval 0.26 to 0.37 mmol/l). This difference in cholesterol
      concentrations fell 0.15 mmol/l with every 10 years' increase in age at
      screening. The risk of raised cholesterol concentration fell with age at death.
      Compared with other men cholesterol concentration in those who died of coronary
      heart disease was 0.44 mmol/l higher in those who died aged less than 60 and 0.26
      mmol/l higher in those aged 60-79 (p = 0.03). For a given age at death the longer
      the gap between cholesterol measurement and death the more predictive the
      cholesterol concentration, both for coronary heart disease and all cause
      mortality (trend test p = 0.06 and 0.03 respectively). CONCLUSION: Reducing
      plasma cholesterol concentrations in middle age may influence the risk of death
      from coronary heart disease in old age.

PMID- 1860010
TI  - Computerisation of primary care in Wales.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To obtain information about the computerisation of general practice in
      Wales, and to enable more effective planning of educational provision for doctors
      and other primary health care workers. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire sent to all
      general practices in Wales. SUBJECTS: 553 general practices, of which 401 (73%
      replied). RESULTS: The level of computerisation varied from 11 (85%) of practices
      in Powys Family Health Services Authority to 22 (40%) in Mid Glamorgan. Less than
      half of practices had a computer in only two authorities. The commonest uses of
      the computer were for patient registration (208 practices), repeat prescribing
      (180), call and recall of patients (165), and partial clinical records (122). The
      main suppliers were VAMP (78 practices), AAH Meditel (46), and AMC (23). 102 of
      226 practices with a computer had a terminal on each doctor's desk. Just 33
      practices had full patient notes on computer and 51 had modems for electronic
      communication. CONCLUSION: Mechanisms to encourage greater and more sophisticated
      use of computers and information technology need to be explored.

PMID- 1860008
TI  - Efficacy of captopril in postponing nephropathy in normotensive insulin dependent
      diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibition in preventing the development of diabetic nephropathy (albuminuria
      greater than 300 mg/24h). DESIGN: Open randomised controlled study of four years'
      duration. SETTING: Outpatient diabetic clinic in tertiary referral centre.
      PATIENTS: 44 normotensive (mean blood pressure 127/78 (SD 12/10) mm Hg) insulin
      dependent diabetic patients with persistent microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/24h).
      INTERVENTIONS: The treatment group (n = 21) was initially given captopril (25
      mg/24 h). The dose was increased to 100 mg/24 h during the first 16 months and
      thiazide was added after 30 months. The remaining 23 patients were left
      untreated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Albuminuria, kidney function, development of
      diabetic nephropathy (albuminuria greater than 300 mg/24 h), and arterial blood
      pressure. RESULTS: Clinical and laboratory variables were comparable at baseline.
      Urinary excretion of albumin was gradually reduced from 82 (66-106) to 57 (39-85)
      mg/24 h (geometric mean (95% confidence interval)) in the captopril treated
      group, whereas an increase from 105(77-153) to 166 (83-323) mg/24 h occurred in
      the control group (p less than 0.05). Seven of the untreated patients progressed
      to diabetic nephropathy, whereas none of the captopril treated patients developed
      clinical overt diabetic nephropathy (p less than 0.05). Systemic blood pressure,
      glomerular filtration rate, haemoglobin A1c concentration, and urinary excretion
      of sodium and urea remained practically unchanged in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS:
      The findings suggest that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition postpones the
      development of clinical overt diabetic nephropathy in normotensive insulin
      dependent diabetic patients with persistent microalbuminuria.

PMID- 1860011
TI  - Consultants' involvement in the contracting process in Yorkshire region.

PMID- 1860012
TI  - Raised proinsulin concentration as early indicator of beta cell dysfunction.

PMID- 1860013
TI  - Molecular genetics of the major psychoses: the role of the Medical Research
      Council.

PMID- 1860014
TI  - Collaborative strategies in the molecular genetics of the major psychoses.

PMID- 1860015
TI  - The search for the psychosis gene.

PMID- 1860017
TI  - Evidence for a pseudo-autosomal locus for schizophrenia using the method of
      affected sibling pairs.
AB  - A susceptibility locus for schizophrenia in the 'pseudo-autosomal' region has
      been proposed on the basis of the reported excess of sex-chromosome aneuploidies
      (e.g. XXY and XXX) among patients with schizophrenia and the finding that
      schizophrenic sib-pairs are more often of the same than of the opposite sex. This
      hypothesis has been tested in 83 sibships with two or more siblings fulfilling
      Research Diagnostic Criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
      Alleles at the pseudo-autosomal telomeric locus DXYS14, which is unlinked with
      sex, were analysed using the method of affected sib-pairs. Affected sibs shared
      alleles at DXYS14 more frequently than expected by random Mendelian assortment,
      supporting genetic linkage between DXYS14 and schizophrenia.

PMID- 1860016
TI  - The genetics of schizophrenia is the genetics of neurodevelopment.

PMID- 1860018
TI  - Changes in patient coping style following individual and family treatment for
      schizophrenia.
AB  - Changes in relatives' affective attitudes are important contributors to the
      impact of family psychoeducational programmes on the course of schizophrenia. It
      remains unclear whether similar changes occur in the interactional style of
      schizophrenic patients participating in psychoeducational treatment. This study
      examined changes in the interactional style (coping style) of 33 schizophrenic
      patients in individual or family treatment. Significant changes were seen in the
      interactional style of the patients participating in the individual treatment.
      Similar changes were evident, but not significant, in the family treatment group.
      The quality of patient interactional style before or after treatment did not
      predict relapse in either group. Changes in relatives' interactional style early
      in family treatment are necessary to affect the short-term course of
      schizophrenia. Modification in patient behaviour during the early phase does not
      have similar predictive value.

PMID- 1860019
TI  - Negative modes of relating, marital quality and depression.
AB  - Young married couples, with or without a depressed wife, were divided into three
      groups according to marital quality. Negative modes of relating were assessed by
      self-rating and partner-rating questionnaires. The intercorrelation of scores for
      different modes of relating was higher on partner-rating than on self-rating
      scales. There was a significant gradient of mean negative-relating scores across
      the three levels of marital quality. The partner-ratings of depressives and their
      husbands were higher on all negative-relating scales than those of non-depressed
      women and their husbands. The self-ratings of the depressives corresponded with
      these negative ratings while those of their husbands did not. The partner-rating
      scores differentiated between the depressives with poor marriages and those with
      better marriages.

PMID- 1860021
TI  - Social influences on the course of anxious and depressive disorders in school-age
      children.
AB  - In a follow-up study of 49 children and adolescents with anxious or depressive
      disorders up to 50% had not recovered. In the 12 months preceding onset there
      were no social factors which predicted recovery at follow-up. Between onset and
      follow-up the children were less likely to be exposed to undesirable life events,
      and significant improvements in maternal confiding relationships were reported.
      Neither of these improvements predicted the level of recovery at follow-up. Poor
      recovery is best predicted by moderate to poor friendships after the onset of
      disorder, particularly for those with a diagnosis of depression. Further
      confirmation is provided that direct interviewing of children by trained
      personnel using semistructured schedules is a valid method for determining mental
      symptoms and perception of recent friendships.

PMID- 1860020
TI  - Plasma levels of fluphenazine in patients receiving fluphenazine decanoate.
      Relationship to clinical response.
AB  - The levels of fluphenazine and fluphenazine sulphoxide in schizophrenic patients
      who were randomly assigned to receive either 5 mg or 25 mg of fluphenazine
      decanoate every two weeks were monitored. Patients treated with 25 mg of
      fluphenazine decanoate required three months to reach a steady-state plasma
      level, indicating that those patients who are being converted from oral to depot
      fluphenazine should continue to receive oral supplementation during the first
      three months of treatment with fluphenazine decanoate. Plasma levels of
      fluphenazine sulphoxide were lower than levels of fluphenazine. At six and nine
      months following randomisation, there was a statistically significant
      relationship between lower fluphenazine plasma levels and an increased risk of
      psychotic exacerbations. A relatively weak relationship was found between
      fluphenazine plasma levels and akinesia, but non-significant relationships
      between fluphenazine levels and other neurological side-effects including
      akathisia, retardation, and tardive dyskinesia. Monitoring the plasma levels may
      be helpful to clinicians who are attempting to treat stabilised patients with the
      lowest effective dose of fluphenazine decanoate.

PMID- 1860022
TI  - Care of chronic neurotic out-patients by community psychiatric nurses. A long
      term follow-up study.
AB  - Ninety-nine neurotic patients from a controlled trial of CPN v. psychiatric out
      patient aftercare were followed up seven years later. Of the 92 survivors, 76
      were successfully interviewed. Few differences were found between the groups.
      Chronic mild symptoms and moderate social disability persisted, and tended to
      worsen a little. Treatment patterns persisted for one to two years beyond the
      original study; the CPN group had more CPN contacts, fewer psychiatric out
      patient contacts and less psychiatric care. Thereafter, more out-patients were
      discharged from psychiatric care and care patterns for the two groups became
      similar. Out-patients attended more non-psychiatric out-patient clinics than the
      CPN group, but it is possible that this reflected pre-existing differences. About
      a third of patients remained in contact with the psychiatric service during
      follow-up.

PMID- 1860023
TI  - A comparison of the withdrawal responses of heroin and methadone addicts during
      detoxification.
AB  - This study compares the withdrawal responses of methadone and heroin addicts
      during a ten-day in-patient detoxification programme with methadone. Contrary to
      suggestions in the literature, the methadone group reported more severe
      withdrawal symptoms during both the acute withdrawal phase and the recovery
      phase. There were no differences between the two groups in onset or duration of
      symptoms. Whereas there may be reasons to favour methadone as a maintenance drug,
      its use may lead to difficulties during withdrawal.

PMID- 1860024
TI  - Is sex necessarily a risk factor to depression?
AB  - "To isolate and quantify possible determinants of any increased prevalence of
      depressive disorders in women we studied a select group of men and women,
      initially similar in terms of a number of putative social determinants of
      depression, and reviewed the sample five years later when social role diversity
      was anticipated. We used the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) to generate DSM
      III and RDC diagnoses to estimate lifetime depressive disorders, and established
      (via corroborative reports) the likely accuracy of those data. Despite lifetime
      depression being a relatively common experience, no significant sex differences
      in depressive episodes were demonstrated, suggesting the possible irrelevance of
      biological factors in determining any sex difference. As there was not major
      social role divergence over the five year study, we interpret the lack of a sex
      difference as a consequence, and suggest that findings support the view that
      social factors are of key relevance in determining any female preponderance in
      depression described in general population studies."

PMID- 1860025
TI  - First episode schizophrenia: predicting outcome.

PMID- 1860026
TI  - Gender-identity clinic patients.

PMID- 1860027
TI  - Musical and verbal hallucinations.

PMID- 1860028
TI  - Failure to convulse with ECT.

PMID- 1860029
TI  - Anorexia nervosa in the elderly.

PMID- 1860030
TI  - Family intervention.

PMID- 1860031
TI  - Uraemia and mania.

PMID- 1860032
TI  - The social networks of long-term patients.

PMID- 1860033
TI  - Incestuous abuse in psychiatric patients.

PMID- 1860034
TI  - Tolbutamide and fatal water intoxication.

PMID- 1860035
TI  - Tardive oculogyric crisis and obsessional thoughts.

PMID- 1860036
TI  - Drug-induced koro in a non-Chinese man.

PMID- 1860037
TI  - Dorsal accessory inferior olive activity diminishes during acquisition of the
      rabbit classically conditioned eyelid response.
AB  - Eight rabbits were implanted with chronic recording electrodes in the
      rostromedial region of the dorsal accessory inferior olive (DAO). Multiple-unit
      DAO activity was recorded during 5 training sessions consisting of paired tone
      conditioned stimulus (CS) and air puff unconditioned stimulus (US) trials.
      Initially, the air puff US produced a large somatosensory-evoked response in the
      DAO during the paired CS-US presentations. As percent CRs increased across
      sessions, however, the DAO activity on paired trials decreased dramatically. In
      contrast, there were no significant decreases in DAO activity on US-alone trials
      presented at the end of each paired conditioning session. These results suggest
      that an associative process suppresses DAO activity during classical eyelid
      conditioning. Possible mechanisms of DAO inhibition and its involvement as part
      of the US 'reinforcement' pathway are discussed.

PMID- 1860038
TI  - The effects of total and partial callosal agenesis on the development of paw
      preference performance in the BALB/cCF mouse.
AB  - The relation between callosal defects and paw preference was investigated in 85
      male mice of the BALB/cCF strain. Paw preference was also studied in 30 male
      Swiss mice. Directional laterality and magnitude of laterality devoid of
      directionality were evaluated independently. The study of the magnitude of paw
      preference showed that male BALB/cCF mice were more strongly lateralized than
      Swiss mice. There was no difference between BALB/cCF mice with callosal defects
      (abnormal group) and normal BALB/cCF mice. The analysis of directional laterality
      indicated a population tendency for left-paw use in BALB/cCF as compared to Swiss
      mice. Furthermore, the percentage of left-pawed animals in the abnormal group
      (78%) was significantly different from chance level, as opposed to an absence of
      such differences in the normal BALB/cCF and in Swiss mice. It was concluded that
      developmental disturbance of the corpus callosum is related to the appearance of
      a directional populational asymmetry in paw preference.

PMID- 1860039
TI  - Long-lasting change in the membrane-associated protein kinase C activity in the
      hippocampal kindled rat.
AB  - The effect of hippocampal kindling on protein kinase C (PKC) activity and protein
      concentration was investigated in rat amygdala/pyriform cortex (AM/PC) and right
      (contralateral) and left (ipsilateral) hippocampus (HIPP). There was no
      difference in cytosolic PKC activity between control and kindled groups in any
      part of the brain. The membrane-associated PKC activity was altered as follows.
      One week after the last seizure, it was significantly increased in both right (by
      26%, P less than 0.05) and left HIPP (by 30%, P less than 0.02). Four weeks after
      the last seizure, it was significantly increased in the AM/PC (by 14%, P less
      than 0.02), right HIPP (by 37%, P less than 0.01) and left HIPP (by 24%, P less
      than 0.05). The protein concentrations in the crude cytosolic extracts prior to
      elution of PKC through DE-52 columns were significantly increased in the AM/PC
      (by 11%, P less than 0.05) and right HIPP (by 18%, P less than 0.02) 4 weeks
      after the last seizure. In the membrane extracts, there was a significant
      increase by 23% (P less than 0.02) in the left HIPP 1 week after the last
      seizure. In the fraction co-eluted with PKC, a significant increase in protein
      concentration of the cytosolic preparation was confirmed in the AM/PC (by 12%, P
      less than 0.05) as well as in the left HIPP (by 15%, P less than 0.05) 4 and 1
      weeks respectively after the last seizure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860040
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies identify two novel proteins associated with vasopressin
      secretory granules of the rat neurohypophysis.
AB  - Immunocytochemical and immunoblotting technique have been used to characterize
      the antigens recognized by two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs C6 and D5) produced
      against dissociated cells from punches of neonatal supraoptic (SON) and
      paraventricular (PVN) hypothalamic nuclei of the rat. Peroxidase
      immunocytochemistry revealed that both MAbs label magnocellular perikarya in the
      adult and neonatal SON and PVN as well as smaller neurons in the suprachiasmatic
      nucleus. Axons of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial tract are also immunolabeled
      within the hypothalamus and zona interna of the median eminence, and C6 and D5
      each bind specifically to both the adult and neonatal neurohypophysis. Dual-label
      immunofluorescence experiments employing C6 or D5 simultaneously with rabbit
      antisera specific for either oxytocin, neurophysin or vasopressin neurophysin
      revealed that C6 binds only to vasopressinergic magnocellular perikarya in the
      SON, while D5 labels both vasopressinergic and a small subset of oxytocinergic
      magnocellular neurons. Post-embedding immunogold analysis of MAb binding to the
      neurohypophysis at the ultrastructural level showed that both C6 and D5 recognize
      antigens associated with large dense core neurosecretory granules in a subset of
      neurosecretory axons. Initial biochemical characterization of the antigens
      recognized by C6 and D5 was performed using SDS-PAGE and Western immunoblotting.
      MAbs C6 and D5 label single protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 38
      and 68 kDa, resp., in blots of reduced extracts from the adult neurointermediate
      lobe. No cross-reactivity between C6 and D5 and the neurophysins was apparent,
      nor did anti-neurophysin sera recognize the bands identified by C6 and D5. We
      have therefore designated these novel antigens as VPGP38 and VPGP68 for
      VasoPressin Granule Proteins.

PMID- 1860041
TI  - Ontogeny of the electrophysiological activity of dopaminergic cells with special
      reference to the influence of adrenal medullary grafts on aging.
AB  - A variety of neurological impairments during aging involves pathological changes
      in the basal ganglia, with the consequent deterioration of motor activities. The
      purpose of this study was to determine whether the extracellular activity of
      dopaminergic cells of the substantia nigra pars compacta of Wistar rats changes
      with age, and if so whether ventricular adrenal medullary grafts can influence
      the electrophysiological activity of the oldest age group. The results indicate
      that there is a significant decrease in the firing frequency of substantia nigra
      cells which begins at 18 months of age and is most prominent by 22-24 months of
      age. The rate of firing was improved with adrenal medulla grafts placed in the
      lateral ventricle. In addition, it was also observed that with age there is an
      increase in the number of cells which fire at slower frequencies. Quinpirole
      administration induced a significant decrease in firing frequency in all age
      groups, including the grafted animals. These results suggest that in the aged
      Wistar rats there is an impairment in the response of SNC cells, which can be
      partially restored by fetal adrenal medullary grafts.

PMID- 1860042
TI  - Periaqueductal gray stimulation produces a spinally mediated, opioid
      antinociception for the inflamed hindpaw of the rat.
AB  - The objective of the present study was to characterize stimulation-produced
      antinociception from the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) in rats with unilateral
      hindlimb inflammation induced by an intraplantar injection of Freund's complete
      adjuvant. Rats were chronically implanted with a bipolar stimulating electrode in
      the PAG. Nociception was assessed using a paw pressure test. Prior to
      inflammation, PAG stimulation significantly increased paw pressure threshold in
      both paws compared to non-stimulated controls. Following inflammation, PAG
      stimulation inhibited nociception in the inflamed, but not the non-inflamed paw.
      Systemic administration of naloxone blocked antinociception from ventral, but not
      dorsal PAG stimulation sites. Intrathecal, but not subcutaneous, administration
      of quaternary naltrexone completely blocked stimulation-produced antinociception
      from the PAG. The known increased levels of endogenous opioids occurring in the
      spinal cord ipsilateral to the site of inflammation suggest a mechanism for the
      selective antinociceptive effect of ventral PAG stimulation seen for the inflamed
      paw.

PMID- 1860043
TI  - Focal cerebral ischemia in chronic hypertension: no protection by (R)
      phenylisopropyladenosine.
AB  - The effects of the adenosine agonist, (R)-phenylisopropyladenosine on focal
      cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion were investigated
      in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The drug was given 30 min before occlusion
      and each hour thereafter for 6 h. The neurological status of the rats was
      estimated 2, 24 and 48 h after occlusion. Infarct volumes were measured 48 h
      after occlusion (Cresyl violet-stained sections). (R)-Phenylisopropyladenosine
      did not significantly reduce infarct size, nor did it modify the neurological
      score. As there is considerable evidence of the neuroprotective effects of
      adenosine in normotensive rats, the present results may be due to a more abrupt
      reduction in cerebral blood flow in the territory surrounding the ischemic core,
      where neuroprotection could be expected, in the spontaneously hypertensive rat
      strain. Consequently, neuroprotection may be more difficult when focal cerebral
      ischemia is associated with hypertension.

PMID- 1860044
TI  - The relationship of hand preference to anatomy of the corpus callosum in men.
AB  - Area of the midsagittal section of the corpus callosum, particularly in the
      region of the isthmus, was found previously to be greater in non-consistent-right
      handed than consistent-right-handed men in a sample of 15 postmortem cases. Seven
      cases were obtained subsequent to this analysis. The new cases showed the same
      association previously observed between hand preference and area of the corpus
      callosum and its isthmus. In addition, a high negative correlation was found
      between isthmal area and a quantitative score of the direction and magnitude of
      hand preference. In the new cases, handedness was predicted better than chance
      using statistical functions of callosal anatomy derived from the previous group
      of 15 cases. These results support a relationship between variation in callosal
      anatomy and handedness in men and the hypothesis of a relationship between
      callosal morphology and functional asymmetry. The lack of such a relationship
      among women suggests that the developmental mechanisms leading to callosal
      anatomical variation in relation to lateralization are influenced by sex
      hormones. Methodological issues in the use of magnetic resonance imaging for the
      quantitative study of callosal anatomy are discussed.

PMID- 1860045
TI  - The nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in MPTP-treated mice shows more prominent
      recovery by syngeneic adrenal medullary graft than by allogeneic or xenogeneic
      graft.
AB  - Following systemic injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
      (MPTP), young (2-month-old) C57BL/6 mice show decreased dopaminergic (DA)
      nigrostriatal fibers and DA concentration in the striatum. We transplanted
      syngeneic, allogeneic and xenogeneic adrenal medullary grafts into the striatum
      of the MPTP-treated young mice and compared the survivability of grafted
      chromaffin cells and the recovery of intrinsic host DA fibers using computerized
      image analysis of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) fibers and high
      performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (LCEC). The
      grafted syngeneic adrenal chromaffin cells survived better than allogeneic or
      xenogeneic chromaffin cells, and host DA nigrostriatal fiber recovery was more
      prominent in mice with a syngeneic graft than in mice with an allogeneic or
      xenogeneic graft. However, the degree of host fiber recovery in mice with
      allogeneic or xenogeneic mice was greater than in mice with a sham operation
      alone, even though the allografts and xenografts had no surviving chromaffin
      cells. Allografts and xenografts showed prominent rejection responses, with T
      lymphocyte infiltration in addition to macrophages. We conclude that a syngeneic
      adrenal graft survives better than an adrenal allograft or xenograft and promotes
      recovery of the intrinsic host nigrostriatal DA fibers. We also conclude that
      grafted chromaffin cell survivability influences the degree of host DA fiber
      recovery following MPTP depletion. Adrenal medullary grafts to Parkinsonian
      patients are currently under way in a large number of hospitals; we suggest that
      greater attention be paid to methods which lead to enhanced survival of the
      grafted chromaffin cells, since survivability might be closely related to the
      functional recovery of these patients.

PMID- 1860047
TI  - Effects of nicotine withdrawal on the local cerebral glucose utilization in
      conscious rats.
AB  - Chronic infusion of nicotine has been shown to result (1) in an increase in
      nicotine binding sites in the brain and (2) in a distinct pattern of increases in
      local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglc). The present study addresses
      two questions: (1) whether a one-day withdrawal of nicotine after a two-week
      exposure is long enough to restore local CMRglc to the preinfusion values and (2)
      whether an acute nicotine infusion after one day's withdrawal would influence
      local CMRglc. Chronic infusion of L-nicotine (12.5 micrograms/kg/min) was
      performed by osmotic minipumps. Local CMRglc was measured using the quantitative
      2-deoxyglucose method in conscious rats. The following results were obtained: (1)
      a one-day withdrawal of nicotine after a two-week chronic infusion restores local
      CMRglc to a pattern which is close to the control pattern obtained without any
      nicotine infusion, and (2) an acute infusion of nicotine after a one-day
      withdrawal of a chronic nicotine infusion induces distinct increases in local
      CMRglc of several brain structures; these are essentially identical with
      structures which are activated during an acute nicotine infusion in otherwise
      untreated rats (no chronic infusion). The data indicate: (1) The main effects of
      chronic nicotine infusion on local CMRglc have disappeared after one day of
      nicotine withdrawal. (2) An acute load of nicotine in such nicotine-withdrawal
      rats has effects on local CMRglc which resemble those found in previously
      untreated rats during an acute nicotine infusion. (3) In contrast to most binding
      studies which have shown persisting increases in nicotine binding sites after one
      day's withdrawal of chronic nicotine, local CMRglc is restored to control values
      and can be again activated by an acute nicotine infusion.

PMID- 1860046
TI  - The effects of short periods of immobilization on the hamster circadian clock.
AB  - Recent findings indicate that stimuli which induce an acute increase in locomotor
      activity can induce phase shifts in the circadian clock of hamsters. Support for
      the actual role of the acute increase in activity in the mediation of these phase
      shifts is provided by the observation that immobilization can totally block phase
      shifts in the activity rhythm that are normally induced in response to exposure
      to two of these stimuli, either a pulse of darkness or an injection of a
      benzodiazepine. In order to further examine the effects of immobilization on the
      circadian system of hamsters, 3 studies were carried out. In a first study, the
      effects of a 3-h period of immobilization procedure on the phase of the free
      running circadian rhythm of locomotor activity were tested at 8 different
      circadian times. Immobilization during the highly active part of the animal's
      activity cycle resulted in phase delays in the activity rhythm, while
      immobilization at other circadian times had little or no effect on the circadian
      time-keeping system. In two other studies, we reported that immobilization had no
      effect on phase shifts normally induced by 3-h pulses of light or injections of
      the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, two stimuli that are clearly not
      associated with an increase in locomotor activity in hamsters. Thus, the ability
      of immobilization to block stimulus-induced phase shifts in the circadian clock
      appears to be specific to those stimuli that induce an acute increase in
      locomotor activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860048
TI  - Distribution of synapses on fast and slow pyramidal tract neurons in the cat. An
      electron microscopic study.
AB  - Distributions of synapses on various portions of fast and slow pyramidal tract
      neurons (PTNs) in cat motor cortex were studied with electron microscopy. PTNs
      were identified by their antidromic invasion following stimulation of the
      medullary pyramid and were classified into fast and slow PTNs according to
      conduction velocities of their axons. Two fast and two slow PTNs were
      intracellularly labeled and, by systematic sampling, electron micrographs from
      various portions of these neurons were examined to compare the distributions of
      different types of synapses. It was found that most synapses formed on apical and
      basal dendrites of fast PTNs were with the dendritic shafts. In slow PTNs, while
      synapses on apical dendrites were mostly axospinous, about 70% of the sampled
      synapses on basal dendrites of slow PTNs were established with the dendritic
      shafts. Virtually all synapses on apical dendrites of slow PTNs belonged to
      asymmetrical type and most of the synapses sampled from basal dendrites of fast
      PTNs were also asymmetrical. On the other hand, about 29% of the synapses found
      on apical dendrites of fast PTNs were symmetrical and a trend was observed for
      this type of synapses to increase their number with increasing proximity to the
      cell body. Over 28% of the synapses on basal dendrites of slow PTNs were also
      symmetrical and seemed to be mainly distributed in layer VI. All synapses formed
      on the soma were symmetrical both for the fast and slow PTNs.

PMID- 1860049
TI  - Ionic mechanism of the outward current induced by extracellular ejection of
      interleukin-1 onto identified neurons of Aplysia.
AB  - The ionic mechanism of the effect of extracellularly ejected recombinant human
      interleukin-1-beta (rhIL-1) on the membrane of identified neurons R9 and R10 of
      Aplysia was investigated with voltage-clamp, micropressure-ejection, and ion
      substitution techniques. Micropressure-ejected rhIL-1 caused a marked
      hyperpolarization in the unclamped neuron. Clamping the same neuron at its
      resting potential level (-60 mV) and reejecting rhIL-1 with the same dose
      produced a slow outward current (I0(IL-1), 20-30 s in duration, 3-5 nA in
      amplitude) associated with a decrease in input membrane conductance. I0(IL-1) was
      decreased by depolarization and increased by hyperpolarization. The extrapolated
      reversal potential of I0(IL-1) was approximately +15 mV. I0(IL-1) was sensitive
      to changes in the external Na+ concentration but not to changes in K+, Ca2+ and
      Cl- concentrations, and was resistant to tetraethylammonium (5 mM) and 4
      aminopyridine (5 mM). Neither perfusion of the neuron with 50 microM tetrodotoxin
      nor perfusion with 10 mM Co2+ seawater caused any changes in I0(IL-1). I0(IL-1)
      was partially reduced by 50 microM ouabain. These results suggest that
      extracellular IL-1 can induce a slow outward current associated with a decrease
      in Na+ conductance and the immunomodulator IL-1 can act directly on the nervous
      system as well as on the immune system.

PMID- 1860050
TI  - Major metabolites of (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) do not mediate its
      toxic effects on brain serotonin neurons.
AB  - The two major metabolites of (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), alpha
      methyldopamine (alpha-MeDA) and 3-O-methyl-alpha-methyldopamine (3-O-Me-alpha
      MeDA), were administered to rats intracerebroventricularly and into brain
      parenchyma. In addition, their precursors, (alpha-MeDOPA and 3-O-Me-alpha-MeDOPA,
      respectively) were administered systemically, individually and in combination.
      None of these treatments produced a lasting depletion of brain serotonin (5-HT).
      These findings suggest that neither of MDA's major metabolites mediate its toxic
      effects on 5-HT neurons and that either a minor metabolite is responsible or that
      alternate mechanisms are involved.

PMID- 1860051
TI  - Long-term enhancement of evoked potentials in raccoon somatosensory cortex
      following co-activation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert complex and cutaneous
      receptors.
AB  - Long-term enhancement of the evoked potential was induced in the primary
      somatosensory cortex of anaesthetized raccoons after mechanical stimulation of
      the skin was paired with electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert
      (NBM). Sets of 4 pulses, 0.5 ms duration at 300 Hz were delivered at 2-s
      intervals to the basal forebrain 80 ms before the glabrous skin on the 4th digit
      of the contralateral forepaw was stimulated mechanically. The average waveform of
      30 evoked potentials was separated into an initial positive, a negative and a
      second positive component. During pairing of the skin and NBM stimuli, the area
      under the initial positive component was smaller than before or after pairing.
      The negative and second positive waves were unchanged. One minute after pairing,
      the initial positive wave returned to control values and continued to increase
      until the end of the experiment 50 min later, at which time it was 300% above
      control. The negative and second positive waves increased after the pairing to
      between 130 and 200% and remained at that level for the duration of the
      experiment. The effective NBM site for stimulation was the area rich in
      cholinergic neurons corresponding to the NBM. In control animals, repeated
      stimulation of the skin or NBM alone, or their random, unpaired stimulation
      together, did not enhance the somatosensory evoked potential. The results suggest
      that the NBM input enhances the efficacy of cortical responses to cutaneous input
      and thus may play a role in cortical neuronal plasticity.

PMID- 1860052
TI  - [31P]MRS study of the protective effects of prostaglandin oligomers on forebrain
      ischemia in rats.
AB  - Two ester-type prostaglandin oligomeric compounds were synthesized, one from
      prostaglandin E1 (termed MR-356) and the other from prostaglandin B2 (termed OC
      5186). Using in vivo [31P]MRS, the protective effects of these oligomers on
      forebrain ischemia (15 min) were evaluated in a rat model. Forebrain ischemia
      caused a decrease in intracellular high energy phosphates and intracellular pH
      (pHi) in the control and compounds-treated groups, but changes of these values in
      the OC-5186-treated group were significantly smaller than those in the control
      group. Moreover, the cerebral energy metabolism of the OC-5186-treated group
      returned to the preischemia level more rapidly than in the control group after
      forebrain ischemia. MR-356 had some effects, but the differences were not
      significant.

PMID- 1860053
TI  - Increase in basic fibroblast growth factor-like immunoreactivity in rat brain
      after forebrain ischemia.
AB  - Using immunohistochemical techniques, a study was conducted to determine whether
      basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is generated as one of the 'self-repair'
      responses in rat brain following transient forebrain ischemia. In normal brain,
      slight bFGF-like immunoreactivity was observed. However, in rats exposed to 20
      min of forebrain ischemia, intense bFGF-like immunoreactivity was observed in the
      CA1 subfield of the hippocampus and the caudate putamen, and marked activity was
      evident in the temporal cortex, corpus callosum and the CA4 subfield of the
      hippocampus. Marked neuronal degeneration was also observed in these brain
      regions following forebrain ischemia. These results suggest that induction of
      bFGF-like immunoreactivity may be related to the healing which follows brain
      ischemia.

PMID- 1860054
TI  - Development of changes in endogenous GABA release during kindling epileptogenesis
      in rat hippocampus.
AB  - The calcium-dependent gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate release from
      rat hippocampal CA1 slices, evoked by a 1-min depolarization with 50 mM K+, was
      investigated in different stages of kindling epileptogenesis. Kindling was
      induced by tetanic stimulation of the Schaffer collateral/commissural pathway. In
      agreement with our previous results, we found a significantly increased calcium
      dependent GABA release compared to that of implanted controls, in a group of
      fully kindled animals 1 day after the last seizure and also 25-36 days after the
      last seizure. In addition, we found that the increase in GABA release was
      associated with late phases of kindling epileptogenesis since no significant
      alterations were found in partly kindled animals that had received only 6
      kindling stimulations while a significant increase was apparent in animals that
      had received 14 tetanic stimuli. When the release protocol was carried out in the
      presence of SK&F 89776-A, a blocker of the GABA uptake carrier, an additional
      amount of GABA was found after depolarization. This additional amount of GABA,
      reflecting the amount of GABA taken up under conditions without blocker, was in
      kindled animals not different from controls which demonstrates that a reduced
      GABA uptake does not account for the observed enhanced release in kindled
      animals. The calcium-dependent release of glutamate evoked by 1 min of high
      potassium depolarization was not significantly changed in the kindled groups.
      Only after prolonged depolarization during 4 subsequent minutes a significant
      increase in animals of the fully kindled group and at long-term after kindling
      was observed. The threshold K+ concentration for eliciting a calcium-dependent
      release of GABA and glutamate, was not changed in the kindled animals.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860055
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor facilitates regeneration of injured central nervous system
      axons.
AB  - The results of this study attribute to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) a role in
      regeneration of injured mammalian central nervous system (CNS) axons which grow
      into their own degenerating environment. This is the first time that a specific
      factor involved in axonal regeneration has been identified. The axonal
      environment is occupied mostly by glia cells, i.e., astrocytes and
      oligodendrocytes. Previous studies have shown that mature oligodendrocytes are
      inhibitory to axonal growth. Therefore, it seemed likely that application of a
      factor such as TNF, which has been shown to be cytotoxic to oligodendrocytes,
      would contribute to the creation of permissive conditions for axonal
      regeneration. In the present work, injured adult rabbit optic nerves were treated
      with human recombinant TNF (rhTNF). As a result, abundant newly growing axons
      (circa 9000, about 4% of the total estimated number of axons in an intact adult
      rabbit) were observed traversing the site of injury.

PMID- 1860056
TI  - Corticotropin releasing factor antagonist reduces ischemic hippocampal neuronal
      injury.
AB  - This experiment tested the hypothesis that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)
      contributes to hippocampal ischemic injury. The antagonist to CRF (alpha-CRF) was
      administered intraventricularly 15 min prior to 10 min of transient forebrain
      ischemia in the Wistar rat. alpha-CRF demonstrated a neuroprotective effect in a
      dose-dependent manner most notable in CA1. There was also an increase in
      postischemic EEG recovery. It is postulated that CRF contributes to hippocampal
      ischemic injury through increased neuronal activity.

PMID- 1860057
TI  - Long-term cultured neurons from rat suprachiasmatic nucleus retain the capacity
      for circadian oscillation of vasopressin release.
AB  - We have developed a dissociated suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) cell culture system
      in order to begin a cellular analysis of the mammalian circadian oscillator.
      Monolayer-cultured neurons prepared from the SCN regions of 1-day-old rats were
      maintained in serum-free culture medium for 3-4 weeks and then perfused. In 12
      out of 40 wells, a circadian oscillation of vasopressin release persisted for at
      least 4-5 cycles until the end of the perfusion period with no damping of the
      amplitude. This finding suggests that cultured SCN neurons retain the capacity
      for circadian oscillation for a long time, and should provide a useful model for
      the analysis of a mammalian circadian system at the cellular level.

PMID- 1860058
TI  - Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is not associated with loss of GABA
      immunoreactive neurons in the amygdala.
AB  - We investigated whether cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization (15 mg/kg, twice
      daily for 7 days) is associated with changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
      neurons in the lateral-basolateral amygdala of male Sprague-Dawley rats. The
      number of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the amygdala did not differ between
      cocaine- and saline-treated rats. Although some aspects of this behavioral
      phenomenon parallel the kindling model of epilepsy, limbic alterations in GABA
      neurons do not appear to be associated with behavioral sensitization to cocaine.

PMID- 1860059
TI  - Activation of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons: role in the initiation
      and behavioral expression of kindled seizures.
AB  - Numerous studies have implicated the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) in
      the initiation and behavioral expression of kindled seizures. In immobilized,
      amygdala-kindled animals, SNR neurons have been shown to enter an intense burst
      firing pattern during afterdischarge (AD). Taken together these findings raised
      the possibility that the SNR facilitates the expression of kindled seizures by
      directly propagating seizure activity into target structures. In this study we
      examined the relationship between activation of SNR neurons and the electrical
      (EEG) and behavioral (clonic motor) expression of kindled seizures using both
      immobilized and unrestrained animals. The principal findings were that: (1) in
      both immobilized and unrestrained animals the SNR neurons of kindled, but not
      control, animals were recruited into a burst-firing pattern during AD; (2) the
      onset of burst-firing was delayed until after the onset of AD; and (3) the onset
      of burst-firing was not correlated with the onset of rhythmic motor seizure
      activity. These findings support the idea that the development of kindling is
      associated with recruitment of SNR neurons into a seizure propagating network.
      However, these data suggest that activation of SNR neurons is not necessary for
      the expression of clonic motor activity and does not lower seizure threshold.

PMID- 1860060
TI  - A cholinergic innervation of the bovine pineal gland visualized by
      immunohistochemical detection of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive nerve
      fibers.
AB  - An immunohistochemical investigation of the bovine pineal gland was performed
      using both a rabbit polyclonal antibody and a rat monoclonal antibody against
      choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). A network of ChAT-immunoreactive (IR) nerve
      fibers was located throughout the pineal gland, both in the perivascular spaces
      and between the pinealocytes. Most of the intrapineal ChAT-IR nerve fibers were
      endowed with varicosities. In addition, some ChAT-IR intrapineal neurons were
      found, often located at the base of the gland near the pineal recess. Within the
      habenular nucleus and pineal stalk, ChAT-IR perikarya and nerve fibers were also
      present. Some of these fibers projected towards the pineal gland. A number of
      ChAT-IR nerves were also located in the posterior commissure and could be
      followed into the gland. At the caudal tip of the pineal gland, a bundle of ChAT
      IR nerve fibers was observed to penetrate into the gland together with blood
      vessels. The presence of a cholinergic innervation of the bovine pineal gland,
      together with previous demonstration of the presence of choline acetyltransferase
      and muscarinic receptor binding sites in the bovine pineal gland, indicates a
      functional influence of a cholinergic nervous system on the pinealocyte.

PMID- 1860061
TI  - Tricyclic antidepressants inhibit Ca(2+)-activated K(+)-efflux in cultured spinal
      cord neurons.
AB  - The effect of tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibotors on the
      Ca(2+)-activated K(+)-efflux was studied using 86Rb-efflux assay in primary
      cultured mouse spinal cord neurons. Depolarization of the cultured cells with 100
      mM KCl increased the 86Rb-efflux significantly in Ca(2+)-containing buffer, but
      not in Ca(2+)-free buffer. All the antidepressants examined, except the monoamine
      oxidase inhibitors, inhibited the 86Rb-efflux. Desipramine exhibited additivity
      with tetraethyl ammonium (TEA) and quinine sulfate (QSO4), but not with GABAB
      receptor agonist baclofen. The inhibitory action of antidepressants was not
      mediated through the GABAB receptors, since GABAB receptor antagonist, phaclofen,
      was unable to antagonize this effect. The ability of tricyclic antidepressants to
      inhibit calcium ionophore (A 23187)-induced 86Rb-efflux suggests that these drugs
      do not act at the level of voltage-gated Ca(2+)-channels. Furthermore, this
      effect does not seem to involve the G-proteins, adenylate cyclase, or protein
      kinase C systems, since pertussis toxin (PTX) and the activators of adenylate
      cyclase and protein kinase C did not reverse the effect of tricyclics on 86Rb
      efflux. Taken together, these results suggest that antidepressants inhibit Ca(2+)
      activated K(+)-channels at a stage subsequent to the voltage-gated Ca(2+)
      channels.

PMID- 1860063
TI  - Effects of central injection of glucose on thermogenesis in normal, VMH-lesioned
      and genetically obese rats.
AB  - Intra-cerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of glucose (0.1-1.0 mumol) caused
      dose-dependent increases in resting oxygen consumption (Vo2) of conscious rats
      (maximum increase of 15.4 +/- 2% at 0.5 mumol). These effects were significantly
      attenuated by peripheral (i.p.) pretreatment with the beta-adrenoceptor
      propranolol, indicating the importance of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in
      the response. Plasma glucose concentrations were elevated (11%) 30 min after
      central injection of glucose, but intravenous glucose (0.5 mumol) did not affect
      resting Vo2. Animals which had been fasted for 12 h prior to Vo2 measurement
      exhibited reduced basal Vo2 values, but the nutritional state of the animal did
      not affect the metabolic response to central injections of glucose (0.5 mumol).
      Rats exhibiting genetic (fa/fa Zucker rats) and hypothalamic (VMH-lesioned)
      obesity showed similar thermogenic responses to centrally administered glucose,
      to their lean counterparts. These data suggest a dual action of central glucose
      in the regulation of energy balance, involving stimulation of energy expenditure
      in addition to its reported inhibition of energy intake. The defective diet
      induced thermogenesis associated with VMH and genetic obesities does not appear
      to result from an inability to respond to changes in intracerebroventricular
      glucose concentrations.

PMID- 1860062
TI  - Hippocampal mossy fiber zinc deficit in mice genetically selected for ethanol
      withdrawal seizure susceptibility.
AB  - Hippocampal mossy fiber zinc was examined in mice selectively bred for
      differences in susceptibility to handling-induced convulsions during ethanol
      withdrawal. The density of mossy fiber zinc in the CA3 stratum lucidum was
      significantly decreased in the duplicate lines of untreated withdrawal seizure
      prone (WSP) mice compared to untreated withdrawal seizure resistant (WSR) mice.
      Mossy fiber zinc densities in randomly bred control lines of mice (WSC) were
      intermediate to WSP and WSR mice. Serum, whole brain and whole hippocampal zinc
      were not significantly different between WSP and WSR mice, indicating that the
      reduction in the chelatable pool of hippocampal mossy fiber zinc was not a
      consequence of deficits in brain or whole body zinc nutrition. A highly
      significant correlation between hippocampal mossy fiber zinc density and handling
      induced convulsion indices suggests that a reduction in mossy fiber zinc may be
      one contributing factor in the expression of seizure susceptibility in WSP mice.

PMID- 1860064
TI  - Seasonal changes in methionine-enkephalin immunoreactivity in the brain of a
      hibernator, Spermophilus columbianus.
AB  - To identify the actual location of central endogenous opioid systems which may be
      involved in regulating the hibernation cycle, differences in the pattern of
      central methionine-enkephalin (Met-EK) immunoreactivity were compared between
      hibernating (body temperature, Tb = 7 degrees C) and non-hibernating (Tb = 37
      degrees C) Columbian ground squirrels using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase
      technique. In non-hibernating animals, Met-EK-immunoreactive perikarya were
      observed in telencephalic (putamen, caudate nucleus, medial septum-diagonal band
      complex, amygdala) and diencephalic (periventricular hypothalamic nucleus,
      lateral hypothalamic area) regions, whereas immunoreactive fibers were found in
      the lateral septum, stria terminalis nucleus, various hypothalamic areas, arcuate
      nucleus, median eminence, thalamic intralaminar, periventricular nucleus and
      lateral habenular nucleus. Compared to the non-hibernating animal, a marked
      increase in the number of Met-EK-immunoreactive fibers was found in the lateral
      septal nucleus, the periventricular nucleus, the intralaminar thalamus and the
      paraventricular hypothalamus of hibernating ground squirrels. Since these changes
      in immunoreactivity were not observed in the artificially induced hypothermic
      ground squirrels (Tb = 7 degrees C), it is unlikely that the dissimilarity in
      immunoreactivity between animals from different hibernating phases is due to
      differences in their Tb. In combination with our previous studies, these results
      tend to suggest that hibernation may be brought about by an increase in
      endogenous opioid activity, especially in the lateral septal region.

PMID- 1860065
TI  - Lithium transport in the mouse brain.
AB  - Using the stable isotopes of lithium 6Li and 7Li, and the nuclear reaction
      6Li(n,alpha)3H for detection, we have studied the isotopic exchange of lithium in
      various areas of the mouse brain and in the mouse plasma, under conditions of
      constant concentration of total lithium. The neutron irradiations were performed
      using 'cold' neutrons, at the European Institute Von Laue-Langevin. The nuclear
      reaction track densities were determined using an automatic image analyser. In
      the plasma, the isotopic ratios, 6Li/7Li, were measured using 'Secondary Ion Mass
      Spectrometry'. The concentration of total lithium in the plasma was kept close to
      0.28 mM. The brain concentration of total lithium (referred to the tissue water
      content) ranged from more than 2 mM in the thalamus to less than 0.65 mM in the
      white matter of the cerebellum. The Nernst potential of lithium thus ranged from
      approx. -50 to approx. -20 mV, which means that lithium is probably not far from
      electrochemical equilibrium between brain cells and plasma. At any moment, the
      isotopic abundance of 6Li (ratio of 6Li to total lithium) in the different brain
      areas, were not significantly different from one another. The time-course of the
      isotopic abundance of 6Li in the brain was fitted by the composition of two
      exponential terms. The time-course of the isotopic abundance of 6Li in the plasma
      was also fitted by the composition of two exponential terms. These analytic
      curves (for the brain and for the plasma) were not significantly different from
      each other, at the precision of the measurements. This means that the isotopic
      equilibration of lithium between brain and plasma is almost instantaneous (i.e.
      accomplished in a few min at the most).

PMID- 1860066
TI  - Projections of the parvocellular reticular formation to the contralateral
      mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus in the rat.
AB  - Projections of the parvocellular reticular nucleus (PCRt) to the contralateral
      mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (Me5) were studied in the rat with
      neurophysiological and neuroanatomical techniques. Three types of responses
      (classified by latencies) were recorded extracellularly in the Me5 area after
      electrical stimulation of the PCRt: (1) R1 fast unitary reactions (latency 0.2
      0.5 ms) found throughout the entire caudal Me5 area; (2) R2 slower unitary
      reactions (latency 0.7-1.2 ms) recorded ventral and lateral to the caudal Me5;
      and (3) R3 compound potentials (latency 1.0-2.5 ms) recorded within the
      ventrocaudal Me5. Relayed or synaptic fields were not observed. Intracellular
      recordings of identified cell bodies of periodontal afferents, muscle spindle
      afferents and interneurones revealed no short-term postsynaptic potentials
      following PCRt stimulation. In some experiments jaw muscle spindle afferent
      activity was increased by PCRt stimulation and jaw-opening and jaw-closing
      reflexes were facilitated in the contralateral musculature. Neuroanatomical
      experiments, using Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin as an anterograde tracer,
      showed direct projections with intensive collateralization of PCRt fibres into
      the Me5 area. Synaptic contacts of PCRt fibres with primary afferent cell bodies
      were observed in the ventrocaudal parts of the Me5 only. The electrophysiological
      results are discussed in relation to the neuroanatomical findings.

PMID- 1860067
TI  - Release of gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid from synaptosomes: effect of external
      cations and of ouabain.
AB  - In the present study we have investigated the effect of cations and ouabain on
      Ca(2+)-independent and Ca(2+)-dependent release of gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid
      ([3H]GABA) from sheep brain synaptosomes. The presence of Na+ in the external
      medium is essential for the Ca(2+)-independent release induced by K+ or ouabain.
      Thus, in the absence of Ca2+, ouabain or K+ causes the release of [3H]GABA
      provided that Na+ is present in the external medium. Under K(+)-depolarizing
      conditions, in a Na+ medium, either ouabain or Ca2+ further increases the
      [3H]GABA release induced by depolarization, but their effects are not additive.
      The presence of external Na+ is not required for the Ca(2+)-dependent release of
      [3H]GABA due to K+ depolarization, and this release, which occurs in a choline
      medium, is not modified by ouabain. Under these conditions (choline medium) K(+)
      depolarization dependent release is absolutely dependent on external Ca2+, which
      suggests that this release of [3H]GABA occurs only by exocytosis, without the
      carrier-mediated efflux which normally co-exists with exocytosis due to K(+)
      depolarization in a Na+ medium. It is likely that the release induced by ouabain
      or K+ involves the membrane carrier which responds to changes in membrane
      potential.

PMID- 1860068
TI  - A postmortem study of brain nicotinic receptors in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
      disease.
AB  - Brain nicotinic receptors were studied in the frontal cortex, temporal cortex,
      hippocampus and caudate nucleus in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD),
      Alzheimer's disease (AD) and control. The Bmax and Kd values of (-)-[3H]nicotine
      binding were determined with a Scatchard analysis. The number of nicotinic
      receptors declined both in PD and in AD patients in all brain areas examined. The
      Kd values were unchanged. There was a negative correlation between the degree of
      dementia in PD patients and the number of nicotinic receptors in the frontal
      cortex. A similar correlation was seen between the muscarinic/nicotinic receptor
      ratio in the frontal cortex and the degree of dementia in PD patients. The
      present findings indicate that nicotinic receptors are affected not only in AD,
      but also in PD and that dysfunction of the cholinergic system in the frontal
      cortex is involved in the dementia process in PD.

PMID- 1860069
TI  - Epidermal growth factor enhances short-term potentiation and facilitates
      induction of long-term potentiation in rat hippocampal slices.
AB  - Effects of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) on short-term
      potentiation (STP) of evoked potential were investigated in Schaffer/commissural
      CA1 pyramidal cell synapses of rat hippocampal slices. Perfusion of hEGF (6-60
      ng/ml) significantly enhanced the STP induced by shorter tetanus (11 impulses at
      100 Hz) in a concentration-dependent manner and the effect resulted in generation
      of long-term potentiation (LTP). The results suggest that hEGF can activate the
      mechanisms related to induction of LTP.

PMID- 1860070
TI  - Glycine-like immunoreactivity in synaptic boutons of identified inhibitory
      interneurons in the mammalian spinal cord.
AB  - Glycine is thought to be a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian
      CNS. Two types of physiologically identified interneurons, Renshaw cells and Ia
      inhibitory interneurons, were intracellularly stained with horseradish
      peroxidase, and their axon terminals were studied at the electron microscopic
      level. Post-embedding immunogold procedures were used to reveal the presence of
      glycine-like immunoreactivity. The synaptic terminals of both types of
      interneuron were significantly enriched with glycine-like immunoreactivity,
      providing support for the idea that glycine is a mediator of synaptic
      transmission in the recurrent and reciprocal inhibitory pathways to motoneurons.

PMID- 1860071
TI  - Delayed growth and maturation of astrocytic cultures following exposure to
      ethanol: electron microscopic observations.
AB  - This investigation examined the effects of ethanol on the morphologic features of
      cultured rat astrocytes using a treatment paradigm that provided consistent
      exposure to ethanol at concentrations of 0.2%, 0.5%, or 1.0% (w/v). Cultures were
      assessed between 4 and 8 days in vitro during the logarithmic phase of growth;
      differences in culture growth, cell profile area and ultrastructural
      configuration were found. A dose-dependent inhibition of culture growth was
      observed after 48 and 96 h of ethanol exposure. In control cultures, the
      consequences of culture growth included the progressive crowding of cells, a
      concomitant reduction in the cell profile area, and increased cell-cell contact.
      On culture day 8, electron microscopic examination of control cultures
      demonstrated a complex stratified cellular layer, the junction of cells by puncta
      adhaerentia and the acquisition of intermediate filament bundles. In contrast,
      the impaired growth in ethanol-exposed cultures was associated with the retention
      of an extensive cell profile area suggesting restrained morphologic development.
      At the electron microscopic level, ethanol-exposed cultures showed a dose
      dependent attenuation in both the depth and complexity of the cell layer. These
      findings indicated that the growth kinetics and morphologic development of
      astrocytic cultures are vulnerable to ethanol exposure at moderate and high
      levels. These findings were attributed to both ethanol cytotoxicity and a
      deprivation of cellular interaction resulting from the restricted population
      size.

PMID- 1860072
TI  - Cortical projection of putative group Ib afferent fibres from the human forearm.
AB  - The possibility was investigated that impulses in group Ib afferents from fore
      arm flexors have access to cerebral cortex in man. A long-lasting increase in the
      threshold (Th) of group Ia afferent fibres from flexor carpi radialis muscle
      (Fcr) was obtained after prolonged (100 Hz for 20 min) tendon vibration at the
      wrist. It was assumed that under this condition a weak electrical stimulation of
      the median nerve at the elbow, insufficient to reactivate Ia fibres because of
      the rise in their threshold (as verified by the method of homonymous Ia
      facilitation of Fcr H reflex), engaged Ib fibres only. Peripheral volleys at
      Erb's point and cerebral cortical potentials to median nerve stimulation at the
      elbow were evoked before and after prolonged vibration of Fcr. During 10-30 min
      after the end of vibration, in which homonymous facilitation of Fcr H reflex was
      abolished, both the ongoing peripheral volley and the cortical responses were
      markedly reduced with respect to their control values. Recovery to pre-vibration
      control amplitudes coincided with recovery of Fcr H reflex homonymous
      facilitation. In order to verify if activity in afferents other than group Ib
      fibres might contribute to the cortical response after vibration, specially
      designed experiments were also performed. It is concluded that the cortical wave
      recorded after 20 min vibration represents the arrival of Ib impulses from flexor
      carpi radialis to the human cerebral cortex.

PMID- 1860073
TI  - Life events-induced decrease of corticosteroid type I receptors is associated
      with reduced corticosterone feedback and enhanced vulnerability to amphetamine
      self-administration.
AB  - In this study, we attempted to find out whether a social stress-induced increase
      in the vulnerability to acquire amphetamine self-administration was associated
      with a change in number of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. This was
      examined in two types of sex-mixed colonies of rats. Animals were maintained for
      4 weeks in: (1) 'stable social condition', membership did not change after
      constitution of the colony; (2) 'unstable social condition', the males were
      changed daily in a random design. The animals living in the 'stable social'
      conditions had: (1) a lower number of hippocampal type I corticosteroid
      receptors; (2) a longer duration of the increase in plasma corticosterone after
      exposure to novelty; (3) a higher vulnerability to acquire amphetamine self
      administration. These findings suggest that a decrease in hippocampal type I
      corticosteroid receptors may be one of the biological mechanisms responsible for
      the impaired corticosterone feedback control observed in vulnerable animals.
      These findings throw more light on the role of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis
      in the modulation of adaptive behavior. The availability of drugs which are
      specific for corticosteroid receptors could represent a new approach to the
      therapy of certain behavioral disturbances.

PMID- 1860074
TI  - Excitatory amino acid antagonists (kynurenic acid and MK-801) attenuate the
      development of morphine tolerance in the rat.
AB  - To investigate the possible role of excitatory amino acids (EAAs) in the
      mechanisms of morphine tolerance, rats were treated either with the wide-spectrum
      EAA antagonist, kynurenic acid (150 mg/kg), or the specific N-methyl-D-aspartic
      acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist. MK-801 (0.05 mg/kg), during a four-day induction
      period of morphine tolerance. Morphine was given once daily at a dose of 15 mg
      kg. On the fifth day rats were injected only with morphine (15 mg/kg), and
      analgesia was assessed using the hot-plate test. Morphine tolerance was
      significantly reduced by both EAA antagonists. Control experiments showed that at
      the same doses neither acute nor chronic administration of these antagonists
      affected morphine analgesia itself in a manner that can explain these findings.
      The possible involvement of EAAs in the mechanisms of morphine tolerance is
      discussed.

PMID- 1860075
TI  - Age-related changes in junctional and non-junctional conductances in two
      electrically coupled peptidergic neurons of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis.
AB  - Age-related changes in electrotonic coupling ratio of two identified neurons in
      Lymnaea stagnalis were studied together with the underlying changes in the steady
      state conductance properties of the network. Two phases were distinguished in the
      development of coupling ratio across lifespan. During the first phase (age of 3
      13 months), coupling ratio decreased from decreased from 60% to 30%. The second
      phase (age 13-20 months) was characterized by an increase in coupling ratio.
      Values of up to 60% were reached again in the oldest animals. Voltage clamp
      measurements showed that the biphasic trend of the age-related changes in
      coupling ratio is paralleled by changes in conductance properties of the junction
      between VD1 and RPD2. During the first phase junctional conductance decreased,
      whereas during the second phase junctional conductance increased. In addition to
      the decrease in junctional conductance, a growth-related increase in non
      junctional conductance of VD1 and RPD2 contributed to the decrease in coupling
      ratio observed during the first phase. Thus our results indicate that in Lymnaea
      junctional connections between neurons may undergo considerable and discontinuous
      changes after sexual maturation. In addition to these changes in steady-state
      electrical properties, indications were obtained that age-related changes of
      kinetically slower conductance(s) may occur in the non-junctional membrane of VD1
      and RPD2.

PMID- 1860076
TI  - Reversal of learning impairment in ventral globus pallidus-lesioned rats by
      combination of continuous intracerebroventricular choline infusion and oral
      cholinergic drug administration.
AB  - The effects of separate or combined oral administration of THA (9-amino-1,2,3,4
      tetrahydroacridine hydrochloride) and NIK-247 (9-amino-2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H
      cyclopenta[b] quinoline monohydrate hydrochloride) and intracerebroventricular
      choline infusion using an osmotic minipump were investigated by observing
      locomotor activity, shock sensitivity, passive avoidance response and cerebral
      choline and acetylcholine contents in the bilateral ventral globus pallidus
      lesioned rat. Evaluation of locomotor activity and shock sensitivity revealed no
      sensorimotor disturbances caused by combined administration.
      Intracerebroventricular choline infusion (100 mumol/day) and oral THA or NIK-247
      administration (0.5 mg/kg) had no effect on the acquisition of the passive
      avoidance response, while the combination of oral THA or NIK-247 administration
      (0.5 mg/kg) and intracerebroventricular choline infusion (100 mumol/day) elicited
      good acquisition of passive avoidance learning and produced a significant
      increase of choline and acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex of the bilateral
      ventral globus pallidus-lesioned rat. These findings suggest that continuous
      intracerebroventricular choline infusion may intensify the ameliorating effect of
      THA or NIK-247 on learning disturbance.

PMID- 1860077
TI  - [Complete removable dentures and prognathism].
AB  - Further to some reminders concerning terminology and resorption, this article
      presents the full denture prosthetic treatment for two patients with total
      edentation and a prognathic malocclusion. The first case presents a
      tridimensional symptomatology, described by: a progeny; a voluminous mandibular
      terrain; a concave profile; a rather closed mandibular angle; a mandible ridge
      which circumscribes the upper jaw; The particularities of the prosthetic
      treatment in this case are: a lowering of the posterior occlusal plane; a
      mounting of the teeth in a limited external position, that is to say, the
      maxillary lingual cuspids and the mandibular mesio-distal groove on the inter
      crest line; the mandibular incisors and cuspids placed with a lingual inclination
      to obtain an edge-to-edge occlusal contact. The second case is of vertical
      symptomatology type, described by: a macrogeny; a moderate concavity of the
      profile; a very marked increase of the vertical dimension; an open mandibular
      angle; a short ramus; a long mandibule; a very marked overjet between the
      anterior crests. The particularities of the prosthetic treatment for this case
      are: a posterior teeth placement, avoiding cross-bite position, taken into
      account the strong convergence of the intercrest lines; a strong lingual
      inclination of the mandibular incisors and cuspids, in order to obtain an edge-to
      edge occlusal contact. In the light of these two specific cases, emphasis is
      placed on the particularities of the treatment and on the teeth placement
      proposed in order to avoid any cross-bite teeth mounting.

PMID- 1860078
TI  - [Dental-prosthetic margin in bonded esthetic restorations. Clinical aspects].
AB  - The long term success of any bonded prosthesis mainly depends on the quality of
      the marginal adaptation. Its degradation has been noted both at the clinical and
      the experimental levels. It may be due to biological, chemico-physical,
      mechanical and clinical factors. Improving the marginal gap closure is based on
      some principles: the type of preparations on which depends the stabilisation and
      the good positioning of the restorations; the quality of the clinical isolation
      which will avoid any humidity on the bonded surfaces (saliva, blood, gingival
      fluids); the chemical and physical type of the bonding polymer and the quality of
      its polymerisation; the finishing and final surface condition directly related to
      the kind of finishing burs used. The understanding and application of these few
      clinical principles enable the practitioner to expect a better clinical result as
      regards the bonding of aesthetic restorations.

PMID- 1860079
TI  - [Mastication and the electromyographic silent period in denture wearers].
AB  - The purpose of this study is to compare the masticatory efficiency and the
      physiological activity of masticatory muscles among patients with removable
      partial dentures (R.P.D.) and patients with natural dentition. The masticatory
      efficiency is assessed from the duration of chewing sequences for various foods,
      from the first masticatory cycle to the swallowing. The physiological activity is
      tested by the duration of the inhibition reflex called the "silent period" (S.P.)
      obtained upon each muscle examined: 29 subjects are examined, 24 of them had a
      R.P.D.; they were divided into four groups according to the extent of their
      edentation; 5 control subjects have full natural dentition. The study is
      performed using global electromyography of the two masseter muscles and the two
      anterior temporal muscles. The mastication of the control subjects appears to
      have a regular alternance of working potential and periods of rest. The duration
      of the chewing sequences is determined by the nature of the food, brief for soft
      food, long for hard food. The mastication of patients with R.P.D. appears more
      irregular with a lengthening of active phases. The duration of chewing sequences
      is significantly longer for the control subjects. The duration of the S.P. is 19
      21 milliseconds for the masseter muscles of the patients with dentures and the
      control patients, and 20-22 milliseconds for the temporal muscles for the same
      individuals. The differences of the S.P. durations between control subjects and
      patients with R.P.D. is never significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860080
TI  - [Original method for total edentulous rehabilitation based on Ludwigs technique.
      3. Final impression and functional record of intermaxillary relations].
AB  - In the technique described, the search for the peripheral joint and the final
      impressions are really functional and rely on adapted silicone impression
      materials. The vertical dimension is investigated physiologically
      (speech/swallowing). The recording of the centric relation is confirmed
      graphically with a centric pin. Thus, the patient transcribes his "occlusal
      signature" and provides both the practitioner and the dental technician with
      precise data for the mounting of denture teeth.

PMID- 1860081
TI  - [Rationale for fabrication of combination dentures].
AB  - The complexity of this type of restoration comes from the numerous clinical and
      laboratory steps required. Achievement of these prosthodontic restoration is
      based on a careful clinical examination, models mounted on an articulator, in
      centered relation and adequate vertical dimension. The models allow the surveyor
      examination, the teeth set up and/or wax up. Duplication of the teeth set up in
      acrylic will reduce the number of patient's appointments, and thus, the potential
      errors will be minimized. This acrylic teeth set up (A.T.S.) will allow: to keep
      the decided occlusal relationships; to visualize the teeth grinding to be made;
      to guide the tooth preparation; to take the abutment impression, in occlusion.
      Therefore: the final model; the vertical dimension; occlusal relationship; the
      aesthetic; and, the removable partial denture design will be available for the
      dental technician. Furthermore, in close to full denture cases (class I and large
      class IV), the A.T.S. can be used to take the impression, to achieve the
      framework, and to transfer the occlusal registration.

PMID- 1860082
TI  - [Scanner placement guide and surgical guide in implantology].
AB  - The pre-surgical investigation may provide added information by the wearing of a
      detection cad-can indicating the axes of the future implants at the time of the
      cad-can examination. This stent is made, using a polymerised director mounting,
      equipped with radio-opaque detectors in aluminium or zinc oxyphosphate sealing
      cement. The resulted illustration facilitates the concentration between the
      surgeon and the prosthetist in the definitive choice of the site of implantation.
      The plaster model, used for the making of the detection cad-can, is used to
      transfer this information. In the clinic, the latter is supported by a surgical
      stent. This guide includes: an indexed stabilising portion on the remaining teeth
      or portions of edentated crest not involved in the surgery; guiding tubes with a
      diameter of 2.1 mm, made of infiltrated aluminium according to the INCERAM*
      procedure. The detection cad-can and surgical stent unit permit a correlation
      between the preimplant investigation phase and the surgery.

PMID- 1860083
TI  - [Use of telescopes for rehabilitation with removable dentures. 2. Clinical
      examples].
AB  - The purpose of these clinical cases is to show the advantages of coping abutments
      in fixed and removable partial denture reconstructions. These cases try to gather
      the largest indications for this technique. The emphasis is put on many positive
      points of this type of reconstruction: control and easy maintenance via an
      optimal accessibility to the abutments; may be used in complex rehabilitations
      combined with other types of attachments; easy insertion of the removable partial
      denture by the patient; improvement in the prognosis for cases that cannot be
      treated with fixed prosthodontics and precision attachments. A good aesthetic
      result can be achieved and gives expectation for an encouraging future for this
      type of well-made reconstruction.

PMID- 1860084
TI  - A new dimension of negligence?

PMID- 1860085
TI  - Prophy fees.

PMID- 1860086
TI  - In-Ceram bridges natural translucence and strength--without metal.

PMID- 1860087
TI  - Thy daily bread.

PMID- 1860088
TI  - An open letter to professionals from someone infected with HIV.

PMID- 1860089
TI  - A study of the reasons for tooth extraction in a Canadian population sample.
AB  - The reasons for extraction of teeth were determined in a Canadian population
      sample of 909 patients, ranging in age from 14 to 91 years. Caries was the
      primary cause of extraction (63%), followed by periodontitis (34%). For the adult
      age groups, the percentages were approximately the same. While periodontitis was
      the cause of one-third of the extractions, these occurred in only one-fifth of
      the population. Although there is a commonly expressed belief that periodontitis
      is the major cause of tooth loss in adults, a review of both historical and
      contemporary literature does not support this position. According to the current
      concept of the natural history of periodontal disease, only about one-fifth of
      the population, or less, is likely to have periodontitis severe enough to cause
      tooth loss. This view is consistent with data from this and most other studies on
      the reasons for tooth extraction.

PMID- 1860090
TI  - Root surface caries prevalence and associated factors among adult patients in an
      acute care hospital.
AB  - There have been many studies reporting on the prevalence of root surface caries
      in elderly populations, but there is little consistency in these reports
      concerning the associated risk factors. In the present study, intraoral
      examinations were carried out on adult patients (age range 22 to 91 years, mean
      age 57.9) on the acute care wards of a teaching hospital. Of the 103 patients
      examined, 23.3% exhibited carious lesions on root surfaces, these lesions
      occurring more frequently in males than in females, and more frequently in the 60
      years and older age groups. Forty-five per cent of all root lesions recorded were
      found on the buccal or facial root surfaces of teeth exhibiting root surface
      caries. Individuals exhibiting root surface caries had more surfaces with
      gingival recession and loss of attachment greater than or equal to 3mm, more
      retained roots, higher DMFT values, and less teeth. However, statistically
      significant relationships were not obtained between root surface caries and a)
      coronal caries, b) dental plaque, c) calculus, d) bleeding on probing, and e)
      probing depth greater than or equal to 4mm. Thirty-three strains of Actinomyces
      viscosus were isolated from plaque samples taken from root surface lesions
      compared to 21 strains isolated from intact root surfaces.

PMID- 1860091
TI  - Reversible tricuspid regurgitation in a patient undergoing treatment for acute
      leukemia.
AB  - A 52-year-old female patient treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with
      combination chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and
      prednisone), broad spectrum antibiotics and amphotericin via a Hickman catheter
      placed in the superior vena cava, developed echocardiographically confirmed
      tricuspid regurgitation. A second admission four months later showed only mild
      tricuspid regurgitation. The authors conclude that the amphotericin given via the
      central line caused valvulitis of the tricuspid valve.

PMID- 1860092
TI  - Assigning priority to patients requiring coronary revascularization: consensus
      principles from a panel of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons.
AB  - In light of lengthy waiting lists for coronary surgery in Canada, a panel of 16
      cardiologists and cardiac surgeons was convened to derive guiding principles for
      ranking how urgently diverse patients with angiographically proven coronary
      disease require revascularization. Factors likely to affect urgency were agreed
      upon by the panelists and incorporated into a case scenario questionnaire. Each
      panelist then rated 438 case scenarios with respect to maximum acceptable waiting
      time on a scale with seven time frames ranging from emergency surgery ('level 1')
      to delays of up to six months ('level 7'). The scenario rating process
      facilitated attainment of a panel consensus. The purpose of the principles is to
      assist in assigning priorities to patients according to both symptoms and risk of
      death or additional morbidity from ischemic events. The pattern or severity of
      the patient's anginal symptoms and the response of those symptoms to medical
      therapy emerged as the single most important determinant of the level of urgency.
      Anatomy and noninvasive tests of ischemic risk were the other key determinants of
      priority. All other factors were less important, and operated largely within a
      given level of urgency on the seven-point scale. The principles, including
      explicit ranking criteria divided according to angina class, are outlined in this
      final report. The panel specifically cautioned that adoption of such principles
      is not designed to countenance delays in treatment, but if necessary, should help
      form more rational queues for coronary revascularization.

PMID- 1860093
TI  - Converting enzyme inhibition attenuates the noradrenaline response to the
      Valsalva maneuvre.
AB  - HYPOTHESIS: Reduction of plasma angiotensin II inhibits release of noradrenaline
      in response to a sympathetic nervous system stimulus. OBJECTIVE: To compare heart
      rate and plasma catecholamine responses to the Valsalva maneuvre before and after
      inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme. DESIGN: Four weeks of placebo (all
      patients). If sitting diastolic blood pressure was found to be between 100 and
      115 mmHg, then double-blind randomization to receive 2.5, 5, 10 or 20 mg of
      quinapril bid for a further four weeks. SETTING: Ambulatory hypertension clinic
      with admission to clinical investigation unit overnight for interventions.
      PATIENTS: Uncomplicated essential hypertensives of English-Irish ancestry. Twenty
      five eligible patients completed the study, while three additional patients
      withdrew early. INTERVENTIONS: Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored
      weekly during placebo, and biweekly during active treatment. Patients were
      rehearsed in performance of the Valsalva maneuvre. At the end of the placebo and
      active therapy phases, each patient performed standard Valsalva maneuvres
      immediately before and 2 h after the morning dose of placebo or active drug.
      Heart rate was recorded continuously throughout the maneuvre, while blood was
      sampled for catecholamine determinations prior to the start of straining and
      again approximately 10 s following the end of straining. MAIN RESULTS: Heart rate
      responses to the Valsalva maneuvre were not affected by acute administration of
      quinapril, but a slight attenuation of the tachycardic response was seen after
      four weeks of therapy (P less than 0.05). An increase in plasma noradrenaline
      concentration associated with the straining phase of the Valsalva maneuvre was
      markedly attenuated after both acute and chronic quinapril therapy (P less than
      0.01). CONCLUSION: By blocking biosynthesis of angiotensin II, converting enzyme
      inhibition may attenuate baroreceptor-stimulated release of noradrenaline.

PMID- 1860094
TI  - Efficacy of once daily nitrendipine in mild hypertension: comparison with
      placebo.
AB  - A randomized, double-blind, parallel group study was carried out to compare the
      antihypertensive efficacy of nitrendipine with that of placebo in 80 mild
      hypertensives. The dose of nitrendipine was initially 10 mg once daily and was
      doubled to 20 mg once daily after four weeks in patients who responded poorly
      (33% of patients on nitrendipine and 49% of patients on placebo required doubling
      of dose). Blood pressure was assessed 20 to 24 h after dosing. Mean (+/- standard
      error) reductions in supine systolic and diastolic blood pressures for patients
      who completed 10 weeks of therapy were significantly greater for the nitrendipine
      group than for the placebo group (systolic blood pressure 18.1 +/- 2.7 mmHg
      versus 4.2 +/- 2.5, P less than 0.0001; and diastolic blood pressure 10.6 +/- 1.1
      mmHg versus 6.6 +/- 1.3, P = 0.002). A comparison of mean reductions in standing
      systolic and diastolic blood pressures produced similar results. Goal of therapy
      (diastolic blood pressure no more than 90 mmHg or reduction of at least 10 mmHg)
      was achieved in 71% of nitrendipine-treated and 45% of placebo-treated patients
      (P less than 0.05). Nine of 80 patients randomized to therapy dropped out during
      treatment (nitrendipine: four adverse experiences and one moved from the area;
      placebo: two adverse experiences, and drug ineffective in two). Overall, the
      incidence of adverse experiences considered by the physician to be related to
      treatment was higher in the placebo group (32%) than in the nitrendipine group
      (23%). Only flushing had a higher incidence in the nitrendipine group; however,
      the overall incidence was low (9%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860095
TI  - Neutrophil oxygen free radical production proportionates with the degree of
      myocardial ischemia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the production of oxygen free radicals by chemiluminescence
      and to assess leukocyte aggregation, in patients with acute myocardial infarction
      and angina pectoris, and to compare these to creatine kinase-MB levels. DESIGN:
      Prospective study with serial estimation at presentation and 72 h later. SETTING:
      Referral, tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Group 1, acute myocardial infarction
      (n = 18); group 2, stable angina pectoris (n = 8); and age-and sex-matched normal
      healthy persons (n = 12). All patients included had pain of less than 24 h
      duration with typical electrocardiographic and laboratory abnormalities. Patients
      or controls who had any inflammatory disease in the preceding two weeks or who
      were on anti-inflammatory drugs, calcium channel or beta-adrenoceptor blockers,
      were excluded. TESTS: Venous blood samples taken at presentation and 72 h later
      were analyzed for creatine kinase-MB using a standard kit, neutrophilic
      chemiluminescence and leukocyte aggregation. MAIN RESULTS: In group 1 there were
      significant rises in both creatine kinase-MB and chemiluminescence, which
      subsequently regressed (P less than 0.02). There was, however, no statistical
      correlation between the two. The qualitative pattern of the rise and fall of
      chemiluminescence was similar in group 2. Changes in leukergy in both groups were
      not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen free radical generation occurs early in
      myocardial ischemia with regression by 72 h. Neutrophilic chemiluminescence may
      provide an alternative method for assessment of myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1860096
TI  - Development of the coronary vasculature in hypoxic fetal rats treated with a
      purified perfluorocarbon emulsion.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively define the coronary vascular bed in the 21-day-old
      rat fetus with gestational normoxia and hypoxia; to determine if maternal
      supplemental oxygen and/or oxygen-carrying perfluorocarbons (PFCs) influence
      development of coronary vessels; and to compare the results using purified and
      unpurified PFC treatment. DESIGN: Unilateral uterine artery ligation was
      introduced on gestational day 17 in pregnant animals. Control fetuses were from
      unligated uterine horns. Experimental intervention occurred during gestational
      days 17 to 21, with fetuses recovered on day 21. Developing coronary vessels were
      analyzed quantitatively via light microscopy. ANIMALS: Pregnant Sprague Dawley
      rats. INTERVENTIONS: Following ligation, pregnant rats received no further
      treatment, supplemental oxygen inhalation alone, or daily intravenous purified
      PFC treatment, with or without supplemental oxygen. MAIN RESULTS: Hypoxia caused
      an increase in resorptions (P less than 0.001), and decreased fetal body weight
      (P less than 0.001) and heart weight (P less than 0.05). Although the area
      occupied by developing coronary vessels (sinusoids) was substantially increased,
      maturation was unchanged. Oxygen supplementation alone did not appreciably
      influence fetal resorptions or body weight in ligated horns, but did increase
      fetal heart weight. Sinusoidal area decreased (P less than 0.01), with no effect
      on sinusoidal maturity. Purified PFC treatment did not alter maternal weight gain
      or fetal body weight, and moderately decreased resorptions in ligated horns.
      Fetal heart weight was augmented with purified perflurochemical, while unpurified
      perfluorochemical treatment diminished heart weight. Both PFC emulsions
      substantially decreased sinusoidal area. CONCLUSIONS: Perflurocarbon treatment
      associated with supplemental oxygen is capable of improving the hypoxic effects
      on fetal heart and coronary vessel development if the emulsion used is
      appropriately purified.

PMID- 1860097
TI  - Phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

PMID- 1860098
TI  - Wife assault: physicians cannot ignore it.

PMID- 1860099
TI  - Megavitamin and megamineral therapy in childhood.

PMID- 1860100
TI  - The fee-for-service system should be replaced.

PMID- 1860101
TI  - Food safety.

PMID- 1860102
TI  - Hemodynamic monitoring: a technology assessment. Technology Subcommittee of the
      Working Group on Critical Care, Ontario Ministry of Health.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review catheterization of the right side of the heart according to
      technical capability, diagnostic accuracy, range of possible uses, therapeutic
      impact, benefit to patient outcome and impact on health care workers. DATA
      SOURCES: MEDLINE was searched for English-language articles published since 1962.
      Additional references were selected from the bibliographies of identified
      articles. STUDY SELECTION: Nonrandomized trials and retrospective reviews were
      included because of a paucity of randomized controlled trials. DATA EXTRACTION
      AND SYNTHESIS: After a review of the data on hemodynamic monitoring by the
      subcommittee members, guidelines were developed through the use of the nominal
      group and Delphi consensus-gathering techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The use of
      catheterization of the right side of the heart for hemodynamic monitoring should
      be reserved for tertiary and secondary care hospitals, which are adequately
      staffed by physicians and nurses well versed in the use of such monitoring.
      Future research should be directed at determining whether the use of hemodynamic
      monitoring will improve outcomes among patients, especially those with myocardial
      infarction, septic shock or pulmonary edema.

PMID- 1860103
TI  - Anaerobic vertebral osteomyelitis.

PMID- 1860105
TI  - Notification of tuberculosis.

PMID- 1860104
TI  - Insulin treatment, NIDDM and atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1860106
TI  - Interest heavy as Canada's HIV and AIDS researchers form own organization.

PMID- 1860107
TI  - AIDS project spawns controversy, not results.

PMID- 1860108
TI  - Canada is unfair to medical immigrants.

PMID- 1860109
TI  - Health care problems in Ontario.

PMID- 1860110
TI  - Melanin pigmentation disorders of the skin and oral mucosa.
AB  - Pigmented lesions in brown, blue-black, or variations of these colors are
      relatively rare in the oral cavity but very common in the skin and can range from
      absolutely benign to highly malignant. The differential diagnosis of brown and
      blue-black lesions of the oral cavity includes normal racial pigmentation,
      melanosis, nevi, melanoma, amalgam tattoos, and disorders related to the blood or
      blood vessels.

PMID- 1860111
TI  - Compromise and control of the airway.
AB  - Compromise of the airway is a preventable cause of patient death and is of vital
      concern to the dental professional. The dentist may encounter airway compromise
      and must be able to render appropriate care. Unfortunately, this important topic
      has received little or no attention in the dental literature during the last 5
      years. The purpose of this article is to review the etiology of airway
      compromise, the basic principles of airway management, and the indications for
      more advanced airway intervention, including intubation and emergency surgical
      approaches.

PMID- 1860112
TI  - Microwave processing of permanent soft denture liners.
AB  - This article describes a technique of processing a resilient soft denture liner
      using microwave irradiation. The technique employs a specially designed flask
      that can be heated in a microwave oven. The flask can be either fabricated using
      commonly available dental laboratory materials or purchased commercially. The
      microwave polymerization of the resilient soft denture liner reduces the
      potential warpage of the denture base that can occur during the conventional
      process of boiling in water for 2 hours. Additionally, microwave irradiation
      reduces processing time to less than 1 hour, allowing the dentist the opportunity
      to reline a patient's denture in a single visit. The technique is simple and
      requires no extensive or elaborate dental laboratory equipment.

PMID- 1860113
TI  - Malposed sublingual gland in the anterior mandible: a variant of Stafne's
      idiopathic bone cavity.
AB  - This article reports a case of an asymptomatic, ill-defined radiolucency in the
      anterior mandible in the region of the central and lateral incisor teeth, found
      on routine roentgenographic examination. A labial mucoperiosteal flap was raised
      under local anesthesia. A portion of the lingual plate and inferior border of the
      anterior mandible were missing, and the space was occupied by the sublingual
      gland extension. The entrapped sublingual gland was removed and the histological
      diagnosis confirmed. The mucoperiosteal flap was sutured back in position.
      Healing was uneventful.

PMID- 1860115
TI  - The team approach to intermaxillary fixation.
AB  - A series of lawsuits for negligence was filed against a dentist who failed to
      consult with the family physician and other health-care providers before
      instituting intermaxillary fixation for the control of obesity. Additional
      allegations were lack of informed consent and lack of proper care. This article
      presents the case report, with emphasis on its physical, emotional, and legal
      outcome.

PMID- 1860114
TI  - The many faces of adult leukemia.
AB  - This article describes the facial complications of adult leukemia, as derived
      from a study of more than 3,000 patients treated at the University of Texas M.D.
      Anderson Hospital during the past 25 years. Facial leukemia cutis, leukemia
      associated facial hemorrhages, leukemia-induced cranial nerve facial palsies, and
      leukemia-provoked pure and mixed facial infections are discussed.

PMID- 1860116
TI  - Quality assurance and continuing education: point/counterpoint discussion.

PMID- 1860117
TI  - Unremitting pain to the mandible secondary to metastatic breast cancer: a case
      report.
AB  - The most common site of distant primary tumor metastasis to the jaw bones is the
      breast. The clinical signs and symptoms, and radiographic appearance of these
      lesions can be extremely variable. Histologic examination, however, will usually
      resemble the tissue from the primary tumor. In the case presented, the biopsy
      specimen was consistent with adenocarcinoma of the breast.

PMID- 1860118
TI  - Thielemann's diagonal law of occlusion revisited.
AB  - Thielemann's studies of malocclusal relationships and the frequently observed
      chain reactions created in distant localities led to the formulation of a
      philosophical approach to occlusion that is also of practical premeditative
      clinical relevance for the practitioner. Dr. Thielemann presumed to name it a
      law, and repeated clinical observations apparently support and reinforce his
      claim. All disciplines of dentistry inevitably encounter and need to know about
      this aspect of fission-reactive involvement with the common and seemingly
      innocuous malocclusions. By incorporating the law into the diagnostic, planning,
      corrective, and therapeutic stages of treatment, the clinician can readily
      categorize patients for needs assessments and future goals in treatment.

PMID- 1860120
TI  - Theme 3: Mainframing dentistry. Article 1: New risks, responsibilities, and
      profits for the dental schools.

PMID- 1860119
TI  - A renaissance Afro-American of the 19th century: Dr. John S. Rock.

PMID- 1860121
TI  - A composite resin veneer occlusal surface on an overlay partial denture.
AB  - The purpose of this article is to illustrate a technique adapting a light-curing
      composite resin veneer and an opaquing medium with chemical adhesion properties
      to a partial denture framework in a patient with severely worn dentition.
      Composite resin veneers with favorable wear properties and esthetics are useful
      materials for restoring occlusions for overlay removable partial dentures.

PMID- 1860122
TI  - Restoring the severely compromised molar through adhesive bonding of amalgam to
      dentin.
AB  - Resin adhesive systems capable of bonding conventional amalgam to dentin, enamel,
      and cast restorations are now available. This article describes a case in which
      bonded amalgam was used to create a "vital core," permitting preservation of
      vitality during restoration of a molar where deep caries had encroached on the
      pulp. Without use of adhesive resin, the restoration would have required
      devitalization of the tooth, endodontic therapy, and fabrication of a crown
      retained by a post and core.

PMID- 1860123
TI  - Theme 3: Mainframing dentistry. Article 2: Biodiagnostic branching model systems
      (BBMS).

PMID- 1860125
TI  - The ADA's first female president: an Alaskan pioneer committed to service.

PMID- 1860124
TI  - Salivary gland cysts of the oral cavity: clinical observation and surgical
      management.
AB  - Mucoceles are common cystic lesions of the oral mucosa. Extravasation mucoceles
      are mainly found in the lower lip of young patients, whereas retention mucoceles
      are usually located in the cheek or palate of older patients. The disparate site
      and age incidences of extravasation and retention mucoceles suggest that these
      two types are not related and have different pathogenesis. Treatment modalities
      for mucoceles are reviewed, with special attention to the cryosurgical technique
      for the treatment of oral ranulas.

PMID- 1860126
TI  - Overdentures in partial anodontia: simple solutions for complex problems.
AB  - Congenital defects in children and adolescents can present complex and
      challenging dental problems, including arch discrepancies, palatal defects, and
      malposed or otherwise disrupted dentition. Traditional treatment is often time
      consuming, expensive, and in extensive defects, frequently compromised at best.
      The overdenture prosthesis, often overlooked, is a relatively simple and
      expedient solution to many of these severe problems, and the prosthetic
      techniques are familiar and readily employed by dentists without specialized
      training. This article reviews the general principles employed in these
      techniques and offers examples of successful treatment for several of the more
      commonly occurring congenital dental defects.

PMID- 1860127
TI  - Porcelain laminate veneers--to prepare or not to prepare?

PMID- 1860128
TI  - The safety and efficacy of tooth bleaching: a review of the literature 1988-1990.
AB  - Two hundred fifty-six major medical and dental journals were searched, and a
      comprehensive study was completed on the chemistry of hydrogen peroxide and
      carbamide peroxide. The results indicate that safety and efficacy of hydrogen
      peroxide is well established, while carbamide peroxide is much more complicated
      and no long-term safety studies are available for tooth bleaching using carbamide
      peroxide.

PMID- 1860129
TI  - Anticardiolipin antibodies in cluster headache.
AB  - Antiphospholipid antibodies have occasionally been observed in migraine patients,
      but a recent study of a large series suggested the association was with other
      concurrent conditions, not specifically with migraine. We wondered about an
      association with other vascular headaches and measured anticardiolipin antibody
      levels in 20 cluster headache patients during the cluster period (three during an
      acute attack). Platelet counts were normal and VDRL negative in all patients. No
      elevated anticardiolipin antibody levels were found. There appears to be no
      important association between the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies and
      cluster headache, and we argue that there is no further rationale for seeking
      one.

PMID- 1860130
TI  - Blood flow velocity changes in migraine attacks--a transcranial Doppler study.
AB  - A pulsed Doppler device was used to measure blood flow velocities in the common
      carotid artery, the extracranial part of the internal carotid artery, the
      external carotid artery, the middle cerebral artery, and the anterior cerebral
      artery in 31 migraineurs without aura (n = 27) and with aura (n = 4), both during
      and outside an attack. The aims were to compare blood flow velocity during and
      between migraine attacks and to study asymmetries of the blood flow velocity.
      Compared with blood flow velocity values obtained in the attack-free interval,
      blood flow velocity was lower during attacks without aura in both common carotid
      arteries, but not in the other extra- and intracranial vessels which were
      examined. However, during attacks of migraine with aura, blood flow velocity
      tended to be lower in all examined vessels. There were no asymmetries of the
      blood flow velocity. We suggest that during migraine attacks without aura there
      is a dissociation in blood flow regulation in the common carotid and middle
      cerebral arteries.

PMID- 1860131
TI  - EMG analysis of the late exteroceptive suppression period of temporal muscle
      activity in episodic and chronic tension-type headaches.
AB  - EMG analysis of the late exteroceptive suppression period of the temporal muscle
      activity is discussed as comparative methodology in the assessment of patients
      suffering from chronic tension-type headache and from migraineurs. After
      electrical perioral trigeminal nerve stimulation during maximum voluntary jaw
      occlusion, early (ES1) and late (ES2) exteroceptive suppression periods can be
      registered above the temples using surface EMG recordings. In patients suffering
      from chronic tension-type headache the duration of the late suppression period is
      shortened (p less than 0.001) compared to migraineurs or controls. However,
      patients suffering from episodic tension-type headache display late suppression
      periods of temporal muscle activity of differing lengths.

PMID- 1860132
TI  - Effectiveness of oral diclofenac in the acute treatment of common migraine
      attacks: a double-blind study versus placebo.
AB  - In a multicentre double-blind cross-over trial, oral diclofenac at a dose of 50
      mg to 100 mg was compared to placebo in the acute treatment of migraine attacks.
      A hundred and seven patients suffering from migraine without aura were included,
      and 91 were analysed for efficacy; they had to treat four successive attacks--two
      with diclofenac and two with placebo. Diclofenac was significantly more effective
      than placebo (p less than 0.05) on the main judgement parameter, which was the
      number of attacks aborted within 2 h of drug intake, as well as on the following
      secondary parameters: the necessity for an escape medication and the evaluation
      of global efficacy. Diclofenac was well tolerated. This trial demonstrates the
      efficacy of diclofenac in the acute treatment of migraine attacks. It confirms
      the good clinical relevance of the main judgement parameter chosen, which is the
      one recommended by the International Headache Society, but appears to be a severe
      one in terms of successes.

PMID- 1860133
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in patients with migraine.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was studied in 91 patients with migraine and in
      98 controls. Risk factors known to cause MRI lesions were carefully examined. In
      36 patients with migraine (39.6%), small foci of high intensity on T2-weighted
      and proton-density-weighted images were seen in the white matter. Of patients
      with migraine who were less than 40 years old and without any risk factor, 29.4%
      showed lesions on MRI; this was significantly higher than the 11.2% for the group
      of age-matched controls (n = 98). The lesions were distributed predominantly in
      the centrum semiovale and frontal white matter in young patients, but extended to
      the deeper white matter at the level of basal ganglia in the older age group. The
      side of the MRI lesions did not always correspond to the side of usual aura or
      headache. Migraine-related variables such as type of migraine, frequency,
      duration or intensity of headache or consumption of ergotamine showed no
      significant correlation with the incidence of MRI abnormalities. Our data
      indicated that migraine may be associated with early pathologic changes in the
      brain.

PMID- 1860134
TI  - Exteroceptive silent period of temporalis muscle in menstrual headaches.
AB  - The second exteroceptive silent period (ES2) of temporalis muscle was recorded on
      days 1 and 15 of the menstrual cycle in 17 women, 9 of whom suffered regularly
      from tension-type headaches during menstruation. Mean duration of temporalis ES2
      was significantly shorter on day 1 of the cycle than on day 15. This difference
      was due to a marked menstrual reduction of ES2 in the headache subgroup. A
      positive correlation was found between ES2 durations and oestradiol/progesterone
      ratios. We hypothesize that the variations of ES2 during the ovarian cycle result
      from the modulatory effects of oestrogens on descending aminergic pathways that
      control excitability of inhibitory brainstem interneurons mediating exteroceptive
      suppression of jaw-closing motoneurons.

PMID- 1860135
TI  - Chocolate is a migraine-provoking agent.
AB  - Patients with migraine who believed that chocolate could provoke their attacks
      were challenged with either chocolate or a closely matching placebo. In a double
      blind parallel group study, chocolate ingestion was followed by a typical
      migraine episode in 5 out of 12 patients, while none of the 8 patients challenged
      with placebo had an attack (p = 0.051). The median time to the onset of the
      attack was 22 h. This brief study provides some objective evidence that chocolate
      is able to provoke a migraine attack in certain patients who believe themselves
      sensitive to it.

PMID- 1860136
TI  - Blood magnesium levels in migraine.
AB  - Serum and erythrocyte magnesium levels were screened between attacks in patients
      with migraine without aura (n = 38) and with aura (n = 6), and for comparison in
      a group of patients suffering from chronic tension-type headache (n = 25) as well
      as a group of neurological, non-headache patients (n = 19). Serum magnesium
      levels were not significantly different between the four groups of patients. In
      contrast, magnesium in erythrocytes was on average significantly reduced in
      patients with migraine without aura compared to the other groups. It is
      hypothesized that this reduction might be due to an abnormal regulation of
      intracellular magnesium possibly reflecting at the periphery changes observed in
      the brain of migraineurs.

PMID- 1860137
TI  - Medicaid: have we been asked to contribute too much?

PMID- 1860138
TI  - Managed care.

PMID- 1860139
TI  - Purchasing a practice: the young dentist.

PMID- 1860140
TI  - Change in the heterogeneous distribution of tubulin isotypes in mitotic
      microtubules of the sea urchin egg by treatment with microtubule depolymerizing
      or stabilizing drugs.
AB  - In the mitotic sea urchin egg, the spindle microtubules were composed of
      different tubulin isotypes from those of astral microtubules using monoclonal
      antibodies [Oka et al. (1990) Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton, 16, 239-250]. Three of
      the antibodies, D2D6, DM1B, and YL1/2, were specific for spindle microtubules,
      astral microtubules and reactive with both microtubules, respectively. The
      mitotic sea urchin egg was treated with microtubule depolymerizing (colcemid and
      nocodazole) and stabilizing (hexylene glycol) drugs and change in the
      heterogeneous distribution of the tubulin isotypes was investigated by the
      immunofluorescence procedure using these three monoclonal anti-tubulin
      antibodies. We observed that: (1) the microtubule depolymerizing drugs caused
      quick depolymerization of most mitotic microtubules, and a small number of
      spindle microtubules remaining were stained with all three antibodies; (2)
      hexylene glycol induced many microtubules in the mitotic apparatus, which was
      stained with D2D6 but was not stained with DM1B; (3) hexylene glycol also induced
      a great number of miniasters in the cytoplasm, and they were stained with three
      antibodies. These results suggest that these drugs altered the distribution of
      tubulin isotypes in the mitotic microtubules during depolymerization or
      polymerization within a short time.

PMID- 1860141
TI  - Expression of chicken integrin beta 1 subunit in rat PC12 cells.
AB  - We transfected rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells with a cDNA encoding chicken
      integrin beta 1 subunit. The chicken integrin beta 1 subunit produced in stable
      transfectants associated with two major alpha subunits of rat integrins to form
      interspecific chimeric receptors. These receptors mediated cell spreading and
      initial neurite outgrowth on laminin as did corresponding endogenous integrins,
      although they were slightly less effective in inducing cell adhesion to laminin.
      These results indicate that chicken integrin beta 1 may functionally substitute
      for beta 1 subunit of rat integrins in PC12 cells. Apparently, the structure of
      the integrin beta 1 subunit is highly conserved in the evolution of these
      species.

PMID- 1860142
TI  - Immunoelectron microscopic detection of band 3 protein during erythroid cell
      differentiation by a monoclonal antibody.
AB  - We created a monoclonal antibody, designated EB1 (IgM, kappa), that reacts with
      erythroblasts by fusion of P3-X63-Ag8.653 with splenocytes of rats immunized with
      erythroblastic islands isolated from mice spleens. Western blotting revealed that
      EB1 reacted with the band 3 protein of the erythrocytic membrane. It stained
      erythrocytes and erythroblasts, forming clusters in the bone marrow, splenic red
      pulp, and fetal liver, but did not stain other tissues in the cryostat sections.
      The EB1 antigen was detected during dimethyl sulfoxide-induced differentiation of
      murine erythroleukemia cells. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the EB1
      antigen was expressed from the basophilic erythroblasts during normal erythroid
      differentiation. Preferential segregation of the EB1 antigen on the cell membrane
      of the nucleating erythroblasts was not observed. These results suggest that EB1
      is specific for erythrocyte band 3 protein and may be useful for studying
      erythroid cell differentiation.

PMID- 1860143
TI  - An immunoelectron microscopic comparison of desmosomal constituents and
      hemidesmosomal ones originating from the same tissue of the same animal.
AB  - The molecular constituents of desmosomes and hemidesmosomes were compared by
      examining bovine muzzle epidermis under immunoelectron microscopy using a
      postembedding method, first with antibodies prepared to four desmosomal antigens
      (DP1/2, DP3, DG1, DG2/3), followed by protein A-gold (PAG) complexes. The four
      antibodies showed almost negative labeling at hemidesmosomes as compared with the
      labeling observed at the desmosomes in the same tissue. By counting the number of
      PAG particles/200 millimicrons at hemidesmosomes and desmosomes, the above
      qualitative observation was confirmed quantitatively. These results support a new
      concept which has recently been proposed by several researchers that
      hemidesmosomes and desmosomes are immunochemically distinct.

PMID- 1860144
TI  - The reporting and management of adverse reactions to bacillus Calmette-Guerin
      (BCG) vaccination.

PMID- 1860145
TI  - Laboratory evidence of human viral and selected non-viral infections in Canada-
      1990.

PMID- 1860146
TI  - Viability of adult Onchocerca volvulus after six 2-weekly doses of ivermectin.
AB  - Ivermectin is a safe, effective microfilaricide and microfilarial suppressant for
      Onchocerca volvulus; but in single doses of 100-200 micrograms/kg body weight it
      has no macrofilaricidal action. The present trial aimed to determine whether 6
      doses of 100 micrograms/kg ivermectin, given at 2-week intervals, would kill the
      adult worms. Eighty-two nodules from 28 otherwise healthy adult male Liberian
      patients treated with this ivermectin schedule, and 102 nodules from a similar
      group of 25 control patients, were removed four months after the last dose of
      ivermectin. They were coded and assessed in a masked fashion either by routine
      histology or by examination of whole worms extracted from the nodules after
      collagenase digestion. The drug had no visible effect on adult male worms. More
      adult female worms were assessed as moribund or dead in the ivermectin-treated
      group than in the control group (for the collagenase digests P = 0.09; for the
      histological assessment P = 0.47). The data suggest that repeated dosage with
      ivermectin may lead to a slow attrition of some female worms and this possibility
      should be investigated in patients receiving regular doses every 3, 6 or 12
      months as part of onchocerciasis control programmes.

PMID- 1860147
TI  - The risk and dynamics of onchocerciasis recrudescence after cessation of vector
      control.
AB  - Using a computer simulation study, we have investigated the risk and dynamics of
      onchocerciasis recrudescence after stopping vector control, in order to provide
      guidelines for operational decision-making in the Onchocerciasis Control
      Programme in West Africa (OCP). For this purpose, we used the microsimulation
      model ONCHOSIM to predict for periods of 9-15 years of vector control the ensuing
      risk and dynamics of recrudescence in an onchocerciasis focus. The model was
      quantified and validated using OCP evaluation and field research data. A range of
      plausible values was determined for important confounding parameters, i.e.,
      vector biting rate, variation in exposure between individuals, parasite life
      span, and the relation between skin microfilarial load and vector infection.
      Different model quantifications were used in order to take account of the
      possible confounding effect of these parameters on the prediction of
      recrudescence. In the absence of immigration of infected humans or invasion by
      infected flies, the model predicts that 14 years of full-scale vector control are
      required to reduce the risk of recrudescence to less than 1%. The risk depends,
      in particular, on the vector biting rate, and this has implications for the
      planning of post-larviciding surveillance. Recrudescence will be a relatively
      slow process, and its rate will depend on the duration of vector control. Even if
      vector control were stopped too early, i.e., after 12-13 years in a highly
      endemic area, it would take more than 20 years before the intensity of infection
      in the community would reach levels of public health importance.

PMID- 1860148
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of mefloquine in Thai patients with acute
      falciparum malaria.
AB  - A double-blind randomized comparative study of the pharmacokinetics and
      pharmacodynamics of a single oral dose of 750 mg or 1250 mg of mefloquine was
      carried out on 20 Thai male patients with acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria.
      In the 750-mg group, one patient exhibited an RII response, while the others
      responded to the treatment with a mean fever clearance time of 50.2 +/- 28.2
      hours and a mean parasite clearance time of 70.2 +/- 17.3 hours. The main adverse
      effects were dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea.
      Electrocardiogram monitoring detected sinus bradycardia in three patients and
      sinus arrhythmia in three others. In the 1250-mg group, one patient exhibited an
      RII response, while the others responded to the treatment with a mean fever
      clearance time of 43.4 +/- 36.6 hours and a mean parasite clearance time of 73.4
      +/- 25.2 hours. However, during the follow-up period, two patients recrudesced on
      day 23 and on day 31 (RI response). Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
      and diarrhoea were the major adverse effects, with dizziness being more frequent
      compared with the 750-mg group. Sinus bradycardia occurred in four patients and
      sinus arrhythmia in four others. The pharmacokinetics of the two regimens were
      similar, with the absorption of mefloquine increasing linearly with the dose;
      however, vomiting within an hour of taking the drug reduced the whole blood
      mefloquine concentrations. The results do not indicate that there is any
      advantage in using a single dose of 1250 mg of mefloquine rather than 750 mg.

PMID- 1860149
TI  - Measles epidemic in Harare, Zimbabwe, despite high measles immunization coverage
      rates.
AB  - Despite rapidly increasing measles immunization coverage in Harare city, measles
      remains endemic, and regular outbreaks occur. The most recent occurred in 1988,
      when the measles immunization coverage was 83%. We have carried out a
      retrospective study of the clinical and epidemiological features of this outbreak
      to assess whether the present immunization policy needs to be changed. Of 4357
      cases of measles seen at primary health care centres and hospitals in Harare
      during the outbreak, 1399 (32%) were severe or involved complications that
      required hospital admission. The peak incidence occurred among under-2-year-olds,
      followed by that among 5-7-year-olds. Poor nutritional status was significantly
      more frequent among children who were hospitalized and among those who died. A
      total of 59% of all cases aged 9-59 months had documented evidence of measles
      immunization. The most frequent complications, which occurred most often among
      under-5-year-olds, were diarrhoea with dehydration, pneumonia,
      laryngotracheobronchitis, and convulsions, which together affected 56% of
      hospitalized cases. The hospital case fatality rate was low (1.43%). In Harare,
      measles transmission remains a problem, despite high measles immunization
      coverage rates; the failure rate for the standard Schwarz measles vaccine also
      appears to be high. There is a need to reduce the number of measles cases among
      under-9-month-olds and young children. Further studies into alternative measles
      vaccines and schedules are required.

PMID- 1860150
TI  - Lack of efficacy of the standard potency Edmonston-Zagreb live, attenuated
      measles vaccine in African infants.
AB  - The efficacy of standard potency Edmonston-Zagreb (E-Z) measles vaccine was
      tested in a randomized trial of Black infants in a rural area of South Africa
      where a measles epidemic was occurring. The following immunization schedules were
      used: 48 infants aged 4-8.5 months who received 3.9 log 50 infectious units of E
      Z vaccine (group A); 48 infants aged 4-8.5 months who received 3.28 log 50
      infectious units of Schwarz vaccine (group B); and 28 infants aged greater than 9
      months who received 3.28 log 50 infectious units of Schwarz vaccine and served as
      controls (group C). For infants aged less than 23 weeks who were given either the
      E-Z or Schwarz vaccine, the number of seropositives was low (28%), irrespective
      of the pre-vaccination level of measles antibody. There was a higher number of
      seropositives (68%) among those in the age range greater than 23 weeks to less
      than 36 weeks who received the E-Z vaccine rather than the Schwarz vaccine (36%).
      When administered to children aged greater than 36 weeks, the Schwarz vaccine
      produced a satisfactory, though suboptimal response rate (61%). There was no
      correlation between seropositivity and pre-vaccination measles antibody status.
      Use of the standard dose of E-Z vaccine may have been one of the factors for this
      poor response, and this supports the WHO recommendation that titres higher than
      the standard potency vaccine are needed if 6-month-old infants are to be
      successfully immunized against measles.

PMID- 1860151
TI  - Oral rehydration therapy: a community trial comparing the acceptability of
      homemade sucrose and cereal-based solutions.
AB  - Sugar-based oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for diarrhoea is promoted in many
      countries of the world. One programme in Bangladesh has instructed more than 13
      million mothers in the preparation of a sugar-salt solution in the home; despite
      very high rates of correct mixing and knowledge, subsequent application was found
      in only some 20% of all diarrhoea episodes. Since rice is far more available in
      rural homes (95%) than any type of sugar (30%) and rice gruel is a widely
      accepted food during illness, a field trial was conducted in three areas (total
      population, 68,345) to compare the acceptability and use of rice-based ORT with
      that of sugar-based ORT. Although the mothers unanimously agreed that the rice
      based solutions "stopped" the diarrhoea more quickly, they used the sugar-based
      solutions twice as often (in 40% of severe watery episodes) as the rice-based
      solutions (in 18%), because the rice-ORT was much more time-consuming and
      difficult to prepare. The observed reduced utilization of home-made rice-ORT
      makes it a poor substitute for sugar-ORT at the community level in rural
      Bangladesh.

PMID- 1860152
TI  - Vitamin A deficiency and corneal ulceration in south-east Nepal: implications for
      preventing blindness in children.
AB  - A retrospective review of the outpatient records of 4601 children aged 0-10 years
      who had been seen between January 1986 and December 1988 at Lahan Eye Hospital,
      south-east Nepal, revealed that 15.4% had evidence of active or past
      xerophthalmia. Of 293 children with corneal xerosis or corneal ulcer, 49% had
      been examined in the 4-month period May-August. The peak age for active
      noncorneal xerophthalmia was 5 years and for active corneal xerophthalmia, 3
      years. Previous population-based studies in Nepal have documented the presence of
      noncorneal xerophthalmia (Bitot's spots) in children. The present study confirms
      that vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of blindness and loss of vision among
      children in the eastern plains of Nepal.

PMID- 1860154
TI  - Neuropsychiatric aspects of HIV-1 infection: data collection instrument for a WHO
      cross-cultural study.

PMID- 1860153
TI  - Risk of transmission of AIDS and other blood-related diseases during routine
      malaria activities.

PMID- 1860155
TI  - A species/strain comparison of hepatic natural lymphocytotoxic activities in rats
      and mice.
AB  - The natural killer (NK) and natural cytotoxic (NC) cell activities in livers from
      certain rat and mouse strains were compared. This included the two rodent strains
      used in animal carcinogenicity bioassays, i.e. Fischer 344 and B6C3F1 mice.
      Sprague-Dawley and Fischer 344 rats exhibited high hepatic NK activity, which was
      greater than the levels seen in all of the five mouse strains studied. However,
      the hepatic NC activity in rats was comparable to the activities observed in
      C57BL and BALB/c mice. An inverse relationship was observed between the two
      tumoricidal activities in all but one of the mouse strains examined; that is (at
      8 weeks of age), NK activity: C3H greater than B6C3F1 greater than CBA greater
      than BALB/c; NC activity: BALB/c much greater than CBA greater than B6C3F1
      greater than C3H. The C57BL mouse strain was the only strain to express both
      activities at comparatively high levels. Female mice exhibited a similar profile
      of cytotoxic activities. Rats also possessed high activities of a presently ill
      defined tumoricidal activity, this being the spontaneous P815 mastocytoma killing
      by unstimulated effector cells, over an 18 h period. Both adherent and
      nonadherent effector cells from rat livers, but only the nonadherent cell
      population isolated from male mouse livers, exhibited this activity which may
      represent a distinct hepato-specific population of natural lymphocytotoxic
      effector cells. The tumoricidal activities in liver-derived cells were greater
      than those of effector cells isolated from the spleen. The differences in natural
      immunity reported in this study may be related to the varying background
      incidences of hepatic tumors, i.e. the mouse strains susceptible to high
      background incidences of liver tumors have relatively low natural immunity,
      whereas the two mouse strains resistant to hepatic tumors possess high levels of
      at least one hepatic NLC activity. Similarly, rats have relatively low hepatic
      tumor rates and high levels of hepatic natural immunity.

PMID- 1860156
TI  - Studies in gastric carcinogenesis. V. The effects of ascorbic acid on N-nitroso
      compound formation in human gastric juice in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - The concentrations of nitrite, thermo- and acetic acid-labile TEA-responsive
      compounds (TACs) and N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) as a group were measured in human
      gastric juice collected just before and 1, 2 and 4 h after oral ingestion of 1 g
      ascorbic acid (AA) or 200 mg sodium nitrate, separately or in combination.
      Individual responses of gastric [nitrite] following ingestion of AA alone varied
      widely, with both decreases and increases being observed, and showed no
      correlation with gastric pH. While a mixed response was also noted for [NOC] and
      [TAC], substantial decreases were observed in 5/6 individuals with initial [NOC]
      greater than 0.2 microM and 3/3 individuals with initial [TAC] greater than 0.2
      microM, implying that (i) AA effectively inhibited gastric nitrosation and (ii) a
      basal amount of NOCs and TACs was present in gastric juice which could not be
      lowered by AA ingestion. Statistical analysis indicated that global mean values
      of gastric [NOC] were significantly reduced (P less than 0.02) 1-4 h after
      ingestion of AA. Ingestion of 200 mg sodium nitrate alone resulted in increases
      in gastric [NOC], which in some cases were very substantial. While nitrosation
      appeared lower following ingestion of the same dose of nitrate in combination
      with 1 g AA, the difference from the effects of nitrate alone was not
      statistically significant. In aqueous buffer, pH 2.5, and in the presence of 1 mM
      AA, 50 microM nitrite was consumed with a t1/2 of 50 min only if molecular oxygen
      had first been removed from the system. In the presence of oxygen, no consumption
      of nitrite could be detected in 50 min, reflecting nitrite recycling (oxidation
      of nitric oxide to higher oxides of nitrogen and hydrolysis back to nitrite). It
      is likely that nitrite recycling occurring after collection of gastric juice
      accounted for the inconsistent responses of gastric nitrite following ingestion
      of AA. Incubation of human gastric juice, pH 2.5, in vitro in the presence of 50
      microM sodium nitrite for 60 min resulted in an increase of [NOC] and [TAC] from
      0.10 to 0.70 and 1.10 microM respectively. Nitrosation was efficiently inhibited
      by AA, 2.27 mM AA resulting in 87 and 100% inhibition respectively. Removal of
      oxygen from the reaction mixture did not have any significant effect on the
      extent of nitrosation in the presence or absence of AA.

PMID- 1860157
TI  - Tumorigenesis by short-wave ultraviolet A: papillomas versus squamous cell
      carcinomas.
AB  - The tumorigenic properties of UBV radiation (wavelengths 280-315 nm) are well
      established, in contrast to those of UVA radiation (315-380 nm). Very little
      information is available on the short UVA wavelengths (315-340 nm). To expand our
      knowledge on UVA tumorigenesis we investigated the development of skin tumours in
      albino hairless mice (SKH-hr1) exposed to custom-built experimental fluorescent
      tubes (EFL330) with spectral output centred around 330 nm. Two groups received
      continued daily exposures: one 56 kJ/m2 and the other 20 kJ/m2 per day. The third
      group was exposed to yellow fluorescent light devoid of UV, and served as a
      control. Each group consisted of 24 mice. Most of the mice in the high-dose group
      developed tumours; after 431 days 50% were tumour bearing. Two main types of
      tumours were observed: papillomas (Pap) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). In
      the low dose group only three mice attracted one papilloma each. No tumours were
      seen in the control group. Results show that the short-wave as well as the long
      wave UVA contributes to carcinogenicity; the short wavelengths being
      approximately 5 times more efficient. The kinetics of tumour development under
      UVA exposure appeared to be different from that under UVB exposure. If, however,
      we exclude papillomas from our analysis, development is very much the same as
      with UVB irradiation, which yields predominantly SCC.

PMID- 1860158
TI  - The role of hyperplastic nodules in dichloroacetic acid-induced
      hepatocarcinogenesis in B6C3F1 male mice.
AB  - Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) has recently been shown to increase significantly the
      incidence of hepatic adenomas (HAs) and hepatocarcinomas (HCs) in male B6C3F1
      mice. Although little is known about the mechanism of DCA carcinogenesis, chronic
      ingestion of the compound in drinking water induces primarily hyperplastic
      nodules (HNs) prior to the appearance of HAs and HCs. Given the putative
      preneoplastic potential of the HNs, we undertook this study to determine the role
      of the HNs in the progression of DCA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. This role was
      assessed by detecting the expression of five different tumor markers: p21 ras,
      p39 c-jun, phosphotyrosine, tumor-associated aldehyde dehydrogenase and alpha
      fetoprotein, all known from previous studies to be expressed more often in
      neoplastic liver lesions than in normal liver. Tumor marker expression was
      detected by immunohistochemical methods using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded
      sections of normal B6C3F1 mouse liver, and DCA-induced HNs, HAs and HCs. The
      results demonstrated that, except for the c-jun marker, HNs expressed the markers
      significantly less often than either HAs or HCs. Equal expression of c-jun
      occurred in any of the three lesion types. Although these results could be used
      to argue that no relationship existed between HNs and later-appearing HAs and
      HCs, those HNs that were marker positive contained small nests of marker-positive
      hepatocytes among a field of normally appearing unstained hepatocytes. No similar
      nests of marker-positive cells were detected in any area of normal liver outside
      the HNs. Also very few altered hepatic foci (AF) were detected with these markers
      or with hematoxylin and eosin, or with histochemical stains for ATPase or glucose
      6-phosphatase deficiencies. These results suggested that these nests within some
      HNs were areas of transformed, or neoplastic hepatocytes. Phenotypic
      heterogeneity analysis, in which the number of tumor markers co-expressed by any
      given lesion was examined, confirmed a significantly greater percentage of HAs
      and HCs expressing multiple markers than HNs. Those HNs that expressed multiple
      markers, however, expressed at the same frequency as HAs and HCs and the
      expression was confined to the same nests of cells. Taken together, these data
      suggest that these nests of marker-positive cells within the HNs were neoplastic
      and could develop into later-appearing HAs and/or HCs. The absence of marker
      expression in normal liver and limited expression in the few AF indicates that
      the HNs may be the only significant preneoplastic lesion in DCA-induced
      hepatocarcinogenesis.

PMID- 1860159
TI  - O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase and uracil DNA glycosylase in human
      broncho-alveolar lavage cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from tobacco
      smokers and non-smokers.
AB  - Because interindividual variations in the activities of DNA repair enzymes may be
      a risk factor in the pathogenesis of lung diseases, O(6)-methylguanine-DNA
      methyltransferase (O(6)-MT) and uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG) were measured in
      broncho-alveolar lavage cell (BALC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBM)
      samples from 57 healthy volunteers (25 smokers and 32 non-smokers). According to
      cotinine determination in 39 cases where serum for this was available, 38% of the
      self-acclaimed non-smokers had greater than 10 ng/ml of cotinine in their serum.
      Whether grouped into smokers and non-smokers according to clinical history or by
      serum cotinine, there were no statistically significant differences between these
      groups in O(6)-MT or UDG in either of the cell types. However, a tendency towards
      lower values in smokers was seen. The highest intraindividual variation in O(6)
      MT activity was 7-fold, while the highest interindividual variation reached 18
      fold. For UDG, the respective values were 24- and 307-fold. Although the
      distribution of O(6)-MT in BALC was different from that in PBM, the data are
      consistent with unimodality in both of the cell types. These findings suggest
      that exposure to cigarette smoke is not entirely responsible for the wide
      interindividual variation in O(6)-MT and UDG DNA repair activities.

PMID- 1860160
TI  - Endogenous N-nitrosation in man assessed by measurement of apparent total N
      nitroso compounds in faeces.
AB  - The faecal concentration of substances responding to the chemical test for N
      nitroso compounds (apparent total N-nitroso compounds, ATNC) was investigated in
      human subjects consuming their normal free-choice diet. Concentrations ranged
      from 40 to 590 micrograms (N-NO)/kg faeces. To ascertain the likely relative
      contributions of endogenous ATNC formation and preformed, dietary ATNC, the
      subjects consumed a diet low in nitrate and ATNC for 8 days. At the end of this
      period, ATNC had decreased substantially with concentrations ranging from below
      the 40 micrograms (N-NO)/kg detection limit up to 143 micrograms (N-NO)/kg, mean
      82 micrograms (N-NO)/kg. On supplementing this diet with 300 mg nitrate/day,
      faecal ATNC levels increased markedly. On the third day of this regime, values
      were in the range 73-714 micrograms (N-NO)/kg with a mean of 307 micrograms (N
      NO)/kg. The results, together with the known limited occurrence of ATNC in the
      majority of foodstuffs so far tested, generally non-detectable or less than 100
      micrograms (N-NO)/kg, suggest that endogenous formation via species derived from
      dietary nitrate is likely to be an important source of ATNC in human faeces.

PMID- 1860161
TI  - The differential clastogenicity of Solvent Yellow 14 and FD & C Yellow No. 6 in
      vivo in the rodent micronucleus test (observations on species and tissue
      specificity).
AB  - Solvent Yellow 14 is carcinogenic in rats, inducing neoplastic nodules of the
      liver, but is non-carcinogenic in mice. The present paper shows that Solvent
      Yellow 14 induces micronuclei in the bone marrow of rats after a single oral dose
      of 250 mg/kg and above. In mice, however, there was no increased incidence of
      micronuclei after single oral doses of up to 2000 mg/kg Solvent Yellow 14, thus
      reflecting the species specific carcinogenic effect of the compound. The
      structurally related azo dye FD & C Yellow No. 6 is noncarcinogenic to rats and
      mice and gave a negative result in both rat and mouse bone marrow micronucleus
      tests after a single oral dose of up to 2000 mg/kg. The rat bone marrow
      micronucleus test is therefore capable of discrimination between the carcinogenic
      and the non-carcinogenic azo dye. A negative result was obtained for Solvent
      Yellow 14 in an in vivo liver unscheduled DNA synthesis assay after oral doses up
      to 1000 mg/kg. This result demonstrates the inability of the two in vivo assays
      used to predict target organ specificity seen in the cancer bioassay.

PMID- 1860162
TI  - Evaluation of the newborn mouse model for chemical tumorigenesis.
AB  - A total of 45 chemicals, including two aromatic hydrocarbons, five aromatic
      amines, three azo dyes, ten nitroso compounds, three steroids, four tryptophan
      metabolites and their related compounds, four naturally occurring substances,
      four pyrolysates of amino acids and ten miscellaneous compounds, were tested for
      newborn mouse tumorigenesis assay (NMTA). The results of the NMTA were compared
      with data from 'Survey of Compounds Which Have Been Tested for Carcinogenic
      Activity', NIH, NCI, USA (SCWHBTCA), and also with data from the IARC Monographs
      (Vols 1-41), Lyon, France (IARC). Of the 45 chemicals tested by the NMTA, 28
      chemicals showed positive results in the NMTA, and the remaining 17 chemicals
      were found to be negative for tumor development. The correlation of the results
      between the NMTA and the mouse and/or rat carcinogenesis test starting at young
      adult age reported in the SCWHBTCA and in the IARC were compared with 37
      chemicals tested; the remaining eight chemicals were found only in our NMTA
      results. It can be concluded that 31 out of 37 chemicals (83.8%) tested by the
      NMTA showed similar carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic results obtained in either
      adult mouse and/or rat carcinogenesis tests. The remaining six chemicals showed
      contradictory results between the NMTA and either adult mouse and/or rat
      carcinogenesis tests. Those six chemicals were N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl,
      estradiol, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, 3-hydroxy-L-kynurenine, isonicotinic acid
      hydrazide and phenobarbital. Among the 37 chemicals, 34 were comparable with the
      results of the adult mouse carcinogenesis test and those of the NMTA. Twenty-nine
      out of 34 chemicals (85.3%) showed similar results to the adult mouse
      carcinogenesis test. Contradictory results were obtained with the following five
      chemicals: N-hydroxy-acetylaminobiphenyl, 3-hydroxy-anthranilic acid, 3-hydroxy-L
      kynurenine, isonicotinic acid hydrazide and phenobarbital. There were 35
      chemicals which were comparable with the results of the adult rat carcinogenesis
      test, and 32 chemicals showed the same results as the NMTA (91.4%). Dissimilar
      results were obtained with the following three chemicals: estradiol, 3-hydroxy
      anthranilic acid and phenobarbital. Based on the results presented in this
      report, it is reasonable to conclude that the NMTA is one of the most useful and
      reliable methods for detecting tumorigenic or non-tumorigenic chemicals, when a
      small amount of chemical is available for rodent carcinogenesis test and the
      duration of the study is limited to 1 year.

PMID- 1860163
TI  - Measurement by 32P-postlabelling of 7-methylguanine levels in white blood cell
      DNA of healthy individuals and cancer patients treated with dacarbazine and
      procarbazine. Human data and method development for 7-alkylguanines.
AB  - A 32P-postlabelling method was developed to measure 7-methylguanine in human DNA.
      DNA was digested to nucleotides and 7-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate
      (7-me-dGMP) was isolated from normal nucleotides using strong anion-exchange
      column chromatography. Overall the method gave 35-45% yield as measured with DNA
      methylated with tritiated dimethyl sulfate. Total white blood cell DNA from
      healthy non-smokers (n = 17) contained from 2.5 7-methylguanine residues/10(7)
      nucleotides, corrected for the losses in preparation. Among four patients sampled
      immediately after a total dose of 1050-2800 mg of dacarbazine or procarbazine,
      the mean adduct level was 57 7-methylguanine residues/10(7) nucleotides. As
      further method development, we also investigated the phosphorylation reaction by
      T4 polynucleotide kinase using dinucleotides containing 7-methylguanine and
      corresponding imidazole ring-opened products as substrates. We found that
      imidazole ring-opened dTpdG-Me is resistant to digestion with deoxyribonuclease
      I, snake venom phosphodiesterase and prostatic acid phosphatase. It is
      quantitatively phosphorylated at femtomolar levels. This method is shown to be
      suitable for the detection of 7-methylguanine in DNA, and is suggested to be the
      approach most suited to postlabelling large and labile 7-alkylguanines in DNA.

PMID- 1860164
TI  - Reversibility of adenomatous hyperplasia in the gastric stump after diversion of
      bile reflux in rats.
AB  - Morphological and phenotypical patterns of proliferative epithelial lesions
      induced in the gastric stump mucosa by duodenal content reflux after Billroth II
      partial gastrectomy (BII) were evaluated in rats. Control animals were either
      sham-operated or submitted at different times after BII to Roux-en-Y (RY)
      surgical procedure which prevents duodenal reflux. The lesions were analysed
      using routine haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining for
      pepsinogen isoenzyme 1 and histochemical procedures for mucins (paradoxical
      Concanavalin A, galactose oxidase Schiff and sialidase galactose oxidase Schiff
      reactions). Mucosal hyperplasia (H) was observed in the group submitted to BII
      procedure 6 weeks after surgery. Adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) also appeared 6
      weeks after induction of the reflux and its incidence and size increased until
      the 54th week of the experiment. RY procedure performed in the normal animals at
      the beginning of the experiment or at the 24th week after BII gastrectomy led to
      a significantly lower incidence of AH which was related to the moment of surgery.
      Most of H was due to pyloric mucosal hyperplasia. AH consisted mainly of gastric
      type glands but in some animals glands of the intestinal type were present
      probably originating from the intestinal mucosa. Six mucinous adenocarcinomas
      were observed, all of them of intestinal type. This study demonstrates that AH
      induced by BII procedure is a reversible lesion and that the anomalous epithelial
      proliferation in the stoma may lead to adenocarcinomas.

PMID- 1860165
TI  - Fluorescence detection of benzo[a]pyrene--DNA adducts in human lung.
AB  - Improved techniques are described for the specific identification of
      benzo[a]pyrene-diolepoxide (BPDE)--DNA adducts in human tissues. Immunoaffinity
      chromatography, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and second-derivative
      synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy have previously been used to detect BPDE
      DNA adducts in human placenta. Here we report how these methods, together with
      HPLC and the generation of complete fluorescence excitation--emission matrices,
      have been used to identify unequivocally BPDE-DNA adducts in samples of human
      lung. BPDE nucleotide adducts were isolated with immunoaffinity chromatography
      columns bearing antibodies raised against the (+/-)anti-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide
      deoxyguanosine adduct of benzo[a]pyrene. These adducts were hydrolyzed to
      tetrahydrotetrols and the hydrolysis products subjected to HPLC. The major
      product isolated by HPLC, benzo[a]-pyrene-7,10/8,9-tetrahydrotetrol, was
      determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. Using this method, levels of BPDE-DNA
      adducts in the range of 1-40 in 10(8) nucleotides were measured in 6 out of 25
      samples, with a lower detection limit of one adduct in 10(8) nucleotides. The
      data may also indicate that adduct levels show regional variation in different
      parts of the same lung.

PMID- 1860166
TI  - Resistance of female Fischer-344 rats to the hepatonecrogenic and
      hepatocarcinogenic actions of a choline-devoid diet.
AB  - A series of experiments was performed to investigate the response of female
      Fischer-344 rats to a choline-devoid (CD) diet. In contrast to findings
      previously made in male Fischer-344 rats, hepatocellular carcinomas did not
      develop in females chronically fed the diet. Their liver actually showed only
      minimal histopathological changes. For these reasons, the steatogenic and
      hepatonecrogenic actions of a CD diet were compared in male and female Fischer
      344 rats. Young adult females were found to be largely resistant to both. The
      results were taken as further evidence of the primary and essential role played
      by an enhanced cell turnover in the pathogenesis of the carcinomas induced in
      male Fischer-344 rats by this non-chemical, nutritional model of
      hepatocarcinogenesis. A high incidence of preneoplastic and benign lesions
      developed in breast, pancreas or stomach of females chronically fed the CD diet.
      However, a similar spectrum and high incidence of lesions was observed in control
      rats fed a choline-supplemented diet. These findings were attributed to an
      enhanced occurrence of spontaneous lesions, most likely due to the high fat
      content (15%) of the two diets used.

PMID- 1860167
TI  - Distribution of acetyltransferase activities in the intestines of rapid and slow
      acetylator rabbits.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have shown that there is a significantly greater
      proportion of the rapid acetylator phenotype in patients with colorectal tumors
      than in controls; phenotype-related differences in bioactivation of dietary or
      environmental amines in the intestinal epithelium have been suggested as a
      mechanism for this effect. In the present study, we have used hepatic and
      intestinal cytosols to compare N-acetyltransferase (NAT1 and NAT2), O
      acetyltransferase (OAT) and arylhydroxamic acid N,O-acyltransferase (AHAT)
      distribution in rapid and slow acetylator rabbits. The ratio (rapid/slow) for p
      aminobenzoic acid acetylation (a selective substrate for NAT1) was 6 in liver,
      1.7-2 in small intestine and 1.3-1.5 in large intestine while the ratio of
      sulfamethazine acetylation (a selective substrate for NAT2) was 150 in liver, 16
      22 in small intestine and 1.8-2.5 in large intestine. The ratios (rapid/slow) for
      DNA binding of N-hydroxy-3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl and N-hydroxy-4
      aminobiphenyl (primarily substrates for OAT) were 82-84 in liver, 13-20 in small
      intestine and 3.8-5.3 in large intestine and for DNA binding of N-hydroxy-2
      acetylamidofluorene (a substrate for AHAT), the ratio was 432 in liver, 32-161 in
      small intestine and 8.8-13.5 in large intestine. The data show also that NAT1
      activity is uniformly distributed along the intestinal tract whereas NAT2
      activity is highest in the small intestine. In addition, hepatic and intestinal
      OAT and AHAT but not NAT1 activities in the rabbit intestine are similarly
      distributed to activities for NAT2, suggesting that NAT2, OAT and AHAT activities
      are properties of a single protein in the rapid acetylator phenotype. Moreover,
      OAT and AHAT activities were much higher in tissues from the rapid than the slow
      phenotype. The data support the hypothesis that phenotype-dependent metabolic
      activation of N-OH heterocyclic or aromatic amines to reactive acetoxy
      metabolites may be involved in the etiology of colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1860168
TI  - Glutathione transferase isoenzymes in normal and neoplastic human kidney tissue.
AB  - Glutathione transferase (GST) activity in the cytosolic fractions of renal cortex
      tumour was found to be significantly lower (215 +/- 156 mU/mg) than that present
      in the corresponding non-tumour (466 +/- 278 mU/mg) tissues. Using the
      immunoblotting technique, glutathione transferase isoenzymes expression in both
      tumour and non-tumour kidney was investigated. Alpha and pi class glutathione
      transferases were the most abundant enzymes in non-tumour kidney and were
      expressed by all samples investigated. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that
      the pi class enzymes are localized mainly in the distal convoluted tubules,
      whereas alpha class enzymes are localized in the proximal tubules. In the tumour
      moiety the alpha class GST appears to be absent or expressed at low level as
      compared with non-tumour samples. On the contrary, no significant differences in
      the expression of pi class GST were found in tumour as compared with non-tumour
      tissues. Mu class GST protein was detected in 12 of 26 samples tested. When
      present, mu class GST constitutes a few per cent of total GST protein.
      Immunofluorescence studies indicate that mu class GSTs are localized within the
      distal convoluted tubules. According to the electrophoretic mobility at least two
      different mu GST subunits (26.5 and 27.5 kd) were found. In one sample only the
      faster mu class GST subunit was present, two samples expressed both types of GST
      subunits, whereas nine samples expressed only the slower GST subunit. With the
      exception of one sample, a reduction of mu class GST expression was seen in
      tumour as compared with non-tumour tissues. The decrease of activity seen in the
      cytosolic fraction of tumour kidney must be ascribed mainly to a reduction or to
      a lack of expression of alpha class GST and to a lesser extent of mu class GST.

PMID- 1860169
TI  - Activation of c-K-ras is frequent in pancreatic carcinomas of Syrian hamsters,
      but is absent in pancreatic tumors of rats.
AB  - We have investigated the presence of mutations in ras genes at codons 12, 13 and
      61 in chemically induced pancreatic tumors of rats and Syrian hamsters. Mutations
      were detected by means of allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization to ras
      sequences amplified in vitro by the polymerase chain reaction. No mutations were
      observed in the c-K-ras gene or the c-H-ras gene of nine azaserine-induced
      adenomas and 15 carcinomas of the rat pancreas. This indicates that activated ras
      genes are not commonly involved in rat pancreatic cancer evolving from acinar
      cells. However, in 19 out of 20 ductular adenocarcinomas of hamster pancreas
      (95%), either codon 12 or 13 of the c-K-ras gene was mutated. This indicates that
      the activation of c-K-ras is a frequent event in the multistep process of
      pancreatic carcinogenesis induced by the alkylating carcinogen N-nitrosobis(2
      oxopropyl)amine (BOP). The mutations of both codons were G----A transitions of
      the second base which is consistent with the type of mutation to be expected from
      DNA alkylation. Activation of the c-K-ras gene, therefore, may not only be a
      frequent but also an early event in hamster pancreas carcinogenesis. The frequent
      activation of the c-K-ras gene in both human and hamster pancreatic cancer
      emphasizes the relevance of BOP-induced pancreatic adenocarcinomas in Syrian
      hamsters as an experimental model system for studying human pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 1860170
TI  - Detection of acrolein and crotonaldehyde DNA adducts in cultured human cells and
      canine peripheral blood lymphocytes by 32P-postlabeling and nucleotide
      chromatography.
AB  - People are constantly being exposed to toxic and carcinogenic aldehydes. However,
      little is actually known about the mechanisms underlying the toxic and
      carcinogenic effects of these aldehydes on human cells. The DNA alkylating
      activities of two of the more toxic and environmentally prominent alpha,beta
      unsaturated aldehydes, acrolein and crotonaldehyde, have been studied utilizing
      32P-postlabeling and nucleotide chromatographic techniques. Several putative
      adducts were observed in DNAs isolated from acrolein- and crotonaldehyde-treated
      human fibroblasts. One of these acrolein-DNA adducts was tentatively identified
      as the cyclic 1,N2-hydroxypropanodeoxyguanosine product, 3-(2'-deoxyribosyl)
      5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-8-hydroxypyrimido[1,2- a]purine-10-one, by co-chromatography
      with a chemical standard. The 1,N2-hydroxypropanodeoxyguanosine along with other
      possible adducts, was also found in DNA isolated from peripheral blood
      lymphocytes obtained from a dog 1 h after receiving a therapeutic dose of 6.6
      mg/kg of cyclophosphamide. These results not only demonstrate the presence of
      acrolein and crotonaldehyde DNA adducts in treated human cells, but also suggest
      that these sensitive techniques may be useful to the study of the importance of
      acrolein to both the carcinogenic and antineoplastic activities of
      cyclophosphamide and other oxazaphosphorine mustards.

PMID- 1860171
TI  - A new colon and mammary carcinogen in cooked food, 2-amino-1-methyl-6
      phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP).
AB  - 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), which is produced during
      cooking and is mutagenic to bacteria and cultured mammalian cells, was found to
      induce high incidences of colon and mammary carcinomas in F344 rats when
      administered at a concentration of 400 p.p.m. in the diet for 52 weeks. Since
      PhIP is the most abundant of the mutagenic heterocyclic amines in cooked meat and
      fish, the compound might be related to malignancies of the colon and breast in
      humans.

PMID- 1860172
TI  - 32P-postlabelling analysis and micronuclei induction in primary Chinese hamster
      lung cells exposed to tobacco particulate matter.
AB  - The genotoxicity of tobacco particulate matter (TPM) derived from a low-tar, low
      nicotine cigarette has been examined by measuring micronucleus induction in a
      primary pulmonary cell line, both in the absence and presence of an exogenous
      source of metabolic activation. In an attempt to correlate the cytogenetic damage
      observed with DNA adduct formation, DNA extracted from TPM-treated cells has been
      analysed with two different modifications of the 32P-postlabelling assay. The
      results from the 32P-postlabelling analysis taken together with the pattern of
      micronucleus induction provide strong evidence that bioreactivated aromatic
      carcinogens, such as benzo[a]pyrene, are unlikely to be responsible for the TPM
      induced cytogenetic damage observed in cultured mammalian cells.

PMID- 1860173
TI  - Protection against ultraviolet B radiation-induced photocarcinogenesis in
      hairless mice by green tea polyphenols.
AB  - Our recent studies have shown that polyphenols present in green tea (GTP) possess
      significant antigenotoxic activity and afford protection against polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbon-induced skin tumor initiation in mice. In this study we
      assessed the effect of oral feeding and topical application of GTP on ultraviolet
      B (UVB) radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis in female SKH-1 hairless mice.
      Chronic oral feeding of GTP (0.1%, w/v) in drinking water resulted in
      significantly (P less than 0.01) lower tumor yield (percent of animals with
      tumors and number of tumors per mouse) and extended TDT50 (P less than 0.05), as
      compared to animals receiving normal drinking water. Topical application of GTP
      before UVB irradiation also afforded protection against photocarcinogenesis;
      however, the protective response was lower than that observed by oral feeding of
      GTP in drinking water. These results, in conjunction with our prior publications,
      suggest that consumption of green tea may reduce the risk of some forms of human
      cancer induced by both physical and chemical environmental carcinogens.

PMID- 1860175
TI  - Calcium current depression in isolated human atrial myocytes after cessation of
      chronic treatment with calcium antagonists.
AB  - The present study investigates the possibility that the slow calcium current of
      human atrial cardiac cells is modified by chronic treatment (1-24 months) with
      calcium antagonists (nifedipine, nicardipine, or diltiazem) in a manner different
      from a simple drug-induced blocking effect. Data from treated patients were
      recorded approximately 30 hours after cessation of the treatment and were
      compared with those of nontreated patients. In the treated group, the action
      potential plateau of atrial fibers was always markedly and irreversibly
      depressed, and action potential duration measured at 50% repolarization was
      markedly shortened (81 +/- 12 msec, n = 13) compared with normal values (155 +/-
      9 msec, n = 28). In isolated atrial cells, peak calcium current density at +10 mV
      in treated cells was more than three times as small as that in nontreated cells.
      Steady-state inactivation relations of calcium current as a function of membrane
      potential were not significantly different in treated and nontreated cells. In
      contrast, in treated and nontreated cells superfused with 10(-6) M nifedipine,
      the curves were markedly shifted toward negative potentials. Cell superfusion
      with 10(-6) M Bay K 8644 increased calcium current to a larger extent in
      nontreated cells (sixfold increase) than in treated cells (threefold increase),
      whereas a 23-fold increase was observed in nontreated cells in which the current
      had been previously depressed by superfusion with 10(-6) M nifedipine. In
      contrast to Bay K 8644, 10(-7) M isoproterenol and 10(-8) M angiotensin II
      increased the calcium current to the same extent in both treated and nontreated
      groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860174
TI  - Restricted secretion of a T-lymphocyte chemotactic cytokine by serotonin
      stimulated cultured aortic endothelial cells.
AB  - The diversity of biologically active molecules produced by vascular endothelium
      suggests that the endothelial cell is an active participant in numerous
      physiological responses, including those of the immune system. In fact, the
      accumulation of T lymphocytes at extralymphatic inflammatory foci represents a
      series of interactions between lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells. These
      interactions, however, may be modulated by other factors, such as vasoactive
      amines. In the current study, we report that serotonin-stimulated cultured bovine
      aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) secrete a T-lymphocyte chemotactic cytokine
      (endothelial cell-derived lymphocyte chemotactic activity [ED-LCA]). Supernatants
      from BAECs incubated with 10(-7)-10(-4) M serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT])
      enhanced T-cell migration, which peaked at 10(-5) M 5-HT (235 +/- 18% control
      migration). ED-LCA was not stored in an active form in BAECs; its secretion
      occurred within 60 minutes of exposure to 5-HT and was blocked by two different 5
      HT2 receptor antagonists. ED-LCA was not secreted after exposure of BAECs to
      histamine or angiotensin II, nor was it secreted by either 5-HT-stimulated bovine
      pulmonary arterial or human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Physicochemical
      characterization of ED-LCA demonstrated that it was a trypsin-sensitive protein
      with an apparent molecular mass of 13-15 kDa. Preparative isoelectric focusing
      demonstrated pIs of 6.0 and 7.5. When applied to a molecular sieve column, the
      chemotactic activity corresponding to these pIs eluted in the region of 13-15
      kDa. Further investigation demonstrated that partially purified ED-LCA was
      specific for CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte subsets and did not enhance the migration
      of neutrophils or monocytes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860176
TI  - Myocardial contractile actions of endothelin-1 in rat and rabbit papillary
      muscles. Role of endocardial endothelium.
AB  - The actions of endothelin on the contractile and twitch configuration
      characteristics of rat and rabbit papillary muscles were evaluated before and
      after endocardial endothelium removal. In rabbit papillary muscles, endothelin
      produced a dose-dependent (10(-11) to 10(-7) M) increase in tension (T) (from 2.7
      +/- 0.2 to 8.9 +/- 0.7 g/mm2, p less than 0.01), dT/dt, and Vmax (from 1.14 +/-
      0.03 to 3.0 +/- 0.13 Lmax/sec, p less than 0.01), a decrease in time to peak
      tension (from 251 +/- 9 to 216 +/- 7 msec, p less than 0.05), and an increase in
      time to half relaxation (from 168 +/- 9 to 293 +/- 14 msec, p less than 0.01).
      Increasing calcium concentration in the bath from 1.25 to 15 mM greatly
      attenuated these changes. In the presence of propranolol (10(-5) M), endothelin
      increased all indexes of contractility but to a lesser extent (T = 2.6 +/- 0.3 to
      6.5 +/- 0.2 g/mm2, p less than 0.01; Vmax = 1.16 +/- 0.10 to 2.06 +/- 0.10
      Lmax/sec, p less than 0.01). Myocardial catecholamine depletion with reserpine
      had effects similar to those of propranolol. The myocardial contractile and
      twitch configuration characteristics of endothelin were similar to those of
      phenylephrine (10(-4) M), a strong stimulator of the phosphatidylinositol pathway
      and a moderate beta-adrenergic stimulator. The effects of phenylephrine and
      endothelin were modified in a similar manner by propranolol (10(-5) M). The
      presence of nicardipine (3 X 10(-7) M) decreased the absolute increase in
      contractility caused by endothelin but did not alter the percent change or shift
      the dose-response curve of endothelin. The actions of endothelin in rat papillary
      muscles studied at physiological calcium concentrations (Ca2+ = 1.25 mM) were
      less marked than those of rabbit studied at physiological calcium (Ca2+ = 1.25
      mM) but similar to those of rabbit studied at high calcium concentrations (Ca2+ =
      15 mM). Removing the endocardial endothelial layer of rabbit papillary muscles
      did not alter the absolute changes in contractility caused by endothelin but
      shifted the dose-response curve to the left and markedly altered the effects of
      endothelin on twitch configuration characteristics. Thus, it would appear that
      endothelin increases contractility and modifies twitch configuration. It does so
      more at lower rather than higher extracellular calcium concentrations and in a
      species, such as rabbit, that responds more to interventions that increase
      intracellular calcium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1860177
TI  - Frog cardiac calsequestrin. Identification, characterization, and subcellular
      distribution in two structurally distinct regions of peripheral sarcoplasmic
      reticulum in frog ventricular myocardium.
AB  - Calsequestrin is a calcium-binding protein known to sequester calcium accumulated
      in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of muscle cells during relaxation. In the
      present study, we used affinity-purified antibodies to chicken cardiac
      calsequestrin to identify a 60,000-Da calsequestrin in frog myocardium. Like
      previously identified cardiac calsequestrins, it is enriched in cardiac
      microsomes, it is enriched by biochemical procedures previously used to purify
      cardiac and skeletal calsequestrins, and it exhibits a pH-dependent shift in its
      apparent Mr on a two-dimensional gel system. Finally, the NH2-terminal amino acid
      sequence of this 60,000-Da immunoreactive protein purified by fast protein liquid
      chromatography was identical to that of rabbit skeletal and canine cardiac
      calsequestrin. Thus, we conclude that this protein corresponds to the
      calsequestrin isoform in frog ventricular muscle. Frog calsequestrin was
      localized in discrete foci present at the periphery but absent from the central
      regions of frog ventricular myocytes as determined by immunofluorescence
      labeling. Immunoelectron microscopic labeling demonstrated that calsequestrin was
      confined to the lumen of two structurally distinct regions of the SR, where it
      was localized in the subsarcolemmal region of the myofibers. One of these
      appeared to correspond to the terminal SR previously reported to be closely
      apposed to the sarcolemma of frog myofibers. The other region, although close to
      the sarcolemma, was not physically joined to it and appeared to correspond to
      corbular SR. It generally is believed that frog cardiac SR does not provide
      activator Ca2+ required for excitation-contraction coupling. However, the
      identification of a calsequestrin isoform very similar to mammalian cardiac
      calsequestrin that is confined to specialized regions of frog cardiac SR lends
      support to the idea that frog cardiac SR has the ability to store Ca2+ and thus
      function in some capacity in frog cardiac muscle contraction.

PMID- 1860178
TI  - Contribution of endogenous endothelin to the extension of myocardial infarct size
      in rats.
AB  - Pathophysiological roles of endogenous endothelin have been studied from the
      viewpoint of its contribution to the extension of myocardial infarct size. A
      monoclonal antibody against endothelin 1 (AwETN40) suppressed changes induced by
      endothelin 1 and endothelin 2 but did not modify those by endothelin 3 in vivo or
      in vitro. Effects of AwETN40 on myocardial infarct size were investigated.
      Coronary ligation (1 hour) and reperfusion (24 hours) in rats caused infarction
      in 35% of the left ventricle. Repetitive or single administration of AwETN40
      reduced the infarct size; an intravenous injection of 22.5 mg/kg of the antibody
      5 minutes after coronary occlusion or 5 minutes before reperfusion reduced the
      size by 38% or 31% of the control, respectively. Plasma and tissue endothelin 1
      and plasma big endothelin 1 in rats were measured at various stages after
      occlusion. Plasma endothelin 1 showed a fourfold increase 10 minutes after
      reperfusion (from 1.02 to 3.96 pg/ml) and had returned to the control value after
      8 hours. Plasma big endothelin 1 showed changes similar to those of plasma
      endothelin 1. No significant changes in plasma endothelin 2 and endothelin 3 were
      observed. Cardiac tissue contained seven times as much endothelin 1 as the
      control value 1 hour after reperfusion (4.59 versus 33.1 pg/g tissue), and a high
      concentration (13.2 pg/g tissue) was maintained even after 48 hours. We concluded
      that an increase in endogenous endothelin 1 plays an important role in the
      extension of myocardial infarct size.

PMID- 1860179
TI  - Directional characteristics of action potential propagation in cardiac muscle. A
      model study.
AB  - Propagation of an elliptic excitation wave front was studied in a two-dimensional
      model of a thin sheet of cardiac muscle. The sheet model of 2.5 x 10 mm consisted
      of a set of 100 parallel cables coupled through a regular array of identical
      transverse resistors. The membrane dynamics was represented by a modified Beeler
      Reuter model. We defined the charging factor (CF) to represent by a single number
      the proportion of input current used to charge the membrane locally below
      threshold and showed that CF is inversely correlated with the time constant of
      the foot of the action potential (tau foot) during propagation on a cable. A
      safety factor of propagation (SF) was also defined for the upstroke of the action
      potential, with SF directly correlated with the maximum rate of depolarization
      (Vmax) and, for cablelike propagation, with propagation velocity. Propagation
      along the principal longitudinal axis of the elliptic wave front is cablelike
      but, in comparison with a flat wave front, transverse current flow provides a
      drag effect that somewhat reduces the propagation velocity, Vmax, SF, and CF.
      With a longitudinal-to-transverse velocity ratio of 3:1 or more, the wave front
      propagating along the principal transverse axis is essentially flat and is
      characterized by multiple collisions between successive pairs of input junctions
      on a given cable; Vmax, SF, and CF are larger than for longitudinal propagation,
      but CF is no longer correlated with tau foot. There are transient increases in
      propagation velocity and Vmax with distance from the stimulation site along both
      principal axes until stablized values are achieved, and a similar transient
      decrease in tau foot. Away from the principal axes, the action potential
      characteristics change progressively along the elliptic wave front.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860180
TI  - Rapid attenuation ("fade") of the chronotropic response during vagal stimulation
      in the canine newborn. Evidence for a prominent neuropeptide Y effect.
AB  - We studied the time-dependent changes in the response of heart rate (sinus cycle
      length) to 30-second trains of vagal stimulation (8 Hz), repeated every 2
      minutes, in canine neonates aged 7.1 +/- 2.5 (mean +/- SD) days. The first vagal
      train prolonged the sinus cycle length by 58 +/- 35%, but the response was
      attenuated during subsequent trains (98 +/- 5% inhibition of the vagal response
      after only 6.4 +/- 1.7 trains). After 40 minutes, complete restoration of the
      chronotropic response could be demonstrated. Receptor desensitization could be
      excluded as the reason for the attenuation by demonstrating preserved responses
      to exogenous acetylcholine. Neuropeptide Y, a sympathetic cotransmitter that has
      been shown to attenuate parasympathetic responses (thought to be the result of
      inhibition of the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerve terminals),
      was administered (50 micrograms/kg) to eight newborns. Exogenous neuropeptide Y
      resulted in a complete inhibition of the chronotropic response to vagal
      stimulation, with restoration of the chronotropic response occurring after 60
      minutes. Thus, exogenous neuropeptide Y mimicked the effect of repetitive
      vagosympathetic trunk stimulation; this finding suggested that neuropeptide Y
      release from sympathetic nerves during repetitive vagosympathetic trunk
      stimulation may have resulted in the observed attenuation of the vagal
      chronotropic response. To test this hypothesis, seven other newborns underwent
      chemical sympathectomy (50 mg/kg i.p. 6-hydroxydopamine for 3 days, tyramine
      verified), and in these newborns, stable chronotropic responses to repetitive
      vagosympathetic trunk stimulation were observed (inhibition of vagal response was
      0 +/- 18% after 10 stimulus trains).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860181
TI  - Effects of MK-801 on cerebral regional oxygen consumption in focal cerebral
      ischemia in rats.
AB  - This investigation tested in rats whether MK-801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate
      receptor antagonist, would improve the balance of oxygen supply and consumption
      in the focal ischemic area of the brain induced by occlusion of the middle
      cerebral artery. Fifteen minutes after middle cerebral artery occlusion, 5 mg/kg
      MK-801 was administered intravenously to the MK-801 group (n = 12), and normal
      saline was given to the control group (n = 12). One hour after the occlusion in
      each group, regional cerebral blood flow was determined in six rats using
      [14C]iodoantipyrine, and regional arterial and venous oxygen saturations were
      determined using a microspectrophotometric technique in the other six rats. In
      both groups of animals, the cerebral blood flow of the ischemic cortex was
      significantly lower than that of the contralateral cortex (36 +/- 16 [SD] and 67
      +/- 14 ml/min/100 g for the control group; 33 +/- 10 and 58 +/- 11 ml/min/100 g
      for the MK-801 group, respectively). Oxygen extraction was significantly higher
      in the ischemic cortex (8.8 +/- 2.1 ml O2/100 ml blood) than in the contralateral
      cortex (5.6 +/- 0.3) for the control group. However, for the MK-801 group, there
      was no significant difference between the ischemic cortex (6.1 +/- 1.0) and the
      contralateral cortex (5.7 +/- 1.1). Oxygen extraction in the ischemic cortex of
      the MK-801 group was significantly lower than that of the control group.
      Calculated ischemic regional oxygen consumption was similar to the nonischemic
      values in the control group, whereas the ischemic value was reduced to 61% of the
      value of the contralateral cortex in the MK-801 group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1860182
TI  - Intrarenal hemodynamics in patients with essential hypertension.
AB  - Intrarenal hemodynamics were estimated clinically in essential hypertension. Two
      week studies were performed in 30 patients with essential hypertension who were
      given a regular sodium diet in the first week and a sodium-restricted diet in the
      second week. Intrarenal hemodynamic parameters such as afferent arteriolar
      (preglomerular) resistance, efferent arteriolar resistance, and glomerular
      hydrostatic pressure were calculated from renal clearances and plasma total
      protein concentration measured on the last day of the regular sodium diet.
      Calculations were based on Gomez's equations with the assumption that the gross
      filtration coefficient of glomerular capillaries was normal. The increase in
      afferent arteriolar resistance (8,100 +/- 500 dyne.sec.cm-5) was significantly
      correlated with an elevation in mean arterial pressure (120 +/- 2 mm Hg), whereas
      glomerular pressure (56 +/- 1 mm Hg) and efferent arteriolar resistance (2,500 +/
      100 dyne.sec.cm-5) remained normal. The renal function curve (pressure
      natriuresis relation) was drawn by plotting urinary sodium excretion on the y
      axis as a function of mean arterial pressure on the x axis, both of which were
      measured on the last 3 days of each week. The extrapolated x intercept (107 +/- 2
      mm Hg) of the renal function curve was strongly correlated in a 1:1 fashion with
      the sum of the arterial pressure drop from the aorta to the renal glomeruli plus
      the opposing pressures against glomerular filtration at glomeruli (r = 0.7, p
      less than 0.001) on the regular sodium diet, suggesting that the difference
      between mean arterial pressure on the regular sodium diet and the extrapolated x
      intercept represented the effective filtration pressure across the glomerular
      capillaries on the regular sodium diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860184
TI  - Arterial wall and smooth muscle cell development in young Wistar rats and the
      effects of surgical denervation.
AB  - Development of the muscular saphenous artery and the effect of surgical
      denervation on normal development was investigated in young rats at 3 and 6 weeks
      of age. During this interval, the weight and blood pressures (systolic,
      diastolic, and mean) of the animals increased significantly. The tunica media of
      the artery and the lumen increased significantly with age, but the proportion of
      smooth muscle cell to paracellular matrix did not alter. Computer-assisted three
      dimensional reconstructions were used to investigate the smooth muscle cells.
      They increased significantly in length, volume, and angle of orientation within
      the vessel wall with age but maintained an approximate surface area-to-volume
      ratio. The cells in any one vessel tended to be oriented in either a clockwise or
      counterclockwise direction. The size of the nucleus also increased significantly
      in length and volume with age, but an approximate surface area-to-volume ratio
      and a constant nucleocytoplasmic ratio were maintained. The nuclei tended to be
      eccentrically located, with less than half of all nuclei wholly within the middle
      third of the cell. Surgical denervation at 10 days of age resulted in
      abnormalities of growth in vessel dimensions, thinner tunica media at 3 weeks
      (denervated 11 days previously), and smaller lumen at 6 weeks (denervated 32 days
      previously). Elevated amounts of paracellular matrix occurred in both age groups,
      but denervation did not alter smooth muscle cell size. In the 3-week-old animals,
      denervation resulted in smooth muscle cells with hypertrophied nuclei. This may
      account for the increase in growth of the tunica media between 3 and 6 weeks of
      age in the denervated artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860183
TI  - Morphology of electrophysiologically identified junctions between Purkinje fibers
      and ventricular muscle in rabbit and pig hearts.
AB  - Purkinje fiber-ventricular muscle (PV) junctions were identified by extracellular
      recording in isolated, superfused preparations from rabbit and pig hearts.
      Microelectrode recordings from different cell types at the PV junctions were
      obtained, and the cells recorded from were retrieved microscopically. To this end
      26 tissue blocks were serially sectioned at 4 microns. Microscopic identification
      of the very cell recorded from was obtained in five of seven Purkinje, five of 16
      transitional, and two of two ventricular muscle cell recordings. In addition,
      some tissue blocks from both junctional and nonjunctional sites identified only
      by extracellular recording were examined in serial sections. Transitional cells
      in the rabbit heart are thin, broad bandlike cells (30-35 by 3-5 microns)
      arranged in one or two sheets in the subendocardium between the Purkinje layer
      and ventricular mass. Transitional cells are coupled via short, thin strands to
      both Purkinje and ventricular muscle cells. A second type of PV coupling was
      observed frequently in the pig, but in only one of 21 cases in the rabbit. Here,
      a short, linear segment of small transitional cells connected large-diameter
      Purkinje cells to ventricular muscle cells. Distances found between Purkinje
      transitional cell coupling sites and transitional cell-ventricular muscle
      coupling sites varied from 100 to 1,000 microns in the rabbit heart and from 50
      to several hundred micrometers in the pig heart. Action potentials from
      transitional cells typically showed multiple components in their upstroke. Both
      our morphological and electrophysiological findings are compatible with the
      existence of a relatively high-resistance barrier between Purkinje and
      transitional cells and between transitional and ventricular muscle cells.

PMID- 1860185
TI  - Catecholamine release from bovine adrenal chromaffin cells during anoxia or
      metabolic inhibition.
AB  - A significant release of catecholamines within the heart has been observed during
      myocardial ischemia. Because this can be markedly inhibited by amine-uptake
      blocking agents, it has been suggested that its mechanism is a carrier-mediated
      efflux from neurons, which is not operative under normal conditions. The present
      work examined this release process in chromaffin cells isolated from the bovine
      adrenal medulla, a model system for studying the sympathetic nervous system.
      Chromaffin cells in primary culture retained normal secretory responses for up to
      7 days. Conditions designed to mimic ischemia, that is, anoxia or metabolic
      inhibition, resulted in a significant release of catecholamines. This release was
      shown to be independent of extracellular calcium but, in contrast to the release
      observed in ischemic hearts, was not inhibited by amine-uptake blockers.
      Electrophoresis with immunoblotting demonstrated that significant levels of the
      chromaffin granule protein, chromogranin A, were released during metabolic
      inhibition, indicative of an exocytotic mechanism. However, there was no release
      of the cytosolic protein, lactate dehydrogenase, indicating that there was no
      concomitant breakdown of the cell membrane. These results provide evidence for an
      exocytotic release of catecholamines mediated by the direct action of conditions
      of metabolic inhibition.

PMID- 1860186
TI  - Differential effects of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and phorbol myristate
      acetate on cardiac fibroblasts. Regulation of fibrillar collagen mRNAs and
      expression of early transcription factors.
AB  - Cardiac fibroblasts are responsible for synthesis and deposition of fibrillar
      collagen types I and III. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) has been
      proved to increase collagen biosynthesis in various systems, both in vivo and in
      vitro. We have investigated the effect of TGF-beta 1 on collagen gene expression
      in cultured cardiac fibroblasts and have compared this effect with that of a
      mitogenic agent, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The regulation of collagen
      types I and III gene expression was examined by using cDNA probes to rat alpha 2
      (I) and mouse alpha 1 (III) procollagens. Quiescent cultured cardiac fibroblasts
      from rabbit heart were treated with TGF-beta 1 (10-15 ng/ml) and PMA (200 ng/ml).
      After 24 hours of treatment with TGF-beta 1, the abundance of mRNA for pro-alpha
      2 (I) and pro-alpha 1 (III) collagens was increased by 112% (p less than 0.001)
      and 97% (p = 0.05), respectively, in treated fibroblasts compared with untreated
      cells. However, PMA-treated cells showed an opposite response: a 42% (p = 0.01)
      decrease in mRNA levels for pro-alpha 2 (I) collagen was observed.
      Immunofluorescent staining of cardiac fibroblasts in culture with anti-type I
      collagen antibody showed that alterations in mRNA levels led to altered collagen
      synthesis: cellular collagen was relatively increased in TGF-beta 1-treated cells
      and significantly diminished in PMA-treated cells. The abundance of mRNA for pro
      alpha 1 (III) collagen was not affected by PMA treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860187
TI  - Inhibitory effects of procainamide on sympathetic nerve activity in humans.
AB  - In experimental animals, procainamide causes hypotension and reductions in
      efferent vasoconstrictor sympathetic outflow that may result from ganglionic
      blockade or central nervous system sympathetic inhibition. To test the hypothesis
      that procainamide decreases sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in humans, we
      recorded postganglionic SNA in seven normal subjects in the baseline state and
      during infusions of procainamide HCl at 50 mg/min (loading) and 8 mg/min
      (maintenance). At the end of the loading infusion, mean arterial pressure (MAP)
      had decreased from 88.5 +/- 2.4 (mean +/- SEM) to 81.5 +/- 3.2 mm Hg (p less than
      0.05), central venous pressure from 6.7 +/- 0.7 to 5.4 +/- 0.9 mm Hg (p less than
      0.05), forearm vascular resistance (FVR) from 28 +/- 4.8 to 22.3 +/- 5.1
      resistance units (p less than 0.05), and SNA from 259 +/- 47 to 94 +/- 26
      units/min (p less than 0.05). These changes persisted during the maintenance
      infusion. Increased levels of SNA, FVR, and MAP provoked by the cold pressor test
      were reduced significantly by intravenous procainamide. In eight other subjects,
      intravenous procainamide HCl (15 mg/kg at 50 mg/min) caused dose-dependent
      inhibition of SNA that reversed as blood concentrations fell during drug washout.
      To determine if procainamide causes direct vasodilation, in nine subjects, graded
      infusions were delivered into the brachial artery at doses that produced no
      systemic effect. Ipsilateral FVR tended to increase during local intra-arterial
      infusion of procainamide. These data show that intravenous procainamide causes
      hypotension, vasodilation, and sympathetic withdrawal. Vasodilation does not
      result from a direct vasorelaxant effect of the drug.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1860188
TI  - Influence of topically applied adrenergic agents on cochlear blood flow.
AB  - This study was designed to assess the role of adrenergic receptors in the control
      of cochlear blood flow. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to determine the effects
      of adrenergic drugs topically applied to the round window membrane of the
      cochlea. The relative influence of the various receptor types (alpha 1, alpha 2,
      beta 1, and beta 2) was examined by a selection of agonists and antagonists. The
      agonists norepinephrine and epinephrine, which have mixed alpha- and beta
      receptor effects, and phenylephrine, a strong alpha 1-agonist, all induced a dose
      dependent reduction in cochlear blood flow. The agonists isoproterenol (beta
      active), salbutamol (alpha 2-active) had no effect on cochlear blood flow. Of the
      antagonists, when tested alone, only the selective alpha 1-antagonist prazosin
      had a direct effect on cochlear blood flow, demonstrating an increase in cochlear
      blood flow. The selective alpha 2-antagonist idazoxan, the beta-antagonist
      propranolol, and the unselective alpha-antagonist phentolamine had no effect on
      cochlear blood flow. Interaction studies of agonists and antagonists were
      performed to specifically define the receptor subclasses responsible for the
      cochlear blood flow increases with norepinephrine and epinephrine. The results
      are consistent with the presence of an alpha 1-adrenergic sympathetic control of
      cochlear blood flow.

PMID- 1860189
TI  - Suppression of time-dependent outward current in guinea pig ventricular myocytes.
      Actions of quinidine and amiodarone.
AB  - Prolongation of cardiac action potentials may mediate some of the arrhythmia
      suppressing and arrhythmia-aggravating actions of antiarrhythmic agents. In this
      study, suppression of time-dependent outward current by quinidine and amiodarone
      was assessed in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. The net time-dependent outward
      current contained at least two components: a slowly activating, La(3+)-resistant
      delayed rectifier current (IK) and a rapidly activating, La(3+)-sensitive
      current. Quinidine block of total time-dependent outward current during clamp
      steps to positive potentials was relieved as a function of time, whereas that
      induced by amiodarone was enhanced. In contrast, at negative potentials,
      suppression of current, whereas amiodarone reduced IK but not the La(3+)
      sensitive current, suggesting that differential block of the two components of
      time-dependent current underlies the distinct effects of the two agents. In
      contrast to these disparate effects on total time-dependent outward current,
      steady-state reduction of IK by both drugs increased at positive voltages and
      saturated at approximately +40 mV; the voltage dependence of block by quinidine
      (17% per decade, +10 to +30 mV) was steeper than that by amiodarone (5% per
      decade, +10 to +20 mV). Block by quinidine was time dependent at negative
      potentials: on stepping from +50 to -30 mV, block initially increased very
      rapidly, and subsequent deactivation of IK was slowed. This effect was not seen
      with amiodarone. At -80 mV, quinidine block was relieved with a time constant of
      40 +/- 15 msec (n = 4, twin-pulse protocol). The effects of quinidine on IK were
      compatible with neither a purely voltage-dependent model of quinidine binding nor
      a model incorporating both voltage- and state-dependent binding of quinidine to
      delayed rectifier channels having only one open state. The voltage- and time
      dependent features of quinidine block were well described by a model in which
      quinidine has greater affinity for one of two open states of the channel. We
      conclude that the effects of quinidine and amiodarone on time-dependent outward
      current reflects block of multiple channels. Quinidine block of IK was far more
      voltage dependent than that produced by amiodarone, suggesting the drugs act by
      different mechanisms.

PMID- 1860191
TI  - Comments on "Importance of the great vessels in the genesis of the
      electrocardiogram" (Circ Res 1990;66:1081-1087)

PMID- 1860190
TI  - Human nonmuscle myosin heavy chains are encoded by two genes located on different
      chromosomes.
AB  - We report the cloning of cDNAs encoding two different human nonmuscle myosin
      heavy chains designated NMMHC-A and NMMHC-B. The mRNAs encoding NMMHC-A and NMMHC
      B are both 7.5 kb in size but are shown to be the products of different genes,
      which are localized to chromosome 22q11.2 and chromosome 17q13, respectively. In
      aggreement with previously reported results using avian tissues, we show that the
      mRNAs encoding the two myosin heavy chain isoforms are differentially expressed
      in rat nonmuscle and muscle tissues as well as in a number of human cell lines.
      The cDNA sequence encoding the 5' portion of the NMMHC-A isoform completes the
      previously published 3' cDNA sequence encoding a human myosin heavy chain, thus
      providing the cDNA sequence encoding the entire NMMHC-A amino acid sequence.
      Comparison of this sequence to cDNA clones encoding the amino-terminal one third
      of the NMMHC-B sequence (amino acids 58-718) shows them to be 89% identical at
      the amino acid level and 74% identical at the nucleotide level.

PMID- 1860192
TI  - Nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation. Risk of stroke and role of antithrombotic
      therapy.

PMID- 1860193
TI  - Cardiovascular neural regulation explored in the frequency domain.
AB  - A consistent link appears to exist between predominance of vagal or sympathetic
      activity and predominance of HF or LF oscillations, respectively: RR variability
      contains both of these rhythms, and their relative powers appear to subserve a
      reciprocal relation like that commonly found in sympathovagal balance. In this
      respect, it is our opinion that rhythms and neural components always interact,
      just like flexor and extensor tones or excitatory and inhibitory cardiovascular
      reflexes, and that it is misleading to separately consider vagal and sympathetic
      modulations of heart rate. In humans and experimental animals, functional states
      likely to be accompanied by an increased sympathetic activity are characterized
      by a shift of the LF-HF balance in favor of the LF component; the opposite occurs
      during presumed increases in vagal activity. In addition, LF oscillation
      evaluated from SAP variability appears to be a convenient marker of the
      sympathetic modulation of vasomotor activity. Although based on indirect markers,
      the exploration in the frequency domain of cardiovascular neural regulation might
      disclose a unitary vision hard to reach through the assemblage of more specific
      but fragmented pieces of information.

PMID- 1860195
TI  - Left cardiac sympathetic denervation in the therapy of congenital long QT
      syndrome. A worldwide report.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a congenital disorder accompanied by a
      high incidence of sudden cardiac death. beta-Adrenergic blockade is the therapy
      of choice, and it is successful in 75-80% of patients. For those in whom cardiac
      events (syncope or cardiac arrest) are not prevented by beta-blockade,
      experimental studies suggest that left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) may
      be useful. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified 85 LQTS patients worldwide who
      underwent LCSD, and we provide here the first large-scale evaluation of its
      efficacy. The time interval between the first cardiac event and LCSD and the
      follow-up period after LCSD were similar (5.6 +/- 6.1 versus 5.9 +/- 5.7 years).
      The mean age of the patients at surgery was 20 +/- 13 years. LCSD was followed by
      highly significant (p less than 0.0001) decreases in the number of patients with
      cardiac events (from 99% to 45%), in the number of cardiac events per patient
      (from 22 +/- 32 to 1 +/- 3), and in the number of patients with five or more
      cardiac events (from 71% to 10%). There were seven sudden deaths (8%), and the 5
      year survival rate was 94%. The marked reduction in the incidence of
      tachyarrhythmic syncope suggests that LCSD has also reduced the risk for sudden
      death in this high-risk population. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate
      that for LQTS patients who continue with syncope or cardiac arrest despite the
      use of beta-blockers, LCSD is a very effective therapy.

PMID- 1860194
TI  - Dipyridamole thallium-201 scintigraphy as a preoperative screening test. A
      reexamination of its predictive potential. Study of Perioperative Ischemia
      Research Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We examined the value of dipyridamole thallium-201 (201Tl)
      scintigraphy as a preoperative screening test for perioperative myocardial
      ischemia and infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively studied 60
      patients undergoing elective vascular surgery. We performed 201Tl scintigraphy
      preoperatively and blinded all treating physicians to the results. Historical,
      clinical, laboratory, and physiological data were gathered throughout
      hospitalization. Myocardial ischemia was assessed during the intraoperative
      period using continuous 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) and transesophageal
      echocardiography (TEE) and during the postoperative period using continuous two
      lead ambulatory ECG. Adverse cardiac outcomes (cardiac death, myocardial
      infarction, unstable angina, severe ischemia, or congestive heart failure) were
      assessed daily throughout hospitalization. Twenty-two patients (37%) had defects
      that improved or reversed on delayed scintigrams (redistribution defects), 18
      (30%) had persistent defects, and 20 (33%) had no defects on 201Tl scintigraphy.
      There was no association between redistribution defects and adverse cardiac
      outcomes: 54% (seven of 13) of adverse outcomes occurred in patients without
      redistribution defects, and the risk of an adverse outcome was not significantly
      increased in patients with redistribution defects (relative risk 1.5, 95%
      confidence interval 0.6-3.9, p = 0.43). Consistent with these findings, there was
      also no association between redistribution defects and perioperative ischemia:
      54% (19 of all 35) of perioperative ECG and TEE ischemic episodes and 58% (14 of
      24) of severe ischemic episodes occurred in patients without redistribution
      defects. The sensitivity of 201Tl scintigraphy for perioperative ischemia and
      adverse outcomes ranged from 40% to 54%, specificity from 65% to 71%, positive
      predictive value from 27% to 47% and negative predictive value from 61% to 82%.
      CONCLUSIONS: These results differ from those of previous studies and suggest that
      the routine use of 201Tl scintigraphy for preoperative screening of patients
      undergoing vascular surgery may not be warranted.

PMID- 1860196
TI  - Left ventricular thrombus in anterior acute myocardial infarction after
      thrombolysis. A GISSI-2 connected study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Streptokinase reduces the incidence of left ventricular thrombosis
      after acute myocardial infarction. However, it is unknown whether a similar
      effect can be obtained with different thrombolytic agents and whether
      subcutaneous calcium heparin can have an additional efficacy. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: To compare the effects of two different thrombolytic agents combined or
      not with heparin on the incidence and features of left ventricular thrombi and
      their related embolic events, we performed a GISSI-2 ancillary echocardiographic
      study (the first echocardiogram obtained within 48 hours of symptoms onset and
      the second before hospital discharge) that enrolled 180 consecutive patients
      (mean age, 63 +/- 11 years, 142 men) with a first anterior acute myocardial
      infarction. Patients were randomized into four groups of treatment: recombinant
      tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (n = 47), rt-PA plus heparin (n = 45),
      streptokinase (n = 39), and streptokinase plus heparin (n = 49). Left ventricular
      thrombosis was observed in 51 of 180 patients (28%). No significant differences
      were found concerning the incidence of thrombi in the four treatment groups.
      Mural shape of left ventricular thrombi was found more frequently than the
      protruding shape (71% versus 29% at the first examination, 64% versus 36% at the
      second), particularly in heparin-treated patients (93% versus 7% at first
      examination, 70% versus 30% at the second). Only one embolic event (0.5%)
      occurred during the hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that 1) the rate of
      left ventricular thrombi does not differ in patients with acute myocardial
      infarction treated either with streptokinase or rt-PA, 2) subcutaneous heparin,
      when begun 12 hours after intravenous thrombolysis, does not appear to further
      reduce the occurrence of thrombi but seems to influence the shape of left
      ventricular thrombi, and 3) during the predischarge period, embolic events are
      rare in patients treated by thrombolysis.

PMID- 1860197
TI  - Starting aspirin therapy after operation. Effects on early graft patency.
      Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although aspirin therapy started before operation improves vein graft
      patency after coronary artery bypass grafting, it also causes bleeding. The
      objective of this prospective, centrally directed, randomized, double-blind,
      placebo-controlled trial was to compare the effects of aspirin therapy started
      before operation with aspirin started 6 hours after operation on early (7-10-day)
      graft patency. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients were randomized to receive either
      aspirin 325 mg or placebo the night before surgery; after operation, all patients
      received aspirin 325 mg daily, with the first dose administered through the
      nasogastric tube 6 hours after operation. Angiography was performed in 72% of the
      analyzed patients an average of 8 days after operation, and the primary end point
      was saphenous vein graft patency in 351 patients. Internal mammary artery graft
      patency was also assessed in 246 patients because many individuals received both
      internal mammary artery and vein grafts. In the patients given preoperative
      aspirin, the vein graft occlusion rate was 7.4 +/- 1.3% compared with 7.8 +/-
      1.5% in those who received preoperative placebo (p = 0.871). In the subgroup of
      patients receiving Y grafts, 0.0% of the grafts were occluded in the preoperative
      aspirin group compared with 7.0 +/- 3.6% in the preoperative placebo group (p =
      0.066). The internal mammary artery occlusion rate was 0.0% (0 of 131) in the
      aspirin group compared with 2.4 +/- 1.4% (three of 125) in the placebo group (p =
      0.081). Patients in the aspirin group received more transfusions than those in
      the placebo group (median, 900 versus 725 ml, p = 0.006). The reoperation rate
      for bleeding in the aspirin group was 6.3% compared with 2.4% in the placebo
      group (p = 0.036). Median chest tube drainage within the first 6 hours after
      operation was 500 ml in the aspirin group compared with 448 ml in the placebo
      group (p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, preoperative aspirin is associated with
      increased bleeding complications and offers no additional benefit in early vein
      graft patency compared with starting aspirin therapy 6 hours after operation.
      There was a trend, although not significant, toward improved early patency for Y
      grafts and internal mammary artery grafts with preoperative aspirin.

PMID- 1860198
TI  - Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Study. Final results.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation in the absence of rheumatic valvular disease is
      associated with a fivefold to sevenfold increased risk of ischemic stroke.
      METHODS AND MAIN RESULTS: The Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Study, a
      multicenter, randomized trial, compared 325 mg/day aspirin (double-blind) or
      warfarin with placebo for prevention of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism
      (primary events), and included 1,330 inpatients and outpatients with constant or
      intermittent atrial fibrillation. During a mean follow-up of 1.3 years, the rate
      of primary events in patients assigned to placebo was 6.3% per year and was
      reduced by 42% in those assigned to aspirin (3.6% per year; p = 0.02; 95%
      confidence interval, 9-63%). In the subgroup of warfarin-eligible patients (most
      less than 76 years old), warfarin dose-adjusted to prolong prothrombin time to
      1.3-fold to 1.8-fold that of control reduced the risk of primary events by 67%
      (warfarin versus placebo, 2.3% versus 7.4% per year; p = 0.01; 95% confidence
      interval, 27-85%). Primary events or death were reduced 58% (p = 0.01) by
      warfarin and 32% (p = 0.02) by aspirin. The risk of significant bleeding was
      1.5%, 1.4%, and 1.6% per year in patients assigned to warfarin, aspirin, and
      placebo, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin and warfarin are both effective in
      reducing ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial
      fibrillation. Because warfarin-eligible patients composed a subset of all aspirin
      eligible patients, the magnitude of reduction in events by warfarin versus
      aspirin cannot be compared. Too few events occurred in warfarin-eligible patients
      to directly assess the relative benefit of aspirin compared with warfarin, and
      the trial is continuing to address this issue. Patients with nonrheumatic atrial
      fibrillation who can safely take either aspirin or warfarin should receive
      prophylactic antithrombotic therapy to reduce the risk of stroke.

PMID- 1860199
TI  - Post-myocardial infarction mortality in patients with ventricular premature
      depolarizations. Canadian Amiodarone Myocardial Infarction Arrhythmia Trial Pilot
      Study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Among survivors of acute myocardial infarction, frequent and
      repetitive ventricular premature depolarizations (VPDs) detected on ambulatory
      monitoring contribute independently to the risk of all-cause mortality and sudden
      death. Apart from the beta-blockers, no antiarrhythmic drug has been reliably
      demonstrated to reduce mortality among patients with VPDs. A pilot study was
      undertaken to gather data to aid in the design of a multicenter trial of
      amiodarone for the reduction of mortality from cardiac arrhythmias in such
      patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with acute myocardial
      infarction within the previous 6-30 days and 10 or more VPDs/hr or one or more
      runs of ventricular tachycardia on 24-hour electrocardiographic recording were
      randomized in a double-blind fashion in a 2:1 amiodarone-to-placebo ratio. The
      loading dose was 10 mg/kg/day for 3 weeks. The maintenance dose was 300-400
      mg/day with reductions at 4-month intervals in response to VPD suppression,
      excessive plasma levels, or toxicity. VPD suppression at 1 week and 2 weeks was
      63% and 85%, respectively, on amiodarone and 17% and 27%, respectively, on
      placebo. Apart from thyroid-stimulating hormone elevation and skin reactions, no
      side effects occurred more frequently with amiodarone. The study drug was stopped
      for side effects or noncompliance in 35% of amiodarone patients and 34% of
      placebo patients. Patients were followed for a maximum of 2 years (mean, 20
      months). Arrhythmic death or resuscitated ventricular fibrillation occurred in
      two of 48 amiodarone patients (6%) and four of 29 placebo patients (14%), whereas
      the rates of all-cause mortality were five of 48 (10%) and six of 29 (21%),
      respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Amiodarone, in moderate loading and maintenance
      dosages with adjustments in response to plasma levels, VPD suppression, and side
      effects, results in effective VPD suppression and acceptable levels of toxicity.

PMID- 1860200
TI  - Predictors of first discharge and subsequent survival in patients with automatic
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two hundred eighteen patients were evaluated in a two-phase approach
      (time to first appropriate discharge, survival after discharge) to identify
      factors that may be related to maximal benefit derived from use of an automatic
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD). METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred
      ninety-seven patients survived implantation of AICD, with or without concomitant
      cardiac surgery. One hundred five patients had an AICD discharge associated with
      syncope, presyncope, documented sustained ventricular tachycardia or
      fibrillation, or sleep at 9.1 +/- 11.1 months after implantation. Patients
      survived 23.8 +/- 18.0 months after AICD discharge. Left ventricular dysfunction
      (p = 0.008 for ejection fraction less than 25%) was associated with earlier AICD
      discharge and shortened survival after AICD discharge (p = 0.008 for ejection
      fraction less than 25%; p = 0.01 for New York Heart Association functional class
      III and IV). beta-Blocker administration (p = 0.006) and coronary bypass surgery
      (p = 0.06) were associated with later AICD discharge. Coronary bypass surgery (p
      = 0.035) but not beta-blockers was associated with more prolonged survival after
      AICD discharge. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that a relatively easy algorithm
      can be applied to predict which patient will benefit most from AICD implantation.

PMID- 1860201
TI  - Radiofrequency catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction from the left
      ventricle.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe a new technique for
      catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction using radiofrequency energy
      delivered in the left ventricle. METHODS AND RESULTS: Catheter ablation of the
      atrioventricular (AV) junction using a catheter positioned across the tricuspid
      annulus was unsuccessful in eight patients with a mean +/- SD age of 51 +/- 19
      years who had AV nodal reentry tachycardia (three patients), orthodromic
      tachycardia using a concealed midseptal accessory pathway, atrial tachycardia,
      atrial flutter (two patients), or atrial fibrillation. Before attempts at
      catheter ablation of the AV junction, each patient had been refractory to
      pharmacological therapy, and four had failed attempts at either catheter
      modification of the AV node using radiofrequency energy or surgical and catheter
      ablation of the accessory pathway. Conventional right-sided catheter ablation of
      the AV junction using radiofrequency energy in six patients and both
      radiofrequency energy and direct current shocks in two patients was ineffective.
      The mean amplitude of the His bundle potential recorded at the tricuspid annulus
      at the sites of unsuccessful AV junction ablation was 0.1 +/- 0.08 mV, with a
      maximum His amplitude of 0.03-0.28 mV. A 7F deflectable-tip quadripolar electrode
      catheter with a 4-mm distal electrode was positioned against the upper left
      ventricular septum using a retrograde aortic approach from the femoral artery.
      Third-degree AV block was induced in each of the eight patients with 20-36 W
      applied for 15-30 seconds. The His bundle potential at the sites of successful AV
      junction ablation ranged from 0.06 to 0.99 mV, with a mean of 0.27 +/- 0.32 mV.
      There was no rise in the creatine kinase-MB fraction and no complications
      occurred. An intrinsic escape rhythm of 30-60 beats/min was present in seven of
      the eight patients. Each patient received a permanent pacemaker and has been
      asymptomatic during 3-13 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Catheter ablation of
      the AV junction can be achieved effectively and safely using radiofrequency
      energy delivered in the left ventricle when the conventional right-sided approach
      is unsuccessful.

PMID- 1860202
TI  - Clinical implications of late proven patency after successful coronary
      angioplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The introduction of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
      (PTCA) has changed the pattern of intervention in coronary artery disease.
      However, the long-term results in patients undergoing successful, elective,
      native-vessel PTCA are not yet fully characterized. Because the healing and
      subsequent proliferative response after angioplasty are time related, it was the
      purpose of the present study to determine the long-term outcome in patients whose
      dilated arteries have been demonstrated to be patent 4-12 months after
      successful, uncomplicated PTCA. METHODS AND RESULTS: The patients were grouped on
      the basis of the 4-12 month catheterization into those whose vessels were
      angiographically "normal" or had luminal irregularities only at the PTCA sites
      (396 patients), those whose vessels also had luminal irregularities elsewhere
      with or without PTCA site luminal irregularities (680 patients), and those with
      significant obstructive disease (more than 50% diameter narrowing) at sites other
      than the PTCA sites (426 patients). Of 1,502 such patients, long-term follow-up
      was available in 1,491. At the time of the original angioplasty, the normal
      patients had a 1.8% incidence of multivessel disease; luminal irregularity
      patients, 9.4%; and obstructive disease patients, 58.7%. At angiographic restudy,
      16.4% of the obstructive disease patients continued to have multivessel disease.
      The patients were followed for the events of death, myocardial infarction,
      coronary surgery, and repeat PTCA. The 6-year survival rate was 95%; cardiac
      survival, 96%; and freedom from all events, 65%. The strongest correlate of
      events during follow-up was the angiographic status of the undilated segments. At
      6 years, freedom from cardiac events was noted in 77% of the normal group, 61% of
      the luminal irregularity group, and 55% of the obstructive disease group.
      Diabetes and hypertension were also independent correlates of events.
      CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study show that associated disease in
      undilated segments is a strong predictor of late events in patients after
      successful, uncomplicated, reatenosis-free PTCA. However, the need for further
      revascularization was frequent even in patients without obstructive disease.
      Completeness of revascularization is appropriate when possible, and limiting
      progression of coronary disease at sites remote from those dilated should improve
      on these late results.

PMID- 1860203
TI  - Intraoperative transesophageal Doppler color flow imaging used to guide patient
      selection and operative treatment of ischemic mitral regurgitation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Intraoperative transesophageal Doppler color flow imaging (TDCF)
      affords the opportunity to assess mitral valve competency immediately before and
      after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The purpose of this study was to assess the
      utility of TDCF to assist in the selection and operative treatment of ischemic
      mitral regurgitation (MR). METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred forty-six patients
      undergoing surgery for ischemic heart disease were prospectively studied. All had
      preoperative cardiac catheterization. Catheterization and pre-CPB TDCF were
      discordant in their estimation of MR in 112 patients (46%). Compared with
      patients in whom both techniques agreed in estimation of MR, patients with
      discordance in MR were more likely to have had unstable clinical syndromes at the
      time of catheterization (79% versus 40%, p less than 0.05) or to have received
      thrombolytics (16% versus 8%, p less than 0.05). Pre-CPB TDCF resulted in a
      change in the operative plan with respect to the mitral valve in 27 patients
      (11%). Because less MR was found by TDCF than catheterization, 22 patients had
      only coronary bypass grafting when combined coronary bypass and mitral valve
      surgery had been planned. Because more MR was found by TDCF than catheterization,
      five patients had combined coronary bypass and mitral valve surgery when coronary
      bypass alone had been planned. Unsatisfactory results noted by TDCF following
      mitral valve surgery in five patients resulted in immediate corrective surgery.
      Cox regression analysis identified residual MR at the completion of surgery to be
      an important predictor of survival (chi 2 = 21.4) after surgery--more important
      than patient age (chi 2 = 8.3) or left ventricular ejection fraction (chi 2 =
      5.3). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that TDCF is useful in guiding patient
      selection and operative treatment of ischemic MR and that in such patients,
      intraoperative TDCF should be performed routinely.

PMID- 1860204
TI  - Blood platelet count and function are related to total and cardiovascular death
      in apparently healthy men.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Experimental animal and clinical studies indicate that blood
      platelets have an important role in atherosclerosis and formation of thrombi.
      Prospective studies presenting evidence of an association between blood platelet
      count and cardiovascular mortality have not been performed. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      From 1973 to 1975, blood platelets were counted, and their responsiveness to
      aggregating agents was studied in healthy middle-aged men. The aim was to assess
      the possible association between these variables and coronary heart disease. At
      13.5 years of follow up, a significantly higher coronary heart disease mortality
      was observed among the 25% of subjects with the highest platelet counts. Platelet
      aggregation performed in a random subsample (150 of the 487 men), moreover,
      revealed that the 50% with the most rapid aggregation response after ADP
      stimulation had significantly increased coronary heart disease mortality compared
      with the others. These associations could not be explained by differences in age,
      lipids, blood pressure, or smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the
      first to present conclusive, prospective evidence of an association between
      platelet concentration and aggregability and long-term incidence of fatal
      coronary heart disease in a population of apparently healthy middle-aged men.

PMID- 1860205
TI  - Hemodynamics and coronary blood flow during exercise after coronary artery bypass
      grafting with internal mammary arteries in children with Kawasaki disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and internal mammary artery (IMA) grafts
      have been used for coronary artery bypass grafting. In adult patients with bypass
      grafting for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, IMA grafts have been
      reported to have long-term patency; however, results are conflicting on whether
      the graft is sufficient to meet increased myocardial oxygen demand during
      exercise. There have been no studies on hemodynamics and blood flow during
      exercise after bypass grafting with IMA in pediatric patients with Kawasaki
      disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 17 pediatric patients with Kawasaki
      disease (average age, 7.5 +/- 3.1 years), who underwent coronary artery bypass
      grafting with the IMA. The average number of coronary artery bypass grafts was
      2.1 +/- 0.7/patient. For all patients, the left IMA was anastomosed to the left
      anterior descending coronary artery; for eight patients, the right IMA was also
      anastomosed to the right coronary artery. In addition, 11 SVGs were used. The
      postoperative patency rates after 1 month were 100% with the IMA graft and 91%
      with SVG. One year after the operation, the patency rates were 100% with IMA and
      50% with SVG. Hemodynamics during exercise were measured with a bicycle
      ergometer, and coronary sinus blood flow was measured by the continuous
      thermodilution method in six patients. The relation between delta LVEDP (the
      difference between left ventricular end-diastolic pressure at rest and during
      exercise) and delta SVI (the difference between the stroke volume index at rest
      and during exercise) was analyzed. Four of six patients had reduced cardiac
      function before operation (delta LVEDP, positive; delta SVI, negative). However,
      after the operation, all patients demonstrated improvements in cardiac function
      during exercise (delta LVEDP, positive; delta SVI, positive). Coronary sinus flow
      per left ventricular mass increased after operation from 70 +/- 46 to 87 +/- 56
      ml/min at rest (p less than 0.05) and from 139 +/- 118 to 183 +/- 150 ml/min
      during exercise (p less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study
      reveals improvements in both hemodynamics and coronary blood flow during exercise
      after coronary artery bypass grafting with IMA grafts in pediatric patients with
      Kawasaki disease.

PMID- 1860206
TI  - Altered lipid profile after Kawasaki syndrome.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Delineation of lipid values in children after Kawasaki syndrome is
      important because of the predilection of this disease for the coronary arteries.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, high
      density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides using enzymatic methods
      in 105 patients with a history of Kawasaki syndrome. Measurements were obtained
      during six time periods: 10 days or less, 11-31 days, 1-3 months, 3-12 months, 1
      3 years, and more than 3 years. Total cholesterol was depressed in the first
      interval (122.0 +/- 19.8 mg/dl, mean +/- SD), but the mean values were normal in
      all periods after clinical recovery (overall mean, 149.0 +/- 24.0 mg/dl). High
      density lipoprotein cholesterol was also depressed in the first interval (15.2 +/
      9.9 mg/dl); although high density lipoprotein cholesterol increased
      significantly with duration since disease onset (p less than 0.001), it remained
      significantly lower than expected (p less than 0.001), even in the latest
      interval (47.2 +/- 10.9 mg/dl). Nonfasting triglyceride levels were high (162.5
      +/- 63.4 mg/dl) in the first interval and then diminished steadily with time, but
      this relation did not achieve statistical significance. We compared adjusted
      lipid levels (z scores) of 46 Kawasaki patients after clinical recovery with
      those of their parents; patients had similar total cholesterol levels but
      significantly lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p = 0.021 for
      mothers, p = 0.001 for fathers). Mean high density lipoprotein cholesterol after
      clinical recovery tended to be lower in patients with persistent coronary
      abnormalities than in those without such lesions (p = 0.085). CONCLUSIONS:
      Kawasaki syndrome is associated with important abnormalities in lipid metabolism.
      Continued long-term surveillance of this population is necessary to monitor lipid
      levels and their relation to future development of coronary atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1860207
TI  - Percutaneous excimer laser coronary angioplasty of lesions not ideal for balloon
      angioplasty.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Excimer laser coronary angioplasty is a new, investigational
      technique for treating coronary artery stenoses. Initial reports have
      demonstrated acute efficacy and relative safety of this procedure, but have not
      addressed the effect of lesion type on acute success and complication rates.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: In the first 100 patients undergoing percutaneous excimer
      laser coronary angioplasty at our institution, acute laser success was obtained
      in 84% and procedural success was obtained in 94%. There were six acute closures
      during laser angioplasty and one myocardial infarction. Two patients required
      emergency coronary bypass surgery. Sixty-five percent of patients had lesions not
      ideal for balloon angioplasty because of lesion morphology (tubular, diffuse, or
      chronic total occlusion) or ostial location. There were 10 tubular stenoses, 29
      diffuse lesions, 18 chronic total occlusions, and eight ostial lesions, including
      five aorto-ostial lesions. In this nonideal subgroup, the acute success rate with
      laser was 86% (72% of chronic total occlusions and 91% of non-totally occluded
      lesions), and the procedural success rate was 94%. There were three acute
      occlusions during laser angioplasty but no myocardial infarctions, emergency
      bypass surgeries, or deaths. One coronary artery perforation occurred without
      clinical sequelae. Laser angioplasty was successful in four of six lesions (67%)
      in which balloon angioplasty had failed. Laser success was obtained in 10 of 11
      (91%) moderately or heavily calcified stenoses. Eight eccentric lesions and two
      lesions on bends were successfully treated without dissection or perforation. No
      side branch occlusions occurred in the 15 patients in whom one or more major
      branches originated within the lesion treated. Adjunctive balloon angioplasty was
      performed in 47% of cases, usually to obtain a larger final luminal diameter.
      Need for adjunctive balloon angioplasty decreased to 36% after a larger (2.0 mm)
      laser catheter became available. Twenty-eight percent of the 105 lesions treated
      were American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association classification
      type A, 47% were type B, and 25% were type C. Laser and procedural successes were
      obtained in 83% and 97% of type A, 88% and 96% of type B, and 85% and 88% of type
      C lesions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our initial experience, excimer laser
      angioplasty was found to be acutely effective and safe therapy for lesions
      identified as not ideal for balloon angioplasty. This technique may provide a
      useful adjunct or alternative to balloon angioplasty in selected patients.

PMID- 1860208
TI  - Relation of stenosis morphology and clinical presentation to the procedural
      results of directional coronary atherectomy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Directional coronary atherectomy has recently become available to
      treat coronary stenoses. This study was performed to determine the relation of
      patient characteristics and stenosis morphology to procedural outcome with
      directional coronary atherectomy to gain insight into which patients might be
      best treated with this device. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four hundred stenoses from
      378 patients consecutively treated at six major referral institutions were
      analyzed. Angiographic data were assessed at a central angiographic laboratory
      using standardized morphological criteria and computer-assisted quantitative
      dimensional analyses. Procedural success was achieved in 87.8% of stenoses, and
      major ischemic complications (death, myocardial infarction, and emergency bypass
      surgery) occurred in 6.3% of patients. Lesion success and complications were
      closely correlated with recognized modified American College of
      Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force lesion morphological criteria.
      Observed for type A stenoses were 93% success and 3% complication rates; for type
      B1 stenoses, 88% success and 6% complication rates; and for type B2 stenoses, 75%
      success and 13% complication rates, respectively. There were too few type C
      stenoses treated to analyze. Furthermore, multivariate testing demonstrated
      stenosis angulation (multivariate p less than 0.001), proximal tortuosity (p less
      than 0.001), decreased preatherectomy minimum lumen dimension (p = 0.032), and
      calcification (p = 0.041) to correlate independently with adverse outcome and
      complex, probably thrombus-associated stenoses to have a favorable outcome (p =
      0.055). Operator experience (p = 0.020) and a history of restenosis (p = 0.022)
      also favorably influenced outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The procedural outcome of
      directional coronary atherectomy is highly associated with coronary stenosis
      morphology. Furthermore, after appropriate stratification for morphology and
      clinical presentation, overall atherectomy procedural outcome may be similar to
      that achieved with coronary angioplasty. However, specific subsets of patients
      may have relatively better outcome with either atherectomy or balloon
      angioplasty.

PMID- 1860209
TI  - Effects of aging, gender, and physical training on peripheral vascular function.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Blood pressure and total peripheral resistance increase with age.
      However, the effect of age on vasodilatory capacity has not been characterized.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: To delineate the effects of aging, gender, and physical
      training on peripheral vascular function, we measured blood pressure during
      submaximal and maximal treadmill exercise and measured blood pressure, calf blood
      flow, and calf conductance (blood flow/mean blood pressure) at rest and during
      maximal hyperemia in 58 healthy sedentary subjects (men aged 25 +/- 5 and 65 +/-
      3 years and women aged 27 +/- 5 and 65 +/- 4 years) and in 52 endurance exercise
      trained subjects (men aged 30 +/- 3 and 65 +/- 4 years and women aged 27 +/- 3
      and 65 +/- 3 years). Systolic and mean blood pressures were higher at rest,
      during maximal calf hyperemia, and during submaximal exercise of the same
      intensity in the older than in the younger subjects of the same gender and
      exercise training status (p less than 0.01). The magnitude of the age-related
      effect on blood pressure during exercise was greater in women than in men (p less
      than 0.01). Diastolic blood pressure during submaximal exercise was also higher
      in the older than in the younger subjects (p less than 0.05) but not in women
      treated with estrogen replacement. In contrast, systolic and mean blood pressures
      during submaximal work were lower in physically conditioned subjects than in
      sedentary age- and gender-matched subjects (p less than 0.05) but not in older
      women. Increased age was associated with reduced maximal calf conductance in
      women (p less than 0.01) but not in men. However, calf vasodilatory capacity was
      higher in trained than in untrained subjects (p less than 0.01), regardless of
      age and gender. There was a significant inverse relation between maximal calf
      conductance and systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures during submaximal
      exercise (r = -0.31 to -0.53, p less than 0.01) and a direct relation between
      maximal calf conductance and maximal oxygen uptake (r = 0.66, p less than
      0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, for healthy subjects between the ages of 25 and 65
      years, there is an interactive effect between age and gender and an independent
      effect of physical training on peripheral vascular function.

PMID- 1860210
TI  - Electrode system influence on biphasic waveform defibrillation efficacy in
      humans.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Several clinical studies have demonstrated a general superiority of
      biphasic waveform defibrillation compared with monophasic waveform defibrillation
      using epicardial lead systems. To test the breadth of utility of biphasic
      waveforms in humans, a prospective, randomized evaluation of defibrillation
      efficacy of monophasic and single capacitor biphasic waveform pulses was
      performed for two distinct nonthoracotomy lead systems as well as for an
      epicardial electrode system in 51 cardiac arrest survivors undergoing automatic
      defibrillator implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: The configurations tested
      consisted of a right ventricular-left ventricular (RV-LV) epicardial patch-patch
      system, an RV catheter-chest patch (CP) nonthoracotomy system, and a coronary
      sinus (CS) catheter-RV catheter nonthoracotomy system. For each configuration,
      the defibrillation current and voltage waveforms were recorded via a digital
      oscilloscope to measure defibrillation threshold voltage, current, resistance,
      and stored energy. Biphasic waveform defibrillation proved more efficient than
      monophasic waveform defibrillation for the epicardial RV-LV system (4.8 +/- 4.1
      versus 6.7 +/- 4.9 J, p = 0.047) and the nonthoracotomy RV-CP system (23.4 +/-
      11.1 versus 34.3 +/- 10.4 J, p = 0.0042). Biphasic waveform defibrillation
      thresholds were not significantly lower than monophasic waveform defibrillation
      thresholds for the CS-RV nonthoracotomy system (15.6 +/- 7.2 versus 20.0 +/- 11.5
      J, p = 0.11). Biphasic waveform defibrillation proved more efficacious than
      monophasic waveform defibrillation in 13 of 20 patients (65%) with RV-LV
      epicardial patches, 10 of 15 patients (67%) with an RV-CP nonthoracotomy system,
      and nine of 16 patients (56%) with an RV-CS nonthoracotomy system. CONCLUSIONS:
      Biphasic pulsing was useful with nonthoracotomy lead systems as well as with
      epicardial lead systems. However, the degree of biphasic waveform defibrillation
      superiority appeared to be electrode system dependent. Furthermore, for a few
      individuals, biphasic waveform defibrillation proved less efficient than
      monophasic waveform defibrillation, regardless of the lead system used.

PMID- 1860211
TI  - Differences in electrophysiological substrate in patients with coronary artery
      disease and cardiac arrest or ventricular tachycardia. Insights from endocardial
      mapping and signal-averaged electrocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many studies have combined patients with hemodynamically well
      tolerated ventricular tachycardia (VT) and those with cardiac arrest (CA) as a
      single, homogenous group. Recent studies suggest that these two groups have
      different electrophysiological substrates and responses to therapy. Most of these
      studies, however, enrolled patients with a variety of cardiac diagnoses. METHODS
      AND RESULTS: We used signal-averaged electrocardiography (SAECG) and endocardial
      catheter mapping to define the electrophysiological substrate in patients with
      coronary artery disease and VT or CA and correlate the results of the two
      methods. We also examined the usefulness of SAECG in CA patients to differentiate
      those with inducible arrhythmias from those who are noninducible. VT patients
      were more likely to have had a prior myocardial infarction (p = 0.0005) and to
      have inducible arrhythmias (p = 0.0001) than were CA patients. The induced
      arrhythmias in patients who presented with VT was VT in more than 90% of cases,
      whereas in CA patients, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PMVT) accounted for
      one third of induced arrhythmias. Mean filtered QRS duration was longer (135
      versus 120 msec) and the terminal QRS voltage was smaller (20 versus 34 microV)
      in VT than in CA patients (p less than 0.01). Sixty-three percent of CA patients
      and 87% of VT patients had abnormal SAECG (p = 0.001). VT patients had more
      extensive endocardial abnormalities and more abnormal (53% versus 40%, p =
      0.002), fractionated (8% versus 3%, p = 0.02), late (17% versus 8%, p = 0.0003),
      and late abnormal or fractionated (14% versus 4%, p = 0.0001) sites than CA
      patients. VT patients had a greater duration of the longest electrogram (129
      versus 109 msec, p = 0.0006) and total endocardial activation time (68 versus 54
      msec, p = 0.009). Among CA patients, those with induced VT had more extensive
      substrate than did those with induced PMVT and were similar to VT patients with
      induced VT. Among CA patients, the trend for more patients with inducible VT
      (77%) or PMVT (55%) than noninducible patients (47%) to have an abnormal SAECG
      did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.14). The positive and negative
      predictive values of an abnormal SAECG were 77% and 44%, respectively.
      CONCLUSIONS: VT patients have more extensive endocardial substrate than CA
      patients, which translates into greater and more frequent SAECG abnormalities.
      Among CA patients, there are significant differences in substrate between
      patients with induced VT and those with induced PMVT. SAECG is not useful in
      differentiating CA patients who have inducible VT or PMVT from those who do not.

PMID- 1860212
TI  - Suppression of eicosanoid biosynthesis during coronary angioplasty by fish oil
      and aspirin.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an acute,
      localized stimulus to platelet and vascular function. Periprocedural
      cardiovascular complications are reduced by moderate-dose aspirin (ASA),
      presumably due to inhibition of thromboxane (TX) A2. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      Excretion of TXA2 and prostacyclin (PGI2) metabolites in urine increased during
      PTCA. Pretreatment for 3 days with either moderate- (325 mg/day) or low-dose (80
      mg/day) ASA inhibited the increase in both eicosanoids. Pretreatment for 3 weeks
      with fish oil (10 g/day) only partially suppressed TXA2. Formation of trienoic
      eicosanoids and accumulation of omega-3 fatty acids in platelet membranes
      confirmed fish oil ingestion. Although basal PGI2 was not inhibited, the PTCA
      related increment was suppressed. CONCLUSIONS: PTCA results in an acute,
      transient alteration of eicosanoid biosynthesis consistent with accelerated
      platelet-vascular interactions. Pretreatment for 3 days with moderate or low
      doses of ASA suppresses TXA to a similar extent during PTCA, and their effects on
      acute cardiovascular complications of this procedure are likely to be comparable.
      It is unlikely that even prolonged pretreatment with fish oil can substitute for
      the platelet inhibitory action of ASA during PTCA. Suppression of PGI2 may
      contribute to the residual acute periprocedural complication rate in patients
      taking ASA.

PMID- 1860213
TI  - Abnormal vascular responses to supine exercise in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Exercise hypotension has been documented in hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy. It is not the result of an inability to augment cardiac output
      but instead relates to an inappropriate and exaggerated decrease in systemic
      vascular resistance at high work loads. METHODS AND RESULTS: To enable us to
      examine the behavior of the peripheral vasculature during exercise, 103
      consecutive patients underwent maximal symptom-limited supine bicycle exercise
      with measurement of forearm blood flow. A minimum reduction of 12% from the basal
      value was defined as a normal response based on the study of 25 normal controls.
      In the patients, two patterns of forearm blood flow were observed. Sixty-four
      patients had an appropriate reduction in forearm blood flow of 40 +/- 16% from
      resting flow. In 39 patients, the forearm blood flow either failed to decrease or
      increased with exercise by 45 +/- 105% of the resting value. Patients with an
      abnormal forearm vasodilator response were younger (31 +/- 13 versus 46 +/- 14
      years), and more of them had a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and
      sudden death than did those with a normal vasoconstrictor response (16 of 39
      versus eight of 64). Left ventricular end-diastolic cavity dimensions were
      smaller in those with an abnormal forearm blood flow response, but other
      clinical, echocardiographic, and arrhythmic variables were similar. To assess the
      relation of abnormal peripheral vascular responses to erect exercise blood
      pressure response, patients underwent treadmill exercise testing with careful
      monitoring of systolic blood pressure response. Thirty-eight patients had
      significant exercise hypotension with failure of the systolic blood pressure to
      increase during progressive exercise (n = 6) or an abrupt decrease in systolic
      blood pressure (20-60 mm Hg) from the peak value (n = 32); 65 patients had a
      normal exercise blood pressure response, but 18 of these patients had an
      oscillation in systolic blood pressure of 10 mm Hg or more early in the recovery
      phase. Thirty-one of 39 patients with an abnormal forearm blood flow response
      demonstrated exercise hypotension during the erect exercise testing, and the
      remaining eight patients had a normal exercise blood pressure response; however,
      five of these eight had abnormal oscillations in blood pressure during recovery
      (r = 0.61, p less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The relation of abnormal peripheral
      vascular responses to exercise hypotension confirms the observation of
      hemodynamic instability in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The finding
      of abnormal vascular responses in patients known to be at increased risk (young
      age and a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sudden death)
      suggests that hemodynamic mechanisms may be important in the occurrence of sudden
      death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 1860214
TI  - Diminishment of respiratory sinus arrhythmia foreshadows doxorubicin-induced
      cardiomyopathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The development of a microcomputer-based device permits quick,
      simple, and noninvasive quantification of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)
      during quiet breathing. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively and serially
      measured the radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction and the RSA
      amplitude in 34 cancer patients receiving up to nine monthly bolus treatments
      with doxorubicin hydrochloride (60 mg/m2). Of the eight patients who ultimately
      developed symptomatic doxorubicin-induced congestive heart failure, seven (87.5%)
      demonstrated a significant decline in RSA amplitude; five of 26 subjects without
      clinical symptoms of cardiotoxicity (19.2%) showed a similar RSA amplitude
      decline. On average, significant RSA amplitude decline occurred 3 months before
      the last planned doxorubicin dose in patients destined to develop clinical
      congestive heart failure. CONCLUSION: Overall, RSA amplitude abnormality proved
      to be a more specific predictor of clinically significant congestive heart
      failure than did serial resting radionuclide ejection fractions.

PMID- 1860215
TI  - Clinical characteristics of nonfatal myocardial infarction among individuals on
      prophylactic low-dose aspirin therapy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The influence of prophylactic low-dose aspirin on the clinical
      characteristics of subsequent nonfatal myocardial infarction was examined in the
      Physicians' Health Study, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of
      alternate-day aspirin (325 mg) among 22,071 US male physicians. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: During 60.2 months of follow-up, 342 incident cases of nonfatal
      myocardial infarction were confirmed (95.2% of all reports): 129 on aspirin and
      213 on placebo (p less than 0.00001). Despite this statistically extreme
      reduction in occurrence of a first nonfatal infarction attributable to aspirin,
      there were no significant differences in the size, location, electrocardiographic
      features, or postinfarction left ventricular ejection fraction between the
      aspirin and placebo groups. Furthermore, among those undergoing angiography,
      there were no differences in the distribution or number of coronary vessels
      obstructed. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that chronic platelet inhibition
      with alternate-day aspirin therapy reduces the risk of a first myocardial
      infarction but does not appear to have a significant effect on the clinical
      characteristics of events that are survived. This finding may result from a
      direct effect of aspirin or from an aspirin-induced shift in infarction severity.
      Regardless of mechanism, these clinical observations suggest that treatment
      decisions for acute infarction patients should be made independently of a history
      of aspirin use.

PMID- 1860216
TI  - Impact of impinging wall jet on color Doppler quantification of mitral
      regurgitation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In clinical color Doppler examinations, mitral regurgitant jets are
      often observed to impinge on the left atrial wall immediately beyond the mitral
      valve. In accordance with fluid dynamics theory, we hypothesized that a jet
      impinging on a wall would lose momentum more rapidly, undergo spatial distortion,
      and thus have a different observed jet area from that of a free jet with an
      identical flow rate. METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this hypothesis in vivo, we
      studied 44 patients with mitral regurgitation--30 with centrally directed free
      jets and 14 with eccentrically directed impinging wall jets. Maximal color jet
      areas (cm2) (with and without correction for left atrial size) were correlated
      with mitral regurgitant volumes, flow rates, and fractions derived from pulsed
      Doppler mitral and aortic forward flows. The groups were compared by analysis of
      covariance. Mean +/- SD mitral regurgitant fraction, regurgitant volume, and mean
      flow rate averaged 37 +/- 17%, 3.06 +/- 2.65 l/min, and 147 +/- 118 ml/sec,
      respectively. The maximal jet area from color Doppler imaging correlated
      relatively well with the mitral regurgitant fraction in the patients with free
      mitral regurgitant jets (r = 0.74, p less than 0.0001) but poorly in the patients
      with impinging wall jets (r = 0.42, p = NS). Although the mitral regurgitant
      fraction was larger (p less than 0.05) in patients with wall jets (44 +/- 20%)
      than in those with free jets (33 +/- 15%), the maximal jet area was significantly
      smaller (4.78 +/- 2.87 cm2 for wall jets versus 9.17 +/- 6.45 cm2 for free jets,
      p less than 0.01). For the same regurgitant fraction, wall jets were only
      approximately 40% of the size of a corresponding free jet, a difference confirmed
      by analysis of covariance (p less than 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with mitral
      regurgitation frequently have jets that impinge on the left atrial wall close to
      the mitral valve. Such impinging wall jets are less predictable and usually have
      much smaller color Doppler areas in conventional echocardiographic views than do
      free jets of similar regurgitant severity. Jet morphology should be considered in
      the semiquantitative interpretation of mitral regurgitation by Doppler color flow
      mapping. Future studies of the three-dimensional morphology of wall jets may aid
      in their assessment.

PMID- 1860217
TI  - Quantification of and correction for left ventricular systolic long-axis
      shortening by magnetic resonance tissue tagging and slice isolation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Measurement of regional left ventricular (LV) function is predicted
      on the ability to compare equivalent LV segments at different time points during
      the cardiac cycle. Standard techniques of short-axis acquisition in two
      dimensional echocardiography, cine computed tomography, and standard magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) acquire images from a fixed plane and fail to compensate
      for through-plane motion. The shortening of the left ventricle along its long
      axis during systole results in planar images of two different levels of the
      ventricle, leading to error in any derived functional measurements. LV systolic
      long-axis motion was measured in 19 normal volunteers using MRI. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: With a selective radio frequency (RF) tissue-tagging technique, three
      short-axis planes were labeled at end diastole and standard spin-echo images were
      acquired at end systole in the two- and four-chamber orientations. Persistence of
      the tags through systole allowed visualization of the intersecting short-axis
      tags in the long-axis images and allowed precise quantification of long-axis
      motion of the septum, lateral, anterior, and inferior walls at the base, mid, and
      apical LV levels. The total change in position along the long axis between end
      diastole and end systole was greatest at the base, which moved toward the apex
      12.8 +/- 3.8 mm. The mid left ventricle moved 6.9 +/- 2.6 mm, and the apex was
      nearly stationary, moving only 1.6 +/- 2.2 mm (p less than 0.001). Having
      quantified the normal range of long-axis shortening, we developed a technique
      that isolates a slice of tissue between selective RF saturation planes at end
      diastole. Combining this with a wide end-systolic image slice, end-systolic
      images were acquired without contamination of signal from adjacent tissue moving
      into the imaging plane. This technique was validated in a moving phantom and in
      normal volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Significant LV systolic long-axis shortening
      exists, and this effect is seen the most at the base and the least at the apex.
      At a given ventricular level, shortening varied significantly according to
      location. A method using selective saturation pulses and gated spin-echo MRI
      automatically corrects for this motion and thus eliminates misregistration
      artifact from regional function analysis.

PMID- 1860218
TI  - Intermediate-term effectiveness of balloon valvuloplasty for congenital aortic
      stenosis. A prospective follow-up study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty has proven to be acutely effective
      in the treatment of congenital valvar aortic stenosis; however, the intermediate-
      and long-term effectiveness of the procedure remain to be documented. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: To assess the intermediate-term effectiveness of balloon valvuloplasty,
      repeat catheterization was performed in 27 of 30 children 1.7 +/- 0.1 years after
      balloon valvuloplasty for congenital aortic stenosis (AS). In 33 children the
      peak AS gradient was reduced acutely by 55% from 77 +/- 4 to 35 +/- 3 mm Hg (p
      less than 0.001), and left ventricular systolic pressure was reduced from 176 +/-
      4 to 138 +/- 4 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Despite a technically adequate
      valvuloplasty procedure, three patients had inadequate relief of obstruction and
      required complex surgical intervention. Twenty-seven of the 30 patients available
      for late reevaluation (90%) enrolled in the follow-up study. The peak AS gradient
      remained significantly reduced compared with that present before valvuloplasty
      (29 +/- 3 versus 77 +/- 4 mm Hg, p less than 0.001). Furthermore, there was no
      difference in peak AS gradient at follow-up compared with that immediately after
      valvuloplasty. The greatest increase in gradient at reevaluation was 14 mm Hg.
      Twenty of 27 patients (74%) had no change in the degree of aortic insufficiency
      at follow-up compared with that present before valvuloplasty. At follow-up, 16
      patients had no aortic insufficiency at all, and only two had moderate-to-severe
      (3-4+) insufficiency. Femoral artery injury was documented in four patients,
      three of whom were under 12 months of age at valvuloplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Balloon
      aortic valvuloplasty provides safe and effective intermediate-term gradient
      relief without early restenosis in children and adolescents with congenital AS.

PMID- 1860219
TI  - Combination balloon-ultrasound imaging catheter for percutaneous transluminal
      angioplasty. Validation of imaging, analysis of recoil, and identification of
      plaque fracture.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We investigated the hypothesis that an ultrasound transducer
      positioned within an angioplasty balloon could be used to perform quantitative
      assessment of arterial dimensions before and after percutaneous transluminal
      angioplasty (PTA) and to identify certain mechanical alterations consequent to
      PTA, including vascular wall recoil and the initiation of plaque fractures.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: A combination balloon-ultrasound imaging catheter (BUIC)
      that houses a 20-MHz ultrasound transducer within and halfway between the
      proximal and distal ends of an angioplasty balloon was used to perform PTA in 10
      patients with peripheral vascular disease. Each PTA site was also evaluated
      before and after PTA by standard (nonballoon) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)
      technique. In eight patients in whom satisfactory images were recorded with the
      BUIC before PTA, luminal cross-sectional area (XSA) of stenotic sites (0.10 +/-
      0.01 cm2) did not differ significantly from measurements of XSA by IVUS (0.09 +/-
      0.01 cm2, p = NS). Likewise, minimum luminal diameter (Dmin) measured by BUIC
      (0.34 +/- 0.02 cm) was similar to that measured by IVUS (0.33 +/- 0.01 cm, p =
      NS). In nine patients in whom satisfactory images were recorded with the BUIC
      after PTA, XSA measured by BUIC (0.29 +/- 0.03 cm2) did not differ significantly
      from XSA measured by IVUS (0.30 +/- 0.03 cm2, p = NS). Dmin measured by BUIC
      after PTA (0.57 +/- 0.02 cm) was also similar to Dmin measured by IVUS (0.57 +/-
      0.03 cm, p = NS). After PTA, XSA and Dmin measured immediately after deflation
      were significantly less than balloon XSA and diameter at full inflation,
      indicating significant elastic recoil of the dilated site. For the nine patients
      in whom post-PTA images were satisfactory for quantitative analysis, including
      four patients in whom recoil was 39%, 46%, 50%, and 61%, percent recoil measured
      28.6 +/- 7.2%. Finally, plaque fractures were identified on-line in six of 10
      patients (60%); in each case, initiation of plaque fracture was observed at
      inflation pressures of 2 atm or less. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this
      preliminary human investigation indicate that an ultrasound transducer positioned
      within an angioplasty balloon can be used to perform quantitative and qualitative
      analyses of lumen-plaque-wall alterations immediately preceding, during, and
      immediately after PTA in patients with peripheral vascular disease.

PMID- 1860220
TI  - Differences in the effect of metabolic inhibition on action potentials and
      calcium currents in endocardial and epicardial cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Ischemia-induced electrophysiological changes are more prominent in
      epicardial cells than in endocardial cells. Epicardial action potentials shorten
      more than endocardial action potentials during ischemia. Since the L-type Ca2+
      current plays an important role in the maintenance of action potential duration,
      we hypothesized that the Ca2+ current is affected more in epicardial cells than
      in endocardial cells during ischemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this
      hypothesis, we examined the effect of metabolic inhibition, a major component of
      ischemia, on action potentials and the Ca2+ current in single cells isolated from
      the endocardial and epicardial layers of the feline left ventricle. The membrane
      voltage and current were measured by using the whole-cell mode of the patch-clamp
      technique. During control periods, action potentials recorded from epicardial
      myocytes had lower amplitude, a prominent notch between phases 1 and 2, and
      shorter action potential duration compared with those recorded from endocardial
      myocytes. However, the amplitude and current-voltage relation of the Ca2+ current
      were similar in endocardial and epicardial cells at test potentials of -30 to 60
      mV elicited from a holding potential of -40 mV. The time course of inactivation
      of the Ca2+ current also was identical in the two cell types. After 15 minutes of
      superfusion with glucose-free Tyrode's solution containing 1 mM CN-, action
      potential duration was reduced by 13 +/- 7% in endocardial cells and by 80 +/- 9%
      in epicardial cells (p less than 0.01). The peak Ca2+ current was reduced by 21
      +/- 9% in endocardial cells and by 37 +/- 6% in epicardial cells (p less than
      0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that enhanced depression of the Ca2+ current may
      account in part for the greater action potential shortening in epicardial cells
      during ischemia and metabolic inhibition.

PMID- 1860221
TI  - Cytotoxic effects of a recombinant chimeric toxin on rapidly proliferating
      vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is
      associated with activation of medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs); they
      proliferate, migrate to the subintima, and narrow the vessel lumen. Cancer cells
      often express more cell surface receptors than do normal cells. This has allowed
      tumor cells to be specifically targeted using cytotoxic agents. We have examined
      whether a similar concept can be applied to rapidly proliferating but
      nontransformed SMCs. Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE; MW, 66 kDa) is a potent toxin that
      kills cells by inhibiting protein synthesis; its toxicity is diminished when its
      cell recognition domain is deleted to produce a 40-kDa protein (PE40). METHODS
      AND RESULTS: A complementary DNA encoding transforming growth factor alpha (TGF
      alpha) was ligated to that encoding PE40 and the chimeric toxin TGF alpha-PE40,
      which is cytotoxic to cancer cells displaying epidermal growth factor (EGF)
      receptors, was expressed in Escherichia coli. The ability of this toxin to kill
      proliferating SMCs was tested. When cells were seeded at low density (2,500
      cells/cm2) and grown in medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, they
      were found to be rapidly proliferating; these cells were very sensitive to the
      cytotoxic effects of TGF alpha-PE40 (ID50, 4.0 +/- 0.17 ng/ml). In contrast,
      cytotoxicity was 30-fold less (ID50, 125 +/- 23 ng/ml; p less than 0.0004) when
      cells were in a quiescent state (grown in medium supplemented with 0.5% fetal
      bovine serum). CONCLUSIONS: Competition studies using excess EGF indicated that
      the cytotoxic effects of TGF alpha-PE40 are specifically mediated by the EGF
      receptor. EGF receptor binding analysis demonstrated that rapidly proliferating
      SMCs display 10-fold more EGF receptors than do quiescent SMCs in vitro. Thus, a
      chimeric toxin targeted toward the EGF receptor can selectively kill rapidly
      proliferating SMCs. Whether this toxin or other chimeric toxins directed against
      other cell surface receptors will effectively inhibit SMCs proliferating in vivo
      or be useful in preventing restenosis remains to be determined.

PMID- 1860222
TI  - Effects of milrinone on left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Left ventricular remodeling after an acute myocardial infarction may
      result in progressive left ventricular dilation that may be associated with
      increased mortality. We studied the effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor
      milrinone on left ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: Rats (n = 90) were randomized to undergo either left
      coronary artery ligation or sham operation. Three weeks after surgery, rats
      received either no treatment or milrinone, which was continued until 2 days
      before the rats were killed. Ninety days after the initial surgery, hemodynamic
      measurements were made before and after volume loading. The rats were killed, the
      hearts were removed, and passive pressure-volume curves were obtained. The hearts
      were fixed at a constant pressure and analyzed morphometrically. Compared with
      untreated infarcted rats, milrinone-treated infarcted rats had a lower left
      ventricular end-diastolic pressure (1.7 +/- 0.4 versus 4.3 +/- 1.4 mm Hg, p less
      than 0.05), a lower left ventricular volume (1.25 +/- 0.20 versus 2.37 +/- 0.30
      ml/kg, p less than 0.001) and a lower left ventricular wall stress index (1.3 +/-
      0.2 versus 1.7 +/- 0.1, p less than 0.05). Left ventricular chamber stiffness was
      higher in milrinone-treated infarcted rats than in untreated infarcted rats.
      Milrinone had no cardiac effect on uninfarcted animals. CONCLUSION: Chronic
      milrinone therapy after acute myocardial infarction improves cardiac hemodynamic
      indexes and attenuates progressive left ventricular dilation.

PMID- 1860223
TI  - Platelet-targeted fibrinolysis enhances clot lysis and inhibits platelet
      aggregation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although plasminogen activator therapy has been shown to reduce
      mortality in patients with severe myocardial infarction, several problems fuel
      the search for more potent and specific thrombolytic agents. METHODS AND RESULTS:
      To explore the effect of plasminogen activator targeting to platelets, we
      covalently linked urokinase that had been modified with N-succinimidyl-3-(2
      pyridyldithio)propionate to the Fab' of a monoclonal antibody (7E3) that
      selectively binds to platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa. In an assay
      measuring (as reflected by plasmin generation) a plasminogen activator's ability
      to bind GP IIb/IIIa immobilized on plastic, urokinase-7E3 Fab' produced 31-fold
      more plasmin than did urokinase (p = 0.0001). The addition of solubilized GP
      IIb/IIIa blocked this enhancement of plasmin generation, indicating that binding
      was impaired. Plasmin generation reflecting binding to immobilized intact
      platelets was 2.4-fold greater for urokinase-7E3 Fab' than for unconjugated
      urokinase (p = 0.002). In a plasma clot lysis assay, urokinase-7E3 Fab' was at
      least 25-fold more potent than either urokinase alone or a mixture of urokinase
      and 7E3 (Fab')2 (p less than 0.009), and potency could be related to platelet
      concentration in the clot. Ex vivo, ADP-induced platelet aggregation was
      inhibited by a urokinase-7E3 IgG conjugate at a concentration of 8 nM, whereas a
      mixture of urokinase and 7E3 (Fab')2 in equimolar amounts required 60 nM and
      urokinase alone required 1 microM to achieve the same effect. CONCLUSIONS:
      Therefore, the targeting of urokinase to the GP IIb/IIIa platelet receptor both
      accelerates clot lysis (when platelets are associated with a fibrin clot) and
      inhibits platelet aggregation.

PMID- 1860224
TI  - Prevention of arterial reocclusion after thrombolysis with recombinant
      lipoprotein-associated coagulation inhibitor.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine whether arterial reocclusion
      after thrombolysis can be prevented by lipoprotein-associated coagulation
      inhibitor (LACI), a physiological inhibitor of tissue factor-induced coagulation
      mediated by the extrinsic pathway. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thrombosis was induced in
      femoral arteries of anesthetized dogs with the use of anodal current to elicit
      extensive vascular injury and formation of platelet-rich thrombi in one artery
      and with thrombogenic copper wire to elicit fibrin-rich thrombi without
      appreciable vascular injury in the contralateral artery. Recanalization of both
      vessels was induced with t-PA (1.7 mg/kg i.v. over 1 hour) and verified with
      Doppler flow probes. Reocclusion occurred within 2 hours in seven of seven
      arteries with electrical injury-induced thrombosis and in four of seven arteries
      with copper wire-induced thrombosis in the absence of LACI. In dogs given
      infusions of recombinant DNA-produced LACI (225 micrograms/kg over 15 minutes,
      followed by 4 micrograms/kg/min i.v.) after completion of the infusion of t-PA,
      no reocclusion occurred during the 2-hour interval of observation in any of the
      five arteries subjected to electrical injury (p less than 0.001), and cyclic
      partial occlusions were nearly abolished (0.4 +/- 0.4/hr in LACI-treated dogs
      compared with 13.7 +/- 5.5/hr in saline-treated dogs, p less than 0.0001). In
      contrast, reocclusion occurred in two of five arteries with indwelling copper
      wires, and cyclic partial occlusions were unaffected despite LACI. LACI prolonged
      the partial thromboplastin time modestly (1.7 +/- 0.2 x baseline) but did not
      affect platelet counts or aggregation assessed ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition
      of the extrinsic pathway of coagulation with LACI prevents thrombotic arterial
      reocclusion after thrombolysis in vessels subjected to extensive vascular injury.
      Our results demonstrate that activation of the extrinsic pathway plays a critical
      role in thrombotic reocclusion and that LACI provides a highly targeted approach
      to facilitate sustained recanalization without directly inhibiting platelets.

PMID- 1860226
TI  - Anatomy of the tricuspid annulus. Circumferential myofibers as the structural
      basis for atrial flutter in a canine model.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Little anatomic information is available on the annular myocardium.
      This study was conducted to determine the anatomic substrate for atrial flutter
      due to circus movement around the tricuspid annulus in the Y-shaped incision
      canine model of atrial flutter. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied photographs of
      the annular myocardium serial histological sections, made in either of three
      different planes, and compared these with photographs of the intact and blocked
      gross heart specimens. We found that the annulus is the most caudal region of the
      atrial wall. The epicardial aspect of the annulus abuts the ventricular septum or
      the aortic root in the medial region; in other regions, it is covered by the fat
      of the coronary sulcus. Its endocardial aspect is delimited by the tricuspid
      leaflets inferiorly and by the pectinate muscle bundles superiorly, except in the
      medial region where the pectinate muscle bundles are absent. The annular
      myocardium is bilaminated. A continuous subepicardial circumferential lamina is
      the most prominent and is robust in the anterior, lateral, and posterior regions,
      but it attenuates to a fine muscular connection in the medial region. Myofibers
      of its superior border merge with the pectinate muscle bundles or are admixed in
      the medial region with myocardium at the base of the medial atrial wall. Its
      inferior border makes little contact with the annulus fibrosus about the ring;
      however, in the medial region, these myofibers insert into fibrous tissue
      superior to the septal leaflet. A discontinuous, subendocardial perpendicular
      lamina contains myofibers that descend from the atrium; most of these myofibers
      insert into the annulus fibrosus about the ring, but the lamina is absent in the
      anteromedial region. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the continuous circumferential
      lamina provides the anatomic substrate for circus movement of excitation in this
      model.

PMID- 1860225
TI  - Role of oxygen-derived free radicals in myocardial edema and ischemia in coronary
      microvascular embolization.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Oxygen-derived free radicals are thought to injure the ischemic heart
      during coronary microvascular embolization. METHODS AND RESULTS: To test this
      idea, microspheres (15 microns in diameter) were repetitively administered into
      the left anterior descending coronary artery to cause microvascular embolization
      in dogs. Myocardial contractile and metabolic dysfunctions were significantly
      attenuated after treatments with recombinant human superoxide dismutase, an acyl
      derivative of ascorbic acid (CV3611, 2-O-octadecylascorbic acid), and xanthine
      oxidase inhibitor (allopurinol). The free radical scavengers and inhibitor
      enhanced the coronary hyperemic flow response during embolization, and the total
      number of microspheres causing maximal embolization was increased by these drugs.
      When 8-phenyltheophylline was additionally administered with superoxide
      dismutase, these beneficial effects were abolished, indicating that coronary
      effects of these drugs may be due to increased release of adenosine during
      coronary microvascular embolization. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that oxygen
      radicals worsen the ischemic injury in coronary microembolization.

PMID- 1860227
TI  - Instantaneous hyperemic flow-versus-pressure slope index. Microsphere validation
      of an alternative to measures of coronary reserve.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The instantaneous hyperemic flow-versus-pressure (i-HFVP) slope index
      is a new method of assessing maximal coronary conductance and can be used as an
      alternative to conventional measures of coronary reserve. The i-HFVP slope index
      is determined by measuring the slope of the linear diastolic segment of the
      relation between instantaneous aortic pressure and hyperemic coronary flow.
      METHODS AND RESULTS: To validate the i-HFVP slope index as a measure of maximal
      coronary conductance, we compared this method with a microsphere-derived
      measurement of maximal coronary conductance (m-HFVP slope index) by determining
      the slope of the least-squares regression line of the data points for coronary
      flow during maximal hyperemia and four or five steady-state alterations of aortic
      pressure in 43 dogs (open-chest, anesthetized preparations) with or without
      coronary stenoses. The i-HFVP slope index demonstrated no dependence on heart
      rate, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, or mean aortic pressure and was
      highly reproducible within the groups studied (intraclass correlation
      coefficient, 0.86 for normal arteries, 0.87 for stenotic arteries, and 0.93 for
      combined groups; for all coefficients, p less than 0.001). The i-HFVP slope index
      was significantly decreased in the presence of a stenosis (10.3 +/- 3.9 for
      normal arteries versus 3.6 +/- 1.6 for stenotic arteries, p less than 0.001) as
      was the transmural m-HFVP slope index (8.9 +/- 4.6 for normal arteries versus 5.3
      +/- 3.1, p less than 0.01). Of special importance, the i-HFVP slope index
      measurement for normal arteries was not significantly different from the
      transmural and subendocardial m-HFVP slope index measurements (10.3 +/- 3.9
      versus 8.9 +/- 4.6 and 9.2 +/- 5.7, respectively). For stenotic arteries, the i
      HFVP slope index measurement was also not significantly different from the
      transmural and subendocardial m-HFVP slope index measurements (3.6 +/- 1.6 versus
      5.3 +/- 3.1 and 4.1 +/- 2.3, respectively). The i-HFVP slope index correlated
      best with subendocardial m-HFVP slope index measurements (correlation
      coefficient, 0.57; p less than 0.001). When the 95% confidence intervals for the
      transmural (or subendocardial) m-HFVP slope index in normal arteries were
      compared with the i-HFVP slope index values, the latter demonstrated a systematic
      trend to overestimate the m-HFVP slope index. In the presence of a stenosis, this
      effect was minimized, and the slope values were nearly identical. CONCLUSIONS:
      The i-HFVP slope index correlates most closely with subendocardial coronary
      conductance; the index is a hemodynamically independent measure of coronary
      reserve that is reproducible over a broad range of aortic pressures; and the
      methodology is applicable to an intact circulation in experimental preparations
      and may with future developments also prove useful in humans.

PMID- 1860228
TI  - Detection and localization of prolonged epicardial electrograms with 64-lead body
      surface signal-averaged electrocardiography.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Prolonged, fractionated ventricular electrograms often are detectable
      after myocardial infarction and are a marker for an arrhythmia-prone state. QRS
      late potentials detected on the body surface with signal-averaged
      electrocardiography (SAECG) are thought to arise from the diseased tissue that
      generates prolonged ventricular electrograms and as such are also a marker for
      arrhythmias. A limitation of the current SAECG technique is that recordings are
      obtained from only three bipolar lead pairs. Because late potentials probably
      arise from multiple small sources in the heart, more extensive sampling of the
      body surface may contribute additional information to the SAECG: The present
      study investigates the additional sensitivity of SAECG using 64 body surface
      leads in detecting prolonged epicardial electrograms and examines its use in
      determining the epicardial location of prolonged electrograms. METHODS AND
      RESULTS: Dogs were studied before and 5-10 days after either lateral left
      ventricular (n = 13) or right ventricular (n = 8) myocardial infarction. Greater
      prolongation of signal-averaged QRS duration was detected with 64-lead SAECG
      (postinfarction QRS duration, 100.3 +/- 16.3 msec) than with three-lead SAECG
      (postinfarction QRS duration, 89.4 +/- 10.1, p = 0.0005). Nineteen of the 21 dogs
      (90%) had prolonged epicardial electrograms detected over the infarct. The
      correlation between epicardial electrogram duration and signal-averaged QRS
      duration calculated from individual leads was much better for 64-lead SAECG (r =
      0.88, p less than 0.0001) than for three-lead SAECG (r = 0.53, p = 0.01), and the
      difference was most marked in cases with longer electrogram durations (more than
      100 msec). Local late potential maxima on the thorax after lateral left
      ventricular infarction were located to the left and inferior compared with those
      after right ventricular infarction (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: SAECG with more
      extensive recording from the body surface using 64 leads detects greater QRS
      prolongation than three-lead SAECG, and the longer QRS durations detected
      correspond to the duration of prolonged epicardial electrograms. Body surface
      location of late potentials corresponds to the epicardial location of the
      prolonged electrograms. This application of body surface mapping techniques to
      SAECG may permit more sensitive detection of arrhythmia-prone states and may aid
      in identifying arrhythmia sources.

PMID- 1860229
TI  - Effects of vascular runoff on myointimal hyperplasia after mechanical balloon or
      thermal laser arterial injury in dogs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Clinical evidence suggests that poor vascular runoff reduces the long
      term success rate of femoral angioplasty procedures. The purpose of this
      experimental study was to examine myointimal hyperplasia of dog femoral arteries
      after balloon denudation, thermal laser arterial injury, or sham operation in
      normal and reduced vascular runoff conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Before
      mechanical balloon injury or transluminal heated laser probe motion, the
      peripheral vascular runoff of dogs was reduced by ligating the femoral artery
      below its three distal side branches, decreasing the femoral flow rate from 114
      +/- 9 to 52 +/- 5 ml/min (mean +/- SEM). Endothelial denudation with a
      predominantly intact elastic internal membrane and circumferential structural
      changes in the media were noted by light microscopy 1 hour after balloon injury.
      Focal completely necrotic lesions of intima and media were found 1 hour after
      thermal laser arterial injury. After 8 weeks, the maximal thickness of neointima
      plus media of the site of previous intervention was greater after balloon injury
      (0.45 +/- 0.03 mm) and thermal laser injury (0.54 +/- 0.03 mm) than after sham
      operation (0.40 +/- 0.01 mm; p less than 0.001) in normal runoff dogs. Reduced
      vascular runoff augmented myointimal hyperplasia both in the balloon-injured and
      thermally damaged arteries; the wall thickness increased from 0.45 +/- 0.03 to
      0.93 +/- 0.10 mm and from 0.54 +/- 0.03 to 0.65 +/- 0.05 mm, respectively (p less
      than 0.001). The neointimal and medial wall area of the balloon-injured arteries
      contributed 48% to the area encompassed by the external elastic membrane compared
      with an 81% portion when vascular runoff was reduced (p less than 0.01). A 47%
      neointimal and medial wall area was found in thermally injured arteries with
      normal runoff compared with 63% after runoff reduction (p less than 0.05).
      CONCLUSION: This study suggests that hemodynamic factors associated with poor
      vascular runoff play an important role in extending myointimal hyperplasia
      independent of method and severity of the arterial injury during angioplasty.

PMID- 1860230
TI  - Cardiac epinephrine synthesis. Regulation by a glucocorticoid.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The heart can synthesize epinephrine. Homogenates of rat heart, which
      contain the enzymes phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and nonspecific
      N-methyltransferase (NMT), methylate norepinephrine to form epinephrine. The
      cardiac atrium contains primarily PNMT and the cardiac ventricle contains both
      PNMT and NMT. METHODS AND RESULTS: Rats were given the glucocorticoid
      dexamethasone at doses ranging from 0.2 to 20 mg/kg. Twenty-four hours later,
      cardiac atria, ventricle, skeletal muscle, and adrenal had increases in PNMT
      activity to as much as 230% of baseline. NMT activity was unchanged. Longer-term
      treatment with 1 mg/kg dexamethasone daily for 12 days increased cardiac PNMT
      activity about fivefold and also increased atrial epinephrine levels.
      Dexamethasone did not alter ventricular epinephrine levels but increased levels
      of both PNMT and catechol-O-methyltransferase, the major catabolic enzyme for
      epinephrine. After dexamethasone treatment, greater volumes of anti-PNMT
      antiserum were needed to decrease PNMT enzymatic activity, indicating that
      dexamethasone treatment resulted in greater amounts of PNMT and did not just
      activate existing PNMT molecules. Denervation of the masseter muscle of rats by
      unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy markedly diminished tissue
      norepinephrine and epinephrine levels but had no effect on masseter PNMT or NMT
      levels. We have previously shown that chemical sympathectomy with 6
      hydroxydopamine increases cardiac PNMT levels. These findings suggest that PNMT
      is an extraneuronal enzyme in both cardiac and skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS:
      Glucocorticoids have several cardiovascular effects, including increased cardiac
      output and blood pressure. Enhanced cardiac epinephrine synthesis may mediate
      some of these glucocorticoid effects.

PMID- 1860231
TI  - Improved blood flow during prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation with 30% duty
      cycle in infant pigs.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Sustained compression is recommended to maximize myocardial and
      cerebral blood flow during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in adults and
      children. We compared myocardial and cerebral perfusion during CPR in three
      groups of 2-week-old anesthetized swine using compression rates and duty cycles
      (duration of compression/total cycle time) of 100 per minute, 60%; 100 per
      minute, 30%; and 150 per minute, 30%. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ventricular
      fibrillation was induced and CPR was begun immediately with a sternal pneumatic
      compressor. Epinephrine was continuously infused during CPR. Microsphere
      determined blood flow and arterial and sagittal sinus blood gas measurements were
      made before cardiac arrest was induced and after 5, 10, 20, 35, and 50 minutes of
      CPR. At 5 minutes of CPR, ventricular and cerebral blood flows were greater than
      25 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 and were not significantly different between groups. When
      CPR was prolonged, however, myocardial and cerebral blood flows were
      significantly higher with the 30% duty cycle than with the 60% duty cycle. By 35
      minutes, all myocardial regions had less than 5 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 flow with the
      60% duty cycle. In contrast, CPR with the 30% duty cycle at either compression
      rate provided more than 25 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 to all ventricular regions for 50
      minutes. By 20 minutes, most brain regions received 50% less flow with the 60%
      duty cycle compared with animals undergoing CPR with the 30% duty cycle (p less
      than 0.05). Cerebral oxygen uptake was better preserved with the 30% duty cycle.
      Chest deformation from loss of recoil was greater with the 60% duty cycle
      compared with the 30% duty cycle. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the shorter duty
      cycle provides markedly superior myocardial and cerebral perfusion during 50
      minutes of CPR in this infant swine model. These data do not support
      recommendations for prolonged compression at rates of 100 per minute during CPR
      in infants and children.

PMID- 1860232
TI  - Nonischemic sudden tachyarrhythmic death in atherosclerotic heart disease.

PMID- 1860233
TI  - Mechanism of cardiac defibrillation. A different point of view.

PMID- 1860234
TI  - Antiphospholipid antibodies and the heart. Lessons and pitfalls for the
      cardiologist.

PMID- 1860235
TI  - James B. Herrick Lecture. Matrices of decision making in cardiology.

PMID- 1860236
TI  - Antiarrhythmics and VPD suppression.

PMID- 1860237
TI  - Dipyridamole thallium test. Is it useful for predicting coronary events after
      vascular surgery?

PMID- 1860238
TI  - Stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation trial.

PMID- 1860239
TI  - Thrombocytes and coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1860240
TI  - Has excimer coronary laser angioplasty finally found a niche?

PMID- 1860241
TI  - Interventional cardiology. The decade ahead.

PMID- 1860242
TI  - Chemical atherectomy. A novel approach to restenosis.

PMID- 1860243
TI  - Therapeutic fibrinolysis. What should follow?

PMID- 1860244
TI  - Adenosine. The signal of life?

PMID- 1860245
TI  - Discordance in results of right coronary intervention.

PMID- 1860246
TI  - Effects of medical and surgical therapy on postinfarction mortality rates.

PMID- 1860247
TI  - Environmental tobacco smoke and cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1860249
TI  - Piebaldism: an autonomous autosomal dominant entity.
AB  - Piebaldism is a disorder in which the major clinical features are patchy
      hypopigmentation of the skin and a white forelock. The manifestations of
      piebaldism overlap with those of other genodermatoses, in particular the
      Waardenburg syndrome, and it is uncertain whether piebaldism is a distinct
      entity. We have documented a family in which seven affected members in three
      generations have gross piebaldism without any additional stigmata. The
      intrafamilial phenotypic consistency is suggestive that this autosomal dominant
      disorder has independent syndromic status. Linkage studies using conventional
      gene markers failed to identity the locus of the faulty gene.

PMID- 1860248
TI  - Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data from out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrest: the Utstein Style. A statement for health professionals from a task force
      of the American Heart Association, the European Resuscitation Council, the Heart
      and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and the Australian Resuscitation Council.

PMID- 1860250
TI  - Automated multiple-cell karyotyping: a clinical feasibility study.
AB  - In order to increase the efficiency of the Magiscan metaphase location and
      karyotyping system, its software and mode of operation have been changed. In the
      new multiple-cell karyotyping method, interactions by the operator are only
      required for relocation and counting of metaphases, but not for karyotyping.
      Metaphases are located and their coordinates recorded automatically as before.
      The first metaphase in the list is relocated, displayed on the screen, and
      counted by the operator. It is then karyotyped automatically while the operator
      relocates and counts the next metaphase in the list. This procedure continues
      until an appropriate number of metaphases have been counted and karyotyped.
      Finally a composite karyotype is printed out. Each karyotype is represented by a
      column of 23 chromosome pairs (1-22 and XX or XY) and all columns are lined up
      next to each other. Most chromosomes are correctly classified into the composite
      karyotype. Minor structural abnormalities are detected by comparing pairs of
      homologues. Overlapped, close touching, and grossly abnormal chromosomes are
      often misclassified or rejected and shown beneath the classified chromosomes. A
      trained cytotechnician can easily detect even small chromosome abnormalities on
      the composite karyotype. A clinical feasibility study indicates that the
      procedure can be used for routine cytogenetic analysis.

PMID- 1860251
TI  - A 15-item checklist for screening mentally retarded males for the fragile X
      syndrome.
AB  - A 15-item checklist, including physical and behavioral features frequently
      observed in fragile X syndrome, was used in a prospective study of 188 mentally
      retarded males in order to identify males at risk for this syndrome. Of the 188
      males, 19 were found to have the fragile X syndrome, while the remaining 169
      males had no recognizable cause of their mental retardation, including normal
      chromosomes. Significant differences (p less than 0.01) were found between
      mentally retarded males with and without the fragile X syndrome with increased
      hyperactivity; shorter attention span; more tactile defensiveness, hand-flapping,
      perseverative speech, and hyperextensibility; large ears and testes; higher
      frequency of simian creases or Sydney lines and plantar creases; and more
      positive family histories of mental retardation in the fragile X syndrome males.
      Multiple regression and discriminant analyses of the 188 males indicated several
      physical features were useful predictors for inclusion in the fragile X syndrome
      group. An overall correct classification rate of 93% was achieved based on 6
      variables (plantar crease, simian crease, hyperflexibility, large testes, large
      ears, and a positive family history of mental retardation) that were entered into
      the discriminant equation. Therefore, our experience with a 15-item checklist
      suggests the potential of screening for the fragile X syndrome in mentally
      retarded males and that 6 of the 15 variables were particularly good predictors
      of this syndrome.

PMID- 1860252
TI  - Metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia.
AB  - Based on two independent personal cases and a pair of sibs from the literature,
      we delineate a new category of bone dysplasia with cup-shaped large metaphyses,
      for which the name metaphyseal acroscyphodysplasia is suggested. The main
      clinical features are severe growth retardation, micromelia predominating in the
      lower limbs, knee flexion, and severe brachydactyly. The radiological aspect of
      the knees is very specific: the lower femoral and upper tibial epiphyses embed
      themselves in their metaphyses, which are severely cup-shaped. Premature central
      epiphyso-metaphyseal fusion and gross deformation, or even coalescence, of the
      femoral condyles may occur. The femoral diaphyses are very short and broad, and
      there is progressive coxa valga. Bowed and/or short stubby tibiae with cone
      shaped metaphyses, and varus deformity of the tibio-astragalian joint are other
      features. Slight deformations of the long bones occur in the upper limb. Severe
      brachydactyly, brachymesophalangy, phalangeal and metacarpal cone-shaped
      epiphyses and irregular, bent and shortened diaphyses are the main signs of hand
      involvement. Psychomotor retardation is present in 3/4. Autosomal recessive
      inheritance is likely.

PMID- 1860254
TI  - Acrodysostosis in two generations: an autosomal dominant syndrome.
AB  - Acrodysostosis is a rare syndrome characterized by growth retardation, peripheral
      dysostosis and mental deficiency. X-rays reveal generalized shortening of
      metacarpals, metatarsals and phalanges, hyperplasia of the first ray of the feet
      and premature skeletal maturation. Occasionally abnormal interpedicular spinal
      spaces, increased mandibular angle and hearing loss have been observed. We report
      a 19-year-old woman and her daughter examined at birth and subsequently at 6
      years of age. The clinical and radiological characteristics are those of
      acrodysostosis. The syndrome is easily recognized at birth. The generalized
      corporal shortening is progressive and could be due to premature closing of
      epiphyses. The finding of an affected mother and her daughter support the
      postulate that acrodysostosis is inherited as an autosomal dominant syndrome.

PMID- 1860253
TI  - Monozygotic twin girls with diploid/triploid chromosome mosaicism and cutaneous
      pigmentary dysplasia.
AB  - Diploid/triploid mosaicism is an uncommon clinical syndrome with a subtle but
      distinctive phenotype. Characteristic features include prenatal and postnatal
      asymmetric growth deficiency, triangular and/or asymmetric facies, micrognathia,
      finger and/or toe syndactyly, clinodactyly, single transverse palmar creases,
      male genital anomalies, hypotonia and psychomotor retardation. This disorder is
      underdiagnosed because in 70% of cases the triploid cell line is only seen in
      fibroblasts. In cases in which a triploid cell line is found in lymphocytes, it
      usually occurs in less than 5% of cells. While some reports of diploid/triploid
      mosaicism have mentioned unusual skin pigmentary patterns, including
      hypomelanosis of Ito, it was only recently recognized that this is a helpful
      diagnostic clue in mosaic chromosome disorders. We report monozygotic twin girls
      with diploid/triploid mosaicism whose cutaneous pigmentary dysplasia led to their
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1860255
TI  - Association of annular pancreas and duodenal obstruction--evidence for Mendelian
      inheritance?
AB  - This report presents a family with two individuals in two successive generations
      who were affected by annular pancreas and high duodenal obstruction. An argument
      for autosomal dominant transmission and implications for appropriate team
      management are discussed.

PMID- 1860256
TI  - Interstitial deletion of chromosome 2q associated with ovarian dysgenesis.
AB  - In the present report we describe a girl with mental retardation, Dandy-Walker
      malformation, craniofacial anomalies, cardiac defect, and ovarian dysgenesis
      associated with an interstitial deletion of chromosome 2. The interstitial
      deletion in the proband was associated with an apparently balanced translocation
      involving chromosomes 2 and 7 in the father.

PMID- 1860257
TI  - Hypothesis: association of the critical region of trisomy 18 and 18q2--syndrome
      with dermatoglyphic findings and a growth suppressor (deleted in colon cancer)
      locus.
AB  - Evidence from the literature is reviewed to suggest that when fingertip dermal
      ridge patterns in chromosomal deletion syndromes are characteristic of the
      opposite spectrum of the developmental scale from patterns found in cases
      trisomic for the same chromosomal region, the association may be a consequence of
      loci with growth regulatory functions. Evidence is presented that DNA markers at
      18q21 should be the first candidate sequences to be used to test this hypothesis
      in families with fingertip arches segregating in an apparent autosomal dominant
      fashion.

PMID- 1860258
TI  - IBM-PC compatible software for establishing metacarpophalangeal pattern profiles.
AB  - We briefly present software for performing metacarpophalangeal pattern (MCPP)
      profile analysis, which runs on generally available low-cost IBM (PC, XT, AT) and
      compatible PCs. The program is easy for the medical geneticist to handle and
      apply. We compared the mean MCPP of our own patients with Ullrich-Turner syndrome
      with the mean MCPP for Ullrich-Turner patients originally published by Poznanski.

PMID- 1860259
TI  - [Innovations in Tubinger and IMZ-implant systems].

PMID- 1860260
TI  - [Bonefit implant models with Swiss precision with minimum instruments and maximum
      success].

PMID- 1860261
TI  - Conventional treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and membranous
      nephropathy in adults.
AB  - This article is a review of the results of corticosteroid and immunosuppressive
      treatment in adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Adults with minimal
      change nephropathy usually require a prolonged administration of corticosteroids
      to achieve remission which, in itself, carries the risk of severe and even life
      threatening complications. Therefore, intravenous high-dose steroid pulses,
      alternate-day prednisone, short courses with cytotoxic agents and long-term
      administration of azathioprine have been suggested as alternatives to the
      classical prolonged corticotherapy. While most patients with focal-segmental
      glomerulosclerosis do not respond to short-term prednisone, almost half of the
      patients with nephrotic syndrome will attain remission with a more prolonged
      administration of corticosteroids and/or cytotoxic agents. A six-month course of
      methylprednisolone and chlorambucil preserves renal function and reduces the
      proteinuria in many patients with membranous nephropathy, even in the presence of
      initial renal insufficiency. Thus, there is growing evidence that corticosteroids
      and/or immunosuppressive agents can favorably alter the natural course of disease
      in many patients with idiopathic glomerulonephritis. However, these agents have a
      low therapeutic index. Further studies are needed to find more effective and less
      toxic treatment approaches in patients with primary glomerulonephritis.

PMID- 1860262
TI  - Mechanism of action of cyclosporin A and rationale for use in nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - Cyclosporin A (CyA, Sandimmun) is the forerunner of a new generation of
      immunosuppressive drugs. It is highly effective in both antibody- and cell
      mediated immunity and in inhibiting chronic inflammatory reactions. Cyclosporin A
      is, therefore, widely used to prevent rejection in clinical organ transplantation
      and appears to be very promising in the treatment of several autoimmune diseases.
      Cyclosporin A is not only effective when given at the time of sensitization
      (prevention of disease), but also when administered therapeutically during an
      immune response, such as during the active course of an autoimmune disease. The
      most important aspect of its immunosuppressive mechanism is the inhibition of
      lymphokine production secreted by activated T cells. The pharmacological effects
      of CyA are rapid in onset, dose-dependent and often quickly reversible when
      treatment is stopped.

PMID- 1860263
TI  - Cyclosporin A (Sandimmun) in nephrotic syndrome. Proceedings of a workshop.
      November 5, 1990, Nice, France.

PMID- 1860264
TI  - Epidemiology and natural course of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - The term "idiopathic nephrotic syndrome" is poorly defined and is used to refer
      to a variety of glomerular lesions. This article seeks to clarify the situation
      by considering the case for treating minimal-change nephropathy, focal and
      segmental glomerulosclerotic lesions, and mesangioproliferative lesions with
      predominantly IgM deposition as separate disease entities. In children, nephrotic
      syndrome has a pattern different from that in adults, in whom a wider
      pathogenetic spectrum is seen. There is support for the use of prospective
      clinicopathological data as the basis of identifying those patients with
      nephrotic syndrome who will progress to end-stage renal failure. Very heavy,
      persisting proteinuria is one marker of such progression and is also an indicator
      of metabolic complications, such as cardiovascular disease, which further
      increase the risks of mortality and morbidity in this group of patients.

PMID- 1860265
TI  - Treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome with cyclosporin A in children.
AB  - Cyclosporin A (CyA, Sandimmun) was given to 71 children with idiopathic nephrotic
      syndrome, 45 of whom were steroid-dependent with signs of steroid toxicity, and
      23 who were steroid-resistant. Cyclosporin A was effective in 80% of the steroid
      dependent patients, allowing cessation of corticosteroid treatment. However, most
      of these patients relapsed when CyA was tapered or withdrawn. In these patients,
      CyA may be required for long periods of time. Conversely, CyA was less effective
      in steroid-resistant patients; only 7% achieved remission with CyA alone.
      Cyclosporin A in association with prednisone may be an effective alternative as 8
      out of 14 patients entered remission with this treatment combination. Serial
      renal biopsies were performed in 43 patients to evaluate the potential
      nephrotoxicity of the treatment. Eighteen patients developed significant
      tubulointerstitial lesions which were attributable to CyA nephrotoxicity. The
      risk of developing chronic nephrotoxicity appears to be higher in steroid
      resistant patients, and was not related to the duration of treatment. Cyclosporin
      A nephrotoxicity can develop in patients with normal renal function.

PMID- 1860266
TI  - Treatment of adult idiopathic nephrotic syndrome with cyclosporin A: minimal
      change disease and focal-segmental glomerulosclerosis. Collaborative Group of the
      French Society of Nephrology.
AB  - Two open studies were conducted to determine the efficacy and tolerance of
      cyclosporin A (CyA, Sandimmun) 5 mg/kg/day. Sixty-four patients received CyA as
      monotherapy, and efficacy was assessed at three months; in 48 other patients, CyA
      was given with prednisone 12-15 mg/kg/day, and efficacy was assessed at six
      months. Of these 112 patients, 14 withdrew prematurely because of adverse events
      or other reasons, and a further nine patients were excluded for protocol
      violation. The remaining 98 patients were considered valid for the evaluation of
      efficacy (52 with minimal-change disease [MCD] and 46 with focal-segmental
      glomerulosclerosis [FSGS]; 37/98 were steroid-dependent [SD], and 61/98 were
      steroid-resistant [SR]). The remission:failure rate depended on histology (36:16
      in MCD, 11:35 in FSGS) and steroid response (25:12 in SD, 22:39 in SR). The rate
      of remission was highest in SD MCD (71%) and lowest in SR FSGS (20%; chi square =
      18.6, p less than 0.001). Tolerance was assessed by serum creatinine and, in 36
      cases, by repeat renal biopsy at six to 42 months. Serum creatinine was
      remarkably stable in MCD. Rising creatinines were observed mostly in cases of SR
      FSGS, particularly those who had pretreatment interstitial lesions; this was
      considered due to both an increase of interstitial lesions and progression of the
      glomerular lesions of FSGS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860267
TI  - Current status of cyclosporin A in the treatment of membranous, IgA and
      membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.
AB  - The effects of cyclosporin A (CyA, Sandimmun) therapy in various types of primary
      glomerular diseases are discussed. In membranous nephropathy, the data strongly
      support a positive effect in this disorder, but there have been no control trials
      thus far to indicate the risk-benefit ratio, the need for adjunctive therapy such
      as steroids, or what to expect in terms of time to response or duration of
      response. The risk of nephrotoxicity needs to be more precisely quantitated both
      from a functional and pathological perspective. Proper prospective controlled
      trials are needed to establish the safety and efficacy of CyA in this disease. In
      both IgA and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, the data are more sparse.
      Although isolated studies have suggested a benefit in both these categories, the
      risks are also evident and more careful pilot studies are indicated before any
      further conclusions can be drawn as regards the use of this agent in these
      disorders.

PMID- 1860268
TI  - Safety and tolerability of cyclosporin A (Sandimmun) in idiopathic nephrotic
      syndrome. Collaborative Study Group of Sandimmun in Nephrotic Syndrome.
AB  - The safety and tolerability of cyclosporin A (CyA, Sandimmun) in idiopathic
      nephrotic syndrome were analyzed in 661 patients enrolled in 10 clinical studies.
      The majority had minimal-change nephropathy (MCN, 34%) or focal-segmental
      glomerulosclerosis (FSGS, 33%). The safety experience covered 435 patient years
      of CyA exposure. The initial CyA dose averaged 5 mg/kg/day in adults and 6
      mg/kg/day in children, and was further titrated according to efficacy or adverse
      reactions. Relevant CyA-induced renal dysfunction occurred almost exclusively in
      patients (mostly FSGS) who had abnormal baseline renal function. Renal
      tolerability was better in patients who had complete remission of nephrotic
      syndrome than in those who did not respond to treatment. However, in the latter,
      the risk was still relatively low if CyA treatment was stopped after three to
      four months of treatment. Sixty-nine patients had a renal biopsy performed after
      one to three years of continuous CyA therapy, and CyA-associated nephropathy,
      especially interstitial fibrosis, was seen in a few of these patients. Kidney
      biopsies may therefore be advisable in MCN patients treated successfully for one
      to two years and in whom further CyA therapy is indicated. Hypertension occurred
      in approximately 10% and was usually well controlled with conventional
      antihypertensive therapy. There were a few infectious complications, but the
      course of these was not unusual. Malignancies developed in five patients,
      including Hodgkin's lymphoma in two. Overall, adverse reactions resulted in CyA
      treatment discontinuation in 7.4% of patients, half of them because of renal
      dysfunction.

PMID- 1860269
TI  - Conventional therapy for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children.
AB  - In children, the most frequent type of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is the
      minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). Its treatment is aimed at inducing
      remission, preventing relapses and avoiding side-effects. Minimal-change disease
      is responsive to immunosuppressive therapy. The conventional treatment consists
      of glucocorticosteroids and the most widely used derivative is prednisone.
      Initial treatment should be intensive, for example, prednisone for 12 weeks, in
      order to reduce the risk of subsequent relapse. Treatment of relapses should be
      standardized in order to categorize the patient's disease for further treatment.
      If a frequent relapser develops signs of steroid toxicity, alkylating drugs
      should be prescribed: cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil for eight weeks for
      frequent relapsers who are not steroid-dependent; cyclophosphamide for 12 weeks
      for those who are. In steroid-resistant cases, a renal biopsy is indicated and
      treatment should be administered according to histological changes.

PMID- 1860270
TI  - Role of macrophages in onion-bulb formation in localized hypertrophic
      mononeuritis (LHM).
AB  - A unique pathogenetic process for onion-bulb (Ob) formation is disclosed with
      disclosed with immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Biopsy of a swollen
      segment of tibial nerve from a 42 year-old white female histologically
      demonstrated diffuse and angiocentric lymphocytic infiltrate in both endo- and
      perineurium with occasional lymphofollicular formation. Extensive Ob formation of
      nerve fibers was most striking with or without associated lymphocytes. Axis
      cylinders were intact in the majority of Ob. Immunocytochemically, Ob are
      composed of alternately laminated leaflets of Schwann cells (S100+) and
      mononuclear macrophage (HAM56+/LeuMl+/Muramidase+) processes but no perineurial
      (EMA+) cells. Immunohistochemical evidence of antigen presentation (HLA
      DR/LN3+/Ia+) was confined to macrophages. Electron microscopy insinuates that
      intricate interactions between macrophages and Schwann cells exists. Putative
      inhibition of remyelination along with proliferation of Schwann cells most
      probably is secondary to the effects of macrophages secretory products. No direct
      participation of B or T lymphocytes was detected in Ob. Thus, modified
      macrophages may emit a factor for concomitantly promoting proliferation of
      Schwann cells and an enzyme for myelin breakdown. In addition, only a few
      macrophages could be detected in some Ob and could be easily overlooked or
      misinterpreted as "vacuolated fibroblasts", if no immunohistochemical correlation
      is made, as modified macrophages making the external leaflets of Ob are more
      vacuolated.

PMID- 1860271
TI  - Wernicke's encephalopathy in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated
      with polychemotherapy.
AB  - We report on a 3 3/4-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
      Polychemotherapy caused a complete remission of the tumor. Six months after
      treatment was started, the patient developed vomiting and diarrhea necessitating
      parenteral nutrition. Disturbance of eye movements appeared 4 weeks later. The
      patient died suddenly 3 days after their manifestation. Autopsy revealed
      Wernicke's encephalopathy. This case demonstrates the need for thiamine
      substitution in infants with malignant diseases.

PMID- 1860272
TI  - Tubular adenoma of choroid plexus: a case report.
AB  - A case of choroid plexus neoplasm histologically composed of tubular structures
      lined by a layer of cuboidal epithelium is reported. The neoplasm was located in
      the fourth ventricle of a 26-year-old man. The intense positivity for antisera
      anti-vimentin, anti-cytokeratin, anti-EMA and anti-S100 protein exhibited by
      these cells was consistent with choroid plexus origin. The patient is alive and
      in good health 5 years after surgery. The lesion represents a benign choroid
      plexus neoplasm not previously reported. The name "tubular adenoma of choroid
      plexus" is suggested for this variant.

PMID- 1860273
TI  - Cholesterol screening management of Florida's pediatric population.
AB  - The current cholesterol screening and management of Florida's pediatric
      population is evaluated utilizing a questionnaire mailed to 1,534 pediatric
      health care providers. Twenty percent of the physicians responded. Of the
      respondents, 65% do not routinely screen for the presence of
      hypercholesterolemia. Only 28% of the respondents obtain serum total cholesterol
      measurements in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on
      Nutrition recommendations. The serum total cholesterol concentration prompting
      treatment was 240 mg/dL (6.2 mM). Dietary counseling alone, or in combination
      with exercise, was the initial treatment approach recommended by 98% of the
      responding physicians. Dietary education for the hypercholesterolemic patient was
      provided by both dieticians (46%) and physicians (42%). If the initial dietary
      intervention was unsuccessful, 48% of the physicians would begin medical therapy.
      The most commonly prescribed medication was a bile acid sequestrant (70%), with
      the majority (52%) referring their patient to a subspecialist for evaluation and
      care.

PMID- 1860274
TI  - Health and safety in day care: parental knowledge.
AB  - Because injuries and illnesses occur among children, even in licensed child care
      facilities, parents need to be aware of existing hazards. We developed a
      questionnaire to assess parental knowledge of 16 health and safety features in
      their child's care facility. These health and safety features were identified by
      parents, in a pilot study, as being the most important features in a child care
      facility. This questionnaire was completed by 91 parents who use day care.
      Parents were well-educated employees of a health care institution. Our results
      indicate that even well-educated parents often do not check child care facilities
      for health and safety features. Parents tolerated a mean of 9.3% of 16 unsafe
      features and did not know the status of 22.4% of the features. Fifteen percent of
      the children has been removed from their child care facility because of health
      and safety concerns, 7.7% reported an injury. Our results suggest that it is
      important that physicians, during well child visits, include discussions about
      health and safety issues in the day care environment.

PMID- 1860275
TI  - An investigation into the etiology of irritable hip.
AB  - A prospective review has been made of 111 children who presented with acute hip
      pain to determine it's etiology and assess the need for multiple investigations
      at presentation. There was no clinical hematological, serological or
      bacteriological evidence to identify positively patients with an irritable hip,
      neither was there good correlation with a history of infection. An effusion was
      diagnosed by ultrasound in 71% but there were no factors, either clinically or by
      investigation, to differentiate between patients with or without an effusion. We
      conclude that multiple investigations to find a source of infection in patients
      with irritable hip are not warranted as they are rarely positive, seldom affect
      management and are of no help in investigating the etiology of irritable hip.

PMID- 1860276
TI  - Our children's health: prospects for the 1990's.

PMID- 1860277
TI  - Chronic renal insufficiency in infants and children.

PMID- 1860278
TI  - Encephalopathy and brain stem dysfunction in an infant with non-accidental
      carbamazepine intoxication.

PMID- 1860279
TI  - Genitourinary gonorrhea presenting as mild arthritis.

PMID- 1860280
TI  - Hemorrhagic complications of kidney biopsy.

PMID- 1860281
TI  - Treatment of otitis media twice daily for five days.

PMID- 1860283
TI  - A clinical evaluation of the Sulcabrush.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a unituft brush in
      combination with a conventional brush for plaque removal and maintenance of
      gingival health. Thirty patients presenting for routine dental care were examined
      and scored for plaque deposits and gingival inflammation. All subjects received a
      dental prophylaxis consisting of removal of all supragingival and subgingival
      deposits and polishing of the clinical crowns. Subjects were subsequently
      evaluated at 1 week, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. The addition of a unituft brush to the
      patient's regimen of oral hygiene procedures resulted in significant reductions
      at 12 weeks in both plaque scores (p less than .05) and gingival inflammation (p
      less than .01) when compared to the use of the conventional brush alone.

PMID- 1860282
TI  - Staining and antimicrobial properties in vitro of some chlorhexidine
      formulations.
AB  - Dietary staining studies have proved useful determinants of chlorhixidine
      activity in mouthrinse products, and results correlate with plaque inhibitory
      effects. This investigation compared the staining and antimicrobial action in
      vitro of two known and similarly effective, commercially available chlorhexidine
      mouthrinses with a reformulated 0.1% chlordexidine preparation. After adjustment
      for original concentration the 0.2%, 0.12% and reformulated 0.1% products had
      essentially similar, minimum inhibitory-dilution values against standard test
      organisms. The 0.1% preparation was more effective against Capnocytophaga
      ochracea, suggesting additional antimicrobial activity derived from an ingredient
      other than chlorhexidine. The staining in vitro of tooth and acrylic specimens
      was equivalent with the 0.2% and 0.12% products. By comparison with equivalent
      concentrations of the diluted 0.2% preparation, the 0.1% formulation produced
      less staining, particularly when diluted. The data suggest that the 0.1%
      formulation, when used in diluted form as recommended by the manufacturer, may
      have slightly reduced plaque-inhibitory effects by comparison to the 0.2% or
      0.12% products. However, the results raise the question whether chlorhexidine
      solutions could be formulated to reduce side effects, in particular, tooth
      staining at the expense of some loss of antiplaque activity.

PMID- 1860284
TI  - The effects of metronidazole administration on clinical and microbiologic
      parameters of periodontal disease.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to assay the concentration of metronidazole in
      gingival fluid, to correlate clinical and microbiologic parameters of periodontal
      disease to each other and to the gingival fluid concentration of the drug. Ten
      subjects with a minimum of two contralateral pairs of periodontal pockets of
      greater than or equal to 5 mm were utilized. One side of the mouth was selected
      to serve as the root-planed site while the other was left untreated. On day 0,
      plaque and bleeding-time indexes and probing depths were recorded. Subgingival
      plaque was analyzed using phase contrast microscopy. When root planing was
      completed, the subjects were prescribed either metronidazole or placebo three
      times daily for seven days. Within 24 hours of the last dose, and thereafter at
      intervals of 1, 2 and 3 weeks, fluid samples were assayed for metronidazole.
      Clinical and bacterial data were likewise recorded. The results indicate that
      root planing with metronidazole appears to be more effective in promoting
      periodontal health than root planing alone. Concentrations of metronidazole
      ranging from 5 to 20 micrograms/ml were detectable in fluid samples obtained
      within 24 hours of administration of the last dose. No discernible levels could
      be found in samples taken at the longer intervals.

PMID- 1860285
TI  - Taurolin as an oral rinse. I. Antimicrobial effects in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - Taurolin, a synthetic antimicrobial agent, has been suggested to be of potential
      value as an inhibitor of dental plaque. Although data on the antibacterial
      activity of Taurolin are available there is a dearth of information for effects
      on oral bacterial isolates and antibacterial activity in the mouth. This study
      assessed the in vivo and in vitro antibacterial properties of a Taurolin rinse by
      a) determining the MID values against seven oral isolates and b) measuring
      salivary bacterial counts following a single rinse. By comparing activity with
      chlorhexidine, it was hoped to determine substantivity and predict the relative
      ability of Taurolin to inhibit plaque through an antimicrobial effect. For
      Taurolin, MID values against the test organisms were found to range between 1:20
      and 1:80, while for chlorhexidine, values between 1:320 to 1:640 were obtained.
      The effects on salivary bacterial counts revealed that Taurolin significantly
      reduced salivary bacterial counts compared to saline up to 5 hours post rinsing,
      but was significantly less effective than chlorhexidine after 30 minutes and up
      to 7 hours. Results indicate that Taurolin has some persistence of antimicrobial
      activity in the mouth. This suggests that Taurolin would possess some plaque
      inhibitory properties albeit less than chlorhexidine. These conclusions were
      confirmed in a subsequent investigation.

PMID- 1860287
TI  - Comparative evaluation of test parameters in plaque removal. A preliminary
      report.
AB  - A comparative study was conducted to determine the effect of several parameters
      on the removal of simulated plaque. Streptococcus mutans grown in a 2% sucrose
      medium was allowed to deposit on porous ceramic tiles in the course of the
      culture growth to form simulated plaque. The tiles with the culture deposit were
      dried and stained with Safranin O stain, then used in the plaque removal studies.
      The parameters evaluated in the course of the study were (a) flowing cold water
      vs flowing hot water and (b) brushing with toothpaste alone vs brushing with hot
      water as well as brushing alone. It was observed that flowing hot water was more
      effective than flowing cold water in the removal of the simulated plaque.
      Brushing with hot water was found to be a more efficient means of removing the
      plaque than brushing with toothpaste or brushing alone. The study suggests that
      it is more effective to use hot water for plaque removal in the course of
      performing daily oral hygiene.

PMID- 1860286
TI  - Taurolin as an oral rinse. II. Effects on in vitro and in vivo plaque regrowth.
AB  - A Taurolin solution has been shown previously to possess antibacterial activity,
      not only by a bactericidal effect but also by reducing bacterial surface
      adherence. Such mechanisms may contribute to reduction in dental plaque in the
      mouth, however this remains to be determined. The present study assessed whether
      a Taurolin rinse could firstly effect bacterial surface growth and, secondly,
      whether the same rinse could reduce plaque regrowth over a 4-day period. The
      findings showed that the Taurolin reduced in vitro bacterial surface growth and
      in vivo plaque regrowth compared to saline, but was not as effective as a
      chlorhexidine rinse. The findings suggest Taurolin would probably have a moderate
      effect on plaque and gingivitis in longer-term use.

PMID- 1860288
TI  - Sugar consumption in Israeli Defense Forces personnel.
AB  - The per capita sugar consumption of the Israeli Defense Forces personnel has been
      determined during the years 1973-1986. Although a total decrease is noted,
      specific cariogenic items and confections are increased. This might explain,
      partially, the high dental treatment needs of the Israeli military population.
      Recommendations concerning the army dietary policy and health education programs
      are suggested.

PMID- 1860289
TI  - Malarial chemoprophylaxis and the healing of periodontal lesions.
AB  - A randomized study was carried out using 92 patients (39 taking a malarial
      chemoprophylactic agent and 53 not taking a chemoprophylactic agent) to
      investigate the rate of healing of ulcerative periodontitis after treatment. The
      chemoprophylaxis group who had been on 300 mg chloroquine weekly for at least one
      year and the non-chemoprophylaxis group who had not been on the regimen for at
      least one year were involved in the study which examined the global efficacy and
      assessment for pain relief over a period of 12 weeks after treatment for
      ulcerative periodontitis. A detailed, symtomatic and clinical assessment was made
      at biweekly intervals. Relief from pain was higher for the non-chemoprophylaxis
      group (94.2% vs. 46.2%, p less than 0.05). The global efficacy was statistically
      significant for the non-chemoprophylaxis group (87% vs. 38.4%, p less than 0.05).
      The outcome of treatment was not influenced by factors such as duration of
      chemoprophylaxis, initial severity of pain and smoking habits of the patients.

PMID- 1860291
TI  - Comparison of an herbal toothpaste with a fluoride toothpaste on plaque and
      gingivitis.
AB  - An herbal/bicarbonate toothpaste has received some attention from the public and
      profession following a number of studies which have reported beneficial effects
      of the paste on both plaque and gingivitis. The present study, one of several
      ongoing clinical trials, evaluated the toothpaste in mouthrinse form using a 19
      day, no oral hygiene, triple-crossover design in which it was compared with a
      commercial fluoride toothpaste rinse and the antiplaque mouthrinse chlorhexidine.
      Over the three periods of the study an increase in plaque and gingivitis was seen
      for all three products. However, while significant reductions in both parameters
      were seen with chlorhexidine compared to the toothpastes, there were no
      significant differences between the herbal and fluoride toothpaste. From these
      findings it can be concluded that in the long term, the herbal/bicarbonate
      toothpaste may not exert significant therapeutic effects on plaque and gingivitis
      beyond that of a conventional commercial paste. Nevertheless, where there is a
      demand for a natural product, the herbal/bicarbonate paste may be a worthwhile
      alternative.

PMID- 1860290
TI  - The effect of sustained-release varnish of chlorhexidine in dental plastic shells
      on salivary Streptococcus mutans.
AB  - The suppression of S. mutans is a predominate factor in preventing tooth decay.
      Sustained-release-delivery varnish of chlorhexidine was applied to dental plastic
      shells and administered to eight volunteers to be worn while sleeping. Salivary
      bacterial samples were taken on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35. A statistically
      significant reduction in S. mutans counts was recorded during the course of the
      study while a non-significant reduction in the total bacterial counts was found.
      Our results indicate that the application of chlorhexidine in the form of slow
      release varnish in plastic shells is an effective intraoral drug delivery system
      resulting in reduction of S. mutans.

PMID- 1860292
TI  - Enamel fusion using a carbon dioxide laser: a technique for sealing pits and
      fissures.
AB  - The well-established enhanced resistance of lased enamel to demineralization is
      the basis for clinical application of the carbon dioxide laser to caries
      prevention. This in vitro study examined the effect of focused infrared laser
      radiation on sound enamel and early pit and fissure caries. Low power levels (2-5
      W) induced localized melting and resolidification of enamel with little surface
      destruction. For sound fissures, fusion of enamel from the lateral walls of the
      fissure eliminated the fissure space, providing a sealant effect; while in
      carious fissures, carious enamel was vaporized and adjacent sound enamel fused to
      partially eliminate the defect. The technique for enamel fusion using CO2 lasers
      has potential application for sealing pits and fissures and producing
      physicochemical alterations in enamel which may have preventive benefits.

PMID- 1860293
TI  - Topical varnish containing strontium in a sustained-release device as treatment
      for dentin hypersensitivity.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of topical application of a
      sustained-release device in form of a varnish containing strontium chloride on
      dentinal hypersensitivity. Sixty teeth were selected in ten patients. The teeth
      were divided in a) varnish application containing strontium chloride, b) varnish
      application with no active ingredient, c) untreated teeth. Varnish application
      was carried out by the patients once daily for 30 days. Results show a marked
      decrease in hypersensitivity to both mechanical (54%) and thermal stimuli (38%)
      as compared to the placebo and untreated group.

PMID- 1860294
TI  - A comparison of 0.12% and 0.1% chlorhexidine mouthrinses on the development of
      plaque and gingivitis.
AB  - A number of commercially prepared chlorhexidine mouthrinses which are now
      available are formulated at concentrations lower than the more usual 0.2%. This
      study compared 0.12% and 0.1% chlorhexidine mouthrinses for effects on plaque
      regrowth and gingivitis, using a two 19-day period single-operator blind
      crossover study design on 14 healthy human volunteers. The 0.12% rinse was a
      commercial product previously shown as effective as a 0.2% rinse. The 0.1% rinse
      was a reformulated version of a 0.1% preparation commercially available at the
      time of this study. Plaque reformation was recorded on days 12 and 19 by score
      and area. Gingivitis was recorded at day 1, 12 and 19 by measuring gingival
      crevicular fluid, gingival index and bleeding on probing. The mouthrinses were
      used twice a day and as recommended by the manufacturer. Mean scores for plaque
      and gingivitis were mostly lower with the 0.12% rinse but only reached
      significance for plaque score on days 12 and 19 and for plaque area on day 19.
      Reformulation of the 0.1% would appear to have markedly improved the antiplaque
      properties to levels similar to a known effective commercially available 0.12%
      rinse.

PMID- 1860295
TI  - Patients' perceptions related to the use of infection control procedures.
AB  - An assessment was made of the public's attitudes toward infection control
      techniques utilized in dentistry. Five hundred and nine adults in the State of
      Maryland responded to a detailed telephone survey in late 1989. Respondents
      reported that most of their dentists (87.0%) wore gloves and 69.8% of the
      respondents preferred gloves. Respondents who were most concerned about AIDS also
      preferred the dentist to wear gloves (92.6%). Respondents received information
      about AIDS from various sources, chief of which were newspapers or magazines
      (29.0%) and television (27.3%) but 80.9% would read pamphlets on AIDS if they
      were available in the dentist's office. Finally, few (13.1%) had ever discussed
      AIDS with their dentist but most (78.6%) would be comfortable doing so. This
      study demonstrated that the public accepts and welcomes the use of barrier
      protection by dentists. The public also is willing to discuss AIDS and infectious
      diseases with dentists and would read AIDS information supplied by dentists.
      Given the continued spread of the AIDS epidemic, it is increasingly important for
      dentists to educate the public about AIDS as well as about the continued safety
      of the dental office. The public is receptive to this education.

PMID- 1860296
TI  - Long-term dissolution of mercury from a non-mercury-releasing amalgam.
AB  - The hazards of mercury from dental amalgams have long been recognized. This study
      examined the mercury release from a "non-mercury-releasing" dental amalgam,
      Composil, over a 104-week period. Four cylindrical specimens were incubated in 10
      ml of purified water at 37 degrees C. The incubate was changed at the end of each
      24-hour period and assayed for its mercury content at biweekly intervals. Mercury
      estimation was carried out using cold-vapor, atomic absorption spectrophotometry
      over a 104-week period. Results showed that the overall mean release of mercury
      was 43.5 +/- 3.2 micrograms/cm2/24 hr, and the amount of mercury released
      remained fairly constant during the duration of the experiment. This study showed
      that Composil releases mercury in quantities that far exceed those detected in
      other amalgam systems.

PMID- 1860297
TI  - Practical strategies for a plaque-control program.
AB  - With many patients the control of dental plaque is accepted as an important
      factor in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. However, for
      others, because this aspect of oral hygiene is not yet totally understood or
      accepted, plaque control programs often prove to be frustrating and too time
      consuming for the general practitioner. This article provides some practical
      strategies to overcome common pitfalls in delivering a plaque-control program.

PMID- 1860298
TI  - Conference attendees told ISIS-3 shows equal efficacy, safety differences among
      thrombolytics.

PMID- 1860299
TI  - Labetalol for treatment of hypertension in a child.

PMID- 1860300
TI  - Antimicrobial dosages in guidelines for prevention of bacterial endocarditis.

PMID- 1860301
TI  - Therapy of acute thromboembolism with heparin and warfarin.
AB  - The indications, efficacy, dosage, administration, and monitoring of heparin and
      warfarin therapy for acute thromboembolic events are reviewed, with emphasis on
      recent changes in treatment recommendations. High-dose heparin therapy is
      indicated for acute deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Heparin therapy
      as an adjunct to thrombolytic agents for acute myocardial infarction is becoming
      increasingly accepted. Heparin therapy for acute thromboembolic events consists
      of a dosage that elevates the activated partial thromboplastin time to 1.5 to 2.0
      times the control value; formerly, 1.5 to 2.5 times control was considered
      therapeutic. The recommended heparin dosage is a bolus dose of 70-100 units/kg
      followed by an infusion of 15-25 units/kg/hr. To prevent recurrent
      thromboembolism, most patients require long-term therapy following acute
      treatment; this typically consists of warfarin, which should be initiated on day
      1 or 2 of heparin therapy whenever possible. For most indications, the intensity
      of warfarin has been reduced to a dosage that elevates the prothrombin time to
      1.3 to 1.5 times control. Alternative therapies (low-molecular-weight heparins)
      and routes (subcutaneous heparin) should be further investigated. Current
      recommendations for heparin and warfarin therapy of acute thromboembolism include
      reduced intensity of both drugs and shortened duration of therapy. Since the
      therapeutic ranges for both heparin and warfarin therapy have been compressed,
      closer monitoring may be necessary to achieve and maintain adequate
      anticoagulation.

PMID- 1860302
TI  - Effect of ranitidine on the disposition of orally and intravenously administered
      triazolam.
AB  - The effect of orally administered ranitidine on the pharmacokinetic properties of
      orally and intravenously administered triazolam was determined. Twelve healthy
      males with a mean age of 35 years were enrolled in this four-way, randomized,
      crossover study. Each subject received a total of four treatments, each separated
      by one week. The treatments consisted of (1) one orally administered 0.25-mg
      triazolam tablet after treatment with ranitidine; (2) one orally administered
      0.25-mg triazolam tablet, with no ranitidine pretreatment; (3) a 0.25-mg
      intravenous dose of triazolam after treatment with ranitidine; and (4) a 0.25-mg
      intravenous dose of triazolam, with no ranitidine pretreatment. Ranitidine
      pretreatment consisted of five 150-mg oral doses (as the hydrochloride salt)
      given every 12 hours; the last dose was given two hours before triazolam was
      administered. Blood samples were taken at intervals up to 12 hours after
      triazolam treatment. Serum triazolam concentrations were measured by modified
      high-performance liquid chromatography, and pharmacokinetic values were
      calculated. Pretreatment with ranitidine had no effect on the disposition of
      intravenously administered triazolam but significantly increased the area under
      the serum drug concentration-time curve of oral triazolam. Ranitidine
      pretreatment had no effect on triazolam's terminal elimination rate constant or
      on the time to reach maximum serum triazolam concentration. Ranitidine
      pretreatment increased the systemic availability of triazolam by increasing its
      absorption.

PMID- 1860303
TI  - Susceptibility of Xanthomonas maltophilia and amikacin-resistant gram-negative
      bacteria to newer antimicrobials.
AB  - The susceptibility of Xanthomonas maltophilia and amikacin-resistant gram
      negative bacteria to a variety of newer antimicrobials was determined. Sixty
      three amikacin-resistant isolates were collected from 61 inpatients at a tertiary
      care hospital between 1985 and 1988. The organisms included Xanthomonas
      maltophilia (24 isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16), Pseudomonas species (3),
      Serratia marcescens (10), Flavobacterium meningosepticum (4), Enterobacter
      species (3), Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus (2), and Alcaligenes
      xylosoxidans (1). Amikacin resistance was initially determined by using the Kirby
      Bauer disk diffusion method. The isolates were batched, and the minimum
      inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 11 antimicrobials including amikacin were
      measured by using the standard agar dilution method. Of the 63 isolates initially
      found to be amikacin resistant by the disk diffusion method, 37% were found to be
      amikacin susceptible by MIC testing. Of 38 truly amikacin-resistant isolates, 76%
      were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, 63% to ofloxacin, 50% to imipenem-cilastatin,
      47% to cefoperazone, 45% to ceftazidime, 13% to ceftizoxime, 11% to aztreonam,
      11% to ceftriaxone, 5% to cefotetan, and 3% to amdinocillin. Ciprofloxacin and
      ofloxacin inhibited X. maltophilia to the greatest degree, with median MICs of 1
      microgram/ml each. Fifteen amikacin-resistant Ps. aeruginosa isolates were
      inhibited by ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and ceftazidime, with median MICs of 0.375,
      3, and 2 microgram/ml, respectively. Of the antimicrobials tested, ciprofloxacin
      had the greatest activity against amikacin-resistant organisms in vitro.

PMID- 1860304
TI  - Appetitive conditioning in Octopus cyanea.
AB  - The performance of Octopus cyanea was studied in 3 appetitive conditioning
      situations. In Experiment 1, 2 groups were trained in a runway; a large reward
      produced faster acquisition when reinforcement was consistent and better
      subsequent performance on a partial schedule than did a small reward. In
      Experiment 2, activity in the vicinity of a feeder was measured, and in
      Experiment 3, latency and probability of response were measured in an automated
      version of a traditional conditioned attack situation (Boycott & Young, 1950).
      There was evidence of acquisition with continuous reinforcement in both
      experiments but in neither with partial reinforcement. All of the results can be
      understood in terms of growth and decline in the strength of stimulus-reinforcer
      associations with reinforcement and nonreinforcement.

PMID- 1860305
TI  - Behavior of Maudsley reactive and nonreactive rats (Rattus norvegicus) in three
      consummatory contrast paradigms.
AB  - Maudsley reactive (MR/Har) and nonreactive (MNRA/Har) rats (Rattus norvegicus)
      were tested in successive, simultaneous, and anticipatory contrast procedures.
      The MR/Har rats showed smaller successive negative contrast effects than the
      MNRA/Har rats when shifted from 32% to 4% sucrose, and the degree of contrast was
      smaller in animals of both strains than that typically obtained with unselected
      Sprague-Dawley derived rats. Chlordiazepoxide (4 and 8 mg/kg), which typically
      reduces contrast, did not influence degree of contrast in rats of either strain.
      Animals of both strains showed positive and negative contrast in the simultaneous
      contrast procedure, but degree of contrast in both cases was smaller in rats of
      the MR/Har strain. Animals of both strains also showed anticipatory contrast when
      a 0.15% saccharin solution preceded 32% sucrose in once-per-day pairings. In
      terms of latency to initiate licking, the MNRA/Har rats showed a contrast effect,
      but the MR/Har rats showed a "reinforcement" effect--shorter latency when
      saccharin preceded sucrose than when saccharin preceded saccharin. Open-field
      tests showed typical strain differences: The MNRA/Har rats ambulated more, reared
      more, defecated less, and showed less thigmotaxis than the MR/Har rats.

PMID- 1860306
TI  - Sound localization in small birds: absolute localization in azimuth.
AB  - Nine small birds of 3 species (Melopsittacus undulatus, Serinus canarius, and
      Poephila guttata) were trained in an operant procedure to fly to sound sources
      for food reward. The angle between the 2 sound sources was varied on a session-by
      session basis, and threshold (i.e., minimum resolvable angle) was taken as the
      angle that corresponded to a performance level of 75% correct. In all, thresholds
      were calculated for pure tones of 5 different frequencies, noise bands of 3
      different spectral compositions, and species-specific contact or distance calls
      recorded from each of the 3 species. Thresholds for both simple and complex
      stimuli were larger than 25 degrees. There were statistically significant species
      differences for each stimulus set, but these differences were not correlated with
      species differences in head size. Birds with 1 ear plugged performed as well as
      binaural birds in this task. Birds deafened in 1 ear, however, performed at
      chance.

PMID- 1860307
TI  - Effect of intrauterine position and social density on age of first reproduction
      in wild-type female house mice (Mus musculus).
AB  - In laboratory strains of mice, reproductive maturation is influenced by both the
      fetal and the peripubertal social environments experienced by females.
      Intrauterine position (IUP) for female fetuses is identified by the number of
      adjacent males; where 0M have zero, 1M have one, and 2M have two male neighbors.
      We sought to confirm, using wild-type female house mice (Mus musculus), the
      previous finding in the CF-1 strain of laboratory mouse that males prefer 0M over
      2M females as mates. We recorded the age at first reproduction for females of
      known IUP housed either individually with a male or in a group of 6 females and a
      male. In neither housing condition were there significant differences in age of
      first reproduction among females of different IUPs, but 0M females that were
      group housed had perforate vaginas at an earlier age than other group-housed
      females. Mean (+/- SE) age at first reproduction was 58.1 (+/- 3.3) for paired
      and 126.6 (+/- 5.1) for group-housed females. The reproductive suppression
      observed in the grouped females was probably due to the interaction of inhibitory
      urinary chemosignals, low body weights, and female dominance hierarchies.

PMID- 1860308
TI  - Snake aggregation pheromones: source and chemosensory mediation in western ribbon
      snakes (Thamnophis proximus).
AB  - Aggregation with conspecifics is a robust phenomenon among snakes that is
      mediated by chemical cues, although the source of such cues is unknown. Adult
      western ribbon snakes (Thamnophis proximus) discriminated between skin lipid
      extracts from conspecifics and those from a sympatric heterospecific snake, the
      corn snake (Elaphe guttata). Additionally, ribbon snakes were attracted to
      conspecific skin lipid-marked shelters when paired with control-marked shelters,
      but no preference was exhibited when shelters marked with E. guttata skin lipids
      were paired with control-marked shelters. Furthermore, prevention of chemical
      access to the vomeronasal organs of T. proximus eliminated the ability to respond
      to conspecific skin lipids. These results indicate that epidermal lipids are the
      source of chemical cues mediating attraction to shelters marked by conspecifics
      and that such signals are detected by the vomeronasal system.

PMID- 1860309
TI  - Impaired performance from brief social isolation of rhesus monkeys (Macaca
      mulatta): a multiple video-task assessment.
AB  - Social isolation has been demonstrated to produce profound and lasting
      psychological effects in young primates. In the present investigation, two adult
      rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were isolated from one another for up to 6 days
      and tested on 7 video tasks designed to assess psychomotor and cognitive
      functioning. Both the number and the quality (i.e., speed and accuracy) of
      responses were significantly compromised in the social isolation condition
      relative to levels in which the animals were tested together. It is argued that
      adult rhesus are susceptible to performance disruption by even relatively brief
      social isolation, and that these effects can best be assessed by a battery of
      complex and sensitive measures.

PMID- 1860310
TI  - Discriminating the sex of conspecifics by male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix
      japonica).
AB  - How male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) discriminate the sex of
      conspecifics at a distance was investigated by testing subjects with male and
      female stimulus birds on the other side of a small window after opportunities to
      copulate with females and again after repeated exposures to males in the absence
      of copulatory opportunity. Time spent near the window, frequency of window
      approaches, duration of window visits, rate of walking near the window, line
      crossings outside the window area, pecking the window, and crowing were measured.
      Subjects responded similarly in the presence of male and female stimulus birds
      during the first test block but discriminated the sex of conspecifics after
      noncopulatory exposures to males. The discrimination was evident in less
      locomotion and less crowing in the presence of females as compared with males
      and, as predicted by a discrimination learning hypothesis, developed largely
      through a change in responding to males.

PMID- 1860311
TI  - Learning by honeybees (Apis mellifera) on arrival at and departure from a feeding
      place.
AB  - The question of when in the course of a visit to a feeding place foraging
      honeybees (Apis mellifera) learn about its location was studied in Experiment 1
      by moving the animals a short distance after they arrived and began to feed. A
      preference for the arrival place developed, although less rapidly than in control
      animals for which the arrival and departure places were the same. In Experiments
      2-5, a distinctive object was used to define the location of the feeding place.
      When the object was removed after arrival or introduced only after arrival, the
      animals learned less about its color and shape than did control animals for which
      it was present throughout each visit. The results contradict the claim that
      honeybees learn about certain characteristics of a feeding place only on arrival
      and about others only on departure.

PMID- 1860312
TI  - Acute perforated diverticulitis: primary resection and anastomosis?
AB  - Surgical management of patients with acute colonic diverticulitis is evolving
      from multiple towards single operations. The patterns of presentation and
      treatment of 146 patients with acute perforated diverticulitis have been reviewed
      (1983-1988) using the Hinchey classification system (Stages I-IV). This paper
      focuses on the six patients who presented with fecal peritonitis (Stage IV
      disease), half of whom were treated by primary resection and anastomosis and the
      remainder by a Hartmann procedure. The mean length of stay was 18.7 +/- 7.9 days
      and 12.7 +/- 4.8 days with a mortality of zero and one, respectively. These data
      suggest that in selected patients who present with perforated diverticular
      disease, primary resection with anastomosis offers a possible alternative to
      other operative management. The presence of fecal peritonitis should no longer be
      considered an absolute contraindication to immediate bowel reconstruction.
      Furthermore, we suggest that this decision be based on the relative absence of
      concomitant disease, a satisfactory response to preoperative resuscitation, the
      availability of a surgeon experienced in colonic surgery, and attention to
      postoperative management.

PMID- 1860313
TI  - Choledochal cyst diagnosed in pregnancy.
AB  - A primigravid patient with a type 1 choledochal cyst is reported. Conservative
      management allowed completion of the pregnancy and vaginal delivery of a term
      infant. Postpartum, the choledochal cyst was excised and biliary tree drained. A
      review of the literature and discussion of management alternatives of choledochal
      cysts discovered during pregnancy is presented.

PMID- 1860315
TI  - The health care of AIDS patients. Requirements for administrative and
      organizational support within institutions. The Connecticut Infectious Disease
      Society.

PMID- 1860314
TI  - Ketorolac tromethamine.

PMID- 1860316
TI  - Message from your Medicare carrier.

PMID- 1860317
TI  - The implications of Wilder vs Virginia Hospital Association for state Medicaid
      programs.

PMID- 1860318
TI  - Colo-rectal.

PMID- 1860319
TI  - Osler and Marius the Epicurean.

PMID- 1860320
TI  - William J. Curran and American health law.

PMID- 1860321
TI  - Pentoxifylline and the microcirculation in hemorrhagic shock.

PMID- 1860322
TI  - Characteristics of pediatric intermediate care units in pediatric training
      programs.
AB  - BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To assess effective alternate care sites for the technology
      dependent, but less acute critically ill child, we surveyed pediatric training
      programs to determine the availability and characteristics of non-neonatal
      pediatric intermediate care units. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to the
      program directors of all 226 United States pediatric residency programs in
      October 1988. Institutions were queried about pediatric residency program and
      hospital demographics, along with specific day-to-day management issues in an
      intermediate care unit. RESULTS: The intermediate care unit offers highly skilled
      nursing care with greater than 90% of the units primarily covered by RNs in a 1:2
      or 1:3 RN/patient ratio. The technologies used in these units were similar to
      those technologies used in an ICU, and the average daily bed charge was 40% less
      than the average daily bed charge in an ICU. However, an intermediate care unit
      was present in only 33% of pediatric training programs and pediatric residents
      were not specifically trained to care for patients in these units; 37% of these
      units did not have daily attending physician/nurse/resident rounds, despite the
      complexity and degree of illness in the patients located in these units. In
      addition, greater than 20% of intermediate care units were predominantly staffed
      by RNs with degrees less than BSN. Thirteen percent of these units had a
      predominance of RNs with only routine experience. CONCLUSIONS: Standard levels of
      care and academic and financial guidelines should be established to optimize the
      value of pediatric intermediate care units.

PMID- 1860323
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of dopamine in infants and children.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: We studied the pharmacokinetics of dopamine in hemodynamically stable
      children. DESIGN: Prospective clinical trial. SETTING: Pediatric ICU. PATIENTS:
      Children (age 3 months to 13 yrs) recovering from cardiac surgery or shock.
      INTERVENTION: Plasma dopamine concentrations were measured at the steady state or
      at termination of infusion using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS:
      The half-lives of distribution and elimination were 1.8 +/- 1.1 and 26 +/- 14
      (SD) mins, respectively. The apparent volume of distribution was 2952 +/- 2332
      mL/kg. The clearance rate was 454 +/- 900 mL/kg.min. Dopamine clearance was
      linearly related to dose only in patients who were also receiving dobutamine (r2
      = .76, p less than .05). Hepatic and renal dysfunction did not affect the
      pharmacokinetics of dopamine. CONCLUSIONS: A relationship between dopamine and
      dobutamine that affects the disposition of these two drugs may exist. The
      pharmacokinetics of dopamine are variable even in hemodynamically stable
      children. Hepatic or renal function does not adversely affect the
      pharmacokinetics of dopamine.

PMID- 1860325
TI  - Comparative clinical trial of standard operative tracheostomy with percutaneous
      tracheostomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare percutaneous tracheostomy with conventional operative
      tracheostomy. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. SETTING: The medical and
      surgical critical care units of a large, tertiary-care, private hospital.
      PATIENTS: Twenty-five male and 21 female translaryngeally intubated patients with
      respiratory failure, in whom tracheostomy was indicated on clinical grounds, were
      randomly assigned to one of two groups. INTERVENTIONS: The 24 patients in group 1
      underwent conventional operative tracheostomy, and the 22 patients in group 2
      underwent percutaneous tracheostomy. One patient in group 2 required tracheostomy
      on three separate occasions during a prolonged hospital stay. MEASUREMENTS AND
      MAIN RESULTS: Patients were examined daily throughout their hospital stays for
      adverse events related to the tracheostomy. In all patients who survived until
      decannulation, plain tomography of the trachea was performed within 3 days of
      decannulation. Repeat physical and tomographic examinations were performed 6 and
      12 wks later. Fifty-eight percent (14/24) of the operative tracheostomies were
      associated with at least one complication, compared with 25% (6/24) of the
      percutaneous tracheostomies (p less than .05, 95% confidence interval 7% to 59%).
      Predecannulation problems were more frequent in group 1 patients than in group 2
      (46% vs. 13%, respectively; p less than .01, 95% confidence interval 9% to 57%),
      as were later sequelae (88% vs. 27%; p less than .05, confidence interval 26% to
      96%) in survivors. Group 1 patients were more likely to have multiple
      complications, and their complications tended to be more serious. CONCLUSION: In
      this study, percutaneous tracheostomy appeared to be superior to the conventional
      operation.

PMID- 1860324
TI  - Aortic-carotid artery pressure differences and cephalic perfusion pressure during
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation in humans.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Animal studies have shown an aortic-carotid artery pressure difference
      during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which compromises cerebral perfusion.
      This pressure difference is most marked with prolonged CPR and can be abolished
      with administration of high doses of epinephrine. To better understand the
      mechanism of cerebral blood flow during CPR in humans, we determined the aortic
      carotid artery pressure difference, the cephalic perfusion pressure (the carotid
      artery-jugular vein pressure difference), and thoracic inlet venous "valving"
      (the central venous-jugular vein pressure difference), while administering
      standard doses of epinephrine. DESIGN: Prospective study with randomization as to
      which side the carotid artery was catheterized. SETTING: The resuscitation room
      of a large urban hospital's emergency department. PATIENTS: Fifteen adults in
      normothermic, nontraumatic prehospital cardiac arrest treated according to
      Advanced Cardiac Life Support guidelines, including administration of 1 mg
      epinephrine iv every 5 mins. INTERVENTIONS: The descending aorta, cervical common
      carotid artery, internal jugular vein, and central venous system were
      catheterized. Pressures were recorded during standard CPR for 5 mins after
      administration of 1 mg epinephrine iv. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Most
      patients received CPR for greater than 20 mins before the first epinephrine dose
      and for greater than 45 mins before pressure recording as described above. There
      was no significant difference between aortic and carotid artery compression and
      relaxation phase pressures. The mean +/- SD compression central venous-jugular
      vein pressure difference was 22.1 +/- 15.0 mm Hg, and the mean cephalic perfusion
      pressure was 20.8 +/- 19.5 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: There is no clinically important
      aortic-carotid artery pressure difference during human CPR using the standard
      dose of epinephrine, even with prolonged CPR. Despite carotid artery patency and
      thoracic inlet venous valving, the cephalic perfusion pressure is low during CPR
      in humans.

PMID- 1860326
TI  - Accuracy of a mixed venous saturation catheter during acutely induced changes in
      hematocrit in humans.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of in vivo mixed venous hemoglobin
      saturation (Svo2) measurements with a fiber optic thermodilution catheter during
      acute changes in hematocrit. DESIGN: Comparison of fiberoptic in vivo Svo2 values
      with in vitro Svo2 values obtained with a multiwavelength spectrophotometer.
      SETTING: Operating room in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Six consecutive
      patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Before and
      after each step of hypervolemic hemodilution and after every 500 mL of blood
      loss, blood gases were analyzed and hemodynamic, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and in
      vitro and in vivo Svo2 measurements were made. Hematocrit values were measured in
      the range of 40% to 18%. Plotting all in vivo Svo2 values (n = 74) against the in
      vitro Svo2 measurements obtained during the entire study period gives r2 = .86.
      The accuracy of in vivo Svo2 measurements was not affected by changes in
      hematocrit or cardiac output. The Svo2 catheter value at the beginning of the
      study differed from the in vitro Svo2 value by -0.86 +/- 2.56% and at the end of
      the study period of 8 to 10 hrs by 0.71 +/- 3.04%. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of
      the studied fiberoptic continuous measuring Svo2 system was not affected by
      changes in hematocrit or cardiac output. No significant drift in the in vitro
      Svo2 measurements was observed.

PMID- 1860327
TI  - Thermogenic and metabolic effects of dopamine in healthy men.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the thermogenic response of dopamine at three different
      infusion rates and to analyze its effects on various biochemical variables.
      DESIGN: Randomized sequential experimental treatment bracketed by control
      periods. PATIENTS: Eight young healthy male volunteers with normal body weight
      (51 to 89 kg). INTERVENTIONS: Three experimental periods during which dopamine
      was administered iv in a randomized order at rates of 2.5, 5, or 10
      micrograms/kg.min with one preinfusion baseline and two recovery periods in
      between. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A significant (p less than .01) increase
      in resting energy expenditure was observed in response to the two highest
      dopamine infusion rates (5 and 10 micrograms/kg.min), corresponding to 6% and 15%
      median increases, respectively, as compared with preinfusion values. At the
      lowest dopamine infusion rate, no variation in resting energy expenditure was
      observed. Dopamine induced a significant (p less than .01) increase in
      hyperglycemia at all three infusion rates, and, at the highest infusion rate,
      dopamine induced a significant (p less than .05) increase of plasma free fatty
      acid concentrations. Insulin plasma concentrations were significantly (p less
      than .05 to p less than 0.1) increased at the three dopamine infusion rates.
      CONCLUSIONS: Dopamine infusion produces a dose-dependent thermogenic effect and
      induces various metabolic actions in man.

PMID- 1860328
TI  - Gastric mucosal pH as a prognostic index of mortality in critically ill patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine if measurements of gastric intramucosal pH have
      prognostic implications regarding ICU mortality. DESIGN: Prospective comparison
      of outcome. SETTING: General adult ICUs in two teaching hospitals. PATIENTS:
      Eighty consecutive patients age 18 to 84 yrs (mean 63.4), 50 men and 30 women,
      55% in the medical and 45% in the surgical services. METHODS: Gastric
      intramucosal pH was measured on ICU admission and again 12 hrs later. A value of
      greater than or equal to 7.35 was used to differentiate between normal and low
      gastric intramucosal pH. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-four patients had a
      normal gastric intramucosal pH and 26 patients had a low gastric intramucosal pH
      on ICU admission. The mortality rate was greater in the low gastric intramucosal
      pH group (65.4% vs. 43.6%; p less than .04). The frequency of sepsis and the
      presence of multisystem organ failure also were greater in the low gastric
      intramucosal pH group (p less than .01). Further stratification of patients
      according to gastric intramucosal pH measured 12 hrs after admission showed a
      greater mortality rate in patients with persistently low gastric intramucosal pH
      when compared with patients with normal gastric intramucosal pH during the first
      12 hrs (86.7% vs. 26.8%; p less than .001). CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of gastric
      intramucosal pH on ICU admission, and again 12 hrs later, have a high specificity
      for predicting patient survival in this ICU patient population (77.8% to 80.6%).
      Furthermore, given its relative noninvasive nature, tonometrically measured
      gastric intramucosal pH may be a useful addition to patient monitoring in the
      ICU.

PMID- 1860329
TI  - Serum aminoglycoside clearance is predicted as poorly by renal aminoglycoside
      clearance as by creatinine clearance in critically ill patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships among serum aminoglycoside clearance,
      renal aminoglycoside clearance, measured creatinine clearance, and estimated
      creatinine clearance derived from a standard formula in critically ill patients.
      SETTING: A ten-bed general ICU in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Eighteen
      critically ill patients who were being treated with gentamicin or tobramycin for
      severe infections, and were hemodynamically stable. INTERVENTIONS: The various
      clearances were measured simultaneously after the administration of a dose of
      aminoglycoside by assaying serial blood samples for aminoglycoside and creatinine
      concentration, and by measuring the content of these substances in urine
      collected over the same time period. OUTCOME MEASURES: The slopes, intercepts and
      coefficients of determination (r2) of the various regressions were determined,
      along with the 95% confidence intervals for the prediction of serum
      aminoglycoside clearance from each other variable. RESULTS: Renal aminoglycoside
      clearance, creatinine clearance, and estimated creatinine clearance accounted for
      only 58%, 59%, and 62%, respectively, of the variance in serum aminoglycoside
      clearance. Only 64% of the variance in renal aminoglycoside clearance was
      explained by creatinine clearance. Substantial and variable nonrenal
      aminoglycoside clearance was evident. CONCLUSIONS: The 95% confidence intervals
      for the prediction of serum aminoglycoside clearance from each index of renal
      function indicated that none of these indices provided acceptable accuracy for
      the prediction of serum aminoglycoside clearance and dosage requirements in
      critically ill patients. Renal aminoglycoside clearance was not better than
      creatinine clearance in this respect, and thus no other index of renal function
      is likely to be more accurate. This finding implies that the only accurate method
      of determining the dose requirements to achieve target serum concentrations in
      such patients will be individualized pharmacokinetic dosing.

PMID- 1860331
TI  - Cardiothoracic variables measured by bioelectrical impedance in preterm and term
      neonates.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To report the range of normal values for impedance-derived cardiac
      output, stroke volume, and the baseline transthoracic impedance in the healthy
      preterm and term neonate over the weight range generally found in the intensive
      care nursery. DESIGN: Prospective, case-referent study. SETTING: University
      medical center special care and term nurseries. PATIENTS: Twenty-seven preterm
      and 25 term newborns with no evidence of cardiovascular problems. INTERVENTIONS:
      We determined the values for impedance cardiac output and stroke volume to be
      used as reference values. Also measured was the baseline transthoracic impedance,
      a number that reflects the air/fluid ratio of the thorax. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: Stroke volume and stroke volume index were, respectively, 2.0 +/- 0.8
      (SD) mL and 1.4 +/- 0.5 mL/kg for preterm infants, and 5.0 +/- 2.0 mL and 1.6 +/-
      0.7 mL/kg for term neonates. Cardiac output and cardiac index were, respectively,
      304 +/- 114 mL/min and 214 +/- 68 mL/min.kg for preterm newborns, and 648 +/- 244
      mL/min and 205 +/- 78 mL/min.kg in term newborns. These values compared favorably
      with published values utilizing other techniques for these populations. Both
      cardiac output and stroke volume were linearly correlated to body weight, being
      largest in the heavier neonates. Transthoracic impedance values were 42.7 +/- 9.0
      ohms and 6.7 +/- 1.7 ohms/cm for preterm infants and 32.3 +/- 4.3 ohms and 3.9 +/
      0.6 ohms/cm for term infants. Transthoracic impedance and transthoracic
      impedance/cm values were correlated negatively to body weight and were
      curvilinearly related to body weight. CONCLUSIONS: These values for transthoracic
      impedance and transthoracic impedance/cm are the first reported using the
      standard electrode lead configuration in neonates.

PMID- 1860330
TI  - Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score and outcome in
      the surgical intensive care unit: an analysis of multiple intervention and
      outcome variables in 1,238 patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the statistical association of the Acute Physiology and
      Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score with multiple intervention and
      outcome variables in surgical ICU patients. DESIGN: Continuous data collection on
      every patient admitted to the surgical ICU for a 21-month period. MATERIALS AND
      METHODS: For every admitted patient in the surgical ICU, APACHE II scores were
      calculated and the relationship between APACHE II score as an independent
      predictor of outcome was assessed with multiple outcome variables selected for
      study. The outcome and intervention variables tested included: treatment
      intervention measures such as days on ventilator; days with an arterial catheter,
      central venous catheter, triple lumen catheter, pulmonary artery catheter; days
      receiving total parenteral nutrition; days receiving tube feedings; number of
      transducers per days in the ICU; number of infusion pumps per ICU days, days in
      the hospital, number of complete blood counts; number of electrolyte
      determinations; number of blood gases; number of units of blood transfused; ICU
      and hospital mortality rates in the presence of complications, including:
      respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, congestive heart failure, coma,
      requirement of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and others. RESULTS: The APACHE II
      score was statistically associated with each intervention and outcome variable
      tested. Unfortunately, the associations, although consistent, were weak with r2
      values ranging from .03 to a maximum of .22 for Pearson's correlation
      coefficients. CONCLUSION: The APACHE II score was statistically associated with
      all the variables examined in our surgical patients, but its predictive power for
      the individual surgical patient was limited. These findings suggest that the
      score may be useful for retrospective analyses of large cohorts of patients but
      should not be used as a triage tool or as a predictor of outcome for the
      individual patient. Triage decisions should continue to be based on the best
      available clinical judgment.

PMID- 1860332
TI  - Reduced alveolar macrophage production of tumor necrosis factor during sepsis in
      mice and men.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been implicated as a
      major humoral mediator of sepsis and endotoxin shock. TNF is secreted by cells of
      the reticuloendothelial system, including alveolar macrophages. Alveolar
      macrophage TNF production has been postulated to play a pathogenetic role in the
      development of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in sepsis. To evaluate
      alveolar macrophage production of TNF during sepsis and endotoxin shock, we
      studied the effects of sepsis and/or in vivo lipopolysaccharide on the in vitro
      production of TNF by pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Human pulmonary alveolar
      macrophages were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from six septic and five
      nonseptic patients, cultured in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (1
      ng/mL), and assayed for TNF activity in a bioassay using fibroblast lysis. A
      murine model of sepsis was also utilized to study pulmonary alveolar macrophage
      TNF production under more controlled conditions. Normal mice were given ip
      injections of either lipopolysaccharide or saline. After 2 hrs, pulmonary
      alveolar macrophages were obtained and cultured in saline or various
      concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (0.001 to 10 micrograms/mL). RESULTS: There
      was no difference in baseline TNF activity, expressed as per cent lysis at 1:10
      dilution, between pulmonary alveolar macrophages from control and septic patients
      (35.7 +/- 5.5% vs. 24.4 +/- 9.3%, respectively) (p greater than .05). However,
      when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide in vitro, the pulmonary alveolar
      macrophages from nonseptic patients produced significantly (p less than .01) more
      TNF (82.8 +/- 3.6%) than did pulmonary alveolar macrophages from patients with
      the septic syndrome (35.2 +/- 3.8%). Similar findings were obtained using the
      murine sepsis model. The baseline TNF activity in pulmonary alveolar macrophages
      from control mice was 22.9 +/- 7.0% (mean +/- SEM) and from lipopolysaccharide
      injected mice was 26.8 +/- 3.3% (p greater than .05). Stimulation with 1 ng/mL
      lipopolysaccharide in vitro produced an increase in TNF activity in both groups,
      but the increase was greater in the control mice (68.1 +/- 5.7%) than in the
      lipopolysaccharide-injected mice (47.5 +/- 5.3%) (p less than .01). When the
      murine pulmonary alveolar macrophages were stimulated with higher concentrations
      of lipopolysaccharide (0.1 to 10 micrograms/mL), pulmonary alveolar macrophages
      from lipopolysaccharide-injected mice produced less than 25.5% of the TNF
      produced by pulmonary alveolar macrophages from control mice. CONCLUSIONS: These
      studies indicate that sepsis and endotoxin injection result in a rapid decrease
      in the ability of pulmonary alveolar macrophages from both humans and mice to
      produce and secrete TNF in response to lipopolysaccharide. We speculate that a
      downregulation of TNF production or of macrophage responsiveness to
      lipopolysaccharide has occurred. These results suggest that sustained TNF
      production by macrophages is not required for lung injury in sepsis.

PMID- 1860333
TI  - Operation Desert Shield experience.

PMID- 1860334
TI  - Administration of angiotensin II in refractory septic shock.

PMID- 1860335
TI  - Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to red blood cell transfusion.

PMID- 1860336
TI  - Red blood cell transfusion effect.

PMID- 1860337
TI  - Methadone treatment in the pediatric intensive care unit.

PMID- 1860338
TI  - Transurethral prostate resection syndrome.

PMID- 1860339
TI  - Sepsis-related "cardiogenic" shock?

PMID- 1860340
TI  - "Sepsis"--clarity of existing terminology ... or more confusion?

PMID- 1860341
TI  - Use of aminoglycosides in critically ill patients.

PMID- 1860343
TI  - Pediatric brain tumors.

PMID- 1860342
TI  - New developments in pediatric nephrology.

PMID- 1860344
TI  - Neonatal cranial ultrasonography.
AB  - We trace the evolution of pediatric cranial sonography from its inception to the
      present. Technical considerations and Doppler imaging are discussed. Scanning
      techniques and a review of the sonographic landmarks of normal anatomy are
      presented. Knowledge of these landmarks will facilitate screening examinations.
      We then present clinical and screening indications for cranial sonography in the
      neonate, emphasizing the pathogenesis and classification of intracranial
      hemorrhage and porencephaly. Finally a description of inflammatory lesions and
      their sonographic appearances and a review of cystic and solid lesions completes
      the discussion of cranial sonography in the neonate.

PMID- 1860345
TI  - [Etiopathology and treatment of oral aphthae].

PMID- 1860346
TI  - [From Vosges to the Carpathians].

PMID- 1860347
TI  - [Mucogingival surgery for the totally edentulous].

PMID- 1860348
TI  - [First aid for severely injured patients in mass accidents].

PMID- 1860349
TI  - [Clinical management problems in mass accidents].

PMID- 1860350
TI  - [Mass accidents from the anesthesiologic viewpoint].

PMID- 1860351
TI  - [Unilateral lung transplantation as an effective therapy in primary lung
      emphysema].
AB  - Unilateral lung transplantation is the treatment of choice for terminal
      restrictive lung disease. We report about three patients with end-stage pulmonary
      emphysema treated by single lung transplantation. All patients are alive 3, 6 and
      7 months after the operation with good quality of life. Blood gases have
      normalized and lung function parameters have markedly improved. We conclude, that
      single lung transplantation can be an effective treatment for selected patients
      with end-stage obstructive lung diseases in the absence of chronic infections.

PMID- 1860352
TI  - [Carcinoid tumor of the stomach--aspects of surgical therapy].
AB  - Carcinoid tumors of the stomach are rare (0.4% of all malignancies of the
      stomach). Long-lasting hypergastrinemia, most often due to chronic atrophic
      gastritis, leads to hyperplasia of ECL-cells in the gastric fundic mucosa with
      consequent dysplasia or neoplasia. Between 1974 and 1988 four patients underwent
      surgical treatment after diagnosis of a gastric carcinoid tumor. One patient was
      treated by local excision, two by subtotal resection and one patient underwent
      complete gastrectomy. None of the patients had local or distant metastases or
      died in the follow-up period due to tumor progression. The different approaches
      to surgical therapy are discussed.

PMID- 1860353
TI  - [Current problems of neuroendocrine tumors of the stomach. Also a comment on the
      preceding contribution by M. Storck et al].

PMID- 1860355
TI  - [Enterostomy in Crohn disease].
AB  - Indications, technique and prognosis of 129 enterostomies in Crohn's disease are
      reported. Advanced perianal or entero-genital fistulas represented the
      predominant indication (60% of primary, 46% of repeated stomas). 85% of stomas
      were created in combination with intestinal resections. Preferred type of stoma
      was a loopileostomy (76% of primary stomas), whereas colostomies were avoided
      whenever possible because of increased complications. Patients initially
      presenting with rectal involvement or perianal fistulas were prone to need a
      stoma during the course of their disease while intraabdominal fistulas,
      abscesses, age, sex, and longstanding disease where of no prognostic
      significance. Up to now 50% of all temporary stomas and a third of those created
      for distal fistulas could be closed. The chance of closure increased
      significantly with duration of symptoms less than 7 years, not more than one
      previous operation or absence of rectal involvement.

PMID- 1860354
TI  - [Effect of reconstruction method on nutritional status after gastrectomy.
      Comparison of Roux-Y esophagojejunostomy and jejunum interposition].
AB  - Body composition, postprandial symptoms and social performance were studied in 61
      tumor-free patients after total gastrectomy and Roux-Y esophagojejunostomy (n =
      30) or jejunal interposition (n = 31). Emptying of the gastric substitute and
      small bowel transit of a 99mTc-labeled solid test meal were measured by
      scintigraphy. Serum glucose levels, and immunoreactive insulin were measured
      simultaneously. The lowest postoperative weight was 73 +/- 2% of the pre-morbid
      weight in Roux-Y cases, and 77 +/- 2% after jejunal interposition, the weight at
      study was 82 +/- 2% respectively 87 +/- 1% of the premorbid weight (p less than
      0.05). Of the patients younger than 60 years at operation only one third of the
      twelve Roux-Y cases had resumed their work, as compared to two thirds of the
      eighteen interposition cases (p = 0.056). The incidences of the postprandial
      symptoms were not different among the modes of reconstruction, except for a
      slightly higher incidence of late dumping in Roux-Y (17% vs. 10%). After
      correction for gender higher mean values of fat-free mass, total body water, and
      intracellular water were measured in interposition cases (bioelectric impedance
      analysis). The emptying half-time of the gastric substitute was 488 s in the Roux
      Y group, and 378 s after interposition (p = 0.05), whereas the small bowel
      transit (median: 200 min) showed no differences between the groups. There was no
      correlation between t1/2 or small bowel transit and the nutritional data. Early
      dumping (p = 0.01) was the only symptom significantly associated with rapid
      emptying of the gastric substitute.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860356
TI  - [Long-term results after neurolysis and palmar transposition of the ulnar nerve].
AB  - We reviewed 41 patients with 43 proximal ulnar nerve compression syndromes. The
      usual procedure was neurolysis of the ulnar nerve und subcutaneous transposition.
      The average follow-up period was 5 1/2 years (15 1/4 years to 3 months). The M/F
      ratio is 2.4:1. Most of the patients are hard manual workers, the dominant arm is
      most often affected, and 60% have some form of an injury in their history. About
      half of the patients followed-up have extensive relief of pain, loss of
      sensibility and weakness of the hand. But only 8 patients feel to have a perfect
      result. A few do complain of some tenderness in the scar region, some sensibility
      loss and a Tinel sign along the anterior route of the transposed nerve. Regaining
      of strength last months or even years. There is a general tendency to better
      final results in younger patients.

PMID- 1860357
TI  - [Pancreatic penetration of antibiotics].
AB  - Antibiotic therapy is indicated in acute pancreatitis because the most common
      complication and the mean reason for mortality is a bacterial infection.
      Concentrations of nine antibiotics from various classes were studied in the
      pancreatic tissue and pancreatic juice of patients and dogs. The volume of
      distribution is the most valuable parameter for predicting the potential
      pancreatic penetration of a substance. As a result of our pharmacokinetic studies
      mezlocillin and cefotiam, especially ciprofloxacin, have the most antiinfectious
      potential in treatment of acute pancreatitis. Metronidazole is suitable for
      combination in cases of pancreatic infections covering anaerobic bacteria.

PMID- 1860358
TI  - [Technique of microvascular jejunum transfer for replacement of the cervical
      esophagus].
AB  - Technique and results of the first 10 free jejunal grafts after
      pharyngolaryngectomy are presented. End-to-side venous anastomosis and end-to
      side pharyngojejunostomy instead of end-to-end techniques are proposed. Hospital
      mortality was 0 and as minor complications 1 uncomplicated fistula of the
      proximal and 1 stenosis of the distal anastomosis along with 1 wound infection
      were seen. There were no vascular complications and no graft loss. All patients
      were able to swallow and to eat thus an excellent quality of life was achieved.

PMID- 1860359
TI  - [Leiomyosarcoma of the infra-hepatic vena cava--vascular replacement by expanded
      PTFE prosthesis with hypothermia of the liver].

PMID- 1860360
TI  - [Aneurysm of the persistent sciatic artery].

PMID- 1860361
TI  - [Subserous lipoma as a cause of ileo-ileal invagination of the small intestine].

PMID- 1860362
TI  - [Measuring bone healing in osteosynthesis with external fixator using the
      Fraktometer FM 100].

PMID- 1860363
TI  - [Comments on the contribution by H. G. Rau et al.: Cutting with the water jet
      (jet cutting)--an alternative to the ultrasound aspirator?].

PMID- 1860364
TI  - [Appendicitis].

PMID- 1860365
TI  - [Pathological observations on fallopian tubes after sterilization].
AB  - From animal experiments and clinical observation of 130 cases of tubal
      anastomosis, it has shown that the dilatation of salpinx and adhesion of pelvic
      organs may occur after ligation of oviduct tube. The present study showed that:
      (1) tubal dilatation is the result of simple hydrosalpinx and is related to
      inadequate location of tubal ligation; (2) the mechanical stimulus caused by
      rough ligation end and large scar is an important factor in producing adhesion of
      pelvic organs; (3) delicate and gentle operation and choosing isthmus portion to
      ligate is helpful in prevention of the above changes.

PMID- 1860366
TI  - [Origin and enrichment of fetal cells in the blood of pregnant women and its uses
      in prenatal diagnosis].

PMID- 1860367
TI  - [National epidemiological investigation of pregnancy induced-hypertension].
AB  - An epidemiological investigation of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) in a
      population of 3.7 millions in China is reported in this paper. The incidence of
      PIH was 9.4%; that of mild moderate-PIH, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and chronic
      hypertension with PIH were 4.7, 2.6, 1.7, 0.2 and 0.2% respectively. The maternal
      and perinatal mortality of PIH groups were higher than the group without PIH (P
      less than 0.01). Our results revealed that pathogenesis of PIH was positively
      related to age. Primiparity, multiple pregnancy, labour posture during pregnancy,
      physical labor intensity, maternal education level, body status, heredity and
      various complications during pregnancy.

PMID- 1860368
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of antepartum vibratory acoustic stimulation test].
AB  - A prospective comparative study between antepartum vibratory acoustic stimulation
      test (VAS-T) and nonstress test (NST) was done in 103 pregnant women. Of the 103
      cases, 101 of VAS-Ts were positive and 2 negative, with no false negative result.
      76 of NSTs were positive and 27 NSTs were negative, with 26 false negative
      result. The mean duration of VAS-T was 56 seconds. It showed that VAS-T as an
      effective antepartum monitoring test was safe and much less time consuming. As
      compared with NST, the false negative rate of VAS-T was reduced, thus the
      predictive value of negative VAS-T increased. A positive VAS-T predicts with high
      precision that the fetal well-being is satisfactory, while a negative VAS-T
      prognostic that the fetal outcome is poor.

PMID- 1860369
TI  - [Echocardiographic detection of fetal cardiac arrhythmias].
AB  - Using real-time directed M-mode and Doppler echocardiography we identified
      cardiac arrhythmias in 10 fetuses. One had signal tachycardia, one bradycardia, 5
      supraventricular premature contractions, and 2 ventricular premature contractions
      (VPC), which were all self-limited. The diagnosis of VPC in one case was based on
      premature ending of foramen ovale flap's 2 nd wave on M-mode recording. All cases
      carried a favorable prognosis except the one with VPC who had a small ventricular
      septal defect overlooked prenatally. The 10 th case had II degrees
      atrioventricular block complicated by heart failure and died in utero. This study
      showed that most arrhythmias can be detected antenatally by analysing
      atrioventricular contraction sequences. It also proved that the characteristic M
      mode pattern of foramen ovale flap is of value in evaluating the types of
      arrhythmias.

PMID- 1860370
TI  - [Relation between abnormal pregnancies and Toxoplasma gondii infection].
AB  - 3,012 pregnant women were divided into three groups according to the status of
      Toxoplasma gondii infection, and the pregnancy outcomes were followed up. Results
      showed that the total incidence rates of spontaneous abortion, premature birth,
      still birth and congenital defects were 0.70, 3.39, 0.83 and 0.90% respectively.
      The incidence rates of the four groups of abnormal pregnancies having
      serologically diagnosed recent or active infection were significantly higher than
      that having no evidence of infection. The relative risk estimates (ORmh) of the 4
      groups were 7.01, 3.44, 8.76 and 9.34% respectively. The incidence rates of the
      groups diagnosed as having past infection were not significantly different from
      that having no evidence of infection. Analysis of the time lapse from positive
      serodiagnosis to the appearance of abnormal pregnancies showed that the
      development of congenital defects was statistically related with Toxoplasma
      gondii infection in the first trimester of gestation.

PMID- 1860371
TI  - [Pathological analysis and etiological study on uterine leiomyoma].
AB  - The morphologic observations of uterine leiomyoma in 100 cases and the
      histogenetic study on the uterine muscles of three-month to full-term fetuses in
      14 cases have been made. It is found that there exists a transitional feature of
      perithelial cells, which probably are the cellular anlagen of hysteromyoma and
      uterine smooth muscle of fetus. Those cells are similar to the fifth month fetal
      uterine wall cells and might belong to the rudimentary mullerian tissue.
      Histologically, the hysteromyoma could be divided into five cellular types:
      mature cell type, proliferative cell type, blastocyte type, retrogressional cell
      type and mixed cell type. The blastocyte type might be related to an elevated
      level of estrogen and 59% of retrogressional cell type occurs in the patients
      above 50 years old.

PMID- 1860372
TI  - [N2 laser in diagnosis of early cervical cancer].
AB  - Two-hundred and thirty-three cases of severe cervical erosion with positive or
      doubtful Pap smear or atypical cervical proliferation were examined by N2 laser
      stimulating intrinsic fluorescence method in order to detect early cervical
      cancer and precancerous lesions. This diagnosis can be made by the fluorescence
      color or by drawing a curve in a dark room. The correspondent rate to
      pathological findings was 100% for cervical cancer and 93.9% for cervical
      dysplasia.

PMID- 1860373
TI  - [Autoimmune reaction factors of infertility in patients with endometriosis].
AB  - The presence of immunoprotein depositions in endometrium and antiendometrial
      autoantibodies in serum was detected in 59 infertile patients with endometriosis,
      45 infertile patients without endometriosis and 11 fertile women by the methods
      of immunohistochemistry determination and immunodiffusion assay. The
      immunoprotein depositions in endometrium of endometriosis were significantly
      increased. The antiendometrial auto-antibodies in serum were positive in 32.2%
      for infertile patients with endometriosis, 6.7% for infertile patients without
      endometriosis and 0% for fertile women. This suggested that an autoimmune
      response might be an etiologic factor of infertility in patients with
      endometriosis.

PMID- 1860374
TI  - Coming to grips with a complex matter. A multidisciplinary approach to the
      synaptonemal complex.
AB  - Research into the synaptonemal complex (SC) is currently finding renewed
      interest. This is because the primarily cytological knowledge of the SC has been
      increasingly supplemented by immunochemical characterization and genetical
      studies over recent years. Moreover, yeast, offering one of the most handy and
      rewarding experimental systems, has joined the group of organisms in which the SC
      can be studied cytologically. In this essay I shall present aspects concerning
      the SC and its role in meiotic pairing that have emerged over the past few years,
      parts of which were discussed at a recent meeting in Obertraun, Austria.

PMID- 1860375
TI  - Fertile male mice with three sex chromosomes: evidence that infertility in XYY
      male mice is an effect of two Y chromosomes.
AB  - In the mouse XYY males are sterile, presumably because pairing abnormalities
      resulting from the presence of three sex chromosomes lead to meiotic breakdown.
      We have produced male mice, designated XYY*X, that have three sex chromosomes
      pairing regions but only one intact Y chromosome. Unexpectedly XYY*X, males are
      fertile, although they are no more efficient in sex chromosome pairing than
      previously reported XYY males. We conclude that the sterility of XYY males is
      caused by a combination of the deleterious effect of two Y chromosomes,
      presumably acting prior to meiosis, and pairing abnormalities resulting in
      significant meiotic disruption.

PMID- 1860376
TI  - The Adh in Drosophila: chromosomal location and restriction analysis in species
      with different phylogenetic relationships.
AB  - Restriction analysis of the genomic region containing the Adh gene and in situ
      hybridization assays were performed in six Drosophila species belonging to three
      different subgenera: D. ambigua, D. subobscura, D. madeirensis and D. guanche
      (sg. Sophophora); D. immigrans (sg. Drosophila); and D. lebanonensis (sg.
      Pholadoris). In agreement with previous observations, comparison of restriction
      maps of the Adh region shows that D. subobscura and D. madeirensis are very
      closely related. Partial homology is also observed with the rest of the obscura
      group species. Nevertheless, no resemblance at the restriction map level is
      detected when more distantly related species are compared. In D. ambigua, D.
      immigrans and D. lebanonensis in situ hybridization assays reveal a single
      chromosomal location for Adh, which in D. lebanonensis appears to be sex linked.
      In contrast, in D. subobscura, D. madeirensis and D. guanche multiple sites of
      hybridization with homologous and heterologous probes are observed. For example,
      in D. subobscura and D. madeirensis the functional Adh gene is located on the U
      chromosome and additional homologous retrosequences are found on the E
      chromosome.

PMID- 1860377
TI  - Localization of specific repetitive DNA sequences in individual rice chromosomes.
AB  - This paper describes the characterization and chromosomal distribution of three
      different rice (Oryza sativa) repetitive DNA sequences. The three sequences were
      characterized by sequence analysis, which gave 355, 498 and 756 bp for the length
      of the repeat unit in Os48, OsG3-498 and OsG5-756, respectively. Copy number
      determination by quantitative DNA slot-blot hybridization analysis showed 4000,
      1080 and 920 copies, respectively, per haploid rice genome for the three
      sequences. In situ DNA hybridization analysis revealed that 95% of the silver
      grains detected with the Os48 probe were localized to euchromatic ends of seven
      long arms and one short arm out of the 12 rice chromosomes. For the OsG3-498
      repetitive sequence, the majority of silver grains (58%) were also clustered at
      the same chromosomal ends as that of Os48. The minority (28%) of silver grains
      were located at heterochromatic short arms and centromeric regions. For the OsG5
      756 repetitive sequence, 81% of the silver grains labeled the heterochromatic
      short arms and regions flanking all of the 12 centromeres. Thus, each of these
      three repetitive sequences was distributed at specific defined chromosomal
      locations rather than randomly at many chromosomal locations. The approximate
      copy number of a given repetitive DNA sequence at any specific chromosomal
      location was calculated by combining the information from in situ DNA
      hybridization analysis and the total copy number as determined by DNA slot-blot
      hybridization.

PMID- 1860379
TI  - [Changes in lipid peroxides and superoxide dismutase as incubation of in vitro
      erythrocytes with cerebrospinal fluids and the action of various scavengers of
      free radicals].
AB  - In this experiment, LPO increased and SOD reduced as the time pass when
      erythrocytes (RBC) and CSF were mixed and incubated. There was a negative
      relationship between LPO and SOD. LPO in RBC of arterial blood was higher than
      that of venous blood after incubation for 3 days (P less than 0.01). When
      arterial RBCs were incubated together with various scavengers of free radical
      (SOD catalase and histidine and mannitol), the production of LPO was less than
      that of arterial RBC incubation singly (P less than 0.01). The change of LPO was
      not reduced when sodium nitrite and arterial RBC incubated. The results
      demonstrated that the scavengers of free radicals could be eliminated free
      radical but failed with sodium nitrite.

PMID- 1860378
TI  - Chromatin behaviour under influence of puromycin and 6-DMAP at different stages
      of mouse oocyte maturation.
AB  - Preovulatory mouse oocytes were cultured in vitro up to each subsequent stages of
      maturation: germinal vesicle (GV), germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), groups of
      not yet individualized bivalents, circular bivalents, late prometaphase I,
      metaphase I, anaphase I and telophase I. The stages were identified in living
      oocytes by fluorescence microscopy using Hoechst 33342 as a specific vital dye.
      Oocytes from each stage of development developed in vitro and ovulated metaphase
      II oocytes were subsequently cultured in the presence of puromycin or 6
      dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP), an inhibitor of protein phosphorylation. The
      effects on chromatin of these drugs were studied during and at the end of culture
      by fluorescence and electron microscopy. We found that puromycin and 6-DMAP stop
      meiosis when applied at all stages of oocyte maturation, except for metaphase II.
      Oocytes at this stage are activated by puromycin. Reaction of the oocytes to the
      two drugs is different at GV and at metaphase II. All of the other stages react
      to the drugs by chromatin compaction, which can be followed by chromatin
      decondensation to form a nucleus. Our results suggest that late prophase
      chromatin condensation, bivalent individualization and retention of their
      individuality, as well as individualization of monovalents from telophase and
      retention of their individuality at metaphase II, are dependent on protein
      phosphorylation. The events occurring between metaphase I and telophase I are
      independent of protein synthesis and phosphorylation. The events occurring
      between metaphase II and formation of the nucleus are independent of protein
      synthesis.

PMID- 1860380
TI  - [Olivopontocerebellar atrophy: clinical analysis of 100 cases].
AB  - The clinical features in 100 patients suffered from olivopontocerebellar atrophy
      (OPCA) and their genetic trait were studied. The diagnosis was verified in all
      cases with computed tomography, demonstrating the atrophy of cerebellum and
      brainstem, vascular, neoplastic, infectious and any other organic disorder
      suspected were excluded. 53 out of 100 cases were sporadic (SOPCA) and the
      remainder (47 cases) was familial (FOPCA). The age of onset in SOPCA group was
      36.1 +/- 14.95 (M +/- SD) in average, while in FOPCA group was 28.9 +/- 11.8. It
      seems that the symptoms in FOPCA group develop earlier than that in SOPCA group
      (P less than 0.05). All 47 cases of FOPCA group belong to 36 families in which
      altogether 166 persons were involved. According to pedigree patterns, there were
      26 families inherited as autosomal dominant trait and probably so in another 5
      families. Autosomal recessive trait could be confirmed in 2 families, in which
      the parents of proband were consanguineous, and in 3 other families autosomal
      recessive trait of inheritance was highly suspected. Anticipation was
      demonstrated in 26 families with dominant inheritance. Generally, ataxia and
      weakness of legs develop as initial symptoms in 88% of cases, then followed by
      dysarthria, and ataxia of upper extremities. The rapid alternating test of hand
      was impaired in 95% of patients, however, tension tremor was revealed only in 53%
      of patients. A method for assessing the ataxia quantitatively was proposed, our
      data suggest that the quantitative alternating test in the upper extremity and
      the measurement of base-width in lower extremity seem to be valuable in
      identifying the intensity of ataxia.

PMID- 1860381
TI  - [An epidemiological study of stroke in four areas in Shandong Province].
AB  - An epidemiological study of prevalence rate, morbidity rate and mortality was
      carried out in Jinan. Dongying. Huimin and Zaozhuang among a gross, urban and
      rural population of 173,630, It was found upon analysis that the prevalence rate
      of complete stroke was 254.56/100,000 the morbidity rate was 95.03/100,000 and
      the mortality rate was 59,100,000 Among the four areas, Jinan had the highest
      prevalence rate and mortality rate of stroke, while they were significantly lower
      in Zaozhuang as the population there was basically rural.

PMID- 1860382
TI  - [A testimony procedure of forensic psychiatry used for criminal cases].
AB  - A testimony procedure of forensic psychiatry containing of the following steps
      as: "to set-up the medical diagnosis-to clarify the criminal motive-to determine
      the property of criminal legal ability damage-to evaluate the criminal
      responsibility" is recommended, and upon them "to clarify the criminal motive" is
      of importance. The property of criminal legal ability damage can be determined
      through the criminal motive and then the degree of criminal responsibility can be
      evaluated objectively through the criminal motive and criminal legal ability
      effected by the disease.

PMID- 1860383
TI  - [A control study of clomipramine and amitriptyline for treating obsessive
      compulsive disorder].
AB  - This paper reported a comparative study of clomipramine (n = 21) and
      amitriptyline (n = 18) for treatment OCD. The improvement rate of clomipramine
      and amitriptyline was 95.2% and 55.6%, respectively (P less than 0.01). The
      decreased scores of obsessive-compulsive and depressive factors of SCL-90 of
      clomipramine were higher than amitriptyline. The results showed that clomipramine
      has better therapeutic effects and less side-effects than amitriptyline.

PMID- 1860384
TI  - [Clinical analysis in the main side effects of clozapine: enclosed 600 cases
      report].
AB  - The main side effects of 7921 hospitalized patients taken clozapine from July in
      1980 to October in 1988 were investigated. In these cases, there were 600
      patients with the main side effects caused by clozapine. They included 312
      patients with leukocytosis (52.0%), 114 patients with leukopenia (19.0%),
      (included 16 patients with agranulocytosis), 53 patients with EEG abnormal
      (8.9%), 35 patients with fever (5.9%), 32 patients with EKG abnormal (5.3%), 14
      patients with rash (2.3%), 12 patients with epileptic seizure (2.0%), 11 patients
      with posture hypotension (1.8%), 8 patients with paralytic intestinal obstruction
      (1.3%), 6 patients with SGPT raised (1.0%) and 3 patients with conscious
      disturbances (0.5%). The causes and treatments of the main side effects mentioned
      above were discussed.

PMID- 1860385
TI  - [A self body double blind clinical study of L-tryptophan and placebo in treated
      neurosis].
AB  - In this paper the authors report the results of a cross-over treatment of 79 case
      of neurosis with vacuum drugs and L-tryptophan. The therapeutic effects were
      evaluated respectively with four-degree scale and the rating scales of SCL-90.
      Sleep vs. Sleep disturbance self-checklist. Side effects were evaluated with
      TESS. The data show that treatment of L-tryptophan 3.0g/day for six weeks. Rate
      of marked improvement is 58.2%, effective rate is 91.1%. It is concluded that the
      effects of hypnosis and sedation are mild side effects only. Using L-tryptophan
      the therapeutic effects which concern somatization depression anxiety, phobia,
      compulsion, are analysed and discussed.

PMID- 1860386
TI  - [A controlled study of clinical therapeutic effects of laser acupuncture for
      schizophrenia].
AB  - A controlled study of clinical therapeutic effects of laser acupuncture was made
      for 33 patients suffering from schizophrenia. As evaluated by BPRS, CGI, a rating
      scale for extramidal side effects and chinese clinical assessments for
      therapeutic effects. Our clinical practise suggests that laser acupuncture was as
      effective as chlorpromazine in the treatment of schizophrenia.

PMID- 1860387
TI  - [Bulbar conjunctival microcirculation in schizophrenics].
AB  - A comparative observation on bulbar conjunctival microcirculation (BCM) between
      38 schizophrenics and 38 normal controls was carried out. The results showed 95%
      abnormal BCM in schizophrenics. And among them, the moderate and severe abnormal
      BCM was 74%. And in all of the 14 investigated items, the general abnormalities
      were 50%. But in normal controls, abnormal BCM was 27%, and just a few of them
      appeared the general abnormalities, and no one suggested moderate and severe
      abnormal BCM. As compared the results obtained in schizophrenics with those in
      normal controls, we found 12 investigated items such as irregularity in diameter,
      dilatation and tortuosity of tiny vena; irregularity in diameter, stiff of tiny
      arteria; small hemorrhagic spot, brown pigmentation, red blood cells collected in
      tiny vena and capillary, small vascular density, speed of blood flow and arterio
      venous ratio were statistically significant.

PMID- 1860388
TI  - [Analysis of the cultural and mental diseases rates of the three nationalities
      from She, Hui and Mongolian peoples].
AB  - This paper researches into transcultural psychiatry from She. Hui and Mongolian
      Nationalities in an epidemiological fact-finding way. Its results show that
      different historical cultural background geographical environment and custom of
      these three nationalities closely related to mental health including the sickness
      rates the symptoms and the kinds of mental disease.

PMID- 1860389
TI  - [A prospective controlled study of psychosomatic and immunologic change in
      recently bereaved people].
AB  - This research was carried out in 45 bereaved people who were the close relatives
      of a bus accident victims. Their mental and physical conditions, IgA, IgG, IgM,
      C3 and C4 levels were measured. It reveals that mental and physical conditions of
      the investigated group declined and the incidence of infectious diseases
      increased in comparison with the control group. Subjects antibody and complement
      functions were inhibited after bereavement. The social support they perceived
      functions in the way of buffering the stress as well as improving the immunity.

PMID- 1860390
TI  - [Relation between the clinical manifestations and electromyographic findings in
      motor neurone disease].
AB  - 343 cases of motor neurone disease (MND) were examined with electromyography. The
      result showed EMG examination was of much vale in helping to ascertain an
      accurate diagnosis which clinically could be made in only about 1/4 of the series
      of cases. The ages of onset ranged from 4 months to 10 years with an average of
      36.8 years. 56.8% under 40 years. There was a higher male preponderance, the
      male/female ratio being 3.2:1. It was 1.6:1 in a report from a western country.
      123 cases showed only one limb involvement clinically while the EMG findings were
      also abnormal in the other three limbs. Fibrillation potentials were found to be
      at more than two sites in one muscle in 84.5% in this series, where as they
      occurred in 95-100% of the infantile and juvenile cases. Abundant fibrillation
      potentials were found in 37.1% of the cases within 3 years after the onset and in
      13.6% in those with a longer duration. The increment of the mean duration of
      motor unit potential was 94.5% and that of the mean amplitude 91%. It seemed not
      necessary to emphasize giant potentials. The motor nerve conduction velocities
      (NCV) were normal in 95% while the sensory NCV were almost always normal (98%).
      All of the 3 cases tested with single fiber EMG showed an increment of jitter of
      95-100% and a muscle fiber density of 2.95-3.65.

PMID- 1860391
TI  - [The clinical significance of multifactor discrimination and analysis of maternal
      serum Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn contents in the diagnosis of abnormal fetus].
AB  - In this paper we present pair-comparison test with serum contents of Cu, Zn, Cd,
      Mn, Se in pregnant women with neural tube defects fetus (NTD), pregnant women
      with normal fetus and healthy with no pregnancy using Bayes Stepwise
      Discrimination Analysis and Fisher Discrimination Analysis. The results showed:
      NTD of fetus was related to deficiency of maternal serum in Cu, Zn, Mn and to
      excess of Cd. The maternal serum levels of Cu, Cd and Mn can be used as sensitive
      indicator to detect intrauterine abnormality at an early stage. The low levels of
      maternal serum in Zn and Se were not a specific indicator of NTD but a
      characteristic shared by all pregnant women. It is important to pay attention to
      supplying pregnant women at an early stage with Zn, Se to meet the needs of
      normal growth of the fetus and prevent foetal abnormality. With stepwise
      discrimination we established two equations by Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn used for
      distinguishing normal from abnormal fetus. The accordant rate of clinical
      discrimination with classification output for inside examples was 93%. In the
      equation established by Fisher principle Mn had the greatest rate, namely, 37.6%.

PMID- 1860392
TI  - [Study on mutagenicity of size-fractionated air particles].
AB  - Ames Salmonella assay and sister chromatid exchanges in CHO cells were used to
      study the mutagenic activity of size-fractionated air particles from outdoor air
      in Beijing, Taiyuan, Wuhan, Shenyang and the areas with high incidence of lung
      cancer in Xuanwei county. Five size particles were collected from each sampling
      points. The results indicate that: 1. The results of organic matter content in
      particles. 2. All of the samples have mutagenicity. There was negative
      correlation between mutagenicity and particle sizes, mutagenicity was increased
      with particle size reduced. The maximum mutagenicity was at the particle size
      less than 1.1 microns. So it is especially hazardous to human health. There was
      logarithmic correlation between organic matter content and revertants.
      Correlation coefficient was 0.98. Regression equation was gamma = 0.23 + 1.01 X.
      3. The results showed that of the five sampling points air pollution at the high
      lung cancer incidence area of Xuanwei county was the most severe.

PMID- 1860393
TI  - [Preliminary study on sanitary standard of aluminium in drinking water].
AB  - Sanitary standard of aluminium in drinking water is not formulated in China. In
      this paper safe maximal dose of aluminium in drinking water was studied, using
      acute and chronic toxicological experiments, cytogenetic toxicological assays and
      sensation threshold tests of AlCl3 and Al3(SO4)3. Considering with available
      epidemiological information, a preliminary sanitary standard of aluminium in
      drinking water 0.2 mg/L is recommended.

PMID- 1860394
TI  - [Epidemiological interventional study on controlling endemic arsenism].
AB  - Residents exposed to high arsenical water in Kuitum area of Xinjiang Autonomous
      Region were studied by on the spot interventional trial experiment. After ridding
      arsenic from drinking water, 82.43% of chronic arsenism were either cured or
      showed improvements of health conditions and no new' cases of arsenism developed
      during the experiment. The values of arsenic in patiens hair and urine decreased
      by drinking water free of arsenic, but remained higher than those of normal
      residents. Our results showed that drinking normal water could help to
      progressively eliminate arsenic storage from the chronic arsenism. By means of
      electromyograph (EMG), we found that the nerve conduction velocities of patients
      increased significantly (P less than 0.01) and that -SH reactivities of
      peripheral blood corpuscles of patients recovered to the normal level.

PMID- 1860395
TI  - [Exposure levels and biological monitoring of pyrethroids in spraymen].
AB  - In order to assess the exposure levels of pyrethroids in spraymen, 50 adult male
      cotton growers were selected as monitoring subjects. The exposure levels were
      evaluated by measuring the air concentration, dermal exposure and urinary content
      of pyrethroids. The results showed that the air concentrations of deltamethrin at
      breathing zone were 0.02-0.32 micrograms/m3 in deltamethrin exposed group, and of
      fenvalerate at 0.69-1.09 micrograms/m3 in exposed spraymen. The dermal exposure
      was more prominent and indicated the most significant route of absorption. In one
      day spraying, the urinary deltamethrin was not detected at 12 hours after the
      beginning of exposure while the fenvalerate was still detected 24 hours after
      starting exposure. However, both can be consecutively detected even two days
      after cessation of a three-day spraying. Health effects were investigated by
      interviews and physical examination. 32 out of 50 spraymen at the above exposure
      levels complained of abnormal facial sensations. No acute pyrethroid poisoning
      cases were found.

PMID- 1860396
TI  - [Influence on benzene and toluene to reproductive function of female workers in
      leathershoe-making industry].
AB  - The reproductive function of 223 women exposed to benzene and toluene was studied
      against 327 controls. The results showed: the incidence rate of menstrual
      disorder in the exposed group was 48.88%, significantly higher than that in the
      control group (16.21%), the incidence rates of menstrual-blood anomaly and
      dysmenorrhea had a tendency to increase with the length of employment. The
      incidence rates of spontaneous abortion and gestosis in the exposed group were
      5.7% and 22.6%, distinctly higher than those in the control group (2.4% and
      10.5%); The difference of the above mentioned indices were statistically
      significant between the two groups, indicating that both benzene and toluene had
      a deletions effect on the reproductive function of the female workers.

PMID- 1860397
TI  - [An analysis of the occupational trauma cases in Beijing Changping County, 1980
      1986].
AB  - An analysis of the occupational trauma cases in 8 enterprises of Changping county
      showed that the over-all trauma rate was higher among the workers of the mechanic
      process (3.85%). The trauma cases among the mechanical workers were 74.2% of the
      total trauma cases. The common site of trauma was the four limbs (75.0-82.0%).
      The trauma occurred more frequently in the last two hours of the 8 working hours
      (205/438, 46.8%). A statistical analysis on the periods of three curves of the
      body bio-rhythm (e.g; physical, sentiments and intelligence curves) revealed
      close relationship between the occupational trauma and the period of the body bio
      rhythm.

PMID- 1860398
TI  - [Comparison of somatotype between Chinese and Japanese children and youth by
      using Heath-Carter method].
AB  - This study was designed to compare the different somatotype growth of Chinese and
      Japanese boys aged 7 through 17. 2,074 subjects participated in it. Their
      somatotypes were analysed by using Heath-Carter method and their morphological
      varieties compared. Significant differences were found not only in their limb
      length and bone width, but also in their muscle circumferences and skinfolds.
      These differences showed the superiority of Chinese boys in ectomorph factor and
      the Japanese boys in endomorph and mesomorph factors respectively. The somatotype
      distributions of these two nations were also quite different at different ages,
      although they showed similar changing trend of somatotype around adolescent
      growth spurt.

PMID- 1860399
TI  - [The measurement of visual refraction of pupils].
AB  - The ocular refraction was measured by applying 1% atropine eye-drops for 3 days
      in 5,458 eyes (male 2,944, female 2,514) of the pupils aged 7-17 in rural areas.
      The results were as follows: the majority of the pupils had hyperopia (male
      84.71%, female 80.55%); the frequency of the measurements was not in normal
      distribution; the degree of far-sight began to recede and gradually become
      converted to myopias with advancing age but varying greatly between age-groups.
      The myopias began to appear at the age of 9 and increased rapidly at the age of
      14 for girls and 15 for boys. From then on the rate of conversion continued to
      increase with schoolgirls more than schoolboys and, as a result, formed "the
      dangerous stage of myopia", the values of physiological visual refraction were
      shown as follows: pupils aged 7-9 + 2.00 D- + 2.50 D, aged 10-13 + 1.50 D- + 1.75
      D, aged 14-17 + 1.00 D- + 1.25 D. The possibility of pathological hyperopia was
      greater if the pupils aged 7-9 and the value of visual refraction over +3.75 D,
      aged 10-13 had the value over +3.00 D and aged 14-17 had the value +2.50 D. The
      possibility of developing myopia was great in those pupils aged 7-9 whose value
      was under +1.00 D and in those aged 10-17 whose value was under +0.50 D. The
      deprived vision of the pupils should be routinely corrected by skiascopy.

PMID- 1860400
TI  - [Reversion of eye position after surgical correction of exotropia].
AB  - The authors analysed the reversion of eye position in 62 postoperative patients
      of concomitant exotropia. The results indicated the presence of a correlation
      with the preoperative condition of binocular vision, the type of strabismus, and
      the age of patient. The authors opened that the amplitude of surgical correction
      should depend on these factors, and prudence should be exercised in recommending
      surgical intervention for mild intermittent exotropia in children.

PMID- 1860401
TI  - [Binocular vision of concomitant esotropia after surgical correction].
AB  - Binocular vision of grade I or better was restored to 51.5% of 312 cases of
      concomitant esotropia after surgical correction. Cases of acquired, partially
      accommodative, and small-angle esotropia had better chances of restoration than
      did cases of congenital, non-accommodative, and large-angle esotropia (P less
      than 0.01), as were younger patients (less than 12 years) with satisfactory
      surgical correction than older patients with less satisfactory surgical
      correction. Factors that affected restoration of binocular single vision were
      discussed.

PMID- 1860402
TI  - [Correction of complete blepharoptosis with suspension by Frontalis aponeurosis
      flap].
AB  - The surgical corrective result of complete blepharoptosis is often uncertain.
      With suspension by Frontalis aponeurosis flap under the brow, the author treated
      73 cases satisfactorily, the results conforming to Fox's criteria of a normal
      eyelid. The incision is made in the skin and Orbicularis oculi at the double-fold
      of the eyelid, and a muscle flap 2 cm wide is separated from under the
      Orbicularis oculi at the brow in the conjunction of Orbicularis oculi and
      Frontalis. The flap is fixed to the tarsus, and a strip of redundant skin 2-3 mm
      wide excised. The incision is closed with intermittent sutures.

PMID- 1860403
TI  - [Experimental study of the inhibitory effect of daunorubicin and doxorubicin in
      conjunctival fibroblast proliferation].
AB  - Both daunorubicin and doxorubicin were found effective in inhibiting
      proliferation of rabbit conjunctival fibroblasts in vitro. The 50% inhibition
      dose for daunorubicin was 0.14 micrograms/ml, and 0.46 micrograms/ml for
      doxorubicin, the former being stronger. The authors were hopeful that these drugs
      would prove useful in preventing cicatrization after glaucoma filter surgery.

PMID- 1860404
TI  - [Ofloxacin content in tears following topical use of 0.3% ointment].
AB  - Tear and aqueous humor levels of ofloxacin following 40mg of topical 0.3%
      ointment were determined at intervals within 24 hours by high performance liquid
      chromatography. The highest tear level was detected in half an hour, and
      effective concentrations existed in 6 hours. The highest aqueous humor level was
      detected 60 minutes after administration. Ofloxacin ointment produced higher tear
      concentrations for longer time than did aqueous solution of the drug.

PMID- 1860405
TI  - [Chlamydia trachomatis immunotypes in trachoma epidemic areas of north China].
AB  - The distribution of various immunotypes of C. trachomatis in epidemic areas of
      North China was studied by the micro-immunofluorescence (Micro-IF) test of tears
      and sera from 104 patients with trachoma. IgG antibody to C. trachomatis was
      positive in 64 cases, and the immunotypes were type B (78.1%) and type C (21.9%).
      The TE-55 strain determined as type I in 1966 was confirmed to be type C. The
      Micro-IF test that quantitated antichlamydial IgG antibody in tears was compared
      with ELISA in the detection of C. trachomatis in 59 individuals. The sensitivity
      and specificity of the Micro-IF test were 91.5% and 100% respectively.

PMID- 1860406
TI  - [Histopathologic classification of 1422 orbital tumors].
AB  - The authors analyzed 1422 orbital tumors examined 1955-1986 in the eye pathology
      laboratory. The 5 leading malignant orbital tumors were adenocarcinoma (207
      cases), squamous cell carcinoma (135 cases), rhabdomyosarcoma (52 cases),
      lymphosarcoma (39 cases), and malignant mixed tumor (29 cases). The 5 leading
      benign orbital tumors were cavernous hemangioma (304 cases), benign mixed tumor
      (109 cases), inflammatory pseudo-tumor of the orbit (101 cases), dermoid cyst
      (100 cases), and optic meningioma (65 cases). Rare tumors of the orbit included 1
      case each of alveolar soft tissue sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, mesenchymal
      chondrosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, giant cell tumor, granular myoblastoma,
      metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the uterus and metastatic lymphoepithelioma. The
      criteria for pathological classification and differential diagnosis are
      discussed.

PMID- 1860407
TI  - [Clinical significance of Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of anterior
      ischemic optic neuropathy].
AB  - The authors measured the PK (peak frequency with Doppler sonography in 52
      patients of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy AION), 16 patients of
      oculovascular disease (OVD), and 371 normal subjects. The age ranged from 21 to
      62 years in the patients, and 10 to 83 years in the normals. The arterial
      segments examined were of the bilateral common carotid arteries (CCA) and
      internal carotid arteries (ICA), totalling 272 segments in the patients and 1,484
      in the normals, with the findings that the rate of carotid stenosis in AION was
      higher than in OVD, and carotid stenosis was observed in 75% of CCA and 91% of
      ICA in patients under the age of 30 years, significantly higher than in elder age
      groups. This provides a basis for the definite diagnosis of AION in patients
      under 30 years old.

PMID- 1860408
TI  - [Clinical application of the ophthalmic high frequency ultrasonic B-scan
      diagnostic equipment].
AB  - 800 eyes were examined with the ophthalmic high frequency ultrasonic B-scan
      diagnostic equipment. The results were confirmed by medication, optical
      examination, CT, surgical operation, or pathology at a rate of 93.3%. The authors
      discussed the acoustic characteristics of the ultrasonic image of common ocular
      diseases and its functional characteristics. It was believed that the equipment
      markedly enhanced the diagnostic capability of ultrasound in ophthalmology.

PMID- 1860410
TI  - [The model PC-A8610C artificial intraocular lens].
AB  - The Model PC-A8610C artificial intraocular lens was developed in collaboration
      with the Institute of Optical Precision Machinery, Academia Sinica, in 1986. From
      April 1987 to November 1988, the lens was implanted in 80 eyes (73 cases) that
      were followed up 6-24 months. Corrected visual acuity was 0.5 or over in 90.9% of
      the patients and complications were few.

PMID- 1860409
TI  - [Culture of anaerobic bacteria and antibiotic sensitivity test in ocular
      infectious diseases].
AB  - Anaerobes were isolated from 43.9% of 116 eyes with infectious diseases and 21.4%
      of 140 normal conjunctival sacs. The predominant anaerobes were peptococcus
      (28.6%) in the former and propionibacterium (53.3%) in the latter. In eyes with
      infection, only anaerobes were isolated from 27, and a mixture of anaerobes and
      aerobes in 24. The sensitivity of anaerobes (68 strains) to 10 antibiotics
      differed significantly from that of aerobes (102 strains). Most anaerobes are
      sensitive to chloramphenicol and cephaloridine, but not to aminoglycosides or
      polymyxin B. Therefore, when an ocular infection shows a negative aerobic
      culture, anaerobic infection should be suspected and chloramphenicol is indicated
      as first choice for treatment.

PMID- 1860411
TI  - [Observations on the intraocular pressure after extracapsular cataract
      extraction].
AB  - The author observed the IOP of 32 eyes after extracapsular cataract extraction
      with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. The IOP was elevated in all
      cases, over 0.67 kPa (5 mmHg) in 22 cases, over 1.33 kPa (10 mmHg) in 12 cases,
      and the highest was 5.05 kPa (38 mmHg). The peak of elevation was at 24 hours
      after operation and most cases resumed the preoperative levels in 48 hours. The
      IOP of eyes with intracameral carbachol was significantly lower than that of
      those without at 6 hours after operation, but the difference became insignificant
      after 24 hours.

PMID- 1860412
TI  - [Treatment of choroidal hemangioma].
AB  - Eight (8) cases of choroidal hemangioma, comprising 6 of the solitary type and 2
      of the diffuse type, were treated with Argon laser, including 2 cases in
      combination with cryotherapy. The success rate was 76.5%, with visual acuity
      improved in 75% of them during an average follow-up of 11.7 months. Tumors with
      much subretinal fluid were first given cryosurgery before Argon laser treatment
      for good synergic therapeutic effects.

PMID- 1860413
TI  - [A clinical and pathological study of 24 cases of primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
      of the orbit].
AB  - Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the orbit predominantly consists of the small
      lymphocytic, the lympho-plasmacytic, and the schistocytic types. Because of fair
      cellular differentiation, the tumor shows low or medium atypia as if benign.
      Hence, differential diagnosis from inflammation pseudotumor or lymphocytic
      hyperplasia is important. Follow-up of 18 of the present 24 cases showed that the
      tumor usually began insidiously and was long confined to the orbit. 44% (8/18) of
      the patients had relapses and 22% (4/18) died of systemic dissemination 2-6 years
      after confirmed diagnosis, a finding in agreement with Kinyh et al, who reported
      a 5 year survival rate of 75% and a 8 year survival rate of 50%. The prognosis
      was better than that of intranodal or extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in other
      locations.

PMID- 1860414
TI  - [The dumb-bell orbital dermoid].
AB  - Bony resorption was a characteristic radiogram finding in a series of 25 cases of
      dumb-bell orbital dermoid, and a definitive diagnosis of the nature and locality
      of the tumor could be done by ultrasonography, CT, or MRI. In all the 25 cases,
      the mass was lodged between the orbit and the temporal fossa, the frontal sinus,
      or the cranial fossa like a dumb-bell. The authors emphasized the use of X-ray,
      ultrasonography, CT or MRI before operation, and thorough clearance of the cystic
      and fistula wall with cauterization by carbolic acid was imperative for the
      prevention of recurrences.

PMID- 1860415
TI  - Non-random mating between Boophilus microplus and hybrids of B. microplus females
      and B. annulatus males, and its possible effect on sterile male hybrid control
      releases.
AB  - When Boophilus microplus and Type-II hybrids (B. microplus females X B. annulatus
      males) were released simultaneously onto bovine hosts, mating between the two
      forms appeared not to be at random. There were more contypic and fewer intertypic
      matings than predicted under an assumption of panmixia. An examination of the
      patterns of matings revealed that more of the matings on the first two days of
      detachment were between the two sexes of B. microplus. Engorged females dropping
      on the last four days of maximum female detachment were predominantly hybrids
      mated to both B. microplus and hybrid males. The non-random mating pattern does
      not appear to be caused by assortative mating between B. microplus and Type-II
      hybrids, but because the B. microplus were competent to mate two days before the
      hybrids and the B. microplus males compete for males of both types better than
      the Type-II males.

PMID- 1860416
TI  - Spatial distribution of the Karoo paralysis tick Ixodes rubicundus (Acari:
      Ixodidae) within a false upper Karoo veld type.
AB  - Spatial distribution of the Karoo paralysis tick (Ixodes rubicundus) has been
      studied in a paralysis enzootic area of the southwestern Orange Free State.
      Significantly more females than males were collected from the vegetation. Most
      ticks (99%) used grass as questing sites at a height of approximately 45 cm
      (range 10-97 cm), which correlates with the size of host animals. No significant
      differences between the questing height of male and female ticks were evident.
      The ticks were found on most of the grass species present and, except for the
      genus Eragrostis, no specific preference was evident. When questing, the
      capitulum of I. rubicundus is usually (90%) directed towards the ground. Seventy
      eight percent of the ticks occurred singly on a specific grassblade or
      flowerhead. In those cases where two ticks occurred together, no sexual
      aggregation was evident. Most ticks occurred under or close (mean = 62 cm) to the
      crown cover of specific shrub or tree species. These plant species were
      characterized by a dense crown cover with a mat of decaying leaf litter
      underneath. The preference of the tick for wild olive trees (Olea europaea
      africana) suggests that, except for the physical characteristics of this tree
      species, host factors may also be important. Significantly more ticks were
      distributed on the cooler, more protected southern sides of vegetation in
      comparison to the northern sides.

PMID- 1860417
TI  - Endocytobionts in Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Ixodidae): an electron
      microscope study.
AB  - Endocytobionts (ECBs) were detected in the ovaries of Dermacentor reticulatus.
      Their developmental cycle is directly related to the developmental stages of tick
      oocytes. Two basic forms of ECBs occur in tick cells, i.e. dense forms, occurring
      singly or in aggregates situated free in the cytoplasm of host cells, and the
      light forms which are larger, pleomorphic and always situated inside vacuoles of
      host cells. The light forms occur together with dense forms in all oocytes. The
      dense forms occur freely and independently in funicular cells of the oocyte, the
      epithelial cells of oviducts, and additionally in the cells of the Malpighian
      tubules. A probable function of ECBs in the tick host is discussed.

PMID- 1860418
TI  - Role of genital sex pheromones in Amblyomma americanum and A. maculatum (Acari:
      Ixodidae).
AB  - Amblyomma americanum and A. maculatum were studied to determine if genital sex
      pheromones were present, as reported in Dermacentor species. Chemical analysis of
      methanol extracts of the anterior reproductive tracts (source of the genital sex
      pheromone) of A. americanum and A. maculatum confirmed the presence of the same
      fatty acids that act as components of the genital sex pheromone in Dermacentor
      variabilis and D. andersoni. In both Amblyomma species, removal of the anterior
      reproductive-tract of fed females eliminated the male copulatory response. For A.
      americanum, use of anterior reproductive tract extracts made with water,
      methanol, ether and hexane elicited significant probing and copulatory responses
      by conspecific males. However, in A. maculatum, use of anterior reproductive
      tract extracts made with water, methanol, ether, chloroform:methanol (4:1),
      hexane and pentane did not restore mating response by males. Treatment with known
      components of Dermacentor genital sex pheromones elicited weak but significant
      responses in A. americanum, but did not restore male mating responses in A.
      maculatum. These results indicate that genital sex pheromones exist in A.
      americanum and are not restricted to the genus Dermacentor. Characteristics of
      the Amblyomma genital sex pheromone, however, do differ considerably from those
      in Dermacentor. No genital sex pheromone was present in A. maculatum.

PMID- 1860419
TI  - [Primary coronary stent implantation in complex morphology of stenosis or
      unsatisfactory results of angioplasty].
AB  - Early and late results of coronary angioplasty are influenced by the morphology
      of the coronary artery stenosis. Primary implantation of a balloon-expandable
      Palmaz-Schatz stent was indicated in 37 patients (31 men and 6 women; mean age 57
      +/- 2 years) with symptomatic coronary heart disease and complex morphology of
      the stenosis. Intracoronary stents were successfully placed in 30 of 37 patients,
      without complications in all but one. This patient developed a thrombotic
      occlusion of the vessel 3 days after the procedure which, despite high-dosage
      thrombolysis treatment, resulted in an anterior wall myocardial infarction. A
      repeat angiography has since been performed (3-7 months after the procedure) in
      25 of the 29 patients with a complication-free course. In 19 of the 25 patients
      the site of implantation was smooth, while a silent re-occlusion had occurred in
      one after successful recanalization of a chronic occlusion. Two patients had a
      subtotal restenosis (12% angiographic restenosis rate). These data indicate that
      intracoronary stent implantation improves the morphological results after balloon
      dilatation and reduces the restenosis rate.

PMID- 1860420
TI  - [Long-term results after infrainguinal arterial reconstruction in patients with
      type 2 diabetes mellitus and without diabetes mellitus].
AB  - The influence of type II diabetes on the success rate of arterial bypass
      operations in the leg was assessed in a prospective study, since 1984, of long
      term results of infrainguinal arterial reconstruction in 67 type II diabetics (41
      men and 26 women; mean age 71.2 [47-90] years) and compared with 133 nondiabetics
      (90 men and 43 women; mean age 71.5 [45-91] years). All had a bypass for chronic
      critical ischaemia of the legs. Graft patency, leg preservation and survival rate
      were calculated and compared by the actuarial method. Coronary heart diseases and
      cerebral ischaemia were a little more common in the diabetic group, but the
      incidence of heart failure was the same (20%). A venous bypass was used in 73% of
      diabetics, polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in 27% (nondiabetics: 79% and 21%).
      Bypass occlusions occurred in 9 diabetics and in 24 nondiabetics (not
      significant). During the observation period of 5 years 37 diabetics (55%) and 39
      nondiabetics (29%) died (P less than 0.001). These data indicate that the results
      of infrainguinal arterial bypass operations are equally good in diabetics and
      nondiabetics. Amputation was avoided in 80% of legs at risk in both groups.
      Primary amputation is indicated only in exceptional circumstances.

PMID- 1860421
TI  - [Tryptophan-induced fasciitis-scleroderma-eosinophilia syndrome].
AB  - A fasciitis-sclerodermia-eosinophilia syndrome developed in four female patients,
      aged between 55 and 75 years, after the ingestion of tryptophan, 1.5-6.0 g daily,
      for 13 months to 7 years. It began characteristically with hard oedema of the
      limbs, sometimes also of the trunk. Later there occurred diffuse indurations of
      the body surface with fixation of the skin to fascial planes. This was associated
      with mainly sensory peripheral neuropathy. Three of the patients had an
      eosinophilia (12-30%). Histological examination revealed a cell-poor fasciitis,
      fibrosis of the cutis and subcutis, perimyositis and epidermal atrophy of varying
      degree. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was at most slightly increased.
      Antinuclear antibodies were demonstrated in one patient (1:80). Serum aldolase
      concentration was raised (3.4-5.4 U/l), while creatine kinase was normal. The
      disease progressed even after tryptophan was discontinued, in only one patient
      there was improvement during glucocorticoid treatment. In two cases the skin
      induration regressed slowly after administration of methotrexate (15 mg weekly)
      and hydroxychloroquine (400 mg daily).

PMID- 1860422
TI  - [Tuberculosis of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx].
AB  - A 44-year-old man, a heavy smoker over many years, complained of hoarseness for 8
      weeks with weight loss and dysphagia. Malignant tumour of the pharynx was
      suspected. Examination revealed a swelling of the right upper lip, tumorous
      changes in the right buccal mucosa, about 6 x 6 cm in size, as well as
      enlargement of the cervical lymph-nodes. Microlaryngoscopy revealed a three-level
      tumour of the entire side of the right larynx. Histological examination of
      biopsies of the right false and true vocal cords as well as the buccal mucosa
      demonstrated numerous, partly caseous epithelioid granulomas with Langhans giant
      cells. Ziehl-Neelsen staining showed acid-fast rods. Combined tuberculostatic
      treatment with isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide achieved
      regression of all signs and symptoms within two months. This case emphasizes the
      need for including laryngeal tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of
      seemingly malignant laryngeal tumours.

PMID- 1860423
TI  - [Insulin-induced edema in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus].
AB  - Two girls (aged 14 and 16 years) with type I diabetes were hospitalized with
      blood sugar levels of 394 and 319 mg/dl as well as HbA1 levels of 14.2 and 14.1%,
      respectively. In the first case it was the first sign of diabetes, in the other
      it was the result of a metabolic dysfunction with an injection abscess after ten
      years of the disease. After an initial substitution with regular insulin
      (subcutaneously in Case 1 [1.5-1.7 IU/kg daily for 3 days; in Case 2, continuous
      i.v. infusion [1.3 IU/kg daily] for 58 hours, followed by injections of
      appropriate mixtures of short and long-acting insulin) serum glucose levels were
      nearly always within normal range from the third day onward. Within 6 days of
      normal glucose levels being established hard pitting oedema, especially of the
      legs, developed in both girls, associated with a weight gain of 6.1 and 7.0 kg,
      respectively. Renal, hepatic and cardiovascular disease having been excluded the
      diagnosis of insulin-induced oedema was made. Within a further two weeks the
      oedema had disappeared without any specific treatment.

PMID- 1860425
TI  - [Unconstitutionality of the planning for the need of large equipment. Decision of
      the Baden-Wurttemberg Regional Social Court, 4/24/1991].

PMID- 1860424
TI  - [Systemic therapy of cerebral metastases in breast carcinoma].

PMID- 1860426
TI  - [Elimination of incorporated nickel].

PMID- 1860427
TI  - [Anticoagulation in deep venous thrombosis of the legs].

PMID- 1860428
TI  - [Coronary angiography with 5-F-catheters].

PMID- 1860429
TI  - Growth and motor development in fetuses of women with type-1 diabetes. II.
      Emergence of specific movement patterns.
AB  - In 20 women with type-1 diabetes, the emergence of fetal movement patterns was
      studied using real-time ultrasound. One-hour recordings were made once a week
      between the 7th and 17th week of gestation. Data were compared to those obtained
      in uncomplicated pregnancy. The diabetic women were being treated with continuous
      subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy. Except for breathing movements,
      there was a 1-2 week delay in the first appearance of all movement patterns which
      normally emerge during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Breathing movements were
      observed for the first time at an earlier age than in the control fetuses (P less
      than 0.02). When the emergence of frequently occurring movement patterns was
      plotted against fetal crown-rump length, which is usually smaller in diabetic
      pregnancy, there was still a general delay in comparison with the control group.
      The delay in motor development therefore does not run completely parallel with
      the delay in growth. This indicates the possible existence of a specific diabetes
      related influence on the functional development of the embryonic and fetal
      nervous system. Hyperglycaemia, for example, may be responsible, as the delay in
      the emergence of fetal general movements was most profound in the women whose
      periconceptional quality of glucose control was poor.

PMID- 1860430
TI  - Growth and motor development in fetuses of women with type-1 diabetes. III. First
      trimester quantity of fetal movement patterns.
AB  - Delayed emergence of movement patterns and disturbances in the development of
      behavioural states are often observed in the fetuses of diabetic women. The
      developmental course of specific fetal movement patterns was studied in 20 women
      with type-1 diabetes during the first trimester of pregnancy. The aim was to
      investigate whether maternal diabetes also has an effect on the rate of
      occurrence and temporal patterning of fetal movements. Real-time ultrasound
      recordings with a duration of 1 h were made once a week between the 7th and 17th
      week postmenstrual age in order to quantify fetal movements. The data were
      compared to those obtained in a group of uncomplicated pregnancies. The
      developmental trends in the occurrence of movement patterns were similar to those
      in the control fetuses, with the exception of startles. Before the 9th week of
      gestation, fetal movements occurred less frequently; this was related to the
      quality of maternal glucose control. After 12 weeks, the overall incidence was
      higher than in the control group, due to an increase in the incidence of
      breathing movements. The rate of breathing movements was generally slower than in
      the control group.

PMID- 1860431
TI  - Spontaneous respiratory effort during mechanical ventilation in infants with and
      without acute respiratory distress.
AB  - Respiratory interactions of 27 ventilated preterm infants were recorded daily
      during the first 14 days of life to assess the effect on respiratory efforts of
      recovery from acute respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Active expiration and
      persistent asynchrony only occurred during acute RDS (P less than 0.01).
      Throughout the 14-day period, in the majority of infants making respiratory
      efforts, a ventilator rate could be found from a standard sequence 30, 60, 90,
      120 breaths/min which provoked a synchronous interaction, but with increasing
      postnatal age apnoea became more common (P less than 0.01). We conclude that the
      preterm infants' spontaneous respiratory efforts are a less important influence
      on the outcome of mechanical ventilation following recovery from acute RDS.

PMID- 1860432
TI  - The relationship between maternal serum zinc levels during pregnancy and
      birthweight.
AB  - A retrospective follow-up study to ascertain the relationship between the level
      of serum zinc and its rate of change during gestation and birthweight was
      conducted in 476 women of lower socioeconomic status. Serum zinc concentrations
      measured at approximately 16 (early) and 32 weeks (later) in gestation were both
      found to be significant predictors of birthweight. Even after controlling for
      gestational age at birth and other determinants of birthweight, for each
      microgram/dl increase in serum zinc early and later in pregnancy, birthweight
      increased by 5.8 and 8.6 g, respectively. Furthermore, after adjustment for
      initial zinc levels both the total change (beta = -7.0, P = 0.0007) and the rate
      of change (beta = -60.8, P = 0.007) in serum zinc during pregnancy were inversely
      associated with birthweight, i.e., the larger the fall in serum zinc during
      pregnancy, the smaller the infant. Low serum zinc level (less than 60
      micrograms/dl) late in pregnancy was associated with greater than a five-fold
      increase in the odds (OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 1.8, 16.4) of giving birth to a low
      birthweight infant. The results of this study suggest a threshold for maternal
      serum zinc below which the prevalence of low birthweight increases rapidly.

PMID- 1860433
TI  - Evaluation of two endotracheal suction regimes in babies ventilated for
      respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - All low birthweight babies ventilated for the respiratory distress syndrome
      during a period of fourteen months were randomised to receive endotracheal
      suction 12-hourly or 6-hourly. There were no significant differences in
      respiratory outcome between the groups. These observations suggest that it is
      safe to aspirate endotracheal tubes infrequently during the first few days in
      uncomplicated respiratory distress syndrome.

PMID- 1860434
TI  - Growth and motor development in fetuses of women with type-1 diabetes. I. Early
      growth patterns.
AB  - Early embryonic and fetal growth were followed longitudinally in 23 women with
      type-1 diabetes to investigate whether there was any evidence of early growth
      delay and, if so, when it originated and when catch-up growth occurred. Weekly
      crown-rump length (CRL) measurements were taken between 7 and 14 weeks of
      gestation; the biparietal diameter (BPD) of the fetal head was measured once
      every 2-4 weeks from 13 to 30 weeks of gestation. Data were compared to those of
      a control group and to control data published in the literature. The CRL of the
      fetuses in the diabetic group was generally shorter than that observed normally.
      Six out of the 23 (26%) fetuses showed true early growth delay (a size smaller
      than normal by 6 days or more). Growth delay was present from the first recording
      onwards and must therefore have occurred before the seventh gestational week.
      Fetal growth (BPD) was found to be normal at around 20 weeks and there was
      evidence of accelerated growth of the BPD during the second trimester in fetuses
      that became macrosomic. Early embryonic growth delay was most profound in the
      women whose periconceptional quality of glucose control was poor, although the
      relationship with the HbAlc values was not statistically significant. It is
      concluded that fetuses of women with type-1 diabetes, as a group, have a
      significantly different growth pattern than control fetuses throughout the first
      30 weeks of pregnancy.

PMID- 1860435
TI  - Effect of cholecystectomy on the relationship between hydrostatic common bile
      duct pressure and sphincter of Oddi motility.
AB  - The sphincter of Oddi (SO) motility before and after an artificial elevation of
      the common bile duct pressure was studied by means of endoscopic manometry in
      nine female subjects, seven of whom had undergone previous cholecystectomy. An
      increase in the hydrostatic common bile duct pressure resulted in total
      inhibition of the phasic SO contractions in the two patients with gallbladders in
      situ, as well as in four of the cholecystectomized patients. The results thus
      indicate that the inhibitory effect of hydrostatic common bile duct pressure on
      the SO motility previously demonstrated in the cat is also present in man. On the
      other hand, as the inhibition of the phasic contractions failed to occur in three
      of the postcholecystectomy patients, the findings also suggest that
      cholecystectomy may result in altered regulation of SO motility in some patients.
      This mechanism could then contribute to development of pain in susceptible
      subjects postcholecystectomy. Finally, the results also showed that pain
      experienced by some patients upon contrast injection during ERCP bears no
      relationship to SO motility, but is due to an interindividually variable
      sensitivity of the bile duct wall to the intraluminal pressure variation.

PMID- 1860436
TI  - In vitro measurement of the length of the sphincter of Oddi.
AB  - A study to determine the length of the sphincter of Oddi was performed using 148
      autopsy specimens with adjacent structures obtained from adults. The median
      diameter of the common bile duct was 7 mm (range 4-13 mm). The median intramural
      length of the sphincter measured at gross examination of 75 specimens was 14 mm
      (range 7-22 mm); the median length of the common channel between the common bile
      and pancreatic ducts was 3 mm (range 0-9 mm). Longitudinal histological
      preparations for microscopic examination were made of 73 specimens. The median
      extramural length of the sphincter was 5 mm (range 1-11 mm). No associations were
      found between the length of the sphincter, intramural or extramural, and the
      diameter of the common bile duct, age, sex, presence of stones in the gallbladder
      or the postcholecystectomy state, nor was there an association between the
      intramural and extramural length of the sphincter (p greater than 0.05).

PMID- 1860437
TI  - Value of endoscopic ultrasonography in the detection of anomalous connections of
      the pancreatobiliary duct.
AB  - Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was evaluated in the detection of anomalous
      connection of the pancreatobiliary duct (ACPBD), which is known to cause
      cholangitis and has been found to be associated with cholangiocarcinoma. Fourteen
      patients with ACPBD were examined preoperatively by EUS in addition to ERCP
      and/or PTC. In all cases, the anomalous connections between the biliary and
      pancreatic duct were demonstrated to be located outside the proper muscle of the
      duodenal wall and within the pancreatic parenchyma. EUS classification of ACPBD
      corresponded well with the findings obtained by retrograde ductal opacification
      on ERCP and PTC. Biliary malignancy complicating ACPBD was detected correctly by
      EUS in two patients. In contrast, no connections between biliary and pancreatic
      ducts were found by EUS in 13 normal controls. It is concluded that EUS is highly
      sensitive in detecting ductal anomaly in ACPBD. Further studies will show if EUS
      can replace ERCP in the diagnosis of ACPBD.

PMID- 1860438
TI  - Analysis of gastric carcinoma growth by endoscopic ultrasonography.
AB  - Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed preoperatively in 82 patients with
      gastric carcinoma (40 with early and 42 advanced malignancy). Measurements of
      wall thickness were performed in each case and showed good correlation with
      histological findings. Wall thickening was found to consist of both tumorous and
      accompanying ulcerous tissue. Thus, increasing wall thickness, as demonstrated by
      EUS, may not necessarily mean progressive tumor growth. The EUS features of
      gastric carcinoma were analyzed and four distinct growth patterns found:
      predominantly intramural (IM) or intraluminal (IL) growth with preservation (Type
      1) or destruction (Type 2) of the submucosal echo-rich layer. All early
      carcinomas displayed the IL-type growth pattern on EUS (98% IL1-type) and 81% of
      advanced tumors showed IM-type features. EUS was able to differentiate between
      early and advanced carcinoma in 98% of cases. The EUS pattern of submucosal
      destruction (type IM2 or IL2) corresponded to the expanding type tumor according
      to Ming's histopathological classification. On the other hand, 24 of 26
      infiltrative tumors according to Ming were found on EUS to have an intramural
      growth pattern with preservation of the submucosa (type IM1). It is concluded
      that EUS is highly sensitive in predicting the tumor growth pattern in gastric
      carcinoma, providing important additional information to the currently used TNM
      staging system. Measurements of wall thickness are reliable but differentiation
      between tumorous growth and peritumorous changes is not possible.

PMID- 1860439
TI  - Investigation of the effect of duodenoscopy on sphincter of Oddi manometry.
AB  - To investigate whether endoscopy affects sphincter of Oddi (SO) manometry, three
      patients who had undergone previous cholecystectomy and had a T-tube in situ for
      drainage were studied. Manometry was performed using a perfused triple lumen
      manometry catheter (diameter 1.7 mm), which was advanced into the SO lumen
      through the T-tube. SO motility, baseline pressure, common bile duct pressure and
      duodenal pressure were monitored before and during endoscopy while the tip of the
      endoscope was in the mouth, esophagus (upper third, precardial), stomach and
      duodenum. Endoscopy and even a moderate insufflation of air necessary to pass the
      pylorus and inspect the papilla of Vater did not affect the parameters mentioned.
      Thus, ERCP manometry is a reliable method for evaluation of SO motility which is
      not affected by endoscopy. Duodenal pressure is a stable parameter and suitable
      for serving as reference pressure.

PMID- 1860440
TI  - Bridging of benign choledochal stenoses by endoscopic retrograde implantation of
      mesh stents.
AB  - A prospective study of a new stent for bridging choledochal stenoses was
      performed in seven patients (5 females, 2 males, age range 49-80 years) with
      benign bile duct stenosis or bilioduodenal fistula in whom conventional
      bougienage (3 patients) and/or month-long implantation of plastic prostheses (7
      patients) failed because of reocclusion. The self-expanding mesh stents
      (Wallstent) were implanted by duodenoscopy in six patients. In one patient with a
      B-II stomach, the stent could only be inserted by the percutaneous transhepatic
      route. All prostheses were inserted endoscopically without complications. At
      follow-up after an average of eight months prosthesis-related complications were
      found in only one patient; there was no case of prosthesis occlusion. One patient
      with a bilioduodenal fistula of unknown origin developed fever and sepsis three
      days after implantation and subsequently a liver abscess which resolved on
      repeated drainage and antibiotic therapy. Although definitive interpretation of
      the results requires a longer follow-up period, on the basis of the present data
      endoscopic reconstructive splinting of benign choledochal stenosis would appear
      to be a promising technique.

PMID- 1860441
TI  - Application of sphincter of Oddi manometry in routine clinical investigations.

PMID- 1860442
TI  - Endosonography--what are the limits in gastroenterological diagnostics?

PMID- 1860443
TI  - Endoscopy simulation: a brave new world?

PMID- 1860444
TI  - Experimental evidence of beneficial effects of ductal decompression in chronic
      pancreatitis.

PMID- 1860445
TI  - Chronic pancreatitis: selection of patients for endoscopic therapy.

PMID- 1860446
TI  - Fragmentation of pancreatic stones by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

PMID- 1860447
TI  - Laser fragmentation of pancreatic stones.

PMID- 1860448
TI  - Stenting in severe chronic pancreatitis: results of medium-term follow-up in
      seventy-six patients.
AB  - Between January 1985 and September 1989, 75 patients presenting with severe
      chronic pancreatitis with distal stricture and upstream dilatation underwent
      stenting of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) through the major papilla (n = 54) or
      minor papilla (n = 21) in order to drain the predominant duct through a 10 F
      plastic prosthesis. All patients had undergone biliary and pancreatic
      sphincterotomy with a few cases of complications, and the majority (84%) also
      ESWL in the period from October 1987 onwards without complications. Relief of
      pain (94%) occurred parallel to a decrease in the MPD diameter. In a mean follow
      up period of 37 months improvement of the nutrition status and relief of pain was
      seen. Clogging of these large plastic stents was treated by replacement or by
      another endoscopic or surgical procedure. Complications were treated
      endoscopically. Further measures necessary due to failure of stenting consisted
      of laterolateral pancreatico-jejunostomy in 15% of patients and placement of self
      expanding 18 F metal mesh stents in 29%. There was no mortality due to surgery.
      It is concluded that stenting of distal strictures in the MPD can lead to rapid
      resolution of pancreatic pain due to ductal hypertension and is the best means
      for determining the cause of pain, providing an alternative to surgery.
      Significant improvement of a stricture by prolonged stenting is however unusual,
      and such patients treated endoscopically require close follow-up with stent
      replacement approximately once a year.

PMID- 1860449
TI  - Endoscopic management of pancreatic disorders: potential risks of pancreatic
      prostheses.

PMID- 1860450
TI  - A critical appraisal of interventional therapy in chronic pancreatitis.

PMID- 1860451
TI  - Biology of airway basal cells.

PMID- 1860452
TI  - Biochemistry and pharmacology of mucin-like glycoproteins produced by cultured
      airway epithelial cells.

PMID- 1860453
TI  - Suppression and recovery of the alveolar macrophage phagocytic system during
      continuous exposure to 0.5 ppm ozone.
AB  - Short-term exposures to ozone (O3) are known to impair pulmonary antibacterial
      defenses and alveolar macrophage (AM) phagocytosis in a dose-related manner. To
      determine the effect of prolonged O3 exposure, Swiss mice were exposed
      continuously to 0.5 ppm O3. At 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, intrapulmonary killing was
      assessed by inhalation challenge with Staphylococcus aureus or Proteus mirabilis
      and by comparing the number of viable bacteria remaining in the lungs at 4 h
      between O3-exposed and control animals. To evaluate the effects of O3 on the
      functional capacity of the AMs, Fc-receptor mediated phagocytosis was assessed.
      Ozone exposure impaired the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus at 1 and 3 days;
      however, with prolonged exposure, the bactericidal capacity of the lungs returned
      to normal. This trend of an initial suppression followed by recovery was
      reflected in the phagocytic capacity of the AMs. In contrast to S. aureus, when
      P. mirabilis was used as the challenge organism, O3 exposure had no suppressive
      effect on pulmonary bactericidal activity, which correlated with an increase in
      the phagocytic cell population in the lungs. Morphologic examination of the
      lavaged macrophages showed that after 1 day of O3 exposure, the AMs were more
      foamy, and contained significantly more vacuoles. There was also a significant
      increase in binucleated cells at 3 days. These studies demonstrate that
      continuous exposure to O3 modulates AM-dependent lung defenses and points to the
      importance of the challenge organism and exposure protocol in establishing the
      adverse effect of O3.

PMID- 1860455
TI  - Epithelial injury, inflammation, and repair in the hamster lung following
      intratracheal instillation of enzyme-generated oxidants.
AB  - Oxidant-induced inflammatory and morphologic changes evoked by intratracheally
      instilled glucose, active glucose oxidase, and lactoperoxidase in hamsters are
      described. Similar solutions containing heat-denatured (DE) glucose oxidase
      served as a control treatment. During the 7-week post-treatment period, animals
      were sacrificed and lavaged, and their lungs were preserved for later study.
      Although a neutrophil-rich alveolitis was observed initially in both groups, the
      leukocytic influx and mild morphologic changes in DE-treated animals resolved
      within 7 days. In contrast, glucose oxidase mixtures caused necrotic alveolar
      epithelium, fibrin-like exudate, and significantly higher neutrophil and protein
      levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after 1 day. At 4 days, type II
      cell hyperplasia was extensive and BALF levels of all inflammatory cell types
      were significantly greater than BALF counts in DE animals. By 7 days, BALF
      macrophage and lymphocyte levels remained significantly elevated, and epithelial
      hyperplasia coincided with marked increases in lung hydroxyproline and
      interstitial cells. BALF parameters suggested that inflammation induced by
      glucose oxidase resolved within 15 days, yet total hydroxyproline levels remained
      elevated at 15 days and epithelial lesions were still detectable at 29 days.
      Oxidant-induced inflammation and epithelial injury were transient and preceded
      moderate collagen deposition.

PMID- 1860454
TI  - Identification, isolation, and partial characterization of a 7.5-kDa surfactant
      associated protein.
AB  - Human surfactant was analyzed for proteins associated with the lipids. Surfactant
      was isolated from lung lavage by the salt gradient centrifugation method, and the
      soluble proteins binding to the lipids were recovered by extraction with a low pH
      buffer. Antiserum to this preparation reacted with surfactant apoprotein A and a
      7.5-kDa protein. The 7.5-kDa protein was isolated from reduced and alkylated lung
      lavage pellet by chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the
      protein indicates that it is a novel protein.

PMID- 1860456
TI  - Effect of cumulative ozone exposure on ozone-induced nasal epithelial hyperplasia
      and secretory metaplasia in rats.
AB  - Repeated exposure of rats to O3 induces proliferative and secretory metaplastic
      changes within nasal airway epithelia that may protect against subsequent
      exposures. Our study assessed the effect of different cumulative exposure times
      on O3-induced nasal epithelial hyperplasia and secretory metaplasia. Rats were
      exposed 6 h/day to air or to 0.8 ppm O3 and were sacrificed 18 h after the end of
      their last exposure. The rats were exposed to either air or 0.8 ppm O3 for 3 or 7
      days, or to 0.8 ppm O3 for 3 days followed by a 4-day exposure to air. The
      effects of the exposures were determined by quantitating the hyperplastic
      (epithelial nuclei/mm basal lamina) and secretory metaplastic changes (volume
      densities of acidic and neutral mucosubstances) within the nasal nonciliated
      cuboidal epithelium (NNCE). There were no significant changes in NNCE cell
      numeric density, or in the volume density of intraepithelial mucus, compared to
      air-exposed control rats, in rats exposed to O3 for 3 days and sacrificed 18 h
      later. Compared to control rats, there was significant epithelial hyperplasia and
      secretory metaplasia within the NNCE of rats exposed to O3 either for 7 days or
      for 3 days followed by 4 days of exposure to air. There were no significant
      differences in NNCE cell hyperplasia or secretory metaplasia between these two
      experimental groups. Three 6 h/day exposures to 0.8 ppm O3 triggered hyperplastic
      and metaplastic changes within rat NNCE that were indistinguishable from those
      produced by seven 6 h/day exposures to the same concentration of O3. The data
      suggest that O3 is capable of rapidly inducing hyperplastic and metaplastic
      responses within rat NNCE, and that once initiated, development of the phenotypic
      changes within the epithelium does not require further O3 exposure.

PMID- 1860457
TI  - Damage and repair of mouse bronchial epithelium following acute inhalation of
      trichloroethylene.
AB  - The time-course of damage and repair in the bronchial epithelium of the mouse was
      studied morphometrically after a single inhalation of trichloroethylene (TCE).
      Mice were exposed for 30 min to 500, 1000, 2000, 3500, or 7000 ppm of TCE under
      controlled conditions and sacrificed after 2 and 24 h, and 2, 5, and 7 days. At
      all TCE concentrations, the damage consisted of dilation of endoplasmic reticulum
      and was selective for nonciliated cells throughout the bronchial tree. Damage was
      quantitatively evaluated by counting the percentage of vacuolated cells. Injury
      was maximal 24 h after exposure and was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher
      in bronchi with a diameter smaller than 0.4 mm (67.0% +/- 8.5%) in comparison
      with larger bronchi (34.0% +/- 13.2%). Cell turnover was studied by
      autoradiography after [3H]thymidine injection. Following TCE inhalation, the
      percentage of [3H]thymidine labeled cells, which in the controls was virtually
      zero, increased to a maximum of 13.5% +/- 6.8% (average at all doses) 48 h after
      treatment and then rapidly decreased to baseline values at 7 days (0.2% +/-
      0.1%). Repair of some cells occurred after 24 h, and at 48 h the percentage of
      vacuolated cells decreased and became significantly related (p less than 0.01) to
      the administered TCE dose (2.4% +/- 1.4% and 21.2% +/- 6.0% average in the 500
      and 7000 ppm groups, respectively). Repair of bronchial epithelium took place by
      both recovery of less damaged cells and proliferation of residual nonciliated
      cells, leading to restoration of the normal ratio between ciliated and
      nonciliated cells.

PMID- 1860458
TI  - Hydroperoxide-induced broncho- and vasoconstriction in the isolated rat lung.
AB  - The effects of different hydroperoxides on lung mechanics and perfusate flow rate
      and their mechanisms of action were studied in isolated perfused rat lungs. The
      administration of hydrogen peroxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide,
      linoleic acid hydroperoxide, and linoleic acid ethylester hydroperoxide (0.1-2
      mM) to the perfusate caused a marked decrease in lung compliance, conductance,
      and perfusate flow rate, with constriction strength of t-butyl hydroperoxide
      greater than hydrogen peroxide greater than cumene hydroperoxide greater than
      linoleic acid ethylester hydroperoxide greater than linoleic acid hydroperoxide.
      Although the hydroperoxides probably had to enter lung cells to exert their
      effects, no relationship was found between constriction strength and amount of
      hydroperoxide taken up by the lung. Reduced sensitivity was apparent after
      repeated dosing, depending on the length of time between dosing. The addition of
      the iron chelator Desferal (1 mM) had no effect on the hydroperoxide-induced
      broncho- and vasoconstriction, although free iron was reduced by 50% in the
      lungs. The administration of the antioxidants diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (50
      microM) or butylated hydroxyanisole (200 microM) to the perfusate 20 min prior to
      the hydroperoxide attenuated the hydroperoxide-induced effects as well as
      arachidonic acid-induced broncho- and vasoconstriction. Our findings have shown
      that hydroperoxides that can enter the lung cells will also induce both vaso- and
      bronchoconstriction in the isolated perfused rat lung.

PMID- 1860459
TI  - Effect of corticosteroid therapy on the acute injury and recovery stage of oleic
      acid induced lung injury in the rat.
AB  - In the rat model of lung injury induced by oleic acid (OA), we studied the effect
      of corticosteroid therapy on pulmonary inflammation and compliance at acute (1
      day post OA) and recovery (3 and 7 days post OA) stages. Methylprednisolone (MP)
      and dexamethasone (DM) were examined for therapeutic benefit in this model.
      Histologic examination, lung compliance, and analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage
      (BAL) fluid were used to assess lung injury. Our results demonstrated that, at 1
      day post OA, both steroids effectively reduced pulmonary inflammation and
      restored lung compliance when compared to animals that received only OA. In
      comparison to DM, MP was more effective in inhibiting the pulmonary inflammation
      induced by OA, but was less effective in restoring lung compliance. However, at 3
      and 7 days post OA, cell and/or protein levels in BAL fluid from both MP- and DM
      treated OA animals were significantly higher than levels observed in animals that
      received only OA. Lung compliance returned to normal by 3 days in animals that
      received only OA. This effect, however, was blocked in OA animals that were
      treated with either steroid, MP, or DM. Our data suggest that steroid therapy can
      be beneficial in the acute stage of OA-induced lung injury, but appears to be
      detrimental during the early recovery stage, perhaps by inhibiting the repair
      process.

PMID- 1860460
TI  - A comparison of hand and foot movement times.
AB  - Three experiments are reported in which a comparison is made between the times
      for movement of the hand and the foot. Both ballistic and visually-controlled
      movements were studied. It was found that execution time for foot movements is
      generally about twice as long as that for the equivalent arm movement. The times
      for foot movements were described well by the Welford, Norris and Shock
      modification of Fitts' Law for visually-controlled movements and, for ballistic
      movements, by the square-root-of-amplitude equation found by Hoffmann for arm
      movements.

PMID- 1860461
TI  - A biomechanical and ergonomic evaluation of patient transferring tasks:
      wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair.
AB  - A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate five different manual techniques
      (two-person manual lifting; rocking and pulling the patient using a gait belt
      with two persons; walking belt with one and two persons) and three different
      mechanical hoists (Hoyer lift, Trans-Aid and Ambulift) for transferring patients
      from wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair. Six female
      nursing students with prior patient transfer experience served both as nurses and
      as passive patients. Static biomechanical evaluation showed that the mean trunk
      flexion moments, erector spinae muscle forces and compressive and shear forces at
      the L5S1 disc for the four pulling methods ranged from 92 to 125 Nm, 1845 to 2507
      N, 1973 to 2641 N and 442 to 580 N, respectively, as compared to about 213 Nm,
      4260 N, 5050 N and 926 N for two-person manual lifting. Perceived stress ratings
      for the shoulder, upper back, lower back and whole body were significantly lower
      for pulling methods than those for lifting the patient (p less than or equal to
      0.01). Patients found pulling techniques, except the gait belt, to be more
      comfortable and secure than the lifting method (p less than or equal to 0.01).
      However, most of the nurses believed that Medesign and the one-person walking
      belt would not work on those patients who cannot bear weight and those who are
      heavy, contracted or combative. A two-person walking belt was the most preferred
      method. Two out of three hoists (Hoyer lift and Trans-Aid) were perceived by the
      nurses to be more stressful than one- and two-person walking belts. The patients
      found these two hoists to be more uncomfortable and less secure than with three
      of the five manual methods (one- and two-person walking belts and Medesign).
      Pulling techniques and hoists took significantly longer amounts of time to make
      the transfer than manually lifting the patient (p less than or equal to 0.01).
      The two-person walking belt, using a gentle rocking motion to utilize momentum
      and a pulling technique, and Ambulift are recommended for transferring patients
      from wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair.

PMID- 1860462
TI  - Inertial effects from single body segments in dynamic analysis of lifting.
AB  - Biomechanical calculations of loads on the locomotor system in lifting tasks are
      often based on static models. Several investigators have shown, though, that in a
      dynamic act like lifting, inertial effects are not generally negligible. A
      complete dynamic analysis includes the calculation of linear and angular
      accelerations of body segments and is rather complicated to carry out. So it was
      of interest to find out whether the contribution of single body segments to the
      dynamic effects of the whole body might be negligible. Ten male subjects lifted a
      12.8 kg box using two different techniques and two speeds. Ground reactions and
      body segment movements were recorded and reaction forces and net moments at
      different joints were calculated with static, dynamic and 'semidynamic' methods.
      The latter method incorporated the ground reaction forces as measured from a
      force plate but was otherwise equal to the static method. The results from
      semidynamic analyses agreed well with those from complete dynamic analyses for
      the ankle, knee, hip, and L5/S1 joints. For example, the semidynamically
      calculated peak moments at L5/S1 differed on average less than 3% from the
      dynamically calculated values. The contributions of the lower extremities and the
      pelvis to the dynamic effects of the whole body seemed to be quite small. The
      less complicated semidynamic method offers a good alternative to a fully dynamic
      analysis for estimations of peak moments in the lower back, at least for the
      studied lifting techniques.

PMID- 1860463
TI  - Effects of thermal environment and chemical protective clothing on work
      tolerance, physiological responses, and subjective ratings.
AB  - This study examined the physiological and subjective responses of nine healthy
      men who performed work while wearing two types of protective ensembles in each of
      three thermal environments. The subjects, all experienced with the use of
      protective ensembles, each performed low intensity treadmill exercise (23% of VO2
      max while not wearing a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus [SCBA] or protective
      clothing) under six experimental conditions: two ensembles (SCBA--light work
      clothing and SCBA; and CHEM--a two-piece chemical protective ensemble with SCBA)
      during exposure to 'cool' (10.6 degrees C/water vapour pressure [Pw] 0.76 kPa),
      'neutral' (22.6 degrees C/Pw 1.52 kPa), and 'hot' (34 degrees C/Pw 2.90 kPa)
      environments. Each test was intended to continue for 120 min; however the
      duration and number of work/rest periods within the testing session varied
      according to the specific responses of each individual. At the completion of each
      test seven subjective responses were recorded. Physiological data, collected
      every minute during each test, included heart rate, and skin and rectal
      temperature. The total worktime was significantly shorter in the hot environment
      while wearing the CHEM ensemble (53.4 min) compared to all the other conditions
      (103-105 min). The mean maximum physiological values also indicated significant
      differences due to thermal environment and/or ensemble. Work performance did not
      appear to be limited in a cold environment with either ensemble tested. The
      physiological responses to working in the CHEM/neutral condition were very
      similar to those occurring in a hot environment wearing the SCBA ensemble. The
      subjective responses also indicated significant differences due to thermal
      environment and ensemble, with subjects perceiving the CHEM ensemble as less
      favourable than the SCBA ensemble. The results suggested that, even at a low work
      intensity, individuals wearing chemical protective clothing in the heat will
      require progressively shorter work periods, and more frequent and longer rest
      periods.

PMID- 1860464
TI  - Psychophysical acceptability and perception of load heaviness by females.
AB  - The objective of the study was to evaluate subjective perceptions of load
      heaviness, and relate these perceptions to the maximal acceptable weights of
      lift. Ten female college students experienced in manual lifting participated in
      the study. In the first experiment, subjects were asked to select one of the
      seven linguistic values of load heaviness (very light, light, less-than-medium,
      medium, more-than-medium, heavy, and very heavy), which would best describe the
      lifted loads. Seven boxes, ranging in weight between 2.3 kg and 22.7 kg, were
      used for that purpose. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to fill
      empty boxes to the level they felt would best reflect a given load heaviness
      category. In the third experiment, the psychophysical methodology was used to
      determine the maximal acceptable weight of lift for an 8-hour day. The results
      showed that 50% of the subjects considered a 20.4 kg box (45 lbs) as very heavy,
      while another 50% believed that such a load was heavy. The average load selected
      as maximal acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) for an 8-hour day was 16.4 kg
      (standard deviation (SD) = 5.3 kg). When asked to determine the weights that
      would best describe a given category of load heaviness, the subjects selected
      22.5 kg (SD = 3.7 kg) and 18.4 kg (SD = 2.7 kg) for very heavy and heavy
      categories, respectively. Further analysis revealed that only 30% of the subjects
      selected MAWL values that were larger than the pre-weighted boxes independently
      judged by them as very heavy or heavy categories. Also, 10% and 30% of the
      subjects selected MAWL values that were larger than the weights chosen during the
      self-classification procedure as representative of heavy or very heavy categories
      of load heaviness, respectively. It was shown that the loads selected as the
      maximum acceptable weights for an 8 h shift were independently judged by the
      female subjects as being in the more-than-moderate or heavy weight categories.
      Comparison of the results for females and males led to a conclusion that female
      subjects were more realistic, with respect to subjective perception of load
      heaviness, in selecting the MAWL values than were male subjects.

PMID- 1860465
TI  - Three-dimensional face shape analysis of French adults, and its application to
      the design of protective equipment.
AB  - The study's aim was to identify female and male face shape variability in order
      to establish typical profiles for the design of masks. A specific data
      acquisition photogrammetric station was used for this purpose. A preliminary
      survey using anthropometric techniques was conducted on 301 females and 208
      males, randomly selected from the French military population, in order to
      constitute two samples of 30 males and 30 females for the stereometric survey.
      For each subject, the stereorestitution of face photos was made on three sets of
      data: (1) 37 anatomical landmarks previously identified by a black point marked
      on the face; (2) 7 anatomical arcs, also drawn with a black pencil; and (3) 1500
      2000 points distributed on horizontal cross-sections at different vertical
      levels. The analysis only concerned the global face shape, and excluded the
      central area (eyes, nose and mouth). A common origin and reference axis system
      was defined. All the three-dimensional (3D) produced data was processed using
      computer-aided design software, after some adaptations. Subjects were selected
      iteratively for five levels of cross-section and three anatomical arcs so as to
      characterize least variation amplitudes, subject by subject. Five groups were
      identified. All cross-sections were verified to check the validity of the
      preceding step. By this method, each group was defined by a mean profile form and
      by the amplitude of this form for each point of the profile. Males and females
      were present in each group, and for each group, a greater variability was noted
      at the lower part of the face. This variability can be explained as the result of
      morphological and functional phenomena. These results can be applied to the
      design of new protective equipment for the fore-face indeed they were used for
      the design of a new mask for the French military.

PMID- 1860466
TI  - Short-term haemodynamic evolution and late follow-up of post-infarct patients
      with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing a physical training programme.
AB  - The aims of this study were to investigate the short-term haemodynamic changes
      occurring in post-infarct patients with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing a
      physical training programme and the prognostic implications of such changes.
      Ninety-five male patients with no evidence of congestive heart failure,
      consecutively admitted for exercise testing with haemodynamic monitoring in the
      supine position, in whom exercise pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (PAdP)
      exceeded 20 mmHg were enrolled in an in-hospital one-month physical training
      programme. After training all patients' exercise capacity increased by 24% (P
      less than 0.001) with no change of PAdP. At matched work load, heart rate
      decreased (126 +/- 21 vs 120 +/- 19 bt min-1, P less than 0.05) as did PAdP (27
      +/- 5 vs 25 +/- 6 mmHg, P less than 0.05) and A-VO2 difference increased (9.5 +/-
      1.7 vs 10 +/- 1.6 ml%, P less than 0.01). Similar results were observed in a
      subset of patients with exercise PAdP greater than 30 mmHg (30 patients). In 11
      patients with inadequate cardiac output neither heart rate nor PAdP decreased
      after training and a disproportionate increase in blood pressure was noted.
      Clinical follow-up ranged from 1 to 8 years (62 +/- 32 months). Seven deaths, 12
      reinfarctions and 14 coronary artery bypass graftings occurred. The
      modifications, after training in work capacity, heart rate and PAdP, were not
      predictive of events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860467
TI  - Closing click of St Jude Medical and Duromedics Edwards bileaflet valves:
      complaints created by valve noise and their relation to sound pressure and
      hearing level.
AB  - The metallic clicking sound created by mechanical heart valve prostheses
      frequently bothers patients. To test whether sounds generated by different
      bileaflet valves correlate to complaints related to the prosthetic clicking 73
      patients were investigated after valve replacement with Duromedics Edwards (DE)
      (n = 38) and St Jude Medical (SJM) (n = 35) valves. The patients were asked about
      their complaints, sound pressure levels were recorded and audiometry was
      performed. Sixty-five percent of patients could hear their valve, 18% had
      sleeping disturbances, 5% felt bothered during daytime and 12% would prefer a
      less noisy valve. In symptomatic patients, sound pressure levels were higher than
      in asymptomatic patients (valve audible 45 +/- 8 db(A) vs not audible 39.9 +/- 10
      db(A) at 10 cm; P = 0.016). These differences were most apparent in the high
      frequency bands, corresponding to the metallic click. Symptomatic patients had
      better hearing and were younger than patients without complaints. Fifty-one
      percent could hear their valve by conduction through the body, after eliminating
      air conduction by the use of headsets. The DE prostheses were louder than the SJM
      valves in general (47.4 +/- 7 vs 39.8 +/- 5 db (A) at 10 cm; P = 0.001) and in
      each valve position. Patients with DE prostheses had significantly more
      complaints. The intensity of the closing click of mechanical valves correlates to
      the complaints caused by prosthetic clicking and thus sound emission should be
      considered when a mechanical heart valve prosthesis is selected.

PMID- 1860468
TI  - Aortic valve replacement with the Lillehei-Kaster prosthesis in 262 patients: an
      assessment after 9 to 17 years.
AB  - A 9 to 17-year follow-up after aortic valve replacement with the Lillehei-Kaster
      prosthesis was carried out in 262 patients with a mean age of 53 years. All
      patients were traced. The operative mortality was 7.3%. The observed survival of
      the total series after 5, 10 and 15 years amounted to 75%, 61%, and 49%
      respectively. The majority of survivors showed improvement of functional capacity
      and decrease of heart volume. Freedom from valve-related death, thromboembolism
      and valve-related morbidity and mortality after 15 years amounted to 94%, 85% and
      75% respectively. Only two instances of valve thrombosis were seen, and fracture
      of the prosthesis was never encountered. These results compare favourably with
      those obtained with the Starr-Edwards and the Bjork-Shiley prostheses. Analysis
      of the relative survival rates, i.e. the observed survival rates as ratios of
      those of the general population, indicates that the 10-year survival of patients
      with aortic stenosis is close to normal, whereas the survival rates of patients
      with aortic incompetence and with combined aortic stenosis and incompetence are
      significantly lower. It is suggested that earlier operation should be considered
      in patients with aortic incompetence and with combined stenosis and incompetence
      in order to lower the late mortality rate.

PMID- 1860469
TI  - Release of creatine kinase-MB and cardiac specific troponin-I following
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
AB  - Up to 20% of patients undergoing successful coronary angioplasty have been shown
      to have a mild elevation of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB). The purpose of this study
      was to investigate the relationship between clinical and angioplasty procedural
      variables and circulating markers for cardiac injury. We measured both CK-MB and
      totally cardiac-specific troponin inhibitory protein (Tn-I) in 22 patients
      immediately before and at an average time of 10 h 36 min following successful
      angioplasty. Of these patients 16 had stable angina, six had unstable angina and
      none had recent myocardial infarction. Four patients had minor complications
      associated with the procedure (prolonged chest pain, limited coronary artery
      dissection) but none of these patients had increases in either CK-MB or Tn-I. In
      two patients there was a mild increase in enzyme-activity assayed CK-MB but none
      of the 22 patients had significant elevation of mass-assayed CK-MB or cardiac
      specific Tn-I. This study supports the view that no significant myocardial damage
      occurs as a result of successful coronary angioplasty irrespective of the
      stability of the coronary artery disease. This study confirms the known
      discrepancies between results obtained by immunoassay and immunoinhibition enzyme
      assay, due to the false-positive results which can be yielded by the latter
      technique.

PMID- 1860470
TI  - Triglycerides, a major coronary risk factor in elderly men. A study of men born
      in 1913.
AB  - We examined two 'cohorts' of elderly men, 60 and 67 years old. The two 'cohorts'
      overlapped to a large extent in terms of numbers but not in the follow-up
      periods. The mean have been followed-up for 7 and 8 years respectively. Among the
      748 60-year-old men without prior myocardial infarction the 7-year incidence of
      coronary heart disease was 8%. The incidence was related to blood pressure,
      smoking habits and serum triglycerides (but not serum cholesterol) both in
      univariate and multivariate analyses. The incidence of coronary heart disease
      increased 5-fold from the lowest to the highest quintile of triglycerides. Among
      the 595 67-year-old men without prior myocardial infarction the 8-year incidence
      of coronary heart disease was 11%. Both serum cholesterol and triglycerides were
      significant risk factors in univariate analyses but only triglycerides in
      multivariate analyses. The incidence of coronary heart disease increased almost
      three-fold from the lowest to the highest quintile of triglycerides. Increased
      serum triglycerides is a major coronary risk factor in elderly men.

PMID- 1860471
TI  - Acute haemodynamic effects of carvedilol in essential hypertension at rest and
      during exercise.
AB  - The acute haemodynamic effect of carvedilol, a new non-selective beta-receptor
      blocker with vasodilating effect, was examined at rest supine and sitting and
      during 100 W bicycle exercise in 18 patients (mean age 44 years) with essential
      hypertension. Intra-arterial blood pressure and heart rate were recorded
      continuously. Cardiac output was measured by dye dilution (Cardiogreen). Two h
      after the first oral dose (12.5-25 mg) of carvedilol, blood pressure was reduced
      in all patients sitting at rest, from 176/110 to 153/101 mmHg (P less than
      0.001), associated with a reduction in cardiac index (16%; P less than 0.001)
      while total peripheral resistance remained unchanged or was slightly reduced.
      When sitting up after 2 h supine rest two patients had hypotensive reactions
      (excessive blood pressure drop; cold, pale, sweating skin) which disappeared
      after lying down with elevation of the legs and light physical exercise. The fall
      in cardiac index was due to reduction both in heart rate (8%, P less than 0.001)
      and stroke index (9%; P less than 0.01). During exercise the reduction in cardiac
      output was less (6%; P less than 0.05) while a clear reduction (6%; P less than
      0.01) was seen in total peripheral resistance. This acute haemodynamic response
      is different from that seen immediately after conventional beta-blockers when
      total peripheral resistance always increases.

PMID- 1860472
TI  - Right coronary artery originating from distal left circumflex: an unusual feature
      of single coronary artery.
AB  - This report describes a patient with a single coronary artery system, in whom the
      right coronary artery originated from the distal left circumflex. A significant
      stenosis was present just at the take-off of the aberrant right coronary artery.
      No other associated cardiac anomaly could be demonstrated; the patient was
      referred for elective bypass surgery.

PMID- 1860473
TI  - AIDS risk among runaways.

PMID- 1860474
TI  - HIV testing at public clinics.

PMID- 1860475
TI  - Adult sexual behavior in 1989: number of partners, frequency of intercourse and
      risk of AIDS.
AB  - Questions on sexual behavior that were added to the National Opinion Research
      Center's 1988 and 1989 General Social Surveys reveal that 97 percent of adult
      Americans have had intercourse since age 18. Respondents report having an average
      of about 1.2 sexual partners during the year preceding the survey and nearly 7.2
      partners since age 18; men claimed to have had considerably more partners than
      did women. About one-fifth of adult Americans had no partners during the previous
      year. Moreover, over a year's time, only 1.5 percent of married people reported
      having had a sexual partner other than their spouse. On average, adults report
      engaging in intercourse 57 times per year. About two percent of sexually active
      adults reported being exclusively homosexual or bisexual during the year
      preceding the survey, and 5-6 percent have been exclusively homosexual or
      bisexual since age 18. Seven percent of adults are at relatively high current
      risk of contracting AIDS--three percent because they have had multiple partners,
      three percent because they have had unfamiliar partners and one percent because
      of their sexual orientation. However, 33 percent have engaged in relatively risky
      behavior at some time since age 18.

PMID- 1860477
TI  - Substance use and prenatal care during pregnancy among young women.
AB  - Data on a cohort of young mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
      were examined for use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana during pregnancies
      leading to first births. A substantial proportion of women (45 percent) were
      found to have used at least one of these substances. White women were more likely
      to use a substance during pregnancy than were Hispanic or black women; women with
      the prospective father present in the household were less likely than other women
      to use a substance. Compared with well-educated and older women, less-educated
      and younger women were more likely to smoke cigarettes or marijuana during
      pregnancy, but were less likely to drink alcohol. Only about 13 percent of women
      used more than one substance. Nineteen percent of the women received no prenatal
      care in the first trimester of pregnancy. Less-educated and younger women were
      least likely to receive early prenatal care. Multivariate analysis found no
      association between neglect of prenatal care and substance use. Rather, the
      analysis revealed that the two behaviors shared likely antecedents, such as
      whether the prospective father was in the home prior to the pregnancy.

PMID- 1860476
TI  - Contraceptive use at first premarital intercourse: United States, 1965-1988.
AB  - The proportion of U.S. women who used a contraceptive method at their first
      premarital intercourse rose from 47 percent in 1975-1979 to 65 percent in 1983
      1988. Overall, and among non-Hispanic white women, this change resulted entirely
      from an increase in the use of condoms by their partners. The proportion of
      whites who used a condom at first premarital intercourse, for example, increased
      from 24 percent to 45 percent. Among blacks, condom use at first intercourse
      increased from 24 percent to 32 percent during that period, and pill use rose
      from 15 percent to 23 percent. Among all women, the method most often used at
      first intercourse during every period in the study was the condom, followed by
      the pill and withdrawal. The proportion of women using a method at first
      premarital intercourse varies strikingly according to individual characteristics.
      Among the various demographic subgroups, the proportion who use a method varies
      from 32 percent of Hispanic women to 68 percent of Jewish women. Whites are more
      likely to use a method than are blacks, and fundamentalist Prostestants are less
      likely to use a method than are other Protestants or Catholics. The proportion
      using a method is higher among women whose mothers completed high school than
      among those whose mothers did not. In addition, the proportion rises with age at
      first intercourse. Multiple logistic regression showed that the independent
      effects of Hispanic origin, Jewish or fundamentalist Protestant religious
      affiliation and the education of a woman's mother are large and
      significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860478
TI  - Medicaid and pregnancy: issues in expanding eligibility.
AB  - Recent federal and state policy has expanded Medicaid eligibility to provide
      health insurance coverage for pregnant women with family incomes below 133
      percent of the federal poverty level. It has yet to be determined how such
      expanded coverage will affect enrollment in Medicaid or use of prenatal care.
      Using 1983 data from three states with widely divergent Medicaid programs-
      including one that already had most of the expanded eligibility options available
      today--this study found that about 40-60 percent of women who were covered by
      Medicaid at the time of their deliveries had not been enrolled in the program
      when they became pregnant. In addition, a large number of women did not receive
      Medicaid-covered prenatal care early in pregnancy, even though they were enrolled
      at that time. Almost all women in the study group visited more than one
      ambulatory care provider at some time during the nine months before birth and one
      year following birth; 29-51 percent visited more than one hospital outpatient
      department.

PMID- 1860480
TI  - How well do women comply with oral contraceptive regimens?

PMID- 1860479
TI  - Evaluating adolescent pregnancy programs: rethinking our priorities.

PMID- 1860481
TI  - A followup study of manic-depressive and schizoaffective psychoses after systemic
      family therapy.
AB  - The authors report the results of a followup study of manic-depressive and
      schizoaffective psychoses after systemic family therapy. They describe the
      development of inpatient relapse rates, familial interactional patterns, and
      prescriptions of medication in a sample of 30 cases treated with family therapy
      and followed up after a mean interval of 3 years. Finally, they assess the
      effectiveness of systemic family therapy with manic-depressive and
      schizoaffective psychoses.

PMID- 1860482
TI  - A developmental view of therapeutic bonding in the family: treatment of the
      disconnected family.
AB  - Data from an ongoing research study have been used to identify a subgroup of
      families of severely ill, young adults who present formidable treatment
      challenges to the family therapist. The disconnected family is characterized by
      disturbances in attachment between one or both parents and the patient. In many
      cases, disturbances in attachment and caretaking in the family of origin are
      reported for the parents in these families. Disconnected families that also have
      intense emotional styles of relating are particularly difficult to treat. A
      treatment model that focuses on intergenerational attachment issues is described.

PMID- 1860483
TI  - Adolescent adjustment to parental divorce: an investigation from the perspective
      of basic dimensions of structural family therapy theory.
AB  - This study, conducted within the framework of concepts of structural family
      therapy, examined the relationship of four family-based, clinical dimensions to
      the adjustment of 45 adolescents during the first 18 months of parental
      separation. There were two samples of mother-custody families: an Aided group
      that applied for treatment, and an Unaided group of paid volunteers. The
      inclusion of this variable addressed a major methodological deficit of previous
      studies. There was a significant association between perceived postseparation
      family structure and adolescent adjustment, demonstrating that individual
      adolescent adjustment is contingent on structural features of the contemporary
      postseparation family. Further, Aided families were perceived as more chaotic,
      disengaged, and enmeshed than Unaided families, while Aided adolescents were
      characterized by more behavior problems than Unaided adolescents. This suggests
      that divorce, as an unscheduled transition, might be within the realm of
      adaptation for many families and adolescents and is not necessarily "disastrous."

PMID- 1860484
TI  - The family's conception of accountability and competence: a new approach to the
      conceptualization and assessment of family stress.
AB  - Clinicians and researchers have a strong interest in understanding how families
      respond to stress. Often, they begin their analyses by attempts to estimate the
      seriousness or magnitude of the stressful events impinging on the families they
      observe. Until now, they have relied on two strategies. First, they attempt to
      develop objective or external indicators of the magnitude of the stress of the
      events. The problem here is that the family's own perceptions and experiences are
      not properly weighted. The second strategy depends heavily or exclusively on the
      family's perceptions of the events. However, these perceptions are often a
      product of the family's efforts to cope with the stress since the organization
      and perception of meaning in events is a fundamental part of family coping. Thus,
      this approach cannot disentangle the stress inherent in the events from the
      family's efforts to cope with it. This article explores a third alternative. The
      social community in which the family lives often provides a coherent frame of
      meanings for most events. It not only defines the magnitude of the event but it
      also defines how accountable the family is for producing the event in the first
      place. A method for assessing these community frameworks is presented. Initial
      results suggest that there is not only a coherent community framework attributing
      magnitude and family accountability to a large number of stressful events
      impinging the family but, also, that these community attributions are embedded in
      a community concept of family development.

PMID- 1860485
TI  - Lie to me no more: believable stories and marital affairs.
AB  - This case study illustrates the dilemmas of systemic practice when the presenting
      problem is relational infidelity (marital affairs). After several months of
      treatment with a structural therapist, the couple and therapist were at an
      impasse because of arguments over the husband's alleged sexual encounter 3 years
      previously. The introduction of a consultant and a story-based therapy allowed
      the couple to reconcile their marital difficulties. The article ends with a
      discussion of the implications of systemic paradigms and personal morality.

PMID- 1860486
TI  - Priority setting in family change and clinical practice: the Family FIRO Model.
AB  - We update a theoretical framework for understanding priority setting for the
      management of family change, with special emphasis on developmental change. We
      propose that three core dimensions of family interaction--inclusion, control, and
      intimacy--constitute an optimal priority sequence for managing major family
      change stemming from life-cycle transitions and other stressful experiences. In
      the next section of the article, we compare the Family FIRO Model and other
      models of family change. Finally, we suggest that therapists can benefit from an
      explicit, clinical decision-making model for setting priorities in treatment:
      issues of inclusion take precedence over issues of control, which in turn take
      precedence over issues of intimacy.

PMID- 1860487
TI  - The BRIEFER project: using expert systems as theory construction tools.
AB  - This article describes the development of BRIEFER I and BRIEFER II, expert
      systems that advise the therapist on selecting, designing, and developing an
      intervention at the end of the first therapy session. The process of developing
      expert systems has aided us in describing what brief therapists do, in modeling
      the intervention design process, and in training brief therapists.

PMID- 1860488
TI  - Family conversation: description and interpretation.
AB  - This research focused on the analysis of a small segment (1 minute and 8 seconds)
      of conversation that occurred during a family therapy session. The participants
      were a mother, daughter, son, and the therapist. Through repeated listening and
      transcribing, a detailed transcript of the segment was first constructed. The
      conversational features within the transcript included the interruptions, pauses,
      overlaps, inflections, and turn shapes as structured by the participants. A
      sequential analysis of the conversation was rendered by describing the occurrence
      of the conversational features as well as interpreting the meanings of those
      features. The potential utility of conversation analysis to developing family
      theory and improving family therapy is also examined, as well as the limitations
      of the approach.

PMID- 1860490
TI  - [A comparative study of the nootropic properties of piracetam and oxiracetam].
AB  - The behavioral activities of piracetam and oxiracetam were studied during the
      learning tests (active avoidance, passive avoidance, T-maize). The levels of the
      orientation reaction and emotionality of the animals were determined by the "open
      field" method. To achieve similar effects, injections of 10 mg/kg of oxiracetam
      and 100 mg/kg of piracetam intraperitoneally were required. Both nootropics
      facilitated the learning of the animals but failed to change their behavior in
      the open field. Piracetam was more effective in the active avoidance test and
      oxiracetam in the T-maize test. The data indicate some differences in the
      activities of piracetam and oxiracetam.

PMID- 1860489
TI  - [The influence of the Soviet antidepressants pyrazidol and inkazan on the effects
      of clonidine].
AB  - The influence of Soviet-made antidepressants pyrazidol and incazane on some
      clonidine-induced effects (hypolocomotion, reactions of synchronization and
      desynchronization in the EEG, aggression) were studied. Pyrazidol and incazane
      reduce the effects of low doses of clonidine--the hypolocomotor one and the
      synchronization reaction in the EEG and enhance the effects of a high dose of
      clonidine--aggression and the desynchronization reaction in the EEG. The
      reduction of the sedative effects of clonidine as well as the enhancement of its
      activating effects by antidepressants can reflect the activation of adrenergic
      transmission by them. The adrenopositive effect of pyrazidol and incazane is more
      pronounced that that of imipramine.

PMID- 1860491
TI  - [The effect of diazepam on the free fatty acid content in the brain structures of
      rats with an experimental neurosis].
AB  - The composition of free fatty acids of lipids in different rat brain structures
      (the cortex, hippocampus, striatum and midbrain) in neurosis was studied by the
      gas chromatographic analysis. The difference in their spectra was established. A
      pronounced increase of arachidonic acid content in the cortex (by 120%, p less
      than 0.01) and a statistically significant elevation of linolic acid level in all
      studied structures were noted. The levels of pentadecanoic and myristic acids
      were also changed. In neurosis diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, 40 minutes
      before the investigation) produced a decrease in the brain cortex of levels of
      arachidonic, oleic and myristic acids. In the hippocampus the contents of oleic
      and myristic acids increased. Less pronounced changes were found in the striatum
      and midbrain.

PMID- 1860492
TI  - [A pharmacological analysis of the mechanism of action of ethosuximide].
AB  - Ethosuximide is one of the means of treatment of minor epilepsy but hardly any
      data on its mechanism of action are available in the literature. Anticonvulsant
      agents are known to bring about changes in the functions and in the interaction
      between some of the mediator systems within the central nervous system. An
      assessment of the status of neuromediator systems can be made on the basis of the
      response of isolated smooth muscle strips to the action of agonists and
      antagonists of various receptors. It was found by the pharmacological analysis of
      isolated strips from the rat stomach (antrum and corpus strips), the seminal duct
      and the cervical vein that ethosuximide induces a reduction in the physical
      contractile activity and the tone of smooth muscle preparations. Smooth muscle
      relaxation caused by ethosuximide is not blocked by different receptor inhibitors
      such as dihydroergotamine, propranolol, atropine, chlorpromazine, haloperidod and
      indomethacin. Ethosuximide causes a significant reduction in the physical
      contraction of smooth muscles produced by potassium chloride depolarization, with
      a stronger impact on the subsequent tonic contraction caused by calcium ions. A
      reduction in the potassium content of the solution has no effect on the nature of
      the action of ethosutimide. It is thus assumed that the probable mechanism of
      action of ethosuximide consists in lowering calcium transport since the
      inhibitors of calcium transport sodium nitroprusside and verapamil intensify the
      blocking effect of ethosuximide on smooth muscle contractile activity.

PMID- 1860493
TI  - [The effect of ecdysterone on experimental arrhythmias and changes in the
      hemodynamics and myocardial contractility induced by coronary artery occlusion].
AB  - In acute animal experiments it was shown that phytoecdizon ecdisteron (ecdisten)
      in some animals eliminates arrhythmia caused by the ligation of the descending
      branch of the left coronary artery and prevents the development of fibrillation
      and also corrects the hemodynamic parameters and the structure of the heart
      contractility, prevents the development of arrhythmias induced by aconitine and
      calcium chloride. The mechanism of the antiarrhythmic action is related to the
      membrane stabilizing effect and the improvement of the hemodynamic parameters and
      the heart contractility is due to an increase of the adaptative possibilities of
      the myocardium.

PMID- 1860494
TI  - [The clinico-pharmacological characteristics of anteovin].
AB  - The clinical and laboratory studies carried out on 160 women showed a high
      contraceptive effect and good tolerance of anteovine. The contraceptive effect of
      the biphasic drug is determined by its antiovulatory action concurrent with
      inhibition of the basal periovulatory secretion of gonadotropins and secretion of
      sex hormones.

PMID- 1860496
TI  - [The immunomodulating action of thymopentin in acute and chronic stress].
AB  - Thymopentin, an active centre of the thymic hormone, was shown to possess a
      marked immunomodulatory effect on the cellular immune reactions of immunity in
      rats under acute and chronic stress. Thymopentin ensures adaptation of the organs
      of immunogenesis by increasing viability of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes and
      normalization of the phagocytic activity of the leukocytes.

PMID- 1860497
TI  - [The effect of sulfur-containing preparations on the development of immediate
      allergization].
AB  - The effects of sulfur-containing drugs and an inhibitor of sulfhydryl groups on
      the development of allergization of immediate type were studied. In experiments
      on rabbits and guinea pigs it was shown that the effects of sulfur-containing
      drugs depend on the dose, the stage of the allergic process. The donors of
      sulfhydryl groups significantly reduce anaphylactic shock and repeated allergic
      reactions of immediate type. The inhibitor of sulfhydryl groups produces the dose
      dependent increase or decrease of the allergic reaction. The studied drugs change
      the dynamics of the content of sulfhydryl groups during sensitization.

PMID- 1860495
TI  - [The chlorine e6-photosensitized inhibition of human thrombocyte aggregation].
AB  - ADP-induced aggregation of platelets in the presence of chlorin E6 under the
      action of visible light depending on the pigment concentration and the time of
      light action was studied. It was shown that the photosensitized effect of chlorin
      E6 on the platelet-enriched plasma results in platelet aggregation inhibition.

PMID- 1860498
TI  - [The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of diazepam in different
      populations of rats].
AB  - Significant differences in diazepam pharmacokinetics in different populations of
      rats both within one family and within one species were revealed. A high degree
      of correlation between the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic indices
      indicates that the myorelaxant effect is in a direct dependence on diazepam
      concentration in the rat organism.

PMID- 1860499
TI  - [The dynamics of the body distribution of heparin and its antagonist, the
      quaternary ammonium salt of conidine oligomer-25, when administered via the
      lungs].
AB  - The distribution in the organism of radioactivity after intratracheal
      administration of labelled heparin and its quarterly ammonium salt oligomer-25
      conidine was studied. Within 25 hours the preservation of a high level of
      radioactivity in plasma, its decrease in other investigated organs and the
      accumulation in mast cells of the peritoneal cavity were observed. The
      involvement of the lymphatic system in heparin metabolism was shown. A positively
      charged oligomer conidine administered intratracheally, in contrast to heparin,
      was not detected in blood plasma in the studied time. The accumulation of the
      drug in the lung tissue, lymph nodes and excretory organs was noted.

PMID- 1860500
TI  - [The effect of x-ray contrast media on the spontaneous hemolysis of human
      erythrocytes and the possible regulatory pathways].
AB  - It was shown that bilignost, in contrast to triombrast, iodamide and metrizamide
      precipitates spontaneous hemolysis of human erythrocytes. The hemolytic effect of
      bilignost may be decreased by means of pipolphen and prednisolone or by using the
      mixture of albumin + glycerin + sodium chloride + bilignost.

PMID- 1860501
TI  - [Acebutolol and diacetolol: their binding to plasma proteins and erythrocytes and
      secretion with the saliva].
AB  - Thirty-two patients with hypertensive disease were treated with a cardioselective
      blocker of beta-adrenergic receptors acebutolol ("Sectral-400", Rhone Poulenc,
      France). The binding of the drug and its metabolites diacetolol to plasma
      proteins and erythrocytes and their excretion with the saliva were studied. The
      significant binding of acebutolol and diacetolol to erythrocytes was shown. The
      ratio of the content of the free form of these substances in erythrocytes to
      plasma content was on the average 1.54 +/- 0.96 for diacetolol and 1.93 +/- 1.01
      for acebutolol. A good correlation of acebutolol and diacetolol contents in the
      saliva with their contents in plasma was found. The mean values of the protein
      bound fraction were for acebutolol 0.133 +/- 0.038 and for diacetolol 0.106 +/-
      0.050.

PMID- 1860502
TI  - [Propranolol binding with plasma proteins and erythrocytes].
AB  - The binding of propranolol with plasma proteins and erythrocytes after oral
      administration of 80 mg of anapriline was studied in 12 patients with
      hypertensive disease. The content of propranolol fraction bound to plasma
      proteins was on the average 0.84 +/- 0.4. It was shown that propranolol to a
      considerable degree is captured by erythrocytes. The ratios of the erythrocyte
      content of propranolol free form to the plasma content were on the average 3.72
      +/- 0.92 and 2.70 +/- 1.20, respectively, 2 and 4 hours after anapriline intake.
      During the assessment of the pharmacological parameters it is recommended to
      determine the contents of the total and free forms of propranolol in the whole
      blood rather than in plasma.

PMID- 1860503
TI  - [The clinical pharmacokinetics of kemantane].
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of a new Soviet-made immunostimulant kemantane, a derivative
      of adamantine, was studied by gas-liquid chromatography in patients with
      bronchial pathology. It was found that in the blood of the patients kemantane was
      not practically detected due to a pronounced effect of the "first pass" through
      the liver. Kemantane kinetics was evaluated by the kinetics of its major active
      metabolite. On the basis of the performed studies the scheme of using kemantane
      in the patients with decreased immunity was recommended.

PMID- 1860504
TI  - [A preclinical study of the embryotoxic properties of cucumarioside and its
      effect on adult generative function].
AB  - The preclinical study of embryotoxicity of a new immunomodulator cucumariosid was
      carried out. Cucumariosid at long-term use exerts no effect on the generative
      function of rats, the general condition of pregnant females and the postnatal
      development of the offspring, possesses no teratogenic action. The use of the
      drug in the preimplantation period of pregnancy and the implantation period
      produces the contraceptive effect.

PMID- 1860505
TI  - [A behavioral and biochemical analysis of the therapeutic effect of sodium
      oxybutyrate in alcoholic encephalopathy in progeny].
AB  - The alcoholization of pregnant female rats (5 g/kg) results in a decrease of
      endogenous ethanol level in their offspring and distant disturbances of the
      conditioned reflex activities of the young rats deteriorating the formation and
      preservation of the skill with an emotional positive reinforcement. Sodium gamma
      gydroxybutyrate administered in a dose of 50 mg/kg from the 8th to the 20th day
      of life prevents the above-mentioned disturbances of learning and memory,
      restores the level of endogenous ethanol, corrects the parameters of lipid and
      mediator metabolism in the brain and blood changed by prenatal alcoholization.

PMID- 1860507
TI  - [The effect of antenatal exposure to the bacterial lipopolysaccharide prodigiozan
      on the neurons of the ganglionic layer of the sensorimotor cortex in 30-day-old
      rats].
AB  - A single administration of prodigiosan to pregnant albino rats in a dose of 100
      micrograms/kg was shown to exert the adverse effect on energy and plastic
      metabolism of neurocytes of the cerebral ganglionic layer in their offspring.
      These properties were most pronounced at administration on the 14th and 18th days
      of pregnancy.

PMID- 1860506
TI  - [The lithium oxybutyrate correction of disorders in higher nervous activity in
      the progeny of alcoholized male rats].
AB  - In experiments on rats it was shown that alcohol administered intragastrically in
      a dose of 8 g/kg for 4 weeks produced long-term disturbances of CNS function in
      the offspring similar to those observed under clinical conditions. Early
      postnatal administration of lithium oxybutyrate (from the 8th through the 14th
      day of life) was found to prevent the development of the disturbances.

PMID- 1860508
TI  - [Calculation of the standard error of the effective dose ratio].

PMID- 1860509
TI  - [Blood plasma proteins and drug transport across the hemato-encephalic barrier].
AB  - The blood-brain barrier being a dynamic membrane interface between the blood and
      the brain is of great importance for the formation of the pharmacokinetics and
      pharmacodynamics of neurotropic drugs. One of the main factors influencing
      diffusion of drugs into the central nervous system is the degree of their binding
      by plasma proteins. It was supposed that only the unbound fraction of drugs is
      pharmacologically active. However in some papers the plasma-protein-mediated
      transport into the rat brain of endogenous compounds and drugs was demonstrated.
      This indicates that the measuring of the free fraction of a drug in vitro can
      lead to the underestimation of its concentration in the target organ.

PMID- 1860510
TI  - [The mechanisms of the hepatotoxicity of paracetamol].

PMID- 1860511
TI  - [The effect of N-acetylaspartic acid on the processes of memory and learning in
      rats].
AB  - The effects of a neurospecific substance N-acetyl-aspartic acid on memory and
      learning processes were investigated after intraperitoneal and oral
      administrations in rats. N-acetyl-aspartic acid was shown to restore the passive
      avoidance reaction in electroshock and scopolamine amnesias as well as in natural
      extinction. Chronic injections of N-acetyl-aspartic acid improved the learning in
      water maze but exerted no effect on the acquisition and retention of the active
      avoidance reaction in the shuttle box.

PMID- 1860512
TI  - [The use of antioxidants for treating tuberculosis patients].

PMID- 1860513
TI  - [Information on new books on the problems of pharmacology and related
      disciplines].

PMID- 1860514
TI  - TIA in a middle-aged smoker.

PMID- 1860517
TI  - The University of Delaware/Jefferson Medical College Medical Scholars Program: an
      approach to educating physicians for academic leadership and practice.

PMID- 1860515
TI  - Heart disease associated with deletion of the short arm of chromosome 18.
AB  - Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 18 provides a highly variable phenotype.
      Mental retardation, short stature, and abnormal facies are invariably present.
      About 9 percent of patients with this syndrome have cardiac pathology. An
      additional case with congenital heart disease has been presented along with a
      review of the literature concerning the association of congenital heart disease
      and the 18p- syndrome.

PMID- 1860516
TI  - Family-centered short-term rehabilitation for severe childhood asthma.

PMID- 1860518
TI  - A narrative of the Patricia James case.

PMID- 1860519
TI  - Endometrial ablation offers alternative to hysterectomy.

PMID- 1860520
TI  - Legal issues in hospital-physician joint ventures.

PMID- 1860521
TI  - Concepts of radiation safety and protection: beyond BEIR V.
AB  - The publication of an updated report on the biological effects of ionizing
      radiation (BEIR V) has focused new attention on the potential hazards associated
      with the use of low doses of ionizing radiation for diagnostic purposes. This
      article reviews the BEIR V report findings and suggests methods for reducing the
      risks to dental patients and the operators of dental x-ray equipment.

PMID- 1860522
TI  - Update on restorative materials.

PMID- 1860523
TI  - Vacuuming a mercury-contaminated dental office may be hazardous to your health.
AB  - Exposure to mercury contamination in the dental office poses a potential hazard
      for dental personnel. Although many precautions for containing the poisonous
      metal vapors are routinely observed, dental personnel may place themselves at
      risk by failing to use proper cleaning techniques. Researchers from the National
      Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have discovered that vacuum
      cleaners designed for the home are sometimes used to clean dental office carpets,
      which might be contaminated with mercury. Since ordinary vacuum cleaners increase
      airborne mercury concentrations, dental personnel should use a specially designed
      vacuuming system for mercury recovery.

PMID- 1860524
TI  - Pediatric behavior management: the dental assistant's role.

PMID- 1860525
TI  - The office manual: backbone of the dental practice.

PMID- 1860526
TI  - Record taking in the orthodontic office.

PMID- 1860528
TI  - [Restoration of an upper jaw with pre-manufactured Duo-lock attachments].

PMID- 1860527
TI  - Management of infectious waste.

PMID- 1860529
TI  - [Characterizing of denture teeth. Variations of shape and characteristics].

PMID- 1860530
TI  - [Experience with the extra-coronal anchor Bego Clip P].

PMID- 1860531
TI  - [Practical experiences with the Isosit inlay/onlay material].

PMID- 1860532
TI  - [Harmony of shape and color in combined tooth replacements].

PMID- 1860533
TI  - [Total prosthetics after a biogenetic example--double impression taking and
      intraoral bite registration].

PMID- 1860534
TI  - [The making of fireproof dies with the duplicating system according to Rath].

PMID- 1860535
TI  - [Is dry trimming a real improvement in model making?].

PMID- 1860536
TI  - [Implant retained hybrid prosthesis with Supra-Snap anchor element].

PMID- 1860537
TI  - [Repair of defective secondary telescope combination denture].

PMID- 1860538
TI  - [Gold-colored titanium nitride coating of non-precious metal adhesive bridge].

PMID- 1860539
TI  - [Technical preparation of Sander feather activator].

PMID- 1860540
TI  - [Milling technique and spark erosion, an alternative to cast titanium].

PMID- 1860541
TI  - [Systematic for milling technique of anterior tooth precision attachment].

PMID- 1860542
TI  - [Model measuring, mounting on Gnathomat, tooth set-up].

PMID- 1860544
TI  - Beating burn-out.

PMID- 1860543
TI  - [Surface treatment of silver-palladium and reduced precious metal alloys].

PMID- 1860545
TI  - TMJ malpractice: are you at risk?

PMID- 1860546
TI  - How to remember patients' names.

PMID- 1860547
TI  - Dentistry 1991: the bright side. An interview with Barry Waldman.

PMID- 1860548
TI  - The benefits of laser dentistry.

PMID- 1860549
TI  - Protect your office from embezzlement.

PMID- 1860550
TI  - The best dentist you can be: the Pankey experience, Part V.

PMID- 1860551
TI  - Local anesthetics.

PMID- 1860552
TI  - Release of amylin from perfused rat pancreas in response to glucose, arginine,
      beta-hydroxybutyrate, and gliclazide.
AB  - Amylin is a 37-amino acid peptide isolated from the islet amyloid of patients
      with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The isolated perfused normal rat
      pancreas was used to evaluate the effects of glucose and insulin secretagogues,
      such as arginine, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and gliclazide, on amylin secretion.
      Glucose and the other stimulants tested elicited a significant release of amylin
      from the rat pancreas in a biphasic pattern, similar to that of insulin. Dose
      response studies of the glucose-induced release of amylin and insulin revealed
      that they possessed a similar dependency on glucose. However, the release of
      amylin induced by high concentrations of glucose was partially dissociated from
      that of insulin; that is, the amylin-insulin molar ratios induced by 22.2 and
      33.3 mM glucose (1.11 +/- 0.05 and 1.05 +/- 0.04%, respectively) were
      significantly higher than those induced by 16.7 mM glucose (0.90 +/- 0.04%, P
      less than 0.01 vs. 22.2 mM glucose, P less than 0.05 vs. 33.3 mM glucose).
      Additionally, when the basal concentration of glucose in the perfusate was
      increased from 5.6 to 11.1 mM, the response of amylin was unchanged. These data
      suggest that amylin may be an islet hormone whose abundant response to high
      concentrations of glucose might contribute to the oversecretion of amylin in the
      hyperglycemia that accompanies diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1860553
TI  - Trans-hydroxyl group configuration on carbons 2 and 3 of glucose. Responsible for
      acute inhibition of myo-inositol transport?
AB  - Cultured neuroblastoma, cerebral microvessel endothelial, and retinoblastoma
      cells were used to examine the mechanism of acute inhibition by D-glucose of myo
      inositol uptake. Acute exposure of the cells to 30 mM D-glucose caused a
      significant decrease in Na(+)-dependent myo-inositol uptake in all three cell
      types. The effect of D-glucose to acutely inhibit myo-inositol uptake was
      dependent on the extracellular glucose concentration and was not reversed by
      sorbinil. 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (30 mM), 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (30 mM), and
      cytochalasin B (100 microM) did not acutely inhibit myo-inositol uptake. These
      data suggest that the hydroxyl groups on carbons 2 and 3 of D-glucose, which in a
      Haworth projection appear trans to each other, are important for inhibitory
      activity. Other monosaccharides (30 mM) having a similar 2,3-trans-diol
      configuration, L-glucose, D- and L-fucose, D- and L-galactose, D- and L-xylose,
      and D-arabinose, all to varying degrees significantly inhibited myo-inositol
      uptake. In all cases, the L-isomers were more potent inhibitors of myo-inositol
      uptake than the corresponding D-isomers. Monosaccharides (30 mM) having hydroxyl
      groups on carbons 2 and 3 in a cis configuration, D-mannose, L-rhamnose, D
      allose, and D-ribose, did not acutely inhibit myo-inositol uptake. Replacing the
      hydroxyl group with a fluorine on carbons 2 or 3 of D-glucose negated its
      inhibitory activity of myo-inositol uptake. In contrast, replacing the hydroxyl
      group with a fluorine on carbon 6 of D-glucose did not block its inhibition of
      myo-inositol uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860554
TI  - Insulin and glucose levels and prevalence of glucose intolerance in pedigrees
      with multiple diabetic siblings.
AB  - Hyperinsulinemia may be an early inherited marker for a defect in insulin action
      that subsequently results in glucose intolerance and non-insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). To examine the role of hyperinsulinemia in individuals
      at high genetic risk for NIDDM and determine the prevalence of impaired glucose
      tolerance (IGT) and newly diagnosed diabetes in members of NIDDM pedigrees, we
      studied 310 members of 16 pedigrees ascertained for greater than or equal to 2
      NIDDM siblings. Nondiabetic members of all pedigrees were examined by 75-g oral
      glucose tolerance test with fasting and 1-h insulin levels. Participants had
      height and weight recorded. Spouses of pedigree members (n = 88) served as
      control subjects. The spouse control subjects were older and slightly more obese
      than the undiagnosed pedigree members. The prevalence of IGT was 14.8% in spouses
      and 7.7% in pedigree members, and NIDDM was present in 11.3% of spouses and 2.3%
      of previously undiagnosed pedigree members. However, neither spouses nor pedigree
      members differed significantly from published age-specific prevalence rates for
      IGT or newly diagnosed NIDDM. Insulin and glucose levels were examined in
      pedigree members with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Fasting insulin levels were
      not significantly different between spouses and NGT pedigree members. However,
      after adjustment for age, weight (body mass index), and sex, NGT pedigree members
      had higher 1-h insulin levels and higher fasting and 1-h glucose levels than
      spouses. These differences were also evident when pedigree members with at least
      1 affected (NIDDM or IGT) parent were compared with spouses with no family
      history of diabetes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860556
TI  - Induction of islet cytodifferentiation by fetal mesenchyme in adult pancreatic
      ductal epithelium.
AB  - Recombinant tissue consisting of adult ductal epithelium isolated from pancreas
      and fetal mesenchyme was transplanted subcutaneously in the inguinal region of
      nude mice or epididymal fat pads of rats with a tissue chamber device for short
      term (8-day) or long-term (6- to 12-wk) duration. We found that recombinant
      tissue underwent morphogenesis and cytodifferentiation, thereby forming islets
      that contained cells immunocytochemically positive for insulin and glucagon.
      Islet cytodifferentiation occurred in approximately 20% of the recombinants. In
      recombinants that developed into islets, the tissue was always in close
      association with an extracellular matrix, nerves, and blood vessels. Controls
      consisting of mesenchyme alone or duct epithelium alone showed no evidence of
      morphogenesis of cytodifferentiation. Pancreatic rudiments were also implanted to
      serve as positive controls. This is the first demonstration of islet
      cytodifferentiation from adult duct epithelium.

PMID- 1860555
TI  - Evidence for dual control mechanism regulating hepatic glucose output in
      nondiabetic men.
AB  - We previously reported a fall in hepatic glucose output (HGO) during sleep
      accompanied by reductions in glucose utilization (Rd) and free fatty acids
      (FFAs). This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of changes in
      Rd and FFA on HGO in nondiabetic men. To determine if the fall in HGO during
      sleep could be reversed by FFA elevation, seven nondiabetic men underwent [3
      3H]glucose infusions from 2200 to 0800, with heparin (90 mU.kg-1.min-1) added at
      0200. Glucose appearance (Ra) fell from 11.7 +/- 1.1 at 2430 to 8.9 +/- 0.8
      mumol.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.05) at 0200. The fall in Ra was associated with
      decreases in FFA (0.57 +/- 0.10 to 0.48 +/- 0.07 mM) and glycerol (0.08 +/- 0.01
      to 0.06 +/- 0.01 mM). Infusion of heparin significantly increased FFA and
      glycerol (1.09 +/- 0.21 and 0.11 +/- 0.01 mM, respectively, P less than 0.01) and
      resulted in a significant fall in plasma alanine, suggesting that gluconeogenesis
      had been increased. However, rates of glucose turnover were indistinguishable
      from overnight studies without heparin. In additional studies (n = 6), intralipid
      and heparin-induced FFA elevation (from 0.61 +/- 0.07 to 0.95 +/- 0.05 mM, P less
      than 0.01) stimulated gluconeogenesis ([U-14C]alanine to glucose) twofold (188 +/
      22% increase compared to 114 +/- 6% in saline control studies, P less than
      0.01). However, despite increasing gluconeogenesis, overall HGO did not change
      (10.6 +/- 0.5 vs. 10.7 +/- 0.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1) during lipid infusion.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860557
TI  - Importance of insulin in subjective, cognitive, and hormonal responses to
      hypoglycemia in patients with IDDM.
AB  - Not all episodes of hypoglycemia are recognized as such by diabetic patients,
      suggesting that it is possible for them to adapt to a low blood glucose level,
      although the mechanism involved is not known. The aim of this study was to
      examine whether insulin has an effect, independent of blood glucose, on the
      subjective, cognitive, and hormonal responses to hypoglycemia. Nine patients with
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) participated in three hyperinsulinemic
      glucose-clamp studies. After 60 min at 4.5 mM, blood glucose was randomized to be
      1) maintained at 4.5 mM for 240 min, 2) lowered to 2.8 mM for 180 min followed by
      60 min at 2 mM with an insulin infusion rate of 40 mU.m-2.m-1, and 3) fitted to
      the same protocol as 2 but with an infusion rate of 120 mU.m-2.min-1. Symptoms
      and awareness of hypoglycemia (100-mm visual analogue scales), cognitive
      function, and counterregulatory hormone levels were assessed every 30 min. There
      were no subjective or cognitive changes during the euglycemic study. Awareness
      and hypoglycemic symptoms (hunger, facial flushing, trembling, and sweating) were
      attenuated by the higher insulin infusion rate (P less than 0.05 and P less than
      0.01, respectively). Cognition was significantly impaired after 60 min at 2.8 mM
      (P less than 0.001) and deteriorated further when the blood glucose level was
      lowered to 2 mM (P less than 0.01). Levels of cortisol (P less than 0.01) and
      growth hormone (P less than 0.05) but not epinephrine were suppressed by the
      higher insulin infusion rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860558
TI  - Prediction and prevention of IDDM--1991.
AB  - Although we can now identify some nondiabetic individuals who will subsequently
      develop clinical insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), our ability to
      predict subsequent clinical IDDM is far from perfect. In this article, we discuss
      the status of knowledge regarding the natural history of preclinical IDDM and
      discuss, especially in relation to predicting IDDM, the genetic, immunologic, and
      metabolic components of the IDDM disease process.

PMID- 1860559
TI  - Antagonistic effect of human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37) on
      regional hemodynamic actions of rat islet amyloid polypeptide in conscious Long
      Evans rats.
AB  - Rat synthetic amidated islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) was infused into
      conscious Long-Evans rats chronically instrumented for the measurement of
      regional hemodynamics. Rat IAPP (0.25-2.5 nmol.kg-1.min-1) had dose-dependent
      tachycardiac and hypotensive effects. Renal blood flow increased at all dose
      levels in association with incremental rises in renal vascular conductances.
      Hindquarters blood flow and vascular conductance increased at the higher dose
      levels, but mesenteric blood flow fell with mean arterial blood pressure (i.e.,
      there was no change in mesenteric vascular conductance). Concurrent infusion of
      25 nmol.kg-1.min-1 human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (8-37)
      abolished the hypotensive, tachycardiac, and renal and hindquarters vasodilator
      effects of rat IAPP, and during administration of both peptides, there was a
      transient renal and sustained mesenteric vasoconstriction. When the infusion of
      human alpha-CGRP (8-37) was stopped, the effects of the continued infusion of rat
      IAPP were reestablished. The results indicate that the reported ability of IAPP
      to induce insulin resistance cannot be due to decreased skeletal muscle blood
      flow. In addition, human alpha-CGRP (8-37) is an effective antagonist of the
      hemodynamic actions of rat IAPP. Because it has been shown previously that human
      alpha-CGRP (8-37) antagonizes the hemodynamic effects of human alpha-CGRP, these
      results, collectively, indicate that human alpha-CGRP and rat IAPP might act on
      the same receptor at which human alpha-CGRP (8-37) is an effective antagonist or
      that the latter is a nonselective antagonist of separate receptors on which human
      alpha-CGRP and rat IAPP act.

PMID- 1860560
TI  - Abnormalities of cognitive functions in IDDM revealed by P300 event-related
      potential analysis. Comparison with short-latency evoked potentials and
      psychometric tests.
AB  - The possible influence of diabetes on the higher mnestic and cognitive functions
      has been investigated. The P300 wave latency, an endogenous electrophysiological
      event, was explored and compared with the multimodal short-latency evoked
      potential (EP) recordings (visual [VEP], brainstem auditory [BAEP], and median
      and tibial nerve somatosensory EPs [mSEP and tSEP, respectively]) and
      psychometric test measures in 16 insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients, in
      16 age- and (IDDM) sex-matched nondiabetic subjects, and in a large normal
      reference population. The age of subjects, the duration of IDDM, and the
      metabolic control of patients were taken into account. P300 values were
      significantly increased in IDDM versus matched control subjects (P less than
      0.001), and 3 patients showed values above the reference value range. Abnormal
      VEP recordings were present in 1 of 16 patients, BAEP in 3 of 16, mSEP in 7 of
      16, and tSEP in 6 of 16. Digit-span backward test results were significantly (P
      less than 0.02) modified in the diabetic cohort. There was no tendency for
      anomalies of P300, short-latency EPs, and psychometric test values to be
      contemporarily present, except in 1 patient. Electrophysiological or psychometric
      abnormalities were not clearly correlated with the duration of IDDM or the degree
      of short-term metabolic control. These findings give evidence that 1) higher
      cognitive functions may be affected in diabetes as documented by P300 analysis
      and short-term memory tests, 2) endogenous electrophysiological analysis
      highlights neuropsychological changes not detectable by psychometric tests, 3) an
      alteration of evoked potentials was present in half of the IDDM subjects studied,
      and 4) anomalies of the CNS are patchily distributed in diabetes.

PMID- 1860561
TI  - Inducement of antibody that mimics insulin action on insulin receptor by insulin
      autoantibody directed at determinant at asparagine site on human insulin B chain.
AB  - We previously showed that purified human IgG1 insulin autoantibody (IAA) from the
      serum of male patient T.H. with insulin autoimmune syndrome is directed at a
      determinant at the asparagine site on the human insulin B chain. An anti
      idiotypic antibody (anti-TH) that inhibited TH-IAA binding to human insulin was
      obtained by immunizing BALB/c mice with TH-IAA. Anti-TH bound to viable IM-9
      cells and the purified insulin receptor from IM-9 cells. Anti-TH binding to IM-9
      cells and the insulin receptor was inhibited by TH-IAA but not by human IgG.
      Moreover, incubation of HepG2 cells with anti-TH had an inhibitory effect on
      insulin binding to HepG2 cells. Anti-TH, like insulin, stimulated amino acid
      uptake in HepG2 cells. These findings indicate that the conformation of TH-IAA
      idiotope is a mirror image of the determinant on the insulin B chain, the binding
      site for TH-IAA on anti-TH is also related to the insulin binding site on the
      insulin receptor, and anti-TH mimics insulin action on the insulin receptor.

PMID- 1860562
TI  - Progression to type I diabetes in autoimmune endocrine patients with islet cell
      antibodies.
AB  - In an 11-yr screening program carried out on serum samples sent to an autoimmune
      serology laboratory, 158 patients with clinical or subclinical autoimmune
      endocrine manifestations and islet cell antibodies (ICAs) in the absence of overt
      diabetes were identified and followed for the development of insulin-dependent
      (type I) diabetes. Twenty-two (13.9%) developed type I diabetes in a follow-up of
      up to 12 yr (mean +/- SE 4.8 +/- 3.2 yr). The probability of being free of type I
      diabetes was 69.8% at 10 yr after the first detection of ICAs. Progression to
      disease was influenced by 1) the amount of ICAs represented by high titers (63%
      of those with ICAs greater than or equal to 20 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation units
      being free of type I diabetes at 10 yr), ICA persistency (59% being free of type
      I diabetes; P less than 0.02 vs. nonpersistent ICA), and complement-fixing (CF)
      ICAs (63% being free of type I diabetes; P less than 0.05 vs. non-CF-ICA); 2) the
      coexistence of insulin autoantibodies (IAAs) (25% being free of type I diabetes;
      P less than 0.005 vs. IAA-); and 3) a positive family history (1st-degree
      relative) for type I diabetes (32% being free of type I diabetes; P less than
      0.005 vs. no family history). There was a trend for diabetes to develop earlier
      in males of a younger age. No relationships were found with the number, type, or
      clinical expression of the associated autoimmunities or with a family history of
      such disorders.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860563
TI  - Relative hypersecretion of proinsulin in rat model of NIDDM.
AB  - The plasma ratio of proinsulin to insulin is raised in individuals with non
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Increased secretion of proinsulin
      relative to insulin is thought to be the cause, although differential changes in
      clearance have not been ruled out. This study was conducted in a rat model of
      NIDDM, 90% pancreatectomized (Px) rats, to investigate the pathophysiology of
      this observation. Proinsulin storage and secretion were assessed with high
      performance liquid chromatography separation of the insulins and the proinsulins,
      followed by quantification of the peaks by insulin radioimmunoassay. In Px rats,
      the relative proportion of proinsulin in pancreas extracts was twice that of
      control (sham-operated) rats (15.6 +/- 1.4 vs. 8.3 +/- 1.4%, P less than 0.01).
      Samples obtained from the portal vein during in vitro pancreas perfusion also had
      an elevated proinsulin fraction (Px, 10.3 +/- 3.0; sham, 3.0 +/- 0.6%; P less
      than 0.006). In summary, 90% Px rats share many pathophysiological features with
      NIDDM, including loss of normal proinsulin homeostasis. Our results suggest that
      chronic hyperglycemia causes an intrinsic change in beta-cells that is
      characterized by the increased storage and secretion of proinsulin.

PMID- 1860565
TI  - [The modelling of the development of respiratory muscle force during forced
      expiration].

PMID- 1860564
TI  - Lack of effect of islet amyloid polypeptide in causing insulin resistance in
      conscious dogs during euglycemic clamp studies.
AB  - In this study, we administered constant intravenous infusions of human islet
      amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) to conscious dogs during euglycemic glucose-clamp
      studies. The doses of hIAPP used (5 and 50 pmol.kg-1.min-1) raised the
      circulating IAPP levels approximately 12- and 50-fold above basal levels,
      respectively. Studies were conducted at two different insulin infusion rates,
      resulting in steady-state plasma insulin levels of approximately 600 and 2800 pM.
      According to our results, the hIAPP infusions did not lead to any measurable
      change in the insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rate at either insulin infusion
      rate. Additionally, we observed no effect of IAPP on hepatic glucose production.
      Although we did not observe any effect of hIAPP on any of the aspects of glucose
      or insulin metabolism measured, we did find a consistent hypocalcemic effect of
      this peptide at the 50-pmol.kg-1.min-1 infusion rate. Shortly after the onset of
      hIAPP infusion, serum calcium levels fell by 10-15% and remained at these levels
      throughout the course of the hIAPP infusion. In summary, 1) infusion of hIAPP at
      doses of 5 or 50 pmol.kg-1.min-1 in conscious dogs raised the circulating IAPP
      level 12- to 50-fold above basal; 2) during these infusion studies, no effect of
      hIAPP was observed on any of the aspects of glucose or insulin homeostasis
      measured; 3) 50 pmol.kg-1.min-1 hIAPP lead to a prompt reduction in plasma
      calcium concentrations with intravenous administration.

PMID- 1860566
TI  - [Maximum lung ventilation and its mobilization under physical loads].

PMID- 1860567
TI  - [The use of the plant preparations Valdai and Al'tair for enhancing the
      functional potentials of athletes].

PMID- 1860568
TI  - [The use of automated systems for assessing the health of workers. I. The study
      of the indices of the functional status of different occupational groups].

PMID- 1860570
TI  - [The effect of a clinical adrenaline dose on the concentration of gonadotropins
      and antidiuretic hormone in the blood of healthy subjects of different ages].

PMID- 1860569
TI  - [Circadian fluctuations in bivalent electrolytes, calcitonin and parathyroid
      hormone in the serum of healthy subjects].

PMID- 1860572
TI  - [The electrical potential asymmetry of the human body].

PMID- 1860571
TI  - [Changes in human hormonal and immune indices under low temperatures].

PMID- 1860573
TI  - [The use of a 3-factor model for describing accentuated forms of behavior].

PMID- 1860574
TI  - [The dynamics of the electroencephalographic indices of 6-year-old children under
      the influence of school instruction].

PMID- 1860575
TI  - [The effect of breathing exercises via supplementary "dead" space combined with
      physical loading on the duration of voluntary apnea and on the external
      respiratory function].

PMID- 1860576
TI  - [A factor model of the meteorotropic reactivity of physically trained and
      untrained subjects].

PMID- 1860577
TI  - [The factor structure of the EEG spectrum of the left and right hemispheres of
      the human brain at rest and during the processing of visual information].

PMID- 1860578
TI  - [The liver and kidney blood circulation during local decompression of the
      abdominal cavity].

PMID- 1860579
TI  - [Changes in energy metabolism under the influence of an insulin administration
      test].

PMID- 1860580
TI  - [A method for recording short-latency auditory evoked potentials based on the DVK
      3 microcomputer].

PMID- 1860581
TI  - [A comparison of the results of dynamic neuropsychological and
      electroencephalographic research on neurosurgical patients with optic nerve
      lesions].

PMID- 1860582
TI  - [The object of perception and interference resistance in the auditory system].

PMID- 1860583
TI  - [The dependence of human psychophysiological reactions on the spatial-temporal
      organization of local proprioceptor stimuli].

PMID- 1860584
TI  - [The formation of interhemispheric interaction in ontogeny. An
      electrophysiological analysis].

PMID- 1860585
TI  - [An evaluation of the statistical characteristics of the spatial coherence of the
      bioelectrical processes in the human brain. II. Electrosubcorticogram research on
      epilepsy patients].

PMID- 1860587
TI  - [The transient modes of sinoatrial node work during typical excitation
      exposures].

PMID- 1860586
TI  - [The dependency of functional testing results on the degree of left ventricular
      failure and the localization of the myocardial lesion in patients with ischemic
      heart disease].

PMID- 1860588
TI  - [Human temperature regimens under hypothermic protection during operations on the
      heart (research on a mathematical model)].

PMID- 1860589
TI  - [The reaction to hypoxia of the human and animal organisms in relation to the
      individual characteristics of their autonomic nervous systems].

PMID- 1860590
TI  - [Body resistance in participants in polar expeditions].

PMID- 1860591
TI  - [The possibilities for the statistical evaluation of central nervous system
      reactivity and homeostasis in healthy subjects and patients with brain lesions].

PMID- 1860592
TI  - [The peripheral blood of the native inhabitants of eastern Siberia].

PMID- 1860593
TI  - [The characteristics of human adaptation to the effect of moderate high-altitude
      hypoxia and hyperthermia during the performance of a physical load].

PMID- 1860595
TI  - [Dependence of flight training on the individual characteristics of the
      students].

PMID- 1860594
TI  - [Heat perception during the seasonal adaptation to high temperature].

PMID- 1860596
TI  - [Experience in using automatic systems for assessing the functional
      characteristics of the body. II. The indices of autonomic regulation in athletes
      of different sports specialties and levels of the physical work capacity of the
      body].

PMID- 1860597
TI  - [Physiological approaches to setting standards for body stress in work].

PMID- 1860598
TI  - [Overcoming the traditions that have built up in electroencephalography].

PMID- 1860599
TI  - [Biorhythmological approaches to the study of functional asymmetry in the
      equilibrium and spatial orientation systems].

PMID- 1860600
TI  - [Means for optimizing impedance measuring methods in hemodynamic research].

PMID- 1860601
TI  - [An analysis of the autonomic regulation of cardiac rhythm at different stages in
      individual human development].

PMID- 1860602
TI  - [The potential opportunity for radiokinetocardiography in research on the
      movements of the cardiac structures and walls of the large vessels].

PMID- 1860603
TI  - [The patterns of a change in the subjective time standard].

PMID- 1860604
TI  - [The use of peripheral pulse indices for the differential diagnosis of lung
      diseases].

PMID- 1860605
TI  - [The dynamics of transcutaneous oxygen tension in detecting the anaerobic
      threshold under increasing physical loads].

PMID- 1860606
TI  - [Respiratory functions during speech activities].

PMID- 1860607
TI  - [An analysis of the processes facilitating the tendon reflex by Jendrassik's
      maneuver].

PMID- 1860608
TI  - [The contractile properties of the anterior tibial muscle in athletes of
      different sports specialties and in nonathletes].

PMID- 1860609
TI  - [The role of the number of movements in the perception of the position of the
      parts of the body].

PMID- 1860610
TI  - [The circadian dynamics of the hormonal regulation of human water-salt exchange
      during long-term hypokinesia].

PMID- 1860611
TI  - [The effect of a cooling water environment on the hormonal status of the human
      body].

PMID- 1860612
TI  - The health of U.S. science.

PMID- 1860613
TI  - Contrasting work environments of medical school faculty.
AB  - An attitude survey has revealed vividly contrasting institutional atmosphere and
      working conditions at U.S. medical schools. Environments at about one-fourth of
      the schools were judged to be highly positive with regard to subjective
      atmosphere, career development, and faculty-administration relations.
      Environments at another one-fourth of all schools were judged to be highly
      negative in all of these areas. Recognizing the existence of these differences is
      necessary before administrative remedies for many of the problems at the latter
      group of schools can be implemented.

PMID- 1860614
TI  - Molecular studies of the uncoupling protein.
AB  - The uncoupling protein (UCP) is a proton/anion transporter found in the inner
      mitochondrial membrane of brown adipocyte. Although UCP has not been detected in
      mitochondria from any other tissue, it shares structural and catalytic properties
      with several other mitochondrial carrier proteins. Although UCP was discovered
      only recently it is one of the most extensively studied mitochondrial carrier
      proteins. Many tools useful in research on UCP have been developed such as
      antibodies and cDNAs corresponding to UCP of several animal species. More
      recently, the mouse, rat, and human genes encoding for UCP have been isolated and
      sequenced. The availability of these various tools has led to several significant
      observations. UCP gene expression is strongly controlled at the level of
      transcription by signals that are activated after the stimulation of brown
      adipocytes by norepinephrine. The comparison of UCP gene with the genes encoding
      the adenine nucleotide translocator revealed the existence of structural and
      evolutionary homologies. Moreover, in humans the UCP gene and one form of adenine
      nucleotide translocator gene are located on the same chromosome. Recently, the
      expression of functional UCP in various heterologous systems was achieved
      (Xenopus oocytes, CHO cells, yeasts). These data will facilitate studies of the
      structure/function relationship in UCP (identification of residues involved in H+
      transport, Cl- transport, nucleotide binding, mitochondrial targeting...).
      Another aspect of the present research on UCP is the understanding of mechanisms
      that control the UCP gene and the differentiated commitment of adipose precursor
      cells to thermogenic brown adipocytes. The multifaceted aspects of research on
      UCP make this protein interesting in areas of research as different as studies of
      ion translocating mechanisms, cellular specificity of gene transcription, control
      of gene expression by neuromediators, adipocyte differentiation, and the
      pharmacological treatment of obesity.

PMID- 1860615
TI  - Superfamily of steroid nuclear receptors: positive and negative regulators of
      gene expression.
AB  - The nuclear hormone receptor superfamily is characterized by an impressive
      functional diversity of its members despite a remarkable overall structural
      unity. A variety of ligands bind specifically to them and these receptors control
      gene networks that have profound effects on growth, development, and homeostasis.
      The ligand-receptor complexes recognize transcriptional enhancer DNA sequences,
      the hormone response elements, resulting in induction or repression of gene
      activity. The similarity between all these hormone response enhancer elements, as
      well as between the receptors themselves, indicates a conserved general strategy
      for the hormonal control of transcription by steroids. The activated receptors
      bind to responsive promoters and most likely mediate the assembly of stage- and
      tissue-specific transcription factor complexes that stimulate or inhibit gene
      expression.

PMID- 1860616
TI  - Tumor vaccines.
AB  - Vaccination against tumor, either as a prophylactic procedure or as a mode of
      treatment, has been a distant goal of immunologists for many years. Ideally, the
      less specific therapies such as chemotherapy would be replaced by an anti-tumor
      immune response in the host that would be present on a continuing basis. However,
      progress has been hampered by a lack of understanding of the role of viruses in
      human tumor development and the molecular nature of tumor-associated antigens.
      Recent developments using the techniques of molecular biology and monoclonal
      antibody reagents are beginning to remedy this deficiency so that vaccination has
      become a real possibility for certain human cancers. The natural fluctuations in
      growth rates of some human tumors, and the observation that tumors can
      occasionally remain dormant for years, has led to the idea that the host has an
      intrinsic ability to control tumor growth, and that this ability is a property of
      the immune system. Attempts to enhance this putative control are being made by
      treating the host with defined biological modifiers that stimulate cells involved
      in immunity in vivo, and by seeking and expanding such cells in vitro before
      reinfusing them into the host. These attempts to harness the immune system to
      attack tumor cells that have evaded the host's defenses might be considered
      optimistic, but they will at least tell us a great deal about tumor cell behavior
      and the ability of the host to influence it.

PMID- 1860617
TI  - Regulation of eukaryotic phospholipid metabolism.
AB  - Phospholipids have diverse and critical roles in cellular metabolism and
      function. Questions about the mechanisms of regulation of phospholipid synthesis
      are being investigated with a variety of systems and approaches. For example, the
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an organism in which both biochemical and
      genetic analyses are used. Biochemical approaches have yielded considerable
      information on the regulatory properties of enzymes of phospholipid biosynthesis.
      Studies of the activity of purified phosphatidylserine synthase have suggested
      how that enzyme is influenced by membrane phospholipids in the cell. The enzyme
      that regulates mammalian phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, CTP:phosphocholine
      cytidylyltransferase, is also influenced by phospholipids. In addition, the
      activity of this enzyme often correlates with its translocation to membranes. The
      location of such enzymes in the cell is of particular interest in light of the
      possibility that the enzymatic reactions may be efficiently coupled in vivo.
      Techniques to render cultured cells permeable to phosphorylated molecules
      indicated that the enzymes of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis may exist in an
      organized compartment so that the precursors of phosphatidylcholine are
      efficiently channeled through the pathway. To ask how phospholipids are
      transported in the cell, a combined biochemical and genetic approach has been
      used. These studies have revealed that the
      phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylcholine transfer protein, considered to mediate
      intracellular phospholipid transfer, is a critical component of the secretory
      pathway for proteins. These results have allowed formulation of a number of new
      questions on the regulation of phospholipid metabolism and its relationship to
      general membrane processes.

PMID- 1860618
TI  - Pressure and flow-dependent vascular tone.
AB  - Most small arteries are partially constricted in vivo. After excluding
      neurogenic, metabolic, and circulating as well as local hormonal influences, a
      sizeable component of tone persists which is commonly called basal tone. In the
      absence of such tone, cardiac output would be insufficient to maintain the
      circulation. This review focuses on the contribution of stretch, induced by
      changes in transmural pressure, and flow acting through shear forces exerted at
      the blood vessel wall interface, to basal tone. Evidence concerning the cellular
      processes that may be activated by these physical forces--the mechanotransducing
      systems--are discussed. The involvement of the endothelium and the role of change
      in membrane potential are evaluated and lead to the conclusion that pressure and
      flow effects do not depend exclusively on the release of endothelial factors nor
      the activation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Stretch/pressure-induced changes
      in tone show distinctive pharmacological profiles. They are dependent on
      extracellular calcium and yet in many instances are only weakly affected by
      organic Ca(2+)-entry inhibitors. Flow-dependent vascular effects, both
      constrictor and dilator, are both exquisitely sensitive to changes in
      extracellular Na+ and appear to be related to its transmembrane gradient.
      Stretch/pressure cause activation of protein kinase C, an intracellular modulator
      of Ca(2+)-dependent contractile processes. The existence of separate and
      distinctive cellular sensing and responding systems to pressure and flow raise
      the possibility that the smooth muscle tone of the vascular system can be
      influenced independently by the pressure and rate of flow of the blood.

PMID- 1860619
TI  - Facts and theories concerning the mechanisms of carcinogenesis.
AB  - Carcinogenesis can be induced experimentally by exposure to exogenous agents or
      it can occur spontaneously without intentional or active intervention.
      Carcinogenesis can be actively induced by chemicals, radiation, infectious
      biological agents, transgenesis, or selective breeding. In the human and
      occasionally when testing potential carcinogens in animals, cancer may result
      from passive exposure to carcinogens encountered in the ambient environment or
      from changes in the internal milieu of the animal. Many carcinogens alter the
      structure of DNA resulting in carcinogenesis, but a significant number of
      carcinogens do not appear to act through this mechanism. When the action of
      specific carcinogenic agents is considered in relation to the stages of cancer
      development, initiation, promotion, and progression, the mechanism of the
      induction of carcinogenesis by DNA-reactive agents that alter genomic structure
      can be reconciled with those agents that do not act in this manner. As some cells
      are fortuitously initiated by uncontrolled variables such as irradiation and
      through changes in normal processes, the stimulation of growth and altered
      genetic expression by nongenotoxic agents may result indirectly in cancer
      development. The final stage of carcinogenesis, progression, can occur
      spontaneously, enhanced by formation and propagation of genetic errors due to
      increased cellular proliferation associated with the promotion stage. In
      addition, chemical and viral agents that lack the capacity for initiation and
      promotion may actively convert cells in the stage of promotion to the stage of
      progression. Therefore, the diverse mechanisms of action of carcinogenic agents
      in relation to their effects on specific stages in the natural history of cancer
      development allow for greater congruence of many of the theories of
      carcinogenesis. The influence of the roles of nongenotoxic carcinogenic agents
      and the potential role of progressor agents on the carcinogenesis process allow a
      more accurate identification of the potential risk that specific carcinogenic
      agents pose for increasing human cancer.

PMID- 1860620
TI  - Immunomodulating activity of heparin.
AB  - Aside from its well-known anticoagulant action, heparin has many other biologic
      effects. Recent data emphasize the immunomodulatory effects of low dose heparin.
      The agent alters the traffic of lymphocytes blocking their expression of
      heparanase, an enzyme that digests the extracellular matrix allowing cell
      penetration to target tissues. It also has a weak direct immunosuppressive action
      in vitro and in vivo. Oral administration of heparin may cause immunosuppression,
      although the effects are weaker than after subcutaneous administration.

PMID- 1860621
TI  - Lymphocyte interactions with extracellular matrix.
AB  - To mediate an immune response, lymphocytes must be able to interact with and
      respond to the surrounding extracellular environment. In addition to cell surface
      molecules that facilitate adhesion of lymphocytes to other cells, recent studies
      have demonstrated that lymphocytes interact with glycoproteins and
      glycosaminoglycans that are major components of the extracellular matrix (ECM).
      Although many receptors mediating the effects of ECM components on lymphocyte
      function remain poorly defined, a number of lymphocyte ECM receptors have
      recently been identified; these include members of the integrin family of
      adhesion molecules as well as structurally unrelated molecules such as CD44 and
      CD26. Furthermore, as lymphocytes must be able to move between various
      microenvironments in vivo, they have proved to be an excellent cell type in which
      to identify and analyze various modes of regulation of cell-ECM interactions. As
      with other cell types, the ECM has been shown to have multiple effects on
      lymphocytes; functional analysis reveals effects of the ECM on lymphocyte
      migration, recognition/activation, and differentiation. These studies emphasize:
      1) the importance of lymphocytes as a model system for identifying and analyzing
      ECM receptor expression and function, and 2) the multiple roles that the ECM
      plays in the function of the immune system in vivo.

PMID- 1860622
TI  - Bicameral grant review: an alternative to conventional peer review.

PMID- 1860623
TI  - Selecting anesthetic agents for animal research.

PMID- 1860624
TI  - Status of zinc in nutrition.

PMID- 1860625
TI  - The cephalic and gastric phases of gastric secretion during H2-antagonist
      treatment.
AB  - The antisecretory effects of H2-receptor antagonists are limited by food
      ingestion. The contributions of the cephalic-vagal and gastrinergic mechanisms to
      this interaction were examined in two 14-hour randomized, cross-over studies in
      24 healthy volunteers. In the first study, either ranitidine or placebo was
      administered IV by a pH-feedback-controlled infusion pump during fasting,
      modified sham feeding, or food ingestion. Sham feeding resulted in a well-defined
      and abrupt interaction with the antisecretory effect of ranitidine (lasting 2-3
      hours), after which fasting pH levels were regained. The second study, with the
      same design, showed that gastrin release occurred during this cephalic-vagal
      phase but was not attenuated by the additional infusion of the anticholinergic
      pirenzepine. Following eating, intragastric acidity increased and remained
      elevated for more than 6 hours. This increase was accompanied by prolonged
      hypergastrinemia, which was not diminished by pirenzepine. Pirenzepine did,
      however, enhance the antisecretory effect of ranitidine after both sham feeding
      and food ingestion. The interaction of food or sham feeding with the
      antisecretory effect of H2 antagonists is a consistent phenomenon. In both the
      cephalic-vagal and the gastric phases of secretion, this interaction appears to
      be partially mediated by a noncholinergic release of gastrin.

PMID- 1860626
TI  - Effect of intrathoracic pressure on plasma arginine vasopressin levels.
AB  - Abdominal distention during pneumoperitoneum results in a marked increase in
      plasma arginine vasopressin levels, which has been ascribed to an increase in
      intrathoracic pressure. Because of this relationship, tense ascites could
      contribute to nonosmotic release of antidiuretic hormone, to the development of
      hyponatremia, and eventually to further ascites formation. The effect of
      pneumoperitoneum, thoracocentesis, and paracentesis on plasma arginine
      vasopressin levels was studied in three groups of patients, and the mechanism by
      which these maneuvers may induce these changes was investigated. Patients with
      pleural effusion, pneumothorax, or ascites showed a significant increase in
      plasma arginine vasopressin levels, and thoracocentesis or paracentesis resulted
      in a decrease in these levels. Plasma vasopressin levels increased significantly
      during pneumoperitoneum, as did intrathoracic and atrial pressures; the atrial
      transmural pressure gradient declined. However, no changes in plasma levels of
      norepinephrine, aldosterone, and renin activity were observed during
      pneumoperitoneum. Changes in plasma arginine vasopressin levels correlated with
      the changes in intrathoracic and atrial pressures and transmural pressure
      gradient. The authors conclude that increased intrathoracic pressure is
      associated with an increase in plasma arginine vasopressin levels and propose
      that ascites could be a factor promoting vasopressin release by acting on
      intrathoracic volume receptors in decompensated cirrhotics.

PMID- 1860627
TI  - Intestinal obstruction during shigellosis: incidence, clinical features, risk
      factors, and outcome.
AB  - To determine the incidence and outcome of intestinal obstruction during
      shigellosis, the authors assessed 1211 consecutive patients with shigellosis
      admitted during a 15-month period to a diarrhea treatment center in Dhaka,
      Bangladesh. Obstruction was identified in 30 (2.5%) patients. Ten (33.3%) of
      these patients died, compared with 97 (8.2%) of the 1181 patients without
      obstructions (P less than 0.001; RR = 4.1). In a case-control study, patients
      with obstructions were compared with 30 control patients with shigellosis but
      without obstructions. Case and control patients were similar in age (median, 18
      months vs. 24 months; NS). Before admission to the hospital, case patients had
      less often been breast-fed than control patients (33% vs. 85%; P = 0.006) and had
      more often received antimicrobial agents (53% vs. 13%; P = 0.001). Case patients
      more often had abdominal tenderness (73% vs. 13%; P less than 0.001), altered
      consciousness (50% vs. 17%; P = 0.006), and Shigella dysenteriae type 1 infection
      (73% vs. 27%, P = 0.001) and had a higher median blood leukocyte count (40 x
      10(3)/microL vs. 14 x 10(3)/microL; P = 0.007) and serum potassium concentration
      (5.0 mmol/L vs. 4.3 mmol/L; P = 0.016), and lower median serum sodium (123 mmol/L
      vs. 131 mmol/L; P = 0.003) and total protein (52 g/L vs. 60 g/L; P = 0.025)
      concentrations than did control patients. Eight (27%) patients with obstructions
      developed the hemolytic-uremic syndrome, compared with none of the control
      patients (P = 0.003). It was concluded that obstruction is an ominous
      complication of shigellosis and that therapies in addition to provision of
      antimicrobial agents need to be evaluated.

PMID- 1860628
TI  - Radioautographic localization of epidermal growth factor receptors in human fetal
      gut.
AB  - The present investigation was undertaken to study the localization and
      accessibility of epidermal growth factor binding sites in the human fetal gut (15
      19 weeks of gestation) using light-microscopic and quantitative autoradiography.
      Exposure of colonic explants to 5 nmol/L 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor for
      60 minutes at 22 degrees C revealed extensive accumulation at binding sites in
      undifferentiated cells of the crypts and at the base of the villus, as well as in
      the inner circular layer of the muscularis externa bordering the submucosa. Some
      labeling was also present in the mesenchymal and vascular elements of the lamina
      propria. Labeling was virtually absent on the brush border at all levels of the
      epithelium. Quantitative analysis revealed a distinct gradient in grain density
      along the various compartments of the crypt-villus axis. Epithelial cells in the
      deep portions of the crypts showed the highest grain density (9.2 grains/microns
      2) with values gradually decreasing to 6.5 in upper crypt and 3.9 in lower villus
      cells. The upper third of the villus showed very little labeling (0.4
      grains/microns 2). Cellular distribution of silver grains in lower villous cells
      revealed a polarization of labeling in the basolateral infranuclear region.
      Experiments performed at 4 degrees C and at various incubation times showed
      similar results. Using isolated loops of intact colon and jejunum, segments in
      which labeled epidermal growth factor was only accessible on the serosal side
      showed extensive labeling and distribution similar to that found in explanted
      tissue. On the other hand, labeled epidermal growth factor could not access these
      same receptor sites when infused into the lumen, either at 22 degrees C or 4
      degrees C. These results show that in the human fetal gut (a) the greatest
      concentration of epidermal growth factor binding sites is found in regions of
      high proliferative activity and (b) binding sites are absent from the brush
      border, suggesting that, under normal circumstances, systemic but not luminal
      epidermal growth factor has free access to its specific receptor.

PMID- 1860629
TI  - Observations on a proposed measure of genotoxicity in rat gastric mucosa.
AB  - Current methods for the study of the toxicological effects of antisecretory
      medications on the gastric mucosa possess disadvantages or limitations. A novel
      assay has been proposed to assess gastric mucosal genotoxicity in which the
      proton-pump inhibitor omeprazole has been reported to induce direct damage to
      cellular DNA, raising questions about the safety of this drug. To define the
      applicability of this proposed measure of genotoxicity and to examine the effects
      of omeprazole in this assay, control agents, known carcinogens, and omeprazole in
      various doses and formulations were administered to rats by gavage, followed by
      [3H]thymidine labeling of DNA in vivo approximately 14 hours later. The
      incorporation of the [3H]thymidine label into DNA of gastric mucosal cells
      liberated by limited pronase digestion was in close agreement with published
      results for negative and positive controls. Omeprazole, administered in doses
      ranging from 10 mg/kg to 300 mg/kg, did not increase [3H]thymidine incorporation
      into cellular DNA in this assay. The gastric carcinogen 1-methyl-2-nitro-1
      nitrosoguanidine at 20 and 50 mg/kg increased [3H]thymidine incorporation.
      Pretreatment in vivo with hydroxyurea before [3H]thymidine labeling to inhibit
      replicative DNA synthesis suppressed [3H]thymidine incorporation more than 97% in
      negative controls and MNNG and more than 93% in omeprazole treatments. This
      indicates that replicative DNA synthesis was almost totally responsible for the
      [3H]thymidine incorporation and the contribution of unscheduled DNA synthesis to
      the total [3H]thymidine incorporation is minor. Flow cytometric analysis of the
      cell cycle of the gastric mucosal cells liberated by the limited pronase
      digestion indicated significant contamination of the preparation with dividing
      cells (4% in negative controls and 14% in MNNG-treated positive controls). These
      findings indicate that the proposed screening assay for genotoxicity in rat
      gastric mucosa is not a reliable measure of unscheduled DNA synthesis in its
      present form, and conclusions about genotoxic effects of any drug using this
      assay as initially proposed appear questionable.

PMID- 1860630
TI  - Hypertrophic smooth muscle in the partially obstructed opossum esophagus.
      Excitability and electrophysiological properties.
AB  - Partial obstruction of the opossum esophagus leads to thickening of the circular
      muscle, hypertrophy of smooth muscle cells, and diminution of the extracellular
      space. The pharmacological and electrophysiological properties of this
      hypertrophied muscle were studied. Carbachol produced phasic and tonic
      contractions of the circular muscle. The EC50 for tonic contractions was greater
      for hypertrophied than for normal muscle (21.1 +/- 3.9 mumol/L vs. 4.8 +/- 2.2
      mumol/L; P less than 0.05). The resting membrane potential difference of
      hypertrophied muscle (-50.8 +/- 0.2 mV) was similar to that of normal muscle (
      50.0 +/- 0.2 mV). Electrical stimulation of intrinsic nerves in the normal muscle
      produced a hyperpolarization followed by a depolarization of smooth muscle
      membrane potential. Hypertrophied muscle responded either with an attenuated
      hyperpolarization or no hyperpolarization, both of which were followed by a
      depolarization. The space constant in the long axes of the hypertrophied circular
      muscle cells was greater than normal (4.4 +/- 0.2 mm vs. 3.4 +/- 0.1 mm; P less
      than 0.001). The threshold potential for initiation of action potentials was more
      negative for hypertrophied (-43.2 +/- 0.4 mV) than for normal circular muscle (
      41.6 +/- 0.2 mV; P less than 0.005). These data indicate that alterations in
      neuromuscular function accompany the hypertrophy of esophageal smooth muscle.

PMID- 1860631
TI  - Trichinella spiralis infection alters small bowel motor activity in the fed
      state.
AB  - The effect of Trichinella spiralis infection on small intestinal transit and
      motor activity in the fed state during the intestinal phase of infection was
      studied. Contractions were recorded by strain gauge transducers, and mean transit
      time was measured by marker dilution technique. The mean amplitude and area of
      individual phasic contractions decreased, but no change occurred in their mean
      duration during trichinosis. The total amplitude and area of phasic contractions
      also decreased; this was caused by a decrease in the frequency of contractions as
      well as a decrease in the mean parameters. The reduction in the total duration
      was entirely caused by the decrease in frequency. The reduction in the total
      parameters of all contractions was the result of a reduction in the same
      parameters for both propagating and nonpropagating contractions. However, the
      decrease in the parameters of propagating contractions was much greater. Also,
      there was a decrease in the distance of propagation of phasic contractions. The
      transit time as a result of phasic contractions increased during T. spiralis
      infection. Additionally, T. spiralis infection induced giant migrating
      contractions in the fed state that were never observed during control. Chyme was
      propelled very rapidly and effectively by giant migrating contractions. The
      findings of the present study suggest that during diarrhea induced by T. spiralis
      infection, the phasic contractions may act to decrease transit and, hence, allow
      more contact time for absorption of water and nutrients. However, this response
      may be counter-balanced by giant migrating contractions that rapidly propel chyme
      into the colon and compound the diarrhea associated with T. spiralis infection.

PMID- 1860632
TI  - Immunohistochemical characterization, distribution, and ultrastructure of
      lymphocytes bearing T-cell receptor gamma/delta in inflammatory bowel disease.
AB  - Phenotypic characterization and distribution of gamma/delta T lymphocytes in the
      intestinal mucosa were investigated in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease by
      immunohistochemistry. The ratio of delta(+) cells to CD3(+) cells in the
      intraepithelial space of colon was decreased in Crohn's disease (13%) and
      strikingly decreased in ulcerative colitis (8%) compared with the control (36%).
      Delta(+) cells in the lamina propria were also decreased, particularly in the
      distal ileum of Crohn's disease (4%), compared with the control (15%). On the
      contrary, the cells gathered at the severe inflammatory sites with other
      inflammatory cells, including beta(+) cells, and were densely distributed in the
      T-cell zone around lymphoid follicles. Phenotypic characterization showed that
      delta(+) lamina proprial lymphocytes of colon were mainly CD4(-)CD8(-) in the
      control (80%) and Crohn's disease (59%). However, in ulcerative colitis, CD4(
      )CD8(-) delta(+) lymphocytes were rarely found (3%). This reflects the difference
      of immunologic background between the two diseases. Immunoelectron
      microscopically, these cells in inflammatory bowel disease were rich with
      vesicular structures in cytoplasms, whereas those in the control group contained
      electron-opaque granules. The decrease and the morphological change may be
      closely related to the weakness of mucosal defense.

PMID- 1860633
TI  - Acute abdomen as the first presentation of pseudomembranous colitis.
AB  - Acute abdomen was the presenting manifestation of pseudomembranous colitis in six
      men who had previously been treated with antibiotics and presented with abdominal
      distention, pain, fever, and leukocytosis with absent or mild diarrhea. Plain
      abdominal radiographs revealed megacolon in two, combined small and large bowel
      dilation in three, with one of them showing volvuluslike pattern, and isolated
      small bowel ileus in one. Emergency colonoscopy was performed successfully in all
      patients and revealed pseudomembranes in five and nonspecific colitis in one. All
      patients had positive latex test results for Clostridium difficile, and two
      tested positive for cytotoxicity. All patients were treated with IV
      metronidazole, resulting in resolution of symptoms and abdominal findings. In
      addition, two patients underwent colonoscopic decompression with improvement.
      Endoscopically, complete resolution of the pseudomembranes occurred at 4 weeks in
      all cases. No patient had a recurrence. It is concluded that (a) pseudomembranous
      colitis may present as abdominal distention mimicking small bowel ileus.
      Ogilvie's syndrome, volvulus, or ischemia; (b) in such cases, emergency
      colonoscopy is safe and useful for diagnosis and therapeutic decompression and
      may obviate the need for surgery; and (c) treatment with IV metronidazole is
      effective. Colitis due to C. difficile should be considered in the differential
      diagnosis of acute abdomen in patients previously treated with antibiotics.

PMID- 1860634
TI  - Mechanism for the gastrokinetic action of domperidone. In vitro studies in guinea
      pigs.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that domperidone stimulates gastric muscle contraction by
      antagonizing the inhibitory effects of dopamine on postsynaptic cholinergic
      neurons in the myenteric plexus, the effects of dopamine on circular muscle from
      the body of the guinea pig stomach were examined. Dopamine inhibited circular
      muscle contraction evoked by electric field stimulation in a dose-related manner.
      The threshold dose was 10(-6) mol/L and half-maximal inhibition occurred at 10(
      5) mol/L. Preincubation of muscle contraction with atropine or tetrodotoxin
      abolished the contractile response to electric field stimulation, indicating
      mediation via a cholinergic pathway. The adrenergic antagonists phentolamine and
      propranolol and the DA1 antagonist SCH 23390 were ineffective in antagonizing the
      action of dopamine. In contrast, the DA2 antagonist domperidone blocked the
      inhibitory effect of dopamine on electric field stimulation-mediated
      contractions. Schild analysis showed a Ki of 3 x 10(-8) mol/L and a slope of
      unity. In addition, it was shown that dopamine inhibited veratridine-evoked
      release of [3H]acetylcholine from the gastric myenteric plexus in a dose-related
      manner (median effective dose, 5.2 x 10(-5) mol/L). Tetrodotoxin abolished
      [3H]acetylcholine release evoked by veratridine, but hexamethonium had no effect.
      Domperidone, but not SCH 23390, antagonized the inhibitory action of dopamine.
      Pretreatment with pertussis toxin blocked the action of dopamine to inhibit
      evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine. These observations indicate that dopamine
      inhibits gastric muscle contraction evoked by electric field stimulation by
      inhibiting cholinergic transmission. This is mediated by DA2 receptors located on
      the postganglionic cholinergic neurons, and the pathway involves a pertussis
      toxin-sensitive G protein. The DA2-receptor antagonist domperidone antagonizes
      the inhibitory effect of dopamine, resulting in stimulation of gastric muscle
      contraction. This provides a mechanism for the gastrokinetic effect of
      domperidone.

PMID- 1860635
TI  - Cancer incidence following subtotal gastrectomy.
AB  - Hawaiian Japanese men (n = 432) who had undergone subtotal gastrectomy for peptic
      ulcers before 1971-1975 were followed up for detection of cancer development.
      They showed a significant increase in colon cancer risk (P = 0.008) and lung
      cancer risk (P = 0.002) compared with 6161 nongastrectomized men. The association
      with lung cancer persisted after adjustment for cigarette use (P = 0.03). Alcohol
      consumption was associated with colonic cancer in this cohort, and gastrectomized
      men consumed more alcohol than nongastrectomized men; however, the association of
      gastrectomy with colon cancer persisted after adjustment for alcohol use (P =
      0.02). Gastrectomized men were lighter and had lower serum lipid levels than
      controls, suggesting that undernutrition might favor the development of some
      cancers. The type of gastroenteric anastomosis did not influence the cancer risk
      level in the colon or lung.

PMID- 1860637
TI  - Classic and vigorous achalasia: a comparison of manometric, radiographic, and
      clinical findings.
AB  - Compared with classic achalasia, vigorous achalasia has been defined as achalasia
      with relatively high esophageal contraction amplitudes, often with minimal
      esophageal dilation and prominent tertiary contractions on radiographs, and with
      the presence of chest pain. However, no study using current manometric techniques
      has compared manometric, radiographic, and clinical findings in vigorous and
      classic achalasia or questioned the usefulness of making this distinction. Fifty
      four cases involving patients with achalasia whose radiographic and manometric
      studies were performed within 6 months of each other were available for review.
      Patients with vigorous achalasia (n = 17), defined by amplitude greater than or
      equal to 37 mm Hg, and patients with classic achalasia (n = 37), defined as
      amplitude less than 37 mm Hg, had substantial overlap in radiographic parameters
      of esophageal dilation, tortuosity, and tertiary contractions. Manometric
      properties of repetitive waves and lower esophageal sphincter pressure and
      clinical aspects of chest pain, dysphagia, heartburn, and satisfactory responses
      to pneumatic dilation were similar in both forms of achalasia. A separate
      analysis of patients with mean contraction amplitude greater than 60 mm Hg
      revealed similar findings. It is concluded that use of amplitude as a criterion
      for classifying achalasia is arbitrary and of dubious value.

PMID- 1860636
TI  - Antitumor effect of synthetic derivatives of lipid A in an experimental model of
      colon cancer in the rat.
AB  - Colon carcinoma is one of the most frequent causes of cancer death in
      industrialized countries. The patients generally die of the metastases. In a
      colon cancer rat model, the authors have shown that lipopolysaccharides from
      Escherichia coli induced the regression of carcinomatosis and cured 20%-30% of
      the rats. Some synthetic derivatives of lipid A, which are less toxic than
      lipopolysaccharides, were injected 14 days after the tumor cells. They induced
      the complete regression of peritoneal carcinomatosis consisting of numerous
      nodules measuring 1-5 mm in 20%-30% of rats. Only compounds with three or more
      hydroxymyristic acid residues were effective. In vivo effects were correlated
      with the capacity to induce the production of interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis
      factor but not with the capacity to induce macrophage-mediated cytolysis. It is
      therefore possible to synthesize weakly toxic derivatives of lipopolysaccharides
      retaining their antitumoral property in vivo.

PMID- 1860638
TI  - Apolipoprotein synthesis in normal and abetalipoproteinemic intestinal mucosa.
AB  - The genetic disease abetalipoproteinemia is characterized by a total absence of
      apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins from plasma. A presumed synthetic defect
      in apolipoprotein B synthesis was thought to be responsible for this disorder.
      The present study quantitates apoprotein B synthesis and apolipoprotein B
      messenger RNA levels in duodenal mucosa from normal patients and four patients
      with abetalipoproteinemia. After in vitro [3H]leucine incorporation, small
      intestinal biopsy specimens from three of four patients with abetalipoproteinemia
      synthesized immunoprecipitable apolipoprotein B of identical mobility (on sodium
      dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis) to normal apolipoprotein B. In
      abetalipoproteinemia, the apolipoprotein B content of intestinal mucosa by
      radioimmunoassay was 15% of normal mucosal values, whereas apolipoprotein B
      messenger RNA quantitation showed 3-20-fold increased levels compared with normal
      mucosa. In one patient, smaller-molecular-weight fragments of apolipoprotein B
      were immunoprecipitated from duodenal biopsy specimens. The synthesis rates and
      messenger RNA levels of two other chylomicron apoproteins (apolipoprotein A-I and
      apolipoprotein A-IV) were found to be reduced by 50%. These results show the
      synthesis of immunologically recognizable apolipoprotein B48 in
      abetalipoproteinemia. The significance of mucosal apolipoprotein B content in
      abetalipoproteinemia is discussed in terms of factors controlling apolipoprotein
      B synthesis in normal mucosa and in abetalipoproteinemia.

PMID- 1860639
TI  - Nonsalicylate nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs augment prestimulated acid
      secretion in rabbit parietal cells. Investigation of the mechanisms of action.
AB  - The effects of nonsalicylate nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on acid
      secretion were studied in isolated rabbit parietal cells. Indomethacin, naproxen,
      and carprofen (10(-6)-10(-4) mol/L) potentiated histamine-, forskolin-, 3
      isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-, and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      stimulated acid secretion without affecting basal acid secretion. This
      augmentation of secretagogue-stimulated acid secretion was dependent on
      extracellular calcium because potentiation was abolished by calcium depletion of
      the medium or in the presence of the calcium antagonist lanthanum chloride.
      Potentiation was independent of the H2 and muscarinic receptors and did not
      appear to involve guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins. Proton pump activity
      was unaffected by indomethacin. Furthermore, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
      increased calcium efflux through the plasma membrane, as measured by calcium 45,
      and decreased endogenous prostaglandin E2 content. Exogenous dimethyl
      prostaglandin E2 inhibited the potentiating effect of these drugs on histamine
      stimulated but apparently not on dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      stimulated acid secretion. The data indicate that nonsalicylate nonsteroidal
      antiinflammatory drugs interacted at a postreceptor site between adenylate
      cyclase and the proton pump. The potentiating effects of these drugs were
      regulated by calcium and possibly modulated by prostanoids.

PMID- 1860640
TI  - Acalculous biliary pain: cholecystectomy alleviates symptoms in patients with
      abnormal cholescintigraphy.
AB  - A 45-minute infusion of an octapeptide of cholecystokinin (Kinevac; Squibb
      Diagnostics, New Brunswick, NJ) was used to measure the gallbladder ejection
      fraction during cholescintigraphy in 40 normal volunteers. Cholecystokinin
      cholescintigraphy was shown to be a reproducible test. The maximum mean
      gallbladder ejection fraction occurred 15 minutes after cholecystokinin infusion
      and was 74.5% +/- 1.9% (mean +/- SEM). A gallbladder ejection fraction greater
      than 40% (mean -3SD) was arbitrarily defined to be normal. The gallbladder
      ejection fraction test was then used to identify patients with acalculous biliary
      symptoms who may respond to cholecystectomy. A total of 103 patients was tested;
      21 had abnormal gallbladder ejection fractions and were randomized into two
      groups, cholecystectomy or no operation. These patients were followed up
      symptomatically at 3-month intervals for 13-54 months (mean, 34 months). Of the
      11 patients who underwent cholecystectomy, 10 (91%) lost their symptoms and 1
      improved. Of the 10 patients in the group that did not undergo surgery, all
      continued to be symptomatic, 2 of whom requested cholecystectomy after 13 and 24
      months, respectively. Of the 13 gallbladders obtained from surgery, 12 showed
      evidence of chronic cholecystitis, muscle hypertrophy, and/or narrowed cystic
      duct. A normal gallbladder ejection fraction was recorded in 82 patients, and
      further treatment was left to the discretion of their referring clinician. On
      follow-up, 50 patients were asymptomatic and 10 were symptomatic without specific
      treatment of the biliary tract; 14 underwent cholecystectomy, 8 of whom were
      asymptomatic. Pathological abnormalities were recorded in 6 of the removed
      gallbladders. It is concluded that the gallbladder ejection fraction obtained
      after a 45-minute infusion of cholecystokinin during cholescintigraphy is a
      reproducible measure of gallbladder emptying, and that cholecystectomy alleviates
      the biliary-type pain of patients with a reduced gallbladder ejection fraction.

PMID- 1860641
TI  - Noninvasive measurement of liver regeneration with positron emission tomography
      and [2-11C]thymidine.
AB  - The feasibility of liver regeneration determination with [2-11C]thymidine and
      positron emission tomography was investigated in partially hepatectomized rats.
      Serial tomographic scans were performed over a 120-minute period after injection
      of [2-11C]thymidine together with tritium-labeled thymidine. Within 10 minutes
      after injection, positron emission tomography scans showed a twofold higher
      hepatic uptake in regenerating than in nonregenerating livers. Time-activity
      curves over the liver area indicated that the maximal uptake was followed by a
      faster decrease of 11C radioactivity in controls than in regenerating animals, so
      that total 11C activity remaining in the liver at 120 minutes accounted for 68%
      of maximum in regenerating and only 38% in controls. Tissue distribution studies
      performed at 120 minutes showed that total 11C radioactivity, expressed in
      percent injected dose per gram, was six times higher in regenerating livers than
      in controls (0.62% +/- 0.07% in regenerating livers and 0.10% +/- 0.03% in
      nonregenerating livers; P less than 0.001) and correlated with 3H radioactivity
      measured in the nuclear fraction (r = 0.92; P less than 0.001). When the hepatic
      uptake was expressed in percent of dose per organ, the difference between both
      groups increased (2.31% +/- 0.23% in regenerating livers and 0.29% +/- 0.02% in
      nonregenerating livers; P less than 0.001) because of higher weight of
      regenerating livers than of nonregenerating livers (3.83 +/- 0.11 g in
      regenerating livers and 2.96 +/- 0.16 g in nonregenerating livers; P less than
      0.001). In other organs examined, no difference in 11C radioactivity was found
      between the two groups of rats. These results indicated the potential usefulness
      of [2-11C]thymidine and positron emission tomography for noninvasive measurement
      of liver regeneration.

PMID- 1860642
TI  - The effects of chronic endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy on portal pressure in
      cirrhotics.
AB  - The effect of obliterating esophageal varices by endoscopic sclerotherapy on
      portal pressure was prospectively studied in 11 cirrhotic patients with variceal
      hemorrhage. Portal venous pressure gradient, determined as the difference between
      transhepatic portal and hepatic vein pressure, increased by a mean of 31.1% +/-
      14.5% in 8 (73%) and decreased by a mean of 30.1% +/- 11.7% in 3 (27%) patients,
      with no statistically significant change overall (P = 0.1). These changes in
      portal venous pressure gradient occurred despite an improvement in the laboratory
      and clinical parameters of hepatic function. Deep abdominal sonography with color
      flow imaging at variceal obliteration showed patent paraumbilical veins in 6
      (55%) patients, 3 of whom had decreases in portal venous pressure gradient (29%,
      19%, 42.5%) at variceal obliteration. In 5 (45%) patients without patent
      paraumbilical veins, a statistically significant increase in portal venous
      pressure gradient between initial endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy and variceal
      obliteration was noted (P = 0.008). Rebleeding (single episode in all 4 patients,
      before obliteration in 3 patients) occurred in those with an increase in portal
      venous pressure gradient; all patients with portal venous pressure gradient
      decreases were nonbleeders. No correlation between changes in portal venous
      pressure gradient and time to variceal obliteration, number of sclerotherapy
      treatments, or rebleeding episodes was observed. Thus, an increase in portal
      venous pressure gradient was noted in the majority of patients at variceal
      obliteration. Although the portal venous pressure gradient decrease may be
      explained by a patent paraumbilical vein, the mechanism of portal venous pressure
      gradient increase is not clear. It is speculated that this portal venous pressure
      gradient increase may be caused by an increase in collateral resistance or flow
      or a combination of both, resulting from obliteration of esophageal varices by
      endoscopic sclerotherapy.

PMID- 1860643
TI  - Chronic dietary iron overload in rats results in impaired calcium sequestration
      by hepatic mitochondria and microsomes [corrected].
AB  - The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether chronic dietary iron
      overload causes impairment of hepatic mitochondrial and/or microsomal calcium
      sequestration. Experimental iron overload was produced by feeding three groups of
      rats a chow diet supplemented with 3.0% (wt/wt) carbonyl iron for up to 8 weeks
      achieving graded increases in hepatic iron concentrations ranging from 1360 to
      3170 micrograms/g. At low levels of iron overload, there were no changes in
      mitochondrial oxidative metabolism or calcium sequestration, whereas at moderate
      and high degrees of iron loading, both of these parameters were significantly
      reduced. In contrast, there were significant decreases in microsomal cytochrome
      P450 levels and microsomal calcium sequestration at all three levels of iron
      loading. These abnormalities occurred at hepatic iron concentrations at which the
      authors have previously found evidence of hepatic organelle lipid peroxidation.
      These alterations in organelle calcium sequestration may impair intracellular
      calcium homeostasis in the liver and contribute to subsequent cellular injury.

PMID- 1860644
TI  - Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis fails to prevent gallbladder mucin
      hypersecretion in the cholesterol-fed prairie dog.
AB  - Gallstone formation in the cholesterol-fed prairie dog is preceded by an increase
      in mucin secretion by the gallbladder epithelium, and mucin hypersecretion is
      believed to promote cholesterol gallstone formation by accelerating the
      nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate crystals. Some studies have suggested that
      gallbladder mucin hypersecretion is mediated by increases in gallbladder
      prostaglandin synthesis, but other observations are difficult to reconcile with
      this view. An organ culture technique was used to measure mucin secretion in
      normal prairie dog gallbladder in response to exogenous prostaglandins and agents
      that increased or decreased endogenous prostaglandin production. Incubation with
      indomethacin produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of endogenous
      prostaglandin synthesis with virtually complete inhibition at 10(-5) mol/L
      indomethacin. However, indomethacin had no effect on gallbladder mucin secretion
      at concentrations as high as 10(-5) mol/L, and significant inhibition of mucin
      secretion was only found at 10(-4) mol/L indomethacin, a concentration that also
      produced a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase release from cultured
      explants. Incubation of gallbladder explants with the calcium ionophore A23187
      significantly stimulated endogenous prostaglandin synthesis in a concentration
      dependent manner, increasing synthesis of prostaglandins E and F to as much as
      278% +/- 20% and 335% +/- 21% of basal values, respectively; however, the same
      concentrations of A23187 did not stimulate mucin secretion. Incubation of
      gallbladder explants in the presence of exogenous prostaglandin E2 or
      prostaglandin F2a in concentrations as high as 10(-6) mol/L also did not
      stimulate mucin secretion. Prairie dogs fed a lithogenic 1.2% cholesterol diet
      showed a significant increase in gallbladder mucin secretion after 1 week (117.5
      +/- 10.2% of control, P less than 0.05), and 4 of 5 had formed cholesterol
      monohydrate crystals after 3 weeks. Long-term treatment with indomethacin, 1.2
      mg.kg-1.day-1, failed to inhibit gallbladder mucin hypersecretion (129.2 +/-
      10.7% of control after 1 week) or cholesterol monohydrate crystal formation (3/5)
      in cholesterol-fed prairie dogs. Furthermore, incubation of explants with 10(-5)
      mol/L indomethacin failed to prevent in vitro mucin hypersecretion in cholesterol
      fed animals. These findings suggest that prostaglandins do not regulate
      gallbladder mucin secretion in the prairie dog, and it is unlikely that increases
      in gallbladder prostaglandin synthesis are responsible for mediating gallbladder
      mucin hypersecretion during cholelithiasis in the prairie dog.

PMID- 1860645
TI  - Microanalysis of bile acid composition in intrahepatic calculi and its
      etiological significance.
AB  - Brown pigment stones in the intrahepatic bile ducts were compared with those
      found in the extrahepatic bile ducts with special reference to the bile acids
      modified by bacterial intervention, that is, unconjugated, glucuronidated,
      secondary, and ketonic bile acid fractions. The former showed significantly lower
      amounts of total bile acids (P less than 0.01) and lower proportions of
      unconjugated bile acid fraction (P less than 0.01), secondary bile acid fraction
      (P less than 0.05), and ketonic bile acid fraction (P less than 0.05) to total
      bile acids than the latter. The discriminant analysis using these bile acid
      parameters led to complete separation between intrahepatic and extrahepatic
      stones in the case of brown pigment stones. In contrast, cholesterol stones in
      the intrahepatic bile ducts showed the bile acid composition close to those found
      in the extrahepatic ducts and gallbladder. The above data show that the bacterial
      infection plays a less important role in the formation and ensuing growth of most
      intrahepatic brown pigment stones than in extrahepatic stones, and that factors
      other than or in addition to bacterial infection are involved.

PMID- 1860646
TI  - Interferon-induced chronic active hepatitis?
AB  - A 54-year-old man with chronic B hepatitis was treated with interferon alfa.
      Despite resolution of the hepatitis B viral infection, he experienced severe
      jaundice, ascites, and encephalopathy. Further work-up showed hyperglobulinemia,
      chiefly immunoglobulin G, and positive smooth muscle and anti-nuclear antibodies.
      Because of these "autoimmune" features, the patient was treated with prednisone.
      One month later, a significant clinical and biochemical improvement was observed.
      A possible autoimmune mechanism induced by interferon alfa is proposed as the
      cause for the perpetuation of the necroinflammatory activity.

PMID- 1860647
TI  - A reappraisal of the magnitude and implications of the intestinal unstirred
      layer.
AB  - Until recently, a variety of studies had suggested that luminal stirring in the
      jejunum is relatively poor, with unstirred layers of about 600 microns reported
      for humans and 300-900 microns for animals. Unstirred layers of this magnitude
      would markedly retard the absorption of all solutes, and diffusion through this
      layer would be the rate-limiting step in the uptake of all rapidly absorbed
      compounds. As a result, luminal stirring, rather than epithelial transport, would
      be the major variable influencing absorption rate. However, recent studies in
      dogs and humans have shown that the unstirred layer has a maximal apparent
      thickness of only about 40 microns. This layer is far thinner than what can be
      achieved in vitro with vigorous stirring with a magnetic bar, suggesting that
      some unique stirring mechanism, perhaps villous contractions, is responsible for
      this extraordinarily efficient mixing. A 40-microns unstirred layer would produce
      only about 1/15 the resistance of the previously reported 600 microns value; with
      this thinner layer, alterations in either luminal stirring or epithelial function
      could readily influence the absorption rate of rapidly transported compounds.

PMID- 1860648
TI  - Hypoproteinemia, anemia, and failure to thrive in an infant.

PMID- 1860649
TI  - Lessons from experimental cholelithiasis: gallbladder and mucosa, nonsteroidal
      antiinflammatory drugs, and gallstones.

PMID- 1860650
TI  - One more reason for weight loss in patients with AIDS.

PMID- 1860651
TI  - Acute and chronic giant cell hepatitis: a paramyxovirus infection?

PMID- 1860652
TI  - Peliosis hepatis: old disease, new cause.

PMID- 1860653
TI  - A biopsychosocial model for functional dyspepsia.

PMID- 1860654
TI  - Free radical scavengers and inflammatory bowel disease.

PMID- 1860655
TI  - Prevalence of columnar-lined (Barrett's) esophagus.

PMID- 1860656
TI  - Asthmatics' gastroesophageal reflux with or without bronchodilator therapy.

PMID- 1860657
TI  - [Estrogen substitution therapy in climacteric: should progesterone be omitted in
      hysterectomized women?].
AB  - The replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is seen to be for transformation
      of the oestrogen-stimulated endometrium only, which does not apply to
      hysterectomised women. Because of the influence of estrane on lipids, one often
      advises against a replacement therapy with progestogens in hysterectomised women.
      With increasing knowledge of encountered extragenital functions of sexual
      steroids, the latter is questionable, if natural progesterone is given, which is
      (said to be) lipid-neutral, performing the function of the progestogens, which is
      quite more than reproduction only, more efficiently than estrane or gonane. Due
      to the competitive blocking of aldosterone the effect of progesterone is sodium
      diuretic and diuretic, being as important as the therapy of climacteric
      complaints, as well as the consequence, which is the result of the physiological
      connection between progesterone and encephalics. Moreover, the effect of the
      progestogens is to tonicise the vascular system and is linked to a number of
      intestinal hormones in order to adjust their function. Therefore, progesterone
      seems to perform a great variety of extragenital functions. Menopausal women
      should not be deprived of the benefits of these functions within the framework of
      a replacement therapy.

PMID- 1860658
TI  - [Diagnostic problems in local recurrence after breast saving therapy of breast
      cancer].
AB  - From 1970 to 1987, 331 breast cancer patients of the Department of Gynaecology of
      the University of Erlangen were treated by conservative breast surgery. Adjuvant
      radiotherapy of the remaining breast was applied to only one-third of the
      patients. 30 patients (9.8%) had a local recurrence. This study analyses the 21
      patients with local recurrence after breast conserving therapy, treated
      afterwards again in our hospital. 60% of the recurrences occurred within 2 years
      after the primary treatment. In 18 cases, the recurrences were located in the
      vicinity of the segmental resection area, in 3 cases the recurrences were
      diagnosed as new second primaries in the ipsilateral breast. 19 of the 21
      recurrences were diagnosed by palpation, 2 cases were detected by mammography
      examination only. The palpable recurrences could only be shown in the mammography
      in 14 cases. We conclude, that for patients with breast conserving therapy, a
      mammographic examination need not be increased in frequency, but a quarterly
      examination by palpation should be extended over more than 2 years.

PMID- 1860659
TI  - [Recurrence of stage I endometrial cancer: effect of prognostic factors on
      therapeutic results].
AB  - Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynaecological invasive cancer. Since
      its incidence is increasing, more patients will develop recurrent disease. In an
      attempt to identify possible prognostic factors associated with survival, we
      reviewed the results of 45 patients treated in our department for recurrent
      clinical stage I endometrial carcinoma. All patients received primary therapy
      consisting of surgical resection. 16 patients developed recurrent disease after
      initial operative treatment and adjuvant radiotherapy. The minimum follow-up of 3
      years was available in 43 patients and the actual 3-year survival rate was
      estimated 42% (median 16 months). Significant prognostic factors were recurrence
      site--vagina, 51% (17/33 pts) vs extravaginal, 20% (2/10 pts) (p = 0.01), and
      histological cell type--non-papillary carcinoma, 50% (17/34 pts) vs papillary
      adenocarcinoma, 22% (2/9 pts) (p = 0.02). Late recurrences have been reported to
      carry a better prognosis, than those that recur early. In the present study, time
      of onset did not appear to be a significant factor--recurrence occurs within 24
      months, 36% (9/25 pts) vs recurrence appearing after 2 years, 55% (10/18 pts). We
      suggest, that systemic therapy should be prospectively evaluated in high-risk
      patients. Selected patients with recurrent disease--cases of non-papillary
      histological cell type and vaginal recurrence--can be cured by radiotherapy.

PMID- 1860660
TI  - [Doppler ultrasonography--perinatal data in cases with end-diastolic block and
      reverse flow].
AB  - In 50 cases with an end-diastolic zero flow or reverse flow all antenatal and
      perinatal abnormalities have been recorded. The fetal outcome was registered. The
      percentage of highly dystrophic newborns (percentile less than 5) was 88%. The
      perinatal mortality counted up to 16% and the percentage of congenital
      malformations (including chromosomal anomalies) was 12%. A reverse flow was
      registered in 4 cases. The perinatal mortality of those cases with reverse flow
      was 100%. In approx. one-quarter of those pregnancies and in 50% of the
      perinatally deceased newborns, there were no pathological or suspicious changes
      in the antepartal and/or subpartal CTG-recordings. The Duplex sonographical
      diagnosis of an end-diastolic zero flow/reverse flow, has a highly positive
      predictive value, whereas its sensitivity is low. It can be regarded as a very
      helpful parameter in clinical diagnosis, particularly as it is independent of
      borderline values. The correct choice of the high-pass wall filter (50-100 Hz) is
      important.

PMID- 1860661
TI  - [Stillbirth--an analysis of 354 cases 1966-88].
AB  - A study was conducted on the collection of stillbirths occurring during the last
      23 years in the Gynaecological Hospital in Bamberg. The data were taken from the
      birth reports and the recorded course of each pregnancy. The results of the first
      22 years were divided into 2 groups, the first 11 years and the subsequent 11
      years, to enable better judgement of trend changes. A total number of 354
      children died antepartum or subpartum, the larger group (249) being that in the
      first 11 years of the observation period. The number of stillborn babies
      decreased from 40 per year (15%) to 3 per year (1.1%) in the first period. In the
      collective group the regular participation in prenatal visits increased from 24%
      to 56%. The percentage of single mothers (9%) remained constant. The number of
      foreign mothers, who are non-German citizens rose from 2% to 8%. As expected, the
      rate of stillbirths for twins was almost 4 times higher (5.3%) than for the
      single pregnancies. The percentage of multiparous women decreased from 66% to
      48%. The number of stillbirths, preceded by a miscarriage and abortion in the
      patient's clinical history, remained constant at 17%. The age distribution of the
      mothers was almost the same for both observation periods. The usual age of the
      pregnancy at the time of the stillbirth shifted from the 39th-42nd week to the
      35th-38th week. The main complication for the entire group was pre-eclampsia, at
      the rate of 30%. Amnion infection syndrome (4%) and diabetes mellitus (2%) were
      rare. The primary cause of foetal death was related to placental dysfunction
      (40%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860662
TI  - [Peritoneal deciduosis: cause for mechanical ileus in pregnancy].
AB  - Decidual transformation of the peritoneum is a frequent occurrence during
      pregnancy. Incidence and pathogenesis are vague. Complications like bleeding,
      suspicion of cancer and adhesions are rare. We present a case of mechanical
      ileus, followed by acute prerenal failure of the kidney caused by decidual
      transformation of the peritoneum.

PMID- 1860663
TI  - [Acute initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus in the puerperium].
AB  - Lupus erythematosus first diagnosed in pregnancy or puerperium is a problem both
      for the obstetrician and for the internist. We report on a case of lupus
      manifestation with signs and symptoms similar to sepsis diagnosed in the
      puerperium.

PMID- 1860664
TI  - [Manifestations of ruptured liver hematoma as a severe complication of HELLP
      syndrome].
AB  - A case of a ruptured haematoma of the liver with intra-abdominal bleeding is
      reported. The 26-year old primigravida was admitted in the 31st week of gestation
      because of a HELLP syndrome. She presented additional symptoms, that are
      considered typical for a HELLP syndrome, complicated by a ruptured haematoma of
      the liver: severe right upper-quadrant pain, decrease of haemoglobin content,
      enlarged liver with structural irregularities and free fluid in the abdominal
      cavity as examined by sonography. During Caesarean section, a subcapsular
      haematoma of the liver, combined with a 5 cm laceration of the organ surface, was
      found. The defect was closed with collagen gauze and clotted with fibrin.
      Additionally the liver was compressed by abdominal compression towels, which were
      removed 2 days later. The postoperative development was, in the main,
      complication free.

PMID- 1860665
TI  - [Unusual, supernatural presentations of birth in mythology and legends].
AB  - Although a multitude of differently motivated explanations have been brought
      forth in connection with legendary and pictorial representations of unusual-
      mostly extragenital-birth, an attempt is made to demonstrate certain common
      features by means of numerous examples. A hero or a god was not supposed to be
      born naturally ("naturally" being synonymous with "unclean", "contaminated"); his
      birth had to take place in an extravagant manner and was thus an attribute of
      immortality. Proof of this, for example, is the creation of Adam and Eve in
      Genesis. Special attention is given to the biphasic character of creation of
      life: 1. the lifeless figure, and 2. the act of animation, of coming to life. A
      large variety of comparisons from legends, myths and tales are exemplified by
      means of illustrations, such as e.g. the birth of the Buddha, Mithras, Athena,
      Dionysos, Adonis etc.

PMID- 1860666
TI  - [Critical comments on the contribution by B. Warkentin: "Late gestosis as a
      compensation mechanisms in intrauterine growth retardation and the effect of
      blood pressure lowering therapy"].

PMID- 1860667
TI  - ["Is consecutive curettage of the corpus uteri indicated in every case of
      conization"?].

PMID- 1860668
TI  - Race differences in self-perception and locus of control during adolescence and
      early adulthood: methodological implications.
AB  - Data from a longitudinal sample of 14,721 White (7,193 men, 7,528 women) and
      5,197 Black (2,400 men, 2,797 women) American high school students tested first
      between ages 16 and 19 and then in two follow-ups 4 and 6 years later were
      examined to determine Black-White and male-female differences in self-esteem and
      causal orientations. On general self-esteem scores, Blacks rated themselves more
      positively than Whites. Blacks also rated themselves more positively on specific
      self-beliefs (e.g., social attractiveness), although the magnitude of differences
      in such cases was quite small. On control measures, Blacks perceived greater
      external control pertaining to both cultural events and personal efficacy,
      although they had slightly greater expectations about future academic success.
      Results concerning the general and personal self-efficacy of Blacks were somewhat
      inconsistent with earlier reports (Coleman et al., 1966; Osborne & LeGette,
      1982). Women tended to show less self-efficacy than men, but there were no
      interactions of race and sex. Even in the presence of significant effects for
      race and sex, mean differences tended to be relatively small.

PMID- 1860669
TI  - Life-span attachment: relations between attachment and socioemotional functioning
      in adult women.
AB  - Relations between the quality of adult women's attachments, their well-being, and
      their strategies for coping with stress were explored. In Study 1, we examined
      elderly women's (65-87 years of age) attachments to their adult children. No main
      effect differences were found, but extreme score analyses revealed that women
      with insecure attachments more often evidenced relatively extreme negative scores
      on measures of social, psychological, and physical well-being and reported using
      more strategies in coping with stress. In Study 2, we examined the quality of
      attachments of young adult (mean age = 20 years) and mature women (mean age = 38
      years), respectively, to their closest attachment figure. Again, few main effects
      were found but extreme score analyses revealed that insecurely attached women
      more often scored in the clinical range on depression and reported more responses
      in coping with stress. Further friends independently reported more anxiety among
      insecurely attached women.

PMID- 1860670
TI  - Aggression in African-American boys: a discriminant analysis.
AB  - The main purposes of this study were to determine whether familial variables
      found to be related to the development of aggressive behavior in Caucasian boys
      may also be related to similar aggressive patterns in inner-city African-American
      boys and to assess the relative importance of these variables for classifying the
      subject population into aggressive and nonaggressive groups. Discriminant
      analyses were performed using 83 African-American boys, with a mean age of 13.9
      years, who were classified as institutionalized aggressive, noninstitutionalized
      aggressive, and noninstitutionalized nonaggressive subjects. Although the same
      father and mother variables were used in the analyses, the father variables were
      not related to group membership. Furthermore, the results showed that both groups
      of aggressive boys reported more aggression within as well as outside their
      family home settings than their nonaggressive counterparts. Socioeconomic-related
      factors such as employment status of parent(s), size of family, and number of
      parents in the household were not useful predictors of aggressive and
      nonaggressive group membership.

PMID- 1860671
TI  - Deletions in plasmid pBR322: replication slippage involving leading and lagging
      strands.

PMID- 1860672
TI  - [Tubo-peritoneal factor. Endometriosis].
AB  - Fifty cases of tuboperitoneal endometriosis with sterility, are reviewed.
      Laparoscopy was done in all the patients to confirm disease, and its severity was
      classified to AFS; 18 cases were of minimal endometriosis; 8 slight; 12 moderate;
      and 12 severe. The endometriotic profile in our environment is described and
      compared with which has been described in progresist countries; 32% of pregnancy
      at term, was obtained. The possible mechanisms producing sterility, are
      mentioned.

PMID- 1860673
TI  - [Culture of amniotic fluid cells].

PMID- 1860674
TI  - [Diagnostic and therapeutic management and results of the neuroendocrine factor
      in sterility].
AB  - One hundred and fifty patients with neuroendocrine alteration, mainly
      anovulation, proven by basal temperature and endometrial biopsy, were studied.
      Clinical history and basic examinations for sterility, were carried out. The
      neuroendocrine factor, alone or associated, was found in 35% of the patients
      studied for sterility. Primary sterility was 59.3% of the cases. The vagino
      cervico-spermatic factor was the most frequent one associated to the
      neuroendocrine one (28%). Ovulation was induced in 62.6% of the cases. Pregnancy
      was achieved in 65 patients (43.3%; 80% reached term, and 20% were abortions.

PMID- 1860675
TI  - [Effect of nifedipine on fetal heart rate in pre-eclamptic patients].
AB  - From March 1st to October 31, 1989, we studied 23 women with diagnosis of severe
      preeclampsia, the gestational age in all of them was at least 34 weeks. A
      tococardiograph registry was obtained during 20 minutes prior to any management,
      after that a standardized management was started; nifedipine 10 mg sublingual was
      administered, and 20 minutes later, a new registry was obtained. In spite of a
      significative descent of arterial pressure, we did not find any significative
      change in the fetal heart rate, accelerations, variability, or in the fetal
      motility.

PMID- 1860676
TI  - [Inhibin, steroid hormone, and gonadotropin concentration in blood from fertile
      and infertile males and its relationship with testicular function].
AB  - The role of inhibin in the testicular function and its relation with other
      hormone regulation spermatogenesis have not been elucidated in the human,
      therefore we studied by RIA the serum concentrations of this testicular secretion
      product, as well as those of LH, FSH, T and E2 and their possible correlation
      with some parameters evaluated by spermatobioscopy (cell number, motility,
      morphology and immature germinal cells) in fertile, oligozoospermic and
      azoospermic men. We did not find significant differences in inhibin concentration
      between fertile and oligozoospermic males; however in the azoospermic group the
      mean inhibin concentration was significantly higher (722.9 +/- 137.9 U/l in the
      fertile men; 658.5 +/- 147.1 and 963.1 +/- 300.9 U/l in the oligozoospermic and
      azoospermic groups respectively), in spite of data dispersion in the 3 study
      groups. Among the fertile males we found a negative significant correlation
      between the inhibin and the LH and FSH concentrations (p less than 0.05), while
      in the oligozoospermic patients this negative correlation was observed with T
      concentration. In the fertile males inhibin also showed correlation with the
      sperm percentage with normal morphology and with the immature germinal cells in
      semen; in the oligozoospermic group this glycoprotein showed correlation with the
      sperm count and the germinal cells concentration. We also found correlation
      between testosterone and/or LH concentrations and sperm count in both groups.
      These results indicate modifications in the hormonal concentrations regulating
      the testicular function and in their relationship, in men with testicular damage,
      which can render a change in the mechanisms controlling this function.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860677
TI  - [Effect of ultrafiltered peritoneal fluid from patients with pelvic endometriosis
      on the in vitro motility of their spouse's sperm].
AB  - Recently, there has been information about the ultrafiltrated peritoneal fluid in
      patients with endometriosis, containing macromollecules that diminish tubal
      fimbria action, and the in vitro ovular captation in experimental animals. In
      order to investigate the presence of these substances in the peritoneal fluid,
      and to know the possible effect that could have on spermatic motivility in vitro,
      of their mates; 11 sterile women with diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis, and 11
      normal fertile women, were studied. On the other side, the same day of study, the
      mate of each of these women, produced semen obtained by masturbation, where
      amount and motility of sperm, in basal conditions, and after, it was capacitated
      with Ham-F10, were determined. The final results was evaluated as to percentage
      of spermatozoon with excellent and progressive motility, and percentage of
      motionless spermatozoo as well as based on average values (mean +/- EE), of each
      one of them. The statistic analysis of differences was done by t Student that in
      coupled samples. The results confirm that peritoneal fluid of patient with
      endometriosis contains macromollecules, and it shows that these substances affect
      the motility in vitro of mate's spermatozoon, which could explain, partially at
      least, the origin of sterility in this disease.

PMID- 1860678
TI  - [Oxytocin. Use and abuse].
AB  - From 1985 to 1988 we analyzed two hundred puerperas with term pregnancies and
      live newborns which pregnancy ended by vaginal route. One hundred of them
      received oxytocin during the labor and one hundred didn't receive it. The results
      showed that the use of oxytocin produces and increase in the cervical and vaginal
      tears; the Apgar score of the newborns was lower with a longer period in the
      incubator, and a high rate of complications regarding to respiratory distress and
      jaundice. These results were statistically significant according ti Chi square
      test with p less than 0.05.

PMID- 1860679
TI  - Association of a precore genomic variant of hepatitis B virus with fulminant
      hepatitis.
AB  - A variant of hepatitis B virus has been described recently in HBsAg+
      Mediterranean patients who lack HBeAg and who have an unusual and severe form of
      chronic hepatitis. This variant is unable to produce HBeAg because of the
      presence of a novel translational stop codon at the end of the precore region of
      the genome. By direct sequencing of DNA, generated by the polymerase chain
      reaction, we have evaluated the association between infection with this variant
      and the fulminant course of hepatitis B. Eighteen patients with fulminant
      hepatitis B were studied. Of the 15 cases from whose serum viral DNA could be
      sequenced, the variant was found in the admission sera of 8 of 9 HBeAg- patients
      but in none of 6 HBeAg+ patients who had fulminant hepatitis B. Patients
      harboring the variant progressed more rapidly into hepatic encephalopathy, but
      those infected with the variant strain alone had a greater likelihood of survival
      than those infected with the normal strain or a mixture. The mutant strain may
      emerge spontaneously during fulminant hepatitis as occurs in chronic hepatitis B
      infection during seroconversion from HBeAg to antibody. Alternately, and perhaps
      less commonly, patients may be infected with the variant ab initio.

PMID- 1860680
TI  - A pathophysiological interpretation of unresponsiveness to spironolactone in a
      stepped-care approach to the diuretic treatment of ascites in nonazotemic
      cirrhotic patients.
AB  - It has been hypothesized that the magnitude of proximal sodium reabsorption
      affects the response to aldosterone antagonists in nonazotemic cirrhotic patients
      with ascites. To verify this hypothesis, we evaluated intrarenal sodium handling
      by lithium clearance in 51 nonazotemic ascitic cirrhotic patients and in 23
      controls who were maintained on the same low-sodium diet (80 mmol/day). Seven of
      51 cirrhotic patients underwent spontaneous diuresis, whereas 44 required
      diuretic treatment. Treatment was started with spironolactone at a dose of 150 mg
      once daily. The dose was increased to 300 mg and then to 500 mg once daily if no
      response ensued. Cirrhotic patients who did not experience ascites mobilization
      with 500 mg spironolactone were then treated with a combined diuretic regimen
      that included spironolactone at a fixed dose (500 mg once daily) and furosemide
      at an initial dose of 50 mg once daily. The dose was increased to 100, 150 and
      200 mg once daily if no response was noticed. Response to diuretic treatment was
      defined as body weight loss greater than 700 gm every 3 days until ascites became
      clinically undetectable. Nonresponders (43%) to spironolactone showed lower
      sodium fractional excretion (0.34% +/- 0.28% vs. 0.80% +/- 0.50%; p less than
      0.001) because of a lower fractional sodium delivery to the distal tubule (18.2%
      +/- 5.8% vs. 23.4% +/- 7.2%; p less than 0.025) than responders.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860681
TI  - Effect of oral propranolol administration on azygos, renal and hepatic uptake and
      output of catecholamines in cirrhosis.
AB  - Circulating catecholamines are increased in cirrhosis with portal hypertension,
      and increase further after propranolol. In 23 cirrhotic patients, plasma
      norepinephrine and epinephrine were determined in an artery, the azygos vein, the
      right renal vein and a hepatic vein before and after an oral 80-mg dose of
      propranolol. Baseline azygos and renal venous norepinephrine levels were
      significantly higher than arterial norepinephrine levels (+20%, p less than
      0.005; and +28%, p less than 0.001, respectively). Hepatic venous norepinephrine
      and all venous epinephrine values were below the arterial values (all p less than
      0.05). After propranolol intake, arterial norepinephrine and epinephrine
      increased (+16%, p less than 0.01; and +93%, p less than 0.001, respectively).
      Significant increases in norepinephrine and epinephrine were found in azygos and
      renal veins (all p less than 0.01), whereas hepatic venous norepinephrine and
      epinephrine remained unchanged. Azygos and hepatic blood flow decreased after
      propranolol intake (-27%, p less than 0.05; and -16%, p less than 0.01,
      respectively). Azygos spillover of norepinephrine (an estimate of locally
      released norepinephrine delivered to the circulation) and clearance of
      epinephrine remained unaltered. Hepatointestinal clearance showed no significant
      change for norepinephrine, but showed a borderline-significant decrease for
      epinephrine (-23%, p = 0.08). Our results show a net production of norepinephrine
      in the prehepatic splanchnic area drained through superior portalsystemic
      collaterals and in the kidneys. The increase in circulating catecholamines after
      propranolol intake is probably due to a combination of further enhancement of
      sympathetic activity and a decrease in catecholamine degradation.

PMID- 1860682
TI  - Antithrombin III supplementation reduces heparin requirement and platelet loss
      during hemodialysis of patients with fulminant hepatic failure.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that antithrombin III levels are low in fulminant
      hepatic failure, and heparin kinetics are abnormal, making control of
      heparinization difficult during hemodialysis of these patients who are at risk of
      bleeding. In this study, we have performed a controlled, randomized trial of
      antithrombin III supplementation on heparin activity, occurrence of bleeding and
      the platelet count and activation during hemodialysis in 24 patients with
      fulminant hepatic failure. The treated group of 12 patients was given 3,000 units
      of antithrombin III before hemodialysis. Antithrombin III supplementation was
      shown to normalize antithrombin III levels during hemodialysis (prelevels: 0.22
      +/- 0.03 U/ml S.E.; at 1 hr 0.99 +/- 0.06 U/ml; p less than 0.001; control
      prelevels: 0.24 +/- 0.03 U/ml; at 1 hr 0.23 +/- 0.04 U/ml). Total heparin usage
      was significantly decreased by antithrombin III supplementation (median 5,200 U;
      range = 2,000 to 13,000) as compared with the control group (median 10,200 U;
      range = 5,000 to 16,500; p less than 0.005). Blood heparin level (antifactor Xa
      activity) after the initial bolus was significantly greater in the antithrombin
      III-supplemented subjects (0.40 +/- 0.07 U/ml compared with 0.22 +/- 0.05 U/ml in
      the control group; p less than 0.05). The significant reduction in platelet count
      observed in the control patients (18% +/- 6% at 1 hr; p less than 0.05) did not
      occur in antithrombin III patients (6% +/- 4% at 1 hr), which was reflected by a
      lower release of the platelet-specific protein beta-thromboglobulin. Two of 12
      patients in both groups showed minor bleeding around vascular access sites during
      the first hemodialysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860683
TI  - The metabolic bone disease of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
AB  - The incidence and severity of osteopenic bone disease in primary sclerosing
      cholangitis is poorly defined. Clinical, biochemical and radiographic assessment
      and bone mineral density measurements of the lumbar spine were carried out in two
      groups of patients. Group 1 consisted of 30 patients with advanced primary
      sclerosing cholangitis; group 2 consisted of 18 patients with newly diagnosed
      primary sclerosing cholangitis. Only one patient had bone pain. All patients were
      normocalcemic; two had elevated serum parathormone levels. Fourteen patients
      (47%) from group 1 but no patients from group 2 had low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D
      levels. Mean bone mineral density was significantly reduced in group 1 patients
      (0.97 +/- 0.04 gm/cm2) compared with age-matched and sex-matched controls (1.25
      +/- 0.01 gm/cm2, p less than 0.0001), and in 15 patients (50%) bone mineral
      density was below the fracture threshold (0.98 gm/cm2). The bone mineral density
      in group 2 was not significantly different from controls, and no patient was
      below the fracture threshold. In neither group did bone mineral density correlate
      with serum bilirubin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, fecal fat excretion, previous drug
      therapy or the presence of chronic ulcerative colitis. Histomorphometrical
      examination of bone from four group 1 patients showed increased bone resorption,
      reduced bone formation, moderate-to-severe osteopenia and no osteomalacia. In
      conclusion, severe osteopenic bone disease is common in advanced primary
      sclerosing cholangitis and, like that seen in other cholestatis diseases, is
      consistent with osteoporosis.

PMID- 1860684
TI  - Graft vs. host disease after liver transplantation in humans: a report of four
      cases.
AB  - Four cases of patients in whom graft vs. host disease developed after liver
      transplantation are described. The clinical course of each patient was similar
      with fever, pancytopenia, diarrhea and a skin rash developing 1 or 2 mo after
      liver transplantation. The clinical diagnosis was made from skin or colon biopsy
      specimens. Liver dysfunction did not occur in the patients at the time of
      diagnosis. Extrahepatic donor DNA was identified in the three patients it was
      tested for. Three patients died from the complications of the disease primarily
      related to sepsis. The other patient recovered from the graft vs. host disease
      but died from lymphoproliferative disease.

PMID- 1860685
TI  - Rates of vertebral bone loss before and after liver transplantation in women with
      primary biliary cirrhosis.
AB  - Atraumatic fractures caused by osteoporosis may be a serious complication of
      primary biliary cirrhosis. Mean (+/- S.D.) bone mineral density in the lumbar
      spine in 210 ambulatory women with primary biliary cirrhosis was 1.02 +/- 0.19
      gm/cm2, 7% lower than that in 139 age-matched normal women (after adjustment for
      age and body weight) (p less than 0.001). Bone mineral density in the lumbar
      spine was inversely related to a risk score index of liver disease severity (r = 
      0.29, p less than 0.001). The mean rate of bone loss in 105 of these 210 women
      was 2%/yr +/- 4%/yr, twice as great as in the 139 normal women (p less than
      0.02). In 20 women with primary biliary cirrhosis followed up after orthotopic
      liver transplantation, bone mineral density in the lumbar spine decreased at 3 mo
      (p less than 0.01), and this decrease may have resulted in atraumatic fractures
      in 13 of them. Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine then increased (p less
      than 0.01) so that by 12 mo the median bone mineral density in the lumbar spine
      was similar to that before transplantation and by 24 mo it was 5% above it.
      Therefore we conclude that the progressive bone loss observed in primary biliary
      cirrhosis (which is further accentuated immediately after transplantation) may be
      halted, and the bone mass may be restored toward normal within 2 to 3 yr after
      orthotopic liver transplantation.

PMID- 1860686
TI  - In vitro fragmentation of gallstones: comparison of electrohydraulic,
      electromagnetic and piezoelectric shockwave lithotripters.
AB  - To compare the fragmentation efficiency of three different shockwave systems, 63
      human gallstone triplets were disintegrated in vitro using an electrohydraulic
      (MPL 9000, Dornier), an electromagnetic (Lithostar Plus, Siemens) and a
      piezoelectric (Piezolith 2300, R. Wolf) lithotripter. Since each stone triplet
      was obtained from the same gallbladder, the concrements of one such set were
      identical in physicochemical parameters. According to the maximal diameter, the
      calculi were divided into group A (6 to 15 mm) and group B (16 to 30 mm).
      Shockwave application was terminated when residual fragments measured 4 mm or
      less. Forty-five triplets were fragmented at energy settings mainly used in
      clinical treatment of patients with gallbladder stones (MPL 9000: 20 kV;
      Lithostar Plus: setting 9 (maximal); Piezolith 2300: setting 3). The
      fragmentation endpoint was achieved in group A (n = 3 x 36) with the Piezolith
      2300 after median 150 (range = 50 to 500) pulses and with the Lithostar Plus
      after 150 (50 to 750) pulses compared with 500 (50 to 1,500) pulses using the MPL
      9000 (p less than 0.01). In group B (n = 3 x 9) the Lithostar Plus (median = 750,
      range = 250 to 1,250 pluses) required fewer discharges than the Piezolith 2300
      (1,250, 250 to 2,500 pulses; p less than 0.05) and the MPL (1,500, 500 to 1,600
      [upper limit] pulses; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860687
TI  - Changes in sulfated proteoglycan production after activation of rat liver
      macrophages.
AB  - Production of extracellular matrix proteins-in particular, the proteoglycans-by
      macrophages is important in many of their functions, including cell-cell
      recognition, adhesion and phagocytosis. In this study, we characterized changes
      in sulfated proteoglycan production by hepatic macrophages following in vivo
      activation with lipopolysaccharide. We found that both resident Kupffer cells and
      liver macrophages from lipopolysaccharide-treated rats incorporated [35S]sulfate
      into proteoglycans. Lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages incorporated two to
      three times more of the label than did resident Kupffer cells. In addition,
      although both cell types produced chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate,
      resident Kupffer cells synthesized more chondroitin sulfate whereas
      lipopolysaccharide-activated cells produced more heparan sulfate. Using specific
      antibodies and flow cytometry, we also found that hepatic macrophages produced
      chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate and chondroitin-O-sulfate.
      Lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages contained more chondroitin-4-sulfate and
      chondroitin-O-sulfate and less heparan sulfate than did resident Kupffer cells.
      Both tunicamycin and beta-D-xylosides, inhibitors of sulfated proteoglycan
      biosynthesis, were found to block phagocytosis by the cells. Taken together,
      these results suggest that sulfated proteoglycans are important in activation and
      functional responsiveness of liver macrophages.

PMID- 1860688
TI  - Bacterial invasion of the biliary system by way of the portal-venous system.
AB  - It has been suggested that bacteria in the intestine gain access into the biliary
      tract by entering the portal-venous blood. We have tested the hypothesis of
      hematogenous infection of the biliary system in cats. The animals were treated in
      three different groups: group A (no biliary obstruction), group B (acute biliary
      obstruction) and group C (chronic biliary obstruction). A mutant strain of
      Escherichia coli was infused into the splenic vein of cats at three different
      dosages (10(7), 10(5) and 10(3) with sham controls. In the unobstructed biliary
      system, the mutant E. coli was isolated from the bile 30 min and 90 min after the
      infusion of 10(7) and 10(5) E. coli, respectively. No bacteria were found in the
      bile with the infusion of 10(3) E. coli and in the control animals. Bile flow was
      significantly reduced with the infusion of bacteria. The biliary excretion of E.
      coli in group B was similar to that in group A. In group C, the bile output in
      the first hour was very high but declined rapidly. E. coli was excreted into the
      bile at all three dosages of infusion after 30 min. Histological sections of the
      liver showed that the infused bacteria entered the sinusoidal blood and that some
      were phagocytosed by Kupffer cells. The portal-venous blood was considered an
      important route of bacterial invasion into the biliary system, and the
      penetration of bacteria was facilitated in biliary obstruction.

PMID- 1860689
TI  - Prevention of portal hypertension and portosystemic shunts by early chronic
      administration of clonidine in conscious portal vein-stenosed rats.
AB  - The hemodynamic effects, including mesenteric-systemic shunts of early chronic
      administration of clonidine, were studied in conscious, unrestrained, portal vein
      stenosed rats. In rats receiving early chronic clonidine (600 micrograms.kg-1.day
      1 by gavage), begun 3 days before portal vein stenosis and then administered
      continuously for 10 consecutive days, portal pressure (10.0 +/- 1.5 mm Hg) and
      degree of mesenteric-systemic shunts (58% +/- 25%) were significantly lower than
      in the placebo group (15.2 +/- 1.5 mm Hg and 83% +/- 7%, respectively). The
      effects were observed either 2 to 3 hr or 18 to 24 hr after the last dose of
      clonidine. In rats receiving clonidine continuously for 5 days, starting 5 days
      after portal vein stenosis, portal pressure (11.0 +/- 1.3 mm Hg) was
      significantly lower than in the placebo group, but mesenteric-systemic shunts
      (82% +/- 8%) were not significantly different. In rats receiving a single oral
      dose of clonidine (600 micrograms/kg) 10 days after portal vein stenosis, portal
      pressure (11.8 +/- 2.1 mm Hg), measured 2 to 3 hr after clonidine administration,
      was significantly lower than in the placebo group. Mesenteric-systemic shunts
      (83% +/- 8%), however, were not significantly different from the placebo group.
      In addition, 18 to 24 hr after a single dose of clonidine, hemodynamic values
      returned to basal conditions. We also demonstrated that chronic clonidine
      administration begun before portal vein stenosis can reduce the initial increase
      in portal pressure after this procedure. We concluded that early chronic
      clonidine administration reduces the severity of portal hypertension and the
      development of portosystemic shunts in portal vein-stenosed rats.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860690
TI  - Functional and morphological features of isolated hepatocytes preserved in
      University of Wisconsin solution.
AB  - Although several studies suggest that hepatic graft failure after cold ischemia
      results from nonparenchymal cell damage, other data indicate that hepatocellular
      ATP content is significantly correlated with the transplantation success rate. In
      this study, we have conducted a systematic investigation of various aspects of
      cell viability and function of isolated hepatocytes stored at 4 degrees C for 24
      and 48 hr in either University of Wisconsin solution or Hanks' HEPES buffer, a
      control solution clinically unsuitable for organ preservation. After 24 hr,
      hepatocytes stored in Hanks' HEPES buffer had viability (measured by trypan blue
      exclusion and ALT and lactic dehydrogenase leakage), transport function (measured
      by 22Na+ and [3H]taurocholate uptake) and cell size similar or only slightly
      altered when compared with freshly isolated and University of Wisconsin solution
      stored hepatocytes. ATP content was decreased in both groups; however, the
      reduction was much greater in Hanks' HEPES buffer-stored cells. Furthermore, ATP
      regenerating capacity was greatly reduced in Hanks' HEPES buffer- stored but not
      in University of Wisconsin solution-stored hepatocytes. By 48 hr viability and
      function of Hanks' HEPES buffer-stored hepatocytes were decreased; University of
      Wisconsin solution afforded partial protection. When examined by light and
      electron microscopy, cells stored in both University of Wisconsin solution and
      Hanks' HEPES buffer for 24 hr appeared essentially normal except for the presence
      of numerous membrane blebs in the Hanks' HEPES buffer group. Tissue sections of
      livers preserved in Hanks' HEPES buffer but not in University of Wisconsin
      solution revealed the presence of extensive amounts of blebs in the sinusoidal
      lumen and loss of endothelial elements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860691
TI  - A comparison of lipoprotein secretion, bile production and hepatic morphology in
      isolated rat livers perfused with a perfluorocarbon emulsion or rat erythrocytes.
AB  - Isolated rat livers were perfused with an oxygenated perfluorocarbon emulsion, FC
      43 emulsion for 1 to 4 hr. FC-43 emulsion contained 20% FC-43 (wt/vol)
      perfluorotributylamine (the fluorocarbon component for the transport of oxygen
      and carbon dioxide) emulsified with 2.56% Pluronic F-68 (a nonionic surfactant)
      in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer. FC-43 emulsion also contained 3% hydroxyethyl
      starch as an oncotic agent and 1.8 mg/ml glucose. The viability (oxygen
      consumption), bile secretion, structural integrity and secretion of nascent
      lipoproteins by FC-43-perfused rat livers was compared with livers perfused with
      Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer that contained rat erythrocytes (25%
      hematocrit) and 1.5 mg/ml glucose (red blood cell medium). Oxygen consumption was
      somewhat higher in livers perfused with FC-43 emulsion. Bile secretion of livers
      perfused with FC-43 emulsion for 4 hr was reduced significantly to 40% of that by
      red blood cell medium. The structural integrity of livers perfused with FC-43
      emulsion varied from normal to marked cellular damage. Light-microscopical
      examination of rat livers perfused with FC-43 emulsion showed ballooning of
      sinusoids, presence of vacuoles in sinusoidal lining cells in some hepatocytes
      and detachment of endothelium in sinusoids. The number of vacuoles progressively
      increased in longer perfusions. Electron-microscopical studies showed the
      presence of small (60 to 100 nm) vesicles of varying electron density, presumably
      fluorocarbon particles inside the vacuoles in sinusoidal lining cells (Kupffer
      and endothelial) and hepatocytes. After 4 hr of perfusion with FC-43 emulsion,
      most of the sinusoidal endothelia were denuded, and the microvilli of the
      hepatocytes all but disappeared. In contrast, the ultrastructure of rat livers
      perfused with red blood cell medium for 4 hr was unaltered. The accumulation of
      nascent lipoproteins in perfusates of FC-43-perfused livers was markedly reduced,
      and no normal very-low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein or high
      density lipoprotein were isolated. Chemical analysis showed the presence of
      Pluronic F-68 in all lipoprotein fractions. Our data strongly suggest that,
      during recirculating liver perfusions with FC-43 emulsion (between 1 and 4 hr),
      the nonionic surfactant detergent Pluronic F-68 dissociated from the emulsion and
      markedly affected hepatic structure, lipoprotein secretion and the composition of
      lipoproteins isolated from perfusate. Therefore FC-43 emulsion is not a suitable
      liver-perfusion medium for studies of lipoprotein metabolism.

PMID- 1860692
TI  - Biliary excretion of bile acid conjugates in a hyperbilirubinemic mutant Sprague
      Dawley rat.
AB  - The hepatic transport of bile acid conjugates was studied in the Eisai
      hyperbilirubinuria rat, a Sprague-Dawley mutant rat with conjugated
      hyperbilirubinemia. Serum bile acid levels were increased, bile acid-independent
      bile flow was decreased and biliary glutathione concentrations were markedly
      decreased in the Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rat. Biliary excretion of
      sulfobromophthalein was markedly impaired and almost no glutathione conjugate was
      excreted in the bile of the Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rat. Biliary excretion of
      lithocholate-3-O-glucuronide and lithocholate-3-sulfate in the Eisai
      hyperbilirubinuria rat was markedly delayed, whereas that of lithocholate was
      only slightly delayed. After [14C]chenodeoxycholate infusion (1 mumol/min/100 gm
      for 60 min), the increases in bile flow and biliary excretion of isotope in the
      Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rat were not so prominent as those observed in control
      rats, and the glucuronide of chenodeoxycholate, which constituted about 15% of
      biliary chenodeoxycholate in control rats, was not observed in the Eisai
      hyperbilirubinuria rat. Initial uptake of lithocholate and its glucuronide and
      sulfate by isolated hepatocytes was not impaired in the Eisai hyperbilirubinuria
      rat; the profiles of cytosolic bile acid binding proteins in Eisai
      hyperbilirubinuria rat liver were identical to those in control liver. These data
      indicate that the Eisai hyperbilirubinuria rat has excretory impairment of
      organic anions, bile acid glucuronide and sulfate and that it has characteristics
      very similar to those of the hyperbilirubinemic mutant Wistar rats TR- and GY.

PMID- 1860693
TI  - Minor contribution of hepatocytes to collagen production in normal and early
      fibrotic rat livers.
AB  - Hepatocyte contribution to hepatic collagen production in vivo was estimated in
      rats, based on the fact that ornithine is used for protein synthesis in the liver
      as arginine after conversion by way of the urea cycle only by hepatocytes. From
      rats given a mixture of [14C] ornithine and [3H]arginine, hepatic collagen and
      serum albumin were obtained. The hepatocyte contribution was calculated from the
      14C and 3H in arginine purified from collagen and albumin by high performance
      liquid chromatography. The contribution was less than 10% of total collagen
      production in normal and early fibrotic livers induced by a single dose of carbon
      tetrachloride or dimethylnitrosamine. We conclude that hepatocytes may play a
      minor role in collagen production in normal and early fibrotic rat livers.

PMID- 1860694
TI  - Kupffer cell prostaglandin-E2 production is amplified during hepatic
      regeneration.
AB  - Prostaglandin-E2 increases in liver tissue after partial hepatectomy and
      stimulates DNA synthesis in primary cultures of hepatocytes. This study evaluated
      the capacity of Kupffer cells isolated at various intervals after partial
      hepatectomy to produce prostaglandin E2 in response to bacterial endotoxin. This
      stimulator of Kupffer cells is a normal endogenous component of portal venous
      blood. After partial hepatectomy (6 to 48 hr), when hepatic regeneration rates
      were greatest, regenerating liver Kupffer cells demonstrated a significantly
      greater capacity to produce prostaglandin E2 in response to bacterial endotoxin
      than did equal numbers of Kupffer cells from time-matched, sham-operated control
      animals. However, by 12 days after partial hepatectomy, when liver mass had been
      more than 83% restored, regenerating liver Kupffer cell prostaglandin E2
      production had decreased to levels produced by sham KC. We postulate that high
      levels of Kupffer cell-derived prostaglandin E2 provide a critical paracrine
      signal fundamental to the initiation and control of growth by neighboring
      hepatocytes during liver regeneration.

PMID- 1860695
TI  - Facilitated diffusion and sodium-dependent transport of purine and pyrimidine
      nucleosides in rat liver.
AB  - In mammalian cells, nucleoside transport usually is mediated by facilitated
      diffusion. In addition, a Na(+)-dependent, concentrative nucleoside transport
      system has been detected in several tissues but not the liver. To further clarify
      hepatic nucleoside transport mechanisms, we measured the uptake of [2-14C]uridine
      (2 to 100 mumol/L) and of [8-14C]adenosine (10 to 75 mumol/L) by the isolated
      perfused rat liver in the presence or absence of extracellular sodium or specific
      inhibitors of facilitated nucleoside diffusion. Uridine transport and metabolism
      were monitored by the release of labeled catabolites including 14CO2, which
      indicated complete degradation of the pyrimidine. Adenosine, uridine and uridine
      catabolites were measured in the effluent perfusate by reversed-phase high
      performance liquid chromatography and a radioactivity flow monitor. The existence
      of a Na(+)-dependent nucleoside transport system could be inferred from the
      following observations: (a) Sodium depletion caused a strong inhibition of
      nucleoside transport reflected by an up to threefold and 15-fold increase in
      extracellular uridine and adenosine, respectively. The sodium-dependent transport
      of uridine was saturated when the influent uridine concentration was raised
      beyond 20 mumol/L. No such saturation was observed for much higher concentrations
      of adenosine used (10 to 75 mumol/L). (b) Na(+)-free perfusion resulted in a
      strong suppression of the release of uridine catabolites by the liver. Complete
      uridine breakdown was depressed to 7% of the amount of 14CO2 released in the
      presence of sodium and at influent uridine concentrations below 20 mumol/L. (c)
      Inhibition of uridine (10 mumol/L) transport and degradation was observed after
      coperfusion with adenosine, deoxyadenosine, guanosine and
      deoxyguanosine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860696
TI  - Tumor necrosis and alcoholic hepatitis.

PMID- 1860697
TI  - Predicting drug interactions using cultured human hepatocytes.

PMID- 1860698
TI  - "Posterior" gastric vein, okay. But let's not forget the "collateral" gastric
      vein.

PMID- 1860699
TI  - The role of preS1 in the interaction of hepatitis B virus with human hepatocytes.

PMID- 1860700
TI  - A three-dimensional motion model of loads on the lumbar spine: I. Model
      structure.
AB  - Traditionally most biomechanical models that are used to estimate the loading
      experienced by the spine during work focus on static, two-dimensional
      representations of the work. However, most work tasks impose loads on the lumbar
      spine under dynamic, three-dimensional conditions. The objective of this study
      was to describe the structure and logic of a model that is capable of producing
      estimates of spine loading under three-dimensional motion conditions. This model
      is intended for use primarily under laboratory conditions. The model was designed
      initially for workplace simulation in which the trunk is moving under symmetric
      and asymmetric constant velocity lifting conditions. Future embellishments may
      enable the model to be used under free dynamic conditions. The model predicts
      lumbar spine compression, shear, and torsional forces as well as trunk torque
      production continuously throughout the exertion. This information may be compared
      with spine tolerance limits so that the risk of causing a vertebral end-plate
      microfracture by workplace requirements could be determined.

PMID- 1860701
TI  - A three-dimensional motion model of loads on the lumbar spine: II. Model
      validation.
AB  - A three-dimensional motion model has been developed that estimates loads on the
      lumbar spine under laboratory conditions that simulate manual materials handling
      conditions. Eleven subjects experienced spinal loading during an experiment in
      which conditions of trunk velocity, trunk torque output, and trunk asymmetric
      posture were varied in a series of isokinetic velocity trunk extensions. The
      electromyographic activity of 10 trunk muscles, subject anthropometry, and trunk
      kinetics were used as input to a biomechanical simulation model described in Part
      I of this study. The model calculated estimates of compression, shear, and
      torsion loading in the lumbar spine, as well as the torque production of the
      trunk, continuously throughout the exertion. Trunk torque estimates derived from
      this model were compared with measured trunk torque. The effects of trunk motion,
      posture, and torque level on spine loading as estimated by the model are
      discussed. It was concluded that this approach provides a straightforward means
      of assessing loading of the spine attributable to laboratory simulations of
      workplace conditions.

PMID- 1860702
TI  - Work posture, workstation design, and musculoskeletal discomfort in a VDT data
      entry task.
AB  - Self-report data on musculoskeletal discomfort were collected from several
      hundred VDT users in two agencies of a state government. Aspects of worker
      posture and workstation design were objectively assessed for 40 of the VDT users.
      Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between these
      ergonomic variables and musculoskeletal discomfort. Effects of ergonomic factors
      on musculoskeletal discomfort were clearly evident in the analyses. Regression
      models explained up to 38% of the variance in discomfort at different body sites.
      Of special interest was that leg discomfort increased with low, soft seat pans,
      suggesting that postural constraint is more important than thigh compression as a
      risk factor for leg discomfort in VDT work. In addition, arm discomfort increased
      with increases in keyboard height above elbow level, supporting arguments for low
      placement of the keyboard. Finally, high levels of neck and shoulder girdle
      discomfort observed in the study population suggest the need for further
      attention to the control of cervicobrachial pain syndromes in VDT work.

PMID- 1860703
TI  - Improving auditory warning design: relationship between warning sound parameters
      and perceived urgency.
AB  - This paper presents an experimental study of the effects of individual sound
      parameters on perceived (psychoacoustic) urgency. Experimental Series 1 showed
      that fundamental frequency, harmonic series, amplitude envelope shape, and
      delayed harmonics all have clear and consistent effects on perceived urgency.
      Experimental Series 2 showed that temporal and melodic parameters such as speed,
      rhythm, pitch range, and melodic structure also have clear and consistent effects
      on perceived urgency. The final experiment tested a set of 13 auditory warnings
      generated by an application of the earlier experimental findings. The urgency
      rank ordering of this warning set was predicted, and the correlation between the
      predicted and the obtained order was highly significant. The results of these
      experiments have a widespread application in the improvement of existing auditory
      warning systems and the design of new systems, where the psychoacoustic and
      psychological appropriateness of warnings could be enhanced.

PMID- 1860704
TI  - Renal arteriolar diameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Vascular cast
      study.
AB  - The relation between the arteriolar diameters and hypertensive glomerulosclerosis
      was studied by using microvascular casts and histological evaluation.
      Spontaneously hypertensive rats 4 weeks of age were divided into three groups:
      nontreated, captopril (40 mg/kg/day)-treated, and trichlormethiazide (1
      mg/kg/day) with hydralazine (20 mg/kg/day)-treated. Wistar-Kyoto rats served as
      controls. At 6 weeks old, the captopril-treated rats showed a lower blood
      pressure and a larger afferent arteriolar diameter compared with the control
      rats. At 20 weeks old, the nontreated group exhibited hypertension and a lower
      arteriolar diameter ratio (afferent to efferent, 0.89 versus 1.22 in control
      group) because of afferent constriction and efferent dilatation, seen equally in
      the outer and inner cortexes. Glomerulosclerosis was accentuated only in the
      inner cortex of the nontreated group (score, 63 versus 29 in control group). In
      the two treated rat groups, the blood pressure was reduced and arteriolar
      diameter ratios were similar to those in the control group (1.18 and 1.26). The
      sclerosis score in the trichlormethiazide with hydralazine-treated rats (score,
      26) was lower than in the nontreated rats but not the captopril-treated rats
      (score, 36). These results indicated that 1) in the hypertensive rats, despite a
      reduced diameter ratio, glomerulosclerosis was more severe in the inner cortex;
      2) two therapies reduced blood pressure and reversed the arteriolar changes, but
      a decrease in glomerulosclerosis was seen only in the trichlormethiazide with
      hydralazine-treated rats; and 3) for development of glomerulosclerosis, factors
      other than hemodynamics may be important in addition to intraglomerular pressure.

PMID- 1860705
TI  - Abnormal platelet and lymphocyte calcium handling in prehypertensive rats.
AB  - We have reported that the basal and stimulated cytosolic free calcium
      concentrations [( Ca2+]i) are elevated in platelets isolated from 12-14-week-old
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto
      (WKY) rats. To determine whether altered cell calcium metabolism precedes the
      development of overt hypertension, we measured [Ca2+]i under resting and
      stimulated conditions in blood platelets and thymic lymphocytes isolated from 4
      week-old prehypertensive SHR and WKY rats. Blood pressure was similar in both
      groups (SHR 95 +/- 8 versus WKY rats 92 +/- 7 mm Hg). Basal [Ca2+]i in platelets
      was higher in SHR than WKY rats (63.4 +/- 3.9 versus 54.8 +/- 3.1 nM, p less than
      0.003). Also the [Ca2+]i response to thrombin was greater in SHR than WKY rats in
      both the presence and absence of extracellular calcium. For lymphocytes, although
      no difference was detected in basal [Ca2+]i, the concanavalin A-induced peak
      [Ca2+]i was higher for SHR than WKY rats in both calcium-containing and calcium
      free media. These results suggest that agonist-stimulated calcium influx and
      calcium discharge from intracellular stores are enhanced in both platelets and
      lymphocytes of 4-week-old SHR. We conclude that abnormalities in calcium
      metabolism in two different cell types precede the development of overt
      hypertension in the SHR.

PMID- 1860706
TI  - Platelet-free calcium and vascular calcium uptake in ethanol-induced hypertensive
      rats.
AB  - This study examined the effect of moderate ethanol intake on systolic blood
      pressure, platelet cytosolic free calcium, aortic calcium, and rubidium-86 uptake
      in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Twelve Wistar-Kyoto rats, aged 6 weeks, were given 5%
      ethanol in drinking water the first week followed by 10% ethanol in drinking
      water for the next 6 weeks. Twelve control animals were given regular tap water.
      Systolic blood pressure in the ethanol-treated rats was significantly higher (p
      less than 0.05) than that in controls after 1 week and remained higher throughout
      the study. At 13 weeks of age, platelet cytosolic free calcium and calcium uptake
      by aortas were significantly higher (p less than 0.001) in ethanol-treated
      animals as compared with those in controls. Ethanol intake did not affect aortic
      ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake. The in vitro effect of ethanol on calcium-45 and
      86Rb uptake was also investigated in aortas of untreated Wistar-Kyoto rats at 13
      weeks of age. In vitro ethanol (2.5-20 mmols/l) did not significantly affect 45Ca
      and 86Rb uptake in rat aortas. The increases in systolic blood pressure, platelet
      cytosolic free calcium, and vascular calcium uptake suggest that increases in
      cytosolic free calcium and calcium uptake mechanisms are associated with ethanol
      induced hypertension.

PMID- 1860708
TI  - Reversal of low dose angiotension hypertension by angiotensin receptor
      antagonists.
AB  - During acute angiotension II (Ang II) infusion (200 ng/kg/min i.v.) into
      anesthetized rats, mean arterial pressure rose from 124 +/- 1 to 154 +/- 2 mm Hg.
      The peptidic Ang II antagonist saralasin lowered arterial pressure in a dose
      dependent manner. The maximal decrease in pressure was similar to that observed
      after the Ang II infusion was discontinued. The nonpeptide Ang II antagonist, 4'
      [( 2-butyl-4-chloro-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-imidazole-1-yl] methyl) [1,1'-biphenyl] 
      2-carboxylic acid (SC-48742), lowered acutely elevated arterial pressure to a
      level similar to that on discontinuation of the angiotensin infusion. Chronic (8
      days) infusion of Ang II (20 ng/kg/min i.v.) increased mean arterial pressure
      from 116 +/- 3 to 164 +/- 7 mm Hg, which then decreased to 121 +/- 6 mm Hg on
      termination of the infusion. Saralasin (10 micrograms/kg/min, a maximally
      effective dose during acute angiotensin infusion) decreased mean arterial
      pressure from 168 +/- 7 to 141 +/- 3 mm Hg, a pressure significantly higher (p
      less than 0.05) than the pressure observed after the angiotensin infusion was
      discontinued. SC-48742 decreased mean arterial pressure from 167 +/- 7 to 127 +/-
      3 mm Hg, a pressure not statistically different from the minimum pressure
      observed after the angiotensin infusion was terminated. The mechanism of blood
      pressure elevation during acute high dose or chronic low dose Ang II infusion is
      different, the latter having a significant neural component as measured by the
      response to trimethaphan. The peptidic antagonist saralasin was fully effective
      in lowering acute angiotensin hypertension but only partially effective during
      chronic hypertension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860707
TI  - Genetic heterogeneity of the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
AB  - We examined DNA fingerprints of the spontaneously hypertensive rat from Shimane
      Institute of Health Science, Izumo, Japan, including seven substrains that were
      separated in the early stages of the establishment of the stroke-prone
      spontaneously hypertensive rat, and compared their fingerprints with those of
      rats from other sources. Obtained DNA fingerprints revealed that, in both the
      stroke-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rat and the Wistar-Kyoto rat, there
      is a substantial genetic difference between the rats from the National Institutes
      of health and from Shimane Institute of Health Science. By contrast, only a small
      genetic difference was observed either between the rats from the National
      Institutes of Health and Charles River Laboratories or among the substrains of
      the spontaneously hypertensive rat in the Shimane Institute of Health Science.
      Further, in the strains from the Shimane Institute of Health Science, there were
      fingerprinting bands that could distinguish either the Wistar-Kyoto rat from all
      the substrains of the spontaneously hypertensive rat or the stroke-prone from the
      stroke-resistant spontaneously hypertensive rat in spite of their close genetic
      backgrounds. From the observations above, we concluded 1) that there is
      substantial genetic variance of the spontaneously hypertensive rat between the
      two major sources in the world, the National Institutes of Health and the Shimane
      Institute of Health Science and 2) that by DNA fingerprinting analysis, it is
      possible to identify the restriction fragment length polymorphisms that are
      specific for the spontaneously hypertensive rat or the stroke-prone spontaneously
      hypertensive rat. These polymorphisms can be applied in the segregation study of
      the F2 generation.

PMID- 1860709
TI  - Human astrocytes contain two distinct angiotensin receptor subtypes.
AB  - The ability of angiotensin peptides to stimulate prostaglandin release and raise
      intracellular calcium levels by activating a phosphoinositide-specific
      phospholipase C was assessed in three human astrocytoma cell lines (CRTG3, STTG1,
      and WITG2). The addition of angiotensin II to CRTG3 cells resulted in a dose
      dependent release of prostaglandin E2 and prostacyclin, the production of
      inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, and the mobilization of intracellular calcium.
      Angiotensin-(1-7), previously considered to be an inactive metabolite of
      angiotensin II, was as potent as angiotensin II for prostaglandin release but did
      not activate phospholipase C or mobilize intracellular calcium. In contrast,
      angiotensin-(2-8) caused only a slight increase in prostaglandin release, even
      though it was as effective as angiotensin II in augmenting inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate production and calcium mobilization. Moreover, neither the release
      of prostaglandins in response to angiotensin II or angiotensin-(1-7) nor the
      mobilization of intracellular calcium in response to angiotensin II required
      extracellular calcium. Angiotensin II and angiotensin-(1-7) caused the release of
      prostaglandins from all three human astrocytoma cell lines, but changes in the
      level of intracellular calcium in response to angiotensin II only occurred in
      CRTG3 cells. Although previous studies have provided evidence for angiotensin
      receptor subtypes on the basis of selectivity of antagonists or signal
      transduction mechanisms, these data suggest that human astrocytes contain
      multiple angiotensin receptor subtypes on the basis of their response to
      different angiotensin heptapeptides--angiotensin-(1-7) and angiotensin-(2
      8).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860710
TI  - Attenuated vascular reactivity in dogs with anteroventral third ventricle
      lesions.
AB  - Lesion of the anteroventral portion of the third cerebral ventricle causes
      hypernatremia, adipsia, and attenuation of the pressor response to intravenous
      administration of angiotensin II and norepinephrine. In addition, these lesions
      prevent the development of several experimental models of hypertension. In this
      study, a lesion of the third cerebral ventricle region was made in 14 dogs. In
      seven dogs in which hypernatremia developed the lesions included the organum
      vasculosum of the lamina terminalis; seven animals in which the circumventricular
      organ was spared by the lesion remained normonatremic. Vascular responsiveness of
      isolated right carotid artery rings to angiotensin II and phenylephrine was
      assessed 3 days after lesioning the anteroventral portion of the third cerebral
      ventricle. In endothelium-denuded ring vessels, vasoconstrictor responses to
      phenylephrine were significantly decreased in animals both with and without
      inclusion of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis. A similar effect
      was observed in intact vessels of dogs in which the circumventricular organ was
      spared but not in those with lesions that included this area. In contrast,
      angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction was significantly decreased in the
      arteries with intact endothelium of both groups of lesioned animals. These data
      show that lesion of the anteroventral third ventricle area alters alpha 1
      adrenergic and angiotensin II vascular responsiveness in isolated carotid artery
      rings with the possible participation of the endothelium.

PMID- 1860711
TI  - Cardiovascular responses to bicuculline in the paraventricular nucleus of the
      rat.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to determine whether gamma-aminobutyric acid in
      the paraventricular nucleus contributes to the regulation of cardiovascular
      function. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded and plasma catecholamines
      were measured in conscious rats receiving microinfusions of either artificial
      cerebrospinal fluid or a gamma-aminobutyric acid antagonist, bicuculline
      methiodide, bilaterally into the paraventricular nucleus. Artificial
      cerebrospinal fluid had no effect on any of the recorded variables. In contrast,
      infusion of bicuculline into the region of the paraventricular nucleus produced
      increases in blood pressure (20 +/- 2 mm Hg), heart rate (110 +/- 11 beats/min),
      and plasma concentrations of norepinephrine (640 +/- 107 pg/ml) and epinephrine
      (1,266 +/- 267 pg/ml). Pretreatment with a ganglionic blocking agent abolished
      both the blood pressure (-1 +/- 2 mm Hg) and heart rate (5 +/- 18 beats/min)
      effects. Bilateral adrenal medullectomy reduced the changes in plasma
      norepinephrine concentrations (81 +/- 14 pg/ml) significantly and abolished the
      changes in plasma epinephrine concentrations (5 +/- 4 pg/ml). Conversely, adrenal
      medullectomy reduced the pressor effects (18 +/- 2 mm Hg) only slightly while the
      heart rate responses were attenuated (42 +/- 9 beats/min) by approximately 50%.
      These results suggest that an endogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid system exerts a
      tonic inhibitory effect on the sympathetic nervous system at the level of the
      paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.

PMID- 1860712
TI  - Does regional norepinephrine spillover represent local sympathetic activity?
AB  - Regional spillover of norepinephrine (NE), based on isotope dilution and single
      compartment steady-state kinetics, is considered one of the best parameters for
      estimating organ sympathetic activity. However, the effects of local changes in
      clearance of NE on the spillover have not yet been investigated. We studied local
      NE kinetics and clearance in the forearm of 10 healthy subjects using intra
      arterial infusions of NE, tritiated NE, the neuronal uptake inhibitor
      desipramine, and tyramine, which competes with NE for the neuronal uptake
      carrier. Before and during complete blockade of neuronal uptake by desipramine
      the venous concentration-time curves for tritiated NE and for NE released by
      tyramine were biexponential, consistent with the presence of (at least) two
      compartments for circulating tritiated NE and for locally released NE. The time
      constants for tyramine-induced release of NE and, in the same subjects during
      desipramine infusion, for tritiated NE were almost equal at the same level of
      forearm blood flow. This argues against possible diffusion or transport
      differences for NE to and from the circulation and the synapse. The regional
      intrinsic clearance capacity (a measure of the maximal ability of an organ to
      irreversibly remove drug by all pathways in the absence of any flow limitations)
      for NE decreased in the forearm by 65% (p less than 0.01) during neuronal uptake
      blockade by desipramine; the forearm clearance decreased by 59% (p less than
      0.001), whereas the spillover rate of NE increased from 33 +/- 5 to 63 +/- 11
      pmol.min-1 (p less than 0.05). Nitroprusside-induced increments in blood flow
      increased the spillover of NE from 18 +/- 4 to 35 +/- 6 pmol.min-1 (p less than
      0.01); the clearance of circulating NE also increased (by 58%, p less than 0.05),
      and the intrinsic clearance capacity remained unchanged. This demonstrates that
      regional spillover of NE is markedly influenced by local changes in clearance and
      flow. The new parameter plasma appearance rate of NE is proposed. Although also
      derived from isotope dilution, this parameter may better approximate the regional
      entry of NE into the blood pool than spillover. This is corroborated by the
      nonsignificant changes of plasma appearance rate of NE during our desipramine and
      nitroprusside infusions.

PMID- 1860713
TI  - Sodium and volume sensitivity of blood pressure. Age and pressure change over
      time.
AB  - Salt sensitivity has been implicated in the age-related increase in blood
      pressure. We studied the reproducibility of a rapid method for assessing sodium
      sensitivity and resistance of blood pressure as well as the effect of age on this
      phenomenon. Blood pressure after volume expansion with 2 l intravenous saline
      (0.9%) over 4 hours was compared with that after 1 day of 10 mmol sodium chloride
      intake and 3 and 40 mg oral doses of furosemide. Normal and hypertensive subjects
      (n = 28) were studied twice within a year. Cross-sectional observations of the
      effect of age were made from studies in 230 hypertensive and 430 normotensive
      subjects. Longitudinal observations of blood pressure change over time were made
      10 or more years after categorization of sodium responsivity in 31 subjects. The
      blood pressure response was reproducible in 28 subjects studied twice (r = 0.56,
      p less than 0.002). Four subjects changed salt-responsiveness status and six were
      indeterminate on restudy. Sodium sensitivity of blood pressure increased
      significantly with increasing age in the entire population (n = 660, r = -0.38, p
      less than 0.001). The relation was more striking in hypertensive subjects (n =
      230, r = -0.31, p less than 0.001) in whom a progressive increase in salt
      sensitivity with decades was seen than in the normotensive group (n = 430, r = 
      0.19, p less than 0.01) in whom salt sensitivity was not observed until the sixth
      decade. Salt-sensitive subjects had a significantly greater increase in systolic
      (p less than 0.001) and diastolic (p less than 0.01) pressure over time than
      those who were salt-resistant. Salt sensitivity is a reproducible phenomenon that
      is related to the age-associated increase in blood pressure characteristic of
      industrialized societies. In addition, salt sensitivity can be shown to be a
      predictor of subsequent, age-related blood pressure increase.

PMID- 1860714
TI  - Prevalence of Type A behavior in untreated hypertensive individuals.
AB  - Type A behavior has been associated with coronary heart disease as well as high
      cholesterol and smoking, major risk factors for coronary heart disease, but the
      data indicating a similar association with hypertension are inconsistent. Since
      past studies have usually based hypertension on a single blood pressure
      assessment or have often included treated hypertensive patients, this
      inconsistency is not surprising. The current study compared the prevalence of
      Type A behavior (assessed by Rosenman's structured interview) between 109
      untreated hypertensive subjects and 109 age-, sex-, ethnic-, and occupation
      matched normotensive subjects. Hypertension status was based on five repeated
      assessments over a 5-month period. Results indicated that Type A behavior is more
      prevalent in untreated, mildly hypertensive employed individuals than
      occupationally matched normotensive subjects. Type A component analysis confirmed
      the importance of hostility and certain vigorous voice stylistics in predicting
      cardiovascular conditions. These findings, taken together with the evidence
      linking Type A behavior with high cholesterol and cigarette smoking, further
      support the view that this behavior pattern is associated with increased risk of
      coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1860715
TI  - Nitroprusside in preeclampsia. Circulatory distress and paradoxical bradycardia.
AB  - In severe preeclampsia, short-term peripartum management of hypertension with
      hydralazine is complicated by relatively prolonged hypotensive episodes,
      resulting in fetal distress. We hypothesized that nitroprusside's rapid onset and
      brief antihypertensive action would permit more controlled blood pressure
      reduction. Nitroprusside was infused into 10 invasively monitored subjects until
      mean arterial pressure either 1) was gradually reduced 10-20% or 2) fell
      abruptly. Subjects fell into two groups, defined by whether the hypotensive
      effect of nitroprusside was accompanied by a fall in heart rate (group A, n = 8)
      or a rise (group B, n = 2). Group B showed the expected sinoaortic baroreceptor
      reflex elevations in heart rate (+17 +/- 6 beats/min) in response to moderate
      falls in mean arterial pressure (-32 +/- 9 mm Hg) elicited by moderate doses
      (1.03 +/- 0.23 micrograms/kg/min). However in group A, steep reductions in mean
      arterial pressure (-75 +/- 22 mm Hg, p less than 0.0001), significantly greater
      than in group B (p less than 0.05), occurred at much lower doses (0.35 +/- 0.23
      micrograms/kg/min; p less than 0.05) and were accompanied by falls in heart rate
      (-21 +/- 7 beats/min). The apparently paradoxical falls in heart rate and extreme
      hypotensive responses in group A indicate severe circulatory compromise,
      corresponding to the cardiac and vasomotor depression that characterizes severe
      hemorrhage and other forms of acute/severe hypovolemic hypotension. This
      hemodynamic pattern represents a cardiopulmonary baroreceptor reflex presumably
      related to the Bezold-Jarisch reflex. The appearance of this pattern in the
      present study probably reflects the imposition of nitroprusside's prominent
      venous dilator action on the relatively reduced blood volume that generally
      characterizes severe preeclampsia.

PMID- 1860716
TI  - Polyamines, vascular smooth muscle, and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt
      hypertension.
AB  - This study was performed to determine if an alteration in vascular polyamine
      contents is associated with the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt
      hypertension. The effects of chronic administration of alpha
      difluoromethylornithine, a specific irreversible inhibitor of ornithine
      decarboxylase and thus polyamine biosynthesis, on vascular polyamine contents,
      structure, and function as well as the development of hypertension was studied.
      Control and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rats received either tap water or a
      drinking solution containing alpha-difluoromethylornithine for 6 weeks, during
      which period systolic blood pressures were recorded. Vascular reactivity studies
      were performed on rings of aorta and tail artery. Medial thickness, vessel
      weight, and vascular polyamine contents were also assessed in these arteries.
      alpha-difluoromethylornithine treatment had no significant effect on either
      systolic blood pressure or vascular structure, function, and polyamine contents
      of control animals. The elevation in blood pressure and the increase in medial
      thickness, ring weight, and vascular polyamine contents as well as altered
      vascular reactivity observed in deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rats was
      significantly attenuated by alpha-difluoromethylornithine treatment. These
      results are the first to demonstrate that vascular polyamine contents are
      elevated in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt rat and that chronic alpha
      difluoromethylornithine treatment prevents the rise in vascular polyamines as
      well as the elevation in blood pressure and attendant changes in the vasculature.
      Thus, the increase in vascular polyamines may comprise a critical link between
      the initiating stimuli and the alterations in vascular structure and function
      implicated in the pathogenesis of deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertension.

PMID- 1860717
TI  - Heterogeneity of renin alleles in outbred Dahl salt-sensitive (Brookhaven) rats.
AB  - Selectively outbred Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats were
      compared with the inbred Dahl salt-sensitive (SS/Jr) and salt-resistant (SR/Jr)
      rats developed from the original Brookhaven stocks by J.P. Rapp. The animals were
      evaluated for genotype at the renin locus. The inbred strains are uniformly
      homozygous for their respective alleles, s in SS/Jr and r in SR/Jr. DR rats were
      also uniformly homozygous for the r renin allele. In DS rats, however, three
      renin alleles were segregating. In addition to the s and r alleles, a third
      allele, designated the z allele, was found. The gene frequencies in DS rats were
      s = 0.690, r = 0.284, and z = 0.026. Continued use of DS and DR rats in most
      experimental work is inappropriate because of genetic heterogeneity in the DS
      stock.

PMID- 1860719
TI  - The global challenge of hepatitis B: implications for dentistry.
AB  - Hepatitis B remains a serious threat to non-immune members of the dental team.
      Dental personnel who are hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, many of whom may not
      be aware of their status, are also at risk of superinfection with hepatitis delta
      virus. It is hoped that this paper will assist dentists to understand better
      their role in preventing HBV infection and for dental staff to understand why
      acceptance of vaccine is so important to them, their families and their patients.

PMID- 1860718
TI  - Plasma immunoreactive endothelin-1 in experimental malignant hypertension.
AB  - We measured plasma concentrations of immunoreactive endothelin-1 (irET-1) in the
      prehypertensive and hypertensive phases in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)
      and in malignant hypertension caused by deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt
      administration in SHR. We also measured concentrations of this peptide in another
      model of malignant hypertension, the two-kidney, one clip (2K1C) renovascular
      hypertensive rats chronically given caffeine. Plasma irET-1 concentrations in
      young (6-week-old) and mature (18-week-old) SHR did not differ from those of age
      matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Four weeks of treatment with DOCA-salt increased
      blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and plasma irET-1 in SHR
      but not in WKY rats. Eight weeks of DOCA-salt treatment further increased these
      values in SHR. Plasma irET-1 concentrations were not increased in the 2K1C rats.
      Six weeks of caffeine administration increased blood pressure, blood urea
      nitrogen, serum creatinine, plasma renin activity, and plasma irET-1 in the 2K1C
      rats but not in the sham-operated rats. High-performance liquid chromatographic
      profiles of plasma extracts pooled from these rats with malignant hypertension
      showed that a major component of irET-1 eluted in the position of synthetic ET-1
      (1-21). Furthermore, acute hypertension induced by angiotensin II or
      phenylephrine did not affect the plasma irET-1 concentration in rats. The results
      suggested that the plasma ET-1 concentration is increased in rat models of
      malignant hypertension and that the high blood pressure itself is not the main
      factor involved in the increase of plasma ET-1.

PMID- 1860720
TI  - Dental status of children in a primary and secondary school in rural Zambia.
AB  - This study reports the findings of a survey carried out in Zambia by a UK
      charity. 'Project Teeth Relief', which aims to provide basic pain relief and
      dental health education to the rural areas of Zambia. The survey investigated the
      dental health status of schoolchildren from two rural schools: 354 pupils aged 13
      22 years from a secondary school and 121 pupils aged 7-18 years from a primary
      school. The results show a high level of dental disease in both samples. The
      results are discussed in relation to the differences between the two schools and
      to the changes in the social and economic climate in Zambia.

PMID- 1860722
TI  - Dental claims in the Swedish Patient Insurance Scheme.
AB  - The Swedish Patient Insurance Scheme covers treatment injuries and guarantees the
      replacement of failed removable prostheses for 1 year and fixed prostheses for 2
      years after fitting. In this paper, 573 dental cases are analysed for a 3-month
      period in 1986, during which crowns and bridges formed the vast majority of
      failed treatments that were reported.

PMID- 1860721
TI  - Osseointegrated implants in the oral habilitation of a boy with ectodermal
      dysplasia: a case report.
AB  - The most characteristic oral feature in ectodermal dysplasia is hypodontia.
      Children and adolescents suffering from ectodermal dysplasia often need extensive
      and complicated prosthetic treatment. The development of techniques for
      osseointegrated implants offers new possibilities for the oral habilitation of
      these children. This paper describes the oral habilitation of a boy with severe
      ectodermal dysplasia and where Branemark osseointegrated implants have been used
      as part of the treatment. The patient was seen at the dental department at the
      age of 1.5 years. Two conically-shaped upper incisors were at that time the only
      teeth that had erupted. The treatment was planned in a multidisciplinary
      odontological group involving paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics,
      oral surgery and maxillofacial radiology. At the age of 3 years it was verified
      that the boy had four primary teeth (53, 51, 61, 63) and four permanent teeth
      (16, 11, 21, 26). There were no teeth in the lower jaw. The alveolar ridges in
      the edentulous areas were low or missing. During the period 3-6 years of age the
      boy used an upper partial denture adapted to allow the mesial drift of the 16 and
      26 teeth. At the age of 6 years, two Branemark implants were inserted in the
      lower front-cuspid region. A specially designed overdenture for the lower jaw was
      constructed. The overdenture was retained in contact with the male attachments by
      two cuffs of heat-polymerized resilient silicone. Over the next 4 years the
      dentures were modified due to the eruption of permanent teeth and growth.
      However, only minor corrections were necessary concerning the retention system of
      the lower denture. The implants are well osseointegrated and stable and allow the
      boy to use a lower denture without any complications.

PMID- 1860723
TI  - Role of toothpastes in the cleaning of teeth.
AB  - Toothpastes have improved significantly over the last 2000 years to the point
      where they are very proficient in their cleaning attributes. However, research
      continues, so further improvement may still be possible.

PMID- 1860724
TI  - Clinical effect and mechanism of cariostatic action of fluoride-containing
      toothpastes: a review.
AB  - Caries reduction has been observed in certain parts of the western world. The
      reduction coincides with the timing of the introduction of fluoride-containing
      toothpastes and no other factors can explain the caries reduction. It is possible
      that improved oral hygiene and use of fluoride have a synergistic effect.

PMID- 1860725
TI  - Current status of the use of ultrasound in endodontics.
AB  - Although endosonics has received much attention in the literature, it is not
      clear whether it is recommended. This review discusses the types of endosonic
      unit available, ultrasonic phenomena such as cavitation and acoustic streaming,
      irrigation, cutting dentine, and clinical techniques for cleaning and shaping.
      The more recent evidence suggests that endosonics provides an efficient method of
      debridement providing sodium hypochlorite is used, but is less efficient at
      shaping the walls of the canals. New methods of filing have been introduced by
      the manufacturers but they have not taken into account the most recent research;
      for this reason an alternative approach is described.

PMID- 1860726
TI  - Protein kinase C activity as marker for colorectal cancer.
AB  - Protein kinase C (PKC) activity was measured in normal-appearing colonic mucosa
      from patients undergoing colonic resection. Comparisons were made between cases
      with and without colorectal cancers. PKC activity in cytosolic and particulate
      fractions was significantly reduced in patients with colorectal cancer: 40 +/- 9
      and 114 +/- 29 (pmol/min/mg) respectively, compared with patients without cancer;
      129 +/- 11 and 250 +/- 38 (pmol/min/mg) (p less than 0.05). Normal-appearing
      colonic mucosa in patients with cancer showed significantly decreased total PKC
      activities in the cytosolic and particulate fractions compared with those in
      patients without cancer (10 +/- 1 and 20 +/- 3 vs. 30 +/- 2 and 33 +/- 6)
      (pmol/min/g tissue) (p less than 0.05). The cellular distribution (% particulate
      fraction) of PKC activity in normal-appearing mucosa in patients with cancer
      (64%) was higher than in patients without cancer (49%) (p less than 0.05). OUr
      data suggest that PKC activity may be used as a biological marker of risk of
      developing colorectal cancer or risk of bearing an asymptomatic tumor.

PMID- 1860727
TI  - Early-age body size, adult weight gain and endometrial cancer risk.
AB  - To further characterize the association of obesity and endometrial cancer, in
      particular with regard to the role of early-age obesity and adult weight gain,
      the authors assembled by computer linkage a population-based historical cohort of
      30,266 women born between 1913 and 1932, for whom weight and height had been
      recorded in 1942-43 and 1972. Linkage of this cohort to the Hawaii Tumor Registry
      resulted in the identification of 214 (mainly post-menopausal) incident cases of
      endometrial cancer for 1972-1986. An average of 37 cancer-free controls were
      matched to each case on month and year of birth and ethnicity. A case-control
      analysis, conducted in each 5-year birth cohort, revealed no clear association of
      endometrial cancer with weight, height or body mass at ages 10 to 29 years.
      However, positive associations with adult body weight and gain in body mass since
      1942 were observed for women diagnosed at age 60 or older. This association with
      obesity was strongest in women whose body mass was below the median in 1942 and
      equal to or above the median in 1972. No association with body size was detected
      in women diagnosed before age 60. Parity, age at first birth and socioeconomic
      indicators for 1942 and 1972 did not confound the analysis. These findings
      suggest that obesity affects the late stages of endometrial carcinogenesis, and
      the possibility that one or more determinants of weight gain may be independently
      associated with endometrial cancer risk.

PMID- 1860728
TI  - Alcohol consumption and risk of breast cancer.
AB  - In a national case-control study, 891 New Zealand women aged 25 to 54 with newly
      diagnosed breast cancer were compared with 1,864 control subjects selected at
      random from the electoral rolls. The relative risk of breast cancer for current
      drinkers of alcohol, compared with women who had never drunk alcohol, was 1.0
      (95% confidence interval 0.64 to 1.7). For ex-drinkers the relative risk was 1.3
      (95% confidence interval 0.74 to 2.5). Women drinking up to 14 drinks per week
      had no increase in risk, while the relative risk in those consuming more than 14
      drinks per week was 1.8 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 3.8). There was no
      evidence of effect modification by age at diagnosis, menopausal status, body mass
      index, or any of the other variables examined. While these results provide little
      support for the hypothesis that moderate alcohol consumption increases the risk
      of breast cancer, they are not inconsistent with the weak associations that have
      been found in many other studies. Possible explanations for such a relationship
      are considered.

PMID- 1860730
TI  - Occupation and risk of Hodgkin's disease in north-east Italy.
AB  - The relationship between occupation and exposure to several occupational agents
      and Hodgkin's disease (HD) was investigated in a case-control study of 152 cases
      and 613 controls with acute diseases admitted to all hospitals in Pordenone
      province, north-east Italy. Among cases, there was a significant excess of
      individuals occupied in agriculture (odds ratio, OR for greater than 10 years =
      2.2, 95% confidence interval, CI:1.3-3.7), who were exposed to livestock and meat
      processing (OR = 3.4, 95% CI:1.7-6.6), herbicides and pesticides (OR = 3.2, 95%
      CI:1.6-6.5). When the relationship between agriculture and specific exposures was
      assessed, it appeared that contact with some still unidentified animal-related
      agent involved in livestock farming and meat processing may be at least as
      important in determining HD risk as exposure to herbicides and pesticides and,
      probably, more important than occupation in agriculture per se.

PMID- 1860729
TI  - Spontaneous and induced abortions and risk of breast cancer.
AB  - The relationship between spontaneous or induced abortion and the risk of breast
      cancer was analyzed in a case-control study conducted in the greater Milan area
      on 2,394 cases of breast cancer and 2,218 controls in hospital for a spectrum of
      acute conditions, not gynecological, hormonal or neoplastic. No consistent
      relationship emerged between spontaneous or induced abortion and breast cancer:
      compared with women reporting no abortions (spontaneous or induced), the
      multivariate relative risk (RR) was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.9 to 1.2)
      in those reporting one abortion and 0.9 (95% CI 0.7 to 1.0) in those reporting
      two or more. This lack of association was consistent in strata of age and parity,
      including younger women. We further analyzed the risk of breast cancer associated
      with an abortion before and after full-term pregnancy. Compared with parous women
      reporting no induced or spontaneous abortions, those who had an abortion before
      their first full-term pregnancy had about a 20% higher risk of breast cancer.
      This finding, however, was not statistically significant (RR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9 to
      1.7). No increased risk was observed in women who had had a first abortion after
      a full-term pregnancy (RR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.0). This study does not support
      the hypothesis that spontaneous or induced abortion appreciably influences
      subsequent breast-cancer risk.

PMID- 1860731
TI  - The EORTC Melanoma Group exchange program: evaluation of a multicenter monoclonal
      antibody study.
AB  - In the framework of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of
      Cancer (EORTC), the Immunology and Pathology Subgroups of the Malignant Melanoma
      Cooperative Group undertook a large multicenter monoclonal antibody (MAb) study.
      Fourteen laboratories from 7 European countries tested a panel of 23 MAbs for
      immunohistological staining reactivity for malignant and non-malignant lesions
      involving the melanocytic lineage. A standardized immunoperoxidase procedure was
      used and the results were evaluated using a standard protocol and data evaluation
      form developed in collaboration with the EORTC Data Center. According to this
      analysis, the antibodies in the panel could be classified into 3 main groups. The
      first group of MAbs includes those antibodies which stained the majority (greater
      than 80%) of all primary tumors, irrespective of their Breslow thickness and the
      majority of metastatic lesions. In addition, these MAbs stained a high percentage
      of cells within a given lesion. Several antibodies of Group I were likewise
      reactive with the majority of naevoblasts and with normal melanocytes. The second
      group of MAbs included antibodies reacting only with a limited number of primary
      melanomas and metastatic lesions. Antibodies of Group II reacted only weakly, if
      at all, with normal melanocytes or naevocytes. The percentage of cells within a
      malignant lesion stained by these MAbs was always rather low. The MAb group III
      detected surface structures whose expression appeared to be related to tumor
      progression; they did not react or reacted only weakly with naevi, and they all
      reacted with a small number of early primary melanomas (less than 0.75 mm). The
      number of lesions stained increased with increasing Breslow thickness. Our study
      suggests that the application of a panel of well defined MAbs might be of
      diagnostic and prognostic value in evaluating malignant melanoma.

PMID- 1860732
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies against Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta 1-4Glc (Pk, CD77) produced
      with a synthetic glycoconjugate as immunogen: reactivity with carbohydrates, with
      fresh frozen human tissues and hematopoietic tumors.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to isolate mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs)
      recognizing Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta 1-4Glc (Pk, CD77), which has been described as
      a Burkitt's-lymphoma-associated antigen. Three IgGI MAbs reactive with Pk were
      developed using a synthetic glycoconjugate as immunogen and a filter immunoplaque
      screening assay. One MAb (PK67) was characterized by immuno-thin-layer
      chromatography, ELISA and competition assays using neutral glycolipids from
      various sources and a variety of carbohydrates and glycoproteins. Epitope
      analysis showed that all 3 carbohydrates moieties are required in PK67 binding.
      No cross-reactivity was observed with closely related carbohydrate structures,
      with the exception of Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc. However, the reactivity
      with this structure was several orders of magnitude lower than with Pk.
      Immunohistochemical analysis of fresh-frozen tissue specimens showed that Gb3 is
      widely expressed: prominent staining was observed in many normal tissues, e.g.,
      kidney and gastric tissue and on capillary endothelial cells. In lymph nodes,
      very weak staining of a few B cells was observed. Flow cytometric analysis of
      hematopoietic neoplasms showed Gb3 expression on B-cell neoplasms, particularly
      those with committed B-cell phenotype indicating that, in addition to earlier
      reports of Gb3 expression on Burkitt's lymphoma, Gb3 is present on other
      committed B-cell neoplasms.

PMID- 1860733
TI  - Glutathione and cellular response of ACNU-resistant rat glioma sublines to drugs
      and radiation.
AB  - Three ACNU-resistant sublines (R1, R3 and R12) from rat glioma 9L cells showed
      cross-resistance to vinblastine, adriamycin, and VP-16. Among these, the R3
      subline also acquired radioresistance under aerobic conditions. Total glutathione
      levels in these sublines were elevated 2- to 3-fold. Treatment of the cells with
      BSO, a specific inhibitor of GSH synthesis, resulted in decreased intracellular
      total glutathione levels in all 4 cell lines to about 10% of control levels.
      However, sensitivity to radiation or to chemicals did not change accordingly.
      Treatment of 9L cells with OTZ, a precursor of cysteine, resulted in a rise in
      intracellular GSH levels but it did not correlate with sensitivity to X-ray or to
      ACNU. These results suggest that, in terms of cellular sensitivity to radiation
      or ACNU, total glutathione level alone cannot serve as a predictive indicator.

PMID- 1860734
TI  - Effect on N1,N14-bis-(ethyl)-homospermine (BE-4-4-4) on the growth of U-251 MG
      and SF-188 human brain tumor cells.
AB  - We studied the effects of the spermine analogue N1,N14-bis-(ethyl)-homospermine
      (BE-4-4-4) on growth, survival and polyamine levels in cultured U-251 MG and SF
      188 human brain tumor cells. After 48 hr of treatment at concentrations of 1
      microM or higher, BE-4-4-4 accumulated in cells with a concomitant decrease in
      intracellular putrescine, spermidine and spermine concentrations. Growth
      inhibition by 10 microM BE-4-4-4 began at 6 hr and peaked between 16 and 24 hr.
      The analogue was also increasingly cytotoxic with doses between 1 and 10 microM
      and with treatment times between 16 and 48 hr. Polyamines added 1 day after BE-4
      4-4 lowered the intracellular concentrations of the analogue but did not reverse
      its growth-inhibitory activity. When added simultaneously with the analogue,
      however, polyamines caused a decrease in analogue concentration that was
      accompanied by a block to the growth inhibition. BE-4-4-4 has a higher affinity
      for DNA than spermine has, but is less able to aggregate DNA. Its growth
      inhibitory and cytotoxic effects support our hypothesis that polyamine analogues
      that enter cells and replace natural polyamines at DNA binding sites, without
      fulfilling their biologic functions, should act as antiproliferative agents.

PMID- 1860736
TI  - A recombinant vaccinia virus expressing human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).
AB  - Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a 180-kDa glycoprotein expressed on most
      gastrointestinal carcinomas. A 2.4-kb cDNA clone, containing the complete coding
      sequence, was isolated from a human colon tumor cell library and inserted into a
      vaccinia virus genome. This newly developed construct was characterized by
      Southern blotting, DNA hybridization studies, and polymerase chain reaction
      analysis. The CEA gene was stably integrated into the vaccinia virus thymidine
      kinase gene. The recombinant was efficiently replicated upon serial passages in
      cell cultures and in animals. The recombinant virus expresses on the surface of
      infected cells a protein product recognized by a monoclonal antibody (COL-I)
      directed against CEA. Immunization of mice with the vaccinia construct elicited a
      humoral immune response against CEA. Pilot studies also showed that
      administration of the recombinant CEA vaccinia construct was able to greatly
      reduce the growth in mice of a syngeneic murine colon adenocarcinoma which had
      been transduced with the human CEA gene. The use of this new recombinant CEA
      vaccinia construct may thus provide an approach in the specific active
      immunotherapy of human GI cancer and other CEA expressing carcinoma types.

PMID- 1860735
TI  - Natural killer-cell activity under conditions reflective of tumor micro
      environment.
AB  - Natural-killer(NK) activity was examined in the presence of low oxygen tension,
      low glucose concentration and acidic pH, to determine whether physical conditions
      present in the tumor micro-environment could play a role in down-regulating
      cytolytic activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with NK phenotype. Anoxia
      (0% O2), but not hypoxia (1% O2), significantly reduced NK activity, as did
      acidic pH (6.4 or 6.7). Low glucose concentration (6 mg/dl) did not impair NK
      activity. Combinations of either moderate (1% O2, 26 mg/dl glucose, pH 6.7) or
      extreme (0% O2, 6 mg/dl glucose, pH 6.4) alteration of physical conditions
      significantly reduced NK activity. This study indicates that the physico-chemical
      conditions present within solid tumors are capable of down-regulating NK
      activity.

PMID- 1860737
TI  - Induction of mouse mammary tumours in a transplantation system by the sequential
      introduction of the myc and ras oncogenes.
AB  - A novel helper-free defective retrovirus containing the v-Ha-ras oncogene has
      been constructed and used to introduce the gene into primary mouse mammary
      epithelial cells already containing the v-myc oncogene. Transplantation of such
      doubly altered cells into cleared mammary fat pads led to the formation of
      mammary tumors within 6 to 8 weeks of transplantation. In a separate experiment,
      both oncogenes were simultaneously introduced to normal epithelium and once again
      tumours were formed. Neither oncogene alone gave a significant rate of tumour
      formation, although myc alone gave a reproducible hyperplasia as previously
      reported and ras alone gave occasional dysplastic or alveolar lesions. The
      results presented here demonstrate the progression of a normal cell through a
      hyperplastic intermediate to a tumour-forming cell in a versatile in vivo
      transplantation model.

PMID- 1860738
TI  - The interrelationship between the anti-mitotic action of the somatostatin analog
      octreotide and that of cytostatic drugs and suramin.
AB  - In the present study we used the model of cultured somatostatin-receptor-positive
      prolactin (PRL)-secreting rat pituitary tumor cells to investigate the possible
      interrelationships between the anti-mitotic and hormone-release-inhibitory
      effects of the somatostatin analog octreotide (SMS 201-955) and the effects of
      vincristine, methotrexate, fluouracil and suramin. Dose-dependent inhibitory
      effects of all compounds were shown both on the DNA content and on PRL release.
      Octreotide and these cytostatic compounds were slightly additive in their anti
      proliferative and anti-secretory effects. The somatostatin analog did not alter
      drug sensitivity in these tumor cells, however. The data obtained in this tumor
      model suggest that octreotide can be effectively administered in combination with
      cytostatic drugs and/or suramin.

PMID- 1860739
TI  - Effect of caloric deficit and dietary manipulation on aerobic and anaerobic
      exercise.
AB  - Twelve competitive wrestlers restricted their caloric intake (92 kJ/kg FFW/day)
      for 7 days, using a high (HC) or normal (NC) carbohydrate diet to determine the
      acute effect of caloric deficiency on aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance
      as well as growth hormone (hGH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels.
      The subjects were tested while on a eucaloric diet and at the end of the dietary
      restriction. Neither the dietary restriction nor composition had an effect on the
      ability to complete an 8-minute run at 85% of maximal capacity, but both produced
      an increased fat utilization during the run. The responses to the Wingate
      Anaerobic Test indicated that the NC group had a significant reduction in total
      and mean power output (-7% & -6%, respectively; p less than 0.05), whereas the HC
      group maintained all power measures. The caloric restriction, regardless of
      dietary composition, increased the exercise hGH response more for the NC group
      than the HC group (p less than 0.05). IGF-1 levels were significantly lowered by
      the diet, but the diet composition had no effect. These results indicate that
      even during caloric restriction, a high carbohydrate diet better maintains
      anerobic exercise performance. Furthermore, the composition of the diet appears
      to have no effect on the resting hGH and IGF-1 responses to caloric deficits.
      However, carbohydrate composition may have an effect on the gGH response to
      exercise.

PMID- 1860740
TI  - Iron status of active women and the effect of running a marathon on bowel
      function and gastrointestinal blood loss.
AB  - This study compared the bowel function, fecal hemoglobin (Hb) loss, iron status
      and diets of 36 women of varying activity levels. In addition, we examined the
      effect of a marathon race on bowel function and fecal Hb loss in 15 of these
      women. The subjects were divided into 4 groups based on estimated daily exercise
      energy expenditure: Group A) less than 400 kcal/d (less than 1674 kJ/d); Group B)
      400-599 kcal/d (1674-2507 kJ/d); Group C) 600-800 kcal/d (2511-3348 kJ/d); and
      Group D) greater than 800 kcal/d (greater than 3348 kJ/d). There were no
      differences in hematological and iron indexes among the 4 groups. Mean daily
      stool wet weights and individual stool weights were greater for groups B and D as
      compared to group A. However, transit time and frequency of defecation were not
      different. Daily fecal Hb losses (mg/day) were greater in groups B, C, and D as
      compared to A, but there was no difference in fecal Hb concentrations (mg/g
      feces) among the groups. Dietary intakes of energy, protein, fat and fiber were
      similar for all groups. Ascorbic acid and iron intakes from food significantly
      increased with increased estimated daily energy expenditure. Total intakes of
      ascorbic acid and iron, including oral supplements, were not different among the
      groups. Marathon racing resulted in a 21% increase in mean transit time, a 27%
      decrease in daily stool weight and 21% lower frequency of defecation. Fecal Hb
      concentrations and daily Hb losses before and after the race were not
      significantly different, despite an increased daily Hb loss in 10 of the 15
      runners after the race.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860742
TI  - Effect of prolonged exercise on insulin level in the portal and peripheral venous
      circulation in rats.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to compare the plasma insulin levels in
      portal and peripheral veins in rats submitted to a prolonged exercise to
      exhaustion (mean +/- SE: 67 +/- 7 min). Plasma insulin levels were reduced
      significantly (p less than 0.01) during exercise in both the portal and
      peripheral venous circulation. The reduction was, however, more pronounced in the
      portal than in the peripheral vein (mean: -113 vs -64 and -162 vs -88 pmol.l-1
      after 30 and 45 min of exercise, respectively), indicating that exercise reduced
      not only insulin secretion but also its removal. Accordingly, no significant
      differences were found for the portal/peripheral ratio of insulin at rest and
      during the first 45 min of exercise (1.86 +/- 0.2, 1.76 +/- 0.1, and 1.57 +/- 0.2
      at rest, and after 30 and 45 min of exercise, respectively). This suggests that
      insulin removal during exercise is regulated in proportion to portal insulin
      concentrations.

PMID- 1860741
TI  - Carbohydrate feeding before exercise: effect of glycemic index.
AB  - Low glycemic index (GI) foods may confer an advantage when eaten before prolonged
      strenuous exercise by providing a slow-release source of glucose to the blood
      without an accompanying insulin surge. To test this hypothesis, eight trained
      cyclists pedalled to exhaustion one hour after ingestion of equal carbohydrate
      portions of four test meals: lentils, a low GI food (LGI); potato, a high GI food
      (HGI), and glucose and water. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were lower after
      LGI than after HGI from 30 to 60 min after ingestion (p less than 0.05). Plasma
      free fatty acid (FFA) levels were highest after water (p less than 0.05) followed
      by LGI and then glucose and HGI. From 45 to 60 min after ingestion, plasma
      lactate was higher in the HGI trial than in the LGI trial (p less than 0.05) and
      remained higher throughout the period of exercise. The rank order from lowest to
      highest for total carbohydrate oxidation during exercise was water, lentils,
      glucose and potato. Endurance time was 20 min longer after LGI than after HGI (p
      less than 0.05). These findings suggest that a low GI pre-game meal may prolong
      endurance during strenuous exercise by inducing less post-prandial hyperglycemia
      and hyperinsulinemia, lower levels of plasma lactate before and during exercise,
      and by maintaining plasma glucose and FFA at higher levels during critical
      periods of exercise.

PMID- 1860743
TI  - Incremental test protocol, recovery mode and the individual anaerobic threshold.
AB  - The individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) is defined as the highest metabolic rate
      at which blood lactate (LA) concentrations are maintained at a steady-state
      during prolonged exercise. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects
      of active and passive recovery on the determination of IAT following both a
      submaximal or maximal incremental exercise test. Seven males (VO2max = 57.6 +/-
      5.8 ml.kg-1.min -1) did two submaximal, incremental cycle exercise tests (30 W
      and 4 min per step) and two maximal incremental tests. Blood was sampled
      repeatedly during exercise and for 12 min during the subsequent recovery period,
      which was passive for one submaximal and one maximal test and active
      (approximately 35% VO2max) during the other tests. An IAT metabolic rate and
      power output were calculated for the submax-passive (IATsp, LA = 1.85 +/- 0.42
      mmol.l-1), max-passive (IATmp, LA = 3.41 +/- 1.14 mmol.l-1), submax-active
      (IATsa, LA = 2.13 +/- 0.45 mmol.l-1) and max-active (IATma, LA = 3.44 +/- 0.73
      mmol.l-1) protocols. At weekly intervals, the subjects exercised for 30 min at
      one of the four IAT metabolic rates. Active recovery did not affect the
      calculation of IAT, but following the maximal incremental tests, IAT occurred at
      a higher (p less than 0.05) power output, absolute VO2 and %VO2max (71% VO2max)
      compared with the IAT determined with the submaximal incremental tests (61%
      VO2max).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860744
TI  - Physiological characteristics of elite judo athletes.
AB  - In order to provide some understanding of the physiological capacities underlying
      successful judo performance, representative values for a variety of physiological
      variables were determined in nationally ranked male (n = 18) and female (n = 9)
      judo athletes. Body composition, aerobic capacity, isokinetic elbow and knee
      flexor and extensor strength, and muscle fiber size and composition of the vastus
      lateralis were examined. Comparisons across weight divisions indicate that the
      values of many characteristics varied as a function of size. As weight division
      increased, relative VO2 decreased (r = -0.53 and -0.63 for males and females,
      respectively), % body fat increased (r = 0.64, 0.72), and the cross sectional
      areas of Type I (r = 0.55, 0.77) and Type IIA (r = 0.47, = 0.76) muscle fibers
      increased. Among females in particular, athletes in the higher weight divisions
      were stronger relative to LBM than those in the lower division. These results
      indicate that the physiological profiles of lower and upper weight division elite
      judo players differ markedly. It is suggested that the factors responsible for
      success may be specific to each weight division and may represent a compromise
      between making weight and maximizing physiological capacities and performance.

PMID- 1860745
TI  - Effect of muscular activity on the turnover rate of actin and myosin heavy and
      light chains in different types of skeletal muscle.
AB  - In endurance-trained rats the myosin HC have a more rapid turnover rate than in
      control animals in all three types of skeletal muscle fibres, but in sprint
      trained rats only in fast-glycolytic and fast-oxidative-glycolytic fibres. A
      comparison of the actin turnover rate in sprint- and endurance-trained animals
      shows that in both groups there are more rapid turnover rates in all types of
      muscle fibres in comparison with control rats. During long-lasting exhaustive
      exercise the turnover rate of myosin HC decreases. Twelve hours after exercise,
      myosin LC 2 and 3, and actin have a more rapid turnover than in control rats.
      Changes in the turnover rate of muscle contractile proteins during exercise and
      the recovery period after exercise reflect the functional conditions of the
      contractile apparatus in different types of skeletal muscle fibres and have a
      physiological significance.

PMID- 1860746
TI  - Force-velocity relationship of human elbow flexors in voluntary isotonic
      contraction under heavy loads.
AB  - The force-velocity relationships of the human elbow flexors as one muscle in
      maximal voluntary contraction were determined using isotonic lever systems for
      seven men (19-38 yrs). The external loads used for the contraction weighed 0%,
      20%, 40% 60%, 80% and 90% of maximum voluntary isometric force (Fo). The force
      and velocity were determined at an elbow angle of 90 degrees. The effect of the
      inertia of the forearm on the force was corrected using the angular acceleration
      of the forearm during an elbow flexion. The effect of muscular fatigue on the
      velocity during an elbow flexion was minimized by adjusting the initial elbow
      angle at the onset of the elbow flexion to the size of the load and reducing the
      time duration of the elbow flexion with a heavy load. Hill equation fitted fairly
      well to the force-velocity data observed in the experiments up to 90% Fo. The
      maximum isometric force predicted using Hill equation was larger by 6% (mean)
      than that observed in the experiments.

PMID- 1860747
TI  - Low vertebral bone density values in young non-elite female runners.
AB  - Thirty-five female runners (26.6 +/- 0.9 years, range 17-35) were scheduled for
      bone mineral density evaluation, using quantitative computed tomography of the
      lumbar spine. In 17 women with oligo-amenorrhea, vertebral bone mineral density
      was under the normal range (defined from a control group of 46 sedentary healthy
      females in the same age range), while it was within the normal range in all
      runners with regular menses (n = 18). When age classes were considered, all
      runners aged 17-21 (11/11) were found to have oligo-amenorrhea and low bone
      mineral density values, the difference in mineral density with the controls of
      the same age quartile being highly significant (p less than 0.001). Runners from
      the two youngest age classes (17-21 and 22-26) had started training early after
      menarche (0.9 +/- 0.6 and 2.5 +/- 1.6 years, respectively). These results show
      that very young female runners with oligo-amenorrhea may have impressively low
      bone mineral density values. The possibility that early onset of training, close
      to menarcheal age, might be a risk factor for low mineral density, deserves
      further investigation.

PMID- 1860748
TI  - Influence of aging, training and acute physical exercise on plasma glutathione
      and lipid peroxides in man.
AB  - In trained (long-distance runners) and untrained volunteers aged 22 to 57 years,
      basal plasma glutathione (GSH) concentration decreased significantly with
      increasing age. In most age groups basal GSH concentration of oxidized
      glutathione (GSSG) and lipid peroxides (LPO) was not influenced either by age or
      by training. Following acute physical exercise (bicycle ergometric test), which
      was maximal for each person and thus different in trained and untrained persons,
      plasma GSH, GSSG, and LPO concentrations were not changed at all in untrained
      volunteers. In trained persons, however, GSH concentration was significantly
      decreased by about 30%. Surprisingly, we observed a decrease in plasma LPO
      content by about 40%. GSSG content was not altered. The comparison with some
      physical-physiological parameters indicates that the changes in GSH and LPO
      concentrations depend on the extent of acute physical exercise rather than on
      previous training. Alterations of GSH and LPO in plasma could be of physiologic
      significance.

PMID- 1860750
TI  - Advantages of electrocardiographic monitoring in top level athletes.
AB  - We used continuous electrocardiographic monitoring according to Holter's method
      for a tentative evaluation of the prognostic value of the main
      electrocardiographic peculiarities of the "athlete's heart". Five hundred and
      eighty-seven Holter recordings were performed in 164 top athletes divided into
      three groups: dynamic, static and mixed. Selection criteria were either clinical
      or electrical (resting-ECG). The prognostic value of arrhythmia is variable:
      unworrying junctional rhythm (JR) and auriculo-ventricular blocks (AVB) that
      disappeared under strain, which in our study interested mostly the dynamic group.
      No pejorative prognostic criteria were found related to supraventricular
      premature beats (SVPB). Ventricular premature beats (VPB) of recent occurrence
      were predominantly found, in our study, in the static athletes; their occurrence
      was not always accounted for and their prognosis, at least as regards sports, was
      uncertain. Holters repeated throughout the sports season made it possible to
      establish a relationship between some peculiarities and the training
      intensiveness: auriculo-ventricular block and junction rhythm culminated during
      intensive periods. Unusual sinus tachycardia would be indicative of over
      training.

PMID- 1860749
TI  - Endogenous anabolic hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance
      exercise in males and females.
AB  - To examine endogenous anabolic hormonal responses to two different types of heavy
      resistance exercise protocols (HREPs), eight male and eight female subjects
      performed two randomly assigned protocols (i.e. P-1 and P-2) on separate days.
      Each protocol consisted of eight identically ordered exercises carefully designed
      to control for load, rest period length, and total work (J) effects. P-1 utilized
      a 5 RM load, 3-min rest periods and had lower total work than P-2. P-2 utilized a
      10 RM load, 1-min rest periods and had a higher total work than P-1. Whole blood
      lactate and serum glucose, human growth hormone (hGH), testosterone (T), and
      somatomedin-C [SM-C] (i.e. insulin-like growth factor 1, IGF-1) were determined
      pre-exercise, mid-exercise (i.e. after 4 of the 8 exercises), and at 0, 5, 15,
      30, and 60 min post-exercise. Males demonstrated significant (p less than 0.05)
      increases above rest in serum T values, and all serum concentrations were greater
      than corresponding female values. Growth hormone increases in both males and
      females following the P-2 HREP were significantly greater at all time points than
      corresponding P-1 values. Females exhibited significantly higher pre-exercise hGH
      levels compared to males. The P-1 exercise protocol did not result in any hGH
      increases in females. SM-C demonstrated random significant increases above rest
      in both males and females in response to both HREPs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1860751
TI  - The relationship of early versus two-minute recovery echocardiographic values
      following maximal effort resistance exercise.
AB  - Two-dimensionally directed M-mode echocardiography was used to measure left
      ventricular systolic function following maximal dynamic resistance exercise (RE).
      Upright measurements were made from the long axis parasternal view at rest, 20
      seconds post-exercise, and two minutes post-exercise. Thirty-two successful
      studies were recorded from a total of 37 trained and untrained male subjects who
      were heterogeneous as to mode and level of training. Resistance-trained men
      averaged 3.8 +/- 2.4 yrs of training for 9.7 +/- 3.0 hr/wk, and endurance-trained
      men averaged 6.4 +/- 3.9 yr of training at 202.5 +/- 112.6 km/wk of cycling,
      running, and swimming. The trained men competed at the state or regional level.
      The RE protocol (knee extensions) was performed as follows: Set 1 (10 s rest) Set
      2 (10 s rest) Set 3 60% 1-RM@8 reps 60% 1-RM@8 reps 60% 1-RM to fatigue. The RE
      protocol produced significant post-exercise reductions in end-systolic diameter
      (p less than 0.0002) and significant post-exercise increases in fractional
      shortening (p less than 0.0001) and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening
      (p less than 0.0002). The inotropic variables were still significantly different
      at two minutes post-exercise compared to the 20 second measure, suggesting that
      early recovery is a better approximation of maximal values. Velocity of
      circumferential fiber shortening at 20 seconds and two minutes was significantly
      correlated (r = 0.39) and fractional shortening was not (r = 0.34) at these
      serial measurement times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860752
TI  - Getting involved.

PMID- 1860753
TI  - Which one?

PMID- 1860754
TI  - Early indicators.

PMID- 1860755
TI  - How old is old?

PMID- 1860756
TI  - Is it possible to modulate the growth of the human mandible with a functional
      appliance?
AB  - A significant increase in overall mandibular length can be achieved with a
      functional appliance. However this only appears possible in children with a high
      tissue-level growth potential and responsiveness as defined by the mandibular
      subperiosteal ossification rate and alveolar bone turnover rate.

PMID- 1860757
TI  - Lower crowding.

PMID- 1860758
TI  - Color mammography. Image generation and receiver operating characteristic
      evaluation.
AB  - Color mammography is a technique whereby dual-energy mammographic image data are
      used to calculate a calcium image; the calcium image is colorized and overlaid
      onto the conventional (lower energy) gray scale mammogram for radiologist
      viewing. This technique is presented as a practical way to use the increased
      calcium sensitivity of dual-energy mammography without requiring an increase in
      the number of images that the radiologist must read, and without subjecting the
      radiologist to the unfamiliar appearance of the dual-energy subtracted images.
      Using straightforward imaging theory, the acquisition techniques for both
      conventional and dual-energy mammography were optimized, and the optimal
      technique factors were used to generate a series of computer-simulated
      mammographic images that were used in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      comparative study. Ideal observer ROC experiments indicate that (dual-energy)
      calcium images yield consistently higher sensitivity and specificity to the
      presence of calcifications, regardless of the amount of tissue "clutter," whereas
      conventional mammography results show degraded detectability performance as
      tissue contrast increases. Using human observers viewing simulated images, color
      mammography delivered greater calcification detectability than conventional
      mammography.

PMID- 1860759
TI  - Use of biostereometric analysis as a screen for breast cancer.
AB  - Biostereometric analysis, a photographic surface imaging technology that is
      noninvasive, was tested for its effectiveness in selecting breast pathology in a
      sample of 1000 female subjects, including 80 with cancers, 635 normals, and 285
      with benign breast conditions. These individuals were recruited from the
      population of women undergoing routine mammographic examination. The project was
      designed specifically to determine whether biostereometric analysis could
      identify the individuals in the sample with malignant breast disease in the hope
      of providing information to aid in future development of a breast cancer
      screening protocol. The overall sensitivity of the method for cancers of all
      sizes was 76%. Biostereometric analysis was 85% sensitive for selection of
      cancers in the subjects over 50 years of age, and identified 80% (4 of 5) of the
      subjects with clinically confirmed breast cancers less than 1 cm in size. The
      method was 69% specific, but identified benign breast disease in only 51% of
      cases.

PMID- 1860760
TI  - Expert learning system network for diagnosis of breast calcifications.
AB  - Breast calcification diagnosis was studied by using clinical findings and
      computerized image processing of a mammogram in a network of trained expert
      learning systems (Outcome Advisor [OA]). The system was tested with records not
      used for training and performance was compared with radiologist. The network was
      72% accurate in classifying clusters of calcifications as malignant or benign
      over a set of test cases radiologists had considered "hard-to-diagnose
      calcifications," and referred for biopsy. The radiologists had decided to conduct
      biopsy by selecting an equal number of positive and negative cases for the test
      group; thus the radiologists' performance with respect to categories of benign
      versus malignant was constrained to be 50/50. Statistical analysis shows only a
      2% probability that the observed accuracy of 72% was a chance performance in
      recognizing whether a cluster is benign or malignant. The feasibility of
      developing a network of OAs for diagnosing breast cancer integrating digital
      image processing of mammograms is promising.

PMID- 1860761
TI  - Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of hypoperfused myocardium.
AB  - Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can define myocardial perfusion
      defects due to acute coronary occlusion. However, since most clinically important
      diagnostic examinations involve coronary arteries with subtotal stenoses, we
      investigated the ability of MR imaging with a manganese contrast agent to detect
      perfusion abnormalities in a canine model of partial coronary artery stenosis.
      The contrast agent was administered after the creation of a partial coronary
      artery stenosis with the addition of the coronary vasodilator dipyridamole in six
      of 12 animals. The hearts were imaged ex situ using gradient reversal and spin
      echo sequences, and images were analyzed to determine differences in signal
      intensity between hypoperfused and normally perfused myocardium. Comparison of MR
      images with regional blood flow and thallium-201 measurements showed good
      concordance of hypoperfused segments in those animals given dipyridamole, with
      75% of the abnormal segments correctly identified. In those animals not given
      dipyridamole, 48% of segments were correctly identified. Thus, ex vivo MR imaging
      with a paramagnetic contrast enhancement can be used to detect acute regional
      myocardial perfusion abnormalities due to severe partial coronary artery
      stenoses.

PMID- 1860762
TI  - Percutaneous mechanical thrombolysis. A comparative study of various rotational
      catheter systems.
AB  - In vitro fragmentation of thrombi was performed with the Kensey catheter, the
      Bildsoe catheter, the Gunther aspiration catheter, and two modified aspiration
      catheters in a model circuit under femoral and pulmonary artery flow conditions.
      In the femoral artery model all tested catheters worked sufficiently: particles
      larger than 1000 microns in the effluent comprised only 1.27% +/- 0.46% of the
      initial thrombus weight. In the treatment of larger thrombi (pulmonary artery
      model), the action of rotational aspiration devices, and in particular of the
      Bildsoe catheter, was limited: fibrin filaments winding around the rotating tip
      led to catheter obstruction. The Kensey catheter yielded best results in the
      fragmentation of large thrombi.

PMID- 1860763
TI  - Renal clearance of an ionic high-osmolar and a nonionic low-osmolar contrast
      medium.
AB  - One hundred patients with normal serum creatinine concentration underwent
      intravenous urography with either an ionic high-osmolar (diatrizoate) or a
      nonionic low-osmolar (iopamidol) contrast medium after randomization. Before
      injection of the contrast medium, a blood sample was drawn for determinating
      serum creatinine concentration, and a urine sample for measurement of urine
      osmolality. Using x-ray fluorescence, the plasma concentration of iodine
      (contrast medium) was determined on blood samples drawn approximately 3 and 4
      hours after injection of the contrast medium. The glomerular filtration rate was
      calculated by two different formulas: one requiring only a single sample and one
      requiring at least two samples (standard). There were poor correlations between
      the standard contrast medium clearance and the serum creatinine concentration,
      the estimated creatinine clearance (calculated from a nomogram), as well as the
      urine osmolality. The 3-hour and the 4-hour single-sample values correlated well
      with the two-sample values for both contrast media. In patients with normal serum
      creatinine, the glomerular filtration rate determined by measuring the contrast
      medium concentration in a single plasma sample obtained at 3 hours, is almost
      identical to the value determined from two samples. Consequently, two samples are
      unnecessary.

PMID- 1860764
TI  - Traumatic pneumoperitoneum. Implications of computed tomography diagnosis.
AB  - Pneumoperitoneum detected on plain radiographs following blunt abdominal trauma
      is nearly pathognomonic of bowel perforation and usually mandates exploratory
      laparotomy. To determine the significance of computed tomography (CT)-detected
      pneumoperitoneum, we reviewed the clinical records and imaging studies of all
      trauma patients in our hospital over a seven-year period whose abdominal CT scans
      showed free intraperitoneal gas. Patients who had penetrating injuries or
      peritoneal lavage prior to CT were excluded. Of the 18 patients who met these
      inclusion criteria, surgically confirmed bowel injury was found in only four
      (22%). In the remaining 14 patients, no evidence of gastrointestinal perforation
      was found by exploratory laparotomy (2 patients), diagnostic peritoneal lavage (4
      patients), GI studies and clinical follow-up (6 patients), or clinical follow-up
      alone (5 patients). Seven patients had a pneumothorax as a possible cause for
      pneumoperitoneum. Two additional patients were on mechanical ventilation. Unlike
      pneumoperitoneum seen on plain film, CT-detected pneumoperitoneum is not
      pathognomonic of bowel perforation. While laparotomy is not mandatory in the non
      surgically explored patient, close clinical observation is essential, and
      additional diagnostic tests such as peritoneal lavage or radiographic contrast
      studies can be beneficial to confirm the absence of intestinal injury.

PMID- 1860765
TI  - Electrocardiogram changes during intrauterine injection of ionic contrast medium.
AB  - The effect of intrauterine injection of meglumine-sodium diatrizoate 60% on the
      electrocardiogram was studied in 28 young, healthy women during routine
      hysterosalpingography. The most important single finding observed was significant
      QTc prolongation in 25 (90%) out of the 28 women examined. QTc increased from 417
      +/- 18 mseconds to 451 +/- 30 mseconds (P less than .001). This effect
      disappeared rapidly within 2 to 3 minutes. Saline was injected in ten women prior
      to contrast medium injection in order to exclude direct mechanical dilatatory
      effect of the injected material. The QTc did not change significantly after
      saline (418 +/- 18 mseconds). The mechanism involved in the QTc prolongation is
      not known.

PMID- 1860766
TI  - Evacuation proctography in normal volunteers.
AB  - Constipated patients evaluated by evacuation proctography may be subjected to
      vigorous medical therapy or surgery, even colectomy, based on radiographic
      findings that have been called "abnormal" in the literature. Criteria for normal
      defecography are not uniformly established, nor has correlation of structural or
      functional findings with symptoms been clearly documented. We prospectively
      studied 21 asymptomatic volunteers to assess the frequency of findings in a
      control population, and to establish a quantitative measure of normal rectal
      emptying. Standard defecography technique demonstrated rectocele,
      intussusception, pelvic descent, or puborectalis spasm in 14/21 volunteers (67%).
      The range of rectal emptying was 12.5% to 100%, with four subjects (19%)
      evacuating less than or equal to 40% of the barium paste. There was no
      correlation between severity of radiographic findings and degree of evacuation.
      Defecography results in patients being considered for symptomatic intervention
      should be interpreted cautiously, given the wide range of normal variation in a
      control population.

PMID- 1860767
TI  - Fraud. The journal's role concerning fraudulent research.

PMID- 1860768
TI  - Clinical experience in the use of photostimulable phosphor radiographic systems.
AB  - The experience with CR systems gained at the three institutions described in this
      report demonstrates numerous advantages over the conventional screen-film system.
      These include: (1) a reduction in the radiation exposure delivered to the patient
      (25% to 50%); (2) a decrease in the number of repeat examinations needed,
      especially in portable units where technical difficulties are common with screen
      film examinations; this is attributable to the linear, wider dynamic range of CR
      systems compared with screen-film combinations; (3) the capability to archive
      electronically all images by means of a digital optical storage system; (4)
      automatic electronic setting of the laser scanner for the latitude and
      sensitivity on each image; (5) the digital images are available for transmission
      to all image display workstations on a local or wide-area network; and (6) the
      ability to adjust interactively the display parameters to best depict images and
      pathology as well as salvage technically suboptimal examinations. Several
      disadvantages of CR systems compared with conventional screen-film examinations
      have also been identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860769
TI  - Comprehensive breast cancer detection in an academic environment.

PMID- 1860770
TI  - Regulation of cutaneous wound healing by growth factors and the microenvironment.

PMID- 1860771
TI  - Prognosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a population-based study.
AB  - Nevitt, Ballard, and Hallett reviewed the charts of virtually all known cases of
      abdominal aortic aneurysms in residents of Rochester, Minnesota, from 1951 to
      1984. Of 370 patients included in this retrospective study, 181 had at least one
      ultrasound examination; 103 of these had at least two, and 67 had three. Five
      patients who had leakage or rupture of their aneurysm within 48 hours of their
      first ultrasound were excluded. The authors found that the median and mean
      increase in aneurysm size was 0.21 cm and 0.26 cm per year, respectively. There
      were no cases of rupture in aneurysms less than 5.0 cm in diameter over the
      course of the study. Aneurysms which on presentation had a diameter of less than
      3.5 cm. had a 0% incidence of rupture at eight years. The risk of eventual
      rupture, following enlargement, for aneurysms 3.5 to 4.9 cm at first ultrasound,
      was 5% at nine years. Of aneurysms greater than 5.0 cm at the outset, 25% had
      ruptured by eight years. No significant data regarding rate of change in size
      relative to risk of rupture were derived. The authors conclude that the rate of
      expansion of aneurysms is less than the accepted figure of 0.4 cm per year, and
      that risk of rupture of aneurysms less than 5.0 cm in diameter is much smaller
      than believed. Because their study is based on a geographically defined rather
      than referral population, Nevitt et al assert that their data closely approximate
      the true natural history of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

PMID- 1860772
TI  - Sternal mass in a patient with Paget's disease.

PMID- 1860773
TI  - Visual skill: correlation with detection of solitary pulmonary nodules.

PMID- 1860774
TI  - Guidelines for nursing management of people infected with human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV)--W.H.O.

PMID- 1860775
TI  - Predicaments of the closed ward staff.
AB  - Coordinated team work is a sine qua non for efficient functioning of a
      therapeutic ward. Extreme violence on the part of a patient may disrupt the
      working relationship within the team to the extent of causing its members to
      question their choice of profession. Physical assaults and allegations of
      professional or personal misconduct brought forward by a patient and his/her
      family may undermine the competence of the attending staff. Recognition by the
      health, legal and psychiatric authorities of the difficulties to which the
      personnel on an acute closed ward is continually exposed may alleviate staff
      burnout. This in turn will contribute to better management of the patients.

PMID- 1860776
TI  - Measuring psychological stress in primary care military medical clinics.
AB  - In this study, the amount of psychological distress reported by soldiers is
      investigated and measured over time. The soldiers--enlisted and career--were
      randomly chosen while visiting five different military primary care clinics (for
      ostensible somatic problems) and administered the General Health Questionnaire
      (Goldberg and Huxley, 1980). A third of the subjects were given the GHQ a year
      later. Fifty-two percent showed psychological stress: combat soldiers showed
      considerably less distress than technical/maintenance and administrative
      soldiers, and the psychological stress findings remained relatively stable over
      time. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

PMID- 1860777
TI  - Head lice in drawings of kindergarten children.
AB  - Drawings by kindergarten children were analyzed in order to study the emotional
      reaction of these children to head lice. The choice of color was significant
      (black was used by 43% of the children, indicating that the subject of lice is
      associated with anxiety and fear) as were the unhappy faces and omissions of
      mouths in the drawings. While we know today that lice do not discriminate between
      clean and dirty hair, parents and professionals react very negatively to the
      condition, and this feeling is transferred to children as indicated by their
      drawings.

PMID- 1860778
TI  - Munchausen syndrome by adult proxy revisited.
AB  - A new variant of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSbP) case is presented here:
      Munchausen by Adult Proxy (MSbAP). The article discusses the case of a man
      (publicly known as the "Gasoline Injector") who is serving a 46-year jail term
      for attempted murder and manslaughter. His behavior is reminiscent of MSbP but
      his victims were two female adults, and his cell mate (on whom he repeated his
      actions). A description is given in terms of egosyntonic irresistible
      pathological impulses involving sexual objects. A common ground is proposed for
      paraphilias, Munchausen syndrome, MSbP and MSbAP.

PMID- 1860779
TI  - Drug induced suicidal ideation.
AB  - The authors present a case study of a mentally healthy man who repeatedly
      experienced short-lived, obsessional-like suicidal ideas and images after
      ingestion of the anti-fungal drug ketoconazole. Ego-alien, suicidal ideas are an
      extremely rare form of adverse drug reaction. This is probably the first report
      of drug-induced ego-dystonic, mood incongruent suicidal ideas appearing in a
      fully conscious, healthy individual.

PMID- 1860780
TI  - Perestroika and the Jewish problem.

PMID- 1860781
TI  - Two models of brief strategic therapy: the MRI model and the de Shazer model.
AB  - This paper presents and compares two models of brief strategic therapy: the MRI
      model, and the de Shazer model. Both models were implemented simultaneously in a
      community mental health child clinic. Each model is presented, and then
      illustrated by a case study. Apparent are the benefits that can be gained through
      exposure to each model, and the point that premature integration of the models
      might detract from the processes. The staff members' experience with the two
      models, and the differences in the therapist attitude are discussed.

PMID- 1860782
TI  - In vivo influences of phorbol ester and calcium ionophore on lymphocyte traffic,
      lymph flow and efferent lymph levels of thromboxane B2 in sheep.
AB  - In vitro systems have provided increasing evidence of significant lymphocyte
      transmembrane signalling by plasma membrane receptors which utilize antigen and
      other ligand activation of the inositol phosphate dual second messenger system of
      intracellular signalling. Elevation of intracellular Ca2+ and activation of
      protein kinase C are important products of these signals and appear to provide a
      complete set of mitogenic signals for both T and B cells. Calcium inophore and
      phorbol ester have been found to mimic these events in vitro and are here
      employed in vitro to study their effects on lymphocyte traffic and efferent lymph
      flow through primary peripheral lymph nodes of sheep and on the output into
      efferent lymph of the arachidonic acid metabolite, thromboxane B2. Calcium
      ionophore and phorbol ester were given alone or in combination to popliteal lymph
      nodes of sheep by drainage area injection or by acute infusion into cannulated
      afferent lympatics of study popliteal lymph nodes whose efferent lymphatic was
      chronically cannulated for study. The findings resembled those of drainage area
      immunization with an early increase in efferent lymph flow and prompt and marked
      depressions in the output into efferent lymph of both small recirculating and
      blast lymphocytes ('shutdown', 'recruitment'), followed by a marked increase in
      the output into efferent lymph of both small recirculating and blast lymphocytes.
      The greatest elevation in both small recirculating and blast lymphocyte outputs
      was at 24 and 48 h following phorbol ester and calcium ionophore administration.
      Acute phorbol ester and calcium ionophore administration was associated with a
      prompt and marked elevation in efferent lymph levels of thromboxane B2 which were
      of short duration. The findings observed here with lymph node drainage area
      infusion/injection of both phorbol ester and calcium ionophore are quite similar
      to those encountered in this sheep lymphocyte traffic model following popliteal
      lymph node drainage area immunization with killed Salmonella muenchen antigen.

PMID- 1860783
TI  - Effect of the double-stranded polynucleotide complex polyadenylate-polyuridylate
      (poly A-U) on interleukin-6 production by mouse fibroblasts.
AB  - Cultures of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (L 929) have been shown to produce a
      factor which promotes the growth of B cell hybridoma (hybridoma growth factor,
      HGF) i.e. interleukin 6 (IL-6). The aim of the present study was to investigate
      the effect of Poly A-U on IL-6 production by this cell type. After incubation for
      48 h at 37 degrees C of confluent (1 week old) L 929 fibroblasts in the presence
      or in the absence of Poly A-U, IL-6-like activity in supernatants was measured by
      the proliferation assay of the IL-6-dependent B cell hybridoma cell line, 7TD1.
      Poly A-U increased IL-6 activity in supernatants in a dose-dependent manner at
      doses higher than 50 micrograms/ml, the maximum activity being observed at the
      highest concentration of Poly A-U used, i.e. 500 micrograms/ml. beta Interleukin
      1 (beta IL-1) and poly-cytidylic-polyinosinic (Poly I-C) have been shown to be
      inducers of IL-6 in fibroblast culture and thus their effect was compared to that
      of Poly A-U. The IL-6 activity in supernatants induced by 500 micrograms/ml Poly
      I-C (58.4 +/- 16.4 U/ml; n = 4) was higher than that evoked by 100 U/ml beta IL-1
      (5.7 +/- 0.4 U/ml) or 500 micrograms/ml Poly A-U (39.6 +/- 7.8 U/ml). The
      increased production of IL-6 by Poly A-U may explain part of its previously
      reported immunomodulatory effects.

PMID- 1860784
TI  - Inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by amantadine and its isomer, 2
      aminoadamantane; impact on Lyt-2+ T cells while sparing L3T4+ T cells.
AB  - The present in vitro investigations on amantadine (AmTd) and its isomer 2
      aminoadamantane (2-NH2-Adam), and the corresponding analogs, 1-nitroadamantane (1
      NO2-Adam) and 2-nitroadamantane (2-NO2-Adam), were undertaken to gain information
      about molecular features that might have a dominant role in inhibiting T
      lymphocyte proliferation and to determine whether all, or a subpopulation of
      thymic-dependent (T) lymphocytes might be impacted by these drugs. Studies were
      done using lymphocytes from untreated normal mice as well as cloned murine
      cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CTLL cells. T lymphocytes were defined by their
      proliferative response to concanavalin A (Con A), and thymic-independent (B)
      lymphocytes by their proliferative response lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
      Proliferation of CTLL cells was induced by supplementing the culture medium with
      lymphokine-containing medium or by adding recombinant interleukin (IL)-2.
      Proliferation was assessed by quantifying cellular incorporation of tritiated
      thymidine. The data show that the aminoadamantanes, AmTd and 2-NH2-Adam, impacted
      on Lyt-2+ T lymphocytes while sparing L3T4+ T lymphocytes. In addition, the data
      show that the location of the substituent group on the adamantane ring altered
      the molecule's capacity to modulate lymphocyte activity. And finally, results of
      studies comparing the inhibitory activity of AmTd and 1-NO2-Adam suggest a non
      lysosomal mechanism of action. Possible implications of these findings are
      discussed.

PMID- 1860785
TI  - Cellular and biochemical studies of substituted guanine ribonucleoside
      immunostimulants.

PMID- 1860786
TI  - Questionnaire versus clinical interview in the diagnosis of headache.
AB  - A self-administered questionnaire based on the operational diagnostic criteria of
      the International Headache Society (IHS) was evaluated in a cross-sectional
      epidemiological survey of headache disorders. A clinical interview was used as
      index of validity. Seven hundred and thirteen subjects were included.
      Sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and chance-corrected agreement rate
      for the diagnosis of migraine was 51%, 92%, 50% (PVpos), 93% (PVneg), and 0.43
      respectively. Corresponding values for episodic tension-type headache were 43%,
      96%, 95% (PVpos), 46% (PVneg), and 0.30; and for chronic tension-type headache
      14%, 100%, 100% (PVpos), 97% (PVneg), and 0.24. It is concluded that a
      questionnaire is not a satisfactory tool in diagnosing headache disorders
      according to the IHS criteria. The methods of data collection seem to have
      significant influence on the results. Caution in handling data obtained by means
      of subjective statements is advocated.

PMID- 1860787
TI  - Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium.
AB  - The effects of oral Magnesium (Mg) pyrrolidone carboxylic acid were evaluated in
      20 patients affected by menstrual migraine, in a double-blind, placebo controlled
      study. After a two cycles run-in period, the treatment (360 mg/day of Mg or
      placebo) started on the 15th day of the cycle and continued till the next menses,
      for two months. Oral Mg was then supplemented in an open design for the next two
      months. At the 2nd month, the Pain Total Index was decreased by both Placebo and
      Mg, with patients receiving active drug showing the lowest values (P less than
      0.03). The number of days with headache was reduced only in the patients on
      active drug. Mg treatment also improved premenstrual complaints, as demonstrated
      by the significant reduction of Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) scores.
      The reduction of PTI and MDQ scores was observed also at the 4th month of
      treatment, when Mg was supplemented in all the patients. Intracellular Mg++
      levels in patients with menstrual migraine were reduced compared to controls.
      During oral Mg treatment, the Mg++ content of Lymphocytes (LC) and
      Polymorphonucleated cells (PMN) significantly increased, while no changes in
      plasma or Red Blood Cells were found. An inverse correlation between PTI and Mg++
      content in PMN was demonstrated. These data point to magnesium supplementation as
      a further means for menstrual migraine prophylaxis, and support the possibility
      that a lower migraine threshold could be related to magnesium deficiency.

PMID- 1860788
TI  - Anger and hostility in tension-type headache.
AB  - A battery of standardized psychometric tests was administered to a group of 47
      episodic tension-type headache sufferers and 47 headache-free controls. Compared
      to controls, headache subjects showed higher levels of anxiety, depression, and
      anger/hostility. The groups did not differ significantly on a measure of anger
      expressed toward persons or objects, but headache subjects showed significantly
      greater levels of suppressed anger. The results provide objective data that are
      in general agreement with predictions derived from psychosomatic theories about
      the interrelationships among anxiety,

PMID- 1860789
TI  - Decreased serum interleukin-2 level in patients with chronic headache.
AB  - Some cellular immune functions are impaired in cluster headache patients.
      Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a polypeptide secreted by antigen or mitogen-actuated T
      lymphocytes that functions as a growth factor for T cells. To investigate
      cellular immune functions in patients with chronic headache, we measured the IL-2
      concentration of sera in patients with migraine and in patients with tension-type
      headache. Thirteen subjects suffering from migraine without aura (5 males and 8
      females, mean age: 32.8 years) and 46 subjects (20 males and 26 females, mean
      age: 39.7 years) with tension-type headache (TH) were selected for this study.
      Forty-three normal healthy volunteers composed the control group (15 males and 28
      females, average age 41.6 years). The IL-2 levels of sera were determined using
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. The IL-2 levels of sera
      were 3.18 +/- 1.8 U/ml (mean +/- SD) in the healthy controls, 2.29 +/- 2.6 U/ml
      in the patients with migraine and 1.59 +/- 1.0 U/ml in the patients with TH. The
      serum level of IL-2 in the patients with migraine was significantly lower than in
      the controls. The serum level of IL-2 in the patients with TH was significantly
      lower than in the controls. The central nervous system (CNS) has been considered
      to be involved in the development of the immune phenomena. In the patients with
      TH or migraine, reduction in platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels and
      sympathetic hypofunction have been observed. These phenomena might reflect
      decrease in 5-HT levels in CNS in the patients with TH or migraine. The decreased
      serum IL-2 level, observed in this study, might reflect a reduction in 5-HT or
      catecholamine levels in CNS in the patients with migraine or TH.

PMID- 1860790
TI  - Activation of pain fibers to the internal carotid artery intracranially may cause
      the pain and local signs of reduced sympathetic and enhanced parasympathetic
      activity in cluster headache.
AB  - Several clinical and circulatory physiological observations indicate that the
      internal carotid artery (ICA) with proximal pial and orbital-periorbital
      branches, as well as external carotid vessels adjacent to the orbital region, are
      involved in the autonomic symptoms of an attack of cluster headache. Evidence is
      presented here that an activation of pain fibers innervating the intracranial
      segment of ICA may cause not only the retroorbital pain of an attack but also,
      via the mechanical effect of a neurogenic inflammation in the vessel wall, the
      local symptoms of a sympathetic defect and, via a reflex are to the
      parasympathetic pathway along the greater superficial petrosal nerve, the local
      symptoms from glands and vessels of parasympathetic discharge. Dilation of the
      intracranial ICA due to activation of this parasympathetic pathway may aggravate
      pain. Possible mechanisms behind such a local pain fiber activation are
      discussed.

PMID- 1860791
TI  - EMG activity in pericranial muscles during postural variation and mental activity
      in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic tension type headache.
AB  - EMG activity was recorded over frontalis, temporalis and trapezius muscles in a
      supine position, a standing position and during a mental task in 32 female
      patients suffering from chronic tension-type headache and in 20 healthy
      volunteers. Measurements in patients were made before and after biofeedback
      therapy. All EMG levels were on average significantly higher in patients than in
      controls. 62.5% of patients had at least one abnormal EMG level, but only 34%
      were beyond the normal range, if 1 muscle and 1 recording condition was
      considered. EMG levels were not correlated with headache severity, anxiety or
      response to biofeedback treatment. It is therefore suggested that pericranial EMG
      activity is not pathogenetic in chronic tension type headache, but merely one of
      several pathophysiologic changes, that are produced by a central dysfunction.

PMID- 1860792
TI  - Headache syndromes as detected by configural frequency analysis.
AB  - Data on headache symptoms obtained in two samples (N = 422 and 304) by means of
      questionnaires were subjected to configural frequency analysis (CFA). This not
      widely-known method tests whether certain symptom combinations appear more often
      or less often than expected by chance. In both samples symptom combinations
      corresponding to the syndromes of migraine with aura, migraine without aura and
      tension headache did indeed occur with significant frequency. The same clear-cut
      symptom patterns appeared when patients with preceding visual disturbances were
      excluded from analysis. These results seem to lend strong support to a
      categorical model of headache, rather than to the concept of headache as a
      spectrum.

PMID- 1860793
TI  - The impact of cigarette smoking on headache activity in headache patients.
AB  - The present study was designed to explore the relationship between cigarette
      smoking and headache activity in a sample of patients presenting for treatment.
      Subjects completed various self-report measures and monitored headache activity
      four times per day over a 4-week period. Analyses revealed that smokers
      experienced greater weekly peak headache intensity, and reported higher levels of
      depression and general physical symptoms. Among smokers, nicotine content of the
      preferred brand was associated with mean headache index and weekly headache-free
      days, as well as depression and anxiety scores. Daily smoking rate and pack-year
      history were related to level of general physical symptoms only. Thus, both
      smoking status and the nicotine content of the preferred cigarette appear to
      adversely impact headache activity. Further, smokers who are more anxious or
      depressed may increase their headache activity via their preference for higher
      nicotine-content cigarettes. These results are discussed in the context of
      possible mechanisms underlying these effects, and implications for the clinical
      management of headache suffers who smoke.

PMID- 1860794
TI  - Hemicrania continua: a therapeutic dilemma.

PMID- 1860795
TI  - Naproxen for perimenstrual headache.

PMID- 1860796
TI  - [Not diagnosable malignant melanomas].
AB  - Of the 3574 malignant melanomas treated in Hornheide between December 1981 and
      August 1990 (not including preinvasive cases) 97 were not immediately recognized.
      These tumours did not look like melanomas. In 72% they were smaller than 10 mm in
      diameter, and in 20%, smaller than 5 mm. Clark's so often quoted "pencil rule"
      should no longer be used as an aid to exclusion of invasive melanoma.
      Localization of the unrecognized melanomas was on the head and neck in 22% of
      cases. In 37%, the patients were under the age of 40 years. No less than 25% of
      the patients had multiple melanomas. Many of these melanomas. Many of these
      melanomas were thin tumours (less than 0.75 mm in 55% and less than 1.5 mm in
      77%). This explains why more than 50% of the lesions are described as "macules".
      The most common incorrect diagnoses were dysplastic naevi (44%) and common (23%)
      naevi. The most important anamnestic criteria are the patients' own statements
      about changes in size, colour and shape. These "dynamic" elements must be more
      carefully observed and documented during process of the clinical diagnosis.

PMID- 1860798
TI  - [Cryofibrinogenemia--successful therapy by decreasing fibrinogen].
AB  - Six patients suffering from solitary cryofibrinogenaemia are described. In one
      patient idiopathic cryofibrinogenaemia was present, while the others showed
      secondary cryofibrinogenaemia associated with borrelia infection, chronic venous
      insufficiency with pulmonary embolism, primary biliary cirrhosis, diabetes
      mellitus or von-Willebrand syndrome. Subcutaneous injections of the thrombin-like
      snake poison batroxobin/ancrod were administered over a period of several weeks.
      Five patients experienced almost complete remission of their symptoms, especially
      of pain following cold exposure. In one patient partial relief was achieved.
      Overall we found a 75% reduction of symptoms. When blood fibrinogen levels are
      carefully monitored this therapy is an efficient and safe form of treatment for
      cryofibrinogenaemia.

PMID- 1860797
TI  - [Plaque-like dermal fibromatosis].
AB  - Plaquelike dermal fibromatosis with a preference for the periaxillary region is
      described in 22 women, 1 man and 2 boys before puberty. The lesions grew slowly
      but relentlessly and measured up to 5 cm in diameter. No recurrences after
      excision have occurred to date. Histologically there is bandlike proliferation
      throughout the stratum reticulare consisting of well-differentiated, highly
      cellular fibrous tissue.

PMID- 1860799
TI  - [Electron microscopy findings in human spermatozoa with flagellar defects].
AB  - Spermatozoal motility disorders must be interpreted with reference to whether the
      flagella are intact or impaired. A new classification of alterations of midpiece
      and flagellum includes a shaft disturbance that is increasingly often observed
      and can be recognized by light microscopy. Electron microscope examinations have
      shown that missing or poorly developed outer dense fibres are one cause of this
      flagellar disorder. As suitable longitudinal sections are rarely obtained in
      transmission electron microscopy, the negative staining technique was used in
      addition for this purpose. This method was found to be most suitable for an exact
      analysis of the periaxonemal structures of the sperm flagellum. Consideration of
      this hitherto unknown flagellar disturbance is important, because various
      therapeutic approaches have had little success so far and patients should be
      referred in good time for other gynaecological or andrological treatments.

PMID- 1860800
TI  - [A classical form of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis--successful therapy with
      PUVA].
AB  - Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis was first defined by Ofuji et al. in 1970
      [13]. It is reported most frequently in Japanese patients. It is characterized by
      the repetitive appearance of sterile papulopustular lesions that heal without
      scarring. Case reports from outside Japan frequently refer to ulcerating
      inflammation. We describe a classic form of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis in
      an European, and we show for the first time that the eosinophilic pustular
      folliculitis responds well to PUVA treatment.

PMID- 1860801
TI  - [Spinocellular cancers and myxoid atypical fibroxanthoma of an actinically
      damaged burn scar].
AB  - We report on a 66-year-old male patient suffering from several squamous cell
      carcinomas and a myxoid atypical fibroxanthoma of the skin. The tumours developed
      in burn scars that the patient had had for more than 50 years and that had in
      part undergone actinic elastosis. The role of burn scars in the development of
      different skin tumours is pointed out. In addition, we discuss the differential
      diagnosis of the rare myxoid variant of atypical fibroxanthoma.

PMID- 1860802
TI  - [Multilocular, immature-cell myelogenous infiltrates of the skin in a patient
      with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia following polycythemia vera and anti
      cardiolipin syndrome].
AB  - We report a 65-year-old patient presenting with disseminated, reddish, thick
      infiltrates and nodules during chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia and
      anticardiolipin syndrome. Histological and immunohistochemical investigations
      revealed immature myelogenous skin infiltrates.

PMID- 1860803
TI  - [4th Meeting of the Work Committee of Dermatologic Angiology of the German
      Dermatology Association].

PMID- 1860805
TI  - [Meeting on "New Trends in Allergy III"].

PMID- 1860804
TI  - [72d Annual Meeting of the Swiss Association of Dermatology and Venereology].

PMID- 1860806
TI  - [Drastic increase in syphilis incidence in West Saxony].

PMID- 1860807
TI  - [Education in dermatologic surgery. Wound closure].

PMID- 1860809
TI  - Using CAHD.

PMID- 1860808
TI  - Computer-Aided Health Devices--the link to our next 20 years.

PMID- 1860810
TI  - Needlestick-prevention devices.

PMID- 1860811
TI  - Introducing HECS 3.0.

PMID- 1860812
TI  - Isolation and initial characterization of a series of Chlamydia trachomatis
      isolates selected for hydroxyurea resistance by a stepwise procedure.
AB  - Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that are dependent on eukaryotic
      host cells for ribonucleoside triphosphates but not deoxyribonucleotide
      triphosphates. Ribonucleotide reductase is the only enzyme known to catalyze the
      direct conversion of a ribonucleotide to a deoxyribonucleotide. Hydroxyurea
      inhibits ribonucleotide reductase by inactivating the tyrosine free radical
      present in the small subunit of the enzyme. In this report, we show that
      Chlamydia trachomatis growth is inhibited by hydroxyurea in both wild-type mouse
      L cells and hydroxyurea-resistant mouse L cells. Hydroxyurea was used as a
      selective agent in culture to isolate, by a stepwise procedure, a series of C.
      trachomatis isolates with increasing levels of resistance to the cytotoxic
      effects of the drug. One of the drug-resistant C. trachomatis isolates (L2HR
      10.0) was studied in more detail. L2HR-10.0 retained its drug resistance
      phenotype even after passage in the absence of hydroxyurea for 10 growth cycles.
      In addition, L2HR-10.0 was cross resistant to guanazole, another inhibitor of
      ribonucleotide reductase. Results obtained from hydroxyurea inhibition studies
      using various host cell-parasite combinations indicated that inhibition of host
      cell and C. trachomatis DNA synthesis by hydroxyurea can occur but need not occur
      simultaneously. Crude extract prepared from highly purified C. trachomatis
      reticulate bodies was capable of reducing CDP to dCDP. The CDP reductase activity
      was not inhibited by monoclonal antibodies to the large and small subunits of
      mammalian ribonucleotide reductase, suggesting that the activity is chlamydia
      specific. The CDP reductase activity was inhibited by hydroxyurea. Crude extract
      prepared from drug-resistant L2HR-10.0 reticulate bodies contained an elevation
      in ribonucleotide reductase activity. In total, our results indicate that C.
      trachomatis obtains the precursors for DNA synthesis as ribonucleotides with
      subsequent conversion to deoxyribonucleotides catalyzed by a chlamydia-specific
      ribonucleotide reductase.

PMID- 1860813
TI  - Genetic evidence for interaction between the CheW and Tsr proteins during
      chemoreceptor signaling by Escherichia coli.
AB  - This study presents two lines of genetic evidence consistent with the premise
      that CheW, a cytoplasmic component of the chemotactic signaling system of
      Escherichia coli, interacts directly with Tsr, the membrane-bound serine
      chemoreceptor. (i) We demonstrated phenotypic suppression between 10 missense
      mutant CheW proteins and six missense mutant Tsr proteins. Most of these mutant
      proteins had leaky chemotaxis defects and were partially dominant, implying
      relatively minor functional alterations. Their suppression pattern was allele
      specific, suggesting that the mutant proteins have compensatory conformational
      changes at sites of interactive contact. (ii) We isolated five partially dominant
      CheW mutations and found that four of them were similar or identical to the
      suppressible CheW mutant proteins. This implies that there are only a few ways in
      which CheW function can be altered to produce dominant defects and that dominance
      is mediated through interactions of CheW with Tsr. The amino acid replacements in
      these mutant proteins were inferred from their DNA sequence changes. The CheW
      mutations were located in five regularly spaced clusters in the first two-thirds
      of the protein. The Tsr mutations were located in a highly conserved region in
      the middle of the cytoplasmic signaling domain. The hydrophobic moments, overall
      hydrophobicities, and predicted secondary structures of the mutant segments were
      consistent with the possibility that they are located at the surface of the CheW
      and Tsr molecules and represent the contact sites between these two proteins.

PMID- 1860814
TI  - Methylamine metabolism in Hansenula polymorpha: an in vivo 13C and 31P nuclear
      magnetic resonance study.
AB  - Methylamine uptake, oxidation, and assimilation were studied in Hansenula
      polymorpha, a methylotrophic yeast. The constitutive ammonia transport system was
      shown to be effective at accumulating methylamine within cells cultured with
      methylamine or ammonia as a nitrogen source. [13C]methylamine oxidation rates
      were measured in vivo in methylamine-adapted cells by 13C nuclear magnetic
      resonance and were found to be lower than its uptake rate into the cells. The 13C
      label of methylamine was found exclusively in trehalose and glycerol, and
      [13C]formaldehyde was also extensively assimilated, indicating the presence of an
      assimilation pathway for the methylamine carbon. In vivo 31P nuclear magnetic
      resonance analysis showed major differences in the endogenous polyphosphate
      levels and mean chain length during adaptation of the cells from ammonia to
      methylamine, indicating that methylamine accumulated in the vacuole in the same
      manner as basic amino acids and purines. [13C]glucose metabolism was drastically
      altered during adaptation of the cells from ammonia to methylamine as a nitrogen
      source. The total rate of glucose utilization and the rate of ethanol production
      fell. Direct trehalose synthesis from glucose increased, indicating a switch from
      carbon utilization for growth to that for storage. The rate of methylamine
      oxidation was sufficient to support a much higher flow of carbon into central
      biosynthetic pathways. These results suggest that this reduction in biosynthetic
      carbon flow, rather than nitrogen availability, was the main factor responsible
      for reducing the growth rate of the yeast when ammonia was replaced by
      methylamine as the nitrogen source.

PMID- 1860815
TI  - Saturation mutagenesis of the UASNTR (GATAA) responsible for nitrogen catabolite
      repression-sensitive transcriptional activation of the allantoin pathway genes in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Saturation mutagenesis of the UASNTR element responsible for GLN3-dependent,
      nitrogen catabolite repression-sensitive transcriptional activation of allantoin
      pathway genes in yeast cells identified the dodecanucleotide sequence 5'
      TTNCTGATAAGG-3' as the minimum required for UAS activity. There was significant
      flexibility in mutant sequences capable of supporting UAS activity, which
      correlates well with the high variation in UASNTR homologous sequences reported
      to be upstream of the DAL and DUR genes. Three of nine UASNTR-like sequences 5'
      of the DAL5 gene supported high-level transcriptional activation. The others,
      which contained nonpermissive substitutions, were not active.

PMID- 1860817
TI  - Tryptophan gene cluster of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg:
      molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of a putative trpEGCFBAD operon.
AB  - A recombinant cosmid carrying the Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum Marburg
      trp genes was selected by complementation of Escherichia coli trp mutations. A
      7.3-kb fragment of the cloned archaeal DNA was sequenced. It contained the seven
      trp genes, arranged adjacent to each other in the order trpEGCFBAD. No gene
      fusions were observed. The trp genes were organized in an operonlike structure,
      with four short (5- to 56-bp) intergenic regions and two overlapping genes. There
      was no indication for an open reading frame encoding a leader peptide in the
      upstream region of trpE. The gene order observed in the M. thermoautotrophicum
      trp operon was different from all known arrangements of the trp genes in archaea,
      bacteria, and eucarya. The encoded sequences of the Methanobacterium Trp proteins
      were similar in size to their bacterial and eucaryal counterparts, and all of
      them contained the segments of highly similar or invariant amino acid residues
      recognized in the Trp enzymes from bacteria and eucarya. The TrpE, TrpG, TrpC,
      TrpA, and TrpD proteins were 30 to 50% identical to those from representatives of
      other species. Significantly less sequence conservation (18 to 30%) was observed
      for TrpF, and TrpB exhibited a high degree of identity (50 to 62%) to the
      sequences of representatives of the three domains. With the exception of TrpB,
      the beta subunit of tryptophan synthase, tryptophan was absent from all Trp
      polypeptides.

PMID- 1860816
TI  - Analysis of virC, an operon involved in the secretion of Yop proteins by Yersinia
      enterocolitica.
AB  - Upon incubation at 37 degrees C in the absence of Ca2+ ions, pathogenic yersiniae
      release large amounts of pYV plasmid-encoded proteins called Yops that are
      involved in pathogenesis. Yersinia enterocolitica also expresses an outer
      membrane protein that is considered an adhesin and called YadA (previously called
      P1 or YopA). The production of Yops is coordinately regulated by a 20-kb region
      of the plasmid referred to as the Ca2+ dependence region and containing at least
      four loci called virA, virB, virC, and virF. The virF gene encodes a key
      transcriptional activator of yop genes. We have shown here that virF is also
      required for transcription of yadA and that virB is necessary for full
      transcription of the yop and yadA genes. In contrast, mutations in genes virA and
      virC had only a weak influence on the transcription of yop and yadA genes. These
      mutations did not affect the production of YadA but they completely inhibited the
      translocation of Yops from the intracellular compartment to the extracellular
      milieu. We inferred from these data that virA and virC are involved in the
      specific transport of Yops. We analyzed the 8.5-kb virC region and showed that it
      is most probably a single operon containing 13 open reading frames called yscA to
      yscM (for Yop secretion). Protein YscC has a putative signal sequence and shares
      significant homology with outer membrane proteins involved in the secretion of
      pullulanase by Klebsiella pneumoniae (PulD) or in the assembly of filamentous
      bacteriophages (gene IV product). At least the putative products of yscD, yscJ,
      and yscL were shown to be required for the export of Yops. YscJ turned out to be
      YlpB, a lipoprotein that we had detected previously. The yscM gene shares
      homology with yopH, the adjacent gene on the pYV plasmid. Its product does not
      appear to be necessary for the production of Yops. Transcription of the virC
      operon was subjected to the same regulation as the yop genes.

PMID- 1860818
TI  - Resuscitation of Vibrio vulnificus from the viable but nonculturable state.
AB  - Stationary-phase-grown cells of the estuarine bacterium Vibrio vulnificus became
      nonculturable in nutrient-limited artificial seawater microcosms after 27 days at
      5 degrees C. When the nonculturable cells were subjected to temperature upshift
      by being placed at room temperature, the original bacterial numbers were
      detectable by plate counts after 3 days, with a corresponding increase in the
      direct viable counts from 3% to over 80% of the total cell count. No increase in
      the total cell count was observed during resuscitation, indicating that the plate
      count increases were not due to growth of a few culturable cells. Chloramphenicol
      and ampicillin totally inhibited resuscitation of the nonculturable cells when
      added to samples that had been at room temperature for up to 24 h. After 72 h of
      resuscitation, the inhibitors had an easily detectable but reduced effect on the
      resuscitated cells, indicating that protein and peptidoglycan synthesis were
      still ongoing. Major changes in the morphology of the cells were discovered.
      Nonculturable cells of V. vulnificus were small cocci (approximately 1.0 micron
      in diameter). Upon resuscitation, the cells became large rods with a size of mid
      log-phase cells (3.0 microns in length). Four days after the cells had become
      fully resuscitated, the cell size had decreased to approximately 1.5 micron in
      length and 0.7 micron in width. The cells were able to go through at least two
      cycles of nonculturability and subsequent resuscitation without changes in the
      total cell count. This is the first report of resuscitation, without the addition
      of nutrient, of nonculturable cells, and it is suggested that temperature may be
      the determining factor in the resuscitation from this survival, or adaptation,
      state of certain species in estuarine environments.

PMID- 1860819
TI  - Mutational analysis of repression and activation of the tyrP gene in Escherichia
      coli.
AB  - In a previous report it had been suggested that the tyrP gene of Escherichia coli
      may be expressed from two separate promoters. We have endeavored to confirm this
      suggestion by primer extension studies and the separate subcloning of each of
      these promoters. In these studies, we found a single promoter whose expression
      was repressed by TyrR protein in the presence of tyrosine and activated by TyrR
      protein in the presence of phenylalanine. Two adjacent TYR R boxes, with the
      downstream one overlapping the tyrP promoter, are the likely targets for the
      action of TyrR protein. Mutational analysis showed that both TYR R boxes were
      required for tyrosine-mediated repression but that only the upstream box was
      required for phenylalanine-mediated activation. In vitro DNase protection studies
      established that whereas in the absence of tyrosine TyrR protein protected the
      region of DNA represented by the upstream box, at low TyrR protein concentrations
      both tyrosine and ATP were required to protect the region of DNA involving the
      downstream box and overlapping the RNA polymerase binding site.

PMID- 1860820
TI  - Importance of the position of TYR R boxes for repression and activation of the
      tyrP and aroF genes in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Tyrosine-mediated repression of aroF and tyrP was studied by inserting DNA
      sequences between the two adjacent TYR R boxes which, in each case, overlap the
      respective RNA polymerase binding sites of these genes. In both cases, repression
      was greatest when homologous regions of these two TYR R boxes were on the same
      face of the DNA helix and the boxes were directly adjacent. An insertion of 3
      bases was sufficient to abolish repression, which was reestablished as the boxes
      became separated by one full turn of the helix. These observations, coupled with
      the results of in vitro DNase I protection studies, supported the hypothesis that
      the binding of TyrR protein to the downstream boxes required cooperative
      interaction with TyrR protein already bound to the upstream boxes. In the case of
      tyrP, moving the upstream box also affected activation. Maximal activation was
      observed when the box was moved 3 or 12 to 14 residues upstream. Practically no
      activation was seen at intermediate positions, such as +7 and -4. It is
      hypothesized that these results indicate positions allowing maximal interaction
      between TyrR protein bound to the upstream box and RNA polymerase bound to the
      RNA polymerase binding site.

PMID- 1860821
TI  - Analysis of Streptococcus pneumoniae sequences cloned into Escherichia coli:
      effect of promoter strength and transcription terminators.
AB  - Difficulties encountered in the cloning of DNA from Streptococcus pneumoniae and
      other AT-rich organisms into ColE1-type Escherichia coli vectors have been
      proposed to be due to the presence of a large number of strong promoter-acting
      sequences in the donor DNA. The use of transcription terminators has been
      advocated as a means of reducing instability resulting from disruption of plasmid
      replication caused by strong promoters. However, neither the existence of
      promoter-acting sequences of sufficient strength and number to explain the
      reported cloning difficulties nor their role as a source of instability has been
      proven. As a direct test of the "strong promoter" hypothesis, we cloned random
      fragments from S. pneumoniae into an E. coli vector containing transcription
      terminators, identified strong promoter-acting sequences, and subsequently
      removed the transcription terminators. We observed that terminator removal
      resulted in reduced copy numbers for the strongest promoter-acting sequences but
      not in reduced promoter strengths or altered plasmid stabilities. Our results
      indicate that promoters strong enough to require transcription terminators for
      plasmid stability are probably rare in S. pneumoniae DNA.

PMID- 1860822
TI  - Genetic and molecular analyses of picA, a plant-inducible locus on the
      Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosome.
AB  - picA is an Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal locus, identified by Mu d11681
      mutagenesis, that is inducible by certain acidic polysaccharides found in carrot
      root extract. Cloning and genetic analysis of a picA::lacZ fusion defined a
      region of the picA promoter that is responsible for the induction of this locus.
      Furthermore, we identified a possible negative regulator of picA expression
      upstream of the picA locus. This sequence, denoted pgl, has extensive homology to
      polygalacturonase genes from several organisms and inhibited the induction of the
      picA promoter when present in multiple copies in A. tumefaciens. DNA sequence
      analysis indicated at least two long open reading frames (ORFs) in the picA
      region. S1 nuclease mapping was used to identify the transcription initiation
      site of picA. Mutation of ORF1, but not ORF2, of the picA locus was responsible
      for an increased aggregation of A. tumefaciens, forming "ropes" in the presence
      of pea root cap cells. In addition, a potato tuber disk virulence assay indicated
      that a preinduced picA mutant was more virulent than was the wild-type control, a
      further indication that the picA locus regulates the surface properties of the
      bacterium in the presence of plant cells or plant cell extracts.

PMID- 1860823
TI  - The Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae hemolysin determinant: unlinked appCA and
      appBD loci flanked by pseudogenes.
AB  - The appBD genes encoding the secretion functions for the 110-kDa RTX hemolysin of
      Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae have been cloned and sequenced. Unlike analogous
      genes from other RTX determinants, the appBD genes do not lie immediately
      downstream from the hemolysin structural gene, appA. Although isolated from a
      diverse group of gram-negative organisms, the appBD genes and the characterized
      RTX BD genes from other organisms all exhibit a high degree of homology at both
      the DNA and predicted amino acid sequence levels. Analysis of the DNA sequences
      3' to appA and 5' to appB suggests that these regions harbor remnant RTX B and A
      pseudogenes, respectively. Although the appA gene is most similar to the lktA
      gene from Pasteurella haemolytica (Y. F. Chang, R. Young, and D. K. Struck, DNA
      8:635-647, 1989), the RTX A pseudogene upstream from appB most closely resembles
      the hlyB gene from Escherichia coli, suggesting that the appCA and appBD operons
      were derived from different ancestral RTX determinants.

PMID- 1860824
TI  - Cloning, characterization, and expression in Escherichia coli of a gene encoding
      Listeria seeligeri catalase, a bacterial enzyme highly homologous to mammalian
      catalases.
AB  - A gene coding for catalase (hydrogen-peroxide:hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase;
      EC 1.11.1.6) of the gram-positive bacterium Listeria seeligeri was cloned from a
      plasmid library of EcoRI-digested chromosomal DNA, with Escherichia coli DH5
      alpha as a host. The recombinant catalase was expressed in E. coli to an
      enzymatic activity approximately 50 times that of the combined E. coli catalases.
      The nucleotide sequence was determined, and the deduced amino acid sequence
      revealed 43.2% amino acid sequence identity between bovine liver catalase and L.
      seeligeri catalase. Most of the amino acid residues which are involved in
      catalytic activity, the formation of the active center accession channel, and
      heme binding in bovine liver catalase were also present in L. seeligeri catalase
      at the corresponding positions. The recombinant protein contained 488 amino acid
      residues and had a calculated molecular weight of 55,869. The predicted
      isoelectric point was 5.0. Enzymatic and genetic analyses showed that there is
      most probably a single catalase of this type in L. seeligeri. A perfect 21-bp
      inverted repeat, which was highly homologous to previously reported binding
      sequences of the Fur (ferric uptake regulon) protein of E. coli, was detected
      next to the putative promoter region of the L. seeligeri catalase gene.

PMID- 1860825
TI  - Identification and initial characterization of the eutF locus of Salmonella
      typhimurium.
AB  - We report the isolation and initial characterization of mutations in the newly
      described eutF locus of Salmonella typhimurium LT2. Mutations in eutF render a
      strain unable to utilize ethanolamine as a source of carbon and/or energy and
      impair growth on ethanolamine as a sole nitrogen source. Strains carrying eutF
      mutations exhibit a 2-order-of-magnitude decrease in transcription of the
      unlinked eutDEABCR operon (50 min), which codes for the enzymes needed to
      catabolize ethanolamine; have only 10% of the ethanolamine ammonia-lyase activity
      found in the wild type; and show a marked reduction in the rate of ethanolamine
      uptake. Deletion mapping and three-factor cross analysis results are consistent
      with the gene order cobA trp eutF tonB at 34 min on the linkage map. We discuss
      two possible roles for the EutF protein: (i) as an ethanolamine permease or (ii)
      as a transcription factor required for the expression of the eutDEABCR operon.

PMID- 1860826
TI  - Electrophoretic separation of the three Rhizobium meliloti replicons.
AB  - The megaplasmids and the chromosome from the bacterium Rhizobium meliloti 1021
      were separated in preparative quantities by using transverse alternating-field
      gel electrophoresis. The genetic content of each electrophoretically separated
      band was determined by Southern hybridization with replicon-specific probes and
      by comparison with Agrobacterium tumefaciens transconjugants harboring either
      pSym-a or pSym-b megaplasmids. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analyses of PacI
      (5'-TTAATTAA-3') and SwaI (5'-ATTTAAAT-3') digests of the whole genome and of the
      separated replicons were used to calculate genome sizes in two R. meliloti
      strains. In these strains, PacI digestion yielded only four fragments for the
      entire genome. The sizes of the PacI fragments from R. meliloti 1021 in megabase
      pairs (Mb) were 3.32 +/- 0.30, 1.42 +/- 0.13, 1.21 +/- 0.10, and 0.55 +/- 0.08,
      for a total genome size of 6.50 +/- 0.61 Mb. Southern hybridization with replicon
      specific probes assigned one PacI fragment to the chromosome of R. meliloti 1021,
      one to pRme1021a, and two to pRme1021b. PacI digestion of A. tumefaciens pTi
      cured, pSym transconjugants confirmed these assignments. In agreement with PacI
      data, the addition of the six SwaI fragments from R. meliloti 1021 gave a genome
      size of 6.54 +/- 0.43 Mb. pRme1021a was calculated to be 1.42 +/- 0.13 Mb, 1.34
      +/- 0.09 Mb, and 1.38 +/- 0.12 Mb on the basis of PacI digestion, SwaI digestion,
      and the migration of uncut pRme1021a, respectively. pRme1021b was calculated to
      be 1.76 +/- 0.18 Mb, 1.65 +/- 0.10 Mb, and 1.74 +/- 0.13 Mb on the basis of PacI
      digestion, SwaI digestion, and the migration of uncut pRme1021B, respectively.
      The R. meliloti 1021 chromosome was calculated to be 3.32 +/- 0.30 Mb, 3.55 +/-
      0.24 Mb, and 3.26 +/- 0.46 Mb on the basis of PacI data, SwaI data, and the
      migration of uncut chromosome, respectively.

PMID- 1860827
TI  - Identification of the promoter region of the ribosome-releasing factor cistron
      (frr).
AB  - Previous studies of the structure and expression of the ribosome-releasing factor
      (RRF) cistron (frr) have suggested that an efficient promoter region is located
      in the RRF cistron. We report here on the nucleotide sequence and in vivo
      function of the RRF promoter. The transcriptional start site was determined by
      primer extension to be 58 bp upstream of the translational initiation codon of
      frr. The location of the RRF promoter region was confirmed by means of (i)
      deletion analysis of the 5' proximal sequences of frr fused to the
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, (ii) analysis of RRF produced in
      vivo from the deletion derivatives of frr cloned into pUC19, and (iii) gel
      retardation analysis with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. The -35 and -10
      regions were TTacCc and TATAcT, respectively. The strength of the RRF promoter
      was similar to that of the lac promoter, as determined by in vivo expression of
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity. However, the RRF promoter was not
      affected by the intracellular cyclic AMP level despite the presence of a cyclic
      AMP receptor protein binding site downstream of the RRF promoter.

PMID- 1860828
TI  - Suppression of the abnormal phenotype of Salmonella typhimurium rfaH mutants by
      mutations in the gene for transcription termination factor Rho.
AB  - Mutations in the rfaH gene have previously been shown to cause premature
      termination of transcription of the traYZ operon of the F factor and also to
      prevent expression of the rfaGBIJ gene cluster of Salmonella typhimurium. In the
      present study, mutants were selected for their ability to restore the normal
      pattern of rfaGBIJ function. On the basis of this initial section, several
      classes of extragenic suppressor mutants were isolated that completely or
      partially corrected the Tra- and Rfa- phenotypes of the prototype rfaH mutant.
      The suppressor mutations included mutations in rho and mutations that mapped in
      or close to rpoBC. Other suppressor mutations were located elsewhere on the
      chromosome, presumably identifying other genes that play a role in the RfaH
      mediated transcriptional regulation.

PMID- 1860829
TI  - Initiator (DnaA) protein concentration as a function of growth rate in
      Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium.
AB  - The DnaA protein concentration was determined in five different Escherichia coli
      strains and in Salmonella typhimurium LT2 growing at different growth rates. The
      DnaA protein concentration was found to be invariant over a wide range of growth
      rates in the four E. coli K-12 strains and in S. typhimurium. In E. coli B/r the
      DnaA protein concentration was generally higher than in the K-12 strains, and it
      increased with decreasing growth rates. For all the strains, there appears to be
      a correlation between the DnaA protein concentration and the initiation mass.
      This supports the concept of the concentration of DnaA protein setting the
      initiation mass and, thus, that the DnaA protein is a key molecule in the
      regulation of initiation of chromosome replication in members of the family
      Enterobacteriaceae.

PMID- 1860830
TI  - A missense mutation in the rpoC gene affects chromosomal replication control in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - An RNA polymerase mutant with a single-base-pair change in the rpoC gene affects
      chromosome initiation control. The mutation, which is recessive, is a G to A
      transition leading to the substitution of aspartate for glycine at amino acid
      residue 1033 in the RNA polymerase beta' subunit. The chromosome copy number is
      increased twofold in the mutant at semipermissive growth temperatures (39 degrees
      C). In a delta oriC strain, in which chromosome initiation is governed by an F
      replicon, chromosome copy number is not affected. Plasmid pBR322 copy number is
      also increased in the mutant at 39 degrees C. The mutation causes a more than
      fivefold increased expression of the dnaA gene at 39 degrees C. It is conceivable
      that it is this high DnaA concentration which causes the high chromosome copy
      number and that the mutant RNA polymerase beta' subunit exerts its effect by
      altering the expression of the dnaA gene. However, other factors must be affected
      as well to explain why the RNA polymerase mutant can grow in a balanced fashion
      with a high chromosome concentration. This is in contrast to wild-type cells,
      which exhibit higher origin concentrations when DnaA protein is overproduced, but
      in which the overall DNA concentration is only moderately affected.

PMID- 1860831
TI  - Transcriptional analysis of the Staphylococcus aureus plasmid pI258 mercury
      resistance determinant.
AB  - Northern blot DNA-RNA hybridization analysis of Staphylococcus aureus cells
      bearing pI258 showed that upon induction the amount of mer operon transcript
      present increased 49-fold over that observed in uninduced cells. Maximum
      induction occurred after 45 min in the presence of 5 microM HgCl2. Two
      transcripts, 5.0 and 5.8 kb long, were observed. Both transcripts encoded merR
      through merB (inclusive). Primer extension analysis determined that the 5' end of
      at least one transcript (and presumably of both) started at a T or G, 7 or 8
      nucleotides downstream from the putative -10 site.

PMID- 1860832
TI  - Comparison of protein synthesis inhibition kinetics and cell killing induced by
      immunotoxins.
AB  - Immunotoxins comprised of a monoclonal antibody covalently coupled to recombinant
      ricin A chain or to a binding-defective form of diphtheria toxin were compared
      with respect to their rates of protein synthesis inhibition and efficiencies of
      killing target cells. Protein synthesis inhibition rates were established by
      measuring the incorporation of L-[14C]leucine in toxin-treated cells relative to
      untreated cells at several times after exposure of cells to an immunotoxin. Cell
      killing was assessed by a limiting dilution assay which measures the number of
      cells surviving toxin treatment relative to untreated cells. At equivalent
      protein concentrations, the diphtheria toxin immunotoxin inhibited protein
      synthesis significantly more rapidly than the ricin A immunotoxin but, contrary
      to previous predictions, achieved a significantly lower cell kill. Thus, the
      kinetics of protein synthesis inactivation do not necessarily correlate with
      killing efficiencies. Possible explanations for these results are that the effect
      of the diphtheria toxin immunotoxin on protein synthesis is partially reversible
      or that the diphtheria toxin immunotoxin enters the cytosol at a faster rate than
      the ricin A immunotoxin but also is degraded at a faster rate.

PMID- 1860833
TI  - Protein discharge from immature secretory granules displays both regulated and
      constitutive characteristics.
AB  - At physiological glucose concentrations, isolated pancreatic islets release a
      minor portion of their newly synthesized insulin and precursors in a phase of
      secretion which is largely complete by 4 h of chase. Discharge during this period
      can be amplified by secretagogues, yet is not abolished by conditions which fully
      suppress regulated release from dense core secretory granules. The ability to
      stimulate the secretion and the biochemical profile of released proinsulin
      related peptides indicate that secretion during this period originates from
      immature granules. The stoichiometry of release of labeled C-peptide:insulin
      during this phase is 1:1 at high glucose concentrations. However, at physiologic
      or low concentrations, C-peptide is released in molar excess of insulin as if the
      exocytotic vesicles carrying this secretion were budding from a post-Golgi
      compartment in which the lumen was composed of condensing insulin and soluble C
      peptide. These findings can be explained by a model for regulated secretory
      protein traffic in which direct exocytosis of young granules is stimulated by
      higher glucose concentrations and vesicle budding from immature granules occurs
      at lower concentrations. Thus, insulin targeting from immature granules exhibits
      both regulated and constitutive-like characteristics.

PMID- 1860834
TI  - Expression of a human cartilage procollagen gene (COL2A1) in mouse 3T3 cells.
AB  - Expression in a recombinant system has been difficult to obtain for any of the
      major fibrillar collagens that require processing by eight or more post
      translational enzymes. Here, two DNA constructs were designed so that the
      promoter region of the gene for the pro-alpha 1(I) chain of human type I
      procollagen drove expression of the human type II procollagen gene in mouse NIH
      3T3 cells, a culture line that normally synthesizes type I procollagen but not
      any cartilage-specific protein such as type II procollagen. Both constructs were
      expressed as both mRNA and protein. In clones expressing the construct at high
      levels, the steady-state levels of mRNA and the production of type II procollagen
      were comparable to the mRNA levels and production of type I procollagen from the
      endogenous mouse genes. Comparison of clones containing the two constructs
      demonstrated that sequences extending 80 base pairs beyond the major
      polyadenylation signal of the gene are not in themselves sufficient for correct
      termination and 3' processing of RNA transcripts. The results strongly suggest
      that specific sequences present in a downstream 3.5-kilobase SphI/SphI fragment
      determine the termination of the transcription. Of special importance is that the
      system will make it possible to examine the consequences of mutations in the
      human type II procollagen gene on the processing of RNA transcripts and on the
      functional properties of the protein simply by using the genomic DNA from
      leukocytes or other non-cartilaginous sources.

PMID- 1860835
TI  - A retinoic acid-responsive human zinc finger gene, MZF-1, preferentially
      expressed in myeloid cells.
AB  - Zinc finger genes encode metal-binding proteins that can act as transcriptional
      regulators of other genes. In an effort to identify activators of the genetic
      cascade in hemopoietic differentiation, we used degenerate synthetic
      oligonucleotides to the conserved zinc finger histidine-cysteine link to probe a
      human myeloid lambda gt11 cDNA library. One of the cDNA clones obtained
      hybridized preferentially to mRNA from myeloid cells. This cDNA was used to
      isolate clones encompassing the coding region for this gene. Sequence analysis
      found 13 zinc finger regions and a glycine-proline-rich region between the fourth
      and fifth zinc finger domain. The gene was localized to chromosome 19q13.2-4, a
      chromosome that has a large cluster of zinc finger genes. The gene was
      preferentially expressed in myeloid leukemia cell lines with the highest mRNA
      levels noted in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate with retinoic acid. Thus,
      this new zinc finger gene (designated MZF-1) may be one regulator of
      transcriptional events during hemopoietic development.

PMID- 1860836
TI  - Interaction of the regulatory subunit (RII) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase with
      RII-anchoring proteins occurs through an amphipathic helix binding motif.
AB  - The type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase is localized to specific subcellular
      environments through the binding of the regulatory subunit (RII) dimer to RII
      anchoring proteins. Computer-aided analysis of secondary structure, performed on
      four RII-anchoring protein sequences (the microtubule-associated protein 2, P150,
      and two thyroid proteins Ht 21 and Ht 31), has identified common regions of
      approximately 14 residues which display high probabilities of forming amphipathic
      helices. The potential amphipathic helix region of Ht 31 (Leu-Ile-Glu-Glu-Ala-Ala
      Ser-Arg-Ile-Val-Asp-Ala-Val-Ile) lies between residues 494 and 507. A bacterially
      expressed 318-amino acid fragment, Ht 31 (418-736), containing the amphipathic
      helix region, was able to bind RII alpha. Site-directed mutagenesis designed to
      disrupt the secondary structure in the putative binding helix reduced binding
      dramatically. Specifically, substitution of proline for Ala-498 significantly
      diminished RII alpha binding, and similar mutation of Ile-502 or Ile-507
      abolished interaction. Mutation of Ala-522 to proline, which is located outside
      the predicted amphipathic helix region, had no effect on RII alpha binding. These
      data suggest that anchoring proteins interact with RII alpha via an amphipathic
      helix binding motif.

PMID- 1860837
TI  - Characterization of a K26Q site-directed mutant of human parathyroid hormone
      expressed in yeast.
AB  - Human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) is susceptible to proteolytical cleavage both in
      humans and when expressed as a secretory product in Escherichia coli (Hogseth,
      A., Blingsmo, O. R., Saether, O., Gautvik, V. T., Holmgren, E., Hartmanis, M.,
      Josephson, S., Gabrielsen, O. S., Gordeladze, J. O., Alestrom, P., and Gautvik,
      K. M. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7338-7344) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      (Gabrielsen, O. S., Reppe, S., Saether, O., Blingsmo, O. R., Sletten, K.,
      Gordeladze, J. O., Hogset, A., Gautvik, V. T., Alestrom, P., Oyen, T. B., and
      Gautvik, K. M. (1990) Gene (Amst.) 90, 255-262). In the latter system, one major
      site of cleavage was identified (Arg25-Lys26 decreased Lys27). To produce hPTH
      resistant to this proteolytic processing, a point mutation changing Lys26 to Gln
      was introduced, and the modified gene expressed in S. cerevisiae as a fusion
      protein with the alpha-factor leader sequence. The resulting major form of hPTH
      secreted to the growth medium was of full length showing that the mutation had
      eliminated internal processing. Consequently, the yield of the mutant hormone was
      significantly higher than obtained with the natural peptide. Using improved
      purification procedures, a significantly higher purity was also obtained. The
      secreted mutant hPTH-(1-84,Q26) had the correct size, full immunological
      reactivity with two different hPTH antisera, correct amino acid composition and N
      terminal sequence, and correct mass as determined by mass spectrometry.
      Furthermore, the introduced mutation did not reduce the biological activity of
      the hormone as judged from its action in three biological assay systems: 1) a
      hormone-sensitive osteoblast adenylate cyclase assay; 2) an in vivo calcium
      mobilizing assay in rats; and 3) an in vitro bone resorption assay.

PMID- 1860838
TI  - Mechanisms of bombesin-induced arachidonate mobilization in Swiss 3T3
      fibroblasts.
AB  - A peptide mitogen bombesin, which activates the phospholipase C-protein kinase C
      signaling pathway, induces a mepacrine-sensitive, dose-dependent increase in the
      release of [3H]arachidonic acid and its metabolites ([3H]AA) from prelabeled
      Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. The effect is temporally composed of two phases, i.e. an
      initial transient burst that is essentially independent of extracellular Ca2+,
      and a following sustained phase that is absolutely dependent on the extracellular
      Ca2+. The initial transient [3H]AA liberation occurs concomitantly with bombesin
      induced 45Ca efflux from prelabeled cells: both responses being substantially
      attenuated by loading cells with a Ca2+ chelator quin2. However, bombesin-induced
      intracellular Ca2+ mobilization by itself is not sufficient as a signal for the
      initial transient [3H]AA liberation, since A23187 potently stimulates 45Ca efflux
      to an extent comparable to bombesin but fails to induce [3H]AA release in the
      absence of extracellular Ca2+. The second sustained phase of the bombesin-induced
      [3H]AA release is abolished by reducing extracellular Ca2+ to 0.03 mM, although
      bombesin effects on phospholipase C and protein kinase C activation are barely
      affected by the same procedure. A protein kinase C activator phorbol 12,13
      dibutyrate induces an extracellular Ca(2+)-dependent, slowly developing sustained
      increase in [3H]AA release, and markedly potentiates both phases of bombesin
      induced [3H]AA release. Down-regulation of cellular protein kinase C completely
      abolishes all of the effects of phorbol dibutyrate, and partially inhibits the
      second but not the first phase of bombesin-induced [3H]AA release. These results
      indicate that bombesin-induced receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase A2
      involves multiple mechanisms, including intracellular Ca2+ mobilization for the
      first phase, protein kinase C activation plus Ca2+ influx for the second phase,
      and as yet unknown mechanism(s) independent of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization or
      protein kinase C for both of the phases.

PMID- 1860839
TI  - Residues in the alpha subunit of human choriotropin that are important for
      interaction with the lutropin receptor.
AB  - Synthetic peptides were used to probe the structure-function relationships
      between human choriotropin (hCG) and the lutropin (LH) receptor. Previously, a
      peptide region of the alpha subunit of hCG, residues 26-46, had been shown to
      inhibit binding of 125I-hCG to the LH receptor in rat ovarian membranes
      (Charlesworth, M.C., McCormick, D.J., Madden, B., and Ryan, R.J. (1987) J. Biol.
      Chem. 262, 13409-13416). To determine which residues are important for this
      inhibitory activity, peptides were truncated from either the amino or carboxyl
      terminus, or individual residues were substituted with alanine. The amino
      terminal boundary was determined to be Gly-30 and the carboxyl-terminal boundary,
      Lys-44. This core peptide contained all the residues needed for full activity of
      the parent peptide 26-46. Arg-35 and Phe-33 were particularly important residues;
      when they were substituted with alanine, the peptide inhibitory potencies were
      decreased. Ser-43, Arg-42, Cys-32, and Cys-31 were also important but to a lesser
      degree. These results are consistent with predictions based on chemical and
      enzymatic modification studies and provide insight into which residues are
      important for interaction between hCG and the LH receptor.

PMID- 1860840
TI  - Stopped-flow and rapid-scan studies of the redox behavior of cytochrome aco from
      facultative alkalophilic Bacillus.
AB  - Cytochrome aco purified from an alkalophilic bacterium grown at pH 10 contains
      hemes a, b, and c as prosthetic groups, and their redox behavior was examined by
      using stopped-flow and rapid-scan techniques. Under anaerobic conditions the
      reduction of both heme a and c moieties with dithionite proceeded exponentially
      but with different rates, usually the former being reduced about 4 times faster
      than the latter. The reduction of protoheme was much slower, and a time
      difference spectrum for this species was of a high spin type with absorption
      peaks at 433, 557, and 609 nm. Only the protoheme combined with CO, fulfilling
      the criteria for cytochrome o. Potentiometric titrations determined a midpoint
      potential of c heme to be 95 mV at pH 7.0 and 25 degrees C and suggested the
      presence of two forms of a heme with midpoint potentials of 250 and 323 mV.
      Cytochrome aco utilizes ascorbate plus N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine
      (TMPD) to reduce oxygen relatively rapidly without added cytochrome c (Qureshi,
      M. H., Yumoto, I., Fujiwara, T., Fukumori, Y., Yamanaka, T. (1990) J. Biochem.
      107, 480-485). During the steady state, however, heme a stayed almost fully
      reduced in contrast to a partial reduction of heme c. Even after exhaustion of
      the dissolved oxygen the extent of reduction of heme c was 60-70% that attained
      by the dithionite reduction. When ascorbate plus TMPD-reduced cytochrome aco was
      exposed to oxygen the reduced heme c was oxidized rapidly whereas the oxidation
      of reduced a heme was negligibly slow. The full reduction of heme a during the
      steady state and its extremely slow oxidation rendered participation of heme a in
      the oxidase reaction less likely. A novel peak appearing transiently around 567
      nm during the reaction was tentatively ascribed to an intermediate form of
      protoheme, or o heme, which was thus supposed to react directly with molecular
      oxygen. These results suggest strongly that the main electron transfer pathway
      would be c----o----oxygen. A possible role of a in regulating the electron flow
      through the main pathway and its functional relationship to a heme in the aa3
      type cytochrome oxidase were discussed.

PMID- 1860841
TI  - Characterization of active and latent forms of the membrane-associated sn
      glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The intrinsically active, sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase present in
      membranes prepared from both wild type Escherichia coli and from strains which
      overproduce the enzyme can be kinetically distinguished from a latent enzyme
      species which is unmasked by solubilization and reconstitution. Both membrane
      associated and solubilized/reconstituted enzyme preparations exhibited
      cooperativity with respect to sn-glycerol-3-phosphate and palmitoyl-coenzyme A
      substrates; positive cooperativity in membranes toward palmitoyl-coenzyme A (napp
      = 4) and negative cooperativity toward sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (napp = 0.75) were
      significantly altered upon solubilization and reconstitution. Since the degree of
      alteration increased with the amount of sn-glycerol-3-P acyltransferase present
      in the membranes, a detergent-dissociable homooligomerization of the sn-glycerol
      3-phosphate acyltransferase was considered as an underlying mechanism. This
      possibility was investigated by changing the protein-to-Triton X-100 ratio of
      homogeneous enzyme prior to reconstitution and then analyzing the subsequent
      migration of samples on a Sephacryl S-300 sizing column. The elution positions
      were consistent with monomeric and dimeric polypeptide bound to micelles of
      Triton X-100. Hill coefficients for monomeric, reconstituted enzyme preparations
      were comparable to those obtained for the active, membrane-associated sn-glycerol
      3-phosphate acyltransferase. The reduced cooperativity of dimeric, reconstituted
      enzyme preparations correlated closely to the Hill coefficient values obtained
      for latent, solubilized/reconstituted sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase
      from membranes of Escherichia coli which overproduce the enzyme. The
      physiological significance of these findings is discussed.

PMID- 1860842
TI  - The P1 plasmid partition complex at parS. The influence of Escherichia coli
      integration host factor and of substrate topology.
AB  - The P1 ParB protein is required for active partition and thus stable inheritance
      of the plasmid prophage. ParB and the Escherichia coli protein integration host
      factor (IHF) participate in the assembly of a partition complex at the centromere
      like site parS. In this report the role of IHF in the formation of the partition
      complex has been explored. First, ParB protein was purified for these studies,
      which revealed that ParB forms a dimer in solution. Next, the IHF binding site
      was mapped to a 29-base pair region within parS, including the sequence
      TAACTGACTGTTT (which differs from the IHF consensus in two positions). IHF
      induced a strong bend in the DNA at its binding site. Versions of parS which have
      lost or damaged the IHF binding site bound ParB with greatly reduced affinity in
      vitro and in vivo. Measurements of binding constants showed that IHF increased
      ParB affinity for the wild-type parS site by about 10,000-fold. Finally, DNA
      supercoiling improved ParB binding in the presence of IHF but not in its absence.
      These observations led to the proposal that IHF and superhelicity assist ParB by
      promoting its precise positioning at parS, a spatial arrangement that results in
      a high affinity of ParB for parS.

PMID- 1860843
TI  - Receptor-mediated gene delivery in vivo. Partial correction of genetic
      analbuminemia in Nagase rats.
AB  - A plasmid (palb3) was constructed containing the structural gene for human serum
      albumin driven by mouse albumin enhancer-rat albumin promoter elements. Using an
      asialoglycoprotein-polycation conjugate consisting of asialoorosomucoid coupled
      to poly-L-lysine, a soluble DNA complex was formed that was capable of targeting
      specifically to hepatocytes via asialoglycoprotein receptors present on these
      cells. Groups of Nagase analbuminemic rats were injected with complexed DNA or
      controls, followed by two-thirds partial hepatectomy to stimulate hepatocyte
      replication. Using a cDNA probe for the human albumin structural gene,
      hybridizable sequences were detected in analbuminemic rats treated with complex
      as determined by Southern blot analysis. Two weeks post-injection, the targeted
      DNA was found to exist primarily in plasmid form with an average copy number of
      1000/diploid cell. Human albumin mRNA was detected by dot-blot hybridization with
      a specific oligonucleotide cDNA probe and confirmed by RNase protection assay
      using a vector-specific probe. Circulating human albumin was detected in the
      serum of palb3-treated Nagase analbuminemic rats by Western blots using an
      antibody specific for human serum albumin. A time course demonstrated that
      circulating human albumin was not detectable 24 h after injection, but became
      measurable at a level of 0.05 micrograms/ml within 48 h and increased in
      concentration to a maximum of 34 micrograms/ml by 2 weeks post-injection. This
      level of expression remained stable through 4 weeks after injection and partial
      hepatectomy.

PMID- 1860844
TI  - Membrane fusion induced by mutual interaction of the two charge-reversed
      amphiphilic peptides at neutral pH.
AB  - An anionic amphiphilic peptide and the charge-reversed cationic peptide are
      synthesized. They contain 20 amino acids with the same sequence except for 5 Glu
      residues for the anionic versus 5 Lys residues for the cationic peptides. Fusion
      of egg phosphatidylcholine large unilamellar vesicles is assayed with the
      fluorescent probes by the lipid mixing and the internal content mixing at neutral
      pH. The peptide mixture causes a rapid and efficient membrane fusion, in spite of
      no fusions with each peptide by itself. Each peptide takes nearly random coils
      with a small amount of helix, but the peptide mixture has an ordered helical
      structure. The equimolar peptide mixture forms a much more hydrophobic complex
      than those of different molar ratios of peptides and also that of each peptide
      itself. The equimolar peptide mixture causes the most efficient fusion.
      Preincubations of two peptides before addition to vesicles cause the slower rates
      of fusion. The fusion is greatly reduced at higher ionic strength and nearly zero
      at 800 mM NaCl and 40 mM sodium phosphate. Each peptide and the peptide mixture
      show the same alpha-helical structure, interact with vesicles, but do not induce
      fusion at higher ionic strengths. These results suggest that the two peptides
      interact mutually through the electrostatic Coulombic interaction between the
      charged groups. The electrically neutralized hydrophobic complex aggregates the
      separate vesicles together and interacts with the hydrocarbon region of lipid
      bilayers to cause fusion.

PMID- 1860845
TI  - Human biglycan gene. Putative promoter, intron-exon junctions, and chromosomal
      localization.
AB  - Biglycan (PG-I, DS-PG-1, PG-S1) is a small cellular or pericellular matrix
      proteoglycan that is closely related in structure to two other small
      proteoglycans, decorin (PG-II, PG-S2, DS-PG2, or PG-40) and fibromodulin. The
      core protein is made up predominantly of a series of 11 tandem repeats that
      appear to have been used throughout evolution for protein-protein, protein-cell,
      or cell-cell interactions. The function of biglycan is unclear at this time, but
      it has been shown to bind transforming growth factor beta in vitro. We have
      cloned and partially sequenced the approximately 8-kilobase pair human biglycan
      gene. The gene consists of eight exons including one in the sequence that encodes
      the 5'-untranslated region of the mRNA. The first and seventh introns are
      approximately 1 kilobase pair, while the remainder are shorter. With the
      exception of the first two introns, all of the introns are spread throughout the
      hydrophobic repeat domain. The 500-base pair 5' to the start of transcription
      contains several elements that strongly suggest that it contains a significant
      amount of the gene promoter. The elements include one AP2 and five SP1 consensus
      sequences. Like in many other genes, the biglycan gene promoter lacks both a CAAT
      and TATA box but is rich in GC content. Using 3H-labeled cDNA and in situ
      hybridization and autoradiography of human chromosomes, the human gene was
      localized to the end of the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq27-ter). The
      relationship of biglycan to a number of other proteins containing the leucine
      rich repeats is discussed with respect to homologies of cysteine regions
      immediately adjacent to the repeat sequences.

PMID- 1860846
TI  - The human myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) gene (MACS).
      Analysis of its gene product, promoter, and chromosomal localization.
AB  - The expression of a major cellular substrate for protein kinase C, the MARCKS
      protein, is regulated in a cell-, tissue-, and developmental stage-specific
      fashion; in addition, this expression can be stimulated acutely by various
      cytokines in certain cell types. We have begun to characterize the human gene in
      order to elucidate the genetic elements responsible for this highly regulated
      expression. We first cloned a human MARCKS cDNA, which encoded a predicted
      protein of 332 amino acids (Mr 31,600) that was approximately 89, 74, and 59%
      identical to the bovine, mouse, and chicken proteins, respectively. Regions
      conserved at the amino acid level included the amino-terminal myristoylation
      consensus sequence, the site of intron splicing, and the phosphorylation site
      domain. The human cDNA was used to demonstrate that tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      could rapidly stimulate MARCKS gene transcription in the human promyelocytic
      leukemia cell line HL60. Genomic clones were then isolated; sequence analysis
      identified a putative promoter region that had no TATA box and contained multiple
      transcription initiation sites in a region spanning 57 base pairs (bp). This was
      followed by a 5'-untranslated region of approximately 400 bp, which displayed a
      complex predicted secondary structure with a delta G of -73.4 kcal/mol. Plasmid
      constructions containing between 52 and 1453 bp of the human MARCKS promoter
      linked to the human growth hormone gene were then used in transient expression
      experiments. Constructions containing 52 and 110 bp of the MARCKS promoter did
      not exhibit promoter function while the larger constructions all exhibited
      promotor function; the 248-bp fragment of the MARCKS promoter was 80% as
      effective as the human ferritin promoter in stimulating expression of human
      growth hormone in intact cells. Using an insert from the human genomic clone as a
      probe, we identified human chromosome 6, q21-qter, as the location of the MARCKS
      gene; this has been assigned the gene symbol MACS.

PMID- 1860847
TI  - A peptide corresponding to an export-defective mutant OmpA signal sequence with
      asparagine in the hydrophobic core is unable to insert into model membranes.
AB  - We have examined the comparative membrane interaction properties of synthetic
      peptides corresponding to the wild-type and an export-defective, mutated signal
      sequence from the Escherichia coli outer membrane protein, OmpA. As part of a
      collaborative study of the effects of various alterations on the function of the
      OmpA signal sequence and the biophysical properties of the corresponding
      synthetic peptides, we incorporated the small, neutral polar residue, asparagine,
      into the hydrophobic core in place of Ile-8. This seemingly minor perturbation to
      the signal sequence caused a complete block of export in vivo (J. Goldstein, S.
      Lehnhardt, and M. Inouye, following paper). We now explore in detail the
      difference in the properties of the wild-type and the Ile-8----Asn OmpA signal
      peptides. The fluorescent residue Trp was substituted in both peptides in place
      of the wild-type Phe at position 15. This mutation is silent phenotypically and
      provides a superb probe of membrane interaction. We find that the Asn
      substitution leaves the conformational properties of the signal sequence
      essentially unchanged, but prevents any significant interaction of the peptide
      with a lipid bilayer. Asparagines are very underrepresented among known signal
      sequences. We believe this low frequency to be due to the lowering of mean
      residue hydrophobicity caused by incorporation of Asn and the consequent reduced
      ability to bind and insert into membranes.

PMID- 1860848
TI  - In vivo effect of asparagine in the hydrophobic region of the signal sequence.
AB  - On the basis of the biophysical studies on the synthetic mutant (Ile-8----Asn)
      OmpA signal peptide in the preceding paper (Hoyt, D. C., and Gierasch, L.M.
      (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 14406-14412), the in vivo effects of the same mutation
      were examined by fusing the mutant OmpA signal sequence to Staphylococcus aureus
      nuclease or TEM beta-lactamase. The mutation in which the isoleucine residue at
      position 8 of the OmpA signal sequence of Escherichia coli was replaced with a
      neutral polar residue, asparagine, resulted in a defective signal peptide. The
      mutant signal sequence was unable to be processed, and the precursor molecule
      accumulated in the cytoplasmic as well as in the membrane fractions, indicating
      that the Ile-8----Asn OmpA signal sequence is not competent for translocating
      nuclease A or beta-lactamase across the membrane. This result is consistent with
      the in vitro studies on the Ile-8----Asn OmpA signal peptide, which indicated
      that the mutant signal peptide was unable to penetrate into the hydrophobic core
      of the lipid bilayer. Other asparagine or glutamine substitution mutations in the
      hydrophobic region of the OmpA signal sequence were also examined. Interestingly,
      the OmpA signal sequence with either Ile-8----Gln, Val-10----Asn, or Leu-12---
      Asn mutation was completely defective as the Ile-8----Asn OmpA signal sequence,
      while the Ile-6----Asn and Ala-9----Asn OmpA nucleases were able to be processed
      to secrete nuclease, although the processing occurred at a much slower rate than
      the wild-type OmpA nuclease. These results indicate that the defects depend on
      the position of the lesion in the hydrophobic core of the OmpA signal sequence.

PMID- 1860849
TI  - The major colonic cell mitogen extractable from colonic mucosa is an N terminally
      extended form of basic fibroblast growth factor.
AB  - Colonic growth factors (CGFs) were extracted from porcine intestinal epithelium
      and mucosa. Under acidic conditions, very little mitogenic activity (as assayed
      using murine 3T3 fibroblasts and a human colonic cell line) was extractable.
      However, by extracting at neutral or slightly alkaline pH, significant mitogenic
      activity for both the murine fibroblasts and human colonic carcinoma cell line
      could be detected. CGFs are present throughout the intestine and cecum. The
      epithelial mucosa of the distal colorectal region appeared to contain mitogens
      which were more potent for the colonic cells than the 3T3 fibroblasts.
      Purification of CGFs from the colonic mucosa required removal of associated mucin
      by pH precipitation prior to chromatographic fractionation. It was then possible
      to develop a complete purification (390,000-fold) scheme for the major CGF, an 18
      kDa protein which bound to heparin-Sepharose. N-terminal sequence analysis
      yielded a single sequence (Q)SPGGAMAAGSITTLPALP, i.e. an N-terminally extended
      form of basic fibroblast growth factor. Apart from the substitution of Gly in
      bovine basic fibroblast growth factor by a Ser in porcine CGF, the proteins are
      identical. A similar extraction procedure using purified human colonic crypt
      epithelial cells yielded a mitogen for the human colonic cell line with similar
      chromatographic properties.

PMID- 1860850
TI  - Digitonin permeabilization does not affect mitochondrial function and allows the
      determination of the mitochondrial membrane potential of Trypanosoma cruzi in
      situ.
AB  - Digitonin can be used to permeabilize selectively the plasma membrane of
      Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes without significantly affecting the functional
      integrity of mitochondria. Addition of digitonin at concentrations close to 64
      microM caused decrease in the rate of basal respiration of epimastigotes similar
      to that caused by oligomycin. A further addition of carbonyl cyanide p
      trifluorophenylhydrazone (FCCP) brought respiration to the same rate observed
      prior to the inclusion of digitonin or oligomycin. This suggests that like
      oligomycin, digitonin is shifting respiration to a nonphosphorylating state
      probably by depleting the cells from adenine nucleotides due to permeabilization
      of the plasma membrane. The use of low concentrations of digitonin allowed the
      quantitative determination of the mitochondrial membrane potential of these cells
      in situ using safranine O. The response of epimastigotes mitochondrial membrane
      potential to phosphate, FCCP, valinomycin, nigericin, ADP, and Ca2+ indicates
      that these mitochondria behave similarly to vertebrate mitochondria regarding the
      properties of their electrochemical proton gradient. In addition, T. cruzi
      mitochondria are able to build up and retain a membrane potential of a value
      comparable to that of mammalian mitochondria. The trypanocidal drug crystal
      violet, as well as other cationic drugs such as dequalinium, induced a rapid dose
      related collapse of the inner mitochondrial membrane potential.

PMID- 1860851
TI  - Estimation of standard Gibbs energy changes of biotransformations.
AB  - Contributions and corrections for the estimation of standard Gibbs energies are
      given. The group contribution method, applicable to both cyclic and acyclic
      compounds, permits the approximate estimation of the standard Gibbs energy of a
      biotransformation, given the stoichiometry and structures of the metabolites
      involved. Estimated standard Gibbs energies of formation for a number of acyclic
      biochemical compounds are provided.

PMID- 1860852
TI  - Free radical-induced carbonyl content in protein of estrogen-treated hamsters
      assayed by sodium boro[3H]hydride reduction.
AB  - Oxidative damage to proteins is known to occur via conversion of side chain amino
      groups to corresponding carbonyl derivatives. Such damage to enzymes and purified
      proteins has been quantified previously by reduction with sodium boro[3H]hydride
      and subsequent measurement of the incorporation of 3H into amino acid fractions.
      In this study, the NaB3H4 reduction assay was modified to permit the quantitation
      of free radical-mediated oxidative damage to proteins obtained from animals.
      Modifications included additional extractions of protein isolates with organic
      solvents to remove lipids and with nitric acid to remove metal ions. The modified
      assay has first been validated in vitro by measuring changes in levels of
      oxidative damage to bovine serum albumin exposed to xanthine plus xanthine
      oxidase (2-fold increase), to hydrogen peroxide and iron(II) sulfate (5-fold
      increase), or to gamma radiation (30-fold increase over controls, respectively).
      gamma radiation of isolated hamster kidney protein also raised the carbonyl
      content in a dose-dependent manner. The modified assay has then been validated in
      vivo by measuring the changes in oxidative damage to lung tissue in animals
      exposed to approximately 85% oxygen (2-fold increase) or to different doses of
      paraquat (5-fold increase with the high dose over controls, respectively). The
      assay was then used to examine free radical-mediated oxidation introduced by
      acute or chronic treatment of hamsters with estrogens, since both synthetic and
      natural estrogens induce kidney tumors in this species. Priming of hamsters for 3
      days with 20 mg/kg/day diethylstilbestrol and treatment with 100 mg/kg of this
      drug on the 4th day resulted in a 160% increase in free radical modification of
      renal proteins. Oxidative damage to kidney proteins was also assayed in hamsters
      treated with estradiol implants for up to 7 months, a regimen known to induce
      kidney tumors. Significant increases in covalent oxidative modification to renal
      proteins over values in age-matched controls were detected after 1, 2, and 7
      months of continuous estradiol exposure. It is concluded that the modification of
      the NaB3H4 reduction assay is a useful postlabeling method for monitoring free
      radical action in vivo. Furthermore, it is postulated that free radical damage in
      estrogen-treated hamster kidney plays a role in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1860853
TI  - Site-directed mutagenesis of a single tryptophan near the middle of the channel
      forming toxin aerolysin inhibits its transfer across the outer membrane of
      Aeromonas salmonicida.
AB  - The channel-forming protein aerolysin must cross both the inner and outer
      bacterial membranes during its secretion from Aeromonas hydrophila or from
      Aeromonas salmonicida containing the cloned structural gene. We examined the fate
      of three mutant proteins in which Trp-227, near the middle of the amino acid
      chain, was replaced with glycine, leucine, or phenylalanine by site-directed
      mutagenesis. All three proteins crossed the inner membrane and entered the
      periplasm in the same way as wild-type, and in each case the signal sequence was
      removed correctly. Little or none of the proaerolysin substituted with glycine or
      leucine was released into the culture supernatant. Instead, significant amounts
      became associated with the outer membrane. The Phe-227 protoxin was secreted by
      the bacteria but at a reduced rate. The leucine and phenylalanine mutant proteins
      were purified and compared with native proaerolysin. They were processed
      correctly to the mature forms by treatment with trypsin, and like native
      aerolysin, both were resistant to further proteolysis. In each case, processing
      was followed by the formation of oligomers similar to those produced by native
      toxin. The hemolytic activity of the processed Phe-227 mutant was one-quarter
      that of wild-type toxin whereas Leu-227 aerolysin had less than one-hundredth the
      wild-type activity. These results are further evidence that aerolysin is secreted
      in at least two steps. As well, they show that the last step, crossing the outer
      membrane, can be blocked by an apparently small change in the structure of the
      protein.

PMID- 1860854
TI  - Lignin peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Evidence for an acidic
      ionization controlling activity.
AB  - The active site amino acid residues of lignin peroxidase are homologous to those
      of other peroxidases; however, in contrast to other peroxidases, no pH dependence
      is observed for the reaction of ferric lignin peroxidase with H2O2 to form
      compound I (Andrawis, A., Johnson, K.A., and Tien, M. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263,
      1195-1198). Chloride binding is used in the present study to investigate this
      reaction further. Chloride binds to lignin peroxidase at the same site as cyanide
      and hydrogen peroxide. This is indicated by the following. 1) Chloride competes
      with cyanide in binding to lignin peroxidase. 2) Chloride is a competitive
      inhibitor of lignin peroxidase with respect to H2O2. The inhibition constant (Ki)
      is equal to the dissociation constant (Kd) of chloride at all pH values studied.
      Chloride binding is pH dependent: chloride binds only to the protonated form of
      lignin peroxidase. Transient-state kinetic studies demonstrate that chloride
      inhibits lignin peroxidase compound I formation in a pH-dependent manner with
      maximum inhibition at low pH. An apparent pKa was calculated at each chloride
      concentration; the pKa increased as the chloride concentration increased.
      Extrapolation to zero chloride concentration allowed us to estimate the intrinsic
      pKa for the ionization in the lignin peroxidase active site. The results reported
      here provide evidence that an acidic ionizable group (pKa approximately 1) at the
      active site controls both lignin peroxidase compound I formation and chloride
      binding. We propose that the mechanism for lignin peroxidase compound I formation
      is similar to that of other peroxidases in that it requires the deprotonated form
      of an ionizable group near the active site.

PMID- 1860855
TI  - The quaternary structure of streptavidin in urea.
AB  - We report on the interactions of urea and guanidinium salts with streptavidin.
      Gel filtration chromatography in 0, 4, 6, and 7 M urea indicates that the
      streptavidin tetramer remains intact in urea. Biotin alters the electrophoretic
      mobility of streptavidin whether or not 6 M urea is present. The intrinsic
      fluorescence of streptavidin is increased and blue-shifted in 6 M urea. The
      fluorescence changes indicate the absence of unfolding. A conformational response
      to urea is possible, but much of the fluorescence change is due to urea binding
      as a weak biotin analog (Ka approximately 1.3 M-1). The resistance to structural
      perturbation by urea reflects the structural stability of streptavidin's anti
      parallel beta-barrel motif. Unfolding is sluggish in 6 M guanidinium
      hydrochloride (half-time, approximately 50 days). After guanidinium thiocyanate
      unfolding, streptavidin can be refolded, but the unfolding and refolding
      transitions are centered at different concentrations of perturbant. Slow
      unfolding, with a 15th power dependence on guanidinium thiocyanate concentration,
      may be partially responsible for the noncoincidence of the unfolding and
      refolding processes. Nonequilibrium behavior is also seen in 6 M urea, as native
      streptavidin does not unfold and guanidinium thiocyanate unfolded streptavidin
      does not refold. Refolding does occur at lower concentrations of urea.
      Guanidinium thiocyanate only slowly unfolds the biotin-streptavidin complex. In
      the presence of biotin, unfolded streptavidin does not refold in 6 M guanidinium
      thiocyanate or in 6 M urea.

PMID- 1860856
TI  - RpoB8, a rifampicin-resistant termination-proficient RNA polymerase, has an
      increased Km for purine nucleotides during transcription elongation.
AB  - The rpoB8 allele of Escherichia coli maps to the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase
      and confers rifampicin resistance as well as increased termination at both
      intrinsic and rho-dependent terminators in vivo. This phenotype suggests that the
      mutant is defective in an enzymatic property of RNA polymerase important for all
      termination events. We analyzed the in vitro transcription properties of this
      enzyme to determine the nature of the defect. As compared with the wild-type
      enzyme, RpoB8 exhibits enhanced pausing and a significant reduction in rate of
      elongation on natural templates. In addition, RpoB8 RNA polymerase has a 3-5-fold
      higher Km for purine nucleotides during elongation on synthetic templates. In
      contrast, both the mutant and wild-type enzyme have the same initiation Km for
      ATP. Kinetic analysis indicates that RpoB8 is likely to be defective in
      nucleotide binding during elongation, suggesting that the mutational alteration
      affects the binding site. We show that our data are consistent with the idea that
      the altered Km underlies the altered pausing and elongation properties of the
      enzyme, and we discuss the implication of these results for the termination
      proficiency of the mutant strain.

PMID- 1860857
TI  - Inhibition of sphingolipid biosynthesis by fumonisins. Implications for diseases
      associated with Fusarium moniliforme.
AB  - Culture materials and grains contaminated with certain isolates of Fusarium
      moniliforme cause equine leucoencephalomalacia, porcine pulmonary edema syndrome,
      and liver cancer in rats. The causative agents are thought to be a family of
      compounds called fumonisins, which bear considerable structural similarity to the
      long-chain (sphingoid) base backbones of sphingolipids. Incubation of rat
      hepatocytes with fumonisins inhibited incorporation of [14C]serine into the
      sphingosine moiety of cellular sphingolipids with an IC50 of 0.1 microM for
      fumonisin B1. In contrast, fumonisin B1 increased the amount of the biosynthetic
      intermediate sphinganine, which suggests that fumonisins inhibit the conversion
      of [14C]sphinganine to N-acyl-[14C]sphinganines, a step that is thought to
      precede introduction of the 4,5-trans double bond of sphingosine (Merrill, A.H.,
      Jr. and Wang, E. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 3764-3769). In agreement with this
      mechanism, fumonisin B1 inhibited the activity of sphingosine N-acyltransferase
      (ceramide synthase) in rat liver microsomes with 50% inhibition at approximately
      0.1 microM and reduced the conversion of [3H]sphingosine to [3H]ceramide by
      intact hepatocytes. As far as we are aware, this is the first discovery of a
      naturally occurring inhibitor of this step of sphingolipid metabolism. These
      findings suggest that disruption of the de novo pathway of sphingolipid
      biosynthesis may be a critical event in the diseases that have been associated
      with consumption of fumonisins.

PMID- 1860858
TI  - Oxidized low density lipoprotein is resistant to cathepsins and accumulates
      within macrophages.
AB  - The rate of uptake of oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) by mouse peritoneal
      macrophages is similar to that of acetyl LDL; but only approximately 50% of the
      internalized oxidized LDL is ultimately degraded, in contrast to the near
      complete degradation seen with acetyl LDL. The objectives of this study were to
      determine if this was due to increased surface binding of oxidized LDL, different
      uptake pathways for oxidized LDL and acetyl LDL, lysosomal dysfunction caused by
      oxidized LDL, or resistance of oxidized LDL to hydrolysis by lysosomal
      proteinases. LDL binding studies at 4 degrees C showed that the increased cell
      association with oxidized LDL could not be explained by differences in cell
      surface binding. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed intracellular
      accumulation of apoB-immunoreactive material in macrophages incubated with
      oxidized LDL, but not with acetyl LDL. The scavenger receptor ligand polyinosinic
      acid inhibited both the cell association and degradation of oxidized LDL in
      macrophages by greater than 75%, suggesting a common uptake pathway for degraded
      LDL and nondegraded LDL. Studies in THP-1 cells also did not reveal more than one
      specific uptake pathway for oxidized LDL. LDL derivatized by incubation with
      oxidized arachidonic acid (under conditions that prevented oxidation of the LDL
      itself) showed inefficient degradation, similar to oxidized LDL. When macrophages
      were incubated with oxidized LDL together with acetyl 125I-LDL, the acetyl LDL
      was degraded normally, excluding lysosomal dysfunction as the explanation for the
      accumulation of oxidized LDL. Generation of trichloroacetic acid-soluble products
      from oxidized 125I-LDL by exposure to cathepsins B and D was less than that
      observed with native 125I-LDL. LDL modified by exposure to reactive products
      derived from oxidized arachidonic acid was also degraded more slowly than native
      125I-LDL by cathepsins. In contrast, acetyl 125I-LDL was degraded more rapidly by
      cathepsins than native 125I-LDL, and aggregated LDL and malondialdehyde-modified
      LDL were degraded at the same rate as native 125I-LDL. It is concluded that the
      intracellular accumulation of oxidized LDL in macrophages can be explained at
      least in part by the resistance of oxidatively modified apolipoprotein B to
      cathepsins. This resistance to cathepsins does not appear to be due to
      aggregation of oxidized LDL, but may be a consequence of modification of
      apolipoprotein B by lipid peroxidation products.

PMID- 1860859
TI  - ATP-dependent regulation of rabbit myocardial cytosolic calcium-independent
      phospholipase A2.
AB  - We report here that rabbit myocardial cytosolic calcium-independent phospholipase
      A2 exists as a high molecular weight complex comprised of catalytic and
      regulatory polypeptides whose activity and stability are influenced by specific
      interactions with ATP. Multiple lines of evidence document the functional
      significance of interactions between the catalytic complex and ATP including: 1)
      adenine nucleotide triphosphates attenuate the rate of thermal denaturation of
      native cytosolic phospholipase A2; 2) ATP augments the initial rate of
      phospholipid hydrolysis in a manner independent of the concentration, interfacial
      properties, and physical state of aggregated substrate; 3) adenine nucleotide
      triphosphates attenuate the reactivity of an essential thiol residue to covalent
      modification by 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid); and 4) the catalytic complex
      specifically and reversibly binds to ATP affinity matrices, although the purified
      40-kDa catalytic subunit neither binds to ATP affinity matrices nor is subject to
      ATP-dependent activation and stabilization. The catalytic and regulatory elements
      were functionally resolved by differential thermal inactivation and the ATP
      regulatable phospholipase A2 catalytic complex was reassembled by reconstitution
      of highly purified catalytic and partially purified regulatory proteins. Thus,
      alterations in ATP concentration influence the activity and longevity of the
      myocardial cytosolic calcium-independent phospholipase A2 catalytic complex,
      thereby potentially modulating the release of lipidic second messengers and
      facilitating adaptive alterations in membrane physical properties.

PMID- 1860860
TI  - Analysis of retroviral protease cleavage sites reveals two types of cleavage
      sites and the structural requirements of the P1 amino acid.
AB  - Retroviruses encode a protease which cleaves the viral Gag and Gag/Pol protein
      precursors into mature products. To understand the target sequence specificity of
      the viral protease, the amino acid sequences from 46 known processing sites from
      10 diverse retroviruses were compared. Sequence preference was evident in
      positions P4 through P3' when compared to flanking sequences. Approximately 80%
      of all cleavage site sequences could be grouped into two classes based on the
      sequence composition flanking the scissile bond. The sequences at the amino
      terminal cleavage site of the major capsid protein of Gag is always a member of
      one of the two classes while the carboxyl-terminal cleavage site is of the other
      class, suggesting a biological role for the two classes. Known processing site
      sequences proved useful in a motif searching strategy to identify processing
      sites in retroviral protein sequences, particularly in Gag. In all known cleavage
      sites, the P1 amino acid is hydrophobic and unbranched at the beta-carbon. The
      sequence requirements of the P1 position were tested by site-directed mutagenesis
      of the P1 Phe codon in an HIV-1 Pol cleavage site. Mutations were tested for
      protease-mediated cleavage of the Pol precursor expressed in Escherichia coli.

PMID- 1860861
TI  - A cumulative specificity model for proteases from human immunodeficiency virus
      types 1 and 2, inferred from statistical analysis of an extended substrate data
      base.
AB  - Statistical analysis of an expanded data base of regions in viral polyproteins
      and in non-viral proteins that are sensitive to hydrolysis by the protease from
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 has generated a model which
      characterizes the substrate specificity of this retroviral enzyme. The model
      leads to an algorithm for predicting protease-susceptible sites from primary
      structure. Amino acids in each of the sites from P4 to P4' are tabulated for 40
      protein substrates, and the frequency of occurrence for each residue is compared
      to the natural abundance of that amino acid in a selected data set of globular
      proteins. The results suggest that the highest stringency for particular amino
      acid residues is at the P2, P1, and P2' positions of the substrate. The broad
      specificity of the HIV-1 protease appears to be a consequence of its being able
      to bind productively substrates in which interactions with only a few Pi or Pi'
      side-chains need be optimized. The analysis, extended to 22 protein segments
      cleaved by the HIV-2 protease, delineates marked differences in specificity from
      that of the HIV-1 enzyme.

PMID- 1860862
TI  - Purification, gene cloning, and sequence analysis of an L-isoaspartyl protein
      carboxyl methyltransferase from Escherichia coli.
AB  - Mammalian tissues contain protein carboxyl methyltransferases that catalyze the
      transfer of methyl groups from S-adenosylmethionine to the free carboxyl groups
      of D-aspartyl or L-isoaspartyl residues (EC 2.1.1.77). These enzymes have been
      postulated to play a role in the repair and/or degradation of spontaneously
      damaged proteins. We have now characterized a similar activity from Escherichia
      coli that recognizes L-isoaspartyl-containing peptides as well as protein
      substrates such as ovalbumin. The enzyme was purified by DEAE-cellulose,
      hydroxylapatite, Sephadex G-100, polyaspartate, and reversed-phase chromatography
      and was shown to consist of a single 24-kDa polypeptide chain. The sequence
      determined for the N-terminal 39 residues was used to design an oligonucleotide
      probe that allowed the precise localization of its structural gene (pcm) on the
      physical map of the E. coli chromosome at 59 min. Transformation of E. coli cells
      with a plasmid containing DNA from this region results in a 3-4-fold
      overproduction of enzyme activity. The nucleotide sequence determined for the pcm
      gene and its flanking regions was used to deduce a mature amino acid sequence of
      207 residues with a calculated molecular weight of 23,128. This sequence shows
      30.8% sequence identity with the human L-isoaspartyl/D-aspartyl methyltransferase
      and suggests that this enzyme catalyzes a fundamental reaction in both
      procaryotic and eucaryotic cells.

PMID- 1860863
TI  - Structure and membrane topology of TAPA-1.
AB  - TAPA-1 (the target of an antiproliferative antibody) is a 26-kDa cell surface
      protein expressed on most human cell lines. TAPA-1 is a member of an
      evolutionarily related family of cell surface proteins all of which contain four
      transmembrane domains. A model is proposed for topology of TAPA-1 based on
      proteolysis studies in the in vitro translated protein embedded into microsomal
      membranes. This analysis predicts that the amino and the carboxyl termini of the
      molecule are cytoplasmic and that the two hydrophilic regions of the molecule are
      extracellular. The antigenic epitope of the human TAPA-1 is contained within a
      subregion of the second extracellular domain of the protein. This is the only
      region in the protein that has not been tightly conserved in mammalian evolution.

PMID- 1860864
TI  - Sequence dependence of protein isoprenylation.
AB  - Several proteins have been shown to be post-translationally modified on a
      specific C-terminal cysteine residue by either of two isoprenoid biosynthetic
      pathway metabolites, farnesyl diphosphate or geranylgeranyl diphosphate. Three
      enzymes responsible for protein isoprenylation were resolved chromatographically
      from the cytosolic fraction of bovine brain: a farnesyl-protein transferase
      (FTase), which modified the cell-transforming Ras protein, and two geranyl
      geranyl-protein transferases, one (GGTase-I) which modified a chimeric Ras having
      the C-terminal amino acid sequence of the gamma-6 subunit of heterotrimeric GTP
      binding proteins, and the other (GGTase-II) which modified the Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae secretory GTPase protein YPT1. In a S. cerevisiae strain lacking FTase
      activity (ram1), both GGTases were detected at wild-type levels. In a ram2 S.
      cerevisiae strain devoid of FTase activity, GGTase-I activity was reduced by 67%,
      suggesting that GGTase-I and FTase activities derive from different enzymes but
      may share a common genetic feature. For the FTase and the GGTase-I activities,
      the C-terminal amino acid sequence of the protein substrate, the CAAX box,
      appeared to contain all the critical determinants for interaction with the
      transferase. In fact, tetrapeptides with amino acid sequences identical to the C
      terminal sequences of the protein substrates for FTase or GGTase-I competed for
      protein isoprenylation by acting as alternative substrates. Changes in the CAAX
      amino acid sequence of protein substrates markedly altered their ability to serve
      as substrates for both FTase and GGTase-I. In addition, it appeared that FTase
      and GGTase-I had complementary affinities for CAAX protein substrates; that is,
      CAAX proteins that were good substrates for FTase were, in general, poor
      substrates for GGTase-I, and vice versa. In particular, a leucine residue at the
      C terminus influenced whether a CAAX protein was either farnesylated or
      geranylgeranylated preferentially. The YPT1 C terminus peptide, TGGGCC, did not
      compete or serve as a substrate for GGTase-II, indicating that the interaction
      between GGTase-II and YPT1 appeared to depend on more than the 6 C-terminal
      residues of the protein substrate sequence. These results identify three
      different isoprenyl-protein transferases that are each selective for their
      isoprenoid and protein substrates.

PMID- 1860865
TI  - Purification, characterization, and studies on biosynthesis of a 59-kDa bone
      sialic acid-containing protein (BSP) from rat mandible using a monoclonal
      antibody. Evidence that 59-kDa BSP may be the rat counterpart of human alpha 2-HS
      glycoprotein and is synthesized by both hepatocytes and osteoblasts.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody was raised against a mineralized tissue-specific
      sialoprotein containing no phosphorus using partially purified noncollagenous
      bone matrix proteins from rats as antigen. Then the sialoprotein was purified by
      high performance liquid chromatography from rat mandibulae using the monoclonal
      antibody as a marker. The sialoprotein (59-kDa bone sialoprotein (BSP)) with a
      molecular weight of 59,000 contained 1.4% sialic acid but no detectable
      phosphorus. Immunohistochemical studies with the antibody showed that the protein
      was specific to mineralized tissues such as bone and dentin, and present in
      osteoblasts, osteocytes, and bone matrix. No other soft tissues, such as the
      cartilage, liver, kidney, and periosteum, were stained. However, Western blot
      analysis showed that plasma contained immunoreactive 59-kDa BSP. The quantitative
      amino acid composition of 59-kDa BSP resembled that of human alpha 2-HS
      glycoprotein (alpha 2-HSG) (Lee, C.-C., Bowman, B.H., and Yang, F. (1987) Proc.
      Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 4403-4407; Kellermann, J., Haupt, H., Auerswald, E.
      A., and Muller-Esterl, W. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14121-14128) and rat 64-kDa
      protein (Franzen, A., and Heinegard, D. (1985) in The Chemistry and Biology of
      Mineralized Tissues (Butler, W.T., ed), p. 132, EBSCO Media, Birmingham, AL).
      Amino acid sequence analyses of the amino-terminal region and four peptide
      fragments of 59-kDa BSP revealed that about 50% of the amino acids were
      homologous with those of human alpha 2-HSG, which is known to be synthesized by
      the liver, transported in the bloodstream, and incorporated into calcified
      tissues. But when newborn rat calvaria, primary cultures of osteoblast-rich
      cells, and adult rat hepatocytes were incubated with radioactive leucine,
      immunoreactive 59-kDa BSP was detected in their conditioned medium by
      fluorography. Several characteristics, including the amino acid sequence, suggest
      that 59-kDa BSP may be the rat counterpart of human alpha 2-HSG. However, rat 59
      kDa BSP is a single peptide and synthesized by both osteoblasts and hepatocytes,
      whereas human alpha 2-HSG is known to be a heterodimer and to be synthesized by
      the liver.

PMID- 1860866
TI  - A 48-kDa, S-antigen-like phosphoprotein in yeast DNA-replicative complex
      preparations.
AB  - A 48-kDa protein from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is antigenically
      and structurally similar to S-antigen from retina. Eight anti-S-antigen
      monoclonal antibodies, directed against distinct epitopes, cross-reacted with a
      yeast 48-kDa protein. Structural similarity between the bovine and yeast proteins
      was further demonstrated by comparison of tryptic peptide fragments containing
      one of these epitopes. This 48-kDa yeast protein appears to be a component of the
      replicative complex of the cell. It was found associated with immunoaffinity
      purified yeast DNA polymerase I-primase and with yeast DNA-replicative complex.
      The 48-kDa protein was phosphorylated by a protein kinase activity endogenous to
      the replicative complex preparation. This phosphorylation was dependent on the
      cell division cycle gene CDC7. In addition, authentic bovine S-antigen, when
      added to yeast DNA polymerase I-primase, stimulated polymerase activity. These
      findings suggest that the yeast S-antigen-like protein may play a role in
      replication, and they raise the possibility that it may be involved in traversal
      of the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle.

PMID- 1860867
TI  - Structural organization and chromosomal localization of the gene for the E1 beta
      subunit of human branched chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase.
AB  - A defect in the E1 beta subunit of the branched chain alpha-keto acid
      dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex is one cause of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD).
      In an attempt to elucidate the molecular basis of MSUD, we isolated and
      characterized the cDNA of the E1 beta subunit of BCKDH. Using the cDNA as a
      probe, a chromosomal gene related to E1 beta subunit of human BCKDH was isolated
      from human gene libraries. The gene of E1 beta subunit is over 100 kilobases long
      and is split into 10 exons. All of the splice donor and acceptor sites conform to
      the GT/AG rule. The transcription initiation site was determined by nuclease S1
      mapping and primer extension and was located 47 bases upstream from the
      initiation codon. A "CAAT" box and its reverse complement sequences were present
      at 39 bases and 75 bases upstream from the cap site, but there was no "TATA" box
      like sequence. There were three sets of sequences resembling the transcription
      factor Sp1-binding sites and two sets of sequences resembling the enhancer core
      sequence. We also analyzed the chromosomal localization of the gene for the E1
      beta subunit of BCKDH. The gene was mapped to chromosome 6. Knowledge of the gene
      structure of human BCKDH E1 beta subunit will facilitate further studies on the
      expression and regulation of this gene and provide necessary information for
      analyses of mutations in patients with MSUD.

PMID- 1860868
TI  - Characterization of an adult muscle acetylcholine receptor subunit by expression
      in fibroblasts.
AB  - To study the functional and structural roles of the epsilon subunit in adult
      muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR), we have co-expressed the alpha and epsilon
      subunits of the mouse receptor in transfected fibroblasts. Ligand binding studies
      suggest that association of epsilon with alpha subunit results in a lower
      association rate constant for 125I-labeled alpha-bungarotoxin binding than that
      of the unassembled alpha subunit, approaching that for toxin binding to the AChR.
      Furthermore, alpha epsilon complexes contain high affinity binding sites for
      competitive antagonists and agonists not present in the unassembled alpha
      subunit, but similar to one of the two nonequivalent binding sites in the adult
      AChR. Structural analysis of alpha epsilon complexes by sucrose gradient velocity
      centrifugation suggests that some of the complexes formed are trimers or
      tetramers of alpha and epsilon subunits. Comparison of these data with those
      previously obtained for alpha gamma complexes suggests that gamma and epsilon
      have homologous functional roles and identical structural positions in the fetal
      and adult AChRs, respectively.

PMID- 1860869
TI  - Granzyme A binding to target cell proteins. Granzyme A binds to and cleaves
      nucleolin in vitro.
AB  - The physiologic substrates of cytotoxic T lymphocyte granule-associated serine
      esterases (referred to hereafter as proteases or "granzymes"), and the role of
      these enzymes in cell-mediated activity remain unclear. We have developed an
      assay for possible ligands of the trypsin-like dimeric serine protease granzyme A
      based on Western immunoblotting techniques. This protein-binding assay
      demonstrates the selective binding of granzyme A to several proteins present in
      the target cell P815. The binding specificity is preserved when enzyme binding is
      performed in the presence of excess competing proteins, including such cationic
      species as lysozyme and RNase. Enzyme binding is inhibited, however, by heat or
      detergent inactivation of granzyme A. Subcellular fractionation of target cells
      shows that the nuclear fraction contains most granzyme A binding reactivity,
      which is recovered in the nuclear salt wash fraction. A protein with Mr = 100,000
      and two closely migrating proteins with Mr = 35,000 and 38,000 are the
      predominant reactive moieties, and the N-terminal sequence of the 100-kDa protein
      confirmed that this protein was murine nucleolin. Incubation of granzyme A with
      nucleolin generates a discrete proteolytic cleavage product of Mr = 88,000. Since
      nucleolin is known to shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm, the interaction of
      granzyme A and nucleolin may be important in the process of apoptosis which
      accompanies cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated lysis of target cells.

PMID- 1860870
TI  - Identification of the phosphorylation sites of the murine small heat shock
      protein hsp25.
AB  - Native phosphorylated mouse small heat shock protein hsp25 from Ehrlich ascites
      tumor cells was isolated and the in vivo phosphorylation sites of the protein
      were determined. Furthermore, native hsp25 was phosphorylated by the endogenous
      kinase(s) in a cell-free system as well as recombinant hsp25 was phosphorylated
      in vitro by protein kinase C and catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein
      kinase. The two major phosphorylation sites of native and recombinant hsp25 were
      determined as Ser-15 and Ser-86. There are no differences in the hsp25
      phosphorylation sites phosphorylated by the protein kinase C, the catalytic
      subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and the unknown intracellular kinase(s).
      The serine residues identified exist in all known small mammalian stress proteins
      and are located in the conserved kinase recognition sequence Arg-X-X-Ser.

PMID- 1860871
TI  - Extraction and nutritional/hormonal regulation of tissue insulin-like growth
      factor 1 activity.
AB  - Studies of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mRNA translation products suggest
      synthesis as a high Mr precursor, larger than circulating forms. To search for a
      precursor, we characterized IGF-1 immunoreactivity and IGF bioactivity in
      extracts from the liver and other body tissues. Sequential extraction with
      neutral followed by acid buffer was superior to extraction with acid/ethanol or
      acid alone in yield of immunoreactivity and specific activity. Extracts of normal
      rat liver exhibited both immuno- and bioactivity parallel to that of recombinant
      IGF-1 and serum IGFs over a 25-fold concentration range. Based on
      immunoreactivity, the liver of a 134-g rat appears to contain 1.2 micrograms of
      IGF-1 equivalents, 50% of the 2.45 micrograms in the circulation. Diaphragm,
      spleen, and kidney contained no significant IGF bioactivity and 8, 17, and 32% of
      the IGF-1 immunoreactivity of normal liver, respectively. Although serum IGFs
      were found at 7.5 kDa after size exclusion chromatography at pH 3, hepatic
      extracts contained a predominant peak of immuno- and bioactivity of apparent
      molecular mass of 30-35 kDa; both sizes were present in liver perfusates. Both
      immunoaffinity chromatography followed by Western blotting and IGF-binding
      protein affinity chromatography followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis revealed two predominant species, at 18-19 and 12 kDa. The 18
      19-kDa species is consistent with the apparent size of the glycosylated
      propeptide encoded by IGF-1A mRNA, while the 12-kDa species may be
      nonglycosylated propeptide. Extract activity was pituitary-dependent; the livers
      of hypophysectomized rats contained 15.4 and 48.8% of normal immuno- and
      bioactivity, respectively. During fasting and refeeding of rats, fluctuations in
      hepatic extract IGF-1 immunoreactivity generally paralleled changes in serum IGF
      1 (r = 0.93, p less than 0.001). These studies demonstrate that the liver
      contains a pituitary- and nutrition-dependent, high Mr form of IGF-1 with
      immunological and biological properties similar to circulating IGF-1. Processing
      of this 18-19-kDa molecule through a 12-kDa intermediate may contribute IGF-1 to
      the circulation.

PMID- 1860872
TI  - Protein kinase C induces phosphorylation and desensitization of the human 5-HT1A
      receptor.
AB  - The effects of short-term phorbol ester treatment of CHO cells that stably
      express 900 fmol of recombinant human serotonin 5-HT1A receptor/mg of protein on
      coupling to the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and on phosphorylation of the
      receptor were studied. Pretreatment of cell monolayers with phorbol 12-myristate
      13-acetate (PMA) caused a dose- and time-dependent shift of the half-maximal dose
      of serotonin (5-HT) required to inhibit membrane adenylyl cyclase (from IC50
      approximately 100 nM to approximately 400 nM). This desensitization (shift in
      IC50) was rapid, occurring with 5 min of pretreatment and being maximal by 10-15
      min; it was also dose-dependent, being half-maximal at approximately 300 nM PMA.
      Desensitization was also induced by sn-dioctanoylglycerol (DiC8) and blocked by
      the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors sphingosine and 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)
      2-methylpiperazine (H-7). In detached permeabilized cells, PMA pretreatment
      caused a rapid phosphorylation of immunoprecipitated 5-HT1A receptors, with an
      approximately 3-4-fold increase that was maximal after 15 min and persisted for
      90 min. The phosphorylation occurred at a similar dose of PMA as that which
      induced desensitization (half-maximal at approximately 300 nM, maximal at 500 nM
      to 1 microM), could be reproduced by pretreatment with the PKC activators DiC8 or
      phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), and could be blocked by the PKC inhibitors
      sphingosine or H-7. The stoichiometry of the phosphorylation was approximately 2
      mol of [32P]ATP/mol of receptor, suggesting the involvement at least two of three
      putative PKC sites within the 5-HT1A receptor. The close concordance between the
      PKC-induced desensitization and phosphorylation suggests a potential causative
      link between these two effects of PKC on the human 5-HT1A receptor.

PMID- 1860873
TI  - Purification and partial characterization of fibrillin, a cysteine-rich
      structural component of connective tissue microfibrils.
AB  - Fibrillin, a connective tissue macromolecule (Mr = 350,000) which is normally
      insoluble in its tissue form, has been purified from the medium of human skin
      fibroblast and ligament cells in culture. Analysis of the amino acid composition
      indicates that fibrillin contains approximately 14% cysteine, of which one-third
      appears to be in the free reactive sulfhydryl form. Electron microscopic images
      of fibrillin reveal an extended, flexible molecule approximately 148 nm long and
      2.2 nm wide. These length measurements are consistent with shape calculations
      based upon velocity sedimentation data. It is likely that the material we have
      purified from cell culture medium represents monomeric fibrillin consisting of a
      single polypeptide chain. Additional ultrastructural immunohistochemical data
      presented here suggest a model for the parallel, head-to-tail alignment of
      fibrillin molecules in microfibrils.

PMID- 1860874
TI  - Refined x-ray structure of papain.E-64-c complex at 2.1-A resolution.
AB  - E-64-c, a synthetic cysteine protease inhibitor designed from E-64, binds to
      papain through a thioether covalent bond. The x-ray diffraction data for 2.1-A
      resolution were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of this complex
      and refined it to R = 0.159. 0.159. In the complex structure, the configurational
      conversion from S to R took place on the epoxy carbon of E-64-c, implying that
      the nucleophilic attack of the Cys-25 thiol group occurs at the opposite side of
      the epoxy oxygen atom. The leucyl and isoamylamide groups of E-64-c were strongly
      fixed to papain S subsites by specific interactions, including hydrogen bonding
      to the Gly-66 residue. The carboxyl-terminal anion of E-64-c formed an
      electrostatic interaction with the protonated His-159 imidazole ring (O-...HN+ =
      3.76 A) and consequently prevented the participation of this residue in the
      hydrolytic charge-relay system. No significant distortion caused by the binding
      of E-64-c was shown in the secondary structure of papain. It is important to note
      that inhibitor and substrate have opposite binding modes for the peptide groups.
      The possible relationship between the binding mode and inhibitory activity is
      discussed on the basis of the crystal structure of this complex.

PMID- 1860875
TI  - Immunological demonstration of a calcium-unresponsive protein kinase C of the
      delta-type in different species and murine tissues. Predominance in epidermis.
AB  - An antiserum raised against a delta-protein kinase C (delta-PKC)-specific peptide
      recognized the purified calcium-unresponsive 76-kDa protein kinase of porcine
      spleen in the native and the denatured form. This antiserum was used to
      demonstrate the delta-PKC-like enzyme in spleen of different species, in various
      cell types and in murine tissues by immunoblotting of the respective extracts.
      Due to species differences, delta-PKC-like kinases with slightly different
      molecular weights were observed. The enzyme was found to be present in primary
      murine keratinocytes, primary bovine endothelial cells, and many cell lines
      originating from human, rat, and murine tissues. It was present also in all
      murine tissues tested, predominantly in epidermis, uterus, placenta, lung, brain,
      spleen, and kidney. In contrast to the conventional alpha, beta, gamma-PKC, it
      was located almost exclusively in the particulate fraction. The delta-like PKC
      could be demonstrated in the epidermis and brain of newborn mice, and in both
      tissues its concentration increased dramatically between day 7 and 14 after
      birth. The delta-PKC-like kinase of mouse epidermis (p82-kinase) was down
      regulated after topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)
      to mouse skin. The amount of the enzyme decreased to less than 20% of the
      controls within 16 h and recovered almost completely within 72 h after TPA. The
      existence of the delta-PKC-like kinase in mouse skin, papillomas, and carcinomas
      could also be demonstrated by immunocytochemical staining of the respective
      sections. The enzyme was observed predominantly in epithelial layers. A
      remarkable immunostaining of nuclei in skin sections disappeared after TPA
      treatment of the animals.

PMID- 1860876
TI  - Alterations in barley ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase
      gene expression during development and in response to illumination.
AB  - Two genes encode Rbu-P2-carboxylase activase in barley (RcaA and RcaB): RcaA
      encodes polypeptides of 46 and 42 kDa, which are generated by the alternatively
      spliced RcaA1 and RcaA2 mRNAs, respectively; RcaB encodes a 42-kDa polypeptide
      (Rundle, S. J., and Zielinski, R. E. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4677-4685). In
      the cellular differentiation gradient of the first leaf of barley, the three Rca
      mRNAs accumulate differentially. RcaA1 and A2 mRNAs accumulate predominantly in
      the mature, most photosynthetically active regions of the leaf in a pattern that
      parallels accumulation of total Rbu-P2-carboxylase activase protein. However, the
      kinetics of accumulation of RcaA1 and RcaA2 mRNA differ slightly, indicating that
      either changes in RcaA pre-mRNA splicing or mRNA turnover occur during
      development. RcaB mRNA, in contrast, accumulates in the youngest and oldest cell
      populations at the base and tip of the leaf, respectively. In the mid-region of
      the leaf, the difference in accumulation between RcaA and RcaB mRNAs is largely
      attributable to differences in the rates of transcription of the two Rca genes.
      In this region of the leaf, the three Rca mRNAs accumulate differentially
      throughout the course of the diurnal cycle. Steady state levels of the three Rca
      mRNA species increase in parallel in response to increasing irradiance; these
      changes were accompanied by increased Rbu-P2-carboxylase activase protein
      accumulation.

PMID- 1860877
TI  - Structure of a dermatan sulfate hexasaccharide that binds to heparin cofactor II
      with high affinity.

PMID- 1860878
TI  - A single amino acid change in the cytoplasmic domain alters the polarized
      delivery of influenza virus hemagglutinin.
AB  - In the polarized kidney cell line MDCK, the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA)
      has been well characterized as a model for apically sorted membrane
      glycoproteins. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that a single amino
      acid change in the cytoplasmic sequence of HA converts it from a protein that is
      excluded from coated pits to one that is efficiently internalized. Using trypsin
      or antibodies to mark protein on the surface, we have shown in MDCK cells that HA
      containing this mutation is no longer transported to the apical surface but
      instead is delivered directly to the basolateral plasma membrane. We propose that
      a cytoplasmic feature similar to an endocytosis signal can cause exclusive
      basolateral delivery.

PMID- 1860879
TI  - Yeast cell cycle protein CDC48p shows full-length homology to the mammalian
      protein VCP and is a member of a protein family involved in secretion, peroxisome
      formation, and gene expression.
AB  - Yeast mutants of cell cycle gene cdc48-1 arrest as large budded cells with
      microtubules spreading aberrantly throughout the cytoplasm from a single spindle
      plaque. The gene was cloned and disruption proved it to be essential. The CDC48
      sequence encodes a protein of 92 kD that has an internal duplication of 200 amino
      acids and includes a nucleotide binding consensus sequence. Vertebrate VCP has a
      70% identity over the entire length of the protein. Yeast Sec18p and mammalian N
      ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein, which are involved in intracellular
      transport, yeast Pas1p, which is essential for peroxisome assembly, and mammalian
      TBP-1, which influences HIV gene expression, are 40% identical in the duplicated
      region. Antibodies against CDC48 recognize a yeast protein of apparently 115 kD
      and a mammalian protein of 100 kD. Both proteins are bound loosely to components
      of the microsomal fraction as described for Sec18p and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive
      fusion protein. This similarity suggests that CDC48p participates in a cell cycle
      function related to that of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein/Sec18p in
      Golgi transport.

PMID- 1860880
TI  - Muscle cell attachment in Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the body wall muscles exert their force
      on the cuticle to generate locomotion. Interposed between the muscle cells and
      the cuticle are a basement membrane and a thin hypodermal cell. The latter
      contains bundles of filaments attached to dense plaques in the hypodermal cell
      membranes, which together we have called a fibrous organelle. In an effort to
      define the chain of molecules that anchor the muscle cells to the cuticle we have
      isolated five mAbs using preparations enriched in these components. Two
      antibodies define a 200-kD muscle antigen likely to be part of the basement
      membrane at the muscle/hypodermal interface. Three other antibodies probably
      identify elements of the fibrous organelles in the adjacent hypodermis. The mAb
      IFA, which reacts with mammalian intermediate filaments, also recognizes these
      structures. We suggest that the components recognized by these antibodies are
      likely to be involved in the transmission of tension from the muscle cell to the
      cuticle.

PMID- 1860881
TI  - Surface extensions of 3T3 cells towards distant infrared light sources.
AB  - Using a specially designed phase-contrast light microscope with an infrared spot
      illuminator we found that approximately 25% of 3T3 cells were able to extend
      pseudopodia towards single microscopic infrared light sources nearby. If the
      cells were offered a pair of such light sources next to each other, 47% of the
      cells extended towards them. In the latter case 30% of the responding cells
      extended separate pseudopodia towards each individual light source of a pair. The
      strongest responses were observed if the infrared light sources emitted light of
      wavelengths in the range of 800-900 nm intermittently at rates of 30-60 pulses
      per min. The temperature increases of the irradiated spots can be shown to be
      negligible. The results suggest that the cells are able to sense specific
      infrared wavelengths and to determine the direction of individual sources.

PMID- 1860882
TI  - Control of actin polymerization in live and permeabilized fibroblasts.
AB  - We have investigated the spatial control of actin polymerization in fibroblasts
      using rhodamine-labeled muscle actin in; (a) microinjection experiments to follow
      actin dynamics in intact cells, and (b) incubation with permeabilized cells to
      study incorporation sites. Rhodamine-actin was microinjected into NIH-3T3 cells
      which were then fixed and stained with fluorescein-phalloidin to visualize total
      actin filaments. The incorporation of newly polymerized actin was assayed using
      rhodamine/fluorescein ratio-imaging. The results indicated initial incorporation
      of the injected actin near the tip and subsequent transport towards the base of
      lamellipodia at rates greater than 4.5 microns/min. Furthermore, both fluorescein
      and rhodamine-intensity profiles across lamellipodia revealed a decreasing
      density of actin filaments from tip to base. From this observation and the
      presence of centripetal flux of polymerized actin we infer that the actin
      cytoskeleton partially disassembles before it reaches the base of the
      lamellipodium. In permeabilized cells we found that, in agreement with the
      injection studies, rhodamine-actin incorporated predominantly in a narrow strip
      of less than 1-microns wide, located at the tip of lamellipodia. The critical
      concentration for the rhodamine-actin incorporation (0.15 microM) and its
      inhibition by CapZ, a barbed-end capping protein, indicated that the nucleation
      sites for actin polymerization most likely consist of free barbed ends of actin
      filaments. Because any potential monomer-sequestering system is bypassed by
      addition of exogenous rhodamine-actin to the permeabilized cells, these
      observations indicate that the localization of actin incorporation in intact
      cells is determined, at least in part, by the presence of specific elongation
      and/or nucleation sites at the tips of lamellipodia and not solely by localized
      desequestration of subunits. We propose that the availability of the
      incorporation sites at the tips of lamellipodia is because of capping activities
      which preferentially inhibit barbed-end incorporation elsewhere in the cell, but
      leave barbed ends at the tips of lamellipodia free to add subunits.

PMID- 1860883
TI  - Studies concerning the temporal and genetic control of cell polarity in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The establishment of cell polarity was examined in the budding yeast, S.
      cerevisiae. The distribution of a polarized protein, the SPA2 protein, was
      followed throughout the yeast cell cycle using synchronized cells and cdc
      mutants. The SPA2 protein localizes to a patch at the presumptive bud site of G1
      cells. Later it concentrates at the bud tip in budded cells. At cytokinesis, the
      SPA2 protein is at the neck between the mother and daughter cells. Analysis of
      unbudded haploid cells has suggested a series of events that occurs during G1.
      The SPA2 patch is established very early in G1, while the spindle pole body
      residues on the distal side of the nucleus. Later, microtubules emanating from
      the spindle pole body intersect the SPA2 crescent, and the nucleus probably
      rotates towards the SPA2 patch. By middle G1, most cells contain the SPB on the
      side of the nucleus proximal to the SPA2 patch, and a long extranuclear
      microtubule bundle intersects this patch. We suggest that a microtubule capture
      site exists in the SPA2 staining region that stabilizes the long microtubule
      bundle; this capture site may be responsible for rotation of the nucleus. Cells
      containing a polarized distribution of the SPA2 protein also possess a polarized
      distribution of actin spots in the same region, although the actin staining is
      much more diffuse. Moreover, cdc4 mutants, which form multiple buds at the
      restrictive temperature, exhibit simultaneous staining of the SPA2 protein and
      actin spots in a subset of the bud tips. spa2 mutants contain a polarized
      distribution of actin spots, and act1-1 and act1-2 mutants often contain a
      polarized distribution of the SPA2 protein suggesting that the SPA2 protein is
      not required for localization of the actin spots and the actin spots are not
      required for localization of the SPA2 protein. cdc24 mutants, which fail to form
      buds at the restrictive temperature, fail to exhibit polarized localization of
      the SPA2 protein and actin spots, indicating that the CDC24 protein is directly
      or indirectly responsible for controlling the polarity of these proteins. Based
      on the cell cycle distribution of the SPA2 protein, a "cytokinesis tag" model is
      proposed to explain the mechanism of the non-random positioning of bud sites in
      haploid yeast cells.

PMID- 1860884
TI  - A negative feedback loop attenuates EGF-induced morphological changes.
AB  - Activation of the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase by ligand indirectly activates a
      series of other cellular enzymes, including protein kinase C. To test the
      hypothesis that phosphorylation of the EGF receptor by protein kinase C provides
      an intracellular negative feedback loop to attenuate EGF receptor signaling, we
      used scanning EM to follow the characteristic EGF-induced retraction of
      lamellipodia and concomitant cell shape changes. Wild type and mutant EGF
      receptors were expressed in receptor-deficient NR6 cells. The mutant receptors
      were prepared by truncation at C' terminal residue 973 (c'973) to provide
      resistance to ligand-induced down regulation that strongly attenuates receptor
      signaling and by replacement of threonine 654 (T654) with alanine (A654) to
      remove the site of phosphorylation by protein kinase C. Cells expressing WT and
      c'973 EGF receptors demonstrated characteristic lamellipodial retraction after
      exposure to EGF, with the non-down regulating c'973 EGF receptors responding more
      rapidly. Exposure of cells to TPA blocked this response. Replacement of T654 by
      alanine resulted in EGF receptors that were resistant to TPA. Cells expressing
      the A654 mutation underwent more rapid and more extensive morphologic changes
      than cells with the corresponding T654 EGF receptor. In cells expressing T654 EGF
      receptors, down regulation of protein kinase C resulted in more rapid and
      extensive EGF-induced changes similar to those seen in cells expressing A654 EGF
      receptors. These data indicate that activation of protein kinase C and subsequent
      phosphorylation of the EGF receptor at T654 lead to rapid physiological
      attenuation of EGF receptor signaling.

PMID- 1860885
TI  - Kalinin: an epithelium-specific basement membrane adhesion molecule that is a
      component of anchoring filaments.
AB  - Basal keratinocytes attach to the underlying dermal stroma through an
      ultrastructurally unique and complex basement membrane zone. Electron-dense
      plaques along the basal surface plasma membrane, termed hemidesmosomes, appear to
      attach directly to the lamina densa of the basement membrane through fine
      strands, called anchoring filaments. The lamina densa is secured to the stroma
      through a complex of type VII collagen containing anchoring fibrils and anchoring
      plaques. We have identified what we believe is a novel antigen unique to this
      tissue region. The mAbs to this antigen localize to the anchoring filaments, just
      below the basal-dense plate of the hemidesmosomes. In cell culture, the antigen
      is deposited upon the culture substate by growing and migrating human
      keratinocytes. Addition of mAb to the cultures causes the cells to round and
      detach, but does not impair them metabolically. Skin fragments incubated with
      antibody extensively de-epithelialize. These findings strongly suggest that this
      antigen is intimately involved in attachment of keratinocytes to the basement
      membrane. This antigen was isolated from keratinocyte cultures by immunoaffinity
      chromatography. Two molecules are observed. The most intact species contains
      three nonidentical chains, 165, 155, and 140 kD linked by interchain disulfide
      bonds. The second and more abundant species contains the 165- and 140-kD chains,
      but the 155-kD chain has been proteolytically cleaved to 105 kD. Likewise, two
      rotary-shadowed images are observed. The larger of the two, presumably
      corresponding to the most intact form, appears as an asymmetric 107-nm-long rod,
      with a single globule at one end and two smaller globules at the other. The more
      abundant species, presumably the proteolytically cleaved form, lacks the distal
      small globule. We propose the name "kalinin" for this new molecule.

PMID- 1860886
TI  - Characterization of a new human osteosarcoma cell line OHS-4.
AB  - We present a new human osteosarcoma cell line designated OHS-4. These cells
      showed a high alkaline phosphatase activity that is not regulated by 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D3. They exhibited a sensitive adenylate cyclase response to
      parathyroid hormone but not to prostaglandin E2 or human calcitonin. By Northern
      blot analysis we could detect type I collagen mRNA but none for type III
      collagen. The cells were able to produce human osteocalcin at a maximum level of
      35 ng per million cells when exposed to 2.4 nM 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 for 96 h.
      We purified this protein from conditioned media using successive chromatography
      and assessed its identity by partial amino acid sequencing. When injected into
      nude mice, the cells retained their osteogenic activity and developed calcified
      tumors. After Von Kossa staining, we observed nonmineralized osteoid deposits and
      mineralized deposits with a structure similar to that of trabecular bone by light
      microscopy. On the basis of its osteoblastic characteristics, this new
      osteosarcoma cell line may represent the human counterpart of the ROS 17/2 cell
      line. This cell line represents a valuable model for the isolation and
      characterization of human bone specific proteins.

PMID- 1860888
TI  - Macromolecular organization of chicken type X collagen in vitro.
AB  - The macromolecular structure of type X collagen in the matrices of primary
      cultures of chick hypertrophic chondrocytes was initially investigated using
      immunoelectron microscopy. Type X collagen was observed to assemble into a
      matlike structure with-in the matrix elaborated by hypertrophic chondrocytes. The
      process of self assembly was investigated at the molecular level using purified
      chick type X collagen and rotary-shadowing EM. It was shown that under neutral
      conditions at 34 degrees C, individual type X collagen molecules associate
      rapidly into multimeric clusters via their carboxy-terminal globular domains
      forming structures with a central nodule of carboxy-terminal domains and the
      triple helices radiating outwards. Prolonged incubation resulted in the formation
      of a regular hexagonal lattice by lateral association of the juxtaposed triple
      helical domains from adjacent multimeric clusters. This extended lattice may play
      an important role in modifying the cartilage matrix for subsequent events
      occurring in endochondral bone formation.

PMID- 1860889
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor is efficiently released from a cytolsolic storage
      site through plasma membrane disruptions of endothelial cells.
AB  - Cells of gut and skin frequently suffer mechanically-induced plasma membrane
      disruptions in vivo, and bioactive molecules, including basic fibroblast growth
      factor (bFGF), could enter and leave cytoplasm through these disruptions. We here
      provide three lines of evidence that bFGF is released with surprising efficiency
      through plasma membrane disruptions, resembling those known to occur in vivo,
      produced by scraping endothelial cells from their culturing substratum. First,
      41% of the total of bFGF extractable in 1 M NaCl by freeze-thaw and sonication
      was released simply by scraping the endothelial cells. Second, relative to
      release of lactate dehydrogenase, cells wounded by scraping under conditions
      promoting greater than 60% cell survival released a significantly larger amount
      (up to twofold more) of growth promoting activity than did cells uniformly killed
      and irreversibly permeabilized by scraping in the cold or by freezing and
      thawing. Last, cells that survived membrane disruptions released, and contained,
      less bFGF on each subsequent wounding, consistent with release of bFGF through
      transient (i.e., survivable) membrane disruptions. A polyclonal antibody against
      bFGF completely neutralized the growth promoting activity released by scraping,
      confirming that bFGF is released through endothelial cell plasma membrane
      disruptions. Cell fractionation and immunolocalization, including a novel
      permeabilization technique for electron microscope immunolocalization,
      demonstrated a cytosolic location of bFGF. We conclude that many characteristics
      of bFGF--its broad spectrum of producing and target cell types, cytosolic
      location, efficient release through biologically and pathologically relevant
      plasma membrane wounds, and its release from cells that survive membrane wounds-
      make it a strong candidate as a "wound hormone" for rapidly initiating the cell
      growth required for routine maintenance of tissue integrity and/or repair after
      injury.

PMID- 1860887
TI  - Induced expression of syndecan in healing wounds.
AB  - We have studied the expression of an integral cell surface proteoglycan,
      syndecan, during the healing of cutaneous wounds, using immunohistochemical and
      in situ hybridization methods. In normal mouse skin, both syndecan antigen and
      mRNA were found to be expressed exclusively by epidermal and hair follicle cells.
      After incision and subsequent suturing, remarkably increased amounts of syndecan
      on the cell surfaces of migrating and proliferating epidermal cells and on hair
      follicle cells adjacent to wound margins were noted. This increased syndecan
      expression was shown to be a consequence of greater amounts of syndecan mRNA.
      Induction was observed already 1 d after wounding, was most significant at the
      time of intense cell proliferation, and was still observable 14 d after incision.
      The migrating cells of the leading edge of the epithelium also showed enhanced
      syndecan expression, although clearly less than that seen in the proliferating
      epithelium. The merging epithelial cells at the site of incision showed little or
      no syndecan expression; increased syndecan expression, however, was detected
      during later epithelial stratification. When wounds were left unsutured, in situ
      hybridization experiments also revealed scattered syndecan-positive signals in
      the granulation tissue near the migrating epidermal sheet. By immunohistochemical
      analysis, positive staining in granulation tissue was observed around vascular
      endothelial cells in a subpopulation of growing capillaries. Induction of
      syndecan in granulation tissue both at the protein and mRNA levels was temporally
      and spatially highly restricted. Granulation tissue, which formed in viscose
      cellulose sponge cylinders placed under the skin of rats, was also found to
      produce 3.4 and 2.6 kb mRNA species of syndecan similar to that observed in the
      normal murine mammary epithelial cell line, NMuMG. These results suggest that
      syndecan may have a unique and important role as a cell adhesion and a growth
      factor-binding molecule not only during embryogenesis but also during tissue
      regeneration in mature tissues.

PMID- 1860890
TI  - Aluminum fluoride stimulates inositol phosphate metabolism and inhibits
      expression of differentiation markers in mouse keratinocytes.
AB  - Mouse keratinocytes are induced to differentiate in vitro by elevating the level
      of extracellular calcium from 0.05 mM, where keratinocytes express a basal cell
      phenotype, to greater than 0.10 mM, where they express the differentiated
      phenotype. This process has been associated with a rapid, sustained increase in
      inositol phosphate (InsP) turnover, which precedes the expression of
      differentiation-specific proteins. In 0.05 mM Ca2+ medium, aluminum and fluoride
      salts (AIF4-), which combine to activate nonspecifically heterotrimeric guanine
      nucleotide-binding (G) proteins, cause a concentration-dependent increase in InsP
      metabolism in keratinocytes, and generate elevated intracellular diacylglycerol
      levels. This is associated with an inhibition of cell growth. Treatment with both
      AIF4- and Ca2+ greater than 0.10 mM resulted in an additive increase in InsP
      turnover, implying the presence of at least two responsive InsP pools. AIF4-
      inhibited the expression of differentiation markers induced by Ca2+ greater than
      0.10 mM and altered the morphology of keratinocytes from squamous to dendritic,
      which was reversible upon withdrawal of AIF4-. Neoplastic keratinocytes, in which
      basal levels of InsP metabolism are higher than in normal cells, do not
      differentiate in response to Ca2+. Neoplastic keratinocytes responded to AIF-4
      treatment with an even greater rise in InsP metabolism. AIF-4 also inhibited cell
      growth and reversibly altered morphology in neoplastic keratinocytes. These data
      suggest that InsP metabolism in keratinocytes is at least partially regulated by
      a G protein mechanism. Furthermore, an increase in InsP metabolism is not
      sufficient to stimulate differentiation and may be inhibitory to differentiation
      if exceeding limited increases. However, these observations cannot exclude the
      possibility that other AIF-4 stimulated pathways involving G or non-G proteins
      can also influence keratinocyte biology.

PMID- 1860891
TI  - Xyloside effects on in vitro hematopoiesis: functional and biochemical studies.
AB  - Xyloside supplementation of long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs) has been
      reported to result in greatly enhanced proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells.
      This was presumed to be the result of xyloside-mediated perturbation of
      proteoglycan synthesis by marrow-derived stromal cells. To investigate this
      phenomenon, we first studied the effects of xyloside supplementation on
      proteoglycan synthesis by D2XRadII bone marrow stromal cells, which support
      hematopoietic stem cell proliferation in vitro. D2XRadII cells were precursor
      labelled with 35S-sulfate, and proteoglycans separated by ion exchange
      chromatography, isopyknic CsCl gradient centrifugation, and gel filtration HPLC.
      Xyloside-supplemented cultures showed an approximately fourfold increase in total
      35S incorporation, mainly as free chondroitin-dermatan sulfate (CS/DS)
      glycosaminoglycan chains in the culture media. Both xyloside supplemented and
      nonsupplemented cultures synthesized DS1, DS2, and DS3 CS/DS proteoglycans as
      previously described. In contrast to previous reports, xyloside was found to
      inhibit hematopoietic cell growth in LTBMC. Inhibitory effects were observed both
      in cocultures of IL-3-dependent hematopoietic cell lines with supportive stromal
      cell lines and in primary murine LTBMCs. Xyloside was found to have a marked
      inhibitory effect on the growth of murine hematopoietic stem cells and IL-3
      dependent hematopoietic cell lines in clonal assay systems and in suspension
      cultures. In contrast, dialyzed concentrated conditioned media from LTBMCs had no
      such inhibitory effects. These findings suggest that xyloside-mediated inhibition
      of hematopoietic cell growth in LTBMC resulted from a direct effect of xyloside
      on proteoglycan synthesis by hematopoietic cells.

PMID- 1860892
TI  - Characterization of sarcoplasmic reticulum in skinned heart muscle cultures.
AB  - The plasma membranes of rat heart muscle, grown in cell culture, were made
      permeable with saponin in a Ca-free solution. The cells were then supplied with a
      medium resembling the cytosol, and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent
      Ca2+ sequestration was measured in the presence of oxalate. The nonmitochondrial
      component accounts for about 50% of the total Ca2+ uptake. The nonmitochondrial
      accumulation of Ca2+ within myocardial cells was found to be reversible by
      addition of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. On the other hand, the Ca2+ antagonist D
      600 (50 microM) had almost no effect on Ca2+ accumulation. Caffeine reduced Ca2+
      accumulation in the skinned cardiomyocytes in a concentration-dependent manner.
      In addition, the anticalmodulin drug trifluoperazine (TFP) reduced Ca2+
      accumulation in the skinned cells. Because of the analogy between
      nonmitochondrial ATP-dependent Ca2+ accumulation and the sarcoplasmic reticulum
      (SR) function with regard to the influence of various agents, it is assumed that
      we actually measure Ca2+ accumulation in the SR. The rate of Ca2+ accumulation
      into the SR measured during the development of the cardiomyocytes in culture
      shows an almost linear increase as a function of culture age. Amiodarone, a
      potent antiarrhythmic agent, and its metabolite, desethylamiodarone, inhibited
      Ca2+ accumulation into SR, which may explain their therapeutic effect.

PMID- 1860894
TI  - Bovine aortic endothelial cells release hydrogen peroxide.
AB  - Endothelial cells grown on microcarriers are able to release H2O2 to the
      extracellular environment without any added stimulus. The extracellularly
      released H2O2 can be detected by luminol-amplified chemiluminescence (CL) if
      horseradish peroxidase is added. The CL response can be reduced by catalase and
      blocked by superoxide dismutase, indicating that O2- could be a precursor for
      H2O2. The CL kinetics, i.e., a long lag time followed by a rapid shift to a new
      level, indicate activation of an O2(-)-producing enzyme. The cells are also able
      to protect themselves from H2O2 stimulation by both catalase and the glutatione
      system. Bradykinin stimulates the H2O2 release, but if the effect is directly
      stimulatory or if it acts by reduction of the protective system is at present
      unclear. The extracellularly released H2O2 could be a cause of injury to the
      endothelial cells or to the subendothelial matrix.

PMID- 1860893
TI  - Prolactin induces proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells through a protein
      kinase C-dependent mechanism.
AB  - The effects of prolactin (PRL) on A10 (aortic smooth muscle) cell proliferation
      were examined by measuring both [3H]thymidine incorporation and increases in cell
      number. PRL induced a significant proliferative response from 10(-11) to 10(-7)
      M, with optimal activity at 10(-10) M. PRL also enhanced platelet-derived growth
      factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation. The possibility that PRL induces
      proliferation through a protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated mechanism was also
      examined. PRL caused activation of PKC from 10(-12) to 10(-8) M. Antiserum to
      PRL, a monoclonal antibody directed against the PRL receptor and the
      immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine A, were able to inhibit PRL-induced
      proliferation and activation of PKC. The PKC inhibitors, staurosporine,
      sphingosine, and 1-(-5-iso-quinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) also
      antagonized both proliferation and PKC activation. These data strongly suggest
      that PRL-induced A10 cell proliferation is mediated through the PKC pathway and
      that this may play a role in vascular smooth muscle cell hyperplasia,
      characteristic of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases such as
      hypertension and atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1860895
TI  - Coordination of protein-DNA interactions in the promoters of human H4, H3, and H1
      histone genes during the cell cycle, tumorigenesis, and development.
AB  - Coordinate transcriptional control of replication-dependent human H4, H3, and H1
      histone genes was studied by comparing levels of H3 and H1 histone promoter
      binding activities with those of H4 histone promoter factor HiNF-D during the
      cell cycle of both normal diploid and tumor-derived cells, as well as in fetal
      and adult mammalian tissues. Both H3 and H1 histone promoters interact with
      binding activities that, as with HiNF-D, are maximal during S-phase but at low
      levels in the G1-phase of normal diploid cells. However, these analogous DNA
      binding activities are constitutively maintained at high levels throughout the
      cell cycle in four different transformed and tumor-derived cells. Downregulation
      of the H3 and H1 histone promoter factors in conjunction with HiNF-D is observed
      in vivo at the onset of quiescence and differentiation during hepatic
      development. Hence, our results indicate a tight temporal coupling of three
      separate protein-DNA interactions in different histone promoters during the cell
      cycle, development, and tumorigenesis. This suggests that a key oscillatory, cell
      growth-control mechanism modulates three analogous histone gene promoter protein
      DNA interactions in concert. The derangement of this mechanism in four distinct
      tumor cells implies that concerted deregulation of these histone promoter factors
      is a common event resulting from heterogeneous aberrations in normal cell growth
      mechanisms during tumorigenesis. We postulate that this mechanism may be involved
      in the coordinate regulation of the human H4, H3, and H1 histone multigene
      families.

PMID- 1860896
TI  - Hydrocortisone in culture protects the blast cells in acute myeloblastic leukemia
      from the lethal effects of cytosine arabinoside.
AB  - The blast cells in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) respond to many of the same
      regulatory mechanisms that control normal hemopoiesis. These include the growth
      factors that bind to membrane receptors and steroid hormones or vitamins that
      have intracellular receptors. We report the effects in culture of the steroid
      glucocorticoid hydrocortisone on freshly explanted AML blasts from patients and
      on two continuous AML cell lines. Only small changes in clonogenic cell numbers
      in suspension cultures were seen in the presence of hydrocortisone. The most
      striking effect of the hormone was on the sensitivity of blasts cells to cytosine
      arabinoside (ara-C). In contrast to the response of AML blast cells to retinoic
      acid, a ligand for intracellular steroid receptors that sensitizes some blast
      populations to ara-C, hydrocortisone reduced the toxic effects of the drug. The
      protective action of hydrocortisone was not mediated through the cell cycle since
      exposure of blasts to hydrocortisone did not affect the percentage of cells in
      DNA synthesis as measured with the tritiated thymidine (3HTdR) "suicide"
      technique. The hydrocortisone effect could be demonstrated using a pulse (20 min)
      exposure protocol. Blasts pulsed with increasing specific activities of 3HTdR
      showed the usual response pattern with an initial loss in plating efficiency to
      about 50% of control, followed by a plateau, regardless of whether the cells had
      been exposed to hydrocortisone. Control blasts exposed to increasing ara-C
      concentrations gave very similar dose-response curves; in striking contrast,
      blast cells cultured in hydrocortisone, then pulsed with ara-C did not lose
      colony-forming ability even though the same population was sensitive to 3HTdR.
      The hydrocortisone effect was dose and time related; protection from ara-C
      increased from 10(-8) to 10(-5) M and was seen after 4 hr exposure but required 8
      hr to reach a maximum. We conclude that hydrocortisone can protect blasts from
      the lethal effects of ara-C even while the cells are in active DNA synthesis.

PMID- 1860897
TI  - Analysis of the c-myc P2 promoter.
AB  - The cis-acting elements governing transcription from the murine c-myc P2 promoter
      have not been well defined. To gain a better understanding of the nature of the
      protein-DNA interactions that take place on the P2 promoter, protein binding
      assays were performed. The ME1a2 and E2F factors appear to be the predominant
      proteins bound to a region spanning positions -140 to -24 relative to the P2
      transcription start site. By a number of criteria, these factors appear to be
      distinct. When c-myc promoter sequences were coupled to the chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase gene (CAT) and transiently transfected into tissue culture
      cells it was found that optimal transcription from P2 was heavily dependent on
      the ME1a2 element.

PMID- 1860898
TI  - Interpreting nucleolar structure: where are the transcribing genes?

PMID- 1860900
TI  - Purification and physical properties of nematode mini-titins and their relation
      to twitchin.
AB  - We have isolated mini-titin from the nematodes Ascaris lumbricoides and
      Caenorhabditis elegans under native conditions using a modification in the
      procedure to prepare this protein from insect muscle. The proteins have an
      apparent molecular weight of 600,000 and appear in oriented specimens as flexible
      thin rods with a length around 240-250 nm. The circular dichroism spectrum of the
      Ascaris protein is dominated by beta-structure. The proteins react with
      antibodies to insect mini-titin and also with antibodies raised against peptides
      contained in the sequence predicted for twitchin, the product of the
      Caenorhabditis elegans unc-22 gene. Antibodies to insect mini-titin decorate the
      body musculature as well as the pharynx of wild-type C. elegans in
      immunofluorescence microscopy. In the twitchin mutant E66 only the pharynx is
      decorated. We conclude that the mini-titins of invertebrate muscles defined
      earlier by ultrastructural criteria are very likely to be twitchins, i.e.
      molecules necessary for normal muscle contraction. We discuss the molecular
      properties of the proteins in the light of the sequence established for twitchin.

PMID- 1860899
TI  - Analysis of the distribution of the INCENPs throughout mitosis reveals the
      existence of a pathway of structural changes in the chromosomes during metaphase
      and early events in cleavage furrow formation.
AB  - The INCENPs are two polypeptides of 135 x 10(3) and 150 x 10(3) Mr that enter
      mitosis as tightly bound chromosomal proteins, but subsequently leave the
      chromosomes altogether and become associated with the central spindle and cell
      cortex at the contractile ring. In the experiments reported here we have used
      confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy to provide a detailed picture
      of the intracellular location of these proteins during mitosis. The experiments
      have not only revealed a number of new details concerning the properties of the
      INCENPs in mitosis, but have revealed a number of novel aspects of the mitotic
      process itself. The first of these is the existence of a sequential pathway of
      structural changes in the chromosomes that occurs during metaphase. This pathway
      is revealed by the existence of four distinct INCENP staining patterns in mitotic
      cells. In 'early' and 'early/mid' metaphase, the INCENPs gradually become
      concentrated at the centromeres, forming a ring at the center of the metaphase
      plate. During 'mid/late' metaphase they exit from the chromosomes, so that by
      late metaphase they are found solely in streaks that traverse the plate parallel
      to the spindle axis. The streaks probably correspond to INCENPs closely
      associated with microtubule bundles, perhaps as part of the stem body material.
      Examination of transverse optical sections of the spindle interzone during early
      anaphase reveals an unexpectedly high degree of order. The INCENP antigens are
      localized on fibers that are organized into a hollow ring 8 microns in diameter
      and approximately 4 microns beneath the cell cortex. Measurement of cellular
      dimensions in the confocal microscope reveals that the maximum diameter of early
      anaphase cells lies across the spindle equator, so that when the cleavage furrow
      forms, it does so around the maximum circumference of the cell. During anaphase,
      a subpopulation of the INCENP antigen becomes localized to the cortex where the
      furrow will subsequently form. This occurs prior to any other evidence of
      furrowing. Thus, binding of the INCENPs to this region may represent an early
      step in furrow formation. Together, these results suggest that the INCENPs may
      represent a new class of 'chromosomal passenger' proteins that are carried to the
      spindle equator by the chromosomes and subsequently perform a cytoskeletal role
      following their release from the chromosomes at the metaphase:anaphase
      transition.

PMID- 1860901
TI  - BWTG3 hepatoma cells can acquire phenylalanine hydroxylase, cystathionine
      synthase and CPS-I without genetic manipulation, but activation of the silent OTC
      gene requires cell fusion with hepatocytes.
AB  - The mouse hepatoma BWTG3 has been tested for its ability to grow in three
      different media that select for traits normally expressed in adult liver:
      homocysteine medium to select for cystathionine synthase (CS), tyrosine-free
      medium for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PH), and ornithine medium for
      carbamylphosphate synthetase-I (CPS-I) and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC). In
      no case were the cells immediately capable of bulk growth, showing that all these
      traits were in some degree deficient. However, the cultures in homocysteine
      medium and in tyrosine-free medium both gave rise, spontaneously, to growing
      clones with frequencies of approximately 10(-3) and 10(-5), respectively. The
      deficiencies of CS and PH were accordingly excluded from further study, in view
      of their inherent instability. In contrast, no colonies ever formed in ornithine
      medium. Though neither CPS-I nor OTC were detectable in stock BWTG3 cells, it was
      found that CPS-I was readily inducible by hormones. The deficiency of OTC,
      however, appeared to be totally stable showing no reversion in response either to
      hormones or to azacytidine treatment. This deficiency was investigated by fusing
      the hepatoma to OTC+ liver cells prepared from normal or sparse-fur (spf) mice.
      Sparse-fur mice were used because their OTC is mutant and has a distinctive pH
      dependence. OTC+ hybrids were readily produced, without the need for any specific
      selection for OTC, and, in one case at least, with only minimal chromosome
      segregation. In all the OTC+ hybrids made with spf cells, there was clear
      reactivation of the wild-type, hepatoma-derived OTC gene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860902
TI  - Overproduction and secretion of beta 2-microglobulin by a rat thymic epithelial
      cell line that expresses MHC class I heavy chain.
AB  - Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens are constituted of dimers
      consisting of a peripheral light chain, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and a
      transmembrane heavy chain whose cell surface expression depends on its assembly
      with beta 2m. In contrast, soluble beta 2m can be secreted in the absence of
      heavy chain expression. The presence of beta 2m in medium conditioned by a rat
      thymic epithelial cell line, IT45-R1 (IT45) prompted us to investigate whether
      beta 2m could be secreted by cells that express MHC class I antigens. IT45 cells
      produce three to five times more beta 2m in the culture supernatant than another
      rat thymic epithelial cell line, IT26-R21 (IT26). The IT45 cell line exported
      beta 2m through a constitutive pathway of secretion, as indicated by the kinetics
      of production and localization of intracellular beta 2m. Although cells from the
      IT45 cell line expressed a much higher amount of beta 2m as compared to IT26 and
      NBT II cells (a rat bladder epithelial cell line), all three of these cell lines
      expressed the same amount of membrane and intracellular MHC class I heavy chain.
      These data are thus consistent with a constitutive secretion of beta 2m dependent
      upon an overexpression of MHC class I light chain as compared to the heavy chain.
      The amount of beta 2m mRNA and the ratio of beta 2m versus MHC class I heavy
      chain transcripts were higher in IT45 than in IT26 cells, indicating that
      overexpression of beta 2m in IT45 cells could be due to an enhanced level of beta
      2m mRNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1860903
TI  - The Golgi sorting domain of coronavirus E1 protein.
AB  - The coronavirus E1 membrane protein is confined to the Golgi after it is
      expressed in cells either by viral infection or via injection of synthetic RNA.
      We have investigated the features of the protein responsible for intracellular
      sorting and found that a C-terminal deletion of only 18 amino acids results in
      its transport to the plasma membrane. However, we have previously shown that this
      C-terminal region alone is not sufficient for Golgi retention. When E1 was fused
      to a cell-surface protein, Thy-1, the resulting molecule was retained in the
      Golgi. Various mutated forms of E1 whose destinations were the ER, cell surface
      or lysosomes were also fused to Thy-1, and in each case the fusion was sorted
      according to its E1 component alone. We argue that, in contrast to sorting
      signals for other membrane compartments, Golgi retention of E1 is not due to a
      single short peptide sequence. Instead, the Golgi 'signal' of E1 appears to
      require for its expression a domain comprising most of the sequence of the
      protein.

PMID- 1860904
TI  - Proteins of the mammalian mitotic spindle: phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of
      MAP-4 during mitosis.
AB  - The phosphoprotein composition of isolated CHO spindles was analyzed using the
      MPM-1 and MPM-2 antibodies, which are reactive with a phosphorylated epitope
      enriched in mitotic cells and present on the centrosome, kinetochores, midbody
      and fibers of the mitotic spindle. Several high molecular weight phosphorylated
      spindle proteins were detected on immunoblots, including species of 410 x 10(3)
      Mr, 350 x 10(3) Mr, a 230-240 X 10(3) Mr doublet, 210 x 10(3) Mr and 120 x 10(3)
      Mr. The temporal and spatial distribution of the MPM-reactive phosphoproteins was
      determined by examining spindle structures isolated from cells at various stages
      of mitosis. The susceptibility of the staining pattern to extraction with salt, a
      procedure known to remove most microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), was also
      examined. The phosphorylated 210 x 10(3) Mr species was identified as MAP-4 and
      localized to the spindle fibers using (1) a polyclonal antibody raised against
      this species, that reacted with known MAPs, and (2) established MAP-4 antibodies
      that reacted with the spindle 210 x 10(3) Mr MPM-reactive proteins. The
      comparative immunoblot and immunofluorescence analysis establishes a cycle of
      phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of MAP-4 upon entry and exit from mitosis.
      Regarding the other MPM-reactive proteins, comparative immunofluorescence
      staining and immunoblot analysis of isolated spindle samples before and after
      salt extraction indicate that they may be constituents of the centrosome,
      kinetochores or midbody, but their definitive identification awaits the
      production of monospecific antibodies.

PMID- 1860905
TI  - Analytical studies on the chiral separation and simultaneous determination of
      pantothenic acid and hopantenic acid enantiomers in rat plasma by gas
      chromatography-mass fragmentography.
AB  - The chiral separation and simultaneous determination of D- and L-pantothenic
      acids and D- and L-hopantenic acids in rat plasma using gas chromatography-mass
      fragmentography are described. The method is based on deproteinization by ion
      exchange resin, extraction with ethyl acetate under acidic conditions, and
      derivatization to form several interesting compounds. After methyl esterification
      for carboxylic acid of D- and L-pantothenic acids, D- and L-hopantenic acids
      could be derivatized to trifluoroacetate, cyclic sulphite, and cyclic n
      butylboronate for hydroxy groups. D- and L-forms of these derivatives were
      completely separated by mass fragmentographic technique with quasi-molecular
      ions. Calcium salt of D-5-[(2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)amino]pentanoic
      acid was used as an internal standard for the determination of DL-pantothenic
      acids and DL-hopantenic acids. The detection limits of DL-pantothenic acids and
      DL-hopantenic acids in this method were 5 and 12 ng, respectively. This method
      could be applied to the study of plasma levels of D-, L-pantothenic acids and D-,
      L-hopantenic acids in rat.

PMID- 1860906
TI  - Gas chromatographic profiles of plasma total lipids as indicators of dietary
      history. Correlation with fat intake based on 24-h dietary recall.
AB  - Fasting plasma total lipid profiles were determined by high-temperature gas
      chromatography on a total of 1246 free living urban subjects, ages 20-59 years,
      from the Toronto-McMaster Lipid Research Clinic Population Study. Quantitative
      estimates of the major molecular species, lipid classes and lipid class ratios
      were correlated with a total of twelve dietary lipid components, including total
      saturated and unsaturated fats. oleic and linoleic acids, and cholesterol, to
      give appropriate Spearman coefficients (rS) and tests of significance (P) for
      groups of 775 males and 471 females. The intake of the various nutrients was
      derived from a 24-h dietary recall. The most significant correlations varying
      from rs +/- 0.1-0.4 and P less than 0.0001-0.0005 were between the intake of
      total fat, individual saturated and unsaturated fats, and the ratios of C50/C54
      triacylglycerols and the C34/C36 phosphatidylcholines, which reflected the nature
      and quantity of the dietary fat consumed. Increases in dietary cholesterol and
      saturated fat produced small increases in plasma cholesterol and saturated
      triacylglycerols, while unsaturated dietary fat produced small decreases in
      saturated and increases in unsaturated plasma triacylglycerols. These changes in
      the plasma lipid parameters are consistent with those observed previously in much
      more limited dietary experiments with accurately known composition of ingested
      fats. It is, therefore, concluded that direct gas chromatographic profiling of
      plasma total lipids provides a simple and rapid method of verifying the overall
      correctness of the dietary recall.

PMID- 1860907
TI  - Separation of translationally active mRNAs by reversed-phase ion-pair high
      performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - An ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method on C4 columns was
      developed for the separation of mRNAs. The addition of methylmercuric hydroxide
      markedly influenced the separation according to length of these molecules. A
      method is given to recover minute amounts of translatable mRNA from the organic
      phase. The resolution of mRNAs improved with increasing pore size of the column
      support.

PMID- 1860908
TI  - Concomitant determination of thiamin and its phosphate esters in human blood and
      serum by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous
      determination of thiamin and thiamin phosphate esters in human blood or serum has
      been developed. The eluent consists of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer, in the
      ratios 90:10 (v/v) for the elution of thiamine and 60:40 (v/v) for the phosphate
      esters. The four compounds are eluted within 15 min. The detection limit is 13-16
      fmol. Between-assay variation is 5-11%. Samples of whole blood and serum from 30
      healthy adults were analysed. The following reference values were obtained for 15
      females 15 males (nM, mean +/- S.D.). In serum: thiamin, 10.9 +/- 2.9/16.9 +/-
      3.3; thiamin monophosphate, 8.3 +/- 1.5/3.7 +/- 1.5. In whole blood: thiamin,
      29.6 +/- 10.0/33.4 +/- 10.4; thiamin monophosphate, 9.7 +/- 2.3/10.9 +/- 5.1;
      thiamin diphosphate, 121 +/- 29.6/165 +/- 40.4.

PMID- 1860909
TI  - Simultaneous determination of clebopride and a major metabolite N
      desbenzylclebopride in plasma by capillary gas chromatography-negative-ion
      chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
AB  - A procedure for the simultaneous assay of clebopride and its major metabolite N
      desbenzylclebopride in plasma has been developed. The method utilizes capillary
      gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry with
      selected-ion monitoring of characteristic ions. Employing 2-ethoxy analogues as
      internal standards, the benzamides were extracted from basified plasma using
      dichloromethane. Subsequent reaction with heptafluorobutyric anhydride produced
      volatile mono- and diheptafluorobutyryl derivatives of clebopride and N
      desbenzylclebopride, respectively. The methane negative-ion mass spectra of these
      derivatives exhibited intense high-mass ions ideal for specific quantitation of
      low levels in biological fluids. Using this procedure the recovery of the drug
      and metabolite from human plasma was found to be 84.4 +/- 1.5% (n = 3) and 77.4
      +/- 4.7% (n = 3), respectively, at 0.5 ng/ml. Measurement of both compounds down
      to 0.10 ng/ml with a coefficient of variation of less than 10.5% is described.
      Plasma levels are reported in four volunteers up to 24 h following oral
      administration of 1 mg of clebopride malate salt.

PMID- 1860910
TI  - Determination of polysulphides in blood by gas chromatography and gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A sensitive and simple method to determine polysulphides in human blood, using an
      extractive alkylation technique and gas chromatography, has been devised.
      Polysulphides were alkylated with pentafluorobenzyl bromide, and then converted
      into bis(pentafluorobenzyl)disulphide by desulphuration with potassium cyanide.
      The disulphide was analysed qualitatively by mass fragmentography and
      quantitatively by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The lower
      limit of detection was 0.005 mumol/ml. Field testing in a suicide case confirmed
      the validity of the method.

PMID- 1860911
TI  - Automated analysis of oxolinic acid and flumequine in salmon whole blood and
      plasma using dialysis combined with trace enrichment as on-line sample
      preparation for high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - The use of dialysis as sample clean-up for high-performance liquid chromatography
      makes fully automated determination of drugs in whole blood and plasma possible.
      High recoveries of the analytes oxolinic acid and flumequine and the internal
      standard nalidixic acid are obtained after a short time of dialysis (7.3 min).
      The dilute dialysates are enriched on a small column packed with polystyrene.
      When dialysis is discontinued, the analytes are eluted by mobile phase to the
      analytical column. With UV detection the limit of detection was 50 ng/ml for both
      oxolinic acid and flumequine. Validation showed good precision and accuracy and
      good correlation between determinations in plasma and whole blood.

PMID- 1860912
TI  - Determination of mefloquine in blood, filter paper-absorbed blood and urine by 9
      fluorenylmethyl chloroformate derivatization followed by liquid chromatography
      with fluorescence detection.
AB  - We describe a method for determination of mefloquine (MQ) in 100-microliters
      samples of urine, whole blood, and capillary blood collected on filter paper;
      quantification is by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection at 475 nm
      of the 9-fluorenylmethyleneoxycarbonyl derivative. Whole blood and urine samples
      were prepared by extraction of MQ and internal standard from aqueous base with
      methyl tert.-butyl ether (MTBE), separation and evaporation of the MTBE layer,
      and derivatization using a solution of 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate in
      acetonitrile. Filter paper spots were immersed for 16 h in 0.1 M hydrochloric
      acid, followed by extraction with MTBE from aqueous sodium carbonate. The
      separated and evaporated organic layer was treated with the derivatizing
      solution. An aliquot was injected onto a high-performance liquid chromatography
      system using a C18 reversed-phase column and acetonitrile-water (72:28) mobile
      phase for filter paper spot extracts as for whole blood and urine extracts. The
      method has a limit of determination in blood, blood spots, and urine of 50 ng/ml
      with 100 microliters sample size (coefficient of variation = 16%). Linearity and
      precision (within-day and between-day) for the method are good. The MQ derivative
      was isolated and characterized spectroscopically. Values for MQ concentrations in
      filter paper blood spots compared favorably with values found in corresponding
      whole blood samples analyzed by a published method.

PMID- 1860913
TI  - Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of amphoteric beta-lactam
      antibiotics: effects of columns, ion-pairing reagents and mobile phase pH on
      their retention times.
AB  - The separation of five amino beta-lactam antibiotics by reversed-phase high
      performance liquid chromatography was studied as an insight into their retention
      behaviour. These five amphoteric compounds are cephradine, cephalexine, cefaclor,
      ampicillin and amoxicillin. Both octadecylsilane-bonded silica (C18) columns and
      phenyl-bonded silica (phenyl) columns were used, with mobile phase pH values
      between 2.5 and 7.4. In the absence of ion-pairing reagents the retention times
      for all the five compounds were the shortest at pH 4-6. The phenyl column was
      found to improve the separation between cephradine and ampicillin at pH values
      lower than 3, when these two compounds appeared as fused peaks on the C18 on C18
      columns, with mobile phases both with and without ion-pairing reagents, were
      compared. The addition of 0.005 or 0.02 M tetraethylammonium acetate to the
      mobile phase did not result in significant ion-pair formation, except at pH
      values higher than 5.5. A strong ion-pairing effect was obtained at pH values
      higher than 6 with 0.005 or 0.02 M tetrabutylammonium phosphate, and the
      retention was decreased at pH values lower than 4. On the other hand, 0.005 M
      heptanesulphonic acid exhibited an ion-pair retention effect at pH values lower
      than 5. The molecular structures and pK(a) values were used to account for the
      retention behaviour of these antibiotics in the various mobile phases.

PMID- 1860914
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of 4,4'-methylenedianiline
      in human urine.
AB  - A method is described for the determination of urinary 4,4'-methylenedianiline
      (MDA) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). MDA was extracted from
      hydrolyzed urine using C18 solid-phase extraction columns. The extract was
      analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC with electrochemical detection at a cell
      potential of 0.8 V. The method was very sensitive (detection limit 2.5
      micrograms/l) and quantitation using 4,4'-ethylenedianiline as an internal
      standard correlated well with results by gas chromatography-mas spectrometry. Run
      to-run precision (n = 25) averaged 8.9%. In analysis of more than 160 potentially
      exposed workers, MDA was detected in less than 20% of the urines and
      concentrations ranged up to 210 micrograms MDA per g of creatinine.

PMID- 1860915
TI  - Simultaneous quantitation of loxapine, amoxapine and their 7- and 8-hydroxy
      metabolites in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - Loxapine, its N-demethylated metabolite amoxapine, and their 7- and 8-hydroxy
      metabolites were determined simultaneously in plasma by a simple two-step
      extraction procedure followed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Baseline
      separation was achieved by a 5-microns Spherisorb C6 column. The mobile phase
      consisted of 5 mM phosphate buffer (with 14 mM orthophosphoric acid)-acetonitrile
      (with 105 microM nonylamine) (77:23, v/v). Assays of the steady-state plasma
      samples obtained from seventeen patients on loxapine showed substantial amounts
      of 8-hydroxy metabolites, lesser amounts of loxapine, amoxapine and 7
      hydroxyloxapine and trace amounts of 7-hydroxyamoxapine. As 8-hydroxy metabolites
      possess only weak dopamine-D2 blocking activity, the final neuroleptic property
      of loxapine may be affected significantly by metabolic polymorphism.

PMID- 1860916
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of
      enantiomers of 5-dimethylsulphamoyl-6,7-dichloro-2-dihydrobenzofuran-2,
      carboxylic acid and its N-monodemethyl metabolite in monkey plasma and urine
      after chiral derivatization.
AB  - A quantitative method for the simultaneous high-performance liquid
      chromatographic (HPLC) resolution and determination of the enantiomers of 5
      dimethylsulphamoyl-6,7-dichloro-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-2-carboxyl ic acid, a new
      diuretic, and its N-monodemethylated metabolite in monkey plasma and urine is
      described. The method includes diethyl ether extraction of the samples and S-(-)
      alpha-methylbenzylamide derivatization of the extract, followed by reversed-phase
      solid-phase extraction and injection of the resulting diastereoisomers onto a
      reversed-phase HPLC column. Baseline separation was obtained. The assay showed
      linearity over the range 0.1-50 micrograms/ml of plasma and 0.25-500 microliters
      of urine, with a lower limit of detection of ca. 0.01 micrograms/ml for each of
      the enantiomers. The method is adequate for pharmacokinetic and enantioselective
      disposition studies of both the diuretic and its metabolite.

PMID- 1860917
TI  - Method for the collection and analysis of volatile compounds in the breath.
AB  - A new method is described for the collection and assay of volatile compounds in
      the breath. Subjects expired into a pump-assisted collecting apparatus in which
      the breath was drawn through a water trap and then through an adsorptive trap
      where the volatile compounds were captured on graphitized carbon and molecular
      sieve. The sample was subsequently eluted from the trap by thermal desorption,
      concentrated by two-stage cryofocusing, then assayed by gas chromatography with
      flame ionization and flame photometric detection. Several compounds were
      regularly observed in the breath of normal human volunteers, including peaks
      eluting with the same retention times as isoprene, ethanol, acetone, acetaldehyde
      and carbon disulfide. As a quantitative assay for endogenous isoprene in the
      breath, the method was sensitive, linear, accurate and reproducible. This method
      provided a number of advantages: the collection technique was acceptable to
      volunteers and could be used at sites remote from the laboratory. The automated
      assay allowed isoprene and several other volatile compounds in the breath to be
      observed consistently and with improved sensitivity.

PMID- 1860918
TI  - Determination of 2-mercaptopropionylglycine and its metabolite, 2
      mercaptopropionic acid, in plasma by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance
      liquid chromatography with post-column derivatization.
AB  - A simple and fast high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed
      for the simultaneous measurement of 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (Tiopronine) and
      its metabolite (2-mercaptopropionic acid) in human plasma after the
      administration of a pharmaceutical dosage form (Acadione). The sample treatment
      before high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis consisted of the
      reduction of the corresponding disulphides by tri-n-butylphosphine and protein
      precipitation with ethanol. Separation was achieved by ion-pair high-performance
      liquid chromatography on a reversed-phase column (LiChrospher RP 18e) with
      cetrimonium bromide as counter ion and detection by fluorimetry after post-column
      derivatization with a selective thiol reagent, i.e. pyrenemaleimide. The high
      frequency of the analyzed samples and validation results make the method suitable
      for pharmacokinetic studies, and this was demonstrated by the first results
      obtained after the administration of an oral dose of 500 mg of Tiopronine to two
      healthy subjects.

PMID- 1860919
TI  - Determination of the cytochrome P-450 IV marker, omega-hydroxylauric acid, by
      high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorimetric detection.
AB  - The formation of omega-hydroxylauric acid from lauric acid is an indicator of the
      activity of cytochrome P-450 IV family proteins. The two main metabolites of
      lauric acid, (omega-1)-and omega-hydroxylauric acid, have been completely
      separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Measurement
      of lauric acid hydroxylase activity in microsomal liver samples, based on
      derivatization of the substrate and metabolites with the fluorescent agent 4
      bromomethyl-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, is a precise method (coefficient of variation
      = 7.6 and 10% for omega and (omega-1) metabolites, respectively) with good
      sensitivity (signal-to-noise ratio in microsomal samples of untreated rats
      greater than 20). In microsomal fractions from livers of rats treated with di-(2
      ethylhexyl)phthalate the extent of omega-hydroxylation of lauric acid increased
      dose-dependently (ca. ten-fold). The (omega-1)-hydroxylase activity was not
      altered. A strong correlation between immunochemically determined cytochrome P
      450 IVA1 and lauric acid omega-hydroxylase activity was found (r = 0.94, n = 30).

PMID- 1860920
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of cortolic and cortolonic
      acids as pyrenyl ester derivatives.
AB  - A new procedure is described for the detection of the acidic metabolites of
      cortisol (cortoic acids) as the pyrenylmethyl-21-oic esters. The derivatizing
      reagent, diazomethylpyrene, was prepared by an improved procedure. The reagent
      was used at room temperature, required no catalyst, and was not restricted by
      stoichiometric requirements. The steroid esters were separated by reversed-phase
      high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed simultaneously by their
      ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence characteristics. Identities of the
      products were confirmed using the photodiode array detector to determine spectral
      profiles, absorbance maxima, and absorbance ratios. Further confirmation of
      identity of the cortoic acid esters used mass spectrometry under normal and
      collision-activated dissociation conditions. With the method described, a linear
      spectral response was obtained between 8 and 1680 fmol. Application of the
      technique to the analysis of steroid acids in human urine indicated the presence
      of cortoic acids.

PMID- 1860921
TI  - Simple thin-layer chromatographic purification procedure for the determination of
      cholesterol ester fatty acid compositions.
AB  - A mild procedure for the purification of methyl esters of the fatty acid
      components of cholesterol esters, from interfering free cholesterol and other
      contaminating residues, is described. Methyl esters and free cholesterol are
      formed during the methylation of cholesterol esters. When co-extracted,
      cholesterol and other contaminating residues interfere with the methyl esters
      because minute proportions of these residues tend to elute at the same retention
      times as palmitoleic and stearic acids, to yield unreliable but significantly
      higher values for palmitoleic (p less than 0.001) and stearic acids (p less than
      0.0001), and correspondingly lower values for oleic acid (p less than 0.0001).
      Purification of methyl esters by thin-layer chromatography eliminates this
      problem and yields reliable analysis of cholesterol ester fatty acids, without
      measurable oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

PMID- 1860923
TI  - Determination of bencyclane in human plasma by means of capillary gas
      chromatography and nitrogen-phosphorus selective detection.
AB  - A sensitive and specific method for the determination of bencyclane in human
      plasma is presented. Bencyclane was extracted from human plasma with two 3-ml
      volumes of isooctane and was shaken for 10 min. The organic phase was separated
      and evaporated to dryness at 40 degrees C under a nitrogen stream. The residue
      was dissolved and an aliquot was injected into the gas chromatograph. The
      separation was performed with a DB-17 column with helium as the carrier gas.
      Nitrogen-selective detection was performed. The quantification was performed with
      the signal output. The limit of detection was 1 ng/ml.

PMID- 1860922
TI  - Determination of local anaesthetics in body fluids by gas chromatography with
      surface ionization detection.
AB  - Ten local anaesthetics were tested for their detection by gas chromatography (GC)
      surface ionization detection (SID). Lidocaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine were
      detected with the highest sensitivity; their detection limit was 5-10 pg in an
      injected volume. The sensitivity of other drugs, such as procaine, dibucaine
      tetracaine and oxybuprocaine, was an order of magnitude lower than that of the
      above three local anaesthetics. A detailed procedure for isolation of local
      anaesthetics from human whole blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by the use of
      Sep-Pak C18 cartridges, before the GC-SID, is also presented. The recovery of
      lidocaine, mepivacaine and bupivacaine, which had been added to 1 ml of whole
      blood or CSF, was close to 100%.

PMID- 1860924
TI  - Determination of fendiline in human plasma by means of capillary gas
      chromatography and nitrogen-phosphorus selective detection.
AB  - A sensitive and specific method for the determination of fendiline in human
      plasma is presented. Fendiline was extracted from human plasma after the addition
      of phosphate buffer two times with 4 ml of n-hexane. The organic phase was
      separated and evaporated to dryness at 40 degrees C under a stream of nitrogen.
      The residue was dissolved and an aliquot was injected into the gas chromatograph.
      Chromatographic separation was performed with a DB-1 column with helium as
      carrier gas. Nitrogen-selective detection was performed. Quantification was
      performed with the signal output. The limit of detection was 1 ng/ml of plasma.

PMID- 1860925
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of 5
      aminosalicylic acid and acetyl-5-aminosalicylic acid concentrations in endoscopic
      intestinal biopsy in humans.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous
      determination of 5-amino-salicylic acid (5-ASA) and N-acetyl-5-ASA (Ac-5-ASA)
      concentrations in endoscopic mucosal biopsy homogenates is presented. The mean
      recoveries of 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA from spiked blank biopsy homogenates ranged from
      95.9 to 120% and from 92.5 to 100%, respectively. The coefficients of variation
      for 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA were 0.7-8.6% and 1.4-12.9%, respectively. This method is
      useful for direct determination of topical availability of 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA and
      probably an accurate parameter of drug bioavailability.

PMID- 1860926
TI  - Chromatographic analysis of methylmercaptopurine riboside in human plasma and
      urine.
AB  - An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method
      for the determination of methylmercaptopurine riboside (MMPR) in human plasma and
      urine is reported. Plasma samples were prepared for analysis by addition of
      internal standard (6-dimethylaminopurine 9-riboside) followed by extraction using
      disposable C18 cartridges. Urine samples were filtered through a 0.22-micron
      membrane prior to HPLC separation. The column effluent was monitored at 289 nm
      and quantitation performed using peak heights. The linear range for MMPR
      determination was from 10 to 500 ng/ml in plasma and from 0.25 to 50
      micrograms/ml in urine. The reported method is convenient, sensitive, and
      reproducible, illustrating its usefulness for application in pharmacokinetic
      studies.

PMID- 1860927
TI  - Selective liquid chromatographic assay for propylthiouracil in plasma.
AB  - A liquid chromatographic assay was developed to quantitate propylthiouracil in
      plasma using an internal standard, 5-propyl-2-thiouracil, of similar structure
      and physical properties. Caffeine, which coelutes with propylthiouracil, was
      removed by extraction from serum treated with base. No other compounds were found
      to interfere in the assay. The drug was extracted from plasma with chloroform
      with a recovery of 59.4% and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation
      were 5.7 and 3.3%, respectively. The assay was linear to 3 micrograms/ml with a
      lower detection limit of 40 ng/ml for a sample volume of 1 ml.

PMID- 1860928
TI  - Determination of xanthenone-4-acetic acid in mouse plasma by high-performance
      liquid chromatography.
AB  - Xanthenone-4-acetic acid (XAA) was synthesised during a search for improved
      analogues of flavone-8-acetic acid, an antitumour agent with a unique mechanism
      of action but with a number of pharmacological disadvantages. We describe a
      simple, selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay suitable for the
      detection of XAA in mouse plasma. After addition of an internal standard (3
      methyl-XAA), plasma was acidified with trichloroacetic acid and extracted with
      toluene. After evaporation of solvent, samples were chromatographed on a C18 4
      microns Novapak cartridge (mobile phase: water-acetonitrile-acetic acid, 65:35:2,
      v/v) using fluorescence detection. At the maximum tolerated dose of XAA (725
      mumol/kg), nonlinear pharmacokinetics were observed.

PMID- 1860929
TI  - Determination of adriamycin in plasma and tissue biopsies.
AB  - A simple, rapid and sensitive method for the extraction and high-performance
      liquid chromatographic analysis of adriamycin in tissue and plasma is described.
      Tissue (5-100 mg) and plasma (1 ml) samples underwent a C18 Sep-Pak extraction
      into methanol. Chromatography was performed on a muBondapakphenyl column using a
      mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1 M ammonium formate (pH 4.0) with a flow-rate of
      2 ml/min. Fluorometric detection was used with an excitation of 480 nm and an
      emission of 550 nm. The procedure produced a linear curve for the concentration
      range 25-1000 ng/ml. The development of the assay produced rapid, repeatable and
      accurate results for both small tissue samples and plasma.

PMID- 1860930
TI  - Determination of diazepam and nordazepam in milk and plasma in the presence of
      oxazepam and temazepam.
AB  - For studies on the excretion of drugs into milk a sensitive high-performance
      liquid chromatographic assay was developed to quantitate diazepam and nordazepam
      in the milk and plasma of humans and rabbits in the presence of their major
      metabolites, oxazepam and temazepam. Flurazepam was used as an internal standard.
      The assay involves extractions with diethyl ether and an additional acid clean-up
      step. Chromatographic separation was achieved by a LiChrospher 60 RP-select B (5
      microns) column and KH2PO4- acetonitrile (69:31, v/v) adjusted to pH 2.80 as a
      mobile phase. The same extraction and chromatographic conditions were suited to
      both types of samples, milk and plasma. The limits of determination using
      ultraviolet detection at 241 nm was for diazepam 20 ng/ml and for nordazepam 15
      ng/ml. The absolute recoveries of diazepam, nordazepam and flurazepam in human
      milk were 84, 86 and 92% and in human plasma 97, 89 and 94%, respectively. The
      within- and between-day accuracy and precision for diazepam and nordazepam in
      milk and plasma at all concentrations tested (20-1500 ng/ml) were better than 8%.
      The high fat content which occurs in rabbit milk presented no limitation for the
      extraction of lipophilic diazepam: the method was successfully used to monitor
      milk and plasma concentrations of diazepam and nordazepam in lactating New
      Zealand White rabbits during 26-h infusions of diazepam (1.4 mg/h).

PMID- 1860931
TI  - Determination of diltiazem hydrochloride enantiomers in dog plasma using chiral
      stationary-phase liquid chromatography.
AB  - The separation and determination of d- and l-diltiazem hydrochloride in dog
      plasma by a two-column high-performance liquid chromatographic technique are
      described. Diltiazem hydrochloride and its metabolites were extracted from dog
      plasma and analyzed on a conventional column (Nucleosil 5C18) with a volatile
      buffer system. The column effluent of diltiazem hydrochloride was collected and
      evaporated. The enantiomeric ratio of the collected diltiazem was determined
      using a chiral column (Chiralcel OC). The method was accurate and sensitive.

PMID- 1860932
TI  - Analytical procedure for the determination of rufloxacin, a new
      pyridobenzothiazine, in human serum and urine by high-performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of
      rufloxacin in human serum and urine has been developed and validated. The
      compounds, rufloxacin and internal standard, are extracted from buffered serum
      and urine using dichloromethane. They are then separated on an anion-exchange
      column using 0.05 M phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (80:20, v/v). The eluate is
      quantified by measuring the ultraviolet absorbance at 296 nm. The lower limit of
      detection for the analyte is 0.1 microgram/ml in serum and 0.05 micrograms/ml in
      urine. The method is linear from 0.3 to 10 micrograms/ml for serum and 0.1 to 10
      micrograms/ml for urine. The method has been applied in a pharmacokinetic study
      in volunteers.

PMID- 1860933
TI  - Determination of the new anticancer agent KW 2149, 7-N-[2-[2-(gamma-L
      glutamylamino)ethyl)dithio)ethyl]mitomycin C, an analogue of mitomycin C.
AB  - The new mitomycin 7-N-[2-[2-(gamma-L-glutamylamino)ethyl)dithio)ethyl] mitomycin
      C (KW 2149) (I) proved to be active against a wide variety of experimental
      tumours. In order to perform pharmacokinetic studies with the new drug in Phase I
      sessions, a fast and reliable method has been developed based on the data of
      previous assays for mitomycin C. XAD-2 was preferred for isolation of I from
      blood plasma. The recovery of I was 50% whereas that of mitomycin C was 85%.
      Optimal separation was obtained on octadecyl silica columns with methanol-water
      (45:55, v/v) as mobile phase, while ultraviolet absorbance detection was
      performed at 375 nm. The assay enabled determination of I in a plasma
      concentration range of 20-1000 ng/ml using porfiromycin as internal standard.

PMID- 1860934
TI  - Simultaneous determination of beclomethasone, beclomethasone monopropionate and
      beclomethasone dipropionate in biological fluids using a particle beam interface
      for combining liquid chromatography with negative-ion chemical ionization mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A new simple and sensitive assay has been developed for the simultaneous
      quantitative measurement of beclomethasone dipropionate and its hydrolysis
      products in human plasma and urine. Beclomethasone 17.21-dipropionate,
      beclomethasone 17-monopropionate, beclomethasone and the internal standard,
      dexamethasone 21-acetate, were measured by combined liquid chromatography and
      negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry with methane as the reagent
      gas. A particle beam interface from Hewlett Packard was used. Under mild
      operating conditions, abundant and stable characteristic high-mass ions were
      generated in the ion source of the mass spectrometer by a resonance electron
      capture mechanism. The fast extraction procedure requires 1 ml of plasma or
      urine, and the quantification limit of the method is 1 ng ml-1 for the three
      tested compounds.

PMID- 1860935
TI  - Evaluation of a simple plasma catecholamine extraction procedure prior to high
      performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection.
AB  - The modified extraction method for catecholamines described in this study is
      reproducible, simple, rapid, economical and relatively hazard-free. This method
      is based on the principle that plasma catecholamines are selectively adsorbed on
      acid-washed alumina at pH 8.6 and then eluted at a pH between 1.0 and 2.0. No
      statistically significant differences were obtained by using either 0.5 or 1.0 ml
      of plasma with 0.5 or 1.0 ml of Tris buffer. A 15-min mixing time during the
      adsorption and desorption steps was found to be practical, but any standardized
      time up to 1 h can be used. If the washing step was omitted, the catecholamines
      could not be eluted from the acid-washed alumina. To prevent dilution, the
      alumina had to be centrifuged and not aspirated to dryness after the washing
      step. An amount of 50 mg of WA-4 alumina was found to be the most practical in
      this study. Extracted or unextracted plasma as well as catecholamine standards
      were stable for four months at -20 degrees C.

PMID- 1860936
TI  - Quantitation of tryptophan and other plasma amino acids by automated pre-column o
      phthaldialdehyde derivatization high-performance liquid chromatography: improved
      sample preparation.
AB  - Pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde is a rapid and sensitive method
      for the quantitation of amino acids in biological fluids. This method uses
      acetonitrile as a deproteinizing reagent which gives improved recovery of
      tryptophan compared with 5-sulfosalicylic acid and permits the measurement of
      aspartic acid which coelutes with 5-sulfosalicylic acid. The method is automated
      to increase reproducibility and convenience. Mean coefficients of variation for
      peak areas relative to internal standard were 3.2 and 5.2% for amino acid
      standards and plasma samples, respectively. The presence of nitrilotriacetic acid
      stabilized the o-phthaldialdehyde reagent which is important in an automated
      system. The method is suitable for the analysis of large numbers of plasma
      samples where total tryptophan and aspartic acid are of interest.

PMID- 1860937
TI  - Diminished femoral antetorsion syndrome: a cause of pain and osteoarthritis.
AB  - The syndrome of diminished femoral antetorsion, evaluated in 111 joints of 59
      children and adults, is described. Internal rotation of the femur was
      significantly decreased, and external rotation was increased. Femoral antetorsion
      was diminished in biplane radiographs to an 8.5 degrees mean value [1.0 degree in
      computed tomography (CT) scans]. Antetorsion values are higher in children, even
      in this syndrome. Pain was mainly experienced between the ages of 12 and 30
      years. Ten patients had signs of beginning osteoarthritis. Rotational osteotomies
      performed to increase antetorsion were successful.

PMID- 1860938
TI  - Prevention of hip dislocation in cerebral palsy by early psoas and adductors
      tenotomies.
AB  - The effectiveness of psoas and adductor tenotomies for the prevention of hip
      dislocation was investigated in 40 hips of 24 total-body-involved children. Age
      at operation ranged from 1.6 to 10 years. Results were evaluated by the Reimers
      migration percentage (MP). Average follow-up was 3 years. An overall good result
      was observed in 67% of cases. Results were correlated with age and MP at
      operation. Successful results were obtained in 90% of patients under age 4 who
      had an MP less than 33%. Preventive surgery should be performed at 2 or 3 years
      of age, before the onset of hip dysplasia.

PMID- 1860939
TI  - Electrokinesiologic testing of walking in patients with spastic cerebral palsy.
AB  - Assessment of walking ability of patients with spastic cerebral palsy has long
      been a problem. In an attempt to obtain more precise and objective findings, we
      used the Polgon goniometry method. The study involved testing the gait of 36
      spastic patients. We compared clinical findings and Polgon diagrams of healthy
      children and spastic patients pre- and postoperatively. The results were
      classified as very good to good, satisfactory, and poor. The advantages of Polgon
      are that it is painless, does not irritate the patient, and is a simple,
      objective method. Its disadvantages arise from a relatively large amount of
      artifacts and inadequacy when it is used on spastic patients.

PMID- 1860940
TI  - Equalization of lower limbs by epiphysiodesis: results of treatment.
AB  - Equalization of lower limb length was achieved by epiphysiodesis in 20 children.
      During the period under review the Phemister procedure was replaced by
      percutaneous epiphysiodesis, and orthoroentgenogram was superseded by computed
      tomography (CT) scanning. In five children with anisomelia, whose expected
      discrepancy was 4.5 cm, the results at maturity showed an average discrepancy of
      0.7 cm. In 10 girls with limb-length discrepancy (LLD) caused by ischemic
      necrosis with congenital dislocation of the hip, the average LLD at maturity was
      0.6, whereas the expected LLD was 4 cm. In five children with LLD caused by
      infection, the average discrepancy was 3.8 cm at the time of epiphysiodesis,
      whereas at maturity it was 0.5 cm. A good result was achieved in 90% of the
      patients. We recommend the Moseley straight-line graph, CT scanography, and
      percutaneous epiphysiodesis.

PMID- 1860941
TI  - Diaphyseal bone lengthening in children using Wagner device: long-term results.
AB  - In a series of 32 patients, the tibia was lengthened nine times and the femur 26
      times. The lengthening was 4.1 cm in the tibia and 4.9 cm in the femur. The
      callotasis principle and atraumatic handling of the periosteum were considered
      important. The leg inequality was corrected appropriately, except in cases where
      the leg-length inequality was greater than 12 cm as a result of a progressive
      congenital deformity. Late femoral fractures occurred in six patients, but no
      tibial fractures were seen. One hip dislocation was seen after femoral
      lengthening, one talus deformation developed after the tibial lengthening, and
      one peroneal nerve entrapment was released operatively. One infection caused
      delayed bone union. Average follow-up time was 5.0 years.

PMID- 1860942
TI  - Contributing factors for osteogenesis in children's limb lengthening.
AB  - A progressive bone lengthening procedure according to the Wagner and Ilizarov
      technique and our own protocol was performed on 24 children (32 bones). Wagner's
      (transverse midshaft osteotomy, intraoperative lengthening of 1 cm and
      postoperative distraction of 1 mm/day) led to a marked reduction in osteogenic
      capacities. Patients operated on according to the Ilizarov technique had
      osteogenic reactions in the medullary cavity and on the posterior aspect of bone
      segments. Our own method, which included bone decortication, 5-7 days of neutral
      fixation without distraction, led to massive bone production in the medullary
      canal and around the bone segments. Rigid osseous bridging was present as early
      as 3 months after surgery. Neither the type of external fixator nor the location
      or shape of osteotomy had any specific influence on this massive bone reaction.
      Osteogenesis in limb lengthening is thus closely related to surgical management.

PMID- 1860943
TI  - Effect of scoliosis surgery on pulmonary function in patients with
      myelomeningocele.
AB  - Thirteen patients with myelomeningocele who required operation for scoliosis were
      tested for changes in pulmonary function 1 month before and an average of 13
      months after spinal stabilization. The average age at the time of operation was
      12 years 11 months. Ten patients had restrictive changes in pulmonary function
      preoperatively. Owing to the severity of scoliosis, an anterior approach to the
      spine including resection of ribs and division of the diaphragm was necessary for
      eight children. Postoperatively, despite these procedures, eight patients had an
      increase in vital capacity and six patients had an increased forced expiratory
      volume in 1 s.

PMID- 1860944
TI  - Allograft versus autograft bone in idiopathic scoliosis surgery: a multivariate
      statistical analysis.
AB  - The use of autograft versus allograft bone in scoliosis surgery is critically
      evaluated by a multivariate statistical analysis. Two groups of patients matched
      for age, angle of curve, and length of fusion, forming a consecutive series of
      posterior arthrodesis for idiopathic scoliosis, were evaluated. Group A consisted
      of 83 patients receiving autografts, and group B consisted of 99 patients
      receiving allografts. There was a significant reduction in operation time in the
      allograft group, and blood loss also decreased. After 1 year there was no
      significant difference in correction of the curve. Given the problems of
      discomfort at the donor site scar, we recommend the use of allograft bone in
      scoliosis surgery.

PMID- 1860945
TI  - Bone lesions in histiocytosis X.
AB  - Sixty-two patients with histiocytosis X were followed for an average of 5 years.
      The patients were classified into three groups: general visceral types (14
      cases), multiple eosinophilic granulomas (nine cases), and solitary eosinophilic
      granulomas (39 cases). One hundred bony lesions were noted in 60 of the 62
      patients. The bone lesions showed progressive improvement in single and multiple
      eosinophilic granulomas independent of treatment type. After biopsy, patients
      received no treatment unless there was a dangerous extension into the soft
      tissues because of its site, i.e., in the skull. In the general visceral types,
      chemotherapy was effective in visceral sites and in extensions of the tumor
      outside the bone but did not alter the natural history of the bony lesion.

PMID- 1860946
TI  - Critical review of infantile fibrous dysplasia: surgical treatment.
AB  - A critical review of the surgical treatment of 65 patients with infantile fibrous
      dysplasia demonstrated that "circumscribed" types of the disease generally do not
      require surgical treatment, while "extended" types, as well as Albright's
      syndrome, require early surgical treatment aimed at preventing development of
      skeletal deformities which are difficult to correct later. Prophylactic
      intramedullary nailing with nails of suitable caliber is most effective.

PMID- 1860947
TI  - Lower limb bone hemangiomas in children: report of two cases.
AB  - Hemangiomas of the bone are rare lesions, accounting for approximately 1% of all
      primary bone tumors. Hemangiomas occur fairly frequently in the vertebral bodies
      and the skull, but are unusual in other bones. We report two cases of unusual and
      fairly rare aspects of this vascular tumor in children. Both cases involved
      recurrences, which led to a wide bone resection in case 1 and to several
      curettages in case 2. In these two cases the histological type of hemangioma was
      capillary. In reviewing the literature we found no indication of wide resection
      of the benign forms in children.

PMID- 1860948
TI  - A new orthosis for the management of clubfoot and other foot and leg deformities
      in infancy and early childhood.
AB  - A new orthosis designed to deal with unilateral or bilateral idiopathic clubfoot
      after successful conservative or surgical treatment was used to maintain the
      correction and to prevent recurrence. Once the neutral position of the heel was
      achieved, the orthosis was found to be very useful in improving the correction of
      the hind-foot and/or the forefoot. The first 50 patients treated with the
      orthosis showed a 92% compliance rate for an average period of 9-12 months.

PMID- 1860949
TI  - Hip dysplasia, subluxation, and dislocation in cerebral palsy: an arthrographic
      analysis.
AB  - Fifty-nine hip arthrographic roentgenograms were performed on 31 children with
      cerebral palsy (CP) and plain radiographic evidence of hip deformity. Five levels
      of hip instability were defined by the arthrographic migration index (MI). The
      incidence of femoral head deformation increased with an increase in MI. A new
      measurement, defined by the intersection of Hilgenreiner's line with a tangent
      drawn from the lateral cartilaginous acetabular anlage, decreased proportionally
      with the increase in the MI. These findings indicate that progressive deformation
      of the cartilaginous acetabulum and femoral head occurs during (and, in some
      cases, before) evolution of hip instability in patients with CP.

PMID- 1860950
TI  - Rapid progression of hip subluxation in cerebral palsy after selective posterior
      rhizotomy.
AB  - Rapid progression of hip subluxation was noted in the year after selective dorsal
      rhizotomy in seven hips (six patients). The hips that subluxed progressed from a
      lateral extrusion index averaging 25% preoperatively as compared with 50% after
      rhizotomy. Although preexistent hip dysplasia was a predisposing factor, hips
      with an intermediate degree of preoperative lateral extrusion (12-25%) had
      variable results. Ongoing and more frequent evaluation of hip stability is
      necessary after dorsal rhizotomy.

PMID- 1860951
TI  - The acetabulum in congenital and neuromuscular hip instability.
AB  - Acetabular morphology in congenital and neuromuscular hip instability was
      evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and plain radiography. Thirty-three
      unstable hips in 27 children with congenital hip dysplasia, cerebral palsy, or
      spina bifida were studied. Fourteen normal hips in 14 children served as
      controls. Unstable hips in the children with congenital hip dysplasia
      demonstrated anterior and superior acetabular deficiency with increased
      acetabular anteversion. Global deficiency was present in acetabuli of cerebral
      palsy and spina bifida patients with anterior, posterior, and superior
      deficiencies. The acetabuli in cerebral palsy patients had significant posterior
      deficiency and were the shallowest of the groups evaluated.

PMID- 1860952
TI  - Late acetabular dysplasia following early successful Pavlik harness treatment of
      congenital dislocation of the hip.
AB  - We present the long-term results of Pavlik harness treatment in 61 patients with
      74 affected hips. At the beginning of treatment, the hips were either dislocated
      and reducible or dislocated and irreducible. The average age of patients at
      follow-up was 12 years (range, 10-16 years). At 3- and 5-year follow-up, all of
      the hips appeared radiographically normal. However, at latest follow-up, 17% of
      the hips demonstrated changes in the acetabulum (an upward tilt of the outer
      portion of the acetabular roof or sclerosis in this area). This study emphasizes
      the importance of continued follow-up until patients treated for congenital
      dislocation of the hip reach skeletal maturity.

PMID- 1860953
TI  - Behavior of the proximal femur during the treatment of congenital dysplasia of
      the hip: a clinical long-term study.
AB  - The influence of the acetabular cover on the development of the proximal femur
      during the treatment of congenital dysplasia of the hip was studied in 47
      children (58 hips) with a follow-up of 22 years. Varus osteotomy failed to
      correct hip dysplasia in 33 hips of 27 children. Chiari osteotomy was followed by
      a positive anti-Chiari effect (oval shaped acetabulum with proximal migration of
      the femoral head) in 15 children (20 hips). In five children (five hips) with
      coxa vara due to avascular necrosis, the anti-Chiari effect was negative. The
      combination of Chiari and varus osteotomy before the age of 8 years was followed
      by a positive anti-Chiari effect and recurrence of valgus deformity in seven of
      eight hips. The long-term failure of the varus and Chiari osteotomy, together
      with a review of clinical and experimental surveys, led us to prefer the
      acetabular redirectional osteotomy.

PMID- 1860954
TI  - Hamstring tenotomies in cerebral palsy: long-term retrospective analysis.
AB  - One hundred seventeen cerebral palsy patients were followed for a mean of 3.4
      years after undergoing hamstring tenotomy by proximal semimembranosus release in
      conjunction with distal semitendinosus and biceps femoris release. Range of
      motion was significantly improved 1 year after the operation and remained so for
      4 years. Thirty percent of nonambulatory patients improved at least one level in
      activity, some at up to 12 years of age. Minor recurvatum was observed at 1 year
      but became nearly nonexistent after 3-5 years.

PMID- 1860955
TI  - Effect of neonatal posture on later lower limb rotation and gait in premature
      infants.
AB  - The rotational profile of 265 children age 4-8 years who were born at the
      gestational age of less than or equal to 30 weeks and were nursed prone for
      several months after birth showed a marked outtoeing gait up to the age of 6
      years. Their positive thigh-foot angles were significantly higher than those of
      the general population. These angles indicate that their outtoeing gaits were
      caused by marked external tibial rotation.

PMID- 1860956
TI  - Hypoplastic clavicles and lateral scapular redirection.
AB  - Three patients with bilateral hypoplastic clavicles and anterolateral
      displacement of the shoulders and scapulas on the thoracic cage are described.
      One patient had no family history of the disorder. The mother of the other
      patient had the same condition, suggesting an autosomal dominant inheritance
      pattern. In all three patients, the clavicle was underdeveloped and the scapula
      was redirected onto the lateral rather than the posterior thorax, bringing the
      entire shoulder forward. None of the patients have any significant functional
      restriction.

PMID- 1860957
TI  - Crankshaft phenomenon in congenital scoliosis: a preliminary report.
AB  - To determine whether or not the crankshaft phenomenon occurs after spinal fusion
      in patients with congenital scoliosis, we reviewed 23 curves in 21 patients who
      were operated on before age 10 years. Operative procedures consisted of various
      kinds of posterior fusions as well as anterior and posterior hemiepiphyseodeses.
      Seven of the 23 curves progressed greater than or equal to 10 degrees during the
      course of follow-up, and six of the seven demonstrated increased rotation and
      were believed to demonstrate the crankshaft phenomenon. No spines rotated without
      curve progression. The only statistically predictive factor was length of follow
      up. No curve that underwent anterior and posterior hemiepiphyseodeses
      demonstrated the crankshaft phenomenon. Although the crankshaft phenomenon can
      occur in young patients operatively treated for congenital scoliosis, apparently
      it can be prevented by anterior fusion.

PMID- 1860958
TI  - Persistent brachial plexus birth palsies.
AB  - Sixty-six brachial plexus palsies in 64 patients were retrospectively reviewed at
      the San Francisco Unit of the Shriners Hospital system in a 15-year period from
      1973 to 1988. All patients were referred with persistent brachial plexus palsies
      caused by birth trauma. The distribution of palsies at birth included 34 upper
      palsies, three lower palsies, and 29 mixed (or global) palsies. At final follow
      up, the distribution of palsies had shifted and included 42 upper palsies, 6
      lower palsies, and 14 mixed (or global) palsies. One patient had a persistent
      flail upper extremity. Many previously documented obstetrical risk factors were
      confirmed. Time to resolution or plateau averaged 4.5 months (range 3 weeks to 18
      months). Only two palsies (one patient) resolved completely with time.

PMID- 1860960
TI  - Habitual hip dislocation.
AB  - A snapping hip is a common problem in children and young adults. The common
      etiologies of the syndrome have been well described. We believe that habitual
      dislocation may be a more frequent cause of the snapping hip syndrome than has
      been previously described. We report two cases of this rarely reported clinical
      entity presenting as a snapping hip.

PMID- 1860959
TI  - Ultrasonic features of the Osgood-Schlatter lesion.
AB  - Ultrasound was used to compare the knees of 10 boys and four girls with typical
      clinical Osgood-Schlatter lesions with 27 symptomless knees. The normal
      sonographic changes of the tibial tubercle with advancing age are described. In
      all children with Osgood-Schlatter lesions, the distal patellar tendon thickened
      and became more echogenic than normal tendons, and an anechoic zone of edema was
      seen anterior to the tibial tuberosity. Four knees disclosed a thin shell-like
      elevated fragment of the tibial tuberosity seen as an echogenic surface. In 12
      knees, single or multiple fragments of the tibial tuberosity were easily shown.
      Ultrasound is proposed as a simple, fast, and reliable method for the diagnosis
      of the Osgood-Schlatter lesion.

PMID- 1860961
TI  - Tibia recurvatum as a complication of Osgood-Schlatter's disease: a report of two
      cases.
AB  - Premature fusion of the anterior part of the upper tibial epiphyseal plate is a
      rare complication of Osgood-Schlatter's disease. The resulting deformity is both
      unsightly and difficult to treat. We report two further cases and highlight the
      need for regular screening for this rare complication of a common disease.

PMID- 1860962
TI  - Focal fibrocartilaginous dysplasia: consideration of healing process.
AB  - We report two patients with unilateral tibia vara due to focal fibrocartilaginous
      dysplasia of the medial aspect of the proximal tibia. It appears that tibia vara,
      caused by a primary self-limited lesion at the proximal medial metaphysis, is
      corrected by the response of the proximal tibial physis. This finding would
      indicate that an infantile growth plate of the proximal tibia has a rather large
      potential to correct an angular deformity at the adjacent metaphysis.

PMID- 1860963
TI  - Electromagnetic metal localization for removal of retained hardware in children.
AB  - Retained hardware embedded deep in soft tissues or overgrown with bone poses a
      challenge to the surgeon assigned to its removal. A prototype of a hand-held
      electromagnetic metal detector-locater was used to localize retained hardware.
      Stainless-steel pins, screws, plates, and staples were located in 21 consecutive
      hardware removal procedures in 19 pediatric patients. Time to find the hardware,
      length of incision, blood loss, tissue maceration, and operative time were
      minimized. This preliminary study suggests that a metal locater may be a valuable
      tool when retained hardware is not palpable or readily apparent.

PMID- 1860964
TI  - The preventive medicine clerkship.

PMID- 1860965
TI  - Development of faculty consultants in a problem-based third year community
      medicine clerkship.
AB  - This paper describes the development of consultancy groups in behavioral science,
      epidemiology and biostatistics, and information science in a required community
      medicine rotation with a twenty year history. The addition of consultants to
      individual student tutors and field preceptors has led to a structure which
      promotes student-project flexibility, development of critical assessment skills
      and independent learning while maximizing faculty expertise and effectiveness.

PMID- 1860966
TI  - Problems in the control of schistosomiasis in Asir Province, Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Schistosomiasis, an endemic disease in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a major
      public health problem in Asir Province, the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia.
      The ongoing control program has concentrated on the elimination of the snail host
      by the use of chemical molluscicides, and on early detection and treatment of
      infected cases. Certain factors peculiar to this region make the application of
      the control strategy a difficult task. Thus, these methods of control over the
      years have not been very effective. Factors such as geography, climate,
      hydrographic conditions of this region, sources and spread of infection, and the
      role of primary health care centers are discussed in order to formulate plans for
      better control. Proper health planning is a dynamic process, and must constantly
      change based on past experience and epidemiological research.

PMID- 1860967
TI  - Health education in Nigerian secondary schools.
AB  - A survey of 600 secondary school teachers and 120 secondary school administrators
      was conducted in Oyo State, Nigeria, to identify their attitudes and practices
      regarding school health education. Nearly all teachers and administrators felt
      that health education is important and should be an integral part of the
      curriculum. Nonetheless, there were few resources and little curriculum time
      devoted to health education. Since many of the health problems of developing
      countries can be addressed by enhancing the health knowledge of the populace,
      health education in the schools of such countries deserves more emphasis.

PMID- 1860968
TI  - Body Mass Index and perceived weight status in young adults.
AB  - Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and weight for
      1,123 university students who returned a questionnaire mailed to a 10 percent
      random sample of the entire undergraduate population of a large midwestern
      university. Seventeen percent of the females and 20 percent of the males were
      determined to be in excess of normal BMI standards. However, significantly more
      women (40%) considered themselves overweight in comparison to men (24%). Also,
      significantly more women (53%) than men (20%) reported experiencing discomfort
      due to excessive weight. Inaccurate perceptions of body image are common among
      individuals with eating disorders. There is a higher incidence of eating
      disorders among college-age women than among their male peers. A distorted body
      image as reflected by perceived overweight may serve as a marker for individuals
      at risk for eating disorders.

PMID- 1860969
TI  - Worksite health promotion in four Midwest cities.
AB  - A survey of worksite health promotion activities in nine areas of health was
      conducted in four Midwest cities--Winona and St. Cloud, MN; Eau Claire, WI and
      Sioux Falls, SD to determine how many worksites are involved in these activities;
      how many different kinds of programs they offer; and whether or not worksite
      involvement is growing in these areas of health. All worksites with over 100
      employees were surveyed with a completion rate of 96% for eligible worksites.
      Comparing program offerings at worksites with such offerings by other community
      providers, we find worksites provide 40% of the total of such programs to adults.
      They tend to operate most programs independently of other community providers.
      Exercise and smoking cessation programs are most commonly offered. Worksites in
      the four communities significantly differed in the number of exercise program
      options offered and in the prevalence of worksite involvement in home, personal
      and drivers' safety programs. Compared to national survey results, worksites in
      these Midwest cities show a lower level of participation in heart disease and
      cancer screening activities. There is a high rate of dropout among current
      providers of heart disease screening activities and few nonproviders are
      initiating programs. Program initiation among nonproviders is highest in smoking
      cessation, weight loss and nutrition. Program growth among current providers is
      high in the areas of chemical dependency, exercise and personal, home and
      drivers' safety.

PMID- 1860970
TI  - Enhancement of immune response in Peyer's patch cells cultured with
      Bifidobacterium breve.
AB  - Bifidobacterium breve, included in fermented milk, was tested for adjuvanticity
      and mitogenicity using cells of mouse Peyer's patch, one of the gut-associated
      lymphoid tissues. Addition of B. breve enhanced antilipopolysaccharide antibody
      production in Peyer's patch cells and also anti-sheep red blood cell plaque
      forming cells in Peyer's patch cells cultured with sheep red blood cells.
      Furthermore, addition of B. breve accelerated proliferation of Peyer's patch
      cells, particularly B cells. In BALB/c mice, enhancement of proliferation by B.
      breve was also found in Peyer's patch cells from nude mice and a B cell-enriched
      fraction, including both the B cell fraction and plastic-adherent cells.
      Enhancement was not found in the fraction in which Sephadex G10-adherent and
      carbonyl-iron phagocytic cells were excluded from Peyer's patch cells or in a
      pure B cell fraction in which plastic-adherent cells were excluded from the B
      cell-enriched fraction of Peyer's patch cells. The proliferation of B cells was
      enhanced when the supernatant of plastic-adherent cells cultured with B. breve
      was added. It is concluded that B. breve activated plastic-adherent cells and
      that these cells secreted a soluble factor that enhanced proliferation of B
      cells.

PMID- 1860971
TI  - Deacylation of endotoxin during natural cases of bovine mastitis.
AB  - Acyloxyacyl hydrolase, a lysosomal enzyme that deacylates and thus detoxifies
      lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) has been identified in bovine peripheral blood and
      milk neutrophils. Enzymatic activity increases on a per neutrophil basis during
      cases of experimental Escherichia coli mastitis. The objective of this study was
      to quantify acyloxyacyl hydrolase activity from milk neutrophils collected from
      mammary glands naturally infected with a variety of bacteria. Acyloxyacyl
      hydrolase activity was detectable in milk neutrophils isolated from cases of both
      Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections, with highest activities
      found in milk neutrophils from glands infected with organisms known to cause the
      most severe forms of mastitis. In addition, acyloxyacyl hydrolase activity was
      inhibited to varying degrees in mastitic milk by a nonprotein inhibitory
      substance. Nonenzymatic deacylation of endotoxin also occurred in mastitic milk,
      but to a lesser degree than enzymatic deacylation. Nonenzymatic deacylation of
      endotoxin was not found to occur in clinically normal milk. Severity of coliform
      mastitis in individual cows may be dependent in part on the interaction of
      endotoxin with milk neutrophil acyloxyacyl hydrolase activity, inhibition of
      acyloxyacyl hydrolase activity by an inhibitory substance, and the inherent
      ability of milk to deacylate endotoxin nonenzymatically.

PMID- 1860972
TI  - Effects of somatotropin on milk yield and physiological responses during summer
      farm and hot laboratory conditions.
AB  - The effects of bST on performance and physiological responses of lactating cows
      was studied under farm summer and laboratory heat conditions. Twelve cows, 90 to
      50 d postpartum, were injected with either bST or vehicle solution for 30 d under
      farm summer and 10 d under either laboratory thermoneutral or heat conditions.
      Somatotropin increased milk yield by 6.1 (21%), 8.1 (32%), and 7.3 kg (35%) under
      the farm summer, laboratory thermoneutral, and heat conditions, respectively.
      Somatotropin also increased milk fat by 15 and 19% and dry matter intake by 16
      and 18% under laboratory thermoneutral and heat conditions, respectively.
      Somatotropin increased the efficiency of feed conversion into milk without any
      significant changes in body weight and temperatures. Somatotropin reduced plasma
      concentrations of triiodothyronine and cortisol and had no effect on plasma
      prolactin and insulin concentrations. Somatotropin did not increase water intake;
      however, hematocrit was decreased. The results suggest that stimulatory effects
      of bST on milk production are still observed on heat-stressed cows without any
      significant indications of additional heat stress.

PMID- 1860973
TI  - Effect of somidobove sustained release administration on the lactation
      performance of dairy cows.
AB  - Lactation performance was determined on 190 multiparous Holsteins from five herds
      supplemented with 0, 320, 640, or 960 mg of somidobove every 28 d. The experiment
      consisted of 21 d of pretreatment and treatment periods of various lengths,
      depending upon stage of lactation of animals at first administration. Somidobove
      beginning in early (28 to 45 d in milk), mid (111 to 166 d in milk), or late (166
      to 334 d in milk) stages of lactation consisted of 9, 6, or 3 administrations.
      Milk and 3.5% FCM yields were increased by each dose of somidobove in all stages.
      Milk composition and dry matter and energy intakes were similar among treatments
      within stage. Milk to DMI ratio and milk energy to net energy intake ratio were
      improved by somidobove. Gain was positive for all treatments, but less in
      somidobove-supplemented cows. Lower body weight and condition score at the
      completion of somidobove treatment resulted. For early cows, days to first estrus
      and days to first breeding were similar; however, total number of inseminations
      for cows receiving somidobove was twofold greater than control, resulting in a
      longer calving interval. Results demonstrated efficacy of somidobove administered
      every 28 d to lactating dairy cattle for increased milk yield.

PMID- 1860974
TI  - Effect of dry period length on milk production in subsequent lactation.
AB  - The effect of planned dry period lengths of 4, 7, and 10 wk on subsequent
      lactational yield was estimated with 366 cows in an experiment in which dry
      period was manipulated independently of milk yield prior to drying off. In two
      herds, all three treatments were compared within herd; in six herds, two
      treatments were compared within herd. Compared with a 7-wk planned dry period, a
      3-wk decrease lowered the level of milk production by 2.8 kg of 4% FCM/d in the
      first 84 d of the subsequent lactation, whereas a 3-wk increase raised the level
      of milk production by .5 kg/d. In the first 168 d of the subsequent lactation,
      the difference between 4-wk and 7-wk planned dry periods was 2.7 kg/d, and the
      difference between 7- and 10-wk periods was .4 kg/d. There was no indication of
      interaction among planned dry period length and lactation number, days open in
      previous lactation, previous milk yield, breed, or health status with respect to
      effect on subsequent lactational yield.

PMID- 1860975
TI  - Sole ulcers in dairy cattle: associations with season, cow characteristics,
      disease, and production.
AB  - Epidemiological associations, expressed as odds ratios between variables obtained
      from dairy cow records and sole ulcer occurrence at claw trimmings were estimated
      with logistic regression analysis on data from 2204 and 1124 cows in lactation 1
      and lactations 2 to 9, respectively. Sole ulcer in one foot or more than one foot
      occurred in 20.0 and 29.7% of cows in lactation 1 and in 23.5 and 24.7% of cows
      in lactations 2 to 9. The analysis revealed several complicated interactions.
      Trimming or calving in summer to fall was strongly associated with sole ulcer.
      Trimming later than 1 to 2 mo after calving was positively associated with sole
      ulcer depending on milk yield, body weight, or season of calving. If lactation 1
      cows were treated for disease (limb, metabolic, digestive, or severe reproductive
      disorders), sole ulcer in more than one foot occurred earlier in lactation. Milk
      yield in early lactation and body weight were positively associated with sole
      ulcer. Heel erosion was associated with sole ulcer depending on season of
      trimming and parity. Presence of sole ulcer but not heel erosion in a lactation
      increased the risk of sole ulcer in the subsequent lactation. The interval
      between trimmings appeared to be important.

PMID- 1860976
TI  - Heel erosion and other interdigital disorders in dairy cows: associations with
      season, cow characteristics, disease, and production.
AB  - Epidemiologic associations between variables obtainable from dairy cow records
      and the occurrence of heel erosion, interdigital dermatitis, and interdigital
      hyperplasia at claw trimmings were estimated with multivariable logistic
      regression analysis on data from 1170 and 542 cows in lactation 1 and lactations
      2 to 9, respectively. In the 17 herds, heel erosion, interdigital dermatitis, and
      hyperplasia occurred among 43.8, 4.5, and .9% of cows in lactation 1 and among
      69.1, 7.6 and 5.9% of cows in lactations 2 to 9, respectively. Severity of heel
      erosion increased with parity, and risk increased with stage of lactation. Strong
      seasonal effects were present. Various combinations of veterinary treatments were
      associated with heel erosion and hyperplasia depending on parity, stage of
      lactation, and the presence of other claw disorders. In contrast, veterinary
      treatment had a protective effect for interdigital dermatitis in lactations 2 to
      9. Severe degrees of sole ulcer increased the risk of heel erosion and
      interdigital dermatitis. The digital disorders were strongly associated in
      lactation 1 but not in later lactations. Heel erosion and hyperplasia were highly
      repeatable from one lactation to another.

PMID- 1860977
TI  - Effects of differences in starch content of diets with whole cottonseed or rice
      bran on milk casein.
AB  - Forty lactating Holstein cows in early to midlactation were used in a randomized
      complete block design to measure the effects of the following diets on milk
      casein. Treatments were four complete rations fed for ad libitum intake
      consisting of 1) 60% concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, and 30% corn silage; 2) 45%
      concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, 30% corn silage, and 15% whole cottonseed; 3) 60%
      concentrate, 5% alfalfa hay, 20% corn silage, and 15% whole cottonseed; and 4)
      45% concentrate, 10% alfalfa hay, 30% corn silage, and 15% rice bran. Least
      squares means for daily DM intake all were significantly different and were 3.51,
      3.90, 3.28, and 3.74% BW, respectively. Cows fed diet 3 had higher arterial
      glucose and insulin and venous insulin. Least squares means were significantly
      different for milk yield, 30.1, 31.4, 28.4, and 31.6 kg/d; for milk protein,
      3.30, 3.13, 3.48, and 3.12%; and for casein N, .376, .358, 3.73, and .330,
      respectively. However, milk protein and casein N yields were similar for all
      cows. The diet that contained the highest percentage of starch did not result in
      a significantly higher percentage of casein N in the milk but had the lowest milk
      production. Both whole cottonseed and rice bran, substituted for concentrate,
      depressed milk protein percentage.

PMID- 1860978
TI  - Influence of source and amount of dietary fat on digestibility in lactating cows.
AB  - Digestibility of commercial fat supplements was determined in two experiments
      with high (59% of diet DM) forage diets. Experiment 1 was a preliminary trial in
      which six Jersey cows were in two 3 x 3 Latin squares to evaluate two
      formulations of calcium soap at two intake levels (500 and 1000 g/d). The two
      formulations were compared with control (0 supplement) within squares; the
      squares differed in amount of soap supplemented. Mean apparent digestibilities of
      fat were not influenced by source or amount of fat supplemented and averaged
      82.5, 84.3, and 83.4% for control, 500, and 1000 g/d. In Experiment 2, six Jersey
      cows were in a 6 x 6 Latin square to compare effects of various commercial fats
      on digestibility of diet components at 2.85 and 5.7% (DM) added fat. Higher fat
      decreased digestibility of P and fatty acid. Fatty acid intake affected fatty
      acid digestibility quadratically, and variability among cows increased at higher
      fatty acid intake. Endogenous fecal fat was 55.9 g/d; apparent digestibility of
      fat was relatively constant at 80 to 82% between 2 and 5% of diet DM, whereas
      marginal true digestibility decreased linearly (4.4% units/100 g fatty acid
      consumed). There were no differences among fat sources in fatty acid
      digestibility. Rumen VFA were not influenced by dietary fat.

PMID- 1860979
TI  - Slow release somatotropin in dairy heifers and cows fed two levels of energy
      concentrate. 1. Performance and body condition.
AB  - Fifty-two Holstein dairy cows (27 primiparous) were used in a 2 x 2 factorial
      design during wk 9 to 39 of lactation to assess the effects of slow release
      recombinant bST (500 mg injected at 14-d intervals) and the effects of the level
      of energy concentrate in the diet on dairy performance. After a winter period,
      cows were turned out to pasture at wk 24 of lactation. During winter, cows given
      low concentrate (2.5 vs. 5.4 kg DM/d) ate significantly more corn silage (13.9
      vs. 11.9 kg DM/d), so that treatment had no significant effect on any measured
      parameter. The milk yield of bST-supplemented cows increased by 2.1 kg/d (11.0%)
      throughout the total experimental period. The response did not differ according
      to parity. Milk fat content and SCC were not altered, but milk protein was lower
      (.8 g/kg) from cows receiving bST during winter, and lactose increased (.5 g/kg).
      Lactation curves of bST-supplemented cows showed a cyclic response in milk
      production. Gross efficiency of milk yield was improved (.18 units) by bST
      administration without change in diet digestibility. No difference due to bST was
      found in the health or reproduction of cows. Live weight change did not differ
      among the groups. Multiparous cows gained body condition (bST-supplemented
      animals gained less than controls: .1 vs. .7 point on a five-point scale; NS).
      Control primiparous cows gained body condition (.1 point) but bST-supplemented
      cows significantly lost body condition (1.4 point).

PMID- 1860980
TI  - Slow release somatotropin in dairy heifers and cows fed two levels of energy
      concentrate. 2. Plasma hormones and metabolites.
AB  - Fifty Holstein dairy cows (26 primiparous) were used to evaluate effects of level
      of concentrate and of slow release recombinant bST on plasma hormones and
      metabolites. Blood was sampled at wk 14 and 20 of lactation, which was 5 and 11
      wk after the first bST injection. In addition, at d 3 and 10 after the third bST
      injection, diurnal profiles of somatotropin and metabolites were studied in 7 bST
      cows and 5 control cows by blood sampling every 20 min over 6 h. Supplementation
      by bST enhanced plasma somatotropin and insulin-like growth factor-I but did not
      significantly affect plasma concentrations of triiodothyronin and insulin. The
      bST supplementation increased plasma NEFA at wk 14 and reduced uremia at wk 20.
      Primiparous cows showed higher plasma NEFA and triiodothyronin than multiparous
      cows at both sampling periods, higher insulin-like growth factor I, and lower
      beta-hydroxybutyrate at wk 14, and higher glucose and lower insulin at wk 20. In
      the diurnal kinetic study, bST supplementation did not alter bST spike frequency
      and duration but increased spike magnitude, the area under the curve above the
      baseline, and the baseline mean. Sixty-one to 56% of the increase over controls
      in plasma bST total area was due to increase in the area under the curve above
      baseline. Preprandial NEFA were increased by bST at d 10.

PMID- 1860982
TI  - Heritability estimates of transformations of normally distributed records.
AB  - Milk yields were simulated for identical twin and parent-progeny pairs to
      determine effect of transformations on genetic variance. Use of identical twin
      pairs excludes variability due to Mendelian sampling and contribution by the
      other parent present in parent-progeny records. Phenotypic variances of 616,800;
      1,439,200; and 2,261,600 and means from 2267 to 13,603 by increments of 2267 were
      used for linear scale records. Phenotypic variances of .01000, .01875, and .02750
      and means equal to the natural logarithm of the means for linear scale were used
      for log scale records. Heritability varied from .05 to .95 by increments of .10.
      For each combination of parameters, 10 replicates of 10,000 pairs of relatives
      were created. Data normally distributed on a linear scale were log transformed.
      Log normally distributed data were exponentially transformed. Heritability
      estimates from correlations among relatives indicated heritability is larger for
      normally distributed data than for transformed data. For parent-progeny pairs,
      the difference increased as heritability increased, and for identical twin pairs,
      the differences were least at extremely large and small heritabilities. For both
      types of relative pairs, the difference increased as phenotypic variance
      increased. Absolute differences in heritability ranged from .0000 to .0089, a
      difference of little practical importance.

PMID- 1860981
TI  - Influence of calcium chloride on systemic acid-base status and calcium metabolism
      in dairy heifers.
AB  - Twenty heifers (12 Holsteins and 8 Jerseys) ranging from 15 to 22 mo of age (SD =
      2.2 mo) and weighing 271 to 486 kg (SD = 72 kg) were offered diets containing 0,
      .5, 1, and 1.5% CaCl2 for 3 wk followed by a 1-wk readjustment period to evaluate
      the effect of CaCl2 on acid-base status, diuresis, and Ca metabolism. These
      evaluations were conducted under conditions simulating changes in dietary cation
      anion balance that potentially can be utilized as prophylaxis for parturient
      paresis during transition from dry cow period to lactation. Free proton
      concentration in blood increased and blood bicarbonate decreased with increasing
      dietary CaCl2. Plasma protein and blood hematocrit were unaffected by dietary
      CaCl2. Plasma Ca and urinary hydroxyproline excretion also were unaffected, but
      urinary Ca excretion rose with increasing dietary CaCl2, possibly reflecting
      either increased bone mobilization or intestinal absorption of Ca. Elevating
      dietary Cl increased both plasma Cl and urinary Cl excretion. During the
      readjustment period, all differences caused by CaCl2 disappeared. Based on the
      responses of acid-base status and Ca metabolism to the different dietary
      concentrations of CaCl2, we suggest that feeding 1% CaCl2 to dry cows for 3 wk
      prepartum could be a suitable method to prevent parturient paresis without
      causing detrimental acid-base disturbances.

PMID- 1860983
TI  - Animal model evaluations for Mexican Holsteins.
AB  - Genetic evaluations for milk yield of Holsteins in Mexico were computed from
      lactation and pedigree information from Holstein de Mexico. The US animal model
      system for national evaluations was adapted for Mexico. The primary change was in
      defining unknown-parent groups. Paths of unknown parents of bulls and sires of
      cows were combined and separate unknown-parent groups defined for parents of US,
      Canadian, and Mexican registration. Records with fewer than 305 d were expanded
      around management group mean; a lower limit of 50% of management group mean was
      imposed on these records. Based on 123,397 lactation records by 50,538 cows,
      evaluations were computed for 68,020 cows (including those without lactation
      records) and 4573 bulls. Estimate of breeding value improvement in 1986 from a
      quadratic curve was 87 kg milk. Animal model estimates of breeding value by birth
      year were similar to Modified Contemporary Comparison estimates. Correlations
      with previous evaluations were .90 for bulls and .85 for cows. Differences
      resulted from added data as well as changes in evaluation method. Cows born in
      1985 with US sires had predicted breeding values for milk 380 kg higher than
      those with Canadian sires and 336 kg higher than those with Mexican sires.
      Equations were developed to convert milk PTA between Mexico and the US. No sire
      by country interaction was found; correlations of US and Mexican PTA were .90
      (expected) and .91 (actual).

PMID- 1860984
TI  - Use of antibiotics in livestock and human health concerns.
AB  - Animal feed additives have for many years constituted the largest and most
      controversial category of antimicrobial use. The primary concerns addressed have
      been the generation of antibiotic resistance in animal bacterial and the
      influence of such resistance on human health. Studies designed to shed light on
      the controversy generally have yielded information leading to ambiguous
      conclusions. A 1989 report from the National Academy of Sciences was the latest
      of a long collection of assessments that have been meant to provide expert
      guidance to regulatory authorities on this matter. The FDA has been trying for
      some time to determine whether a regulatory decision on existing products is
      warranted. After several decades of research directed at this question, most
      qualified study groups have reported a paucity of appropriate information
      necessary to judge the reality of a public health risk.

PMID- 1860985
TI  - Multi-step reconstruction for solitary defects ... why?

PMID- 1860986
TI  - Hair transplantation in advanced male pattern alopecia. The role of incisional
      slit grafting.
AB  - The technique of incisional slit grafting is described and discussed. The results
      of the use of this technique for hair transplantation in patients with Norwood
      Type VII or advanced alopecia are reported.

PMID- 1860987
TI  - Prediction of subclinical tumor infiltration in basal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Two thousand-sixteen basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) were documented in terms of
      age, anatomic location, tumor diameter, initial excision depth, safety margin,
      histologic type, and the position of tumor outgrowths as determined by three
      dimensional histologic study of the tumor margins in paraffin sections
      (micrographic surgery). The extent of each subsequent excision was recorded until
      tumor-free tissue was reached. The results showed that BCCs have a highly
      irregular infiltration pattern and a predilection for small, fingerlike
      outgrowths whose bases occupy 1-30 degrees of the tumor circumference. When
      superficial extension was expressed mathematically, the resulting exponential
      functions varied highly significantly (P = .001) according to histologic tumor
      type and diameter. The resulting curves permitted very precise prediction of the
      probability of tumor-positive margins (ie, subtotal excision), depending on the
      safety margin, histologic tumor type, and tumor diameter. For example, the
      probability of tumor-positive margins after excision of a BCC up to 10 mm in
      diameter is 30% with a safety margin of 2 mm, 16% with a safety margin of 3 mm,
      and 5% with a safety margin of 5 mm. The probability of tumor-positive margins
      for fibrosing primary BCCs 10-20 mm in diameter is 48, 34, and 18% with safety
      margins of 2, 3, and 5 mm, respectively. Recurrent tumors have a significantly
      higher probability of positive margins (P = .001) than primary ones. Anatomic
      location and tumor age affect subclinical extension only indirectly.

PMID- 1860988
TI  - Partial-thickness wedge and advancement flap for upper lip repair.
AB  - Reconstruction of upper lip defects demands careful attention in order to
      reconstitute both normal function and normal appearance. These defects may
      involve mucosa, orbicularis oris muscle, skin, vermilion, or any combination of
      these structures. We will describe five cases in which there were defects created
      by Mohs micrographic surgery and present the concept of partial-thickness wedge
      in combination with a flap to repair these wounds.

PMID- 1860989
TI  - Practical phlebology. Sclerotherapy of large veins.
AB  - A practical, step-by-step guide for the sclerotherapy of large varicose veins is
      offered. First, an orientation regarding the place of sclerotherapy and surgery
      in the total treatment of varicose veins is given, with a practical clinical
      classification of varicose veins. This is followed by a detailed discussion of
      patient education before sclerotherapy, material to be used with recommended
      concentrations, injection technique, compression after sclerotherapy,
      instructions to the patient after injection, and procedures at subsequent visits.

PMID- 1860990
TI  - Long-term results of sclerotherapy and surgical treatment of the varicose short
      saphenous vein.

PMID- 1860991
TI  - Reconstruction of the lower lip and chin using local and random-pattern flaps.
AB  - Unlike the reconstruction of wounds found on more predictable and less variable
      anatomic subunits of the face, reconstruction of defects on the chin and lower
      lip often present special difficulties for the surgeon in accurately assessing
      and selecting the lines of incision that will provide the patient with the best
      cosmetic result. The author discusses the many factors which must be considered
      as part of that selection process and describes the uses of the most common local
      flaps for reconstructing wounds found in this anatomic location.

PMID- 1860992
TI  - Ethics in chemical peeling.

PMID- 1860993
TI  - Medical photography.

PMID- 1860994
TI  - Sclerotherapy: a debate on various issues.

PMID- 1860995
TI  - A review of otoacoustic emissions.
AB  - Otoacoustic emissions measured in the external ear canal describe responses that
      the cochlea generates in the form of acoustic energy. For the convenience of
      discussing their principal features, emitted responses can be classified into
      several categories according to the type of stimulation used to evoke them. On
      this basis, four distinct but interrelated classes can be distinguished including
      spontaneous, transiently evoked, stimulus-frequency, and distortion-product
      otoacoustic emissions. The present review details the findings that have been
      described for each emission type according to this classification schema.
      Additionally, the known features of emitted responses are discussed for both
      normally hearing and hearing-impaired humans and experimental animals, and with
      respect to their potential clinical applications. The findings reviewed here
      clearly indicate that future studies of otoacoustic emissions will significantly
      increase our understanding of the basic mechanisms of cochlear function while, at
      the same time, provide a new and important clinical tool.

PMID- 1860996
TI  - Acoustical tweezers.
AB  - A stable force potential well was generated by two collimated focused ultrasonic
      (3.5 MHz) beams propagating along opposite directions. Latex particles (270
      microns diameter) and clusters of frog eggs were trapped in the potential well.
      The trapped object can be moved axially or laterally by moving one of the PZT
      focusing transducers that generate the ultrasonic focused beams. The axial
      position of the trapped object can also be maneuvered by tuning the frequency of
      the electrical voltage applied on the transducers.

PMID- 1860997
TI  - Ear canal cross-sectional pressure distributions: mathematical analysis and
      computation.
AB  - Cross-sectional pressure distributions, natural acoustic modes, and associated
      cutoff frequencies are determined for real ear-canal geometries using an
      asymptotic theory in combination with a numerical method. The technique is
      particularly well suited to obtain the higher modes, which are trapped near both
      ends of the ear canal. Results detail the influence of the canal geometry and
      frequency on the spatial distribution of the pressure. Adult ear-canal geometries
      are determined near the concha from ear-mold sections using a light microscope
      interfaced to a video-data-acquisition system. Computed results compare favorably
      to the exact solutions for circular and square acoustic waveguides. The cutoff
      frequency of the two adult ear canals studied averaged 20% less than the cutoff
      frequency of a circular tube of identical cross-sectional area. Inserting a probe
      microphone into the canal decreases the rate of decay of circumferential
      nonplanar modes while increasing the rate of decay of radial modes. Relative to
      the pressure beyond the tube, insertion increases the plane-wave component of the
      pressure around the tube by a multiplicative factor approximately equal to the
      square root of the original area divided by the occluded area. Eccentric
      placement of the probe tube has a relatively small influence on the cutoff
      frequency. The transition of the pressure distribution at the entrance to a
      simple plane wave in the core region of the canal is calculated and shown
      graphically for the actual geometry of two adult subjects.

PMID- 1860998
TI  - Are spontaneous otoacoustic emissions generated by self-sustained cochlear
      oscillators?
AB  - Theoretical analyses supporting the assumption that spontaneous otoacoustic
      emissions (SOAEs) can be described as self-sustained oscillations (requiring a
      power source) are reviewed and extended. Spectral and statistical properties of
      spontaneous otoacoustic emissions are examined and shown to be consistent with
      this assumption. Several alternative models of spontaneous emissions (noise
      driven saturating memoryless nonlinearity, noise-driven nonlinear-stiffness
      oscillator) are examined. Although some of these models are able to produce the
      types of statistical distributions of amplitude and displacement similar to those
      observed in the experimental data, this similarity is destroyed upon narrow-band
      filtering.

PMID- 1860999
TI  - New hearing threshold measurements for pure tones under free-field listening
      conditions.
AB  - Hearing thresholds for pure tones were measured under free-field listening
      conditions in the frequency range of 40 Hz-15 kHz. Results are consistent with
      the standard threshold specified in ISO 226 for frequencies up to 250 Hz, but a
      few dB below the ISO curve at higher frequencies. Thresholds are distributed
      normally on a logarithmic level scale with a standard deviation of approximately
      5 dB. No significant differences between thresholds of male and female subjects
      were observed.

PMID- 1861000
TI  - Dissociation of pitch from timbre in auditory short-term memory.
AB  - In three experiments, untrained listeners made same/different judgments on pairs
      of pure or complex tones with periods that eventually differed by +/- 4%. On each
      trial, the two test tones were separated by 4.3 s, during which other tones (I)
      were heard but had to be ignored. The period (p) of the first test tone was
      randomly selected between 1/600 and 1/300 s. The period of each I tone was
      randomly selected among four possible values, close to p (+/- 3% or 6% apart) in
      some conditions, and remote from p in other conditions. In addition, from
      condition to condition, the spectral content of the I tones was varied
      independently of their periods: The I tones could have the same harmonic content
      as the test tones, or a very different harmonic content. Subjects' performances
      were much better when the periods of the I tones were remote from p than when
      they were close to p, as expected from previous findings by D. Deutsch [e.g.,
      Science 175, 1020-1022 (1972)]. But, more importantly, the relation between the
      spectral contents of the I tones and the test tones had, by itself, practically
      no effect on performance. Thus performance was affected by the pitches of the I
      tones, but not by their timbres. These results suggest that pitch is processed
      independently of timbre in auditory short-term memory.

PMID- 1861001
TI  - Newborns' head orientation toward trains of brief sounds.
AB  - Four experiments assessed the importance of stimulus number, repetition rate, and
      duration for newborns' head orientation toward brief sounds and related those
      parameters to the critical ones found for adults. Infants' responses to various
      trains of repeated 14-ms rattle sounds were compared with those to a 10-s rattle
      sound, known to elicit head orientation. Directional responses did not differ
      from the standard when rattle bursts were repeated at a rate of 20 per second for
      1 s (experiment 1). Responding did differ from the standard and deteriorated to
      chance levels when either the number of moderately paced (6/s) stimulus bursts
      was decreased to six or fewer (experiments 2 and 3) or the duration of rapidly
      repeated (24/s) bursts was shortened to 500 ms (experiments 4A and 4B). These
      results suggest that newborns' head orientation depends, in part, upon the number
      of stimulus bursts and stimulus duration.

PMID- 1861002
TI  - Differential sensitivity to vowel continua in Old World monkeys (Macaca) and
      humans.
AB  - Previous studies indicate that monkey pure tone frequency discrimination is
      quantitatively and qualitatively very different from that of humans: Monkey DLs
      at 1.0 and 2.0 kHz are up to 20 times larger than human DLs, and monkeys DLs
      increase as sensation level increases, in contrast to human DLs [Sinnott et al.,
      J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 78, 1977-1985 (1985); Sinnott et al., J. Comp. Psychol. 101,
      126-131 (1987)]. These results led to an hypothesis that monkey frequency
      discrimination is more dependent upon "rate" coding than is that of humans. The
      present study compared monkey and human DLs for formant frequency changes along
      three synthetic vowel continua /I-i/, /ae-epsilon/, and /a-v/. Here, monkey DLs
      for formants near 1.0 and 2.0 kHz (32-48 Hz) were only about two to three times
      larger than human DLs (11-21 Hz), and both monkeys and humans exhibited
      relatively similar, flat sensation level functions. Taken together, these data
      indicate that monkey and human frequency discrimination is more similar in the
      case of a complex vowel stimulus than in the case of a simple pure tone stimulus.
      Results are discussed in relation to "rate" versus "temporal" coding of tones and
      vowels in the auditory system.

PMID- 1861003
TI  - The emission pattern of vocalizations and directionality of the sonar system in
      the echolocating bat, Pteronotus parnelli.
AB  - The radiation patterns of the first three harmonics (approx. 30, 60, 90 kHz) of
      the mustached bat biosonar signal were measured from vocalizations elicited by
      cortical microstimulation. The primary foci of the acoustic beam patterns were in
      front of the mouth but somewhat below the horizontal plane. The prominent second
      and third harmonics showed sharp cutoffs between 20 degrees and 30 degrees
      lateral to the midline. Sidelobes were found, suggesting the influence of some
      vocal tract interference. When compared with previously measured estimates of the
      directionality of the auditory system, the vocal emission patterns are roughly
      complementary: Regions of maximum auditory sensitivity are found in areas of
      submaximal power for the sonar pulse beam pattern. The result is that, for the
      two most important harmonics, the "biosonar system" (i.e., vocal beam pattern
      plus receiver directionality) has a broader and more uniform directionality than
      either component alone. Therefore, within a limited region of space, echo
      amplitude will vary less as a function of angular displacement. This reduces the
      confounding influences of absolute sound pressure level on interaural intensity
      differences.

PMID- 1861004
TI  - Absorption of finite amplitude focused ultrasound.
AB  - Predictions of the absorption of focused finite amplitude waves based on weak
      shock theory have been tested experimentally. The characteristics of this
      absorption are qualitatively different from those associated with small signal
      losses. Under appropriate conditions, the absorption of finite amplitude
      ultrasound is determined largely by source amplitude, field geometry, and the
      nonlinear properties of the medium and is only weakly dependent upon the small
      signal absorption coefficient of the material. These effects are seen most
      dramatically in sharply focused sound fields. To emphasize nonlinear absorption
      in an experimental test of these predictions, measurements of heating were made
      in agar which has a very small linear absorption coefficient. Under appropriate
      conditions, nonlinear losses can make the effective absorption coefficient of
      this poorly absorbing material somewhat greater than the soft tissues of the
      body.

PMID- 1861005
TI  - Current status of Peterson-Barney vowel formant data.
AB  - A question concerning the status of the Peterson-Barney vowel formant data is
      raised. Two machine-readable copies of the data were located, compared, and found
      to contain minor discrepancies. These discrepancies were resolved by comparison
      with a listing of the original data.

PMID- 1861006
TI  - Tooth flexure.

PMID- 1861007
TI  - Is the solo practice doomed?

PMID- 1861008
TI  - Raising the root. A look at orthodontic extrusion.
AB  - A simple technique using bonded wires to establish anchorage and an attachment to
      a tooth requires a minimum of special materials or advanced skills in
      orthodontics. The bonded wire stabilizes the anchor unit and avoids any adverse
      tooth movement.

PMID- 1861009
TI  - New materials on the horizon.
AB  - Two areas of research will prosper and change operative dentistry in the future:
      developing light-cured glass ionomer technology further, and reinforcing direct
      composite resin technology. Successful development of restorative materials in
      these areas will have an immediate and long-term effect on the practice of
      operative dentistry in both affluent and poor countries of the world.

PMID- 1861010
TI  - Dentin bonding systems: a review of current products and techniques.
AB  - Many dentists are facing decisions regarding selection and use of dentin bonding
      systems. This article presents information on existing products and provides
      guidance on their use based on laboratory and clinical evidence.

PMID- 1861011
TI  - How finishing affects glass ionomers. Results of a five-year evaluation.
AB  - At least four cervical erosion/abrasion lesions were restored with glass ionomer
      materials in 30 patients. Some restorations were finished in 15 minutes, and some
      were finished 24 hours after placement. No significant differences were found
      after five years.

PMID- 1861012
TI  - Spotlight on lasers. A look at potential benefits.
AB  - Before lasers can be highly integrated into clinical practice, further research
      must prove the efficacy, efficiency, consistency and safety of this new
      technology. Currently, increased caries prevention and rapid laser etching are
      two potential benefits of laser technology.

PMID- 1861013
TI  - An approach to prosthodontics. Meeting the needs of our patients.

PMID- 1861014
TI  - Treatment of displaced articular fractures of the radius.
AB  - Forty patients with articular fractures of the distal radius in which anatomic
      reduction of the joint surface could not be obtained by closed manipulation or by
      ligamentotaxis with external fixators had a combination of percutaneous and/or
      open reduction techniques to restore articular congruity. X-ray films taken after
      treatment with an average follow-up of 4 years showed satisfactory extraarticular
      alignment in 85% of the cases, and 37 (92.5%) patients demonstrated an articular
      step-off of 1 mm or less at late follow-up examination. Radiographic evidence of
      radiocarpal arthritis was present in 5% of the cases at follow-up examination.

PMID- 1861015
TI  - External fixation of distal radial fractures: results and complications.
AB  - External fixation of unstable fractures of the distal radius yields satisfactory
      results but has a high complication rate. We studied thirty-five fractures in
      thirty-four patients to determine whether the results obtained with external
      fixation warranted it use. At a mean follow-up period of 31 months, the results
      of treatment were assessed by interviews and clinical and radiographic
      examination of both wrists. Twelve fractures had an excellent result, twelve had
      a good result, ten had a fair result, and one had a poor result. Radiographic
      results were graded excellent in ten fractures, good in thirteen, fair in five,
      and poor in seven. No correlation was found between the anatomical results and
      the clinical results or the patients' subjective ratings. Complications that were
      related directly to the fixation pins occurred in fourteen of the fractures.
      There were forty-five additional complications. The frequency of complications
      and the limitations of external fixation demand caution on the part of the
      surgeon to prevent iatrogenic morbidity, which would limit the benefits of the
      technique.

PMID- 1861016
TI  - Minor axial shortening of the radius affects outcome of Colles' fracture
      treatment.
AB  - Functional disability after a Colles' fracture was correlated to the degree of
      axial shortening of the radius measured at the site of distal radioulnar joint.
      According to the sum of demerit points, the functional end result was
      unsatisfactory (fair or poor) in 4% of the patients with an acceptable anatomic
      result, in 25% of the patients with grade 1 shortening (corresponding to a
      shortening of 3 to 5 mm), and in 31% of the patients with grade 2 shortening
      (shortening of more than 5 mm). The results suggest that even a minor axial
      shortening of the radius, without concomitant malalignment of the articular
      surface, carries an increased risk of permanent disability.

PMID- 1861017
TI  - Quantification of error in measurement of radial inclination angle and radial
      carpal distance.
AB  - Posteroanterior wrist radiographs of eight patients were evaluated by eight
      orthopedists. Radial inclination angle and radial-carpal distance were measured
      by use of a standardized technique. The standard deviation for radial inclination
      angle was 2 degrees. The standard deviation for radial-carpal distance was 1 mm.
      The measured rotational variation of radial inclination and radial-carpal
      distance is 1 degree and 1 mm, respectively, through a 10-degree arc of
      supination and pronation.

PMID- 1861019
TI  - Functional ranges of motion of the wrist joint.
AB  - We have examined 40 normal subjects (20 men and 20 women) to determine the ideal
      range of motion required to perform activities of daily living. The amount of
      wrist flexion and extension, as well as radial and ulnar deviation, was measured
      simultaneously by means of a biaxial wrist electrogoniometer. The entire battery
      of evaluated tasks could be achieved with 60 degrees of extension, 54 degrees of
      flexion, 40 degrees of ulnar deviation, and 17 degrees of radial deviation, which
      reflects the maximum wrist motion required for daily activities. The majority of
      the hand placement and range of motion tasks that were studied in this project
      could be accomplished with 70 percent of the maximal range of wrist motion. This
      converts to 40 degrees each of wrist flexion and extension, and 40 degrees of
      combined radial-ulnar deviation. This study provides normal standards for the
      functional range of motion of the wrist.

PMID- 1861018
TI  - Pressure distribution in the radiocarpal joint measured with a densitometer
      designed for pressure-sensitive film.
AB  - To measure the pressure distribution in the radiocarpal joint, a biomechanical
      study was done with fresh cadavers and pressure-sensitive film. With a load of
      100 newtons, the contact locations were identified for 27 different wrist
      positions and the peak articular pressures and contact area were measured. Normal
      wrists were studied first, then modified to show different ulnar variances, and
      then to be models of malunited Colles' fractures of increasing severity. The
      contact locations of the scaphoid and the lunate were separate, and the mean peak
      articular pressures were 2.8 and 2.7 megapascals, respectively, for the normal
      wrists. In the radiolunate articulation, this mean increased by 27% with 2.5 mm
      ulnar minus variance and decreased by 22% with 2.5 mm ulnar plus variance. In the
      models of malunited Colles' fracture, the contact locations shifted from volar to
      dorsal, and the contact area decreased as the deformity became worse.

PMID- 1861020
TI  - Proximal row carpectomy: review of rheumatoid and nonrheumatoid wrists.
AB  - Proximal row carpectomy was first done in 1939 and was indicated for treatment of
      posttraumatic problems or Kienbock's disease. Use of this procedure in patients
      with rheumatoid arthritis has not been reported. Our series consists of eighteen
      wrists, nine with rheumatoid arthritis, and nine with other various nonrheumatoid
      conditions. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 120 months and included x-ray films and
      assessment of pain, range of motion, balance, grip strength, and patient
      satisfaction. Our results showed only two of the eight rheumatoid wrists to be
      satisfactory; failure was caused by pain and imbalance. Of the nonrheumatoid
      wrists, six of the eight were satisfactory, although in one of the six sclerosis
      is developing between the capitate and radius. Proximal row carpectomy is not
      recommended for the rheumatoid wrist but may be useful where other pathologic
      conditions are involved if the remaining articular surfaces are uninvolved.

PMID- 1861021
TI  - Proximal row fusion as a solution for radiocarpal arthritis.
AB  - A retrospective study evaluated the function of thirty-six patients treated by
      radius-scaphoid-lunate arthrodesis for painful posttraumatic radiocarpal
      arthritis from 1982 through 1987, and determined whether the procedure created
      arthritis or other functional problems in the remaining joints. Thirty-one men
      and five women with a mean age of 41 years were studied. The standard surgical
      technique employed iliac crest bone graft and internal fixation. Seven patients
      required revision of the proximal fusion to complete wrist fusion because of
      pain; arthritic changes in the midcarpal joint had been noted in these patients
      at the time of the limited fusion. The remaining twenty-nine patients required no
      further surgical treatment. Grip strength averaged 70% of the uninvolved side.
      The average arc of wrist flexion and extension was forty-eight degrees. Eighteen
      patients returned to their original employment, in many cases to heavy labor.
      Five did not return to work because of wrist problems. We conclude that the
      probability of a good functional result is high for this procedure if there is no
      midcarpal arthritis.

PMID- 1861022
TI  - Long-term results of Swanson interpositional wrist arthroplasty: Part II.
AB  - Fifty-eight Swanson silicone interpositional wrist arthroplasties were done in 47
      patients between 1974 and 1984. Thirty-nine of these original wrists were
      available for follow-up an average of 5.8 years after operation. This is a
      continuation of our study previously published in this Journal. With increased
      follow-up, progressive deterioration of clinical results was noted. With a follow
      up of less than 2.5 years, 75% had relief of pain. After a follow-up of 4.8
      years, 67% had relief of pain. Finally, with an average follow-up of 5.8 years,
      only 51% had relief of pain. Progressive radiographic changes are now obvious in
      each case compared with 70% of those cases reviewed at 4.8 years. Furthermore, we
      now have noted cystic changes in a significant proportion of the wrists
      radiographically. In several of these, silicone synovitis has been documented
      histologically. Our indications for this procedure have drastically narrowed.

PMID- 1861023
TI  - The Darrach procedure defended: technique redefined and long-term follow-up.
AB  - Thirty-three patients with pain and decreased range of motion after traumatic
      derangement of the distal radioulnar and ulna-carpal joint were treated with a
      modified Darrach distal ulnar resection. Their ages ranged from 22 to 75 years
      (average, 50 years). Twenty-seven patients had Colles' or other distal radius
      fractures. Seven patients had ulnar resection for treatment of distal ulnar
      carpal derangement. Follow-up averaged 54.4 months. The patients showed an
      average increase in extension of 58% and flexion increased by 40% (p less than
      0.01). Pronation increased by 40% and supination increased by 60% (p less than
      0.01). Average grip strength increased by 38% (p less than 0.05). Ninety-one
      percent good or excellent results were achieved with this procedure. The Darrach
      resection can predictably provide pain relief while improving strength and motion
      when attention is paid to minimal bony resection and meticulous soft tissue
      reconstruction.

PMID- 1861024
TI  - Long-term results of the minimal resection Darrach procedure.
AB  - Eighteen patients had a minimal resection Darrach procedure at the distal radial
      ulnar joint for treatment of posttraumatic arthritis. The follow-up averaged 8
      years (range, 2 to 18 years). Fourteen patients were completely satisfied with
      the result achieved with the procedure and four were mostly satisfied. No patient
      had either subjective or objective evidence of distal ulnar instability. Grip
      strength for patients without radiocarpal arthritis was 84% of the uninvolved
      side. Preoperative ulnar variance was plus 4 mm and at follow-up minus 4 mm. At
      follow-up examination, four patients had ulnar carpal translocation. The average
      radial inclination angle of the patients with ulnar carpal translocation was 24
      degrees, compared with 18 degrees for patients without ulnar carpal
      translocation. The minimal resection Darrach procedure gives excellent relief of
      pain without the instability attributed to the Darrach procedure. It must be used
      judiciously in patients who have a radial inclination angle above 23 degrees.

PMID- 1861025
TI  - Acute plastic deformation of the ulna in a skeletally mature individual.
AB  - Acute plastic deformation of a bone refers to traumatic bending or bowing without
      a detectable cortical defect. We present a case that is unusual in that bowing of
      the ulna occurred in a skeletally mature individual and was associated with
      injury to the distal radioulnar joint. In this patient, the symptoms were severe
      enough to warrant an ulnar osteotomy. The patient regained satisfactory function.
      Acute plastic deformity should be suspected whenever abnormal curvature of a long
      bone is noted, even in adults. If the distal radioulnar joint is dislocated, the
      deformation should be corrected as soon as possible to avoid permanent loss of
      forearm rotation.

PMID- 1861026
TI  - Radial shortening osteotomy for treatment of Kienbock's disease.
AB  - Sixteen patients who had radial shortening osteotomy for treatment of Kienbock's
      disease were reviewed. Ulnar minus variance averaged 3.3 mm. All patients had
      conservative management that failed. Six were stage II, six were stage III, and
      four were stage IV. Average follow-up was 4.5 years. In all patients osteotomies
      united within 3 months. Thirteen patients were totally relieved of pain, and
      three had mild pain. Motion in the dorsal palmar plane improved, on average, 15
      degrees. Grip strength increased 20% to 30% after the operation. Follow-up
      radiographs did not show continued collapse of carpal height or disease
      progression except in one patient. No radiographic evidence of degenerative
      changes at the distal radioulnar joint materialized. As a safe, reliable, and
      consistently successful method of managing Kienbock's disease, we strongly
      recommend radial shortening. Excluding the rare extended stage IV disease in
      which midcarpal arthritis with or without intercarpal instability is present, we
      have successfully applied this technique to all stages of Kienbock's disease. We
      recognize that further collapse and progression of disease may occur in stage III
      and IV disease, as was evident in one patient 5 years after osteotomy.

PMID- 1861027
TI  - Concomitant scapholunate dissociation and Kienbock's disease.
AB  - Six men had concurrent scapholunate dissociation and Kienbock's disease, a
      finding suggestive of a common cause. Five patients attributed the onset of wrist
      pain to a single traumatic event. Three had x-ray evidence of scapholunate
      dissociation before the onset of lunate osteonecrosis. Biomechanical factors that
      may be of significance are ulnar minus variance, lesser compliance of the
      triangular fibrocartilage, ulnar translation of the carpus at impact with shear
      fracture through the lunate, and disruption of the scapholunate interosseous
      membrane occurring under similar stress. Lunate osteonecrosis may depend on a
      susceptible vascular pattern or intraosseous injury or both. The development of
      lunatomalacia complicates an already unstable wrist. Treatment options vary
      according to the clinical stages of each condition, although contrasting
      treatments have not established optimal care.

PMID- 1861028
TI  - A forty-three-year follow-up of a vitallium scaphoid arthroplasty.
AB  - Over the years various treatment options for scaphoid nonunions have been
      proposed. We present as a historical note the long-term follow-up of one such
      treatment, the insertion of a vitallium scaphoid.

PMID- 1861029
TI  - Prosthetic silicone scaphoid strains: effects of intercarpal fusions.
AB  - To assess stress shielding by partial intercarpal fusion, strains within a
      silicon scaphoid prosthesis were measured in five fresh upper extremities while
      the wrist was moved through a functional range of motion before and after
      capitate-lunate and capitate-hamate-lunate-triquetral intercarpal fusions.
      Capitate-lunate fusions resulted in an overall 18.4% reduction in compressive
      strains and a 10.8% reduction in tensile strains. Capitate-hamate-lunate
      triquetral fusions reduced compressive strains by 28.5% and tensile strains by
      26.3%. Radially deviated positions and positions of extension produced no
      reduction in strains with the partial fusions. Modest strain shielding can be
      obtained with partial intercarpal fusions. The effect, however, is position
      dependent, and whether this degree of strain shielding can reduce the incidence
      of particulate synovitis remains unknown.

PMID- 1861030
TI  - A new vascularized bone graft for scaphoid nonunion.
AB  - Nonunion and avascular necrosis after scaphoid fractures continue to be problem
      sequelae because of unrecognized injuries, inadequate immobilization techniques,
      or insufficient treatment time. Screw fixation and inlay bone grafting techniques
      remain the options of choice, with successful union reported in approximately 90%
      of patients. However, prolonged immobilization with plaster up to 4 to 6 months
      is required with conventional techniques. With the use of standard latex
      injection techniques with vascular filling of vessels to less than 0.1 mm
      diameter in ten fresh cadaver dissections, we discovered a consistent
      vascularized bone graft source from the distal dorsoradial radius. We have used
      this vascularized bone graft source with good results in eleven patients with
      long-standing nonunion of the scaphoid. It is technically easy and seemingly
      offers the advantages of a decreased period of immobilization and a higher union
      rate.

PMID- 1861031
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging to assess vascularity of scaphoid nonunions.
AB  - The unreliability of current methods of assessing of bone vascularity is well
      documented, precluding any prospective analysis of its influence on bone healing.
      In hopes of accurately predicting scaphoid vascularity, magnetic resonance
      imaging was used prospectively in patients with radiographic evidence of
      nonunion. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were compared to plain radiographs,
      tomograms, and the operative impressions of the surgeon. The diagnostic accuracy
      of each test was determined by a pathologist's interpretation of histological
      sections. Ten of thirteen surgical specimens were available for analysis. The
      magnetic resonance imaging scan accurately predicted scaphoid viability in all
      ten cases (three viable, seven avascular). This compared with diagnostic errors
      in six of ten plain radiographs, one of seven tomographs, and two of ten surgical
      assessments. Magnetic resonance imaging can accurately predict the vascularity of
      the ununited scaphoid. With further follow-up of these patients, the capability
      of the avascular scaphoid to heal will become evident. Definitive preoperative
      determination of the healing potential of scaphoid nonunions may then be
      possible, thereby aiding the surgeon's choice of the appropriate surgical
      procedure.

PMID- 1861032
TI  - Analysis of scaphoid fracture displacement by three-dimensional computed
      tomography.
AB  - Scaphoid fracture displacement was studied in twenty-five patients using three
      dimensional computed tomography. Fracture displacement was more readily detected
      and distinct in three-dimensional computed tomography images than in plain
      radiography. Two different types of offset of the distal fragment with respect to
      the proximal fragment are described on three dimensional computed tomography;
      volar type and dorsal type. In the volar type, the distal fragment overhung in
      the volar direction relative to the proximal fragment and was frequently
      accompanied by humpback deformity and axial rotation. In the dorsal type, the
      distal fragment slipped dorsal on the proximal fragment and was commonly
      accompanied by humpback deformity. The volar type had a transverse or vertical
      fracture line on both the volar and dorsal surfaces of the scaphoid, while the
      dorsal type had a horizontal fracture line. The volar type was frequently found
      when the fracture was distal, whereas the dorsal type was noted more frequently
      for proximally located fracture.

PMID- 1861033
TI  - Nonunion of a pathologic juvenile scaphoid fracture after osteomyelitis.
AB  - A patient with osteomyelitis of the scaphoid in childhood resulting in a
      pathologic fracture with nonunion is presented. This ununited fracture of the
      scaphoid was successfully grafted eight years later with a satisfactory outcome.

PMID- 1861035
TI  - Scapho-lunate distance and cortical ring sign.
AB  - The scapho-lunate distance was measured on posteroanterior radiographs of 100
      normal wrists. The scapho-lunate distance measured a mean of 3.7 mm +/- SD 0.6
      (range from 2.5 to 5.0 mm). The mean for 44 male wrists was 4.0 mm, and for 56
      female wrists it was 3.6 mm. These results indicate that a scapho-lunate distance
      of up to 5 mm is not necessarily indicative of carpal instability. None of these
      normal wrists had a scaphoid "cortical ring" sign.

PMID- 1861034
TI  - Simulated scaphoid proximal pole fracture.
AB  - Five fresh cadaver upper extremities were studied with use of a static
      positioning frame, pressure-sensitive film, a microcomputer-based videodigitizing
      system, and a Sun station image analysis system to assess the load bearing
      characteristics of the scaphoid in the proximal carpal joint. Specimens were
      studied in their normal condition, after a proximal pole osteotomy of the
      scaphoid, and after resection of the proximal pole of the scaphoid. The amount of
      contact area born through the scaphoid fossa was essentially the same whether the
      scaphoid was intact, or after a simulated scaphoid fracture of its proximal pole,
      or after resection of the proximal pole. The scaphoid contact area and pressure,
      although overall relatively constant, was redistributed after osteotomy,
      resulting in increased contact area under the distal fragment and no change or a
      slight decrease in the contact area under the proximal fragment of the scaphoid.
      After resection of the proximal fragment, all scaphoid contact area and pressure
      was born by the distal scaphoid fragment. The contact area and pressure
      characteristics of the lunate remained unchanged in all conditions compared with
      the normal condition. There were no significant changes in the locations of the
      centroids of the scaphoid segments and the lunate in any of the conditions
      tested.

PMID- 1861036
TI  - Abductor pollicis longus tendon arthroplasty of the trapezio-metacarpal joint:
      surgical technique and results.
AB  - Tendon interposition resection arthroplasty of the trapezium is a valuable tool
      in treating osteoarthrosis of the first carpometacarpal joint. A previously
      unreported modification of such an operation is described in which a part of the
      abductor pollicis longus tendon is used as an interposition material. This
      technique was employed in a series of thirty-nine thumbs. After a minimal follow
      up period of 2 years, the results of the operation are graded excellent in 48% of
      the patients, good in 35%, and average in the rest. Grip strength, as well as
      pinch strength, is about three quarters of the normal average. No patient needed
      a further operation.

PMID- 1861037
TI  - Tendon arthroplasty of the fifth carpometacarpal joint for treatment of
      posttraumatic arthritis.
AB  - Resectional arthroplasty with interposition of a rolled tendon spacer was used to
      treat posttraumatic arthritis of the fifth metacarpal-hamate joint in eight
      patients. The average follow-up was 5 years. All of the patients subjectively
      rated the functional capability and the cosmetic appearance of their hands as
      good or excellent. After operation, there was a net increase of 30% in the
      average grip strength of the study group. The motion preserved at the small
      finger carpometacarpal joint facilitated power function of the hand.

PMID- 1861038
TI  - The fourth carpometacarpal joint.
AB  - The base of the fourth metacarpal and the corresponding hamate/capitate
      articulation were the areas of most significant variation in 142 cadaveric wrists
      that were dissected to assess the variation of the shapes of the second through
      the fifth carpometacarpal joints. Five different shapes of the fourth metacarpal
      base were identified. The base of the fourth metacarpal was generally either flat
      (85.9%) or conical (14.1%). There was a fourth metacarpal/capitate articulation
      present in 81.7% of the specimens. The presence or absence of a fourth
      metacarpal/capitate articulation and whether or not the fourth metacarpal base
      was flat or conical were easily identifiable on radiographs. Specific types of
      fourth metacarpal bases could not, however, be identified by radiography.

PMID- 1861039
TI  - Positional dislocation of the pisiform.
AB  - Positional dislocation of the pisiform repeatedly occurred in the right wrist of
      a 19-year-old man following a motorcycle accident. The pisiform repeatedly
      dislocated distal to the triquetrum when the wrist was extended to 45 degrees or
      more, and the pisiform was reduced to proper joint congruity after wrist flexion
      of 55 degrees or more. The patient had a background of generalized joint laxity.
      Resection of the pisiform resulted in a pain-free, fully functional wrist.

PMID- 1861040
TI  - Palmar lunate transtriquetral fracture dislocation.
AB  - A palmar lunate transtriquetral fracture dislocation with a concomitant radial
      styloid avulsion fracture has not been described before in the literature. This
      injury represents an interesting variation of stage IV perilunar instability.
      Treatment was complicated by persistent scapholunate dissociation (rotary
      subluxation of the scaphoid) after attempted closed reduction and percutaneous
      pinning. At open reduction, the proximal half of the triquetrum, which had been
      dislocated palmarward with the lunate and which had been thought to be reduced
      after our attempted closed reduction was indeed returned to its normal position.
      However, it was rotated 180 degrees on its transverse axis. Restoration of the
      normal scapholunate interval was not possible until the triquetral fracture was
      reduced.

PMID- 1861041
TI  - Avascular necrosis and vascular anatomy of the metacarpals.
AB  - Aseptic necrosis of the metacarpal head is extremely rare and has been described
      in association with systemic lupus erythematosus, steroid use, trauma, and other
      sites of bone infarction. The long metacarpal is the most commonly involved. The
      extrinsic and intrinsic vascular anatomy of the metacarpal is described in fifty
      metacarpal specimens. No definite conclusions can be drawn about anatomic
      variations in blood supply between the different metacarpals. However, in 35% of
      the specimens, a main arteriole in the distal epiphysis was absent, making these
      metacarpal heads solely dependent on small circumferential pericapsular
      arterioles. This group of metacarpals, when associated with other risk factors,
      such as trauma, systemic lupus erythematosus, or steroid use, may be at increased
      risk for the development of aseptic necrosis.

PMID- 1861042
TI  - External fixation of metacarpal and phalangeal fractures.
AB  - External fixation is rarely employed in the treatment of hand fractures, and few
      reports describing this technique have been published. This is a report on 26
      patients with 30 hand fractures (19 metacarpal and 11 phalangeal) treated by
      closed reduction and external fixation. The fixation consisted of percutaneous
      and transversely applied Kirschner wires that were fixed externally with
      methylmethacrylate rods. Active range of motion exercises were started 1 week
      after reduction with the external fixator in place. Percentage return of total
      range of motion in phalangeal fractures varied from 66% to 98% (mean, 84%), and
      in metacarpal fractures it varied from 77% to 100% (mean, 96%).

PMID- 1861043
TI  - Rotational step-cut osteotomy for treatment of metacarpal and phalangeal
      malunion.
AB  - Metacarpal and phalangeal malunion after fracture or replantation frequently
      causes rotational deformities with scissoring during digital flexion. Transverse
      osteotomy at the metacarpal base has been advocated for derotation, but this only
      partially corrects scissoring resulting from phalangeal malunion. We describe the
      results of rotational step-cut osteotomies at the site of malunion. There were
      twenty-three osteotomies in eighteen patients; seven metacarpal and sixteen in
      the proximal phalanx. The value of the technique is supported by the results;
      speedy healing of bone, satisfactory alleviation of deformity, and a useful gain
      in range of motion in many patients.

PMID- 1861044
TI  - Comminuted fractures of the basilar joint of the thumb: combined treatment by
      external fixation, limited internal fixation, and bone grafting.
AB  - Displaced, comminuted fractures of the thumb carpometacarpal joint were treated
      by intermetacarpal external fixation, anatomic reduction of the joint surfaces,
      bone grafting and adjunctive internal fixation in thirteen patients.
      Retrospectively, at an average follow-up time of 35 months, nine patients showed
      a good result and one patient had a fair result. All fractures had united without
      secondary displacement, but focal irregularities of the joint surface were
      commonly seen. As compared with the uninvolved side, axial rotation averaged 79%,
      radial abduction 89%, key pinch 88%, and grip strength 81%.

PMID- 1861045
TI  - External fixator pin insertion techniques: biomechanical analysis and clinical
      relevance.
AB  - A series of identically matched pairs of fresh-frozen canine femora
      (approximating human radii in size and dimension) were used to mechanically
      compare pull-out strength between 4 mm predrilled, self-tapping, half-pins and 4
      mm self-drilling, self-tapping half-pins with drill bit-like cutting flutes. A
      second biomechanical and videotape analysis was done comparing the differences of
      pin insertion by power versus hand drilling. Results indicated a mean 22%
      reduction in bone purchase of self-drilling, self-tapping pins compared with that
      of predrilled pins and a marked increase in depth of insertion required of the
      self-drilling pins for comparable pin purchase (10 mm). It was also observed that
      a visible "wobble factor" exists, which tends to weaken the pin-bone interface
      when hand drilling is performed.

PMID- 1861046
TI  - A detachable thumb spica for a rheumatoid brace.

PMID- 1861047
TI  - The influence of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and psychological barriers on
      use of mammography.
AB  - This study assessed the relative influence of psychological barriers, SES, and
      ethnic differences in mammography use for a community sample of 586 White, 227
      Black, and 150 Hispanic women. Confirmatory factor analyses with latent variables
      indicated plausible factor structures for all groups on items related to barriers
      to mammography. Summed indicators of SES, fear of radiation, embarrassment, pain,
      anxiety, and cost concerns were correlated significantly with mammography use for
      the pooled group. Separate analyses by ethnicity indicated a substantial
      relationship between mammography use and cost concerns by White and Black women,
      and fear of pain by Black and Hispanic women. Use of mammography was associated
      more highly with SES among Hispanic women. Pooled logistic regression analyses
      controlling for SES and ethnicity showed that the psychological barriers,
      especially concern about cost, remained important independent predictors of
      mammography use. We explore sociocultural explanations for less mammography use
      by Hispanic women, especially those less acculturated.

PMID- 1861048
TI  - Gender, time use, and health.
AB  - One of the continuing paradoxes facing social epidemiologists concerns sex
      differences in morbidity and mortality. Although women live longer than men, they
      apparently get sick more. We hypothesize that women's higher morbidity levels
      result from less paid work and lower wages combined with more hours spent in
      household labor, child care, and helping others, and fewer hours of leisure and
      sleep. Men and women hold different social roles; men hold most of the highly
      rewarding roles. We operationalize social roles as time commitments to various
      role-related activities. This approach provides interval-level measures such as
      time spent in caring for children instead of simple dichotomies such as
      parent/nonparent. We find that when gender differences in social roles are
      controlled, being male is associated with poorer health than being female. We
      conclude that if gender roles were more equal, women would experience better
      health than men, more consistent with their greater longevity.

PMID- 1861049
TI  - Adolescent women's contraceptive decision making.
AB  - A modified rational decision model incorporating salient events and social
      influences (particularly from sexual partners) is used to analyze adolescent
      women's consistent use of oral contraceptives (OCs) over a six-month period. Data
      are taken from a panel study of 308 clients of an inner-city family planning
      clinic. Expected OC use was computed for each subject on the basis of subjective
      expected utility (SEU) theory, and is found in multivariate analyses to be a
      significant predictor of actual OC use. In addition, variables representing
      baseline and follow-up partner influences, the salience of pregnancy for the
      subject, and positive side effects of OCs during the first months of use are
      found to predict OC use. Partner's support of OC use during follow-up and
      positive side effects of OCs are found to predict OC use among subjects for whom
      OC use was not the expected decision according to baseline SEU. Implications of
      the findings for models of adolescents' contraceptive behavior and for clinicians
      are discussed.

PMID- 1861050
TI  - The effects of maternal working conditions and mastery on child behavior
      problems: studying the intergenerational transmission of social control.
AB  - We assess the impact of maternal sense of mastery and maternal working conditions
      on maternal perceptions of children's behavior problems as a means to study the
      transmission of social control across generations. We use a sample of 521
      employed mothers and their four-to six-year-old children from the National
      Longitudinal Survey's Youth Cohort in 1986. Regarding working conditions, we
      consider mother's hourly wage, work hours, and job content including involvement
      with things (vs. people), the requisite level of physical activity, and
      occupational complexity. We also consider maternal and child background and
      current family characteristics, including marital status, family size, and home
      environment. Maternal mastery was related to fewer reported behavior problems
      among children. Lower involvement with people and higher involvement with things,
      as well as low physical activity, were related significantly to higher levels of
      perceived problems. In addition, recent changes in maternal marital status,
      including maternal marriage or remarriage, increased reports of problems;
      stronger home environments had the opposite effect. We interpret these findings
      as suggesting how maternal experiences of control in the workplace and personal
      resources of control can influence the internalization of control in children.

PMID- 1861051
TI  - The effect of caregiver's burden on change in frail older persons' use of formal
      helpers.
AB  - We used a national longitudinal probability sample of frail older persons and
      their caregivers to examine three questions: 1) What are the probabilities of
      transition to use of formal helpers over a two-year period? 2) What is the role
      of predisposing, enabling, older person's need, and caregiver's need variables in
      changes in the use of formal helpers? 3) Do determinants of change in the use of
      formal helpers vary by level of caregiver's burden? Results show a slight trend
      to increased use in formal help over time. Personal burden, but not interpersonal
      burden, had a lagged effect on increased use of formal services. Use of formal
      helpers was greater in situations combining high levels of older person's need,
      high levels of caregiver's personal burden, and insufficient support from the
      informal network.

PMID- 1861052
TI  - Size and effectiveness of informal helping networks: a panel study of older
      people in the community.
AB  - This paper examines the impact over time of changes in older people's health and
      functional capacity on the size and effectiveness of their informal helping
      networks. Theoretical perspectives on networks differ in their predictions
      regarding the impact of declines in health on network size. Previous empirical
      studies have not examined the effects of changes in health on the size of
      networks. We examine empirical evidence on the impact of health changes on
      informal helping networks with longitudinal data obtained from a probability
      sample of older people living in the community. Results suggest that networks
      respond to diminishing health by increasing the scope of assistance provided but
      neither increase nor decrease in size as a consequence. The results also suggest
      that declines in functioning can produce increases in needs which exceed the
      capacity of informal networks.

PMID- 1861053
TI  - Damage to tissue defenses by EMLA cream.
AB  - EMLA is a new topical agent that safely anesthetizes intact skin. The purpose of
      this study was to determine if this cream could be safely used for anesthetizing
      wounds. This investigation evaluated the potential toxicity of EMLA cream in
      wounds by measuring its effect on host defenses and on the biology of wound
      repair. In contaminated wounds, EMLA cream elicited an exaggerated inflammatory
      response that damaged host defenses, inviting the development of infection. As a
      result of these investigations, we do not recommend the use of EMLA cream in
      wounds.

PMID- 1861054
TI  - A survey of emergency department communicable disease reporting practices.
AB  - A group of physicians, nurses, and administrators at all 11 hospitals in the
      District of Columbia were interviewed to elucidate each hospital emergency
      department's (ED) system for patient and public health notification of the
      diagnosis of legally reportable communicable diseases. The hospitals' reporting
      systems were divided into two groups. Three hospitals (27%) had reporting systems
      that were centered in the emergency department (EDS). Eight hospitals (73%) had
      disease reporting systems that depended primarily on extradepartmental personnel
      (HBS) for disease reporting. The EDS outperformed the HBS in several key areas of
      system performance. Greater attention needs to be paid by ED directors to
      assuring that their hospital's system is as accurate as possible and fulfills
      their jurisdiction's legal requirements for communicable disease reporting.

PMID- 1861055
TI  - Statistical concepts and methods for the reader of clinical studies in emergency
      medicine.
AB  - An understanding of statistical concepts and methods is essential for the
      clinician who wishes to interpret the results of clinical studies. In this
      article the concepts of descriptive statistics, classical hypothesis testing, P
      values, a priori information, and Type I and Type II errors are discussed with
      examples to illustrate their application to the interpretation of clinical
      trials. In addition, descriptions of Student's t test, the chi-squared test,
      Fisher's exact test, the rank sum test, and sequential methods are given.

PMID- 1861057
TI  - Splenosis: an unusual cause of intraabdominal hemorrhage.
AB  - A 31-year-old female presented to the emergency department with an acute onset of
      severe abdominal pain. She developed hypovolemic shock from an intra-abdominal
      bleed. At laparotomy she was found to be bleeding from two areas of splenosis on
      the uterine ligament. The patient had sustained a ruptured spleen 22 years prior
      and had no symptomatology from her areas of splenosis. A short review of
      splenosis is presented.

PMID- 1861056
TI  - Nontraumatic abdominal aortic thrombosis presenting with anterior spinal artery
      syndrome and pulmonary edema.
AB  - A 51-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer developed pulmonary edema and
      lower extremity paraplegia with preservation of proprioception as the initial
      manifestation of abdominal aortic thrombosis. Back pain was present in the lumbar
      region radiating to buttocks and legs in a bilateral radicular pattern. Femoral
      pulses were initially palpable. Aortic angiography revealed complete abdominal
      aortic occlusion at L3 as well as total occlusion of the bilateral superficial
      femoral arteries and bilateral common iliac arteries. Transient occlusion of the
      anterior spinal artery due to aortic thrombosis may cause paraplegia and may also
      progress to renal failure, bowel infarction, and limb loss if left untreated.
      Abdominal aortic thrombosis needs to be considered in a patient who presents with
      an anterior spinal artery syndrome, which, if present, must be treated as rapidly
      as possible to preserve motor and sensory function.

PMID- 1861058
TI  - Adrenal pheochromocytoma presenting with persistent abdominal and flank pain.
AB  - Pheochromocytoma is classically associated with paroxysms of headache and
      hypertension. Its presentation, however, may be more varied and subtle. We
      present a case of an adolescent female who complained of right upper quadrant and
      flank pain. A right adrenal pheochromocytoma was diagnosed and subsequently
      removed. The pertinent literature is discussed.

PMID- 1861060
TI  - Blow-out fractures: a review.
AB  - Blow-out fractures are a relatively common injury seen in the emergency
      department (ED). The diagnosis is based on clinical grounds, but defined
      radiographically. For the emergency physician, it is important to recognize the
      associated signs and symptoms in order that the diagnosis not be missed. Once the
      diagnosis is made, appropriate referrals need to be made. This article reviews
      diagnostic criteria, both clinical and radiographic, as well as an ED treatment
      protocol for blow-out fractures.

PMID- 1861061
TI  - Post-triathalon delirium.
AB  - This is a case presentation of acute delirium in a previously healthy man. It was
      originally discussed during Morbidity and Mortality Conference at The George
      Washington, Georgetown Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, December 1989.

PMID- 1861059
TI  - Midazolam use in the emergency department.
AB  - Midazolam is a new imidazobenzodiazepine derivative that is two to three times as
      potent as diazepam, is water-soluble, has a rapid onset and short duration of
      action, and produces a profound amnestic effect. These properties make it an
      extremely useful drug for outpatient sedation. We performed retrospective review
      of midazolam use in a general emergency department over a one-year period.
      Midazolam was used in 120 patients, 71 men and 49 women, with an average age of
      46 years. The average dose given was 3.4 mg, with a range of 1 to 10 mg. In 69 of
      the cases (57%) other drugs were administered, most commonly an opiate. There
      were only four adverse reactions. One patient developed urinary retention, one
      patient vomited, and two patients were somnolent for a prolonged period of time.
      There were no serious cardiovascular or respiratory problems. We conclude that
      midazolam is a safe drug to use in the emergency department. Close monitoring of
      the patient and the availability of airway support equipment are mandatory.

PMID- 1861062
TI  - Nurses--the right to strike?

PMID- 1861063
TI  - The ethics of a professional strike.

PMID- 1861064
TI  - As the pendulum swings: the saga of physostigmine.

PMID- 1861065
TI  - Cellular telephones and disasters.

PMID- 1861066
TI  - Objectives to direct the training of emergency medicine residents on off-service
      rotations: critical care medicine, Part 2.
AB  - This article is the second of two parts outlining the objectives for resident
      rotations in intensive care units. It is part of a larger continuing series on
      the goals and objectives to direct the training of emergency medicine residents
      on off-service rotations. The critical care unit allows the resident an
      opportunity to provide continuing care for critically ill patients, many of whom
      enter the health care system through the emergency department. Critical care
      medicine is a natural continuum of emergency medicine, and provides the resident
      with the ability to follow the natural progression of seriously ill patients, as
      well as build confidence and experience in caring for the critically ill and
      injured. These objectives are designed to help focus the resident's reading and
      study during the rotation.

PMID- 1861067
TI  - Inhibition of antigen-driven proliferative responses and enhancement of antibody
      production during infection with Brugia pahangi.
AB  - Long standing Brugia pahangi infections in seven dogs, restricted to one rear
      limb popliteal lymph node and its afferent ducts, were monitored with regard to
      proliferative responses and antibody production specific for a PBS extract of B.
      pahangi (BpA) by cells from infected and uninfected lymph nodes and by PBL. Five
      of 10 dogs were negative for proliferative responses to BpA in node cells from
      infected limbs, yet they had positive PBL responses, and another was negative in
      both node cells and PBL. Production of BpA-specific antibody was detected in
      cultures of node cells from infected limbs of 9 of 10 dogs, but only in two
      cultures of node cells from uninfected limbs and not at all in PBL cultures.
      Three dogs with responsive node cells produced the least amount of anti-BpA
      antibody in culture. Injections of B. pahangi adult worm excretory/secretory
      products (ES), totaling 1 mg over 48 h, into the limb of the original infections
      in seven dogs, resulted in inhibition of Ag-driven proliferation by cell
      populations previously responsive to BpA. There was a loss of PBL responsiveness
      by all but one infected dog and a loss of node cell response by the two dogs
      previously responsive in infected and uninfected nodes. This loss of
      responsiveness lasted at least 28 days in three dogs. There was no evidence of
      suppression of responses to mitogens either before or after ES injection. In
      contrast, BpA-specific antibody production was greatly increased in node cells
      from infected limbs injected with ES. Similar injections into the uninfected
      limbs of two infected dogs produced no change of proliferative responses or of
      antibody production in the uninfected node. These results indicate that ES can
      modulate immune cell, Ag-driven proliferation, and simultaneously enhance
      antibody production in previously infected nodes. This may promote parasite
      survival by inhibiting cellular attack based on delayed-type hypersensitivity
      while directing immune responses toward production of antibodies that are less
      damaging to the adult helminth.

PMID- 1861068
TI  - Genomic organization and subchromosomal in situ localization of the murine
      granzyme F, a serine protease expressed in CD8+ T cells.
AB  - Granzyme F belongs to a closely related family of seven murine serine proteases
      stored in cytoplasmic granules of lymphoid cell populations. In contrast to the
      murine granzymes A to E and G, granzyme F is exclusively expressed in the CD4
      CD8+ subset of peripheral T cells. To characterize the genomic sequences
      responsible for its highly restricted expression, we isolated a cosmid clone and
      sequenced a 7.5-kb genomic fragment that contains the promoter region and all
      five exons of the murine granzyme F gene. A TATA box sequence is located at
      position -25 relative to the transcription initiation site, which was determined
      by RNase protection. The genomic organization of granzyme F is similar to that of
      granzyme B and granzyme C, leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, rat mast cell
      protease II, and complement factor D (adipsin). By the use of two fluorochromes
      for simultaneous high resolution in situ hybridization, the granzyme F gene was
      localized in close proximity distally from the TCR alpha-chain locus on mouse
      chromosome 14.

PMID- 1861069
TI  - DNA sequence polymorphism at the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) locus.
      Numerous TNF/lymphotoxin alleles tagged by two closely linked microsatellites in
      the upstream region of the lymphotoxin (TNF-beta) gene.
AB  - TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin (LT, TNF-beta) genes are tandemly arranged and map
      within the MHC centromeric to HLA-B and telomeric to the class III genes. Both
      cytokines encoded by these genes are potent immunomodulators. On the other hand,
      some MHC-linked autoimmune diseases are characterized by abnormal levels of their
      expression or inducibility. A search for the putative disease-associated TNF/LT
      alleles depends on the informative genetic markers at the TNF locus. Previously,
      a low degree of genetic polymorphism at the human TNF locus has been reported,
      mostly bi-allelic RFLP. To localize and define additional polymorphic markers, we
      probed the collection of genomic clones with synthetic tandemly repeated
      dinucleotides, corresponding to the sequences known as microsatellites. We mapped
      and characterized three (TC/GA) and one (AC/GT) repeats within cloned 40-kb DNA
      comprising the human TNF locus. Using a polymerase chain reaction-based
      technique, we analyzed three of these four microsatellites and observed their
      length of polymorphism. Using DNA samples from blood donors, two families, and
      three human cell lines, we detected 13 distinct alleles of the AC/GT
      microsatellite neighboring human TNF genes. The variability was further increased
      by simultaneous analysis of the second linked microsatellite. This linked TC/GA
      repeat showed at least five alleles, whereas the least polymorphic TC/GA repeat
      located in the first intron of LT (TNF-beta) gene had two alleles. TNF alleles
      defined by microsatellites were stably inherited and segregated in the Mendelian
      way. Therefore, we describe thus far the most informative level of DNA sequence
      polymorphism in this part of human MHC. We propose a nomenclature for
      microsatellite tagged LT/TNF alleles based on their size and variability, which
      could also be extended to include RFLP and other not yet identified polymorphic
      markers. Microsatellite tagged polymorphism described here can be used in
      systematic linkage studies of HLA-associated diseases.

PMID- 1861070
TI  - Complete genomic sequence of the murine low affinity Fc receptor for IgE.
      Demonstration of alternative transcripts and conserved sequence elements.
AB  - The complete sequence of the murine low affinity Fc receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon
      RII), including the 5' and 3' flanking sequences, is reported. The murine Fc
      epsilon RII gene spans 12.9 kb and includes 12 exons surrounding 11 introns. The
      composite exon sequence is virtually identical to previously reported murine Fc
      epsilon RII cDNA sequences. Much of the proximal promoter regions of the mouse
      and human homologues of Fc epsilon RII show remarkable homology to each other,
      including three promoter elements previously identified for MHC class II genes.
      The reported exon/intron structure of the human FC epsilon RII is similar to the
      murine homologue, except that the latter has an additional exon coding for a
      fourth amino acid repetitive sequence (vs three in the human gene). RNase
      protection studies have identified an additional transcript within intron 2 of
      murine Fc epsilon RIIa, similar to the human Fc epsilon RIIb form but with a
      different predicted sequence of the first six amino acids. This transcript is
      present in the mRNA of purified splenic B cells, but not in the mRNA of the Fc
      epsilon RII+ B lymphoma cell line M12.4.5. The murine Fc epsilon RII gene
      contains a large intron (4.2 kb) separating the lectin and nonlectin coding
      regions, and several repetitive sequences are found clustered within this intron.
      These results emphasize the importance of the demarcation between these domains
      and allude to their evolutionary and functional significance.

PMID- 1861071
TI  - Human high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen mimicry by mouse
      antiidiotypic monoclonal antibody MK2-23. Characterization of the immunogenicity
      in syngeneic hosts.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that the mouse antiidiotypic mAb MK2-23 elicited with
      the syngeneic anti-human high molecular weight melanoma-associated Ag (HMW-MAA)
      mAb 763.74 elicits anti-HMW-MAA antibodies in syngeneic hosts and in patients
      with melanoma. The present investigation has characterized the fine specificity
      of antibodies elicited by mAb MK2-23, tested its ability to induce delayed-type
      hypersensitivity reaction to HMW-MAA-bearing melanoma cells and analyzed the
      variables that influence the immunogenicity of mAb MK2-23. The anti-HMW-MAA
      antibodies elicited by mAb MK2-23 recognize the same population of molecules
      recognized by mAb 763.74, react with the same (or spatially close) determinant(s)
      and express the idiotopes recognized by mAb MK2-23 in their Ag-combining sites.
      The antiidiotypic antibodies that bind to HMW-MAA have a lower titer than those
      that do not. These results in conjunction with those obtained in mice using a
      suboptimal immunization schedule suggest that the idiotope(s) that mimic(s) the
      mAb 763.74-defined determinant of the HMW-MAA is less immunogenic than those that
      do not. mAb MK2-23 induces a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to HMW-MAA
      bearing melanoma cells. Therefore, mAb MK2-23 represents the first example of
      mouse antiidiotypic mAb that induces a cellular and humoral immunity to a human
      tumor-associated Ag (TAA), because the previously described mouse antiidiotypic
      mAb that bear the mirror image of TAA have been shown to induce only humoral anti
      TAA immunity. The immunogenicity of mAb MK2-23 is markedly enhanced by its
      conjugation to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and its administration with FA.
      Furthermore, the number of immunizations and the doses of mAb MK2-23 injected
      influence its immunogenicity, although to a lower extent than conjugation to a
      carrier and mixing with an adjuvant. The information derived from the present
      investigation represents a useful background to optimize the immunization
      schedule with mAb MK2-23 in patients with melanoma.

PMID- 1861072
TI  - Cloning and in vitro expression of a melanoma-associated antigen immunogenic in
      patients with melanoma.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to identify human melanoma-associated Ag (MAA) that
      are immunogenic in patients, because these molecules may be useful immunogens to
      implement active specific immunotherapy. To this end, an expression cDNA library
      constructed from the human melanoma cell line A375 was screened with sera from
      patients with melanoma. A 1029-bp cDNA (designated D-1) was isolated. Its
      nucleotide sequence showed no significant homology with viral and mammalian
      sequences stored in GE-NETYX. cDNA D-1 hybridized to a 2.0-kb mRNA species from
      human melanoma, neuroblastoma, erythroleukemia, B lymphoid, and T lymphoid cell
      lines but not from a renal carcinoma cell line, PBL, and cultured skin
      fibroblasts. The D-1 clone produced a fusion protein that displayed a
      significantly higher reactivity with sera from patients with melanoma than from
      healthy controls. Furthermore, D-1 fusion protein induced in mice antibodies that
      immunoprecipitated a 50-kDa component from cultured human melanoma cells. The
      structural properties of D-1 MAA are different from those of previously described
      MAA. These results suggest that the approach we have applied may be useful to
      identify novel MAA expressed by melanoma cells. Furthermore, the immunogenicity
      of recombinant D-1 protein suggests that it may be a valuable immunogen to
      implement active specific immunotherapy in patients with melanoma, if additional
      experiments show that it has the appropriate tissue distribution.

PMID- 1861073
TI  - Modulation of antigen presentation and peptide-MHC-specific, LFA-1-dependent T
      cell-macrophage adhesion.
AB  - Incubation of peritoneal macrophages in vitro before fixation increased their
      ability to present exogenous peptides to 3A9 T hybridoma cells. The enhanced
      level of presentation correlated with a greatly increased, peptide-specific
      adhesion of 3A9 cells to the macrophages, whereas peptide-independent adhesion
      was minimal and essentially unaltered. 3A9 cells exhibited rapid peptide-specific
      adhesion (plateau by 5 to 10 min) and deadhesion (complete reversal by 5 min).
      Peptide-specific adhesion was blocked by anti-I-Ak and anti-LFA-1. Interaction of
      T cell receptors and CD-4 with peptide-I-Ak complexes appeared to provide little
      direct contribution to the avidity of T cell-macrophage adhesion, but activated a
      LFA-1-mediated adhesion mechanism. In addition, anti-T cell receptor, anti-CD3,
      and anti-CD4 antibodies themselves activated LFA-1-dependent adhesion in the
      absence of peptide. Unlike the peptide-induced adhesion, this adhesion was
      similar for macrophages whether or not they were incubated in vitro before
      fixation. We conclude that the different macrophage populations supported LFA-1
      mediated adhesion equally. Therefore, the enhancement of T cell stimulation
      observed after in vitro incubation of macrophages was due to increased peptide
      presentation and consequently increased triggering of LFA-1-mediated adhesion.
      Mechanisms may exist to regulate the effectiveness with which peptide-class II
      MHC complexes are displayed for T cell recognition.

PMID- 1861075
TI  - Cytotoxic T lymphocytes induce different types of DNA damage in target cells of
      different origins.
AB  - Nuclear changes may be important in the mechanism of CTL-mediated lysis. Rapid
      cleavage of target cell DNA into oligonucleosomes has been demonstrated as a very
      early event in CTL-mediated killing of murine hematopoietic targets. However, the
      results presented herein and by other investigators have shown that this
      extensive dsDNA fragmentation does not occur in all CTL targets. In terms of
      actual DNA damage, there is a wide range in the extent and type of DNA cleavage
      in various targets. Differences exist at both the species and the cell lineage
      level. The extent of DNA damage generally corresponds to the efficiency of lysis;
      thus, murine hematopoietic cells, which undergo dsDNA fragmentation, are killed
      more rapidly and at lower E/T cell ratios than are murine nonhematopoietic cells,
      which sustain single-stranded nicks. Experiments using cloned CTL demonstrate
      that the same effector cell kills both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic
      targets, producing different types of DNA damage. These observations indicate
      that the fate of the target cell DNA is determined by the nature of the target
      cell and not by the CTL. We propose that DNA damage results from an enzyme
      pathway inherent to the target, which is activated by, not transferred from, the
      CTL.

PMID- 1861074
TI  - Natural killer cell clones can efficiently process and present protein antigens.
AB  - NK cell clones obtained from three different donors were tested for their ability
      to present soluble proteins to Ag-specific T cell clones. All NK clones were
      CD2+CD3-CD56+, whereas the expression of CD16 varied from clone to clone. The NK
      cell clones were able to process and present tetanus toxoid (TT) to TT-specific T
      cell clones in a class II HLA restricted manner. The capacity of NK cell clones
      to function as APC was also observed using the house dust mite allergen Der p I
      and the Der p I-derived peptide Val89-Cys117. As with EBV-transformed B cell
      line, NK cell clones could present the peptide 3-13 derived from the 65-kDa heat
      shock protein of Mycobacterium leprae, but they were unable to present the whole
      M. leprae Ag. Freshly isolated NK cells, IL-2-activated NK cells, and NK cell
      lines expanded in vitro could also process and present TT. The ability of the
      different NK populations to act as accessory cells correlated with their levels
      of class II HLA expression. These data demonstrate that NK cell clones can
      efficiently function as APC, however they may be restricted in the types of Ag
      that they can process.

PMID- 1861076
TI  - Characterization of autoreactive T cells. Relative importance of self-peptides
      versus MHC.
AB  - The degree to which processed self-peptides contribute to the stimulation of
      autoreactive T cells has not been determined. In this study we have analyzed a
      panel of autoreactive T cell hybridomas from normal C57BL/26 mice produced by
      fusing peripheral lymph node cells with a variant of the BW5147 thymoma line,
      which does not express endogenous TCR alpha- and beta-chains. All of the
      autoreactive hybridomas responded to spleen cells expressing the syngeneic I-Ab
      allele, but not to allogeneic spleen cells. Although all hybridomas were I-Ab
      restricted, they demonstrated different patterns of reactivity to a panel of APC
      expressing I-Ab but derived from different genetic backgrounds. In a panel of APC
      expressing recombinant I-A molecules, changes in the second half of the first
      domain, which encodes alpha-helix segments that flank the Ag binding site and
      directly contact the TCR V regions in proposed models, eliminated reactivity of
      all hybridomas tested. In addition, most of the autoreactive hybridomas also
      demonstrated inhibition of reactivity to mutations in the amino half of the first
      domain of the I-A alpha- and beta-chains, which encodes the beta-pleated sheet of
      the floor of the Ag-binding groove. To confirm the role of processed peptides in
      the different patterns of reactivity, APC were incubated with competitor Ag and
      fixed by glutaraldehyde cross-linking before incubation with the autoreactive T
      hybridomas. The hybridomas were effectively inhibited by exogenous protein and
      peptide Ag. These results indicate that processed self-peptides are required to
      activate the autoreactive T cells.

PMID- 1861077
TI  - Effect of nephritogenic antibody on complement regulation in cultured rat
      glomerular epithelial cells.
AB  - In passive Heymann nephritis, a rat model of membranous nephropathy, antibody
      (anti-Fx1A) activates C on the surface of the glomerular epithelial cell (GEC),
      leading to GEC injury and proteinuria. In this study, we examined C activation by
      anti-Fx1A in cultured rat GEC. In addition to anti-Fx1A IgG, anti-Fx1A F(ab')2
      and Fab' led to GEC injury in the presence of rat or human sera as sources of C.
      Cytotoxicity was Mg2+ and factor B dependent, but Ca2+ independent, indicating
      that anti-Fx1A activated the C alternative pathway (AP). Furthermore, in the
      presence of Mg2+ and factor B, anti-Fx1A enhanced 125I-C3b deposition on GEC in
      the absence of classical pathway activation. AP C3 and C5 convertases formed on
      GEC (GEC-C3bBbP) were inactivated over time, probably due to binding of GEC C
      regulatory proteins. This inactivation was prevented when GEC-C3bBbP were
      incubated with anti-Fx1A IgG. An antibody raised against cultured GEC that binds
      to GEC in vitro and in vivo had no effect on C3 and C5 convertases, suggesting
      that stabilization of C3bBbP is unique to anti-Fx1A. Anti-Fx1A Fab' also
      stabilized GEC-C3bBbP, indicating that cross-linking of membrane Ag was not
      required. C3bBbP on E were not affected by anti-Fx1A, excluding direct
      stabilization of convertases by anti-Fx1A. Therefore, anti-Fx1A inhibits C
      regulation on GEC, which can account for its ability to activate the AP. This
      represents a potentially powerful mechanism of producing disease in vivo.

PMID- 1861078
TI  - Differentiation-inducing cytokine P48 exists in a membrane-associated form.
AB  - P48 is a recently described 48-kDa differentiation-inducing cytokine isolated
      from the culture medium of the human leukemia line Reh. P48 induces
      differentiation and cytolytic activity in the promyelocytic cell line HL-60, and
      stimulates the release of TNF-alpha and IL-1 from peripheral blood monocytes. In
      further studies designed to examine the biosynthesis and function of P48, surface
      immunofluorescence flow cytometry analysis as well as 125I surface labeling and
      immunoprecipitation, revealed the presence of P48 on the surface of Reh cells.
      Triton X-114-treated Reh cells were partitioned into detergent and aqueous phases
      and separated by SDS-PAGE. Western blot analysis revealed that P48 partitioned
      exclusively into the detergent phase, suggesting an integral membrane
      association. Reh cells fixed with paraformaldehyde, but not K562 or P815, were
      able to stimulate the release of TNF-alpha from peripheral blood monocytes in a
      manner similar to that of secreted P48. Isolated plasma membranes from Reh cells
      could also stimulate TNF-alpha release. This TNF-alpha-releasing activity could
      be removed from detergent solubilized Reh membranes by immunoaffinity
      chromatography on an anti-P48 column. This study suggests that, in addition to
      being secreted into the culture medium, P48 is expressed on the surface of Reh
      cells in a biologically active form. The membrane form of P48 may be 1) a final
      maturation step before secretion or 2) a cell membrane-associated form that may
      be analogous to the membrane forms of TNF-alpha and IL-1.

PMID- 1861079
TI  - Detection of in ovo derived idiotypic antibodies. I. A model for maternal
      neonatal idiotype network studies.
AB  - Idiotypic vaccines appear to have many advantages over conventional vaccines.
      Maternal Id or anti-Id that are passively transferred to the fetus or neonate
      could provide another avenue for vaccination. Based on this premise we have
      investigated the transmission of idiotypic antibodies from dam to embryo by
      inoculating laying hens and analyzing their egg yolks for the presence of Id,
      anti-Id, and anti-anti-Id. The Ag chosen for these studies was BSA. After
      isolation and concentration BSA Id titers were approximately 256,000. The
      presence of anti-Id antibody in yolk samples is characterized by the ability of
      anti-Id to inhibit BSA binding to Id. The anti-Id extracted from yolks inhibited
      BSA binding to Id by 7 to 53%. Not all of the anti-Id present in samples was
      binding to a paratope-associated Id because 11 to 16% of the fluoresceinated anti
      Id bound to Id-coated beads in the presence of excess BSA. Because a portion of
      the anti-Id antibodies were internal images of the BSA Id, they should be able to
      mimic Ag. This idea was confirmed when anti-Id inoculated in hens caused the
      synthesis of antibodies that would bind BSA and could be detected in an ELISA.
      Binding of anti-anti-Id to BSA-coated wells could be inhibited by preincubation
      of anti-anti-Id with BSA in solution. The chicken model provides a novel system
      to investigate maternal-fetal and maternal-neonatal interactions in the idiotypic
      network and the cellular mechanisms involved in the ontogeny of the Id network in
      neonates.

PMID- 1861080
TI  - Proteolysis of C3 on U937 cell plasma membranes. Purification of cathepsin G.
AB  - Covalent binding of C3 fragments to U937 cell membranes involved a cell surface
      associated proteolytic activity. Two proteases able to cleave C3 were purified
      from U937 plasma membranes. Purification involved solubilization of the membranes
      and ion exchange chromatography. One of the purified proteases was identified as
      elastase, based upon a substrate specificity for benzyloxycarbonylalanine-o
      nitrophenyl ester and complete inhibition by elastatinal and methoxysuccinyl
      alanyl-alanyl-prolyl-valyl-chloromethyl-ketone. The other protease (m.w. 28,000)
      is cathepsin G, as deduced from the amino acid composition, the amino-terminal
      sequence, and the substrate specificity for succinyl-alanyl-alanyl-phenylalanine
      p-nitroanilide. These two lysosomal proteases are present on the U937 cell
      surface, as confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis. Plasma membrane elastase
      and cathepsin G from U937 cells cleave C3 into C3a- and C3b-like fragments;
      further incubation leads to C3c- and C3dg-like fragments, as judged from SDS-PAGE
      analysis of the digests. Sequencing of the C3b-like fragment purified by reverse
      phase chromatography indicates that initial cleavage of C3 by purified cathepsin
      G occurs at two positions in the amino-terminal part of the alpha-chain, at a Arg
      Ser bond located between residues 748 and 749 and at a Leu-Asp bond between
      residues 751 and 752. These proteases are, thus, able to generate, on the U937
      surface, active fragments of C3, which are likely to be involved in cell-protein
      and cell-cell interactions.

PMID- 1861081
TI  - A covalent dimer of complement C4b serves as a subunit of a novel C5 convertase
      that involves no C3 derivatives.
AB  - A C intermediate, LAC14, was prepared from TNP-aminocaproyl liposomes sensitized
      with anti-TNP antibody (Ab) and purified human C1 and C4. LAC14, containing
      radiolabeled C4, was analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by autoradiography, and
      yielded a 210-kDa band and a predominant 400-kDa band. The 210-kDa band consisted
      of monomeric C4b bound to low molecular mass acceptors. The 400-kDa band was
      comprised of a 200-kDa moiety, as well as beta- and gamma-chains of C4. The 200
      kDa moiety contained neither C1 nor sensitizing Ab, but it was largely decreased
      by treatment with NH2OH to the 90-kDa moiety with the mobility corresponding to
      the alpha'-chain of C4b. A covalent dimer of C4b, therefore, is the predominant
      form of C4b deposited on liposomes sensitized with antibody. The C4b-C4b dimer
      formed rapidly (within 5 min) followed by slow dissociation into monomers. The
      LAC14 bearing the C4b dimer but not the monomer was lysed, although with
      relatively low efficiency, by the addition of oxyC2 and EDTA-supplemented C3
      deficient serum (C3DS), and, furthermore, LAC142 possessed the ability to convert
      C5 into C5a and C5b. Moreover, lysis was inhibited not by anti-C3 Ab but by anti
      C4 Ab. In other experiments, the dimer served as an element of C3 convertase, as
      well. These findings imply that the C4b dimer, when complexed with C2, expresses
      C3/C5 convertase activity without participation of C3, and may provide a
      molecular mechanism whereby sera from patients with complete C3 deficiency retain
      the ability to induce C-mediated cytolysis.

PMID- 1861082
TI  - Generation and specificity of monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies against human
      HIV-specific antibodies. I. Cross-reacting idiotopes are expressed in
      subpopulations of HIV-infected individuals.
AB  - In this study we have generated monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies against
      human monoclonal and polyclonal anti-HIV antibodies in seropositive sera. A human
      anti-gp41 mAb (H2, IgM kappa) was used to immunize BALB/c mice and to prepare
      hybridoma anti-antibodies that react with H2 and not with normal human IgM.
      Similar monoclonal anti-antibodies were made in BALB/c mice immunized with Ig
      fraction prepared from a pool of HIV-seropositive sera. Both kinds of anti
      idiotypic antibodies reacted with antibodies in pools of seropositive sera and
      with individual seropositive sera but not with normal human Ig or seronegative
      sera. The Id-positive Ig from single donors were isolated on two different anti
      Id immunoabsorbents and shown to bind to p24 and gp120, respectively. The
      detection and isolation of idiotypically cross-reactive human anti-HIV antibodies
      from seropositive donors demonstrated, for the first time, the existence of
      shared Id expressed by antibodies against HIV Ag. The utility of cross-reacting
      anti-idiotypic antibodies as tools to dissect the network regulation of the anti
      viral immunity in AIDS is discussed.

PMID- 1861083
TI  - Natural killer cell cytolytic granule-associated enzymes. I. Purification,
      characterization, and analysis of function of an enzyme with sulfatase activity.
AB  - An enzyme with sulfatase activity has been isolated from the granules of a rat NK
      leukemia cell line, CRNK-16. The enzyme has been purified from crude preparation,
      with a specific activity of 52 nmol/min/mg of protein, by DEAE ion exchange and
      Con A-Sepharose affinity chromatography, resulting in a specific activity of 230
      nmol/min/mg of protein. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated
      to be 40 kDa by gel filtration chromatography at pH 7.4, but the enzyme had the
      ability to complex to molecular masses of greater than 300 kDa at low pH when
      crude granule extract was used as the starting sample, suggesting that it
      associates with other granule components. The enzyme was determined to be an
      arylsulfatase by its ability to (a) hydrolyze p-nitrophenyl sulfate (Km = 26.0
      mM) and p-nitrocatechol sulfate (pNC sulfate) (Km = 1.1 mM) and (b) be inhibited
      by sulfite (Ki = 6.0 x 10(-7) M), sulfate (Ki = 1 x 10(-3) M), and phosphate (Ki
      = 4 x 10(-5) M) in a competitive manner. The pH optimum for enzymatic activity
      was determined to be 5.6. The role of this enzyme in cytolytic function was
      investigated by examining the effect of its substrates and inhibitors on granule-
      and cell-mediated lysis. pNC sulfate was shown to cause a dose-dependent
      inhibition of target cell lysis by isolated cytolytic granules (complete
      inhibition at 12.5 mM). Sulfite induced an incomplete inhibition (50% at 1 mM),
      whereas phosphate was essentially without inhibitory effect. Sulfate, on the
      other hand, altered lytic activity in a biphasic manner, inasmuch as it induced
      an inhibition of lysis at high concentrations and an increase of lysis at low
      concentrations. Cell-mediated lysis was inhibited by pNC sulfate in a dose
      dependent fashion at concentrations greater than 2.5 mM, with nearly complete
      inhibition at 50 mM. Sulfate also altered the lytic activity by intact cells in a
      biphasic manner, although the effect was much less pronounced. Sulfite and
      phosphate caused only a 30% inhibition of lytic activity. These results suggest
      that the sulfatase enzyme is involved in NK cytolytic function, presumably at the
      lethal hit stage.

PMID- 1861084
TI  - Bronchial epithelial cells release monocyte chemotactic activity in response to
      smoke and endotoxin.
AB  - An increase in mononuclear phagocytes occurs within the airways during airway
      inflammation. Bronchial epithelial cells could release monocyte chemotactic
      activity and contribute to this increase. To test this hypothesis, bovine
      bronchial epithelial cells were isolated and maintained in culture. Bronchial
      epithelial cell culture supernatant fluids were evaluated for monocyte
      chemotactic activity. Epithelial cell culture supernatant fluids attracted
      significantly greater numbers of monocytes compared to media alone and the number
      of monocytes attracted increased in a time dependent manner. Endotoxin and smoke
      extract induced a dose and time dependent release of monocyte chemotactic
      activity compared with cells cultured in media (52.5 +/- 2.6 (endotoxin), 30.5 +/
      2.3 (smoke) vs 20.5 +/- 2.2 cells/high power field (HPF) p less than 0.001). The
      released activity was chemotactic by checkerboard analysis. Stimulation of the
      epithelial cells by opsonized zymosan, calcium ionophore (A23187), and PMA also
      resulted in an increase in monocyte chemotactic activity (p less than 0.01).
      Because the release of activity was blocked by the lipoxygenase inhibitors,
      nordihydroguaiaretic acid and diethycarbamazine, epithelial cell monolayers were
      cultured with 3 microCi [3H]arachidonic acid for 24 h and then exposed to A23187,
      PMA, or both stimuli, for 4, 8, and 24 h. Analysis of the released 3H activity
      was performed with reverse-phase HPLC and revealed that the major lipoxygenase
      product was leukotriene B4. These data suggest that monocytes may be recruited
      into airways in response to chemotactic factors released by bronchial epithelial
      cells.

PMID- 1861085
TI  - Management of symptomatic bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion and
      vertebral artery stenosis.
AB  - This report presents a patient with bilateral internal carotid occlusion and
      concomitant vertebral artery stenosis. His lateralized amaurosis fugax, syncopy
      and partial visual field defect resolved following open external carotid
      endarterectomy, onlay patch external carotid angioplasty with endarterectomized
      internal carotid artery and vertebral artery transposition to the common carotid
      artery.

PMID- 1861086
TI  - Giant aneurysm of the coronary artery.
AB  - A case of a patient presenting a giant size mass compressing the SVC and IVC is
      presented. Chest X-ray, substernal echo-scanning, magnetic resonance tomography,
      etc. led to the hypothesis of a benign cardiac tumor or cardiac echinococcosis.
      However, surgical examination revealed a giant aneurysm of the coronary artery
      which was successfully treated.

PMID- 1861087
TI  - Superficial venous thrombosis of the lower extremities co-existing with deep
      venous thrombosis. A phlebographic study on 57 cases.
AB  - The incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) coexistent in patients suffering
      from superficial venous thrombosis (SVT) has not been well documented. In a
      series of 57 consecutive patients with SVT of the lower extremities treated in
      our Department in the last five years without any obvious clinical signs of co
      existing DVT, an ascending phlebographic study was performed. Co-existent DVT was
      disclosed in 19.6% of the patients. There was no correlation between the location
      or the length of thrombus and the co-existence of DVT. Patients in whom SVT
      developed in existing varicose veins were younger in age and the incidence of co
      existence of DVT was lower. Our findings show that SVT does not always have a
      benign course. The disclosure of a high incidence of co-existing DVT in our
      series suggests the necessity of the examination of the deep venous system in all
      the cases of SVT by using ultrasonic technics, triplex and preferably of the
      ascending phlebography. The disclosure of DVT in those cases makes the
      application of anticoagulant treatment mandatory.

PMID- 1861088
TI  - Frequency of malignant diseases in deep venous thrombosis of the lower
      extremities.
AB  - A retrospective investigation was carried out in a total of 200 patients (100
      women, 100 men) with an average age of 61.0 years (19-97 years) with a
      phlebographically verified deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. It was
      examined whether and how frequently acute phlebothromboses are associated with a
      malignant underlying disease not detected up to that time. Specific diagnostics
      showed that a malignancy could be detected in 11.5% of all patients. As expected,
      the number of freshly discovered malignant diseases rose with increasing age.
      Seventy-one percent of all patients with a phlebothrombosis and a simultaneous
      tumor condition were more than 60 years old. The results clearly show that
      screening for occult malignant diseases should be carried out systematically and
      routinely in patients with etiologically unclear acute deep vein thromboses, at
      least from the 50th year of life onwards.

PMID- 1861089
TI  - Assessment of the patency of deep leg veins with duplex.
AB  - To evaluate the accuracy of venous duplex, results obtained in 101 patients are
      compared with venography. A first group consisted of 48 patients with clinically
      suspected deep vein thrombosis. In 30 of them a positive duplex scan was obtained
      and all had subsequently a positive venography. Eighteen patients with a normal
      duplex scan had a normal venography. Another group of 53 patients were tested
      preoperatively for varicose vein surgery. No obstruction of the venous system was
      withheld with duplex but 3 patients had an old thrombosis on venography. Thus
      duplex is a highly reliable method to detect proximal thrombosis in clinically
      suspected patients but detection of late sequelae of thrombosis may be more
      difficult.

PMID- 1861090
TI  - Comparison of skin and muscle biopsies before and after pentoxifylline treatment
      in patients with leg ulcers due to deep venous incompetence.
AB  - The aim of this study was to understand the possible mechanisms by which deep
      venous insufficiency and venous hypertension are associated with trophic skin
      changes and ulceration and to explain the therapeutic effect of Pentoxifylline in
      patients with leg ulcers due to deep venous incompetence. Twenty patients were
      included in this pilot study. They were graded into two groups: group 1, included
      10 patients (5 F and 5 M) with deep venous incompetence and normal arteries;
      group 2, included 10 patients (1 F and 9 M) with deep venous incompetence and
      moderate arterial disease. Skin and muscle biopsies were carried out before and
      after the oral administration of 1,200 mg of Pentoxifylline daily (400 mg t.d.s).
      The following parameters were investigated by means of light microscopy and
      immunofluorescence tests: engorgement of venous stroma; decrease of intimal
      elastica; hyaline degeneration; floccular degeneration; pericapillary fibrin
      deposits and fibrin degradation products; inflammation and fat necrosis;
      myofibril degeneration; fibrous scar; regeneration and reconstitution of muscle
      fibres. The results indicated that local inflammation at the ulcer's area cause
      accumulation of white blood cells in the capillaries and the interstitial fluid,
      where there is also accumulation of fibrinogen. These changes may lead to chronic
      tissue ischaemia and ulceration. The known favourable effect of Pentoxifylline on
      red cells and leucocyte function as well as its lowering effect on plasma
      fibrinogen level, may be responsible for the observed therapeutic effect of
      Pentoxifylline on venous leg ulcers.

PMID- 1861091
TI  - Free radical production in peripheral vascular disease. A risk for critical
      ischaemia?
AB  - Malondialdehyde (MDA) plasma concentrations (marker of lipid free radical
      peroxidation) and the unfractionated leucocyte and erythrocyte filterability
      rates (through 5 micron Nuclepore filters in a positive pressure filtration
      system) were determined during a partial ischaemia induced by two consecutive
      treadmill tests in 64 stage II peripheral vascular disease (PVD) patients and in
      32 matched controls. Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) was monitored
      constantly throughout the walking tests and recovery periods. In the PVD patients
      impairments in the flow properties of leucocytes and erythrocytes were associated
      with increases in MDA plasma concentrations which correlated significantly with a
      lengthening of the tcPO2 half recovery times--index of the worsening of
      ischaemia. Patients could be divided into two sub-groups on the basis of these
      impairments and their half recovery times, suggesting this experimental model may
      provide a means to identify those stage II PVD patients most likely to develop
      critical limb ischaemia.

PMID- 1861092
TI  - Heparin, heparin plus ASA and dipyridamole, and arteriovenous fistula as adjuvant
      methods to prevent rethrombosis after venous thrombectomy. Experimental study in
      rabbits.
AB  - Venous rethrombosis following thrombectomy is a common event. The aim of the
      present study was to verify the action of heparin, heparin plus acetyl salicylic
      acid (ASA) and dipyridamole, and of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the
      prevention of this complication. Thrombosis was induced in 48 male rabbits by the
      injection of thrombin in a segment of the left jugular vein, in which the blood
      flow was arrested for 10 minutes. After 48 hours, the animals were randomly
      allocated into one of 4 groups of treatment: (1) control, (2) subcutaneous
      heparin (600 S.I. Units/kg--8/8 hours), (3) heparin, in the same dose, plus ASA
      (10 mg/kg/once a day), and dipyridamole (0.5 mg/kg thrice a day), (4) an AVF was
      surgically constructed between the left carotid artery and the left maxillar
      vein. After 30 minutes, thrombectomy was performed. The venous blood flow, the
      hematocrit, activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time tests were
      performed before, right after the thrombectomy and 48 hours after thrombectomy.
      Venography was performed after thrombectomy and at the end of the experiment. The
      animals were killed 48 hours after thrombectomy and the veins were examined
      macroscopically. Venous rethrombosis was significantly prevented only in the AVF
      group (9/12), when compared to control group (0/12), heparin group (1/12) and
      heparin plus antiaggregating agents group (2/12). These results validate further
      clinical and experimental investigations with the use of AVF to prevent
      rethrombosis after venous thrombectomy, when a reduction of venous flow is
      present.

PMID- 1861093
TI  - Management of vascular injuries of the extremities. One hundred and fifteen
      cases.
AB  - In between the years 1984-1989, 115 peripheral arterial injuries were admitted to
      the Emergency Surgical Unit of Istanbul Medical Faculty. Seventy-two patients
      (62%) had upper extremity and 43 patients (38%) had lower extremity vascular
      injuries. Twenty-eight of these cases (24%) were due to blunt trauma,
      angiographic studies were obtained in 26 patients. There were 9.5% mortality and
      7% amputation rate. We conclude that arterial injuries deserves early
      recognition, rapid fixation of osseous injuries, wide debridement, fasciotomy in
      blunt injuries and proper antimicrobial therapy.

PMID- 1861094
TI  - Cardiovascular disease in women: an update.
AB  - Between the years 1979 and 1981, Louisiana ranked 7th in average annual coronary
      heart disease (CHD) death rate among white women and 6th among black women, age
      35 to 74 years. Nationally, death in women due to CHD is 250,000 deaths per year,
      mainly in women over 50 years of age. That is approximately one half of all
      deaths due to heart disease in the United States. Risk factors for CHD in women
      are those which are shared with men, eg, smoking, hypertension, plasma
      lipoprotein concentrations, obesity, diabetes, and family history, and those
      which apply solely to women, eg, contraceptive use, menopause, and postmenopausal
      hormones. The purpose of this manuscript is to review current knowledge regarding
      CHD in women.

PMID- 1861095
TI  - ECG of the month. Where the action is. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1861096
TI  - Estrogen therapy and cardiovascular risk in women.
AB  - Estrogen therapy in women has traditionally been used for the relief of
      menopausal symptoms and protection from osteoporosis. Recently, there has been a
      growing body of evidence suggesting that estrogen therapy protects against
      cardiovascular disease in women. An epidemiologic review of the literature
      demonstrates an approximately 50% reduction in cardiovascular risk in women using
      estrogen. A brief review of indications, complications, and routes of estrogen
      administration is presented. Current areas of controversy include the effects of
      parenteral estrogen administration and progestin administration on the
      cardioprotective aspects of estrogen therapy and the risk of breast cancer in
      estrogen users. Further study in these areas is needed.

PMID- 1861097
TI  - Mitral valve prolapse.
AB  - Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) is a common cardiac disorder in our community. It is
      estimated that 4% to 15% of the general population have the anatomical defect of
      prolapsed mitral valve leaflets during ventricular systole. Patients with MVP
      that suffer from chest pain, dyspnea, fatigue, dizziness, syncope, palpitations,
      cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, and panic attacks are diagnosed as having Mitral
      Valve Prolapse Syndrome. There is much controversy in the medical literature as
      to the causes of MVPS symptomatology. Some scientists believe that autonomic
      dysfunction, adrenergic, and vagal responsiveness are factors which appropriately
      explain the symptoms of MVPS. Pharmacological therapy, depending on the severity
      of the symptoms, is one option for treatment. Education on the etiology of their
      symptoms, instruction on lifestyle modifications, and reassurance from their
      physician are appropriate methods for the management of MVPS patients.

PMID- 1861098
TI  - Peripartum cardiomyopathy: clinical and therapeutic characteristics.
AB  - Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs in from 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 4,000 pregnancies in
      the United States. Its clinical and hemodynamic findings are similar to
      idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy; however, peripartum cardiomyopathy shows a
      high incidence of myocarditis. Future studies will define the role of immune
      factors associated with the development of this disorder and will help in a
      better outcome for these patients.

PMID- 1861099
TI  - Pediatric sinusitis: diagnosis and management with endoscopic techniques.
AB  - Sinusitis in children has recently received more attention as a possible etiology
      in chronic or persistent cough, chronic nasal congestion, purulent rhinorrhea,
      and generalized malaise. Its association with upper respiratory infections and
      allergy is still sometimes overlooked, however, resulting in prolonged but often
      inadequate treatment for the young patient. An attempt to better define the
      anatomy and physiology of the paranasal sinuses, along with a discussion of
      etiologies and diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, will provide some useful
      information in the management of this problem.

PMID- 1861100
TI  - [Value of axillofemoral bypass in the elderly].
AB  - The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the merits of axillofemoral
      bypass in elderly patients. 69 axillofemoral grafts were laid from 1981 to 1985
      in 56 patients, all older than 70. They always were aimed at limb salvage due to
      aortoiliac obliterating lesions (the indications of sepsis of aorto-bifemoral
      prostheses have been excluded). 13 patients have had an axillo-bifemoral graft
      and 43 an unilateral axillofemoral graft. The lower anastomosis involved the
      common femoral artery in 30 cases, the deep femoral artery in 39. The patients
      were followed up for 1 to 74 months, with an average of 24 months. The operative
      mortality was of 10 cases (17%). During the first postoperative month, 3 major
      amputations were required. The cumulated survival rate at 60 months was of 18%,
      with the primary and secondary patency rates at 60 months being of 46% and 71%,
      respectively. We conclude that axillofemoral bypass is perfectly adapted to this
      population of elderly subjects, in whom a direct aortic approach is
      counterindicated.

PMID- 1861101
TI  - [The angiologist and angiology in Switzerland].

PMID- 1861102
TI  - [Sequelae of venous thrombosis. Incidence in of the post-thrombosis syndrome
      after 5 years].
AB  - The authors report on an epidemiological study carried out in Basle, Switzerland,
      which prospectively included 341 consecutive patients (226 men, 115 women, mean
      age 52 +/- 16 years) who had developed deep venous thrombosis evidenced by
      phlebography. The treatment of the acute phase most often consisted in
      thrombolysis, conventional heparin being reserved for the contra-indications of
      thrombolysis. A second phlebographic examination allowed dividing up the series
      into two groups, ie. positive and negative, according to the presence or absence
      of a complete or partial return of patency. Each group was subdivided according
      to the location and extension of the thrombosis. Both groups (positive vs.
      negative) are different as regards the location and extent of the thrombosis. The
      selective comparison of both groups according to the objective subdivision
      demonstrated: the absence of post-phlebitis disease in sural phlebitis; the same
      risk of post-phlebitis disease in thrombosis extending to 4 levels, whether
      patency was restored or not; lower incidence of post-phlebitis disease in the
      positive group for single -, two - or three-level phlebitis. Leg ulcers occur
      within an average of 5.5 +/- 2.1 years after the acute episode in 6.7% of all
      patients. Complete return of patency is obtained in 23% of cases only.

PMID- 1861103
TI  - [Ambulatory phlebectomy by the Muller method: technique, advantages, and
      disadvantages].
AB  - Phlebectomy according to Muller is a simple and efficient method. A very narrow
      incision (1 to 2 mm) makes it possible to grasp the varicose vein with a small
      hook and to extract it. Indications are numerous: varices of the trunk (without
      insufficiency of the great saphenous vein junction), perforating varices,
      reticular varices, nutrient veins of telangiectasias or of leg ulcers, unsightly
      veins (in the eyelids, arms, etc.). There are numerous advantages of phlebectomy
      according to Muller. In terms of ambulatory patients, it is a simple technique
      free of risks (especially thromboembolic ones) for surgical treatment of all
      types of varices. This technique is particularly economical (simple
      infrastructure, little loss of patient work time). Elective extirpation of
      varicose veins allows the healthy venous trunks to be conserved (reconstructive
      surgery) and scars are practically invisible. In terms of hospital practice, this
      technique has been adopted by numerous surgeons as a complement to resection of
      the sapheno-femoral junction and stripping, thus permitting reduction of scar
      size and extirpation of the narrowest varices. The drawbacks are minimal: the
      usual complications of any surgical technique and too easy accessibility to the
      poorly trained practitioner.

PMID- 1861104
TI  - [Characteristic contributions of the venous duplex exam].
AB  - The major advantage of non invasive duplex scanning is the ability to combine its
      imaging capability (information on the morphology) with the possibility to detect
      Doppler spectra (hemodynamic information) of the visualised segment. This new
      method, mainly used for the investigation of arterial diseases, is more and more
      applied in phlebology too. The technique is very reliable in the diagnosis of
      deep vein thrombosis and in the investigation of varicose veins and their
      junctions with the deep venous system. In these indications duplex scanning is
      likely to become a standard technique. The use of duplex in phlebology, however,
      should not be limited to these indications. In this paper the results of some
      special phlebologic duplex studies are presented: A) changes in the subclavian
      vein induced by pace maker electrodes; B) utility in the differential diagnosis
      of deep vein thrombosis; C) efficacy in the control of caval filter; D)
      measurements of physiologic venous hemodynamics and quantification of phlebologic
      drug effects.

PMID- 1861105
TI  - [Value of the plasma measurement of D-dimers in the diagnosis of venous
      thromboembolism].
AB  - Plasma measurement of D-dimers (DD), which are fibrin-specific degradation
      products, progressively replaces the cumbersome dosage of fibrinogen degradation
      products (FDP's) in serum for diagnosis and follow-up of consumption
      coagulopathies, for diagnosis of prethrombotic states and, potentially, for the
      control of the efficacy of antithrombotic therapies. Moreover, when the ELISA
      technique is used, this measurement may be very useful in the diagnosis approach
      of venous thromboembolic disease. In the present review, data are presented which
      strongly support the view that a low level of plasma D-dimers (less than 500
      micrograms/L when using the ELISA from Stago) allows to exclude the diagnosis of
      deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism with predictive values of 94 % and
      100 % respectively. It is suggested that such a diagnostic potential might be
      very useful in the group of patients with inconclusive perfusion-ventilation
      scintigraphy (low or indeterminate probability of pulmonary embolism) which
      represent about 50 % of the patients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

PMID- 1861106
TI  - Ambulatory care for ambulant patients with deep vein thrombosis.
AB  - A follow-up study is reported on 49 patients with acute deep vein thrombosis
      (DVT) treated on an ambulatory basis. Venography had shown crural DVT in 27 % and
      proximal extension in 73 %. The initial treatment consisted of heparin (7,500 U
      iv, 40,000 U sc), ethylbiscoumacetate (900 mg), phenprocoumon (9 mg), and a ready
      made compression stocking for the calf. The patients were advised to undertake
      frequent strolls, the first when leaving the office. Pain, swelling and
      incapacity for walking vanished within two days. The partial thromboplastintime
      was prolonged 2.4-times on the first day and the thromboplastintime was in the
      therapeutic range on the second day already. Until follow-up 4 patients died of
      other diseases. There was no clinical pulmonary embolism, no secondary
      hospitalisation and only one new DVT. Of 844 months of patients at risk of
      recurrence 50 % passed under anticoagulants and 70 % with compression therapy. At
      an average of 19 months, 82 % of patients were asymptomatic and 45 % showed mild
      chronic venous insufficiency. In contrast, impaired drainage function (by
      lightreflectionrheography) was found in 79 % overall and in 100 % after DVT of
      the proximal veins. The discrepancy is explained by the compliance with
      compression therapy.

PMID- 1861107
TI  - [Surgical treatment of varices at the stage of trophic disorders in chronic
      venous insufficiency].
AB  - Most ulcers of the lower limbs are caused by existing chronic venous
      insufficiency. Later on, true social and professional problems will arise, with
      serious economic and psychological consequences not only for the patient himself,
      but for the community as well, such as huge medical costs--hence the importance
      of prevention and treatment, which must in no case be purely symptomatic. The
      ligation of the arch and of the perforating veins and stripping of the affected
      vein are part of the classical management of varices. These procedures can may
      prove to be virtually impossible in case of chronic venous insufficiency, if the
      patient also presents with subcutaneous liposclerosis or atrophy in an already
      pregangrenous skin. This preulcerous stage can be aggravated later on if the
      requirements for surgical repair are not met. Necrosis can then occur, if too
      aggressive surgery directly or indirectly injures the microcirculatory system of
      the damaged skin. Omitted or undesirable acts are dangerous at the stage of
      trophic disorders and surgery may fail to reach its aim, which of course would be
      to definitively and quickly eliminate the varicose disease.

PMID- 1861108
TI  - [Pseudo-Kaposi syndromes of vascular origin].
AB  - Pseudo-Kaposi's Sarcoma with vascular disease concern mainly acroangiodermatitis
      described by Mali--(with chronic venous insufficiency)--, arteriovenous
      malformations with angiodermatitis described by Stewart and Bluefarb, and pseudo
      Kaposi's Sarcoma occurring after placement of arteriovenous shunt for
      hemodialysis. Search for relation ships between classical Kaposi's Sarcoma and
      new AIDS Kaposi's Sarcoma explains new interest devoted to Pseudo-Kaposi's
      Sarcoma.

PMID- 1861109
TI  - [Kaposi's sarcoma associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].
AB  - AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) accounts for 15-20% of cases of AIDS. Clinical
      presentation is similar to that of classical KS but with an overall more
      aggressive evolution and cutaneous dissimilation. There is no particular
      predilection for the lower limbs and frequent lesions are located on the face.
      Most of the cases have occurred in homosexual males with a moderate immune
      deficiency (mean CD.4 = 300/mm3). This predilection for gay people has not yet
      received explanation and the physiopathology of KS is unclear. Treatment of KS
      with interferon or chemotherapy (Bleomycin) is effective in 30-50% of cases.

PMID- 1861110
TI  - [Visceral involvement in Kaposi's sarcoma associated with the acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome].

PMID- 1861111
TI  - [Kaposi's syndrome following transplantation].
AB  - Kaposi's sarcoma has particularly been described after renal transplantation.
      More recently, a number of cases have been reported after hepatic or cardiac
      transplantation. The fostering factors are the same as for the other Kaposi's
      sarcomas, while the HIV1 or HIV2 serology is always negative. Renal
      transplantation may increase the natural risk of Kaposi's sarcoma by a factor of
      4 to 500. The immunodepressive treatment must be reduced in case of purely
      cutaneous Kaposi and interrupted in case of visceral involvement. Death generally
      occurs as a consequence of infections. Kaposi's sarcoma after heart
      transplantation has a poorer prognosis, with fatal evolution in the four cases
      observed out of the 967 cardiac transplantations performed in the Ile-de-France
      region from 1968 to 1990; the cause of death most often is graft rejection or an
      infection.

PMID- 1861112
TI  - [Necessity of reconciling the objectives of the treatment of varices and arterial
      surgery. Practical consequences].
AB  - It is unwise to treat patients with varicose veins without thinking about the
      possibility of atherosclerotic disease occurring later on. The various procedures
      of stripping, as well as cryosurgery and sclerosis injections in the saphenous
      veins destroy veins which are at present the best material for femoro-tibial,
      femoro-popliteal and coronary bypass. Every year, a great deal of limb salvages
      cannot be achieved because saphenous veins have been previously removed. As
      arterial disease occurs one or several decades after the venous complaint, every
      patient with varicose problems may be concerned. Further more, contrary to a
      frequent opinion, great saphenous veins of varicose patients are often suitable
      for arterial bypass. As Doppler combined to duplex scan allow to draw a precise
      map of the superficial venous channels with their endings, amount of flow back,
      and caliber of the saphenous veins, it is now possible to propose to most
      patients conservative procedures: ambulatory phlebectomy or sclerosis injections
      of peripheral veins in case of minor reflux, crossectomy or CHIVA (Ambulatory
      Hemodynamic Cure of Venous Insufficiency) in case of major reflux, or association
      of the various technics. Thus, destructing treatments of saphenous veins should
      be only proposed to patients whose veins are obviously unsuitable for arterial
      bypass.

PMID- 1861113
TI  - [Venous endoscopy].
AB  - The miniaturization of endoscopic equipment now allows exploring the superficial
      venous system and visualizing the endovein in situ and in vivo. This type of
      venous endoscopy is an ambulatory procedure, performed during a simple outpatient
      consultation of angiology, after which the patient is immediately discharged.
      Although this examination is invasive, non-physiological and expensive, it allows
      the video recording of the morphology, dynamics and kinetics of the values, of
      the endovein and of the liquid flows (blood, washing fluid and sclerosing
      products). The new examination has already enabled us to propose an functional
      classification of the parietal valves of the great saphenous vein. It makes an
      intraoperative three-dimensional mapping of the vessels possible, which is
      sometimes difficult in such particular anatomical regions as the popliteal fossa.
      It allows performing sclerosis with a visual control and following up the
      evolution of the immediate endoparietal lesions in situ.

PMID- 1861114
TI  - [Systemic scleroderma and thrombopenia. Demonstration of hepatic destruction of
      platelets].

PMID- 1861115
TI  - [Percutaneous peripheral atherectomy with the Simpson catheter. Long term
      results].

PMID- 1861116
TI  - [Treatment of deep venous thrombosis].

PMID- 1861117
TI  - AAMC rips OMB's proposed cuts in Medicare GME payments.

PMID- 1861118
TI  - Medicare claims processing slowdown delays pay.

PMID- 1861119
TI  - How are octogenarians supposed to behave?

PMID- 1861121
TI  - Running from the reaper: the key to longer life.

PMID- 1861120
TI  - Augusta's resourceful Resource Center on Aging.

PMID- 1861122
TI  - The Old Medical College: a living monument to history and medicine.

PMID- 1861123
TI  - A freshman legislator's perspective on political action.

PMID- 1861124
TI  - The model medical marriage.

PMID- 1861125
TI  - Medicaid's new prescription drug legislation: prudent purchasing and drug use
      review.

PMID- 1861126
TI  - Cooperating with business rivals? From ski facilities to hospital joint ventures.

PMID- 1861127
TI  - Drug-induced agranulocytosis: experience in two university hospitals.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: to describe demographic data, offending drugs, clinical
      features, hematological profiles, clinical course, general outcome, factors
      influencing fatal result and microbiological aspects DESIGN: Retrospective
      descriptive analysis SETTING: Two university hospitals PATIENTS: 28 patients with
      31 episodes of drug-induced agranulocytosis from Chulalongkorn Hospital (1976
      1988) and 24 patients with 25 episodes from Songklanagarind Hospital (1983-1989)
      RESULTS: Female exceeds male by ratio of 2.1:1, age ranged 15-73 years. The
      common drugs were antimicrobial agents, penicillins and sulfonamides; antithyroid
      drugs; antituberculous drugs and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
      unidentified in 16 per cent. About 61 per cent occurred more than 14 days after
      drug exposure. The key presentations revealed fever, prostration and sorethroat.
      Two marrow appearances were recognised: left-shifted granulopoiesis with few or
      no mature forms (type-I) in 66 per cent; and the other, selective reduction of
      granulocytic precursors (type-II). Penicillins, sulfonamides, antithyroid drugs
      and NSAIDs were all related to type-I. The leukocyte count, neutrophil and
      monocyte numbers were significantly higher in type-I, as well much more rapid
      recovery time (mean +/- SD, 4.4 +/- 1.5 vs 12.4 +/- 14.1 days, p = 0). The
      possible sites of infection were identified in 59 per cent, the major ones were
      oral cavity and GI tract. The organisms were isolated in 58 per cent from the
      primary sites and 25 per cent from hemocultures, of which Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      was the most common. The case fatality rate is 12.5 per cent. The dead victims
      had the higher age, and strongly association with type-II marrow appearance (p =
      0.038).

PMID- 1861128
TI  - B vitamins status: effect of prolonged heroin addiction and methadone treatment.
AB  - Vitamin B1, B2 and B6 status were determined in 90 male heroin addicts admitted
      to Pramongkutklao Army Hospital. Their age (Mean +/- S.D.) was 25.5 +/- 7.8
      years. Their activation coefficients of the enzyme transketolase, glutathione
      oxidoreductase and aspartate aminotransferase (ETK AC, EGR AC and EAST AC
      respectively) were significantly increased for addicts who were on drugs for a
      long time which indicated a biochemical deficiency. In addition, 26 follow-up
      cases treated with methadone for a period of one and two weeks were compared
      before and after treatment and it was found that ETK AC, EGR AC, and EAST AC were
      significantly decreased. This means that improvement in the vitamin B1, B2 and B6
      status was obtained during admission.

PMID- 1861129
TI  - Chromosome analysis of 894 patients.
AB  - Metaphase chromosome analysis from cultured blood lymphocytes was performed in
      894 consecutive patients from the year 1981 to early 1989. G-bands by trypsin
      using Giemsa (GTG) was routinely employed during the last five years supplemented
      with other banding techniques if required. High resolution chromosome banding was
      performed in cases suspected of structural chromosome abnormality. Successful
      studies were obtained in 862 (96.4%). Out of the successful cases, 232 (26.9%)
      had informative results, and 193 (22.4%) had chromosome abnormalities. Down's
      syndrome was found in 110 cases. Edwards' and Patau's syndromes were found in 4
      and 7 cases respectively. A case of trisomy 14 mosaic was found. There were 2
      cases of trisomy 22 syndrome, one case with 46,XX/47,XX,+mar(22) and another case
      with 46,XX/47,XX,+r(22) karyotype. There were 39 cases of sex chromosome
      abnormalities, 27 of which had Turner's syndrome. Kline-felter syndrome was found
      in 8 patients. Triple X syndrome and true hermaphrodite (46,XX/46,XY) was each
      found in one case. Autosomal deletions were found in 19 patients. Autosomal
      duplications were found in 4 patients, and autosomal translocations were found in
      10 patients. Some of these autosomal structural abnormal cases have been included
      in the chromosomal syndromes mentioned above.

PMID- 1861130
TI  - A comparison of passive haemagglutination test and immunofluorescent test for
      antibody to native deoxyribonucleic acid.
AB  - Antibody to double-stranded DNA is a specific marker for systemic lupus
      erythematosus. The recommended method for detection of this antibody is
      immunofluorescence. Haemagglutination was developed and the results of antibody
      detection were evaluated with those obtained by immunofluorescence. Human group O
      erythrocytes were treated with glutaraldehyde and coated with DNA from calf
      thymus. Testing in 169 active and inactive SLE sera, 59 sera were positive and 91
      sera were negative by both methods. Five sera were negative by haemagglutination
      but positive by immunofluorescence. Fourteen sera with low haemagglutination
      titer were negative by immunofluorescence. The correlation between the results
      obtained by both methods were highly significance with contingency coefficient of
      0.61 and correlation coefficient between the results of 78 sera positive by both
      or either method was 0.74 (p less than 0.001). Sixty-three sera from blood donors
      and seventy sera from pregnant women were negative by the two techniques. PHA is
      simpler, quicker and can be assayed in laboratories without the use of
      fluorescent microscope. It can be established as a very useful alternative test
      to immunofluorescence.

PMID- 1861131
TI  - Leukocyte and neutrophil counts in differential diagnosis of acute febrile
      conditions.
AB  - Leukocyte and neutrophil counts are two of the commonest laboratory tests used in
      clinical medicine. The usefulness of the tests is still controversial. It has
      been found that the tests were useful to a limited extent. We performed leukocyte
      and neutrophil counts in patients manifesting acute febrile illness, to identify
      the best cut-off point in differential diagnosis of underlying disorders causing
      such conditions. Patients were enrolled randomly on the basis of acute febrile
      illness. Those who suffered from diseases affecting myeloproliferative system
      were excluded. Leukocyte and neutrophil counts were performed by the standard
      method. Diagnosis of target organ disorder was obtained from the house staff's
      final diagnosis. Both laboratory and clinical performance were assessed in double
      blind fashion. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 47
      patients with acute bacterial infections and group 2 consisted of 53 cases with
      acute febrile conditions caused by diverse, non-bacterial disease. Various cut
      off points ranging from 5,000-25,000/mm3 and 10-100 per cent were used for
      leukocyte and neutrophil counts. Sensitivity, specificity and Youden index for
      each cut off point were determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
      curves were constructed. It was found that sensitivity and specificity for each
      cut off point for both leukocyte and neutrophil counts displayed perfect trade
      offs and the Youden indices were similar. The ROC curves for both counts were
      depicted as a 45-degree lines of non-discrimination. Leukocyte and neutrophil
      counts were proved to be non-discriminate of acute febrile conditions.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861132
TI  - Pap smear examinations in women with near-term pregnancy.
AB  - Between November 28, 1983 and August 20, 1985 the Pap smears of 263 pregnant
      women at Siriraj Hospital were examined. They ranged in age from 15 to 40 years,
      with the mean age being 24.2 +/- 4.9 years. Pre-term pregnancies (24-37 weeks,
      127 cases), at-term (38-42 weeks, 115 cases) and post-term (43-44 weeks, 21
      cases) had inflammation and/or infection in 26.8, 40.0 and 23.8 per cent of each
      period, respectively; however, hormonal evaluation could not be carried out no
      matter what the period of pregnancy. More than half (60.6%) of the women with pre
      term pregnancy determined by history showed a pre-term cell pattern, 10.2 per
      cent at-term and 2.4 per cent post-term. Forty-two point six per cent of the
      women with at-term pregnancy determined by history showed the at-term cell
      pattern, 13.0 per cent showed the post-term pattern and 4.4 per cent the pre-term
      pattern; and 28.6 per cent of the women with post-term pregnancy determined by
      history showed the cell post-term pattern, 38.1 per cent the at-term pattern and
      9.5 per cent the pre-term pattern.

PMID- 1861133
TI  - Causative organisms in puerperal infection.
AB  - Ninety-two postpartum women who had been admitted to Siriraj Hospital from April
      1, 1980 to March 1, 1983 were studied for the causative organisms of puerperal
      infection. Cervical and intrauterine swab & smear-gram stain as well as cultures
      were performed. Hemocultures were done in some cases. Only 50 per cent of all
      cases had positive cervical and intrauterine swab smears which showed different
      kinds of micro-organisms, 78 per cent were gram-positive cocci, gram-negative rod
      was found in 4 specimens, 2 specimens of gonococcal smears, one for trichomonads.
      Cervical and intrauterine swab cultures were positive in only 31.5 per cent. E.
      Coli was the most common and Staphylococci & Streptococci were the second most
      common.

PMID- 1861135
TI  - Intracranial primitive neuroectodermal tumors: experience of 7 cases with
      particular reference to survival.
AB  - A group of neoplasms consisting of undifferentiated neuroepithelial cells being
      capable of differentiating into either neuronal or glial line or both directions
      has been termed "Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNETs)". They have been shown
      to possess several similarities in clinical, radiological, and pathological
      features to the cerebellar medulloblastomas. The latter are well treated by
      surgical removal followed by radiotherapy. Therefore, we used the same regimen in
      treating 7 patients with intracranial PNETs and obtained an average survival of
      28.7 months which is longer than those of previous reports. The analysis of our
      patients disclosed an optimistic view that the ideal prognosis of PNETs should be
      better than this.

PMID- 1861134
TI  - Treatment of puerperal infection.
AB  - Ninety-two patients with puerperal infection admitted to Siriraj Hospital from
      April 1, 1980 to March 1, 1983 were studied. The treatment in this study was both
      medical and surgical, blood transfusion was given in some cases with low
      hematocrit level. The medical treatment alone was based on the causative
      organisms which were detected by cervical & intrauterine swab, smear & gram stain
      and cultures. PGS & Kanamycin were the most frequently used antibiotics which
      were intended to treat both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and
      adjunctive chloramphenicol for anaerobes. The surgical procedures which were
      performed in combination with medical treatment included total abdominal
      hysterectomy, uterine curettage, appendectomy and drainage of subdiaphragmatic
      abscess. The result of the treatment was satisfactory, 96.7 per cent improved
      after therapy with slight morbidity in some patients.

PMID- 1861136
TI  - Myotonia congenita, Klinefelter syndrome and primary hypoparathyroidism: the
      first report of the unusual combination of three rare diseases in the literature.
AB  - The first report of the rare combination of myotonia congenita, Klinefelter
      syndrome and primary hypoparathyroidism was reported. The patient was a 21-year
      old man who presented with stiffness of the muscles for 12 years and a history of
      generalised convulsion for 8 years. His school studies declined gradually and his
      secondary schooling was interrupted. Examination revealed a muscular young man
      with myotonic percussion over the muscles of the body as well as the myotonic lid
      lag. Chvostek's sign was positive and his serum calcium level was very low
      whereas the serum phosphate was high. Symmetrical and extensive calcification of
      the brain parenchyma was demonstrated in the CT scan. His secondary sexual
      characteristics were not well developed and his testes were very small.
      Chromosome study confirmed the diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome by the
      identification of 47 XXY chromosome. He was prescribed calcium replacement and
      the anticonvulsant was withheld with no more episodes of seizure.

PMID- 1861137
TI  - Primary cardiac embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: the first officially case reported of
      Thailand.
AB  - We reported the first case of a very rare tumor in Thailand, a case of cardiac
      Rhabdomyosarcoma. The first clinical presentation was cardiac tamponade.
      Echocardiogram, CT scan of the heart, autopsy and microscopic findings proved its
      origin.

PMID- 1861138
TI  - Recombinant human and rat ciliary neurotrophic factors.
AB  - The human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene was identified and cloned,
      based on homology with the recently cloned rat cDNA. The gene encodes a protein
      of 200 amino acids, which shares about 80% sequence identity with rat and rabbit
      CNTF and, like these homologues, lacks an apparent secretion signal sequence. The
      human CNTF gene, like the rat gene, appears to contain a single intron separating
      two protein coding exons. An intronless human CNTF gene was constructed by the
      use of polymerase chain reactions and introduced into vectors designed for
      expression of foreign proteins in E. coli. The rat CNTF gene was also introduced
      into similar vectors. Both the human and rat proteins were expressed at
      exceptionally high levels, at 20-40% and 60-70% of total protein, respectively.
      Extraction of the recombinant proteins from inclusion bodies by guanidinium
      chloride, followed by two column chromatography steps, produced high yields of
      pure CNTF that supported survival and neurite outgrowth from embryonic chick
      ciliary neurons in culture. The biological activity of both recombinant proteins
      was comparable to that of native rat CNTF.

PMID- 1861139
TI  - Characterization of delta-sleep-inducing peptide-evoked release of Met-enkephalin
      from brain synaptosomes in rats.
AB  - Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) stimulates the release of Met-enkephalin (Met
      ENK) from superfused slices of the rodent lower brainstem in vitro. In our
      present study, DSIP (10(-10)-10(-9) M) induced a significant release of Met-ENK
      from medullary synaptosomes of rats. This DSIP-evoked release of Met-ENK was Ca2+
      dependent and tetrodotoxin (TTX) insensitive. Furthermore, DSIP (10(-11)-10(-9)
      M) significantly increased 45Ca2+ uptake in medullary synaptosomes. These results
      demonstrate that DSIP acts directly on the nerve endings of Met-ENK-containing
      neurons to release this pentapeptide by generating a Ca2+ influx into these
      neurons. Effects of DSIP on Met-ENK release in other discrete brain regions were
      also studied. Significant DSIP-evoked Met-ENK release from synaptosomes was
      observed in the cortex, hypothalamus, and midbrain (at concentrations of 10(-10)
      and 10(-9) M) and in the hippocampus and thalamus (only at 10(-9) M), but not in
      the striatum. In the hypothalamus, the release of Leu-enkephalin from its
      synaptosomes was slightly, but not significantly, enhanced by DSIP (10(-10)-10(
      8) M). Our findings demonstrate that DSIP triggered a Ca2+ influx in nerve
      endings to induce a subsequent release of Met-ENK from neurons in only certain
      brain regions.

PMID- 1861140
TI  - Splicing pattern of Gs alpha mRNA in human and rat brain.
AB  - Gs alpha, the GTP-binding protein that mediates receptor stimulation of adenylyl
      cyclase, exists in small (Gs alpha-S) and large (Gs alpha-L) molecular forms.
      Previous work has established that these Gs alpha isoforms are products of
      alternatively spliced Gs alpha pre-mRNA. The present work examined the splicing
      pattern of Gs alpha mRNA in rat and human brain using a method based upon the
      polymerase chain reaction. In rat brain, transcripts encoding Gs alpha-L were
      most abundant and constituted 92% of total Gs alpha mRNA in hippocampus and
      cerebral cortex and 84% in striatum. Compared to rat brain, the relative
      abundance of Gs alpha-L mRNA was less in human brain and constituted 84% of total
      Gs alpha mRNA in hippocampus and cortex and 66% in striatum. In addition, it was
      found that approximately 40% of the Gs alpha-S mRNA utilizes an alternative
      splice site that encodes serine at amino acid 72. No regional variations in this
      splicing pattern were found.

PMID- 1861141
TI  - Binding of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins to ganglioside GT1b and derivatives
      thereof.
AB  - The ability of fragments derived from botulinum neurotoxin (BTx) serotype A to
      bind to GT1b-coated plastic wells was investigated and compared with the binding
      characteristics of the parent approximately 150-kDa protein. Although the
      approximately 50-kDa light chain of BTxA had a marginal binding capacity, the
      predominant adherence to GT1b-coated wells was exhibited by the approximately 50
      kDa carboxy-terminal half of the approximately 100-kDa heavy chain of BTxA; the
      amino-terminal half of the heavy chain lacked the ability to bind. Binding to
      GT1b by BTxA and its fragments was compared with that of tetanus neurotoxin (TTx)
      and the carboxy-terminal half of its heavy chain. Binding of BTxA and the C
      terminal half of the heavy chain was optimal in buffers of low ionic strength (mu
      less than or equal to 0.04 and 0.06, respectively), whereas the heavy chain bound
      GT1b best at mu greater than or equal to 0.10. TTx and the approximately 50-kDa C
      terminal half of its approximately 100-kDa heavy chain bound GT1b at ionic
      strengths similar to those of BTxA. Comparison of the binding of BTx serotypes A,
      B, and E to GT1b (using conditions that were found to be optimal for binding by
      BTxA) indicated differences in the interaction of the three serotypes with GT1b.
      Compared with BTxA, adherence to GT1b by serotypes B and E was reduced by
      approximately 60 and approximately 90%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1861142
TI  - Biological and immunological properties of recombinant human, rat, and chicken
      nerve growth factors: a comparative study.
AB  - Biological and immunological properties of recombinant human, rat, and chicken
      nerve growth factors (NGFs) were studied and compared. Recombinant NGF proteins
      were produced in a transient expression system using COS cells and levels of
      secreted NGF protein were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis of conditioned media from in vivo [35S]cysteine-labeled cell
      cultures. Antigenic differences among the three NGFs were studied by
      immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation of secreted cell products using a rabbit
      polyclonal antiserum against purified mouse NGF, and by a two-site enzyme
      immunoassay (EIA) with a monoclonal antibody against mouse NGF. Although all
      three NGFs were recognized equally well in the immunoblotting, only one-third of
      the chicken NGF protein could be detected by immunoprecipitation or by the EIA as
      compared to the rat and human NGFs. Thus, changes in the three-dimensional
      structure of the NGF molecule are most likely responsible for the antigenic
      differences between avian and mammalian NGFs. The three NGF proteins were also
      compared in their ability to displace 125I-mouse NGF from low-affinity NGF
      receptors on rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Similar displacement curves and
      values were obtained for each NGF protein, indicating that structural differences
      among these molecules do not affect low-affinity binding to NGF receptors.
      Biological activities were studied by the ability of the conditioned media to
      promote neurite outgrowth from explants of E9 chick sympathetic ganglia and from
      PC12 cells. Although the rat system showed a slight preference for the homologous
      molecule, the morphological changes, dose-response curves, and maximal
      stimulation values obtained with the different NGFs were practically
      indistinguishable in the chicken bioassay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861144
TI  - Physicochemical characterization of recombinant human nerve growth factor
      produced in insect cells with a baculovirus vector.
AB  - Recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF) secreted by insect cells was
      purified by ion-exchange and reversed-phase chromatography to near homogeneity.
      The N-terminus of the secreted molecule was analogous to that of mouse salivary
      gland NGF. In its native conformation, the insect cell produced rhNGF molecules
      were homodimers consisting of 120 amino acid polypeptide chains. Mature rhNGF was
      found not to be significantly glycosylated (less than 0.08 mol of N
      acetylglucosamine/mol of protein). The rhNGF was homogeneous with regard to
      molecular weight and amino acid sequence. Isoelectric focusing resolved the rhNGF
      into one major and one minor component. Because rhNGF from insect cells can be
      obtained in large quantities, purified to near homogeneity, and is similar to
      natural NGF with regard to physicochemical properties and biological activity, it
      is suitable for further evaluation in animal models as a therapeutic molecule for
      neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1861143
TI  - Depolarization and agonist-stimulated changes in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and
      inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate mass accumulation in rat cerebral cortex.
AB  - Muscarinic receptor stimulation or depolarization with elevated extracellular K+
      induced rapid and sustained increases in mass accumulations of myo-inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3] and myo-inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate
      [Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] in cerebral cortex slices. Synergistic but transient responses
      of both inositol polyphosphate second messengers were observed when slices were
      stimulated with carbachol under depolarizing conditions; this synergy was
      observed as an increase in the maximal responsiveness, with no significant change
      in EC50 values for carbachol. Omission of buffer Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e 10-20 microM)
      reduced basal Ins(1,4,5)P3 and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 concentrations; the relative
      stimulatory effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation were maintained, but the
      effects of depolarization were markedly attenuated under these conditions. A
      component of the response to depolarization appeared to be indirectly mediated by
      the release of acetylcholine, because the K(+)-evoked increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4
      was enhanced by the cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine, and was partially
      attenuated by atropine. An additive suppression by nitrendipine suggests that
      entry of Ca2+ through L-type Ca2+ channels may serve to accelerate
      phosphorylation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 by 3-kinase. Norepinephrine did not significantly
      increase Ins(1,4,5)P3 or Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 accumulation; however, in the presence of
      depolarizing K+, norepinephrine caused a dramatic increase in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 mass
      accumulation. In contrast, the excitatory amino acid quisqualate caused
      significant increases in the mass accumulations of both inositol polyphosphates
      measured, with no further increase being observed under depolarizing conditions.
      The results are discussed with respect to the interactive effects of agonist and
      depolarization stimuli on inositol polyphosphate accumulation which might more
      accurately reflect the conditions pertaining in vivo.

PMID- 1861145
TI  - Urinary but not brain isatin levels are reduced in germ-free rats.
AB  - Germ-free rats excreted considerably smaller amounts of the monoamine oxidase
      inhibiting compound isatin than the substantially larger output by conventional
      animals of the same strain, although concentrations in brain and other tissues
      were similar in the two groups. Thus, isatin is likely to be elaborated both
      endogenously in rat tissues and "exogenously" by flora inhabiting the lumen of
      the alimentary tract.

PMID- 1861146
TI  - Evidence for nonrandom distribution of GD1a ganglioside in rabbit brain
      microsomal membranes.
AB  - GD1a is the major ganglioside of rabbit brain microsomal membranes and occurs
      mainly with two molecular species, containing the C18:1 (62.3%) and C20:1 (37.7%)
      long-chain bases. The membranes were exposed to Vibrio cholerae (VC) sialidase
      under conditions where the enzyme hydrolyzed only GD1a (approximately 9%),
      producing GM1 ganglioside, whereas the other gangliosides remained virtually
      unaffected. The long-chain-base analysis showed that newly-formed GM1 contained
      approximately 68% of the C20:1 molecular species. This indicates that VC
      sialidase did not randomly affect the two molecular species of GD1a but
      hydrolyzed preferentially the C20:1 one. In similar experiments, GD1a was
      inserted into the external layer of phosphatidylcholine vesicles and incubated
      with VC sialidase under conditions producing approximately 10% hydrolysis. Long
      chain-base analysis showed that the proportion of C20:1 species in GM1 was 25.1%
      using vesicles composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and 42.3% with egg
      phosphatidylcholine, whereas it was 39.2% in the starting GD1a. Therefore, in
      artificial membranes, VC sialidase acted preferentially on the C18:1 or C20:1
      molecular species, depending on the length and unsaturation of the phospholipid
      fatty acids. Because VC sialidase is known to affect molecular dispersions more
      easily than packed aggregations of the gangliosidic substrate, the data suggest
      that in rabbit brain microsomal membranes the GD1a ganglioside molecular species
      carrying C20:1 long-chain base are more molecularly dispersed than those
      containing C18:1 long-chain base.

PMID- 1861147
TI  - Influence of bradykinin on diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid accumulation in
      cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells.
AB  - Earlier studies have shown that bradykinin stimulated release of catecholamines
      from chromaffin cells by an influx of calcium through dihydropyridine-insensitive
      channels, and also that bradykinin stimulated (poly)phosphoinositide hydrolysis.
      To investigate membrane-bound second messengers in chromaffin cells, and to
      elucidate any role these may play in stimulus-secretion coupling, we have studied
      the influence of bradykinin on diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid (PA). Using
      equilibrium labelling of primary cultures of chromaffin cells with
      [3H]arachidonic acid or [3H]glycerol, we found no influence of bradykinin (10 nM)
      on labelled diacylglycerol formation, either in the presence or absence of
      inhibitors of diacylglycerol lipase or kinase. However, when we used cells
      prelabelled with 32Pi for 2.5 h, we found that bradykinin produced a substantial
      stimulation of label found in PA, with an EC50 value of about 1 nM. This
      bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA formation was only partially dependent on
      extracellular calcium, in contrast to the smaller response to nicotine, which was
      completely dependent on extracellular calcium. Short (10 min) pretreatment with
      tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) almost completely eliminated the bradykinin
      stimulated formation of inositol phosphates, but failed to affect bradykinin
      stimulation of label in PA, suggesting that PA production in response to
      bradykinin is not downstream of phospholipase C activation. TPA alone failed to
      stimulate [32P]PA substantially, whereas long-term (24 or 48 h) treatment with
      TPA failed to attenuate the response to bradykinin. Diacylglycerol kinase
      inhibitors were also without effect on the bradykinin stimulation of [32P]PA.
      These results suggest that bradykinin stimulates PA production by a mechanism
      independent of the activation of protein kinase C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1861148
TI  - Phosphatidic acid accumulation and catecholamine release in adrenal chromaffin
      cells: stimulation by high potassium and by nicotine, and effect of a
      diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor R 59 022.
AB  - Using primary cultures of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells labelled with 32Pi, we
      show that stimulation with bradykinin, nicotine, or a depolarising concentration
      of potassium stimulates the accumulation of [32P]phosphatidic acid. The effects
      of nicotine and potassium are smaller than the effect of bradykinin, and are
      dependent entirely on extracellular calcium. The diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor
      R 59 022 attenuates the formation of phosphatidic acid by nicotine and
      depolarising concentrations of potassium. This inhibitor also blocks the nicotine
      and potassium stimulation of noradrenaline release from chromaffin cells. Using
      45Ca2+ influx studies, we show that the nicotine-evoked calcium influx is also
      attenuated by R 59 022. These observations contrast with those in another report
      in which we showed that bradykinin stimulation of either [32P]phosphatidic acid
      accumulation or noradrenaline release is not affected by R 59 022. It is likely
      that the calcium influx produced by nicotine and depolarising potassium is
      blocked by R 59 022 by a mechanism that is independent of its ability to block
      diacylglycerol kinase. The nicotine- and potassium-stimulated [32P]phosphatidic
      acid accumulation is a consequence of this calcium influx and presumably reflects
      calcium activation of either phospholipase C or phospholipase D.

PMID- 1861149
TI  - The posttranslational processing of beta-endorphin in human hypothalamus.
AB  - beta-Endorphin is posttranslationally processed to six derivatives, which,
      although structurally similar, produce distinctly different biological effects.
      beta-Endorphin 1-31 is a potent opioid receptor agonist, but beta-endorphin 1-27
      exhibits antagonist properties, and beta-endorphin 1-26 and the alpha-N-acetyl
      derivatives of all three peptides lack opioid receptor activity. In the present
      study, we identified the beta-endorphin peptides synthesized in human
      hypothalamus using cation exchange HPLC. First, we tested whether postmortem
      changes occur by storing rat hypothalami at 4 degrees C. This demonstrated that
      relative amounts of the six beta-endorphin forms did not change for up to 24 h,
      although total beta-endorphin immunoreactivity significantly declined after 6 h.
      HPLC analysis of human hypothalami revealed that beta-endorphin 1-31 was the
      principal form, constituting 58.4 +/- 5.4% of total immunoreactivity. Substantial
      amounts of beta-endorphin 1-27 (13.4 +/- 1.2%) and beta-endorphin 1-26 (13.1 +/-
      1.6%) were also present, but alpha-N-acetylated forms were quantitatively minor,
      each comprising approximately 5% of total beta-endorphin. A similar processing
      pattern occurred in preoptic and suprachiasmatic areas of the hypothalamus. These
      results show that, despite differences in primary sequence, beta-endorphin is
      processed similarly in both rat and human hypothalamus. Opiate-active beta
      endorphin 1-31 is the principal form in both species.

PMID- 1861150
TI  - Characterization and partial purification of AIM: a plasma protein that induces
      rat cerebral type 2 astroglia from bipotential glial progenitors.
AB  - Studies on glial cultures have demonstrated that fetal bovine serum contains a
      factor that induces bipotential glial precursors known as oligodendrocyte-type 2
      astrocyte (O-2A) progenitors to become type 2 astroglia rather than
      oligodendroglia. The goal of this research project was to characterize and purify
      this factor, which we refer to as the astroglia-inducing molecule (AIM). Using
      cultures enriched in O-2A progenitors, we determined that AIM is present in human
      and bovine sera and that fetal bovine serum qualified as the best serum for
      purifying AIM. AIM is heat and trypsin labile and may be a plasma glycoprotein. A
      240-fold enriched AIM preparation was produced by applying an ammonium sulfate
      precipitate of fetal bovine serum to heparin and then lentil lectin-agarose,
      followed by gel filtration chromatography. In crude preparations, AIM activity
      migrated at 50 kDa by gel filtration. With enrichment, activity was seen at
      several molecular masses, all of which were approximate multiples of 50 kDa.
      Treatment with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride generated an AIM with a molecular mass
      between 12 and 18 kDa, a result suggesting that AIM aggregates. On a preparative
      isoelectric focusing gel, AIM activity most frequently migrated between pH values
      of 3 and 4; however, proteins with isoelectric points of greater than 9 or at 6
      also had activity in several experiments. These data suggest that either multiple
      AIMs exist or that a single AIM exists that associates with other proteins.
      Immunofluorescence for ganglioside GD3 and glial fibrillary acidic protein
      confirmed that AIM preparations induce type 2 astroglia from O-2A progenitors and
      suggests that AIM has little effect on type 1 astroglia. Because none of the
      known growth factors that have been tested to date mimics its effects. AIM may be
      a novel differentiation factor.

PMID- 1861151
TI  - The mouse dopamine D2A receptor gene: sequence homology with the rat and human
      genes and expression of alternative transcripts.
AB  - To understand the possible involvement of dopamine receptors in the pathogenesis
      of various neurological disorders, we have cloned and sequenced a dopamine D2A
      receptor gene from the mouse. A mouse genomic library was screened with probes
      derived from the published sequence of a rat D2A receptor cDNA. Using restriction
      endonuclease mapping, Southern blotting, and DNA sequencing, we have determined
      the cDNA sequence and genomic organization of the mouse D2A receptor gene. Unlike
      other guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors, but similar to its
      rat and human counterparts, the mouse D2A receptor gene has seven introns and
      spans at least 30 kb of genomic DNA. The mouse D2A sequence shows 99% amino acid
      homology with the rat and 95% amino acid homology with the human sequence. As
      would be predicted, sequence differences are significantly more frequent outside
      of the hypothesized transmembrane spanning domain regions of the protein. Using
      the polymerase chain reaction with primers made from neighboring exons, we have
      identified two alternatively spliced D2A transcripts in the mouse. However, in
      contrast to the other species studied, the mouse expresses primarily the mRNA
      representing the larger, 444-amino-acid form of the receptor. Mouse pituitary
      expresses only the mRNA of the 444-amino-acid form of the D2A receptor. Hence,
      the mouse may offer the best model to study the in vivo physiology of the long
      form of the D2A receptor.

PMID- 1861152
TI  - The differential role of protein kinase C isozymes in the rapid induction of
      neurofilament phosphorylation by nerve growth factor and phorbol esters in PC12
      cells.
AB  - We examined the short-term regulation of the phosphorylation of the mid-sized
      neurofilament subunit (NF-M) by kinases which were activated in rat
      pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells by nerve growth factor (NGF) and/or 12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). We found that NGF and TPA, alone or in
      combination, increased (a) the incorporation of [32P]Pi into NF-M and (b) the
      rate of conversion of NF-M from a poorly phosphorylated to a more highly
      phosphorylated form. This was not due to increased synthesis of NF-M, because NGF
      alone did not increase NF-M synthesis and TPA alone or TPA and NGF together
      inhibited the synthesis of NF-M. Further, an increase in calcium/phospholipid
      dependent kinase (PKC) activity resulting from the treatment of PC12 cells with
      NGF and TPA was observed concomitant with the increased phosphorylation of NF-M.
      This PKC activity was determined to be derived from the PKC alpha and PKC beta
      isozymes. Finally, when PC12 cells were rendered PKC-deficient by treatment with
      1 muM TPA for 24 h, NGF maintained the ability to induce an increase in NF-M
      phosphorylation, though not to the level attained in cells which were not PKC
      deficient. These data suggest that NGF with or without TPA stimulates NF-M
      phosphorylation as a result of a complex series of events which include PKC
      independent and PKC-dependent pathways.

PMID- 1861154
TI  - Comparative incorporation of proenkephalin-derived peptides, chromogranin A, and
      dopamine beta-hydroxylase into chromaffin vesicles.
AB  - The incorporation of enkephalin-containing peptides (ECPs) derived from
      proenkephalin into chromaffin vesicles was examined in primary cultures of
      adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Cells were pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine
      and chased for periods up to 24 h. Chromaffin vesicles in cell homogenates were
      then fractionated by density gradient centrifugation and the presence of [35S]Met
      enkephalin sequences in gradient fractions determined. 35S-ECPs were incorporated
      into particles suggestive of immature vesicles within 1-2 h after radiolabeling.
      Vesicle maturation, measured by co-equilibration of 35S-ECPs and total ECPs in
      the gradients, was complete within 9-12 h and was unaffected by treatments that
      increase proenkephalin synthesis. Incorporation of [35S]chromogranin A into
      chromaffin vesicles followed a similar time course, but 35S-labeled dopamine beta
      hydroxylase was much more slowly incorporated, possibly reflecting differences in
      incorporation of membrane and soluble components. In summary, the data
      demonstrate that ECPs are rapidly sequestered in immature chromaffin vesicles, a
      process unaltered by changing rates of proenkephalin synthesis.

PMID- 1861153
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor-induced proliferation of astrocytes from mature brain is
      associated with down-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein mRNA.
AB  - Previous results from this laboratory have shown that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
      is mitogenic for bovine astrocytes in chemically defined (CD) medium. The maximum
      mitogenic response was detected with 200 U/ml at 48 h. We have now extended these
      studies to assess the effect of TNF on message levels for the intermediate
      filament proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin. The
      results have shown that, whereas TNF had only a slight effect on vimentin mRNA,
      TNF induced a marked decrease to 4.3 +/- 2.0% of controls in GFAP mRNA which was
      both time and dose dependent. The lowest effective dose was 50 U/ml and the
      maximal effective dose was 200 U/ml. Kinetic analysis of this response
      demonstrated that a marked decrease in GFAP mRNA was present at 12 h and
      continued to decrease through 72 h. To determine the reversibility of the TNF
      effect, astrocyte cultures were exposed to 200 U/ml TNF for varying periods of
      time and then cultured in fresh CD medium. A 1-h pulse with TNF was sufficient to
      reduce GFAP mRNA levels when measured 24 h later. However, cultures incubated
      with 200 U/ml TNF for 48 h followed by incubation in CD medium without TNF for 7
      days showed that GFAP mRNA levels had returned to 60% of the control values.
      Nuclear runoff assays showed that the effect of TNF on GFAP mRNA was at the
      posttranscriptional level. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of
      astrocyte cytoskeletal proteins demonstrated that GFAP levels were reduced after
      a 5-day incubation with 200 U/ml TNF whereas protein levels of vimentin and actin
      were not significantly changed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861155
TI  - Processing of proenkephalin in adrenal chromaffin cells.
AB  - The processing of proenkephalin was studied using [35S]methionine pulse-chase
      techniques in primary cultures of bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells.
      Following radiolabeling, proenkephalin-derived peptides were extracted from the
      cells and separated by reverse-phase HPLC. Fractions containing proenkephalin
      fragments were digested with trypsin and carboxypeptidase B to liberate Met
      enkephalin sequences and subjected to a second HPLC step to demonstrate
      association of radiolabel with Met-enkephalin. Processing of proenkephalin is
      complete within 2 h of synthesis, suggesting completion at or soon after
      incorporation into storage vesicles. Pretreatment of the cells with nicotine,
      histamine, or vasoactive intestinal peptide to enhance the rate of proenkephalin
      synthesis failed to alter the time course of processing and had minimal effects
      on the distribution of products formed. Addition of tetrabenazine, an inhibitor
      of catecholamine uptake into chromaffin vesicles, during radiolabeling and a 6-h
      chase period caused enhanced proenkephalin processing. These results suggest that
      the full range of proenkephalin fragments normally found in the adrenal medulla
      (up to 23.3 kDa) represents final processing products of the tissue and that
      termination of processing may depend on the co-storage of catecholamines.

PMID- 1861157
TI  - Stereospecificity of high- and low-affinity transport of choline analogues into
      rat cortical synaptosomes.
AB  - The present experiments used methylcholines to examine the stereoselectivity of
      choline transport into rat synaptosomes. R(+)-alpha-methylcholine and S(+)-beta
      methylcholine were significantly better inhibitors of the high-affinity choline
      transport system than were their enantiomers. Although both enantiomers of alpha-
      and of beta-methylcholine inhibited [3H]choline transport, only R(+)-alpha
      methylcholine and S(+)-beta-methylcholine could be transported by the high
      affinity choline uptake mechanism. Therefore, we conclude that the chiral
      requirements for recognition of and for transport by the high-affinity
      transporter are clearly different. In addition to high-affinity choline
      transport, Na(+)-independent low-affinity transport was measured. This process
      transported R(+)-alpha-methylcholine, but not S(-)-alpha-methylcholine; however,
      it showed no stereoselectivity for the enantiomers of beta-methylcholine. Thus,
      high- and low-affinity choline transport mechanisms exhibit distinct differences
      in their substrate selectivities. We suggest that the stereoselective properties
      of choline transport might present a unique opportunity to study choline uptake
      and metabolism.

PMID- 1861159
TI  - Saturable transport of manganese(II) across the rat blood-brain barrier.
AB  - Unanesthetized adult male rats were infused intravenously with solutions
      containing 54Mn (II) and one of six concentrations of stable Mn(II). The infusion
      was timed to produce a near constant [Mn] in plasma for up to 20 min. Plasma was
      collected serially and on termination of the experiment, samples of CSF, eight
      brain regions, and choroid plexus (CP) were obtained. Influx of Mn (JMn) was
      calculated from uptake of 54Mn into tissues and CSF at two different times.
      Plasma [Mn] was varied 1,000-fold (0.076-78 nmol/ml). Over this plasma
      concentration range, JMn increased 123 times into CP, 18-120 times into brain,
      and 706 times into CSF. CP and brain JMn values fit saturation kinetics with Km
      (nmol/ml) equal to 15 for CP and 0.7-2.1 for brain, and Vmax (10(-2) nmol.g-1.s
      1) of 27 for CP and 0.025-0.054 for brain. Brain JMn except at cerebral cortex
      had a nonsaturable component. CSF JMn varied linearly with plasma [Mn]. These
      findings suggest that Mn transport into brain and CP is saturable, but transport
      into CSF is nonsaturable.

PMID- 1861158
TI  - Identification of serotonin receptors recognized by anti-idiotypic antibodies.
AB  - Anti-idiotypic antibodies were generated by immunizing rabbits with affinity
      purified antibodies to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT). Anti-5-HT activity
      was removed from the resulting antisera by chromatography through a 5-HT affinity
      column. The anti-idiotypic antibodies were demonstrated by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay to bind to affinity-purified whole anti-5-HT antibodies and
      their Fab fragments. Anti-idiotypic antibodies, purified by affinity
      chromatography on columns to which antibodies to 5-HT were coupled, competed with
      5-HT (covalently bound to protein) for the binding sites on anti-5-HT antibodies
      and serotonin binding protein. The anti-idiotypic antibodies antagonized the
      binding of [3H]5-HT to membranes isolated from the cerebral cortex, striatum, and
      raphe area more than to membranes from hippocampus or cerebellum. The anti
      idiotypic antibodies also blocked the binding of the 5-HT1B-selective ligand (-)
      [125I]iodocyanopindolol (in the presence of 30 microM isoproterenol) to cortical
      membranes. In contrast, anti-idiotypic antibodies failed to inhibit binding of
      the 5-HT1A-selective ligand 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-[3H]propylamino)-tetralin [( 3H]8
      OH-DPAT) to raphe area membranes or hippocampal membranes. These observations
      suggested that the anti-idiotypic antibodies may recognize some 5-HT receptor
      subtypes but not others. This hypothesis was tested by ascertaining the ability
      of anti-idiotypic antibodies to immunostain cells transfected in vitro with cDNA
      encoding the 5-HT1C or 5-HT2 receptor or with a genomic clone encoding the 5-HT1A
      receptor. Punctate sites of immunofluorescence were found on the surfaces of
      fibroblasts that expressed 5-HT1C and 5-HT2 receptors, but not on the surfaces of
      HeLa cells that expressed 5-HT1A receptors. Immunostaining of cells by the anti
      idiotypic antibodies was inhibited by appropriate pharmacological agents:
      immunostaining of cells expressing 5-HT1C receptors was blocked by mesulergine
      (but not ketanserin, 8-OH-DPAT, or spiperone), whereas that of cells expressing 5
      HT2 receptors was blocked by ketanserin or spiperone (but not mesulergine or 8-OH
      DPAT). The anti-idiotypic antibodies failed to inhibit the uptake of [3H]5-HT by
      serotonergic neurons. It is concluded that the anti-idiotypic antibodies
      generated with anti-5-HT serum recognize the 5-HT1B, 5-HT1C, and 5-HT2 receptor
      subtypes; however, neither 5-HT1A receptors nor 5-HT uptake sites appear to react
      with these antibodies.

PMID- 1861156
TI  - Determination of acetylcholine release in the striatum of anesthetized rats using
      in vivo microdialysis and a radioimmunoassay.
AB  - A vertical-type in vivo microdialysis probe and a sensitive, specific
      radioimmunoassay (RIA) were used to study the mechanism of acetylcholine (ACh)
      release in the striatum of anesthetized rats. Without the use of physostigmine, a
      cholinesterase inhibitor, our RIA could still detect the amount of ACh present in
      the perfusate (5.6 +/- 0.6 fmol/min, n = 16). Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) produced a
      significant decrease in the amount of ACh collected in the perfusate, suggesting
      that basal ACh determined under the present experimental conditions was related
      to cholinergic neural activity. Atropine (0.1-1 microM) applied topically via the
      dialysis probe did not affect the amount of ACh recovered in the perfusate in the
      absence of physostigmine. Addition of physostigmine (10 microM) to the perfusion
      fluid produced about a 100-fold increase in the amount of ACh collected. In the
      presence of physostigmine, topical administration of atropine and pirenzepine
      (0.01-1 microM) through a dialysis probe produced a further three- to fourfold
      increase in ACh output, whereas a slight increase was produced by AF-DX 116 at
      the highest concentration (1 microM). These results indicate that presynaptic
      modulation of ACh release in the striatum does not occur under basal conditions,
      and that presynaptic M1 muscarinic receptors are involved in the modulation of
      ACh release when the ACh concentration is raised under certain conditions.

PMID- 1861160
TI  - K-252b is a selective and nontoxic inhibitor of nerve growth factor action on
      cultured brain neurons.
AB  - K-252b is a kinase inhibitor structurally related to K-252a, which is known to
      abolish selectively the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on PC12 cells and
      PNS neurons. We tested whether K-252b, K-252a, and staurosporine, another related
      compound, are effective and selective inhibitors of NGF actions on CNS neurons.
      All three compounds, at appropriate concentrations, completely and selectively
      prevented the NGF-mediated activity increase of the cholinergic marker enzyme
      choline acetyltransferase in cultures of rat basal forebrain cells. The
      stimulatory effects of basic fibroblast growth factor and insulin on choline
      acetyltransferase in these cultures and on dopamine uptake in cultures of
      dissociated ventral mesencephalon were not affected. No signs of toxicity were
      observed in cultures treated with K-252b. In contrast, K-252a and staurosporine,
      at concentrations required to block the NGF actions on cholinergic cells, were
      cytotoxic and produced cell loss. In addition, K-252a, at higher concentrations
      and in the absence of growth factors, increased cell numbers. Our study suggests
      that K-252b is a selective and nontoxic inhibitor of NGF actions in the brain and
      may become a useful tool to study these actions in vivo.

PMID- 1861161
TI  - Kininogen and kinin in experimental spinal cord injury.
AB  - Activation of the kallikrein-kinin system has been implicated in the pathogenesis
      of vasogenic brain edema and posttraumatic vascular injury. We determined the
      levels of kininogen and kinin in an experimental spinal cord injury model in the
      rat. Kininogen content in traumatized cord segments increased in a time-dependent
      manner. Western blot analysis showed that the kininogen in traumatized cord
      comigrates with 68K low-molecular-weight kininogen or T-kininogen. Trypsin
      treatment of the kininogen in traumatized cord released both bradykinin and T
      kinin, which were separated by HPLC and quantified with a kinin radioimmunoassay.
      Endogenous kinin levels in the frozen spinal cord also increased up to 40-fold 2
      h after injury as compared with controls. The results demonstrate an increased
      accumulation of kininogen and its conversion to vasoactive kinins in experimental
      spinal cord injury.

PMID- 1861162
TI  - Nucleotide sequence and regulatory studies of VGF, a nervous system-specific mRNA
      that is rapidly and relatively selectively induced by nerve growth factor.
AB  - A nervous system-specific mRNA that is rapidly induced in PC12 cells to a greater
      extent by nerve growth factor (NGF) than by epidermal growth factor treatment has
      been cloned. The polypeptide deduced from the nucleic acid sequence of the
      NGF33.1 cDNA clone contains regions of amino acid sequence identity with that
      predicted by the cDNA clone VGF, and further analysis suggests that both NGF33.1
      and VGF cDNA clones very likely correspond to the same mRNA (VGF). In this report
      both the nucleic acid sequence that corresponds to VGF mRNA and the polypeptide
      predicted by the NGF33.1 cDNA clone are presented. Genomic Southern analysis and
      database comparison did not detect additional sequences with high homology to the
      VGF gene. Induction of VGF mRNA by depolarization and phorbol 12-myristate 13
      acetate treatment was greater than by serum stimulation or protein kinase A
      pathway activation. These studies suggest that VGF mRNA is induced to the
      greatest extent by NGF treatment and that VGF is one of the most rapidly
      regulated neuronal mRNAs identified in PC12 cells.

PMID- 1861163
TI  - Effects of hypoxia on the activity of the dopaminergic neuron system in the rat
      striatum as studied by in vivo brain microdialysis.
AB  - The purpose of the present study is to clarify the effects of hypoxia on the
      activity of the dopaminergic neurons in the brain and its mechanism of action.
      For this purpose, the effects of hypoxia on the extracellular levels of 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine) were examined in the rat striatum using in
      vivo brain microdialysis in the presence or absence of pretreatment with either
      tetrodotoxin (a blocker of voltage-dependent sodium channels) or nomifensine (a
      blocker of dopamine reuptake). Exposure to various degrees of hypoxia (15, 10,
      and 8% O2 in N2) increased dopamine levels in striatal dialysates to 200, 400,
      and 1,100%, respectively, of the control value. On reoxygenation, dopamine levels
      in the dialysates rapidly returned to the control level. Reexposure to hypoxia
      increased the dopamine levels to the same extent as during the first exposure.
      After addition of tetrodotoxin (40 microM) to the perfusion fluid or pretreatment
      with nomifensine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), exposure to hypoxia no longer increased the
      dopamine levels. These results suggest that although hypoxia induces an increase
      in the extracellular dopamine levels (hence, an apparent increase in the activity
      of the dopaminergic neurons), this increase is not the result of an increase in
      dopamine release itself, but rather the result of inhibition of the dopamine
      reuptake mechanism.

PMID- 1861164
TI  - Edward Garfield High (1919-1986).

PMID- 1861165
TI  - Obesity, a disorder of nutrient partitioning: the MONA LISA hypothesis.
AB  - The mechanisms underlying different types of obesity have been gradually
      clarified. Animal models with hypothalamic, genetic or dietary obesity have been
      examined with a feedback model. Four common final pathways are involved in this
      model. One of these final common pathways is the sympathetic nervous system. Most
      Obesities kNown Are Low In Sympathetic Activity states the MONA LISA Hypothesis.
      A second common pathway is the endocrine system involving adrenal
      glucocorticosteroids. The third common pathway is hyperphagia. Although not
      essential for most obesities, hyperphagia may be essential in animals with injury
      to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. The final pathway is reduced
      physical activity. The tonic activity of these systems and their response to
      changes in the diet affect nutrient partitioning between fat and protein. This
      framework has been used to review genetic obesity, hypothalamic obesity and
      dietary obesity.

PMID- 1861167
TI  - Dietary taurine content and feline reproduction and outcome.
AB  - The reproductive performance and the outcome of the kittens was determined for
      female cats fed 0, 0.01, 0.02 or 0.05% taurine. Reproductive performance and
      outcome in the 0.02% group was substantially better than in the 0 and 0.01%
      groups but not as good as in the 0.05% group. Kittens in the 0.05% group had
      higher body weights and brain weights at birth and at 8 wk after birth than did
      kittens in the other groups. The concentration of taurine in milk was much higher
      in females fed 0.05% taurine (approximately 1.9 mmol/L) compared with females fed
      0.02% taurine (approximately 0.55 mmol/L) or females fed 0 or 0.01% taurine
      (approximately 0.2 mmol/L). The concentration of taurine in tissues and fluids of
      adult females, newborn kittens and 8-wk-old kittens in the 0.05% group was
      significantly higher than in all other groups. In general, the concentration of
      taurine in tissues and fluids of the 0.02% group were not significantly different
      than in the 0 or 0.01% groups, with the exception of 8-wk-old kittens, in which
      several values, including retina and five brain regions, were significantly
      higher than in the 0 and 0.01% groups. These results indicate that the postnatal
      supply of taurine in the mother's milk had a greater impact than the intrauterine
      environment on the taurine concentration of the offspring in the 0.02% group;
      this amount of dietary taurine is still insufficient for a normal reproductive
      performance and resulted in significantly smaller taurine concentrations in
      adults and offspring.

PMID- 1861166
TI  - High dietary linoleic acid affects the fatty acid compositions of individual
      phospholipids from tissues of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): association with
      stress susceptibility and cardiac lesion.
AB  - For 16 wk Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) post-smolts were fed practical-type diets
      that contained either fish oil (FO) or sunflower oil (SO) as the lipid component.
      Both diets contained adequate (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). All the
      phospholipids of heart and liver from SO-fed fish had increased levels of 18:2(n
      6), 20:2(n-6) and 20:3(n-6); phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl
      ethanolamine (PE) also had increased 20:4(n-6). There was a general decrease in
      20:5(n-3) in the phospholipids, reflected in an increase in the 20:4(n-6)/20:5(n
      3) ratio, especially in PC and PE. The fatty acid compositions of phospholipids
      from brain and retina were much less affected by dietary linoleate than those of
      heart and liver. Fish fed SO developed severe heart lesions that caused thinning
      of the ventricular wall and muscle necrosis. The fish fed SO also were
      susceptible to a transportation-induced shock syndrome that caused 30% mortality.
      These results establish that a diet with a low (n-3)/(n-6) ratio can cause
      changes in fatty acid metabolism that are deleterious to the health of salmonid
      fish, especially when subjected to stress.

PMID- 1861168
TI  - Kinetics of rat peripheral nerve, forebrain and cerebellum alpha-tocopherol
      depletion: comparison with different organs.
AB  - Forty-two 60-d-old rats were fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for up to 8 wk and
      the kinetics of alpha-tocopherol depletion were measured in nervous tissue and
      various organs. In most tissues examined, including the sciatic nerve but not the
      cerebellum, the disappearance was biphasic, suggesting the existence of two pools
      of vitamin E. In forebrain the disappearance was poorly biphasic. After an 8-wk
      period of vitamin E deprivation, forebrain, cerebellum, sciatic nerve
      endoneurium, liver, heart, muscle, testes and serum vitamin E concentrations were
      51, 64, 65, 10, 20, 20, 40, and 19%, respectively, of initial values.

PMID- 1861169
TI  - Effect of dietary deficiency and supplementation with all-rac-alpha-tocopherol on
      hepatic content in rats.
AB  - We studied the effect of dietary deficiency and supplementation with vitamin E in
      the form of all-rac-alpha-tocopherol in relation to the content of alpha
      tocopherol in parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells. The cells were isolated
      by centrifugal elutriation from rats fed diets containing normal, low or high
      amounts of vitamin E. The parenchymal cells contained about 90% of total hepatic
      alpha-tocopherol content in rats fed a nonpurified diet (reference group).
      However, the Kupffer and the endothelial/stellate cells contained four and two
      times more alpha-tocopherol, respectively, than the parenchymal cells per
      milligram of cell protein. When the rats were deprived of vitamin E for 8 wk, the
      content of alpha-tocopherol in parenchymal cells was reduced to 30% of values
      obtained from rats fed the nonpurified diet, and nonparenchymal cells contained
      very low levels of alpha-tocopherol (less than 5% of reference values). A diet
      enriched in vitamin E resulted in a sixfold increase in the content of alpha
      tocopherol in parenchymal cells but in small changes in nonparenchymal cells
      compared to the reference diet. Accordingly, the parenchymal cells may have
      storage capacity for alpha-tocopherol. The light mitochondrial and microsomal
      fractions contained high amounts of alpha-tocopherol. These fractions were
      subdivided by density gradient centrifugation to examine the alpha-tocopherol
      content in different cell organelles. The lysosomes and the Golgi apparatus were
      found to contain high levels of alpha-tocopherol, whereas peroxisomes contained
      small amounts.

PMID- 1861170
TI  - Phenytoin treatment and folate supplementation affect folate concentrations and
      methylation capacity in rats.
AB  - Phenytoin (PHT) has long been known to cause folate depletion with chronic use.
      In animal models PHT has been shown to interfere with folate-dependent one-carbon
      metabolism. Folic acid supplementation in humans has been shown to restore blood
      levels of folates to normal, but the effects of folic acid supplementation on the
      PHT-induced effects on one-carbon metabolism have not been addressed. In the
      present study rats were treated for 8 wk with 1) PHT, 2) folic acid, 3) PHT plus
      folic acid or 4) vehicle (propylene glycol). Phenytoin treatment caused a
      decrease in weight gain over the 8 wk of treatment. This effect on weight gain
      was reversed by folic acid supplementation, but the decrease in brain folate
      concentration caused by PHT was not reversed by folic acid supplementation, which
      by itself apparently caused a decrease in brain folate concentration. Phenytoin
      treatment tended to increase methylation capacity (S-adenosylmethionine:S
      adenosylhomocysteine ratio) in the brain and decrease methylation capacity in the
      liver. Folate supplementation by itself increased methylation capacity in the
      liver but had no effect in the brain. Folic acid and PHT apparently had
      independent but opposite effects in the liver, leading to a normalization of
      methylation capacity. These data suggest that folic acid supplementation in PHT
      therapy may be effective in reversing the peripheral effects of chronic PHT
      treatment on one-carbon metabolism but not the central effects.

PMID- 1861171
TI  - Copper uptake and retention in liver parenchymal cells isolated from
      nutritionally copper-deficient rats.
AB  - Copper uptake and retention were studied in primary cultures of liver parenchymal
      cells isolated from copper-deficient rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a
      copper-deficient diet (less than 1 mg Cu/kg) for 10 wk. Copper-deficient rats
      were characterized by low copper concentrations in plasma and liver, anemia, low
      plasma ceruloplasmin oxidase activity and increased 64Cu whole-body retention.
      Freshly isolated liver parenchymal cells from copper-deficient rats showed a
      higher 64Cu influx, which was associated with a higher apparent Vmax of 45 +/- 4
      pmol Cu.mg protein-1.min-1 as compared with 30 +/- 3 pmol Cu.mg protein-1.min-1
      for cells isolated from copper-sufficient rats. No significant difference in the
      apparent Km (approximately 30 mumol/L) was observed. Relative 64Cu efflux from
      cells from copper-deficient rats was significantly smaller than the efflux from
      cells from copper-sufficient rats after prelabeling as determined by 2-h efflux
      experiments. Analysis of the medium after efflux from cells from copper-deficient
      rats showed elevated protein-associated 64Cu, suggesting a higher incorporation
      of radioactive copper during metalloprotein synthesis. Effects of copper
      deficiency persist in primary cultures of parenchymal cells derived from copper
      deficient rats, and short-term cultures of these cells offer a prospect for the
      study of cell biological aspects of the metabolic adaptation of the liver to
      copper deficiency.

PMID- 1861172
TI  - Partial sequence of human plasma glutathione peroxidase and immunologic
      identification of milk glutathione peroxidase as the plasma enzyme.
AB  - Plasma glutathione peroxidase (p-GSHPx) is a unique selenoglycoprotein. A hepatic
      cell line synthesizes both this extracellular form for secretion and the cellular
      form that remains within the cells. Because the two forms could be a result of
      post-translational modifications of a product of a single gene, we partially
      sequenced p-GSHPx. Purified p-GSHPx was trypsin digested, and three of the
      peptides were sequenced. Only one of the peptide sequences was partially
      homologous to a sequence found in human cellular glutathione peroxidase. Because
      p-GSHPx is a secreted enzyme, we determined whether GSHPx in milk (another
      extracellular fluid) is due to this form of the enzyme. Ninety percent of human
      milk GSHPx activity could be precipitated by anti-p-GSHPx-immunoglobulin G. Thus,
      most, if not all, GSHPx activity in milk is due to the plasma selenoprotein form
      of the enzyme. In milk of two North American women, 3.6% and 14.3% of selenium
      was associated with GSHPx.

PMID- 1861173
TI  - Contribution of sulfate and sulfoesters to total sulfur intake in infants fed
      human milk.
AB  - Colostrum (d 2-4) and mature human milk samples (d 23-30) collected from eight
      mothers giving birth at 31 +/- 7 wk of gestation were analyzed for total sulfur,
      free inorganic sulfate and acid labile sulfoesters. The data presented are
      representative of complete 24-h expressions. Total sulfur was measured using a
      wet digestion procedure in which all forms of sulfur were converted to inorganic
      sulfate. The sulfate was quantified by a radiometric barium precipitation assay.
      Total sulfur showed no marked diurnal variation, but the mean concentration in 19
      colostrum samples (10.2 +/- 4.2 mmol/L) was significantly higher than in 14
      mature milk samples (4.3 +/- 0.8 mmol/L) (P less than 0.001). The range of
      predicted 24-h intakes of sulfur by infants fed colostrum (0.78-3.22 mmol/kg body
      weight) was slightly higher than those fed mature milk (0.54-1.06 mmol/kg), but
      it was not significantly different. The combined fractions of free inorganic
      sulfate and acid-labile sulfoester fractions contribute less than 5% to the total
      sulfur content of either colostrum or mature milk. However, the physiological
      significance of these milk components remains to be determined.

PMID- 1861174
TI  - Hepatic denervation alters the disposition of an enteral glucose load in
      conscious dogs.
AB  - The aim of this study was to establish the role of nerves to the liver in the
      disposal of an enteral glucose load. Dogs underwent a laparotomy during which the
      nerves to the liver were either left intact (C; n = 10) or removed (DN; n = 10).
      Absence of measurable liver norepinephrine was used to indicate completeness of
      denervation. Four weeks following surgery, 18-h fasted conscious dogs were given
      a glucose load (0.7 g/kg body weight) by gavage, and arterial blood samples were
      drawn over a 180-min period. The glucose and insulin excursions from baseline
      (incremental area) were 29% and 22% greater (P greater than 0.05) in DN than in
      C, respectively. Resting blood lactate levels were similar between groups, but
      they increased significantly more (P less than 0.05) following the administration
      of the glucose load in DN (peak change from resting level was 376 +/- 90 mumol/L
      in C and 728 +/- 81 mumol/L in DN). No significant differences between groups in
      glucagon, glycerol or alanine concentration were evident either prior to or
      following glucose administration. These data demonstrate that hepatic nerves can
      influence the substrate and hormone environment following an enteral glucose
      load.

PMID- 1861176
TI  - Comments on some changes in plasma cholesterol and vitamin E when different fats
      are fed.

PMID- 1861175
TI  - Dietary arginine supplementation does not enhance lymphocyte proliferation or
      interleukin-2 production in young and aged rats.
AB  - Recent studies indicate that supplemental arginine may enhance in vitro
      lymphocyte mitogenesis. To determine whether dietary arginine could reverse age
      associated losses in immune functions, we fed purified amino acid diets to young
      (2-mo-old) and aged (24-mo-old) Fischer 344 rats. Rats receiving control (1.12%
      arginine) or supplemented (3% arginine) diets were pair fed to intakes of
      deficient (0% arginine) rats. Another group was fed the supplemented diet ad
      libitum. On d 15, responses of splenocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA),
      concanavalin A (Con A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were lower (P less than 0.01),
      but interleukin-2 (IL-2) production was higher (P less than 0.05) in aged rats
      than in young rats. At mitogen doses producing maximal stimulation, supplemental
      arginine did not enhance PHA-, Con A- or PWM-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation;
      PWM responses at sub-maximal doses were higher in pair-fed supplemented rats than
      in control or ad libitum supplemented rats (P less than 0.05). Arginine
      supplements did not increase thymus weights or IL-2 production above controls. In
      another experiment, weanling rats received control and supplemented diets in
      amounts equal to the intake of deficient rats for an average of 37 d. Splenocytes
      were cultured with mitogens at various arginine levels. No diet effect was
      observed. Mitogenesis was maximal when media arginine approximated normal plasma
      levels. Our results suggest that supplemental arginine has little effect on
      lymphocyte proliferation or IL-2 production in healthy young and aged rats.

PMID- 1861177
TI  - The inventive genius of an Oklahoma dentist.

PMID- 1861178
TI  - The emerging profile of dental manpower in Oklahoma. 2. Tulsa county.
AB  - This is the second report of a three part study. Part I focused upon the dental
      manpower profile of Oklahoma County between the years 1972-1989. Part II
      emphasizes the dental manpower profile of Tulsa County. Part III, will be
      inclusive of the dental manpower profile of all other Oklahoma counties. In all
      phases of the study, data has been assessed for general practitioners,
      specialists, full-time general practice dental faculty, full-time specialist
      dental faculty, and public health dentists. The demographic data analyzed in Part
      I, revealed an increasing average of the dentists from 45.33 years of age in 1972
      advancing to 48.83 years of age in 1989 for Oklahoma County. The data presented
      in Part II documents that in Tulsa County there was an increase in age from 45.68
      in 1972 to 50.60 in 1989. Trends in location of dental school education,
      demonstrated that the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry is currently
      the primary resource for the dental manpower pool in Tulsa and Oklahoma Counties.
      Changes in the dental manpower pool indicate a downward turn in the percentage of
      dentists choosing to locate in either Tulsa or Oklahoma County.

PMID- 1861179
TI  - Effects of pin head configuration on the strength of a palladium-enriched high
      copper dental amalgam.

PMID- 1861180
TI  - National Practitioner Data Bank: good idea ... bad result.

PMID- 1861181
TI  - Dysphagia and the elderly: an emerging challenge for dentistry.

PMID- 1861182
TI  - Surviving hard times in your practice.

PMID- 1861183
TI  - Generalist and specialist: the referral process.

PMID- 1861184
TI  - Insurance management.

PMID- 1861185
TI  - The effect of concomitant chondral injuries accompanying operatively reduced
      malleolar fractures.
AB  - The best clinical results in the treatment of malleolar fractures occur when an
      anatomic reduction is obtained and maintained until the fractures are healed.
      Ankle pain and/or tibio-talar arthrosis has been reported despite anatomic
      surgical reduction and stable fixation of the malleoli. This may be due to
      unrecognized injuries to the cartilaginous surfaces of the tibio-talar joint.
      Between 1984 and 1987, 63 patients with isolated closed malleolar fractures
      underwent open reduction and internal fixation using standard AO techniques. Each
      patient had inspection of the entire talar dome during surgery. There were seven
      type A, 37 type B, and 19 type C fractures. Thirty-one patients (49%) had
      injuries to the talar dome cartilage, ranging from mild scuffing to free
      osteochondral fragments. Twenty-five patients were available for a follow-up
      evaluation at an average of 25 months after surgery. Thirteen patients had some
      complaints of pain, eight of whom had talar dome chondral injuries. The overall
      results, including functional status and ankle range of motion, were
      significantly poorer in patients with talar dome chondral injuries (p less than
      or equal to 0.03 and p less than or equal to 0.042, respectively).

PMID- 1861186
TI  - Proximal humeral osteotomy to correct the anatomy in patients with recurrent
      shoulder dislocations.
AB  - Surgical treatment of patients with traumatic shoulder dislocations is usually
      successful, but soft-tissue surgery in patients with nontraumatic shoulder
      dislocation often fails to stabilize the joint. Previous studies have shown that
      decreased humeral head retroversion might be one cause of anterior shoulder
      instability. Eleven patients with anterior recurrent dislocations, five traumatic
      and six nontraumatic, and all with a small humeral head retroversion angle, have
      been operated on using a proximal humerus osteotomy to correct the abnormal
      anatomy. After surgery, the humeral head retroversion was normalized to a mean
      angle of 34 degrees. All shoulders became stable. External rotation increased 7
      degrees on the average, and internal rotation decreased 10 degrees on the
      average. One year after surgery, shoulder function was excellent in all operated
      shoulders.

PMID- 1861187
TI  - Compartment syndrome after low-velocity gunshot wounds to the forearm.
AB  - Between 1980 and 1988, 127 patients with 131 low-velocity gunshot wounds to the
      forearm were treated. In 71 extremities there was no bony injury; 60 extremities
      sustained fractures. The diagnosis of a compartment syndrome was based on tissue
      pressure measurements and/or clinical examination. A univariate analysis followed
      by a multivariate stepwise logistic regression was used to evaluate potential
      risk factors including fracture location, displacement, comminution, and the
      quantity of radiographically determined metallic foreign bodies in the wound. A
      compartment syndrome was diagnosed in 13 of the extremities (10%). Fracture
      location was the only significant risk factor for the development of a
      compartment syndrome. Low-velocity gunshot injuries to the forearm are at
      definite risk for the occurrence of a compartment syndrome. A high index of
      suspicion is necessary to prevent untoward sequelae. Patients with this injury,
      especially those with a proximal one-third fracture who constitute an extremely
      high-risk group, should be monitored closely.

PMID- 1861188
TI  - Mechanical and biological effects of plate luting.
AB  - Plate luting, a technique that uses polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) interposed
      between the plate and the bone, as well as between the screw heads and the plate,
      to improve the stability of internal fixation was tested in vitro using 20 paired
      equine third metacarpal bones with mid-diaphyseal osteotomies plated with six
      hole broad ASIF compression plates. One of each pair was luted and all specimens
      were tested in static overload or cyclic loading at 75% of the ultimate breaking
      strength using four-point bending. Although no differences were measured in
      static overload tests between luted and nonluted plates, a three to 12-fold
      increase in the number of cycles to failure was noted with the luted specimens.
      In vivo studies of the biological reaction to plate luting were performed in
      seven horses using identical plates fixed to the intact radius. One side was
      luted while the opposite side was plated without luting. The horses were killed
      at 1, 2, 6, and 15 months after surgery. Quantitative histomorphometry showed no
      increase in porosity under the luted plate when compared with the nonluted side.

PMID- 1861189
TI  - External minifixation for treatment of closed fractures of the metacarpal bones.
AB  - External minifixators were used in the treatment of 63 closed diaphyseal
      metacarpal bone fractures. A simple half-frame configuration was applied in all
      the cases. Open reduction was performed in 26%. The mean duration of external
      fixation was 30 days. There were no cases of nonunion. Anatomical reduction was
      obtained in 86.6% of the cases. There were no cases of reflex sympathetic
      dystrophy. The general functional results were very good or good in 96.6%. Open
      reduction did not significantly alter the final results. External minifixation is
      usually accepted as a treatment of open metacarpal fractures. Because of the
      excellent results obtained in our series, we believe that the indications of
      external minifixation could be enlarged to closed metacarpal bone fractures.

PMID- 1861190
TI  - Flexion distraction and chance injuries to the thoracolumbar spine.
AB  - Seat belt legislation has resulted in increased restraint use by passengers in
      automobiles in Washington State. At Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, we have
      observed an increased incidence of seat belt-related injuries. Twenty cases of
      Chance-type thoracolumbar flexion-distraction fractures were reviewed
      retrospectively. Thirteen patients (65%) had associated life-threatening intra
      abdominal trauma. Twelve of these patients had bowel wall injury. Ninety percent
      of the children had combined abdominal and spinal injury. Operative treatment of
      the spinal injury resulted in correction of lumbar kyphosis and lower incidence
      of back pain than nonoperatively managed cases. We recommend careful physical and
      radiographic examination of all patients with significant abrasion or bruising
      about the pelvis or abdomen related to seat belts. Victims of automobile crashes
      who are treated for bowel injury require thoracolumbar radiographs. Similarly,
      patients with Chance-type fractures should undergo diagnostic peritoneal lavage
      or computerized abdominal tomography.

PMID- 1861191
TI  - Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in the surgical management of acute
      acetabular fractures.
AB  - Fifty patients undergoing acute acetabular fracture surgery had intraoperative
      somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring. Group II, the final 38
      patients, in addition had independent neurological evaluation preoperatively and
      postoperatively. Thirteen of 50 patients (26%) had preoperative sciatic nerve
      involvement. Fourteen of 50 patients (28%) developed significant intraoperative
      SSEP changes (decreased amplitude, increased latency). When the nerve was
      involved preoperatively (high-risk group), changes in SSEP occurred in 60% of
      patients. Iatrogenic sciatic/peroneal neuropraxia occurred in only one patient in
      the series (2%), and this resolved within 4 months. These results compare
      favorably to the incidence of 5-18% reported in the literature. We conclude SSEP
      is feasible and should be used in the operative treatment of acetabular
      fractures, especially the posterior fracture patterns and for those in the high
      risk group.

PMID- 1861192
TI  - Posterior acetabular wall fractures: a technique for screw placement.
AB  - Screw placement at the posterior margin of the acetabulum during open reduction
      and internal fixation of posterior acetabular wall fractures must avoid
      intraarticular penetration of the hip joint. Analysis of the preoperative
      computed tomography (CT) scan, operative positioning of the patient in a secure
      reference plane, and placement of the screws in the coronal plane perpendicular
      to the long axis of the body will help avoid this surgical complication.

PMID- 1861193
TI  - Results of surgical repair versus splinting of experimentally transected muscle.
AB  - Complete muscle tears or transections can be treated by splinting or surgical
      repair. Although repair is often advocated in the young and athletic population,
      no well-controlled studies compare the results of splinting and surgical repair.
      I studied the effects of surgical repair versus splinting only of transected
      muscles in an experimental model. In group I (n = 14), a unilateral transection
      of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of the Sprague-Dawley rat was
      treated with splinting only. In group II (n = 14), the muscle was surgically
      repaired as well. Active and passive strength measurements at day 7 and 14 showed
      an earlier return of passive strength in group II at day 7. No statistically
      significant differences at day 14 were noted. In this model, earlier return of
      active and passive strength occurred in surgically repaired muscle disruption as
      compared with nonrepaired muscles.

PMID- 1861194
TI  - Treatment of ipsilateral fractures of the distal femur and femoral shaft.
AB  - Thirteen patients with segmental fractures involving the distal femur and femoral
      shaft were treated with internal fixation. Nine of the distal femur fractures
      were intraarticular. Priority was given to restoration of the articular surface
      and the alignment of the distal femur. No single method of fixation could be used
      for all patients. Nine patients were treated using plate fixation with one or
      more plates. Three patients were treated with a combination of an interlocked
      intramedullary nail and lag screw fixation. One patient was treated with Ender
      nails. All the fractures eventually healed, but the recovery time was long.
      Although no patient was asymptomatic, 10 have resumed their preinjury level of
      function.

PMID- 1861195
TI  - Ankle mortise stability in Weber C fractures: indications for syndesmotic
      fixation.
AB  - A Weber type C ankle fracture was sequentially reproduced in 12 cadaver lower
      extremities and an external rotation torque was applied at each interval. The
      fractures were then repaired in staged fashion and the rotational stability of
      the mortise evaluated. Maximum external rotation of the talus within the mortise
      averaged 7.7 degrees in the intact ankle and increased by 311% to 31.8 degrees
      after creation of a Weber C injury. Rigid fixation of the fibular fracture
      restored 32% of the rotational stability, whereas isolated fixation of the medial
      malleolus reconstituted 57%. Fibular fixation combined with a syndesmotic screw
      restored 51% of original stability, and the addition of medial malleolar fixation
      improved stability to 101%. Bimalleolar fixation without a syndesmotic screw
      yielded 73% of the original rotational stability. The results of this study
      suggest that when rigid medial and lateral osteosynthesis can be achieved,
      syndesmotic fixation may not be necessary.

PMID- 1861196
TI  - Anatomic considerations in posterior plating of the cervical spine.
AB  - We evaluated the anatomic structures at risk during posterior plating of the
      cervical spine and outlined a safe technique for screw insertion. Three cadaveric
      specimens were evaluated anatomically and radiographically. Screws and wires were
      inserted into the articular masses at different locations and angulations. The
      relationship of the neurovascular structures to the screws and wires was noted.
      To avoid injury to the nerve roots, vertebral artery, and spinal cord, the screw
      should be placed in the center of the articular masses perpendicular to the
      vertebral plane with 15 degrees lateral angulation.

PMID- 1861197
TI  - An unusual type of fracture in the upper sacrum.
AB  - An unusual type of indirect isolated fracture of the upper sacrum is presented.
      The upper sacrum was markedly comminuted and nondisplaced relative to the lower
      fragment. There was a neurologic deficit present. On the basis of a review of the
      literature, a previous classification system and the actual fracture mechanism,
      this fracture is classified as a special type; type 4, or the neutral position
      fracture.

PMID- 1861198
TI  - Shark attack.
AB  - Shark attacks are rare but devastating. This case had major injuries that
      included an open femoral fracture, massive hemorrhage, sciatic nerve laceration,
      and significant skin and muscle damage. The patient required 15 operative
      procedures, extensive physical therapy, and orthotic assistance. A review of the
      literature pertaining to shark bites is included.

PMID- 1861199
TI  - Nonunion of a complex tibial plateau fracture.
AB  - Nonunion of tibial plateau fractures are uncommon; only five cases have been
      reported in the literature. This report presents the sixth nonunion and
      highlights the management of an angulated, periarticular pseudoarthrosis.
      Pitfalls in the initial fracture treatment that contributed to the development of
      the pseudoarthrosis are reviewed.

PMID- 1861200
TI  - A prospective randomized trial of external fixation and plaster cast
      immobilization in the treatment of distal radius fractures.

PMID- 1861201
TI  - Cerebral Doppler studies in the fetus and newborn infant.
AB  - The goal of developing reliable commercial Doppler systems for measuring vessel
      diameter and velocity changes during the cardiac cycle appears to be near.
      Reaching this goal would enable us to obtain volume-flow information
      continuously. In animal experiments, continuous measurements of Doppler velocity,
      pressure, and flow add important insights into hemodynamic measurements.
      Incorporating Doppler methods in microcirculatory research could also provide a
      link between the microcirculatory and the macrocirculatory hemodynamic research.
      Although Doppler methods have been validated, Doppler findings in clinical
      research (using commercial systems) must be considered at best to reflect
      qualitative circulatory alterations indicating directions of change. Because of
      inherent technologic limitations and considerable intersubject and intrasubject
      variability, direct extrapolation of the numeric findings from one study to the
      other can lead to misleading conclusions. The Doppler results are also influenced
      by measurement conditions and equipment settings. However, Doppler-derived
      information can be used as an adjunct to clinical management in many of the
      diseases discussed above. As with any physiologic variable, serial measurements
      probably are of greater value than single measurements. With continued
      improvement in technology, Doppler methods hold promise of becoming an important
      adjunct in cerebral hemodynamic monitoring in perinatal-neonatal intensive care
      units.

PMID- 1861202
TI  - Graduate medical education during the fourth year of medical school.

PMID- 1861203
TI  - Blood glucose control and albuminuria in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - The relationship between long-term blood glucose control and albuminuria in type
      1 diabetes was investigated in 42 male and 58 female patients who had had
      diabetes mellitus for more than 7 years. Their mean (+/- SD) age and diabetes
      duration were 18.6 +/- 3.6 and 12.1 +/- 3.5 years, respectively. For periods of
      observation ranging from 1 to 6 years (mean 4.4 +/- 1.5), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
      was measured two to six times yearly (mean of 8.8 +/- 3.9 determinations per
      patient). Albumin excretion rate (AER) was measured in single-void urine samples
      two to four times in 93 patients and once in the other seven patients. The 52
      patients with mean HbA1c no more than 9.0% had significantly lower mean AER than
      those whose HbA1c was greater than 9.0% (20.1 +/- 24.6 vs 265 +/- 1005 mg/gm Cr,
      p less than 0.001). Only five (9.6%) of these 52 patients had elevated AER values
      (greater than 40 mg/gm Cr), whereas 21 (43.7%) of 48 patients whose mean HbA1c
      was greater than 9.0% had elevated AER values (p less than 0.001). Six male but
      no female patients had mean AER values greater than 300 mg/gm Cr. The 74 patients
      with normal AER had significantly lower mean HbA1c values than the 26 with
      elevated AER (8.6 +/- 1.5 vs 10.1 +/- 1.6%, p less than 0.001). These results
      support the contention that maintenance of HbA1c levels at no more than 9% (one
      and one-half times the upper limit of normal) will significantly decrease the
      likelihood that diabetic nephropathy will develop.

PMID- 1861204
TI  - Nosocomial measles infection in a pediatric hospital during a community-wide
      epidemic.
AB  - From Jan. 1, 1988, through Dec. 31, 1988, a total of 89 cases of measles were
      observed at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles, and 37 patients were admitted to
      the hospital. Of the 37 patients, six were not initially thought to have measles,
      which resulted in exposure of 107 patients and 24 personnel. Of the exposed
      patients, measles developed in four. One nosocomially infected infant died of
      pneumonia. Another exposed patient was subsequently admitted to another hospital
      with unrecognized measles, which led to exposure of an additional eight patients.
      Of seven employees in whom measles developed, two required hospitalization
      because of pneumonia. Two hundred eleven employee days were lost because of
      measles exposure or infection. Infection control interventions included
      prophylaxis of exposed patients, employee education, and measles immunization for
      susceptible personnel. Of 1103 hospital personnel considered susceptible to
      measles, 800 received monovalent measles vaccine. No secondary cases of measles
      occurred in hospital personnel who received appropriate prophylaxis. We conclude
      that infection control programs aimed at mandating measles immunity in hospital
      employees at risk should be instituted.

PMID- 1861205
TI  - Mumps outbreak in a highly vaccinated population.
AB  - From October 1988 to April 1989, a large mumps outbreak occurred in Douglas
      County, Kansas. Of the 269 cases, 208 (77.3%) occurred among primary and
      secondary school students, of whom 203 (97.6%) had documentation of mumps
      vaccination. Attack rates were highest for students attending junior high school
      (8.0%), followed by high school (2.0%) and elementary school (0.7%). A
      retrospective cohort study conducted at one junior high school with an attack
      rate of 12.9% did not find age at vaccination or type of vaccine received (single
      or combined antigen) to be risk factors for vaccine failure. Students vaccinated
      more than 4 years before the outbreak appeared to have a higher attack rate than
      those vaccinated more recently (relative risk (RR) = 4.3; 95% confidence interval
      (CI) = 0.6, 30.0); however, this association did not exist when risk was
      evaluated based on number of vaccine doses received. Students who had
      documentation of receiving only one dose of vaccine were at greater risk than
      those who had received two doses (RR = 5.2; 95% CI = 1.0, 206.2). Overall,
      vaccine effectiveness among Douglas County junior high school students was
      estimated to be 83% (95% CI = 57%, 94%). These data suggest that mumps vaccine
      failure and the failure to vaccinate have contributed to the relative resurgence
      of mumps observed in the United States since 1986. The recent change in
      immunization policy to recommend a two-dose schedule of measles-mumps-rubella
      vaccine should help reduce the occurrence of mumps outbreaks in highly vaccinated
      populations.

PMID- 1861206
TI  - Serum immune response to Helicobacter pylori in children: epidemiologic and
      clinical applications.
AB  - Antibody responses to Helicobacter pylori were measured by a solid-phase whole
      cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 150 children and adolescents; in 47
      consecutive children undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, including 17
      with H. pylori infection before and after antimicrobial treatment; and in 46
      family members of the infected children. Abnormal levels of either IgG or IgA
      were found in 6% of the 150 children. In the latter group the prevalence of H.
      pylori seropositivity increased with age. Parents and siblings of the infected
      children had 94% and 71% seropositivity, respectively, suggesting intrafamilial
      spread. Abnormal levels of IgG or IgA against H. pylori identified infected
      children with 95% sensitivity and 84% specificity. Eradication of the infection
      was accompanied by a significant decrease in IgG and IgA titers, with
      normalization in 10 cured patients in 12 months or less. We conclude that the
      method described for evaluation of H. pylori-specific IgG and IgA antibodies
      gives helpful information on the epidemiology of the infection and represents a
      useful adjunct to diagnosis and management of chronic gastritis in children.

PMID- 1861207
TI  - Epidemiology of hemolytic-uremic syndrome in Canadian children from 1986 to 1988.
      The Canadian Pediatric Kidney Disease Reference Centre.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To define the epidemiologic features of childhood hemolytic-uremic
      syndrome (HUS) on a national level in Canada, to determine the proportion of
      patients in whom Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from stools, and to
      examine risk factors for more severe HUS. DESIGN: From January 1986 to December
      1988, patients with HUS were reported prospectively to the Canadian Pediatric
      Kidney Disease Reference Centre, a national registry for pediatric renal
      disorders, or were identified retrospectively through a medical records search at
      participating institutions. SETTING: All children's hospitals in Canada and the
      children's wards of general hospitals in Canadian cities with populations greater
      than 350,000. PATIENTS: Two hundred twenty-six children, including 126 girls.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The average annual incidence of HUS in children
      younger than 15 years was 1.44 per 100,000; the peak age-specific incidence was
      3.11 per 100,000 younger than 5 years. The incidence of HUS varied by region; the
      risk of HUS in Alberta was 2.9 times that in Ontario (p less than 0.0001). Of the
      169 patients whose stools were screened, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated in 87
      (51%). Risk factors for prolonged dialysis or death included young age, seizures,
      elevated white blood cell count at admission to hospital, and shorter, more
      severe prodromal illness. The rate of dialysis was higher in female patients (55%
      vs 39%; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: HUS is relatively common in Canadian children
      younger than 5 years, and is strongly associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection.
      Reasons for the striking regional variation in the incidence of HUS and for the
      increased rate of dialysis in female patients are unexplained and deserve further
      investigation.

PMID- 1861208
TI  - Mass screening in Japan increased the detection of infants with neuroblastoma
      without a decrease in cases in older children.
AB  - Analysis of data from the Kanto-Ko-Shin-Etsu Branch of the Japan Children's
      Cancer Registry revealed that mass screening for neuroblastoma increased the
      detection of cases in infants younger than 1 year from about 25% before screening
      to about 50%, and the percentage of neuroblastomas among all pediatric cancers
      almost doubled, from approximately 10% to 19.3%. However, when the cases found on
      screening were subtracted, the numbers after the onset of mass screening were
      similar to those before screening. It is likely that neuroblastoma mass screening
      has identified a unique type of tumor, which may not be recognized without mass
      screening, rather than that it has contributed to the earlier diagnosis of tumors
      in older children.

PMID- 1861209
TI  - Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies in childhood. I. Biochemical and morphologic
      investigations.
AB  - During a 4-year period (1984 to 1988), 50 children referred with manifestations
      of central nervous system or neuromuscular disease combined with hyperlactatemia
      were subjected to investigations that aimed to identify and characterize children
      with mitochondrial disorders. Biochemical and morphologic investigations of
      quadriceps muscle biopsy tissue were done, including oximetric and
      spectrophotometric analysis of the respiratory chain function, enzyme
      histochemistry, electron microscopy, and analysis of mitochondrial DNA. A
      diagnosis of mitochondrial disease was based on the presence of at least two of
      five criteria: (1) abnormal results of oximetry, (2) abnormal results of
      spectrophotometry, (3) enzyme histochemical evidence of cytochrome x oxidase
      deficiency, (4) deletions or point mutations of mitochondrial DNA, and (5)
      abundant ultrastructurally abnormal mitochondria. With the combined biochemical
      and morphologic investigation, 20 of the children were found to have
      mitochondrial disorders. In an additional 10 children a mitochondrial disorder
      was neither excluded nor verified. Mitochondrial disorders are thus an important
      cause of central nervous system and neuromuscular disease in children with
      hyperlactatemia.

PMID- 1861210
TI  - Mitochondrial encephalomyopathies in childhood. II. Clinical manifestations and
      syndromes.
AB  - During a 4-year period 1984 to 1988, 20 children referred with manifestations of
      central nervous system or neuromuscular disease combined with hyperlactatemia
      were found to have a mitochondrial disease. Each diagnosis was based on the
      results of thorough biochemical and morphologic investigations. The patients were
      separated into one series with mainly encephalopathy (n = 14) and another with
      mainly myopathy (n = 6). The patients with encephalopathy had the following
      syndromes: Kearns-Sayre (n = 2), MERRF (myoclonus epilepsy and ragged red fibers;
      n = 2), MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and
      strokelike episodes; n = 3), Alpers (n = 3), Leigh (n = 1), and other variants (n
      = 3). In patients with myopathy, three had hypertrophic nonobstructive
      cardiomyopathy. Ultrastructural abnormalities of mitochondria were the most
      common morphologic changes in the muscle biopsies. Complex I deficiency was most
      common in the patients with encephalopathy. All of the patients with myopathy had
      complex IV deficiency. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA were found in six patients
      with encephalopathy. We conclude that identification of defects at the DNA level
      and determination of the phenotypic expression with clinical, morphologic, and
      biochemical methods are fundamental for future rational classification of
      mitochondrial disorders.

PMID- 1861211
TI  - Liver involvement in Alpers disease.
AB  - Alpers disease consists of diffuse cerebral degeneration manifested as
      developmental delay, seizures, vomiting, and progressive neuromuscular
      deterioration, with liver disease and death. We report the clinical course of the
      liver disease, histologic progression of the hepatic lesions, and etiologic
      investigations in five patients (four girls, three kinships). All had grown and
      developed normally until seen at 6 to 36 months of age (mean 20 months), with
      vomiting (n = 5), progressive hypotonia (n = 3), or seizures (n = 2). All had
      been given anticonvulsants, including valproic acid in three. Liver disease was
      noted at a mean age of 35 months (range 9 to 67 months), with hepatomegaly (two
      patients), abnormal hepatic synthetic function (three) or transaminase values
      (three), and cirrhosis in one. Patients survived for a mean of 4.6 weeks (range 1
      to 8 weeks) after the identification of liver disease; all died of hepatic
      failure. Results of evaluation for infectious and metabolic causes of liver
      disease and causes of degenerative neuromuscular disease were negative in all
      patients. Premortem liver biopsy specimens (n = 3) demonstrated an early lesion
      consisting of lobular disarray, microvesicular steatosis, periportal acute and
      chronic inflammation, and individual hepatocyte necrosis. Autopsy findings (n =
      5) consisted of macrovesicular steatosis, massive hepatocyte dropout, and
      proliferation of bile ductular elements, with almost complete replacement of
      hepatocytes by proliferating bile ductular elements in two patients. Brain showed
      characteristic neuronal degeneration. We conclude that Alpers disease can be a
      cause of rapidly progressive liver failure in early childhood. Although the cause
      of this autosomal recessive disease is not known, it does not appear to be
      related to peroxisomal dysfunction.

PMID- 1861213
TI  - Prevention of renal disease in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a
      "responsibility" for the pediatrician?

PMID- 1861212
TI  - Immunologic studies in Turner syndrome before and during treatment with growth
      hormone. The Dutch Growth Hormone Working Group.
AB  - Immunologic studies of 14 girls with Turner syndrome were done before and during
      treatment with biosynthetic growth hormone (GH). Compared with control subjects,
      the patients before treatment had a decreased CD4/CD8 ratio and an increased
      number of cells bearing the natural killer cell marker CD16; serum immunoglobulin
      levels were within the normal range. During GH treatment some of the girls had a
      slight reduction in the percentage of CD20+ B cells, but we observed no
      impairment of B lymphocyte function as demonstrated by the normal in vivo
      antibody response to the primary antigen Helix Pomatia hemocyanin, administered 6
      months after the start of GH treatment. The number of CD16+ natural killer cells
      returned to normal. Although the number of children with thyroid antibodies
      increased from two before treatment to five after 1 year, no conclusion about an
      adverse effect of GH is warranted, because the phenomenon might be part of the
      natural course of the disease. We conclude that girls with Turner syndrome have
      minor changes in some immunologic measurements and that GH treatment resulted in
      some alterations that have no effect on immune function.

PMID- 1861214
TI  - Therapeutic strategies for Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

PMID- 1861215
TI  - Presence of thyroid abnormalities in children with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PMID- 1861216
TI  - Nationwide survey of Kawasaki disease and acute rheumatic fever.

PMID- 1861217
TI  - Prevalence of congenital heart disease in patients with phenylketonuria.

PMID- 1861218
TI  - Multivariate assessment of traditional risk factors for chronic lung disease in
      very low birth weight neonates. The Newborn Lung Project.
AB  - All neonates (n = 581) with birth weights less than 1501 gm admitted to seven
      neonatal intensive care units in Wisconsin and Iowa were candidates for a study
      aimed at the multivariate assessment of risk factors for chronic lung disease
      while controlling for baseline severity of respiratory disease. Data from 361
      neonates were analyzed for all risk factors except fluids; only neonates weighing
      less than 1200 gm were included (n = 220). Information on traditional risk
      factors for chronic lung disease was abstracted. A total of 110 (30%) of the
      analyzed neonates were oxygen dependent on day 30 of life. The following baseline
      factors were associated with increased risk of oxygen dependence in a joint
      multivariate model: lower birth weight (odds ratio 1.4/100 gm), higher baseline
      severity score (odds ratio 2.7/doubling at 32 weeks gestational age), lower
      gestational age (odds ratio 2.4/week at severity 0), Apgar score at 1 minute
      (odds ratio 1.6/2 points), male gender (odds ratio 1.9), and nonblack race (odds
      ratio 2.2). After adjustment for all baseline factors, patent ductus arteriosus,
      ventilator pressure at 96 hours, oxygen at 96 hours, and fluid intake were
      associated with oxygen dependence. Neonates with a low baseline severity score
      who remained oxygen dependent had a higher intake of fluid relative to output,
      whereas neonates with a higher baseline severity score had higher fluid intake
      and output. Lack of weight loss was associated with increased severity but not
      with oxygen dependence. The results of this study generally confirm the
      significance of previously reported risk factors for chronic lung disease in a
      multivariate setting but show that risk factors may not have the same impact in
      neonates with different baseline severity.

PMID- 1861219
TI  - Neonatal herpes gestationis.

PMID- 1861220
TI  - Staphylococcus aureus colonization after neonatal circumcision in relation to
      device used.

PMID- 1861221
TI  - Dose-dependent kinetics of orally administered 6-mercaptopurine in children with
      leukemia.
AB  - To determine whether the pharmacokinetics of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) would show
      dose dependency, we studied three different single oral doses in eight children
      (aged 3.6 to 15.1 years) with acute leukemia in remission. Marked interindividual
      differences in maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and the area under the plasma
      concentration-time curve (AUC) were observed when children received the 50 mg/m2
      dose. This variability decreased when the doses were increased. Six of the eight
      children showed a disproportionate increase in the AUC with increasing doses; the
      other two had a proportionate relationship between the AUC and dose. Overall mean
      (+/- SD) Cmax and AUC values increased disproportionately (88 +/- 123, to 326 +/-
      194, to 653 +/- 344 ng/ml for Cmax, and 147 +/- 180, to 451 +/- 177, to 1291 +/-
      415 ng/ml per hour for AUC, respectively) when the dose increased from 50 to 87.5
      mg/m2 and then to 175 mg/m2. The results suggest that a saturable first-pass
      metabolism of oral 6-MP occurs with increasing oral doses in some, but not all,
      children. Whether and to what extent this pharmacokinetic character of oral 6-MP
      affects the interindividual difference in systemic exposure to the drug in
      children with leukemia receiving maintenance therapy require further studies.

PMID- 1861222
TI  - Topical nitrogen mustard: an effective treatment for cutaneous Langerhans cell
      histiocytosis.
AB  - In 16 children with multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (mean age 22
      months, range 5 to 36 months) severe symptomatic skin involvement was treated
      with topical nitrogen mustard (mechlorethamine hydrochloride). In each case,
      rapid clinical improvement occurred within 10 days; subsequent complete healing
      was observed in 14 children, and partial healing in 2 others in whom treatment
      was a component of palliative care. Mean duration of treatment was 3.5 months
      (range 2 to 6 months). Systemic treatment was averted in 11 patients because
      response to topical therapy was so favorable, but bone marrow or respiratory
      failure led to a fatal outcome in 5 other patients. Adverse effects were minimal.
      One patient developed contact allergy to topical nitrogen mustard after 2 years
      of intermittent therapy, but was successfully desensitized and was then able to
      continue treatment. We conclude that the topical application of nitrogen mustard
      is an effective treatment for cutaneous Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Although
      adverse effects were minimal in the short term, there remains concern about the
      possibility of long-term cutaneous carcinogenicity.

PMID- 1861223
TI  - Prevention of mumps, measles, and rubella among hospital personnel.

PMID- 1861224
TI  - Uridine diphosphate glucose and uridine diphosphate galactose in galactosemia.

PMID- 1861225
TI  - Therapy for hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

PMID- 1861226
TI  - Management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

PMID- 1861227
TI  - Methotrexate hepatotoxic effects in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1861228
TI  - Diazepam for prevention of recurrence of febrile seizures.

PMID- 1861229
TI  - Effect of early antibiotic therapy for streptococcal pharyngitis on recurrence
      rates.

PMID- 1861230
TI  - Mean corpuscular volume as an aid in identifying the cause of hematuria.

PMID- 1861231
TI  - Bacterial endocarditis after minor orthodontic procedures.

PMID- 1861232
TI  - High-frequency jet ventilation in respiratory distress syndrome.

PMID- 1861233
TI  - More on growth hormone therapy for otherwise normal short children.

PMID- 1861234
TI  - The development and structure of principal fibers and cellular cementum in rat
      molars.
AB  - The principal fibers and cellular cementum were examined in various developmental
      stages in rat molars by light and electron microscopy, and their development and
      structure were studied. The principal fibers increased in thickness with root
      development. At any given stage, the principal fibers consisted of small fiber
      bundles on the cementum surface and showed a branching structure. Sharpey's
      fibers also showed a similar branching structure and increased in thickness, as
      traced superficially in the cementum. It was suggested that the principal fibers
      increased in thickness by means of the aggregation of fiber bundles. The
      development of cellular cementum was divided into two (early and late) phases on
      the basis of the fiber arrangement. The early cementum was believed to contain a
      few Sharpey's fibers and many randomly arranged intrinsic fibers. The late
      cementum contained thicker Sharpey's fibers with branches and the intrinsic
      fibers which appeared to encircle Sharpey's fibers and/or meander among them.

PMID- 1861235
TI  - Proceedings of the 18th Symposium on Pharmacological Activity and Mechanism.
      September 19-21, 1990, Asahikawa.

PMID- 1861236
TI  - Comparative studies on the anticonvulsant activity of lipophilic derivatives of
      gamma-aminobutyric acid and 2-pyrrolidinone in mice.
AB  - Anticonvulsant activity, degradation into gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and
      concentration in brain of 1-dodecanoyl-2-pyrrolidinone (I), a lipophilic
      derivative of a lactam of GABA, were compared with those of N-dodecanoyl GABA
      (II) and 1-dodecyl-2-pyrrolidinone (III) to get information about their
      pharmacological mechanisms. Compounds I and II degraded into GABA in mouse liver
      homogenate, gradually into GABA in brain homogenate and more slowly in plasma.
      Compound III had no degradation in the biological media. The derivatives
      administered intraperitoneally had dose-dependent anticonvulsant activity on
      picrotoxin-induced seizure in mice. Their anticonvulsant activities were changed
      by the time intervals between pretreatment of derivatives and administration of
      picrotoxin. Compounds II and III showed anticonvulsant activity on
      pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure and a prolonged sleeping time induced by
      sodium pentobarbital in mice. However, these three derivatives never
      significantly increased the GABA level in mouse brain after intraperitoneal
      administration compared to the endogenous GABA level. They were detected as
      intact derivatives in the brain. In the previous report, we demonstrated the
      anticonvulsant activity of sodium dodecanoate. These results suggested that the
      dodecyl chain of derivatives may be important for their anticonvulsant activities
      and I does not act as GABA via prodrug.

PMID- 1861237
TI  - Antioxidative effect of protoporphyrin on lipid peroxidation in tissue
      homogenates of intravenously administered rats.
AB  - Effect of intravenous administration of protoporphyrin IX (PP) on lipid
      peroxidation was studied in rats. PP and/or PP-derived porphyrins were found to
      be mainly distributed in livers, spleen and lungs. Dose-dependent decreases in
      the Fe2+ and L-ascorbic acid-stimulated lipid peroxidation in homogenates of
      livers and dose-dependent increases in porphyrin concentration in livers were
      observed after the PP injection. In the experiments with a 20 mg/kg dose of PP,
      the peroxidation level in the liver homogenates reached its minimum level during
      the period of 3 to 24 h accompanying the high porphyrin concentration in livers
      after the administration. After 96 h, a relatively high porphyrin concentration
      was still retained, but decreases in the peroxidation levels had ceased. PP
      administration caused a dose-dependent decrease in the endogenous lipid peroxides
      in livers within 0.5 h and the low levels were maintained throughout the course
      of the 168-h study. These results clearly show that the administered PP is
      distributed in the liver and inhibits the lipid peroxidation in vivo.

PMID- 1861238
TI  - Improvement in wound healing by epidermal growth factor (EGF) ointment. II.
      Effect of protease inhibitor, nafamostat, on stabilization and efficacy of EGF in
      burn.
AB  - The healing effect of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) on second degree burn
      was studied in rats. No improvement in wound healing was found on topical
      application of EGF alone to burn sites, but an ointment containing EGF and
      nafamostat mesilate (NM), a protease inhibitor, accelerated the healing rate of
      burns. The dry weight of the granulation tissue on the wound site in the group
      treated with EGF plus NM ointment did not change, although that in other groups
      decreased. After treatment with EGF ointment containing NM, the content of uronic
      acid, as an index of acid mucopolysaccharide, at 3 d after burn rapidly increased
      and had recovered to nearly normal levels at 7 d after burn. However, the uronic
      acid content in the other groups (control, EGF alone, and NM alone) showed a
      higher value at 7 d than at 3 d. When compared with the control values
      significant increases in hydroxyproline, as an index of collagen, in the wound
      site were observed at 7 d after treatment with EGF ointment containing NM. The
      degradation of [125I]EGF in burned tissue homogenate decreased significantly in a
      concentration-dependent manner in the presence of NM. Body weights did not change
      after treatment with EGF plus NM ointment, although the body weights of other
      treatment groups decreased after burn, suggesting that EGF ointment containing
      the protease inhibitor, NM, alleviated the effects of burn shock. These findings
      indicate that the stabilization of EGF at the wound site is an important factor
      for the expression of its healing effects.

PMID- 1861239
TI  - Stimulatory effect of guanine nucleotides on prostaglandin E1 binding to murine
      renal outer medulla.
AB  - Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) specifically bound to the membrane prepared from murine
      renal outer medulla. The extent of binding of [3H]PGE1 to the membrane was
      increased about 4-fold by guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and its analogs, but the
      dissociation of bound [3H]PGE1 from the membrane was in turn enhanced by GTP
      gamma S. Scatchard plot analyses revealed that GTP gamma S increased the binding
      affinity more than 2-fold without a major change in the number of binding sites.
      When [3H]PGE1-bound proteins were cross-linked in the membrane by dithiobis
      (succinimidyl propionate), bound [3H]PGE1 was no longer dissociated by GTP gamma
      S treatment, suggesting that cross-linking produced a stable complex of PGE
      receptor with a GTP-binding protein. The cross-linked [3H]PGE1-specifically bound
      proteins solubilized from the membranes labeled with [3H] PGE1 in the presence or
      absence of GTP gamma S were eluted as an apparently single radioactive peak at
      the same position of Mr = 15000 by gel filtration, indicating that the PGE
      receptor forms a complex with a GTP-binding protein regardless of the treatment
      with GTP gamma S by which [3H]PGE1 binding is promoted. The ability of GTP gamma
      S to stimulate [3H]PGE1 binding was eliminated by pretreatment of the membrane
      with pertussis toxin, but not cholera toxin, indicating that the PGE receptor is
      coupled to a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein.

PMID- 1861240
TI  - Phacoemulsification: the favored surgical technique.

PMID- 1861241
TI  - Iris modifications following extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior
      chamber lens implantation.
AB  - We prospectively examined 94 eyes of 93 consecutive patients who had planned
      extracapsular cataract extraction or phacoemulsification with posterior chamber
      intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. The observed postoperative iris
      biomicroscopic modifications are described and classified. Iris synechial
      formation was more frequently observed in eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome,
      when an irregular anterior capsulotomy was performed, when the IOL was other than
      in the bag, and in cases of postoperative fibrinous exudation. Synechias occurred
      more frequently in intraoperatively injured iris areas. Pupil capture was the
      only postoperative iris modification that was observed to affect visual acuity.
      The maximal postoperative dilation was greater and the pupillary photic reaction
      was significantly less modified postoperatively (P = .0058) when the IOL was
      fixated within the capsular bag.

PMID- 1861242
TI  - Divide and conquer nucleofractis phacoemulsification: development and variations.
AB  - Cataract extraction by phacoemulsification of the lens in situ can be
      accomplished by a technique incorporating continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis
      (CCC), deep central sculpting of the nucleus, and manual cracking
      ("nucleofractis") and subsequent fragmentation and emulsification of the
      remaining nucleus. This "divide and conquer" nucleofractis technique of
      phacoemulsification is uniquely suited to the constraints that CCC, which
      provides excellent conditions for well-centered in-the-bag placement of
      intraocular lenses, imposes upon cataract extraction. The cracking and
      fragmentation maneuvers allow phacoemulsification to be extended to patients with
      hypermature and brunescent lenses, as well as small pupils, who are not normally
      considered good candidates for the technique.

PMID- 1861243
TI  - Optical design of low index intraocular lenses.
AB  - The effect of shape of low index (1.43) intraocular lenses on optical performance
      of pseudophakic eyes was investigated. A range of image quality criteria was
      used. The optimum lens for on-axis vision was biconvex, with the more curved
      surface facing the cornea. For small off-axis angles, optimum lens shape varied
      with the ocular parameters. A recommended range of intraocular lenses is plano
      convex (with the curved shape facing the cornea) to equi-convex. Compared with
      conventional poly(methyl methacrylate) lenses (1.492 index), optimum lens shapes
      of low index lenses were less sensitive to changes in eye parameters and lens
      fitting position. The magnitudes of aberration of pseudophakic eyes varied more
      with changes in lens shape and lens position in low index lenses than in
      conventional lenses.

PMID- 1861244
TI  - Cataract surgery in anticoagulated patients.
AB  - A prospective study was performed on 31 patients having planned extracapsular
      cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. The
      patients were considered to be anticoagulated because of the medications they
      were taking. The patients were instructed to continue their usual medications
      throughout the perioperative period including the day of surgery. All patients
      had routine narcoleptic sedation and retrobulbar anesthesia. The surgical
      technique was altered to use an inferior corneal traction suture and a single
      planed clear corneal incision. No intraoperative or postoperative anterior
      chamber bleeding was seen. The observed complications were increased awareness of
      corneal sutures, increased endothelial cell loss, delayed visual rehabilitation
      from with-the-rule astigmatism, and transient corneal edema. All patients
      achieved 20/40 or better visual acuity without corneal edema by three months post
      surgery.

PMID- 1861246
TI  - Postoperative cellular reaction on surface modified intraocular lenses in living
      human eyes.
AB  - Specular microscopy was performed to evaluate the postoperative cellular reaction
      on surface modified poly(methyl methacrylate) intraocular lenses (IOLs) (Ioptex
      Research, Inc., model U370) in 40 eyes of 36 patients who had extracapsular
      cataract extraction with implantation of the surface modified IOLs. The cellular
      elements observed were fibroblast-like cells, histiocytes, and giant cells. Gray
      amorphous depositions, part of which were sometimes recognized as interference
      fringes or interference colors, formed a layer in the center of the optics. These
      depositions were probably caused by the adsorption from aqueous humor. In
      subclinical cases, only a few histiocytes and giant cells were recognized in the
      optic center and the optic periphery was free of the cells during our
      observation. Within two months of surgery most of the cells had disappeared. In
      vivo specular microscopy showed no manufacturing defects on the implanted lenses.
      Our findings suggest that, although there was a postoperative cellular reaction
      on the surface modified IOLs, they were biocompatible.

PMID- 1861245
TI  - Natural history of corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery.
AB  - Little information on the natural course of corneal astigmatism following
      cataract surgery exists. We report a prospective, computerized analysis of
      postoperative astigmatism, based on keratometry measurements, of 137 cases of
      extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation performed by
      one surgeon. No sutures were cut postoperatively. Surgery induced 1.44 diopters
      (D) of with-the-rule astigmatism at one month, which declined at a rate of 0.77 D
      and 0.35 D per month for the next two months, respectively, with a more gradual
      decline thereafter. The mean surgically induced astigmatism at the last
      postoperative visit ranged from 0.29 D at six months (minimum follow-up) to 1.23
      D at 48 months; both were against-the-rule. Mean follow-up was 28.92 months.
      These findings may be technique specific and suggest that (1) corneal curvature
      continues to change slowly even two to four years postoperatively; (2) most
      patients develop against-the-rule astigmatism, thus more with-the-rule
      astigmatism is desirable in the early postoperative period; (3) selective suture
      removal is necessary only when significantly more than 3.00 D of surgically
      induced with-the-rule astigmatism is present.

PMID- 1861247
TI  - Pathology of fixation fibrosis on intraocular lenses.
AB  - Ocular tissues frequently form a special kind of reactive fibrosis with distinct
      cellular strands that anchors prominent surface irregularities of lens implants-
      haptics, manipulation holes, or borders--to adjacent ocular structures and helps
      fixate the implant in the eye. The strands originate in reactive proliferation of
      chemotactically attracted sessile macrophages on the surface of lens implants.
      They are cellular in their early stages and may undergo secondary fibrosis or
      hyalinization. The formation of these strands is called "fixation fibrosis." An
      initial description of the pathology of this complicated process is presented.

PMID- 1861248
TI  - Decentration of intraocular lenses implanted after intercapsular cataract
      extraction (envelope technique).
AB  - Pseudophakos decentration produces symptoms such as glare, halos, and other
      visual aberrations. We have reviewed 161 eyes of patients who had an
      intercapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with a
      follow-up of at least six months. Mean decentration was 0.54 mm. It was 0.46 mm
      for the lenses implanted symmetrically in the bag, 0.65 mm for those implanted in
      the sulcus, and 0.91 mm for those implanted asymmetrically (bag-sulcus). The
      differences between the lenses fixated in the bag and those asymmetrically
      situated were statistically significant (P less than .001). Circular looped
      lenses (360-degree encircling loop) decentered less (mean 0.28 mm) than modified
      C-loop lenses (mean decentration 0.63 mm) and modified J-loop lenses (mean
      decentration 0.60 mm). These differences were statistically significant (P less
      than .001). The differences were also significant if we considered only the
      lenses implanted in the bag (mean decentration 0.20 versus 0.59 and 0.54,
      respectively) (P less than .0001).

PMID- 1861249
TI  - Experimental evaluation of a phakic anterior chamber implant in a primate model.
      Part I. Clinical observations.
AB  - Anterior chamber intraocular lenses were implanted in phakic cynomolgus monkey
      eyes and followed clinically over two years. Significant observations included
      erosion and/or uveal envelopment of the haptic and a decrease in endothelial cell
      counts. There was good positional stability, no significant inflammation, initial
      ocular hypotension that returned to normal intraocular pressure, and no evidence
      of cataracts or cystoid macular edema.

PMID- 1861250
TI  - Experimental evaluation of a phakic anterior chamber implant in a primate model.
      Part II. Pathology.
AB  - Anterior chamber intraocular lenses were implanted in 50 phakic primate eyes and
      followed by serial histopathology for two years. Significant observations
      included corneal endothelial alterations, haptic erosion into and encapsulation
      by peripheral iris and ciliary body, and chronic low grade inflammation.

PMID- 1861251
TI  - Endophthalmitis investigative protocol: a plan for source identification and
      patient protection.
AB  - A survey of randomly selected ophthalmic outpatient surgical facilities revealed
      a lack of established investigative protocols to follow when postoperative
      endophthalmitis occurs. The survey also provided information about the incidence
      of endophthalmitis, the microorganisms encountered, and the precautions used to
      prevent postoperative infections. We present an endophthalmitis investigative
      protocol which provides a task list, investigation forms, incidence log, and
      quality assurance measures to identify patients at risk and to minimize the risk
      of recurrence of this rare but serious complication of ophthalmic surgery. This
      standardized protocol will also assist in source identification when aseptic
      iritis occurs postoperatively. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a
      dialogue which may result in an international standard for an endophthalmitis
      investigative protocol.

PMID- 1861252
TI  - Report of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery International
      Committee on Standards and Quality Control for Ophthalmic Instruments and
      Devices.

PMID- 1861253
TI  - The chip and flip phacoemulsification technique.
AB  - The "chip and flip" phacoemulsification technique increases safety and control
      within the capsular bag. The surgical maneuvers use a two-handed technique
      through a small curvilinear capsulorhexis.

PMID- 1861254
TI  - The 1.97 cent solution: low tech capsulorhexis and hydrodissection.
AB  - Capsulorhexis is becoming the favored technique for performing anterior
      capsulectomy. This report describes a simple method for performing capsulorhexis
      and nuclear hydrodissection without the use of viscoelastics or specialized
      instruments.

PMID- 1861255
TI  - Ophthalmic pre-inked marking pad.
AB  - Various markers that facilitate incision and suture placement are available. The
      majority are used in conjunction with a surgical marking pen or ink. This report
      describes a new, disposable pre-inked marking pad which is conveniently packaged,
      easy to use, and compatible with most markers. The pad is saturated with gentian
      violet ink which enables an ideal transfer of inked marks from the marker to the
      eye or skin. The ink marks remain on the tissue for two to four hours before
      fading, even on wet and moist surfaces such as the cornea and sclera.

PMID- 1861256
TI  - Consultation section. Assuming the presence of a symptomatic, significantly dense
      cataract, or a cataract that interferes with evaluation and/or treatment of the
      retina.

PMID- 1861257
TI  - Is there a case for the 10 mm wound?

PMID- 1861258
TI  - Sutureless closure for exchange surgery of intraocular lenses.

PMID- 1861259
TI  - In vitro, adhesive fixation of a posterior chamber lens optic: implications for
      lens centration and posterior capsule opacification.

PMID- 1861260
TI  - Filters and antibiotics in irrigating solution for cataract surgery.

PMID- 1861261
TI  - Post capsulotomy complication.

PMID- 1861262
TI  - Public health aspects of a refugee camp.
AB  - The explosion in the number of refugees throughout the world has led to the
      development of a new medical speciality; Migration Medicine. Such a speciality
      has a strong public health dimension. Addressing the public health needs of
      refugees especially in developing countries is one of the few challenges of
      practising public medicine which gives measurable results in weeks rather than
      years. Whilst I was a trainee in Public Health Medicine in Glasgow, UK, I was
      seconded to Medecins Sans Frontieres ('doctors without borders') to act as
      Medical Co-ordinator of a relief operation for refugees from Sudan. This paper
      discusses some of the lessons that the experience taught me which have
      application to many refugee situations throughout the world.

PMID- 1861263
TI  - Reducing the risks of solvent misuse.

PMID- 1861264
TI  - The psychological effects of disaster work: implications for disaster planning.
AB  - The paper focuses on the psychological consequences of disaster work. The issue
      of identifying staff who may be more vulnerable to psychological distress is
      discussed as is the need for services to plan psychological screening and support
      for staff who will be exposed to the trauma of dealing with the aftermath of
      disasters. It is concluded that active steps need to be taken to incorporate
      psychological aspects into disaster planning. Specifically, attention should be
      paid to staff selection, training, use of resources, supervision, debriefing,
      counselling and feedback.

PMID- 1861266
TI  - Foodborne infections and poultry.

PMID- 1861265
TI  - Problems of review and discharge. Is a Tribunal necessary?

PMID- 1861267
TI  - The effect of the consumption of red kidney beans on the growth rate of rats and
      the implications for human populations.

PMID- 1861268
TI  - Evaluation of an intensive 'train-the-trainer' course in AIDS counselling in
      Zimbabwe.
AB  - The anticipated increase in the number of people with HIV infection and AIDS in
      Zimbabwe, together with those who have associated worries, will place extra
      demands upon clinical and counselling services in the coming decade. To meet
      these demands, a wide range of health care staff will have to acquire specialist
      counselling skills. For this reason, an intensive two-day HIV/AIDS train-the
      trainer counselling course was run at the Family Counselling Unit (FCU), Harare,
      in April 1990. The aim was to teach training and supervision skills in AIDS
      counselling so that those professionals with experience could confidently teach
      others counselling skills for people with HIV/AIDS. The structure, content and
      evaluation of the course are presented here. Overall, the course was positively
      evaluated by the 42 trainees who came from Harare and other towns in Zimbabwe.
      The different teaching activities (role play, discussion) and course objectives
      (to develop specialist skills, address diverse problems) were especially well
      thought of. However, a few trainees were critical of the teaching format and lack
      of time available for teaching. This training experience may help others in
      establishing courses for the training of trainers in AIDS counselling elsewhere.

PMID- 1861269
TI  - First aid and first aiders who work in health food, processing and light
      engineering in Nottingham.
AB  - One hundred and forty nine first aiders working in a health authority, 26 in a
      light engineering company and 35 in food processing plants completed an anonymous
      questionnaire about their training and first aid work. Information was also
      gathered on views about its value, the role of cash bonuses and its promotion
      amongst other staff. The response rate was 88%. The majority of first aiders were
      in their 30s and had practised first aid for less than a decade. At least 80%
      intended to revalidate their certificate and continue to practise. First aid was
      used most in food processing plants and least in the health authority. Offers of
      help had seldom been refused. Over 90% of respondents thought first aid was
      worthwhile.

PMID- 1861270
TI  - House dust mite control: a public health issue.

PMID- 1861271
TI  - Community-acquired pneumonia: the clinical dilemma.
AB  - Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the sixth most common cause of death in the
      United States. Despite its frequency and mortality, specific etiologic diagnosis
      remains a major clinical challenge. The organisms most commonly implicated in CAP
      are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila,
      Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR), and viruses. Clinical and
      radiographic criteria have proven to be of little value in determining the
      etiology of CAP. Laboratory studies, including Gram's stain and culture of
      sputum, have also been shown to be of severely limited value to the clinician
      faced with the patient with CAP. Antibiotic therapy must, therefore, generally be
      empiric. Regimens including erythromycin either as a single agent or coupled with
      an aminoglycoside or cephalosporin appear to be most efficacious.

PMID- 1861272
TI  - Pet-associated lung diseases.
AB  - With the development of new diagnostic techniques, several diseases have emerged
      in recent years as zoonotic or potentially zoonotic. Even so, most pet-associated
      illnesses are infrequent, and therefore, health care providers may not be
      familiar with their manifestations or with the appropriate preventive measures.
      This article reviews the epidemiology, diagnosis, therapy and prevention of lung
      disorders acquired from dogs and cats.

PMID- 1861273
TI  - Pneumonia in children.

PMID- 1861274
TI  - Pneumonia in the elderly.
AB  - Pneumonia is not only a major cause of death for elderly persons, but also
      imposes substantial personal morbidity and burdens on the health care system.
      Timely, accurate diagnosis and therapy depend on recognition of important
      differences in the pathogenesis of pneumonia according to the settings in which
      it occurs. Active elderly persons living in the community, institutionalized
      seniors with "nursing home pneumonia," and those with hospital-acquired
      infections have different microbial causes of their respiratory infections that,
      together with altered host defenses and iatrogenic factors, dramatically
      influence outcomes. The presence of other common medical illnesses in older
      persons obscures the clinical presentations of pneumonia, predisposes to
      respiratory infection, and adversely influences prognosis. These clinical
      relationships and the variability and vulnerability of individual patients
      underlie largely empiric, setting-specific antimicrobial therapy. Whenever
      possible, prevention of this devastating illness is essential.

PMID- 1861275
TI  - Legionnaires' disease.
AB  - The Legionella bacillus is a relatively common pulmonary pathogen that has been
      responsible for a number of outbreaks of respiratory illness this century. Not
      until 1976, however, after exciting epidemiologic and microbiologic
      investigation, was the organism isolated and identified. Legionnaires' disease
      does not have a characteristic radiographic appearance, but certain features may
      alert the clinician to its presence. It often rapidly progresses to a lobar
      pneumonia that may not respond immediately to treatment. The radiographic
      findings lag behind clinical improvement, and radiographic resolution is
      prolonged. Organ transplantation patients often present with ill-defined,
      rounded, pleura-based opacities that may simulate pulmonary infarction and can
      cavitate.

PMID- 1861276
TI  - Bacterial lung abscess: a review of the radiographic and clinical features of 50
      cases.
AB  - The radiographic and clinical features of 50 patients with documented bacterial
      lung abscess are presented. Neither clinical nor radiographic features permit a
      specific diagnosis of lung abscess to be made; microbiologic or histopathologic
      material is needed to establish the diagnosis. A surprising percentage of
      patients (18%) had radiographically occult lung abscesses that were diagnosed
      only at the time of surgery or autopsy. Possible causes for and means of avoiding
      this diagnostic pitfall are presented.

PMID- 1861278
TI  - Surgical management of thoracic empyema.
AB  - Thoracic empyema usually results from pulmonary infection or thoracic surgery.
      Antibiotic therapy is an essential part of the treatment, but surgical techniques
      to drain the pleural fluid and obliterate the empyema space often are required. A
      wide range of closed and open surgical techniques are available. This article
      reviews the various surgical options for the treatment of nontuberculous
      bacterial empyema secondary to pulmonary infection in the patient with a normal
      immune response. Emphasis is placed on a thorough understanding of the
      pathophysiology and natural history of empyema for selection and timing of
      appropriate treatment. Thoracic imaging techniques play a substantial role in the
      evaluation and treatment of empyema and in assessing the outcome of surgical
      therapy.

PMID- 1861277
TI  - Pleural infections: a clinical-radiologic review.
AB  - Pleural space infection is a common disorder that may result from a wide variety
      of causes and is associated with a wide range of etiologic agents. The authors
      reviewed retrospectively records of 102 patients with discharge diagnoses of
      empyema and/or bronchopleural fistula. Chest radiographs and computed tomography
      closest to the time of initial diagnosis were evaluated separately. In 78 cases
      of empyema, the etiologies included primary pulmonary infections (49%),
      postsurgical (23%), traumatic (11.5%), intraabdominal pathology (5%), and unknown
      (11.5%). In 24 cases of bronchopleural fistulas, the etiologies were previous
      surgical procedures (37.5%), pulmonary infections (37.5%), traumatic (4%), and
      unknown (21%).

PMID- 1861279
TI  - A clinico-epidemiological study of sickle cell anaemia in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Ninety-nine Saudi Arabian children aged between 3 months and 15 years attending
      the sickle cell anaemia (SCA) clinic were studied using a review of case notes
      and an interview at clinic visits. All the patients come from the southwest and
      west area of Saudi Arabia. Despite the lack of infant screening for SCA, 73 per
      cent were diagnosed before the age of 3 years, reflecting severe early symptoms
      of the disease. The serious complications of SCA were two times higher, the
      number of admissions were three times higher and the attack rate for pneumococcal
      meningitis was nine times higher in our study population than previously reported
      from the Eastern Province of the country. Hand-foot syndrome was the commonest
      complication affecting 58 per cent of the children. It has been stated previously
      that there is no need to give penicillin prophylaxis to SCA children in Saudi
      Arabia, based on the observations in the Eastern Province only. Our study shows
      that SCA in western and southwestern population of Saudi Arabia is as severe as
      is described in American blacks. Therefore, we recommend penicillin prophylaxis
      to be given to the SCA children in the southwest and west regions of the country.

PMID- 1861280
TI  - Outcome of low birth weight infants in a West African village.
AB  - Low birthweight (LBW) infants are at risk of increased mortality, impaired
      growth, and increased morbidity. We studied the progress of all LBW infants (less
      than 2.5 kg) born in a West African village where there is a resident
      pediatrician and midwife. There were 426 live births during the 8 years studied
      of which 42 (10 per cent) were of LBW. There were 17 infant deaths (IMR =
      40/1000). Mean birthweight and gestation of infants dying in the first year were
      significantly lower than those of all live birth (2.33 kg v. 2.99 kg, P less than
      0.001; 36.9 w v. 38.9 w, P less than 0.05). The mean weights of the 32 surviving
      LBW infants (15 preterm, 17 full term, small for gestational age) were compared
      with those of 32 full term, appropriate for gestational age matched controls over
      the first year. Growth velocities of paired groups were identical. The
      significant differences in weight at 1 year (P less than 0.005) reflected those
      at birth (P less than 0.001). There were no significant differences in clinic
      attendance rate or incidence of diarrhoea and respiratory disease between the
      four groups. We conclude that LBW is a strong risk factor for infant mortality,
      but not for diarrhoeal and respiratory morbidity in a community with ready access
      to obstetric and pediatric care.

PMID- 1861281
TI  - Infant feeding and growth in rural Ghana: is the use of the traditional fermented
      porridge a case for early supplementation?
AB  - Thirty infants were studied longitudinally for 6 months. Breast milk and intakes
      of supplements were measured at the first and third months post-partum. Mode of
      feeding, morbidity, and weights were recorded monthly. Variations in growth were
      found to be related to levels of breast milk intakes, and timely and effective
      supplementation with the traditional weaning porridge prepared from fermented
      maize dough. No diarrhoeal incidence was recorded before 3 months. It is
      suggested that coupled with true demand breast feeding, the traditional weaning
      porridge could adequately support growth if introduced on time, even when breast
      milk intakes are less than optimal.

PMID- 1861282
TI  - Bottle use for infant feeding in developing countries: data from the demographic
      and health surveys. Has the bottle battle been lost?
AB  - This paper uses data from 22 national surveys in developing countries to estimate
      the use of bottles for feeding of infants under 6 months of age. These data were
      collected in the context of the Demographic and Health Surveys programme (DHS)
      between 1986 and 1989. Bottle use appears to be very common in most countries.
      Only six of the 22 countries had levels of bottle use of less than 20 per cent,
      and all these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. The policy implications are
      discussed briefly.

PMID- 1861283
TI  - Henoch-Schonlein syndrome in Saudi Arabia.
AB  - A retrospective study was carried out on 40 children from Saudi Arabia with
      Henoch-Schonlein syndrome to delineate its clinical pattern. More than 50 per
      cent of the cases occurred in winter. There was no apparent causal relationship
      with B-haemolytic streptococcal infection. All patients had skin rash. Fifty
      eight per cent had gastrointestinal manifestations, 58 per cent had joint
      manifestations and 38 per cent had renal manifestations. The main clinical
      features of Henoch-Schonlein syndrome in Saudi children are comparable to those
      reported elsewhere.

PMID- 1861284
TI  - Effects of the relative importance of different factors and their degree of
      interactions on child growth.
AB  - The purpose of the study is to determine duration of satisfactory breast feeding
      in health breast-fed infants of mothers attending Maternal and Child Health
      Centres in the three towns of Khartoum Province. The main objective of this paper
      is to compare samples in terms of effects of different factors on child growth.
      The infants' weight and length were measured in the first few days after birth
      and from then on weight was measured every 2 weeks and length every 4 weeks up to
      1 year. The results presented have been analysed throughout in terms of factors
      that affect weight gain. In Khartoum North sample weight gains were lowest in the
      first 3 months, but thereafter were higher and almost the same as the NCHS
      reference. In Khartoum and Omdurman, however, growth from birth to 3 months
      exceeded the NCHS standard, but from 3 to 6 months were significantly less than
      the reference. Level of hygiene, health of the mother during pregnancy, sex,
      housing, and town were found to be the factors affecting weight gain of infants
      from 0 to 3 months of age, while income, supplementary feeding, occupation,
      water, infections, and town were found to be the factors affecting weight gain of
      infants from 3 to 6 months of age.

PMID- 1861285
TI  - Plasma iron and iron proteins in erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
      deficient newborns.

PMID- 1861286
TI  - The effect of vitamin A prophylaxis on morbidity and mortality among children in
      urban slums in Bombay.

PMID- 1861287
TI  - Can low income women in developing countries afford artificial feeding?

PMID- 1861288
TI  - Is follow-up formula from 6 months onwards necessary?

PMID- 1861289
TI  - Shigellosis.

PMID- 1861290
TI  - Retraction. The effect of an alpha-2 agonist on bladder function and cord
      histology after spinal cord injury.

PMID- 1861291
TI  - Papers presented at annual meeting of the Section of Urology, American Academy of
      Pediatrics. Boston, Massachusetts, October 5-10, 1990.

PMID- 1861292
TI  - Collagen and elastin in the normal fetal bladder.
AB  - The development of muscle, collagen and elastic fibers was studied histologically
      in 15 human fetal bladder specimens. Muscle thickness progressively increased and
      the relative collagen content in the muscle decreased during gestation. The ratio
      of thick-to-thin collagen fibers also decreased, whereas elastic fibers
      increased. These findings document the normal process of maturation of the fetal
      bladder and serve as a basis for comparison with congenitally obstructed fetal
      bladders.

PMID- 1861293
TI  - Collagen and elastin in the obstructed fetal bladder.
AB  - Histological findings of muscle, collagen and elastin in obstructed fetal
      bladders were compared with those of age-matched controls. Muscle thickness was
      markedly increased, however, the relative collagen content in the muscle was
      decreased. The ratio of thick-to-thin collagen fibers was markedly increased as
      was the amount of elastin. These findings suggest that the ratio of thick
      collagen to elastin has an important role in determining the compliance of the
      obstructed fetal bladder.

PMID- 1861294
TI  - The use of intravesical oxybutynin chloride in children with neurogenic bladder.
AB  - Intravesical oxybutynin chloride was administered to 10 children with neurogenic
      bladder (myelomeningocele in 9 and imperforate anus in 1) and urinary
      incontinence refractory to regimens of intermittent catheterization and oral
      anticholinergic medication. Therapy consisted of instillation of 5 mg. crushed
      oxybutynin chloride in 10 cc sterile saline twice daily. Of the children 5 (50%)
      became completely dry day and night, 3 (30%) achieved daytime continence alone,
      and 2 did not improve clinically and remained in diapers. Urodynamic study
      revealed increases in bladder capacity up to 335% over baseline and decreases of
      maximum filling pressures to 63%. No local or systemic side effects were noted.
      Surgical bladder augmentation was avoided in those who clinically responded to
      this therapy.

PMID- 1861295
TI  - Urodynamic evaluation of the continence mechanism following urethral lengthening-
      reimplantation and enterocystoplasty.
AB  - In an attempt to create continence in myelomeningocele children we performed
      urethral lengthening/submucosal reimplantation, a form of bladder neck
      reconstruction, to create a valve allowing catheterizable access to the bladder.
      We present the urodynamic findings of 23 patients 4 to 89 months (mean 43.1
      months) after bladder neck reconstruction and enterocytoplasty to determine the
      continence mechanism of this 1-way valve and characteristics of the augmented
      bladder. Standard cystometrograms with simultaneous pressure recording of the
      submucosal portion of the neourethra were undertaken with a 10F, triple lumen,
      urethral pressure profile catheter. Baseline pressures in the submucosal
      neourethra were higher than in the bladder (mean 25.3 versus 13.4 cm, water, p
      less than 0.001). Submucosal tunnel and bladder pressures paralleled throughout
      filling, with mean tunnel pressures remaining greater at the time of first (53.6
      versus 45.5 cm. water, p less than 0.01) and peak (62.9 versus 55.8 cm. water, p
      greater than 0.05) cystoplasty contractions. Bladders augmented with
      detubularized ileum had fewer significant contractions (greater than 40 cm.
      water) than other types of cystoplasties (36% versus 92%) and over-all they had
      first and peak contractions at greater volumes and lesser magnitude. We conclude
      that continence following urethral lengthening/reimplantation results from an
      anatomical arrangement allowing transmission of dynamic bladder pressure changes
      to the submucosal neourethra and that urethral pressure exceeds bladder pressure
      throughout filling. Additionally, our data suggest that detubularized ileum
      provides a large capacity, low pressure reservoir suitable for augmentation.

PMID- 1861296
TI  - Urodynamic evaluation of the patient with an imperforate anus: a prospective
      study.
AB  - Prospective urodynamic evaluation of 14 patients with an imperforate anus
      revealed detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in 4. Subsequent contrast voiding
      cystourethrograms demonstrated radiographic changes in all 4 cases, consisting of
      bladder trabeculation, new onset of vesicoureteral reflux or
      hydroureteronephrosis. Of the 4 patients 3 had a high (supralevator) imperforate
      anus, while 1 had a low (infralevator) lesion. Two patients had bony vertebral
      abnormalities and 2 had normal plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging
      of the spine. Therefore, early urodynamic study is recommended for all patients
      with an imperforate anus and it should complement neonatal uroradiographic
      evaluation. The finding of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia should alert the
      urologist to the need for adjunctive management.

PMID- 1861297
TI  - Renin production after experimental extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a
      primate model.
AB  - Since the advent of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) concern has
      surfaced as to the long-term risk of the development of hypertension, as well as
      risk to the developing kidney. To study this concern 8 infant and 3 adult rhesus
      monkeys (Macaca mulatta) underwent treatment with the XL1 experimental
      lithotriptor to 1 kidney varying the amount of voltage and shocks. Followup
      consisted of measurement of renin levels and quantitative renal scans, using
      131iodine hippurate to calculate effective renal plasma flow. In the infants a
      slight change was noted in the absolute effective renal plasma flow of the
      treated kidney versus the untreated side but it was not statistically different.
      When indexed to body surface area in the growing animal, there was a
      statistically significant decrease in renal function. However, peripheral renin
      levels were markedly elevated in the infants at 3 weeks, and they gradually
      declined during the 6-month period, although levels remained elevated over
      baseline. The adults also had central renin levels drawn from the renal vein on
      the treated side, and there was a close correlation with the peripheral levels,
      which peaked at 3 weeks and returned to normal. Thus, it seems that at least in
      the short term renin production is increased in infants more than adults. This
      finding may be an indicator as to renal damage and is a possible explanation for
      hypertension occurring after ESWL.

PMID- 1861298
TI  - Elevated intravesical pressure causes arterial hypoperfusion in canine
      colocystoplasty: a fluorometric assessment.
AB  - Since 1988 there have been 15 reported cases of late, spontaneously ruptured
      intestinal cystoplasties at bowel sites remote from the anastomosis. Ischemic
      necrosis has been suggested as a possible etiology. We examined this hypothesis
      by quantifying the uptake of intravascular fluorescein in the augmented bowel of
      adult mongrel canines. There was a statistically significant decrease in
      fluorescein uptake at high intravesical pressures, which appeared to be most
      pronounced at the antimesenteric border. This laboratory study supports a recent
      clinical report of histological changes pathognomonic for chronic ischemia in the
      augmented bowel of patients with spontaneous rupture.

PMID- 1861299
TI  - Viability and functional characteristics of enterocystoplasty after ligation of
      the vascular pedicle.
AB  - A canine model was developed to evaluate the effect of ligation of the mesenteric
      blood supply of enterocystoplasty. In 5 dogs with an ileocystoplasty and 6 with a
      gastrocystoplasty the blood supply was interrupted 4 months postoperatively. Re
      exploration 2 to 8 weeks later revealed sufficient collateral blood flow to
      maintain integrity of the bowel wall and none of the animals had urine leak or
      other signs of perforation. Two animals had a significant decrease in the size of
      the cystoplasty. Intraoperative measurements of bowel viability after pedicle
      ligation were not predictive of the outcome. The functional outcome after pedicle
      division seems to be variable and probably reflects how well the patch has been
      vascularized before interruption of the blood supply. The augmented bladder may
      remain viable if sufficient time has elapsed to allow revascularization of the
      intestinal segment before its mesenteric blood supply is divided.

PMID- 1861300
TI  - Seromuscular enterocystoplasty in rats.
AB  - Enterocystoplasty is commonly used in clinical practice. Many of its undesirable
      effects, that is infections, stones, mucus production, absorption of urinary
      components into the blood stream and risk of cancer, result from the intestinal
      mucosa lining the urinary tract. We report on the feasibility of creating an
      enterocytoplasty with a seromuscular colonic segment that acquires a transitional
      epithelial lining. Augmentation enterocystoplasty was performed in 51 male, 500
      gm., Sprague-Dawley rats with a 1.82 cm.2 patch of left colon from which the
      mucosa had been stripped. The serosal surface was used as lining for the
      enterocystoplasty. The intestinal patch and the bladder capacity at known
      pressure were measured at operation and at sacrifice. The histology of the
      enterocystoplasty was studied in detail following sacrifice. Of the animals 40
      survived without significant complications and were sacrificed at a mean
      postoperative time of 30 days (range 5 to 80 days). In the remaining 11 rats a
      bladder stone developed but it did not seem to affect the outcome of the
      experiment. The size of the patch could be measured in 22 rats: it was 1.82 cm.2
      (standard deviation +/- 0.86) at operation and 2.30 cm.2 (standard deviation +/-
      1.1) at sacrifice. In none of the rats did the patch decrease in size. The
      bladder capacity at a known pressure (mean 17 cm. water) could be measured in 26
      animals: it was 2.35 ml. (standard deviation +/- 0.65) at operation and 5.18 ml.
      (standard deviation +/- 1.19) at sacrifice. Histological analysis was done in 40
      rats. In all cases the serosal surface was lined with transitional epithelium,
      there was no fibrosis or inflammation and the structure of the muscular layer of
      the bowel remained intact. The earliest growth of uroepithelium in the serosal
      surface of the bowel was noted at 5 days. This model suggests that the
      seromuscular enterocystoplasty can be constructed successfully in the rat model.
      The seromuscular intestinal patch does not shrink. The bladder capacity increases
      and histology shows a uroepithelial lining of the augmentation.

PMID- 1861301
TI  - Bladder augmentation in patients with neurogenic bladder and vesicoureteral
      reflux.
AB  - Current treatment of noncompliant neurogenic bladder associated with significant
      vesicoureteral reflux that is refractory to intermittent self-catheterization and
      anticholinergic therapy includes bladder augmentation coupled with a procedure to
      eliminate reflux. Antireflux surgery is often difficult in such a clinical
      setting. The diseased and thickened detrusor makes reimplantation into the
      bladder difficult, and successful reimplantation into the intestinal component is
      tricky and time-consuming. Augmentation alone was done in 14 patients with
      significant vesicoureteral reflux in the face of a noncompliant, high pressure
      neurogenic bladder. No effort was made to correct reflux surgically because, in
      theory, reflux is secondary to abnormal bladder pressure. Of the 13 patients who
      have had adequate evaluation with postoperative cystograms 12 no longer have
      reflux. The reflux in the remaining patient has improved from grade IV to grade
      II. Postoperative cystometric examination in 12 patients demonstrated low
      pressure and adequate volume. Correction of bladder dynamics alone reversed the
      reflux. Conversely, persistence of reflux postoperatively is an indication that
      augmentation has not successfully returned the bladder to a low pressure
      reservoir. Our experience indicates that antireflux procedures are not routinely
      needed in this group of patients.

PMID- 1861302
TI  - Intraoperative cardiovascular collapse secondary to latex allergy.
AB  - An apparent allergic reaction has been noted in children undergoing open
      urological surgery. This condition is characterized by precipitous hypotension,
      tachycardia and upper body flushing, and it often causes termination of the
      procedure. Latex allergy has been identified as the possible inciting event.
      Contact of latex rubber gloves with intra-abdominal structures (handling bowel)
      appears to be the most dramatic trigger mechanism for this reaction. We report on
      10 patients with latex allergy, 6 of whom have myelomeningocele, who have
      undergone reconstructive surgery. Severe anaphylactic shock developed
      intraoperatively in 5 patients and during a barium enema performed with a latex
      catheter in 1 patient. These 6 patients had previous allergic reactions to latex
      material, which was not detected preoperatively. In the remaining 4 patients
      latex allergy was diagnosed preoperatively. A total of 6 patients agreed to a
      skin prick test to liquid latex. Three patients reacted with a wheal size greater
      than or equal to a histamine control at a dilution of 1:1,000 and 3 patients at
      1:100. In contrast, none of the 5 normal controls reacted to any of the
      concentrations including full strength latex. A history of exposure to latex
      products (balloons, surgical gloves, catheters, condoms and so forth) with
      allergic reactions should heighten surgeon awareness of a potentially severe
      intraoperative reaction. Furthermore, a skin prick test may be used to screen
      high risk patients such as those with myelomeningocele. A protocol involving
      preoperative corticosteroid and antihistamine therapy is recommended.

PMID- 1861303
TI  - Rubber-specific IgE in children with spina bifida.
AB  - We attempted to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of rubber
      specific IgE in a prospective case control study of 32 preoperative children with
      spina bifida, compared with 45 outpatient controls and 35 age-matched
      preoperative controls without spina bifida. A latex-specific radioallergosorbent
      test was positive in 11 of the 32 spina bifida patients (34%), compared with 1
      (2%) and 4 (11%) of the respective controls (p less than 0.05). Within the spina
      bifida group 5 of 11 antibody-positive patients had a history of rubber
      associated, intraoperative or otherwise idiopathic allergic episodes and 1 of 21
      antibody-negative patients gave such a history (p = 0.012). Children with spina
      bifida have a significantly greater likelihood than controls of having IgE
      specific for rubber antigens. In addition, the presence of rubber-specific IgE is
      associated with a higher frequency of rubber-associated, intraoperative or
      idiopathic allergic reactions.

PMID- 1861304
TI  - Cystic adrenal masses in the neonate associated with hemihypertrophy and the
      relation to the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
AB  - We report 2 cases of unilateral, multilocular, cystic adrenal masses in neonates.
      Both patients demonstrated somatic hemihypertrophy, which is considered to have
      the same implications as the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome in terms of tumor risk.
      Pathological examination showed multiple, adrenal cysts without evidence of tumor
      or routine adrenal hemorrhage. This finding appears to represent a previously
      unreported association between the spectrum of hemihypertrophy/Beckwith-Wiedemann
      syndrome and benign cystic adrenal disease.

PMID- 1861305
TI  - Abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst: occurrence after intraperitoneal
      urological surgery in children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts.
AB  - Increasingly, children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts are undergoing urinary
      tract reconstructive surgery with bowel. The peritoneal end of the
      ventriculoperitoneal shunt tubing usually is exposed during the procedure, making
      the system vulnerable to infections and malfunction. The records of 103
      myelomeningocele children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts and bowel-bladder
      reconstructive surgical procedures (27) were reviewed for evidence of an
      abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst (6). Pseudocyst formation occurred in
      only 1 of 76 ventriculoperitoneal shunt patients (1.3%) who had not undergone
      versus 6 of 27 (22%) who had undergone an intra-abdominal procedure. The 6
      children had a total of 8 pseudocysts, including 7 pseudocysts that developed 8
      days to 47 months (average 15.1 months) after the reconstructive surgery and 1
      that developed before reconstructive surgery. All patients had abdominal symptoms
      (pain or mass) or symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Treatment included
      computerized tomography-guided needle aspiration or abdominal exploration with
      cyst evacuation and shunt repositioning or replacement. The walls of the
      pseudocyst were formed by matted loops of bowel. Additional shunt surgery was
      required in 5 patients with conversion to ventriculoatrial shunts. We conclude
      that the development of an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst is at least
      in part related to the prior abdominal surgery. Thus, pediatric urological and
      general surgeons caring for children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts should be
      aware of this complication.

PMID- 1861306
TI  - Sequential renography and renal function in Brown-Norway rats with congenital
      hydronephrosis.
AB  - Animal models may be helpful to gain insight into the long-term functional
      outcome of the hydronephrotic kidney. Inbred Brown-Norway rats frequently have
      kidneys with a delayed urine outflow. In 26 male rats 99mtechnetium
      diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Tc-DTPA) furosemide renography was performed
      to assess the presence and degree of obstruction, and the contribution of each
      kidney to the total glomerular filtration rate. The total glomerular filtration
      rate was measured as the plasma clearance of 51chromium
      ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The measurements were first done at the age of 3
      months, and repeated at ages 6, 10 and 15 months. From the renography curve we
      derived an obstruction score ranging from 0 (minimum) to 10 (maximum) based on
      the time to peak, the 99mTc-DTPA accumulation at 15 minutes and the furosemide
      response. Kidneys were classified as normal, obstructed or equivocal. At the
      first renography 21 kidneys were normal, 8 were equivocal and 23 were obstructed.
      The total obstruction score of the next 3 renographies indicated that 29 units
      were normal, 14 were equivocal and 9 were obstructed. Two groups of rats with
      unilateral hydronephrosis (hydronephrotic kidney-1 and hydronephrotic kidney-2)
      were selected based on the total obstruction score of all 4 renographies. These
      groups were compared with rats with 2 normal kidneys. The hydronephrotic kidney-1
      rats had an obstruction score indicating equivocal obstruction, while the
      obstruction score of the hydronephrotic kidney-2 rats indicated obstruction.
      During the 15 months of followup the presence of a unilateral hydronephrotic
      kidney with an obstruction score indicating obstruction did not affect the
      contribution of the hydronephrotic kidney to the total glomerular filtration
      rate, or the total glomerular filtration rate. We conclude that the obstruction
      score of a hydronephrotic kidney in rats may change considerably with time. In
      cases in which renography suggested the permanent presence of ureteral
      obstruction the glomerular filtration rate remained stable. Thus, renal
      functional criteria did not indicate obstruction. In Brown-Norway rats a
      hydronephrotic kidney is able to maintain a normal glomerular filtration rate
      during at least 50% of the normal lfie span.

PMID- 1861307
TI  - The effect of urinary flow and bladder fullness on renal pelvic pressure in a rat
      model.
AB  - We describe an in vivo animal model used to study the interactions of urinary
      flow, and bladder pressure and fullness on renal pelvic pressure. These
      parameters were examined in 17 nonrefluxing Sprague-Dawley rats. At urinary flow
      rates less than 14 cc/kg. per hour and bladders less than 60% full, renal pelvic
      pressures were below 9 cm. water but at urinary flow rates more than 30 cc/kg.
      per hour renal pelvic pressure increased above 10 cm. water when the bladder was
      only 20% full. At all urinary flow rates examined renal pelvic pressure increased
      to more than 20 cm. water as the bladder approached 100% fullness. To quantitate
      the combined effects of these changes in renal pelvic pressure and urinary flow
      on the renal pelvis a renal pelvic work index (renal pelvic pressure times
      urinary flow rate) was defined. Using this index the magnitude of the change
      between low urinary flows with an empty bladder and high urinary flows with a
      full bladder can be observed. The results of these studies in this model might be
      applicable to high urinary flow states or bladders that fail to empty completely.

PMID- 1861308
TI  - The role of the kidney in lung growth and maturation in the setting of
      obstructive uropathy and oligohydramnios.
AB  - The contribution of the kidneys to lung development, which includes growth and
      maturation, is uncertain but it appears to be complex. Obstructive uropathy with
      oligohydramnios produces pulmonary hypoplasia characterized by small lungs
      (decreased lung volume/body weight) and retarded maturation (reduced total
      airspace). Lung growth and maturation were studied in a model of early gestation
      obstructive uropathy to understand better their relationship and their prenatal
      regulation. Of 26 fetal sheep studied at near term (135 days of gestation) 9 had
      bladder obstruction created at 60 days of gestation, 11 had bladder obstruction
      at 60 days with in utero decompression at 95 days, and 6 served as controls and
      shams. Amniotic fluid volume was measured, kidneys were prepared and evaluated
      histologically, lungs were inflation-fixed and volumes were measured, and
      airspace volume percentage was measured morphometrically. Experimental and
      serendipitous variations in the condition of the kidneys and amniotic fluid at
      delivery permitted an analysis of the contribution of the kidneys and the
      amniotic fluid to lung growth and maturation. Impairment of growth and maturation
      was dissociated in certain animals, and this dissociation was referable to the
      histological status of the kidneys and the presence or absence of amniotic fluid
      at delivery. Growth was normal when amniotic fluid was present or likely to have
      been present in late gestation, even with structurally damaged kidneys. With
      severe renal damage amniotic fluid was not restored even with in utero
      decompression and it resulted in severely impaired lung growth. Maturation was
      normal only in the presence of amniotic fluid and intact kidneys. The
      dissociation of lung growth and structural maturity suggests their independent
      regulation. The data suggest that the kidneys are important in early lung growth,
      while the presence of amniotic fluid contributes to growth later in gestation.
      Lung maturity requires both factors, suggesting a primary kidney contribution
      with the amniotic fluid acting in a permissive or supportive role.

PMID- 1861309
TI  - Radionuclide diuresis pyelography.
AB  - Radionuclide diuresis renography continues to be relied upon as a major
      diagnostic tool to differentiate obstructive and nonobstructive hydronephrosis.
      Controversy continues to exist with respect to methodology and interpretation of
      intermediate obstructive patterns. In this study radionuclide diuresis
      pyelography was performed in 11 renal units with hydronephrosis and a pre
      existing percutaneous nephrostomy tube in place. The procedure consisted of the
      introduction per kidney of 20 muc./kg. 99mtechnetium
      diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and sterile saline as a bolus into the renal
      pelvis via a percutaneous nephrostomy tube to produce a volume equal to the
      capacity of the hydronephrotic system. The kidney was monitored with a gamma
      camera and computer system. Furosemide (0.3 mg./kg.) was injected intravenously
      halfway into a 40-minute study. The time/activity curves thus generated were
      relatively independent of the cortical transport phase. The 2 types of curves
      were accelerated and constant. Analysis of these pyelogram curves revealed a
      strong correlation between the presence of an accelerated clearance rate response
      to furosemide and hydronephrosis without obstruction in 5 of 6 renal units. A
      constant clearance rate response to furosemide correlated with the presence of
      obstruction in 4 of 5 units. These observations may indicate that diuretic
      pyelogram curve dynamics may reflect not only the presence or absence of
      obstruction but also the ability of the hydronephrotic kidney to respond to the
      diuretic. More experience must be accumulated to determine the conditions under
      which diuresis pyelography may become useful clinically.

PMID- 1861310
TI  - Diuretic Doppler sonography in postnatal hydronephrosis.
AB  - Renal resistive indexes were measured by Doppler sonography in 12 children
      undergoing other standard diagnostic studies to evaluate hydronephrosis.
      Measurement of renal resistive indexes was modified by prior placement of a
      bladder catheter, oral hydration and administration of 1 mg./kg. furosemide after
      baseline measurement. Renal resistive indexes were again measured at 10 and 30
      minutes after diuretic. While diuretic administration had no measurable influence
      on 10 nonobstructed kidneys, the elevated 10-minute post-diuretic renal resistive
      indexes recorded in 10 obstructed kidneys differed significantly from the indexes
      recorded in the nonobstructed group (p less than 0.001). The highest elevations
      in renal resistive indexes were recorded in nonpaired kidneys, which included 7
      of the 10 kidneys in the obstructed group. In the 3 unilaterally obstructed
      kidneys the 10-minute post-diuretic renal resistive indexes did not differ
      significantly. However, renal resistive indexes in these kidneys increased at
      least 15% over baseline readings after diuretic administration. Diuretic Doppler
      sonography appears to be another useful method for differentiating functionally
      significant hydronephrosis from nonobstructive hydronephrosis in children.

PMID- 1861311
TI  - Management of the failed exstrophy closure.
AB  - In the last 5 years we have seen 15 boys and 9 girls with failure of exstrophy
      closure, including 20 who had classical bladder exstrophy and 4 who had cloacal
      exstrophy. At the time of presentation 18 patients had undergone 1 closure while
      6 patients had undergone 2 prior exstrophy closures. Closure was performed for
      complete bladder dehiscence in 16 cases and for significant bladder prolapse in
      8. None of the patients underwent any form of osteotomy at the time of initial
      closure and in 19 closure was done within 72 hours of birth. Two patients
      underwent posterior iliac osteotomy elsewhere at the time of secondary closure.
      All patients referred to our institution underwent either posterior iliac
      osteotomy (8 patients) or anterior innominate osteotomy (16 patients). Epispadias
      repair along with reclosure of bladder exstrophy was done in 13 boys. The upper
      tract remained normal in all patients. There were no instances of failure in this
      group of reclosures. Eight patients have undergone subsequent bladder neck
      reconstruction of whom 7 are dry for 4 hours and 1 remains totally incontinent.
      Two patients have undergone simultaneous bladder neck reconstruction and
      augmentation cystoplasty, and they are dry on intermittent self-catheterization.
      The failed exstrophy closure presents a formidable dilemma. However, a secure
      reclosure can be achieved with careful surgical technique, a well performed
      osteotomy (even if previously performed) and concomitant epispadias repair for
      male subjects.

PMID- 1861312
TI  - Vesical neck reconstruction in patients with epispadias-exstrophy complex.
AB  - The achievement of satisfactory continence in the management of patients with the
      epispadias-exstrophy complex remains a challenge. Between 1971 and 1989, 22
      children underwent vesical neck reconstruction at our hospital. Satisfactory
      continence was achieved in 17 of the 22 patients (77%), including 8 (36%) who are
      continent after a single vesical neck reconstruction and 9 of 13 who achieved
      continence after additional and/or adjunctive procedures. Additions and/or
      adjunctive procedures included revision of the vesical neck reconstruction,
      bladder augmentation and/or placement of an artificial urinary sphincter. We
      conclude that vesical neck reconstruction with or without additional and/or
      adjunctive procedures can result in an acceptable continence rate in patients
      with the epispadias-exstrophy complex.

PMID- 1861313
TI  - Techniques to create urinary continence in the cloacal exstrophy patient.
AB  - Of 15 patients with cloacal exstrophy currently under management 11 have
      undergone procedures for the establishment of urinary continence. There were 8
      genetic female subjects, 6 genetic male subjects raised as girls and 1 genetic
      male subject raised as a boy. The genetic female subjects had all undergone
      urethral reconstruction. In 4 patients urethral reconstruction was done with
      local tissues and they have subsequently undergone bladder neck reconstruction: 1
      is continent and voids through the urethra, 2 are dry on intermittent
      catheterization and 1 is dry on intermittent catheterization after augmentation
      with a hindgut patch. One girl underwent a Kropp procedure along with bladder
      augmentation, and she is dry on intermittent catheterization, in 1 urethral
      reconstruction was done with an ileal nipple through which she performs
      intermittent catheterization and 2 await a continence procedure. The urethral
      reconstructions in the genetic male subjects were more difficult. Of the 6
      genetic male subjects raised as girls 5 have undergone continence procedures and
      1 awaits establishment of urinary continence. In only 1 patient was urethral
      reconstruction possible from local tissues to allow intermittent catheterization.
      In the other 4 the perineal urethra was closed in favor of an abdominal stoma for
      intermittent catheterization. Ileal plication with nipple formation of the stoma
      was done in 3 patients and a Benchekroun stoma was used in 1. The genetic male
      subject raised as a boy underwent exstrophy reclosure plus epispadias repair and
      subsequent bladder neck reconstruction and augmentation. Augmentation was
      performed in 5 patients with hindgut segments in 3 and ileum in 2. All 5 patients
      are currently dry on intermittent catheterization, although 1 required revision
      of the ileal nipple to a Benchekroun stoma. Staged reconstruction can produce
      acceptable urinary continence in this complex anomaly. An innovative approach is
      required to find the most suitable solution for each patient anatomy, bladder
      size and function, and mental, neurological and orthopedic status.

PMID- 1861314
TI  - Flow cytometry of fine needle aspirations of the Sprague-Dawley rat testis:
      defining normal maturation and the effects of multiple biopsies.
AB  - Quantitative assessment of spermatogenesis by flow cytometry reproducibly
      correlates with histological examination. Flow cytometry of fine needle aspirates
      from the testis was used to analyze normal spermatogenesis of Sprague-Dawley
      rats. Aged matched male weanlings were divided into 3 groups: group 1-5 rats
      underwent bilateral percutaneous aspiration of the testes with a 22 gauge Chiba
      needle on postpartum days 19, 24, 30 and 40; group 2-5 rats aspirated on days 24,
      30 and 40, and group 3-4 rats aspirated on days 30 and 40. This sequential
      approach allowed for evaluation of normal spermatogenesis and the effects of
      repeated fine needle aspiration on spermatogenesis. Deoxyribonucleic acid
      distribution analysis by flow cytometry correlates with haploid (1N), diploid
      (2N), tetraploid (4N) and S phase cell populations. These cell populations were
      evaluated and comparisons among each group were made at all biopsy times. No
      significant differences in mean 2N, 4N or S phase cell populations in single
      versus repeat biopsied testes were detected. However, there was a significant
      increase in the 1N population at 30 days post partum in the repeat biopsy group
      (p = 0.037), which normalized by day 40. This increase in 1N corresponds to the
      beginning of meiosis, which is maximal between postpartum days 30 and 40, and
      occurs earlier in the repeat biopsied testis. Repeat fine needle aspiration of
      the testis can be performed without significantly affecting spermatogenesis in
      the "weanling" rat. This provides a useful technique in the future investigations
      of the time related effects of varicocele, chemotherapy and toxicologic drugs on
      spermatogenesis.

PMID- 1861315
TI  - Effectiveness of trigonoplasty to treat primary vesicoureteral reflux.
AB  - Among the surgical procedures to treat vesicoureteral reflux trigonoplasty is a
      conservative technique that preserves the integrity of the vesicoureteral
      junction. Since its introduction in 1984 by Gil Vernet it gained only little
      attention in small series. Between 1986 and 1989 we performed trigonoplasty in 51
      children 4 months to 13 years old, of whom 47 had primary vesicoureteral reflux.
      Our study includes 44 patients who have sufficient followup and 69 refluxing
      units. Reflux was grade II in 25 units, grade III in 39 and grade IV in 5.
      Patients were arbitrarily divided into 2 age groups: less than (13) and greater
      than (31) 3 years old. All children underwent standard preoperative assessment.
      The operation, with technical modifications (absorbable sutures in all cases and
      muscular incision added in 12), was performed after failed conservative treatment
      in all patients except 5 who were operated on at diagnosis. Surgery was
      successful in 97.7% of the patients and in 92.3% of the children less than 3
      years old. The only recurrence was noted on 1 side of a 2-year-old child who had
      had grade IV bilateral reflux. Considering that reimplantation threatens the
      integrity of the vesicoureteral junction and endoscopic injections still have
      unclear side effects, indications for trigonoplasty can be extended to higher
      grades of reflux if ureteral tapering is not required and a sufficient intramural
      length of ureter can be obtained.

PMID- 1861316
TI  - M inverted V glansplasty: a procedure for distal hypospadias.
AB  - Minimal hypospadias is a commonly encountered anomaly. Duckett's innovative
      meatoplasty and glanuloplasty (MAGPI) procedure has become a standard operation
      for the correction of these lesions. Although usually successful, the
      complication of meatal retraction has been recognized at times after a MAGPI. The
      M inverted V glansplasty was designed to address the factors leading to meatal
      retraction and the abnormal glans shape sometimes seen after the MAGPI. The M
      inverted V glansplasty derives its name from the initial M-shaped incision that
      reconfigures during the course of the procedure into an inverted V. Of 16 boys
      followed for more than 2 months after an M inverted V glansplasty 14 have
      achieved good results. The remaining 2 cases had a definite degree of meatal
      retraction but because of the meatal and glanular relationships they have a good
      cosmetic result. The technique, its indications and its limitations are
      described.

PMID- 1861317
TI  - Distal hypospadias repair by urethral sliding advancement and Y-V glanuloplasty.
AB  - Different techniques are available today for repairing distal (coronal and
      subcoronal) hypospadias but none is universally recommended. We developed the
      technique of a distal urethral advancement glanuloplasty operation that is
      specifically intended for distal hypospadias repair even with mild chordee.
      Mobilization of the distal urethra is performed for 1.0 to 1.5 cm. after
      subcoronal circumcision and a deep Y-shaped incision of the glans. The mobilized
      urethra is dorsally split and slid forward to the tip of the dart of the glans
      previously prepared. Glanuloplasty is performed using the 2 lateral flaps of
      glans tissue. From January 1987 to December 1989 we used this technique in 74
      cases of distal hypospadias with mild or no chordee (patient age 18 months to 9
      years, mean 3.5 years). A transurethral catheter was left indwelling for 3 to 4
      days. Hospitalization time was 5 (plus or minus 1.5) days. Results after 4 to 40
      months of followup are encouraging cosmetically and functionally. All patients
      were cured. In 3 cases (4%) meatal stenoses occurred requiring meatotomy and in 8
      boys meatal dilations were performed on an outpatient basis. In 1 case (1.3%) a
      fistula developed, which was subsequently repaired without further complications.
      This operation may be successfully used in most cases of distal hypospadias, with
      a low complication rate and excellent cosmetic results. It also may be used if
      mild chordee is present, thus reducing the indications for flip-flap
      urethroplasty in those cases when meatal advancement procedures may not be
      effective.

PMID- 1861318
TI  - Abdominoperitoneal approach to management of the high, short vagina in the
      adrenogenital syndrome.
AB  - We describe a combined transtrigonal, abdominoperineal approach to the surgical
      management of the female pseudohermaphrodite with the adrenogenital syndrome and
      a high, short vagina. Most of our patients had undergone previous clitoral
      reduction surgery and, therefore, clitoral shaft skin was not available for
      exteriorization of the vagina. Our operation involves partial mobilization of the
      vagina through an inverted U flap from the perineum followed by detachment from
      the urogenital sinus from above by splitting the trigone. Exteriorization is
      accomplished by mobilizing 2 lateral skin flaps from the perineum and joining
      them with the inverted U flap to reach the vagina. Cosmetic results have been
      excellent, although anastomotic stenosis occurred in 1 young infant.

PMID- 1861319
TI  - Renal blood flow measurements using radioactive microspheres in a porcine model
      with unilateral vesicoureteral reflux.
AB  - Renal blood flow was studied in Yorkshire pigs with surgically created unilateral
      vesicoureteral reflux using radionuclide labeled microspheres. The contralateral,
      nonrefluxing kidney served as a within-subject control and a group of nonoperated
      pigs without reflux served as an additional control group. Unilateral reflux did
      not change the distribution of whole renal blood flow between the refluxing and
      nonrefluxing kidneys. In addition, reflux had only minor effects upon the
      distribution of blood flow to cortical regions within the kidneys.

PMID- 1861320
TI  - Urinary levels of renal tubular enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in
      relation to grade of vesicoureteral reflux.
AB  - Elevated urinary levels of the renal tubular enzyme N-acetyl-beta-D
      glucosaminidase (NAG) have been shown to be associated with tubular damage. To
      determine whether urinary levels of NAG would be abnormal and/or vary with the
      severity of vesicoureteral reflux, bladder urine was obtained from 31 children
      without reflux and 32 children with various grades of reflux. Nonrefluxing
      controls were obtained from children undergoing evaluation for a history of
      infection, hematuria or voiding abnormality. Patients with evidence of
      obstruction, neuropathic bladder dysfunction, urinary tract infection or renal
      failure were excluded. Bladder (32 cases) and ureteral (5 cases) urine from
      children with reflux was obtained at cystography or at antireflux surgery.
      Control and reflux patients were not significantly different with regard to sex
      or age. The mean urinary NAG level in nonrefluxing control patients was 10.63
      IU/mg. (range 0.94 to 26.61, standard error of mean 0.43). Mean urinary NAG for
      all patients with reflux was 16.47 IU/mg. (range 2.85 to 52.02, standard error of
      mean 0.9). Two children with intrarenal reflux had urinary NAG levels of 52 and
      48 IU/mg. Urinary NAG levels are elevated with higher grades of reflux and this
      relatively simple assay may have clinical usefulness in the assessment of tubular
      dysfunction associated with reflux.

PMID- 1861321
TI  - Duplex reflux: a study of 105 children.
AB  - A series of 105 children with vesicoureteral reflux into completely duplicated
      collecting systems was studied retrospectively. Of the children 64% were treated
      surgically, with two-thirds undergoing an ablative procedure and one-third
      undergoing common sheath ureteral reimplantation. The remaining 36% of the
      children were managed nonoperatively and followed for up to 11 years. Among these
      cases 89% of the kidneys had reflux into the lower pole moiety only and 11% had
      reflux into the upper and lower pole moieties. The spontaneous rates of reflux
      resolution were 85% for grades I and II, and 36% for grade III reflux during a
      median observation period of 40 months. These figures suggest that the
      spontaneous resolution of mild to moderate reflux into completely duplicated
      collecting systems is similar to that of identical degrees of single system
      reflux during a comparable observational period.

PMID- 1861322
TI  - Reflections on 30 years of treating children with urinary tract infections.

PMID- 1861323
TI  - Failure of motor evoked potentials to predict neurologic outcome in experimental
      thoracic aortic occlusion.
AB  - Motor evoked potential monitoring was tested as an alternative to somatosensory
      evoked potential monitoring in evaluating spinal cord function during thoracic
      aortic occlusion in dogs. Twenty-seven animals underwent 60 minutes of cross
      clamping of the proximal descending thoracic aorta with (n = 18) or without (n =
      9) cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Spinal cord blood flow was measured with
      microspheres, and neurologic outcome was evaluated at 24 hours with Tarlov's
      scoring system. Cerebrospinal fluid drainage improved neurologic outcome (p less
      than 0.05). Motor evoked potentials recorded over the lumbar spinal cord were
      lost in 9 of 20 dogs with ischemic cord injury and were not lost in any of the 7
      dogs that were neurologically normal. Somatosensory evoked potential were lost in
      19 of 20 paraplegic/paraparetic dogs and lost in 3 of 7 normal dogs (p less than
      0.01). After reperfusion, motor evoked potentials returned in all nine
      neurologically injured dogs that lost the potentials and were still present at 24
      hours. Changes in amplitude, latency, or time until loss or return of motor
      evoked potentials or somatosensory evoked potentials did not predict neurologic
      injury. Loss of somatosensory evoked potentials had a high sensitivity (95%) but
      had low specificity (67%) because of peripheral nerve ischemia. Loss of motor
      evoked potentials recorded from the spinal cord had high specificity (100%) but a
      low sensitivity (46%) and was therefore not a reliable predictor of neurologic
      injury. Return of motor evoked potentials during reperfusion did not correlate
      with functional recovery. Motor evoked potentials stimulated in the cortex and
      recorded from the spinal cord had low overall accuracy (59%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861324
TI  - Quantification of vascular graft seeding by use of computer-assisted image
      analysis and genetically modified endothelial cells.
AB  - Current methods for the evaluation of retention of endothelial cells seeded on
      vascular grafts are limited by the inability to specifically identify and
      quantitate seeded cells on a long-term basis. To address this problem we
      developed a method of quantification of graft surface coverage using genetic
      labeling of endothelial cells combined with computer-assisted image analysis.
      Rabbit aortic endothelial cells were transduced with a marker gene (lac-Z) and
      seeded on polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. After histochemical staining in which
      the genetically labeled cells turn blue, computer-assisted image analysis was
      used to measure the percentage of graft surface covered by the seeded cells. The
      utility of the method was evaluated by using it to assess the effect on graft
      coverage of seeded cell density and by precoating with fibronectin.
      Quantification of surface area coverage was automated and reproducible both
      between scans and between observers. Use of this method allowed the determination
      of a linear correlation between cell density in the seeding suspension and graft
      coverage (r2 = 0.93, p less than 0.0001). The method also permitted confirmation
      of the positive contribution of fibronectin coating to graft coverage by seeded
      cells: 73% coverage coated versus 8% coverage uncoated (p less than 0.0001). The
      ability of this method to specifically identify genetically marked endothelial
      cells and their progeny makes it attractive for use in studies targeted at
      optimization of graft coverage in vivo.

PMID- 1861325
TI  - Thermal laser-assisted balloon angioplasty of the superficial femoral artery: a
      multicenter review of 602 cases.
AB  - A multicenter review of 602 procedures was performed to evaluate the effects of
      thermal laser-assisted balloon angioplasty on the superficial femoral artery.
      Four hundred thirty-nine (73%) patients underwent laser-assisted balloon
      angioplasty for claudication, and 163 (27%) underwent the procedure for limb
      salvage. Two hundred ninety-two laser-assisted balloon angioplasty procedures
      were performed for multifocal stenotic disease (greater than 80%) diameter
      reduction), 258 for total occlusion, and 52 procedures for both superficial
      femoral artery stenosis and occlusion. The initial recanalization rate was 89%
      (538/602) depending on the length of the lesion. Success of laser-assisted
      balloon angioplasty was verified by angioscopy or arteriography, and all patients
      underwent segmental Doppler studies before discharge and during midterm follow-up
      extending to 30 months (mean, 11.3 months). Complications occurred in 62 (10%)
      patients, but only one limb amputation occurred because of a complication related
      to a laser-assisted balloon angioplasty. Overall, 60% of initially successful
      procedures have remained patent, but long segment (greater than 7 cm) occlusions
      have fared poorly (25% patency at 30 months). This minimally invasive technology
      affords the opportunity to treat short segment (less than 7 cm) symptomatic
      superficial femoral artery occlusive disease with minimal risk. Initial success
      and midterm patency rates for appropriate lesions appear to make laser-assisted
      balloon angioplasty a viable adjunct in the treatment of superficial femoral
      artery occlusive disease.

PMID- 1861326
TI  - Multivariate clinical models and quantitative dipyridamole-thallium imaging to
      predict cardiac morbidity and death after vascular reconstruction.
AB  - Patients with peripheral vascular disease have a high prevalence of coronary
      artery disease and are at increased risk for cardiac morbidity and death after
      vascular reconstruction. The present study was undertaken to assess the value of
      18 clinical parameters, of 7 clinical scoring systems, and of quantitative
      dipyridamole-thallium imaging for predicting the occurrence of postoperative
      myocardial infarction or cardiac death. Vascular surgery was performed in 125
      patients. Thirteen postoperative cardiac events occurred, including 10 cardiac
      deaths and 3 nonfatal infarctions. Clinical parameters were not useful in
      predicting postoperative outcome. All 63 patients with normal scan results or
      fixed perfusion defects underwent surgery uneventfully, whereas 21% (13/62) of
      patients with reversible defects had a postoperative cardiac complication. By use
      of quantitative scintigraphic indexes we found that patients with reversible
      defects could be stratified into intermediate and high-risk subgroups with
      postoperative event rates of 5% (2/47) and 85% (11/13), respectively, despite
      intensive postoperative monitoring and antianginal medication. Thus in patients
      unable to complete a standard exercise stress test, postoperative outcome cannot
      be predicted clinically, whereas dipyridamole-thallium imaging successfully
      identified all patients who had a postoperative cardiac event. By use of
      quantification we found that patients with reversible defects can be stratified
      into an intermediate risk subgroup that can undergo surgery with minimal
      complication rate and a high-risk subgroup that requires coronary angiography.

PMID- 1861327
TI  - Septic complications after cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal
      coronary angioplasty.
AB  - Septic complications after cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal
      coronary artery angioplasty are distinctly uncommon. However, we have recently
      treated nine patients with sepsis and life-threatening complications after
      cardiac catheterization alone or after catheterization and subsequent
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The common denominator in all
      patients was either repeat puncturing of the ipsilateral femoral artery or
      leaving the femoral artery sheath in for 1 to 5 days after the procedure. Two
      patients died as a direct result of their septic complications. One death
      occurred in a patient in whom bacterial endocarditis with congestive heart
      failure developed, and the other patient had a large retroperitoneal hematoma
      that became secondarily infected. Infected aneurysms that were successfully
      treated developed in three patients. Our study suggests that colonization of the
      needle tract by skin flora predisposes to septic complications if repeat arterial
      punctures are required or if a femoral artery sheath is left in place for more
      than 24 hours. Patients in whom sepsis develops after these procedures should be
      initially treated with antibiotics effective against gram-positive organisms. CT
      scanning or angiography should be considered for patients with persistent sepsis,
      septic emboli, and abdominal or flank pain. Infected aneurysms require resection
      or ligation because of the propensity of these aneurysms to rupture.

PMID- 1861328
TI  - Transverse versus longitudinal arteriotomy: an experimental study in dogs.
AB  - An arteriotomy is a commonly used surgical technique. Either a transverse or a
      longitudinal incision can be made, but no study has been done to determine if one
      technique results in more stenosis or flow disturbance than the other. Six
      millimeter arteriotomies were made on the carotid and femoral arteries of six
      dogs. Transverse arteriotomies were made on the right, and longitudinal
      arteriotomies were made on the left. Four weeks later the vessels were
      reexplored. Duplex scanning was used to assess the amount of turbulence at each
      arteriotomy. Afterward, latex casts of the arteries were made to determine the
      percent stenosis caused by each arteriotomy. The mean percent stenosis associated
      with transverse arteriotomies was 10.5% (+/- 4.4%), versus 22.8% (+/- 9.4%) for
      the longitudinal arteriotomies, (p = 0.001, matched t test). No difference in the
      amount of turbulence associated with each technique was demonstrated. A
      longitudinal arteriotomy results in significantly greater stenosis than does a
      transverse arteriotomy. Unless there is a specific indication for a longitudinal
      arteriotomy, a transverse arteriotomy should be used.

PMID- 1861329
TI  - A comparison of absorbable suture and argon laser welding for lateral repair of
      arteries.
AB  - Conventional vascular anastomoses between autogenous vessels are performed with
      nonabsorbable sutures. Recently, use of absorbable sutures and laser-assisted
      vascular anastomoses has been advocated because of their improved healing
      characteristics. This study compared arterial repairs with the argon laser,
      absorbable suture, and nonabsorbable suture for technical characteristics
      including additional suture and overall success rates, burst strength, and cost.
      Absorbable and nonabsorbable suture closures were comparable with respect to
      technique, but laser-assisted vascular anastomosis was technically more demanding
      and required almost twice as much time for completion. The argon laser
      successfully closed only 58.6% of the arteriotomies, and 90% of the closures
      required additional sutures for complete hemostasis. All sutured arteriotomies
      were successfully completed by use of either absorbable or nonabsorbable suture.
      Burst strength was similar for all groups, but was uniformly greater than 300 mm
      Hg for sutured repairs, whereas two of five laser-assisted closures burst below
      300 mm Hg. Finally, costs for purchasing ($35,000) and operating ($300/hr.) an
      argon laser make laser-assisted vascular anastomosis much more expensive than
      sutured repair. These data suggest argon laser-assisted vascular anastomoses are
      more technically demanding, less successful, and more expensive than conventional
      sutured anastomoses when evaluated in large caliber arteries in a canine model.
      Absorbable suture, however, is comparable to conventional nonabsorbable sutured
      arterial repairs in expense, handling characteristics, and success rates with the
      added advantage of eliminating permanent foreign body in the arterial wall when
      it is absorbed.

PMID- 1861330
TI  - The risk of axillofemoral bypass grafting for acute vascular occlusion.
AB  - The hypothesis of the present study is that axillofemoral bypass grafting for
      acute vascular occlusion has results significantly inferior to an elective
      procedure. We reviewed 53 patients undergoing primary axillofemoral bypass
      grafting at the University of Virginia from 1984 to 1989. We found that patients
      who were admitted with acute vascular occlusion had a higher incidence of
      perioperative complications (63% vs 26%, p = 0.001), perioperative mortality (26%
      vs 3%, p less than 0.05), lower graft patency at 1 year (60% vs 90%, p less than
      0.05), lower rate of freedom from reoperation in first year (50% vs 82%, p less
      than 0.01), and lower rates of limb salvage (76% vs 94%, p less than 0.05) than
      patients undergoing axillofemoral bypass grafting for chronic symptoms or
      conditions. These two groups did not differ in any of the other risk factors or
      perioperative characteristics examined. We conclude axillofemoral bypass grafting
      performed for indications other than acute vascular occlusion is associated with
      acceptable morbidity, mortality, graft patency, and limb salvage rates.

PMID- 1861331
TI  - Asymptomatic celiac and superior mesenteric artery stenoses are more prevalent
      among patients with unsuspected renal artery stenoses.
AB  - The prevalence of unsuspected renal artery stenosis among patients with
      peripheral vascular disease has been reported to be as high as 40%, but the
      prevalence of asymptomatic celiac and superior mesenteric artery stenoses in
      these patients is not known. The biplane aortograms of 205 male patients who were
      military veterans and had aneurysms or occlusive disease were independently
      reviewed, and medical records were studied to determine associated coronary
      disease, risk factors, and patient outcome. Fifty-six patients (27%) had a 50% or
      greater stenosis in the celiac or superior mesenteric artery, and seven patients
      (3.4%) had significant stenoses in both mesenteric arteries. Patients with celiac
      or superior mesenteric artery stenoses were older (p = 0.002) and had a higher
      prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.029) than those without significant mesenteric
      stenoses. Fifty of the 205 patients had significant renal artery stenoses, and 20
      had advanced (greater than 75% diameter loss) renal stenoses. Ten of the 20
      patients (50%) with advanced renal stenoses had a concomitant celiac artery
      stenosis, compared to 40 of the 185 patients (22%) who did not have advanced
      renal stenoses (p = 0.011). In the present study asymptomatic celiac or superior
      mesenteric artery stenoses were common among male veterans evaluated for
      peripheral vascular disease, but the prevalence of significant stenoses in both
      the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries was low. The prevalence of
      significant celiac stenosis was higher in patients with advanced (greater than
      75%) renal artery stenoses who might be considered for prophylactic renal
      revascularization. Lateral aortography with evaluation of the celiac artery is
      always appropriate in these patients.

PMID- 1861332
TI  - Renovascular hypertension: predicting surgical cure with exercise renography.
AB  - Renal artery stenosis with resultant renovascular hypertension has attracted
      clinical attention because the disease is potentially curable and because
      numerous diagnostic and therapeutic modalities compete for clinical acceptance.
      An exercise-mediated disturbance of renal hippurate transport was recently
      described, and has been implicated as having a role in nephrogenic fixed
      hypertension. To predict the final course of renovascular hypertension before
      operation we carried out a prospective study with the goal of verifying the
      predictive value of exercise hippurate scintigraphy. The study was to test the
      hypothesis that patients with disturbance of renal hippurate transport
      (pathologic renogram) induced by exercise would have stabilized hypertension and
      would continue to be hypertensive after operation. Thirty-one patients with
      hypertension who had unilateral or bilateral renovascular stenosis documented on
      angiography were referred to rest and exercise hippurate scintigrams before
      operation. The results of the examinations at rest served as standard and were
      compared with the exercise scintigrams. In 19 of the 31 (61%) patients a
      disturbance of transrenal hippurate transport evolved during exercise, whereas 12
      (39%) patients failed to respond to exercise with altered hippurate kinetics.
      Twenty-six patients went on to renovascular operations; five had percutaneous
      transluminal angioplasty. Revascularization results differed markedly when the
      blood pressure response of patients with positive results on exercise (abnormal)
      and patients with negative results on exercise (normal) were compared. Ten of 12
      patients with hypertension who had normal exercise renograms were cured. In
      comparison, blood pressure values were little influenced by therapy in patients
      with an abnormal response, where 17 of 19 patients continued to have hypertensive
      disease after therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861333
TI  - Mycotic aneurysms of the carotid arteries--case report and review of the
      literature.
AB  - Mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial carotid arteries are rare. We report a new
      case with a mycotic aneurysm of the carotid bifurcation associated with acute
      bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve. A concomitant treatment of both
      lesions was performed. Twenty-six cases of mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial
      carotid arteries have been reported in the literature. We present a review of all
      these cases.

PMID- 1861335
TI  - Digital artery embolization as a result of fibromuscular dysplasia of the
      brachial artery.
AB  - A 74-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with sudden onset of a blue,
      painful right index finger, and the condition progressed to digital ulceration.
      The ulcer gradually healed over a period of 2 months. Peripheral pulses, Doppler
      derived brachial and radial systolic pressures, and results of an echocardiogram
      were normal. Digital pulse volume recordings showed obstructive waveforms in all
      digits of the right hand. Arteriography showed a normal arch and normal
      innominate, subclavian, and axillary arteries. The midbrachial artery was
      markedly abnormal and had alternating areas of stenosis and aneurysm formation.
      Multiple occlusions involved the palmar arch and proper digital arteries. The
      abnormal brachial artery segment was excised and replaced with an autogenous
      reversed saphenous-vein conduit. Histologic examination confirmed the lesion to
      be medial fibromuscular dysplasia. Fibromuscular dysplasia that involves upper
      extremity arteries is extremely uncommon and rarely presents with digital artery
      embolization. This case emphasizes the importance of exclusion of proximal
      reconstructible arterial occlusive disease by means of complete arteriographic
      examination of patients who were admitted with unilateral finger or hand
      ischemia.

PMID- 1861334
TI  - Peripheral arterial occlusion in infants--a report of two cases treated
      conservatively.
AB  - The occlusion of major arteries in newborns is usually associated with
      catheterization of the umbilical vessels. It occurs very rarely instead as a
      primary disorder, and the cause is still unclear. We present two new cases of
      newborns with this type of disease, which were resolved with the only medical
      treatment. The literature is reviewed, and the usefulness of the different
      diagnostic procedures is discussed.

PMID- 1861336
TI  - Thoracic outlet syndrome caused by tumor of the first rib.
AB  - We report a new case of thoracic outlet syndrome caused by a tumor of the first
      rib and review 11 other reports found in the literature. A 25-year-old man was
      admitted with thoracic outlet syndrome in the C8-T1 nerve roots. The first rib
      was removed through a supraclavicular approach with excision of the medial
      clavicle. All symptoms disappeared. On histologic examination fibrous dysplasia
      was found in the rib. Tumors of the first rib are uncommon and are rarely
      responsible for thoracic outlet syndrome. When the tumor is very large, as in our
      case, we recommend a supraclavicular approach associated with excision of the
      medial clavicle. During the liberation of the brachial plexus, great care should
      be exercised to avoid nerve injuries. Because malignancy of the tumor cannot be
      eliminated with certainty before or during the operation, wide excision of the
      entire rib is recommended.

PMID- 1861337
TI  - Postoperative surveillance and characteristics of failing infrainguinal grafts.

PMID- 1861338
TI  - Carotid patch angioplasty: immediate and long-term results.

PMID- 1861340
TI  - Diagnosis of giardiasis.

PMID- 1861339
TI  - An unusual symptom of subclavian artery aneurysm: hemoptysis.

PMID- 1861341
TI  - Giardia lamblia in patients undergoing upper G.I. endoscopy.
AB  - To determine the frequency of giardiasis in patients undergoing upper G.I.
      endoscopy for dyspepsia and other upper G.I. disorders, duodenal aspirates were
      collected in 200 patients and simultaneous duodenal biopsies in 163 patients.
      Nine percent aspirates and 1.8% duodenal biopsies showed Giardia lamblia
      trophozoites. Giardia as a cause of dyspepsia should be considered in patients
      with negative endoscopy and in those who remain symptomatic inspite of adequate
      treatment for known upper G.I. disorders.

PMID- 1861343
TI  - Haemolytic uraemic syndrome in children.
AB  - Of the 4070 children admitted in the department of paediatrics, 830 (24%)
      presented with diarrhoea. Eleven of these had haemolytic ureamic syndrome (HUS)
      characterised by microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and acute
      renal failure. Only 3 had positive stool cultures (E. Coli 2, shigella
      dysenteriae 1). Two children expired while the rest recovered with conservative
      management and peritoneal dialysis. Thus HUS should be remembered as a
      complication of diarrhoea and a cause of acute renal failure in children.

PMID- 1861342
TI  - Surveillance of shigellosis in rural Bangladesh: a 10 years review.
AB  - Over a period of 10 years 35,620 patients, admitted from a defined surveillance
      area, had a rectal swab culture done at a rural diarrhoea treatment centre in
      Bangladesh. Shigella spp. were isolated from 3,440 (9.7%) cases. Marked year to
      year variations were observed in isolation rates of Shigella spp. ranging from
      5.7% to 16.7%. Sh. flexneri was the predominant isolate between 1978 to 1982 (56%
      67%), Sh. dysenteriae type 1 predominated from 1983 to 1985 (45%-50%), and again
      Sh. flexneri became predominant in 1986 (55%) and 1987 (61%). Shigella were most
      commonly isolated from children aged 1-4 years followed by children 5-9 years and
      elderly people aged 45+ years. Sh. flexneri was isolated most frequently during
      August - January and Sh.dysenteriae type 1 during June to July. The overall case
      fatality rate in patients with shigellosis was 0.96%. It was 1.10% in children
      under 5 years of age. Prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistant strains
      increased over the years and at present most strains are resistant to commonly
      used antibiotics such as ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. Nalidixic acid is
      currently the drug of choice for Shigella infection in this area.

PMID- 1861344
TI  - Intraoperative myocardial ischaemia in surgical patients with treated ischaemic
      heart disease.
AB  - Twenty patients were divided into 2 groups. Group - A had 10 ASA Grade I while
      Group - B consisted of 10 asymptomatic patients with ECG evidence of ischaemia.
      One week of coronary dilator treatment was given to the patients in group-B
      before surgery. Intra operative cardioscopic monitoring was done in both the
      groups. In group-B, 5 patients showed ECG evidence of intraoperative myocardial
      ischaemia, and/or ventricular ectopics, which were in most cases attributable to
      anaesthetic/surgical stimuli but were not always associated with increased Rate
      pressure product. In group-A only one patient showed ECG evidence of ischaemia
      intraoperatively. It is therefore concluded that patients with optimal therapy
      for IHD continue to be at risk of intraoperative cardiovascular abnormalities.

PMID- 1861345
TI  - Minimum induction dose (MID) of thiopentone in Pakistani patients.
AB  - The thiopentone dose needed for abolition of eyelash reflex was studied in 505
      Pakistani patients who were divided in three subgroups, i.e., age less than 16
      years, between 16 and 60 years, and over 60 years. The minimum induction dose for
      thiopentone was then determined in the three groups and the effect of sex, ASA
      classification, premedication and advancing age were seen. The minimum induction
      dose in the adult patients (16-60) was 215.8 +/- 66 mgs (3.48 mgs/kg). Both the
      adult groups and the elderly showed a statistical difference in the dose required
      by the males and females, but this difference was not seen in children.
      Thiopentone dose also showed a steady decline as the age progressed. A
      statistical correlation existed between ASA I and II patients compared to ASA III
      who required less thiopentone. The premedicated patients required less
      thiopentone compared to those who did not receive a premedication. Our patients
      required a lesser dosage for abolition of eyelash reflex than the figures
      recommended for British population. We recommend a dose of 3.5 mg/kg for adult
      Pakistani males and 3.3 mg/kg for adult females.

PMID- 1861347
TI  - Gene and genotypic frequency and percent of bitter tasters of phenyl
      thiocarbamide in a student community of different castes.

PMID- 1861346
TI  - Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. A clinicopathological study.
AB  - Seven cases of Histiocytic necrotizing Lymphadenitis (HNL) were studied. They
      constituted 0.56% of all lymph nodes biopsies. The condition primarily affects
      young women causing cervical lymph node enlargement and leukopenia. The basic
      lesion is characterized by proliferation of lymphocytes and histiocytes with
      nuclear debris in the para cortex and cortex. This study examined various
      bacterial, viral and immunological factors which could possibly be responsible
      for this condition. However, it failed to find positive association with any of
      them. The existence of this disease in Pakistan is documented.

PMID- 1861348
TI  - An unusual case of ataxia.

PMID- 1861349
TI  - Selenium.

PMID- 1861350
TI  - Collection and handling of specimens for microbiological examination.

PMID- 1861351
TI  - Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in Pakistani women.
AB  - The prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) was determined in 1600 women
      belonging to various socioeconomic groups in Karachi. Of the total, 33% had PMS,
      whose prevalence was high in lower socioeconomic group living in socially
      deprived areas. A direct association of PMS was noted with parity, being low in
      low parity group. Major complaints were pain in lower abdomen, cramps and
      backache with majority taking no treatment for their complaints.

PMID- 1861352
TI  - Can diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori be rapid and yet sensitive?
AB  - Diagnostic accuracy of 5 tests viz., endoscopy, rapid urease, 24 hours urease,
      culture and histology, were evaluated in the detection of Helicobacter pylori (H.
      pylori) infection in 50 patients undergoing upper G.I. endoscopy. Endoscopic
      evidence of gastritis to predict H. pylori infection was 50% specific and 46%
      sensitive. Rapid and 24 hours urease test and culture were 100% specific when
      compared with histology and their sensitivity was 71%, 62% and 21% respectively.
      Of the three 100% specific tests, rapid urease test yields results within 15
      minutes; therefore this test being easy, rapid and sensitive should be used for
      screening of H. pylori infection; followed by histology for further confirmation.

PMID- 1861353
TI  - Post traumatic facial paralysis--a review.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of 23 cases of post-traumatic facial nerve injury has
      been done. Majority of the cases had a conductive or a mixed deafness. The
      Schirmer's test has been considered to be one of the main indicators to determine
      the site of injury. The mastoid segment of the facial nerve was found to be
      injured in 52% of the patients. The surgical approach in patients with post
      traumatic facial nerve paralysis should be transmastoid. This can be combined
      with a middle fossa approach in patients with a positive Schirmer's test.

PMID- 1861354
TI  - The effect of paracetamol on naprosyn induced damage to gastric mucosa in albino
      rat.
AB  - The effect of paracetamol against ulcerogenic agent, naprosyn on the gastric
      mucosa of albino rat was observed under dissecting as well as laboratory
      microscope. Paracetamol in a dose of 250 mg/kg body weight provided protection
      against the ulcerogenic effect of naprosyn under dissecting microscope. Under
      laboratory microscope, a significant increase in the mucosal thickness with the
      administration of paracetamol followed by naprosyn was observed, while the
      flattening of the surface epithelium with slight exfoliation may be attributed to
      relative increase of pepsin from the chief cell. The increased secretory activity
      of the mucous neck cells in animals treated with paracetamol followed by naprosyn
      may be due to the increased bio-synthesis of prostaglandin from these cells which
      might have produced protective influence against the damaging effect of naprosyn.

PMID- 1861356
TI  - Coronary thrombolysis--a Pakistani perspective.

PMID- 1861355
TI  - Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of thyroid.

PMID- 1861357
TI  - A story of histopathological hunt.

PMID- 1861358
TI  - Lead--an essential trace element.

PMID- 1861359
TI  - Psychosocial aspects of dialysis and renal transplant.

PMID- 1861360
TI  - Psychosocial adjustment after renal transplantation.
AB  - Renal Transplantation is fairly new in our country and is expected to be the only
      satisfactory long-term treatment for patients with End Stage Renal Disease. Such
      treatment offers them a chance for near normal life. Seventeen patients who
      underwent kidney transplant during 1987-88 at the department of Nephrourology of
      J.P.M.C. Karachi, were reviewed. The result of ten patients who were assessed for
      their psychosocial adaptation is presented.

PMID- 1861361
TI  - Psychosocial aspects of dialysis and renal transplant.
AB  - Keeping in view our socio cultural millieu, the psychological aspects of twenty
      renal transplants recipients and equal number of patients on dialysis were
      studied. Socio psychiatric profile in the dialysis and transplanted patients
      revealed that the frequency of anxiety, depression and hypochondriasis was
      significantly less (P less than 0.01) in the transplanted group. On Bender
      Gestalt Scale the transplanted group achieved normal status in significantly
      higher (P less than 0.05) number compared to the dialysis patients. It was
      concluded that transplanted patients showed marked improvement in social
      functioning, psychological symptoms and enduring personality traits compared to
      patients on maintenance dialysis.

PMID- 1861363
TI  - [Drug therapy].

PMID- 1861362
TI  - [Basic theory of drug administration--pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics].

PMID- 1861365
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of subdiaphragmatic abscess].
AB  - The author analyses the results of examination and operative treatment of 38
      patients with subdiaphragmatic abscesses. Their ages ranged from 21 to 65 years.
      There were 29 males and 9 females. It was established that the diagnosis of
      subdiaphragmatic abscesses should be based on clinical, laboratory, radiological,
      and ultrasonic data. The results of treatment of these patients are determined by
      timely recognition of this complication and the terms of the surgical
      intervention.

PMID- 1861364
TI  - [Therapeutic agents].

PMID- 1861366
TI  - [Endoscopic glue infiltration and diathermocoagulation in the complex treatment
      of patients with acute gastroduodenal hemorrhages].
AB  - A special medicinal glue MIK-T capable of infiltrating biological tissue by means
      of an endoscopic needle was developed. The authors suggest a method for glue
      endoscopic infiltration of the source of gastroduodenal bleeding for its arrest
      and prevention of a recurrence. Experimental study was undertaken to study the
      efficacy of glue endoscopic infiltration, determine the terms of glue resolution,
      and reveal the morphological changes in the zone of glue injection. The method of
      glue endoscopic infiltration was employed in complex treatment of 109 patients
      with acute gastroduodenal bleeding. The results provide evidence of the high
      efficacy of the method and its advantages over diathermocoagulation in arresting
      and preventing recurrences of acute gastroduodenal bleeding.

PMID- 1861367
TI  - [A clamp for suturing of duodenal stump].
AB  - An original clamp was used in suturing a duodenal stump after gastric resection
      in 77 patients. The complex relief of the blades of the clamp holds the duodenum
      reliably during application of the sutures and ensures their air-tightness. The
      trauma inflicted to the duodenum in this case is minimal. During resection of the
      stomach in 37 patients the author used the clamp in closure of the lesser
      curvature. Incompetence of the duodenal stump was not encountered.

PMID- 1861369
TI  - [Hemorrhage from the gallbladder artery into the abdominal cavity].

PMID- 1861368
TI  - [Colectomy with resection of the rectal mucosa and formation of the ileo-rectal
      anastomosis as an alternative of permanent ileostomy].
AB  - A new method for surgical management of patients with diffuse polyposis of the
      large intestine is described. It was applied in 22 patients with total
      involvement of all parts of the large intestine in polyps. The essence of the
      suggested operation consists in preservation of the rectum after its demucosation
      and the formation of a cecal++-ileorectal anastomosis at the level of the pelvic
      peritoneum. The operative techniques are described. Experience in various types
      of intestinal anastomoses with a demucosated rectum as well as the techniques of
      the most optimal anastomosis are analysed. Retrospective analysis of the results
      of treatment allowed the authors to conclude that in inclusion of demucosated
      rectum into the intestinal passage its reservoir and accumulative function is
      maintained. Follow-up of the patients showed that small intestinal type mucosa
      regenerates in the rectum after mucosectomy in one third of patients and colonic
      type mucosa in the remaining patients. It is pointed out that recurrent growth of
      polyps in the rectum after adequate demucosation was not encountered.

PMID- 1861370
TI  - [Perforation of the transverse colon after electrocoagulation].

PMID- 1861372
TI  - [Xanthogranuloma of the mesentery of the transverse colon].

PMID- 1861371
TI  - [Simultaneous surgical treatment of giant ventral hernia and large stomach
      ulcer].

PMID- 1861373
TI  - [Multiple perforations of the small intestine in cholelithiasis- induced
      intestinal obstruction].

PMID- 1861374
TI  - [Combined complications of stomach ulcer].

PMID- 1861375
TI  - [Perforation of the small intestine by a foreign body in incarcerated hernia of
      the spigelian line].

PMID- 1861376
TI  - [Endoscopic papillotomy].

PMID- 1861377
TI  - [Use of laser welded suture on the blood vessels and in surgery of the
      gastrointestinal tract].

PMID- 1861378
TI  - [Is selective proximal vagotomy expedient in the treatment of bleeding duodenal
      ulcers?].
AB  - The article analyses the results of truncal and selective proximal vagotomy with
      gastric draining operations in 101 patients with bleeding duodenal ulcer. The
      patients' condition, the results of special methods of examination, and the
      morphological changes in the gastric mucosa were studied. It was found that
      selective proximal vagotomy with drainage of the stomach had no advantages over
      truncal vagotomy. Besides, being a technically more difficult operation than
      truncal vagotomy, it fails to meet the requirements of emergency surgery and its
      application in patients with a bleeding duodenal ulcer isnot expedient.

PMID- 1861379
TI  - [Predicting the risk of recurrence of duodenal ulcer after vagotomy].
AB  - The author suggests a multifactor program for decoding the variant of the course
      of the postoperative period in patients with duodenal ulcer. It was tested in 199
      patients. Three groups of patients with a favourable prognosis, an uncertain
      prognosis, and with a high risk of recurrent ulcer were distinguished. An
      individual therapeutic program with consideration for the risk group allows the
      incidence of postoperative recurrence of ulcer to be reduced by more than three
      times.

PMID- 1861380
TI  - [Extended selective proximal vagotomy in the treatment of duodenal ulcer
      complicated by hemorrhage and perforation].
AB  - The article analyses surgical treatment of 280 patients, aged from 19 to 20
      years, with duodenal ulcer complicated by hemorrhage (36.1%) and perforation
      (63.9%). Closure of the perforating ulcer with sutures was performed in 15%,
      resection of the stomach in 12.8%, truncal vagotomy in 7.5%, and expanded
      selective proximal vagotomy in 64.7% of patients. Comparative analysis of the
      immediate and late-term results of closure of the perforating ulcer, resection of
      the stomach, and organ-preserving operations showed that expanded selective
      proximal vagotomy has unquestionable advantages over the other operations
      mentioned above. It is not marked by mortality and severe postoperative
      complications, it leads to stable suppression of acid production by the stomach,
      has a minimal effect on its motor-evacuation activity, shortens the time needed
      for healing of the ulcer by 16.3 +/- 1.7 days, and leads to rare (2.2%)
      recurrences of the disease.

PMID- 1861381
TI  - [Prevention of incompetence of esophageal sutures].
AB  - Patients suffering from esophageal and gastric diseases were divided into 2
      clinical groups: main (133) and control (115 patients) groups. In the main group
      particular attention was focussed on correct formation of the grafts, precision
      techniques of application of the sutures of the anastomosis, the use of laser,
      and adequate correction of the alimentary and immunological status. The incidence
      of incompetence of the esophageal anastomoses reduced from 12.2 to 0.8%. Fatal
      outcomes were not encountered in the main group, 9 patients died in the control
      group.

PMID- 1861382
TI  - [Post-vagotomy disorders in patients with duodenal ulcer in relation to the
      method of proximal gastric vagotomy].
AB  - The article deals with the results of study of the effect of the degree of
      inhibited gastric acid-producing activity on the frequency of the development of
      postvagotomy disorders (PVD) in 158 patients with duodenal ulcer after treatment
      by various methods of proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) and PGV with a stomach
      draining operation. The frequency and severity of PVD were found to correlate
      intimately with the degree of inhibition of the gastric acid-producing activity
      by the PGV and the character of the draining operation. PVD were more severe and
      encountered more frequently in patients in whom HCl secretion was inhibited by
      80% and 100% as compared to the initial value, especially in patients who
      underwent a stomach-draining operation. Organic PVD (stenosis, an indolent or a
      recurrent ulcer adhesions) are mostly encountered in the late-term postoperative
      period.

PMID- 1861383
TI  - [Diagnostic value of cholinolytics in the surgical treatment of peptic ulcer].
AB  - From study of the results of treatment of 157 patients with gastric and duodenal
      ulcer by an individual approach to the choice of the operative methods according
      to the results of prognostic tests, the authors revealed a high practical
      significance of using cholinolytics for diagnostic purposes. The choice of the
      method of surgical treatment with due regard for the prognostic evaluation of the
      effect of vagotomy on the gastric motor and acid-producing functions determined a
      8.4% reduction of the frequency of postoperative motor-and emptying complications
      of gastric activity, and a 6.8% reduction of the incidence of recurrent ulcer.

PMID- 1861384
TI  - [Treatment of peptic ulcer hemorrhages].
AB  - The article analyses experience in treatment of 297 patients with gastroduodenal
      bleeding of ulcerous etiology. Operative interventions after arrest of bleeding
      and the appropriate preoperative management produce better results (the mortality
      rate, 3.3%) than those of emergency operations (the mortality rate, 15.7%). It is
      therefore advisable to start treatment of patients with gastroduodenal bleeding
      by means of nonoperative measures which proved effective in 61.6% of cases. In
      doubtful reliability of hemostasis, patients with moderate and severe bleeding
      should be operated on in the immediate days after hospitalization without waiting
      for a possible recurrent bleeding. Gastric resection is the main type of
      operative intervention in bleeding from a gastric ulcer. In a bleeding duodenal
      ulcer both resection of the stomach and economical operations--vagotomy, excision
      or closure of the ulcer, pyloroplasty--are equally competent.

PMID- 1861385
TI  - [Vascular structure and the microcirculatory bed of the stomach after selective
      proximal vagotomy].
AB  - The authors conducted experiments on 30 dogs for periods of 1-7 days to 12 months
      and established that a sharp disorder of microcirculation occurs in the
      postoperative period, particularly in the cardia and fundus of the stomach, due
      to denervation and devascularization which lead to stasis in the venous system,
      hypoxia, and ischemia. The microcirculatory disorders are restored in 6 to 12
      months. The study showed that the use of selective proximal vagotomy in true
      gastric ulcers is not expedient.

PMID- 1861386
TI  - [Tubular gastrectomy with selective vagotomy in the treatment of peptic ulcer].
AB  - The authors generalize the material on the surgical treatment of 151 patients who
      were operated on for complicated gastroduodenal ulcers by means of an improved
      method of tubular resection of the stomach with selective vagotomy, subtotal
      excision of the lesser curvature, and the formation of a ++post-colonic
      rectangular gastroenteroanastomosis on a short loop with oblique division of the
      jejunum. The late-term results were studied in follow-up periods of up to 4 years
      in 110 patients (72.8%) and appraised according to Visik's scale. The results
      were excellent in 78 (70.9%), good in 25 (22.7%), satisfactory in 6 (5.5%)
      patients, and poor (recurrence of the disease) in one (0.94) patient.

PMID- 1861387
TI  - [Functional state of the stomach after vagotomy and the correction of various
      post-vagotomy complications].
AB  - The author studied the secretory and motor-emptying function and the endoscopic
      picture of the stomach after various types of vagotomy conducted for peptic ulcer
      in 84 patients. The effect of the motor-evacuative function on the secretion
      values is shown. It is pointed out that secretion must be studied after
      restoration of adequate motor-emptying function, which is normalized 3-6 months
      after the operation. The endoscopic picture of the stomach depends on the type of
      the auxiliary operation on the stomach and the lapse of time after the operation,
      and the existence of reflux. The author suggests a differentiated complex of
      rehabilitation therapy including endogenous intracavitary pneumomassage of the
      stomach, its percutaneous electrostimulation, and the intake of mildly
      mineralized water; early application of these measures raises the efficacy of the
      surgical treatment.

PMID- 1861388
TI  - [Use of a single-row suture in surgery of the gastrointestinal tract].
AB  - The authors show the results of experimental and clinical study of a single-row
      Pirogov-Mateshuk serous-muscular-subserous suture with the knots inside the
      lumen. It was demonstrated in experiments on 191 dogs that regeneration in the
      zone of anastomoses formed by a single-row suture is more perfect and occurs
      earlier than with the application of a double-row suture. Among 2,623 anastomoses
      formed on the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and rectum by means of
      a single-row suture, 1.5% were incompetent. The authors consider the single-row
      Pirogov-Mateshuk suture to be the method of choice.

PMID- 1861389
TI  - [Bilateral exclusion of the duodenum in reconstructive surgery of the stomach].
AB  - The article analyses the results of modified gastric resection after Roux with
      bilateral exclusion of the duodenum in 13 patients with disease of an operated
      stomach. The operations were performed for peptic ulcer of the
      gastroenteroanastomosis in 5 patients, for biliary reflux gastritis in 3, and for
      reflux gastritis and coexistent Stages II-III dumping syndrome in 5 patients. The
      outcomes of treatment were studied in follow-up periods of up to 3 years. The
      results were good in 10 patients, satisfactory in 2, and poor in 1 patient.
      Recurrent peptic ulcers were not encountered. The clinical picture of biliary
      reflux gastritis was completely relieved in all of the 8 patients. The dumping
      syndrome phenomena were arrested in 2 patients and relieved significantly in
      another 2.

PMID- 1861390
TI  - [Enteral correction in gastroduodenal hemorrhage of peptic ulcer etiology].
AB  - Among 115 patients with gastroduodenal hemorrhage 60 received nonoperative
      treatment, 30 of them underwent enteral correction with a monomer electrolyte
      solution. Emergency operation was carried out on 55 patients, 35 of them were
      subjected to enteral correction in the postoperative period. Enteral
      administration of the monomer electrolyte solution in the early posthemorrhagic
      and postoperative periods promoted filling up of the blood circulation volume and
      its components and stabilization of the values of central hemodynamics. It was
      established on grounds of the clinical data, studies of the volemic indices and
      central hemodynamics that enteral correction does not yield to the traditional
      intravenous infusion-transfusion therapy in efficacy.

PMID- 1861391
TI  - [Gastrointestinal hemorrhage after operations for perforated gastroduodenal
      ulcers].
AB  - On the basis of clinical observation over 521 patients who underwent operations
      in the clinic for perforating gastric and duodenal ulcer, the authors determined
      the frequency of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage (3.2%) in the early
      postoperative period and the mortality rate in this complication. It is shown
      that the performance of radical surgical interventions instead of simple closure
      of the perforating ulcer with sutures, in the absence of life-threatening
      concomitant diseases and the terminal phase of peritonitis, may improve the
      results of operative management of this disease.

PMID- 1861392
TI  - [Techniques of anastomoses in the gastrointestinal tract].
AB  - The authors analysed 718 operative interventions in which gastrointestinal
      anastomoses were formed at various levels of the gastrointestinal tract. It was
      established that the more distal the anastomosis is, the greater the risk of its
      incompetence and a fatal outcome due to it are. The advantages of the "closed"
      method for forming the anastomosis in operations on the ileum and colon were
      revealed. A method for creating anastomoses by the closed technique with a single
      row suture is suggested.

PMID- 1861393
TI  - [Modification of gastrectomy by the Roux and Ridiger methods].
AB  - The author recommends a more effective operative method after Roux-Ridiger with
      an invagination intestinal anastomosis in the management of severe complications
      of gastric and duodenal ulcer, particularly in duodenostasis and reconstructive
      operations for a disease of an operated stomach, and in the postvagotomy
      syndrome. He carried out 340 economical resections of the stomach after Roux
      Ridiger with an invagination intestinal anastomosis in various complications of
      gastric and duodenal ulcer and the post-gastrectomy and postvagotomy syndromes.
      The immediate and late-term results of the operation were good. Modified gastric
      resection after Roux and Ridiger with invagination techniques was performed in 26
      experimental dose to study the secretory and motor-emptying function of the
      gastric stump in the immediate and late-term periods after the operation; the
      results were good.

PMID- 1861394
TI  - [Status of protective properties of the gastroduodenal mucosa after surgical
      treatment of duodenal ulcer].
AB  - The defense properties of the gastroduodenal mucosa (lymphoid system cells
      secreting immunoglobulins A, M, and G, as well as the secretory component IgA)
      were studied in 85 patients with duodenal ulcer. The acid-producing function of
      the stomach was tested at the same time according to the pH value and the basal
      and maximal acid production. Various types of vagotomy were conducted in 52
      patients and resection of the stomach in the remaining patients. The results were
      followed-up before and after the operation. Peptic ulcer was characterized by
      secondary immunodeficiency. Selective proximal vagotomy restored the tissue
      immune defense of the mucosa, gastric resection preserved and even increased
      immunodeficiency.

PMID- 1861395
TI  - [Morpho-functional characteristics of invagination esophago-enteric and esophago
      gastric anastomoses].
AB  - The morphological and functional features of invagination ++esophago-enteric and
      esophagogastric anastomoses were studied in 234 of 266 patients who underwent
      gastrectomy or proximal resection of the stomach for cancer in 1972-1989. Two
      valuable stable properties were found to be characteristic in normally
      functioning invagination anastomosis: reliable anti-reflux properties and
      evacuation in portions. They are ensured by the obturating apparatus of the
      anastomosis, which consists of a valve and a muscular sphincter. No functional
      disorders on the part of the anastomosis were encountered in all periods after
      the operation in 174 (74.4%) patients. Complications developed in 60 (25.6%)
      patients (acute anastomositis, spasm of the anastomosis, reflux esophagitis,
      cicatricial stricture, and the dumping syndrome); they were attended by disorders
      of the function of the anastomosis due to temporary or constant disorders of the
      function of the obturating apparatus.

PMID- 1861397
TI  - [Hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers].
AB  - It is shown on the basis of analysis of the results of treatment of 179 patients
      that the use of hyperbaric oxygenation in the complex surgical management of
      ulcerative gastroduodenal bleeding reduced the number of postoperative
      complications by a factor of 3.3 and led to a decrease of mortality from 20 to
      1%. The authors confirm the expedience of including hyperbaric oxygenation in the
      complex of therapeutic measures in patients with bleeding ulcers under conditions
      of accomplished hemostasis by conservative or surgical methods in one of three
      suggested variants: in preparation of the patients for operation in the postponed
      period; after operative interventions carried out at the peak of bleeding; before
      and after operations on patients with moderate and severe blood loss and
      concomitant diseases. The sessions should be conducted under pressure of 2 atm
      for 60 minutes.

PMID- 1861398
TI  - [Immunological aspects of restorative processes during rehabilitation of patients
      with peptic ulcer after surgical interventions].
AB  - The authors studied the immunological and endocrine status of 296 patients in the
      early periods, in 2-3 weeks, after resection of the stomach or selective proximal
      vagotomy for complicated peptic ulcer or inefficacy of nonoperative treatment.
      Imbalance in the cellular and humoral links of immunity was revealed, which was
      characterized by the presence of the autoimmune component, depression of the T
      lymphocyte system and changes of its functional activity, unbalanced regulatory
      processes of immunocompetent cells, increase of the humoral link of immunity,
      diminished biological resistance of the organism, which were manifested to an
      equal degree in patients who underwent various types of operations. A close
      correlation of immune and endocrine disorders was revealed. Under the effect of
      rehabilitation measures positive shifts occurred in the disturbed indices of the
      immune and endocrine systems, which suggests that the application of physical
      factors promotes processes of natural immunity and the course of restorative and
      regenerative processes in rehabilitation of patients who underwent an operation.

PMID- 1861396
TI  - [Endoscopic evaluation of various methods of anastomosis after gastrectomy].
AB  - Resection of the stomach is still the principal method for surgical management of
      gastric and duodenal ulcer. The functional condition of the anastomosis depends
      on the method used. The authors conducted comparative endoscopic evaluation of
      anastomoses formed after Hofmeister-Finsterer, Billroth I, Andreo and Vitebsky
      according to the following criteria: shape and diameter; contractile and
      obturator function; gastrointestinal reflux; morphological changes in the zone of
      the anastomosis and the gastric stump. The authors analyse their own material
      concerning fibrogastroscopy in 168 patients after gastric resection, the
      anastomosis was established after Hofmeister-Finsterer in 93 of them after
      Vitebsky in 46, after Billroth I in 21, and after Andreo in 8. Vitebsky's
      modification of Billroth II anastomosis and Andreo's modification of Billroth I
      anastomosis possess the best functional capacities. Billroth I and Billroth II
      gastroenterostomy in Hofmeister-Finsterer's modification do not possess
      contractile and obturator property, which promotes reflux of bile into the
      gastric stump and the development of reflux gastritis and other complicating
      factors.

PMID- 1861399
TI  - [Preparation of patients with double-channel and marginal colostomies for
      restorative treatment].
AB  - The data on restorative treatment of 215 patients with double-channel and
      terminal colostomy are analysed to determine the efficacy of total lavage of the
      gastrointestinal tract in preparation of patients for operation. Postoperative
      complications occurred in 52.4 +/- 3.8% of patients prepared by a diet,
      purgatives, and enemas and in 34 +/- 6.9% in those prepared by the method of
      total lavage of the gastrointestinal tract (p = 0.021). Neither suppuration of
      wounds nor incompetence of the restorative anastomosis occurred after lavage.

PMID- 1861400
TI  - [Immunologic status and its correction in amebic liver abscess].
AB  - The author analyses the results of study of the immune status in 100 patients
      with amebic abscess of the liver, who were divided into 2 groups. In an
      uncomplicated course of the disease (50 patients, Group 1) there were no
      essential shifts in the immune status in the preoperative period. In the
      postoperative period (1st-3rd day), however, the percentage and absolute number
      of T- and B-lymphocytes reduced. Due to this, immunostimulation therapy (decaris,
      gamma-globulin, hyperimmune antistaphylococcal plasma, activin) had to be
      applied. In a complicated course of amebic abscess of the liver (50 patients,
      group 2) the water-electrolyte metabolism was disturbed and the blood erythrocyte
      globular volume was reduced and the cellular and humoral links of immunity were
      markedly depressed in the preoperative period. Intensive transfusion-infusion
      therapy had to be conducted along with immunostimulation treatment (decaris, T
      activin, gamma-globulin, hyperimmune antistaphylococcal plasma, direct
      transfusion of blood) and prescription of anabolic hormones (pentoxyl,
      retabolil).

PMID- 1861401
TI  - [Visual results of extracapsular cataract surgery with posterior chamber lenses].
AB  - In a total of 1663 consecutive patients best corrected visual acuity after
      extracapsular cataract extraction with implantation of a posterior chamber lens
      was determined. Average follow-up time was 21 months. Visual acuity improved from
      an average of 0.15 preoperatively to 0.6 postoperatively. In the absence of other
      ocular disorders postoperative vision averaged 0.7. The visual outcome was
      clearly related to the age of the patients and showed a continuous decline for
      operations performed after the age of 69 years.

PMID- 1861402
TI  - [Clinical studies of eye involvement in porphyria cutanea tarda].
AB  - In 1980 we started a long-term study at our department examining 54 Patients with
      p.c.t. (42 male, 12 female). Out of these patients, 32 were re-examined (23 male,
      9 female) in 1986. No ocular lesions were found that might be attributable to the
      underlying disease. Possible symptoms of p.c.t. are an increased filling of the
      conjunctival vessels, a decreased tear's formation, as well as brownish
      pigmentations in conjunctiva, in the lid margin. These changes occur in the
      anterior eye segment. At the fundus, a dry, in part side-different macular
      destruction and uncharacteristic peripheral retinal degeneration were found. The
      most prominent functional disorders are the acquired colour vision deficiency
      Verriest Type III and FSM Type I, respectively. It is based upon the small
      decrease of the visual acuity (relative central scotoma), the decline in
      immediate adaption and the macular destruction. Possible etiopathogenetical links
      between the underlying disease and the tapetoretinal degeneration are discussed.
      The morphological and functional eye lesions are limited and show hardly any
      progression.

PMID- 1861403
TI  - [Use of liquid perfluorocarbon in giant tears. Initial results].
AB  - Ten consecutive cases of giant tears with retinal inversion were easily and
      successfully treated using vitrectomy and silicone oil injection after
      repositioning the retina with liquid perfluorocarbon. The good initial results
      show the interest of this technique compared with earlier manipulations of the
      retina.

PMID- 1861404
TI  - [Involuntary lid closure caused by defective healing of facial paralysis and its
      treatment with botulinum toxin].
AB  - Unvoluntary lidclosure with movement of the mouth is not so rare in aberrant
      regeneration of nerve fibers after Bell's palsy. There was no therapy until now.
      10 patients with this disease were treated with botulinum-toxin injections into
      the orbicularis muscle. For an average time of 11 weeks after injection there was
      a complete absence of synkinesis, followed by a time of 9 weeks of less
      complaints. Thus 2-3 injections might be sufficient treatment within a year.
      Complications worth mentioning, especially due to the reduced force of
      lidclosure, were not observed.

PMID- 1861405
TI  - [Detection of progressive glaucomatous papilla changes before onset of visual
      field defects].
AB  - Computerized disc analysis was used for the longitudinal monitoring of patients
      with moderate intraocular pressure elevation. 44 patients (80 eyes) were
      monitored for at least 18 months; 25 patients (47 eyes) were monitored for at
      least 12 months; 15 patients (25 eyes) were monitored for at least 18 months. On
      average, one computerized disc analysis was performed every 4 months. Eight eyes
      showed a progressive decrease in their neuroretinal rim area. Seven of them were
      monitored for more than 18 months, one was monitored for 15 months. In all cases,
      the progressive decrease in neuroretinal rim area was significant, p less than or
      equal to .1. It is non-physiological and has to be interpreted as a serious sign
      of ongoing glaucoma damage. In addition, it obviously precedes the onset of
      visual field defects. Seven out of 8 eyes with progressive decrease in their
      neuroretinal rim area have normal visual fields up to now. In one case a
      progressive decrease in neuroretinal rim area was found at first and small visual
      field defects developed subsequently.

PMID- 1861406
TI  - [Glaucoma screening--justified or not justified?].
AB  - In explaining the damages of primary open-angle glaucoma, the elevated eye
      pressure was assumed to be the central causative factor. But epidemiological
      research found high proportions of the following clinical entities: only elevated
      pressure without further damages (called ocular hypertension), and only
      glaucomatous damages without high pressure (called normal- or low-pressure
      glaucoma). These facts made the pressure-theory doubtful, and therefore it had to
      be modified. Some authors, though, doubt the general validity of the pressure
      theory, and postulate other models for the etiology of glaucomatous damages.
      According to current knowledge, for the diagnosis and screening of primary open
      angle glaucoma, emphasis should be put rather on the visual fields and the
      appearance of the optic disc, while pressure measurements supply further clues.

PMID- 1861407
TI  - [A new photographic method for measuring squint angles in infants and small
      children].
AB  - A new photographic method for measuring squint angles in children and infants is
      presented. A photographic picture is taken from the subject, using a camera with
      the three flashes bulle. One flashbulle is placed vertically over the lens, two
      other flashbulles are placed symmetrically in an angle of 10 degrees beside the
      middle flash. Six reflections can be seen on the photographic picture in each
      pupil. (1. and 4. Purkinje Sanson Images of each light source.) The horizontal
      distance of two reflections is determined by the distance of the flashguns. If
      the reflection lines in both eyes are symmetrical, there is no squint. If there
      is a shift, it can be measured on the slide and by using a simple formula the
      squint angle can be calculated. The accuracy of the method is between 2 and 3
      degrees.

PMID- 1861408
TI  - [Acanthamoeba keratitis in hard contact lens wearers. Case report and review of
      the literature of 108 cases].
AB  - We report on a 49 year old woman with Acanthamoeba keratitis. She was wearing
      hard contact lenses and had a history of a minor trauma when removing her lens
      after a visit of a hot tub. She had the typical corneal ring infiltrate and
      complained about severe pain. The medical treatment was uneffective. Because of
      progressive deterioration penetrating keratoplasty was necessary. After a
      rekeratoplasty because of a recurrent infection on the transplant the patient has
      done well now for 3 years. The diagnosis was made on histological grounds. We
      report on 108 patients of the literature: 8 (7%) patients were wearing hard
      contact lenses; 19 (17%) remembered a trauma; 4 (3.7%) had visited a hot tub; 61
      (56%) needed penetrating keratoplasty, 11 (10%) rekeratoplasty; 5 (4.6%) eyes
      were enucleated; in 21 (19%) patients the diagnosis was made on histological
      grounds.

PMID- 1861410
TI  - [History of the Berlin Ophthalmology Society].
AB  - To mark the congress of the Berlin Ophthalmological Society in December 1989, the
      authors review the development of ophthalmology in Berlin and in particular the
      history of this ophthalmological society. The review was prompted by the
      political changes which began in October 1989, enabling ophthalmologists from the
      eastern part of the city to attend the congress in West Berlin for the first time
      in 28 years.

PMID- 1861409
TI  - [A new permanent magnet for removal of intra-ocular ferromagnetic foreign
      bodies].
AB  - The permanent-magnet (Sm-Co-Magnet) is described with a length of 35 mm and a
      diameter of 18 gauge. This magnet enables a controlled atraumatic removal of
      small or even larger intraocular ferromagnetic foreign bodies.

PMID- 1861411
TI  - [Development of the new district federations of the German Nursing Association].

PMID- 1861412
TI  - [Occupation-political consequences of health-oriented nursing].

PMID- 1861413
TI  - [The training situation in the Berlin nursing schools].

PMID- 1861414
TI  - [Work satisfaction of nurses in night shift. Report by the project group "The
      last hours of night in the hospital from the night nurse's viewpoint"].

PMID- 1861415
TI  - [Settlement agreements with private duty nurses].

PMID- 1861416
TI  - [Namaste, namaste sister! or: showers only when the sun shines! Impressions and
      experiences during voluntary work in a nursing home in Katmandu, Nepal].

PMID- 1861417
TI  - [Working relations between nurses and physicians in Great Britain: frequently
      disturbed].

PMID- 1861418
TI  - [Foundations of occupational law (III). Who is the employee?].

PMID- 1861419
TI  - [Guide to cultural evaluation. Discovering other philosophies of life].

PMID- 1861420
TI  - [Ethics and transplantations in Switzerland. Towards better understanding].

PMID- 1861421
TI  - [Nursing care and the "mother hen" syndrome].

PMID- 1861422
TI  - [Study of breast feeding and fertility in Bolivia. A holistic approach to the
      family].

PMID- 1861423
TI  - [Exhibition in Berne. Great disease outbreaks--great cures].

PMID- 1861424
TI  - [Residences of practical nursing for teachers. Clarifying the purpose].

PMID- 1861425
TI  - [Rediscovery of a natural remedy: honey on the wound].

PMID- 1861426
TI  - [From individual nursing to running a team--results of a supervision. Efficiency
      through reorganization].

PMID- 1861428
TI  - [Academic continuing education in nursing--what for?--report from a meeting.
      University studies for nurses!].

PMID- 1861427
TI  - [Job hunting: what are the possibilities?].

PMID- 1861429
TI  - [Mentors--they advance us and charge us].

PMID- 1861430
TI  - [Intuition: "Practiced recognition of patterns"].

PMID- 1861431
TI  - [Reflections on the symposion on the 26 and 27 April of this year at the congress
      center in Lugano: Organ transplantation: honors and conflicts].

PMID- 1861432
TI  - [Working with those looking for asylum].

PMID- 1861433
TI  - [Headaches--mostly a disease of women. Headaches interfere considerably with work
      efficiency].

PMID- 1861434
TI  - [The Swiss Nursing Federation is reorganizing its forces].

PMID- 1861435
TI  - [Introduction into the world of a psychiatry department. Letter to a beginner in
      psychiatry or: the hospital belongs to the nurses].

PMID- 1861436
TI  - [To unite in order to be heard more clearly].

PMID- 1861437
TI  - [Home care. The role of natural liability].

PMID- 1861438
TI  - [Nursing an Alzheimer patient].

PMID- 1861439
TI  - [Job hunting using newspaper advertisements].

PMID- 1861440
TI  - [Shortage of personnel--a push for change].

PMID- 1861441
TI  - [Immunotherapy with interleukin 2].

PMID- 1861443
TI  - [Decubitus ulcer--a nursing problem?].

PMID- 1861442
TI  - [What are the tasks of the nursing personnel after kidney transplantation?].

PMID- 1861444
TI  - [Decubitus ulcer: effective treatment is possible].

PMID- 1861445
TI  - [Skin care as a precondition for the prevention of decubitus ulcers].

PMID- 1861446
TI  - [Urine drainage in transurethral interventions--experiences with a complete-set
      for suprapubic drainage].

PMID- 1861447
TI  - [Conservative therapy in hyperactive detrusor muscle in women and special aspects
      in children].

PMID- 1861448
TI  - [Electrostimulation as an aid in fecal incontinence].

PMID- 1861449
TI  - Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency: findings and treatment in a symptomatic
      female heterozygote.

PMID- 1861450
TI  - Chronic coagulopathy in a patient with argininosuccinase deficiency.

PMID- 1861451
TI  - Acute neonatal isovaleric acidaemia presented without acidosis or ketonuria.

PMID- 1861452
TI  - A false hyperglycinaemia.

PMID- 1861453
TI  - Methylmalonic aciduria presenting in an adult.

PMID- 1861454
TI  - Galactose increase in an infant whose mother is heterozygous for peripheral
      uridine diphosphate galactose-4-epimerase deficiency.

PMID- 1861455
TI  - Complementation studies in human and caprine beta-mannosidosis.
AB  - Cell fusions were performed to investigate the possible involvement of different
      gene mutations in five patients with isolated beta-mannosidosis and a patient
      with a combined deficiency of beta-mannosidase and heparin sulphate sulphamidase.
      In none of the combinations of cell lines was beta-mannosidase activity restored
      in the fused cell culture. Similarly, no complementation of sulphamidase activity
      was observed after fusion of cells with the combined deficiency and cells with
      isolated sulphamidase deficiency (mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA). The absence
      of complementation suggests that the combined deficiency is not caused by a
      defect in one common factor affecting the two enzymes: The results rather
      indicate a rare coincidence of two independent mutations which are allelic with
      the mutation in the respective conditions with isolated enzyme deficiencies.

PMID- 1861456
TI  - beta-mannosidase deficiency in a female infant with epileptic encephalopathy.
AB  - We report a female infant with an isolated deficiency of beta-mannosidase
      activity. At nine months of age dysmorphism was absent except for brachecephaly.
      There was moderate developmental delay and a startle response to sound. At 12
      months there was a sudden onset of tonic-clonic seizures which were unresponsive
      to drug therapy, requiring paralysis and mechanical ventilation for control. The
      child died suddenly aged 15 months. beta-mannosidase activity was markedly
      reduced in white cells and cultured skin fibroblasts whilst other lysosomal
      enzymes were normal. The disaccharide ManGlcNAc was excreted in urine but urinary
      mucopolysaccharides were normal.

PMID- 1861458
TI  - Confocal scanning laser microscopy of mitochondria: a possible tool in the
      diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders.
AB  - This paper describes a non-invasive method for the study of mitochondrial
      morphology in cultured human skin fibroblasts by confocal scanning laser
      microscopy after staining the mitochondria with 2-[4-(dimethylaminostyryl]-1
      methylpyridinium iodide. This method is applied to compare mitochondria in
      fibroblasts from healthy individuals and from patients with mitochondrial
      myopathy. In most cases there is a striking swelling of the patient's
      mitochondria and a loss of fine structure. The results with respect to the
      potential of this method as a diagnostic tool are discussed.

PMID- 1861457
TI  - Altered phosphorylation state of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase in a
      branched-chain acyltransferase deficient human fibroblast cell line.
AB  - The abundance and phosphorylation state of the polypeptide constituents of the
      human branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase complex were examined in
      mitochondria from normal and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) fibroblasts. In
      normal fibroblast mitochondria two forms of the E1 alpha subunit were observed:
      non-phosphorylated (E1 alpha) and phosphorylated (E1 alpha-P). About 40-50% of E1
      alpha was present as E1 alpha-P. The ability to quantitate the two forms of E1
      alpha permitted examination of the association between decreased capacity of
      oxidize branched-chain 2-oxo acids and the phosphorylation state of E1 alpha.
      Changes in phosphorylation state of E1 alpha were observed in MSUD fibroblasts as
      compared to control cells. Of particular interest was the absence of E1 alpha-P
      in an MSUD fibroblast line which lacked the dihydrolipoyl acyltransferase (E2)
      subunit of the dehydrogenase complex. In two MSUD cell lines deficient in E1
      alpha, the abundance of E1 alpha-P appeared to be preferentially reduced. A
      fourth MSUD cell line contained normal quantities of E3, E2 and both forms of the
      E1 alpha polypeptide. Our results indicate that alterations in the abundance of
      dehydrogenase complex polypeptides in MSUD fibroblasts may influence the
      phosphorylation state of the E1 alpha polypeptide. They demonstrate the potential
      for examining simultaneously mutations which affect both the catalytic and
      regulatory components of the dehydrogenase complex.

PMID- 1861459
TI  - Successful treatment of dihydropteridine reductase deficiency, with an
      interesting effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan deficiency on sleep patterns.
AB  - We report a child in whom dihydropteridine reductase deficiency was diagnosed
      prenatally because of an affected sibling and who was treated from birth with
      apparent good response. This family has been reported before (Firgaira et al.,
      1980, 1981, 1983; Lipson et al., 1984; Cotton et al., 1986; Dahl et al., 1988).
      The parents are Lebanese Muslims who are first cousins, and their first and third
      children, both male, are well. The third child was diagnosed as normal in utero
      (Firgaira et al., 1983). The second child, the subject of an early report (Lipson
      et al., 1984), has dihydropteridine reductase deficiency. The dihydropteridine
      reductase is nonfunctional due to an amino acid insertion (Howells et al., 1990).

PMID- 1861460
TI  - Renal failure in adult patients with hereditary tyrosinaemia type I.
AB  - An adult patient with hereditary tyrosinaemia type I who developed renal failure
      is reported. She received a renal transplant at the age of 23 years. In childhood
      her kidney disease was dominated by multiple tubular defects with resulting
      hypophosphataemic rickets. Metabolic acidosis was the most prominent feature in
      the years preceding the transplantation. Her kidneys were contracted to 40 g. The
      major morphological finding was that of a tubulointerstitial nephropathy. Liver
      biopsies taken at the ages of 5.5 and 23 years showed cirrhotic changes.
      Crystalloid inclusions in the liver mitochondriae were a prominent finding on
      electron microscopy. Fumarylacetoacetase was deficient in liver, kidneys,
      fibroblasts and lymphocytes. The typical biochemical parameters of tyrosinaemia,
      succinylacetone, p-hydroxyphenyllactate, p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate and serum
      tyrosine were only slightly elevated. A brief history of a second adult
      tyrosinaemia patient with decreasing renal function is also given.

PMID- 1861461
TI  - Urinary excretion of 2-methylacetoacetate, 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyrate and
      tiglylglycine after isoleucine loading in the diagnosis of 2-methylacetoacetyl
      CoA thiolase deficiency.
AB  - The concentrations of 2-methylacetoacetate, 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyrate and
      tiglylglycine were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in urine
      collected before and for 8 h after loading with 100 mg of isoleucine per kg of
      body weight. The sum of 2-methylacetoacetate and 2-butanone, a decarboxylation
      product, was determined as the 2-butanone dinitrophenylhydrazone derivative.
      Substantial increases in each compound were encountered in a patient with a
      documented defect of 2-methylacetoacetyl-CoA thiolase. Increased quantities of 2
      methyl-3-hydroxybutyrate and tiglylglycine were also found in four children with
      clinical symptoms similar to those associated with 2-methylacetoacetyl-CoA
      thiolase deficiency but in whom the activity of the enzyme was found to be
      normal. The concentration of 2-methylacetoacetate plus 2-butanone in the urine
      increased after an isoleucine load only in the patient with 2-methylacetoacetyl
      CoA thiolase deficiency.

PMID- 1861462
TI  - Neonatal cardiomyopathy and lactic acidosis responsive to thiamine.
AB  - A congestive cardiomyopathy was diagnosed in a girl at the age of 4 weeks. In the
      weeks following she developed general muscle hypotonia and plasma lactate
      increased to 8.5 mmol/L. Biochemical investigations of a muscle biopsy at the age
      of 3 months showed a deficiency in the oxidation of all substrates tested:
      pyruvate plus malate, 2-ketoglutarate and palmitate plus malate. After freezing
      and thawing of the homogenate and the addition of essential cofactors, the
      oxidation of the ketoacids normalized. The oxidation defect in the untreated
      homogenate can be explained by a deficiency in one of the cofactors (such as
      thiamine pyrophosphate, NAD+ or CoASH), or by a defect in the oxidative
      phosphorylation. Treatment with thiamine and carnitine resulted in a decrease in
      blood lactate to normal levels and a dramatic clinical improvement. Suspension of
      thiamine caused deterioration of her clinical condition and lactic acidaemia. The
      thiamine therapy was then continued. The girl is now 6 years old and in perfect
      health.

PMID- 1861463
TI  - Hyperglycaemia associated with lactic acidaemia in a renal allograft recipient
      with type I glycogen storage disease.
AB  - Renal disease is a frequent and serious complication of type I glycogen storage
      disease. A type I glycogen storage disease patient with focal segmental
      glomerulosclerosis and progressive renal insufficiency underwent a renal
      allograft transplantation. Despite the same cornstarch therapy, the post
      transplantation course was complicated by worsening of the metabolic control
      manifested by exacerbated lactic acidaemia and hyperlipidaemia. This lactic
      acidaemia was remarkable for its association with hyperglycaemia. Hyperglycaemia
      accompanied by lactic acidaemia is strikingly unusual in type I glycogen storage
      disease, since this is a disease characterized by hypoglycaemia and an inverse
      relationship between blood glucose concentration and lactate levels. Both fasting
      insulin and C-peptide levels in the patient were greater than similar age-matched
      type I glycogen storage disease controls, indicating hyperinsulinaemia. The most
      likely mechanism responsible for the combined hyperglycaemia and lactic acidaemia
      was insulin resistance due to glucocorticoid treatment, instituted for
      immunosuppression. The hyperglycaemia associated with the lactic acidaemia was
      transient and resolved with steroid tapering. The exacerbated hyperlipidaemia,
      however, persisted after renal transplantation. Type I glycogen storage disease
      patients may be prone to glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance, since the
      cellular metabolism in these patients may already be compromised with ineffective
      insulin action and/or reduced insulin output.

PMID- 1861464
TI  - The epidemiology of organ transplantation in South Carolina.

PMID- 1861465
TI  - Obtaining consent for organ donation: the role of the healthcare profession.

PMID- 1861466
TI  - Medical aspects of transplantation.

PMID- 1861467
TI  - Transplantation of gametes and embryos: an outgrowth of assisted reproductive
      technologies.

PMID- 1861468
TI  - Ethical considerations and controversies in transplantation.

PMID- 1861469
TI  - Third party payment and the cost of transplantation.

PMID- 1861471
TI  - Transplantation in South Carolina.

PMID- 1861470
TI  - Psychological and psychiatric aspects of organ and tissue transplantation.

PMID- 1861472
TI  - The history of transplantation.

PMID- 1861473
TI  - Evaluation of the endurance performance of marathon runners and theoretical
      analysis of test results.

PMID- 1861474
TI  - Effects of types and intensities of background music on treadmill endurance.
AB  - The effects of different types of music on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived
      exertion (RPE), and time to exhaustion during treadmill work were determined on
      24 volunteer college students (Ss). The Ss participated in three randomly
      assigned multistaged treadmill walk/run to exhaustion while wearing a head-set.
      The three treatments were: loud, fast, exciting, popular music (Type A); soft,
      slow, easy-listening, popular music (Type B); and no music (control). HR was
      recorded at 0:30 of each minute until voluntary exhaustion. RPE was obtained
      after the test for five different points during the test. Differences (p less
      than 0.10) among experimental treatments were determined by a one-way ANOVA and
      Newman-Keuls. HR was lower with Type B music in minutes one and six. The peak HR
      and the HR in the minute preceding max were higher with Type B music. Time to
      exhaustion was longer during the Type B music treatment than during the control
      treatment. RPE was lower for Type B music than control during moderate work. This
      study provided some support for the hypothesis that soft, slow music reduces
      physiological and psychological arousal during submaximal exercise and increases
      endurance performance.

PMID- 1861475
TI  - A correlation between muscular strength and hydroxyproline concentration in human
      patellar tendon.
AB  - The connective tissue of the knee is frequently injured by athletes, especially
      those involved in contact sports. It would be important in the prevention of
      injury as well as the strategy of physical fitness training to know whether the
      connective tissue is modified in response to athletic stress or training. The
      potential modification investigated was variability in the concentration of
      hydroxyproline, a post-translationally modified imino acid found principally in
      collagen protein. A correlation was sought between this variability and the leg
      strength parameters torque (expressed as ft-lbs), torque/body weight and work
      (expressed as ft-lbs). In a preliminary study of five subjects, no correlation
      was found between hydroxyproline concentration of the patellar tendon and any of
      the leg strength parameters. These results suggest that this modification of the
      collagen in connective tissue does not occur in response to athletic stress or
      training, but rather, for the small number of subjects investigated, appeared to
      be relatively constant across a range of leg strengths.

PMID- 1861476
TI  - Are high-performance young women athletes doomed to become low-performance old
      wives? A reconsideration of the increased risk of osteoporosis in amenorrheic
      women.
AB  - Osteoporosis and athletic amenorrhea are now well-established findings in top
      level women athletes. Specifically trabecular bone appears to be affected. Since
      these two phenomena seem to occur simultaneously, questions have been raised as
      to the underlying mechanisms and whether physical exercise, which had been proven
      to exert a positive beneficial effect under normal conditions, should be held
      responsible. Although hypo-estrogenic status, body composition, and nutritional
      deficiency have been offered as possible explanations, none of these can be
      solely regarded as completely satisfactory. As for athletic amenorrhea itself,
      low estrogens are probably secondary to other phenomena and may only be related
      indirectly to osteoporosis. Whether they interfere with nutritional uptake is
      obscure. Possibly, endogenous opioid peptides are involved as an unnegligible
      mediator. As an important practical consequence it should be pointed out that
      osteoporosis in women athletes will be only detected incidentally; a fact which
      could obstruct timely intervention, though whether therapy is necessary remains
      open to discussion. The discovery that amenorrheic athletes subject to more
      severe training have a higher bone density than less engaged amenorrheic
      colleagues, can only be in favor of physical exercise, even under these
      conditions.

PMID- 1861477
TI  - Telethermography and Raynaud's phenomenon.
AB  - A Raynaud's Phenomenon reported by a young female athlete in concomitance with a
      traumatic injury occurred during her gymnastic performance is described.
      Discussion is carried out taking into account the recent acquisitions about the
      pathophysiology of this syndrome.

PMID- 1861478
TI  - Death due to fulminant toxic-shock syndrome: differential diagnosis of a
      multilayered clinical picture.
AB  - Reported is the case study of a 27-year-old top-performance sportswoman who died
      of a fulminant illness with multiple organ failure. Long-term polypragmatic
      therapy and pharmacotherapy as well as acute analgesic and non-steroid
      antirheumatic treatment due to lumbago led to the diagnosis of a "complex toxic
      allergic process". Numerous pathologic-anatomical findings, including the absence
      of septic spleen reaction and the demonstration of hyperacute polyradiculitis,
      supported this diagnosis. The present article discusses the possible differential
      diagnoses of the illness with the conclusion that its symptoms, clinical course,
      laboratory constellation and pathologic-anatomical findings better correspond to
      infection-caused toxic-shock syndrome (TSS) than to a toxic-allergic process.

PMID- 1861479
TI  - Effects of simultaneous training for strength and endurance on upper and lower
      body strength and running performance.
AB  - This study examined simultaneous training for strength and endurance during a 13
      week, 3-day a week program of hydraulic resistive circuit training and running.
      Eighteen college males (U.S. Army ROTC) were placed into low resistance (LR; n =
      10) or high resistance (HR; n = 8) groups, and 10 college males were controls and
      did not train. There were 20 exercise stations (7 upper and lower body, and 6
      supplementary). LR and HR performed 2 circuits with a work/rest ratio of 20 to 40
      s during the 40 min workout. LR trained at two low resistances (approximately 100
      cm.s-1), while HR trained at a higher resistance (approximately 50 cm.s-1).
      Following the workout, subjects ran 2 miles. Pre and post tests included
      strength, physical fitness, and anthropometry. Strength was assessed with (1)
      hydraulic resistance dynamometry for 4 exercises at 2 speeds using a computerized
      dynamometer (Hydra-Fitness, Belton, TX); (2) isokinetic and isotonic upright
      squat and supine bench press using the Ariel Exerciser (Trabuco Canyon, CA); (3)
      concentric and eccentric arm flexion/extension at 60 and 120 degrees.s-1 on the
      Biodex dynamometer (Shirley, NY), and (4) 1-RM free weight concentric and
      eccentric arm flexion and extension. The fitness tests included 2-mile run, sit
      ups, and push-ups. Anthropometry included 3 fatfolds, 6 girths, and arm and leg
      volume. There were no significant changes in body composition or interactions
      between the fitness test measures and the 2 training groups (p greater than
      0.05). Improvements averaged 15% (run time), 30% (push-ups), and 19% (sit-ups; p
      less than 0.05). Significant improvements also occurred in 3 of 8 measures for
      hydraulic testing (overall change 8.8%), in 3 of 4 1-RM tests (9.4%), and in 2 of
      8 Biodex tests (6%), but no significant changes for isokinetic and isotonic squat
      and bench press (1.9%). The change in overall strength averaged 6.5% compared to
      16% in a prior study that used hydraulic resistive training without concomitant
      running. We conclude that gains in strength were somewhat compromised by the
      simultaneous run training, and that improvements in strength and run performance
      were independent of LR and HR training intensity.

PMID- 1861480
TI  - The relationship between critical power and the onset of blood lactate
      accumulation.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to determine the contribution of the onset
      of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), the heartrate-workload slope (HR-WL) and
      the efficiency of electrical activity (EEA = slope of IEMG vs. workload) of the
      leg extensor muscles to Critical Power (CP). Twelve adult males (mean age +/- SD
      = 24.5 +/- 2.8 yrs) volunteered as subjects for this study. Zero-order
      correlations indicated that OBLA was significantly (p less than 0.05) related to
      CP (r = 0.616) and EEA (r = -0.577). Stepwise multiple regression resulted in a
      one variable model with OBLA the only significant (p less than 0.05) predictor of
      CP. Furthermore, a related t-test resulted in a significant difference between
      the means of the power out-put at CP (mean +/- SD = 230.0 +/- 22.1 watts) and
      OBLA (179.6 +/- 31.8 watts). The results of this study indicated that the two
      threshold parameters, CP and OBLA, were significantly related and therefore it is
      likely that the physiological factors responsible for OBLA also influence CP.
      However, the significant mean differences indicated that the mechanisms which
      underly CP and OBLA were not identical. Furthermore, the HR-WL slope (mean +/- SD
      = 0.343 +/- 0.071 beats per watt) and EEA (0.969 +/- 0.572 microvolts per watt)
      were not potent predictors of CP.

PMID- 1861481
TI  - Changes in physical fitness profile during the competitive season in elite bandy
      players.
AB  - Nine bandy players from an elite team were used as subjects in order to examine
      effects of the competitive season on a physical fitness profile. The present
      findings demonstrated that the competitive season led to a minor change in
      maximum oxygen uptake (from 63.2 +/- 6.0 to 60.8 +/- 3.7 ml x kg-1 x min-1) but a
      significant (p less than 0.05) decrease occurred in oxygen uptake at the
      anaerobic threshold from 48.6 +/- 6.8 to 43.4 +/- 2.3 ml x kg-1 x min-1. Average
      anaerobic power output during a 60 s maximal work period remained statistically
      unaltered during the season. A statistically nonsignificant change (from 3233 +/-
      493 to 3185 +/- 543 N) took place in maximal strength of the leg extensor
      muscles. A considerable change occurred during the competitive season in the
      shape of the isometric force-time curve so that the times of force production
      lengthened significantly (p less than 0.05) at all positions of the curve. The
      individual changes during the season in each of the characteristics of the
      physical fitness profile correlated (p less than 0.05-0.01) with the initial
      level recorded before the season. The present findings suggest that a competitive
      season in elite bandy players may lead to considerable decreases in selected
      characteristics of the physical fitness profile. The findings suggest that the
      magnitude and/or the frequency of physical training stimuli might be given more
      attention also during the competitive season and the individual needs of the
      players should be taken properly into consideration in the full training program.

PMID- 1861482
TI  - Prediction of maximal heart rate during a submaximal work test.
AB  - A multiple regression equation was developed utilizing submaximal ratings of
      perceived exertion and heart rate collected during a treadmill walking test to
      predict maximal heart rate (MHR). One hundred subjects were administered a
      modification of the Balke Treadmill test during which time submaximal ratings of
      perceived exertion (Borg Scale) and heart rate measurements were recorded.
      Subjects worked until volitional fatigue and maximal heart was recorded. A
      multiple regression equation was developed which did not require the subject to
      work at greater than 85% of MHR. The multiple regression equation is MHR =
      108.461 + 0.5108 (RPE 15)-0.6570 (8HR) + 0.6075 (10HR)-0.2641 (age in years) with
      RPE 15 equal to the heart rate at a perceived exertion rating of 15 on the Borg
      Scale, 8HR equal to the heart rate at 8 minutes and 10HR equal to the heart rate
      at 10 minutes. It was found that the regression equation significantly improved
      the ability to predict MHR and represented a 28% improvement in the commonly used
      equation MHR = 220-age.

PMID- 1861483
TI  - Increases in aldosterone precede those of cortisol during graded exercise.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the intensity threshold needed to
      elicit increases in plasma aldosterone and cortisol during graded exercise in
      humans. Seven male volunteers performed a maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) test on
      a cycle ergometer. Plasma levels of aldosterone, cortisol, angiotensin II, ACTH,
      and potassium were measured at rest and at each 50 W workload of the exercise
      test. The results showed that aldosterone significantly (p less than or equal to
      0.05) increased from a mean (+/- SE) of 231 +/- 22 pmol/L at rest to 464 +/- 22
      pmol/L at exhaustion. Cortisol significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05)
      increased from 284 +/- 38 nmol/L at rest to 311 +/- 39 nmol/L at exhaustion. More
      importantly, however, was the fact that aldosterone was significantly increased
      above the resting level at exercise intensities greater than or equal to 60%
      VO2max. Cortisol, on the other hand, was only significantly increased at
      exhaustion (i.e. 100% VO2max). These results clearly show that increases in
      aldosterone precede those of cortisol during graded exercise in humans.
      Interestingly, potassium (r = 0.79), ACTH (r = 0.55), and angiotensin II (r =
      0.54) were all significantly correlated with aldosterone during exercise. Such a
      finding seems to suggest that all 3 variables may be important stimuli for
      aldosterone secretion during graded exercise.

PMID- 1861485
TI  - Morphological characteristics of elite male field hockey players.
AB  - The main objective of this paper was to establish a data base of physical norms
      for elite male field hockey players. Direct measurements were made on eight
      parameters and a further three derived variables were calculated. With a stature
      of 176.3 cm and mass of 75.2 kg the hockey players were identified as ecto
      mesomorphic. The lean build of the subjects was evident with a fairly low
      percentage body fat (11.1%) and a relatively high RPI of 41.77. Functional arm
      length did not appear to have any correlation with hockey playing ability.
      However, grip strength, in both right (54.0 kg) and left (53.1 kg) measures was
      above that of norms for male adults and there was no significant difference
      between left and right grip strength. The players appeared to have good leg
      strength (stand long jump mean 2.3 m) with very little variability amongst the
      players. On the other hand flexibility (sit and reach mean 9.7) was poor and
      results indicated a wide range of variability in the sample group tested.

PMID- 1861484
TI  - The effect of exercise training on body weight and peptide hormone patterns in
      normal weight college-age men.
AB  - Resting and peak glucose, insulin, glucagon, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP)
      and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) levels were evaluated pretraining, 3 weeks and 10
      weeks posttraining in seven college age males. The exercise consisted of thrice
      weekly session of jogging at 70% VO2max for 20 minutes plus warmup and cool down.
      Following the 10 weeks, VO2max increased significantly. Body weight remained
      constant and body fat decreased significantly. Fasting and peak blood glucose
      levels were normal at the beginning of the study yet improved with training. As
      expected, fasting and peak insulin levels decreased significantly with training.
      Although GIP did not change significantly with training, an uncoupling of GIP and
      insulin peak responses was observed. Glucagon levels were essentially unchanged.
      Fasting and peak PP levels increased slightly as training occurred. These hormone
      responses suggest that perhaps body weight and/or changes in body fat stores and
      fuel use might influence peptide hormone responses with training.

PMID- 1861486
TI  - Energy intake profile in the triathlon competition by means of cluster analysis.
AB  - The subjects were 18 male triathletes competing in the 4th Kaike Triathlon held
      at Tottori in 1984. Answers to a questionnaire on dietary and water intake before
      and during the competition were analysed. Cluster analysis using the average
      distance method was applied to 21 variables relating to order, age, stature, body
      weight, total calorie intake and each nutrient element ingested during three
      periods: after swimming, during cycling and during the marathon. The arrival
      order was clustered with stature and weight, and its similarity showed 69.7 when
      the first cluster formed. Age along with carbohydrate, protein or water intake
      during the marathon formed secondary clusters with order, stature, and weight
      (similarity: 60.0). In the upper place group, breakfast calories occupied the
      largest portion of 26.1% and the smallest portion of 17.2% during the marathon
      running. Furthermore the group ingested more energy than the other groups during
      cycling.

PMID- 1861487
TI  - Physical activity and lean body mass loss following coronary artery bypass graft
      surgery.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of Phase I exercise
      therapy on lean body mass loss in recovering coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
      surgery patients. Thirty male CABG surgery patients volunteered for the study.
      Subjects were randomly divided into two groups with one group receiving Phase I
      exercise therapy. The other group was allowed to participate in ward activities
      and ad libitum walking. Select measures of lean body mass change, including
      urinary urea nitrogen, blood urea nitrogen, urinary creatinine, serum creatinine
      and nitrogen balance, were obtained during six days of hospitalization. Results
      reveal no statistical difference (p greater than 0.05) between those receiving
      and those not receiving Phase I exercise therapy relative to these measures. We
      conclude that the effects of exercise which ameliorate lean body mass loss may be
      realized by insuring even modest ambulation as an adjunct to frequent assumption
      of the upright position.

PMID- 1861488
TI  - Effect of exercise on blood lipid constituents and aerobic capacity of fire
      fighters.
AB  - The effect of 32 weeks of exercise training, at moderate intensity, on serum
      lipids, lipoproteins, aerobic power, anaerobic threshold, body composition, and
      coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors was examined in 38 male fire fighters
      (mean +/- SD 42.7 +/- 6.4 yr). Exercise training included cycling, rowing,
      walking, jogging, running, and circuit weight training 3 d/wk, 30 min/session at
      350 to 450 kcal/session. Fasting blood samples collected pre- and post-training
      were assayed for triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (CHOL), low-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL
      C), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C). Maximum aerobic power (VO2max) was
      measured during a treadmill test. Anaerobic threshold (AT) was predicted by
      observing the onset of a systematic increase in VE/VO2 without a concomitant
      increase in VE/VCO2. Body composition was determined via underwater weighing and
      skinfold measurements. There were no significant differences in CHOL, CHOL/HDL-C
      ratio, or LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Only the AT, HDL-C, VO2max, and CHD risk levels
      changed significantly (P less than 0.05). Cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C and
      triglycerides were linearly related to body fat. Maximal oxygen uptake and HDL-C
      were inversely related to body fat. It was concluded that moderate exercise
      intensity can yield a marked increase in AT, VO2max, and HDL-C while not
      significantly affecting the CHOL level. The findings lend support to the
      contention that risk reduction for CHD lies on a continuum.

PMID- 1861489
TI  - A computer-video aided time motion analysis technique for match analysis.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to find out suitable methods for obtaining
      objective data on the time spent by players of different positions during
      walking, jogging, cruising, sprinting and standing still during match play
      activities. Computer programs and filming analyses with a simple notation system
      based upon symbolic representations of movements have been devised for analysis
      of individual players' behaviour. A technique was devised and employed with a
      small group of university players, aged 19-21 years of age. The subjects were
      filmed in several matches, and the video recordings were analysed using a
      microcomputer. The ratio of the time spent for the players were 56% walking, 30%
      jogging, 4% cruising, 3% sprinting and 7% standing still. ANOVA revealed that
      there are significant differences among the players for different positions on
      the field, for example the time spent on walking, jogging and standing still
      differed (P less than 0.05) among attackers, defenders and midfielders. A new
      method has been developed to obtain reliable information about the players'
      movement and performance in the game. The Authors believe that there should be
      further studies carried out involving more teams at different levels of
      performance to substantiate these preliminary findings.

PMID- 1861490
TI  - Relationships among strength, endurance, weight and body fat during three phases
      of the menstrual cycle.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among body weight,
      body fat, and dynamic strength and muscular endurance during different phases of
      the menstrual cycle. Twenty-one female subjects, ages 18-36, with normal
      menstrual cycles and no dysfunction were tested for strength and endurance of the
      knee flexors and extensors on a Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer. Body weight and
      percent body fat were also assessed. Each subject was tested at three speeds (60
      degrees, 180 degrees, and 240 degrees/sec) during three phases of the menstrual
      cycle: mensus (within 24 hours of onset); ovulation (13-14 days from onset); and
      luteal (10 days from ovulation). The data were analyzed descriptively and by
      Pearson Product-Moment Correlations with each phase of the cycle and between
      cycle phases. Results indicated high correlations among most strength measures at
      the three test speeds for each phase during the cycle and between the cycle
      phases. Overall, the different phases of the menstrual cycle had little or no
      effect upon the relationships among body weight, percent body fat, knee extension
      and flexion strength or endurance.

PMID- 1861491
TI  - The relationship of maternal exercise on labor, delivery and health of the
      newborn.
AB  - Thirty women were interviewed and divided into active and sedentary groups. Pre
      delivery data, information regarding labor and delivery, Apgar scores of the
      newborn and perceived exertion during labor were recorded and statistically
      analyzed. Neonates of active women showed slightly higher one-minute Apgars and
      no difference in fetal weight or five-minute Apgars. Active women indicated lower
      perceived exertion during labor, longer delivery times and no differences in
      gestational length, maternal weight gain and time during the first stage of
      labor. Maternal weight gain in both groups correlated positively with fetal
      weight. A higher fetal weight indicated a slightly higher five-minute Apgar.
      Primaparas showed no difference in the first stage of labor although longer
      delivery time was noted. No differences in levels of medication during labor were
      revealed although the youngest and oldest subjects required cesarean delivery.
      Obese women labored longer, indicated higher perceived exertion and higher fetal
      weights.

PMID- 1861493
TI  - Thyroid cancer and multiple primary malignancies in Israel.
AB  - The exact risk of multiple primary neoplasms in patients with thyroid cancer is
      difficult to ascertain from the data available in the literature. Three thousand
      seventy-two patients with thyroid cancer, listed in the Israel Cancer Registry
      during a 16-year time span, were studied to determine the true incidence of
      another primary cancer. Ninety-two cases were reported as having an additional
      primary cancer. The prevalence of multiple primary malignancies was 3%. The
      frequency was higher among patients of European rather than of Asian or African
      origin. The second primary cancers in order of decreasing frequency were of the
      breast, lung, colorectum, head and neck, and lymphoma/myeloma. Most of the deaths
      were due to the additional cancer. The 5-year survival rate was highest for head
      and neck and lowest for lung cancer patients. These results emphasize the need
      for greater awareness of the possibility of developing additional cancers, and
      indicate the need to incorporate strategies for the prevention, early detection,
      and treatment of multiple primary neoplasms.

PMID- 1861492
TI  - Histiocytic neoplasias: immunohistochemical evaluation of their frequencies among
      malignant lymphoma and related conditions in Japan.
AB  - Through histologic review of 1,766 cases with malignant lymphoma and related
      conditions, 35 cases (2%) were selected as probable histiocytic neoplasias.
      Proliferating cells in these cases had voluminous, granulated cytoplasm, and
      round to irregularly shaped nuclei often with bi- or multinucleated forms showing
      monomorphous or polymorphous proliferation accompanying small lymphocytes, plasma
      cells, and, less frequently, eosinophils. Cases showing proliferation of
      convoluted cells with numerous benign-appearing histiocytes or large cells with
      clear cytoplasm were excluded under a diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma. To evaluate
      the immunologic character of proliferating cells, immunohistochemistry using
      antibodies Mx-Pan B, MB-1, MT-1, UCHL-1, lysozyme, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1
      antichymotrypsin, S-100 alpha, S-100 beta, Leu M1, epithelial membrane antigen,
      and Ki-1 were carried out in 23 cases. Naphthol-ASD-chloracetate reaction and
      toluidine blue stain were also performed. These procedures revealed that 12 cases
      (52%) were B-cell type, three cases (13%) T-cell type, six cases (26%) true
      histiocytic type, and two cases null type. Therefore, the frequency of cases with
      true histiocytic neoplasias among cases with malignant lymphoma and related
      conditions in Japan may be 0.5%.

PMID- 1861494
TI  - Parotid manifestations of HIV infection.
AB  - A lump in the parotid region is generally a salivary tumor unless proved
      otherwise. Recently with an epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome
      (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC), a large number of pathologies are noticed
      in the parotid region. These conditions generally involve the intraparotid and
      periparotid lymph nodes. Hyperplastic lymphadenopathy and the benign
      lymphoepithelial lesions are the most common variants. Our knowledge regarding
      these new conditions is just evolving. There remains a therapeutic dilemma
      starting from observation only to local excision and superficial or total
      parotidectomy. These lesions must be kept in mind when we evaluate a patient with
      risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

PMID- 1861495
TI  - Melanoma tumor vaccine: five-year follow-up.
AB  - For many years, various melanoma vaccines have been employed. This is a unique
      melanoma vaccine in that it is a subcellular tumor homogenate and no adjuvants
      have been added. This vaccine has been given to 129 stage I and 61 stage II
      melanoma patients. All were followed at least 5 years and had 87.5% and 63.9% 5
      year survival rates, respectively. Sixty-four stage I males and 65 stage I
      females had 84% and 90% 5-year survival rates, respectively. We saw no difference
      between those with or without lymph node dissection. Thirty-six stage II males
      and 25 stage II females had 66.7% and 60% 5-year survival rates, respectively. Of
      stage II patients, 23 had only one positive node, 22 had two to four positive
      nodes, and 9 had five or more positive nodes with 69%, 63%, and 55% 5-year
      survival rates, respectively. Large published series were used as historical
      controls [6,27,28], and significant differences were noted when compared to our
      stage II patients (P = 0.001)--those with two to four positive nodes (P = 0.03),
      and those with five or more positive nodes (P = 0.04). We conclude that there is
      a significant increase in survival for these stage II patients, at high risk of
      recurrence, receiving a tumor homogenate vaccine. This vaccine warrants further
      analysis, development, and use in a phase III randomized clinical trial.

PMID- 1861496
TI  - A myocutaneous flap for closure of upper arm amputations for uncontrolled
      axillary tumors.
AB  - Tumor spread or recurrence in the axilla is usually treated with nodal
      dissections. At times disease recurrence is uncontrolled, causing significant
      morbidity including pain, bleeding, lymphedema, and neurologic symptoms.
      Previously, forequarter amputation has been the treatment for this problem,
      resulting in a significant cosmetic and functional deficit. This report describes
      a novel myocutaneous flap that can be used to cover soft tissue defects after
      major disarticulations of the upper extremity. The deltoid myocutaneous flap has
      been used to successfully treat three patients with uncontrolled tumors in the
      axilla and preserve the shoulder structures to lessen the functional deficit.

PMID- 1861497
TI  - Primary breast lymphoma.
AB  - Primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is a rare tumor of the breast. Three cases of PBL
      are being described. All three cases achieved remission following biopsy,
      chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. The literature is extensively reviewed with
      emphasis on true incidence of PBL and survival rates.

PMID- 1861498
TI  - What's your opinion? KNA members respond to survey.

PMID- 1861499
TI  - Where do you stand?

PMID- 1861500
TI  - Nelle Bryant Weller: a Kentucky pioneer nurse (1914-1989).

PMID- 1861502
TI  - Clinical application of chengshan (UB 57) acupoint.

PMID- 1861501
TI  - RCT? Care tech? MLP? What is this all about.

PMID- 1861503
TI  - Treatment of hiccoughs with auriculoacupuncture.

PMID- 1861504
TI  - Treatment of essential hypertension with auriculoacupressure.
AB  - Auriculoacupressure was used in the treatment of 291 cases of essential
      hypertension, in comparison with 51 similar cases treated with Fufang Jiangya
      (composite hypotensive) Tablets. Analysis of results showed that the therapeutic
      effects in the 2 groups were similar, while the rate of marked efficacy in the
      acupressure group was higher than that of the medication group, and the level of
      blood lipids also significantly dropped (P less than 0.01); there was only minor
      improvement in blood rheology. In addition, acupressure manifested biphasic
      regulatory effects on sinus arrythmia. The curative effect of acupressure on
      essential vascular hypertension was good.

PMID- 1861505
TI  - Analgesic effect of pressure on auriculoacupoints for postoperative pain in 102
      cases.

PMID- 1861506
TI  - Vertigo treated with scalp acupuncture.

PMID- 1861507
TI  - The treatment of enuresis with scalp acupuncture.

PMID- 1861508
TI  - Treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia with acupuncture in 1500 cases.

PMID- 1861509
TI  - Treatment of peripheral facial paralysis with pick-prick and connecting
      acupuncture.

PMID- 1861510
TI  - Clinical and experimental observations on treatment of peptic ulcer with wei yang
      an (easing peptic-ulcer) capsule.
AB  - The therapeutic effects of peptic ulcer treated with cimetidine and Wei Yang An
      were compared clinically and experimentally by the double blind method. Results
      showed that the effects of the two are similar, but the long-term effect of Wei
      Yang An was better. Wei Yang An was also good for most cimetidine resistant
      ulcers, with few side effect. Animal experiment showed that Wei Yang An inhibited
      the ulcers.

PMID- 1861511
TI  - Effects of gynostemma pentaphyllum makino on the immunological function of cancer
      patients.

PMID- 1861513
TI  - Treatment of frontal headache with acupuncture on zhongwan--a report of 110
      cases.

PMID- 1861512
TI  - Observation on long-term therapeutic effect in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients
      with cyanosis of the tongue after radiotherapy.

PMID- 1861514
TI  - Treatment of peri-omarthritis with acupuncture at yanglingquan (GB 34).

PMID- 1861515
TI  - 1291 cases of cholelithiasis treated with electric shock on otoacupoints.
AB  - Since 1985, the authors began to use electric shock on otoacupoints of varying
      electric resistance for the treatment of cholelithiasis. The instrument used was
      the Channel Therapeutic Instrument made in China, and the otoacupoints of varying
      electric resistance were Sympathetic, Pancreas--Gall Bladder, Stomach, Liver,
      Sanjiao, Endocrine, and Ermigen. In the 1291 cases treated, the total effective
      rate was 99.69%, the rate of calculus excretion was 91.32%, and the rate of total
      excretion was 19.51%. The composition of the calculi was cholesterol crystals
      (31.25%), bilirubin crystals (28.17%), and mixed crystals (40.58%). The largest
      calculus excreted was an extrahepatic biliary duct calculus of 1.75 cm X 1.5 cm;
      the largest number of calculi excreted was 152 cholecystic stones 0.3 cm X 0.5 cm
      in size. In 100 random cases, the biliary system was shown to manifest vigorous
      dilations and constrictions under Ultrasonic B-scan when the relevant
      otoacupoints were stimulated with electric shock. Among the 78 control cases, no
      cholecystic stones were excreted, inspite of the Magnesium Sulfate, Folium
      Cassiae and fatty meals administered to many cases with constipation.

PMID- 1861516
TI  - 97 cases of gastrointestinal spasm treated with moxibustion.

PMID- 1861517
TI  - Thick needle treatment for periomitis.

PMID- 1861519
TI  - 302 cases of enuresis treated with acupuncture.

PMID- 1861518
TI  - TCM treatment of luteal phase defect--an analysis of 60 cases.
AB  - Sixty cases of infertility due to luteal phase defect were treated with herbs to
      tonify the kidney and regulate the menstrual cycle. After the treatment, the
      hyperthermal phase score of basal body temperature (BBT) was markedly increased
      (P less than 0.05), the hyperthermal phase 7-8 days after ovulation improved (P
      less than 0.001), the transitional period of BBT remarkably shortened, and the
      pregnancy rate in 32 uncomplicated cases of luteal phase defect was 56%. The
      close relationship between luteal phase defect and the kidney deficiency syndrome
      in TCM was discussed. The key points of the treatment included coordination of
      yin and yang, regulation of qi and blood, and combination of tonification with
      reduction.

PMID- 1861520
TI  - Role of amygdaloid nucleus in the correlation between the heart and the acupoint
      neiguan in rabbits.
AB  - Amygdaloid nucleus (AMYG) could converge and integrate the signals from
      electroacupuncture (EA) at Neiguan (P 6) and acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) in
      rabbits. And EA could regulate the changes in the discharge of single units in
      AMYG caused by AMI, that is, EA inhibited the increased frequency, and reversed
      the decreased frequency. This suggested that AMYG is an important link in
      correlation between the heart and the acupoint Neiguan, providing an experimental
      basis for the Theory of Channel--Viscera Correlation.

PMID- 1861521
TI  - Clinical observations on acupuncture treatment of peripheral facial paralysis
      aided by infra-red thermography--a preliminary report.
AB  - We have carried out clinical observations on 34 patients with peripheral facial
      paralysis treated by acupuncture therapy prescribed according to selection of
      treatment regimen on the basis of facial thermogram and temperature. A comparison
      was made with a control group of 97 patients who received conventional
      acupuncture therapy only. It was found that 1) The cure rate in the group of
      selecting acupoints by thermogram (hereinafter referred to as the thermography-
      aided treatment group) was 67.65%, with a marked improvement rate of 26.40%;
      while the cure rate of the conventional acupuncture treatment group (hereinafter
      called the conventional treatment group) was 46.39%, the marked improvement rate
      being 29.90%, indicating a significant difference in therapeutic efficacy between
      the two groups (P less than 0.02). 2) The average duration of acupuncture therapy
      for the thermography aided treatment group was 6.02 weeks, whereas that for the
      conventional treatment group, 24 weeks. There was also a significant difference
      between the two groups (P less than 0.01). And 3) During the entire therapeutic
      course, 25.2 sessions of treatment were given on the average in the thermography-
      aided treatment group, and 78.8 sessions in the conventional treatment group,
      showing a very significant difference (P less than 0.001). The present
      thermography--aided method exhibits advantages over the conventional one in
      enhancing the cure rate and shortening the duration of treatment, which is worthy
      to be popularized in clinical practice. And it is also of certain significance in
      standardization and scientification of acupuncture therapy.

PMID- 1861522
TI  - What are the commonly-used acupuncturing methods for abstinence from smoking?

PMID- 1861523
TI  - Research on "anti-aging" effect of qigong.

PMID- 1861524
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of apoplexy.

PMID- 1861525
TI  - Trial treatment of AIDS by TCM--a clinical report of 30 cases.

PMID- 1861526
TI  - Treatment of chronic coronary insufficiency with acupuncture on ximen point.

PMID- 1861527
TI  - Mechanisms of differentiation of U937 leukemic cells induced by GM-CSF and
      1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3.
AB  - The human monoblast cell line, U937, was employed to elucidate early events
      associated with differentiation induced by granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and 1,25-dihydroxy-Vitamin D3 (VD3). Exposure of
      cells to a combination of GM-CSF and VD3 resulted in an up-regulation of c-fos
      mRNA within 1 h and a marked down-regulation of c-myc mRNA by 24 h and this was
      associated with a shift of cell population from the S phase to the G0 + G1 phase
      of the cell cycle by 18%. This was followed by a marked enhancement of monocyte
      associated cell surface antigens [OKM1 (CD11b), LeuM3 (CD14), M77.7], as
      determined by monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. Functional
      characteristics such as nitroblue-tetrazolium reduction, alpha-naphthyl butyrate
      esterase activity, and phagocytic capability occurred. Cells treated with GM-CSF
      or VD3 alone showed only minor changes. These results demonstrate a potent
      synergistic effect of GM-CSF and VD3 on induction of U937 differentiation. This
      differentiation was partially blocked by H7, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor.
      Changes in c-myc and c-fos mRNA expressions and a shift in cell cycle were shown
      to be early events in this process.

PMID- 1861528
TI  - Should alpha interferon be used as primary treatment for hairy cell leukemia?
      Italian Cooperative Group for Hairy Cell Leukemia.
AB  - To answer the question of whether interferon (IFN) should replace splenectomy, we
      reviewed the Italian HCL Registry: the records of 450 patients with hairy cell
      leukemia (HCL), seen from 1975 to 1988 were analysed. Of these, 321 were
      considered for the study: 231 had been splenectomized, 46 of them receiving
      subsequently IFN and 90 patients had IFN as initial therapy. Patients treated
      with splenectomy showed different survival according to Jansen and Hermans'
      staging system, which identified two risk groups: stage 1 and stages 2 and 3, p =
      0.0329. On the contrary, patients treated with IFN did not show significantly
      different survival according to stage. By the comparison of stage 1 patients,
      either treated with splenectomy or with IFN, no statistical difference in
      survival was registered. Different survivals emerged for patients stage 2 + 3,
      which improved when treated with IFN, p = 0.0324. The median failure free
      survival (FFS) after splenectomy resulted in 89 months versus 33 months after
      IFN. In conclusion, splenectomy still remains the primary therapy for HCL
      patients stage 1. For high risk patients, stages 2 and 3, IFN should be adopted
      as first line therapy, improving substantially the survival. The short duration
      of response to IFN suggests a sequential combination of the two treatments for
      this group of patients, IFN reducing tumor mass quite safely and splenectomy
      assuring long lasting stable disease.

PMID- 1861530
TI  - Continuous intravenous infusion of high dose recombinant interleukin 2 for
      advanced lymphomas--a phase II study.
AB  - The prognosis of patients with advanced refractory lymphoma remains poor. We have
      carried out a Phase II study of continuous high dose intravenous recombinant
      interleukin 2 alone without LAK cells in this group of patients. Eight patients
      have so far been treated, 4 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and 4 with Hodgkins
      disease. Of the 7 evaluable patients, the maximum response observed was stable
      disease in 2 patients (1 with NHL and 1 with HD). The other patients' diseases
      progressed in the face of immune activation following the rIL-2 infusion. Adverse
      reactions were common but no life-threatening occurred. These results are
      disappointing. Whether or not lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells are needed
      to improve response rate deserve further investigations.

PMID- 1861529
TI  - Expression of an oncofetal protein (OFP) in rat and human leukemia cells.
AB  - A unique oncofetal protein (OFP) previously identified in rat fetal tissue and
      rat and human solid tumors, is now shown to be present in rat and human leukemia
      cells by use of a monoclonal antibody-based assay. Using a highly specific anti
      rat OFP monoclonal antibody OFP has been unquivocally immunolocalized to the
      cytoplasm of the rat leukemia cells. The factor is rapidly released to the
      circulation as 50 and 55 kD species which share the immunological determinants.
      When leukemia cells are transplanted to normal rats, OFP increases in the
      circulation in a biphasic manner which may be due to immune clearance since
      circulating anti-OFP antibodies have been demonstrated. Induction of
      differentiation in the human HL-60 leukemia cell line by 13-cis-retinoic acid
      caused a down regulation of OFP synthesis, both intra- and extra-cellular levels
      dropping to essentially zero. Induction of differentiation with dibutyryl cyclic
      AMP caused a cessation of secretion of OFP, with a marked increase in its
      intracellular concentration, a condition resembling the retention in fetal cells.
      Leukemia cells add to a growing list of tumors previously shown to produce OFP,
      suggesting that OFP is intimately involved in some facet of tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1861531
TI  - CD9 antigen on acute non-lymphoid leukemia cells: preferential expression by
      promyelocytic (M3) subtype.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody (S17-12), previously described to recognize subsets of
      myelomonocytic cells, is demonstrated to bind CD9 antigen, a surface marker of B
      cell precursors, platelets and several non-hematopoietic tissues. The proportion
      of S17-12, CD9-positive leukemic cells was determined in 102 patients with acute
      non-lymphocytic leukemia. It was found to be above 75% in 14/22 M3 cases
      (including 3/3 of microgranular variant) and only in 1/80 cases of different FAB
      subtype. Complete reactivity (greater than 95%) of leukemic clonogenic cells with
      CD9 MoAB was restricted to 4/18 M3 cases. Therefore, a high proportion of CD9
      positive cells seems to be peculiar to M3 cases. This may help in the diagnosis
      of cases that lack typical morphological features.

PMID- 1861532
TI  - Pharmacological studies of retinol palmitate and its clinical effect in patients
      with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of retinol palmitate were studied, and a therapeutic trial
      was performed in patients with ANLL. In the pharmacokinetics study, retinol was
      the only metabolite that was detected in plasma, and the peak concentration was
      332 micrograms/dl (about 1.2 x 10(-5) M) 2.1 h after administration of retinol
      palmitate. Five patients with ANLL (4 with ANLL-M3 and one with ANLL-M2) were
      treated with retinol palmitate. In all patients with ANLL-M3, bone marrow
      suspension culture studies revealed that retinol induced both morphological and
      functional differentiation of immature leukemic cells. During the course of the
      treatment with retinol palmitate, morphological differentiation of bone marrow
      immature leukemic cells was observed in all patients with ANLL-M3 within 3-4 days
      after initiation of the therapy. In three of the four patients who underwent
      conventional chemotherapy, the sequential treatment with retinol palmitate
      resulted in a complete remission: controlling residual bone marrow leukemic
      cells. None of the patients showed any signs of aggravation of DIC in the
      coagulation parameters. These findings suggest the possibility that retinol
      palmitate functions as salvage therapy by inducing maturation and slowing
      proliferation, there by clearing out the residual leukemic cells following
      conventional chemotherapy.

PMID- 1861533
TI  - Monitoring the unmaintained remission of acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia by
      serial bone marrow cultures.
AB  - Between 1974 and 1989, 217 patients with ANLL, aged less than 70 years, were
      submitted to an intensive remission induction chemotherapy. A complete remission
      was achieved in 100 (46%) cases. Ten (10%) patients survived in continuous
      remission beyond 16 months after cessation of remission maintenance therapy. In
      these 10 long-term survivors, bone marrow was serially cultured in semi-solid
      agar during the unmaintained remission for a median period of 40 (range 12-72)
      months. In another group of 18 patients bone marrow was cultured after cessation
      of remission maintenance chemotherapy at intervals of 29-43 (median 33) days
      until relapse, at most up to 16 months, when all patients relapsed. In both
      groups of patients a periodic return to a leukemic growth pattern in their marrow
      cultures was observed. The difference in the frequency of leukemic growth
      patterns between both groups is not significant, while the patients, who remained
      in prolonged remission, had a significantly higher mean number of colonies. It is
      suggested that monitoring the remission with the help of bone marrow cultures is
      useless in predicting an approaching relapse of ANLL. However, a high number of
      colonies in most marrow cultures is perhaps an indicator of a prolonged
      remission.

PMID- 1861535
TI  - High efficacy of monomethoxypolyethylene glycol-conjugated L-asparaginase (PEG2
      ASP) in two patients with hematological malignancies.
AB  - Two patients with hematological malignancies were successfully treated with
      monomethoxypolyethylene glycol-conjugated Escherichia coli L-asparaginase (PEG2
      ASP), which reportedly lacks both antigenicity and immunogenicity but retains
      catalytic activity as well as slow clearance in an experimental animal model. A
      20-year-old male patient with leukemic lymphoma was refractory to conventional
      chemotherapy but responsive to L-asparaginase (L-ASP) followed, however, by
      severe adverse effects. On relapse, an intravenous infusion of 100-200 IU/day
      dose of PEG2-ASP alone led to a complete remission 2 months later without
      hypersensitivity or other significant adverse reactions. Surprisingly, he
      remained in a complete remission for over one year with a regular weekly infusion
      of PEG2-ASP, combined with a weekly small dose of Ara-C. During this period,
      blood asparagine was not detectable. The other patient, a 64-year-old woman with
      chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis achieved, within 6 weeks, a complete
      remission with twice-weekly infusions of PEG2-ASP. Thus, PEG2-ASP is a highly
      effective antitumor agent overcoming the limitations in therapeutic use of L-ASP.

PMID- 1861534
TI  - Distinct patterns of sulfated proteoglycan biosynthesis in human monocytes,
      granulocytes and myeloid leukemic cells.
AB  - The production of sulfated proteoglycans was compared in mature peripheral blood
      granulocytes and monocytes and HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. We found that
      HL-60 cells synthesized 5-10 times more proteoglycans than peripheral blood
      leukocytes. Differentiation of HL-60 cells toward mature monocytes by treatment
      with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or towards granulocytes by
      treatment with retinoic acid or dibutyryl cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate
      (dbcAMP) resulted in a small (20-30%) decrease in sulfated proteoglycan
      biosynthesis. Chondroitin sulfate was found to be the predominant proteoglycan
      produced by monocytes, PMN and undifferentiated HL-60 cells. Differentiated HL-60
      cells produced chondroitin sulfate as well as sulfated proteoglycans sensitive to
      nitrous acid degradation. Similar results were observed in TPA, dbcAMP and
      retinoic acid differentiated HL-60 cells indicating that the changes in
      proteoglycan biosynthesis observed were independent of the developmental pathway.
      Using specific monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, we also found that HL-60
      cells and monocytes produced chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate and
      chondroitin-O-sulfate while PMN only produced chondroitin-4-sulfate. In addition,
      although there were no significant differences in antibody binding to
      undifferentiated and differentiated HL-60 cells, the tumor cells bound 5-20 times
      more of the antibodies than the peripheral blood leukocytes. Our data demonstrate
      that sulfated proteoglycan production by HL-60 cells is distinct from PMN and
      monocytes. In addition, the fact that differentiated HL-60 cells continue to
      synthesize larger amounts of the proteoglycans than the peripheral blood
      leukocytes indicates these cells have not completely matured.

PMID- 1861536
TI  - Transient expression of trisomy 21 and monosomy 7 following cyclosporin A in a
      patient with aplastic anemia.
AB  - We present a patient with severe idiopathic aplastic anemia with no previous
      chromosomal abnormalities who developed trisomy 21 and monosomy 7 during
      treatment with intravenous (i.v.) cyclosporine. The abnormal karyotype
      disappeared when the drug was changed to the oral form. This cytogenetic
      aberration, previously unreported in association with cyclosporine, may reflect
      either a direct drug effect or the emergence of a hidden myelodysplastic cell
      clone subject to preferential survival during immunosuppression.

PMID- 1861537
TI  - Differentiation of myeloid leukemic cells induced by high-dose methylprednisolone
      in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia and its therapeutic potential.

PMID- 1861538
TI  - Simple immuno bead labeling of leukemic cell clusters cultured in
      methylcellulose.
AB  - In studies of in vitro leukemic clonogenic cells it is of importance to determine
      the cell lineage of individual clusters grown in culture. A method is described
      for the in-situ identification of leukemic cell clusters in methylcellulose
      cultures. Whole cultures are dried and incubated with various monoclonal
      antibodies, followed by incubation with beads coated with secondary antibody.
      Clusters containing antibody-positive cells are heavily labeled with beads which
      simplifies the recognition and scoring of clusters using normal light microscopy.
      This method has general applications and can also be used to identify normal
      myeloid and lymphoid clusters depending on the availability of lineage specific
      monoclonal antibodies.

PMID- 1861539
TI  - In vitro chemosensitivity testing in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients.
AB  - Twenty-nine samples from eighteen patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
      (CLL) were used in a direct comparison of in vitro response to chlorambucil
      measured in a metabolic (MTT) and dye exclusion (D.Ex) assay. Reduced ability to
      produce formazan corresponded to a reduced number of dye-excluding viable cells
      and a significant correlation was found between dose-response measured in the two
      assays. Initial low absorbance values obtained with untreated control cells in
      the MTT assay were effectively overcome by increasing both the cell seeding
      density and MTT exposure time with the consequent increase in assay sensitivity.
      The MTT assay provided qualitatively similar dose-response data to that obtained
      in the D.Ex assay. A wide range in in vitro response was seen for both
      pretreatment and treatment patient groups. In vitro dose-responses were seen to
      coincide with decreasing or stable white cell counts, taken around the time of
      sampling, in samples from 4 patients. Less marked dose-responses were observed
      for 2 patients considered clinically resistant to chlorambucil. The MTT assay
      would seem, therefore, to be applicable to in vitro assay of cell response in
      CLL.

PMID- 1861540
TI  - Serum erythropoietin concentrations in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
AB  - Medullary dyserythropoiesis with reduced production of erythrocytes is an early
      and consistent feature of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The mechanism
      underlying the disturbed red cell proliferation and maturation is presently
      unknown. In order to study the role of erythropoietic growth factors, we
      determined by radioimmunoassay the serum concentrations of immunoreactive
      erythropoietin (Epo) in 42 non-transfused patients with primary and secondary
      MDS. Their median hemoglobin concentration at the time of Epo measurement was 9.1
      g/dl (range, 5.7-14.6). Compared with the control group, 83% of the MDS patients
      had increased serum Epo levels, ranging from 26-4530 mU/ml. Although in the
      entire patient population an inverse relationship between serum Epo and
      hemoglobin concentrations was noted (r = -0.35; p = 0.02), Epo titers differed
      markedly between patients at comparable degrees of anemia. In 7 patients
      presenting with a hemoglobin concentration between 5.9 and 11.9 g/dl, excessive
      elevations of Epo levels (greater than 500 mU/ml) were found. In contrast to
      previous observations, serum Epo concentrations were not shown to correlate with
      the percentage of erythroblasts in the bone marrow. There was, however, a
      significant relationship between the Epo activity and the degree of medullary
      dyserythropoiesis, as assessed by morphological criteria (p less than 0.01). From
      these data we conclude that the anemia in MDS is not due to an endogenous Epo
      deficiency. The marked variability of Epo production in these disorders is not
      fully explained by the degree of anemia, but may also reflect inherent
      abnormalities of the myelodysplastic erythropoiesis.

PMID- 1861541
TI  - Simplified quantitative estimation in vitro of lymphocyte radiosensitivity
      applied to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
AB  - Lymphocyte survival changes observed at 1, 2 and 3 days as responses to 3 doses
      of ionising radiation in vitro (40, 100, and 500 cGy) are analysed by computer
      according to a simple (single cell population) mathematical model. Intrinsic
      radiosensitivity, the susceptibility to lethal injury, which is expressed as the
      D37 value (the radiation dose permitting 37% survival), is estimated separately
      from the kinetics of subsequent death of lethally-irradiated cells (expressed as
      their half-life, or t1/2 value). Among the 35 patients with B-cell CLL studied
      (15 were never treated), both parameters varied widely and independently of one
      another. t1/2 ranged from 9-200 h and above, D37 from 14-500 cGy or above. Twenty
      three patients were deemed 'radiosensitive' (D37 below 110 cGy). D37 level did
      not correlate with treatment status, mode of treatment, clinical staging (Rai) or
      lymphocyte count. With some exceptions, D37 remained relatively constant for
      individual patients with increasing duration of disease or alterations in
      treatment status. The assay method may prove useful as an aid in predicting
      response to low-dose splenic irradiation (SI) in CLL.

PMID- 1861542
TI  - Impaired expression of interleukin 2 receptors in childhood acute lymphoblastic
      leukemia.
AB  - Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
      patients were studied for the expression of interleukin 2 receptors (IL-2R). When
      stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 3 days, the percentage of p55 Tac
      positive cells and the number of high affinity IL-2R was decreased in on-therapy
      ALL patients at remission and returned to normal after cessation of the
      treatment. However, the percentage of p75 IL-2R positive PBMC was normal in all
      ALL patients at remission. It is well-known that there are several immunological
      abnormalities including T and natural killer (NK) cell dysfunctions in ALL
      patients undergoing maintenance chemotherapy. IL-2 facilitates T-cell growth and
      corrects defective NK activity. Taking this into account, there may be a poor
      utilization of autologously produced IL-2 because of the impaired expression of
      IL-2R, and this poor utilization of IL-2 may be related to the defective
      immunological functions in childhood ALL patients at remission who are receiving
      maintenance chemotherapy.

PMID- 1861543
TI  - IL-2-dependent ATL cell lines with phenotypes differing from the original
      leukemia cells.
AB  - Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells have been shown to express the receptor for IL
      2 by studies using anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody, but these cells usually show no
      or only a weak proliferative response to IL-2. In the present study, we
      established thirteen IL-2-dependent T-cell lines from four ATL patients.
      Examination of the clonalities of these cell lines by the rearrangement profiles
      of the TCR beta-chain gene and the integration sites of the HTLV-I proviral
      genome, revealed that two cell lines (KK-1 and KK-5) were of real ATL cell
      origin. The others were of normal T-cell origin and had been established by
      infection with HTLV-I. The KK-1 and KK-5 cell lines were derived from a single
      ATL patient (KK). Interestingly, these cells showed different phenotypic features
      from the majority of original leukemia cells (CD3 +/- CD4+ CD8-). The KK-1 cell
      line acquired CD8 antigen expression and became double-positive (CD3 +/- CD4+
      CD8+), while the KK-5 cell line prominently expressed CD3 antigen (CD3+ CD4+ CD8
      ). These results indicate that the phenotypic feature of ATL cells are not fixed,
      but can change in vitro as has occasionally been observed in vivo.

PMID- 1861544
TI  - Abnormal localization of immature precursors (ALIP) in the bone marrow of
      myelodysplastic syndromes: current state of knowledge and future directions.
AB  - It has been suggested that the occurrence of abnormal localization of immature
      precursors (ALIP) in the bone marrow biopsy (BMB) may be of diagnostic and
      prognostic significance in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The recognition of
      ALIP has been based exclusively on bone marrow histological appearances. During
      the last decade technical advances have led to the widespread use of various
      immunophenotypic markers for the diagnostic and prognostic purposes which has
      contributed enormously in understanding the development of haemopoietic cells and
      the cellular origin of various haematological malignancies. In addition
      proliferation antigens, growth factors, oncogenes, anti-oncogenes and other
      biological discoveries have opened new vistas to our knowledge of the normal and
      neoplastic growth processes. Despite this, the precise nature of ALIP and their
      significance in relation to the aetiopathogenesis and evolution of MDS remains
      unclear. Indeed the diagnostic value of ALIP in MDS is debatable. Furthermore,
      the precise cell lineages which comprise ALIP are not defined. The purpose of
      this review is to address these issues and to incorporate our new findings on the
      histological and immunophenotypic characterization of immature cell aggregates.

PMID- 1861545
TI  - Cellular cytotoxic function and potential in acute myelogenous leukaemia.
AB  - Twenty-seven adult AML patients (13 with active disease and 14 in complete
      remission) were investigated for their cellular cytotoxic potential and function.
      All AML patients, whether with active disease or in complete remission, showed
      increased percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes expressing the cytotoxicity-linked
      cytoplasmic serine esterase, suggesting a higher than normal cytotoxic potential.
      However, when the cytotoxic function in these patients were analysed in terms of
      the natural killer and lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, all AML patients,
      whether with active disease or in complete remission, had impaired target cell
      lytic activity. This paradox of cytotoxicity is most likely due to the
      immunosuppressive effect of the serum factor elaborated by leukaemia myeloblasts.

PMID- 1861546
TI  - Effect of (dl)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate on lymphoid leukemia cell lines.
AB  - We studied the effect of (dl)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (mTHF) on the lymphoid
      cell lines BALM 3, CCRF-SB, CEM, Daudi, MOLT 4 and P3HR1, employing doses in the
      mM range. The growth of all the lines studied was inhibited by mTHF in a dose
      dependent fashion. mTHF demonstrated a substantial cytocidal effect on leukemic
      lymphoid cells of up to 3 log, as measured by limiting dilution analysis, at a
      concentration of 10(-3) M. At this dose normal human lymphocyte viability was not
      affected, and their mitogen-induced proliferation was only slightly impaired. We
      tested the effect of high doses of mTHF on a clone of CEM cells (CEM-MTXr)
      infected with the pSDHT retrovirus able to transduce a dominant-acting gene
      encoding a mutant, less efficient, dihydrofolate reductase. CEM-MTXr cells were
      inhibited by high doses of mTHF to the same degree as the parental line, thus
      suggesting that the enzymatic reactions leading to folate reduction are not
      involved in the cytocidal effect of mTHF.

PMID- 1861547
TI  - Mosaic 46,XY/92,XXYY,del(5)(q13 q34) in an adult lymphoblastic leukemia.
AB  - Usually the chromosome anomalies encountered in ALL are modal number
      abnormalities (hyperdiploidy or hypodiploidy) and structural anomalies such as
      t(8;14), t(11;14), t(9;22), t(1;19) and del(6p). The 5q- syndrome is mainly
      associated with myelodysplastic syndromes and with ANLL (M1, M2, M3). We report
      the case of a patient presenting with a mosaic karyotype 46,XY/92,XXYY,del(5)(q13
      q34) in the following proportion 1/3 normal mitoses and 2/3 tetraploid mitoses.

PMID- 1861548
TI  - Prospective evaluation of vertical banded gastroplasty as the primary operation
      for morbid obesity.
AB  - Our previous experience with vertical (nonbanded) gastroplasty proved
      disappointing because of unsatisfactory maintenance of weight loss. Vertical
      banded gastroplasty seemed to be an attractive alternative operation because it
      provided an externally reinforced (banded) stoma that would not enlarge over
      time. In this study, our aim was to determine prospectively the results of
      vertical banded gastroplasty used as a primary, weight-reducing procedure in
      patients with morbid obesity. Seventy consecutive patients with morbid obesity
      (mean weight, 139 kg), all of whom had obesity-related complications, underwent
      vertical banded gastroplasty and prospective follow-up. The hospital mortality
      was nil, and substantial morbidity occurred in 3% (two patients). Long-term
      achievement and maintenance of satisfactory weight loss, however, were variable.
      The median weight loss at 1 year after operation was 36.7 kg or 48% of excess
      body weight. At 3 years postoperatively, however, weight loss was only 32.4 kg or
      40% of excess body weight, and only 38% of patients had achieved and maintained a
      weight loss of 50% or more of their preoperative excess body weight. Vertical
      banded gastroplasty caused major changes in eating habits, and many patients were
      unable to eat red meat or untoasted bread; moreover, approximately 30 to 50% of
      patients continued to vomit once or more per week. Despite theoretically
      attractive advantages as a weight-reduction operation, vertical banded
      gastroplasty does not seem to be the optimal procedure for most patients with
      morbid obesity.

PMID- 1861549
TI  - Associative anomia: dissociating words and their definitions.
AB  - A 60-year-old woman, in whom magnetic resonance imaging and single photon
      emission computed tomography confirmed the presence of chronic damage to the left
      temporal lobe, had pure anomia with sparing of other language and cognitive
      functions. She could independently access lexical knowledge (words) and semantic
      knowledge (word definitions). We postulate that her anomia was due to a failure
      to associate lexical and semantic knowledge.

PMID- 1861550
TI  - Causes of death in patients with tuberous sclerosis.
AB  - Of the 355 patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) examined at the Mayo
      Clinic, 49 had died (9 of causes other than TSC). We attempted to determine what
      pattern of organ involvement occurred most often in the 40 patients who died of
      TSC. One baby died of cardiac failure due to cardiac rhabdomyomas, and one child
      died of rupture of an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta. Eleven patients died of
      renal disease, which was the commonest cause of death. Ten patients died as a
      result of brain tumors, and four patients (who were 40 years of age or older)
      died of lymphangiomyomatosis of the lung. Thirteen patients with severe mental
      handicaps died of either status epilepticus or bronchopneumonia; in all but one
      of these patients, the only source of information was the death certificate.
      Survival curves show a decreased survival for patients with TSC in comparison
      with that for the general population. Patients with TSC need lifelong follow-up
      for early detection of potentially life-threatening complications.

PMID- 1861551
TI  - Sensitivity to vasovagal maneuvers in normal children and adults.
AB  - In 15 male and 15 female healthy subjects who were 10 to 48 years of age, we
      studied alterations in heart rate and finger blood flow in response to the cold
      pressor test and four strong vasovagal maneuvers: diving response (apneic facial
      exposure to an ice water bag), Valsalva maneuver (forced expiration against a
      column of mercury to 40 to 50 mm Hg), unilateral carotid sinus massage, and
      oculocardiac reflex (inflation of a Honan balloon against one eye). Peripheral
      vasoconstriction as a consequence of the diving response paralleled the
      vasoconstriction from the cold pressor test, but it preceded the bradycardia that
      resulted from the diving response maneuver. In contrast, the rate of finger blood
      flow was high during the bradycardia that followed stage 4 of the Valsalva
      maneuver. Changes in heart rate correlated with age for the diving response, the
      Valsalva maneuver, and the oculocardiac reflex. Changes in heart rate and finger
      blood flow were not dependent on sex. The change in heart rate noted with the
      diving response was significantly correlated with that noted with the Valsalva
      maneuver and the oculocardiac reflex. Changes in finger blood flow did not
      correlate with changes in heart rate for any maneuver. This study provides a
      response profile of relative sensitivities to strong vasovagal maneuvers in
      normal children and adults.

PMID- 1861552
TI  - Systemic adjuvant therapy in women with resected node-negative breast cancer.
AB  - Currently, the role of adjuvant systemic therapy in women with node-negative
      breast cancer is being determined. Several studies of adjuvant hormonal therapy
      and adjuvant chemotherapy have demonstrated a moderate reduction in the risk of
      recurrence in the treated patients. With relatively limited follow-up, however,
      overall survival has not improved with use of adjuvant therapy. The use of
      prognostic factors to select those patients at highest risk for relapse is an
      active area of oncologic research. The decision to recommend adjuvant therapy
      necessitates assessment of the probability of recurrence, the expected reduction
      of risk with adjuvant therapy, the toxic effects of therapy, and the influence of
      treatment on the patient's overall quality of life.

PMID- 1861553
TI  - The influence of politics in the medical community.

PMID- 1861554
TI  - Wojciech Oczko--famous Polish physician.

PMID- 1861556
TI  - Vertical banded gastroplasty in the treatment of severe obesity.

PMID- 1861555
TI  - The porcine model for the understanding of thrombogenesis and atherogenesis.
AB  - The hypothesis originated by Carl Rokitansky a century ago that thrombosis
      contributes substantially to atherosclerosis has been rekindled by accumulating
      experimental and clinical evidence. On the basis of our experience with the
      experimental porcine model, several important biologic determinants of thrombosis
      have been identified. The degree of vascular injury seems to be the primary
      determinant of the thrombotic response. In addition, hemodynamic shear stress and
      the presence of the von Willebrand factor have important roles in the process of
      thrombosis. Although there is little evidence that thrombosis is a factor in the
      initiation of spontaneous, or naturally occurring, atherosclerosis, substantial
      evidence suggests that thrombosis has an essential role in the progression of
      spontaneous atherosclerosis and also in the early pathogenic process of the
      syndromes of accelerated atherosclerosis-namely, heart transplant
      atherosclerosis, vein graft disease, and coronary restenosis after angioplasty.
      Advances in the understanding of vascular injury and of the interactions of blood
      cells with the vascular wall have allowed development of new experimental
      antithrombotic strategies and subsequent clinical applications in the prevention
      of these vascular diseases.

PMID- 1861557
TI  - What's in a name?

PMID- 1861558
TI  - Tuberous sclerosis.

PMID- 1861559
TI  - Mechanism of CW Nd:YAG laser recanalization with modified fiber tips: influence
      of temperature and axial force on tissue penetration in vitro.
AB  - Modified fiber tips are used for laser angioplasty of totally occluded peripheral
      arteries. It has not been established, however, to what extent the mechanism of
      action of various laser probes is optical, thermal, or mechanical. We examined
      transparant contact probes (hemispherical contact probes and ball-shaped fibers)
      and metal laser probes, coupled to a continuous-wave Nd-YAG laser. By using
      homogeneous thick porcine fatty tissue samples submerged in blood plasma, tissue
      penetration was measured in relation to the temperature of the probe and the
      axial force exerted on the tissue. By using 15 W, 1 s laser pulses, the surface
      of transparent contact probes had to be first contaminated by carbonized tissue
      particles to achieve tissue penetration. Penetration increased from 1 to 10 mm
      per pulse when axial force increased from 20 to 100 g. Metal probes had to be
      sufficiently insulated from the liquid environment by water vapour entrapped in a
      denatured protein layer to exceed the threshold temperature of 225 degrees C for
      tissue penetration. When axial force increased from 20 to 80 g at 10 W continuous
      exposure, the velocity of tissue penetration increased in the range from 1 to 4
      mm/s. Tissue penetration by modified fiber tips is attributed to both remodeling
      and vaporization of tissue. With transparent contact probes, tissue is heated
      partly by direct light absorption and partly by a hot probe surface. Axially
      directed force is necessary to displace lateral non-ablated tissue and to
      overcome mechanical resistance. We conclude that mechanical dilation due to axial
      catherization force (Dotter effect) contributes substantially to tissue
      penetration by transparent contact probes.

PMID- 1861560
TI  - Temperature along the surface of modified fiber tips for Nd:YAG laser
      angioplasty.
AB  - For laser angioplasty probes, the thermal properties of the probes will primarily
      determine their mechanism of action. We examined the absorption, temperature
      increase, and probe degradation of transparent contact probes (hemispherical
      contact probe and ball-shaped fibers) and metal laser probes coupled to a
      continuous-wave Nd-YAG laser. Temperature was recorded by means of thermocouples
      and the measurements were corrected for direct light absorption by the
      thermocouple. During 15 W, 1 s exposure, the peak temperature rise of the
      hemispherical contact probe in contact with tissue dropped from approximately
      1,000 degrees C at the front end to below 45 degrees C (95% drop) at the lateral
      side. In contrast, during continuous exposure the peak temperature rise of metal
      laser probes in contact with tissue dropped from 560 degrees C at the front end
      to near 400 degrees C (30% drop) at the 5.5 mm proximal rear end. During exposure
      in blood or tissue, the transparent contact probes became contaminated. Their
      absorption increased from 5 to 33% and the probe deteriorated. Repeated use of
      metal laser probes in blood resulted in a higher temperature at the rear than at
      the front end due to backburing of the fiber. Owing to the large temperature drop
      along the surface of transparent contact probes, the area of thermal destruction
      is limited to the tissue in front of the probe, whereas along the entire surface
      of metal laser probes the tissue will be affected. The large difference between
      these temperature distributions should be respected during clinical application
      of the transparent contact probe and the metal laser probe.

PMID- 1861561
TI  - Argon laser-assisted anastomoses in medium-size vessels: one-year follow-up.
AB  - Laser-assisted anastomosis of medium-size vessels can be performed with
      satisfactory short-term patency. This study was undertaken to evaluate patency
      and structural integrity up to 1 year. An argon laser was used to make bilateral
      femoral arteriovenous anastomoses in 12 dogs compared to conventional suture
      method in another 8 dogs. These anastomoses were evaluated for patency and
      aneurysm formation at 1 hour; 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks; and 12 months after surgery.
      All anastomotic sites were patent and without aneurysmal change or luminal
      narrowing at all harvesting intervals. Histologic examination revealed that
      within 1 month laser anastomotic sites were almost completely healed and without
      intimal hyperplasia. In suture anastomoses, foreign-body reaction remained
      evident up to 1 year. Use of the argon laser for medium size vessel anastomoses
      resulted in excellent patency without aneurysm formation or intimal hyperplasia
      even in the long term. These data suggest promising clinical applications.

PMID- 1861562
TI  - Potential use of holmium lasers for angioplasty: evaluation of a new solid-state
      laser for ablation of atherosclerotic plaque.
AB  - Tissue effects of the mid-IR Holmium laser (emitting at a wave-length of 2130 nm)
      were evaluated. This wavelength is attractive because it combines high water
      absorption and easy transmission through standard optical fibres. The laser was
      pulsed with pulse durations in the range of 100 microseconds and repetition rates
      between 2 and 6 Hertz. For all experiments a repetition rate of 2 Hertz was used.
      The laser beam was coupled into waterfree quartz fibers with core diameters of
      200 and 800 microns with an efficiency of 70 and 80%, respectively. Ablation of
      atherosclerotic plaque has been performed at an ablation threshold of 10J/cm2 for
      the 800 microns and 40J/cm2 for the 200 microns fibre. Removal of calcified
      plaque was possible. Ablation efficiency increased in a non-linear fashion with
      increasing pulse energies. The ablation rate per pulse was approximately 2 mm at
      energy fluences of 1000J/cm2 for the 200 microns fibre and 1.25 mm at energy
      fluences of 70J/cm2 for the 800 microns fibre; a further increase in energy
      densities did not result in higher ablation rates. On macroscopic examination
      only very limited thermal injury was found in crater adjacent tissue structures.
      Crater edges were even and did not reveal signs of crater charring or debris in
      the crater lumen. However, the histologic specimens revealed zones of thermal
      damage extending 100 up to 1000 microns lateral into adjacent tissue. Thermal
      damage increased with increasing radiant exposures and depended on the medium
      used.

PMID- 1861563
TI  - Wavelength dependence of pulsed laser ablation of calcified tissue.
AB  - Pulsed laser ablation of calcified biological tissue was studied at several
      wavelengths in the near-ultraviolet, visible, near- and mid-infrared regions of
      the spectrum. The primary tissue model was bovine shank bone, while human
      arterial calcified plaque and normal human artery wall were also studied at
      selected wavelengths for comparison. Laser irradiances were on the order of
      MW/mm2, fluences ranged up to 1000 mJ/mm2, and repetition rates varied between
      0.3-10 Hz. Spot sizes on the tissue surface ranged from 150 to 850 microns. Laser
      craters made with wavelengths between lambda = 295 nm and lambda = 375 nm and in
      the lambda = 3 microns region exhibited the highest quality ablation with clean,
      sharp cuts following closely the spatial contour of the incident beam. Craters
      drilled with visible wavelengths between lambda = 450 nm and lambda = 590 nm were
      generally larger than the incident laser beam spot, irregular in shape and often
      surrounded by large flakes of tissue debris. Ablation fluence thresholds
      increased with wavelength through the visible wavelengths and into the mid
      infrared, but dropped to their lowest values near lambda = 3 microns. Fluence
      thresholds obtained with the tissue under a 1 mm depth of saline were
      approximately twice air thresholds. Ablation yields also varied with wavelength,
      probably due to increased scattering in the visible region, and were the same
      under saline as in air.

PMID- 1861564
TI  - Argon laser initiated resin photopolymerization for the filling of root canals in
      human teeth.
AB  - This work was undertaken to determine if 488 nm light is transmitted through
      dentin in quantities adequate to polmerize resin located several milimeters from
      the light source (an optical fiber). The spread of polymerization in a
      camphorquinone activated resin due to 488 nm light emanating from an opaque
      plastic canal was compared with light emanating from a canal of the same diameter
      in tooth dentin. Results indicated that irradiation of a resin-filled chamber via
      an opaque canal generated a series of ellipsoidal forms, while irradiation via a
      root canal generated bullet-shaped forms of much larger volume and weight. The
      base of these bullet-shaped forms was flat against the dentin-resin interface and
      surrounded the canal. These results indicated that 488 nm argon laser light was
      transmitted through dentin and could act to polymerize resin at a distance of
      several millimeters from the canal. Further experiments verified that resin in
      lateral canals of tooth roots was readily polymerized by 488 nm light applied at
      low power levels (50 mW). These experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the
      argon laser in polymerizing light activated dental resins located within or
      adjacent to tooth dentin at distances up to several milimeters from the
      fiberoptic terminus. The flexibility and control that these procedures make
      possible in the obturation of root canals may lead to substantial improvements in
      endodontic therapy.

PMID- 1861565
TI  - Fluorescence localization of early colonic cancer in the rat by hematoporphyrin
      derivative.
AB  - Laser excitation of hematoporphyrin derivatives (HPD) localizing in tumors of the
      tracheobronchial tree and bladder is useful in the identification and treatment
      of those tumors. A comparable utility for HPD in the endoscopic localization of
      colonic tumors may be possible. In this study the ability of HPD to identify 1,2
      dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced colon cancer in rats is evaluated. A total of 111
      rats were studied with HPD. Sixty-nine rats received weekly injections of DMH (20
      mg/kg) and 42 received injections of the vehicle alone. Twenty-four hours after
      the intravenous injection of 5 mg/kg of HPD, 18 DMH-induced tumors were
      identified by visual fluorescence using excitation by either a blue light (390
      436 nm) or an argon laser (488 and 514 nm). This represented 100% of the visually
      or microscopically detected tumors. Seventy-five fluorescent areas were noted
      that did not contain evidence of cancer. The majority (63) of false positive
      areas contained lymphoid follicles. All but 2 false positive areas (73/75, 97%, p
      less than .001) were seen in DMH-treated animals, suggesting that they were an
      artifact of DMH treatment. HPD fluorescence did not identify microscopic
      dysplasia. We conclude that HPD fluorescence is an effective method of
      identifying early colonic cancer and may have a potential clinical role in
      patients at high risk for colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1861567
TI  - Fluorescence guided excimer laser ablation of intervertebral discs in vitro.
AB  - Laser induced fluorescence of intervertebral discs was investigated in this study
      for the first time in order to develop a fluorescence guided percutaneous excimer
      laser discectomy. For this purpose 35 human cadaveric intervetebral discs from
      level L1 to L5 were irradiated with a 308 nm XeCl excimer laser with a 60 nsec
      pulse width at 10, 20 and 30 mj/mm2. Laser light was transmitted over a 1000
      microns core optical fiber. Fluorescence emitted from the irradiated tissue was
      transmitted back over the same fiber over a semireflective mirror to another
      optical fiber, coupled into a spectrograph and O-SMA optical simultaneous
      multichannel spectral analyzer system. The spectral lineshape of both the annulus
      fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus was characterized by a broadband emission
      between 320 nm and 616 nm with 3 peak emissions at 358, 423 and 457 nm. Relative
      intensities were calculated by forming two ratios of the peak intensities of the
      three peaks (R1 = I 423/I 358; R2 = I 423/I 457). Statistical analysis of both
      ratios revealed a highly significant discrimination between annulus fibrosus and
      nucleus pulposus (P less than 0.001). Under penetrating conditions multiple
      recorded spectra showed the spectral profile of subsequently ablated nucleus and
      annulus. The results of this study demonstrate that discrimination between
      annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus by excimer laser-induced fluorescence is
      feasible under laboratory conditions. Fluorescence spectroscopy could possibly be
      developed into a valuable guiding system for percutaneous laser discectomy.

PMID- 1861566
TI  - Excimer laser ablation of fibrocartilage: an in vitro and in vivo study.
AB  - To date, lasers have found only limited applications in orthopedics. We employed
      a 308 nm XeCl excimer laser for ablation of fibrocartilage, in order to
      investigate the feasibility of excimer laser assisted meniscectomy. Experiments
      were conducted both in vitro and in vivo. For the in vitro study, human menisci,
      obtained during surgery and autopsy, were irradiated via a 600 microns core fiber
      at radiant exposures ranging between 20 mj/mm2 and 80 mj/mm2, at 20 Hz. Ablation
      rate measurements and histological analysis of the samples were performed. The
      ablation rates were found to range from 3 microns/pulse to 100 microns/pulse
      depending on the radiant exposure and/or the applied pressure on the fiber
      delivery system. Thermographic analysis was also performed during pulsed excimer
      as well as CW Nd:Yag and CW CO2 laser irradiation. Temperatures were lower for
      excimer laser (Tmax less than 65 degrees) than CW ND: Yag (Tmax less than 210
      degrees) or CW CO2 (Tmax less than 202 degrees) laser. For the in vitro study,
      medial meniscectomy was performed in 15 rabbits with the excimer laser and a CW
      Nd:Yag laser in the right and left knee respectively. Excimer laser irradiation
      was performed at 70 mj/mm2. Nd:Yag irradiation was performed via a 600 microns
      core fiber at power outputs between 20 to 40 W for 10 and 20 seconds duration.
      The healing response to injury was investigated by histological analysis of the
      menisci after 1 day, 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks following the laser procedure. Excimer
      laser treated menisci showed less inflammatory reaction and noticeable repair
      with minimal inflammatory response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861568
TI  - CW laser ablation velocities as a function of absorption in an experimental one
      dimensional tissue model.
AB  - One-dimensional continuous-wave laser tissue ablation models predict that the
      steady-state ablation velocity is independent of the optical absorption of the
      tissue and proportional to laser power density. This theoretical result was
      tested in an experimental model that approximates the one-dimensional situation.
      The model consists of 3 to 4 mm-diameter polyacrylamide rods irradiated at one
      end with an argon laser beam with uniform power density. It was found that
      ablation velocity is indeed independent of the light absorption coefficient in
      the material and proportional to the incident power density. Analysis of the
      relation between the experimental velocities and the power density showed that
      approximately 40% of the incident laser light is reflected or attenuated in the
      escaping vapors. Furthermore, compared to the actual absorbed laser power, heat
      loss caused by thermal radiation and convection from the side surface of the rod
      is considerable during ablation, especially at lower power densities. This heat
      loss is not present in a true one-dimensional geometry and creates therefore a
      marked difference between the rod and one-dimensional geometry. Computations show
      that in the pre-ablation stage the heat losses from the rod can be neglected,
      compared to the absorbed energy. In this case the rod is a very good
      approximation of the true one-dimensional situation.

PMID- 1861569
TI  - Laser resistant stainless steel endotracheal tube: experimental and clinical
      evaluation.
AB  - A fire due to endotracheal tube (ET) ignition is a catastrophic event that may
      occur during laser surgery of the upper airway, regardless of the wavelength
      utilized. Although methods exist that permit laser surgery without an ET, this is
      frequently not feasible. The current investigation was undertaken to evaluate the
      efficacy of a double-cuffed stainless steel ET, first in the laboratory and
      subsequently in a clinical setting. Bench testing was performed using CO2 (both
      standard and milliwatt) and KTP/532 lasers. Only the distal polyvinyl chloride
      cuffed end of the tube was potentially ignitable, however, the appropriate use of
      saline to fill the cuffs allowed only for cuff perforation without ignition.
      Canine testing was performed in 10 animals: 4 dogs were intubated from 3 to 4.5
      hours with the laser resistant stainless steel endotracheal tube (LRSS-ET) (Laser
      Flex Tracheal Tube; Mallinckrodt Anesthesia Products, St. Louis, MO) and 2 with
      an aluminum tape wrapped red rubber ET. Visual and histological examination were
      performed in both groups at 3 and 7 days. Four dogs underwent CO2 laser laryngeal
      surgery with visual and histological examination performed at 7 days
      postoperatively. No untoward effects could be demonstrated due to the LRSS-ET. A
      clinical study was then performed in 24 patients who underwent laser surgery of
      the upper aerodigestive tract with either a CO2 or KTP/532 laser. In all cases
      ventilation was adequate, the shaft of the LRSS-ET proved impervious to the
      laser, and the distal end of the tube protected the tracheobronchial tree
      safely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861570
TI  - Energy metabolism of the liver in brain dead dogs assessed by 31P-NMR
      spectroscopy and arterial ketone body ratio.
AB  - The changes in hepatic energy state were assessed by 31P-nuclear magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) and arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) in brain
      dead dogs. 31P-MRS and AKBR were measured before and at 3 hours after brain
      death. Wiggers' shock model was employed to compare the energy metabolism during
      hypotension. 1) The brain death model: Systemic blood pressure changed from
      178.3/115.0 mmHg (mean) in the control period, to 259.5/162.5 mmHg during Cushing
      phenomenon (CU period) and to 63.3/51.7 mmHg after completion of brain death (BD
      period). beta-ATP/Pi increased from 1.27 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- SEM) to 1.46 +/- 0.16
      in the early CU period, and then decreased to 1.11 +/- 0.15 at 60 minutes after
      BD, followed by a gradual increase to 1.33 +/- 0.13 at 3 hours after BD.
      Intracellular pH (pHi) increased alkaline to the control value. AKBR decreased
      from 1.10 +/- 0.26 to 0.46 +/- 0.15 in the CU period (p less than 0.05) and then
      increased to 1.48 +/- 0.25 after BD. 2) Wiggers' shock model: Systemic blood
      pressure was 190.0/112.5 mmHg in the control period, 83.8/51.3 mmHg during
      exsanguination (EX period) and 185.0/117.0 mmHg after retransfusion (RT period).
      beta-ATP/Pi decreased from 1.17 +/- 0.13 to 0.61 +/- 0.10 in the EX period (p
      less than 0.05) and increased to 1.37 +/- 0.08 in the RT period. The pHi deviated
      from 7.33 +/- 0.07 to 6.82 +/- 0.14 in the EX period (p less than 0.01) and to
      7.51 +/- 0.21 in the RT period. AKBR decreased from 1.00 +/- 0.11 to 0.21 +/-
      0.04 in the EX period and increased to 1.08 +/- 0.12 in the RT period. The energy
      metabolism of the liver was well maintained in the state of brain death in spite
      of remarkable hypotension, although that was not the case with Wiggers' shock
      model. It was suggested that the combination of 31P-MRS and AKBR was useful for
      the evaluation of graft liver viability.

PMID- 1861571
TI  - Characterization of the L-tryptophan transport system in the liver of growing
      rats.
AB  - In order to characterize the system of L-tryptophan (TRP) transport into liver
      during the growing period of 10 to 42 days, the changes of tryptophan 2,3
      dioxygenase (TDO) activity, levels of serum, liver, brain, and muscle TRP, and
      the rate and mode of TRP uptake into isolated hepatocytes were examined in male
      Wistar rats. Liver TDO activity increased rapidly at 16 days of age. A marked and
      rapid decrease in free serum TRP level occurred before weanling, while a small
      decrease in total serum TRP level was found after weanling. The change of liver
      TRP level was similar to that of free serum TRP level and correlated well. There
      was a significant inverse correlation between liver TDO activity and either free
      serum TRP level or liver TRP level. A rapid change in TRP level did not occur in
      brain and muscle during the growing period. The concentrations of brain and
      muscle TRP correlated better with those of total serum TRP than with those of
      free serum TRP. The rate of TRP uptake into hepatocytes isolated from rats aged
      10 days was lower than that from rats aged 21 and 42 days. The former hepatocytes
      were lacking in a high-affinity saturable transport component for TRP uptake
      which was present in the latter ones. The present results indicate that a great
      change in the system of TRP transport into liver occurs in growing rats, and that
      in suckling rats a high level of free serum TRP contributes to the efficient
      transport of the amino acid into the liver.

PMID- 1861572
TI  - Stroke in the young. (Part I).
AB  - We have discussed some of the more common etiologic categories found in young
      patients with stroke. Though many of the causes are rare, in the aggregate they
      account for many of the conditions leading to stroke. In Part II of this series
      (July 1991), we will explore some of the less common causes of stroke in the
      young and outline an approach to the patient.

PMID- 1861573
TI  - The automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: update 1990.

PMID- 1861574
TI  - Calcitonin and the treatment of osteoporosis.
AB  - Calcitonin, a potent inhibitor of bone resorption, is an important agent for the
      treatment of osteoporosis. An analgesic effect of salmon calcitonin has also been
      reported. The recent development of calcitonin nasal spray should eliminate the
      need for injections.

PMID- 1861575
TI  - The efficacy of amiodarone in the treatment of refractory nonsustained
      ventricular tachycardia.
AB  - Amiodarone is very effective in suppressing refractory nonsustained ventricular
      tachycardia. Efficacy can be assessed after one week of therapy with continued
      long-term response in the vast majority of patients.

PMID- 1861576
TI  - Augmentation rhinoplasty utilizing cranial bone grafts.

PMID- 1861577
TI  - Glaucoma treatment and the laser revolution.
AB  - We are just beginning to see the potential uses of laser energy to treat
      glaucoma. Each of the lasers described here has technical problems that make them
      less then perfect, but it is only a matter of time before we will be able to
      predictably alter the internal structures of the eye to better control any type
      of glaucoma.

PMID- 1861578
TI  - The neurosurgical treatment of intracranial aneurysms in the community hospital.

PMID- 1861579
TI  - Mexiletine-associated left ventricular dysfunction: a case study.
AB  - Mexiletine is a lidocaine analogue used in the treatment of symptomatic
      ventricular arrhythmias. However, in selected individuals with baseline
      diminished left ventricular function, it may possess clinically significant
      negative inotropic effects.

PMID- 1861580
TI  - Proarrhythmia: disparity of programmed electrical stimulation results and
      spontaneous occurrence: a case report.

PMID- 1861581
TI  - Cancer immunotherapy. Part II: New approaches.

PMID- 1861582
TI  - July 1991. Selected communicable diseases in Maryland in 1990.

PMID- 1861583
TI  - Henry N. Wagner Jr. MD: winner of the American Medical Association's Scientific
      Achievement Award. Interview by Michelle Burke and Betsy Newman.

PMID- 1861584
TI  - Stroke in the young. Part II.
AB  - Evaluation of the young stroke patient often requires an interdisciplinary
      approach because of the complexity of the problems encountered. We discuss some
      of the less common causes of stroke and present an approach to the patient.

PMID- 1861585
TI  - Disseminated histoplasmosis in AIDS patients in Maryland.
AB  - These patients demonstrate the difficulty in arriving at the diagnosis of
      disseminated histoplasmosis. The diagnosis in two of the three patients also
      served as the initial AIDS case-defining opportunistic infection. In each of
      these patients, the clinical presentations were atypical and in only one patient
      was a positive exposure history elicited. Recurrent bowel obstruction was the
      presenting complaint in the first patient and the diagnosis was made only on
      pathologic exam of the resected small bowel. The second patient's diagnosis was
      made on biopsy of the colon via colonoscopy. The third patient's diagnosis also
      eluded an extensive FUO workup; he was diagnosed by bone marrow culture and
      silver stain of a mediastinal lymph node biopsy, despite serial negative
      serologic tests for histoplasmosis. The first two patients had significant
      gastrointestinal disease which is a relatively unusual manifestation for
      disseminated histoplasmosis. The third patient illustrates the limited diagnostic
      usefulness of serologic testing in AIDS patients and the continued usefulness of
      bone marrow analysis in an FUO evaluation. In conclusion, these case
      presentations demonstrate that disseminated histoplasmosis in patients with HIV
      infection can present with unusual manifestations, outside of the typical endemic
      arca, without a positive exposure history or positive serologic test, and may be
      the initial AIDS case-defining opportunistic infection in these patients.
      Consequently, a disseminated histoplasmosis should be considered in all AIDS
      patients with perplexing clinical presentations.

PMID- 1861586
TI  - Neurosonology: its place in diagnostic imaging.

PMID- 1861587
TI  - When is it appropriate to prescribe hearing aids for patients ... and when not?
AB  - There are many factors which enter into the decision about why, where, and when
      to prescribe hearing aids. The key questions that must be answered to make this
      determination are outlined here.

PMID- 1861588
TI  - Amos A. Evans MD: father of American naval medicine.

PMID- 1861590
TI  - [Distribution of radioactive aerosols in the lungs of patients with bronchial
      obstruction].
AB  - The type of distribution of a radioaerosol in the lungs changes greatly in
      patients with sharp significant disorders of ventilation and with local
      pathology. The estimation of distribution of an inhaled aerosol together with
      lung ventilation capacity values permits the definition of 5 types of
      distribution, thus improving the diagnosis of diseases of the respiratory organs
      including early stages of their development, and increasing therapeutic efficacy.

PMID- 1861589
TI  - A clinical moment with ... diabetes. Why did my symptoms of hypoglycemia change?

PMID- 1861591
TI  - [A study of the evacuatory function of the small and large intestines using the
      dynamic scintigraphic method in inflammatory diseases of the intestines].
AB  - Intestinal and colon evacuatory function was studied in 10 patients without
      pathology of the digestive organs and in 66 patients with chronic colitis. This
      method allows adequate assessment of the state of the hepatobiliary system,
      intestinal and colon evacuatory function without additional radiation exposure of
      the examinees and personnel.

PMID- 1861592
TI  - [X-ray fluorescent analysis of the content of stable iodine in the diagnosis of
      thyroid gland diseases].
AB  - Radiofluorescent analysis (RFA) with the help of various devices and a new method
      of investigation was employed for a combined in vivo study of 1) the
      concentration (in micrograms/l g); and 2) the total amount (in mg) of stable
      iodine in the thyroid; 3) a scan of the distribution of halogen in the organ; 4)
      organ mass (in g) in the control groups, in 15 patients with toxic goiter before
      and after mercasolil therapy, and in 6 patients with endemic goiter after iodine
      prophylaxis. The importance of some of the indices in the diagnosis and therapy
      of patients with toxic goiter was shown.

PMID- 1861593
TI  - [Deciphering an ultrasound image using the SVIT-MIKRO digital processing
      complex].

PMID- 1861594
TI  - [Radioimmunodiagnosis in the correction of plasmapheresis methodology in
      thyrotoxicosis].
AB  - Differences in the rated and actual results were revealed during postoperative
      plasmapheresis in patients with thyrotoxicosis who did not tolerate or were
      resistant to thyrostatics. It was assumed that it was caused by a rise of the
      level of thyroid hormones resulting from heparin premedication. Gravitation
      plasmapheresis following heparin administration (150-200 U per 1 kg of body mass)
      was used in a study group of 25 patients. A dynamic study of T4, T3 and TSH was
      conducted with the help of radioimmunodiagnosis, based on the antigen-antibody
      reaction using radioimmunoassay kits. The "euthyroid" effect of plasmapheresis
      was shown to change as a result of heparin premedication. A significant rise of
      the levels of T4 and T3 by 63 and 36% was proved. The mechanism of this change
      was considered. The results were used for a choice of an optimum combination
      plasma substitutes (a mixture of albumin--30% of the total volume of
      substitution, and rheopolyglycine) to enhance the efficacy of preoperative
      preparation.

PMID- 1861595
TI  - [Clinico-electrocardiographic evaluation of the state of the cardiovascular
      system inpersonnel engaged in liquidating the consequences of the accident at the
      Chernobyl Atomic Power Station].
AB  - The paper is concerned with analysis of the results of clinico
      electrocardiographic investigation of 107 rescuers, engaged in the elimination of
      the effects of the Chernobyl accident. A high percent (27.2%) of the
      detectability of borderline arterial hypertension was noted among the rescuers
      (aged to 39) that was determined by a strong psychoemotional tension resulting
      from work and radiation phobia.

PMID- 1861596
TI  - [The relation of the times of onset of vomiting to the magnitude and power of the
      dose of ionizing radiation].
AB  - The paper is concerned with analysis of correlation of the time of appearance of
      vomit in a person and a mean dose rate of prolonged gamma-radiation in the
      persons affected at the Chernobyl accident. The data were approximated by power
      function. For irradiation with a constant dose rate (P) such correlation looks
      like Tp = 2.48p-0.5, where Tp is the time of the beginning of vomit, hours after
      the beginning of irradiation. A semiempirical model combining different
      conditions of irradiation was formed. Prognosis of a severity of lesion with
      relation to the time of vomit was given for different conditions of irradiation.

PMID- 1861597
TI  - [Lethal developmental defects in the offspring of a population living in a
      territory with traces of radioactivity].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the materials of a study of long-term effects of
      irradiation at small doses of a limited population, taking by way of example
      lethal developmental defects in descendants. In 1957 a radioactive trace was
      formed as a result of an explosion of a tank with highly active radiochemical by
      products. The population in this area was exposed to irradiation. Mortality from
      lethal developmental defects in the descendants was analyzed. The data obtained
      have shown that the effect on the gonads of external irradiation at doses of 0.1
      0.5 Sv (33,500 persons) revealed no statistically significant variations in the
      mortality of the descendants from developmental defects as compared to the
      controls.

PMID- 1861598
TI  - [Dynamics of the immunohematologic indices in patients with acute III-IV degree
      radiation sickness in the post-pancytopenia period].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the results of determining the total number of
      lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes and their immunoregulatory subpopulations, B
      lymphocyte of peripheral blood, serum IgA, IgG and IgM in 44 patients with ARS,
      II-IV degree at days 37-109 after the Chernobyl accident. Bone marrow
      transplantation was performed in all the patients not later than on the 14th day.
      Among lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes were shown to restore to normal first, the T
      helpers/T-suppressors ratio being decreased. In 2 survivors this ratio remained
      decreased 2 mos. after the normalization of peripheral blood indices.
      Possibilities of correction of the revealed disorders with immunomodulators were
      discussed.

PMID- 1861599
TI  - [The possibility of using the method of neutron activation radiography to detect
      micro-quantities of environmental radioactive pollutants].
AB  - A method of neutron-activation radiography was employed to investigate U
      distribution in leaves of plants (poplars, birches), growing in areas of mining
      ores with a high level of U which penetrates plants from the soil via the root
      system and appears on the surface of leaves, repeating their macrostructure. U
      also falls out on the surface of leaves in radioactive dust. The shapes of U
      manifestation permit the identification of its routes of penetration of the
      leaves of plants. Local U concentration even in an insignificant total excess of
      a radiation background can be considerable, leading to the destruction of tissues
      of plants as a result of alpha-radiation of U nuclei. A conclusion has been made
      of the danger of contamination of agricultural plants, growing in areas with
      ecological problems.

PMID- 1861600
TI  - [Present trends in the development of radiotherapy].
AB  - New potentialities of radiotherapy of cancer patients are associated with three
      scientific directions: investigations in clinical radiology, the use of
      advantages of radiation advanced technology and guarantees of therapeutic
      quality. The first direction includes scientifically substantiated regimens of
      non-classic dose fractionation, various radiomodifiers and their combinations,
      and individual prognosis of a tumor response to ionizing radiation. This
      direction based on 3000 cases, holds promise. The second direction is associated
      with the advantages of modern technology used for diagnosis, topometry and
      radiotherapy design. The third direction is intended to reduce differences in
      radiotherapy quality between research institutes and cancer hospitals.

PMID- 1861601
TI  - [Software for processing rapid and slow digital radiographic images].

PMID- 1861602
TI  - [Principles and methodology of densitometry in computed tomography].

PMID- 1861603
TI  - [Morphological and biochemical indices of the blood during thermoradiotherapy of
      laryngeal cancer].

PMID- 1861604
TI  - [Use of the Ekran-3 slide projector for self-instruction of students in a course
      of radiodiagnosis].

PMID- 1861605
TI  - [The main trends in the pharmacological correction of radiation scleroses].

PMID- 1861606
TI  - Services of UMKC's Lowry Clinic evaluated.

PMID- 1861607
TI  - An overview of the transmandibular implant.

PMID- 1861608
TI  - Fortysomething: recognizing faces at one's 25th reunion.
AB  - Twenty-four to 26 years after their high school graduation, subjects matched 40
      photographs of former classmates taken from the high school yearbook with 40
      current photographs of these same former classmates. Compared with age-matched
      control subjects who had no prior familiarity with the persons depicted in the
      photographs, the former classmates were superior at matching the old and new
      photographs. Generally, same-orientation photographs (i.e., old and new
      photographs taken from the same side) were matched more accurately than different
      orientation photographs. Prior familiarity, however, rendered the orientation
      factor unimportant. These findings are discussed in terms of the processes that
      underlie facial recognition over very long intervals and in terms of their
      psycholegal implications.

PMID- 1861609
TI  - Familiarity and recognition of faces in old age.
AB  - Elderly persons exceed young adults in false recognitions of new faces. One
      account claims there are age-related deficits in memory for context of encounter
      with faces. Because of these deficits, elderly persons frequently recognize faces
      on the basis of perceived familiarity (i.e., resemblance to face representations
      in memory), which is high for some new faces. To test this context-recollection
      hypothesis, we had young adult and elderly subjects judge whether faces: (1) had
      been seen previously in a test (though no face was repeated), and (2) were
      subjectively familiar (though no face was famous). The elderly exceeded the young
      subjects in seen-before judgements (false recognitions), and only the elderly
      showed a positive correlation between false recognitions and subjective
      familiarity. In Experiment 2, this finding was extended from false recognitions
      to correct recognitions, supporting the view that elderly persons, compared to
      young adults, rely more on resemblance in recognizing faces.

PMID- 1861610
TI  - Some structural determinants of melody recall.
AB  - Sophisticated musicians were asked to recall, using musical notation, a set of
      unfamiliar folk tunes that varied in rhythmic structure and referents of
      tonality. The results showed that memory was facilitated by tonic triad members
      marking phrase endings, but only when their presence was highlighted by a
      corresponding pattern of temporal accents. Conversely, recall significantly
      declined when tonal information was either absent or obscured by rhythmic
      structure. Error analyses further revealed that the retention of overall pitch
      contour and information at phrase ending points varied as a function of these
      manipulations. The results are discussed in terms of a framework that links the
      acts of perceiving and remembering to a common attentional scheme.

PMID- 1861611
TI  - Retrospective duration estimation of public events.
AB  - In three experiments, we investigated subjects' retrospective estimation of the
      duration of publicly reported events such as, for example, the Falkland's war. In
      Experiment 1, duration estimates were found to be positively correlated with
      event knowledge, in keeping with Ornstein's (1969) model of duration estimation.
      Event duration was, however, generally underestimated, suggesting that the
      relationship between event knowledge and estimated duration might reflect an
      increase in estimation accuracy. Other results of Experiment 1 were consistent
      with this interpretation and suggested that the duration estimates might be
      largely reconstructed. In Experiment 2, duration estimates of specific events and
      general categories of events were found to be highly correlated, and the subjects
      in Experiment 3 indicated that they used knowledge of the general characteristic
      of different types of events to estimate event duration. Overall, reallife
      duration estimates appear to be based on a combination of specific event
      information and knowledge derived about that category of event.

PMID- 1861612
TI  - Depth of phonological recoding in short-term memory.
AB  - In testing the hypothesis that surface phonetic form is included in short-term
      memory (STM) representation, the tone sandhi phenomenon in Mandarin Chinese was
      exploited, and, as a prerequisite, the hypothesis that tonal similarity affects
      STM of verbal material in a tone language was also tested. In Experiment 1,
      subjects recalled visually presented sequences of seven monosyllabic Chinese
      morphemes having either the same tone or different tones. More errors were made
      on the monotonal sequences than on the multitonal sequences, confirming the
      effect of tonal similarity on STM. In Experiment 2, subjects recalled visually
      presented sequences of disyllabic nonsense words. The sequences were designed in
      such a way that half of them were subject to the tone sandhi rule in Mandarin
      Chinese, whereas the other half were not. The consequence of applying the tone
      sandhi rule, as designed, was to make all the first characters in the sequences
      identical in pronunciation, thus creating potential phonological confusion. More
      errors, indeed, occurred on the sequences subject to the tone sandhi rule than on
      those not subject to it, indicating the existence of a surface phonetic
      representation in STM. The findings in this study provide further insight into
      the phonological mechanism of STM. Different accounts for this mechanism are also
      discussed in the light of the new findings.

PMID- 1861613
TI  - Conditional reasoning and causation.
AB  - An experiment was conducted to investigate the relative contributions of
      syntactic form and content to conditional reasoning. The content domain chosen
      was that of causation. Conditional statements that described causal relationships
      (if mean value of cause, then mean value of effect) were embedded in simple
      arguments whose entailments are governed by the rules of truth-functional logic
      (i.e., modus ponens, modus tollens, denying the antecedent, and affirming the
      consequent). The causal statements differed in terms of the number of alternative
      causes and disabling conditions that characterized the causal relationship. (A
      disabling condition is an event that prevents an effect from occurring even
      though a relevant cause is present). Subjects were required to judge whether or
      not each argument's conclusion could be accepted. Judgements were found to vary
      systematically with the number of alternative causes and disabling conditions.
      Conclusions of arguments based on conditionals with few alternative causes or
      disabling conditions were found to be more acceptable than conclusions based on
      those with many.

PMID- 1861614
TI  - Determinants of spatial priming in environmental memory.
AB  - Spatial priming in recognizing objects in experimentally learned environments has
      been proposed as strong evidence for spatial organization of environmental
      memory. However, in all studies showing recognition priming effects, encoding and
      rehearsal contiguity may have coincided with spatial proximity, and thus priming
      may have been due to temporal associations formed during rehearsal, not encoded
      spatial relations per se. We investigated this question in four experiments,
      using a trip trial learning method in which temporal contiguity and spatial
      relations were independent. In Experiment 1, no spatial priming in recognition
      was found, even though indirect evidence suggested that subjects had encoded
      spatial relations. In Experiment 2, the trip trial method was compared with the
      free study procedure commonly used in previous priming studies. Spatial priming
      occurred only for free study subjects, even though the two groups were equivalent
      on direct measures of encoding accuracy. In Experiment 3, spatial priming in
      recognition was obtained with a modification of the trip trial method in which
      temporal and spatial contiguity were deliberately confounded. In Experiment 4,
      the unmodified trip trial method produced spatial priming in a location-decision
      task. Taken together, our results suggest that environmental memory may be
      spatially organized, but retrieval of object identities does not necessarily
      activate encoded spatial relations.

PMID- 1861615
TI  - Perceptual fluency and affect without recognition.
AB  - A dichotic listening task was used to investigate the affect-without-recognition
      phenomenon. Subjects performed a distractor task by responding to the information
      presented in one ear while ignoring the target information presented in the other
      ear. The subjects' recognition of and affect toward the target information as
      well as toward foils was measured. The results offer evidence for the affect
      without-recognition phenomenon. Furthermore, the data suggest that the subjects'
      affect toward the stimuli depended primarily on the extent to which the stimuli
      were perceived as familiar (i.e., subjective familiarity), and this perception
      was influenced by the ear in which the distractor or the target information was
      presented. These data are interpreted in terms of current models of recognition
      memory and hemispheric lateralization.

PMID- 1861616
TI  - Availability and category-frequency estimation.
AB  - Individuals judged how often examples of taxonomic categories had occurred in a
      study list. An availability hypothesis was tested--that frequency estimates are
      based on the retrieval of instances. Cued (by category names) recall of the
      examples served as an index of availability. The hypothesis was confirmed--there
      were strong positive correlations between frequency judgments and recall (with
      the influence of actual frequency removed)--given one or more of the following
      conditions: List instances were not categorized aloud as they were presented;
      frequency estimation was preceded by cued recall; frequency estimation was
      delayed by a week. Limitations on availability occurred under other conditions-
      notably, when individuals, during list presentation, named the categories to
      which items belonged and received feedback about their categorizations. Under
      these circumstances, correlations of frequency estimation and recall were often
      not significantly different from zero, and frequency judgments and recall
      sometimes reacted differently to changes in independent variables (e.g.,
      frequency judgments of young and elderly subjects did not differ reliably, even
      though cued recall of young persons markedly exceeded that of elderly subjects).

PMID- 1861617
TI  - The Ranschburg effect: the role of guessing strategies.
AB  - The Ranschburg effect refers to the finding of impaired serial recall of items
      repeated on a list. One account attributes this effect to the use of a strategy
      where subjects avoid using as guesses stimuli that they had recalled elsewhere on
      the list. Support for this interpretation is reported here. The Ranschburg effect
      is eliminated when subjects are instructed to avoid guessing. Also, the
      Ranschburg effect is found in partial report only when subjects are told that the
      crucial item occurred elsewhere on the list.

PMID- 1861618
TI  - Staffing of mental health organizations, United States, 1986.
AB  - Between 1984 and 1986, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in
      specialty mental health organizations in the United States increased 12 percent
      from 440,925 to 494,591. Much of this increase could probably be attributed to
      the increase in the number of mental health organizations during this period from
      4,438 to 4,747. With the exception of freestanding psychiatric outpatient
      clinics, which showed a 1 percent decrease, all of the other mental health
      organization types showed varying amounts of increase in FTE staff, with the most
      notable gains reported by private psychiatric hospitals, RTCs for emotionally
      disturbed children, and multiservice mental health organizations. Of the 494,591
      FTE staff employed in mental health organizations in 1986, 70 percent were
      classified as patient care staff and 30 percent as administrative and support
      staff. Private psychiatric hospitals, State mental hospitals, and freestanding
      psychiatric outpatient clinics had slightly higher percentages of administrative
      and support staff (40, 35, and 33 percent, respectively), with consequent smaller
      percentages of patient care staff (60, 65, and 67 percent, respectively). For all
      other organization types, the percentages of patient care staff were higher,
      varying from 70 to 87 percent. Professional patient care staff constituted 47
      percent of all FTE staff in mental health organizations in 1986, and other mental
      health workers (less than B.A.) represented only 23 percent of the total. Among
      each of the organization types, however, the percentages of professional patient
      care staff were generally higher, and the percentages of other mental health
      workers lower, with the major exception of State mental hospitals. Seventy-five
      percent or more of the staff employed in the various types of specialty mental
      health organizations in 1986 worked on a full-time basis, with the exception of
      freestanding psychiatric outpatient clinics and the separate psychiatric services
      of non-Federal general hospitals in which full-time staff represented only 53 and
      67 percent of all staff, respectively. For the most part, a majority (50 percent
      or more) of each of the staff disciplines employed in specialty mental health
      organizations worked on a full-time basis. The major exceptions were
      psychiatrists and other physicians, most of whom worked either on a part-time or
      a trainee basis.

PMID- 1861619
TI  - Employment retention and career movement among individuals with mental
      retardation working in supported employment.
AB  - Results of a 24-month analysis of employment retention and replacement needs of a
      sample of 302 individuals placed into supported employment were reported.
      Supported employees experienced regular movement in and out of the labor market.
      Approximately 30% of them were still employed in their original employment
      situation 24 months following initial placement. An additional 20% were employed
      in subsequent employment situations, and over 31% had lost their employment and
      were returned to a referral pool to await replacement. Implications for future
      supported employment service delivery and funding were discussed.

PMID- 1861620
TI  - Choices.

PMID- 1861621
TI  - Programs and services received by older persons with mental retardation.
AB  - Findings from a study of the programs and services received by a national sample
      of older persons with mental retardation were reviewed. Individuals were selected
      from a national sample of all facilities owned, operated, or licensed by
      developmental disabilities agencies having one or more persons 63 years of age or
      older with mental retardation. Facilities included foster care, small group
      homes, large private facilities, and state-operated facilities. One or two
      residents per facility were studied. A total of 370 individuals in 235 facilities
      were surveyed (10% of all eligible facilities). Comprehensive information on
      resident characteristics, day program participation, and services received was
      gathered through extensive questionnaire and telephone interviews of primary
      careproviders and directors of the day programs attended by individuals in the
      resident sample. Differences in programs and services received were presented by
      facility type.

PMID- 1861622
TI  - Do attitudes towards persons with handicaps really shift over time? Comparison
      between 1975 and 1988.
AB  - A replication of a study by Spreen (1977) was conducted to assess whether a
      positive shift in attitudes towards persons with mental retardation has occurred.
      Undergraduate students (N = 191) were tested. Results compared to those of Spreen
      (1977) showed a positive shift over the 13-year period. We also tested the
      hypothesis that exposure to a course on developmental disabilities and contact
      with individuals with mental retardation would improve students' attitudes.
      Findings support this hypothesis, although results suggest the influence of a
      third variable, namely, public awareness.

PMID- 1861624
TI  - Parent involvement in transition programs.
AB  - Parent involvement in programs facilitating the transition of persons with
      handicaps from school to adult life (work, independent living) was examined. The
      survey found that a significant number of parents were unaware of any transition
      program for their offspring, although virtually all parents desired involvement
      of some kind. Parents also indicated preferences relating to their child not
      living at home upon graduation from school, working in the community, and earning
      a wage greater than or equal to the minimum.

PMID- 1861623
TI  - Developmentally based personality assessment of adults with mental retardation.
AB  - Difficulties in assessing emotional and personality disturbances in adults with
      mental retardation were discussed and an evaluation method overcoming some of
      these problems presented. Overshadowing, inappropriate equation of emotional
      symptoms with cognitive limitations, and failure to adjust for the differing
      functioning levels among persons with mental retardation when judging pathology
      were cited as reasons to include a specific developmental factor in assessing
      this group. Projective tests were cited in the literature as being effective
      techniques, and an apperceptive technique originally intended for use with
      children was presented as a means of adding the needed developmental factor.

PMID- 1861625
TI  - Evidence that potassium deficiency induces growth retardation through reduced
      circulating levels of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I.
AB  - Growth retardation and impaired protein synthesis are major characteristics of
      potassium (K)-deficiency in animals and man. We have evaluated the effect of K
      deficiency on growth, serum growth hormone (s-GH), insulin-like growth factor I
      (s-IGF-I), and insulin (s-insulin) in young rats. After 10 days on K-deficient
      fodder, 4 1/2-week-old rats showed a 54% reduction in serum potassium (s-K) and a
      weight gain that was reduced by 97%, compared with pair-fed controls. In
      addition, tail length, tibia length, and muscle weight of soleus in K-depleted
      animals were all significantly reduced compared with pair-fed controls. The
      growth retardation was accompanied by a 46% reduction in s-IGF-I, while s-insulin
      showed no decrease. K-repletion in animals depleted for 7 days showed complete
      normalization of s-K within 24 hours, in addition to a significant increase in
      both s-IGF-I and weight. In 4-week-old rats maintained on K-deficient fodder with
      variable K-content (1 to 260 mmol/kg) for 1 week, a strong correlation between
      the K-content of fodder and s-IGF-I could be established (r = .88, P less than
      .001), as well as between s-IGF-I and weight gain (r = .90, P less than .001).
      Furthermore, a stepwise reduction in basal s-GH was seen with the graded
      reduction of dietary K-content.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861626
TI  - Apolipoprotein E allele frequencies in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
      with hypertriglyceridemia (type IIb, III, IV, and V hyperlipoproteinemia).
AB  - We examined apolipoprotein E (apo E) allele frequencies in non-insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with normolipidemia or various types of
      hypertriglyceridemia to elucidate the association of the apo E alleles with
      hypertriglyceridemia in NIDDM. NIDDM patients with normolipidemia (N = 134) or
      hypertriglyceridemia [type IIb hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP) (N = 42), III HLP (N =
      7), IV HLP (N = 96), and V HLP (N = 8)] were randomly selected from our Diabetic
      Clinics. Apo E phenotypes (genotypes) were determined by our rapid flat-gel
      isoelectric focusing method. The frequency of the epsilon 4 allele was
      significantly higher in the type IIb (20.2%, P less than .01) and V (25.0%, P
      less than .05) HLP patients than in the normolipidemic patients (8.9%), whereas
      the frequency of the epsilon 3 allele was significantly (P less than .025) lower
      in the type IIb HLP patients (78.6%) than in the normolipidemic patients (89.2%).
      The frequency of the epsilon 2 allele was significantly higher in the type III
      (64.3%, P less than .001) and IV (5.2%, P less than .05) HLP patients than in the
      normolipidemic patients (1.9%), whereas the frequency of the epsilon 3 allele was
      significantly lower in the type III (28.6%, P less than .001) and IV (82.8%, P
      less than .05) HLP patients than in the normolipidemic patients. Thus, it has
      proven that the epsilon 2 allele is related to type III and IV HLP in NIDDM,
      whereas the epsilon 4 allele is related to type IIb and V HLP in NIDDM.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861627
TI  - Fasting serum insulin in relation to fat distribution, serum lipid profile, and
      blood pressure in European women: the European Fat Distribution Study.
AB  - Samples of 38-year-old women were randomly selected from five European centers:
      Ede (The Netherlands), Warsaw (Poland), Gothenburg (Sweden), Verona (northern
      Italy), and Afragola (Naples-southern Italy). In total, 452 healthy women were
      studied. Anthropometric measurements were taken by one operator in each country
      after common training of all operators and blood parameters of all women were
      determined in one laboratory. Body mass index (BMI) was different among centers,
      mainly due to the higher values in southern Italy. Women from southern Europe had
      more central fat distribution than women from north European centers. Fasting
      serum insulin was higher in women from Poland and The Netherlands than in the
      other three centers. After adjustment for BMI, fasting insulin was significantly
      related to subscapular skinfold, subscapular to triceps skinfold ratio, waist
      circumference, and waist to thigh circumference ratio, although the partial
      correlations varied somewhat between the centers. In the pooled data, waist
      circumference showed the highest correlations with fasting serum insulin when
      adjusted for BMI. Fasting serum insulin showed significant partial correlations,
      adjusted for BMI, with lipid profile and blood pressure only in women from the
      two Italian centers. In the pooled data, fasting serum insulin was significantly
      positively correlated with serum triglycerides and total cholesterol and
      negatively to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and HDL/total
      cholesterol, independently of BMI and waist circumference. While blood pressure
      was not related to insulin in the pooled women, when adjusted for BMI and waist
      circumference; here as well, there were some differences in relationships between
      the centers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861628
TI  - Glucose intolerance in first-degree relatives of patients with Friedreich's
      ataxia is associated with insulin resistance: evidence for a closely linked
      inherited trait.
AB  - Multiple and different genetic defects may be associated with the development of
      diabetes mellitus. Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessively inherited
      neurologic disease associated with a high prevalence of diabetes. We previously
      demonstrated that patients with FA have insulin resistance prior to the
      development of overt diabetes mellitus. To determine if insulin resistance is an
      inherited characteristic in this group, we performed oral glucose tolerance tests
      (OGTT) on first-degree relatives, 21 parents and 17 siblings, of patients with
      FA. While fasting concentrations were normal, both glucose and insulin
      concentrations in response to oral glucose were significantly elevated compared
      with controls. Corrected insulin responses, CIR = I x 100/G (G-70) (I = insulin,
      G = glucose), were not different from controls, whereas peripheral insulin
      activities, A = 10(4)/Ip Gp (p = values of I and G at peak glucose
      concentration), were significantly decreased (FA, 0.66 +/- 0.11, P less than
      .001; parents, 0.63 +/- 0.06, P less than .001; siblings, 0.72 +/- 0.09, P less
      than .01; v controls, 1.52 +/- 0.19), indicating the presence of insulin
      resistance in patients and first-degree relatives. Multiple discriminant analysis
      was used to separate patients with FA from controls. The combination of GLUT (sum
      of glucose values 0 to 3 hours of the OGTT) and CIR achieved significant
      separation (P less than .0004). Subsequent assignment of the relatives showed
      that 17 of 18 parents and 11 of 16 siblings (69%) fell in the range of FA, rather
      than with controls. These data suggest that insulin resistance is an inherited
      trait in this group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861629
TI  - Enhanced in vitro oxidation of plasma lipoproteins derived from
      hypercholesterolemic patients.
AB  - In vitro oxidation of plasma lipoproteins, derived from either normolipidemic or
      hypercholesterolemic subjects, was performed in the presence of copper ions.
      Following this procedure, hypercholesterolemic low-density lipoprotein (LDL),
      very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
      demonstrated greater propensity for oxidation than the corresponding
      normocholesterolemic lipoproteins. The oxidation was determined by the
      concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), which was 44%,
      71%, and 54% greater in the patients' VLDL, LDL, and HDL in comparison to the
      normocholesterolemic lipoproteins, respectively. An associated reduction in
      trinitrobenzensulfonic acid (TNBS) reactivity in the patients' lipoproteins was
      noted. These changes were consistent whether expressed per lipoprotein protein or
      per concentration. Macrophage cholesterol esterification induced by oxidized LDL
      was substantially increased (up to 59%) when patients' lipoproteins were used, in
      comparison to control lipoproteins. A positive correlation was present between
      the LDL cholesterol to protein ratio, the extent of lipoprotein oxidation, and
      macrophage uptake of the oxidized lipoproteins. The lipoprotein content of pro
      oxidant and antioxidant constituents was also analyzed. No measurable ferric or
      copper ions could be found in association with any of the lipoproteins. However,
      arachidonic acid content of the patients' LDL was 10.1% +/- 1.0% in comparison to
      6.2% +/- 0.8% of total lipoprotein fatty acids in the control group (n = 5).
      Antioxidants such as vitamin E and carotenoids were significantly reduced in all
      patients' lipoproteins compared with those of controls. Thus, we suggest that
      increased cholesterol and arachidonic acid content and reduced concentration of
      antioxidants in lipoproteins of hypercholesterolemic patients may be responsible
      for the enhanced propensity for oxidation observed in these lipoproteins.

PMID- 1861630
TI  - Growth hormone alters lipolysis and hormone-sensitive lipase activity in 3T3
      F442A adipocytes.
AB  - While growth hormone (GH) has long been known as a lipolytic hormone, it has been
      difficult to study the cellular mechanisms for this effect. Since cultured 3T3
      F442A adipocytes have recently proven to be useful to study chronic effects of GH
      on adipocyte metabolism, we examined the effects of GH on lipolysis. In these
      cells, GH alone produced a dose-dependent increase in the release of glycerol
      after 24 to 48 hours. The maximum increase occurred with 10 ng/mL human GH. The
      effect of GH was similar in the presence and absence of dexamethasone. Under each
      condition, the stimulation of glycerol release was accompanied by a GH-induced
      increase in the activity of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), a key lipolytic
      enzyme. The increase in HSL required 24 hours with GH and lasted at least 48
      hours. The increase in HSL activity by epinephrine, like glycerol release, was
      potentiated by GH. Although GH potently simulates the activity of the lipogenic
      enzyme glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) in differentiating 3T3-F442A
      preadipocytes, GH had a negligible effect on GPD activity in the differentiated
      adipocytes with chronic or short-term incubation. However, in contrast to the
      chronic effect of GH, short-term (30-minute) incubation with GH inhibited
      epinephrine-stimulated glycerol release, a characteristic transient antilipolytic
      effect of GH. These studies indicate that chronic GH treatment is lipolytic in
      cultured 3T3-F442A adipocytes, and document that lipolytic responses to GH
      involve an increase in the activity of HSL.

PMID- 1861631
TI  - Impaired translocation of protein kinase C activity in human non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Calcium- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C; PKC) may be
      an important mediator in transduction of some of the cellular actions of insulin.
      We studied PKC activity in freshly isolated circulating mononuclear cells
      obtained from healthy subjects and patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II)
      diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The kinase activity was measured using a specific
      nonapeptide substrate, Ala-Ala-Ala-Ser-Phe-Lys-Ala-Lys-Lys-amide. There was
      negligible calcium- and phospholipid-independent kinase activity in cytosolic and
      particulate fractions of cells from both control and diabetic subjects. Total
      (cytosolic and particulate) PKC activity of mononuclear cells from poorly
      controlled diabetic patients was significantly reduced compared with controls;
      this reduction was mainly due to a decrease in the cytosolic kinase activity.
      Tumor-promoting phorbol ester (TPA, 0.1 mumol/L) induced translocation of PKC
      activity in control cells; in contrast, this subcellular redistribution was not
      observed in cells from a majority of poorly controlled diabetic subjects.
      Increased calcium influx into the cells caused by the calcium ionophore A23187
      triggered translocation of PKC activity in control cells, while it was
      ineffective in cells from poorly controlled diabetic patients. Cells from well
      controlled diabetic patients demonstrated TPA-induced translocation of the PKC
      activity approaching that of control cells. The total PKC activity in cells from
      patients with good glycemic control was normal. Impaired activation of PKC is
      thus associated with the insulin resistance found in patients with poorly
      controlled NIDDM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861632
TI  - The response of parathyroid hormone to specific changes in either ionized
      calcium, ionized magnesium, or protein-bound calcium in humans.
AB  - Because the effects of specific changes in magnesium or protein-bound calcium on
      biologic processes in humans have not been clearly defined, we developed an
      experimental system to specifically lower either ionized calcium, protein-bound
      calcium, or ionized magnesium. As an indicator of the biological effect of these
      changes, we measured parathyroid hormone (PTH) in blood. To selectively dilute
      only one constituent, we infused one of four specially prepared solutions into
      each of six healthy blood donors following ordinary blood donation. Each donor
      received at random 450 mL of a different solution at four different blood
      donations. The respective concentrations of ionized calcium (mmol/L), total
      magnesium (mmol/L), and albumin (g/L) in these fluids were as follows: control
      fluid, 1.25, 1.20, 40; no calcium fluid, 0, 1.20, 40; no magnesium fluid, 1.25,
      0, 40; no albumin fluid, 1.25, 1.00, 0. Using selective in vivo dilution of the
      volunteers' blood, we specifically lowered either (1) ionized calcium by 0.07
      mmol/L (5.5%), (2) protein-bound calcium by 0.09 mmol/L (10%), or (3)
      ultrafiltrable magnesium by 0.03 mmol/L (4.8%). While measurements of intact PTH
      showed that concentrations of PTH in blood did not respond to either decreased
      ultrafiltrable magnesium or decreased protein-bound calcium, these measurements
      showed that PTH increased by 400% within 10 minutes in response to decreased
      ionized calcium.

PMID- 1861633
TI  - Effect of intensity of exercise on excess postexercise O2 consumption.
AB  - After exercise, there is an increase in O2 consumption termed the excess
      postexercise O2 consumption (EPOC). In this study, we have examined the effect of
      exercise intensity on the time course and magnitude of EPOC. Six healthy male
      subjects exercised on separate days for 80 minutes at 29%, 50%, and 75% of
      maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) on a cycle ergometer. O2 uptake, R value, and rectal
      temperature were measured while the subjects rested in bed for 14 hours
      postexercise, and the results were compared with those of an identical control
      experiment without exercise. An increase in O2 uptake lasting for 0.3 +/- 0.1
      hour (29% exercise), 3.3 +/- 0.7 hour (50%) and 10.5 +/- 1.6 hour (75%) was
      observed. EPOC was 1.3 +/- 0.46 I(29%), 5.7 +/- 1.7 I (50%), and 30.1 +/- 6.4 I
      (75%). There was an exponential relationship between exercise intensity and total
      EPOC, both during the first 2 hours and the next 5 hours of recovery. Hence,
      prolonged exercise at intensities above 40% to 50% of VO2max is required in order
      to trigger the metabolic processes that are responsible for the prolonged EPOC
      component extending beyond 2 hours postexercise.

PMID- 1861634
TI  - Effects of clenbuterol on skeletal muscle mass, body composition, and recovery
      from surgical stress in senescent rats.
AB  - Aging decreases skeletal muscle mass and strength, which may be exacerbated by
      age-related diseases. There is a need for therapeutic agents to prevent or
      restore loss of skeletal muscle in elderly subjects with muscle wasting
      disorders. Clenbuterol, a beta 2-adrenergic agonist, dramatically increases
      skeletal muscle mass in young animals and partially prevents or restores muscle
      loss in experimental models of muscle wasting. However, the protein anabolic and
      fat catabolic effects of clenbuterol have not been studied in senescent animals.
      To determine whether this drug has potential for preventing or repairing muscle
      loss in elderly subjects, we have examined its effects in young and old rats.
      Clenbuterol was administered by implanted osmotic minipumps to Fischer-344 rats
      ages 3, 12, and 23 months, at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg/24 h for 3 weeks. The weights
      of five hindlimb muscles and carcass protein and fat content were determined.
      Clenbuterol treatment increased the weight of skeletal muscles 22% to 39% in 3
      month-old rats, 19% to 35% in 12-month-old rats, and 22% to 25% in 23-month-old
      animals. Likewise, clenbuterol increased carcass protein content 19% in 3-month
      old rats, 16% in 12-month-old rats, and 24% in 23-month-old animals. Conversely,
      the drug reduced carcass fat content 36% in 3-month-old rats, 32% in 12-month-old
      rats, and 38% in 23-month-old rats. Therefore, clenbuterol had similar anabolic
      and catabolic effects in all age groups. In addition, clenbuterol stimulated
      recovery of skeletal muscle protein lost following pump implantation in senescent
      rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861635
TI  - Insulin resistance in multiple aspects of intermediary metabolism in myotonic
      dystrophy.
AB  - The responses of circulating intermediary metabolites to a low-dose incremental
      insulin infusion (basal, 0.005, 0.01, and 0.05 U.kg-1.h-1) were examined in eight
      ambulant subjects with the multisystem disorder, myotonic dystrophy. Eight
      healthy subjects matched for age, gender, and body mass index served as controls.
      Oral glucose tolerance (75 g) was normal in all subjects. Basal (postabsorptive)
      hyperinsulinemia was observed in the subjects with myotonic dystrophy (8.4 +/-
      2.0 v 2.3 +/- 0.2 mU/L, P less than .01) with increased basal C-peptide levels.
      Basal blood glycerol (0.09 +/- 0.02 v 0.05 +/- 0.01 mmol/L, P less than .05),
      lactate (1.14 +/- 0.12 v 0.77 +/- 0.07 mmol/L, P less than .02), and pyruvate
      (0.08 +/- 0.01 v 0.05 +/- 0.01 mmol/L, P less than .02) were also elevated in
      these subjects. During the incremental insulin infusion, circulating insulin (F =
      8.2, P less than .02) and C-peptide (F = 5.1, P less than .05) levels were
      significantly higher in the myotonic subjects. Despite the hyperinsulinemia,
      circulating concentrations of lactate (F = 9.8, P less than .01), pyruvate (7.8,
      P less than .02), and glycerol (F = 7.5, P less than .02) were also higher in the
      subjects with myotonic dystrophy, providing prima facie evidence of insulin
      resistance in the regulation of these metabolites. During the highest insulin
      rate, isotopically determined metabolic clearance rate of glucose was
      significantly lower in the myotonic subjects (3.6 +/- 0.4 v 5.5 +/- 0.7 mL.kg
      1.min-1, P less than .05), indicating impaired peripheral glucose
      metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861636
TI  - Effect of insulin on the properties of liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase in
      the starved rat: assessment by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp.
AB  - The effect of insulin on the properties of liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase I
      (CPT I) was assessed in conscious starved rats with the euglycemic
      hyperinsulinemic clamp. A 24-hour clamp was necessary to fully reverse the effect
      of starvation on liver malonyl-CoA concentration, CPT I maximal activity, and
      apparent km and Ki for malonyl-CoA. Since glucagon was not decreased during the
      clamp, insulin is the major factor involved in the regulation of CPT I.

PMID- 1861637
TI  - Quantitation of glycogen/glucose-1-P cycling in liver.
AB  - A method is introduced for quantitating cycling between hepatic glycogen and
      glucose-1-P in humans. It depends on the administration of trace [2-3H,6
      14C]galactose, a glucose load, and acetaminophen. The ratio of 3H to 14C in the
      glucuronide of the acetaminophen excreted in urine to that in the administered
      galactose provides the measure of the fraction of glycogen synthesized that is
      synthesized from glucose-1-P formed from glycogen. The quantity of glucose-1-P
      formed from glycogen that is not reconverted to glycogen is not measured. It is
      assumed that the glucuronide samples the UDP-glucose pool in liver from which
      glycogen is formed, the last glucosyl units formed from UDP-glucose in glycogen
      synthesis are the first broken down, and the equilibration of [2-3H]glucose-1-P
      with fructose-6-P is rapid relative to its conversion to UDP-glucose. During a 5
      hour period, while three normal subjects and three non-insulin-dependent
      diabetics, who had fasted overnight, were infused with 4 mg/kg/min of glucose,
      the rate of glycogen breakdown, as measured using the method, was only a small
      percentage of the rate of glycogen synthesis.

PMID- 1861638
TI  - Oral discomfort and hormone replacement therapy in the post-menopause.
AB  - We evaluated the incidence of oral discomfort in post-menopausal women and the
      efficacy of hormone replacement therapy in patients complaining of such symptoms.
      Two studies were performed. In the first, we compared oral discomfort and oral
      mucosa smears in 47 patients receiving replacement therapy and in 40 untreated
      post-menopausal women. In the second, the efficacy of hormone replacement therapy
      with oestriol vaginal cream (22 patients) or conjugated oestrogens plus
      norethisterone acetate (10 patients) was evaluated. In the first study, oral
      exfoliative cytology showed a similar maturation index and volume in both groups.
      In the second, hormone replacement therapy improved subjective and objective
      symptoms in 12 out of 22 patients treated with oestriol and in 7 out of 10
      patients treated with conjugated oestrogens plus norethisterone. These data
      suggest that oestrogen deficiency can be considered a possible cause of oral
      discomfort in some post-menopausal patients and that oestrogen replacement
      therapy may improve subjective symptoms.

PMID- 1861639
TI  - Compliance with hormonal replacement therapy.
AB  - One hundred post-menopausal women given HRT were reviewed 12 months after their
      first visit to determine their compliance with treatment. Sixty-one percent
      continued to take the therapy while 27% ceased. Most often the reason for ceasing
      HRT was return of bleeding but a number of women expressed fear of developing
      cancer or other long term complications.

PMID- 1861640
TI  - Changes in 40 serum proteins of post-menopausal women.
AB  - Sera were sampled from 83 people (pre- and post-menopausal women and men).
      Climacteric symptoms of 23 women were treated with conjugated estrogen. Sera were
      sampled serially until the 21st day of estrogen administration. Serum
      concentrations of 40 protein components were measured by micro single radial
      immunodiffusion. The serum proteins were classified into 5 types according to
      changes after menopause and estrogen therapy, respectively. Type 1 (decreased
      after menopause and increased by estrogen; alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-HS -
      glycoprotein, beta 2-glycoprotein III, Gc-globulin, alpha 1-lipoprotein and alpha
      2-AP-glycoprotein), type 2 (unchanged and increased; ceruloplasmin), type 3
      (increased and decreased; alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin, serum amyloid P
      component, Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein, beta-lipoprotein and C1-components), type 4
      (unchanged and decreased; hemopexin, antithrombin III, beta 2-glycoprotein I,
      prealbumin and retinol-binding-protein), type 5 (unchanged by estrogen;
      immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG and others). Estrogen replacement therapy restored
      pre-menopausal levels of serum proteins, types 1 and 3. However, estrogen therapy
      was associated with significantly abnormal levels of proteins, types 2 and 4 in
      post-menopausal women. Serum levels of type 1 proteins and some type 5 proteins
      (IgM, alpha 1B-glycoprotein, C9-component and alpha 2-macroglobulin) were higher
      in pre-menopausal women than in men, whereas type 3 proteins were the opposite.

PMID- 1861641
TI  - Effect of continuous oestradiol-medroxyprogesterone administration on plasma
      lipids and lipoproteins.
AB  - Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were measured in 21 post-menopausal women after 4
      and 8 months of continuous treatment with an orally administered combination of
      oestradiol and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The mean concentrations of
      cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were reduced by 12% (P
      less than 0.001) and 11% (P less than 0.01), respectively, after 4 months of
      treatment and by 9% (P less than 0.05) and 12% (P less than 0.05) after 8 months.
      The mean level of high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol showed an initial
      fall of 5% (P less than 0.05) after 4 months and then increased by 13% (P less
      than 0.05) after 8 months of treatment. The plasma triglycerides level oscillated
      around the baseline value, but the changes were not statistically significant.
      Indexes such as the HDL-cholesterol/LDL-cholesterol and cholesterol/HDL
      cholesterol ratios, which are considered to be good indicators of atherogenic
      risk, showed changes towards patterns considered to be beneficial. Although the
      clinical significance of these changes remains uncertain at present, it seems
      clear that an oestradiol and medroxyprogesterone combination administered
      continuously produces biochemical changes which are regarded as protective
      against cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the endometrial inertness
      attributed to the continuous oestrogen-progestogen therapy would warrant its use
      as a good alternative in post-menopausal replacement therapy.

PMID- 1861642
TI  - Sexuality in sexagenarian women.
AB  - Sexual behavior was examined in 59 healthy, post-menopausal women between 60 and
      70 years of age. Subjects were interviewed by a psychologist, completed medical
      and sexual questionnaires and had a gynecologic exam and blood drawn for
      determination of estradiol, luteinizing hormone and total and free testosterone.
      Partners filled out a mail-back sexual questionnaire. Thirty-nine (66%) of the
      group were coitally active and twenty (34%) were abstinent. The coitally active
      group reported higher levels of sexual desire (P less than 0.03), greater sexual
      satisfaction (P less than 0.007), more comfort in expressing sexual preferences
      (P less than 0.009) and greater pre-menopausal sexual satisfaction (P less than
      0.01) and on pelvic examination were noted to have less genital atrophy (P less
      than 0.0005) than the abstinent group. For the entire sample sexual complaints
      such as decreased desire and vaginal lubrication in the female and erectile
      difficulties in the male were reported frequently. Of the hormones studied,
      higher serum levels of free testosterone were associated with reports of
      increased sexual desire.

PMID- 1861644
TI  - Psychiatric and substance abuse peer review has yet to find acceptance among
      Michigan physicians.

PMID- 1861643
TI  - A longitudinal analysis of women's attitudes toward the menopause: results from
      the Massachusetts Women's Health Study.
AB  - This paper examines women's attitudes towards menopause in a large representative
      sample of middle-aged women. Data were derived from the Massachusetts Women's
      Health Study (MWHS) which is a prospective study of 2565 women aged 45-55,
      randomly sampled throughout Massachusetts. The paper addressed the following
      questions: (1) What are women's attitudes towards the menopause and how do
      attitudes change as a function of menopause? (2) What variables are related to
      attitudes towards menopause? and (3) Do attitudes towards menopause predict
      subsequent symptom reporting during menopause? Results showed that the majority
      of women reported relief or neutral feelings about the cessation of menses and
      that feelings became more positive as women experienced menopause. Negative
      attitudes towards menopause were related to general symptom reporting and
      depression. Additionally, negative attitudes prior to menopause were related to
      subsequent symptom reporting during menopause. These results suggest that the so
      called menopause syndrome may be more related to personal characteristics than to
      menopause per se.

PMID- 1861645
TI  - Helping the elderly meet non-medical needs. Physicians should take an active
      role.

PMID- 1861646
TI  - The quality of midwifery care.

PMID- 1861647
TI  - The first International Day of the Midwife: safe birth for all. A service of
      celebration. Westminster Abbey May 7, 1991.

PMID- 1861648
TI  - International Day of the Midwife: a first for midwives in Ethiopia!

PMID- 1861650
TI  - Childsafe Wessex.

PMID- 1861649
TI  - Why do we have to wait so long?

PMID- 1861651
TI  - Safe delivery home.

PMID- 1861652
TI  - [The DNA nucleotide composition of bacteria oxidizing diethylene glycols].
AB  - Nucleotide composition of DNA has been analyzed in bacteria composing the
      diethylene glycol-oxidizing association. It is shown that the microorganisms
      under study are representatives of genera Alkaligenes and Achromobacter.

PMID- 1861653
TI  - [The thermodynamic parameters of the conformational transitions in Mycoplasma
      DNA].
AB  - DNA preparations have been isolated from 10 strains of phytopathogenic mycoplasms
      and collection culture Achole plasma laidlawii PG-8. Thermodynamic parameters of
      denaturation changes in the secondary structure (transconformation) of DNA of
      these mycoplasms have been determined. It is shown that denaturation temperature
      is 82.3-83.1 degree C and enthalpy of conformational DNA transitions calculated
      per 1 g of dry substance is 56.2-61.9 J/g. Changes in the enthalpy (delta H) and
      entropy (delta S) calculated per 1 mol of nucleotide pairs varied in the range of
      35.6-39.0 J/m.p. and 995-109.6 J degree m.p. respectively. No linear dependence
      of transconformational thermal adsorption on the temperature of DNA denaturation
      of the studied strains of mycoplasms are revealed, which is probably connected
      with structural peculiarities of DNA of these microorganisms.

PMID- 1861654
TI  - [The microflora in suppurative-catarrhal endometritis in cattle].
AB  - Microflora isolated from cattle with acute postnatal pus-catarrhal endometritis
      has been studied. It is shown that the given pathology is caused by associations
      of different bacterial species. 284 strains isolated from the uterus content of
      63 sick animals have been identified, their properties being studied. Pathogenic
      gram-negative bacilli and gram-positive pus-producing cocci are responsible for
      the studied pathology. Considerable inoculation capacity has been established for
      conditionally pathogenic microorganisms of different species and genera whose
      role in pathogenesis is to be found out.

PMID- 1861655
TI  - [Induced bacterial chemiluminescence].
AB  - Oxygen-peroxide-induced superweak luminescence of some microorganisms has been
      studied by means of the native chemiluminometer KhLM1Ts-01. It is established
      that total chemiluminescence decrease in the bacteria as follows: Escherichia
      coli----Bacillus subtilis----Proteus vulgaris----Bacillus mycoides----B.
      licheniformis----Pseudomonas aeruginosa----Staphylococcus epidermidis----S.
      aureus----Serratia marcescens----Salmonella enteritidis. A hypothesis is put
      forward on a possible mechanisms of appearance of the superweak luminescence of
      bacteria and expediency to use chemoluminometry to differentiate microorganisms.

PMID- 1861656
TI  - [The immunomorphological characteristics of a focal staphylococcal infection
      against a background of long-term exposure to low doses of simazine].
AB  - State of immunologic and nonspecific resistance of the organism, ultra- and
      histostructure of the thymus, histopathology of the wall of experimental staph
      abscess reproduced in animals given low doses of the herbicide simazine for a
      long time have been studied. It is established that simazine induced the
      immunodeficiency state underlain by pathologic changes in the thymus. Against
      this background experimental abscesses developed more rapidly, alterative and
      exudative processes in their wall proceeding more intensively and proliferative
      ones--attenuating. This provides prolongation of the abscesses healing phase for
      an indefinite time and chronization of the process.

PMID- 1861657
TI  - [The characteristics of glucose consumption by an L-929 cell culture infected
      with Chlamydia].
AB  - The effect of the intracellular parasite Chlamydia trachomatis on the host cell
      energy metabolism has been studied. Glucose consumption by L-929 cell cultures
      infected or uninfected by C. trachomatis was studied in comparison during a 3
      days cultivation. The content of glucose in the cultural medium was determined
      every 5, 24, 48, 72 hrs according to the developmental cycle of the parasite. It
      was shown that cell infection by C. trachomatis induced the alteration of energy
      metabolism via an increase in the glucose consumption rate.

PMID- 1861658
TI  - Patients go home for care. But do their doctors make house calls?
AB  - Caring for a patient at home no longer consists simply of a black bag and a
      stethoscope warmed in the physician's palm. No longer is it a quarantine sign the
      physician tacked up on the front door, or a thermometer and an injection of
      penicillin. Today, taking care of a patient at home often involves sophisticated
      equipment, a highly trained staff of nurses and allied professionals, and a set
      of skills and a body of knowledge with which many physicians are neither familiar
      nor comfortable.

PMID- 1861659
TI  - Chronic fatigue syndrome in Minnesota.
AB  - Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), an illness characterized by debilitating fatigue
      and a number of associated symptoms, was identified in 135 patients using the
      case definition provided in 1988. The demographic features of these patients, 97%
      of whom resided in Minnesota, were similar to those reported elsewhere. About
      three-fourths of the cases occurred between 1984 and 1989, and in 123 (91.1%),
      the illness began with what appeared to be an acute infection. Patients had been
      ill for an average of 4.3 years before enrollment in the study. Fatigue was their
      most troublesome symptom, although a majority of the patients rated most of the
      general symptoms and neuropsychological complaints associated with CFS as
      moderate or severe. Follow-up data obtained on 62 patients one year after initial
      evaluation revealed that none had completely recovered. However, about 40%
      reported some improvement in each of the CFS symptoms.

PMID- 1861660
TI  - Group G streptococcal purulent pericarditis. A case report.
AB  - We report one of the first two cases of group G streptococcal purulent
      pericarditis in the medical literature. Our experience illustrates that outcome
      for patients with this serious group G streptococcal infection may be poor.
      Failure of single-drug antibiotic therapy can occur, and we conclude that
      aggressive drainage and combination antibiotics are the most appropriate response
      to this potentially fatal infection.

PMID- 1861661
TI  - Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse regulation. Hanlester case provides hope
      for joint ventures.

PMID- 1861662
TI  - Qualified retirement plans. Yours may be worth just 17 on the dollar.
AB  - In summary, let's review the result of the Joneses' coordinated retirement income
      and estate planning strategy: 1. The Joneses maximized their estate assets,
      converting an inefficient estate asset to an efficient estate asset, without
      jeopardizing their current or future standard of living. 2. They committed to a
      gifting program for only 10 years, after which they have the flexibility to
      continue gifting the trust or to retain all the current IRA income. 3. They are
      free to "consume" their other taxable assets during their lifetimes without
      worrying about saving something for their three children. The Wealth Replacement
      Trust will leave approximately $1 million for each child. This strategy is
      obviously not available to everyone, nor is it applicable to everyone. While this
      solution worked extremely well for these clients, everyone's situation is
      different. Every situation needs a professional and personalized plan based upon
      individual objectives. Only after objectives have been clearly identified and
      alternatives thoroughly explored can a suitable solution be identified. It is
      important that a thorough review of the entire financial picture be performed by
      a competent financial planning team before you attempt to correct a potential
      problem. Make certain your advisers are familiar with solving this type of
      problem so as not to create additional problems.

PMID- 1861663
TI  - MMA grapples with AIDS-testing policy.

PMID- 1861664
TI  - HIV in mothers and infants.

PMID- 1861665
TI  - Body's first attack slows AIDS.

PMID- 1861666
TI  - Women fail to see AIDS risk.

PMID- 1861667
TI  - Reaping the rewards of rural practice.

PMID- 1861668
TI  - Eastern equine encephalitis--Florida, eastern United States, 1991.
AB  - The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) has confirmed
      five human cases of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in elderly residents of
      Bradford, Duval, and Washington counties in northern Florida. Dates of illness
      onset were in mid-June and early July. One patient partially recovered and has
      residual neurologic deficits, two patients remain comatose, and two patients
      died.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861669
TI  - Trends in traumatic spinal cord injury--New York, 1982-1988.
AB  - In the United States, injuries resulting from falls are the most common type of
      injury among persons greater than or equal to 65 years of age, and most spinal
      cord injuries (SCIs) among persons in this age group are caused by falls. SCI,
      with its resultant paralysis, is one of the most catastrophic and devastating
      medical conditions. Previous studies have characterized the epidemiology of SCI.
      This report describes changes in the reported incidence of SCI in New York during
      1982-1988.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861670
TI  - Assessment of broadcast media airings of AIDS-related public service
      announcements--United States, 1987-1990.
AB  - Television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) are an integral part of
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) public information campaigns. This
      report summarizes an assessment of airings of AIDS PSAs in the United States
      during October 1987-December 1990 that were produced by CDC's "America Responds
      to AIDS" (ARTA) campaign and other groups.* The assessment used data obtained
      from Broadcast Advertisers Reports (BAR) of the Arbitron Company.

PMID- 1861671
TI  - Multistate outbreak of Salmonella poona infections--United States and Canada,
      1991.
AB  - During June and July 1991, more than 400 laboratory-confirmed infections with
      Salmonella poona occurred in 23 states and in Canada. This report describes
      several investigations that indicated this was a large nationwide outbreak
      related to consumption of cantaloupes.

PMID- 1861672
TI  - Pseudo-outbreak of infectious mononucleosis--Puerto Rico, 1990.
AB  - From September 11 through October 7, 1990, 57 persons (including outpatients,
      inpatients, and staff) at a community hospital in Puerto Rico had laboratory
      confirmed infectious mononucleosis; however, investigation determined that test
      results may have been misinterpreted. This report describes the investigation of
      this pseudo-outbreak by the Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH) in October
      1990.

PMID- 1861673
TI  - County data on alcohol-related mortality--United States.
AB  - Although estimates of alcohol-related mortality (ARM) have been determined for
      the United States and selected states, the magnitude of ARM ahs not been well
      defined for smaller geographic areas. To provide additional geographically
      specific data, the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System of the National Institute on
      Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently released a reference manual for ARM in U.S.
      counties (County Alcohol Problem Indicators). The manual provides information for
      3107 counties for 1979-1985 using both underlying and multiple cause-of-death
      information. This report summarizes data sources, methods, and applications for
      the manual.

PMID- 1861674
TI  - Nature of the intrinsic protein kinases involved in phosphorylation of non
      histone proteins in intact prostatic nuclei: further identification of androgen
      sensitive protein kinase reactions.
AB  - Nuclei isolated from rat ventral prostate contain a number of messenger-dependent
      and -independent protein kinases. Studies were undertaken to determine the
      relative contribution of these protein kinases in phosphorylation of non-histone
      proteins (NHPs) in isolated nuclei. The data suggest that messenger-dependent
      protein kinases such as those dependent on cAMP or Ca2+/calmodulin or
      Ca2+/phospholipid may be present in very small amounts in intact isolated nuclei,
      and thus appear not to be significantly involved in phosphorylation of endogenous
      NHPs. Messenger-independent nuclear associated protein kinases PK-N1 and PK-N2
      are known to catalyze the phosphorylation of NHPs in vitro (Goueli Sa, et al.,
      Eur J Biochem 113: 45-51, 1980). Of these, the intrinsic heparin-sensitive PK-N2
      as compared with heparin-insensitive PK-N1 appeared to be the predominant protein
      kinase engaged in phosphorylation of NHPs in intact nuclei. About 78-88% of NHP
      phosphorylation in intact nuclei was inhibited by heparin suggesting that the
      remaining 12-22% phosphorylation of NHPs was catalyzed via the heparin
      insensitive protein kinase(s). Further, the data provide additional evidence that
      heparin-sensitive PK-N2 is the one that is most responsive to androgenic status
      in the animal.

PMID- 1861675
TI  - Metals are directly involved in the redox interconversion of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae glutathione reductase.
AB  - Redox inactivation of glutathione reductase involves metal cations, since
      chelators protected against NADPH-inactivation, 3 microM EDTA or 10 microM
      DETAPAC yielding full protection. Ag+, Zn2+ and Cd2+ potentiated the redox
      inactivation promoted by NADPH alone, while Cr3+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Cu+, and Cu2+
      protected the enzyme. The Zn2+ and Cd2+ effect was time-dependent, unlike
      conventional inhibition. Glutathione reductase interconversion did not require
      dioxygen, excluding participation of active oxygen species produced by NADPH and
      metal cations. One Zn2+ ion was required per enzyme subunit to yield full NADPH
      inactivation, the enzyme being reactivated by EDTA. Redox inactivation of
      glutathione reductase could arise from the blocking of the dithiol formed at the
      active site of the reduced enzyme by metal cations, like Zn2+ or Cd2+. The
      glutathione reductase activity of yeast cell-free extracts was rapidly
      inactivated by low NADPH or moderate NADH concentrations; NADP+ also promoted
      rapid inactivation in fresh extracts, probably after reduction to NADPH. Full
      inactivation was obtained in cell-free extracts incubated with glucose-6
      phosphate or 6-phosphogluconate; the inactivating efficiency of several
      oxidizable substrates was directly proportional to the specific activities of the
      corresponding dehydrogenases, confirming that redox inactivation derives from
      NADPH formed in vitro.

PMID- 1861676
TI  - Nucleosomal organization of chromatin in sperm nuclei of the bivalve mollusc
      Aulacomya ater.
AB  - The sperm nuclei of Aulacomya ater, family Mitylidae, contain three proteins (X,
      Aa5 and Aa6) which are specific to this cell type coexisting with a set of five
      somatic-type histones. Information about the chromatin structure resulting from
      this kind of association is scarce. Therefore, we have probed the structure of
      this sperm chromatin through digestion with micrococcal nuclease in combination
      with salt fractionation. The data obtained have allowed us to propose a
      nucleosomal arrangement for this chromatin. However, two types of nucleosomes
      would be present in agreement with their protein components.

PMID- 1861677
TI  - Binding of the human complement subcomponent C1q to hybrid mouse monoclonal
      antibodies.
AB  - Activation of the classical pathway of the complement system is initiated by the
      binding of C1q to antibody complexes. Here we evaluated the C1q binding capacity
      of series of monospecific and bispecific hybrid mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb)
      and compared them with parental (conventional) mAb. The hierarchy in C1q binding
      capacity of the bispecific anti-HuIgA1/HRP mAb with homologous H-H chain
      combinations (IgG2a-2a, IgG2b-2b and IgG1-1) and the parental anti-HuIgA1 or anti
      HRP mAb was identical; IgG2a greater than IgG2b much greater than IgG1. Hybrid
      IgG1-2a mAb bind intermediate amounts of C1q when compared with the IgG1 and
      IgG2a parental antibodies. IgG1-2b and IgG1-1 hybrid mAb did not bind any C1q,
      like the IgG1 mAb. We could not observe any difference in C1q binding efficiency
      between monovalently bound IgG1-2a, IgG2a-2a and IgG2b-2b anti-HuIgA1 HRP mAb and
      the bivalently bound IgG1-2a, IgG2a-2a and IgG2b-2b anti-HuIgA1 mAb,
      respectively. Furthermore, these hybrid ms anti-HuIgA1 and bs anti-HRP/HuIgA1 mAb
      were able to lyse HuIgA1-coated erythrocytes, in the presence of 50% human serum,
      as efficiently as their parental counterparts. These data indicate that a
      simultaneous binding of both F(ab') fragment to antigen is not a necessary
      prerequisite for binding and activation of C1q.

PMID- 1861678
TI  - Purification and biochemical characterization of an invertebrate interleukin 1.
AB  - Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a major immunoregulatory protein released by macrophages
      with many host defense related properties. That IL-1 has been found in the
      invertebrates attests to its importance in homeostasis. The first step in
      comparing the vertebrate protein to its invertebrate correlate is to purify the
      protein to study. We have purified to homogeneity IL-1 isolated from the coelomic
      fluid of the starfish Asterias forbesi. The IL-1 had isoelectric points of 7.4,
      5.4 and 4.8. The pI 4.8 species had a molecular weight of 22,000 and the pI 7.4
      and 5.4 species both had Mr of 17,000. Higher Mr forms were also found. These
      molecules were biologically active in the human melanoma A375 cytotoxicity assay
      for IL-1, and were also able to stimulate murine dermal fibroblast proliferation,
      protein synthesis, and PGE2 production. The pI 4.8 and 5.4 forms were purified to
      homogeneity and the amino acid composition was determined. The pI 4.8 and 5.4
      species were purified more than 200-fold to specific activities of 3 x 10(6) and
      1 x 10(6) units mg-1, respectively. The pI 7.4 form was isolated and partial N
      terminal sequence analysis was performed. The similarities of molecular weight,
      isoelectric points and biological properties between vertebrate and invertebrate
      IL-1 show that it is an important, evolutionarily stable host defense molecule.

PMID- 1861679
TI  - Chemically unambiguous peptide immunogen: preparation, orientation and
      antigenicity of purified peptide conjugated to the multiple antigen peptide
      system.
AB  - We described a novel and simple approach to prepare chemically unambiguous
      peptide immunogen using the multiple antigen peptide (MAP) approach. This
      approach requires the conjugation of two purified components: a chloroacetylated
      oligomeric lysine core matrix and a synthetic peptide containing cysteine at
      either the carboxyl or amino terminus. The resulting MAP is structurally
      unambiguous and contains a quantifiable amount of peptide antigens. Furthermore,
      this method also provides a flexible strategy to link a peptide antigen to the
      core matrix at the desirable orientation to mimic the native molecule. The
      carboxyl fragment 43-50 of human transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) was
      used as a test model for this approach. Antipeptide antibodies did not recognize
      the "reverse immunogen" in which the peptide was attached to the MAP core matrix
      at a reverse orientation. To determine the specificity of the antibodies, we used
      two series of point-substituted TGF alpha analogs containing either alanine or
      the corresponding D-amino acid replacement to map the antigenic site. The alanine
      analogs were used to determine the contribution of the side chain while the D
      amino acid analogs were used to determine the importance of backbone
      conformation. The antigen site was found to consist of four residues (Asp47-Leu48
      Leu49-Ala50) at the distal end of the peptide-MAP conjugate. The results provide
      a clear explanation for the specificity of the antipeptide antibodies and their
      failure to recognize the "reverse immunogen" since the distal and the flexible
      end of the peptide-MAP construct constitutes the antigenic site. Furthermore, our
      results also suggests a strategy of placing the antigenic portion of a short
      peptide at the distal end in the MAP approach to prepare immunogen.

PMID- 1861680
TI  - Mechanism of allergic cross-reactions--II. Cross-stimulation, by chemically
      unrelated ligands, of rat basophilic leukemia cells sensitized with an anti-DNP
      IgE antibody.
AB  - Serotonin release from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells, sensitized with a DNP
      binding monoclonal IgE, was stimulated with solid surface (polystyrene)-bound DNP
      amino acids. The stimulatory potency of DNP-amino acids was dependent on the
      structure of amino acid attached to DNP. Generally, DNP-amino acids with high
      affinities to the sensitizing IgE (I(50) less than 10 microM) were stimulatory in
      polystyrene-bound form; DNP-amino acids with lower affinities (Pro, Cys, Trp),
      and aliphatic aromatic DNP-amino acid derivatives were inactive. In addition to
      structural analogues of DNP, lymecycline, that is chemically unrelated to DNP but
      was found to have high affinity to IgE(aDNP), was also stimulatory in this
      system. This drug, and various quinones (e.g. acenaphthene-quinone) in BSA
      conjugated forms also stimulated serotonin release from RBL cells sensitized with
      IgE(aDNP). These studies suggest that (1) There is a threshold of intrinsic
      ligand binding affinities at approximately I(50) = 10-100 microM; ligands with
      lower affinities do not stimulate mediator release even if they are presented in
      multivalent forms; (2) The above affinity threshold for mediator cell stimulation
      is valid for various ligands, irrespective of their chemical similarity to the
      immunogen; (3) Multispecific stimulation of mediator release may contribute to
      the frequently observed allergic cross-reactions, false positive tests for
      allergies, and anaphylactic reactions to drugs upon first exposure.

PMID- 1861681
TI  - Isolation and partial characterization of a type IV bacterial immunoglobulin
      binding protein.
AB  - A series of bovine G streptococcal isolates were screened for expression of type
      IV Fc binding proteins. An isolate expressing high levels of type IV binding
      proteins was selected and expanded by use of a colony selection technique. A
      variety of different extraction procedures were compared and the optimal
      solubilization procedure was found to be hot acid extraction of the bacteria. The
      extracted protein could be affinity purified on a column of immobilized rabbit
      IgG. The type IV Fc binding protein was found to be antigenically unrelated to
      the type I, II or III bacterial Fc binding proteins and displayed the lowest
      affinity and most limited range of species and subclass reactivity of any
      bacterial Fc binding protein thus far characterized.

PMID- 1861682
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a monoclonal rheumatoid factor specific for the
      hinge region of rat IgG2b.
AB  - The isolation and characterization of an isotype-specific autoantibody-secreting
      hybridoma NET/2/3 from rats bearing the syngeneic tumour HSN is described. This
      rheumatoid factor of the IgM class recognizes an epitope within the hinge region
      of rat immunoglobulins of the IgG2b subclass which is destroyed by reduction of
      disulphide bonds. The specificity of NET/2/3, although not allotype-restricted,
      is highly isotype-restricted, as it does not bind to rat Ig other than IgG2b, nor
      does it react with the majority of mouse IgG, although some reactivity occurs
      with mouse IgG3. One remarkable feature of NET 2/3 is that it binds more strongly
      to F(ab')2 and Fab' fragments of rat IgG2b, obtained by digestion with pepsin,
      than to the whole molecule. This anti-isotype response is not peculiar to the HSN
      tumour model as NET/2/3-like antibodies have been found in the sera of rats
      immunized with various protein and cellular antigens. The possible biological
      role of this anti-isotype antibody is discussed.

PMID- 1861683
TI  - Human lymphocytes exposed to low doses of X-rays are less susceptible to
      radiation-induced mutagenesis.
AB  - Human lymphocytes exposed to low doses of X-rays become refractory to the
      subsequent induction of chromosomal damage by high doses of radiation (Shadley
      and Wolff, 1987). The current study was designed to test the effect of
      pretreatment of human T-lymphocytes with a low dose of X-rays on the induction of
      mutations at the hprt locus by a subsequent challenge dose. When cells were
      exposed to 1 cGy X-rays 24 h after phytohemagglutinin stimulation, the yield of
      mutations induced by a 300 cGy X-ray dose given 16 h later was reduced by
      approximately 70% from the control level of X-ray-induced mutations. This
      indicates that this previously described adaptive response to low dose X-rays
      also results in lymphocytes becoming refractory to the induction of gene
      mutations.

PMID- 1861684
TI  - Cycloheximide genotoxicity in in vitro and in vivo test systems.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate if there was any genotoxic effect
      produced by the antibiotic cycloheximide, widely used as a fungicide in
      agriculture as well as in everyday laboratory practice. The battery of test
      systems included the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium (strains TA98 and TA100),
      the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (D7), Allium cepa somatic cells and mouse bone
      marrow cells. This combination of test systems enabled us to establish possible
      effects caused by cycloheximide at different levels of the genome and to indicate
      a possible mechanism of action. The results obtained in experiments showed that
      cycloheximide did not induce frameshift or base-pair substitution mutations in S.
      typhimurium regardless of metabolic activation. In S. cerevisiae cycloheximide
      had only toxic effects but no increase of mitotic gene conversion was noticed
      under the conditions of the experiment. However, in A. cepa somatic cells as well
      as in mouse bone marrow cells cycloheximide showed its activity causing different
      genetic damages, e.g., chromosome breaks, mitotic disturbances and nuclear
      abnormalities.

PMID- 1861685
TI  - Transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with UV-irradiated single-stranded
      plasmid.
AB  - UV-irradiated single-stranded replicative plasmids were used to transform
      different yeast strains. The low doses of UV used in this study (10-75 J/m2)
      caused a significant decrease in the transforming efficiency of plasmid DNA in
      the Rad+ strain, while they had no effect on transformation with double-stranded
      plasmids of comparable size. Neither the rev3 mutation, nor the rad18 or rad52
      mutations influenced the efficiency of transformation with irradiated single
      stranded plasmid. However, it was found to be decreased in the double rev3 rad52
      mutant. Extracellular irradiation of plasmid that contains both URA3 and LEU2
      genes (psLU) gave rise to up to 5% Leu- transformants among selected Ura+ ones in
      the repair-proficient strain. Induction of Leu- transformants was dose-dependent
      and only partially depressed in the rev3 mutant. These results suggest that both
      mutagenic and recombinational repair processes operate on UV-damaged single
      stranded DNA in yeast.

PMID- 1861686
TI  - Damage distribution and mutation spectrum: the case of 8-methoxypsoralen plus UVA
      in mammalian cells.
AB  - We determined the distribution of monoadducts and biadducts induced in the supF
      tRNA gene carried by the shuttle vector pZ189, after exposure to 8
      methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) plus a double UVA (365 nm) irradiation. These data were
      compared to our previously published 8-MOP-photoinduced mutation spectrum
      obtained after propagation of the damaged shuttle vector in mammalian cells. One
      mutational hot spot in an ATAT/TATA sequence is targeted at a hot spot of
      biaddition. A second hot spot is not related to the presence of photoadducts
      either at or near the site. Moreover, it is located in a sequence which can be
      defined as 'mutation-prone'. Mutations occurring at GC base pairs are not
      targeted at sites of photoaddition, and may result from a decrease in fidelity of
      DNA polymerase when copying the damaged vector.

PMID- 1861687
TI  - Clastogenic effects of hydroquinone: induction of chromosomal aberrations in
      mouse germ cells.
AB  - The clastogenic activity of hydroquinone (HQ) in germ cells of male mice was
      evaluated by analysis of chromosomal aberrations in primary spermatocytes and
      differentiating spermatogonia. In the first experiment with treated spermatocytes
      the most sensitive stage of meiotic prophase to aberration induction by HQ was
      determined. Testicular material was sampled for microscopic analysis of cells in
      diakinesis-metaphase I at 1, 5, 9, 11, and 12 days after treatment with 80 mg/kg
      of HQ, corresponding to treated diplotene, pachytene, zygotene, leptotene and
      preleptotene. The frequencies of cells with structural chromosome aberrations
      peaked at 12 days after treatment (p less than 0.01). This indicates that the
      preleptotene when DNA synthesis occurred was the most sensitive stage of meiotic
      prophase. In the second experiment the dose response was determined 12 days post
      treatment by applying 2 additional doses of 40 mg/kg and 120 mg/kg. The
      clastogenic effects induced by 40 and 80 mg/kg were significantly different from
      the controls (p less than or equal to 0.01) and higher than the results obtained
      with 120 mg/kg of HQ. A humped dose-effect relationship was observed. In a third
      experiment the same doses were used to analyse chromosomal aberrations in
      dividing spermatogonia of mice 24 h after treatment with HQ. All the administered
      doses gave results statistically different from the control values (p less than
      or equal to 0.01) and the data were fitted to a linear equation. HQ was found to
      be clastogenic in male mouse germ cells. It is concluded that the clastogenic
      effect in male germ cells is of the same order of magnitude as in mouse bone
      marrow cells.

PMID- 1861688
TI  - Clastogenic and aneuploidizing effects of antiblastic busulphan revealed by
      kinetochore immunofluorescence in CHO cells.
AB  - We utilized, in CHO cells, the cytoplasm preservation technique to evaluate the
      micronucleus frequency at different busulphan concentrations, and the indirect
      immunofluorescence technique, using sera obtained from patients with scleroderma
      (CREST variant), to analyze if busulphan-induced micronuclei have kinetochores.
      Results show that this alkylating agent is capable of causing a significant
      increase of micronuclei in vitro, a great part (40%) of them having CREST
      positive kinetochores. These findings confirm the clastogenic effect of busulphan
      and reveal a considerable capability of this agent to induce aneuploidy. These
      results are examined taking into account the high incidence of secondary
      neoplasias induced by chemotherapy with alkylating agents utilized against
      primary neoplasias.

PMID- 1861689
TI  - Micronuclei in lymphocytes of young patients under antileukemic therapy.
AB  - The micronucleus test in peripheral blood lymphocytes was employed in the
      cytogenetic monitoring of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), who had
      undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients were treated with a variety of
      drugs, which included vincristine, methotrexate, daunomycin and prednisone; they
      also underwent cranial irradiation at the end of the first intensive phase of
      therapy. The first group under study consisted of 15 subjects on therapy, who
      showed a marked increase in micronucleated lymphocytes (mean: 19.96 +/- 12.96%)
      as a consequence of treatment compared with the control group (mean: 3.67 +/-
      1.55%), while lower average values were obtained from 15 other subjects at the
      end of treatment (mean: 13.16 +/- 8.44%). A group of 6 patients was monitored
      during the entire period of therapy, namely at diagnosis, after 3 months of
      therapy, throughout maintenance therapy and at the end of it. The whole treatment
      lasted about 2 years. The results revealed a marked increase in basal
      micronucleus frequency, due to therapy: the micronucleated lymphocyte frequency
      remained significantly high throughout the treatment for almost all patients.
      These data clearly suggest the validity of the methodology in pointing out the
      role played by antileukemic agents in inducing somatic genetic damage.

PMID- 1861691
TI  - Chemical induction of somatic gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations in lung
      fibroblasts of rats.
AB  - Rats can be used to detect both somatic gene mutations and chromosomal
      aberrations induced in vivo. The technique adapted from Chinese hamsters for the
      isolation and analysis of lung fibroblasts confirm the surprising results
      obtained in hamsters; namely, methyl methanesulphonate induces many micronuclei
      but no significant increase in gene mutations. In contrast ethylnitrosourea
      induces both micronuclei and gene mutations.

PMID- 1861690
TI  - Activation of some aromatic amines to mutagenic products by human red blood cell
      cytosol.
AB  - The ability of human red blood cell cytosol to activate aromatic amines was
      evaluated with the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the liquid
      preincubation condition. While negative results were obtained with 4
      acetylaminofluorene (4AAF) and 1-naphtylamine (1NA), a slight response was
      observed for 4-aminobiphenyl (4ABP) and 2-naphthylamine (2NA). Human red blood
      cell cytosol was able to activate 2-aminofluorene (2AF), 2-acetylaminofluorene
      (2AAF) and 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) to mutagenic intermediates. Extracts of human
      red blood cell cytosol incubated with 2AF were analyzed by gas chromatography: N
      hydroxy-2-aminofluorene was identified as a metabolite.

PMID- 1861692
TI  - Effects of diethylstilbestrol and its methyl ethers on aneuploidy induction and
      microtubule distribution in Chinese hamster V79 cells.
AB  - We previously reported that diethylstibestrol (DES) and its derivatives inhibit
      the in vitro polymerization of microtubule proteins isolated from porcine brain
      (Sato et al., 1987). We found that the presence of the free hydroxy group of DES
      was indispensable for the inhibition of microtubule assembly. In the present
      investigation, this structure-activity relationship was confirmed by the effects
      of DES and its methyl ethers on chromosome number and the cellular microtubule
      architecture of Chinese hamster V79 cells, revealed by fluorescent anti-tubulin
      antibody. DES induced tetra- and octa-ploidy and DES monomethyl ether induced
      only tetraploidy at a much slower rate, whereas DES dimethyl ether was found to
      be completely inactive. Furthermore, DES was more active than its monomethyl
      ether in disturbing microtubule formation within cells. These results support the
      initial assumption that polyploidy is largely a consequence of the disturbed
      assembly of microtubules.

PMID- 1861693
TI  - Thyroid diseases after treatment of Hodgkin's disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, is common in
      patients with Hodgkin's disease who have been treated with irradiation. We
      reviewed the records of 1787 patients (740 women and 1047 men) with Hodgkin's
      disease who were treated with radiation therapy alone (810 patients), radiation
      and chemotherapy (920 patients), or chemotherapy alone (57 patients) at Stanford
      University between 1961 and 1989. Among these patients, 1533 were alive at the
      last follow-up, and 254 had died of causes other than Hodgkin's disease. (Four
      other patients were excluded from the analysis because they had undergone
      thyroidectomy before treatment for Hodgkin's disease. The thyroid was irradiated
      in 1677 patients. Follow-up averaged 9.9 years. RESULTS: A total of 573 patients
      had clinical or biochemical evidence of thyroid disease. Among the 1677 patients
      whose thyroid was irradiated, the actuarial risk of thyroid disease 20 years
      after treatment was 52 percent, and it was 67 percent at 26 years. Hypothyroidism
      was found in 513 patients. A total of 486 patients received thyroxine therapy for
      elevated serum thyrotropin concentrations and either low free thyroxine (208
      patients) or normal free thyroxine values (278 patients); 27 had transient
      elevations of the serum thyrotropin level that were not treated. Graves'
      hyperthyroidism developed in 30 patients (2 of whom had not undergone thyroid
      irradiation), and ophthalmopathy developed in 17 of these patients.
      Ophthalmopathy developed in four other patients with Graves' disease during a
      period of hypothyroidism (n = 3) or euthyroidism (n = 1). The risk of Graves'
      disease was 7.2 to 20.4 times that for normal subjects. Silent thyroiditis with
      thyrotoxicosis developed in six patients. Forty-four patients were found to have
      single or multiple thyroid nodules, 26 of whom underwent thyroidectomy. Six of
      the 44 had papillary or follicular cancers. Among the patients who did not
      undergo operation, 12 had small functioning nodules, 4 had cysts, and 2 had
      multinodular goiters. The actuarial risk of thyroid cancer was 1.7 percent. The
      risk of thyroid cancer was 15.6 times the expected risk. CONCLUSIONS: High risks
      of thyroid disease persist more than 25 years after patients have received
      radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease, reinforcing the need for continued
      clinical and biochemical evaluation. Prolonged follow-up confirms an elevated
      risk of thyroid cancer and Graves' disease as well as hypothyroidism in these
      patients.

PMID- 1861694
TI  - Long-term response of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis to treatment with
      lymphoblastoid interferon alfa-N1. Papilloma Study Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We earlier reported that patients with recurrent respiratory
      papillomatosis responded to six months of treatment with lymphoblastoid
      interferon alfa-n1. Because another study of patients treated for one year with
      leukocyte interferon alfa-n3 found that the growth rate of papillomas was slowed
      in the first six months but returned to base line during months 7 through 12
      despite persistent interferon treatment, we now report the long-term results in
      our original study patients who were followed for a median of four years after
      the original one-year crossover study. METHODS: After the patients in our study
      had completed the first study year, their physicians could continue or recommence
      treatment with lymphoblastoid interferon alfa-n1 in a dose of either 2 MU per
      square meter of body-surface area per day or 4 MU per square meter every other
      day. The extent of disease was measured by endoscopy when clinically indicated.
      RESULTS: Data on late-follow-up were obtained for 60 of the 66 patients. There
      were 22 complete remissions and 25 partial remissions; 13 patients had no
      response. The median duration of the complete remissions was 550 days, and 15
      patients continued to be in complete remission. The median duration of partial
      remissions was 400 days and seven patients were still in partial remission.
      Thirteen of 28 patients responded to a second course of interferon after an
      interruption in treatment of at least one month. The rate of response in the 11
      of 53 patients who had neutralizing antibody to interferon was the same as in the
      patients without the antibody. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe recurrent
      respiratory papillomatosis may have a sustained or repeated response to treatment
      with lymphoblastoid interferon alfa-n1. We recommend that patients with recurrent
      respiratory papillomatosis who require surgery every two to three months be given
      a six-month trial of interferon alfa-n1.

PMID- 1861696
TI  - Abnormal intracellular modulation of calcium as a major cause of cardiac
      contractile dysfunction.

PMID- 1861695
TI  - Evidence of a selective increase in cardiac sympathetic activity in patients with
      sustained ventricular arrhythmias.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although enhanced efferent cardiac sympathetic nervous activity has
      been proposed as an important factor in the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias
      and sudden cardiac death, direct clinical evidence has been lacking. METHODS: We
      measured the rates of total and cardiac norepinephrine spillover into the plasma,
      which reflect respectively overall and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity, in
      12 patients who had recovered from a spontaneous, sustained episode of
      ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation outside the hospital 4 to 48
      days earlier. The results were compared with those from three age-matched
      reference groups without a history of ventricular arrhythmias: 12 patients with
      coronary artery disease, 6 patients with chest pain but normal coronary arteries,
      and 12 healthy, normal subjects. RESULTS: The patients who had had ventricular
      arrhythmias had reduced left ventricular ejection fractions, as compared with the
      patients with coronary artery disease or chest pain (mean [+/- SE], 46 +/- 3
      percent vs. 58 +/- 4 percent and 69 +/- 5 percent, respectively; P less than
      0.003). The rates of total norepinephrine spillover into the plasma were similar
      in the three reference groups, but 80 percent higher in the patients with
      ventricular arrhythmias (P less than 0.005). The rate of cardiac norepinephrine
      spillover was 450 percent higher in these patients (176 +/- 39 pmol per minute,
      as compared with 32 +/- 8 pmol per minute in the normal subjects; P less than
      0.001), a disproportionate increase relative to the increase in total spillover,
      which indicated selective activation of the cardiac sympathetic outflow. This
      increase in cardiac norepinephrine spillover was probably caused by a reduction
      in left ventricular function. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that in some
      patients major ventricular arrhythmias are associated with and perhaps caused by
      sustained and selective cardiac sympathetic activation. We speculate that
      depressed ventricular function was present before the ventricular arrhythmia
      occurred, and that this resulted in reflex cardiac sympathetic activation, which
      in turn contributed to the genesis of the arrhythmia.

PMID- 1861697
TI  - The pharmacologic treatment of depression.

PMID- 1861698
TI  - Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological
      exercises. Case 35-1991. A 59-year-old man with abdominal pain, microscopic
      hematuria, and a jejunal abnormality shown on a CT scan.

PMID- 1861699
TI  - In the vertical transmission of HIV, timing may be everything.

PMID- 1861700
TI  - Stress and the common cold.

PMID- 1861701
TI  - Sympathetic stimulation and arrhythmias.

PMID- 1861702
TI  - Death and dignity: the case of Diane.

PMID- 1861703
TI  - More on the treatment of end-stage renal disease.

PMID- 1861704
TI  - Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia developing within one month of intensive
      chemotherapy for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 1861705
TI  - Long-term survivors of refractory myelodysplastic anemias.

PMID- 1861706
TI  - Milk-contaminated "nondairy" products.

PMID- 1861707
TI  - Electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with a heart transplant.

PMID- 1861708
TI  - Spina bifida in infants of women taking carbamazepine.

PMID- 1861709
TI  - Ethical problems to merit the name.

PMID- 1861710
TI  - Cetus and Chiron merge.

PMID- 1861712
TI  - Japan. Neuroscience leads grants.

PMID- 1861711
TI  - Biotechnology. A first step, but still a long way to go.

PMID- 1861713
TI  - Bacon's chicken.

PMID- 1861714
TI  - Genome ethics treaty.

PMID- 1861715
TI  - AIDS. Passive primate protection.

PMID- 1861716
TI  - Helix formation. Alarums and diversions.

PMID- 1861717
TI  - Identification of a murder victim by DNA analysis.

PMID- 1861718
TI  - Ancient DNA. The past comes alive.

PMID- 1861719
TI  - Lead risks.

PMID- 1861720
TI  - Multiple modes of engrailed regulation in the progression towards cell fate
      determination.
AB  - The engrailed gene product of Drosophila specifies the fate of a subset of cells
      in each segment. Our studies of engrailed regulation suggest that fate
      determination is an elaborate, multistep process. At the time in embryogenesis
      when the engrailed-dependent cell fate is probably determined, four modes of
      control act in an overlapping progression to govern engrailed expression. After
      activation by pair-rule genes, both an extracellular signal, wingless, and
      autoregulation are required for engrailed expression. Autoregulation graduates to
      wingless independence, but is transient, and is superseded by an engrailed
      independent mode of maintenance.

PMID- 1861721
TI  - Identification of the skeletal remains of a murder victim by DNA analysis.
AB  - There is considerable anthropological and forensic interest in the possibility of
      DNA typing skeletal remains. Trace amounts of DNA can be recovered even from
      5,500-year-old bones and multicopy human mitochondrial DNA sequences can
      frequently be amplified from such DNA using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
      But given the sensitivity of PCR, it is very difficult to exclude contaminating
      material. We now report the successful identification of the 8-year-old skeletal
      remains of a murder victim, by comparative typing of nuclear microsatellite
      markers in the remains and in the presumptive parents of the victim. This
      analysis establishes the authenticity of the bone DNA and the feasibility of bone
      DNA typing in forensic investigations.

PMID- 1861722
TI  - Fibronectin and VLA-4 in haematopoietic stem cell-microenvironment interactions.
AB  - The self-renewal and differentiation of haematopoietic stem cells occurs in vivo
      and in vitro in direct contact with cells making up the haematopoietic
      microenvironment. In this study we used adhesive ligands and blocking antibodies
      to identify stromal cell-derived extracellular matrix proteins involved in
      promoting attachment of murine haematopoietic stem cells. Here we report that day
      12 colony-forming-unit spleen (CFU-S12)5 cells and reconstituting haematopoietic
      stem cells attach to the C-terminal, heparin-binding fragment of fibronectin by
      recognizing the CS-1 peptide of the alternatively spliced non-type III connecting
      segment (IIICS) of human plasma fibronectin. Furthermore, CFU-S12 stem cells
      express the alpha 4 subunit of the VLA-4 integrin receptor, which is known to be
      a receptor for the CS-1 sequence, and monoclonal antibodies against the integrin
      alpha 4 subunit of VLA-4 block adhesion of CFU-S12 stem cells to plates coated
      with the C-terminal fibronectin fragment. Finally, polyclonal antibodies against
      the integrin beta 1 subunit of VLA-4 inhibit the formation of CFU-S12-derived
      spleen colonies and medullary haematopoiesis in vivo following intravenous
      infusion of antibody-treated bone marrow cells.

PMID- 1861723
TI  - A recycling pathway between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus for
      retention of unassembled MHC class I molecules.
AB  - Assembly of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules involves the
      interaction of two distinct polypeptides (the heavy and light chains) with
      peptide antigen. Cell lines synthesizing both chains but expressing low levels of
      MHC class I molecules on their surface as a result of a failure in assembly and
      transport have been identified. We now report that although the apparent steady
      state distribution in these cells of class I molecules is in the endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER), the molecules in fact are recycled between the ER and Golgi,
      rather than retained in the ER. This explains the failure of class I molecules to
      negotiate the secretory pathway. Class I molecules do not seem to be modified by
      Golgi enzymes, suggesting that the proteins do not reach the Golgi apparatus
      during recycling. But morphological and subcellular fractionation evidence
      indicates that they pass through the cis Golgi or a Golgi-associated organelle,
      which we postulate to be the recycling organelle. This compartment, which we call
      the 'cis-Golgi network', would thereby be a sorting organelle that selects
      proteins for return to the ER.

PMID- 1861724
TI  - Transcription by single molecules of RNA polymerase observed by light microscopy.
AB  - The kinetics of transcription by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase relate directly
      to the regulation of transcription and to the properties of processive enzymes in
      general, but analysis of RNA polymerase movement along the DNA template has so
      far been limited to the study of populations of enzyme molecules. The ability to
      view nanometre-sized particles with the light microscope suggested a method of
      monitoring transcription by individual RNA polymerase molecules. We describe here
      the behaviour of 40-nm-diameter particles of colloidal gold attached to the ends
      of DNA molecules being transcribed by RNA polymerase immobilized on a glass
      surface. The tethered gold particles are released from the surface at times after
      addition of nucleoside triphosphates that are consistent with the kinetics of
      transcription by RNA polymerase in solution. Analysis of the brownian motion of
      the gold particles enabled us to measure the movement along the template DNA of
      individual polymerase molecules.

PMID- 1861725
TI  - Accurate prediction of the stability and activity effects of site-directed
      mutagenesis on a protein core.
AB  - Theoretical prediction of the structure, stability and activity of proteins, an
      important unsolved problem in molecular biology, would be of use for guiding site
      directed mutagenesis and other protein-engineering techniques. X-ray diffraction
      studies have provided extensive structural information for many proteins,
      challenging theorists to develop reliable techniques able to use such knowledge
      as a base for prediction of mutants' characteristics. Here we report theoretical
      calculation of stabilization energies for 78 triple-site sequence variants of
      lambda repressor characterized experimentally by Lim and Sauer. The calculated
      energies correlate with the mutants' measured activities; active and inactive
      mutations are discriminated with 92% reliability. They correlate even more
      directly with the mutants' thermostabilities, correctly identifying two of the
      mutants to be more stable than the wild type.

PMID- 1861726
TI  - The helical s constant for alanine in water derived from template-nucleated
      helices.
AB  - Formation of alpha helices from disordered polypeptides depends on the degree to
      which amino acids favour the helical state. The folding of helical oligopeptides
      can be modelled by two parameters: sigma which reflects helix initiation and s
      which reflects propagation of a pre-existing helix and measures helical bias.
      Scheraga has reported s values for oligopeptides of about 1.1, implying a weak
      helical bias for amino-acid residues. By contrast, certain helical peptides
      studied by Baldwin seem to require much larger s values for alanine. Resolution
      of this inconsistency requires experiments that disentangle the ease of
      propagation from that of initiation. In this study varying lengths of polyalanine
      are linked to a 'template' that initiates helical structure and permits study
      solely of propagation. We report here that the s value for alanine in water is
      close to 1, supporting the earlier results of Scheraga but not the more recent
      results of Baldwin.

PMID- 1861727
TI  - The development of a comprehensive cancer center. A concerted effort spearheaded
      by Charles L. Spurr, M.D.

PMID- 1861728
TI  - Hospital infection control, seat belts and the national debt.

PMID- 1861730
TI  - Infant mortality.

PMID- 1861729
TI  - Kikuchi's disease. A benign disease of unknown etiology.

PMID- 1861731
TI  - Historical note: North Carolina's first hospital.

PMID- 1861732
TI  - Polio epidemic.

PMID- 1861733
TI  - Lightning fatalities in North Carolina 1972-1988.
AB  - Individuals who are outdoors during thunderstorms are at risk for death from
      direct and indirect lightning hits. Death is more likely from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00
      p.m. during the months of May through September. The fatality pattern in North
      Carolina is similar to that reported for the nation as a whole. Physicians are
      urged to discuss with their patients simple strategies for reducing exposure to
      lightning.

PMID- 1861735
TI  - An open letter to Dr. Ralph E. Snyder of Medical Review of North Carolina, Inc.

PMID- 1861734
TI  - A comment on Dr. Burke's article on the red fire ant.

PMID- 1861736
TI  - [Metastasized Grawitz tumor: wonders never cease].

PMID- 1861737
TI  - [Vitamin A requirement during pregnancy and lactation].

PMID- 1861738
TI  - [Laboratory diagnosis in deep Candida infections].

PMID- 1861739
TI  - [Spontaneous pneumothorax; to operate or not?].
AB  - Disagreement remains on the best mode of therapy for spontaneous pneumothorax
      (SP). Treatment options vary from observation alone to thoracotomy depending on
      the stage of the disease and the preference of the physician. Between 1983 and
      1988, 122 patients with SP were treated at the Elisabeth Hospital Tilburg
      according to a fixed protocol. Of these patients 86 (68%) were primarily treated
      with observation alone or with intercostal tubes. Seven of these patients (8%)
      had to be treated surgically after failure of the primary treatment. After
      thoracoscopical selection and in case of recurrent disease 39 patients underwent
      surgery: apical pleurectomy and bullectomy, in most cases by the transaxillary
      approach. In this group morbidity was minimal and there were no recurrences. We
      conclude that for most patients with spontaneous pneumothorax non-surgical
      therapy is the therapy of first choice.

PMID- 1861740
TI  - [Insufficient protection against infection with HIV in general and orthopedic
      surgeons].
AB  - In a study of the content of occupational health care for hospital workers we
      carried out a separate study to measure the professional protection used to
      prevent contamination with HIV or hepatitis B virus. Therefore we carried out a
      study among Dutch general and orthopaedic surgeons. A questionnaire was sent to a
      representative sample of this population. The conclusions are that the
      respondents are relatively poorly informed about HIV and (or) hepatitis risks. A
      relatively small part of the respondents used protecting instruments; 40
      (operating rooms) and 83% (emergency departments) of the respondents did not use
      safety glasses. The availability of protecting instruments is higher in operating
      rooms than in emergency departments, but this availability does not imply use of
      these instruments. The information on occupational contamination risks, the
      individual safety measures and the quality of the safety glasses are subject to
      criticism.

PMID- 1861741
TI  - [Relation between clinical condition and quality of life in patients on
      hemodialysis, a clinimetric study].
AB  - To gain more insight into the quality of life of chronic haemodialysis patients,
      a clinimetric study was performed in 60 patients treated in a centre for active
      haemodialysis: Diatel, Amsterdam. The value of a number of objective and
      subjective test methods was also analysed. The mean age was 52 years, 57% were
      males and the mean time on dialysis treatment was 68 months. The objective tests
      were the Karnofsky index, the Active Clinical Problems Score and the Chemistry
      Abnormality Score. The data were obtained from the physician in charge and the
      medical record of the patient. The subjective information was gained during an
      interview based on the following tests: the Complaints score, Affect Balance
      Scale, Index of Well-being and Nottingham Health Profile. The physical condition
      of the patients depended on both age and comorbidity and was generally good; 6%
      of the patients had a Karnofsky score of less than or equal to 60. For the Index
      of Well-being patients scored lower than healthy people (p less than 0.01). The
      level of this index depended on age, employment and civil status. The subjective
      tests were significantly interrelated, the objective tests also but to a lesser
      extent. No correlations were found between the objective status of the patient
      and his emotional well-being. In conclusion, active haemodialysis patients
      appeared to have a fairly good quality of life. Of all tests the Affect Balance
      Scale, the Index of Well-being and the Complaints score were found to be the most
      useful, probably also for future longitudinal research.

PMID- 1861742
TI  - [Magnesium poisoning in an infant].
AB  - We present the case of a girl aged 3 weeks with extreme hypermagnesaemia (7.94
      mmol/l) due to an overdose of magnesium oxide, prescribed as a laxative. We
      treated her successfully with a combination of hyperhydration, forced diuresis
      and natriuresis, and additional intravenous calcium and insulin. We also
      performed an exchange transfusion which, however, had a questionable effect on
      the final outcome.

PMID- 1861743
TI  - [Extramural health care in AIDS: comparison between the United States and The
      Netherlands].

PMID- 1861744
TI  - [How reliable is ocular pressure measurement, which device is the most accurate
      and what are the limits of normal values?].

PMID- 1861745
TI  - [Reasons for refusal of articles for publication by the Nederlands Tijdschrift
      voor Geneeskunde in 1990].

PMID- 1861746
TI  - [Minor symptoms in family practice; theory and practice in bursitis of the
      olecranon].

PMID- 1861747
TI  - [Foreign reporting on side effects of drugs].

PMID- 1861748
TI  - [The physician, the pharmacist and authoritative drug prescriptions].

PMID- 1861749
TI  - [Collagenous colitis; an invisible disease?].

PMID- 1861750
TI  - ['Only ergotamine still helps'].

PMID- 1861751
TI  - [Auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation].

PMID- 1861752
TI  - [Renal osteodystrophy].

PMID- 1861753
TI  - [Determination of antibodies against double-stranded DNA; when and which test?].

PMID- 1861754
TI  - [Favorable results of auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation in patients
      with end-stage chronic liver insufficiency].
AB  - Auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation (HLT), which avoids removal of the
      host liver, may improve the results of liver transplantation in patients with end
      stage chronic liver disease. However, the results of HLT have so far been
      disappointing. In 1986 a program of HLT was started in the University Hospital
      Rotterdam-Dijkzigt. Eighteen patients with chronic liver failure underwent HLT.
      Twelve out of 18 (67%) patients were discharged 25 days after transplantation
      with normal liver function. Six patients died within 3 months after operation due
      to septic causes. Three months after transplantation ascites was no longer
      detectable and oesophageal varices had disappeared in all surviving recipients of
      HLT. The actuarial 3 and 12 months survival rate was 67%. Hepatitis B virus
      reinfection was seen in all patients. In two patients cirrhosis of the graft
      developed within one year. These data suggest that HLT in patients with chronic
      liver failure gives long-term metabolic support and adequate decompression of
      portal system, and is associated with a morbidity and mortality comparable to
      that of orthotopic liver transplantation.

PMID- 1861755
TI  - [Conservative therapy frequently indicated in blow-out fractures of the orbit].
AB  - The results of the conservative approach in the management of patients with
      orbital blow-out fractures were studied at the Orbital Centre, Amsterdam. In 54
      out of 111 patients with a pure blow-out fracture, high resolution CT was
      performed. In these 54 patients with diplopia, clinical examination together with
      the analysis of direct multiplanar high resolution CT revealed four cases of
      impaired motility. These were oedema, oculomotor nerve palsy, enophthalmos and
      adhesions around the lower eye muscles and the orbital floor. Patients were
      immediately instructed to exercise eye movements thoroughly. If diplopia did not
      resolve, further management was decided on. In all patients with edema or
      oculomotor nerve palsy, diplopia resolved spontaneously. Surgery was necessary to
      reduce diplopia in the enophthalmos and adhesion groups. This study shows that
      eye movement exercises together with a 'wait and see' approach diminish the
      number of operations by 50% in patients with pure blow-out fractures. It also
      circumvents the iatrogenic adhesions between eye muscles and orbital floor, which
      are difficult to treat.

PMID- 1861756
TI  - [11-year survival following aortocoronary bypass surgery].
AB  - To evaluate longterm survival after a first aortocoronary bypass operation we
      followed up all such patients with operations between July 1971 and June 1980.
      Included were 1041 patients, mean follow-up time was 11 years (8.5-17.4). Data
      were complete in 98%. The perioperative mortality equalled 1.2%, survival
      probability at 5 and 10 years was 92% and 77%, respectively. The yearly mortality
      rate increased from the fifth year onward up to 5% in the tenth. Of the deceased
      patients 72% had a cardiac cause of death. Extent of vascular involvement,
      quality of left ventricular function and age at operation had an important
      influence on survival probability. The aortocoronary bypass operation is a safe
      procedure, with a good prognosis for survival, but does not prevent cardiac death
      in the future.

PMID- 1861757
TI  - [Liver transplantation in acute liver insufficiency: definitive replacement or
      auxiliary liver?].
AB  - Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has greatly improved the chances of
      survival in patients with acute hepatic failure. However, this mode of treatment
      requires lifelong immunosuppressive medication and negates the potential recovery
      of the host liver. In theory, auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation (HLT)
      offers the diseased host liver a chance to regenerate, so that immunosuppression
      can be tapered off and eventually stopped. In the University Hospital Rotterdam
      Dijkzigt OLT and HLT were performed in two patients, with acute and subacute
      hepatic failure respectively. The patient undergoing OLT recovered quickly but
      needed a successful re-OLT after a serious rejection episode. The removed
      diseased liver showed no signs of regeneration at histology. The patient
      undergoing HLT also recovered well. HIDA scanning as well as liver biopsies of
      the host liver and the grafted liver 1 and 6 months after transplantation
      indicated full recovery of the host liver, so that immunosuppression is being
      tapered off.

PMID- 1861758
TI  - [Clozapine; an exceptional comeback].

PMID- 1861759
TI  - [Scientific research and privacy].

PMID- 1861760
TI  - [Bad news before childbirth; who will tell the parents?].

PMID- 1861761
TI  - [Patellar chondropathy in family practice].

PMID- 1861762
TI  - [Children with attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity; the role of drugs
      in treatment].

PMID- 1861763
TI  - [Rhabdomyolysis].

PMID- 1861764
TI  - [Little extra information with ultrasonic studies of the axillary glands in
      patients with breast carcinoma].
AB  - In order to establish the value of ultrasound examination of the axillary lymph
      nodes on the presence of lymph node metastases of carcinoma of the breast a
      prospective survey was carried out in 100 consecutive patients with a carcinoma
      of the breast on which a lymph node dissection was performed. In the survey the
      results of the ultrasound examination were compared with the results of the
      physical and pathological examinations. Although the sensitivity of the
      ultrasound examination was higher (60%) than that of the physical examination
      (33%) the ultrasound examination proved insufficiently reliable.

PMID- 1861765
TI  - [Opinion of primiparae on the possibility of sex selection].
AB  - Recent medical-technological developments such as chorionic villi sampling and in
      vitro fertilization make sex selection in principle possible. The literature and
      our own experiences suggest an increasing demand for it. We interviewed a
      selected group of 180 women regarding sex selection, of whom 127 responded. More
      than 80% of these rejected a selection based on sex. The legitimacy of
      withholding information about the sex of the foetus is questionable. The
      existence of a demand, however small, should prompt professionals to take a stand
      about its acceptability.

PMID- 1861766
TI  - [A patient with a wide aorta and 2 wide kidney pelves: retroperitoneal fibrosis].
AB  - The case is discussed of a patient with renal insufficiency due to severe
      stenosis of both ureters brought about by a periaortic inflammatory process. Such
      periaortitis is seen in severe atherosclerosis; the condition allegedly occurs in
      5 to 23% of all patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The literature on
      this form of retroperitoneal fibrosis is reviewed.

PMID- 1861768
TI  - [Eurothemes. The art of diminishing the need for hospital beds: minimal art and
      (or) minimally invasive therapy?].

PMID- 1861767
TI  - [Respiratory insufficiency and the post-polio syndrome].

PMID- 1861769
TI  - [Respiratory stimulants].

PMID- 1861770
TI  - [Treatment with monoclonal anti-endotoxin antibodies of patients with sepsis
      caused by Gram-negative bacteria].

PMID- 1861771
TI  - Apical dendritic depolarizations and field interactions evoked by stimulation of
      afferent inputs to rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells.
AB  - The relationship between orthodromic extracellular field potentials and
      intradendritic depolarizations in apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons was
      investigated using the in vitro slice preparation of rat hippocampus. Orthodromic
      synaptic field potentials evoked by stimulation of afferent inputs in stratum
      radiatum or stratum oriens were used to measure extracellular voltage gradients
      generated over the pyramidal cell axis. Extracellular gradients were of opposite
      polarity over the region of pyramidal cell apical dendrites in stratum radiatum.
      The stratum radiatum-evoked gradient was negative towards the apical dendrites
      and the stratum oriens-evoked gradient negative towards the cell body layer, with
      gradients reaching values of up to 50 mV/mm over the apical dendritic axis.
      Intradendritic recordings obtained greater than 150 microns from stratum
      pyramidale directly measured the subthreshold apical dendritic excitatory
      postsynaptic potentials evoked by stratum radiatum or stratum oriens stimulation.
      These ground-referenced recordings were then compared to the transmembrane
      potential calculated by subtraction of the corresponding extradendritic field
      potential. Both stratum radiatum and stratum oriens stimulation evoked graded
      excitatory postsynaptic potentials that could be recorded in apical dendritic
      impalements up to 265 microns from stratum pyramidale. The calculated
      transmembrane potential of the stratum radiatum-evoked excitatory postsynaptic
      potential had a significantly greater rate of rise, peak amplitude, and rate of
      decay than that of the ground-referenced excitatory postsynaptic potential. In
      contrast, the rates of rise and decay of the transmembrane potential of the
      stratum oriens-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potential were reduced with respect
      to the ground-referenced recording. The peak amplitude of the stratum oriens
      evoked transmembrane potential, however, varied according to the polarity of the
      corresponding extradendritic population spike response recorded in stratum
      radiatum. These data reveal that synaptic activation of either basal or apical
      dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells evokes a depolarization that can be recorded
      over a substantial region of the apical dendritic arbor. Furthermore,
      extradendritic field potentials evoked by stimulation of these inputs produce
      opposite effects on the transmembrane potential of apical dendrites. The
      magnitude of the accompanying extracellular voltage gradients suggest that these
      shifts in transmembrane potential reflect ephaptic interactions at the apical
      dendritic level of pyramidal cells.

PMID- 1861772
TI  - The effects of caffeine on ischemic neuronal injury as determined by magnetic
      resonance imaging and histopathology.
AB  - The effects of caffeine on ischemic neuronal injury were determined in rats
      subjected to forebrain ischemia induced by bilateral carotid occlusion and
      controlled hypotension (50 mmHg for 10 min). High resolution (100 microns) multi
      slice, multi-echo magnetic resonance images were obtained daily for three
      consecutive days post-operatively in sham-operated rats and in rats that received
      either saline vehicle (controls), a single i.v. injection of 10 mg/kg caffeine 30
      min prior to an ischemic insult (acute caffeine group), or up to 90 mg/kg per day
      of caffeine for three consecutive weeks prior to an ischemic insult (chronic
      caffeine group). Rats in the control group exhibited enhanced magnetic resonance
      image intensity in the striatum 24 h after ischemia which increased in the
      striatum and also appeared in the hippocampus after 48 h, and which began to
      resolve in both regions by 72 h post-ischemia. Histopathological analysis of each
      rat following the final magnetic resonance examination showed that ischemic
      neuronal injury was strictly confined to the brain regions showing magnetic
      resonance image changes. Acute caffeine rats showed accelerated changes in the
      magnetic resonance images, with increased hippocampal intensity appearing at 24 h
      post-ischemia. Although there was magnetic resonance evidence of accelerated
      injury, quantitative analysis of the histopathological data at 72 h showed no
      significant difference in the extent of neuronal injury in any brain region
      between control-ischemic and acute caffeine rats. Nine out of 11 rats in the
      chronic caffeine group showed no magnetic resonance image changes over the three
      study days. Chronic caffeine rats had significantly less neuronal damage in all
      vulnerable brain regions than either of the other groups of ischemic rats. The
      accelerated ischemic injury in rats treated with an acute dose of caffeine may
      occur secondary to antagonism of adenosine receptors, whereas protection from
      ischemic injury following chronic administration of caffeine may be mediated by
      up-regulation of adenosine receptors.

PMID- 1861773
TI  - Specific role of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate in the in vivo regulation of
      dopamine release from dendrites and nerve terminals of nigrostriatal dopaminergic
      neurons in the cat.
AB  - Levels of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate measured by high-pressure liquid
      chromatography were found to be very high in the cat substantia nigra,
      particularly in the pars compacta, while those in the caudate nucleus were much
      lower. In halothane-anaesthetized cats implanted with push-pull cannulae, N
      acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (10(-8) M) induced a marked and prolonged release of
      newly synthesized [3H]dopamine, when infused into the posterior but not into the
      anterior part of the caudate nucleus. In contrast, in the presence of
      tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M), N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (10(-8) M) reduced the
      residual release of [3H]dopamine; this effect was also more pronounced in the
      posterior than in the anterior part. In the conditions used, as indicated by
      experiments with [3H]N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate no glutamate was formed from the
      infused N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate. Ibotenate (10(-5) M) induced changes in
      [3H]dopamine release in both the absence and presence of tetrodotoxin, which were
      closely similar to those observed with N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate. Responses
      induced by either N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate or ibotenate were not mediated by N
      methyl-D-aspartate receptors since N-methyl-D-aspartate stimulated the release of
      [3H]dopamine only when used in a high concentration (10(-4) M) and applied in a
      magnesium-free superfusion medium in both the presence of glycine (10(-6) M) and
      strychnine (10(-6) M). In addition, the stimulatory effect of N-methyl-D
      aspartate persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin; it was of similar amplitude
      in both parts of the caudate nucleus and of shorter duration than that evoked by
      either N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate or ibotenate alone. N-Acetyl-aspartyl
      glutamate interacted with dopaminergic neurons not only presynaptically in the
      caudate nucleus but also in the substantia nigra since a marked increase in
      [3H]dopamine release was observed both from local dendrites and from nerve
      terminals in the ipsilateral caudate nucleus when N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate
      (10(-7) M) was infused locally into the substantia nigra pars compacta. No effect
      could be seen in contralateral structures. The isomer of natural N-acetyl
      aspartyl-glutamate, beta-N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (10(-7) M), had no effect on
      [3H]dopamine release when applied similarly in the substantia nigra, thus
      confirming the specificity of the action of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate.

PMID- 1861774
TI  - Mapping of phenytoin-inducible cytochrome P450 immunoreactivity in the mouse
      central nervous system.
AB  - The distribution of phenytoin-inducible cytochrome P450 in non-treated mouse
      brain and spinal cord was analysed immunohistochemically using polyclonal
      antibodies against phenytoin-induced mouse cerebral microsomal P450. This P450
      protein was proved in Ouchterlony [Volk B. et al. (1988) Neurosci. Lett. 84, 219
      224], Western blot, and immunohistochemical analyses to be reactive to the
      specific antibodies and an IgG fraction raised against phenobarbital-induced rat
      liver microsomal P450IIB1. The phenytoin-induced P450 is designated P450IIB1*
      because immunologically it is comparable with P450IIB1; however, it has not yet
      been analysed for other characteristics of this enzyme. Immunocytochemistry was
      performed on acetone-fixed serial cryosections of the whole brain using the
      avidin-biotin-peroxidase detection system. Negative controls included incubations
      with preimmune serum of the immunized animal instead of the primary antibody and
      preabsorption of the antibody with the corresponding immunogen. The pattern of
      immunoreactive sites indicates that P450IIB1* is not distributed evenly
      throughout the CNS. It was found to be restricted to only some cellular
      populations. The most striking aspect of immunostaining was a predominant
      reactivity in the evolutionary old brain parts. Neuropil and neuronal staining
      was found in the spinal cord (motor neurons of the ventral horn), medulla
      oblongata (hypoglossal nuclei, magnocellular part of the lateral reticular
      nuclei), pons (trigeminal, facial, cochlear and pontine nuclei), cerebellum
      (granule cells), midbrain (dorsal raphe nucleus) and limbic lobe (hippocampal
      pyramidal cells). Neuropil reactivity alone appeared in cerebellar nuclei,
      midbrain, thalamus, basal ganglia, neopallium and olfactory brain. Generally, pia
      mater/arachnoid, ependyma, choroid plexus, vascular system and some astrocytic
      populations were found to be strongly P450IIB1* immunoreactive. In comparison
      with astroglia, which is characterized by glial fibrillary acidic protein
      positiveness, the astrocytes, which are also P450IIB1* reactive, occurred only in
      subpial and subependymal layers, and in large fiber tracts of the spinal cord and
      brainstem, where they were attached to the vascular system. Otherwise, the glial
      fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes were not P450IIB1* immunoreactive
      in the cerebellar molecular layer (fibers of Bergmann glia), in remaining
      neuropils and in white matter areas.

PMID- 1861775
TI  - Tenotomy delays both synapse elimination and myogenesis in rat lateral
      gastrocnemius.
AB  - To investigate a possible relationship between synapse elimination and
      myogenesis, we examined both phenomena during the first 2 weeks of postnatal life
      in the rat lateral gastrocnemius muscle. Synapse elimination and myogenesis occur
      simultaneously. Sixty per cent of the number of fibers observed in adult muscles
      is generated during the first 10 days of postnatal life; during this time, the
      majority of muscle cells in lateral gastrocnemius also become singly innervated.
      We delayed synapse elimination by cutting the tendon of insertion of lateral
      gastrocnemius (tenotomy) on the day of birth. Both synapse elimination and
      postnatal myogenesis were slowed by tenotomy. Tenotomized muscles contained fewer
      detectable cells than unoperated contralateral control muscles. These results
      suggest that synapse elimination may be altered by altering postnatal muscle
      fiber addition.

PMID- 1861776
TI  - Quantitative aspects of transduction in an electroreceptor organ studied by means
      of experimental manipulation of the interspike interval.
AB  - The interspike interval histogram of spontaneously firing electroreceptor organs
      of freshwater catfish (Ictalurus nebulosus LeS.) fits well with the probability
      density function of a gamma distribution. The shape parameter r of this
      probability density function can be used as a measure for the firing threshold of
      the spike generator, and the scale parameter lambda provides a measure for the
      input rate of synaptic quanta. Here, we have studied the physiological meaning of
      the two parameters of the fitted gamma probability density function by
      manipulating the mean firing rate. This was done in two ways: "frequency clamp"
      stimulation and a change in temperature. Frequency clamp stimulation,
      compensating for adaptation of the response, keeps the afferent firing rate at a
      fixed value for a limited period. We show that within such a period not only the
      mean spike rate remains constant, but these spike trains can be regarded as
      renewal series: the spike generator is functionally uncoupled from the frequency
      dependent parts of the transduction path. Concerning the gamma parameters, two
      types of responses are found: at strong excitation lambda increases, r does not
      change; with small stimuli r is inversely proportional to the stimulus strength,
      lambda remains unchanged. This is difficult to explain when stimulus transduction
      acts via the synaptic input rate only. Stimulation seems to influence the firing
      threshold of the spike generator directly. At strong inhibition a regular firing
      pattern suddenly takes over; the major part of the variability suddenly
      disappears from the spike train. A change in temperature causes a shift in lambda
      (Q10 approximately 2.3), but not in r. This points to a temperature effect on the
      input rate only.

PMID- 1861777
TI  - Catecholamine synthesis inhibitors increase pineal adrenaline content by
      stimulating adrenal medullary activity.
AB  - Estimation of noradrenaline and adrenaline utilization in the pineal gland of
      female rats was attempted using inhibitors of the enzymes that catalyse the
      catecholamine biosynthetic pathway. Treatment with FLA63, an inhibitor of
      dopamine beta-hydroxylase (10 mg/kg, 2 h before killing), induced depletion of
      noradrenaline and adrenaline in the preoptic area and median eminence (sites,
      respectively, inside and outside the blood-brain barrier) but, paradoxically,
      resulted in a significant increase (+77%) in the pineal content of adrenaline
      without affecting that of noradrenaline. Treatment with LY134046, an inhibitor of
      phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (40 mg/kg, 5 and 2 h before killing),
      induced depletion of adrenaline in the preoptic area and median eminence but,
      again, resulted in a paradoxical and large increase in pineal adrenaline (+224%);
      this increase was prevented by prior adrenalectomy. Blood samples taken from free
      moving rats fitted with intravenous and intraperitoneal cannulae revealed a
      marked increase in plasma levels of adrenaline after each injection of LY134046.
      These results suggest that the adrenal medulla is the primary source for the
      increase in pineal adrenaline seen after administration of the enzyme inhibitors.
      The precise site of uptake and the biological implications of this phenomenon
      remain to be elucidated. Nevertheless, interpretation of in vivo experiments
      involving these catecholamine synthesis inhibitors should take this adrenal
      response into account.

PMID- 1861779
TI  - Problems mean trouble; decisions mean choices.

PMID- 1861780
TI  - Decision making in today's complex environment.

PMID- 1861778
TI  - Methodological issues in the study of divergent views of the family.
AB  - A wealth of methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, are available for
      conducting research on divergent views in the family. While the pathways for
      investigating divergent views of the family are clearer for those who chose more
      quantitative methods (as current literature reflects this tradition), qualitative
      methods may serve to clarify the process through which divergent views occur and
      are maintained within the family, both on an individual and on a dyadic or
      triadic level. In terms of the analysis of data from quantitative designs,
      divergent views of the family can quite easily be explored by viewing the family
      as a system and the individual family members as components of that system. This
      approach minimizes problems arising from having sampled families and included
      more than one family member from each. In addition, the organization of the data
      as family (rather than individual) records enables the researcher to directly
      examine divergences between family members by comparing ratings by different
      family members on the same construct. The issues involved in such analyses were
      discussed, first, in terms of the reliability of difference scores and then, in
      more detail, in terms of alternative regression-based models that estimate the
      effects of differences on a dependent variable. Although differences between
      variables are reputed to be (and often are) unreliable, the conditions under
      which these scores are likely to be reliable are the conditions found when
      examining divergent family views. Also, the reliability of difference variables
      can be treated directly. The discussion of regression models indicated the
      statistical equivalence (or in some instances nonequivalence) of models
      containing difference variables to alternative models not containing difference
      variables. Although algebraically equivalent, these alternative linear models
      provide different views of the same information. When moving from linear models
      to nonlinear models, however, researchers are cautioned to choose each specific
      model carefully since the nonlinear terms containing difference variables are
      actually more complex than they at first appear. The current volume speaks to the
      importance of variation in family members' views for the adjustment and well
      being of adolescents. This chapter has taken on the question of how best to look
      at these divergences, and how different methods and statistical techniques may
      yield similar or different information regarding divergent views. The diversity
      in research methods and analytical strategies creates a challenging task for the
      investigator, and the continued exploration of questions regarding the
      implications of divergent views in the family should enhance our knowledge of how
      and why views diverge, as well as what divergences mean to family members.

PMID- 1861781
TI  - Problem solving and decision making: who owns the problem?

PMID- 1861782
TI  - Ethical decisions: what we learned from Cruzan about the right to die.

PMID- 1861783
TI  - Improving clinical care through project management.

PMID- 1861784
TI  - Administration and intradisciplinary conflict within nursing.

PMID- 1861785
TI  - Restructuring nursing services in the Mercy Health Services Consortium.

PMID- 1861786
TI  - The consortium demonstration project planning.

PMID- 1861787
TI  - The Catherine McAuley Health System, Ann Arbor project.

PMID- 1861788
TI  - The St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Pontiac project.

PMID- 1861789
TI  - The Marian Health Center, Sioux City project.

PMID- 1861790
TI  - The St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Mason City project.

PMID- 1861792
TI  - Quality customer service: nursing's new challenge.

PMID- 1861793
TI  - The home care contribution to continuity of care.

PMID- 1861791
TI  - The Mercy Hospital, Port Huron project.

PMID- 1861794
TI  - New Joint Commission standards for 1991 require R.N. decision making.

PMID- 1861795
TI  - A novel approach to recruitment, retention, and advancement of minority nurses in
      a health care organization.

PMID- 1861796
TI  - Flight 232: disaster planning in action.

PMID- 1861797
TI  - Attributes of service-based nursing research programs useful for decision-making.

PMID- 1861798
TI  - AIDS classification and the military.
AB  - In 1985 the U.S. Department of Defense took action to establish regulations for
      the protection of national defense personnel against the AIDS epidemic. Since
      that time specific procedures have been carried out in each military unit to
      effectively handle soldiers infected with the AIDS virus. A unique six-stage
      classification system for monitoring disease progression of AIDS is currently
      used in military medical facilities around the world, and military medicine
      remains active in the fight against AIDS.

PMID- 1861799
TI  - Vulvovaginal candidiasis: a study of immediate vs. delayed treatment on patient
      comfort.
AB  - Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a miserable infection that affects millions of women
      each year. The purpose of this article's study was to investigate the
      effectiveness of an immediate treatment intervention for increasing the comfort
      level of women with vulvovaginal candidiasis. An experimental study using a
      sample of 20 women compared the comfort of a control group, which received
      routine care, to the comfort of the experimental group, which received routine
      care plus vaginal debridement followed by application of vaginal medication. The
      experimental group experienced greater relief from their symptoms post-treatment
      than did the control group. Implications for NP practice are presented.

PMID- 1861800
TI  - The treatment of mild to moderate hypertension in patients with diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - The treatment of mild to moderate hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus
      is reviewed in this article. The effect of diabetic hypertension on the heart and
      kidney is discussed. Treatment guidelines for diabetic hypertension are provided,
      based on principles derived from the pathophysiology. These principles include
      choosing an agent that maintains or improves lipids, potassium, insulin
      sensitivity, and quality of life. Individuals with diabetic hypertension should
      be assessed for their risk of developing coronary artery disease or nephropathy,
      since certain antihypertensive agents may help prevent these diseases. A simple
      method for selecting appropriate drugs is also presented.

PMID- 1861801
TI  - Using a computer database to increase efficiency in the practice setting.
AB  - A computerized database is an invaluable tool for planning and managing patient
      care. The design and function of two databases for an ambulatory cardiology
      setting are discussed in this article. Information about patients with
      hyperlipidemia and with permanent pace-makers was entered into the custom
      designed databases. The benefits of using computers for record keeping, such as
      improved organization and efficiency, are also addressed.

PMID- 1861802
TI  - Discussion of cervical cap omitted from article.

PMID- 1861803
TI  - Tuberculosis in the AIDS era: a new threat from an old disease.

PMID- 1861804
TI  - Atypical infections of the hand and wrist.

PMID- 1861805
TI  - Population characteristics of tuberculosis in an HIV/AIDS registry from an East
      Harlem Hospital.
AB  - The recent increase of tuberculosis nationally and in New York City has been
      attributed in part to the progression of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
      (AIDS)/human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) epidemic. The East Harlem/South
      Bronx/Bushwick sections of New York City have an especially high incidence of
      tuberculosis. An HIV/AIDS registry (1986-1990) consisting of 1,312 patients from
      a community hospital serving East Harlem was examined for population
      characteristics associated with documented tuberculosis in the registrants.
      Tuberculosis affected males more commonly than females and was observed in
      comparable frequency in patients with AIDS-related complex (ARC) (12.9%) and AIDS
      (15.0%). The proportion of cases in blacks (18.3%) was significantly greater than
      that in Hispanics (10.4%, chi 2 = 15.196, p = 0.0003) or whites (8.7%, chi 2 =
      5.62, p = 0.0171). Among intravenous (IV) drug users, the proportion of
      tuberculosis cases was also significantly higher in blacks than in Hispanics.
      These data could be consistent with a difference in exposure to tuberculosis
      and/or the purported racial susceptibility of blacks to tuberculosis infection. A
      review of new tuberculosis cases in East Harlem also suggests that blacks are at
      a greater risk for developing tuberculosis than Hispanics.

PMID- 1861806
TI  - First year medical student experiences with being discouraged from entering
      medical school.
AB  - Three hundred and fourteen first year medical students from two consecutive
      classes were surveyed for their experiences with being discouraged from entering
      medical school. Sixty-eight percent (215) had been discouraged from becoming
      physicians. The sources of discouragement were varied, with 43% citing physician
      acquaintances and 40% friends and neighbors. Parents were the principal source of
      encouragement (58%) followed by friends and neighbors (47%). More students (34%)
      were encouraged by undergraduate professors and advisors than by their family
      doctor (23%), a physician relative (18%), or a physician acquaintance (31%).
      Discouragement centered on three broad areas: diminished financial rewards,
      increased financial costs, and quality of life.

PMID- 1861807
TI  - Abdominal mass and anasarca following treatment for lymphoma.

PMID- 1861808
TI  - Physicians and national health insurance: some economic factors.

PMID- 1861809
TI  - The memoirs of Joseph Isaac Bluestone, MD.

PMID- 1861810
TI  - Tuberculosis of the hand and wrist.

PMID- 1861811
TI  - Multiple carcinomas of the large bowel in chronic ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1861812
TI  - The use of prophylactic desmopressin (DDAVP) in labor to prevent hemorrhage in a
      patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

PMID- 1861813
TI  - Crack abuse and asthma.

PMID- 1861814
TI  - Rural obstetric care.

PMID- 1861815
TI  - Impact of the Great War on the medical community.

PMID- 1861816
TI  - Physicians and the media.

PMID- 1861817
TI  - Cardiac surgery research results encourage improvements in performances.

PMID- 1861818
TI  - New York State WIC evaluation study.

PMID- 1861819
TI  - Prevalence of HIV infection among childbearing women in the United States.

PMID- 1861820
TI  - 1991 NERF Travelling Scholar: Ginette Rodger.

PMID- 1861821
TI  - Professional need seen in Aotearoa.

PMID- 1861822
TI  - Registered midwives on the outer.

PMID- 1861823
TI  - Lebanon's forgotten refugees.

PMID- 1861824
TI  - Preventing cot death: the role of the nurse.

PMID- 1861825
TI  - Courses build up cheap 'nursing' workforce.

PMID- 1861826
TI  - Hot water bottles burn.

PMID- 1861827
TI  - EC eye tests undermine OH.

PMID- 1861828
TI  - Acting in good faith.

PMID- 1861829
TI  - Vacational health.

PMID- 1861830
TI  - Testicular cancer--case studies.

PMID- 1861831
TI  - Promoting continence at work.

PMID- 1861832
TI  - Tort reform--British style.

PMID- 1861833
TI  - Of lawyers and litigation.

PMID- 1861834
TI  - The Sudimack agenda. New president wants OSMA "Lean and mean".

PMID- 1861835
TI  - Only you can make the difference. Peer review needs you.

PMID- 1861836
TI  - [Clinical aspects of arteriosclerotic stenosis of the left coronary artery main
      stem].
AB  - Authors have found 37 significant (greater than 50%) or severe (greater than 75%)
      cases of left main stem stenosis (LMS) (3.4%, 35 male and 2 female) during 1097
      consecutive selective coronarography. Retrospective analysis of the clinical data
      of the 35 male pts. showed severe effort or resting anginal complaints in the 2/3
      of the pts., however this was not in tight connection with the degree of the LMS
      stenosis or the number of associated peripheral coronary stenoses respectively,
      similar to the ischaemic disorders of the resting ECG. In the bycicle ergometry
      ECG data lone the double index showed statistically significant difference
      between the groups of less than or equal to 2 and 3 vessel diseases connected to
      the severe LMS. Myocardium scintigraphy was performed out in 6 pts., all of them
      has given positive result. They emphasise the necessarity of urgent
      revascularisation against the higher risk of the intervention because of the pour
      results of the medical treatment.

PMID- 1861837
TI  - [Prospective study of cardiac autonomic neuropathy in diabetes mellitus].
AB  - For assessment of clinical and prognostic values of cardiac autonomic neuropathy,
      53 patients with diabetes mellitus were followed-up for five years.
      Parasympathetic innervation was assessed by recording heart rate variability
      during deep breathing, Valsalva manoeuvre and lying-to-standing while sympathetic
      function was evaluated by measuring postural change in systolic blood pressure.
      During the follow-up period 1 of 23 diabetic patients died in group without signs
      of cardiac autonomic neuropathy whereas 2 of 13 diabetics and 10 of 17 diabetics
      deceased in groups with mild and definitive signs of cardiac autonomic
      neuropathy, respectively. At reinvestigation, the values of tests for
      parasympathetic impairment worsened or did not change significantly while
      improvement in these tests was only exceptionally observed in 40 diabetic
      patients. No significant change in values of test for sympathetic function was
      documented during the follow-up period suggesting that parasympathetic (vagal)
      impairment might precede the sympathetic dysfunction during development of
      autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients. No correlation was observed between
      changes in cardiac autonomic neuropathy and alterations in distal somatic
      neuropathy (assessed by measurement of motor nerve conduction velocity in
      peroneal nerves) during the prospective study. Definitive cardiac autonomic
      neuropathy--as one of the late complications of diabetes mellitus--suggests poor
      prognosis in diabetic patients.

PMID- 1861838
TI  - [Practical importance of the exact diagnosis of fetal arrhythmias].
AB  - Ultrasound M-mode examinations were performed at 78 pregnant women in the second
      half of pregnancy during 1 year period, because of fetal dysrhythmia.
      Distribution of the diagnoses of the fetuses: near 40% sinus rhythm, 5.13%
      organic heart diseases, 48.72% supraventricular arrhythmia, 5.13%
      atrioventricular block, 1.28% ventricular extrasystole. In 11.54% of the cases
      intrauterine treatment was necessary (supraventricular tachycardia) for
      prevention the congestive heart failure. The transplacental treatments were as
      follows: in 3 cases digitalis, in 3 cases digitalis + verapamil, in 3 cases
      digitalis + amiodaron. In two cases (refractory to the mentioned treatments)
      direct intrafunicular, intravascular digitalis + amiodaron treatment was
      reasonable. Being the correct diagnosis of dysrhythmias possible only with
      ultrasound M-mode examination, all of the recognised cases have to be sent to
      adequate ward, where a suitable equipment is available.

PMID- 1861840
TI  - [Hyperparathyroidism simulating severe hypercalcemia syndrome].
AB  - The case history of a 65 year old female patient has been reported here by the
      authors. The patient was admitted to the Intensive Therapy Unit owing to her
      repeated heart pain. Later she was transferred to the Department of Medicine to
      establish the exact diagnosis. Prepyloric ulcer and hypertension were occurred in
      her history. The symptoms of her preceding as well as her recent illness were:
      pain in epigastric field, nausea, adynamia, weakness, polyuria, significant loss
      of weight, somnolence and the shortened Q--T time in electrocardiogram related to
      hypercalcemia syndrome. The calcium value in blood proved to be at critically
      high level from time to time. The possibility of the secondary hypercalcemic
      state was excluded by sonographic examination and the elevated level of
      parathormone in blood established the diagnosis of the hyperparathyroidism. The
      surgical resection of parathyroidic adenoma yielded a complete recovery of the
      patient. The authors call the attention to the significance of the clinical signs
      in the diagnosis of the disease.

PMID- 1861839
TI  - [A case of retroperitoneal fibrosis associated with renal angiomyolipoma].
AB  - The authors performed intraperitoneal transposition of the right ureter in a
      patient who suffered from dilatation of the renal cavity-system due to
      retroperitoneal fibrosis. One and a half year later an angiomyolipoma was
      eliminated from the left kidney of the patient. Describing the associated
      occurrence of these 2 infrequent diseases the authors deal with the problem of
      etiology, diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1861842
TI  - [Comment on the diagnosis of coronary disease].

PMID- 1861841
TI  - [Capsaicin-induced mouse ear edema and its management].
AB  - Oedema was induced in one ear of male mice of the CFLP strain with capsaicin
      solution (10 microliters/40 micrograms/ear). The development in time and the
      extent of the oedema were determined by the oedema-disk gravimetric technique.
      The maximum oedema was attained after 1 hour, and there was subsequently a
      gradual decrease. The extent of the mouse ear oedema induced in this way and
      measured after 60 minutes was inhibited to a statistically significant degree and
      in a dose-dependent manner by the antihistamine chloropyramine, the antihistamine
      antiserotonin cyproheptadine, the non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent pyroxicam,
      the prostaglandin antagonist di-4-phloretin phosphate, and the lipoxygenase
      inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid. The method proved suitable for the detection
      and biologically quantitative determination of the state of desensitization
      induced with capsaicin.

PMID- 1861844
TI  - [Questions concerning geriatric medical services].

PMID- 1861843
TI  - [Massage from the Hungarian Medical Association of America to Orvosi Hetilap].

PMID- 1861845
TI  - [HIV-infection in childhood].
AB  - HIV infection in children is mainly due to vertical transmission. It has turned
      into a major epidemic in some developing countries. Due to the transfer of
      maternal antibodies to HIV early, diagnosis in infants is difficult and costly.
      The disease shows considerable clinical variability. Common classification and
      staging systems would seem very important in order to compare epidemiological,
      diagnostic and therapeutic studies. Treatment with anti-retroviral agents in
      under clinical trial and in combination with intensive supportive measures can
      significantly improve both survival and quality of life for HIV positive
      patients. Vaccination against HIV is in its early stages but holds some promise
      in the long run for the prevention of HIV disease in infants and children.

PMID- 1861846
TI  - [The effect of soybean protein on lipids and trace elements in elderly
      hospitalized women].
AB  - Institutionalized elderly women received 5 g/day soya supplementation for three
      months. After having finished the soya supplementation, serum cholesterol levels
      of hypercholesterolemic women decreased and serum zinc levels were lower in all
      examined persons, compared to the status of the initiation of dietetic
      intervention.

PMID- 1861847
TI  - [Following and using the scientific literature on a home computer with the
      REPRINT program system].
AB  - REPRINT, running on the Commodore 64 home computer, and originally meant to
      manage a file containing several thousand reprints, has capabilities exceeding
      this simple task considerably. Bibliographic data can be entered into REPRINT
      through a word processor or a special input program which automatically corrects
      usage of capital letters. Code numbers referring to the contents of a reprint can
      be added to the bibliographic data. Thus, scientific information not contained in
      the title can also be stored. Searches can be done on code numbers or on any term
      in the title, authors or source. REPRINT is able to read the text of an article
      from a disk and automatically construct the list of references to it in the
      format used by the periodical which the author wants to publish it. While there
      is no need for any computer knowledge for its application, the speed of REPRINT
      seems to be satisfactory: search by a code number on 600 reprints takes 48
      seconds. Five years of using REPRINT have proven its capabilities to efficiently
      support usage of a growing personal reprint file in different phases of the
      process of publication.

PMID- 1861848
TI  - [Incidence of osteoporosis in Heves County].
AB  - The socio-economic importance of osteoporosis is in the increase. The costs of
      the effects of reduced working capability and treatment of fractures are
      estimated costs only. The authors report on 146 osteoporotic patients between
      1986-89, suffering from fractures. Among the patients there is a female
      dominance. The number of osteoporotic fractures is in the increase in the recent
      years. The authors pointed out the importance of early diagnosis and prevention,
      to solve the great social problems caused by morbidity, reduced working
      capability and lower life standard.

PMID- 1861850
TI  - [Janos Mandarus, court physician to king Ulaszlo II].

PMID- 1861849
TI  - [Prostatic cancer metastasized into the kidney and kidney cancer metastasized
      into the lung].
AB  - In a 81-years old man synchronous triple cancers (prostate, kidney and lung) were
      found at autopsy. The poorly differentiated prostatic adenocarcinoma metastasized
      to the clear cell carcinoma of the right kidney and to its solitary lung
      metastasis. The "neoplasm to neoplasm" metastasis and the "metastasis in
      metastasis" was confirmed by immunohistochemistry.

PMID- 1861851
TI  - [Iron deficiency anemia during the Conquest and the age of the Arpad dynasty].

PMID- 1861852
TI  - [Meeting of drug experts from eastern and western Europe. (Paris, 30 January-1
      February 1991)].

PMID- 1861853
TI  - [Characteristics of nosocomial pneumonia].
AB  - 284 patients with pneumonia treated in non-invasive chest wards were analysed in
      a prospective study. Out of 284 cases 26 proved to be nosocomial pneumonias.
      Older age, chronic non specific lung diseases, malignancies, peptic ulcus,
      chronic alcoholism as risk factors for nosocomial pneumonia should be taken into
      consideration. The pathogen agent was clearly identified in four cases, meanwhile
      the pathogenity of the agents was suspected at seven patients. By distribution of
      all pathogens the widely known bacteria are responsible for nosocomial pneumonia
      were less than one third of cases (in three cases Staphylococcus aureus, in one
      one case E. coli and Enterobacter). The possible causes of their observation were
      analysed. Out of the 15 pathogens Gram-negative bacilli were found in six cases
      only. Authors suggest to use this observation at the rational choice of empiric
      treatment.

PMID- 1861854
TI  - [Representation of the increase of fetal biparietal and thoracic diameter on a
      new (14-zone) ultrasonic diagnostic table].
AB  - From the somatic development of the fetus one may conclude to its functional
      maturity and if birth is near to its life prospects too. Thus the
      ultrasonographic examination of the biparietal and thorax transversal diameter
      reflecting the somatic development is of prognostic significance too. The authors
      composed a new table to increase the information value of the ultrasonographic
      finding, for the uniform designation of the given BPD and THD (biparietal and
      thorax diameter) sizes and for the better recognition of the tendencies of BPD
      and THD changes. A new system of symbols and representation method were
      elaborated for the description of standard positions. According to the gestation
      weeks 14-14 BPD and THD size-ranges were separated. The so called "UFD"
      Ultrasonographic index of the Fetal Development gives information besides the
      gestation time also on the BPD and THD standard position of the fetus and
      demonstrates illustratively the direction and rate of deviation of the standard
      positions from the average. The system provides the possibility of a better
      information to the obstetrician or consulting physician who evaluates the US
      finding, a uniform interpretation of the findings and serves better the clinical
      diagnostics.

PMID- 1861855
TI  - [Coronary artery anomalies studied by Doppler echocardiography in infancy and
      childhood--possibilities and limitations].
AB  - We investigated infants with Kawasaki disease, congenital coronary artery
      fistulas and anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary
      trunc (Bland-White-Garland syndrome) by 2-dimensional and Doppler
      echocardiography. We describe the systematic approach for visualizing in detail
      coronary anatomy by two-dimensional echocardiography. Our results suggest that
      this echocardiographic technique is useful for detecting coronary anomalies and
      has a great rolbefore angiocardiography especially in sick babies. We recommend
      performing 2-dimensional echocardiography in the acute and chronic stage of
      Kawasaki disease for evaluating coronary arterial aneurysms.

PMID- 1861856
TI  - [Results of skin tests, based on pollen count, in patients allergic to summertime
      seasonal rhinitis].
AB  - Atmospheric pollen and spore contents in Szeged were determined with Lanzoni
      Sampler from July to October in 1989. Late-summer pollen calendar for Szeged was
      produced on the basis of this pollen counting. Skin prick tests in 69 patients
      with late-summer seasonal allergic rhinitis were carried out on the basis of this
      pollen calendar. All patients were found to be sensitive to Ambrosia. 83% of the
      patients were sensitized to Artemisia too. 93% of the patients were found to be
      polysensitive. 33% of the patients were found to be sensitive to Alternaria. The
      continuous atmospheric pollen and spore counting are of importance for the
      diagnosis and therapy of late-summer seasonal allergic rhinitis.

PMID- 1861857
TI  - [Pathogenesis of severe vision deficiency in school-age children in Hungary].
AB  - A population-based aetiological study was carried out on 6 to 14 year-old
      severely visually handicapped children in Hungary. Of the 547 recorded cases 491
      (90%) were included in the analysis. Eleven aetiological groups were separated:
      isolated cataracts (16.7%), congenital abnormalities of the eye (15.1%), high
      myopia +/- retinal detachment and other cases (13.4%), retinopathia praematurorum
      (11.0%), choroidoretinal degenerations (10.0%), syndromes (9.6%), nystagmus
      and/or hypermetropia (9.0%), isolated and complicated optic atrophy (6.7%),
      postnatal causes (4.9%), retinoblastoma (1.8%), praenatal causes (1.8%). A
      significantly higher rate of previous induced abortions was found in the group of
      retinopathia praematurorum. Perinatal damage syndrome and Mendelian monogenic
      defects are the two most common aetiological categories in the origin of severe
      visual handicaps in Hungary.

PMID- 1861858
TI  - [Primary (B-cell) mediastinal lymphoma].
AB  - The authors present two cases of a new pathological entity--primary (B-cell)
      mediastinal lymphoma. The disease both clinically and histologically differ from
      the known lymphomas. Its diagnosis is possible only with the use of
      immunhistochemical methods. The low age incidence, the unusual course and the bad
      prognosis of the disease merits its publication.

PMID- 1861859
TI  - C-myc and the yeast transcription factor PHO4 share a common CACGTG-binding
      motif.
AB  - The basic-helix-loop-helix (b-HLH) motif is common to a number of proteins
      involved in transcriptional regulation and cell-type determination. The b-HLH
      motif is also present in the S. cerevisiae transcription factor PHO4 which
      positively regulates the acid phosphatase gene PHO5. In this report we show that
      the b-HLH region of PHO4 is sufficient to confer specific DNA-binding to the
      sequence CACGTG and, by comparison of the basic regions of PHO4 with those of
      other recently isolated CACGTG-binding proteins, we identify a specific subset of
      conserved amino acids in the basic region likely to confer DNA-binding
      specificity. On the basis of these observations we predict successfully the
      effect of substituting the PHO4 basic region with that from c-myc and show that
      the chimaeric protein activates transcription from the CACGTG elements present in
      the PHO5 UAS. From these data it is clear that the myc basic region confers
      specific binding to the sequence CACGTG.

PMID- 1861860
TI  - Failure of senescent cells to phosphorylate the RB protein.
AB  - The product of the RB susceptibility gene has been shown to be differentially
      phosphorylated during the cell cycle, suggesting a role in the regulation of cell
      cycle progression. We examined the expression and phosphorylation status of the
      RB protein in senescent Syrian hamster embryo cells. Both phosphorylated and
      unphosphorylated forms of the RB protein were observed in cells at early
      passages; however, only unphosphorylated RB protein was found in senescent cells.
      When nonsenescent cells at low population doubling levels were made quiescent by
      reducing the serum concentration of the media, the RB protein in these cells was
      mostly in the unphosphorylated form. When stimulated with serum, phosphorylation
      of the RB protein occurred between 10-20 h after stimulation, which corresponded
      with the induction of DNA synthesis. Senescent cells, in contrast, did not show
      any phosphorylation of the RB protein in response to serum. In addition, cell
      lines that had escaped cellular senescence at various stages of neoplastic
      progression were examined; all 25 cell lines examined expressed RB protein, which
      was phosphorylated normally. These results suggest that the RB protein plays a
      role in cellular senescence with phosphorylation status determining this role.
      Factors controlling this phosphorylation are potential key factors in controlling
      cellular life span in culture.

PMID- 1861861
TI  - Effects of MGSA/GRO alpha on melanocyte transformation.
AB  - In the work described here we demonstrate that the clonal cell line Mel-a-6,
      produced by transfection of mouse Melan-a cells with human MGSA, had an increased
      ability to form large colonies in soft agar and increased ability to form tumors
      when injected into nude mice as compared to cells transfected with the neomycin
      resistance gene alone. This effect appeared to be dependent on the levels of MGSA
      produced since another transfected clone, Mel-a-l, produced only a low level of
      MGSA transgene mRNA, formed only minimal large colonies in soft agar and had a
      tumorigenic rate equal to that of neomycin resistant controls. The histology of
      the Mel-a-6 tumors is compatible with features normally exhibited by melanoma
      tumors. The cells do not stain for melanin, and they are positive for the neural
      crest marker protein S-100 as well as the HMB 45 melanoma specific antigen.
      Immunohistochemical studies revealed expression of the human MGSA in tumor cells
      from tissues, excised from animals injected with cells from clone Mel-a-6.
      Whereas DNA ploidy analysis suggests that in vitro the Mel-a parent cell line,
      control Mel-a-neo, Mel-a-1 and Mel-a-6 cells show no evidence of aneuploidy, the
      nuclei isolated from the tumors from animals injected with Mel-a-6 do exhibit
      aneuploidy. These data suggest that over-expression of MGSA in immortalized
      melanocytes contributes to transformation.

PMID- 1861862
TI  - Constitutive overexpression of a 89 kDa heat shock protein gene in the HBL100
      human mammary cell line converted to a tumorigenic phenotype by the EJ/T24 Harvey
      ras oncogene.
AB  - The non tumorigenic human mammary cell line HBL100 has been transformed by the
      EJ/T24 human bladder carcinoma Harvey(Ha)-ras oncogene. Six cell lines were
      established from transformed colonies. They all expressed a high level of the ras
      oncogene and were tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. During an in vivo passage in
      animals, tumour cells presenting a growth advantage were selected, and some of
      the tumours revealed an amplification of the transfected ras sequences. Using
      this model of human cell transformation, we have isolated a cDNA clone
      corresponding to a heat shock protein gene (hsp89 alpha). This gene, normally
      transcribed at a higher rate in response to serum stimulation, was found to be
      constitutively overexpressed in ras-transformed HBL100 cells. In contrast, a
      closely related hsp gene (hsp89 beta), remained sensitive to serum stimulation,
      in both untransformed and ras-transformed HBL100 cells. Thus, the regulation of
      the expression of the hsp89 genes, upon serum stimulation, involves ras-dependent
      and ras-independent pathways. Constitutive overexpression of the murine homolog
      of the hsp89 alpha was observed in NIH3T3 cells transformed by the three ras
      oncogenes, but not with some other oncogenes. Therefore, alteration of the hsp89
      alpha gene expression is not a general characteristic of transformed cells, but
      seems to be linked to ras transformation.

PMID- 1861864
TI  - Loss of heterozygosity for chromosome region 11p15 in Wilms' tumours is not
      related to HRAS gene transforming mutations.
AB  - Although a candidate Wilms' tumour gene--WT1--has been identified in chromosome
      region 11p13, there is strong evidence from loss of heterozygosity studies
      suggesting that a second relevant gene is present in region 11p15. The Harvey-Ras
      proto-oncogene also lies in this region. In other types of tumours mutations in
      RAS genes have been associated with the development and/or progression of a
      number of tumour types. We therefore analysed the sequence of the Ras oncogene
      for possible mutations in six Wilms' tumours showing loss of heterozygosity for
      chromosome region 11p15. No tumour analysed showed HRAS sequence mutations. We
      conclude that loss of heterozygosity at 11p15 does not implicate HRAS mutations
      in the molecular pathogenesis of Wilms' tumour.

PMID- 1861863
TI  - Lack of nuclear RB protein staining in G0/middle G1 cells: correlation to changes
      in total RB protein level.
AB  - Functional loss of the retinoblastoma (RB) gene has been implicated in a diverse
      group of human malignancies. The potential clinical importance of such loss
      demands a reproducible RB cell staining method to distinguish RB+ from RB-
      tumors. We report that normal and known RB+ tumor cells either in culture or in
      vivo display a mosaic RB staining pattern with variable proportions of cells
      having unstained nuclei which are indistinguishable from truly RB- tumor cells.
      We also show that the apparent lack of nuclear staining corresponds to RB+ cells
      which are in the G0 or middle G1 phase, where as much as 10-fold decrease in
      total cellular RB protein occurs compared to their G2/M phase counterparts. These
      findings not only provide new clues to RB protein function in cell growth and
      differentiation, but also need to be considered when evaluating the RB status in
      primary malignancies for its role in tumor initiation/progression or as a
      prognostic parameter.

PMID- 1861866
TI  - Predicted tyk2 protein contains two tandem protein kinase domains.
AB  - Tyk2 was recently described as an 1187 amino acid protein with a putative protein
      tyrosine kinase domain near its C-terminus and no similarity to other proteins in
      the approximately 900 amino acids preceding the kinase domain. I report here,
      however, that tyk2 contains an additional protein kinase domain, and that the two
      tandem kinase domains are preceded by an SH2-like, putative regulatory domain.

PMID- 1861865
TI  - Membrane-anchored forms of EGF stimulate focus formation and intercellular
      communication.
AB  - Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is the prototype for a small family of soluble
      proteins that bind to and activate the EGF receptor. These proteins are derived
      from larger propeptides that are anchored to the plasma membrane. Although the
      signalling properties of soluble EGF are well-characterized, the signalling
      potential of the membrane-anchored form had not been determined. We therefore
      investigated whether membrane-anchored EGF can stimulate the EGF receptor. An EGF
      mini-gene expression system that we had previously constructed for expression of
      soluble EGF was modified to encode anchored forms of EGF. In the encoded proteins
      EGF was fused to the spacer in the EGF propeptide that separates EGF from the
      transmembrane domain. The spacer was followed by vesicular stomatitis virus G
      protein transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain sequences. Three forms of EGF/G
      fusion protein were expressed in rat fibroblasts. The plasmids for expression of
      anchored EGF induced focus formation in rat fibroblasts, indicating that anchored
      EGF can cause autocrine transformation. When mixed with indicator HeLa cells,
      cell lines expressing EGF/G fusion proteins activated the HeLa EGF receptor. This
      activation was mediated by cell-associated, rather than soluble EGF. The finding
      that membrane-anchored EGF is capable of activating the EGF receptor on
      neighboring cells has broad implications for the functions of EGF in the
      organism.

PMID- 1861867
TI  - Altered post-translational processing of p21ras oncoprotein in a transformation
      suppressed cell line.
AB  - We have isolated a transformation-suppressed cell line, R35, which is altered in
      the maturation of p21ras. It was obtained from the transformed cell line
      NIH3T3(rasEJ) as a revertant with flat morphology and anchorage dependent growth.
      Immunoprecipitation of steady state labeled ras proteins reveals that the
      revertant produces p21ras, and in addition, accumulates a protein that migrates
      as 23kD. Fusion of revertant cells with nontransformed rat2 cells yields cell
      hybrids which are retransformed and do not accumulate p23, suggesting that
      accumulation of p23 and suppression of transformation may be related. The
      accumulated p23 appears to be a precursor to p21 because (1) pulse labeling and
      cell fractionation of revertant cells shows that label chases from cytoplasmic
      p23 to membrane-associated p21, although at a slower rate, and (2) the p23 of
      revertant cells is indistinguishable from the p23 precursor of p21 in parent
      cells by partial V8 protease digestion and two dimensional electrophoresis. R35
      cells are slower than their transformed parent in palmitylation and
      polyisoprenylation, but not in methylation of ras proteins. These results suggest
      that the transformation-suppressed cell line R35 is defective in the rate at
      which it posttranslationally processes ras proteins, possibly because it is
      slower in polyisoprenylation of the cytoplasmic p23 precursor protein.

PMID- 1861868
TI  - The stimulation of quiescent rat fibroblasts by v-src and v-fps oncogenic protein
      tyrosine kinases leads to the induction of a subset of immediate early genes.
AB  - The stimulation of quiescent murine fibroblasts by growth factors and by phorbol
      esters results in a rapid and transient transcriptional activation of a large
      group of so-called immediate early genes. Several such genes were found to be
      induced in chicken embryo fibroblasts following activation of a temperature
      sensitive (ts) Rous sarcoma virus v-src mutant following temperature shift
      (Simmons et al., 1989). In contrast, the classical immediate early genes c-myc, c
      fos and c-jun were essentially uninducible upon activation of a ts v-src mutant
      in rat-1 fibroblasts (Welham et al., 1990). We have cloned 9 cDNAs of genes that
      are rapidly and transiently inducible in rat fibroblasts by ts v-src mutants, and
      by a ts Fujinami sarcoma virus v-fps mutant. Six of these cDNAs are derived from
      the known immediate early genes NGFI-A, KC, c-fos, tissue factor, PC4 and
      ornithine decarboxylase; the other three cDNAs have not been described before.
      These 9 genes showed individual profiles of inducibility by fetal calf serum,
      epidermal growth factor (EGF) and by phorbol esters. Their response to the
      retroviral oncogenic protein-tyrosine kinases correlated best with the one to
      EGF, suggesting a common pathway of signal transduction. c-fos did not respond
      strongly to this pathway but was well induced by fetal calf serum. NGFI-A,
      however, was induced to a similar extent by all activators tested. Furthermore,
      we demonstrated that the induction of several of these genes by the retroviral
      oncogenic protein-tyrosine kinases is rapid, direct and occurs at the
      transcriptional level.

PMID- 1861870
TI  - A corrected sequence for the predicted protein from the mitogen-inducible TIS11
      primary response gene.
AB  - We previously reported the sequence of a cDNA, TIS11, cloned from TPA-treated
      Swiss 3T3 cells. Two laboratories have reported sequences for cDNAs that have a
      region of identity with the TIS11 cDNA, but differ in their 5' and 3' flanking
      regions. We now report that the original TIS11 cDNA is likely to be a chimeric
      molecule, and find that the TIS11 gene encodes a protein identical to the TTP and
      Nup475 genes.

PMID- 1861869
TI  - N-myc oncogene enhances mitogenic responsiveness of diploid human fibroblasts to
      growth factors but fails to immortalize.
AB  - The N-myc gene is amplified in several types of human tumors. To assess the role
      of the N-myc gene in the transformation of normal human cells, we transfected an
      N-myc expression vector into diploid human fibroblasts. Transfected clones were
      isolated and found to express the N-myc gene at levels similar to those seen in a
      tumor cell line (neuroblastoma LA-N-1) which contains an amplified N-myc gene.
      The level of N-myc expression decreased as the N-myc clones senesced. Clones
      expressing N-myc had an increased saturation density and an altered morphology
      but did not have an extended lifespan. Under low serum conditions, neither the
      clones expressing N-myc nor the control cells showed anchorage-dependent growth.
      Clones expressing N-myc were compared to control cells to determine if different
      growth factors would affect the ability of cells to grow in soft agarose. Clones
      expressing N-myc and the control cells did not grow in soft agarose supplemented
      with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF
      alpha). However, compared to control cells, clones expressing N-myc grew in
      agarose 2.8- to 18-fold higher in response to basic fibroblast growth factor
      (bFGF) and 5.5- to 55-fold higher in response to platelet-derived growth factor B
      chain homodimer (PDGF-BB).

PMID- 1861871
TI  - The gene from the short arm of chromosome 3, at D3F15S2, frequently deleted in
      renal cell carcinoma, encodes acylpeptide hydrolase.
AB  - Loss or inactivation of a gene on the short arm of chromosome 3 may contribute to
      the genesis of renal cell carcinoma. A gene that corresponds to the most
      frequently lost RFLP site (D3F15S2) is expressed in a variety of human tissues,
      and at a particularly high level in the kidney. Its expression is markedly
      reduced in renal cell carcinoma. A database search showed that the gene product
      is closely related to or identical with acylpeptide hydrolase. The nucleotide
      identity between the rat acylpeptide hydrolase and the human gene at D3F15S2 is
      88%, compatible with normal species differences. It is therefore likely that the
      human gene product is acylpeptide hydrolase. The renal cell carcinoma is then
      associated with a decrease of acylpeptide hydrolase activity. The gene may
      represent a tumor suppressor gene, whose loss contributes to the development of
      renal cell carcinoma. It might be speculated that it could act e.g. by affecting
      the activity of a small acetylated growth factor. Alternatively, its decreased
      expression may merely reflect the impairment of differentiation in RCC, compared
      to normal kidney. Loss of a linked but irrelevant gene by the 3p deletion is
      another possibility.

PMID- 1861873
TI  - Simultaneous interview technique for patients with persistent pain.

PMID- 1861872
TI  - Efficacy of desipramine in painful diabetic neuropathy: a placebo-controlled
      trial.
AB  - Although amitriptyline relieves pain in many patients with painful diabetic
      neuropathy, side effects often preclude effective treatment. Desipramine has the
      least anticholinergic and sedative effects of the first generation tricyclic
      antidepressants. We compared a 6 week course of desipramine (mean dose, 201
      mg/day) to active placebo in 20 patients with painful diabetic neuropathy in a
      double-blind crossover trial. Pain relief with desipramine was statistically
      significant in weeks 5 and 6. Eleven patients reported at least moderate relief
      with desipramine, compared to 2 with placebo. Pain relief tended to be greater in
      depressed patients, but relief was also observed in patients who did not show an
      antidepressant effect. We conclude that desipramine relieves pain in many
      patients with painful diabetic neuropathy, offering an alternative for patients
      unable to tolerate amitriptyline. Blockade of norepinephrine reuptake, an action
      shared by desipramine, amitriptyline, and other antidepressants proven effective
      in neuropathic pain, may mediate this analgesic effect.

PMID- 1861874
TI  - What is the definition of breakthrough pain?

PMID- 1861875
TI  - Jaw pain and tenderness levels during and after repeated sustained maximum
      voluntary protrusion.
AB  - Eight normal male volunteers performed 4 repeated sustained voluntary isometric
      protrusive jaw muscle contractions of 25, 50, 75 and 100% of maximum effort. Each
      contraction was sustained until maximum pain tolerance was reached, and all 4
      contractions were completed within a single 120-min experimental period. A 30-min
      rest period followed each sustained contraction. The following measurements were
      made before and 1, 2, 3, and 7 days after the experiment: (1) superficial
      masseter and anterior temporalis muscle pain threshold; (2) maximum active pain
      free jaw opening and lateral excursion; and (3) current overall jaw pain level.
      None of these measurements showed any significant post-experimental changes.
      Contrary to common clinical belief, these results suggest that in healthy male
      subjects, significant jaw pain and tenderness following repeated sustained
      isometric protrusion efforts are difficult to induce.

PMID- 1861876
TI  - Comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain: a follow-up study of
      treated and non-treated groups.
AB  - There are relatively few outcome studies of multidisciplinary chronic pain
      programs which have utilized no-treatment comparison groups. The present study
      compared a group of chronic pain patients (N = 42) treated in a comprehensive
      multidisciplinary pain program with a group of patients (N = 15) who were
      evaluated but not treated. Comparisons were made at evaluation and at a follow-up
      period averaging 11 months later. From evaluation to discharge, the treated group
      showed significant increases in physical functioning. From evaluation to long
      term follow-up, both the treated and non-treated groups showed significant
      decreases in self-report pain ratings and interference with activities ratings.
      However, only the treated group showed a significant decrease in addictive
      medication use and increase in work functioning. The return-to-work rate for the
      treated group was 48% with an additional 28% of the patients being returned to
      vocational rehabilitation. None of the non-treated group returned to work or
      vocational rehabilitation. Results are discussed in terms of their support for
      the conclusion that comprehensive multidisciplinary pain programs produce marked
      subjective and functional changes.

PMID- 1861877
TI  - Pain causes in 200 patients referred to a multidisciplinary cancer pain clinic.
AB  - Causes of pain were analysed in 200 patients referred to a specialized cancer
      pain clinic. Pain caused by tumour growth was found in 158 patients, pain
      secondary to cancer or its treatment in 116 patients and pain unrelated to cancer
      in 33 patients. Visceral involvement (74 cases), bone metastases (68 cases), soft
      tissue invasion (56 cases) and nerve/plexus pressure or infiltration (39 cases)
      were the most frequent causes of pain due to tumour growth. Myogenic pain (68
      cases) was the most frequent cause of secondary pain. The patients presented with
      a multitude of different combinations of causes of pain, the majority having at
      least two separate causes. Since pain treatment in cancer patients should be
      determined by its aetiology, a detailed analysis of the pain condition in each
      patient should form the basis for a rational therapy.

PMID- 1861878
TI  - Deep brain stimulation: a review of basic research and clinical studies.
AB  - Deep brain stimulation for pain control in humans was first used almost 30 years
      ago and has continued to receive considerable attention. Despite the large number
      of clinical reports describing pain relief, numerous studies have indicated that
      the results of these procedures vary considerably. In addition, many
      neurosurgeons find the procedures unpredictable, and considerable disagreement
      still exists regarding important issues related to the technique itself. This
      review gives an historical overview of the relevant basic and clinical literature
      and provides a critical examination of the clinical efficacy, choice of
      stimulation sites, parameters of stimulation, and effects on experimental pain.
      Finally, we give suggestions for future research that could more definitively
      determine the usefulness of deep brain stimulation for pain control.

PMID- 1861879
TI  - Thermographic observations on rats with experimental neuropathic pain.
AB  - Infrared thermographic images were obtained from the plantar hind paws of rats
      with an experimental nerve injury that produces signs of neuropathic pain.
      Thermograms confirmed that the experimental neuropathy produces signs resembling
      those of patients with neuropathic pain. The hind paws on the nerve-damaged side
      were abnormally hot, abnormally cold, or apparently normal 8-16 days post injury,
      a variability that is seen clinically in neuropathic pain patients. Abnormally
      cold hind paws became warm as soon as the injured sciatic nerve was transected,
      indicating that the underlying vasoconstriction was mediated by neural impulse
      activity. Xylazine (Rompun), a sympatho-inhibitory alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist
      that normally increases cutaneous temperature, caused the hind paw on the control
      side to warm, as anticipated, while causing paradoxical cooling of abnormally hot
      hind paws, and even of 'normal temperature' paws on the nerve-injured side. These
      findings shed light on possible mechanisms underlying abnormal deviations of skin
      temperature as a symptom of nerve injury. The findings also attest to the
      usefulness of the experimental animal model of neuropathic pain and of the
      thermographic method.

PMID- 1861881
TI  - Evidence for a central but not a peripheral analgesic effect of clomipramine in
      rats.
AB  - The effect of clomipramine (CMI), a tricyclic antidepressant, was studied on an
      acute inflammatory pain model in an attempt to understand its potential
      antinociceptive activity, the involvement of a central and/or peripheral
      component and its influence on the inflammatory process. When administered (i.v.)
      before the inflammatory agent, carrageenan (CAR), CMI (0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg)
      completely prevented the development of the hyperalgesia for 70-120 min according
      to the doses. This antinociceptive effect was suppressed by naloxone (100
      micrograms/kg i.v.) for 65 min. Neither higher doses (1, 2 and 20 mg/kg, i.v.)
      nor CMI injected into the inflamed paw (15 min before CAR) modified pain
      thresholds. Moreover, CMI (0.5 and 2 mg/kg, i.v.) administered 15 min before CAR
      markedly increased the volume of the CAR-induced oedema. These results (1)
      demonstrate an opioid-dependent antinociceptive effect of CMI on this model, the
      doses used being lower than those active in thermal or electrical tests, and (2)
      tend to exclude a peripheral mechanism and an NSAID-like anti-inflammatory
      activity suggested by previous in vitro studies.

PMID- 1861880
TI  - Receptive properties of pial afferents.
AB  - The blood vessels and the pial surface of the brain, spinal cord and its roots
      are innervated by primary afferent neurones. Here, we have electrophysiologically
      characterized the functional properties of a subpopulation of these afferent
      fibres that supply the ventral roots of the cat sacral spinal cord. We have taken
      advantage of the unique anatomical arrangement of these primary afferent neurones
      which have their central axon in the dorsal root and project with their
      peripheral process into the segmental ventral root. In 10 experiments, 14 units
      were recorded in the dorsal root S2 which responded to electrical stimulation of
      the segmental ventral root. As judged by their conduction velocity ranging from
      0.1 to 2.3 m/sec, all fibres were unmyelinated. In 4 cases a spot-like receptive
      field was located on the root where the units were reproducibly activated by
      mechanical stimuli, the most effective being a slight stretch. In two units
      tested, topical application of hypertonic saline onto the receptive field, but
      not at other portions of the axon elicited a long-lasting vigorous discharge with
      intermittent bursts. There was no obvious association of the receptive field with
      small blood vessels. In 5 of the 14 units including 2 with a mechanosensitive
      receptive field we observed latency jumps of the action potential with electrical
      stimulation of the ventral root close to the dorsal root ganglion. In some of
      these units latency jumps were also observed at other positions when the
      stimulation electrodes were moved centrally towards the spinal cord. We conclude
      that a subpopulation of unmyelinated fibres in the spinal ventral root are
      primary afferents innervating the root proper or its sheath.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861882
TI  - Barrett's esophagus. A review of the pathologist's role in diagnosis and
      management.

PMID- 1861883
TI  - Small airways disease.

PMID- 1861884
TI  - The pathology of immunoblastic proliferations. Reaction, prelymphoma, lymphoma.
AB  - This report has attempted to review the pathology of immunoblastic
      proliferations, to indicate their similarities and differences, and hopefully to
      offer some guidelines in the approach to their diagnosis. Their pathology,
      immunology, and clinical features overlap, making it necessary to evaluate all
      possible parameters in reaching definite diagnoses. Methods to identify
      predominant B- or T-cell populations in order to distinguish the neoplasms from
      the reactive or prelymphomatous lesions can be readily employed using
      immunohistochemical techniques on either snap-frozen or paraffin-embedded
      sections. Flow cytometry can be employed to identify major cell populations and
      evaluate DNA ploidy. DNA probe techniques and cytogenetic evaluation further
      define the possible clonality of immunoblastic proliferations. Common sense is a
      basic index for the initial approach to the problem. The abnormal immune lesions
      present firm challenges in histological diagnosis and in dealing with the
      concepts of the disease. The immunoblastic sarcomas must be recognized for their
      status as high-grade lymphomas and separated from the benign reversible reactions
      and problematic, potentially fatal abnormal immune processes.

PMID- 1861885
TI  - The spontaneous regression of neuroblastoma. Experimental evidence for a natural
      host immunity.

PMID- 1861886
TI  - Folliculitis. A clinicopathologic review.

PMID- 1861887
TI  - AIDS meningoencephalomyelitis. Pathogenesis and changing neuropathologic
      findings.

PMID- 1861888
TI  - Pathologic changes of the cardiac conduction tissue in sudden unexpected death. A
      review.

PMID- 1861889
TI  - Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the prostate.

PMID- 1861890
TI  - Sex is not just a three-letter word.

PMID- 1861891
TI  - Adolescent sexuality: overview and implications for the pediatrician.

PMID- 1861892
TI  - Adolescent sexuality: current issues.

PMID- 1861893
TI  - Sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents: update 1991.
AB  - Clinicians caring for sexually active adolescents are likely to be called on to
      diagnose and treat many of the STDs discussed in this article. A variety of other
      STDs not covered here also may be observed, including lymphogranuloma venereum,
      granuloma inguinale, molluscum contagiosum, scabies, pediculosis, and hepatitis
      A, B, and C. Some of the special issues related to gay and lesbian youth are
      discussed in the article by Drs Bidwell and Deisher (see "Adolescent Sexuality:
      Current Issues," pp 293-302). Nonetheless, it should be mentioned that the same
      STDs occur in homosexual youths as in their heterosexual counterparts. However,
      the prevalence rates for many STDs differ between the two groups, and some STDs
      are rarely seen in heterosexual males. These discrepancies may be explained by a
      number of determinants including anatomic and physiologic factors (eg, lesbian
      women have lower rates of STDs), differences in sexual practices (eg, genital
      anal and oral-anal contact), and numbers of sexual partners, although this last
      factor may be less important in adolescents as compared with adult gay men.
      Discovery of one STD should always prompt a search for others because multiple
      concurrent infections is the rule rather than the exception. A serologic test for
      syphilis and a discussion of the potential for HIV infection (possibly testing
      for HIV as well) should take place at each new encounter for an STD. Some
      patients, including those with multiple partners, have an increased chance for
      acquisition of an STD. However, the reality is that any adolescent who has had
      sexual intercourse could have an STD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861895
TI  - Adolescent pregnancy.

PMID- 1861894
TI  - Contraceptive choices for adolescents.

PMID- 1861896
TI  - Children's Commission report: like sand castles in the summer.

PMID- 1861897
TI  - Becoming parents: feelings of adoptive mothers.
AB  - In a research study to determine feelings and reactions of first-time adoptive
      mothers, 24 adoptive mothers and 24 birth mothers were interviewed and the
      findings compared. Adoptive mothers react to their babies in much the same way
      that birth mothers do, but are often less prepared for parenting. Nurses can
      counsel them about the range of feelings normally experienced by both adoptive
      and birth mothers to allay many concerns and facilitate the process of becoming
      parents.

PMID- 1861898
TI  - Changes in parent-child relationships following divorce.
AB  - Divorce imposes numerous stressors that disrupt parent-child relationships at a
      time when they are critical in facilitating children's adjustments. Early
      intervention can improve outcomes for both parents and children.

PMID- 1861899
TI  - Children of battered women: worries about their mothers.
AB  - Children of battered women report a variety of worries about their mothers. In a
      study of 50 children (ages 10-17 years) from 5 battered women's shelters,
      children revealed worries about potential hazards and actual health hazards
      regarding their mothers. Nursing attention to worries provides information about
      the emotional lives of these children and helps them deal with expressed
      concerns.

PMID- 1861900
TI  - Retinopathy of prematurity: nursing interventions.
AB  - The exact cause(s) of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) are not known, however,
      research has implicated numerous risk factors. Nursing interventions can reduce
      the risk regarding oxygen and light. Currently, our best nursing efforts include
      support and education for the family and developmental-based nursing
      interventions for the infant or child blinded or visually impaired by ROP.

PMID- 1861901
TI  - The child with an Ilizarov external fixator.
AB  - The Ilizarov External Fixator is gaining popularity as the most effective method
      to correct limb length deficiencies, correct angular deformities, and aid in the
      restoration of a limb compromised by traumatic injuries. Nurses caring for a
      child having this procedure need an understanding of the device application and
      appropriate nursing strategies.

PMID- 1861903
TI  - Vaccines.

PMID- 1861902
TI  - Children's compliance to dialysis.
AB  - Relationships among physiologic measures of compliance to dialysis therapy and
      selected parent and child variables were investigated. Child's age and length of
      time receiving dialysis related significantly to compliance.

PMID- 1861904
TI  - Evaluation of tympanic membrane thermometer for use with pediatric patients.
AB  - To determine if a tympanic membrane thermometer is of benefit on a pediatric
      unit. Temperature readings using a tympanic membrane thermometer and an
      electronic thermometer were compared for 295 paired observations. The electronic
      temperature readings were done by rectal (n = 32), oral (n = 65), and axillary (n
      = 198) routes. Differences in tympanic and electronic readings were compared by
      paired t-tests, and the readings were also correlated. The nursing time in
      seconds was also compared between electronic and tympanic measurements. Parents
      and nurses rated their opinion of each type of measurement on a 0-5 Likert scale.
      Nurses rated the patient's response using the same scale. Results indicate that
      temperature readings differ by an average of .2- .5 degree between tympanic and
      electronic thermometers. Correlations are statistically significant but of low-to
      moderate strength. Parents and nurses did not rate the types of instruments
      differently. The nurses rated the electronic axillary method as being more
      acceptable to toddlers. The tympanic membrane measurement took an average of 30
      38 seconds less time to take. Tympanic membrane thermometry saves nursing time.
      Although the correlations were not strong between electronic and tympanic
      membrane measurements, the tympanic reading was closer to the electronic rectal
      reading than to axillary or oral readings.

PMID- 1861905
TI  - An overview of public sector financing for pediatric home care: Part 2.
AB  - This article is the second of a two-part series providing an overview of the
      public sector financing plans for children who require pediatric services at home
      and in the community. It is intended to assist families and health care
      professionals in accessing services that would alleviate some of the costs of
      long-term care.

PMID- 1861906
TI  - A community hospital-based breastfeeding counseling service.
AB  - Providing timely advice and support to the lactating mother is essential for
      successful breastfeeding. An organized breastfeeding consultation program can
      offer prenatal education and early postpartum intervention for lactation problems
      in order to decrease the possibility of early weaning.

PMID- 1861907
TI  - Listening: a key management tool.
AB  - Listening is an essential aspect of communication. It may take time to really
      listen to what is being said during many management meetings, however, the time
      saved by understanding the message the first time around and acting on the
      information in a quick and responsive manner is time gained by the effective
      listener. Hopefully, we will think twice before bringing work to another meeting.

PMID- 1861908
TI  - Health behavior surveys for youth.
AB  - In recent years, many health-related risk behavior surveys have been developed
      for youth. Three of these inventories - the Wellness Check Teen Health Risk
      Appraisal, the Adolescent Health Survey, and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey - are
      used widely, and pediatric nurses need to be familiar with them to enhance health
      promotion activities.

PMID- 1861909
TI  - Humor used to cope with difficult camp experience.

PMID- 1861910
TI  - The PNP education and certification relationship.

PMID- 1861911
TI  - School-based clinics: ensuring access to the health care for adolescent America.

PMID- 1861912
TI  - Humanism in critical care: a blueprint for change.
AB  - The critical care environment is often described as contrary to the humane
      treatment of critically ill patients and their families. To diminish the negative
      effects of the environment and critical illness, specific strategies to foster
      more humane care are needed to create an environment where healing and recovery
      are possible.

PMID- 1861913
TI  - SKIP Camp: a summer camp for special kids.

PMID- 1861914
TI  - Pediatric management problems. Acute bacterial sinusitis.

PMID- 1861915
TI  - Chronic fatigue in adolescents.
AB  - Nine female and 6 male adolescents (mean age 14.5 +/- 1.7 [SD] years) were
      evaluated for chronic fatigue associated with at least three additional symptoms
      present for 18.4 +/- 8.4 months. Eleven subjects experienced the onset of
      symptoms with an acute illness (seven Monospot-positive). Medical history,
      physical examination, and laboratory testing yielded little helpful information.
      Serologic testing for Coxsackie B viruses 1 through 6, cytomegalovirus, Epstein
      Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6, and Toxoplasma gondii in subjects and healthy
      controls provided little evidence for an infectious cause of persistent fatigue.
      Children's Depression Inventory scores and psychiatric interviews with the
      Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Children's Version (K-SADS)
      identified five subjects with major depression. On the K-SADS, the 10 fatigued
      subjects without major depression endorsed many secondary symptoms of depression
      but were less likely than depressed psychiatric clinic patients to endorse
      primary symptoms such as depressed mood, guilt, and suicidality. At telephone
      follow-up 13 to 32 months after intake, 4 subjects were completely well, 4
      markedly improved, and 7 unimproved or worse. Further research is necessary to
      determine whether chronic fatigue in adolescents is prodromal depression, a
      discrete psychosomatic condition, or an infectious or immunologic disorder that
      mimics depression.

PMID- 1861916
TI  - Pediatric heart transplantation at Stanford: results of a 15-year experience.
AB  - The long-term results of pediatric heart transplantation were evaluated in 53
      patients, aged 0.25 to 18.94 years, who received transplants at Stanford
      University Medical Center between 1974 and 1989. Indications for transplantation
      were idiopathic cardiomyopathy (68%), congenital heart disease (21%), endocardial
      fibroelastosis (8%), and doxorubicin cardiomyopathy (3%). Immunosuppression was
      achieved with combinations of cyclosporine, prednisone, and azathioprine. Thirty
      seven of 42 recipients leaving the hospital after transplantation were alive and
      in New York Heart Association class I at study's end. Cumulative survival was 79%
      at 1 year, 76% at 3 years, and 69% at 5 years. Fourteen recipients have survived
      more than 5 years (5.1 to 12.4 years). Hospital readmission for illness has been
      infrequent, decreasing from 6.8 days to 0.9 days per year over 5 years. Eleven
      patients have required no rehospitalization. Posttransplant deaths were due to
      infection (19%), rejection (4%), pulmonary hypertension (4%), coronary artery
      disease (2%), and lymphoproliferative disease (2%). Retransplantation was
      required for intractable rejection in 4 patients and advanced coronary artery
      disease in 2. Hypertension and elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels
      were common in individuals receiving cyclosporine. Growth was often impaired in
      prepubertal children receiving daily prednisone. Based on this 15-year
      experience, it is concluded that heart transplantation represents a reasonable
      alternative for selected young patients with end-stage cardiac disease.

PMID- 1861917
TI  - Randomized, controlled trial comparing long-term sulfonamide therapy to
      ventilation tubes for otitis media with effusion.
AB  - Several studies have indicated that either the surgical insertion of ventilation
      tubes (VTs) or long-term treatment with sulfonamide-based antibacterials is
      effective in the management of otitis media with effusion (OME; otherwise known
      as serous otitis media, secretory otitis media, and glue ear) when compared with
      a no-treatment control or placebo. This controlled trial is the first to compare
      directly the effectiveness of these two treatments for long-standing OME. Outcome
      variables are treatment success rates, hearing thresholds, recurrent acute otitis
      media episodes, and side effects of medication or complications of VT placement.
      One hundred twenty-five children (aged 2.5 to 7 years) who met the usual
      indications for surgery (long-standing [greater than 3 months] OME and conductive
      hearing loss) were randomly assigned to "medical" treatment (sulfisoxazole 75
      mg/kg per day for 6 months) or "surgical" treatment (bilateral insertion of VTs).
      Subjects underwent pure-tone audiometry (500, 1000, 2000, 4000 Hz) and
      otomicroscopic examination at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 18 months. A significantly greater
      proportion of medical subjects (67%) than surgical subjects (48%) were treatment
      failures at 6, 12, or 18 months (P = .0208). Surgical subjects had significantly
      better hearing at 2 and 4 months (P values less than .01) but not at 6, 12, and
      18 months (P values greater than .2). A significantly greater proportion of
      surgical subjects (50%) experienced complications of treatment than did medical
      subjects (9%) (P less than .001). Thirty-three percent of candidates for VT
      placement did not require surgery when treated with a 6-month course of
      sulfisoxazole.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861918
TI  - Preparedness of practicing pediatricians to manage emergencies.
AB  - To determine pediatrician preparedness to manage emergencies, a nationally
      representative random sample of 1000 non-hospital-based pediatricians was
      surveyed about (1) types of emergencies encountered and methods of transport to
      an emergency facility, (2) availability and use of equipment and medications in
      the office, and (3) determinants of pediatrician confidence in managing
      emergencies. The proportion of pediatricians who had encountered specific
      emergencies ranged from 86% for meningitis to 22% for cardiopulmonary arrest. The
      majority transported acutely ill children to an emergency department by
      ambulance. Availability of individual pieces of equipment and medications in
      offices ranged from 97% for epinephrine 1:1000 to 11% for bone marrow needles for
      intraosseous access. Combination of equipment available to manage particular
      emergencies ranged from 61% for severe dehydration to 11% for cardiopulmonary
      arrest. The equipment available in a pediatrician's office was significantly
      related to the type of primary work setting. Pediatrician confidence in managing
      the initial stabilization of emergencies ranged from 58% for seizures to 25% for
      epiglottitis. Confidence was related significantly to year residency was
      completed, Advanced Cardiac or Advanced Pediatric Life Support training, work
      setting, and the availability of equipment in the office. Continuing education
      regarding initial office management of and equipment for common emergencies
      should improve the pediatrician's confidence and competence in this area.

PMID- 1861919
TI  - Emergency medical services and the pediatric patient. III: Resources of
      ambulatory care centers.
AB  - Ambulatory care centers have emerged as a new health care resource in many
      communities. Little information is available about the services that these
      centers offer to pediatric patients. A national survey of 254 ambulatory care
      centers was undertaken to determine their characteristics, including the number
      of pediatric patients seen, staffing patterns, and pediatric equipment and
      supplies available. Most clinics were located in urban areas and were within 5
      miles of a hospital. They were staffed primarily by physicians who were board
      certified in emergency medicine, internal medicine, or family medicine. Not all
      centers had registered nurses on duty and few used extended-role nurses or
      physicians's assistants. The centers saw an average of 18 patients younger than
      18 years of age per day. Some ambulatory care centers received emergency medical
      service and private ambulance calls and encountered serious illness such as chest
      pain, seizures, and anaphylaxis; the majority, however, handled mainly minor
      injuries and illnesses. Although most had pediatric equipment and supplies, some
      did not have a complete set of pediatric resuscitation equipment even though they
      were part of the emergency system offering care to the pediatric population.

PMID- 1861920
TI  - Tuberculosis in children 10 years of age and younger: three decades of experience
      during the chemotherapeutic era.
AB  - The 863 patients, aged 10 years and younger, treated at the Children's Chest
      Clinic of Bellevue Hospital during three decades (1953 through 1981) clearly
      indicated the success of antituberculosis therapy. There were no deaths from
      tuberculosis. Early treatment is associated with a reduction in the serious forms
      of disease, eg, meningitis, miliary disease, and bone infections, and with
      preventing death. Medication was well tolerated: only 1.1% of the patients had
      adverse reactions, all of which were reversible. Consistent compliance with
      medication of only 62% of patients is a challenge to the medical profession. Only
      22.5% of mycobacterial cultures were positive. Long-term follow-up of patients
      was rewarding: seven pregnancies with healthy mothers and babies, and no
      reactivation of tuberculosis by later infections, even those such as measles or
      pneumonia. The severity of disease was related largely to patient's age (3 years
      and younger) and intimacy of contact, the highest rate being when the mother was
      the contact. The long-term experiences emphasizes the value of early
      identification, therapeutic compliance, and comprehensive contact, tracing in the
      future elimination of tuberculosis. Prophylactic therapy and close observation
      should be considered for contacts, especially those exposed to human
      immunodeficiency virus infections and addicted to drugs.

PMID- 1861921
TI  - Risk of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection among sexual and nonsexual
      household contacts of persons with congenital clotting disorders.
AB  - The status of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection at the time
      of transmission to sexual contacts remains poorly defined. Transmission to
      nonsexual household contacts has appeared to be rare. A total of 505 sexual and
      nonsexual contacts of HIV-1-infected hemophiliacs in 349 households was observed.
      At entry, 10% of 201 sexual partners were anti-HIV-1-positive. Follow-up of 151
      uninfected partners during a total of 351 person-years of observation showed no
      sero-conversions, although there were 13 pregnancies during that period. Eighty
      seven percent of the seronegative respondents to a detailed questionnaire
      reported unprotected sexual contact at least occasionally. Among 304 other
      household members, including 108 parents who helped administer clotting factor
      concentrates to their children, none was seropositive at entry. Follow-up of 263
      showed no seroconversions during a total of 605 person-years of observation.
      Thus, anti-HIV-1-positive hemophiliacs transmitted to their partners earlier in
      their course but were not found to do so when prospectively observed. No
      relationship to level of viremia as indicated by CD4 count, HIV-1 p24
      antigenemia, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was found. Anti-HIV-1-positive
      hemophiliacs had not transmitted to their nonsexual household contacts before
      study entry and did not do so subsequently, indicating that the risk from even
      close nonsexual contact is extremely low.

PMID- 1861923
TI  - Passive smoking alters lipid profiles in adolescents.
AB  - Although cigarette smoking is associated with elevation of plasma lipid levels
      and changes in lipoprotein distribution, it is not known whether passive smoking
      is associated with an alteration in lipid profiles. The relation between plasma
      cotinine, a marker of exposure to tobacco smoke, and lipid profiles was studied
      in healthy adolescents from a suburban New York high school district who were
      undergoing preparticipation sports physicals. Forty-four percent of the
      adolescents reported that one or both parents currently smoked. Eleven percent of
      the adolescents had plasma cotinine concentrations greater than or equal to 2.5
      ng/mL, the level considered indicative of exposure. Adolescents with two smoking
      parents had significantly higher plasma cotinine concentrations after adjustment
      for other factors than adolescents whose parents did not smoke. Plasma cotinine
      concentration greater than or equal to 2.5 ng/mL was associated with an 8.9%
      greater ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P
      less than .003) and a 6.8% lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P less
      than .03). These results suggest that passive smoking, like active smoking, leads
      to alterations in lipid profiles predictive of an increased risk of
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1861922
TI  - Cholesterol screening in pediatric practice.
AB  - Four pediatricians introduced a portable cholesterol analyzer into their group
      practice. Their experience is described on the basis of 12 months of screening in
      1665 children and adolescents. The overall 50th and 90th percentile values for a
      subgroup of 1406 routinely screened children were 156 and 197 mg/dL,
      respectively, but there was marked variation in these values among specific age
      and sex groups. Cholesterol levels decreased by age group during the early
      teenage years and increased thereafter, these changes occurring at ages
      approximately 2 years younger for girls than for boys. Further analysis of
      screening results for 398 sibling pairs demonstrated significant concordance
      between paired cholesterol levels when classified by the respective age- and sex
      specific 90th percentile values for each member of the pair. Sibling pairs in
      which both members' cholesterol values exceeded their 90th percentile value were
      identified 2.4 times as frequently as expected (confidence interval 1.1 to 4.5, P
      = .029). The observations reported here indicate that office-based cholesterol
      screening in a pediatric practice may be both practical and useful, although
      further consideration of screening criteria is needed. Age- and sex-specific
      reference values for cholesterol levels during childhood could improve screening
      results. Special emphasis should be directed toward screening siblings of
      children in whom high cholesterol levels have been detected.

PMID- 1861924
TI  - Fish oil treatment of hyperlipidemia in children and adolescents receiving renal
      replacement therapy.
AB  - The effect of 8 weeks of daily oral fish oil supplementation in a dose of 3 to 8
      g/d on serum lipid levels was studied in 16 patients, 7 to 8 years of age, who
      had end-stage renal disease and were receiving renal replacement therapy. Fasting
      serum cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TG) levels, and lipoprotein profiles were
      measured before therapy, 8 weeks after fish oil supplementation, and 4 weeks
      after its cessation. During 8 weeks of treatment the mean serum CHOL level did
      not change. The mean serum TG level, however, decreased significantly (P less
      than .01) from 236 +/- 31 mg/dL to 171 +/- 21 mg/dL (27.5%). Four weeks after
      treatment was stopped, the mean serum TG level returned to a value not
      significantly different from the pretreatment level (208 +/- 30 mg/dL). In a
      subgroup of 11 excessively hyperlipidemic patients, with serum CHOL and TG levels
      greater than or equal to 50% of the 90th percentile for age and sex, the mean
      serum TG level decreased even more (30.8%), from 286 +/- 35 mg/dL to 198 +/- 24
      mg/dL (P less than .01), and the mean CHOL/high-density lipoprotein CHOL ratio
      decreased from 8.4 +/- 1.2 to 7.4 +/- 1.3 (P less than .05). Blood pressure and
      platelet counts remained stable during the entire study period. Side effects of
      the treatment were minimal. These results show that dietary fish oil
      supplementation reduces serum TG levels in young patients receiving renal
      replacement therapy and improves their "atherogenic" serum lipoprotein profile.

PMID- 1861925
TI  - Hypercholesterolemia in adolescents: effectiveness of screening strategies based
      on selected risk factors.
AB  - This study evaluates the efficacy of the American Academy of Pediatrics' current
      recommendations for identifying hypercholesterolemia in teenagers. These
      guidelines advocate a screening strategy that is targeted only at high-risk
      individuals. Detailed information regarding risk factors for hypercholesterolemia
      was obtained from 1001 adolescents or their parents at three urban teen clinics
      during routine health assessments. In addition, serum cholesterol was measured in
      all adolescents. The population under study was 38.2% Hispanic, 33.5% white,
      15.4% black, and 11.3% Asian, with a mean age of 15.6 years (range: 12 through 21
      years); 52% were female. Based on the cholesterol values, the study population
      was divided into two groups: (1) normal cholesterol level, less than 200 mg/dL (n
      = 937, mean cholesterol value = 157 mg/dL) and (2) elevated cholesterol level,
      greater than or equal to 200 mg/dL (n = 64, mean cholesterol value = 228 mg/dL,
      range = 200 through 366 mg/dL). Application of the 1985 American Academy of
      Pediatrics criteria for selected screening identified 30 of 64 individuals with
      hypercholesterolemia (sensitivity = 47%). Criteria similar to 1988
      recommendations identified 40 of 64 teenagers (sensitivity = 62%). A combination
      of 1985 and 1988 criteria yielded a sensitivity of 44 of 64, or 69%. The
      specificity of these criteria was 74%, 60%, and 53%, respectively. Despite the
      utilization of the 1985, 1988, or a combination of both American Academy of
      Pediatrics criteria for hypercholesterolemia screening, this study demonstrates
      that many adolescents with abnormal cholesterol levels would not be
      identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861926
TI  - Family and peer issues among adolescents with spina bifida and cerebral palsy.
AB  - Increasingly, children with disabling conditions are surviving through childhood
      into adolescence and beyond. This places increased importance on understanding
      adolescent, family, and peer relationships, which are critical to healthy
      development among adolescents in general and to transitions to successful
      adulthood among youths with physical disabilities in particular. The purpose of
      this study was to identify the patterns of family and peer interactions. One
      hundred two youths with spina bifida and 60 adolescents with cerebral palsy
      between the ages of 12 and 22 completed written psychological measures as well as
      an in-depth structured interview. Approximately 90% of youths with spina bifida
      and cerebral palsy resided at home, of whom 80.4% and 72% lived with both
      parents. Almost without exception, parental relationships were defined as
      positive, with no difference of attitude noted toward the mother and father.
      Relationships with parents for teenagers with spina bifida were marked by high
      levels of dependence on parents for personal care such as bowel programs and, for
      both groups, low levels of responsibility at home and lack of discussion with
      parents about sexuality or menstruation. Although friends were viewed as very
      important by most respondents (approximately 83%), relationships were
      characterized by extremely limited out-of-school contacts, negligible
      participation with organized social activities, and a primary orientation toward
      sedentary activities. Finally, regarding heterosexual relationships, whereas
      44.1% of respondents with spina bifida and 54.2% of respondents with cerebral
      palsy said their friends dated, only 14.7% and 28.3% of study participants
      indicated that they had ever been on a date and, even for those teenagers,
      heterosexual social contacts were infrequent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861927
TI  - Requiem for a hospital.

PMID- 1861928
TI  - Infirmary-style sick-child day care: do we need more information?

PMID- 1861930
TI  - Informing schools about children's chronic illnesses: parents' opinions.
AB  - Parents of 217 chronically ill children and adolescents were surveyed concerning
      their opinions about disclosing medical information to schools. The sample
      consisted of parents of more than one third of the children and adolescents
      meeting inclusion criteria who were seen at a university-based pediatric clinic
      during a 10-week period. Parents were asked (1) whether schools need information
      about 16 health items, (2) who in the school should know, and (3) who should
      provide this information. Parents' willingness to disclose information was
      compared with family and child demographic data. Parents strongly believed that
      (1) teachers need to be informed and (2) parents should be the primary informers.
      The consensus that schools need information did not vary with family and child
      demographics. However, parents of children with poor illness prognosis, greater
      likelihood of emergencies, and visible illnesses were more supportive of
      disclosure. Most parents indicated that physicians should provide information on
      10 of the 16 items. Physicians were viewed as particularly appropriate informers
      about recognizing emergencies and medication effects. Only 21% of the parents
      were aware of any prior contact between the medical care giver and the school
      concerning their child's illness. Thus, parents want schools informed and believe
      physicians should be involved in providing information.

PMID- 1861929
TI  - Toward reducing pediatric injuries from firearms: charting a legislative and
      regulatory course.
AB  - Each year in the United States, approximately 3000 children and adolescents
      younger than age 20 die as a result of homicides, suicides, and unintentional
      injuries from firearms. The young children, relatives, neighbors, and friends of
      the 30,000 adults killed by firearms each year in the United States are also
      affected by this uniquely American epidemic. It is estimated that half of all
      American homes contain 200 million firearms, including 60 million handguns.
      Increasingly, pediatricians are becoming involved in efforts to reduce the
      prevalence of injuries from firearms, as parent educators, experts on children
      and adolescents, and advocates in the political process. This commentary is
      intended to aid in the last of these roles. The advocacy goal is identified as
      reducing the accessibility of guns in the environments of children and
      adolescents. The pros and cons of 17 possible approaches--ranging from mandatory
      safety courses in schools to handgun bans--are presented. It is concluded that,
      while there is no perfect approach, many available approaches will help; there is
      every reason to be both bold and optimistic.

PMID- 1861931
TI  - Comparison of albuterol and metaproterenol syrup in the treatment of childhood
      asthma.
AB  - This study compared the acute and chronic effects of albuterol syrup (2 mg) and
      metaproterenol syrup (10 mg) three times a day over 28 days in 65 children, aged
      6 to 9 years, with mild to moderate asthma. Wright peak flow, symptom scores, and
      rescue medication use were recorded twice daily during the 28 days; the acute
      cardiopulmonary effects of these syrups were compared over 8 hours on treatment
      days 1 and 28. Albuterol syrup produced a significantly greater peak magnitude of
      bronchodilation than metaproterenol, 29% vs 20% above baseline, respectively, on
      treatment day 1. Albuterol syrup had a duration of action of at least 8 hours and
      produced greater bronchodilation than metaproterenol syrup from 2 to 8 hours on
      both treatment days 1 and 28. The chronotropic effect of metaproterenol was
      greater than that of albuterol at 1 to 1 1/2 hours postdose on treatment days 1
      and 28. There was a trend toward higher morning and evening Wright peak flow
      measurements during 28 days of treatment in the albuterol group. Side effects of
      both drugs were comparable. These findings imply therapeutic advantages of
      albuterol syrup over metaproterenol syrup in currently recommended doses with
      respect to improvement in pulmonary function, chronotropic effects, and frequency
      of dosing required to maintain optimum bronchodilation over a 24-hour period.

PMID- 1861933
TI  - An outbreak of tinea corporis among schoolgirls.

PMID- 1861934
TI  - Hypothyroidism in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic children.

PMID- 1861932
TI  - Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of iron supplementation in infants with low
      hemoglobin levels fed iron-fortified formula.
AB  - In spite of the declining prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia, a large
      proportion of low-income infants have "low-normal" (11-11.5 g/dL) and "low" (less
      than 11 g/dL) hemoglobin (Hgb) values. Because most of these infants are fed iron
      fortified formulas, it was of interest whether additional iron supplementation
      would enhance Hgb values. A cohort of 334 healthy, inner-city, minority, 6-month
      old infants, fed iron-fortified formulas, with Hgb values ranging from 9 to 11.5
      g/dL, participated in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of
      supplemental iron at 0, 3, and 6 mg/kg per day for 3 months. Hemoglobin values
      increased significantly with age, regardless of assignment to placebo or
      supplemental iron (means for the entire cohort: 6 months 10.9 g/dL, 8 months
      11.2, 10 months 11.3, and 12 months 11.4). The proportion of "responders" (Hgb
      level increased greater than or equal to 1 g/dL) was 34% and did not differ
      significantly by placebo or iron dose. There were no significant differences in
      mean corpuscular volume or levels of erythrocyte porphyrins or serum ferritin
      between treatment groups. The implications of this clinical trial are twofold:
      (1) screening healthy infants fed iron-fortified formula at the age of 6 months
      is not justified, regardless of socioeconomic status; (2) the clinical practice
      of routinely treating low-income, "low-Hgb" infants with iron supplementation,
      without regard to dietary considerations, is unwarranted.

PMID- 1861935
TI  - The Weismann-Netter syndrome: a cause of bowed legs in childhood.

PMID- 1861936
TI  - Cyanide poisoning from a cosmetic nail remover.

PMID- 1861937
TI  - Scoliosis in beta thalassemia.

PMID- 1861938
TI  - Verbal dyspraxia in treated galactosemia.
AB  - Galactosemia is an inborn error of metabolism that causes life-threatening
      illness a few days after galactose-containing milk is fed to a newborn. Early
      treatment with a strict lactose-free diet results in rapid improvement, and,
      until recently, it was thought that the long-term prognosis in such infants was
      usually good. The speech characteristics of 24 patients treated for galactosemia
      were examined. Fifty-four percent had the specific speech disorder, verbal
      dyspraxia. This finding was not related to age at diagnosis, severity of symptoms
      in the newborn period, or to biochemical control. There may be, however, a
      relation between dyspraxia and diminished IQ scores observed in the group of
      patients with dyspraxia judged as "severe." The findings indicate the association
      of a specific and unusual speech defect with a specific and rare metabolic
      disorder.

PMID- 1861939
TI  - Increasing patient knowledge, satisfaction, and involvement: randomized trial of
      a communication intervention.
AB  - A brief educational intervention to promote effective communication between
      physicians, children, and parents during pediatric office visits was designed and
      tested. A randomized clinical trial involving 141 children (5- to 15-year-olds)
      tested the effectiveness of the intervention to improve the process and outcome
      of medical care. The intervention was contained in three brief videotapes (one
      each for parents, physicians, and patients) and in accompanying written
      materials. Materials were designed to build skills and motivation for increased
      child competence and participation during pediatric medical visits. Control
      subjects saw health education videotapes and received materials comparable in
      length with those of experimental subjects. Postintervention medical visit
      process was analyzed using videotapes of visits. Visit outcomes, assessed with
      standardized instruments and interviews, included children's rapport with
      physicians, children's anxiety, children's preference for an active health role,
      children's recall of information, parents' satisfaction with the medical visit,
      and physician satisfaction. Results indicated that physicians in the intervention
      group, compared with their counterparts in the control group, more often included
      children in discussions of medical recommendations (50% vs 29%, t = 2.39, P less
      than .05); that children in the intervention group, compared with control
      children, recalled more medication recommendations (77% vs 47%, P less than .01)
      and reported greater satisfaction and preference for an active health role; and
      that the intervention and control groups did not differ in parent satisfaction,
      physician satisfaction, or child anxiety. The results suggest that a brief
      educational intervention administered during waiting room time can positively
      impact physician-child rapport and children's preference for an active role in
      health and their acquisition of medical information.

PMID- 1861940
TI  - Dietary nucleotide effects upon immune function in infants.
AB  - Nucleotide (NT) nitrogen, a component of nonprotein nitrogen, accounts for
      approximately 0.1% to 0.15% of the total nitrogen content of human milk. The
      results of studies in animals indicate that dietary NTs may be required for
      maintenance of normal immune function. Thirty-seven healthy term infants were
      either breast-fed (n = 9) or fed SMA formula supplemented with 33 mg of NTs per
      liter (n = 13, NT+) or standard SMA formula (n = 15; NT-). At 2 months of age,
      natural killer cell percent cytotoxicity was significantly higher in the breast
      fed and NT+ groups compared with the NT- group (41.7 +/- 4.7, 32.2 +/- 3.4, 21.7
      +/- 2.2%, respectively). Interleukin-2 production by stimulated mononuclear cells
      was higher in the NT+ compared with the NT- group at 2 months of age (0.90 +/-
      0.28 U/mL, 0.27 +/- 0.11 U/mL, respectively); neither formula-fed group differed
      significantly from the breast-fed group. Rate of growth and incidence and
      severity of infections did not differ significantly among dietary groups.
      Nucleotides may be a component of human milk that contributes to the enhanced
      immunity of the breast-fed infant.

PMID- 1861941
TI  - Low-dose zidovudine in children with an human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      infection acquired in the perinatal period.
AB  - This report describes the one-year results of a noncomparative study designed to
      assess the safety and tolerance of low-dose zidovudine (azidothymidine) given
      orally to 60 human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected infants and children.
      At baseline, the mean age was 1.9 years (+/- 1.4), and all were symptomatic: 43%
      were P2A and 57% were P2B to F according to the Centers for Disease Control
      classification. All the patients received zidovudine for at least 6 months, and
      52 of them (87%) completed a full year of therapy. The mean duration of follow-up
      was 346 days (+/- 42) (range, 183 to 366 days). The initial therapy consisted of
      four daily doses of 100 mg/m2 (400 mg/m2 per day, equivalent to 20 mg/kg per
      day). However, this treatment was modified when neutropenia or anemia was
      observed. Twenty-nine children (48%) remained at the initial therapy for the
      entire study. Zidovudine dosage was adjusted 92 times in the other 31 children
      (52%), mostly due to neutropenia (83%). Altogether, the time under full-dose
      therapy represented 81% of the total duration of the protocol for all patients.
      Children with mild symptoms, P2A at study entry, were more likely to remain under
      full-dose therapy than children with severe symptoms, P2B to F: the time under
      full-dose therapy represented 91% of the duration of the protocol for the former
      group and only 74% for the latter one (P less than .02). No clinical adverse
      experiences were attributed directly to zidovudine. Thirty-seven children were
      prescribed trimethoprim-sulfametoxazole as a prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii
      pneumonia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1861942
TI  - Shoes for children: a review.
AB  - 1. Optimum foot development occurs in the barefoot environment. 2. The primary
      role of shoes is to protect the foot from injury and infection. 3. Stiff and
      compressive footwear may cause deformity, weakness, and loss of mobility. 4. The
      term "corrective shoes" is a misnomer. 5. Shock absorption, load distribution,
      and elevation are valid indications for shoe modifications. 6. Shoe selection for
      children should be based on the barefoot model. 7. Physicians should avoid and
      discourage the commercialization and "media"-ization of footwear. Merchandising
      of the "corrective shoe" is harmful to the child, expensive for the family, and a
      discredit to the medical profession.

PMID- 1861943
TI  - Remembering as we look ahead: the three E's and firearm injuries.

PMID- 1861944
TI  - The academic generalist: still an endangered species?

PMID- 1861945
TI  - The academic generalist: still an endangered species? A response.

PMID- 1861946
TI  - Baby bottoms and environmental conundrums: disposable diapers and the
      pediatrician.

PMID- 1861947
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention:
      Children in pickup trucks.

PMID- 1861948
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse: Hazards of clove
      cigarettes.

PMID- 1861949
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases: The relationship
      between pertussis vaccine and brain damage: reassessment.

PMID- 1861950
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases: The status of
      acellular pertussis vaccines: current perspective.

PMID- 1861951
TI  - Summary of the annual meeting. Section on Urology, American Academy of
      Pediatrics.

PMID- 1861952
TI  - Encouraging the use of bicycle helmets.

PMID- 1861953
TI  - Blue mucus. It was in her eyes--not in her head.

PMID- 1861954
TI  - Fever under 8 weeks of age and urinary tract infection.

PMID- 1861955
TI  - Blue jeans thighs.

PMID- 1861956
TI  - Strength training, weight & power lifting, and body building by children and
      adolescents.

PMID- 1861957
TI  - Nosedrops and S.I.D.S.

PMID- 1861958
TI  - Asthma and food sensitivity.

PMID- 1861960
TI  - [Fundamentals of pathologic anatomy and pathophysiology for implantation
      success].

PMID- 1861959
TI  - Valsalva effect may mimic child abuse.

PMID- 1861961
TI  - [Computer supported PAR- and prophylaxis concepts].

PMID- 1861962
TI  - [Two-year trial of the fluoride-containing varnishes Duraphat and Carex].
AB  - Previous studies have shown that topical application of the fluoride varnish
      Duraphat reduces caries incidence. The aim of the present study was to compare
      the caries inhibiting effect of a new fluoride varnish (Carex) containing 1.80%
      fluoride (F) with that of Duraphat (2.26%F). Informed consent was obtained from
      the guardians of 495 10-12-years-olds in Voss Dental Health District (low F
      area). The children were randomly allocated to two groups. One group of subjects
      received six-monthly applications of Duraphat (n = 206), the other Carex (n =
      189). Ethical considerations precluded the use of a placebo varnish. All
      participants received dental examinations including one pair of posterior
      bitewing radiographs and necessary dental care annually. One trained examiner
      interpreted bitewing radiographs blindly. Total mean 2-year net DFS increment for
      24 posterior approximal surfaces was 1.79 (s = 3.12) in the Duraphat group and
      1.53 (s = 2.92) in the Carex group, a difference which was non-significant (P
      greater than 0.40). Thus it seems that Carex and Duraphat have approximately the
      same caries-preventive effect on posterior approximal surfaces.

PMID- 1861963
TI  - [Tetracycline resistance in oral microorganisms in patients with periodontal
      disease].
AB  - Several longitudinal studies have shown that periodontal treatment consisting of
      surgical and/or nonsurgical debridement of the teeth often is sufficient to
      prevent continued attachment loss when the patients' oral hygiene measures are
      good. Nevertheless, some patients will, in spite of excellent oral hygiene
      measures, continue to show attachment loss. The treatment of these patients has
      mainly been empirical, and the clinicians have used different kinds of
      antibiotics for different time intervals to eliminate proposed periodontal
      pathogens. The preferred antibiotic has been tetracycline. Most bacteria
      associated with destructive periodontal disease will normally be susceptible to
      tetracycline at the levels achieved in the gingival crevicular fluid after
      systemic administration of the antibiotic. Some patients have a microbial flora
      that will not change enough or be inhibited by these substances. The reason for
      this may in many cases be the development of antimicrobial resistance. Today 14
      genotypes of tetracycline resistance have been found. The resistance is one of
      three types: active secretion, protection of the ribosomes by proteins and an
      active breakdown of tetracycline. The third type has recently been discovered as
      a cryptic gene in the microorganism Bacteroides fragilis. This gene is only
      expressed after transfer to Eschericia coli. Active breakdown of tetracycline
      does normally not occur in nature and the global level of the drug is increasing
      since tetracycline is the second most used antibiotic in the world today. It is
      therefore of interest to identify tetracycline resistance determinants in the
      oral cavity and to compare these with tetracycline resistance genes from other
      sources of human, animal and environmental origin.

PMID- 1861964
TI  - [Dentistry and European integration].

PMID- 1861965
TI  - [Laser therapy in dental practice. What is laser?].
AB  - This article briefly discusses laser theory and medical use of different types of
      laser, laserphysics and laser properties. The indications for lasertherapy as
      claimed from laser-producers, are numerous. However, we recommend that the effect
      of treatment with low level laser therapy has to be more documented before
      general use in a dental practice.

PMID- 1861966
TI  - [Dental health and the use of dental services among Norwegian recruits in 1988].
AB  - The aim of the present study was to describe dental health and dental health
      behaviour among Norwegian recruits. Data were collected by questionnaires and
      clinical and radiological examinations among 1067 recruits in 1988. 23.7% of all
      recruits had no decayed teeth. The average DMFT score was 12.1 (SD = 4.69) and
      the number of decayed surfaces was 4.1 (SD = 5.97), 46.1% of all recruits had
      visited the dentist during the last year. The clinical findings (except x-ray
      scores) were compared with findings from similar studies in 1968 and 1978. The
      results showed that the dental health improved from 1968 to 1988, while the
      treatment need was similar in 1978 and 1988. There was little change in the
      regular dental attendance pattern from 1968 to 1988.

PMID- 1861967
TI  - [Loss of permanent upper incisors--orthodontic treatment].
AB  - After loss of permanent central incisors the treatment of choice could be either
      orthodontic closure or maintenance of the gap for a replacement-prosthetic,
      autotransplantation or implant. Cases suitable for orthodontic closure are Angle
      C1 I space deficiency cases and some C1 II cases, all of these requiring normal
      size and shape of the lateral. C1 III cases, cases with completely developed
      ideal occlusion and cases with excess of space are unsuitable for orthodontic
      closure, as are small pegshaped laterals. Different treatment alternatives are
      presented, illustrated with treated cases. When one or two central incisors are
      missing, there will be no treatment alternative giving a 100% satisfactory
      result. Orthodontic closure, however, proves to be a favourable solution,
      concerning both long-term prognosis, esthetics and function.

PMID- 1861968
TI  - [Allogeneic transplantation--two case reports].
AB  - After a brief discussion on the transplantation of teeth, two cases of allogeneic
      transplantation, respectively from brother to sister, and from daughter to
      mother, are presented. Based on the two cases and a limited number of case
      histories found in dental literature, it is suggested that immunological
      screening of donor and recipient may help improve the prognosis of allogeneic
      transplantation of teeth.

PMID- 1861969
TI  - Mechanisms and management of pain due to inflammation.

PMID- 1861970
TI  - Dentistry in Jamaica.

PMID- 1861971
TI  - Retirement planning for dentists.

PMID- 1861972
TI  - Management of coronal tooth fractures.

PMID- 1861973
TI  - Mapping of the DNA linking tyrosine residue of the PRD1 terminal protein.
AB  - DNA replication of PRD1, a lipid-containing phage, is initiated by a protein
      priming mechanism. The terminal protein encoded by gene 8 acts as a protein
      primer in DNA synthesis by forming an initiation complex with the 5'-terminal
      nucleotide, dGMP. The linkage between the terminal protein and the 5' terminal
      nucleotide is a tyrosylphosphodiester bond. The PRD1 terminal protein contains 13
      tyrosine residues in a total of 259 amino acids. By site-directed mutagenesis of
      cloned PRD1 gene 8, we replaced 12 of the 13 tyrosine residues in the terminal
      protein with phenylalanine and the other tyrosine residue with asparagine.
      Functional analysis of these mutant terminal proteins suggested that tyrosine-190
      is the linking amino acid that forms a covalent bond with dGMP. Cyanogen bromide
      cleavage studies also implicated tyrosine-190 as the DNA-linking amino acid
      residue of the PRD1 terminal protein. Our results further show that tyrosine
      residues at both the amino-terminal and the carboxyl-terminal regions are
      important for the initiation complex forming activity. Predicted secondary
      structures for the regions around the DNA linking amino acid residues were
      compared in three terminal proteins (phi 29, adenovirus-2, and PRD1). While the
      linking amino acids serine-232 (phi 29) and serine-577 (adenovirus-2) are found
      in beta-turns in hydrophilic regions, the linking tyrosine-190 of the PRD1
      terminal protein is found in a beta-sheet in a hydrophobic region.

PMID- 1861974
TI  - The htrM gene, whose product is essential for Escherichia coli viability only at
      elevated temperatures, is identical to the rfaD gene.
AB  - We have identified a new E. coli gene, htrM. The htrM gene was identified because
      its insertional inactivation by the Tn5 transposon results in E. coli's inability
      to form colonies at temperatures above 43 degrees C. The corresponding htrM+ gene
      was cloned on the basis of its ability to correct the temperature-sensitive
      phenotype of the htrM::Tn5 insertion mutations. The htrM gene has been mapped to
      81.2 min on the conventional E. coli genetic map. It was sequenced and shown to
      code for an acidic, 34,893-Da polypeptide. Three transcriptional starts were
      located 48, 90 and 123 nucleotides upstream of the ATG, initiation codon referred
      to as the P1, P2 and P3(hs) promoters, respectively. The -10 and -35 regions of
      the P1 promoter bear a close similarity to the E sigma 70-recognized consensus
      sequences, while the -12 region of the P2 promoter resembles the consensus
      promoter sequence transcribed by the rpoN gene product. Transcripts of the htrM
      gene accumulate with increasing temperature. The -10 and -35 regions of the
      P3(hs) promoter, represented by nucleotides 160 to 130 upstream of the ATG
      initation codon, are similar to the E sigma 32-recognized consensus sequences.
      The sigma 32 transcription factor is essential for maximal htrM gene
      transcription, since htrM RNA transcripts are made at reduced rates in a rpoH
      null mutant background. Surprisingly, the htrM gene turns out to be identical to
      rfaD, whose product is required for the biosynthesis of the ADP-L-glycero-D
      manoheptose lipopolyaccharide precursor [Pegues et al. (1990) J. Bacteriol. 172,
      4652-4660].

PMID- 1861975
TI  - DNA binding properties of the integrase proteins of human immunodeficiency
      viruses types 1 and 2.
AB  - Integration of retroviral DNA into the host chromosome requires the integrase
      protein (IN). We overexpressed the IN proteins of human immunodeficiency viruses
      types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2) in E. coli and purified them. Both proteins were
      found to specifically cut two nucleotides off the ends of linear viral DNA, and
      to integrate viral DNA into target DNA. This demonstrates that HIV IN is the only
      protein required for integration of HIV DNA. Although the two types of IN
      proteins have only 53% amino acid sequence similarity, they act with equal
      efficiency on both type 1 and type 2 viral DNA. Binding of IN to DNA was tested:
      purified IN does not bind very specifically to viral DNA ends. Nevertheless, only
      viral DNA ends are cleaved and integrated. We interpret this as follows: in vitro
      quick aspecific binding to DNA is followed by slow specific cutting and
      integration. IN can not find viral DNA ends in the presence of an excess of
      aspecific DNA; in vivo this is not required since the IN protein is in constant
      proximity of viral DNA in the viral core particle.

PMID- 1861976
TI  - Preferential recognition of I.T base-pairs in the initiation of excision-repair
      by hypoxanthine-DNA glycosylase.
AB  - Double-stranded synthetic oligonucleotides with a centrally located dIMP residue
      in a 5'-32P-labeled strand were employed as substrates for hypoxanthine-DNA
      glycosylase. The enzyme activity was monitored by the generation of a piperidine
      sensitive site in the labeled oligonucleotide. The enzyme was purified
      approximately 5000-fold from calf thymus. The purified enzyme removed efficiently
      a hypoxanthine base residue from an I.T base pair, but 15-20 times more slowly
      from an I.C base pair. Similar results were obtained with oligonucleotides in
      which the deoxyinosine residue was placed in different surrounding nucleotide
      sequences. The enzyme had no detectable activity on mismatched G.T, A.G or A.C
      base pairs. The data indicate that hypoxanthine-DNA glycosylase participates in
      the repair of deaminated adenine residues in DNA.

PMID- 1861977
TI  - The use of a synthetic tRNA gene as a novel approach to study in vivo
      transcription and chromatin structure in yeast.
AB  - To monitor in vivo transcription and chromatin structure of yeast tRNA genes, we
      constructed a synthetic tRNA gene that can be used as a reporter. Constructs in
      which this synthetic tRNA gene is combined with different flanking regions can be
      integrated into the genome as single copies. The artificial tRNA gene is tagged
      by the insertion of an intron-like sequence that cannot be spliced out from the
      precursor and transcripts can thus be identified and quantitated. By several
      criteria, the artificial tRNA gene behaves like a resident tRNA gene. By
      measuring the accessibility towards DNaseI in chromatin, we found that the
      artificial tRNA gene exhibits the same characteristic pattern as resident tRNA
      genes. Three DNaseI-sensitive sites across the transcribed part of the gene and
      the immediate flanking regions reflect the formation of the stable transcription
      complex; positioned nucleosomes are observed in the upstream flanking region. We
      are confident that the system we have established will prove useful for studying
      regulatory aspects of tRNA gene expression as well as aspects of pre-tRNA
      processing and splicing.

PMID- 1861978
TI  - Striking homology of the 'variable' N-terminal as well as the 'conserved core'
      domains of the mouse and human TATA-factors (TFIID).
AB  - A complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding a mouse TFIID (mIID) was isolated from mouse
      brain cDNA libraries. The 316 amino acid sequence deduced from cDNA sequences
      revealed the presence of an amino-terminal region enriched in serine, threonine,
      and proline (STP-cluster), an uninterrupted stretch of 13 glutamine residues (Q
      run), a second STP-cluster, and a conserved carboxy-terminal region. Amino acid
      sequences of the first STP-cluster and the conserved carboxy-terminal region were
      identical to those of the human TFIID (hIID). However, the Q-run was considerably
      shorter than that in hIID and sequences in the second STP-cluster diverged from
      those of the hIID. The murine TFIID transcript is expressed as a 2 kilobase
      poly(A)+ RNA in the mouse brain. Southern blot analysis identified a single gene
      copy per haploid mouse genome.

PMID- 1861979
TI  - A developmentally regulated gene encodes the dictyostelium homolog of yeast
      ribosomal protein S4 and mammalian LLRep3 proteins.
AB  - We report the sequence and expression of a single-copy gene from Dictyostelium
      discoideum which encodes the homolog of yeast ribosomal protein S4, a protein
      located on the small ribosomal subunit and known to play an important role in
      maintaining translational fidelity. Over a highly conserved central region, the
      Dictyostelium protein has 78% sequence similarity to the yeast protein and 83%
      sequence similarity to mammalian S4 protein homologs, the LLRep3 proteins. The
      Dictyostelium gene encodes a polypeptide 28,717 Da in size and hence this
      ribosomal protein has been named rp29. The N-terminal sequence of the
      Dictyostelium rp29 protein is extended by 61 amino acids and 14 amino acids
      compared to the mammalian and yeast proteins, respectively, and the C-terminus is
      correspondingly 15 amino acids or 2 amino acids shorter. Although the coding
      region of the rp29 gene is present on a single exon, a 157bp intron interrupts
      the 5' untranslated region and unusually contains four direct repeats of the
      sequence TCAATCT. The gene is expressed maximally during vegetative growth but a
      second peak of expression also occurs late in development which is restricted to
      prestalk cells; rp29 is the first Dictyostelium ribosomal protein gene reported
      which shows prestalk-specific developmental expression. During each round of
      expression, only a single 0.9kb transcript is produced which is similar in size
      to the yeast S4 ribosomal protein transcript (0.8kb) but markedly smaller than
      the mammalian LLRep3 mRNA (1.7kb) due to a much shorter 5' untranslated region.

PMID- 1861980
TI  - K-tuple frequency in the human genome and polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - The frequency occurrences of K-tuple (overlapping sequences of defined length, K)
      were computed from the known human genome sequences. The significance of these
      frequencies for the whole human genome was tested by polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR). A computer programs based on these results was written to choose primers
      to amplify DNA target sequences, either of human genes or of human infectious
      agents. The software also gave nested primer sequences which were used to
      synthesize non radioactive probes by PCR. We applied these two methods, primer
      selection and non radioactive probes, to easily and quickly set up very efficient
      PCR sets to work in the human genome context.

PMID- 1861983
TI  - A sequence assembly and editing program for efficient management of large
      projects.
AB  - We describe a sequence assembly and editing program for managing large and small
      projects. It is being used to sequence complete cosmids and has substantially
      reduced the time taken to process the data. In addition to handling
      conventionally derived sequences it can use data obtained from Applied
      Biosystems,Inc. 373A and Pharmacia A.L.F. fluorescent sequencing machines.
      Readings are assembled automatically. All editing is performed using a mouse
      operated contig editor that displays aligned sequences and their traces together
      on the screen. The editor, which can be used on single contigs or for joining
      contigs, permits rapid movement along the aligned sequences. Insertions,
      deletions and replacements can be made in individual aligned readings and global
      changes can be made by editing the consensus. All changes are recorded. A click
      on a mouse button will display the traces covering the current cursor position,
      hence allowing quick resolution of problems. Another function automatically moves
      the cursor to the next unresolved character. The editor also provides facilities
      for annotating the sequences. Typical annotations include flagging the positions
      of primers used for walking, or for marking sites, such as compressions, that
      have caused problems during sequencing. Graphical displays aid the assessment of
      progress.

PMID- 1861982
TI  - The effect of the length of direct repeats and the presence of palindromes on
      deletion between directly repeated DNA sequences in bacteriophage T7.
AB  - The frequency of genetic deletion between directly repeated DNA sequences in
      bacteriophage T7 was measured as a function of the length of the direct repeat.
      The non-essential ligase gene (gene 1.3) of bacteriophage T7 was interrupted with
      pieces of synthetic DNA bracketed by direct repeats of various lengths. Deletion
      of these 76 bp long inserts was too low to be measured when the direct repeats
      were less than 6 bp long. However, the frequency of deletion of inserts with
      longer direct repeats increased exponentially as the length of the repeats
      increased from 8 to 20 bp. When inverted repeats (palindromes) were designed in
      the midst of the insert there was essentially no increase in deletion frequency
      between 10 bp direct repeats. But, the same palindromic sequences increased the
      deletion frequency between 5 bp direct repeats by at least two orders of
      magnitude. Thus, in this system homology at the endpoints is a more important
      determinant of deletion frequency than is the presence of palindromes between the
      direct repeats.

PMID- 1861981
TI  - Distribution and characterization of helix-loop-helix enhancer-binding proteins
      from pancreatic beta cells and lymphocytes.
AB  - Transcription of a number of mammalian genes is controlled in part by closely
      related DNA elements sharing a CAxxTG consensus sequence (E boxes). In this
      report, we survey cell extracts from a variety of mammalian cell lineages for
      ability to bind to the E box denoted IEB1/kappa E1, which plays an important role
      in expression of both insulin and immunoglobulin kappa genes. Insulin enhancer
      factor 1 (IEF1), a binding activity previously identified in beta cells, was also
      present in pituitary endocrine cells but absent in 7 other mammalian cell lines
      tested. A distinct binding activity, lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1), was
      observed in several lymphoid cell lines, but was absent from all nonlymphoid
      cells tested. IEF1 and LEF1 were distinct according to electrophoretic mobility,
      and DNA binding specificity. As previously reported, both beta cell and lymphoid
      cell factors are recognized by antibodies to helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins,
      indicating that they may contain functional helix-loop-helix dimerization
      domains. To directly demonstrate this, we showed that the binding factors are
      able to interact in vitro with the HLH domain of a characterized HLH protein.
      These results support the notion that HLH proteins play a key role in cell
      specific transcriptional regulation in cells from endocrine and lymphocyte
      lineages.

PMID- 1861984
TI  - Nucleotide preferences in sequence-specific recognition of DNA by c-myb protein.
AB  - Using a binding site selection procedure, we have found that sequence-specific
      DNA-binding by the mouse c-myb protein involves recognition of nucleotides
      outside of the previously identified hexanucleotide motif. Oligonucleotides
      containing a random nucleotide core were immunoprecipitated in association with c
      Myb, amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction and cloned in plasmids prior to
      sequencing. By alignment of sequences it was apparent that additional preferences
      existed at each of three bases immediately 5' of the hexanucleotide consensus,
      allowing an extension of the preferred binding site to YGRCVGTTR. The
      contributions of these 5' nucleotides to binding affinity was established in
      bandshift analyses with oligonucleotides containing single base substitutions; in
      particular, it was found that replacement of the preferred guanine at position -2
      with any other base greatly reduced c-Myb binding. We found that the protein
      encoded by the related B-myb gene bound the preferred c-Myb site with similar
      affinity; however, B-Myb and c-Myb showed distinct preferences for the identity
      of the nucleotide at position -1 relative to the hexanucleotide consensus. This
      study demonstrates that the c-Myb DNA-binding site is more extensive than
      recognised hitherto and points to similar but distinct nucleotide preferences in
      recognition of DNA by related Myb proteins.

PMID- 1861985
TI  - Single-base mutational analysis of cancer and genetic diseases using membrane
      bound modified oligonucleotides.
AB  - A convenient format for the detection of PCR amplified sequences is the
      hybridization of the PCR products to oligonucleotide probes which are immobilized
      on a solid phase. We describe a new method for site-specific attachment of such
      probe oligonucleotides to nylon membranes. The method is based on the formation
      of an amide bond between carboxyl groups present on the membranes and amino
      linkers situated on the 5' end of the oligonucleotides. The covalent attachment
      is via a carbodiimide mediated condensation. The single, 5' end attachment of the
      oligonucleotides to the membrane surface leaves the probe free to interact with
      complementary sequences, thus increasing the hybridization efficiency relative to
      methods where heat or ultraviolet light is used for non-specific fixation. Using
      biotinylated PCR products in hybridization reactions along with a non-radioactive
      chemiluminescent detection system, high efficiency hybridization is obtained as
      well as a very good signal to noise ratio. The method has been applied
      successfully to the detection of RAS point mutations, cystic fibrosis deletion
      and point mutations and others. The sensitivity, simplicity and reproducibility
      of this method make it an ideal tool for the diagnosis of infectious and genetic
      diseases, as well as analysis of mutations in neoplasias, HLA typing and other
      areas.

PMID- 1861987
TI  - Sequence of a tRNA gene cluster in Trypanosoma brucei.

PMID- 1861986
TI  - Transcription inhibition of the somatic-type phosphoglycerate kinase 1 gene in
      vitro by a testis-specific factor that recognizes a sequence similar to the
      binding site for Ets oncoproteins.
AB  - To elucidate the mechanism by which transcription of the somatic-type
      phosphoglycerate kinase 1 gene is inactivated during mammalian spermatogenesis,
      we examined the presence of specific transcription inhibitor(s) in the testis by
      a cell-free transcription system. Transcription of the mouse phosphoglycerate
      kinase 1 gene using nuclear extracts of the rat liver was significantly inhibited
      by the addition of testis extracts, whereas brain extracts had little effect.
      Transcription inhibition required the binding of a testis-specific factor,
      designated TIN-1, to the region between positions -268 and -259 relative to
      transcription initiation site at +1. This region had the sequence 5'-AGGAAGTTCC
      3' that includes an inverted repeat of the binding motif, 5'-GGAA-3', for the
      oncoprotein Ets. A UV-crosslinking experiment revealed that 43- and 45-kDa
      polypeptides present in testis extracts bind to that sequence. These results
      suggest that a testis-specific transcription inhibitor TIN-1 inactivates the
      phosphoglycerate kinase 1 gene in the mammalian spermatogenic pathway.

PMID- 1861988
TI  - Conserved KRAB protein domain identified upstream from the zinc finger region of
      Kox 8.

PMID- 1861989
TI  - M.EcoP15 methylates the second adenine in its recognition sequence.

PMID- 1861990
TI  - 36B4 cDNA used as an estradiol-independent mRNA control is the cDNA for human
      acidic ribosomal phosphoprotein PO.

PMID- 1861991
TI  - Location of the fpg gene on the Escherichia coli chromosome.

PMID- 1861992
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of beta-lactamase regulatory genes from staphylococcal
      plasmid pI258.

PMID- 1861993
TI  - cDNA and predicted amino acid sequences of the human ribosomal protein genes
      rpS12 and rpL17.

PMID- 1861994
TI  - Gel electrophoresis using a fluorescence agent for analysis and purification of
      non-labeled synthetic DNA fragments.

PMID- 1861995
TI  - Fingerprinting of diverse species with DNA probes generated from immobilized
      single-stranded DNA templates.

PMID- 1861996
TI  - Non-immunological precipitation of protein-DNA complexes using glutathione-S
      transferase fusion proteins.

PMID- 1861997
TI  - Improved detection of HBV DNA by PCR after microwave treatment of serum.

PMID- 1861998
TI  - Incomplete kinase labelling of PCR primers yields 'doublet' artifacts in
      denaturing gradient gels.

PMID- 1861999
TI  - 'Touchdown' PCR to circumvent spurious priming during gene amplification.

PMID- 1862000
TI  - Improved efficiency for single-sided PCR by creating a reusable pool of first
      strand cDNA coupled to a solid phase.

PMID- 1862001
TI  - A rapid membrane-based viral RNA isolation method for the polymerase chain
      reaction.

PMID- 1862002
TI  - A novel rapid method for detection of PCR products.

PMID- 1862003
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human GLUT2 locus.

PMID- 1862004
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human CTLA4 gene.

PMID- 1862006
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human cardiac beta-myosin gene.

PMID- 1862005
TI  - Tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human c-fes/fps proto-oncogene (FES).

PMID- 1862007
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism in the IL-2R beta gene.

PMID- 1862008
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the D21S198 locus.

PMID- 1862009
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the D9S55 locus.

PMID- 1862011
TI  - Colchicine: a state-of-the-art review.
AB  - Colchicine is an ancient drug that is attracting renewed interest because of its
      actions at a subcellular level. Specifically, it interferes with microtubule
      growth and therefore affects mitosis and other microtubule-dependent functions.
      Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for the action of colchicine in
      acute gouty arthritis, its interaction with cellular membrane and cyclic 3',5'
      adenosine monophosphate, and its action in amyloidosis. Pharmacokinetic studies
      have been relatively limited and their results somewhat contradictory, with mean
      terminal elimination half-lives of 19 minutes to 9 hours being reported. Some of
      these differences may be attributed to assay difficulties. Colchicine can cause
      gastrointestinal side effects and should be used with care to protect patients
      from toxic doses. Colchicine-induced myopathy and neuropathy may be more frequent
      than previously recognized, and therefore patients receiving long-term therapy
      should be monitored carefully. Bone marrow depression has been reported,
      primarily in cases of acute colchicine intoxication, and intravenous
      administration of the drug has been associated with severe pancytopenia and
      death. Colchicine intoxication causes multiple organ failure. Because of its
      cytogenic effects and reported association with Down's syndrome, the agent should
      not be used by pregnant women.

PMID- 1862012
TI  - Pharmacotherapy of otitis media.
AB  - The clinical manifestations of acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion
      are the result of abnormal eustachian tube function most often caused by
      inflammation from infection or allergy. The majority of cases involve bacterial
      infection of the middle ear caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus
      influenzae, or Branhamella catarrhalis. Nearly half of all children will have had
      at least one episode of acute otitis media by 1 year of age, and over 70% by 3
      years of age. The signs and symptoms include pain with rubbing or tugging at the
      ear, fever, irritability, lethargy, and hearing loss. The primary therapy for
      acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion is antibiotics with the goal of
      preventing possible complications and providing symptomatic relief. Amoxicillin
      remains the initial drug of choice in communities where beta-lactamase-producing
      strains of the common middle ear pathogens are infrequently isolated. If
      resistant organisms are prevalent, cefaclor, amoxicillin-clavulanate, or
      cotrimoxazole should be selected. Adjuvant agents such as decongestants have not
      been shown to provide additional therapeutic benefit. Children who develop
      chronic otitis media may require prophylactic antibiotic therapy and insertion of
      typanostomy tubes.

PMID- 1862013
TI  - Perspectives on geriatric pharmacotherapy.
AB  - In the United States the population over 85 years of age use a disproportionately
      large percentage of health care resources, including drugs. The elderly take
      approximately one-third of all medications. Among other factors, the need for
      several agents predisposes them to adverse drug reactions and drug interactions.
      Sequelae from drug usage in the elderly are more common than in younger patient
      populations, and often result in hospitalization. Careful patient monitoring is
      imperative for optimum pharmacotherapy in elderly patients.

PMID- 1862014
TI  - Management of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Alzheimer's disease represents the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.
      Current estimates suggest that nearly 50% of those over age 85 years have the
      disorder. Many gaps still exist in our understanding of its etiology and
      management. Scientific discoveries that once seemed to promise effective
      treatments have not lived up to our expectations. There are, however, many
      therapeutic interventions (environmental and pharmacologic) that can greatly
      enhance the quality of the lives of patients with Alzheimer's disease and that of
      their families.

PMID- 1862017
TI  - Central issues relevant to clinical pharmaceutical scientist training programs.

PMID- 1862015
TI  - Evaluation of an ibuprofen controlled-release tablet and placebo in postoperative
      oral surgery pain.
AB  - Seventy-four outpatients with postoperative pain after oral surgery were randomly
      assigned, on a double-blind basis, to receive a single oral dose of a controlled
      release tablet (CRT) containing 600 mg ibuprofen, two 600-mg ibuprofen CRTs, or
      placebo. Using a self-rating record, subjects rated their pain and its relief
      hourly for 12 hours after medicating. Estimates of total and peak analgesia were
      derived from these subjective reports. The ibuprofen CRTs (600 and 1200 mg) had
      manifested an analgesic effect by hour 1 and their efficacy persisted for 12
      hours. Comparable effect for the two ibuprofen CRT dosages could suggest a
      plateau in analgesia at the 600-mg level or a lack of upside assay sensitivity.
      Duration of effect was longer for the CRTs than we have previously observed with
      conventional ibuprofen tablets. Adverse effects were transitory and consistent
      with the known pharmacologic profile of the medication evaluated.

PMID- 1862018
TI  - [The edentulous mandible: biomorphological considerations and clinical
      applications].

PMID- 1862016
TI  - Effects of age on reporting of adverse clinical events: results from two
      postmarketing surveillance methods.
AB  - Two postmarketing surveillance methods were employed to determine the possible
      effects of age on reports by outpatients of adverse clinical events (ACEs)
      occurring shortly after treatment with targeted oral antibiotics or tricyclic
      antidepressants. One approach involved staff-initiated interviews of patients by
      telephone and the other involved patient-initiated telephone calls to report
      possible adverse drug reactions. Regardless of the method, the interviews
      obtained ACE reports both spontaneously and by review of organ systems. Both
      postmarketing methods confirmed monotonic relationships for age with treatment
      duration on the target drugs and with the number of concurrent medications.
      However, the expected positive correlation between age and spontaneously reported
      ACEs was evident only in the self-monitoring patients who initiated reports.
      Negative correlations between age and the number of reported valid ACEs were seen
      in six independent samples, whereas only two demonstrated a positive
      relationship. This disparity may elucidate a critical methodologic problem:
      careful attention must be paid to the means of eliciting information about
      possible adverse clinical events before attempting to study adverse drug
      reactions, which are necessarily a subset of ACEs.

PMID- 1862010
TI  - New nucleotide sequence data on the EMBL File Server.

PMID- 1862019
TI  - Childhood leprosy in northern India.
AB  - During a period of eight years, 132 new leprosy cases were detected in children
      ages 3 to 19 years. Borderline tuberculoid leprosy was present in 59%,
      tuberculoid in 7.6%, and indeterminate type in 3.8% patients. Single skin lesions
      were seen in a significant number (43.9%) of patients. Bacillus-positive disease
      was detected more often (17.4%) than in adults. A high frequency (66.6%) of nerve
      involvement was also detected. Deformities were uncommon. Males were more often
      affected than females, especially in the ages 10 to 14 and 15 to 19 years. A
      history of contact was available in only 19.7% patients, and the contact was
      intrafamilial in 84.6%.

PMID- 1862020
TI  - Mahogany discoloration of the skin due to the defensive secretion of a millipede.
AB  - An 8-year-old boy developed a sudden mahogany discoloration of his skin after
      exposure to defensive secretions of a millipede. The mechanisms and the
      composition of the secretion and other clinical features are briefly reviewed.

PMID- 1862022
TI  - McCune-Albright syndrome with multiple bilateral cafe au lait spots.
AB  - A 7-week-old infant developed hyperpigmented lesions at 5 days of age that
      gradually progressed to sharply demarcated, medium-brown macules of unusual
      configuration involving the neck, trunk, buttocks, upper arms, and right upper
      thigh. A biopsy specimen of a representative lesion showed changes of epidermal
      melanosis consistent with cafe au lait spot. At age 15 months the patient
      developed a limp. Roentgenographic evaluation showed widespread, bilateral
      changes of fibrous dysplasia, most severe in the right pelvis, femur, and tibia.
      At the present time he has no evidence of precocious puberty or other
      endocrinopathies. Despite the absence of endocrine abnormalities, these findings
      are consistent with a diagnosis of McCune-Albright syndrome with extensive bony
      and cutaneous lesions.

PMID- 1862021
TI  - Multiple pyogenic granulomata in childhood.
AB  - Multiple pyogenic granulomata are rare. Satellite lesions are infrequently
      associated with trauma to or treatment of the primary lesion. Rare cases of
      disseminated pyogenic granulomata have been reported. We report the occurrence of
      numerous, discrete, pyogenic granulomata in two young boys at locations remote
      from the primary excision site, and review the literature on multiple pyogenic
      granulomata. In patient no. 1, new lesions seemed to develop from 2- to 4-mm
      capillary hemangiomas both within and outside of a port-wine stain. Patient no. 2
      involves a previously unreported occurrence of numerous facial lesions.

PMID- 1862024
TI  - Congenital malalignment of the great toenails: case report and literature review.
AB  - A 10-year-old black boy had congenital malalignment of the great toenails
      (CMGTN). It is important to recognize this condition since several nail disorders
      can occur concurrently with and/or clinically mimic it. Treatment is dependent on
      the severity of the condition, and includes conservative management and
      subsequent examination to detect CMGTN-associated complications for patients with
      mild lateral deviation of the nail plate, or surgical realignment for individuals
      with either marked nail plate deviation or condition-related disabling sequelae.

PMID- 1862023
TI  - Congenital malalignment of the great toenails.
AB  - Congenital malalignment of the great toenails is a disorder in which malalignment
      of the nail matrix results in angular lateral nail plate growth. The consequence
      is onychodystrophy, which may progress to onychogryphosis and chronic ingrown
      toenails. There has been debate as to whether the condition is inherited or
      acquired in utero secondary to improper fetal positioning. A 6-year-old boy and
      his father, both of whom have this disorder, are discussed.

PMID- 1862025
TI  - Type 1 diabetes mellitus associated with livedo reticularis: case report and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Livedo reticularis (LR) has been associated with numerous systemic diseases. Its
      relationship to diabetes mellitus (DM), however, has been poorly characterized.
      We report a case of LR in a 17-year-old with type 1 DM.

PMID- 1862026
TI  - Severe febrile Mucha-Habermann's disease in children: case report and review of
      the literature.
AB  - Mucha-Habermann disease, or pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta, is
      usually a benign, papulosquamous, cutaneous disorder. It has also been reported
      in a severe form with fever and systemic symptoms both in children and adults. We
      report a 12-year-old boy with the febrile, ulceronecrotic type. A review of
      similar cases in the literature shows a 16% frequency of acute necrotic lesions,
      as well as rare complications such as fever, superinfected lesions, bacteremia
      (most often with Staphylococcus aureus), and rheumatologic manifestations such as
      arthritis and scleroderma. There is no definitive treatment, but tetracycline,
      erythromycin, methotrexate, and ultraviolet light are used most frequently. The
      most common histologic feature is mononuclear perivascular infiltrates. Mucha
      Habermann disease can mimic other common entities such as varicella and insect
      bites.

PMID- 1862027
TI  - Poikiloderma congenitale: case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Since birth an 8-year-old girl had a rash on both cheeks, consistent clinically
      and histologically with poikiloderma. She also had visual impairment to the
      extent of light perception only, due to microthalmia and dense scleralization of
      the corneas. These features were considered consistent with a diagnosis of
      Rothmund-Thomson syndrome.

PMID- 1862028
TI  - Treatment of spider telangiectases in children using the flashlamp-pumped pulsed
      dye laser.
AB  - Twelve children 2 to 10 years of age with spider telangiectases of the face were
      treated with a flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser at a wavelength of 585 nm and a
      pulse width of 450 microsec. Complete resolution of the telangiectases was noted
      in all 12 patients, without scarring or permanent pigmentary alteration of the
      skin.

PMID- 1862029
TI  - Therapeutic efficacy, secondary effects, and patient acceptability of 10% sulfur
      in either pork fat or cold cream for the treatment of scabies.
AB  - Twenty-six children with scabies and 32 contacts were treated with 10% sulfur in
      cold cream. A 100% clinical cure rate was observed, although 56.8% of patients
      experienced some kind of mild, transient cutaneous reaction. An additional 25
      children with scabies and 28 contacts were treated with 10% sulfur and 1%
      salicylic acid in pork fat. Of these, 88% were clinically cured and 73.5% had
      some cutaneous adverse effects. In both groups, most adverse effects were related
      to skin dryness or postscabetic reaction. The cold cream base was more acceptable
      to patients than the pork fat base. However, the pork fat base was significantly
      cheaper and easier to obtain than the cold cream base, and 238 times less
      expensive than the cheapest commercial scabicidal medication available in the
      United States.

PMID- 1862030
TI  - Transverse striate leukonychia associated with cancer chemotherapy.

PMID- 1862031
TI  - What syndrome is this characteristic of? Dyskeratosis congenita.

PMID- 1862032
TI  - Exophytic scalp tumor in a newborn.

PMID- 1862033
TI  - Pityriasis versicolor in the pediatric age.
AB  - Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a superficial mycosis, theoretically unusual in
      children. Epidemiologic and clinical data for children with PV over 11 years was
      collected. Some explanations are given for the conditions that favored this
      mycotic infection in children. This study confirms that the face is a usual site
      of PV in children, in contrast to its rarity as a site in adults. Clinical
      features are variable and similar to adults. Both sexes are equally affected. The
      family history is often positive for PV.

PMID- 1862034
TI  - Perianal streptococcal dermatitis: diagnostic considerations.

PMID- 1862037
TI  - Lichen nitidus actinicus.

PMID- 1862036
TI  - Long-term follow-up of a patient with lymphomatoid papulosis.

PMID- 1862035
TI  - Warts in blacks versus whites.

PMID- 1862039
TI  - Cardiac transplantation. How recipients are selected.
AB  - Your patients with heart disease may ask about transplantation. Those who are
      potential candidates need a physician who knows enough about the selection system
      to get them into it. For other patients, an explanation of why the procedure is
      contraindicated in their case can help them refocus on compliance with
      recommended therapy. The authors discuss the principles of recipient selection.

PMID- 1862038
TI  - Bell's palsy. A diagnosis of exclusion.
AB  - In cases of acute unilateral facial weakness, a careful and systematic evaluation
      is necessary to identify the cause. Idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's palsy) is
      a diagnosis of exclusion. It is also the most common cause of unilateral facial
      weakness seen by primary care physicians. The most important aspect of initial
      treatment is eye protection. Administration of systemic oral corticosteroids may
      lessen severity and duration of symptoms.

PMID- 1862040
TI  - Farm injuries. How can the family farm be made a safer place?
AB  - Farming is a dangerous life-style and occupation for children and adults.
      Dangerous situations are taken in stride and considered part of life on a family
      farm. Regulatory and educational programs and funding have been minimal in the
      United States. Physicians have been a major force in accident-prevention efforts
      in other segments of society and can be instrumental in preventing farm injuries
      as well by extending these educational efforts to rural communities.

PMID- 1862041
TI  - Burning pain in an extremity. Breaking the destructive cycle of reflex
      sympathetic dystrophy.
AB  - The pathogenesis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is controversial, but the
      condition can result from a major or seemingly minor injury to a limb, or even an
      insult to an organ, such as stroke or myocardial infarction. Onset can be sudden
      or insidious. The syndrome is characterized primarily by localized, deep, burning
      pain in a limb--pain that may not follow any logical distribution. Nonpitting
      edema, skin hyperesthesia, and guarding of the limb usually accompany the pain.
      If treatment is not instituted, deformity, contracture, and wasting of the limb
      can eventually occur. With appropriate therapy, the process can be stopped and
      often reversed. The keys are a high index of suspicion, early diagnosis, and
      aggressive treatment.

PMID- 1862042
TI  - Acid peptic disease in adolescents. How to avoid misdiagnosis and undertreatment.
AB  - Acid peptic disease in adolescents may be more common than previously recognized.
      However, appropriate medical attention is often delayed because of misdiagnosis
      and undertreatment. Thorough questioning of adolescent patients is important to
      elicit a complete description of symptoms. Endoscopy or intraluminal pH
      monitoring may be necessary to establish a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux
      disease or peptic ulcer. Therapy with histamine receptor antagonists, especially
      ranitidine (Zantac), is recommended. Antireflux surgery may be needed to prevent
      potential long-term gastrointestinal damage. Patients with duodenal ulcer should
      also be advised to make life-style changes to avoid recurrence of disease later
      in life.

PMID- 1862043
TI  - Office dermatologic surgery and laser therapy.
AB  - As the result of a dramatic increase in the incidence of skin cancer and the need
      for effective outpatient surgical treatment, dermatology is now a surgical as
      well as a medical specialty, and many procedures are commonly performed on an
      outpatient basis. Mohs micrographic surgery is used to remove basal cell and
      squamous cell carcinomas, and the resulting cure rates are high. Excisional
      biopsy can facilitate the early diagnosis of melanoma, while it is still in
      clinical stage I. Carbon dioxide lasers are commonly used to destroy epidermal
      lesions and yellow light lasers to destroy hemangiomas or other vascular
      malformations. Facial chemical peel (chemexfoliation) with trichloroacetic acid
      can improve the appearance of photoaged skin.

PMID- 1862044
TI  - Febrile seizure. Caring for patients--and their parents.
AB  - Management of febrile seizure involves diagnosis and treatment of the underlying
      cause and assessment of risk factors for recurrence. What should physicians tell
      anxious parents about this frightening occurrence? Is prophylaxis with
      anticonvulsant agents appropriate? The authors address these questions and
      discuss the changing approach to management of febrile seizure.

PMID- 1862045
TI  - Thromboembolism prophylaxis. Choosing the proper method for surgical patients.
AB  - The primary care physician can play a major role in preoperative consultation in
      terms of assisting the surgical team to reduce the risk of thromboembolism. A
      preoperative risk assessment takes into account the type and duration of surgery
      as well as the existence of risk factors such as age and underlying medical
      conditions. With careful communication, the consulting physician and surgical
      team can together select a method of preventing thromboembolism that will prove
      both safe and effective.

PMID- 1862046
TI  - Drug-induced renal toxicity. Help in recognizing offending agents.
AB  - Drug-induced kidney disease is common, especially in hospitalized patients, and
      prompt recognition of the various nephrotoxic syndromes is important because many
      are reversible. Risk factors should be assessed before patients are given an
      agent that may cause acute renal failure (eg, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
      drug, aminoglycoside antibiotic, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor,
      radiocontrast agent). Discontinuation of the responsible drug is often the only
      necessary therapy.

PMID- 1862048
TI  - There's no such thing as a free trip.

PMID- 1862047
TI  - Primary pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - Dyspnea is the most common symptom of primary pulmonary hypertension, an often
      fatal disease that has no apparent cause. Decreased cardiac output, congestive
      heart failure, and increased systemic venous pressure occur as the disease
      progresses. Use of oxygen therapy and vasodilators improves the prognosis in some
      patients. Those with little hope for long-term survival may benefit from heart
      and lung transplantation.

PMID- 1862049
TI  - Treatment of colonic diverticulitis.

PMID- 1862050
TI  - Dosage of ACE inhibitors.

PMID- 1862051
TI  - Ventricular arrhythmias. When should they be suppressed?
AB  - Patients with asymptomatic ventricular premature complexes who do not have
      evidence of heart disease should not be treated with either class I or class III
      (Vaughan Williams) antiarrhythmic drugs. Patients who are symptomatic may be
      given beta blockers. In patients who have heart disease, a number of risk factors
      may play a part, and the decision regarding therapy is more difficult. However,
      symptomatic patients with either sustained or nonsustained ventricular
      tachycardia must be treated with antiarrhythmic agents. In some patients,
      implantation of an automatic defibrillator may be necessary.

PMID- 1862052
TI  - Supraventricular tachycardia. Changes in management.
AB  - The various forms of supraventricular tachycardia can be differentiated by
      careful review of a patient's electrocardiogram. If reentrant tachycardia
      involves the atrioventricular node, intravenous adenosine (Adenocard) provides a
      rapid means of converting the tachycardia to sinus rhythm. Adverse effects of
      adenosine, though common, are mild and of brief duration. Wide QRS complex
      tachycardia of ventricular origin is usually not affected by the drug.

PMID- 1862053
TI  - Cardiovascular causes of syncope. Identifying and controlling trigger mechanisms.
AB  - Syncope usually has a cardiovascular source, so neurologic evaluation has a low
      diagnostic yield in these patients. Cardiac arrhythmias in persons with or
      without structural heart disease can produce syncope. Neurocardiogenic
      dysfunction that results in diminished venous return and hypercontractility is
      another frequent cause. Postural hypotension or left ventricular outflow
      obstruction may also be to blame. Careful history taking and physical
      examination, head-up tilt testing, echocardiography or radionuclide isotope
      imaging, and electrophysiologic study are often diagnostic. However, syncope
      remains undiagnosed in some patients, and they may require periodic reassessment.
      Treatment options are available for most cardiovascular disorders, among them use
      of pharmacologic agents; catheter, surgical, or radio-frequency modification of
      certain tachycardias; and permanent pacing.

PMID- 1862054
TI  - Urinary incontinence. Not a 'normal' part of aging.
AB  - Urinary incontinence is a common problem that affects millions of elderly men and
      women and their caregivers. Evaluation of incontinence is easy and inexpensive
      and does not require hospitalization. A basic evaluation consists of history
      taking (including a review of drug use), physical examination, and appropriate
      laboratory testing. Urodynamic evaluation may also be necessary. Treatment may
      consist of behavior modification techniques (eg, Kegel exercises, biofeedback,
      bladder retraining), use of a mechanical device or pharmacologic agent, or
      surgery. Should medical and surgical methods fail, alternatives are available to
      ensure patients' well-being and comfort.

PMID- 1862055
TI  - Herd immunity and the HIV epidemic.
AB  - Background. Herd immunity describes the collective immunocompetence of a
      population and its ability to resist disease. The diseases of mycobacteria,
      salmonella, hepatitis A, cryptosporidia, syphilis, measles, influenza, and
      numerous others recently have been seen in epidemic proportions in the United
      States. An association between these superimposed secondary infections and the
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic can be made since the HIV's
      imposition on individual immunity has ramifications on a population level through
      a decline in herd immunity. Conclusion. Exploring these epidemic phenomena as
      consequential to a reduction in herd immunity can provide a unifying hypothesis
      to explain existing and predict future infectious disease epidemic dynamics. The
      benefits of acting upon these implications has advantages for both the HIV
      infected and the uninfected.

PMID- 1862057
TI  - Screening mammography rates and barriers to use: a Los Angeles County survey.
AB  - The use of screening mammography among women 40 years of age and older in Los
      Angeles County was assessed through a random digit dial telephone interview. The
      sample of 802 women represents a large urban population with substantial
      proportions of blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. The survey obtained information
      regarding adherence to the ACS/NCI screening mammography guidelines, perceived
      benefits of early detection and mammography, perceived threat of developing
      breast cancer, and barriers to utilization. The results showed that 71% of the
      women had had at least one mammogram, with 49% having received a screening
      mammogram according to the guidelines for their age. Less than half the
      respondents knew the screening guidelines for their age, with women ages 40-49
      years being less knowledgeable than women greater than or equal to 50 years old
      (29 vs 58% answering correctly). A logistic regression analysis predicting the
      likelihood of having obtained a screening mammogram according to the guidelines
      found the following to be predictive: concern over radiation (negative
      association), age (negative association), family history, knowledge of
      guidelines, and cost of a mammogram (negative association). Other demographic
      factors and beliefs were not significantly related to this dependent variable.

PMID- 1862056
TI  - Premenopausal determinants of menopausal estrogen use.
AB  - METHODS: Characteristics related to subsequent use of estrogen replacement
      therapy were evaluated prospectively in a cohort of 541 healthy premenopausal
      women being followed through the menopausal transition. RESULTS: Among women who
      became menopausal during the follow-up period, the most striking premenopausal
      baseline differences between menopausal estrogen users and never users were that
      users tended to be thinner and more likely to report past oral contraceptive use
      than never users (P less than or equal to 0.05). Nonsignificant trends were also
      observed, with menopausal estrogen users having higher total high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol and lower fasting insulin prior to estrogen use than the
      menopausal never users (P less than or equal to 0.10). Weaker trends included
      greater alcohol intake and past week kilocalorie expenditure and lower blood
      pressure levels among menopausal estrogen users than never users. CONCLUSIONS:
      Although these findings do not preclude the probable protective effect of
      estrogen therapy on coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality, they do
      suggest that slightly healthier women may take menopausal hormones.

PMID- 1862058
TI  - A successful physician training program in cholesterol screening and management.
AB  - METHOD: Thirty-six resident physicians received a blood cholesterol training
      program which included training in blood cholesterol screening using a
      fingerstick method and a desktop analyzer, diet assessment and counseling, and a
      management protocol for follow-up diet and drug treatment. The program also
      included feedback to residents about their blood cholesterol screening activity,
      incentives, and biweekly articles in the department newsletter. RESULTS: Between
      1986-1987 (baseline) and 1987-1988 (intervention), the percentage of the target
      patient population (ages 20-65 years, nonpregnant, not screened in the previous
      year) that was screened for hypercholesterolemia in this primary care practice
      increased from 16.2 to 23.2% [rate difference (RD) = 7.0; 95% confidence interval
      (CI) = 4.75-9.25]. The mean value of the screening tests decreased from 5.36
      mmol/liter (207.2 mg/dl) to 5.08 mmol/liter (196.6 mg/dl; t = 2.98, P = 0.003)
      and the percentage of the population screened needing further evaluation
      decreased from 36.8 to 27.6% (RD 9.2; CI = 2.00-14.00). In the intervention year,
      compared with the baseline year, patients with a borderline blood cholesterol and
      cardiovascular risk factors were more likely to have a follow-up test (28.8% vs
      11.9%, RD = 16.9; 95% CI = 0.80-33.00) and the low-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol test was used less for screening (8.2% vs 19.4%, P less than 0.0001).
      Conclusion. We conclude that this program was effectively integrated into a busy
      primary care practice, leading to improvement in blood cholesterol screening and
      management practices.

PMID- 1862059
TI  - A simple score and questionnaire to measure group changes in dietary fat intake.
AB  - BACKGROUND: A short 12-term questionnaire was designed to measure changes in the
      dietary intake of saturated and total fat among groups of people attending health
      promotion events. A simple score (the fat-habits score) derived from the
      questionnaire was compared with estimates of saturated and total fat intake (%
      total energy) estimated from a standard 180-item food frequency questionnaire of
      105 children (less than 18 years) and 202 adults (greater than 18 years).
      RESULTS: The correlation coefficients for saturated fat intake and the fat-habits
      score were 0.60 (95% CI = 0.50 to 0.68) in adults and 0.54 (95% CI = 0.39 to
      0.66) in children, and those for total fat and the fat-habits score were 0.46
      (95% CI = 0.41 to 0.56) in adults and 0.40 (95% CI = 0.22 to 0.55) in children.
      Linear regression equations relating the fat-habits score to saturated and total
      fat were used to predict changes in fat intake in 12 children and 27 adults who
      completed both questionnaires 6 months apart. The differences between the
      predicted changes in saturated and total fat and the observed changes measured by
      the food frequency questionnaires were not significant (saturated fat: adults 
      0.3%, 95% CI = -1.3 to 0.7%; children -0.2%, 95% CI = -1.7 to 1.3%; total fat:
      adults -0.6%, 95% CI = -2.9 to 1.7%; children -0.4%, 95% CI = -2.8 to 2.0%). The
      study had a 90% power of detecting a difference between the predicted and the
      observed changes for saturated fat of greater than +/- 1.7% (adults) and +/- 2.5%
      (children), and for total fat of greater than +/- 3.9% (adults) and +/- 4.0%
      (children). Conclusion. Thus simple scores can be used to evaluate group changes
      in fat intake.

PMID- 1862060
TI  - Characteristics of participants in a televised smoking cessation intervention.
AB  - Participants in various components of a televised self-help smoking cessation
      program, based on the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking in 20
      Days, are compared with a sample of the population of smokers to whom the
      intervention was addressed. Over 325,000 smokers in the target population were
      exposed to the program at some level. Most watched televised segments.
      Approximately 75,000 manuals were distributed and about 55,000 were used.
      Comparisons between participants and the targeted smoking population indicate
      that the intervention attracted those in the smoking population who are expected
      to be the majority of smokers by the Year 2000-blacks, females, and those with
      incomes under $13,000 per year. Participants with these characteristics were most
      likely to view the televised segments. Heavy smokers, females, and those with the
      most education were most likely to refer to the manual at least twice a week
      during the intervention. Older, nonblack participants and those with incomes of
      $13,000 or more per year were most likely to attend group support sessions
      outside the home. Overall, the patterns of association indicate that although a
      televised smoking cessation program can attract individuals similar to those
      projected to be smokers in 2000, participation in various components of the
      intervention will vary by demographic characteristics.

PMID- 1862061
TI  - Evaluation of a multicomponent group smoking cessation program.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Participants who had completed a multicomponent group smoking
      cessation program were interviewed to determine their smoking status and
      satisfaction with the program. METHODS: The follow-up interviews occurred an
      average of 20 months after entry to the program, with a response rate of 80% (89
      out of 111 enrollees). Most individuals interviewed (82%) were able to quit for
      at least 24 hr; 25% were able to maintain nonsmoking status for 1 year or longer.
      RESULTS: Initial quit rates were comparable for both men and women, but women
      were more than twice as likely to have relapsed by the time of the follow-up
      interview. Participants rated self-monitoring as the most helpful of 10 program
      components, including nicotine fading, nicotine gum, group support, health
      information, and talks by ex-smokers. Ratings for the program overall were higher
      than the rating of any individual component. CONCLUSIONS: Since earlier studies
      have found that successful quitters use more coping strategies than relapsers,
      multicomponent programs offer participants an opportunity to learn a variety of
      techniques and choose the combination that works best for them.

PMID- 1862062
TI  - Preventing alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use among adolescents: peer pressure
      resistance training versus establishing conservative norms.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Two strategies for preventing the onset of alcohol abuse, and
      marijuana and cigarette use were tested in junior high schools in Los Angeles and
      Orange Counties, California. The first strategy taught skills to refuse substance
      use offers. The second strategy corrected erroneous normative perceptions about
      prevalence and acceptability of use among peers and established conservative
      groups norms regarding use. METHODS: Four experimental conditions were created by
      randomly assigning schools to receive (a) neither of the experimental curricula
      (placebo comparison), (b) resistance skill training alone, (c) normative
      education alone, or (d) both resistance skill training and normative education.
      Students were pretested prior to the program and post-tested 1 year following
      delivery of the program. RESULTS: There were main effects of normative education
      for summary measures of alcohol (P = 0.0011), marijuana (P = 0.0096), and
      cigarette smoking (P = 0.0311). All individual dichotomous measures of alcohol,
      marijuana, and tobacco use indicated significant reductions in onset attributable
      to normative education. There were no significant main effects of resistance
      skill training. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that establishing conservative
      norms is an effective strategy for preventing substance use.

PMID- 1862063
TI  - Paradoxical effects of blood alcohol concentration charts.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine the association between alcohol
      drinking and the possession of blood alcohol concentration charts. METHOD: A
      total of 30 college-age subjects participated in the study. Subjects were
      randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. All subjects
      answered a short entrance questionnaire to determine their height and weight.
      Those assigned to the experimental group were supplied a copy of a blood alcohol
      concentration chart and instructed in its use. The volume of alcoholic beverages
      consumed was surreptitiously counted for all subjects. Prior to leaving the
      premises the subjects completed an exit questionnaire which asked them to
      estimate the amount of alcohol they had consumed, whether they had driven to the
      pub, and whether they intended to drive away. The time spent in the pub was noted
      for each subject. RESULTS: Among those in the control group there was a tendency
      to overestimate the volume consumed, and for those in the experimental group, a
      tendency to more accurately estimate their consumption. Those given blood alcohol
      concentration charts consumed alcohol at a significantly higher rate than did
      those in the control group. CONCLUSION: A likely explanation for this outcome is
      that the chart served as a stimulus to prompt a drinker to more quickly achieve a
      blood alcohol level consistent with his/her drinking expectancies.

PMID- 1862064
TI  - A short history of occupational fitness and health promotion.
AB  - The suggestion of a linkage between adequate exercise and occupational health
      dates back to Ramazzini's classical observations on cobblers and tailors.
      However, excessive hours of work at too high an intensity were of greater concern
      than increase of fitness or health promotion in the early phases of the
      industrial revolution. Loss of physical condition is a more recent phenomenon,
      and it can be traced to automation in industry and the home, progressive
      urbanization, and widespread use of the automobile. The Canadian government has
      seen worksite fitness and health promotion programs as convenient tactics to
      reverse this trend. Exercise programs apparently yield a healthier and more
      effective labor force, and major corporations have thus followed the government's
      lead in developing fitness and health promotional facilities as a part of
      personnel or occupational health departments. Some health economists have
      suggested a substantial return upon such investment, but most corporations still
      regard the promotion of fitness and a healthy lifestyle as an expression of good
      citizenship. Currently, unifocal fitness programs are being replaced by modular
      health programs that address a wide range of lifestyle issues, including
      nutrition, stress relaxation, cigarette addiction, and drug abuse. The purpose of
      the present brief review is to trace from a personal perspective the development
      of an interest in employee fitness as an important component of occupational
      health programs over the past 300 years. The linkage of this phenomenon to the
      changing human demands of the worksite will also be explored.

PMID- 1862065
TI  - Pseudocysts in chronic pancreatitis: a morphological analysis of 57 resection
      specimens and 9 autopsy pancreata.
AB  - The pathology of chronic pancreatitis is reviewed in order to study the histology
      and incidence of pseudocysts in relation to the degree of pancreatic fibrosis and
      calcification. The series consisted of 57 resection specimens (49 partial
      pancreatectomy specimens and 8 total pancreatectomy specimens) and 9 autopsy
      pancreata. The histology of cystic lesions observed in the specimens was found to
      be identical to that of pseudocysts in acute pancreatitis. In 19 of 57, there was
      concomitant occurrence of focal autodigestive (fat) necrosis and pseudocysts.
      Pseudocysts were more common in specimens with focal fibrosis and few
      calcifications (13/25) than in those with diffuse advanced fibrosis and numerous
      calcifications (15/41). The findings indicate that sequelae of acute pancreatitis
      are frequently present in chronic pancreatitis, particularly in an early stage
      when fibrosis is still focal and calcification rare. This suggests that chronic
      pancreatitis may result from relapses of severe acute pancreatitis. A
      pathogenetic concept that relates acute pancreatitis with chronic pancreatitis is
      proposed.

PMID- 1862066
TI  - Human cytotoxic lymphocytes reactive with pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells.
AB  - In this study we describe the establishment of long-term cytotoxic T lymphocyte
      (CTL) cell lines and clones from lymph nodes of 9 pancreatic cancer patients by
      stimulation with allogeneic pancreatic tumor cell lines. The CTL cells exhibited
      strong cytolytic activity against many, but not all, allogeneic pancreatic tumor
      cell lines, but showed little or no reactivity against most nonpancreatic tumor
      cells, indicating they were detecting non-HLA antigens. Most of the cells from
      the established CTL cell lines were CD3+, and the CD8 antigen was also expressed
      on the majority of the cells. Occasional cultures exhibited a broad spectrum of
      cytolytic activity, and such CTL cell lines showed high expression of the natural
      killer (NK) cell markers, Leu-19 and Leu-11b. Seven clones were established from
      two CTL cell lines (LT and RE). These clones exhibited functional and phenotypic
      heterogeneity. The cytolytic activity of CTL cell lines and clones was inhibited
      by antibodies to CD3 antigen. Immunoprecipitation experiments using an anti-CD3
      monoclonal antibody (Leu4) or anti-alpha/beta T cell receptor antibody (beta f1)
      revealed the presence of two bands of Mr 40,000 and Mr 50,000 in clones positive
      for the alpha/beta T cell receptor. The in vivo effects of the LT cytotoxic
      clones were studied in the Winn assay using pancreatic tumor xenografts in nude
      mice. Subcutaneous injections of a mixture of the cytotoxic clones and pancreatic
      tumor cells resulted in a complete inhibition of tumor development, whereas mice
      given injections of tumor cells and CTL clones that lacked cytotoxic activity
      against pancreatic cells developed tumors.

PMID- 1862067
TI  - Pancreatic release of pancreastatin in the pig.
AB  - It is known that pancreastatin-like immunoreactivity (PLI) occurs in the
      secretory granules of the islet B- and D-cells in the pig pancreas, and that
      porcine pancreastatin inhibits insulin secretion in rats and mice. In this study,
      we characterized the porcine plasma PLI and examined whether PLI is released from
      the pig pancreas in vivo. We found that PLI in unextracted pig plasma largely
      consists of two high-molecular fractions, with Mr values of 80-85,000 and 300
      350,000, respectively. In addition, a small peak of PLI eluted after gel
      filtration at the position of synthetic porcine pancreastatin. After extraction
      on octadecylsilyl silica, virtually all PLI disappeared except in the fraction co
      eluting with porcine pancreastatin. In thiopenthal-anesthetized pigs, plasma
      samples were obtained from the carotid artery and the superior
      pancreaticoduodenal vein. By multiplying the venous-arterial concentration
      difference by the pancreatic venous plasma flow, a net pancreatic output of PLI
      of 420 +/- 120 pmol/min was found. This pancreatic PLI output was significantly
      reduced by electrical stimulation of the local autonomic nerves along the
      superior artery during atropine administration (p less than 0.001). Furthermore,
      the pancreatic venous PLI levels were elevated during intravenous infusion of
      glucose (p less than 0.01). We conclude that pig plasma PLI levels can be
      measured by radioimmunoassay after extraction on octadecylsilyl silica and that
      there is a net pancreatic output of PLI, which is reduced by sympathetic
      stimulation and enhanced during hyperglycemia.

PMID- 1862068
TI  - Effects of zinc and copper deficiency associated with protein or lipid deficiency
      on rat exocrine pancreatic secretion.
AB  - Copper and zinc are both secreted by the pancreas but are necessary for
      pancreatic secretion. We have studied the effects of a 4- or 8-week zinc or
      copper-deficient diet associated with or without lipid or protein deficiency on
      rat pancreatic secretion after stimulation by secretin, cerulein, or
      intraduodenal oleic acid. Twenty animals were in the control group; 40 rats were
      fed a copper-deficient diet (20 copper-deficient only and 20 copper- plus lipid
      deficient). Ninety rats were deprived of zinc (30 of zinc-deficient only, 30 zinc
      plus protein-deficient, 30 of zinc- plus lipid-deficient). Only the zinc- plus
      lipid-deficient diet for 8 weeks decreased basal bicarbonate and basal protein
      secretion (-42 and -70%, respectively, of the control values). Stimulated
      secretion was not markedly altered by copper deficiency while zinc deficiency,
      zinc plus protein deficiencies, and zinc plus lipid deficiencies suppressed
      almost responses to hormonal stimulation: After 8 weeks, the maximal protein
      response to oleic acid was reduced to 19.00 +/- 3.40, 18.58 +/- 3.00, and 12.04
      +/- 2.91 microgram/30 min/g body weight in zinc- zinc and protein-; and zinc- and
      lipid-deficient diet, respectively, versus 39.87 +/- 6.33 microgram/30 min/g body
      weight (p less than 0.05) in controls. In all types of stimulation, lipid
      deficiency potentiated the deleterious effect of zinc deficiency on pancreatic
      secretion. This might be paralled with an extremely low level of lipid in the
      diet of people living in countries in which nutritional pancreatitis is observed
      and with the relative risk of developing an alcoholic chronic pancreatitis being
      increased by a low fat diet.

PMID- 1862069
TI  - Hormonal control of pancreatic secretion by intrajejunal HCl: studies in dogs
      with an autotransplanted entire jejunoileum.
AB  - To elucidate the role of hormones in the control of pancreatic secretion, we
      developed, in seven dogs, a model of total extrinsic denervation of the
      jejunoileum by autotransplanting this segment of bowel. A Thomas-like cannula was
      placed into the stomach, the duodenum (to collect pure pancreatic juice), and the
      proximal part of the jejunum. Thus, intestinal stimulants could only stimulate
      the pancreas via release of humoral (= hormonal) mediators. Seven control dogs
      received only the three fistulas. After recovery, dose-response curves of
      pancreatic bicarbonate and protein response to perfusion of the extrinsically
      denervated or innervated jejunoileum with HCl (1.5 to 48 mmol h-1) were performed
      with and without atropine (14 nmol kg-1 h-1 i.v.). Plasma levels of secretin were
      determined by radioimmunoassay. The maximal bicarbonate output occurred in
      response to 24 mmol h-1 of HCl and was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher in
      intact as compared to denervated animals. Atropine only significantly depressed
      the bicarbonate response to HCl in dogs with a denervated jejunoileum. HCl caused
      a dose-dependent increase in plasma levels of secretin, which was not altered by
      denervation and/or atropine. Irrespective of the innervation of the small bowel,
      pancreatic protein output was only significantly stimulated above basal when high
      loads (12-48 mmol h-1) of HCl were given. Atropine significantly reduced these
      responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862070
TI  - Venous bypass grafting for celiac occlusion in radical pancreaticoduodenectomy.
AB  - Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed for cancer of the head of the
      pancreas in a 65-year-old male patient with congenital celiac occlusion.
      Preoperative angiography revealed that the arterial flow to the liver, spleen,
      and stomach was supplied via the pancreaticoduodenal arcade and that the dorsal
      pancreatic artery arose from the superior mesenteric artery. In order to perform
      radical pancreatectomy with sufficient clearance of lymph nodes and soft tissues
      around the pancreas, the celiac arterial circulation was reconstructed. The
      restoration of flow was effected via a saphenous vein graft between the common
      hepatic artery and the aorta. Postoperative angiography demonstrated patency of
      the graft. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful.

PMID- 1862071
TI  - Allosteric and catalytic binding of S-adenosylmethionine to Escherichia coli DNA
      adenine methyltransferase monitored by 3H NMR.
AB  - Adenine methylation of GATC sequences in DNA is carried out by the DNA adenine
      methyltransferase with the methyl group source being the cofactor S
      adenosylmethionine. We report 3H NMR studies on the interaction of DNA adenine
      methyltransferase with S-adenosylmethionine and the reaction when the ternary
      complex is formed with an oligonucleotide containing a GATC site. The methylation
      reaction was also studied in the presence of a competitive inhibitor and this
      showed two successive stages involved in the methylation and two sites of binding
      for S-adenosylmethionine.

PMID- 1862072
TI  - Expression of biologically active human corticosteroid binding globulin by insect
      cells: acquisition of function requires glycosylation and transport.
AB  - Human corticosteroid binding globulin (hCBG) is a 50- to 55-kDa serum
      glycoprotein that binds cortisol and progesterone with high affinity. To map the
      steroid-binding domain and to investigate the folding pathways of hCBG, we have
      established an expression system based on infection of insect cells with a
      recombinant baculovirus encoding hCBG. Infected Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells
      secrete immunoreactive hCBG at high levels (16-24 pmol per 10(6) cells per 40 h),
      and the recombinant protein binds cortisol with an affinity and specificity
      equivalent to that of human serum-derived hCBG. Thus, this system has the
      potential to provide large amounts of wild-type and mutant hCBGs for physical
      chemical analysis. Cotranslational asparagine-linked glycosylation is essential
      for acquisition of steroid-binding capability, as shown by the lack of cortisol
      binding activity of unglycosylated hCBG secreted in the presence of tunicamycin.
      Golgi-associated oligosaccharide processing, however, is not required for
      activity, as demonstrated by the endoglycosidase H susceptibility of the fully
      active, secreted glycoprotein. Comparison of the steroid-binding properties of
      intracellular and secreted hCBG with that synthesized in vitro in the rabbit
      reticulocyte lysate system suggests that this protein undergoes a maturation
      process during transport through the secretory pathway. This system will be
      useful for identifying the molecular determinants of biological function in hCBG.

PMID- 1862073
TI  - Theoretical studies on the dihydrofolate reductase mechanism: electronic
      polarization of bound substrates.
AB  - We have applied local density functional theory, an ab initio quantum mechanical
      method, to study the shift in the spatial electron density of the substrate
      dihydrofolate that accompanies binding to the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. The
      results shed light on fundamental electronic effects due to the enzyme that may
      contribute to catalysis. In particular, the enzyme induces a long-range
      polarization of the substrate that perturbs its electron density distribution in
      a specific and selective way in the vicinity of the bond that is reduced by the
      enzyme. Examination of the electron density changes that occur in folate reveals
      that a similar effect is seen but this time specifically at the bond that is
      reduced in this substrate. This suggests that the polarization effect may be
      implicated in the reaction mechanism and may play a role in determining the
      sequence whereby the 7,8-bond in folate is reduced first, followed by reduction
      of the 5,6-bond in the resulting dihydro compound.

PMID- 1862075
TI  - Olfactory computation and object perception.
AB  - Animals that are primarily dependent on olfaction must obtain a description of
      the spatial location and the individual odor quality of environmental odor
      sources through olfaction alone. The variable nature of turbulent air flow makes
      such a remote sensing problem solvable if the animal can make use of the
      information conveyed by the fluctuation with time of the mixture of odor sources.
      Behavioral evidence suggests that such analysis takes place. An adaptive network
      can solve the essential problem, isolating the quality and intensity of the
      components within a mixture of several individual unknown odor sources. The
      network structure is an idealization of olfactory bulb circuitry. The dynamics of
      synapse change is essential to the computation. The synaptic variables themselves
      contain information needed by higher processing centers. The use of the same
      axons to convey intensity information and quality information requires time
      coding of information. Covariation defines an individual odor source (object),
      and this may have a parallel in vision.

PMID- 1862074
TI  - High density lipoprotein loses its effect to stimulate efflux of cholesterol from
      foam cells after oxidative modification.
AB  - In this study, we performed oxidative modification of high density lipoprotein
      (HDL) in vitro. The amount of lipid peroxide increased when either HDL2 or HDL3
      was incubated with phosphate-buffered saline containing 5 microM CuSO4 for 24 h
      at 37 degrees C, indicating that both fractions of HDL were oxidatively modified.
      This modification resulted in denaturation of apolipoprotein AI on SDS/PAGE and
      increased the negative charge on agarose gel electrophoresis. When incubated with
      macrophage-derived foam cells, native HDL caused a marked efflux of cholesterol
      from them, leading to a decrease in the amount of cholesteryl ester in the cells.
      However, oxidized HDL showed a lessened effect on the decrease of cholesteryl
      ester in foam cells. These data suggest that oxidative modification of HDL may
      stimulate development of atherosclerosis by limiting efflux of cholesterol from
      foam cells.

PMID- 1862076
TI  - Rhodopsin mutations in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
AB  - DNA samples from 161 unrelated patients with autosomal dominant retinitis
      pigmentosa were screened for point mutations in the rhodopsin gene by using the
      polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Thirty
      nine patients were found to carry 1 of 13 different point mutations at 12 amino
      acid positions. The presence or absence of the mutations correlated with the
      presence or absence of retinitis pigmentosa in 174 out of 179 individuals tested
      in 17 families. The mutations were absent from 118 control subjects with normal
      vision.

PMID- 1862078
TI  - v-abl causes hematopoietic disease distinct from that caused by bcr-abl.
AB  - v-abl, the oncogene transduced by Abelson murine leukemia virus, was first
      characterized by its ability to transform lymphoid cells. bcr-abl, the oncogene
      formed by a t(9;22) translocation thought to occur in human hematopoietic stem
      cells, is detectable in almost all cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a
      malignancy of granulocytic cells. bcr-abl also causes a CML-like syndrome in mice
      whose bone-marrow cells are infected with a retrovirus transducing the gene. More
      recent reports have suggested that v-abl can, however, cause a disease similar to
      CML. We demonstrate here that v-abl, when transduced in a helper virus-containing
      system, causes disease similar to, but distinct from, the CML-like syndrome
      induced by bcr-abl. Animals whose bone marrow has been infected by v-abl virus
      develop modest splenomegaly, marked granulocytosis, and malignant disease of
      several hematopoietic cell types. Unlike animals with CML-like disease resulting
      from bcr-abl, the polymorphonuclear leukocytes from animals infected with a v-abl
      construct do not contain the v-abl provirus at a significant frequency.
      Histopathologic analysis also shows significant differences between the diseases
      caused by v-abl and bcr-abl.

PMID- 1862077
TI  - Error filtration, interference, and the human linkage map.
AB  - Typing error is a major problem in constructing human linkage maps, leading to
      incorrect orders and inflating map lengths. An error filter is incorporated into
      multiple pairwise analysis that corrects for inflation of map lengths and
      improves recovery of the correct order. Multipoint mapping is more sensitive to
      error, but when its output is adjusted for both error and interference, map
      lengths are no longer inflated in proportion to the number of loci and are close
      to those obtained by multiple pairwise analysis.

PMID- 1862079
TI  - Presence of activin (erythroid differentiation factor) in unfertilized eggs and
      blastulae of Xenopus laevis.
AB  - Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, has
      recently been found to have potent mesoderm-inducing activity on isolated early
      Xenopus animal-cap cells. We measured the activin activity of the Xenopus egg
      extract by using an erythroid-differentiating test with Friend leukemia cells.
      The results showed that an activin homologue is, indeed, contained in
      unfertilized eggs and blastulae of Xenopus laevis in a considerable amount. This
      activity was eluted at the same retention time as human activin A when
      fractionated by reversed-phase HPLC. Furthermore, the fraction containing
      erythroid-differentiating factor activity had mesoderm-inducing activity on
      Xenopus animal-cap cells. The mesoderm-inducing activity of this fraction was
      suppressed when coincubated with follistatin, an activin-binding protein. These
      results suggest that an endogenous activin may be a natural mesoderm-inducing
      factor acting in Xenopus embryogenesis.

PMID- 1862080
TI  - Adaptation of bird hemoglobins to high altitudes: demonstration of molecular
      mechanism by protein engineering.
AB  - Of two closely related species of geese, one, the greylag goose, lives in the
      Indian plains all year round, while the other, the bar-headed goose, lives at the
      Tibetan lakes and migrates across the Himalayas to winter in India. Another
      species, the Andean goose, lives in the High Andes all year round. Possession of
      a Hb with high oxygen affinity helps to adapt bar-headed and Andean geese to high
      altitudes. The Hb amino acid sequences of the bar-headed and the greylag geese
      differ by four substitutions, of which only one is unique among bird sequences:
      Pro-119 alpha (H2)----Ala. Perutz proposed that the two-carbon gap left by this
      substitution at the alpha 1 beta 1 contact raises the oxygen affinity, because it
      relaxes the tension in the deoxy or T structure [Perutz, M. F. (1983) Mol. Biol.
      Evol. 1, 1-28]. It was later found that the Hb of the Andean goose has a gap in
      the same position, due to the complementary substitution Leu-55 beta (D6)----Ser.
      We have tested Perutz's hypothesis by introducing each of these substitutions
      into human globin synthesized in Escherichia coli. The reconstituted Hbs combine
      cooperatively with oxygen. Their oxygen affinities exceed that of normal human Hb
      by an even larger factor than that found between the high-flying geese and the
      greylag goose. The mutant Hb Met-55 beta (D6)----Ser was crystallized. Its
      structure is the same as that of HbA, except in the immediate environment of the
      gap left by the substitution of the serine for the methionine side chain, which
      evidently causes the increased oxygen affinity of this Hb.

PMID- 1862081
TI  - Molecular cloning and expression in photosynthetic bacteria of a soybean cDNA
      coding for phytoene desaturase, an enzyme of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.
AB  - Carotenoids are orange, yellow, or red photo-protective pigments present in all
      plastids. The first carotenoid of the pathway is phytoene, a colorless compound
      that is converted into colored carotenoids through a series of desaturation
      reactions. Genes coding for carotenoid desaturases have been cloned from microbes
      but not from plants. We report the cloning of a cDNA for pds1, a soybean (Glycine
      max) gene that, based on a complementation assay using the photosynthetic
      bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus, codes for an enzyme that catalyzes the two
      desaturation reactions that convert phytoene into zeta-carotene, a yellow
      carotenoid. The 2281-base-pair cDNA clone analyzed contains an open reading frame
      with the capacity to code for a 572-residue protein of predicted Mr 63,851.
      Alignment of the deduced Pds1 peptide sequence with the sequences of fungal and
      bacterial carotenoid desaturases revealed conservation of several amino acid
      residues, including a dinucleotide-binding motif that could mediate binding to
      FAD. The Pds1 protein is synthesized in vitro as a precursor that, upon import
      into isolated chloroplasts, is processed to a smaller mature form. Hybridization
      of the pds1 cDNA to genomic blots indicated that this gene is a member of a low
      copy-number gene family. One of these loci was genetically mapped using
      restriction fragment length polymorphisms between Glycine max and Glycine soja.
      We conclude that pds1 is a nuclear gene encoding a phytoene desaturase enzyme
      that, as its microbial counterparts, contains sequence motifs characteristic of
      flavoproteins.

PMID- 1862082
TI  - Monomeric erythrocyte band 3 protein transports anions.
AB  - The anion transport system of the human erythrocyte membrane was reconstituted in
      egg phosphatidylcholine membranes by using either the unmodified transport
      protein, band 3, or covalently crosslinked band 3 dimers. Unilamellar vesicles of
      a diameter of 32 +/- 3 nm were then isolated from the sample by passage through a
      French press and subsequent gel filtration. According to sedimentation
      equilibrium measurements, around 85% of the vesicles were devoid of protein. The
      remaining 15% contained either a single band 3 monomer or, when crosslinked band
      3 protein was used, a single band 3 dimer. Vesicles containing either single
      monomers or single dimers showed a rapid, inhibitor-sensitive sulfate efflux, and
      the turnover numbers of band 3 for the inhibitor-sensitive flux component were
      identical in both systems. This shows that monomeric band 3 protein is able to
      transport anions and that dimerization of the protein does not change its
      transport activity.

PMID- 1862083
TI  - Reversed siderophores act as antimalarial agents.
AB  - We describe here a family of biomimetic iron carriers that display high binding
      efficiency for ferric ions and favorable permeation properties across
      erythrocytic membranes. These carriers inhibit in vitro growth of Plasmodium
      falciparum by scavenging intracellular iron. The chemical features were realized
      by reproducing the iron-binding cavities of natural iron carriers (siderophores)
      and by systematic substitutions of their hydrophilic envelopes for more
      hydrophobic ones. In contrast to natural carriers, which participate in receptor
      mediated iron uptake in cells and act as growth promoters, our synthetic carriers
      were designed to penetrate cellular membranes by diffusion, scavenge
      intracellular iron, and thereby act as growth inhibitors. Based on these
      properties we designate the compounds reversed siderophores and refer to the
      specific analogs of the natural ferrichrome as synthetic ferrichromes. The
      antimalarial activity of the synthetic ferrichromes correlated with their
      lipophilicity, and this antimalarial activity was averted when the chelators were
      applied as iron (III) complexes. The sites of synthetic ferrichrome action reside
      in the intraerythrocytic parasite and not in serum or on normal erythrocyte
      components. The agents were effective against all stages of parasite growth and
      against a variety of multidrug-resistant strains of P. falciparum. The most
      potent agent of this synthetic ferrichrome series, SF1-ileu, was not toxic to
      mammalian cells in culture and was 15-fold more potent and 20-fold faster acting
      than desferrioxamine. Taken in toto, these agents constitute a series of
      promising candidates for future use in malaria chemotherapy.

PMID- 1862084
TI  - Rat liver canalicular membrane vesicles contain an ATP-dependent bile acid
      transport system.
AB  - The secretion of bile by the liver is primarily determined by the ability of the
      hepatocyte to transport bile acids into the bile canaliculus. A carrier-mediated
      process for the transport of taurocholate, the major bile acid in humans and
      rats, was previously demonstrated in canalicular membrane vesicles from rat
      liver. This process is driven by an outside-positive membrane potential that is,
      however, insufficient to explain the large bile acid concentration gradient
      between the hepatocyte and bile. In this study, we describe an ATP-dependent
      transport system for taurocholate in inside-out canalicular membrane vesicles
      from rat liver. The transport system is saturable, temperature-dependent,
      osmotically sensitive, specifically requires ATP, and does not function in
      sinusoidal membrane vesicles and right side-out canalicular membrane vesicles.
      Transport was inhibited by other bile acids but not by substrates for the
      previously demonstrated ATP-dependent canalicular transport systems for organic
      cations or nonbile acid organic anions. Defects in ATP-dependent canalicular
      transport of bile acids may contribute to reduced bile secretion (cholestasis) in
      various developmental, inheritable, and acquired disorders.

PMID- 1862085
TI  - Evidence for nuclear targeting of prothymosin and parathymosin synthesized in
      situ.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that prothymosin and parathymosin contain amino acid
      sequences that cause them to be targeted to the cell nucleus, expression vectors
      were constructed containing a simian virus 40 promoter and cDNAs that would code
      for chimeric proteins composed of truncated human growth hormone (hGH) linked to
      the NH2 terminus of prothymosin or parathymosin. The truncated hGH lacked the
      signal peptide sequence required for its secretion. After transfection of these
      constructs into HeLa S3 cells, which do not normally synthesize hGH, the use of
      indirect immunofluorescence staining to follow the localization of the hGH
      chimeras demonstrated that both prothymosin and parathymosin caused targeting to
      the cell nucleus. Controls with a construct coding for native hGH only, and one
      coding for the truncated hGH lacking the signal peptide, revealed secretion into
      culture medium and staining in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in
      the first case, and diffuse staining throughout the cytoplasm in the second. The
      results provide direct evidence, with proteins synthesized in situ, for the
      presence of nuclear localization signals in both prothymosin and parathymosin.

PMID- 1862086
TI  - Protein kinase C redistribution within CA3 stratum oriens during acquisition of
      nictitating membrane conditioning in the rabbit.
AB  - This manuscript describes experiments designed to investigate protein kinase C
      redistribution occurring during acquisition of the rabbit nictitating membrane
      (NM) conditioned response (CR). The first experiment defined the acquisition
      phase of the NM response for our laboratory. A group of rabbits (n = 6) was given
      2 days of paired NM training; a second group (n = 6) was given 2 days of unpaired
      NM training. The data document a variable level of responding on day 1 for
      rabbits given paired training (mean +/- SEM, 21 +/- 11% CRs) but show that on day
      2 most rabbits reached the behavioral asymptote (five of six rabbits responding
      with greater than 85% CRs). Rabbits responding at the behavioral asymptote were
      defined as having acquired the NM conditioned response. These data were
      interpreted to indicate that 1 day of training initiated processes necessary for
      behavioral acquisition (i.e., responding at the behavioral asymptote). A
      quantitative film autoradiographic study of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding
      was then used to determine the distribution of hippocampal protein kinase C in
      rabbits sacrificed after receiving either 1 day of paired stimuli (n = 10), 1 day
      of unpaired stimuli (n = 6), or no stimuli (n = 6). Autoradiograms were analyzed
      by measuring binding in strictly defined regions of interest and from transept
      profiles. A significant increase in binding of the phorbol ester was found in the
      CA3 stratum oriens in the paired group relative to unpaired and naive controls.
      No other significant differences were found.

PMID- 1862087
TI  - Transforming growth factor beta 1 is present at sites of extracellular matrix
      gene expression in human pulmonary fibrosis.
AB  - Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an inexorably fatal disorder characterized by
      connective tissue deposition within the terminal air spaces resulting in loss of
      lung function and eventual respiratory failure. Previously, we demonstrated that
      foci of activated fibroblasts expressing high levels of fibronectin, procollagen,
      and smooth muscle actin and thus resembling those found in healing wounds are
      responsible for the connective tissue deposition and scarring in idiopathic
      pulmonary fibrosis. Using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we now
      demonstrate the presence of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), a
      potent profibrotic cytokine, in the foci containing these activated fibroblasts.
      These results suggest that matrix-associated TGF-beta 1 may serve as a stimulus
      for the persistent expression of connective tissue genes. One potential source of
      the TGF-beta 1 is the alveolar macrophage, and we demonstrate the expression of
      abundant TGF-beta 1 mRNA in alveolar macrophages in lung tissue from patients
      with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

PMID- 1862088
TI  - Cholinesterase-like domains in enzymes and structural proteins: functional and
      evolutionary relationships and identification of a catalytically essential
      aspartic acid.
AB  - Primary sequences of cholinesterases and related proteins have been
      systematically compared. The cholinesterase-like domain of these proteins, about
      500 amino acids, may fulfill a catalytic and a structural function. We identified
      an aspartic acid residue that is conserved among esterases and lipases (Asp-397
      in Torpedo acetylcholinesterase) but that had not been considered to be involved
      in the catalytic mechanism. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that this
      residue is necessary for activity. Analysis of evolutionary relationships shows
      that the noncatalytic members of the family do not constitute a separate
      subgroup, suggesting that loss of catalytic activity occurred independently on
      several occasions, probably from bifunctional molecules. Cholinesterases may thus
      be involved in cell-cell interactions in addition to the hydrolysis of
      acetylcholine. This would explain their specific expression in well-defined
      territories during embryogenesis before the formation of cholinergic synapses and
      their presence in noncholinergic tissues.

PMID- 1862089
TI  - Preferential integration of marker DNA into the chromosomal fragile site at 3p14:
      an approach to cloning fragile sites.
AB  - Fragile sites are specific regions of chromosomes that are prone to breakage. In
      cells cultured under conditions that induce fragile site expression, high levels
      of inter- and intrachromosomal recombination have been observed involving
      chromosomal bands containing fragile sites. To determine whether expression of
      specific fragile sites would facilitate preferential integration of exogenous DNA
      at these recombination hot spots, the vector pSV2Neo was transfected into a
      Chinese hamster-human somatic cell hybrid containing a derivative chromosome 3 as
      its only human component. Chromosome 3 contains a common fragile site at band
      3p14.2 (FRA3B) that is induced by aphidicolin. Both cells induced to express
      FRA3B and the uninduced control cells were transfected with the pSV2Neo
      selectable plasmid. In situ hybridization of a biotin-labeled pSV2Neo probe to
      metaphase chromosomes revealed one to three integration sites in each stably
      transfected clone. Four of 13 clones transfected under conditions of FRA3B
      induction showed integration of pSV2Neo at 3p14; these clones also showed
      specific integration into hamster chromosome 1 and a rearranged chromosome
      characteristic of CHO cells (mar2). The 7 control clones, however, showed an
      apparently random pattern of pSV2Neo integration. Significant hybridization of
      pSV2Neo to both FRA3B and Chinese hamster chromosomes 1 and mar2 was seen in 100
      cells from pooled colonies transfected after treatment with aphidicolin. These
      results suggest that preferential integration of marker DNA into human and
      Chinese hamster fragile sites occurs with exposure to aphidicolin. The nature of
      the DNA sequences at fragile sites is unknown and, despite a number of
      approaches, these sequences have not yet been isolated; our procedure may
      represent an approach to the cloning of fragile sites.

PMID- 1862090
TI  - Correlation between retinoblastoma gene expression and differentiation in human
      testicular tumors.
AB  - Inactivation of the retinoblastoma gene (RB gene) is associated with the
      development of several human malignancies including retinoblastomas, some osteo-
      and soft tissue sarcomas, small cell lung cancer, and possibly breast and bladder
      cancers. To our knowledge, this gene has not been evaluated in human germ-cell
      malignancies. In this study 67 primary testicular germ-cell tumors and 4
      testicular non-germ-cell malignancies were examined to determine the prevalence
      and nature of RB gene alterations. Decreased expression of RB gene mRNA was found
      in all testicular germ-cell tumors (both seminomas and nonseminomas) examined.
      The RB protein could not be detected by immunohistochemical analysis in the
      undifferentiated cells of any germ-cell tumors whereas the differentiated
      malignant cells present in 14/15 teratocarcinomas expressed the protein. No gross
      alterations of the RB gene were found at DNA level in any of the examined
      specimens. This and the presence of the RB protein in the more differentiated
      tumor cells of teratocarcinomas suggest that changes in transcript levels rather
      than mutation(s) of the gene may be responsible for the absent or decreased RB
      expression in human germ-cell tumors. To date studies on the mechanism of RB
      regulation have demonstrated that it occurs at the protein level by
      phosphorylation of the p105 gene product. The findings presented here indicate
      that additional regulation might occur at the transcript level.

PMID- 1862091
TI  - Nucleotide polymorphism and evolution in the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
      dehydrogenase gene (gapA) in natural populations of Salmonella and Escherichia
      coli.
AB  - Nucleotide sequences of the gapA gene, encoding the glycolytic enzyme
      glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, were determined for 16 strains of
      Salmonella and 13 strains of Escherichia coli recovered from natural populations.
      Pairs of sequences from strains representing the eight serovar groups of
      Salmonella differed, on average, at 3.8% of nucleotide sites and 1.1% of inferred
      amino acids, and comparable values for E. coli were an order of magnitude smaller
      (0.2% and 0.1%, respectively). The rate of substitution at synonymous sites was
      significantly higher for codons specifying the catalytic domain of the enzyme
      than for those encoding the NAD(+)-binding domain, but the nonsynonymous
      substitution rate showed the opposite relationship. For Salmonella, statistical
      tests for nonrandom clustering of polymorphic sites failed to provide evidence
      that intragenic recombination or gene conversion has contributed to the
      generation of allelic diversity. The topology of a tree constructed from the gapA
      sequences was generally similar to that of phylogenetic trees of the strains
      based on multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, but the level of divergence of gapA
      in Salmonella group V from other Salmonella and E. coli strains is much greater
      than that indicated by DNA hybridization for the genome as a whole.

PMID- 1862092
TI  - Origin of a "bridge" intron in the gene for a two-domain globin.
AB  - Red cells of the clam Barbatia reeveana express two hemoglobins, one composed of
      16- to 17-kDa chains and the other of 35-kDa chains. The nucleotide sequence of
      the cDNA encoding the 35-kDa chain shows that the polypeptide has two very
      similar heme-binding domains, which are joined without use of an additional
      bridging sequence. Two novel introns occur in the gene for the two-domain globin:
      one, the "precoding" intron, is located two bases 5' from the start codon, and
      the other, a "bridge" intron, separates the DNA sequences encoding the two
      domains. Close correspondence exists between the 3' end of the precoding intron
      and the 3' end of the bridge intron and between parts of the 3' noncoding region
      of the cDNA for the two-domain globin and the 5' end of the bridge intron. These
      observations indicate that the bridge intron arose by unequal crossing-over
      between two identical or very similar genes for a single-domain globin. This
      conclusion, together with the proposal that exons were initially independent
      "minigenes" [Gilbert, W. (1987) Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 52, 901
      905], suggests that many introns may have evolved from the 5' noncoding region of
      one gene and/or the 3' noncoding region of a second gene. This hypothesis implies
      that splice junctions would be associated with the original NH2 and COOH termini
      of proteins and provides an explanation for the observation that splice junctions
      usually map to protein surfaces. They do so because most NH2- and COOH-terminal
      residues are usually located on or near the surfaces of proteins.

PMID- 1862093
TI  - Identification of prolactin and growth hormone binding proteins in rabbit milk.
AB  - Two distinct soluble proteins that specifically bind 125I-labeled human growth
      hormone (GH) are identified in the supernatant of ultracentrifuged rabbit milk,
      using HPLC gel filtration. The higher molecular weight proteins is GH specific,
      whereas the other one is specific for prolactin (PRL). The PRL-binding protein
      has a very high affinity for the hormone, almost 10 times higher than the
      affinity of the mammary gland membrane receptor. The PRL-binding protein is
      immunoprecipitated by a monoclonal antibody against the PRL receptor; another
      monoclonal antibody, which inhibits the PRL binding to mammary gland membranes,
      is a poor competitor for the PRL binding to the milk protein. These findings
      suggest that the milk PRL-binding protein corresponds to the binding domain of
      the receptor, but also that the conformation of the receptor and of the binding
      protein might differ. The milk and the plasma GH-binding proteins have a similar
      binding affinity. In cross-linking experiments using 125I-labeled human GH, the
      Mr of the GH-binding protein and of the PRL-binding protein were estimated to be
      51,000 and 33,000, respectively. The binding proteins identified in the present
      work are probably responsible for the transport of their specific ligands in the
      milk. It is also conceivable that they have a role in the effects of GH and PRL
      in the mammary gland and/or the intestine of the young.

PMID- 1862094
TI  - Photoinduced degradation of the D1 polypeptide in isolated reaction centers of
      photosystem II: evidence for an autoproteolytic process triggered by the
      oxidizing side of the photosystem.
AB  - When the isolated D1/D2/cytochrome b559 complex was exposed to bright light, a
      distinctive pattern of D1 polypeptide fragments was observed under both aerobic
      and anaerobic conditions. The major degradation product had an apparent molecular
      mass of 24 kDa, while other fragments were detected at 17, 14, and 10 kDa by
      immunoblotting. This pattern was observed when the electron acceptors 2,5-dibromo
      3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone or silicomolybdate were present during
      illumination. It is known that these conditions stabilize P680+ chlorophyll and
      bring about the photooxidation and destruction of pigments in the reaction
      center, particularly chlorophyll absorbing at 670 nm and beta-carotene. When
      P680+ was not allowed to accumulate, either by omission of an electron acceptor
      or by addition of both an electron donor (Mn2+) and an acceptor, no breakdown
      fragments were observed. In the former case, however, some degradation of the D1
      and D2 polypeptides did occur. Under conditions that gave rise to the
      characteristic D1 breakdown pattern, the D2 polypeptide was also degraded to
      specific fragments detected at about 29 and 21 kDa by immunoblotting. The results
      indicate that the photoinduced degradation of D1 (and D2) does not involve
      exogenous proteases but is most likely an autoproteolytic process. Moreover, our
      data indicate that the photochemical damage giving rise to D1 and D2 degradation
      occurs on the oxidizing rather than the reducing side of photosystem II and
      involves photooxidation of the accessory pigments. The results are discussed in
      terms of D1 and D2 turnover and photoinhibition.

PMID- 1862096
TI  - Role of diversifying selection and gene conversion in evolution of major
      histocompatibility complex loci.
AB  - Genes at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in mammals are known to have
      exceptionally high polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium. In addition, these
      genes form highly complicated gene families that have evolved through gene
      conversion and unequal crossing-over. It has been shown recently that amino acid
      substitution at the antigen recognition site (ARS) is more rapid than synonymous
      substitution, suggesting some kind of positive natural selection working at the
      ARS. It is highly desirable to know the interactive effect of gene conversion and
      natural selection on the evolution and variation of MHC gene families. A
      population genetic model is constructed that incorporates both selection and gene
      conversion. Diversifying selection is assumed in which sequence diversity is
      enhanced not only between alleles at the same locus but also between duplicated
      genes. Expressed and nonexpressed loci are assumed as in the class I gene family
      of MHC, with gene conversion occurring among all loci. Extensive simulation
      studies reveal that very weak selection at individual amino acid sites in
      combination with gene conversion can explain the unusual pattern of evolution and
      polymorphisms. Here both gene conversion and natural selection contribute to
      enhancing polymorphism.

PMID- 1862095
TI  - Sequestration of basic fibroblast growth factor in the primate retinal
      interphotoreceptor matrix.
AB  - The interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) occupies the extracellular space between the
      photoreceptors of the retina and the apical surface of the retinal pigmented
      epithelium. A large proportion of the IPM is composed of aqueous-insoluble
      glycoconjugates, including chondroitin sulfate-containing proteoglycans, the
      distribution of which exhibits both apical-basal and photoreceptor cell type
      specific heterogeneities. The precise function of most insoluble IPM constituents
      is unknown, although the available evidence suggests some may contribute to
      retinal adhesion or photoreceptor survival. We have now identified basic
      fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), or an immunologically related protein from the
      FGF family, within the IPM. The IPM is labeled on sections of primate retinas by
      a battery of polyclonal antibodies (Abs) directed against various peptide
      sequences of bFGF and by an Ab to bovine brain bFGF. bFGF Abs also bind to
      purified preparations of aqueous-insoluble IPM. All bFGF Abs utilized cross-react
      with equivalent low molecular mass components of 16.5-17.5 kDa on Western blots
      of insoluble IPM proteins, purified bFGF, and recombinant bFGF. The Abs do not
      bind any aqueous-soluble IPM components, suggesting that the bFGF is normally
      bound to an insoluble IPM constituent(s) in situ. The fact that bFGF is
      sequestered in the IPM and is located in such close proximity to the
      photoreceptors, the retinal pigmented epithelium, and Mueller's glia raises the
      strong possibility that it is synthesized by and regulates the activities of one
      or more of these three cell types in vivo.

PMID- 1862097
TI  - Expression of an antisense viral gene in transgenic tobacco confers resistance to
      the DNA virus tomato golden mosaic virus.
AB  - Transgenic tobacco plants carrying a genetic cassette including an antisense DNA
      sequence of the virally encoded AL1 gene of the geminivirus tomato golden mosaic
      virus (TGMV) were constructed; AL1 encodes a protein absolutely required for TGMV
      DNA replication. These genetic cassettes also contained, on the same
      transcription unit, a gene encoding hygromycin resistance, which allowed
      selection for concomitant expression of the antisense gene. In transgenic lines,
      RNA transcripts of the predicted size and strand specificity were detected in
      antisense plants and sense controls. After infection of plants with TGMV, by
      agroinoculation, the frequency of symptom development was very significantly
      reduced in a number of antisense lines and correlated, broadly, with the
      abundance of antisense RNA transcript and with a reduction in viral DNA harvested
      from infected leaf tissue. We used an in vitro assay to study viral DNA
      replication in the absence of cell-to-cell spread; no replication was seen in
      five of the six antisense lines studied, in contrast to controls.

PMID- 1862098
TI  - Proximity measurements between H-2 antigens and the insulin receptor by
      fluorescence energy transfer: evidence that a close association does not
      influence insulin binding.
AB  - Reports based on coprecipitation experiments have suggested that major
      histocompatibility complex class I products are complexed with the insulin
      receptor on the cell surface. Using an independent method that avoids the
      creation of immunoprecipitation artifacts during membrane solubilization, we have
      studied insulin receptor-class I product associations by determining the
      proximity between these class I products and the insulin receptor on intact cells
      with the use of fluorescence energy transfer. Significant energy transfer was
      seen between the insulin receptor and both murine H-2K- as well as H-2D-end
      products, indicating close proximity (e.g., within 10 nm). This cell-surface
      association is not from the relatively high class I density in that no
      significant energy transfer was measured between H-2K- vs. H-2D-end proteins. To
      extend these observations, we also tested whether class I products influence
      insulin-receptor binding and postbinding events as a result of their physical
      association. Using related cell lines positive and negative for class I
      expression, we found no correlation between insulin-receptor density or binding
      affinity with H-2 product expression. The class I-null variant, however,
      demonstrated an increase in insulin-mediated insulin-receptor internalization to
      suggest that if major histocompatibility complex class I products directly affect
      insulin-receptor function through specific cell-surface interactions, they may do
      so after ligand binding.

PMID- 1862099
TI  - Rapid medium perfusion rate significantly increases the productivity and
      longevity of human bone marrow cultures.
AB  - Long-term in vitro human hematopoietic (Dexter) cultures are limited both in
      their longevity (8-12 weeks) and in their cell production over time.
      Hematopoiesis in vivo continues unabated throughout life, suggesting that failure
      to obtain continuous hematopoiesis in vitro is probably due to the failure of
      culture conditions to accurately reproduce the in vivo state. Since bone marrow
      cells in vivo exist at high density and are rapidly perfused by plasma
      components, we examined the effects of the culture medium perfusion rate and
      inoculum density on longevity and productivity of human bone marrow cultures.
      Culture efficiency and longevity were relatively independent of the variation in
      inoculum density from 10(6) to 5 x 10(6) cells per ml but were significantly
      altered by the medium perfusion rate. Increased culture perfusion was superior to
      traditional Dexter schedules, with 0.5 medium volume exchange per day (3.5 volume
      per week) being optimal. The cultures under these conditions demonstrated an
      increasing rate of cell production from weeks 4 to 10, with the cell production
      rate doubling approximately every 2 weeks. Following weeks 10-12 in culture, the
      cell production rate of all cultures decayed. Production of nonadherent
      progenitor cells was also highest in cultures perfused at 3.5 medium volume
      exchanges per week, where progenitor cell production was stable from weeks 6 to
      18. The nonadherent cells collected were predominantly macrophages by week 19,
      except for the cultures perfused at a rate of 3.5 volumes per week and seeded at
      5 x 10(6) cells per ml, in which production of granulocytes remained high through
      week 19. Establishment of more optimal perfusion conditions supports the
      continuous stable generation of progenitor cells over 5 months in culture,
      suggesting that primitive stem cells are surviving and proliferating in these
      cultures.

PMID- 1862101
TI  - Maternal inheritance of centrosomes in mammals? Studies on parthenogenesis and
      polyspermy in mice.
AB  - The centrosome, the microtubule-organizing center of the cell, is introduced
      typically by the sperm at fertilization. In some mammals, however, this paternal
      pattern of inheritance appears to be violated. The hypothesis that the centrosome
      is maternally inherited was tested during parthenogenesis, polyspermy, and
      polygyny as well as after recovery from microtubule inhibition at first mitosis.
      During parthenogenesis the paternal contribution was absent, and in polyspermy
      the paternal contribution was multiplied. Haploid and diploid parthenogenotes as
      well as polyspermic and digynic fertilized eggs each segregated their centrosomes
      to organize a bipolar mitotic apparatus. Oocytes recovering from a nocodazole
      block formed two normal bipolar mitotic apparatus; the paternal chromosomes
      aligned at one spindle equator, while the maternal chromosomes were found at the
      other. These results show that the centrosome is maternally inherited from
      cytoplasmic sites in the mouse. The evolutionary switch from paternal to maternal
      inheritance in mammals might be related to the additional dangers that
      parthenogenesis represents: a threat to the life of the mother as well as to the
      life of the fetus.

PMID- 1862100
TI  - Coincidence cloning of Alu PCR products.
AB  - Coincidence cloning allows the isolation of sequences held in common by two
      genomic DNA populations. Human DNA from two human-hamster hybrid cell lines was
      amplified by Alu-repeat primers (Alu PCR) and the products originating from the
      shared human chromosomal region were cloned. To achieve this, human sequences
      were amplified with very similar Alu primers from the two different human-hamster
      hybrid cell lines. The products were then digested with an appropriate
      restriction enzyme (either BamHI or Sal I), combined, denatured, and reannealed.
      The derived heteroduplex molecules (originating from the human regions common to
      both cell lines) had single BamHI and Sal I cohesive ends due to the primers
      used, so that they could be cloned in a double-digested plasmid vector. We used
      this method to enrich about 10-fold for Alu PCR products from the human
      chromosome 19q13.2 region, resulting in a region-specific clone collection. About
      90% of the recombinants with BamHI-Sal I inserts are derived from the common
      region. This approach allows the boundaries for the regional probe isolation to
      be defined by combinations of hybrids rather than single hybrid cell lines, thus
      permitting greater flexibility in the selection of regions for probe isolation.

PMID- 1862103
TI  - Prediction of optimal peptide mixtures to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies
      to human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
AB  - Sequences of the principal neutralizing determinant (PND) of the external
      envelope protein, gp120, from 245 isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      are analyzed. The minimal set of peptides that would elicit antibodies to
      neutralize a majority of U.S. and European isolates of human immunodeficiency
      virus type 1 is determined with the assumption that peptides of a given length
      including the central Gly-Pro-Gly triad are required. In spite of the
      hypervariability of the PND, 90% of these 245 sequences include peptides from a
      set of 7 pentapeptides, 13 hexapeptides, or 17 heptapeptides. Tests of these
      peptide sets on 78 additional PND sequences show that 95% are covered by the 7
      pentapeptides, 94% by the 13 hexapeptides, and 86% by the 17 heptapeptides. To
      anticipate variants not yet observed, single amino acid mutation frequencies from
      the 245 isolates are used to calculate an expanded set of the 10,000 most
      probable PND sequences. These sequences cover 86% of the total distribution
      expected for the central portion of the PND. Peptide lists derived from this
      expanded set when tested on the 78 additional sequences show that 7 pentapeptides
      cover 95%, 13 hexapeptides cover 94%, and 17 heptapeptides cover 94%. These
      results suggest that peptide cocktails of limited size with the potential to
      cover a large fraction of PND sequence variation may be feasible vaccine
      candidates.

PMID- 1862102
TI  - Refractoriness to growth hormone is associated with increased intracellular
      calcium in rat adipocytes.
AB  - In adipocytes that have been deprived of growth hormone (GH) for at least 3 hr,
      GH elicits a transient insulin-like response that is followed by a period of
      refractoriness to further insulin-like stimulation. Exposure of adipocytes to GH
      in the first hour of a 3-hr incubation prevents the appearance of insulin-like
      sensitivity. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) was measured in
      individual adipocytes that were loaded with fura-2 hexakis(acetoxymethyl) ester
      after preincubation in the presence (refractory) or absence (sensitive) of
      recombinant human GH at 100 ng/ml. Using a dual nitrogen laser imaging microscope
      with computer-assisted image processing to measure fluorescence changes, we
      observed that resting [Ca2+]i was 220 +/- 10 nM in refractory adipocytes and 110
      +/- 6 nM in sensitive adipocytes (P less than 0.001). GH had no acute effect on
      [Ca2+]i in sensitive adipocytes but caused a sustained 3-fold increase in [Ca2+]i
      in refractory cells within 3 min (P less than 0.001). Insulin did not change
      [Ca2+]i in either sensitive or refractory adipocytes. In refractory cells treated
      with insulin and GH simultaneously, insulin completely blocked the rise in
      [Ca2+]i due to GH. Oxytocin elicited a prompt increase in [Ca2+]i followed by a
      quick return to resting levels in both sensitive and refractory cells. These
      findings indicate that basal [Ca2+]i is increased in refractory cells and that GH
      produces a sustained rise in [Ca2+]i only in refractory adipocytes. We suggest
      that the sustained increase in [Ca2+]i produced by GH in refractory cells
      prevents the expression of the insulin-like response.

PMID- 1862104
TI  - Dissociation of thermoregulation in cats with cytotoxic pontine lesions.
AB  - Neurons of the pontine tegmentum of the cat were lesioned by microinjection of
      ibotenic acid into the brainstem. The threshold ambient temperatures for heat
      gain (shivering) and for heat-loss (panting) responses, together with brain and
      skin temperatures, were measured in intact animals and after the neurotoxic
      lesioning. After the lesioning the shivering threshold was altered but the
      panting threshold did not change. The results indicate that certain neurons
      involved in the shivering response reside in the pontine tegmentum. Neurons
      involved in the panting response, however, may lie outside the lesioned areas.

PMID- 1862106
TI  - The C-terminal half of UvrC protein is sufficient to reconstitute (A)BC
      excinuclease.
AB  - The UvrC protein is one of three subunits of the Escherichia coli repair enzyme
      (A)BC excinuclease. This subunit is thought to have at least one of the active
      sites for nucleophilic attack on the phosphodiester bonds of damaged DNA. To
      localize the active site, mutant UvrC proteins were constructed by linker
      scanning and deletion mutagenesis. In vivo studies revealed that the C-terminal
      314 amino acids of the 610-amino acid UvrC protein were sufficient to confer UV
      resistance to cells lacking the uvrC gene. The portion of the uvrC gene encoding
      the C-terminal half of the protein was fused to the 3' end of the E. coli malE
      gene (which encodes maltose binding protein), and the fusion protein MBP-C314C
      was purified and characterized. The fusion protein, in combination with UvrA and
      UvrB subunits, reconstituted the excinuclease activity that incised the eighth
      phosphodiester bond 5' and the fourth phosphodiester bond 3' to a psoralen
      thymine adduct. These results suggest that the C-terminal 314 amino acids of UvrC
      constitute a functional domain capable of interacting with the UvrB-damaged DNA
      complex and of inducing the two phosphodiester bond incisions characteristic of
      (A)BC excinuclease.

PMID- 1862105
TI  - Neuronal activity up-regulates astroglial gene expression.
AB  - Neuronal gene expression is known to be modulated by functional activity. This
      modulation is thought to play a key role in determining the differentiation of
      developing neurons and regulating the operation of mature neurons. Here we
      describe a regulation of astroglial gene expression by neuronal activity. We
      report that intense neuronal activity (electrically induced seizures) in rat
      hippocampus leads to rapid and dramatic increases in mRNA for glial fibrillary
      acidic protein (GFAP), an astroglia-specific intermediate filament protein. GFAP
      mRNA levels increased at sites of stimulation as well as in areas that were
      synaptically activated by the resultant seizures. When seizures were induced
      repetitively for many days, levels of GFAP mRNA remained chronically elevated.
      However, GFAP mRNA returned to control levels within a few days after the
      cessation of stimulation. The coupling between astroglial gene expression and
      neuronal activity may be a mechanism through which neuronal activity modulates
      the function of supporting cells that are responsible for regulating the
      extracellular microenvironment of the brain.

PMID- 1862108
TI  - Human cells contain protein specifically binding to a single 1,N6-ethenoadenine
      in a DNA fragment.
AB  - A human DNA binding protein has been characterized from cell-free extracts of
      liver, placenta, and cultured cells. This protein, apparent molecular mass
      approximately 35 kDa, to our knowledge, does not resemble other proteins reported
      to bind to carcinogen-modified DNA. The probe used for characterization was a 25
      base oligonucleotide containing a single site-specifically placed 1,N6
      ethenoadenine (epsilon A), a product of vinyl chloride metabolism. When annealed
      to form an epsilon A.T or epsilon A.C pair, a strong affinity to the protein was
      observed, with a binding constant of approximately 1 x 10(9) M-1. In contrast,
      very little binding was found with an epsilon A.A pair and none was found with an
      epsilon A.G pair. This suggests protein recognition of a specific structural
      alteration. Other defined probes with alkyl adducts did not bind. In addition,
      the human cell extracts and a rat liver extract were found to nick specifically
      at the 5' side of the epsilon A adduct, which could indicate a possible
      associated repair activity.

PMID- 1862107
TI  - Isolation and functional expression of a mammalian prohormone processing enzyme,
      murine prohormone convertase 1.
AB  - We have combined gene cloning with an assay for prohormone biosynthesis and
      processing in Xenopus oocytes to identify the genes that encode mammalian
      prohormone processing enzymes. The coinjection of RNA encoding murine prohormone
      convertase 1 (mPC1), a mammalian endoprotease, along with proopiomelanocortin RNA
      into an oocyte results in the appropriate cleavage after paired basic residues in
      the proopiomelanocortin polyprotein necessary to generate corticotropin. The
      ability of mPC1 to generate corticotropin, along with the observation that mPC1
      is specifically expressed in endocrine and neuronal cells, suggests that the mPC1
      gene encodes the endopeptidase responsible for the pathway of proopiomelanocortin
      cleavage observed in the anterior pituitary.

PMID- 1862109
TI  - Clonality in myeloproliferative disorders: analysis by means of the polymerase
      chain reaction.
AB  - The myeloproliferative syndromes are acquired disorders of hematopoiesis that
      provide insights into the transition from somatic cell mutation to neoplasia. The
      clonal origin of specific blood cells can be assessed in patients with X
      chromosome-linked polymorphisms, taking advantage of random inactivation of the X
      chromosome. We have adapted the PCR for determination of clonality on as few as
      100 cells, including individual colonies grown in culture. Amplifying a
      polymorphic portion of the X chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene
      after selective digestion of the active X chromosome with a methylation-sensitive
      restriction enzyme gave results fully concordant with standard Southern blotting
      of DNA samples from normal (polyclonal) polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) as well as
      clonal PMN from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and polycythemia vera
      (PCV). We have used this technique to demonstrate heterogeneity of lineage
      involvement in patients with PCV. The same clinical phenotype may arise from
      clonal proliferation of different hematopoietic progenitors.

PMID- 1862110
TI  - Interpulse interval in circulating growth hormone patterns regulates sexually
      dimorphic expression of hepatic cytochrome P450.
AB  - Plasma growth hormone (GH) profiles are sexually differentiated in many species
      and regulate the sex-dependence of peripubescent growth rates and liver function,
      including steroid hydroxylase cytochrome P450 expression, by mechanisms that are
      poorly understood. By use of an external pump to deliver to hypophysectomized
      rats pulses of rat GH of varying frequency and amplitude, a critical element for
      liver discrimination between male and female GH patterns was identified. Liver
      expression of the male-specific steroid 2 alpha (or 16 alpha)-hydroxylase P450,
      designated CYP2C11, was stimulated by GH at both physiological and
      nonphysiological pulse amplitudes, durations, and frequencies, provided that an
      interpulse interval of no detectable GH was maintained for at least 2.5 hr. This
      finding suggests that hepatocytes undergo an obligatory recovery period after
      stimulation by a GH pulse. This period may be required to reset a GH-activated
      intracellular signaling pathway or may relate to the short-term absence of GH
      receptors at the hepatocyte surface after a cycle of GH binding and receptor
      internalization. These requirements were distinguished from those necessary for
      the stimulation by GH of normal male growth rates in hypophysectomized rats,
      indicating that different GH responses and, perhaps, different GH-responsive
      tissues recognize distinct signaling elements in the sexually dimorphic patterns
      of circulating GH.

PMID- 1862113
TI  - [A look at home nursing care].

PMID- 1862112
TI  - Allografts of tumor nuclear transplantation embryos: differentiation competence.
AB  - The developmental potential of nuclei can be studied by nuclear transplantation.
      Although amphibian blastula nuclei and other early embryonic nuclei are
      totipotent, to our knowledge no nucleus from an adult cell has ever been shown to
      be totipotent by this procedure. Transfer of Lucke renal carcinoma nuclei into
      enucleated eggs results in prefeeding swimming tadpoles. Inasmuch as these
      tadpoles die, rescue of this pluripotential tissue was attempted by grafting
      fragments of triploid tumor nuclear transplant tadpoles to the tails of normal
      diploid Rana pipiens hosts. Grafts of tumor nuclear transplant tadpole tissue
      were histologically indistinguishable from grafts of normally fertilized embryos
      and developed normal-appearing structures such as complete eyes, well
      differentiated neural tissues, kidney tubules, and gut epithelium. Moreover,
      histological differentiation in tumor nuclear transplant grafts was comparable to
      that observed in 50-day-old normal larvae. Grafting enhanced the survival of
      tumor nuclear transplant tissue from no more than 14 days as part of the donor
      tadpole to 40 days at which time the grafts were harvested as healthy tissue.
      Thus, both differentiation and survival of tumor nuclear transplant tissue were
      augmented with the grafting procedure. Cytophotometric analysis of ploidy was
      used to confirm the tumor origin of the donor tissue.

PMID- 1862111
TI  - Monitoring of intracellular calcium in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an
      apoaequorin cDNA expression system.
AB  - A method is described for measuring cytosolic free Ca2+ and its time-dependent
      changes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using the luminescent protein
      aequorin as a Ca(2+)-specific indicator. This method with intact yeast cells is
      labeled "in vivo" to distinguish it from methods with cell extracts, labeled "in
      vitro." A plasmid in which the apoaequorin cDNA was joined downstream from the
      glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene promoter was constructed and
      introduced into yeast cells. The intracellular concentration of apoaequorin
      expressed by the cDNA was approximately 1 microM, which was high enough to detect
      the cytosolic Ca2+. Growth of the transformed cells was normal. In the in vitro
      method, apoaequorin in crude cell extracts was regenerated into aequorin by
      mixing with coelenterazine, the substrate for the luminescence reaction, whereas
      in the in vivo method, aequorin was regenerated by incubating intact cells with
      coelenterazine. Simultaneous addition of 10 mM CaCl2 and 10 microM A23187, a Ca2+
      ionophore, to coelenterazine-incorporated cells generated luminescence.
      Coelenterazine-incorporated cells also responded to native extracellular stimuli.
      A mating pheromone, alpha-factor, added to cells of mating type a or alpha,
      generated extracellular Ca(2+)-dependent luminescence specifically in a mating
      type cells, with maximal intensity occurring 45-50 min after addition of alpha
      factor. Glucose added to glucose-starved G0/G1 cells stimulated an increase in
      extracellular Ca(2+)-dependent luminescence with maximal intensity occurring 2
      min after addition. These results show the usefulness of the aequorin system in
      monitoring [Ca2+]i response to extracellular stimuli in yeast cells.

PMID- 1862114
TI  - [Factors in the evolution of home visits in psychiatry].

PMID- 1862116
TI  - [The reception of the patient in the hospital].

PMID- 1862115
TI  - [Infantile autism].

PMID- 1862117
TI  - [An evaluation of the quantitative standards for nursing personnel reached in the
      1st Special Surgical Pathology Department, Umberto I Polyclinic, Rome].

PMID- 1862118
TI  - [Work organization and analysis. Inappropriate duties in nursing activities].

PMID- 1862120
TI  - [An analysis of bill No. 5081 on the reform of the nursing health professions
      published in I.S.I.S. No. 13, March 25, 1991. Informazione Stampa Interesse
      Sanitario].

PMID- 1862119
TI  - [The new Babel or about incommunicability].

PMID- 1862121
TI  - [The integration of the mental health component into basic nursing education].

PMID- 1862122
TI  - [The new text of bill No. 5081 on the reform of the nursing health professions].

PMID- 1862124
TI  - Clinical and experimental approaches to dermal and epidermal repair--normal and
      chronic wounds. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Tissue
      Repair. Miami, Florida, January 10-14, 1990.

PMID- 1862123
TI  - Vascular factors govern healing in chronic wounds.

PMID- 1862126
TI  - Ketanserin promotes wound healing: clinical and preclinical results.

PMID- 1862125
TI  - Clinical trials with purified platelet releasate.
AB  - Clinical trials of PDWHF are ongoing and the final results are not yet available;
      however early lessons learned have allowed us to modify these trials. It is
      anticipated that the patient accrual will be completed within the next six
      months, and the last patient will complete the trial within the next year. At
      that time, we hope to have new insight into the role of PDWHF in the treatment of
      lower extremity ulcers. At this time, we are encouraged by the early improvement
      seen in patients entering the PDWHF versus saline trial. Preliminary results
      suggest that PDWHF improves the healing of diabetic ulcers of the lower
      extremity.

PMID- 1862127
TI  - The role of matrix components in human keratinocyte re-epithelialization.

PMID- 1862128
TI  - Spatial regulation of fibroblast proliferation: an explanation for cell
      regression at the end of the wound repair.

PMID- 1862129
TI  - Characteristics of fetal repair.

PMID- 1862130
TI  - Scarless wound healing in the fetus: the role of the extracellular matrix.

PMID- 1862131
TI  - Clinical spectrum of venous disease.

PMID- 1862132
TI  - Concomitant macrophage activation and fibroblast/lymphocyte inhibition by wound
      fluid: the "arginine-deficiency of inflammation" is a partial explanation.

PMID- 1862133
TI  - The temporal change in amino acid concentration within wound fluid--a putative
      rationale.

PMID- 1862134
TI  - Wound fluid: the growth environment.

PMID- 1862135
TI  - Effect of wound fluid on local and systemic immune responses.

PMID- 1862137
TI  - Wound dressings: current and future.

PMID- 1862136
TI  - Recruitment of mononuclear cells into wounded skin: mechanism and modulation.
AB  - In conclusion, we have shown that the development of specialized endothelium that
      supports lymphocyte and monocyte adherence may be a common biologic event
      associated with tissue injury or disease processes in the skin. We have shown
      that the adherence process is potentially regulated by cytokines that are
      secreted by infiltrating mononuclear cells. Studies are now in progress to
      identify the putative endothelial ligands, their interactions with the receptors
      and the factors that lead to the expression of the adhesion molecules.

PMID- 1862138
TI  - Methods to speed healing after skin biopsy or trichloroacetic acid chemical peel.

PMID- 1862139
TI  - The nonhealing diabetic ulcer--a major cause for limb loss.

PMID- 1862140
TI  - Assessment of wound healing speed in man.

PMID- 1862141
TI  - Animal models of wound contraction.

PMID- 1862142
TI  - Wound healing models to study connective tissue metabolism.

PMID- 1862143
TI  - Platelet-derived growth factor and impaired wound healing.

PMID- 1862144
TI  - TGF-beta and PDGF mediated tissue repair: identifying mechanisms of action using
      impaired and normal models of wound healing.

PMID- 1862145
TI  - Epidermal cell derived factor (EDF): partial purification and characterization.

PMID- 1862146
TI  - Role of growth factors in fracture healing.

PMID- 1862147
TI  - Retroviral-mediated gene transfer into transplantable human epidermal cells.

PMID- 1862149
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor accelerates tissue repair in models of impaired
      wound healing.

PMID- 1862148
TI  - The effects of epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor on
      epithelialization of meshed skin graft interstices.

PMID- 1862150
TI  - Rethinking ischemic ulcers: from etiology to treatment outcome.

PMID- 1862151
TI  - The effect of nonspecific immune stimulation on wound healing.

PMID- 1862152
TI  - IL-1 as a potent inducer of wound re-epithelization.

PMID- 1862153
TI  - If wounds could talk.

PMID- 1862154
TI  - Design and implementation of clinical studies in chronic nonhealing wounds.

PMID- 1862155
TI  - Cultured epidermal allografts as biological wound dressings.
AB  - Recent advances in cell culture technology permit the generation of large
      stratified epithelial sheets appropriate for wound coverage. Autografts (sheets
      prepared from the patient's own skin) have proven life-saving in the treatment of
      large third-degree burns and have been successfully employed in the management of
      chronic ulcers. Allografts (sheets prepared from the skin of an unrelated donor)
      have also been used. In our experience, cultured allografts derived from neonatal
      foreskin provide a potent stimulus to healing in a variety of partial thickness
      wounds. Their application is a simple outpatient procedure which involves no
      discomfort for the patient. In contrast to autografting, no biopsy is necessary
      and use of cultured allogenic cells permits immediate grafts availability and
      possibility of stockpiling and preserving grafts for future use. Preparation of
      epithelial sheets suitable for grafting is also faster and easier with newborn
      than with adult donor cells. Newborn allografts have caused rapid healing of most
      previously refractory ulcers with long-term results comparable to those obtained
      with conventional split thickness grafting. We postulate that cultured allografts
      act by providing a temporary wound covering while releasing multiple cytokines
      that synergistically promote permanent reepitheliazation by previously quiescent
      host keratinocytes then stimulated to divide and migrate. Whether allografts are
      immunologically rejected in a clinically undetectable reaction or simply replaced
      stochastically by host keratinocytes is presently unknown.

PMID- 1862156
TI  - Clinical studies on growth factors in pressure sores: preliminary report.
AB  - Agents touted to benefit chronic non-healing wounds will become evermore
      prevalent. Examples, in addition to those cited, might include epictor (EGF) or
      platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). Although they may look promising in in
      vitro and experimental animal studies, they must be tested in humans. The
      pressure sore is a chronic three dimensional wound which lends itself to study of
      wound healing agents. It has been used for severe such trials and appears to be
      an excellent model for the continued study of peptide growth factors.

PMID- 1862157
TI  - Political change and course of affective psychoses: Berlin 1989-90.
AB  - In this study, the political change associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall
      in November 1989 was examined as a shared life event for the population of West
      Berlin. Its influence on the course of affective psychoses was studied in 67
      patients in long-term treatment. Recurrences from November 1989 to March 1990
      were compared with the same period 1 year before. While patients with bipolar
      affective psychosis did not show a difference in recurrences between the two
      periods, patients with unipolar depression had a significantly better and those
      with schizoaffective psychosis a significantly worse course of illness after
      November 1989 than in the year before.

PMID- 1862158
TI  - Diurnal variation of symptoms in seasonal affective disorder.
AB  - The classic melancholic pattern of depressive symptoms being worse in the morning
      was present in 3/4 of a sample of 47 seasonal affective disorder patients (SAD),
      as assessed by global ratings and self-ratings of diurnal variation (DV). The
      type of DV did not predict response to light, but it did predict relapse within a
      week: Only those SAD patients with symptoms worse in the evening or no DV did so.

PMID- 1862159
TI  - Migraine, psychiatric disorders, and suicide attempts: an epidemiologic study of
      young adults.
AB  - To determine the prevalence of migraine and the risks for psychiatric disorders
      and suicide attempts associated with it, we studied a random sample of 1,007
      young adults from a large Health Maintenance Organization in the Detroit, MI
      area. The lifetime prevalence of migraine was 7% in males and 16.3% in females.
      The rate of migraine was higher in persons with lower education and was equal in
      whites and blacks. Persons with migraine were at increased risk for affective and
      anxiety disorders, nicotine dependence, and alcohol or illicit drug abuse or
      dependence. There was a consistent trend toward higher psychiatric comorbidity in
      migraine with aura than in migraine without aura. Coexisting anxiety, which
      generally preceded migraine, was associated with a marked increase in the odds of
      major depression. Persons with migraine had higher rates of suicide attempts than
      persons without migraine. The odds ratio for suicide attempts, adjusted for
      coexisting major depression and other psychiatric and substance use disorders, in
      migraine with aura was 3.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.4-6.6). The coexistence of
      migraine with major depression, anxiety disorders, and suicide attempts has
      important clinical and research implications.

PMID- 1862160
TI  - Heart rate variability in patients with major depression.
AB  - We have previously reported decreased heart rate variability upon standing in
      panic disorder patients compared with controls. In this study, we extend our
      report to include patients with major depression (n = 19). Compared to normal
      controls (n = 20) and panic disorder patients (n = 30), there was no significant
      difference in the immediate changes in heart rate upon standing in the depressed
      group. The standing heart rate variability (R-R variability) was significantly
      lower in panic disorder patients compared to both normal controls and depressed
      patients as indicated by the corrected standard deviations, the corrected mean
      consecutive difference, the corrected standard deviation of the mean consecutive
      difference of the R-R intervals, and the high frequency variability in successive
      R-R intervals, suggesting an increased vagal withdrawal in panic disorder
      patients, especially upon standing. There was no significant difference in any of
      the heart rate variability measures between depressed patients and normal
      controls.

PMID- 1862161
TI  - Continuous performance tests in schizophrenic patients: stimulus and medication
      effects on performance.
AB  - Medicated (n = 17) and unmedicated (n = 17) schizophrenic patients were compared
      to a normal control group (n = 19) on their performance on auditory and visual
      versions of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Within each stimulus modality,
      performance was examined on lexical and nonlexical target stimuli. Neuromotor
      competence was assessed on the basis of motor speed and proficiency. Normal
      subjects made fewer errors of all types than schizophrenic patients. Unmedicated
      patients made significantly more errors on nonlexical stimuli than medicated
      patients, with medication status found not to be associated with stimulus
      modality effects. Motor proficiency was associated with CPT performance in the
      medicated patients, but not the unmedicated ones, although this difference in
      correlations did not account for the group differences between these patients.
      The authors discuss the implications of these data for the type of cognitive and
      attentional functions that are affected by medication in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1862162
TI  - Thyrotropin and prolactin responses to ECT in schizophrenia and depression.
AB  - Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) plasma levels were studied
      during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in five schizophrenic patients in a
      simulated ECT (SECT) controlled experimental design. The data were compared to
      those obtained from a group of 10 depressed patients treated with ECT. In the
      schizophrenic group, both PRL and TSH increased significantly during ECT compared
      to SECT, as they did in the depressive group during ECT. Thus, the hormonal TSH
      and PRL profile during ECT is similar in schizophrenia and depression. It is
      concluded that the changes in TSH and PRL induced by ECT are specifically linked
      to the current or the seizure, and are not related to the type of
      psychopathology.

PMID- 1862163
TI  - Self-reports of childhood abuse in chronically psychotic patients.
AB  - A heterogeneous sample of 61 chronically psychotic patients were subgrouped
      according to the presence or absence of a self-reported history of childhood
      abuse. Patients reporting childhood abuse (n = 27) had an earlier age of onset,
      scored higher on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, reported more amnesia, and
      relapsed more frequently than patients not reporting abuse histories. Histories
      of childhood abuse and of past stimulant abuse predicted the score on the
      Dissociative Experiences Scale. A history of childhood abuse may thus contribute
      to the symptomatology and course of illness in some chronically psychotic
      patients.

PMID- 1862164
TI  - Confirming schizotypic personality configurations in hypothetically psychosis
      prone university students.
AB  - The personality features of hypothetically psychosis-prone (or schizotypic)
      subjects were examined. Schizotypic (n = 32) and control (n = 44) subjects were
      identified within a pool of 726 randomly ascertained nonclinical university
      students who had completed the Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS) during a large
      scale screening study. Approximately 4-6 months after the initial screening, the
      schizotypic and control subjects completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
      Inventory (MMPI). Schizotypic subjects as a group displayed an average MMPI
      profile consistent with schizotypic personality features, whereas the control
      subjects did not. Moreover, multivariate profile analysis revealed that the
      schizotypic group MMPI profile differed significantly in shape from the control
      group profile. Finally, schizophrenia-related MMPI high-point codes were five
      times as prevalent among the PAS-identified schizotypic subjects as among the
      controls. The results suggest that the PAS identifies individuals who show
      schizotypic personality MMPI configurations and may carry a latent vulnerability
      for schizophrenia or, more broadly, psychosis.

PMID- 1862166
TI  - Response bias associated with asking former study participants to assist in new
      research.
AB  - To limit research costs, former parent-participants from a completed pediatric
      neurology study were asked to assist with new research on behavioral contributors
      to childhood injury. An evaluation of the response bias associated with this
      recontact effort showed that 224 parents who completed the survey did not differ
      from the 51 who failed to complete it in race, age, education, or income.
      Nonresponders were significantly less likely to be married than responders.

PMID- 1862167
TI  - Geophysical variables and behavior: LXV. Seasonal changes in mood in opioid
      addicts on the Addiction Research Center Inventory.
AB  - Seasonal changes in mood using the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI)
      were tested in 243 male opioid addicts when they were free of drug and withdrawal
      effects. No significant changes were found on scales which measure euphoria
      (MBG), tension-anxiety (LSD), excitement (Ex), or dysphoric effects (SOW). A
      significant difference between seasons was found for lowered motivation (PCAG) in
      the summer and spring relative to winter, but these effects were not consistent
      with a winter seasonal affective disorder. Significant changes were more common
      for spring-fall and summer seasons relative to winter on items of the inventory.

PMID- 1862165
TI  - Heterogeneity of schizophrenia: relationship to latency of neuroleptic response.
AB  - Patients with an index diagnosis of schizophrenia were compared to patients with
      an index diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder to determine if they differed in
      latency to therapeutic response to haloperidol. The results of a survival
      analysis showed that patients with a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder
      responded to haloperidol significantly more rapidly than did patients with a
      diagnosis of schizophrenia. Inspection of time-to-response slopes revealed that
      approximately 75% of the schizophreniform patients responded to neuroleptics on
      or before day 8 of treatment, whereas only 20% of the schizophrenic patients
      responded this rapidly. Forty percent of schizophrenic patients responded between
      day 8 and day 18, and 30% between day 18 and day 36. These results indicate that
      schizophreniform disorder has been successfully separated from schizophrenia in
      DSM-III, at least in relationship to drug response.

PMID- 1862168
TI  - Drug use and its relation to high school students' activities.
AB  - In a high school in a suburb of Detroit, students' attitudes toward, use of, and
      money spent on drugs, as well as possible alternative activities, were
      investigated. The sample included 42 enrolled in alternative education designed
      for students at risk for drug abuse, pregnancy, etc., who might attend college if
      guided carefully, and 65 regular students who were a mix of college and
      noncollege bound. The two groups did not differ in actual drug use, most likely
      because those who recommended students to the alternative education program used
      low grade point average and not drug use as criterion. Very few "hard" drugs were
      used. Most frequently used were readily available drugs such as alcohol. Use of a
      drug, spending money on it, or believing that it is all right for adolescents to
      use the drug did not automatically indicate frequent use of the drug. Contrary to
      adults' expectations, "hangin' out" with peers decreased use of "soft" drugs.
      Family activities for some involved the use of hard drugs together or the
      condoning of use. To create effective drug-prevention programs, the effects of
      different activities need to be explored further, and admission criteria need to
      be well delineated.

PMID- 1862169
TI  - Therapists' causal attributions of clients' problems and selection of
      intervention strategies.
AB  - Therapists' choices of intervention strategies are influenced by many factors,
      including judgments about the bases of clients' problems. To assess the
      relationships between such causal attributions and the selection of intervention
      strategies, 196 counselors, psychologists, and social workers responded to the
      written transcript of a client's interview by answering two questionnaires, a
      1982 scale (Causal Dimension Scale by Russell) which measured causal attribution
      of the client's problem, and another which measured preference for emotional,
      rational, and active intervention strategies in dealing with the client, based on
      the 1979 E-R-A taxonomy of Frey and Raming. A significant relationship was found
      between the two sets of variables, with internal attributions linked to rational
      intervention strategies and stable attributions linked to active strategies. The
      results support Halleck's 1978 hypothesis that theories of psychotherapy tie
      interventions to etiological considerations.

PMID- 1862170
TI  - How business professionals view their stress.
AB  - Differences in stress for business professionals by sex, age, marital status,
      stress levels, job classification, having children and pets were investigated.
      Subjects were 80 business professionals who responded to the Tennessee Stress
      Scale-L inventory which provides three subscales (Stress Producers, Coping
      Mechanisms, and Stress Symptoms) and Total Stress. Significant differences were
      found between 40 men and 40 women and among stress level groups on Stress
      Producers, Stress Symptoms, and Total Stress scores.

PMID- 1862171
TI  - Attitude, anxiety, and social readjustment toward learning disabilities by
      student teachers.
AB  - 84 student teachers from undergraduate classes at a western university in Kansas
      completed a 9-question checklist of learning disabilities before interacting with
      a behavioral disordered/learning disabilities teacher, a paraprofessional, and a
      high school learning-disabled student. After the dialog, the student teachers
      completed a Social Readjustment Rating Scale, Breskin Rigidity Test, the Self
      evaluation Questionnaire: State and Trait Anxiety, and the same 9-question
      checklist with one additional question ("Now that you have seen a learning
      disabled student has it affected your opinion of learning disabilities?"). The
      dialog affected 63% of the students' opinions while 31% stated the presentation
      did not affect their opinion (6% were missing or not completed). Persons who
      experienced more life-changes and problems tended to rate or view learning
      disabilities more negatively. The more trait anxiety experienced by the students,
      the lower they rated learning disabilities after the presentation.

PMID- 1862172
TI  - Attitudes related to work of adolescents in the United Kingdom and Japan.
AB  - This study was designed to provide data for notions that differences in
      achievement motivation in different nations may contribute to differences in
      national rates of economic growth. The nations investigated were the United
      Kingdom and Japan as representatives of low and high rates of economic growth in
      the decades after the end of World War II. Data were collected from college
      students for motivations and attitudes related to work. British students had
      higher achievement motivation, while Japanese students had higher competitiveness
      motivation and strong money beliefs. Differences in career preference between the
      nations were also presented. The relationship between motivations and attitudes
      to work with career preference were examined for each nation.

PMID- 1862173
TI  - Sustaining fantasies and the 16 PF.
AB  - This study examined the relationships between the Sustaining Fantasy
      Questionnaire (SFQ) and the 16 PF for 63 college students. The questionnaire is a
      self-report measure of characteristic fantasies used to reduce negative affect
      and maintain self-esteem. High scores on the fantasy scales having to do with
      power and revenge, death and illness, withdrawal and protection, and restitution,
      and on the scales measuring negative affect and the inability to produce
      comforting images were all associated with 16 PF indications of psychological
      distress.

PMID- 1862174
TI  - School stress reported by children in grades 4, 5, and 6.
AB  - Stress in the school environment of 269 elementary school children attending
      Grades 4, 5, and 6 of a metropolitan school district were assessed using the
      School Stress Questionnaire. The effects of sex, ethnic background (minority vs
      nonminority), type of classroom placement (regular education versus special
      education), and family structure (traditional versus nontraditional or divorced)
      were investigated. Children from nontraditional or divorced families had
      significantly higher school stress than children from intact families. The
      possibility that these results are a reflection of society's negative attitudes
      toward children living in nontraditional families is raised.

PMID- 1862176
TI  - Use of the Hereford Parent Attitude Survey as an outcome measure in parent
      education research.
AB  - Research on outcome evaluation published since 1980 on the Hereford Parent
      Attitude Survey was reviewed in terms of sample size, type of parent training
      program used, and the scales' sensitivity to change in parental attitudes after
      intervention. Some support for the sensitivity of the Hereford was found, and, as
      an evaluation device to assess whether program goals have been achieved, the
      scale proved to be a useful instrument. The Hereford scale can be applied with
      reasonable confidence in research on parenting and in strategies to enhance
      effective parenting.

PMID- 1862175
TI  - Late onset of alcoholism among older midwestern men in treatment.
AB  - 60 men were administered a questionnaire to assess whether the prevalence of
      alcoholism in men over 60 years of age in alcoholism treatment centers parallels
      the reported rates of late-onset for one-third or more alcoholics. Analysis
      showed 11% of the subjects were of late onset while 33% were quasilate onset.
      There were no significant differences in the life stress between alcoholics of
      early and later onset.

PMID- 1862177
TI  - Compulsive procrastination: some self-reported characteristics.
AB  - In Sample 1, 46 procrastinators compared with 52 nonprocrastinators claimed lower
      self-esteem, greater public self-consciousness and social anxiety, and a stronger
      tendency toward self-handicapping. In Sample 2, 48 procrastinators compared with
      54 nonprocrastinators reported a weaker tendency toward seeking self-identity
      information but a stronger tendency toward a diffuse-identity style, yet there
      were no significant differences in verbal and abstract thinking abilities.
      Further research must provide evidence for persistent procrastination as a
      personality disorder that includes anxiety, avoidance, and a fear of evaluation
      of ability.

PMID- 1862178
TI  - AIDS--intervention works; "education" is questionable.
AB  - A decrease in or leveling off of new cases of transfusion-related AIDS coupled
      with continued increases in homosexual and IV drug cases suggests that
      intervention by barring contaminated blood has worked and "education" has worked
      less well, if at all. Current evidence suggests that the blood-bar resulted in
      the change in new AIDS cases among children within 3 years and among adults
      within 3 1/2 years.

PMID- 1862179
TI  - Intelligence and race: further comments on J. P. Rushton's work.
AB  - A review of some implications of J.P. Rushton's 1988 and 1990 work on racial
      differences in brain mass (size or weight) suggests that his comments do not
      constitute a viable scientific theory.

PMID- 1862180
TI  - Stable vs unstable weight history, body-image, and weight concern in women of
      average body weight.
AB  - The focus of this study was the effect of unstable weight history on current body
      image among women. Participants were 45 college women of average weight (median
      age = 23 yr.); 15 had stable weight histories, 15 had past lowest weights 15% or
      more below current weight, and 15 had past highest weights 15% or more above
      current weight. The women were assessed on perceptual and attitudinal measures of
      body-image and a self-report measure of preoccupation with weight. In comparison
      to women with stable weight histories, those with unstable weight histories
      indicated greater dissatisfaction with the shape and size of their bodies,
      expressed more negative body attitudes, and reported increased concern about
      weight. Women with high weight histories overestimated their frontal body-size
      and expressed greater dissatisfaction with frontal size than women with low
      weight histories, but the two groups did not differ significantly on any of the
      other dependent measures. Possible explanations for increased body-image
      disturbance and weight concern among women with unstable weight histories are
      presented.

PMID- 1862181
TI  - Race, brain size, and intelligence: another reply to Cernovsky.
AB  - Five sets of observations require explanation. Firstly, within both black and
      white populations there is a small positive correlation between IQ and brain size
      whether or not there is control for body size. Secondly, racial differences in
      average brain size occur such that Mongoloids greater than Caucasoids greater
      than Negroids especially with control for body size. Thirdly, mammals with larger
      brains relative to their bodies perform better on learning tasks than mammals
      with smaller brains relative to their bodies. Fourthly, average racial
      differences on measures of cognitive performance parallel the differences in
      average brain size. Fifthly, average racial differences on numerous other traits
      parallel the differences in intelligence and brain size. It is incumbent on
      scientists to explain these facts.

PMID- 1862183
TI  - Crisis intervention: long-term training effects.
AB  - 10 months following a crisis-intervention training program which focused on
      interpretation of signal events, 17 participants more frequently reported
      increased belief in their ability to recognize the need for intervention and to
      intervene effectively than did 22 control subjects. Perceived frequency of
      intervention by trained participants, however, had decreased rather than
      increased. Implications of the findings and recommendations for research are
      discussed.

PMID- 1862182
TI  - Self-concepts of mothers who show mental retardation.
AB  - The Tennessee Self-concept Scale was orally administered to 27 mothers with
      mental retardation and self-administered to 95 mothers whose children attended
      daycare in the areas in which the former mothers lived. Analyses showed that the
      mothers with mental retardation scored significantly lower on all subscales.
      Where 72% of the comparison group scored above a recommended cut-off indicative
      of a positive self-concept, only 33% of the mothers with mental retardation did.
      Comparisons of the 27 mothers with mental retardation (18 with positive versus 9
      with negative self-concepts) on personal, child, family, and other background
      variables suggested different relationships for the two groups. Cross-validation
      of the present work and studies of the actual childcare of these latter two
      groups of mothers are needed.

PMID- 1862184
TI  - Negative schemas and depression in normal college student volunteers.
AB  - The present research explored the intrinsic relationship of self-reported
      depressive symptoms and cognitive distortions as proposed by Beck and others. A
      devised scale of cognitive distortions was correlated with scores on the Beck
      Depression Inventory for 67 college volunteers. A significant value of 0.59 was
      found, supporting our hypothesis. There were no sex differences on either scale.

PMID- 1862185
TI  - External locus of control in children of alcoholics.
AB  - The relationship of type of home of origin [alcoholic parent(s) versus
      nonalcoholic parent(s)] to locus of control was assessed. Perceived level of
      parental alcohol abuse (MAST score) did not predict 121 students' locus of
      control. However, external orientation was significantly and positively
      correlated with having a parent who drank heavily and scores on the Beck
      Depression Inventory and significantly and negatively correlated with the
      Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory and the Possible Self Questionnaire.

PMID- 1862186
TI  - Health locus of control, self-concept, and anxiety in pediatric cancer patients.
AB  - In a study of 38 pediatric cancer patients, standardized measures of health locus
      of control achieved only modest to unsatisfactory reliability. Correlations
      between health locus of control and measures of self-concept and anxiety were
      low. Some of the items from the scales, however, were significantly related to
      the patients' feelings of well-being, positive self-concept, and reduced levels
      of anxiety. An examination of these item correlations and information from a
      qualitative interview suggest that hopefulness may be more salient for pediatric
      cancer patients than locus of control. Further research on children's health
      locus of control should distinguish between clinical and healthy populations.

PMID- 1862187
TI  - On the nature of attachment in a borderline population: a preliminary
      investigation.
AB  - Analyses of interpersonal behavior within a borderline population usually focus
      on object relations variables. In contrast, this preliminary research focuses on
      the nature of attachment styles and its relation to behavioral pathology. 24
      hospitalized borderline patients were administered an Attachment Style Inventory
      and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory. Analysis confirms predicted differences
      in attachment style between the borderline and normal control samples as well as
      indicates that a dependent style of attachment within this borderline sample is
      associated with less pathology than an avoidant, hostile, or resistant/ambivalent
      style. The implications of this preliminary work for full-scale research are
      addressed.

PMID- 1862188
TI  - Alcohol-related expectancies for self and others reported by alcoholic men and
      women.
AB  - A questionnaire used by Rohsenow in 1983 was administered to 87 alcoholic men and
      women taking part in rehabilitation programs at local Swedish outpatient
      rehabilitation clinics. The purpose was to explore their alcohol-related
      expectancies for themselves and for others and to compare these with the results
      from other similar studies in other cultures. The answers, scored according to
      Rohsenow's eight factors, indicated that alcoholics expected larger positive and
      negative effects for others than for themselves. This discrepancy was slightly
      modified by such variables as sex, age, and drinking habits. Alcoholics in Sweden
      seem to have alcohol-related expectancies similar to those of social drinkers
      both in Sweden and in other Western countries.

PMID- 1862189
TI  - Treatment outcomes of Vietnam veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
AB  - This study examined changes on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory for 45
      Vietnam veterans who completed a specialized inpatient treatment program. The
      average length of stay for these veterans was 140 days. Patients' scores on the
      Millon decreased on 12 of the 20 scales and increased on 8, and their
      Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-related symptoms of anxiety and dysthymia decreased
      significantly. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-related character styles, schizoid,
      avoidant, and passive-aggressive, also showed significant decreases.

PMID- 1862190
TI  - Health psychology and clinical psychology: a comparison through content analysis.
AB  - Extension of a previous analysis of articles published in two journals
      representative of health psychology and two in health education showed some
      similarities and differences. The present analysis of 100 papers from two
      journals in health psychology and 495 from two in clinical psychology clearly
      shows health as a subspecialty of clinical psychology.

PMID- 1862191
TI  - Comparison of three antismoking interventions among pregnant women in an urban
      setting: a randomized trial.
AB  - This study examined smoking cessation and cigarette reduction of indigent inner
      city pregnant women (n = 193) who completed one of three interventions: a special
      video program based on their perceptions of the effects of smoking during
      pregnancy, the American Lung Association's "Freedom From Smoking For You and Your
      Baby" program, or the usual physician's advice. Six percent of the women quit
      smoking, and 43% reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked. There were no
      significant differences among the three groups for either the number who quit
      smoking or who reduced the number of cigarettes smoked.

PMID- 1862192
TI  - Dimensions of sexual behaviour in homosexual men: replicability across time and
      country.
AB  - Data on sexual practices in the past two months were obtained from 176 Australian
      and 159 New Zealand homosexually active men. Factor analysis yielded three major
      underlying dimensions of homosexual behaviour in each sample, accounting for 53.4
      and 54.0% of total variance at baseline and 55.1 and 62.1% at follow-up,
      respectively. These three dimensions represented unsafe sex involving
      predominantly anal activity, safe (oral and mutual masturbatory) sex without
      condoms, and safe anal sex with condoms and withdrawal. Comparison of the four
      matrices (two countries by two times), using Cattell's S index, indicated high
      stability of the factor structure across countries and times. These three
      dimensions of homosexual behaviour appear to represent consistent behavioural
      clusters across samples and times. They suggest that use of these dimensions in
      further research on homosexually active men is warranted and that homosexual
      activities cluster into a number of limited dimensions on which sexual behaviours
      are interrelated.

PMID- 1862193
TI  - Headache and sensation seeking.
AB  - According to the cognitive theory of sensation seeking, headache sufferers were
      predicted to score lower than controls on Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale. 26
      subjects who experienced chronic headaches scored significantly lower than a
      group of 26 controls. The relationships between the Sensation Seeking Scale and a
      number of personality tests are described. Replication of the findings on this
      scale with headache patients is encouraged as well as exploration of other
      personality dimensions which show significant relations with sensation seeking.

PMID- 1862194
TI  - Correlates of sexual interest among elderly men.
AB  - Interview data were collected from 46 English elderly men (age 70 to 94 years)
      relating to attitudes, psychological traits, and life satisfaction. Sexual
      interest was not related to life satisfaction or marital status but was
      significantly correlated with measures of emotional expressivity, personal
      identity, as well as regrets about the past. Findings are discussed in terms of
      Erikson's later stages of ego development.

PMID- 1862195
TI  - Assessment of coping strategies, social support, and general health status in
      individuals with diabetes mellitus.
AB  - This study examined 51 individuals (30 men, 21 women) who participated in an
      outpatient diabetes education program. Participants with higher perceived support
      by friends and problem-solving coping strategies were healthier, while those
      exhibiting a wish-fulfillment coping style were less healthy. Perceived family
      social support was much greater for Type II (noninsulin-dependent) individuals
      than for Type I (insulin-dependent) individuals. Men perceived greater family
      support, were more likely to use problem-solving coping, and were healthier than
      women; however, both wish fulfillment and detachment coping were more prevalent
      in women. Perceived support from family and friends increased with education.
      Implications for diabetes education programs are also introduced.

PMID- 1862196
TI  - Suicidal behavior and Becker's definition of irrationality.

PMID- 1862198
TI  - Qualitative and quantitative sex differences in self-reported aggressive
      behavioral characteristics.
AB  - Aggressive behavioral characteristics were assessed in a large group of men and
      women by a self-report instrument, the Aggression Inventory. Significant gender
      differences appeared on four factors in which men reported more physical
      aggression and verbal aggression than did women. Further, men had higher scores
      on measures of impulsiveness and lack of patience than women, while women
      reported being more likely to avoid confrontation. In addition to these
      quantitative sex differences in self-reported behavior, factor analyses indicated
      qualitative differences by sex, wherein most of the variance for women centered
      on verbal aggression, while physical aggression was the first factor for men.

PMID- 1862197
TI  - Effect of hazard warning on workers' attitudes and risk taking behavior.
AB  - Until recently, the issue of job hazards has been largely ignored as a research
      and theoretical topic in business and management disciplines although workers'
      perceptions and assessments of job hazards are of significance to managers. In
      this paper are reported results of an experiment conducted in Egyptian chemical
      firms to test the generality of an implicit rational model used to explain
      employees' reactions to and perceptions of job hazards. Four hypotheses were
      tested: (1) workers' subjective estimates of their job hazards are positively
      related to the objective hazard, (2) workers' subjective estimates of a
      prospective new job hazard will vary directly with the extent of hazard
      communicated by the new product label, (3) workers' demand for new hazard wage
      premiums will vary directly with perceived prospective new work hazards, (4)
      workers' intention to quit the job will vary directly with subjective and
      objective estimates of job hazards. All hypotheses were supported. The rational
      worker model appears to be a general explanation for workers' responses to
      hazardous jobs and information on hazards. This model not only holds for USA
      workers but also for those in a nonwestern culture. Implications for management
      and the industrial setting are discussed.

PMID- 1862199
TI  - Criterion-related validity of a new classification scheme for institutionalized
      mentally retarded individuals.
AB  - Two studies were carried out to test the validity of a new three-cluster
      classification scheme. The association of cluster membership with both clients'
      movement and program placement was significant, but only in the case of the
      latter criterion was prediction improved by knowledge of a client's cluster
      membership.

PMID- 1862200
TI  - 30th annual meeting of the New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit (NCDEU). May 29 to
      June 1, 1990, Key Biscayne, Florida. Abridged proceedings.

PMID- 1862201
TI  - Clinical significance of reversed vegetative subtypes of recurrent major
      depression.
AB  - The significance of reversed vegetative forms of atypical depression (AD) was
      investigated in a sample of 211 outpatients with recurrent major depression.
      Consistent with several earlier reports, AD patients were younger, had fewer
      typical symptoms of melancholia, and responded slower to imipramine and
      psychotherapy treatment given according to protocol. There were few differences
      between reversed vegetative AD patients with reactive and nonreactive moods; both
      subforms of AD responded well to monoamine oxidase inhibitor when crossed over
      after initial protocol treatment failed.

PMID- 1862202
TI  - The depressed borderline: one disorder or two?
AB  - Depression in the borderline patient may present as a reactive mood state, an
      expression of character, or an independent comorbid affective disorder. The
      symptom picture is most often heterogeneous, "atypical," and chronic.
      Pharmacologic trials with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase
      inhibitors (MAOIs) produce modest improvement on a variety of symptoms, though
      not always on depression. Medication effects on depressed mood in borderline
      personality disorder (BPD) are independent of comorbid diagnoses of major
      depression, atypical depression, or hysteroid dysphoria. Residual symptoms are
      the rule. A literature review, including studies of comorbidity, longitudinal
      followup, family history, and laboratory and pharmacotherapy studies, suggests
      that the borderline patient has both a core biologic affective dysregulation and
      a pathologic personality organization. The combination of constitutional and
      psychodynamic etiologies for borderline pathology requires consideration of both
      pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy in any comprehensive treatment.

PMID- 1862203
TI  - Is there an alternative to the randomized controlled trial?
AB  - The advantages of the concurrently randomized controlled trial as a device to
      assess the efficacy of drugs intended for use in the field of psychiatry are
      reviewed. The importance of "assay sensitivity" is discussed and illustrations of
      errors that can arise when inferences about efficacy are based upon comparisons
      that find no difference between experimental and standard treatments are
      presented. These illustrations are derived from data collected in two different
      pre-marketing commercial drug development programs. Also discussed is the
      argument that controlled trials are inappropriate devices to test drug efficacy
      because of their alleged lack of sensitivity to drug effects.

PMID- 1862204
TI  - Continuation and maintenance treatment of major depression with the monoamine
      oxidase inhibitor phenelzine: a double-blind placebo-controlled discontinuation
      study.
AB  - Long-term treatment with antidepressant drugs has received little attention until
      recently. A study is reported comparing the effectiveness of maintenance
      treatment with phenelzine in responding major depression patients. If they
      responded initially to nonblind phenelzine treatment and sustained remission for
      16 weeks, patients were randomized to 2-year double-blind treatment with
      phenelzine 60 mg/day, phenelzine 45 mg/day, or placebo. Both doses of phenelzine
      were significantly better than placebo in preventing relapse of depression.
      Phenelzine 45 mg/day may be an optimal maintenance dose for many patients.

PMID- 1862205
TI  - Treatment of age-associated memory impairment with guanfacine.
AB  - Alpha2 adrenergic agonists have been shown to improve memory test performance in
      amnesic humans and aged nonhuman primates. In a group of drugs in this class that
      were tested for their effects on age-related memory impairments in aged monkeys,
      guanfacine was the most effective for improving mnemonic function at doses that
      were without significant side effects. These data prompted studies of guanfacine
      for its effect on learning and memory in persons with age-associated memory
      impairment (AAMI), the results of which are now reported. The data suggest that
      guanfacine may have modest mood-improving effects but had no significant effects
      on learning and memory in the subjects tested.

PMID- 1862206
TI  - Reliability, validity, and a total score cutoff for the dyskinesia identification
      system: condensed user scale (DISCUS) with mentally ill and mentally retarded
      populations.
AB  - The reliability and validity of the Dyskinesia Identification System: Condensed
      User Scale (DISCUS) are presented for mentally ill (n = 2,822) and mentally
      retarded (n = 4,649) populations, as are DISCUS item means and standard
      deviations. A total score cutoff was developed and tested against physician
      diagnosis and the Research Diagnoses for Tardive Dyskinesia (RD-TD) intensity
      criterion. DISCUS total score significantly increased as age increased and was
      significantly greater for 108 TD cases compared to 108 matched no-TD cases. The
      DISCUS total score of 5 or above was significantly associated with physician TD
      diagnosis, the RD-TD intensity criterion, and an increasing number of individuals
      meeting the cutoff score as age increased. Based upon the data, the DISCUS is a
      reliable and valid TD assessment instrument. It is concluded that the DISCUS
      cutoff score is as valid a measure of TD as the current operationally defined RD
      TD intensity criterion.

PMID- 1862207
TI  - Response to desipramine treatment in adolescent major depression.
AB  - Thirty adolescents (ages 15-20) who met DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive
      disorder completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week, fixed-dose (200 mg
      daily) study of desipramine (DMI). Thirty-three percent of the placebo group and
      50 percent of the DMI group improved (greater than or equal to 50% change on the
      Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression). Subjective reports of adverse effects did
      not significantly differentiate the two groups. Major adverse effects,
      necessitating study discontinuation, occurred solely in the DMI group.

PMID- 1862208
TI  - Random regression models for multicenter clinical trials data.
AB  - A random-effects regression model is proposed for the analysis of data arising
      from multicenter clinical trials. Advantages of the random regression model (RRM)
      in this context include that it allows for varying numbers of subjects within the
      different centers, it can assess the influence of variables measured both at the
      level of the subject and at the level of the center on the subject's clinical
      outcome, and it controls for and estimates the amount of intracenter variation
      that is present in the data. An example utilizing data collected in the National
      Institute of Mental Health schizophrenia collaborative study, where subjects were
      clustered within nine centers, illustrates the usefulness of the statistical
      model. Other applications and extensions of RRM within a psychiatric framework
      are discussed.

PMID- 1862209
TI  - Early prediction of relapse in schizophrenia: an application of receiver
      operating characteristic (ROC) methods.
AB  - We compared different methods of identifying prodromal periods with regard to
      their ability to predict relapse in schizophrenia. Fifty stabilized schizophrenic
      patients, who received a low dose of schizophrenic patients, who received a low
      dose of fluphenazine decanoate (5 to 10 mg every 2 weeks) were monitored with
      weekly evaluations to determine whether they met criteria for nonpsychotic
      prodromal episodes. We evaluated three different scales: (1) the Anxious
      Depression subscale of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS); (2) a
      modification of the patient self-report Early Signs Questionnaire and (3) the
      Idiosyncratic Prodromal Scale (IPS). We used receiver operating characteristic
      (ROC) methods for comparing the different instruments as methods for predicting
      whether patients would or would not demonstrate a psychotic exacerbation in the 4
      weeks following the assessment. Both the IPS and the BPRS cluster scores were
      better than chance at correctly identifying periods of vulnerability to psychotic
      exacerbation. The ROC analyses suggest that relatively small changes in the signs
      and symptoms of chronic schizophrenic patients in maintenance treatment may be
      clinically meaningful.

PMID- 1862210
TI  - Steady-state plasma level prediction for haloperidol from a single test dose.
AB  - Due to large interindividual variabilities in kinetics of haloperidol (HPDL),
      empirically adjusting the dose to achieve steady-state plasma levels (Css) is a
      time consuming process. We report a method to individualize doses to achieve the
      desired Css from the observed plasma level 24 hours after a single test dose.
      Twenty-eight acutely psychotic patients, after up to 2 weeks of inhospital drug
      washout, received a 15-mg oral "test" dose of HPDL and 24- and 48-hour plasma
      levels were measured. They were then randomly assigned to empirically determined
      doses of HPDL (2, 4, or 10 mg b.i.d.) to achieve a low, medium, or high Css. The
      24-hour plasma level after the test dose, the final Css, and the dose required to
      achieve that Css were analyzed by a linear regression model. The log Css in terms
      of the log dose revealed a strong linear relationship (R2 = .78, n = 28), which
      was further improved by the addition of the 24-hour log plasma level (R2 = .87).

PMID- 1862212
TI  - Supreme Court affirms 8 bargaining units per hospital.

PMID- 1862211
TI  - Electroconvulsive therapy in the United States.
AB  - In 1990, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) celebrated 50 years of continuous use in
      the United States. After many trials and tribulations, this treatment modality
      has experienced a resurgence of interest in recent years. Contemporary research
      has helped to both maximize benefits and minimize risks, as ECT has grown
      technologically into a sophisticated procedure administered by highly trained
      practitioners. Given the substantial growth in knowledge about ECT, the American
      Psychiatric Association has recently developed comprehensive clinical guidelines
      for its practice. The present paper provides an overview of the history of ECT in
      the United States, the manner in which it is used at present, and areas of active
      research interest.

PMID- 1862214
TI  - Legal case briefs for nurses. LA.: nurse inserts catheter over pt.'s objection:
      battery; IL.: nurse leaves station--termination: at will employment.

PMID- 1862213
TI  - Failure to monitor patient: deplorable nursing care. Case in point: Harrington v.
      Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's (569 N.E. 2d 15--IL (1990)).

PMID- 1862215
TI  - Electric shock for infant: disciplinary action for nurse. Case in point: Cafiero
      v. N.C. Board of Nursing (403 S.E. 2d 582--NC (1991)).

PMID- 1862216
TI  - Lithium administered by eye drops: a better treatment for bipolar affective
      disorder?
AB  - 1. Bipolar affective patients are supersensitive to light. 2. Lithium treatment
      decreases retinal sensitivity to light. 3. Recent findings concerning lithium
      perturbation of the function of various members of the G proteins family
      including transducin (G1), as well as findings of lithium sensitive hyperactive G
      proteins in mononuclear leukocytes of patients with mania led to the hypothesis
      that lithium sensitive hyperfunctional G1 is responsible for the supersensitivity
      to light in affective patients. 4. Thus, a change in the usual route of lithium
      administration into eye drops delivery is hypothesized to be more efficient
      clinically, with the advantages of shortening the time delay necessary to achieve
      therapeutic effects, and having less systemic side effects and reduced toxicity.

PMID- 1862218
TI  - Pituitary abnormalities in eating disorders: further evidence from MRI studies.
AB  - 1. The frequent occurrence of hypothalamo-pituitary dysfunction in patients with
      eating disorders as well as prior reports that nutritional and endocrine status
      influence pituitary morphology, led us to hypothesize that pituitary size and
      shape may be altered in patients with eating disorders. 2. Magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) does not use ionizing radiation and is currently one of the most
      feasible modalities available to study the pituitary gland in vivo. Using MRI, we
      have previously reported in a preliminary study that female patients with eating
      disorders had significantly smaller pituitary glands than controls. In addition
      MRI excluded any pituitary mass lesions. 3. In this report, we confirm our
      previous MRI findings and provide further evidence of pituitary abnormalities in
      an expanded sample of eating disorder patients. Preliminary data on pituitary
      volume estimates from MRI scans are provided for a subset of patients and
      controls.

PMID- 1862217
TI  - Glycosaminoglycan polysulfate in the treatment of old age dementias.
AB  - 1. In a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial in 155
      elderly patients with cognitive decline, glycosaminoglycan polysulfate was found
      to be a therapeutically effective agent in the treatment of old age dementias. 2.
      Treatment with glycosaminoglycan polysulfate in the daily dosage of 600 LRU,
      administered on the basis of a divided dosage schedule for 12 weeks, was
      significantly superior to an inactive placebo on several outcome measures
      including the Wechsler Memory Scale-Russell Revision (Easy Paired Associates
      Learning and Immediate Visual Reproduction), Mini Mental State Examination, the
      Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric (Cognitive Dysfunction and Depression),
      Hachinski Dementia Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (Confusion and
      Depressive Withdrawal) and Global Improvement Scale of the Clinical Global
      Impression. 3. Adverse effects with glycosaminoglycan polysulfate were few and
      mild. The drug was equally well tolerated and equally effective in the two major
      dementias of old age, i.e., primary degenerative and multi-infarct. The number of
      abnormal laboratory test readings remained essentially unchanged from pre
      treatment to post-treatment.

PMID- 1862219
TI  - Selective anorexigenic effects of corticotropin releasing hormone in the rhesus
      monkey.
AB  - 1. Rhesus monkeys were equipped with a novel intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.)
      cannula system and trained to respond under operant schedules of food
      presentation or termination of stimuli associated with the delivery of shock
      (escape). 2. CRH decreased food-maintained behavior in a dose-related manner over
      the range of (0.3-10 micrograms/kg) but did not affect escape responding,
      demonstrating a selective effect on food-maintained responding. 3. This selective
      effect was related to the tendency for responding to stop after delivery of a
      food pellet when higher doses of CRH were given, consistent with the notion that
      a conditioned aversion to food was established in the presence of CRH. 4. This
      may suggest that in hyperaroused clinical states such as depression and anorexia
      nervosa, focus is shifted away from appetitive tasks as a result of increased
      levels of CRH.

PMID- 1862220
TI  - Ontogeny of phenylalanine (endogenous cholecystokinin) induced modulation of food
      intake in normal and undernourished rats.
AB  - 1. The development of endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) effects on food intake was
      studied in normal and undernourished growing rats of postnatal day 1-22. 2. Food
      intake was estimated by recording the gain in body weight before weaning. 3. l
      phenylalanine, a potent stimulant of endogenous CCK release, suppressed 30 min
      food intake in normally nourished pups of day 7-15 or more but not of day 1-6
      rats. 4. However, l-phenylalanine did not affect 24 hr gain in body weight day 1
      6 or more, rat pups. 5. l-phenylalanine neither suppressed 30 min food intake nor
      affected 24 hr body weight in day 16-19 or 20-22 undernourished rat pups. 6. The
      study suggests that the endogenous CCK satiety effects appear early in the second
      week of postnatal life in normally nourished rats, whereas in undernourished rat
      pups it does not appear till day 20-22.

PMID- 1862221
TI  - Opiate-dopamine interactions in the neural substrates of acoustic startle gating
      in the rat.
AB  - 1. The acoustic startle reflex (ASR) was measured in adult male Dawley rats using
      startling acoustic stimuli presented either alone or 60-500 msec after a weak
      acoustic prepulse. 2. The inhibition of the ASR by the prepulse, termed "prepulse
      inhibition" (PPI), was blocked in animals treated either with the indirect
      dopamine (DA) agonist d-amphetamine (AMPH) or with the direct DA receptor agonist
      apomorphine (APO). 3. Pretreatment with the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone
      (NAL) prevented the AMPH-induced loss of PPI, but did not diminish the APO
      induced loss of PPI. 4. The opiate heroin had no significant effect on PPI. 5.
      Dopaminergic mechanisms that modulate PPI in the rat may be regulated by opiate
      systems that act presynaptic to the DA receptor; brain opiate receptors may not
      have direct effects on startle gating independent of this opiate-DA interaction.

PMID- 1862222
TI  - Lithium-TCA induced malignant syndrome. Case report.
AB  - 1. The authors describe some adverse reactions, induced by lithium and TCA
      administration, in a 71 years old woman treated for mixed bipolar disturbance. 2.
      The case history here described, is perfectly compatible with a diagnosis of
      Malignant Hyperthermia (MH). 3. Utility of the association of hypothalamic
      phospholipid liposomes (HPL) and myorelaxants in the reduction of these lithium
      side effects, is discussed.

PMID- 1862223
TI  - Oxytocin-induced prostaglandin release from perifused bovine caruncular and
      intercaruncular endometrial tissue on days 20, 30 and at first estrus postpartum.
AB  - Twenty-two multiparous Brahman x Hereford F1 cows were utilized to determine the
      effect of oxytocin (OT) on prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF) release from caruncular
      and intercaruncular endometrial tissues and prostaglandin E2 (PGE) release from
      intercaruncular tissue. The previously gravid uterine horn was removed on d 20
      postpartum (n = 7), on d 30 postpartum (n = 7) or the uterine horn ipsilateral to
      the dominant follicle was removed 12-18 h after onset of first behavioral estrus
      postpartum (ES; n = 8). Tissues (200 mg wet wt) were cultured in Nutrient Mixture
      F-10 medium in a perifusion system. The medium and tissues were aerated with 95%
      O2: 5% CO2 and temperatures were maintained at 39 degrees C. The flow rate was
      100 microliters/min and fractions were collected at 20 min intervals for 400 min.
      After a 2 h settling phase, the tissues were challenged with 1, 2 or 4 micrograms
      [Asu1,6]-OT/ml of media for 1 h. Basal release of PGE and PGF on d 20 was greater
      than on d 30 and at ES (P less than .02) which were similar. All doses of OT
      increased PGE and PGF with both remaining elevated throughout the duration of the
      perifusion (P less than .008). However, there were no differences among doses.
      Release of PGE in response to OT on d 20 and 30, was higher than at ES (P less
      than .008). More PGF was released in response to OT from intercaruncular than
      caruncular tissue on d 20 (P less than .0001) and at ES (P less than .003).
      Release of PGF in response to OT on d 20 was higher (P less than .0001) than on d
      30 and d 30 was higher than at ES (P less than .007). Basal and OT-induced
      release of PGE and PGF declined as day postpartum increased. We conclude that
      intercaruncular tissue released more PGF than caruncular tissue and both
      intercaruncular and caruncular tissue responded to OT with a sustained release of
      prostaglandins in a non-dose-dependent manner on d 20, 30 and at ES postpartum.

PMID- 1862224
TI  - Acute stimulatory effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha on serum progesterone
      concentrations in pregnant and pseudopregnant pigs.
AB  - The objective of this study was to investigate whether PGF2 alpha, administered
      to pregnant and pseudopregnant gilts in vivo, would cause an acute increase in
      serum progesterone concentrations prior to luteolysis. Pregnant (n = 9) and
      pseudopregnant (n = 4) gilts were fitted with a jugular vein cannula on day 40,
      were treated with 3 ml vehicle (control) i.m. on day 42 and with 15 mg PGF2 alpha
      on day 45. Blood samples were collected at frequent (5 and 15 min) intervals from
      1 h before until 1 h after control and PGF2 alpha injections, at 15 min intervals
      for 4 h, and then at 5, 6, 9, 21, 33, 45 and 57 h post injection. Progesterone
      was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) in all samples. Porcine LH was measured by
      RIA in samples collected frequently in the 1 h pre- and 1 h post-injection
      periods. Serum progesterone concentrations were unchanged in both pregnant and
      pseudopregnant animals in response to control injection on day 42. However, in
      both pregnant and pseudopregnant gilts, PGF2 alpha injection on day 45 resulted
      in an acute increase (approximately 75-80% above pre-treatment levels; p less
      than 0.05) in serum progesterone lasting approximately 1 h, followed by a return
      to pre-treatment levels by 2 h, and then a decline to 1 ng/ml or less by 45-57 h
      (pregnant) or 21-57 h (pseudopregnant), associated with luteolysis. Serum LH
      concentrations were unchanged between 1 h pre- and post-treatment periods in
      response to either control or PGF2 alpha-treatment, in both pregnant and
      pseuodpregnant gilts. These results indicate that PGF2 alpha-injection produces a
      rapid and transient increase in serum progesterone concentrations which may
      result from a rapid and direct stimulatory action of PGF2 alpha on porcine luteal
      cell progesterone synthesis/secretion in vivo.

PMID- 1862225
TI  - Dissociation of hyperthermic and hyperglycemic effects of central prostaglandin
      F2 alpha.
AB  - We previously reported that intraventricular prostaglandins (PGs) produced
      hyperthermia and hyperglycemia in anesthetized rats. However, the relationship of
      them is little known. We examined the relationship between hyperthermia and
      hyperglycemia induced by intraventricular PGF2 alpha using curarized and adrenal
      demedullated rats. Iv curare completely prevented the PGF2 alpha-induced
      hyperthermia, but enhanced the hyperglycemic effect of PGF2 alpha. Adrenal
      demedullation completely prevented the hyperglycemia, but did not affect the
      hyperthermic effect of PGF2 alpha. To further assess the site of action concerned
      with PGF2 alpha-induced thermoregulation and glucoregulation in the central
      nervous system (CNS), we injected saline or PGF2 alpha into the preoptic area of
      the anterior hypothalamus (POA) in intact rats. After microinjection of PGF2
      alpha into the POA, the rectal temperature rose, but the plasma glucose level did
      not increase significantly, as compared with saline-treated control rats. These
      results suggest that PGF2 alpha causes the central nervous system to produce
      hyperthermia via shivering, stimulated the somatic motor system, and to produce
      hyperglycemia by stimulating central sympathetic outflow to the adrenal medulla,
      but these operate independently under different neural regulation, and these
      sensitive sites are organically dissociated in the CNS.

PMID- 1862226
TI  - Effect of ambient oxygen changes on platelet activating factor production by
      fetal ovine endothelial cells.
AB  - To determine whether platelet activating factor (PAF) plays a role in the
      responses seen in the fetal and transitional circulations, we assessed endogenous
      release of PAF in cultured fetal ovine endothelial cells from the pulmonary
      artery (PA), ductus arteriosus (DA) and aorta (Ao) under basal conditions and
      following exposure to hypoxia or hyperoxia. The cells were prelabeled with [3H]
      acetate and subsequently exposed to different ambient oxygen concentrations,
      i.e., 95% O2 or 95% N2, balance CO2, using calcium ionophore as a positive
      control. The effect of indomethacin on DA endothelial PAF production following
      stimulation with ionophore was also established. Synthesis of [3H] PAF was
      measured by counts comigrating on TLC with unlabeled PAF. We found that PAF
      production by fetal ovine PA, Ao and DA cells was similar and unaffected by
      hypoxia or hyperoxia. Exposure of ionophore stimulated DA cells to indomethacin
      was, however, associated with a decrease in PAF production (p less than 0.05). We
      speculate that in vitro alterations in ambient O2 concentration do not influence
      fetal ovine endothelial PAF production but indomethacin may decrease PAF
      production in the DA.

PMID- 1862227
TI  - Late midtrimester medical pregnancy terminations: three different procedures with
      prostaglandin F2 alpha and laminaria tents.
AB  - One hundred twenty eight women underwent midtrimester induced abortion with: 1)
      combined regimen of intramniotic prostaglandin (PG) F2a injection and
      intracervical laminaria tents (group A, 50 women), 2) intramniotic PGF2a
      injection only (group B, 51 women) and 3) laminaria tents followed by
      intracervical PGF2a tablets insertion (group C, 27 women). The mean induction
      abortion time (+/- SE) was 24.9 +/- 1.7 hours for group A, 28.2 +/- 2.2 hours for
      group B (p greater than 0.05) and 42.1 +/- 3.4 hours for group C, significantly
      longer than goup A and B (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01 respectively).
      In 48 hours 98% of the patients of group A, 90% of group B (p less than 0.05) and
      59% of group C (p less than 0.001) completed the abortion procedure. Parous women
      of group A and B presented similar induction - abortion time, while in
      nulliparous the use of laminaria shortened the abortion procedure significantly
      (p less than 0.05). The complications rate was low. In conclusion, the
      intracervical PGF2a insertion is a simple but very slow abortion procedure with
      high failure rates. The intramniotic PGF2a injection is a successful method for
      late midtrimester medical pregnancy termination and the concurrent use of
      laminaria tents shortens the abortion procedure, particularly in nulliparous,
      reduces the number of prostaglandins' reinjections and increases the incidence of
      successful abortion within 48 hours.

PMID- 1862228
TI  - Activity of phospholipase C in ovine luteal tissue in response to PGF2 alpha,
      PGE2 and luteinizing hormone.
AB  - Four ewes were utilized to determine the effects of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha,
      PGE2 and luteinizing hormone (LH) on activity of phospholipase C (PLC) in ovine
      luteal tissue. Corpora lutea were collected on d 10 post-estrus and six slices
      from one corpus luteum from each ewe were pre-incubated with [3H]-inositol prior
      to incubation with one of 6 treatments. Treatments were 1) control, 2) PGF2 alpha
      (100 ng/ml), 3) PGE2 (10 ng/ml), 4) LH (10 ng/ml), 5) PGF2 alpha + PGE2 and 6)
      PGF2 alpha + LH. Phospholipase C was determined indirectly by measuring the
      accumulation of [3H]-inositol mono-, bis- and tris-phosphates (IP, IP2, IP3).
      Effects of PGF2 alpha (0 vs. PGF2 alpha) and luteotropic treatment (0 vs. PGE2
      vs. LH) and their interactions were determined by analysis of variance. There was
      a significant main effect of PGF2 alpha (P less than 0.01) as concentrations of
      IP, IP2, IP3 and total [3H]-inositol phosphates were greater in tissue slices
      treated with PGF2 alpha, regardless of luteotropic treatment. Within groups
      receiving no PGF2 alpha (1,3,4), no effect of luteotropic treatment was observed.
      Within groups receiving PGF2 alpha (2,5,6), LH caused a significant (P less than
      .05) increase in the accumulation of total [3H]-inositol phosphates. Thus, PGF2
      alpha can stimulate the activity of PLC in ovine luteal tissue and LH can
      potentiate this effect.

PMID- 1862230
TI  - Naloxone-induced hypoalgesia: effects of heat, cold and novelty.
AB  - Experiment 1 confirmed that pairings of the opioid antagonist naloxone and a
      heated floor served to induce and then to maintain a conditioned hypoalgesia in
      rats. Experiments 2a and b demonstrated that this was not specific to some
      property of the heated floor: pairings of the drug and a cold floor (a) resulted
      in conditioned hypoalgesia and (b) maintained the hypoalgesia provoked by
      pairings of the drug with a heated floor. Experiments 3a and 4 showed that
      pairings of naloxone with the non-heated floor of the apparatus provoked
      hypoalgesia and provided evidence that this was due to the drug's disruption of a
      familiarization process. Experiment 3b revealed that pairings of naloxone with
      the non-heated floor maintained the hypoalgesia induced by pairings of the drug
      with a heated one. The results were interpreted to mean that naloxone interacts
      selectively with a stressor so as to maintain or enhance its aversive properties.

PMID- 1862229
TI  - Effect of diet on hyperthermia-induced cell lethality and prostaglandin release.
AB  - Hyperthermia-induced cell lethality is thought to be mediated through injury to
      the cell membrane. Membrane perturbation results in the release of prostaglandins
      (PG) and leukotrienes (LT). These compounds are potent biological mediators and
      may modify the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic efficacy. Membrane
      composition and PG/LT release are influenced by the dietary fatty acids. The
      relationship between these variables and response to hyperthermia was examined in
      vitro using murine P388 leukemia cells grown as an ascites in mice provided
      either saturated fatty acid diet (SFA; 16% beef tallow) or unsaturated fatty acid
      diet (UFA; 16% safflower oil). Cells were harvested and exposed in vitro to
      either 37 degrees C or 43.5 degrees C for periods up to 2 hours. Hyperthermic
      exposure for 2 hours resulted in 40% cell lethality in SFA cells and 55% in UFA
      cells. The phospholipid and total cholesterol content was higher (33% and 50%
      respectively) in the UFA versus the SFA cells. Hyperthermia produced a six-fold
      increase in prostaglandin E2 PGE2 release by SFA cells and a 4.5-fold increase by
      UFA cells. No LTC4 was detected. Alteration of dietary fat affects cell lethality
      and PG release following hyperthermic treatment. The increase in phospholipid and
      cholesterol content of UFA cells may be a response to reduced membrane fluidity.

PMID- 1862231
TI  - The art of unproven remedies.
AB  - Dealing with unproven treatments involves more than analyzing the available
      scientific data. The patient-physician relationship--the foundation of medical
      practice--is challenged and threatened by unproven treatments. To understand the
      problem, we need to understand ourselves as well as the patient and the disease.
      Handling the problem effectively can strengthen the patient-physician bond.

PMID- 1862232
TI  - Nutrition and rheumatic diseases.

PMID- 1862233
TI  - Alleviation of autoimmune disease by dietary lipids containing omega-3 fatty
      acids.
AB  - Dietary marine lipids that are enriched in omega-3, or n-3, fatty acids reduce
      the severity of autoimmune glomerulonephritis in several inbred murine strains.
      The protective effect of dietary n-3 fatty acids is also seen with a rat model of
      immune-complex induced vasculopathy, but no protective effects were seen with
      autoimmune vasculitis in the MRL/lpr mouse or with type II collagen-induced
      arthritis in rats. Dietary n-3 fatty acids are potential therapeutic agents for
      the treatment of autoimmune diseases, but careful clinical trials with the
      purified forms of n-3 fatty acids are needed to determine the usefulness of this
      intervention.

PMID- 1862234
TI  - Nutritional modulation of murine models of autoimmunity.
AB  - For experimental animals, calorie restriction, as well as deficits of specific
      nutrients, can retard the establishment and progression of autoimmune disease.
      The clinical value of imposed nutritional deficiencies in the treatment of
      autoimmune disease, however, is suspect. In contrast, diet supplementation of
      specific fatty acids may prove to be of value in the management of some
      autoimmune disorders.

PMID- 1862235
TI  - Food hypersensitivity.
AB  - Food allergy is one of several causes of adverse reactions to foods. The
      underlying immunologic mechanism varies from one manifestation to another, hence
      no current single laboratory test can be expected to be positive in every case.
      The diagnosis could be suggested by information gathered from the medical history
      or screening procedures, such as trials of elimination diets, the food/symptom
      diary, skin testing, and in vitro-specific IgE antibody measurement. All foods
      suspected by any of the aforementioned methods should be subjected to
      verification by appropriate elimination-challenge testing, preferably in a double
      blind, placebo-controlled manner. Basically, treatment is dietary elimination,
      and its success requires identification and avoidance of all offending foods and
      control of other contributory factors.

PMID- 1862236
TI  - An animal model of food allergic arthritis.
AB  - Progress in understanding rheumatoid arthritis has been slow in large part
      because no widely accepted animal model exists that clearly reflects naturally
      occurring human disease, and because the clinical expression of rheumatoid
      arthritis may represent multiple etiologies with shared or subtly different
      immunopathogenic pathways. New insights about pathogenesis and causes are needed
      to understand this disease and ultimately to care for patients better.

PMID- 1862237
TI  - Does food cause or cure arthritis?
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis and most other forms of inflammatory joint disease--systemic
      rheumatic diseases--remain illnesses of unknown cause for which current therapy
      often is inadequate. The possibility that food antigens induce or perpetuate
      symptoms in at least some patients is novel, rational, and exciting. Studies that
      relate diet with arthritis might offer the potential of identifying new
      therapeutic approaches for selected patients and of developing new insights into
      disease pathogenesis.

PMID- 1862238
TI  - Dietary therapy for arthritis.
AB  - Patients believe that dietary manipulation may help their arthritic symptoms, and
      because they have--until recently--not felt that their doctors were interested in
      diet, they have been vulnerable to commercial exploitation. In the past decade,
      scientific studies have shown that dietary manipulation may help at least a sub
      group of rheumatoid patients. Mechanisms of improvement are understood
      incompletely, but many theories have been proposed. Further, careful studies are
      needed so that doctors may understand the subject and advise patients
      appropriately.

PMID- 1862239
TI  - Dietary antigens and immunologic disease in humans.
AB  - Absorption of small amounts of various dietary antigens in an intact state is a
      normal phenomenon in humans. This article discusses the normal mechanisms of
      excess antigen exclusion, examples of the states in which absorption can occur,
      and some of the immunologic consequences that have been documented.

PMID- 1862240
TI  - Antigens, the gastrointestinal tract, and arthritis.
AB  - There are a variety of forms of arthritis that appear causally related to a
      primary process in the gastrointestinal tract. Resolving the normal immune
      response to gut-acquired antigens of microbial and dietary origin can guide our
      understanding of the protean manifestations of the interface of arthritis and
      enteritis.

PMID- 1862241
TI  - Dietary amino acid-induced systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - The effects of dietary manipulations on autoimmune disease are understood poorly.
      In this article, we detail our experience with a human subject who developed
      autoimmune hemolytic anemia while participating in a research study that required
      the ingestion of alfalfa seeds. Subsequent experimental studies in primates
      ingesting alfalfa sprout seeds and L-canavanine (a prominent amino acid
      constituent of alfalfa) is presented. The results of these studies indicate a
      potential toxic and immunoregulatory role of L-canavanine in the induction of a
      systemic lupus-like disease in primates.

PMID- 1862242
TI  - Immunoglobulin E, mast cells, endogenous antigens, and arthritis.
AB  - New aspects of the biology of the mast cell and its associated products may be
      important to the pathogenesis of arthritis. Mast cells may be activated in human
      arthritides as a result of a rapidly expanding list of peptides, including
      cytokines and neurotransmitters. The classic immunoglobulin E-coupled mast cell
      activation pathways may be used in the autoimmune diseases by way of autoantibody
      production involving the immunoglobulin E molecule itself. This can be shown to
      induce mediator release in vitro. The mast cell-derived products may play a role
      in both the early phases of synovitis as well as the chronic destructive phase.

PMID- 1862243
TI  - Pseudo-food allergy.
AB  - This article covers the background and general concepts pertaining to pseudo
      allergy, the problems involved in reaching valid diagnoses of food allergy, the
      basics of the methodology of double-blind oral provocation, and the emotional,
      psychologic and recent sociologic factors particularly relevant to the
      inappropriate attribution of symptoms to allergy.

PMID- 1862244
TI  - Antirheumatic effects of fasting.
AB  - Total fasting induces within a few days a substantial reduction of joint pain,
      swelling, morning stiffness, and other arthritic symptoms in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis. This remission subsides slowly after discontinuation of
      fasting. Its mechanisms are complex and involves diminished activation of
      neutrophils and lymphocytes and decreased generation of leukotrienes and of
      concentrations of serum complement factors, as well as of other proinflammatory
      systems. Moreover, ketosis and other metabolic and endocrine changes may be of
      significance for symptom expression and recognition.

PMID- 1862245
TI  - Fasting, intestinal permeability, and rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Otherwise healthy and well-nourished patients with rheumatoid arthritis show
      significant clinical improvement from practising prolonged fasting for 7 to 10
      days. The improvement is reversible and lost when eating is taken up again.
      Although of little therapeutic value, the anti-inflammatory effect of short-term
      fasting is of significant interest and better understanding of the mechanisms is
      desirable.

PMID- 1862246
TI  - Dietary omega-3 fatty acids: effects on lipid mediators of inflammation and
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Dietary supplementation omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may inhibit (at least
      partially) three pathways of the synthesis of lipid mediators of inflammation:
      the platelet-activating factor synthesis pathway, the cyclooxygenase pathway, and
      the 5-lipoxygenase pathway. In addition, selected cellular functions of
      polymorphonuclear neutrophils may be modulated by dietary fish oil. The exact
      mechanism of the effects of dietary supplementation with omega-3 poly-unsaturated
      fatty acids on these pathways is not completely elucidated; it is quite probable
      that the effects will vary with the duration, dose, and composition of the omega
      3 polyunsaturated fatty acid preparation, with background medical therapy, and
      the presence of and degree of activity of the underlying inflammatory disease
      state.

PMID- 1862247
TI  - Clinical studies of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients who have
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Several studies have now demonstrated reproducible clinical benefits of
      rheumatoid arthritis disease activity after ingestion of n-3 fatty acids.
      Biologic changes induced by fish oils include decreases in the production of
      leukotriene B4, platelet activating factor and interleukin-1. Investigations now
      focus on the proper dose and duration of fish-oil dietary intervention in order
      to obtain optimum clinical effects. Their ultimate therapeutic role has not yet
      been determined.

PMID- 1862248
TI  - Botanical lipids: potential role in modulation of immunologic responses and
      inflammatory reactions.
AB  - Enrichment of cells with fatty acids of particular botanical lipids alters cell
      function in vitro (for example, suppression of human synovial cell and T
      lymphocyte proliferation) in a manner that suggests that administration of these
      botanical lipids may be a useful therapeutic strategy for patients with diseases
      characterized by disordered immune responses and chronic inflammation. Treatment
      of animal models with certain plant seed oils suppresses inflammation and joint
      tissue injury. Controlled trials in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are in an
      early stage, but offer encouragement. The mechanisms whereby these novel lipids
      influence host defense include alteration of arachidonic acid oxygenation
      products and direct effects on cells independent of fatty acid metabolism.

PMID- 1862249
TI  - L-tryptophan-associated eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome: perspective of a new
      illness.
AB  - The current knowledge of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome as an evolving new
      disease entity is reviewed in the context of previously described eosinophilic
      disorders. The acute and chronic manifestations parallel the findings of the
      toxic oil syndrome of Spain and include scleroderma-like skin disease,
      neuropathy, and myopathy.

PMID- 1862250
TI  - American College of Rheumatology position statement: diet and arthritis.

PMID- 1862251
TI  - Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in snorers with sleep apneas: predictive value of
      presurgical polysomnography.
AB  - To determine its predictive value, polysomnography was performed on 14 snorers
      with sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) before and 3 months after
      uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). In the 8 patients considered as cured (less
      than 10 apneas per hour after UPPP), total apnea index (TAI) decreased from 29.7
      +/- 22.6 to 4.9 +/- 3.5. Rapid eye movement sleep (REM) increased from 10.9 +/-
      3.6 to 14 +/- 5.7% of the total sleep period (TSP). In the 6 uncured patients,
      TAI decreased from 59.7 +/- 15.7 to 32 +/- 15.7 and REM increased from 7.7 +/-
      5.6 to 15.8 +/- 7.2% of TSP. Snoring and drowsiness decreased in both cured and
      uncured patients. A presurgical apnea index less than 40 seems to be a reliable
      predictor of successful UPPP. The association of obstructive apnea with either
      central apnea or mixed apnea was not a factor of poor prognosis. Better sleeping
      could explain in part the clinical improvement in both cured and uncured
      patients, but postoperative polysomnography is needed to detect asymptomatic SAS.

PMID- 1862252
TI  - Theophylline pharmacokinetics and liver function indexes in chronic liver
      disease.
AB  - Since patients with chronic liver disease present with greatly varying
      theophylline disposal reductions, in cirrhotics the acute theophylline dose
      schedule must be guided by an index of liver function that predicts theophylline
      pharmacokinetics. We therefore studied 26 patients with severe chronic liver
      disease to ascertain the efficacy of the routinely used clinical and biochemical
      liver function tests in predicting theophylline pharmacokinetics. The prealbumin
      plasma level, recently proposed as a valuable index of liver function, was also
      considered. With respect to 10 controls, theophylline clearance was found to be
      significantly reduced (30 +/- 2 vs. 75 +/- 11 ml/kg/h, mean +/- SD, p less than
      0.01). However, only 7 patients had a reduction great enough to require a reduced
      intravenous theophylline dose schedule. An analysis of clinical utility, made on
      the basis of ROC curves, showed that the albumin/globulin ratio was the most
      effective index for identifying patients requiring lower doses of theophylline.
      Prealbumin and albumin were also useful, whereas bilirubin, prothrombin time,
      pseudocholinesterase, the presence of ascites and Pugh-Child's classification of
      the severity of liver disease were found to be worthless.

PMID- 1862253
TI  - A case of 'bronchial string'--a rare anomaly of the bronchus.
AB  - An incidental string-like structure spanning the lumen of the intermediate
      bronchus was found during bronchoscopy in an 18-year-old woman. We consider that
      the lesion may be a rare fibrous anomaly of the bronchus and may be closely
      related to a bronchial web. We have named this unusual structure 'bronchial
      string'.

PMID- 1862254
TI  - Bronchoalveolar lavage: comparison of three commonly used procedures.
AB  - We have studied three different lavage procedures (100, 200 and 300 ml) in
      patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis (stage I). The effect of bronchoalveolar
      lavage (BAL) on cell yield, lavage fluid recovery, dwelling time, lavage-induced
      arterial oxygen desaturation and occurrence of side effects was analyzed. The
      patients did not differ significantly in prelavage lung function and blood gas
      parameters. The lowest BAL return was seen in the 300-ml lavage procedure
      (49.5%), while the medium yielded over 70%. The lowest cell yield was seen in the
      BAL 100 group (10.4 X 10(6)); the highest in the BAL 300 (19.4 X 10(6)), but the
      latter did not differ significantly from BAL 200 (18.4 X 10(6)). Dwelling time of
      the fluid differed only slightly between the small and middle volume lavage
      (average 3.2 vs. 3.9 min p less than 0.01), but was significantly lower from the
      average dwelling time in the BAL 300 group (9.8 min, p less than 0.001). Arterial
      oxygen desaturation was lowest in the BAL 100 and most pronounced in the large
      volume lavage. Side effects were seen in all but 1 patient undergoing BAL 300.
      Cough was the most often reported side effect (9 patients); fever was observed in
      6 patients, dyspnea in 4 (all undergoing large-volume lavage). Considering our
      results we do not think that it is justifiable to increase the volume of
      instilled fluid above 200 ml, because this may lead to serious side effects
      without increasing benefits. Using lower than 200 ml volumes decrease diagnostic
      yield although the risk of developing side effects is much lower.

PMID- 1862255
TI  - Reduction of bronchial responsiveness to methacholine after mitral valve
      replacement.
AB  - Sixteen patients with mitral valve disease, in whom bronchial hyperresponsiveness
      to methacholine had been detected shortly before mitral valve replacement (MVR),
      were reevaluated 35 +/- 1.5 months after MVR. In 9/16 patients there was a
      significant (greater than 1.5 fold) increase in bronchial provocation dose of
      methacholine (PD20FEV1) after MVR. In the same patients there was a significant
      increase in vital capacity (from 69.6 +/- 5 to 75.8 +/- 5.2% of predicted, p less
      than 0.01), a significant decrease in cardiothoracic ratio and in radiologic
      score for lung edema (from 64.3 +/- 2.9 to 56 +/- 2.1, p less than 0.01 and from
      38 +/- 4.5 to 14.6 +/- 2, p less than 0.001, respectively). In all the patients
      the increase in PD20FEV1 was not related to any change in spirometric values but
      it was related to the decrease in cardiothoracic index (r = 0.72, p less than
      0.01) and in radiologic score for lung edema (r = 0.61, p less than 0.05)
      observed after cardiosurgery.

PMID- 1862256
TI  - Circulatory response to repeated exercise in patients with chronic lung disease.
AB  - The pulmonary and systemic circulatory response to repeated exercise has been
      studied in 24 patients with chronic lung disease, mainly chronic bronchitis. The
      exercise consisted of supine bicycling at a constant low load (from loadless
      pedalling to 30 W) for 10 min with a 20 min rest period between exercises.
      Cardiac output was similar during the first (E1) and the second (E2) exercise
      periods, as well as pulmonary vascular resistance. Systemic arterial pressure,
      however, was lower during E2 than during E1, and this difference was
      significantly correlated with lung function (VC% predicted, FEV1 and FEV1%
      predicted) and blood gases at rest and during exercise. The patients with PaO2
      below 65 mm Hg showed a larger increase in systemic arterial pressure during E1
      and a smaller increase during E2 than the others. The larger increase might be
      due to a vasoconstrictor effect of hypoxemia and/or of the functional residual
      capacity increase observed in such patients with exercise. Whatever the mechanism
      involved, these results show that the systemic circulation is modified in
      patients with chronic lung disease. Results after some intervention have to be
      interpreted with caution if the protocol includes two exercise periods.

PMID- 1862258
TI  - Nocturnal hypoxia in unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.
AB  - Pulmonary function has been studied extensively in patients with unilateral
      diaphragmatic paralysis (UDP), but there is scarce information regarding the
      respiratory function during sleep in this condition. We therefore studied
      pulmonary function in 12 patients with UDP when awake and when asleep.
      Diaphragmatic dysfunction was confirmed by the demonstration of low maximal
      transdiaphragmatic pressures in most of our patients; paradoxical gastric
      pressure swing was observed in 6 patients. There was a restrictive pattern in
      pulmonary function tests and resting arterial blood gases were rather well
      preserved (range SaO2 90-95%). Overnight sleep monitoring showed that the time
      spent in REM sleep and stage 3 and 4 sleep was reduced. The mean maximum decrease
      in SaO2 was 15.2 +/- 6.2% and the time with an SaO2 drop of more than 5% of the
      awake SaO2 was 25.4 +/- 22.8 min. None of our patients was in respiratory failure
      or had clinical evidence of cor pulmonale. We conclude that UDP leads to
      significant nocturnal hypoxemia but, in the absence of systemic lung disease,
      does not lead to chronic respiratory failure and cor pulmonale.

PMID- 1862257
TI  - Activity of erdosteine on mucociliary transport in patients affected by chronic
      bronchitis.
AB  - The influence of erdosteine (a mucomodulator endowed with mucolytic and
      antioxidant properties) on human mucociliary transport (MCT) was investigated in
      a double-blind placebo controlled study. Sixteen former smokers affected by
      chronic bronchitis, preselected for their mucociliary responsiveness to an
      inhaled beta 2-agonist, were divided into two groups (matched by number, sex, age
      and FEV1%) and orally treated with placebo or erdosteine (300 mg t.i.d.) for 8
      days. Their MCT was assessed by the bronchofiberscopy technique just before
      starting the treatment and at the end of the treatment. The pretreatment mucus
      transport velocity in these patients was significantly decreased with respect to
      healthy subjects. The erdosteine treatment induced a significant improvement of
      MCT while placebo was inactive (mean % variation +/- SE against their baseline
      values being +60.4 +/- 18.4 and -3.0 +/- 5.9, respectively). This peculiar
      activity of erdosteine on mucus transport may be of clinical usefulness in
      chronic bronchitic patients and it can be added to beta 2-agonist to restore the
      decreased MCT.

PMID- 1862259
TI  - [Bibliotherapy--texts as and aide to self-help. Historical--literature review-
      practical application].
AB  - In the following overview the term "bibliotherapy" is approached from a
      historical, methodical as well as practical angle in scientific literature. It is
      proposed to arrange different types of texts for an efficient instrumentalisation
      of bibliotherapeutical activities. Bibliotherapy is a good help for an
      overstretched medicine and can be used to improve patients compliance and self
      help-activities. There is a long list of essential literature attached for those
      who would like to learn more about this interesting new field in medical and
      psychosocial therapy.

PMID- 1862261
TI  - [Leg pain, dyspnea].
AB  - A 59 year old patient with leg pain and dyspnea was hospitalized for suspected
      deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The clinical, scintigraphic and
      radiological findings confirmed the diagnosis. Immediate therapy with heparin and
      oral warfarin resulted in an improvement of pain and dyspnea within a few days.
      The strategy for diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected pulmonary
      thromboembolism is discussed.

PMID- 1862260
TI  - [Pharmacokinetic effects in morphine toxicity, with case examples].
AB  - Three case presentations illustrate clinically relevant pharmacokinetic
      properties of morphine. Morphine given orally is rapidly absorbed and transformed
      to morphine-glucuronides (M3G, M6G) by the liver. The polar metabolites are
      excreted by the kidney. In chronic or acute renal insufficiency biologically
      active metabolites of morphine accumulate in the serum and may be responsible for
      severe toxic side effects. Hepatic insufficiency decreases the first-pass effect
      and therefore increases the bioavailability of oral morphine. This has to be
      considered when changing from parenteral to oral administration of morphine.

PMID- 1862262
TI  - [How reliable is conventional blood pressure determination? Comparison with a
      semi-automatic measuring device].

PMID- 1862263
TI  - [What is your diagnosis?].

PMID- 1862264
TI  - [Current developments in the therapy of epilepsy].

PMID- 1862265
TI  - [Variable course in acute pancreatitis exemplified by case reports].
AB  - The variable clinical presentation and natural history of acute pancreatitis are
      illustrated by case reports, namely a case with a falsely positive diagnosis of
      biliary pancreatitis, a case with acute interstitial pancreatitis of biliary
      origin, a patient with early and severe late systemic complications and with
      sterile necrotizing pancreatitis necessitating operative debridements twice, a
      patient with acute pancreatogenic ascites and ARDS requiring drainage and
      respiratory supportive care, a patient with biliary pancreatitis and operation
      for necrotizing cholecystitis, with a further, late intervention for pancreatic
      abscess, and a patient with internal drainage for a pseudocyst, complicated by
      acute biliary pancreatitis due to cholesterolosis of the gallbladder. Modern
      clinico-pathological classification of acute pancreatitis and modern definitions
      of pancreatic sepsis are important for determining prognosis and adequate
      treatment.

PMID- 1862267
TI  - [A case from practice (220). Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
      Aspergilloma in the left upper lobe following chronic abscessed pneumonia.
      Chronic obstructive lung disease].

PMID- 1862266
TI  - [Approach to the rational management of patients with dementia].
AB  - In senile dementia the clinical presentation is not only determined by the mental
      deficits but also by affective, behavioral and somatic symptoms. Some sequelae
      are regularly associated with the process and the course of dementia, and
      therefore largely predictable and preventable. Identification of the
      complications commonly associated with this disease complex allows prevention and
      early treatment of states incriminating the natural course of the disease. By
      this approach a rational management of senile dementia can be achieved.

PMID- 1862268
TI  - [How reliable is conventional blood pressure determination? Comparison with a
      semi-automatic measuring device].

PMID- 1862270
TI  - [Screening for colorectal cancer by determination of occult blood in the feces].

PMID- 1862269
TI  - [Acute colitis: role of the clinician and place of digestive radiology].

PMID- 1862271
TI  - [Interventional ultrasonography in gastroenterology has become therapeutic].

PMID- 1862272
TI  - [Colitis-watery diarrhea syndrome: microscopic and collagenous colitis].

PMID- 1862273
TI  - [AIDS today].

PMID- 1862274
TI  - [Should one purchase a mineralometer for measuring bone mass?].

PMID- 1862275
TI  - [Cardiac insufficiency: the place of transplantation?].

PMID- 1862276
TI  - Epidemiology of acute respiratory infections in children of developing countries.
AB  - Acute respiratory infections cause four and a half million deaths among children
      every year, the overwhelming majority occurring in developing countries.
      Pneumonia unassociated with measles causes 70% of these deaths; post-measles
      pneumonia, 15%; pertussis, 10%; and bronchiolitis and croup syndromes, 5%. Both
      bacterial and viral pathogens are responsible for these deaths. The most
      important bacterial agents are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae,
      and Staphylococcus aureus. The data on bacterial etiology of pneumonia during the
      first 3 months of life are limited, and almost no information on the role of
      chlamydia and pertussis in this age period is available. The distribution of
      viral pathogens in developing countries can be summarized as follows: respiratory
      syncytial virus, 15%-20%; parainfluenza viruses, 7%-10%; and influenza A and B
      viruses and adenovirus, 2%-4%. Mixed viral and bacterial infections occur
      frequently. Risk factors that increase the incidence and severity of lower
      respiratory infection in developing countries include large family size, lateness
      in the birth order, crowding, low birth weight, malnutrition, vitamin A
      deficiency, lack of breast feeding, pollution, and young age. Effective
      interventions for prevention and medical case management are urgently needed to
      save the lives of many children predisposed to severe disease.

PMID- 1862278
TI  - Pathogenesis and sequelae of respiratory infections.
AB  - Bacterial pneumonia remains a major health threat, with particular risk for
      infants in developing countries. The effective design of strategies that minimize
      the morbidity and mortality from pneumonia requires an awareness of the host
      defense mechanisms that function to prevent respiratory infections. In this
      review the normal immune host defenses and the abnormalities in this process that
      promote the development of lower respiratory bacterial infections will be briefly
      reviewed. A brief discussion will focus on a complication of respiratory
      infections, asthma, which can follow viral illness and also be a significant
      problem for children.

PMID- 1862277
TI  - Etiology of acute respiratory infections in children in tropical southern India.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal secretions and throat-swab specimens from 809 children less than 6
      years old with acute respiratory infection were examined by culture and indirect
      immunofluorescence for the presence of virus or viral antigen. Blood was cultured
      for the presence of bacteria in selected cases of lower respiratory infection
      (LRI); pleural fluid also was cultured in cases of empyema. Viruses were detected
      in 163 (49%) of 331 children with LRI. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the
      commonest agent isolated (106 children). Other viruses isolated included
      parainfluenza viruses (36 children), adenoviruses (12), and influenza viruses
      (five). Outbreaks of infection due to RSV occurred during August through October.
      Pneumonia was the commonest LRI encountered (178 children). Among children with
      pneumonia, viruses were detected in 65 (37%) of 178 children, and bacteria were
      isolated from 27 (18%) of the 147 children for whom blood cultures were done.
      Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus were
      the common bacterial pathogens isolated. In cases of empyema and pyopneumothorax,
      S. aureus was the commonest organism isolated. There were 116 children with
      bronchiolitis, 83 (72%) of whom had viral infections; the majority of these
      children (81%) had RSV infection. Croup was uncommon (eight cases) and was caused
      mainly by parainfluenza viruses.

PMID- 1862279
TI  - Pathogenesis of respiratory infections due to influenza virus: implications for
      developing countries.
AB  - The influenza viruses have an important and distinctive place among respiratory
      viruses: they change antigenic character at irregular intervals, infect
      individuals of all ages, cause illnesses characterized by constitutional symptoms
      and tracheobronchitis, produce yearly epidemics associated frequently with excess
      morbidity and mortality, and predispose the host to bacterial superinfections.
      Much is known about influenza viruses, but their role in respiratory infections
      among children in developing countries is poorly understood, and the risk factors
      that lead to the excess morbidity and mortality have not been identified clearly.
      Among the many risk factors that may be important are alterations in host
      immunity, malnutrition, prior or coincident infections with other microorganisms,
      inhaled pollutants, and lack of access to medical care. There is a great need for
      research that can establish more precisely the role these and other unidentified
      factors play in the pathogenesis of influenza infections in children in the
      developing world.

PMID- 1862280
TI  - Pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia.
AB  - Pneumococcal pneumonia poses a serious threat to children in developing countries
      and remains an important disease in the industrialized world. Capsular
      polysaccharide is the only bacterial factor proven to contribute to pathogenesis.
      However, the mechanisms responsible for the hypoxemia, toxemia, crisis, and death
      associated with this common infection are poorly understood. Toxins secreted by
      the bacteria, byproducts of bacterial breakdown (e.g., pneumolysin or teichoic
      acid), or constituents of the intense inflammatory response in the lung might
      play a role in these phenomena. Malnourished children presumably carry less
      metabolic reserve with which they can resist the exceptional stresses of
      pneumococcal disease, and underlying parasitic infestation or other chronic
      infections, through release of potent mediators such as tumor necrosis factor or
      platelet-activating factor, might prime the mechanisms of host defense for a more
      fulminant and systemic response to infection. Vaccines that can protect infants
      are badly needed, and a better understanding must be gained of the mechanisms by
      which this pathogen continues to cause such devastating disease in the world's
      children and elderly.

PMID- 1862281
TI  - The role of Haemophilus influenzae in the pathogenesis of pneumonia.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae, one of the bacteria comprising the commensal flora of the
      human upper respiratory tract, is also pathogenic and causes both localized and
      invasive (septicemic) infections. The major focus of attention and research has
      been on infections caused by serotype b organisms, which cause several life
      threatening illnesses in children, including meningitis and acute respiratory
      infection (ARI; e.g., epiglottitis, pneumonia). Type b polysaccharide-protein
      conjugate vaccines are at an advanced stage of development and implementation;
      however, these vaccines will not protect against noncapsulated (nontypable)
      strains of H. influenzae or strains expressing capsular polysaccharides other
      than serotype b, strains which cause a substantial proportion of ARI (especially
      pneumonia) among infants, particularly in developing countries. The magnitude of
      this problem, which contributes to many thousands-perhaps millions-of deaths each
      year, emphasizes the need for research on the epidemiology, pathogenesis,
      virulence factors, immune mechanisms, and forms of treatment relevant to ARI
      caused by H. influenzae in infants and implies that such studies should be given
      a high priority.

PMID- 1862282
TI  - Pertussis in developing countries: definition of the problem and prospects for
      control.
AB  - Pertussis is a distinct clinical syndrome caused by Bordetella pertussis. The
      disease has been well characterized and largely controlled in the industrialized
      countries. Studies of pertussis in developing countries have been much more
      limited, in large part because of difficulty in culturing the organisms.
      Conventional whole-cell vaccine is being widely used in developing countries but
      without clear epidemiologic measures of efficacy. The introduction of new
      acellular pertussis vaccines has focused attention on the need to define the
      impact of pertussis in the developing world and to explore the optimal approach
      to control of this illness.

PMID- 1862283
TI  - Pneumococcal vaccine trials in Papua New Guinea: relationships between
      epidemiology of pneumococcal infection and efficacy of vaccine.
AB  - Field trials in Papua New Guinea have shown that pneumococcal capsular
      polysaccharide vaccine protects children less than 2 years of age from death due
      to acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI). The vaccine appears to reduce
      mortality by preventing bacteremia. Evidence suggests that highly invasive
      "adult" pneumococcal serotypes are comparatively more important as a cause of
      ALRI in developing countries where ALRI-related mortality is higher than in North
      America. Capsular polysaccharide vaccines are more likely to be immunogenic for
      these serotypes than for the "pediatric" serotypes. The evaluation of
      pneumococcal vaccines in areas where mortality is high should have the highest
      priority. For such trials investigators should, at minimum, define epidemiologic
      circumstances in terms of (1) the invasive serotypes of pneumococci, (2) the
      protective levels of antibody, (3) the antibody response to vaccination, and (4)
      the general immune status of the population.

PMID- 1862284
TI  - Haemophilus influenzae disease and immunization in developing countries.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae is one of the leading causes of severe bacterial infection
      in children of developing regions, causing 30% of the cases of culture-positive
      pneumonia and 20%-60% of the cases of bacterial meningitis. In infants and
      children, the majority of isolates from cerebrospinal fluid and blood and 16%-38%
      of pulmonary isolates are H. influenzae type b. The availability of several new
      polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines for the prevention of invasive disease
      due to H. influenzae type b prompts this review of the epidemiology of H.
      influenzae disease in the developing world and of the characteristics of current
      H. influenzae type b vaccines. To develop a strategy for use of H. influenzae
      type b vaccines in developing countries, the following data are needed: the age
      specific attack rates of H. influenzae type b disease and the immunogenicity and
      efficacy of these vaccines in young infants in developing countries. Should H.
      influenzae type b vaccines prove to be inadequate for the prevention of H.
      influenzae pneumonia, the use of non-type b H. influenzae vaccines may be
      necessary.

PMID- 1862285
TI  - The burden of acute respiratory infection due to measles in developing countries
      and the potential impact of measles vaccine.
AB  - Measles is a major cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in
      developing countries. Hospital and community-based studies of ALRI have found
      that measles accounts for 6%-21% of the morbidity and 8%-93% of the mortality due
      to ALRI. Although live attenuated measles vaccine is one of the most effective
      vaccines in use today, measles has not been controlled in many parts of the
      world, primarily because the levels of vaccine coverage required to interrupt
      measles transmission have not been achieved. In addition, in some areas, a large
      percentage of cases of measles occur in infants who are younger than the age
      recommended for vaccination. Recent studies suggest that the Edmonston-Zagreb
      measles vaccine may be more immunogenic than other vaccine strains in young
      infants. A substantial proportion of ALRI could be prevented by increasing
      measles vaccine coverage and by the use of particular vaccine strains in younger
      children.

PMID- 1862287
TI  - Pathogenesis and prevention of childhood pneumonia in developing countries:
      recommendations.
AB  - Recommendations are presented that emerged from the Conference on the
      Pathogenesis and Prevention of Pneumonia in Children in Developing Regions held
      21-23 August 1989 in Bellagio, Italy. The conference recommendations embrace
      three major areas: first, the biology, epidemiology, and clinical manifestation
      of important etiologic agents causing acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI);
      second, the evaluation of risk factors affecting ALRI in the developing world
      necessary for planning intervention strategies in diverse ecologic settings; and
      third, the generation of targeted research questions that will translate into
      available safe and effective vaccines capable of controlling ALRI-related
      morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1862286
TI  - Control of acute lower respiratory illness in the developing world: an assessment
      of vaccine intervention.
AB  - The major bacterial and viral causes of morbidity and death due to acute lower
      respiratory infection (ALRI) in the developing world are amenable to control by
      vaccines. Initially, full use of measles, pertussis, and diphtheria vaccines, in
      appropriately scheduled programs, can make an immediate contribution to the
      reduction of severe respiratory infection. Emerging technologies offer the
      promise of vaccines against bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens that are
      suitable for infants and children in developing countries. These technologic
      advances include the use of protein-polysaccharide conjugates of endemic
      serotypes for Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccines and
      new approaches to the use of purified protein components or attenuated live virus
      with respiratory syncytial virus and paramyxovirus vaccines. Such vaccines should
      soon be available for evaluation in developing countries. It is timely to embark
      upon a program of development, evaluation, and worldwide deployment of vaccines
      for the control of ALRI.

PMID- 1862288
TI  - [The reform of primary care and the development of community nursing. A new
      approach in the Basque country].

PMID- 1862289
TI  - [Primary health care: an analysis of the nurse's work (III)].

PMID- 1862290
TI  - [The effects of using the Conseal plug on physical and psychosocial variables in
      ostomy patients. The initial results].

PMID- 1862291
TI  - [The control of the quality of care. An evaluation of results: consumer
      satisfaction].

PMID- 1862292
TI  - [A reference standard for pediatric nursing].

PMID- 1862293
TI  - [The patient, a protagonist in his own care. Ulcers and other lesions of the
      skin].

PMID- 1862294
TI  - [Cytostatics in the hospital. All that it is important to know].

PMID- 1862295
TI  - [The quality of nursing life. An indispensable condition for rendering quality
      care].

PMID- 1862296
TI  - [The cardiorespiratory resuscitation cart].

PMID- 1862297
TI  - [Diseases foretold...].

PMID- 1862298
TI  - Basic studies on ursodeoxycholyl-para-aminobenzoic acid for evaluation of
      intestinal microflora.
AB  - A newly synthesized conjugate of ursodeoxycholic acid with para-aminobenzoic acid
      (PABA) was investigated to determine its suitability for evaluation of enteric
      bacteria. This compound, PABA-UDCA, was deconjugated by cholylglycine hydrolase
      to release free PABA, whereas it was completely resistant to deconjugation by
      pancreatic and intestinal mucosal enzymes. In bacteriologic experiments almost
      all the microorganisms that split glycocholic acid deconjugated PABA-UDCA. In rat
      experiments urinary excretions of PABA were measured during 6 h after oral
      administration of 10 mg PABA-UDCA (PABA-UDCA administration test). Ten control
      rats excreted 338.5 +/- 13.8 micrograms (mean +/- SE) of PABA; 10 rats with
      intestinal stagnant loop excreted more (673.6 +/- 70.2 micrograms; P less than
      0.01); whereas 10 rats in each of 7 groups pretreated with oral administration of
      various antibiotics excreted less (P less than 0.001; polymixin B + tinidazole,
      14.0 +/- 2.5 micrograms; polymixin B, 224.9 +/- 23.5 micrograms; tinidazole, 42.7
      +/- 8.6 micrograms; kanamycin, 50.3 +/- 5.8 micrograms; clindamycin, 57.4 +/- 7.4
      micrograms; vancomycin, 70.4 +/- 8.5 micrograms; and paromomycin, 160.4 +/- 16.4
      micrograms). This result was reflected by the bacterial mean count of feces. In
      the PABA-UDCA administration test, after 2 months of feeding with different
      diets, rats with high-fiber diet (n = 10) excreted less PABA in urine (70.9 +/-
      15.9 micrograms; P less than 0.001) than rats on a control diet (n = 10) and a
      high-protein-high-fat diet (n = 10) (288.9 +/- 34.5 micrograms and 386.7 +/- 61.2
      micrograms, respectively). Fecal bacteriologic status was consistently altered.
      In human volunteers 250 mg PABA-UDCA was tested. Amounts of PABA excreted in
      urine during 6 h after dosing were 21.11 +/- 2.02 mg in controls (n = 5) and
      12.20 +/- 1.01 mg in the group treated with polymixin B plus tinidazole (n = 5; P
      less than 0.01). No adverse effect was observed. These basic studies indicate
      that this compound is likely to offer a simple and rapid method for evaluation of
      the intestinal microorganisms without use of radioisotopes or expensive, special
      equipment.

PMID- 1862299
TI  - Expression of HLA-DQ antigens in the small-intestinal mucosa of patients with
      coeliac disease.
AB  - Studies at the DNA and product level of B-cell lines of coeliac patients have
      shown a strong association between coeliac disease and the HLA-DQ alpha 2.3 and
      HLA-DQ beta 2.7 alleles. The monoclonal antisera SFR20-DQ alpha 5 and XIII-358.4,
      which specifically react with HLA-DQ alpha 2.3 and with HLA-DQ beta 2.3 and -DQ
      beta 2.7, respectively, have been used to detect the expression of these
      specificities in the small-intestinal mucosa of 7 coeliac patients and 11 non
      coeliac persons. An immunoperoxidase technique on frozen tissue sections of
      jejunal biopsy specimens was used. Positive specimens showed immunoperoxidase
      staining of lymphocytes and histiocytes in the lamina propria. The epithelial
      cells showed no immunoperoxidase staining. Positive results at the intestinal
      level correlated with the HLA typing of the patients and controls. The
      distribution found for the HLA-DQ alleles in the intestinal mucosa makes the role
      of a HLA-DQ alpha/beta dimer as gliadin receptor at the epithelial cell less
      probable, but it is compatible with the hypothesis that these DQ molecules are
      involved in the regulation of the intestinal immune response to gluten.

PMID- 1862300
TI  - 24-hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin during long-term treatment with
      omeprazole or ranitidine in patients with reflux esophagitis.
AB  - The reduction in intragastric acidity and the subsequent increase in plasma
      gastrin were compared during long-term treatment with either omeprazole or
      ranitidine in 19 patients with erosive reflux esophagitis. The patients received
      40 mg omeprazole in the morning or 300 mg ranitidine twice daily. After healing,
      half the dose was given as maintenance treatment for 1 year. Intragastric acidity
      and plasma gastrin were measured 24 h before entry and monthly with the high dose
      and after 1, 6, and 12 months with the low dose. Omeprazole reduced intragastric
      acidity more effectively than ranitidine (p less than 0.001). This difference in
      efficacy was more pronounced during the daytime. Plasma gastrin increased more
      after omeprazole than after ranitidine (p less than 0.01), and both drugs showed
      a normal postprandial response and approached fasting levels before the next
      dose. During long-term treatment with 20 mg omeprazole in the morning no
      progressive alterations were observed in 24-h intragastric acidity or plasma
      gastrin.

PMID- 1862301
TI  - Effect of phlorizin on hepatic bile production before and during glucose
      infusion.
AB  - During intravenous infusion of glucose, bile secretion is reduced (cholestasis),
      indicating that hepatocellular metabolism of glucose could have harmful effects
      on the liver. Phlorizin has been identified as a compound capable of impeding
      glucose uptake of liver cells. To examine whether phlorizin had any effect on
      glucose-associated cholestasis, three groups of experiments were performed on
      anaesthetized pigs. In group I phlorizin (100 mg/kg body wt) during
      normoglycaemia stimulated bicarbonate-dependent bile secretion by 56 +/- 4%.
      After phlorizin, hyperglycaemia decreased both bile acid- and bicarbonate
      dependent bile secretion by 37 +/- 4%. But after the glucose load normalization
      of plasma glucose concentration increased the bicarbonate-dependent fraction by
      38 +/- 4%. In group II phlorizin (100 mg/kg body wt, infused intravenously)
      during hyperglycaemia stimulated bicarbonate-dependent bile secretion by 35 +/-
      5%. In group III bile secretion was continuously stimulated by infusion of Na
      taurocholate. Hyperglycaemia reduced bicarbonate-dependent bile secretion by 33
      +/- 4%, but after phlorizin both bile acid- and bicarbonate-dependent bile
      secretion increased on average by 121 +/- 8%. The osmotic effect of
      hyperglycaemia cannot be blocked by phlorizin, but judged by the effect on bile
      secretion, phlorizin may decrease the cholestatic effect induced by metabolism of
      glucose. Phlorizin could be an interesting compound for use in solutions for
      organ preservation.

PMID- 1862302
TI  - Effect of insulin on hepatic bile secretion during normoglycaemia and
      hyperglycaemia.
AB  - The roles of hyperosmolality, hyperglycaemia, and insulin in glucose-induced
      reduction of bile secretion were examined in anaesthetized pigs. Compared with
      normoglycaemia, intravenous infusion of isotonic glucose reduced bile acid
      dependent bile secretion at a plasma glucose concentration of 18 mmol/l, with 34
      +/- 4%. Lowering of plasma glucose concentration to normoglycaemia after
      administration of insulin (10 U/kg body wt. low dose) increased bicarbonate
      dependent bile secretion by 23 +/- 3%. Induction of hyperglycaemia (plasma
      glucose concentration, 16 mmol/l) and the combined infusion of isotonic glucose
      and the low insulin dose decreased bile secretion by 22 +/- 3%. During
      hyperglycaemia (plasma glucose concentration, 16 mmol/l) the combined infusion of
      isotonic glucose and a high dose of insulin (60 U/kg body wt) increased bile acid
      dependent bile secretion by 26 +/- 3%. Hyperglycaemia reduces bile secretion
      without altering plasma osmolality. Endogenous production (or too rapid
      degradation) of insulin may be too small during intravenous glucose infusion to
      cope with the metabolic demands of hepatocellular glucose conversion. This may be
      overcome by administration of insulin in a large dose, which stimulates bile acid
      secretion.

PMID- 1862303
TI  - Changes in gastric mucosal microcirculation and purine nucleotide metabolism
      during hemorrhagic shock in rats.
AB  - Intravital fluorescence microscopy and morphometry were used to study the
      microcirculation in the rat gastric mucosa during and after hemorrhagic shock.
      Under control conditions the circulation appeared homogeneous and unaffected by
      superfusion with 0.1 N HCl. During hemorrhagic shock, scattered areas of the
      mucosa lost circulation. Morphometry showed that the number of perfused mucosal
      vessels decreased significantly in the abluminal part of the mucosa both in
      perfused and ischemic areas, the reduction being most pronounced in the ischemic
      areas, where the number of perfused luminal vessels also decreased significantly.
      During reperfusion, bleedings occurred from the mucosa. A key finding was that
      the bleedings always had their origin at the border zone between ischemic and
      perfused areas. After hemorrhagic shock adenosine triphosphate and energy charge
      levels dropped significantly in both perfused and ischemic areas but with
      significantly lower levels in the ischemic areas. The hypoxanthine levels
      increased in both perfused and ischemic areas. The experiments show that local
      mucosal ischemia and accelerated nucleotide degradation are of pathogenetic
      importance in the development of stress ulcers after hemorrhagic shock. The
      border zone between circulated and ischemic areas seems to be an area of special
      interest.

PMID- 1862304
TI  - Factors influencing mortality from bleeding peptic ulcers.
AB  - The mortality, causes of death, and the factors that are influencing deaths from
      bleeding acute and chronic peptic ulcers were evaluated retrospectively. During a
      2-year period (1986-87) 272 patients were endoscoped for acute gastrointestinal
      hemorrhage and were found to have bled from a peptic ulcer (chronic gastric
      ulcers, 90; chronic duodenal ulcers, 114; acute gastroduodenal ulcers, 66; stomal
      ulcers, 2). The overall mortality was 9.6% (n = 26) (gastric ulcers, 6.7%;
      duodenal ulcers, 11.4%; acute ulcers, 10.6%). Statistically significant factors
      adversely affecting prognosis for gastric ulcer were re-bleeding, need for
      operation and serious intercurrent illness; for duodenal ulcer were units of
      transfused blood, re-bleeding, signs of recent hemorrhage at endoscopy, need for
      operation, and serious intercurrent illness; and for acute ulcer were increasing
      age, shock, units of transfused blood, re-bleeding, and serious intercurrent
      illness. Multivariate analysis was only attempted for duodenal ulcers because of
      sample sizes; it suggested that active bleeding or visible vessel at endoscopy,
      re-bleeding, and serious intercurrent illness were independent factors for
      mortality. From this study it is apparent that the major determinants of a fatal
      outcome in bleeding peptic ulcer diseases were serious intercurrent illness and
      rebleeding. As it must be anticipated that patients with these particular
      problems are at high risk of a poor outcome, it follows that it is important they
      have access to skilled treatment as provided by a specialist team in an intensive
      care ward. It also follows that every effort should be made to keep ulcers in
      remission to free the ulcer patient of potentially lethal complications.

PMID- 1862305
TI  - The effect of omeprazole-induced hypergastrinemia on the oxyntic mucosa of
      mastomys.
AB  - Mastomys is a rodent with a high incidence of spontaneous carcinoids in the acid
      producing part of the stomach. The present study was conducted to examine whether
      hypergastrinemia could promote tumor formation in this species. Mastomys, 4
      months of age, were treated for 5 months with omeprazole subcutaneously, 100
      mumol/kg body weight daily, and compared with mastomys given the vehicle only.
      The plasma gastrin concentration and the number of antral gastrin cells were
      increased in the omeprazole-treated group. The hypergastrinemia was associated
      with elevated histidine decarboxylase activity and histamine content in the
      oxyntic mucosa and with a trophic effect on the oxyntic mucosa and the
      enterochromaffin-like cells. However, no carcinoid tumors were observed, possibly
      because the strain of mastomys studied does not produce carcinoids spontaneously.

PMID- 1862306
TI  - [The physiological significance of paranasal sinuses in man: speculations for
      1800 years].
AB  - The function of the paranasal sinuses has been a controversial subject since the
      time of Galen (130-201 AD). A review of the literature reveals quite different
      beliefs about their biological purpose, and eight hypotheses have received
      particular attention: 1) They lighten the bones of the skull; 2) improve the
      resonance of the voice; 3) humidify and warm inspired air; 4) increase the area
      of the olfactory membrane; 5) serve as shock absorbers in mechanical impacts; 6)
      act as thermal insulators of the brain; 7) promote facial growth and
      architecture; and 8) persist as evolutionary relics or faults. Scrutiny of these
      hypotheses shows that none has a scientific basis.

PMID- 1862307
TI  - [Therapy and prognosis of bacterial arthritis: a retrospective analysis].
AB  - Antibiotic therapy and immediate drainage of the infected joint are established
      practice in the treatment of septic arthritis. The best method of drainage
      (repeated puncture, arthroscopy or surgical discharge) remains controversial. We
      analyze 34 patients with septic arthritis admitted to our hospital from 1984 to
      1988. The pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus in 19 cases (56%), streptococcus in
      6 (18%), pneumococcus in 2 (6%), other bacteria in (9%) and unknown in 4 (12%).
      In 62% the infection was blood-borne. The knee was affected in 12 cases (35%) and
      the shoulder in 10 (30%). A preceding joint puncture was the main source of
      infection. In 24 patients (70%) the initial joint drainage was by repeated
      puncture, while in 10 cases (30%) surgical drainage was the initial treatment. In
      11 of the 24 patients initially treated by repeated puncture, surgical drainage
      was needed in the course of treatment because of persistent local infection of
      the joint. In only 13 (39%) was "medical" treatment alone effective. 5 patients
      died (14.7), 3 (8.8%) due to the infection. All deaths occurred in the "medical"
      group. 21 patients were asked about symptoms in the affected joint. In 71% there
      were no problems or only minimal ones, while in 29% there were distinct problems.
      5 of the 6 patients with severe symptoms had been treated by repeated puncture.
      We conclude that surgical drainage of an infected joint is prescribed too rarely
      in departments of rheumatology and internal medicine. Arthroscopic or surgical
      drainage is indicated in cases of coxarthritis, omarthritis, in cases where
      symptoms last longer than 7 days and in patients with severe sepsis.

PMID- 1862308
TI  - [Radiation burden of organs in fluoroscopic studies].
AB  - Various conventional and modern fluoroscope units had been examined with an
      anthropomorphic phantom to determine the applied average organ doses. The aim of
      our investigation was to compare these doses with those normally delivered to the
      patients during a conventional X-ray examination of the thorax. As was to be
      expected, the doses resulting from conventional fluoroscopic units are much
      higher than the doses from modern units. As shown by means of our measurements,
      the efforts of advanced technology permit to reduce the dose rate up to a factor
      of 30. I.e., the doses resulting from modern fluoroscopic units are even smaller
      than the doses received during a conventional thoracic X-ray examination, what
      means a great improvement for this examination technic.

PMID- 1862309
TI  - [Angioedema due to acquired complement-C1-inhibitor deficiency in a female
      patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and autoimmune hemolytic anemia].
AB  - A case of angioedema due to acquired deficiency of the regulatory protein C1
      esterase-inhibitor (C1-INH) is reported. The edematous attack occurred 3 1/2
      weeks after initiation of successful therapy for autoimmune-hemolytic anemia in
      the course of long-standing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. At the time of acute edema
      the complement profile was typical: virtual absence of C1-INH function was
      associated with diminished concentrations of the components of the classical
      pathway of complement (C1q, C1r, C1s, C2, C4) and reduced complement hemolytic
      activity (CH50). Anti-C1-INH-autoantibodies were not detected. The angioedema
      lasted for about one week, and no further attacks occurred during the five-months
      follow-up period. Although there was only a minor adjustment to the therapy, the
      C1q, C2, C4 and CH50 values gradually increased to levels close to the lower
      limit of the normal range, while C1r and C1s showed normal values. In contrast to
      most other reports, this case was characterized by angioedema which was
      precipitated only after initiation of appropriate treatment for the underlying
      disease rather than before therapy or even diagnosis of the underlying disease.

PMID- 1862310
TI  - [The fate of Warren's splenorenal shunt in the era of sclerotherapy].
AB  - From 1969 to 1990, 52 patients underwent splenorenal shunt after one or more
      esophageal variceal hemorrhages. Sixty days' mortality was 15.4% (8 deaths). 3
      patients were lost to follow-up soon after hospital discharge. The remaining 41
      patients could be followed for 5.5 years on average: 26 died, 3 were lost to
      follow-up late after discharge and 12 are presently alive. Only 4 of the followed
      up patients suffered recurrent bleeding due to a thrombosed shunt. Temporary
      mental disturbances were noted in 4 cases but no incapacitating encephalopathy
      was recorded. In the last 10 years, performance of the Warren shunt has decreased
      strikingly as a result of the increasing popularity of endoscopic sclerotherapy.
      Surgical and anesthetic techniques have, however, improved too, resulting in a
      lower morbidity and mortality rate. Recurrent bleeding and neurological sequelae
      being rare, we conclude that distal splenorenal shunt remains a valuable
      alternative to long-term sclerotherapy in selected cases.

PMID- 1862311
TI  - [The value of computerized tomography and endoscopic retrograde
      cholangiopancreatography in the assessment of malignant jaundice].
AB  - US and direct cholangiography have considerably simplified the diagnostic workup
      of mechanical icterus. These procedures allow diagnosis of choledocholithiasis in
      most cases. We analyze the possible additional role of CT in the diagnostic
      workup of malignant jaundice in a retrospective study. Between January 1986 and
      December 1989. ERCP was performed in 37 patients with malignant jaundice. 21 of
      the lesions were located in the pancreas, 7 in the papilla and 6 in the bile
      duct; in 2 cases the choledochus was compressed by metastases and in one chronic
      pancreatitis was present. In 34 of 37 patients (92%), ERCP alone permitted a
      definite diagnosis. 22 patients underwent CT as the primary diagnostic procedure.
      In only 9 of these (41%) was an unequivocal diagnosis possible, as opposed to
      ERCP (19 of 22 or 86%). No complications of ERCP were observed. We therefore
      conclude that the diagnosis of malignant jaundice can be based on history,
      physical examination, laboratory results, US and ERCP alone. In the vast majority
      of cases CT is unnecessary.

PMID- 1862312
TI  - [Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum. Rare, but
      prognostically important differential diagnosis].
AB  - A 35-year-old man who presented with ascites and multiple small peritoneal
      nodules is still in good health after a follow-up of 6 years despite the fact
      that two different former histologic sections were interpreted as malignant
      mesothelioma. The present histologic finding is a well differentiated papillary
      mesothelioma. We review the literature and discuss the significance of this
      uncommon finding. It is generally associated with an excellent prognosis.
      Chemotherapy should be withheld.

PMID- 1862313
TI  - [The prognostic value of the serial determination of galactose elimination
      capacity in chronic active hepatitis].
AB  - The prognostic value of different conventional liver tests was compared with that
      of the galactose elimination capacity (GEC) in 37 patients with chronic active
      hepatitis. During a mean observation period of 4.5 years, 12 patients died of the
      disease. None of the conventional liver tests (transaminases, prothrombin time,
      albumin, Child-Pugh classification) discriminated between survivors and
      nonsurvivors. In contrast, GEC discriminated between survivors and nonsurvivors
      (p less than 0.04). The best prognostic criterion was a decrease in GEC, since
      only patients with a decrease died of the disease. The positive and negative
      predictive values of this criterion were 100 and 60% respectively. This concept
      could prove useful for stratification purposes in therapeutic trials, as well as
      in assessment of novel forms of treatment of chronic active hepatitis.

PMID- 1862314
TI  - [Effects and side effects of a 1-year treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia
      with simvastatin].
AB  - The HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin
      (statins) represent a new group of drugs for the treatment of
      hypercholesterolemia. The present study was performed with simvastatin, the first
      statin introduced in Switzerland, and involved 46 patients with primary
      hypercholesterolemia during one year. The dose of simvastatin was adjusted
      according to the serum cholesterol level; during treatment with 10, 20 and 40 mg,
      total cholesterol was lowered by 18, 26 and 27% respectively and LDL cholesterol
      by 27, 38 and 35% respectively, after one year. A combination of 40 mg
      simvastatin with a bile acid sequestrant or a nicotinic acid derivative resulted
      in a cholesterol lowering of 38% and an LDL lowering of 48% respectively. The
      serum triglycerides decreased only at a dose of 10 mg. The changes in LDL and HDL
      cholesterol were accompanied by parallel alterations in apoprotein B and A1
      concentrations. Although none of the patients showed a significant increase
      (greater than 3 x UNL) in serum ASAT, ALAT or CK, all these values increased
      slightly but significantly. Tolerance of the drug was otherwise excellent;
      gastrointestinal side effects were only rarely reported. Therefore, simvastatin
      is an effective and well tolerated cholesterol-lowering drug. Whether prevention
      of coronary heart disease is possible, however, is not yet proven.

PMID- 1862315
TI  - [Continence-preserving proctocolectomy using an ileum-pouch-anal anastomosis].
AB  - Between 1985 and 1990 restorative proctocolectomy with ileo-anal anastomosis was
      performed in 19 patients (in 15 cases for ulcerative colitis, in 2 cases for
      familial adenomatous polyposis and in 2 cases for multiple synchronous colorectal
      carcinomas). Restoration of intestinal continuity was performed by ileo-anal J
      pouch (j-shaped ileal reservoir) by the method of UTSUNOMIYA. Eleven patients
      were operated upon in a two-stage procedure and 8 patients in a three-stage
      procedure. There was no mortality and no pouch had to be removed. Mean bowel
      frequency is 5-6 times during daytime and 0-once during nighttime, a fact which
      speaks for the excellent quality of life in these patients.

PMID- 1862318
TI  - ["Prevalence of toxoplasmosis infestation, congenital infection risk and
      developments in Geneva from 1973 to 1987" by J.E. Bornand and J.D. Piquet,
      Schweiz. med. Wschr. 1991; 121: 21-29].

PMID- 1862317
TI  - [Primary malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the digestive tract: the role of
      surgery].
AB  - Forty-two patients with non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (NHML) of the
      gastrointestinal tract were operated on between 1971 and 1989. NHML was located
      in the stomach in 23 (55%), in the small bowel in 16 (38%), and in the colon in 3
      (7%). One-fourth of patients were hospitalized with an acute abdomen and had to
      undergo emergency surgery. Preoperative diagnosis was obtained in 40% of cases
      only. Since 1986, however, and thanks to immunohistochemistry, gastroscopy was
      able to diagnose gastric NHML in 10 of 11 cases. Twenty-six patients (62%)
      underwent curative surgery. Operative mortality was 11.9%, 42% in case of
      emergency surgery, but mortality was nil after elective procedures. Half the
      patients had no further treatment. Five-year survival was 67%. Except for the
      mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) tumors, histopathological
      characteristics had less influence on prognosis than expected. On the other hand,
      prognosis was significantly better after curative surgery (p less than 0.001).

PMID- 1862320
TI  - Treatment of acute knee injuries with anterior cruciate lesions (ACL injuries).

PMID- 1862316
TI  - [Fecal occult blood--does a hemoglobin-specific tests improve the diagnosis of
      relevant colonic neoplasms?].
AB  - The object of this study was to assess whether an immunological test specific for
      human hemoglobin improves the detection of bleeding from colorectal tumors as
      compared to a conventional guaiac test for occult fecal blood. We examined one
      stool sample from 134 patients prior to a complete colonoscopy by the Colo-Immun
      Test (CI) as well as the Colo-Rectal-Test (CR). CI proved to have a higher
      sensitivity for occult bleeding from all colonic lesions, but this difference was
      not statistically significant. There was, however, no difference in the
      sensitivity of the two tests in detecting bleeding from relevant colonic
      neoplasms. In this study the immunological CI did not improve the detection of
      occult fecal blood loss due to adenomas and carcinomas of the colon in comparison
      with CR.

PMID- 1862319
TI  - [Prevention of serious injuries due to bicycle riding].
AB  - In 1984 there were 32,860 persons who suffered from bicycle-related injuries in
      Switzerland. They accounted for 27% of the persons injured on the road. Cranio
      cerebral trauma had to be treated in 26% of the injured bicyclists. Two thirds of
      hospital admissions after bicycle accidents were due to head injuries.
      Craniocerebral trauma accounted for about 65% of the residual lesions and for 69%
      of the lethal injuries related to bicycle accidents. A relatively simple and
      effective protection for these injuries would consist of the use of a helmet. To
      estimate the expected reduction of head injuries if everybody had a helmet, the
      regression analysis of a previous study from Seattle was applied. By wearing hard
      shell helmets, there would be a reduction in number and severity of 7500 head
      injuries and a decrease of 2000 hospital admissions each year in Switzerland. In
      addition to the decrease in suffering and quality of life of the use of helmets
      would lower health costs by at least 22 million swiss francs per year.

PMID- 1862321
TI  - [The effect of supramaximal exercise on the recovery kinetics of lactate].
AB  - Blood lactate recovery curves from muscular exercise can be described by a sum of
      two exponential terms consisting in a rapidly increasing and a slowly decreasing
      component. A two-compartment model consisting of the previously working muscles
      and the remainder of the lactate space furnishes the simplest but nevertheless
      realistic explanation of this evolution pattern. The velocity constants of the
      rapidly increasing (gamma 1) and the slowly decreasing (gamma 2) components
      inform respectively on the abilities of the body to exchange and remove lactate.
      However the blood lactate recovery curves observed in three untrained subjects
      after 3-min 107-115% VO2max cycling display a transitory plateauing of the
      lactate concentration between the increasing and decreasing phases of the curves.
      This levelling off of the concentrations at their highest value was not observed
      in an endurance trained subject after a 3-min 107% VO2max exercise. Despite the
      plateauing and consequent less good fit than to the usual evolution curves, the
      recovery curves could still be accurately fitted by the biexponential time
      function. After supramaximal exercise the abilities to exchange and to remove
      lactate are severely impaired. These impairments in the functional properties of
      the organism are very likely associated with and/or linked to physico-chemical
      modifications which have been observed as much at the cellular level as in the
      body fluids during and after supramaximal exercise.

PMID- 1862322
TI  - [Bronchial asthma in high-performance athletes].
AB  - Bronchial asthma is as frequent among high performance athletes as in the general
      population. We requested information from 2961 athletes of national or
      international level about these matters and received 2060 answers. From these, we
      identified 146 athletes (7.1%) with exercise-related deep respiratory airways
      symptoms. Athletes subject to hay fever (42%) suffer significantly more often (p
      less than 0.001) from such symptoms during exercise. 80% of these 146 cases had
      an insufficient diagnostic investigation and/or were treated with medicines
      unsuited to their needs or even not treated at all. Of particular interest,
      athletes who additionally had hay fever also received inadequate treatment, even
      though it is well known that they are subject to enhanced bronchial irritability
      during the pollen season. As a rule, athletes with exercise-related respiratory
      problems should be advised to abstain from smoking, especially if they suffer
      from an atopy-like illness, such as hay fever.

PMID- 1862323
TI  - [Accidents in delta sailing].
AB  - We interviewed a group of 259 deltasailors about their injuries which befell them
      in Switzerland during their sports activity. They reported on 257 incidents, 8%
      of which were contusions and 24% resulted in fractures. 70% of all injuries
      affected the arms or legs, whereas 30% were located on the head or trunk. An
      accident occurred far more often during the landing phase (72%) than at take-off
      (28%). The mean hospital stay was noticeably longer for injured women (15 days)
      than for men (8 days).

PMID- 1862325
TI  - Not so stupid.

PMID- 1862324
TI  - Hard to swallow?

PMID- 1862326
TI  - Painkiller. There's still room for luck in industrial chemistry.

PMID- 1862327
TI  - Exporting misery. A U.S. abortion ruling affects women's health worldwide.

PMID- 1862328
TI  - Do DNA fingerprints protect the innocent?

PMID- 1862329
TI  - Positive response. Encouraging results in the search for an AIDS vaccine.

PMID- 1862330
TI  - Man's best friend. Veterinary research provides clues to human diseases.

PMID- 1862331
TI  - The human telomere.

PMID- 1862332
TI  - Biosensors.

PMID- 1862333
TI  - Antichaos and adaptation.

PMID- 1862334
TI  - HIV research and nef alleles.

PMID- 1862335
TI  - OSI investigator "reined in".

PMID- 1862336
TI  - Images of conflict: MEG vs. EEG.

PMID- 1862337
TI  - Report card on the genome project.

PMID- 1862338
TI  - A unique lab design fits the British to a tea.

PMID- 1862339
TI  - Small is beautiful: microlivestock for the Third World.

PMID- 1862340
TI  - New 3-D protein structures revealed. The shape of cholera.

PMID- 1862341
TI  - First protein kinase structure.

PMID- 1862342
TI  - Crystal structure of the catalytic subunit of cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      dependent protein kinase.
AB  - The crystal structure of the catalytic subunit of cyclic adenosine monophosphate
      dependent protein kinase complexed with a 20-amino acid substrate analog
      inhibitor has been solved and partially refined at 2.7 A resolution to an R
      factor of 0.212. The magnesium adenosine triphosphate (MgATP) binding site was
      located by difference Fourier synthesis. The enzyme structure is bilobal with a
      deep cleft between the lobes. The cleft is filled by MgATP and a portion of the
      inhibitor peptide. The smaller lobe, consisting mostly of amino-terminal
      sequence, is associated with nucleotide binding, and its largely antiparallel
      beta sheet architecture constitutes an unusual nucleotide binding motif. The
      larger lobe is dominated by helical structure with a single beta sheet at the
      domain interface. This lobe is primarily involved in peptide binding and
      catalysis. Residues 40 through 280 constitute a conserved catalytic core that is
      shared by more than 100 protein kinases. Most of the invariant amino acids in
      this conserved catalytic core are clustered at the sites of nucleotide binding
      and catalysis.

PMID- 1862343
TI  - Structure of a peptide inhibitor bound to the catalytic subunit of cyclic
      adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase.
AB  - The structure of a 20-amino acid peptide inhibitor bound to the catalytic subunit
      of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and its interactions with the enzyme, are
      described. The x-ray crystal structure of the complex is the basis of the
      analysis. The peptide inhibitor, derived from a naturally occurring heat-stable
      protein kinase inhibitor, contains an amphipathic helix that is followed by a
      turn and an extended conformation. The extended region occupies the cleft between
      the two lobes of the enzyme and contains a five-residue consensus recognition
      sequence common to all substrates and peptide inhibitors of the catalytic
      subunit. The helical portion of the peptide binds to a hydrophobic groove and
      conveys high affinity binding. Loops from both domains converge at the active
      site and contribute to a network of conserved residues at the sites of magnesium
      adenosine triphosphate binding and catalysis. Amino acids associated with peptide
      recognition, nonconserved, extend over a large surface area.

PMID- 1862344
TI  - The 2.3 angstrom X-ray structure of nitrite reductase from Achromobacter
      cycloclastes.
AB  - The three-dimensional crystal structure of the copper-containing nitrite
      reductase (NIR) from Achromobacter cycloclastes has been determined to 2.3
      angstrom (A) resolution by isomorphous replacement. The monomer has two Greek key
      beta-barrel domains similar to that of plastocyanin and contains two copper
      sites. The enzyme is a trimer both in the crystal and in solution. The two copper
      atoms in the monomer comprise one type I copper site (Cu-I; two His, one Cys, and
      one Met ligands) and one putative type II copper site (Cu-II; three His and one
      solvent ligands). Although ligated by adjacent amino acids Cu-I and Cu-II are
      approximately 12.5 A apart. Cu-II is bound with nearly perfect tetrahedral
      geometry by residues not within a single monomer, but from each of two monomers
      of the trimer. The Cu-II site is at the bottom of a 12 A deep solvent channel and
      is the site to which the substrate (NO2-) binds, as evidenced by difference
      density maps of substrate-soaked and native crystals.

PMID- 1862345
TI  - Solution structure of kistrin, a potent platelet aggregation inhibitor and GP IIb
      IIIa antagonist.
AB  - The structure of kistrin, which is a member of a homologous family of
      glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa) antagonists and potent protein inhibitors of
      platelet aggregation, has been determined by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic
      resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The 68-residue protein consists of a series of
      tightly packed loops held together by six disulfide bonds and has almost no
      regular secondary structure. Kistrin has an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) adhesion site
      recognition sequence important for binding to GP IIb-IIIa that is located at the
      apex of a long loop across the surface of the protein.

PMID- 1862346
TI  - Identification of a mutation in porcine ryanodine receptor associated with
      malignant hyperthermia.
AB  - Malignant hyperthermia (MH) causes neurological, liver, and kidney damage and
      death in humans and major economic losses in the swine industry. A single point
      mutation in the porcine gene for the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (ryr1)
      was found to be correlated with MH in five major breeds of lean, heavily muscled
      swine. Haplotyping suggests that the mutation in all five breeds has a common
      origin. Assuming that this is the causal mutation for MH, the development of a
      noninvasive diagnostic test will provide the basis for elimination of the MH gene
      or its controlled inclusion in swine breeding programs.

PMID- 1862347
TI  - Interventions in renal scintigraphy.
AB  - Physiological and pharmacological intervention for the purpose of determining
      organ functional reserve is a familiar concept in medical testing and in nuclear
      medicine. Nephrourologic applications include established procedures such as
      diuretic scintigraphy for determination of urinary outflow obstruction and
      captopril scintigraphy for determination of renovascular hypertension. Subtle
      renal dysfunction may exist among some individuals with essential hypertension,
      induced by provocative exercise renography, and not observed at rest. The
      strength of nuclear medicine resides in its ability to assess disorders of organ
      function for the diagnostic, prognostic, or pathophysiological information
      provided. Nephrourologic interventions are reviewed with an emphasis on the
      functional changes caused by the intervention.

PMID- 1862348
TI  - Augmented cholescintigraphy: its role in detecting acute and chronic disorders of
      the hepatobiliary tree.
AB  - Cholecystagogue cholescintigraphy can be employed as a means of (1) confirming
      the surgeon's and/or gastroenterologist's clinical impression of symptomatic
      chronic acalculous biliary disease, (2) better understanding the pathophysiology
      of gallbladder disease, (3) preparing patients for hepatobiliary scintigraphy who
      have fasted for longer than 24-48 hours and who are suspected of acute
      cholecystitis, and (4) reducing the time required to confirm the clinical
      impression of acute cholecystitis. Morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy is also
      used to decrease the time required to determine cystic duct patency.
      Phenobarbital-augmented cholescintigraphy is used as a means of increasing the
      accuracy of hepatobiliary scintigraphy in differentiating neonatal hepatitis from
      biliary atresia. Nonpharmacological interventions and augmentations have been
      employed to maintain the high degree of accuracy of cholescintigraphy in
      confirming the clinical impression of acute cholecystitis. The efficacy of these
      modalities in detecting acute and chronic disorders of the hepatobiliary tree as
      well as how and why they are performed comprise the contents of this article.

PMID- 1862349
TI  - Physiological and pharmacological interventions in radionuclide imaging of the
      tubular gastrointestinal tract.
AB  - Radionuclide studies of the gastrointestinal tract (GI) are used to measure GI
      function and to detect anatomic lesions such as Meckel's diverticuli. A variety
      of physiological and pharmacological interventions have been applied to both
      types of studies to gain a better understanding of GI function and to improve
      detection of disease. This article will review interventions useful in imaging
      the tubular GI tract. Discussed are the measurement of GI motility and function
      by gastric emptying and imaging studies for GI bleeding including the Meckel's
      scan. Interventions involving the hepatobiliary system are covered elsewhere in
      this issue.

PMID- 1862350
TI  - Interventions and functional brain imaging.
AB  - Assessment of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) is useful in the evaluation of
      cerebral vascular disease. However, a single resting study has limitations in
      that a normal rCBF may be present with diminished cerebral vascular flow reserve
      and regions of decreased rCBF may be seen with diaschisis or selective neuronal
      loss and an intact vascular supply. To help differentiate these conditions a
      stress rCBF study can be obtained following the administration of vasodilatory
      stimulus. The topic of this review is the discussion of single photon emission
      computed tomography (SPECT) and vascular intervention, primarily, acetazolamide
      (Diamox, Lederle Laboratory Division, Pearl River, NY) augmented SPECT in the
      evaluation of cerebral vascular disease.

PMID- 1862351
TI  - Radionuclide studies in impotence.
AB  - Impotence may be of physiological origin with causes including vascular or
      neurological pathology. Alternatively, it may be of psychogenic origin.
      Clinicians can distinguish between psychological and organic impotence by
      observing nocturnal penile tumescence. Non-radionuclide investigations for
      organic impotence include penile plethysmography or pulse Doppler analysis for
      arterial supply, cavernosometry for venous drainage, and biothesiometry or evoked
      potentials for neurological pathology. Radionuclide studies are primarily based
      on the use of technetium 99m-pertechnetate, 99mTc-red blood cells, or xenon 133
      to study the blood flow, with or without pharmacological intervention, commonly
      papaverine.

PMID- 1862352
TI  - Arterial thrombosis and insufficiency causing diffusely decreased uptake by
      skeleton of a limb.

PMID- 1862353
TI  - "Missing" one kidney.

PMID- 1862354
TI  - Pharmacological and other nonexercise alternatives to exercise testing to
      evaluate myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function with radionuclides.
AB  - Pharmacological vasodilatation with either dipyridamole or adenosine is a safe
      and accurate alternative to exercise testing to diagnose coronary artery disease
      with thallium 201 myocardial perfusion imaging. The technique also provides
      important prognostic information with regard to future cardiac events in patients
      undergoing diagnostic testing, in those evaluated preoperatively, and in those
      with recent myocardial infarctions. Multigated equilibrium and first-pass
      radionuclide ventriculography also are well suited to evaluate the effects of
      interventional procedures. Success has been achieved using this methodology in a
      variety of interventions including conventional exercise testing, pharmacological
      stress testing, atrial pacing, assessment of myocardial viability with
      nitroglycerin, mental stress testing, and ambulatory monitoring of left
      ventricular ejection fraction.

PMID- 1862355
TI  - Surgical pathology of carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

PMID- 1862356
TI  - New hope and promise for sphincter preservation in the management of cancer of
      the rectum.

PMID- 1862357
TI  - [Organizational and methodological conditions for rendering medical services to
      young children with respiratory diseases].

PMID- 1862358
TI  - [Improving the quality control of health care].
AB  - The problem of raising the quality and effectiveness of medical care in the
      agricultural region of the country is being considered from the point of view of
      systems approach where a priority is given to the formation of a common modern
      scientific technology of delivering medical care different from feldsher
      midwifery units to specialized centres. Three years period of introducing the
      system of improving the management of quality and effectiveness of medical care
      delivery resulted in reduction of morbidity associated with temporary and
      persistent disability from respiratory diseases, reduction of mortality from
      circulatory diseases in working age population.

PMID- 1862360
TI  - [Morbidity and the ways of improving the organization of medical services to the
      victims of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant].

PMID- 1862359
TI  - [Hypertension: economic aspects].
AB  - The data are provided on the economic losses caused by hypertonic disease (HD) to
      the national economy of Lithuania in 1980 which are estimated as the sum of money
      spent by the state on curative and preventive measures and economic losses due to
      temporary disability, invalidity and premature deaths. Economic losses including
      damage caused by temporary disability, invalidity and premature deaths accounted
      for 11.1 million roubles. The major losses were caused by temporary disability.
      They topped the economic damage due to premature deaths by more than two times.
      State expenditures on curative and preventive care for hypertonic patients in the
      structure of economic losses accounted for only 10.6%.

PMID- 1862361
TI  - [Causes of injuries in agriculture and the concepts of their prevention].

PMID- 1862362
TI  - [Morbidity among children attending preschool institutions].
AB  - The paper provides data on children morbidity in departmental preschool
      institutions during nine years period (1981-1989) and labour losses due to the
      care for sick children. The pattern of general morbidity, dispensary group,
      classification of children by groups of health are provided. Health-promoting
      activities for frequently ailing children are described, their effectiveness as
      to the level of reducing morbidity is shown. The further stage of improving the
      work on health promotion is the construction of children's curative and health
      promoting complex staffed with 43.5 persons.

PMID- 1862363
TI  - [Comparative analysis of various types of vocational rehabilitation of
      convalescents in a workshop health unit].
AB  - The paper provides the results of the examination of 112 convalescents of
      different age using the method of determining the class of ability to work
      according to the response to the active orthostatic test. A comparative analysis
      was conducted of different methods of occupational rehabilitation under
      conditions of workshop medical unit of a large industrial enterprise. It was
      found that the most effective method is the transfer of convalescents to a more
      easy work for physiologically substantiated periods of time. Validated criteria
      of assessing the efficacy of rehabilitation measures are proposed.

PMID- 1862364
TI  - [Prevention of injuries: technological principles].
AB  - The principles of modern technology in injuries prevention have been elaborated
      which are based on fundamentally new approaches to the interpretation of injuries
      and classification of prevention activities proposed by the author. It is
      emphasized that each type of prevention (urgent, operative, planned) corresponds
      to a certain technological succession of operations: selection and pickup of
      information, the time period and mechanism of analysis communication, etc., and
      also to specific goals. A model of injuries prevention system is proposed which
      is based on organizational structures of local councils of people's deputies and
      may be used for any administrative territory of the country with due regard for
      peculiarities and specific factors determining the level and nature of injuries.

PMID- 1862365
TI  - [Socio-hygienic aspects of preparation of schoolchildren for family life].
AB  - The article provides the research findings on the training of schoolchildren in
      family life within the limits of school education (training course on "Ethics and
      psychology of family life"). Organisational issues are described, shortcomings
      are revealed. By means of anonymous questionnaire survey of schoolchildren their
      awareness of different aspects of family life, the sources of information, the
      role of school and health workers in conducting this work among pupils, etc. is
      detected. Validated proposals on improving the preparedness of schoolchildren for
      family life, health protection in marriage, ensuring healthy progeny are
      provided.

PMID- 1862366
TI  - [A team method of work organization].

PMID- 1862367
TI  - [Activities of the Research Society for Health Economics in the People's Republic
      of China].

PMID- 1862368
TI  - [Yugoslavian experience with the development of public health].

PMID- 1862369
TI  - [Problems of medicine in the works of M.V. Lomonosov (1711-1765)].

PMID- 1862370
TI  - [Hyaluronic acid and hyaluronidase in influenza].
AB  - Hyaluronidase and hyaluronic acid activities are markedly changed in influenza,
      these changes directly depending on the severity of the inflammatory process that
      depends on the presence of bacterial complications in influenza. The authors'
      findings correlate with the literature data on the blood mucolytic system status
      in various infectious diseases. The results recommend measurements of
      hyaluronidase and hyaluronic acid activities as an additional test for the early
      diagnosis of influenza complications.

PMID- 1862371
TI  - [Current clinico-pathogenetic aspects of chronic hepatitis B].
AB  - The author analyzes the results of clinical morphologic and immunologic studies
      carried out in 55 patients (78.2 percent of these with chronic active hepatitis,
      12.7 percent with chronic latent hepatitis, and 9.1 percent with chronic passive
      hepatitis) with the virus replication phase serum markers and in 57 patients
      (82.5 percent with chronic passive and 17.2 percent with chronic active
      condition) with the hepatitis B virus integration phase markers. Histologic
      examination of the liver has revealed hepatocyte necroses, lobular necroses
      predominating in the patients with the replication phase markers (90.9 percent)
      and periportal necroses in those with the integration phase markers (17.5
      percent). Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, irrespective of the stage of
      hepatitis B virus, were not representative. Chronic hepatitis associated with the
      viral replication stage, was characterized by a reduction of T lymphocyte
      functional activity, elevation of T suppressor count, and reduced immunologic
      regulation index. In-Chronic hepatitis associated with viral integration phase
      the immunologic parameters did not much differ from those in the controls. The
      results evidence that the dialogic cycle of hepatitis B virus development plays
      the major role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis; active stage of the
      disease is associated with the replicative phase of viral development and
      regressive stage and arrest of the condition with the integration phase.

PMID- 1862372
TI  - [The role of staphylococcal superinfection in viral hepatitis].
AB  - Viral hepatitis A was diagnosed in 69.35 percent of the 124 patients with viral
      hepatitides aged 15 to 62, 54.1 percent of these females and 45.9 percent males,
      and viral hepatitis B in 30.65 percent. The disease course varied in severity,
      was typical in all cases; the icteric form was observed in all the patients. An
      unfavorable pyoinflammatory premorbid background was present in 1/3 of the
      examinees. The studies have revealed that a staphylococcal superinfection with
      the icteric syndrome contributed to the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis.
      Antistaphylococcal agglutinins were detected in 65.6 percent of hepatitis A and
      in 73.7 percent of hepatitis B patients, and alpha antitoxins in 81.1 and 71.0
      percent of patients, respectively. The disease severity correlated with high
      antitoxin titers, high antitoxin titers with a delayed convalescence of viral
      hepatitis A patients. Changes in the titers of antistaphylococcal agglutinins in
      hepatitis B patients were not rapid and their time course correlated with the
      terms of liver function recovery. The author comes to a conclusion that bacterial
      superinfection contributes to the pathogenesis of viral hepatitides,
      staphylococcal infection among other ones, that essentially influences the
      disease course.

PMID- 1862373
TI  - [Dynamics of immunologic indicators in children with severe forms of suppurative
      septic diseases after the exchange-substitute plasmapheresis].
AB  - Time course of the immunity system parameters was followed in children suffering
      from grave endotoxicosis forms treated by discrete plasmapheresis (DPA) as the
      emergency therapeutic measure. T, T-active, B lymphocytes, O cells,
      immunoglobulins A, G, M were analyzed, as were the counts of phagocytizing
      leukocytes and circulating immune complexes. The infectious process was found to
      lead to a temporary relative secondary immunodeficiency. DPA with perfusion of
      hyperimmune plasma resulted in rapid correction of all component of the immunity
      system, paralleled by normalization of the general clinical status of the
      patients, and prevented chronic transformation of the process.

PMID- 1862374
TI  - [Treatment of varicose veins].
AB  - The authors analyze the results of treatment of 1500 patients suffering from
      varicose conditions. They have developed original methods for the treatment of
      varicose dilatation of subcutaneous veins: endovascular and ++perivascular
      electrocoagulation of subcutaneous veins, removal and crossing of subcutaneous
      and communicant ++ veins with vein extractor and capron fish line; liquidation of
      venous conglomerates by means of a submerged removable suture; ++supra-fascial
      crossing of subcutaneous veins. Employment of these methods in combination with
      the traditional treatment modalities yields a good therapeutic and cosmetic
      effect. The methods are simple and available, this recommending them for any
      surgical hospital.

PMID- 1862375
TI  - [Natural anti-PGF2alpha and anti-PGE2 antibodies in ischemic heart disease and
      hypertension].
AB  - The important role played by prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of coronary
      disease and essential hypertension is well known. The authors have attempted to
      reveal a relationship between blood levels of natural autoantibodies to PGF2
      alpha and PGE2 and specific features of coronary disease and essential
      hypertension course and complications. A total of 87 subjects were examined, 23
      of these--normal controls, 25 patients with myocardial infarction, 22 with angina
      pectoris, and 17 with essential hypertension. Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay was
      employed to detect anti-PGF2 alpha and anti-PGE2 antibodies. These antibodies
      were found in normal subjects, coronary patients and hypertensives. Blood levels
      of these antibodies correlated with some complications of coronary disease and
      essential hypertension. These results permit a hypothesis that the pathogenetic
      physiologic role of the detected natural antibodies to prostaglandins consists in
      their defense homeostatic function.

PMID- 1862377
TI  - [Antibacterial therapy of acute pancreatitis].

PMID- 1862376
TI  - [Clinical and experimental studies of the effect of low-intensity laser
      irradiation on the blood and blood vessels].

PMID- 1862378
TI  - [Principles of classification and care of patients with burns in mass accidents].

PMID- 1862379
TI  - [Delta hepatitis].

PMID- 1862380
TI  - [Characteristics of the course of myocardial infarction in middle-aged and
      elderly patients].

PMID- 1862382
TI  - [Lipid peroxidation in patients with unstable stenocardia treated with adrenergic
      beta blockers].

PMID- 1862381
TI  - [Activity of the sympathetic-adrenal system in myocardial infarction diabetes
      mellitus].

PMID- 1862384
TI  - [Pneumonia in the acute period of cranio-cerebral injury].

PMID- 1862383
TI  - [Corticoid secretion and patho-histological changes in the adrenal glands in
      hypertension].
AB  - Hydrocortisone, 11-hydroxycorticosteroids and aldosterone were measured in 74
      patients with a history of surgery on the sympathoadrenal system for stable
      essential hypertension. Morphologic structure of the sympathetic ganglia of the
      celiac plexus and adrenals removed during surgery was under study. The studies
      have revealed a relationship between pathohistologic changes in operation
      material and adrenocortical functional activity. The authors suggest a
      possibility of a relationship between morphofunctional changes in the adrenals
      and sympathetic ganglia, and enhanced nervous system efferent effects with the
      progress of the disease.

PMID- 1862385
TI  - [Use of a new calcium antagonist nifangin in chronic cor pulmonale].

PMID- 1862386
TI  - [Significance of the degree of gastric acid secretion for evaluating the
      indications for surgical treatment of uncomplicated duodenal ulcer].

PMID- 1862387
TI  - [Use of plasma-exchange plasmapheresis in the complex treatment of acute diffuse
      peritonitis].

PMID- 1862388
TI  - [Lymphotropic therapy of acute peritonitis with antibiotics].

PMID- 1862389
TI  - [Critical evaluation of the clinico-roentgenological symptoms of duodenal
      compression by the superior mesenteric artery].

PMID- 1862391
TI  - [Immunocorrective treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

PMID- 1862390
TI  - [Diabeton in the treatment of stage I nephroangiopathy in insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1862392
TI  - [Early prognosis of the outcome of stroke].

PMID- 1862393
TI  - [Surgical treatment of acute inflammation of epithelial coccygeal passage].

PMID- 1862394
TI  - [Present-day characteristics of etiology, epidemiology and clinical aspects of
      diphtheria in adults].

PMID- 1862395
TI  - [Results of primary suturing of digital nerves of the palms].

PMID- 1862396
TI  - [Neuropathies in cancer patients during chemotherapy with platinum preparations].

PMID- 1862397
TI  - [Clinico-morphological characteristics of pericardial mesothelioma].
AB  - The authors describe clinical and morphological features of a rare tumor,
      pericardial mesothelioma. Their findings lead them to a conclusion that the
      epithelioid cell form (tubular and papillary variants) is the most incident
      histologic form of this tumor. They emphasize that life-time diagnosis of
      pericardial mesothelioma is of paramount importance because rational chemotherapy
      permits prolongation of the patient's survival.

PMID- 1862398
TI  - [Early stages in the history of pulmonary oncology].

PMID- 1862399
TI  - The effect of decompression on the natural course of spinal stenosis. A
      comparison of surgically treated and untreated patients.
AB  - The clinical course of 19 untreated patients with spinal stenosis (mean age, 60
      years) was compared with that of 44 patients treated surgically (mean age, 65
      years). The time of follow-up was 31 and 53 months, respectively. About 80% of
      the patients had neurogenic intermittent claudication. In the follow-up, one
      third of the treated and one half of the untreated patients still had neurogenic
      claudication. By visual analogue-scale estimation, 60% of those treated
      surgically and 33% of the untreated patients felt better. Fifty-eight percent of
      the untreated patients were unchanged. Neurophysiologic changes showed
      progression in almost all cases; it was more pronounced in the treated patients.
      No proof of severe deterioration was found in the untreated patients, and
      observation for 2-3 years seems to be a good alternative to surgery.

PMID- 1862400
TI  - Postoperative computed tomography three months after lumbar disc surgery. A
      prospective single-blind study.
AB  - In a prospective single-blind study, 60 patients surgically treated for lumbar
      disc herniation underwent clinical examination and computed tomography
      preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. At follow-up (58 patients; median, 31
      months; range, 21-37 months), 29 patients had an excellent outcome (51%), 20
      improved (33%), and 9 were unchanged or worse (16%). Dural or radicular scar
      tissue was present by computed tomography in 88% of the patients, but the
      findings could not be correlated with the clinical outcome. Recurrent or
      persistent disc herniation was found in 9% of the patients. The clinical outcome
      of patients with abnormal computed tomography did not differ significantly from
      patients without this finding. A relation between facet joint degeneration and
      less successful clinical outcome was demonstrated. Computed tomography (without
      contrast) 3 months after surgery gave little information which could be
      correlated with the clinical outcome. Patients with an excellent outcome had all
      degrees of intraspinal scar tissue.

PMID- 1862401
TI  - Disc degeneration in magnetic resonance imaging. A comparative biochemical,
      histologic, and radiologic study in cadaver spines.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of 89 autopsied intervertebral discs
      from 22 cadaveric lumbar spines were correlated with biochemical composition,
      conventional radiography, and histologic structure to study the nature of disc
      intensity changes seen in MRI. Discs with a low signal intensity on T2-weighted
      MRI were characterized by shortening of relaxation times, dehydration, and
      decreases in total proteoglycan content and chondroitin-keratan sulfate ratios in
      the nucleus pulposus. This corresponded well with previously published studies.
      In histologic structure, no obvious differences between MRI findings were found.
      In conclusion, a low signal intensity in a lumbar disc on T2-weighted MRI
      probably reflects a true biochemical disc degeneration, but its relation to
      structural degenerative changes is uncertain. Therefore, MRI seems to be a
      sensitive and a specific imaging modality for detecting pathologic biochemical
      disc changes in the spine of a young adult.

PMID- 1862402
TI  - In vivo and ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of early disc
      degeneration with histopathologic correlation.
AB  - The in vivo and ex vivo microanatomic appearance of early disc degeneration were
      identified by magnetic resonance imaging and correlated with their respective
      histopathologic findings. Five cadaver spines (18 discs) and 25 patient studies
      (122 discs) all imaged at 1.5 Tesla were studied. Two signs of early degenerative
      disc disease were found: infolding and the central dot. Infolding of the central
      fibers of the outer annulus coalesced into a central dot of low signal intensity
      that was seen on both the ex vivo and in vivo images. Infolding was seen 29 of
      122 times, and the central dot was observed 15 to 122 times on the in vivo
      images. A later form of degenerative disc disease was identified as a separation
      of the nucleus pulposus from the hyaline cartilage end-plate. This separation was
      seen as a linear area of either low or high signal intensity on the ex vivo
      images but only as a band of high signal intensity on the in vivo spin-echo 2,500
      msec/80-msec images. Only 7 of 122 in vivo discs showed this separation. Internal
      herniation of nucleus pulposus into the outer annulus was seen only on the ex
      vivo images. Early degenerative disc disease may exist before there is loss of
      disc height or signal intensity on the long time-to-repetition (TR)/time-to-echo
      (TE) magnetic resonance images.

PMID- 1862403
TI  - Change of disc height, radial disc bulge, and intradiscal pressure from
      discectomy. An in vitro investigation on human lumbar discs.
AB  - Partial discectomy was done in vitro on 15 human lumbar discs from donors 20-40
      years of age. The change of disc height, radial disc bulge, and intradiscal
      pressure was measured in relation to the mass of central disc tissue excised.
      Disc height decreases and radial disc bulge increases approximately in proportion
      with the mass of the tissue excised. At the same time, intradiscal pressure
      decreases. On average, removal of 1 g of disc tissue results in a height decrease
      of 0.8 mm and a radial bulge increase of 0.2 mm. Removal of 3 g of central disc
      tissue lowers the intradiscal pressure to approximately 40% of its initial value.
      A mechanical model is presented which explains the observed relation between the
      volume of material removed and the subsequent change of height, bulge, and
      pressure. The experimental results and the model provide insight into the
      rationale of disc pressurization. A high intradiscal pressure is a prerequisite
      for the mechanical function of the disc under physiologic conditions.

PMID- 1862404
TI  - Importance of bone mineral density in instrumented spine fusions.
AB  - The effect of equivalent mineral density on pedicular screw fixation strength was
      investigated. The equivalent mineral density of human vertebral bodies was
      correlated highly with the pullout force of Kluger screws (r2 = 0.61, P less than
      0.02). A moderate to high correlation existed between density and vertical force
      (r2 = 0.42 for Kluger screws, r2 = 0.55 for Steffee screws, P less than 0.02). In
      calf vertebral bodies of higher density (146 +/- 14 mg/cc), the forces were
      significantly higher than in the human vertebral bodies (P less than 0.05). Human
      lumbosacral spines were instrumented with three different fixators: Steffee
      plates, AO fixateur interne, and Kluger fixateur interne. Of five specimens with
      a mean density of 88 +/- 11 mg/cc, one screw loosened. More than one screw
      loosened in six specimens with a mean density of 63 +/- 12 mg/cc, and no screw
      loosened in four specimens with a mean density of 114 +/- 38 mg/cc. Measurement
      of equivalent mineral density correlates with the fixation strength of the
      intrapedicular screws in vitro and should be considered in patients with signs of
      osteopenia before using pedicular screws for spinal fusions. It is also concluded
      that calf spines are a good model for testing implants because they tend to focus
      failure processes in the implant rather than in the implant-bone interface.

PMID- 1862405
TI  - Immunohistochemical demonstration of sensory nerve fibers and endings in lumbar
      intervertebral discs of the rat.
AB  - Although it is accepted that the intervertebral disc has a sensory component, it
      has not been previously shown by any specific method. Immunoreactivity of the
      physiologically active neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), was
      used as a specific marker of sensory nerve fibers and their endings in the
      intervertebral disc of the rat. In this study, positive fiber immunoreactivity
      was taken as an indication that those fibers were of sensory, and not
      sympathetic, origin. Immunoreactivity was found in the outer annulus fibrosus of
      all intervertebral discs studied. The CGRP-like immunoreactivity was also found
      in structures that resembled nerve endings. To the authors' knowledge, this is
      the first report presenting detailed positive evidence of sensory fibers and
      their endings in the lumbar intervertebral disc of any mammalian species.

PMID- 1862407
TI  - Radiologic interpretation of lumbar vertebral rotation.
AB  - The different parts of the lumbar pedicle were identified on an anteroposterior
      (AP) radiograph to determine reliable reference points to be used to quantify
      vertebral rotation. Standard AP radiographs were taken of dry lumbar vertebrae
      with 5 degrees increments in rotation in the transverse plane, ranging from 0
      degrees to 30 degrees both to left and right. Identical sets of radiographs were
      taken with radiopaque markers around the middle and in the anterior and posterior
      parts of the pedicles. The anatomic center of the pedicle was found to lie
      slightly more lateral than the center of the pedicle halo. The inferior edge of
      the pedicle corresponded with the anterior part of the pedicle and the superior
      edge, with the posterior part.

PMID- 1862406
TI  - An analysis of normal back shape measured by ISIS scanning.
AB  - Two hundred seventy-one school children aged 10-16 years and 72 normal adults
      aged 21-59 years were scanned by ISIS. Subjects with any evidence of scoliosis
      were excluded from the study. Characteristic ISIS parameters of back shape showed
      no statistically significant differences related to age or sex for the children.
      Back shape in both men and women was not significantly different from that of the
      children, except for kyphosis angles which were greater.

PMID- 1862408
TI  - Concepts in mathematical modeling.

PMID- 1862409
TI  - Measurement of strength and endurance. The psychophysical lift test.

PMID- 1862410
TI  - Experimental spinal deformity produced by rib lengthening.

PMID- 1862411
TI  - Normal cervical spine morphometry and cervical spinal stenosis in asymptomatic
      professional football players. Plain film radiography, multiplanar computed
      tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Diagnosis of cervical spinal stenosis or instability rests on the objective
      findings depicted on static and dynamic radiographs. Before abnormal spinal
      morphometry can be determined, it is first necessary to establish normal values
      for the specific patient population being evaluated. Several studies have
      attempted to establish norms for plain film measurements of the cervical spine in
      children and adults, but few have applied consistent methods for generating
      precise measurements. The first part of this study established normal values for
      cervical spinal morphometry and segmental spinal motion in the elite athlete. The
      second part of this study determined the most accurate screening method for
      detecting cervical spinal stenosis. Three sagittal diameters of the cervical
      spinal canal were compared to determine which represented the smallest midline
      diameter on static and dynamic radiographs. The Torg ratio was also evaluated as
      a method to detect significant cervical spinal stenosis and was shown to have a
      high sensitivity but poor positive predictive value. The study clarified why the
      ratio yields a large number of false positive cases. From the results of this
      study, an algorithm has been developed for the evaluation of stenosis of the
      cervical spine in athletes.

PMID- 1862412
TI  - Intervertebral disc injury complicating cervical spine trauma.
AB  - The incidence of acute herniated nucleus pulposus was determined in 55 patients
      with cervical spine trauma. A standardized protocol and a 1.5-T magnetic
      resonance image scanner was used to document a 42% incidence of acute herniated
      nucleus pulposus in patients studied within 72 hours of injury. The incidence of
      herniated nucleus pulposus was correlated with the patients' presenting
      neurologic status and mechanism of injury. The incidence of herniated nucleus
      pulposus was highest in patients with bilateral facet dislocations (80%) and
      anterior cord syndromes (100%). There was no statistically significant
      correlation between the incidence of herniated nucleus pulposus and patients' age
      or sex.

PMID- 1862413
TI  - The effect of spinal implant rigidity on vertebral bone density. A canine model.
AB  - An animal model of anterior and posterior column instability was developed to
      allow in vivo observation of bone remodeling and arthrodesis following spinal
      instrumentation. After an initial anterior and posterior destabilizing lesion was
      created at the L5-L6 vertebral levels in 63 adult beagles, various spinal
      reconstructive surgical procedures were performed--with or without bilateral
      posterolateral bone grafting, with or without bilateral oophorectomies, and with
      or without spinal instrumentation (Harrington distraction, Luque rectangular,
      Cotrel-Dubousset pedicular, or Steffee pedicular implants). Observation 6 months
      after surgery revealed a significantly improved probability of achieving a spinal
      fusion if spinal instrumentation had been used (X2 = 5.84, P = .016).
      Nondestructive mechanical testing after removal of all metal instrumentation in
      torsion, axial compression, and flexion revealed that the fusions performed in
      conjunction with spinal instrumentation were more rigid (P less than .05).
      Quantitative histomorphometry showed that the volumetric density of bone was
      significantly lower (ie, device-related osteoporosis occurred) for fused versus
      unfused spines. In addition, a linear correlation occurred between decreasing
      volumetric density of bone and increasing rigidity of the spinal implant (r =
      .778); ie, device-related osteoporosis occurred secondary to Harrington, Cotrel
      Dubousset, and Steffee pedicular instrumentation. Oophorectomized dogs became
      more osteoporotic than their surgically matched controls (posterolateral bone
      grafting alone, Cotrel-Dubousset pedicular instrumentation, and Steffee pedicular
      instrumentation); device-related osteoporosis added to the degree of hormonally
      induced osteoporosis (t = 5.0, P less than .0001). This is the first study to
      date documenting the occurrence of stress shielding in the spine secondary to
      spinal instrumentation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862414
TI  - Patients avoiding surgery. Pathology and one-year life status follow-up.
AB  - Patients were selected for a research study to determine the outcome of patients
      who had demonstrated enough pathology to have been viewed as surgical candidates
      and had chosen to avoid surgery. The purpose of the study was to identify the
      diagnostic categories and to obtain follow-up data on these patients. The patient
      population consisted of 66 patients with the following pathologies: disc
      disruption (one and two levels), disc disruption (three levels), stenosis,
      spondylolisthesis, instability, and herniated nucleus pulposus. The patients were
      followed for a period of 1 1/2 years and rated on the following lifestyle status
      categories: Returned to Work, Retired, Retraining, Able to Increase Activity
      Level, or No Change from Initial Status. Of the nonoperative patients, 18%
      returned to work. Twelve patients (18%) were retired. Eleven patients (16%) were
      placed in retraining programs. Twenty patients (29%) were able to increase
      activity level. Eleven patients (16%) fell under the category of no change.

PMID- 1862415
TI  - Clinical correlation between degenerative spine disease and dermatomal
      somatosensory-evoked potentials in humans.
AB  - The relationship between clinical status and preoperative and intraoperative
      dermatomal somatosensory-evoked potentials was investigated as a function of test
      site. Results indicated that the specificity and sensitivity of dermatomal
      somatosensory-evoked potentials varied with level of involvement: L5 demonstrated
      greatest agreement with equal correlation at L3, L4, and S1. Variables that
      influenced correlation included history of previous surgeries, type of anesthetic
      used, interpretation criteria, and whether the patient was awake or asleep. It
      was concluded that dermatomal somatosensory-evoked potentials can provide the
      surgeon with diagnostic and intraoperative information regarding the functional
      integrity of single nerve root function.

PMID- 1862417
TI  - The importance of posterior epidural fat pad in lumbar central canal stenosis.
AB  - Ninety-three patients with lumbar central canal stenosis were prospectively
      evaluated to determine whether the posterior epidural fat was an important
      component in the pathogenesis of thecal sac compression. Results of this study
      indicated that, in patients with acquired stenosis secondary to facet arthrosis,
      posterior compression of the thecal sac by epidural fat was identified. This
      finding was not observed in patients with stenosis secondary to anterior column
      pathology or in patients with developmentally large facets.

PMID- 1862416
TI  - Lamina repair and replacement to control laminectomy membrane formation in dogs.
AB  - This study examined the efficacy of lamina repair by the use of various
      techniques to prevent postlaminectomy scar formation in a canine system. Five
      level noncontiguous laminectomies were performed on six adult canines. The most
      caudal (Site 1) was left uncovered and served as the control. Exposed dura at
      each of the remaining four levels was covered with one of the following: Site 2,
      free autogenous laminar bone graft; Site 3, polymethylmethacrylate; Site 4,
      Teflon-Proplast composite; Site 5, collagen gel. The dogs used in the study were
      killed 16 weeks after surgery. Three specimens were examined by plain
      roentgenography and computerized tomography, two specimens were examined
      histologically, and the remaining four specimens were graded according to scar
      volume and scar adherence, as detected during gross dissection of the
      postlaminectomy scar. No repair technique interfered with roentgenography
      evaluation. The least scar and fewest adhesions were present under the free bone
      graft repair site. The Teflon-Proplast composite and polymethylmethacrylate both
      limited the amount and adherence of scar. Collagen gel and control sites were
      indistinguishable in this study. It is concluded that lamina repair with a solid
      material covering exposed dura significantly reduces the formation of
      postlaminectomy membrane and scar.

PMID- 1862418
TI  - Lumbar facet fracture as a possible source of pain after lumbar laminectomy.
AB  - This study compared 50 patients with lumbar facet fractures and continued pain
      after lumbar laminectomy with a postlaminectomy control group without facet
      fractures. Computed tomographic analysis compared variables including direct
      measurements of bone resection. Average follow-up between surgery and
      postsurgical computed tomographic examination was 3.2 years. In the fracture
      group, more than one half of the bone immediately above the flare of the inferior
      articular process at the level of the laminectomy, measured in a medial to
      lateral direction, had been resected. No one in the control group had more than
      one quarter of this bone removed (P = .0001). Lumbar facet fractures may be one
      cause of late postlaminectomy pain. Caution in resection of a particular area of
      bone may avoid this problem.

PMID- 1862419
TI  - Rotation of load during the prelift period.
AB  - Lifting is a major source of back injuries because of the mechanical effects on
      the spinal structures. A number of methods are known by which a lifter can reduce
      the load on the spine during lifting. This study explores an additional method:
      rotation of the load before it is actually lifted off the ground. The hypothesis
      tested is that when a lifter lifts a box, he or she rotates it before it leaves
      the floor. By the use of an optoelectronic system to study weight box rotation,
      it was established that rotation occurs in every lift before the actual lift
      occurs. Rotation time increased with increasing load, indicating that the
      rotation technique is more important when load reduction is most critical.

PMID- 1862420
TI  - Development of a prosthetic intervertebral disc.
AB  - This article is a preliminary report of a 10-year investigation of the
      development of an intervertebral disc prosthesis. Spinal fusion is a method for
      the treatment of chronic, disabling low-back pain that does not respond to
      nonoperative treatments. Spinal fusion, however, has various adverse effects, and
      the results of spinal fusion are often unpredictable. The goal of this research
      project was to develop disc prostheses that have mechanical properties very
      similar to those of natural, normal discs. Two types of disc prosthesis, one with
      fiber-reinforced polyurethane and the other with multicomponent, non-fiber
      reinforced polymers (C-Flex), have been designed and manufactured. The fiber
      reinforced disc was made of polyurethane end-plates with A100 hardness, a
      homogenous nucleus with A40, and 12 layers of multidirectional (0, +45 degrees),
      fiber-reinforced anulus with A40 polyurethane. The design and modeling of the
      multicomponent polymers (non-fiber-reinforced) was made of C-Flex endplates with
      A90 hardness, a nucleus with A35 occupying 35% of the volume, and an anulus with
      70A. Mechanical testing of these disc prostheses demonstrated similar mechanical
      properties to those of natural, normal discs.

PMID- 1862421
TI  - Design of an intervertebral disc prosthesis.
AB  - This article presents criteria for the design of a lumbar intervertebral disc
      prosthesis that take into consideration issues of endurance, materials behavior,
      geometry, kinetics, motion constraints, fixation to bone, and safety. The
      criteria and design philosophies discussed are generally applicable in the
      synthesis of any new implant system. Specifications of the design of a disc
      prosthesis are presented along with an evaluation of the design based on some of
      the preliminary test data.

PMID- 1862422
TI  - Correlation of radiologic assessment of lumbar spine fusions with surgical
      exploration.
AB  - Although inspection of posterolateral lumbar fusion is the best method of
      determining its solidity, routine exploration of the fusion is somewhat
      impractical because of the morbidity and expense involved. Removal of internal
      fixation devices or implantable batteries or reoperation for failed back surgery
      enabled the exploration and assessment of lumbar spine fusions in 214 operations
      on 175 patients. The preoperative radiologic assessment (plain roentgenographs,
      polytomography, bending films, and computed tomographic scans) were correlated
      with surgical findings. This study indicated a significant percentage of
      inaccuracy of all radiologic modalities used. Noncorrelations were present in 36%
      of plain roentgenographs, 41% of polytomograms, 38% of bending films, and 43% of
      computed tomographic scans. Radiologic inaccuracy was manifest on both the
      positive and negative sides. Computed tomographic scanning presented the lowest
      percentage of inaccuracy (22%) and bending films the highest percentage (27%).
      Based on these findings, there exists the need for more accurate noninvasive
      methods to determine the solidity of spine fusions.

PMID- 1862423
TI  - Translaminar facet joint screw fixation for lumbar and lumbosacral fusion. A
      clinical and biomechanical study.
AB  - Various systems of supplementing bone grafts with internal fixation in the
      lumbosacral spine have been used in an effort to improve fusion rates. This study
      reports biomechanical data of cyclic loading cadaveric spines instrumented with
      translaminar facet screws as well as early clinical results on this technique.
      Static loading tests comparing uninstrumented and instrumented spinal motion
      units show that a ninefold increase in flexion load is necessary for constant
      displacement after facet screw fixation. Repetitive loading tests show only a
      small decrease in stiffness of instrumented segments even after 5,000 cycles. To
      date, 35 patients have undergone fusion by this technique as performed by one
      surgeon. After excluding Workers' Compensation cases and cases with less than 2
      years follow-up, there were 18 cases available for review. Twelve of these 18
      cases were two-level fusions. Ten patients underwent concomitant discectomy or
      nerve root decompression. There were no cases of iatrogenic neurologic injury or
      pseudoarthrosis. It is concluded that translaminar facet screws have a sound
      biomechanical basis and are a valuable addition to lumbar fusion procedures.

PMID- 1862424
TI  - Triangulation of pedicular instrumentation. A biomechanical analysis.
AB  - Tensile load-to-failure pullout tests were performed on 54 cadaveric spinal
      segments. The vertebrae were grouped by adjacent levels and matched for bone
      mineral density (g/cm2), which was measured by dual-photon absorptiometry.
      Triangulation of Steffee screws and CD pedicle screws was accomplished by
      transverse plates specifically designed to increase fixation within the same
      vertebra before the longitudinal Steffee plate or CD rod was applied. A
      transverse plate with adjustable length was also tested to accommodate variable
      interpedicular distances. Comparative pullout load-to-failures were as follows:
      laminar hook, 809 SE 99.4 N; single CD pedicular screws, 863 SE 108 N; single
      Steffee pedicular screw, 1245 SE 75.3 N; adjustable transverse plate, 1341 SE
      114; triangulated Steffee pedicle screws with a transverse plate, 1701 SE 151 N;
      and triangulated CD pedicle screws with a transverse plate, 2096 SE 115 N. Three
      triangulated constructs with pedicle screws and a transverse plate (CD, Steffee,
      and Kirschner) provided significantly greater fixation than conventional
      pedicular or laminar hook based instrumentation systems (P less than 0.05).
      Improved treatment of spinal deformities in the elderly and osteoporotic
      population is dependent on improving the fixation at the metal-bone interface of
      spinal implants Particularly in osteoporotic vertebrae, the strength of fixation
      of two triangulated pedicle screws is better than either laminar hooks or single
      pedicle screws. The strength of fixation of triangulated pedicle screws connected
      by a transverse plate is superior to a single pedicle screw because it is
      dependent on the mass of bone between the screws rather than simply the amount of
      bone within the screw thread.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862425
TI  - A carbon fiber implant to aid interbody lumbar fusion. Mechanical testing.
AB  - A carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer implant has been designed to aid interbody
      lumbar fusion. The cage-like implant has ridges or teeth to resist pullout or
      retropulsion, struts to support weight bearing, and a hollow center for packing
      of autologous bone graft. Because carbon is radiolucent, bony healing can be
      imaged by standard radiographic techniques. The device has been mechanically
      tested in cadaver spines and compared with posterior lumbar interbody fusion
      performed with donor bone. The carbon device required a pullout force of 353 N
      compared with 126 N for donor bone. In compression testing, posterior lumbar
      interbody fusion performed with the carbon device bore a load of 5,288 N before
      failure of the vertebral bone. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion performed with
      donor bone failed at 4,628 N, and unmodified motion segments failed at 6,043 N.
      The carbon fiber implant separates the mechanical and biologic functions of
      posterior lumbar interbody fusion.

PMID- 1862426
TI  - Surgical anatomy of the sacrum. A guide for rational screw fixation.
AB  - Anterior sacral anatomy was studied to allow safe sacral screw placement. The
      study included 27 bony sacra. Intrapelvic dissections were performed. Cadaveric
      specimens were dissected and photographed. The position and angulation of the
      first sacral foramen was extremely variable. After the position of the L5 root,
      sacral roots, and iliac vessels, was considered, safe posterior sacral screw
      implantation could be assured through placement above the level of the first
      sacral foramen directed medially toward the promontory, parallel to the superior
      sacral end-plate. Complications of indiscriminate screw placement included L5
      root damage, iliac vein penetration, and intractable perineal pain due to sacral
      root injury. Preoperative computed tomography with the scanner gantry tilted to
      parallel the superior sacral end-plate defined the great vessels, neural
      foramens, inclination of the superior sacral end-plate, and prominence of the
      posterior ileum. Surgical accuracy was evaluated after surgery with computed
      tomography.

PMID- 1862427
TI  - Anatomic consideration for sacral screw placement.
AB  - Instrumentation of the lumbosacral spine increasingly involves screw fixation to
      the sacrum. Recommended locations and techniques for screw placement vary,
      particularly when bicortical purchase of the sacrum is performed. The purpose of
      this study was to describe the critical anatomy and potential injuries to
      neurovascular and visceral structures anterior to the sacrum. Lack of awareness
      can lead to life-threatening complications. The study included 22 fresh human
      cadavers with no prior spinal surgery. Specimens were placed in a prone position,
      and the lumbosacral spine was exposed. Two 6.5-mm screws were inserted using one
      of two techniques, respectively: Starting just inferior to the S1 facet one screw
      was angled 25 degrees caudally and 30 degrees laterally; in the second technique,
      lateral inclination was increased to 45 degrees. In addition, all specimens had
      screws placed in the S2 pedicles. An anterior dissection was performed to allow
      evaluation of the neurovascular and visceral structures at risk for injury by, or
      adjacent to, the screw tips. All significant neurovascular structures in the area
      of concern were constant in position. The internal iliac vein and the lumbosacral
      nerve trunk were most at risk for injury by the 30 and 45 degrees laterally
      directed screws. The sigmoid colon, though close to the S2 screw, was protected
      by its mesentery. Screws placed in the S1 pedicle were least likely to injure the
      neurovascular bundle. A lateral and a midline safe zone were identified.

PMID- 1862428
TI  - Unilateral lumbar fusion.
AB  - Unilateral fusion of the lumbar spine is rarely necessary or indicated. However,
      in patients with a "far-out syndrome" requiring decompression or in cases where
      unilateral posterior element resection is necessary for any reason, it may be
      both necessary and indicated. This unilateral destabilization effectively removes
      one leg of the tripod, rendering that intervertebral joint potentially unstable.
      The charts and radiographs of 13 patients (seven men, six women) with an average
      age of 60 years (range, 25 to 76) who underwent unilateral fusion were
      retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up time ranged from 12 1/2 to 2 years with a
      median follow-up of 8 years. Eleven of the fusions were at one level, and two
      were at two levels. Seven patients had a far-out syndrome secondary to
      degenerative scoliosis; four were secondary to spondylolisthesis. Two patients
      had an osteoid osteoma involving a pedicle. A paraspinal approach was used in the
      majority of patients. Autologous bone graft was used in all patients. Unilateral
      pedicle screw fixation was used in the last patient in the series. The fusion
      rate was 85% (11/13). Three patients were smokers, two of whom developed
      pseudarthrosis. Disc space height did not appear to affect fusion rate. There was
      no progression of slip noted in any of the patients. One complication was noted
      in this group: a moderate postoperative infection, which cleared spontaneously.

PMID- 1862429
TI  - Two-point fixation of the lumbar spine. Differential stability in rotation.
AB  - Single vertebral motion segments were tested in torsion. The adjacent vertebrae
      were transfixed by two 3-mm Steinman pins placed vertically. These were applied
      in five different positions: between the anterior vertebral bodies, posterior
      vertebral bodies, pedicles, transverse processes, and lamina. Rotational
      displacement was limited the most by transfixation between the vertebral bodies
      (position one or two). Disrupting the anulus fibrosus significantly increased
      rotation in all positions except those in the vertebral body. These findings may
      imply that spinal fixation devices that engage the vertebral bodies may offer
      inherent advantages over purely posterior devices in stabilizing a vertebral
      motion segment. In addition, an interbody arthrodesis may prevent intervertebral
      motion better than a posterior or posterolateral fusion.

PMID- 1862430
TI  - Reduction of high-grade slips (grades III-V) with VSP instrumentation. Report of
      a series of 41 cases.
AB  - Records of 41 patients were reviewed for early complications resulting from
      reduction of high-grade spondylolisthesis. Blood loss averaged 1,427 ml. There
      were no cases of infection, dural tears, or bladder or bowel dysfunction. Two
      cases of transient foot drop and one case of permanent foot drop developed. A
      lumbar plexus stretch palsy occurred in one patient. Long-term results were
      evaluated in 20 patients followed up 2 or more years after surgery. Three of the
      20 did not have interbody fusions and lost their reductions. All 20 patients went
      on to fuse with no pseudoarthrosis. One case of broken plate and two cases of
      broken screws occurred. Patient satisfaction ranged from good to excellent.
      Results suggest that reduction of high-grade slips with interbody fusion is a
      safe and effective procedure.

PMID- 1862431
TI  - Deficiency of the seventh component of complement. A case report.
AB  - Deficiency of the 7th component of the complement cascade was diagnosed in a
      white male with recurrent meningococcal infections. This deficiency has not
      previously been reported in South Africa.

PMID- 1862432
TI  - Urinary epidermal growth factor in males with and without renal calculi.

PMID- 1862433
TI  - Local and regional anaesthetic techniques.

PMID- 1862434
TI  - The possible significance of fissured tongue in tuberculosis patients.

PMID- 1862435
TI  - How genes cause inherited large-bowel cancer.

PMID- 1862436
TI  - Rett syndrome.

PMID- 1862437
TI  - [The ethics of resource allocation].

PMID- 1862438
TI  - Injuries of the cervical spinal cord. The Ga-Rankuwa Hospital experience.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of 40 cervical spinal cord-injured patients showed that
      the commonest cause of injury was a motor vehicle accident (60%). C5 - 6 was the
      level most commonly injured. Eight patients had complete and 32 incomplete
      neurological lesions. Surgery was the elective treatment in 78%. Surgical
      treatment did not result in more rapid mobilisation out of bed nor did it
      significantly reduce the period of hospitalisation, compared with non-surgical
      management. No patient deteriorated neurologically, 5 remained unchanged and 35
      improved. Twenty-one patients eventually walked.

PMID- 1862439
TI  - Acute respiratory infections as an important cause of childhood deaths in South
      Africa.
AB  - Compared with other major preventable childhood diseases, such as diarrhoea,
      acute respiratory infections (ARI) have received comparatively little attention
      as an important cause of death in children. In this study of mortality from ARI
      in South Africa, national data was examined for the period 1968-1985, and data
      for Greater Cape Town for 1987. Almost 90% of ARI deaths were attributable to
      pneumonia and large inter-group differences were found that favoured whites and
      Asians over blacks and coloureds. For example, during 1980-1985 the mortality
      rate for pneumonia in coloured infants under 1 year of age was 11 times that
      observed in whites (88 v. 981/100,000). Pneumonia accounted for 14.5% of coloured
      and 12.7% of black deaths under 1 year of age during this period, compared with
      6.7% of white and Asian deaths. The mortality rates from pneumonia declined
      substantially (50%) over the 18-year period in whites, coloureds and Asians.
      Sequential data for blacks is not available. There was a marked seasonality of
      deaths among coloured and Asian infants, with rates peaking in winter months. In
      Cape Town, pneumonia is now a more important cause of death among white and
      coloured children than diarrhoea, while it ranks with diarrhoea as a cause of
      death in black children. In all population groups, death rates from ARI are from
      7 times to 270 times greater than those recorded in Western European countries.
      Studies are urgently required to discover why South African children suffer such
      a high mortality from ARI and how these deaths can be prevented.

PMID- 1862440
TI  - Preventing cystic fibrosis in the RSA.
AB  - Prenatal diagnostic testing for cystic fibrosis (CF) in South Africa has been
      available by microvillar enzyme (MVE) assay since 1984 and by DNA investigation
      since 1987. The advantages and practical uses of these two procedures are
      reviewed. Over the period 1984-1989, 59 MVE assays and 13 DNA investigations (1
      woman had both done; total number of pregnancies tested 71) were performed for
      the prenatal diagnosis of CF in high-risk families. Of the 71 pregnancies tested
      (65 white woman, 4 mixed race and 2 Indian), 18 fetuses were found to be
      affected: of these, 15 couples chose to have the pregnancies terminated. In 2
      fetuses tested the MVE assays were 'equivocal' and the babies were born affected.
      By using population genetic and demographic data it is estimated that the present
      rate of prenatal diagnosis and prevention satisfies about one-quarter of the
      projected and practically achievable annual need. It is also tentatively shown
      that only about 60% of the projected number of high-risk families are at present
      on record. It is concluded that more systematic efforts should be directed at
      carefully guided information and awareness campaigns, in order to draw more CF
      families into the mainstream of voluntary genetic services. The identification
      and cloning of the CF gene (in 1989) has made it possible to extend considerably
      the present strategy of prevention and to include lower-risk and extended CF
      families in due time.

PMID- 1862442
TI  - Reversal of structural changes in hypertensive--a major prospect for the future?

PMID- 1862441
TI  - The genetic basis of cancer.
AB  - Cancer is essentially a genetic disease resulting from congenital or acquired
      alterations in some cells of the patient. Such changes may occur in particular
      oncogenes and are responsible for the tumour phenotype of the affected population
      of cells. Oncogenes function by continuous positive action in the mitogenic
      pathway, and may become activated by point mutations, chromosomal rearrangements,
      gene amplification or viral insertion events. In contrast, unaltered tumour
      suppressor genes are responsible for suppressing the neoplastic phenotype, and
      their inactivation by deletion or mutation permits cancerous development in the
      affected cells. The genetic model of carcinogenesis is thus based on the idea
      that mutations at the DNA level create a functional imbalance between the
      oncogenes and the tumour-suppressor genes, resulting in uncontrolled clonal
      proliferation. It is likely that the clinical importance of these recent findings
      will soon be realised and utilised in the development of therapies and diagnostic
      procedures that will directly benefit the patient.

PMID- 1862443
TI  - Is the ESR dead?

PMID- 1862444
TI  - Psychiatry for a new South Africa.

PMID- 1862446
TI  - Impact of the political violence in Natal on emergency surgical services of a
      tertiary hospital.
AB  - In order to investigate the impact of the political violence in Natal on a
      tertiary hospital's emergency surgical services, 5 days in February 1990 (based
      on newspaper reports of political violence) were identified and matched for the
      day of week and time of month to obtain comparable control days in February 1989.
      Data for each of the 10 days were obtained from casualty department attendance
      registers and a 40% random sample of emergency outpatients' charts. Comparing
      violence to control days, the total number of patients treated in casualty
      increased by 9.6% (1,915 v. 1,747), first visits to casualty by black patients
      increased by 34.4% (1,741 v. 1,295) and emergency patients treated in the
      casualty department increased by 29.6% (206 v. 159). Gunshot injuries accounted
      for 21.4% and 3.1% of surgical emergencies on violence and control days,
      respectively (relative risk 6.79; 95% confidence interval 2.76-16,73; P less than
      0.001). Men comprised 76.2% and 65.4% of surgical emergencies on violence and
      control days, respectively (P less than 0.05). The mean age of surgical emergency
      patients with gunshot injuries was 26.4 years on violence days and 31.4 years on
      control days. Among surgical emergencies, gunshot injuries accounted for 19.2% of
      ward admissions on violence days compared with 5% on control days. Political
      violence in Natal increased the utilisation of tertiary hospital emergency
      surgical services, particularly for young black men with gunshot injuries
      requiring inpatient care. Until there is peace in this region, tertiary hospital
      emergency surgical services need to be strengthened and prepared to cope with the
      trauma resulting from the political violence.

PMID- 1862445
TI  - A retrospective study of spinal cord injuries in Cape Province rugby players,
      1963-1989. Incidence, mechanisms and prevention.
AB  - A retrospective study was undertaken to determine aetiological factors for 117
      catastrophic neck injuries in rugby players admitted to the Spinal Cord Unit,
      Conradie Hospital, Cape Town, between 1963 and 1989. Nineteen of these players
      were known to be dead; the files of another 10 were missing. Questionnaires were
      sent to the remaining 88 players and 52 responded (59%). Their data were
      supplemented with information obtained from the medical records of the patients
      who did not respond. The annual number of admissions increased dramatically after
      1976 with 83% of all injuries occurring after that date. A further increase since
      1984 contrasts with a falling incidence of these injuries in Britain, Australia
      and New Zealand. Increased risk of injury was related to the following factors:
      98% of injuries occurred in matches and 81% were incurred by adults; 69% of
      injuries occurred in age-group A team or senior first team players; and 57% of
      injuries occurred in the tackle situation and 39% in scrums, rucks and mauls.
      Hooker, centre and flyhalf were the playing positions at greatest risk. Injuries
      were more common in early season matches and again after the mid-season break.
      This study confirmed that spinal cord injuries occur under predictable
      circumstances and are therefore foreseeable and preventable. The high incidence
      of these injuries in the Cape Province is as unacceptable today as it was when
      first reported in 1977.

PMID- 1862447
TI  - A methodology for resource allocation in health care for South Africa. Part IV.
      Application of South African Health Resource Allocation formula.
AB  - The primary concern of this concluding article in a series is the application of
      the South African Health Resource Allocation (SAHRA) formula proposed in the
      previous article (SAMJ 1990; 77: 456-459). Target allocations based on this
      formula are compared with current budgets to estimate the extent of geographical
      maldistribution of health care resources. Under the present health service
      structure, the direction of redistribution of these resources should be from the
      provinces to 'homelands'. A number of refinements to the crude formula, such as
      the introduction of a more rational regionalisation policy and accounting for the
      teaching commitments of academic hospitals, are considered and their effects
      illustrated. Despite data deficiencies and the wide range of possible technical
      modifications to SAHRA, the concept of basing resource allocation decisions on an
      internationally applied formula is worthy of public debate.

PMID- 1862448
TI  - Support systems, facilities and staffing of clinics in Mhala, Gazankulu--are they
      adequate?
AB  - A study comprising in-depth interviews of sisters in all 15 rural clinics in the
      Mhala district of Gazankulu showed them to experience major problems with support
      systems: radiophone communication was unreliable (and even absent in 3 clinics);
      transport was inadequate; the cold chain was not well maintained and essential
      drugs and equipment were absent (only 1 clinic had all the equipment to manage a
      neonatal resuscitation adequately). There were also serious deficiencies in
      facilities, lack of running water and electricity posing the most serious
      problems (resulting in deliveries and suturing of episiotomies by candlelight).
      Other pressing problems include inadequate waiting space and patient privacy.
      Staffing at the clinics fell well below what is required, yet the commitment of
      staff was often inspiring. The state of the clinics must be seen within the
      constraints of 'homeland' policy and the unequal distribution of the country's
      health care resources. Despite these limitations the clinic service can be
      improved. Recommendations are made for this, concentrating on improving support
      structures rather than on the more costly improvement of facilities.

PMID- 1862449
TI  - Sex and the brain.
AB  - Differences between the sexes in perception and cognition have been extensively
      documented and widely accepted as applicable to the majority of humans.
      Understanding of their aetiology can only be achieved by investigation of both
      hormonal and social factors. A significant recent advance, supporting the role of
      hormones, is presented. This study correlated corpus callosum size, sex and
      handedness. It showed that all females have a significantly larger isthmus (part
      of the corpus callosum) than consistently right-handed males. The inference is
      that women tend to use both hemispheres and most males only one. This has
      important educational and work-deployment implications.

PMID- 1862450
TI  - von Willebrand's disease in Zimbabwe. A report on 3 families.
AB  - Three families with clinically typical features of von Willebrand's disease are
      described. One family had features to suggest type II disease. Von Willebrand's
      disease appears to be rare in Africa, but this may be due both to lack of
      awareness among clinicians and insufficient laboratory facilities.

PMID- 1862451
TI  - William Jolly--father of medical science in South Africa.
AB  - William Jolly graduated in medicine at Edinburgh University in 1906 and became
      research assistant to Sir Edward Sharpey Schafer. He also mastered various
      techniques in electrophysiology under Einthoven, graduating D.Sc. in 1911. In
      1911 he was appointed first Professor of Physiology and in 1918 first Dean of the
      Faculty of Medicine at the University of Cape Town. He conducted and stimulated
      research there and in recognition thereof was awarded an Honorary LI.D. by
      Edinburgh University and a special allowance from the University of Cape Town. He
      was President of the Royal Society of South Africa, a trustee of the South
      African Museum and a member of the National Research Council and Board.

PMID- 1862452
TI  - A milestone in cardiac transplantation.

PMID- 1862453
TI  - Awareness of AIDS among black mineworkers.

PMID- 1862454
TI  - Invasive blood pressure measurement.

PMID- 1862455
TI  - Thyroid lymphoma and its management.

PMID- 1862456
TI  - Schistosomiasis of the female genital tract.

PMID- 1862457
TI  - Failure of recommended maternal therapy to prevent congenital syphilis.
AB  - A pregnant women with secondary syphilis received appropriate therapy with
      penicillin in the last trimester of pregnancy. At delivery, her titre had fallen
      fourfold, and the baby had a non-reactive cord blood titre at birth. However, the
      treatment failed to prevent infection in the infant, and the baby had developed
      signs of congenital syphilis at 10 weeks of age. The definition of "adequate
      therapy" of pregnant women is unclear, and recent guidelines are contradictory.
      Therefore, literature that pertains to penicillin therapy in pregnancy is
      reviewed, and new guidelines for therapy proposed.

PMID- 1862458
TI  - Partner notification and the control of human immunodeficiency virus infection.
      Two years of experience in San Francisco.
AB  - To evaluate partner notification of opposite-sex sexual partners of AIDS patients
      as a means of limiting sexual and vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV), the authors examined the first 27 months of their experience with
      partner notification. Overall, of 145 AIDS patients eligible to participate, 51
      (35%) were interviewed and identified 135 opposite-sex sexual partners. Of the
      135 partners, 59 (44%) were interviewed and 34 (25%) were tested, resulting in
      the diagnosis of 7 (5%) HIV-infected partners. Refusal rates for index patients
      and partners were low (9% and 12%, respectively). Costs for the program were $454
      per partner interviewed and $2,203 per seropositive partners identified. The
      authors conclude that although partner notification is more expensive than more
      widely targeted AIDS prevention and education efforts, its ability to target case
      finding, education, and counseling to women at highest risk of infection makes it
      potentially cost-effective for prevention of vertically transmitted HIV
      infection.

PMID- 1862459
TI  - Test method for evaluating the permeability of intact prophylactics to viral-size
      microspheres under simulated physiologic conditions.
AB  - The alarming number of AIDS cases has increased the attention given to barrier
      devices such as condoms. The authors describe a new test method that evaluates
      the permeability of the intact condom when subjected to simulated physiologic
      conditions. Fluorescent-labelled polystyrene microspheres (110 nm diameter) are
      used to model cell-free virus. Physical and chemical conditions that are present
      during coitus, such as pressure, pH, and temperature, are considered in the
      design of the method. The testing chamber is designed to be continuously
      monitored for changes in fluorescence due to leakage across the condom surface.
      The sensitivity of the system is 1 x 10(-5) of the original concentration of
      microsphere solution (3.4 x 10(11) particles/mL), which corresponds to leak rates
      as small as .001 microL/sec. The test provides an in vitro test of barrier
      material permeability relevant to actual use.

PMID- 1862460
TI  - Comparison of cefotetan plus doxycycline with cefoxitin plus doxycycline in the
      inpatient treatment of acute salpingitis.
AB  - Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), one of the major sequelae of the current
      epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, has been shown to be a polymicrobial
      infection. This study compares the efficacy and safety of two broad-spectrum
      combination drug regimens, cefotetan with doxycycline and cefoxitin with
      doxycycline, in the treatment of PID. A total of 108 patients with acute
      salpingitis were hospitalized and randomized into two treatment groups:
      cefotetan/doxycycline (N = 54) and cefoxitin/doxycycline (N = 54). Before
      antibiotic administration, Chlamydia trachomatis was identified in 17 (16%) of
      the patients, Neisseria gonorrhoeae from 72 (67%), and anaerobic and aerobic
      bacteria were identified from the endometrial cultures of 86 (80%). There were
      seven tubo-ovarian abscesses (TOAs) that were diagnosed in the cefotetan group,
      and six in the cefoxitin group. Clinical cure was achieved in 51 of 54 (94%)
      patients in each group. Of the six patients whose treatment failed, all had
      positive cultures for N. gonorrhoeae and facultative/anaerobic bacteria, whereas
      none had C. trachomatis. Two patients from each study arm whose treatment failed
      were diagnosed with TOAs and responded subsequently to clindamycin plus an
      aminoglycoside. Cultures that were obtained after the completion of inpatient
      treatment showed the eradication of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae in all
      patients. Also, both regimens were effective in reducing aerobic and anaerobic
      pathogens. Finally, both regimens were well tolerated, with few side-effects.

PMID- 1862462
TI  - The concept of core and its relevance to the epidemiology and control of sexually
      transmitted diseases.

PMID- 1862461
TI  - A population-based serosurveillance of syphilis in Costa Rica.
AB  - As part of a case-control study to investigate the high incidence of cervical
      cancer in Costa Rican women, the seroprevalence of the treponematoses, in
      particular, syphilis was determined. In each age group, women with a history of
      two or more sex partners were two to four times more likely to be seroreactive in
      tests for syphilis than women with zero or one sex partner. The highest
      percentage of reactive results in the microhemagglutination assay for antibodies
      to Treponema pallidum (MHA-TP) was seen in samples from women aged 50-59 who had
      had two or more lifetime partners (23.8%). Three observations from our study
      support reactivity due to syphilis rather than yaws or pinta: (1) a similar
      percent of reactive rapid plasma reagin (RPR) card test results among MHA-TP
      reactors in the two age groups of women who were surveyed (42 vs. 49%) was
      observed; (2) women who were seroreactive in the MHA-TP had multiple risk factors
      for STD [low socioeconomic status (9.4%), urban residence (22.8%), first
      intercourse under 16 years of age (14.1%), and multiple sex partners (26.3%)],
      and (3) only sexually experienced women had reactive results in the MHA-TP test.

PMID- 1862463
TI  - Is the concept, "agents of sexually transmitted disease" still valid?

PMID- 1862465
TI  - Noeggerath and "latent gonorrhea".

PMID- 1862464
TI  - Hepatitis B infection among Chinese STD patients in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
AB  - This study documents the prevalence of Hepatitis B serological markers among STD
      patients who have had multiple sexual partners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and
      compares the rates with those of a sample of the population with single or no
      sexual partners. A total of 336 Chinese STD patients (multiple partners group)
      and 234 Chinese control subjects (non-multiple partner group) were screened.
      Those with a history of blood transfusion or parenteral drug abuse had been
      excluded from the study, and all study subjects were heterosexuals. The overall
      carrier rate was 9.2% for the multiple partner group (MP group) and 6.8% for the
      non-multiple partner group (NMP group). Infection rates were 64.3% for the MP
      group and 38.9% for the NMP group. After adjustments for age and sex, there was
      no significant difference in carrier rates between the two groups, but infection
      rates were significantly different with the MP group, being 3.2 times more likely
      to acquire infection than the NMP group. The study concludes that in
      heterosexuals, those with multiple sexual partners have increased chances of
      acquiring HBV infection.

PMID- 1862466
TI  - Crack, sex, and STD.
AB  - Increasing rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, and sexually transmitted
      human immunodeficiency virus infection appear to be related to crack cocaine use.
      This article critically reviews 16 epidemiologic studies that examine drug use,
      sexual behavior, and sexually transmitted disease (STD). Eight studies found an
      association between crack and STD, one study found no association between crack
      and STD, and seven studies found STD to be related to other drugs or methods of
      cocaine use. The exchange of sex for money or drugs was associated with STD in
      seven studies. Publications that were reviewed have numerous methodologic
      weaknesses: broader sampling, uninfected comparison groups, and greater
      specification of drug use and sexual risk behaviors are needed. Further research
      should compare different drugs and associated sexual behavior and STD to assess
      the unique risk conferred by crack. Designing effective interventions will
      require investigation of risk behavior determinants and barriers to health care.

PMID- 1862467
TI  - Alternatives to Swan-Ganz cardiac output monitoring.
AB  - When we are concerned about the adequacy of peripheral oxygen delivery, our
      monitoring efforts focus on cardiac output as the component easiest to
      manipulate. Thermodilution is the current method of determining cardiac output
      because of logistic convenience, but by no means should it be considered the gold
      standard. Thoracic electrical bioimpedance is an appealing alternative because of
      its simplicity, noninvasiveness, and ability to track physiologic trends, but
      there have been a number of warnings against relying on it exclusively, at least
      until it is further developed. Doppler ultrasound appears to be a valid method in
      skilled hands, but its accuracy in quantitating cardiac output, especially in the
      critically ill, remains questionable. Mixed venous oximetry and transcutaneous
      oxygen monitoring are promising but are still being evaluated.

PMID- 1862468
TI  - Placement and complications of monitoring catheters.
AB  - Vascular access is a necessary evil in critically ill patients, a population that
      is at high risk for complications. Appropriate planning and attention to detail
      minimize the associated risks while maximizing the benefits derived from catheter
      use.

PMID- 1862469
TI  - Sepsis. What it is and how to recognize it.
AB  - Sepsis, shock, and resuscitation may result in various degrees of ischemia
      perfusion injury that may produce widespread organ dysfunction through complex
      interactions and activation of host immunoinflammatory processes. As the
      pathophysiologic mechanisms of the inflammatory response are better defined, we
      may be able to modulate the generalized inflammatory state we know as sepsis and
      prevent the development of multiple organ failure syndrome. At present, however,
      the mainstay of therapy remains prompt resuscitation to eliminate regions of
      hypoperfusion and to limit as much as possible those factors that predispose to
      further organ injury while the source of inflammatory stimulation is being
      identified and controlled.

PMID- 1862470
TI  - Antibiotic choices in surgical intensive care unit patients.
AB  - Antibiotics have dramatically changed the care of the critically ill patient over
      the last 60 years. Patients with complex physiological conditions present with
      infectious processes requiring the effective use of antimicrobial drugs. In many
      situations, the inability to eradicate the infectious process is complicated by
      the progressive development of resistance among the causative organisms. Systemic
      antibiotic prophylaxis is warranted only for the prevention of wound infections.
      Regimens in these cases should use large doses of nontoxic antibiotics covering
      the spectrum of organisms likely to contaminate the wound. The duration of wound
      prophylaxis should be short, essentially covering only the period of active wound
      closure; this is usually less than 24 hours. Prevention of most other infections
      in the ICU depends on the recognition and correction of the various disturbances
      of host defenses. Topical antibiotic therapy may reduce the level of colonization
      for a few specific types of infection. Initial empiric antibiotic therapy should
      be started for clear indications. The antibiotics chosen should be those most
      likely to be effective against the probable organisms, those which have the
      lowest toxicity, and those with the smallest likelihood of inducing
      multiresistance. They must be adjusted promptly based on the microbiologic
      sensitivities observed. The realization that the physiology of critical illness
      may alter the normal relations between drug dosages and the tissue antibiotic
      levels obtained mandates a different approach to the treatment of these patients.
      The drug volumes of distribution are generally markedly expanded in these
      patients. Furthermore, these patients require high tissue antibiotic
      concentrations to improve the chances for successful therapy. Thus, the
      antibiotics selected must be capable of providing these levels without
      significant toxicity to the host. Therapy should be continued based on the
      clinical response observed. Premature cessation of effective therapy often
      results in relapse.

PMID- 1862471
TI  - Deep venous thrombosis in the surgical intensive care unit.
AB  - The ICU patient population is at a high risk for the development of deep venous
      thrombosis leading to a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. It is vital to
      appreciate this risk and apply appropriate prophylaxis. Constant vigilance is
      required, as deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary emboli can develop and progress
      despite standard prophylactic measures. In unstable patients, more aggressive
      prophylaxis may be warranted, including the use of inferior vena cava filters. A
      high index of suspicion and a low threshold for screening and diagnostic testing
      will allow earlier recognition and treatment of this lifethreatening condition.
      Treatment decisions are based on clinical suspicion, diagnostic examination
      results, and the potential complications of difficult treatment modalities.

PMID- 1862473
TI  - Weaning from mechanical ventilation.
AB  - An understanding of respiratory physiology is helpful when weaning a patient from
      mechanical ventilation. Various criteria are available that assess pulmonary
      function and the patient's ability to breathe spontaneously. The majority of
      patients are weaned without difficulty, but a small percentage will require
      careful evaluation. A complete assessment of the patient is essential during the
      weaning trial. The mode of ventilation during weaning is less important than
      careful observation during the trial. Simple vital signs and physical findings
      remain some of the best indicators of success or failure.

PMID- 1862472
TI  - New modes of mechanical ventilation.
AB  - Mechanical ventilation is required by surgical patients for a number of different
      reasons. The methods available to ventilate patients have increased in the last
      few years. Some of these techniques have proved helpful, while a few remain
      investigational searching for an application. Surgeons dealing with critically
      ill patients must remain current with alternative methods of ventilation.

PMID- 1862474
TI  - Advances in pediatric surgical critical care.
AB  - The advances in pediatric intensive care outlined here point out the differences
      between children and adults that need to be considered when taking care of
      children with surgical diseases. In the past, advances in pediatric critical care
      have not kept pace with advances in adult care, but these and other new
      techniques have rapidly closed this gap in knowledge.

PMID- 1862476
TI  - [Nursing research--anything happens to us. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1862478
TI  - [Nursing research. How can we improve health?].

PMID- 1862477
TI  - [Nursing research. What is the outcome of nurses' pregnancies?].

PMID- 1862479
TI  - [Nursing research--no, to 'home-knitting'. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1862475
TI  - [Nursing research--he has taken philosophy for himself. Interview by Grethe
      Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1862480
TI  - [Nursing research--PhD students in nursing just now].

PMID- 1862481
TI  - [Nursing research--quality before quantity. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1862482
TI  - [Nursing research--some will do it].

PMID- 1862483
TI  - [Nursing research--a researcher's everyday].

PMID- 1862484
TI  - [Powerlessness and frustration].

PMID- 1862485
TI  - [Negotiations '91--extraordinary congress recommends close compromise].

PMID- 1862486
TI  - [Nursing research--an important piece].

PMID- 1862487
TI  - [Community health nursing--we will blend in. Interview by Kirsten Bjornsson].

PMID- 1862488
TI  - [Nursing research--the long road. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1862489
TI  - [Change-over--back to everyday].

PMID- 1862490
TI  - [Radical change in nursing instructor's functions].

PMID- 1862491
TI  - [Education of cancer patients will improve. Interview by Lars Peter Bergqvist].

PMID- 1862492
TI  - [The fierce hunt for taxes].

PMID- 1862493
TI  - [That will keep a long time. Interview by Teddy Osterlin Koch].

PMID- 1862494
TI  - [Straight on an average].

PMID- 1862495
TI  - [Botulism in cattle, a review].
AB  - Botulism in cattle is reviewed in the present paper. General information
      concerning the aetiology and symptomatology of the disease is followed by a
      discussion of the epidemiological situation in the Netherlands. Since 1975
      several outbreaks of botulism type C or D have occurred. Poultry litter in which
      toxic carcasses were present, was the most important source of the toxin. An
      increasing number of cases of botulism type D was reported in recent years, which
      was probably due to the fact that poultry is not susceptible to toxin type D and
      therefore the presence of type D toxin is difficult to recognise timely. In
      addition, atypical cases of type B botulism occurred in the Netherlands during
      the period from 1977 to 1978, which were caused by supplementary feeding of
      brewer's grains. Finally, the diagnostic problems, differential diagnosis,
      prevention, treatment and public health aspects are discussed.

PMID- 1862496
TI  - ['Lelystad agent'--the cause of abortus blauw (mystery swine disease)].
AB  - An unidentified agent was isolated from samples of pigs affected with abortus
      blauw (also known as mystery swine disease). This agent, designated 'Lelystad
      agent', grows in cultures of pig lung macrophages. The agent was inoculated into
      eight pregnant sows which subsequently aborted or gave birth to weak or dead
      piglets. The agent was then isolated from these piglets, thus confirming that it
      is the causal agent of abortus blauw.

PMID- 1862497
TI  - [Veterinary pathology: a vital specialism within veterinary medicine].
AB  - Pathology is by definition an entity of major importance in medical science.
      Within medical care, pathologists are involved in cytopathological,
      histopathological and post mortem examinations. The value of post mortem
      examinations is discussed with reference to the value of the autopsy within human
      medical science. In veterinary medicine, veterinary pathology has to be
      incorporated in highly qualified veterinary medical care, has to participate in
      the quality assessment and the quality control of veterinary medical care, and
      has to be involved in the required continuing education of veterinarians. In
      addition, veterinary pathology is involved in basic research and research with
      regard to human health control.

PMID- 1862498
TI  - [Conjunctivitis?].

PMID- 1862499
TI  - [Antibiotic sensitivity of Pasteurella haemolytica in slaughter cattle].

PMID- 1862501
TI  - [The Veterinary Service Board. Health and Welfare legislation for Animals].

PMID- 1862500
TI  - [On deworming and diets].

PMID- 1862502
TI  - [Equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME), a review].
AB  - Serological surveys showed that equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME) occurs in the
      USA, Canada and Europe. The causative agent is Rickettsia Ehrlichia risticii,
      isolated for the first time in 1984. The clinical features of the disease are
      sluggishness, anorexia, colic and fever, possibly followed by watery diarrhoea.
      Complications of an infection with E. risticii are laminitis and abortion.
      Colitis of the ascending colon may be observed at autopsy. Following a positive
      serological diagnosis (IgM ELISA) of EME, treatment with oxytetracycline can be
      initiated. It is also important to restore the fluid and electrolyte balance by
      infusion. Prevention may be achieved by vaccination.

PMID- 1862503
TI  - [The immune system in poultry].
AB  - The avian immune system is reviewed. The avian immune system differs from that of
      mammals, mainly in the presence or absence of lymphoid organ and in the histology
      of these organs, in the antibody response, in the generation of diversity of
      antibodies, and in the transfer of maternal immunity. The chicken immune system
      is mainly discussed, since most of the research on the avian immune system has
      been performed using this bird.

PMID- 1862505
TI  - [Lameness in cattle].

PMID- 1862504
TI  - [Determination of immunity (?)/immune response (using serological techniques].
AB  - The effective use of serological tests for the diagnosis of disease and/or
      infection depends both on the nature of the diagnostic problem and on the
      diagnostic value of positive and negative results of the test. In veterinary
      practice, diagnostic uses consist in (1) diagnosis in patients showing typical
      symptoms, (2) staging of the infection, (3) screening studies, and in patients
      showing typical symptoms, (2) staging of the infection, (3) screening studies,
      and (4) monitoring of effects of therapy. In quantitative tests for diagnostic
      purposes, the positive or negative value of the test may be established using
      either reference ranges in controls or longitudinal studies in single patients.
      When serological tests are performed for measuring immunity or susceptibility of
      animals to infection, the test(s) should be performed in conjunction with
      experimental challenge infection studies. This form of combined testing thus
      provides the levels of serum antibodies protective against disease.

PMID- 1862507
TI  - [Long-range viewpoint Agricultural Research 1991-1994 (1)].

PMID- 1862506
TI  - [Pseudo-pregnancy and type diagnosis].

PMID- 1862508
TI  - [New reproduction and breeding techniques].

PMID- 1862509
TI  - [Health care of domestic animals].

PMID- 1862510
TI  - [The Veterinary Service Board. The Health and Welfare legislation for animals].

PMID- 1862511
TI  - [Antibiotics].

PMID- 1862512
TI  - [Attacks of apnea in an infant with achondroplasia].
AB  - Infants and children with achondroplasia are at increased risk of sudden death
      because of apneic attacks caused by compression of the medulla oblongata or
      spinal cord by a constricted foramen magnum or narrow upper cervical spinal
      canal. This history of an infant with achondroplasia is discussed. As a result of
      apneic attacks she developed severe brain damage. Cervicomedullary compression
      was revealed at CT-scan and NMRI of the basicranium and upper cervical canal, and
      confirmed at decompressive surgery. Early symptoms can be clues to the existence
      of cervicomedullary compression. These clues are indication for further
      investigations. Decompressive surgery has good results when performed at an early
      stage. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cervicomedullary compression and of
      factors which increase the risk of complications are important in the management
      of achondroplastic patients.

PMID- 1862514
TI  - [A new variant of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy: the father in an active role].
AB  - The case is described of an eleven-year-old boy with abdominal pain and
      hematuria. The hematuria appears to be fabricated by the father of the boy by
      adding cooked meat to the urine samples. The medical history of the father is
      very suspect for the Munchhausen syndrome. The case of the son differs in some
      respects from the normal pattern of the Munchhausen by proxy syndrome: the age of
      the son, the role of the father as active inducer and the low social class of the
      family.

PMID- 1862513
TI  - [A patient with the homozygote form of familial hypercholesterolemia].
AB  - The history of an 11 year old boy with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
      with therapeutic response to cholesterol lowering drugs is presented. Symptoms,
      laboratory diagnosis and therapeutic problems are discussed.

PMID- 1862515
TI  - [The syndrome of the incarcerated left renal vein (nutcracker syndrome)].
AB  - Gross hematuria with abdominal pain may be caused by entrapment of the left renal
      vein between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. In the urinary
      sediment the erythrocytes are normally shaped, making a renal parenchymatous
      cause unlikely. Ultrasonography shows a decrease of the diameter of the left
      renal vein of more than 50%, in every position of the patient. Cytoscopy a chaud
      reveals hematuria pouring out only from the left ureter. In this paper four
      patients with this syndrome are presented.

PMID- 1862516
TI  - [Meconium peritonitis: diagnosis, etiology and treatment].
AB  - Fetal intestinal perforation causes a sterile inflammatory reaction of the
      peritoneum called meconium peritonitis. Twelve patients studied in the perinatal
      period serve to describe the classical fetal and neonatal signs and symptoms, the
      iconographical findings, treatment and prognosis. All but one infant, with a
      meconium pseudocyst, presented with the fibro-adhesive variety. Two were caused
      by cystic fibrosis, two by organic obstruction, one by fetal appendicitis and
      another two by ischemic necrosis of part of the ileum. In one of the latter two,
      the probable mechanism was feto-fetal embolisation following the in utero death
      of a co-twin. One idiopathic perforation, diagnosed in a preterm infant, healed
      spontaneously. The neonatal mortality rate was 18%. Primary enteric anastomosis
      was feasible in 3, Bishop-Koop anastomosis in 2 and an intestinal stoma in two
      others. Apart from the two survivors with cystic fibrosis, seven have no late
      gastro-intestinal sequelae.

PMID- 1862517
TI  - Electrical treatment of venomous bites and stings.

PMID- 1862519
TI  - Tryptophan residues of phospholipase A2 from the venom of an Australian elapid
      snake (Pseudechis australis).
AB  - Tryptophan residues 31 and 69 (Trp-31 and Trp-69) in phospholipase A2 (Pa-11)
      from the venom of an Australian elapid snake, Pseudechis australis, were modified
      with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) or with 2-nitrophenylsulphenylchloride (NPSC1). NBS
      oxidized only Trp-31, whereas NPSC1 reacted with both Trp-31 and Trp-69.
      Treatment of the enzyme with NBS at various pH values resulted in losses of
      enzymic and lethal activities. No protective effect on the oxidation with NBS was
      observed by the addition of calcium ion (20 mM) or lecithin (4 mM). The
      observations suggest that Trp-31 is exposed to the surface of the molecule,
      composes a part of the lipid-water interface recognition site around the active
      site and is essential for enzymic activity. Calcium ion addition to the solution
      caused a change in ultraviolet spectrum of the native enzyme Pa-11. The
      difference spectrum indicates that a charge effect caused a typical tryptophan
      blue shift in the Ca(2+)-enzyme complex. Pa-11 oxidized with NBS showed a smaller
      ultraviolet absorption difference on the addition of Ca2+ ion. The results show
      that the hypochromic effect induced upon the binding of Ca2+ is due to
      perturbation of the specific tryptophan residue (Trp-31) which is involved in the
      active site. Dissociation constant, Kd, of the Ca(2+)-enzyme complex was
      calculated to be 3.4 x 10(-4) M at pH 8.0.

PMID- 1862518
TI  - Lethal potency and fractionation of Duvernoy's secretion from the brown tree
      snake, Boiga irregularis.
AB  - The liquid secretion contained only 15% protein and had relatively low
      proteolytic activity. The reconstituted crude secretion had a murine i.p. LD50 of
      10.33 mg/kg and was not hemorrhagic in doses up to 200 micrograms. Fast Protein
      Liquid Chromatographic (FPLC) cation exchange analysis of reconstituted crude
      secretion resulted in resolution of 16 peaks. Lethal activity was identified in
      three peaks. The major lethal fraction was 12.5% of the secretion protein and had
      a murine i.p. LD50 of 7.3 mg/kg. A pooled fraction containing two lethal peaks
      which comprised 9.4% of secretion protein had moderate proteolytic activity and
      produced myoglobinuria in mice. The fraction had an approximate murine i.p. LD50
      of 3.7 mg/kg. Microscopic examination of muscle tissue from mice succumbing to
      this fraction revealed multifocal myofiber degeneration and necrosis. SDS-PAGE
      indicated that the major lethal fraction contained three proteins with mol. wts
      of 12,500, 18,000 and 52,000 and the myotoxic fraction contained two proteins
      with mol. wts of 14,500 and 17,000. While B. irregularis Duvernoy's secretion has
      a low lethal index, it does contain a myotoxic fraction with moderate lethal
      potency. These observations and recent data describing clinical envenomation of
      several infant patients suggest that large specimens may pose a hazard to infants
      and small children.

PMID- 1862520
TI  - Immunochemical cross-reactivity of two phospholipase A2 neurotoxins,
      agkistrodotoxin and crotoxin.
AB  - Polyclonal rabbit antisera were raised against the phospholipase A2 neurotoxin
      agkistrodotoxin (AGTX) from Agkistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudus venom and against
      the phospholipase A2 subunit (component-B, CB) of crotoxin from Crotalus durissus
      terrificus venom. Anti-AGTX antibodies cross-reacted strongly with crotoxin and
      crotoxin-like molecules and more weakly with other phospholipases A2 from the
      venoms of Viperidae and Crotalidae. On the other hand, anti-CB antibodies cross
      reacted with AGTX, and also recognized ammodytoxin A and the phospholipase A2
      from Vipera berus venom, but not other phospholipases A2 from Crotalidae and
      Viperidae. Anti-AGTX and anti-CB antibodies were able to inhibit the
      phospholipase A2 activity and to neutralize the lethal potency of the homologous
      and heterologous toxins (AGTX or crotoxin). Immunoaffinity chromatography columns
      were used to isolate anti-AGTX antibodies which recognized CB (91% of the total
      anti-AGTX antibodies), and anti-CB antibodies which recognized AGTX (52% of the
      total anti-CB antibodies). Immunochemical investigations performed with each type
      of antibody indicated that the majority of AGTX antigenic determinants are
      present on crotoxin component-B and on phospholipases A2 from Viperidae venoms,
      and that some of these determinants are involved in the neutralization of lethal
      potency and in the inhibition of enzymatic activity of AGTX and crotoxin.

PMID- 1862522
TI  - A non-radioactive receptor assay for snake venom postsynaptic neurotoxins.
AB  - A non-radioactive assay was developed for detecting the binding of postsynaptic
      neurotoxins to acetylcholine receptor (AchR) from Torpedo californica. Enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) wells coated with long or short chain
      neurotoxins specifically bound to purified AchR while crotamine or two different
      cardiotoxins did not. Bound receptor was detected by antibody against AchR.
      Specificity was determined by dose-response experiments and competition studies
      using carbamylcholine chloride, acetylcholine chloride, or Naja naja atra
      cobrotoxin mixed with receptor.

PMID- 1862521
TI  - Amino acid sequence of a myotoxin from venom of the eastern diamondback
      rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus).
AB  - The complete amino acid sequence of a myotoxin isolated from Crotalus adamanteus
      venom (CAM-toxin) was determined. The total number of amino acid residues was 45,
      giving a mol. wt of 5202. The amino acid sequence was compared with those of
      previously determined Crotalus myotoxins. The CAM-toxin shows a surprisingly
      close relationship to those of peptide c (C. v. helleri), myotoxin a (C. v.
      viridis), crotamine (C. d. terrificus), myotoxin I and II (C. v. concolor) with
      homologies of approximately 98, 83, 90, 95 and 91%, respectively. The hydropathy
      profile of the CAM-toxin is almost identical to peptide c and myotoxin I, as can
      be assumed from the sequence homology. Despite the absence of any close sequence
      homology with the myotoxic phospholipase A2 enzymes, CAM-toxin contains a similar
      cationic myotoxic region at residues 2-10 as found in the other five myotoxic
      peptides.

PMID- 1862523
TI  - Pharmacological study of the muscle paralyzing activity of the juice of the
      banana trunk.
AB  - Extracts of the juice of the banana trunk were assayed in the isolated phrenic
      nerve-diaphragm muscle preparation of the rat. The chemical composition of those
      producing muscular paralysis was then studied. As active extracts mainly
      consisted of monopotassium oxalate, the effect of this compound on the muscle
      preparation was investigated and compared with that of the active extracts. The
      pattern of muscular paralysis induced by monopotassium oxalate was the same as
      that seen with the juice extracts. Likewise inhibition of contractions of the
      tibialis muscle was observed in vivo after intra-arterial administration of both
      the crude concentration of the juice and monopotassium oxalate. These findings
      suggest that monopotassium oxalate could be responsible for the muscular
      paralysis caused by the juice of banana trunk.

PMID- 1862524
TI  - Amino acid sequence of a muscarinic toxin deduced from the cDNA nucleotide
      sequence.
AB  - We prepared a cDNA library from venom glands of the green mamba Dendroaspis
      angusticeps. A cDNA clone was isolated using an appropriate nucleotide probe. The
      nucleotide sequence codes for a 21 residue signal peptide followed by a 65
      residue protein having the amino acid sequence of muscarinic toxin 2, as
      confirmed in the accompanying paper (Karlsson, E., Risinger, C., Jolkkonen, M.,
      Wernstedt, C. and Adem, A.). The cDNA encoding the muscarinic toxin has been
      compared with those encoding other snake toxins. There are close similarities
      with short-chain curaremimetic neurotoxins.

PMID- 1862525
TI  - Amino acid sequence of a snake venom toxin that binds to the muscarinic
      acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - The green mamba, Dendroaspis angusticeps, has two protein toxins that bind to the
      muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. The sequence of muscarinic toxin 2 was
      determined with an automatic gas phase sequencer. The C-terminal residue is Asp
      as determined by hydrazinolysis and amino acid analysis. Toxin 2 has 65 amino
      acid residues and a formula weight of 7040. It is homologous to a large number of
      other snake venom toxins as short alpha-neurotoxins, cardiotoxins/cytotoxins and
      angusticeps-type toxins of mamba venoms. The sequence is confirmed in the
      accompanying article (Ducancel, F., Rowan, E.G., Cassart, E., Harvey, A. L.,
      Menez, A. and Boulain, J.-C. Toxicon 29, 516-520, 1991).

PMID- 1862526
TI  - Serum kinetics of crotoxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom in mice:
      evidence for a rapid clearance.
AB  - We report on an ELISA for the detection of crotoxin with a detection limit of 1-3
      pg/ml of sample. Cross-reactivity with other animal venoms occurred only at
      concentrations above 1 microgram/ml. Serum kinetics of crotoxin were investigated
      in BALB/c mice after a single 10 micrograms s.c. dose of venom obtained from
      Crotalus durissus terrificus. Crotoxin levels were 254 +/- 141 ng/ml serum (X +/-
      S.E.) 15 min after venom injection, 3.9 +/- 0.5 ng/ml serum at 30 min and
      undetectable thereafter. The rapid clearance of crotoxin from the serum suggests
      that the test may be unsuitable for the clinical management of envenomation
      victims.

PMID- 1862527
TI  - The unique Duvernoy's secretion of the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis).
AB  - Recently, bites by the colubrid Boiga irregularis (brown tree snake) in infants
      and young children on Guam have produced severe systemic reactions which bear
      some resemblance to classical manifestations of neurotoxic venom poisoning. This
      study demonstrates that the Duvernoy's secretion which elicits these reactions is
      a remarkably simple venom secretion with comparatively low toxicity and generally
      weak enzymatic activity. The intravenous LD50 for Swiss-Webster mice was
      approximately 80 mg/kg; significant neurotoxic manifestations were not observed
      in mouse trials. Deaths of lethally challenged mice occurred within minutes of
      injection, and appeared to result from cardiopulmonary crises. Duvernoy's
      secretion yields, protein content, enzyme activities, electrophoretic data and
      toxicity characteristics of the secretion are presented.

PMID- 1862528
TI  - Rapid isolation and partial characterization of two phospholipases from Kenyan
      Echis carinatus leakeyi (Leakey's saw-scaled viper) venom.
AB  - The purification and partial sequencing of two phospholipase A2 toxins from the
      venom of Kenyan E. carinatus leakeyi is described. The two proteins exhibit
      sequence homology with other toxic phospholipases. Both have a molecular weight
      in the region of 16,000 and are purified to homogeneity from crude venom by a
      single high performance liquid chromatography. The role of these proteins in the
      toxicity of the venom remains to be established.

PMID- 1862529
TI  - Tyrphostins as molecular tools and potential antiproliferative drugs.

PMID- 1862530
TI  - This and that: error, observation and education in pharmacology.

PMID- 1862531
TI  - Receptor classification using antagonists.

PMID- 1862532
TI  - Selectivity of ethanol on ligand-gated ion channels.

PMID- 1862533
TI  - Does carbon monoxide have a physiological function?
AB  - Recently endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) has been identified as nitric
      oxide. The source of the nitric oxide is L-arginine, and the L-arginine-nitric
      oxide pathway has been proposed to function as a widespread transduction
      mechanism for the regulation of cell function and communication. Gerald Marks and
      colleagues suggest that carbon monoxide, which is formed endogenously from heme
      catabolism and which shares some of the chemical and biological properties of
      nitric oxide, may play a similar role. This would be achieved by carbon monoxide
      binding to the iron atom of the heme moiety of soluble guanylyl cyclase and to
      the iron-sulfur centers of macrophage enzymes.

PMID- 1862534
TI  - Signalling targets for anticancer drug development.
AB  - Intracellular signalling pathways mediating the effects of growth factors and
      oncogenes on cell growth and transformation present a challenging new class of
      target sites for anticancer drug development. Several drugs are already available
      that may act in this way, including drugs that act on protein serine/threonine
      kinases, protein tyrosine kinases and phospholipase C, as well as inhibitors of
      myo-inositol signalling. As our understanding of the signalling pathways involved
      in growth control increases, new sites for pharmacological intervention will
      become apparent. Garth Powis reviews the evidence that this approach may
      eventually lead to new, more selective drugs for treating cancer.

PMID- 1862535
TI  - Therapeutic potential of ACAT inhibitors as lipid lowering and anti
      atherosclerotic agents.
AB  - Hypercholesterolemia is one of the few independent risk factors definitively
      linked to increased morbidity and mortality due to myocardial infarction. One
      possible therapy of current interest is the prevention of the absorption of
      dietary cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme, acyl-CoA: cholesterol
      acyltransferase (ACAT), which catalyses the intracellular formation of
      cholesterol esters. Evidence is now accumulating that suggests that ACAT
      inhibition may not only lower plasma cholesterol levels, but may also have a
      direct effect at the artery wall, where ACAT has been shown to be responsible for
      the accumulation of cholesterol esters in arterial lesions. Drago Sliskovic and
      Andrew White discuss the importance of ACAT in the lipid transport system and the
      consequences of its inhibition in a variety of tissues, with emphasis on both
      lipid-lowering and anti-atherosclerotic effects.

PMID- 1862536
TI  - [Effect of delta-sleep peptide on the ultrastructural features of the rat
      sensomotor cortex].
AB  - The performed studies have shown that injection of DSIP causes an activation of
      nuclear apparatus and plastic metabolism in III-Y layer of the rat cerebral
      cortex. The activation of axo-axon and axosomatic synapses indicates the
      modulation of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex.

PMID- 1862537
TI  - [Regeneration of the rat aortic intima in the region of a microsurgical suture].
AB  - Intimal regeneration in the region of microvascular suture of the rat aorta was
      investigated by LM, SEM and TEM. Endothelial integrity was restored by
      endothelial cells from the defect edges. No thrombotic masses took part in the
      formation of the intimal thickening. It is supposed that the core of the intimal
      thickening formation is a transition of regenerating smooth muscle cells along
      elastic "railes" from media into intima.

PMID- 1862538
TI  - [A new case of trisomy in cattle].
AB  - The new type of trisomy (2n = 61, XX, +19) was found in the heifer with
      prognathia inferior syndrome. Correlations between trisomy of different types and
      phenotypic abnormalities are discussed.

PMID- 1862539
TI  - [A rare case of long Y-chromosome arm deletion in a patient with sterility].
AB  - A patient with complete or almost complete absence of long Y-chromosome arm is
      described. Basic clinic characters are low height, absence of developmental
      anomalies, phychosexual identification, aspermia, sterility.

PMID- 1862540
TI  - [Meiosis in Pleurotus florida Fovose].
AB  - It is stated that the meiosis of Pleurotus florida differs from the classical
      one. The condensation chromosomes conjugate in metaphase I.

PMID- 1862542
TI  - [The first experiments which related DNA to genetics].

PMID- 1862541
TI  - [In situ hybridization in human genome mapping].
AB  - The methodological possibilities of non-radioactive in situ hybridization of
      nucleic acids and its application for an immediate localization of genes and
      chromosomes are discussed. The advantages of a non-isotope probe labeling versus
      a use of radioactive substances are emphasized. Various types of compounds used
      as a label are distinguished. The principles of use of the above labels and the
      ways to improve the method in terms of increasing its sensitivity are considered.
      Some results obtained while using non-radioactive labelled probes are reported.
      It is shown promising to use this method for molecular-genetic analysis of DNA
      polymorphism in human genome.

PMID- 1862544
TI  - The exponential-Gompertzian tumor growth model: data from six tumor cell lines in
      vitro and in vivo. Estimate of the transition point from exponential to
      Gompertzian growth and potential clinical implications.
AB  - The published growth data were examined for six tumor cell lines (FSA, Line 1,
      MCA-11, EMT6/RO, MGH-U1, MLS) grown in vivo and in vitro as monolayer cultures
      and as multicell spheroids cultured under different experimental conditions.
      Serial estimates of tumor sizes were fitted by Gompertzian equations obtained
      with a non-linear computerized program. When the growth equations of the same
      tumor growing in different experimental conditions were compared, the Gompertzian
      parameters alpha 0 (initial specific growth rate) and beta (retardation factor)
      showed a strong linear correlation in all the examined lines, with no exception.
      This occurrence supports the exponential-Gompertzian growth model, where an early
      exponential phase (which is virtually not influenced by exogenous factors) is
      followed by a Gompertzian phase, the characteristics of which are greatly
      dependent on environmental conditions. The transition between the two phases was
      estimated to occur when tumor size reached 10(2)-10(4) cells, depending on the
      cell line. This kinetic change in tumor growth may be clinically relevant as
      regards cytotoxic treatments. It could explain some consequences of delays in
      adjuvant (postoperative) chemotherapy observed in clinical trials on primary
      breast cancer.

PMID- 1862545
TI  - Establishment of a human medulloblastoma cell line (BO-101) demonstrating
      skeletal muscle differentiation.
AB  - A permanent cell line, BO-101, was derived from a classic vermian medulloblastoma
      in a 9-year-old child. This line grew in vitro in adherent cultures and grew in
      athymic mice as serially transplantable intracranial and subcutaneous xenografts.
      Intracranial neoplasms grew as masses of small cells, which focally showed large
      cells with intense immunoreactivity for desmin, myoglobin and alpha-striated
      actin. The rhabdomyoblastic nature of these cells was confirmed
      ultrastructurally. The primary neoplasm showed immunoreactivity for
      synaptophysin, neuron-specific enolase and vimentin. A large panel of monoclonal
      antibodies and antisera against neuronal and glial antigens failed to show glial
      and neuronal immunoreactivity in the cell culture and xenografts. Despite the
      marked genotypic and phenotypic differences, the original neoplasm and the cell
      line share a common chromosomal marker del (12) (p 13.1). The BO-101 line differs
      phenotypically and genotypically from previously established medulloblastoma cell
      lines and further supports the heterogeneous biologic properties of the cell
      populations that constitute these neoplasms.

PMID- 1862546
TI  - Morpho-functional study of vascular fluorochrome delivery to lung and liver
      metastases of Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL).
AB  - The growth of 3LL liver and lung metastases related to its vascular organization
      was studied by morphological and functional methods, using the Hoechst 33342
      fluorescent DNA staining technique. Experimental liver and lung metastases were
      produced in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice by injection of 3LL tumor cells into a lateral
      tail vein or into the spleen, respectively. The resulting neoplasms were composed
      of large cells arranged in sheets with a thin irregularly distributed stroma.
      Scattered blood vessels with an open or closed lumen were observed within the
      tumor. Functional study of H33342 diffusion showed a single and reticular
      fluorescent pattern in liver metastases. In contrast, in lung metastases the
      fluorochrome diffusion revealed two different fluorescent patterns related to the
      location of the metastasis. Thus, parenchymal and subpleural metastasis presented
      a fluorescent pattern similar to that observed in the liver whereas metastases
      located around blood vessels and conducting airways never displayed fluorescence.
      In summary, our results suggest that the target metastatic organ and/or intra
      organ location modulates the characteristics of metabolic exchange of the tumor
      cells in relation to the vascular organization of the metastatic focus.

PMID- 1862543
TI  - A rapid in vivo bioassay for the carcinogenicity of pesticides.
AB  - Eight pesticides were tested in a bioassay based on the induction of
      preneoplastic lesions in the liver. Rats were given diethylnitrosamine
      intraperitoneally at 200 mg/kg bw and two weeks later were treated with
      pesticides for six weeks and then killed; all rats had a partial hepatectomy at
      week 3. Hepatocarcinogenic potential was assessed by comparing the number and
      area of glutathione s-transferase (placental form) -positive foci in the liver
      with those of controls given diethylnitrosamine alone. Positive results were seen
      with Chinomethionat, Phosmet and Propiconazole; the results obtained with Captan
      and Prochloraz were borderline; Benomyl, Daminozide and Folpet gave negative
      results. Our findings provide enough experimental evidence to indicate that great
      care should be exercised in the use of these compounds.

PMID- 1862547
TI  - Neuroendocrine effects of subcutaneous interleukin-2 injection in cancer
      patients.
AB  - Intravenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration has been shown to influence
      several hormonal secretions. The present study was carried out to investigate the
      endocrine effects of subcutaneous therapy with IL-2. Six patients with advanced
      renal cancer were studied. They were treated subcutaneously with IL-2 according
      to the schedule proposed by Atzpodien et al. Venous blood samples were collected
      at O-time and 1, 8 and 12 hours after the first IL-2 pulse of 9 X 10(6) IU/m2 at
      8.00 a.m.; on a separate occasion, samples were collected during a saline
      infusion only. In each blood sample, serum levels of cortisol, beta-endorphin,
      GH, PRL, FSH, LH, TSH and the pineal hormone melatonin were measured by RIA. Both
      cortisol and beta-endorphin significantly increased after IL-2 injection. GH rose
      but not to a significant extent. PRL, FSH, LH and TSH did not change after IL-2.
      Finally, melatonin levels markedly decreased after IL-2 injection in the only 2
      patients with elevated concentrations of this hormone before the start of
      immunotherapy. These results suggest that the endocrine effects of subcutaneous
      IL-2 therapy are similar to those previously described with intravenous
      administration.

PMID- 1862548
TI  - Combination chemotherapy with vinblastine, BCNU and cisplatin in advanced
      malignant melanoma.
AB  - A combination chemotherapy including vinblastine (6 mg/m2 i.v. days 1-2), BCNU
      (100 mg/m2 i.v. day 3), and cisplatin (50 mg/m2 i.v. day 5) was given as salvage
      treatment in 46 consecutive, previously treated patients affected by metastatic
      malignant melanoma. Courses were planned every 4 weeks provided that a complete
      bone marrow recovery occurred, otherwise they were delayed for 1-2 additional
      weeks. Objective responses (3 CRs and 10 PRs) were observed in 13/46 (28%)
      patients; 12 cases had stable disease and 21 patients progressive disease during
      treatment. Median duration of response was 13 months (range, 5-18), and median
      survival was 11 months (range, 3-20) for all patients. Nausea and vomiting were
      the most distressing side effects, whereas a grade I leukopenia caused a delayed
      treatment in 90% of patients. In conclusion, the combination chemotherapy was
      moderately toxic and did not seem to give substantially better results than
      obtained with other reported regimens.

PMID- 1862549
TI  - Influence of mitoxantrone on the syntheses of DNA and proteins of mouse tissues.
AB  - In view of the structural similarity of mitoxantrone to anthracyclines and its
      ability to intercalate into DNA, we studied its influence on the synthetic
      processes of DNA and proteins in CD-1 mice tissues. By studying at the DNA level
      the impairment of 3H-thymidine incorporation and its return to normal, it was
      found that bone marrow and spleen showed similar behavior, i.e., a rapid return
      to normal, which occurred before bone marrow cell number and spleen weight
      returned to basal values. At the cardiac level, the incorporation values of
      precursors into DNA, reduced by treatment with mitoxantrone, came back very
      slowly to the control ones. Hepatic DNA showed a lower sensitivity to
      mitoxantrone. Analysis of 3H-leucine incorporation into three protein fractions
      of the heart showed that the contractile proteins were the most responsive
      fractions to mitoxantrone treatment. Experiments on CD-1 mice treated repeatedly
      with mitoxantrone revealed that the antitumor drug, at the cumulative dose of 8
      mg/kg i.v., induced alterations in myocardiac morphology similar qualitatively to
      those induced by doxorubicin, although smaller quantitatively.

PMID- 1862550
TI  - Mitoxantrone as a single agent in pretreated metastatic breast cancer: effects on
      T lymphocyte subsets and their relation to clinical response.
AB  - Mitoxantrone (DHAD), an anthracenedione with antineoplastic properties similar to
      doxorubicin, was tested for therapeutic efficacy and for immunomodulating action
      on lymphocyte subsets in 16 metastatic breast cancer patients, 12 of whom had
      been previously treated with chemotherapy. DHAD was given intravenously at a dose
      of 14 mg/m2 every 21 days. To evaluate total T lymphocytes (CD3), T helper (CD4),
      and T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8) and the CD4/CD8 ratio, venous blood
      samples were drawn before and after the first DHAD cycle. Moreover, in 8/16
      patients, B lymphocytes (CD20), T suppressor cells (CD8+/CD57+), T cytotoxic
      cells (CD8+/CD57-), NK (CD16) and IL-2 receptor-expressing cells (CD25) were also
      measured at the same time. An objective tumor response was achieved in 5/16 (31%)
      patients and the response rate was significantly higher in patients pretreated
      with hormone therapy alone than in those pretreated with chemotherapy. No
      relation was found between clinical response and changes in the CD4/CD8 ratio.
      Neither the mean number nor the percentage of CD3, CDA and CD8 cells observed
      after DHAD were significantly different with respect to those seen before. In
      contrast, the mean number of T suppressor cells, B lymphocytes and CD25-positive
      cells was significantly lower after than before DHAD administration, whereas no
      difference was seen in NK cells. These results confirm in humans the
      immunomodulating properties of DHAD previously described in experimental
      conditions. However, the DHAD-induced changes in lymphocyte subsets do not seem
      to be related to the clinical response in breast cancer.

PMID- 1862551
TI  - High-dose epirubicin as a single agent in the treatment of patients with advanced
      breast cancer. A Hellenic Co-operative Oncology Group study.
AB  - Fifty-two women with advanced breast cancer were treated with 6 cycles of
      epirubicin. Even though the study was started with a dose schedule of 110 mg/m2
      every 3 weeks, the average treatment interval was 26 days and the median weekly
      dose 78% of the protocol requirement. Forty-eight patients were evaluable for
      response; 3 achieved a complete remission which lasted for 17, 24 and 65 weeks,
      respectively, and 14 a partial remission. Median survival was 32 weeks. Toxicity
      included nausea/vomiting (68%), anemia (24%), leukopenia (37%), thrombocytopenia
      (8%), alopecia (81%), stomatitis (24%), diarrhea (14%), fever (19%) and fatigue
      (14%). Also 1 treatment-related death occurred and 2 cases of arrhythmia.
      Monotherapy with high doses of epirubicin has definite activity in advanced
      breast cancer and deserves further study in combination with hematopoietic growth
      factors which might allow a higher dose intensity.

PMID- 1862552
TI  - Experience with intrapleural natural beta interferon in the treatment of
      malignant pleural effusions.
AB  - Malignant pleural effusion is a common complication of cancer. Intrapleural beta
      interferon has been recently tested, and responses were obtained in about 1/3 of
      the patients without considerable side effects. We treated 22 patients with
      recurrent symptomatic malignant pleural effusions with intrapleural beta
      interferon at increasing doses (5-15 million units) for a maximum of three
      courses and obtained only two responses. In our opinion, this schedule cannot be
      recommended for routine use.

PMID- 1862553
TI  - Outpatient surgical treatment with CO2 laser in oral cancer: immediate and long
      term results.
AB  - The immediate and long-term results of excising squamous cell carcinoma of the
      oral cavity or lip by CO2 laser are analysed in 51 consecutive subjects treated
      as out-patients. From January 1982 to December 1989, 39 cases of T1 and 12 cases
      of small (less than 2.5 cm) non-infiltrating recurrences of squamous cell
      carcinoma were treated at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan. Complete
      removal was obtained in 44 instances, while in 7 cases cancerous margins were
      observed on the specimen; 5 of these underwent another wider treatment and 2
      refused further therapy. Two of 39 T1 patients developed local relapses and 6/12
      recurrent cancers relapsed again. Long term results are complicated by second
      primary cancers in 19 instances. Out-patient laser therapy is well accepted by
      patients and its use involves lowered direct and indirect health organisation and
      social costs.

PMID- 1862554
TI  - Hemoccult sensitivity estimate in a screening program for colorectal cancer in
      the Province of Florence.
AB  - The sensitivity of Hemoccult testing (HO) in a population-based screening for
      colorectal cancer was evaluated. HO sensitivity estimates were calculated as the
      ratio of screen-detected HO-positives to total screen or interval-detected
      cancers. Sensitivity was estimated according to 1, 2, and 3-year rescreening
      intervals. Corresponding estimates are 69.4%, 61.8% and 57.7%, respectively. No
      significant correlation was observed between HO sensitivity and other variables,
      such as calendar period, tumor stage or site, or patient age or sex. HO
      sensitivity as estimated in the present experience is consistent with other
      reports of population-based screenings. Screening every year would achieve too
      limited an increase in sensitivity, compared to biennal screening, to be worth
      the difficulties of doubling organizational efforts and costs.

PMID- 1862556
TI  - Attendance to a screening program for cervical cancer in the city of Florence.
AB  - The study was aimed to assess: a) the proportion of true refusers among non
      attenders resulting from residents and screening database matching, b) the
      typology of refusers compared to attenders, and c) the reasons for non-attendance
      as stated by refusers. Three hundred and forty-one non-attenders according to
      computer-produced lists were interviewed: 29 were not evaluable, 148 had had a
      Pap test, 18 had not attended for valid reasons, and 146 were true refusers; 94
      refusers accepted the interview as far a points b) and c) were concerned. Ninety
      four attenders, matched by age and residence, were interviewed for comparison.
      Attendance at private laboratories or incorrect identification of subjects on the
      screening record accounted for 45% or 55% of misclassified cases, respectively.
      The adjusted true refusal rate in the last 10 years was 18.1% compared to a
      computer-assessed non-attendance rate of 40.7%. Refusal was significantly
      associated to socioeconomic status (geographic origin, working activity and
      educational level of both women and husbands), whereas no significant association
      was observed for sexual history (deliveries, age at first sexual relation, number
      of partners) or health-related behavior. Attendance and counseling at the
      gynecologist's office were strongly associated to attendance, and gynecologists
      should be stimulated to promote opportunistic screening. The belief that
      screening is useless in the absence of symptoms, the fear of cancer being
      detected, postponement or laziness were the reasons for non-attendance stated by
      80% of refusers. Improving knowledge about the purpose of the Pap test should be
      the main goal of any action aimed to improve screening attendance.

PMID- 1862555
TI  - Patterns of large bowel cancer by subsite, age, sex and marital status.
AB  - Incident cases of large bowel cancer from the Swiss canton of Vaud over the
      period 1974-88 were analyzed in relation to the distribution of site by sex, age,
      marital status and detailed subsite. A total of 1,968 cases were registered in
      males and 1,958 in females, corresponding to overall age-standardized (world)
      rates of 32.2/100,000 males and 22.4/100,000 females. The frequency of ascending
      and transverse colon cancer was lower in males (18.2% and 9.3%) than in females
      (23.1% and 10.0%, respectively), but cancers of the sigmoid colon and rectum were
      proportionally more frequent in males (34.0 and 30.0% versus 29.9 and 24.6% in
      females). Anal cancer accounted for 4.0% of large bowel cancers in females, but
      only 1.2% in males. Analysis of age-specific rates showed comparable values for
      ascending colon cancer in both sexes and in relation to each subsequent age
      group, as well as in sigmoid and rectal cancers up to middle age, while a male
      excess for the latter cancers became evident after age 55. A female excess for
      anal cancer was apparent in any subsequent age group. Information on marital
      status was available on 2,398 decreased subjects. Never married cases accounted
      for 12.2% of women and 8.1% of males. The excess of unmarried women was somewhat
      larger in the colon than in the sigma and rectum groups, but there was no
      evidence of excess of never married females for anal cancer. These data confirm
      that there are appreciable intersex heterogeneities in the descriptive
      epidemiology of various subsites of large bowel cancer, as well as complex
      interactions between sex and age, which may be related to female hormone
      correlates of intestinal carcinogenesis. Whatever the main biological
      mechanism(s), these data show noticeable similarities for both sexes in the
      descriptive epidemiology of cancers arising in the left colon and rectum, but
      noticeable differences with the right colon. Even more substantial are the
      differences with anal cancer, which should be linked to its venereal correlates.

PMID- 1862557
TI  - Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland: a clinico-pathologic and
      immunohistochemical study of seven cases.
AB  - Seven cases of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the parotid gland are
      reported. Immunohistochemical evidence for the dual (glandular secretory and
      myoepithelial) differentiation of the cells composing these lesions is presented.
      Three of the cases recurred locally and two gave rise to metastases. The biologic
      behavior does not appear to be correlated with the histologic features that
      constitute the morphologic spectrum of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.

PMID- 1862558
TI  - Skin metastasis of ovarian cancer: report of three cases.
AB  - Three cases of skin metastases in patients with ovarian cancer are reported. The
      late onset of skin metastases in the course of the disease represents an advanced
      stage accompanied by intraperitoneal spread and has a poor prognosis. Diagnosis
      and differentiation from herpes zoster and other skin tumors were based on
      histologic examination. Palliation of symptoms and partial local response were
      achieved by electron beam irradiation.

PMID- 1862559
TI  - Total circulating B lymphocyte abnormalities in a primary cerebral localization
      of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report.
AB  - The authors describe a case of primary central nervous system lymphoma in a 43
      year-old male. Interest in this rare form of B-lymphocyte non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
      is due to its increasing incidence in the last decade, especially in
      immunodeficient patients. Extraneural involvement was excluded by staging
      examinations: bilateral bone marrow biopsy from the posterior iliac crest,
      bipedal lymphography, abdominal CT scan, skeletal, thoracic and gastrointestinal
      X-rays, spinal puncture, ORL and clinical examination. The peripheral immunologic
      state was particularly interesting: there was a substantial decrease in total
      circulating B-lymphocytes at diagnosis (4.4% = 80/mmc; nv 13 +/- 4% = 287 +/-
      130/mmc) and a further decrease after 2 and 4 months of therapy (0.16% = 2/mmc).
      Three months after completion of therapy, the B-lymphocyte level returned to the
      base level at diagnosis (7% = 88/mmc). At 10 months after diagnosis and 3 months
      after completion of chemotherapy, the patient is alive and in good health except
      for the after-effects of a left hemiparesis. The etiologic and possible
      pathogenic factors are considered.

PMID- 1862561
TI  - [Carotid endarterectomy in carotid stenosis--when is surgery indicated?].

PMID- 1862560
TI  - Muir-Torre syndrome: a case report.
AB  - The authors present a case of Muir-Torre syndrome, the "sporadic" form, with a
      review of the literature. The importance of the close scrutiny of these patients
      and their relatives is stressed.

PMID- 1862562
TI  - [Rehabilitation of patients with apoplexy. Possibilities, duration and effect].
AB  - A close relationship exists between the severity of a stroke and the functional
      level that can be obtained after rehabilitation. The goal of rehabilitation,
      therefore, should be based on the severity of the stroke. Remission mainly takes
      place (more than 80%) within the first three months post stroke. Remission after
      six months is very rare. Age and side of hemiparesis do not seem to influence the
      effect of rehabilitation significantly. It is not elucidated whether the severity
      of the stroke influence the effect of rehabilitation. Most of the controlled and
      the randomized studies indicate that rehabilitation of stroke patients,
      especially in rehabilitation units, accelerate remission, reduces length of stay
      and gives rise to a lasting improvement of function.

PMID- 1862563
TI  - [HIV infection and the development of dementia].
AB  - Progressive dementia has been described in AIDS patients as the most significant
      neurologic complication, related to HIV-1 infection directly rather than to
      opportunistic infections. As the virus seems to enter brain early in the course
      of infection, incipient dementia or subclinical cognitive impairment have been
      assumed to occur in otherwise asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive individuals. A
      review of relevant neuropsychological studies indicates that this suspicion
      receives no support in large well-controlled studies. The natural history of AIDS
      dementia is still not clearly delineated, but encephalopathy seems to develop
      only with or after systemic immunosuppression.

PMID- 1862564
TI  - [Early amnion rupture or amniotic band syndrome].
AB  - Early rupture of the amnion with resultant oligohydramnios and subsequent
      development of mesodermal bands between the chorion and the fetus can cause
      various deformities. The degree of deformity depending on the extent of the band
      formation and the gestational age at which this occurs. The condition may involve
      all parts of the fetus and comprizes a spectrum ranging from clinically
      insignificant small constricting bands on the extremities to large craniofacial
      and visceral defects which may be fatal and cause abortion. Prenatal diagnosis
      relies mainly on ultrasonic investigation, and the treatment--quo ad vitam-
      consists mainly of reconstructive surgery. A case is reported.

PMID- 1862565
TI  - [Cardiovascular manifestations of hypothyroidism].
AB  - On the basis of a case history, the clinical and paraclinical manifestations of
      hypothyroidism are reviewed. Exertion dyspnoea without signs of cardiac
      insufficiency occurs frequently. The minute and stroke volume and heart rate are
      reduced. The blood pressure may rise (reversible) and hypertension may occur. The
      function of the left ventricle is reversibly reduced. A tendency to formation of
      exudates has been observed. X-ray of the thorax may revial massive relatively
      asymptomatic pleural exudates and cardiomegaly. Pericardial exudate occurs
      frequently and is demonstrated best by echocardiography. Inter- and intracellular
      deposits, infiltrations and fibroses have been demonstrated in the myocardium and
      these probably contribute to some of the non-specific, reversible ECG changes
      (low voltage, flattening/inversion of T waves, sinus bradycardia). The plasma
      concentrations of several different enzymes (including creatine kinase (CK), CK
      MB and LDH) may be raised in myxoedema. The reason for this is perhaps
      compromized membrane function in the skeletal muscle cells. The diagnosis of
      myocardial infarction in myoedema requires that CK-MB constitutes at least 6% of
      the total CK and that the increase is transient. In patients with coronary
      sclerosis, substitution treatment should be initiated carefully because the risk
      of ischaemic symptoms is otherwise considerably increased. It is not elucidated
      whether the hypothyroidism per se can increase atheroma formation.

PMID- 1862566
TI  - [Diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in HIV-positive patients. The
      diagnostic value of induced sputum and exercise test].
AB  - The object of investigation is to illustrate the values of two noninvasive
      procedures: the induced sputum test and the exercise test in the diagnosis of
      Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Both of the procedures are described. Fifty
      HIV-positive men in whom interstitial pneumonia was suspected participated. PCP
      was diagnosed in 16 patients, in ten of these by the induced sputum test, the
      sensitivity of which is, therefore, 35-85% (95% confidence limits). The exercise
      test, an investigation for demonstration of exercise induced oxygen desaturation,
      was of good predictive value. Thus, seven out of nine patients with positive
      exercise test results had PCP as compared with two out of 19 with normal exercise
      test results, p = 0.0009. The sensitivity was thus 40-97%. In five out of the six
      patients with false negative results to the induced sputum test, the exercise
      test was performed and was positive in all of the case. The method is rapid and
      simple and merely requires access to an exercycle and a pulse-oxymeter preferably
      with a recorder. It is concluded that the exercise test and the induced sputum
      test are valuable investigations which supplement one another in cases of
      suspected PCP and which avoid the need for bronchoscopy in 53-80% of the
      patients.

PMID- 1862567
TI  - [Assessment of the surgical risk. Is the time between myocardial infarction and a
      possible surgical procedure of significance for a surgical risk?].
AB  - During a five year period, 320 patients suffered from acute myocardial infarction
      (AMI) and within the next twelve months became candidates for surgery for either
      appendicitis (99 patients) or for a hip fracture (221 patients). An evaluation of
      the mortality at the second event (i.e. appendicitis or hip fracture) in relation
      to the time between AMI and second event, was done following the intention to
      treat principle. Appendicitis occurred with the same incidence during all 12
      months following AMI. The second event mortality was independent of the time
      interval from AMI to second event. Age, infarction prior to index infarction and
      congestive heart failure were prognostically important in relation to second
      event mortality, but did not affect the constant second event mortality during
      the first year following AMI. Hip fracture occurred more often during the first
      months following AMI, where the second event mortality was highest. Congestive
      heart failure either prior to index infarction or at the index infarction was
      prognostically important in relation to second event mortality. The relatively
      high mortality in the first months after AMI could partly be explained by an
      association between congestive heart failure and hip fracture in the first months
      after AMI. We conclude that the "operative" mortality in patients with recent AMI
      is high. The mortality is related to congestive heart failure and not to the time
      between AMI and surgery.

PMID- 1862568
TI  - [Inguinal herniotomy by the Shouldice method. A follow-up study of 75 patients].
AB  - A material of 78 patients with a total of 85 inguinal hernias was submitted to
      herniotomy by Shouldice's method. Following a median of observation of 15 months
      (range 4-23 months), clinical examination of 75 patients revealed two recurrences
      of the hernias corresponding to 2.4% (95% confidence limits 0.3-8.2%). On
      discharge from hospital, rapid and complete return to normal activities was
      recommended, as a rule immediately after removal of the sutures. In seven out of
      the 45 occupationally active patients, it proved necessary to observe special
      considerations while, in the 38 remaining occupationally active patients, the
      duration of sick-leave median only 11 days (lower and upper quartiles, eight and
      24 days, respectively) after operation.

PMID- 1862569
TI  - [Accidents with power chain saws].
AB  - During the three-year period 1987-1989, 80 persons were registered with lesions
      following accidents with chain saws. The information in the casualty department
      records was supplemented by an interview questionnaire. Sale of chain saws
      increased from the middle of the nineteen eighties although no appreciable
      increase in the number of accidents was registered. One of the reasons for this
      may be the legislation concerning safety equipment which was introduced in the
      middle of the nineteen eighties. Further efforts are still required to reduce the
      number of accidents. On the basis of the results of the investigation, the
      following suggestions are made: 1. Written information about personal protective
      equipment should be issued to every purchaser of a chain saw. 2. An informative
      campaign about the correct use of the chain saw and the personal protective
      equipment. 3. Compulsory issue of personal protective equipment in connection
      with hire of a chain saw. 4. Safety gloves should be included in the safety
      requirements.

PMID- 1862570
TI  - [Observer variation and accuracy in the clinical diagnosis of ascites].
AB  - Seventeen observers participated in an observer variation study of the clinical
      evaluation of ascites. In a blinded design, eight patients with diagnoses of
      liver disease were examined. Fourteen observers examined the patients twice in
      order also to estimate the intra-observer variation. The accuracy of the
      observers' statements was compared with ultrasound findings, by which mean
      ascites was demonstrated in two patients. Poor correspondance between the
      observers' gradings and volume estimations, and poor accuracy of the gradings,
      make qualitative and quantitative ascites estimations useless. The inter-observer
      agreement was found to be low although the intra-observer agreement was good. The
      observers' subjective certainty of correctness of their own findings, marked as
      certain/uncertain, did not reflect the chance of making a correct statement on
      each particular occasion. The individual patient's general ability of inducing
      certainty did relate the chance of forming a correct diagnosis. Ultrasonic
      investigation of the abdomen is recommended in all situations in which
      demonstration of ascites is essential to diagnosis or therapy.

PMID- 1862571
TI  - [Epicrises from a department of medical gastroenterology].
AB  - The content of discharge letters is important to general practice in order to
      give an optimal physical, psychiatric and social treatment in view of ideal
      utilization of the resources in the primary health service. The content of 91
      discharge letters from a medical department of gastroenterology was judged by the
      general practitioner. Most often medication on discharge (25%) and reason for
      referral (15%) were missing. Dissatisfaction was expressed about late receipt of
      discharge letters (median: 13 days), the lack of information given to the
      patients, medicine on discharge, as well as reasons for possible changes in
      medication. The quality and content of the discharge letter were evaluated as
      good on the whole (80%). It is concluded that the discharge letter should have a
      higher priority and, for example, training is necessary. Further investigations
      are needed to solve these problems.

PMID- 1862572
TI  - [Assessment of microbial growth in central venous catheters. Consequences of
      laboratory findings].
AB  - The tips of 92 central venous catheters (CVK) cultured according to a method for
      semiquantitative assessment of microbial growth revealed positive findings
      (greater than or equal to 15 bacterial colonies) in 44 (48%) and in 22 cases
      monocultures were found. Blood culture was performed in 20 cases and, in eight
      cases, catheter-related bacteriaemia was found, six of these being caused by
      Staphylococcus aureus. Contact with the clinical department resultated in
      commencement or alteration of antibiotic therapy which was relevant to the
      results of culture was only administered in 10 out of 44 cases. This is perhaps
      connected with the fact that removal of the catheter is adequate treatment in the
      majority of cases. The relatively great laboratory work be compared with the
      modest therapeutic benefits. Culture from CVK should not be undertaken routinely
      but may be recommended on more limited indications: suspected septicaemia
      originating in the catheter and/or signs of local infection. Blood culture from a
      peripheral vein should always be performed simultaneously.

PMID- 1862574
TI  - [Hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism and
      pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism].

PMID- 1862573
TI  - [Epitheloid sarcoma--an overlooked diagnosis?].
AB  - Epitheloid sarcoma (ES) is a malignant soft-tissue tumour which occurs
      particularly on the hand and forearm in young adults. The tumour grows slowly and
      metastasizes relatively late but has, nevertheless, a considerable mortality and
      morbidity because it is frequently erroneously diagnosed, both clinically and
      pathologically, either as a benign tumour or as a reactive inflammatory process.
      Two typical cases with diagnostic delays of 12 and 15 years, respectively, which
      required amputations through the upper arm or forearm are described. Even
      although ES is a rare tumour form, clinicians and pathologists should be aware of
      this possibility as, in the early stages, the tumour can frequently be treated
      effectively and radically by wide local excision without amputation.

PMID- 1862575
TI  - [Blood pressure determination among school children].

PMID- 1862576
TI  - [Registration of wound complications].

PMID- 1862577
TI  - [Use of antiasthmatic agents in Denmark during 1979-1989. Do we overuse
      antiasthmatic drugs?].

PMID- 1862578
TI  - [Routine hospital autopsy. Pro et contra].

PMID- 1862579
TI  - [Health problems among persons exposed to grain dust].
AB  - This review describes health problems in persons primarily exposed to grain dust.
      The main epidemiological investigations from the nineteen seventies and eighties
      are reviewed. The commonest complaints were mucus membrane irritation. In the
      majority of investigations, an excess incidence of chronic bronchitis was
      encountered and it cannot be disproved that asthma developed in a number of the
      employees. Influenza-like symptoms compatible with the organic dust syndrome have
      been described in several investigations from silos but allergic alveolitis has
      not been described in this branch. The latter condition has been encountered in
      farm workers working with mouldy grain. With dust concentrations of about the
      Danish threshold limit value, many health problems still occur. The following
      prophylactic measures are recommended: Effective drying of corn before storage,
      effective ventilation and cleaning and covering of dusty working procedures.
      Epidemiological investigations are proposed in the Danish raw material sector to
      illustrate health problems related to grain dust. These investigations should be
      combined with qualitative and quantitative occupational hygienic measurements of
      dust.

PMID- 1862580
TI  - [Felty's syndrome].
AB  - Felty's syndrome (FS) consists of the triad: rheumatoid arthritis (RA),
      leukopenia and splenomegaly. FS occurs in approximately 1% of patients with RA.
      In this syndrome, the risk of infection is increased and anaemia,
      thrombocytopenia and cutaneous ulcers are more frequently observed. The
      literature is reviewed on the basis of a case history. The pathogenesis is
      unknown but is probably multifactorial. Cell antibodies, increased occurrence of
      immune complexes, inhibited neutrophil production, altered neutrophil
      distribution and reduced neutrophil function have been observed. The main
      indication for treatment is present if the patient has severe neutropenia (less
      than 0.1 x 10(9)/l) and repeated infections. Various methods of treatment are
      available. The most important are: gold, low-dose methotrexate, lithium,
      methylprednisolone pulse therapy, penicillamine and splenectomy. According to the
      literature, conventional steroid treatment cannot be recommended.

PMID- 1862581
TI  - [The Angelman syndrome. Does the phenotype depend on maternal inheritance?].
AB  - Angelman's syndrome was described by Angelman in 1965 and since then 222 children
      with the syndrome have been reported: this paper reviews the clinical and
      cytogenetic features of these children and describes three further children with
      the syndrome. About one half of the cases have a cytogenetically visible deletion
      involving the long arm of chromosome 15, del (15) (q11-q13). Thus the deletion is
      cytogenetically similar to the one found in some Prader-Willi syndrome patients,
      but it differs in parental origin, being maternal in Angelman's syndrome and
      paternal in Prader-Willi's syndrome. Perhaps then genomic imprinting has an
      important impact on the development of these very different phaenotypes. A new
      symptom is keratoconus. The Angelman syndrome is associated with ocular and
      general hypopigmentation and in future studies this should be included in the
      clinical examination, thereby elucidating the possible role of the proximal
      chromosome 15 in the development of the neural crest.

PMID- 1862582
TI  - [Refusal of autopsy in hospitals. Development in the municipal hospital of Arhus
      after the enforcement of the new legislation].
AB  - The frequency of refusal for autopsy by relatives of the deceased was
      investigated in Arhus Municipal Hospital before and after revision of the Danish
      legislation concerning these matters. The frequency of refusals increased from
      28.9% to 49.8%. Energetic efforts by clinicians and pathologists are required to
      reverse this trend.

PMID- 1862583
TI  - [Causes of death in patients with cerebral neoplasms].
AB  - The case records of 41 patients with cerebral cancer and their death certificates
      were reviewed with the object of investigating clinicians' causal reasoning. No
      really clear impression could be obtained. The case records did not contain any
      reflections about clinical or paraclinical conditions which might be related to
      conceptions of causality. The death certificates contained errors and deficits
      which were so serious in 44% of the cases that the death certificate presented an
      erroneous picture of the cause or causes of death. Minor errors were encountered
      in further 19% of the death certificates. These involved logically untenable
      statements of causes in 11 certificates (27%), statements about conditions which
      were not in agreement with the reports in 13 cases (32%) and errors in the
      statements about duration in ten cases (24%). These results scarcely express
      doctors' causal reasoning but rather that there is no uniform conception of how
      death certificates should be completed.

PMID- 1862584
TI  - [Should athletic injuries be treated with non-steroidal anti-rheumatic agents
      (NSAID)? Tenoxicam, piroxicam and placebo in the treatment of acute stress
      induced injuries].
AB  - A total of 212 patients with acute sports injuries were allotted at random to
      treatment with 20 mg tenoxicam daily, 20 piroxicam daily or a placebo for ten
      days. The injuries could be subdivided into six groups: Tendinitis, periostitis,
      sprains, tendovaginitis, epicondylitis and muscular ruptures. Treatment was well
      tolerated and analysis of the total material showed a slight but significantly
      better effect in the group treated with the active drugs. More detailed analysis
      revealed that this increased effect was produced by a definitely better
      therapeutic result in the group of patients with tendinitis treated with non
      steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) while, in the other types of injury, no
      definite effect could be observed. On the basis of these observations, the
      authors conclude that acute tendinitis may be treated with NSAID (tenoxicam)
      while the question is not yet solved where other acute stress-induced injuries
      are concerned.

PMID- 1862585
TI  - [Reproducibility of a rapid test for HIV antibody].
AB  - This study evaluated three rapid test kits for HIV antibody detection. Thirty
      consecutive blood specimens from the infectious diseases outpatient clinic were
      examined by three house officers who tested each specimen twice in a blind and
      randomized experiment. HIV-Chek (Du Pont) and HIV-1/HIV-2 TestPack (Abbott) were
      easy to handle and gave good intra- and interobserver agreement and good
      agreement with routine ELISA. Recombigen (BioScience) was difficult to interpret
      and gave poorer intra- and inter-observer variation. We suggest that HIV-Chek and
      TestPack can be used for assessment of patients' HIV antibody status in emergency
      circumstances with only minimal instruction of the staff.

PMID- 1862586
TI  - [Computed tomographic cholangiography. An alternative non-invasive diagnostic
      method in ductus choledochus calculi].
AB  - Computed tomographic cholangiography has not been mentioned as a diagnostic
      procedure in the demonstration of common bile duct calculi. Computed tomographic
      cholangiography demonstrated both calcified and non-calcified common bile duct
      calculi in two patients. Computed tomographic cholangiography can be employed in
      investigation of biliary tract disease in selected cases where endoscopic
      retrograde cholangiography is not possible and ultrasound and ordinary computed
      tomography fail.

PMID- 1862588
TI  - [Nutrition training in medical education].

PMID- 1862587
TI  - [Infantile myofibromatosis. A case of solitary type in a 6 months old male].
AB  - A case of infantile myofibromatosis in solitary form occurring in Denmark is
      presented. The tumour was situated in the right inguinal region and had resulted
      in occlusion of the femoral vein and involvement of the lymph glands. The
      diagnosis is established histologically by demonstration of noduli of cells
      resembling myofibroblasts arranged in bundles and fasciculi. Once the diagnosis
      is established an expectant attitude may normally be assumed.

PMID- 1862589
TI  - [Research, prevention, accomplishments].

PMID- 1862590
TI  - [Tympanic membrane prosthesis using soft magnetoelastomer].
AB  - This paper presents a new method for tympanum prosthesis application. The
      prosthesis is fixed by the interaction of magnetic pondermotive forces between
      two soft petals of a magnetoelastomer. This type of prosthesis was applied to 30
      patients with dry perforative otitis media, aged 51-75 years. The intervention
      was performed in the outpatient department. Prostheses are recommended to be
      replaced every 3 months. These patients showed good tolerance of the treatment,
      which significantly improved their hearing level. The method of prosthesis
      fixation was reliable and atraumatic.

PMID- 1862591
TI  - [Variation pulsometry during surgery of Vidian nerve].
AB  - This paper describes a method for assessing the efficacy of Wilde's incision
      based on mathematical analysis of cardiac rhythms. In patients with chronic
      polypous rhinosinusitis, the parasympathetic nervous system tonicity is found to
      be predominant. After Wilde's incision through a transmaxillary subperiosteal
      approach cardiac rhythms change, suggesting the predominance of sympathetic
      innervation.

PMID- 1862592
TI  - [Clinical aspects of anatomy of the nervous apparatus of the pharyngoesophageal
      junction].
AB  - By examining extraorgan innervation of the pharyngeal-esophageal junction of
      adult cadavers, it was found that the risk of injury of the superior laryngeal
      nerve and its branches was very high during larynx resection and extirpation,
      lateral pharyngotomy, thyroid gland resection according to the method of A.V.
      Martynov, and Crile's operation. Esophageal branches of the recurrent laryngeal
      nerve or the inferior laryngeal nerve can be damaged during larynx extirpation or
      strumectomy according to the method of O. V. Nikolaev. The nervous apparatus of
      the pharyngeal-esophageal junction consists of nerve bundles located in the
      adventitia, muscular layer, and submucous base.

PMID- 1862593
TI  - [The functional status of the thyroid gland and adrenal cortex in newborn babies
      and infants with acute ethmoiditis].
AB  - Using the RIA method, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyroxine (T3), and cortisol (C)
      were measured in 10 patients with acute ethmoiditis, aged from 13 days to 6
      months. At the peak of the disease, i. e. when infection toxicosis was very
      manifest, T3 was significantly lower and T4 tended to decrease. During the
      convalescence period T3 increased distinctly and T4 continued to decline. It can
      be concluded that the thyroid function was inhibited during the toxic period;
      however, this inhibition was transient and required no intervention.
      Nevertheless, in the case of complications, especially sepsis, transient
      hypothyrosis may develop which requires substitution therapy. Variations in
      cortisol serum concentrations were insignificant.

PMID- 1862594
TI  - [Therapeutic effect of helium-neon laser on microcirculation of nasal mucosa in
      children with acute and chronic maxillary sinusitis as measured by conjunctival
      biomicroscopy].
AB  - Using biomicroscopy of the bulbar conjunctiva, 65 patients, aged 6 to 15 years,
      with catarrhal and purulent forms of acute and chronic maxillary sinusitis were
      examined. At the repair stage the patients were exposed to laser therapy. The
      results give evidence that laser therapy produced a positive effect on
      microcirculation and reduced the potential of relapses. Low-energy helium-neon
      laser affected mostly vessel permeability (decrease of perivascular edema) and
      blood rheology (red blood cell aggregation). In terms of circulation changes,
      laser therapy was more beneficial in the case of acute maxillary sinusitis.
      Circulation lesions, that persisted after laser therapy in some patients with
      chronic maxillary sinusitis, can be attributed to stable morphological changes in
      the wall architectonics of microvessels of the nasal mucosa.

PMID- 1862595
TI  - [Clinical course of mastoiditis as reported by the specialized emergency care
      hospital].
AB  - In the last decade diverse clinical manifestations of mastoiditis have been
      reported. This paper describes specific features of the clinical development,
      diagnostic value of individual symptoms, and complications in 90 cases of
      mastoiditis treated in the otorhinolaryngological department of the Clinical
      Hospital for Emergency Medical Care, city of Sverdlovsk, during 1984-1988. The
      observations allow the conclusion that during acute otitis media the duration of
      mastoiditis development reduced and many classical symptoms of mastoiditis, e. g.
      protrusion of the posterior-superior wall of the external acoustic meatus,
      profuse purulent discharge from the ear, hyperemia, swelling of the behind-the
      ear area, occurred less frequently. The incidence of such life-threatening
      complications as meningitis and meningoencephalitis increased noticeably. It
      means that the list of indications for hospitalization of patients with acute
      otitis media should be extended.

PMID- 1862596
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of congenital defects and abnormalities of the nasal
      cavity in children and adults].
AB  - In 300 patients with congenital defects and abnormalities of the nasal cavity
      development, physiological functions of the nose were investigated, using
      advanced methods, e. g. rhinofibroscopy, microrhinoscopy, rhinopneumometry,
      olfactometry, thermometry of the nasal mucosa, and pH measurement of the nasal
      mucus. Disorders in respiratory, olfactory, and protective functions were
      revealed. This led to surgical intervention in more than 300 cases. Original
      methods and modified procedures were developed as applied to specific
      pathologies. Physiological measurements before and after surgery demonstrated
      that correction of development defects and abnormalities of the nasal cavity
      contributed to the recovery of nose functions.

PMID- 1862597
TI  - [Classification of congenital defects of larynx].
AB  - A classification of congenital malformations of the larynx was developed on the
      basis of 61 observations. All the malformations were subdivided into organ (20
      cases) and tissue (41 cases) defects. Organ congenital malformations of the
      larynx included: dysgenesis of the cartilage stroma, dystopia, and vascular
      lesions. Tissue congenital malformations of the larynx included: dysplasia,
      hypoplasia, and dyschronia. The most severe form of organ malformations was
      dysgenesis of the cricoid cartilage that required surgical intervention in all
      cases. The most frequent form of tissue malformations was dysplasia (24 cases) of
      connective, cystic (polypous), or mixed type. Every form of congenital
      malformations of the larynx are described, and their specific features and
      prognosis are discussed.

PMID- 1862598
TI  - [Videolaryngoscopy and videolaryngostroboscopy in phoniatrics].
AB  - Clinical applications of videolaryngoscopy (VLS) and videolaryngostroboscopy
      (VLSS) in phoniatrics were investigated. Altogether 150 patients with functional
      and organic lesions of the larynx and 50 normal subjects representing "voice"
      specialties were examined. Measurements of vibration, amplitude, frequency and
      oscillation asynchronicity of vocal cords yielded objective information about
      vibration in the norm and at pathology. VLS and VLSS can help identify functional
      and organic diseases of the larynx, document various pathological processes,
      evaluate the condition of the vocal apparatus, and compare pre- and postoperative
      laryngoscopic pictures. These methods can find application in training and
      therapeutic procedures for biofeedback purposes.

PMID- 1862599
TI  - [Electromyography of external laryngeal muscles in diagnosis of dysphonia].
AB  - Bioelectrical parameters of two groups of external laryngeal muscles, viz.
      superior muscles pulling up and inferior muscles pulling down the thyroid
      cartilage, were measured. Hypokinetic dysphonia was indicated by 1.2-1.6-fold
      increase of the pulse amplitude of superior muscles and hyperkinetic dysphonia
      was evidenced by 1.4-2.0-fold increase of that of inferior muscles. When the
      amplitude was identical on differed by less than 1.2 times, mixed dysphonia was
      suspected. In healthy people, the pulse amplitude of inferior muscles exceeded
      that of superior muscles by 1.2-1.4 times. This approach helps to improve the
      accuracy and reliability of dysphonia diagnosis, to better understand mechanisms
      of the pathology, and to develop the most efficient methods of voice recovery.
      Altogether 60 patients and 30 normal subjects were examined.

PMID- 1862600
TI  - [Electronic glottography (clinical aspects)].
AB  - In order to study the application of electronic glottography in clinical
      laryngology, 200 patients with different diseases were examined, using a
      glottographic unit, computer, oscilloscope, and a recorder. It was found that
      glottography is an objective method which can be applied to evaluate and detect
      disorders of vocal folds in different states. This method fails to determine the
      vibration capacity of an individual fold or diagnose laryngeal lesions without an
      additional examination.

PMID- 1862602
TI  - [Metastasis of laryngeal neoplasms after larynx resection].

PMID- 1862601
TI  - [Secondary superior mediastinitis in otorhinolaryngology].
AB  - The factors responsible for superior mediastinitis are described in 12 patients
      with inflammatory pathologies of ENT-organs, with emphasis on the anatomical
      topographic characteristics of the neck and mediastinum subcutaneous spaces.
      Clinical symptoms typical of anterior and posterior superior mediastinitis are
      summarized. Procedures of emergency treatment of secondary superior mediastinitis
      are described. It is emphasized that the first thing to be done is to treat areas
      of primary inflammation and thus to prevent infection propagation in the
      mediastinum. It is recommended to open the mediastinum as soon as possible and to
      drain it actively. It is also recommended to include reinfusion with autoblood of
      patients exposed to UV irradiation to the combined therapeutic protocols.

PMID- 1862603
TI  - [Treatment methods in keloid lesions of the ear].

PMID- 1862604
TI  - [Improved method of ultrasonic diagnosis of maxillary sinus diseases in
      children].
AB  - A modified technique of ultrasonic diagnosis of accessory nasal sinus diseases
      based on an analysis of the profile of echograms has been developed. A
      correlation between the profile and pathological changes in the Highmore antrum
      has been found. It has been shown that the cystic fluid has a characteristic
      difference between the intensity of the start and echo impulses. Echograms of a
      cyst and its capsule reveal that they are significantly heterogeneous. Pus is
      characterized by a pronounced ultrasound absorption, fluid pus and thick pus
      showing different response. Plasma and blood are characterized by a significant
      ultrasound absorption and sufficient homogeneity. An interpretation of an
      echogram obtained under clinical conditions is presented.

PMID- 1862605
TI  - [Noise pathology in otorhinolaryngology].
AB  - Intensive industrial noise is an adequate stimulus of the hearing organ.
      Obviously, it can cause occupation-related hypoacusis in noise exposed workers.
      Pathological changes in other organs and systems that accompany cochlear neuritis
      are poorly studied; however, it seems that they have no noise-determined specific
      features. Clinical and provocative examinations have shown that noise, which
      exceeds maximal allowable levels, produces a significant effect on the
      development of the symptom-complex of pathological disorders, including
      hypoacusis, neurodynamic and neurocirculatory changes, hypertensive disease.
      Combination of disorders in the cardiovascular and central nervous function
      should be viewed as a pathology induced by intensive industrial noise, i. e. as
      an independent nosological form of pathology termed noise disease.

PMID- 1862606
TI  - [Clinical effectiveness of magnetolaser therapy of vasomotor rhinitis].
AB  - Magnet-laser therapy was used to treat vasomotor rhinitis in 90 patients. A
      constant magnet of 50 mT was applied to the exterior of the nose, and an infrared
      laser beam was applied via a light-guide to the reflexogenic zones of concha
      inferior. The radiation power density was 5 mW/cm2. The magnetic exposure time
      was 6-10 min and the laser exposure time was 3-5 min for each half of the nose.
      The therapeutic course was 8-12 sessions. The therapeutic results depended on the
      type of vasomotor rhinitis, clinical disorders, and duration of the disease. Good
      results were seen in 84 (93.3%) patients out of 90 cases. Stable remission was
      recorded in 61.1% patients, significant improvement of clinical manifestations of
      vasomotor rhinitis was observed in 32.2% cases. Best results were reported in
      patients with autonomic forms of vasomotor rhinitis who suffered from short-term
      disease and vasodilation disorders.

PMID- 1862608
TI  - [Deontological aspects of occupational diseases in otorhinolaryngology].
AB  - Medical deontology plays an important role in the improvement of medical care.
      Deontological aspects of occupational pathology in otorhinolaryngology are deeply
      involved in physician's activities, beginning with preliminary and regular
      medical examinations and ending with determination of the relationship between
      disease and occupation, development of therapeutic recommendations and subsequent
      rehabilitation. All these problems are of personal and social importance of which
      an ENT-doctor should always be aware.

PMID- 1862607
TI  - [Treatment of chronic rhinitis in children].
AB  - This paper discusses involvement of intestinal dysbacteriosis in nasal
      inflammation. Altogether 42 children of preschool age with chronic rhinitis were
      examined. It was found that microbial changes in the nasal cavity were related to
      the degree of intestinal dysbacteriosis, which was detected in most patients. The
      drugs that were used in combined therapy to treat microbial changes in the nasal
      mucosa and intestine produced good clinical and bacteriological effects. The 4
      month follow-up showed that the children on the combined therapeutic protocol
      remained in the remission stage throughout this time period, whereas 85 +/- 10%
      of the control children exhibited exacerbation of the inflammatory process in the
      nasal cavity within 2-3 weeks after onset of standard treatment.

PMID- 1862609
TI  - [Experience in teaching emergency care at the otorhinolaryngological faculty of
      the continuing medical training].
AB  - In order to improve the expertise and special skills of ENT doctors dealing with
      urgent cases, the curriculum of advanced medical training courses (the city of
      Donetsk) has been modified to include several stages: evaluation of the
      qualification of students; lectures, seminars, practical lessons. This helps ENT
      doctors to be better prepared when coping with urgent cases, which in turn leads
      to lower lethality rate and more successful rehabilitation of patients.

PMID- 1862610
TI  - [Rhinocerebral mucormycosis].

PMID- 1862612
TI  - [Retropharyngeal fibroma].

PMID- 1862611
TI  - [A rare case of middle ear barotrauma].

PMID- 1862613
TI  - [A rare case of development of tracheal granuloma after strumectomy].

PMID- 1862614
TI  - [Original surgical approach in removal of laryngopharyngeal angioma].

PMID- 1862615
TI  - [Orbital and intracranial complications of acute hemisinusitis in a 9-year-old
      child].

PMID- 1862616
TI  - [A case of deep fungal infection of maxillary sinus and ethmoidal labyrinth].

PMID- 1862617
TI  - [Mucocele of the maxillary sinus].

PMID- 1862618
TI  - [Characteristics of emergency surgical technique in neck wound].

PMID- 1862619
TI  - [Clinical importance of lipid peroxidation].

PMID- 1862620
TI  - [Problem of classification of food poisoning].

PMID- 1862621
TI  - [The role of carbohydrates in child nutrition].

PMID- 1862622
TI  - [Prognostic significance of body weight and the possibility of dietary correction
      of obesity in male Moscow residents aged 40-59 years].
AB  - Males, aged from 40 to 59, were followed up during 5 years after a standard
      epidemiological investigation. Their mortality rate and incidence of new cases of
      myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke were studied against the background of
      active preventive program (group I), and during routine treatment (group II).
      Hinh prognostic importance of body mass value has been shown in respect to common
      mortality rate, mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases, incidence of
      myocardial infarction and its lethal outcomes. Difficulties in the correction of
      nutrition habits in middle-age subjects for decreasing their body mass, and
      relations between the nutrition habits and body mass were noted. Regardless of
      the body mass growth degree, a tendency was observed to the lowering of common
      and cardiovascular disease-induced mortality rates. The incidence rate of
      myocardial infarction in patients with excessive body mass significantly
      decreased. Body mass correction has been recommended in subjects aged from 40 to
      49 years with body mass index 29.

PMID- 1862623
TI  - [Analysis of actual nutrition of vegetarians].
AB  - The questionnaire method was used in the study of the actual nutrition of 20
      vegetarians. A group of subjects who received mixed food were observed for
      comparison. The mean day ration of the two groups differed in the increased
      proportion of vegetables, fruit, milk products, nuts and vegetable seeds in the
      vegetarians' nutrition. The analysis of the chemical composition of the ration
      has shown that the absolute content of protein, fat, carbohydrates, some vitamins
      of group B in the vegetarians' nutrition is lower than the values recommended.
      Besides that this nutrition is deficient in Fe, Zn, vitamin B12. However,
      vegetarian rations with low calorie value are capable of providing physiological
      requirements of the body in food fibres, vegetable oil, beta-carotene and
      ascorbic acid.

PMID- 1862624
TI  - [Prevention of accumulation of strontium-90 in the bones by fortifying the food
      with fish products].
AB  - The replacement of 1/5 part of the usual ration received by non-inbred white rats
      for fish mass containing up to 4 g/kg Ca resulted in a sharp (by 70%) reduction
      of Sr-90 accumulation after its oral intake. The effect is intensified in case of
      normalization of the basic ration in respect to Ca content, and the lowering of
      the isotope accumulation level in the skeleton comprises 82% as compared to the
      group of animals that received the Ca-deficient ration.

PMID- 1862625
TI  - [Incidence of cholelithiasis after its experimental induction by various
      methods].
AB  - The incidence rate of cholelithiasis was studied in varying methods of lithogenic
      stimulation: a diet enriched with cholesterol and chenodesoxycholic acid,
      induction of acute aseptic inflammation of the gallbladder by thermal damage, and
      the use of ++anti-gallbladder sera. The results of the study have shown almost
      similar (44-52%) reproducibility of cholelithiasis in guinea pigs, the
      development of pigment concrements was recorded in the absolute majority of
      cases. Correlation of the cholelithiasis incidence rate with inflammatory
      disorders in the gallbladder has evidenced the importance of the immunoallergic
      component in the determination of acute cholelithiasis and cholelithiasis, where
      cholelithiasis shows its secondary character.

PMID- 1862626
TI  - [Biological value and assimilation of sarcoplasmic protein concentrates from
      commercial fish products and the effect of their consumption on rats].
AB  - The biological value of 3 concentrates of sarcoplasmatic proteins from industrial
      fish (minthal, cod, putassu) was assayed in the 4-week experiment on growing male
      Wistar rats by the methods of counting the coefficients of protein effectiveness
      and pure protein effectiveness that comprised 100, 110 and 110% in relation to
      the corresponding parameters obtained with casein. The actual assimilation of the
      fish product proteins proved to be significantly higher than that of casein.
      Hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects of the protein products studied
      are, probably, caused by the presence of pectin.

PMID- 1862627
TI  - [Amino acid composition and biological value of pastries with protein-rich
      additives].
AB  - The authors studied amino acid composition of confectionery (bisquits) enriched
      with dry fat-free milk, dried buttermilk, dry whey and soya bean flour. The
      biological value of the products was estimated by the sum of essential amino
      acids, by the ratio of essential amino acids and total nitrogen, by the chemical
      score and the variation coefficient of the amino acid score. It has been
      established that confectionery enriched with dry fat-free milk and dried
      buttermilk contain more lysine than those enriched with soya bean flour. The
      balance of amino acids is improved in the products enriched with dry fat-free
      milk and dried buttermilk. To improve the amino acid balance and increase protein
      content in food products it iz recommended that by-products of milk manufacturing
      be mildly used.

PMID- 1862628
TI  - [Chemical nature and biological activity of miliacine].
AB  - Chemical nature and biological activity of miliacine that is contained in millet
      oil have been studied. It produces moderate anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates
      sexual resistance in female rats, increases summary gonadotropic activity of the
      hypophysis in infantile female rats; in case of acute intoxication with carbon
      tetrachloride, it promotes normalization of enzyme activity in the liver and
      blood serum. Miliacine is of practical importance in meat cattle breeding as a
      growth stimulator. With the use of miliacine the mean daily animal's gain in
      weight grows, and the coefficient of the food ration digestibility rises. In
      contrast to other growth stimulators used in cattle breeding miliacine possesses
      no toxic properties.

PMID- 1862629
TI  - [Experimental substantiation of rational protein consumption levels for different
      groups of the adult population in the USSR].

PMID- 1862630
TI  - [Effect of a new exopolysaccharide on animal body].
AB  - The influence of new exopolysaccharide, synthesized by Candida tropicalis and
      Pseudomonas sp. consortium in ethanol, on the animal body was studied in chronic
      experiments conducted in 200 non-inbred white rats. The animals were sacrificed
      after 3, 10 and 18 months of follow-up. The results of the investigations permit
      a conclusion that exopolysaccharide given to the animals during a long period
      does not produce a significant effect on the animal's growth and development, on
      the antitoxic function of the liver, on the parameters of protein, lipid and
      carbohydrate metabolism, on oxidizing phosphorylation in the mitochondria of the
      liver, and is low-hazard with respect to allergenic properties.

PMID- 1862631
TI  - [Estimation of nutritive value of foods based on the tables of their chemical
      composition].

PMID- 1862632
TI  - [Hygienic evaluation of nitrate levels in drinking water and vegetable food
      products in various regions of Lithuania].
AB  - Significantly higher nitrate content was detected in drinking water and
      vegetables grown by the rural population in the regions where industrial
      enterprises producing chemical fertilizers are located, as compared to the
      control regions. It has been concluded that a special attention should be paid to
      the daily level of nitrates ingested by the population (especially by children)
      in the industrial regions of the Republic and to their health state.

PMID- 1862633
TI  - [Nutritional structure and food habits of the population of one of the regions of
      Moscow].

PMID- 1862634
TI  - [Urgent problems of Salmonella infections].

PMID- 1862635
TI  - Synthetic oxygen transport fluids based on perfluorochemicals: applications in
      medicine and biology.
AB  - Recent advances in the development and assessment of synthetic oxygen transport
      fluids based on perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are reviewed. The basic properties of
      PFCs are outlined, together with the selection criteria for biomedical
      applications. PFCs must be emulsified for intravascular use and attention is
      focussed on the formulation and biocompatibility testing of both first- and
      second-generation emulsions and their components in man and other species. The
      multidisciplinary applications for PFCs in medicine and basic biomedical research
      are described, including the clinical use of Fluosol-DA 20% as an oxygen-carrying
      perfusate in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

PMID- 1862636
TI  - Quality of red cell concentrates in relation to the volume of the buffy coat
      removed by automated processing in a top and bottom system.
AB  - The effect of automated removal of increasing volumes of buffy coat in a 'top and
      bottom' system on the composition of red cell concentrates (RCC) was
      investigated. The volume of the buffy coat was adjusted to group 1:50 ml (n =
      31), group 2: 70 ml (n = 31) and group 3: 100 ml (n = 31), respectively. The
      numbers of platelets and leukocytes in the buffy coats were comparable between
      the groups, whereas the red cell volumes in the buffy coats showed a significant
      difference (17 +/- 3.6 ml group 1, versus 22 +/- 4.1 ml group 2 and 26 +/- 3.88
      ml group 3; p less than 0.001). The volumes, hematocrits and cell counts of the
      RCC were not significantly different. The plasma volumes were inversely
      correlated with the volume of buffy coat removed, i.e. 268 +/- 19 ml group 1,
      versus 257 +/- 15 ml group 2 and 233 +/- 20 ml group 3 (p less than 0.001). We
      conclude that in the 'top and bottom' system an increase of the volume of the
      buffy coat from 50 to 100 ml did not improve the quality of the RCC regarding
      contamination with leukocytes and platelets.

PMID- 1862637
TI  - Clinical evaluation of the effects of storage time and irradiation on transfused
      platelets.
AB  - Platelet concentrates stored for up to 5 days at room temperature or irradiated
      with 15 Gy immediately prior to transfusion were evaluated for their ability to
      increase the platelet count in thrombocytopenic patients. Platelets irradiated
      with a dose of 15 Gy immediately prior to transfusion achieved corrected
      increments (CI) at 1 and 20 h after transfusion no different from those achieved
      by non-irradiated platelets. Storage for 5 days reduced the mean 1-hour CI to 5.7
      compared with a mean of 12.3 achieved by platelets transfused after only 1-day
      storage (p = 0.008). Similarly, the frequency of a repeat transfusion being
      indicated within 24 h increased with increasing storage time (p = 0.005).

PMID- 1862638
TI  - Comparison of platelet-rich plasma collection using the Haemonetics PCS and
      Baxter Autopheresis C.
AB  - We have compared 118 platelet-rich plasma donations collected using the
      Autopheresis-C Platelet cell (Auto C) with 166 donations using the Haemonetics
      PCS. The median platelet yield from the Auto C was superior (2.51 vs. 1.54 x
      10(11] although collection times differed (60 vs./40 min). There was greater
      variability in the platelet yield from the Auto C (0.45-5.6 vs./0.26-2.8 x
      10(11], but leucocyte contamination was not significantly different. After
      secondary processing, there was significantly less residual platelet-poor plasma
      (272 vs. 369 ml). Platelet function assessed during 5 days of storage was
      satisfactory for both, although platelet aggregation responses to collagen and
      adenosine diphosphate were superior in the Auto C platelets.

PMID- 1862639
TI  - Low prevalence of antibodies against human immunodeficiency virus in Finnish
      haemophiliacs.
AB  - National yearly surveys were carried out between 1985 and 1989 to determine the
      prevalence of antibodies for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Finnish
      patients with bleeding disorders. From 192 out of the 214 haemophiliacs (90%)
      tested, 2 patients were positive for anti-HIV. No seropositivities were found
      after 1985. Fourteen out of 21 patients (67%) with type III von Willebrand's
      disease, and 7 out of 8 patients (88%) with factor XIII deficiency were tested
      with negative results. The low prevalence of anti-HIV (0.94%; 2/213 tested), is
      mainly due to the self-sufficiency for clotting factors, the low prevalence of
      HIV in the population, and the use of cryoprecipitate during the critical period.

PMID- 1862640
TI  - Syphilis serology in blood donors: a possible surrogate marker for human
      immunodeficiency virus risk.
AB  - We report a preliminary study on whether syphilis serology might be reactive in
      some blood donors at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We
      retrospectively analyzed voluntary blood donations with reactive Treponema
      pallidum antibody (TPA) tests according to the type of donation, the presence of
      other safety markers, confidential unit exclusion, syphilis diagnosis, and HIV
      risk factors. Over 2 years (1987-1988), 1 in 8,900 regular homologous donations
      (n = 258,610) was TPA positive as compared with 1 in 2,200 directed donations (n
      = 6,685) and 1 in 300 autologous donations (n = 8,870; p less than 0.05 for
      both). The rate in directed donations was not significantly higher than in first
      time regular donors (1 in 4,800; n = 57,000). TPA-positive donations had higher
      rates of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and confidential unit exclusion
      than TPA-negative donations. Ten TPA-positive homologous or directed donors had
      latent or previously treated syphilis (1 in 26,500 such donations), and 2 of
      these had HIV risk factors. None of the autologous donors were determined to have
      active syphilis. Syphilis serology in blood donors bears further scrutiny as a
      possible surrogate marker for HIV risk.

PMID- 1862641
TI  - Defining the specificity of anti-A/B IgM/G antibodies with different antigens and
      lectins.
AB  - The specificity of anti-histo blood group A/B antibodies is defined by the
      antigen used for their production and selection (in the case of mouse monoclonal
      antibodies, mAbs) or by the antigens present on various intestinal bacteria (for
      polyclonal human IgM and/or IgG, phAbs). Absorption experiments with red blood
      cells and free antigen have been used earlier to define specificity; here we use
      A/B substances of human, animal and synthetic origin as well as known
      reactivities of mAbs or lectins as tools to further characterize epitope
      properties of the A/B antigens. The signal response patterns obtained with
      identical phAbs anti-A/B IgM/G on three different antigens are superposable. In
      contrast, commercially available mAb anti-A/B IgM, when tested on the same
      antigens, revealed different response curves. The chemical specificity of lectins
      for distinct monosaccharides in terminal position was exploited to delineate the
      specificity of mouse ascites anti-A IgG1 and of phAbs anti-A/B IgM/G. Helix
      pomatia lectin inhibited the access of MB9 to porcine A almost completely whereas
      binding capacities of human anti-A IgM/G were inhibited by 50 and 62%,
      respectively. In similar experiments Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin was seen to
      inhibit access of anti-B IgM/G to horse B by 34 and 58%, respectively. No
      inhibition was seen with lectin from Ulex europaeus or concanavalin A on plates
      coated with the three different A or B substances. Thin-layer chromatography
      (TLC) of antigens revealed one spot for the synthetic trisaccharides, whereas the
      human and animal blood group substances showed 2 and 3 spots,
      respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862642
TI  - Antibody-coated erythrocytes induce secretion of tumor necrosis factor by human
      monocytes: a mechanism for the production of fever by incompatible transfusions.
AB  - The transfusion of incompatible red blood cells (RBC) rapidly results in the
      development of fever by an unknown mechanism. In this study, the human monocyte
      secretion of the endogenous pyrogens tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin
      1 (IL-1) was measured. Exposure to human RBC sensitized with antibodies to D or
      Fya antigens induced the rapid secretion of TNF, but not IL-1. TNF secretion
      persisted when monocytes remained in contact with sensitized RBC, but returned to
      baseline several hours after removal of RBC. Thus, TNF secreted by monocytes may
      be a mediator of fever during the immune-mediated destruction of RBC in vivo.

PMID- 1862643
TI  - T lymphocyte colony assay in patients with idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic
      anemia: preliminary results.

PMID- 1862644
TI  - The red cell antigens Aua and Aub belong to the Lutheran system.

PMID- 1862645
TI  - Medical malpractice cases and awards: 1980-1990.

PMID- 1862646
TI  - Pressure sores: an overview and update.
AB  - Pressure sores are expensive and difficult to treat complications of immobility
      and the incidence of these lesions will increase as the population ages.
      Modalities for prevention and treatment are numerous but physicians often are not
      familiar with products available and lack a systematic approach to patients with
      pressure sores. This paper reviews factors involved with the formation of
      pressure sores and treatment modalities currently available.

PMID- 1862647
TI  - The medical dichotomy: malpractice.

PMID- 1862648
TI  - It's those doctors, not my doctor.

PMID- 1862649
TI  - Contact Nd:YAG laser for soft tissue surgery.
AB  - The contact Nd:YAG laser is an effective tool for head and neck soft tissue
      surgery for its precision, predictability, and touch technique. Understanding of
      its biophysics, precaution and application expedites operation, enhances surgical
      results and shortens hospitalization.

PMID- 1862650
TI  - Salmonella D enteritis in the newborn: a maternal infant case study.
AB  - This is a case of a 31-year-old pregnant female who had diarrhea one week prior
      to delivery and was later diagnosed as having Salmonella D. This report also
      discusses the physical changes in the neonate within 48 hours post delivery and
      medical treatment for Salmonella D.

PMID- 1862651
TI  - The role of the FDA in new drug development and availability.
AB  - During the last decade, the process by which the FDA regulates investigational
      new drugs has become a renewed focus of national attention. The ability of the
      FDA to maintain a balance between accelerating the availability of new drugs and
      ensuring that patients do not receive unsafe or ineffective treatments has been
      particularly challenged by the AIDS crisis. In response to this crisis, the FDA
      has revised its regulations and created various formal mechanisms for expediting
      the development and accessibility of promising new therapies to treat AIDS and
      other serious illnesses. Regulatory requirements have been reduced and
      consultation with the FDA to discuss the planning and design of clinical research
      is encouraged.

PMID- 1862652
TI  - Difference of opinion on HB 2461, midwife bill.

PMID- 1862653
TI  - [Study on ursodeoxycholic acid biotransformation by three strains of clostridia].
AB  - Using the improved TLC procedure, we measured the conversion rates of
      ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA) from chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) by 3 strains of
      clostridia--C. perfringens HS-10, C. butyricum DL-20 and LQ-29 isolated. The
      orthogonal test was used to determine the optical conditions of biotransformation
      for HS-10. It was found that the conversion rate of UDCA by HS-10 was over 80%
      during 6-48 h in RCM medium containing 0.2 mmol/L CDCA. The UDCA conversion rates
      were still over 70% when the CDCA concentrations were as high as 0.8-1.0 mmol/L.
      In addition, the WW-BCP (Waste water from bean curd production) without any
      supplemental nutrients was preliminarily proved to be a potential inexpensive
      conversion medium.

PMID- 1862654
TI  - [Studies on the antitumor antibiotic aclacinomycin A].
AB  - During the course of screening for new antitumor antibiotics, a new anthracycline
      antibiotic--aclacinomycin A was separated from the broth and mycelium of
      Streptomyces AC-57. The strain AC-57 was isolated from the soil collected in the
      Shanghai suburbs. According to its culture and physiological characteristics the
      producer was identified as Str. galilaeus AC-57. The broth and mycelium were
      extracted and treated with solvents as usual way. The aclacinomycin A was
      separated by silica-gel column chromatography eluted with chrolo-form-methanol.
      Aclacinomycin A, its aglycone and sugar components were identified by comparison
      of their physico-chemical and spectral data (MS, UV, IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR)
      with authentic compound, purified from the market sample.

PMID- 1862655
TI  - Comparison of the rat liver microsomal metabolism of the enantiomers of warfarin
      and 4'-nitrowarfarin (acenocoumarol).
AB  - 1. Rat liver microsomal metabolism of the enantiomers of warfarin and
      acenocoumarol (4'-nitrowarfarin) has been studied. The enantiomers of both
      compounds were hydroxylated mainly at the 6- and 7-positions. Acenocoumarol
      enantiomers were much better substrates for cytochromes P-450 than the
      corresponding warfarin enantiomers; Km values for the 6- and 7-hydroxylations
      were 2 to 19 times lower for R- and S-acenocoumarol than for warfarin. 2.
      Formation of the 6-, 7-, and 8-hydroxy-metabolites of warfarin was
      stereoselective for the R-enantiomer (the R/S ratio for total intrinsic clearance
      was about 3). 4'-Hydroxylation was not stereoselective. In contrast, formation of
      acenocoumarol metabolites was stereoselective for the S-enantiomer (the S/R ratio
      for total intrinsic clearance was about 3). 3. From the effects of phenobarbitone
      and methylcholanthrene induction, and inhibition by cimetidine, on in vitro
      metabolism of the enantiomers of both compounds, it was concluded that the
      differences between warfarin and acenocoumarol can be explained partly by the
      involvement of different enzymes.

PMID- 1862656
TI  - The influence of charge transfer complex formation on the antibacterial activity
      of some tricyclic drugs.
AB  - 1. Phenothiazines and structurally related drugs are effective in eliminating
      bacterial plasmids. 2. Charge transfer complex formation between chlorpromazine
      and xanthine dyes with different electron acceptor activities (e.g. fluorescein,
      eosin, erythrosin and rose bengal) was detected by differential
      spectrophotometry. Charge transfer complexes were formed between the strong
      electron acceptor rose bengal and various tricyclic drugs. 3. On the basis of the
      wavelength shift, the binding energies of drugs and dyes were estimated. 4. The
      temperatures dependence of the reaction indicates charge transfer complex
      formation rather than a chemical reaction between drugs and dyes. 5. The anti
      plasmid action of the phenothiazines was decreased in the presence of xanthine
      dyes. As a consequence of competitive inhibition between bacterial binding sites
      and xanthine dyes, the binding energy of drugs in the plasmid replication system
      could be determined in the presence of dyes. 6. Drugs with binding energies in
      the range of 0.23-2.31 kcal/mol can inactivate the plasmid replication system.

PMID- 1862657
TI  - Metabolism of minaprine in human and animal hepatocytes and liver microsomes-
      prediction of metabolism in vivo.
AB  - 1. The metabolism of minaprine and its major metabolite p-hydroxyminaprine were
      studied using hepatocytes and liver microsomes from different species. Metabolism
      of this drug in vitro was then compared with in vivo data already published. 2.
      Our results showed that the major metabolic route (4-hydroxylation of the
      aromatic ring) is the same in the two experimental systems. Other in vivo
      biotransformation pathways (i.e. N-oxidation, reductive ring cleavage, N
      dealkylation, oxidation) were also confirmed in hepatocytes. 3. Similar inter
      species variability was observed both in vitro and in vivo. The present study has
      led to the same conclusion as previous in vivo metabolic investigations, namely,
      that metabolism in the dog quantitatively differs from that observed in other
      animal species. 4. These results clearly demonstrate that in vitro models (i.e.
      isolated hepatocytes and liver microsomes) are powerful tools in predicting the
      metabolic pathways of a drug in man and animal species.

PMID- 1862658
TI  - Liver slices in dynamic organ culture. I. An alternative in vitro technique for
      the study of rat hepatic drug metabolism.
AB  - 1. Precision-cut liver slices in dynamic organ culture, a novel in vitro
      technique, is described and applied to the study of hepatic drug metabolism in
      the rat. 2. These slices catalysed the oxidative O-deethylation of the substrate,
      7-ethoxycoumarin, over 6 h incubation. In addition, the direct conjugation of 7
      hydroxycoumarin with either sulphate or glucuronic acid was maintained over 6 h.
      3. The formation of 7-hydroxycoumarin and the presence of the sulphate and
      glucuronide conjugates in slices exposed to 7-ethoxycoumarin demonstrated
      integrated phase I and phase II drug metabolizing activities in this system. 4.
      Minor modifications of the incubation system allowed for the metabolism of four
      volatile chlorinated benzenes: monochlorobenzene 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4
      dichlorobenzenes to aqueous soluble metabolites. 5. The use of liver slices in
      dynamic organ culture as an alternative preparation for the study of xenobiotic
      metabolism is discussed.

PMID- 1862660
TI  - Metabolism in the rat of a model xenobiotic plant metabolite S-benzyl-N-malonyl-L
      cysteine.
AB  - 1. The metabolism of a model xenobiotic plant metabolite S-benzyl-N-malonyl-L
      cysteine (BMC) administered to rat at 10 mg/kg has been studied using a
      combination of radio-t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. 2. The major route of excretion for the
      administered 14C was via the urine (79% in 3 days). 3. The major metabolite was
      hippuric acid. The extent of biotransformation of BMC indicated the lability of
      the N-malonyl bond whose hydrolytic removal initiated a metabolic sequence which
      involved the action of C-S lyase to produce benzyl thiol. 4. A comparison of the
      findings from this study with those from experiments with N-acetyl-S-benzyl-L
      cysteine and S-benzyl-L-cysteine is made to support the metabolic pathway
      proposed.

PMID- 1862659
TI  - Liver slices in dynamic organ culture. II. An in vitro cellular technique for the
      study of integrated drug metabolism using human tissue.
AB  - 1. Precision cut human liver slices in dynamic organ culture have been used to
      study the integrated metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and the conjugation of 7
      hydroxycoumarin. 2. The metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin was
      monitored for 6 h. For both substrates there was a time-dependent increase in
      metabolites present in the incubation medium. The low levels of free 7
      hydroxycoumarin found in the medium when 7-ethoxycoumarin was the substrate
      suggests good coupling of phase I and phase II metabolism. 3. With suitable
      incubation conditions, i.e. change of medium containing new substrate every 2 h,
      the metabolism of both 7-ethoxycoumarin and 7-hydroxycoumarin by human liver
      slices was found to proceed at similar rates for up to 24 h. This was
      demonstrated using five separate human liver preparations. 4. Human liver slices
      also metabolized mono-chlorobenzene and o-, m- and p-dichlorobenzene to aqueous
      soluble metabolites. There was a time-dependent increase in the appearance of
      aqueous soluble metabolites present in the incubation medium. Metabolites were
      not retained by the liver slices. 5. A cold-storage transit buffer has been
      described and used to maintain the levels of drug metabolism in both rat and
      human tissue for periods of up to 6 h. 6. The use of human liver slices in
      dynamic organ culture as a suitable method for the direct assessment of
      integrated hepatic drug metabolism is proposed.

PMID- 1862661
TI  - A novel metabolite of strychnine, 22-hydroxystrychnine.
AB  - 1. An unknown metabolite of strychnine termed M-5 was isolated, from an
      incubation mixture using guinea pig liver microsomes, by repeated preparative
      t.l.c. 2. The structure of M-5 was shown to be 22-hydroxystrychnine by mass,
      n.m.r. and i.r. spectrometry. 3. 22-Hydroxystrychnine is a stable enol, a unique
      metabolite possessing a hydroxyl group on the double bond of the alicylic moiety.

PMID- 1862662
TI  - Contrasting systemic stabilities of the acyl and phenolic glucuronides of
      diflunisal in the rat.
AB  - 1. Diflunisal (DF) is metabolized in humans and rats primarily to its acyl
      glucuronide, phenolic glucuronide and sulphate conjugates. 2. After i.v.
      administration of DF acyl glucuronide to pentobarbitone-anaesthetized rats, DF
      and its phenolic glucuronide and sulphate conjugates appeared rapidly in plasma,
      indicating ready systemic hydrolysis of the acyl glucuronide and subsequent
      biotransformation of liberated DF. 3. Approximately 72% of the acyl glucuronide
      dose was recovered in bile and urine over 6 h: 52% as acyl glucuronide, 6% as
      phenolic glucuronide, 5% as sulphate, and 8% as isomers of the acyl glucuronide
      arising from intramolecular acyl migration. 4. Blockage of excretion routes by
      ligation of the ureters, bile duct, and both ureters and bile duct, decreased
      plasma clearance of the acyl glucuronide from 7.8 ml/min per kg to 6.0, 3.2 and
      2.2 ml/min per kg respectively, and increased the apparent terminal plasma half
      life of DF from 2.1 h to 2.6, 3.4 and 6.3 h, respectively. 5. By contrast, DF
      phenolic glucuronide was quite stable after i.v. administration at the same dose.
      6. This study shows that systemic cycling between DF and its acyl glucuronide
      exists in the rat in vivo, with portions of each cycle of unstable acyl
      glucuronide through DF yielding stable phenolic glucuronide and (presumptively
      stable) sulphate conjugate.

PMID- 1862663
TI  - The metabolism of 4-aminobiphenyl in rat. I. Reaction of N-hydroxy-4
      aminobiphenyl with rat blood in vivo.
AB  - 1. 3H-4-Aminobiphenyl (ABP, 5 mg) given i.p. to rat had elimination half-lives of
      15.6, 17 and 17 h, respectively, for urinary, faecal and total 3H elimination.
      14C-ABP administered orally to rats at 100 mg/kg gave elimination half-lives of
      31, 36.7 and 34 h, respectively, for urinary, faecal and total 14C elimination.
      2. Semi-log plots of percentage dose remaining in the body versus time indicated
      that: (i) 82% of 3H activity was excreted in 36 h with a half-life of 14.4 h and
      18% with a half-life of 46.2 h, and (ii) 77% of 14C activity was excreted in 48 h
      with a half-life of 15 h and 23% with a half-life of 180 h. 3. After i.p.
      injection of 10 mg/kg 14C-ABP to rats, ferrihaemoglobin (HbFe3+) concn increased
      to 60% in 2 h, accompanied by accumulation of 14C activity in erythrocytes,
      indicating that the active metabolite, N-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl (N-hydroxy-ABP)
      had oxidized haemoglobin-Fe2+ (HbFe2+) and was bound to the erythrocyte. 4. ABP
      given i.p. to rats at 0.24 mmol/kg rapidly appeared in blood, disappeared with a
      half-life of 30 min, and blood concn plateaued at 30 nmol/ml. The concn of 4
      acetyl-aminobiphenyl (AABP) plateaued at 17 nmol/ml after 15 min, indicating a
      dynamic equilibrium between N-acetylation of ABP and N-deacetylation of AABP. The
      concn of 4'-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (4'-hydroxy-AABP) increased slowly at
      1.65 nmol/h. 5. AABP given i.p. to rats at 0.88 mmol/kg slowly appeared in the
      blood, accompanied by the appearance of ABP and 4'-hydroxy-AABP and formation of
      HbFe3+. After 4 h the concn of AABP and ABP was 27-35 mmol/ml, indicating a
      dynamic equilibrium between N-deacetylation of AABP and acetylation of ABP.
      Neither N-hydroxy-ABP nor N-hydroxy-4-acetylaminobiphenyl (N-hydroxy-AABP) were
      found.

PMID- 1862664
TI  - [Clinical value of monophasic action potentials].
AB  - The method of monophasic action potential (MAP) recording has experienced a
      significant surge in interest since the introduction of the contact electrode,
      which in contrast to the suction electrode, allows the safe and simple use of
      this technique in the clinical electrophysiology laboratory. MAP recording not
      only provide for a more precise determination of local activation, but most
      importantly, permit direct measurement of myocardial repolarization and action
      potential duration (APD), respectively. This had led to new insights into the
      cycle-length-dependence of the human APD, both in response to single extrastimuli
      and to steady-state heart rate changes. An advancement of the contact electrode
      catheter design now permits simultaneous pacing and MAP recording, and thereby,
      simultaneous determinations of APD and effective refractory periods (EPP) at the
      same endocardial site in the human heart. MAP recordings have demonstrated
      significant usefulness in the direct monitoring of antiarrhythmic drug effects,
      both in terms of dosage control and in the direct measurement of antiarrhythmic
      drug effects on the relationship between ERP and APD (ERP/ARD-ratio). Because MAP
      recordings reflect the local cellular electrophysiology, they also provide a more
      sensitive and precise index of myocardial ischemia than conventional ECG
      recordings. This can be utilized to assess the success of revascularizing
      procedures directly during or after the intervention. Recently, MAP recordings
      helped to discover early after-depolarizations in patients with "torsade de
      pointes", providing a possible explanation for the mechanism of polymorphous
      ventricular tachycardia in man.

PMID- 1862665
TI  - [Impaired diastolic ventricular function in dilated cardiomyopathy with variously
      reduced systolic function. A Doppler echocardiography analysis].
AB  - Diastolic ventricular function was assessed by Doppler echocardiography in 50
      patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and sinus rhythm. The
      patients were subdivided into two groups with either a moderately reduced
      ejection fraction (less than 32%; group 1, n = 25) or a severely reduced ejection
      fraction (less than 32%; group 2, n = 25), the latter having an unfavorable
      prognosis. The degree of heart failure according to the NYHA classification was
      more pronounced in group 2 (p less than 0.05). Mean pulmonary capillary wedge
      pressure (PCm) was also higher in group 2 (gr. 1:9.8 +/- 5.5 vs. gr. 2: 16.2 +/-
      8.9; p less than 0.02), and the morphological parameters obtained by conventional
      M-mode echocardiography showed increased left ventricular volumes and mass in
      both groups with DCM, as compared with a control group (n = 16); there was a
      reduced volume/mass ratio in group 2. The parameters of systolic function derived
      from M-mode and Doppler echocardiography were reduced in patients with DCM, but
      were more pronounced in group 2. Doppler parameters of diastolic ventricular
      filling were differently affected in both groups with DCM. In group 1 there was a
      reduced contribution of the early diastolic phase to ventricular filling (FE/FA)
      (contr.: 2.29 +/- 0.99 vs gr. 1: 1.40 +/- 0.45; p less than 0.05) and a reduced
      early peak Doppler velocity, indicating an impaired ventricular relaxation. In
      group 2, as compared with controls and group 1, there was an increased ratio of
      early/late diastolic peak velocities (VE/VA) (contr.: 1.49 +/- 0.54 vs gr. 2:
      2.32 +/- 1.37; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862666
TI  - [Detection of acute graft rejection with Fourier transformation of the surface
      ECG in long-term follow-up of heart transplantation].
AB  - Up to now, diagnosis of acute rejection after heart transplantation (HTx) has
      been based on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), but there is the need for reliable
      noninvasive parameters. Spectral analysis of the surface ECG with fast Fourier
      transformation (FFT) has been shown to be useful for rejection monitoring in the
      immediate postoperative phase. We tested the method in the chronic phase after
      HTx: the QRS complex (2 bipolar leads, position tattooed with Indian ink) was
      repeatedly analyzed with FFT (segment size 120 ms, 512 points. Blackman-Harris
      window) in 38 patients for 4-36 months after HTx. In mean intervals of 3 months,
      254 checkups with FFT and EMB were performed on the same day. EMB revealed 28
      acute rejection episodes in 21 patients, and ongoing rejection was diagnosed in
      17 EMB. During rejection the frequency content of the QRS complex between 70 and
      110 Hz increased in 25/28 rejection episodes (89%) and in 15/17 ongoing rejection
      cases, whereas in the time domain no specific changes could be seen. The QRS
      amplitudes did not reliably indicate rejection, but decreased slowly during
      follow-up. After therapy the spectral changes disappeared within weeks. No signs
      of acute rejection were evident in 209 EMB: in 156/209 frequency analyses (77%)
      the spectra were constant, in 45/209 cases the frequency content increased, and
      eight analyses could not be evaluated. As the number of rejection crises
      decreased in the first postoperative months, there was an increasing number of
      false positive FFT analyses (positive predictive value 35%). Thus, a change of
      frequency content requires control by biopsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862667
TI  - [Localized 31 phosphorus NMR spectroscopy of the human heart--development of a
      measuring method and initial clinical application].
AB  - In this work, the technique of 31P-NMR-spectroscopy is applied for the first time
      to diagnose coronary heart disease in patients, using a suitable measuring
      technique. In 13 healthy volunteers we applied a method comfortable and tolerable
      for patients, which enabled us to examine the myocardium inside the reception
      area of a surface coil. Concerning myocardium-specific selectivity and
      sensitivity the localization techniques FROGS (Fast-ROtating-Gradient
      Spectroscopy), 1-D-ISIS (1-Dimensional-Image-Selected-In-vivo-Spectroscopy) and 3
      D-ISIS were compared. By a combination of the 3-D-ISIS-technique with magnetic
      resonance imaging, we obtained a monitored position of the volume of interest
      (VOI) within the myocardium, thus gaining a selective measurement. The cube
      shaped VOI with a lateral length of 50 mm was placed into the apical-septal area
      of the myocardium. On the basis of the obtained results, we examined seven
      patients suffering from coronary heart disease, which was symptomatic and
      verified by coronary angiography. The 31P-NMR-spectra of the two examined groups
      were computed into numbers representing the relative content of the myocardial
      high-energy-phosphates. In addition, the quotients PCr/ATP and Pi/ATP were
      calculated and compared. With this small number of cases the evaluation of the
      PCr/ATP-ratios already showed a significant difference of 0.34 (p less than 0.01)
      between patients with coronary heart disease (0.49 +/- 0.19) and healthy
      volunteers (0.83 +/- 0.27). The findings suggest the conclusion that 31P-NMR
      spectroscopy is able to be instrumental in the diagnostic detection assessment of
      the metabolic state in coronary heart disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862669
TI  - [The effect of PTCA on clinical outcome in patients with coronary single vessel
      disease].
AB  - We evaluated a 3-year clinical follow-up in 53 patients with unsuccessful PTCA,
      due to failure to reach the lesion (control-group) in comparison to a "matched
      pairs" group of 53 patients, in whom PTCA had been performed (PTCA-group). There
      were no deaths in the PTCA-group compared to 3 deaths (5.7%) in the control-group
      (ns). Two patients (3.8%) and three patients (5.7%), respectively, suffered an
      acute transmural myocardial infarction during the follow-up period (ns). Coronary
      artery bypass grafting (CABG) had been performed in five patients (9.4%)
      following PTCA, and in 17 patients (32.1%) of the control-group (p less than
      0.002). The overall rate of serious cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction
      or CABG) amounted to 13.2% (seven patients) in the PTCA-group and to 43.4% (23
      patients) in the control-group (p less than 0.002). Only in the PTCA-group was a
      repeat PTCA performed in 15 patients (28.3%) with restenosis (p less than
      0.00003). 35 of 53 patients in the PTCA-group (66%) and 27 of 50 survivors in the
      control-group were free of symptoms at the end of follow-up (ns). These results
      demonstrate that PTCA in patients with single-vessel disease is followed by a
      marked reduction of serious cardiac events, predominantly of bypass-operations,
      but the necessity of a second PTCA-procedure in case of restenosis has to be
      considered.

PMID- 1862668
TI  - [The effect of hemodynamic changes in 24-hour milrinone infusion on sympathetic
      activity and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in patients with severe
      heart failure].
AB  - The hemodynamics of 18 patients (subgroup A) with severe heart failure (baseline
      Cl less than or equal to 1.55 l.min-1.m-2), including three patients with
      cardiogenic shock, and another 22 patients (subgroup B) with moderate heart
      failure (baseline Cl from 1.55 to 2.5 l.min-1.m-2) were investigated during a 24
      h milrinone infusion, combined with investigation of the response of the
      sympathetic tone (plasma catecholamine levels) and the renin-angiotensin
      aldosterone system to the hemodynamic improvement in both subgroups. Cl increased
      (p less than or equal to 0.001) to 162.7% after 5 min and further to 206.4% of
      baseline after 30 min of milrinone therapy in subgroup A, and in B to 139.3% and
      further to 146.4% after 15 min. PCWP decreased (p less than or equal to 0.001) to
      83.8% and further to 65.5% of baseline after 30 min in subgroup A, and to 58.4%
      in subgroup B. Heart rate decreased (p less than or equal to 0.05) from 99.4 to
      94.7 bpm in A and showed a decreasing tendency in B. MAP rose in A from 75.5 to
      79.4 after 1 h and further to 83.3 mm Hg (p less than or equal to 0.01) after 24
      h; in subgroup B, MAP did not change. Plasma noradrenaline level decreased (p
      less than or equal to 0.001) in A from 1419.5 (B: 782.9) to 838.2 (B: 529.6)
      after 1 h and further to 655.1 (B: 467.9) pg/ml after 24 h. Plasma renin
      decreased (p less than or equal to 0.01) in A from 1047.6 (B: 460.2) to 597.4 (B:
      222.5) and further to 392.6 (B: 191.7) microU/ml.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1862670
TI  - [Micrococcus luteus: a rare pathogen of valve prosthesis endocarditis].
AB  - A rare case of prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Micrococcus luteus is
      described and compared with the few cases reported in the literature, as well as
      the clinical features, microbiological profile, therapy, and prognosis of common
      prosthetic valve endocarditis. Micrococcus luteus is a constituent of the normal
      human buccal bacterial flora which forms yellowish colonies and appears as a gram
      positive coccus typically arranged in tetrades. Although of low virulence, the
      germ may become pathogenic in patients with impaired resistance, colonizing the
      surface of heart valves. In contrast to staphylococci (for which it may easily be
      mistaken) it is usually penicillin-sensitive. However, the most promising
      antibiotic regimen proposed for treatment of Micrococcus luteus seems to be a
      combination of vancomycin, amikacin, and rifampicin. If the infection leads to
      severe hemodynamic alterations, however, valve replacement may become necessary
      similar to the situation in prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by more
      aggressive and highly resistant bacteria.

PMID- 1862671
TI  - [Comment on the contribution: Schroder, T (1990), Immediate bypass operation
      prevents heart infarct in PTCA emergencies, Z Kardiol 79:669-676].

PMID- 1862672
TI  - Surgical treatment of craniopharyngiomas.

PMID- 1862673
TI  - [Surgical significance of cavernous hemangioma of the brain stem].
AB  - Cavernous hemangiomas are identified as source of brainstem hemorrhage in
      increasing numbers by magnetic resonance imaging. The optimal treatment of this
      rare vascular malformation, indication for surgery and time of intervention is
      still under discussion as the experience so far is mainly based on case reports.
      We have investigated a series of 20 patients with cavernous hemangiomas of the
      brainstem between 1986 and 1990, 10 of them underwent surgical removal of the
      lesion. Based on these experiences we conclude: Surgical removal of cavernous
      hemangiomas should be attempted in patients with recurrent hemorrhage, persistent
      or progressive neurological deficit. In cases with additional venous malformation
      the cavenoma should be selectively removed. Surgery should be radical, as
      residual cavernoma can cause recurrent bleedings. Surgery should be performed
      during the subacute stage. Late surgery increases the risk for additional
      neurological deficit. Neurophysiologic monitoring can be helpful to minimize
      surgical risk.

PMID- 1862675
TI  - Outcome and rehabilitation after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
AB  - 108 consecutive and unselected patients presenting with subarachnoid haemorrhage
      (SAH) due to cerebral aneurysm rupture were treated with a standardized regime.
      At 12 months after surgery 87 patients, who were available for review, were
      investigated with questionnaires, physical examination and neuropsychological
      tests. On the background of a comparatively low physical morbidity rate of 7% and
      mainly normal test results for concentration abilities, non-verbal memory
      function, word knowledge, logic and 3-dimensional thought, delay in
      rehabilitation was evidently caused by psychological problems. These were most
      manifest in increased anxiety, personality changes in form of depression or
      aggression, and lack of social contact and were exacerbated by apparently
      inadequate postoperative care. Therefore a psychologist should be involved during
      the first 12 months of rehabilitation, clinics should be held more frequently or
      access via phone to a neurosurgical information centre should be provided. The
      presented follow-up concept is suitable for assessing rehabilitation but for
      practical reasons should be shortened.

PMID- 1862674
TI  - Pontine hematoma. A report of three surgically treated cases.
AB  - Untreated pontine hematoma is always fatal, while surgical evacuation is
      effective and safe. After surgical intervention, immediate improvement and full
      or nearly full recovery may be observed. In this report, three successfully
      removed pontine hematomas are presented. The cause of this pathological entity,
      surgical interventions and their results are discussed and cases reported in the
      literature are reviewed.

PMID- 1862676
TI  - Assessment of cerebral perfusion in EC-IC bypass patients.

PMID- 1862677
TI  - ["How it all came about". On the beginnings of current neurosurgery in Germany up
      to the beginning of the "Zentralblatt fur Neurochirurgie"].
AB  - Till the thirties of our century surgery of brain and spinal cord was done by
      general surgeons. At that time the activities of Ernst von Bergmann, Fedor Krause
      and the operative autodidact and Neurologist Otfried Foerster met with great
      response. These achievements, however, had no influence on the development and
      dissemination of Neurosurgery in Germany. The revolutionary work of Cushing
      concerning Neurosurgery had no effect on surgeons either. The results of the
      operative treatment of intracerebral tumors in Germany continued to be
      depressing. It's entirely the credit of Fritz Konig (Wurzburg) having caused the
      decisive change of this situation. He enabled his resident Wilhelm Tonnis to be
      educated by Herbert Olivecrona in his Department of Neurosurgery in Stockholm.
      After his return from Sweden the first independent Department of Neurosurgery was
      founded for Wilhelm Tonnis in Wurzburg. Wilhelm Tonnis tried to overcome the
      still existing opposition against the independence of Neurosurgery by the
      foundation of an own scientific journal. The "Zentralblatt fur Neurochirurgie"
      was founded in 1936 at the newspaper Publisher Ambrosius Barth, Leipzig. This
      "Zentralblatt fur Neurochirurgie" was the only scientific journal of the world
      till 1943. The consequences of war stopped its distribution abroad. This was the
      reason for the foundation of "The Journal of Neurosurgery" in 1944. Corresponding
      to its tradition the new beginning shall consolidate the scientific bond between
      all neurosurgeons of the world.

PMID- 1862678
TI  - [Ewing's sarcoma: literature review and presentation of 4 cases].
AB  - Ewing's sarcoma occurs most often in young males of caucasian type and affects
      the medio-diaphysis of a long bone of the lower extremity, the pelvis and the
      humerus. Radiologically there is bone destruction, onion skin appearance, a
      Codman triangle and extension into the surrounding soft tissues. Microscopically,
      this tumor is composed of small round cells and it can be differentiated from non
      Hodgkin lymphoma, metastatic neuroblastoma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Recent
      immunological studies suspect a neuroectodermal origin. Ewing's sarcoma growths
      rapidly and spreads to lung and other bone locations. Without treatment, survival
      at 5 years is less than 5%. The actual therapeutic approach is multidisciplinary
      including surgery, chemotherapy and if necessary radiotherapy. With this approach
      actual survival rates at 5 years reaches 75%.

PMID- 1862679
TI  - [Sleeve resection for bronchial carcinoid tumors: results in 13 patients with an
      average follow-up of 6 years].
AB  - In the period August 1974-April 1989 13 patients, 6 men and 7 women with a mean
      age of 36.9 years, underwent a sleeve resection for centrally located bronchial
      carcinoid tumours. Operations performed were: sleeve lobectomy of the right upper
      lobe 7; sleeve lobectomy of the left lower lobe 1; sleeve resection of the right
      main bronchus 2; sleeve resection of the left main bronchus 3. Five patients
      underwent preoperative laser therapy (from 1986 on). Histological diagnosis was
      typical carcinoid in all cases. Staging was T2N0M0 (stage I) in 7 patients and
      T3N0M0 (stage III A) in 6 patients. There was no perioperative mortality. During
      follow-up (mean 74.6 months) there was no late mortality and good results in 12
      patients without signs of recurrence or bronchial stenosis. One patient underwent
      a completion pneumonectomy 16 months postoperatively because of anastomotic
      stricture without evidence of tumour recurrency. With centrally located bronchial
      carcinoid tumours sleeve resections are preferred to more extensive resections.
      The salvage of functional lung tissue in these generally young patients is
      important. The excellent short and long-term results substantiate this policy.

PMID- 1862680
TI  - Supraceliac aorta-to-femoral artery bypass: a case report.
AB  - The authors describe the technique of the supraceliac aorta-to-femoral artery
      bypass graft. This type of reconstruction is presented as a possible alternative
      in patients with relative contraindications to direct approach of the infrarenal
      abdominal aorta.

PMID- 1862681
TI  - [2 cases of duodenal duplication].
AB  - Two cases of duodenal duplication are reported. It is a rare disease and is found
      commonly during infancy. Symptoms of partial duodenal obstruction are dominating
      the clinical picture. Upper gastrointestinal contrast radiography seems to be the
      best paraclinical examination. The surgical treatment is governed by the
      relationship of the cyst to the biliary and pancreatic ducts and the presence of
      ectopic gastric mucosa. If total resection of the cyst implicates a danger of
      injury to the common bile duct and the head of the pancreas and when one is
      tempted to perform a cystoenterostomy, the authors insist on the necessity to
      detect the presence of ectopic gastric mucosa by fluid pH determination and
      frozen section biopsy of the cyst wall. The presence of ectopic gastric mucosa
      requires a total resection of the cyst.

PMID- 1862682
TI  - [Cystic formations of the mesentery. Apropos a case report of a pseudocyst of the
      lesser omentum].
AB  - Mesenteric cysts are rare intraabdominal tumors in surgical pathology. Their
      etiology has been subject to much discussion. Symptoms are variable and depend on
      specific complications. Localisation in the gastro-hepatic mesentery is uncommon
      and has been reported only in two previous issues. We describe a new case with
      literature review.

PMID- 1862683
TI  - Actinomycosis of the ano-rectum: a rare infectious disease mimicking
      carcinomatosis.
AB  - Abdominal actinomycosis is an infectious disease caused by Actinomyces israeli, a
      usual germ of the gastro intestinal tract. It gives unusual tumoral lesions with
      abcesses and fistulas. More rarely is abdominal actinomycosis at the end of the
      abdominal tube. Cope in 1949 said: "Actinomycosis occurs so seldom in the colon
      and the rectum that no surgeon, even if he be a proctologist is likely in a life
      time to see more than a few cases" (4). An anorectal actinomycosis case that
      looked like rectal cancer is reported. It was treated successfully by surgery and
      antibiotherapy. Some anatomopathologic and mainly histologic characteristics lead
      to the diagnosis. General and pathological aspects, symptoms, diagnosis,
      differential diagnosis and therapy of anorectal actinomycosis are discussed.

PMID- 1862684
TI  - Fatty acid binding to serum albumin in type I insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - Equilibria of binding of long-chain fatty acids to albumin in sera from type I
      diabetic patients and healthy adults were studied by dialysis exchange rate
      determinations and described by, p*, the reserve albumin concentration for
      binding of fatty acid, C*/p*, the total availability of fatty acids, where C* is
      the total concentration of non-esterified fatty acid, and L*, the fatty acid
      binding property of albumin, which is L* = p*/P + 0.05 C*/P, where P is the
      albumin concentration. Studies in samples from 81 diabetic patients and 99
      healthy adults showed that availability of fatty acids increased with increasing
      fatty acid concentrations, equally in the two groups. Some diabetics had higher
      fatty acid concentrations, and thus higher fatty acid availabilities, than the
      normals. It is shown that the fatty acid binding property of serum albumin is
      individually variable, ranging about the same mean value in normal and diabetic
      persons but with a larger variation in the latter. The fatty acid binding
      property of albumin in serum, L*, and sixteen clinical parameters were measured
      in 42 of the 81 diabetic patients. Regression analysis indicated that L* was
      correlated to serum cholesterol concentration (probability of 0-hypothesis, p =
      0.01) and to serum triglyceride concentration (p = 0.05). Values of L* were
      slightly correlated to age, age on diagnosis, duration, Body Mass Index (BMI),
      diastolic blood pressure, albumin excretion rate, serum creatinine concentration,
      and serum non-esterified fatty acid concentration with p-values varying from 0.10
      to 0.50. For sex, retinopathy, hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, daily
      insulin dose, and blood glucose concentration no correlation to L* was found, p
      values ranging from 0.56 to 0.96. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of serum albumin
      did not decrease binding affinity for fatty acid in vitro.

PMID- 1862685
TI  - Diabetic autonomic neuropathy.
AB  - One of the earliest manifestations of diabetic neuropathy is denervation of the
      cardiovascular system; loss of heart rate variability may have a prevalence as
      high as 21.5% in diabetic patients, and declines at 1 beat/min/year, which is 3
      times faster than in normal subjects. The cause of this neuropathy is unknown:
      attempts at decreasing the excess quantities of sorbitol, glucose and fructose in
      nerve tissue have lead to little functional improvement in man. Nerve ischaemia
      and immunological damage have stimulated increased interest lately, the latter
      particularly because of the structural homology of nerve growth factor and
      insulin. Symptoms from autonomic neuropathy are rare. When present they may well
      be intermittent, but never remit; they rarely progress or become disabling. One
      uncommon consequente of loss of sympathetic vascular tone is postural
      hypotension. This may result from failure of splanchnic vasoconstriction on
      standing. Food and insulin can greatly exacerbate the postural blood pressure
      fall. Reduced vascular tone in the neuropathic foot leads to increased arterio
      venous shunt flow. The local reflex control of this shunt flow is also abnormal:
      paradoxical vasoconstriction occurs in response to local skin heating and
      postural reflexes are reduced. This high shunt flow together with its abnormal
      vascular control may be important in the pathogenesis of neuroarthropathy and
      foot ulceration. The prognosis of patients with autonomic neuropathy is better
      than previously reported. Abnormal heart rate variability alone is of no
      prognostic value. The presence of symptoms, in particular postural hypotension,
      significantly reduces survival. The majority of deaths however, result from
      concurrent renal disease and macrovessel atheroma.

PMID- 1862686
TI  - Tryptophan content in serum and brain of long-term insulin-treated diabetic rats.
AB  - The metabolism of tryptophan (TRP) was studied in diabetic and insulin-treated
      diabetic rats throughout a five-month period. In alloxan diabetic rats the serum
      and brain TRP levels were decreased (serum: 38 to 48 mmol/l, brain: 8.6 to 9.2
      mmol/g) in comparison to the values of control rats (serum: 59 to 64 mmol/l,
      brain: 11.3 to 12.6 mmol/g). Daily long-term (for 45, 75, 90 or 135 days)
      treatment with intermediately acting insulin (4 IU/rat, s.c.) was not able to
      restore brain concentration of TRP. On the contrary, the serum TRP concentrations
      were totally or partially restored. The concentrations of branched chain amino
      acids (BCAA) were increased in serum (valine = 361.2 to 461.0 mumol/l or leucine
      + isoleucine = 431.0 to 520.3 mumol/l) throughout the entire five-month
      examination period. Insulin treatment did not return serum concentration of BCAA
      to normal level in the observation period either.

PMID- 1862687
TI  - Determination of serum fructosamine from capillary blood samples.

PMID- 1862689
TI  - Association of hyperglycemia with dietary cyanogen and socio-economic level. The
      study of rural communities in south-east Nigeria.
AB  - An association of asymptomatic hyperglycemia with dietary cyanogens and socio
      economic level was ascertained in 2,000 volunteers in rural communities in South
      East Nigeria. The staples of the poor consisted of one or two bulky carbohydrate
      meals (derivatives of different species of cocoyam, cassava, yam and maize) eaten
      with vegetable soup in palm oil, melon seeds, snail, occasional meat and fish.
      The diet of the high income class included also beans, rice and more animal
      proteins. Alcohol (mainly palm wine) was consumed only occasionally. The subjects
      were divided into male and female and were age-matched into various age groups.
      Anthropometric data of each subject was obtained alongside the family history and
      socio-economic status. The subjects were further divided into low income vis-a
      vis high income groups. All the subjects were normal volunteers, ambulatory,
      asymptomatic and free from chronic or acute illness. The fasting capillary whole
      blood glucose (FBG) and 2-h blood glucose following a 75 g oral glucose tolerance
      test (OGTT) of each subject were measured. The body mass index (BMI) and dental
      caries scoring of each subject were also determined. The FBG levels and 2-h blood
      glucose following OGTT were significantly elevated in all subjects particularly
      in the low income groups except in the under 18-year group. The increases were
      observed in males and females although glucose levels were lower in the female
      age group. However, diagnosis of impaired glucose tolerance according to WHO
      criteria was present in both income groups. The BMI increased as the age
      increased particularly in the low income groups. There was a strong relationship
      between age, FBG, IGT and dental caries, respectively in the population. It is
      concluded that there was strong relationship between poverty, asymptomatic
      hyperglycemia, and impaired glucose tolerance in the area where cyanogen in diet
      was higher while there was marginal animal protein in the diet of the poor.

PMID- 1862688
TI  - Selective stimulation of insulin secretion by CCK-4 analogues having N-terminal
      modifications.
AB  - Synthetic analogues of CCK-4 in which Trp was replaced by D-Pro (peptide I), Thz
      (peptide II) and delta Pro (peptide III) have been studied for their insulin and
      glucagon releasing activities from the islets of Langerhans in vitro. Peptide I
      has been found to be the most potent insulin releaser among the three analogues
      and its activity is comparable to that of CCK-4. Unlike CCK-4, its three
      analogues (peptides I-III) do not stimulate the release of glucagon with basal
      concentration of glucose in the medium. However, with increasing glucose
      concentration, all the three analogues potentiate the glucose stimulus for
      insulin release.

PMID- 1862690
TI  - Urinary excretion of glycated albumin in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with
      normal urinary albumin excretion.
AB  - Glycation involves both circulating proteins, such as albumin, and structural
      proteins, such as the components of the glomerular basement membrane. A
      preferential excretion of glycated albumin (more anionic at physiological pH
      compared with unmodified plasma albumin) has been reported by some authors, but
      not by others. We therefore investigated the selectivity index (renal clearance
      of non-glycated albumin/clearance of glycated albumin) in 25 insulin-dependent
      diabetic patients with normal urinary albumin excretion and in 19 well-matched
      control subjects. The selectivity index was significantly higher in diabetic
      patients than in control subjects: 1.38 +/- 0.05 SEM vs 0.98 +/- 0.02, p less
      than 0.0001. This result is not consistent with a preferential urinary excretion
      of glycated albumin, at least in normoalbuminuric uncomplicated insulin-dependent
      diabetic patients.

PMID- 1862691
TI  - Insulin requirement of simple and complex carbohydrate foods in type 1 (insulin
      dependent) CSII-treated diabetic subjects, obtained by biostator. Correlation
      with glycaemic index.
AB  - The aim of this work was to observe whether different types of carbohydrates
      might require different insulin doses. Five type 1 CSII-treated diabetic subjects
      (age 39 +/- 4 years), C-peptide negative and in optimal metabolic control (HbA1c
      7.5 +/- 0.2) were selected for the study. They were connected to the Biostator 6
      times with an interval of 4-10 days between sessions and fed a meal containing 75
      g of carbohydrates of different types: bread, pasta, potatoes, apples, oranges
      and sucrose. The following net (above basal) insulin requirement for the 30 meals
      were found (IU - mean + SD): bread 9.15 +/- 1.97; pasta 6.00 +/- 1.37; potatoes
      7.05 +/- 2.58; apples 4.54 +/- 1.42; oranges 6.21 +/- 2.62; sucrose 7.83 +/-
      2.33. A statistically significant difference was found by ANOVA among insulin
      requirements for foods (p less than 0.05). Single comparisons between bread and
      the other foods showed a statistically significant difference only between bread
      and apple (p less than 0.05). Mean coefficient of variation was 33.9% for the
      subjects and 30.7% for the meals. A significant correlation was found between
      Jenkins' glycaemic index and insulin requirement (r = 0.897; p less than 0.001).
      In conclusion, the high intraindividual variability of insulin requirement does
      not advice the use of the glycaemic index during optimized insulin therapy.

PMID- 1862692
TI  - Anthropometric studies in diabetes in the Tropics.
AB  - Anthropometric studies were carried out in three groups of diabetics seen in
      southern India, namely fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) (n = 49) (a
      subtype of malnutrition related diabetes), insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
      (IDDM) (n = 55) and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (n = 104).
      Both FCPD and IDDM had significantly lower body mass index, skinfold thickness
      (triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac), mid-arm circumference and fat mass
      compared to controls and NIDDM patients, (p less than 0.001 for all parameters).
      FCPD and IDDM males did not show any significant differences in any of the
      anthropometric parameters studied. Among the females, FCPD had lower triceps
      skinfold measurements (p = 0.007) and mid-arm circumferences (p less than 0.05)
      compared to IDDM patients. Patients with NIDDM did not show any significant
      difference compared to the control group. This study shows that both FCPD and
      IDDM patients have lower body mass and fat mass compared to NIDDM patients and
      control subjects.

PMID- 1862693
TI  - Plasma lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in insulin-dependent and young non
      insulin-dependent Arab women.
AB  - Plasma lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins (apo) were analysed in 30 young
      Arab IDDM and 50 young insulin-requiring NIDDM women. The mean age of IDDM and
      NIDDM groups was 20.2 and 34.5 years, and mean duration of diabetes was 5.7 and
      4.6 years, respectively. Two groups of 40 and 60 healthy women (matched for age
      and BMI) provided corresponding control groups. In comparison with control
      subjects, diabetics showed marked increases in the following parameters: total
      cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total triglycerides
      (TG), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides, phospholipids, apoB, LDL
      apoB, glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as well as the ratios of total
      cholesterol/high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol/HDL
      cholesterol, LDL cholesterol/high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, LDL
      cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, LDL cholesterol/high density lipoprotein 2 (HDL2)
      cholesterol and apoB/apoAI. Plasma LCAT activity, concentrations of HDL3 apoAI
      and apoAII in plasma and lipoprotein fractions were normal in both the diabetic
      groups. Levels of C-peptide, HDL, HDL2 and HDL3 cholesterol, plasma apoAI, HDL
      apoAI and HDL2 apoAI were markedly decreased in the diabetic groups as compared
      to their corresponding controls. There was no significant correlation between
      fasting glucose or HbA1c and any of the above parameters. Despite insulin therapy
      in both the diabetic groups studied, abnormalities in lipids, apoB and apoAI
      still persisted. Our data suggest a possible higher risk of atherosclerosis in
      these patients.

PMID- 1862694
TI  - The effects of bilio-jejunal diversion on streptozotocin diabetes in the rat.
AB  - Previous experimental indications that the internal biliary diversion (IBD),
      consisting in bilio-jejunal anastomosis, provokes an increase in glucose
      tolerance in healthy rats provide the basis for testing the hypothesis that this
      surgical procedure is capable of correcting pharmacologically-induced diabetes
      mellitus. To this object, the carbohydrate metabolism of an experimental group of
      six rats suffering from streptozotocin diabetes and treated with IBD (Lambert
      prosthetic choledoco-jejunostomy) was studied and compared with that of three
      control groups: normal, diabetic without surgery and diabetic with sham-surgery.
      Carbohydrate metabolism, assessed during 60-day period by means of specific tests
      (basal and fasting blood glucose and insulin, glucose tolerance and insulin
      sensitivity), demonstrated that the IBD provokes a definitive remission, either
      total or partial, of the artificial diabetes mellitus. The results lead to the
      hypothetical explanation that diversion of bile flow from the duodenum to the
      proximal jejunum activates the 'entero-insular axis', specifically by
      potentiating the B-cell stimulating effect of the so-called enteric hormone
      'incretin'.

PMID- 1862695
TI  - Factors for development of secondary failure to sulfonylurea drugs in non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Thirty-five non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects were divided into two groups,
      according to therapeutical approach. The first group consisted of 17 diabetics
      receiving sulfonylureas and maintaining a satisfactory metabolic control. The
      second group included 18 patients who were transferred from sulfonylureas to
      insulin treatment, i.e. patients developing secondary failure to sulfonylurea
      drugs. We established that the patients with secondary failure to sulfonylurea
      drugs show a significantly lower B-cell secretory response following stimulation
      with i.v. tolbutamide, a significantly lower peripheral insulin sensitivity by
      euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, and an increased frequency of HLAB21 and
      HLADR1 antigens. This latter study was performed in 42 patients. We thus conclude
      that in these patients diabetes mellitus may be considered as a separate form of
      the disease, which needs reevaluation of the criteria concerning therapeutical
      approach, prognosis, and evolution.

PMID- 1862696
TI  - Serum lipids, microalbuminuria and metabolic control in diabetic children.
AB  - In order to analyse the role of long-term metabolic control on serum lipids of
      diabetic children, the authors studied 61 diabetics for a period of time of 18
      months. The age of the patients ranged from 7.2 to 19.5 years; the patients were
      divided into two groups according to the presence of albumin excretion rate more
      than 15 micrograms/min: group A 46 children with albumin excretion rate less than
      15 micrograms/min; group B 15 children with albumin excretion rate more than 15
      micrograms/min. During the study, all the patients improved the quality of
      metabolic control but only in the diabetics of group A serum cholesterol and
      triglycerides levels fell significantly. The patients of group B did not modify
      their serum lipids concentrations in spite of the improvement of metabolic
      control. This study suggests that in the diabetic children with microalbuminuria
      it is difficult to normalize the lipid abnormalities by means of optimized
      insulin conventional therapy.

PMID- 1862697
TI  - [Recent parameters for diagnosis of challenging thyroid gland disorders:
      consequences for diagnosis and therapy].
AB  - The recognition of the peripheral state of thyroid hormones is often disturbed by
      factors like pharmacological interferences or non-thyroidal illness, especially
      borderline hyperthyroidism may often be misjudged. Some serological parameters
      like the measurement of sex hormone binding globulin, precollagen-peptid I and
      III, osteocalcin, angiotensin converting enzyme and fibronectin are often
      elevated in such states and can indicate thyrotoxicosis of certain tissues. Such
      thyrotoxicosis-like alterations can be shown also in TSH-suppressive therapy with
      levothyroxine. In contrast to early publications there is obviously only a minor
      influence of levothyroxine treatment on bone metabolism, where a decrease of bone
      mass is less probable. Recent developments of sensitive and specific
      modifications in estimating antibodies against thyroidal peroxydase in
      recognizing thyroid autoimmune disease and of thyroglobulin in the follow-up of
      differentiated thyroid cancer are becoming important tools in clinical medicine.

PMID- 1862699
TI  - [Iodine containing drugs and thyroid gland function. A diagnostic and therapeutic
      problem].
AB  - Iodine-induced thyroid dysfunction will become more important in Austria in the
      near future, because of the augmentation of the iodine content in salt in 1990.
      This review therefore tries to summarize the diagnostic and therapeutic problems
      that may arise in iodine-induced thyroid disease. After discussion of the
      physiologic reaction of the normal thyroid to iodine the most frequently used
      iodine-containing drugs used in Austria are presented. Special emphasis is laid
      on iodine containing antiseptics and on the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone. The
      influence of iodine supplementation on the reaction of diseased thyroid glands to
      iodine overload is stressed. The diagnosis of iodine induced thyroid dysfunction
      is relatively simple, once it is thought of. Amiodarone-iodine induced thyroid
      disease may be an exception, because of the intrinsic effect of this drug on
      thyroid hormone metabolism. Since high intra-thyroidal iodine content inhibits
      the action of thyrostatics, therapy of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism may be
      complicated. Alternative possibilities such as cortisone, perchlorate or surgery
      in thyroid storm are presented. Substitution with 1-thyroxine in iodine-induced
      hypothyroidism may be harmful in elderly patients with cardiac problems. In
      conclusion, this review tries to present the state of the art of the solution of
      diagnostic and therapeutic problems in thyroid dysfunction due to iodine
      administration.

PMID- 1862698
TI  - [In vitro effects and possible clinical relevance of interleukin 3].
AB  - Cytokines are mainly produced by monocytes and lymphocytes and influence a broad
      spectrum of physiological processes within the hematopoietic and the immune
      system. Clinical trials have mainly been initiated with a subgroup of cytokines
      namely the hematopoietic growth factors. Interleukin 3 (IL-3) was recently
      introduced into phase I and II trials. This factor was also termed "multipoietin"
      because of its ability to stimulate in vitro the hematopoietic stem cell and thus
      all three hematopoietic cell lines. The latest in vivo data, however, demonstrate
      that IL-3 stimulates leukopoiesis and megakaryopoieis with only marginal effects
      on erythropoiesis. In large clinical trials the therapeutic effect of this factor
      is investigated in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Further indications
      will be other primary bone marrow failures and aplasia caused by bone marrow
      transplantation, aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Potential applications
      offered by combinations with other cytokines can hardly be foreseen.

PMID- 1862700
TI  - 1991--75th anniversary AARN. Our history--a proud heritage 1975-1979.

PMID- 1862701
TI  - Rheological properties of middle ear mucus in relation to goblet cell population
      in cat.
AB  - Seventeen mucoid middle ear effusions were collected from the tympanic cavity of
      15 cats 1 or 2 weeks after tubal obstruction. Middle ear mucosa was also taken
      both from the tympanic cavity and bulla, and the number of goblet cells was
      counted. Both elasticity (G') viscosity (eta') of the mucoid effusion were
      determined with an oscillating sphere magnetic rheometer and compared with goblet
      cell count. There was a significant correlation between G' and goblet cell
      population in the tympanic cavity. A similar significant correlation was observed
      between eta' and goblet cells. The G' and eta' values of the mucoid mucus were
      much higher than the optimal viscoelasticity for mucociliary transport. Results
      indicate that the mucus obtained in this study mainly originated from the goblet
      cells, and that its viscoelasticity was beyond ideal values for mucociliary
      transport.

PMID- 1862702
TI  - Rheological and biochemical properties of middle ear effusions from experimental
      otitis media in cats.
AB  - Both rheological and biochemical analyses were performed on middle ear effusions
      (MEEs) from cats with experimental otitis media with effusions (OME) induced by
      obstruction of the Eustachian tube. This study was undertaken in order to clarify
      the factors determining rheological properties (elasticity and viscosity) of
      MEEs. The viscoelasticity of the effusions had a positive significant correlation
      to fucose/total protein concentration (TPC), and a negative correlation to
      cathepsin B level/TPC. No correlation was observed between albumin level/TPC and
      viscoelasticity. These results indicate that in cats the rheological properties
      of MEEs depend on the level of secretory glycoproteins in MEEs and on the
      severity of inflammation in the early stage after tubal obstruction.

PMID- 1862703
TI  - The relationship between proteases activity and glycoprotein levels in middle ear
      effusions from experimental otitis media in cats.
AB  - The relationship between lysosomal proteases activity (elastase and cathepsin B)
      and levels of mucous glycoproteins in middle ear effusions (MEEs) was studied
      using a cat model of otitis media with effusion (OME) induced by Eustachian tube
      obstruction (ETO). The ratio of cathepsin B activity to total protein
      concentration (TPC) in MEE was 25.6 +/- 19.4 RFU/g x dl-1 at 1 week after ETO,
      and increased with the duration of OME. The ratio of elastase activity to TPC had
      a significant correlation to total leukocyte count. The ratio of fucose levels to
      TPC, which is one of the parameters reflecting levels of mucous glycoprotein, at
      1 week after ETO was significantly higher than that at both 2 and 4 weeks after
      ETO. The percentage of glycoprotein levels absorbed to wheat germ lectin was
      highest at 1 week after ETO, and decreased with the duration of OME. In
      conclusion, mucous glycoproteins in cat occupy a larger portion of glycoproteins
      in MEE at the early stage of OME, and elastase and other lysosomal proteases may
      play a role in both stimulation of mucin release from goblet cells and mucin
      degradation. The balance of these processes seems to be a key factor determining
      mucin levels in MEEs.

PMID- 1862704
TI  - Effects of endotoxin and neutrophil lysate on experimental otitis media with
      effusion in cats.
AB  - Middle ear effusion (MEE) from otitis media with effusion (OME) contains large
      amounts of chemical mediators and substances from bacteria, which may act on the
      mucosa itself and cause further changes in the inflamed mucosa and MEE. To
      clarify the effects of such substances in MEE, we instilled endotoxin (LPS) or
      allogeneic neutrophil lysate (NL) into the middle ear cavity of OME induced by
      Eustachian tube obstruction (ETO). ETO + LPS and ETO + NL groups showed retention
      of a large amount of MEE as a characteristic difference between ETO alone group
      and these groups. The instillation of LPS into the middle ear cavity of the ETO
      model significantly increased the number of total cells and the ratio of the
      concentrations of albumin to total protein in MEEs. The instillation of NL
      significantly increased the number of goblet cells in the middle ear. These facts
      indicate that the pathology of OME may change in response to various factors
      added to MEE. Hence, we propose that a vicious circle of self-mediated
      inflammation is a possible causative factor for chronic OME.

PMID- 1862705
TI  - A quantitative study of the ciliary area of experimental otitis media with
      effusion in cats.
AB  - A quantitative electron microscopic study was performed to determine the extent
      of the ciliary surface area of the middle ear epithelium in cats. In normal cats,
      97.8% of the middle ear mucosa in the hypotympanum and 45.9% in the upper part of
      the bulla were covered by cilia. Eustachian tube obstruction (ETO) significantly
      reduced the ciliary area to 73.1% in the hypotympanum and to 16.2% in the upper
      part of bulla at 1 week after ETO. Instillation of Escherichia coli
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or cat polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) lysate into the
      middle ear cavity followed by ETO did not reduce the ciliary area, compared with
      ETO induced alone. Our results indicate that ETO reduces the ciliary area of the
      middle ear mucosa and that LPS or neutrophils do not enhance reduction of the
      ciliary area compared to ETO induced alone in this experimental condition.

PMID- 1862708
TI  - A light and electron microscopical study of membranocystic lesions in a case of
      lupus erythematosus profundus.
AB  - A light and electron microscopical study on membranocystic lesions (MCL) in a
      case of lupus erythematosus profundus (LEP) is reported. The patient was a 16
      year-old female who presented with subcutaneous nodules on both upper arms. The
      light microscopic features were consistent with LEP, and the result of an
      immunofluorescence band test supported this diagnosis. A peculiar finding in this
      case was MCL in the subcutaneous tissue. Ultrastructurally, these were thin
      membranes without a tubular structure and tortuous thick membranes composed of
      minute tubules. The lesions were very similar to the fatty tissue changes in
      membranous lipodystrophy. On the other hand, the basement membranes of the blood
      vessels were thickened and multilayered, and the lumina were narrowed by
      endothelial swelling and thickening of the vessel wall. Our findings suggest that
      the MCL in LEP result from circulatory disturbance of the fat tissue.

PMID- 1862707
TI  - Paired twisted filaments in human pinealocytes.
AB  - Paired twisted filaments (PTF) have been confirmed and described
      ultrastructurally in the normal human pineal gland for the first time. The PTF
      showed a peculiar double helical structure, measuring 12 to 25 nm in maximal
      helix width with a half-periodicity of 30 to 35 nm (periodicity of the
      constrictions). Each filament was about 10 nm wide. The PTF formed parallel
      aggregates in the perikaryotic cytoplasm of the pinealocytes. In 8 of 12
      autopsied middle-aged to elderly individuals, the PTF were present in a small
      proportion of pinealocytes. The identity of the PTF remains unclear in terms of
      their apparent similarity to the paired helical filaments observed previously in
      aged rats. However, the age distribution of individuals with PTF suggests that
      the intermediate filaments of human pinealocytes are more susceptible to early
      deterioration during aging than those of other cerebral neurons.

PMID- 1862706
TI  - Detection of burst-promoting activity in spleens of myeloproliferative sarcoma
      virus-infected mice using serum-free cultures.
AB  - Myeloproliferative syndrome was induced in adult DBA/2 mice by inoculation with
      myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV) and Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV)
      as a helper virus. On day 26 after infection, the spleen weighed a maximum of 2.0
      g (about 30 times the control weight). Assay of multipotent stem cells in vitro
      showed that the more enlarged spleens contained an increased number and
      concentration of mixed colony-forming units (CFU-mix) (at maximum, 11 times
      higher than the control). When the supernatant of cultured spleen cells was added
      to a serum-free bone marrow cell culture with or without erythropoietin (Epo) for
      detection of burst-promoting activity (BPA), it enhanced erythroid mixed colony
      (E-mix) formation only in the presence of Epo (p less than 0.05). Even when
      addition of Epo was delayed, it still induced a significant number of E-mix (p
      less than 0.05). These findings rule out a mimic effect of Epo resembling BPA and
      indicate the presence of BPA in the spleen. The culture supernatant also
      supported the proliferation of interleukin 3 (IL-3)-dependent 32Dcl cells.
      Therefore, although purification of the BPA substance has not yet been
      accomplished, BPA in the supernatant seems to depend on the presence of IL-3,
      which is known to be one of the factors stimulating multipotent hemopoietic stem
      cells. The presence of BPA- or CFU-mix-stimulating activity in the spleen after
      infection might be responsible for the development of panmyelosis, which is a
      characteristic of MPSV-induced myeloproliferative syndrome.

PMID- 1862709
TI  - Paraganglioma of the cauda equina. A case report and review of the literature.
AB  - A case of paraganglioma of the cauda equina is reported. The patient was a 55
      year-old Japanese woman who complained of lower back pain and gradual weakening
      of the left lower extremity, she was diagnosed as having a spinal cord tumor, and
      the tumor was removed surgically. Histologically, the tumor was encapsulated, and
      consisted of solid nests of large, polyhedral epithelioid cells with abundant
      eosinophilic cytoplasm. The nests were separated from each other by a thin
      fibrovascular stroma. Grimelius staining revealed neurosecretory granules in the
      cytoplasm of the tumor cells. This was further confirmed by electron microscopic
      observation. The tumor cells were immunohistochemically positive for neuron
      specific enolase (NSE), but negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).
      On the basis of the histologic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic
      features of the tumor cells, the tumor was diagnosed as paraganglioma. The cauda
      equina is a rare location for this type of tumor, and only a limited number of
      cases have been reported.

PMID- 1862710
TI  - Primary osteosarcoma of the ovary. A case report.
AB  - A case of primary osteosarcoma arising in the left ovary of a 75-year-old female
      is described. The chief complaint was a sensation of lower abdominal mass. An
      abdominal plain film showed a large calcified mass in pelvic region, and a
      preoperative diagnosis of "ovarian fibroma" was made. The excised tumor was
      divided into 4 pieces, resembling an oyster shell. Microscopically, the tumor
      fragments were composed of compact bone or woven bone with surrounding atypical
      osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The tumor was partly composed of numerous spindle
      cells with malignant osteoid or atypical chondroid formation, and diagnosed as
      "osteosarcoma". The cystic part of the lesion was lined with a single layer of
      columnar cells, but the tumor contained no other germ elements or stem cells, or
      malignant epithelium. Therefore, it is doubtful that this tumor originated from
      teratoma or malignant mixed mesodermal tumor, and we conclude that this ovarian
      osteosarcoma arose through a neoplastic change in ovarian stromal cells. The
      patient died 4 months after surgery due to intra-abdominal and intrathoracic
      dissemination of the tumor.

PMID- 1862711
TI  - [Bioethics and mental health: reflections for Latin Americans].

PMID- 1862712
TI  - [Epidemiologic bases of mental health programs for violent behavior].
AB  - This article reviews the "case for action" for mental health programs on violent
      behavior. Mortality statistics for the region of the Americas show that the
      potential years of life lost due to violent behavior-related causes of death are
      of higher magnitude than those due to malignancies and intestinal infections. The
      impact of deaths associated to violent behavior is discussed from the perspective
      of the grief process and the post-traumatic reactions in the survivors. The
      possible role of mental health professionals in the prevention of some types of
      violent behavior and its consequences is indicated.

PMID- 1862714
TI  - [Conflict resolution: a new perspective].
AB  - The field of conflict resolution has been focusing on certain implicit postulates
      related to the nature of three central concepts, namely: communication, conflict,
      and change. The present paper "undermines" so to speak, these three concepts by
      demonstrating the positivistic basis the field of conflict resolution features,
      even though recent contributions challenge such basis. A poststructural
      perspective on communication, conflict, and change is proposed as an alternative
      able to generate new tools and techniques for research as well as intervention in
      conflicts.

PMID- 1862715
TI  - [Review of the concept of personality deterioration in schizophrenia].
AB  - Thirty-two patients suffering from schizophrenia (according to DSM-III, and
      chronic evolution characteristics, have been studied for 10 years. All of them
      presented signs of schizophrenic deterioration. They had been institutionalized
      for five years at least, with no leave at all. Some trends of psychiatry
      highlighting schizophrenic deterioration as an irreversible residual phenomenon
      are referred to as well as the biological studies relating causitively
      deterioration to atrophic alterations of the brain. During research, combined
      features from both therapeutic, and rehabilitation techniques were administered
      to the population under study, namely: Individual Psychotherapy, Family
      Psychotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and biological treatments. Nine patients
      presented a paranoidical form of schizophrenia; 6, a disorganized form; 4, an
      indifferenciated form; 5, a residual form, and 5, a catatonic form. Close to the
      end of research, 22 patients were given their discharge certificate after
      recovery; two were discharged but came back to hospital for short admissions;
      four are still institutionalized with no improvement foreseen; two are still
      institutionalized, however at a rehabilitation stage. Finally, two patients
      passed away during research. It is the author's contention that these results
      show a symptomatic variability determining that 70% of cases considered as
      clinical observations are intended to be construed as a dynamic phenomenon--and
      not as a static-crystallized one.

PMID- 1862713
TI  - [Biomedicine and quality of life: a theoretical analysis].
AB  - The notions of illness (subjective feeling), disease (technical labelling), and
      sickness (social evaluation) are used for highlighting the fact that they
      constitute semantic spaces which may not coincide. Several factors explain the
      predominance of biomedical thinking, which must be construed as a cultural system
      in order to permit an appraisal of its values and weaknesses in relation to other
      systems such as popular, and folk systems. Quality of life as a research area
      emphasizes the illness side of the health care system, and may be defined as a
      tension between expectations and results. It is pointed out that a sound health
      care system should strive for a comprehensive multidimensionality integrating
      technical, personal, and social points of view.

PMID- 1862717
TI  - [Immunological aspects of psychotic patients].
AB  - In one study on patients with thyroideopathies at Hospital Escuela, Tegucigalpa,
      Honduras, four patients were found with psychosis, and high values of
      antimicrosomal, and antithyroid globulin antibodies. In one control study, the
      presence of ATA is associated to a high incidence of family antecedents of
      immunological disease, thyroids, and mental diseases--especially schizophrenia.

PMID- 1862716
TI  - [Therapeutic approach to adolescent drug addicts].
AB  - Changes that the adolescent psychical structure undergoes--due to the very
      vicissitudes of this development stage--tend to promote, and favor acting out
      mechanisms (i.e. an alloplastic coping of conflicts), as a homeostatic resource.
      Hence, the risk for youths to abuse drugs as an internal equilibrium element is
      higher at that stage than it should be expected in adulthood. Owing to the
      complexity of such a phenomenon, it is suggested than both the understanding of
      the situation at stake as well as the therapeutic intervention among adolescents
      with drug abuse problems should focus on the multidisciplinary side. Three basic
      therapeutic approaches for the treatment of drug abusing adolescents--namely
      psychodynamic, medical, and psychosocial perspectives, respectively--are briefly
      commented, and illustrated with clinical vignettes.

PMID- 1862718
TI  - [Community intervention during economic disasters].
AB  - A political conflict forced banks to close down in Panama during March 1988.
      Thus, thousand of families were unable to meet their most basic needs during that
      lapse of time. This paper describes a community intervention program that was set
      up in the midst of such an economic disaster. That program emphasized mental
      health consultation techniques to help devising an effective organizational
      action as well as developing standards to determine needs, and a clear-cut two
      way communication with the affected families. The incidence of emotional disorder
      was assessed with the Self Report Questionnaire, and crisis intervention was
      offered to any people who should apply for it. Cognitive responses, coping
      behaviors, and social supports were also assessed. Results showed that those
      individuals excluded from a full participation in their culture were much more
      likely to develop emotional disorders. Finding that affected people showed a
      scarce self-help behavior was interpreted as a feature of the transcultural
      transaction between affected people, and professionals.

PMID- 1862719
TI  - [Acute and subacute catatonic syndromes with weight loss. Its favorable
      development with electroconvulsive therapy].
AB  - When following a malignant course, acute, sub-acute catatonias generally tend to
      cause bed-sores, loss of weight, and, within a few months, cachexia, ematiation,
      and marasmus. In general, they develop a periodical character provided they are
      adequately treated. What is more noteworthy in cachectic catatonias is a
      favorable reaction to electro convulsive therapy (ECT) which may be thus
      considered a principal indication for treatment. This paper presents the case of
      four catatonic patients with severe loss of weight, that remarkably improved with
      ECT.

PMID- 1862721
TI  - [Psychometrics of aggressiveness].

PMID- 1862720
TI  - [Marginal or cycloid psychoses and the Bender test].

PMID- 1862722
TI  - [A case of demonic possession in Chile in the XIX century: its implications for
      the development of the Chilean psychiatry].

PMID- 1862723
TI  - Mental rotation in perspective problems.
AB  - The present paper demonstrates that mental rotation as used in the processing of
      disoriented objects (Cooper and Shepard 1973) can also be used as an explanatory
      concept for the processing of perspective problems in which the task is to
      imagine how an environment will appear from another vantage point. In a cognitive
      map, subjects imagined an initial line of vision and subsequently processed a
      reorientation stimulus, requesting them to imagine a turn over 0, 45, 90, 135, or
      180 degrees. Time for a reorientation increased linearly with the size of the
      imaginary turn up to 135 degrees and decreased for turns of 180 degrees;
      apparently, about-faces were relatively easy to imagine. The increment of
      reorientation time between 0 and 135 degrees was larger for maps presented in
      unfamiliar orientations such as South-West up. Both the increment and the
      interaction with familiarity are consistent with an explanation in terms of
      mental rotation.

PMID- 1862724
TI  - Multi-stepping saccadic sequences in humans.
AB  - A number of paradigms are reported in which multi-stepping saccadic sequences
      (MSS) are reliably elicited in normal subjects. It was observed that MSS are
      consistently associated with a prolongation of the initial saccade latency.
      Further experiments show that this phenomenon is validated across a number of
      independent eye movement tasks. However, the probability of MSS occurring is
      reduced when temporal constraints are imposed on the latency of the response. An
      interpretation of these task-elicited MSS in terms of the neural mechanisms
      controlling voluntary saccades is proposed.

PMID- 1862725
TI  - Categorization and identification of simultaneous targets.
AB  - Early and late selection theories of visual attention disagree about whether
      identification occurs before or after selection. Studies showing the category
      effect, i.e., the time to detect a letter is hardly affected by the number of
      digits present in the display, are taken as evidence for late selection theories
      since these studies suggest parallel identification of all items in the display.
      As an extension of previous studies, in the present study two categorically
      different targets were presented simultaneously among a variable number of
      nontargets. Subjects were shown brief displays of two target letters among either
      2, 4 or 6 nontarget digits. Subjects responded 'same' when the two letters were
      identical and 'different' otherwise. Since the 'same-different' response reflects
      the combined outcome of the simultaneous targets, late-selection theory predicts
      that the time to match the target letters is independent of the number of
      nontarget digits. Alternatively, early-selection theory predicts a linear
      increase of reaction time with display size since the presence of more than one
      target disrupts parallel preattentive processing, leading to a serial search
      through all items in the display. The results provide evidence for the early
      selection view since reaction time increased linearly with the number of
      categorically different nontargets. A control experiment revealed that none of
      the alternative explanations could account for the display size effect.

PMID- 1862727
TI  - Concurrent verbal interference of right and left proximal and distal upper
      extremity tapping.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate crossed and uncrossed control of the
      proximal (upper arm and shoulder) and distal (lower arm and hand) musculature of
      the arms using the dual-task paradigm. Forty-one strongly right-handed men
      performed a tapping task using primarily the musculature of the upper or lower
      arms, with and without concurrent verbal processing demands. The results showed
      that the left distal region was distinguished from the other three effector
      locations by its relative insensitivity to the demands of the dual-task (verbal
      processing) condition. Rapid alternating movements of the left arm were
      functionally independent from the left index finger location in response to dual
      task demands. Dual verbal and tapping demands at this effector produced greater
      interference on both the primary and secondary task. The results preclude the
      attribution of interference effects to manual dominance factors alone. The
      results generally support anatomical accounts of increased ipsilateral control
      over left side arm but not hand movements. Neither the traditional cognitive
      hemispheric model nor the manual dominance hypothesis were adequate in accounting
      for the results. An alternative generalized capacity hypothesis was required to
      account for performance at the LE.

PMID- 1862726
TI  - Target--distractor separation and feature integration in visual attention to
      letters.
AB  - The interference produced by distractor letters diminishes with increasing
      distance from a target letter, as if the distractors fall outside an attentional
      spotlight focussed on the target (Eriksen and Eriksen 1974). We examine Hagenaar
      and Van der Heijden's (1986) claim that this distance effect is an acuity
      artefact. Feature integration theory (Treisman 1986) predicts that even when
      acuity is controlled for, distance effects should be found when interference is
      produced by conjoined distractor features (e.g. letter-identities), but not when
      interference arises from isolated distractor features (e.g. letter-strokes). The
      opposite pattern of results is found. A model is proposed in which both letter
      strokes and letter-identities are derived in parallel. The location of letter
      strokes can also be coded in parallel, but locating letter-identities may require
      the operation of attention.

PMID- 1862728
TI  - Hemispheric processing of global form, local form, and texture.
AB  - Hemispheric processing of global form, local form, and texture of hierarchical
      patterns composed of many, relatively small elements and patterns composed of
      few, relatively large elements was examined in two experiments, employing a
      Stroop-type paradigm. In experiment 1 subjects were instructed to attend either
      to the global or the local level of the pattern and to identify the form at the
      designated level. In experiment 2 subjects were to identify the global form or
      the texture. A right visual field (left hemisphere) advantage was obtained for
      detection of local form, and a left visual field (right hemisphere) advantage was
      obtained for detection of global form. When many-element patterns were processed
      in terms of global form and texture, the results failed to show reliable
      hemispheric differences. The results suggest that the hemispheres differ in their
      sensitivity to the relatively more global versus the relatively more local
      aspects of visual patterns which require focused attention (as in global/local
      form detection). When the task involved distributed attention (as in texture
      detection) no lateralized effects were observed.

PMID- 1862729
TI  - Peripheral visual changes and spatial attention.
AB  - Three experiments are reported investigating the attentional effects of
      peripheral visual changes. In agreement with previous work, experiment 1
      demonstrated facilitatory and inhibitory effects of a peripheral visual change on
      the latency of peripheral target detection. However, after a few minutes practice
      the facilitatory effect disappeared entirely. The inhibitory effect, though
      slightly reduced in later blocks, remained significant. Hence, the two effects
      are dissociable and not inter-dependent as argued by Maylor (1985). In
      experiments 2 and 3 the perceptual salience of the peripheral cue was
      manipulated. With a low energy, barely noticeable cue there was no reduction in
      either facilitation or inhibition as a function of practice. In contrast, the
      attentional effects of cues higher in energy tended to diminish with practice.
      Theoretical implications of these data are discussed.

PMID- 1862730
TI  - Efficacy and safety of alprazolam, imipramine and placebo in treating panic
      disorder. A Scandinavian multicenter study.
AB  - As part of the cross-national collaborative panic study, a double-blind
      comparison of alprazolam, imipramine and placebo was performed in Scandinavian
      outpatients with panic disorder according to DSM-III; 41 patients were randomly
      allocated to each drug. Doses were increased for 3 weeks to an average of about 6
      mg alprazolam, 150 mg imipramine and a corresponding number of placebo capsules,
      which were then given for 5 weeks. No more than supportive psychotherapy was
      given. Key symptoms were rated weekly. The drugs were tapered for 4 or 8 weeks
      and the patients were followed up for 6 months. Compliance at 3 weeks was 95% for
      alprazolam, 83% for imipramine and 88% for placebo; at 8 weeks 95% for
      alprazolam, 73% for imipramine and 46% for placebo. At 3 weeks plasma
      determination showed that the proportion taking diazepam outside the protocol was
      0% for alprazolam, 19% for imipramine and 31% for placebo; at 8 weeks the
      corresponding proportions were 3%, 11% and 16%. Intention-to-treat analysis
      showed that freedom from panic attacks was obtained for 68% with alprazolam, 61%
      with imipramine and 34% with placebo. Alprazolam was more effective than
      imipramine and placebo on anticipatory anxiety and phobic symptoms. Globally
      rated by physicians and patients, about 60% had complete remission with
      alprazolam and imipramine and 30% on placebo. At least partial remission was
      obtained in about 85% with alprazolam, 70% with imipramine and 40% with placebo.
      Alprazolam had a more rapid onset of action than imipramine on all symptoms. Side
      effects were generally mild, with a preponderance of drowsiness for alprazolam
      and anticholinergic effects for imipramine. Tapering was uneventful without
      significant discontinuation phenomena. During taper and follow-up, several
      patients in remission relapsed, leaving approximately 30% patients in complete
      remission in all groups. To obtain more stable improvement, either long-term drug
      treatment or combinations of drug treatment and psychotherapy should be
      evaluated.

PMID- 1862731
TI  - A trend analysis of changes during treatment of panic disorder with alprazolam
      and imipramine.
AB  - A total of 123 Scandinavian patients participated in a cross-national study of
      panic disorder. Twelve outcome measures, including number of panic attacks and
      phobias, have been used to describe changes in symptoms during treatment. This
      article gives a trend analysis of remission for each variable, analysing changes
      through the total period from baseline to week 8 and also changes in first and
      second half of this period, separately. Important differences between treatments
      are demonstrated. Alprazolam had an early effect on variables relating to panic
      attacks, such as severity of spontaneous attacks and avoidance, whereas
      imipramine showed a more delayed effect on global measures. Duration of illness,
      sex and the occurrence of depression in patients' history all affected the
      sequence of improvement.

PMID- 1862732
TI  - Characteristics of panic disorder patients responding to placebo.
AB  - Forty-one panic disorder patients receiving placebo were investigated in a double
      blind comparison of alprazolam, imipramine and placebo in panic disorder. A
      significantly higher drop-out rate was found in the placebo group than in the
      active treatment groups, but placebo response was found in 34% of the patients,
      defined as reduction of panic attacks to zero, and in 23%, defined as a score of
      greater than or equal to 8 on the Physician Global Improvement Scale (0-10
      points). Several predictors of response to placebo were found. The responders had
      fewer panic attacks than the nonresponders at baseline. They also reported less
      psychopathology and were less help-seeking than the nonresponders. The
      implications for psychopathology and possible response to psychotherapy among
      responders and nonresponders are discussed. It is hypothesized that the
      responders show more signs of realistic processing of internal and external
      stimuli and fewer signs of subjective distress than the nonresponders. Responders
      will therefore probably be more responsive to psychotherapy than nonresponders.

PMID- 1862733
TI  - Secondary depression in panic disorder: an indicator of severity with a weak
      effect on outcome in alprazolam and imipramine treatment.
AB  - Depressive symptoms are frequent in panic disorder. Among 123 Scandinavian
      patients participating in a placebo-controlled multicenter study of the efficacy
      of alprazolam and imipramine treatment in panic disorder, 21% and 23% fulfilled
      the DSM-III criteria of current and past major depressive episode, respectively,
      and 17% had dysthymia, even when melancholia and depressive episode with onset
      prior to the panic symptoms were excluded. According to a subscale of the
      Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) with higher validity than the full
      scale, 18% were classified as major depression and 57% as minor depression. A
      major finding was that patients with affective symptoms had higher scores on many
      psychopathological measures, including several Symptom Checklist-90 factors.
      Accordingly, secondary depression was suggested as an indicator of the severity
      of panic disorder. Depressed and nondepressed patients significantly improved on
      major outcome measures, but patients with current minor or major depression
      improved less. Although the sample was too small for detailed analysis of
      differences in drug efficacy, there was no indication that imipramine was more
      effective than alprazolam, considering scores on an HRSD subscale.

PMID- 1862734
TI  - Alprazolam, imipramine and placebo treatment of panic disorder: predicting
      therapeutic response.
AB  - Factors that predicted the outcome of drug treatment (alprazolam or imipramine)
      of panic disorder were studied in a sample of 123 Scandinavian patients
      participating in a multicenter placebo-controlled 8-week trial. The attrition
      rate was 95% for alprazolam, 73% for imipramine and 46% for placebo. For the
      intention-to-treat and 3-week-completer samples, drugs and anxiety symptoms at
      baseline were the best predictors of improvement on the Global Improvement Scale
      and on symptom scales focusing on panic attacks, phobic behavior and anticipatory
      anxiety. For completers of the 8-week trial, only baseline scores predicted
      outcome. Generally, more severe symptoms at baseline predicted a worse outcome. A
      subsample of patients had a marked placebo response. Avoidance, sex, age,
      childhood psychopathology and previous treatment experience had no or only a weak
      impact on the outcome. The relationship between panic disorder and mood disorder
      is presented elsewhere.

PMID- 1862735
TI  - Validation criteria for panic disorder as a nosological entity.
AB  - Panic disorder (DSM-III, DSM-III-R) has been thoroughly studied in recent years.
      The main evidence for panic disorder as a nosological entity is reviewed, to
      delineate some important questions for future research. Validation criteria
      include epidemiological, phenomenological, genetic, neurobiological,
      pharmacological and behavioral findings. Biological, behavioral and psychodynamic
      considerations on etiology, pathogenesis and treatment are presented.

PMID- 1862736
TI  - New York Academy pulmonary meeting--March 22, 1990.

PMID- 1862737
TI  - In vitro influence of ketoprofen on the proteoglycan metabolism of human normal
      and osteoarthritis cartilage.
AB  - We investigated the influences of ketoprofen on the proteoglycan (PG) turnover of
      human articular cartilage explants in three groups: normal young with a high
      basal PG synthesis, normal adult and osteoarthritis cartilage, both with a low
      basal PG synthesis. Ketoprofen had no influence on the mean PG synthesis rate of
      normal adult and OA cartilage after 4 days of culture nor on the cartilage PG
      content after 8 days of culture. There was no relation between the histological
      grade of OA and effects of ketoprofen. In normal young cartilage ketoprofen
      induced an increase of the PG synthesis rate when added to the culture in a
      concentration of 10(-4) M. No correlation existed between the effect of
      ketoprofen and the basal PG synthesis of normal cartilage.

PMID- 1862738
TI  - The anti-inflammatory activity of a low molecular weight component derived from
      the milk of hyperimmunized cows.
AB  - "Immune" milk has been utilized as a source of biologically active compounds for
      many years. In the present study, a low molecular weight fraction, isolated from
      the milk of dairy cows hyperimmunized with a multivalent bacterial vaccine
      (HIMF), has been evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity. Analysis was carried
      out using the rat hind-paw oedema assay. HIMF was shown to have a marked anti
      inflammatory effect in this model and carrageenin-induced oedema was suppressed
      by up to 80% in individual experiments. The agent was active following oral,
      subcutaneous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal or intravenous administration.
      Intravenous injection was particularly effective and amounts as small as 1 mg
      significantly reduced the inflammatory response to carrageenin. The experiments
      have established that milk from hyperimmunized cows contains a highly active anti
      inflammatory compound and form a basis for further studies, which will attempt to
      isolate and further characterize the active moiety.

PMID- 1862739
TI  - Modulation of exudate inflammation parameters in rat carrageenan-induced
      granuloma by modification of exudate iron levels.
AB  - We have used the carrageenan-induced pouch-granuloma in rats to investigate how
      changes in low-molecular-mass iron chelate levels in the exudate, induced by iron
      loading (iron-dextran) or chelation (desferrioxamine) influence cellular and
      systemic inflammatory parameters. In the iron-treated group we observed a rapid
      decrease in the number of leukocytes and exudate volume; there was also an
      increase in ferritin iron and low-molecular-mass iron chelates, and on the eighth
      day a systemic response. In the desferrioxamine-treated group we detected a
      decrease in low-molecular-mass iron chelates, ferritin iron, and an increase in
      the number of leukocytes. We describe the protective effects of desferrioxamine
      against the deleterious effects of ferrous iron and relate this to its chelating
      and scavenging activity. The results suggest that the levels of low-molecular
      mass iron chelates modulate the inflammatory response, possibly through their
      contribution to the oxygen free radical generation, which is responsible for the
      cell membrane damage and subsequently its death. The modulatory action of iron
      dextran and desferrioxamine support our hypothesis.

PMID- 1862740
TI  - Body temperature modulates the effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on
      airways responsiveness in the rabbit.
AB  - Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent mediator known to cause
      bronchoconstriction and increase airways responsiveness. In vitro studies have
      shown that the effects of PAF on cell function can be very temperature-dependent.
      The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of elevated body
      temperature on numbers of circulating cells and pulmonary function in
      anesthetized rabbits in response to PAF. PAF was given intravenously, at a dose
      of 1.2 micrograms/kg hour, whereas the control experiments were performed after
      the animals received a saline infusion. Alteration of airways function was
      assessed by measuring specific pulmonary conductance (SGL) and dose-response
      relationships to inhaled histamine, where airways responsiveness was expressed as
      the effective concentration causing 50% of maximal change in specific airways
      conductance (EC50SGL). The rabbits were studied at two body temperatures: a
      normal temperature (rectal temperature of 39.8 C), and a higher temperature
      (rectal temperature 41.2 degrees C). Changes in circulating inflammatory cells,
      plasma corticosterone concentrations and in hematocrit were also monitored, to
      examine some potential mechanisms which might explain why body temperature
      altered airways responsiveness. At the normal body temperature infusion of PAF
      caused a significant increase in airways responsiveness (p less than 0.025),
      while at the high body temperature, there was a significant decrease in
      responsiveness (p less than 0.025). However, at both body temperatures, a
      profound but similar thrombocytopenia and neutropenia was observed. While plasma
      corticosterone levels and hematocrit showed increases coincident with the
      infusion of PAF, this response was unchanged by altering body temperature. We
      conclude that increased body temperature reduces the effect of PAF on airways
      responsiveness apparently through a mechanism independent of PAF effects on
      hemoconcentration, plasma corticosterone or circulating inflammatory cells.

PMID- 1862741
TI  - Comparative effects of two potentiating peptides (KPP and BPP9a) on kinin-induced
      rat paw edema.
AB  - We have previously shown that KPP, a kinin potentiating peptide generated by
      tryptic digestion of human plasma proteins potentiated kinin effects on isolated
      smooth muscle preparations like guinea-pig ileum with high potency and
      specificity. We also obtained evidence suggesting that, unlike other potentiating
      peptides, KPP exerts its effect by a mechanism different from the inhibition of
      kinin metabolism by angiotensin converting enzyme, neutral endopeptidase and
      kininase I. Here we show the potentiating effect of KPP and of BPP9a, a
      potentiator derived from snake venom, towards the rat paw edema induced by
      bradykinin (BK). Our results show that: a) KPP is 25-fold more active than BPP9a
      in potentiating rat paw edema elicited by BK: b) like BPP9a, KPP is specific in
      potentiating kinin-induced edema, being ineffective in potentiating edema induced
      by histamine or serotonin; and c) DesArg9-BK (DABK) elicits a small edematogenic
      response which can be potentiated by both KPP and BPP9a.

PMID- 1862743
TI  - Effects of aminoguanidine on pre- and post-irradiation regional cerebral blood
      flow, systemic blood pressure and plasma histamine levels in the primate.
AB  - Exposure to ionizing radiation causes hypotension, cerebral ischemia and release
      of histamine (HA). To investigate the relationship among these three responses,
      rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) received aminoguanidine (AG) (1 mg/kg), then were
      given either 50 Gy whole-body irradiation or sham-irradiation. Monkeys receiving
      AG had lower mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) than saline-treated controls.
      Compared to controls, rCBF was lower in irradiated monkeys but pre-treatment with
      AG did not influence this effect. Among untreated, irradiated monkeys, HA levels
      were increased only at two minutes post-irradiation, but among AG-treated,
      irradiated monkeys, HA levels were higher at all times postirradiation. Radiation
      induced release of HA may be associated with radiation-induced hypotension and
      reduced rCBF, but failure of AG to alter rCBF suggests that released HA may not
      be the sole mediator of these effects. Because elevations in plasma HA are
      probably due to HA derived from degranulation of mast cells, release of other
      bioactive substances from mast cells may also influence these cardiovascular
      effects. Surprisingly, in sham-irradiated monkeys, AG alone had a slight but
      significant hypotensive effect.

PMID- 1862744
TI  - A comparison of synovial fluid concentrations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs with their in vitro activity.
AB  - For NSAIDs it has been widely accepted that prostaglandin inhibition is their
      mechanism of action in clinical use. Yet many other actions have been described,
      although it is unclear to what extent these may contribute to clinical activity.
      This review attempts to relate some of the experimental activities of NSAIDs to
      concentrations of drugs which occur in clinical use. Since it is assumed that to
      be effective a drug must reach its target site of action, synovial fluid
      concentrations for NSAIDs are considered. The resulting analysis suggests that
      prostaglandin inhibition is a viable mode of action for most, if not all, NSAIDs.
      However, some NSAIDS may rely as much, if not more, on other actions for their
      anti-inflammatory effect.

PMID- 1862742
TI  - The intracerebroventricularly administered mast cells degranulator compound 48/80
      increases the pituitary-adrenocortical activity in rats.
AB  - The effect of brain mast cells degranulation by compound 48/80 on the pituitary
      adrenocortical activity, measured indirectly through corticosterone secretion,
      and the involvement of a histaminergic mechanism in that stimulation was
      investigated in conscious rats. All the drugs were given
      intracerebroventricularly (icv), histamine antagonists 15 min prior to compound
      48/80. Compound 48/80 induced a significant dose- and time-related increase in
      the serum corticosterone levels. That increase, measured 1 h after administration
      of compound 48/80, was moderately diminished by icv pretreatment of rats with
      mepyramine and cimetidine, histamine H1- and H2-receptor antagonists. Three hours
      after administration of compound 48/80 mast cells of the thalamus and the
      hypothalamus were completely degranulated. At the same time the thalamus and the
      whole brain histamine levels were substantially higher than in the saline-treated
      control rats. The above results suggest that histamine liberated from the brain
      mast cells and central histamine receptors play a moderate role in increasing the
      pituitary-adrenocortical activity by compound 48/80.

PMID- 1862745
TI  - Extracellular phospholipase A2 detected at inflamed sites in rats does not
      originate from platelets.
AB  - Extracellular phospholipase A2 activity has been detected in caseinate-induced
      peritoneal fluid in rats. We studied the source of this extracellular
      phospholipase A2 in 'platelet-poor' rats which had been pretreated with an
      intravenous injection of rabbit anti-rat platelet serum. In these rats, the
      increase in the peritoneal fluid extracellular phospholipase A2 level at the
      inflamed sites was almost identical to that observed in control rats, although
      platelet numbers in peripheral blood were decreased markedly. This observation
      suggests that extracellular phospholipase A2 in the peritoneal cavity is not
      derived mainly from platelets.

PMID- 1862747
TI  - Tenoxicam concentrations in synovium and joint cartilage in humans.
AB  - Tenoxicam is an NSAID of the oxicam group. Its distribution in articular tissues
      was investigated in 12 patients who required total arthroplasty of the hip. They
      were given tenoxicam 20 mg once daily for 8 to 30 days before surgery. Blood,
      synovium and cartilage samples were taken concurrently during surgery, about 14
      hours after the last tenoxicam dose. The tissues were ground using a freeze
      grinder. Tenoxicam was assayed by HPLC. Tenoxicam concentrations averaged 6.21 +/
      3.81 micrograms/ml in plasma, 7.56 +/- 4.67 micrograms/g in synovium and 2.05 +/
      1.43 micrograms/g in cartilage. The individual synovium/cartilage ratios ranged
      from 1.9 to 9.7. Finally tenoxicam exhibited more affinity for its target organ
      (synovial tissue) than for joint cartilage.

PMID- 1862746
TI  - A23187-induced pulmonary gas trapping and inflammation in the guinea pig.
AB  - A brief A23187 aerosol exposure produced prolonged airway obstruction with
      granulocyte accumulation in conscious guinea pigs. Aminophylline, atropine,
      pyrilamine, salbutamol, SC-41930 (a leukotriene B4 antagonist) and WEB 2086 (a
      platelet activating factor antagonist) were administered intravenously (i.v.) to
      evaluate their ability to prevent these changes. Inhaled salbutamol was also
      assessed. Aminophylline, atropine, and salbutamol (i.v. and aerosol) inhibited
      A23187-induced gas trapping (p less than 0.01). However, pyrilamine, SC-41930 and
      WEB 2086 did not influence this airway obstructive effect. Only atropine, inhaled
      salbutamol and SC-41930 inhibited the cell influx (p less than 0.01), while
      pyrilamine potentiated the inflammation (p less than 0.05). We conclude that
      A23187 produces a sustained bronchospasm and an intense granulocyte accumulation.
      The treatment agents tested differ considerably in their ability to alter A23187
      induced airway obstruction and inflammation.

PMID- 1862748
TI  - Oxidation of articular cartilage glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH)
      occurs in vivo during carrageenin-induced arthritis.
AB  - Articular cartilage proteoglycan biosynthesis was substantially inhibited by the
      competitive glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose (approximately 65% at 100 mM),
      but to a much lesser degree (approximately 10%) by the oxidative phosphorylation
      uncoupler, 2,4-dinitrophenol. These results confirm that articular cartilage
      proteoglycan synthesis mostly utilises ATP which is generated by glycolysis. In
      addition, we have utilised the loss of the relatively specific labelling of
      glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) by [3H]-iodoacetic acid to show
      that rabbit articular G3PDH is oxidised in vivo during the animal model of acute
      arthritis, carrageenin-induced arthritis, in the same way as we have previously
      shown that cartilage G3PDH is oxidised after in vitro exposure to sublethal doses
      of H2O2. The oxidation of rabbit G3PDH in vivo (18 hr post-injection) corresponds
      with the maximal influx of PMNL cells into the arthritic synovial fluid and with
      substantial inhibition of proteoglycan core protein synthesis. We propose that
      H2O2 released from "activated" PMNLs and macrophages is responsible for the "down
      regulation" of biosynthetic processes found in cartilage during acute
      inflammation.

PMID- 1862750
TI  - Hypotensive action of IgG preparations containing aggregates is suppressed by PAF
      receptor antagonist BN 52021 and by gadolinium chloride (an agent blocking
      Kupffer cell function).
AB  - The hypotensive side effect of four IgG preparations was studied in a rat model.
      An unmodified, chromatographically isolated preparation (prepn. C) appeared to
      induce a transient drop in blood pressure via the kininogen kinin system. A
      preparation made by ethanol fractionation (prepn. E) and an ethanol-fractionated,
      modified product (prepn. M) produced an action which does not depend on kininogen
      activation. No blocking of kininase was required for this effect and it was
      brought about by prepn. M was devoid of any sizeable prekallikrein activator or
      kallikrein like proteinase content. The effect was associated by the aggregate
      fraction of prepn. E, but not with IgG monomers of the same preparation. Animals
      given these latter types of IgG preparations were refractory to a second dose 24
      hours later. The involvement of PAF in the kinin-independent hypotensive action
      is suggested by the finding that PAF-receptor antagonist BN 52021 prevented the
      effect and returned the blood pressure close to normality when given during
      hypotension. A blockade of Kupffer cells brought about by administration of GdCl3
      was also found to prevent the effect pointing to the involvement of these type of
      cells in the reactions.

PMID- 1862751
TI  - Comparative study of in vitro inhibition of activation of the classical and
      alternative pathways of human complement by the magnesium and sodium salts of the
      anti-inflammatory peptide N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamic acid (NAAGA).
AB  - The inhibitory activity of the sodium salt of the anti-inflammatory peptide N
      acetyl-aspartyl-glutamic acid (NAAGA) on activation of the classical and
      alternative pathways of human complement was compared with that of the clinically
      used magnesium salt of NAAGA (NAAGA-Mg). Sodium salt of NAAGA (NAAGA-Na)
      inhibited both pathways of activation in a dose-dependent manner at concentration
      ranging from 1 to 10 mM by acting on formation and/or function of the C3
      convertases as shown by the inhibitory capacity of the peptide on the release of
      the C3 cleavage fragment C3b and C3a. NAAGA-Na was as effective as NAAGA-Mg in
      inhibiting classical pathway activation at concentration above 10 mM. NAAGA-Na
      was more effective than NAAGA-Mg in inhibiting the alternative pathway since the
      sodium salt did not interfere with Mg-dependent formation of the alternative
      pathway C3 convertase.

PMID- 1862749
TI  - Different inhibitory actions of cyclosporine A and cyclosporine A-acetate on
      lipopolysaccharide-, interleukin 1-, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3- and parathyroid
      hormone-stimulated calcium and lysosomal enzyme release from mouse calvaria in
      vitro.
AB  - The effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) and one of its immunologically inactive
      structural analogues, cyclosporine A acetate (CsA-A) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      , interleukin-1 (IL-1)-, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25 D3)- and parathyroid
      hormone (PTH)-stimulated bone resorption were tested in mouse calvaria cultures.
      The release of calcium and a lysosomal enzyme, N-acetylglycosaminidase (NAG) was
      determined after 3 days of culture. All bone resorbing agents potently stimulated
      calcium and NAG release. At therapeutic concentration levels of 0.1 and 1.0
      micrograms/ml, the immunologically active CsA was significantly more potent than
      the inactive CsA-A against LPS- and 1,25 D3-induced calcium and NAG release. The
      inhibition by both cyclosporines of IL-1 and PTH stimulated calcium release was
      not significantly different. CsA was however more potent than CsA-A against IL-1
      stimulated NAG release. PTH-stimulated NAG release was not inhibited by CsA or
      CsA-A. These findings suggest that both cyclosporines interfere with more than
      one mechanism of activation of bone resorption. The specific effect of CsA
      against LPS and 1,25 D3 may be related to its known inhibition of immune cell
      derived cytokine expression.

PMID- 1862752
TI  - Effect of PAF on erythrocyte membrane heterogeneity: a fluorescence study.
AB  - The effect of platelet activating factor, PAF, on the erythrocyte membrane
      heterogeneity was investigated by measuring the steady-state fluorescence
      anisotropy and fluorescence decay of 1-(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5
      hexatriene (TMA-DPH) incorporated in hemoglobin-free erythrocyte membranes. PAF
      induced a significant increase of the lipid order in the exterior part of the
      membrane and a decrease in membrane heterogeneity. These results indicate that
      PAF may cause changes in the physico-chemical structure of the erythrocyte
      membrane.

PMID- 1862754
TI  - Treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Many questions, a few answers.

PMID- 1862755
TI  - Can pleasure be quantified in dollars?

PMID- 1862756
TI  - The rule of rescue.

PMID- 1862753
TI  - Mechanisms of oxidant-induced changes in erythrocytes.
AB  - There is an increasing body of experimental studies demonstrating the toxic
      effects of oxygen-derived free radicals. Evidence supports an important role for
      free radicals in ischemic injuries, inflammation, and chemical-induced tissue
      injury. Free radicals are involved in normal biochemical processes like oxidative
      reduction and cellular metabolism; however, they also mediate disease processes.
      The participation of oxygen free radicals in lysis of red cells is important in
      some situations of intravascular hemolysis. This article will review neutrophil
      derived oxygen free radicals, emphasizing: (1) their effects on the erythrocyte
      and (2) how these effects may be attenuated.

PMID- 1862757
TI  - Liver units in three dimensions: I. Organization of argyrophilic connective
      tissue skeleton in porcine liver with particular reference to the "compound
      hepatic lobule".
AB  - Liver units were investigated in pig livers by means of histologic serial
      tracing, physical model building, and computer-aided three-dimensional imaging.
      Observations of the argyrophilic connective tissue skeleton were based mainly on
      the celloidin-embedded serial sections treated with silver impregnation. The
      parenchymal mass that clothed the initial segments of hepatic venous radicles was
      demarcated by fibrous septa which formed isolable units with two basic patterns:
      the simple hepatic lobule (SHL) and the compound hepatic lobule (CHL). Both
      lobule types presented regular limiting structures circumscribing each unit.
      Three-dimensional studies revealed that 25% of the lobules in a section belonged
      to the SHL type and 75% to the CHL type, the latter being predominant among the
      surface lobules. When considered in only two dimensions, however, the SHL-like
      lobules constituted the majority. Polygonal analysis disclosed that the
      pentagonal lobule was the most typical, instead of the "hexagonal" or "classic"
      lobule. The CHLs represented a multiaxial unit containing a system of venous
      tributaries in accordance with intralobular septation, whereas the SHLs were
      found with one axial vessel having a dendritic tendency at the incipient end;
      some SHLs were drained eccentrically by separate vessels into a sublobular vein.
      It was observed that, in dividing CHLs, whereas particular sinosoids were
      transformed into portal twigs, other sinusoids were changed into central venous
      tributaries. Fibrous deposition occurred along the septal-line sinusoids,
      bringing into view the septum-initiating plane. Fibroconnective tissue was
      supplied from the portal area and central (sublobular) adventitia, where portal
      triad structures and adventitial arterioles, respectively, were included. The
      findings of the present study facilitate the understanding of several characters
      of the lobules that have been reported previously, or occasionally postulated,
      such as the portal-central bridging tendency, the intralobular arterioles or
      ductules, the translobular artery or portal vein, the "portal-portal" or "portal
      central" anastomoses, and the apposition of pericentral zone close to periportal
      zone. Based on differences in argyrophilia of sinusoidal reticulum, in proportion
      of lobule types, and in vasculature, the anatomic heterogeneity of liver unit was
      demonstrable in zonality, regionality, and locality.

PMID- 1862758
TI  - Distribution of five peptides, three general neuroendocrine markers, and two
      synaptic-vesicle-associated proteins in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia
      of the adult and newborn dog: an immunocytochemical study.
AB  - This study describes the immunocytochemical distribution of five neuropeptides
      (calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP], enkephalin, galanin, somatostatin, and
      substance P), three neuronal markers (neurofilament triplet proteins, neuron
      specific enolase [NSE], and protein gene product 9.5), and two synaptic-vesicle
      associated proteins (synapsin I and synaptophysin) in the spinal cord and dorsal
      root ganglia of adult and newborn dogs. CGRP and substance P were the only
      peptides detectable at birth in the spinal cord; they were present within a small
      number of immunoreactive fibers concentrated in laminae I-II. CGRP
      immunoreactivity was also observed in motoneurons and in dorsal root ganglion
      cells. In adult animals, all peptides under study were localized to varicose
      fibers forming rich plexuses within laminae I-III and, to a lesser extent, lamina
      X and the intermediolateral cell columns. Some dorsal root ganglion neurons were
      CGRP- and/or substance P-immunoreactive. The other antigens were present in the
      spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of both adult and newborn animals, with the
      exception of NSE, which, at birth, was not detectable in spinal cord neurons.
      Moreover, synapsin I/synaptophysin immunoreactivity, at birth, was restricted to
      laminae I-II, while in adult dogs, immunostaining was observed in terminal-like
      elements throughout the spinal neuropil. These results suggest that in the dog
      spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia, peptide-containing pathways complete their
      development during postnatal life, together with the full expression of NSE and
      synapsin I/synaptophysin immunoreactivities. In adulthood, peptide distribution
      is similar to that described in other mammals, although a relative absence of
      immunoreactive cell bodies was observed in the spinal cord.

PMID- 1862759
TI  - Development of the discoidal hemochorial placenta in the black mastiff bat,
      Molossus ater: evidence for a role of maternal endothelial cells in the control
      of trophoblastic growth.
AB  - In an effort to define further the factors that can influence trophoblastic
      growth, development of the discoidal chorioallantoic placenta was examined
      histologically in laboratory-bred black mastiff bats, Molossus ater. This
      placenta normally forms only at the cranial end of the right uterine horn. Its
      positioning was found to be related to the development of an unusual vascular
      tuft in the endometrium at this site following ovulation. When a decidual
      reaction occurred, the endothelial cells of the tuft vessels hypertrophied and
      their basal laminae became more prominent in sections stained for glycoproteins.
      Cytotrophoblast then proliferated preferentially around the tuft in the right
      horn and its vessels became surrounded by trophoblastic cuffs. A functional
      placenta was formed when trophoblastic tubules grew out from these cuffs, became
      interconnected, developed lumina, and began to carry maternal blood. Maternal
      endothelial cells generally persisted only in portions of the larger vascular
      tubules. These observations suggest that the endothelial cells of the tuft
      vessels may be secreting factors that influence early trophoblastic growth and
      are at least partially incorporated into the basal laminae of the endothelial
      cells. Evidence is reviewed which raises the possibility that endometrial
      endothelial cells might have a similar morphogenetic role in many other mammals
      with invasive trophoblast. Mitotic activity in the trophoblastic tubules of M.
      ater ceased when the tubules became patent and began to carry blood. Further
      growth was then accomplished by hypertrophy of the existing cytotrophoblast
      cells. Electron microscopic examination of near-term placentas confirmed that the
      interhemal barrier was hemomonochorial and lacked a continuous layer of
      syncytiotrophoblast.

PMID- 1862760
TI  - Changes in ultrastructure of transport systems and in rates of progestin
      secretion in the corpus luteum during late pregnancy in the rat.
AB  - Morphometric studies have confirmed that the corpus luteum (CL) of the pregnant
      rat contains luteal cells with numerous microvilli which directly face an
      extensive network of sinusoidal capillaries. From this it has been suggested that
      extensive development of transport structures is necessary to support
      progesterone synthesis and secretion. The present study was carried out to
      determine whether these transport structures could be related quantitatively to
      different rates of total progestin (progesterone plus 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en
      3-one) secretion reported to be 32, 10, and 23 micrograms/hr per ovary on day 16
      and the morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) of day 22, respectively. Histological
      analysis was carried out on two CL, fixed by immersion, from each of five rats,
      at each stage of gestation. The important findings to emerge were that when the
      progestin secretion rate was greater, there was a significant increase in surface
      specializations on the luteal cell and a thickening of the capillary walls. There
      was also a greater volume of interstitial space between luteal cells and
      capillaries. However, due to the development of microvilli and unevenness in the
      capillary wall, the physiological diffusion distance (harmonic distance) between
      luteal cell cytoplasm and blood was not increased. Collectively, these results
      show that changes in the rate of progestin secretion are accompanied by
      significant, although disproportionate, changes in transport structures and
      suggest that the latter are important in supporting luteal function.

PMID- 1862761
TI  - Chemotherapy of disseminated Merkel-cell carcinoma.
AB  - Six patients developed metastatic merkel-cell carcinoma and were treated with a
      combination chemotherapy frequently used for small-cell lung cancer. Five of six
      patients had a complete response for a median of 3.5 months. Overall survival
      from initiation of chemotherapy was a median of 6.5 months. Two patients died
      from major complications of therapy.

PMID- 1862762
TI  - Is post-operative intracavitary therapy a necessary component of treatment for
      carcinoma of the endometrium?
AB  - The role of intracavitary therapy in combination with external pelvic
      radiotherapy for endometrial carcinoma remains controversial. To determine the
      pelvic failure rat in patients receiving only external pelvic radiotherapy
      following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
      (TAHBSO) for carcinoma of the endometrium, we undertook a retrospective review of
      all patients referred to the Radiation Oncology Department from January 1977
      through December 1984. Patients with grade I, superficially invading tumors were
      excluded from this analysis. 52 patients were eligible for the study. Three
      patients who were lost to follow-up immediately after completion of external beam
      irradiation were excluded, leaving a total of 49 evaluable patients. The median
      follow-up time is 61 months. Pelvic failure was seen in only 2 patients (4%),
      both of them occurring concurrent with distant disease. No vaginal vault failures
      were observed. Overall actuarial survival at 5 years was 82%. We conclude that
      external beam pelvic radiotherapy alone without intracavitary boost appears to be
      an adequate treatment for patients undergoing TAHBSO for carcinoma of the
      endometrium.

PMID- 1862763
TI  - The integration of whole abdominal radiotherapy and intraperitoneal cisplatin
      into the primary management of advanced ovarian carcinoma.
AB  - Eleven women with Stages III and IV epithelial ovarian carcinomas were entered
      into a protocol consisting of concurrent whole abdominal radiotherapy and
      intraperitoneal cisplatin followed by additional intraperitoneal cisplatin. The
      entire abdomen received 20 Gy in 20 fractions with no renal or hepatic shielding.
      Intraperitoneal cisplatin dosage was 20 mg/m2 weekly during radiation and 90
      mg/m2 monthly thereafter for an additional three courses. Patients with Stages
      IIIC and IV had a median survival of 18 months and a two-year actuarial survival
      of 32%. Primary failure sites were the abdomen, pleura, and lymph nodes. Acute
      toxicity during radiotherapy was comparable to patients treated with radiation
      alone. No chronic renal, hepatic, or enteric complications were observed.
      Although the protocol did not have substantial efficacy in advanced disease, its
      toxicity was moderate enough to consider its use in less advanced cancers with
      peritoneal metastases. In particular, the protocol can be considered for women
      with ovarian cancer with no gross residuum and for women with papillary serous
      carcinoma of the uterine corpus.

PMID- 1862764
TI  - Carboplatin, methotrexate and vinblastin (Carbo-MV) for advanced urothelial
      cancer. A phase II trial.
AB  - Fifteen patients with advanced urothelial cancer were treated with carboplatin
      300 mg/m2, methotrexate 30 mg/m2, and vinblastin 3 mg/m2 on day 1 and the same
      dosage of methotrexate and vinblastin on days 15 and 22. Six patients were
      pretreated with radiotherapy and or chemotherapy; 7 patients had impaired renal
      function due to obstructive uropathy. Eight patients achieved a partial
      remission; 4 patients achieved a minor remission or stabilization of progressive
      disease. Mean duration of response was 8+ month (2+ to 12+ month). Subjective
      tolerance of the treatment was excellent but there was considerable bone marrow
      toxicity in the pretreated patients. The data show that Carbo-MV (carboplatin,
      methotrexate, and vinblastin) is effective and subjectively well tolerated in
      advanced urothelial carcinoma.

PMID- 1862765
TI  - Dose-related alpha-difluoromethylornithine ototoxicity.
AB  - We assessed the ototoxicity associated with oral alpha-difluoromethylornithine
      (DFMO) administration in 58 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. One
      hundred seventy-nine sequential audiograms obtained from patients treated with
      DFMO alone (16 patients) or in combination with alpha 2b-interferon (42 patients)
      were evaluated. DFMO doses ranged from 2 to 12 g/m2/d and were given over periods
      of 2 to 50 weeks. Total doses ranging from 60 g/m2 to 1390 g/m2 were correlated
      with clinical effects and pure tone audiometric changes. By regression analysis
      cumulative DFMO dose showed a consistent and statistically significant positive
      relationship to hearing loss at multiple frequencies (500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and
      8000 Hz). Patients with normal (threshold less than 30 db) baseline audiograms
      demonstrated more hearing loss than those with abnormal (threshold greater than
      or equal to 30 db) baseline audiograms at the higher frequency levels. Of the
      patients with normal prestudy hearing thresholds 10% or less developed a
      demonstrable hearing deficit at cumulative DFMO doses below 150 g/m2. Conversely,
      up to 75% of the patients who received more than 250 g/m2 developed a clinically
      demonstrable hearing loss. Other factors which adversely affected hearing
      included age, male gender, and the concomitant use of alpha 2b-interferon. In
      summary, the risk of clinically significant hearing loss in patients treated with
      DFMO was primarily related to dose and the presence of a pre-existing hearing
      deficit.

PMID- 1862767
TI  - Cervical cancer: women aged 35 and younger compared to women aged 36 and older.
AB  - One hundred fifty-three patients with invasive cervical cancer were evaluated and
      treated at one of the two teaching hospitals of the Intergrated Ob-Gyn Residency
      Program of Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, from 1 July 1983 to 30 June
      1989. Sixteen patients with recurrent cervical cancer who initially had received
      their treatment elsewhere were excluded. Forty-one of the 137 newly diagnosed
      patients with cervical cancer were aged 35 years or less. This review was
      undertaken because of frequent reports of the increasing incidence of cervical
      cancer in women aged 35 and under. Some reports also reveal a worse prognosis for
      the younger age group. This investigation provided the opportunity to evaluate
      cervical cancer patients aged 35 and under and compare the results to the
      evaluations of women aged 36 and over. Evaluation of age, stage, presenting
      symptoms, number of positive lymph nodes, pap smear history, pregnancy within 1
      year of diagnosis, treatment, and survival was carried out in patients aged 35
      years and less and compared to their older counterparts aged 36 and over with
      cervical cancer.

PMID- 1862766
TI  - A phase II trial of gallium nitrate (NSC #15200) in previously treated ovarian
      carcinoma. A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.
AB  - Twenty-six evaluable patients with advanced or recurrent epithelial ovarian
      cancer were treated with 750 mg/m2 of gallium nitrate every three weeks. All
      patients had prior cisplatin chemotherapy. One patient had a complete response
      (3.8%), two patients had partial responses (7.7%), and six patients had stable
      disease (23.1%). The 95% upper confidence bound for response is 27.2%. The major
      toxicity was nausea and vomiting which was modest, and anemia, which was moderate
      to severe. Myelosuppression was minimal. Gallium nitrate has modest activity in
      previously treated patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

PMID- 1862768
TI  - Phase II trial of etoposide (V), adriamycin (A), and cisplatinum (P) in patients
      with metastatic gastric cancer.
AB  - The efficacy and toxicity of a combination of etoposide (100 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1
      to 3), Adriamycin (20 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 8) and cisplatinum (40 mg/m2 i.v.
      on days 2 and 8) repeated every 4 weeks as an outpatient regimen were assessed in
      29 consecutive patients with metastatic gastric cancer with measurable disease.
      Five of these patients were refractory to 5-Fluorouracil, Adriamycin, and
      Mitomycin C. Three of these previously treated patients responded to the
      etoposide. Adriamycin, cisplatinum (VAP) therapy. An overall objective response
      rate of 72.5% was achieved, including 14% that were complete responses. The
      median duration of response was 6.0 months; median overall survival was 7.2
      months, overall one-year survival was 34.4%. Hematologic toxicity was intense,
      particularly among patients with lower performance status. Three patients died as
      a consequence of nadir sepsis episodes.

PMID- 1862769
TI  - Preoperative chemoradiotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Rationale and
      technique.

PMID- 1862770
TI  - Evolution of the French-American-British (FAB) proposals. Is there a place for
      acute basophilic leukemia?

PMID- 1862771
TI  - Acute basophilic leukemia. A clinical, morphologic, and cytogenetic study of
      eight cases.
AB  - The authors describe eight cases of acute basophilic leukemia. In six of the
      eight cases, basophilic involvement was not apparent by light microscopic
      examination. The cases were identified on the basis of ultrastructural evidence
      for basophil/mast cell differentiation of the blasts with little or no
      differentiation into other lineages. Ultrastructural analysis revealed immature
      basophil granules in blasts in all eight cases and theta granules in blasts in
      four cases. In three cases, ultrastructural evidence of mast cell differentiation
      also was present, with rare cells showing evidence for both basophil and mast
      cell differentiation. No clinical features distinguished this group of patients
      from others with acute myeloid leukemia. Cytogenetically, the cases were
      heterogeneous. Three had a Philadelphia chromosome; none had a t(6;9). The
      authors conclude that ultrastructural analysis usually must be used to diagnose
      acute basophilic leukemia, that acute basophilic leukemia is associated
      frequently with the Philadelphia chromosome, and that the ultrastructural
      findings provide evidence for a common origin of basophils and mast cells.

PMID- 1862772
TI  - Immunoblastic lymphoma with abundant clear cytoplasm. A comparative study of B-
      and T-cell types.
AB  - The morphologic, phenotypic, molecular genetic, and clinical features of 34 cases
      of clear-cell immunoblastic lymphoma (IBLC) are described. Sixteen cases were of
      B-cell type (IBLC-B) and 18 cases were of T-cell type (IBLC-T). There were no
      significant differences in the morphologic characteristics of the neoplastic
      cells in the two types, although IBLC-B was less likely to be polymorphic than
      IBLC-T. Interfollicular proliferation, a higher mitotic rate, infiltration by
      eosinophils, and an increase in capillary-sized blood vessels were also features
      of IBLC-T, whereas necrosis and fibrosis were more extensive in IBLC-B. Patients
      with IBLC-B were predominantly female, whereas those with IBLC-T were
      predominantly male. The mean age was 62 years for those with IBLC-B and 46 years
      for those with IBLC-T. Patients with IBLC-B usually had lower-stage disease, but
      there was no significant difference in survival rate between those with IBLC-B
      and those with IBLC-T. Although most cases of IBLC have been considered to be of
      peripheral T-cell origin, the authors conclude that IBLC-B is more common than
      previously considered and that clear-cell morphologic characteristics are not a
      reliable indicator of T-cell type.

PMID- 1862773
TI  - Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. An
      immunohistochemical study.
AB  - The authors studied the immunophenotype of nine sinonasal lymphomas using a panel
      of monoclonal antibodies that react with fixed, paraffin-embedded material (EMA,
      CAM 5.2, CD45, CD37 [MB-1], MB-2, L-26, CDw75 [LN-1], CD45RA [4 KB-5], CD43 [MT
      1], and CD45RO [UCHL-1]). There were seven men and two women, with a mean age of
      64 years (range, 9-89 years) and median age of 56 years. Three tumors were
      limited to the nasal cavity, and the other six had multiple sites of involvement,
      including the nasal cavity (five), antrum (six), ethmoid (two), orbit (two), and
      hard palate (one). Histologically, one was a lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL), one
      was small cleaved-cell lymphoma (SCCL), three were mixed-cell lymphomas (MCLs),
      and four were large cell lymphomas (LCLs). Four cases were T-cell lymphomas (one
      SCCL, three MCLs), four were B-cell neoplasms (four LCLs), and one was of
      uncertain lineage (LBL). Angioinvasion, coagulative necrosis, and
      epitheliotropism were seen in the T-cell lymphomas. Extranasal dissemination was
      seen in four cases: one LBL that involved the lymph nodes, skin, and testes 15
      months after diagnosis; one B-LCL that involved the skin 9 months after
      diagnosis; and one B-LCL and one T-MCL that involved the gastric mucosa and lung
      simultaneously with nasal presentation. This study shows a higher predominance of
      B-cell lymphomas in the sinonasal region than previously reported in Oriental
      populations. However, the T:B ratio of these lymphomas is still greater than that
      observed for primary lymph node-based neoplasms.

PMID- 1862775
TI  - Use of fluorescent in situ hybridization for marker chromosome identification in
      congenital and neoplastic disorders.
AB  - Identifying marker chromosomes of unknown origin in the clinical cytogenetics
      laboratory has been a problem historically, despite advances in specialized
      staining techniques. Determination of the origin of these marker chromosomes in
      patients with congenital or malignant neoplastic disorders is essential for more
      complete diagnosis, counseling, and treatment. The authors describe the use of
      fluorescent in situ hybridization with chromosome-specific alpha-satellite DNA
      probes to identify the origin of marker chromosomes in two patients with
      congenital disorders and three patients with malignant neoplastic disorders. The
      impact of firm identification of the marker chromosome for the diagnosis of these
      patients is discussed. The authors also discuss the feasibility of using this
      technique routinely in the clinical cytogenetics laboratory.

PMID- 1862774
TI  - A case of acquired factor X deficiency with in vivo and in vitro evidence of
      inhibitor activity directed against factor X.
AB  - A 67-year-old woman had symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection for
      which she received a five-day course of erythromycin. Epistaxis and gross
      hematuria subsequently developed, and the patient was found to have a selective
      Factor X deficiency. She received supportive therapy and prothrombin complex
      concentrates (Factors II, VII, IX, and X), with subsequent resolution of her
      transient Factor X deficiency. Her hospital course, however, was complicated by
      the development of multiple cerebral infarctions. This is the tenth reported case
      of transient Factor X deficiency not associated with amyloidosis. In seven of the
      previous cases, as in this patient, the deficiency was associated with a
      preceding upper respiratory infection. This is the only case, however, with
      evidence of inhibitory activity in the plasma that was directed toward Factor X.

PMID- 1862778
TI  - Multitumor "sausage" blocks in immunohistochemistry. Simplified method of
      preparation, practical uses, and roles in quality assurance.
AB  - This report describes a simplified method for preparing multitumor sausage blocks
      (MTSBs) for use in immunohistochemical procedures. Rather than relying on
      previously processed paraffin blocks as a source of material, this procedure
      involves procuring tissue at the time of gross specimen examination. The tissue
      is processed along with routine surgical pathologic material, and the
      paraffinized samples are placed in "storage cassettes" for easy cataloging and
      storage. Thin strips are cut from the tissue in the "storage cassettes" and
      combined by dripping liquid paraffin onto them while they are rolled between the
      thumbs and forefingers, somewhat like making a cigarette. This results in a
      tissue "log." Transverse sections of the "log" are embedded in paraffin blocks
      and used as MTSBs. Practical uses of MTSBs are discussed, and their role in
      quality assurance is stressed.

PMID- 1862777
TI  - Congenital atransferrinemia. A case report and review of the literature.
AB  - A four-year-old Polynesian girl with a two-year history of severe microcytic,
      hypochromic anemia (which was refractory to iron therapy) had a decreased beta
      globulin fraction on serum protein electrophoresis, resulting from the absence of
      the transferrin (TRF) band. Subsequent assays for TRF showed a level below the
      detectable range. Liver biopsy revealed significant deposition of hemosiderin
      within hepatocytes and Kupffer cells, in addition to early fibrosis. Two bone
      marrow aspirates were hypercellular, with decreased myeloid-erythroid ratios.
      This case represents the eighth reported example of congenital atransferrinemia,
      a rare, apparently autosomal recessive disease.

PMID- 1862776
TI  - Achromobacter xylosoxidans. An unusual neonatal pathogen.
AB  - Perinatal acquisition of a rare pediatric pathogen, Achromobacter xylosoxidans,
      with evidence for in utero transmission, is described. Cultures from the mother
      and neonate demonstrated A. xylosoxidans. An ascending bacterial infection in the
      mother with clinical chorioamnionitis is presented as the probable mode of
      transmission. Postmortem examination of the infant confirmed Achromobacter
      meningitis. In contrast to the current case with transmission from mother to
      neonate, previously published neonatal cases of Achromobacter infections indicate
      that nosocomial transmission of the organism is most common (79%). In addition,
      the literature review revealed a high mortality associated with meningitis (77%),
      frequent hydrocephalus, and subsequent neurologic sequelae (36%). To the authors'
      knowledge, this is the first documented case of maternal-fetal transfer of A.
      xylosoxidans.

PMID- 1862779
TI  - Expression of haptoglobin-related protein in primary and metastatic breast
      cancers. A longitudinal study of 48 fatal tumors.
AB  - The ability to establish a prognosis for patients with early breast cancer is an
      important clinical issue. Recent studies have shown that antibodies to
      haptoglobin-related protein (Hpr) may be useful in stratifying early patients
      with breast cancer according to their relative risks of recurrence. Nearly 30% of
      early breast cancers express proteins bearing Hpr epitopes. Hpr-positive breast
      cancers are more likely to recur after primary resection and are associated with
      shorter disease-free intervals. This immunohistochemical study examines temporal
      changes in Hpr expression during the course of disease in 48 patients with fatal
      breast carcinoma. Thirty-seven primary tumors (77%) were Hpr positive. Ten of the
      11 initially negative tumors (91%) were Hpr positive at the time of recurrence.
      In contrast, only 10 of the 37 initially positive tumors (27%) were Hpr negative
      with relapse. Of 18 axillary nodes that were examined, 16 (89%) were Hpr
      positive; all four lymph nodal metastases in patients with initially negative
      primary tumors were Hpr positive. The authors conclude that the acquisition of
      Hpr expression parallels increased malignant potential and that Hpr expression,
      once acquired, tends to remain a permanent characteristic of any given mammary
      tumor.

PMID- 1862780
TI  - Sex cord tumor with annular tubules associated with endometriosis of the
      fallopian tube.
AB  - Sex cord tumor with annular tubules (SCTAT) is a distinctive ovarian sex cord
      stromal tumor. The authors describe a case of SCTAT arising outside the ovaries,
      in the fallopian tube. The authors are aware of only one other case of extra
      ovarian SCTAT, in an umbilical hernia sac in an adult woman. The case reported
      was an incidental finding in a hysterectomy specimen, obtained because of
      carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix in a 32-year-old woman. The patient is
      alive and disease-free two years after surgery. The 1-cm tumor in the right
      fallopian tube was composed of typical ring-shaped tubules encircling hyalinized
      basement membrane-like material. In addition, glands and stroma of endometriosis
      were intimately admixed with the nests of tumor. The implications of these
      findings for the origin of SCTAT and ovarian sex cord structures are discussed.

PMID- 1862782
TI  - Plastic embedding for immunohistology.

PMID- 1862781
TI  - An autopsy case of I-cell disease. Ultrastructural and biochemical analyses.
AB  - An autopsy case of I-cell disease in a 4-year-old Japanese girl is presented. In
      this report, the authors analyze the relationship between morphologic (including
      electron microscopic) and biochemical findings. Lymph node, spleen, and kidney,
      which were stained with Hale's colloidal iron method, contained large amounts of
      hexosamine. These substances had accumulated in lymphocytes of B-cell lineage.

PMID- 1862783
TI  - Plasmacytoid acute T-cell lymphoma/leukemia.

PMID- 1862784
TI  - Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia.

PMID- 1862785
TI  - Pneumocystis ocular infection.

PMID- 1862787
TI  - Amnestic effects of intravenous diazepam in healthy young men.
AB  - Changes in a test of memory performance were evaluated in 103 healthy young men
      after challenges with placebo and two different doses of intravenous diazepam
      (0.12 and 0.20 mg/kg). Both diazepam doses significantly impaired free recall in
      a dose-dependent manner. Within each dose challenge there was no significant
      correlation between the average serum diazepam or desmethyldiazepam levels and
      the average number of words recalled across the time points. The data expand our
      current understanding of the amnestic effects of benzodiazepines and suggest that
      patients abusing these drugs in large doses may develop profound degrees of
      memory impairment.

PMID- 1862788
TI  - Comparison of amantadine and desipramine combined with psychotherapy for
      treatment of cocaine dependence.
AB  - We conducted a single-blind, random assignment, placebo-controlled, 12-week
      comparison of desipramine hydrochloride and amantadine hydrochloride as
      adjunctive treatments to counseling for cocaine dependence. Subjects were 54
      outpatients who met DSM III-R criteria for active cocaine dependence and who
      completed a minimum of 2 weeks of treatment. Subjects treated with fixed doses of
      200 mg/day desipramine (N = 17), 400 mg/day amantadine-placebo (N = 16), and
      placebo (N = 21) did not differ for lifetime cocaine use, lifetime histories of
      psychopathology, admission scores on psychometric assessments, and
      sociodemographics. All treatment groups demonstrated dramatic and persistent
      decreases in cocaine use, craving for cocaine, and psychiatric symptoms
      consequent to treatment. Although there was a trend for more dropouts by subjects
      taking desipramine, there were no significant differences among treatment groups
      regarding retention in treatment, craving for cocaine, and decreased cocaine use
      confirmed by urine toxicology. There was a trend for subjects treated with
      desipramine to maintain longer periods of cocaine abstinence. Mean plasma
      concentration of desipramine in a subsample of our subjects was less than that
      recommended for treatment of depression, thus the dosage of desipramine may have
      been subtherapeutic.

PMID- 1862789
TI  - Validity of the MCMI Drug Abuse Scale varies as a function of drug choice, race,
      and axis II subtypes.
AB  - The validity of the Drug Abuse Scale (T) from the Million Clinical Multiaxial
      Inventory (MCMI) was studied by administering the MCMI to 110 male veterans
      seeking treatment for opioid or cocaine dependence. Only 26 and 23% of the sample
      obtained base rate (BR) scores above the clinical relevant cutoffs of 84 and 74,
      respectively. Covariables associated with elevated scores on the T Scale were
      Black race, presence of narcissistic/antisocial personality features, and more
      severe psychopathology in general. The authors urge caution in using the Drug
      Abuse Scale for the purpose of identifying drug abusers.

PMID- 1862786
TI  - Treatment of heroin addicts using buprenorphine.
AB  - Thirty-nine opioid-dependent outpatients were treated with the partial agonist
      buprenorphine at 2 to 6 mg/day for 1 month. Treatment retention was good (72%),
      and illicit opioid use decreased from 50% overall to 17% for those who remained
      in treatment. Precipitated withdrawal symptoms were mild and related to dose of
      buprenorphine. At the end of this month, 28 subjects were abruptly discontinued
      from buprenorphine and given the antagonist naltrexone. Withdrawal symptoms from
      buprenorphine were quite mild, and naltrexone was initiated in 20 patients (51%
      of total or 71% of those 28 completing 30 days on buprenorphine), but only 4
      patients (10% overall) were successfully maintained on naltrexone for at least 2
      weeks.

PMID- 1862790
TI  - Clinical assessment and urine testing for anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse and
      dependence.
AB  - The emerging epidemic of anabolic-androgenic steroid use, no longer confined to
      elite athletes, is associated with adverse health consequences for which users
      may seek treatment. As with other forms of drug abuse, patients may deny or hide
      their use of steroids while seeking treatment for bothersome side effects or
      other problems. Thus, clinicians may increasingly, but unknowingly, see patients
      who are using steroids. Early detection and treatment of steroid abuse and
      dependence is critical in order to prevent serious and potentially fatal
      consequences. Therefore, it is incumbent upon clinicians to know the signs and
      symptoms of using steroids, and to be familiar with the clinical indications for
      urine testing. Using case examples, the authors review the assessment of steroid
      abuse and dependence in clinical practice and illustrate the role of urine
      testing in the assessment process.

PMID- 1862791
TI  - The relationship of solvent use to other substance use.
AB  - One hundred thirty solvent abusers were retrospectively identified from a family
      study containing 286 alcoholics, 157 felons, 60 control subjects, and 1,640 of
      their relatives. Comprehensive data regarding psychiatric diagnosis and drug use
      were gathered using the Home Environment Lifetime Psychiatric Record. Solvent
      abuse was very strongly associated with having a diagnosis of Antisocial
      Personality Disorder and was consistently associated with polysubstance abuse.
      Solvent abusers were more likely to be male, or lower socioeconomic status, and
      younger than those without a reported history of solvent abuse. Contrary to
      current understanding, solvent use did not clearly precede other substance use;
      rather, alcohol and cannabis use tended to occur first, followed by use of
      solvents. Solvent users were 5 to 10 times more likely than nonusers to report
      abuse of opioids, stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens.

PMID- 1862792
TI  - Long-term trends in male drunkenness arrests in metropolitan Toronto: effects of
      social-setting detoxication centers.
AB  - Drunkenness arrest rates for adult males in Toronto decreased substantially
      during the period 1966 to 1987. In 1971 there was a change in legislation
      permitting police to take public inebriates to detoxication centers. Drunkenness
      rates continued to decline at a rate similar to that for the previous 3 years.
      The next year drunkenness arrests increased but subsequently declined at a rate
      which was 50% greater than that which preceded the change in legislation. Since
      1973 year by year changes in the rate of male drunkenness arrests have not been
      consistently related to rates of police admission to detoxication centers or to
      total admissions to detoxication centers. The results suggest that recent trends
      in drunkenness arrests have been influenced by the 1971 change in legislation and
      the increased use of detoxication centers. However, the influence of other
      factors must also be considered.

PMID- 1862793
TI  - The role of formal law in alcohol control systems: a comparison among states.
AB  - Formal laws and regulations governing activities of state alcohol beverage
      control agencies in the United States were classified into 10 categories of
      physical availability and four categories of economic availability. These
      categories were subjected to similarity analysis to determine variation among
      states. Kruskal's stress-one measure revealed three major dimensions of alcohol
      control laws: forms of retail sales, administrative penalties for violations of
      alcohol control laws, and price restrictions. This finding suggests that the
      license/monopoly distinction frequently used to categorize state alcohol control
      systems is inadequate to characterize the variations in control systems.

PMID- 1862794
TI  - The adult children of alcoholics in a psychiatric population.
AB  - The issues confronting adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) are well publicized
      but their empirical basis remains limited. The screening of 250 consecutive
      psychiatric admissions to a general hospital revealed a significant prevalence of
      ACOAs across diagnoses. Compared to the other patients, the ACOA group was
      younger but with no other socioeconomic difference. The diagnoses of substance
      abuse and phobic disorders were more frequent. The group was psychiatrically
      hospitalized at an earlier age. The impact of an ACOA status varied with the
      parental biological relation and gender, and with the premorbid antecedents of
      parental alcoholism.

PMID- 1862796
TI  - Invited commentary: should arteriographic case-control studies be used to
      identify causes of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease?
AB  - Arteriographic case-control studies still have a role in defining associations
      and dose-response relations between newly purported risk factors and
      atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. They remain one of the better ways to
      sort out whether a risk factor acts to cause clinical coronary disease via
      effects on coronary atherosclerosis, infarction independent of atherosclerosis,
      or both. It remains unclear if the selection processes for coronary arteriography
      infuse bias into the selection of cases, though the report by Reed and Yano
      suggests it does not. Control group selection remains problematic, as it does for
      all case-control studies, and considerable effort should be exercised to avoid
      the many potential biases in selection of both cases and controls. In this latter
      statement there is agreement with authors Reed and Yano. However, the avoidance
      of arteriographic studies threatens to curb the initiation of that sequence of
      studies that can, in a relatively short duration of time, provide useful
      information on the potential for a risk factor intervention to inhibit coronary
      atherosclerosis and, possibly, clinical coronary events. This, then, raises the
      final point for emphasis. Arteriographic studies, be they case-control,
      prospective, or experimental, may be most powerful when paired with those using
      clinical endpoints. In addition to the chance for replication of findings with
      another set of endpoints, the issue of mechanism of action via the
      atherosclerotic process can be addressed. Interestingly, the Honolulu Heart
      Program, with its laudable efforts to collect both autopsy and arteriographic
      quantitations of atherosclerosis, provides perhaps the best illustration in the
      current literature of the power of using multiple endpoints for coronary artery
      disease to more completely elucidate the role of risk factors in the natural
      history of that disease.

PMID- 1862795
TI  - Predictors of arteriographically defined coronary stenosis in the Honolulu Heart
      Program. Comparisons of cohort and arteriography series analyses.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine if the major risk factors for clinical
      myocardial infarction also predicted coronary artery stenosis as defined by
      arteriography. Of a cohort of 7,591 men who were free of cardiovascular disease
      at entry, 357 had arteriographic studies during a 20-year follow-up period. Risk
      factor levels were therefore known prior to the onset of clinical symptoms and
      arteriographic studies. Men with arteriograms were divided into groups with and
      without prior clinical myocardial infarction. High blood pressure, serum
      cholesterol, obesity, and low alcohol intake predicted both severe coronary
      stenosis and incident myocardial infarction, thus indicating that these variables
      were associated with clinical events through the underlying process of
      atherosclerosis. Dietary intake of cholesterol and serum glucose also had similar
      but not always statistically significant patterns of association with both
      coronary stenosis and myocardial infarction. In contrast, serum triglyceride and
      cigarette smoking predicted clinical myocardial infarction, but not severe
      coronary stenosis. This suggests that these variables play a stronger role in the
      precipitation of acute clinical events than in the underlying process of
      atherosclerosis. The findings were quite different for several risk factors when
      analyzed in a case-control format using the arteriography series from this same
      data set. Examination of possible explanations for the differences raises
      questions concerning the use of arteriography series for etiologic studies of
      coronary atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1862797
TI  - Factors associated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol in Japanese and
      American telephone executives.
AB  - The association of plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol)
      with several factors was examined in a cross-sectional study of Japanese and
      American telephone executives. Mean HDL cholesterol levels were similar in both
      groups of men and were negatively associated with body mass index, smoking, and
      serum uric acid and positively associated with alcohol and exercise. These
      associations did not differ between the Japanese and the American men. The mean
      HDL cholesterol level was 4.2 mg/dl lower in the Japanese than in the American
      men after adjusting for age, body mass index, alcohol, smoking, exercise, and
      serum uric acid. The difference in HDL cholesterol between Japanese and American
      men in this study is inconsistent with the much lower coronary heart disease
      mortality in Japan and with previous comparison studies of these two populations.
      Most previous studies have not adjusted for important confounders, but the
      selective nature of our study groups may have also contributed to this
      inconsistency. These racial differences in HDL cholesterol may also be due to
      either genetic or unmeasured environmental and cultural differences. Given the
      similarity in HDL cholesterol levels between these two groups, our results
      suggest that HDL cholesterol does not play an important role in the lower
      coronary heart disease mortality in Japanese men.

PMID- 1862798
TI  - Coffee and cholesterol, an Italian study.
AB  - In the present study, conducted in northern Italy between 1986 and 1989, the
      authors investigated the possible association between coffee consumption and
      serum cholesterol levels in 8,983 subjects, 7,432 men and 1,551 women, managers
      and employees aged 18-65 years, who were examined during a program of preventive
      medicine upon an agreement between various companies and the Centro Diagnostico
      Italiano. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the serum cholesterol levels
      of the subjects subdivided according to coffee consumption, along with age, body
      mass index, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and physical activity. An
      important relation was demonstrated between coffee intake and cholesterol,
      particularly in the men, the differences in serum cholesterol in the coffee users
      compared with the nonusers being 6.1 +/- 1.4 (standard error) mg/dl for consumers
      of 1-3 cups/day (3.4 +/- 1.4 mg/dl after adjustment for age, body mass index,
      alcohol and cigarette consumption, and physical activity), 9.9 +/- 1.6 mg/dl for
      those drinking 4-5 cups/day (5.8 +/- 1.6 mg/dl after adjustment), and 14.8 +/-
      2.0 mg/dl for those drinking over 5 cups/day (9.6 +/- 2.0 mg/dl after
      adjustment). This relation remained substantially unvaried when nonsmokers and
      smokers were analyzed separately. It has been suggested that it is coffee
      prepared by boiling rather than other methods that has a hypercholesterolemic
      effect. Our observations demonstrate an interesting relation between coffee and
      cholesterol, even though the coffee drunk in Italy is mainly filtered and
      nonboiled. However, our finding is not necessarily in disagreement with the above
      hypothesis since, when coffee is prepared in the Italian way (with the mocha
      method), ground coffee is preheated by steam and more importantly, the water
      passes through the ground coffee at a higher temperature than with the other
      brewing methods.

PMID- 1862799
TI  - Cancer and polyps of the colorectum and lifetime consumption of beer and other
      alcoholic beverages.
AB  - Two parallel case-control studies were conducted in the Marseilles metropolitan
      area of France from 1979 to 1985 on cancers and adenomatous polyps of the
      colorectum. All cases of cancer (n = 389) and polyps (n = 252) were incident and
      histologically confirmed. Controls (n = 641) matched for sex and age were
      selected among patients undergoing functional reeducation for injury or trauma in
      one of five hospital centers. Intake of alcoholic beverages was investigated by
      questions on daily or weekly intake of wine, beer, aperitifs, and distillates
      during different life periods. Questions on alcoholic beverages were integrated
      in a detailed diet history interview questionnaire. The risk of rectal cancer was
      elevated in male beer drinkers (relative risk = 1.73, 95% confidence interval
      1.01-2.95) and in men and women combined (relative risk = 1.71), while beer
      consumption was not associated with colon cancer. Total ethanol intake and
      consumption of wine and distillates were not associated with the risk of cancer
      of the colon or rectum, nor with risk of polyps. Adjustment in the statistical
      analysis for energy intake and for other dietary variables (fiber from fruits and
      fiber from vegetables), which were found to be risk factors in the study, did not
      substantially change the results found for beer and other alcoholic beverages.
      Etiologic hypotheses related to nitrosamine content of beer are discussed in the
      light of growing epidemiologic evidence that beer consumption specifically
      increases the risk of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1862800
TI  - A case-control study of diet and cancer of the pancreas.
AB  - In a population-based case-control study carried out in Adelaide, South
      Australia, during the years 1984-1987, the diets of 104 cases of cancer of the
      pancreas 1 year prior to diagnosis were compared with the diets of 253 community
      controls. A quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess usual
      dietary intakes of 179 food items. Cases were compared with controls in terms of
      both the amounts of individual food items consumed and the estimated
      contributions of 48 nutrients to the diet. Food items consumed more by cases than
      controls included boiled eggs and omelettes as well as a number of items that
      could be collectively described as sweet and fatty. Food items consumed less by
      cases than controls included several vegetables and fruits. Conditional logistic
      regression analysis of nutrient intake adjusted for total energy and for alcohol
      and tobacco usage yielded an estimate of relative risk of 3.19, with a 95%
      confidence interval of 1.58-6.47 for the highest quartile of cholesterol intake
      (relative to the lowest quartile). For the top quartile of refined sugar intake,
      the estimated relative risk was 2.21 (95% confidence interval 1.07-4.55). Several
      nutrients derived principally from plant foods were statistically significantly
      associated with lower risks. Alcohol consumption was significantly lower among
      cases than controls. Current smokers had a relative risk of 1.76 (95% confidence
      interval 0.93-3.34) relative to those who had never smoked. There was no
      association of pancreatic cancer with coffee drinking.

PMID- 1862801
TI  - Use of electric blankets and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.
AB  - Chronic exposure to 60-Hz electromagnetic fields has been hypothesized to
      increase breast cancer risk by suppressing the normal nocturnal rise in pineal
      melatonin. From 1987 to 1989 in western New York the authors investigated the use
      of electric blankets as a risk factor for breast cancer in a case-control study
      of postmenopausal women aged 41-85 years. A study population of 382 cases and 439
      randomly selected community controls was queried regarding use in the previous 10
      years, the frequency of use by season, and the mode of use. After adjusting for
      age and education, the odds ratio (OR) for use of an electric blanket in the past
      10 years (33% of cases, 35% of controls) was 0.89 (95% confidence interval (95%
      CI) 0.66-1.19), and the risk did not differ in a dose-response fashion by the
      number of years used. The risk associated with daily use relative to nonuse was
      0.97 (95% CI 0.70-1.35). Use sometimes to warm the bed and sometimes throughout
      the night was not associated with risk (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.40-1.05). The risk of
      breast cancer among those who used the blanket continuously throughout the night
      was 1.31 (95% CI 0.88-1.95). Those who reported daily use in season, continuously
      throughout the night for the past 10 years did not have significantly elevated
      risk (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.73-2.16). Adjustment for the Quetelet index and
      reproductive risk factors did not alter the results. These findings do not
      support the hypothesis that electric blanket use is associated with an increased
      risk for breast cancer. The slightly elevated estimate of risk for the most
      frequent electric blanket users and the potential public health significance of
      electromagnetic field exposure suggest that further inquiries be undertaken.

PMID- 1862802
TI  - Pregnancy and gallstone disease: an empiric demonstration of the importance of
      specification of risk periods.
AB  - This paper discusses the importance of specification of risk periods in research
      of the effect of pregnancy on the occurrence of gallstone disease. The authors
      present data from a case-control study, started in 1983 in Maastricht, The
      Netherlands. The study comprised 100 acute gallstone cases and 305 general
      population controls and 41 elective cases and 122 elective radiodiagnosis
      controls. In a conventional analysis, the rate ratio for one or more pregnancies
      ever (vs. never) was 1.2 (90% confidence interval 1.02-1.36). In an analysis that
      discerned several subsequent risk periods, an effect was found only for the risk
      period up to 5 years after pregnancy (rate ratio, 2.4; 90% confidence interval
      1.12-4.96). Beyond this risk period no effect was noted. The results suggest that
      pregnancy increases the rate of gallstone formation only transiently. Six reasons
      for specifying risk periods in nonexperimental etiologic studies are discussed.
      The authors contend that ignoring of risk periods explains part of the variation
      in the findings of earlier studies on pregnancy and the risk of gallstone
      disease.

PMID- 1862803
TI  - Respiratory health effects of home dampness and molds among Canadian children.
AB  - In 1988, the authors conducted a questionnaire-based study on the health effects
      of the indoor environment in 30 Canadian communities. This paper focuses on the
      association between the respiratory health of young children and home dampness
      and molds. A total of 17,962 parents or guardians of schoolchildren received a
      questionnaire, and 14,948 (83.2%) questionnaires were returned. Children living
      in mobile homes, tents, and boats were excluded as were those with cystic
      fibrosis, leaving 13,495 children included in the study group. The housing stock
      was distributed as follows: 81% were one-family detached homes, 6% were one
      family attached homes, and 13% were buildings for two or more families. Molds
      were reported in 32.4%, flooding in 24.1%, and moisture in 14.1% of the homes.
      Prevalences of all respiratory symptoms were consistently higher in homes with
      reported molds or dampness; i.e., adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.32 (95%
      confidence interval 1.06-1.39) for bronchitis to 1.89 (95% confidence interval
      1.58-2.26) for cough. The prevalence of home dampness or molds, 37.8%, indicates
      that it is an important public health issue. Further studies are required to
      elucidate the pathogenesis.

PMID- 1862805
TI  - Physical activity and depression: evidence from the Alameda County Study.
AB  - The relation between level of physical activity and risk of subsequent depression
      was examined using three waves of data from the Alameda County Study. Among
      subjects who were not depressed at baseline, those who reported a low activity
      level were at significantly greater risk for depression at the 1974 follow-up
      than were those who reported high levels of activity at baseline. Adjustments for
      physical health, socioeconomic status, life events, social supports, and other
      health habits did not affect the association appreciably. Associations between
      1965-1974 changes in activity level and depression in the 1983 follow-up suggest
      that the risk of depression can be altered by changes in exercise habits,
      although these associations were not statistically significant after adjustment
      for covariates. These results provide somewhat stronger evidence for an activity
      depression link than do previous studies, and they argue for the inclusion of
      exercise programs as part of community mental health programs, as well as for
      further studies that focus on the relation between life-style and mental health.

PMID- 1862806
TI  - Re: "A meta-analysis of physical activity in the prevention of coronary heart
      disease".

PMID- 1862804
TI  - Association of indoor nitrogen dioxide with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary
      function in children.
AB  - The effect of indoor nitrogen dioxide on the cumulative incidence of respiratory
      symptoms and pulmonary function level was studied in a cohort of 1,567 white
      children aged 7-11 years examined in six US cities from 1983 through 1988. Week
      long measurements of nitrogen dioxide were obtained at three indoor locations
      over 2 consecutive weeks in both the winter and the summer months. The household
      annual average nitrogen dioxide concentration was modeled as a continuous
      variable and as four ordered categories. Multiple logistic regression analysis of
      symptom reports from a questionnaire administered after indoor monitoring showed
      that a 15-ppb increase in the household annual nitrogen dioxide mean was
      associated with an increased cumulative incidence of lower respiratory symptoms
      (odds ratio (OR) = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (95% Cl) 1.1-1.7). The response
      variable indicated the report of one or more of the following symptoms: attacks
      of shortness of breath with wheeze, chronic wheeze, chronic cough, chronic
      phlegm, or bronchitis. Girls showed a stronger association (OR = 1.7, 95% Cl 1.3
      2.2) than did boys (OR = 1.2, 95% Cl 0.9-1.5). An analysis of pulmonary function
      measurements showed no consistent effect of nitrogen dioxide. These results are
      consistent with earlier reports based on categorical indicators of household
      nitrogen dioxide sources and provide a more specific association with nitrogen
      dioxide as measured in children's homes.

PMID- 1862808
TI  - Guilt and shame.

PMID- 1862807
TI  - Fragment from a future history of the science of medicine.

PMID- 1862809
TI  - Managing full-thickness wounds.

PMID- 1862810
TI  - Do your gloves fit the task?

PMID- 1862811
TI  - Transfusion nursing: trends and practices for the '90s. Choosing blood components
      and equipment. National Blood Resource Education Program's Nursing Education
      Working Group.

PMID- 1862812
TI  - Transfusion nursing: trends and practices for the '90s. Autologous transfusion.

PMID- 1862813
TI  - Transfusion nursing: trends and practices for the '90s. Preventing and managing
      transfusion reactions.

PMID- 1862814
TI  - Transfusion nursing: trends and practices for the '90s. Building a safe community
      blood supply.

PMID- 1862815
TI  - The postop heart. Case example: embolization after prosthesis implantation.

PMID- 1862816
TI  - South Central jobfocus. The right nursing climate.

PMID- 1862817
TI  - Pediatrics jobfocus. A time of growing opportunity and rewards.

PMID- 1862818
TI  - Pressures grow for AIDS testing; court backs 'patients' rights'.

PMID- 1862819
TI  - Sensory and semantic factors in recognition memory for odors and graphic stimuli:
      elderly versus young persons.
AB  - In four experiments, young (18-26 years, M = 21) and elderly (over 65 years, M =
      72) people were compared for recognition memory of (a) graphic stimuli (faces of
      presidents and vice presidents, engineering symbols, and free forms) and (b)
      everyday odors. On graphic stimuli, the elderly consistently matched the young,
      but on odors the performance of the elderly was worse. Their poorer olfactory
      performance was observed after only 26 s, but became truly marked after 1 hr or
      more. Somewhere between 1 hr and 2 weeks, their odor performance fell to chance,
      but their graphic performance remained well above chance. Although the young did
      forget both graphic and odor materials progressively, their performance always
      stayed above chance over a 6-month period. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed that the
      elderly are less sensitive to odors than the young (with thresholds about 10-fold
      higher), which may explain, in part, their poorer olfactory memory performance.
      Knowledge that the subjects brought to the tasks by way of familiarity with and
      ability to name odors and faces played a positive role in recognition memory.
      Because of this positive role, together with the negative role played by verbal
      distraction, we conclude that odor recognition memory depends, perhaps heavily,
      on semantic processing. Impaired semantic processing may result even when odors
      are simply rendered desaturated, or pastel because of the weakening of olfactory
      sensitivity with aging.

PMID- 1862820
TI  - Cognitive advantage in sport: the nature of perceptual structures.
AB  - To extend and clarify the nature of the perceptual processes used by sport
      experts to perceive schematic sport information, two experiments used schematic
      football diagrams that varied in structure (structured vs. unstructured) and
      complexity (complex vs. easy). The primary objective was to examine and
      characterize the nature of the perceptual structures (chunks) that are initially
      encoded, stored, and subsequently retrieved. In Experiment 1, compared with
      nonexperts, experts recalled larger perceptual structures following the initial
      stimulus presentation of structured stimuli only, replicating the recall findings
      of previous research in other skill domains. Experiment 2 used a long-term memory
      recognition task and a sorting task. Experts had superior recall and recognition
      of structured stimuli only, along with more discriminating sorting criteria of
      perceptual structures within long-term memory. This suggests that experts possess
      a highly refined semantic network or organized, structured schematic information.
      This research extends and clarifies the similarities between the perceptual
      processes of experts in sport (i.e., football) and experts in skill domains that
      require obvious cognitive involvement (i.e., chess). The results are discussed
      with reference to the perceptual and conceptual chunking hypotheses. It is
      proposed that sport experts' knowledge of a conceptual category enables them to
      retrieve elements using a "generate-and-test process."

PMID- 1862821
TI  - HLA-DR antigen expression on peripheral blood monocytes correlates with surgical
      infection.
AB  - Monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) expression has correlated closely
      with clinical outcome in severely injured patients at high risk for infection.
      Monocytes from 77 asymptomatic volunteers expressed HLA-DR antigen with minimal
      variability in respect to age, gender, race, time of day or year, or serum
      alcohol level. Patients who developed infection after elective laparotomy had a
      significantly lower mean percentage of monocytes expressing HLA-DR antigen and a
      lower mean fluorescent intensity than uninfected patients (p less than 0.05).
      Severely infected nonsurgical patients had significantly lower values than normal
      volunteers (p less than 0.01), and the mean fluorescent intensity of those who
      died from infection was significantly lower than that of those who survived (p
      less than 0.05). Patients on immunosuppressive regimens after renal
      transplantation had levels of HLA-DR expression similar to those of the
      volunteers. Monocyte HLA-DR expression was found to be a reliable marker of
      clinical infection and showed remarkable reproducibility within the normal
      uninfected study population.

PMID- 1862822
TI  - Detection of clinically suspected deep vein thrombosis using light reflection
      rheography.
AB  - Venography is the current standard for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis
      (DVT). Noninvasive tests have differing sensitivity and specificity, are
      technically demanding, and may be subject to variability in interpretation. Light
      reflection rheography (LRR) is a noninvasive method utilizing light-emitting
      diodes and a sensor to measure light reflected from the skin surface. The
      intensity of reflected light establishes a graphic pattern that indirectly
      quantifies parameters of venous function by measuring changes in the
      microcirculation. Seventy-two patients who underwent contrast venography at our
      institution were also evaluated with LRR. Twenty-four patients were found to have
      DVT as demonstrated by venography. Of these, 23 also had DVT detected by LRR. No
      evidence of thrombus was seen in 45 patients studied by venography; in this
      group, 35 had normal venous emptying indicated by LRR. Using LRR, a sensitivity
      of 96% was achieved in the evaluation of clinically suspected DVT. This
      sensitivity is comparable with other noninvasive tests. In addition, LRR is easy
      to operate, portable, inexpensive, and not technically demanding. Further
      investigation is needed to confirm these data and further define the role of LRR
      in the evaluation of clinically suspected DVT.

PMID- 1862823
TI  - Use of light reflection rheography for diagnosis of axillary or subclavian venous
      thrombosis.
AB  - Noninvasive diagnosis of axillary and subclavian venous thrombosis or
      documentation of the post-thrombotic syndrome using modalities currently in use
      is not definitive. Light reflection rheography, which is a reflection of venous
      pressure changes in the extremity as recorded from the subdermal capillary
      plexus, was used to correctly diagnose axillary or subclavian venous thrombosis
      in 11 patients. A positive study was confirmed by phlebography in each instance.
      There were no instances of false-positive results. The methodology is simple,
      involving testing of the venous outflow from the upper extremity in response to
      exercise, application of venous congesting pressure, and measurement of the rate
      of venous outflow when the congesting pressure is released. Normal respiratory
      variations of an open venous system are also assessed by this noninvasive
      modality. The tracing obtained is easy to interpret and provides objective
      evidence of proximal venous occlusion. The test is not operator-dependent and the
      instrumentation is relatively inexpensive. We believe that light reflection
      rheography may be an exciting development in the noninvasive diagnosis of
      axillary or subclavian venous compromise and merits further trials.

PMID- 1862824
TI  - Abnormal esophageal transit in patients with typical reflux symptoms but normal
      endoscopic and pH profiles.
AB  - There is a small, well-known cohort of patients who, despite classic reflux
      symptoms, have a normal esophageal pH profile and endoscopic picture. The
      treatment of these patients has proved problematic. In an attempt at determining
      the pathophysiology of this subgroup, we investigated the esophageal transit,
      using the radiolabeled solid bolus esophageal egg transit technique, in 58 such
      patients: 25 males, 33 females, mean age 39.5 years (range: 13 to 65 years). The
      egg transit was normal in 31 (53.4%) patients. In the remaining 27 (46.6%)
      patients, the condensed image analysis showed the following specific abnormal
      transit patterns: "step" delay pattern, demonstrating segmental hold-up in mid-
      or distal esophagus in 16 (59.3%); nonspecific delay in 6 (22.2%); oscillatory
      pattern in 3 (11.1%); and total nonclearance during the study period (4 minutes)
      in 2 (7.4%) patients. The patients with abnormal transit patterns had demographic
      parameters and symptom scores similar to those found in patients with normal
      transit. This study shows that almost 50% of patients with reflux symptoms and
      negative pH and endoscopy have abnormal esophageal transit, and almost two thirds
      of these patients display segmental transit delay in the lower half of the
      esophagus. The effect on symptomatology by prokinetic agents in the patient
      subgroup needs evaluation.

PMID- 1862825
TI  - Role of renal sympathetic nerve activity in renal failure associated with
      obstructive jaundice in the rat.
AB  - The propensity for renal failure associated with obstructive jaundice and liver
      disease may be related to enhanced vasoconstriction of the renal vascular bed
      with resultant decreases in renal blood flow. Renal sympathetic nervous activity
      may be a mediator of this effect. The increased renal production of
      prostaglandins which has been observed in previous models of bile duct ligation
      may serve to counterbalance the effects of such vasoconstricting influences. This
      study was undertaken to assess the effect of bile duct ligation on renal function
      and prostaglandin production in the rat. Furthermore, this study was designed to
      determine if renal sympathetic nerve activity contributes to the development of
      renal failure after bile duct ligation. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either sham
      operation (n = 8), bilateral renal denervation (n = 10), bile duct ligation alone
      (n = 11), or bile duct ligation and bilateral renal denervation (n = 10). Renal
      function was assessed before and 4 days after operation. Bile duct ligation
      resulted in a 46% decrease in creatinine clearance (p less than 0.01), a 33%
      decrease in urinary sodium excretion (p less than 0.01), a twofold increase in
      urine flow (p less than 0.01), and twofold increases in urinary excretion of
      PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and thromboxane B2 (p less than 0.01). Renal denervation
      did not prevent the decreases in creatinine clearance and sodium excretion seen
      after bile duct ligation and had no effect on the changes in urine flow and
      prostaglandin excretion. These findings demonstrate that bile duct ligation in
      the rat results in impaired renal function, accompanied by increases in renal
      prostaglandin production. In addition, this study indicates that the
      perturbations in renal function and renal prostaglandin production induced by
      bile duct ligation are not mediated by renal sympathetic nerve activity.

PMID- 1862826
TI  - Loop colostomies are totally diverting in adults.
AB  - Temporary colostomy is a mainstay in the treatment of patients with colon
      injuries. Common teaching is that loop colostomies are not totally diverting. We
      performed this study to determine whether loop colostomies are totally diverting.
      Twenty-three patients presenting for closure of loop colostomies were given
      barium by mouth. Serial abdominal films were obtained at intervals over 24 hours.
      Scout films were obtained after bowel preparation to see if flushing the colon
      could cause passage of barium into distal bowel. We could not demonstrate passage
      of barium into the distal limb of the colon in any patient studied. This was true
      even in long-established loop colostomies. Bowel preparation did not cause
      passage of barium into the distal colon. Loop colostomies constructed over a rod
      and matured immediately totally divert the fecal stream. Most surgeons would
      agree that this type of colostomy is more easily and quickly created and closed.
      Since it fulfills the criteria for fecal diversion, the use of divided
      colostomies should be abandoned when a loop colostomy can be utilized.

PMID- 1862827
TI  - A nine-year experience with crossover femoro-femoro-popliteal sequential bypass.
AB  - Multisegmental arterial occlusive disease may require a combined inflow and
      outflow procedure for optimal treatment of limb ischemia. Twenty-one patients
      with unilateral iliac artery stenosis or occlusion and ipsilateral superficial
      femoral artery occlusion underwent crossover femoro-femoro-popliteal sequential
      bypass during a 9-year period. Seventeen operations were for limb salvage.
      Patency rates were determined separately for each segment of the bypass. Primary
      patency rates for the femoro-femoral segment were 89%, 83%, and 57% at 1, 2, and
      5 years, respectively. Primary patency rates for the femoro-popliteal segments
      were 68%, 62%, and 40% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Limb salvage rates
      were 100%, 90%, and 77% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. This experience
      indicates that femoro-femoro-popliteal bypass is an effective treatment in
      selected patients with severe ischemia due to combined iliac artery and
      superficial femoral artery disease.

PMID- 1862828
TI  - Management of educational change in times of medical reorganization.

PMID- 1862829
TI  - Laparotomy closure reinforced with buried polyglyconate retention sutures.
AB  - A method of laparotomy closure using continuous no. 0 polyglycolic acid suture
      for accurate fascial approximation and buried retention sutures of no. 1
      polyglyconate for prolonged wound strength is described. Both security and
      anatomical precision in fascial closure are achieved without the use of
      nonabsorbable suture material. This method of laparotomy closure is suitable for
      patients at high risk for fascial dehiscence.

PMID- 1862830
TI  - Education about death and dying during surgical residency.

PMID- 1862831
TI  - Outcome of complex vascular and orthopedic injuries of the lower extremity.
AB  - Thirty-two patients undergoing limb salvage procedures for complex vascular and
      orthopedic injuries of the lower extremity were studied in order to identify
      prognostic indicators for delayed amputation in this select group. A high
      incidence of nerve (38%), soft tissue (66%), and remote injury (47%) was noted. A
      comprehensive and integrated approach to vascular, orthopedic, and plastic
      reconstruction was utilized. Of the 32 patients studied, 1 (3.1%) died as a
      result of remote injury and sepsis. Amputation was required in 9 patients (28%),
      while 13 (56%) of the patients with limb salvage showed persistent functional or
      neurologic deficits. Infection was the most significant factor associated with
      amputation (p less than 0.0005) and was not avoided by the perioperative use of
      antibiotics. Delayed amputation resulted in a significant extension of total
      hospitalization (p less than 0.005). The authors favor an aggressive approach to
      limb salvage with IIIC injury but recommend early amputation in the presence of
      significant nerve disruption. An attentive use of tissue debridement, intravenous
      antibiotics, and early wound coverage is needed to limit infection.

PMID- 1862832
TI  - Safety of simultaneous aortic reconstruction and renal transplantation.
AB  - Patients with aortic disease and end-stage renal failure who require both aortic
      reconstruction and renal transplantation (simultaneously or staged) pose a
      formidable clinical challenge. Traditionally, the performance of either one of
      these procedures has been viewed as a relative contraindication to the
      performance of the other. From 1978 to 1989, eight patients were referred to us
      with the combination of aortic disease and end-stage renal failure. Seven had
      aneurysmal disease and one had aorto-iliac occlusive disease. Five patients
      presented with their diseases sequentially and had two sequential operations,
      with a mean interval of 4 years between procedures. Three patients presented with
      their diseases simultaneously and underwent simultaneous aortic reconstruction
      and living related renal transplantation. All patients were followed up for a
      mean interval of 4.5 years. By life-table analysis, the 5-year renal graft
      survival was 100%, the primary aortic graft patency was 82%, and the secondary
      aortic graft patency was 100%. The only death in this series occurred 11 years
      after aortic reconstruction and 4 months after a renal transplantation and was
      due to overwhelming cytomegalovirus sepsis. There were no significant differences
      between the simultaneous and staged groups in terms of operative mortality,
      postoperative complications, transplant function, or aortic graft patency. From
      this experience, we conclude that: (1) patients who present simultaneously with
      aortic disease and end-stage renal failure can safely undergo simultaneous aortic
      reconstruction and renal transplantation; (2) patients who present with these two
      diseases sequentially can undergo a second reconstructive procedure with very low
      operative morbidity and mortality rates; (3) when these two procedures have been
      performed sequentially, the second procedure has not significantly altered the 30
      day or 5-year results of the first procedure; and (4) the 30-day and 5-year
      results of each procedure have been excellent regardless of the temporal sequence
      in which they were performed.

PMID- 1862833
TI  - Ischemic injury to the spinal cord or lumbosacral plexus after aorto-iliac
      reconstruction.
AB  - Between January 1, 1980, and June 30, 1989, 9 patients (6 males and 3 females)
      developed ischemic injury to the spinal cord or lumbosacral plexus following
      3,320 operations on the abdominal aorta (0.3%). The incidence of this
      complication was 0.1% (2 of 1,901) after elective and 1.4% (3 of 210) after
      emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, and 0.3% (4 of 1,209) after repair
      for occlusive disease. Three of the latter had prior clinical evidence of distal
      embolization. Eight grafts were bifurcated (aorto-iliac:four, aorto-femoral:
      three, aorto-ilio-femoral:one). One patient underwent extra-anatomic
      revascularization. Only two patients had supraceliac aortic cross-clamping and
      one patient underwent exclusion of both internal iliac arteries. Four patients
      had hypotension. Early mortality was 22% (two of nine). Severe perioperative
      complications, mostly due to associated visceral and somatic ischemia and sepsis,
      were present in seven of the nine patients. The extent and type of the neurologic
      injury correlated with long-term outcome. Patients with ischemic injury of the
      lumbosacral roots or plexus had better recovery. Attention to the pelvic
      circulation and the collateral blood supply is important. Use of gentle technique
      to prevent embolization, avoidance of hypotension and prolonged supraceliac cross
      clamping, revascularization of at least one internal iliac artery, and the use of
      heparin may decrease but not eliminate paraplegia. Once this unexpected
      complication occurs, careful neurologic evaluation should be done to localize the
      lesion and aid prognosis.

PMID- 1862834
TI  - Clinical implications of combined hypogastric and profunda femoral artery
      occlusion.
AB  - From 1983 to 1990, nine patients with combined hypogastric (HA) and profunda
      femoral arterial (PFA) occlusive disease presented with five nonhealing hip
      disarticulations, three nonhealing above-the-knee amputations, perineal necrosis
      in six patients, buttock necrosis in four patients, visceral ischemia in two
      patients, and lumbosacral spinal ischemia in one patient. Obviously some patients
      had more than one regional complication. Five patients died from complications of
      HA/PFA ischemia. Survivors included two patients who required a hemipelvectomy,
      one patient who required an axillary-to-hypogastric artery bypass graft for stump
      salvage, and one patient who survived despite lumbosacral paralysis and complete
      cystectomy. The 56% mortality and 100% morbidity emphasize the critical
      significance of combined hypogastric/profunda femoral artery circulatory
      compromise. Efforts should be made to preserve or re-establish the HA and/or PFA
      circulation whenever possible. A hemipelvectomy may be required to allow the
      wounds to finally heal. Furthermore, the certainty of an above-the-knee
      amputation healing is not present in these patients; therefore, a hemodynamic
      assessment of the healing potential of an above-the-knee amputation is required.

PMID- 1862835
TI  - Total excision and extra-anatomic bypass for aortic graft infection.
AB  - Reports of high mortality and amputation rates following total excision and extra
      anatomic bypass for aortic graft infection have prompted the use of alternate
      approaches including local antibiotics, partial resection, in situ
      revascularization, and graft excision without revascularization. Experience with
      aortic graft infection was reviewed to establish current morbidity and mortality
      rates and evaluate our bias in favor of total excision and extra-anatomic bypass.
      Aortic graft infection was identified in 32 patients, 8 with aortoenteric
      fistulas. The mean interval between graft placement and infection was 34 months.
      History of groin exposure (75%) or multiple prior vascular surgery (50%) was
      common. Clinical signs included fever and/or leukocytosis (23 patients), false
      aneurysm (9 patients), graft thrombosis (6 patients), groin infection (11
      patients), and gastrointestinal hemorrhage (6 patients). Microbiologic data,
      available in 26 patients, demonstrated gram-positive organisms in 15 patients and
      gram-negative in 9. Multiple organisms were seen in 11 patients. Patients were
      treated by partial removal with (8 patients) or without (4 patients)
      revascularization or total removal with (18 patients) or without (2 patients)
      revascularization. Revascularization was by an extra-anatomic route, either
      simultaneous or staged. Overall morbidity/mortality was less in the
      revascularized groups (p = 0.01), while late complications were seen only after
      partial removal (p less than 0.01). The best results were found after total
      excision with revascularization. No patient in this group experienced late
      infection or amputation during a mean follow-up of 34 months (range: 1 to 168
      months). Complications after total excision and extra-anatomic bypass for aortic
      graft infection are lower than generally appreciated. This approach should remain
      the standard to which other approaches are compared.

PMID- 1862836
TI  - Impact of magnetic resonance imaging on the management of diabetic foot
      infections.
AB  - This combined retrospective/prospective study evaluated the value of magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) in 18 diabetic patients with apparent foot infections.
      The goal was to define the impact of MRI on directing the expedient and accurate
      surgical intervention so important in achieving optimal preservation of limb
      tissue and function. We found that MRI provides a rapid and reliable means of
      "viewing" the diabetic foot. Unsuspected or poorly localized abscess cavities can
      be pinpointed for thorough drainage with minimal exploration. An abscess can be
      differentiated from cellulitis or osteomyelitis. Moreover, persistent fever
      following drainage of a foot abscess can be reliably evaluated via MRI, obviating
      the need for empiric surgical reexploration. This exciting noninvasive imaging
      technique leads to the most accurate surgical drainage of foot abscesses and, at
      the same time, can prevent unnecessary surgical exploration of the tenuous
      diabetic foot.

PMID- 1862837
TI  - Unilateral aortofemoral bypass: a safe and effective option for the treatment of
      unilateral limb-threatening ischemia.
AB  - To determine whether unilateral aortofemoral (AUF) bypass is a safe and effective
      option for the treatment of unilateral limb-threatening ischemia in patients with
      aortic or bilateral iliac occlusive disease, we reviewed the results of 42 AUF
      bypasses performed using polytetrafluoroethylene grafts in patients operated on
      for limb salvage; 11 (26%) of the patients also underwent femoropopliteal or
      femorodistal (FP/D) bypasses. The indications for surgery were tissue necrosis or
      ulceration in 18 (43%) patients and rest pain in 17 (40%) patients. The 5-year
      primary graft patency and limb salvage rates for AUF bypass were 74% and 84%,
      respectively. The perioperative mortality rate was 5%. There were no significant
      differences in the primary graft patency or limb salvage rates in patients who
      underwent AUF bypass with or without FP/D bypass. Only 3 of 41 (7%) AUF bypass
      patients required subsequent femorofemoral bypass. We conclude that: (1) AUF
      bypass is a safe and effective surgical option in patients with unilateral limb
      threatening ischemia and aortic or bilateral iliac occlusive disease; (2) the
      routine performance of an aortobifemoral or axillobifemoral bypass in patients
      with unilateral limb-threatening ischemia may be unnecessary; and (3) AUF bypass
      facilitates the combined inflow and infrainguinal operations that are frequently
      required for limb salvage in these patients.

PMID- 1862838
TI  - Heparin, deep venous thrombosis, and trauma patients.
AB  - One hundred consecutive patients with multiple trauma, who were admitted to a
      level I trauma center with an injury severity score of 10 or greater, were
      studied prospectively. A duplex scan was used to evaluate each patient initially
      and at set intervals during the hospitalization for the presence of deep vein
      thrombosis (DVT). The prophylactic regimen for DVT in this study was 5,000 U of
      subcutaneous heparin every 12 hours. This was used in 50 patients at the
      discretion of the attending physician, while the remaining 50 patients received
      no DVT prophylaxis. Fourteen of 50 patients (28%) who were receiving heparin
      developed DVT, while only 1 patient (2%) of the 50 who did not receive heparin
      developed DVT. The use of heparin did not provide any significant protection in
      the susceptible trauma patient. It is believed that those patients with minimal
      lower extremity injuries, lower injury severity scores, and a shorter period of
      immobilization do not require any form of DVT prophylaxis. However, those
      patients at increased risk for DVT are better served with either increased doses
      of heparin or alternative forms of DVT prophylaxis.

PMID- 1862839
TI  - Utility of arteriography in penetrating extremity injuries.
AB  - The role of contrast arteriography in the management of patients with penetrating
      injuries of the extremities is a subject of active debate. To examine our
      experience, the charts of patients with penetrating injuries of the extremities
      were retrospectively reviewed. Data from 82 consecutive patients with 98 wounds
      over the 5-year period from January 1984 to December 1988 were reviewed. Sixty
      five arteriograms were obtained to investigate 98 wounds: 8 to localize a
      clinically apparent wound and 57 because of proximity of the wound or the
      trajectory of the injuring agent to a major neurovascular bundle. Of the 57
      arteriograms obtained because of proximity, 11 identified a vascular injury
      (19%). Six of these wounds required vascular repair; five patients were treated
      expectantly. Six of the eight arteriograms obtained for clinical indications were
      positive (75%), while two were negative (25%). There were no amputations in the
      study, and all vascular reconstructions were considered successful by clinical
      and vascular laboratory criteria. One patient died of thoracic injuries;
      otherwise, all patients were discharged in good condition. Long-term follow-up
      was not available. In summary, 19% of arteriograms done because of proximity
      criteria alone identified a clinically occult vascular injury. While only 11% of
      all proximity arteriograms revealed injuries requiring surgical repair, this rate
      of significant injury warrants aggressive use of proximity arteriography in a
      patient population that is prone to poor follow-up.

PMID- 1862840
TI  - Ambulatory stab evulsion phlebectomy for truncal varicose veins.
AB  - The management of primary varicose veins is evolving. Recovery time, cost,
      recurrence rate, and cosmesis are critical determinants. Classic "high ligation"
      and ankle-to-groin stripping is expensive, results in a long convalescence, and
      may produce unacceptable scarring and possible permanent nerve injury. This
      report describes the technique of stab evulsion phlebectomy performed in an
      outpatient setting. Under loco-regional anesthesia, and after high ligation,
      existing tributary and trunk varicosities are evulsed with specially designed
      hooks. The multiple stab incisions, 1.5- to 3-mm long, are closed with adhesive
      strips. Fifty-six patients, with 69 involved limbs, have been operated on during
      the past 9 months. Postoperative pain and complications were minimal.
      Convalescence was eliminated and all patients immediately resumed normal daily
      activities. Cosmesis was excellent. This technique is based on hemodynamically
      accurate principles. It effectively removes all varicosities, eliminates the
      proximal source of reflux, and disconnects potentially outflowing perforators,
      yet leaves in situ undamaged trunk veins, which may be used as potential vein
      grafts.

PMID- 1862841
TI  - Which asymptomatic patients should undergo routine screening carotid duplex scan?
AB  - The benefits of obtaining a routine screening carotid duplex scan have not been
      established for patients with peripheral vascular disease but no signs or
      symptoms of carotid artery disease. We retrospectively reviewed all carotid
      duplex scans (4,000) performed at our institution between 1985 through 1989 and
      found for analysis 91 scans in 78 patients who underwent a screening duplex scan
      because of the presence of peripheral vascular disease. Patients with carotid
      bruits, abnormal carotid pulses, and focal or nonspecific neurologic symptoms
      were excluded. Thirty-three percent of these patients had carotid stenosis of 16%
      to 50%, 14% had carotid stenosis greater than or equal to 50%, and 5% had
      stenosis greater than or equal to 75%. Individual risk factors for
      atherosclerosis, including elderly age, coronary artery disease, hypertension,
      diabetes, smoking, and a recent or past history of cardiac or vascular surgery,
      did not predict the detection of high-grade carotid stenosis. However, all 11 of
      the patients with carotid stenosis greater than or equal to 50% were 68 years of
      age and older, and this age range, in combination with the various risk factors,
      increased the incidence of significant carotid artery stenosis (greater than or
      equal to 50%) to as high as 45%. We conclude that routine screening carotid
      duplex scan is indicated in elderly patients (age greater than or equal to 68
      years) with peripheral vascular disease, even in the absence of any signs or
      symptoms of carotid artery disease, when other atherosclerotic risk factors are
      present.

PMID- 1862842
TI  - Stump pressure, the contralateral carotid artery, and electroencephalographic
      changes.
AB  - Electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring and measurement of stump pressure are
      the most widely employed methods of assessing the risk of cerebral ischemia
      during carotid endarterectomy. The status of the contralateral carotid artery has
      also been thought to influence the need for placing a shunt. The relationship of
      EEG monitoring, stump pressure, and the contralateral carotid artery has not been
      completely delineated. We retrospectively reviewed these three variables in 113
      patients undergoing 124 carotid endarterectomies. The contralateral artery was
      classified as occluded, stenotic (greater than 50% decrease in diameter), or
      nonstenotic. There was a 48% incidence of EEG changes with contralateral
      occlusion, 18% with stenosis, and 21% with nonstenotic arteries (p = 0.014).
      There was a 73% incidence of EEG changes when the stump pressure was less than 25
      mm Hg, 32% when the stump pressure was 25 to 50 mm Hg, and 2% when the stump
      pressure was greater than 50 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). There was no significant
      difference in the mean stump pressure for patients with occlusion (43.8 mm Hg),
      stenosis (44.7 mm Hg), or nonstenotic contralateral arteries (51.3 mm Hg). All
      patients with contralateral occlusion and a stump pressure less than 25 mm Hg had
      EEG changes. No patient with a stump pressure greater than 50 mm Hg and a patent
      contralateral artery had EEG changes. Although the incidence of EEG changes in
      the majority of patients was not accurately predicted by the stump pressure and
      the status of the contralateral carotid artery, stump pressure less than or equal
      to 50 mm Hg was sensitive, identifying 97% of patients with EEG changes.

PMID- 1862843
TI  - Impact of changing attitudes in carotid surgery on community hospital practice.
AB  - In 1985, institutional guidelines for the evaluation and performance of carotid
      surgery were established in our community hospital. During the 5-year period from
      1985 through 1989, 159 carotid reconstructions were done. There were four major
      strokes (3%), one eventually resulting in death, with the second death in this
      series from a myocardial infarction (mortality 1%). The combined mortality/major
      stroke morbidity incidence was 3%. Three transient ischemic attacks (2%)
      postoperatively cleared promptly without residua. During the latter 1980s, an
      increasing number of vascular surgeons were doing less carotid surgery.
      Monitoring institutional quality assurance and individual surgeon performance
      within the community hospital is becoming a reality. Our experience with
      institutional guidelines for the evaluation and conduct of carotid surgery,
      together with an assessment of results and ongoing individual surgeon
      performance, is presented. Maintaining acceptable morbidity and mortality
      statistics can be enhanced by having a plan for assessment, management, and
      concurrent review.

PMID- 1862844
TI  - Endarterectomy: the beginning of modern vascular surgery.

PMID- 1862845
TI  - [The use of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for treating gynecological
      diseases].

PMID- 1862846
TI  - [Current aspects of the diagnosis of the sclerocystic ovary syndrome].

PMID- 1862847
TI  - [Methodological approaches to an analysis of maternal mortality].

PMID- 1862848
TI  - [The adult respiratory distress syndrome in eclampsia and eclamptic coma. The
      diagnostic problems].

PMID- 1862849
TI  - [The determination of specific proteins in the biological fluids from pregnant
      women suffering from diabetes mellitus].
AB  - An immunochemistry analyser has been used in testing a series of specific
      proteins (complement components C3 and C4, properdin, factor B, immunoglobulins
      G, M and A, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-acid protein and alpha 2-macroglobulin)
      in biological fluids of normal and diabetic women in third-trimester pregnancy.
      Significant abnormalities in the protein spectrum were found in diabetes
      mellitus, a marker to be used in monitoring of diabetic pregnancies and control
      of therapy.

PMID- 1862850
TI  - [The role of prostaglandins in the development of associated late pregnancy
      toxicosis in hypertension patients].
AB  - The plasma levels of prostaglandins A, E, and F2 alpha were measured by the
      radioimmunoassay in 146 hypertensive and 62 healthy pregnant females. It was
      ascertained that beginning in the second trimester, the ratio of various
      prostaglandins is impaired in the direction of increasing values of substances
      from the pressor group as the hypertensive disease evolves. This is due to lower
      levels of prostaglandins A and E and/or higher levels of prostaglandins F2 alpha.
      In associated late gestosis, prostaglandin levels are related to the clinical
      manifestations of this disease. There are increased prostaglandin F2 alpha
      concentrations with severe nephropathy. The studies indicate that prostaglandins
      affect the course of hypertensive disease in pregnant women and the development
      of associated late gestosis.

PMID- 1862851
TI  - [Reflex analgesia in the combined treatment of pregnant women with a pathological
      preliminary period].
AB  - The impact of reflex analgesia via transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation and
      electrical acupuncture was studied in 46 patients with an abnormal preliminary
      period by using tests of pain sensations and personal and reactive anxiety, ECG,
      hysterography, and computer-aided prediction of labor complications. Reflex
      analgesia was found to contribute to effective abolishment of preliminary pain
      sensations, to normalization of central nervous system function, autonomic
      reactions, uterine contractility, to reduction in pharmacological agent use and
      treatment duration, and to better delivery.

PMID- 1862852
TI  - [The content of sex steroid hormones in the blood of healthy and anemic
      parturients and in the umbilical vessels of their newborn infants].
AB  - The investigation of the venous blood from 62 healthy and anemic parturients and
      the umbilical vascular blood from their newborns has indicated that lower
      steroidogenic activity in the fetus was directly related to its maternal disease
      severity. The synthesis of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and the metabolism of
      progesterone, estrone, and estradiol are affected. The placental transfer of
      progesterone, estrone, estradiol, and total estriol is also decreased. Endocrine
      activity in the placenta drastically drops with severe anemia.

PMID- 1862853
TI  - [The characteristics of the clinical picture and treatment of patients with acute
      kidney failure in obstetrical pathology].
AB  - The examination of 45 patients with acute renal failure (ARF) caused by obstetric
      problems identified 3 types of its clinical course: 1) "pure" ARF; 2) ARF in the
      presence of sepsis, and 3) ARF in the presence of exogenous intoxication. Types 2
      and 3 were more severe and showed higher mortality rates. The average number of
      hemodialysis sessions per patient was 2.4, 3.6, and 9.8 with types 1, 2, and 3,
      respectively. The treatment was of multimodality, including suppurative focus
      debridement, therapeutic measures, hemodialysis, and hyperbaric oxygenation; with
      types 2 and 3 efforts were made to combat sepsis, hemodynamic and coagulative
      abnormalities, multiorgan failure. The operative risk during evolved ARF is
      extremely high; uterine curettage, rational bacterial therapy, refusal of
      nephrotoxic agents are preferred. Better treatment outcomes were due to a session
      of 5-10 hyperbaric oxygenation procedures which were performed in anaerobic
      sepsis, pulmonary edema, arterial hypoxemia. The patients who had received
      hyperbaric oxygenation had less severe ARF, lower incidence of complications and
      lower mortality rates, they tolerated hemodialysis better.

PMID- 1862854
TI  - [Decreasing perinatal morbidity and mortality in incomplete pregnancy].

PMID- 1862855
TI  - [The potentials for using Tl201 chloride in the differential diagnosis of
      coronarogenic and noncoronarogenic myocardial lesions in women in the
      climacteric].

PMID- 1862856
TI  - [Hyperplastic processes in the target organs of women over 35 who have undergone
      an operation for the wedge resection of polycystic ovaries].

PMID- 1862857
TI  - [Tissue and plasma hemostasis in inflammatory diseases of the uterus and adnexa
      (a discussion of the article by G. M. Savel'eva and L. V. Antonova)].

PMID- 1862859
TI  - [The principles of the outpatient polyclinic diagnosis and treatment of
      gynecological endocrine diseases].

PMID- 1862858
TI  - [Tubo-ovarian inflammatory formations: the nosological and therapeutic aspects of
      the problem].

PMID- 1862860
TI  - [The "list of complaints" of the Clinic for Female Diseases of Moscow University
      (the end of the 19th-the beginning of the 20th centuries)].

PMID- 1862861
TI  - [The current approaches to choosing a rational procedure for the pregnancy and
      labor management of women with a scar on the uterus].

PMID- 1862862
TI  - [Serum oxytocin and oxytocinase activities in women during pregnancy].
AB  - Serum oxytocic and oxytocinase activities were examined in 50 females with normal
      pregnancy and 50 with threatened abortion by using biological (oxytocin) and
      biochemical (oxytocinase) methods. The findings suggest that there is no regular
      changes in serum oxytocic activity in the course of pregnancy, whereas its
      oxytocinase activity significantly increases with pregnancy development. The
      females with threatened abortion showed the same values of serum oxytocic
      activity as those with normal pregnancy, but much lower oxytocinase activity. The
      assay of serum oxytocinase activity may be of diagnostic value when threatened
      abortion is suspected.

PMID- 1862863
TI  - [Clinical significance of factors affecting the course of pregnancy and the
      status of newborn infants born to women with uterine scar].
AB  - Clinical, ultrasonic (fetoscopy, placentography, Doppler metry of uteroplacental
      and fetoplacental blood flow), and radioimmunological methods (measurement of
      follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, estradiol, estriol, progesterone)
      were used to examine 98 pregnant with a cicatrix onto the uterus. The early
      neonatal period was studied thoroughly in some newborns. The acid-base balance,
      umbilical vascular blood gases, arterial blood oxygen saturation, heart rate,
      blood pressure, and body temperature were measured. Having no clear-cut negative
      action on the uteroplacental and fetoplacental blood flow, an inadequate cicatrix
      was found to be a risk factor for fetal hypotrophy. Due to lower adaptative
      possibilities, the newborns to mothers having a cicatrix onto the uterus should
      constitute a risk group for complications in the neonatal period. It is concluded
      that repeated elective cesarean section performed in the period close to delivery
      is one of the factors that lower perinatal mortality and morbidity of babies born
      to mothers with a cicatrix on the uterus.

PMID- 1862864
TI  - [Pharmacological protection of pregnant women with heart defects during abdominal
      delivery].
AB  - The drug salvage developed by the authors was studied for its impact on maternal,
      fetal, neonatal homeostasis, the incidence of unfavourable outcomes in the mother
      and her fetus in 40 pregnant with cardiac malformations whose pregnancy was
      delivered via cesarean section as a planned operation. The baseline hypodynamic
      circulation was detected in pregnant with heart disease. This was found to be
      steady-state during the operation and the drug salvage was adequate in the
      females. This showed a 2.7- or 2.0-fold reduction in maternal cardiovascular
      events and unfavourable neonatal sequelae, respectively.

PMID- 1862865
TI  - [Risk factors and causes of abortion].

PMID- 1862866
TI  - [Endometrial steroid receptor levels in habitual abortion in advanced pregnancy].
AB  - Estrogen and progesterone reception was examined in the endometrial cytoplasmic
      and nuclear fraction from apparently healthy subjects and patients with habitual
      late incompetent pregnancy in the early proliferative and late secretory periods
      of a menstrual cycle. The reception of the two reproductive hormones in the
      nuclei and the binding of estrogens in the endometrial cytosol were demonstrated
      to be significantly higher in the female patients than in healthy subjects. The
      cytosol estrogen to progesterone reception ratio was increased in the patients in
      the secretory phase of a menstrual cycle than in normal females. There was a
      complete normalization of endometrial reproductive hormone receptor levels in the
      patients undergoing hyperbaric oxygenation.

PMID- 1862867
TI  - [Activity of natural killer cells in various forms of abortion].
AB  - The activity of natural killer (NK) cells was found to be significantly higher in
      females with various miscarriages than that in those with normal pregnancy. The
      highest NK cell activity was observed in females with interrupted pregnancy.

PMID- 1862868
TI  - [Contractile activity of the uterus in different variants of cervix dilatation
      and fetal forward movement during labor].
AB  - The biomechanism of labour pains was examined by analysing the amplitude,
      frequency, and duration of the pains during labours accompanied by arrests in the
      course of cervical dilatation and fetal forward movement. The forces driving out
      the fetus from the uterus were shown to be formed of two components: 1) uterine
      wall muscular layer tension and 2) amniotic fluid hydraulic pressure, the former
      being of greater importance than the latter.

PMID- 1862869
TI  - [Cesarean section in pre-term pregnancy].

PMID- 1862870
TI  - [Experience with conducting programmed labor].
AB  - An analysis was made of programmed labours in 128 high-risk females having
      relative indications for cesarean section. Oxytocin or prostaglandin was used as
      a uterine-contracting agents. The dosage, rate and duration of drug
      administration were adjusted by the values of uterine activity and the rate of
      cervical dilatation. In the latent phase (up to 4-5 cm) the optimal dilatation
      rate was considered to be 1 cm/h in primiparas, 1.5 cm/h in multiparas; in the
      active period (over 5 cm), that was 1.5 and 2.0 cm/h, respectively. The optimal
      labour duration was at least 10-12 hours in primiparas and at least 8 hours in
      multiparas. One hundred and sixteen (90.6%) females delivered vaginally without
      any delivery operations. Twelve (9.4%) delivered via cesarean section. All 128
      babies were liveborn. It has been concluded that programmed labour is a sparing
      tool of delivery in high-risk pregnant who have no indications for cesarean
      section.

PMID- 1862871
TI  - [Epidural anesthesia in cesarean section].

PMID- 1862872
TI  - [Diagnostic value of Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of the status of
      uterine blood flow in puerperium].
AB  - A study of 118 puerperants+ revealed that Doppler metry objectively evaluated the
      artery blood flow in the postpartum uterus. There was a progressive increase in
      uterine vascular resistance in the uncomplicated postpartum period following
      spontaneous labour, whereas there was a reduction in peripheral resistance in the
      endometritis-complicated period, which caused a rise in the end-diastolic blood
      flow. Postpartum uterine blood flow following cesarean section displayed low
      peripheral resistance in the presence or absence of an inflammatory process.

PMID- 1862874
TI  - [The examination system and the stages of restorative treatment of women after
      microsurgical reconstructive operations in tubal- peritoneal infertility].

PMID- 1862873
TI  - [Correction with T-activin of secondary immunodeficiency in inflammatory diseases
      of female internal genital organs].
AB  - A clinicoimmunological examination was performed in 70 patients with acute
      inflammatory disease of internal genitalia. All the patients received a
      multimodality anti-inflammatory therapy. They were divided into 2 groups: 1) 30
      patients taking ++T-activin as an adjuvant and 2) 40 patients untreated with it.
      T and B lymphocytes were measured by current cytofluorometry+ by means of
      monoclonal antibodies and the rosette-forming method. A subpopulation analysis of
      the T-cell immune system revealed lower T-helper count and decreased
      immunoregulatory index. ++T-activin used in the multimodality therapy for acute
      inflammatory diseases of internal genitalia improved the qualitative parameters
      of regulatory T-cell subpopulations, returned T and B lymphocytes to normal
      levels and elevated IgG concentrations.

PMID- 1862875
TI  - [Informative value of various biochemical parameters of homeostasis in the
      formation of endometrial cancer risk groups].
AB  - A total of 97 patients suffering from endometrial polyposis, hyperplasia,
      adenomatous hyperplasia, and carcinoma were examined. The levels of malonic
      dialdehyde as an index of lipid peroxidation, average-mass molecules, C peptide,
      humoral immunity parameters were studied. The content of circulating immune
      complexes were also determined. Specific changes which might be an auxiliary
      factor in predicting the therapy and forming cancer risk groups were identified.

PMID- 1862877
TI  - [Effect of hypotensive drugs on the metabolism of placental proteins].

PMID- 1862876
TI  - [Intrauterine contraception in nulliparous women].

PMID- 1862878
TI  - [Perinatal pathology in the offspring of women treated for endocrine infertility
      and the ways of its correction].

PMID- 1862880
TI  - [Cryotherapy in the treatment of benign diseases of the cervix uteri].

PMID- 1862879
TI  - [Consultation regarding the problems of contraception in Finland].

PMID- 1862882
TI  - [30-year-old lithopedion associated with ovarian cyst and large umbilical
      hernia].

PMID- 1862881
TI  - [Sequelae of unilateral ovariectomy in women of reproductive age].

PMID- 1862883
TI  - [Renal dystopia and genital pathology].

PMID- 1862884
TI  - [Specific diagnosis and conservative therapy of acute inflammatory adnexal
      diseases].

PMID- 1862885
TI  - [Anatomic and clinical narrow pelvis].

PMID- 1862886
TI  - [Hysteroscopy in operative gynecology].

PMID- 1862887
TI  - The pill, HRT and postoperative thromboembolism: cause for concern?

PMID- 1862888
TI  - Cost of intensive therapy. A description of methodology and initial results.
AB  - A preliminary study was performed to calculate the cost of intensive therapy on
      an individual patient basis. The fixed (equipment, supporting services and land
      opportunity), semi-fixed (staff) and marginal (treatment) costs of 20 critically
      ill patients were calculated individually. The results show that there is wide
      variation in intensive therapy costs. The average daily cost for a spontaneously
      breathing patient was 399 pounds (95% confidence intervals 388 pounds-460 pounds)
      while that for a ventilated patient was 726 pounds (656 pounds-795 pounds). The
      mean total cost per patient was 1980 pounds, but the cost per survivor increased
      by 16% (347 pounds) because of four deaths on the intensive care unit. High total
      costs are associated with increased severity of illness and higher marginal
      (treatment) costs are associated with increased semi-fixed (staff) costs. The
      cost of intensive therapy was three to five times that for general ward care.

PMID- 1862889
TI  - Immunological disturbances in anaesthetic personnel chronically exposed to high
      occupational concentrations of nitrous oxide and halothane.
AB  - Immunological changes in anaesthetic personnel exposed to occupational
      concentrations of holothane and nitrous oxide 10-60 times greater than the
      advised maximum were studied during routine work and after 3-4 weeks holiday. Red
      cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit decreased during exposure
      although not significantly, in comparison with a control group, but all had
      increased significantly after the holidays. Other changes were altered
      neutrophils and lymphocyte counts. Basophils disappeared from the blood during
      the exposure. Monocytes were not affected during the exposure, but increased
      after its cessation. Percentages of CD2 and CD4 lymphocytes increased
      significantly, but numbers of cells in T lymphocyte subpopulations (total, helper
      and cytotoxic/suppressor lymphocytes) were not significantly altered. B
      lymphocytes were most strongly affected: they decreased during working periods
      and did not recover after holidays. Natural killer (NK) cells, on the other hand,
      decreased significantly during exposure, but fully recovered during holidays.
      After stimulation with mitogens, phytohaemaglutin, concanavalin A, and pokeweed,
      lymphocytes from exposed personnel incorporated significantly more 3H-thymidine
      than those from control subjects, but stimulation indices did not differ. The
      natural killer-cell activity, serum Ig concentrations and phagocytosis by
      granulocytes were not altered.

PMID- 1862890
TI  - Morphine compared with diamorphine. A comparison of dose requirements and side
      effects after hip surgery.
AB  - The dose requirements and side effects of morphine were compared with those of
      diamorphine administered by patient-controlled analgesia in 40 patients following
      elective total hip replacement. Patients were allocated randomly to receive in a
      double-blind manner either morphine or diamorphine for postoperative pain relief.
      There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to
      postoperative sedation, nausea, well-being, pain relief and requirements for
      antiemetic drugs. The dose requirement for diamorphine was approximately 50% of
      that for morphine.

PMID- 1862891
TI  - A double-blind study of the speed of onset of analgesia following intramuscular
      administration of ketorolac tromethamine in comparison to intramuscular morphine
      and placebo.
AB  - A double-blind, randomised, parallel group, placebo-controlled study was
      performed in 85 patients to compare the speed of onset of analgesia following the
      intramuscular administration of a single dose of 30 mg of ketorolac tromethamine,
      10 mg of morphine or placebo. A new, sensitive, method was used to measure the
      latency of analgesia. The onset of analgesia was defined by the time taken for
      the pain intensity score to reach a specified percentage of the baseline value.
      Twenty-five percent of patients achieving a 50% reduction in baseline pain
      intensity score appears to be the most appropriate parameter to assess the speed
      of onset of analgesia of ketorolac and morphine in the postoperative setting.
      Paired comparison demonstrated that ketorolac had a significantly faster onset of
      analgesia (p = 0.03) when compared to placebo, whilst comparison of morphine to
      placebo analgesic latency (p = 0.06) just failed to reach significance. There was
      no significant difference between the analgesic onset time of ketorolac and
      morphine (p = 0.73). Intramuscular ketorolac and intramuscular morphine have
      comparable analgesic onset times in the postoperative pain context. However, the
      sensitive method of measuring onset of analgesia described, highlights the slow
      onset of analgesia when analgesics of known efficacy are given by the
      intramuscular route in the postoperative period. More attention should be given
      to the speed of onset of analgesia in future assessments of analgesics.

PMID- 1862892
TI  - Intubation through the laryngeal mask. A technique for unexpected difficult
      intubation.
AB  - Unexpected difficulty with tracheal intubation contributes to anaesthetic
      mortality. The laryngeal mask can almost always be placed satisfactorily and its
      position should facilitate blind intubation. A 6-mm cuffed tube will pass through
      both adult sizes of the mask and this study tested the feasibility of intubation
      through the mask. The effect of the application of cricoid pressure on the
      technique was also investigated. Intubation via the laryngeal mask was attempted
      in 100 routine patients: of the first 50 (group 1, no cricoid pressure), 45 (90%)
      were successfully intubated. Maintenance of cricoid pressure throughout the
      manoeuvre (group 2) reduced the success rate significantly to 56% (p less than
      0.05). Despite the possibility that cricoid pressure may have to be interrupted
      momentarily, the ease with which the technique can be learnt, and the immediate
      availability of the necessary apparatus suggest that it should be considered for
      inclusion in failed intubation drill.

PMID- 1862893
TI  - Epidural bupivacaine dilution for labour. A comparison of three concentrations
      infused with a fixed dose of fentanyl.
AB  - We have compared the effects of three epidural infusions in a randomised, double
      blind study of 56 primigravid mothers in labour. An initial dose of bupivacaine
      0.5% 8 ml was followed by infusion of either bupivacaine 0.125%, 0.062% or
      0.031%. All solutions contained fentanyl 0.0002% and were run at 7.5 ml/hour.
      Women receiving the most dilute solution had significantly less analgesia (p less
      than 0.001) for the first 4 hours of the study, but pain scores were then similar
      for the three groups. No obvious benefit was gained by using very dilute
      bupivacaine.

PMID- 1862894
TI  - Intra-operative patient-controlled sedation. Comparison of patient-controlled
      propofol with anaesthetist-administered midazolam and fentanyl.
AB  - The quality of sedation and postoperative recovery have been assessed for intra
      operative sedation provided by either patient-controlled sedation with propofol
      or a standard method using divided doses of midazolam and fentanyl, in 40 ASA 1
      day surgery patients undergoing extraction of third molar teeth under local
      analgesia. Patient-controlled sedation with propofol produced sedation no deeper
      than full eyelid closure with prompt response to verbal command, but deeper
      levels were seen in three patients in the midazolam and fentanyl group. Patient
      satisfaction was higher in the patient-controlled sedation propofol group for
      both subjective intra-operative feelings (p less than 0.01) and willingness to
      have the procedure again in the same manner (p less than 0.05). Amnesia was more
      limited to intra-operative events (rather than extending into the postoperative
      period) in the patient-controlled sedation propofol group (p less than 0.05).
      Drug dose was correlated with duration of procedure and surgical difficulty in
      the patient-controlled sedation propofol group but not in the midazolam and
      fentanyl group. Postoperative testing included a new computerised test, the FAST
      index, which indicated a dose-dependent reduction in cognitive function in the
      midazolam and fentanyl group, which persisted until the time of discharge.
      Changes in cognitive function in the patient-controlled sedation propofol group
      in the same postoperative interval were significantly less and not related to
      propofol dose.

PMID- 1862895
TI  - Fatal theophylline poisoning with rhabdomyolysis. A potential role for dantrolene
      treatment.
AB  - A fatal case of theophylline poisoning is described. The patient developed
      rhabdomyolysis, renal failure and compartment syndrome, as well as the more usual
      features of severe theophylline poisoning. Dantrolene appeared to be useful in
      controlling the hypermetabolic state associated with the overdose and may have a
      role in future treatment.

PMID- 1862896
TI  - Epidural analgesia in Eaton-Lambert myasthenic syndrome. Effects on respiratory
      function.
AB  - The anaesthetic management of a patient with Eaton-Lambert myasthenic syndrome
      undergoing thoracotomy is described. Epidural anaesthesia, in combination with a
      light level of general anaesthesia, provided good operating conditions and
      postoperative analgesia. Pulmonary function and ventilatory responses to carbon
      dioxide and hypoxia were measured before operation. These tests were repeated
      after the epidural administration of 8 ml 2% lignocaine before surgery and after
      2 mg morphine sulphate in 10 ml saline postoperatively. Minor reductions in some
      of the ventilatory parameters were observed. The epidural technique appears to be
      a useful and safe method by which to manage patients with Eaton-Lambert syndrome
      undergoing thoracotomy.

PMID- 1862897
TI  - Chemical meningism after lumbar facet joint block with local anaesthetic and
      steroids.
AB  - A case is reported in which chemical meningism occurred after lumbar facet joint
      block with methylprednisolone acetate and bupivacaine. This complication was
      probably due to inadvertent dural puncture. The use of steroids in facet joint
      injections is questioned.

PMID- 1862898
TI  - Tracheal tube resistance and airway and alveolar pressures during mechanical
      ventilation in the neonate.
AB  - The relationship between peak airway pressure, alveolar pressure and respiratory
      frequency was calculated for the range of compliances and airway resistances
      which might be encountered during mechanical ventilation of a 3-kg neonate. The
      pressure/flow relationships of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4-mm tracheal tubes were
      determined at a series of flows from 0.5 to 4 litres/minute. Peak airway and
      alveolar pressures were then measured at various frequencies and
      inspiratory:expiratory ratios with the tubes incorporated in a model lung. Large
      differences between peak airway and alveolar pressures developed when frequency
      was increased or inspiratory time decreased; the differences were greatest with
      the smaller tubes. Shortening expiratory time by increasing the frequency or
      altering the inspiratory:expiratory ratio resulted in increased end-expiratory
      pressure because of incomplete emptying of the lung.

PMID- 1862899
TI  - Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy. A bedside procedure on the intensive care
      unit.
AB  - Tracheostomy is performed commonly to aid weaning from assisted ventilation in
      patients who require intensive care. The procedure carries a significant
      mortality and morbidity, in part due to problems in moving unstable patients. We
      report the use of a bedside percutaneous tracheostomy technique for use in adult
      patients who require intensive care. The procedure was successful in 19 of 20
      cases. The one failure, in the first case, resulted from transection of a
      superficial midline vein. The lack of significant haemorrhage was notable in all
      other cases. The procedure has proved to be efficient and cost-effective in this
      unit and has now replaced conventional surgical tracheostomy in this group of
      patients.

PMID- 1862900
TI  - The effect of micropore filters on the aspiration test in epidural analgesia.
AB  - Continuous epidural analgesia may be complicated by intravascular or subarachnoid
      injection of local analgesic, with disastrous consequences. One of the techniques
      described to prevent these complications is the aspiration test. It is the
      current standard of practice to employ a micropore bacterial filter for epidural
      infusions. We present an in vitro study of nine commercially available bacterial
      filters to determine whether or not the aspiration test could be reliably
      performed through them. Eight of the nine filters (except the Perifix, Braun)
      were found to be unreliable if air and liquid were both present in the system
      (air lock). The role of the aspiration test and the use of micropore filters in
      epidural analgesia are discussed, as are the implications and possible solutions
      in practice of this cause of failure of the test.

PMID- 1862902
TI  - Assessing intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation training.
AB  - A simple graphical method is described that allows the assessment of a student's
      progress while learning intravenous cannulation and tracheal intubation. Thirty
      four students were studied during their initial training; 91% of those students
      who obtained a sufficient number of trials to allow a final assessment to be made
      met the criterion of 80% success for cannulation and 95% achieved similar success
      in intubation. Thirty-one ambulance staff who returned for a 3-day refresher
      course were also assessed; 44% (for intravenous cannulation) and 61% (for
      tracheal intubation) met the 80% success criterion.

PMID- 1862901
TI  - Clinical evaluation of a spinal catheter technique in femoro-popliteal graft
      surgery.
AB  - The use of a 24-gauge catheter for continuous spinal anaesthesia was evaluated in
      20 patients undergoing femoro-popliteal graft surgery for occlusive disease. The
      catheter was inserted through either a Tuohy or Quincke-tip needle and isobaric
      amethocaine used for the initial injection. In five patients identification of
      the subarachnoid space was not straightforward, but clear difficulty with
      catheter insertion was encountered in only one. The range of blocks seen was
      wider than expected, but it was adequate for surgery 15 minutes after injection
      in 16 of the 20 patients. In another three the injection of a small dose of
      hyperbaric bupivacaine produced the necessary extension of block. Two patients
      (10%) required a general anaesthetic, one because of grossly inadequate spread of
      solution, the other because the catheter kinked and prevented injection of a
      second dose after the start of surgery.

PMID- 1862903
TI  - Nausea and vomiting with use of a patient-controlled analgesia system.
AB  - The incidence of nausea and vomiting following patient controlled analgesia and
      intramuscular morphine injections on demand was compared in a double-blind
      randomised study of 32 healthy patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy.
      There were no significant differences between the two groups in mean 24 hour
      postoperative morphine consumption, subjective experience of pain, nausea and
      sedation assessed by visual linear analogue scoring, and the postoperative
      requirements for antiemetic therapy.

PMID- 1862904
TI  - Incidence and management of airway problems in the CHARGE Association.
AB  - The airway problems associated with anaesthesia in patients with the CHARGE
      Association have been underreported. We undertook a retrospective review of 50
      cases, of which anaesthetic records were available for 37 patients. Apart from
      choanal atresia and cleft lip and palate, 56% of patients has some other upper
      airway abnormality. There appeared to be greater difficulty in tracheal
      intubation with increase in age in four patients. The incidence and management of
      airway abnormalities are discussed.

PMID- 1862905
TI  - Extradural vein puncture--an avoidable complication.
AB  - Accidental cannulation of an extradural vein is a troublesome and potentially
      serious complication of extradural catheter insertion. This study was conducted
      to assess the influence of posture, catheter size and the injection of saline
      before catheter insertion, on its occurrence. Eight different techniques were
      studied based on combinations of these three factors. There was no difference in
      incidence with respect to posture. The use of 18-gauge catheters, after injection
      of 10 ml of 0.9% saline, resulted in a significant (p less than 0.01) reduction
      in the incidence of extradural vein cannulation. This technique is recommended in
      obstetric patients as a means of avoiding accidental intravenous injection of
      local analgesic.

PMID- 1862906
TI  - Attenuation of suxamethonium myalgias.

PMID- 1862907
TI  - Trauma to the posterior pharyngeal wall caused by a laryngeal mask airway.

PMID- 1862908
TI  - Laryngeal mask airway in children: insertion technique.

PMID- 1862909
TI  - Laryngeal masks and chair dental anaesthesia.

PMID- 1862910
TI  - Yet another use for the laryngeal mask airway.

PMID- 1862911
TI  - Unexpected position of the laryngeal mask airway.

PMID- 1862912
TI  - Malfunctioning of disposable breathing systems.

PMID- 1862913
TI  - Cuff failure--a complication of tracheal intubation.

PMID- 1862914
TI  - Precordial stethoscopes.

PMID- 1862915
TI  - Guide wire embolism.

PMID- 1862916
TI  - Upper airway obstruction by enlarged tonsils.

PMID- 1862917
TI  - Coagulation screening before epidural analgesia in pre-eclampsia.

PMID- 1862918
TI  - Ethyl chloride and diethyl ether for assessing the extent of epidural blockade.

PMID- 1862919
TI  - Assessment of training in anaesthesia and related skills.

PMID- 1862920
TI  - Block of epidural needle by blood clots.

PMID- 1862921
TI  - Blood clot obstruction of the upper airway.

PMID- 1862922
TI  - 32-gauge spinal catheters through 26-gauge needles.

PMID- 1862924
TI  - Fixation of nasotracheal and nasogastric tubes.

PMID- 1862923
TI  - Suxamethonium in a cannula deadspace--a danger.

PMID- 1862925
TI  - Pulmonary artery catheter entrapment.

PMID- 1862926
TI  - Central venous cannulation: a complication.

PMID- 1862927
TI  - Freezing of thiopentone solution.

PMID- 1862928
TI  - The anaesthetic management of tracheal stenosis.

PMID- 1862929
TI  - The Annual Conference of Linkmen of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great
      Britain and Ireland, 1990.

PMID- 1862930
TI  - Dealkylation of 7-methoxycoumarin as assay for measuring constitutive and
      phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P450s.
AB  - Six alkyl ethers of 7-hydroxycoumarin, ranging from methoxy- to hexoxycoumarin,
      were studied for their NADPH-dependent metabolism by liver microsomes of male
      rats treated with phenobarbital (PB) or 3-methyl-cholanthrene (MC). The six alkyl
      ethers were metabolized by both types of microsomes, forming 7-hydroxycoumarin as
      the major product. Among the test compounds, 7-methoxycoumarin was unusual in
      that its dealkylation was inducible only by PB and not by MC. PB increased 7
      methoxycoumarin-O-demethylase (MOCD) activity about four- to eightfold.
      Metyrapone strongly inhibited MOCD in PB-treated microsomes but not in MC-treated
      microsomes. Similarly, monoclonal antibodies directed toward PB-induced
      cytochrome P450s selectively suppressed MOCD in PB-treated microsomes. MOCD
      activity was observed in preparations of SD1 cells containing only cytochrome
      P450IIB1, while it was not found in preparations of XEM1 cells containing only
      cytochrome P450IA1. Demethylation of 7-methoxycoumarin was also mediated by the
      constitutive cytochrome P450 form(s) of liver, lung, small intestine, and kidney
      (in decreasing order). PB increased MOCD activity of small intestine by 40% but
      was without effect on the dealkylation activity of lung and kidney. MOCD activity
      was also detectable in differentiated rat hepatoma lines H4IIEC3 and 2sFou. The
      studies indicate that dealkylation of 7-methoxycoumarin is a highly sensitive,
      simple, and practical assay for estimating constitutive and PB-inducible
      cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase activities.

PMID- 1862931
TI  - Apparatus for gel electrophoresis with continuous monitoring of individual DNA
      molecules by video epifluorescence microscopy.
AB  - Apparatus for gel electrophoresis with continuous scanning by video
      epifluorescence microscopy was constructed and applied to measurements on
      individual DNA molecules in the size range of several hundred kilobase pairs. The
      gel electrophoresis apparatus comprises a horizontal glass cell and several
      commercially available components--an epifluorescence microscope, an image
      intensifier, two video cameras, a monitor, videotape recorder and voltmeter. Data
      in the form of videotapes can be subsequently analyzed on a computer graphics
      work station.

PMID- 1862932
TI  - A laser densitometer for selective spot analysis on dot blots and two-dimensional
      gel autoradiograms.
AB  - We describe an inexpensive densitometer, employing a small HeNe laser and an IBM
      compatible personal computer that performs accurate measurements of selected
      spots on two-dimensional gel autoradiograms or chromatograms with an accuracy and
      a sensitivity equal or superior to those of many commercial instruments. Our open
      table design allows the operator to visually monitor the scanning process in room
      lighting, and provides great flexibility in both the size and the nature of items
      to be scanned. The instrument has two moving parts (a prism and a small motor). A
      commercially available software package (ASYST) acquires digital data, graphs the
      data on the TV monitor, converts the data to optical density or to radioactive
      incorporation (cpm), subtracts background, integrates peak areas, and stores data
      on disk. The total time for these operations is 20-30 s per spot. The instrument
      has a dynamic range of 0.25 to 3.0 OD units and can measure a 10,000-fold range
      of 14C or 35S isotope concentrations on autoradiograms. The complete device can
      be assembled with a hobbyist's knowledge of electronics, moderate programming
      abilities (no machine language required), and a cost of less than $3000, not
      including the IBM PC.

PMID- 1862933
TI  - Enzyme-amplified rate conductimetric immunoassay.
AB  - A new immunoassay technique based on measurement of conductance changes in
      solutions is described. The assay employs an immobilized monoclonal antibody to
      capture a protein analyte along with a second antibody to the same analyte,
      conjugated to an enzyme capable of producing ions which are measured
      conductimetrically. Urease was selected as the enzyme, because it produces, from
      urea, four ions for each catalytic event. The analyte studied was human chorionic
      gonadotropin in serum. Higher concentrations of analyte during incubation with
      immobilized antibody and antibody-urease conjugate led to increased binding of
      the latter. After removal of unbound conjugate, urea solution was added and the
      rate of conductance change measured in the bulk substrate solution. Experiments,
      performed in polystyrene microtiter wells using a specially designed electrode,
      demonstrated the ability to measure 30 picomolar concentrations of human
      chorionic gonadotropin with a 30-s rate measurement. Urease proved to be an
      excellent labeling enzyme, retaining its activity under the nonionic conditions
      necessary to maintain low background conductance. Good agreement was obtained
      between observed rates and those expected from conductimetric theory and known
      physical parameters. The potential utility of the conductimetric immunoassay lies
      in the fabrication of biosensor devices for simplification and cost reduction of
      immunochemical-based instrumentation. Further improvements to the technique are
      proposed to achieve lower detection limits.

PMID- 1862934
TI  - Vaccinia-T7 RNA polymerase expression system: evaluation for the expression
      cloning of plasma membrane transporters.
AB  - The vaccinia/T7 transient expression system, which results in rapid, high-level
      expression of proteins encoded by plasmids bearing T7 promoters, provides a
      powerful strategy for the expression cloning of membrane transporters. To test
      the feasibility of this approach, we introduced the rabbit Na+/glucose
      transporter by liposome-mediated transfection into vaccinia infected HeLa cells
      and determined the characteristics and sensitivity of induced [14C]alpha-methyl D
      glucopyranoside uptake. We observed a rapid (4-12 h) expression of saturable (Kt
      = 342 microM) [14C]alpha-methyl D-glucopyranoside uptake following transfection,
      with substrate and inhibitor sensitivities of the native carrier, including Na+
      and temperature dependence and appropriate phloridzin sensitivity (KI = 9.1
      microM). The time-dependent increase in alpha-methyl D-glucopyranoside uptake
      coincided with a decline in endogenous Na+/D-aspartate transport. Maximal levels
      of expression achieved were nearly 10-fold higher than that reported for
      transient expression of Na+/glucose transporters in the COS cell system. Rate and
      dilution estimates demonstrates a sensitivity of detection of single clones
      diluted several thousand fold by nonspecific plasmid DNA. A further 3-fold
      increase in transport sensitivity was achieved after transfection of plasmid
      constructs bearing additional 5'-T7 stem-loop and 3'-T7 termination signals. When
      cell lines with low endogenous transport were coupled with substrates of high
      specific activity, as with measurements of induced [3H]gamma-aminobutyric acid
      uptake, we were able to detect expression from transporter bearing plasmids
      diluted as much as 10,000-fold by non-specific plasmid DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1862935
TI  - Isolation of intact mitochondria and hepatocytes using vibration.
AB  - A method of isolation of rat liver cells and mitochondria suggesting tissue
      disaggregation by vibration has been proposed. Mitochondria obtained using
      vibration have better parameters of oxidative phosphorylation as compared to
      homogenization. Hepatocytes isolated by vibration had viability about 90%, as
      determined by trypan blue exclusion, and rates of respiration and xenobiotic
      metabolism comparable to that observed by the enzymatic method.

PMID- 1862937
TI  - Use and detection of nonradioactive iodine-labeled antibodies for immunoassay.
AB  - Traditionally radioactively labeled iodine has been used as a reporter group for
      the detection of antibodies in immunoassay. We have recently developed a
      microassay system for the detection of very low concentrations of iodide which
      eliminates the need for the use of radiolabeled iodine (O'Kennedy, R. et al.
      1989, Anal. Biochem. 179, 138-144). The successful application of this assay for
      the detection of mouse IgG is described. The performance of this system compared
      with enzyme immunoassay was evaluated.

PMID- 1862936
TI  - Spectral and photophysical studies of benzo[c]xanthene dyes: dual emission pH
      sensors.
AB  - A series of fluorescent, long-wavelength, benzo[c]-xanthene dyes has been
      characterized for pH measurement in both excitation and emission ratio
      applications. The two general classes of these indicators are
      seminaphthofluoresceins (SNAFLs) and seminaphthorhodafluors (SNARFs) which are
      substituted at the 10-position with oxygen or nitrogen, respectively. These
      probes show separate emissions from the protonated and deprotonated forms of the
      fluorophores. The dyes may be excited at 488 or 514 nm with argon ion lasers.
      Most of the indicators have pKa values between 7.6 and 7.9. Detailed
      photophysical studies were conducted on the carboxy-SNAFL-1 system and excited
      state prototropic reactions were compared to structurally related derivatives,
      such as the umbelliferones. Membrane permeant esters, such as diacetates and
      acetoxymethyl esters have also been prepared. The indicators are spectrally well
      resolved from calcium indicators such as fura-2 and indo-1 and should be suitable
      for simultaneous determination of pH and Ca2+ transients.

PMID- 1862938
TI  - One-step purification of bacterial lipid macroamphiphiles by hydrophobic
      interaction chromatography.
AB  - Bacterial lipid macroamphiphiles extracted with phenol/water can be purified in
      one step by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Lipids and the major part of
      protein are separated from macroamphiphiles during phenol/water extraction.
      Coextracted nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and residual protein are effectively
      removed by column chromatography on octyl-Sepharose whereby macroamphiphiles are
      primarily adsorbed and later eluted with a buffered propanol gradient. The
      procedure is applicable to macroamphiphiles with various lipid structures as was
      demonstrated using the diacylglycerol-containing lipoglycan of Micrococcus
      luteus, the lipid A-containing lipopolysaccharide of Salmonella typhimurium, and
      the diglyceryl tetraether lipoglycans of Thermoplasma acidophilum and
      Thermoplasma volcanicum. On elution from octyl-Sepharose, separation into
      molecular species of different compositions was observed with the
      lipopolysaccharide of S. typhimurium and the lipoglycan of T. volcanicum. It was
      also shown that, after phenol/water extraction, membrane lipids are completely
      recoverable from the phenol layer, which makes it possible to isolate lipids
      along with macroamphiphiles from the same sample of bacteria.

PMID- 1862939
TI  - Monoclonal antibody to calmodulin: development, characterization, and comparison
      with polyclonal anti-calmodulin antibodies.
AB  - Specific anti-calmodulin rabbit polyclonal and murine monoclonal antibodies have
      been produced with a thyroglobulin-linked peptide corresponding to amino acids
      128-148 of bovine brain calmodulin. The monoclonal antibody is IgG-1 with kappa
      light chains. Both sets of antibodies recognize native vertebrate calmodulin,
      with the polyclonal antibody exhibiting an approximately fourfold higher
      sensitivity than the monoclonal antibody in a radioimmunoassay. The affinity of
      both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies is approximately 2.5-fold higher for
      Ca(2+)-free calmodulin than for Ca(2+)-calmodulin. Other selected members of the
      calmodulin family (S100, troponin, and parvalbumin) do not exhibit significant
      cross-reactivity with the monoclonal antibody. Troponin and S100 beta displace
      some 125I-calmodulin from the polyclonal antibody, but require at least 900-fold
      excess concentration. The monoclonal antibody recognizes intact vertebrate
      calmodulin in solution and also on solid-phase. In addition, plant calmodulin and
      some forms of post-translationally modified calmodulin (phosphorylated or
      glycated) bind the monoclonal antibody. The affinity of the monoclonal antibody
      is approximately 5 x 10(8) liters/mol determined by displacement of 125I
      calmodulin. On dot blotting the sensitivity for vertebrate calmodulin is 50 pg.
      The epitope for the monoclonal antibody is in the carboxyl terminal region
      (residues 107-148) of calmodulin. This highly specific anti-calmodulin monoclonal
      antibody should be a useful reagent in elucidating the mechanism by which
      calmodulin regulates intracellular metabolism.

PMID- 1862940
TI  - Detection of mercuric ions in water by ELISA with a mercury-specific antibody.
AB  - An immunoassay that detects mercuric ions in water at concentrations of 0.5 ppb
      and above is described. The assay utilizes a monoclonal antibody that binds
      specifically to mercuric ions immobilized in wells of microtiter plates. Within
      the range of 0.5-10 ppb mercury, the absorbance in the enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is linear to the log of the mercuric ion
      concentration. The quantitation of mercury by ELISA correlates closely with
      results from cold-vapor atomic absorption. Other divalent metal cations do not
      interfere with the assay, although there is interference in the presence of 1 mM
      chloride ions. The optimum pH for mercury detection is 7.0, although 2 ppb
      mercury can be detected over a wide pH range. The assay is as sensitive as cold
      vapor atomic absorption for mercury detection and can be performed with only 100
      microliters of sample.

PMID- 1862941
TI  - Detection of endopeptidase activity and analysis of cleavage specificity using a
      radiometric solid-phase enzymatic assay.
AB  - A radiometric procedure to detect the presence of proteolytic enzymes and analyze
      their substrate specificity is described. The enzymatic activity is first
      measured by the release into solution of a radiolabeled reporter group from an
      immobilized peptidyl substrate. Two peptidyl substrates encompassing multiple
      cleavage sites, a derivative of Leu-enkephalin and a peptide related to the bait
      region of human alpha 2-macroglobulin, are prepared and linked via a spacer
      molecule to an insoluble support. The labeled peptides released are then
      separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The position of the released
      peptides upon chromatography allows direct identification of the sites of
      cleavage. The assay, using a radioactive iodinated tyrosine residue as reporter
      group, is extremely sensitive (less than 0.02 pg/ml of trypsin), reproducible,
      and easy to perform while yielding unambiguous identification of the sites of
      cleavage. This assay can be used to detect the presence of enzymatic activities
      and/or of enzyme inhibitors. Furthermore, it can be easily adapted to detect from
      a variety of sources all four classes of enzymes known by using appropriate
      peptidyl substrate sequences, buffer, pH, and incubation conditions.

PMID- 1862942
TI  - Subcellular fractionation of murine erythroleukemic cells: distribution of
      protein kinases.
AB  - A method for subcellular fractionation of murine erythroleukemic cells is
      described; a highly purified cytosol fraction and significantly enriched
      membrane, mitochondrial, and nuclear fractions were obtained. During development
      of the procedure, we demonstrated how the composition of the extraction buffers
      and the techniques used can affect activity and distribution of protein kinases.
      Protein kinases in the various fractions were separated by nondenaturing
      electrophoresis and detected by phosphorylation and autoradiography. Differences
      in the relative proportions of the kinases, which may be significant in relation
      to differentiation, were seen in all the fractions on hexamethylenebisacetamide
      treatment of the cells.

PMID- 1862943
TI  - A microassay for the pore-forming activity of complement, perforin, and other
      cytolytic proteins based on confocal laser scanning microscopy.
AB  - A fluorescence microscopic assay for the activity of complement, perforin, and
      other cytolytic proteins which form transmembrane pores in cellular membranes is
      described. The assay was worked out and tested with red blood cell membranes
      (ghosts) and was then applied to intact hemoglobin-free cells. Resealed human
      erythrocyte ghosts were incubated with complement or perforin. A small polar
      fluorescent probe (fluorescein-labeled 1-kDa dextran, FD1) which permeates
      through complement and perforin pores but not through normal cell membranes was
      added to the samples. The capability of the confocal laser scanning microscope
      (CLSM) to generate thin optical sections was exploited to visualize and
      quantitate fluorescence inside single ghosts and thus determine the fraction of
      ghosts which had become permeable for FD1. The activity of complement or perforin
      was quantitated by plotting the fraction of permeable cells versus the
      concentration of the pore-forming protein. The results were in good agreement
      with those of a conventional hemolytic assay. The CLSM-based assay was then
      applied to intact hemoglobin-free cells for which only few alternative assays are
      available. Compared to conventional hemolytic assays for the activity of pore
      forming proteins the assay described here can be applied to a large variety of
      natural and artificial membrane systems. The assay can be performed under
      nonlysing conditions. Furthermore, the assay is simple, relatively fast, and
      requires only extremely small amounts of cells and pore-forming proteins.

PMID- 1862944
TI  - Reverse immunoaffinity chromatography: application to the purification of the 60-
      to 90-kDa gastric parietal cell autoantigen associated with autoimmune gastritis.
AB  - Previous attempts to purify autoantigens by affinity chromatography using the
      total IgG from autoantibody-positive sera have not been very successful. We
      describe here a novel method using parietal cell autoantibodies, isolated on a
      crude autoantigen immunoabsorbent column, for the purification of the 60- to 90
      kDa gastric parietal cell antigen targeted in autoimmune gastritis. The 60- to 90
      kDa parietal cell antigen was first enriched 2.5-fold from a 0.5% Triton X-100
      extract of total pig gastric mucosal membranes by DEAE-Sepharose 4B
      chromatography. The fraction containing the 60- to 90-kDa antigen was directly
      coupled to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B to produce an immunoadsorbent column for
      the "reverse" purification of the specific parietal cell autoantibodies from
      pooled gastric parietal cell autoantibody-positive human sera. A 0.5% Triton X
      100 extract of pig gastric mucosal membranes was initially precleared by
      sequential passage through Protein A-Sepharose 4B and normal human Ig-Sepharose
      4B columns. The 60- to 90-kDa gastric parietal cell antigen (approximately 10
      micrograms) was then purified from this precleared Triton X-100 membrane extract
      by affinity chromatography on a 1-ml column of purified autoantibody-Sepharose
      4B, followed by preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophonesis. This method, incorporating a "reverse" immunoaffinity
      chromatography step, has general applicability for the purification of tissue
      autoantigens using highly specific autoantibodies present in the sera of humans
      and experimental animals with a variety of other autoimmune diseases.

PMID- 1862945
TI  - Separation of large DNA by a variable-angle contour-clamped homogeneous electric
      field apparatus.
AB  - A device for separating large DNA molecules by pulsed field electrophoresis is
      described. Based on the principles of contour-clamped homogeneous electric fields
      (CHEF), it uses feedback to clamp voltages in a square electrode array, which is
      compact and inexpensive to construct, adaptable to computer control, and
      reorients the electric field by arbitrary angles. To illustrate its capabilities,
      pulsed fields with reorientation angles ranging from 90 to 140 degrees were used
      to separate DNAs of 4.7 and 5.7 megabases by up to four band-widths in 20 h. The
      combination of accessible technology and complete control of the electric field
      should facilitate the search for ways to resolve even larger DNA.

PMID- 1862946
TI  - Distribution and targets of the cartwheel cell axon in the dorsal cochlear
      nucleus of the guinea pig.
AB  - This investigation attempted to determine the mode of distribution and synaptic
      targets of the cartwheel cell axon in the guinea pig dorsal cochlear nucleus
      (DCoN). Antiserum against PEP-19, a putative calcium-binding neuropeptide, was
      employed at the light and electron microscopic levels. We show that in the hind
      brain of the guinea pig, cerebellar Purkinje cells and DCoN cartwheel cells are
      the most densely immunoreactive neurons. The PEP-19 immunoreaction product is
      localized to all neuronal compartments of these cells. Primary targets of
      cartwheel cell axons are the DCoN pyramidal cells, the large efferent neurons of
      layer 2. These neurons receive numerous immunoreactive synaptic boutons on their
      cell bodies and apical and basal dendritic arbors. A PEP-19-immunoreactive axonal
      plexus, largely formed by cartwheel cell axons, highlights layer 3, co
      extensively with the basal arbors of pyramidal cells. This plexus is oriented
      predominantly in the transstrial plane of the DCoN, in parallel with the sheet
      like basal dendritic arbor of pyramidal neurons and with the isofrequency bands
      of primary cochlear nerve fibers. PEP-19-positive boutons contain pleomorphic
      synaptic vesicles and form symmetric synaptic junctions, indicative of inhibitory
      innervation. In addition, immunoreactive boutons, similar to those synapsing on
      pyramidal neurons, were observed on the cell bodies and main dendritic trunks of
      cartwheel neurons, indicating a system of recurrent collaterals. Furthermore, a
      small number of PEP-19-positive axons of unknown origin reach the caudal rim of
      the posteroventral cochlear nucleus. Within the territory of distribution of the
      cartwheel cell axon are the dendrites of at least two other types of DCoN neuron,
      the vertical cells of Lorente de No and the giant cells. These neurons may
      represent additional targets of the cartwheel cell axon, but this remains to be
      ascertained with specific methods. Our data demonstrate that the cartwheel
      neurons modulate the activity of pyramidal neurons and, therefore, play a key
      role in shaping the output of the DCoN superficial layers.

PMID- 1862947
TI  - Estrogenic modulation of met-enkephalin-induced prolactin secretion in rats.
AB  - In order to elucidate the possible role of estrogens in the sex-dependent
      modulation of met-enkephalin-induced prolactin secretion, and the cellular
      response at adenohypophyseal level, analyses of serum prolactin levels together
      with a morphometric study of prolactin-immunoreactive cells were carried out
      following intraventricular administration of the opioid to estrogen-primed male
      rats. Administration of the opioid led to an increase in the serum levels of the
      hormone and, morphometrically, a significant increase in the cellular,
      cytoplasmic and nuclear areas was observed. When naloxone was administered
      previously, the above, mentioned changes did not appear, and the values found
      were similar to those observed in the animals treated only with estrogens. The
      results suggest that the metenkephalin-induced prolactin secretion is modulated
      by the gonadal steroid environment.

PMID- 1862948
TI  - Concomitant changes in endothelial cell junctions and extracellular matrix
      components in the chick embryo aorta.
AB  - According to previous studies, a process of endothelial activation seems to be
      occurring in the chick embryo between days 7 and 18. Also, endothelial cells
      respond to collagen as a substratum between 12 and 18 days, and this response
      diminishes until it almost disappears after birth. In the present study, aortas
      from chick embryos (days 7 to 21), and from chicks (14 days posthatching) were
      used. The results obtained by the freeze-fracturing technique, showed that
      between days 12 and 14 the intramembranous particles were aggregated into linear
      or clustered arrays in the fracture P-face of endothelial cells. This could
      signify that some kind of gap junction-like coupling may occur between adjacent
      endothelial cells. Our results also indicate that in advanced stages (21-day-old
      chick embryos and 14-day-old chicks) the growth of small aggregates into larger
      aggregates or plaques could occur. In addition to gap junctions, the presence of
      macular and linear tight junctions, reported as focal tight junctions (day 14 of
      development) macular and linear tight junctions with free-ending strands oriented
      parallel to one another (21 days) and smooth contoured ridges (14 days post
      hatching) were observed. This sequence of changes may represent a development
      from linear to macular, to a more occluding arrangement, and may also reflect an
      endothelial cell polarization. Histochemical study of proteoglycans was done by
      using cuprolinic blue according to the critical electrolyte concentration method.
      Cuprolinic blue-positive granular, elongated and microfibrillar materials were
      found in the subendothelial region, forming a meshwork that occupies the
      extracellular space. Qualitative and quantitative changes were observed both in
      proteoglycans and in other extracellular matrix components throughout
      development, suggesting an increase in extracellular matrix complexity. These
      results lead us to suggest that the assembly of a more complex extracellular
      matrix, concomitantly with the formation of intercellular junctions during
      development, might influence the polarization of endothelium in the aorta of the
      chick embryo.

PMID- 1862949
TI  - Elastic-like tissue, a new component of the renal glomerular capillary wall in a
      cartilaginous fish.
AB  - Elastic-like tissue composed of tubular microfibrils continuous with, and
      disappearing into, amorphous material is present in the connective tissue space
      of the glomerular capillary wall of the river ray (freshwater elasmobranch)
      kidney. The amorphous material is stained by tannic acid but not by uranyl
      acetate. Structures with similar morphology and staining characteristics are also
      found in the subendothelial connective tissue layer of renal arteries in this
      species. Comparative ultrastructural observations of kidneys from marine rays
      show elastic-like tissue in the arterial wall but not in the glomerular vessels.

PMID- 1862950
TI  - ChAT-like immunoreactivity of olivocochlear fibres on rat outer hair cells during
      the postnatal development.
AB  - Several studies present a great deal of information about putative efferent
      neurotransmitters and their distribution in the adult and developing cochlea.
      Anatomical mapping of outer hair cell efferent fibres during ontogeny is still
      not available. Using quantitative electron microscopy in combination with
      immunocytochemistry, the distribution of ChAT-like immunoreactivity in the
      developing rat was investigated. Adult-like immunoreactivity in the whole cochlea
      is first observed in 30-day-old rats. We localized the adult-like
      immunoreactivity in all efferent fibres and synapses of the outer hair cells
      along the entire cochlear duct. An adult-like reaction in the whole cochlea could
      be observed on the 25th day after birth in two out of three cases. On the 20th
      postnatal day, no adult-like ChAT immunoreactivity was found, with the exception
      of one case where labelling was seen in the basal region only. The adult-like
      ChAT immunoreactivity on the 30th day, 2-3 weeks after the onset of hearing, is
      the latest maturation of all features of the organ of Corti so far investigated.
      Synaptogenesis of the outer hair cell efferents reaches an adult-like appearance
      already on the 16th day after birth.

PMID- 1862951
TI  - Development of cranial nerves in the chick embryo with special reference to the
      alterations of cardiac branches after ablation of the cardiac neural crest.
AB  - Development of cranial nerve branches in the cardiac region was observed in whole
      mount specimens which were stained with a monoclonal antibody, E/C8, after the
      ablation of the cardiac neural crest. In early embryos, nerve trunks of IX and X
      were lacking or only poorly developed, while the early development of pharyngeal
      branch primordia was normal. In day 5 embryos, the nerve trunks of IX-X were
      present in all the embryos, however; extensive communication was observed between
      X and XII. On day 6 and later, the spiral pattern of superior cardiac branches
      was disturbed, as were the blood vessels. Furthermore, the distal branches of XII
      passed within the superficial layer of cardiac outflow mesenchyme. Vagal branches
      passed within the deeper layer. There was no apparent change in the development
      of the sinal branch. Using quail--chick chimeras, it was found that the cardiac
      neural crest cells formed the Schwann cells of XII, and that they were also
      associated with the hypobranchial muscle primordium, suggesting that the absence
      of the cardiac neural crest not only disturbs the development of the cardiac
      outflow septation, but also affects the normal morphogenesis of the hypobranchial
      musculature and its innervation. Embryologically, the tongue is located close to
      the cardiac outflow tract, which is the migration pathway of the cardiac neural
      crest-derived cells.

PMID- 1862953
TI  - [Hemodynamics during epidural anesthesia in combination with transcranial
      electroanesthesia in pulmonary surgery].
AB  - Pulmonary surgery performed under epidural anesthesia (EA) combined with
      transcranial electrical anesthesia (TEA) was characterized by minimum adverse
      hemodynamic reactions, typical of EA alone, and reduced overall dose of the local
      anesthetic with minimum volume of the infusion therapy and adequate anesthetic
      protection. The absence of marked hemodynamic reactions in this type of combined
      anesthesia made it possible to use it during pulmonary surgery in the most
      severely ill patients whose cardiovascular system is already compromised by the
      primary pulmonary disease.

PMID- 1862952
TI  - Immunohistochemical localization of endothelin-like immunoreactivity in human
      tooth germ and mature dental pulp.
AB  - The distribution in oral tissues of endothelin, a multifunctional peptide
      originally identified within endothelial cells, and subsequently in some
      epithelial cells, neurons and neuroendocrine cells, has not been investigated
      yet. We have studied the localization of endothelin-like immunoreactivity in
      human tooth germ and mature dental pulp by immunohistochemical techniques. Such
      immunoreactivity was detected only within endothelial cells in both mature dental
      pulp and developing tooth. Arteries and veins of various sizes as well as small
      thin vessels displayed endothelin-like immunoreactivity. In the tooth germ, the
      cells of the enamel organ or the precursors of the odontoblasts were found
      unreactive. In the mature pulp, no cells of the stroma or nerves displayed
      endothelin-like immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that vascular
      endothelium may be the only source of endothelin in human dental tissues. It is
      tentatively proposed that endothelin released in mature tooth pulp may
      participate in the regulation of the pulpal blood flow. Although the possible
      role of endothelin in developing tissues is far from being clear, the mitogenic
      effects and the proto-oncogenes expression induced by endothelin in some cells
      raise the possibility that this peptide might also play a role during tooth
      development.

PMID- 1862954
TI  - [Evaluation of the cardiac pump function and the adequacy of infusion therapy in
      heart surgery patients in the early postoperative period].
AB  - 149 patients after open-heart surgery (correction of heart valve defects and
      aortocoronary bypass surgery) have been examined. Volume expansion was performed
      by rapid intravenous infusion of 200-800 ml of fluid. Hemodynamic parameters were
      studied by direct methods. Patients with initially high heart chamber filling
      pressure were subject to forced diuresis (bolus intravenous injection of 1-2 mg
      lasix), the changes in hemodynamic parameters were registered with gradual fluid
      excretion. Left ventricular function curves were plotted in the coordinates:
      stroke heart work or stroke index--left ventricular end diastolic pressure. A
      down slope of the Starling curve was registered in 34% of patients, which was
      indicative of heart failure, volume overload of the myocardium or was
      prognostically unfavourable as to the onset of heart failure. The values of left
      ventricular diastolic pressure, when a down slope was registered, varied from 3-5
      to greater than or equal to 20 mm Hg, depending on myocardial contractility and
      diastolic function. Peripheral vasodilation was the earliest sign of the
      myocardial volume overload. Volume load test proved to be ineffective in 27% of
      patients and insufficiently effective in 13.7% of patients.

PMID- 1862955
TI  - [Carbohydrate metabolism in patients with diabetes mellitus under epidural
      anesthesia].
AB  - A certain effect of surgical intervention on glucose, insulin and cortisol
      content has been shown in patients without concomitant endocrine pathology
      operated on for urological and gynecological diseases under epidural anesthesia.
      At the same time rational manifestations of the adaptation mechanisms of
      carbohydrate metabolism were retained. The use of epidural anesthesia has
      demonstrated the lack of carbohydrate hypermetabolism excess in the intra- and
      postoperative periods in patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus. This makes
      the epidural anesthesia a method of choice during surgery in patients with
      concomitant diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1862956
TI  - [Hemodynamic disorders and their correction in the newborn following abdominal
      surgery].
AB  - Central hemodynamics was studied, using echocardiography and dopplercardiometry
      in 48 newborn operated on the abdominal organs. General regularities of
      hemodynamic changes in the first postoperative hours irrespective of the initial
      type of circulation have been established. Two types of cardiovascular system
      response to the operation stress are described; an increase and a drop in the
      cardiac output, which is extremely important for the diagnosis of impaired
      compensatory-adaptive mechanisms in the newborn. Special attention was paid to
      the assessment of the adequacy of the infusion therapy. Volume-load test
      facilitates the diagnosis of latent heart failure. Timely prescription of
      cardiotonic drugs and differential approach to infusion therapy prevent the onset
      of circulatory disturbances.

PMID- 1862957
TI  - [Acceleration of the restoration of conditioned reflexes following anesthesia
      using aminostigmine].
AB  - The effect of anesthesia with ketamine (80 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) combined
      with phenazepam (0.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously) on the reproduction of an elaborated
      active avoidance reflex in automated reflexometer has been studied on random bred
      white rats. In has been shown that during 3 hours after the animal is taken out
      of the lateral position the degree of its learning is significantly lowered and
      does not return to baseline even a day later. Intramuscular administration of a
      new cholinesterase inhibitor aminostigmine right after the end of anesthesia
      restores the disrupted reflex in 3 hours. The optimal antistigmine dose is 0.015
      mg/kg, which corresponds to a therapeutic human dose.

PMID- 1862958
TI  - [Disorders of thermoregulation in the resuscitation period following clinical
      death].
AB  - Pharmacological analysis of the functioning of mechanisms responsible for central
      regulation of temperature homeostasis in the postresuscitation period has been
      performed in experiments on dogs survived after clinical death of various
      duration. Thermoregulation disturbances after clinical death are caused by
      impaired mediator relationships in the CNS and sensor function of thermosensitive
      hypothalamus neurons. The mechanisms of thermoregulation disturbances are of
      multifocal nature and are to a great extent dependent on the degree of brain
      damage in critically ill patients.

PMID- 1862959
TI  - [The outlook for the use of pulse oximetry in anesthesiology and resuscitation].

PMID- 1862960
TI  - [Intensive therapy in syndromes of disorders of cerebral blood circulation in the
      bed of the anterior cerebral arteries following the removal of middle basal
      tumors].
AB  - 255 patients have been examined in the early postoperative period after the
      removal of tumors located in diencephalic and sella turcica regions. The early
      postoperative period was complicated by circulation disturbances in the vascular
      bed of the anterior cerebral or anterior communicative arteries. The clinical
      pattern, CT scans and morphological data were analysed. Three principal clinical
      syndromes of the postoperative period were lined out: 1) extrapyramidal
      diencephalic syndrome; 2) extrapyramidal-capsular syndrome; 3) frontal
      corpocallosal syndrome. The reason for these syndromes was the occlusion of the
      anterior cerebral and anterior communicative arteries or their branches. The
      diencephalic syndrome had poor prognosis. The postoperative therapy included
      hormones. It was necessary to prevent the onset of adrenal insufficiency and
      diabetes insipidus. The differential diagnosis of thrombosis and vasospasm was of
      great importance. In case of vasospasm, such medicines as sermion, redergine and
      nimodipine had a strong therapeutic effect. In vascular thrombosis these
      medicines were ineffective. Systemic approach to circulation disturbances seems
      of utmost importance for the analysis of postoperative complications.

PMID- 1862962
TI  - [AIDS, hepatitis and anesthesiology].

PMID- 1862961
TI  - [Determination of the level of heparinization necessary to provide cascade
      filtration exchange plasmapheresis in patients with generalized suppurative
      peritonitis].
AB  - Activated clotting time was determined during cascade filtration exchange
      plasmapheresis (CFEP) in 24 patients with generalized suppurative peritonitis. A
      modified method of activated clotting time determination, using a home-made
      infusorial earth substitute of the type of "Kieselguhr" was used. A gradual
      decrease in activated clotting time during CFEP has been observed, which required
      additional heparin administration. By the end of the procedure, when the removed
      plasma volume reached 1500 ml, activated clotting time values returned
      practically to baseline.

PMID- 1862963
TI  - [The new Soviet narcotic analgesic phenaridine as a component of general
      anesthesia during cancer surgery].
AB  - The results of studies on 65 cancer patients operated on under modified
      neuroleptanalgesia using fenaridine give evidence of a more potent and prolonged
      analgetic effect of a new Soviet narcotic analgesic fenaridine as compared to
      fentanyl. Fenaridine ensures stable neuroautonomous protection of the body during
      cancer surgery and is indicated in prolonged traumatic surgical interventions
      with cardiopulmonary bypass. Along with the above advantages fenaridine possesses
      all the complex of side effects typical of opiates associated with the depression
      of respiratory centres, psychoemotional sphere, activation of parasympathetic
      centres which may complicate the period following the patient's withdrawal from
      anesthesia and necessitate prolonged controlled lung ventilation in the early
      postoperative period. Thus, during 3-5-hour-long surgery it is advisable to
      administer the basic amount of the overall drug dose during the first 1-1.5 h of
      anesthesia and surgery, which promotes the awakening of most patients 10-15 min
      after surgery. Another drawback of fenaridine is the onset of marked rigor and
      signs of microcirculation disturbances upon discontinuation of the drug effect.

PMID- 1862964
TI  - [Anesthesiologic protection of the mother and fetus during abdominal delivery].
AB  - Central hemodynamics at different stages of anesthesia, changes in hexenal
      concentration in the mother's body, adequacy of anesthesia and hexenal effect on
      the condition of the fetus and newborn have been studied in 40 pregnant women
      without any accompanying extragenital pathology subject to planned cesarean
      section performed under combined general anesthesia. Normodynamic type of
      circulation has been established. The analysis of blood catecholamine changes
      confirmed the adequacy of the anesthesia. The studies of hexenal concentration
      have demonstrated the absence of negative effect on the newborn delivered by
      cesarean section.

PMID- 1862965
TI  - [Perioperative dynamics of the parameters of acid-base equilibrium in patients
      with lung cancer in relation to the type of anesthesia].
AB  - Acid-base parameters of the venous blood have been studied in 60 patients with
      lung cancer randomized into two groups prior to and following lung resection and
      on days 2, 4 and 9 postoperatively. In group I multicomponent endotracheal
      anesthesia using controlled lung ventilation and postoperative intramuscular
      analgesia with non-narcotic and narcotic analgesics were employed. In group II
      anesthesia and controlled lung ventilation were supplemented by epidural
      anesthesia with 2.5% trimecaine solution combined with adrenaline and small
      morphine doses at the upper thoracic segment level, postoperative analgesia for
      18 hours was performed likewise. Perioperative acid-base balance changes were
      found to be more favourable in patients of group II, which was manifested in
      weaker acidosis by the end of the operation and in the absence of remote
      pathological changes in the acid-base balance. In patients of group I gradual
      repeated increase in metabolic acidosis was observed, which by day 9
      postoperatively assumed a complicated clinical course.

PMID- 1862966
TI  - [The use of sodium nitroprusside in the treatment of heart failure in critically
      ill children].
AB  - Sodium nitroprusside was used in 18 children aged 1 to 13 years with clinical and
      hemodynamic signs of low cardiac output syndrome secondary to septic pancarditis,
      lung edema, thromboembolism of pulmonary artery branches. Central and peripheral
      hemodynamics has been studied by impedance plethysmography prior to and during
      the first day of sodium nitroprusside infusion. A considerable improvement of
      hemodynamic parameters and the patients' conditions has been established.
      Effective dosages and indications for the drug use in children have been
      elaborated.

PMID- 1862967
TI  - [The use of pyrazidol during treatment using hyperbaric oxygenation therapy].
AB  - The effect of pyrazidol on the efficiency of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) was
      investigated. Pyrazidol administration before HBO procedure reduced the intensity
      of lipid peroxidation in the blood plasma and decreased destabilization of
      erythrocyte membranes. Exoerythrocyte hemoglobin concentration, total peroxidase
      activity and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity were used as the indexes
      of membrane stability. The patients pretreated with pyrazidol bore HBO much
      better than other patients.

PMID- 1862968
TI  - [Controlled combination anesthesia].
AB  - The improvement of combined anesthesia is associated with the improvement of its
      control. The latter is possible only with continuous administration of
      anesthetics. 130 procedures of combined anesthesia were performed in patients
      subject to abdominal and other types of operations. With this in view fentanyl
      and calipsol were continuously injected, using modified dosators, to patients
      pretreated with N2O and total curarization. It has been found that with
      continuous administration adequate analgesia with stable blood pressure can be
      achieved provided that 1/3-2/3 of the total fentanyl dose is used as a loading
      dose at the beginning of anesthesia. The maintenance dose does not change
      considerably blood anesthetic concentration. If required, changes in the
      concentrations were achieved by additional fentanyl administration, using a
      dosator for 25-50 mukg. The technique described has advantages over bolus drug
      injection and continuous drug infusion. The technique may be considered a
      controlled one.

PMID- 1862969
TI  - [Continuous intravenous administration of fentanyl during multicomponent
      anesthesia in children].
AB  - 136 anesthetic procedures during planned and emergency surgery in children have
      been analysed. It has been demonstrated that non-stop intravenous fentanyl
      injection with an automated syringe of "Lineomat" type ensures an adequate
      analgesia over a 2-10 h period. The adequacy of anesthesia was confirmed by the
      data of central and peripheral hemodynamics monitoring, acid-base balance,
      temperature gradient and clinical course. Non-stop injection of the analgesic
      made it possible to reduce the drug expenditure by 30% on average as compared to
      the theoretically calculated dose, as well as to free paramedical personnel and
      decrease their exposure to blood.

PMID- 1862970
TI  - [A case of successful treatment of post-resuscitation disease in a patient with
      strangulation asphyxia].

PMID- 1862971
TI  - [The surfactant system of the lungs in the postoperative period].
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant has been investigated in the postoperative period in 68
      patients. Acute postoperative respiratory failure develops in patients with
      marked disturbances of respiratory mechanics. In patients with shock changes in
      surface-active substances develop on the 2nd-5th day after its onset.

PMID- 1862972
TI  - [Activated forms of O2 and their role in pathological conditions].

PMID- 1862973
TI  - [Heparin therapy of disseminated intravascular coagulation in pyo-inflammatory
      diseases in children].

PMID- 1862974
TI  - [Characteristics of the changes in the concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in
      heart surgery patients].
AB  - Changes in 2,3-DPG level have been studied in cardiosurgical patients. It has
      been shown that 2,3-DPG concentration increase, as a moderately fast mechanism in
      a common model of tissue pO2 regulation, is observed in almost half of patients
      with acquired heart valve defects. An increase in 2,3-DPG level and P50 value
      leading to a decrease in hemoglobin affinity to oxygen has been found in one
      third of patients. It has been established that 2,3-DPG level and P50 value are,
      as a rule, normal in patients with mitral stenosis, acyanotic congenital heart
      valve defects and ischemic heart disease. In a number of patients with mitral
      stenosis an increased Hb concentration, as a slow mechanism of hypoxia
      compensation in the model of tissue pO2 regulation, is a prevailing mechanism of
      adaptation to hypoxia.

PMID- 1862975
TI  - [The use of microcomputers for calculating the indices of the hemodynamics, pump
      and contractile function of the left heart].
AB  - A programme is presented for the calculation of parameters reflecting pump and
      contractile functions of the left ventricular myocardium on Soviet-made
      microcomputer B3-34. The programme makes it possible to intensify studies 2.5-3
      fold, assess hemodynamics many times at different stages of the investigation,
      obtain results and promptly give practical recommendations, which is of utmost
      importance in intensive care and resuscitation.

PMID- 1862976
TI  - [The dependence of sensory perceptions on the predominance of parasympathicotonia
      or sympathicotonia during preoperative psychoemotional stress].
AB  - Low tactile and pain thresholds and high Kerdo index were observed in patients
      with sympathicotonia predominance during preoperative emotional stress. Low Kerdo
      index and high tactile and pain thresholds were observed in patients with
      parasympathicotonia predominance during preoperative psychoemotional stress.

PMID- 1862977
TI  - [The content of calcium and magnesium in official Soviet solutions used in
      extracorporeal circulation, anesthesia and resuscitation].
AB  - Total calcium (CaT) and total magnesium (MgT) levels have been determined in 21
      solutions used in cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and manufactured in the USSR. It
      has been found that a great number of solutions differ in CaT content from human
      plasma. Some solutions contain Ca, which is not required by the prescription.
      Even in one and the same lot solutions vary greatly in Ca content (gelatinol). A
      large number of the solutions tested does not correspond to blood in MgT content,
      either. Like Ca, this parameter is quite unstable. Such differences in CaT and
      MgT levels practically in all standard Soviet-made solutions make it impossible
      to determine accurately precise amount of the solution required. The optimal way
      of hypercalcemia and hypermagnesiuemia prevention is the elaboration of the
      solutions identical to blood in their Ca and Mg content, or the use of colloids,
      practically free of electrolytes (hexaethyl starch).

PMID- 1862978
TI  - [The effect of premedication using promedol and galanthamine on the course of
      epidural anesthesia with trimecaine].
AB  - The course of epidural anesthesia with a 2% trimecaine solution has been studied
      in 93 patients (mean age 56.5 years) upon premedication with promedol (20 mg) and
      galanthamine (10 mg). It has been established that promedol promotes mainly to a
      reduction in the time of anesthesia onset (by 26.5%) and to the enhancement of
      the antihypertensive reaction (by 15.7%). Premedication with galanthamine is
      accompanied by a 13% decrease in the initial anesthetic dose, a 34.5% shortening
      of the time of anesthesia onset and the attenuation of negative hemodynamic
      shifts. Upon premedication with both drugs, the total trimecaine expenditure
      decreases by 25% and the time of anesthesia onset shortens more than by half.

PMID- 1862979
TI  - [The choice of anesthesia for endoscopic interventions in the upper digestive
      tract].
AB  - The efficacy of local anesthesia during upper abdominal endoscopy was compared to
      that of local anesthesia in combination with moradol. Local anesthesia of the
      throat combined with intramuscular moradol (0.04 mg/kg) helps retain
      psychoemotional indifference and stable hemodynamic and autonomous system
      parameters in such traumatic moments of the endoscopy as irritation and
      dilatation, which cannot be said of patients who were subject to such
      interventions under local anesthesia alone.

PMID- 1862980
TI  - [Changes in hemodynamics during intermittent high-frequency ventilation of the
      lungs in patients with acute respiratory insufficiency].
AB  - Hemodynamic changes have been studied in 19 patients (30 observations) with acute
      respiratory failure of various genesis during transition from conventional
      controlled lung ventilation, performed using PO-6 and Phase-3C devices, to
      intermittent high-frequency jet ventilation ("Spiron 601"). Impedance
      plethysmography and rheopulmonography have been used. It has been established
      that intermittent high-frequency jet ventilation during 1 hour can have both
      positive and negative effect on systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients
      with lung damage. It has been demonstrated that the type of reaction depends on
      the initial values of stroke volume and cardiac output.

PMID- 1862981
TI  - [Complications of anesthesia and means of lowering their frequency].
AB  - Retrospective analysis of 9262 formalized case histories has been made to compile
      a protocol of anesthesia. Each blank contains 223 items describing the patient
      and is intended for retrospective computer analysis of the information. Phases of
      the complications onset have been established and a working classification of
      complications has been suggested. Organization measures, which reduced the
      frequency of complications by 2.4% have been elaborated. The factors that
      increase the frequency of anesthesia-induced complications are reviewed.

PMID- 1862982
TI  - [Iron-containing proteins in the plasma and serum of the blood in patients during
      hyperbaric oxygenation therapy].
AB  - Extra-erythrocyte hemoglobin (EEH) level and total peroxidase activity (TPA) have
      been analysed in the blood serum and plasma of 44 patients following hyperbaric
      oxygenation (HBO). The levels of the parameters tested decreased after 3 HBO
      procedures and remained low to the end of the treatment period in the first group
      of patients. In the second group of patients, on the contrary, EEH and TPA levels
      increased after 3 HBO procedures and remained high to the end of the treatment
      period. In both groups of patients EEH changes correlated with TPA alterations.
      Possible EEH and TPA determination for the estimation and enhancement of HBO
      treatment efficacy is discussed.

PMID- 1862983
TI  - [The use of intravenous low-intensity laser irradiation of the blood in the total
      complex of anesthesiological protection of patients against surgical stress].
AB  - 60 patients, aged 28 to 80 years, hospitalized for surgical treatment of various
      esophageal, gastric and intestinal diseases have been examined. In 30 patients
      (group 1) during surgery conventional neuroleptanalgesia was accompanied by
      intravenous low-intensity laser blood irradiation (ILILBI). The remaining 30
      patients formed the control group. Unlike control patients, in patients of group
      1 adequate perfusion and tissue oxygenation were maintained throughout the whole
      period of surgical intervention, general stress reaction to surgical trauma was
      less pronounced. The data obtained demonstrate the advisability of ILILBI
      introduction into a complex of anesthesiological protection.

PMID- 1862984
TI  - [Mechanism of the development of hypocoagulation disorders in the course of
      disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome in newborn infants with pyo
      septic diseases].
AB  - The development of hypocoagulation disturbances in sepsis of the newborn is
      mediated by the consumption of coagulation and vascular-platelet hemostasis
      factors. The formation of an insufficient clot in a number of patients may result
      in an increase of spontaneous fibrinolysis index, which does not correspond to
      the degree of decreased plasmin system activity due to its depletion.

PMID- 1862986
TI  - [Evaluation of the effect of extracorporeal ultraviolet irradiation of the
      autoblood of patients in terminal states based on indices of cellular immunity].
AB  - The article presents the results of the effect of extracorporeal autoblood
      ultraviolet irradiation (UVI) on the parameters of cellular immunity in pyo
      septic complications of terminal conditions. To assess the activity of
      neutrophils the technique determining spontaneous and stimulated
      chemiluminescence with the calculation of activation index was used. The
      necessity of the control over immunologic parameters during selection of methods
      and time of UVI procedure is stressed. It has been established that UVI in
      patients with most severe conditions does not cause a sufficient increase in
      metabolic neutrophil reserve, which may account for the technique inadequacy in
      some cases.

PMID- 1862985
TI  - [Treatment of septic conditions in children using perfusion through a pig donor
      spleen].
AB  - A technique of perfusion through pig donor spleen has been described with regard
      to peculiarities of the young age. Good therapeutic effect was observed during 12
      splenoperfusions performed to 8 patients with septic conditions aged 12 days to
      14 years. The technique suggested is simple and can be used under adequate
      anesthesiologic supply in children's hospitals.

PMID- 1862987
TI  - [Factors affecting the permeability of cellular and vascular membranes and
      changes in the enzyme spectrum of the blood in patients having undergone critical
      states and resuscitation].
AB  - 126 patients recovered after critical conditions and resuscitation have been
      examined. Activation of lipid peroxidation and an increase in biogenic amine
      level, leading to marked hyperenzymemia, have been established. The activity of
      blood enzyme markers reflecting the severity of brain damage has been studied. It
      has been established that the more severe encephalopathy, the higher the activity
      of blood creatine phosphokinase. 2,3-cyclonucleotide-3-phosphohydrolase (CNPH),
      reflecting the damage of myelin membrane of nervous fibers, has been studied. The
      appearance of myelin-CNPH marker in the blood confirms demyelinization of the
      central nervous system (CNS). The more severe encephalopathy, the more marked the
      process of CNS demyelinization, the higher the activity of CNPH in the blood
      serum. The highest CNPH activity is observed in patients with eclampsia and in
      dead patients with postsystolic syndrome.

PMID- 1862988
TI  - [Analgesic transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation following surgery of the
      abdominal organs].
AB  - The effect of continuous antinociceptive transcutaneous electrical
      neurostimulation (TENS) has been studied in 94 patients after abdominal surgery.
      The analysis of the clinical findings and sinus heart rhythm has demonstrated a
      strong enough analgesic effect of TENS, which was accompanied by a considerable,
      more than 4-fold, reduction in narcotic analgesics requirements, lower incidence
      of functional urination disturbances, intestinal paresis, retention of the
      regulating role of the autonomous nervous system, stable hemodynamics and on the
      whole a more smooth and safe course of the early postoperative period.

PMID- 1862989
TI  - [A cerebrospinal fluid fistula following spinal anesthesia].

PMID- 1862990
TI  - [A method of cervical plexus anesthesia during surgery of the neck and its
      organs].

PMID- 1862991
TI  - [Retrosternal novocaine blockade in the treatment of severe forms of bronchial
      asthma and status asthmaticus].
AB  - Retrosternal procaine blockade with a 0.25% procaine solution, using a bent
      needle, 15-18 cm long, at the moment of bronchial asthma attack made it possible
      to arrest the attack in 25 patients, in 6 cases a considerable improvement of the
      patients' conditions was observed and in 4 patients there was no therapeutic
      effect. Retrosternal administration of 80-120 ml of a 0.25% procaine solution
      promotes to the improvement of respiration parameters, hemodynamics, blood gas
      composition. The procedure is simple and low traumatic.

PMID- 1862993
TI  - [Hyperbaric oxygenation and antioxidants in the complex intensive therapy of
      severe forms of pneumonia in children].
AB  - Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) was used in a complex intensive therapy of 194
      children, aged 3 days to 3 years, with severe pneumonias. Initially the patients
      have revealed intensification of free radical processes (FRP) with a simultaneous
      decrease in the level of enzyme and non-enzyme protection and a drastic increase
      in gluco- and mineralocorticoid adrenal function. HBO and antioxidants (unithiol
      and alpha-tocopherol) yielded excellent and good results (a drop in FRP level and
      activation of enzyme antioxidant protection) in 75.8% of patients. HBO was
      ineffective in 17% of cases, in 7.2% of patients signs of the developing oxygen
      intoxication have been revealed. Control over the indexes of erythrocytes
      resistance to peroxide, extra-erythrocyte hemoglobin, total peroxidase plasma
      activity during HBO procedure makes it possible to detect early preclinical signs
      of acute oxygen intoxication onset.

PMID- 1862992
TI  - [Technical difficulties of puncture and the functional anatomy of the subclavian
      vein].
AB  - The difficulties occurring during puncture subclavian catheterization (PSC) are
      discussed. The results of 4559 PSC in 4007 patients are analysed. The results of
      ultrasonic examination (198 patients) and postmortem X-ray studies (34 cases) of
      the subclavian vein anatomy are presented. A great variability in the subclavian
      vein anatomy has been observed, this is associated with a likelihood of technical
      difficulties, failures and complications in standard PSC technique. An ultrasonic
      examination prior to PSC is recommended.

PMID- 1862994
TI  - [Hemosorption in the complex therapy of patients with poisonous snake bites].
AB  - 14 hemosorption (HS) procedures have been performed in 6 patients after snake
      bites. The patients recovered after a few HS sessions. However small our
      experience is, it indicates high efficacy of HS in combination with other
      intensive care techniques in patients with snake bites and severe intoxication.

PMID- 1862995
TI  - [Correction of the immunologic shifts induced by hemosorption in sepsis of the
      newborn].
AB  - Alongside with a positive clinical effect, hemosorption (HS) leads to the
      elimination of humoral immunity factors (Ig, FN) from the blood, having no effect
      on the phagocytic activity of leukocytes. Massive immunocorrection in doses 2-3
      times higher than the age-matched ones, increases considerably the levels of IgG
      and FN. Immunomodulating effect of HS is enhanced when HS is combined with
      ultraviolet blood irradiation.

PMID- 1862996
TI  - [The possibility of normalizing the microcirculation using hemosorption in
      experimental peritonitis].
AB  - The goal of the present paper was a comparative study of microcirculation in the
      peritoneum, mesentery and omentum during the development of experimental
      peritonitis, as well as the investigation of possible correction of
      microcirculatory disturbances with the help of hemosorption. It has been
      established that different degree of microcirculatory disturbances in the tissues
      under study depended on the duration of peritonitis. Hemosorption recovered
      microcirculation to initial values, which indicated the reversibility of the
      disturbances.

PMID- 1862997
TI  - [General anesthesia using calypsol during angiographic study of the extremities
      in children].
AB  - In 17 children aged 7 to 14 years angiography of the extremities (AGE) was
      performed under general anesthesia by intravenous calypsol injection without
      premedication with cholinolytics (group I, monoanesthesia) or with premedication
      with atropine and neuroleptics (diazepam, droperidol; group II). It has been
      established that calypsol, in both groups, had a short-term moderate stimulating
      effect on the cardiac function and an insignificant effect on the respiratory
      function, which was not essential for the assessment of hemodynamic parameters
      during AGE. Muscle relaxation was more marked in children of group II, mainly due
      to the use of neuroleptics. In children of group II muscle relaxation was
      insignificant, this was associated with certain difficulties during AG. A
      technique of calypsol anesthesia during AGE in children has been elaborated, it
      is recommended to use calypsol in combination with neuroleptics, and to
      strengthen anesthesia by additional calypsol administration prior to the
      injection of contrast agents.

PMID- 1862998
TI  - [Pathogenesis and morphogenesis of acute pulmonary insufficiency during blood
      loss].
AB  - Postmortem clinical and anatomic lung examinations in patients dead of blood loss
      and the experiments on animals have shown that pathological changes underlying
      acute pulmonary failure are to a great extent due to disorders in pulmonary
      hemodynamics associated with the spasm in the arterial and venous vascular bed of
      the respiratory zone. Durable spasm of pulmonary veins promotes to hydrostatic
      pressure elevation and the onset of pulmonary edema even after blood loss
      replacement. Massive infusion-transfusion therapy performed in pulmonary
      hemodynamic disorders may aggravate pulmonary edema and lead to the onset of
      acute pulmonary failure.

PMID- 1862999
TI  - [Synthetic analgesics of a new generation in present-day anesthesiology].

PMID- 1863000
TI  - [Intrapleural anesthesia following thoracic surgery and in chest trauma].
AB  - The analgesic effect of intrapleural administration of local anesthetics
      (lidocaine, trimecaine, azocaine) has been studied in 180 patients after thoracic
      surgery and with chest trauma. The effect was assessed on the basis of subjective
      (visual analogue 10-score scale) and objective findings (hemodynamic parameters,
      spirograms, ECG). In control patients analgesia was performed by intramuscular
      promedol administration. It has been shown that fractionated intrapleural
      administration of local anesthetics is an effective and safe analgesic technique
      after thoracic surgery and in chest trauma.

PMID- 1863001
TI  - Determinants of blood and body fluid exposure in a large teaching hospital:
      hazards of the intermittent intravenous procedure.
AB  - Determinants of staff exposure to blood and body fluids in a 1100-bed hospital
      were examined over a 2-year period. Eighty-two percent of the 799 reported
      accidental exposures were needlestick injuries, and 18% were cutaneous or mucous
      membrane splashes. Nurses and nursing students incurred 78.8% of the exposures;
      respiratory technologists and laboratory personnel, 9.2%; medical personnel,
      7.5%; and support staff, 4.2%. Rate of exposure per 100,000 hours worked showed
      nursing students to be at particularly high risk, highlighting the need for
      specific instruction. Analysis of events leading to needlestick-related exposures
      revealed that the heparin lock intermittent intravenous procedure was involved in
      26%; recapping accounted for 17%; improper disposal, 15%; manipulating equipment,
      14%; phlebotomy, 12%; and other needlestick events, 16%. Ocular splashes and
      spills onto nonintact skin each accounted for 50% of the total number of non
      needlestick-related exposures. This study revealed the hazardous nature of the
      intermittent intravenous procedure, prompting specific revisions in this
      procedure as well as promoting point-of-use sharps disposal and other preventive
      measures.

PMID- 1863003
TI  - Transmural surgical gown pressure measurements in the operating theater.
AB  - Transmural gown pressures encountered when the surgeon comes into contact with a
      patient were measured in the operating theater. The surgical gown industry has
      assumed these pressures to be less than 5 psi in testing the efficacy of the gown
      and drape barrier material to impede bacterial transmission through its pores. In
      this study, pressure-sensitive contact film and resistive strain gauge recordings
      made from the surgeon's abdominal region and forearms indicated peak contact
      pressures in excess of 60 psi. This report indicates a need to reassess the basis
      of test utilization in evaluating barrier materials used in gowns and drapes.

PMID- 1863002
TI  - Prevention of catheter-associated bacteriuria: clinical trial of methods to block
      three known pathways of infection.
AB  - The simultaneous use of methods to block all three known pathways of bacterial
      entry into the bladders of catheterized patients has been suggested because of
      the limited effectiveness of individual methods that block single pathways. We
      conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the prevention of bacteriuria
      in patients, using a three-way system that included a hydrophilic polymer-coated
      and preconnected sealed catheter system, daily catheter care, and disinfection of
      the outflow tube of the drainage bag with povidone-iodine (i.e., methods to block
      bacterial entry at the urethral insertion site, at the catheter drainage tube
      junction, and at the outflow tube). Among treated patients, 14 (4.7%) of 300
      acquired bacteriuria as compared with 15 (4.9%) of 306 who did not receive the
      protocol treatments. Only 3 of 29 episodes of bacteriuria occurred in patients
      whose meatal cultures did not contain gram-negative bacilli or enterococci; thus
      migration of bacteria in the periurethral mucous sheath appeared to be the most
      common pathway by which bacteria gained entry into the bladder in this study.
      Catheter care and disinfection of the drainage bag outflow tube as used in this
      study remain unproven methods of preventing catheter-associated bacteriuria.
      Preconnected catheters with junction seals were used in both treated and
      untreated patients and, on the basis of previous studies, appear to be effective
      in reducing junction disconnections and bacteriuria. Therefore we conclude that
      the use of several simultaneous measures to prevent catheter-associated urinary
      infections is no more effective than the use of preconnected catheters with
      junction seals alone and is clearly more expensive.

PMID- 1863004
TI  - An outbreak of scabies in a New York City jail.

PMID- 1863005
TI  - Surveillance and control of antibiotic use in the hospital.

PMID- 1863006
TI  - Definitions of infections.

PMID- 1863007
TI  - Agenda for change.

PMID- 1863008
TI  - Is it the gown or the precautions in its use?

PMID- 1863009
TI  - The HIV challenge.

PMID- 1863010
TI  - Physical training and antiplatelet treatment in stage II peripheral arterial
      occlusive disease: alone or combined?
AB  - The efficacy of physical training alone or combined with antiplatelet therapy
      (dipyridamole and aspirin) was studied in 30 patients with stage II peripheral
      arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Patients were randomly allocated to one of the
      following groups: Group A--dipyridamole 75 mg three times daily and aspirin 330
      mg once daily: Group B--physical exercise; Group C--physical exercise and
      dipyridamole 75 mg three time daily and aspirin 330 mg once daily. After six
      months' treatment the pain-free walking time (PFWT) and the maximum walking time
      (MWT) improved significantly (p less than 0.05) in all three groups. In group A
      the PFWT lengthened by 35% (from 101.00 +/- 34.56 to 137.32 +/- 40.50 s) and the
      MWT by 38% (from 150.34 +/- 55.60 to 207.26 +/- 60.67 s); in group B the PFWT
      lengthened by 90% (from 90.65 +/- 40.54 to 171.45 +/- 55.60 s) and the MWT by 86%
      (from 145.39 +/- 60.50 to 270.63 +/- 63.61 s). When physical exercise was
      associated with drugs as in group C, the PFWT lengthened by 120% (from 89.51 +/-
      43.89 to 196.72 +/- 51.73 s) and the MWT by 105% (from 160.43 +/- 59.84 to 329.05
      +/- 63.96 s). No significant variations were observed at any stage of the study
      in the ankle/arm pressure ratio at rest and after standard treadmill exercise, in
      the plethysmographic rest and peak flows, or in the transcutaneous oxygen
      pressure in basal conditions and in its half recovery time after an induced
      ischemia. The results confirm the benefits of regular exercise in stage II PAOD
      patients but suggest they may be enhanced by antiplatelet therapy.

PMID- 1863011
TI  - Venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous pacing in the Chinese.
AB  - To determine the incidence of venous thrombosis after long-term transvenous
      pacing in the Chinese, venograms were performed in 50 consecutive Chinese
      patients seen at the pacemaker clinic. There were 25 women and 25 men. The mean
      age was sixty-six years (range thirty-two to eighty-one). The indications for
      pacing were complete heart block in 16 patients and sick sinus syndrome in the
      remainder. All pacemakers were of the single-chamber ventricular pacing type and
      had been implanted for a mean period of four years (range two to seven). In 27
      patients the route of entry for the pacing electrode was through the cephalic
      vein and in the other 23 patients the subclavian veins were used. Of the 50
      venograms, 1 showed partial and 1 showed total obstruction at the subclavian
      vein. Both patients (4%) were asymptomatic. All others (96%) were normal. The
      incidence of venous thrombosis was not related to the routes of entry of the
      pacing electrodes. All patients tolerated the procedure well and had no
      complications. It is concluded that the incidence of venous thrombosis after long
      term transvenous pacing is extremely low in the Chinese (4%), and venograms are
      both safe and useful for identifying venous thrombosis related to transvenous
      pacing.

PMID- 1863012
TI  - Emergency arteriography in the assessment of penetrating trauma to the lower
      limbs.
AB  - One hundred emergency arteriographies (EA) were performed in 87 patients with
      lower limb trauma due to high-velocity missiles. Thirteen patients had bilateral
      injuries. In 79 cases, EA findings were positive and led to emergency surgery. In
      76 cases an arterial injury was found and treated, a positive predictive value of
      96% (76/79). In the other 3 cases, no arterial lesion was found (3 false
      positives). Among the 21 patients with normal findings from angiography, 10 had
      surgical exploration because of high clinical suspicion of vascular injury.
      Arterial injury was found in 2 cases (2 false negatives). In 8 patients,
      arteriography modified the surgical procedure. In the 11 remaining patients,
      clinical and echo Doppler follow-up results were normal, a negative predictive
      value of 90% (19/21). Sensitivity was 97%, specificity 86%, and accuracy 95%.
      These data show that arteriography in stable patients is a safe and accurate
      procedure. It permits avoidance of unnecessary surgical exploration in selected
      patients and helps modify the surgical procedure.

PMID- 1863013
TI  - Compression therapy of limb edema using hydrostatic pressure of mercury.
AB  - A new apparatus for the treatment of edema of the extremities is described. The
      extremity is placed in a cylindrical vertical tank and isolated by a
      circumferential synthetic rubber membrane. The equipment is programmed to create
      a mold of the extremity using a slurry of plastic granules from a reservoir.
      Mercury is then pumped between the mold and the extremity, thereby exerting a
      pressure gradient on the extremity equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the
      mercury column. A computerized program forms the mold and runs several
      compression cycles for each treatment session. Twelve patients were treated (8
      upper extremities, 4 lower extremities) on a weekly or semiweekly basis. Progress
      was followed with computed axial tomography scans, as well as measurements and
      photographs. Ten patients experienced significant immediate decrease in edema
      with each treatment. Wrapping or elastic support was required to prevent the
      return of edema between treatments. No pain, skin injury, or other complication
      of treatment was noted. The apparatus can safely provide short-term, immediate,
      significant improvement of extremity edema. Further studies will be necessary to
      determine long-term benefit.

PMID- 1863014
TI  - Effect of blood glucose level in acute cerebral ischemia in spontaneously
      hypertensive rats--survival and brain pathology.
AB  - The present study was designed to examine the effect of blood glucose level on
      survival and pathologic changes of the cortical neuronal cells during and after
      three-hour incomplete cerebral ischemia, which was induced by bilateral carotid
      artery ligation in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Blood glucose levels
      were varied by intraperitoneal infusion of 50% glucose (hyperglycemia) or insulin
      with hypertonic saline (hypoglycemia) or hypertonic saline (normoglycemia). None
      of the hyperglycemic or normoglycemic animals died during three-hour ischemia,
      whereas 45% of hypoglycemic animals died (p greater than 0.001). The survival
      rate for twenty-four hours after recirculation was in the following ascending
      order: hypoglycemia, normoglycemia, and hyperglycemia. Neither hypoglycemia nor
      hyperglycemia (38-392 mg/dL) in nonischemic animals developed any morphologic
      changes in the cerebral cortex. However, both the ischemic and recirculated
      brains showed various degrees of histologic changes such as shrinkage of the
      neuronal cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles, perineuronal edema, and swelling of
      neuropils. Such ischemic damage of the brain was more marked in hypoglycemic
      animals than in hyperglycemic or normoglycemic ones during ischemia, as well as
      one hour after recirculation. The results suggest that cerebral ischemia and its
      outcome become more deleterious in hypoglycemic than in normoglycemic and
      hyperglycemic states. On the other hand, hyperglycemia is not necessarily a
      disadvantage in acute cerebral ischemia with or without reperfusion in this
      model.

PMID- 1863015
TI  - The role of two-dimensional echocardiology in the diagnosis of infective
      endocarditis [corrected].
AB  - Two-dimensional echocardiography has had a significant impact on and is
      considered the technique of choice for the diagnosis and management of infective
      endocarditis. Over a thirty-six month period, 106 patients were evaluated by
      echocardiography for the possibility of endocarditis. The diagnosis of
      endocarditis was determined by strict clinical and laboratory criteria. All
      clinical histories, blood cultures, echocardiograms, and autopsy results were
      reviewed. Five echocardiograms were technically inadequate, resulting in a study
      population of 101 patients. The age of the patients ranged from forty-five days
      to eighty-eight years (mean fifty-seven years). The clinical manifestations of
      endocarditis included fever (83%), chills (60%), congestive heart failure (25%),
      and splenomegaly (18%). Twelve patients had preexisting valvular or congenital
      heart disease. Gram-positive cocci were the most common microorganisms.
      Complications included mitral regurgitation, subarachnoid hemorrhage, renal
      infarction, stroke, and a pulmonary embolus. The patients were divided into two
      groups: Group I consisted of 36 patients with definite vegetations by
      echocardiography, and Group II had 65 patients with no vegetations. In Group I,
      acute infective endocarditis was present in 35 patients, whereas only 4 patients
      had endocarditis in Group II. The sensitivity of two-dimensional echocardiography
      for detecting endocarditis was 90%. The specificity was 98%. The predictive
      accuracy for a positive test was 97%, and the predictive accuracy for a negative
      test was 94%. Thus, two-dimensional echocardiography appears to have a high
      sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value in the evaluation of patients with
      suspected endocarditis.

PMID- 1863016
TI  - Effects of cocaine on canines' coronary arteries.
AB  - Nine canines were anesthetized with pentobarbital and studied by both selective
      and semiselective coronary artery angiography following intravenous bolus doses
      of 1,3,5,8, or 10 mg/kg of cocaine. Catheterization was accomplished with a 5 Fr
      catheter over a 0.035 inch guidewire under fluoroscopic control, and angiograms
      were obtained by injection of a diatrizoate solution. Digital subtraction
      angiography (DSA) was performed prior to cocaine administration and at minutes
      0.5, 1, 1.5, 3, 5, and, in some cases, minutes 10 and 15 after cocaine
      administration. The 1 and 3 mg/kg doses of cocaine had no effect on the coronary
      arteries. The 5 mg/kg dose significantly dilated the coronary arteries. The 8
      mg/kg dose produced significant dilation at 30 seconds after cocaine but
      nonsignificant dilation of the coronary arteries at all other times. The 10 mg/kg
      dose produced significant dilation at 30 seconds, nonsignificant dilation at 60
      seconds followed by significant constriction at 90 seconds after cocaine, which
      led to immediate death in most animals. The coronary dilation and constriction
      produced by 10 mg/kg of cocaine could be prevented by either preadministration or
      postadministration of naloxone, but this did not prevent subsequent death.

PMID- 1863017
TI  - Vasculitic skin ulcers associated with myelofibrosis--a case report.
AB  - This is the case report of a seventy-seven-year-old woman with ulcerated skin
      vasculitis of the lower extremities that preceded the appearance of
      myelofibrosis. No previous report of this association has been found in a survey
      of the literature.

PMID- 1863018
TI  - Mycotic aortic aneurysm infected by Clostridium septicum--a case history.
AB  - The authors describe a sixty-seven-year-old hypertensive, diabetic man with a
      mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm infected with Clostridium septicum. The patient
      had colonic polyps but no malignant disease. They could find only one other
      report of a mycotic aneurysm infected with C. septicum. In that case, as in most
      other cases of C. septicum bacteremia, the patient had gastrointestinal cancer.
      Their case suggests that treatment for a clostridial infection should be
      considered in patients with known gastrointestinal disease, signs and symptoms of
      sepsis, and abdominal pain. Conversely, patients known to have a C. septicum
      infection should be evaluated for gastrointestinal lesions.

PMID- 1863020
TI  - The objectivity and subjectivity of mitral valve prolapse.

PMID- 1863019
TI  - Splenic vein aneurysm: MR appearance--a case report.
AB  - A presumed pancreatic head mass by non-contrast CT examination, was proven to be
      a splenic vein aneurysm by enhanced CT, MRI, sonography and arteriography.
      Dangerous percutaneous aspiration was avoided.

PMID- 1863021
TI  - Antiarrhythmic proarrhythmias.

PMID- 1863022
TI  - Timing of breast cancer excision during the menstrual cycle influences duration
      of disease-free survival.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study disease-free survival at 10 years in relation to timing of
      breast tumor excision during the menstrual cycle. DESIGN: A prospective study of
      consecutively treated patients with primary breast cancer. SETTING: Memorial
      Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York. PATIENTS: Two hundred and eighty-three
      premenopausal patients treated by mastectomy and axillary dissection. MAIN
      RESULTS: When the tumor was excised during the follicular phase, approximated by
      setting the putative day of ovulation on day 14 after the onset of last menses, a
      higher recurrence risk (43%) was observed compared with excision later in the
      menstrual cycle (29%, P = 0.02). The rate peaked among patients treated between
      days 7 and 14 and was lowest between days 20 and 30. Multivariate analysis using
      the Cox regression model to control for tumor size, nodal status, estrogen
      receptor status, adjuvant chemotherapy, and family history indicated that the
      hazard rate of breast cancer recurrence after excision during the follicular
      phase was 1.53 (95% Cl, 1.02 to 2.29). Stratification by nodal status indicated
      that the effect of phase was statistically significant only among patients with
      positive nodes (hazard ratio, 2.10; Cl, 1.19 to 3.70). CONCLUSIONS: Our results
      support the hypothesis that the risk for recurrence may be affected by the
      hormonal milieu of the menstrual cycle; these findings must be confirmed,
      however, by a prospective study in which cycle phase at time of tumor excision is
      biochemically documented.

PMID- 1863023
TI  - Survival in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Results from a national
      prospective registry.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To characterize mortality in persons diagnosed with primary pulmonary
      hypertension and to investigate factors associated with survival. DESIGN:
      Registry with prospective follow-up. SETTING: Thirty-two clinical centers in the
      United States participating in the Patient Registry for the Characterization of
      Primary Pulmonary Hypertension supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
      Institute. PATIENTS: Patients (194) diagnosed at clinical centers between 1 July
      1981 and 31 December 1985 and followed through 8 August 1988. MEASUREMENTS: At
      diagnosis, measurements of hemodynamic variables, pulmonary function, and gas
      exchange variables were taken in addition to information on demographic
      variables, medical history, and life-style. Patients were followed for survival
      at 6-month intervals. MAIN RESULTS: The estimated median survival of these
      patients was 2.8 years (95% Cl, 1.9 to 3.7 years). Estimated single-year survival
      rates were as follows: at 1 year, 68% (Cl, 61% to 75%); at 3 years, 48% (Cl, 41%
      to 55%); and at 5 years, 34% (Cl, 24% to 44%). Variables associated with poor
      survival included a New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class of III or
      IV, presence of Raynaud phenomenon, elevated mean right atrial pressure, elevated
      mean pulmonary artery pressure, decreased cardiac index, and decreased diffusing
      capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). Drug therapy at entry or discharge was not
      associated with survival duration. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality was most closely
      associated with right ventricular hemodynamic function and can be characterized
      by means of an equation using three variables: mean pulmonary artery pressure,
      mean right atrial pressure, and cardiac index. Such an equation, once validated
      prospectively, could be used as an adjunct in planning treatment strategies and
      allocating medical resources.

PMID- 1863024
TI  - Oral mesalamine (Asacol) for mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. A
      multicenter study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a pH-sensitive, polymer-coated
      oral preparation of mesalamine in patients with mildly to moderately active
      ulcerative colitis. DESIGN: A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled
      randomized trial. SETTING: Five university-based medical centers, one
      inflammatory bowel disease center, and three private practice sites. PATIENTS: A
      total of 158 patients with newly or previously diagnosed active ulcerative
      colitis. INTERVENTION: A pH-sensitive, polymer-coated oral preparation of
      mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid) was used at 1.6 and 2.4 g/d for 6 weeks.
      MEASUREMENTS: Efficacy was measured by scores for stool frequency, rectal
      bleeding, patient's functional assessment, sigmoidoscopic findings, and
      physician's global assessment. Stringent criteria for disease activity were
      established prospectively. RESULTS: The analysis of protocol-compliant patients
      showed a significant improvement at 3 weeks in patients taking 2.4 g/d of
      mesalamine compared with patients taking placebo (32% versus 9%; P = 0.003). At 6
      weeks, both the 1.6 g/d (43%) and 2.4 g/d (49%) doses were significantly superior
      to placebo (23%) (P = 0.03 and P = 0.003, respectively). In addition, more
      patients worsened in the placebo group compared with the 2.4 g/d group (50%
      versus 19%; P = 0.003); however, there was no statistically significant
      difference in worsening between the 1.6 g/d mesalamine group and the placebo
      group. The oral mesalamine tablet was well tolerated, and no clinically
      significant changes were observed in hematologic, hepatic, or renal laboratory
      profiles. CONCLUSION: Colon-targeted oral mesalamine at 2.4 g/d is effective
      therapy for mildly to moderately active ulcerative colitis. It is well tolerated
      and should provide a viable therapeutic alternative to sulfasalazine.

PMID- 1863025
TI  - Are history and physical examination a good screening test for sleep apnea?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether presenting clinical history, pharyngeal
      examination, and the overall subjective impression of the clinician could serve
      as a sensitive screening test for sleep apnea. DESIGN: Blinded comparison of
      history and physical examination with results of nocturnal polysomnography.
      SETTING: Sleep clinic of a tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 410
      patients referred for suspected sleep apnea syndrome. Most patients reported
      snoring. MEASUREMENTS: All patients were asked standard questions and given an
      examination relevant to the diagnosis of the sleep apnea syndrome, and all had
      full nocturnal polysomnography. Patients with more than ten episodes of apnea or
      hypopnea per hour of sleep were classified as having sleep apnea. Stepwise linear
      logistic regression was used to develop two predictive models of sleep apnea: one
      based on the presence of characteristic clinical features, age, sex, and body
      mass index; and one based on subjective clinical impression. RESULTS: The
      prevalence of sleep apnea in our patients was 46%. Only age, body mass index,
      male sex, and snoring were found to be predictors of sleep apnea. The logistic
      rule discriminated between patients with and without sleep apnea (receiver
      operating characteristic [ROC] area, 0.77 [95% Cl, 0.73 to 0.82]). For patients
      with a predicted probability of apnea of less than 20%, the clinical model had
      94% sensitivity and 28% specificity. Subjective impression alone identified
      correctly only 52% of patients with sleep apnea and had a specificity of 70%.
      CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a high predicted probability of the sleep apnea
      syndrome, subjective impression alone or any combination of clinical features
      cannot serve as a reliable screening test. However, in patients with a low
      predicted probability of sleep apnea, the model based on clinical data was
      sufficiently sensitive to permit about a 30% reduction in the number of
      unnecessary sleep studies.

PMID- 1863026
TI  - Loop diuretics for chronic renal insufficiency: a continuous infusion is more
      efficacious than bolus therapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a continuous, low-dose infusion of a loop
      diuretic is more efficacious and better tolerated than conventional intermittent
      bolus therapy in patients with severe chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). DESIGN:
      Randomized, crossover clinical trial with subjects serving as their own controls.
      SETTING: The General Clinical Research Center of Indiana University Hospital,
      Indianapolis, Indiana. PATIENTS: Eight adult volunteers with severe stable CRI
      (mean creatinine clearance, 0.28 mL/s; range, 0.15 to 0.47 mL/s) were recruited
      from the outpatient nephrology clinics of Indiana University Medical Center.
      INTERVENTIONS: On admission, diuretic drugs were withdrawn and patients were
      equilibrated on an 80 mmol/d sodium, 60 mmol/d potassium metabolic diet. Patients
      were randomized to receive a 12-mg intravenous dose of bumetanide given either as
      two 6-mg bolus doses separated by 6 hours or as the same total dose administered
      as a 12-hour continuous infusion. When sodium balance was re-established, each
      patient was crossed over to the alternative study limb. All patients completed
      both phases of the study. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Comparable amounts of
      bumetanide appeared in the urine during the study period (infusion, 912 +/- 428
      micrograms; bolus, 944 +/- 421 micrograms; difference, 32 micrograms; 95% CI, -16
      micrograms to 80 micrograms, P = 0.16). The continuous infusion resulted in
      significantly greater net sodium excretion (infusion, 236 +/- 77 mmol; bolus, 188
      +/- 50 mmol; difference, 48 mmol; CI, 16 mmol to 80 mmol, P = 0.01). No patient
      had episodes of drug-induced myalgias during the continuous infusion compared
      with 3 of 8 patients with bolus therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with severe
      CRI, a continuous intravenous infusion of bumetanide is more effective and less
      toxic than conventional intermittent bolus therapy. Continuous administration
      will probably be useful in patients with severe CRI who have not achieved an
      adequate natriuresis or who show evidence of drug toxicity with standard diuretic
      dosing regimens. A similar benefit may occur in selected diuretic-resistant
      patients with cardiac or hepatic disease, and studies in these patients seem
      warranted.

PMID- 1863027
TI  - Cardiac lymphoma in a patient with AIDS.

PMID- 1863028
TI  - A phenomenology of scut.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To identify, describe, and quantify the night-call duties that
      residents in internal medicine call "scutwork" and to compare faculty and
      residents' perceptions of scutwork. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional study.
      SETTING: General internal medicine training program at a university-affiliated
      tertiary care hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight residents who spent 3 months or
      more on an internal medicine teaching unit during the previous year and 41
      faculty members who spent 2 months or more on one of these units. INTERVENTIONS:
      Postcall surveys and night-call diaries were used to analyze residents'
      activities, to derive a definition of scutwork, and to estimate its prevalence.
      Residents and faculty then completed a detailed questionnaire that included
      ratings of the educational value, "scut content," and residents' responsibility
      for 20 specific tasks. MAIN RESULTS: Eighty-three percent of residents found
      scutwork and education to be mutually exclusive for the 20 tasks, although 20%
      indicated that scutwork was an appropriate task for residents. Residents' ratings
      of tasks as scut varied according to the context of the task. For example,
      obtaining routine consent from someone else's patient was considered scutwork by
      98% of residents, whereas obtaining such consent from the residents's own patient
      was rated as scutwork by only 52% (P less than 0.01). Similarly, performing
      intravenous cannulation at the request of ward staff was rated as scut by 94% of
      residents, whereas performing cannulation at another resident's request was rated
      as scut by 56% (P less than 0.01). Night-time admission of a patient for an
      elective procedure was rated as scut by 75% of residents, whereas admission of
      such a patient after discussion with a faculty member was labeled scut by only
      44% (P less than 0.01). Faculty ratings of such admissions did not show the same
      variation (24% for both). Faculty were more likely than residents to assess tasks
      as educational (50% compared with 26%, P less than 0.01) but were less likely to
      consider tasks as scutwork (47% compared with 62%, P = 0.12) or as work that
      should be done by nonresidents (35% compared with 46%, P greater than 0.2).
      CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the characteristics of scutwork can be
      identified, that the perception of scut varies between faculty and residents, and
      that the context of a task often determines whether residents perceive it as
      scut.

PMID- 1863029
TI  - Hemodynamic determinants of exercise capacity in chronic heart failure.
AB  - PURPOSE: To synthesize information on hemodynamic determinants of exercise
      capacity in patients with chronic heart failure. DATA IDENTIFICATION: Relevant
      studies published from the mid-1960s to the present were identified by a manual
      search of the English-language literature and by bibliographic review of
      pertinent articles. STUDY SELECTION: Both controlled and observational studies
      that reported measures of either exercise time or oxygen uptake and hemodynamic
      variables in patients with heart failure were reviewed for quality and included
      when relevant to the discussion. DATA EXTRACTION: Key conclusions or data, or
      both, were extracted from each article and described. DATA SYNTHESIS: Exercise
      intolerance is a hallmark of chronic congestive heart failure. Studies have
      emphasized central factors and indices of systolic ventricular function, but poor
      relations have been consistently found between these measurements and exercise
      capacity. Recent data suggest that diastolic function (that is, ventricular
      filling and compliance) is an important factor affecting the ability to increase
      cardiac output and determining exercise capacity, but this issue needs further
      study. A clearer picture of histologic and biochemical abnormalities in skeletal
      muscle has recently emerged; patients with heart failure show greater glycolysis,
      reduced oxidative phosphorylation, and reduced oxidative enzyme activity.
      Vasodilatory abnormalities in heart failure were first described more than 20
      years ago, and such abnormalities may underlie recently reported reductions in
      skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise. Relative hyperventilation is commonly
      observed during exercise in patients with heart failure and is related to
      ventilation-perfusion mismatching in the lung due to a higher-than-normal
      fraction of physiologic dead space. Neurohumoral abnormalities include reductions
      in beta-receptor density and sensitivity and contribute to reduced inotropic and
      chronotropic responses to exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Systolic function and exercise
      capacity are unrelated in patients with chronic heart failure, but many
      hemodynamic abnormalities (including those in the heart, lung, and skeletal
      muscle) overlap, which leads to exercise intolerance in these patients.

PMID- 1863030
TI  - Comparison of the quality of ambulatory care for fee-for-service and prepaid
      patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the quality of care for common ambulatory
      conditions is adversely affected when physicians are provided with incentives to
      limit the use of health services. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study over a 2
      year period. SETTING: Four group practices that cared for both fee-for-service
      patients and prepaid patients within a network model health maintenance
      organization (HMO). PATIENTS: Equal numbers of prepaid (HMO) and fee-for-service
      patients were selected by randomly choosing medical records from each group
      practice: 246 patients with chronic uncomplicated hypertension and 250 women
      without chronic diseases who received preventive care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      Adequate hypertension control was defined as a mean blood pressure of less than
      150/90. Adequate preventive care was defined as the provision of blood pressure
      screening, colon cancer screening, breast cancer screening, and cervical cancer
      screening within guidelines recommended by the 1989 U.S. Preventive Services Task
      Force. Resource use was measured by the annual number of visits and tests. MAIN
      RESULTS: The adjusted relative odds of HMO patients having controlled
      hypertension, compared with fee-for-service patients, were 1.82 (95% CI, 1.02 to
      3.27). The relative risks of HMO patients receiving preventive care within
      established guidelines were 1.19 (CI, 0.93 to 1.51) for colon cancer screening,
      1.78 (CI, 1.11 to 2.84) for annual breast examinations, 1.75 (CI, 1.08 to 2.84)
      for biannual mammography, and 1.35 (CI, 1.13 to 1.60) for Papanicolaou smears
      every 3 years. Prepaid patients had visit rates that were 18% to 22% higher than
      those of fee-for-service patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the type of network model HMO
      we studied, the quality and quantity of ambulatory care for HMO patients was
      equal to or better than that for fee-for-service patients. In this setting, the
      incentives for physicians to limit resource use may be offset by lack of
      disincentives for HMO patients to seek care.

PMID- 1863031
TI  - The optimal timing of mastectomy: low tide or high tide?

PMID- 1863032
TI  - Law, medicine, and the "gag rule".

PMID- 1863033
TI  - Preventive care guidelines.

PMID- 1863034
TI  - Diuretic resistance versus adaptation.

PMID- 1863036
TI  - Lawyer's advice.

PMID- 1863035
TI  - Disopyramide and inducible arrhythmias.

PMID- 1863037
TI  - "Misconceptions" about AIDS.

PMID- 1863038
TI  - The dosage of dilute lignocaine for the infiltration technique of local
      analgesia.
AB  - The maximum dose of plain lignocaine is the subject of debate. The manufacturers
      recommend 200 mg in the 'adult' and clinicians often use up to 500 mg or more.
      One way of settling the issue is to determine serum concentrations of free
      lignocaine, in the absence of which recommendations are based on clinical
      experience. For the infiltration technique of local analgesia 500 mg is a safe
      maximum for plain lignocaine and 670 mg with adrenaline. These higher dosages are
      recommended only for dilute solutions such as 0.4% and 0.5% lignocaine. The 0.2%
      solution can permit the use of even higher dosages. A discussion of serum
      concentrations indicates that these recommendations are within acceptable limits.
      Concentrated 1% and 2% solutions should not be used for the infiltration
      technique.

PMID- 1863039
TI  - A comparative study between Michel and Proximate clips for the closure of neck
      incisions.
AB  - A prospective study comparing two types of surgical clip, the Proximate II
      (Ethicon) staple and the Michel clip, was performed on 30 thyroidectomy
      (horizontal) and 50 carotid endarterectomy (vertical) incisions with reference to
      their ease of handling, patient comfort, complication rate, cosmetic result and
      cost. In each patient half of the wound was approximated with one type of clip
      and half with the other. The Proximate II staple was more comfortable for the
      patient in the vertical wounds (P less than 0.02), easier to remove as judged by
      the nurse in both horizontal (P less than 0.001) and vertical (P less than 0.02)
      wounds, and by the patient in the horizontal wounds (P less than 0.02) only. The
      incidence of inflammation was significantly higher with the Michel clip (P less
      than 0.001). In both the horizontal (P less than 0.05) and the vertical (P less
      than 0.001) wounds, when the scar was assessed at the time of discharge from
      hospital, the Proximate II staple achieved a significantly better result.
      However, assessment of the wounds by patient and researcher 6 weeks
      postoperatively, revealed no significant difference between the wounds with
      regard to cosmetic outcome. The Proximate II design, however, costs between seven
      and ten times more than the Michel clip depending on the size of the dispenser
      used, and since the late cosmetic result offers no advantage over the latter
      design, we feel these financial variables deserve consideration.

PMID- 1863040
TI  - Peak expiratory flow in the detection of retrosternal goitre.
AB  - In 24 patients where the lower border of a cervical goitre was poorly defined,
      the value of simple lung function tests in the prediction of the presence of a
      retrosternal goitre was assessed. At operation there were nine patients with
      retrosternal extension (Group I) and 15 without (Group II). The preoperative PEF
      ratio (observed to predicted) was significantly different between the two groups
      (P = 0.004) with a positive predictive value of 90% for a retrosternal goitre.
      This difference was abolished after thyroidectomy. There was a significant
      improvement in PEF in patients with retrosternal goitres after thyroidectomy (P
      less than 0.001). It is concluded that the preoperative measurement of PEF is a
      simple method of detecting the retrosternal extension of a cervical goitre.

PMID- 1863041
TI  - Audit of attitudes to and use of postoperative thromboembolic prophylaxis in a
      regional health authority.
AB  - A survey of usage and attitudes to thromboembolic prophylaxis among 46 general
      surgeons in the Mersey Region found that 87% use either low-dose heparin,
      graduated compression stockings or both on a regular basis for their major cases.
      However, there was a wide variation of usage: 9 (19.6%) always used heparin in
      combination with thromboembolic stockings, 4 (8.7%) always used heparin alone, no
      surgeon used thromboembolic stockings alone. A total of 18 (39%) used
      thromboembolic stockings in combination with heparin, one-half of them
      selectively. A further 24% of surgeons used either low-dose heparin or
      thromboembolic stockings or both on selected patients. Current literature beliefs
      concerning the efficacy of low-dose heparin and thromboembolic stockings showed a
      similar variation, with 13% of surgeons believing that the efficacy of low-dose
      heparin against postoperative deep vein thrombosis has not been shown, 22%
      believing that thromboembolic stockings were ineffective against postoperative
      deep vein thrombosis, and 24% believing that low-dose heparin was of no value as
      a prophylactic agent against postoperative pulmonary embolism. Published meta
      analysis has shown these beliefs to be wrong.

PMID- 1863042
TI  - The varicose vein waiting list: results of a validation exercise.
AB  - A lengthening waiting list for treatment of varicose veins in a busy teaching
      hospital prompted a careful review. Patients were sent a detailed questionnaire
      which addressed current symptoms, progression of the complaint and the desire for
      surgical treatment. Of 519 patients on the waiting list, replies were received
      from 471 (91%). Forty-eight patients could not be traced after two questionnaires
      had been sent and enquiries made with their last known local GP. A further 87
      (17%) patients were removed from the waiting list because they no longer desired
      treatment or had had treatment in the private sector. The remaining 384 patients
      were sent appointments for specially organised Saturday morning assessment
      clinics attended by consultants and senior registrars. Eighty patients failed to
      attend without giving a reason and were removed from the waiting list. Of 304
      patients reviewed, surgical treatment was considered necessary for 219, of whom
      182 were suitable for day-case surgery, leaving only 37 patients of the original
      519 who required inpatient surgical care. This study has shown how careful
      assessment and the increased provision of day-case facilities can relieve
      pressure on inpatient care.

PMID- 1863043
TI  - Ultrasound guided subclavian vein catheterisation.

PMID- 1863044
TI  - Retrocolic pelvic omentoplasty in abdominoperineal excision of the rectum.
AB  - A series of 53 patients underwent abdominoperineal excision of the rectum, 25 by
      the conventional method and 28 using retrocolic pelvic omentoplasty without
      drains. There were no differences in age, sex ratios, indications for surgery,
      stage of cancer and preoperative haemoglobin. There were no differences in the
      incidence of postoperative abdominal complications (wound dehiscence, obstruction
      and bleeding) between the two groups. However, patients undergoing omentoplasty
      without drainage stayed in hospital for a significantly shorter period (median of
      16 days compared to 24 days) and benefited from far faster primary healing of the
      perineum (median of 20 days vs 133 days). It is concluded that retrocolic pelvic
      omentoplasty without drainage results in shortened postoperative hospital stay
      and promotes primary perineal healing after abdominoperineal excision of the
      rectum.

PMID- 1863045
TI  - The incidence and value of rectal examination in children with suspected
      appendicitis.
AB  - Rectal examination is considered an important part of the examination of patients
      presenting with abdominal pain. However, children find anal digitation unpleasant
      and it was our impression that doctors were becoming less insistent on performing
      a rectal examination. We performed an audit of rectal examination and assessed
      whether this made any difference to the management of children with acute
      abdominal pain. We looked at the records of 48 children from 1989 and 49 children
      from 1985 presenting with abdominal pain. We found that the rate of rectal
      examination was halved in this time. Diagnostic accuracy was similar in the two
      groups, and the morbidity rate was the same. These findings call into question
      the need for routine rectal examination in children with suspected appendicitis.

PMID- 1863046
TI  - Efficiency of blood use and prospects for autologous transfusion in general
      surgery.
AB  - A 6-month retrospective audit of crossmatch and transfusion practice in a general
      surgical unit has been performed. Inefficiencies in blood ordering practices have
      been demonstrated and the value of performing a local audit to allow estimation
      of blood needs has been proven. Using criteria based on the suggested tariff for
      operations derived from this audit, only a small number of general surgical
      patients would be considered as potential autologous blood donors.

PMID- 1863047
TI  - Cutaneous malignant melanoma: audit of the diagnostic process.
AB  - The results of a study of the diagnostic process in 202 cutaneous malignant
      melanomas over a 5-year period in one region are presented. Patient delay of more
      than 3 months was noted in at least 60% of cases, and delay after presentation
      was identified in 21% of the case histories. In 12% of the cases an opportunity
      for earlier diagnosis had been missed. The factors leading to delay in diagnosis
      are highlighted and the need for the dissemination of information relating to the
      early stages of the disease is emphasised.

PMID- 1863048
TI  - The management of popliteal aneurysm: the importance of early surgical repair.
AB  - A total of 58 popliteal aneurysms were found in 40 patients presenting between
      June 1982 and May 1989. Of these, 51 were caused by atherosclerosis, and there
      were five post-stenotic aneurysms associated with entrapment, one mycotic and one
      post-traumatic aneurysm. There were 18 patients with bilateral aneurysms, and two
      others had the first side repaired elsewhere before referral to this hospital.
      Aneurysms were found at other sites in 16 patients. Urgent treatment was needed
      for 32 patients (80%). Two required streptokinase treatment to clear arteries
      distally. Three needed fasciotomy for compartment syndrome. Two patients had
      above-knee amputation. Of 36 urgent operations, 13 had postoperative
      complications (36%). Four grafts were later revised successfully. At mean follow
      up of 23 months (range 3-96 months), three patients had claudication secondary to
      preoperative distal arterial occlusion, and one patient had residual mild foot
      drop. These operative results contrast sharply with the low complication rate
      after elective operation for popliteal aneurysm. In these patients, 14
      asymptomatic aneurysms were repaired uneventfully. Four patients who did not
      undergo elective operation later developed acute thrombosis (3) and rupture (1).
      This experience supports our policy that early elective treatment for popliteal
      artery aneurysm is the most appropriate choice.

PMID- 1863049
TI  - Ventilation with isoflurane in the Triservice anaesthetic apparatus: a comparison
      with halothane and trichlorethylene.
AB  - Recovery from anaesthesia using the Triservice anaesthetic apparatus with either
      isoflurane alone or halothane and trichlorethylene, was assessed by measurement
      of reaction time. There was no statistically significant improvement in recovery
      between patients who received low concentrations of isoflurane and those who
      received halothane and trichlorethylene. The mean profiles of systolic pressure
      and heart rate were significantly greater in the isoflurane group (P less than
      0.05) than in the halothane/trichlorethylene group. Cardiovascular stability was
      maintained into the recovery period. The benefits of low concentrations of
      isoflurane as sole agent in the Triservice anaesthetic apparatus and their
      extrapolation to a shocked casualty in a military setting are discussed.

PMID- 1863050
TI  - Primary restorative colectomy in malignant left-sided large bowel obstruction.

PMID- 1863051
TI  - Treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus.

PMID- 1863052
TI  - The role of reconstructive surgery in the management of war wounds.

PMID- 1863053
TI  - Deaths following trauma: an audit of performance.

PMID- 1863054
TI  - An improved nipple prosthesis.

PMID- 1863055
TI  - Two kinds of diverticular disease.

PMID- 1863056
TI  - A retractor for cholecystectomy.

PMID- 1863057
TI  - Dilemmas facing surgical research in the '90s.
AB  - Surgical research in the '90s will need to address several general problems. This
      paper discusses the role of informed consent in clinical trials, animal
      experimentation in surgical research, and the importance of research in both
      undergraduate and postgraduate education.

PMID- 1863058
TI  - Surgical workload: variation in throughput.

PMID- 1863059
TI  - Factors influencing waiting lists and cost of surgical treatment.

PMID- 1863060
TI  - The surgical value of community hospitals: a closer look.
AB  - To assess and compare the safety and efficiency of a surgical unit at a District
      General Hospital and a Community Hospital for elective cold surgery. A
      retrospective survey was made using regional computer Hospital Activity Analysis
      data and monthly audit meeting records of all inpatients having selected elective
      general surgical operations on one consultant's firm over a period of one year,
      at Torbay Hospital, Torquay, (DGH) and Newton Abbot Hospital, Newton Abbot (CH).
      All inpatients and day cases admitted under CACC from April 1, 1987, until March
      31, 1988, were studied comparing mortality, morbidity and efficiency for
      comparable elective surgical procedures. A postal questionnaire to assess patient
      satisfaction with surgical care at both hospitals was included in the study. 350
      patients underwent elective surgical procedures at the DGH and 380 patients
      underwent similar procedures at the CH. There was no significant increase in
      mortality and morbidity at the CH, which was preferred by most patients for
      routine surgical operations. The Community Hospital unit was found to be
      satisfactory and more efficient for routine elective surgery as determined from
      the above parameters and the patients themselves.

PMID- 1863061
TI  - Nursing tackles tough issues in sweeping reform proposal.

PMID- 1863063
TI  - Pediatric preoperative tours. Successful hospital program expands to community.

PMID- 1863062
TI  - Liability for injury resulting from poor patient positioning.

PMID- 1863064
TI  - Gamete intrafallopian transfer. Another approach for the treatment of
      infertility.

PMID- 1863065
TI  - Cardiopulmonary bypass. Principles, nursing implications.
AB  - As techniques become more advanced, perioperative nurses in all surgical
      specialties must increase their knowledge to provide safe patient care.
      Cardiopulmonary bypass for cardiac surgery demands special knowledge and skills.
      Knowledge of the principles of CPB allows the nurse to give excellent nursing
      care and to function as an effective member of the health care team.

PMID- 1863066
TI  - Pancreatic duct calculi. Treatment by pulsed dye laser.
AB  - Endoscopic sphincterotomy with stone extraction has been successful in the
      majority of patients with biliary stones; however, large biliary stones and
      pancreatic stones in the smaller pancreatic duct may require a new approach.
      Pulsed dye laser has proven effective in treating pancreatic duct calculi during
      ERCP. With an outpatient procedure to eliminate pancreatic duct calculi, patients
      can be treated safely and effectively without major surgery. The procedure is
      less invasive for the patient, thereby reducing morbidity and expense.

PMID- 1863067
TI  - Splenic salvage vs splenectomy. Care of the trauma patient.
AB  - Because of the incidence of overwhelming postsplenectomy sepsis that occurs after
      splenectomy, there is an increased incentive to try to salvage the spleen in
      patients with splenic injury. Even though operative time is increased by this
      technique, the advantage of immunologic competence is well worth the added
      operative time. In hemodynamically unstable patients, however, splenectomy
      remains the method of choice.

PMID- 1863068
TI  - Surgical nurse liaison. Expediting the surgical admission process.

PMID- 1863069
TI  - A history of the RN first assistant reimbursement issue.

PMID- 1863070
TI  - The basics of bar code technology.

PMID- 1863071
TI  - Treatment of acanthosis nigricans with tretinoin.

PMID- 1863072
TI  - On a clear day you can see forever.

PMID- 1863073
TI  - Idiopathic and L-tryptophan-associated eosinophilic fasciitis before and after L
      tryptophan contamination.
AB  - Recently, a causative association has been made between the ingestion of
      levotryptophan (L-tryptophan) and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), a new
      entity manifested by peripheral blood eosinophilia, myalgias, constitutional
      symptoms, and cutaneous edema with fibrosis. Contaminated levotryptophan
      preparations produced at a single manufacturing company between October 1988 and
      June 1989 have been implicated in all EMS cases. In this study, we analyzed
      retrospectively 49 patients with cutaneous fibrosis for a history of
      levotryptophan use. Levotryptophan ingestion prior to the onset of their disease
      was reported by 11 (65%) of 17 patients with eosinophilic fascilitis (EF), two
      (20%) of 10 patients with localized scleroderma, and none of 22 patients with
      systemic sclerosis. The onset of levotryptophan-associated cutaneous disease
      preceded the availability of contaminated levotryptophan preparations in seven
      (54%) of 13 patients. One patient with levotryptophan-associated generalized
      morphea also had lichen sclerosus et atrophicus and acanthosis nigricans,
      findings not previously reported in patients with EMS. In addition, we compared
      the clinical and laboratory features of levotryptophan-associated EF and
      idiopathic EF. Myalgias, muscle weakness, paresthesias, morpheaform plaques,
      cutaneous ulcers, and livedo reticularis were more common in patients with
      levotryptophan-associated EF. We conclude that levotryptophan-associated EF and
      localized scleroderma were present before the presumed date of contaminated
      levotryptophan availability. The clinical spectrum of cutaneous fibrosis
      associated with the ingestion of levotryptophan includes generalized morphea and
      EF, which are similar though not identical to their idiopathic counterparts.

PMID- 1863074
TI  - Transforming growth factor alpha expression helps to distinguish keratoacanthomas
      from squamous cell carcinomas.
AB  - Keratoacanthomas may be difficult to distinguish histologically from squamous
      cell carcinomas. We studied 20 keratocanthomas and 22 squamous cell carcinomas
      immunohistochemically using an antibody directed against transforming growth
      factor alpha to determine if the pattern of transforming growth factor alpha
      expression would provide a useful method of differentiating these tumors. Ninety
      percent of the keratoacanthomas demonstrated a diffuse pattern within tumor
      lobules in which all but the most peripheral rim of cells were stained. A similar
      localization of transforming growth factor alpha was not identified in squamous
      cell carcinomas. In addition, 40% of the squamous cell carcinomas but none of the
      keratoacanthomas showed focal transforming growth factor alpha immunostaining.
      Our results suggest that transforming growth factor alpha expression may be a
      marker of epithelial differentiation and may help distinguish between these two
      tumors.

PMID- 1863075
TI  - Prevalence and characteristics of anti-single-stranded DNA antibodies in
      localized scleroderma. Comparison with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Prevalence, levels, and immunoglobulin classes of anti-single-stranded DNA
      antibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 52 patients
      with localized scleroderma (33 with morphea, four with generalized morphea, and
      15 with linear scleroderma), in 60 healthy controls, and, for comparison, in 31
      patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Localized scleroderma revealed a
      significant prevalence of anti-single-stranded DNA antibodies, mainly
      characterized by high levels and IgM and IgA isotypes. Comparison of antibody
      characteristics in different clinical forms of localized scleroderma showed some
      significant differences (levels and immunoglobulin isotypes). Comparison with
      systemic lupus erythematosus showed that frequency, high levels, and IgG isotype
      of anti-single-stranded DNA antibodies significantly prevailed in systemic lupus
      erythematosus, while the IgM isotype significantly prevailed in localized
      scleroderma. However, generalized morphea and linear scleroderma did not
      significantly differ from systemic lupus erythematosus as regards antibody
      frequency and prevalence of high antibody levels.

PMID- 1863076
TI  - Incidence of psoriasis in Rochester, Minn, 1980-1983.
AB  - This population-based study was carried out using the medical records linkage
      data resource for the population of Rochester, Minn, at Mayo Clinic. There were
      132 newly diagnosed cases of psoriasis identified during a 4-year period (1980
      through 1983); 88% of the cases had been seen and diagnosed by a dermatologist.
      The overall crude incidence rate was 57.6 per 100,000 population; for men and
      women, the rates were 54.4 and 60.2, respectively. The overall sex- and age
      adjusted (1980 US white population) incidence rate was 60.4 per 100,000 person
      years. The highest rate of occurrence (112.6) was in the 60- to 69-year-old age
      group. Most of the cases of psoriasis diagnosed in this study (58%) were mild,
      and the patients had psoriatic lesions on less than 10% of their body. There are
      no other published incidence rates for this condition with which to make
      comparisons.

PMID- 1863077
TI  - Invasive cutaneous melanoma in elderly patients.
AB  - Clinical and pathologic variables were compared between "older" (greater than or
      equal to 70 years) and "younger" (30 to 39 years) patients with primary invasive
      cutaneous melanoma. Older patients had more nodular melanomas and acral
      lentiginous melanomas (58%); superficial spreading melanomas predominated in
      younger patients (74%). Mean tumor thickness was greater in the older patients
      (3.95 vs 2.02 mm). Invasive levels 2 and 3 occurred more often in younger
      patients (41.1% vs 13%); level 5 occurred more often in older patients (30.4% vs
      5.3%). Microscopic ulceration occurred more often in older (46.4%) than in
      younger patients (19.4%). Older patients classified as clinical stage I at
      presentation or with primary lesions 1.50- to 3.00-mm thick had poorer survival.
      Younger women survived longer than younger men; this was not true of older
      patients. The elderly patients with cutaneous melanoma were more likely to have
      poor prognostic features and thus more likely to die from melanoma than the
      younger patients.

PMID- 1863078
TI  - Nonmelanoma skin cancer mortality. A population-based study.
AB  - To estimate the magnitude of nonmelanoma skin cancer mortality and describe its
      parameters, we reviewed the medical records of all deaths certified as due to
      this cause among Rhode Island residents from 1979 through 1987. After excluding
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-associated Kaposi's sarcoma, we confirmed that
      nonmelanoma skin cancer was the cause of death for 51 individuals, a quarter of
      the number of melanoma deaths reported. The age-adjusted nonmelanoma skin cancer
      mortality rate was 0.44/10(5) per year. Fifty-nine percent were due to squamous
      cell carcinoma, and 20% were due to basal cell carcinoma. Most appeared
      actinically induced. Among deaths from squamous cell carcinoma, the mean age was
      73 years. At least 80% of the squamous cell carcinomas metastasized, and 47%
      arose on the ear. None appeared due to refusal of treatment. Among deaths from
      basal cell carcinoma, the mean age was 85 years, and refusal of surgical
      intervention was documented in 40%. Study of nonmelanoma skin cancer mortality
      provides for estimation of the magnitude of this problem, complements other
      studies of prognosis, and helps guide prevention, early detection, and treatment.

PMID- 1863079
TI  - Isolation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in cutaneous blister fluid.
AB  - The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been isolated from a number
      of body fluids, including semen, tears, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, breast milk,
      alveolar fluid, and vaginal fluid, but it has not been isolated from fluid
      containing skin lesions. We report the isolation of HIV-1 from cutaneous blister
      fluid in a patient with concomitant HIV-1 infection and porphyria cutanea tarda.
      Although transmission of HIV-1 through casual contact has not been reported,
      appropriate precautions should be taken to avoid direct contact with cutaneous
      fluid-containing lesions in HIV-1-positive patients.

PMID- 1863080
TI  - Costal fringe.
AB  - Costal fringe consists of a bandlike pattern of venous telangiectases along the
      anterolateral costal margins. It is a common and easily recognized entity,
      usually seen in elderly men. Association with underlying disease is not well
      established. To assess the frequency of costal fringe in a healthy young adult
      population, we examined 1523 active duty Air Force personnel (1203 men and 320
      women) between the ages of 17 and 34 years. All subjects were human
      immunodeficiency virus seronegative; none had known hyperestrogenic or other
      disease states. Costal fringe was present in only three individuals, all men, a
      frequency of 0.2%. Costal fringe is a rare finding in healthy young adults.

PMID- 1863081
TI  - Medical defense against blistering chemical warfare agents.
AB  - First used in World War I, chemical blistering agents present a serious medical
      threat that has stimulated renewed interest in the light of extensive use in
      recent conflicts. Current medical management cannot yet prevent or minimize
      injury from the principal agent of concern--sulfur mustard. Research directed at
      this goal depends on defining effective intervention in the metabolic alterations
      induced by exposure to sulfur mustard.

PMID- 1863082
TI  - Unraveling the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

PMID- 1863083
TI  - Recurrent erythematous nodule on the sole of the foot. Recurrent pyogenic
      granuloma.

PMID- 1863084
TI  - Scaly atrophic lesions both scattered and in linear arrays. Disseminated
      superficial actinic porokeratosis in a patient with linear porokeratosis.

PMID- 1863085
TI  - Puzzling palmar and plantar papules. Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct
      nevus.

PMID- 1863086
TI  - Pigmented lesions in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. Pityriasis rotunda.

PMID- 1863087
TI  - Unusual skin tumors in Langerhans cell histiocytes.

PMID- 1863088
TI  - Quantification of the extent and the severity of atopic dermatitis: the ADASI
      score.

PMID- 1863089
TI  - No evidence of hearing loss in patients with vitiligo.

PMID- 1863090
TI  - Fatal melanoma arising in a zosteriform speckled lentiginous nevus.

PMID- 1863091
TI  - Lipid peroxides and superoxide dismutase activity in trichophyte lesions.

PMID- 1863092
TI  - Cleft lip--is there light at the end of the tunnel?

PMID- 1863093
TI  - Adrenoleucodystrophy.

PMID- 1863094
TI  - The reliability of height and height velocity in the assessment of growth (the
      Wessex Growth Study)
AB  - Both biochemical and auxological measurements can be used to assess growth.
      Quality control in routinely reported in laboratory studies, but the
      reproducibility of height measurements, and the height velocity data derived from
      them, is seldom considered. We have previously established our error and in this
      report we examine its implications for the screening of short children and
      subsequent monitoring of their growth. The 95% confidence interval for height for
      a 5 year old observed to be on the 3rd centile for height, spanned the 2nd-4th
      centile. However, the confidence interval for a 12 month height velocity
      appropriate to such a child spanned the 8th-52nd centiles, the lower limit
      pathological and the upper more than satisfactory. A single height velocity even
      over 12 months therefore lacks the precision to provide a reliable index of
      current growth in short children. Furthermore, serial height velocity
      calculations on a cohort of 78 short normal children showed no significant
      correlation from year to year, suggesting that velocity is also unable to predict
      future growth. Although the proportion of this cohort of short children lying
      beneath the 25th centile for velocity remained constant from year to year, the
      identity of the individuals comprising that proportion changed, a phenomenon
      which could be largely accounted for by the random error associated with height
      velocity. Our data suggest that, by the time a trend in abnormal velocity is
      reliably established, a deviation from the height centiles is clearly evident.
      Although velocity charts are attractive in concept, they seem to be no more
      discriminating than height charts in practice, and may be clinically deceptive
      unless interpreted with great care.

PMID- 1863095
TI  - Growth prognosis and growth after menarche in primary hypothyroidism.
AB  - The long term growth of 20 girls and nine boys with juvenile primary
      hypothyroidism was studied until they reached final height. At diagnosis the
      girls had a mean age of 8.8 years (range 3.0-13.0); mean bone age was 5.4 years.
      The mean age of the boys at diagnosis was 9.5 years (range 3.7-14.2); mean bone
      age was 6.3 years. The patients were treated with thyroxine 100 micrograms/m2/day
      and serum thyroxine concentrations were maintained in the normal range. During
      treatment the rate of skeletal maturation exceeded the change in chronological
      age. Initial mean height SD score for bone age before treatment in the girls was
      +0.59 and after 11 years of treatment fell to -0.55 Mean height SD score for bone
      age in the boys decreased from +1.6 to -0.87 during treatment. In the girls the
      onset of puberty was 1.2 years later than the normal population but the duration
      of puberty was reduced. Mean age (SD) of menarche was 13.8 (1.7) years. The
      pattern of growth in girls with treated hypothyroidism was abnormal as growth
      continued after menarche, at a time when normal girls have almost stopped
      growing. During the second year after menarche our patients still had a mean
      growth velocity of 4.1 cm/year. Our data suggest that juvenile primary
      hypothyroidism results in a permanent height deficit. In addition, there is a
      loss of the normal harmony between growth and sexual maturation in girls, despite
      adequate treatment, in that growth continues for much longer after menarche than
      in normal girls.

PMID- 1863096
TI  - Treatment of constitutional growth delay in prepubertal boys with a prolonged
      course of low dose oxandrolone.
AB  - Forty six prepubertal boys who had constitutional growth delay were treated with
      oxandrolone. Mean age at the onset of treatment was 11.9 years (range 9.0-14.0)
      and bone age delay was 1.9 'years'. The dose of oxandrolone used was a mean of
      0.05 mg/kg (range 0.03-0.18) for a mean of 0.9 years (range 0.2-3.6). Height
      velocity increased from a mean (SD) before treatment of 4.0 (1.0) to 7.5 (1.2)
      cm/year with oxandrolone. Growth rate was sustained at 7.6 (2.2) cm/year in the
      period after treatment. Those boys who attained a testicular volume of 4 ml or
      greater at the end of the treatment period had the most pronounced sustained
      growth acceleration. Height for bone age SD score did not alter significantly
      from a mean of -1.0 before treatment to -1.2 after treatment. Oxandrolone is a
      safe and effective treatment for prepubertal boys with constitutional growth
      delay.

PMID- 1863097
TI  - Screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia by measurement of apolipoproteins in
      capillary blood.
AB  - A total of 3025 families with schoolchildren aged 6-8 years were offered pilot
      screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia by measurement of the concentrations
      of apolipoproteins A-1 and B in the children's capillary blood and by analysis of
      their family histories of early ischaemic heart disease. The concentrations of
      the apolipoproteins were determined by double rocket immunoelectrophoresis of an
      eluate of blood spotted on filter paper. Results were available from 2085
      children. Because their B:A-1 ratio was above the 97.5 centile and their
      concentration of B was above the 99th centile, 54 children (2.6%) were selected
      to have their apolipoprotein concentrations reassessed. The 17 children (0.8%)
      whose values were persistently above the chosen cut off points, and all of their
      available first and second degree relatives, had fasting determinations of serum
      lipid concentrations carried out. Raised serum concentrations of low density
      lipoprotein cholesterol and an autosomal dominant pattern of
      hypercholesterolaemia were found in 12 children and 10 families, respectively,
      suggesting a higher incidence of familial hypercholesterolaemia than the reported
      1:500. Further investigations among family members disclosed
      hypercholesterolaemia in 29 relatives. A family history of early ischaemic heart
      disease was elicited by questionnaire, and was positive in only five of the 12
      schoolchildren with hypercholesterolaemia. We conclude that analysis of
      apolipoproteins from capillary blood spotted on filter paper is suitable for
      screening for familial hypercholesterolaemia, and that this method is more
      efficient than screening based on family history.

PMID- 1863098
TI  - Gastro-oesophageal reflux and respiratory function in infants with respiratory
      symptoms.
AB  - This study aimed to define the incidence and severity of gastro-oesophageal
      reflux (GOR), as measured using 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring, in 38 infants
      with recurrent respiratory symptoms and to relate these findings to measures of
      respiratory function. Twenty one infants had a pH under 4 for more than 5% of the
      time (one definition of abnormal GOR) and nine had GOR exceeding age related
      normal values. Maximum expiratory flow at functional residual capacity was
      reduced in 37 infants, airways resistance was raised in 19 infants, and thoracic
      gas volume was abnormal in 11 infants. There was no association between indices
      of GOR and measures of lung function whether assessed by correlation or by chi 2
      analysis for normal versus abnormal values. However, individual infants appeared
      to have respiratory symptoms produced by GOR. This suggests that host
      responsiveness to GOR may be of greater relevance than the amount of GOR.

PMID- 1863099
TI  - Vaccine efficacy and control measures in pertussis.
AB  - An outbreak of pertussis in primary school-children in the St David's area of
      Pembrokeshire provided the opportunity to estimate pertussis vaccine efficacy.
      The estimate of efficacy was 88% when notified cases were used, but this fell to
      68% when all children with bouts of coughing for two or more weeks were included.
      Notified cases were significantly less likely to have been vaccinated than other
      cases with similar symptoms. Therefore vaccine efficacy estimates based upon
      notified cases are likely to be biased. However, even the lower estimates suggest
      that pertussis immunisation is highly desirable and efforts to improve coverage
      should be increased.

PMID- 1863100
TI  - Acquired aplastic anaemia: still a serious disease.
AB  - Over 15 years, 42 children aged 2-14 years were diagnosed as having acquired
      aplastic anaemia. Adequate clinical details were available for 38 children who
      were categorised as very severe (n = 13), severe (n = 16), or nonsevere (n = 9)
      by the modified Camitta criteria. Treatment varied over the study period. Seven
      children received a bone marrow allograft from a full match family donor and
      three a matched unrelated donor transplant after failed treatment with
      antilymphocyte globulin. The remainder were treated with antilymphocyte globulin
      (n = 11), antilymphocyte globulin and oxymetholone (n = 4), oxymetholone with or
      without prednisolone (n = 12), or supportive treatment alone (n = 1). With a
      minimum follow up of one year since treatment, the five year survival was 70% for
      bone marrow transplantation with a family donor, 30% for antilymphocyte globulin,
      and 25% for oxymetholone. All three children with a matched unrelated donor
      transplant died. The prognosis of acquired aplastic anaemia remains poor for most
      children and new approaches to treatment are urgently required.

PMID- 1863101
TI  - Referrals to child psychiatry--a survey of staff attitudes.
AB  - A questionnaire study was conducted in a health district to evaluate the
      attitudes of paediatricians and child psychiatry staff as to which categories of
      problems should be referred to child psychiatry. In the majority of categories
      the two groups disagreed as to the frequency with which the problem should be
      referred. In the categories relating to child sexual abuse responses were often
      not in accord with Department of Health and Social Security guidelines. Reasons
      for not referring were also looked at and again it was found that there were a
      number of significant differences in opinion as to what are reasons for not
      referring to child psychiatry. Both groups agree that lack of communication is a
      reason for non-referral. Some suggestions are made as to how this problem could
      be addressed.

PMID- 1863102
TI  - Children with pervasive refusal.
AB  - Four children are described with a potentially life threatening condition
      manifested by profound and pervasive refusal to eat, drink, walk, talk, or care
      for themselves in any way over a period of several months. The multiplicity and
      severity of the symptoms in these children do not fit comfortably into any
      existing diagnostic category. Long term and highly skilled nursing and
      psychiatric care is required to help these children to recover. The possible
      causes of this syndrome are discussed.

PMID- 1863103
TI  - Intestinal permeability after single dose gluten challenge in coeliac disease.
AB  - The changes of intestinal permeability before and after a gluten load were
      studied. The study group comprised 27 patients with coeliac disease (mean age
      12.3 years) and 19 healthy controls matched by sex and age. Intestinal
      permeability was studied by measuring the urinary excretion of two sugars,
      lactulose and L-rhamnose, before and six hours after the ingestion of five
      palatable biscuits made with 50 g of gluten powder. The patients with coeliac
      disease had been on a gluten free diet during the previous two years. After the
      gluten load lactulose and L-rhamnose urinary excretion changed significantly in
      patients, and a significant increase in the lactulose: L-rhamnose ratio was also
      observed. No significant changes were observed in the controls. In view of the
      modification of the three biopsies diagnostic protocol made by the European
      Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, permeability tests
      associated with single gluten challenges may be an added contribution to the
      accuracy of the diagnosis in childhood.

PMID- 1863104
TI  - Alteration of urinary carnitine profile induced by benzoate administration.
AB  - To study the effect of sodium benzoate on carnitine metabolism, the acylcarnitine
      profile in the urine of five normal volunteers and two patients with urea cycle
      disorders was examined with fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry. The
      volunteer subjects were given 5 g of sodium benzoate orally and the two patients
      with urea cycle disorders (carbamyl phosphate synthetase deficiency type I and
      ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency) were already undergoing treatment with
      sodium benzoate and L-carnitine. The amount of benzoylcarnitine excretion
      depended on the dose of both sodium benzoate and L-carnitine in a reciprocal
      relation. Increased excretions of acetylcarnitine and propionylcarnitine were
      also noted after sodium benzoate administration. The alteration of the urinary
      aclycarnitine profile was consistent with the change of mitochondrial CoA profile
      predicted by in vitro studies of an animal model. It is suggested that urinary
      acylcarnitine analysis is important to assess the effect of benzoate
      administration on mitochondrial function in vivo. Supplementation with carnitine
      may be necessary to minimise the adverse effects of sodium benzoate treatment in
      hyperammonaemia.

PMID- 1863105
TI  - Subcutaneous or intramuscular insulin injections.
AB  - To find out whether diabetic children may inject their insulin intramuscularly
      rather than subcutaneously, a random sample of 32 patients aged 4.3-17.9 (median
      11.3) years was studied. Distance from skin to muscle fascia was measured by
      ultrasonography at standard injection sites on the outer arm, anterior and
      lateral thigh, abdomen, buttock, and calf. Distances were greater in girls (n =
      15) than in boys (n = 17). Whereas in most boys the distances were less than the
      length of the needle (12.5 mm) at all sites except the buttock, in most girls,
      the distances were greater than 12.5 mm except over the calf. Over the fascial
      plane just lateral to the rectus muscle the distance from skin to peritoneum was
      less than 12.5 mm in 14 of the 17 boys and one of the 15 girls. Twenty five of
      the 32 children injected at an angle of 90 degrees, and 24 children raised a
      skinfold before injecting. By raising a skinfold over the anterior thigh, the
      distance from skin to muscle fascia was increased by 19% (range 0-38%). We
      conclude that most boys and some girls who use the perpendicular injection
      technique may often inject insulin into muscle, and perhaps on occasions into the
      peritoneal cavity.

PMID- 1863106
TI  - Scalp tumours mimicking encephaloceles.
AB  - Two neonates presented with benign scalp tumours that mimicked encephaloceles. In
      the more recent case ultrasonography confirmed that the tumour was extracranial.

PMID- 1863107
TI  - Epidemiology of hypochromic anaemia in young children.

PMID- 1863108
TI  - Accidents to children: the doctor's role. Education or environmental change?

PMID- 1863109
TI  - Paediatric care in general practice.

PMID- 1863110
TI  - Use of movement analysis in understanding abnormalities of gait in cerebral
      palsy.

PMID- 1863111
TI  - Recurrent abdominal pain of gastrointestinal disorder.

PMID- 1863112
TI  - When does slow weight gain become 'failure to thrive'?

PMID- 1863113
TI  - Baby Check score card.

PMID- 1863114
TI  - Ischaemic brain lesions diagnosed at birth in preterm infants.

PMID- 1863115
TI  - Neonatal infections with coagulase negative staphylococci.

PMID- 1863116
TI  - Endotoxin induced cochlear damage.

PMID- 1863117
TI  - Head injury--how community paediatricians can help.

PMID- 1863118
TI  - Photic sneezing.

PMID- 1863119
TI  - Duplicate publications.

PMID- 1863120
TI  - Cost implications of different approaches to the prevention of respiratory
      distress syndrome.
AB  - Because the incidence of both neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal
      mortality can be reduced by giving corticosteroids to women expected to deliver
      preterm and by giving surfactant to babies at high risk of developing hyaline
      membrane disease, we have considered what effects the adoption of one or both of
      these preventive policies would have on the costs of neonatal care. We have
      estimated the effects of treatment from overviews of the relevant controlled
      trials, and estimated costs from observations of care at one neonatal unit. Our
      results suggest that if either of these policies is adopted for all babies under
      35 weeks' gestation at a drug cost of 150 pounds or less/baby, the overall costs
      of care would be reduced by between 1 and 10%. The cost per survivor would be
      reduced by up to 16% even if the drug cost were to be as high as pounds 550/baby.
      If the policies were to be adopted only for babies under 31 weeks' gestation,
      both policies would result in a reduction in cost of between 5 and 16%/survivor,
      although the increased survival resulting from the policies would lead to an
      increase in overall costs for babies of less then 31 weeks' gestation of between
      7 and 32%.

PMID- 1863121
TI  - Multicentre randomised controlled trial of high against low frequency positive
      pressure ventilation. Oxford Region Controlled Trial of Artificial Ventilation
      OCTAVE Study Group.
AB  - A total of 346 infants aged less than 72 hours were randomly allocated to be
      treated either by high frequency positive pressure ventilation (HFPPV; rate fixed
      at 60/minute throughout treatment and initial inspiratory:expiratory (I:E) ratio
      1:2, increased to 1:1 if necessary) or by low frequency positive pressure
      ventilation (LFPPV; rate less than or equal to 40/minute and initial I:E ratio
      usually 1:1, both decreasing during weaning). The main hypotheses were that HFPPV
      reduces pneumothorax, chronic lung disease and death before discharge in all
      infants, as well as those with hyaline membrane disease, and that it reduces the
      incidence of later neurodevelopmental complications in infants of less than 33
      weeks' gestation. Among all the infants the rate of pneumothorax was 19% in the
      HFPPV group and 26% in the LFPPV group (p = 0.13; odds ratio 0.7, 95% confidence
      intervals (CI) 0.4 to 1.1); there was no difference in mortality or the incidence
      of chronic lung disease. In infants of less than 33 weeks' gestation there were
      no differences in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Among the subgroup of 237
      infants with hyaline membrane disease, median fractional inspired oxygen at the
      time of entry to the trial was 0.6 in the HFPPV group and 0.7 in the LFPPV group,
      indicating that many had moderately severe disease. In patients with hyaline
      membrane disease HFPPV was associated with a lower rate of pneumothorax (18% in
      the HFPPV group compared with 33% in the LFPPV group, p = 0.013, odds ratio 0.5,
      95% CI 0.3 to 0.8, with no differences in mortality, or in duration of intubation
      or supplementary oxygen in survivors. As used in this study, HFPPV was the
      preferred ventilator regimen for infants with hyaline membrane disease.

PMID- 1863122
TI  - Factors associated with chronic lung disease in preterm infants.
AB  - Among 659 infants of 30 weeks' gestation or less born in a regional perinatal
      centre between 1983 and 1989, 195 were ventilated for four days or more and
      survived to 28 days, and 87 of these developed chronic lung disease. There was a
      sevenfold increase in the annual incidence of chronic lung disease over time.
      During the same period there were significant increases in the number of infants
      who survived, the incidence of septicaemia, and the use of parenteral lipid
      emulsions. Chronic lung disease was significantly associated with low birth
      weight, shorter gestation, duration of ventilation, vaginal delivery, sepsis, and
      the use of lipid. Respiratory and physiological measurements at 96 hours were
      significantly worse in infants who subsequently developed chronic lung disease.
      Initial logistic regression showed that gestation, arterial carbon dioxide
      tension (PaCO2), and ventilation rate at 96 hours; and birth in 1988 or 1989,
      were independently associated with chronic lung disease, but when septicaemia and
      use of lipid during the first 21 days were included, only gestational age (odds
      ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49 to 0.81 for each week) and use of
      lipid (odds ratio 8.1, 95% CI, 2.32 to 28.0) remained significantly associated
      with chronic lung disease. The observed increase in incidence of chronic lung
      disease in this population was associated with earlier use of parenteral lipids
      in infants of very low gestation rather than with changes in population,
      survival, or ventilator treatment of respiratory distress syndrome.

PMID- 1863123
TI  - Phosphorus metabolites in the human placenta estimated in vivo by magnetic
      resonance spectroscopy.
AB  - Normal human placental metabolism has been studied in vivo by image localised 31P
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 13 women with anterior placentas; five,
      however, were too fat for useful spectral signals to be obtained. Magnetic
      resonance spectra of good quality which were considered to have arisen from the
      placenta were obtained from seven women with uncomplicated pregnancies (median
      gestational age 35 weeks, range 28-39). One other woman had a twin pregnancy in
      which one fetus had died a few days before. The phosphodiester signal from the
      placenta of the dead fetus was outside the 95% confidence intervals for normal
      placentas, suggesting that this technique may potentially be useful in the
      assessment of placental function.

PMID- 1863124
TI  - Temperature instability during nursing procedures in preterm neonates.
AB  - The temperature changes associated with total care nursing procedures were
      studied on 249 occasions during the first week of life in 25 preterm infants
      weighing less than 1500 g, 16 of whom weighed less than 1100 g. Large drops in
      both central and peripheral temperature occurred, with widening of the central
      peripheral temperature gap. Recovery of the temperature after the total care
      procedure took up to two hours. These routine nursing procedures are carried out
      every four to six hours. They cause an important alteration in the environmental
      temperature with consequent thermal stress to the infants that may influence
      ultimate outcome.

PMID- 1863125
TI  - Site of upper airway obstruction in preterm infants with problematical apnoea.
AB  - Airway obstruction is an important factor predisposing to the development of
      apnoea in preterm infants. An ultrafine fibreoptic scope was used to examine the
      upper airway of 12 preterm infants with recurrent problematical apnoea.
      Continuous visualisation of the airway was possible and recorded on to videotape
      together with simultaneous cardiorespiratory monitoring to detect apnoeic
      episodes in 12 infants studied. In seven infants obstruction was observed at
      laryngeal level with the arytenoid masses and aryepiglottic folds closing across
      the vocal cords. This was not only observed in obstructive apnoea but also during
      mixed apnoea in periods where no respiratory effort was detectable and again in
      apparently pure central apnoea. The findings confirm the larynx as an anatomical
      site of upper airway obstruction. They agree with other indirect methods of
      assessing airway patency that obstruction has an important role in the
      pathophysiology of apnoea of prematurity.

PMID- 1863126
TI  - Effect of intervention on development of hip posture in very preterm babies.
AB  - Preterm babies are physiologically hypotonic, which causes their posture to be
      flattened when lying in the prone position. This flattened posture may persist
      beyond term. In a prospective, randomised, controlled, double blind trial of
      postural support carried out on 45 babies born at less than 33 weeks of
      gestation, we showed that infants positioned with specific hip support during the
      period of intensive care had significantly fewer features of flattened posture at
      the age equivalent to term.

PMID- 1863127
TI  - Doppler assessment of pulmonary artery pressure during recovery from hyaline
      membrane disease.
AB  - The changes in pulmonary artery pressure during recovery from hyaline membrane
      disease were studied by serial Doppler echocardiography on 37 preterm infants.
      Pulmonary artery pressure was assessed noninvasively by its inverse relationship
      with the ratio of pulmonary artery Doppler time to peak velocity and right
      ventricular ejection time. The pattern of rise in ratio after the acute phase of
      hyaline membrane disease divided into three types. In 25 infants the ratio
      returned to the normal range: in 12 (group 1) at the same time as the fractional
      inspired oxygen fell below 0.5 and in 13 (group 2) after a delay of at least 24
      hours. In 12 infants (group 3) the ratio remained below the normal range during
      their hospital stay, suggesting pulmonary artery pressure remained high. Infants
      in group 3 were of significantly lower gestation and required oxygen treatment
      for significantly longer than infants in groups 1 and 2. Persistently raised
      pulmonary pressures in group 3 may reflect lung damage either directly affecting
      pulmonary vasculature or exerting a secondary effect on pulmonary vascular
      resistance through hypoxaemia.

PMID- 1863128
TI  - Absent or reversed end diastolic flow velocity in the umbilical artery and
      necrotising enterocolitis.
AB  - Absent or reversed end diastolic flow (AREDF) velocities in the umbilical artery
      were identified in 25 high risk pregnancies. In six pregnancies the fetus was
      abnormal and all but one of these ended in perinatal death. Of the 19
      morphologically normal fetuses, three died in utero and there were four neonatal
      or infant deaths. The mortality rate was 48% for all pregnancies and 37% for
      those with morphologically normal fetuses. There was a highly significant
      increased risk for the development of necrotising enterocolitis in these
      morphologically normal fetuses with AREDF (53%) compared with controls (6%) who
      did have umbilical artery end diastolic flow velocities in fetal life. There were
      no significant differences between the matched pairs for parameters of neonatal
      outcome chosen to reflect neonatal morbidity. These findings demonstrate the
      close association between AREDF and necrotising enterocolitis that appears to be
      independent of other variables such as degree of growth retardation, prematurity,
      and perinatal asphyxia.

PMID- 1863129
TI  - Fibrinolysis in cerebrospinal fluid after intraventricular haemorrhage.
AB  - Concentrations of cross linked fibrin degradation products were measured in the
      cerebrospinal fluid from five 'normal' preterm infants (median 102 ng/ml), four
      preterm infants with intraventricular haemorrhage (median 315 ng/ml), and five
      infants with progressive post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (median 1000
      ng/ml). Serial samples of cerebrospinal fluid from one infant showed a peak
      concentration two weeks after the haemorrhage.

PMID- 1863130
TI  - Erythropoietin responsive progenitors in anaemia of prematurity.
AB  - Circulating erythroid progenitors (BFU-E) in five anaemic preterm infants
      (haemoglobin less than 100 g/l) were about 2 and 4.4 times as abundant as in 10
      preterm infants who were not anaemic and five healthy adults, respectively, and
      were significantly more responsive to low concentrations of recombinant human
      erythropoietin (rHuEpo) than those from healthy adults. These results encourage
      further studies in the use of rHuEpo for the treatment of the anaemia of
      prematurity.

PMID- 1863131
TI  - Preterm prelabour rupture of membranes.

PMID- 1863132
TI  - Antenatal diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism.

PMID- 1863133
TI  - Computerised neonatal information systems.

PMID- 1863134
TI  - Graduate education in thoracic surgery.

PMID- 1863135
TI  - Pulmonary metastases revisited.

PMID- 1863136
TI  - Bio-medicus ventricular assistance.

PMID- 1863137
TI  - Effects of internal mammary artery dissection on phrenic nerve perfusion and
      function.
AB  - The effects of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) dissection and distal division
      on phrenic nerve perfusion and function were examined in an adult swine model.
      Phrenic nerve perfusion was determined by left atrial injection of radioactively
      labeled microspheres. Phrenic nerve function was determined by measuring nerve
      and diaphragm potentials evoked by bilateral phrenic nerve stimulation. In the
      first group of animals (n = 9), the LIMA was dissected with ligation of all its
      branches. Left phrenic nerve perfusion and function decreased after LIMA
      dissection in every animal studied, whereas only minimal changes were observed on
      the right. Sixty minutes after LIMA dissection, left phrenic nerve mean perfusion
      decreased 71%. Left phrenic nerve and left diaphragm mean action potential
      amplitudes decreased 54% and 80%, respectively. In the second group of animals (n
      = 4), the LIMA dissection was performed without division of the
      pericardiacophrenic artery, a small proximal branch of the internal mammary
      artery that supplies the phrenic nerve. Sixty minutes after LIMA dissection, left
      phrenic nerve perfusion had decreased by 21% from control values, with a
      corresponding decrease in left phrenic nerve and diaphragm mean action potential
      amplitudes of 19% and 23%, respectively. These results indicate that LIMA
      dissection with division of all its branches in this model is associated with a
      significant impairment in left phrenic nerve perfusion and function and suggests
      a causal relationship. These results may also explain the apparent increased
      phrenic nerve cold sensitivity and increased incidence of phrenic nerve
      dysfunction associated with LIMA grafting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863138
TI  - Total cavopulmonary anastomosis versus conventional modified Fontan procedure.
AB  - The total cavopulmonary anastomosis, lateral tunnel Fontan, has been advocated as
      a preferred method for Fontan type repair. From 1987 to July 1990, 39 patients
      underwent total cavopulmonary anastomoses (group 1) and 39 patients underwent
      modified Fontan procedures (group 2); patients receiving adjustable atrial septal
      defects were excluded. Diagnoses in group 1 included tricuspid atresia in 5
      patients, single ventricle in 32, and pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular
      septum in 2. Diagnoses in group 2 included tricuspid atresia in 20, single
      ventricle in 17, hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 1, and pulmonary atresia and
      intact ventricular septum in 1. There were no significant differences in age,
      weight, cross-clamp time, duration of inotropic support, postoperative effusions,
      or hospital stay between the two groups. Early mortality in group 1 was 7.7%
      (3/39) and in group 2, 2.6% (1/39). There was no difference in the incidence of
      early dysrhythmias or early pacemaker placement. Late mortality was 2.8% in group
      1 and 8% in group 2 with a mean follow-up of 18 and 25 months, respectively.
      Follow-up in group 1 revealed 33 patients in normal sinus rhythm and 1 patient
      with episodes of supraventricular tachycardia; no additional patients have
      required pacemakers. Follow-up in group 2 revealed 27 patients in normal sinus
      rhythm and supraventricular tachycardia in 4 patients; 5 additional patients have
      required pacemaker placement. There is no apparent difference in early outcome
      between the total cavopulmonary anastomosis and the conventional modified Fontan.
      However, there appears to be an increased incidence of late dysrhythmias and the
      need for pacemaker placement in the conventional modified Fontan group compared
      with the lateral tunnel group.

PMID- 1863139
TI  - Reoperative pulmonary resection in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.
AB  - Resection of pulmonary metastases from soft tissue sarcoma has been shown to be
      associated with a 3-year survival of 25% to 30%. The role of multiple resections
      for recurrent pulmonary metastases, however, has not been clearly defined. Since
      1976, 43 patients have had two or more thoracic explorations for the purpose of
      resecting pulmonary metastases from adult soft tissue sarcoma at our institution.
      In 89 reexplorations, through either median sternotomy or lateral thoracotomy,
      the operative mortality was 0%, and 31 of the 43 patients (72%) could be rendered
      free of disease at the second thoracotomy. Median survival from the second
      thoracotomy for the patients with resectable disease was 25 months, whereas
      median survival of patients who had unresectable disease was 10 months. A disease
      free interval between the first and second thoracotomies of greater than 18
      months was associated with prolonged survival from the second thoracotomy. Owing
      to lack of other therapies with proven salvage efficacy and in the absence of
      randomized trials, repeated thoracotomies to render patients free of disease from
      pulmonary soft-tissue sarcoma metastases appear justified considering the
      potential survival benefit and low attendant risk.

PMID- 1863140
TI  - Improved survival after resection of pulmonary metastases from malignant
      melanoma.
AB  - The value of resecting pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma was
      retrospectively examined. Between 1981 and 1989, 56 patients (35 men and 21 women
      with a mean age of 49 years) had 65 pulmonary resections for histologically
      proven metastatic melanoma after treatment of the primary tumor. In patients
      undergoing thoracotomy, 50% (28/56) had pulmonary metastases as the initial site
      of recurrence. Twenty-eight patients (50%) had local-regional recurrence before
      the development of lung metastases. Eight lobectomies, two segmentectomies, and
      55 wedge excisions were done. Fifty-four patients (54/56, 96%) underwent complete
      resection, and there were no operative deaths. The postthoracotomy actuarial
      survival was 25% at 5 years (median interval, 18 months). Location of the primary
      tumor, histology, thickness, Clark level, local-regional lymph node metastases,
      or type of resection was not associated with improved survival. Patients without
      regional nodal metastases before thoracotomy had a median survival of 30 months
      compared with 16 months for all others (p = 0.04). Patients with lung as the site
      of first recurrence had a median survival of 30 months compared with 17 months
      for patients with initial local-regional recurrence (p = 0.038, log-rank test).
      Despite systemic spread, patients with isolated pulmonary metastases from
      melanoma may benefit from metastasectomy.

PMID- 1863141
TI  - Cardiac transplantation with corticosteroid-free immunosuppression: long-term
      results.
AB  - To assess the long-term safety of an immunosuppressive regimen without
      corticosteroids, we retrospectively evaluated 42 long-term (greater than 1 year)
      survivors of orthotopic cardiac transplantation. We determined the incidence of
      (1) conversion of the immunosuppressive regimen from cyclosporine and
      azathioprine alone (group I) to cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisone (group
      II), (2) late acute graft rejection (defined as occurring at greater than 1
      postoperative year), and (3) major postoperative complications related to
      corticosteroids. Of the 42 patients who were started on cyclosporine and
      azathioprine, 48% remained in group I, and 52% converted to group II. Forty-five
      percent of group II patients were able to taper and discontinue prednisone in
      15.6 +/- 2.2 months. Among the patients on long-term corticosteroid-free
      immunosuppression, the incidence of late rejection was 2.1% per endomyocardial
      biopsy. The incidence of late infectious episodes was not significantly different
      between the two groups of patients, although diabetes mellitus and
      hypercholesterolemia were more prevalent in group II than in group I. These data
      suggest that cardiac transplant recipients who chronically remain on
      corticosteroid-free immunosuppression represent a select group of patients with
      an acceptably low risk of late graft rejection and associated reduction of
      potential risk factors of accelerated coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1863142
TI  - Current indications, risks, and outcome after pericardiectomy.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of the records of 60 patients who underwent
      pericardiectomy over a 10-year period (1980 to 1990) at The Johns Hopkins
      Hospital was performed. Indications for operation were effusive disease in 24
      patients and constriction in 36 patients. Six patients (10%) with pericardial
      effusion had pain as the primary symptom necessitating intervention. The
      operative approach for pericardiectomy was median sternotomy in 52 patients (4
      patients required cardiopulmonary bypass) and left anterior thoracotomy in 8
      patients. Nine patients (5 with constriction and 4 with effusion) with a prior
      limited pericardial procedure required formal pericardiectomy. The operative
      mortality rate for pericardial effusion and constriction was 4.2% and 5.6%,
      respectively. Follow-up (median follow-up, 56.9 +/- 38.2 months) was obtained on
      56 patients (93.3%). Actuarial survival at 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years for all
      patients was 82.1% +/- 5.1%, 71.7% +/- 6.7%, and 59.8% +/- 12.2%, respectively. A
      Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed using 20 clinical
      variables. A history of malignancy, previous pericardial procedure, and
      preoperative New York Heart Association class IV were found to be predictors of
      poor survival. All patients who underwent operation primarily for effusion with
      associated pain are alive and have improved functional capacity without steroid
      use. We conclude that pericardiectomy can be performed with low mortality and can
      result in good long-term survival and improved functional capacity. Patients who
      are seen primarily with pain refractory to steroid therapy can be relieved of
      symptoms with operation.

PMID- 1863143
TI  - Internal mammary artery graft at reoperation: risks, benefits, and methods of
      preservation.
AB  - To determine the effect of a prior internal mammary artery (IMA) graft on
      coronary artery bypass reoperation (CABR), we reviewed our experience with 410
      consecutive patients: 313 received only saphenous vein grafts at initial coronary
      artery bypass grafting (CABG), and 97 received at least one IMA graft at CABG.
      Cardiac catheterization data before CABG were available in 110 patients (56
      received only saphenous vein grafts, 54 received at least one IMA graft),
      allowing comparison of left ventricular function at CABG and CABR. Injury of the
      IMA graft occurred in 5 patients (1 death), but presence of an IMA graft was not
      an independent predictor of morbidity or mortality. Overall, the incidences of
      complications and deaths were higher in patients with saphenous vein grafts than
      in patients with IMA grafts, though not significantly so. Internal mammary artery
      grafts better preserved cardiac function: patients with IMA grafts had worse left
      ventricular function before CABG but better left ventricular function before CABR
      than patients with saphenous vein grafts. Left ventricular function deterioration
      from before CABG to before CABR was significantly less in patients with IMA
      grafts. We conclude that the risk of CABR is not increased by a previously
      constructed IMA graft and that left ventricular function is better preserved at
      CABR when an IMA graft was constructed at the initial operation.

PMID- 1863144
TI  - Bio-medicus ventricular assist device for salvage of cardiac surgical patients.
AB  - Over a 5-year period, 41 (1%) of 4,193 patients undergoing cardiac operations
      underwent intraoperative or early postoperative insertion of a Bio-Medicus
      ventricular assist device when it became apparent that the patient could not
      otherwise survive. Fourteen patients were in cardiogenic shock and 7 were in
      cardiac arrest at the time of initiation of their primary cardiac surgical
      procedure, and in no instance was the device planned as a bridge to cardiac
      transplantation. Bleeding, sepsis, and thromboembolism were frequent
      postoperative complications. Central nervous system deficits were observed in 16
      patients during their postoperative course. Eight patients (19.5%) were long-term
      survivors. Of the preoperative risk factors evaluated only age was significantly
      associated with survival, with 7 (33%) of the 21 younger (39 to 63 years)
      patients surviving. Blood product usage and hospital cost were analyzed in an
      attempt to assess cost/effectiveness of use of this device for attempted salvage
      of such desperately ill patients.

PMID- 1863145
TI  - Aortic valve replacement with omniscience and omnicarbon valves.
AB  - Clinical results achieved in 100 cases of aortic valve replacement with the
      Omniscience (O-S) valve during the period from 1980 to 1985 as well as 100 cases
      of aortic valve replacement with the Omnicarbon (O-C) valve during the period
      from 1985 to 1989 were studied. Concomitant surgical procedures including mitral
      valve replacement were performed in 63 patients in the O-S group and 67 patients
      in the O-C group. Cumulative follow-up in the two groups was carried out for a
      total of 559 and 273 patient-years, respectively. The overall 4-year actuarial
      survival rate was 82% +/- 3.8% in the O-S group and 89.5% +/- 3.2% in the O-C
      group, the corresponding rates for patients undergoing isolated aortic valve
      replacement being 82.9% +/- 4.2% in the O-S group and 91.9% +/- 3.5% in the O-C
      group. The overall 4-year actuarial event-free rate with respect to
      thromboembolic complications was 88.8% +/- 3.3% in the O-S group and 94.4% +/-
      2.8% in the O-C group, as compared with the corresponding rates of 89.2% +/- 3.6%
      in the O-S group and 95.9% +/- 2.8% in the O-C group for patients undergoing
      isolated aortic valve replacement. The overall rate of valve-related
      complications, including thromboembolism, anticoagulant-related hemorrhage,
      perivalvular leak, infection, and structural failure, was 78.8% +/- 4.2% in the O
      S group and 89.3% +/- 3.5% in the O-C group (p less than 0.05), and for isolated
      aortic valve replacement, 79.7% +/- 4.5% in the O-S group and 89.6% +/- 4.1% in
      the O-C group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863146
TI  - Preliminary results of left heart bypass in pigs using a heparin-coated
      centrifugal pump.
AB  - To assess the feasibility of left ventricular assist without systemic
      heparinization, we used a commercially available (Sarns 3M) centrifugal pump with
      tubing set and cannulas, all internally precoated for the purpose of this study
      with heparin, to bypass the left ventricle in 12 pigs for periods of either 1 or
      3 hours. There was no significant activation of clotting and there was no sign of
      generalized embolization. However, on postmortem studies, 5 kidneys out of 22
      examined showed signs of minimal thromboembolism. This experiment shows that
      artificial left ventricular assist, free of systemic heparinization but using
      heparin precoating, is feasible and safe, at least for a short period of time.

PMID- 1863147
TI  - Preoperative hemostatic activity and excessive bleeding after cardiopulmonary
      bypass.
AB  - The rationale for predicting the risk of excessive postoperative bleeding by
      assessing the hemostatic status of a patient before cardiopulmonary bypass was
      investigated. A novel, rapid, overall test (hemostatometry) consisting of a
      physiologically relevant test of platelet function (shear-induced hemostasis) and
      coagulation was performed using nonanticoagulated blood and compared with the
      routine coagulation screen. Two hundred five patients undergoing elective
      coronary revascularization were studied 3 to 4 days before operation. Forty-nine
      bled excessively for nonsurgical reasons; none were predicted by the routine
      coagulation tests. Using a stepwise discriminant analysis, hemostatometry
      correctly predicted 31 of 49 (63%). Thirty of 156 predicted as bleeders by
      hemostatometry did not bleed. Thus, preoperative hemostatometry predicted 77% of
      the true outcome. The false predictions suggest, however, that certain bleeding
      abnormalities probably acquired during cardiopulmonary bypass cannot be
      predicted. These findings do not justify the routine use of preoperative tests in
      assessing the bleeding risk in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID- 1863148
TI  - Current status of coronary artery operation in septuagenarians.
AB  - Previous reports of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting
      have not addressed the current era of aggressive percutaneous angioplasty and
      frequent urgent or emergent operation. To investigate this important subgroup of
      patients, we analyzed our recent coronary artery bypass grafting experience with
      patients 70 years of age or older. From January 1984 to January 1989, 121
      consecutive patients in this age range underwent surgical revascularization at
      our institution. Overall in-hospital operative mortality (OM) was 7.4% (9/121),
      with 77.8% (7/9) of deaths due to cardiac causes. Serious postoperative morbidity
      occurred in 71.1% (86/121). Surgical priority was significantly correlated with
      operative mortality: for elective cases, the OM was 2.9% (2/68), but it was 8.6%
      (3/35) for urgent cases (p less than 0.05) and 22.2% (4/18) for emergency cases
      (p less than 0.05). Univariate analysis isolated the need for inotropic support,
      intraaortic balloon pump, reoperation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and
      emergency status as significant risk factors for OM (p less than 0.05).
      Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified the need for
      inotropic support, intravenous nitroglycerin, reoperative coronary artery bypass
      grafting, and hypertension as independently significant risk factors. A logistic
      risk equation developed from this population accurately modeled OM at the
      extremes of operative risk. Three (3.1%) of the 97 patients predicted to have
      less than 5% OM died, whereas all patients predicted by the model to have greater
      than 90% OM died. These results indicate that in spite of relatively high
      morbidity and mortality rates, elderly patients have a very acceptable operative
      risk in the current era of high-risk coronary artery bypass grafting. This is
      particularly true if elective revascularization is possible.

PMID- 1863149
TI  - Survival and valve failure after aortic valve replacement.
AB  - A prospective evaluation of 412 consecutive patients undergoing isolated aortic
      valve replacement between January 1982 and December 1985 was performed in an
      attempt to identify the determinants of survival and valve failure. A variety of
      valves were inserted to permit a prospective evaluation of alternative valves
      including: Bjork-Shiley mechanical (n = 37), Ionescu-Shiley pericardial (n =
      261), Hancock pericardial (n = 78), and Carpentier-Edwards porcine (n = 36).
      Thirteen patients died in the hospital (3.2%) and 47 patients died in the follow
      up period producing an actuarial survival of 81% +/- 3% at 48 months. Survival
      was independently predicted by advancing age, preoperative New York Heart
      Association functional class, and the presence of endocarditis (p less than 0.05
      by Cox regression analysis). The majority of patients were symptomatically
      improved (New York Heart Association class I or II: 21% preoperative, 88%
      postoperative). Freedom from structural valve dysfunction, prosthetic valve
      endocarditis, and reoperation for valve-related complications were 95% +/- 2%,
      95% +/- 2%, and 92% +/- 2% at 48 months, respectively. These valve-related
      complications occurred more frequently in younger patients and in those with a
      Hancock pericardial valve (freedom from structural valve dysfunction, 89% +/- 5%;
      prosthetic valve endocarditis, 84% +/- 9%; reoperation, 78% +/- 10%; p less than
      0.05 by Cox regression). Freedom from thromboembolism was 88% +/- 2% at 48
      months; it was significantly lower in patients with a preoperative thromboembolic
      event and was not influenced by the type of prosthesis inserted. Freedom from
      anticoagulant-related hemorrhage was 85% +/- 8% at 48 months and was not
      influenced by any preoperative factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863150
TI  - Regional myocardial stress distribution from magnetic resonance image-based
      mathematical models.
AB  - The instantaneous regional stress distribution within the myocardium, which
      cannot be directly measured, has been estimated using improved numerical methods
      and nonaxisymmetric biventricular geometry. To do this, we have employed computer
      aided solid mathematical modeling to generate a three-dimensional representation
      for an ex vivo canine biventricular unit using magnetic resonance imaging. A two
      dimensional transverse section was isolated from the solid mathematical model for
      regional stress analysis using p-version finite element analysis. Loading
      conditions and material property descriptions were taken from published reports.
      Analyses showed the maximum principal stresses to range from -1.76 X 10(5) to
      8.52 X 10(5) dynes/cm2 during systolic loading, and from -3.85 X 10(4) to 1.13 X
      10(5) dynes/cm2 during diastolic loading. This study demonstrates that magnetic
      resonance image-based solid mathematical biventricular models are suitable for
      regional stress analysis using p-version finite element analysis. p-Version
      finite element analysis using magnetic resonance image-based cardiac
      representations facilitates in vivo stress-strain analyses and may allow the
      clinical estimation of regional myocardial stress.

PMID- 1863151
TI  - Extracardiac valved conduits in the pulmonary circuit.
AB  - Extracardiac valved conduits represent one of the weakest facets of
      reconstructive surgery for congenital heart disease in that they invariably need
      to be replaced because of growth of the patient or because of valve or conduit
      failure. Between 1979 and 1989, 141 patients had 169 valved conduits placed
      between the heart and the pulmonary artery circuit. There were 81 male and 60
      female patients, aged 2 days to 35 years (mean age, 5.9 years), with 46 patients
      less than 1 year of age. We performed primary repair in 117 patients; in this
      group, there have been 28 conduit replacements in 27 patients. In 17 patients
      initial repair with a conduit was performed elsewhere and we replaced these
      conduits in 15 and removed them in 2. A further group of 9 patients were seen
      after repair of tetralogy of Fallot or double-outlet right ventricle, with severe
      pulmonary incompetence or right ventricular outflow tract aneurysm. All had
      valved conduits inserted as secondary procedures. The types of valved conduits
      used were xenograft (n = 126) and homograft (n = 43). There were six hospital
      deaths (3.6%; 70% confidence limits [CL], 2% to 6%) and seven late deaths (4.1%;
      CL, 2.5% to 6.5%) in a total of 169 conduit insertions. Forty-five conduits have
      been removed and 43 reinserted without early or late mortality (0%; CL, 0% to
      4%). Actuarial survival after conduit insertion was 87% at 5 years (CL, 80% to
      92%), including operative mortality. Actuarial freedom from conduit replacement
      was 37% at 5 years (CL, 20% to 56%). Conduit insertion in infants and small
      children ensures subsequent replacement, but this can be done at low
      risk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863152
TI  - Mesenchymoma of the chest wall in children.
AB  - Benign chest wall mesenchymoma in children is an extremely rare disease. Only 20
      patients have been reported in the world literature. We report a chest wall
      mesenchymoma in a 2-year-old boy who was admitted to the hospital after a routine
      chest roentgenogram showed a mass in the right upper chest wall. The patient was
      asymptomatic. Clinical examination was negative, but chest roentgenograms and
      computed tomography showed a mass in the right upper chest wall involving the
      third rib. A 2 x 2 x 1.5-cm tumor was excised totally with partial resection of
      the third rib. The histology of the lesion corresponded to a mesenchymoma
      (hamartoma) of the chest wall. Our patient has been followed up for 8 years
      without recurrence.

PMID- 1863153
TI  - Neonatal pneumonectomy for isolated unilateral pulmonary artery agenesis.
AB  - A 23-day-old female newborn was evaluated for acyanotic respiratory distress
      immediately after birth. Echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization revealed
      absence of the right pulmonary artery. Subsequent course was complicated by
      necrotizing bronchopneumonia. Despite antibiotic therapy and ventilator support
      she failed to improve; right pneumonectomy was performed to remove the source of
      sepsis. This case represents an example in which an infectious complication in a
      rare congenital pulmonary malformation served as an indication for neonatal
      pneumonectomy.

PMID- 1863154
TI  - Role of echocardiography/Doppler in cardiogenic shock: silent mitral
      regurgitation.
AB  - Two cases of cardiogenic shock and pulmonary edema due to acute, severe, silent
      mitral regurgitation are discussed. The mechanism for the mitral regurgitation
      was papillary muscle rupture in the setting of acute myocardial infarction.
      Echocardiography established the presence, severity, and cause of the mitral
      regurgitation and the associated hyperdynamic left ventricular function in the
      setting of cardiogenic shock. Transesophageal echocardiography is excellent for
      assessing the mitral valve in critically ill patients in whom transthoracic
      echocardiography may be inadequate or misleading. This allowed for emergency
      mitral valve replacement without prolonged attempts at medical stabilization.

PMID- 1863155
TI  - Single-lung transplantation with atrial septal defect repair for Eisenmenger's
      syndrome.
AB  - Heart-lung transplantation has been used successfully for patients with pulmonary
      vascular disease but its application has been very limited due to the scarcity of
      donors. We report a patient with Eisenmenger's syndrome who underwent right
      single-lung transplantation with closure of atrial septal defect; postoperative
      convalescence was uneventful. Serial magnetic resonance imaging examinations
      demonstrate improved right heart function.

PMID- 1863156
TI  - Successful repair of a submitral left ventricular infected pseudoaneurysm.
AB  - Aneurysms of the left ventricle may be congenital or may occur after a myocardial
      infarction, trauma, or endocarditis. Infective endocarditis can cause destructive
      injury to the heart in various ways. This report describes the formation of an
      aneurysm of the left ventricle from trauma of a bacterial vegetation of the
      mitral valve. Early recognition by echocardiography and magnetic resonance
      imaging led to successful repair and prevented a catastrophic result.

PMID- 1863157
TI  - Thoracoscopic diagnosis and treatment of chylothorax after pneumonectomy.
AB  - Chylothorax after pneumonectomy was treated successfully by selective application
      of fibrin glue through a thoracoscope. Conservative therapy for 18 days failed to
      close the fistula. The site of leakage was identified during thoracoscopy, and
      fibrin glue was applied under direct vision. Leakage decreased immediately and
      eventually stopped completely. This technique is less invasive than standard
      surgical treatment and should be considered in all patients with postoperative
      chylothorax.

PMID- 1863158
TI  - Long-term bridge to transplantation with the Symbion acute ventricular assist
      device system.
AB  - A 48-year-old man was supported for 164 days with Symbion biventricular assist
      devices. During that time, his cytotoxic antibody screen fell from 97% positivity
      to less than 10%, enabling cardiac transplantation. Complications during the
      implantation included a 3-minute episode of amaurosis fugax, one positive blood
      culture, and anemia, which responded to decreased frequency of blood drawing. He
      is now alive 7 months after transplantation.

PMID- 1863159
TI  - Pulmonary origin of left anterior descending coronary artery in tetralogy of
      Fallot.
AB  - We report the case of a 4-year-old girl with an anomalous origin of the left
      anterior descending coronary artery from the pulmonary artery in association with
      tetralogy of Fallot. Creation of an intrapulmonary tunnel from a newly created
      aortopulmonary window to the coronary ostium in the pulmonary trunk and total
      repair of tetralogy of Fallot were successfully carried out. The advantage of
      intrapulmonary tunnel technique (Takeuchi method) for this very rare combination
      is stressed.

PMID- 1863160
TI  - Removal of massive right atrial thrombus guided by transesophageal
      echocardiography.
AB  - Formation of massive right atrial thrombi around a peritoneovenous shunt is a
      known complication of these devices. Removal of an obstructive right atrial
      thrombus requires cardiopulmonary bypass and has been associated with a high
      morbidity and mortality. Transesophageal echocardiography was used in this case
      to diagnose and guide the surgical removal of a massive right atrial thrombus.

PMID- 1863161
TI  - Videothoracoscopic ligation of bulla and pleurectomy for spontaneous
      pneumothorax.
AB  - A thoracoscopic technique to ligate pleural bullae and perform parietal
      pleurectomy is described. The procedure has been performed on 2 patients,
      allowing definitive treatment of recurrent spontaneous pneumothoraces. Both
      patients have been cured of their problem and benefited from the decreased trauma
      of access by reduced postoperative pain, rapid recovery, and decreased scarring
      of the skin.

PMID- 1863162
TI  - Integrated pump switch for antegrade/retrograde cardioplegia.
AB  - A method of centralizing management of antegrade and retrograde blood
      cardioplegia delivery at the heart-lung machine is described. Operation of a
      manually flow-directed pump switch, controlled by the perfusionist, improves
      safety and efficiency.

PMID- 1863163
TI  - Doppler miniprobe to measure arterial graft flow in coronary artery bypass
      grafting.
AB  - Using a 5 X 5-mm ultrasonographic Doppler miniprobe, the flow volume of arterial
      grafts (internal thoracic artery and gastroepiploic artery) was measured four
      times during the course of coronary artery bypass grafting. Graft flow just
      before sternal closure was almost equivalent to that in the preoperative phase
      when the anastomosis was optimal. Use of the Doppler miniprobe facilitated
      evaluation of the arterial graft flow pattern easily and quickly. We conclude
      that the Doppler miniprobe can provide helpful information for the evaluation of
      results of coronary artery bypass grafting in real time without necessitating any
      additional procedures.

PMID- 1863164
TI  - A new balanced operation for complex gastroesophageal reflux disease.
AB  - Twenty-seven patients with advanced gastroesophageal reflux disease have been
      treated with combined transthoracic parietal cell vagotomy and Collis-Nissen
      fundoplication. Gastric acid analyses (n = 20) obtained preoperatively and 6
      months postoperatively demonstrated a significant late reduction in gastric acid
      output. Twenty-six patients (96%) have experienced relief of gastroesophageal
      reflux disease at a mean of 13.3 months (range, 6 to 25 months) without
      postvagotomy symptoms. Transthoracic parietal cell vagotomy may be considered as
      an adjunct to mechanical surgical control of advanced gastroesophageal reflux
      disease.

PMID- 1863165
TI  - Leonardo da Vinci and the sinuses of Valsalva.
AB  - Recent studies indicate that eddy currents generated by the sinuses of Valsalva
      play an important role in the physiologic closure of the aortic valve. This
      process is briefly discussed and evidence is presented that this fact was well
      known and elaborated upon by the renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. This fact
      is illustrated with his words and drawings.

PMID- 1863166
TI  - Achalasia: current evaluation and therapy.
AB  - The current evaluation of and therapy for achalasia are reviewed. Esophageal
      manometry remains the best means for diagnosing achalasia. Initial therapy can
      include either pneumatic dilation or esophagomyotomy. Symptomatic improvement
      occurs in 71% of patients after pneumatic dilation, with a risk of perforation of
      1.4%. Eight percent of these patients require subsequent esophagomyotomy.
      Surgical procedures for achalasia can be performed through either an abdominal or
      a thoracic incision. Nearly all authors favoring an abdominal approach add an
      antireflux operation to esophagomyotomy, whereas many authors advocating a
      transthoracic esophagomyotomy believe that an antireflux wrap is unnecessary.
      Overall results for the various surgical approaches used as initial therapy are
      excellent, with symptomatic improvement in 89% of patients, a mortality rate of
      less than 1%, and development of gastroesophageal acid reflux in less than 10%.
      Factors governing the choice of initial therapy are discussed.

PMID- 1863167
TI  - Blood versus oxygenated crystalloid cardioplegia.

PMID- 1863168
TI  - Epicardial lead failure due to dense scarring: a solution.

PMID- 1863169
TI  - The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Professional Liability Survey, 1988-1989.

PMID- 1863170
TI  - American Medical Association/Specialty Society Medical Liability Project.

PMID- 1863171
TI  - Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act.

PMID- 1863172
TI  - Professional liability: how a trial lawyer prepares a medical malpractice case
      for trial.

PMID- 1863173
TI  - Health care 1990--a consumer perspective.

PMID- 1863174
TI  - The brave new world of health care.
AB  - We are rapidly entering into a brave new world of health care. Infinite medical
      demands have run smack into finite resources. We can't pay for everything but we
      can spend our limited resources in a much more health-effective way. We have no
      other alternative but to devise systems that give us maximum health to our
      society with our limited resources. It is time to begin this process.

PMID- 1863175
TI  - The perspective of the industry.
AB  - This article calls for the development of a process to build a national consensus
      to assist in developing a critically needed national health policy. The
      physician's role in leading initiatives for major change is emphasized. Failure
      of physicians to participate as advocates of change will detrimentally affect the
      health of the nation and diminish the level of public respect and trust.

PMID- 1863176
TI  - Medicare: the Canadian experience.
AB  - In the 1940s Canada and the United States had similar lack of structure and
      reimbursement for diagnostic, hospital, and physician services. In Canada over
      the next 40 years there evolved a complex system mandated and partially funded by
      the federal government, but administered and delivered through 10 provincial and
      2 territorial jurisdictions. Each must negotiate with federal government on cost
      sharing and deal with hospital budgets and physician compensation at the
      provincial or territorial level. The Medical Care Act of 1966 enshrined in law
      the five principles of public administration, universality, comprehensiveness,
      portability, and accessibility, converting all medical services in Canada from a
      privilege to a right. Any patient participation in hospital or physician charges
      came under increasing political attack. In 1984 the Canada Health Act specified
      financial penalties in federal transfer payments to provinces that permitted any
      direct patient charges. While Canada has "contained" health expenditures at 8.7%
      of gross national product, universal access to quality care is increasingly
      subject to rationing. The relationship between the profession and governments
      hard pressed to fund escalating costs in a deteriorating economy has been one of
      increasingly bitter confrontations. There have been four acrimonious doctors'
      strikes. More optimistically, there is now an emerging recognition of society's
      need to have physicians actively participating with other providers and
      governments to create a balance between access to quality health services and
      both public and private funding.

PMID- 1863177
TI  - RBRVS report: activities of the Ad Hoc Committee for Physicians' Reimbursement.
AB  - The Ad Hoc Committee to study the Resource-Based Relative Value Study has been
      active for more than 2 years. This Committee's membership was initially appointed
      by The Society for Thoracic Surgeons, but was quickly expanded so as to represent
      virtually all this nation's surgeons practicing the specialty of cardiothoracic
      and vascular surgery. This address describes the general activities of the
      Committee since its organization. It includes: 1. A brief description of the
      resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS). 2. The Committee's investigation of
      Harvard RBRVS Phase I as it relates to our specialty. 3. The Committee's findings
      and resultant testimony to the federal government and the American Medical
      Association. 4. The genesis and conduct of an independent study of the specialty.
      5. A summary of our current position with respect to federal initiatives.

PMID- 1863178
TI  - Results from the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery work survey by Abt
      Associates Inc.
AB  - This article presents findings from the Abt Associates survey, commissioned by
      The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and other cooperating organizations, used to
      collect data to develop a resource-based relative value scale for cardiothoracic
      and vascular surgery. The methodology used by Abt Associates to measure the total
      work of surgical procedures is described, and differences between the Abt
      methodology and that used in the Harvard study are highlighted. The report also
      compares the total work measured by the Harvard and Abt studies for several
      specific operations. Discrepancies in relative total work measures between the
      two studies are shown to result primarily from differences in the measurement of
      preoperative and postoperative work. Background information on responding
      physicians is summarized. Physicians asked to respond to the survey were randomly
      selected from a combined list of all members of the six cardiothoracic and
      vascular organizations as well as those physicians included on the American
      Medical Association Masterfile with a primary specialty indication of
      cardiovascular, general thoracic, or peripheral vascular surgery. Therefore,
      these data should be reasonably representative of the cardiothoracic and vascular
      surgery profession as a whole. Information provided includes board certification
      status, age, sex, practice type, reimbursement source, hours worked per week, and
      number of operations performed. In addition, data describe the types of hospitals
      at which cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons typically practice. The survey also
      provides data on current surgical practice. Statistics are available on the
      average number of various types of operations surgeons perform, and on what
      percentage are reoperations. Finally, the work of reoperations and emergency
      procedures relative to primary elective operations is compared directly.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863180
TI  - Address by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

PMID- 1863179
TI  - Physician payment reform: update on implications for cardiac surgery.

PMID- 1863181
TI  - Mucinous cystadenoma of the lung.

PMID- 1863182
TI  - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and the pathologist.

PMID- 1863183
TI  - It is the results that count in quality assurance.

PMID- 1863184
TI  - Interinstitutional comparison of performance in breast fine-needle aspiration
      cytology. A Q-probe quality indicator study.
AB  - In 1989, the College of American Pathologists, Northfield, Ill, instituted a
      voluntary quality assurance program, called "Q-Probes," that utilized nationwide
      interinstitutional peer comparison. One of the anatomic pathology modules
      retrospectively assessed performance in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of
      the breast from cytohistologic correlations that were made in 294 institutions by
      988 pathologists on their own cases that were accessioned during a 6-month
      period. Of the 13,066 cases of FNAC, 10,751 (82%) were satisfactory for
      evaluation. Of these satisfactory aspirates, 3471 cases (33%) had histologic
      correlation, which formed the basis for determining diagnostic accuracy. Of
      breast aspirates, 2254 (17%) were unsatisfactory for evaluation, with the mean
      frequency of unsatisfactory aspirates obtained by nonpathologists (18%), ie, more
      than twice that of unsatisfactory aspirates obtained by pathologists (7.2%). In
      the diagnosis of breast cancer by FNAC, the following performance results were
      derived with the use of the aggregate data: 82% sensitivity of the FNAC
      procedure, 97% sensitivity of diagnosis, 97% specificity, 95% positive predictive
      value, 86% negative predictive value, and 90% efficiency. No significant
      difference in performance was detected when institutions were stratified by six
      peer group characteristics. We made the following conclusions: (1) the aggregate
      and median breast FNAC performance values obtained from this interinstitutional
      comparison of data from routine procedures performed in diverse settings in North
      America compared very favorably with performance from single institutions
      published in studies of similar design in the literature, and (2) these data may
      provide a reference point for participant institutions to measure future quality
      improvement in fine-needle aspiration of breast.

PMID- 1863185
TI  - Transthoracic needle aspiration. The benign diagnosis.
AB  - Transthoracic needle aspiration is a relatively innocuous procedure used
      extensively in the diagnosis of pulmonary disease. Although its sensitivity for
      malignancy is high, a negative (benign) diagnosis is obtained in 5% to 25% of all
      cases. Some of these aspirates represent the result of inadequate sampling of a
      malignant tumor; others, however, are derived from a truly benign process. This
      review briefly describes and illustrates the cytologic features of these latter
      aspirates in order to exemplify the wide range of benign diseases that can be
      identified or suspected by transthoracic needle aspiration. Familiarity with such
      features should help the interpreting pathologist to prevent needless respiration
      or thoracotomy in many patients.

PMID- 1863186
TI  - Hypersensitivity myocarditis.
AB  - Autopsy tissue specimens of 69 cases of hypersensitivity myocarditis were studied
      to determine drug association, spectrum of histologic findings, distribution of
      infiltrates, and correlation between degree of infiltrates and cardiac symptoms.
      Hypersensitivity myocarditis was defined by the presence of eosinophils, a mixed
      lymphohistiocytic infiltrate along natural planes of separation, and an absence
      of fibrosis or granulation tissue in areas of infiltrate. Commonly implicated
      drugs were methyldopa, hydrochlorothiazide, ampicillin, furosemide, digoxin,
      tetracycline, aminophylline, phenytoin, benzodiazepines, and tricyclic
      antidepressants. Histiocytes composed the predominant cell type (in addition to
      eosinophils and lymphocytes). Lymphocytes were predominantly T cells in 12 cases
      studied immunohistochemically. Small foci of myocyte necrosis were present in 37
      cases, and they correlated with the degree of infiltrate. A nonnecrotizing
      vasculitis was present in 28 cases. The right ventricle was involved in all but
      three cases. Cardiac arrhythmias or unexplained death occurred in 29 patients and
      did not correlate with the degree of myocardial infiltrate or presence of
      necrosis. Eosinophils were present in the livers of 30 of 58 patients, and their
      presence correlated with the degree of cardiac infiltration. A causative
      association between histologic findings and drugs is difficult to prove because
      of the common usage of many of the drugs implicated, multiple drug use, and the
      absence of clinical criteria of hypersensitivity. Symptoms do not appear related
      to the degree of infiltrate. In more than half the cases, infiltrates may be
      missed by endomyocardial biopsy due to focality of lesions.

PMID- 1863187
TI  - Anomalous coronary arteries arising from the aorta associated with sudden death
      in infancy and early childhood. An autopsy series.
AB  - Anomalous coronary arteries arising from the aorta are a recognized cause of
      myocardial ischemia and sudden death. Death has been precipitated by exercise in
      most cases. We present the results of an autopsy study in which sudden and
      unexpected deaths associated with coronary anomalies were found in three children
      (less than 2 years of age). In two cases, death was not associated with exercise.
      In two case, the myocardium was morphologically normal, and in the third case,
      there was an extensive recent anterior myocardial infarct with a background of
      established fibrosis. Coronary artery anomalies may be easily overlooked in this
      age group because of small vessel size and difficulty in dissection; this is
      particularly so when there are normally placed ostia. One consequence of this is
      potential for confusion with sudden infant death syndrome.

PMID- 1863188
TI  - Characterization of Cobblestone mitral valve interstitial cells.
AB  - Mitral valve interstitial cells (MVICs) are important in the structure and
      function of the valve. In a cell culture system that used explants to harvest
      MVICs, we found that after several passages, some of the cultures at confluence
      formed a monolayer of cobblestone-shaped cells (CB type). The rest of the
      cultures were, however, different, consisting of elongated cells (EL type) that
      formed overlapping orthogonal patterns. When compared with the MVICs-EL, cells
      from cultures of MVICs-CB were less adherent to a plastic substratum initially
      than were MVICs-EL and were more sensitive to trypsinization following culture
      for 3 to 7 days. Ultrastructurally, the cultures of MVICs-CB showed prominent
      Golgi's complexes and endoplasmic reticulum and fewer microfilaments when
      compared with those of MVICs-EL. Most strikingly, the CB cells contained much
      less alpha-smooth-muscle cell actin compared with that of EL cells. The MVICs-CB
      were not endothelial cells as they did not show the characteristic dense
      peripheral band that was present in endothelial cells in a confluent monolayer
      and showed only trace amounts of fluorescence when incubated with 1,1-dioctadecyl
      1-3,3,3,3 tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine-percholate (Dil-)--acetylated low-density
      lipoprotein compared with large amounts of fluorescence with endothelial cells.
      Cells that were morphologically similar to MVICs-CB were present in the in vivo
      valve as well and also formed small islands of cells even in the primary cultures
      that grew out of the explant. The findings supported the hypothesis that MVICs-CB
      represent a distinct phenotype of the MVICs that is different from that of the
      MVICs-EL and is not that of either endothelial or medial smooth-muscle cells.

PMID- 1863189
TI  - Coronary heart disease in rhesus monkeys with diet-induced coronary artery
      atherosclerosis.
AB  - Diet-induced coronary artery atherosclerosis develops in rhesus monkeys (Macaca
      mulatta). The goal of this study was to establish the rhesus monkey as an animal
      model of coronary heart disease (CHD). From a colony of 160 rhesus monkeys fed an
      atherogenic diet, we identified 14 monkeys with electrocardiographic and
      echocardiographic evidence of CHD. When compared with 14 rhesus monkeys matched
      for age, gender, and dietary history with normal electrocardiograms and
      echocardiograms, monkeys with CHD had higher arterial blood pressures (mean +/-
      SEM, 92 +/- 4 mm Hg vs 75 +/- 5 mm Hg, respectively), lower high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (mean +/- SEM, 1.70 +/- 0.25 mmol/L vs
      2.32 +/- 0.28 mmol/L [66 +/- 10 mg/dL vs 90 +/- 11 mg/dl]), and lower A-l
      apolipoprotein concentrations (mean +/- SEM, 200 +/- 17 mg/dL vs 252 +/- 15
      mg/dL). Monkeys with CHD tended to have higher total plasma cholesterol
      concentrations (mean +/- SEM, 11.6 +/- 1.55 mmol/L vs 9.36 +/- 0.93 mmol/L [450
      +/- 60 mg/dL vs 362 +/- 36 mg/dL]) and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
      concentrations (mean +/- SEM, 8.71 +/- 1.75 mmol/L vs 6.12 +/- 0.90 mmol/L [337
      +/- 68 mg/dL vs 237 +/- 35 mg/dl]) than monkeys with normal electrocardiograms
      and echocardiograms. We conclude that rhesus monkeys, like human beings, develop
      CHD as a complication of coronary artery atherosclerosis. Furthermore, risk
      factors for CHD in rhesus monkeys and human beings are similar.

PMID- 1863190
TI  - Adenoma of type 2 pneumocytes with oncocytic features.
AB  - An adenoma of type 2 pneumocytes in the periphery of the left lung was an
      incidental finding at the autopsy of a 28-year-old woman. Light microscopy
      revealed a predominantly papillary growth with oncocytic features.
      Ultrastructurally, multilaminated bodies and many mitochondria were found in the
      tumor cells and tubular myelin in the extracellular spaces. Immunohistochemistry
      revealed surfactant apoprotein in tumor cells and extracellularly.

PMID- 1863191
TI  - Inverted papilloma of the urinary bladder with granular eosinophilic cells. An
      unusual neuroendocrine variant.
AB  - We report the morphologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic
      characteristics observed in a case of an inverted papilloma that contained
      neuroendocrine cells resected from the urinary bladder of a 77-year-old woman.
      Additionally, we evaluated the incidence of neuroendocrine cells in eight cases
      of inverted papillomas of the urinary bladder obtained from the files of the
      Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC. To our knowledge, an in
      depth study of neuroendocrine cells in this neoplasm and a comparison of the same
      with neuroendocrine cells observed in other conditions in the lower genitourinary
      tract have not been previously published, prompting this report.

PMID- 1863192
TI  - Primary hyperaldosteronism due to a functional black (pigmented) adenoma of the
      adrenal cortex.
AB  - The clinical and pathologic findings are reported in a case of primary
      hyperaldosteronism due to a functional black (pigmented) adenoma of the adrenal
      cortex. Cortical atrophy of the involved gland was present, the mechanism of
      which was obscure.

PMID- 1863193
TI  - Rapid preparation of plasma for coagulation testing.
AB  - Currently recommended minimum centrifugation of whole blood to produce platelet
      poor plasma for routine coagulation assays is 1000g relative centrifugal force
      for 10 minutes. Many clinical laboratories centrifuge blood for routine
      coagulation assays from 500g to 2000g, with spin times varying from 20 to 5
      minutes. Ninety blood samples, routinely submitted to our coagulation laboratory,
      were prospectively assayed simultaneously for the prothrombin time, activated
      partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen level, comparing centrifugation at
      11,000g for 2 minutes with centrifugation at 1000g for 10 minutes. Routine and
      readily available equipment and supplies were used. Platelet counts were
      performed on the supernatant plasma in each sample to determine the efficacy of
      platelet depletion. Excellent correlation of methods was observed for the
      prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen level.
      Platelet counts on the plasma supernatant showed no significant difference
      between the two centrifugation methods. We concluded that high-speed
      centrifugation at 11,000g with a shortened spin time of 2 minutes and with the
      use of routinely available equipment and supplies can significantly decrease the
      specimen preparation time for routine coagulation testing.

PMID- 1863194
TI  - Multisystem failure and hepatic microvesicular fatty metamorphosis associated
      with tolmetin ingestion.
AB  - Multisystem toxicity including both renal and hepatic failure has been reported
      with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We report a fatal case of
      multisystem failure associated with tolmetin ingestion in a 15-year-old girl.
      Microvesicular fatty change was found in the liver at autopsy. To our knowledge,
      this is the first reported case of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated
      multisystem failure to have this histopathologic finding.

PMID- 1863195
TI  - Large-cell lymphoma presenting with hepatic sinusoidal infiltration.
AB  - We describe a case of large-cell lymphoma of B-cell phenotype with
      clinicopathologic features resembling malignant histiocytosis. The clinical
      presentation was characterized by fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy,
      and elevated liver enzyme levels. These features and the finding of a
      predominantly sinusoidal infiltrate of neoplastic cells on liver biopsy raised
      the suspicion of malignant histiocytosis. The patient subsequently developed
      supraclavicular lymphadenopathy, which proved to be due to a diffuse large-cell
      lymphoma. Immunophenotypic studies performed on the lymph node and the original
      liver biopsy specimen established the B-cell nature of neoplastic cells at both
      sites. This case highlights a rare pattern of hepatic involvement by large-cell
      lymphoma, and contrasts the latter with other hematologic disorders associated
      with hepatic sinusoidal infiltrates.

PMID- 1863196
TI  - Granulocytic sarcoma of the ovary. An unusual case presentation.
AB  - We report an unusual occurrence of granulocytic sarcoma presenting as an ovarian
      mass in a 46-year-old woman with a history of dysplastic nevus syndrome. During
      workup of the ovarian mass, the diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia was made.
      A fine-needle aspirate of the ovarian mass showed granulocytic sarcoma. The
      patient died of complications of the acute leukemia a short time later. A
      postmortem examination was performed, which confirmed the nature of the ovarian
      mass as a granulocytic sarcoma. Material was obtained for flow cytometry,
      immunohistochemical and histochemical studies, and electron microscopy. Ploidy
      analysis of the tumor showed it to be diploid with an S phase of 4.8% and a G2 +
      M ratio of 0.5%. To our knowledge, there is only one previous report of a primary
      ovarian presentation of granulocytic sarcoma, and only four cases in which
      granulocytic sarcoma was diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology. The
      association between dysplastic nevus syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia in this
      case is discussed with reference to a review of the metachronous association
      between melanoma and leukemia as described in the literature.

PMID- 1863197
TI  - Diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis with hemorrhage.
AB  - A 28-year-old woman with primary infertility and severe menorrhagia underwent a
      hysterectomy after failed hormonal therapy for multiple leiomyomas. The
      postoperative pathologic findings established the diagnosis of diffuse uterine
      leiomyomatosis, which demonstrated histologic, immunohistochemical, and
      ultrastructural similarity to leiomyomas of the uterus. The rapid growth of the
      tumor coincided with the administration of clomiphene citrate, an estrogenic
      agonist. As with the common leiomyoma, intralesional hemorrhage in this case of
      diffuse leiomyomatosis was associated with norethindrone acetate treatment given
      after the cessation of clomiphene therapy.

PMID- 1863198
TI  - Disease in antiquity. The case of cancer.

PMID- 1863199
TI  - Acute promyelocytic leukemia--molecular breakthrough.

PMID- 1863200
TI  - [Thiophene as a structural element of physiologically active compounds. 19. The
      synthesis of substituted (6H-thieno[2,3-b]pyrrol-4-yl)phenylmethanones].
AB  - The synthesis of 4-Methoxyphenyl-[5-methyl-6-(2-(4-morpholinyl)-ethyl)-6H
      thieno[2,3- b]pyrrol-4-yl)phenylmethanone (1), a thiophene analogue of the
      analgesic Pravadoline B, is described. Starting with the acetylprotected
      thienylhydrazine 2b compound 7 was obtained in a Fischer-analogue cyclication in
      two steps. Use of the BOC-protected thienylhydrazine 2a yielded the pyrazol 5.
      Alkylation of 7 with N-(2-Chloroethyl)morpholine gave the target compound 1. In
      the acetylcholine-writhing-test in mice as well as in the acetic acid-writhing
      test in rats 1 showed a significant lower antinociceptive activity than
      Pravadolin (B).

PMID- 1863201
TI  - [Potential antiestrogens of the 1,2-diphenyl-1-pyridyl-but-1-ene type. 2.
      Biological testing].
AB  - Z-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-resp. 3-pyridyl)-2-phenyl-but-1-enes Z-1 and Z-2 and
      their acetates Z-1a and Z-2a are weak estrogens (uterine weight test, immature
      mouse), which cause a marked tumor growth inhibition on the hormone-dependent MXT
      mammary carcinoma of the mouse. No or just slight estrogenic side effects
      determined by uterine weight are detectable in this tumor experiment.

PMID- 1863202
TI  - Synergistic inhibition of aminopeptidase B by penicillamine or cysteine and
      metallic salts.
AB  - The inhibition of aminopeptidase B by D- and L-penicillamine and D- and L
      cysteine is reported. All these alpha-amino-beta-mercapto acids inhibit
      moderately this enzyme, with IC50 values in the 10(-4) range. This inhibition was
      not reversed by Zn2+ ions, but a synergistic effect was observed. A similar
      effect took place by the combined use of D-penicillamine and Fe2+, Ca2+ or Ni2+
      salts, but not with copper salts. The zinc-D-penicillamine and zinc-D-cysteine
      complexes 3 and 4 show an inhibitory potency approximately 5-fold higher than
      that of the corresponding amino acid.

PMID- 1863203
TI  - Platelet aggregation inhibiting and anticoagulant effects of oligoamines, XIV:
      Branched aliphatic and alicyclic triamines and tetramines.
AB  - Twenty-four triamines and three tetramines were synthesized. Seventeen triamines
      inhibited platelet aggregation induced by collagen at a concentration below 10
      mumol/L (IC50). Ten triamines in a 100 mumolar concentration inhibited fibrin
      formation induced by thromboplastin by more then 75%. Both effects do not run
      parallel. They are strongly dependent from the steric and lipophilic properties
      of the title oligoamines. The tetramines were nearly inactive.

PMID- 1863204
TI  - Synthesis, antimicrobial, inotropic, and chronotropic activities of novel 1,2,4
      triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines.
AB  - Starting from the 2-quinolylhydrazine 1 the title compounds were prepared
      according to Schemes 1 and 2. Some of them show activities described in the title
      of this paper.

PMID- 1863205
TI  - High-intensity focused ultrasound in the treatment of experimental liver cancer.
AB  - High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) was used to treat Morris rat hepatoma
      3924A implanted in the liver. Treatment was administered with a lens-focused 4
      MHz transducer that created a focused beam of 550 W/cm2 at peak intensity. One
      hundred twelve rats with liver tumors were divided into two groups of 56 each.
      Group 1 received HIFU therapy while group 2 (the control group) did not. All rats
      were killed immediately or 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, or 28 days after treatment. Eight
      rats in each group were killed at each interval for pathologic and biochemical
      studies. Significant inhibition of the tumor growth was seen in the HIFU-treated
      group, with tumor growth inhibition rates of 65.4% to 93.1% from the third to the
      28th day after treatment. Ultrasound-treated tumors showed direct thermal
      cytotoxic necrosis and fibrosis. An additional 56 ACl rats with liver tumors were
      divided into four groups of 14 each. Group 1 received doxorubicin hydrochloride
      intraperitoneally and HIFU therapy; group 2, HIFU therapy; group 3, doxorubicin
      hydrochloride; and group 4 (the control group), neither HIFU nor doxorubicin
      hydrochloride. Significantly improved survival rates were noted in HIFU-treated
      animals (groups 1 and 2) compared with those of groups 3 and 4. These data
      suggest that HIFU may be a useful method for local treatment of hepatic tumors.

PMID- 1863206
TI  - The significance of portal vein thrombosis after distal splenorenal shunt.
AB  - The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of portal vein thrombosis
      after the distal splenorenal shunt, to identify any predictive factors, and to
      assess the clinical significance of this complication. Preoperative and
      postoperative angiograms and clinical evaluation were reviewed in 124 patients
      who underwent distal splenorenal shunts. Total and partial portal vein thrombosis
      were seen on 13 (10.5%) and 22 (17.7%) postoperative angiograms, respectively.
      The only preoperative variable correlating with development of portal vein
      thrombosis was portal venous perfusion, which was significantly lower in patients
      with than in those without portal vein thrombosis. In six of 10 patients with
      postoperative pancreatitis, portal vein thrombosis developed. The frequency of
      early postoperative complications was significantly greater in patients with
      total portal vein thrombosis than in those with partial or no thrombosis. Long
      term follow-up has shown no significant effects of portal vein thrombosis on late
      ascites, encephalopathy, or survival.

PMID- 1863207
TI  - Acute cholangitis secondary to hepatolithiasis.
AB  - In a series of 88 patients with acute cholangitis secondary to hepatolithiasis,
      26 (30%) required emergency therapeutic intervention because of septicemic shock
      (n = 15), persistent fever (n = 8), or spreading peritonitis (n = 3). Analysis
      was made to define factors that predisposed to failure of conservative treatment
      and characteristics that could predict the need for emergency biliary
      decompression. The age, incidence of concomitant medical diseases, previous
      biliary surgery, positive blood culture, bacterial strains resistant to
      antibiotics used, and multiplicity of bacterial strains in bile cultures in
      patients who required emergency intervention were similar to these factors in
      patients who had elective operations after successful conservative management.
      The incidence of intrahepatic segmental obstruction by stones or strictures was
      similar, but many more patients who required emergency intervention had
      concomitant extrahepatic obstruction due to impacted common ductal stones or
      strictures. Logistic regression analysis of clinical, hematological, and
      biochemical data showed that maximum pulse rate within 24 hours of presentation
      (greater than 100 beats per minute, relative risk, 2.8) and platelet count at the
      time of admission (less than 150 x 10(9)/L, relative risk, 5.2) were the factors
      with independent significance in predicting the need for emergency therapeutic
      procedures. This finding may serve as a guideline for identifying high-risk
      patients for early intervention.

PMID- 1863208
TI  - Intraluminal ileal recovery of pancreatic polypeptide.
AB  - Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a normal constituent of pancreatic islet cells.
      Enterocytes containing PP have been identified but incompletely characterized. We
      previously demonstrated independent intravascular and intraluminal release of two
      related peptides, peptide YY and neuropeptide Y. In this study, using ileal
      segments in conscious dogs, we evaluated the intravascular and ileal intraluminal
      presence of PP to test meals. Fasted plasma and recoverable ileal PP
      concentrations averaged 139 +/- 2 and 65 +/- 4 pg/mL, respectively. A mixed
      protein meal resulted in a sustained rise of circulating PP levels associated
      with a brief evaluation of ileal luminal PP levels. Fat meals were followed by
      elevations in plasma PP levels without luminal changes. Glucose ingestion altered
      neither plasma nor luminal PP levels. Our data support the existence of ileal PP
      containing cells that respond independently of circulatory PP-releasing cells to
      different ingested stimuli.

PMID- 1863209
TI  - Arterial hemorrhage after pancreatoduodenectomy. The 'sentinel bleed'.
AB  - Experienced centers report reduced operative mortality after
      pancreatoduodenectomy for cancer, but significant complications continue to occur
      in as many as 25% of patients. Anastomotic disruption leads to sepsis in the
      pancreatic bed where major vascular structures have been exposed by regional
      lymphadenectomy, creating a setting for arterial erosion or ligature slough and
      massive hemorrhage. Dehiscence of the pancreatojejunostomy is a particular risk.
      We treated five patients with arterial hemorrhage after pancreatoduodenectomy,
      all of whom had had "sentinel" bleeding from the abdominal drains or
      gastrointestinal tract. Results of endoscopy were misleading in two patients.
      Three of five patients were saved by prompt recognition, early operation, and, in
      one instance, angiographic embolization. Sentinel bleeding after
      pancreatoduodenectomy indicates local sepsis and probable anastomotic dehiscence.
      Recognition of its significance and prompt response may prevent exsanguination.

PMID- 1863210
TI  - Why I prefer not to treat trauma patients.

PMID- 1863211
TI  - The value of surgical history.
AB  - It remains a rhetorical question whether or not an understanding of surgical
      history is important to the maturation and continued education of a surgeon.
      Conversely, it is hardly necessary to dwell on the heuristic value that an
      appreciation of history provides in developing adjunctive humanistic, literary,
      and philosophic tastes. Unfortunately, modern medical historians usually hold
      nonmedical degrees and basically restrict themselves to research concerning
      medical or public health aspects of social history. Clinical surgical history is
      increasingly avoided because the professional medical historian has no clinical
      background. However, practicing surgeons, who can serve as amateur medical
      historians, have knowledge and experience that place them in a unique position to
      assess historic facts and direct surgical historic inquiry. It is my belief that
      if medicine were taught with a greater emphasis on the historic approach, our
      country's physicians would be better prepared to cope with the health care
      problems of the future. By increasing the number of surgeons, who as an
      avocation, research and write about surgical history, our ability to provide
      better surgical care in our nation's coming years will be enhanced.

PMID- 1863212
TI  - 98th annual meeting of the Western Surgical Association, Scottsdale, Arizona.
      November 12-13, 1990. Part II.

PMID- 1863213
TI  - Results of surgical therapy for biliary dyskinesia.
AB  - One hundred eighty-seven patients who presented with symptoms consistent with
      biliary colic but had no ultrasonic evidence of cholelithiasis were observed in
      an effort to identify those with a functional gallbladder disorder that might
      benefit from surgical intervention. All patients underwent quantitative
      evaluation of gallbladder emptying using cholecystokinin biliary scanning, and
      ejection fractions less than 35% were considered abnormal. One hundred twenty
      nine patients (69%) had abnormal ejection fractions, and 88 (68%) of these
      subsequently underwent cholecystectomy. Sixty of the surgical specimens revealed
      pathologic changes. Eighty-four percent of patients successfully contacted for
      follow-up experienced complete relief, and another 13% had partial relief of
      preoperative symptoms. Only two patients reported no change in symptom complex.
      Twenty-nine patients with abnormal ejection fractions elected not to undergo
      surgery. Fifty-nine percent of these patients continued to experience symptoms of
      biliary colic at a mean follow-up of 22 months. Of the 44 patients with normal
      ejection fractions, 35 (80%) reported resolution of symptoms during follow-up of
      medical treatment. Cholecystokinin biliary scanning can help identify patients
      with acalculous, functional gallbladder disease who may benefit from
      cholecystectomy.

PMID- 1863214
TI  - Prediction of injury caused by penetrating wounds to the abdomen, flank, and
      back.
AB  - Controversy about the appropriate evaluation of penetrating abdominal, flank, and
      back injuries prompted this retrospective review of 311 patients at an urban
      level 1 trauma center over 5 years. Seventy-five (24%) patients sustained gunshot
      wounds to the abdomen. All patients with gunshot wounds underwent exploratory
      laparotomy; results of 67 laparotomies (89%) were positive. Of 236 patients
      sustaining stab wounds (140 abdominal wounds, 51 flank wounds, 26 back wounds,
      and 19 wounds to multiple sites), 147 were treated according to a selective
      protocol, based on results of physical examination, wound exploration, peritoneal
      lavage, and ancillary diagnostic studies. No injuries were found at celiotomy in
      three (2%) of these 147 patients. One false-negative result of evaluation of a
      flank wound occurred. Significant injuries were found in 13 patients (68%) with
      stab wounds to multiple sites, 61 patients (44%) with abdominal stab wounds, 15
      patients (29%) with flank stab wounds, and four patients (15%) with back stab
      wounds. Mandatory exploration of gunshot wounds is justified. Physical findings
      of intra-abdominal injury or positive results of peritoneal lavage identify stab
      wound victims likely to benefit from surgical exploration. A policy of mandatory
      observation or routine celiotomy for treatment of stab wounds is not justified.

PMID- 1863215
TI  - Modulation of IgM antibody formation by lipid peroxidation products from burn
      plasma.
AB  - Lipid peroxides (conjugated dienes) have been shown to increase in the plasma of
      thermally injured animals and in humans. The purpose of this study was to
      determine if conjugated diene-rich fractions extracted from the plasma of burned
      rats 3 hours after injury would alter humoral immune function in unburned
      animals. Plasma diene extracts from burned or normal rats were dissolved in
      ethanol and given intraperitoneally to Long-Evans rats. Fifteen minutes after
      diene injection, the rats were immunized with sheep erythrocytes. Five days
      later, serum and spleen cells obtained from these immunized rats were tested for
      IgM immunity against sheep erythrocytes. Both plaque-forming cells from spleen
      and hemagglutination titers in serum were significantly enhanced in the group
      treated with dienes obtained from the thermally injured rats. These data suggest
      that conjugated diene-bearing lipid fractions from burn plasma may modulate
      immune function and support the concept that humoral immunity is enhanced after
      thermal injury.

PMID- 1863216
TI  - Evolution of the treatment of the injured colon in the 1980s.
AB  - During the past 10 years, 1006 patients with colon injuries were treated in an
      urban trauma center. Primary repair, including suture repair and resection with
      anastomosis, was performed in 614 patients (61%), colostomy in 284 patients
      (28%), and exteriorized repairs in 83 patients (8.3%). In the remaining 25
      patients (2.5%) who were exsanguinating, the colon injuries were ligated.
      Independent risk factors for adverse outcomes (defined as a fecal fistula,
      abdominal abscess, stomal complication, or death from multisystem failure) were
      identified using multiple logistic regression analysis. These factors were used
      to match patients at similar risk within different treatment groups, and odds
      ratios for each treatment were calculated. The odds ratios for primary repair,
      colostomy, and exteriorized repair were 1.0, 1.9, and 2.0, respectively.
      Therefore, the chance of an adverse outcome was twice as great for both
      exteriorized repair or colostomy as for primary repair. It is concluded that
      further increases in the use of primary repair are warranted.

PMID- 1863217
TI  - Gastric leiomyosarcoma. Prognostic factors and surgical management.
AB  - Information on gastric leiomyosarcoma, such as important prognostic factors,
      patterns of disease recurrence, and optimal methods of treatment, are derived
      from limited patient experience. We address these questions, with specific focus
      on whether an advantage could be demonstrated for radical resection compared with
      wide local excision, by retrospectively investigating 53 patients who underwent
      surgical treatment at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Abdominal pain and/or
      gastrointestinal bleeding associated with an intramural or exogastric mass were
      typical features of this disease. Only tumor size and histologic grade were
      statistically significant prognostic factors. With analysis of survival curves
      and patterns of recurrence, neither the addition of lymphadenectomy nor the wider
      tumor-free margins of a radical gastrectomy seemed superior to the more
      conservative local excision. Therefore, wide local excision remains the preferred
      treatment when technically feasible.

PMID- 1863218
TI  - Pyogenic liver abscess. Modern treatment.
AB  - Historically, open surgical drainage has been the treatment of choice for
      pyogenic liver abscess. The records of 54 patients with pyogenic liver abscess
      were reviewed to determine whether earlier diagnosis with current imaging tests
      and definitive treatment with antibiotics, aspiration, or catheter drainage was
      an effective alternative to open drainage. Twenty-nine patients were treated with
      broad-spectrum antibiotics and diagnostic aspiration. Twenty-three (79%)
      recovered uneventfully, and six required catheter or operative drainage. Twenty
      three patients (including five who failed aspiration) underwent drainage with
      percutaneously placed catheters. Nineteen (83%) recovered; four required open
      surgical drainage. Of seven patients who required open surgical drainage, six
      recovered. One (2%) of the 54 patients died following failed aspiration and
      catheter and surgical drainage. Four patients were successfully treated with
      antibiotics alone without aspiration. These results confirm that pyogenic liver
      abscess can be successfully treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and
      aspiration or percutaneous catheter drainage. Open surgical drainage is reserved
      for patients in whom treatment fails or who require celiotomy for concurrent
      disease.

PMID- 1863219
TI  - Failure to obtain drug-resistant variants of influenza virus after treatment with
      inhibiting doses of 3-deazaadenosine and H7.
AB  - 3-Deazaadenosine and H7 specifically inhibit influenza virus replication under
      conditions at which they have no effect on other tested RNA viruses. This effect
      can be significantly potentiated by concomitant application of both compounds.
      Even under the most stringent conditions we failed to obtain any drug resistant
      variants. A possible explanation for this failure is that these compounds
      presumably do not act on a viral component like amantadine which was used as a
      control, but they interfere with cellular enzymes (factors) absolutely essential
      for influenza virus replication but more or less dispensable for the survival of
      the cell.

PMID- 1863220
TI  - Sequence analysis of temperature sensitive and "neuraminidase-tolerant" mutants
      of Newcastle disease virus (strain Beaudette C).

PMID- 1863221
TI  - Canine distemper virus infection and encephalitis in javelinas (collared
      peccaries).
AB  - Canine distemper virus has been isolated in dog lymphocyte cultures from the
      brains of three javelinas that became moribund with signs of encephalitis. Canine
      distemper viral antigen was demonstrated predominantly in neurons and
      morbillivirus-like structures were seen by electron microscopy in brains of
      diseased animals. Serological studies suggest that CDV infection may be common in
      javelinas.

PMID- 1863222
TI  - Coat protein of potyviruses. 7. Amino acid sequence of peanut stripe virus.
AB  - The amino acid sequence of the 287-residue coat protein of peanut stripe virus
      (PStV) was determined from the sequences of overlapping peptide fragments.
      Results indicated that the amino terminus was blocked by an acetyl group, as has
      previously been found for the coat protein of Johnsongrass mosaic potyvirus.
      Comparison of the PStV sequence with coat proteins of 20 distinct potyviruses
      gave sequence identities of 47-57%, except for zucchini yellow mosaic virus
      (ZYMV), passionfruit woodiness virus (PWV), and the related strains watermelon
      mosaic virus 2 (WMV 2) and soybean mosaic virus-N, which showed sequence
      identities of 70-76%. Several amino acid residues which were common to the core
      sequences of these coat proteins were at positions previously found to be
      invariant among potyvirus coat proteins. The degree of these similarities
      suggests that although PStV, WMV 2, ZYMV, and PWV are distinct potyviruses, they
      share a common ancestor in their evolutionary development.

PMID- 1863223
TI  - Replication of avian influenza viruses in humans.
AB  - Volunteers inoculated with avian influenza viruses belonging to subtypes
      currently circulating in humans (H1N1 and H3N2) were largely refractory to
      infection. However 11 out of 40 volunteers inoculated with the avian subtypes,
      H4N8, H6N1, and H10N7, shed virus and had mild clinical symptoms: they did not
      produce a detectable antibody response. This was presumably because virus
      multiplication was limited and insufficient to stimulate a detectable primary
      immune response. Avian influenza viruses comprise hemagglutinin (HA) subtypes 1
      14 and it is possible that HA genes not so far seen in humans could enter the
      human influenza virus gene pool through reassortment between avian and
      circulating human viruses.

PMID- 1863224
TI  - Suppression of murine leukemia virus-mediated 3Y1 cell fusion by expression of
      mouse MHC class I.
AB  - Rat 3Y1 fibroblasts transformed by adenovirus type 12 or its E1A gene formed
      syncytia by cocultivation with Friend murine leukemia virus (MuLV)-producing
      cells. On the other hand, parental 3Y1 cells and those derivatives induced by
      other tumor viruses or chemical carcinogen showed no MuLV-mediated syncytium
      formation [N. Momozaki et al. (1990) Arch. Virol. 115: 123-126]. The expression
      of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I mRNA and antigens was
      significantly reduced in these Ad12- and E1A-transformed 3Y1 cells. In contrast,
      other tumor virus-and chemical carcinogen-transformed 3Y1 cells expressed MHC
      class I almost in normal levels as did parental 3Y1 cells. Furthermore, Ad12
      transformed 3Y1 cells which started to express the transfected exogenous MHC
      class I gene, H-2Ld, showed no more MuLV-mediated 3Y1 cell fusion. These results
      indicate that the expression of MHC class I on the cell membrane is closely
      related to the inhibition of 3Y1 cell fusion by MuLV.

PMID- 1863225
TI  - The use of serological differentiation indices for the phylogenetic analysis of
      plant virus relationships.
AB  - The potential use of serological differentiation indices (SDIs) in the
      phylogenetic analysis of plant virus coat protein relationships is presented.
      Relationship dendrograms were constructed from SDI data for viruses in the
      tymovirus and Subgroup I geminivirus taxonomic groups, using distance or phenetic
      methods embodied in the computer programmes FITCH and NJTREE. Relationship
      dendrograms for geminiviruses agreed well with those constructed by others from
      sequence or other data; the dendrogram for tymoviruses was not in agreement with
      one calculated from amino acid composition data, or from other properties, but
      appears consistent with recently-shown sequence similarities between tymoviruses.
      Implications of these results for the classification and taxonomy of plant
      viruses are discussed.

PMID- 1863226
TI  - Country practice.

PMID- 1863227
TI  - Technology complementing midwifery.

PMID- 1863228
TI  - What are the challenges for the next generation of midwives: 1990-onwards.

PMID- 1863229
TI  - The Pap test registry--an important initiative for women's health.

PMID- 1863230
TI  - Women's business.

PMID- 1863231
TI  - Round and round the mulberry bush.

PMID- 1863232
TI  - Ischemic cerebral vascular disease: an overview.
AB  - The management of patients with cerebrovascular ischemic disease (ICD) is rapidly
      changing due to newer diagnostic approaches and therapies being developed. In the
      present article, the author reviews part of his experience in the clinical and
      basic fields of ICD which is the most common neurologic problem leading to acute
      hospitalization. Clinico-anatomic categories of ICD as well as prognosis and
      differential diagnosis are discussed. Data from basic and research are analyzed
      with a main focus on their implications for clinical management.

PMID- 1863233
TI  - [Spasmodic torticollis and frontal meningioma].
AB  - A 57 year-old man developed a spasmodic torticollis with involuntary deviation of
      the head to the right-side. He had a left paramedian frontal meningioma. The
      association of spasmodic torticollis and other movement disorders has been
      reported with contralateral lesions in the basal ganglia. Its occurrence in
      association to a frontal lesion appears to be much less frequent suggesting a
      possible disorder of frontostriatal connections.

PMID- 1863234
TI  - [Neurocysticercosis: neuropathologic study of a fatal case treated with
      praziquantel].
AB  - The neuropathological findings in a fatal case of neurocysticercosis treated with
      praziquantel are reported in this paper. The extensive necrosis of the parasites
      besides the exuberant inflammatory response evidence the efficacy of the drug.
      The severe and necrotizing type of the inflammatory response to the dead
      parasites may have played an important role in the cause of death of this
      patient, by developing severe intracranial hypertension.

PMID- 1863235
TI  - [Cerebral infarction and edema: prognostico-evolutional evaluation by neurologic
      signs].
AB  - The prospective study in question involves 92 patients with cerebral infarction
      (CI). The follow-up was carried out for 10 days with daily evaluation, and the
      patients were graded for the different indicators usually researched in such
      cases. The observations were analysed by comparing the individual indicator
      averages, taken over all the patients, with the global mean of all the observed
      values. The analysis shows that the result of the "consciousness" exam alone is
      the best clinical parameter to ascertain the evolution of the patient after CI.

PMID- 1863236
TI  - A case of cerebral sparganosis in South America.
AB  - Cerebral sparganosis (CS) is a parasitic infection caused by the larva of
      Spirometra mansonoides. Rarely it can affect the human brain. We report the case
      of a 24-year old man from Paraguay who suffered from seizures and headache for
      one year. A frontal tumor was diagnosed by CT-scan and was subsequently resected.
      The pathological examination revealed a larva with Sparganum characteristics. The
      evolution of the patient was satisfactory. As far as we know, this is the first
      case of CS reported in South-America.

PMID- 1863237
TI  - [Spontaneous intracerebral hematomas: study of 121 cases].
AB  - Results are reported on the study of 121 patients committed by spontaneous
      intracerebral haematomas (HIE): mean age 53.4 years, 62.8% males, mean admission
      time of 36 hours (3 hours to 12 days) from onset; 63.5% were graded over 7 in the
      Glasgow scale and 81.9% were graded 3 or over in the Boterell scale. The HIE
      location was 45.5% in the basal ganglia, multilobar in 14.7%, lobar in 22.8%,
      brain stem in 4%, and cerebellum in 2%. The mean diameter was 46.6 mm (16-93) and
      mean area was 1422.9 mm2 (60-4818). CSF in 67 cases showed mean opening pressure
      of 234 mmH20 and mean protein content of 416.9 mg/dl. Treatment was conservative
      in 107 cases and surgical in 14; 55.8% cases survived. The majority of patients
      who died were graded 3 in the Boterell scale and below 9 in the Glasgow scale. It
      was found a statistical correlation between death and: low Glasgow and high
      Boterell scales grading, motor ocular nerve palsy, motor deficit, decerebration
      signs, bronchopneumonia, large diameter and area of hematomas. No statistical
      correlation was found regarding survival and treatment with dexamethasone,
      antifibrinolytics, anticonvulsants, antihypertensive drugs and diuretics. Use of
      mannitol, fall in the systolic blood pressure and surgical therapy increased the
      mortality rate. From 14 patients who underwent surgical drainage, 11 died. The
      main complication who lead to death was bronchopneumonia. A discussion is made on
      HIE pathogenesis, localization, present day incidence, clinical findings, death
      causes, size of hematomas and type of treatment used.

PMID- 1863238
TI  - Premenstrual seizure increase: influence of age, duration of disease, seizure
      frequency, previous complaint of perimenstrual accentuation, EEG and CT scan
      findings.
AB  - We selected prospectively 80 mentally healthy women at menacme age, with chronic
      epilepsy and at least one seizure in the month preceding this study. They
      underwent four EEGs weekly. CT scan of the skull was done in 57 patients
      (71.25%). Seven patients were excluded because they had no seizures or menses. We
      registered 5630 seizures during 579 regular menstrual cycles over a 30 month
      period. RESULTS: there was a higher incidence of seizures in the premenstrual
      period (p less than 0.001); age did not influence the distribution of seizures
      during the menstrual cycle in the group studied; patients with 11 or more years
      of disease showed more accentuation of premenstrual seizures than patients with
      10 or less years of disease; there was no relation between the patients frequency
      of seizures and the occurrence of premenstrual seizures; the patients impression
      of the incidence of seizures not related to menstruation was not confirmed;
      patients with abnormal skull CT scans had more accentuation of premenstrual
      seizures than patients with normal exams; patients with abnormal EEGs had more
      premenstrual seizures than patients with normal exams. Our findings suggest that
      the female sexual hormones alter cerebral excitability when there is an
      underlying structural pathology shown by CT scan or an electrical cerebral
      dysfunction revealed by EEG.

PMID- 1863239
TI  - [Multiple sclerosis: objective criteria of diagnosis].
AB  - The frequency of multiple sclerosis in Brasil is assumed to be lower than in some
      geographically comparable regions, but internationally available objective
      diagnostic criteria are not generally used. We have reviewed a number of such
      criteria and applied those of Poser and colleagues to all patients who could be
      examined specifically for this study; who had been under our care between 1982
      87; with clinically satisfactory history, physical exam, ancillary investigations
      and follow-up; with enough information to warrant immunosuppressive therapy with
      azathioprine, methyl-prednisolone or cyclophosphamide. There were 35 (88%)
      females and 5 (12%) males, with clinically definite (85%), probable (10%) disease
      according to Poser and cols, as well as 2 patients with chronic progressive
      disease. Age at time of study was 39 +/- 11 years, age at onset had been 32 +/-
      10 years, and length of history was 6 +/- 7 years (mean +/- sd). Mode of onset
      was a disturbance of gait in 50%, of vision in 25% and dizziness in 10%. Physical
      exam at time of study showed motor deficits in 92.5%, sensory in 67.5%, ocular
      visual in 65%, spastic bladder in 35%, and vestibulo-cerebellar disturbances in
      32%. Visual evoked responses were abnormal in 65% of 31 cases, auditory in 23% of
      22 cases, and somatosensory in 80% of 20 cases. This study shows that
      international diagnostic criteria, specifically those of Poser and colleagues are
      applicable in Brasil, providing clear guidelines for diagnosis of multiple
      sclerosis. We suggest objective diagnostic criteria form the backbone of teaching
      about the disease, at various levels of medical education. Their wide utilization
      will in due time provide conditions for epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic
      studies which have not as yet been carried out in this country.

PMID- 1863240
TI  - [Neurocysticercosis in childhood. I. Clinical and laboratory diagnosis].
AB  - Clinical and laboratory findings among 34 children (age range from 15 months to
      13 years) with neurocysticercosis were reviewed. The main symptoms were:
      intracranial hypertension, 21 cases (62%); epilepsy, 20 cases (59%); hemiplegia,
      4 cases (12%). Computed tomography (CT) in 33 children showed typical brain
      active cysts in 26 patients (79%) and calcifications in 2 (6%). The complement
      fixation reaction or the indirect immunofluorescent test for cysticercus antibody
      were positive in CSF in 77% (20 out of 26 patients) and serum in 78% (18 out of
      23 patients). CSF pleocytosis was found in 57% of the cases (15/26 patients) with
      eosinophil cells in 27% (7/26 patients). The most efficient diagnostic test was
      CT scan of the head, and was confirmed immunologically by measurement of
      cysticercus antibody titers in CSF and serum.

PMID- 1863241
TI  - [Neurocysticercosis in childhood. II. Computed tomography of 24 patients
      according to symptomatic and praziquantel treatment].
AB  - We studied 24 children (15 months to 13 years old) which clinical, CSF and CT
      findings were compatible to the diagnosis of active neurocysticercosis. The
      patients were divided into three groups based on the type of treatment: Group I
      (10 patients) treated with analgesics and/or anticonvulsants; Group II (4
      patients) treated with analgesics and or anticonvulsants and corticosteroids;
      Group III (10 patients) treated with analgesics and/or anticonvulsants,
      corticosteroids and praziquantel. The first patients CT scan were compared with
      the sequential CT scan findings (1 month to 5 years). The initial CT scan of 12
      patients showed multiple active cysts, in 5 patients an isolated active cyst, in
      3 patients partial calcified cysts, in 2 patients cerebral edema and in 2
      patients were normal. The final results of the three groups of patients, as far
      as concern the normalization of CSF abnormalities or calcification of the cysts
      were the same, no matter the type of treatment applied to them. These results,
      although the small number of patients, showed that most of the children have good
      final results, with improvement of clinical symptoms and CT findings. We suggest
      that neurocysticercosis in children need multicenter study. So, a great number of
      patients can be followed and better definition can be established on the
      treatment of neurocysticercosis.

PMID- 1863242
TI  - [The involvement of the choroid plexus and ependyma in tuberculosis: its
      importance in dissemination of the disease in the central nervous system].
AB  - It is reported in this paper, the study of the choroid plexus and ependyma in 42
      cases of tuberculous meningitis. Granulomatous lesions were found as a very
      frequent lesion in the choroid plexus (75%). In some cases detached granulomas
      were found free among the villi. The ependymal lesions seen in 97% of the cases
      are characteristic of the tuberculous granular ependymitis. The report points out
      the role of these lesions, played in the pathogenesis of the tuberculous
      meningitis.

PMID- 1863243
TI  - [Classification of hereditary cerebellar ataxias].
AB  - The hereditary cerebellar ataxias are one of the most complex group of
      neurogenetic diseases. A review of the several attempts do classify the
      heredoataxias is presented. The classifications based on clinical and genetic
      grounds are the most useful. The recent advances in molecular genetics are prone
      to give important clues for elucidation and understanding of the pathogenesis of
      heredodegenerative cerebellar diseases.

PMID- 1863244
TI  - [The connectivity between the greater occipital nerve and adjacent structures:
      anatomo-clinical considerations].
AB  - In order to offer anatomical basis that aid for clinical interpretation of
      headache of cervical origin a macro-mesoscopic study of greater occipital nerve
      and its subcutaneous rise out site was accomplished. The authors observed that in
      its course this nerve delineates angles and direction shifts that can stand for
      critical points in etiology of occipital pain, so that in its subcutaneous rise
      out region both occipital artery and vein shape the vasculo-nervous bundle
      wrapped by sheath of fibrous connective tissue which has continuity and
      contiguity relation with the adjoining epimysium and perimysium. From our
      results, anatomo-clinical aspects are discussed.

PMID- 1863245
TI  - [Vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia].
AB  - Review of current opinions concerning clinical presentation, etiology,
      differential diagnosis and management of vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia. Three
      cases are reported, treated by intracranial section of n. IX (alone in one case)
      and upper rootlets of n. X. In two patients no vascular compression of the nerves
      was observed. In one case an atheromatous elongated basilar artery was observed
      compressing and deforming the medulla oblongata at the entry zone of nerves IX-X.
      In this case, pain paroxysms recurred some weeks after surgery, and the patient
      underwent re-operation (microvascular decompression of the medulla) with good
      outcome. Clinical implications of the complex sensitive innervation of profound
      regions of the face and cervicofacial region are emphasized. Certain
      circumstances, such as gustatory pain due to sympathetic denervation of parotid
      gland, the neck-tongue syndrome and oropharyngeal pain by irritation of the first
      cervical spinal nerve (during lateral suboccipital puncture), point to the fact
      that in this region similar symptoms may be provoked by mechanisms involving
      different peripheric pain pathways. The theory of microvascular compression in
      the pathogeny of cranial nerve "hyperactive" dysfunctions is critically
      commented.

PMID- 1863246
TI  - [Sickle cell anemia: cerebral angiography changes].
AB  - Two cases of sickle cell disease with neurological complications are described.
      Cerebral angiograms were performed and a characteristic moyamoya-like
      angiographic pattern was demonstrated. This pattern results from a compensatory
      vascularization which may follow occlusion of the arteries at the base of the
      brain in several diseases. The risks of angiography and appropriate precautions
      are emphasized.

PMID- 1863247
TI  - Weber's syndrome with recovery: CT demonstration of an end-zone infarction in the
      territory of the mesencephalic artery.
AB  - Weber's syndrome is one of the classically described brainstem syndromes. The
      mesencephalic artery and the syndromes resulting from occlusion of its branches
      have been attracting increasing interest in the past few years. We present here a
      case of Weber's syndrome emphasizing that (1) it is one of the major syndromes
      deriving from infarction in the territory of the mesencephalic artery; (2) that
      at least two clinical patterns of Weber's syndrome may be distinguished on the
      basis of the presence or lack of abnormal somnolence, mental confusion, and
      abulia; and (3) that each one of these patterns seems to be correlated with
      damage to distinct zones within the general territory of the mesencephalic
      artery.

PMID- 1863249
TI  - Mental health inquiry.

PMID- 1863248
TI  - [Cervicogenic headache: report of a case].
AB  - It has been known for many years that headaches can originate from abnormalities
      in the neck. However, their clinical pictures were never sufficiently
      systematized, at least not in order to permit the research on their pathogenesis.
      Sjaastad et al. described in 1983 a group of patients with a very uniform and
      stereotyped headache. Attacks of mild, longlasting, unilateral head pain without
      sideshift, occurred every few weeks. The headache could be provoked by neck
      movements, such as extension, rotation or lateral flexion, as well as by external
      pressure towards trigger points in the neck. It usually started back in the neck,
      eventually spreading to the ipsilateral orbito-frontal-temporal or facial areas.
      The denomination "cervicogenic headache" (CH) was proposed. Its pathophysiology
      is presently unknown. The C2 and occipital nerve blockages eliminate the pain. We
      present a CH case and make some comments on its clinical picture,
      pathophysiology, and treatment.

PMID- 1863250
TI  - Using art to explore nursing students' attitudes to psychiatric hospitals and
      patients.

PMID- 1863251
TI  - Treating emotionally disturbed children and adolescents in a tertiary referral
      unit.

PMID- 1863252
TI  - The Airing Court.

PMID- 1863253
TI  - HIV/AIDS nursing--a national vision.

PMID- 1863255
TI  - Clinical nurse specialist update.

PMID- 1863254
TI  - Prejudice: practice: predictions. HIV/AIDS 1991 National Nurses Conference.

PMID- 1863256
TI  - Violence in the workplace: predictable and preventable.

PMID- 1863258
TI  - Estimation of individual genetic and environmental profiles in longitudinal
      designs.
AB  - Parameter estimates obtained in the genetic analysis of longitudinal data can be
      used to construct individual genetic and environmental profiles across time. Such
      individual profiles enable the attribution of individual phenotypic change to
      changes in the underlying genetic or environmental processes and may lead to
      practical applications in genetic counseling and epidemiology. Simulations show
      that individual estimates of factor scores can be reliably obtained.
      Decomposition of univariate, and to a lesser extent of bivariate, phenotypic time
      series may yield estimates of independent individual G(t) and E(t), however, that
      are intercorrelated. The magnitude of these correlations depends somewhat on the
      autocorrelation structure of the underlying series, but to obtain completely
      independent estimates of genetic and environmental individual profiles, at least
      three measured indicators are needed at each point in time.

PMID- 1863259
TI  - A zygosity questionnaire for young twins: a research note.

PMID- 1863257
TI  - Current perspectives on the genetics of unipolar depression.
AB  - Evidence regarding the heritability of unipolar depression is evaluated. The data
      reviewed here support the involvement of genetic factors in the etiology of
      unipolar depression and its suitability for independent genetic inquiry, despite
      our inability to identify the mode(s) of transmission or identify a candidate
      locus. Continued progress in testing etiologic hypotheses requires (a)
      clarification of the mode of transmission; (b) resolution of phenotypic and
      potential genotypic heterogeneity; (c) general agreement on a "gold standard" for
      assessment of the unipolar phenotype; (d) the continued application of available
      quantitative methods to take into account the effects of ascertainment bias, sex
      effects, cohort effects, and variable/late age at onset; and (e) incorporation of
      quantitative indicators correlated with liability in multivariate analysis to
      improve the stability/validity of phenotypic determinations in segregation and
      linkage analysis. We present several recommendations regarding the extension of
      current methodologies in human population and quantitative genetics to help
      resolve these issues.

PMID- 1863260
TI  - Genetic differences in learning behavior in honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis).
AB  - Workers from colonies of Cape honeybees show marked phenotypic differences in
      performance in proboscis extension reflex (PER) conditioning. Analysis of these
      differences using parthenogenetic offspring groups permitted the estimation of
      genotypic values and revealed a high degree of genetic variability that is
      evident among related as well as unrelated bees. The results obtained from
      related groups are of particular importance, since they demonstrated the
      existence of strong genetic variability among individuals of the same colony.
      Quantitative analysis yielded high estimates of additive genetic effects and low
      estimates of dominance effects. Selection of individual workers resulted in an
      explicit increase in genetic variance of the next generation (G1). However,
      selection of bees from the parthenogenetic G1 generation, which was done to
      obtain parthenogenetic G2 offspring, did not lead to further improvement in
      selection. This observation suggests that recombination of linked genes
      underlying proboscis extension reflex was negligible during selection in
      parthenogenetic groups. Taken together with further behavioral analysis (Brandes
      and Menzel, 1990; Brandes et al., 1988), results from these quantitative genetic
      experiments suggest that additive genetic factors contribute significantly to
      variability among individuals for associative learning.

PMID- 1863261
TI  - The behavioral genetics of colony defense in honeybees: genetic variability for
      guarding behavior.
AB  - Guard honeybees stand at the entrance of colonies and facilitate the exclusion of
      nonnestmates from the colony. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that
      genetic variability among individuals in colonies might explain variability in
      guarding activity. To do this, we cross-fostered honey bees between colonies with
      high-defensive responses and colonies with low-defensive responses in alarm
      pheromone tests. Individuals from high-defensive colonies were more likely to
      guard in their own colonies (controls) than cross-fostered bees from low
      defensive colonies. Cross-fostered high-defensive bees also were more like to
      guard in low-defense colonies. These results support the hypothesis that
      interindividual differences in guarding behavior are at least partially under
      genetic control. A positive correlation between number of guards and response to
      alarm pheromone demonstrates a link between behaviorally separated components of
      the overall defensive response.

PMID- 1863263
TI  - Behavioral comparisons of the Tsukuba emotional strains of rats (Rattus
      norvegicus) in three types of novel situations.
AB  - Tsukuba High- and Low-Emotional rats (THE and TLE), Wistar-Imamichi/Iar rats
      (control group for the Tsukuba Emotional rats), and F344/DuCrj rats were tested
      in three types of novel situations: the open field, a runway devised as a type of
      open field with a shelter, and an I-maze devised as a narrow runway with shelters
      and covers to remove rats' freezing behavior against predatory attack. The TLE
      was the most active, and the THE the least active in the three tests. While the
      F344 was inactive in the runway and the I-maze, this strain was as active as the
      Wistar-Imamichi in the open field. While the THE and F344 defecated frequently,
      the TLE never defecated.

PMID- 1863262
TI  - Sexual behavior in laboratory strains of Drosophila mercatorum that have
      spontaneously adopted parthenogenesis.
AB  - Three instances are described in which bisexual laboratory strains spontaneously
      adopted an exclusively parthenogenetic mode of reproduction, even in the presence
      of fertile, bisexual males. The few males produced by the parthenogenetic strains
      lack a Y chromosome and are sterile but, nevertheless, showed no correlated
      impairment of normal mating behavior. In contrast, females show a strong
      reluctance to accept copulation. This behavioral correlate of parthenogenesis
      also has been observed previously in experimentally produced parthenogenetic
      lines. We suggest that genetic breakdown in female mating behavior may contribute
      to an evolutionary stimulus that results in a selective increase in the frequency
      of diploidizing events in unfertilized eggs. This ultimately might lead to the
      origin of an exclusively parthenogenetic reproductive mode.

PMID- 1863264
TI  - The salting-out behavior of human plasma fibronectin and its possible correlation
      with heparin-induced cryoprecipitation of the protein.
AB  - The solubility of human plasma fibronectin in concentrated ammonium sulfate
      solutions was measured at pH 7.0 and varying temperatures as well as at 25
      degrees C and varying pHs. The salting-out parameters, KS and beta were found to
      increase linearly with temperature in the range 5 degrees-50 degrees C. KS-pH and
      beta-pH profiles were found to have maxima at pH 7.0. The dependence of both of
      the solubility parameters of plasma fibronectin on temperature and pH was thus
      found to be anomalous. The possibility of a correlation between the heparin
      induced cryoprecipitation of fibronectin and the dependence of its solubility
      parameters on pH and temperature is considered. It is suggested that heparin
      induced precipitation of human plasma fibronectin at low temperatures is caused
      by (i) a cold effect and (ii) conformational change in the protein due to heparin
      binding.

PMID- 1863265
TI  - Antigen binding diversity of affinity purified autoantibodies against DNA.
AB  - Naturally occurring autoantibodies against native DNA (nDNA) in SLE sera showed
      diverse antigen binding characteristics. The antibodies isolated by affinity
      chromatography using nDNA linked to Sepharose 4B exhibited specificity towards
      nDNA and showed strong reactivity with DNA-psoralen photoadduct by direct binding
      assay and competitive ELISA. The anti-DNA antibody belong to both IgG and IgM
      immunoglobulin classes and their ratio was 5:1. The possible significance of
      altered conformation of nDNA in the etiology of SLE has been discussed.

PMID- 1863266
TI  - Mechanism of transient increase in intracellular concentration of free calcium
      ions in HL-60 cell differentiation induced by vitamin D3 and phorbol ester.
AB  - A promyelocytic leukemia cell line, HL-60, was induced to differentiate into
      monocyte-macrophage lineage cells by treatment with active vitamin D3 and phorbol
      esters, and into granulocyte lineage ones by retinoic acid and dimethylsulfoxide.
      The changes in intracellular concentration of free calcium ions ([Ca2+]i) were
      measured and analyzed by calcium-imaging analysis with Fura 2-AM. A significant
      and transient increase in [Ca2+]i was observed in active vitamin D3 and phorbol
      ester systems; however, no change was detected with retinoic acid and
      dimethylsulfoxide. This increase was due to the influx of calcium ions from
      outside of the cells, and L-type calcium channels were shown to mainly contribute
      to this influx. Protein kinase C was also shown to be involved in the increase in
      [Ca2+]i.

PMID- 1863267
TI  - Effect of phosphorylation of calmodulin on calcium binding affinity as estimated
      by terbium fluorescence.
AB  - The effect of phosphorylation of calmodulin by casein kinase 2 on the calcium
      binding of the former was studied by measurement of terbium fluorescence. The
      binding of Tb3+ to calmodulin was followed by an increase in Tb3+ fluorescence at
      545 nm. The terbium fluorescence of phosphorylated calmodulin increased at a
      lower concentration of Tb3+ than that of non-phosphorylated calmodulin,
      indicating that Tb3+ binding affinity of calmodulin was increased by
      phosphorylation. Our results suggest that the interaction between calcium and
      binding domain becomes stronger by phosphorylation.

PMID- 1863268
TI  - Diadenosine polyphosphates inhibit the action of ribonucleotide reductase on ADP.
AB  - Using permeabilized cells prepared according to Lammers, M. and Follmann, H.
      (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 244, 430-438, 1986), the ribonucleotide reductase (EC
      1.17.4.1) of yeast was assayed in situ. In our experimental conditions, 40-200
      pmoles of ADP were reduced in 10 min per 5 x 10(7) cells. Concentrations of 0.01
      mM of diadenosine tri, tetra, penta and hexaphosphates elicited inhibitions of
      37, 40, 63 and 58%, respectively. The enzyme was almost completely inhibited in
      the presence of 0.05 mM diadenosine pentaphosphate. As some of these
      dinucleotides are present in yeast cells at these concentrations, the reported
      inhibition may have physiological meaning.

PMID- 1863269
TI  - Effect in vivo of atrazine on haematology and O2 consumption in fish, Tilapia
      mossambica.
AB  - Studies were conducted on haematological constituents such as Red blood cells
      (RBC), White blood cells (WBC), Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), Mean
      cell volume (MCV), Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), Mean corpuscular
      haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), Blood volume (BV), Blood water content (BWC)
      and Whole animal oxygen consumption (WAOC) in the fish exposed to sublethal
      concentration of atrazine. Significant changes were seen in the constituents of
      the blood and O2 consumption of fish suggesting the existence of respiratory
      distress in the fish as a consequence of atrazine toxicity.

PMID- 1863270
TI  - Fatty acid composition and dynamics of phospholipids from hake (Merluccius
      hubbsi) spinal cord and brain and sea bass (Acanthustius brasilianus) brain.
AB  - This work studies the phospholipid and fatty acid composition in hake brain and
      spinal cord and in sea bass brain. Fluorescence anisotropy of phospholipid
      vesicles labeled with 1,6-diphenyl hexatriene was measured to investigate the
      associated dynamic properties. In all tissues studied, phosphatidylcholine and
      phosphatidylethanolamine were the major constituents with minor contributions of
      phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol and sphingomyelin. Fatty acids belong to
      the n-9 and n-3 series exclusively. Phosphatidylinositol from hake spinal cord
      and phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine from hake brain contain the
      greatest percentages of eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic (20:5) and docosa
      4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic (22:6), respectively. For all fractions studied the
      total content of saturated fatty acids increases in the order of hake spinal
      cord, hake brain, sea bass brain together with a decrease in the sum of
      monounsaturated fatty acids. The comparison between fluorescence anisotropy
      values and fatty acid composition clearly demonstrates that saturated acids and
      20:5 and 22:6 exert a rigidizing effect.

PMID- 1863271
TI  - The edema inducing activity of phospholipase A2 enzymes.
AB  - The edema inducing activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes from snake venoms
      and porcine pancreas was investigated using mouse paw as experimental model. All
      ten PLA2 enzymes exhibited potent edema inducing activity. PLA2, however, is
      generally not the major edema inducing component of snake venom. Chemical
      modification studies indicated that enzymatic activity of PLA2 was required for
      its edema inducing activity. All PLA2 enzymes examined displayed a rapid onset
      edema which was suppressed by pretreatment of the mice with antihistamine.
      Dexamethasone pretreatment also inhibited edemas elicited by some PLA2 enzymes.

PMID- 1863272
TI  - Involvement of lactoperoxidase in the peroxidative degradation of serotonin: a
      potential pathway for indolaminergic melanin formation.
AB  - The peroxidase-catalyzed degradation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) was
      studied using rapid scan or conventional spectrophotometry for detection of one
      electron conversions of enzyme compounds I, II and III. The spectral changes of
      serotonin during oxidation and spectral and bleaching properties of reaction
      products were examined. The results of the investigation clearly indicate the
      ability of serotonin to function as an electron donor substrate for animal
      peroxidases.

PMID- 1863274
TI  - The effect of diet upon the fatty acid composition of cranial and spinal nerve
      lipids.
AB  - The possible basal differences in lipid class and fatty acid composition between
      a cranial nerve (the trigeminal nerve) and two spinal nerves (the ulnar and
      sciatic nerves) as well as the effects of dietary lipids on the same nerves were
      studied. A basal (BD) and four experimental diets containing respectively
      hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO), grapestone oil (GSO), olive oil (OO) and linseed
      oil (LSO) were used. Trigeminal lipids fatty acid composition differs
      significantly from sciatic and ulnar ones in the percentages of 16:0, 16:1, 18:0,
      18:2 n-6, 20:0, 20:1, 20:4 n-6, 24:0, 24:1 and 22:6 n-3. Also the proportions of
      triacylglycerols and free cholesterol strongly differ in trigeminal and spinal
      nerves whereas no significant difference was detected between ulnar and sciatic
      nerve lipids. Following the administration of the four experimental diets for 60
      days, no significant change was observed in the fatty acid pattern of trigeminal
      lipids while the spinal ones showed a significant increase in the proportions of
      the fatty acids present in large quantities in the dietary oils used (i.e.: oleic
      acid in the OO samples). These changes are probably linked with the rapid
      metabolic turnover of triacylglycerols, present in larger amounts in spinal nerve
      lipids.

PMID- 1863273
TI  - Unspecific inhibition by the calmodulin antagonist calmidazolium and the
      intracellular calcium antagonist TMB-8 of the actions of sympathetic hepatic
      nerves and noradrenaline on glucose balance and flow in perfused rat liver.
AB  - In perfused rat liver hepatic nerve stimulation (10 Hz, 2 ms) (NS) increased
      glucose and lactate output, decreased flow and was accompanied by an overflow of
      noradrenaline into the hepatic vein. These effects were dependent on
      extracellular and partly on intracellular calcium. Infusion of noradrenaline (1
      microM) (NA) elicited similar effects. 1) Calmidazolium at 1, 2 and 5 microM
      caused an increase in basal glucose output and a decrease and intrahepatic
      redistribution of flow after a lag of 30, 20 and 5 min, respectively. 2) After 5
      min of 1 microM calmidazolium, i.e. before it altered basal metabolism and flow,
      the actions of NS and NA remained unaltered. 3) After 40 min of 1 microM
      calmidazolium, i.e. after it had just begun to alter basal metabolism and flow,
      NS caused a decrease in glucose and lactate output rather than an increase and
      the metabolic effects of NA were strongly reduced whereas the hemodynamic changes
      of both stimuli were not altered. 4) TMB-8 at 25, 50 and 100 microM caused a
      transient increase in lactate output and a decrease and intrahepatic
      redistribution of flow after a lag of 5 min only at 100 microM concentrations. 5)
      The effects of NS were inhibited already by 25 microM TMB-8 which reduced NA
      release whereas the effects of NA were not influenced. Thus, calmidazolium and
      TMB-8 did not act as a calmodulin and intracellular calcium antagonist,
      respectively, but had unspecific "side effects" in the complex system of the
      perfused liver. The antagonists cannot be used to study the role of intracellular
      calcium in intact organs.

PMID- 1863275
TI  - Nuclear glycoproteins in higher vertebrates.
AB  - Nuclear glycoproteins recognized by Concanavalin A have been isolated from pig,
      rabbit and chicken tissues. Mono and bidimensional electrophoresis patterns of
      proteins loosely and tightly bound to DNA have been examined. The tissue
      specificity rather than species-specificity appears to be a quite general
      property of these proteins, suggesting for them a role in the mechanism of
      regulation of chromatin functions.

PMID- 1863276
TI  - The peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of kyotorphins.
AB  - In vitro experiments are reported showing that the dipeptides Tyr-L-Arg
      (kyotorphin) and Tyr-D-Arg (D-Arg-kyotorphin) can be oxidized by H2O2-horseradish
      peroxidase system: the products formed are characterized by absorption spectra
      with two peaks at 290 nm and 315 nm. The effects of substrate and enzyme
      concentration on the oxidation rate are described. Amino acid analysis of
      hydrolysates of peroxidase-treated kyotorphins provides evidence for the presence
      of dityrosine. The data suggest that the oxidation leads to the production of
      dimers with an o,o-linkage between the tyrosine residues.

PMID- 1863277
TI  - Competitive effect of anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody (01.65) and N-N
      staurosporine on prolipherative response of PHA activated T-lymphocytes.
AB  - N-N-Staurosporine (STAR) inhibits in a dose dependent manner Tritiated-Thymidine
      (3H-TdR) incorporation in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activated Peripheral Blood
      Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) treated with anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibody (MAb)
      01.65 and its effect results competitive with MAb 01.65. Cytosolic and
      particulate Protein Kinase C (PKC) have been studied. Only when PKC particulate
      activity is no more detectable, the effect of STAR on 3H-TdR incorporation is
      evident.

PMID- 1863278
TI  - Inactivation of enolase from carp (Cyprinus carpio) muscle by 2,3-butanedione.
AB  - Enolase from white muscle of carp (Cyprinus carpio) is inactivated by 2,3
      butanedione in borate buffer. Magnesium ions as well as substrate--2
      phosphoglycerate markedly altered the rate and extent of inactivation. The
      partially inactivated enzyme shows unaltered Km but decreased Vmax after 10 min
      incubation with butanedione, however after 60 min incubation the Km value
      increased 2.5 fold.

PMID- 1863279
TI  - Statistical analyses of enzyme inhibitor kinetics: a hierarchical model-dependent
      approach.
AB  - Inference of the nature of an enzyme inhibitor and calculations of inhibitor
      constants from linear plots are prone to be unreliable when experimental error is
      significant. This may be minimised by a method of statistical analysis using
      nonlinear regression methods and modelling using the variance ratio test of a
      hierarchy of models of inhibitor behaviour.

PMID- 1863280
TI  - [Study of the structural-energy aspects of complementary-addressed modifications
      of nucleic acid with reactive 4-]N-methyl-N-(2-chloroethyl)-amino]benzyl-3'- or
      5'-phosphamide oligonucleotide derivatives by a molecular mechanics method].
AB  - Calculations of probabilities of the complementary addressed modification of
      target NA by 3'- or 5'-reactive derivatives of oligonucleotides carrying a 4-[N
      (2-chloroethyl)-N-methyl]aminobenzyl group attached to the 3'- or 5'-terminal
      phosphates through a phosphoroamide linkage have been made. It is shown that the
      structural basis of the high efficiency and positional specificity depending on
      the NA target base sequence is the extent of structural correspondence of the
      energetically optimal conformation of the active group in the complex to the
      mutual arrangement of the active group and nucleophilic site needed for the
      chemical reaction. The 3'-derivative has the highest dependence of efficiency and
      positional specificity of the alkylation on the target NA base sequence. The
      maximal positional specificity of the alkylation is found for the modification of
      the cytidine at the first position from the terminal complementary base pair at
      the 5'-end of the target NA. For the 5'-derivative, the alkylating ability was
      determined to depend on the insertion of additional methylene bridges into the
      standard phosphoroamide linker: two methylene groups provide for the maximal
      increase of the modification ability of the nucleophilic site of the target NA in
      the double-stranded part of the complex. The efficiency of alkylation of the
      target NA in a three component complex with oligonucleotide-effector also
      complementary to the target NA have been studied. It was found that formation of
      the three-component complex lead to an additional stabilization of the
      conformation needed for the reaction of the active group, in comparison with two
      component complex, by means of the intercalation of the phenyl group of the
      reagent in the gap between the oligonucleotide derivative and the oligonucleotide
      effector.

PMID- 1863281
TI  - [Study of the structural-energy aspects of complementary-addressed modifications
      of nucleic acids by reactive oligonucleotide derivatives having a 4-[N-methyl-N
      (2-chloroethyl)amino[benzylidene group at the 3'end by a molecular mechanics
      method].
AB  - Calculations of probabilities of the complementary addressed modification of a
      target nucleic acid by derivatives of oligonucleotides carrying a 4-[N-(2
      chloroethyl)-N-methyl]aminobenzylidene group attached to the 3'-end (3'-BDO) have
      been made. The results show that the complementary complex of a target NA with 3'
      BDO having R-configuration of carbon atom of the dioxalane ring is more stable
      than the complex including the S-stereoisomer. The S- and R-epimeres of 3'-BDO
      have essentially different positional abilities for alkylation of the target. The
      R-epimer alkylates best of all the third base of the target NA from terminal
      complementary pair of the complex. The S-epimer has another site the most
      sensitive to alkylation, which is a terminal complementary base of the target NA
      or the adjacent nonpaired base. Formation of the alkylation complexes are
      accompanied with a loss or a breakdown of hydrogen bonds in the terminal
      complementary base pair, thus decreasing the efficiency of alkylation. The
      modelling results are considered along with experimental data on modification
      which therefore can be interpreted on the fundamental structural level.

PMID- 1863282
TI  - [Affinity chromatography of DNA fragments and oligonucleotides blocked by
      internucleotide phosphates].

PMID- 1863283
TI  - [Use of a temporary protective group during the synthesis of oligonucleotides
      with an unnatural bond].
AB  - Methoxygroup has been used for transient P-protection on H-phosphonate
      oligonucleotide synthesis. Whereas other H-phosphonate linkages can be
      irreversibly transformed into phosphoramidates by treatment with alkylamines, the
      protected phosphoralkoxyl groups generate natural phosphodiester linkages after
      the final deprotection. The method allows for synthesis of oligonucleotides with
      addressed position of internucleotide phosphoralkylamidate groups.

PMID- 1863284
TI  - [Structure of the carbohydrate chain of riboflavin-binding glycoprotein from hen
      egg white. Neutral oligosaccharides of the hybrid type].
AB  - Reductive cleavage of the riboflavin-binding glycoprotein from hen egg white with
      LiBH4/tert-BuOH followed by NaBH4 treatment gave rise to oligosaccharide
      alditols. After fractionation by HPLC two individual oligosaccharide alditols of
      a hybrid type were isolated. Their structures were proved by 1H NMR 500 MHz
      spectroscopy and methylation analysis. One of the oligosaccharides has earlier
      been found in ovalbumin, whereas the other is identified in glycoproteins for the
      first time.

PMID- 1863285
TI  - [Structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of the Yersinia
      pseudotuberculosis lipopolysaccharide (serovar II C)].
AB  - An O-specific polysaccharide has been isolated on mild acid hydrolysis of
      lipopolysaccharide from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serovar IIc and shown to
      consist of abequose, D-mannose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactose residues in
      the ratio 0.8:3:1. From the results of acid hydrolysis, 13C NMR, methylation and
      periodate oxidation studies the structure of the repeating unit of the O-specific
      polysaccharide is deduced as follows: (formula; see text)

PMID- 1863286
TI  - [Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage T4 baseplate gene 26].

PMID- 1863288
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Medical problems in pregnancy--I.

PMID- 1863289
TI  - Bone mass in an urban and a rural population: a comparative, population-based
      study in southern Sweden.
AB  - Several previous studies have reported regional differences in the incidence of
      hip fractures. A population-based study was performed in the city of Malmo (urban
      population) and in the municipality of Sjobo (rural population), 60 km apart. A
      total of 961 men and women, randomly selected and of Scandinavian ethnic
      background, participated in the study. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the forearm
      was measured with single-photon absorptiometry (SPA). Women and men in the city
      had significantly lower BMC compared with the rural population. The differences
      were even more pronounced when comparing a true urban population (lived their
      entire life in a city) with a true rural population (never lived in a city). The
      differences in BMC between Malmo and Sjobo were more obvious in men. These data
      suggest that differences in bone mass between an urban and a rural population
      could to some extent explain differences in fracture incidence.

PMID- 1863287
TI  - Dynamic interplay between two copper-titrating components in the transcriptional
      regulation of cyt c6.
AB  - The algal plastidic cytochrome c (cyt c6) is a biochemical equivalent of the
      copper-containing protein plastocyanin in photosynthetic electron transfer. But
      generally, cyt c6 accumulates and functions only under conditions (e.g. Cu
      deficiency) where holoplastocyanin cannot be synthesized. In studying the
      regulation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cyt c6 expression by Cu we have
      determined that repression of cyt c6 accumulation occurs at the transcriptional
      level, and specifically in response to Cu as the metal ion regulator. Complete
      and sustained repression of cyt c6 transcription requires approximately 9 x 10(6)
      Cu ions in the medium/cell. Based on the estimated plastocyanin content of algal
      cells (8 x 10(6) molecules/cell) and the observation that lower ratios of Cu per
      cell result in only transient repression of cyt c6 transcription, we propose that
      Cu-dependent transcriptional repression of the gene encoding cyt c6 requires a Cu
      binding factor which is titrated by Cu only after the alternate electron transfer
      catalyst, plastocyanin, has accumulated to the stoichiometry required for
      photosynthesis. The precise and highly metal-specific, autoregulatory control of
      cyt c6 levels--directly by Cu, and indirectly by holoplastocyanin--is in keeping
      with the functional role of cyt c6 as an alternate, although perhaps less
      preferred, electron transfer catalyst.

PMID- 1863290
TI  - Studies on the constituents of Luffa acutangula Roxb. I. Structures of acutosides
      A--G, oleanane-type triterpene saponins isolated from the herb.
AB  - From the herb of Luffa acutangula ROXB. (Cucurbitaceae), seven oleanane-type
      triterpene saponins, acutosides A--G, were isolated and their structures were
      determined. Acutoside A is oleanolic acid 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta
      D-glucopyranoside. Acutosides B, D, E, F and G have a common prosapogenin
      structure, acutoside A, and only differ in the structures of the ester-linked
      sugar moieties. Acutoside B is a 28-O-[O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-L
      rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2) -alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl] ester, D is a 28-O-[O-beta-D
      xylopyranosyl-(1----3)-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----4)-O- alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl
      (1----2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl] ester, E is a 28-O-[O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl
      (1----3)-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-( 1----4)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)
      alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl] ester, F is a 28-O-[O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----3)-[O
      beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----4)-O -alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)-alpha-L
      arabinopyranosyl] ester, and G is a 28-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----3)-[O-alpha-L
      arabinopyranosyl-(1- ---3)-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1----4)]-O-alpha-L-
      rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl] ester. Acutoside C is a
      machaelinic acid (=21 beta-hydroxyoleanolic acid) saponin having the same sugar
      moiety as that of acutoside B.

PMID- 1863292
TI  - Fishhook injuries: a prospective evaluation.
AB  - A prospective study was conducted involving 100 nonrandomized, consecutive
      patients who suffered fishhook injury during the summer of 1990 in Alaska. Time
      of injury prior to admission to the emergency department, location of fishhook,
      method of removal, wound care, systemic antibiotic prophylaxis, anesthetic,
      tetanus immunization status, fishhook size, and complication rate were evaluated.
      Results of this study suggest that most fishhook injuries involve the hands or
      head and that postremoval wound care including oral antibiotic therapy may not be
      critical. Local anesthetics and simple removal techniques are adequate for nearly
      all fishhook injuries. Routine systemic antibiotic prophylaxis is not necessary
      for uncomplicated soft tissue injury due to fishhooks not involving cartilage or
      tendons.

PMID- 1863291
TI  - pH modulation of the kinetics of rabbit jejunal, brush-border folate transport.
AB  - In jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles, an outwardly directed OH- gradient (in
      greater than out) stimulates DIDS-sensitive, saturable folate (F) uptake (Schron,
      C.M. 1985, J. Clin. Invest. 76:2030-2033), suggesting carrier-mediated folate: OH
      exchange (or phenomenologically indistinguishable H+: folate cotransport). In
      the present study, the precise role of pH in the transport process was elucidated
      by examining F uptake at varying pH. For pH gradients of identical magnitude, F
      uptake (0.1 microM) was greater at lower (pHint/pHext: 5.5/4.5) compared with
      higher (6.5/5.5) pH ranges. In the absence of a pH gradient, internal F trans
      stimulated DIDS-sensitive 3H-folate uptake only at pH less than or equal to 6.0.
      Since stepwise increments in internal pH (4.5----7.5; pHext = 4.5) stimulated F
      uptake, an inhibitory effect of higher internal pH was excluded. In contrast,
      with increasing external pH (4.35----6.5; pHint = 7.8), a 50-fold decrement in F
      uptake was observed (H+ Km = 12.8 +/- 1.2 microM). Hill plots of these data
      suggest involvement of at least one H+ (OH-) at low pH (monovalent F-
      predominates) and at least 2 H+ (OH-) at high pH (divalent F-2 predominates).
      Since an inside-negative electrical potential did not affect F uptake at either
      pHext 4.55 or 5.8, transport of F- and F-2 is electroneutral. Kinetic parameters
      for F- and F-2 were calculated from uptake data at pHext 4.55 and 5.0.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863293
TI  - Evaluation of two rapid screening assays for the detection of human
      immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in emergency department patients.
AB  - In order to determine the sensitivity and specificity of two rapid human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) assays compared with enzyme immunoassay and
      Western blot and to assess their potential use for routine screening in an
      emergency department (ED), we analyzed sera from 492 consecutive ED patients
      using an identity-unlinked design. Sera were analyzed for HIV-1 by standard
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot and two rapid assays: the
      Abbott Testpack HIV-1 (Abbott Labs, Inc, Abbott Park, IL) and the HIV-1 Genie,
      (Genetic Systems, Seattle, WA). Seroprevalence of HIV-1 among 492 samples was
      5.1%. Both rapid assays were easy to perform and required approximately 10
      minutes per test. Sensitivity and specificity of both rapid assays were 100% and
      99.8%, with positive and negative predictive values of 96.2% and 100%,
      respectively. It was concluded that both rapid assays showed high concordance
      with standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Since the ED is
      often the primary care setting for many patients at risk for HIV-1, the ED may be
      an optimal site for routine HIV-1 screening. Rapid assay screening may provide
      the opportunity for timely identification of HIV-1-infected patients, allowing
      earlier treatment and counseling. However, ethical and practical questions
      regarding appropriate application of rapid HIV-1 testing in EDs still needs
      resolution.

PMID- 1863294
TI  - Is the anteroposterior cervical spine radiograph necessary in initial trauma
      screening?
AB  - The usefulness of the anteroposterior (AP) radiograph of the cervical spine in
      contributing to the diagnosis of cervical spine injuries in the acute trauma
      patient was examined in a retrospective study. All cases of cervical spine
      fracture or dislocation seen at a level I trauma center over a 3-year period and
      at a rehabilitation center over a 10-year period were reviewed. The lateral
      radiograph, open-mouth odontoid radiograph, and AP radiograph of each case were
      sequentially examined by a neuroradiologist (blinded to the original diagnosis)
      to determine the contribution of each view in making a diagnosis of cervical
      spine injury. Results of these reviews showed that there were no cases of
      cervical spine injury evident on the AP view without an obvious corresponding
      abnormality on the lateral or open-mouth view. It was concluded that the AP view
      could be dropped from the initial screening radiographic study of the cervical
      spine in the trauma patient. Only an adequate lateral view and open-mouth
      odontoid view would then be necessary to initially evaluate the cervical spine in
      the trauma patient, and decisions to obtain further studies could be based safely
      on only the lateral and open-mouth views.

PMID- 1863295
TI  - Plasma norepinephrine concentrations during resuscitation in the dog.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the adrenal glands contribute
      to the increase in plasma norepinephrine concentrations during cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation, by releasing norepinephrine and/or by secreting epinephrine that
      facilitates the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings via
      stimulation of presynaptic beta receptors. The experiments were performed in
      adrenalectomized and in sham-operated dogs. In adrenalectomized dogs the increase
      in plasma norepinephrine concentrations during cardiopulmonary arrest and basic
      life support (BLS) was markedly smaller than in sham-operated dogs. Intravenous
      infusion of physiologic doses of epinephrine during BLS in adrenalectomized
      animals did not influence the plasma norepinephrine concentrations. These data
      indicate that, as suggested by others, the marked increase in plasma
      norepinephrine concentrations during BLS in dogs is mainly of adrenomedullary
      origin. They also suggest that presynaptic facilitation of norepinephrine release
      by epinephrine is not important, but further experiments using higher doses of
      epinephrine are necessary.

PMID- 1863296
TI  - Asthma in the emergency department: impact of a protocol on optimizing therapy.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a simple educational
      intervention on the prescribing habits of internal medicine residents in the
      treatment of acute asthma in a busy emergency department (ED). Prescribing habits
      for 16 residents were documented for 4 months. The first 2 months served as a
      control period during which eight residents managed asthma patients without the
      benefit of any specific educational intervention beyond standard department
      protocols. A total of 129 patients treated by the residents during this initial
      phase were assessed. During the second 2-month period, a 10-minute verbal
      presentation and explicit written treatment protocol were provided to another
      eight residents, and their treatment of 83 patients was covertly evaluated.
      Increased prescribing of desired therapy was significantly improved in every area
      except that of prescribing an inhaled steroid metered dose inhaler for use as a
      discharge medication. The 10-minute verbal presentation given in conjunction with
      a three-page handout was found to be highly effective for eliciting improvement
      in treatment practices during short clinical rotations. The duration of this
      effect beyond each rotation is unknown. This educational intervention should be
      presented by the ED medical director, clinical pharmacist, or other appropriate
      clinician in virtually any ED as quality of patient care can be dramatically
      improved.

PMID- 1863297
TI  - External cardiopulmonary resuscitation preserves brain viability after prolonged
      cardiac arrest in dogs.
AB  - Standard external cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) steps A-B-C produce a low
      blood flow that may or may not preserve brain viability during prolonged cardiac
      arrest. A dog model was used with ventricular fibrillation (VF) of 20 minutes,
      reperfusion with brief cardiopulmonary bypass, controlled ventilation to 20
      hours, and intensive care to 96 hours. A retrospective comparison was made of the
      results of one series, now called "group I" (n = 10)--which received CPR basic
      life support interposed from VF 10 to 15 minutes, and CPR advanced life support
      with epinephrine (without defibrillation) from VF 15 to 20 minutes--to the
      results of another series, now "control group II" (n = 10)--which received VF no
      flow (no CPR) for 20 minutes. All 20 dogs within protocol were resuscitated. All
      10 of group I and 7 of 10 of group II survived to 96 hours. Pupillary light
      reflex returned after the start of cardiopulmonary bypass at 7.7 +/- 3.7 minutes
      in CPR group I, versus 16.3 +/- 7.4 minutes in control group II (P = .032). At 96
      hours postarrest, final overall performance categories (1, normal; 5, brain
      death) were better in group I. Six of 10 dogs achieved normality (overall
      performance category 1) in group I, as compared with none of 10 in group II (P =
      .004). Final neurologic deficit score (0%, best; 100% worst) was lower (better)
      in group I (15% +/- 20%) than in group II (51% +/- 6%; P less than
      .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863298
TI  - Airbag-mediated corneal injury.
AB  - This is the first report of airbag-induced facial and corneal abrasions
      associated with several weeks of blurred vision in a patient without previous
      visual or ocular problems. Similar episodes of minor trauma from airbags are
      becoming commonplace, reflecting the increasing popularity of these lifesaving
      devices. Nonetheless, airbag-associated injuries, especially facial and ocular
      injuries, should be monitored and reported to both increase physician awareness
      and to determine if further airbag design improvements are necessary.

PMID- 1863299
TI  - Recurrent pneumoperitoneum following vaginal insufflation.
AB  - The authors report a case of a 24-year-old nulligravida woman who presented to
      the hospital with complaints of severe abdominal pain and radiographic evidence
      of pneumoperitoneum. She had two prior nondiagnostic laparotomies for similar
      complaints and radiographic findings. After a careful sexual history was taken
      the patient revealed that she had sexual intercourse preceding every similar
      episode including this one, during which her partner forcefully blew air into her
      vagina. Pneumoperitoneum associated with vaginal insufflation has been previously
      reported in two multigravida patients with and without anatomic abnormalities.
      When pneumoperitoneum is present in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms or
      trauma, a meticulous sexual history should be made to avoid unnecessary
      laparotomies.

PMID- 1863300
TI  - Systemic anaphylaxis after ingestion of a psyllium-containing breakfast cereal.
AB  - Allergic reactions have been described as an occupational hazard among nurses and
      pharmaceutical workers who handle psyllium-containing laxatives. This study
      reports the case of a 38-year-old female nurse who ingested a bowl of psyllium
      containing Heartwise Cereal (Kelloggs, Battle Creek, MI) and 25 minutes later
      developed severe systemic anaphylaxis manifested by hypotension, a feeling of
      constriction in the throat, hoarseness, dyspnea, wheezing, generalized pruritus,
      urticaria, and vomiting. She was treated with epinephrine, normal saline,
      diphenhydramine, and methylprednisolone, and recovered completely. Subsequent IgE
      immunoblot assay was strongly reactive to psyllium. Ingestion of psyllium
      containing breakfast foods by sensitized individuals can be associated with life
      threatening systemic anaphylaxis.

PMID- 1863301
TI  - Cervical anterior spinal artery syndrome associated with cardiopulmonary arrest.
AB  - Nontraumatic spinal cord ischemia is uncommon, especially when the cervical cord
      is involved. We present an elderly man who sustained acute occlusion of the
      anterior spinal artery at a high cervical level. This was followed by a
      respiratory arrest due to the paralysis of the diaphragm and chest wall muscles.
      A review of the vascular supply to the cord and of nontraumatic ischemic
      myelopathy is provided.

PMID- 1863302
TI  - An unusual case of hoarseness and partial airway obstruction.

PMID- 1863303
TI  - Herniated cervical disk presenting as ischemic chest pain.
AB  - Myocardial ischemia must be the first concern of every emergency physician in
      evaluating chest pain in the adult patient. Any suspicion of myocardial ischemia
      must be promptly evaluated and admitted. The American College of Emergency
      Physicians has recently published a standards document on the care of chest pain
      in the adult patient. The emergency physician must be familiar with this
      document. Once myocardial ischemia and other life-threatening causes are ruled
      out, one can consider that cervical disk disease may be the cause of chest pain.
      The authors present two cases of patients who presented to the Emergency
      Department with signs and symptoms consistent with cardiac ischemia. Both
      patients were found to have herniated cervical disks. Subsequent surgical repair
      completely relieved their symptoms. Evaluation of the literature reveals that
      this entity was well described from 1950 to the 1960s. Most recent discussions do
      not mention disk herniation as even an infrequent cause of chest pain. If there
      is no life-threatening disease present, one should consider cervical disk
      disease.

PMID- 1863304
TI  - 1990 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers National
      Data Collection System.

PMID- 1863305
TI  - Air medical transport: an annotated bibliography of the recent literature. The
      Society for Academic Emergency Medicine E.M.S. Committee.

PMID- 1863306
TI  - Container residue of activated charcoal products.

PMID- 1863307
TI  - Primary board status: only the end of the beginning.

PMID- 1863308
TI  - Emergency medical service safety of helicopters.

PMID- 1863309
TI  - "Asymptomatic" hyponatremia.

PMID- 1863310
TI  - Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as bilateral symptomatic inguinal
      hernias.

PMID- 1863311
TI  - Statistical analysis of visual analog scales.

PMID- 1863312
TI  - Vibrio vulnificus sepsis presenting as leg pain and lower extremity rash.

PMID- 1863314
TI  - Difficulties in identifying Klebsiella strains of clinical origin.
AB  - Two hundred and four strains of Gram-negative bacteria of clinical origin,
      initially identified as Klebsiella using the API 20 E system, and 10 reference
      strains were further analysed with the API 20 EC test system and the API 50 CH,
      API 50 AO, API 50 AA assimilation systems. Four clusters corresponding to the
      species Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, K. planticola, and
      K. terrigena were formed after numerical analysis of 155 selected tests and the
      26 most discriminating tests were determined. A comparison was made between
      conventional identification using the API 20 E system and the results of the
      numerical analysis. The conventional method resulted in incorrect identification
      of 13% of the strains tested, especially for the new species: K. planticola and
      K. terrigena. After numerical analysis, 17 out of 204 strains (8.3%) of clinical
      origin were identified as K. planticola. Only 1 strain of clinical origin was
      identified as K. terrigena, and 1 strain as K. ornithinolytica.

PMID- 1863313
TI  - [Where can I open my office? Demographic study of the dental profession in
      Spain].

PMID- 1863315
TI  - Menaquinone patterns of Amycolatopsis species.
AB  - The menaquinones of representative strains of the actinomycete genus
      Amycolatopsis were examined by reverse phase thin-layer chromatography and mass
      spectrometry. Representatives of all seven validly described species contained
      various combinations of di-, tetra- and hexahydrogenated menaquinones with nine
      isoprene units as predominant isoprenologues. It seems likely that the variation
      in the predominant menaquinones merely reflects the stages from the growth cycle
      from which biomass was taken. The detection of major proportions of hydrogenated
      menaquinones with nine isoprene units serves to distinguish Amycolatopsis strains
      from most other actinomycetes, notably those belonging to related genera such as
      Amycolata and Pseudonocardia.

PMID- 1863316
TI  - Legiolysin, a new hemolysin from L. pneumophila.
AB  - Legionella pneumophila generates exotoxins, cytolysins, proteases or hemolysins
      that damage host cells like erythrocytes or tissue culture cells. The gene for a
      new L. pneumophila hemolysin without a proteolytic activity was identified,
      cloned in E. coli and sequenced. The gene product was analysed by SDS
      Polyacrylamide-gel-electrophoresis.

PMID- 1863317
TI  - Application of impediometry to rapid assessment of liquid culture media.
AB  - The impedance method provides as unique opportunity to determine microbial
      activity and kinetics. Since the metabolic processes depend on the nature and
      quality of the culture medium, impediometry allows the assessment of liquid
      culture media. Impedance microbiology represents an approach to quantitative
      microbiology. We investigated the influence of pH, composition and variation of
      the amounts of industrially made dry media, overheating during the dissolving or
      sterilisation processes, and qualitative differences between batches of the same
      culture medium. Using glucose broth as an example, we showed that impediometry
      allows quantitative, microbial assessment of culture media. Inaccurate
      preparation of the culture medium could be detected quickly by the use of
      impediometry. The method is very simple to perform, requires no sample
      preparation, allows rapid assessment of liquid culture media, and interprets
      results automatically with the aid of a microcomputer.

PMID- 1863318
TI  - Clinical and genetic aspects of Shiga-like toxin production in traditional
      enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.
AB  - Cell culture tests, DNA colony blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction
      were used to examine classical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) for the
      presence of Shiga-like toxin (SLT). Fifteen of 155 strains from West Germany,
      originally identified as EPEC on the basis of serotyping, were shown to harbor
      either SLT-I or SLT-II genes. All strains that hybridized with the 20-base
      oligonucleotide probes which are complementary to slt-IA or slt-IIA sequences
      derived from the genomic DNA of enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 strain 933
      produced moderate or high levels of cytotoxin in Vero and HeLa cell assays. Four
      additional strains of low to moderate cytotoxicity did not hybridize with either
      probe. Five different serogroups producing SLTs were identified: O26, O55, O111,
      O119 and O128. All three SLT-positive E. coli O26:H11 and four of five E. coli
      O111:H- isolates hybridized with a 3.4 kilobase fragment (CVD 419 probe) derived
      from the 60-megadalton plasmid of EHEC O157:H7. Seven of the 15 SLT-gene positive
      strains were associated with bloody diarrhea, six isolates were from patients
      with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Based on their clinical, epidemiological,
      pathogenic and genetic features SLT-producing E. coli among classical EPEC mimic
      enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 and might be considered as EHEC.

PMID- 1863319
TI  - The mature MgPa-adhesin of Mycoplasma genitalium.
AB  - A high molecular weight protein of Mycoplasma genitalium (MgPa-protein) was
      isolated by fractionated solubilization with 1% CHAPS, followed by subsequent
      extraction with 2% octylglucoside and size exclusion chromatography. The
      comparison of the N-terminal sequence reported here with published nucleotide
      sequence data revealed the existence of a signal sequence; the molecular weight
      of the mature MgPa-protein was calculated to be 153, 134 dalton. The protein
      shares antigenic determinants with the adhesin of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (P1
      protein). Therefore the amino acid sequence of the MgPa-protein was matched to
      the P1-protein sequence. Five of seven computer predicted hydrophobic regions of
      both amino acid sequences were located in corresponding regions.

PMID- 1863320
TI  - Interaction of Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni in experimentally
      infected neonatal mice.
AB  - By the method of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the inner mucosal surface of
      the ileum, ceacum and colon was studied in inbred BALB/c mice. Two-day-old mice
      were infected with either 10(6) oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum and 10(8) CFU
      of porcine and human strains of the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni or with a
      combination of both enteropathogens. Pathological changes in infection with C.
      parvum were related to enterocytes and villous atrophy appeared. In infection
      with C. jejuni, pathological changes were related to goblet cells. In combined
      infections, pathological changes were similar to those in monoinfections and
      occurred simultaneously within the intestine. Synergistic interaction of C.
      parvum and C. jejuni manifested itself morphologically in a more intense
      colonization of the inner surface of the small and large intestine by C. jejuni,
      in a more intense infection of the caecum and colon by C. parvum, and in
      prolongation of severe, massive infection of the small and large intestine, and
      also a prolongation of the patent period.

PMID- 1863321
TI  - Follicle and oocyte growth in early postnatal calves: cytochemical,
      autoradiographical and electron microscopical studies.
AB  - The initiation of oocyte and follicle growth was studied in 1- and 3-d-old calf
      ovaries using cytochemical, autoradiographical and electron microscopical
      approaches. Attention was only paid to unilaminar ovarian follicles that were
      classified into 3 categories: unilaminar flattened (UF), unilaminar flatto
      cuboidal (UFC) and unilaminar cuboidal (UC) ovarian follicles when the oocyte was
      surrounded by 1 layer of flattened, a mixture of flattened and cuboidal and
      entirely cuboidal follicle cells, respectively. Our findings suggested that
      oocytes within each of these follicle categories were in different developmental
      stages. Furthermore, electron microscopic observations revealed that early after
      birth, oocyte nuclei characteristic of diplotene configuration (aggregation of
      the nuclear chromatin into moderately electron-dense small patches and fibrillo
      granular texture of the nucleolus) were encountered in 41% of the UF follicles.
      The rest of the UF as well as all of the UFC and UC follicles were found to
      contain dictyate oocytes in which the chromatin was highly decondensed and the
      nucleolus differentiated into fibrillar, fibrillo-granular and granular
      components. The present results also indicated that the complete transition of
      the surrounding follicle cells from flattened to cuboidal shape and the
      morphological changes of the oocyte endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria were 2
      complementary events essential for initiation of oocyte growth.

PMID- 1863323
TI  - In vitro fertilization in cattle: a review.
AB  - In vitro maturation and fertilization of cattle oocytes and subsequent in vitro
      culture of zygotes and embryos is discussed in the context of recent encouraging
      data. Mass production of embryos produced in this way in the future will have a
      great impact on animal production and animal breeding plans, for example the so
      called MO-ET (multiple ovulation and embryo transfer) plan which aims at
      establishing nucleus breeding herds.

PMID- 1863322
TI  - Somatic cells and the G2 to M-phase transition in sheep oocytes.
AB  - New protein synthesis is essential in sheep oocytes for the progression of the
      meiotic cycle to metaphase. Inhibition of transcription by alpha-amanitin, a
      specific inhibitor of RNA polymerase II, arrests meiosis in the G2 phase in
      cumulus enclosed oocytes but denuded oocytes progress to M-phase. Denuded oocytes
      injected with alpha-amanitin also undergo maturation. Cumulus-enclosed and
      denuded oocytes were also cultured on transcriptionally inactive follicle shells
      to examine the influence of transcription in the granulosa cell compartment on
      the progression of meiosis. No effect of alpha-amanitin was detected on the
      maturation rate of both cumulus enclosed and denuded oocytes. We conclude that
      transcription is required in the cumulus cells to allow translation of stored
      messages within the oocytes coding for cell-cycle proteins.

PMID- 1863325
TI  - A stereotaxic atlas and implantation technique for nuclei of the diencephalon of
      Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) parr.
AB  - A stereotaxic apparatus and technique for its implantation in diencephalic nuclei
      of Atlantic salmon parr of 20 to 30 g body weight is described. An atlas of
      nuclei in the diencephalon is also presented.

PMID- 1863324
TI  - The effect of endotoxin-contaminated medium on in vitro fertilization and
      development of bovine oocytes matured in vitro.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether the presence of bacterial
      endotoxin in the bovine serum albumin (BSA) used to supplement media utilized for
      sperm preparation and co-culture of bovine sperm and oocytes affects in vitro
      penetration and embryonic development of oocytes matured in vitro. The
      chromogenic limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) test was used for quantification of
      the content of endotoxin. The proportion of penetrated ova was significantly
      greater (P greater than 0.0005) for the endotoxin-contaminated group (89%) versus
      the non-contaminated group (61%), but this was probably not due to endotoxin
      contamination. The presence of endotoxin resulted in a high rate of polyspermy
      (27% versus 4%, respectively; P greater than 0.0005), while the occurrence of
      parthenogenetic activation was the same for each group (8%). The proportion of
      total embryos put into culture that developed to the blastocyst stage by day 8
      was similar (30% and 26%) for the contaminated and non-contaminated group,
      respectively. Fifty-three and 69%, respectively, hatched on day 10. These results
      suggest that endotoxin induces polyspermy, but has no adverse effect on embryonic
      development.

PMID- 1863326
TI  - [A theoretical study on the biological origins of Chinese herbs].
AB  - Ten new theoretical points concerning the biological origins of Chinese herbs are
      presented in this paper, i.e. continuity of the biological origins of Chinese
      herbs, mutation of the biological origins of Chinese herbs; optimum seeking
      theory of rising species of medicinal herbs; mono-original and limit d multi
      original Chinese herbs; etc.

PMID- 1863327
TI  - [Textual and herbal studies on shashen and qini (Adenophora spp.)].
AB  - This paper reports the origins of the Chinese traditional drugs nanshashen and
      beishashen, as well as the original plants of shashen, xingyeshashen, xiyeshasen
      and qini recorded in the bencaological works of the past dynasties. Our study
      shows that shashen is Adenophora stricta, both xingyeshashen and qini are A.
      hunanensis and xiyeshashen is A. paniculata.

PMID- 1863328
TI  - [Medicinal Polygonatum in northwest China].
AB  - This paper reports 16 species of medicinal plants of Polygonatum found in
      northwest China, along with their distribution, ecological conditions,
      infraspecies variations and clinical applications. A key to the species is
      provided.

PMID- 1863329
TI  - [Quality of Schisandra incarnata Stapf].
AB  - In the western part of Hubei province we have collected a medicinal plant by the
      local name of "North Wuweizi". It has been identified as Schisandra incarnata. A
      tetrahydrofuran lignan chicanine has been isolated from the kernel of the plant.
      Pharmacological experiments show that S. incarnata possesses activities of
      lowering sGPT levels as well as prolonging the sleeping time induced by
      phenobarbital.

PMID- 1863330
TI  - [Preliminary infection source of downy mildew of Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang].
AB  - The downy mildew of Corydalis yanhusuo caused by Peronospora corydalis usually
      brings about devastating harm in Anhui Province. In the past, it was generally
      held that the spores in diseased remains buried in soil were the main source of
      preliminary infection. But, according to our test, it is the mycelia in tubers
      that are mainly the preliminary infections source.

PMID- 1863331
TI  - [A preliminary survey on the growing tempo of Chinemys reevesii (Gray)].
AB  - The growing tempo of tortoises is closely related with the temperature and intake
      of food. In suitable temperature range (20-28 degrees C), the intake increases
      with the rise of temperature and the growth accordingly accelerates. In the
      dormant period, the tortoise consumes more energy as ambient temperature rises.

PMID- 1863332
TI  - [Quantitative determination of sugars in radix Aconiti and its processed products
      by two kinds of colorimetry].
AB  - Sugar contents in Radix Aconiti and its processed products were determined by
      phenol-H2SO4 method and chromotropic acid-H2SO4 method, and found to decrease in
      various degrees during processing. The results given by the two methods are
      similar.

PMID- 1863333
TI  - [Determination and study of inorganic elements in liuwei dihuang decoction by ICP
      AES].

PMID- 1863334
TI  - [Chemical constituents of Alyxia levinei Merr].
AB  - Three compounds were isolated from the stem and leaves of Alyxia levinei. On the
      basis of spectrometric analysis and physico-chemical constants they were
      identified as oleanolic acid, betulin and beta-sitosterol-D-glucoside
      respectively.

PMID- 1863335
TI  - [A preliminary research on the quality of musk].
AB  - In this paper liquid crystal b-PBPeB was adopted as the GC-stationary liquid
      phase. From the ether extract of musk, androsterone, muscone and cholesterol were
      identified. Comparative analysis of 13 samples of musk has proved this method to
      be useful in the quality evaluation of musk.

PMID- 1863336
TI  - [Determination of glycyrrhetinic acid in radix Glycyrrhizae by TLC densitometry].
AB  - A TLC densitometric method for the determination of glycyrrhetinic acid in Radix
      Glycyrrhizae is described. The method is accurate, sensitive and simple. The
      recovery of glycyrrhetinic acid is 98.30% and the coefficient of variation of
      five samplings is 2.20%.

PMID- 1863337
TI  - [Anti-oxidation of Paecilomyces Sinensis (S. Pnov.)].
AB  - This paper indicates that Paecilomyces sinensis ig 3g/kg/dx14 increases the
      amount of superoxide dismutase in the liver tissues of mice; that Paecilomyces
      sinensis is similar to natural Cordyceps sinensis in inhibiting the production of
      Lpo and increasing the amount of superoxide dismutase in the liver homogenates of
      mice in vitro. In addition Paecilomyces sinensis can also increase the amount of
      glutathione peroxidase in the liver homogenates of mice in vitro.

PMID- 1863338
TI  - [Anti-tumor effect of Cetraria laevigata Rassad. polysaccharides].
AB  - The anti-tumor effect of Cetraria laevigata polysaccharides has been investigated
      in mice using sarcoma 180; Ehrlich ascitic tumor, cervical carcinoma u-14 and
      leukemia L7217. The results show that Cetraria laevigata polysaccharides may
      inhibit the growth of sarcoma 180, Ehrlich ascitic tumor and cervical carcinoma u
      14 in mice at a dose of 200mg/kg ip (1/5 LD50). However, the survival time of
      leukemia L7217 wasn't prolonged. The reticuloendothelial system phagocytic
      function in mice was increased at ip doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg (1/10 and
      1/20 LD50).

PMID- 1863339
TI  - [Advances in the research on Apoacynum].

PMID- 1863340
TI  - Formulation and validation of a degree in health care.

PMID- 1863341
TI  - Leg lengthening in children--current techniques and radiology.

PMID- 1863342
TI  - Industry re-shaping of diagnostic imaging--the next decade.

PMID- 1863343
TI  - The use of stents in bronchial compression.

PMID- 1863344
TI  - A psychological case study into the needs and problems experienced by an in
      patient receiving radiotherapy.

PMID- 1863345
TI  - Computerised tomography: its role in the assessment of ear disease.
AB  - A retrospective study was undertaken of 205 patients who had been referred for CT
      scanning of the middle ear and the cerebello-pontine angle. Data from the case
      notes and radiographs were used to assess the accuracy of high resolution CT in
      the diagnosis of cholesteatoma and acoustic neuroma, the two diseases which
      provide the bulk of our work load from the ENT department. The risk factors,
      including the dose and use of contrast agents, and the cost and time of the
      examinations has also been considered. An assessment of radiation dose to the eye
      lens was made for each procedure to indicate the risk to benefit ratio for each
      radiographic examination. This investigation showed that high resolution CT can
      accurately diagnose ear disease, while providing an efficient use of resources at
      low risk to the patient. Positive and negative predictive values of one were
      obtained for acoustic neuroma; cholesteatomas produced positive and negative
      predictive values of 0.83 and 0.66 respectively. Plain radiography and
      polytomography gave information about the bone anatomy of the ear but did not
      demonstrate the soft tissue component of the disease, so that a negative result
      from either of these procedures did not exclude a lesion but a positive result
      was not informative enough to permit surgery.

PMID- 1863346
TI  - Scattered radiation and the lumbar spine.

PMID- 1863347
TI  - Immunological tolerance and lymphokines.

PMID- 1863348
TI  - The various faces of right upper lobe atelectasis.
AB  - The most common cause of RUL atelectasis in adults is neoplasm obstructing the
      RUL bronchus. Scarring of the lobe following chronic infection comes next. Other
      causes of obstruction, whether central or peripheral, are less common. The only
      direct sign of atelectasis is approximation of the fissures. All other signs are
      indirect. Increased density of the collapsed lobe is the most noticeable indirect
      sign. In the absence of adhesions the RUL is fixed at the hilum only. Therefore,
      it may take any one of the different shapes. Usually it is not difficult to
      recognize the dense shrunken lobe. Otherwise, we will have to depend on the other
      indirect signs, namely, displacement of mediastinal structures, elevation of the
      right hemidiaphragm, juxtaphrenic peak, elevation of hilum, "disappearance" of
      RUL artery, changes in position of of vascular (and bronchial) markings, and
      displacement of granuloma (if present).

PMID- 1863349
TI  - Comparison of MRI and CT for study of renal and perirenal masses.
AB  - Accurate preoperative assessment of renal and perirenal tumors is crucial in
      determining the type of therapy and/or in planning the operative approach.
      Computed tomography has been used extensively to stage renal cancer by defining
      the extent of disease within and outside the kidney, demonstrating patency of the
      renal vein and inferior vena cava, and depicting sites of lymph node involvement.
      Recent studies have shown magnetic resonance imaging to be comparable or superior
      to computed tomography in staging renal carcinoma. Because of its multiplanar
      imaging capabilities, MRI has also proven useful in evaluating perirenal masses
      that may obstruct, displace, or invade the kidney. The advantages and limitations
      of MRI and CT are discussed and their current roles in the evaluation of renal
      and perirenal abnormalities are reviewed.

PMID- 1863350
TI  - Morphological and functional characterization of a hormonally induced AIMS/GRXII
      cell line.
AB  - The AIMS/GRXII cell line is a product of the line of research our laboratory is
      pursuing to understand the response of target cells to sustained hormonal
      stimulation, a situation simulating the one that brings about in vivo
      tumorigenesis. The cell line was derived from goat ovarian granulosa cells
      subjected to luteinizing hormone stress (high doses repeated). It was found to be
      contact-inhibited, nontumorigenic and secreted progesterone. The majority of
      cells at any given passage showed hypodiploidy. The cell line required hormonal
      support till passage 8 after which it was hormone-independent. Thus, the system
      offers a phase-wise development of the cell line which might be useful in cancer
      research, particularly to understand the mechanisms of cell transformation at the
      cellular and molecular level and possible hormone (onco)gene nexus in cell
      proliferation.

PMID- 1863351
TI  - Sensitivity of desquamin to proteolytic degradation.
AB  - The stratum corneum is both a desquamating and degradative tissue; cell contacts
      become weaker in the outer lamellae and a variety of proteolytic and glycolytic
      enzymes cleave many macromolecules into free amino acids and saccharides. We have
      reported on a 40-kilodalton glycoprotein from human stratum corneum; because of
      its unique lectin-like properties, we believe that it plays a major role in
      desquamation and have named it desquamin. If desquamin is to function as a lectin
      during desquamation, it must survive enzymatic degradation in the outer stratum
      corneum. Accordingly, we treated this glycoprotein with a number of proteinases
      and found that desquamin is resistant in vitro to most of the types of
      proteinases that have been reported in the stratum corneum as well as several
      others that have not been identified as present in the tissue. In the stratum
      corneum, the lipids of the intercorneal mortar shield the glycoproteins; hence,
      desquamin is even less likely to be susceptible to endogenous proteolysis in vivo
      than in vitro.

PMID- 1863352
TI  - Enumeration of antigen sites on cells by flow cytometry.
AB  - We evaluated a cytofluorometric method for determining the number of antigens
      expressed on the cell surface of human lymphocytes. Using beads that have a known
      number of binding sites for mouse immunoglobulin and monoclonal antibodies
      specific for various antigens on human lymphocytes, we found that this system is
      quite reproducible, reliable and technically easy to perform. The greatest source
      of variation in expression of cell surface antigens is interdonor variability.

PMID- 1863353
TI  - Inhibition of chemically induced neoplastic transformation in vitro by saturated
      fatty acids.
AB  - Syrian hamster embryo cells were treated for 2-4 days with 3-methylcholanthrene
      (MCA), and 28 days after application of the carcinogen they were exposed
      continuously to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Untreated cells, or
      cells treated with MCA or TPA only, usually became senescent around 6-8 weeks
      after plating and died, but those treated with both MCA and TPA became
      immortalised and underwent transformation to a phenotype capable of growth in
      soft agar. Transformation was inhibited by derivatives of stearic acid
      administered to the cells at various stages of the overall process. Some
      derivatives were active at lower concentrations than others, but none were
      selective for specific phases such as initiation or promotion, and it did not
      appear to matter whether the fatty acids were present throughout the assay or for
      only part of it. Their action seems to be associated with control of growth or
      differentiation in a relatively non-specific manner.

PMID- 1863354
TI  - Characterization of human esophageal carcinoma cell line established on confluent
      monolayer, and advantage of confluent monolayer surface structure for attachment
      and growth.
AB  - Biopsy tissue from a 72-year-old Japanese woman with metastasis to the cervical
      lymph nodes of recurrent esophageal carcinoma was adapted for culturing on the
      surface of lethally X-irradiated confluent monolayers of Balb/c 3T3 cells, and a
      continuous-growing tumor cell line was developed. These cells were found to
      contain keratinous material by immunohistochemical staining. We confirmed that
      these cells were of human origin by performing chromosome analysis. Thus, this
      line, designated as KSE-2 line, was considered to have originated from metastatic
      squamous-cell carcinoma of the human esophagus. When the attachment and growth of
      KSE-2 was examined on various culture surfaces, the confluent monolayers of
      Balb/c 3T3 cells were found to be more suitable than other substrata, such as
      plastic and collagen-coated dishes. The fixation of confluent monolayers of 3T3
      cells with 3% glutaraldehyde had almost no affect on the colony-forming
      efficiency of the KSE-2 cells. In addition, the period of lag phase after
      inoculation of KSE-2 cells on fixed as well as nonfixed monolayers was shorter
      than that on plastic dishes. The conditioned medium from lethally X-irradiated
      3T3 cells did not enhance the attachment and proliferation of KSE-2 cells on both
      nonfixed and fixed confluent monolayers. From these results, the surface
      structure itself of the 3T3 confluent monolayer was considered to play an
      important role in the favorable attachment and proliferation of KSE-2 cells.

PMID- 1863355
TI  - Effects of low-density lipoprotein from normal rabbits on hypercholesterolemia
      and the development of atherosclerosis.
AB  - To clarify whether or not normal LDL separated from normal rabbits is
      atherogenic, 0.75 mg of normal LDL-cholesterol in 6 ml of 0.85% saline and 6 ml
      of saline alone were injected every day for 5 weeks into the auricular vein of
      two groups of rabbits, respectively. The inoculated rabbits were fed a standard
      diet containing 0.5 and 1% cholesterol. Blood was drawn before injection and at
      1, 2, 3 and 5 week intervals thereafter. After 5 weeks, all rabbits were
      sacrificed. Following exsanguination, the aorta was stained by Sudan III. The
      Sudan III staining was more extensive in rabbits injected with saline than in
      those that received LDL. In addition, plasma cholesterol, plasma phospholipid,
      VLDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower in LDL-injected rabbits
      than in those injected with saline. But HDL-cholesterol levels were not
      significantly different between LDL-cholesterol and saline-injected rabbits.
      Although the exact cause of antiatherogenic effect of normal LDL is not clear, it
      seems reasonable to suggest that at least some normal LDL acts as a 'good'
      lipoprotein, namely antiatherogenic lipoprotein, in our experimental protocol.

PMID- 1863356
TI  - Reappraisal of the role of macrophages in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
AB  - New Zealand rabbits were fed an atherogenic diet, 8 with and 8 without twice
      weekly intravenous injections of GdCl2. The injections caused a reduction in the
      phagocytic activity of the reticuloendothelial system by one fourth to one half.
      No significant differences were found between the two groups in the planimetric
      extent of atheromata in the aortae. GdCl2 treatment inhibited the deposition of
      sudanophilic lipids in depth of the arterial wall. The findings indicate that
      macrophages are the primary foam cells and their uptake of lipoproteins is
      essential for the deposition of lipids in myocytes. Lipid-laden myocytes and
      ground substance mucopolysaccharides represent sinks in which lipids are removed
      from the flow and accumulate locally.

PMID- 1863357
TI  - Comparative analysis of sequences at the 5' end of the human and mouse
      apolipoprotein B genes.
AB  - A comparison was made between the DNA sequences in two regions of the mouse and
      the human apolipoprotein B genes: the 5'-flanking sequence and the region between
      the first exon and the second intron. Considerable homology was observed,
      particularly in the immediate 5' region and in the second intron. Because
      promoter and enhancer elements have been previously localized to these regions in
      the human apolipoprotein B gene, it is proposed that regions of conserved base
      sequence delineate binding regions for regulatory proteins. In some cases,
      contiguous regions of homology are longer than expected for regions designed as
      recognition sites for individual nuclear proteins, and may define regions
      recognizable by a cluster of interacting proteins. Both the human and mouse genes
      contain repetitive elements and a hypervariable dinucleotide repeat.

PMID- 1863358
TI  - Expression and regulation of adrenodoxin and P450scc mRNA in rodent tissues.
AB  - The rate-limiting step in steroidogenesis is the conversion of cholesterol to
      pregnenolone. This reaction occurs in steroidogenic tissue in the inner
      mitochondrial membrane, and is mediated by the cholesterol side-chain cleavage
      enzyme. This enzyme system transfers electrons from NADPH to cholesterol through
      its three protein components: adrenodoxin reductase, adrenodoxin, and the
      terminal oxidase, P450scc. We have previously shown that P450scc mRNA is
      regulated by tropic hormones and cAMP by a cycloheximide-independent mechanism in
      mouse Leydig tumor MA-10 cells. We now show that the mRNA for adrenodoxin,
      another component of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme system, is
      regulated by tropic hormones and cAMP in MA-10 cells. We cloned rat adrenodoxin
      cDNA to analyze adrenodoxin mRNA in various rat tissues and in MA-10 cells by
      RNase protection assays. Adrenodoxin mRNA is found in virtually all rat tissues
      examined, although it is most abundant in adrenals, ovaries, and testes. MA-10
      cells synthesize two species of adrenodoxin mRNA, one of 1.2 kb and the other of
      0.8 kb. Both of these adrenodoxin mRNAs are increased approximately six-fold by 1
      mM 8-Br-cAMP, five-fold by 10 microM forskolin, and three-fold by both 25 ng/ml
      hCG and by 100 ng/ml LH. Maximal adrenodoxin mRNA accumulation occurs by 4 h of
      hormonal stimulation. The cAMP-mediated increase in adrenodoxin mRNA accumulation
      is independent of protein synthesis, since treatment with cycloheximide or
      puromycin in the absence or presence of cAMP does not inhibit, and even
      increases, adrenodoxin mRNA accumulation.

PMID- 1863359
TI  - Regional mapping of genes encoding human steroidogenic enzymes: P450scc to 15q23
      q24, adrenodoxin to 11q22; adrenodoxin reductase to 17q24-q25; and P450c17 to
      10q24-q25.
AB  - Steroid hormones are synthesized by a complex array of 10 enzymes. The genes for
      each of these have now been cloned, and previous work has determined the regional
      chromosomal assignments of six of these. We used in situ hybridization to
      determine the regional chromosomal assignments of the four remaining enzymes. The
      CYP11A1 gene encodes mitochondrial P450scc, which converts cholesterol to
      pregnenolone, and is located on 15q23-q24. The gene for adrenodoxin, which
      receives electrons from adrenodoxin reductase and transfers them to P450scc, is
      on 11q22 while its pseudogenes are on 20q11-q12. The gene for adrenodoxin
      reductase is on 17q24-q25. The CYP17 gene encodes P450c17, which has both 17
      alpha-hydroxylase and 17,20-lyase activities, and is located on 10q24-q25. None
      of the 10 genes involved in human steroidogenesis is closely linked to another
      gene for a steroidogenic enzyme.

PMID- 1863360
TI  - Fimbria-fornix transections disrupt the ontogeny of delayed alternation but not
      position discrimination in the rat.
AB  - In Experiment 1, Long-Evans rat pups received fimbria-fornix transections or sham
      surgery on Postnatal Day 10 (PND10) and were then trained on PND23 to perform
      either a discrete-trials delayed alternation (DA) or a simple position
      discrimination (PD) task in a T maze. Rat pups in both surgical conditions
      learned the PD task within five 12-trial blocks of training. However, only sham
      operated pups learned the DA task. In Experiment 2, performance of DA emerged
      between PND19 and PND27 in sham-operated pups but failed entirely to develop in
      pups with early lesions. In Experiment 3, fornix-transected pups that were given
      extended DA training (132 trials) on PND23-PND24 showed some improvement in
      performance but remained impaired in relation to sham-operated controls. These
      findings implicate the limbic system in the postnatal development of DA but not
      PD and suggest that dual-process theories of memory may be relevant to the
      psychobiology of cognitive development.

PMID- 1863361
TI  - Classical conditioning after temporal lobe lesions in man: impairment in
      conditional discrimination.
AB  - Left and right temporal lobectomy patients, patients with frontal lobe lesions,
      and healthy control subjects participated in an eyelid conditioning study based
      on conditional discrimination learning. All groups acquired the first conditioned
      response at a similar time during learning, but both temporal lobectomy groups
      showed poorer discrimination than control subjects. The results support models
      that relate hippocampal function to operation of if-then rules.

PMID- 1863362
TI  - Slow-wave activity in the spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram is
      associated with cortical dysfunctions in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Cortical functions and slow-wave activity in the spectral analysis of the
      electroencephalogram (EEG) have been studied in 19 patients with Alzheimer's
      disease (AD), 18 patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia (PD), and 14
      control subjects (C) to determine which functions are explained by their
      relationship of slow-wave activity. Multiple regression analyses revealed that a
      variance in visual functions, praxia of the hand, automatic speech, speech
      understanding, and retrieval from semantic memory were explained by their
      relationship with slow-wave activity in EEG in the AD group but not in the PD or
      C groups. The PD and AD groups exhibited equal cortical dysfunctions and mean
      amplitudes of delta activity in EEG. The cholinergic system, disrupted in AD, has
      been shown to be important in the regulation of neocortical electrical activity
      and may be associated with the processing of cortical functions.

PMID- 1863363
TI  - Habituation produces frequency-specific plasticity of receptive fields in the
      auditory cortex.
AB  - Associative learning produces conditioned stimulus (CS)-specific plasticity of
      frequency receptive fields (RFs) in the auditory cortex; responses to the CS
      frequency are increased, whereas responses to other frequencies are decreased.
      This study determined the effects of habituation on the RF of neurons in the
      auditory cortex of the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus). One frequency was presented
      repeatedly (REP) followed by redetermination of the RF. After REP, 26/36 (72%)
      RFs exhibited a substantial reduction (70-75%) of response to the repeated
      frequency, and this was highly specific (bandwidth less than 0.125 octave). This
      RF plasticity involves an initial decrease in response during REP but does not
      require attenuated responses at the end of REP. Incubation (i.e., development
      over time after cessation of REP) and long-term frequency-specific effects are
      evident. Thus, habituation induces a specific change in the processing of
      frequency information rather than a general reduction in responsivity.

PMID- 1863364
TI  - Opioid modulation of pavlovian learning in rabbits: involvement of sublenticular
      pathways.
AB  - Intravenous naloxone enhanced, and D-Ala2-Met-enkephalinamide (DALA) impaired,
      Pavlovian conditioned heart rate discrimination in rabbits (Oryctolagus
      cuniculus) during initial training trials, compared with saline; naloxone also
      delayed subsequent extinction of the discrimination. These effects of the opioid
      treatments on discrimination were abolished by parasagittal knife-cut lesions in
      the sublenticular substantia innominata that did not, themselves, impair
      discrimination. Both naloxone and DALA decreased the magnitude and altered the
      topography of bradycardiac conditioned responses, and the lesions also abolished
      these effects of the opioid treatments, but they did not alter the effect of
      naloxone to decrease bradycardiac orienting response magnitude. These findings
      suggest that fibers in the sublenticular area mediate specifically the effects of
      systemic opioids on associative functions during Pavlovian cardiac conditioning
      and extinction.

PMID- 1863365
TI  - Posttraining D1 receptor blockade impairs odor conditioning in neonatal rats.
AB  - Rat pups that were exposed to a novel anise odor paired with tactile stimulation
      (stroking the skin with a paint brush) received injections of either saline or
      the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist (+/-)-SKF 83566 (0.1 mg/kg) before
      conditioning or immediately after conditioning. Animals that received the drug
      either before or after training showed less approach to the conditioned odor
      during the testing period 24 hr later than did animals that received the vehicle.
      Posttraining administration of the D2 receptor antagonist spiperone (0.1 mg/kg)
      did not affect subsequent approach to the conditioned odor, suggesting a
      selective effect of D1 receptor blockade. The impairment in learning by the
      administration of (+/-)-SKF 83566 before conditioning was reversed by the
      injection of the dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg) immediately
      after conditioning. Posttraining D1 receptor activation appears necessary for
      normal odor conditioning in rat pups.

PMID- 1863366
TI  - Visuospatial asymmetries and interocular transfer in the split-brain rat.
AB  - Interocular transfer (IOT), hemispheric superiority, and cerebral dominance were
      examined in split-brain female albino rats. Callosum-sectioned and intact animals
      were monocularly trained in the Morris water maze and tested in IOT and reversal
      phases. In the IOT phase, split-brain rats entered more nontarget quadrants and
      headed less accurately toward the platform than did controls. For both split
      brain animals and controls, right-eye training resulted in shorter latencies and
      fewer nontarget entries than did left-eye training. Analyses of cerebral
      dominance showed shorter latencies and smaller heading errors over all 3 phases
      in rats that were trained with the nondominant eye. Right-eye dominant controls
      were less affected by platform reversal. Split-brain rats were inferior to
      controls in latency to find the platform and in target quadrant entries. This
      finding establishes a spatial cognitive deficit from callosum section.

PMID- 1863367
TI  - Oxytocin selectively increases holding and licking of neonates in preweanling but
      not postweanling juvenile rats.
AB  - Preweanling rats exhibit components of maternal behavior (MB) after brief periods
      of contact with neonates; the latency of onset of MB rises considerably after
      weaning. Oxytocin (OXT) stimulates MB in adult rats. The effects of
      intracisternal (IC) administration of OXT (2 micrograms) on pup-directed and
      other behaviors in preweanling and postweanling juvenile rats were tested.
      Compared with saline and no treatment, OXT significantly increased active holding
      of pups in preweanling but not postweanling juvenile rats. No other components of
      adultlike MB were stimulated by OXT. OXT also decreased inactive touching of pups
      and robustly increased selfgrooming in juveniles at all ages tested. It is
      concluded that OXT facilitation of active pup-holding and licking in preweanling
      rats may be an extension of OXT-induced self-grooming to pups and may also be
      related to OXT activation of MB in adult rats.

PMID- 1863368
TI  - Conditioned changes in pain reactivity: II. In search of the elusive phenomenon
      of conditioned hyperalgesia.
AB  - Previous research suggests that a stimulus that has been paired with an aversive
      event can elicit either an increase (hyperalgesia) or decrease (hypoalgesia) in
      pain reactivity in rats. Attempts have recently been made to isolate the
      variables that determine the direction of the conditioned response. Very little
      evidence has been found for conditioned hyperalgesia when a spinally mediated
      measure of pain reactivity (the tail-flick test) was used. In the present study,
      the impact of a conditioned stimulus was assessed using a procedure modeled after
      one in which conditioned hyperalgesia was obtained with the tail-flick test
      (Davis & Hendersen, 1985, Experiment 4). With this training paradigm, a discrete
      conditioned stimulus was found to elicit hypoalgesia but not hyperalgesia.

PMID- 1863369
TI  - Radial maze learning deficits and mediodorsal thalamic damage in context of
      multifocal seizure-induced brain lesions.
AB  - Rats were either trained 21 days after seizure induction or trained before
      seizure induction and tested 21 days later. The seizures, which induce insidious
      brain damage within a multitude of diencephalic and subcortical telencephalic
      structures, were induced by a single injection of lithium (3 mEq/kg sc) followed
      24 hr later by pilocarpine (30 mg/kg sc). Compared with controls, the treated
      rats displayed significant deficits in the acquisition and recall of a radial
      maze task. Although there was multifocal brain damage, only the amount of damage
      within the mediodorsal thalamic group was significantly and strongly correlated
      (rho = .79) with numbers of errors.

PMID- 1863370
TI  - Light-dark differences in behavioral sensitivity to oxytocin.
AB  - Ovariectomized female rats treated with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone
      (P) were infused intracerebroventricularly with a low (200 ng) or high (1
      microgram) dose of oxytocin (OT). The low dose of OT facilitated lordosis
      behavior only during the dark phase of the light-dark cycle in females that were
      pretreated with low doses of EB (2 micrograms) and P (250 micrograms). In
      contrast, the high dose of OT facilitated lordosis behavior during both the light
      and the dark phases but only in long-term ovariectomized females that were primed
      with large amounts of EB (2 x 10 micrograms) and P (500 micrograms). In females
      that were primed with lower amounts of ovarian steroids, the high dose of OT
      failed to increase levels of lordosis responding in either the dark or light
      phase. Thus, when female rats are treated with physiological amounts of ovarian
      hormones and OT, they are more sensitive to the facilitative effects of the OT on
      lordosis behavior during the dark phase.

PMID- 1863371
TI  - Multiple cerebral abscesses.

PMID- 1863372
TI  - The initial experience with the Cosman-Roberts-Wells stereotactic system.
AB  - The Cosman-Roberts-Wells stereotactic instrument is a recently developed
      modification, based on an arc-radius design, of the Brown-Roberts-Wells
      stereotactic frame utilizing the existing fixation and fiducial components of the
      Brown-Roberts-Wells stereotactic system to localize and verify target data. The
      design modification has been made with a view to facilitating technical
      approaches both in stereotactic biopsy and in stereotactic craniotomy, whilst
      encompassing the same stereotactic space. Initial experience with the Cosman
      Roberts-Wells instrument is reported. Over a 5-month period 55 procedures were
      performed which included 40 stereotactic biopsies, five CT-guided stereotactic
      craniotomies, three stereotactic placements of a Bennett Ball for thalamotomy,
      three stereotactic implantations of intracranial electrodes for recording in drug
      resistant epilepsy, three aspirations of cyst or haematoma and one implantation
      of a Gutin catheter for interstitial brachytherapy. There was minimal morbidity
      and no mortality related to operation. This frame offers rapid targeting without
      the need to pre-determine entry points, as well as allowing direct lateral passes
      and unimpeded stereotactic craniotomy.

PMID- 1863373
TI  - Results of follow-up after removal of non-functioning pituitary adenomas by
      transcranial surgery.
AB  - The records of 53 patients who had undergone transcranial surgery for a non
      functioning pituitary adenoma were reviewed. The most common symptom in these
      patients was visual loss (51 patients). Headache was the presenting symptom in 25
      and hypopituitarism in 18. After surgery 17 of the patients were symptom free, 26
      were improved, while seven remained unchanged. Three patients died. Other
      complications occurred in 12 patients but without serious long-term morbidity.
      Radiation therapy was given to patients in whom subtotal resection of tumour was
      achieved. None of these patients had tumour recurrence in a mean follow-up period
      of 76 months, while of the patients in whom tumour extirpation seemed to be
      complete, 36% had tumour recurrence.

PMID- 1863374
TI  - Is a skull X-ray necessary after milder head trauma?
AB  - During the 2-year period 1985-86 a total of 1,876 patients were admitted to our
      hospital after milder head trauma including cerebral concussion. Two hundred and
      eighty four patients who had a skull X-ray were not selected from guidelines. In
      1,592 patients without a skull X-ray, signs of an intracranial complication
      developed in six cases and were verified by CT. In the 284 patients with skull X
      ray a fracture was demonstrated in 25, and of these 25 patients only one patient
      disclosed a cerebral contusion. In the 259 patients with skull X-ray, but without
      demonstration of fracture, there were subsequently seen one subdural haematoma
      and one cerebral contusion. The incidence of intracranial complications in
      patients without and with skull X-ray with or without fracture does not differ
      significantly. In these circumstances we do not find any justification for
      routine skull X-ray after milder head trauma.

PMID- 1863375
TI  - Hindbrain migration after decompression for hindbrain hernia: a quantitative
      assessment using MRI.
AB  - Pre- and post-operative assessments are presented in 17 adult patients who have
      been treated with craniovertebral decompression for hindbrain herniation, 11 of
      whom had syringomyelia. Objective improvement in the size of the syrinx was seen
      in all 11 cases; contrary to expectation the hindbrain more frequently moved
      downwards than upwards after decompression of the tonsils and creation of an
      artificial cisterna magna. A method is reported for the quantitative assessment
      of hindbrain migration using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The degree of
      'slump', further downward displacement of the hindbrain, was compared with the
      clinical outcome and the MRI appearances. Slump was more common than expected,
      although the severity was not usually great enough to produce symptoms. Slump was
      less marked where the artificial cisterna magna was generous (p less than 0.02).
      This quantitative method may be useful in assessing patients with unexplained
      post-operative symptoms and in comparing different surgical techniques.

PMID- 1863377
TI  - Intraoperative ultrasound-guided biopsy of intracranial lesions: comparison with
      freehand biopsy.
AB  - Achieving the required accuracy during such relatively straightforward procedures
      as tumour biopsy or abscess aspiration remains a challenge especially for the
      more junior neurosurgeon. A study comparing freehand biopsy with ultrasound
      guided biopsy is presented. The use of intraoperative ultrasound increases the
      accuracy at the expense of a slightly longer operating time. Diagnostic tissue
      was always obtained using this technique.

PMID- 1863376
TI  - Multiple brain abscess: a review of fourteen cases.
AB  - The case notes of 14 consecutive patients with multiple brain abscesses
      presenting over a 14 year period were studied with respect to the incidence and
      presentation, the source of infection, the investigations, microbiology and the
      treatment and outcome. The incidence of multiple brain abscesses in non
      immunocompromised patients is 13% of all intracranial abscesses. Computerized
      tomographic scanning is vital both in the detection of multiple abscesses and in
      the subsequent assessment of therapy. The source of infection in half of our
      patients was the teeth or the paranasal sinuses. Streptococci were isolated in
      63% of the patients; staphylococci in 21%. This has obvious implications for the
      antibiotic policy. Intracranial surgery, with few exceptions, had a diagnostic
      and management role rather than a curative one; identification of the causative
      organism was its prime purpose. CSF, obtained by lumbar punctures, did not
      provide any positive cultures and should not be contemplated in view of the
      inherent hazards. The elimination of the primary focus of infection was a most
      important step in the management of this condition. Multiple brain abscesses
      represent a potentially curable condition, provided appropriate antibiotics are
      used, the primary septic focus is eliminated and the intracranial complications
      are anticipated by the use of frequently repeated CT scans.

PMID- 1863378
TI  - The value of intraoperative ultrasound in neurosurgery.
AB  - Intraoperative ultrasound is not a technique which has been widely accepted by
      neurosurgeons in this country, not least because bulky probes and machines become
      more of a hindrance than an asset in theatre. The development of new smaller
      probes, including ones small enough to visualize the brain through a conventional
      burr-hole has rekindled interest in this subject. Its use for guidance in tumour
      biopsy, cyst aspiration and catheter placement, as well as volume estimations and
      determining the completeness of tumour resection, are outlined. The ability to
      recognize peri-operative haemorrhage is demonstrated.

PMID- 1863379
TI  - Access to anteriorly placed tumours in the posterior fossa by medullotomy.
AB  - Access to tumours lying in front of the brain stem may be restricted by the
      neuraxis and cranial nerves, the tentorium, and the bony configuration of the
      skull base. When there is distortion and attenuation of the brain stem, direct
      access through the medulla should be considered. A case is described.

PMID- 1863380
TI  - The blasted pheasant.

PMID- 1863381
TI  - Subarachnoid haemorrhage in Wegener's granulomatosis, with negative four vessel
      angiography.
AB  - Two patients with Wegener's granulomatosis and spontaneous subarachnoid
      haemorrhage are presented in whom four vessel angiograms were normal. The
      diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis should be considered in patients with
      subarachnoid haemorrhage and negative four vessel angiography. The presence of
      antibodies to a neutrophil cytoplasmic antigen may be of diagnostic value.

PMID- 1863382
TI  - Spontaneous trigemino-pontine pneumocephalus.
AB  - A case of a spontaneous trigemino-pontine pneumocephalus in a 25-year-old man
      without any known risk factors is described. Other cases of spontaneous
      pneumocephalus in the literature are briefly reviewed.

PMID- 1863383
TI  - Intracranial malposition of nasogastric tube following transnasal transsphenoidal
      operation.

PMID- 1863384
TI  - Osteogenesis imperfecta and basilar impression.

PMID- 1863385
TI  - Skill development in vigilance: effects of event rate and age.
AB  - Thirty-six young (19-27 years), middle-aged (40-55 years), and old (70-80 years)
      adults performed a 30-min vigilance task at low (15 per min) and high (40 per
      min) event rates for 20 sessions. Skill-acquisition curves modeled on power,
      hyperbolic, and exponential functions were predicted. With extensive practice,
      hit rates increased and false-alarm rates decreased to virtually asymptotic
      levels. Skill development was best described by the hyperbolic function. Practice
      reduced but did not eliminate the vigilance decrement in all subjects. The event
      rate effect--the decrease in hit rate at high event rates--was reduced with
      practice and eliminated in young subjects. Hit rates decreased and false-alarm
      rates increased with age, but there was little attenuation of age differences
      with practice. Implications for theories of vigilance, skill development, and
      cognitive aging are discussed.

PMID- 1863386
TI  - Financial strain and psychological well-being among the American and Japanese
      elderly.
AB  - Research in the United States indicates that stressful life events may create
      psychological distress among older adults by eroding their sense of personal
      control and by diminishing their feelings of self-worth. The purpose of this
      study was twofold: (a) to replicate these findings with data provided by a recent
      nationwide survey of elderly people in the United States (N = 1,523) and (b) to
      compare these findings with results obtained from a nationwide survey of older
      adults in Japan (N = 1,517). The findings from both surveys are quite similar.
      The data indicate that financial strain tends to erode feelings of control and
      self-worth in both cultures, and the weakening of these personal resources in
      turn tends to increase depressive symptoms.

PMID- 1863387
TI  - Grandmothers' advice about disciplining grandchildren: is it accepted by mothers,
      and does its rejection influence grandmothers' subsequent guidance?
AB  - To test whether maternal grandmothers' advice affects mothers' punishing of their
      children and whether mothers' disciplinary actions influence subsequent
      suggestions by these grandmothers, 40 three-generational families were examined.
      After receiving advice purportedly from the grandmothers, mothers rewarded and
      punished their 10-year-olds' successes and errors on a task. Participants were in
      separate rooms so that simulated information about the grandmothers' advice,
      mothers' disciplinary decisions, and children's performances could be
      systematically manipulated under controlled conditions. The grandmothers' sham
      "suggestions" to mothers about punishing appeared either to begin leniently but
      progressively intensify or to start harshly but gradually mollify. Information to
      grandmothers about the mothers' "punishing" likewise either became increasingly
      severe or indulgent. All children, however, appeared to continue performing
      uniformly. Mothers generally modified their disciplining to correspond to the
      grandmothers' apparent advice, and grandmothers' actual suggestions conformed
      toward the mothers' simulated discipline. Grandmothers appear to be one of many
      influences affecting mothers' decisions about their children.

PMID- 1863388
TI  - Social support, stress, and depressive symptoms among the elderly: test of a
      process model.
AB  - Effects of social support, negative life events, and daily hassles on depressive
      symptoms were assessed in 301 adults aged 65 or older, in person 3 times at 6
      month intervals and by mail questionnaires every month over a 12-month period.
      Initial social support predicted severity of depressive symptoms 12 months later.
      Social support and initial levels of depressive symptomatology predicted number
      of daily hassles but not number of major life events. Effects of social support,
      depression, and major life events on the incidence of daily hassles remained
      significant without the inclusion of hassles reflecting depressive symptomatology
      or problems in relationships or whose content overlapped with major life events.
      Daily hassles mediated the effects of major life events on subsequent depression.
      Results did not differ for men and women. Implications for models of the
      relations among social support, stress, and depression are discussed.

PMID- 1863389
TI  - Relation of work and retirement to health and well-being in older age.
AB  - Patterns of labor-force participation were studied with a broad array of
      indicators of physical and psychological well-being. The sheer amount of work-
      whether people work and, if so, how many hours they work--shows little
      relationship to health and well-being. Drawing on scattered existing research and
      theory, it is hypothesized and found that persons whose patterns of labor-force
      participation (or nonparticipation) reflect their personal preference report
      higher levels of physical and psychological well-being than do those whose level
      of labor-force involvement is constrained by other factors. The results do not
      differ by gender, age (65 years and older vs. 55-64 years), or occupation
      (professional vs. clerical or sales vs. blue-collar workers). Data are from 1,339
      respondents 55 years of age or older in the Americans' Changing Lives Survey, a
      large national, cross-sectional survey of Americans 25 years of age and older
      with an oversample of those 60 years of age and older, and are analyzed by
      ordinary least squares multiple regression.

PMID- 1863390
TI  - Changes in depressive-symptom experiences among older women.
AB  - Changes in depressive-symptom experiences over a 5-year period were investigated
      in a community sample of 251 women between the ages of 51 and 92 years. Findings
      from a confirmatory factor analysis of the SCL-90-R Depression and Additional
      Symptoms scales (Derogatis, 1983) indicate that two phenomenally different
      syndromes underlie symptom-reporting patterns. A depressive syndrome, more
      classic in form, shows decreasing levels with increasing age, although a
      depletion syndrome, marked by feelings of enervation and a loss of interest in
      things, shows increasing levels with advancing age. The relative independence of
      the two syndromes, as well as their differing relations to four more delimited
      forms of distress that were identified in the analyses, have important
      implications for future research on the age-depression relation.

PMID- 1863391
TI  - Differential social support and life change as contributors to the social class
      distress relationship in older adults.
AB  - Four hypotheses previously put forth to explain the strong association between
      social class and mental health in the general population were examined in 1,326
      older adults (55 years and older). Respondents were interviewed 3 times at 6
      month intervals. Lower class was associated with more past life changes
      (occurring before Wave 1) and more subsequent life events (occurring between
      Waves 1 and 3); these changes were predictive of distress, supporting the
      differential exposure hypothesis. Lower class was associated with weaker social
      support (embeddedness), which was related to distress, supporting the resource
      deterrent hypothesis. There was little evidence that people of the lower classes
      were more vulnerable to stress or that their status was due to their weaker
      social support; thus, the differential vulnerability and applied buffering
      hypotheses were not consistently supported. Social support does appear to be a
      versatile resource for older adults. A significant portion of the class-distress
      relationship was not accounted for by life change, social support, or the
      interaction between these factors.

PMID- 1863393
TI  - Dependence in the elderly from an interactional point of view: verbal and
      observational data.
AB  - Dependence in the elderly was investigated from an interactional point of view.
      Observations as well as verbal data of the elderly and professional caregivers
      were considered. Samples consisted of 14 elderly people receiving regular home
      health care (M = 78.9, SD = 6.3 years) and 16 elderly people receiving regular
      nursing home care (M = 81.4, SD = 7.5 years). Results showed a strong tendency
      toward independence in the elderly. Sense of control in the self-care
      interactions observed was higher in the home health care group than in the group
      receiving nursing home care. Division of the elderly into subgroups with high,
      medium, and low perceived self-efficacy showed that the elderly high in self
      efficacy were more independent in terms of observed self-care. Causal
      explanations of the elderly's competence and their nonuse of competence were
      significantly different between the elderly and staff.

PMID- 1863392
TI  - Dimensions of perceived social support in clinically depressed and nondepressed
      female caregivers.
AB  - The relationship between social support and depression was studied in 165 women
      caring for frail family members. The Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule
      (Barrera, Sandler, & Ramsay, 1981), which includes 4 dimensions of availability
      and use of resources and satisfaction with and need for support, was used to
      examine 7 categories of supportive activity. Depression was assessed according to
      Research Diagnostic Criteria (Spitzer, Endicott, & Robins, 1978) with the
      Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (Endicott & Spitzer, 1978).
      There were no differences in overall satisfaction with received support in
      comparisons of depressed and nondepressed caregivers. However, depressed
      caregivers (n = 87) reported a higher incidence of negative interactions with
      others. Both groups appeared to have equal access to social support, with
      nondepressed caregivers (n = 78) reporting significantly greater use of those
      resources.

PMID- 1863394
TI  - Age and depression: unique and shared effects.
AB  - The degree to which psychosocial variables associated with depression were also
      associated with age was examined in 3 samples of community residents 50 years of
      age or older (N = 4,617). Most of the expected concomitants of depression were
      found. With only a few exceptions, age was not correlated with depression-related
      psychosocial variables. Rather, age was most strongly associated with levels in
      neuropsychological and psychophysiological functioning. In addition, the
      magnitudes of the correlations in women compared with men and in young-old age
      groups compared with old-age groups were examined. A number of significant
      differences emerged, and their implications for theories of depression are noted.

PMID- 1863395
TI  - Adult age differences in letter-level and word-level processing.
AB  - Older and young adults' letter detection and lexical decision performance were
      examined as word frequency varied to determine whether there were age differences
      in word recognition. Allen and Madden (1989) found that older adults' pattern of
      reaction time (RT) across word frequency categories was different from young
      adults' pattern for a letter detection task. In this study, for both letter
      detection and lexical decision tasks, older adults exhibited a monotonically
      decreasing RT function as word frequency increased. However, young adults
      exhibited a nonmonotonic RT function across word frequency for the letter
      detection task but a monotonically decreasing RT function as word frequency
      increased for the lexical decision task. An expanded parallel input serial
      analysis model of word processing was hypothesized.

PMID- 1863396
TI  - What types of reminiscence are associated with successful aging?
AB  - To resolve the controversy regarding the adaptive benefits of reminiscence, the
      study was conducted to investigate what types of reminiscence are associated with
      successful aging. On the basis of prior research and content analysis, 6 types of
      reminiscence were identified: integrative, instrumental, transmissive, narrative,
      escapist, and obsessive. Successful aging was operationally defined as higher
      than average ratings in mental and physical health and adjustment as determined
      by an interviewer and a panel of gerontological professionals. Reminiscence data
      were gathered from 88 men and women judged to be aging successfully and 83 men
      and women judged to be aging unsuccessfully. All subjects were between 65 and 95
      years of age, with approximately half living in the community and half in
      institutions. As predicted, successful agers showed significantly more
      integrative and instrumental reminiscence but less obsessive reminiscence than
      their unsuccessful counterparts. Community dwellers also showed more instrumental
      and integrative reminiscence than institutionalized seniors showed. Thus, only
      certain types of reminiscence are beneficial.

PMID- 1863398
TI  - Possible selves in adulthood and old age: a tale of shifting horizons.
AB  - Young, middle-aged, and elderly adults (N = 308) evaluated themselves on 6
      dimensions of psychological well-being according to present, past, future, and
      ideal self-assessments. Young and middle-aged adults saw considerable improvement
      in themselves from the past to the present on all dimensions of well-being. The
      elderly, however, indicated largely a perception of stability with prior levels
      of functioning. Future ratings showed that the 2 younger groups expected
      continued gains in the years ahead, whereas the oldest respondents foresaw
      decline on most aspects of well-being. The comparison of present and ideal self
      ratings supported (cross-sectionally) the hypothesis that with age, individuals
      achieve a closer fit between their ideal and their actual self-perceptions.

PMID- 1863397
TI  - Assessment of depression in patients with Alzheimer's disease: concordance among
      informants.
AB  - This study is an investigation of the concordance among different sources of
      information on ratings of depression in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
      Informants were 75 outpatients with diagnosed AD (22 with major depressive
      disorder), their caregivers, and geriatric clinicians. Clinicians rated each
      patient on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression on the basis of (a) the
      patient's report, (b) the caregiver's report, and (c) the clinician's evaluation.
      Overall, patients perceived themselves as less depressed than did caregivers or
      clinicians; for nondepressed patients, caregivers reported patients less
      depressed than clinicians reported; for depressed patients, no significant
      differences were obtained between caregiver or clinician. Certain items were more
      discrepant among informants and significantly differentiated depressed from
      nondepressed AD patients. Level of patient dementia did not affect ratings. These
      findings support the need for comprehensive, accurate assessment of depression in
      AD patients.

PMID- 1863399
TI  - Aspects of written language production over adult life.
AB  - Self-descriptions written by adults were analyzed to explore the effects of age,
      gender, vocabulary, nonverbal intelligence, and educational-occupational status
      on lexical aspects of language and grammatical complexity. Multivariate analyses
      indicated that, after controlling for other background variables, age had a
      significant effect on vocabulary diversity, sentence complexity, subordinating
      conjunctions, and possibly sentence length. Four variables--word output, word
      length, long words, and readability--were affected mainly by vocabulary and
      educational-occupational status. An unexpected and small but significant gender
      difference in the readability of the descriptions was observed across all age
      groups.

PMID- 1863400
TI  - Spatial memory in young and elderly adults: category structure of stimulus sets.
AB  - In 1987, Sharps and Gollin reported that the spatial memory of older adults is
      aided more than that of young adults by visually distinctive cues to location. In
      1990, Park, Cherry, Smith, and Lafronza failed to reproduce these results. In the
      present study, strong category structure yielded results analogous to those of
      Park et al., and weak category structure similar to that of Sharps and Gollin
      yielded the same pattern of results as those in their study. The categorical
      interrelatedness of stimulus items was shown to be of potential importance in the
      resolution of the discrepancy between the 2 reports.

PMID- 1863401
TI  - Zidovudine therapy is associated with an increased capacity of phytohemagglutinin
      stimulated cells to express interleukin-2 receptors. Pittsburgh AIDS Clinical
      Trial Unit.
AB  - Zidovudine therapy of AIDS patients has been shown to cause only transient
      improvements in the numbers of circulating CD4+ cells and the in vitro functional
      activities of cultured lymphocytes. The present studies were undertaken to
      determine whether prolonged zidovudine therapy enhanced reactivity in two
      sensitive assays of T-cell function: the ability of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)
      stimulated cells to form T-cell colonies and their capacity to express receptors
      for the growth factor interleukin-2 (IL-2). Treated patients, studied over
      periods of 20-60 weeks, showed no improvement in colony formation at any time
      interval, even in plates supplemented with exogenous IL-2. However, mitogen
      stimulated T lymphocytes showed a significant increase in the capacity to express
      IL-2 receptors (CD25). This enhanced expression resulted primarily from
      activation of the CD8+ cell subset.

PMID- 1863402
TI  - Absence of a clinical correlation for complement-mediated, infection-enhancing
      antibodies in plasma or sera from HIV-1-infected individuals. Multicenter AIDS
      Cohort Study Group.
AB  - Neutralizing and complement-mediated infection-enhancing antibodies to HIV-1 were
      measured in sera or plasma from 54 HIV-1-positive individuals at various stages
      of disease, and from an additional 36 HIV-1-positive individuals for whom no
      clinical data were available. Antibodies were measured in microtiter infection
      assays utilizing MT-2 cells and the IIIB strain of HIV-1. The frequency of
      detection of both types of antibodies was identical, being 77 out of 90 cases
      (86%). Neutralizing and infection-enhancing antibodies were not always found
      together, and in four cases both were undetectable. No correlation was found
      between titers of either type of antibody and stage of disease. Furthermore,
      titers of infection-enhancing antibodies at early stages of disease did not
      predict rate of disease progression.

PMID- 1863404
TI  - Cellular profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of HIV-infected patients with
      pulmonary symptoms: relation to diagnosis and prognosis.
AB  - Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell differentials and T-lymphocyte subpopulations
      were analysed in 95 HIV-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms to determine
      whether the type of cellular inflammatory response could be useful in diagnosis
      or as a prognostic marker. Patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) had
      more BAL fluid lymphocytes, mainly comprising CD8+ cells, and patients with
      bacterial infection had more neutrophils than other patients. Neither of these
      changes were mirrored in peripheral blood. Seven patients who died after their
      acute episode of PCP had significantly higher BAL fluid neutrophils than 53
      patients with PCP who survived (P = 0.002). There seems to be correlation between
      BAL fluid neutrophilia, PCP and concomitant bacterial infection since four out of
      seven patients with a fatal outcome had coinfection with bacteria, whereas only
      one patient with PCP and bacterial coinfection survived (P = 0.0007).

PMID- 1863403
TI  - The prevalence of oral lesions in HIV-infected homosexual and bisexual men: three
      San Francisco epidemiological cohorts.
AB  - To establish the prevalence of HIV-related oral lesions, we performed oral
      examinations of members of three San Francisco epidemiological cohorts of
      homosexual and bisexual men over a 3-year period. Hairy leukoplakia,
      pseudomembranous and erythematous candidiasis, angular cheilitis, Kaposi's
      sarcoma, and oral ulcers were more common in HIV-infected subjects than in HIV
      negative subjects. Among HIV-infected individuals, hairy leukoplakia was the most
      common lesion [20.4%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 17.5-23.3%] and
      pseudomembranous candidiasis was the next most common (5.8%, 95% CI 4.1-7.5%).
      Hairy leukoplakia, pseudomembranous candidiasis, angular cheilitis and Kaposi's
      sarcoma were significantly more common in patients with lower CD4 lymphocyte
      counts (P less than 0.05). The prevalence of erythematous candidiasis and
      Kaposi's sarcoma increased during the 3-year period. Careful oral examinations
      may identify infected patients and provide suggestive information concerning
      their immune status.

PMID- 1863405
TI  - Expression of major histocompatibility complex and HIV antigens within the brains
      of AIDS patients.
AB  - HIV establishes a chronic infection in the central nervous system (CNS) of AIDS
      patients. The immunopathogenesis of this chronic encephalitis is unknown. Because
      of the importance of major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and class II antigens
      in modulating the immune response, we examined the tissue expression of MHC
      molecules in relation to CNS damage and expression of viral antigens. By
      immunocytochemical staining we found that beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M)
      expression is elevated in all cases with signs of viral encephalitis. beta 2M was
      expressed at high levels on endothelial cells, macrophages and possible
      oligodendroglia within regions of histopathology. In histologically normal
      regions elevated expression of beta 2M was noted only on endothelial cells. MHC
      class II expression was elevated only in the HIV encephalitis cases, and was
      restricted to macrophages/microglia and occasional endothelial cells. When
      compared with other viral encephalitides these findings suggest that the intra
      CNS immune response to HIV is appropriate for viral presentation; however, the
      absence of responsive systemic T cells may lead to chronic viral infection.

PMID- 1863406
TI  - Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and associated risk behaviours in clients of a
      needle-exchange in central London.
AB  - In order to determine the prevalence of risk behaviour for, and antibodies to HIV
      and hepatitis B in clients of a needle-exchange scheme in central London we
      employed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire along with salivary
      antibody testing by immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody capture immunoassay. Two
      hundred and thirty-two subjects (193 men, 39 women; median age 32) participated;
      a response rate of 89%. Clients were long-term, frequent injectors. Lending used
      equipment at any time was reported by 55%, and borrowing by 52%. Of those who had
      shared needles and syringes during the last year, the majority had lent to, or
      borrowed from, one person only (53 and 55%, respectively). Younger clients (less
      than 29 years of age) reported more recent sharing than older clients (greater
      than 30 years of age). Five out of 211 (2.4%) samples tested for anti-HIV were
      positive. One hundred and eleven out of 199 (56%) samples were positive for anti
      hepatitis B core (HBc). In this population of needle-exchange attenders there is
      no evidence of further spread of HIV, and a low prevalence of HIV infection
      appears to have been sustained. However, the high prevalence of anti-HBc provides
      evidence of previous risk behaviour and so constant vigilance is necessary if
      further viral spread is to be avoided. This study has established an acceptable
      method for the anonymous surveillance of current risk behaviour and salivary
      antibodies to HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in a drug-using population.

PMID- 1863407
TI  - Evaluation by women consulting in a family planning centre of their risk of HIV
      infection.
AB  - In order to assess women's self-perception of their risk of infection by HIV,
      research was performed among 654 women who had consulted in a family planning
      centre in the Paris region. Of the 452 (69%) women who took part in this
      research, 77% considered themselves as 'not at risk of carrying the AIDS virus',
      11% as 'at risk' and 12% did not give a specific answer. The most important risk
      factors noted by the patient and the doctor were found to be the number of
      partners, the use of syringes and the non- or faulty use of condoms. Estimates of
      the risk of infection by physicians had a high correlation with those of the
      women, although there were wide differences between the opinions of the six
      doctors involved. In one case out of three the doctors were unable to decide
      whether or not their patient was at risk. The evident difficulties experienced by
      these physicians show an urgent need for the development of specific medical
      training programmes. The seroprevalence of 2.4% of HIV infection among the women
      studied, and 1.1% of those who consulted during the study period, confirm the
      importance of carrying out specific studies on women consulting in family
      planning centres.

PMID- 1863408
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid and serum neopterin and biopterin in D-retrovirus-infected
      rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): relationship to clinical and viral status.
AB  - Increases in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neopterin concentrations
      accompany many inflammatory diseases, including infection with HIV-1 and may
      reflect activation of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) cyclohydrolase 1 by gamma
      interferon and other cytokines. In the present study, macaques with clinical
      simian AIDS (SAIDS) infected with the immunosuppressive type-D retrovirus
      D/1/California had increased concentrations of CSF neopterin but not of biopterin
      beginning soon after seroconversion. Normal neopterin concentrations in the CSF
      were found in macaques with SAIDS-related complex as well as asymptomatic,
      viremic macaques. CSF biopterin, serum neopterin and serum biopterin
      concentrations of D/1/California-infected macaques were not different from the
      levels in control animals. The increase in CSF neopterin may reflect local
      inflammatory responses and paralleled previously documented changes in L
      tryptophan metabolism in these macaques. However, the absence of macrophage
      infiltrates in the brain of the infected macaques suggests a non-macrophage
      source of both increased CSF neopterin and tryptophan metabolites in the SAIDS
      macaques.

PMID- 1863409
TI  - Testing of saliva for antibodies to HIV-1.
AB  - To determine whether saliva is a potentially useful sample for screening for HIV
      infection when serum is not obtainable, saliva and serum samples from 50 HIV
      infected and 50 uninfected subjects were tested for antibody to HIV-1 (anti-HIV
      1) using a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Abbott)
      and prototype antibody-capture ELISA (Wellcome). Of saliva specimens from HIV
      infected people, six gave negative results on the Abbott and one on the Wellcome
      assays; all specimens from uninfected people were negative by both assays.
      Sensitivity for the Abbott assay was therefore 88.0% [95% confidence interval
      (Cl) 76.2-94.4%], an unacceptable level for screening purposes. Sensitivity for
      the Wellcome assay was 98% (95% Cl 89.5-99.6%), a more satisfactory level for
      population screening. Further validation of this technique is necessary, and of
      methods for collection of saliva specimens in particular.

PMID- 1863410
TI  - Selection of primers of optimal sensitivity for the detection of HIV-1 from
      Africa and Europe by polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - In order to facilitate the detection of integrated HIV-1 proviral DNA from
      African as well as European patients, four new primer pairs for use in the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR), localised in the gag, pol, vif and env genes of
      HIV-1, were constructed. The primer pairs were compared to all accessible HIV-1
      sequences from African and European isolates and to some of the earlier published
      and most commonly used primer pairs. HIV-1 DNA was detected in blood drawn from
      13 out of 13 individuals infected in Africa, in three out of three Tanzanian HIV
      1 isolates and in three out of three asymptomatic Swedes infected in Europe. The
      new selection of primer pairs can be used as an alternative to enhance the
      detection of HIV-1 of different origins.

PMID- 1863411
TI  - Risk factors for HIV among prostitutes in Chiangmai, Thailand.
AB  - The discovery of a 44% (44 out of 100) prevalence rate of HIV infection among
      female prostitutes working in brothels in Chiangmai in Thailand in June 1989,
      prompted this follow-up study in August to confirm the high prevalence rate and
      to look for risk factors for infection. We studied 238 female prostitutes working
      in 14 brothels and confirmed this high prevalence rate. Eighty-seven (36.5%) out
      of 238 prostitutes were found to be HIV-positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay with IFA or Western blot confirmation. Logistic regressions found a
      significant association between HIV infection and frequency of sexual intercourse
      greater than 3 times per day [odds ratio (OR) = 2.82, 95% confidence interval
      (CI) = 1.47-5.41], sexual service charge less than 150 Baht (OR = 9.1, 95% CI =
      2.9-33.3), and post sexual cleansing with water alone (OR = 3.85, 95% CI = 1.90
      7.80). Of 56 women found seronegative in the June survey, 35 were re-tested in
      the August study. Seven (20%) of them were seropositive, giving an HIV
      seroconversion incidence rate of 10% per month. The findings of this study
      prompted intensive health education programmes among prostitutes, their
      customers, and owners of brothels.

PMID- 1863412
TI  - Sulfadiazine-induced crystalluria in AIDS patients with toxoplasma encephalitis.
AB  - Toxoplasma encephalitis is the most common opportunistic infection of the central
      nervous system in patients with AIDS. The treatment of choice is a combination of
      sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. We present here four patients with AIDS treated
      for toxoplasmic encephalitis who developed sulfadiazine-induced crystalluria.
      This complication was rapidly reversible with rehydration and urine
      alkalinization. Patients with AIDS treated with high doses of sulfadiazine should
      be adequately hydrated, and their urinary pH maintained above 7.5 to prevent
      sulfadiazine-induced crystalluria.

PMID- 1863413
TI  - Syphilis treatment response in HIV-infected individuals.
AB  - The adequacy of treatment for syphilis has routinely been evaluated by the
      serological response, i.e. the rapid plasma reagin test (RPR). Since the
      description of AIDS and HIV aspects of both the natural history of syphilis and
      the response of Treponema pallidum to treatment have come under increased
      scrutiny. With concurrent epidemics of HIV and syphilis in New York City, a
      serological case-control study was done to determine whether HIV-infected
      individuals given treatment for primary or secondary syphilis have a modified
      serological response. All study participants had primary or secondary syphilis
      and paired specimens available for testing. Cases were defined as people who were
      HIV-positive and were compared with controls who were HIV-negative. HIV-infected
      patients with primary syphilis when compared with HIV-negative controls were less
      likely to have a fourfold or greater RPR decrease or seroreversion within 6
      months of treatment [15 out of 28 versus 153 out of 210; odds ratio = 0.4, P less
      than 0.05]. Cases and controls with secondary syphilis had similar serological
      responses after treatment for syphilis. Although this study adds to the growing
      body of literature which suggests that HIV may alter the RPR response,
      prospective studies are needed to determine definitively whether HIV alters the
      serological response to therapy in patients with early syphilis.

PMID- 1863414
TI  - Effects of prostaglandin E2 on replication of HIV-1 in human peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells.

PMID- 1863416
TI  - Zidovudine treatment increases erythrocyte adenosine deaminase activity.

PMID- 1863415
TI  - Twice-weekly dapsone-pyrimethamine for preventing PCP and cerebral toxoplasmosis.

PMID- 1863417
TI  - Invasive external otitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in two patients with
      AIDS.

PMID- 1863418
TI  - Intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi: a new case report in
      an AIDS patient.

PMID- 1863419
TI  - Radiosensitivity of HIV-1--potential application to sterilization of bone
      allografts.

PMID- 1863420
TI  - Neurological manifestations of HIV-1 infection.

PMID- 1863421
TI  - Structure of 1% copper(II)-doped dichlorobis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)zinc(II).
AB  - [Zn0.99Cu0.01Cl2(C5H8N2)2], Mr = 328.43, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 13.587 (1), b =
      7.1324 (7), c = 16.356 (2) A, beta = 112.87 (1) degrees, V = 1460.4 (5) A3, Z =
      4, Dm = 1.50 (1), Dx = 1.492 g cm-3, mu(Mo K alpha, lambda = 0.71073 A) = 20.8 cm
      1, F(000) = 672.0, T = 297 (1) K, R = 0.028 for 1782 unique observed reflections.
      The structure contains discrete dichlorobis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)zinc(II)
      molecules. Pseudotetrahedral N2Cl2 coordination about zinc is effected by
      coordination to two imidazole and two chloride ligands. The Zn-N [2.006 (3),
      2.008 (3) A] and Zn-Cl [2.2509 (8), 2.2468 (8) A] distances lie within +/- 0.01 A
      of those in the structurally similar compound [ZnCl2(imidazole)2]. Angles within
      the coordination sphere L-Zn-L' range from 105.39 (7) to 115.37 (8) degrees. The
      N-Zn-N angle [115.37 (8) degrees] is 5-10 degrees larger than those for several
      [ZnL2Cl2] complexes where L is imidazole, 4-substituted pyridine or 3,5
      dimethylpyrazole.

PMID- 1863422
TI  - Structures of two conformationally defined phenylethanolamines: exo-1,4-epoxy-2
      formamido-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8-trifluoromethylnaphthale ne and exo-1,4-epoxy-2
      formamido-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-trifluoromethylnaphthale ne.
AB  - (+/-)-exo-1,4-Epoxy-2-formamido-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8- trifluoromethylnaphthalene
      (1), C12H10F3NO2, Mr = 257.21, Pccn, a = 8.895 (1), b = 19.968 (5), c = 12.656
      (3) A, V = 2247.9 (8) A3, Z = 8, Dx = 1.520 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069
      A, mu = 1.49 cm-1, F(000) = 1056, T = 297 K, R = 0.0466 for 1481 independent
      reflections collected. The torsion angle for N(10)-C(2)-C(1)-C(8a) is 167.4 (2)
      degrees. (+/-)-exo-1,4-Epoxy-2-formamido-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-
      trifluoromethylnaphthalene, (2), C12H10F3NO2, Mr = 257.21, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a =
      8.52 (2), b = 26.15 (2), c = 5.06 (5) A, V = 1127 (11) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.516 g cm
      3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 1.29 cm-1, F(000) = 528, T = 297 K, R =
      0.108 for 932 independent reflections collected. The torsion angle N(10)-C(2)
      C(1)-C(8a) is 172.5 (6) degrees; the formamido group in both (1) and (2) is exo.
      X-ray studies on (1) suggest a hydrogen bond between N(10) and O(12) and
      similarly for (2).

PMID- 1863423
TI  - Absolute configurations of three ent-beyerene derivatives.
AB  - (1): 11 beta,17-Bis(4-bromobenzoyloxy)-9 beta-hydroxy-ent-beyerene, C34H38Br2O5,
      Mr = 686.5, orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 6.1686 (12), b = 14.613 (3), c =
      32.935 (7) A, V = 2969 (1) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.536 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) =
      0.71069 A, mu = 27.43 cm-1, F(000) = 1408, T = 173 K, R = 0.0347 and wR = 0.0358
      for 3064 reflections [Io greater than or equal to 3 sigma(Io)]. (2): 7 beta,17
      Bis(4-bromobenzoyloxy)-9 beta-hydroxy-ent-beyerene, C34H38Br2O5, Mr = 686.5,
      monoclinic, P2(1), a = 12.6424 (15), b = 6.8353 (12), c = 18.496 (2) A, beta =
      101.901 (9) degrees, V = 1564.0 (4) A3, Z = 2, D chi = 1.458 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K
      alpha) = 0.71073 A, mu = 26.03 cm-1, F(000) = 704, T = 173 A, R = 0.0336 and wR =
      0.0361 for 4610 reflections [Io greater than or equal to 3 sigma(Io)]. (3): 17-(4
      Bromobenzoyloxy)-9 beta,11 beta-epoxy-7 beta-hydroxy-ent-beyerene, C27H33BrO4, Mr
      = 501.5, orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 6.1315 (7), b = 18.389 (3), c = 21.109
      (3) A, V = 2380.0 (6) A3, Z = 4, D chi = 1.399 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) =
      0.71073 A, mu = 17.38 cm-1, F(000) = 1048, T = 198 K, R = 0.0325 and wR = 0.0344
      for 2292 reflections [Io greater than or equal to 3 sigma(Io)].(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863424
TI  - Structure of two polymorphs of 2-methyl-3,4'-bipyridin-6(1H)-one.
AB  - C11H10N2O, Mr = 186.22. Polymorph (I) monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 7.574 (1), b =
      11.132 (2), c = 11.437 (2) A, beta = 94.90 (1) degree, V = 960.8 (5) A3, Z = 4,
      Dx = 1.287 Mg m-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069 A, mu = 0.079 mm-1, F(000) = 392,
      T = 293 K, R = 0.058 for 2335 observed reflections. Polymorph (II) monoclinic,
      P2(1)/c, a = 6.7897 (7), b = 13.449 (2), c = 10.736 (1) A, beta = 108.644 (8)
      degrees, V = 928.9 (2) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.331 Mg m-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71069
      A, mu = 0.082 mm-1, F(000) = 392, T = 293 K, R = 0.047 for 1952 observed
      reflections. The molecular conformations in the two polymorphs are similar and
      the torsion angle C(2)--C(1)--C(1')--C(2') is 58.9 (2) and 54.1 (2) degrees for
      (I) and (II), respectively. Both structures contain centrosymmetric hydrogen
      bonded dimers of molecules with the pyridone ring NH groups acting as donors and
      the keto O atoms as acceptors with N...O distances of 2.776 (2) and 2.765 (1) A
      for (I) and (II), respectively.

PMID- 1863425
TI  - Huperzine A--a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor of use in the treatment of
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Huperzine A, 9-amino-13-ethylidene-11-methyl-4-azatricyclo [7.3.1.0(3,8)]trideca
      3(8),6,11-trien-5-one, C15H18N2O, Mr = 242.32, monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 8.8574
      (6), b = 12.1833 (7), c = 12.4278 (7) A, beta = 99.956 (5) degrees, V = 1320.9
      (1) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.22 g cm-3, lambda(Cu K alpha) = 1.54178 A, mu = 5.75 cm-1,
      F(000) = 520, T = 296 K, RF = 6.30% for 1402 reflections with Fo greater than or
      equal to 5 sigma(Fo) and 183 parameters. The pyridone ring is planar and the
      stereochemistry of the C(11)--C(12) double bond is E.

PMID- 1863426
TI  - Structure of (+/-)-aminoglutethimide.
AB  - (+/-)-3-(4-Aminophenyl)-3-ethyl-2,6-piperidinedione, C13H16N2O2, Mr = 232.3,
      monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 16.895 (2), b = 8.519 (1), c = 8.762 (1) A, beta = 95.71
      (1) degree, V = 1254.9 (2) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.23 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) =
      0.71069 A, mu = 0.785 cm-1, F(000) = 496, T = 294 K, R = 0.064 for all 3676
      reflections. The molecule is L shaped with the p-aminophenyl and the
      piperidinedione groups forming the vertical arm and the base, respectively. The
      polar imide half of the piperidinedione group is in front of the L for the active
      + enantiomer and at the back for the less-active - enantiomer. The structure is
      very similar to that of phenobarbital. Intermolecular interactions include one
      strong and one weak hydrogen bond and an apparent interaction between one of the
      amino H atoms with the pi cloud of the phenyl ring.

PMID- 1863427
TI  - Structure of aqua-hexakis(mu 2-benzoato)-bis(methanol)-mu 3-oxo-triiron(III)
      benzoate ethanol methanol solvate.
AB  - [Fe3(O)(C7H5O2)6(CH3OH)2(H2O)]-[C7H5O2]-C2H5OH-CH3OH (1/1/1), Mr = 1191.56,
      triclinic, P1-, a = 11.591 (3), b = 13.308 (2), c = 20.154 (3) A, alpha = 96.910
      (12), beta = 96.95 (2), gamma = 114.10 (2) degrees, V = 2767.1 (9) A3, Z = 2, Dx
      = 1.43 g cm-3, mu = 8.471 cm-1, Mo K alpha radiation, lambda = 0.7107 A, F(000) =
      1234, T = 198 K, R = 0.0522 for 6252 reflections [Fo greater than or equal to 4
      sigma (Fo)]. The complex has nearly D3h symmetry with two coordinated CH3OH
      molecules and one coordinated H2O molecule. The coordination around the Fe atoms
      is essentially octahedral. Each Fe atom lies slightly out of the plane of the O
      atoms of the bridging benzoates and is directed towards the mu 3-O atom. The
      average Fe--O distances are 1.907 (2) A for the mu 3-O atom and 2.010 (1) A for
      the benzoate O atoms.

PMID- 1863428
TI  - Structure of a key intermediate in the asymmetric synthesis of (+)-KDO.
AB  - Methyl 3-deoxy-7,8-O-(1-methylethylidene)- 1-O-(phenylmethyl)-alpha-D-manno-2
      octalopyranoside cyclic carbonate, (1), C20H26O8, Mr = 394.42, orthorhombic,
      P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 10.667 (3), b = 10.7972 (14), c = 16.509 (5) A, V = 1901.4 (8)
      A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.38 g cm-3, mu = 0.9960 cm-1, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.7107 A,
      F(000) = 840, T = 298 K, R = 0.0355 for 2248 reflections, Fo greater than or
      equal to 4[sigma (Fo)]. The X-ray structure was undertaken to confirm the
      stereochemistry of the substituents on the six-membered pyranose ring. The two
      rings are cis-fused with ring junction torsion angles of -18.7 (3) degrees for C2
      C3-C8-C9 and -18.2 (2) degrees for O4-C3-C8-O7. The six-membered ring assumes a
      slightly distorted twist conformation while the fused five-membered ring is in
      the half-chair conformation. The isopropylidene moiety is in the envelope
      conformation.

PMID- 1863429
TI  - Interactions between fluoride and plaque in the remineralization of enamel caries
      like lesions.
AB  - The effect of fluoride and plaque, separately and together on the
      remineralization of early artificial caries lesions was studied in a group of
      volunteers in a double-blind randomized study design. Artificial caries lesions
      produced in slabs of human enamel were mounted buccally in silver bands cemented
      bilaterally to the mandibular first molar teeth. Volunteers wore the bands for
      two 2-week periods, rinsing daily with either a placebo or a 500 ppm fluoride
      mouthrinse. Plaque accumulation was encouraged by placing Dacron gauze over one
      of each pair of slabs. Sections were cut from the lesions and analyzed by
      microradiography followed by microdensitometry and image analysis.
      Microdensitometric data revealed that non-significant increases in mineralization
      had occurred in all of the test groups. However, the image analysis results
      indicated that significant remineralization had occurred in lesions after 2 weeks
      on the fluoride rinse regimen, with no significant remineralization in lesions
      exposed to the placebo. The presence or absence of plaque over the lesions had no
      effect on the amount of remineralization induced on the fluoride rinse regimen.

PMID- 1863430
TI  - Effect of etching times and mechanical pretreatment on the enamel of primary
      teeth: an SEM study.
AB  - The purpose of this SEM study was to evaluate the micromorphology of the enamel
      of primary teeth etched for 15, 30, 60 or 120 seconds, with or without previous
      mechanical pretreatment. A total of 40 non-carious primary teeth were used. One
      half of the facial surface of each tooth was ground with a #169 diamond bur
      mounted in a high-speed handpiece. The other half was left intact. A 37%
      phosphoric acid gel was applied with a small brush to the facial enamel and left
      undisturbed for 15, 30, 60 or 120 seconds. Each group had 10 teeth. All teeth
      were examined under the SEM. The results revealed that etching time had no
      significant effect on the micromorphology of the enamel surface of primary teeth.
      Grinding the enamel with the diamond bur before etching produced a uniform
      distribution of prismatic structure regardless of the etching time. If the enamel
      surface was not ground, a "coral-like" porous retentive surface was apparent in
      most of the cases with no defined prismatic structure. The term "coral-like"
      enamel is a better descriptor of the etched "prismless" enamel surface while
      observed under the SEM.

PMID- 1863431
TI  - Enamel softening with Coca-Cola and rehardening with milk or saliva.
AB  - Rehardening effects by cow's milk and by secreted saliva were investigated, in
      situ, following softening of human enamel with an acidic beverage (Coca-Cola).
      Volunteers wearing orthodontic removable appliances participated in the study.
      The intra-oral test was chosen for measuring microhardness of enamel slabs
      inserted into the dental appliance. The softening and the rehardening degrees
      were defined as the alterations between initial- and experimental-microhardness
      value at the enamel surface. In addition, SEM photos were prepared from the
      initial and experimental stages. Exposure of enamel slabs to the acidic beverage
      during 1 hour had a softening effect as expressed by the hardness decrease and
      visualized by the SEM photo. Rehardening effects following milk or saliva
      exposures respectively were evident, presumably due to deposited organic and
      mineral material on the enamel surface.

PMID- 1863432
TI  - Effects of ferric and aluminum oxalates on dentin permeability.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of ferric oxalate, aluminum
      oxalate, or Tenure dentin conditioner, a marketed product containing aluminum
      oxalate, at reducing the permeability of human dentin in vitro. Topical treatment
      with these acidified agents or 2.5% nitric acid for 10, 30, or 60 seconds was
      compared. The results indicate that 10-second treatments of dentin with all
      agents increased dentin permeability. Extending the treatment to 30 seconds
      produced a decrease in dentin permeability for acidified aluminum and ferric
      oxalate with 60-second treatments being even more effective. Treatment with
      Tenure dentin conditioner for 60 seconds did not reduce dentin permeability as
      well as treatment with the other oxalate salts.

PMID- 1863433
TI  - Effect of interchanging automatic mixing tips on void formation for an automixed
      addition silicone impression.
AB  - This study examined the effect of interchanging mixing tips on void formation for
      impressions of an automixed addition silicone material. The impressions were made
      of a series of stainless-steel cylinders by two dentists. The voids were counted
      at a predetermined site with a binocular microscope. The results showed that
      there were no significant variations in the number of voids in impressions of the
      automixed addition silicone using the three different mixing tips. However, one
      dentist made impressions that had substantially less voids for all three mixing
      tips.

PMID- 1863434
TI  - Biocompatibility of a glass ionomer luting agent. 2. Crown cementation.
AB  - In this experiment, 64 crown preparations were made in four primates. Final
      impressions, die fabrication, wax patterns and castings were achieved using
      conventional established clinical and laboratory techniques. Vented and unvented
      crowns were cemented with a glass ionomer cement (GI) and a zinc phosphate cement
      (ZOP). Some preparations were protected with calcium hydroxide liquid. On the
      same animals, in teeth not used for crowns, Class V cavities were prepared and GI
      and ZOP inserted by means of a pressure technique imitating hydraulic pressure
      generated during crown cementation. After periods of 5 and 60 days, the animals
      were sacrificed, the jaws dissected, fixed in formalin and prepared for
      histological evaluation. Of the 64 cemented crowns, one was unaccounted for. Of
      the unvented crowns with GI (5 days), vented crowns with GI (60 days), unvented
      crowns with ZOP (60 days), Class V with ZOP (5 days) and GI (60 days) with a
      remaining dentin thickness (RDT) of less than 1 mm, inflammatory responses of
      greater than or equal to 1 degree (on a scale 1-4 degrees) were observed. The use
      of liquid calcium hydroxide reduced the intensity of the reactions, in particular
      when small RDTs were present. It can be concluded that when RDTs of 1 mm or more
      were present, the cements in all groups were non-toxic. When it is estimated that
      the RDT is less than or equal to 1 mm, the use of a calcium hydroxide liner is
      recommended. Placement of luting agents in Class V preparations with pressure
      resulted in reactions resembling crown cementation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1863435
TI  - Respirability, microstructure and filler content of composite dusts.
AB  - Dusts were generated from five composites, with two different shades each.
      Between 54 and 70 mass percent of the dust (60 to 92% of the particles) collected
      was respirable. The average particle size collected was 3.97 microns by mass (0.9
      microns by number of particles). Between 14 and 22% of the dust generated was
      respirable. Filler content of the respirable dust particles was within 3 mass
      percent of the amount of filler in each cured composite. Powder x-ray diffraction
      revealed that respirable dust particles collected from composites reported to
      contain crystalline silica fillers contain the same crystalline silica. The
      results indicate that improperly protected dental personnel who are regularly
      exposed to composite dusts generated during high-speed finishing of composites
      containing quartz filler may be at risk for developing silicosis. Dental
      personnel should wear masks specifically designed to filter respirable silica
      when finishing composite restorations with high-speed instrumentation.

PMID- 1863436
TI  - Otitis media with effusion in children. Binaural hearing before and after
      corrective surgery.
AB  - The masking-level difference (MLD) was investigated in a group of children having
      no known history of ear disease, and a group of children having a history of
      otitis media with effusion and hearing loss. The MLD is a psychoacoustic measure
      of the sensitivity of the auditory system to subtle interaural difference cues of
      time and amplitude and relates to the ability of the listener to detect and to
      recognize signals in noisy backgrounds. In the otitis media with effusion group,
      MLDs were measured both before and 1 and 3 months after the placement of pressure
      equalization tubes. The MLDs were often abnormally small in the otitis media with
      effusion group before surgery, when hearing loss was present. Significantly, MLDs
      sometimes remained abnormally small after surgery (after normal hearing had
      returned). The postsurgery MLD was particularly likely to be abnormally reduced
      in subjects who had experienced asymmetric losses of hearing.

PMID- 1863437
TI  - Composite free flaps in oromandibular reconstruction. Review of the literature.
AB  - The transfer of vascularized bone containing free flaps is the most effective
      method of achieving a functional oromandibular reconstruction in the primary
      setting. All of the reported series on mandibular reconstruction using
      microvascular free flaps, totaling 513 cases, are reviewed. The collective
      success rates of free flap transfers compiled from these series have steadily
      increased to 96% during the latter portion of this review. The experimental
      studies demonstrating the viability of vascularized bone following an ischemic
      insult are presented. The issues regarding primary and secondary mandible
      reconstruction are reviewed. Each of the eight donor sites for vascularized bone
      are discussed and rated with respect to the ideal qualities of the bone and soft
      tissue components of a composite free flap to achieve an optimal oromandibular
      reconstruction.

PMID- 1863438
TI  - Oromandibular reconstruction using microvascular composite free flaps. Report of
      71 cases and a new classification scheme for bony, soft-tissue, and neurologic
      defects.
AB  - We describe 71 cases of oromandibular reconstruction using microvascular
      composite free flaps. There was an overall flap success rate of 94%, while 97% of
      the patients in this series had their mandibles reconstructed with free
      vascularized bone flaps. Fifteen patients were rehabilitated with implant-borne
      dental prostheses. Primary repair of discontinuity defects of the inferior
      alveolar nerve using a variety of nerve grafts was performed in 16 patients. A
      new classification scheme for composite defects of the oral cavity involving
      bone, soft tissue, and neurologic defects is proposed and applied in the
      description of each of the patients in this series.

PMID- 1863439
TI  - Immediate mandibular replacement using reconstruction plates.
AB  - Mandibular reconstruction at the time of tumor resection remains a surgical
      dilemma. Primary reconstruction allows for immediate reconstitution of mandibular
      form and function. Various methods have been attempted, but none enjoys uniform
      success. With advances in the field of microvascular surgery have come numerous
      options in replacing these defects. These procedures, however, require special
      surgical teams and are associated with an increase in operative time as well as
      morbidity at the donor site. An alternative method involves the use of mandibular
      reconstruction plates to bridge the defect between segments. This review focuses
      on 19 patients whose jaws were reconstructed in this fashion. Although not free
      of complications, mandibular plate reconstruction offers the advantages of (1)
      lack of donor site morbidity, (2) expediency, (3) excellent mandibular contour,
      and (4) the ability to reconstruct the condyle when necessary. The technique,
      results, and complications associated with this procedure are discussed.

PMID- 1863440
TI  - 'Medial maxillectomy' for lateral nasal wall neoplasms.
AB  - Lateral rhinotomy and "medial maxillectomy," an en bloc resection of the medial
      maxillary sinus, ethmoid sinus with the lamina papyracea, medial orbital floor,
      and lacrimal fossa-duct, have been advocated for lateral nasal wall neoplasma.
      Experience with 35 (of 41) patients followed up at least 30 months (median, 57
      months) postoperatively is reported. There was a 9% recurrence for benign tumors
      and 15% for malignant neoplasms, the latter only in the patients with nonmelanoma
      malignant neoplasms not receiving postoperative radiotherapy. The most frequent
      complications were cavity crusting, epicanthal scarring, and epiphora.

PMID- 1863441
TI  - Suprahyoid pharyngotomy for oropharynx cancer including the tongue base.
AB  - Suprahyoid pharyngotomy has been utilized as the standard approach to tongue base
      cancer not involving the larynx or mandible for the last 6 years at the
      Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston, Mass. Review of 15
      patients revealed that all had advanced disease (stage III and stage IV); 14
      cases involved the tongue base, and one was on the posterior pharyngeal wall. By
      following the hyoepiglottic ligament, precise entry into the vallecula was
      routine. No injuries of vital neurovascular structures or compromised tumor
      margins were present; one tracheotomy was performed. Primary closure without the
      use of flaps was accomplished in 14 of 15 patients. No locoregional recurrences
      were found, with a median follow-up of 25 months. However, two patients died of
      another unrelated cancer, and two patients died of a myocardial infarction
      unrelated to their surgery. Suprahyoid pharyngotomy is a familiar approach often
      utilized during laryngectomy. In our experience, it provides excellent exposure
      of the oropharynx, can be combined with a transoral approach to avoid
      mandibulotomy without precluding this option, allows for simple reconstruction,
      and has a low complication rate.

PMID- 1863442
TI  - Osteogenic sarcoma of the head and neck. The UCLA experience.
AB  - Eighteen cases of osteogenic sarcoma of the head and neck were treated at our
      institution between 1955 and 1987. The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 73 years,
      with a median age of 28 years. The sex distribution was equal. Follow-up ranged
      from 1 to 276 months, with a median of 79 months. The primary site of the tumor
      was the mandible in nine cases, maxilla and paranasal sinuses in six, skull in
      two, and orbit in one. Six of 18 patients were free of disease with greater than
      5 years of follow-up. Four of the six received combined surgery, radiation
      therapy, and chemotherapy as their primary treatment. Of the five patients
      treated with surgery alone, four suffered recurrences, one of whom was salvaged
      with further surgery and chemotherapy. Five patients were treated initially
      without surgery. They received radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy;
      all five developed local recurrence. We conclude that osteogenic sarcoma of the
      head and neck is an aggressive tumor, prone to both local and distant failure.
      Based on our series and from published experience involving the extremities,
      osteogenic sarcoma of the head and neck should be managed with multimodality
      therapy.

PMID- 1863443
TI  - Gax collagen as an adjunctive measure for the incontinent myomucosal shunt.
AB  - Clinically important aspiration following the creation of a phonatory myomucosal
      shunt has occurred in 16% of our cases. Gax collagen was used in three cases
      therapeutically with excellent results. We report the technique used, the
      properties that make it efficacious, and the case specifics.

PMID- 1863444
TI  - Gender influences subsite of origin of laryngeal carcinoma.
AB  - The relationship of gender to laryngeal cancer is not well understood. We
      analyzed 688 laryngeal cancers diagnosed in Kansas from 1980 through 1989 for sex
      differences in subsite distribution (glottis, supraglottis, subglottis, and
      laryngeal cartilage) as well as survival, histologic grade, and age at diagnosis.
      The ratio of glottic to supraglottic tumors was 22.12:1 in men and 0.56:1 in
      women, a highly significant difference. Survival in glottic tumors was
      significantly better than in supraglottic tumors, but survival was not
      significantly better for women than it was for men. Glottic tumors were
      significantly more likely than were supraglottic tumors to be of low-grade
      malignancy for all subjects and for male subjects alone, but not for female
      subjects alone. Women were younger at time of diagnosis than were men, but not
      significantly so. Gender is an important factor in the genesis of laryngeal
      cancer.

PMID- 1863445
TI  - Modified approach for ethmoid and anterior skull base surgery.
AB  - The use of combined craniofacial resection is well established for tumors of the
      ethmoid bone and the anterior aspect of the base of the skull. Mobilization of
      the medial fronto-orbital ridge improves the transbasal approach and can be
      performed with a monobloc bone flap. We describe an en bloc bifrontal craniotomy
      including the supraorbital ridges and the nasal bones. This provides a wider
      angle of approach to the anterior aspect of the base of the skull than any other
      method and avoids retraction of the frontal lobes. This type of bone flap
      procedure can be performed after a wide periosteal dissection in the coronal area
      of the scalp alone, without facial skin incision.

PMID- 1863446
TI  - Nasal tip projection. Quantitative changes following rhinoplasty.
AB  - Fifty-one patients were enrolled in a study and underwent primary rhinoplasty.
      Serial nasal tip projection measurements were made preoperatively,
      intraoperatively, and 6 months postoperatively. Actual changes in measured nasal
      tip projection were evaluated with respect to preoperative goals and specific
      procedures used to accomplish these goals in the nasal tip. Several useful
      observations are made from these data: (1) The most important components of nasal
      tip projection in the postsurgical nasal tip are the medial crura, their
      attachment to the caudal septum, and the presence of additional cartilaginous
      grafts placed between the medial crura or beneath the crural feet. (2) Actual
      nasal tip projection will decrease postoperatively, unless measures to increase
      the length and strength of the medial crural segment are taken (ie, McCollough
      modified Goldman tip procedure, cartilage struts, plumping grafts, etc),
      regardless of the preoperative goal. (3) The double-dome unit procedure is
      effective in narrowing the wide or bulbous lobule but alone does not permanently
      increase nasal tip projection. (4) Conservative tip procedures, such as a
      complete strip, result in decreased nasal tip projection and should therefore be
      used in patients in whom retrodisplacement of the nasal tip is the intended
      result.

PMID- 1863447
TI  - Punctal occlusion and blepharoplasty in patients with dry eye syndrome.
AB  - Blepharoplasty and inferior punctal occlusion were performed on 24 consecutive
      patients with dry eye syndrome. Fifteen patients (62.5%) had symptomatic dry eye
      syndrome preoperatively and nine patients (37.5%) had asymptomatic dry eye
      syndrome diagnosed during the preoperative workup (subclinical dry eye syndrome).
      After surgery, nine patients (37.5%) had improvement of their dry eye syndrome,
      10 patients (42%) were unchanged, and two patients (8%) had worsening of their
      dry eye syndrome. A third patient had worsening of the dry eye syndrome 6 months
      postoperatively when her puncta reopened. Two patients (8%) had increased
      irritation only when wearing contact lenses, but in one patient this resolved 6
      months after surgery. Thus, although a significant number are improved, a few
      patients will have worsening of dry eye syndrome after blepharoplasty and
      inferior punctal occlusion.

PMID- 1863448
TI  - Crack cocaine burns of the larynx.
AB  - Burn injuries of the larynx are a previously unrecognized complication of cocaine
      abuse. The clinical presentations and magnetic resonance imaging findings of two
      patients are presented. Recognition of this entity is important to avoid errors
      in diagnosis and in management.

PMID- 1863449
TI  - Histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi's disease).
AB  - Histiocytic necrotizing lymphandenitis (HNL), or Kikuchi's disease, is a newly
      recognized disease of unknown origin that causes cervical lymphadenitis, usually
      in young women. Initially described in Japan, cases of HNL are being reported in
      the United States and other western countries with increasing frequency. Symptoms
      of HNL include tender cervical adenopathy, fever, weight loss, and night sweats.
      Laboratory studies reveal leukopenia with relative granulocytopenia and
      lymphocytosis. Lymph node biopsy reveals areas with frank cellular necrosis,
      karyorrhexis, and absence of plasma cells. The histologic features of HNL are
      distinctive but can be confused with those of lymphoma. We describe two cases of
      HNL and present recommendations for diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1863450
TI  - Pathologic quiz case 1. Tracheal agenesis (TA) (Floyd's type II).

PMID- 1863451
TI  - Effectiveness of radon control techniques in fifteen homes.
AB  - Radon control systems were installed and evaluated in fourteen homes in the
      Spokane River Valley/Rathdrum Prairie and in one home in Vancouver, Washington.
      Because of local soil conditions, subsurface ventilation (SSV) by pressurization
      was always more effective in these houses than SSV by depressurization in
      reducing indoor radon levels to below guidelines. Basement overpressurization was
      successfully applied in five houses with airtight basements where practical-sized
      fans could develop an overpressure of 1 to 3 Pascals. Crawlspace ventilation was
      more effective than crawlspace isolation in reducing radon entry from the
      crawlspace, but had to be used in conjunction with other mitigation techniques,
      since the houses also had basements. Indoor radon concentrations in two houses
      with air-to-air heat exchangers (AAHX) were reduced to levels inversely dependent
      on the new total ventilation rates and were lowered even further in one house
      where the air distribution system was modified. Sealing penetrations in the below
      grade surfaces of substructures was relatively ineffective in controlling radon.
      Operation of the radon control systems (except for the AAHX's) made no
      measureable change in ventilation rates or indoor concentrations of other
      measured pollutants. Installation costs by treated floor area ranged from
      approximately $4/m2 for sealing to $28/m2 for the AAHX's. Based on the low
      electric rates for the region, annual operating costs for the active systems were
      estimated to be approximately $60 to $170.

PMID- 1863452
TI  - [Research by the Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria in the neurosciences and its
      impact in European programs].

PMID- 1863453
TI  - [Primary intraventricular hemorrhage in the adult].
AB  - Forty two instances of primary intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) out of overall
      592 cases of intracerebral hemorrhages diagnosed by CT in 1980-1989, to evaluate
      the general prognosis attributable to PIVH and its factors. The mortality rate
      was 23.8%, and persistent residual disability was small or absent in 59.5% of
      patients. The prognosis was influenced by the clinical status at admission and
      the magnitude of ventricular bleeding. We conclude that PIVH is comparatively
      benign.

PMID- 1863454
TI  - [Multifocal demyelinating neuropathy with persistent conduction blocks and
      continuous muscular activity].
AB  - A patient developed an initially asymmetric sensory-motor neuropathy, with
      definite predominance in upper limbs. The examination also disclosed a markedly
      impaired muscle relaxation. The neurophysiological study showed conduction blocks
      with continuous muscle activity consisting of myokymias fasciculations and muscle
      cramps which disappeared after the anesthetic block of the distal nerve segments.
      In the sural nerve biopsy significant abnormalities were not found. After
      prednisone and carbamazepine therapy in usual doses the symptoms reverted and the
      conduction blocks persisted. Neuropathy with persistent conduction blocks is an
      uncommon disease which exceptionally results in a clinically apparent syndrome of
      continuous muscle activity. Its recognition is important, as symptoms can
      disappear after correct therapy.

PMID- 1863455
TI  - [Spongiform encephalopathy and multisystemic degeneration].
AB  - Onset of a neurological disease was coincidental in two members of a family. The
      mother died at the age of 57 and her daughter at the age of 27 years. Clinically
      the disease was manifested by cerebellar ataxia, visual disturbances, dystonic
      movements and intellectual impairment which appeared very later in the course of
      the disease in the younger patient. Myoclonus was only observed in the mother.
      The EEG examination revealed non-specific abnormalities. CT scans disclosed
      severe cerebellar atrophy and reduced size of the pons in the daughter. The
      duration of the disease was 7 months in the mother and 3 years in her daughter.
      The neuropathological examination showed degeneration of the thalamus, substantia
      nigra and inferior olives, together with loss of Purkinje cells and axonal
      torpedos in the granular layer of the mother. Olivopontocerebellar atrophy,
      atrophy of the thalamus and substantia nigra, associated to typical spongiform
      encephalopathy of the cerebral cortex, amygdaloid complex and striatum occurred
      in the daughter. These observations let us to comment whether multisystemic
      atrophies may be fortuitously associated to different prion-induced
      encephalopathies, or may be found in the context of spongiform encephalopathies.

PMID- 1863456
TI  - [Proposal for a protein redistribution diet in the control of motor fluctuations
      in Parkinson's disease: acceptance and efficacy].
AB  - Some patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and fluctuations of motor response to
      levodopa therapy may benefit by avoiding proteins during daytime meals, while
      leaving them unrestricted until bedtime. The acceptance and benefits of a protein
      redistribution diet (PRD) was studied in 26 PD patients whose fluctuations were
      refractory to current medications. Only 15 patients (57.2%) were still adhered to
      the diet 3 months later. Non compliance was more often justified on the basis of
      the changes in alimentary habits, as a too heavy supper (37%), scanty variation
      of meals (27%) and difficulties in preparing the diet (18%), rather than do to
      adverse effects of the diet on PD which occurred in 2 patients (exacerbation of
      the dyskinesias and lack of effectiveness, respectively). The PRD proved
      beneficial to 67% of those patients able to keep adhered to it, 4 patients
      shifting to stable responses. Five diet-benefit patients who performed daily "on
      off" charts decreased their mean daily "off" time from 13 to 3 % (p less than
      0.05), but "on" time quality remained unimproved by the diet. The PRD introduces
      a heavy change in dietary habits which is not readily accepted by many PD
      patients. However, the fact that fluctuations disappeared in one fourth of those
      able to maintain the diet warrants a closely supervised, short-time trial to
      identify those in whom benefits override the inconveniences of such new changes
      in the patient's way of life.

PMID- 1863458
TI  - [Locked-in syndrome].

PMID- 1863457
TI  - [Transitory locked-in syndrome].

PMID- 1863459
TI  - [Mesencephalic hematoma with a benign course].

PMID- 1863460
TI  - [Hemifacial tonic contraction secondary to an extra-axial tumor of the posterior
      fossa].

PMID- 1863461
TI  - [Platelets and cerebral ischemia].

PMID- 1863462
TI  - [Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Asturias].
AB  - An epidemiological study of multiple sclerosis carried out in Gijon (Principado
      de Asturias). It had the methodological peculiarity of having been performed in a
      reduced population of 81,462 individuals selected from the primary health care
      centers from which they depended. This permitted a better case finding and both a
      prospective and retrospective investigation. In the prospective period, the
      incidence found was 0.49/100,000/year, while it was 1.59 in the retrospective
      period. The reasons for this difference are discussed. The prevalence was
      23.32/100,000. We attribute the fact that this rate is higher than that
      previously reported for Spain to methodological and perhaps geographical reasons.

PMID- 1863463
TI  - [Symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma. Analysis of 68 cases treated surgically
      with small craniotomy and placement of a closed drainage system].
AB  - Sixty eight cases of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) surgically treated
      (December 1984-December 1988) with twist drill craniostomy (3-4 mm) and
      application of a closed drainage system (CDS) are reviewed. The patients were
      distributed in four groups depending on the density of the hematoma: hypodense
      (36 cases), isodense (6 cases), of mixed density (22 cases) and hyperdense (4
      cases). In about one third of patients (25 cases) the duration of symptoms was
      shorter than one week, in 21 cases it was between one week and one month, and in
      22 patients it was longer than one month. 77.95% of cases had a preceding head
      injury. Headache and motor deficits were the leading symptoms, being present in
      43 (63.2%) and 42 (61.7%) cases, respectively. Twelve patients (17.6%) were
      comatose on admission. Twelve patients required reoperation. Six patients died
      (8.8%). The preoperative neurological status and associated systemic diseases
      influenced the outcome. We think that limited craniostomy with CDS is the therapy
      of choice for symptomatic CSDH.

PMID- 1863464
TI  - [Effect of atmospheric factors on the presentation of cerebrovascular accidents].
AB  - The concept of meteoropathy implicates the atmospheric properties as determining
      or at least provoking causes of different disease conditions. Thus, we know that
      changes in temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity rate are associated
      with a higher incidence of stroke presentation. Considered as a whole, these
      three atmospheric factors have been associated with the several clinical
      diagnoses of stroke. A higher presentation rate of stroke has been found when the
      three following facts concurred: a reduction of 10 degrees (C) in the temperature
      of the preceding day, an increase of the atmospheric humidity rate from 20% to
      60% on the day of stroke, and an increase in atmospheric pressure of 6 mlbs from
      the preceding day (s = 0.0000). In addition, a higher rate of presentation of
      stroke was found when the difference in atmospheric pressure was 16 mlbs between
      the day of stroke and the preceding one (s = 0.049). Also, when the atmosphere
      humidity rate increased from 20% to 60%, the difference in mean temperature
      between the day of stroke and the preceding one was 3 degrees (C), and the
      atmospheric pressure increased in 6 mlbs, the incidence of stroke was higher (s =
      0.007). We compare these findings with those from other authors.

PMID- 1863465
TI  - [Cerebral infarction in young people: etiological and diagnostic aspects].

PMID- 1863466
TI  - [Recurrent amyotrophic neuralgia with an unusual clinical expression. Clinical
      and electrophysiological study].
AB  - Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) is an entity with great variability in its neurological
      expression. The patient reported here developed symptoms of NA one year before
      admission, with anterior interosseous nerve palsy. At the time of examination she
      reports pain in the left upper limb followed by sensory loss over lateral
      antebrachial cutaneous nerve. Electrophysiologic examination showed signs of
      chronic denervation in the right anterior interosseous nerve muscles, and reduced
      amplitude of the sensory nerve action potential of the left lateral antebrachial
      cutaneous nerve. This case confirms the variety of the nerve involvement in NA,
      and suggests axonal focal lesions of nerve fascicles or individual peripheral
      nerve affectation.

PMID- 1863467
TI  - [Multiple cerebral infarctions during a migraine attack].
AB  - Two cases of migraine complicated with ischemic cerebral infarct are reported.
      Both met the established criteria for the diagnosis: definite history of
      classical or common migraine, development of an ischemic infarct during the
      crisis, duration of deficit lasting more than 24 hours and absence of other
      causes of cerebrovascular disease. Several laboratory examinations were carried
      out: routine blood tests, coagulation study, immunological study, serological
      tests for syphilis, ECG, echocardiogram, cerebral CT, and nuclear magnetic
      resonance imaging and angiography. The most remarkable finding in these two
      patients were multiple cerebral infarcts in different vascular territories. This
      fact is exceptionally reported in the literature. The clinical outcome of the
      patients was characterized by the virtually complete reversal of neurological
      deficit.

PMID- 1863468
TI  - [Myasthenia and dysphagia].

PMID- 1863469
TI  - [Proportional hemi-acroplegia and localization to the pyramidal tract of the
      internal capsule].

PMID- 1863470
TI  - Expression in yeast of a cDNA clone encoding a transmembrane glycoprotein gp41
      fragment (a.a. 591-642) bearing the major immunodominant domain of human
      immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - A cDNA clone corresponding to the gp41 gene fragment nucl. 7573-7730 of the human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was selected from a random HIV-1 genomic
      library expressed in yeast. This clone encodes a 52-residue long peptide (amino
      acid (a.a.)) 591-642) bearing the major immunodominant domain (a.a. 598-609) of
      the HIV-1 transmembrane glycoprotein gp41. Expression of the recombinant peptide
      pSE-env591-642 was driven by the alpha-mating factor leader sequence contained in
      a plasmid pSE-x allowing the synthesis and secretion of foreign gene product in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Time-course analysis of the secretion into culture
      medium revealed an optimal production of the glycoprotein fragment at 28-30 h
      with no observable cytotoxicity. The secreted peptide is highly glycosylated with
      NH2-terminal heterogeneity probably due to different post-translational
      modifications. The secreted peptide shows an extreme antigenicity since in ELISA
      assays, as few as 5 microliters/well of crude supernatant are sufficient to
      obtain a strong detection by monoclonal antibodies or by 100% of sera from HIV
      infected individuals. The purified glycopeptide pSE-env591-642 binds to a
      monoclonal antibody directed against the immunodominant epitope (a.a. 603-609)
      with an affinity similar to that of the complete glycoprotein gp160 (Kd values
      within the 10(-10) M range) and with a 100-fold higher affinity than that of a
      linear peptide fragment SP-env584-609. These results indicate that overexpression
      in yeast can efficiently provide an abundant source of highly antigenic gp41
      protein fragment pSE-env591-642 which retains the antigenic properties of the
      native gp160 protein. Such a recombinant peptide should therefore be considered
      as a good candidate for antigen in HIV detection tests.

PMID- 1863471
TI  - Variations in cytotoxicity and isoenzyme patterns of uncloned and cloned cultures
      of axenic Entamoeba histolytica.
AB  - Five clones of axenic Entamoeba histolytica (HMI) grown as discrete colonies in
      semisolid agar medium were adapted in liquid medium and labelled as HMI-C121, HMI
      C131, HMI-C143, HMI-C144 and HMI-C145. The clone HMI-C121 was more cytotoxic to
      the cultured Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cells while all other clones were
      significantly (P less than 0.001) less cytotoxic as compared to the cloned HMI
      C121 and uncloned E. histolytica (HMI). The uncloned Indian axenic E. histolytica
      (KCG:0986:11) as well as E. histolytica (NIH:200) cultures were significantly (P
      less than 0.001) less cytotoxic to cultured BHK cells. No difference in the
      electromobility of maleate NADP oxidoreductase (ME) or glucophosphate isomerase
      (GPI) isoenzyme in the lysates of all the cloned and uncloned cultures of E.
      histolytica was observed. The clones HMI-C121, HMI-C131, HMI-G143 and HMI-C144
      had three bands of hexokinase (HK) while all uncloned cultures and one of clones,
      HMI-C145 had only two bands. Though cloned and uncloned cultures had a single PGM
      band, the relative electromobility (rf) of phosphoglucomutase (PGM) for clone HMI
      C131, HMI-C143 HMI-C144 was relatively less (rf 0.075) and these were also
      significantly (P less than 0.001) less cytotoxic to BHK cells as compared to
      clone HMI-C121. It is felt that axenic E. histolytica culture consists of several
      populations (clones) and expression of isoenzymes pattern or cytotoxic potentials
      would depend upon the population which predominantly multiples and outgrows other
      populations in the culture system.

PMID- 1863472
TI  - Circulating immune complexes in experimental syphilis and their relation to
      immunological response against Treponema pallidum.
AB  - It was found that circulating immune complexes (CIC) were formed in rabbits at
      different times after infection with Treponema pallidum. The CIC which appeared
      at the beginning of the disease were short-lived (2-6 weeks) but those appearing
      later than 20 weeks after infection remained for 10-25 weeks. CIC contained both
      IgM and IgG classes of immunoglobulin. The antibodies present in CIC were found
      to be specific and nonspecific for T. pallidum. The presence of CIC led to a
      marked decline of treponemal antibodies in rabbit sera. The cell-mediated immune
      response measured by the macrophage migration inhibition (MMI) test at the
      beginning of the disease (up to 12 weeks) was not decreased. However, when
      syphilis lasted for more than 14 weeks and when CIC were formed mainly from IgG,
      a distinct decrease in the ability of lymphocytes to cause MMI was observed.
      These findings strongly suggest that IgG-complexes suppress the immunological
      responsiveness of lymphocytes against T. pallidum which in turn facilitates the
      multiplication of treponemes in the host.

PMID- 1863473
TI  - Color Doppler sonography of the scrotum.
AB  - Color Doppler sonography is a noninvasive, rapidly performed, and relatively
      inexpensive imaging technique for use in the diagnosis of scrotal pathology. Its
      major and proven role is in the evaluation of patients with acute scrotal pain,
      for which it is likely to become the primary imaging modality. Further work is
      needed to determine whether color Doppler is a useful diagnostic adjunct in
      evaluating patients with varicoceles and scrotal masses.

PMID- 1863474
TI  - Acute diseases of the scrotum.
AB  - Several imaging modalities are available for evaluating the patient with acute
      scrotal pain. Until recently, scintigraphy was the initial procedure of choice in
      most patients, as it was the only noninvasive technique for determining integrity
      of blood flow to the testicle. Ultrasound was valuable when the scintiscan was
      inconclusive or in the setting of scrotal trauma. With the advent of color
      Doppler sonography, information about both structure and blood flow can be
      obtained by means of a single imaging study. If initial promising results with
      this newer technique are borne out, color Doppler is likely to become the primary
      diagnostic test in patients with acute scrotal pain. The role of MRI and MRS has
      yet to be defined.

PMID- 1863475
TI  - Ultrasound of the nonacute scrotum.

PMID- 1863476
TI  - The penis.

PMID- 1863477
TI  - Evaluation of impotence.

PMID- 1863478
TI  - Imaging of the external male genital tract.

PMID- 1863479
TI  - Imaging of the external male genital tract.

PMID- 1863480
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of the scrotum.
AB  - MRI demonstrates exquisite anatomical detail of the entire scrotum and inguinal
      region, adding a new dimension to the assessment of scrotal disease. MRI allows
      the recognition and distinction of intrascrotal structures and clearly displays
      their alteration in disease states. MR interpretation is based on a constellation
      of intrascrotal findings. A specific diagnosis frequently can be made from the MR
      results combined with the clinical presentation. On the other hand, MR is more
      expensive and time consuming than sonography and access in many geographic areas
      is still limited. MRI may be helpful when ultrasound is inconclusive or fails to
      demonstrate a clinically suspected lesion. In the author's experience, when MR
      has been the first imaging modality used, ultrasound has not been needed to reach
      a diagnosis.

PMID- 1863481
TI  - [Biochemistry of galactosialidosis].

PMID- 1863482
TI  - [Effects of cerebral cortical lesions on the ipsilateral thalamus].
AB  - An injury to the central nervous system causes a focal logical disturbance, and
      further may affect the blood flow, metabolism, and function of other brain
      regions. Recent studies using PET or SPECT have demonstrated that impairment of
      regional hemodynamics or metabolism in cerebrovascular disease involves not only
      the site of the lesion itself but also more remote areas. Although depression of
      the metabolism of the ipsilateral thalamus in patients with cerebral cortical
      lesions has been shown by PET study, the pathophysiological implications of this
      remain unclear. The functional and morphological effects of cortical infarcts on
      the ipsilateral thalamus were studied by assessment of cerebral blood flow using
      123I-IMP SPECT and by determining atrophic changes on CT or MRI. Nine out of 17
      patients with cortical infarcts showed hypoperfusion of the ipsilateral thalamus,
      especially patients with larger infarcts involving the frontal or parietal
      cortex. Thalamic hypoperfusion persisted from early after the insult to several
      months or even years later. In addition, atrophy of the ipsilateral thalamus was
      not uncommon following larger cortical infarcts. This tended to be evident about
      1 year after the infarct and progressed over several years. Furthermore, atrophic
      changes in the thalamus was often demonstrated in such patients as hypoperfusion
      in the later stages. Thus, cortical lesions had functional and morphological
      effects on the ipsilateral thalamus ranging from early hypoperfusion to later
      irreversible atrophic changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863483
TI  - [Estimation of prognosis in patients with putaminal hematoma].
AB  - In order to determine the factors affecting the functional prognosis of operated
      putaminal hematoma patients, the relationship between the final outcome and the
      acute stage clinical factors were analyzed by the use of multimodality analysis
      method (Hayashi's Qualification Type 2). Forty-five consecutive cases who
      admitted to and operated on during the last two years were included in this study
      (30 male and 15 female patients, the distribution of age was 40 to 75 years old).
      Clinical factors just prior to surgery were collected from the case record and
      categorized to calculate the Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient
      against the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Five clinical factors with the correlation
      coefficient above 0.5 (Edinbugh 2 coma scale (0.85), light reflex (0.67),
      respiratory status (0.61), age (0.58) and the side of the lesion (0.50) were used
      to apply the Hayashi's Qualification Type 2 analysis. By this method, each
      categories are given scores so that the different outcome separate maximally. The
      correct estimation ratio for outcome was 100% for good recovery, 30% for
      moderately disabled, 50% for severely disabled and 88% for death, over all
      correct estimation ratio being 69%. The mean scores for each outcome were 1 +/-
      0.01 for good recovery (9 cases), 0.74 +/- 0.32 for moderately disabled (10
      cases), 0.6 +/- 0.36 for severely disabled (10 cases) and -0.16 +/- 0.37 for dead
      (16 cases). There were statistical significance (p less than 0.01) between each
      outcome except for moderately disabled and severely disabled.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863484
TI  - [Two cases of pure agraphia developed after thalamic hemorrhage].
AB  - We have observed two cases suffered from left thalamic hemorrhage, that showed
      pure agraphia. The first case was a 49 year-old, right handed male, who was
      educated through 11th grade. The CT scan revealed left thalamic hemorrhage with
      ventricular casting. The second case was a 48 year- old, right handed male, who
      was educated through 9th grade. The CT scan revealed left thalamic hemorrhage
      which is smaller than that of the first case, without intraventricular rupture.
      With a standard neuropsychological evaluation performed at chronic stage, neither
      cases showed oral language disorder, apraxia and agnosia. On the Wechsler Adult
      Intelligence Scale, total IQ of the first and second case were 71 and 80
      respectively. Each case developed severe writing disorder. The first case showed
      severe neographism and scrawl, mild literal paragraphia, which were frequently
      accompanied with perseveration. The second case showed literal paragraphia and no
      response, but neographism was not detected. The common characteristics of both
      cases were; 1) intact copy writing. 2) discrepancy between difficulty in writing
      "Kana" and that in "Kanji". 3) anosognosia of agraphia. The cerebral blood flow
      study by 123I-IMP Single photon emission computed tomography revealed low
      perfusion of the left cerebral hemisphere in both cases. From these findings, we
      concluded that dysfunction of the left cerebral cortex is responsible for
      producing agraphia in these cases.

PMID- 1863485
TI  - [Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in an autopsy case of head trauma with long
      survival].
AB  - The authors reported a clinico-pathological case survived 11 months after a
      traffic accident. A 41-year-old man had been hit by a motor car and was found in
      a state of semicoma. On admission, his consciousness level was III-100 to 200
      (Japan Coma Scale). Pupils were isocoric; light reflex was present. Linear
      fracture of occipital bone was disclosed by Skull X-ray and subarachnoid
      hemorrhage was revealed on CT scan. This comatose state, lasting 24 hours, slowly
      improved and eventually he presented the so-called Korsakoff's syndrome until his
      death. He could not recognized his relatives, only uttered some meaningless
      words. He was unable to obey simple verbal orders. The patient was incontinent
      and right pyramidal sign was positive. On repeated CT scans, cerebral ventricles
      gradually increased in size; especially the enlargement of the fourth ventricle
      was remarkable. He expired of septic shock caused by bed sores. At autopsy brain
      weighed 1190 g. Old gloss contusional scars were observed on the bilateral
      frontal lobes including the orbital area and on the left temporal pole. Gliding
      contusions were revealed in the subcortical white matter beneath the left
      superior frontal convolution. Fibrillary gliosis was noted in this region, the
      deep white matter underlying the left temporal pole and the tissue surrounding
      the anterior horn of the left lateral ventricle. Nerve fibers were fragmented and
      lacerated at corpus callosum, anterior commissure and posterior limb of the left
      internal capsule. Bilateral pyramidal tracts showed mild myelin pallor at the
      brainstem. Loss of Purkinje cells were observed. This case would correspond to
      mile type of diffuse axonal injury proposed by Adams and Gennarelli. (ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863486
TI  - [Transient focal abnormalities of MRI and angiographic neuroimaging in status
      epilepticus: case report].
AB  - We reported transient changes in computed tomography (CT), angiography and
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in a patient with status epilepticus,
      referred to us with a tentative diagnosis of neoplasma based on CT, MRI and
      angiographic findings, MRI showed increased signal intensity, and CT showed
      decreased left hemisphere attenuation without enhancement. Two months later,
      resolution of these radiological and clinical abnormalities had been attained.
      The transient CT and MRI changes probably represented focal cerebral edema,
      developing during focal status epilepticus.

PMID- 1863487
TI  - Desquamative gingivitis: revisited.
AB  - Desquamative gingivitis is a clinical condition which can encompass a variety of
      histopathologies. It has not yet been established whether desquamative gingivitis
      is a distinct hormone-mediated disease entity or a variety of dermatologic
      diseases (i.e. pemphigus vulgaris, benign mucous membrane pemphigoid, etc.). In
      this manuscript the epidemiologic, clinical, histopathologic, immunologic and
      etiologic aspects as well as possible therapeutic modalities for the management
      of hormone-mediated desquamative gingivitis are examined.

PMID- 1863488
TI  - Dentist draws on practice for comic ideas.

PMID- 1863489
TI  - The dilemma of denture contamination.
AB  - Fourteen dentures from patients requiring new dentures were cultured, treated
      with Clorox/Cascade/H2O solution, Brushgard, Polident, or distilled water and re
      cultured. All 14 dentures were contaminated with multiple microorganisms. The
      Clorox/Cascade/H2O solution was most effective at decontamination with 71 percent
      of the treated dentures showing no growth of microorganisms. Brushguard showed no
      growth in 57 percent; Polident showed no growth in 36 percent; and water showed
      no growth in 14 percent. Of note, Brushgard, Polident, and water-treated dentures
      also allowed growth and predominance of other microorganisms that did not
      predominate on the original culture. The results of this study indicate that
      there is no product on the market at this time capable of consistently
      disinfecting the denture depths.

PMID- 1863490
TI  - Dental needs assessment survey: three Florida counties.
AB  - Dental needs assessment surveys were completed in three Florida counties (1987 -
      Lee County), (1988 - Pasco County) and (1989 - St. Lucie County). The data
      collected were then compared with the results from the national caries prevalence
      surveys in 1979-80 and 1986-87, by individual county and with the combined three
      county total. Visual tactile examinations were done using the Radlike criteria
      for the DMFS index and the WHO Treatment Needs Index. Schools were selected based
      on the percent of students enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program and by
      geographic distribution. Although there were age group differences within
      individual counties, the combined data showed every age group except the seven
      year olds at a lower DMFS mean level than the data from the 1986-87 national
      survey for Region IV. The differences range from -.20 surfaces in 8-year-olds to 
      .57 surfaces in 13-year-olds. None of the differences were statistically
      significant from the national surveys. This indicates that these small scale
      surveys are a reliable method for needs assessment.

PMID- 1863491
TI  - Hobby turns to 'capturing' yet protecting wildlife.

PMID- 1863492
TI  - Periodontics 1991. Periodontal regeneration--another opinion.

PMID- 1863493
TI  - Washington state adopts licensure 'by credentials' rules.

PMID- 1863494
TI  - What every dentist should know ... before signing a dental provider contract.
      Stop, read and consider before you sign.

PMID- 1863495
TI  - Update on oral and maxillofacial surgery.

PMID- 1863496
TI  - The fluoride risk: fact or fiction?

PMID- 1863497
TI  - MR imaging of pediatric hematologic disorders.

PMID- 1863498
TI  - Volumes of chronic traumatic frontal brain lesions measured by MR imaging and CBF
      tomography.
AB  - The volumes (ml) of chronic traumatic frontal brain lesions were compared
      measured "morphologically" with MR imaging (T1 and T2 weighted images) and
      "functionally" with a tomographic rCBF technique (SPECT with 133Xe i.v.). The T1
      volumes varied between 11 and 220 ml. The correlation between T1 and T2 volumes
      was 0.95, the T2 volumes being 33% larger than T1 volumes (p less than 0.001).
      The functional SPECT volumes were considerably larger (range 16-324 ml) than the
      MR volumes. The mean volume difference was 81% between T1 and SPECT images (p
      less than 0.001), and 35% between T2 and SPECT images (p less than 0.001).
      Correlations between the MR and SPECT volumes were also higher for T2 than T1
      volumes. The volume difference is most likely explained by a functional decrease
      in regions around the lesion in which no morphologic change visible on MR images
      had taken place. MR and SPECT volume measurements were positively related to
      persistent lack of energy and personality changes, but only moderately related to
      duration of impaired consciousness and neuropsychologic outcome.

PMID- 1863499
TI  - CT five years after myelographic diagnosis of lumbar disk herniation.
AB  - Fifty-seven patients were examined with CT 5 years after primary myelography for
      disabling sciatica and suspected herniated lumbar disk. Forty were in an operated
      group, 22 with good and 18 with poor results evaluated by occupational handicap
      (21) 5 years after surgery. Seventeen patients had myelography indicating disk
      herniation, but were treated conservatively, 9 with good and 8 with poor result.
      Various spinal dimensions measured at CT did not correlate with outcome. Operated
      patients had narrower canals than others, and male canals were broader than those
      in females. Increased amount of scar tissue at L4 level correlated with poor
      result (p = 0.008). Operated patients with poor result had more advanced lateral
      stenosis than those treated conservatively (p less than 0.001). Patients with
      good result after operation had more degeneration observed on CT of erector
      spinae muscle than those treated conservatively with good outcome. Only 9% of
      operated patients did not have muscle degeneration. A tendency for more frequent
      recurrent disk herniations could be seen for conservatively treated patients. The
      narrowing of the spinal canal 5 years after operation did not correlate with the
      5-year outcome.

PMID- 1863500
TI  - Short pancreas in polysplenia syndrome.
AB  - Two cases with the polysplenia syndrome also had a short pancreas. To the best of
      our knowledge the radiologic characteristics of this anatomic anomaly have not
      yet been reported. Both cases were asymptomatic with regard to their anomaly
      complex. The radiologic findings of the short "pancreas" are similar to the only
      pathologic description of this association. The awareness of this association led
      to the diagnosis of the second case after a few months only. A physician
      performing ERCP in the polysplenia syndrome should keep in mind the possible
      presence of the "short pancreas" when the whole length of the pancreatic duct is
      not visualized.

PMID- 1863501
TI  - Percutaneous local arterial thrombolytic infusion. Therapeutic effects and
      complications.
AB  - All complications occurring in 55 local thrombolytic infusions performed for
      (sub)acute limb ischemia using streptokinase (SK) in 22 procedures and urokinase
      (UK) in 33 procedures were recorded. Success was achieved in 74.5% of the
      procedures. Major complications occurred in 31.8% of the procedures using SK, and
      in 12.1% of the procedures using UK (p = 0.07). Hemorrhage was the most common
      major complication and occurred in 27.2% of SK procedures and in 9.0% of UK
      procedures, a difference which was not significant. Overall, 30 day mortality was
      16.3% and procedure-related death was 1.8%. Moderate complications necessitating
      only the adjustment of drug regimen and minor complications without consequence
      were observed in 45.5% and 45.5%, respectively, of the SK procedures, and in
      57.6% and 66.7% of the UK procedures.

PMID- 1863502
TI  - Transcatheter embolization of testicular vein for varicocele testis.
AB  - Percutaneous transcatheter embolization of the testicular vein was performed on
      28 patients with angiographically proven varicocele testis. In 2 patients
      bilateral and in 26 only the left vein was embolized using 3-, 5-, or 8-mm
      stainless steel coils. All patients had clinically palpable varicoceles and male
      infertility. The grade of varicoceles improved after embolization in 23 of 28
      cases (82%). Effective sperm count increased significantly from 34.5 +/- 44.6 to
      65.1 +/- 71.0 following embolization. However, pregnancy was achieved only in one
      of 28 cases. Technically, the basilic vein approach was felt to be superior to
      the femoral vein or jugular vein approach for this procedure.

PMID- 1863503
TI  - Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Case report of MR imaging and CT findings.
AB  - A case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is presented in which MR
      imaging and CT findings were characteristic. The signal intensity of renal cortex
      was lower than that of medulla on both T1- and T2-weighted imaging. On CT without
      contrast enhancement the attenuation of renal cortex was higher than that of
      renal medulla. These findings at MR imaging and CT were the results of a
      deposition of hemosiderin in the cells of proximal convoluted tubules, and were
      helpful for diagnosis of PNH.

PMID- 1863504
TI  - Characteristic fat-fluid level at ultrasonography of ovarian dermoid cyst.
AB  - An uncommon sonographic pattern was observed in 2 dermoid cysts. An echogenic
      upper and an echo-free dependent component were separated by a horizontal
      delineation, an observation that could be reproduced in a laboratory model. We
      believe that this finding is pathognomonic for a dermoid cyst.

PMID- 1863505
TI  - Renal effects of iopentol and iohexol after intravenous injection.
AB  - Renal effects of the 2 non-ionic contrast media iopentol and iohexol were
      investigated and compared in a double-blind, randomized parallel study where 30
      patients received iopentol, and 31 patients iohexol intravenously for abdominal
      CT. The dosage of contrast medium (350 mg I/ml) was 700 mg I/kg body weight. Only
      one patient (in the iohexol group) had an increase in serum creatinine of more
      than 50%. Iopentol and iohexol had no effects on the mean serum values of
      creatinine, urea, and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) nor on creatinine
      clearance. The urinary excretion of albumin and beta 2-MG was also unchanged. The
      excretion of the proximal tubular enzymes alkaline phosphatase and N-acetyl-beta
      glucosaminidase was increased. No significant difference between iopentol and
      iohexol was found.

PMID- 1863506
TI  - Absence of functional renal effects of uro-angiographic contrast media on post
      ischemic rat kidneys.
AB  - Water soluble ionic contrast media (CM) and glucose 5% were administered to
      Sprague-Dawley rats 36 hours after bilateral warm renal ischemia for 45 min. In
      all animals (n = 28) the renal ischemia caused a decrease of the absolute urinary
      creatinine output. Intra-arterial injection of glucose 5% or CM did not produce
      different patterns of absolute urinary creatinine output. The serum creatinine
      increased after 36 hours of reflow. When compared by means of a Mann-Whitney U
      test to a normal median serum creatinine obtained in a separate group of 22
      normal rats, the increase was statistically significant (p less than or equal to
      0.01). The serum creatinine medians returned to a normal level after 24 hours. It
      seems therefore that 45 min of warm renal ischemia and 36 hours of reflow is an
      insufficient challenge to the rat kidney for the detection of the nephrotoxic
      properties of CM as opposed to when CM are injected during ischemia.

PMID- 1863507
TI  - A radiologic reporting system for computer-aided diagnosis with associated
      database. Hokkaido University Diagnostic Information Processing System--HDIPS.
AB  - A reporting system which assists radiologists reporting on medical images and
      calculates alternatives of probable diseases was developed with proven
      applicability for CT and ultrasonography. The diagnostic information found by
      radiologists in various types of images is managed as a database in the reporting
      system and is also transferred to a medical record database, the HIS (Hospital
      Information System) of Hokkaido University Hospital. The reporting system
      supports both data conversion and transfer to the host computer of the HIS. The
      system has processed about 20,000 reports over the last 5 years. Here we present
      the efficiency of producing reports, the structure of the database, and the hit
      ratio of calculated diagnoses in this system.

PMID- 1863508
TI  - Common bile duct cancer with massive necrosis mimicking choledochal dilatation on
      CT. Case report.
AB  - Carcinomas of the common bile duct are usually seen as dilatation of the bile
      duct proximal to a solid mass on CT. In the case reported here, the common bile
      duct cancer itself mimicked dilated common bile duct on CT because of massive
      necrosis. In a case of simulating dilated common bile duct on CT, and discrepancy
      between CT and ultrasonography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography,
      a common bile duct cancer with massive necrosis should be included in the
      differential diagnosis.

PMID- 1863509
TI  - Limitations of quantitative CT in corticosteroid induced osteopenia.
AB  - Single energy spectrum quantitative CT (SES-QCT) was applied for the assessment
      of the trabecular bone mineral status in patients under long-term corticosteroid
      treatment. Seventeen renal graft recipients (RGR) and 12 patients receiving
      corticosteroid treatment for collagen disease were studied. A reduction of about
      40% in the spinal trabecular bone density relative to matched controls was found,
      associated with the corticosteroid administration. Repeated measurements showed
      significant reduction in density 4 months after transplantation, and an increase
      in density after graft rejection. Radiologic or clinical evidence of osteopenia
      in the spine was not found. Other noninvasive techniques, applied in the upper
      extremities of the RGR, showed only minor bone reduction compared to controls.
      The findings of the present study suggest that adipose tissue deposition in the
      spinal trabeculae can introduce errors in the measurements. Therefore, SES-QCT
      should not be applied during corticosteroid therapy.

PMID- 1863510
TI  - [NSF's extraordinary national assembly: marathon run with exciting final spurt].

PMID- 1863511
TI  - [Our privileged children--observations concerning an emergency clinic].

PMID- 1863512
TI  - [Professional Press Award 1990: "Journalen" at the front].

PMID- 1863514
TI  - [NSF's extraordinary national assembly: agreement on goals].

PMID- 1863513
TI  - [Ally of the deaf. Interview by Marit Fonn].

PMID- 1863515
TI  - [NSF's changed structure: blending of the old and new].

PMID- 1863516
TI  - [Ladies with experience].

PMID- 1863517
TI  - Quantitative measurement of uptake of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody by means
      of planar data.
AB  - Data obtained from planar images were used to measure the uptake of monoclonal
      antibody in organs and tumors. Background counts included in the region of
      interest were eliminated, and the attenuation of the photons emitted by the
      radionuclide through the intervening tissues was compensated for. The background
      counts and the intensity of the attenuation were determined from the results of
      phantom studies and numerical integration with a personal computer. The
      quantitative uptake of 111In labeled anti-melanoma Monoclonal Antibody (ZME-018)
      in a melanoma lesion, the liver, and the bone marrow of a patient was measured by
      the planar method which we developed.

PMID- 1863518
TI  - Availability and limitations of thallium-201 myocardial SPECT quantitative
      analysis: assessment as daily routine procedure for ischemic heart disease.
AB  - To determine the availability and limitations of the detection of ischemic
      lesions by stress thallium-201 myocardial SPECT as the daily routine procedure,
      we compared and evaluated the detectability of the quantitative analysis (%uptake
      and washout rate (WR)) and visual evaluation in 104 patients with effort angina
      and 17 normal subjects. Visual evaluation combined with WR analysis resulted in
      significantly higher sensitivity (88.0%) but lower specificity (60.2%) than the
      other methods. The sensitivity by visual evaluation was quite low in multivessel
      disease (MVD), and in the regions supplied by mild coronary stenosis or by the
      left circumflex artery. These were markedly improved by combining visual
      evaluation and WR analysis, but sensitivity in the MVD group was unsatisfactory
      even with this analytic method in comparison with the single vessel disease
      group. One of the causes of low sensitivity in the MVD group might be the "true
      negative": No induction of the ischemia in the regions of milder stenosis, or the
      regions supplied by the collateral coronary flow. We therefore conclude that the
      combination of visual evaluation as a qualitative analysis and WR analysis as a
      quantitative analysis, is the most useful daily routine procedure as a screening
      test for detecting ischemia.

PMID- 1863519
TI  - A study of ventricular contraction sequence in complete right bundle branch block
      by phase analysis.
AB  - Twenty-four patients with complete right bundle branch block (CRBBB) combined
      with and without left axis deviation (LAD) on ECG, were compared with 17 normal
      subjects to evaluate the right ventricular contraction sequence and pattern in
      detail. Blood pool scintigrams were obtained in the left anterior oblique
      projection, and these images were analyzed by first component Fourier harmonics.
      In the normal subjects, the phase value distribution representing the pattern of
      ventricular contraction was almost homogeneous in both the right and left
      ventricles (RV & LV). In the CRBBB patients without LAD, the phase images showed
      apparent phase delay in the right ventricle. In the CRBBB patients with LAD, the
      phase images showed many different contraction patterns varying from normal to RV
      phase delay, owing to the effects of the hemi-block. Quantitative analysis of the
      absolute values, showed that the mean (RV-LV) value was 6.6 +/- 8.4 msec in the
      normal subjects. In the CRBBB patients without LAD, the duration of the QRS
      complex correlated with the mean (RV-LV) value, whereas no difference was
      observed between the duration of the QRS complex and the standard deviation of
      the right ventricle. Using phase analysis the degree of the RBBB can be
      determined from the phase images, and can be quantitatively analyzed as in
      electrical studies.

PMID- 1863520
TI  - The role of gallium-67 imaging in the detection of foci in recent cases of fever
      of unknown origin.
AB  - We have assembled data from patients with fever of unknown origin who underwent
      gallium scintigraphy during the past 5 years in order to obtain a more current
      sampling of patients, and evaluated the role of gallium scintigraphy
      retrospectively. Of the 36 patients studied, gallium scintigraphy was positive
      and contributed to the detection of the foci or fever origins in 17 (47.2%). The
      ratio of neoplastic diseases with myeloproliferative and with lymphoproliferative
      disorders was relatively high compared with previous reports. However, gallium
      scintigraphy did not contribute to the diagnosis of collagen disease. With the
      ability to detect both inflammatory and neoplastic lesions, gallium scintigraphy
      was useful in detecting the foci of fevers of unknown origin.

PMID- 1863521
TI  - Clinical application of indium-111 antimyosin antibody and thallium-201 dual
      nuclide single photon emission computed tomography in acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - The significance of indium-111 antimyosin antibody and thallium-201 dual nuclide
      single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was evaluated in 7 patients
      with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who underwent emergency coronary
      angiography with successful revascularization by intracoronary thrombolysis.
      Indium-111 antimyosin antibody and thallium-201 dual nuclide SPECT was performed
      11 to 36 days after the onset of AMI. Antimyosin SPECT images delineated areas of
      myocardial necrosis in all 7 patients (100%), but planar images detected necrotic
      areas in only 4 of 7 patients (57%). Peak CPK-MBs of the 3 patients in which no
      necrotic area was detected by indium-111 planar image showed a tendency to be
      smaller. Indium-111 antimyosin antibody/thallium-201 overlap was observed in all
      patients. The area of overlap was at the center of necrosis in 4 patients (2
      anterior infarction, 1 inferior infarction, 1 inferolateral infarction) and at
      the peripheral portion in 3 patients (all 3 had inferior infarction). Indium-111
      antimyosin antibody and thallium-201 dual nuclide SPECT is useful in identifying
      the localization of myocardial infarction and the overlap of these tracers might
      reflect the presence of salvaged myocardium adjacent to the necrotic myocardium.

PMID- 1863522
TI  - Benzylic alcohols as stereospecific substrates and inhibitors for aryl
      sulfotransferase.
AB  - Aryl sulfotransferase IV catalyzes the 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate
      (PAPS)-dependent formation of sulfuric acid esters of benzylic alcohols. Since
      the benzylic carbon bearing the hydroxyl group can be asymmetric, the possibility
      of stereochemical control of substrate specificity of the sulfotransferase was
      investigated with benzylic alcohols. Benzylic alcohols of known stereochemistry
      were examined as potential substrates and inhibitors for the homogeneous enzyme
      purified from rat liver. For 1-phenylethanol, both the (+)-(R)- and (-)-(S)
      enantiomers were substrates for the enzyme, and the kcat/Km value for the (-)-(S)
      enantiomer was twice that of the (+)-(R)-enantiomer. The enzyme displayed an
      absolute stereospecificity with ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and with 2-methyl
      1-phenyl-1-propanol; that is, only (-)-(1R,2S)-ephedrine, (-)-(1R,2R)
      pseudoephedrine, and (-)-(S)-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanol were substrates for the
      sulfotransferase. In the case of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthol, only the (-)-(R)
      enantiomer was a substrate for the enzyme. Both (+)-(R)-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1
      propanol and (+)-(S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthol were competitive inhibitors of
      the aryl sulfotransferase-catalyzed sulfation of 1-naphthalenemethanol. Thus, the
      configuration of the benzylic carbon bearing the hydroxyl group determined
      whether these benzylic alcohols were substrates or inhibitors of the rat hepatic
      aryl sulfotransferase IV. Furthermore, benzylic alcohols such as (+)-(S)-1,2,3,4
      tetrahydro-1-naphthol represent a new class of inhibitors for the aryl
      sulfotransferase.

PMID- 1863523
TI  - Stereoselectivity of (R)- and (S)-hexahydro-difenidol binding to neuroblastoma
      M1, cardiac M2, pancreatic M3, and striatum M4 muscarinic receptors.
AB  - (R)-Hexahydro-difenidol has a higher affinity for M1 receptors in NB-OK 1 cells,
      pancreas M3 and striatum M4 receptors (pKi 7.9 to 8.3) than for cardiac M2
      receptors (pKi 7.0). (S)-Hexahydro-difenidol, by contrast, is nonselective (pKi
      5.8 to 6.1). Our goal in the present study was to evaluate the importance of the
      hydrophobic phenyl, and cyclohexyl rings of hexahydro-difenidol for the
      stereoselectivity and receptor selectivity of hexahydro-difenidol binding to the
      four muscarinic receptors. Our results indicated that replacement of the phenyl
      ring of hexahydro-difenidol by a cyclohexyl group (----dicyclidol) and of the
      cyclohexyl ring by a phenyl moiety (----difenidol) induced a large (4- to 80
      fold) decrease in binding affinity for all muscarinic receptors. Difenidol had a
      significant preference for M1, M3, and M4 over M2 receptors; dicyclidol, by
      contrast, had a greater affinity for M1 and M4 than for M2 and M3 receptors. The
      binding free energy decrease due to replacement of the phenyl and the cyclohexyl
      groups of (R)-hexahydro-difenidol by, respectively, a cyclohexyl and a phenyl
      moiety was almost additive in the case of M4 (striatum) binding sites. In the
      case of the cardiac M2, pancreatic M3, or NB-OK 1 M1 receptors the respective
      binding free energies were not completely additive. These results suggest that
      the four (R)-hexahydro-difenidol "binding moieties" (phenyl, cyclohexyl, hydroxy,
      and protonated amino group) cannot simultaneously form optimal interactions with
      the M1, M2, and M3 muscarinic receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863524
TI  - In vitro hydrolysis of RR,SS-threo-methylphenidate by blood esterases-
      differential and enantioselective interspecies variability.
AB  - Enantioselective in vitro hydrolysis of methylphenidate (MPH) by the blood
      esterases of seven mammalian species is reported. The species included rats,
      rabbits, dogs, cattle, horses, monkeys, and humans. In vitro incubations up to 8
      h were carried out in plasma, red blood cells, and whole blood of the various
      species. Enantioselective differences were evident among the different species on
      comparison of the data obtained from the three biological fluids. The esterases
      present in plasma appeared to show greater activity in the hydrolysis of MPH in
      all species where comparison with the other two biofluids was possible. Only in
      the case of humans did esterases present in plasma and red blood cells
      demonstrate opposite enantioselectivity in the hydrolysis of MPH. Thus after 8 h
      incubation, the RR-MPH/SS-MPH ratios in plasma and red blood cells were 0.31 and
      1.16, respectively.

PMID- 1863525
TI  - Collaborative study on the use of motility enrichment on modified semisolid
      Rappaport-Vassiliadis medium for the detection of Salmonella from foods.
AB  - A collaborative study was performed in 15 laboratories to evaluate the use of
      motility enrichment on modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis (MSRV) medium for
      rapid Salmonella detection in a variety of food products. The results of this
      procedure were compared with those obtained by the cultural procedure using
      Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broth as selective enrichment and modified brilliant
      green agar for selective plating. The tests were performed with Salmonella
      reference samples (SRS) as well as with naturally contaminated food products.
      When SRS were used without added food the productivity of both MSRV and RV was
      96%. When SRS were combined with reference samples containing competitive
      bacteria the productivity was 98% for MSRV and 95% for RV. In the tests with food
      samples the productivity of MSRV was 92% with SRS added to food and 96% with
      naturally contaminated samples, while the productivity of RV was 88% and 90%,
      respectively. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant
      difference between the procedures.

PMID- 1863526
TI  - DNA hybridization and latex agglutination for detection of heat-labile- and shiga
      like toxin-producing Escherichia coli in meat.
AB  - DNA-hybridization and latex-agglutination tests were used for screening of a
      group of Escherichia coli isolates for heat-labile enterotoxin (LT)- and shiga
      like toxin (SLT1 or VT1) -producing strains, respectively. Strains tested
      originated from 162 meat samples (poultry, pigs and beef) chosen at random.
      Additionally LT- and SLT1-producing reference strains were tested. The DNA
      hybridization technique allowed screening of large numbers of strains, whereas
      large scale testing of strains by latex agglutination was laborious. Of 800 E.
      coli strains tested by DNA hybridization none contained the gene encoding LT.
      Production of LT as tested by latex agglutination was not found. The gene
      encoding SLT1 was detected in 10 of the 800 isolates tested. None of these
      strains, however, showed cytotoxicity on Vero cells. Serotyping was done with
      sorbitol-negative E. coli strains, first by using the latex-agglutination test
      for O157 followed by complete serotyping. No E. coli of serogroup O157 were
      found. Therefore the results obtained also indicate that routine screening of E.
      coli isolated randomly from food for toxin production is not useful and should be
      limited to food-borne disease outbreaks with an etiology resembling an E. coli
      infection.

PMID- 1863527
TI  - Rates of detection of Salmonella and Campylobacter in meats in response to the
      sample size and the infection level of each species.
AB  - Pork, beef and chicken meat samples were collected from slaughter houses, poultry
      processing plants and meat shops. Rates of incidence of Salmonella spp.,
      Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli with respect to the sample size were compared
      and the most probable number for these species were determined. Salmonella spp.
      were detected in 69 (24.1%) of 286 chicken meat samples, in three (3.2%) of 94
      pork samples, and in one (1.9%) of 52 beef samples. With chicken meat, the rates
      of detection were: 19.9% in 25-g, 15.7% in 10-g, and 12.2% in 1-g samples. The
      populations in most probable numbers, that gave positive results in 31 (20.8%) of
      149 samples, ranged from 30 to 10(4) per 100 g, the majority (93.5%) being
      between 30 and 10(3) per 100 g. C. jejuni and C. coli were detected in 106
      (67.9%) of 156 chicken meat samples, in two (2.1%) of 94 pork samples, and none
      of 52 beef samples. The results obtained with different sample sizes of chicken
      were compared. Positive rates were 55.8%, 39.7%, 27.6% in 10 g, 1 g, and 0.1 g,
      respectively. The most probable numbers in 107 (68.6%) positives out of 156
      chicken samples examined ranged from 30 to 10(6) per 100 g: 46 (29.5%) contained
      between 10(2) and 10(3) per 100 g, 22 (14.1%) between 10(3) and 10(4) per 100 g,
      and the other 19 samples (12.2%) between 10(4) and 10(5) per 100 g.

PMID- 1863528
TI  - Effect of surface sterilization, fumigation and gamma irradiation on the
      microflora and germination of barley seeds.
AB  - Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and mercuric chloride (HgCl2) surface sterilization,
      methyl bromide and propylene oxide fumigation and gamma irradiation treatments
      were compared for their effectiveness in killing microorganisms on or within
      barley seeds. Surface sterilization with 12.5, 25 or 50% (v/v) NaOCl for 5, 15 or
      30 min, decreased Fusarium spp., Epicoccum purpurascens, and Bacillus spp. but
      did not kill Alternaria alternata. However, surface sterilization with 0.1 or
      0.2% (w/v) HgCl2 for 3 min significantly decreased A. alternata, Fusarium spp.
      and E. purpurascens but Bacillus spp. were only killed by 0.3% (w/v) HgCl2 used
      for 10 min, which also decreased seed germination. Aspergillus flavus inoculated
      onto barley seeds as spores, was completely killed by surface sterilization with
      NaOCl but not with HgCl2, while Fusarium culmorum was killed by both NaOCl and
      HgCl2 treatments. Fumigation with methyl bromide yielding a concentration-time
      product of 3000 mg h l-1 or with propylene oxide giving a concentration-time
      product of 2400 mg h l-1 eliminated all filamentous fungi but Bacillus spp. and
      yeasts survived, and both treatments adversely affected seed germination. Gamma
      irradiation at a dose of 4 kGy eliminated most Alternaria, Fusarium and Epicoccum
      spp. but a dose of 12 kGy was required to kill Bacillus spp., yeasts and
      Aureobasidium pullulans. Germination was improved slightly up to a dose of 8 kGy
      but gradually decreased with increase in dosage to 15 kGy of gamma irradiation.

PMID- 1863529
TI  - Rahnella aquatilis, a potential contaminant in lager beer breweries.
AB  - The species Rahnella aquatilis has been isolated mostly from water, soil, and, in
      a few cases, from human clinical specimens; little is known about its ecological
      role. The application of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins,
      DNA-DNA hybridizations and API 20 E systems has shown that Rahnella aquatilis
      might also be encountered as a contaminant in lager beer breweries.

PMID- 1863530
TI  - The microbiological quality of drinking water supplies of Izmir City: the
      incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica.
AB  - A total of 100 water samples collected from piped public supplies, wells with and
      without motor pumps, springs and commercially bottled spring waters were
      microbiologically examined. In order to determine microbiological quality,
      aerobic bacterial and coliform counts were estimated and the presence of
      Escherichia coli and Yersinia enterocolitica was investigated. Of the samples
      tested, 85 of them met the specifications set by TFR (Turkish Food Regulation)
      for coliforms, whereas 72 of them met the specifications for aerobic bacteria.
      The number of samples containing Y. enterocolitica and E. coli were found to be 6
      and 5, respectively.

PMID- 1863531
TI  - Inhibitory and stimulatory effects of cumin, oregano and their essential oils on
      growth and acid production of Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc
      mesenteroides.
AB  - Cumin at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% (w/w) stimulated growth and acid
      production of Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides in a liquid
      medium. Essential oil from cumin at high concentrations (300 and 600 ppm)
      inhibited growth and acid production of Lactobacillus plantarum. After a certain
      period, growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides was observed at all concentrations
      (150, 300 and 600 ppm) and its acid production was stimulated at 600 ppm. Oregano
      and its essential oil at all concentrations inhibited growth of both cultures.
      Acid production by Lactobacillus plantarum was stimulated by oregano spice.

PMID- 1863532
TI  - Magnesium inhibits the harmful effects on plants of some toxic elements.
AB  - Cadmium and aluminium ions - especially in acid soils - are taken up by plants
      which then become poisoned by them. As a result the roots of the plants become
      deformed, and the green parts become chlorotic and underdeveloped. The yield will
      thus be sharply reduced. Culture fluid and culture pot experiments have shown
      that the toxic effects can be inhibited by magnesium. Investigations have proved
      that the inhibition is competitive and is based on the antagonism of cadmium and
      aluminium towards magnesium. Toxic cadmium and aluminium concentrations in the
      soil can be decreased by the use of non-acidifying fertilizers, and inhibited or
      prevented with fertilizers containing magnesium, eg Agronit (28% N and 2.5% Mg)
      or Kardonit (28% N and 5.5% Mg) (Borsod Chemical Works). Cadmium and aluminium
      taken up by plants are equally detrimental to animal and human organisms through
      the nutrition chain. For example cadmium may cause sterility, while aluminium may
      be implicated in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Magnesium moderates the
      effects of these two toxic elements in the human organism as well as in plants.

PMID- 1863533
TI  - Comparative study of effects of magnesium and taurine on electrical parameters of
      natural and artificial membranes. VIII. Effect on the ultrastructure of human
      amniotic epithelial cells.
AB  - The ultrastructure of human amniotic epithelial cells from normal pregnancies, at
      term, was studied using transmission electron microscopy. The results were
      analysed by a stereological method which indicates the ratio between the volume
      of the intercellular space (R1, the microvilli (R2), and the podocytes (R3)
      versus the cell volume. At low concentration (2 mM), MgCl2 decreased R1 and R3
      and had no significant effect on R2. In contrast, taurine (2 mM) increased R1 and
      had no significant effect on R2 and R3. There is no vicarious action between Mg
      and taurine. These data are in contrast to the results obtained after
      electrophysiological studies, which indicates that the structural targets for Mg
      and taurine are different from the targets responsible for ionic transfer.

PMID- 1863534
TI  - Serum and intracellular electrolytes in patients with and without pain.
AB  - The effect of acute stress, with and without pain, on serum and mononuclear cell
      cation content was studied in 205 healthy women in their last trimester of
      pregnancy or during normal labour, in patients with acute medical conditions in
      which pain was or was not present, in acute surgical conditions, and immediately
      prior to elective surgery. In all subjects there was a fall in serum sodium,
      potassium, magnesium and calcium concentrations during stress, with an apparent
      shift into the intracellular space. An inverse correlation was present between
      the severity of pain and the fall in serum cations.

PMID- 1863535
TI  - Transient cerebral ischaemic attacks and calcium-magnesium imbalance: clinical
      and paraclinical findings in 106 patients under 50 years of age.
AB  - One hundred and six selected patients (71 women, 35 men) suffering from transient
      cerebral ischaemic attacks (TIA) when aged less than 50 years received a
      comprehensive diagnostic assessment. Patients were classified into three
      subgroups, into which 9% could be assigned in approximately equal proportions.
      These were group A; TIA patients with tetanic syndrome (median age of first TIA
      32 years, mainly female, 3.2 attacks per year and changing vascular area); group
      B; TIA patients with migraine (median age of first TIA 26 years, no predominance
      of male or female sex, 2.0 attacks per year and mostly in the same vascular
      area); group C: TIA patients suffering from premature arteriosclerosis (median
      age of first TIA 40 years, no predominance of male or female sex. 0.8 attacks per
      year and mostly in the same vascular area). Magnesium (P less than 0.001) and
      calcium (P less than 0.05) in plasma were reduced in group A, and magnesium (P
      less than 0.05) in group B, versus group C. The increased propensity to
      vasoconstriction appears to be an important pathogenic factor, particularly in
      group A, but also in group B.

PMID- 1863536
TI  - Long term effects of peak strenuous effort on serum magnesium, lipids, and blood
      sugar in apparently healthy young men.
AB  - Earlier findings showed a sustained lowering of serum magnesium concentration (S
      Mg) which indicated the presence of Mg deficit, and a parallel, delayed rise of
      blood sugar and serum lipids as a sequel to strenuous effort. S-Mg was still
      significantly decreased 3 months after termination of peak effort. To gain
      further perspective, we followed the biochemical sequels of exertion over an
      extended period of observation, while maintaining the same experimental
      conditions used earlier, which mimicked those employed in the training of
      military recruits. We examined two groups of military recruits, n = 15 (group 1),
      n = 16 (group 2), mean age 18.6, SD 1.3 and 18.7, SD 0.6, years respectively, who
      underwent a graded training programme of 7 months' duration culminating in a 120
      km forced march. Blood was sampled for estimation of S-Mg in 20 soldiers on
      recruitment, 6 and 10 months after the 120 km march in group 1, and 9, 11 and 15
      months after the march in group 2. Blood sugar and serum lipids were screened on
      recruitment and up to 11 months after the 120 km march. A significant lowering of
      mean S-Mg was found as late as 10 months after completion of the march in group
      1, and 11 months in group 2 (P less than 0.01). Mean serum cholesterol and
      triglycerides showed a delayed rise, especially in group 2 (P less than 0.05 and
      P less than 0.001, respectively), whereas blood sugar decreased in group 1, but
      increased in group 2 (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863537
TI  - New clinical and experimental aspects of intestinal magnesium transport.
AB  - Mg transport across various segments of the rat small and large bowel was
      measured in the absence of electrochemical gradients and using the voltage clamp
      technique. In the mucosa-to-serosa (ms) Mg flux across the duodenum, ileum, and
      colon a cellular part is involved, amounting to 40-70% of the total ms Mg flux
      measured across the short-circuited tissue. However, serosa-to-mucosa (sm) Mg
      flux is purely passive, suggesting that net Mg transport is largely determined by
      convectively driven Mg flux across the paracellular pathway. Mg is absorbed
      across the colon and ileum but in the duodenum paracellularly it is secreted due
      to an 'anomalous solvent drag effect'. Mg in the caecum decreases cellular ms Ca
      transport but in the other segments only passive ms Ca flux is reduced by a
      decrease of the paracellular permeability for Ca, or by a Mg-induced decrease in
      water absorption. Mg transport across all segments is insensitive to 1,25(OH)2D3.
      Dexamethasone abolishes cellular Ca transport but stimulates paracellular ms Mg
      flux in the duodenum. It is concluded that in the rat (a) Mg and Ca are
      transported by distinct cellular and paracellular mechanisms; (b) Mg transport is
      largely confined to the paracellular pathway; (c) the ileum and the colon are the
      major sites for the gut regulation of Mg homeostasis.

PMID- 1863538
TI  - A history of pediatric hematology/oncology in Canada.
AB  - In summary, the history of hematology/oncology in Canada is a varied one.
      Beginning in 1945 in hematology, it has gradually expanded to include oncology.
      The growth of this specialty has provided a high standard of medical care and
      free services to afflicted children and their families. A substantial amount of
      basic and clinical research is carried out in this field. A great deal of work
      remains to be done in Canada, as elsewhere, if the needs of all patients are to
      be met and the diseases afflicting them are to be adequately studied.

PMID- 1863539
TI  - Error in medication.

PMID- 1863540
TI  - Inflammatory pseudotumor of the lung in children.
AB  - Two children with inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) of the lung are reported.
      Symptomless "cystic" lesions were present on routine chest x ray. Morphological
      study of these peculiar lesions included light microscopic, immunohistochemical,
      and ultrastructural analysis. Histologic appearance of the lesion varied from the
      features of granulation tissue on the periphery to bundles of spindle-shaped
      cells in the central area. Immunohistochemical findings had no diagnostic value
      but were helpful in excluding other tumors. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed
      the mixed cellular composition and benign nature of the lesion. Etiopathogenesis
      of this process is unknown. IPT can be differentiated from similar lesions and
      must not be mistaken for malignant tumor. Proper treatment by complete surgical
      removal of the lesion usually cures the patient.

PMID- 1863541
TI  - Rhabdomyosarcoma with primary osteolytic lesions simulating non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma.
AB  - We report the case of an 8-year-old child presenting with the pathological
      fracture of two vertebral bodies due to bone lytic lesions. Physical and
      instrumental examinations did not show any further evidence of disease. However,
      bone marrow aspirate showed an infiltrate of poorly differentiated cells. When
      the child was transferred to the Department of Pediatrics, lymphoblastic leukemia
      was suspected. Although the morphology of the bone marrow biopsy could have
      suggested a lymphoblastic lymphoma, further immunochemical and immunological
      studies together with the study of tissue surface antigens resulted in a
      diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with an unusual presentation.

PMID- 1863542
TI  - Overdose of vinblastine in a child with Langerhans' cell histiocytosis: toxicity
      and salvage therapy.
AB  - The therapeutic index of antineoplastic agents is generally low, therefore,
      errors in administration can cause severe, life-threatening toxicity. The
      publication of cases of overdoses may provide useful information on the causes of
      the mistakes, on drug-induced toxic effects, and on salvage therapy. We report a
      case of vinblastine overdose in a child affected by Langerhans' cell
      histiocytosis, Hand-Schuller-Christian syndrome according with the previous
      classification of histiocytosis X. To our knowledge this is the highest dose of
      vinblastine ever administered. The child was given salvage therapy with steroids
      and citrovorum factor. Major side effects were neurologic toxicity (seizures,
      coma) and marrow aplasia, which improved and gradually resolved beginning day 12.

PMID- 1863543
TI  - Vincristine overdose: experience with 3 patients.
AB  - Vincristine overdose (7.5 mg/m2) was accidentally administered to 3 children with
      acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment included double-volume exchange
      transfusion, phenobarbital administered prophylactically, and folinic acid rescue
      18 mg every 3 hours for 16 doses. Vincristine levels were also assayed and showed
      a dramatic decline in postexchange levels in the 2 patients who survived and an
      almost unchanged value in the patient who succumbed. Early signs of toxicity in
      the 2 survivors were peripheral neuropathy (day 4), bone marrow toxicity (day 5),
      gastrointestinal toxicity (days 6 and 7), and hypertension (days 7 and 8). Marrow
      aplasia lasted for 4 and 10 days, peripheral neuropathy for 15 and 42 days,
      gastrointestinal toxicity for 3 and 5 days, and hypertension for 5 and 14 days.
      The 2 children were discharged on days 13 and 16 and cytostatic therapy was
      restarted on days 18 and 25. Both are alive without evidence of leukemia. The
      third patient developed liver and marrow toxicity on day 3 and died on day 9.
      Postmortem examination showed leukemia infiltration of the liver and spleen.

PMID- 1863544
TI  - Dactinomycin potentiation of radiation pneumonitis: a forgotten interaction.
AB  - No mention of dactinomycin potentiation of pulmonary radiation was found in a
      review of the literature of the past 12 years. Before that, this complication was
      well described and investigators had calculated that dactinomycin increased the
      toxic effect of lung radiation by a factor of 1.3 and reduced the radiation
      tolerance of the lung by at least 20%. An example of such a toxic effect is
      described in the treatment of a 7-year-old girl with lung metastases from Ewing's
      sarcoma. The chemotherapy protocol followed contained cyclophosphamide,
      vincristine, dactinomycin, adriamycin, cisplatinum, VP16, and radiotherapy. The
      treatment was associated with fatal pulmonary fibrosis following the
      reintroduction of dactinomycin after radiotherapy. Our experience suggests that
      there is clinical significance to this complication in sarcoma therapy when
      dactinomycin-containing protocols are used with radiation in the treatment of
      pulmonary metastases.

PMID- 1863545
TI  - Acceleration of leukocyte recovery by administration of short-course high-dose
      methylprednisolone in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 1863546
TI  - History of pediatric oncology.
AB  - Pediatric oncology emerged as a subspeciality in the United States of America
      following the observations in 1948 of Farber and his associates of the benefits
      of chemotherapy for acute leukemia. The establishment of national cooperative
      chemotherapy groups furthered its development. More recently, the subspeciality
      has been recognized by the American Board of Pediatrics. Even more recently,
      training programs for the subspecialty have been given accreditation. Parallel to
      development of the specialty in the United States has been a similar evolution of
      pediatric oncology in Europe.

PMID- 1863547
TI  - Mass screening for neuroblastoma in Japan.
AB  - The present status of the neuroblastoma mass screening program in Japan, the
      first national trial in the world, is evaluated. This program, now in its fifth
      year, was conducted in cooperation with the infants' mothers, local health
      centers, screening centers, and selected hospitals. From the onset of the program
      in Kyoto in 1973 to the end of 1989, 337 cases were detected and analyzed. Most
      cases were detected at early stages and 97% are expected to be cured. Several
      social, technical, and clinical problems remain unresolved.

PMID- 1863548
TI  - Writing easily read patient education handouts: a computerized approach.
AB  - A patient education handout is a potentially powerful tool for communicating
      information to patients. Patients will derive the greatest benefit from what they
      can easily read and understand. This article describes the use of computerized
      readability formulas in writing patient education handouts. Suggestions are
      offered for writing such handouts are illustrated.

PMID- 1863549
TI  - Word processing in the physician's office.
AB  - Although word processing has become an accepted business function for many office
      professionals, physicians have been slow to recognize the many uses that it has
      to offer. The physician's office can achieve greater productivity and efficiency
      by the integration of word processing into both the clerical and clinical sectors
      of medical practice. The task begins with an organization of professional
      communications and is developed based on the needs of an individual practice.

PMID- 1863550
TI  - Making your own videotapes for patient instruction.
AB  - Producing your own videotapes can be both fun and clinically helpful. They are
      extremely effective for patient instruction and for obtaining informed consent.
      This article discusses the production, presentation, and effective use of
      videotapes in office practice.

PMID- 1863551
TI  - Producing a dermatology newsletter.
AB  - The marketing concepts, benefits and drawbacks, topics, and basic elements of a
      Dermatology practice newsletter are discussed in this article. The methods and
      production mechanics for such a newsletter are then presented.

PMID- 1863552
TI  - To battle the disease, is to know the enemy.
AB  - Patient education is absolutely vital to the treatment of psoriasis. It increases
      the patient's sense of control and enhances a positive working relationship with
      medical professionals.

PMID- 1863553
TI  - Patient education.

PMID- 1863554
TI  - The use of printed instruction sheets to enhance patient compliance.
AB  - Printed instruction sheets can improve doctor/patient relationships. Patients can
      better understand physician requirements and treatment regimens when instructions
      are preprinted or written. Information sheets increase patient compliance and
      decrease malpractice claims.

PMID- 1863555
TI  - Preparation and mechanics of patient instruction sheets.
AB  - Patient instruction sheets are simple and economical to prepare. They increase
      patient compliance, produce improved treatment results and patient satisfaction,
      and save the physician considerable time.

PMID- 1863556
TI  - Strategies for using patient instruction sheets.
AB  - Patient instruction sheets are a patient pleasing practice tool, especially if
      used creatively before seeing patients, to augment telephone conversations, and
      to detail postoperative care. Customizing, availability, and other strategies for
      optimal use of patient instruction sheets are discussed. Although patient
      instruction sheets are significant time savers, their updating, customizing, and
      effective use requires a small investment of physician time and effort.

PMID- 1863557
TI  - Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4), a member of the TGF-beta family, in early
      embryos of Xenopus laevis: analysis of mesoderm inducing activity.
AB  - We have screened a Xenopus ovary cDNA library using a synthetic oligonucleotide
      derived from that part of the inhibin beta A sequence, which is highly conserved
      within the TGF-beta family. Out of several clones yielding autoradiographic
      signals four turned out to represent Xenopus counterparts to the human bone
      morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4). Each two of the four sequences are nearly
      identical and probably account for different alleles whereas the two pairs
      showing 5% divergence may have arisen by genome duplication in this tetraploid
      species. The amino acid sequence of the Xenopus protein is 80% homologous to the
      human sequence showing no single exchange within the last 100 amino acids at the
      C-terminus. This region, which constitutes the main part of the mature,
      biologically active protein, also exhibits substantial homologies to other
      representatives of the TGF-beta family, especially to the Drosophila DPPC
      protein. Transfection of COS-1 cells with the Xenopus BMP-4 sequence under
      control of the CMV-promoter leads to the secretion of a protein which exhibits
      mesoderm inducing activity when tested with animal cap explants from Xenopus
      blastula stage embryos.

PMID- 1863558
TI  - Early development of leg and wing primordia in the Drosophila embryo.
AB  - The development of the leg and wing primordia in the Drosophila embryo has been
      traced using molecular markers. Distal-less and disconnected gene expression
      provide molecular labels for the leg primordia throughout embryonic development,
      disconnected expression in the developing leg primordia depends on Distal-less
      activity. The leg primordia arise as discrete clusters of cells that occupy well
      defined positions in the embryonic ectoderm. At later stages of embryogenesis the
      primordia become morphologically recognizable and are intimately associated with
      the development of the Keilin's organs. The presumptive leg disc and the Keilin's
      organ appear to derive from a common primordium. Similarly the Abnormal leg
      pattern gene provides a molecular label for the wing and haltere primordia. The
      dorsal thoracic primordia appear to be of independent origin from the legs.

PMID- 1863559
TI  - Fluorescent image cytometry: from qualitative to quantitative measurements.
AB  - Image analysis is being increasingly used in biology and medicine; however, in
      order to obtain truly quantitative data and thus avoid errors in interpretation,
      a certain number of precautions must be taken when the image is digitized, well
      before any attempt is made to analyse or interpret the data. This is particularly
      true for image microfluorometry. In this article we will examine an image
      analysis system for fluorescent images composed of a mercury lamp, a microscope,
      a high sensitivity video camera and an image analyser and evaluate the principal
      sources of random and non-random errors, various constraints, and their relative
      importance. A signal correction protocol is proposed to minimize non-random
      errors during digitalization. A few examples are given to illustrate its
      efficiency.

PMID- 1863560
TI  - Need for morphometric analysis in grading bladder tumours.

PMID- 1863561
TI  - Selected bibliography.

PMID- 1863562
TI  - Anatomy of the orbital septum and associated eyelid connective tissues.
      Implications for ptosis surgery.
AB  - The anatomy of the orbital septum and associated eyelid connective tissues was
      examined using cadaver dissection, histologic sections, surgical observations,
      and special radiologic imaging. The embryologic development of the eyelid
      connective tissues was also reviewed. Examination revealed a distinct layer of
      fibroadipose tissue in the eyelid and eyebrow posterior to the orbicularis and
      frontalis muscles, and anterior to the orbital septum. Fibrous septa within the
      submuscular fibroadipose tissue become contiguous with more compact lamellae of
      the orbital septum posteriorly imparting a multilayered quality to the orbital
      septum. Fat within the fibroadipose layer anterior to the orbital septum may be
      mistaken for the preaponeurotic fat pad by the unwary surgeon and may lead to
      surgical error. The orbital septum and the levator aponeurosis were found to join
      2 to 5 mm above the superior tarsal border (average, 3.4 mm). Recommendations for
      ptosis surgery based on these anatomic principles are given.

PMID- 1863563
TI  - Further modifications of the Muller's muscle-conjunctival resection procedure for
      blepharoptosis.
AB  - A modified Muller's muscle-conjunctival resection procedure was performed to
      correct minimal to mild blepharoptosis with good levator function. A semilinear
      formula was used to excise specific amounts of Muller's muscle for different
      amounts of blepharoptosis. This formula was modified by less than adequate
      responses with the phenylephrine test. The phenylephrine test was also used to
      unmask contralateral ptosis so that bilateral surgery or less resection on the
      primarily ptotic eye could be planned. This modified technique and formula
      provides an approach to better quantitate minimal to mild ptosis surgery and
      yield more predictable results.

PMID- 1863564
TI  - Combined procedure for repair of involutional entropion.
AB  - Combined procedures that address multiple etiologic factors in involutional
      entropion are not new, but ophthalmic surgeons have been slow to accept this
      surgical approach. Traditional procedures that correct only one or two of the
      etiologic factors have a high incidence of recurrent entropion. The purpose of
      this article is to encourage the use of a combined procedure in the treatment of
      all cases of primary and recurrent entropion to minimize recurrences. Between
      1983 and 1989, 127 consecutive eyelids with involutional entropion in 97 patients
      were operated by the senior author (R.P.C.) using the procedure described in this
      paper. Of these eyelids, 39% (49) had previous surgery and 22% (28) had more than
      one previous procedure. Although occasional minor postoperative problems
      occurred, they were readily managed, and there have been no known recurrences of
      entropion with an average follow-up of 33 months.

PMID- 1863565
TI  - Dacryocystorhinostomy use of a "coffee can lid" stent.
AB  - Many techniques have been described for performing successful
      dacryocystorhinostomies (DCRs). The patency of the passageway from the internal
      common punctum through the osteotomy site into the nasal cavity is usually the
      limiting factor in the success of the DCR. We present a modification using a
      "coffee can lid" stent to keep the osteotomy site open when there is no free
      space between the osteotomy and the nasal septum (medial wall of the nose).

PMID- 1863566
TI  - Eyelid lipogranuloma after hydraulic oil injury.
AB  - The cytopathology of a lipogranuloma of external origin is reported in the eyelid
      of a 32-year-old man excised 1 year following regional exposure to an explosion
      of hydraulic oil under high pressure. The foreign lipids were still present in
      chronic lipogranulomas with intercellular lipid-filled cysts surrounded by
      macrophages and giant cells containing intracellular lipid-filled vacuoles. These
      indicate efforts in storage and very slow digestion. Secondary fibrosis in the
      region of the lipogranuloma was an important associated process. In view of the
      widespread technical use of hydraulic oily fluids under high pressure, it is
      recommended that these fluids be biodegradable.

PMID- 1863567
TI  - Cyanoacrylate-assisted trial eyelid repositioning for epiphora.
AB  - Cyanoacrylate skin adhesions of the lateral lower eyelid reinforced with surgical
      tape were created in three patients in order to temporarily correct epiphora due
      to lid laxity, eyelid malposition, punctal malposition or punctum-eyelid
      apposition. The cyanoacrylate adhesions resulted in relief of epiphora or aided
      in establishing the cause of epiphora, and allowed the patient to "sample" the
      anticipated benefits of corrective lid surgery. Trial eyelid repositioning may be
      useful in cases where there is only mild or equivocal punctal malposition or lid
      laxity and the surgeon wishes to predict the effect of corrective lid surgery.

PMID- 1863568
TI  - Transient internal ophthalmoplegia during blepharoplasty. A report of three
      cases.
AB  - The present paper presents three cases of transient internal ophthalmoplegia
      during blepharoplasty. All cases were characterized by a dilated pupil that was
      unreactive to light or an accommodative stimulus. There were no cases of visual
      loss or permanent pupillary abnormalities. We attribute the temporary pupillary
      mydriasis and accommodative insufficiency to anesthesia of the short ciliary
      nerves or ciliary ganglion from local anesthetic diffusing into the orbit at the
      time of injection. To the best of our knowledge this is a complication of eyelid
      surgery that has not been previously described.

PMID- 1863569
TI  - A micro system for rigid bony fixation in orbital surgery.
AB  - Plates and screws are effective for rigid internal fixation of bone fractures and
      osteotomies in the midface, orbit, and cranium. We describe our experience with
      the Luhr Micro System. This is the newest generation of Luhr Systems and is the
      smallest system available for rigid internal fixation. The self-tapping screws
      are 0.8 mm in diameter, with lengths of 2-8 mm. The plates have an extremely flat
      profile. We have used the Micro System for closure of elective osteotomies
      following resection of orbital neoplasm, bony orbital reconstruction, and repair
      of congenital craniofacial deformities. Because the orbital bones have minimal
      functional stress, the Micro System provides adequate support. The plates are not
      apparent through the thin periorbital skin. For bony fixation in the periorbital
      region, the Micro System appears superior to larger systems and to wire or
      nonabsorbable sutures.

PMID- 1863570
TI  - Orbital roof "blow-in" fractures.
AB  - Seven patients with significant frontal trauma involving the supraorbital region
      associated with orbital roof "blow-in" fractures were admitted to the Maryland
      Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) at the University of
      Maryland Medical System over a 16-month period. High-resolution computed
      tomography (HRCT) with three-dimensional reconstructions demonstrated a downward
      displacement of the orbital roof in the absence of any orbital rim discontinuity.
      Associated findings included contussive and hemorrhagic injury to the ipsilateral
      frontal and parietal lobes, proptosis, ptosis, chemosis, orbital hematoma, and
      optic nerve contusion. The only long-term ocular pathology in this group of
      patients was mild to severe optic atrophy. It is recommended that all patients
      with frontal bone trauma have thin-cut computed tomographic evaluation of the
      orbit.

PMID- 1863571
TI  - Orbital exenteration. The reconstructive ladder.
AB  - Following orbital exenteration, there is a spectrum of immediate and delayed
      options for orbital reconstruction. Goals of reconstruction after exenteration
      include detection of recurrent disease, restoration of boundaries between the
      orbit and surrounding structures, and optimal aesthetics. Local solutions to
      problems of the exenterated orbit, such as healing by granulation or application
      of split-thickness skin grafts, are advantageous for detecting recurrent disease.
      Regional solutions, involving transfer of periorbital tissue into the orbit, may
      mask recurrent disease and create adjacent deformity; however, these solutions
      can be used to restore orbital boundaries and shallow the orbital cavity. Distant
      solutions, such as skin-muscle flaps and free tissue grafts, allow for facial
      reconstruction in patients with extensive orbital and periorbital defects.

PMID- 1863572
TI  - Reanimation of the paretic eyelid using gold weight implantation. A new approach
      and prospective evaluation.
AB  - Sixty-one lid-loading procedure, performed by the author, were evaluated
      prospectively. Simple, gold weight implantation, combined with lower lid
      retractor recession, placement of fascia lata, and lateral tarsal strip
      tightening is effective for promoting voluntary closure and correction of lower
      lid paralytic ectropion. Placement of a heavier gold weight, in combination with
      mullerectomy, is a reliable new approach for mimicking involuntary blink without
      ptosis.

PMID- 1863573
TI  - Study on antithrombogenicity of poly[beta-(acetylsalicylyloxy)ethyl methacrylate]
      relative to poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate).
AB  - The antithrombogenicity of a polymer made of aspirin bound to hydroxyethyl
      methacrylate (HEMA), abbreviated as ASA-polymer, was compared with that of
      poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). Platelet from platelet rich plasma (PRP)
      incubated with ASA-polymer surface exhibited noticeable decreases in adhesion and
      aggregation as compared to platelets incubated with PHEMA. Low molecular weight
      components other than aspirin, which may be released from ASA-polymer during the
      incubation with PRP, or contact with ASA-polymer causing denaturation of
      platelets without morphological changes could be responsible for the decrease of
      adhesion and aggregation. Both PRP and PPP exposed to ASA-polymer-coated surfaces
      exhibited a much smaller partial thromboplastin time (PTT) than if exposed to
      PHEMA-coated surfaces; the PTT of ASA-polymer was similar to that of glass
      exposed plasma. With respect to the in vivo antithrombogenicity, the ASA-polymer
      surface led to thrombus formation. This may be due to the partial hydrolysis of
      the acetyl groups resulting in the formation of a negatively charged surface
      which in turn accelerates the coagulation cascade despite its inhibitory effects
      on platelet adhesion and aggregation. On the other hand, neointima formed around
      a thrombus layer on PHEMA-coated sutures after 14 days.

PMID- 1863574
TI  - A new in vitro thrombogenicity test for medical tubes.
AB  - Basic information on the affected coagulation behaviour of healthy human blood
      passing foreign artificial surfaces is of immense importance for a safe clinical
      therapy. An in vitro screening method is presented which tests the
      thrombogenicity of medical tubes, applying the clinically already established
      resonance thrombography (RTG). Several medical tubes with various types and
      contents of plasticizers are tested and compared with materials free of
      additives. The effect of the release of ingredients is indicated by this
      procedures, as well as the influence of a sterilizing treatment with gamma
      radiation on the physical surface properties, such as smoothness. In all cases,
      the modified RTG method proves its suitability and sensitivity. In addition, this
      method allows accurate adjustment of the extrusion parameters for tube
      manufacturers.

PMID- 1863575
TI  - Interactions of functionalized polystyrene derivatives with the complement system
      in human serum.
AB  - The interactions between blood and insoluble polysaccharidic surfaces result in
      activation of the immune system of complement. When substituted with
      carboxymethyl groups, Sephadex loses its capacity to activate complement, whereas
      Sephadex sulphate has been described as an activator. In order to elucidate the
      molecular mechanisms of complement activation and inhibition, a simpler polymer
      model has been chosen: it consists of an insoluble polystyrene backbone on which
      either isolated hydroxymethyl or sulphonate groups or both are present. The
      surfaces bearing the isolated groups consume complement but the mechanisms
      involved are quite different. In contrast, a surface bearing equal proportions of
      both types of groups is a non-activator. Such model surfaces can be very useful
      for designing artificial surfaces able to control in situ complement activation.

PMID- 1863576
TI  - Influence of molecular structure on the synergistic action of theophylline or
      dipyridamole derivatives in the prostaglandin-type inhibition of platelet
      aggregation.
AB  - Approximately 30 new derivatives of theophylline and dipyridamole have been
      prepared and examined as potentiators of the inhibition of platelet aggregation
      induced by the prostaglandin analogue BW 245C. Potentiating activity has been
      found to be sensitive to molecular size and also to the presence of specific
      groups. Polymeric adducts based on dextran, poly(ethylene glycol) or poly(N-vinyl
      pyrrolidone), and aliphatic esters with alkyl chain-lengths greater than 7 are
      inactive in potentiation. Derivatives containing carboxyl groups are also
      inactive. Potentiation is discussed in terms of platelet membrane penetration and
      extra- and intra-cellular processes. The latter are invoked to account for the
      enhanced potentiation shown by dipyridamole and derivatives when aggregation is
      induced by PAF-acether rather than ADP. One derivative of particular interest is
      the adduct of theophylline with 1,2,5,6-diisopropylidene-D-glucose, containing a
      furanose ring. This is a more active potentiator than theophylline itself,
      possibly owing to its molecular resemblance to cAMP. On conversion to the
      pyranose form all activity is removed.

PMID- 1863577
TI  - Effect of particle size on phagocytosis of latex particles by guinea-pig
      polymorphonuclear leucocytes.
AB  - The effect of the size of foreign particles on phagocytosis by guinea-pig
      polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) was investigated using latex particles having
      approximately the same surface potentials but different sizes. Two types of
      latexes with different negative surface potentials, those having amino groups
      (Ami-latexes) and those having carboxylic acid groups (Ca-latexes), were used in
      this experiment. Since Ca-latexes had different surface potentials for different
      particle sizes, the carboxylic acid groups were modified by the carbodiimide
      method to make the surface potentials almost equal. Phagocytosis was estimated by
      the rate of oxygen consumption. It was found that the phagocytosis reached its
      maximum when the latex particle size was about 0.5 microns. This finding was
      plausibly explained by considering the two probabilities that a latex particle
      comes into contact with a PMN surpassing a potential barrier and the contact
      takes place at certain receptor areas favourable to phagocytosis on the PMN
      surface.

PMID- 1863578
TI  - Selective synthesis of 2,4-bis(O-methoxypolyethylene glycol)-6-chloro-s-triazine
      as a protein modifier.
AB  - 2,4-Bis(O-methoxypolyethylene glycol)-6-chloro-s-triazine, a protein modifier
      with two polyethylene glycol chains (activated PEG2) was synthesized from
      monomethoxypolyethylene glycol and cyanuric chloride using zinc oxide as a
      catalyst by the improved method of a previous study (Matsushima et al., Chem.
      Lett. 7, 773, 1980). The product was identified as activated PEG2 without
      contamination of by-products with chromatographic and structural analysis.

PMID- 1863579
TI  - In vitro evaluation of an epoxy resin's cytocompatibility using cell lines and
      human differentiated cells.
AB  - The cytocompatibility of a polyepoxy resin (Elf Aquitaine) has been studied using
      both cell lines and human differentiated cell cultures. The human models were
      gingival fibroblasts and bone osteoblasts, while the cell lines were Hela cells
      and 3T3 Balb/c cells. Basal cytocompatibility was assessed by estimation of the
      cell proliferation, total cell protein content, cell membrane sub-lysis, and cell
      attachment and spreading. Specific cytocompatibility concerning human
      osteoblasts, from both alveolar and trabecular bone, was determined by measuring
      the intracellular alkaline phosphatase activity. Resin colonization by the cells
      was studied by both TEM and SEM. The behaviour of the two cell lines reveals a
      significant level of discrepancy, whereas the behaviour of human cells, whatever
      the model, is comparable; however, osteoblasts look more sensitive. Moreover, the
      results show that this epoxy resin exhibits a moderate cytocompatibility which
      could be the result of the cytotoxicity of early released products, associated
      with the considerable surface roughness.

PMID- 1863580
TI  - Public pressure, the congress, and the FDA: the elements of a social catastrophe.

PMID- 1863581
TI  - Technique of venous catheterization for sequential blood sampling from the pig.
AB  - A surgical technique for catheter implantation for sequential blood sampling in
      the pig is described. This methodology minimizes stress to the animal and chances
      of catheter dislodgement, both of which are detrimental to accurate long-term
      metabolic assessment of the animal model. The technique involves implantation of
      a vinyl catheter via the external jugular vein into the vena cava. To ensure
      catheter retention, the method uses a silicone plug fitted to the catheter and
      located cranial to its entry to the vein, double ligation at the venous
      insertion, subsequent passage of the catheter to exit 10 cm cranial to the
      scapula on the dorsal midline, and a denim vest fitted to the thorax. With this
      technique seven out of nine catheters have functioned more than 50 days, two
      functioned for approximately 100 days, and one for over 150 days.

PMID- 1863582
TI  - In vitro vs in vivo corrosion analyses of two alloys.
AB  - The in vitro and in vivo corrosion characteristics of two alloys, cast Co-Cr-Mo
      (ASTM F75) and wrought Ni-Cr-Mo, were evaluated using electro-chemical corrosion
      analysis. Two in vitro electrolytic solutions were utilized, an isotonic saline
      solution consisting of 0.9 w/o NaCl in distilled water and an isotonic saline
      solution with 10 v/o sterile calf serum. The in vivo environment was created by
      implanting cylindrically shaped specimens of each alloy into the back muscles of
      New Zealand white rabbits. Cyclic anodic and cathodic polarization curves were
      generated for the three test conditions and subsequently were compared. Anodic
      curves conducted using the isotonic saline and isotonic saline plus serum
      electrolyte solutions were very similar to the anodic curves generated for the
      implanted alloy specimens for both alloys. The corrosion rates predicted from the
      in vitro and in vivo cathodic polarization curves were not statistically
      different for the three test conditions. Overall, the corrosion data generated
      using the in vitro environmental conditions adequately predicted the in vivo
      corrosion behavior of the cast Co-Cr-Mo and wrought Ni-Cr-Mo alloys.

PMID- 1863583
TI  - Feasibility of intraoperative aortic root angiography in the identification of
      critical coronary lesions.
AB  - Early revascularization is critical for the treatment of acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) because the ischemic myocardium begins to suffer irreversible
      damage after 4 h from the onset of symptoms. However, to make a diagnosis,
      perform coronary angiography, and prepare for operative revascularization usually
      takes longer than 4 h. Also, once a patient develops severe cardiogenic shock,
      coronary angiography is often impossible. Without angiography, the patient is no
      longer a candidate for surgical repair. To circumvent this problem, we designed
      this experiment to determine whether intraoperative aortic root angiography after
      cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest could satisfactorily substitute
      for angiographic examination in the identification of critical coronary lesions.
      The feasibility of this approach was tested in dog hearts in which one or tow of
      the major coronary arteries were ligated. The ascending aorta was then clamped,
      contrast material was injected, and continuous real-time fluoroscopic images were
      obtained and recorded on videotape. The videotape was then analyzed by three
      physicians independently, each without prior knowledge of the lesion locations.
      Lesions of the left anterior descending artery, the circumflex coronary artery,
      and the right coronary artery were identified with 94, 91, and 94% accuracy,
      respectively, for an overall identification rate of 92%. We conclude that aortic
      root angiography reliably demonstrates coronary artery lesions, and refinements
      in this technique may allow certain patients to undergo coronary operations
      without preoperative catheterization.

PMID- 1863584
TI  - Biochemical mechanisms of laser vascular tissue fusion.
AB  - This study examines the biochemical changes that occur in argon laser-fused
      canine veins compared with control segments of vein. Laser fusions were formed
      using 0.5 W argon laser energy (1100-1500 J/cm2). Immediately following tissue
      fusion, blood flow was reestablished to test the integrity of the welds. 1-mm3
      sections of the anastomoses and control sections were minced and protein
      extraction was performed by solubilizing the tissue in hot SDS Laemmli gel sample
      buffer. The proteins were separated electrophoretically on 5 and 10%
      polyacylamide SDS gels and silver stained. The analysis demonstrated significant
      biochemical differences between control and lased veins. We noted increases in
      several proteins after laser welding: the putative beta chain of type V collagen
      (5/5 gels), the putative gamma chain of type I collagen (4/5 gels), a 156-kDa
      protein (based on collagen molecular weight standards) 7/7 gels), an 82-kDa
      protein (8/9 gels), and several proteins of lower molecular weight (3/8 gels).
      The increases may be due to crosslinking of lower molecular weight proteins,
      degradation of higher molecular weight proteins, or increased solubility of
      certain proteins. These findings suggest that laser welding may occur by
      formation of crosslinks or by denaturation and reannealment of structural
      proteins.

PMID- 1863585
TI  - Effect of Ringer's lactate irrigation on the formation of postoperative abdominal
      adhesions.
AB  - Intraabdominal adhesions continue to pose a potentially serious postoperative
      clinical problem. Reported here is an experiment designed to study any effect
      that balanced Ringer's lactate (RL) solution may have on intraabdominal adhesion
      formation. Surgical trauma was induced in mice by controlled gauze abrasion of
      one side of the abdominal wall; the opposite side was used as a control. RL
      irrigation was compared with no irrigation. Adhesions were scored on the basis of
      incidence (%) and severity (on a 0-10 scale). The abraded right peritoneum
      exhibited 100% adhesions for both the RL group and the nonirrigated group.
      However, on the side that was not abraded, the nonirrigated group showed only 30%
      incidence of adhesions and 1.7 +/- 3.3 severity as compared with 100% adhesions
      and 7.7 +/- 2.2 severity for the RL group. These results suggest the need for
      further studies to establish the extent to which irrigation with solutions such
      as Ringer's lactate or saline may enhance formation of postoperative adhesions.

PMID- 1863586
TI  - Porcine model for vascular graft studies.
AB  - Models for the study of prosthetic vascular graft infection have been studied
      frequently in the dog and rabbit. We have developed a reproducible swine model to
      study this problem and its treatment. The cardiovascular system, healing
      characteristics, and the bloodstream clearance of bacteria in swine more closely
      resembles those of humans than do other animal models. The low cost and
      availability of the swine is an additional attractive aspect. One hundred fifty
      six farm-bred pigs have undergone infrarenal aortic replacement with a 3-cm
      segment of 6-mm prosthetic graft over the past two years. Graft infection was
      produced by (1) direct inoculation of 10(6) Staphylococcus aureus at the time of
      the surgery or (2) intravenous infusion of bacteria (10(2)-10(6) organisms/mL)
      immediately after surgery. All animals were sacrificed 1 to 4 weeks later,
      depending on the study design. Cultures, histology, and electron microscopy were
      performed on each graft. Anesthetic complications were rare (2.5%). Postoperative
      complications leading to animal death decreased with increasing experience
      (11.5%), but included graft thrombosis, bleeding, sepsis, intussusception, and
      colonic ischemia. Wound infection was the most common cause of morbidity. The
      swine model is an attractive alternative to that of other animals for the study
      of prosthetic vascular graft infections. Further details of the operative
      technique and the comparison to the human and other animal models is discussed.

PMID- 1863587
TI  - Species differences in the infectability of vascular grafts.
AB  - The susceptibility of different species to bacteremia may influence the results
      of studies on vascular graft infection. The present study compares prosthetic
      graft infection in canine and porcine models. Thirty-four mongrel dogs and 38
      Yorkshire pigs underwent replacement of the infrarenal aorta with a 3-cm segment
      of a woven Dacron prosthesis. At the time of closure, each animal received an
      intravenous inoculum of 10(2) to 10(8) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Graft
      cultures at 1 week produced a predictable infection rate in dogs, while pigs
      developed only random infections (dogs: 23/34; pigs: 7/38; p = .0001). The median
      infective dose (ID50) in dogs was 10(2.9) but pigs did not develop enough
      infections to determine this value. Electron microscopy revealed a smooth fibrin
      surface in grafts explanted from pigs, while grafts from dogs demonstrated
      bacteria enmeshed in an irregular fibrinous lining. Prosthetic vascular grafts in
      dogs are more susceptible to hematogenous infection than those in pigs. Because
      hematogenous infection in humans is a rare event, the swine model may be a more
      appropriate representation of the clinical situation.

PMID- 1863588
TI  - Species differences in the clearance of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.
AB  - Studies on vascular graft infections may be influenced by species differences in
      bacteria clearance. The present study compares the bloodstream elimination of
      Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in dogs and pigs. Four mongrel dogs and four
      Yorkshire pigs received a 20-min infusion of 10(6) S. aureus labeled with indium
      131. Through a catheter placed in the infrarenal aorta, blood samples were
      removed at intervals for 5 h after infusion. The liver, spleen, and lungs were
      biopsied at 5 h. Blood and tissue samples were then counted in a gamma counter.
      The calculated phagocytotic index, k, for dogs was 8.6 X 10(-4), while for pigs
      it was 1.5 X 10(-3), indicating significantly faster bacterial clearance in pigs
      (p = .009). After 2 1/2 h, significantly fewer counts were present in pigs at
      most time points (p less than .05). Organ counts indicated higher counts in the
      dog liver and spleen and in the lungs of pigs (p less than .0001). This study
      indicates that S. aureus bacteremia is cleared faster by pigs, primarily by the
      lungs, compared to dogs, in which liver-spleen clearance predominated. These
      differences should be considered when the results of graft infection studies are
      compared.

PMID- 1863589
TI  - Improved xenograft survival with continuous infusion deoxyspergualin and RATG.
AB  - The critical shortage of available donor organs is the major limit to current
      allogeneic transplantation. Xenografting has the potential to overcome this
      difficult problem. Suppressing the vigorous rejection response remains a major
      obstacle to the clinical application of xenografting, 15-Deoxyspergualin (DOSP),
      a potent new immunosuppressive agent has been shown to be effective in allogeneic
      and xenogeneic experimental models. This study tests DOSP in combination with
      rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) in the hamster-to-rat cardiac xenograft.
      Results show that combination therapy with DOSP/RATG was superior to treatment
      with either agent alone (p less than .05). Optimal graft prolongation (20.9 days
      versus control of 3.1 days, p less than .05) was achieved with combination
      therapy of RATG and DOSP 2.5 mg/kg day-1 by continuous infusion.

PMID- 1863590
TI  - Simple method of determining pulmonary blood flow in the anesthetized rat.
AB  - We have developed a simple, accurate, and relatively inexpensive method of
      measuring pulmonary blood flow in the anesthetized rat using a modification of
      the dye dilution technique. The method is attractive because it allows for the
      measurement of pulmonary blood flow and also the determination of pulmonary
      substrate flux. Using rats with a catheter in the carotid artery and a doubly
      cannulated right ventricle (RV), a constant infusion of [14C]P-aminohippurate
      ([14C]PAH) is begun via the distal RV catheter. After steady state is obtained
      the infusion of [14C]PAH is then stopped and blood is immediately withdrawn from
      the proximal RV cannula. This maneuver insures that [14C]PAH from the infusate is
      not sampled through the proximal RV catheter. Obtaining the blood from the
      proximal RV catheter within 5 s after clearing the infusion catheter insures that
      no dilution of [14C]PAH in the right ventricle (from recirculating blood) occurs.
      Catheter position is verified at autopsy. Calculations are performed to determine
      pulmonary blood flow. In 20 normal rats studied, the pulmonary blood flow was 24
      +/- 1 mL/100 g body wt min-1 and in 12 endotoxin-treated rats (10 mg/kg body wt)
      the pulmonary blood flow was 32 +/- 2 mL/100 g body wt. These values are similar
      to values obtained with other methods used to measure total pulmonary blood flow.

PMID- 1863591
TI  - Indirect measurement of systolic blood pressure in the rabbit.
AB  - Long-term studies of rabbit blood pressure require a reliable method for repeated
      blood pressure measurements. Ideally, this method would be simple, noninvasive,
      and accurate over the range of anticipated blood pressures. To facilitate our own
      studies of rabbit carotid artery graft patency, we have developed a technique for
      the indirect measurement of systolic blood pressure in the rabbit that utilizes a
      photoplethysmograph sensor placed distal to an inflatable air bladder positioned
      over the central ear artery. We have compared measurements obtained with this
      method to direct measurements of aortic pressure and found a linear correlation.

PMID- 1863592
TI  - Comparison of functional and metabolic assessments in preservation techniques for
      heart transplantation.
AB  - The present study compares simple hypothermic storage and hypothermic perfusion
      in a swine model of heart transplantation using metabolic and functional
      assessments. In both groups the hearts were initially protected with iso-osmolar
      potassium Tyers' cardioplegia. The donor hearts of group A were placed in simple
      hypothermic storage for 5 h. The donor hearts of group B were placed onto a
      perfusion apparatus for 5 h with perfusion pressure maintained at 28 cm of H2O
      and a myocardial temperature of 8-10 degrees C. The perfustate consisted of
      Tyers' solution with the addition of 2 mg/L of mannitol, 12.5 mg/L of glucose, 5
      units/L of insulin, and 95% oxygen. The ischemic interval within both groups was
      6 h, including orthotoipic transplantation. Investigation was conducted at three
      time periods: prepreservation (T1) in the donor, and postpreservation (T2) and
      immediately after loading (T3) in the recipient. Following volume loading for the
      hypothermic perfusion group there was significant improvement of myocardial
      function (cardiac index, p less than .05; stroke index, p less than .05) with no
      significant change in systemic vascular resistance, systemic blood pressure, and
      heart rate. There was also significant improvement in myocardial performance (p
      less than .05) for the hypothermic perfusion group following volume loading.
      Results of fatty acid turnover using 15-p-iodo (123I)-phenylpentodecanoic acid
      indicate significantly greater increase in metabolic rate for the perfusion group
      than for the hypothermic storage group. (p less than .05). This indicates
      improved metabolic status of the heart treated with the hypothermic perfusion
      technique. We conclude that a combination of functional and metabolic assessments
      is a good method for deduction of ischemic-reperfusion injury. We also conclude
      that hypothermic perfusion is superior to hypothermic storage for in vitro
      preservation of hearts for heart transplantation.

PMID- 1863593
TI  - Differential effects of fatty acids on glycolysis and glycogen metabolism in
      vascular smooth muscle.
AB  - The effects of fatty acids of different chain lengths on aerobic glycolysis,
      lactic acid production, glycogen metabolism and contractile function of vascular
      smooth muscle were investigated. Porcine carotid artery segments were treated
      with 50 microM iodoacetate and perchloric acid tissue extracts were then analyzed
      by 31P-NMR spectroscopy to observe the accumulation of phosphorylated glycolytic
      intermediates so that the activity of the Embden-Myerhof pathway could be tracked
      under various experimental paradigms. Aerobic glycolysis and lactate production
      in resting arteries were almost completely inhibited with 0.5 mM octanoate,
      partially inhibited with 0.5 mM acetate and unaffected by 0.5 mM palmitate.
      Inhibition of glycolysis by octanoate was not attributable to inhibition of
      glucose uptake or glucose phosphorylation. Basal glycogen synthesis was unchanged
      with palmitate and acetate, but was inhibited by 52% with octanoate incubation.
      The characteristic glycogenolysis which occurs upon isometric contraction with 80
      mM KCl in the absence of fatty acid in the medium was not demonstrable in the
      presence of any of the fatty acids tested. Glycogen sparing was also demonstrable
      in norepinephrine contractions with octanoate and acetate, but not with
      palmitate. Additionally, norepinephrine-stimulated isometric contraction was
      associated with enhanced synthesis of glycogen amounting to 6-times the basal
      rate in medium containing octanoate. Contractile responses to norepinephrine were
      attenuated by 20% in media containing fatty acids. Thus, fatty acids
      significantly alter metabolism and contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Fatty
      acids of different chain lengths affect smooth muscle differentially; the pattern
      of substrate utilization during contraction depends on the contractile agonist
      and the fatty acid present in the medium.

PMID- 1863594
TI  - Cellular daunomycin fluorescence in multidrug resistant 2780AD cells and its
      relation to cellular drug localisation.
AB  - Multidrug resistant (MDR) 2780AD human ovarian carcinoma cells were loaded with
      the fluorescent anticancer agent daunomycin (DN). Fluorescence anisotropy was
      lower than for corresponding A2780 wild-type cells, indicating that DN was less
      rigidly bound than in the wild-type cells. Average fluorescence quenching of DN
      was lower for 2780AD cells. Data were fitted into a model with a highly quenched
      fraction (fraction A), corresponding to DN intercalated in DNA, and an unquenched
      fraction (fraction B). The ratio A/B was one order of magnitude lower for the MDR
      cells than for the wild-type cells. Two other MDR cell lines were investigated
      and low A/B ratios were found in both cases. Thus, evidence has been provided
      that in MDR cells the DNA-bound fraction is relatively low and that more free DN
      is present, for example in acidic vesicles.

PMID- 1863595
TI  - Effects of glutathione depletion on the synthesis of proteoglycan and collagen in
      cultured chondrocytes.
AB  - We studied the effect of the depletion of glutathione on the synthesis of
      proteoglycan and collagen in cultured chick chondrocytes. When the cultured
      chondrocytes were incubated with 1 mM buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a specific
      inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase, the intracellular glutathione
      level markedly dropped within 12 h with no loss of cell viability. Incorporation
      of 35SO2-4 into proteoglycan was lowered in the presence of BSO. When the 35S
      labeled proteoglycans were separated into two fractions by glycerol density
      gradient centrifugation, the inhibitory effect of BSO on the synthesis of
      proteoglycan was greater in the fast-sedimenting proteoglycan fraction, which
      consisted mainly of cartilage specific large proteoglycan (PG-H), than in the
      slowly sedimenting proteoglycan fraction. The inhibition by BSO of the synthesis
      of core protein-free glycosaminoglycan chains primed by p-nitrophenyl-beta-D
      xyloside was smaller than the inhibition of the synthesis of proteoglycan.
      Analysis of glycosaminoglycans labeled with [3H]glucosamine indicated that the
      treatment of chondrocytes with BSO resulted in a small increase in the proportion
      of synthesis of hyaluronic acid to the synthesis of total glycosaminoglycan. The
      incorporation of [3H]proline into collagen was also inhibited by BSO. Sodium
      dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 3H-labeled collagen
      showed that, in the presence of BSO, processing of Type II collagen appeared to
      slow down and the proportion of Type X collagen synthesis was reduced.

PMID- 1863596
TI  - Local deformation of human red blood cells in high frequency electric field.
AB  - A method of local and general deformation of single erythrocytes by external
      forces in high-frequency electric field is described. The method allows the
      avoidance of any mechanical contact of the cell with electrodes. Under the action
      of the forces applied human erythrocytes change their shape and produce various
      membrane structures: long filopodia-like processes, retraction fibers and lamella
      like structures. These structures are never formed by erythrocytes under normal
      conditions, but are typical for fibroblasts, macrophages and epithelium cells. By
      the method developed the elastic properties of spicules on the membranes of
      echinocytes were also studied. Deformation of echinocyte in high-frequency
      electric field leads to the smoothing out of spicules. However, after the
      electric field is turned off, echinocyte restores its initial forms including the
      number and localization of all initial spicules on the cell surface.

PMID- 1863597
TI  - Cell cycle control by calcium and calmodulin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PMID- 1863598
TI  - Molecular species analysis of 1,2-diacylglycerols and phosphatidic acid formed
      during bombesin stimulation of Swiss 3T3 cells.
AB  - Swiss 3T3 cells were labelled with [3H]glycerol and stimulated with bombesin over
      a time course of 20 min. The individual 1,2-diacylglycerols produced were
      quantified by acetylation followed by analysis by HPLC and argentation
      chromatography. The major phospholipids and phosphatidic acid were acetolysed and
      then analysed in the same manner. The data show that even at an early time of
      stimulation (30 s), stimulated diacylglycerol formation comes from at least two
      sources--phosphoinositides and phosphatidylcholine.

PMID- 1863599
TI  - Illumination increases the phosphorylation state of maize leaf
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by causing an increase in the activity of a
      protein kinase.
AB  - Illumination of maize leaves increases the phosphorylation state of
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and reduces the sensitivity of the enzyme to
      feedback inhibition by malate. Red, white and blue light were each found to be
      equally potent, and the effect of light was blocked by 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1
      dimethylurea. A phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase was partially purified
      from illuminated maize leaves by a three-step procedure. Phosphorylation of
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by this protein kinase reached 0.7-0.8
      molecules/subunit and correlated with a 3- to 4-fold increase in Ki for malate.
      The protein kinase was inhibited by L-malate, but was insensitive to a number of
      other potential regulators. Freshly prepared and desalted extracts of darkened
      maize leaves contained very little kinase activity, but the activity appeared
      when leaves were illuminated for 30-60 min before extraction. The catalytic
      subunit of protein phosphatase 2A from rabbit skeletal muscle, but not that of
      protein phosphatase 1, could dephosphorylate phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The
      protein phosphatases 1 and 2A activities of maize leaves were not affected by
      illumination. It is suggested that the major means by which light stimulates the
      phosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase is by an increase in the
      activity of the protein kinase.

PMID- 1863600
TI  - Characterization of proteoglycans synthesized by rabbit articular chondrocytes in
      response to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta).
AB  - The effect of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta, 1 ng/ml) on proteoglycan
      synthesis by rabbit articular chondrocytes in culture was studied in the presence
      of fetal bovine serum. Exposure of confluent cells for 24 h to the factor
      resulted in a marked increase of 35S-labeled sulfate incorporation in the newly
      synthesized proteoglycans (PG), as estimated by glycosaminoglycan (GAG)
      radioactivity (+58%). The onset was observed 6 h after addition of the factor but
      was significant after 12 h. TGF-beta also enhanced the uptake of [35S]sulfate by
      chondrocytes, but had no effect on the release of PG by these cells. The effect
      of TGF-beta on the distribution of PG between the medium and the cell layer was
      shown to be dependent on the serum concentration in the medium: the relative
      proportion of cell-layer associated GAG of TGF-beta-treated cells decreased with
      increasing concentration of fetal bovine serum. The proportion of aggregated PG,
      the hydrodynamic size of PG monomers and GAG chains were not modified by TGF
      beta, but the relative distribution of disaccharides 6- and 4-sulfate in GAG
      chains was altered by the factor: the proportion of chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S)
      was decreased while that of chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S) was augmented in presence
      of TGF-beta, leading to a decrease of the ratio C6S/C4S (-11 to -22%, P less than
      0.01). The present study indicates that TGF-beta promotes the synthesis of a
      modified extracellular matrix in cultured articular chondrocytes. This mechanism
      could be relevant to some aspects of cartilage repair in osteoarticular diseases.

PMID- 1863601
TI  - Differential effect of transforming growth factor beta on proteoglycan synthesis
      in human embryonic lung fibroblasts.
AB  - The effect of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) on the biosynthesis of
      individual proteoglycans (PGs) by human embryonic lung fibroblasts has been
      investigated using specific antibodies and cDNA probes. Human lung fibroblasts
      secrete the two small chondroitin/dermatan sulfate PGs, PG-I or biglycan (300
      kDa) and, in a larger proportion, PG-II or decorin (130 kDa). Metabolic labeling
      experiments reveal that TGF-beta induces selectively the expression of PG-I,
      whereas the level of PG-II remains unaltered. The effect of TGF-beta on PG-I and
      PG-II has been studied by immunoprecipitation and Northern blot analysis. Either
      at the core protein or mRNA level, a specific 5-fold increase in PG-I can be
      observed. TGF-beta acts probably at the transcriptional level, as actinomycin D
      blocks completely the TGF-beta induced proteoglycan synthesis. A low saturation
      density and a slower growth rate is also observed for TGF-beta treated cells. The
      possible role of PG-I and PG-II as mediators of the growth inhibition caused by
      TGF-beta is discussed.

PMID- 1863602
TI  - Genetic and biochemical analysis of the adenylyl cyclase of Schizosaccharomyces
      pombe.
AB  - The adenylyl cyclase gene, cyr1, of Schizosaccharomyces pombe has been cloned. We
      have begun an analysis of the function and regulation of adenylyl cyclase by
      disrupting this gene and by over-expressing all or parts of this gene in various
      strains. cyr1- strains are viable and contain no measurable cyclic AMP. They
      conjugate and sporulate under conditions that normally inhibit wild-type strains.
      Strains containing the cyr1 coding sequences transcribed from the strong adh1
      promoter contain greatly elevated adenylyl cyclase activity, as measured in
      vitro, but only modestly elevated cAMP levels. Such strains conjugate and
      sporulate less frequently than wild-type cells upon nutrient limitation. Strains
      which carry the wild-type cyr1 gene but that also express high levels of the
      amino terminal domain of adenylyl cyclase behave much like cyr1-strains,
      suggesting that the amino terminal domain can bind a positive regulator. A
      protein that copurifies with the adenylyl cyclase of S. pombe cross-reacts to
      antiserum raised against the S. cerevisiae adenylyl cyclase-associated regulatory
      protein, CAP.

PMID- 1863604
TI  - [Malaria. Quid novi?].

PMID- 1863603
TI  - Distinct modulatory effects of bryostatin 1 and staurosporine on the biosynthesis
      and expression of the HIV receptor protein (CD4) by T cells.
AB  - A family of structurally related macrocyclic lactones, bryostatins, have recently
      been shown to display several intriguing pharmacologic properties. Bryostatins
      are biosynthetic products of bryozoa phyllum of marine animals. To extend the
      analyses of the biological activities of these highly unusual biosynthetic animal
      products, we have examined the effect of bryostatin 1 (bryo-1) on the steady
      state expression of the human immunodeficiency virus receptor, CD4, by normal
      peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Incubation of the cells with 5 nM bryo-1 caused a
      substantial loss of CD4 from the cell surface, as analyzed by flow cytometry
      using anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. The modulation of CD4 expression by bryo-1
      was not due to a cytotoxicity effect: in the culture conditions where it
      modulated CD4, bryo-1 also stimulated the expression of the interleukin 2 gene,
      as indicated by northern blot hybridization. In addition, incubation of the
      lymphocytes with nanomolar amounts of protein kinase C antagonist, staurosporine,
      resulted in the inhibition of the bryo-1-induced modulation of CD4 expression.
      The results of radioimmunoprecipitation analysis of detergent lysates of [35S]
      methionine-labeled lymphocytes strongly suggest that bryo-1 inhibits the
      glycosylation and expression of CD4 in a manner similar to that of tunicamycin.

PMID- 1863605
TI  - [Evaluation of 2 culture systems for the isolation of opportunistic
      mycobacteria].
AB  - The increment of infections produced by opportunist environmental mycobacteria
      (OEM) raises the question about the appropriateness of the conventional culture
      methods since they were initially designed to isolate M. tuberculosis. In this
      study we have comparatively evaluated the yield of a conventional culture
      (Lowenstein-Jensen) with respect to that of Middlebrook 7H12 (Bactec) in 396
      selected samples in which OEM were isolated. Samples with commensal flora were
      previously subjected to a chemical homogenization-decontamination process with
      alkaline N-acetyl-cysteine. All cultures were sown with standard inoculates
      obtained from centrifugate material. The 7H12 culture showed a more rapid
      detection (mean: 17-18 days) and a greater effectiveness in the isolation of
      eventually pathogenic mycobacteria than the conventional Lowenstein-Jensen
      culture. The 7H12/LJ ratio for the species with high clinical relevance was: 1.3
      for M. kansasii, 1.0 for M. marinum, 1.8 for M. scrofulaceum, 1.3 for M. xenopi,
      1.5 for M. avium-intracellulare, 0.5 for M. chelonae, and 2.0 for M. fortuitum.

PMID- 1863606
TI  - [Abscess of the psoas: a not-so-rare entity. Analysis of a series of 18 cases].
AB  - We have studied 18 patients with abscess at the psoas who had a mean age of 43.55
      +/- 18.9 years and a predominance of males (77.8%). In nine cases the abscess was
      secondary to a lumbar discal spondylitis, in 5 cases to a sacroiliitis, in one
      case to abdominal disorder, and 3 cases the abscess was considered of a primary
      origin. The etiologic agents were S. aureus (8 cases), E. granulosus (5 cases),
      M. tuberculosis (3 cases), and B. melitensis (1 case). In one patient the
      infective agent was not isolated and in two cases the abscesses were infected by
      E. granulosus and P. aeruginosa. The clinical picture on admission was studied in
      all cases. Microbiological and pathologic analysis of the abscess allowed to
      establish the diagnosis in 11 cases (yield: 84.6%). Computerized axial tomography
      was the most useful imaging technique. Antimicrobial treatment was undertaken in
      16 cases. Four patients recovered with pharmacological treatment alone. Surgical
      treatment was performed in 13 cases. Aspirative punction/drainage was carried in
      only one patient. The clinical course was favourable in 16 patients (88.9%). Our
      data indicate that the incidence of abscess of the psoas in cases of
      intraabdominal infections is low. In our series the incidence of abscesses
      secondary to hydatidosis is relatively high.

PMID- 1863607
TI  - [Evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage in the microbiological diagnosis of
      pneumonia in patients at risk].
AB  - Bronchoalveolar washout was performed in 130 patients with pneumonia during a
      period of 28 months. Microbiological investigation involved common bacteria,
      Legionella, fungi, viruses (Cytomegalovirus, herpes, RSV), Mycobacterium, and
      Pneumocystis carinii. Infection HIV was present in 75% of patients. The remaining
      patients had malignant diseases or severe pneumonia. The overall sensitivity of
      the technique was 65.4% and the positive predictive value was 92%. The technique
      was less sensitive in cases of bacterial pneumonia (sensitivity = 34.4%). This
      was attributed to the fact that 82.8% of these cases received antibiotic therapy.
      Pneumocystis carinii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were the most common agents
      (44.8% and 34.5%, respectively). In seven instances the clinical picture was
      related to cytomegalovirus, although this diagnosis can not be easily done.

PMID- 1863608
TI  - [Bacteremia after fibrobronchoscopy. Prospective study].
AB  - We prospectively evaluated in 88 inpatients the incidence of fever and bacteremia
      after fiberoptic bronchoscopy and its predisposing variables. Fever was present
      in 27% of cases and no bacteremia could be demonstrated neither associated nor
      intercurrent . Chronic Hepatic Disease, endobronchial pathology and bronchial
      biopsy practice were predisposing factors for fever development in the univariant
      analysis.

PMID- 1863609
TI  - [Evaluation of a new method for urine screening based on the study of catalase].
AB  - A new method of urine screening based on the enzymatic study of catalase
      (Uriscreen) was evaluated. Catalase is produced by the majority of microorganisms
      that cause urinary infections as well as by red cells, uroepithelial cells and
      PMN. In 553 consecutive urine samples we studied the sediment, the conventional
      culture, and the Uriscreen test. Comparative study between culture and Uriscreen
      revealed a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 83.3%, negative predictive value
      of 96.2%, and positive predictive value of 69.9%. In 86% of the samples the
      results obtained with both techniques were similar, whereas in 14% of the cases
      they failed to coincide. Among the 74 cases of disagreement, 12 were false
      negative (culture positive, Uriscreen negative) and 62 were false positive
      (culture negative, Uriscreen positive). The high sensitivity and negative
      predictive values obtained with the screening method indicate that this is an
      useful procedure for the study of negative urines since it allows to rapidly
      classify 60.2% of the samples.

PMID- 1863610
TI  - [Cutaneous lesion after handling animals].

PMID- 1863611
TI  - [Tuberculosis of the pubic bone].

PMID- 1863612
TI  - [Bursitis of the trochanter caused by S. typhi].

PMID- 1863613
TI  - [Infection of a neoplastic ovarian cyst caused by Salmonella enterica subspecies
      enterica, serotype Enteritidis].

PMID- 1863614
TI  - [Polymicrobial bacteremia caused by E. gergoviae and C. albicans].

PMID- 1863616
TI  - [Nosocomial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin.
      A challenge for infection control].

PMID- 1863615
TI  - [Hepatic abscess caused by Streptococcus uberis].

PMID- 1863617
TI  - [Sensitivity of anaerobic bacteria: when and how].

PMID- 1863618
TI  - [Epidemic outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a general
      hospital. Preliminary report].
AB  - The incidence of MRSA infections in Spain had remained in a low level through the
      years, being MRSA usually less than 1.5% of all S. aureus isolates. Since October
      1988, we have detected in our hospital a MRSA outbreak. The epidemic started in
      the surgical wards, and spread through the rest of the institution. The incidence
      of cases was higher in the ICU's, areas that act as "multipliers" of the
      outbreak. In spite of standard control measures, the total number of patients
      with MRSA was 245 in April 1990. We studied prospectively a sample of 100 MRSA
      patients: thirty-six percent were colonized and 46% infected. The more common
      source of infection was the lower respiratory tract and primary bacteremia. The
      infection-related mortality was 30%. Our MRSA strain belong to phage type III,
      and shows a characteristic multiple antibiotic resistant pattern, the MRSA strain
      is sensitive to vancomycin, fusidic acid, phosphomycin and cotrimoxazole. Over
      the entire outbreak period, the MRSA strain developed resistance to rifampin,
      imipenem-cilastatin and ciprofloxacin. In spite of all control measures
      implemented, the outbreak can not have been totally controlled, and MRSA is now
      an endemic pathogen in our institution. Therefore, major changes in therapeutic
      approach to nosocomial infections have been since then introduced.

PMID- 1863619
TI  - [Evaluation of the Mycoscreen technique for the detection and quantification of
      genital mycoplasmas].
AB  - A total of 161 samples from genital sources were evaluated using two different
      methods for genital Mycoplasma isolation: inoculation to urea broth, arginine
      broth and A7 solid media (standard method) and a new enzymatic method (Mycoscreen
      Oxoid). The isolation rates for Ureaplasma urealitycum were 42% (standard method)
      and 49% (Mycoscreen) (sensitivity: 100%; specificity: 88%). The isolation rates
      for Mycoplasma hominis were 13% (standard method) and 14% (Mycoscreen)
      (sensitivity: 80%; specificity: 95%). Using the enzymatic method, manufacturer's
      positive result is defined as a count greater than 10,000 UCC-ml at 24 hours.
      When we compare the 24 hours results, the concordance rates was 84% (Ureaplasma
      urealyticum) and 62% (Mycoplasma hominis). Mycoscreen method is a valid and fast
      technique for the isolation and identification of genital Mycoplasma. It also
      allows a fast screening of pathologic counts of Ureaplasma urealyticum in genital
      exudates.

PMID- 1863620
TI  - [Evolution of the sensitivity of Bacteroides group fragilis at the Sevilla
      University Hospital (1983-1987)].
AB  - The evolution of antimicrobial susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis over a five
      year period is described. We have studied 30 selected strains isolated each year
      at the University Hospital of Sevilla (total: 150 strains). We did not find any
      resistant strain to chloramphenicol, metronidazole or imipenem. Resistance to
      piperacillin (8%) and cefoxitin (13%) remain constant over the study period.
      Resistance to cefmetazole, cefotaxime, mezlocillin, ofloxacin, clindamycin and
      moxalactam ranges from 24% to 37%. A rise in the percentage of resistant strains
      to ticarcillin (from 17% to 30%) and ceftizoxime (from 0% to 40%) was also seen
      during the study period. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron was the overall more
      resistant species, and B. fragilis the more sensitive.

PMID- 1863621
TI  - [Antimicrobial activity of ornidazole and 6 other antibiotics against anaerobic
      bacteria].
AB  - The antimicrobial susceptibility of 235 anaerobic bacterial strains to
      ornidazole, metronidazole, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, penicillin, cefoxitin
      and imipenem has been studied using agar-dilution technique. Ornidazole and
      metronidazole were active against 88.6% and 86% of gram-positive cocci. Overall,
      99.1% of Bacteroides group fragilis, and 91.3% of non-fragilis Bacteroides were
      also sensitive to both drugs. We did not find any Clostridium perfringens
      resistant strain. Cefoxitin and penicillin showed good activity against all
      Clostridium perfringens strains, and also against 97.7% and 92.5% of gram
      positive cocci. We found one single imipenem resistant strain among gram-positive
      bacteria. Bacteroides fragilis also showed sensitivity to penicillin (41.5%),
      cefoxitin (85.7%) and imipenem (97.1%). Clindamycin was active against
      Clostridium perfringens (90.9%), gram-positive cocci (86.7%) and imipenem
      (68.6%). Chloramphenicol showed good activity against Clostridium perfringens
      (100%), gram-positive cocci (95.5%) and Bacteroides spp. (99.4%). Our results
      showed an overall good activity of all the seven drugs tested against anaerobic
      gram-positive microorganisms. Of notice, we found a good activity of
      chloramphenicol, imipenem, metronidazole and ornidazole against Bacteroides spp.

PMID- 1863622
TI  - [Detection of strains of E. coli producing STa toxin in the feces of patients
      with diarrhea using a competitive ELISA system].
AB  - We evaluate the presence of heat-stable STa toxin producers E. coli strains from
      stools of patients with acute diarrhoea. As detection method, we used a
      commercially-available enzyme-linked competitive assay (ELISA). Over a three
      months period, 279 E. coli strains were analyzed. Only two (0.71%) were STa toxin
      producers. Both isolates are from pediatric cases (2 and 4 years of age), without
      any epidemiologic relationship between them. Therefore, we conclude that this
      infection could be considered as a non-epidemic community-acquired diarrhoeal
      disease.

PMID- 1863623
TI  - [Deep infections of the sternal wound following heart surgery: postoperative
      mediastinitis].

PMID- 1863624
TI  - [Serology of hydatidosis].

PMID- 1863625
TI  - [Psychomotor retardation, convulsions and pneumonia].

PMID- 1863626
TI  - [Erythematous nodule on the hand].

PMID- 1863627
TI  - [Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis caused by Eikenella corrodens].

PMID- 1863628
TI  - [Bacteremia caused by Vibrio cholerae non-01].

PMID- 1863629
TI  - [Sepsis caused by Achromobacter xylosoxidans].

PMID- 1863630
TI  - [Fulminating purpura and staphylococcal sepsis].

PMID- 1863631
TI  - [Evaluation of a new reagent for anti-rubella IgG].

PMID- 1863632
TI  - [Encephalitis caused by rubella in an adult patient].

PMID- 1863633
TI  - [Myopericarditis associated with pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae].

PMID- 1863634
TI  - [Hemolysis secondary to acute brucellosis].

PMID- 1863635
TI  - [Etiology of otitis externa in the city of Cadiz].

PMID- 1863636
TI  - Cautious optimism.

PMID- 1863637
TI  - The metamorphosis of gene insertion and gene therapy.

PMID- 1863638
TI  - Evaluation of relative promoter strength in primary hepatocytes using optimized
      lipofection.
AB  - For most genetic deficiencies manifested in the liver, maximization of gene
      expression in hepatocytes will be an important factor in achieving successful
      gene therapy. A rapid, highly efficient, and nontoxic method for transfecting DNA
      into hepatocytes was used to compare directly promoter strengths of various
      cellular and viral promoters. Conditions are described here for transfecting 5
      10% of primary hepatocytes using the positively charged liposomes, Lipofectin.
      Cells are not damaged by this method as they continue to transcribe genes
      controlled by liver specific promoters and can survive for over 2 weeks in
      culture. We find that the cytomegalovirus, SR alpha, and beta-actin promoters are
      more active than the SV40, RSV, RNA polymerase II, albumin, alpha 1-antitrypsin,
      or phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoters. A simple TK promoter and a TK
      promoter with the polyoma enhancer (MCI) were almost completely inactive. This
      information will be useful in the construction of vectors designed to express
      genes efficiently in primary hepatocytes for purposes of gene therapy, although
      the stability of expression from these promoters will need to be demonstrated in
      hepatocytes in vivo.

PMID- 1863639
TI  - Safety issues related to retroviral-mediated gene transfer in humans.
AB  - The first three approved human clinical trials utilizing retroviral-mediated gene
      transfer are now underway. While this technology holds great promise for the
      study and treatment of human disease, it also poses a number of safety concerns.
      In evaluating clinical protocols, potential complications and the likelihood of
      their occurrence are estimated by review committees so that a risk/benefit
      assessment can be made. Current knowledge, reviewed in this article, suggests
      that no acute complications secondary to retroviral-mediated gene transfer are
      likely, but the possibility of long-term or unforeseen sequelae in patients
      suggests the need for post-treatment monitoring.

PMID- 1863640
TI  - Activation of a diphtheria toxin A gene by expression of human immunodeficiency
      virus-1 Tat and Rev proteins in transfected cells.
AB  - Expression of a gene encoding the diphtheria toxin A (DT-A) fragment, controlled
      by tissue specific regulatory elements, has previously been used to kill selected
      cell populations. Here, we have examined the feasibility of controlling DT-A
      expression using regulatory systems from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)
      genome. Plasmids were constructed which express either DT-A or, as a model
      system, the luciferase (luc) reporter gene, under control of HIV-1 long terminal
      repeat (LTR) sequences (-167 to +80). While trans-activation by expression of the
      viral protein Tat was demonstrated, significant basal expression was observed. To
      reduce basal expression, cis-acting negative regulatory elements from the env
      region of the HIV-1 genome were inserted in the 3' untranslated region of both
      the luc and DT-A constructs. This dramatically reduced basal expression from the
      HIV LTR, and now both viral regulatory proteins Tat and Rev were required for
      maximal trans-activation. Such regulation of DT-A expression might be
      therapeutically applied to selectively kill HIV-infected cells in acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC).

PMID- 1863641
TI  - Retroviral vectors related to the myeloproliferative sarcoma virus allow
      efficient expression in hematopoietic stem and precursor cell lines, but
      retroviral infection is reduced in more primitive cells.
AB  - Retroviral vectors are considered to be the most suited vehicles for somatic gene
      therapy with hematopoietic stem cells as targets. Retrovirus-mediated gene
      transfer into differentiation-restricted hematopoietic precursor (FDC-P1, FDC-P2)
      and multipotent progenitor (stem) cell lines (FDC-Pmix) is inefficient. Two
      cellular restrictions are involved. One is specific for stem but not precursor
      cells and is at the level of transcription. Due to a unique property of the
      transcriptional control region of the myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV),
      vectors derived from MPSV are not affected by this block. The second restriction
      occurs before proviral DNA synthesis and integration. This inhibition of
      effective viral infection depends on the state of differentiation, being more
      pronounced in multipotent clonogenic blast cells. This block to retroviral
      infection affects all retroviral vectors tested.

PMID- 1863642
TI  - Ethical manipulations: an ethical evaluation of the debate surrounding genetic
      engineering.
AB  - "Manipulation" per se is not bad. The crucial question in the moral debate about
      genetic engineering is: When and how are we allowed to manipulate? Unfortunately,
      the moral discussion surrounding this question is itself being manipulated. There
      are moral manipulations (by those who wish to either reassure or to alarm) and
      there are ethical manipulations (the failed utilitarian calculus and the
      centering of the discussion only around rules, rights, and duties). A different
      ethical approach is needed: one based on virtues. The duty of ethics is to help
      us understand the moral possibilities in each situation, i.e., to develop our
      moral sensibility. In the area of genetic engineering research we are motivated
      by a will to know, but at the same time we fear total self knowledge. We want to
      control, to improve our world and ourselves, but we recoil at obtaining ultimate
      perfection. Therefore, we must value the unknowable, the uncontrollable. Our
      everincreasing capacity to mould the world and ourselves is making it more
      difficult to develop a sensitivity for what is given and cannot be made. It is
      dangerous for our ethics to assume the activistic traits of our technology. We
      risk losing a fundamental element of what we are, or ought to be. We should train
      ourselves in moral passivity.

PMID- 1863643
TI  - Clinical considerations in the design of protocols for somatic gene therapy.
AB  - Despite two decades of investigating the potential for somatic gene therapy in
      curing human disease, few clinical trials are being proposed. This delay is due
      in part to limitations of existing methods for gene transfer and to the
      recognized need to proceed judiciously into this controversial arena. Delay is
      also caused by a disjunction between the traditional precedents and principles of
      clinical investigation and the procedures instituted to regulate somatic gene
      therapy. The premise of this report is twofold: first, that more extensive
      clinical investigation of gene transfer technologies would be beneficial to
      patients, medicine, and basic science and second, that clinical investigations
      could be expedited by appealing to the established experience in clinical
      investigation without compromising the scientific excellence and discipline
      essential for this highly public process. This report develops a clinical
      perspective on potential applications of existing gene transfer technologies and
      the issues involved in developing experimental protocols. The initiation of
      clinical trials should be a primary goal of gene therapy research programs.

PMID- 1863644
TI  - Zidovudine in asymptomatic HIV infection: knowledge and uncertainty.

PMID- 1863645
TI  - Tuberculosis in HIV infection.

PMID- 1863646
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus-associated granuloma annulare.

PMID- 1863647
TI  - Evidence of HTLV-I infection in Singapore prostitutes.
AB  - Sera obtained in 1987 from 63 male and 632 female Singapore prostitutes were
      screened for antibody to human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV)-I with a particle
      agglutination test. Of the 3 males and 4 females who were positive one had
      antibody to HTLV-I core and envelope antigen on Western Blot. Two subjects had
      presumptive antibody to HTLV-I core antigen and a third subject had such antibody
      on a repeat specimen in 1989. These sera were negative for HIV-1 antibody. There
      is evidence of infection with HTLV-I or a variant virus in this population. The
      infection is likely to have been sexually transmitted.

PMID- 1863648
TI  - Chlamydia test monitoring during therapy.
AB  - Forty-eight women with chlamydial cervicitis were followed with chlamydial
      culture and antigen tests (immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassays) during the
      course of therapy to study the rate of disappearance of viable organisms and
      chlamydial antigen. On treatment day 2, two-thirds of the patients were positive
      by one or more of the tests while 81% were negative by all tests on day 4. All
      screening methods used had turned negative on the 6th day of therapy. The
      antigens were found to persist somewhat longer than viable organisms. This
      persistance should, however, be of no clinical significance.

PMID- 1863649
TI  - Rape and HIV.
AB  - The risk of contracting HIV infection as a result of rape is unknown. We describe
      4 female patients who were found to have antibodies to HIV-1 following rape, only
      one of whom had another recognized risk factor for HIV infection. The need for
      careful follow-up of rape victims, and the potential for HIV acquisition by the
      assailant is discussed.

PMID- 1863650
TI  - Sexually transmitted diseases in HIV-1 seropositive women at presentation.
AB  - Ninety women who were HIV antibody positive attended the genitourinary medicine
      clinics of East Riverside up to May 1990. Seventy-five of these women (83%) were
      examined for co-existent sexually transmitted disease (STD) at presentation. The
      prevalence of STD in these women was compared to the incidence of STD in all
      females attending in 1989. Syphilis and chlamydia were found to be significantly
      more common in women with HIV infection. We feel that a full examination for STD
      is an important aspect in the management of these women.

PMID- 1863651
TI  - Prepucial occlusion and circumcision after genital herpes infection.

PMID- 1863652
TI  - Anal and laryngeal papillomata in an 8-month-old child.

PMID- 1863653
TI  - Feigned HIV disease.

PMID- 1863654
TI  - Domiciliary nebulized pentamidine prophylaxis.

PMID- 1863655
TI  - Aetiology of non-gonococcal urethritis.

PMID- 1863656
TI  - STDs and rape.

PMID- 1863657
TI  - AIDS literature index.

PMID- 1863658
TI  - A learning network model of the neural integrator of the oculomotor system.
AB  - Certain premotor neurons of the oculomotor system fire at a rate proportional to
      desired eye velocity. Their output is integrated by a network of neurons to
      supply an eye position command to the motoneurons of the extraocular muscles.
      This network, known as the neural integrator, is calibrated during infancy and
      then maintained through development and trauma with remarkable precision. We have
      modeled this system with a self-organizing neural network that learns to
      integrate vestibular velocity commands to generate appropriate eye movements. It
      learns by using current eye movement on any given trial to calculate the amount
      of retinal image slip and this is used as the error signal. The synaptic weights
      are then changed using a straight-forward algorithm that is independent of the
      network configuration and does not necessitate backwards propagation of
      information. Minimization of the error in this fashion causes the network to
      develop multiple positive feedback loops that enable it to integrate a push-pull
      signal without integrating the background rate on which it rides. The network is
      also capable of recovering from various lesions and of generating more
      complicated signals to simulate induced post-saccadic drift and compensation for
      eye muscle mechanics.

PMID- 1863659
TI  - Dynamic theory of action-perception patterns: the "moving room" paradigm.
AB  - Action-perception patterns are studied theoretically in terms of equations of
      motion that capture the coordination capacity of the nervous system. We consider
      intrinsic dynamics in the absence of visual information that contain a single
      posture state as a fixed point attractor. We couple these intrinsic dynamics to
      visual information that stabilizes posture in the visual world. This leads to a
      theory of postural sway induced by an optic flow field ("moving room" paradigm).
      The optic flow is parametrized in a simplest approximation by the expansion rate
      of a relevant perceptual target. We show how temporal stability as the key
      concept of this theory can lead to prediction and serve as a measure of
      perceptual coupling. Finally, we discuss the relation of the present theory to
      biological cybernetics.

PMID- 1863660
TI  - Multifrequency behavioral patterns and the phase attractive circle map.
AB  - With relative phase as a collective variable or order parameter, phase attractive
      dynamics can capture the temporally coherent behavior of a large number of
      different experimental systems. We present results from multifrequency
      coordination experiments in humans showing: a) that phase attraction persists
      especially for low order frequency ratios; b) that short-term jumps from one
      phase relation to another occur within a frequency ratio; c) that the most stable
      frequency-ratios are low order; and d) that transitions frequently occur from
      higher order (e.g. 5:2, 4:3) to lower order (2:1, 1:1) frequency ratios. We study
      a modified sine circle map with built-in phase attractive dynamics that
      qualitatively accounts for these results. In this phase-attractive map, patterns
      arise from competition between external driving and intrinsic phase attractive
      dynamics. The relative strength of extrinsic and intrinsic parameters determines
      the width of Arnol'd tongues, thereby influencing the delay or acceleration of
      irregular behavior. Behavioral complexity is inversely proportional to tongue
      width, thus accounting for the relative difficulty of performing different
      multifrequency behaviors and why "errors" in such behavior are often seen to
      occur.

PMID- 1863661
TI  - Simulated bipolar cells in fovea of human retina. I. Computer simulation.
AB  - This static bipolar cell (BC) model of the human fovea is based on a number of
      reasonable assumptions. The human fovea is directly responsible for visual acuity
      and color vision. The fovea can be considered as having two parts; a central
      fovea with only red- and green-sensitive cones and a parafovea with blue
      sensitive cones added to the other two. A cone mosaic can be precisely organized
      spatially into unit hexagons that specify inputs to horizontal cells (HC) and
      BCs. The retina up to and including BCs is piece-wise linear, i.e. at a given
      steady-state adapting light intensity BC outputs are linear functions of the
      physical image. BC centers receive inputs directly from weighted cones, while
      antagonistic surrounds receive inverted inputs from HCs. Appropriate optical and
      chromatic filtering due to the eye that are taken from human data are
      incorporated into the model. Chromatic aberrations are simulated by three
      separate point spread functions that also are taken from human data. Automatic
      gain control of cones is a function of intensity and wavelength of the steady
      adapting light.

PMID- 1863662
TI  - Simulated bipolar cells in fovea of human retina. II. Spectral responses of
      bipolar cells.
AB  - The static model developed in Part I is used to study spectral responses of C
      type bipolar cells (BC). Once unique loci are adjusted to their proper
      wavelengths, and with a specified set of absorption spectra for cones, spectral
      responses of C-type BCs are dependent on only the balance between BC receptive
      field center and surround responses. This is true regardless of cone mosaic or BC
      receptive field organization. The unique yellow loci for the r-g channel is set
      at 576.7 nm while the unique green locus for the blue-center BC is set at 517.7
      nm. A unique orange locus for a combined r-g and bl-y channels is set at 600 nm
      by multiplying the blue-center BC response spectra by a factor of six before
      adding to the r-g channel.

PMID- 1863663
TI  - The glomerular filtration barrier of the kidney in seven vertebrates classes.
      Comparative morphological and histochemical observations.
AB  - In the mammalian kidney, the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) is mostly
      composed of endothelial and epithelial cells with the glomerular basement
      membrane interposed. In lower vertebrates, extensive regions of the GFB consist
      of the endothelial and epithelial cells, each lying on its own basement membrane.
      These two basement membranes border the mesangium, which contains mesangial cells
      (surrounded by its own discontinuous basement membrane), microfibrils and
      collagens (cross-striated fibrils, anchoring fibrils, and 5 nm interfibrillar
      filaments). Occurrence and extension of these mesangial components decrease from
      fish to mammals. Anionic binding sites associated with the different structures
      of the GFB of all animal species have been demonstrated by using dyes such as
      Alcian blue (with or without addition of electrolytes), Ruthenium red or
      Safranine O. The surface coat of endothelial and epithelial cells, the laminae
      rarae (interna and externa) of the glomerular basement membrane, the laminae rara
      and diffusa (wherever distinct endothelial and epithelial basement membranes
      occurred) as well as the collagen fibrils show particles (with polycationic dyes)
      or filaments (with monocationic dyes). The mesangial microfibrils are usually
      well preserved and intensively stained.

PMID- 1863664
TI  - Cellular localization of dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase in carrot
      cells.
AB  - The intracellular distribution and localization of dihydrofolate reductase
      thymidylate synthase of wild type suspension carrot cells was analysed using
      cytochemical and immunocytochemical techniques; in both resting and growing
      normal cells (E4) the activity appeared to be predominantly cytoplasmic. The
      pattern of localization of the enzyme was also analysed during the different
      phases of the cell cycle. To this end carrot cells were synchronized with
      aphidicolin (an inhibitor of the alpha-like DNA polymerase which blocks cells at
      the G1/S boundary) and cycle phases checked by labelled-thymidine incorporation.
      Protoplasts obtained from cells inhibited with aphidicolin or from cells sampled
      at different times after the removal of the drug (S and G2 phase), failed to show
      a nuclear localization of DHFR-TS. These results indicate that in carrot the
      bifunctional enzyme does not change compartment during the cell cycle.
      Surprisingly Mtx-resistant cells (E2A2, E2A1C6; overproducing DHFR-TS) showed,
      irrespective of their physiological state (quiescent or growing), also a relevant
      nuclear or perinuclear immunofluorescence which could not be detected using
      cytochemical techniques. The reason of this altered localization is not clear and
      its possible relation with altered cytophysiological parameters is discussed.

PMID- 1863665
TI  - Cell kinetics and DNA content (ploidy) of human skin under expansion.
AB  - One question which still remains unanswered concerning expansion of human skin is
      whether expansion simply stretches the skin or whether it induces a real neo
      production of epithelium. To evaluate the proliferative activity of the human
      skin before and after expansion, we performed an autoradiographic study and a
      densitometric analysis on sections of skin biopsy from 11 patients. The results
      of the cellular kinetic study showed that expansion induces an increase in the
      epidermal proliferative activity. On the contrary, the densitometric analysis did
      not show a parallel increase of the proliferating cells after expansion. This
      discrepancy is discussed in terms of the modified morphology of the tissue. The
      proliferative activity of skin in the back region increases more than in that of
      the neck. Preliminary results have shown that the proliferative activity
      increases with time of expansion in days. The presence of a low percentage of
      cells with altered DNA content indicates, at least over the short term, the
      absence of dysplastic processes in expanded skins.

PMID- 1863666
TI  - Lymphocyte subsets in bone marrow lymphoid nodules and malignant lymphoma nodular
      involvement.
AB  - The lymphocyte subsets in 67 cases of bone marrow benign or reactive lymphoid
      nodules (LN) and 23 cases of nodular involvement by B malignant lymphoma (B-ML)
      have been immunohistochemically characterized on paraffin embedded trephine
      biopsies utilizing a panel of 10 monoclonal antibodies. LCA was positive in 90%
      LN and B-ML lymphocytes; LN2, MB2 stained more than 50% LN and B-ML lymphocytes;
      MT2 stained more than 50% LN and less than 50% B-ML lymphocytes; UCHL1 stained
      the 20% of LN lymphocytes; LN1 stained only B cells of the rare germinal centers;
      MT1 only myeloid cells, L26 only plasma cells. DF-T1 and Leu 22 failed to stain
      LN or B-ML lymphocytes. While anti-T lymphocyte antibodies reacted inconstantly
      with lymphoid cells in decalcified and embedded specimens, LCA and some anti-B
      lymphocyte antibodies gave constantly reproducible results for bone marrow LN and
      B-ML. They permitted an easy recognition and exact evaluation of the size of LN,
      the identification of scattered B cells, the detection of the residual or minimal
      involvement by B-ML and the exact burden of the invasion, but could not allow a
      convincing differential diagnosis between LN and small cell B-ML nodular
      involvement.

PMID- 1863667
TI  - [A dimer of fragment D from stabilized fibrin--a substrate for the destabilase
      enzyme (gamma-glutamyl-epsilon-lysyl-isopeptidase)].

PMID- 1863668
TI  - [Isolation and properties of serine proteinase from Aspergillus oryzae].
AB  - A serine proteinase having an activity optimum at pH 6.7-8.2 has been isolated
      from amylorisine P-10x (a mixture of Aspergillus oryzae enzymes) by
      chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and bacitracin Sepharose 4B. The proteinase
      is fully inactivated by phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride and
      diisopropylfluorophosphonate, the specific inhibitors of the enzyme, and has a pI
      at pH 7.5. The molecular mass of serine proteinase is 30000 Da; its amino acid
      composition appears as: Met2, Asp33, Thr18, Ser29, Glu21, Pro9, Glu32, Ala38,
      Val24, Ile16, Leu15, Tyr8, Phe8, His8, Lys18, Arg4, Trp6. The N-terminal sequence
      of the serine proteinase: Gly-Leu-Thr-Thr-Gln-Lys-Ser-Ala-Pro-Trp-Gly-Leu-Gly-Ser
      Ile-Ser-Xaa-Lys- Gly-Gln-Gln-Ser-Thr-Asp-Tyr-Ile-Tyr, which coincides practically
      completely with the corresponding sequence of alkaline proteinase of A. oryzae,
      ATCC20386, has been determined. Similar to subtilisin, the enzyme catalyzes the
      condensation of leucine and alanine p-nitroanilides with N-benzyloxycarbonyl
      alanyl-alanine and glycyl-alanine methyl esters.

PMID- 1863669
TI  - [Identification of alpha-tropomyosin of the human myocardium by two-dimensional
      electrophoresis, and sequencing].
AB  - Two-dimensional electrophoresis of total cardiac muscle extracts allows the
      detection of about 200 protein fractions. In preliminary studies the fraction D
      10 protein was characterized in terms of relative molecular mass, isoelectric
      point and quantitative composition as alpha-tropomyosin. The similarity of the
      protein to human alpha-tropomyosin was confirmed by the results of analysis of
      the N-terminal sequence of the D-10 protein eluate in a gas-phase sequencer.

PMID- 1863670
TI  - [Problems of biochemical organization].
AB  - Biological organization has been defined as a unity of structure, function and
      regulation. Biological organization of hierarchical multilevel biological systems
      is represented by a hierarchy of functioning controllable structures. The
      hierarchy of levels of material organization predetermines the existence of a
      hierarchy of regulatory mechanisms. Biochemical organization involves the levels
      of material organization corresponding to biomacromolecules, supramolecular
      complexes and cellular organelles. The levels of biomacromolecules and
      supramolecular structures effectuating elementary functions and controlled by
      basic regulatory mechanisms occupy key positions in biological systems. These
      levels play the role of standard functional blocks; their combination leads to
      hierarchically higher structural levels (cell, tissue, organ, systems of organs,
      organism) performing more complex functions and controlled by hierarchically more
      important regulatory mechanisms. The peculiarities of regulation of biological
      systems that are due to the existence of a hierarchy of regulatory mechanisms are
      discussed.

PMID- 1863671
TI  - [Isolation and certain properties of the thermostable endoglucanase from E. coli
      C600 (pKNE-102) coded by a Clostridium thermocellum gene].
AB  - A previously unknown endoglucanase encoded by the C. thermocellum gene was
      isolated from the recombinant strain of E. coli (pKNE-102). The purification
      procedure included ammonium sulfate precipitation, heat treatment, chromatography
      on a polyvinyl matrix (Toyopearl HW-50F) and chromatofocusing on a high
      performance Mono P HR 5/20 column. Sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis
      analysis of the Toyopearl HW-50F effluent revealed two protein bands with Mr of
      41 kDa and 42 kDa. These protein components differed also by their pI values
      (4.45, and 4.40, respectively) and could be separated by chromatofocusing. Both
      components were found to be active and exhibited similar enzymatic properties as
      well as high thermal stability.

PMID- 1863672
TI  - [High mobility group proteins: structure, localization, function].
AB  - High motility group proteins (HMG) are extracted by 5% HCIO4 and 0.35 M NaCl and
      are characterized by low molecular mass and a high content of acidic and basic
      amino acids. There is evidence that HMG are involved in the formation of
      transcriptionally active chromatin.

PMID- 1863673
TI  - [Transcortin in rat kidney tissue: distribution in microsomal fractions].
AB  - During chromatography of renal tissue cytosolic proteins on DEAE-cellulose the
      protein specifically binding [3H]corticosterone is eluted within the potassium
      phosphate concentration range of 0.08-0.10 M. Analysis of kidney slices revealed
      the synthesis of [3H]transcortin whose electrophoretic mobility was close to that
      of the blood plasma protein. Using radioimmunochemical methods, it has been found
      that transcortin-specific [125I]IgG antibodies interact with growing polypeptide
      chains of membrane-bound polyribosomes. Free polyribosomes do not bind antibodies
      against transcortin.

PMID- 1863674
TI  - Diversity of penetration of anti-cancer agents into solid tumours.
AB  - Failure of anti-cancer agents to reach all clonogenic cells at cytotoxic
      concentrations is recognized as an important form of resistance in solid tumours.
      Subcutaneously implanted mammary adenocarcinoma 16/C was used to evaluate the
      intratumour distribution of five alkylating, bioreductive alkylating and
      intercalating agents and two radiation sensitizers. The agents were classified
      according to their in vivo distribution in well- and poorly-perfused tumour
      regions, as delineated by lissamine green. The classifications were: (1)
      distribution in direct proportion to the vascular supply; (2) uniform
      distribution to well- and poorly-perfused tumour regions; and (3) preferential
      retention in the poorly-perfused tumour regions. Our current state of knowledge
      did not allow reliable prediction of the classification based on chemical
      structure or mechanism of action.

PMID- 1863675
TI  - Growth and cell kinetics of human hair papilla cells in vitro. An
      autoradiographic and flow cytometric study.
AB  - Hair papilla, a distinct specialized dermal compartment, plays a fundamental role
      in the biology of hair growth. Recently some attention has been focused on hair
      papilla cells (HPC) as possible targets for drugs influencing the hair growth.
      Isolation and cultivation of the HPC facilitates screening for such drugs. In the
      present work, growth and cell kinetics of human occipital scalp follicle HPC have
      been studied in vitro. HPC grow according to a Gompertz function, i.e. with
      considerable growth delay long before becoming confluent cultures, due probably
      to elongation of the potential doubling time (Tpot) and to a parallel increasing
      cell loss rate. The [3H]dT labelling index of the HPC strongly depends on the age
      of the subculture; the cycle time being about 4 days. A potential doubling time
      of about 93 h, indicative of growth fraction (GF) = 1, and a duration of S phase
      and G2 + M phase of about 8 h each were found by the combined application of
      continuous labelling with [3H]dT and DNA flow cytometry.

PMID- 1863676
TI  - Streaming kidney.
AB  - Twenty-five male young adult random bred rats, weighing 250-300 g, were injected
      with 18.5 kBq/g body weight tritiated thymidine (specific activity 185 GBq/mM).
      The rats were then killed in groups of five, at the following times: 1 h and 14,
      30, 60 and 120 days. The kidneys were processed histologically and dipped into
      liquid emulsion, exposed for 3 weeks and developed. Kinetic measurements were
      restricted to juxta-medullary glomeruli, their adjacent convoluted tubules and
      medullary tubuli. All other nephrons were ignored. The medullary pole of the
      juxta-medullary glomerulus served as reference point for all measurements and was
      referred to as the origin. The distance of a labelled cell from the origin was
      measured with an eye-piece micrometer and expressed in terms of two units:
      distance (microns) and cell location, defined as the number of cells separating a
      labelled cell from origin. Since only medullary nephrons were considered, these
      measurements represent distances directed toward the papilla. One hour after
      labelling, most cells were in the vicinity of the juxta-medullary glomerulus, not
      further than 800 microns from the origin in the direction of the papilla. During
      the following days labelled cells advanced toward the papilla at a daily velocity
      of 13.8 microns, covering 1.1 locations/day. Kinetically, the juxta-medullary
      nephron is a two-compartment cell renewal system. Its compartments, the
      progenitor (P) and the functional (Q), cover locations 0-80 and 81-150,
      respectively. The first feeds the second with cells. Morphologically, the
      progenitor compartment includes proximal and distal convoluted epithelia and a
      part of thick straight tubules. Other nephron portions belong to the Q
      compartment. It is assumed that the nephrocyte is a part of a cell stream
      directed toward the papilla, which probably also includes stroma and vasculature.

PMID- 1863677
TI  - Plasma membrane and intracellular pools of transferrin receptors decline during
      in vitro cultivation of U937 cells.
AB  - Transferrin receptor expression in the monocyte-like cell line U937 was
      investigated during in vitro cultivation. U937 cells expressed a single class of
      high affinity surface transferrin receptors (KD approximately 4 nM), with
      apparent subunit Mr of 90-95,000 Da as determined by SDS-reducing PAGE. [125I]
      transferrin binding studies on detergent-solubilized cells revealed that half to
      two-thirds of the total functional binding sites were located intracellularly.
      Radioligand binding, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry studies were performed
      on intact, detergent-solubilized, or saponin-permeabilized cells, using either
      transferrin or the anti-transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody OKT9 IgG. These
      studies demonstrated that functional and antigenic transferrin receptor levels
      were maximal on cells 24 h after subculture at low density and declined during
      the culture period. Scatchard analysis of radioligand binding data suggested that
      the decline in functional transferrin binding sites resulted from a decline in
      the number of available receptors. These results demonstrate that in U937 cells
      there is a density-dependent regulation of transferrin receptor expression,
      resulting in a loss of functional and antigenic receptors from both plasma
      membrane and intracellular locations.

PMID- 1863678
TI  - Ameloblast migration in guinea pig molars.

PMID- 1863679
TI  - [Sensory information processing during general anesthesia-- acoustic-evoked 30-40
      Hz oscillations and intraoperative wakefulness during cesarean section].
AB  - Neuropsychological and neurophysiological investigations indicate that the
      underlying framework of adequate sensory information processing is a 30-40 Hz
      oscillatory brain mechanism, which also can be observed in mid-latency auditory
      evoked potentials (MLA-EP). Since high incidence of stimuli perception and
      wakefulness is a phenomenon during Caesarean section under general anaesthesia it
      was studied if auditory evoked 30-40 Hz oscillation correlate with intraoperative
      wakefulness during this surgical procedure. Following informed consent, 21
      patients were selected for elective Caesarean section. Anaesthesia was induced
      with thiopentone (5 mg/kg b.w. i.v.) and maintained with thiopentone bolus
      injection (1-2 mg/kg b.w.i.v). and O2/N2O 1:1 according to clinical signs of
      adequate anaesthesia. After delivery, a balanced anaesthetic technique using
      fentanyl, enflurane and N2O in O2 1:1 was employed. Clinical signs of
      intraoperative wakefulness were spontaneous movements of the limbs, mimics, eye
      opening, wakefulness after auditory stimulation (tape A: crying baby, tape B:
      classical music), one hour and 24 hours postoperatively reported dreams,
      hallucinations and detailed reports about intraoperative events. Auditory evoked
      potentials were recorded on-line before and during general anaesthesia, during
      the entire surgical procedure. Latencies of the peaks V, Na, Pa were measured.
      Employing Fast-Fourier transformation analysis, corresponding power spectra were
      calculated to analyse energy portions of AEP's frequency components. Spontaneous
      motoric movements occurred in 60% of the patients and did not correlate with
      heart rate, blood pressure or other clinical signs of inadequate anaesthesia.
      Provoked motoric reactions were 4 times as often after presentation of tape A as
      after tape B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863680
TI  - [Successful treatment of a fulminant pulmonary embolism using a high-dose bolus
      injection of urokinase during cardiopulmonary resuscitation].
AB  - Experience has shown that the bolus injection of streptokinase during
      resuscitation in case of fulminant pulmonary embolism considerably improves the
      prognosis. In the case presented here a 64-year old female patient with a
      fulminant pulmonary embolism was injected with 2 x 1,000,000 I.U. urokinase after
      20 minutes of unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Ten minutes after the
      second injection the circulation could be stabilised by drugs only. The patient
      survived without any lasting damage. The mechanism of fibrinolysis during
      resuscitation is discussed. It is also possible to check the diagnosis during
      resuscitation using echocardiography or angiography. However, treatment must
      usually start immediately only on clinical diagnosis. Resuscitation in the case
      of a pulmonary embolism can even be successful after much longer than one hour.
      Contra-indications must be ignored in such cases. Side effects, which are usually
      haemorrhages, can as a rule be treated. In our opinion urokinase should be given
      by preference in the bolus injection during resuscitation. The exception to this
      is the primary operation during resuscitation. Pulmonary embolectomy is also
      possible after unsuccessful fibrinolysis.

PMID- 1863681
TI  - [Pathophysiologic and therapeutic aspects of the adult respiratory distress
      syndrome (ARDS)].
AB  - Since the first characterization of the adult respiratory distress syndrome
      (ARDS), knowledge of its aetiology and pathogenesis has grown considerably. In
      spite of this, mortality remains up to 50 to 90%, particularly if multiple organ
      failure is present. Because no causative clinical therapy is available up to now,
      significant attention is given to preventive measures like early operative
      stabilisation of long bone fractures, or prophylaxis of nosocomial infections.
      After clinical manifestation of ARDS, treatment focuses on functional
      disturbances of the cardiopulmonary system and on the underlying disease. The aim
      of this symptomatic therapy is to ensure oxygen supply according to the organisms
      demand. It is still unknown, however, whether the mortality of patients with ARDS
      can be reduced by optimising the oxygen supply. In general, oxygen supply can be
      enhanced by improving pulmonary gas exchange, cardiac output and blood oxygen
      transport capacity. For practical use the therapy often ends up with a
      therapeutical dilemma: On one hand, the improvement of the pulmonary gas exchange
      by application of PEEP can be associated with a critical decline in cardiac
      output, particularly if the afterload of the right ventricle is elevated. On the
      other hand, to increase cardiac output, both volume replacement and vasodilators
      can severely affect pulmonary gas exchange if the alveolo-capillary permeability
      is increased and pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction is disturbed. Thus, oxygen
      supply can be optimised only via invasive monitoring of the cardiorespiratory
      system. Although still experimental, the most promising approaches seem to be
      pharmacological interventions directed at suppressing the formation and effects
      of various humoral and cellular mediators. An improved understanding of the
      inflammatory processes might provide new insights in the pathophysiology of ARDS
      and the related therapeutic interventions.

PMID- 1863682
TI  - [Therapeutic and toxic plasma concentrations and elimination half-lives of
      commonly used drugs].
AB  - For 253 frequently used drugs therapeutic and, if data were available, toxic, and
      fatal plasma concentrations as well as elimination half-lives were compiled in a
      table. To assess the significance of drug levels for the therapeutic monitoring
      of patients, it is essential that a collection of data is readily available. In
      addition, this list can assist the diagnostic assessment in case of
      intoxications.

PMID- 1863683
TI  - [Intravenous methyl iodide poisoning--detoxification using hemoperfusion].
AB  - A 19-year-old patient intending to commit suicide gave himself an intravenous
      injection of about 14 g methyliodide. The patient was admitted to our hospital in
      a state of somnolence and agitation followed by a cerebral convulsion and severe
      hypotension. The serum concentration of methyl iodide was measured by mass
      spectroscopy. In addition to an antidote therapy with acetylcysteine,
      haemoperfusion was performed followed by a remarkable decrease of the
      methyliodide concentration. The patient survived this severe intoxication and was
      discharged from the hospital after a week.

PMID- 1863684
TI  - [Pulse oximetry monitoring of postanesthetic transportation of ophthalmic surgery
      patients: risk of hypoxemia despite pre-oxygenation].
AB  - 40 adult patients, ASA class I-III, were studied with regard to their arterial
      oxygen saturation during transportation from the operating room to the recovery
      room, following ophthalmic surgery under general anaesthesia. Before
      transportation the patients were breathing oxygen spontaneously for 6 min.;
      during transportation they were breathing air. The time for the transport from
      the operating room to the recovery room was between two and eight minutes.
      Hypoxaemia (SaO2 85-90%) was observed in 18 cases, severe hypoxaemia (SaO2 less
      than or equal to 85%) in 5 cases.

PMID- 1863685
TI  - [Esophageal perforation and pneumothorax. Complications due to placement of a
      stomach tube].
AB  - Perforation of the oesophagus, as well as a pneumothorax are described as
      complications of the use of a nasogastric feeding tube. Clinical tests to
      determine correct placement are noted to be unreliable and the importance of
      radiological control, especially in the unconscious patient, ist stressed. The
      suspected diagnosis of oesophageal perforation should be verified without delay
      to immediately initiate conservative or surgical treatment.

PMID- 1863686
TI  - A model for development and evolution of complex morphological structures.
AB  - How 'complex' or composite morphological structures like the mammalian
      craniomandibular region arise during development and how they are altered during
      evolution are two major unresolved questions in biology. Herein, we have
      described a model for the development and evolution of complex morphological
      structures. The model assumes that natural selection acts upon an array of
      phenotypes generated by variation in a variety of underlying genetic and
      epigenetic controlling factors. Selection refines the integration of the various
      morphogenetic components during ontogeny in order to produce a functioning
      structure and to adapt the organisms to differing patterns of environmental
      heterogeneity. The model was applied to the development and evolution of the
      mammalian mandible (which is used as a paradigm of complex morphological
      structures). The embryology of the mandible was examined in detail in order to
      identify the fundamental developmental units which are necessary to assemble the
      final morphological structure. The model is quite general since equivalent units
      exist for the development of many other biological structures. This model could
      be applied to many other developing morphological structures as well as other
      groups of organisms. For example, it can be applied to cell parameters during
      Drosophila development (Atchley, 1987). The model as discussed in this paper
      assumes that morphological changes in the mandible result from evolutionary
      changes in its underlying developmental units. The developmental units relate to
      characteristics of cellular condensations which are produced from the
      differentiation of embryonic neural crest cells. The developmental units include:
      the number of stem cells in preskeletal condensations (n), the time of initiation
      of condensation formation (t), the fraction of cells that is mitotically active
      within a condensation (f), the rate of division of these cells (r), and their
      rate of cell death (d). These units and their derivative structures are discussed
      in terms of types of tissue differentiation (chondrogenesis, osteogenesis,
      primary/secondary osteogenesis, intramembranous/endochondral ossification) and
      growth properties of major morphological regions of the mandible. Variation in
      these five units provides the developmental basis for ontogenetic and
      phylogenetic modification of mandibular morphology. We have discussed how these
      developmental units are influenced by (a) the cell lineage from which they arise,
      (b) epithelial-mesenchymal (inductive tissue) interactions, (c) regulation of
      cell differentiation, and (d) extrinsic factors such as muscles, teeth and
      hormones. Evidence was provided that variation in mandibular morphology is
      heritable, subject to modification by natural selection, and that divergence
      among different genetic stocks has apparently occurred through changes in these
      developmental units and their derivative structures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1863687
TI  - Time-resolved fluorescence emission and excitation spectroscopy of d(TA) and
      d(AT) using synchrotron radiation.
AB  - The photophysics of the sequence isomers d(TA) and d(AT) has been investigated at
      room temperature in 5 x 10(-5) M neutral aqueous solution using pulsed
      ultraviolet excitation from the ACO synchrotron and detection by time correlation
      or gated single-photon counting. Decay profiles of the emissions at 350, 400 and
      460 have been analyzed both independently and globally by reiterative non-linear
      least-squares fitting to models of two and three independently emitting species.
      No evidence has been observed for excited-state reaction. Time-windowed spectra,
      both emission and excitation, have been collected for three time windows and have
      been deconvoluted to give time-resolved spectra using the lifetimes resulting
      from the decay analyses. Spectra are separated into two classes, with picosecond
      and nanosecond lifetimes, respectively. The picosecond spectra have the emission
      and excitation spectral characteristics of mixed monomer (A and T) fluorescences
      and are assigned as originating from the unstacked fractions of d(TA) and d(AT).
      The nanosecond emission spectra from d(TA) and d(AT) are both two-component, with
      lambda max approximately 350 and approximately 425 nm and lifetimes of 2.3 and
      6.1 ns, respectively. The time-resolved excitation spectra for the nanosecond
      emissions are quite different from the isotropic absorption spectra of d(TA) and
      d(AT) but correlate with the anisotropic absorption for out-of-plane transitions
      between stacked bases of co-crystals of 9-methyladenine and 1-methylthymine
      reported by Stewart and Davidson. The nanosecond spectra thus represent the
      direct excitation and emission of stacked pairs of bases. These results provide
      no evidence for energy transfer and are probably related to sequence-specific
      photo-adduct formation.

PMID- 1863688
TI  - A circular dichroism study of mitochondrial transhydrogenase from beef heart.
AB  - This paper describes a circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy study of purified
      proton-pumping nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase from beef heart. The CD
      spectrum obtained was used to estimate the content of secondary structures of the
      purified enzyme and suggests the presence of 40-45% alpha-helical structure and
      long, possibly membrane-spanning alpha-helices. The spectrum was essentially
      unaffected by the absence or presence of transhydrogenase substrates, suggesting
      that the catalytic and proton-translocating activities of the enzyme occur
      without major rearrangements at the level of secondary structures.

PMID- 1863689
TI  - Time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies of a single frog skeletal
      muscle fiber. Time courses of intensity changes of the equatorial reflections and
      intracellular Ca2+ transients.
AB  - Time-resolved X-ray equatorial diffraction studies on a single frog skeletal
      muscle fiber were performed with a 10 ms time resolution using synchrotron
      radiation in order to compare the time courses of the molecular changes of
      contractile proteins and the intracellular Ca2+ transient during an isometric
      twitch contraction at 2.7 degrees C. Measurements of the Ca2+ transient using
      aequorin as an intracellular Ca2+ indicator were conducted separately just before
      and after the X-ray experiments under very similar experimental conditions. The
      results, which showed a similar time course of tension to that observed in the X
      ray experiment, were compared with the aequorin light signal, tension and the
      intensity changes of the 1,0 and 1,1 equatorial reflections. No appreciable
      change in both reflection spacings indicated that the effect of internal
      shortening of the muscle was minimized during contraction. The intensity change
      of the equatorial reflections generally occurred after the aequorin light signal.
      In the rising phase, the time course of increase in the 1,1 intensity paralleled
      that of the rise of the light signal and the intensity peak occurred 20-30 ms
      after the peak of the light signal. The decrease in the 1,0 intensity showed a
      time course similar to that of tension and the intensity minimum roughly
      coincided with the tension peak, coming at 80-90 ms and about 60 ms after the
      peaks of the light signal and the 1,1 intensity change, respectively. In the
      relaxation phase, the 1,1 intensity seemed to fall rapidly just before the
      tension peak and then returned to the original level in parallel with the decay
      of tension. The 1,0 intensity returned more slowly than the tension relaxation.
      Thus, the change of the 1,1 intensity was faster than that of the 1,0 intensity
      in both the rising and relaxation phases. When the measured aequorin light signal
      was corrected for the kinetic delay of the aequorin reaction with a first-order
      rate constant of either 50 or 17 s-1, the peak of the corrected light signal
      preceded that of the measured one by approx. 30 ms. Thus, the peak of the Ca2+
      transient appeared earlier than the peaks of the 1,1 and 1,0 intensity changes by
      50-60 and 110-120 ms, respectively. The time lag between the extent of structural
      change and the Ca2+ transient is discussed in relation to the double-headed
      attachment of a cross-bridge to actin.

PMID- 1863690
TI  - An estimate of the nearest neighbor base-pair content of 5S RNA using CD and
      absorption spectroscopy.
AB  - We analyzed the CD and uv absorption spectra of 5S RNA from Escherichia coli
      using the method developed in the preceding paper. The analysis of spectra of 5S
      RNA at 20 degrees C in 0.1M NaClO4, 2.5 mM Na+ (phosphate), pH 7.0, and 0.5 mM
      MgSO4 gave 7 +/- 3.6 A.U base pairs, 25 +/- 3.6 G.C base pairs, and 7.5 +/- 3.6
      G.U base pairs. Estimates of nearest neighbor base pairs were more consistent
      with the Pieler-Erdmann and the Gewirth-Moore secondary structure models than
      with the Fox-Woese or the Burns-Luoma-Marshall models. We also examined the
      structure of 5S RNA as a function of temperature. The melting profile exhibited
      two transitions--one at about 35 degrees C and one above 50 degrees C. Our
      spectral data showed that helices I and II were stable during the first
      transition, and agreed with other data that helix III was the most likely helix
      to have melted. The results from this in-depth study of 5S RNA indicate that our
      method of analysis should be useful for studying the secondary structures of
      other small, unmodified RNAs.

PMID- 1863691
TI  - A sequence preference for nucleation of alpha-helix--crystal structure of Gly-L
      Ala-L-Val and Gly-L-Ala-L-Leu: some comments on the geometry of leucine zippers.
AB  - The synthetic peptide Gly-L-Ala-L-Val (C10H19N3O4.3H2O; GAV) crystallizes in the
      monoclinic space group P21, with a = 8.052(2), b = 6.032(2), c = 15.779(7) A,
      beta = 98.520(1) degree, V = 757.8 A3, Dx = 1.312 g cm-3, and Z = 2. The peptide
      Gly-L-Ala-L-Leu (C11H21N3O4.3H2O; GAL) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space
      group P212121, with a = 6.024(1), b = 8.171(1), c = 32.791(1) A, V = 1614 A3, Dx
      = 1.289 g cm-3, and Z = 4. Their crystal structures were solved by direct methods
      using the program SHELXS-86, and refined to an R index of 0.05 for 1489
      reflections for GAV and to an R index of 0.05 for 1563 reflections for GAL. The
      tripeptides exist as a zwitterion in the crystal and assume a near alpha-helical
      backbone conformation with the following torsion angles: psi 1 = -150.7 degrees;
      phi 2, psi 2 = -68.7 degrees, -38.1 degrees; phi 3, psi 32 = -74.8 degrees, -44.9
      degrees, 135.9 degrees for GAV; psi 1 = -150.3 degrees; phi 2, psi 2 = -67.7
      degrees, -38.9 degrees; phi 3, psi 31, psi 32 = -72.2 degrees, -45.3 degrees,
      137.5 degrees for GAL. Both the peptide units in both of the tripeptides show
      significant deviation from planarity [omega 1 = -171.3(6) degrees and omega 2 = 
      172.0(6) degrees for GAV; omega 1 = -171.9(5) degrees and omega 2 = -173.2(6)
      degrees for GAL]. The side-chain conformational angles chi 21 and chi 22 are 
      61.7(5) degrees and 175.7(5) degrees, respectively, for valine, and the side
      chain conformations chi 12 and chi 23's are -68.5(5) degrees and (-78.4(6)
      degrees, 159.10(5) degrees) respectively, for leucine. Each of the tripeptide
      molecule is held in a near helical conformation by a water molecule that bridges
      the NH3+ and COO- groups, and acts as the fourth residue needed to complete the
      turn by forming two hydrogen bonds. Two other water molecules form intermolecular
      hydrogen bonds in stabilizing the helical structure so that the end result is a
      column of molecules that looks like an alpha-helix.

PMID- 1863692
TI  - The structure of [D-Hyi2,L-Hyi4]meso-valinomycin revealed by X-ray analysis.
AB  - Direct x-ray analysis has been used to determine the crystal structure of [D
      Hyi2, L-Hyi4]meso-valinomycin (cyclo[-D-Val-D-Hyi-L-Val-L-Hyi-(D-Val-L-Hyi-L-Val
      D-+ ++Hyi)2-], C60H102N6O18), which crystallized from acetone with two solvent
      molecules. The crystals are trigonal, space group P32, number of molecules per
      unit cell Z = 3, cell parameters a = b = 15.2085 (8) A, c = 29.3250 (9) A, gamma
      = 120 degrees. The standard (R) and weighted (Rw) reliability factors after
      refinement of the atomic coordinates for C, N, and O atoms in the anisotropic
      thermal motion approximation, allowing for isotropic H atom contributions, were
      0.070 and 0.082, respectively. The molecule adopts a distorted bracelet structure
      which is stabilized by six N-H ... O = C 4----1 type intramolecular hydrogen
      bonds. The side chains predominantly occupy external pseudoaxial positions
      relative to the cylindrical axis of the molecule. In contrast to meso
      valinomycin, only four of the six Val carbonyl oxygen atoms are directed inwards
      to form a coordination centre for the molecule, and the carbonyl oxygen atoms of
      residues D-Val1 and L-Val3 are twisted outward and point away from the centre of
      the molecule. Although the analogue has a partially formed ion-binding center, it
      is inaccessible because the hydrophobic isopropyl groups of the D-Hyi2 and L-Hyi4
      residues screen the molecular cavity on both sides.

PMID- 1863693
TI  - Molecular conformation of a D,L stereoisomeric analogue of valinomycin, cyclo[-(L
      Val-L-Hyi-L-Val-D-Hyi)2-(D-Val-L-Hyi-L-Val-D-Hyi)-].
AB  - The crystal structure of a synthetic analogue of valinomycin, cyclo[-(L-Val-L-Hyi
      L-Val-D-Hyi)2-(D-Val-L-Hyi-L-Val-D -Hyi)-] ([L-Val1, L-Val5]meso-valinomycin),
      C60H102N6O18, has been determined. Crystals grown from petroleum ether are
      orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with cell parameters a = 16.41(1), b =
      18.76(1), c = 25.86(1) A, and Z = 4. The atomic coordinates for nonhydrogen
      atoms, except those of terminal carbons on one side chain, were refined in the
      anisotropic thermal motion approximation. The coordinate parameters of the H
      atoms were incorporated into the structure factor calculations at geometrically
      expected positions. Values of the standard and weighted R factors after
      refinement are 0.074 and 0.083, respectively. The crystal structure of the
      molecule is asymmetric and adopts a conformation with four 4----1 type and one 6-
      --1 type intramolecular hydrogen bonds between amide nitrogens and carbonyl
      oxygens. Valinomycin binds potassium more than 100 times strongly than the D,L
      stereoisomeric analogue, as a result of a different spatial orientation of
      potentially interacting carbonyl groups.

PMID- 1863694
TI  - The solution conformation of tubulin-beta(422-434)-NH2 and its Nac-DATADEQG-NH2
      fragment based on NMR.
AB  - The solution conformation of tubulin-beta(422-434)-NH2 (YQQYQDATADEQG-NH2) and
      its Nac-DATADEQG-NH2 fragment has been studied by two-dimensional 1H-nmr
      spectroscopy in CD3OH/H2O (90/10 v/v) at neutral and low pH. The 13 amino acid
      peptide is a segment of the C-terminal region of tubulin, and is directly
      involved in the selective binding site with microtubule-associated proteins MAP-2
      and the tau protein. Based on correlated spectroscopy, total correlation
      spectroscopy, and rotating frame nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy
      experiments, a complete assignment of all proton resonances was achieved, and the
      conformation of the backbone could be deduced from coupling constants, NH
      temperature coefficients, and nuclear Overhauser effects. The spectroscopic
      evidence indicates that the T8-Q12 section of both molecules forms one complete
      alpha-helical turn, stabilized by a NH (Q12)-C = O (T8) hydrogen bond.
      Furthermore, strong pH-dependent backfolding of the E11 side chain to its own NH
      proton was found. In addition, close proximity between the aromatic side chains
      of Y1, Y4, and the alpha-helical part, resulting in some substantial chemical
      shift changes when comparing the entire 13-mer with the octamer, could be
      explained in terms of a nonclassical kink in the DATA section. The conformational
      space is dominated by extended structures and the nonextended conformers are only
      a minor, yet spectroscopically clearly discernible entity. The presence of the
      alpha-helical region at the C-terminus of the 13-mer is important because binding
      studies of this peptide with MAP-2 indicate that the D10-E11-Q12-G13 fragment is
      critical for the binding interaction.

PMID- 1863695
TI  - Structural determination of the vasoactive intestinal peptide by two-dimensional
      H-NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - The structure of the vasoactive intestinal peptide 1-28 in 40% 2,2,2
      trifluoroethanol was investigated by two-dimensional 1H-nmr spectroscopy. All 1H
      resonances, except the gamma, delta, and epsilon protons of the lysine residues,
      could be sequentially assigned. Numerous intraresidual as well as short-range
      interresidual nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy connectivities were
      observed. Using a variable-target function minimization, a molecular model
      consisting of two helical stretches involving residues 7-15 and 19-27 connected
      by a region of undefined structure was calculated. The existence of an undefined
      structure between residues 16 and 18 confers mobility to the peptide molecule.

PMID- 1863696
TI  - Sedative-hypnotic drug use in Canada.
AB  - Although many studies of sedative-hypnotic drug use have been performed in
      Canada, there has been no national study of the use of these drugs. We have
      attempted to correct this deficit in our knowledge by using data from an
      international survey of health care utilization performed in 1968-9 and from the
      Canada Health Survey (1978-9), the Health Promotion Survey (1985) and the
      National Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey (1989) to examine sedative-hypnotic use
      among individuals aged 15 or more. The results suggest that the use of these
      drugs in Canada is about average for an industrialized society. Several
      socioeconomic and health care correlates of sedative-hypnotic use were found. The
      rate of use of these drugs was higher among women, the elderly, separated,
      divorced or widowed individuals, those who had a secondary school education or
      less, individuals with a low family income, the retired, and the unemployed.
      Among women, higher rates of use were reported by those whose main activity was
      keeping house (as compared with those who were employed outside the home) and by
      those who lived alone. Higher rates of use were also found for individuals who
      had consulted a physician or been hospitalized recently, individuals taking
      multiple drugs, those who scored highly on an anxiety scale, persons in whom
      negative feelings predominated, and those who had experienced a high frequency of
      psycho-physiological symptoms of anxiety and depression. From a regional point of
      view, the highest rates of use for women were consistently reported from Quebec,
      while the lowest were consistently found in the Prairie provinces. No consistent
      pattern was found for men.

PMID- 1863697
TI  - Historical trends in public general hospitals.
AB  - This article examines utilization trends in Canadian public general hospitals
      from 1976 to 1986-87. These trends are then compared with a previous period, and
      with hospital trends in the United States. Findings for this report are based on
      both provincial and national data. There was an overall decline in the number of
      hospitals with a decrease in small (1-49 beds) and an increase in large (300+
      beds) hospitals. The net result is a 7% increase in the number of beds, though
      due to the larger population there was a 3% decrease in the bed rate per
      population. The bed occupancy rate increased from 77% to 83% and the average
      length of stay also increased. The number of separations increased slightly but
      rates per population declined. Patient-days per population increased in most
      provinces and there was a significant increase in long-stay units. Despite
      general uniformity amongst the provinces there were some notable variations. The
      trends indicate a reversal of the situation in the 1953-1973 period which was
      marked by an expansion in the hospital system. Hospitals in the United States
      showed somewhat similar trends with the exception of length of stay. The trends
      may be ascribed to factors such as increased efficiency, the development of
      alternatives to inpatient care, technical improvements, demographic changes and
      the individuality of the provincial health care systems.

PMID- 1863698
TI  - Birth outcomes and infant mortality by income in urban Canada, 1986.
AB  - For 1986, 219,470 live births were reported for residents of Canada's 25 Census
      Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). For each of these births, street address information
      as shown on the birth registration was used to code the census tract where the
      mother lived. Data by census tract were obtained for 1,650 infant deaths in 1986,
      and from the 1986 census for the population of 4,727,770 women aged 10-49 in
      1986. Births, infant deaths and census population data (adjusted for undercount)
      were then used to calculate rates of infant mortality, low birth weight (LBW),
      very low birth weight (VLBW), prematurity, small for gestational age (SGA), and
      total fertility. The results are presented by neighborhood income quintile group
      (based on percentage of low income), and by the mother's age, parity (number of
      live births), marital status and country of birth, as well as by CMA.

PMID- 1863699
TI  - Births and birth rates, Canada, 1989.

PMID- 1863700
TI  - Divorces, Canada and the Provinces, 1989.

PMID- 1863701
TI  - Annual hospital statistics--1987-88.

PMID- 1863702
TI  - Tuberculosis in Canada, 1989.

PMID- 1863703
TI  - Proposed factor structure of the Geriatric Depression Scale.
AB  - The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is commonly used to measure depression in
      the elderly. However, there have been no reports of the underlying structure of
      the GDS. To this end, the GDS was administered to 326 community-dwelling elderly
      subjects, and the data were subjected to a factor analysis. A five-factor
      solution was selected and, after a varimax rotation, the factors that emerged
      could be described as: (1) sad mood, (2) lack of energy, (3) positive mood, (4)
      agitation, and (5) social withdrawal. This solution accounted for 42.9% of the
      variance. Knowledge of the factor structure should aid both clinicians and
      researchers in the interpretation of responses on the GDS.

PMID- 1863704
TI  - Dementia and cognitive impairment in the oldest old: a comparison of two rating
      methods.
AB  - Rates of cognitive impairment in a representative population of the oldest old
      (aged 84 to 90) were examined using two indicators: The Global Deterioration
      Scale (GDS), and a Cognitive Rating (CR) derived from performance on five
      neuropsychological tests. Prevalence was estimated at 25.3%, using the GDS, and
      30% with the CR. The overall degree of congruence between the measures was high,
      with most disagreements involving mildly impaired cases. The results indicate a
      high degree of convergence of clinical and neuropsychological indicators. The
      findings also confirm high rates of impairment among the oldest old.

PMID- 1863705
TI  - Borderline personality disorder in late life.
AB  - Records of eight elderly patients identified as BPD by a geriatric team were
      analyzed for compliance with DIB-R and DSM-III-R criteria. A nonborderline
      control group was randomly selected and matched for age, gender and residence.
      Clinicians experienced in geriatric mental health performed retrospective chart
      reviews and found that not one clinically diagnosed BPD patient was identified by
      either instrument. Although there appear to be a number of constant features of
      BPD throughout life, this study delineated two major areas of change in BPD in
      late life.

PMID- 1863706
TI  - Seasonal distribution of births in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - We obtained season-of-birth data in 727 autopsy-confirmed cases of Alzheimer's
      Disease (AD) and compared these data with expected general population birth
      rates. There were no significant differences between quarterly birth rates in the
      AD group and expected quarterly birth rates. Edward's test for cyclical trends
      did not establish a peak period of birth in the AD sample. No significant
      differences between observed and expected quarterly birth rates were found when
      data were analyzed with regard to either family history of dementia or to gender.
      Edward's test for peak quarter was significant for AD females, however, with the
      peak period occurring early in the first quarter. These negative findings between
      observed and expected quarterly birth rates, based on the large number of autopsy
      confirmed AD cases in this study, suggest that a season-of-birth effect in AD is
      highly unlikely.

PMID- 1863707
TI  - Suicide in later life: psychological autopsy findings.
AB  - The authors report preliminary data from a psychological autopsy study of
      completed suicide in late life. Sixteen of 18 victims had diagnosable
      psychopathology, most commonly major depression of late onset. Symptoms manifest
      prior to death are described and directions for future investigation discussed.
      The psychological autopsy is shown to be a viable method for studying suicide in
      the elderly.

PMID- 1863708
TI  - Effects of hospitalization on affective status of elderly patients.
AB  - The effects of hospitalization on affective status were assessed by an original
      protocol in 214 consecutive elderly patients (mean age = 78.3 +/-5.0 years, range
      = 70-92 years). Psychological decompensation was significantly related to length
      of stay (p less than 0.01) and drug use (p less than 0.05) and unaffected by sex,
      marital status, prior living place, diagnostic category. Affective status and
      functional status were directly correlated (p less than 0.0001), although in 51%
      of medical patients the affective status worsened or remained unchanged despite
      improved physical function. Improvement in affective status occurred more
      frequently in surgical patients (p less than 0.001) due to psychological
      improvement following surgery. Physicians providing medical and surgical care for
      geriatric patients must remain aware of the patients' emotional response to
      hospitalization and illness, given the accompanying risk for psychological
      decompensation.

PMID- 1863709
TI  - Psychogeriatrics and medical informatics.

PMID- 1863710
TI  - Research activity at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry (Munich): depression
      in later life.

PMID- 1863711
TI  - Characterization of the LDL receptor in rat promegakaryoblasts in culture.
AB  - Rat promegakaryoblasts (RPM, a precursor platelet cell line) in culture exhibited
      a capacity to bind, take up and degrade 125I-LDL. The low density lipoprotein
      (LDL) binding showed the following characteristics: (a) high affinity, (b)
      saturability, (c) specificity, (d) down-regulation, after exposure to 25
      hydroxycholesterol. Furthermore the proteolytic degradation of 125I-LDL by RPMs
      was inhibited by chloroquine which interferes with the lysosomal degradation
      processes. These findings show LDL receptor cell biology of RPM to be of the
      classical type and to differ from that of platelets.

PMID- 1863712
TI  - Evidence for the regulation of the activity of protein kinase C through changes
      in membrane properties.
AB  - We measured the effects of two branched-chain analogs of distearoyl
      phosphatidylcholine, containing either a methyl or an n-butyl group at the 8
      position, on the bilayer to hexagonal phase transition temperature of
      dielaidoylphosphatidylethanolamine. The former compound raised the bilayer to
      hexagonal phase transition temperature while the latter compound lowered it. The
      opposite effects of these amphiphiles on protein kinase C activity (inhibition
      and activation, respectively) correlated with their effects on lipid
      polymorphism. Because of the similarity of the structures of these two compounds,
      it seems likely that their opposite effects on the activity of protein kinase C
      is a result of their alteration of the lipid environment of the membrane rather
      than to binding to a specific site on the protein. We also compared the effects
      of hexachlorophene on lipid polymorphism and protein kinase C activity at high
      and at low calcium concentrations. We also found that the effect of
      hexachlorophene forming a complex with Ca2+ is to increase both the hexagonal
      phase forming propensity of the membrane as well as to increase the activity of
      protein kinase C, again demonstrating the correlation between lipid phase
      propensity and effects on protein kinase C activity.

PMID- 1863713
TI  - Effect of three organophosphates on respiration in rat brain and liver tissue.
AB  - The effects of three organophosphate pesticides, i.e. monocrotophos, dichlorvos,
      and phosphamidon on respiration in rat brain and liver tissue slices have been
      studied. Among these pesticides dichlorvos causes significant inhibition of
      respiration both in brain and liver.

PMID- 1863714
TI  - Mitochondrial activity and development: energy carrier selection in a controlled
      reaction mechanism.
AB  - There is evidence of an important role carried out by mitochondria and by
      proteins of mitochondrial origin during key moments of development. We assume
      that it is possible to represent the energy activity of the cell through the
      level of ATP production and we propose a simple model system for the ATP/ADP
      cycle. The model takes into account the basic aspect of ATP dynamics in
      macromolecular synthesis and involves the possibility of selection between states
      of high and low protein production. A simple extension of the model leads to the
      creation of a mechanism enabling the establishment of self-sustained
      oscillations.

PMID- 1863715
TI  - On the skew distribution of immunoglobulins and the inverted protein-folding
      problem.
AB  - The question of antibody specificity is discussed in the framework of the
      inverted protein-folding problem (i.e. the characterization of protein sequences
      with a common fold). A stochastic model of the immune response, patterned after a
      model for the distribution of words in natural languages is proposed. It is shown
      that the steady-state probability distribution of immunoglobulin variable-region
      frequencies is the Yule distribution.

PMID- 1863716
TI  - A continuum model of contraction waves and protoplasm streaming in strands of
      Physarum plasmodium.
AB  - We present a mathematical model for continuously distributed mechanochemical
      autooscillations (autowaves) in a protoplasmic strand of Physarum polycephalum.
      The model is based on a hypothesis of local positive feedback between deformation
      and contraction of the contractile apparatus. This feedback is mediated through a
      cell regulatory system whose kinetics involves coupling to mechanical strain.
      Mathematical analysis and computer simulations have demonstrated that the
      solutions of the model agree quantitatively with the available experimental data.
      In particular, hydrodynamic interaction alone, between different sections of the
      strand via the streaming endoplasm, is capable of inducing the characteristic
      contractile behavior.

PMID- 1863717
TI  - A system control framework for the self-fertilization and selection process of
      breeding.
AB  - The self-fertilization and selection process is the main method for speeding up
      the purifying course of a hybrid population in breeding. This is a complex
      combinatorial random process with large time delay. To raise the control
      effectiveness and efficiency of the process, we try, in this paper, to construct
      a mathematical model of the process by means of effective factors. Then, a
      control framework for the process is presented which can be used as a guide by
      breeders for helping them in selecting appropriate control actions.

PMID- 1863718
TI  - On the divergence of species.
AB  - Speciation may be considered as a kind of non-equilibrium phase transition which
      is caused by bifurcation at a critical point of instability. It can be shown that
      multiple branching of an evolutionary tree is highly improbable, since non
      degenerate mathematical models describe only binary branchings.

PMID- 1863719
TI  - Oxygen toxicity and microbial evolution.
AB  - It is postulated that the role of oxygen toxicity in the evolution of life
      strongly depends on the origin of molecular oxygen, due to the strong redox
      buffering capacity of Precambrian waters containing large amounts of ferrous and
      manganese cations. The critical selective pressure could be observed only after
      aerobic photosynthesis had been developed, due to the high local concentration of
      oxygen in close vicinity of photosynthesizing cells. It is also postulated that
      early oxygen-evolving organisms excreted a substantial part of this element in
      the form of hydrogen peroxide. As a consequence of the high reactivity of this
      compound with ferrous and manganese cations, an important percentage of iron
      deposits were produced with H2O2 as a major oxidant after the development of
      aerobic photosynthesis. It is postulated that negatively charged extracellular
      polymers of simple pro- and eukaryotic organisms function as sacrificial targets
      of hydroxyl radicals and at the same time as extracellular equivalents of
      superoxide dismutases, in these two ways protecting cellular membranes against
      oxidative damage. The role of oxygen toxicity in developing aerobic mechanisms of
      iron uptake is also discussed.

PMID- 1863720
TI  - Search for eukaryotic motility proteins in spirochetes: immunological detection
      of a tektin-like protein in Spirochaeta halophila.
AB  - The serial endosymbiotic theory (SET) for the spirochete origin of undulipodia
      (cilia and eukaryotic flagella) predicts that a greater number of axonemal
      proteins will show homology to spirochete than to other bacterial proteins. To
      continue testing, the SET proteins associated with eukaryotic motility (tektin,
      centrin and calmodulin) were sought in Spirochaeta halophila. Western blot
      immunological detection techniques (for tektin and centrin) and two-dimensional
      gel analysis (for calmodulin) were used. Tektins are filamentous proteins
      extending the length of the axoneme in sperm tails and other undulipodia. Whole
      cell extracts of S. halophila were probed with antibodies made against three sea
      urchin (Lytechinus pictus) sperm axonemal tektins (tektins A, B, and C). In the
      spirochetes, one tektin-like protein was detected as a band on Western blots (a C
      tektin.) An antibody made against Lytechinus pictus sperm tail axonemes, affinity
      purified against the C tektin of another sea urchin, Stronglyocentrotus
      purpuratus, bound to a 30 kDa protein from Spirochaeta halophila. The C tektin
      epitope was not detected in Escherichia coli. Both the poly- and monoclonal anti
      centrin antibodies cross-reacted with multiple proteins in the control alga
      (Tetraselmis striata) and in the putatively negative control bacterium E. coli.
      No cross reaction was seen between any anti-centrin antibody and S. halophila.
      Neither did a two-dimensional gel analysis reveal the presence of calmodulin in
      these spirochetes or in the two other prokaryotes tested (Spiroplasma citri,
      Acholeplasma laidlawii). Although neither centrin nor calmodulin were detected, a
      30 kDa tektin-like protein apparently is present in these spirochetes.

PMID- 1863721
TI  - Opioid (alfentanil) anesthesia: dose is important, but when it is given and what
      plasma concentration results may be more important.

PMID- 1863722
TI  - High-dose alfentanil for myocardial revascularization: a hemodynamic and
      pharmacokinetic study.
AB  - It has been suggested that high plasma levels of alfentanil are required in order
      to control hemodynamic responses to noxious stimuli in patients undergoing
      myocardial revascularization. The present study was designed to determine the
      hemodynamic profile in 10 patients and the time course of alfentanil plasma
      concentrations and pharmacokinetics (7 patients) during and following coronary
      artery surgery using alfentanil administration based on an overdosage principle.
      Premedication consisted of lorazepam, 0.07 mg/kg, given 2 hours before surgery.
      Ten milligrams of alfentanil was given over 5 minutes for anesthesia induction,
      followed by an infusion of 60 mg/h until sternotomy and 30 mg/h up to skin
      closure. Additional 5-mg boluses were given prior to noxious intraoperative
      events. Hemodynamic measurements were performed prior to cardiopulmonary bypass.
      Blood was sampled simultaneously prebypass and then during the postbypass period
      for determination of alfentanil plasma levels. The very high alfentanil plasma
      concentrations achieved provided satisfactory intraoperative conditions in most,
      but not all, patients. Recovery time was short, despite the large amounts of
      narcotic used. It is concluded that very high doses of alfentanil associated with
      lorazepam premedication resulted in hemodynamic stability and markedly elevated
      narcotic plasma concentrations in most patients. Such plasma levels seem to
      provide satisfactory anesthetic conditions.

PMID- 1863723
TI  - Blood/gas solubility coefficient and blood concentration of enflurane during
      normothermic and hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.
AB  - The blood/gas solubility coefficient and blood concentration of enflurane were
      measured at intervals in 10 patients undergoing coronary artery revascularization
      with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and moderate hypothermia. A constant end-tidal
      concentration of enflurane was maintained throughout the study. Blood/gas
      solubility coefficient was determined at 37 degrees C, which when combined with
      an initial single-step equilibration of the blood sample with air, permitted the
      accurate measurement of blood concentration. Blood/gas solubility coefficient and
      blood concentration both decreased significantly with the onset of CPB. During
      the period of hypothermia, blood/gas solubility as measured at 37 degrees C
      showed little change; however, there was a progressive, marked increase in blood
      concentration with a mean increase of 80% prior to rewarming. Therefore, the
      level of anesthesia provided by enflurane may lighten with the onset of CPB, and
      a deeper level will accompany any decrease in blood temperature. On rewarming,
      blood concentration levels rapidly returned to levels similar to those measured
      before cooling. The increased uptake and accumulation of volatile anesthetic
      agent that occurred as a result of the period of hypothermic CPB was rapidly
      cleared. The rapidity with which blood concentration responded to the changes
      occurring during CPB make it unlikely that there was any significant increase in
      myocardial depression in response to the raised blood concentration secondary to
      the hypothermia.

PMID- 1863724
TI  - Hemodynamic performance and histamine levels after desmopressin acetate
      administration following cardiopulmonary bypass in adult patients.
AB  - Sixteen patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures were prospectively
      randomized into two groups to study the hemodynamic and histamine-releasing
      effects of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) administration after cardiopulmonary
      bypass. Ten minutes after administration of protamine for reversal of heparin,
      DDAVP, 0.3 microgram/kg, was infused intravenously over 5 seconds in group 1, and
      the same dose of DDAVP was administered over 5 minutes as an infusion in group 2.
      There were no statistical differences between baseline values in groups 1 and 2.
      DDAVP decreased mean arterial pressure by 30% and 25% in groups 1 and 2 (69 +/- 5
      mm Hg to 52 +/- 8 mm Hg, P less than 0.005, and 79 +/- 20 mm Hg to 55 +/- 8 mm
      Hg, P less than 0.005), respectively. The hypotension in both groups was related
      to decreases in systemic vascular resistance (1,616 +/- 262 dyne.s.cm-5 to 1,073
      +/- 199 dyne.s.cm-5, P less than 0.005, and 1,850 +/- 541 dyne.s.cm-5 to 1,144 +/
      214 dyne.s.cm-5, P less than 0.005). Phenylephrine infusion successfully treated
      the DDAVP-induced hypotension in all patients. Arterial histamine levels at 3 and
      5 minutes after infusion of DDAVP did not differ significantly from baseline
      values. It is concluded that DDAVP at 0.3 microgram/kg is a potent vasodilator
      when administered intravenously and that histamine is not involved in producing
      its hypotensive effects.

PMID- 1863725
TI  - Desmopressin acetate is a mild vasodilator that does not reduce blood loss in
      uncomplicated cardiac surgical procedures.
AB  - Desmopressin acetate (DA) is a synthetic analog of vasopressin that may improve
      perioperative coagulation in cardiac surgical patients. Twenty-seven adult
      patients with good left ventricular function and normal preoperative coagulation
      profiles scheduled to undergo elective cardiac surgery participated in the double
      blinded, placebo-controlled study. The 14 patients in the DA group received the
      drug over 10 minutes (starting 15 minutes after protamine administration). The 13
      patients in the placebo group received an equal volume of saline. Preoperative
      template bleeding time was longer in the placebo group (P = 0.04). Otherwise,
      there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in
      demographics, coagulation variables, renal concentrating function, blood loss, or
      transfusion requirements at any study interval. The only significant hemodynamic
      differences detected were an increase in cardiac output in the DA group and a
      corresponding decrease in systemic vascular resistance. Five of 13 patients who
      received DA required treatment for hypotension, whereas none of 12 patients who
      received placebo required treatment during the infusion (P = 0.008). The authors
      conclude that DA causes mild vasodilation, but does not reduce blood loss or
      transfusion requirements in patients undergoing primary uncomplicated cardiac
      surgical procedures.

PMID- 1863726
TI  - Hemodynamic responses to desmopressin acetate after CABG: a double-blind trial.
AB  - Despite controversial results concerning its effectiveness, cardiac surgical
      patients commonly receive desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) after cardiopulmonary
      bypass (CPB) in an effort to prevent or control bleeding diathesis. The side
      effects associated with DDAVP are usually considered benign. However, numerous
      authors have observed episodes of severe hypotension after DDAVP. As a part of a
      larger trial of DDAVP in routine first-time coronary artery bypass grafting
      (CABG), this randomized double-blind study of the hemodynamic effects of DDAVP
      was performed. Fifteen patients received DDAVP (0.3 microgram/kg over 15 minutes)
      and another 15 received saline placebo after skin closure. A statistically
      significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) was observed at 5 minutes
      after the beginning of DDAVP administration and the maximum decrease (mean
      change, -21 +/- 8 mm Hg, P less than 0.001) was reached as the infusion was
      completed. MAP did not change significantly in the control group. Hypotension
      after DDAVP was associated with a corresponding decrease in systemic vascular
      resistance. Postoperative blood loss was not different between the groups. It is
      concluded that routine administration of DDAVP to CABG patients is inadvisable
      because hemodynamic side effects are potentially dangerous and therapeutic
      benefit is highly unlikely.

PMID- 1863727
TI  - Alprazolam withdrawal presenting as delirium after cardiac surgery.

PMID- 1863728
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of dantrolene in an adult patient undergoing cardiopulmonary
      bypass.

PMID- 1863729
TI  - Anesthetic management of a hypothyroid cardiac surgical patient.

PMID- 1863730
TI  - Perioperative management of coronary artery bypass surgery in a patient with
      factor IX deficiency.

PMID- 1863731
TI  - Case 2--1991. A 50-year-old man undergoing a right thoracotomy experiences
      unexpected intraoperative hypotension due to a drug interaction.

PMID- 1863732
TI  - The choice of inotropes following cardiopulmonary bypass. Pro: amrinone is a
      first-choice inotrope following cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID- 1863733
TI  - The choice of inotropes following cardiopulmonary bypass. Con: amrinone is not a
      first-choice inotrope following cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID- 1863734
TI  - Accurate identification of the pediatric internal jugular vein.

PMID- 1863735
TI  - An easy way to safely tie a double-lumen tube.

PMID- 1863736
TI  - A simple underwater seal apparatus for use in emergencies.

PMID- 1863737
TI  - Magnesium: its time has come.

PMID- 1863738
TI  - Hypomagnesemia is common following cardiac surgery.
AB  - Hypomagnesemia is a common disorder in noncardiac surgical patients in the
      postoperative period, but the effect of cardiac surgery on serum magnesium
      concentrations remains unclear. The authors hypothesized that cardiac surgery is
      associated with hypomagnesemia, and prospectively studied 101 subjects (60 +/-
      13.1 years of age) undergoing coronary artery revascularization (n = 70), valve
      replacement (n = 24), or both simultaneously (n = 7). Blood samples and clinical
      biochemical data were collected before induction of anesthesia, prior to
      cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), immediately after CPB, and on postoperative day 1.
      Blood samples were analyzed for ultrafilterable magnesium, total magnesium,
      ionized calcium, parathyroid hormone, and free fatty acid concentrations. Outcome
      variables were also determined. Eighteen of 99 (18.2%) subjects had
      hypomagnesemia preinduction and this number increased to 71 of 100 (71.0%)
      following cessation of CPB (P less than 0.05). Patients with postoperative
      hypomagnesemia had a higher frequency of atrial dysrhythmias (22 of 71 [31.0%] v
      3 of 29 [10.3%], P less than 0.05) and required prolonged mechanical ventilatory
      support (22 of 63 [34.9%] v 4 of 33 [12.1%], P less than 0.05). Hypomagnesemia is
      common following cardiac surgical procedures with CPB and is associated with
      clinically important postoperative morbidity.

PMID- 1863739
TI  - An improved lidocaine infusion protocol for cardiac surgical patients.
AB  - A new protocol for lidocaine administration was tested to determine whether it
      would provide higher free and total serum lidocaine concentrations during and
      after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), without leading to accumulation
      toxicity, than those resulting from a conventional protocol (1.5 mg/kg loading
      dose bolus + 2 mg/min infusion rate). Ten elective adult cardiac surgical
      patients were studied. Ten seconds prior to aortic cross-clamp release (0 min),
      each patient received a lidocaine bolus (1.5 mg/kg) and simultaneous lidocaine
      infusion (5 mg/min for 1 hour, followed by 2 mg/min for 23 hours). Weaning
      occurred 20 to 30 minutes after cross-clamp release. Lidocaine levels were
      determined from arterial blood samples at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes, and at
      2, 4, and 24 hours postcross-clamp release. Compared with the conventional
      protocol, the new protocol showed a significant increase in mean total lidocaine
      concentration (P less than or equal to 0.02) at 30 and 60 minutes, and a
      significant increase in mean free lidocaine concentration (P less than or equal
      to 0.005) at 20, 30, and 60 minutes. No patient had toxic levels at 24 hours.
      Results of this study suggest that in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, a "5 +
      2" mg/min infusion protocol is safe and superior to a conventional protocol in
      achieving therapeutic serum levels of free and total lidocaine.

PMID- 1863740
TI  - The effects of global normothermic hypoperfusion on the processed
      electroencephalogram in patients.
AB  - This study examined the effects of global normothermic hypoperfusion on the
      compressed spectral array (CSA) processed electroencephalogram (EEG) during high
      dose narcotic anesthesia. Fifteen patients undergoing cardiac electrophysiologic
      surgery were studied. The patients were anesthetized with a standard high-dose
      narcotic technique and then connected to a Nicolet Pathfinder I CSA EEG analysis
      system using seven subdermal electrodes in a modified International 10-20
      configuration. There were 167 intervals of profound hypotension ranging from 8 to
      96 seconds. During these periods the cerebral perfusion pressure was almost zero.
      Despite 38 intervals up to 32 seconds long, 6 of the 15 patients had no EEG
      changes. Overall, there were 36 (21.6%) ischemic EEG recordings. None of the
      patients developed neurological complications. The incidence of EEG changes was
      much lower than expected from other studies. Either the processed EEG was
      inherently insensitive, the high-dose narcotic masked the processed EEG effects
      of hypoperfusion, or the narcotic provided a previously unknown protective
      effect.

PMID- 1863741
TI  - Heparin rebound: a comparative study of protamine chloride and protamine sulfate
      in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.
AB  - Heparin rebound has been suggested to occur when protamine sulfate, but not
      protamine chloride, is used to neutralize heparin. This study was undertaken to
      compare these two protamine salts in 32 patients undergoing coronary artery
      bypass surgery. Initial heparin and subsequent protamine doses were determined by
      constructing a heparin-activated coagulation time response curve. Heparin was
      neutralized either with protamine sulfate or protamine chloride. The total
      protamine/heparin dose ratio was 0.71 +/- 0.05 for protamine sulfate and 0.77 +/-
      0.07 (mg/100 U) for protamine chloride. The initial neutralization effect, the
      subsequent behavior of the plasma heparin level, and the various coagulation
      parameters did not differ significantly between the groups. Two hours after
      neutralization, a small and temporary increase of plasma heparin level was
      observed in both groups. The postoperative blood losses were comparable in both
      groups. Thus, protamine chloride was not a clinically superior antidote to
      heparin than protamine sulfate. The observed heparin rebound levels were low and
      clinically insignificant in terms of blood loss, but they were associated with
      slight changes in coagulation monitoring.

PMID- 1863742
TI  - The role of plasma proteins in formation of obstructive protamine complexes.
AB  - Formation of complexes between heparin and protamine (in saline), or heparin,
      plasma proteins, and protamine (in plasma) was assessed by measurements of light
      transmission through different test solutions. To examine the formation of these
      complexes, 125I-labeled protamine was used. Addition of 125I-protamine to plasma
      or blood resulted in the sedimentation of 125I-protamine in the form of insoluble
      complexes. This complex formation was not affected by the presence of heparin,
      suggesting that protamine-plasma protein interaction may be primarily responsible
      for precipitation of 125I-protamine. To assess the capability of these complexes
      to obstruct the pulmonary circulation, an in vitro experimental model was
      developed. Citrated serum, plasma, blood, or saline were allowed to flow through
      a glass bead column with the help of a peristaltic pump. A pressure transducer
      positioned before the column allowed pressure measurements at a constant flow
      rate during the experiment. Mixing of protamine with plasma or blood prior to
      their passage through the glass bead column resulted in a significant increase in
      pressure suggesting that the column was being clogged with insoluble complexes.
      The increase in pressure occurred both in the presence and absence of heparin in
      plasma or blood. Under identical experimental conditions, the increase in
      pressure was insignificant when protamine was added to saline or serum regardless
      of whether heparin was present or absent. This was further confirmed by the use
      of 125I-protamine. These observations suggest that protamine forms insoluble
      complexes with certain plasma proteins. Based on these observations, it is
      hypothesized that following intravenous administration, protamine immediately
      forms complexes in circulating blood.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863743
TI  - Increased pulmonary artery perforating potential of pulmonary artery catheters
      during hypothermia.
AB  - The rate of major complications from the use of pulmonary artery (PA) catheters
      has been reported to be as high as 9%, 0.2% of which may be attributed to PA
      perforation, a catastrophe with a fatal outcome more than 50% of the time.
      Although an uncommon event generally, more than one third of catheter-related PA
      perforations occur during cardiac surgery. Several factors act to advance the
      balloon-tipped PA catheter into the distal PA, where, during hypothermia, the
      catheter hardens and, thus, may be more likely to perforate the vessel. The
      relative contribution of hypothermia, itself, to the perforating potential of
      previously used, triple-lumen PA catheters (n = 5) was examined in vitro by
      mounting them in a temperature-controlled testing chamber, at a 90 degrees
      incident angle to a polyethylene membrane, which represented the PA wall. The
      membrane was made to pulsate 80 times/min against the PA catheter until it was
      perforated. Each catheter was tested 5 times each at 3 temperatures. At 35
      degrees C, 30 degrees C, and 25 degrees C, the number of pulsations to produce
      perforation (perforation rate) was 488 +/- 280, 309 +/- 242, and 97 +/- 234,
      respectively. The perforation rates differed significantly between temperatures
      (P less than 0.01), but not between catheters or tests at the same temperature.
      This study demonstrates that perforation of a model PA by a triple-lumen PA
      catheter is 500% more likely during hypothermia.

PMID- 1863744
TI  - Effects of isoflurane and fentanyl on ischemic myocardium in dogs: assessment by
      end-systolic measurements.
AB  - The effect of anesthetics on ischemic myocardium to which blood was supplied by a
      stenotic coronary artery was investigated in dogs. The ischemia was assessed by
      regional wall motion (ultrasonic dimension technique) using fractional shortening
      (FS) [(EDL - ESL)/EDL x 100] and end-systolic pressure-segment length
      relationships (ESPLR). The latter is considered to be a more load-independent
      measure of regional myocardial function. Isoflurane and fentanyl were chosen as
      anesthetics of current interest. On reducing the left circumflex coronary artery
      (LCX) flow to approximately 50% of its resting value, a decrease in FS and a
      rightward shift in ESPLR were observed in myocardium perfused by the LCX.
      Simultaneously, increases in FS were observed in the nonischemic area perfused by
      the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), which was most likely due to
      the intraventricular unloading effect. No significant changes of ESPLR were
      observed in the area supplied by LAD. Isoflurane induced a dose-dependent
      decrease in FS and a rightward shift in ESPLR in the ischemic myocardial segment,
      whereas fentanyl caused an increase in FS and tended to shift ESPLR leftward in
      the same area. The results suggest that isoflurane may have deleterious effects
      on preexisting myocardial ischemia, whereas fentanyl may not when loading
      conditions are taken into consideration. Fractional shortening and ESPLR seem to
      provide similar information about regional myocardial function.

PMID- 1863745
TI  - The use of amrinone and norepinephrine for inotropic support during emergence
      from cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID- 1863746
TI  - Reversal of refractory right ventricular failure with amrinone.

PMID- 1863747
TI  - The relevance of somatosensory evoked potentials during thoracic aorta aneurysm
      repair.

PMID- 1863748
TI  - Anesthetic and postoperative management of single-lung transplantation.

PMID- 1863749
TI  - Case 3--1991. A 69-year-old man undergoing a thoracoabdominal aneurysm resection
      receives intraoperative plasmapheresis to decrease autologous and banked blood
      requirements.

PMID- 1863750
TI  - Pro: desmopressin is of value in the treatment of post-cardiopulmonary bypass
      bleeding.

PMID- 1863751
TI  - Con: desmopressin is not of value in the treatment of post-cardiopulmonary bypass
      bleeding.
AB  - Following two early promising reports that treatment with intravenous DDAVP was
      helpful in reducing postoperative hemorrhage and the amount of transfusion with
      homologous blood products in patients who had undergone cardiac surgery with CPB,
      these results were not repeated in any of the follow-up studies. At the present
      time, the routine prophylactic use of DDAVP in cardiac surgery cannot be
      recommended for patients undergoing closure of atrial septal defect, valve repair
      or replacement, primary CABG, or in children requiring cardiac surgery. The use
      of DDAVP in complicated procedures or for control of severe postoperative
      bleeding remains controversial. In the authors' opinion, DDAVP should not be used
      in cardiac surgery except in patients with a presurgical DDAVP-responsive
      coagulopathy.

PMID- 1863752
TI  - Lung isolation during thoracic aneurysmectomy.

PMID- 1863753
TI  - Rigid bronchoscopy revisited.

PMID- 1863754
TI  - Univentricular fibrillation.

PMID- 1863755
TI  - Obstruction of an emergency femorofemoral cardiopulmonary bypass circuit by a
      pulmonary artery catheter.

PMID- 1863756
TI  - The incidence of ventricular dysrhythmias during pulmonary artery catheter
      removal.

PMID- 1863757
TI  - Pea chloroplast DNA primase: characterization and role in initiation of
      replication.
AB  - A DNA primase activity was isolated from pea chloroplasts and examined for its
      role in replication. The DNA primase activity was separated from the majority of
      the chloroplast RNA polymerase activity by linear salt gradient elution from a
      DEAE-cellulose column, and the two enzyme activities were separately purified
      through heparin-Sepharose columns. The primase activity was not inhibited by
      tagetitoxin, a specific inhibitor of chloroplast RNA polymerase, or by polyclonal
      antibodies prepared against purified pea chloroplast RNA polymerase, while the
      RNA polymerase activity was inhibited completely by either tagetitoxin or the
      polyclonal antibodies. The DNA primase activity was capable of priming DNA
      replication on single-stranded templates including poly(dT), poly(dC), M13mp19,
      and M13mp19 + 2.1, which contains the AT-rich pea chloroplast origin of
      replication. The RNA polymerase fraction was incapable of supporting
      incorporation of 3H-TTP in in vitro replication reactions using any of these
      single-stranded DNA templates. Glycerol gradient analysis indicated that the pea
      chloroplast DNA primase (115-120 kDa) separated from the pea chloroplast DNA
      polymerase (90 kDa), but is much smaller than chloroplast RNA polymerase. Because
      of these differences in size, template specificity, sensitivity to inhibitors,
      and elution characteristics, it is clear that the pea chloroplast DNA primase is
      an distinct enzyme form RNA polymerase. In vitro replication activity using the
      DNA primase fraction required all four rNTPs for optimum activity. The
      chloroplast DNA primase was capable of priming DNA replication activity on any
      single-stranded M13 template, but shows a strong preference for M13mp19 + 2.1.
      Primers synthesized using M13mp19 + 2.1 are resistant to DNase I, and range in
      size from 4 to about 60 nucleotides.

PMID- 1863758
TI  - Analysis of unstable RNA transcripts of insecticidal crystal protein genes of
      Bacillus thuringiensis in transgenic plants and electroporated protoplasts.
AB  - We have examined expression of several insecticidal crystal protein (ICP) genes
      of Bacillus thuringiensis in transgenic tobacco plants and electroporated carrot
      protoplasts. We determined that low levels of lepidopteran toxin cryIA(b) ICP
      gene expression in plants and electroporated carrot cells is due to RNA
      instability. We used a series of 3' deleted by cryIA(b) constructs directed by
      the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter to demonstrate that this instability is
      minimally contained in the first 579 bases of the gene in both systems. This
      instability may result from 5'----3' as well as 3'----5' RNA metabolism. The
      coleopteran toxic cryIIIA gene was also examined in electroporated carrot cells,
      and found to be poorly expressed. A model for improvement of ICP RNA stability in
      plants is presented.

PMID- 1863759
TI  - Environmental conditions differentially affect vir gene induction in different
      Agrobacterium strains. Role of the VirA sensor protein.
AB  - The induction of vir gene expression in different types of Agrobacterium strains
      shows different pH sensitivity profiles. The pH sensitivity pattern demonstrated
      by octopine Ti strains was similar to that of a supervirulent leucinopine Ti
      strain, whereas this was different from that shown by nopaline Ti strains and
      agropine Ri strains. Data are given which indicate that these differences are due
      to different properties of the virA genes of these wild types. An exceptional
      case was formed by strains with the limited-host-range plasmid pTiAG57 which
      showed AS-dependent vir induction only if reduced inoculum sizes were used and
      the temperature was 28 degrees C or below.

PMID- 1863760
TI  - Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of the rubber elongation factor gene
      from Hevea brasiliensis.

PMID- 1863761
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of cDNA for an endopeptidase (EP-C1) from pods of maturing
      Phaseolus vulgaris fruits.

PMID- 1863762
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding the precursor of the 33 kDa protein
      of the oxygen-evolving complex from wheat.

PMID- 1863763
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a 25S rRNA gene from mustard (Sinapis alba).

PMID- 1863764
TI  - The complete nucleotide sequence of the intergenic spacer region of an rDNA
      operon from Brassica oleracea and its comparison with other crucifers.

PMID- 1863765
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cDNA clone encoding the
      waxy protein.

PMID- 1863766
TI  - Structure of a chalcone synthase gene from Hordeum vulgare.

PMID- 1863767
TI  - Identification of novel genes specifically expressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
      zygotes.
AB  - The maturation of zygotes formed by the fusion of two gametes is the essential
      part of the diploid phase of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii sexual life cycle and
      results in mature zygotes competent to germinate. To understand the molecular
      mechanisms underlying zygote maturation and the attainment of competence for
      germination we isolated genomic clones representing three different genes that
      are specifically expressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii zygotes. Accumulation of
      the RNAs started more than 24 h after mating, setting these genes apart from
      genes expressed in young zygotes. Upon light-induced germination of zygotes, the
      mRNAs disappeared. The patterns of RNA accumulation and disappearance were gene
      specific and suggested a function of these genes in maturation and/or in initial
      steps of germination.

PMID- 1863768
TI  - Promoter for a Brassica napus ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small
      subunit gene binds multiple nuclear factors and contains a negative-strand open
      reading frame encoding a putative transmembrane protein.
AB  - Using a fractionated genomic bank, we have cloned and characterized a Brassica
      napus gene (rbcSF1) encoding the small sub-unit of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate
      carboxylase. The promoter of this gene contains a 29 bp direct repeat capable of
      forming a single or a double hairpin loop, and three elements that are recognized
      by leaf nuclear proteins in vitro. The most upstream are the S-box, a small A/T
      rich sequence between -516 and -512, and the F-box between -492 and -475.
      Finally, we have also observed binding to the G-box, a regulatory element common
      to numerous plant promoters. The promoter of rbcSF1 also has a 113 amino acids
      open reading frame (ORF113) in the non-coding strand. When used to probe a
      northern blot of leaf RNA, this ORF hybridizes to a 1.5 kb transcript. The
      protein encoded by ORF113 contains a transmembrane domain.

PMID- 1863769
TI  - Proteolytic and partial sequencing studies of the bifunctional dihydrofolate
      reductase-thymidylate synthase from Daucus carota.
AB  - The bifunctional dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) of Daucus
      carota has been further characterized as regards molecular weight, amino acid
      composition, protease digestion and microsequencing of proteolytic peptides. Data
      reported in this paper demonstrate that the carrot protein has a calculated Mr of
      124,000 thus indicating that, contrarily to what has previously been suggested,
      it occurs as a dimer of identical subunits. Results of partial amino acid
      microsequencing show the presence of sequences highly homologous with those of
      the active sites of both DHFR and TS from other organisms confirming, at the
      structural level, the bifunctional nature of the carrot protein. As in the case
      of Leishmania tropica DHFR-TS, incubation of the carrot protein with V8 protease
      led to a rapid loss of TS activity while retaining that of DHFR. However the
      pattern of proteolysis did not allow to establish whether the sequence of domains
      is DHFR-TS as in Leishmania, or vice versa. Low homology of other amino acid
      sequences, as judged by computer analysis, and absence of common epitopes
      indicate an apparent divergence between carrot and leishmanian proteins.

PMID- 1863770
TI  - Promoters of auxin-induced genes from tobacco can lead to auxin-inducible and
      root tip-specific expression.
AB  - In previous studies we have identified several mRNAs which accumulate after
      addition of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic-acid (2,4-D) to auxin-starved tobacco
      cells. The mRNAs corresponding to cDNA clone pCNT103 were found to accumulate
      transiently prior to the cell division response due to auxin treatment. In this
      study we determined the sequences of three 103-like cDNAs and two 103-like genes,
      GNT1 and GNT35. To further study the regulation of the expression of these genes
      their 5' regions were translationally fused with the beta-D-glucuronidase
      reporter gene (GUS). The GNT1 5' region led to GUS expression only in the root
      tips of transgenic plants. By using transgenic hairy-root cultures and
      transformed cell suspension cultures it was shown that the 5' regions of both
      GNT1 and GNT35 lead to 2,4-D-inducible expression of GUS activity. The homology
      of the 103-like genes with other auxin-regulated genes is evaluated.

PMID- 1863771
TI  - Alfalfa heat shock genes are differentially expressed during somatic
      embryogenesis.
AB  - We have isolated two cDNA clones (Mshsp18-1; Mshsp18-2) from alfalfa (Medicago
      sativa L.) which encode for small heat shock proteins (HSPs) belonging to the
      hsp17 subfamily. The predicted amino acid sequences of the two alfalfa proteins
      are 92% identical and a similar degree of homology (90%) can be detected between
      Mshsp18-2 and the pea hsp17. In comparison to various members of small HSPs from
      soybean amino acid sequence similarities of 80-86% were identified. The alfalfa
      HSPs share a homologous stretch of amino acids in the carboxy terminal region
      with hsp22, 23, 26 from Drosophila. This region contains the GVLTV motif which is
      characteristic of several members of small HSPs. At room temperature alfalfa
      hsp18 mRNAs were not detectable in root and leaf tissues but northern analysis
      showed a low level of expression in microcallus suspension (MCS). The
      transcription of Mshsp18 genes is induced by elevated temperature, CdCl2
      treatment and osmotic shock in cultured cells. In alfalfa somatic embryos derived
      from MCS a considerable amount of hsp18 mRNA can be detected during the early
      embryogenic stages under normal culture conditions. The differential expression
      of these genes during embryo development suggests a specific functional role for
      HSPs in plant cells at the time of the developmental switch in vitro.

PMID- 1863772
TI  - A conserved core structure in the 18-25S rRNA intergenic region from tobacco,
      Nicotiana rustica.
AB  - To identify conserved and functionally important features in the intergenic
      sequences of ribosomal DNAs, the nucleotide sequence of the 18-25S rRNA intergene
      region in tobacco rDNA was determined and compared to that of other higher
      plants. Unlike previous comparisons of more diverse organisms, sufficient
      sequence homology is retained in the higher plants to examine the evolutionary
      changes which make these regions diverse. Estimates of the secondary structure
      permit the identification of a 'core-like' structure which appears to maintain
      the processed sites in close proximity and can be identified in the more
      divergent sequences.

PMID- 1863773
TI  - Patterns of gene expression in developing anthers of Brassica napus.
AB  - The relationship between bud length, anther length and stage of anther
      development has been investigated in Brassica napus using a series of cytological
      markers that define steps in the process of male gametogenesis. It was determined
      that bud length is directly related to anther length and that anther or bud
      length is tightly linked to the stage of male gametogenesis within the anther.
      This simple correlation has enabled the construction of cDNA libraries
      representing transcripts expressed in defined stages of anther development, and
      the detailed examination of the developmental pattern of expression of anther
      RNAs. Two anther cDNA libraries were constructed, one from anthers of 1.2-1.8 mm
      long buds (sporogenesis library) and one from anthers of 1.8-4.0 mm long buds
      (microspore development library). A total of 19 independent cDNAs have been
      isolated by differential screening whose temporal expression patterns overlap and
      which together cover the stages of anther development from pre-meiotic
      microsporocytes to tri-nucleate pollen grains. The pattern of expression of each
      of these clones is unique and indicates that stages of anther development which
      cannot be easily distinguished by light microscopy can be recognised by virtue of
      the absence or presence of certain RNAs. Three cDNAs isolated from the
      sporogenesis library have been shown by in situ hybridisation to be tapetum
      specific. In contrast, five clones isolated from the microspore development
      library are microspore-specific. These clones exhibit a pattern of expression
      different to those previously described in that their transcripts are absent in
      mature pollen grains. Thus these RNAs are probably required in microspore
      development rather than for the growth of the germinating pollen grain.

PMID- 1863774
TI  - Analysis of Pteridium ribosomal RNA sequences by rapid direct sequencing.
AB  - A total of 864 bases from 5 regions interspersed in the 18S and 26S rRNA
      molecules from various clones of Pteridium covering the general geographical
      distribution of the genus was analysed using a rapid rRNA sequencing technique.
      No base difference has been detected amongst the three major lineages, two of
      which apparently separated before the breakup of the ancient supercontinent,
      Pangaea. These regions of the rRNA sequences have thus been conserved for at
      least 160 million years and are here compared with other eukaryotic, especially
      plant rRNAs.

PMID- 1863775
TI  - Direct gene transfer into Actinidia deliciosa protoplasts: analysis of transient
      expression of the CAT gene using TLC autoradiography and a GC-MS-based method.
AB  - Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene was used as a reporter gene to
      assess the conditions for polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transfection of
      kiwifruit protoplasts. The effect of plasmid concentration and the presence of
      carrier DNA were each assessed by analysing CAT activity in transfected
      protoplasts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) autoradiographic detection of
      acetylated chloramphenicol. A gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry (GC-MS) non-radioactive method was developed for monitoring CAT gene
      activity. This method provides a high speed of analysis (30 min) and precise
      means of detecting acetylated products at the nanomolar level, enabling
      quantification at very low transfection rates. Using this method we optimized
      plasmid and PEG concentration and also assessed the effect of heat shock on
      transfection. The best CAT activity was obtained using 30% polyethylene glycol
      4000 and by submitting protoplasts to heat shock (45 degrees C, 5 min) prior to
      transfection.

PMID- 1863776
TI  - Isolation of a complementary DNA encoding the bean PR4 chitinase: an acidic
      enzyme with an amino-terminus cysteine-rich domain.
AB  - The amino acid sequences of peptides generated by trypsin and chymotrypsin
      digestions of the acidic PR4 chitinase from bean were determined. Oligonucleotide
      primers derived from this sequence were used to synthesize a PR4 chitinase
      specific probe by PCR-amplification. This probe allowed the isolation of cDNA
      clones encoding PR4 chitinase that have been sequenced. This acidic and
      extracellular chitinase shows some homology to the basic isoform from the same
      plant, and differs from other known acidic chitinases by the presence of an amino
      terminal cysteine-rich domain. Southern blot analysis of bean genomic DNA
      revealed that PR4 chitinase is encoded by a single gene.

PMID- 1863777
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a Triticum aestivum cDNA clone which is homologous to the
      26 kDa chloroplast-localized heat shock protein gene of maize.

PMID- 1863778
TI  - Transient expression of beta-glucuronidase in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves and
      roots and Brassica napus stems using a pneumatic particle gun.
AB  - Successful transient expression of beta-glucuronidase (GUS) in Arabidopsis
      thaliana leaves and roots and Brassica napus stems was obtained after gene
      delivery with a pneumatic particle gun driven by compressed air. Effects of the
      pneumatic pressure used to accelerate the particles (accelerating pressure; 85 to
      200 kg/cm2) and of preculture periods of plant tissues (0 to 6 days) on the
      efficiency of gene delivery were studied. In A. thaliana leaves, best results
      were obtained at 115 kg/cm2 of accelerating pressure and 3 days of preculture. In
      A. thaliana roots, the optimum was at 200 kg/cm2 of accelerating pressure and 3
      days of preculture. These results indicate that both preculture period and
      accelerating pressure are vital factors that determine the efficiency of gene
      delivery by particle gun.

PMID- 1863779
TI  - The cDNA sequence of NS1 glycoprotein of Brassica campestris and its homology to
      S-locus-related glycoproteins of B. oleracea.

PMID- 1863780
TI  - A Triticum aestivum cDNA clone encoding a low-molecular-weight heat shock
      protein.

PMID- 1863781
TI  - An ethylene-responsive flower senescence-related gene from carnation encodes a
      protein homologous to glutathione S-transferases.
AB  - Carnation flower petal senescence is associated with the expression of specific
      senescence-related mRNAs, several of which were previously cloned. The cDNA clone
      pSR8 represents a transcript which accumulates specifically in senescing flower
      petals in response to ethylene. Here we report the structural characterization of
      this cDNA. A second cDNA clone was isolated based on shared sequence homology
      with pSR8. This clone, pSR8.4, exhibited an overlapping restriction endonuclease
      map with pSR8 and contained an additional 300 nucleotides. Primer extension
      analysis revealed the combined cDNAs to be near full-length and the transcript to
      accumulate in senescing petals. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence of SR8 cDNAs
      revealed an open reading frame of 220 amino acids sufficient to encode a 25 kDa
      polypeptide. Comparison of the deduced polypeptide sequence of pSR8 with other
      peptide sequences revealed significant similarity with glutathione s-transferases
      from a variety of organisms. The predicted polypeptide sequence shared 44%, 53%
      and 52% homology with GSTs from maize, Drosophila and man, respectively. We
      discuss our results in relation to the biochemistry of flower petal senescence
      and the possible role of glutathione s-transferase in this developmental process.

PMID- 1863782
TI  - Sequence of a wheat cDNA encoding a pathogen-induced thaumatin-like protein.

PMID- 1863783
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding the putative trypsin inhibitor in potato
      tuber.

PMID- 1863784
TI  - A Brassica napus mRNA expressed specifically in developing microspores.
AB  - The I3 cDNA isolated from a library made from 2-4 mm (immature) anthers of
      Brassica napus shows microspore-specific expression. Homologous transcripts are
      detected in buds and anthers of male-fertile plants, but not in green tissues,
      roots, or in cytoplasmic male-sterile buds. High expression of the transcript is
      limited to microspores entering and undergoing mitosis. The predicted peptide
      sequence of the cDNA shows an unusual repeated alanine/proline motif at the C
      terminus, which may be of importance in the native protein structure.

PMID- 1863785
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of two cDNAs encoding the adenine nucleotide translocator
      from Zea mays L.

PMID- 1863786
TI  - Persistent organochlorine pesticides in blood serum and whole blood.

PMID- 1863787
TI  - Deposition of esfenvalerate on Brassica vegetables.

PMID- 1863788
TI  - Contamination of ponds by fenitrothion during forest spraying.

PMID- 1863789
TI  - Transport of the fungicide chlorothalonil from its operational use on a pond
      ecosystem.

PMID- 1863790
TI  - Airborne drift residues collected near apple orchard environments due to
      application of insecticide mixtures.

PMID- 1863791
TI  - Pesticide transmission in fabrics: effect of perspiration.

PMID- 1863792
TI  - Deaths of Canada geese following spraying of turf with diazinon.

PMID- 1863793
TI  - Planarians in toxicology, standardization of a rapid neurobehavioral toxicity
      test using phenol in a crossover study.

PMID- 1863794
TI  - Standard test fish for India and the neighboring countries.

PMID- 1863795
TI  - Enhancement of hepatocarcinogenesis in rainbow trout with carbon tetrachloride.

PMID- 1863796
TI  - Heavy metal bioaccumulation in lamb and sheep bred in smelting and mining areas
      of S.W. Sardinia (Italy).

PMID- 1863797
TI  - Sequestration of copper and zinc in the hepatopancreas of Armadillidium vulgare
      latreille following exposure to lead.

PMID- 1863798
TI  - Concentration of metals in various larval stages of four Ephemeroptera species.

PMID- 1863799
TI  - Toxicity of metals to a freshwater tubificid worm, Tubifex tubifex (Muller).

PMID- 1863800
TI  - Assessment of mercury toxicity by the changes in oxygen consumption and ion
      levels in the freshwater snail, Pila globosa, and the mussel, Lamellidens
      marginalis.

PMID- 1863801
TI  - Short-term oral administration of several manganese compounds in mice:
      physiological and behavioral alterations caused by different forms of manganese.

PMID- 1863802
TI  - In vitro and in vivo responses of rat tissues to cadmium-induced lipid
      peroxidation.

PMID- 1863803
TI  - Acute effects of benzene and cyclophosphamide exposure on cellular and humoral
      immunity of cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus.

PMID- 1863804
TI  - High performance liquid chromatography as a tool in the definition of
      abnormalities in monoamine and tryptophan metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid from
      patients with neurological disorders.
AB  - In this study we report the levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovallinic acid, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-3
      acetic acid and serotonin in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with
      multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease and muscular tension headache the
      later, as healthy controls. The separation of these substances was performed on a
      reversed phase column by ion pair high performance liquid chromatography and
      detection was made by a glassy carbon electrode set at +900 mV vs Ag+/AgCl. The
      whole separation was achieved within 25 min. Concentrations of all substances (10
      1000 pmole/L) were linearly proportional to areas obtained. The system is
      sensitive, stable and reproducible. The significance of CSF levels of these
      metabolites from patients groups compared with healthy controls are discussed.

PMID- 1863805
TI  - Chromatographic techniques in inborn errors of metabolism.
AB  - Chromatography has played a pivotal role in the advances made during the last 30
      years in our knowledge of inborn errors of metabolism. This review discusses the
      application of some of these techniques to the analysis of organic acids and
      acylcarnitines. The separation of organic acids needed a comprehensive approach
      that would permit all of the many organic acids present in urine or other complex
      mixtures to be extracted, analysed and identified in a single run. This required
      analytical methods of great resolving power, wide linear range and universal
      detectors such as gas chromatography (GC), or GC coupled with mass spectrometry.
      Sample preparation was another problem that has been tackled by a variety of
      approaches. Organic solvents have been employed widely for the extraction of
      organic acids from physiological fluids. Unfortunately, recoveries of the
      different organic acids by this method are sometimes less than quantitative and
      variable depending on the compound. Other methods, such as the use of DEAE
      Sephadex columns, have the advantage of resulting in close to 100% recoveries,
      but are more tedious. Liquid partition chromatography on short silicic acid
      columns has also been recommended as a useful clean-up step prior to GC,
      permitting both the identification and quantitation of organic acids in urine,
      plasma or amniotic fluid. Although many derivatization procedure have been used
      to prepare organic acids for gas chromatography, the most common is
      trimethylsilylation. Oxo acids are usually reacted with one of several commonly
      used reagents to form oximes. GC analysis of organic acids was initially done
      using packed columns with methylsilicone-based, non-polar stationary
      phases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863806
TI  - Application of ion pair high performance liquid chromatography to the analysis of
      porphyrins in clinical samples.
AB  - Reversed phase ion pair chromatography is a highly selective separation technique
      for the determination of free porphyrin carboxylic acids from human materials.
      Isocratic and gradient elution methods can be used to analyse porphyrin isomers
      and to establish porphyrin profiles for the biochemical diagnosis of porphyrias.
      Ion pair high performance liquid chromatography led to the discovery of the
      atypical isomers II and IV of uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin in human urine.
      Advantages and limitations of the ion pair technique are discussed.

PMID- 1863807
TI  - Biomedical applications of chiral liquid chromatography.
AB  - Many drugs are racemic and therefore much effort has to be devoted towards the
      stereoselective synthesis of the most effective or less harmful component of a
      racemic mixture. High performance liquid chromatography will play an important
      role in the clinical analysis of racemic drugs in anticipation of regulations
      that are currently being discussed and are expected to be enforced by the end of
      this decade. In this review a number of methods for chiral resolution are
      outlined. These include the formation of diastereoisomers and the use of chiral
      stationary phases or chiral mobile phase additives.

PMID- 1863808
TI  - Field flow fractionation in biomedical analysis.
AB  - Samples of biomedical interest which have been analysed by field-flow
      fractionation techniques are surveyed. The list begins with whole cells and
      microorganisms, going through viruses, nucleic acids, cell fragments and
      organelles, down to proteins and their aggregates. The principles of separation
      in the normal and steric mode of retention are illustrated, and instrumentation
      and techniques are described. The review concentrates mainly on the two systems
      of choice for biomedical applications: sedimentation and flow field-flow
      fractionation.

PMID- 1863809
TI  - Contribution of marrow stromal cells to the regulation of osteoblast
      proliferation in rats: evidence for the involvement of insulin-like growth
      factors.
AB  - Fibroblast-like marrow stromal cells are believed to play a role in the
      maintenance of osteoblast populations at the marrow-bone interface. We now report
      that this interaction may be very specific. Stromal cell conditioned medium (SC
      CM) stimulated DNA synthesis and proliferation in culture of neonatal rat
      calvarial osteoblasts at low concentrations (1.25-5%), but was inhibitory at 10%.
      At growth promoting effective concentrations, the activity of osteoblast alkaline
      phosphatase was decreased. This action was selective since SC-CM failed to
      promote the growth of rat calvarial fibroblasts. Characterization of the SC-CM
      indicated the cells produced IGF-I and -II and a wide range of molecular weight
      fractions with putative stimulatory action (FPLC analysis using Superose 12 and 6
      gel permeation columns). HPAE-PAD analysis showed that some elements were
      glycosylated, and the composition suggested the presence of N- and O-linked
      oligosaccharide chains. Because rat marrow stromal fibroblast-like cells produce
      a number of osteotropic factors which affect calvarial osteoblast growth, these
      interactions may be important to considerations about the etiology of the
      osteoporoses.

PMID- 1863810
TI  - A new set of calibration standards for estimating the fat and mineral content of
      vertebrae via dual energy QCT.
AB  - A new set of calibration standards has been developed for implementing a dual
      energy (DE) quantitative CT technique for estimating the fat and bone content of
      vertebrae. The QCT technique is based upon a three-component model of bone and
      utilizes calibration materials that mimic those components in their X-ray
      attenuation properties. The three components we chose to simulate are bone
      (mineral plus collagen), fat and a fat-free red marrow. This choice was
      predicated upon our desire to employ materials that would facilitate later
      experimental verification of the method. The calibration standards and a set of
      test samples were manufactured of tissue-simulating epoxy resins. They were
      employed in studies of the accuracy (consistency) and precision of the technique
      and in a study of 21 normal postmenopausal women. Estimates of the bone and fat
      content of the test samples were consistent with the manufacturer's
      specifications to within 13 mg/ml and 7 vol%, respectively. Long-term
      reproducibility (coefficient of variation) for both quantities was about 3%. The
      average bone content of the T12-L3 vertebrae of the human subjects was 262 +/- 32
      mg/ml (152 +/- 18 mg/ml calcium hydroxyapatite or mineral) and the average fat
      content was 63 +/- 8%. Conventional single energy (SE) QCT measurements of these
      vertebrae were about 23% less than the DE mineral measurements, which is
      consistent with the differences between SEQCT and ash content that others have
      determined via chemical analysis. The DE fat content is, in absolute terms, about
      15% greater than values reported in the literature and may be due to an error in
      the assumed composition of red marrow. The true accuracy of the bone and fat
      estimates is to be determined in a planned human vertebral specimen study.

PMID- 1863811
TI  - Differential regulation of the 55 and 44 kDa forms of secreted phosphoprotein 1
      (SPP-1, osteopontin) in normal and transformed rat bone cells by osteotropic
      hormones, growth factors and a tumor promoter.
AB  - Confluent cultures of rat bone cells synthesize several forms of secreted
      phosphoprotein 1 (SPP-1, osteopontin), the major phosphorylated forms of which
      migrate at 55 and 44 kDa on 15% cross-linked SDS-PAGE gels and correspond to the
      transformation-associated proteins pp 69 and pp 62. A clonal rat calvarial cell
      line (RCA 11), which expressed the highest level of SPP-1, produced only the 55
      kDa form of the phosphorylated protein, whereas normal rat calvarial cells
      enriched in osteoblastic cells (RC IV cells) produced mostly the 55 kDa form,
      with small amounts of the 44 kDa form. In contrast, a 44 kDa form was the major
      [32PO4]-labelled SPP-1 synthesized by a rat osteocarcoma cell line (ROS 17/2.8
      cells) with lesser amounts of the 55 kDa SPP-1. When [35S]methionine was used to
      measure protein synthesis, only the 55 kDa SPP-1 could be clearly detected in
      confluent cultures of each cell population, indicating that the 55 kDa SPP-1 is
      the prominent form of SPP-1 synthesized by each cell population. Following
      treatment of the normal rat bone cells for 24 h with osteotropic hormones (vit
      D3, PTH and RA), growth factors (PDGF, EGF, TGF-beta), a tumor promoter (TPA) and
      a plant lectin (Con A), the 55 kDa [35S]methionine labelled SPP-1 was increased
      1.7-8.3-fold. Similar, but generally lower responses were observed in the clonal
      RCA 11 cell line, whereas the ROS 17/2.8 cells were more refractory, showing only
      a strong response to vit D3. In general, vit D3 produced the strongest
      stimulation in all populations with TGF-beta producing a good response in the non
      transformed cells and RA in the RC IV cells. In contrast, PTH was inhibitory in
      both RCA 11 and ROS 17/2.8 cells. In most, but not all, cases the alteration in
      SPP-1 synthesis reflected similar changes in SPP-1 mRNA and in the intensity of
      the [32PO4]-labelled 55 kDa SPP-1. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that
      bone cells produce several forms of SPP-1 which are differentially regulated in
      normal and transformed cells through both transcriptional and posttranscriptional
      mechanisms.

PMID- 1863812
TI  - Autocatalytic membrane conductance and memory.
AB  - A basic characteristic of biological memory is that it has a graded duration,
      which, even for so-called short-term memory, can vary from minutes to days (i.e.
      over about three orders of magnitude), depending on the training protocol, which
      one can think of as determining the "strength" of the memory. Furthermore, the
      molecular analysis of simple learning in invertebrates has revealed many examples
      where "learning" is produced by a decrease in an appropriate membrane
      conductance. This paper provides a quantitative analysis of a simple kinetic
      scheme whereby a conductance decrease can be produced by repetitive nerve
      impulses, with a duration that varies with stimulus frequency. The simplest model
      considered is based on the actual kinetics of the naturally-occurring ionophore
      Monazomycin. This model yields durations ranging only over a factor of about 10,
      for reasonable parameter values. However, a simple modification of the model
      yields memory durations ranging over three or more orders of magnitude. We also
      show that Monazomycin-like kinetics can appear as the result of a combination of
      simple uni- and bi-molecular reactions, thus making more plausible the
      possibility that the effects described here may operate in actual biological
      systems.

PMID- 1863813
TI  - The statistical correlation of nucleotides in protein-coding DNA sequences.
AB  - The statistical correlation of nucleotides in a DNA sequence is described by a
      set of redundancies D1, D2, D3, . . . . By calculation of [Dn] of 2341 coding
      regions of nucleic acid sequences it is demonstrated that about 2/3 of sequences
      has correlation length less than or equal to 2, 10% of sequences--correlation
      with 3-periodicity and others--long range aperiodic correlations. The
      implications of the results from the interactions of random mutation and natural
      selection are discussed briefly.

PMID- 1863814
TI  - A generalized tapering equivalent cable model for dendritic neurons.
AB  - A mathematical model has been developed which collapses a dendritic neuron of
      complex geometry into a single electrotonically tapering equivalent cable. The
      modified cable equation governing the transient distribution of subthreshold
      membrane potential in a branching tree is transformed, becoming amenable to
      analytic solution. This transformation results in a Riccati differential equation
      whose six solutions (expressed in terms of elementary functions) control the
      amount and degree of taper found in the equivalent cable model. To illustrate the
      theory, an analytic solution (in series form) of the modified cable equation is
      obtained for a voltage-clamp present at the soma of a quadratically tapering
      equivalent cable whose distal end is sealed.

PMID- 1863815
TI  - Visual discrimination learning in binocularly deprived cats: 20 years of studies
      in the Nencki Institute.
AB  - Data obtained by the author and his colleagues on various forms of visual
      discrimination learning in cats binocularly deprived of pattern vision with cloth
      masks (BD cats) are reviewed. In these studies two comparison groups were used:
      controls reared also in the laboratory but with open eyes (C cats) and cats
      reared in normal environment outside the laboratory (N cats). Data from other
      laboratories on lid-sutured and dark-reared BD cats are also shortly reviewed.
      The BD cats showed several clear-cut deficits. Those in pattern discrimination
      and in fine contrast discrimination were presumably mainly due to impairment of
      the perceptual inhibitory learning, whereas those in coping with the partition in
      the apparatus and in successive discrimination were due to impairment of
      associative inhibitory learning. The deficits in object discrimination and in
      interocular transfer were apparently due to a reduced number of binocular neurons
      in the deprived visual cortex and superior colliculi. Dramatic deficit in
      relearning after ablation of the superior colliculi-pretectum complex shows a
      reduced utilization of the abnormal cortex in discrimination learning. The C cats
      shared fully with BD cats a dramatic impairment in the visually delayed response.
      This short-term memory deficit was presumably due to a limited practice in visual
      learning in cage-reared cats. The C cats showed also some impairment in coping
      with the partition and in relearning after the colliculus-pretectum ablation. The
      BD cats were not impaired in pattern vs. no-pattern discrimination and in grating
      discrimination. Thus, visual deprivation does not impair the formation of
      excitatory and simple inhibitory connections required in crude discrimination.
      Moreover, presumably due to their less distractibility by external stimuli, the
      BD cats could be even superior to N and C cats in very crude discrimination
      tasks.

PMID- 1863816
TI  - Identification of the Purkinje cell/climbing fiber zone and its target neurons
      responsible for eye-movement control by the cerebellar flocculus.
AB  - We identified 3 Purkinje cell/climbing fiber zones in the cat cerebellar
      flocculus. The zones were perpendicular to the long axes of the crooked floccular
      folia, forming the crooked zones. Each zone was different in axonal projection
      areas of its target neurons. From the neuronal networks it is theoretically
      expected that activity changes of a particular zone control eye movement in a
      particular plane: (1) the rostral and caudal zones on one side control movement
      in the anterior canal plane on the side of the activity changes and those on both
      sides control movement in all vertical planes from sagittal to transverse planes;
      and (2) the middle zone controls movement in the horizontal plane by reciprocal
      activity changes on both sides. The zone-specific climbing fiber input to a
      particular zone may contribute to activity changes of the zone in response to
      mossy fiber input spreading across several zones. Electrical stimulation of each
      zone evoked the same pattern of eye movement as that theoretically expected from
      the neuronal networks. This is the first indication that there are indeed
      functional differences between the Purkinje cell zones in the cerebellum. Our
      findings support Oscarsson's proposal that each Purkinje cell/climbing fiber zone
      plus its target neurons may be an operational unit for control of a given motor
      function.

PMID- 1863817
TI  - Why early arthritis clinics?

PMID- 1863818
TI  - Metalloproteinase inhibitors--crystal gazing for a future therapy?

PMID- 1863819
TI  - Psoriatic arthritis (PA): a clinical, immunological and radiological study of 180
      patients.
AB  - We carried out a prospective study of the clinical, laboratory and radiological
      features of 180 patients with psoriatic arthritis. We initially classified our
      patients into five groups as described in the publications of Moll and Wright.
      Thirty-seven per cent had oligoarthritis, 36% polyarthritis, 23% spondarthritis
      (sacroiliitis and/or spondylitis) and 4% had the mutilans form. The distal joint
      arthritis type did not exist as an entity and the distal interphalangeal (DIP)
      joints were affected in all groups. The spondarthritis form includes patients
      with exclusively axial manifestations and also those who in addition have
      peripheral arthritis (oligoarthritis, polyarthritis, DIP arthritis). Only 53% of
      our patients had nail involvement. We found an increase of IgA levels in patients
      with axial disease. This suggests a relationship between ankylosing spondylitis
      and psoriatic spondylitis. The HLA-B17/Cw6 association increased in the
      oligoarticular form. The increase of antigen B17 correlated with the
      spondarthritic and oligoarthritis forms whereas Cw6 was more important in the
      oligoarthritis form. An increase of the HLA-B27/Cw1 association and the
      spondarthritic form was also found. Moreover, we detected a greater incidence of
      the HLA-B27 antigen in patients with bilateral sacroiliitis (85%) than in
      patients with unilateral sacroiliitis (22%). Our work revealed that PA is not a
      harmless disease; 57% of our patients had erosive arthritis while 19% had ARA
      class III or IV functional impairment.

PMID- 1863820
TI  - Predictors of the long-term outcome of early synovitis: a 5-year follow-up study.
AB  - One hundred patients who presented to an Early Synovitis Clinic in 1979-81 were
      called for review after a minimum of 5 years. Sufficient data for analysis were
      obtained in 88 cases, of whom 36 had a final diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis
      (19 seropositive, 17 seronegative) and 16 human parvovirus B19 arthropathy.
      Outcome was assessed by persistence of symptoms greater than 24 months and
      functional disability by Health Assessment Questionnaire. Sixty-two patients had
      persistent disease, with 26 showing some functional impairment (positive HAQ
      FDI). A number of presenting features were assessed for their ability to predict
      outcome at 5 years. Polyarticular onset of disease was associated with a poor
      prognosis but lacked both specificity and sensitivity. Certain laboratory tests
      at presentation, including positive rheumatoid factor and low serum sulphydryl
      levels, also indicated a poor outcome. Combining these serological abnormalities
      gave 100% specificity for detecting persistent, disabling disease but with rather
      low sensitivity. Thus, other test systems are required to increase further the
      successful prediction of clinical outcome in patients with early synovitis.

PMID- 1863821
TI  - Evidence for impaired erythropoietin response to anaemia in rheumatoid disease.
AB  - In this study we determined the serum erythropoietin (Epo) levels of 97 anaemic
      rheumatoid (RD) patients (Hb less than 11 g/dl) of whom 44 had serum ferritin
      greater than 60 micrograms/l (anaemia of chronic disorders; ACD), 26 had ferritin
      20-60 micrograms/l and 27 had ferritin less than 20 micrograms/l. These results
      were compared with the Epo levels of 36 iron deficient controls (Hb less than 11
      g/dl), 33 non-anaemic RD patients and 33 normals. The serum Epo levels of anaemic
      subjects were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than those of non-anaemic
      patients. Despite similar Hb, the Epo results (geometric mean (confidence limits]
      of the ACD group (38 (32,45) mU/ml) and of RD patients with ferritin of 20-60
      micrograms/l (39 (33,46)mU/ml) were significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than
      those of iron deficient controls (65 (52,80)mU/ml). When the Hb fell to 10 g/dl
      or less, the serum Epo of 13 RD patients with ferritin less than 20 micrograms/l
      was 65 (47,89)mU/ml, significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than that of 17 iron
      deficient controls (104 (78,136)mU/ml). These results justify clinical trials of
      recombinant human Epo in RD patients with ACD.

PMID- 1863822
TI  - Role of TNF alpha, in relation to IL-1 and IL-6 in the proteoglycan turnover of
      human articular cartilage.
AB  - In both young and old human articular cartilage explants, TNF alpha induced a
      concentration-dependent, reversible suppression of the proteoglycan (PG)
      synthesis. Young cartilage was more sensitive to TNF alpha than old cartilage:
      50% suppression of PG synthesis was reached at a TNF alpha concentration of 5
      U/ml for young and 30 U/ml for old cartilage, whereas at 10(3) U/ml the PG
      synthesis of young cartilage was blocked and that of old cartilage suppressed by
      80%. These inhibition levels of PG synthesis resulted in 25% PG depletion of the
      explants after 8 days of culture. The release of cartilage PG was not enhanced.
      TNF alpha induced no detectable amounts of IL-1 (less than 0.01 U) in young or
      old cartilage but did induce IL-6 production. The induced amounts of IL-6 were
      higher in young than in old cartilage but no dose-dependency was evident.
      Antibodies to neither IL-1 nor IL-6 had any influence on the TNF alpha-induced
      suppression of PG synthesis. The combination of TNF alpha and IL-1 led to an
      additive inhibition of PG synthesis which had no relationship to induced IL-6.
      TNF alpha was about 100-fold less active than IL-1.

PMID- 1863823
TI  - A limited association of generalized osteoarthritis with alleles at the type II
      collagen locus: COL2A1.
AB  - A significant genetic influence in osteoarthritis has been observed in the
      combination of Heberden's nodes and generalized osteoarthritis. We examined
      whether mutation in the gene encoding the major cartilage matrix protein type II
      collagen was responsible by comparing allele frequencies at the locus (COL2A1) in
      a group of 61 patients with nodal GOA with a control population and by analysing
      the COL2A1 genotypes of 21 affected sibling pairs. There were no significant
      allele differences but a slightly increased tendency over chance alone for
      affected siblings to have inherited the same COL2A1 alleles from their parents.

PMID- 1863824
TI  - Oestrogen, the prevention of bone loss and osteoporosis.
AB  - There is overwhelming evidence that oestrogen can prevent bone loss and there is
      less good but convincing evidence that oestrogen prevents fractures. Oestrogen
      use of between 5 and 10 years is associated with a 50% reduction in risk of
      fracture. There is good evidence that in established osteoporosis, oestrogen
      prevents further bone loss and reduces the incidence of fractures. Oestrogen use
      leads to lasting skeletal benefits and will prevent bone loss at whatever age it
      is started. Prior to fracture there are no symptoms associated with osteoporosis
      and few patients will be diagnosed at a time when effective treatment could be
      instigated. It is apparent that the risk of developing osteoporosis cannot be
      deduced from clinical data alone and bone mineral measurements provide the single
      best test for future risk. Bone mass can be measured directly and there is no
      need for guess work. The most important potential application for oestrogen is in
      preventive therapy, and the efficient use of oestrogen in this situation depends
      upon the diagnosis of low bone mass. Who to treat remains the issue. For any age
      group the median value of bone density and a range of percentiles can be
      generated, thus facilitating therapeutic decisions.

PMID- 1863825
TI  - Which patients see a rheumatologist? SWRACR (South Western Regional Advisory
      Committee on Rheumatology).
AB  - Rheumatology outpatient consultations were recorded throughout the South Western
      Regional Health Authority for one month. Of 2987 consultations (equivalent to
      32,600 annually), 630 (21%) were new referrals who waited 60 days (mode) before
      their consultation. Rheumatoid arthritis and polyarthritis accounted for 43% of
      new referrals and 75% of follow-up patients. For these categories, 6.5 follow-up
      patients were seen for each new referral, but this ratio varied from 3.7 to 11.7.
      Other diagnoses also had variable patterns of follow-up but because they
      represented only a small proportion they were less relevant to overall service
      provision and resource consumption. These data not only outline current
      outpatient working patterns but also indicate areas of further investigation
      which might elucidate methods of providing good patient care and appropriate use
      of resources.

PMID- 1863826
TI  - Review of UK data on the rheumatic diseases--8. SLE.

PMID- 1863827
TI  - The use of nasal calcitonin in the treatment of post-traumatic algodystrophy.
AB  - Calcitonin is widely used in the treatment of algodystrophy but a major
      disadvantage is the need for its parenteral administration. For this reason, we
      evaluated the effect of 400 iu of nasal calcitonin in the treatment of post
      traumatic algodystrophy in a prospective randomized double-blind study. We found
      no demonstrable effect on the clinical or skeletal progression of the disorder
      using sensitive methods of measuring the response to treatment. There was,
      however, a small but significant hypocalcaemic response in the treatment group
      despite no change in the other indices of bone turnover. Possible reasons for
      this lack of clinical and skeletal effect are discussed.

PMID- 1863828
TI  - Plasma levels of interleukin-1-alpha in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Interleukin-1-beta (IL-1 beta) has been implicated as an inflammatory mediator in
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but little is known about the related cytokine, IL-1
      alpha, in this disease. IL-1 alpha has biological properties similar to IL-1 beta
      but, unlike IL-1 beta, remains mostly cell-associated. In this study plasma IL-1
      alpha was measured by radioimmunoassay in patients with RA and in healthy
      controls. Plasma levels were compared with conventional measures of disease
      activity. The mean levels in the two groups were not significantly different and,
      within the patient group (n = 53), the only significant cross-sectional
      correlation was between plasma IL-1 alpha and ESR. In longitudinal studies, some
      individual patients had plasma IL-1 alpha levels that correlated with different
      measures of disease activity. We conclude that while IL-1 alpha may be involved
      in the immunopathogenesis of RA, its measurement in plasma seems to offer little
      of clinical value.

PMID- 1863829
TI  - A comparison of disability measured by the Stanford Health Assessment
      Questionnaire disability scales (HAQ) in male and female rheumatoid outpatients.
AB  - Eighty-five consecutive rheumatoid patients (M:F = 22:63) seen during a 10-week
      period were studied. There were significant differences between the sexes for
      haemoglobin (means (SD) M = 13.5 (1.2), F = 12.0 (1.6) g/dl, P less than 0.01),
      presence of nodules (M = 50%, F = 19%, P less than 0.05) and for the HAQ scores
      (mean (SD) score M = 1.1 (0.9), F = 1.7 (0.9), P = 0.03) but not for age, disease
      duration, presence of erosions, Larsen score, treatment, pain, early morning
      stiffness, articular index, ESR, and C-reactive protein. The results suggest that
      the patients were matched for age, disease activity, severity and duration. The
      difference in haemoglobin between the sexes is in keeping with a reference
      population. The data suggest that the impact of RA has a greater effect on the
      functional status of women.

PMID- 1863830
TI  - Aplastic anaemia in systemic lupus erythematosus: a cellular immune mechanism?
AB  - Aplastic anaemia is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
      The mechanism is unclear but is thought to be related to an autoantibody to bone
      marrow precursors of haematopoiesis. We report a case of SLE related aplastic
      anaemia in which therapy with methylprednisolone and high dose cyclophosphamide
      followed by prednisolone and azathioprine resulted in complete clinical and
      haematological remission. Bone marrow cultures showed inhibition of
      erythropoiesis when incubated with acute and remission serum. Myeloid colony
      growth was not affected by either serum. The serum inhibitor we demonstrated was
      only active in vitro, and we postulate that the mechanism for marrow aplasia may
      have been an autoimmune cellular process.

PMID- 1863831
TI  - Non-infective verrucous endocarditis in a patient with 'primary' antiphospholipid
      syndrome.
AB  - A 27-year-old women with 'primary' antiphospholipid syndrome, who developed a
      haemodynamically significant non-infective verrucous endocarditis is reported.
      Her mother suffered from antiphospholipid syndrome associated with systemic lupus
      erythematosus. A pathogenetic role of antiphospholipid antibodies in heart valve
      lesions is suggested.

PMID- 1863832
TI  - Combination therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1863833
TI  - Severe lupus crisis with agranulocytosis and anuric renal failure due to a
      mesangial lesion (WHO IIB)--successful treatment with cyclophosphamide pulse
      followed by plasmapheresis.

PMID- 1863834
TI  - Can exercise prevent osteoporosis?

PMID- 1863835
TI  - Recovery of anterior spinal artery syndrome in a patient with systemic lupus
      erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibodies.

PMID- 1863836
TI  - Rheumatology manpower in Australia.

PMID- 1863837
TI  - Successful treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon with limaprost, an oral
      prostaglandin E1 analogue.

PMID- 1863838
TI  - Detection of cartilage degradation with sodium NMR.

PMID- 1863839
TI  - What do patients and rheumatologists regard as an 'acceptable' risk in the
      treatment of rheumatic disease?

PMID- 1863840
TI  - Osteoporosis and ankylosing spondylitis.

PMID- 1863841
TI  - The utility of the 1987 revised ARA criteria for rheumatoid arthritis in early
      synovitis.

PMID- 1863842
TI  - Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1863843
TI  - Regulation of gene expression.
AB  - A fundamental tenet of biology is that the phenotype of an organism is ultimately
      determined by its complement of genes. In multicellular organisms, it is the
      regulated pattern of expression of genes which determines the proliferation and
      differentiation of individual cell lineages and hence establishes the adult
      phenotype. It is therefore no surprise that both neoplasia and many developmental
      pathologies involve lesions in the regulation of specific genes. For this reason,
      an understanding of how genes are regulated has become an area of intense
      interest in both medicine and biology.

PMID- 1863844
TI  - Recessive oncogenes, antioncogenes and tumour suppression.
AB  - Oncogenesis results from an accumulation of genetic mutations in a single cell.
      Mutations may result in the cell acquiring new functions or losing specific
      functions required for normal growth control. Evidence for the latter may be
      adduced from the results of fusing tumour and normal cells to form somatic cell
      hybrids, and from studies of allele loss in a number of human tumours. The
      locations the critical genes have been discerned in some cancer predisposition
      syndromes either by observations of consistent cytogenetic abnormalities, or by
      genetic linkage studies, or both. Genes whose inactivation is important in the
      genesis of retinoblastoma, Wilms' tumour and colorectal cancer have been
      identified and cloned. Their normal functions include control of transcription
      and cell-cell interactions. In the case of retinoblastoma, the interaction
      between the normal gene product and that of the transforming genes of a number of
      oncogenic DNA viruses has been delineated. Identification of 'tumour suppressor'
      genes has not only improved understanding of the process of oncogenesis, but may
      also aid in the presymptomatic detection of mutant gene carriers.

PMID- 1863845
TI  - Cancer metastasis.
AB  - The process of metastasis consists of a series of linked, sequential steps that
      must be completed by tumour cells if a metastasis is to develop. Although some of
      the steps in this process contain stochastic elements, metastasis as a whole
      favors the survival and growth of a few subpopulations of tumour cells that pre
      exist within the heterogeneous parent neoplasm. Metastases can have a clonal
      origin, and different metastases can originate from the proliferation of single
      cells. The outcome of metastasis depends on the interaction of metastatic cells
      with different organ environments. Organ-specific metastases have been
      demonstrated in a variety of experimental tumour systems, and tumour growth can
      be specific to a particular site within one organ. The factors that regulate
      metastasis are the intrinsic properties of some tumour cells and host factors
      involved in homeostasis. Understanding these factors should allow for the
      development of more effective treatment of cancer metastasis.

PMID- 1863846
TI  - Immune modulation and cancer.
AB  - The concept that the immune system is involved in defence against cancer goes
      back nearly a hundred years. Despite increased sophistication in our analysis of
      the immune response it has proven difficult to demonstrate a powerful role of the
      immune system in either the prevention or treatment of cancer. Animal data has
      consistently and clearly shown that the immune system can identify and reject
      experimental tumours. In patients the data is more conflicting. The isolation of
      individual cytokines which stimulate specific components of the immune response
      and have a anti-cancer effect does suggest, however, that as we learn more about
      the interaction between immunity and cancer, novel methods for the diagnosis and
      therapy of cancer will be developed.

PMID- 1863847
TI  - Carcinogenesis: molecular defences against carcinogens.
AB  - It has long been recognized that exposure to specific chemical and physical
      agents can result in the appearance of tumours in both man and animals. There is
      substantial evidence that DNA is the ultimate cellular target of carcinogens and
      that DNA repair is an important cellular defence against the effects of
      carcinogen exposure. Some insight into the molecular processes involved in
      cellular responses to carcinogens is provided by the occurrence of rare human
      disorders that display complex abnormalities in processing DNA damage or
      maintaining genomic integrity. These disorders include xeroderma pigmentosum,
      Cockayne syndrome, ataxia telangiectasia, dysplastic nevus syndrome and Bloom
      syndrome. Such disorders have provided clues to some of the basic mechanisms
      involved in carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1863848
TI  - Tumour growth dynamics.
AB  - Tumour growth has been shown to approximate to the exponential in human cancers
      and, in general, the doubling times range from weeks to months. In contrast, the
      replicative processes at the cellular level, the cell cycle is completed within a
      time interval of a few tenths of hours in the majority of cell types. This
      discrepancy is due to cell loss within the tumour and a growth fraction of less
      than unity. In normal tissues a steady state renewal system operates, which
      contains the enormous proliferative potential and tumour growth is a
      manifestation of a breakdown of normal regulatory feedback mechanisms. Techniques
      are now available which can quantitate the rate constant for cell production in
      human tumours and these measurements are being used to design specific treatment
      for special tumours.

PMID- 1863849
TI  - Genes and cancer.
AB  - Cancer can be considered a genetic disorder of somatic cells. Strong evidence
      comes from several areas: (1) chromosomal analysis reveals cancer cells have
      abnormal karyotypes; (2) some inherited syndromes are associated with an
      increased risk of cancer and for others, cancer itself occurs as an inherited
      trait; (3) cells can become malignant by a variety of agents that damage DNA, and
      (4) some types of viruses can induce tumours. One common thread has been the
      normal cellular sequences transduced by viruses and mutated to become oncogenic
      (oncogenes) are the same sequences to become activated by nonviral mechanisms.
      These oncogenes appear involved in cell proliferation and/or differentiation and
      their products apparently function in the signal transduction pathway from the
      cell exterior to the nucleus. In addition, evidence from familial studies
      indicate mutations associated with gene inactivation or loss of function are also
      important in the aetiology of tumour formation. These genes, termed tumour
      suppressor genes, seem to be involved in the negative control of cellular
      proliferation. Cancer is a multistep process and it is now becoming clear that
      the different stages involve genetic alterations in both oncogenes and tumour
      suppressor genes.

PMID- 1863850
TI  - Regulation of c-fos expression in Swiss 3T3 cells: an interplay of multiple
      signal transduction pathways.
AB  - The mitogenic response of Swiss 3T3 cells is regulated by synergistic
      interactions between multiple signal transduction pathways. Among the earliest
      nuclear signals in quiescent cells stimulated to divide is a dramatic increase in
      the expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene. The regulation of c-fos expression
      itself is a complex process involving several upstream enhancer elements which
      dictate the transcriptional response to specific intracellular signals. Here, we
      review our studies concerning the effects of defined molecular signals, alone or
      in combination, on c-fos mRNA levels in Swiss 3T3 cells. We propose that cell
      proliferation requires the cooperative interaction of distinct signalling
      pathways and that in this context c-fos induction plays a regulatory role in
      mitogenesis.

PMID- 1863851
TI  - Prevalence of aberrant expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor in
      human cancers.
AB  - This chapter reviews briefly the prevalence of overexpression of the epidermal
      growth factor receptor in human cancers. In addition, it examines the mechanisms
      responsible for increased expression and its clinical significance.

PMID- 1863852
TI  - [Demographic trends and the burden of cardiovascular diseases].
AB  - The current burden of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. population and recent
      trends in morbidity, mortality and risk factors provide a perspective on heart
      disease in the 21st century. Projections of demographic trends for populations
      and predictions of the frequency, distribution and characteristics of
      cardiovascular disease in the future are offered with numerous reservations and
      subject to revision. Nonetheless, we can expect to see more patients with
      cardiovascular disease in the next few decades and these patients are likely to
      be older and to be from the less well-educated and poorer socioeconomic segments
      of society. Improvements in treatment for the initial cardiovascular event may
      result in increased survival of women and men suffering permanent damage or
      disability. There will also be better opportunities to prevent cardiovascular
      diseases through modifying risk factors in the general population and in high
      risk individuals. Non-invasive procedures will also increase opportunities for
      detecting and reversing preclinical atherosclerosis through hygienic and
      therapeutic measures.

PMID- 1863853
TI  - [Address of Mr. Rene Truhaut, president for 1991].

PMID- 1863854
TI  - [Criteria of brain death].
AB  - Authors have previously published April 1988 a lecture where they criticize the
      bad denomination "passed coma" full of ambiguity for public mind, to which "brain
      death" ought to be preferred. In the present communication, they remark that this
      last denomination is not absolutely exact because the real site of responsibility
      of death is the "brain stem", or to say better the medulla. They discuss of some
      explorative tests of this part of the encephalon.

PMID- 1863855
TI  - [Principles and first results of the European program of breast cancer screening
      in the Bas-Rhin].
AB  - A mammographic breast cancer screening began in May 1989 in the Bas-Rhin. It has
      been selected by "Europe against Cancer" for France. Its aim is not to prove the
      efficiency of mammography screening by one view every two years, as many studies
      has proven it. Its purpose is to find the best methodological model for a
      national campaign. Its principles are to change attitudes and to obtain the
      active participation of the physicians without creating new structures. This
      campaign is offered to women aged 50 to 65, living in Bas-Rhin (74,200 women)
      without individual convocations. Their participation is obtained by a continuous
      information and motivation. The mammographic examinations are taken in charge by
      the Health Insurance and performed by the radiologists who have signed a
      convention. The homogeneity of the results is assured by a double and triple
      reading under the responsibility of the ADEMAS. In May 1990, after one year,
      17,228 women had presented to the screening test. The positive test rate is 7.6%
      and 7.6% of the women had a diagnostic procedure which indicated a biopsy for 188
      women. Among the first 176 histological results, 76 cancers have been diagnosed,
      100 women had a benign lesion. The ratio cancer/benign lesion is 0.76.

PMID- 1863856
TI  - [Pilot hospitals: hope for improving the control of nosocomial infections].
AB  - Nosocomial infections are both poorly studied and quantified (between 3.68% to
      21% depending on the author). Not only do they seriously affect patients but they
      are also extremely expensive both in direct and indirect costs as shown by actual
      cases. To prevent these infections efficiently, hospitals have to continuously
      monitor nosocomial infections within their departments, thus providing at any
      time, information about the primordial factors and enabling early stage
      intervention and the interruption of the "contamination-infection" chain. The
      Recommendations of the Council of Europe, in particular Recommendation R(84)20,
      have enabled this to be put into practice: the departments of 35 pilot hospitals
      have decided to declare their nosocomial infections, recording and processing
      their data with the same software; global processing is provided free of charge
      by the International Association for Hospital Hygiene Research. Six months after
      the start of the operation, the first conclusions are highly positive with 2794
      notification forms received (a very good answer rate) showing in particular that
      more than 50% of nosocomial infections are due to three main entry points
      [urinary catheter (26%), intubation (13.3%), natural cavities (11.2%)] and three
      predominant germs [Staphylococcus aureus (22%), Escherichia coli (18.9%),
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.9%)].

PMID- 1863857
TI  - [Results and contributing prospects of molecular probes and genetic amplification
      in vitro (PCR) in toxoplasmosis].
AB  - Toxoplasmosis is one of the latest parasitic diseases to have benefited from
      molecular biological study (1989). To our knowledge we were one of the first to
      have cloned several DNA probes using genomic DNA from Toxoplasma gondii. One of
      these probes, TGR1E, has been sequenced and has enabled the selection and
      chemical synthesis of 4 oligonucleotides (22 to 25 nucleotides respectively) for
      use in the Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR). Completely specific for Toxoplasma
      gondii, they confer remarkable sensitivity allowing detection of quantities of
      DNA as small as 2 fg (f = 10(-15) g) corresponding to less than 1/50th of the DNA
      contents in a single tachyzoite. The method is currently being applied using the
      in situ hybridization technique. One hundred samples (sera, CSF, broncho-alveolar
      washings, biopsies), mostly from immunocompromised patients, have been studied by
      the Southern-blot method. The results are still preliminary but appear very
      encouraging, especially since serological diagnostic studies during acquired or
      post-therapeutic immunodeficiencies (transplants) are usually impossible.
      Nevertheless, as it has already been reported in various other applications, the
      risk of false positive results requires that PCR be performed with highly
      rigorous technique, particularly in order to avoid any contamination by foreign
      DNA. An analysis of restriction profiles by the Southern method has also been
      carried out in 6 different strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Although a certain
      number of DNA fragments are common to all strains, some fractions of greater than
      1.6 kb could characterize certain isolates. This protocol which is still
      preliminary is currently in progress and will be carried out in a larger number
      of cloned strains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863858
TI  - [From cholesterol to lipoprotein particle markers and/or risk factors].
AB  - Among the risk factors for atherosclerosis, lipoproteins play a central role,
      particularly in the development of coronary artery disease. The plasma
      cholesterol level was the first definite indicator of the risk factor.
      Thereafter, technical progress has permitted the measurement of the cholesterol
      fractions, LDL cholesterol which is positively correlated with atherosclerosis,
      and HDL cholesterol, which is protective. However, the measurement of these
      fractions in a subject does not permit accurate determination of the risk to the
      subject. Likewise the measurement of apo A-I and B has brought an improvement in
      determining the risk factor but is still insufficient. The clarification of new
      markers would allow better definition of the potential atherogenic risk to a
      given individual Lp A-I (lipoproteins containing apo A-I but not apo A-II) level
      is probably an important indicator. Similarly, Lp(a) level is certainly an
      atherogenic lipoprotein and the apo E phenotype modulates the development of
      atherosclerosis. All these new markers and others, in the future, will better
      define the risk for an asymptomatic subject, with regard of atherosclerosis and
      therefore help to prevent it.

PMID- 1863859
TI  - [Drug therapy, testimony to our world and our time].
AB  - The past decade has undoubtedly been that of the planetarization of society's
      problems. The medicament has not escaped this, being at the very heart of health
      politics, and it even provides us with significant proof of this phenomenon.
      AIDS, itself a planetary plague, has revealed in this area, the universal search
      for therapy. The development of methodological pharmaceutical research means that
      it is increasingly dependent on the general development of science and
      technology. The discovery process is becoming longer and more costly and its
      success is even more uncertain as the criteria of therapeutic innovation are
      increasingly severe, raising the problem of the adequacy for medical challenges
      and contemporary medical practices. The same questions are raised in the economic
      sector, from now on dominated by the insistence on rationalizing treatment costs.
      The idea of valuation applied to therapy forms an appealing but ambiguous
      approach which leads to the standardization of therapy protocols and pushes the
      debate even as far as freedom of prescription. This economic debate becomes
      particularly prickly when dealing with the problem posed by humanitarian issues
      in Third World Countries. The exclusion of a very big part of the world's
      population from access to quality medicines forces us to rethink medical
      cooperation as a whole. This should be founded on the mutual responsibility of
      those involved and no longer on a misguided idea of aid. The future of medicine
      in the world therefore depends on the identification and resolution of a certain
      number of contradictions. This is in everybody's interests and current
      experiences show that it is possible.

PMID- 1863860
TI  - [Address of Mr. Andre Delmas, retiring president. Evaluation of academic
      activities in 1990].

PMID- 1863861
TI  - [Eulogy for Andre Hadengue (1913-1990)].

PMID- 1863862
TI  - [Alpha-L-fucosidase of normal and pathological blood cells].
AB  - The glycosidases, enzymes which participate in the degradation of glycoproteins
      and glycolipids inside the lysosomes are themselves glycoproteins and, for one
      enzyme, several forms may be isolated in tissues and in biological fluids,
      corresponding to variations in the composition or the structure of their glycanic
      moiety. We have previously studied the different forms of alpha-L-fucosidase in
      human serum, kidney and urine. Some modifications of the glycanic fraction of
      glycoproteins have been described in various forms of tumoral cells; therefore,
      we have attempted to verify if the alpha-L-fucosidase of blood cells might be a
      useful marker in the diagnosis of leukemias, using the enzymic pattern obtained
      by chromatographic or electrofocusing methods. Detergent extracts from normal
      lymphocytes, submitted to ion-exchange chromatography as well as to
      chromatofocusing, revealed the presence of two forms of alpha-L-fucosidase, A and
      B, with respective pIs of 5.7 and 6.2. After treatment by neuraminidase, these
      two forms remain distinct, showing that the degrees of sialylation is not the
      only difference. Moreover, after desialylation, the two forms have not the same
      affinity for concanavalin A, an argument for the heterogeneity of the glycanic
      structures. The determination of the total activity, and of enzymic patterns of
      alpha-L-fucosidase from leukemic cells led to the observation of three types of
      modifications, in comparison with normal lymphocytes: quantitative variations in
      the total activity; variations in the proportions of the two forms; variations
      due to the modification of pIs. We have studied the lymphocytes from four
      patients with a hairy-cell leukemia (HCL), four patients with chronic lymphoid
      leukemia (CLL) and the MO cell-line, proceeding from a HCL. In all cases, the
      total fucosidase activity is strongly decreased in comparison with normal
      lymphocytes activity. The chromatofocusing pattern for CLL cells reveals the
      presence of the A and B forms, without modification of their eluting pH. A
      characteristic pattern is obtained with hairy cells, presenting only the B form,
      eluted in more acidic conditions. The normal lymphocytes in peripheral blood are
      for 80 per cent of the T phenotype, and the CLL lymphocytes exhibit the
      phenotypic markers B, as well as the hairy cells, but the MO cell-line acquires
      in culture the T markers. As these last cells express both the A and B forms of
      enzyme, the absence of the A form of alpha-L-fucosidase seems to be a marker of
      the HCL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1863863
TI  - [Terminology. Report of activities for 1990 of the Terminology Group (Commission
      no. XIV--french)].

PMID- 1863864
TI  - [Medicine and the European community on January 1st 1993].
AB  - The European Community single act will come into effect on January 1st 1993 in
      the twelve countries belonging to the Community. It will have many outcomes in
      the health field. Some aspects concerning, in the name of the free circulation of
      goods and persons, are raised: certifications and training harmonization, drugs,
      food products, and all kinds of chemicals, regulations, standards for diagnosis
      and treatment equipment, blood products, methods of sampling, manufacturing and
      selling, etc. In the Community, priority is given to economic considerations,
      health problems are not much taken into account, administrative complexities will
      increase. So it is not sure that the Community will protect citizens' health
      better than the member States in their own countries.

PMID- 1863865
TI  - [Medical archives of former french overseas colonies put in storage in the
      Institute of Tropical Medicine in the Military Health Service].
AB  - Presentation of medical archives of overseas territories stored at the Army
      Tropical Medicine Institute. They constitute a precious documentation from 1925
      to 1961, concerning all the sides of the sanitary deed of France overseas.

PMID- 1863866
TI  - [Seroepidemiological data on anisakiasis: prophylactic consequences in fish
      products].
AB  - The Western blotting method allowed us to confirm the diagnosis in 7 cases of
      acute anisakiasis, to assess it in 5 cases of chronic anisakiasis, and to follow
      up the evolution. These chronic frames according to the question of their long
      term evolution, and the part played by Anisakis simplex in fish nutritional
      allergy increase the negative score of that parasite. This situation should leave
      to discuss preventive rules.

PMID- 1863867
TI  - [A demand for authorization for the use of sorbic acid and its salts in
      acidified, refrigerated salads].

PMID- 1863868
TI  - [On the selection of foreign candidates for a 3rd cycle diploma in medical or
      surgical specialties].

PMID- 1863869
TI  - [Long term results of surgery of aortic aneurysms].
AB  - During 10 years, between 01.01.80 and 01.12.89, 838 patients have been operated
      on consequently for a A.A.A. in the vascular surgery department of the Hospital
      Pitie-Salpetriere (Paris). Post-operative death was 7.3% (51 patients) among 692
      operated on without emergency and 41.7% (60 patients) among 146 patients operated
      on emergency. The study was undertaken with the 727 surviving patients (86.8%)
      for the long term follow-up. Only 25 patients (3.4%) were lost out, so 702
      patients (96.6%) had complete recalls even to their late death until the fourth
      trimester 1990. Total deaths, were 172 patients, (24.5%) out of the 702 patients
      in the follow-up. 60 patients (34.9%) died from cancer, 52 patients (30.2%) from
      heart disease, 21 patients (12.2%) from C.V.A. (cerebro-vascular-accident), 8
      (4.6%) from rupture of aneurysm, 6 (3.6%) from renal insufficiency, 5 (2.9%) from
      prosthesis infection, 10 (5.8%) died from known reasons, 10 (5.8%) from unknown
      reasons. All these results were studied according to the "actuarial method" and
      the conclusions were as follow. The actual survival rate at 5 years was 72.1% +/-
      5.6% and the average annual death rate was 5.8%. The factors which have
      influenced the late death are: a) Patients age: survival rate at 5 years and
      average annual death rate were significantly different whether the patients were
      less or more than 70 at the time of surgery. b) Surgical circonstances: late
      survival was significatively less with patients operated on emergency. c) Cerebro
      vascular insufficiency. The average annual rates from cardio-vascular and cerebro
      vascular accident were significatively more important in patients which
      previously had cerebro-vascular insufficiency. This work shows out that cardiac
      death are slightly overcame by cancer, but these two factors represent almost 2/3
      (65.1%) of late death. So it should be important for prevention of late death to
      screen for lung and E.N.T. cancers. Some authors have proposed for prevention of
      coronarian accidents extensive use of coronarography and myocardial
      revascularisation. We prefer more acute screening than aggressive methods for
      patients with coronary problem who had surgery for A.A.A. and specially when they
      are less than 70 at surgical time.

PMID- 1863870
TI  - [Structural characteristics of the human lipoprotein lipase gene].
AB  - Lipoprotein lipase plays a major role in the metabolism of circulating
      triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. In relation with this study, the fundamental
      results concerning the structure of human LPL gene are first summarized.
      Sequencing of this gene enabled us to characterize an Alu sequence. Interest of
      these repetitive sequences is exposed.

PMID- 1863871
TI  - Chemotherapy of metastatic Merkel cell cancer.
AB  - Out of 16 cases of Merkel cell cancer identified in the records of the Mt. Sinai
      Medical Center or affiliates, 11 patients developed systemic metastases.
      Literature review confirms the substantial possibility of dissemination. Both in
      our series and in the literature, cytotoxic chemotherapy produced a high rate of
      usually short-lived response, although one of our patients with disseminated
      metastases achieved complete remission for two years.

PMID- 1863872
TI  - Fungal infections in cancer patients.

PMID- 1863873
TI  - Natural killer cells: immunobiology and clinical prospects.

PMID- 1863874
TI  - Antisense agents in cancer research and therapeutics.

PMID- 1863875
TI  - Overview of monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies initially offered the promise of a cure for cancer as
      "magic bullets" but this hope was quickly diminished as the complexities of the
      host-tumor relationship were realized. We have acquired a tremendous amount of
      practical experience since the first cancer patient was treated with a MAb nearly
      10 years ago. This experience, combined with recent advances in recombinant DNA
      technology, has endowed us with a rich variety of opportunities to exploit in the
      diagnosis and treatment of malignancies. If recent preclinical research studies
      are clinically applicable and the antitumor responses seen in initial clinical
      trials can be optimized and confirmed, the next decade will likely be host to
      remarkable advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer with MAbs.

PMID- 1863876
TI  - Immunotoxins in the therapy of leukemias and lymphomas.

PMID- 1863877
TI  - Re: "Applications of immunocytochemistry to clinical cytology".

PMID- 1863878
TI  - Neuromuscular blocking agents and sedative drugs. Clinical uses and toxic effects
      in the critical care unit.
AB  - The use of sedatives and muscle relaxants is common in the ICU. Therapeutic goals
      should be carefully established. Monitoring of desired effects and toxic side
      effects is essential to avoid preventable morbidity.

PMID- 1863879
TI  - Toxic effects of drugs used in the ICU.

PMID- 1863880
TI  - Toxic effects of drugs used in the ICU. Antiarrhythmic agents.
AB  - Supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias remain relatively commonplace in the
      ICU. Proper pharmacologic treatment requires that the clinician recognize
      accompanying disease states that may alter the pharmacokinetics and
      pharmacodynamics of antiarrhythmic drugs. In addition, knowledge of
      cardiovascular toxicity, noncardiovascular adverse effects, and drug-drug
      interactions are necessary to optimize antiarrhythmic drug therapy.

PMID- 1863881
TI  - Toxic effects of drugs used in the ICU. Anticonvulsant agents.
AB  - Anticonvulsant agents are often placed into two groups: those that complicate
      drug administration in a relatively predictable manner and those that cause
      idiosyncratic reactions that are relatively unpredictable, unheralded, and
      frequently quite severe. This article examines the toxic effects of
      anticonvulsant drugs used to treat diseases commonly seen in the intensive care
      unit (ICU), where the situation is complicated by the severity of the primary
      pathologic condition, which frequently involves the use of drugs that may have a
      significant effect on the blood levels and efficacy of the anticonvulsant drugs.
      Complications associated with the route of drug administration and their signs
      and symptoms are also discussed.

PMID- 1863882
TI  - Toxic effects of drugs used in the ICU. Anticoagulants and thrombolytics. Risks
      and benefits.
AB  - Anticoagulation is being used increasingly in the critical care areas.
      Thrombolytic therapy is now commonly used in emergency departments and coronary
      care units for treatment of AMI. Heparin therapy for unstable angina and for a 48
      to 72 hour period following thrombolytic therapy for AMI is becoming commonplace.
      Beginning warfarin therapy concomitantly with heparin to decrease the total
      duration of heparin and the duration of hospital stay for DVT therapy is
      encouraged. The use of low-dose warfarin to prevent DVT in hip surgery, improve
      catheter patency, and prevent catheter-related subclavian thrombosis is
      increasing. Along with the increased use of anticoagulation must come a greater
      appreciation of the complications associated with the agents used, and of how to
      prevent or treat the hemorrhagic or thrombotic morbidity that may arise. Acute
      hemorrhage with thrombolytic agents must be recognized and the immediate
      implementation of conservative and aggressive measures begun. Heparin-induced
      thrombocytopenia with thrombosis is an often-unrecognized problem that may occur
      in 1% to 2% of heparin recipients and result in limb amputations. A delayed onset
      (6-10 days) requires frequent platelet counts for early diagnosis and treatment.
      The resurgence of warfarin use for prevention of cardiovascular and
      cerebrovascular disorders demands observation for skin necrosis from protein C
      and S inhibition. Early recognition of symptoms and syndromes associated with
      organ system hemorrhage in patients receiving chronic anticoagulation is
      imperative. The use of antagonists, such as protamine sulfate for heparin,
      vitamin K1 for warfarin, and antifibrinolytic drugs for thrombolytic agents, may
      be necessary in treating hemorrhagic events. However, their use may worsen the
      thromboembolic event initially treated.

PMID- 1863883
TI  - Inotropic agents. Catecholamines, digoxin, amrinone.
AB  - Three broad categories of pharmacologic support that enhance myocardial
      contractility and modify organ blood flow are reviewed. Appropriate selection
      among these compounds will minimize the occurrence of adverse effects. The
      catecholamines increase cardiac work and myocardial oxygen demand. In the setting
      of a failing ventricle, the increase in oxygen requirement may be balanced by
      improved coronary blood flow. Problems associated with catecholamines include
      tachycardia, induction of dysrhythmias, and unsuitable vasoconstriction.
      Epinephrine and isoproterenol are most likely to increase heart rate excessively.
      Norepinephrine is most likely to be associated with poor tissue perfusion.
      Amrinone, a bipyridine, has a favorable effect on oxygen balance in the failing
      ventricle and is unlikely to produce tachycardia or dysrhythmias. Principal
      concerns are the potential for accumulation in the patient with multiple organ
      system failure and the lack of pharmacokinetic information in critically ill
      patients, including children. Thrombocytopenia may be a problem as well.
      Digitalis glycosides are venerable drugs. Acute and chronic toxicity are problems
      that the intensivist is called on to treat frequently. Therapy with digitalis Fab
      fragments is now routine for severe intoxications and should improve outcome.

PMID- 1863884
TI  - Opioids and other analgesics. Adverse effects in the intensive care unit.
AB  - Analgesics are an important component of care for critically ill patients. The
      agents available--opioids, anesthetics, and NSAIDs--are efficacious, but each is
      capable of inducing a variety of adverse effects. Many adverse effects associated
      with opioid use can be minimized with the use of anticipatory measures.
      Anesthetic agents and NSAIDs offer less effect on cardiovascular and respiratory
      function than opioids, but are not without adverse effects. A thorough
      understanding of analgesic-associated adverse effects and drug interactions, as
      well as methods for anticipating and monitoring them, can help to minimize their
      effect on the ICU patient.

PMID- 1863885
TI  - Toxic effects of drugs used in the ICU. Toxic effects of bronchodilators.
AB  - The critical care clinician commonly encounters patients with acute bronchospasm.
      Therapy includes a multidrug regimen of sympathomimetics, anticholinergics,
      methylxanthines, and corticosteroids. The best use of these agents is predicated
      on knowledge and avoidance of drug toxicities. This article reviews toxic effects
      of these bronchodilator agents.

PMID- 1863886
TI  - Toxic effects of electrolyte and trace mineral administration in the intensive
      care unit.
AB  - Electrolytes and trace minerals are administered routinely to ICU patients to
      correct deficiencies or as specific therapy for various conditions. Complications
      are usually related to the rate of infusion, rapidity of correction of a
      deficiency state, or iatrogenic poisoning with the agent. Adverse effects
      associated with Na+ administration included volume overload, CPM, and central
      nervous system bleeds. The toxic effects of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ are primarily
      related to their effects on the myocardium, nervous system, and muscle. Other
      than precipitating or maintaining a metabolic acidosis, Cl- administration is
      relatively nontoxic. Its accompanying anion (i.e., ammonium or arginine),
      however, may contribute significantly to patient morbidity and, possibly,
      mortality. Side effects observed with phosphate administration include
      hypocalcemia, metastatic calcification, and hypernatremia or hyperkalemia. Most
      of these toxicities are avoidable if appropriate precautions are taken and
      appropriate monitoring implemented. Finally, when administering any of these
      agents, the intensivist should be familiar with their toxicologic profiles and
      management of potential complications.

PMID- 1863887
TI  - Steroids and biologic agents in the intensive care unit.
AB  - We have reviewed the actions, indications, and toxicity of steroids and several
      important biologic pharmaceutical agents used in critical care medicine. This is
      a rapidly expanding area of therapeutics. Space limitations prevent an exhaustive
      review of all biologic pharmaceuticals, such as tissue plasminogen activating
      substance, hormones (e.g., thyroid, insulin, growth hormone, erythropoietin),
      clotting factors, and blood products. The future of biologic pharmaceuticals
      appears to be bright in the face of new biotechnology, and the critical care
      physician can anticipate new and exciting treatments to evolve from current basic
      and clinical research into biologic agents.

PMID- 1863888
TI  - Grass under scrutiny.

PMID- 1863889
TI  - Inhaled drugs and the lung.

PMID- 1863890
TI  - Emergency treatment of allergic reactions to Hymenoptera stings.
AB  - Allergic reactions to Hymenoptera stings are frequently observed all over Europe.
      Rarely they may induce long-standing morbidity or even be fatal. Several
      investigations have shown that the emergency treatment given to these patients is
      often inadequate. Cutaneous symptoms respond well to antihistamines and also to
      adrenaline. Adrenaline is the mainstay for outside hospital treatment of more
      severe reactions involving the respiratory tract (bronchial asthma, laryngeal
      oedema) and the cardiovascular system (anaphylactic shock). Inhaled adrenaline is
      especially useful in respiratory symptoms, while parenteral application of
      adrenaline is prefered for shock treatment. All patients with severe respiratory
      or cardiovascular reactions must be hospitalized, treated under intensive care
      conditions and observed for at least 24 hr. Emergency medications including
      adrenaline for inhalation or for self-injection must be given to all patients
      with a history of systemic allergic reactions to hymenoptera stings. These
      patients must also get instructions for safety measures to avoid further stings.
      They should be referred to an allergist in order to evaluate the indication for
      venom immunotherapy.

PMID- 1863891
TI  - The role of IgG subclass antibodies in the clinical response to immunotherapy in
      allergic disease.

PMID- 1863892
TI  - Group V allergens in grass pollens. I. Purification and characterization of the
      group V allergen from Phleum pratense pollen, Phl p V.
AB  - An allergen from Phleum pratense (timothy) pollen, Phl p V, has been isolated by
      a combination of copper chelate affinity chromatography and ion exchange
      chromatography. Phl p V binds IgE from serum of grass-sensitized donors as
      revealed in immunoelectrophoretic techniques and in SDS-PAGE immunoblot, and
      luminescence immunoassay (LIA) inhibition experiments indicate that the allergen
      represents a significant part of the IgE binding capacity of the extract. In
      immunoelectrophoresis, Phl p V is revealed as a single precipitate. However,
      molecular weight studies show that Phl p V consists of at least two isoforms with
      similar immunochemical properties, but with different molecular size. After SDS
      PAGE treatment purified Phl p V is identified as two IgE-binding components, Phl
      p Va and Phl p Vb, with molecular weights 33 and 29 kD. After HPLC gel
      filtration, Phl p Va and Phl p Vb are identified in the major 30-kD eluate. After
      Sephadex G75 gel filtration of whole pollen extract, Phl p V is identified in
      fractions corresponding to molecular weights 47 and 25 kD. The 47-kD fraction
      corresponds to Phl p Va/Phl p Vb as seen in SDS-PAGE, while the 25-kD component
      presumably corresponds to a degradation product present in whole pollen extract.
      The NH2-terminal sequence of Phl p V, corresponding to approximately 10% of the
      molecule, has been determined. The sequence shows minor variations in some
      residues and contains besides many alanine residues also hydroxyproline; the
      sequence reveals no homologies to any known NH2 terminal sequence of other
      proteins. The amino acid composition, revealing 26 mole % alanine and no
      cysteine, does not show any similarities to other known amino acid compositions
      of allergens. From the amino acid composition determination and an
      immunoelectrophoretic comparison, Phl p V is estimated to represent 6% (w/w) of
      the whole pollen extract.

PMID- 1863893
TI  - Group V allergens in grass pollens. II. Investigation of group V allergens in
      pollens from 10 grasses.
AB  - In an earlier study an allergen from Phleum pratense (timothy) pollen, Phl p V,
      has been isolated and physicochemically characterized. In this study Phl p V and
      immunochemically similar components from other grass pollens (group V allergens)
      have been investigated using immunoelectrophoretic techniques. To study the
      allergenic importance of the group V allergens, the allergenic compositions of 10
      grass pollen extracts were investigated in crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis
      (CRIE) using 20 sera from grass pollen-allergic donors. Group V allergens were
      identified using monospecific rabbit antibodies raised against Phl p V, anti-Phl
      p V, which react with other group V allergens usually producing dense
      precipitates in immunoelectrophoresis. In this way group V allergens were
      identified in eight extracts, and when present the precipitate corresponding to
      the group V allergen was the dominant IgE binding precipitate. All identified
      group V allergens bound IgE in at least 17 of the 20 investigated sera.
      Monospecific rabbit antibodies raised against the group I allergen of Lolium
      perenne (rye grass), anti-Lol p I, do not precipitate group V allergens,
      indicating that there are no immunochemical similarities between group I and
      group V allergens. In SDS-PAGE anti-Phl p V identifies IgE-binding components
      with molecular weights between 26 and 33 kD. In contrast, anti-Lol p I binds to
      components of slightly higher molecular weight. Apparently, the group V
      components are allergens that are physicochemically and immunochemically distinct
      from group I allergens.

PMID- 1863894
TI  - Purification and characterization of the major dog allergen, Can f I.
AB  - An important dog-hair and dander-specific allergen Ag13 has been purified by
      means of immunoaffinity chromatography utilizing rabbit antibody specific for
      Ag13. Purity was judged to be very high as detected by crossed
      immunoelectrophoresis and SDS-PAGE. The purified allergen was subjected to amino
      acid analyses. Molecular weight was about 22 kD in HPLC-gel filtration and 25 kD
      in SDS-PAGE with an additional band at 18 kD. In vitro IgE binding of the
      allergen was investigated by luminescence immunoassay (LIA) inhibition. Removal
      of Ag13 from dog hair and dander extract (DHD) removed 50 +/- 1.5% of the IgE
      binding capacity. The purified allergen inhibited up to 56.5% of the IgE activity
      to DHD as measured with a pool of serum from dog-allergic patients. Out of 26 dog
      allergic patients, 24 had a positive skin-prick test to the allergen. Out of 23
      dog-allergic patients, 16 reacted with the allergen in IgE immunoblotting. We
      suggest that Ag13 be termed Can f I. The allergen will be a marker allergen for
      environmental dog hair and dander exposure.

PMID- 1863895
TI  - Olive pollen induces asthmatic response.
AB  - We provide evidence that olive pollen extract can induce asthmatic response. The
      pattern of airway response to olive pollen is investigated. Nineteen patients
      with seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma, suspected to be due to olive pollen,
      all of whom had positive skin-prick test, were investigated. Bronchial challenge
      with olive pollen extract were performed and the peak flow rate was followed for
      20 hr. Eight patients developed dual asthmatic response (DAR), six patients
      developed early asthmatic response (EAR) and five patients had no asthmatic
      response. The early maximal fall in FEV1 and the PD15 were not different between
      the group with DAR and the group with EAR only. We conclude that olive pollen can
      induce dual asthmatic response.

PMID- 1863896
TI  - Dermal blood flow after local challenges with allergen, histamine, bradykinin and
      compound 48/80.
AB  - Blood flow was determined in weal and flare reactions and in late dermal
      reactions after skin-prick tests with allergen, histamine, bradykinin and
      compound 48/80 in pollen-allergic subjects. Local blood flow was measured with
      laser Doppler flowmetry intermittently for up to 48 hr at three distances from
      the prick centre (2 mm; weal, 15 mm; flare and 30 mm). Continuous recordings were
      also made in the weal area after challenge with bradykinn and compound 48/80. The
      size of the induced weal and flare area of all the substances and the late phase
      after allergen was determined using digitized planimetry. Furthermore,
      simultaneous determinations of local dermal temperature and blood flow in the
      weal and flare site were performed intermittently for 6 hr after allergen and
      histamine challenges. There was a dose-dependent and distance-related increase in
      blood flow for all the substances tested. The blood flow in the 2-mm
      registrations had normalized 20 min after bradykinin, 1.5-2 hr after histamine
      and 3 hr after compound 48/80, while allergen induced a continuous increase in
      blood flow for more than 24 hr. The area of the weal and flare reaction was dose
      related for all substances, and a similar dose-dependent increase was noted for
      the observed dermal late-phase reactions present after allergen. The local
      temperature after challenge with allergen and histamine was also increased in a
      distance-dependent manner. These studies suggest that laser Doppler flowmetry is
      a sensitive and reproducible method to quantify blood flow changes occurring
      after skin-prick tests. Different putative mediators or mast cell stimulating
      substances produce various response profiles, all of which differ from those
      observed after allergen. Temperature measurements after skin-prick tests seem to
      follow the observed changes in blood flow as measured with laser Doppler
      flowmetry, which may be why both techniques might reflect changes in capillary
      blood flow.

PMID- 1863897
TI  - Childhood asthma: clinical and immunological changes over a decade.
AB  - A group of 26 Australian asthmatic children with laboratory-proven bronchial
      hyper-reactivity to the allergens of rye grass pollen and/or the house dust mite
      has been studied over a 9-year period. Clinical symptoms and drug scores were
      used to evaluate the severity of the patients' asthma and, wherever possible,
      blood samples were obtained before, during and after the rye grass pollen
      seasons. The cumulative symptom and drug scores for the 20 patients with
      bronchial hyper-reactivity to rye grass pollen extract tended to increase during
      and fall after each pollen season but the peaks were of decreasing amplitude over
      the 9 years. Since a proportion of these patients underwent hyposensitization to
      rye grass during year 1, longitudinal comparisons were made between year 2 and
      year 9. Comparing the individuals at the same three seasonal time-points revealed
      significantly lower drug scores in year 9 compared with year 2, and in parallel
      with this, significantly lower total IgE, IgE anti-rye and IgG anti-rye
      antibodies at all three assessment points. In the 14 patients with bronchial
      hyper-reactivity to house dust mite the severity of the asthma and the median
      levels of IgE and IgG mite specific antibodies all decreased over the study
      period. Despite the progressive improvement in asthma and diminishing immune
      responses to both rye grass and house mite in the patients, no immunological
      feature could be identified that correlated significantly with clinical outcome.

PMID- 1863898
TI  - House dust mite allergens on different types of mattresses.
AB  - Beds and especially mattresses are important breeding grounds for house dust
      mites. We investigated whether supposed differences in the microclimate on water,
      spring and foam mattresses were reflected in the occurrence of house dust mite
      major allergens (Der fI, Der mI, and Der pI) in mattress dust. Fifty-one
      mattresses that had been in use for 8-25 months were sampled. Median
      concentration of total major allergens was 0.5 microgram/g dust (range 0-45) with
      little difference between the three major allergens and between the three types
      of mattresses. Occurrence of mattresses with concentrations above and below the
      proposed risk level (2 micrograms/g) was similar in the mattress groups. However,
      the allergen concentration was above risk level in 56%, if washable underblankets
      were not applied, compared with only 21% in the group with such underblankets. In
      conclusion, mattresses tend to accumulate allergen rather rapidly. Neither heated
      water mattresses, spring nor foam mattresses seem to be of any advantage for mite
      allergics, whereas underblankets made of synthetic fibres in a cotton or
      synthetic cover, commonly used in Denmark, might play a beneficial role in
      reducing allergen exposure.

PMID- 1863899
TI  - The significance of specific IgG and IgG4 antibodies to a reactive dye in exposed
      workers.
AB  - To evaluate the significance of specific IgG and specific IgG4 in the development
      of work-related respiratory symptoms, specific IgG and specific IgG4 to Black GR
      human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate were measured by ELISA in 309 dye-exposed
      workers and 63 unexposed patients as negative controls. A survey revealed that 78
      (25.2%) had work-related lower respiratory symptoms with or without nasal, skin
      or eye symptoms. Specific IgG and specific IgG4 were detected in 23% and 14% of
      the exposed workers, respectively. The prevalence of specific IgG and specific
      IgG4 was significantly higher in smokers and workers with specific IgE or those
      with lower respiratory symptoms (P less than 0.05), but was not associated with
      work station, duration of dye exposure or atopy. These results suggested that the
      existence of specific IgG to Black GR-HSA might represent a response to Black GR
      exposure and be closely related with work-related respiratory symptoms.

PMID- 1863900
TI  - Changes in the levels of house dust mite specific IgG4 during immunotherapy in
      asthmatic children.
AB  - Serum levels of IgG subclass and house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus,
      Dpt) specific IgG4 were evaluated during immunotherapy in asthmatic children.
      Asthmatic children undergoing long-term immunotherapy (more than 2 years) posed a
      mean value of total serum IgG4 or Dpt-specific IgG4 antibodies significantly
      higher than that of patients prior to receiving immunotherapy, asthmatic
      (placebo) controls, or patients undergoing short-term immunotherapy (less than 1
      year) (P less than 0.05). The mean levels of serum Dpt-specific IgG4 in all
      asthmatic groups were also significantly higher than in the non-allergic controls
      (P less than 0.01). Moreover, the mean level of Dpt-specific IgG4 tended to
      increase during immunotherapy. A significant correlation between total serum IgG4
      and Dpt-specific IgG4 antibodies was noted (r = 0.6243; P less than 0.001).
      Serial follow-up reveals that Dpt-specific IgG4 levels usually rose significantly
      with clinical improvement in asthmatic children during immunotherapy. These
      results suggest that the anti-mite-specific IgG4 antibody may serve as an
      indicator for clinical outcome of mite allergy during immunotherapy.

PMID- 1863902
TI  - Eosinophils in late cutaneous reactions.

PMID- 1863901
TI  - Clinical and immunological characteristics of Brazil nut allergy.
AB  - Twelve cases of allergy to Brazil nut have been recorded in the last 8 years. The
      reaction is usually IgE mediated and most patients have other atopic diseases.
      There appear to be several proteins with potent antigenic components in Brazil
      nut.

PMID- 1863903
TI  - Therapy of bronchial hyper-responsiveness.

PMID- 1863904
TI  - The 1990 Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada keynote lecture. The
      role of the cytochromes P450 in the detoxication and activation of drugs and
      other chemicals.
AB  - The roles of the cytochromes P450 are reviewed, with emphasis on their
      involvement in the detoxication of drugs and chemicals, the activation of
      carcinogens, and the toxicity of drugs. Cytochromes P450 have different
      characteristics. P450I mostly activates carcinogens and other chemicals by
      forming oxygenated reactive intermediates, which are also associated with the
      formation of neoantigens and immunotoxicity. P450IIE has a propensity to form
      oxygen radicals, which are cytotoxic and carcinogenic; other cytochromes generate
      oxygen radicals by futile cycling when activated by difficulty metabolized
      substrates. Novel procedures for the safety evaluation of chemicals are
      described; COMPACT is based on the computer graphic determination of the spatial
      conformation and electronic structure of chemicals to enable their activating
      cytochromes P450, and hence their toxicity, to be established; ENACT is based on
      quantifying the induction of individual cytochromes P450, since the extent of
      induction of P450I, and possibly other activating cytochromes, is directly
      related to the carcinogenic potential of the chemical.

PMID- 1863905
TI  - Effects of ethanol exposure on the embryo-fetus: experimental considerations,
      mechanisms, and the role of prostaglandins.
AB  - The purpose of this review is to critically examine the effects of ethanol on the
      embryo-fetus. There has been a tremendous amount of human epidemiological and
      experimental animal research on the characterization of the anomalies produced by
      chronic prenatal ethanol exposure and the identification of critical periods of
      vulnerability and critical amounts of ethanol necessary to produce fetal effects
      and (or) abnormal development. Few studies have examined the underlying
      mechanism(s) of the action of ethanol, and even fewer studies have examined the
      effects of single-dose ethanol exposure on the embryo-fetus. In this review, the
      current state of knowledge of the effects of chronic use of ethanol on the embryo
      fetus is summarized. The primary focus of the review is on the embryonic-fetal
      effects of acute ethanol exposure, with particular emphasis on the ethanol
      induced suppression of fetal breathing movements, as this effect appears to be a
      very sensitive index of acute exposure of the near-term fetus to ethanol. Factors
      to be considered in the selection of experimental animals to investigate the
      mechanism of action of ethanol and to study the acute effects of ethanol are
      discussed. Postulated mechanisms of action of ethanol on the embryo-fetus are
      evaluated with a focus on the role of prostaglandins. Finally, future directions
      in this field of research are proposed.

PMID- 1863906
TI  - Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance of plasma for screening hepatic
      metabolism during ethanol infusion in cats.
AB  - The effects of increasing blood ethanol levels on hepatic metabolism were studied
      in anesthetized cats whose prior fluid intake contained ethanol for 24 days. A
      hepatic venous long-circuit technique with an extracorporeal reservoir was used
      to allow hemodynamic measurements and repeated sampling of arterial, portal, and
      hepatic venous blood without depletion of blood volume. For ethanol, Vmax was 106
      +/- 15 mumol.min-1.100 g-1 liver and Km was 164 +/- 31 microM. A previous study
      showed that there were no changes in O2 uptake by the liver, suggesting other
      oxidative processes were suppressed during ethanol metabolism. In this study,
      proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to simultaneously screen
      several plasma metabolites to elucidate other metabolic processes that may be
      perturbed in the liver during ethanol infusion. Hepatic lactate uptake remained
      unaltered when ethanol metabolism was less than 0.5 Vmax but was suppressed on an
      equimolar basis with ethanol metabolism when ethanol metabolism rose above 0.5
      Vmax. Thus, lactate oxidation is one process that can be suppressed to allow
      ethanol oxidation without additional O2 uptake by the liver. In addition, no
      release of acetate from the liver occurred during ethanol metabolism in these
      experiments. This surprising finding suggests ethanol metabolism may, under some
      conditions or in some species, result in fatty acid synthesis rather than acetate
      release. Eight other major metabolites remained unchanged during ethanol
      infusion.

PMID- 1863907
TI  - Plasma glutathione turnover in the rat: effect of fasting and buthionine
      sulfoximine.
AB  - Hepatic glutathione (GSH) plays an important role in the detoxification of
      reactive molecular intermediates. Because of evidence that the intrahepatic
      turnover of glutathione in the rat may be largely accounted for by efflux from
      hepatocytes into the general circulation, the quantitation of plasma GSH turnover
      in vivo could provide a noninvasive index of hepatic glutathione metabolism. We
      developed a method to estimate plasma glutathione turnover and clearance in the
      intact, anesthetized rat using a 30-min unprimed, continuous infusion of 35S
      labelled GSH. A steady state of free plasma glutathione specific radioactivity
      was achieved within 10 min, as determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography
      with fluorometric detection after precolumn derivatization of the plasma samples
      with monobromobimane. The method was tested after two treatments known to alter
      hepatic GSH metabolism: 90 min after intraperitoneal injection of 4 mmol/kg
      buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, and after a
      48-h fast. Liver glutathione concentration (mean +/- SEM) was 5.00 +/- 0.53
      mumol/g wet weight in control rats. It decreased to 3.10 +/- 0.35 mumol/g wet
      weight after BSO injection and to 3.36 +/- 0.14 mumol/g wet weight after fasting
      (both p less than 0.05). Plasma glutathione turnover was 63.0 +/- 7.46 nmol.min
      1.100 g-1 body weight in control rats, 35.0 +/- 2.92 nmol.min-1.g-1 body weight
      in BSO-treated rats, and 41.7 +/- 2.28 nmol.min-1.g-1 body weight after fasting
      (both p less than 0.05), thus reflecting the hepatic alterations. This approach
      might prove useful in the noninvasive assessment of liver glutathione status.

PMID- 1863908
TI  - Evidence for bumetanide-sensitive, Na(+)-dependent, partial Na-K-Cl co-transport
      in red blood cells of a primitive fish.
AB  - Tracer uptake studies identified the major routes for K+ transport in hagfish red
      cells, resolving them into ouabain-sensitive, loop diuretic-sensitive, and
      residual components. The K1/2 values for ouabain, bumetanide, and furosemide were
      10(-5), 6 x 10(-7), and 5 x 10(-6) M, respectively. The properties of the Na-K-Cl
      co-transporter were investigated further by varying K+, Na+, and Cl-
      concentrations. The measured K1/2 values were similar to those for human red
      cells. Finally, the stoichiometry of Na:K:Cl uptake was determined, giving 1:1
      for K+:Cl-; in contrast, no significant Na+ flux could be measured, although Na+
      content must be present for measurable bumetanide-dependent K+ or Cl- flux to
      occur. The Na-K-Cl transport therefore shows Na(+)-dependent KCl co-transport or
      partial flux of the system.

PMID- 1863909
TI  - Feeding diets containing 2% cheno- or urso-deoxycholic acid or cholestyramine to
      rats for two weeks alters intestinal morphology and bile acid absorption.
AB  - This study was undertaken to examine the effect of supplementing chow for 2 weeks
      with 2% cheno- (CDC) or ursodeoxycholic (UDC) acid or cholestyramine (CHOL) on
      the intestinal morphology and in vitro uptake of bile acids in adult rats. Food
      intake was higher in UDC and CHOL as compared with animals fed chow or CDC, or in
      animals pair-fed a chow-restricted diet (CRD). Body weight gain was lower in CDC
      and CRD but was unchanged by feeding UDC or CHOL. Jejunal mucosal surface area
      was similar in the five groups, although the ileal mucosal surface area was lower
      in UDC than in the other animals. Feeding UDC reduced the ileal uptake of cholic
      acid (C), taurocholic acid (TC), and glycocholic acid (GC). Feeding CDC had no
      effect on bile acid uptake except when compared with animals fed a chow
      restricted diet. Feeding CHOL reduced the active ileal uptake of C, had no effect
      on the uptake of TC or GC or CDC, and was associated with increased uptake of
      stearic, linoleic, and linolenic acids. These effects were likely related to a
      direct effect of changes in the luminal bile acids rather than due to an indirect
      effect of the reduced food intake, since the ileal uptake of CDC and GC was
      greater in animals fed CDC than in those fed a chow-restricted diet with
      comparable weight gain. Thus, 2 weeks of feeding bile acids or bile acid binding
      agents may alter the form and function of the rat intestine, and as well may lead
      to changes in food intake and body weight gain.

PMID- 1863910
TI  - Basic mechanisms of pain associated with deep tissues.
AB  - There are important differences in pain arising from deep tissues in comparison
      to cutaneous pain. These differences can be partially explained by the unique
      organization of nociceptive systems activated by stimulation of muscle, joint, or
      viscera. Recent evidence also indicates that stimulation of deep tissues can
      produce long-lasting changes in central nervous system excitability and,
      therefore, may play a prominent role in persistent or chronic pain conditions.
      These findings have important implications for the treatment of chronic deep
      tissue pain conditions.

PMID- 1863911
TI  - Considerations concerning the neurobiological basis of muscle pain.
AB  - Nociceptors in skeletal muscle can be sensitized by substances that are released
      from pathologically altered tissue. In the sensitized state, nociceptors can be
      activated by low-intensity stimulation; this is probably one of the mechanisms
      producing deep tenderness. Dorsal horn cells processing input from muscle
      nociceptors often have multiple receptive fields and additional input from other
      deep tissues or skin. This may be one of the reasons for the diffuse and ill
      localized nature of muscle pain. The degree of convergence from deep tissues and
      skin in neurones with muscle input can be increased by noxious stimulation of
      deep tissues. This mechanism might explain phenomena such as spread and referral
      of muscle pain. In the development of chronic muscle pain, vicious circles may be
      involved which operate locally in the damaged tissue or via spinal reflexes that
      alter the biochemical environment of the nociceptors in skeletal muscle.

PMID- 1863912
TI  - Mechanisms of pain arising from articular tissues.
AB  - This paper reviews the peripheral and central neural mechanisms underlying pain
      from articular tissues innervated by spinal and trigeminal afferents. The paper
      especially addresses trigeminal mechanisms related to pain from the
      temporomandibular joint and its associated craniofacial musculature. Recent
      studies have shown the existence of articular nociceptive primary afferents that
      project to the spinal cord dorsal horn and trigeminal brainstem complex. A
      particular feature of most neurones receiving these deep nociceptive afferent
      inputs is their responsivity also to cutaneous nociceptive afferent inputs. This
      suggests the involvement of these neurones not only in the detection of acute
      articular pain, but also in the hyperalgesia and poor localization, spread, and
      referral of pain that characterize many painful conditions of joints and other
      deep structures. While only limited information is available on related higher
      brain centre mechanisms, convergence and interaction between cutaneous and deep
      afferent inputs also seem to be a characteristic of somatosensory neurones in the
      thalamus and somatosensory cerebral cortex. Muscle and autonomic reflexes may be
      induced by such deep noxious stimuli, but the functional significance of some of
      these effects (e.g., in relation to clinical concepts of myofascial dysfunction)
      requires further study in more appropriate functional settings.

PMID- 1863913
TI  - Central mechanisms of visceral pain.
AB  - Deep pain arising from muscle, joints, connective tissue, and the viscera is
      different in character and quality from pain arising from cutaneous structures.
      Deep pains, particularly visceral pain, are poorly localized, typically referred
      or transferred to a cutaneous site, and generally produce strong emotional and
      autonomic responses and tonic muscle contractions. Despite the prevalence and
      clinical importance of deep pains, it is only relatively recently that
      investigative efforts have begun to focus on the mechanisms of deep pain. The
      present report briefly reviews the development and use of a model of visceral
      pain that employs constant pressure distension of the colon and rectum as a
      noxious stimulus. Converging behavioral, pharmacological, and physiological
      evidence that colorectal distension is a valid, reliable, noxious, visceral
      stimulus is presented.

PMID- 1863914
TI  - Arthritis and headache.
AB  - Pain researchers are committed to designing new experimental models as close as
      possible to the physiopathological conditions encountered in humans, with due
      concern for ethical considerations. Some current questions related to
      inflammation and headache are discussed, along with the approaches used to
      address them. These approaches are essential for a better understanding of the
      physiology, pharmacology, and treatment of various pain syndromes.

PMID- 1863915
TI  - The contribution of the nervous system to inflammation and inflammatory disease.
AB  - Recent studies have identified a major contribution of the nervous system to
      inflammation and to inflammatory disease. In particular, substances released from
      the peripheral terminals of small diameter primary afferent fibers and from
      sympathetic postganglionic nerve (SPGN) terminals have been implicated in several
      of the major components of acute inflammation (e.g., vasodilatation and plasma
      extravasation) as well as in the regulation of tissue injury in an inflammatory
      disease model, experimental arthritis in the rat. Although the release of
      peptides from primary afferent terminals has received the most attention, our
      studies have established an important contribution of mast cells and the SPGN
      terminals to acute inflammation. We describe studies which indicate that plasma
      extravasation provoked by activation of small diameter primary afferents in the
      knee joint of the rat involves a cascade of events in which the mast cell and
      then the sympathetic terminal are sequentially activated. Our studies indicate
      that release of prostaglandins, but neither norepinephrine nor neuropeptide Y,
      from the SPGN terminal contributes to increased plasma extravasation. Although
      activation of the SPGN terminal (via the mast cell) or more directly, via
      injection of bradykinin, increased plasma extravasation, surgical or
      pharmacological sympathectomy decreased the severity of experimental arthritis.
      In related studies we demonstrated that adrenal medullary-derived epinephrine can
      exacerbate arthritis through a beta-receptor-mediated regulation of the release
      of an as yet unidentified substance(s) from the SPGN terminal. Our results raise
      important questions as to whether acute inflammation contributes to tissue repair
      or to further injury in the setting of disease.

PMID- 1863916
TI  - Central mechanisms of vascular headaches.
AB  - The intracranial blood vessels supplying the dura and brain are innervated by
      sensory afferents from the trigeminal nerve. These fibers are believed to be
      responsible for conveying the pain associated with vascular head pain such as
      migraines. This paper reviews recently published data describing the existence of
      neurons within the cat trigeminal nucleus and thalamus that respond to electrical
      stimulation of the middle meningeal artery and superior sagittal sinus. Almost
      all of these neurons receive convergent input from the facial skin and most of
      the receptive fields include the periorbital region. On the basis of their
      cutaneous inputs, most of the neurons are classified as nociceptive. The
      characteristics of these cerebrovascular-activated neurons are consistent with
      their role in mediating vascular head pains and with the typical referral of such
      pains in man to the orbital region. This paper also presents preliminary results
      of recordings from rat trigeminal ganglion neurons activated by electrical
      stimulation of the middle meningeal artery and sagittal sinus. The latencies of
      activation of these neurons are indicative of conduction in slowly conducting
      myelinated axons and in unmyelinated axons. Some of the neurons could also be
      activated by mechanical stimuli applied to the vessels.

PMID- 1863917
TI  - Chronic muscle pain syndromes: an overview.

PMID- 1863918
TI  - Illness behavior and dysfunction: review of concepts and application to chronic
      pain.
AB  - The purpose of this presentation is to review the elements that comprise the
      concept of illness behavior including elaboration of a more formal theoretical
      and operational model for illness behavior and then discuss the application of
      the illness behavior model to chronic pain, especially chronic orofacial pain.
      The model of illness behavior presented emphasizes four critical areas of
      conceptual interest, namely, (1) monitoring of somatic signals; (2) cognitive
      processes whereby bodily symptoms are interpreted; (3) attaching meaning to
      symptoms in the context of emotional state and concurrent environmental events;
      and (4) the ethnocultural influences that pervade meaning and shape coping
      responses. Our model of illness behavior was generalized from a closely related
      model developed to guide research when the specific illness behavior of interest
      was dysfunctional chronic pain behavior. We also include a time dimension in our
      chronic pain model. Dysfunctional chronic pain is understood to be the most
      important undesirable consequence associated with suffering a persistent pain
      condition. Dysfunctional chronic pain is a subset of illness behaviors
      inconsistent with medically documented findings, while the complaints of pain are
      prominent. Changes occur in emotional status, most typically reported as mood and
      behavioral changes associated with depression, such as demoralization,
      helplessness, and social isolation. Excesses in medical care, hospitalizations
      for surgery, and abuse of medications are further characteristics of
      dysfunctional chronic pain.

PMID- 1863919
TI  - Fibromyalgia--a clinical entity?
AB  - Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain
      and tenderness at specified sites, fatigue, and unrefreshing sleep. The American
      College of Rheumatology (ACR) has recently accepted diagnostic criteria for FM.
      The ACR criteria have high diagnostic specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy.
      Laboratory investigations show a disturbed microcirculation in painful muscles, a
      decrease in adenosine triphosphate and phosphocreatine, and a reduced relaxation
      rate. Pain analyses indicate that the pain is nociceptive. A characteristic
      physiological sleep disturbance has been described that is correlated to the
      symptoms. The etiology of FM is not known. The etiology may be different in
      different patients. FM is a clinical entity, but should be regarded as a syndrome
      rather than a disease.

PMID- 1863920
TI  - Muscle pain, dyskinesia, and sleep.
AB  - Muscle pain and poor sleep commonly occur together. Whether pain induces poor
      sleep or vice versa is difficult to know. Muscle pain is also observed in the
      presence of some types of dyskinesia or movement disorders. The interaction
      between sleep, movement disorders, and some musculoskeletal pain appears to be
      complex and may be influenced by various concomitant psychological and (or)
      biological factors.

PMID- 1863921
TI  - The pain-adaptation model: a discussion of the relationship between chronic
      musculoskeletal pain and motor activity.
AB  - Articles describing motor function in five chronic musculoskeletal pain
      conditions (temporomandibular disorders, muscle tension headache, fibromyalgia,
      chronic lower back pain, and postexercise muscle soreness) were reviewed. It was
      concluded that the data do not support the commonly held view that the pain of
      these conditions is maintained by some form of tonic muscular hyperactivity.
      Instead, it seems clear that in these conditions the activity of agonist muscles
      is often reduced by pain, even when this does not arise from the muscle itself.
      On the other hand, pain causes small increases in the level of activity of the
      antagonist. As a consequence of these changes, force production and the range and
      velocity of movement of the affected body part are often reduced. To explain how
      such changes in the behaviour come about, we propose a neurophysiological model
      based on the phasic modulation of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons supplied
      by high-threshold sensory afferents. We suggest that the "dysfunction" that is
      characteristic of several types of chronic musculoskeletal pain is a normal
      protective adaptation and is not a cause of pain.

PMID- 1863922
TI  - Sensory and pharmacological modulation of pain.
AB  - Traditional neurosurgical methods to control pain have been replaced by a variety
      of modulation techniques. The major types of modulation are pharmacological,
      physical, and psychological. Important advances are occurring in the development
      of all three modulation approaches.

PMID- 1863923
TI  - Electrical stimulation of peripheral and central pathways for the relief of
      musculoskeletal pain.
AB  - One method for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain involves stimulation
      of the peripheral or central nervous system. Such stimulation includes
      transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, dorsal column stimulation, and deep
      brain stimulation. This review discusses the clinical use of electrical
      stimulation for the relief of musculoskeletal pain, and describes the results of
      studies conducted in our laboratory suggesting that such stimulation reduces pain
      transmission along sensory-discriminative pathways.

PMID- 1863924
TI  - Can the use of physical modalities for pain control be rationalized by the
      research evidence?
AB  - Physical modalities, including cold and heat, are widely used in the conservative
      management of pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders. This review has
      critically appraised the literature supporting the use of these modalities in the
      treatment of musculoskeletal pain. It was concluded that, apart from a few
      exceptions and in a few types of disorders, existing evidence does not support
      the use of these modalities in long-term pain control. There was, however,
      evidence that several modalities, specifically cold and a form of deep heat
      (shortwave diathermy), do have short-lived analgesic effects and so may
      contribute to more painfree function in the short term. Further research is
      clearly warranted to define the short- and long-term therapeutic efficacy of
      physical modalities in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain to justify their
      continued use in clinical practice.

PMID- 1863925
TI  - The pharmacological control of musculoskeletal pain.
AB  - The modern therapy of the pain of inflammatory rheumatic disease and
      osteoarthritis is based on several advances in molecular biology, which are
      reviewed in this paper. Inhibition of the ubiquitous enzyme cyclooxygenase by the
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including the salicylates prevents the
      production of endoperoxides, which are pro-inflammatory, and prostaglandins E2
      and I2, which sensitize peripheral pain receptors. In addition, a fundamental
      understanding of neural tracts that inhibit the pain signal has introduced the
      concept of giving low dose tricyclic antidepressants for chronic pain to block
      the re-uptake of serotonin from the neural cleft of synapses. This amplifies the
      effect of serotonin and catecholamines, which are neurotransmitters for these
      inhibitory tracts.

PMID- 1863926
TI  - Familial intracranial arachnoid cysts.
AB  - Three siblings with intracranial arachnoid cysts are described, two males and one
      female. One of the males has symmetric, bilateral, temporoparietal convexity
      cysts, and the others have singular, unilateral cysts. Three additional siblings
      in the family and other known relatives are clinically unaffected. As far as we
      know, this is the second reported case of familial intracranial arachnoid cysts
      and the first involving three siblings. The significance of these cysts and a
      review of the literature are presented.

PMID- 1863927
TI  - Occipital depression fractures in childhood. A report of 14 cases.
AB  - In this paper, we present 14 cases with depression fracture of the occipital bone
      in pediatric age. There were 7 males and 7 females. Their ages ranged from 1 year
      to 15 years with a median of 5.8 years. The most common causes were: falling (8
      cases); traffic accidents (2); assault (2 cases). Five of our 14 cases had
      compound fractures and the remaining 9 had closed fractures. Epidural and
      subdural hematomas were observed in 5 and 1 cases, respectively. There was
      significant improvement in 11 cases; two patients died.

PMID- 1863928
TI  - Functional enuresis: pharmacological versus behavioral treatment.
AB  - Treatment of childhood enuresis requires a careful anamnesis, physical
      examination, urinalysis, and urine culture to determine if a subject is affected
      with functional or organic enuresis. Functional enuresis (FE) was present in the
      majority of our patients (168/204). These 168 subjects, aged from 6 to 11 years,
      were randomly divided into three therapy groups (pharmacological therapy,
      behavioral therapy, and behavioral therapy with the aid of a personal computer).
      Our study shows that behavioral therapy gave better results in FE than did
      pharmacological therapy. We point out the usefulness of combining bladder
      retention training and behavioral therapy to improve the general maturity and
      autonomous behavior of the child, and the resultant positive effects on his
      personality.

PMID- 1863929
TI  - Malignant choroid plexus papilloma of the IV ventricle.
AB  - We report a case of malignant choroid plexus papilloma (MCPP) of the IV ventricle
      in a child with prominent extraventricular expansive growth, mostly into the
      cerebellopontine angle. Interestingly enough, the tumor was entirely covered by
      thin, smooth, membranous, fibrous tissue, probably derived from the pia mater. In
      addition, hydrocephalus was not observed. The reason for the lack of
      hydrocephalus remains speculative, but it is possible that the presence of pure,
      nonexpansive, fibrous covering on the tumor might have suppressed the tumor
      growth to some extent, resulting in progressively increased intratumoral
      pressure. This, in turn, caused the suppression of excessive cerebrospinal fluid
      production by the tumor cells. From the diagnostic standpoint,
      immunohistochemical studies, using antiepithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and
      antitissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), were demonstrated to be useful for
      diagnosing the tumor.

PMID- 1863930
TI  - Congenital forms of intracranial teratoma.
AB  - Intracranial teratoma in the newborn is a well-recognized but infrequent entity.
      We describe two such cases: one with a massive intracranial teratoma replacing
      the cerebral hemispheres and the other, a smaller tumor extending into the orbit.
      Forms of congenital intracranial teratoma and theories of pathogenesis and
      management are briefly discussed.

PMID- 1863931
TI  - Malformations of the spinal cord in 53 patients with spina bifida studied by
      magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - The incidence of associated malformations of the hindbrain and spinal cord in
      patients with spina bifida was investigated by a clinical and magnetic resonance
      study. The incidence of these malformations in combination with spina bifida was
      49/53 (92.5%). Fifty-tree children born with spina bifida aperta (40 patients) or
      spina bifida occulta (13 patients) formed the study group. The incidence of the
      various malformations were: Chiari malformations, type I, 10/53 (19%), and type
      II, 20/53 (38%); syringomyelia, 13/53 (24.5%); hydromyelia 4/53 (7.5%); tethered
      cord malformation, 35/53 (66%); diastematomyelia 2/53 (4%). Thirty-seven of the
      49 patients with associated malformations had no clinical signs at the time of
      our study. The results point to the fact that in the pediatric age group,
      associated spinal defects often remain asymptomatic.

PMID- 1863932
TI  - Upper extremity function in spina bifida.
AB  - Poor upper extremity function is often recorded in meningomyelocele patients.
      Only 2 of the 25 patients we assessed, 5 to 19 years old, showed normal upper
      extremity function in the clinical neurological examination and a timed hand
      function test simulating daily activities. Slow performance with unsystematic
      variability was typical. Poor hand function correlated strongly with
      hydrocephalus. A trend towards better performance with increasing age may
      indicate that the difficulties are overcome in some patients. While patients
      without hydrocephalus showed a near-normal distribution in the seven subtests,
      patients with hydrocephalus needed more time than normal children. Patients with
      shunt-treated hydrocephalus did not cope as well as patients without a shunt.
      Mean age in the three groups differed and may partly explain the differences.

PMID- 1863933
TI  - Syndromes associated with simple calvarial and complex craniofacial anomalies.
AB  - Central nervous system (CNS) development is a complex process of predetermined
      events that must occur in an ordered sequence to ensure normal ontogenesis.
      Various critical steps take place in a relatively short time (from the first few
      days to the first months of gestation). Both genetic and environmental insults
      may produce morphological defects. Early defects often result in nonviable
      embryos; later, complex craniofacial anomalies, mainly associated with brain
      damage, may be observed. The pathogenesis of congenital malformations is
      heterogeneous; sporadic cases are reported as well as recessive or dominant
      inheritance and chromosomal aberrations. Some of these syndromes have been
      identified as contiguous gene syndromes; the role of critical chromosomal regions
      and homeobox genes is discussed. Furthermore, these conditions present
      difficulties in regard to early diagnosis, surgical repair, and social impact.

PMID- 1863934
TI  - The influence of head position on the intracranial pressure in preterm infants
      with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus.
AB  - In order to measure the intracranial pressure (ICP) of 8 newborn with
      posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (group A) we used the noninvasive technique via the
      anterior fontanel (Ladd monitor). The ICP was monitored in two different head
      positions (30 degrees elevated, horizontal). The median measurements were:
      elevated head position, 13 mm Hg, horizontal head position, 16 mm Hg. For
      comparative reasons, we also measured the ICP of 12 healthy newborns (group B).
      The median results were: elevated head position, 4 mm Hg, horizontal head
      position, 6.5 mm Hg. Significant differences were found between groups.

PMID- 1863936
TI  - Implications of the reclassification of drugs from prescription-only to over-the
      counter status.
AB  - More than 200 over-the-counter (OTC) products and dosage forms were formerly
      restricted to prescription use. The reclassification process is gaining momentum;
      another 50 or so prescription drugs are targeted for transfer to OTC status. The
      transfer of drugs from prescription to OTC status is a logical and systematic
      development of today's health-care environment. The availability of safe and
      effective OTC drug products is sure to promote the general health of the American
      populace and to benefit members of the health-care system across the board.

PMID- 1863935
TI  - Dandy-Walker malformation: analysis of 38 cases.
AB  - Thirty-eight cases of Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) are presented. A female
      predominance of 3:1 was found. Thirty-two cases (84%) were diagnosed within the
      1st year of life. Of these, 17 cases (44.7%) were diagnosed at birth. Ten (26%)
      were delivered by cesarean section. Thirteen infants (34%) had a birth weight
      below 3000 g. Several associated malformations were observed, the most frequent
      being capillary angioma (6 cases); cardiac malformations, ophthalmic anomalies,
      agenesis of the corpus callosum, malformed limbs, and occipital meningocele were
      also seen. These observations indicate that DWM represents a disorder of the
      midline central nervous system indicative of marked genetic and etiologic
      heterogeneity with the possibility of showing clinical and pathological
      alterations intra- and extracranially. Macrocephaly was the most frequent
      physical finding, appearing in 31 cases (82%). Seventeen (44.7%) patients died,
      11 before 6 months of age, 3 between 6 and 12 months, and 3 after 1 year.
      Postmortem studies were performed in 13 patients. Three cases have been lost to
      follow-up. Mental retardation (IQ below 70) was found in 11 cases (58% of
      survivors), low intellect (IQ between 70 and 85) in 4, and only 2 patients showed
      normal intellectual development (IQ more than 85). The high incidence of
      malformations having several genetic and environmental origins, as well as the
      high early mortality of patients with DWM, indicate the complexity of this
      syndrome, which involves the midline developmental field structures. It is not an
      isolated malformation of the posterior fossa in most cases.

PMID- 1863937
TI  - Antimicrobial activity of seven oral antibiotics against selected community- and
      hospital-acquired pathogens.
AB  - The in vitro activity of seven oral antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, cephalexin,
      cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefuroxime, cefixime, and amoxicillin/clavulanate) was
      tested against 355 hospital-acquired pathogens and 342 community-acquired
      organisms. Whereas Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most
      common pathogens isolated in community-acquired infections, Enterobacter,
      Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas were isolated most frequently in hospital-acquired
      infections. All antibiotics with the exception of cefixime were active against
      the methicillin-susceptible staphylococci. Ciprofloxacin was the most active
      antibiotic against the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas.
      The community-acquired organisms tended to be more susceptible to antibiotics
      than the hospital-acquired organisms. Thus selection of oral antibiotics for the
      management of patients with hospital-acquired infections should be based on
      knowledge of the susceptibility patterns of hospital isolates.

PMID- 1863938
TI  - Availability of soluble insulin in mixed preparations of crystalline and
      ultralente biosynthetic human insulin.
AB  - This study investigates potential interactions between human insulins of
      recombinant DNA origin, specifically ultralente and crystalline Humulin, mixed in
      different proportions and incubated for five minutes, one hour, or 24 hours.
      Using insulin mixtures tested within five minutes of preparation, a mixture of
      less than 50% ultralente insulin produced no reduction in soluble insulin
      contents, whereas preparations containing greater than 80% ultralente had
      significantly less soluble insulin content. When premixed insulins were incubated
      for 24 hours before analysis, the data obtained were similar to the results after
      five minutes of incubation, although mixtures containing a high proportion of
      ultralente insulin (greater than or equal to 80% ultralente) retained somewhat
      more of their regular insulin content after 24 hours of interaction than after
      five minutes. Studies were also performed after one hour of incubation of insulin
      mixtures. Soluble insulin was reduced more than at either of the other two time
      periods investigated. Mixtures that contained greater than or equal to 70%
      ultralente insulin showed a reduction of greater than or equal to 50% in regular
      insulin content after one hour of incubation. In intensified insulin therapy
      programs it is usually recommended that regular insulin be administered
      separately from animal-source ultralente insulin preparations. The data of the
      present study clearly demonstrate only minor modifications of soluble insulin
      activity in clinically common mixtures of human ultralente and regular insulin of
      recombinant DNA origin. These findings are particularly important for diabetes
      management protocols that emphasize near normal glycemic control.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1863939
TI  - Citicoline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
AB  - The subjects were 20 patients with Parkinson's disease. They were aged 52 to 76
      years and the duration of the disease ranged from four to 25 years (mean, 12.5
      years). All the patients were receiving levodopa alone or in combination with
      tricyclic antidepressants, amantadine, bromocriptine, anticholinergic agents, or
      lisuride. Each patient received 1,000 mg of citicoline intramuscularly daily for
      15 days and then 500 mg daily for 15 days. After 30 days of treatment, the scores
      on the Columbia rating scale improved 7.3%; rigidity was improved 18.8%; times to
      walk 10 m and turn over were reduced 17.5% and 37.4%; and the handwriting test
      scores improved 19.7%. No side effects were reported. Four patients with advanced
      parkinsonian symptoms and psychotic side effects received 2,000 mg of citicoline
      subcutaneously or intravenously for seven days. No improvements in symptoms or
      treatment side effects were noted.

PMID- 1863940
TI  - Epidemiology of beta-lactamases in Africa: correlation with resistance to beta
      lactam antibiotics.
AB  - In 45 centers from eight African countries, 2,888 bacterial isolates were
      collected from patients with community-acquired infections. Isolated pathogens
      included Staphylococcus aureus (29%), Escherichia coli (20%), Neisseria
      gonorrhoeae (6%), Proteus species (6%), Klebsiella species (6%), Klebsiella
      pneumoniae (4%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (4%). An overall sensitivity of
      16.2% was shown to penicillin G (number of isolates tested = 2,467), 31.8% to
      ampicillin (2,687), 45% to amoxicillin (1,959), and 84.9% to cefuroxime (2,888).
      Beta-lactamase presence was measured by a chromogenic method. Beta-lactamase was
      found in 75% of all pathogens tested, including 69.5% of gram-negative and 83.3%
      of gram-positive pathogens; 73% of E coli isolates, 76% of N gonorrhoeae, 75% of
      Klebsiella species, and 84% of S aureus were beta-lactamase positive. Beta
      lactamase presence was associated with bacterial resistance for penicillin G,
      ampicillin, and amoxicillin, but not cefuroxime, whose sensitivity remained high.
      The higher resistance rates and beta-lactamase prevalence in Africa suggest the
      need for national antibiotic prescribing policies and surveillance schemes and
      replacement of relatively ineffective penicillins with newer agents such as
      cefuroxime.

PMID- 1863942
TI  - Lincocinamides and the incidence of antibiotic-associated colitis.
AB  - Reports of antibiotic-associated colitis (AAC) and of pseudomembranous colitis in
      patients treated with lincocinamides and other antimicrobial agents are reviewed.
      It is apparent that the incidence of colitis in patients treated with
      antimicrobials is declining. The greatest risk for AAC is seen in patients
      treated with ampicillin, followed by the cephalosporins, and then the
      lincocinamides. Treatment of AAC with vancomycin, metronidazole, or bacitracin is
      usually effective.

PMID- 1863941
TI  - Synphasic tablets in Canadian practice: a phase-IV multicenter study.
AB  - The performance of a low-dose triphasic oral contraceptive (OC) in the first four
      cycles of use was evaluated by 1,326 primary-care physicians and specialists
      across Canada in a phase-IV postmarketing trial. Data were available from 5,460
      women who completed 19,756 cycles of use with Synphasic. The incidence of
      intermenstrual bleeding characteristically decreased over the four cycles to 10%
      in women who were first-time users of OCs, to 14% in women who had previously
      used OCs but had discontinued use until this trial, and to 16% in women who had
      switched from another OC to Synphasic. The women reported a low incidence of
      headache, nausea, weight gain, breast complaints, and acne while receiving
      Synphasic. The results demonstrate good endometrial control with Synphasic and a
      high level of patient acceptance.

PMID- 1863943
TI  - Josamycin in the treatment of bronchopulmonary infections.
AB  - The subjects were 6,033 outpatients, from every province of Spain, with acute
      bronchitis (44%), exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (35%), typical pneumonia
      (14%), or atypical pneumonia (8%). Most of the patients were aged 50 to 70 years.
      The dose of josamycin in over 90% of the patients was 2 gm daily. The mean
      duration of infection before treatment was 5.3 days and treatment lasted a mean
      of 9.2 days. Concomitant drugs were taken by 78% of the patients; these included
      mucolytic agents, xanthine derivatives, beta-adrenergic agonists, and
      corticosteroids. After two weeks of treatment, the infection was cured in 82% of
      the patients with acute bronchitis, in 30% with chronic bronchitis, in 85% with
      typical pneumonia, and in 85% with atypical pneumonia; improvement was shown by
      16%, 66%, 13%, and 13%, respectively. Treatment side effects were noted in 11% of
      the patients receiving josamycin alone and in 17% of the patients receiving
      concomitant drugs. Most side effects were mild and transient; treatment was
      discontinued because of side effects in 2% of the patients receiving josamycin
      alone and in 3% receiving concomitant drugs. It is concluded that josamycin is a
      safe and effective agent in the treatment of bronchopulmonary infections.

PMID- 1863944
TI  - Basic principles of cardioplegic management in donor heart preservation.
AB  - The primary factor limiting the number of heart transplantation performed is the
      lack of adequate donor hearts. One of the main factors contributing to this is
      the relatively short period a donor heart can be preserved. Clinical studies
      demonstrate that ischemic times over five hours lead to early heart failure after
      transplantation. A considerable increase in preservation time would be necessary
      to enlarge the donor pool. In spite of intensive research, it is not yet possible
      to increase the preservation period above four hours, which was achieved in 1978.
      An increase of the cold ischemia period to more than four hours without the risk
      of transplanted heart damage may only be achieved by improving cardioplegic
      management.

PMID- 1863945
TI  - The efficacy and tolerability of famotidine and ranitidine on the healing of
      active duodenal ulcer and during six-month maintenance treatment, with special
      reference to NSAID/aspirin-related ulcers.
AB  - The subjects of this multicenter study were 160 patients with endoscopically
      confirmed active duodenal ulcers, randomly assigned to receive 40 mg of
      famotidine or 300 mg of ranitidine nightly for four to eight weeks. During a
      subsequent six-month maintenance treatment phase, the patients received 20 mg of
      famotidine or 150 mg of ranitidine nightly. After eight weeks of treatment, ulcer
      healing was endoscopically confirmed in 94% of the 81 famotidine-treated patients
      and in 80% of the 79 ranitidine-treated patients (P less than 0.01). During the
      first week of treatment, daytime and nighttime pain scores were significantly
      lower in the famotidine-treated than ranitidine-treated patients. During the
      maintenance treatment phase, the ulcer in 79% of 58 famotidine-treated patients
      and in 81% of 52 ranitidine-treated patients remained healed. Multivariate
      analysis of factors such as age, sex, smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption,
      use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), history of ulcer, and ulcer
      size and number showed that they had no significant effects on the differences in
      healing rates between the two treatment groups. The ulcers were all healed in the
      famotidine-treated patients whose ulcers were associated with the prior use of
      NSAIDs. The results of this and many other studies indicate that, unless ulcer
      healing is confirmed by endoscopy, treatment of active duodenal ulcers should
      continue for six to eight weeks.

PMID- 1863946
TI  - Milestones in clinical pharmacology. Oral hypoglycemic agents: sulfonylurea.

PMID- 1863947
TI  - [Observation on clinical features and therapy in 4 elderly cases with
      legionellosis].
AB  - Four elderly cases with Legionellosis were reported. All of them had pneumonitis
      and small amount of chest fluid. Erythromycin and rifadin were effective in all 4
      patients. Three patients were positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1.
      The disease occurred in July or October. Diagnosis and therapy should be made as
      early as possible for those patients suspected of Legionellosis.

PMID- 1863948
TI  - [Geographic distribution of Lyme disease in Mudanjiang].
AB  - Four forestry plant in Mudanjiang with different geographic characteristics were
      investigated in 1989. 2178 people were inquired and examined. 74 cases including
      54 of ECM, 12 of nervous system disorder and 8 of arthritis were confirmed as
      Lyme disease. There were some patients at other places of forest areas of
      Mudanjiang. The prevalence rate of Lyme disease ranged from 1% to 4.5% at four
      plants with higher rate in mountainous area than in hilly land. It is first
      report that one strain of Lyme disease spirochetes was isolated from a patient
      with psychiatric derangement. It proved that Ixodes persulcatus play the leading
      role in transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes, as the growth curve of Ixodes
      persul catus is coincident with that of the patient with ECM.

PMID- 1863949
TI  - [The mortality of patients with malignant tumors in eleven cities of Jiangsu
      Province, 1984-1986].
AB  - The present paper analysed people in eleven cities making up one sixth of Jiangsu
      population. In 1984-1986 the mortality of malignant neoplasm was 163.28/10(5),
      (Chinese standard mortality were 116.57/10(5), the world standard mortality were
      177.75/10(5)) which accounts for 25.04% of the total mortality during the same
      time. The trends of deaths from neoplasms show that oesophageal cancer in both
      sexes and leukemia in male are gradually decreasing, lung cancer in male and
      hepatoma in female are gradually increasing. The rank correlation analysis
      between chinese standard mortalities of some major malignant neoplasms indicates
      that the stomach cancer was positive correlated with oesophageal cancer in both
      sexes, the oesophageal cancer in male and the stomach cancer in female were
      negative correlated with lung cancer, and the breast cancer was negative
      correlated with oesophageal cancer in female. All this suggests that there may be
      likely etiologic association between these malignant neoplasms.

PMID- 1863950
TI  - [A case-control study of peptic ulcer risk factors: smoking].
AB  - The 1:1 matched case-control study was undertaken. The associated risk factors
      such as smoking etc were investigated. Three hundred cases of peptic ulcer and
      300 controls individually matched were interviewed. Conditional logistic
      regression was employed to examine the effect modification. The analytic results
      showed that Smoking, family history, nutrition, anxiety and depression were the
      risk factors of peptic ulcer. No relation was found between blood types and
      peptic ulcer.

PMID- 1863951
TI  - [Epidemiology of hypertension].

PMID- 1863952
TI  - [Use of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for bacterial population genetics,
      classification and molecular epidemiology].

PMID- 1863953
TI  - Does use of a vascular introducer sheath obviate need for catheter exchanges over
      a guidewire?

PMID- 1863954
TI  - Balloon diameter of the Inoue balloon catheter during percutaneous transvenous
      mitral commissurotomy: clinical and experimental study.
AB  - To determine adequate and effective balloon diameters of the Inoue balloon
      catheter, we reviewed clinical results and characteristics of the Inoue balloon
      catheter, especially the relationship between the intra-balloon pressure and the
      balloon diameter, experimentally and clinically, in 46 patients with mitral
      stenosis undergoing percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC). Mitral
      valve area increased from 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 2.1 +/- 0.3 cm2 in all patients after
      PTMC. Based on balloon diameter settings, mitral valve area increased from 1.3 +/
      0.4 to 2.3 +/- 0.5 cm2 in patients treated with a balloon setting greater than
      26 mm in diameter, from 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 2.0 +/- 0.5 cm2 in patients with a balloon
      setting at 26 mm in diameter, and from 1.1 +/- 0.4 to 1.7 +/- 0.4 cm2 in those
      treated with a balloon setting less than 26 mm in diameter, with an increase in
      mitral valve area of 1.0 +/- 0.6, 0.9 +/- 0.4, and 0.7 +/- 0.2 cm2, respectively.
      There was a significant difference between the increase in mitral valve area at a
      setting of 26 mm in diameter and that observed at a setting less than 26 mm in
      diameter. We next investigated differences between balloon diameter settings and
      actual balloon diameters measured from cineangiograms at maximum balloon
      inflation. The ratio of actual balloon diameter to a setting diameter of less
      than 26 mm was smaller than that of 26 mm. To evaluate the reason for the
      difference, we investigated the relationship between intra-balloon pressure and
      balloon diameter. In the prototype Inoue balloon catheter, intra-balloon pressure
      increases from 1.0 kg/cm2 at 20 mm in diameter to 2.2 kg/cm2 at 30 mm in diameter
      at atmospheric pressure. In conclusion, the increase in mitral valve area was
      inadequate when the balloon was less than 26 mm in diameter because of inadequate
      intra-balloon pressure. We, therefore, recommend a balloon size set above 26 mm
      to obtain adequate intra-balloon pressure when using the Inoue balloon catheter.

PMID- 1863955
TI  - Crossing failure in PTCA: mind the deflated balloon profile!
AB  - An attempt to reposition an Integra PTCA balloon-on-a-wire failed although the
      whole stenosed segment could be crossed before inflation. After careful removal
      the device showed a grossly altered shape. Deflated balloon profiles, quite
      different from the initial shape, can determine the outcome both in dissections
      and in multilesion cases.

PMID- 1863956
TI  - Successful percutaneous closure of a complex coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula
      using a detachable balloon: benefits of intra-procedural physiologic and
      angiographic assessment.
AB  - A 48-yr-old woman presented with a loud continuous precordial murmur and symptoms
      of fatigue. Color-flow doppler imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging
      failed to show the cause of the murmur. Diagnostic catheterization showed a large
      left anterior descending coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula with
      impaired left ventricular wall motion. Two detachable balloons were deployed in
      the fistula with complete abolition of flow in the main fistula channel. A small
      parallel channel of the fistula, previously not appreciated due to vessel
      overlap, remained patent but had trivial flow as assessed by green-dye and
      oximetric techniques. The patient had immediate resolution of her symptoms and
      return of normal ventricular wall motion.

PMID- 1863957
TI  - Left main coronary artery aneurysm in association with severe atherosclerosis: a
      case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Aneurysms of the coronary arteries occur in from 0.3% to 4.9% of angiograms. Only
      12 cases of left main artery (LMA) aneurysms have been reported. Of these, seven
      were associated with atherosclerosis in patients more than 56 years old. This
      report details the case of a 39-year-old patient with a large LMA aneurysm
      associated with atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1863958
TI  - Coronary angioplasty in octogenarians: comparisons to coronary bypass surgery.
AB  - Coronary angioplasty was performed in 74 patients 80 years of age and older (mean
      83 +/- 3). Single vessel coronary disease was present in 34% and multivessel
      coronary disease in 66%. Angioplasty of a single vessel was performed in 51
      patients (69%), while 23 (31%) had angioplasty of multiple vessels. Angioplasty
      was successful in 59 of 74 patients (80%). Angioplasty was unsuccessful but
      uncomplicated in 12 (16%) due to (unyielding) calcified lesions or (impassable)
      old occlusions. Of these 12, 8 were discharged on medical therapy and 4 underwent
      elective uncomplicated bypass surgery prior to discharge. Three (4%) patients
      required emergency coronary bypass surgery due to abrupt vessel closure during
      the angioplasty procedure, with one hospital death (1.4%). Follow-up (mean 24 +/-
      22 months) was obtained in all patients. Of the 59 successful angioplasty
      patients, late mortality was 10% (cardiac 7% and non-cardiac 3%). Survival and
      survival without myocardial infarction were both 90%; survival without either
      infarction or bypass surgery was 86%. Actuarial 3-year survival was 91% and 3
      year freedom from death, infarction or bypass surgery was 87% by life-table
      analysis. Repeat angioplasty for restenosis was performed in 7 patients (12%)
      without complications.

PMID- 1863959
TI  - Cerebral ischemia: a complication of right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy.
AB  - During percutaneous transvenous endomyocardial biopsy, two cardiac transplant
      recipients developed symptoms of focal cerebral ischemia. Cerebrovascular injury
      has not been previously associated with endomyocardial biopsy. This procedure
      should be recognized as one of the causes of stroke following heart
      transplantation.

PMID- 1863960
TI  - Multivessel PTCA using the hugging balloon technique based on single guide
      catheter and dual balloon-on-a-wire systems.
AB  - For percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of oversized arteries,
      often-times a satisfactory dilatation cannot be achieved with conventional
      balloon systems due to the unavailability of adequately sized balloons. This fact
      has contributed to a higher restenosis rate for this group of patients. We were
      able to obtain a satisfactory dilatation result in an oversized right coronary
      artery with a shepherd's crook configuration and eccentric anatomy at the origin
      using two balloon-on-a-wire systems and an Amplatz type guiding catheter.
      Although such favorable dilatation of an oversized artery using this "hugging
      balloon technique" can be expected, issues do exist such as difficult
      maneuverability and estimation of the balloon size obtained through simultaneous
      dual balloon inflation wherein size does not simply equal the sum of the two
      balloon catheters. It is hoped that there will be further improvements of the
      technique and development of new systems. At this time, however, it is felt that
      this is the most effective and reasonable strategy to achieve a high chance of
      success in oversized vessel lesions.

PMID- 1863961
TI  - Concurrent double balloon valvotomy for combined rheumatic mitral and tricuspid
      stenosis.
AB  - We expanded the application of percutaneous balloon valvotomy (PBV) to 4 adults
      (age 14 to 30 years, average 22.2 years) with combined rheumatic mitral and
      tricuspid stenosis. Double balloon dilatation reduced the transmitral gradient
      from 17.36 +/- 3.54 to 5.52 +/- 0.89 (P less than 0.025) and transtricuspid
      gradient from 12.65 +/- 2.67 to 3.67 +/- 0.95 (P less than 0.025). Mitral and
      tricuspid valve area increased from 0.73 +/- 0.20 to 2.57 +/- 0.67 (P less than
      0.005) and from 0.77 +/- 0.24 to 2.67 +/- 0.24 cm2 (P less than 0.005),
      respectively. The procedures were well tolerated, with no significant increase in
      valvular regurgitation or left to right shunt across the atrial septum. The
      excellent symptomatic and haemodynamic benefits are sustained at 3-24 months
      follow-up. It is concluded that combined dilatation of stenotic valves by double
      balloon technique can emerge as an alternative to surgery in selected patients
      with polyvalvar rheumatic heart disease.

PMID- 1863962
TI  - The kissing balloon technique with two over-the-wire balloon catheters through a
      single 8-French guiding catheter.
AB  - Some of the newer over-the-wire coronary angioplasty catheters have shaft sizes
      of 3.0 French (F) or less. The inner diameter of modern 8-F guiding catheters is
      large enough to accommodate two of such balloon catheters. We report a kissing
      balloon procedure with two over-the-wire catheters through a single 8-F guiding
      catheter.

PMID- 1863963
TI  - Interpretation of cardiac physiology from pressure waveform analysis: extra
      hearts: Part III.

PMID- 1863964
TI  - A new technique for sheathless percutaneous intraaortic balloon catheter
      insertion.
AB  - Intraaortic balloon counterpulsation is helpful for controlling myocardial
      ischemia and providing hemodynamic support, but its applicability is limited by
      lower extremity ischemic complications in a significant percentage of patients.
      We developed a new sheathless technique for percutaneous intraaortic balloon
      catheter insertion which reduces the effective catheter diameter. A pilot study
      using this new technique resulted in a 10% rate of limb ischemia, without
      compromise of balloon function. We conclude that this technique may be useful in
      reducing the incidence of limb ischemia associated with intraaortic balloon
      counterpulsation.

PMID- 1863965
TI  - Evaluation of the densitometric method of ejection fraction by direct digital
      subtraction left ventriculography.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the densitometric
      ejection fraction (EF) could be calculated by direct contrast digital subtraction
      left ventriculography in a single heartbeat. Thirty patients underwent direct
      contrast digital subtraction left ventriculography and biplane conventional left
      ventriculography. The values of EF were obtained from digital subtraction
      ventriculograms of the first cardiac cycle after completion of the injection of
      the contrast medium by the videodensitometric technique and were compared with
      those obtained from conventional ventriculograms by the area-length method in the
      same patients. There was a close correlation between the densitometric EF from
      digital subtraction ventriculograms and the volumetric EF from conventional
      ventriculograms (r = 0.78). Densitometric EF measured in the 30 degree right
      anterior oblique projection highly correlated with densitometric EF measured in
      the 60 degree left anterior projection (r = 0.98). These data suggest that this
      densitometric technique is available in any projection and is a simple procedure
      for the accurate measurement of left ventricular EF.

PMID- 1863966
TI  - Complication of coronary arteriography.

PMID- 1863967
TI  - Precertification for PTCA.

PMID- 1863968
TI  - Salivary gland enlargement following renografin injection may be secondary to
      hypersensitivity.

PMID- 1863969
TI  - The evolution and ethics of dentistry's dilemma.

PMID- 1863970
TI  - How much is enough?

PMID- 1863971
TI  - Buying and selling for the established dentist.

PMID- 1863972
TI  - Success by design.

PMID- 1863973
TI  - Analysis of a functional appliance.

PMID- 1863974
TI  - Asset allocation for the dentist.

PMID- 1863975
TI  - Hard tissue and home tooth whiteners.

PMID- 1863976
TI  - Selling tips for the retiring dentist.

PMID- 1863977
TI  - Successful marketing on a shoestring.

PMID- 1863978
TI  - Post-core construction: the holistic approach.

PMID- 1863979
TI  - Looking for that financial needle in the haystack.

PMID- 1863980
TI  - Biotransformation of halogenated compounds.
AB  - As a result of natural production and contamination of the environment by
      xenobiotic compounds, halogenated substances are widely distributed in the
      biosphere. Concern arises as a result of the toxic, carcinogenic, and potential
      teratogenic nature of these substances. The biotransformations of such
      halogenated substances are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the biocatalytic
      cleavage of the carbon-halogen bonds. The physiology, biochemistry, and genetics
      of the biological system involved in the dehalogenation reactions are discussed
      for three groups of organohalogens: (1) the haloacids, (2) the haloaromatics, and
      (3) the haloalkanes. Finally, the biotechnological applications of these
      microbial transformations are discussed. This includes prospects for their future
      application in biosynthetic processes for the synthesis of halogenated
      intermediates or novel compounds and also the use of such systems for the
      detoxification and degradation of environmental pollutants.

PMID- 1863981
TI  - The application of biotechnology to the treatment of wastes produced from the
      nuclear fuel cycle: biodegradation and bioaccumulation as a means of treating
      radionuclide-containing streams.
AB  - Recent concerns on the radiotoxicity and longevity of nuclides have prompted the
      development of new technologies for their removal from wastes produced from
      nuclear power programs and nuclear fuel reprocessing activities. Alongside
      developments from traditional chemical treatment processes, interest has also
      centered on the application of biotechnology for efficient waste treatment. Many
      biological techniques have relied on empirical approaches in simple model
      systems, with scant regard to the nature and volume of actual target wastes; such
      considerations may limit the application of the new technologies in practice.
      This review aims to identify some of the likely problems, to discuss the various
      approaches under current consideration, and to evaluate ways in which either the
      target waste or the detoxifying biomass may be modified or presented for the most
      efficient treatment.

PMID- 1863982
TI  - A monoclonal antibody recognizing a common antigen on Drosophila embryos and
      human fibroblasts.
AB  - We used a monoclonal antibody specific for vimentin from human fibroblasts to
      stain whole mounts of Drosophila embryos. In immunofluorescence observations this
      antibody cross-reacts with an antigenic determinant localized throughout mitosis
      at the nuclear boundary. Double fluorescence observations with the Rb188 antibody
      that specifically recognizes a centrosomal protein of the Drosophila embryo
      [Whitfield et al., 1988] showed that the anti-vimentin antibody cross-reacts with
      an antigen localized in the centrosomal region.

PMID- 1863983
TI  - Isolation and localization of a spectrin-like protein from echinoderm sperm.
AB  - Thyone sperm undergo an explosive acrosome reaction resulting in the extension of
      a 90 microns long acrosomal process. In unreacted sperm, profilamentous actin is
      sequestered within the profilactin cup (Tilney: Journal of Cell Biology 69:73-89
      1976), which consists of four major polypeptides: actin, profilin, and a 250/235
      kDa equimolar doublet (TS 250/235). Dialysis of profilactin preparations into an
      actin assembly buffer resulted in the formation of acrosomal-like macromolecular
      aggregates containing actin, TS 250/235, and several other polypeptides as
      detected by SDS-PAGE. TS 250/235 was purified by subjecting extracts of pH
      solubilized profilactin cups to DEAE and phosphocellulose ion exchange
      chromatography. TS 250/235 demonstrated immunocrossreactivity with affinity
      purified polyclonal antibodies raised against S. purpuratus egg spectrin. As
      determined by biotinylated-calmodulin overlays, both subunits of TS 250/235 bound
      calmodulin in a Ca(++)-sensitive manner. Electron microscopy of low angle, rotary
      shadowed replicas of TS 250/235 revealed an elongate rod-shaped molecule with an
      average contour length of 203 nm. By indirect immunofluorescence, TS 250/235 was
      found to be uniformly distributed throughout the profilactin cup of the unreacted
      sperm. This distribution of TS 250/235 correlated with the location of monomeric
      actin as determined by localization studies utilizing fluorescent-DNase-1. Upon
      sperm activation, the cellular distribution of TS 250/235 dramatically changed
      and was observed both along the length and at the base of the extended acrosomal
      process.

PMID- 1863984
TI  - Alterations in microtubule assembly caused by the microtubule-active drug
      LY195448.
AB  - LY195448 is an experimental drug that blocks cells at metaphase (Boder et al.:
      Microtubules and Microtubule Inhibitors 1985: 353-361, 1985). A 4 hour exposure
      of NRK cells to a drug concentration of 46 microM (15 micrograms/ml) increased
      the number of mitotic cells in the population from 4.9% to 18.5%. Examination of
      treated cells by immunofluorescence showed increased numbers of cells blocked at
      prometaphase, with short microtubules extending from the spindle pole to the
      kinetochores. The cytoskeleton of interphase cells remained intact at these
      concentrations. However, the number of microtubules appeared to be reduced, and
      those that remained appeared kinkier and curled, particularly toward the
      periphery of the cells. When cytoskeletal microtubules of NRK cells were
      depolymerized with nocodazole, they reassembled within minutes of transfer to
      drug-free media. However, nocodazole-treated cells transferred to fresh media
      containing 15 micrograms/ml of LY195448 required 2-3 times longer to reassemble
      cytoplasmic microtubules. Previously isolated Chinese hamster ovary cell
      microtubule mutants resistant to either taxol or Colcemid were tested for cross
      resistance to this drug. Cell lines resistant to the depolymerizing drug Colcemid
      exhibited increased resistance to LY195448 compared to wild-type cells, whereas
      taxol resistant cell lines were more sensitive. Of eleven newly isolated mutant
      CHO cell lines selected for increased resistance to LY195448, seven exhibited an
      altered beta-tubulin protein by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis. These 11 cell lines also showed a heterogenous pattern of
      resistance to several microtubule-active drugs. These data demonstrate that
      LY195448 is cytotoxic to mammalian cells because it inhibits microtubule
      assembly, most likely through a direct interaction with tubulin.

PMID- 1863985
TI  - Analysis of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes. Part I: Basic and technical
      aspects.

PMID- 1863987
TI  - Personality in 47, XXY males during adolescence.
AB  - The responses to the High School Personality Questionnaire and the Million
      Adolescent Personality Inventory of a series of neonatally identified 47, XXY
      adolescent males and age-matched controls were compared. The extra X males'
      results indicated that they were more assertive, impulsive and prone to conflict
      than controls. Individual differences in these characteristics among the extra X
      cases had little relationship to quality of parenting but were related to indices
      of pubertal development.

PMID- 1863986
TI  - Analysis of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes. Part II: Possibilities and
      limitations in the diagnosis and management of lymphoproliferative diseases and
      related disorders.

PMID- 1863988
TI  - Gene deletions in Japanese patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular
      dystrophies: deletion study and carrier detection.
AB  - Fifty unrelated Japanese patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy
      (DMD and BMD) have been studied through use of the dystrophin cDNA probes. The 14
      kb dystrophin cDNA was subdivided into six subclones, and Hind III-digested DNAs
      were analyzed by Southern blotting. Of 50 unrelated patients, 20 showed a
      deletion of one or several of the exon-containing Hind III fragments (40.0%).
      These corresponded to 50% (11/22) of BMD patients and 32.1% (9/28) of DMD
      patients, and the position and extent of deletions were mapped and proven to be
      more heterogeneous in DMD than in BMD. Both ends of deletions detected by probe 1
      2a were common to all six BMD patients, and the 5' ends of deletions in probe 5b
      7 were also common to four BMD patients. The phenotypic-specific deletion in
      Japanese BMD patients existed in the 5' end of the DMD gene, although an
      apparently similar deletion produced a wide range of clinical courses (BMD
      phenotype). Three out of eight females in DMD/BMD families were diagnosed as
      carriers through use of the junctional fragment and dosage analyses of dystrophin
      cDNA.

PMID- 1863989
TI  - Estimates of heritability of plasma homocyst(e)ine levels in aging adult male
      twins.
AB  - Plasma homocyst(e)ine level was determined for 96 identical (MZ) and 92 fraternal
      (DZ) adult male twins aged 59-69. There was no difference in mean between MZ
      (10.31 nmol/ml) and DZ (10.36 nmol/ml) twins. The intraclass correlation
      coefficient of the log-transformed homocyst(e)ine level in 43 complete MZ and 39
      complete DZ pairs was 0.55 and 0.19, respectively. The MZ correlation was
      significantly (p less than 0.05) greater than the DZ correlation, suggesting that
      the level of plasma homocyst(e)ine is genetically influenced.

PMID- 1863990
TI  - Molecular identification of a small supernumerary marker chromosome by in situ
      hybridization: diagnosis of an isochromosome 18p with probe L1.84.
AB  - A dysmorphic child was found by cytogenetic analysis to have an extra small
      marker chromosome. The marker chromosome was shown to possess a chromosome 18
      centromere by in situ hybridization, and probably represents an isochromosome
      18p. Centromere specific probes should be of value in identifying extra small
      marker chromosomes, and thereby provide better understanding of the clinical
      significance of these.

PMID- 1863991
TI  - A clinical, cytogenetic and familial study of 307 mentally retarded,
      institutionalized, adult male patients with special interest for fra(X) negative
      X-linked mental retardation.
AB  - In this study we report the results of a systematic etiological, clinical genetic
      study in 307 institutionalized mentally retarded adult males. Special attention
      is paid to the nosology of X-linked mental retardation. During the survey 63
      males with one or more 'Martin Bell'-like features were identified in whom
      repetitive fragile Xq27-3 screenings were negative. In 13 of them, belonging to 9
      different families, pedigree data were compatible with X-linked inheritance. This
      finding confirms the existence of one (or more) forms of fra(x) negative mental
      retardation with 'Martin Bell'-like features.

PMID- 1863992
TI  - Malformations in a child with dup (7pter-p15.1) and del (7q36-qter) as a result
      of familial pericentric inversion.
AB  - We describe a child with multiple anomalies and severe retardation with dup 7pter
      p15.1 and del 7q36-qter as a result of a parental pericentric inversion of
      chromosome 7. The pericentric inversion was found in family members in 3
      generations with 9 liveborn children who had severe anomalies probably associated
      with imbalances of chromosome 7.

PMID- 1863993
TI  - DNA deletions in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene in Danish
      families with familial hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - DNA samples from 25 unrelated Danish patients with familial hypercholesterolemia
      (FH) were screened by Southern blot hybridization to detect gross alterations in
      the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. Three FH-patients were found to
      have a deletion. Two of these delete part of the cysteine rich domain, which
      comprises the ligand binding region of the LDL-receptor. The third deletion
      encompasses coding regions for the cytoplasmic part of the receptor. As two of
      these deletions could be equivalent to previously described LDL-receptor gene
      alterations, these data seem to support a notion of recombination hot spots which
      involve Alu-sequences.

PMID- 1863994
TI  - Second case report of del(4) (q25q27) and review of the literature.
AB  - We report a malformed infant with a de novo interstitial deletion of 4q. This is
      the second patient reported with del(4) (q25q27). Although there are several
      common features such as marked hypotonia, cardiac abnormalities, cleft palate,
      and micrognathia noted in our case and that of Chudley et al. (1988), we conclude
      from our comparison of the seven previously reported cases involving deletions of
      bands 4(q25q27) that a specific phenotype cannot yet be described for this
      deletion.

PMID- 1863995
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of lethal osteogenesis imperfecta in twin pregnancy.
AB  - Lethal osteogenesis imperfecta was diagnosed at 27 weeks amenorrea in one fetus
      of a bichorial twin pregnancy. Sonographic findings included: short-limb
      dwarfism, hypotrophy and hypoechoic bones. The affected fetus was so translucent
      that only the normal fetus could be seen on plain in utero radiography. The
      affected fetus died immediately after birth. Postmortem radiography and histology
      were typical of lethal osteogenesis imperfecta of type IIA. Aids to the
      etiological diagnosis of in utero dwarfism are presented. Sonographic features
      correlated with neonatal death are described.

PMID- 1863996
TI  - Atelosteogenesis I and boomerang dysplasia: a question of nosology.
AB  - We report a patient whose clinical, radiologic and histopathologic findings are
      compatible with severe atelosteogenesis (AT-I). The patient is compared with
      previously reported cases of AT-I, as well as with patients reported as having
      "boomerang" dysplasia. We conclude that it is reasonable to consider AT-I and
      boomerang dysplasia as part of a spectrum, probably reflecting a common etiology.
      More and detailed clinical, radiologic and histopathologic reports are needed to
      further clarify the relationship of AT-II and AT-III in this family of skeletal
      dysplasias.

PMID- 1863998
TI  - Clinical efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in patients with severe
      inflammatory chest disease and IgG3 subclass deficiency.
AB  - To investigate the efficacy of i.v. IgG treatment in pediatric patients with
      inflammatory lung disease, a prospective, controlled clinical trial was carried
      out over a 2-year study period. Patients were enrolled on the basis of severe
      clinical symptomatology. After 1 year of conventional treatment, the patients
      received 400 mg/kg per month of an i.v. IgG product containing only trace amounts
      of IgG3 in addition to their regular treatment throughout the second year.
      Significant clinical improvement, as documented by duration of hospital stay
      (first year 27.8 days, second year 4.9 days), use of antibiotics (132.8 versus
      30.9 days) and use of steroids (21.4 versus 0.7 days) could be observed. Data
      obtained on a subgroup of patients with IgG3 deficiency were analysed separately.
      These results indicate that patients with severe chest disease who have IgG3
      deficiency will also benefit from i.v. IgG treatment. The mode of action cannot
      be attributed to replacement of the respective isotypes, but is probably due to
      the effect of i.v. IgG in preventing repeated viral infections.

PMID- 1863997
TI  - Genetics of human X-linked immunodeficiency diseases.

PMID- 1863999
TI  - Defects in proliferative responses of T cells from patients with common variable
      immunodeficiency on direct activation of protein kinase C.
AB  - DNA synthesis in response to mitogens has been studied in T cells from nine
      patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) and seven normal
      individuals. Five out of the nine patients had cells with subnormal responses to
      the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). As PHA-induced responses are largely
      mediated through activation of Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase C, we studied
      whether the defective response was still present on direct activation of protein
      kinase C. This was done using combinations of concentrations of phorbol 12,13,
      dibutyrate and the calcium ionophore ionomycin which induced proliferation in
      normal T cells. We found that in CVI patients with T cells which had normal
      responses to PHA, responses to phorbol ester and ionomycin were at the same level
      as in normal T cells. However, with this treatment, in which the linkage between
      the membrane receptor and protein kinase C is bypassed, the level of DNA
      synthesis was still depressed in the patient group whose T cells had subnormal
      responses to PHA. IL-2 failed to restore the DNA synthesis to normal levels when
      added with the phorbol ester and ionomycin to T cells from one patient in this
      group. These data suggest that in a group of CVI patients there are defects in T
      cell activation pathways at or down-stream of protein kinase C.

PMID- 1864000
TI  - Immunophenotypic analysis of histiocytes involved in AIDS-associated
      Mycobacterium scrofulaceum infection: similarities with lepromatous lepra.
AB  - The present study reports a rare case of systemic M. scrofulaceum infection in an
      AIDS patient and analyses the inflammatory infiltrate in a lymph node by
      immunohistochemistry. Special emphasis is put on the histiocytes. The diffuse
      infiltrate consists mainly of large histiocytes that contain numerous bacilli.
      These cells display the phenotype of mature histiocytes and in addition coexpress
      the antigens recognized by RFD7 and RFD9, both markers of different subsets of
      histiocytes which have been reported to be co-expressed by the infected
      histiocytes in the infiltrate of lepromatous lepra. Interdigitating reticulum
      cells are rare as well as T cells which are mainly of the suppressor/cytotoxic
      type. These findings are similar to those reported for lepromatous lepra and
      might indicate common deficiencies in T cell-macrophage interactions in both
      conditions. Superimposed on the diffuse infiltrate of large histiocytes we
      observed 'monocytic granulomas', the presence of which might be related to a
      reactional state comparable to erythema nodosum leprosum, a reactional state of
      lepromatous lepra.

PMID- 1864001
TI  - T and B cell human responses to European bat lyssavirus after post-exposure
      rabies vaccination.
AB  - T and B cell human responses to European bat lyssavirus (EBL1) induced by post
      exposure rabies vaccination (PM virus vaccine) were evaluated by measuring
      plasmatic titres of EBL1-specific neutralizing antibodies; specific EBL1-binding
      antibodies; and proliferation indices of peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated
      in vitro with EBL1. These parameters for vaccination efficacy were compared with
      those obtained with vaccine-related viruses (CVS and ERA) and with a non-vaccine
      related virus. Mokola virus, the last implicated in vaccination failures. Twenty
      two patients exposed to rabies risk who received a reduced rabies post-exposure
      vaccination were involved in the study. On day 21, vaccine induced CVS-specific
      neutralizing antibodies in all patients; but EBL1-specific neutralizing
      antibodies were induced in only 73% of patients. No vaccine had Mokola-specific
      neutralizing antibodies. Patients having EBL1-specific neutralizing antibodies
      were usually those in whom vaccination induced high titres of CVS-specific
      neutralizing antibodies. On day 21, peripheral blood lymphocytes of 86% of
      patients could be restimulated in vitro with vaccine, 43% with EBL1 and 45% with
      Mokola. Patients exhibiting a high vaccine-specific proliferation response more
      likely developed an EBL1- or a Mokola-specific proliferative response. No
      correlation was found between T and B cell responses. Rabies vaccination induced
      neither T nor B cell EBL1-specific responses in 22% of patients.

PMID- 1864002
TI  - New Zealand black mice are immunologically resistant to high-dose, but not low
      dose Leishmania mexicana infection.
AB  - The course of infection following s.c. inoculation of a wide dose range of L.
      mexicana stationary-phase promastigotes (SPP) was examined in sexually mature and
      immature NZB mice of both sexes. Infection with a high dose (greater than 10(7)
      SPP) was able to induce a protective in vivo response, which could be adoptively
      transferred with parasite-immune T cells, into naive, syngeneic recipients. In
      contrast, s.c. infection with a low dose (less than 10(7) SPP) induced non
      healing lesions; disease susceptibility could also be transferred into naive
      animals with T cells from non-immune donors. When the ability to mount a delayed
      type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction was tested in these two groups, the high
      parasite dose group gave a significantly higher response. The in vivo protection
      and high DTH response were reflected in the ability of cells derived from the
      high-dose resistant (but not low-dose susceptible) mice to mount an antigen
      specific T cell response in vitro. The possible immunological effector mechanisms
      underlying high-dose resistance and low-dose susceptibility are discussed.

PMID- 1864003
TI  - The gene corresponding to the putative Goodpasture antigen is present in Alport's
      syndrome.
AB  - Alport's syndrome is a heterogeneous group of inherited abnormalities of basement
      membranes that may result in progressive renal failure, defective hearing and
      lens abnormalities. The glomerular basement membrane (GBM) characteristically has
      areas of reduplication, lamellation and attenuation on electron microscopic
      examination. In the majority of affected males and some females, there is reduced
      or variable binding of serum from patients with anti-GBM disease (Goodpasture's
      syndrome) to these basement membranes. These sera contain antibodies directed
      against the Goodpasture antigen which has been thought to be located in the non
      collagenous domain of the alpha3 chain of type IV collagen and is presumed to be
      important in cross-linking of the collagen molecules. The reduced staining for
      the Goodpasture antigen suggests that this structure is either absent or masked
      in Alport's syndrome. We have tested DNA from six unrelated individuals with
      Alport's syndrome. All had been transplanted for renal failure. The diagnosis of
      Alport's syndrome was made on the characteristic electron microscopic appearance
      of the renal basement membranes (n = 4), the presence of sensori-neural deafness
      (n = 4), a family history of Alport's syndrome (n = 5) and the presence of
      circulating inhibitable anti-GBM antibody activity post-transplant (n = 2).
      Oligonucleotides (20mers) corresponding to the 5' and 3' ends of the known 25
      amino acid sequence for the putative Goodpasture antigen were used as primers for
      amplification of genomic DNA. The products were then blotted and probed with an
      intermediate 19-mer DNA. All Alport's patients contained a 75-bp fragment
      corresponding to the published peptide sequence for the non-collagenous domain of
      the alpha 3 chain of type IV collagen, suggesting that a large deletion of this
      region, the putative Goodpasture antigen, is unlikely to account for the defect
      in Alport's syndrome.

PMID- 1864004
TI  - Detection of DNA-bound immunoglobulins in patients with lupus nephritis, using
      monoclonal anti-DNA antibody.
AB  - In order to investigate the relationship between renal histopathology and the
      characteristics of circulating immune complexes (CICs) in patients with lupus
      nephritis (LN), we measured the sizes of CICs, DNA-bound immunoglobulins in
      patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and different histopathological
      forms of nephritis. Sera were obtained from nine patients: four with diffuse
      proliferative LN (DPLN), four with membranous LN (MLN), and one with mesangial
      LN, who fulfilled the criteria of the American Rheumatism Association for SLE.
      The DNA-bound immunoglobulins were measured by ELISA, in which ELISA plates were
      coated with mouse monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies. The sizes of CICs were analysed
      by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. Large (larger than 19S),
      intermediate (19-7S) and small (nearly 7S) sized DNA-bound immunoglobulins (high
      peaks of IgG and IgA, but low IgM peaks) were found in the patients with DPLN. By
      contrast, in patients with MLN, the sizes of ICs; DNA-bound IgG, IgA were in
      general slightly larger than 7S. In one patient with DPLN, at the onset, various
      sized DNA-bound IgG, IgA and IgM were found. After the methylprednisolone pulse
      therapy, CICs became smaller and gradually disappeared. We conclude that the
      characteristics of DNA-anti-DNA IgG, IgA complexes may determine the localization
      of ICs in the glomeruli and suggest that CICs play an important role in the
      pathogenesis of LN.

PMID- 1864005
TI  - Antibodies to endothelial cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: a potential
      marker for nephritis and vasculitis.
AB  - Using an ELISA, anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) have been found in sera
      obtained at the time of renal biopsy in 46 out of 57 patients (81%) with systemic
      lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis (mean binding index (BI) = 84% +/- 52.8)
      compared with 22 out of 50 SLE patients (44%) without nephritis (mean BI = 45% +/
      35.9). Seventy normal human sera had a mean BI of 10% +/- 9.8. The highest
      levels were seen in patients with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (WHO
      grade IV) and in patients with proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome. When the
      biopsies were assessed for activity and chronicity scores, AECA were associated
      with active renal lesions (P less than 0.001). AECA levels correlated with low
      complement levels but not with anti-DNA antibodies to extractable nuclear
      antigens (ENA), anti-cardiolipin or anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies. The
      presence of AECA conferred a positive predictive value of 0.68 for the presence
      of nephritis. Twenty-five patients had active vasculitis at the time of assay and
      the highest AECA values were seen in patients with both nephritis and vasculitis.
      No correlation was seen with serum immunoglobulin levels and immune complexes did
      not bind significantly to the endothelial surface. The possible role of these
      antibodies as a marker in lupus nephritis is discussed.

PMID- 1864006
TI  - An abnormal T cell repertoire in hypergammaglobulinaemic primary Sjogren's
      syndrome.
AB  - T cell antigen specificity is determined by the products of the genes which
      encode the variable regions of their receptors. Of the T cell receptor (TCR)
      variable region gene products examined, only V beta 6.7a TCR-positive lymphocytes
      were reduced in primary Sjogren's syndrome patients with IgG1
      hypergammaglobulinaemia compared with an age-, sex- and HLA-matched control
      population. The levels of V beta 6.7a T cells were also significantly reduced
      when these patients were compared with an age- and sex-matched but HLA-unmatched
      control group and non-tissue typed normal people of both sexes. Since published
      studies show no such abnormality in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus
      erythematosus or other autoimmune diseases, this abnormality may reflect a
      pathogenic process specific to primary Sjogren's syndrome.

PMID- 1864007
TI  - Anti-IgG antibodies in rheumatic diseases cross-react with Streptococcus mutans
      SR antigen.
AB  - We have previously shown that SR protein, a S. mutans major cell wall protein, as
      well as the recombinant protein SR (rSR) share common epitopes with human IgG.
      Since this antigenic mimicry could play a role in the induction of anti IgG, we
      have examined, in k-ELISA, the presence of antibodies reacting with S. mutans SR
      proteins and S. mutans whole cells in sera from 36 patients with rheumatic
      diseases. The majority of the 36 sera showed a high reactivity with rSR when
      compared with control sera. Eight highly positive sera were further purified on
      rSR and human IgG sorbents and tested against both rSR and IgG in ELISA and
      Western blotting. The affinity-purified antibodies reacted strongly with rSR, IgG
      and IgG Fab fragments but failed to react with IgG Fc fragment. In Western
      blotting the addition of unlabelled IgG abolished the reactivity of affinity
      purified biotinylated antibodies with all antigens, confirming the existence of a
      common epitope shared by rSR and human IgG heavy chain. We show the existence in
      rheumatic diseases of high titres of anti-human IgG antibodies cross-reactive
      with S. mutans SR proteins. Those antibodies are principally IgG and react with
      the Fd part of the Fab fragment. We can hypothesize from the above data that this
      antigenic mimicry existing between S. mutans SR-related antigens and human IgG
      could play a role in the synthesis of at least a part of the anti-IgG antibodies
      present in rheumatic diseases sera.

PMID- 1864008
TI  - Bacterial lipopolysaccharide enhances deposition of immune complexes and
      exacerbates nephritis in BXSB lupus-prone mice.
AB  - Systemic autoimmune disease is influenced by genetic, immunological, hormonal,
      and environmental factors. Although environmental factors are major agents that
      induce or exacerbate autoimmune diseases, the mechanism(s) and the molecular
      events by which they operate remain poorly understood. Here we used the lupus
      prone BXSB mouse as an animal model of systemic autoimmune disease, and we used a
      bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a surrogate infectious agent to gain some
      insight into the mechanism(s) by which infectious agents exacerbate autoimmune
      diseases. Our experimental protocol was designed to address three questions: (i)
      whether spontaneous polyclonal B cell activation (PBA) that occurs in BXSB mice
      could be further enhanced by bacterial LPS; (ii) whether repeated exposure to LPS
      would exacerbate autoimmune disease, as reflected by enhanced deposits of immune
      complexes (ICs) in kidneys and exacerbated nephritis; and (iii) whether the
      mechanism by which LPS exacerbates nephritis might involve interference with
      blood cell carrier function, mononuclear phagocyte function, or both. BXSB mice
      were injected with LPS (25 micrograms) twice a week for 5 weeks; control
      autoimmune BXSB mice and immunologically normal (C57BL/6) mice were injected with
      vehicle only. The three groups of mice were then challenged with soluble ICs to
      assess the kinetics of their disappearance from the circulation, their uptake by
      the mononuclear phagocyte system (liver, spleen), their distribution in target
      organ (kidney), and blood cell carrier function. The results indicate that: (i)
      spontaneous PBA can be enhanced further by LPS; (ii) exposure to LPS results in
      increased deposits of endogenous ICs in kidneys and exacerbated nephritis; and
      (iii) defective handling of ICs by the mononuclear phagocyte system and impaired
      blood cell carrier function are contributory factors to exacerbated nephritis,
      but that mechanisms in addition to passive localization of ICs may also be
      operative.

PMID- 1864009
TI  - Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-4 and IgE-binding factors in childhood
      allergic diseases.
AB  - The serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R), IL-4 and IgE-binding factors
      were examined in children with allergic diseases, and compared with those in non
      allergic controls of the same age and sex. The results showed age-related
      decreases in the serum levels of sIL-2R and IgE-binding factors, but not in that
      of IL-4 in both allergic and non-allergic individuals. Significant elevation of
      sIL-2R was observed in sera from children with atopic eczema or history of an
      anaphylactic reaction to food, as compared with that in non-allergic controls.
      The serum concentration of IL-4 was elevated in all allergic groups, including
      cases of atopic eczema, bronchial asthma and anaphylaxis to food, compared with
      non-allergic controls, and was correlated significantly with the serum level of
      IgE (r = 0.59). The IgE-binding factor levels in sera from patients aged 6-10
      years with bronchial asthma, or patients aged 1-5 years with a history of food
      anaphylaxis were elevated as compared with those in non-allergic controls of same
      age. There was no significant correlation between the serum levels of IgE-binding
      factors and IgE. Since sIL-2R is released by activated T cells, the present study
      is in favour of T cell activation causing allergic skin disorders. The serum
      levels of IL-4 as well as IgE did not differ among allergic patients of different
      clinical categories. The role of IgE in atopic eczema and other allergic diseases
      is not clearly established; however, it seems likely that IL-4 is deeply involved
      in the increased production of IgE seen in allergic individuals. The possible
      involvement of IgE-binding factors in the age-related changes of clinical
      manifestations in childhood allergic diseases was also discussed.

PMID- 1864010
TI  - Soluble IL-2 receptor and CD25 cells in psoriasis: effects of cyclosporin A and
      PUVA therapy.
AB  - A study was conducted to quantify soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels in sera
      of 57 chronic plaque psoriasis patients and correlate these measurements with
      disease activity and the number of IL-2R-positive (CD25+) lymphocytes in lesional
      biopsies of 11 cyclosporin A (CsA) and 13 psoralen plus ultraviolet radiation
      (PUVA) treated patients. Levels of sIL-2R showed a strong correlation with the
      psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). CsA and PUVA significantly reduced the
      PASI and sIL-2R levels to a similar degree after 4 weeks of treatment. Although
      the majority of CsA-treated patients who were biopsied showed reductions in
      lesional CD25+ cells, these did not reach statistical significance; in five
      patients biopsied who had PUVA treatment, no consistent effect on the numbers of
      CD25+ cells was observed. A significant correlation was found between CD25+ cells
      in lesional biopsies and the PASI score.

PMID- 1864011
TI  - Increased spontaneous secretion of IL-6 from B cells of patients with B chronic
      lymphatic leukaemia (B-CLL) and autoimmunity.
AB  - We studied B cells from 18 patients with B-CLL, six of them with autoimmune
      haemolytic anaemia, for spontaneous secretion of IL-6. Our aim was to determine
      whether the increased incidence of autoimmune disease found in B-CLL patients is
      associated with enhanced spontaneous IL-6 secretion. IL-6 was measured by the
      effect of B cell supernatants on the proliferation of an IL-6 dependent
      plasmacytoma cell line T1165. The highest IL-6 values (7.4 +/- 1.8 U/ml) were
      measured in supernatants derived on day 3 of culture from lymphocytes of the six
      patients with B-CLL and concomitant autoimmune disease. The maximal IL-6 values
      for 10 patients with B-CLL only were 2.8 +/- 0.3 U/ml and for 10 age-matched
      controls, 0.8 +/- 0.3 U/ml (P less than 0.01, each group compared with the
      other). We conclude that there is an association between B-CLL, autoimmune
      disease and the spontaneous in vitro secretion of IL-6. Further studies are
      needed to determine whether the IL-6 secretion plays a role in the pathogenesis
      of autoimmune disease in patients with B-CLL.

PMID- 1864012
TI  - Effects of IL-5, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL
      3 on the survival of human blood eosinophils in vitro.
AB  - The mechanisms that could affect the lifespan of eosinophils after they have left
      the bone marrow, and their capacity to respond to activation factors were studied
      by examining the effects of IL-5, GM-CSF and IL-3 on purified human blood
      eosinophils in culture. All three cytokines prolonged the lifespan of the
      majority of blood eosinophils. This effect was dose-dependent: IL-5 greater than
      GM-CSF greater than IL-3. Light density eosinophils from most patients had a
      longer lifespan in culture than did normal density eosinophils, with or without
      the three cytokines. Eosinophil death in the absence of these cytokines occurred
      by apoptosis. Eosinophils from two patients did not survive when cultured with IL
      5, although they survived in the presence of IL-3 or GM-CSF. IL-5, GM-CSF and IL
      3 induced the expression of the activation epitope on the eosinophil
      ribonucleases recognized by monoclonal antibody EG2. We conclude that small
      amounts of IL-5, GM-CSF and IL-3 prevented programmed cell death in human blood
      eosinophils and induced the expression of the activation forms of eosinophil
      ribonucleases. We suggest that differences in the capacity of normal and light
      density eosinophils to survive in culture, and in the ability of eosinophils from
      some patients to respond to IL-5 could account for variations in the severity of
      disease seen in patients with persistent eosinophilia.

PMID- 1864013
TI  - Interleukin-2 receptor gene expression in kidney transplant recipients treated
      with cyclosporin A.
AB  - We examined the effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) administered in vivo on the
      capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from kidney transplant
      recipients to express IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) gene at the level of mRNA after
      mitogen stimulation in vitro. There were no differences in the percentage of IL
      2R+ cells among the groups of normal individuals, azathioprine-prednisolone
      treated, and CsA-prednisolone-treated recipients, using FITC-labelled monoclonal
      anti-IL-2R antibody (anti-alpha chain): 40.3 +/- 10.1% and 62.8 +/- 11.1% of
      normal PBMC (n = 18), 37.0 +/- 9.3% and 61.7 +/- 5.8% of PBMC from azathioprine
      prednisolone-treated recipients (n = 20), and 37.7 +/- 9.6% and 60.7 +/- 12.7% of
      PBMC from CsA-prednisolone-treated recipients (n = 20) expressed IL-2R after 24 h
      and 48 h of phytohaemagglutinin stimulation, respectively. However, in a study of
      Northern blotting using cDNA for IL-2R (anti-alpha chain specific), both the 3500
      and 1400 bp families of IL-2R mRNA were remarkably decreased in PBMC from CsA
      prednisolone-treated recipients compared with azathioprine-prednisolone-treated
      recipients and normal individuals. These studies demonstrated that CsA could
      inhibit IL-2R gene expression at the level of mRNA at physiological
      concentration.

PMID- 1864014
TI  - Ciprofloxacin treatment in vivo increases the ex vivo capacity of
      lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human monocytes to produce IL-1, IL-6 and tumour
      necrosis factor-alpha.
AB  - Because in vitro treatment with quinolones, at pharmacological concentrations,
      modifies lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced production of cytokines by monocytes,
      we studied the effect of orally administered ciprofloxacin (25 mg/kg) on the
      capacity of peripheral blood monocytes of healthy volunteers to produce tumour
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1 activity, IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6
      ex vivo in response to endotoxin stimulation. After 7 days of ciprofloxacin, the
      extracellular and cellular production of TNF-alpha, the cellular production of IL
      1 activity, the extracellular and cellular production of IL-1 alpha, and the
      cellular production of IL-6 increased significantly. Seven days after the end of
      the treatment, values returned to basal levels or even lower. To our knowledge,
      this is the first demonstration that ciprofloxacin can modulate in vivo the
      capacity of human monocytes to react to an inflammatory stimulus such as
      endotoxin.

PMID- 1864016
TI  - Natural killer cell tumoricidal activity in cigarette smokers and in silicotics.
AB  - Cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure have been reported to alter the tumor
      killing activity of blood natural killer (NK) cells. However, NK cell function in
      relation to silica dust exposure has not been examined. We studied blood NK cell
      number, percentage, and tumoricidal activity in 120 hardrock miners, 57 of whom
      had radiographic evidence of silicosis, and in 33 community controls. There was a
      significant increase in leukocyte count and lymphocyte count in current smokers
      compared with former and never smokers, but these cell counts were normal in
      silicotics and those with silica dust exposure. No significant differences in NK
      cell (CD16+) number or percentage were found by flow cytometric analysis of
      smoking or dust exposure groups. Surprisingly, NK tumoricidal activity was
      significantly higher in cigarette smokers compared with former smokers and never
      smoker control subjects. Although tumoricidal activity was elevated in
      silicotics, this was accounted for by their cigarette smoking. These results
      suggest that cigarette smoking is associated with elevation of blood NK cell
      tumoricidal activity on a per cell basis, in the absence of any alteration in the
      absolute number of NK cells in blood.

PMID- 1864015
TI  - Immunosuppressive effects of 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole (THI) in the
      rat.
AB  - THI is a component of ammonia caramel, a widely used food colouring. The effect
      of THI on the immune system has been determined in the male F344 rat. THI was
      given in the drinking water at doses of 1, 10 and 50 mg/l (equivalent to 0.1, 1
      and 5 mg/kg per day) to animals on a vitamin B6-deficient diet. After 1 week, the
      immune competence of the animals was assessed under continued THI treatment. No
      marked changes in thymus or spleen weight were observed after THI treatment,
      although there was an increased number of pyknotic cells in the thymic cortex,
      mainly engulfed by macrophages and there appeared to be a slight thinning of the
      cortex area. THI produced a significant loss in T and B lymphocytes in peripheral
      blood but not in the spleen. No change in natural killer (NK) cell activity
      against YAC-1 target cells was observed in the spleen. The observed increase in
      NK cell activity in peripheral blood was due to an increase in circulating large
      granular lymphocytes (LGL). Although the serum antibody titre against keyhole
      limpet haemocyanin (KLH) was not affected by THI treatment, B cells showed less
      proliferation when cultured with lipopolysaccharide. T cell function was impeded
      as measured in mitogen-induced proliferation assay, delayed-type hypersensitivity
      assay and host versus graft (popliteal lymph node) assay. The results indicate
      that THI is an immunosuppressor in the rat, in whom it can produce profound
      lymphopenia and suppression of cell-mediated immunity.

PMID- 1864017
TI  - Collagen autoantibodies in patients with vasculitis and systemic lupus
      erythematosus.
AB  - In order to determine whether collagen autoantibodies are present in sera from
      patients with vascular diseases, a highly sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay
      was utilized to evaluate the presence of antibodies against collagen types I to
      VI and laminin in sera of 20 patients with vasculitis and 20 patients with
      systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Autoantibodies to interstitial collagen types
      I and II were noted in 20 and 35% of the patients, respectively. Most
      significantly, 70% of the polyarteritis nodosa patients and 55% of the total
      vasculitis group had autoantibodies to collagen type IV. In SLE, autoantibodies
      to collagen type V were detected in 70% and to collagen type IV in 85% of the
      patient sera. These data indicate that basement membrane and basement membrane
      associated collagens may become immunogenic in patients with vasculitis and SLE.
      The role of these autoantibodies is most likely a result of endothelial damage
      secondary to the initial inflammatory disease process. However, it can be
      concluded from the present studies that collagen types IV and V are involved in
      the immune response and thereby may perpetuate further vascular damage.

PMID- 1864018
TI  - Stressor-induced changes in mitogenic activity are not associated with decreased
      interleukin 2 production or changes in lymphocyte subsets.
AB  - Splenic lymphocytes from Lewis rats that received presentations of physically
      aversive electric shock demonstrated a marked reduction in responsiveness to T
      cell mitogens such as concanavalin A. This study examined cellular mechanisms
      which may be responsible for this functional alteration. There was no difference
      in distribution of T-cell subsets from shocked and nonshocked rats. There was no
      difference in the production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) nor was there a difference
      in the percentage of IL-2 receptor positive T cells or T-cell subsets after
      culture for 24 hr. However, there was a marked lack of mitogenic stimulation in
      splenocytes from shocked rats when stimulated with the calcium ionophore A23187.
      This indicates a defect in the biochemical pathways necessary to activate T-cell
      mitogenesis.

PMID- 1864019
TI  - Mesenchymal specificity of three new monoclonal antibodies generated to the
      osteosarcoma cell line 4444T.
AB  - We have generated three murine monoclonal antibodies to the new human
      osteosarcoma cell line 4444T. Analysis of their binding patterns to tumor cell
      lines, normal human tissues, and surgical tumor specimens indicates that the
      antibodies recognize a subset of human sarcomas and stromal tissues but fail to
      react with carcinomas or normal human epithelial tissue. These mesenchyme
      specific monoclonal antibodies bind to antigens in the extracellular matrix. One
      antibody is specific in its binding to the muscularis arteriosus. We expect these
      antibodies to aid in the identification of sarcomas and to extend our knowledge
      of the components of the extracellular matrix and its interaction with tumors.

PMID- 1864020
TI  - Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in dogs with a genetically determined
      deficiency of the third component of complement.
AB  - Renal disease is a common clinical manifestation of genetically determined
      deficiencies of the complement system in man. Like their human counterparts, dogs
      with a genetically determined complete deficiency of C3 also develop renal
      disease. Five of 20 C3-deficient dogs developed clinical evidence of renal
      failure. However, 14 of the 15 remaining dogs had histological evidence of type I
      membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. The lesions were characterized by
      mesangial cell proliferation, an increase in the mesangial matrix, thickening of
      the glomerular capillary wall, electron-dense deposits in the mesangium and
      subendothelial space, and the presence of IgG and IgM. In order to determine the
      effect of treatment with C3 on the renal disease of C3-deficient dogs, two C3
      deficient dogs were infused with normal canine plasma twice weekly for 3 weeks.
      Their urinary protein excretion rose progressively from less than 200 mg/24 hr to
      greater than 1000 mg/24 hr; renal function remained normal. Renal biopsies
      performed 1 week after the last infusion revealed more severe glomerulonephritis
      and the presence of C3. As controls, a C3-deficient dog was given C3-deficient
      canine plasma and a normal dog was given normal canine plasma; neither control
      animal developed proteinuria or changes in their renal biopsy. These observations
      suggest that renal disease may be more common in humans with complement
      deficiencies than would be suspected based on clinical assessment. Furthermore,
      these results suggest that treatment with complement-containing blood products
      may worsen preexisting renal disease in complement-deficient individuals.

PMID- 1864022
TI  - Inductive logic expert system shell in dental diagnosis.

PMID- 1864021
TI  - A simplified technique for root resection in maxillary molars.

PMID- 1864023
TI  - Non-surgical periodontal treatment.

PMID- 1864025
TI  - Total arthroplasty and the Veterans Administration.

PMID- 1864024
TI  - Osteosarcoma of the mandible--early signs and symptoms--case report.

PMID- 1864026
TI  - Postoperative urinary retention associated with total hip and total knee
      arthroplasties.
AB  - Urinary retention following total hip and knee arthroplasty is a common problem
      frequently necessitating either prolonged urethral catheter drainage or
      intermittent catheterization. The direct relationship of urinary tract
      instrumentations, procedures, and infections to deep sepsis in total hip
      replacements is well documented. Pharmacologic therapy to stimulate voiding or
      augment bladder emptying is thus theoretically preferable to the use of
      catheterization. Prasozin hydrochloride, an alpha blocker, relaxes the smooth
      musculature of the posterior urethra and prostrate and has been used to treat
      urinary obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hypertrophy. A prospective
      study in 60 male patients showed a statistically significant decrease in
      postoperative urinary retention with the perioperative administration of prazosin
      (p less than 0.01). A higher incidence of urinary tract infection was seen in
      patients who developed urinary retention (3% versus 20%) (p less than 0.01).
      Uroflowmetry parameters were not predictive of the patient at risk for retention
      and were unaltered with the administration of prazosin. Prazosin can be an
      effective adjunct in the prophylaxis of postoperative urinary tract infections
      and may decrease the potential risk for total joint sepsis.

PMID- 1864027
TI  - Prevention of thromboembolic disease following total knee arthroplasty. Epidural
      versus general anesthesia.
AB  - Seventy-two patients were randomized into a prospective clinical trial to
      evaluate the effects of epidural (EA) versus general anesthesia (GA) on the
      incidence of thromboembolic disease (TED) following total knee arthroplasty
      (TKA). Males received aspirin 650 mg po bid and females low-dose warfarin daily
      to maintain the prothrombin time at 15 to 16 seconds for pharmacologic
      prophylaxis against TED. Thirty-four patients had EA and 38 GA for their primary
      TKA. Contrast venography and ventilation-perfusion scanning were performed on the
      sixth, seventh, and eighth postoperative days, and these were interpreted in a
      blinded fashion. The mean age of the 45 males and 27 females was 64 years (range,
      42-84 years). There were no significant differences between the two groups with
      respect to hematocrit, operative time, blood loss, number of units transfused, or
      hospital stay. Twelve of the 34 patients (35%) receiving an EA and 10 of the 38
      patients (26%) receiving GA developed TED, an overall incidence of 31% (p greater
      than 0.05) Fifty-three percent of the clots were located in the popliteal vein
      above the trifurcation or more proximal. However, the incidence of proximal vein
      thrombosis was significantly less in patients receiving an EA (46%) rather than a
      GA (64%). The incidence and distribution of clots was not affected by the type of
      pharmacologic prophylaxis, gender, or use of methylmethacrylate. Ten percent of
      the patients had a positive scan by strict criteria and were thought to have a
      pulmonary embolism (PE). In patients with a femoral vein clot, the incidence of
      PE was 67%. One bleeding complication occurred in a patient who took double the
      appropriate warfarin dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864028
TI  - The use of periosteally vascularized autografts to augment the fixation of large
      segmental allografts.
AB  - Large segmental bone grafts are a standard of reconstructing long bone defects.
      Nonunion or delayed union at the host-graft junction is a major complication of
      these procedures. In six patients, a nonunion was treated by locally available
      bone, vascularized by its periosteum as an onlay autograft to improve fixation
      and speed incorporation of the allograft into the host bone. At three months, all
      were pain free and using their allografts without limitation. By four months, all
      had roentgenographic evidence of allograft and autograft incorporation. During
      the follow-up period from two to four years, all have incorporated the allografts
      and are pain free.

PMID- 1864029
TI  - Investigation of early surface delamination observed in retrieved heat-pressed
      tibial inserts.
AB  - The objective was to examine possible reasons for delamination observed in tibial
      inserts of the porous-coated anatomic (PCA) knee replacement. To date, 33 PCA
      inserts have been forwarded to the authors' labs. Of these 33, 52% showed severe
      delamination within four years of implantation. Visual, structural, and
      mechanical analyses were conducted and data compared on the heat-pressed PCA type
      and the common machined inserts. Twenty inserts of the two different types were
      examined. Visual data using polarized light microscopy showed the presence of a
      surface layer separated from the middle region of the heat-pressed inserts by a
      line of demarcation 250-580 microns beneath the articulating surface. This
      anomaly was not observed in machined inserts. Structural analysis showed the new
      heat-pressed inserts had increased crystallinity in the surface layer when
      compared to new machined inserts. The retrieved heat-pressed inserts showed
      increased crystallinity in the surface and middle regions. There was a slight
      increase in surface crystallinity in the retrieved machined inserts.
      Microhardness data showed that there was an increased hardness associated with
      the crystallinity seen on the heat-pressed inserts. Orthopedic surgeons should be
      aware of early delamination and surface failure in heat-pressed inserts.

PMID- 1864030
TI  - Fuller Albright. His concept of postmenopausal osteoporosis and what came of it.
AB  - Fifty years ago Albright contributed the following to understanding osteoporosis:
      (1) He recognized it as a deficiency of formation, not of mineralization of bone
      matrix; (2) he observed that 40 of 42 patients with osteoporosis before age 65
      were women past menopause or young women postoophorectomy; (3) he concluded that
      estrogen stimulates osteoblasts (a conclusion later challenged); (4) he
      demonstrated by metabolic balance studies that estrogen causes a positive calcium
      balance in postmenopausal osteoporosis; (5) he introduced periodic progesterone
      to prevent or treat endometrial hyperplasia from prolonged estrogen therapy; and
      (6) he showed that long-term therapy arrested vertebral damage and height loss in
      postmenopausal osteoporosis and prevented them if started early. Since Albright's
      time, more sensitive methods of assessing bone density have replaced conventional
      roentgenograms. Some large scale trials of estrogen have indicated increased bone
      density and fewer fractures. Unopposed estrogen increases risk of endometrial
      cancer and decreases mortality from other cancers, myocardial infarction, stroke,
      and osteoporosis. Trials of calcitonin, diphosphonates, fluoride, vitamin D, and
      high calcium intake have not proved more effective than estrogen.

PMID- 1864031
TI  - Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis with paralysis. Prognosis and treatment.
AB  - In the interval between 1983 and 1988, 14 patients were treated for pyogenic
      spondylitis complicated by neurologic compromise. There were nine males and five
      females aged 39-80 years. The average time between onset of symptoms and
      diagnosis was 2.8 months. Predisposing factors were diabetes mellitus in four
      patients and urinary tract infections in five patients. The infection was blood
      borne in all 14 patients. In two patients, the infection was superimposed on a
      recent vertebral fracture. The cervical spine was involved in one patient; the
      thoracic spine in seven; and the lumbar spine in six patients. Six patients
      presented with a Frankel B paralysis, six with a Frankel C paralysis, and two
      with grade D paralysis. The neurologic symptoms lasted between one day and six
      weeks before surgery. Twelve patients had anterolateral decompression. Two of the
      12 patients had a second stage posterior stabilization. Two patients were deemed
      inoperable. All surviving patients were managed by parenteral antibiotics for
      three to six weeks followed by enteral route for a total of three to six months.
      All 12 operated patients had a significant neurologic improvement (one grade or
      more on the Frankel scale) with solid interbody fusion.

PMID- 1864032
TI  - Chemonucleolysis in the herniated L3-L4 disk.
AB  - In a continuous series of 770 patients with a herniated disk treated by
      chemonucleolysis, 16 patients had herniation of the L3-L4 disk (2.1%). There were
      no complications, and none of these 16 patients had open surgery after the
      initial treatment. A follow-up study was performed after 39 months (range, six to
      80 months) in 15 patients. Three patients were for the most part satisfied and 12
      patients were fully satisfied with the result of treatment. Residual pain was
      minor in most patients. Roentgenographic signs of increased disk degeneration
      were seen in six patients, and reexpansion of the disk to some degree was noted
      in four patients. Chemonucleolysis is effective for treatment of the herniated L3
      L4 disk.

PMID- 1864033
TI  - Sublaminar fixation in lumbosacral fusions.
AB  - Sublaminar fixation to stainless steel rectangles was employed in an effort to
      improve the fusion rate in lumbar and lumbosacral arthrodesis. Thirty-seven
      patients had spondylolisthesis, and 26 had other causes of pain secondary to
      lumbar mechanical instability. Of the 63 patients, 53 achieved fusion and 52 had
      relief of pain. No infections or neurologic complications were encountered. This
      fusion rate of 84% does not significantly differ from rates obtained with
      noninstrumented methods, and this construct is no longer used for lumbar fusions.

PMID- 1864034
TI  - Noncemented porous-coated anatomic total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - In 1984, as an alternate to the acrylic fixation of the components of total hip
      arthroplasty, the use of an uncemented porous-coated anatomic (PCA) hip system
      with a beaded porous coating to achieve biologic fixation was initiated. Since
      then, 44 patients with cementless acetabular components and 35 patients with
      cementless femoral components have been followed for a minimum of 24 months and
      an average of 37 months. Harris hip scores averaged 90.5 at most recent follow-up
      intervals. No reoperations were necessary for failures of fixation or change in
      position of the acetabular component. Ominous roentgenographic signs such as
      progressive bead shedding, progressive radiolucencies, or progressive component
      migration have not occurred. Two femoral component revisions have been necessary:
      one for intractable pain and one for pain and roentgenographic loosening.
      Although thigh pain has been prevalent (20%), all patients have been accommodated
      and have retained stable hip scores. Progressive radiolucencies and progressive
      implant subsidence have been rare occurrences. The authors continue to use the
      cementless acetabular component in all cases of total hip arthroplasty in which
      initial stability can be obtained. It is their preference to cement the femoral
      component in patients over 65 or when initial stability cannot be achieved.

PMID- 1864035
TI  - Shoulder impingement syndrome. A critical review.
AB  - Impingement syndrome is an ill-defined term for a variety of disorders of the
      shoulder that manifest as anterior shoulder pain, especially during overhead
      activities. These disorders each have a common pathologic course that includes
      rotator cuff tendinitis (RCT), and, if untreated, may proceed to cuff rupture.
      RCT has at least two distinct etiologies. Primary impingement of the
      supraspinatus tendon on the coracoacromial arch is responsible in the majority of
      nonathletic cases. Overhead movements in sports are prone to developing secondary
      mechanical impingement because of an instability pattern that is common in this
      population. Information from this review and clinical practice permits
      differentiation of the two distinct etiologies of RCT which is important in
      treatment planning. Much work still needs to be done in defining the microscopic
      pathology of RCT.

PMID- 1864036
TI  - Scapular fractures. Analysis of 113 cases.
AB  - Scapular fractures have been the subject of study since Desault's treatise of
      1805, but few large-scale studies have been completed with long-term follow-up
      evaluation of displaced scapular neck and spine fractures. This series of 148
      fractures in 116 scapulae (113 patients) appears to be the largest ever reported
      and the only one with a follow-up study of a significant group (24 patients).
      Significant disability was found in patients with displaced scapular spine and
      neck fractures: (1) pain at rest in 50%-100%, (2) weakness with exertion in 40%
      60%, and (3) pain with exertion in 20%-66%. Based on these findings, the
      indications for operative management should be expanded to include displaced
      scapular neck and spine fractures. Using extensile exposure through a posterior
      Judet incision, rigid internal fixation, and early motion, results in eight cases
      were excellent. All patients recovered at least 85 degrees of glenohumeral
      abduction, normal scapulothoracic motion, and none had resting pain, night pain,
      or pain with abduction. The minimum follow-up study period was 15 months.

PMID- 1864037
TI  - Differences in shoulder muscle activity between patients with generalized joint
      laxity and normal controls.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to analyze shoulder muscle activity in patients
      with generalized joint laxity and shoulder instability and to compare it with
      muscle activity recorded in healthy subjects from an earlier study.
      Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from eight shoulder muscles in six
      patients using surface and intramuscular fine-wire electrodes. Recordings were
      made from the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, pectoralis major
      (sternoclavicular part), the anterior, middle, and posterior parts of the
      deltoid, and the latissimus dorsi. The EMG signal was low-pass filtered, full
      wave rectified, and time-average. Normalization of the EMG allowed
      interindividual and intraindividual comparisons. During abduction and flexion,
      muscle activity in the anterior and middle parts of the deltoid was significantly
      decreased in the patients, and during internal rotation activity in the
      subscapularis was increased. As in healthy subjects, patients showed simultaneous
      activity in both those muscles producing the movement and in the antagonistic
      muscles. The altered muscle activity observed in patients with generalized joint
      laxity provides (1) a basis for understanding the mechanism of their shoulder
      instability and (2) the rationale for a physical training program for these
      patients.

PMID- 1864038
TI  - The failed ulnar nerve transposition. Etiology and treatment.
AB  - Various procedures have been recommended for the treatment of cubital tunnel
      syndrome. Simple decompression in situ, medial epicondylectomy, subcutaneous
      transposition, intramuscular transposition, and submuscular transposition all
      have their advocates. The results of the surgical treatment for cubital tunnel
      syndrome are related to the severity of the compressive neuropathy at the time of
      diagnosis and to the adequate decompression of the nerve at all sites of
      potential compression at the time of surgical treatment. Fourteen patients who
      had previously undergone surgical treatment for cubital tunnel syndrome were
      evaluated because of persistent pain, paresthesia, numbness, and motor weakness.
      All patients had documented persistent compression of the ulnar nerve on clinical
      and electromyographic evaluation. The indication for repeat surgical exploration
      in all patients was unremitting pain despite nonoperative treatment. All patients
      had been treated by neurolysis and submuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve
      as described by Learmonth. The causes of continued pain after initial surgery
      included retention of the medial intermuscular septum, dense perineural fibrosis
      of the nerve after intramuscular and subcutaneous transposition, adhesions of the
      nerve to the medial epicondylectomy site, and recurrent subluxation of the nerve
      over the medial epicondyle after subcutaneous transposition. Revision surgery was
      found to be highly successful for relief of pain and paresthesias; however, the
      recovery of motor function and return of sensibility were variable and
      unpredictable.

PMID- 1864039
TI  - Posterior dislocation of the elbow.
AB  - Posterior dislocation of the elbow is associated with significant morbidity and
      incomplete recovery. In this series of 32 patients, those with associated
      fractures, posterolateral dislocations, delayed reduction, and rigid
      immobilization had the least satisfactory outcome.

PMID- 1864040
TI  - Prospective study of porous-coated anatomic total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - Seventy-five uncemented porous-coated total hip prostheses were implanted in 64
      patients. The results were reviewed after a mean follow-up period of 47 months
      (range, 40-64 months). The mean preoperative rating was fair, and the mean
      postoperative rating was excellent. There were six dislocations. Ten patients had
      mild thigh pain at one year; by two years, the pain had resolved in six patients.
      Neither moderate nor severe limp nor significant loosening of beads was observed.
      Only one patient had progressive radiolucent lines. The high rate of dislocation
      may be related to a compromise of acetabular position to obtain bony fixation in
      acetabula early in the series. The clinical results were encouraging.

PMID- 1864041
TI  - The noncemented porous-coated hip prosthesis. A three-year clinical follow-up
      study and roentgenographic analysis.
AB  - This was a retrospective study reviewing 68 hip arthroplasties performed with
      noncemented, porous-coated components at three institutions in the period between
      December 1983 and June 1987. Fifty of these were available for follow-up study.
      The mean follow-up period was three years (range, 18-56 months). Thirty-seven
      patients were treated by total hip arthroplasty (THA) with porous-coated
      components, and thirteen were implanted with porous-coated femoral stems with
      bipolar endoprostheses using a porous-coated femoral stem and a universal head.
      The mean Harris hip score at follow-up evaluation for the entire group was 85.7
      points. Eighty percent of the patients had either a good or excellent result.
      Those patients implanted with a porous femoral stem with bipolar acetabular
      components had only 54% good or excellent results compared with 90% good or
      excellent results for those having THA. Roentgenographic findings included a 59%
      rate of femoral neck cortex osteopenia, an 80% rate of medial or lateral distal
      cortical hypertrophy, and an 80% rate of distal bone bridging. All of these
      roentgenographic changes were secondary to changes in stress transference to the
      proximal femur. There was no correlation between thigh pain or the degree of bone
      prosthesis radiolucencies and the fit of the femoral stem.

PMID- 1864042
TI  - In vivo measurements of relative motion between an uncemented femoral total hip
      component and the femur by roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis.
AB  - Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) was used to study rotation and
      subsidence of an uncemented polyethylene-coated femoral component for total hip
      arthroplasty in ten patients younger than 55 years of age. Three years
      postoperatively, the total subsidence averaged 2.44 mm and the internal rotation
      was 7.4 degrees. The rate of subsidence decreased between the observation
      periods, whereas the rate of rotation, after an initial significant decrease,
      became almost constant. One patient, who was a clinical failure and required
      revision arthroplasty, had a significantly higher rate of migration after six
      months. The pattern of subsidence in the absence of pain might be the normal
      reaction of bone to an uncemented prosthesis, but the continuing rotation
      suggests the potential for failure of the arthroplasty. The type of analysis made
      possible in RSA may allow early prediction of the success of arthroplasties and
      significantly speed the design cycle for arthroplasty components.

PMID- 1864043
TI  - Sexual function after total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - Eighty-six patients who had successful total hip replacement completed
      questionnaires on their sexual activity. Preoperatively, 46% of patients
      attributed significant sexual difficulties to their hip disease, whereas only 1%
      felt that their hips remained a significant source of problems postsurgery. The
      majority (55%) of patients were able to resume intercourse one to two months
      postoperation. Male patients were statistically more likely to resume intercourse
      sooner than their female counterparts. Patients were also questioned about which
      coital positions they found comfortable after arthroplasty. The supine position
      (patient on bottom) was the most preferred. The next most comfortable position
      for males was prone (patient on top), yet for female it was sidelying on the
      nonoperative hip. In addition, 89% of patients desired more information regarding
      sexual function postarthroplasty, preferably in the form of a booklet. Therefore,
      a booklet was written specifically for postoperative patients and their sexual
      partners.

PMID- 1864044
TI  - Sesamoid disorders and treatment. An update.
AB  - The anatomy, function, and disorders of the hallucal sesamoids show that the
      diagnosis and current concept of management are based on the individual patient's
      problems. The treatment should always be initiated in a conservative fashion,
      generally using a molded insole with an appropriate excavation to shift weight
      from a painful sesamoid. The advantages and disadvantages of sesamoidectomy are
      influenced by surgical technique. Care in handling the medial and lateral
      hallucal nerves is essential. Removal of both the medial and lateral sesamoids
      invariably leads to an intractable clawtoe deformity and is absolutely
      contraindicated.

PMID- 1864045
TI  - Compartment syndrome of the foot after intraarticular calcaneal fracture.
AB  - Seventeen patients with a total of 21 intraarticular calcaneal fractures were
      examined at up to 30 days after trauma for the development of tissue pressure in
      the central plantar muscle compartment. Twelve patients had a significant
      increase in tissue pressure with values greater than 30 mmHg because of primary
      fracture hematoma or interstitial fluid accumulation. This increase in pressure
      persisted for three to five days after trauma, so that ischemic damage to the
      short plantar foot muscles had to be suspected. Plantar muscle scarring and claw
      toe formation were observed in seven patients with a total of 11 fractures during
      a mean observation period of 18 months. The plantar aponeurosis, which forms the
      constricting fascial envelope of the plantar muscles, is the anatomic structure
      responsible for the compartment syndrome that may develop after calcaneal
      fracture. Therefore, to avoid functional deficit, plantar compartmental pressures
      should be regularly measured after calcaneal fracture. Significantly increased
      plantar tissue pressure greater than 30 mmHg should be relieved by longitudinal
      incision of the plantar aponeurosis, preferably by a plantar incision as soon as
      the diagnosis is made.

PMID- 1864046
TI  - Symptomatic talocalcaneal coalition. Its clinical significance and treatment.
AB  - The clinical significance of symptomatic talocalcaneal coalition was described
      subjectively, objectively, and identified roentgenographically after examining 67
      feet of 42 patients between 1977 and 1987. Computed tomographic examinations,
      conducted on 29 of 42 patients, were useful in recognizing the extent of
      coalition, the condition of union, and the postoperative results. Tarsal tunnel
      syndrome was present in 23 feet with the coalition. Thirty-one feet (24 patients)
      were treated conservatively and 36 feet (29 patients) surgically. Of the
      surgically treated feet, the coalition was excised in 33 and talocalcaneal fusion
      was performed in three. Follow-up examinations were performed at an average of
      5.3 years (range, 2.25-11.2 years). In the excision group, the results were
      excellent in 24 feet, good in seven, and fair in two. The results were good in
      three feet treated by arthrodesis.

PMID- 1864047
TI  - Patient activity, sports participation, and impact loading on the durability of
      cemented total hip replacements.
AB  - Patients with either cemented surface replacements or cemented stemmed hip
      prostheses and who regularly participate in sporting activities or heavy labor
      after total joint arthroplasty are at twice the long-term risk of requiring
      revision surgery for loosening as patients who are less active. For patients with
      surface replacement total hip arthroplasty (THA), the adverse effects of activity
      are greatest in patients with preoperative diagnoses other than osteoarthritis,
      and were seen by the sixth year postsurgery. For patients with conventional
      stemmed prostheses, the effects of patient activity are not seen until about ten
      years postsurgery. For resurfacing THA for osteoarthritis, the long-term of
      loosening is primarily in patients who participate in high impact activities.

PMID- 1864048
TI  - Ultrastructure, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity and calcitonin
      responsiveness of osteoclasts at sites of demineralized bone matrix implant
      induced osteogenesis.
AB  - The morphology, ultrastructure, tartrate-resistance acid phosphatase reactivity,
      and calcitonin responsiveness of osteoclasts induced at sites of demineralized
      bone matrix (DBM) implant-induced osteogenesis in rats were determined.
      Osteoclasts at these ectopic sites had a morphologic and ultrastructural
      appearance similar to osteoclasts normally found in skeletal tissues. When
      observed by scanning electron microscopy, resorption surfaces on the implants had
      well-defined resorption pits (Howship's lacunae), indicative of active bone
      resorption. The osteoclasts stained intensely for tartrate-resistance acid
      phosphatase, an enzyme that is specific for osteoclasts. In response to human
      calcitonin, hypocalcemia occurred and osteoclasts lost their ruffled borders,
      indicating that these cells are responsive to exogenous hormonal stimulation. The
      osteoclasts induced by subcutaneous implantation of DBM had morphologic and
      functional characteristics similar to osteoclasts normally found in skeletal
      tissues.

PMID- 1864049
TI  - Effect of immunosuppression on rejection of cartilage formed by transplanted
      allogeneic rib chondrocytes in mice.
AB  - The effect of short-term immunosuppressive treatment with antithymocyte serum
      procarbazine (ATS-PCH) and cyclosporin-A (Cy-A) on survival of allogeneic rib
      chondrocyte grafts was examined morphologically and by evaluation of specific
      humoral and cellular antigraft immunity. The latter were evaluated by means of
      leukoagglutination and the indirect migration inhibition assay, respectively.
      Untreated recipients of syngeneic rib chondrocytes and untreated recipients of
      whole syngeneic and allogeneic rib cartilage served as controls. Transplanted
      syngenic rib chondrocytes formed cartilaginous nodules similar to rib cartilage
      in situ. These nodules contained hypertrophied chondrocytes, but neither
      physiologic resorption by vascularized connective tissue nor bone formation
      occurred after an observation period of longer than six weeks. Transplantation of
      allogeneic chondrocytes resulted in development of humoral and cellular antigraft
      immunity, and the formed cartilage was destroyed by infiltrating immune cells.
      Immunosuppression by ATS-PCH resulted in inhibition of graft destruction and a
      marked decrease of specific humoral antigraft immunity. Cellular antigraft
      immunity did not occur. Moreover, neither the histologic appearance of the
      cartilaginous nodules nor the results of immunologic response evaluations in the
      ATS-PCH-treated group differed from those in untreated whole allogeneic cartilage
      recipients. Treatment with Cy-A did not significantly improve survival cartilage
      formed by allogeneic chondrocytes.

PMID- 1864050
TI  - Bone induction in nonhuman primates. An experimental study on the baboon.
AB  - Development leading to local bone differentiation in response to intramuscular
      and subcutaneous implantation of demineralized bone matrix has been predominantly
      investigated in rodents. To investigate bone differentiation by induction in
      primates, diaphyseal bone was harvested from ten male baboons and chemosterilized
      to obtain autolyzed, antigen-extracted allogeneic (AAA) bone containing the bone
      morphogenetic protein essential for osteoinduction. A total of 96 AAA bone
      diaphyseal cylinders were implanted intramuscularly in 24 adult male baboons and
      harvested at three, six, and nine months. Histologic analysis showed that the
      matrix had undergone considerable resorption, particularly at six and nine
      months. Seventy-three implants showed variable amounts of newly formed bone at
      the internal and external surfaces of the chemosterilized matrix. Numerous
      specimens showed florid bone formation, and newly formed woven bone persisted in
      association with the matrix for as long as nine months. Coating the AAA bone
      matrix with an allogeneic fibrin-fibronectin protein concentrate prepared from
      fresh-frozen baboon plasma did not significantly increase the amount of induced
      bone. Bone formation was confirmed by intravital double tetracycline labeling of
      the mineralization fronts. The unequivocal demonstration of bone formation by
      induction in a large series of adult nonhuman primates provides evidence that
      long-lived higher vertebrates retain the bone-inductive proteins in the
      extracellular matrix of bone and the crucial set of responding mesenchymal cells
      capable of transformation and differentiation into osteoblastic cell lines.

PMID- 1864051
TI  - Anterior cruciate ligament allograft transplantation in dogs.
AB  - The biomechanical and clinical performance of bone-ligament-bone anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL) allografts was studied in eight dogs. Allografts were
      collected from skeletally mature, healthy dogs using aseptic technique, and
      stored at -70 degrees for three to five weeks before implantation. The allografts
      were size-matched to the recipient dogs using ACL length and then rigidly fixed
      in position with interference screws and Kirschner wires. Three dogs regained a
      normal gait, and their grafts sustained breaking loads that were 25%, 41%, and
      59% of controls. Partial or complete graft failure occurred in the other five
      dogs at some point in the study. Four had intraligamentous rupture and one had an
      avulsion fracture of the femoral attachment site. Joint-fluid cytology was normal
      in all eight dogs. Histologic examination showed persistent lymphoplasmacytic
      infiltrate. Eventually the allograft cores were incorporated in the host bed.
      Hyperplasia and fibrosis of the synovial membrane were diffuse and persisted as
      focal accumulations of mononuclear inflammatory cells.

PMID- 1864052
TI  - Total hip arthroplasty following failed internal fixation of hip fractures.
AB  - A retrospective review was performed on 27 consecutive patients with total hip
      arthroplasty (THA) following failure of internal fixation of fractures of the
      proximal femur. The results were comparable to primary THA in femoral neck
      fractures. Considerably less satisfactory results were obtained in THA in
      intertrochanteric fractures. Bone loss and medial displacement of the femoral
      shaft led to high incidence of intraoperative complications and postoperative
      dislocations. Extreme care must be taken to avoid fracture and penetration of the
      femoral shaft. Autograft, allograft, or head and neck replacement components
      should be available for reconstruction of the difficult cases.

PMID- 1864053
TI  - Triphasic bone scanning following porous-coated hip arthroplasty.
AB  - In a long-term follow-up evaluation of a homogenous group of patients with a
      standardized total hip arthroplasty for coxarthrosis, the imaging levels follow a
      predictable pattern over a prolonged period of time. Because of the prolonged
      nature of increased uptake in the static phases, the utilization of bone scanning
      in the early diagnosis and evaluation of the patient with a painful noncemented
      hip may have little value. Increased blood pool and blood flow studies may
      indicate localized pathology, but, at the present time, static images of
      noncemented hip arthroplasty within 12 months of surgery probably are of little
      diagnostic value.

PMID- 1864054
TI  - Recurrent dislocation of the shoulder. 1943.

PMID- 1864055
TI  - Uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Prospective analysis of the tri-lock femoral
      component.
AB  - Fifty consecutive hip disease patients (56 hips) with total hip arthroplasties
      (THA) utilized the uncemented Tri-Lock femoral component. Forty-five patients (51
      hips) were followed for an average of 46 months (range, 24-66). Forty-two
      patients (47 hips) were followed with clinical examination and roentgenographs,
      three (four hips) by telephone interview, four (four hips) were deceased, and one
      (one hip) was lost to follow-up evaluation. The diagnoses included osteoarthritis
      (30 hips), avascular necrosis (11 hips), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (two
      hips), and degenerative joint disease secondary to childhood hip disorder (four
      hips). Of 47 hips, 34 were graded excellent, seven good, three fair, and three
      poor using the Harris hip score. The incidence of thigh pain was 19% at one year,
      but only 6% at final follow-up evaluation. Limp persisted in 19% of the patients.
      Of the three patients with four hips contacted by telephone, two had slight pain
      and two had no pain. The roentgenographic results found an alarming 38% incidence
      of varus shift of the components, relative to their preoperative position. The
      presence of a varus shift did not adversely affect the clinical results. Early
      experience with the Tri-Lock femoral component shows results comparable to those
      reported in the literature. The high incidence of femoral component shift,
      presumably because of geometry of the stem is of concern. Longer follow-up
      evaluation will be necessary to determine the fate of these uncemented THA
      operations.

PMID- 1864056
TI  - Total knee arthroplasty at a Veterans Administration Medical Center.
AB  - Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was evaluated in 256 consecutive knees in a
      Veterans Administration hospital. Patient satisfaction and the effect of
      intercurrent illness were studied in addition to standard clinical and
      roentgenographic parameters. Evaluation of results show the superiority of
      condylar knee designs. In general, TKA was successful with a high degree of
      patient satisfaction.

PMID- 1864057
TI  - Results of total knee arthroplasty using the posterior stabilized condylar
      prosthesis. A report of 137 consecutive cases.
AB  - One hundred thirty-seven consecutive posterior stabilized total knee
      arthroplasties (TKAs) were reviewed. Average age of the patient was 61.1 years
      and length of postoperative follow-up period was 29.2 months. Patients were
      evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee rating scores.
      Average preoperative scores improved from 52 to 92, postoperatively. Ninety-eight
      percent of patients had no pain or mild occasional pain postoperatively compared
      with 99% of patients experiencing severe to disabling pain preoperatively.
      Complications included one myocardial infarction, two deep venous thrombosis, one
      urinary tract infection, one patellar dislocation, and four wound problems. There
      were two incidences of seroma, one hematoma, and one deep infection requiring
      revision after joint debridement and systemic antibiotics. Also noted was one
      incidence of ligamentous laxity and one patella fracture.

PMID- 1864058
TI  - Effect of the tibial cut on subsidence following total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - In 33 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) using instrumentation designed to cut the
      tibia with 0 degree posterior slope, ten tibial components demonstrated at least
      2 mm of tibial component subsidence. These subsided components were implanted
      onto tibiae with an average of 8 degrees +/- 2 degrees difference between the
      preoperative, anatomic posterior slope and their postoperative posterior slope.
      The remaining 23 components, without subsidence, were implanted onto tibiae cut
      within 2 degrees +/- 2 degrees of their anatomic slope. To help understand these
      clinical observations, a laboratory study was performed to compare the load
      carrying capacity and the stiffness of tibial subchondral bone following two
      types of tibial cuts: one made perpendicular to the long axis of the tibia and
      the other made parallel to the articular surface of the tibia. Mock tibial
      baseplates mounted on paired cadaver tibiae were loaded in compression and force
      displacement curves were recorded. Tibiae cut parallel to the surface exhibited
      40% greater load carrying capacity and 70% greater stiffness than the paired
      tibiae cut perpendicular to the long axis. The biomechanical data of this study
      indicated that cutting the tibia perpendicular to the long axis results in weaker
      bone that may be inadequate to support a tibial component. This may explain the
      higher incidence of clinical subsidence if the tibial cut is not made
      approximately parallel to the anatomic slope.

PMID- 1864059
TI  - Subvastus (Southern) approach for primary total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - The subvastus or Southern approach to the knee had been described as early as
      1929 but is not found in standard modern orthopedic textbooks. This approach for
      primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) preserves the integrity of the extensor
      mechanism and maintains the vascular supply to the patella. To appreciate the
      potential benefits of this approach, a complete understanding of the surgical
      anatomy is essential. The benefits of the subvastus approach make it a valuable
      technique for primary TKA.

PMID- 1864060
TI  - Total knee arthroplasty. Two- to four-year experience using an asymmetric tibial
      tray and a deep trochlear-grooved femoral component.
AB  - The design features of an implant system can be crucial to the success of
      cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The implant system described in this
      study incorporates anatomic features including an asymmetric tibial tray that is
      smaller laterally than medially, and a deep trochlear-grooved femoral component.
      Two hundred consecutive primary total knees were implanted between October 18,
      1985 and January 19, 1988 and were followed prospectively. One hundred ninety-two
      were implanted without cement. Clinical evaluation demonstrates good or excellent
      results in 96%, including a mean range of motion of 122 at two to four years
      after arthroplasty. Routine fluoroscopic spot roentgenograms have shown no
      complete radiolucency in this series of patients. Bone ingrowth was predictable
      if morselized autograft bone was interposed between implant and host bone.
      Implant retrievals demonstrated uniform bone ingrowth into the porous coating,
      increasing to 40% of the pore volume in the tibial tray at 27 months. Restoration
      of the normal kinematics appears to minimize the bone-implant stress permitting
      bone ingrowth fixation. The results of primary cementless TKA in this series is
      comparable to cemented TKA with the advantage of conserving bone stock.

PMID- 1864061
TI  - Intermittent pneumatic compression versus coumadin. Prevention of deep vein
      thrombosis in lower-extremity total joint arthroplasty.
AB  - One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients requiring lower extremity total joint
      arthroplasty were randomized to either coumadin (52 patients) or intermittent
      pneumatic compression (48 patients) as prophylaxis against deep vein thrombosis
      (DVT). Forty-nine patients were excluded. When fully ambulatory, the presence or
      absence of DVT was diagnosed by ascending venography (90% of patients), nuclear
      venography, venous dopplers, or impedence plethysmography. The two groups were
      similar in average age (64 years), indication for arthroplasty (pain because of
      arthritis in 90%), gender (98% male), and average number of risk factors (2.4).
      Twenty-five percent of patients on coumadin and 25% of patients on intermittent
      pneumatic compression (IPC) developed DVT. IPC was more effective than coumadin
      following primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) (16% versus 24% incidence DVT);
      coumadin was more effective than IPC following primary total knee arthroplasties
      (TKAs) (19% versus 32% incidence of DVT). DVT developed in 36% of patients
      following revision arthroplasty. Seventy-five percent of all thrombi were
      proximal. Both IPC and coumadin were found to be safe; there was no increased
      perioperative bleeding in the coumadin group. Of three postoperative deaths, one
      was possibly due to pulmonary embolism (PE).

PMID- 1864062
TI  - Infections at the site of a hip implant. Successful and unsuccessful management.
AB  - Thirty-four patients developed the complication of deep infection at the site of
      a hip implant (n = 35). Multiple factors in existence at the time of implant
      placement and the time of presentation with infection as well as the therapeutic
      regimen were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with successful outcomes (n = 15)
      were relatively younger (mean, 52 years) compared to those that had an
      unsuccessful outcome (n = 19; mean, 65 years; p less than 0.01). No other factors
      were predictive of the outcome of treatment. Implant extirpation, expedient wound
      closure, and, when necessary, muscle transposition favored a successful outcome.
      Implant retention and open wound packing resulted in prolonged wound healing and,
      sometimes, hip disarticulation or death.

PMID- 1864063
TI  - Blood loss in total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - Over a two-year period, 112 consecutive primary total knee arthroplasties (TKA)
      were performed according to a standard protocol and were evaluated to determine
      the effects of intraoperative tourniquet deflation, suction drainage, and
      immediate continuous passive motion (CPM) on blood loss and the need for blood
      transfusions. It has been reported that these measures lead to increased
      morbidity following TKA. The tourniquet was deflated before closure, hemostasis
      was obtained, and two suction drains were placed for 24 to 48 hours. CPM was
      started immediately, and continued for a mean of seven days. Serial hematocrits
      (Hct) were obtained. Mean age of the 64 males and 48 females was 65 years. The
      diagnosis was osteoarthritis in 86% and rheumatoid arthritis in 14%. Seventy
      three percent of the prostheses were cemented and 27% were uncemented. The mean
      tourniquet time was 104 minutes and the mean length of surgery was 140 minutes.
      Blood loss measured at surgery averaged 222 ml. Total calculated blood loss
      averaged 794 ml, but was higher for patients with a cemented versus uncemented
      prosthesis (p less than .05), and males versus females (p less than .005). It was
      not related to diagnosis, tourniquet time, or length of surgery. Of the 38% of
      patients requiring a transfusion (mean, 2.2 units), there was not a significantly
      greater drop in Hct (from 36.6 to 26.5; change, 10.1) when compared to patients
      not receiving a transfusion (from 43.1 to 32.5; change, 10.6). Therefore, the
      need for transfusion was related to preoperative Hct and not the intraoperative
      or postoperative blood loss.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864064
TI  - Epidemiologic studies of oral mucosal conditions--methodologic issues.
AB  - The methods used in the international English-language literature of
      epidemiologic investigations of oral mucosal conditions were reviewed. Methods
      used to study leukoplakia, lichen planus, recurrent herpes labialis, recurrent
      aphthous ulcers, geographic tongue and candidiasis are highlighted. In addition,
      studies of the full range of pathologies documented in a population were
      reviewed. The methodologic issues raised by the epidemiologic literature as well
      as those to be considered for future studies of oral mucosal conditions are
      presented. Emphasis is placed on study population selection, diagnostic criteria
      development, type and training of examiners, risk factor assessment and issues
      related to data collection, analysis and reporting.

PMID- 1864065
TI  - Social factors and tooth loss in a 12-year follow-up study of women in
      Gothenburg, Sweden.
AB  - Representative samples of women in different age groups in Gothenburg, Sweden,
      were examined by means of panoramic radiography in 1968-69 and in 1980-81.
      Edentulousness and number of remaining teeth were assessed from the radiographs.
      Data on socioeconomic conditions, educational background and dental care
      attendance were obtained from a questionnaire. Cross-sectional results showed
      that improvements in dental status had occurred irrespective of socioeconomic
      conditions and educational levels and that differences between groups had
      decreased over the 12-yr period. Dental care attendance was high in all
      socioeconomic groups, but differences noted in 1968-69 remained in 1980-81.

PMID- 1864066
TI  - Relationship between number of teeth and periodontal pockets.
AB  - The relationship between number of teeth and the prevalence of periodontal
      disease is an important factor to consider when planning future needs for
      periodontal care. This is of particular relevance today, when the level of tooth
      loss is steadily reducing. The aim of the present study was to examine this
      relationship. Three dependent variables associated with periodontal disease were
      included in the analysis: 1. The probability of having pockets 4 mm or more. 2.
      The mean pocket depth for individuals with pockets 4 mm or more. 3. The number of
      pockets for individuals with pockets 4 mm or more. Age was included in the
      analysis as a control variable. The study population comprised 2219 individuals
      in the county of Trondelag, Norway. The data were analyzed using logistic
      regression and multiple regression analysis. The probability of having pockets 4
      mm or more increased with increasing number of teeth. The average pocket depth
      decreased with increasing number of teeth. There was no relationship between
      number of pockets and number of teeth. The increase in the probability of having
      pockets with a marginal increase in number of teeth was greatest for those aged
      53 years and above. It is concluded that this group of people are likely to have
      the greatest need for periodontal care.

PMID- 1864067
TI  - Caries prevalence and salivary mutans streptococci in 0-2-year-old children of
      Japan.
AB  - The prevalence of caries and the number and species distribution of salivary
      mutans streptococci in 356 children (aged 0-2 yr old) in Japan were examined
      twice at an interval of 1 yr. No mutans streptococci were isolated from the
      predentate children. The detection rate of mutans streptococci and the prevalence
      of caries increased with age. Mutans streptococci were isolated from 39.9% of the
      subjects. The majority of isolates were identified as Streptococcus mutans. The
      concentration of mutans streptococci correlated with the number of erupted teeth
      (r = 0.339). In addition, the concentration of mutans streptococci was more
      closely correlated to the caries prevalence of the next year (r = 0.465) than
      that of the year when the salivary concentration of mutans streptococci was first
      evaluated (r = 0.368). The children who had no caries but harbored mutans
      streptococci in the first year showed significantly higher caries prevalence in
      the next year than did the children with neither caries nor mutans streptococci.
      These results indicate that the establishment of mutans streptococci is
      associated with caries initiation in early childhood.

PMID- 1864068
TI  - Epidemiological study of oral leukoplakia based on mass screening for oral
      mucosal diseases in a selected Japanese population.
AB  - The purpose of this study was 1) to show the epidemiological status of oral
      leukoplakia in a selected population of 3131 Japanese (504 women, 2627 men, aged
      18-63 yr, mean age 35.9 yr), and 2) to estimate of the validity of the diagnosis
      of oral leukoplakia by general practitioners. Seventy-seven individuals were
      detected as having leukoplakia, a prevalence of 2.5%; 2.7% and 1.0% for men and
      women, respectively, a difference that is statistically significant (P less than
      0.001). The percentage of smokers was 75.3% for patients with leukoplakia and
      47.8% for individuals detected as not having leukoplakia, a difference which is
      statistically significant (P less than 0.001). Of 77 leukoplakia patients, 37
      cases (48.1%) received a clinically confirmed diagnosis and 27 patients were
      diagnosed in further examination as having leukoplakia. These results can also be
      expressed by a positive predictive value of 0.73 and a false positive ratio of
      0.27 for the diagnosis of leukoplakia in the primary mass screening by general
      practitioners. The results of this study suggest that in order to carry out an
      efficient oral health program in Japan, the objects for mass screening for
      leukoplakia might be better limited to men over 30 and women over 40 yr of age.

PMID- 1864069
TI  - Teeth, tooth spaces, and prosthetic appliances in elderly men in Malmo, Sweden.
AB  - A group of 483 men, all of whom were 68 or 69 yr old and had lived for a long
      time in the city of Malmo were examined with regard to number of teeth present,
      removable dentures, fixed bridges, and tooth spaces. 76.4% had one or more
      natural teeth remaining, 59.2% had removable dentures, and 0.2% were edentulous
      and without dentures. The mean number of teeth present in a fixed dentition
      calculated on dentate subjects was 16.21 +/- 8.02, including teeth replaced by
      pontics and 15.0 +/- 7.44 when natural teeth only were recorded. The number of
      bridges was high, 28.8% of natural dentate persons having bridgework. This cohort
      had fewer remaining teeth than in similar groups in other areas of Sweden, but
      more fixed bridges. 19.5% had open tooth spaces corresponding to one or more
      teeth in the visible parts of the dental arches. The availability of dentistry
      has been extremely good in Malmo and financial support for all types of dental
      care has been provided for all inhabitants since 1974. In spite of this, a low
      number of remaining teeth and many untreated tooth spaces in visible part of the
      dental arches were found, though on the other hand much fixed bridgework was
      found. It appears from the present study that the population tends to polarize
      into two groups, namely one group which takes advantage of the dental services
      and one which does not.

PMID- 1864070
TI  - Oral mucosal health and disease in institutionalized elderly in Brazil.
AB  - During the last decade, many studies in Europe and North America have evaluated
      oral conditions and dental needs in the elderly. Similar information does not
      exist in Brazil. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral
      health and disease in elderly persons living in an institution in the city of
      Piracicaba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Of 350 elderly persons, 134 males and 136
      females were interviewed and clinically examined. Less than one half had healthy
      mouths. 58.9% of the examined individuals showed one or more lesions in the oral
      mucosa, the most frequent being denture-induced stomatitis (20.0%). Fibrous
      hyperplasias (11.8%) and angular cheilitis (9.3%) were fairly common. Gender, use
      and degree of hygiene of the denture were factors statistically significantly
      contributing to prevalence of denture stomatitis. Precancerous lesions such as
      leukoplakia (3.0%), actinic cheilitis (2.6%) were uncommon but three cases of
      squamous carcinoma (1.1%) were revealed. This study emphasizes the need for
      regular oral examinations of the elderly by personnel trained in oral diagnosis.

PMID- 1864071
TI  - Dental caries in black preschool children in Cape Town.

PMID- 1864072
TI  - Fluoride in drinking water and caries progression in a Tanzanian child
      population.

PMID- 1864073
TI  - DMFT counts in the adult population of Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.

PMID- 1864074
TI  - Attitudes of nursing and rest home administrators toward deinstitutionalized
      elders with psychiatric disorders.
AB  - The administrators of 92 nursing homes and rest homes in western Massachusetts
      were surveyed on their experiences with elderly residents with a history of
      psychiatric hospitalization and their willingness to admit such individuals in
      the future. A majority of those who had admitted deinstitutionalized elders with
      chronic psychiatric disorders reported having experienced severe problems with
      them. Most of the problems involved the resident going into crisis or producing
      some highly disruptive behavior. Although two-thirds of the facilities had
      admitted elders who had been deinstitutionalized from a public psychiatric
      hospital, only one-quarter clearly planned to do so in the future. Three quarters
      of the administrators reported that they did not have the support services that
      the deinstitutionalized elders in their facilities needed. A comparison of the
      services reported to be important and those reported to be available suggest that
      simply increasing the availability of psychiatric support services would probably
      not influence administrators to admit elders with chronic mental illness in the
      future.

PMID- 1864075
TI  - Acknowledging abuse backgrounds of intensive case management clients.
AB  - Routine inquiry about abuse experiences as children and adults yielded high
      levels of positive responses among 89 intensive case management clients. Through
      structured interviews administered by their case managers, clients disclosed
      backgrounds in families with one or more alcoholic adults, incest, other
      childhood sexual abuse, and extensive physical abuse. Gender played a major role.
      Being an ACOA also predicted extensive additional abuse. Clients were not treated
      for abuse, nor diagnosed for its impact, nor responded to when they initiated
      discussion with mental health providers. Later outcomes include frequent
      hospitalizations, substance abuse and self-mutilation.

PMID- 1864076
TI  - Support groups for parents of children with emotional disorders: a comparison of
      members and non-members.
AB  - This study involving more than 800 parents whose children have emotional
      disorders focuses on comparisons between parents who are members of support
      groups and those who are not. While no difference was found between members and
      non-members on most demographic variables, members reported needing and using
      more information and services and found each more difficult to locate than non
      members. Thirty-one percent of all respondents identified involvement with other
      parents as the most helpful activity in coping with their child's problems.

PMID- 1864077
TI  - Parents of children with emotional disorders: issues for consideration and
      practice.
AB  - Parents with children who have serious emotional disorders face significant
      personal and family issues in their parental role. Professionals providing
      services to these families must be sensitive to a variety of issues if they are
      to provide an emphathic context when these families are seeking help. This paper
      will explore the stress these families incur, the loss they experience, and the
      resources needed for coping and the preservation of family integrity. Practice
      implications will be addressed.

PMID- 1864078
TI  - Training Ph.D. psychologists for rural service: a report from Nebraska.
AB  - The Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
      developed a rural mental health specialty to train psychologists to work in rural
      settings. Preliminary data indicate that the project was relatively successful in
      placing graduates in rural practice. But the needs for practitioners in rural
      communities clearly are greater than training programs can meet. Relying on
      doctoral psychologists for clinical work in rural communities may not be the best
      strategy in workforce planning.

PMID- 1864079
TI  - Quantitation of dimethyl sulfoxide in solutions and tissues by high-performance
      liquid chromatography.
AB  - We have developed a rapid and simple method to determine the level of dimethyl
      sulfoxide (Me2SO) in both solutions and tissue samples. For analysis of Me2SO in
      a cryopreservation medium, the solution is simply diluted in 10% (vol/vol)
      methanol and centrifuged. Then an aliquot of the supernatant is assayed by high
      performance liquid chromatography. For tissue samples, the wet weight is measured
      and the intact sample is extracted with 10% (vol/vol) methanol (e.g., 10 ml/g wet
      wt) in a sealed vial. The extract is then diluted and centrifuged, and an aliquot
      of the supernatant is assayed. The dry weight of the tissue is measured after the
      methanol-extracted sample is placed into either for 2 h and air-dried overnight.
      The water content of the tissue is calculated as the difference between the wet
      and the dry weights. The concentration of Me2SO in the aqueous compartment of the
      tissue can then be calculated by taking into account the concentration of Me2SO
      in the extract and the dilution factor, based on the tissue water volume and the
      volume of methanol used to extract the Me2SO. The calculated values for porcine
      myocardium samples correlated 1:1 with the actual Me2SO concentrations in the
      solutions in which the tissue samples were equilibrated. Finally, we present
      results documenting the usefulness of this assay by following the time course of
      Me2SO penetration into core versus peripheral regions of 1-cm3 samples of porcine
      myocardium.

PMID- 1864080
TI  - Biotransformation activity in vitrified human liver slices.
AB  - In vitro testing of human liver for biotransformation or xenobiotic metabolism
      studies has been limited by unpredictable acquisition of samples. Consequently,
      it has become necessary to consider methods to cryopreserve and store these
      samples whenever they do become available for culture of the revived tissue at a
      more convenient time. Human liver slices were cryopreserved by vitrification,
      which allows for the transfer of aqueous media to low temperatures (-196 degrees
      C) without the formation of ice crystals. Human liver slices were exposed to
      increasing concentrations of 1,2-propanediol up to a final concentration of 4.76
      M in fetal calf serum. Slices were then vitrified by direct immersion into liquid
      nitrogen and warmed by submersion in 37 degrees C fetal calf serum. Warming was
      done either immediately or after 4 and 8 weeks of storage under liquid nitrogen.
      The effects of vitrification, storage time, and warming on biotransformation were
      determined by assessing the integrated metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin (7-EC).
      Vitrified or fresh human liver slices were exposed to 50 microM 7-EC and its
      primary metabolite 7-hydroxycoumarin (7-HC) in organ culture for up to 6 hr.
      Metabolite production of both fresh and vitrified liver slices was compared.
      Retention of the inherent biotransformation rate was usually high and seemed
      independent of storage time. Integration of both cytochrome P450-mediated and
      secondary conjugation processes was retained in cryopreserved tissue.
      Vitrification offers a way to cryopreserve human liver slices for the study of
      xenobiotic metabolism in humans.

PMID- 1864081
TI  - Effects of method of preservation on functions of livers from fed and fasted
      rabbits.
AB  - Livers from fed, fasted (48 h) and glucose-fed rabbits were preserved for 24 and
      48 h by either simple cold storage (CS) or continuous machine perfusion (MP) with
      the University of Wisconsin preservation solutions. After preservation liver
      functions were measured by isolated perfusion of the liver (at 37 degrees C) for
      2 h. Fasting caused an 85% reduction in the concentration of glycogen in the
      liver but no change in ATP or glutathione. Glucose feeding suppressed the loss of
      glycogen (39% loss). After 24 h preservation by CS livers from fed or fasted
      animals were similar including bile production (6.2 +/- 0.5 and 5.6 +/- 0.4 ml/2
      h, 100 g, respectively), hepatocellular injury (LDH release = 965 +/- 100 and
      1049 +/- 284 U/liter), and concentrations of ATP (1.17 +/- 0.15 and 1.18 +/- 0.04
      mumol/g, glutathione (1.94 +/- 0.51 and 2.35 +/- 0.26 mumol/g, respectively), and
      K:Na ratio (6.7 +/- 1.0 and 7.7 +/- 0.5, respectively). After 48 h CS livers from
      fed animals were superior to livers from fasted animals including significantly
      more bile production (5.0 +/- 0.9 vs 2.0 +/- 0.3 ml/2 h, 100 g), less LDH release
      (1123 +/- 98 vs 3701 +/- 562 U/liter), higher concentration of ATP (0.50 +/- 0.16
      vs 0.33 +/- 0.07 mumol/g) and glutathione (0.93 +/- 0.14 vs 0.30 +/- 0.13
      mumol/g), and a larger K:Na ratio (7.4 vs 1.5). Livers from fed animals were also
      better preserved than livers from fasted animals when the method was machine
      perfusion. The decrease in liver functions in livers from fasted animals
      preserved for 48 h by CS or MP was prevented by feeding glucose. Glucose feeding
      increased bile formation after 48 h CS preservation from 2.0 +/- 0.3 (fasted) to
      6.9 +/- 1.2 ml/2 h, 100 g; LDH release was reduced from 3701 +/- 562 (fasted) to
      1450 +/- 154 U/liter; ATP was increased from 0.33 +/- 0.07 (fasted) to 1.63 +/-
      0.18 mumol/g; glutathione was increased from 0.30 +/- 0.01 (fasted) to 2.17 +/-
      0.30 mumol g; and K:Na ratio was increased from 1.5 +/- 0.9 to 5.3 +/- 1.0. This
      study shows that the nutritional status of the donor can affect the quality of
      liver preservation. The improvement in preservation by feeding rabbits only
      glucose suggests that glycogen is an important metabolite for successful liver
      preservation. Glycogen may be a source for ATP synthesis during the early period
      of reperfusion of preserved livers.

PMID- 1864082
TI  - The prevention of erythrocyte swelling upon dilution after freezing and thawing.
AB  - Cellular swelling of erythrocytes exposed to Me2SO during freezing and thawing
      may lead to hemolysis upon dilution of the cryoprotectant with pure electrolyte
      buffer. Excessive cell swelling is effectively avoided by exposing the RBC to the
      nonpenetrating sorbitol after thawing and before dilution. Due to the initial
      reduction in volume by sorbitol, cell swelling upon dilution may not cause
      hemolysis particularly with concentrations of 0.05 to 0.15 M of sorbitol in the
      diluting electrolyte buffer. Membrane damage incurred during freezing and thawing
      is particularly pronounced with the older red cell population, while the younger
      population membrane integrity can be preserved to an optimal degree.

PMID- 1864083
TI  - Cryosurvival of Trichomonas vaginalis during cryopreservation of human semen.
AB  - Despite a 90% cryosurvival of Trichomonas vaginalis in their growth medium
      trypticase yeast maltose (TYM) with DMSO, none of these parasites have previously
      been observed to survive during cryopreservation of infected human semen with
      glycerol (Andrologia 18, 323 (1986)). This could have been due to the failure of
      the culture method used to detect low numbers of survivors. The prospects of
      possible transmission of T. vaginalis by artificial insemination with cryobanked
      (-196 degrees C) semen prompted an investigation of the cryosurvival of this
      parasite in the presence of semen with the cryoprotectant glycerol, using a more
      sensitive culture method for viability evaluation. Semen and seminal fluid from
      the same 23 ejaculates, as well as culture medium, were inoculated with small
      clinical numbers of T. vaginalis and evaluated as to their survival before and
      after cryopreservation. Results indicated: (i) The highest cryosurvival of T.
      vaginalis (4.5%) was in cryobanked (glycerolated) semen, (ii) semen, as well as
      glycerol, shows cryoprotective action, and (iii) glycerol reduced survival of
      parasites in semen, seminal fluid, and TYM medium during exposure prior to
      freezing. Clinical information on infectivity of small numbers of T. vaginalis
      and the data presented here suggests that these organisms could be transmitted by
      artificial insemination with infected cryobanked human semen.

PMID- 1864084
TI  - Ca2+ action on the stability of egg phosphatidylcholine sonicated vesicles during
      freeze-thaw cycles.
AB  - The stability of unilamellar vesicles during freeze-thaw cycles strongly depends
      on the Ca2+ concentration in the aqueous solution. Experiments performed at equal
      ionic strengths with Na+ and Ca2+ solutions indicate that the effect observed is
      specific for Ca2+. This is interpreted to be a consequence of the adsorption of
      Ca2+ on the vesicle bilayers. The variation of lipid and Ca2+ concentrations
      indicates that stability is achieved at a particular Ca2+/lipid ratio of 8
      mol/mol above which vesicles are stable. The stability appears to be mainly
      conferred by the external Ca2+ in both slow and rapid cycles, independent of the
      ionic vesicle content. However, internal Ca2+ seems to increase the stability
      according to the F/T cycle rate to some extent in the absence of Ca2+ in the
      external solution.

PMID- 1864085
TI  - Cooling to heat of fusion (HOF), followed by rapid rewarming, does not reduce the
      integrity of microvascular corrosion casts.
AB  - This study utilized microvascular corrosion casting techniques to evaluate
      changes in the microvascular patency of rat hindpaws cooled to four different
      subzero temperatures. Left hindpaws of anesthetized rats in group 1 were cooled
      to -5 degrees C, in group 2 to -15 degrees C, in group 3 to heat of fusion (HOF),
      and in group 4 to HOF and then to -15 degrees C. Although freezing did not take
      place in the hindpaws of groups 1 and 2, initiation of freezing in the tissues,
      as indicated by HOF, did occur in groups 3 and 4. Cooled hindpaws were rapidly
      rewarmed. Right hindpaws served as controls. Microvascular corrosion casts were
      made from the left and right hindpaws of all animals. There was no significant
      difference when the mean cast weights of cooled hindpaws from groups 1, 2, and 3
      were compared to the mean cast weights of their respective control hindpaws. In
      group 4, there was a significant difference (P less than 0.05) when the mean cast
      weight of the cooled hindpaws (47.69 +/- 9.05, mg +/- SEM) was compared to that
      of the control hindpaws (80.63 +/- 12.23). Since, in this acute experiment, a
      loss of vascular integrity occurred when the hindpaws in group 4 were cooled to 
      15 degrees C after reaching HOF, the initiation of freezing alone was not
      sufficient to reduce mean cast weight.

PMID- 1864086
TI  - Design and organization of the herpetic eye disease study (HEDS).
AB  - The Herpetic Eye Disease Study (HEDS) includes three double-masked, placebo
      controlled clinical trials for potentially blinding herpes simplex virus (HSV)
      eye infections. One study compares a tapering dosage of topical prednisolone or
      placebo eye drops for HSV stromal keratitis (HEDS-SKN). Two other trials compare
      oral acyclovir to placebo capsules for HSV stromal keratitis (HEDS-SKS) or
      iridocyclitis (HEDS-IRT) in patients on a tapering dosage of topical prednisolone
      drops. All medications are administered for 10 weeks. Outcome is judged by time
      to recurrent disease or treatment failure. This paper presents the design,
      estimated sample size and recruitment as of July 25, 1990.

PMID- 1864087
TI  - A community study of ocular herpes simplex.
AB  - A recent epidemiologic study of ocular herpes simplex in 151 patients over a 33
      year old period in Rochester, Minnesota has challenged some of the clinical and
      epidemiologic tenets about the disease. The incidence rate for new and recurrent
      cases and the prevalence rate was calculated and projected to the white U.S.
      population. The recurrence rate assessed by life table methods were determined
      for up to 20 years after the first episode and these rates rose following
      repeated episodes. Previous studies in the same community allow comparison of the
      incidence rates with other herpetic diseases. This community based study more
      accurately defines many of the features of the disease such as the prevalence
      among the sexes, the increasing age at presentation, the frequency of bilateral
      disease, the relationship of the initial disease to the future recurrence
      patterns, the frequency of lid, epithelial, stromal, and uveitis in an unselected
      community population, and the final visual outcome. This data estimates more
      accurately the morbidity and social impact of the condition.

PMID- 1864088
TI  - Anterior segment ischemia in chronic herpes simplex keratouveitis.
AB  - Six patients with chronic herpes simplex keratouveitis developed a rapidly
      progressive ocular inflammation unresponsive to corticosteroid and antiviral
      therapy. Severe secondary glaucoma unresponsive to maximum medical therapy ensued
      and was treated by cyclocryotherapy in five patients. Ocular ischemia with
      secondary corneal and scleral calcification subsequently developed in all six
      patients. All had also received prolonged topical therapy with topical antiviral
      agents, corticosteroids, beta adrenergic blockers and epinephrine compounds.
      Three eyes eventually required enucleation for the relief of pain; one
      stabilized, and two others became phthisical. One of the phthisical eyes
      developed a secondary fungal endophthalmitis. Histopathologic examination of the
      three enucleated globes revealed extensive corneal, scleral and conjunctival
      calcification, secondary angle closure, iris and ciliary body necrosis, focal
      choroiditis, retinal necrosis and atrophy. The syndrome recognized in these
      patients appears to be a rare but devastating complication of herpes simplex
      keratouveitis, possibly exacerbated by the application of cyclocryotherapy and
      other factors.

PMID- 1864089
TI  - Chronic ocular zoster.
AB  - In a prospective open trial 40 patients suffering from acute herpes zoster
      ophthalmicus were treated with systemic acyclovir. An additional 10 patients were
      treated by topical acyclovir alone and dexamethasone eye-drops were administered
      to 5 of them to suppress ocular inflammation. In the topical treatment group the
      period of new skin lesion formation and progression of ocular inflammatory signs
      were significantly prolonged. Therapy with systemic acyclovir however resulted in
      a quick and complete resolution of ocular inflammation in all patients. Chronic
      ocular inflammation developed in 4 out of 10 patients treated with topical
      acyclovir. We consider chronic ocular zoster as a distinct clinical entity,
      possibly expressing a failing local immune response against VZV.

PMID- 1864090
TI  - Ocular ulcerative herpes following measles in Kinshasa, Zaire.
AB  - Eight cases of ocular ulcerative herpes following measles are reported. The
      clinical features are characterized by dendritic corneal ulcer (6 cases) and
      ulcero-erosive blepharitis associated with corneal ulcer (2 cases). Bacteriologic
      examination disclosed Pseudomonas aeruginosas in 2 cases. The serum level of
      retinol, RBP, prealbumin and albumin were generally diminished in cases of
      dendritic corneal ulcer. These data are discussed in relation to the onset and
      severity of ocular ulcerative herpes associated with measles.

PMID- 1864091
TI  - High-dose oral acyclovir in acute herpes zoster ophthalmicus: the end of the
      corticosteroid era.
AB  - Systemic acyclovir (ACV), a new potent anti-herpes drug, was shown to reduce
      effectively the morbidity in the acute phase of herpes zoster ophthalmicus
      (AHZO). Using high dose oral ACV (5 X 800 mg/day) our aim in this study was: (1)
      to compare disease profiles in the ACV-treated group and in a group of zoster
      patients having had no ACV, analysed retrospectively; (2) to establish if high
      dose ACV was able to prevent severe long term complications of AHZO; and (3) to
      determine the present role of corticosteroids in AHZO. From 1984 to 1988, 48
      patients with AHZO of less than 3 days' duration were included. All patients
      received at least 7 days of oral ACV (5 X 800 mg/d) associated with topical ACV.
      Steroids were not given unless severe uveitis occurred. Follow-up was 2 years in
      43 patients and 1 year in all 48 patients. Main conclusions from our study are:
      1. Ocular involvement occurred in 67% of ACV-treated cases, a rate comparable to
      our retrospective group (59%) and to the literature (71%). However the rate of
      severe long term complications was minimal (4%) when compared to our non-treated
      retrospective group (21%). 2. Steroid treatment was not necessary in any of the
      ACV-treated patients. 3. ACV was well tolerated and did not have to be
      discontinued in any of the patients. High dose ACV and avoidance of steroids
      seems to eliminate the severe complications of AHZO.

PMID- 1864092
TI  - Oral acyclovir in herpes zoster ophthalmicus.
AB  - 46 patients with acute herpes zoster ophthalmicus of less than 72 hours duration
      were recruited into a placebo controlled trial to assess the efficacy of oral
      acyclovir, 800 mg 5 times daily, in preventing or modifying ocular complications
      and pain. Fewer acyclovir recipients developed intraocular complications and
      these were less severe but neither difference was statistically significant.
      However, active ocular disease was significantly less common in the acyclovir
      group (p = 0.01) at 6 months. Pain was significantly less severe in the acyclovir
      group between 2 and 6 months. The proportion of patients with pain scores greater
      than 0 was significantly lower in the acyclovir group between 2 and 3 months.
      Oral acyclovir appears to modify the disease process in herpes zoster
      ophthalmicus, to reduce the severity and incidence of postherpetic pain and
      especially to protect against long-term ocular complications.

PMID- 1864093
TI  - External ocular herpesvirus infections in immunodeficiency.
AB  - Infections of the eye with members of the herpes family of viruses (e.g. HSV,
      CMV, VZV) are frequent manifestations of acquired and inherited defects in cell
      mediated immunity. Herpesvirus infections in the immunocompromised may reflect
      frequent viral reactivation from the latent state, as well as extensive
      productive infection of ocular structures following reactivation or primary
      infection. A review of experimental and clinical studies of both acquired and
      inherited immune dysfunction implicates specific immune mechanisms influencing
      the establishment of latency, viral reactivation and the control of active viral
      replication in ocular tissues.

PMID- 1864094
TI  - Exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PMID- 1864095
TI  - Cardiopulmonary bypass and coronary artery bypass graft. Are the risks necessary?

PMID- 1864096
TI  - Are new ventilatory modalities really different?

PMID- 1864097
TI  - Pulmonary medicine revisited.

PMID- 1864098
TI  - Neurosarcoidosis.

PMID- 1864099
TI  - Cardiac biopsy in patients with "primary" atrial fibrillation. Histologic
      evidence of occult myocardial diseases.
AB  - Fourteen patients (ten men and four women; mean age, 37 years) with lone atrial
      fibrillation (AF) (1 to 18 months' duration) were evaluated by thyroid function
      tests, two-dimensional echocardiography, hemodynamics, coronary angiography, and
      left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, because of unresponsiveness to the usual
      antiarrhythmic therapy. The results of the T3, T4, TSH, and TRH tests were normal
      in all patients; cardiac valves and ventricular and atrial sizes (left atrium
      less than 40 mm) were within the normal limits; also normal were LVEDP (less than
      or equal to 10 mm Hg) and EF (greater than 0.50). Histologic findings were
      abnormal in all cases, with three patients showing cardiomyopathic changes, three
      other patients showing active myocarditis (lymphocytic in two and eosinophilic in
      one), and eight patients with nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis or both. Steroids
      (prednisone; 50 mg/m2 of body surface area daily) used in addition to
      antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with eosinophilic and lymphocytic active
      myocarditis were able to cause reversion to sinus rhythm, while the other
      patients continued to have AF. This study documents that occult myocardial
      diseases (myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, and nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis) can
      underlie "primary" AF. The addition of steroids to antiarrhythmic therapy in
      patients with refractory AF and histologic evidence of active myocarditis seems
      to be useful in controlling the arrhythmia.

PMID- 1864100
TI  - Treatment of bronchial asthma with terbutaline inhaled by conespacer combined
      with positive expiratory pressure mask.
AB  - The influence of positive expiratory pressure (PEP) applied during inhalation of
      a beta 2-agonist in treatment of bronchial asthma was investigated in a
      randomized crossover study with two-week treatment periods. In one period, two
      puffs (0.5 mg) of terbutaline was given from a metered dose inhaler and inhaled
      through a device consisting of a conespacer connected to a facemask giving PEP
      (10 to 15 cm H2O). In a second period, terbutaline 0.5 mg was inhaled similarly
      but without PEP, and in a third period placebo spray was inhaled with PEP.
      Treatments were given three times daily. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured
      before and after each inhalation and symptom scores for dyspnea, cough, and mucus
      production were noted in a diary. All treatments increased PEF significantly (p
      less than 0.0001). The mean increase was 32 L/min during treatment with
      terbutaline and PEP. This was greater than the increase of 25 L/min during
      terbutaline treatment (p = 0.005). The increase in PEF during terbutaline
      treatment was significantly higher than the achieved 18 L/min during PEP (p =
      0.026). The study showed improved bronchodilation when PEP was combined with
      inhalation of beta 2-agonist compared with beta 2-agonist alone.

PMID- 1864101
TI  - A survey of the current use and methods of analysis of bronchoprovocational
      challenges.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to survey the current techniques and methods of
      analysis in bronchoprovocational challenges currently in use. A questionnaire was
      sent to 94 investigators who had recently published an article in which a
      bronchoprovocational technique was used. They were asked to answer questions
      regarding the techniques used in challenge procedures and to calculate the
      results of ten histamine challenges which had previously been performed in our
      laboratory. Forty-four responded; 32 of these gave specific results for the
      histamine challenge. The most common provocative agent utilized was methacholine
      (62 percent), and that most used delivery mode was a dosimeter for delivery (55
      percent). The most common provocative agent utilized was methacholine (62
      percent) and the most used delivery mode was a dosimeter (55 percent).

PMID- 1864102
TI  - Outcome of assessments for occupational asthma.
AB  - Among 154 referrals to a university hospital clinic for assessment of possible
      occupational asthma, the feasibility and results of different investigations were
      assessed using a consistent approach to all patients. A positive skin test to a
      workplace allergen (14 percent of all subjects), positive peak flow workplace
      changes (12 percent), improvement in methacholine response on holiday (9
      percent), and/or positive specific challenge testing (14 percent) supported the
      diagnosis of occupational asthma in 61 subjects (39 percent of the total
      referrals). Fifty-one of these were related to a workplace sensitizer and ten to
      a presumed irritant. Occupational asthma was excluded in 48 subjects (31 percent)
      who had normal methacholine responsiveness within 24 hours of work (22 percent of
      the 154 subjects), peak flow readings no worse at work than on holidays (14
      percent of the total referrals) and/or negative specific challenge testing (10
      percent of the total referrals). Insufficient information could be obtained for a
      diagnosis in the remaining 45 subjects (28 percent). No single investigation was
      considered diagnostic in this study, as each could be positive or negative for
      other reasons.

PMID- 1864103
TI  - Artificial intelligence-assisted occupational lung disease diagnosis.
AB  - An artificial intelligence expert-based system for facilitating the clinical
      recognition of occupational and environmental factors in lung disease has been
      developed in a pilot fashion. It utilizes a knowledge representation scheme to
      capture relevant clinical knowledge into structures about specific objects (jobs,
      diseases, etc) and pairwise relations between objects. Quantifiers describe both
      the closeness of association and risk, as well as the degree of belief in the
      validity of a fact. An independent inference engine utilizes the knowledge,
      combining likelihoods and uncertainties to achieve estimates of likelihood
      factors for specific paths from work to illness. The system creates a series of
      "paths," linking work activities to disease outcomes. One path links a single
      period of work to a single possible disease outcome. In a preliminary trial, the
      number of "paths" from job to possible disease averaged 18 per subject in a
      general population and averaged 25 per subject in an asthmatic population.
      Artificial intelligence methods hold promise in the future to facilitate
      diagnosis in pulmonary and occupational medicine.

PMID- 1864104
TI  - Value of transesophageal echocardiography as an adjunct to transthoracic
      echocardiography in evaluation of native and prosthetic valve endocarditis.
AB  - To determine if transesophageal echocardiography provides better visualization of
      valvular vegetations than transthoracic echocardiography, we used both methods to
      evaluate 24 consecutive patients (mean age, 54 years; 15 female patients and nine
      male patients) referred for symptoms suggestive of infectious endocarditis. Ten
      of the 24 patients had one or more valvular prostheses. Echocardiograms were
      classified as positive or negative based on visualization of valvular vegetations
      or abscesses. Of ten patients with a final diagnosis of infectious endocarditis
      on extended follow-up, transthoracic echocardiography was positive in five
      patients. Transesophageal echocardiography not only yielded abnormal findings in
      all ten of these patients, but also revealed additional information in four of
      the five patients with abnormal transthoracic echocardiographic examinations.
      Among the 14 patients who, on subsequent follow-up, were found not to have
      infectious endocarditis, transthoracic echocardiography was normal in 13 and
      falsely abnormal in one. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed no evidence of
      infectious endocarditis in any of these patients. The ten patients who were
      determined to have infectious endocarditis all had positive blood cultures and no
      alternative cause for their clinical presentation; in seven patients in this
      group who underwent operative or postmortem evaluation, infectious endocarditis
      was confirmed. All patients without infectious endocarditis were demonstrated to
      have other causes for their clinical presentation. We conclude that
      transesophageal echocardiography is a highly valuable test in the work-up of
      patients with suspected infectious endocarditis, especially those patients with
      inconclusive or normal transthoracic echocardiograms. In addition,
      transesophageal echocardiography may be of benefit to patients with previously
      documented infectious endocarditis and a complicated clinical course in whom
      additional cardiac lesions are suspected but not demonstrated by transthoracic
      echocardiography.

PMID- 1864105
TI  - Effect of postural changes and isometric exercise on Doppler-derived measurements
      of diastolic function in normal subjects.
AB  - To determine if simple maneuvers that occur in daily life, such as changes in
      body position and isometric handgrip exercise, affect Doppler-derived
      measurements of diastolic function, we studied 22 normal male subjects in the
      supine position at rest and during several postural manipulations and during
      handgrip exercise. Comparison of values obtained in the 80 degrees upright tilt
      position with those obtained in the standard supine position revealed significant
      decreases in early diastolic flow velocity (peak E) (-25 +/- 3 percent; p less
      than 0.001), late diastolic flow velocity (peak A) (-9 +/- 3 percent; p less than
      0.01), and the ratio of early to late flow velocities (E/A ratio) (-17 +/- 4
      percent; significant increases in deceleration time (+55 +/- 10 percent; p less
      than 0.001) and isovolumic relaxation time (+38 +/- 4 percent; p less than
      0.001). Comparison of values obtained with supine isometric exercise with those
      obtained during the preceding supine resting state revealed significant decreases
      in peak E (-12 +/- 3 percent; p less than 0.001) and the E/A ratio (-21 +/- 4
      percent; p less than 0.001) and significant increases in peak A (+15 +/- 4
      percent; p less than 0.001) and isovolumic relaxation time (+16 +/- 3 percent; p
      less than 0.001). The response of Doppler-derived measurements of diastolic
      function to postural changes and isometric exercise is complex and
      multifactorial. Interpretation of these measurements must take into account
      changes in loading conditions.

PMID- 1864106
TI  - Measurement of maximal static respiratory pressures at the mouth with different
      air leaks.
AB  - The effect of two different circuit leaks on the measurement of maximal static
      inspiratory and expiratory pressures at the mouth (Pimax, Pemax) was assessed in
      70 patients with respiratory disease. Patients were divided into three groups
      with similar anthropometric and spirometric characteristics. The first group (30
      patients) had their Pmax measured with a leak of 2.0 mm internal diameter (ID)
      and 37 mm length (as proposed by T. Ringqvist) and repeated with a second leak of
      1.0 mm ID and 15 mm length (as recommended by J. L. Clausen). The two
      measurements were done in random order. Measurements for the other two groups (20
      patients each) were taken with one or another, the two leaks randomly alternated
      with no leak. Pimax measurements obtained with Ringqvist's leak were 17 percent
      (p less than 0.005) lower than those with Clausen's leak and 22 percent (p less
      than 0.005) lower than those with no leak. Pemax measurements performed with
      Ringqvist's leak in place were 11 percent (p less than 0.005) lower than those
      with Clausen's leak and 11 percent (p less than 0.005) lower than those obtained
      with no leak. The comparison between Clausen's leak and no leak showed no
      statistically significant difference. We conclude that whenever the effect of
      pressure generated in the mouth is to be avoided in the measurement of
      respiratory Pmax, a leak of the size proposed by Ringqvist is to be preferred.

PMID- 1864107
TI  - Nocturnal hypoxemia as a determinant of vigilance impairment in sleep apnea
      syndrome.
AB  - In sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), vigilance impairment is typically associated with
      highly disrupted sleep, but recently, nocturnal hypoxemia has also been
      identified as a second pathogenetic factor in patients with a high degree of
      desaturation. However, although sleep disruption has been demonstrated to play a
      role in both the propensity to fall asleep and the capacity to stay awake, the
      role of nocturnal hypoxemia has been implicated only in the latter. In the
      present study, both sleep disruption and nocturnal hypoxemia were assessed in 20
      moderately to severely apneic patients. During the day, vigilance was assessed
      both by the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), as a measure of the propensity to
      fall asleep, and by the four-choice reaction time test (FCRTT), as a measure of
      the capacity to stay awake in a performance task. Severity of nocturnal hypoxemia
      was found to predict performance on the MSLT, as well as on the FCRTT, but sleep
      disruption was found to predict performance only on the FCRTT. These results
      suggest that in moderately to severely affected SAS patients, nocturnal hypoxemia
      may play a primary role in the pathogenesis of vigilance impairment.

PMID- 1864108
TI  - Noninvasive measurement of central venous pressure by neck inductive
      plethysmography.
AB  - Bedside estimation of the height at which the internal jugular veins collapse,
      referenced to a standard hemodynamic location, theoretically reflects central
      venous pressure. This method has never been demonstrated as accurate when
      compared to invasive CVP measurements because of the great clinical skills and
      time required to visually identify the internal jugular venous waveform. Since
      the principles of the bedside method are sound, we utilized them in conjunction
      with the neck inductive plethysmograph, a device which has the capability of
      recording internal jugular venous and carotid arterial waveforms. The respiratory
      distortion of these vascular waveforms was eliminated by employing a digital
      bandpass filter, making it easy to identify the venous and arterial waveforms on
      the videoscreen of a personal computer. The upper torso was positioned while
      observing the videoscreen until the vascular waveform was seen as a mixed
      arteriovenous waveform, signifying intermittent internal jugular venous collapse.
      The height of the internal jugular vein above the phlebostatic axis was obtained
      by external measurement and recorded as CVPni in cm H2O. In 43 patients, 86
      percent of CVPni (NIP) values fell within 20 percent CVPi (invasive catheter
      measurements) over a range of CVP from 0 to 19 cm H2O. In an additional seven
      patients, CVPi was greater than the height that the upper torso could be elevated
      and an arterial waveform could not be obtained. Here, CVPni was recorded as the
      value at least exceeding the value measured. In two other patients, obstruction
      of an internal jugular vein gave spuriously low values of CVPni. Our study
      indicates that this new neck inductive plethysmographic method is accurate
      compared to invasive catheter measurements of CVP and should serve as a safe,
      noninvasive alternative in situations where such measurements are required.

PMID- 1864109
TI  - Phrenic nerve injury. A prospective study.
AB  - In cardiac surgery, topical iced saline solution slush has become an important
      adjunct in maintaining myocardial hypothermia during cardioplegic arrest. One
      complication of this technique is phrenic nerve injury (PNI). In an attempt to
      reduce the incidence of PNI, a prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the
      impact of phrenic nerve insulation on PNI during cardiac surgery. Seventy-six
      consecutive patients who underwent coronary revascularization constituted the
      control group (CG) and were compared with 76 patients who underwent a similar
      procedure with the addition of phrenic nerve insulation. In the intervention
      group (IG), a foam insulation pad was placed between the heart and the
      pericardium in an effort to reduce exposure of the phrenic nerve to iced saline
      solution slush. There was no difference in major demographic descriptors or
      operative variables between the CG and the IG, except that the internal mammary
      artery was used more frequently in the IG (64 percent vs 36 percent, p = 0.0006).
      The in-hospital mortality was similar between the groups (CG, 0.0 percent; IG,
      1.3 percent; p = 1.0); however, the incidence of roentgenographically diagnosed
      PNI was much greater in the CG (14/76 patients [18 percent] vs 0/76 patients [0
      percent]; p = 0.0006). Patients with and without PNI were similar with regard to
      age, gender, aortic cross clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and number of
      grafts (p greater than 0.05). All unilateral PNI occurred on the left. Three
      patients with bilateral PNI required tracheostomy and prolonged mechanical
      ventilation. In-hospital mortality was similar for patients with and without PNI
      (0 percent vs 0.7 percent), but mean postoperative hospital stay for patients
      with clinically diagnosed PNI was longer than for those without PNI (32 vs 11
      days, p = 0.04). This prospective study demonstrates that the incidence of PNI
      can be significantly reduced by the routine use of phrenic nerve insulation.

PMID- 1864110
TI  - Prognostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocyte count in recently diagnosed
      pulmonary sarcoidosis.
AB  - We prospectively looked at the prognostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)
      lymphocyte count in 98 patients with recently diagnosed (less than 4 months)
      untreated sarcoidosis. These 50 men and 48 women (mean age, 37.4) were followed
      up for a period of 6 to 60 months (mean, 25.6), and were clinically evaluated
      every three to six months with repeated chest roentgenograms and pulmonary
      function tests. Twenty-four patients required steroid treatment during the study
      period. The proportion of treated patients was not significantly higher in the
      group presenting a BAL lymphocyte count less than or equal to 30 percent at
      diagnosis than in the group with fewer lymphocytes (31.9 and 17.7 percent of
      total group respectively, p = 0.10). No significant change in TLC, FRC, FVC, FEV1
      or DLCO was found at follow-up between the groups with or without an initial high
      lymphocyte count. In the treated group, BAL lymphocyte percent weakly correlated
      with the improvement of FEV1 and FVC while on steroid treatment (mean duration:
      3.5 months): r = 0.41, p = 0.031 and r = 0.36, p = 0.05 respectively; no
      correlation was found with lung volumes and DCO. We conclude that BAL lymphocyte
      count at the time of diagnosis is not a helpful predictor of lung function
      deterioration in recently diagnosed sarcoidosis and is not very useful in
      predicting response to treatment.

PMID- 1864111
TI  - Respiratory symptoms in Indian women using domestic cooking fuels.
AB  - The effect of domestic cooking fuels producing various respiratory symptoms was
      studied in 3,701 women. Of these, 3,608 were nonsmoking women who used four
      different types of cooking fuels: biomass, LPG, kerosene, and mixed fuels. The
      overall respiratory symptoms were observed in 13 percent of patients. Mixed fuel
      users experienced more respiratory symptoms (16.7 percent), followed by biomass
      (12.6 percent), stove (11.4 percent), and LPG (9.9 percent). Chronic bronchitis
      in chulla users was significantly higher than that in kerosene and LPG users (p
      less than 0.05). Dyspnea and postnasal drip were significantly higher in the
      women using mixed fuels. Smoking women who are also exposed to cooking fuels
      experienced respiratory symptoms more often than nonsmokers (33.3 percent vs 13
      percent).

PMID- 1864112
TI  - Chronic inflammation is associated with an increased proportion of goblet cells
      recovered by bronchial lavage.
AB  - To evaluate the possibility that bronchoalveolar lavage could provide sufficient
      respiratory epithelial cells to quantify changes in epithelial cell types
      associated with chronic inflammation, we examined the epithelial cells obtained
      in the first infused (20 ml) aliquots that were processed separately from later
      aliquots, a process known to enrich for bronchial contents. Epithelial cells,
      including ciliated cells, goblet cells, and fragments of desquamated epithelium,
      were easily identified after preparation by cytocentrifugation and staining with
      a modified Giemsa stain. Quantification of the columnar cell types revealed that
      those with chronic bronchitis and asymptomatic smokers have increased goblet
      cells as a percentage of the total columnar epithelial cells (chronic bronchitics
      36 +/- 2 percent, asymptomatic smokers 22 +/- 2 percent) compared with normal
      subjects (9 +/- 1 percent, p less than 0.001, ANOVA). Significantly, the goblet
      cell percentage was strongly correlated with other measures of bronchitis and
      measures of airflow obstruction such as the bronchitis index, a visually derived
      score at bronchoscopy of airway inflammation (r = 0.72, p less than 0.001), the
      percent neutrophils in the first infused aliquots (r = 0.44, p less than 0.05),
      and the FEV1 percent (r = -0.74, p less than 0.001). Thus, bronchoalveolar lavage
      is capable of providing sufficient bronchial epithelial cells for analysis, and
      the changes seen in the spectrum of columnar epithelial cells may reflect
      important underlying pathologic changes.

PMID- 1864113
TI  - Urinary fibrinopeptide A in evaluation of patients with suspected acute pulmonary
      embolism. A prospective pilot study.
AB  - This pilot study assessed the urinary fibrinopeptide A (uFPA) levels and the
      combination of uFPA test plus ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scan in the diagnostic
      evaluation of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). One hundred consecutive patients
      were studied prospectively. Twenty-nine patients fulfilled diagnostic criteria
      defined in this study (seven with and 22 without PE). The uFPA concentration was
      significantly higher in patients with than without PE (41.1 +/- 2.6 vs 4.8 +/-
      2.5 ng/mg of creatinine, p less than 0.0001). In all patients with PE, the uFPA
      levels were higher than threshold value derived by adding 2 standard deviations
      to the mean uFPA concentration of patients without PE. In patients without PE,
      the V/Q scan was negative in 16, the uFPA test was negative in 18, and at least
      one of the tests was negative in 21. These preliminary data suggest that a
      negative uFPA test may be helpful in excluding PE and that uFPA in combination
      with V/Q lung scans may correctly exclude PE in more patients than either test
      alone. Further studies in a large unselected population are needed to confirm
      these results.

PMID- 1864114
TI  - Evaluation of ultrasonically guided biopsies of mediastinal masses.
AB  - Eighty patients with roentgenographic evidence of mediastinal abnormalities were
      examined with ultrasonography. Fifty-four lesions were malignant, and 26 lesions
      were benign. The histologic diagnoses were confirmed by ultrasonically guided
      fine needle aspiration/cutting needle (Tru-Cut) biopsy, surgical specimens, or
      transbronchial biopsy. There were no unique ultrasonographic features for
      diagnosis of specific tumors. Ultrasonically guided aspiration biopsies (UGAB)
      were performed in 44 of the malignant lesions and in 14 of the benign lesions
      (nine of the noncystic lesions and five of the cystic lesions). Cytologic
      diagnosis of malignancies was obtained in 34 (77 percent) of these 44
      malignancies; however, accurate histologic classifications of malignancies were
      achieved in only 24 (55 percent). Accurate diagnoses were achieved in only three
      (33 percent) of the nine noncystic benign lesions. Ultrasonically guided cutting
      biopsies (UGCB) were performed in 24 malignant and five benign lesions. All
      attempts yielded satisfactory specimens for histologic diagnosis. Using UGAB and
      UGCB together, a positive diagnosis was achieved in 89 percent (39/44) of the
      malignancies, and accurate histologic diagnosis was achieved in 89 percent and 78
      percent (7/9) in malignant and benign noncystic lesions, respectively. Correct
      histologic diagnosis with UGAB alone is lower in thymoma (55 percent [6/11]) and
      lymphoma (30 percent [3/10]) but higher in lung cancer (67 percent [8/12]) and
      metastatic cancer (78 percent [7/9]). There were no complications in this series.
      We conclude that ultrasonography with UGAB has a high diagnostic yield in
      diagnosing mediastinal tumors, and UGCB is necessary for thymic tumors, lymphoma,
      and benign lesions.

PMID- 1864115
TI  - Pleural penetration of ciprofloxacin in patients with empyema thoracis.
AB  - We evaluated the pharmacokinetics of a single 200-mg dose of ciprofloxacin,
      administered as a 30-minute infusion, into pleural exudate in five elderly
      patients with empyema thoracis. Ciprofloxacin was measured by HPLC and the
      pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by noncompartmental methods. Mean peak
      serum levels 30 minutes after administration were 1.98 +/- 0.07 mg/L. Terminal
      serum half-lives ranged from 3.9 to 5.1 h. Mean concentrations of ciprofloxacin
      in pleural exudate were 1.44 +/- 0.42 mg/L at a mean time of 4.5 +/- 2.5 h. After
      this time, the pleural exudate level exceeded the corresponding serum twofold to
      tenfold. The mean percentage penetration into the inflammatory compartment was
      approximately 210 percent. Our data suggested that ciprofloxacin penetrates well
      into the pleural fluid of patients with empyema thoracis. The concentrations
      achieved were well above the MIC90 of most pathogens normally found in patients
      with empyema thoracis for a period of approximately 12 h.

PMID- 1864116
TI  - Assessment of bronchodilator response to a beta-adrenergic delivered from an
      ultrasonic nebulizer.
AB  - We assessed the bronchodilator response to a recently available ultrasonic
      nebulizer (USN) in a population of 17 stable asthmatic patients. These patients
      were also evaluated for bronchodilator response to two other aerosol delivery
      systems routinely used in standard clinical practice, the metered-dose inhaler
      (MDI) and the jet nebulizer (JN). Albuterol was administered from each of the
      delivery systems in the following manner: MDI, two actuations (180 micrograms);
      JN, 0.5 ml of 0.5 percent solution (2.5 mg) in 1.0 ml saline solution diluent;
      and USN, 0.5 ml of 0.5 percent solution (2.5 mg) in 2.5 ml saline solution
      diluent. Patients demonstrated significant bronchodilator responses to all three
      delivery systems (p less than 0.0001). The USN produced a greater percentage of
      increase in FEV1 15 minutes after treatment with albuterol (35.8 +/- 2.3 percent)
      than either the MDI (18.2 +/- 3.4 percent) or JN (20.8 +/- 3.1 percent) (p less
      than 0.005). The mean percentage of increase in FE1 observed over a 4-h period
      after treatment was also greater for the USN (26.5 +/- 2.5 percent) than either
      the MDI (18.8 +/- 1.8 percent) or JN (15.0 +/- 1.6 percent) (p less than 0.001).
      We conclude that the USN yields effective bronchodilation in a population of
      stable asthmatics.

PMID- 1864117
TI  - Response of obstructive sleep apnea to fluoxetine and protriptyline.
AB  - Protripyline is the pharmacologic agent most commonly used to treat obstructive
      sleep apnea (OSA); however, its anticholinergic side effects make it intolerable
      to many patients. Because serotonin may be a central respiratory stimulant and
      because the serotonin-uptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, is usually well tolerated, we
      wanted to try fluoxetine in the treatment of OSA. Therefore, we compared the
      effect of fluoxetine to that of protriptyline in 12 patients with OSA. Both drugs
      significantly decreased the proportion of REM sleep time and decreased the number
      of apneas or hypopneas in NREM sleep. The response to fluoxetine was equivalent
      to that of protriptyline; however, for the group as a whole, there was no
      significant improvement in the number of arterial oxygen desaturation events, the
      level of arterial oxygen desaturation, or the number of arousals with either
      agent. Although there was wide variability in the response to each medication,
      six of the 12 patients had good responses, including improvement in oxygenation,
      to either fluoxetine or protriptyline. Three patients could not complete the
      trial of protriptyline. We conclude that fluoxetine is beneficial to some, but
      not all, patients with OSA. Fluoxetine was better tolerated than protriptyline.

PMID- 1864118
TI  - Incidence, etiology, and outcome of nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically
      ventilated patients.
AB  - This study assessed the incidence, etiology, and consequences of ventilator
      associated pneumonia in 1,000 consecutive patients admitted in a medical-surgical
      intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 264 patients were submitted to mechanical
      ventilation (MV) for more than 48 hours. Fifty-eight (21.9 percent) patients
      developed a bacterial pneumonia after a mean of 7.9 days (range, 2 to 40 days) of
      MV. In addition, they were ten superinfections in nine patients, raising the mean
      incidence to 25.7 percent. Five patients developed secondary bacteremia, and
      another five had septic shock. Identification of the causative agent of pneumonia
      was possible in 47 episodes by means of highly specific techniques (telescoping
      plugged catheter, blood cultures, and/or necropsy). Thirteen (27.6 percent) of
      these cases were polymicrobial. The predominant pathogens isolated in the first
      episode of pneumonia were Gram-negative bacilli (62.6 percent), but a high
      incidence of Staphylococcus aureus infection (23.2 percent) was detected. Gram
      negative bacilli represented 66.6 percent of the total organisms isolated in
      superinfections. The mortality rate in the pneumonia group was 42 percent; this
      percentage is similar to mortality rate among MV patients without pneumonia (37
      percent). We conclude that nosocomial pneumonia is a frequent complication of MV
      in the medical-surgical ICU. Ventilator-associated pneumonia does not appear to
      increase fatality in critically ill patients with a high mortality rate (38
      percent); however, it significantly prolongs the length of stay in the ICU for
      survivors.

PMID- 1864119
TI  - Noninvasive face mask mechanical ventilation in patients with acute hypercapnic
      respiratory failure.
AB  - Mechanically assisted intermittent positive-pressure ventilation effectively
      provides ventilatory support in patients with respiratory failure but it requires
      placing an artificial airway. We have previously reported our successful
      experience delivering mechanical ventilation via a face mask (FMMV) rather than
      with an endotracheal tube in a pilot study of patients with acute respiratory
      failure. The present investigation evaluated an additional 18 patients with
      hypercapnic respiratory failure to determine the efficacy of FMMV in a more
      homogeneous group and to determine factors predicting its success. FMMV was
      successful in avoiding intubation in 13 of the 18 patients. A significant initial
      improvement in PCO2 (greater than 16 percent decrease) and in pH (from less than
      7.30 to greater than 7.30) predicted success. The five patients who failed on
      FMMV required endotracheal intubation because of inability to improve gas
      exchange (three patients), apnea due to sedatives (one patient), and management
      of secretions (one patient). FMMV was generally well accepted with only two
      patients withdrawn because of intolerance of the mask. The mean duration of FMMV
      was 25 h. Complications were seen in only two patients (11 percent): aspiration
      (one patient) and mild skin necrosis (one patient). Seven patients entered the
      study by meeting entrance criteria after an unsuccessful extubation attempt and
      therefore received both forms of mechanical ventilation. All but one patient
      avoided reintubation, and the face mask proved to be as effective as the
      endotracheal tube as a conduit for delivering the mechanical tidal volume and
      improving gas exchange. Our findings indicate that FMMV is a viable option for
      short-term (one to four days) ventilatory support of patients with hypercapnic
      respiratory failure and insufficiency.

PMID- 1864120
TI  - Airway pressure release ventilation in severe acute respiratory failure.
AB  - Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV), a new ventilatory support technique,
      was compared with conventional intermittent positive-pressure ventilation plus
      PEEP (CPPV) in 18 patients with severe acute respiratory failure. Patients were
      initially stabilized on CPPV and then switched to APRV. The APRV provided
      effective ventilatory support in 17 of 18 patients; APRV achieved similar levels
      of alveolar ventilation as CPPV (for APRV, mean PaCO2 = 45.0 +/- 6.2 mm Hg; vs
      for CPPV, mean PaCO2 = 43.3 +/- 5.7 mm Hg), with significantly lower mean maximum
      airway pressures (38.9 +/- 10.1 cm H2O vs 64.6 +/- 15.4 cm H2O; p = 0.0001) and
      mean VT (0.79 +/- 0.11 L vs 1.05 +/- 0.15 L; p = 0.0002). No significant
      differences in mean airway pressure, end-expiratory pressure, FIO2, ventilator
      rate, arterial blood gas levels, and hemodynamic function were noted between APRV
      and CPPV.

PMID- 1864121
TI  - Effects of heart rate and pulmonary artery pressure on Doppler pulmonary artery
      acceleration time in experimental acute pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - Chronic pulmonary hypertension in humans is characterized by shortening of the
      pulmonary artery acceleration time as measured by Doppler echocardiography, such
      that the higher the pulmonary artery pressure, the shorter the pulmonary
      acceleration time. Increases in heart rate are also known to produce decreases in
      the pulmonary artery acceleration time. To explore the relationship between mean
      pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, and Doppler pulmonary artery acceleration
      time, experimental acute pulmonary hypertension was created in nine Duroc swine,
      either by infusion of Sephadex beads with embolization of the pulmonary arterial
      circulation or by partially occluding the main pulmonary artery 8 to 10 cm distal
      to the pulmonic valve. Pulmonary artery Doppler flow velocity recordings and
      invasive pressure measurements were made at baseline and at paced atrial rates
      ranging from 60 to 160 beats per minute, in 20-beat increments. The results in
      this acute animal model reveal that increases in heart rate produced significant
      decreases in Doppler pulmonary artery acceleration time at mean pressures below
      25 mm Hg. However, with mean pulmonary artery pressures greater than 25 mm Hg,
      both heart rate and increases in pulmonary artery pressure had no significant
      effect on acceleration time.

PMID- 1864122
TI  - Intraluminal pulsed Doppler evaluation of the pulmonary artery velocity time
      curve in a canine model of acute pulmonary hypertension.
AB  - The velocity pattern of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery was investigated
      in an animal model of acute pulmonary hypertension. Nine anesthetized, open-chest
      dogs were embolized with polystyrene microspheres, and the velocity pattern of
      the blood flow in the pulmonary artery was studied with use of an invasive pulsed
      Doppler technique. Phasic intraluminal velocity was recorded with use of a
      miniature piezoelectric crystal activated by 20-MHz Doppler pulses and mounted on
      the tip of a needle probe introduced into the pulmonary artery. The recorded
      Doppler quadrature signals were processed by spectral analysis. Significant
      increases occurred in mean, systolic, and diastolic pulmonary arterial pressures
      (p less than 0.0002), in pulmonary vascular resistance (p less than 0.005), and
      in negative velocity time (duration in milliseconds that the mean velocity was
      directed toward the pulmonic valve) (p less than 0.002). Significant decreases
      occurred in right ventricular ejection time (p less than 0.006) and in positive
      velocity time (duration in milliseconds that the mean velocity was directed away
      from the pulmonic valve) (p less than 0.005). A significant shortening in the
      time to peak velocity (acceleration time) was found (p less than 0.005). Second
      order regression analyses demonstrated an inverse correlation between the ratio
      of positive velocity time to negative velocity time and the mean pulmonary artery
      pressure in all animals (r = 0.71). These findings should be compared with the
      velocity patterns of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery obtained under
      pulmonary hypertensive conditions due to various causes to facilitate
      interpretation and understanding of clinical investigations.

PMID- 1864123
TI  - Thoracic and extrathoracic bronchial fistulas.

PMID- 1864124
TI  - Preventive pulmonary medical education. A review of its importance, status, and
      challenge.

PMID- 1864125
TI  - Inverse ratio ventilation in ARDS. Rationale and implementation.
AB  - Conventional ventilatory support of patients with the adult respiratory distress
      syndrome (ARDS) consists of volume-cycled ventilation with applied positive end
      expiratory pressure (PEEP). Unfortunately, recent evidence suggests that this
      strategy, as currently implemented, may perpetuate lung damage by overinflating
      and injuring distensible alveolar tissues. An alternative strategy--termed
      inverse ratio ventilation (IRV)--extends the inspiratory time, and, in concept,
      maintains or improves gas exchange at lower levels of PEEP and peak distending
      pressures. There are two methods to administer IRV: (1) volume-cycled ventilation
      with an end-inspiratory pause, or with a slow or decelerating inspiratory flow
      rate; or (2) pressure-controlled ventilation applied with a long inspiratory
      time. There are several real or theoretical problems common to both forms of IRV:
      excessive gas-trapping; adverse hemodynamic effects; and the need for sedation in
      most patients. Although there are many anecdotal reports of IRV, there are no
      controlled studies that compare outcome in ARDS patients treated with IRV as
      opposed to conventional ventilation. Nonetheless, clinicians are using IRV with
      increasing frequency. In the absence of well-designed clinical trials, we present
      interim guidelines for a ventilatory strategy in patients with ARDS based on the
      literature and our own clinical experience.

PMID- 1864126
TI  - Sudden apnea following attempted central line placement.

PMID- 1864127
TI  - An unusual cause of long-term interstitial pulmonary edema.

PMID- 1864128
TI  - The lung cancer dilemma.

PMID- 1864129
TI  - Lung cancer. Making the diagnosis.

PMID- 1864130
TI  - Lung cancer staging.

PMID- 1864131
TI  - Surgical techniques in the diagnosis of lung cancer.

PMID- 1864132
TI  - The International Clinical Respiratory Group. Report of the first meeting.

PMID- 1864133
TI  - Patient and ventilator work of breathing and ventilatory muscle loads at
      different levels of pressure support ventilation.

PMID- 1864134
TI  - Long-term oxygen therapy.

PMID- 1864135
TI  - Atypical myxoma.
AB  - We report the case of a 38-year-old woman with a large thin-walled cystic mass (6
      x 5 x 4.5 cm) filled with arterial blood in the right atrium. The cystic mass
      with blood content was clearly delineated by transesophageal cross-sectional
      echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. At operation, a
      silver-whitish, smooth surfaced cystic mass was found attached to the free wall
      of the right atrium between the superior vena cava and the right atrial appendage
      with a broad base. Microscopically, the wall of the cyst was composed of stellate
      mesenchymal cells embedded within a myxoid matrix which was proved by alcian blue
      stain. To our knowledge, this type of cardiac myxoma has not been previously
      reported.

PMID- 1864136
TI  - Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in common variable immunodeficiency
      syndrome.
AB  - A 26-year-old woman with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome (CVID)
      associated with frequent episodes of pneumonia underwent an open lung biopsy
      showing bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Following
      corticosteroid therapy, there were no further episodes of pneumonia. In addition,
      there was roentgenographic and gas exchange improvement. This is the first case
      of BOOP in association with CVID. An immunologic basis of BOOP is postulated.

PMID- 1864137
TI  - Localized Aspergillus infestation in primary lung carcinoma. Clinical and
      pathological contrasts with post-tuberculous intracavitary aspergilloma.
AB  - Saprophytic infestation with Aspergillus was observed in pathologic specimens of
      primary squamous cell lung carcinoma. In one case, the fungus grew in cystic
      scarred parenchyma and bronchi distal to an obstructing carcinoma of a segment
      bronchus. In the other, fungi colonized the inner surface of a peripheral
      cavitary carcinoma. Neither patient had roentgenographic evidence of aspergilloma
      and neither experienced severe pulmonary hemorrhage or other complications
      attributable to the presence of fungus. Although both specimens showed colonizing
      growth within the abnormal air spaces, in neither had the colonies detached to
      form a separate intracavitary fungus ball. These patients, and eight patients
      with similar lesions reported in the literature, demonstrate that Aspergillus
      colonization of a lung neoplasm frequently lacks one or both of the features
      characteristic of post-inflammatory intracavitary aspergilloma, a loose fungus
      ball and antifungal serum antibodies. No patient, to date, has developed massive
      hemorrhage as a complication of this lesion.

PMID- 1864138
TI  - Unusual diffuse pulmonary lymphatic proliferation in a young boy.
AB  - We describe a 4-year-old boy who died of an unusual generalized pulmonary
      lymphatic proliferation. His condition cannot clearly be categorized with any of
      the previously described pulmonary lymphatic disorders.

PMID- 1864139
TI  - Granulomatous pulmonary zygomycosis in a patient without underlying illness.
      Computed tomographic appearances and treatment by pneumonectomy.
AB  - Pulmonary zygomycosis rarely occurs in the absence of underlying disease. We
      report a patient with granulomatous pulmonary zygomycosis without underlying
      disease who presented with a pulmonary mass. We present the computed tomographic
      findings that we believe have not been described previously. We also report the
      successful treatment by pneumonectomy.

PMID- 1864140
TI  - Pulmonary mass and air meniscus sign in a 19-year-old man.
AB  - Sacrococcygeal teratoma is rarely diagnosed in adults. Pulmonary mass as the
      presenting clinical form of the malignant variety of this germ-cell tumor is
      exceptional. We report herein such a case with the noticeable peculiarity of
      showing the air meniscus sign on chest roentgenographic examination.

PMID- 1864141
TI  - Acute nonhemodynamic pulmonary edema with nifedipine in primary pulmonary
      hypertension.
AB  - A 34-year-old man with primary pulmonary hypertension developed acute
      nonhemodynamic pulmonary edema after a loading dose of nifedipine. Changes of the
      vascular permeability induced by the drug acting on the arteriolar wall of the
      capillary system could be an explanation.

PMID- 1864142
TI  - Fibrotic stage of allergic bronchopulmonary candidiasis.
AB  - Since its first description in 1952, ABPA has been recognized with increasing
      frequency. More recently fungi other than Aspergillus fumigatus, in particular
      Candida albicans, have been implicated in a similar disease process. The
      following case report illustrates the possibility of finding a fibrotic stage 5
      ABPM caused by C albicans.

PMID- 1864143
TI  - Legionella pneumonia presenting as a bulging fissure on chest roentgenogram.
AB  - We report a case of Legionella pneumonia presenting as a bulging interlobar
      fissure on the lateral chest roentgenogram. This microorganism should be added to
      the list of etiologic agents producing a bulging fissure on chest roentgenogram.

PMID- 1864144
TI  - Group B streptococcal endocarditis of tricuspid valve.
AB  - We report three cases of group B streptococcal endocarditis of the tricuspid
      valve. Two patients were intravenous drug abusers. In the literature review, and
      including our cases, ten patients had group B streptococcal endocarditis of the
      tricuspid valve. Half of the patients were intravenous drug abusers. Four of the
      other patients had underlying conditions. All patients were treated with a
      penicillin with or without an aminoglycoside. Three patients underwent tricuspid
      valve surgery. The overall mortality was 20 percent. Both patients who died
      received medical therapy only.

PMID- 1864145
TI  - Myocardial infarction due to intracoronary thrombi without significant coronary
      artery disease in systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Acute myocardial infarction is a potentially fatal complication of SLE. Reported
      mechanisms include atherosclerosis, arteritis and coronary arterial spasm. The
      following case report presents a fourth possible cause; intracoronary thrombus
      with angiographically normal coronary arteries in a patient with active lupus and
      AMI.

PMID- 1864146
TI  - Formation and spontaneous closure of an arteriovenous fistula after transvenous
      pacemaker placement.
AB  - We report the findings in a patient with the unusual complication of
      arteriovenous fistula formation of the subclavian vessels seven weeks following
      placement of a dual-chamber pacemaker. The fistula's subsequent course was
      equally unusual, closing spontaneously three weeks later. It is postulated that
      the thrombotic and fibrotic reaction elicited by the leads contributed to the
      fistula's closure. Two surgical procedures, correction of the fistula and
      reimplantation of the pacemaker, were thus avoided by careful monitoring of the
      patient.

PMID- 1864147
TI  - Left-sided pleural effusion secondary to splenic vein thrombosis. A previously
      unrecognized relationship.
AB  - The association of left-sided pleural effusion and subcapsular splenic hematoma
      was reported in 1980. We describe a patient in whom a left-sided pleural effusion
      resulted from splenic vein thrombosis, a relationship not previously reported.
      Splenectomy was performed, demonstrating the spleen to be enlarged and
      hemorrhagic. The pleural effusion did not recur after splenectomy. The three
      effusions due to splenic hematomas reported previously cleared only after
      splenectomy, suggesting splenectomy may be necessary to prevent reaccumulation.
      We propose possible pathophysiologic mechanisms and recommend that splenic vein
      thrombosis be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained left-sided
      pleural effusions.

PMID- 1864148
TI  - Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and surgical
      management of right atrial myxoma.
AB  - An asymptomatic patient was discovered to have a large right atrial myxoma by
      transthoracic echocardiography. Preoperative considerations included the
      possibility of satellite lesions, left atrial origin, and a question of tricuspid
      valve involvement. Subsequent operative transesophageal echocardiography
      demonstrated single-stalk attachment in the right atrial septal wall and no
      satellite lesions. Doppler and color flow examination immediately following tumor
      removal aided in the decision not to perform tricuspid annuloplasty as there was
      no significant tricuspid regurgitation. The combined use of transthoracic and
      transesophageal echocardiography with Doppler and color flow imaging aids in the
      preoperative and intraoperative diagnosis and surgical management of right atrial
      tumors.

PMID- 1864149
TI  - Familial multiple bilateral pneumothorax associated with Marfan syndrome.
AB  - Three members of one family, a father and two sons, inflicted with Marfan
      syndrome, suffered multiple bilateral episodes of spontaneous pneumothorax that
      required repeated drainage procedures. The youngest patient also had an episode
      of unilateral expansion pulmonary edema; he underwent sequential pleural
      abrasions. Familial pneumothorax is very uncommon, and its association with
      Marfan syndrome is an exception.

PMID- 1864150
TI  - Closure of a tracheoesophageal fistula by bronchoscopic application of fibrin
      glue and decontamination of the oral cavity.
AB  - A tracheoesophageal fistula was successfully closed with a fibrin adhesive
      applied by means of a fiberoptic bronchoscope, instead of by esophagoscopy. To
      facilitate closure of the fistula, the technique was combined with
      decontamination of the oral cavity, to avoid bacterial contamination. The
      procedure is proposed as an alternative to surgery for critically ill patients.

PMID- 1864151
TI  - Noninvasive methods in the diagnosis of ruptured aneurysm of Valsalva. Usefulness
      of magnetic resonance imaging and Doppler echocardiography.
AB  - A ruptured aneurysm of noncoronary sinus of Valsalva was diagnosed noninvasively
      by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as by Doppler echocardiography.
      Diagnosis of this disease by MRI has not been reported previously.

PMID- 1864152
TI  - Balloon dilation of postsurgical subaortic obstruction.
AB  - Two children aged 10 and 5.5 years underwent balloon dilation for postsurgical
      subaortic obstruction. The outcome and the role of this procedure are discussed.

PMID- 1864153
TI  - Pulmonary function tests in bronchopleural fistula.
AB  - A 53-year-old white man underwent a left pneumonectomy for alveolar cell
      carcinoma. His postoperative course was complicated by pneumonia. At a follow-up
      clinic visit, the patient complained of a "roaring sound" during respiration. A
      follow-up PFT did not show the expected loss of volume (nitrogen washout) from a
      preoperative PFT, suggesting a bronchopleural fistula. A chest x-ray film and
      xenon lung scan confirmed the diagnosis. The fistula was surgically repaired.

PMID- 1864154
TI  - Plasmapheresis in a case of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome with ascending
      polyneuropathy.
AB  - Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome complicated by ascending polyneuropathy in a 40
      year-old woman is described. High-dose intravenous steroids had no beneficial
      effect on the clinical course. Dramatic and rapid clinical improvement occurred
      with the use of plasmapheresis. The use of this therapeutic modality should be
      considered in patients with a similar clinical presentation.

PMID- 1864155
TI  - Airflow obstruction and roadside breath alcohol testing.

PMID- 1864156
TI  - Tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection in Italy. Preliminary
      results from a multicenter study.

PMID- 1864157
TI  - Synchronous pulmonary and renal cancer.

PMID- 1864158
TI  - Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia.

PMID- 1864159
TI  - Bi-PAP, nasal ventilation, and body ventilators.

PMID- 1864160
TI  - Need for oxygen consumption measurements.

PMID- 1864161
TI  - Use of the APACHE II system in surgical lung carcinoma patients.

PMID- 1864162
TI  - Salmonella lung abscess in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

PMID- 1864163
TI  - Lung needle aspiration for diagnosis of pneumonia.

PMID- 1864164
TI  - Inhalation of a mercury thermometer.

PMID- 1864166
TI  - [The "D.E.A." in dentistry].

PMID- 1864165
TI  - [Osseointegration in complete fixed dentures: from fundamentals to clinical
      application].

PMID- 1864167
TI  - [New classification of edentulous jaw ridges in man].

PMID- 1864168
TI  - [In vitro demonstration of polymerization retraction of composites by capillary
      penetration phenomenon].

PMID- 1864169
TI  - [Staphylococci and necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. (Apropos of 11 clinical
      cases)].

PMID- 1864170
TI  - [Autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia].

PMID- 1864171
TI  - [Effect of low protein diet, plus essential amino acids on lipid metabolism in
      patients with chronic renal failure].
AB  - We investigated lipoprotein profile of 18 non-dialysis patients with CRF and 17
      patients on hemodialysis, and studied effect of LPD plus EAA on lipid metabolism
      of 18 non-dialysis patients with CRF. The results revealed that total
      triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and semi-quantity of ApoCII, ApoCIII were
      significantly increased, and HDL, ApoAI ApoAI/ApoB rate, semiquantify of ApoCI
      were significantly reduced in non-dialysis patients and patients on hemodialysis;
      VLDL and Ccr were closely negative related in non-dialysis patients. The lipid
      abnormalities were more severe in non-dialysis patients complicated with
      hypertension than without hypertension. After 6 to 10 weeks' LPD plus EAA
      treatment in 18 non-dialysis patients, total triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL, VLDL
      were significantly reduced, and HDL, ApoAI, ApoAI/ApoB were significantly
      increased. We conclude that it is characterized by type IV hyperlipidemia in
      lipid abnormalities of patients with CRF, and LPD plus EAA treatment may improve
      it effectively.

PMID- 1864172
TI  - [Influence of hemoultrafiltration and hemodialysis on endothelin].
AB  - In order to study the mechanism of plasma ET increment in CRF patients, we
      investigated 20 endothelin (CRF) patients undergone hemoultrafiltration for 90
      min followed by hemodialysis, and 12 patients subjected to single hemodialysis.
      The results revealed that 90 min's ultrafiltration along with 2500 ml fluid
      extraction brought about a significant decrease in plasma ET (from 1132 to 753
      pg/ml, P less than 0.05), while the hemodialysis without water extraction of a
      same period resulted no significant change. In the meantime, the BUN in the
      ultrafiltration group showed no prominent change. But the hemodialysis group
      presented a significant decrease (from 34.6 to 22.5 mmol/L P less than 0.05),
      which showed that the ET falling had no significant relevance to the metabolic
      products extraction. In the followed 120 min's hemodialysis, ET level in the two
      groups decreased in a different extend. Therefore, the research suggested that
      decreased extracellular volume via ultrafiltration can lead to the discretion of
      ET level.

PMID- 1864173
TI  - [Urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein coating of free cells and its clinical diagnostic
      significance].
AB  - The origin of free cells in urine is difficult to determine in the absence of
      cellular casts. Using fluorescein-conjugated antibody to human Tamm-Horsfall
      protein (THP), it examines THP coating of free cells in urine (THP-CFC), that
      could be distinguished between renal parenchymal disease (RPD) and lower urinary
      tract disease (LUTD). We had examined THP-CFC in urine of the patients with all
      kinds of RPD, renal or ureteral stone (RUS) and LUTD. The percentage of THP-CFCs
      was 0% in healthy volunteers (n = 34), 0-8% in LUTD group (n = 14), 86.3% in
      glomerulonephritis and SLE nephritis group (n = 29), 80.8% in chronic intertitial
      nephritis group (n = 26), 0-10% in RUS group (n = 14). The research results
      suggest that the percentage of THP-CFCs between the RPD and LUTD or RUS had a
      significant difference. The presence of THP-CFC in RPD and its absence in LUTD
      suggests that this simple test may be of use in differentiating RPD from LUTD.

PMID- 1864174
TI  - [Study of lipid peroxidation in patients with chronic renal failure].
AB  - The levels of lipid peroxide in plasma and erythrocyte membrane, the contents of
      blood superoxide dismutase and copper, zinc, iron in plasma, and erythrocyte
      membrane fluidity were investigated in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF).
      In comparison with the health subjects the levels of lipid peroxide in plasma and
      erythrocyte membrane were significantly higher, the contents of blood superoxide
      dismutase were significantly lower in the patients with CRF. The plasma copper
      increased and plasma zinc decreased, but plasma iron remained unchanges in the
      patients of CRF. We found that rises of lipid peroxide in erythrocyte membrane
      were closely related to changes of microviscosity in them.

PMID- 1864175
TI  - [Prognostic factors and treatment of severe acute pancreatitis].
AB  - Seventy two cases of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) all documented by
      laparotomy. Fifteen were found to be of edematous and 58 of hemorrhagic and
      necrotic type, 29 cases died (39.7%). The following 6 items are of prognostic
      importance in both the survival and the dead groups: (1) Shock, (2) Serum albumin
      less than 30 g/L. (3) BUN greater than 7 mmol/L, (4) Blood glucose greater than
      11.1 mmol/L, (5) Abnormal urine analysis, (6) PaO2 less than 8.6 kPa. Thirty two
      cases showed positivity of 3 or more of the 6 items, among them 21 died (65.6%).
      Fourty one cases had 2 or less positive items and 8 (19.5%) died. The mortality
      rate was not significantly different between the group who had either the
      edematous or the hemorrhagic necrotizing varieties. It was found that 88.2% of
      the patients in the dead group had hemorrhagic and necrotizing variety in the
      peripancreatic and similar pathology appeared in the survival group only in 50%
      (P less than 0.05). The risk was markedly increased in these patients with
      systemic complication in the lungs, kidney and brain. We found no effect of
      vasodilatation drugs (salvia miltiorrhiza and anisodamine) in the treatment of
      SAP.

PMID- 1864176
TI  - [99mTc-CPI myocardial perfusion tomography for evaluation of coronary artery
      disease].
AB  - Stress 99mTc-carbomethoxy isopropyl isonitrile myocardial perfusion tomography
      (Tc-CPI MPT) was performed in 24 controls with normal coronary arteriograms or
      stenosis less than 50% and 30 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)
      (stenosis greater than 50%). The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of
      CAD with Tc-CPI MPI was 90% and 96% respectively. The sens by Tc-CPI MPI was 89%
      for the patients with one-vessel involvement, 88% for two-vessel involvement,
      100% for three-vessel involvement. The sens for the detection of LAD, LCX and RCA
      involvement was 86%, 86% and 80% respectively. The spec were 100%, 100% and 91%
      respectively. It is concluded that TC-CPI MPT is a valuable technique for
      diagnosing CAD.

PMID- 1864177
TI  - [The prehospital emergency cardiac care in patients with acute myocardial
      infarction].
AB  - In order to evaluate the current status of prehospital care of acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) in this city, the clinical manifestations and the emergency
      cardiac care in prehospital phase in 210 patients were reviewed in the period
      from 1987 to 1988. Before admission to CCU, 45.7% of the patients had
      complications of severe cardiac arrhythmias or hemodynamic disturbances and 14.8%
      had cardiac arrests. The mortality during the first 4 weeks was 25.2%. Among 53
      patients who died, 50.9% occurred before admission and 37.7% within 1 hour. One
      hundred and ten patients (52.4%) had prehospital care and, 4 of them provided by
      the City Emergency Center and others by the local clinics near by. The median
      time from the cardiac attack to the first medical care, hospital arrival and CCU
      admission was 2, 3.6 and 6.3 hours respectively. The management on the scene was
      not efficient and effective in many patients. The rate of successful
      resuscitation in patients who had cardiac arrest out of hospital was only 7.7%.
      We are impressed that the mortality of patients with AMI is mainly in the early
      stage after appearance of symptoms. The initiation of emergency cardiac care is
      very necessary. The current status of prehospital cardiac care needs to be
      improved immediately, some suggestions are made for this purpose.

PMID- 1864178
TI  - [Changes of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) in COPD patients with
      pulmonary hypertension].
AB  - We measured the pulmonary arterial pressure and the level of Thromboxane A2
      (TXA2), and Prostacyclin (PGI2) in 30 stable COPD patients and the level of TXA2
      and PGI2 in 10 normal subjects so as to investigate the changes of TXA2 and PGI2
      in COPD patients with pulmonary hypertension. The results showed that the level
      of TXA2 increased significantly in COPD patients with dominant and latent
      pulmonary hypertension when compared with that in normal subjects (P less than
      0.001, less than 0.01), and the level of TXA2 in COPD patients with dominant
      pulmonary hypertension was also higher than that in COPD patients with latent
      pulmonary hypertension (P less than 0.02), but there was no difference in the
      level of PGI2 among normal subjects and COPD patients with or without pulmonary
      hypertension. This indicates that TXA2 plays an important role in causing
      pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients.

PMID- 1864179
TI  - [Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor. A report of 5 cases].
AB  - Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor (HIP) is rare. To our knowledge, there have only
      been 27 cases reported since 1953. We studied additional five cases, male, aged
      13-56 years, with a history of the disease of 20 days-1 year. Major complains
      were epigastric pain, fever of unknown causes, and epigastric mass. All five HIPs
      were solitary and surgically resected with a final diagnosis made pathologically.
      HIPs mimic the characters of liver cancer on ultrasonography and CT scanning,
      however, the following several points could be used to establish the diagnosis:
      patients with a long history of hepatic tumor still in a rather good condition;
      patients with no cirrhosis and negative AFP test results; tumors that are well
      encapsulated, etc. Surgical exploration should be attempted in all patients
      unless in those with poor risks in which steroid therapy may prove useful.

PMID- 1864180
TI  - [Acute hemorrhagic necrotic pancreatitis: clinical pathology and long-term
      results of surgical treatment].
AB  - There have been no generally accepted criteria for the clinicopathological
      classification of acute hemorrhagic necrotic pancreatitis (AHNP). We based on our
      experience in the surgical treatment of 30 patients with proved AHNP and their
      long-term follow up results, divided AHNP into two types, i.e. sporadic focal and
      extensive fusional, each having its own distinctive gross pathological features.
      The mortality rate of sporadic type was much lower than that of extensive
      fusional type. Eighteen patients with AHNP who survived the initial stormy
      clinical course were followed up and their pancreatic juice was collected
      endoscopically for exocrine examination. It was found that the exocrine function
      was pretty much intact in spite of its evident damage in image.

PMID- 1864181
TI  - [Closed marsupialization and delayed marsupialization in the treatment of severe
      pancreatitis].
AB  - The timing for surgical intervention and the type of operation in the treatment
      of severe pancreatitis are still controversial. In this study, we used closed
      marsupialization in which early operation was preferable and after decompression
      of the pancreas and necrosectomy, both edges of the opened greater omentum were
      sutured respectively to the upper and lower peritoneal borders of the transverse
      abdominal incision, forming a marsupium separating the greater and lesser
      abdominal cavities from each other. The abdominal incision was then sutured to
      close the opening of the marsupium. Should clinical features or CT, BUS scan have
      indicated the existence of pancreatic abscess a week or longer after the
      exploration, stiches of the abdominal wall incision were removed. The marsupium
      was easily reentered and necrotic tissue removed. As the omentum edges were
      adhered to the abdominal wall incision separating the greater and lesser
      abdominal cavities, reoperation was safe. The incision was then kept open
      (delayed marsupialization). The theoretical basis of the operation and
      satisfactory clinical results are discussed.

PMID- 1864182
TI  - [Valvuloplasty and fixation of the femoral vein for valvular incompetence of deep
      veins of the lower extremity].
AB  - Fifty cases (54 limbs) of valvuloplasty and fixation of the incompetent valve of
      the femoral vein were reported. Diagnosis was made by clinical features,
      measurement of ambulatory venous pressure, ascending and descending phlebography,
      and by intraoperative checking the blood flow. After repairing the highest
      primary valve of the superficial femoral vein a circular suture around the vein
      at 2 mm under the repaired valve was made to prevent the recurrence of valvular
      incompetence. Patients were followed-up for 6 to 45 months (mean 20.2 months)
      with satisfactory results in all and excellent in 50 limbs (92.6%). The swelling
      subsided, stasis dermatitis and ulcer healed promptly, the "heavy leg" became
      light, and venous pressure of post-exercise lowered significantly (P less than
      0.01). No retrograde flow of contrast medium was detected during the descending
      phlebography after operation. The results suggest that this operation is better
      than simple repair of the incompetent valve.

PMID- 1864183
TI  - [Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limb by Doppler ultrasound
      technique].
AB  - In this study, eighty limbs (71 patients) with clinically suspected deep venous
      thrombosis (DVT) were investigated by both venography and Doppler
      ultrasonography. Diagnosis was confirmed by venography in 67 limbs and Doppler
      ultrasonography was positive in 66 of them with the Doppler sensitivity of 98%.
      In the remaining 13 limbs clinically suspected to have DVT, neither venography
      nor Doppler ultrasonography found any abnormality in the venous system of the
      lower limbs.

PMID- 1864184
TI  - [Avulsion damage of penile and scrotal skin].
AB  - Five cases of severe avulsion damage of penile and scrotal skin were treated from
      1978 to 1988. One case was complicated by disruption of arteria and vena iliaca
      externa, 2 cases were complicated by rupture of testes and 2 cases by pelvic
      fracture and urethral damage. Three cases were cured by utilizing femoral island
      flap. In the other 2 cases treated with debridement, the damaged skin appeared
      necrotic postoperatively and satisfactory results were achieved by utilizing a
      mid-thick stamp-shaped flap technique. All the 5 cases were followed up for 1-10
      years and normal sexual function and fertility were restored.

PMID- 1864186
TI  - [In vitro nucleation factors--mucus glycoprotein and proteins: changes and
      mechanisms in the process of sludge and gallstone formation].
AB  - Both mucus glycoprotein (MGP) and proteins are in vitro nucleation factors.
      Biliary sludge proved to be a precursor of gallstones. In this study, the MGP in
      gallbladder bile (GB) and the RNA content of the membrane-bound polyribosome in
      gallbladder epithelium were significantly higher in the sludge group than that in
      gallstone and control group. These facts demonstrated the increased synthesis and
      secretion of glycoproteins in the prestone stage. The RNA content of free
      polyribosome in the sludge group was also significantly greater than that in the
      control group so that in prestone stage there was an increase of cell
      proliferation in the gallbladder epithelium. Patients with sludge and cholesterol
      gallstones had significantly higher protein concentrations in GB than those
      without gallstones or with pigment stones. The gallbladder-hepatic bile ratio of
      proteins was significantly less than that of cholesterol, and there was a highly
      positive correlation between glycoproteins and proteins in GB. Therefore, the
      only reasonable explanation for the higher protein content in these two kinds of
      patients was that the mucus selectively inhibited protein absorption in the
      gallbladder. The increases in MGP and protein content in GB during the embryonic
      stage of gallstones might play a significant role in the formation of both
      cholesterol and pigment gallstones.

PMID- 1864185
TI  - [Therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen on recovery of surgically repaired
      peripheral nerve injury].
AB  - 114 patients with peripheral nerve injury were treated microsurgically. 54
      patients with 65 nerve injuries were given hyperbaric oxygen as supplementary
      treatment. The excellent and good results of the 65 nerves accounted for 89.2%,
      but of those nerves in patients not treated with hyperbaric oxygen for 73.2% (P
      less than 0.05). The result was better in the hyperbaric oxygen group regardless
      of the repairing method used, particularly in those nerve grafting had been done
      (24.9, P less than 0.05). As for the time lapsed from injury to surgery. The
      results of fresh injuries showed no difference in either group, but hyperbaric
      oxygen was of much benefit to the old cases: the longer the delay the greater in
      difference between different groups, but better results were obtained in the
      hyperbaric oxygen group. The early the operation the better the result in either
      group.

PMID- 1864187
TI  - [Effect of discectomy on the stress distribution in lumbar spine].
AB  - The change of stress distribution of lumbar spine after discectomy was analysed
      with three-dimensional finite element method. It was showed that the stress level
      in posterior element was elevated, but the stress level in anterior element was
      lower than before. The most significant change of stress distribution was found
      in trabecular bone of vertebral bodies. The clinical relevance was discussed.

PMID- 1864189
TI  - [Transposition of the dorsal fascio-cutaneous flap of foot in treatment of
      talipes equinovarus].
AB  - For the purpose of one stage correction of severe congenital Talipes equinovarus,
      a new technique was designed to fashion a fascio-cutaneous flap from the
      redundant tissue on dorsolateral area of the foot, and it is then transposed to
      cover the defect left on the posteromedial part of the same foot following
      complete releasing and correcting the contractured soft tissue and lengthening
      the shortened tendons. This newly designed method was applied to 26 feet of
      severe congenital talipes equino-varus in 16 children aged 3/4-4 years. The foot
      deformity has been beautifully corrected and the transposed flap soundly healed
      in every foot without complication of any kind. The surgical procedures are fully
      described in the paper.

PMID- 1864188
TI  - [Determination of multiple chemical elements in CSF in Parkinson disease after
      intracerebral autotransplantation of the adrenal medulla].
AB  - The contents of indispensable major elements sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), calcium
      (Ca), magnesium (Mg), trace elements iron (Fe), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc
      (Zn), strontium (Sr), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), molybdenum
      (Mo), and other elements lead (Pb), silicon (Si), aluminium (Al), titanium (Ti),
      barium (Ba), lanthanum (La), cadmium (Yb), cerium (Ce), scandium (Sc), silver
      (Ag), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in 13 patients suffering from
      Parkinson disease before and after autotransplantation of adrenal medulla. It was
      found that while the patients' objective symptoms were relieved and the contents
      of monoamine transmitters were changed, the contents of P, V, Co, Cr, in CSF
      increased significantly (P less than 0.05 or 0.01) at the first, 2nd, 4th, 6th,
      and 8th week, the contents of Mn in CSF also increased significantly at the first
      4th week (P less than 0.05) but decreased significantly at the 8th week the
      contents of Zn in CSF increased significantly (P less than 0.05) at the 2nd week;
      Mo increased significantly (P less than 0.05 or 0.01) at the 4th and 8th week B
      increased significantly (P less than 0.05) at the first week; the contents of Ca,
      Na, Sr, Ba, Al, Ti, La, Ce, Yb, Sc, Ag in CSF increased significantly (P less
      than 0.05 or 0.01) at the 8th week, Mg, Fe, Cu Ni, Pb, Si, Cd remained unchanged
      after operation. The results suggest that the contents of these chemical elements
      can be affected by this kind of operation, indicating that these elements are
      involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinsonism.

PMID- 1864190
TI  - [Bladder flap urethroplasty for vesicovaginal fistula with urethral loss].
AB  - A new operative method termed bladder flap urethroplasty is presented in this
      article. With this method, a patient with traumatic vesicovaginal fistula and
      urethral loss was treated successfully. Postoperative follow-up for 1.5 years
      showed that the patient could have normal micturition with a satisfactory
      sphincteric function. The authors believe that the procedure is a relatively
      ideal method for the treatment of severe vesicovaginal fistula.

PMID- 1864191
TI  - [The criteria for the evaluation of impairment hand function].

PMID- 1864192
TI  - Diffuse esophageal spasm. A rare motility disorder not characterized by high
      amplitude contractions.
AB  - Diffuse esophageal spasm (DES) has frequently been described as a motility
      disorder characterized by simultaneous, high-amplitude contractions. We reviewed
      the results of esophageal manometry testing on a total of 1480 patients referred
      to our lab over 36 months. Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure was
      determined by a mean of four station pull-through. Esophageal body motility was
      assessed following 10 wet swallows. In our lab a diagnosis of DES is made when
      greater than 10% but less than 100% of contractions are simultaneous. Manometric
      findings of DES were rare, with an overall prevalence of 4% (56/1480). Of the 56
      patients with a manometric diagnosis of DES, high-amplitude (mean greater than or
      equal to 180 mm Hg) peristaltic contractions were found in only two (4%). No
      simultaneous contractions with amplitude greater than or equal to 180 mm Hg were
      seen. Pressures of simultaneous contractions were consistently lower than
      peristaltic contractions. A hypertensive LES pressure (greater than or equal to
      45 mm Hg) was present in 5/56 DES patients (9%). Poor LES relaxation was found in
      7/56 DES patients (13%). We conclude that DES is a rare manometric finding,
      regardless of the reason for referral, and that the occurrence of high-amplitude
      contractions in DES is equally rare.

PMID- 1864193
TI  - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation decreases lower esophageal sphincter
      pressure in patients with achalasia.
AB  - Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is believed to be an inhibitory
      neurotransmitter responsible for lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxation. In
      patients with achalasia the concentration of VIP and the number of VIP-containing
      nerve fibers are reduced or absent. It has been suggested that the response to
      low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may be mediated
      by a nonadrenergic noncholinergic pathway in which the release of VIP is
      responsible for the smooth muscle relaxation. The present study was designed to
      evaluate the effect of TENS on LES pressure and on VIP plasma concentrations in
      six patients with achalasia (five female, one male). TENS was performed daily
      during one week for 45-min sessions with a pocket stimulator that delivered low
      frequency pulses (6.5 Hz), at 10 pulses/sec of 0.1-msec duration at intensities
      of 10-20 mA until rhythmic flexion of the fingers was obtained without producing
      pain. LES pressure and VIP levels were obtained before TENS, after the first 45
      min session, and after a week of daily stimulation. After 45-min, TENS produced a
      significant reduction (P less than 0.01) in LES resting pressure from the mean
      value 56 +/- 6.4 mm Hg to 42.3 +/- 6.4 mm Hg; with LES relaxation improvement
      from 50.6 +/- 3% to 63.1 +/- 3.2% (P less than 0.01). After one week of daily
      TENS, an additional reduction in LES resting pressure (40.3 +/- 4 mm Hg) was
      observed (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864194
TI  - Provocation of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations by meals in
      patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux.
AB  - The effect of a meal on the rate of transient lower esophageal sphincter (LES)
      relaxations and patterns of gastroesophageal reflux was investigated in 49
      patients referred for evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux. Esophageal motility
      and pH were recorded concurrently before and after a standard meal. In the
      patients with symptomatic reflux, the meal induced a four- to sevenfold increase
      in the gastroesophageal reflux through two mechanisms: a four- to fivefold
      increase in the rate of transient LES relaxations and an increase in the
      proportion of transient LES relaxations accompanied by reflux from 47% to 68%.
      Overall the rate of reflux episodes that occurred by mechanisms other than
      transient LES relaxation did not increase significantly. An exception to these
      findings were those in six patients with chronically absent basal LES pressure in
      whom transient LES relaxations could not be scored. In these patients, reflux
      increased postprandially through mechanisms other than transient LES relaxation.
      These findings confirm the pivotal importance of transient LES relaxations in the
      pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux.

PMID- 1864195
TI  - Clinical correlates of abnormal sensitivity to intraesophageal balloon
      distension.
AB  - Sixty-five patients with esophageal complaints were studied to determine clinical
      associations with abnormal sensitivity to intraesophageal balloon distension
      (esophageal sensory dysfunction). Associations were examined in four categories:
      motility, esophageal symptoms, recent psychological symptoms, and general
      clinical features. A positive response to balloon distension (pain with less than
      or equal to 8 ml volume) was found in 29 (45%) of the subjects. This response was
      associated with specific findings in each category except recent psychological
      symptoms. A multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that an increased
      frequency of multipeaked waves on motility testing, presence of dysphagia, and
      shorter height of the subject each had an independent association with positive
      response to balloon distension (P less than or equal to 0.05 for each). Further
      comparison of subjects with sensory dysfunction, motor dysfunction, or both
      (sensorimotor dysfunction) indicated that subjects with the combined disorder
      appeared more symptomatic than those with either finding alone. These
      observations indicate that: (1) esophageal motor and sensory dysfunction are
      partially associated, but both contribute to the symptomatic state; (2) dysphagia
      may be representative of sensory dysfunction in some cases; and (3) subject
      height should be taken into consideration when interpreting balloon distension
      results.

PMID- 1864196
TI  - The effect of intravenous diazepam on esophageal motility in normal subjects.
AB  - Controversy exists over whether diazepam can be used for sedation during
      esophageal manometry studies without affecting the results. To evaluate the
      effect of diazepam, 20 healthy asymptomatic volunteers were studied using a
      standard manometry protocol employing an Arndorfer capillary infusion system.
      Following a baseline manometry, each subject received 0.1 mg/kg diazepam
      intravenously over 1 min and underwent repeat manometry 5 min after completion of
      the injection. All manometry recordings were coded and read blindly. The
      amplitude of the lower esophageal sphincter was significantly reduced by diazepam
      from 26.2 +/- 10.9 and 30.0 +/- 10.9 mm Hg to 18.8 +/- 7.6 and 24.5 +/- 9.7 mm Hg
      by rapid and station pull-through methods, respectively (P less than 0.01 both
      methods). Esophageal contraction wave duration was significantly increased
      following diazepam at 3, 8, and 13 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter (P
      less than 0.01 all levels). There was a trend toward increased contraction wave
      amplitude following diazepam administration in the lower three fourths of the
      esophagus. On the basis of these results, we conclude that diazepam sedation may
      produce misleading results when used during esophageal manometric testing. It is
      recommended that diazepam not be used in manometric studies of normal subjects or
      patients with reflux esophagitis and that manometric findings in patients with
      hypertensive or spastic disorders be interpreted with caution if diazepam is
      given as a premedication.

PMID- 1864197
TI  - A time-dependent study of passive esophageal wall properties and collagen content
      in rabbits with esophageal varices.
AB  - The passive biomechanical wall properties of the esophagus were studied in
      rabbits with esophageal varices and controls using a four-electrode impedance
      technique. Stepwise pressure inflation and deflation was done for analysis of
      esophageal cross-sectional area, compliance, and hysteresis monthly during six
      months. At sacrifice, the esophageal collagen content was determined. A small but
      statistically insignificant increase in compliance was observed during the six
      month observation period in both groups. No differences were observed between the
      groups (P greater than 0.3). No change in hysteresis was observed in either
      group. The group with esophageal varices had significantly higher collagen
      content in the distal esophagus when compared to controls (P less than 0.05). No
      difference was demonstrated in the proximal part. No correlation was demonstrated
      between the collagen content and esophageal compliance. The study demonstrated
      that the method allows measurement of luminal cross-sectional area and tissue
      elasticity. No relationship was found, however, between the collagen content and
      compliance of the rabbit esophagus.

PMID- 1864199
TI  - Surgery or chemoneurolysis for complete vagal denervation of rat stomach?
AB  - This study compared the completeness of vagal denervation of the rat stomach by
      transection vagotomy to that by chemoneurolysis (30% ethyl alcohol) alone or
      supplemented by truncal vagotomy. The H+ output over 6 hr with vagotomy by
      chemoneurolysis (10.5 +/- 0.7 mumol, mean +/- SEM, N = 10) or truncal vagotomy
      and chemoneurolysis (10.9 +/- 1.1 mumol, mean +/- SEM, N = 10) was similar to
      that with transection vagotomy, but significantly (P less than 0.01) lower than
      that with truncal vagotomy by chemoneurolysis (17.9 +/- 1.1 mumol, N = 10). The
      latter output was similar to that of truncal vagotomy performed surgically (18.2
      +/- 1.3 mumol, N = 10). Reserpine (0.1 mg/kg intraperitoneal) stimulated gastric
      acid secretion relative to control values (207 +/- 3.1 mumol vs 67 +/- 3.2 mumol,
      N = 10, P less than 0.001) and transection vagotomy, vagotomy by chemoneurolysis,
      or truncal vagotomy and chemoneurolysis were more effective (P less than 0.01)
      than truncal vagotomy performed surgically or by chemoneurolysis in preventing
      this stimulation. Insulin stimulated the H+ output (184 +/- 2.9 mumol vs 62 +/-
      3.1 mumol, N = 10, P less than 0.001) and transection vagotomy, vagotomy by
      chemoneurolysis, or truncal vagotomy and chemoneurolysis were more effective (P
      less than 0.01) than truncal vagotomy done surgically or by chemoneurolysis in
      preventing this action. These results were reproducible in experiments done after
      three months. This investigation shows that transection vagotomy, vagotomy by
      chemoneurolysis, and truncal vagotomy plus chemoneurolysis are equally effective
      in achieving vagal denervation of the rat stomach and are superior in this
      respect to truncal vagotomy done surgically or by chemoneurolysis.

PMID- 1864198
TI  - Abnormalities of gastrointestinal motility in children with nonulcer dyspepsia
      and in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
AB  - In 11 children (mean age 44.2 months) with symptoms suggesting upper intestinal
      dysfunction (nonulcer dyspepsia), in nine children (mean age 27.3 months) with
      gastroesophageal reflux (GER) disease, and in seven controls (mean age 20.4
      months) we investigated fasting [for 3 hr or until two migrating motor complexes
      (MMC) were observed] and fed (90 min) antroduodenal motility by means of perfused
      catheter system; furthermore, we measured both gastric emptying of a radiolabeled
      milk formula and fasting duodenogastric reflux during manometry by assessing bile
      salt concentration in gastric aspirates. No structural abnormalities of
      gastrointestinal tract and organic disorders were detected in the patients. In a
      high proportion of both groups of patients we found manometric abnormalities of
      interdigestive and fed motor patterns that were not seen in the controls: absence
      of antral phase III of MMC; significant decrease of antral and/or duodenal motor
      activity during fasting and/or fed periods; abnormal propagation or configuration
      of MMC phase III that was significantly shorter than in controls; bursts of
      sustained fasting and/or fed phasic duodenal activity, frequently uncoordinated
      with adjacent gut segments. When compared to controls, the mean intragastric
      concentration of bile salts during all MMC phases and the mean 1-hr percent
      gastric activity of the radiolabeled milk were significantly higher in the two
      groups of patients. We conclude that in a high proportion of children with
      nonulcer dyspepsia and of children with GER disease, gastrointestinal manometry
      may reveal significant irregularities of antral and duodenal motility, which are
      associated with increased duodenogastric reflux and delayed gastric emptying.

PMID- 1864200
TI  - Lymphocytic gastritis in nonulcer dyspepsia.
AB  - The prevalence of lymphocytic gastritis, a specific form of chronic gastritis
      characterized by infiltration of gastric superficial epithelium with T
      lymphocytes, has been established in nonulcer dyspepsia. Among a population
      sample of 586 patients at risk for gastric carcinoma, 0.83% of patients with
      nonulcer dyspepsia and 1.63% of patients with chronic active gastritis showed
      lymphocytic gastritis. Among routine gastric biopsies from 5130 patients, only
      five cases met histological and immunohistochemical criteria of lymphocytic
      gastritis.

PMID- 1864201
TI  - Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in India. Comparison of
      developing and developed countries.
AB  - Helicobacter pylori (previously Campylobacter pylori) is now accepted as the
      major cause of type B gastritis and thus what is known about the epidemiology of
      type B gastritis can reasonably be transferred to H. pylori. We used a specific
      ELISA for anti-H. pylori IgG to study the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a
      population of lower socioeconomic class from Hyderabad, India. The results from
      India were compared to studies from other parts of the world. Two hundred thirty
      eight individuals ages 3 to 70 participated. The frequency of H. pylori infection
      increased with age (P less than 0.01) and was greater than 80% by age 20. H.
      pylori infection was present in 79% of the population studied; there was no
      gender-related difference in prevalence of H. pylori infection. IgG antibody
      against hepatitis A (HAV) was rapidly acquired in Hyderabad; in a subset of 58
      children between the ages of 3 and 21 tested, the frequency of anti-HAV was
      98.2%. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increases with age in both developed
      and developing countries. The high age-specific prevalence of H. pylori infection
      in developing countries is probably a reflection of the lower socioeconomic level
      of those areas.

PMID- 1864202
TI  - Severity of Helicobacter-induced gastric injury correlates with gastric juice
      ammonia.
AB  - We postulated that ammonia produced by Helicobacter pylori may contribute to
      gastric mucosal injury. This hypothesis was evaluated in Helicobacter-positive
      patients with chronic renal failure in whom a high urea concentration might
      amplify this phenomenon. Gastric urea and ammonia were measured, and the severity
      of gastritis was evaluated by counting mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells.
      High gastric ammonia and low urea in Helicobacter-positive patients, and the
      converse in Helicobacter-negative subjects, were observed. There was a
      significant correlation between gastric ammonia and interstitial
      polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltration (P less than 0.05), suggesting a causal
      link. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori was associated with a decrease of
      ammonia and an increase of urea (P less than 0.01). The significant correlation
      between the severity of gastric inflammation and the gastric juice ammonia
      concentration suggests that ammonia may play a pathogenic role in Helicobacter
      associated gastric injury.

PMID- 1864203
TI  - Combined treatment of symptomatic gallbladder stones by extracorporeal shock-wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL) and instillation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).
AB  - Twenty-four patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones (12 radiolucent and 12
      calcified) were treated by a combined approach of extracorporeal shock-wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL) and subsequent instillation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).
      The patients received a mean of 1500 +/- 185 shock-wave discharges. The mean
      instillation time of MTBE was 13 +/- 4.2 hr. Treatment was tolerated without
      major adverse effects. Within a time period of three to five days eight of 12
      patients with pure radiolucent stones and four of 12 with calcified stones became
      stone-free. After a median follow-up of five months (range: one week to 26
      months), a total of 11 patients (92%) with radiolucent stones and of eight
      patients (66%) of those with calcified stones were free of stones, fragments, or
      debris. These clearance rates appear high when compared with reports on
      monotherapy with ESWL or MTBE, suggesting a positive effect of a combined
      approach in selected patients. Two patients exhibited recurrent stones after six
      and seven months, respectively.

PMID- 1864204
TI  - Successful shock-wave lithotripsy of bile duct stones using ultrasound guidance.
AB  - Eighteen patients with 41 gallstones in the common bile duct, common hepatic,
      cystic, and intrahepatic ducts underwent shock-wave lithotripsy using the
      electrohydraulic Sonolith 3000 lithotripter. Lithotripsy was performed using
      ultrasound guidance alone under intravenous analgesia/sedation. All patients
      previously had failed stone extraction via retrograde endoscopy, T-tube, or
      cholecystostomy. Lithotripsy was performed according to an FDA-approved protocol
      allowing a maximum of two 2500 shock-wave treatments at a 48 hr interval.
      Following the final lithotripsy or cholangiographic evidence of stone
      fragmentation, residual fragments were removed via endoscopic or percutaneous
      route within 24-72 hr. Ultrasound localization of gallstones was aided by
      continuous infusion of the common bile duct with saline solution. In 15 of the 18
      patients, complete fragmentation of the stones was accomplished, two had minimal
      fragmentation, and one with an encysted stone had no fracturing. No serious
      complications were encountered. Overall nonsurgical stone-free success rate was
      17 of 18 patients, indicating biliary duct stones can be successfully treated
      using an ultrasound-guided lithotripter and intravenous sedation alone.

PMID- 1864205
TI  - One gram of aspirin per day does not reduce risk of hospitalization for gallstone
      disease.
AB  - Data from 4524 patients in a randomized, controlled trial of aspirin were
      analyzed to determine if aspirin reduced the risk for hospitalization for
      gallstone disease. Aspirin at a dose of 1000 mg/day did not reduce the risk of
      hospitalization for gallstones. Hospitalization rates for gallstone disease were
      consistent with national rates, and the data confirmed previous associations of
      gallstone disease with age, elevated serum triglycerides, obesity, and female
      gender.

PMID- 1864206
TI  - Gallbladder function and gastric liquid emptying in achalasia.
AB  - Because of evidence that the abnormalities in achalasia are not restricted to the
      distal esophagus, we investigated gallbladder function by cholescintigraphy in
      the steady state and in response to CCK and the scintigraphic gastric emptying of
      a liquid caloric meal in 10 individuals with achalasia and 10 normal controls. No
      abnormalities were found during the filling phase of the gallbladder but seven of
      the 10 patients showed a 50% reduction in the ejection fraction (39.4% +/- 30.4
      vs 80.3 +/- 8.3 of controls, mean +/- SD, P = 0.007) and a slower than normal
      ejection phase (9.1%/min +/- 6.6 vs 18.1 +/- 4.5, P = 0.02. In eight of the 10
      patients, gastric liquid emptying was accelerated with a T1/2 of 41.5 min +/-
      15.4 vs 74.7 min +/- 11.5 in the controls (P = 0.007). It is concluded that in
      some achalasia patients extraesophageal functional abnormalities of the
      gastrointestinal tract may be found. Whether these findings are promoted by
      degenerative charges of extraesophageal nerve fibers as well as their clinical
      significance require further investigations.

PMID- 1864208
TI  - Secretory diarrhea following a dog bite.
AB  - Overwhelming sepsis is rarely complicated by secretory diarrhea. We present a
      case of fulminant sepsis associated with dermatologic manifestations,
      disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and a severe secretory diarrhea
      that has not previously been described. This followed a dog bite, and the patient
      was otherwise healthy. The combination of septic shock, skin lesions, and DIC
      occurring after a dog bite has been attributed to dysgonic fermentor 2 organisms,
      now called Capnocytophaga canimorsus, but none were cultured in this case (7).
      Dysgonic fermentor-2 may be a new cause of secretory diarrhea and should be
      considered in the differential diagnosis of overwhelming sepsis associated with
      diarrhea.

PMID- 1864207
TI  - Smoking, the oral contraceptive pill, and Crohn's disease.
AB  - Both cigarette smoking and the oral contraceptive pill have been implicated as
      aggravating factors in Crohn's disease. Based upon the recent demonstration of
      multifocal gastrointestinal infarction in Crohn's disease, a possible pathogenic
      mechanism for this condition, we propose how smoking and the oral contraceptive
      pill may potentiate a tendency for focal thrombosis and hence exacerbate the
      activity of Crohn's disease.

PMID- 1864209
TI  - Yersinia enterocolitica infection with ileal perforation associated with iron
      overload and deferoxamine therapy.
AB  - Despite the frequency of gastrointestinal disease caused by Yersinia
      enterocolitica, intestinal perforation is a rare complication of this infection
      and to date only eight cases have been reported in the English literature. We
      describe a case of this unusual condition in a 17-year-old male patient with
      thalassemia intermedia requiring transfusion, who was also taking deferoxamine.
      The severity of the clinical picture is probably due to the increased virulence
      of Yersinia enterocolitica in the presence of deferoxamine and iron.

PMID- 1864210
TI  - Collagenous colitis with involvement of terminal ileum.
AB  - We present a case of collagenous colitis with evidence of terminal ileal
      involvement. The patient suffered from chronic watery diarrhea of three months'
      duration, and colonoscopy revealed a normal endoscopic appearance. Histologic
      examination of biopsies revealed a broad subepithelial band of collagen, with
      similar histologic findings in the terminal ileum. Additionally, the patient
      exhibited abnormalities of d-xylose and vitamin B12 absorption, although there
      were no clinical signs of malabsorption. Biopsy of the proximal small intestine
      was normal. The significance of these findings for the definition of the
      clinicopathologic entity of collagenous colitis and its pathogenesis are
      discussed.

PMID- 1864211
TI  - Portal vein thrombosis complicating endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy. Convincing
      further evidence.
AB  - Portal vein thrombosis occurred in a patient who bled from gastric varices that
      developed after obliteration of esophageal varices by endoscopic sclerotherapy.
      This complication was recognized only at surgery when thrombectomy and
      endovenectomy preceded the successful placement of an end-to-side portocaval
      shunt. At histopathology, the presence of an amorphous, eosinophilic material
      staining negatively for fibrin and similar to sclerosant injected at
      sclerotherapy was observed within the clot. This latter finding, previously
      unreported, provides convincing evidence for the causal relationship of portal
      vein thrombosis to endoscopic sclerotherapy.

PMID- 1864212
TI  - Familial enteric neuropathy with pseudoobstruction.
AB  - We report a case of autosomal dominant chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction
      secondary to a familial enteric neuropathy. Esophagogastrointestinal manometry
      studies in the index case showed decreased postprandial contractile frequency
      with normal amplitude of pressure activity in the stomach and small bowel.
      Pupillary function and autonomic reflexes were all normal, excluding an extrinsic
      autonomic neuropathy of the viscera. Histologic examination of the small
      intestine by hematoxylin and eosin stains revealed normal smooth muscles but a
      reduced number of neurons in the myenteric plexus without inflammatory cells or
      neuroNal intranuclear inclusions. Histologic examination of the myenteric plexus
      using the sections taken along the longitudinal axis of the intestine, stained
      with silver by the Smith technique, disclosed decreased numbers of argyrophilic
      neurons and degeneration of neurons and axons; however, there was no reactive
      increase in the number of glial cell nuclei. The patient's mother had suffered
      from chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction, which did not abate following
      extensive small bowel resection. This is the third family reported with an
      autosomal dominant enteric neuropathy unassociated with evidence of extrinsic
      autonomic or peripheral neuropathy. Subtotal resection of the small bowel was
      followed by recurrence of the pseudoobstruction syndrome in both affected members
      of the family.

PMID- 1864213
TI  - Omeprazole: gastrin and gastric data.

PMID- 1864214
TI  - Resection of intestinal bypass blind loop.

PMID- 1864215
TI  - Pancreatic duct changes.

PMID- 1864216
TI  - Antimony electrodes for in vivo pH monitoring.

PMID- 1864217
TI  - Antimony electrodes.

PMID- 1864218
TI  - Nonpharmacological treatment of hypertension in diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Hypertension may be partially or completely controlled by appropriate use of
      nondrug therapies. Because diabetic patients are so often hypertensive and
      because the same nondrug therapies effective for treatment of hypertension may
      also benefit the diabetes, the use of nondrug therapies is particularly important
      in these patients. Evidence about the effectiveness of various nondrug therapies
      is provided along with practical suggestions to improve patient adherence to
      them.

PMID- 1864219
TI  - Insulin and cardiovascular disease. Paris Prospective Study.
AB  - The Paris Prospective Study is a long-term investigation of coronary heart
      disease (CHD) risk factors in a large population of working men. The baseline
      cohort included 7028 men, 6093 who had a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test with
      measurement of plasma insulin and glucose levels (0 and 2 h) and 125 who were
      known non-insulin-treated diabetic patients. After a mean follow-up of 11 yr, 126
      deaths ascribed to CHD were reported. Major independent predictors of CHD death
      were blood pressure, smoking, plasma cholesterol level, and fasting and 2-h
      postload plasma insulin level. Impairment of glucose tolerance, including overt
      diabetes, did not rank as an independent predictor when other baseline variables
      were accounted for. In the subset of the baseline cohort who presented with
      impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes (n = 943), 26 died from CHD during the
      follow-up. The strongest independent predictor of subsequent CHD death in this
      subsample with abnormal glucose tolerance was plasma triglyceride level. In view
      of the accumulating evidence that hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia
      generally occur in the same type of subjects, in relation to insulin resistance
      and central obesity, the epidemiological findings of the Paris Prospective Study
      and of other investigations support the hypothesis that a constellation of mild
      metabolic abnormalities may play a deleterious role with regard to cardiovascular
      disease risk.

PMID- 1864220
TI  - Hyperinsulinemia or increased sympathetic drive as links for obesity and
      hypertension.
AB  - The association of obesity with hypertension has been amply demonstrated in cross
      sectional, longitudinal, and dietary-intervention studies, but the mechanisms
      remain enigmatic. Both conditions are independently characterized by similar
      metabolic alterations, i.e., glucose intolerance, dyslipoproteinemia, elevated
      serum uric acid, and inadequate Na+ transport. Obesity, hypertension, and these
      metabolic alterations are associated with hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance.
      The degree of these alterations is lowest in lean hypertensives, intermediate in
      obese normotensives, and greatest in obese hypertensives, but mortality risk is
      highest in lean hypertensives. This apparent discrepancy may be related to the
      divergent hemodynamic characteristics, possibly indicating different etiology, of
      lean and obese hypertensives, i.e., contracted blood volume, increased total
      vascular peripheral resistance, and normal sympathetic drive in the former,
      expanded blood volume, normal peripheral resistance, and increased sympathetic
      drive in the latter. Current knowledge suggests that the interrelationships of
      obesity and hypertension with the metabolic alterations could be mediated by high
      carbohydrate and fat consumption and low physical activity, resulting in obesity
      and separate pathways in hyperinsulinemia and increased sympathetic drive,
      leading to a double vicious cycle. In one, hyperinsulinemia and the consequent
      insulin resistance would compound one another. In the second, the increasing
      hyperinsulinemia would increasingly stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
      This double vicious cycle could result in increasing hemodynamic and metabolic
      derangements causing hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular
      disease (ASCVD). The association of lean hypertension with ASCVD may be through
      other mechanisms, e.g., hemodynamic forces on the vascular endothelium.

PMID- 1864221
TI  - Obesity and hypertension.
AB  - There is a close association of obesity with hypertension through mechanisms not
      now understood. Hypertension occurs frequently in industrialized societies where
      weight gain with advancing years is a common feature and is rare in primitive
      societies where weight and age are negatively correlated. Hemodynamically,
      obesity is characterized by an expanded blood volume and increased cardiac
      output. Hypertension results if/when systemic vascular resistance fails to
      decrease as cardiac output increases. When calorie restriction leads to weight
      loss, both blood volume and cardiac output decrease; when the blood pressure
      falls, this is because peripheral resistance is unchanged. Weight-loss programs
      are helpful for the obese hypertensive because when hypertension is mild, blood
      pressure often (but not always) normalizes. Also, weight loss has been shown to
      decrease antihypertensive drug requirements. Interest in obesity-associated
      hypertension focuses on hyperinsulinemia/insulin resistance as causative factors.
      Although the evidence is tempting, it is far from conclusive and it seems likely
      that the mechanism of this type of hypertension is as multifactorial as those of
      other types.

PMID- 1864222
TI  - Calcium metabolism in hypertension and allied metabolic disorders.
AB  - Data suggest a critical role for Ca metabolism in the pathophysiology of
      hypertensive disease. Intracellularly, all hypertension displays elevated
      cytosolic free-Ca2+ and suppressed free-Mg2+ levels. Extracellularly, however,
      heterogeneous defects in Ca and Mg metabolism are observed. This apparent
      divergence may be explained by considering all hypertension as the expression, in
      varying degrees, of two underlying Ca-related mechanisms: one (salt sensitive,
      low renin, Ca(2+)-antagonist sensitive) dependent on inappropriate cellular Ca2+
      uptake from the extracellular space and the other (salt insensitive, renin
      dependent, Ca(2+)-antagonist insensitive) dependent on increased cellular Ca2+
      release from intracellular sites. Recent work highlights the role of 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D3 and the newly described parathyroid hypertensive factor in
      volume-dependent low-renin forms of hypertension. Altered cellular ion handling
      may also explain metabolic and clinical correlates of hypertension, e.g.,
      peripheral insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, and non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Thus, all subjects with NIDDM, whether
      hypertensive or not, display the same elevated cytosolic free-Ca2+ and suppressed
      free-Mg2+ levels observed in hypertension. Furthermore, adiposity, the level of
      blood pressure, and fasting and postglucose hyperinsulinemia are all closely and
      quantitatively related to intracellular free-Ca2+, free-Mg2+, and pH levels. This
      suggests a broader hypothesis, in which hypertension, obesity, insulin
      resistance, and NIDDM, each usually considered a distinct clinical entity,
      represent different clinical expressions of a common defect in cellular ion
      handling, hence explaining their frequent clinical coexistence in the general
      population.

PMID- 1864223
TI  - Effects of cefonicid on platelet aggregation.
AB  - Beta-lactam antibiotics may interfere with platelet aggregation by inhibiting the
      binding of agonists of platelet aggregation, such as ADP and collagen, to
      specific receptor sites. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the
      effects of cefonicid, a semi-synthetic cephalosporin, on platelet aggregation.
      Spontaneous platelet aggregation and platelet aggregation induced by ADP and
      collagen were assessed. Platelets from healthy subjects were incubated with
      cefonicid at final concentrations of 0.1 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml (0.1 mg/ml
      is the concentration of cefonicid achieved in humans at therapeutic doses). When
      compared with saline, cefonicid at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml had no effect on
      platelet aggregation, but at 1 mg/ml it inhibited ADP-induced aggregation and at
      10 mg/ml it also inhibited aggregation induced by collagen. These findings
      suggest that therapeutic doses of cefonicid do not affect platelet aggregation.

PMID- 1864224
TI  - The cellular mechanism of action of bisphosphonates.
AB  - Present understanding of the cellular mechanism of action of bisphosphonates as
      in vitro and in vivo inhibitors of bone resorption is reviewed. This mechanism
      appears to involve the osteoclast at more than one stage of its maturation
      process, and way well be receptor-mediated, although the molecular mechanism
      itself is thus far unknown.

PMID- 1864225
TI  - Effect of propionyl carnitine on cardiac energy metabolism evaluated by the
      release of purine catabolites.
AB  - The assessment of purine release in perfusion fluid is a new method (Zucchi et
      al.) which allows a continuous evaluation of energy metabolism in isolated
      perfused rat heart. Purine release in fact is related to the imbalance between
      ATP formed and utilized in myocytes. With this method we have investigated the
      effect of propionyl carnitine, carnitine and propionate on the working heart. The
      presence of millimolar concentrations of propionyl carnitine decreases purine
      release and improves cardiac performance as measured by cardiac output and double
      product (product of heart rate and aortic systolic pressure). Propionate has no
      effect, while carnitine slightly decreases purine release. The property shown by
      propionyl carnitine in decreasing the imbalance between ATP production and
      utilization and in improving cardiac performance is due to its ability to improve
      the energy metabolism of cardiomyocytes. This compound supplies oxidizable
      substrates and intermediates to the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In the presence of
      propionyl carnitine the myocardium therefore responds better to the sudden
      requirements of overwork and shows better functional efficiency for longer
      periods.

PMID- 1864226
TI  - L-acetylcarnitine enhances functional muscle re-innervation.
AB  - The efficacy of L-acetylcarnitine and L-carnitine treatment on motor re
      innervation was analyzed by evaluating different muscular parameters describing
      functional muscle recovery after denervation and re-innervation. The results show
      that L-acetylcarnitine markedly enhances functional muscle re-innervation, which
      on the contrary is unaffected by L-carnitine. The medial gastrocnemius muscle was
      denervated by cutting the nerve at the muscle entry point. After 20 days the
      sectioned nerve was resutured into the medial gastrocnemius muscle, and the
      extent of re-innervation was monitored 45 days later. L-acetylcarnitine-treated
      animals show significantly higher twitch and tetanic tensions of re-innervated
      muscle. Furthermore the results, obtained by analysing the twitch time to peak
      and tetanic contraction-relaxation times, suggest that L-acetylcarnitine mostly
      affects the functional re-innervation of slow motor units. The possible
      mechanisms by which L-acetylcarnitine facilitates such motor and nerve recovery
      are discussed.

PMID- 1864227
TI  - Topical application of superoxide dismutase cream.
AB  - A superoxide dismutase (SOD) cream containing 0.6 mg/ml of bovine SOD was
      prepared. It was applied locally onto the skin and mucosal lesions caused by
      progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),
      Behcet's disease, herpes simplex and burns. The lesions and symptoms were rapidly
      improved in many cases after its administration, even when the symptoms were
      stabilized for several weeks before the treatment. Although the trial was open
      labelled, the topical application of SOD was concluded to be effective for these
      conditions.

PMID- 1864229
TI  - [Possibility of integration of the hospice idea into the hospital structure].

PMID- 1864228
TI  - Effect of solcoseryl on antitumour action and acute toxicity of some
      antineoplastic drugs.
AB  - The in vivo effect of Solcoseryl on the antitumour activity and acute toxicity of
      some antineoplastic drugs was examined. It was found that Solcoseryl does not
      inhibit the antineoplastic effectiveness of the drugs against transplantable P
      388 leukaemia in mice. Studies of the effect of Solcoseryl on acute toxicity of
      selected antineoplastic drugs in mice revealed that the biostimulator could exert
      a modifying influence. The prior administration of Solcoseryl significantly
      decreases the acute toxicity of methotrexate but has no effect on acute toxicity
      of 5-fluorouracil, increases the acute toxicity of bleomycin and vinblastine and
      has no effect on acute toxicity of methotrexate and mitoxantron. On the other
      hand, Solcoseryl administered simultaneously with the antineoplastic drugs
      increases acute toxicity of 5-fluorouracil, bleomycin and mitoxantron. The
      protective effect of the biostimulator noted exclusively against acute toxicity
      of 5-fluorouracil was also observed after multiple administration of this
      anticancer drug.

PMID- 1864230
TI  - [Perinatal medicine--interdisciplinary cooperation between obstetrics and
      neonatology. Introduction into the main topic].

PMID- 1864231
TI  - [Experiences of a pediatric nurse in an intensive care unit for premature
      infants].

PMID- 1864232
TI  - [Neonatal intensive care units in obstetrics departments].

PMID- 1864233
TI  - [Emphasis in the nursing of premature infants with respiratory distress
      syndrome].

PMID- 1864234
TI  - [Psycho-biological aspects in the nursing of premature infants].

PMID- 1864235
TI  - [Continuing nursing education "Pediatric Intensive Care"].

PMID- 1864236
TI  - [Only together can we succeed. Society for aid to premature infants and infants
      at risk "Das Fruhchen"--cooperation between professional personnel and affected
      parents].

PMID- 1864237
TI  - [Ethics in neonatology. Care of the premature--an ethical challenge for the
      neonatologist].

PMID- 1864238
TI  - [Ethics commissions in neonatology].

PMID- 1864239
TI  - [Limits to the obligation of medical treatment in the most severely disabled
      newborn infants].

PMID- 1864240
TI  - [Regulation of working time].

PMID- 1864241
TI  - ["Totally normal". Report of experiences from the Bremen-Ost Central Hospital
      with the Bremen Model for the normalization of the working time in nursing].

PMID- 1864242
TI  - ["Service plan" and "personnel pool". Possibilities for the nursing
      administration to direct the distribution of personnel to avoid over- or under
      coverage].

PMID- 1864243
TI  - [The prognostic value of evoked potentials in early neurologic rehabilitation of
      patients with the apallic syndrome].
AB  - In 22 patients with apallic syndrome brainstem auditory and somatosensory evoked
      potentials were recorded, in 8 patients the course during rehabilitation was
      observed. Clinically the patients were scored with Glasgow-coma scale, Karnofsky
      index and Goldenberg-scale. The outcome of rehabilitation was estimated by the
      "Glasgow-outcome scale". No correlation was found between results of evoked
      potentials and clinical state. First evoked potentials measurements of apallic
      patients allowed no prognosis. Evoked potentials are an important prognostic
      factor after severe head trauma, but have no value for the prognosis of apallic
      patients.

PMID- 1864244
TI  - [Event-related potentials in schizophrenic patients in the acute phase and in
      remission].
AB  - In 15 schizophrenic patients event-related potentials were recorded during an
      auditory two-tone-discrimination task in the acute phase and after remission. The
      control group consisted of ten healthy subjects of the same age. The
      schizophrenic patients showed reduced amplitudes of N1, P2 and P3 and prolonged
      latencies of N2 and P3 independent of neuroleptic medication and clinical state.
      We found no differences in the topographical distribution of P3 between
      schizophrenic patients and controls. The changes of the event-related potentials
      in the schizophrenic patients may be interpreted as electrophysiological
      correlates of basic disturbances in information processing in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1864245
TI  - [Magnetic stimulation using double coils--methodology and normal findings].
AB  - Magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex and spinal nerve roots was investigated
      in a group of 45 normal subjects using double coils. Figure of eight coils allows
      for an isolated excitation of the motor cortex of one hemisphere which cannot be
      achieved with circular coils. To evoke compound responses in hand muscles the
      optimal position of the figure of eight coil is with its centre about 5 cm
      lateral of the vertex and contralateral to the target muscle. The coil handle is
      in frontal position (occipito-frontal direction of the stimulation current in the
      coil; physical current definition is used resembling the electron flow from - to
      +). For the excitation to leg muscles the double coil centre is over the vertex
      with the handle contralateral to the target muscle (frontal current direction).
      Cervical roots can easily be stimulated using figure of eight coils with the
      handle contralateral to the target muscle and the coil centre over the root
      segment.

PMID- 1864246
TI  - [Changes in the responses of motor units to transcranial magnetic stimulation in
      patients with multiple sclerosis and stroke].
AB  - In multiple sclerosis and stroke the muscle responses to transcranial magnetic
      stimulation are frequently delayed, reduced in amplitude or absent. To
      investigate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, responses of single
      motor units to transcranial magnetic stimulation were analysed using peri
      stimulus time histograms. The following response patterns were detected: 1.
      prolongation of latency and duration of the primary peak which occurs in healthy
      controls 17 to 30 ms after the stimulus and has a duration of 2 to 8 ms, 2. lack
      of an excitatory response, 3. prolongation of the interval between sub-peaks
      within the primary peak and 4. multimodal responses. Possible mechanisms for
      these changes are: reduction and dispersion of conduction velocities in
      corticospinal axons associated with impaired summation of excitatory post
      synaptic potentials at the spinal motoneurone, frequency-dependent or complete
      conduction block in corticospinal neurones and compensatory activation of other
      descending motor pathways.

PMID- 1864247
TI  - [Activation of the semantic memory by subliminal word stimuli? An analysis using
      event-related potentials].
AB  - There is a hotly debated question as to whether the meaning of a word can be
      assessed in the lexicon before conscious identification of this word is possible.
      Some authors have reported shorter lexical decision times for words, which had
      been preceded by primes, that had been masked below threshold. This effect was
      taken as evidence for an automatic activation of the lexicon by the unidentified
      prime. We report an ERP study using the N400 potential and lexical decision time
      as an index for associative activation of the lexicon. In a condition with supra
      threshold primes the typical acceleration of lexical decision time and reduction
      of N400 amplitude was found for semantically related target words. In the sub
      threshold condition, however, no evidence was found for priming in RT and ERP
      data. This pilot data, as well as previous RT studies, question the findings
      gathered on sub-threshold priming. No dissociation between RT and ERP parameters
      was found in the present study.

PMID- 1864248
TI  - [Quantification of artefacts in surface EMG by validating the lower frequency
      limit in clinico-physiologic studies].
AB  - The surface-EMG becomes more and more important because computer assisted
      analysing systems can be applied. The occurrence of artefacts makes it very
      difficult to compare several recorded EMG channels with each other. In this study
      a frequency related quantification of movement artefacts and ECG-related
      influences on the EMG is carried out to select a suitable lower cut-off frequency
      for surface-EMG investigations. In 764 monopolar surface-EMG-recordings of the
      neck and back muscles the solely artefact-caused part of EMG-segments was
      analysed and quantified by means of modelling methods.

PMID- 1864249
TI  - [Techniques of determining saccadic parameters].
AB  - For the analysis of saccadic eye movements two values were to be computed: the
      latency of the reaction and the maximum velocity reached by the eye finding the
      new visual point. The waveform is disturbed especially by noise. With this
      method, the impurity level can be reduced nearly completely without destroying
      the curve shape of the saccade.

PMID- 1864250
TI  - [Attention deficits and schizophrenia. Multidisciplinary approaches and the
      Stroop's test].
AB  - Since McGhie & Chapman's (1961) pioneering work, there have been continual
      attempts to clarify the link between attentional disturbances observable in
      schizophrenics and their schizophrenic symptoms. Venables (1964, 1977) claims
      that this diminution is a consequence of a badly controlled arousal, resulting in
      an inadequate filtering at the level of sensory input. Although the notion of a
      faulty sensory filter is simple and intellectually satisfying, this idea rapidly
      met with articulate opposition. Broadbent himself, in 1971, revised his model to
      take into account the way in which semantic aspects influence selective
      attention, and proposed the existence of a second stage of information
      processing, coming after the sensory filter. It became increasingly clear that
      progress in understanding selective attention would depend upon more centrally
      directed approaches. In 1935, Stroop developed an ingenious way of studying
      selective attention. In his task, an "automatic", overlearned task (reading short
      words aloud) is put into conflict with a slightly more difficult task (colour
      naming): the subject has to name the colour of the ink in which a word is
      printed, but the word itself is the name of a different colour. For instance,
      when the word "blue" is written in red ink, the correct response is "red".
      Typically, subjects find it difficult to inhibit the reading response, and take
      significantly more time to name a colour that forms an incompatible word than
      take to name the colour of a row of letters "x". This increased reaction time for
      the incompatible condition is attributed to an "interference" caused by the
      verbal information contained in the double stimulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1864251
TI  - [Biological psychiatry and current classifications of depressive disorders].
AB  - By means of a review of genetic, biological and neurophysiological studies, we
      attempted to validate the DSM III-R depressive disorder categories. Genetic
      studies support the distinction between bipolar and recurrent major (unipolar)
      depression although genetic heterogeneity and variable phenotypic expressivity
      have been suggested in bipolar depression. Biological and neuroendocrine
      abnormalities in depression seem to relate more to a particular symptomatological
      profile than to a specific depressive subtype including the bipolar-unipolar
      dichotomy. For example, catecholamines and serotonin metabolism seem to reflect
      respectively psychomotor status and aggressiveness in depression. Using genetic
      and biological criteria, major depression with psychotic features is the best
      validated category of the four main DSM-R major depressive subclasses or
      specifications (psychotic, chronic, melancholic, seasonal). Psychotic depression
      seems to constitute the most coherent subgroup and biological abnormalities such
      as dexamethasone non suppression and shortened REM latency are very often
      observed. An important confounding variable in these biological validation
      studies is the severity of the depressive state. Psychotic depression is
      considered to be a more severe depressive subtype and also shows marked
      biological disturbances. Conversely, in seasonal depression, a less severe
      depressive subtype, CSF monoamine metabolism abnormalities, dexamethasone non
      suppression and shortened REM latency could not clearly be demonstrated. Genetic
      studies show that early onset dysthymia and cyclothymia could be part of the
      affective spectrum and some maintain that these two clinical entities are
      attenued forms of bipolar or recurrent major depression.

PMID- 1864252
TI  - [Noradrenaline and cerebral aging].
AB  - The central functions of norepinephrine (NE) are a recent discovery: regulation
      of alertness and of the wakefulness-sleep cycle, maintenance of attention, memory
      and learning, cerebral plasticity and neuro-protection. The anatomical,
      histological, biochemical and physiological properties of the central
      noradrenergic system: extreme capacity for ramification and arborization; slow
      conduction, non-myelinized axons with extrasynaptic varicosities producing and
      releasing NE; frequency of co-transmission phenomena, and; neuromodulation with
      fiber effect responsible for improvement in the signal over background noise
      ratio and selection of significant stimuli form a true interface between the
      outside world and the central nervous system, notably for the neocortex in the
      context of the cognitive treatment of information. This central noradrenergic
      system is involved in the neurophysiology and the clinical features of cerebral
      aging (ideation-motor and cognitive function slowing down, loss of behavioral
      adjustment), neuro-degenerative disorders (SDAT, Parkinson's disease), certain
      aspects of depression and less obvious conditions (head injuries, sequelae of
      cerebrovascular accidents, sub-cortical dementia). The recent development of
      medications improving alertness (adrafinil, modafinil) with a pure central action
      and specifically noradrenergic, may contribute to an improvement in these
      multifactorial disorders.

PMID- 1864253
TI  - [Plasma levels and membrane transports in red blood cell of tyrosine and
      tryptophane in depression. Evaluation at baseline and recovery].
AB  - The erythrocyte membrane transports (MT) of L-tyrosine and L-tryptophan, as well
      as their plasma levels, were measured in 143 depressed patients after a wash-out
      period of one week and before any antidepressant treatment, and then at regular
      intervals until they recovered. 49 normal subjects served as a control group. The
      perturbations of these biologic variables at baseline were different according to
      diagnostic groups (DSM III), compared to controls: significant decrease of the
      two MT in depressed bipolar disorders; significant decrease of MT in depressed
      bipolar disorders; significant decrease of MT tyrosine and significant increase
      of MT tryptophan in recurrent major depressions; no significant changes of MT in
      dysthymic disorders. The plasma levels of tyrosine and total tryptophan show a
      significant diminution in the 3 groups. The study of the evolution of these same
      variables after antidepressant treatment show a return to normal of the MT at
      recovery, as well as the plasma levels of tyrosine. The plasma levels of
      tryptophan stay low in depressed bipolar disorders and recurrent major
      depressions.

PMID- 1864254
TI  - [Plasma MHPG, peripheral noradrenergic marker and hormonal plasma levels of
      cortisol-T3-T4-TSH in depressive syndromes].
AB  - Based on the hypocatecholaminergic hypothesis in the depressive syndromes, this
      survey on 30 depressed patients compared to 21 control patients, attempts to
      state exactly the potential interactions between the noradrenergic system and the
      hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid neuroendocrine
      axis. The biological indices used during this survey are: total plasmatic MHPG,
      the basic plasmatic cortisol, the thyroid hormones T3, T4, free T4, and the TSH.
      The results of this survey reveal a significative increase of the basic plasmatic
      cortisol among the depressed patients, including dysthymics, a decrease of the
      plasmatic MHPG during major depressions, and a significant fall of the total T3
      among depressed men, as well as some correlations between the different axes, the
      interpretation of which remains "ticklish".

PMID- 1864255
TI  - [Treatment of resistant depression with the citalopram-lithium combination.
      Methodology of a double-blind multicenter study and preliminary results].
AB  - Citalopram, a new bicyclic antidepressant, is the most selective serotonin
      reuptake inhibitor. In a number of double-blind controlled studies, citalopram
      was compared to placebo and to known tricyclic antidepressants. These studies
      have shown their efficacy and good safety. The inefficacy of a psychotropic
      treatment in at least 20% of depressives has led a number of authors to propose
      original drug combinations and associations, like antidepressant/lithium (Li),
      antidepressant/sleep deprivation (agrypnia), antidepressant/ECT, or
      antidepressant/LT3. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the clinical
      effectiveness and safety of a combined citalopram/lithium treatment in therapy
      resistant patients, taking account of serotonergic functions, as tested by the
      fenfluramine/prolactin test, and of drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics of
      metabolism. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: A washout period of 3 days before initiating the
      treatment is included. After an open treatment phase of 28 days (D) with
      citalopram (20 mg D1-D3; 40 mg D4-D14; 40 or 60 mg D15-D28; concomitant
      medication allowed: chloral, chlorazepate), the nonresponding patients [less than
      50% improvement in the total score on the 21 item-Hamilton Depression Rating
      Scale (HDRS)] are selected and treated with or without Li (randomized in double
      blind conditions: citalopram/Li or citalopram/placebo) during the treatment (D29
      D35). Thereafter, all patients included in the double-blind phase subsequently
      receive an open treatment with citalopram/Li for 7 days (D36-D42). The hypothesis
      of a relationship between serotoninergic functions in patients using the
      fenfluramine/prolactin test (D1) and the clinical response to citalopram (and Li)
      is assessed. Moreover, it is evaluated whether the pharmacogenetic status of the
      patients, as determined by the mephenytoin/dextromethorphan test (D0-D28), is
      related to the metabolism of fenfluramine and citalopram, and also to the
      clinical response. CLINICAL ASSESSMENT: Patients with a diagnosis of major
      depressive disorders according to DSM III are submitted to a clinical assessment
      of D1, D7, D14, D28, D35, D42: HDRS, CGI (clinical global impression), VAS
      (visual analog scales for self-rating of depression), HDRS (Hamilton depression
      rating scale, 21 items), UKU (side effects scale), and to clinical laboratory
      examens, as well as ECG, control of weight, pulse, blood pressure at D1, D28,
      D35. Fenfluramine/prolactin test: A butterfly needle is inserted in a forearm
      vein at 7 h 45 and is kept patent with liquemine. Samples for plasma prolactin,
      and d- and l-fenfluramine determinations are drawn at 8 h 15 (base line).
      Patients are given 60 mg fenfluramine (as a racemate) at 8 h 30. Kinetic points
      are determined at 9 h 30, 10 h 30, 11 h 30, 12 h 30, 13 h 30. Plasma levels of d-
      and l-fenfluramine are determined by gas chromatography and prolactin by IRNA.
      Mephenytoin/dextromethorphan test: Patients empty their bladders before the test;
      they are then given 25 mg dextropethorphan and 100 mg mephenytoin (as a racemate)
      at 8 h 00. They collect all urines during the following 8 hours. The metabolic
      ratio is determined by gas chromatography (metabolic ratio
      dextromethorphan/dextrorphan greater than 0.3 = PM (poor metabolizer);
      mephenytoin/4-OH-mephenytoin greater than 5.6, or mephenytoin S/R greater than
      0.8 = PM). Citalopram plasma levels: Plasma levels of citalopram,
      desmethylcitalopram and didesmethylcitalopram are determined by gas
      chromatography--mass spectrometry. RESULTS OF THE PILOT STUDY. The investigation
      has been preceded by a pilot study including 14 patients, using the
      abovementioned protocol, except that all nonresponders were medicated with
      citalopram/Li on D28 to D42. The mean total score (n = 14) on the 21 item
      Hamilton scale was significantly reduced after the treatment, ie from 26.93 +/-
      5.80 on D1 to 8.57 +/- 6.90 on D35 (p less than 0.001). A similar patCitalopram,
      a new bicyclic antidepressant, is the most selective serotonin reu

PMID- 1864256
TI  - [Irreversible neurologic sequelae caused by lithium].
AB  - Lithium therapy can induce acute toxic reactions especially during overdosage.
      Exceptionally, permanent neurologic sequelae persist after the acute toxic
      reaction. These sequelae are more often cerebellar symptoms. Dementia,
      parkinsonian syndromes, choreoathetosis, brain stem syndromes and peripheral
      neuropathies have also been described. They are defined as irreversible if they
      persist more than two months after the interruption of lithium treatment. These
      neurologic complications occur frequently after voluntary or accidental poisoning
      but they may be observed even if the serum lithium dosage is below toxic level.
      Risk factors other than overdose are not well identified. Neurologic lesions
      induced by lithium can occur in the first days of the treatment as well as after
      years of maintenance therapy. Age and psychiatric diagnosis do not seem to be
      correlated with an increased risk of lithium induced neurotoxicity. Sex may be a
      risk factor, because of an overrepresentation of women among the case reports.
      The lithium-neuroleptic combination is another possible (although controversial)
      risk factor precipitating the occurrence of irreversible neurologic sequelae.
      Haloperidol was first implicated, but it has been shown that others neuroleptics,
      in combination with lithium, can induce similar toxic reactions. Intercurrent
      somatic illness with pyrexia often precedes the acute toxic reaction, and special
      attention must be paid to patients treated by lithium when they become
      hyperthermic. Major surgery, concurrent treatment with diuretics, renal failure,
      low food intake or low-salt diet are more uncommon precipitating factors.
      Available pharmacological treatments have not yet proved to be helpful. Even when
      the lesions are irreversible, a functional improvement can be obtained by
      rehabilitation. Thirty one cases of irreversible neurologic sequelae are
      reviewed.

PMID- 1864257
TI  - [Concept of 2nd generation antidepressive agents].
AB  - Since the discovery of imipramine and iproniazide, the tricyclic antidepressants
      (TCA) have maintained a significant role in the pharmacotherapy of depression,
      whereas the MAO-inhibitors play a minor role because of toxicity problems.
      However, even the tricyclics present problems and the research to obtain a new
      "second generation" of less toxic and more efficacious antidepressants have been
      fully justified. This research has been based on biological models of depression
      and/or the experimental effects of existing antidepressants. In spite of the
      considerable investments over 30 years, the validity of prevailing biological
      depression-models is uncertain. Among the experimental effects of existing
      antidepressants, their ability to inhibit the reuptake of noradrenaline and
      serotonin has attracted most attention, resulting in the development of very
      selective compounds. Likewise, new selective and in particular reversible MAO
      inhibitors have been developed. In light of the doubious validity of the
      experimental models, the clinical testing remains the crucial point. However,
      clinical trial methodology poses a number of problems, and there is much
      uncertainty concerning the efficacy of the heterogenous group of "second
      generation" antidepressants. Therefore, they are generally considered as
      antidepressants of second choice.

PMID- 1864258
TI  - Monoamine specificity of antidepressants and prediction of therapeutic response.
AB  - The increase of the availability of monoamines on synapses has been one of the
      proposed modes of action of antidepressants (AD), but few drugs are specific for
      one neurotransmitter system, there is a time lag of the onset of action and some
      substances increasing the availability of neurotransmitters do not improve mood.
      The monoamine hypotheses of AD mode of action seems too simplistic and hypotheses
      as the beta receptor down regulation theory or the restored efficient regulation
      of the dysregulated neurotransmitter system theory are more plausible. Prediction
      of AD treatment response is an important clinical issue due to the time lag of
      the onset of action. The dubious theory of monoaminergic specificity has been
      applied to the prediction of AD response. The pretreatment MHPG levels have been
      used for prediction of treatment response. Results are contradictory and
      inconclusive probably due to many methodological problems of this approach. Other
      monoamine pretreatment levels (5-HIAA, HVA) have also been used, again with
      inconclusive results. Other approaches based loosely on monoaminergic specificity
      of various AD such as platelet monoamine oxidase inhibition, platelet imipramine
      binding and monoamine precursors availability have been used without success.
      Thus the biological markers may not be useful for a successful prediction of the
      AD treatment outcome at present.

PMID- 1864259
TI  - [Role of pharmacogenetics in psychopharmacotherapy].
AB  - Genetic polymorphism related to certain P450 isozymes, in particular the
      sparteine/debrisoquine oxygenase, is the dominant cause of interindividual
      variation in elimination of several drugs. If the pharmacokinetic variability is
      large, relative to the therapeutic index of the drug, the genetic polymorphism
      will be clinically important. If the dose cannot be adjusted on the basis of
      effect measurements, phenotyping may be a supplement or replacement for drug
      level monitoring which is otherwise relevant for such drugs. Several aspects as
      elucidated by the experience with the sparteine/debrisoquine oxidation
      polymorphism ought to be analysed: The role of active metabolites and their rate
      of formation and elimination, selective drug-drug interaction at the polymorphic
      isozyme or at alternative routes of elimination, the possible role of two or more
      polymorphic drug oxidation pathways, and the effect of saturable kinetics. The
      sparteine/debrisoquine oxidation polymorphism affects two major classes of drugs
      in psychopharmacology, the antidepressants and the neuroleptics, and this is the
      best example of clinical relevance of pharmacogenetic polymorphism. Routine use
      of phenotyping thus should be considered for psychiatry departments.

PMID- 1864260
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of new antidepressive agents].
AB  - The second generation of antidepressants have been developed with the goal to
      reduce cardio-toxic effects and to further a more specific action on
      neurotransmitter systems. However some standardized actual parameters, clinical,
      biological and pharmacological may be accepted as reasonable elements in
      evaluating the therapeutic effects. Among them we will distinguish the diagnostic
      instruments which define categories of affective disorders; rating scales to
      assess gravity, the type of clinical test, duration of the test and finally those
      biological variables which should be an integral part of the evaluation of new
      antidepressants.

PMID- 1864261
TI  - [Pharmacovigilance and 2nd generation antidepressive agents].
AB  - Genuine side effects of antidepressants are difficult to specify. Except for rare
      cases, imputability of a severe effect is questionable. However, several recent
      drug surveillance studies allow to better assess the tolerability of these
      compounds. The first is British: it compared the blood toxicity of mianserin and
      amitryptiline (Inman). The second (Henry) is based on the calculation of a lethal
      toxicity index (deaths per millions of prescriptions), varying with the different
      compounds. The third (Cooper) pools the data of all the comparative trials of
      fluoxetine as well as all the relevant effects noticed with this drug (more than
      7,500 prescriptions in 1988). Antidepressants generally have to be used on a long
      term basis. The study of the safety of their long term use is absolutely
      necessary.

PMID- 1864262
TI  - [Clozapine in the treatment of schizophrenia].

PMID- 1864263
TI  - [Clozapine. Management of hematologic risk].

PMID- 1864264
TI  - Benzene-induced micronuclei formation in mouse fetal liver blood, peripheral
      blood, and maternal bone marrow cells.
AB  - The transplacental cytogenetic effects of benzene were studied by using the
      micronucleus test of polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) found in both fetal liver
      and fetal peripheral blood, and were compared with PCE from maternal bone marrow.
      Timed-pregnant mice received single intraperitoneal doses of benzene (0, 109,
      219, 437, or 874 mg/kg bw) on the 14th day of gestation and were sacrificed 21 hr
      after injection. Benzene elicited a significant increase (P less than 0.01) in
      the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) in fetal liver
      blood cells (0.55 to 1.36%, control 0.18%) at doses of 219 to 874 mg/kg, and in
      fetal peripheral blood cells (0.49 to 0.58%, control 0.25%) and maternal bone
      marrow cells (0.53 to 0.70%, control 0.10%) at doses of 437 and 874 mg/kg. The
      data demonstrate that benzene is a moderate transplacental clastogenic agent, and
      that the mouse transplacental micronucleus test using fetal liver blood cells is
      a potentially more sensitive indicator of the genotoxicity of benzene than either
      fetal peripheral blood or maternal bone marrow cells.

PMID- 1864265
TI  - Characterization of a method for quantitating food consumption for mutation
      assays in Drosophila.
AB  - Quantitation of food consumption is necessary when determining mutation responses
      to multiple chemical exposures in the sex-linked recessive lethal assay in
      Drosophila. One method proposed for quantitating food consumption by Drosophila
      is to measure the incorporation of 14C-leucine into the flies during the feeding
      period (Thompson and Reeder: Environmental Mutagenesis 10:357-365, 1987). Three
      sources of variation in the technique of Thompson and Reeder have been identified
      and characterized. First, the amount of food consumed by individual flies
      differed by almost 30% in a 24 hr feeding period. Second, the variability from
      vial to vial (each containing multiple flies) was around 15%. Finally, the amount
      of food consumed in identical feeding experiments performed over the course of 1
      year varied nearly 2-fold. The use of chemical consumption values in place of
      exposure levels provided a better means of expressing the combined mutagenic
      response. In addition, the kinetics of food consumption over a 3 day feeding
      period for exposures to cyclophosphamide which produce lethality were compared to
      non-lethal exposures. Extensive characterization of lethality induced by
      exposures to cyclophosphamide demonstrate that the lethality is most likely due
      to starvation, not chemical toxicity.

PMID- 1864266
TI  - Evaluation of the mutagenicity of beta-myrcene in mammalian cells in vitro.
AB  - The genotoxicity of the terpene beta-myrcene was evaluated in mammalian cells in
      vitro. Myrcene is the major constituent of oil of bay and hop which are used in
      the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. Myrcene is also present in lemon grass
      (Cymbopogon citratus), a plant widely used in Brazilian folk medicine. Recently,
      it was shown that myrcene is a very potent analgesic substance and might be an
      alternative to the already available analgesic drugs. Myrcene was tested up to
      1,000 micrograms/ml (limit of solubility) in the presence and absence of S9-mix
      and did not induce chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs)
      in human lymphocytes in vitro. Neither the mitotic index nor the proliferation
      index was influenced by the myrcene treatment. Myrcene did not cause increased
      mutation frequencies at the hprt-locus in V79-cells. Tests with and without S9
      mix revealed negative results. There was no indication for induced cytotoxicity.
      However, myrcene reduced the SCE-inducing effect of cyclophosphamide in human
      lymphocytes in a dose dependent manner and also reduced the toxic and mutagenic
      effect of cyclophosphamide in V79-cells. Under the same test conditions, SCE
      induction by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and benzo [a]pyrene (BP) was not
      significantly influenced by simultaneous myrcene treatment. The in vitro results
      show that myrcene is not mutagenic in mammalian cells, but has antimutagenic
      properties. The possibility that myrcene exerts its antimutagenic activity by
      inhibiting certain forms of the cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes required for
      activation of premutagens and precarcinogenes is discussed.

PMID- 1864267
TI  - Inhibitory effect of lichen constituents on mutagenicity induced by heterocyclic
      amines.
AB  - Physodic acid, one of the main constituents of Hypogymnia enteromorpha, inhibited
      the mutagenicity of indirect mutagens, including benzo[a]pyrene and heterocyclic
      amines in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. In contrast, it was not effective against
      direct mutagens such as 6-nitropiperonal and adriamycin. Its antimutagenicity was
      not associated with free-radical scavenging or antioxidative activities. Physodic
      acid seemed to inhibit the formation of reactive metabolites, such as N-hydroxy
      Trp-P-2, by blocking the hepatic microsomal oxidation systems. Another component
      of H. enteromorpha, physodalic acid, also inhibited mutagenicity of a
      heterocyclic amine, Trp-P-2, in S. typhimurium TA 98, even though it was
      reportedly mutagenic in S. typhimurium TA 100.

PMID- 1864268
TI  - Genotoxicity of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and related structures
      on Escherichia coli PQ37 (SOS chromotest).
AB  - To determine the genotoxicity of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and
      related molecules (nPAH) we examined 24 compounds representative of
      nitroanthracenes, nitrofluorenes, nitronaphthalenes, nitropyrenes, and
      nitroquinolines for genotoxicity in Escherichia coli PQ37 (SOS-chromotest). To
      enhance the sensitivity of the tester strain and optimize metabolic activation we
      used a modified test protocol and S9-mix composition. All chemicals with the
      exception of 9-nitroanthracene, 1- and 2-nitronaphthalene, 2-methyl-1
      nitronaphthalene, and 5-, 6-, and 8-nitroquinoline induced the SOS system of E.
      coli PQ37. As expected from previously referred mutagenicity studies, the highest
      SOS inducing potencies (SOSIP) were exhibited by the dinitropyrenes (SOSIP = 151
      416), 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (SOSIP = 62), and 3-nitrofluoranthese (SOSIP =
      16). Except for some nitronaphthalenes, the nPAHs showed their highest
      genotoxicity in the absence of an exogeneous metabolic activation system. The
      results were compared to those reported for the bacterial mutagenicity of these
      substances in Salmonella typhimurium TA98.

PMID- 1864269
TI  - Chemical mutagenesis at the thymidine kinase locus in L5178Y mouse lymphoma
      cells: results for 31 coded compounds in the National Toxicology Program.
AB  - Experimental data from the testing of 31 chemicals for mutagenicity at the TK
      locus in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells are presented and evaluated. If mutagenic
      activity was not obtained for the chemical added to suspension cultures for 4 hr,
      then the testing was repeated in the presence of hepatic S9 mix prepared from
      Aroclor 1254-induced male Fischer 344 rats. Multiple trials were performed for
      each chemical, and mutagenic treatments were analyzed for the induction of small
      and large mutant colony populations. Twelve chemicals were not detected as
      mutagenic, one (ascorbic acid) was questionable, and 18 were evaluated as
      mutagenic. These results were used in the evaluations presented by Tennant et al.
      [Science 236:933-941, 1987] in a critical comparison of four in vitro
      genotoxicity assays with rodent carcinogenicity results. The mouse lymphoma assay
      results were in general agreement with the carcinogenicity studies. Discordant
      evaluations with respect to carcinogenicity (four false negatives and six false
      positives) were discussed from the standpoint of how the predictive performance
      of the in vitro mutation assay might be improved.

PMID- 1864270
TI  - Genotoxicity of the fungicide dichlofluanid in seven assays.

PMID- 1864271
TI  - Intracellular distribution and activity of antibiotics.
AB  - Intracellular penetration, accumulation and disposition are important parameters
      governing the activity of antibiotics against intracellular bacteria. Beta
      lactams diffuse into but do not accumulate in phagocytes, probably because of
      their acidic character. Aminoglycosides are too polar to pass across membranes
      and are therefore only taken up slowly by endocytosis, which results in an
      exclusively lysosomal localization. Lincosaminides, macrolides and
      fluoroquinolones all accumulate in phagocytes, the two former classes of drugs
      showing both a cytosolic and a lysosomal localization. Fluoroquinolones appear to
      be entirely soluble in cells. Analysis of their activity in a model of
      Staphylococcus aureus-infected J774 macrophages has revealed low activity of
      clindamycin, whereas macrolides, and even more so fluoroquinolones, easily reduce
      the original inoculum.

PMID- 1864272
TI  - Activity of antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus within polymorphonuclear
      neutrophils.
AB  - The intracellular location of certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus serves as
      a reservoir of bacteria which is thought to be important in therapy of recurrent
      infections in humans and in chronic staphylococcal mastitis in dairy cows. This
      overview summarizes data pertaining to the intracellular survival of
      Staphylococcus aureus within polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) both in vitro
      and in vivo in the face of antibiotic treatment. While compounds such as
      rifampin, clindamycin, erythromycin, and ciprofloxacin have been shown to be
      rapidly taken up by PMNs, the ability of antibiotics to concentrate within PMNs
      did not strictly correlate with their ability to kill intracellular
      Staphylococcus aureus. Rifampin and ciprofloxacin have been shown to be the most
      effective intraphagocytic killing agents, while clindamycin and erythromycin were
      inactive in these in vitro assays. In vivo, in therapy of Staphylococcus aureus
      arthritis and peritonitis in humans and in certain mouse models rifampin has
      generally been shown to be more effective than comparator antibiotics. In a
      staphylococcal subcutaneous abscess model, however, clindamycin was very
      effective in curing the Staphylococcus aureus abscesses in this system where PMNs
      were the primary inflammatory cells involved. The intracellular bacterial counts
      decreased as rapidly as the extracellular bacteria. Rifampin was also effective
      in the abscess model but ciprofloxacin was ineffective at the highest doses
      tested. The relevance of in vitro and in vivo models and the importance of PMNs
      as a reservoir of infection in staphylococcal diseases in humans and the dairy
      cow are discussed.

PMID- 1864273
TI  - Activity of antibiotics against microorganisms ingested by mononuclear
      phagocytes.
AB  - The data available on the activity of antibiotics against microorganisms ingested
      by mononuclear phagocytes are reviewed. The antibacterial activity of penicillins
      against Staphylococcus aureus is enhanced by human monocytes. This enhancement is
      possibly brought about by a peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme that is produced and
      secreted by monocytes. Aminoglycosides affect bacteria ingested by mononuclear
      phagocytes, but their intracellular activity is limited as compared with that of
      non-phagocytosed bacteria. Clindamycin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and
      rifampicin are effective against intracellular bacteria. The first three of these
      antibiotics do not show enhanced activity against phagocytosed bacteria, contrary
      to what might be expected from their high cell-associated concentrations.

PMID- 1864274
TI  - Effects of anti-infectious agents on polymorphonuclear neutrophils.
AB  - Polymorphonuclear neutrophils play a crucial role in host defences against
      infectious diseases. New trends in anti-infectious therapy require knowledge of
      the possible interactions between the drugs and the natural defence system. This
      overview summarizes some of the in vitro data on the effects of anti-infectious
      agents on neutrophils. The relevance for the clinical situation is discussed.

PMID- 1864275
TI  - The resurgence of group A streptococcal infections and their sequelae.

PMID- 1864276
TI  - In vitro susceptibility of Francisella tularensis to fluoroquinolones and
      treatment of tularemia with norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin.
AB  - The in vitro susceptibility of ten strains of Francisella tularensis to four
      fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin and pefloxacin) was
      investigated by determining the MBCs of these quinolones. The results were as
      follows (mean +/- SE): ciprofloxacin 0.13 +/- 0.03 mg/l, norfloxacin 0.24 +/-
      0.07 mg/l, ofloxacin 2.16 +/- 0.78 mg/l and pefloxacin 0.51 +/- 0.50 mg/l. These
      concentrations can be achieved in clinical practice. In addition, four tularemia
      patients were treated with an oral regimen of 750 mg ciprofloxacin b.i.d. and one
      patient with norfloxacin 400 mg b.i.d. The fever experienced by these volunteers
      vanished within a couple of days and they were able to resume normal work one
      week after receiving the antibiotics without any relapses later. These in vitro
      and in vivo results show that orally administered fluoroquinolones are promising
      antimicrobial agents for the treatment of human tularemia.

PMID- 1864277
TI  - Evaluation of the adenosine triphosphate test in the diagnosis of urinary tract
      infection.
AB  - Determination by bioluminescence of the bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
      level in urine was evaluated as a method for detection of bacteriuria in 1126
      women with symptoms of UTI and 530 attending for follow-up. Conventional urine
      culture was used as reference method. The criterion for bacteriuria was growth of
      greater than or equal to 10(5) cfu/ml, giving a prevalence of 0.60. ATP levels of
      less than 10 nmol/l and greater than 50 mmol/l indicated abacteriuria and
      bacteruiria, respectively, whereas intermediate concentrations required culture
      if the nitrite test was negative. With this diagnostic strategy the sensitivity
      and specificity was 0.96 and 0.90 at the first visit and 0.90 and 0.98 at follow
      up. With some methodological improvement the ATP test could be useful in medium
      sized and small laboratories.

PMID- 1864278
TI  - Western blot analysis of immunoglobulin G antibodies to pneumococcal protein
      antigens in healthy adults.
AB  - Using the Western Blot technique, sera from apparently healthy individuals were
      shown to contain antibodies against pneumococcal protein antigens of different
      molecular weights. A remarkable correlation was found to exist between the number
      of protein bands stained and the level of antibodies to type-specific
      carbohydrate antigens and C-polysaccharide. The findings suggest that the
      presence of antibodies against protein antigens reflects past infection with
      pneumococci.

PMID- 1864279
TI  - In vitro synergistic activity between meropenem and other beta-lactams against
      methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - The in vitro activity of meropenem, a carbapenem antibiotic, combined with eight
      other beta-lactams against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was
      tested. The MICs of these antibiotics alone ranged from 12.5 to 1,600
      micrograms/ml for the 25 clinical isolates of MRSA studied. All combinations with
      meropenem exhibited marked synergy as determined by the checkerboard method. The
      MICs in combinations of meropenem with other beta-lactams were reduced to 1/4
      1/64 those of the antibiotics alone. No antagonism was observed for any of the
      combinations of meropenem with other beta-lactams. Synergism between meropenem
      and cefpiramide was the highest among the combinations tested, the geometric mean
      of the fractional inhibitory concentration index for this combination being
      0.237. This combination also demonstrated strong bactericidal activity, the MBCs
      decreasing to 1/16-1/64 of those for the agents alone. In terms of the fractional
      inhibitory concentration index, this was the most effective combination against
      MRSA highly resistant to meropenem alone with synergism for 85% (81/95) of the
      strains. In addition, synergism of imipenem with cephalosporins against MRSA was
      demonstrated. The affinity of meropenem and cefpiramide for MRSA penicillin
      binding protein (PBP) 2' was very low, and the combination of both antibiotics
      showed an additive increase in affinity for this protein, but not a synergistic
      increase. Thus, the mechanism of synergism did not seem to be related to affinity
      for PBP2'. It is possible that there is another factor besides PBP2' which
      increases the resistance that the combinations inhibit the unknown factor.

PMID- 1864280
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of meropenem compared to imipenem-cilastatin in young, healthy
      males.
AB  - Imipenem combined with cilastatin and meropenem was given as intravenous
      infusions of 1 g to eight young, healthy males on two separate occasions. Blood
      and urine samples were collected for up to 12 h. The terminal half-lives in
      plasma were 0.98 h and 1.11 h for meropenem and imipenem, respectively. The
      volume of distribution was smaller for meropenem than for imipenem (12.5 l and
      14.4 l, respectively). The plasma clearance for meropenem was 188 (SD 31) ml/min
      and for imipenem 183 (SD 25) ml/min. Renal clearance was on average 139 (SD 24)
      ml/min and 135 (SD 11) ml/min, respectively. About 75% of the administered dose
      of both compounds was eliminated unchanged in urine. Non-renal clearance
      accounted for approximately 25% of the total clearance for both drugs. The
      kinetics of meropenem are very similar to those of imipenem given with
      cilastatin, and meropenem is as stable against renal metabolic degradation as
      imipenem combined with cilastatin.

PMID- 1864281
TI  - Antibacterial activity of pantoprazole and omeprazole against Helicobacter
      pylori.

PMID- 1864282
TI  - Phagocytes, antibiotics and intracellular parasites: are the experimental data
      clinically relevant?

PMID- 1864283
TI  - Impermeability to quinolones in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
AB  - The initial step in the accumulation of fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents is
      binding to cell surface components reduced by lowered pH and divalent cations.
      Uptake into gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria is by simple diffusion.
      Entry through the outer membrane occurs preferentially for most agents by the
      porin route but a second process using the self-promoted uptake pathway is active
      especially for more hydrophobic agents. Fluoroquinolones bind to vesicles of
      phospholipid which may be the initiating step in cross-cytoplasmic membrane
      diffusion. An active efflux system has been described in Escherichia coli with
      evidence supporting its presence in several other bacteria. Total upset is not
      altered by a resistant gyrase. Resistant isolates associated with reduced total
      quinolone accumulation due to lowered uptake have been described for laboratory
      mutants and clinical isolates. Most but not all of these have had alterations in
      outer membrane proteins. A functionally dominant resistance gene has been cloned
      from resistant Staphylococcus aureus and codes for a highly hydrophobic protein
      most likely membrane associated. This gene is expressed in Escherichia coli and
      specifies resistance especially to hydrophilic quinolones, possibly by altered
      accumulation.

PMID- 1864284
TI  - Newly documented antimicrobial activity of quinolones.
AB  - The improved antimicrobial activity of newer fluoroquinolones and novel
      applications recently found for the drugs already marketed are reviewed. Several
      new compounds are more active against gram-positive bacteria than the presently
      marketed fluoroquinolones. WIN 57273, the most potent compound in vitro on a
      weight basis, is 16 to 128 times more active than ciprofloxacin against various
      staphylococci, streptococci, Enterococcus spp., Corynebacterium spp., Listeria
      monocytogenes and Bacillus spp. BMY 40062, PD 117558, PD 127391, sparfloxacin,
      temafloxacin and tosufloxacin also show enhanced in vitro efficacy against these
      species. These drugs also possess increased activity against various anaerobes,
      notably Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile and the Bacteroides
      fragilis group. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rapidly growing mycobacteria other
      than Mycobacterium chelonae, and Mycobacterium leprae are often susceptible to
      quinolones displaying bactericidal activity which is potentially useful for
      curing difficult-to-treat mycobacteriosis. In addition, a number of new products,
      notably those containing a cyclopropyl group, are more active than reference
      fluoroquinolones against Mycobacterium leprae. Sparfloxacin, BMY 40062 and WIN
      57273 compare favorably with older fluoroquinolones in the killing of
      intracellular Legionella spp., and several of the newer compounds have greater
      antichlamydial potency. Improved antibacterial activity has also been found
      against Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Acinetobacter spp. and
      Pseudomonas maltophilia. By contrast, the newer quinolones have similar or less
      activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. Recently,
      pefloxacin, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were found to be active against protozoa,
      including Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani, but not
      against Toxoplasma gondii. In the near future, more specific research testing
      unusual pathogens may lead to the identification of quinolones with more
      selective activity.

PMID- 1864285
TI  - Synergy and antagonism of combinations with quinolones.
AB  - Combinations of fluoroquinolones with other antimicrobial agents have been
      extensively investigated. Combinations of fluoroquinolones with aminoglycosides,
      beta-lactams, imidazoles, macrolides and clindamycin infrequently show synergy
      against Enterobacteriaceae and gram-positive bacteria. These combinations rarely
      show antagonism. Combinations of rifampin with fluoroquinolones tested against
      Staphylococcus aureus have been reported to show synergy and antagonism, and in
      vitro results have not correlated with results of animal infection experiments.
      Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa combinations of antipseudomonas penicillins or
      imipenem with fluoroquinolones are synergistic for 20% to 50% of isolates in
      vitro and also are synergistic in animal models of infection, whereas
      combinations of aminoglycosides with fluoroquinolones rarely show synergy against
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Against anaerobic species such as Bacteroides fragilis
      combinations of fluoroquinolones with clindamycin, anti-anaerobic penicillins,
      cephalosporins or imidazoles are occasionally synergistic but usually
      indifferent. Ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin combined with antituberculosis agents
      have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and atypical mycobacteria. In
      general, fluoroquinolones should be combined with other agents not to achieve
      synergy, which is extremely variable, but to provide activity against bacteria
      inadequately inhibited by the fluoroquinolones.

PMID- 1864286
TI  - Immunological aspects of new quinolones.
AB  - The effects of new quinolones on the immune system have been mainly studied in
      vitro. Despite some conflicting results due to variations in study methodologies,
      certain conclusions can be drawn. Clinically relevant concentrations of most
      quinolones seem to have no direct effect on isolated immune parameters such as
      phagocytic cell functions, lymphocyte proliferation, immunoglobulin production,
      gamma-interferon secretion and bone-marrow progenitor cell proliferation. In
      contrast, the production of certain cytokines (IL-1, IL-2) and colony stimulating
      factors by stimulated lymphocytes and splenocytes is enhanced in the presence of
      clinically achievable concentrations of the drugs. IL-2 production is also
      enhanced when higher concentrations of quinolones are added to stimulated
      lymphocytes. However, most other functions such as IL-1 and TNF production, and
      proliferation of lymphocytes and bone marrow progenitor cells are inhibited in
      vitro by concentrations of quinolones exceeding 50 micrograms/ml. In vivo studies
      on immunomodulatory effects of new quinolones are few and are generally in
      agreement with the in vitro findings. Only very high dosages administered to
      experimental animals cause suppressive effects, while therapeutic doses are
      usually not associated with measurable alterations in immune functions. Recent
      reports on stimulatory effects of therapeutic doses of ciprofloxacin on bone
      marrow myeloid progenitor cells in irradiated, neutropenic mice, warrant further
      investigations in experimental animals as well as in neutropenic and bone marrow
      transplant patients treated with the new quinolones.

PMID- 1864289
TI  - Potential role of fluoroquinolones in the treatment of bacterial meningitis.
AB  - The search for new antimicrobial agents in the treatment of bacterial meningitis
      is justified by a rate of mortality that currently remains unacceptably high and
      by the emergence of bacterial resistance. Because of their excellent in vitro
      activity against gram-negative organisms and good penetration into the
      cerebrospinal fluid, the new fluoroquinolones may have a potential role in the
      treatment of central nervous system (CNS) infections. Although there are few
      reports on the use of fluoroquinolones in treatment of patients with CNS
      infections, experience to date indicates that pefloxacin, the most intensively
      studied agent, and ciprofloxacin provide effective treatment for patients with
      meningitis caused by susceptible pathogens. Since they cannot be used in patients
      whose skeletal growth is incomplete, the place of the fluoroquinolones in the
      treatment of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis is obviously very limited.
      Neisseria meningitidis is still exquisitely sensitive to penicillin G and
      ampicillin, and there is thus no reason to replace these agents by
      fluoroquinolones, except when patients are allergic to beta-lactam agents, or
      when parental administration is impossible. A potential use of the new
      fluoroquinolones would be in the treatment of meningitis due to gram-negative
      bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter.

PMID- 1864287
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of quinolones: newer aspects.
AB  - Differences in pharmacokinetic properties are emerging as important determinants
      in distinguishing among clinical uses of individual new quinolone antimicrobial
      agents. Selected data on pharmacokinetics, new pharmacokinetic studies, and
      pharmacodynamics are reviewed, with reference to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin,
      ofloxacin, pefloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, and other new
      quinolones. Considering pharmacokinetics, oral bioavailability is excellent
      (greater than 95%) for most quinolones. Differences in peak serum concentrations
      and beta-half-lives of elimination exist, however, and are reflected in up to ten
      fold differences in values of the area under the curve of serum concentration
      versus time for administration of similar drug doses. As suggested by high
      apparent volumes of distribution and low binding to serum proteins, penetration
      into many body tissues and fluids is favorable. Considering new findings, orally
      administered ciprofloxacin has been found to be absorbed primarily in the
      duodenum and jejunum. Studies also suggest this drug to be cleared by
      transepithelial elimination into the bowel lumen as well as by the renal route.
      Oral bioavailability of quinolones has been demonstrated to be in general good in
      ill as well as healthy subjects but is reduced on co-administration with
      magnesium- and aluminum-containing acids, sucralfate (which contains aluminum),
      or ferrous sulfate. Pharmacodynamic parameters, such as the relationship of serum
      concentrations and drug potency in vitro to clinical response and suppression of
      bacterial resistance, have been little studied and merit further investigation.

PMID- 1864288
TI  - Evaluation of quinolones in experimental animal models of infections.
AB  - Many discriminative experimental animal models of infection have been utilized in
      the evaluation of newer fluoroquinolones. In vivo efficacy of many of the newer
      agents has been shown in experimental models of meningitis, endocarditis,
      pneumonia, urinary tract infections, pyelonephritis, osteomyelitis, abscesses of
      various types, septic arthritis, gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, listeriosis,
      tuberculosis, syphilis, sinusitis, prostatitis and burn wound sepsis, among
      others. This review focuses on recent developments in a few selected areas.
      Although the limitations of animal model studies are well described, these
      results provide a rationale for the appropriate clinical usage of the newer
      fluoroquinolones in humans.

PMID- 1864290
TI  - Use of quinolones for treatment of ear and eye infections.
AB  - Malignant otitis externa is a severe, necrotizing infection of the external
      auditory canal which is sometimes fatal. The traditional antimicrobial treatment
      has usually been the combination of an antipseudomonal beta-lactam and an
      aminoglycoside, given intravenously for 4 to 8 weeks. Over 100 patients have been
      treated with a fluoroquinolone alone, most commonly ciprofloxacin given by mouth
      in a dosage of 750 mg b.i.d. for 6 to 12 weeks. About 90% of patients have been
      cured. Treatment with a quinolone has the advantage over older treatments that it
      can be given orally and has a low rate of side-effects. The ocular penetration of
      the fluoroquinolones has been studied in patients with unifected eyes. After the
      administration of a single dose of ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin, ofloxacin or
      norfloxacin, penetration into the aqueous humor, expressed as the ratio of the
      peak concentration in the aqueous humor to that in the serum, is about 20%. The
      penetration of ciprofloxacin into the vitreous humor, based primarily on the data
      from one report, is about 20%. The concentrations are likely to be higher after
      repeated doses or in the inflamed eye. Whether the concentrations achieved will
      be adequate for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes has not been determined.

PMID- 1864291
TI  - Role of quinolones in the treatment of bronchopulmonary infections, particularly
      pneumococcal and community-acquired pneumonia.
AB  - In view of their antimicrobial activity and pharmacological properties,
      fluoroquinolones should be suitable for the treatment of lower respiratory tract
      infections. The overall clinical success rate using enoxacin, ofloxacin,
      pefloxacin, and ciprofloxacin ranges from 81% to 89%. Despite relatively high
      MICs of the fluoroquinolones for Streptococcus pneumoniae, the clinical success
      rate of these drugs in pneumococcal infections is 91%, but the eradication rate
      of this pathogen is lower (73%). In addition, fluoroquinolones appeared to be as
      effective as standard antibiotic regimens for treatment of bronchopulmonary
      infections in most of the comparative trials reported. The new quinolones could
      be a good alternative for treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis,
      especially if examination of the sputum reveals gram-negative pathogens. In
      community-acquired pneumonia, drugs other than quinolones seem indicated because
      of the limited efficacy of the new quinolones in the treatment of severe
      pneumococcal infections and the poor activity of these drugs against the
      anaerobic flora causing aspiration pneumonia. In contrast, new quinolones should
      be very suitable for treatment of nosocomial pulmonary infections due to gram
      negative pathogens. Quinolones used with or without erythromycin and rifampin,
      might be useful in the treatment of Legionnaires' disease. The role of these
      drugs in treatment of Chlamydia and Rickettsiae infections remains to be defined.

PMID- 1864293
TI  - Treatment of intra-abdominal infections with quinolones.
AB  - Intra-abdominal sepsis may be caused by intestinal bacteria or by skin bacteria.
      In the largest series of patients studied in trials of quinolones, anti-anaerobic
      drugs were included in the therapeutic regimen. Several small series have
      reported success without the concomitant use of anti-anaerobic drugs. The balance
      of evidence at present suggests that the quinolones referred to in this report
      should be supplemented with anti-anaerobic drugs in the treatment of peritonitis
      related to bowel disease. Quinolones alone have been highly effective in the
      treatment of peritonitis associated with chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis,
      spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and biliary sepsis. Notwithstanding this
      success, the potential for an anaerobic aetiology in biliary sepsis and
      bacteremia must be borne in mind. Lack of clinical efficacy may be associated
      with resistant bacteria including streptococci. Quinolones offer a relatively non
      toxic alternative in the management of intra-abdominal sepsis as well as being
      cost-saving since early discharge from hospital on oral medication is possible.

PMID- 1864292
TI  - Use of quinolones in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections.
AB  - Bacterial enteropathogens are responsible for between 40% and 80% of diarrheal
      illness depending upon the age of the persons affected and geographic areas where
      illness occurs. Antibacterial agents will shorten the illness associated with
      enteric infection caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp. and
      Campylobacter jejuni. These drugs also are effective in the therapy of certain
      clinical conditions (presumably because they are due to the same agents) which
      are characterized by moderate to severe diarrhea with one or more of the
      following: high fever, dysentery (passage of bloody mucoid stools), or high
      leukocyte counts in stools. Antimicrobial agents are also effective in the
      therapy of travelers' diarrhea. The quinolone drugs have several advantages in
      the management of bacterial diarrhea where strains causing illness from nearly
      all regions of the world will show general susceptibility: high concentrations
      are achieved in the intestinal lumen following oral administration and resistance
      development is unusual. A quinolone probably represents the optimal agent for
      therapy of bacterial diarrhea in adults in areas where trimethoprim-resistant
      enteric pathogens are common.

PMID- 1864294
TI  - Fluoroquinolones in the treatment of typhoid fever and the carrier state.
AB  - Typhoid fever remains an important public health problem throughout the world
      with a higher morbidity and mortality rate in the developing countries. Early
      establishment of the diagnosis and prompt initiation of treatment with
      chloramphenicol, ampicillin or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is not necessarily
      followed by complete resolution of the infection. Between 1% and 6% of patients
      with typhoid fever become chronic biliary carriers of Salmonella typhi. These
      carriers are potential factors in the continued transmission of the disease. The
      increasing emergence worldwide of strains showing multiple resistance to the
      agents traditionally used in therapy has encouraged investigators to seek
      alternatives such as third generation cephalosporins and recently the new 4
      quinolones, which have greater activity against Salmonella typhi including multi
      resistant strains. The fluoroquinolones seem to be the treatment of choice in
      those regions where resistant strains of Salmonella typhi are prevalent.

PMID- 1864295
TI  - Use of quinolones in treatment of prostatitis and lower urinary tract infections.
AB  - The newer quinolones, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin,
      norfloxacin, ofloxacin and pefloxacin are highly effective antimicrobial agents
      against the majority of bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections and
      bacterial prostatitis. The pharmacokinetic properties of these agents after oral
      administration result in high concentrations in human urine, as well as in
      prostatic fluid and prostatic tissue. Ciprofloxacin, enoxacin and lomefloxacin
      produce the highest concentrations in prostatic tissue, followed by norfloxacin,
      ofloxacin and fleroxacin. More than 400 patients with chronic bacterial
      prostatitis have been treated with one of the newer quinolones in varying doses
      for 10 to 84 days. The results indicate a cure rate of approximately 70%,
      although the follow-up period is quite variable in these studies. Clinical trials
      of short-term (single dose vs three days) therapy with the newer quinolones
      conducted in women with uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections were
      reviewed. Although bacteriologic cure rates were high with single doses of
      ciprofloxacin, fleroxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin and pefloxacin, approximately
      one in five women with suspected uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection
      experience failure of single-dose therapy. In contrast, a three-day regimen with
      these agents is more effective than a single-dose in the treatment of
      uncomplicated lower urinary tract infections in women.

PMID- 1864296
TI  - Chlamydial infections and the quinolones.
AB  - Some of the newer fluoroquinolones may be suitable agents for the treatment of
      Chlamydia trachomatis infections and non-gonococcal urethritis. To date, small
      studies with both ofloxacin and fleroxacin appear to achieve cure rates of 85
      100% for urethritis and cervicitis due to Chlamydia trachomatis. However, large
      well-designed clinical trials are required to determine the efficacy and
      acceptance of these and other fluoroquinolones in the treatment of patients with
      genital or respiratory syndromes due to chlamydiae or other bacterial pathogens
      causing infections with similar manifestations.

PMID- 1864297
TI  - Use of quinolones in pediatrics.
AB  - Compared to nalidixic acid, the new quinolones possess an enlarged antimicrobial
      spectrum, greatly enhanced bactericidal activity, and substantial pharmacokinetic
      advantages. Because their activity against streptococci is limited the quinolones
      presently available will never be included in routine regimens for children.
      Moreover, adequate pharmacokinetic studies are still lacking in pediatrics, and
      potential drug toxicity warrants further long-term monitoring. Nevertheless,
      various studies strongly suggest that there is no quinolone-induced cartilage
      toxicity in humans, and the results of published clinical trials with
      fluoroquinolones in pediatric patients show promising efficacy and safety. From a
      review of the available data it is concluded that use of the quinolones in
      children should be limited to specific infections which are usually caused by
      Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus epidermidis, and
      are complicated by underlying pathologic or special conditions such as cystic
      fibrosis or urologic abnormality. In each case, careful monitoring to determine
      efficacy, potential adverse effects including drug-drug interaction and toxicity,
      and any emergence of bacterial resistance is mandatory.

PMID- 1864298
TI  - Use of quinolones in the immunocompromised host.
AB  - Immune deficiency generally leads to infections. Cancer chemotherapy, medical
      interventions and various investigational procedures are important factors in the
      development of infection. In recent decades, there has been a major change in
      most cancer centers in the etiology of bacterial infections occurring in the
      immunocompromised host, most infections now being caused by gram-positive
      organisms. This might be partly due to prophylactic use of agents effective
      against gram-negative bacteria. The quinolones are now widely used in the
      treatment of serious infections of the immunocompromised patient. Prophylaxis
      with quinolones is also practised in cancer centers.

PMID- 1864299
TI  - Role of quinolones in surgical prophylaxis.
AB  - The general principles involved in the use of chemoprophylaxis in surgery, the
      selection of patients at risk, and the choice of antibiotic agents are reasonably
      well established. While a good deal of data exist regarding commonly used
      prophylactic regimens, very little data are available on the role of quinolones
      in surgical prophylaxis. The literature dealing with this area is reviewed, and
      studies on the use of quinolones in biliary, colorectal, urologic, orthopedic and
      vascular surgery are discussed. The data suggest that generally the quinolones
      are as efficacious as the other antibiotics with which they were compared, and in
      the case of urologic surgery the results using quinolones were better than those
      in non-treated controls. Single-dose prophylaxis was regularly shown to be as
      effective as multiple dose regimens. Further clinical trial data are necessary
      before any firm conclusions can be drawn regarding the role of quinolones in
      surgical prophylaxis.

PMID- 1864300
TI  - Side-effects of quinolones: comparisons between quinolones and other antibiotics.
AB  - Fluoroquinolones are generally very safe antibiotics which do not cause serious
      or life-threatening adverse reactions. The most frequent side-effects are
      gastrointestinal reactions (nausea, dyspepsia, vomiting) and CNS reactions such
      as dizziness, insomnia and headache. Many of the more severe CNS reactions seem
      to be due to metabolic interaction with theophylline, especially when enoxacin is
      used. Of the potentially serious side-effects, photoxicity has been reported in
      varying frequencies with the different fluoroquinolones. Caution is necessary
      when this group of drugs, especially pefloxacin, is prescribed to patients who
      will have intensive exposure to UV light during treatment. The finding in
      juvenile animals of cartilage damage after administration of high doses have
      resulted in recommendations that fluoroquinolones should not be used in children.
      Carefully monitored studies should be performed in paediatric patients to assess
      whether there is a real risk of such adverse reactions.

PMID- 1864301
TI  - Post-marketing surveillance of quinolones 1988-1990.
AB  - It has been much easier to obtain original data on adverse drug reactions (ADR)
      of quinolones from the pharmaceutical industry than it was two years ago. This is
      to be welcomed and, as anticipated, the new data continue to suggest that the new
      4-quinolones have an ADR profile which is very similar to that of other
      antimicrobials. Visual disturbance is not a prominent feature, in contrast to the
      ADR profile of nalidixic acid. Better definition of quinolone ADRs requires
      prospective study, and the results of a newly completed prescription event
      monitoring study are awaited with interest. The potential use of computerised
      databases and record linkage is examined, but at present the number of quinolone
      prescriptions is too small to assess documentation of serious but rare events
      such as convulsions. Physicians need to be aware of the limitations of current
      data on suspected ADRs. Further investment in computerised databases is required
      to satisfy the requirements for attributing causality of an event to a drug.

PMID- 1864302
TI  - On the mechanism of mergocryptine-induced suppression of dopamine turnover in the
      rat striatum.
AB  - The effect of mergocryptine, a new ergot alkaloid, on the cerebral dopaminergic
      systems was examined using Wistar rats. The administration of mergocryptine (1
      and 10 mg/kg i.p.) induced a significant suppression of striatal dopamine (DA)
      turnover. In vitro addition of mergocryptine (0.01-100 microM) induced a dose
      dependent suppression of the release of [3H]DA from striatal slices.
      Mergocryptine inhibited [3H]apomorphine binding to a striatal synaptosomal
      fraction, and its IC50 value was found to be 0.23 microM. Pretreatment with
      apomorphine (100 micrograms/kg s.c.) showed an additive effect on the
      mergocryptine (10 mg/kg)-induced suppression of DA turnover. These results
      suggest that mergocryptine may induce the suppression of striatal DA turnover by
      reducing DA release via the stimulation of presynaptic dopaminergic
      autoreceptors.

PMID- 1864303
TI  - Effects of brain natriuretic peptide on renin secretion in normal and hypertonic
      saline-infused kidney.
AB  - The effects of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) on renin secretion were evaluated
      in normal and hypertonic saline-infused kidneys of anesthetized dogs. In the
      normal kidney (N = 5), intrarenal infusion of porcine BNP-(1-26) (pBNP) at a dose
      of 50 ng/kg per min attenuated the renin secretion rate significantly to 9 +/-
      27% of control without exerting a significant effect on mean arterial pressure
      (MAP), renal blood flow (RBF) or glomerular filtration rate (GFR); urine flow (V)
      was significantly increased to 260 +/- 33% of control and urinary excretion of
      sodium (UNaV) to 480 +/- 140% of control. In the hypertonic saline infusion group
      (N = 6), intrarenal infusion of hypertonic saline (20% w/v) at 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0
      mEq NaCl/min caused a decrease in GFR and natriuresis in a dose-dependent manner.
      The renin secretion rate was attenuated by hypertonic saline infusion (1 mEq
      NaCl/min) to 87 +/- 31% of control. In another group (N = 6), administration of
      pBNP at a dose of 50 ng/kg per min during hypertonic saline infusion (1 mEq
      NaCl/min) increased the renin secretion rate to 196 +/- 57%, increased RBF to 160
      +/- 13%, increased GFR to 137 +/- 22%, increased V to 221 +/- 29%, and increased
      UNaV to 218 +/- 29% of the values measured during hypertonic saline infusion. Our
      results indicate that BNP inhibits renin secretion through sodium delivery to the
      macula densa and effectively inhibits the tubuloglomerular feedback response that
      is activated by intrarenal hypertonic saline infusion.

PMID- 1864304
TI  - Effects of dantrolene on the responses to methylxanthines in the isolated guinea
      pig trachea.
AB  - The effect of dantrolene on the responses to methylxanthines (caffeine and
      theophylline) and a beta-adrenoceptor agonist (salbutamol) was studied in
      isolated guinea-pig trachea. Caffeine and theophylline (1 microM-10 mM) and
      salbutamol (1 nM-10 microM) produced concentration-dependent relaxation of
      spontaneous and stimulated (acetylcholine 1 mM) tone. Responses to high
      concentrations (10 mM) of caffeine and theophylline added to tracheal strips
      either unstimulated (spontaneous tone) or indomethacin (2.8 microM)-treated were
      reversed to contractions in the presence of dantrolene (3 microM-0.3 mM). This
      effect was not observed for salbutamol or when relaxant responses to the agonists
      were generated in pre-contracted (acetylcholine 1 mM) strips. Dantrolene
      inhibited concentration dependently the contraction evoked by caffeine (1 mM) in
      indomethacin (2.8 microM)-treated strips at 20 degrees C. This effect of
      dantrolene was attenuated in a low Ca2+ (0.8 mM) medium or when the bath
      temperature was lowered to 10 degrees C. Although an intracellular site of action
      cannot be excluded these results suggest that dantrolene mainly interferes with
      transmembrane Ca2+ movements in the guinea-pig trachea.

PMID- 1864305
TI  - Effects of inhalation and intravenous anesthetic agents on pressor response to NG
      nitro-L-arginine.
AB  - The effects of anaesthetic agents on pressor effect of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L
      NNA), a potent inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, were examined in rats.
      I.v. bolus of L-NNA (1-32 mg/kg) in conscious rats dose dependently increased
      mean arterial pressure (MAP) to a maximum value of 53 +/- 2 mmHg at 16 mg/kg with
      ED50 value of 4.7 +/- 0.9 mg/kg. The effects of a single i.v. bolus dose (32
      mg/kg) of L-NNA were examined in conscious rats and rats anaesthetised with
      pentobarbital, chloralose, ketamine, althesin (mixture of alphaxalone and
      alphadolone), urethane, enflurane or halothane. In conscious rats, peak MAP (51
      +/- 3 mmHg) was reached 10 min after i.v. injection and the effect lasted more
      than two hours. The magnitudes of peak MAP differed under the influence of
      anaesthetic agents with the following rank order: althesin greater than conscious
      = pentobarbital = chloralose = ketamine = urethane greater than enflurane much
      greater than halothane (in which there was negligible change in MAP). The onsets
      were delayed in rats anaesthetised with pentobarbital, althesin, chloralose and
      enflurane but not altered with ketamine and urethane compared to that in
      conscious rats. Therefore, L-NNA caused intense and prolonged pressor response in
      conscious rats and rats anaesthetised with the i.v. anaesthetic agents
      pentobarbital, chloralose, ketamine, althesin and urethane. MAP effect of L-NNA
      was markedly attenuated by the inhalation anaesthetics halothane and enflurane.

PMID- 1864306
TI  - Inhibition of meal-stimulated gastric acid secretion by gastrin
      immunoneutralization in rats.
AB  - Gastrin 17-I was infused into conscious rats equipped with jugular and portal
      vein catheters and with a pyloric gastric drainage tube to achieve serum
      concentrations slightly higher than those found during intragastrically instilled
      peptone solutions. I.v. injected rabbit gastrin antiserum abolished gastrin 17-I
      stimulated gastric acid secretion in these animals. Gastrin immunoneutralization
      reduced peptone-stimulated gastric acid secretion by approximately 37% during the
      entire 30-min period of stimulation. Peptone-stimulated gastric acid secretion
      was only significantly (P less than 0.05) inhibited in the third 10-min period,
      but not in the first or second 10-min periods of stimulation. This study
      demonstrates that the late but not the initial period of peptone-stimulated
      gastric acid secretion is regulated by circulating gastrin in rats.

PMID- 1864307
TI  - Cocaine displaces [3H]WIN 35,428 binding to dopamine uptake sites in vivo more
      rapidly than mazindol or GBR 12909.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that [3H] WIN 35,428 binds preferentially to striatal
      cocaine receptors at the dopamine transporter after in vivo injection. In vivo
      binding competition studies were carried out to assess the relative rates of
      entry and occupancy of cocaine receptors by (-)-cocaine, mazindol and GBR 12909.
      After i.v. injection, (-)-cocaine occupied receptors relatively more rapidly than
      GBR 12,909 while mazindol was the slowest.

PMID- 1864308
TI  - Memantine is highly potent in protecting cortical cultures against excitotoxic
      cell death evoked by glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate.
AB  - The capacity of memantine to protect cultured cerebrocortical cells against N
      methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)- and glutamate-induced cell death was examined.
      Excitotoxic cell death was evaluated by phase contrast microscopy and quantified
      by estimating the release of lactic dehydrogenase from damaged cells. Memantine
      showed a strong, long-lasting and concentration-dependent protective effect
      against the excitotoxic damage induced by glutamate and NMDA, with almost
      complete protection being attained at a memantine concentration of 0.1 mM. The
      present findings indicate that memantine has potential value as a drug against
      excitotoxic brain damage.

PMID- 1864310
TI  - Diurnal variation of nuclear volumes and the mitotic index of cells in the
      adrenal zona glomerulosa of rats.
AB  - In adult male Wistar rats (200-230 g), nuclear volumes of cells in the adrenal
      zona glomerulosa exhibit diurnal variation with the peak values at 12 p.m.-3 a.m.
      and the nadir value at 12 a.m. Diurnal variation of the mitotic index is
      characterized by high values from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and low values from 12 p.m. to
      6 a.m.

PMID- 1864309
TI  - Biogenic amines and ascorbic acid in rat brain following steroid contraceptive
      treatment.
AB  - Chronic treatment with steroid contraceptive produced a decrease in dopamine and
      norepinephrine concentration in discrete brain areas and an increase in ascorbic
      acid level. We suggest that alteration in the level of biogenic amines by steroid
      contraceptive may have some functional correlation with the ascorbic acid
      concentration in rat brain.

PMID- 1864311
TI  - Nitrate-induced hypothyroidism is associated with a reduced concentration of
      growth hormone-releasing factor in hypothalamic tissue of rats.
AB  - Dietary nitrate significantly inhibits the growth of male and female rats. To
      test the possibility that the growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) content in
      hypothalamic tissue is deranged under these conditions, male and female rats were
      fed a diet containing 3% KNO3 for 6 weeks, compared to a normal diet (4 X 5
      animals). The food intake of rats fed nitrate was reduced significantly (23 and
      28% resp.). Weight gain was also decreased by 35 and 41% in male and female rats.
      The mean Sm-C/IGF-I concentration was 1.61 and 1.03 rU/ml in male and female
      control rats, whereas the concentrations in nitrate-exposed rats were 0.92 and
      0.64, respectively (P less than 0.01). The GRF content of hypothalamic tissue
      also decreased significantly from 407 and 533 ng/g protein in controls to 174 and
      229 in treated male and female rats. Nitrate exposure is characterized by
      hypothyroidism, food intake depression, low Sm-C/IGF-I concentrations in plasma
      and a decreased hypothalamic GRF content. Independent of the peripheral changes,
      the content of Sm-C/IGF-I in the brain remains constant. The results of the study
      demonstrate that thyroid hormone deficiency leads to an inhibition of GH axis
      already at the hypothalamic level.

PMID- 1864312
TI  - Altered ambulatory activity and related brain monoamine metabolism in genetically
      obese Zucker rats.
AB  - Feeding-related behavior and alteration of brain monoamine metabolism were
      examined in the male lean, and obese Zucker rats. Ambulatory activity of obese
      rats was reduced in the dark cycle. Dopamine (DA) and its metabolite, 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), contents were significantly decreased in the
      striatum of obese rats. However, the metabolic rate assessed with the DOPAC/DA
      ratio, and norepinephrine (EN) content were not changed in the striatum.
      Hypothalamic DA and NE contents were significantly reduced and the DOPAC/DA ratio
      was significantly increased in the hypothalamus of obese rats. The present
      findings suggest that the observed changes in brain monoamine metabolism may
      contribute to the development of obesity reducing ambulatory activity of obese
      rats.

PMID- 1864313
TI  - Effect of omeprazole-induced hypergastrinaemia on the proliferation of colonic
      mucosal epithelial cells in the rat.
AB  - In the present study we have investigated the effects of proglumide (PRO) and
      somatostatin analog (SMS 201-995) on the mitotic activity of colonic mucosa in
      rats under basal conditions and after omeprazole (OM). The stathmokinetic method
      was used. Proglumide and OM were administered for 5 days, twice daily, SMS 201
      995 on the 5th day of the experiment only, also twice daily. It was found that:
      1) OM enhanced the proliferation of colonic mucosa, as well as increased serum
      gastrin, when compared to controls, 2) OM and PRO, when applied jointly,
      decreased the mitotic activity of the colonic epithelium, 3) PRO alone increased
      the colonic cell proliferation.

PMID- 1864314
TI  - Mechanism for the cardiovascular action of intracerebroventricularly administered
      vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in rats.
AB  - It was investigated whether the secretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and
      arginine vasopressin from the adrenal medulla, sympathetic nerve endings, and
      posterior pituitary gland, respectively, was involved in the mediation of the
      pressor effect of intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of vasoactive
      intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in anesthetized rats. Icv administration of 1
      microgram VIP increased mean blood pressure by 21% and heart rate by 17% in
      Wistar rats although the lesser dose was effective only for increasing heart
      rate. Simultaneously with the change in blood pressure and heart rate, the
      concentrations of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine rose 4 and 10 min after
      VIP administration. After adrenalectomy, the action of VIP on mean blood pressure
      or heart rate was unchanged or partially reduced, respectively. Although the
      cardiovascular action of VIP was observed in control Long-Evans rats as well as
      in Brattleboro rats homozygous or heterozygous for diabetes insipidus, which
      hereditarily lacked vasopressin completely or partially, the increase in mean
      blood pressure after icv administration of VIP was more marked in homozygous than
      heterozygous rats or Long-Evans rats. These results suggest that the
      cardiovascular action of centrally administered VIP is mediated by increased
      sympathetic nerve outflows including stimulation of adrenal epinephrine secretion
      and is enhanced by the chronic absence of vasopressin secretion from the
      posterior pituitary gland.

PMID- 1864315
TI  - Hormone analytical and carrier protein alternations following administration of
      mifepristone (RU 486) for termination of early pregnancy.
AB  - Outpatient terminations were performed on 50 biochemically confirmed pregnancies
      of 33 to 43 days amenorrhea with a single oral dose of 600 mg of mifepristone (RU
      486). 37 women were randomly assigned to an additional endocrine investigation,
      comprising serum levels of beta hCG, progesterone (P), estradiol (E2), cortisol
      (C), sexual hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and cortisol binding globulin (CBG)
      on days 0 and 7 prior to and following the drug administration. Of these 37
      patients, 30 experienced a complete expulsion of the uterine contents, 28 until
      day 7, 2 subjects on day 9 and 10, respectively. The remaining 7 women either
      showed an unaffected pregnancy or the symptoms of incomplete abortion, which made
      a surgical intervention necessary. In the successfully treated cases the levels
      of beta hCG, P and E2 decreased significantly, the nonresponders showed unchanged
      or even increasing hormone values. No significant changes of cortisol
      concentrations were found in the group of nonresponders, while the successful
      cases exhibited a slight elevation probably due to the abortion-associated
      processes. No considerable therapy-dependent differences were observed in the
      levels of SHBG. A small but significant decrease in the mean CBG value could be
      calculated in the group of responders.

PMID- 1864316
TI  - Plasma cortisol and prolactin response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in
      neurosis.
AB  - Prolactin (PRL) and plasma cortisol response to insulin induced hypoglycemia were
      studied in 14 patients with various somatic and vegetative complaints of neurotic
      character and in 12 controls. In all examined subjects glucose level fell below
      50% of basal values and below 2.2 mmol/l. Significant PRL and plasma cortisol
      response were present in all controls. Plasma cortisol increase in control group
      was at least 1.5 fold higher than basal values and the difference between basal
      concentrations and highest values after stimulation was at least 0.25 mumol.
      Individual peak of PRL values in group of controls was 1.8-10 fold greater than
      basal levels. In the group of 14 patients in 11 cases no PRL response to
      challenge was found and in 4 cases also plasma cortisol response was blunted. In
      two patients extremely exaggerated PRL reaction was found. Different PRL
      responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia are probably a manifestation of
      different types of neurotransmitter metabolism breakdown.

PMID- 1864317
TI  - Exogenous and endogenous suppression of thyroid-stimulating hormone induces
      similar effects on thyroidal iodothyronines.
AB  - Thyroidal concentrations of T4 and T3 and the T4/T3 ratio were analyzed in the
      nodular and paranodular tissues from two groups of patients with suppressed TSH
      secretion. The first group consisted of 17 patients with nontoxic nodular goitre
      (NG), 8 of whom received long-term levothyroxine therapy to suppress TSH, while
      remaining 9 were untreated. The second group consisted of 10 patients with
      autonomously functioning thyroid adenoma (AFTA), in whom TSH secretion was
      suppressed due to the adenoma-induced increase in thyroid hormone concentrations.
      In nodular tissues of NG patients, thyroidal T4 and the T4/T3 ratio were
      significantly higher in treated than in untreated patients (0.34 +/- 0.05 vs.
      0.15 +/- 0.02 mol T4/mol of thyroglobulin (Tg) and 10.9 +/- 1.2 vs. 5.2 +/- 0.7
      respectively). Analysis of paranodular tissues of NG patients also revealed a
      higher T4/T3 ratio in treated patients (16.0 +/- 2.1 vs. 6.9 +/- 0.9), although
      thyroidal T3 and T4 concentrations in treated and untreated patients were
      similar. In AFTA patients, both T3 and T4 concentrations were higher in the
      adenoma than in paranodular tissues (0.14 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.02 +/- 0.005 mol T3/mol
      Tg and 1.08 +/- 0.32 vs. 0.26 +/- 0.06 mol T4/mol Tg), whereas the T4/T3 ratio
      was significantly higher in paranodular tissues (23.2 +/- 5.9 vs. 9.3 +/- 1.8).
      These results indicate that suppression of TSH induced either exogenously or
      endogenously results in an increase in the thyroidal T4/T3 ratio that reflects an
      increase in T4 and/or a decrease in T3 concentrations. These findings also
      support the notion that TSH preferentially stimulates thyroidal T3 production.

PMID- 1864318
TI  - A 25-year-old man with congenital hypothalamic hypogonadism and anorexia nervosa.
AB  - We report a case of anorexia nervosa in a man who had suffered hypogonadism from
      infancy. The study of the case adds an evidence to clarify roles of sex hormones
      in anorexia nervosa (Young, 1975).

PMID- 1864319
TI  - Saccade-related Purkinje cells in the cerebellar hemispheres of the monkey.
AB  - Extracellular single unit discharges of cerebellar Purkinje cells (P-cells) were
      recorded from the cerebellar hemispheres of two Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata)
      during spontaneous and visually guided eye movements. We found that saccade
      related P-cells, whose simple-spike (SS) discharge rates were modulated in close
      correlation with saccadic eye movements, were localized in fairly restricted
      areas in the hemisphere, mostly in Crus IIa with some in the deep folia of Crus
      I. P-cells located in simple lobules, superficial folia of Crus I or in Crus IIp
      did not change their discharge rate during voluntary eye movements. Fifty-five
      saccade-related P-cells recorded from Crus I and II showed modulation of SS
      discharge rate related to both spontaneous and visually triggered saccades, with
      the modulation closely time-locked to the saccades. Two thirds (37/55) of saccade
      related P-cells began to change their SS discharge rate 20-100 ms prior to the
      onset of saccades. The remaining one third (18/55) changed their activity
      approximately at the same time as the saccade onset. These saccade-related P
      cells did not show changes in activity during smooth pursuit eye movements, and
      we did not find any P-cells in the cerebellar hemisphere which showed changes of
      activity preferentially during smooth pursuit eye movements. In about half
      (26/55) of the saccade-related P-cells, the pattern of modulation prior to and
      during saccades was biphasic: increase-decrease or decrease-increase. The other
      half (29/55) showed monophasic increases or decreases. For a given P-cell, the
      discharge pattern during saccades was similar for saccades of all directions,
      though there was a preferred direction in the amount of discharge rate
      modulation. The present findings suggest that the cerebellar hemisphere (Crus I
      and IIa) plays an important role in the control of voluntary saccadic eye
      movements, in addition to other cerebellar cortical areas (flocculus and
      posterior vermis) which are known to participate in the control of saccades.

PMID- 1864320
TI  - The role of the claustrum in the bilateral control of frontal oculomotor neurons
      in the cat.
AB  - The effect of claustrum (CL) stimulation on the spontaneous unitary activity of
      ipsi and contralateral frontal oculomotor neurons, was studied in chloralose
      anaesthetized cats. A total of 205 units was bilaterally recorded in the medial
      oculomotor area, homologous of the primate "frontal eye fields"; 127 neurons were
      identified as projecting to the superior colliculus; for 33 of these last units
      stimulation of the ipsilateral CL provoked an excitatory effect lasting 10-25 ms
      and appearing with a latency of 5-15 ms; on 8 units the excitatory effect was
      followed by an inhibition lasting 100-250 ms. Ninety-eight of the 127 neurons
      were also tested through activation of the contralateral CL: 13 cells showed an
      excitatory effect lasting 10-35 ms and appearing with a latency of 20-50 ms. In
      three of the thirteen units the excitatory effect was followed by an inhibition
      lasting 100-150 ms. Complete section of the corpus callosum abolished the
      contralateral CL effect, suggesting the existence of a direct claustro
      contralateral oculomotor cortex pathway running through the corpus callosum. The
      results could support the hypothesis that the CL may play a role in the bilateral
      control of the visuomotor performance.

PMID- 1864321
TI  - Gastric afferents to the paraventricular nucleus in the rat.
AB  - Extracellular recordings were made from vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT)
      secreting cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus in rats
      anesthetized with urethane-chloralose to determine the effects of electrical
      stimulation of vagal gastric nerves and gastric distension on their activity.
      Electrical stimulation of gastric branches of the vagus nerves inhibited 5 and
      excited 10 of 32 phasically firing neurosecretory cells. Approximately one third
      of the phasically firing neurosecretory cells (9 out of 29 cells) were
      transiently inhibited by gastric distension; an effect which was completely
      abolished by bilateral cervical vagotomy. In contrast, gastric nerve stimulation
      excited 45 of 72 non-phasically firing paraventricular cells. Thirteen of 77 non
      phasically firing cells tested were excited by gastric distension. We conclude
      that there are some sensory afferent inputs originating from gastric receptors
      and transmitted by gastric vagal afferents which inhibit the activity of AVP
      secreting neurons in the PVN although other inputs excite the cells. Similar
      inputs also excite some of the putative OXT-secreting neurons in the PVN.

PMID- 1864322
TI  - Functional interactions among neurons in inferior temporal cortex of the awake
      macaque.
AB  - Functional interactions among inferior temporal cortex (IT) neurons were studied
      in the awake, fixating macaque monkey during the presentation of visual stimuli.
      Extracellular recordings were obtained simultaneously from several
      microelectrodes, and in many cases, spike trains from more than one neuron were
      extracted from each electrode by the use of spike shape sorting technology.
      Functional interactions between pairs of neurons were measured using cross
      correlation. Discharge patterns of single neurons were evaluated using auto
      correlation and PST histograms. Neurons recorded on the same electrode (within
      about 100 microns) had more similar stimulus selectivity and were more likely to
      show functional interactions than those recorded on different electrodes spaced
      about 250 to 500 microns apart. Most neurons tended to fire in bursts tens to
      hundreds of milliseconds in duration, and asynchronously from the stimulus
      induced rate changes. Correlated neuronal firing indicative of shared inputs and
      direct interactions was observed. Occurrence of shared input was significantly
      lower for neuron pairs recorded on different electrodes than for neurons recorded
      on the same electrode. Direct connections occurred about as often for neurons on
      different electrodes as for neurons on the same electrode. These results suggest
      that input projections are usually restricted to less than 500 micron patches and
      are then distributed over greater distances by intrinsic connections.
      Measurements of synaptic contribution suggest that typically more than 5 near
      simultaneous inputs are required to cause an IT neuron to discharge.

PMID- 1864323
TI  - Retroactive memory of a visual discrimination task in the rat: role of temporal
      entorhinal cortices and their connections.
AB  - It has previously been shown that the temporal and entorhinal cortices may be
      critically involved in memory. In Experiment 1, rats with either damage to the
      temporal cortex (TC), lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC), or the medial entorhinal
      cortex (MEC) were tested for retention of a preoperatively acquired simultaneous
      brightness discrimination task. TC and LEC lesions impaired retention, whereas
      MEC lesions were without mnemonic effect. In Experiment 2, rats with either
      disruptions of the anterior neural connections of TC (TC/Ant), posterior
      connections of TC (TC/Post), or conjoint disruptions (Ant/Post) were tested for
      retention of the visual discrimination task. TC/Ant and Post/Ant lesions resulted
      in relatively mild, but significant memory impairment, whereas a profound effect
      was seen after TC/Post lesions. The results are discussed in terms of a very
      important role for LEC and its connections with TC in mnemonic function.

PMID- 1864324
TI  - Antidromic identification of midbrain near response cells projecting to the
      oculomotor nucleus.
AB  - Medial rectus motoneurons carry both conjugate and vergence eye position signals.
      Abducens internuclear neurons, whose axons travel in the medial longitudinal
      fasciculus, provide these motoneurons with the major signal for conjugate eye
      movements but not for vergence eye movements. A vergence signal appropriate for
      these motoneurons is seen on the near response cells that are found in the
      mesencephalic reticular formation within 2 mm of the oculomotor nucleus. The goal
      of the present study was to determine if midbrain near response cells project to
      the medial rectus subdivision of the oculomotor nucleus. Near response cells were
      recorded in two trained rhesus monkeys with ocular search coils. A stimulating
      electrode was positioned within the medial rectus subdivision of the oculomotor
      nucleus. Twenty-eight near response cells were found that could be driven by
      single pulse microstimulation of the ipsilateral medial rectus subdivision. In
      all cases, antidromic activation was confirmed by collision testing. Attempts to
      antidromically activate midbrain near response cells from the contralateral
      medial rectus subdivision were unsuccessful. Most antidromically activated cells
      had a steady state firing rate proportional to vergence angle. One cell also
      showed burst activity during the vergence eye movements. Divergence cells were
      not antidromically activated.

PMID- 1864325
TI  - Calcium binding proteins and neuropeptides as molecular markers of GABAergic
      interneurons in the cat visual cortex.
AB  - In the cat visual cortex, almost all parvalbumin-positive cells are GABAergic,
      and about 80% of the calbindin D-28K-positive neurons are also GABA
      immunoreactive. About 37% of the GABAergic neurons contain parvalbumin and a
      smaller fraction (about 18%) contains calbindin. Furthermore, parvalbumin and
      calbindin are localized in two separate neuronal populations in the cat visual
      cortex, suggesting that two GABAergic populations can be distinguished, one
      containing parvalbumin and one containing calbindin. Double staining for
      parvalbumin and neuropeptides (CCK, SRIF and NPY), revealed no double-labeled
      cells, with the exception of a few SRIF- and parvalbumin-positive neurons. These
      results show that cortical GABAergic cells can be differentiated on basis of
      their calcium binding protein and neuropeptide immunoreactivity.

PMID- 1864326
TI  - Vocalization-correlated single-unit activity in the brain stem of the squirrel
      monkey.
AB  - The brain stems of 17 squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were systematically
      explored for vocalization-related single-unit activity during calls electrically
      elicited from the periaqueductal grey. Of 12,280 cells tested, 1151 fired in
      relation to vocalization. Of these, 587 reacted to external acoustic stimuli and
      started firing after vocalization onset. As most of these cells were located in
      classical auditory relay structures, they probably represent auditory neurones
      reacting indirectly to self-produced vocalization due to auditory feedback. Seven
      cells reacted to acoustic stimuli but fired in advance of self-produced
      vocalization. These cells were located in the pericentral inferior colliculus,
      dorsal nucleus of the lateral lemniscus, dorsomedial to the ventral nucleus of
      the lateral lemniscus and immediately lateral to the central grey. They are
      probably engaged in tuning the auditory system to process self-generated sounds
      differently from external sounds. 261 neurones reacted to nonphonatory oral
      movements (chewing, swallowing) and started firing after vocalization onset.
      These neurones were widely distributed within the brain stem, with the highest
      density in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and medially adjacent reticular
      formation. The majority of these cells seem to react to proprioceptive and
      tactile stimuli generated by phonatory and nonphonatory oral activities. Some of
      them may exert motor control on muscles that come into play at later stages of
      phonation. 57 neurones reacted to nonphonatory oral movements but fired in
      advanced of vocalization onset. These neurones were located mainly in the
      trigeminal motor nucleus, nucl. ambiguous, reticular formation around these
      nuclei, parabrachial region and lateral vestibular nucleus. Their role in motor
      control seems to be related to specific muscles rather than specific functions.
      100 of the vocalization-related cells showed a correlation with respiration.
      Expiration-related cells were found in and around the rostral nucl. ambiguous and
      in the reticular formation dorsal to the facial nucleus. Inspiration-related
      cells were located in the rostral and caudal nucl. ambiguous regions,
      ventrolateral solitary tract nucleus and the lateral reticular formation below
      the trigeminal motor nucleus. Most of these cells probably represent premotor
      neurones of respiratory muscles and laryngeal motoneurones of the cricothyroid
      and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles. Finally, a last group of cells was found
      that was unresponsive to chewing and swallowing movements, quiet breathing and
      acoustic stimuli, but changed activity during vocalization. 38 of them became
      active before vocalization and cricothyroid activity, and 101 afterward.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1864327
TI  - Integration in descending motor pathways controlling the forelimb in the cat. 18.
      Morphology, axonal projection and termination of collaterals from C3-C4
      propriospinal neurones in the segment of origin.
AB  - The morphology of single C3-C4 propriospinal neurones (PNs) including the cell
      body, dendritic tree, axonal trajectory and the pattern of projection and
      termination of axonal collaterals in the C3-C4 segments was investigated by intra
      somatic or intra-axonal injection of horseradish peroxidase. All the C3-C4 PNs
      could be antidromically activated from the lateral funicle in C6 and the lateral
      reticular nucleus but not from Th13. Another criterion was that they received
      monosynaptic excitation from corticospinal fibres in the contralateral pyramid.
      Twenty-four C3-C4 PNs were successfully stained. They were located in the lateral
      part of laminae VI-VIII except for two neurones which were located in lamina V
      and two in lamina IX. Five to eleven dendrites originated from the cell bodies
      and extended throughout laminae IV-VIII and even into the white matter in the
      transverse plane and up to 3 mm rostro-caudally. The axonal trajectory from the
      cell body was usually curved before reaching the lateral funicle. The bifurcation
      of the stem axon into a descending and an ascending branch was mostly observed in
      the white matter close to or at the border between the white and grey matter at
      the level of the cell body. The ascending and descending axonal branches
      maintained their location in the same part of the lateral funicle. Sixteen out of
      24 stem axons gave off collaterals in the grey matter and/or in the white matter.
      One to five collaterals were given off from the axons in the grey
      matter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864328
TI  - Pyramidal excitation in long propriospinal neurones in the cervical segments of
      the cat.
AB  - 1. The effect of stimulating the contralateral pyramid has been investigated with
      intracellular recording from 128 long propriospinal neurones (long PNs) in the C3
      Th1 segments of the cat. Long PNs were identified by the antidromic activation
      from the Th13 segment. They were located in laminae VII-VIII of Rexed. Single
      pyramidal stimulation evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in 15/40 of the long PNs in cats
      with intact pyramid. In 15 other long PNs, a train of three to four pyramidal
      stimuli evoked EPSPs with latencies indicating a minimal disynaptic linkage. The
      remaining 25% of the long PNs lacked mono- or disynaptic pyramidal EPSPs. In a
      few cases longer latency excitation was observed. 2. The location of the
      intercalated neurones which mediate the disynaptic pyramidal EPSPs was
      investigated by making four different lesions of the corticofugal fibres: 1) at
      the border of the C5 and C6 segments, 2) at the border of the C2 and C3 segments,
      3) at the caudal part of the pyramid; three mm rostral to the decussation and 4)
      at the level of the trapezoid body. Stimulation of the corticofugal fibres was
      made either rostral to lesion 3 (rPyr) in order to activate neurones in a cortico
      bulbospinal pathway or caudal to lesion 3 (cPyr) to activate neurones in a
      corticospinal pathway. In the former case, in one experiment, stimulation was
      made in the pyramid between lesions 3 and 4 (double pyramidal lesion). In case of
      cPyr stimulation, lesions 1 and 2 were added sequentially in order to investigate
      if the corticospinal excitation was mediated via C3-C4 PNs. All lesions were made
      mechanically, except lesion 2 which in some of the experiments was performed by
      reversible cooling. 3. Stimulation in the pyramid rostral to lesion 3 and in
      between lesions 3 and 4 evoked disynaptic EPSPs in the long PNs, which shows that
      they were mediated via reticulospinal neurones. Stimulation in cPyr after lesion
      3 elicited disynaptic EPSPs, which remained after lesion 1 but were abolished
      after adding lesion 2. It is concluded that the disynaptic cPyr EPSPs were
      mediated via intercalated neurones in the C3-C4 segments. 4. When the disynaptic
      cPyr EPSP was conditioned with a single volley in nucleus ruber and/or in tectum,
      it was markedly facilitated, especially when the conditioned volley was applied
      simultaneously with the effective cPyr volley. The results show that the
      intercalated neurones in the C3-C4 segments receive monosynaptic convergence from
      cortico-, rubro- and tectospinal fibres. Stimulation in the lateral reticular
      nucleus (LRN) evoked monosynaptic EPSPs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1864329
TI  - Response properties of the periodontal mechanosensitive neurons in the trigeminal
      main sensory nucleus of the cat.
AB  - Periodontal mechanosensitive units (PM units) were recorded from the trigeminal
      main sensory nucleus (Vms) of the cat. The receptive fields of PM units were
      arranged from mandibular to maxillary divisions dorso-ventrally. The majority of
      PM units were single tooth units responsive to the canine tooth. They were
      directionally selective and had sustained responses to pressure applied to the
      tooth. The optimal stimulus direction of maxillary and mandibular PM units when
      the canine tooth was stimulated was single and it was oriented predominantly in
      the caudio-medial or rostrolateral direction. The threshold intensity of canine
      tooth stimulation was less than 0.05 N in most of the units. These findings
      indicate that the response properties of PM units in the Vms resemble fairly
      closely those of the primary afferent nerves arising from the periodontal
      mechanoreceptors.

PMID- 1864330
TI  - Control of extracranial and hindlimb blood flow by the midbrain periaqueductal
      grey of the cat.
AB  - Microinjections of D,L homocysteic acid (DLH, 40 nmoles) made in the lateral PAG
      of the unanesthetized and paralyzed decerebrate cat evoked distinct patterns of
      extracranial and hindlimb blood flow. One pattern, evoked from the pretentorial
      part of the lateral PAG (A3.3-A2.5), consisted of an extracranial vasodilation
      associated with an iliac vasoconstriction. Another pattern, evoked from the
      subtentorial part of the lateral PAG (P0.2-P0.9), consisted of an extracranial
      vasoconstriction associated with an iliac vasodilation. Both patterns were
      associated with increased arterial blood pressure. These results indicate (i)
      that the PAG contains neurons regulating head and hindlimb vasculature, and (ii)
      that these neurons are viscerotopically organized, in the sense that different
      representations of the head and hindlimb are found at different rostrocaudal
      levels. The significance of the results is discussed in the context of our
      previous findings that different kinds of defense reactions are evoked from these
      same pretentorial and subtentorial PAG regions.

PMID- 1864331
TI  - The neural basis of the behaviorally relevant N1 component of the somatosensory
      evoked potential in SI cortex of awake monkeys: evidence that backward cortical
      projections signal conscious touch sensation.
AB  - Studies of touch intensity discrimination in monkeys have identified a component
      of the somatosensory-evoked cortical potential, N1, generated within 50 ms of the
      stimulus, that predicts their behavioral performance. This study employed
      multiple-electrode arrays with relatively high spatial resolution (0.1 or 0.2 mm
      spacing) to record laminar profiles of somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs),
      multiple unit activity (MUA) and current source-densities (CSDs) at several sites
      across the postcentral gyri of two awake monkeys. This high resolution laminar
      analysis strongly supports our earlier hypothesis based upon low resolution data
      that N1 is generated by synaptic excitation targeted specifically at the most
      superficial cortical layers I/II: (1) The excitatory nature of N1 was indicated
      by elevated MUA which was maximal in layer III and extended down to subcortical
      white matter where fiber activity exceeded prestimulus levels; (2) In addition to
      CSD analysis, the observation that N1 was maximally negative within 0.10 mm of
      the border between layers I and II verified the superficial site of N1 synaptic
      excitation regardless of conductivity boundaries near the pial surface. A review
      of the anatomical literature finds that the most likely inputs responsible for N1
      activation are the "backward" cortico-cortical projections from secondary
      somatosensory areas to SI which in area 1 are the major source of sensory-related
      input that specifically terminates in layers I/II. We suggest, therefore, that
      backward projections are involved in the conscious process of touch sensation as
      it is signaled by N1.

PMID- 1864332
TI  - The effect of muscle vibration on human position sense during movements
      controlled by lengthening muscle contraction.
AB  - Muscle vibration studies suggest that during voluntary movement limb position is
      coded by muscle spindle information derived from the lengthening, antagonist
      muscle. However, these investigations have been limited to movements controlled
      by shortening contractions. This study further examined this property of
      kinesthesia during movements controlled by lengthening contraction. Subjects
      performed a horizontal flexion of the right forearm to a mechanical stop randomly
      positioned at 30, 50 and 70 degrees from the starting position. The movement was
      performed against a flexor load (1 kg) requiring contraction of the triceps
      muscle. Vision was occluded and movements were performed under three conditions:
      no vibration, vibration of the right biceps and vibration of the right triceps.
      The perceived position of the right forearm was assessed by instructing subjects
      to simultaneously match the right limb position with the left limb. Vibration of
      the shortening biceps muscle had no effect on limb matching accuracy. However,
      triceps vibration resulted in significant overestimation of the vibrated limb
      position (10-13 degrees). The variability in movement distance was uninfluenced
      by muscle vibration. During movements controlled by lengthening contraction,
      there is a concurrent gamma dynamic fusimotor input that would enhance primary
      afferent discharge. Despite this additional regulating input to the muscle
      spindle, it appears that muscle spindle information from the lengthening muscle
      is important for the accurate perception of limb movement and/or position.

PMID- 1864333
TI  - Effects of electrical stimulation of the thoracic spinal cord on bladder and
      external urethral sphincter activity in the decerebrate cat.
AB  - Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord above the sacral segments was used to
      produce coordinated micturition in the paralysed decerebrate cat. Stimulation of
      the superficial aspect of the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF) within the lower
      thoracic (T9-T13) segments produced a bladder contraction coordinated with
      decreased activity in the external urethral sphincter (EUS) branch of the
      pudendal nerve during which time fluid was expelled. In addition, a similar
      response was observed with DLF stimulation at the boundary of the L5/L6 segments.
      At the second cervical spinal segment, however, stimulation of a more lateral and
      ventral portion of the superficial spinal white matter was the only effective
      site for producing micturition. The spinal cord-evoked response was comparable to
      the micturition evoked by electrical stimulation of the pontine micturition
      centre (PMC) within the brainstem. A bilateral lesion of the dorsal columns (DC)
      and the dorsolateral funiculi (DLF) at the lower thoracic levels abolished reflex
      micturition evoked by bladder distension. However stimulation rostral to the
      lesion, within the PMC or thoracic DLF, continued to produce coordinated bladder
      and sphincter response during voiding. Stimulation caudal to the lesion produced
      a decrease in pudendal nerve activity but did not produce a void or bladder
      pressure change. This reduction in pudendal nerve activity could be abolished
      with a second lesion of the superficial DLF caudal to the stimulation site. It
      was concluded that stimulation of the thoracic dorsolateral funiculus activates
      both ascending and descending fibres which can influence the bladder and/or
      sphincter muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864334
TI  - Measurement of light touch perception threshold by contingent negative variation.
AB  - An objective method developed to measure the threshold of light touch perception
      using contingent negative variation (CNV) is described. The light touch stimulus
      was a slight indentation of the skin produced through a displacement controlled
      stimulating probe (tip diameter of 2 mm). It was applied as the conditioning (S1)
      stimulus of the classical CNV paradigm of S1, S2, and R. To increase the CNV
      amplitude, the S2 stimulus was either a red or a yellow LED. The subjects were
      required to respond to only one of two by pressing a button. When the light touch
      stimulus was perceived, the CNV was recorded in all 19 healthy adult volunteers.
      In 14 of them, a systematic determination of the threshold of the ball of the
      thumb and index finger, thenar, hypothenar, face, shoulder, anterior thigh, foot
      dorsum and great toe ball, have been done. The thresholds of the light touch
      perception as defined by objective CNV measurement are very close to the results
      of the subjective psychophysiological determinations in normals. The amplitude of
      the averaged CNV (12 responses) started to decrease when stimulus intensity was
      reduced to the point that the subjects were able to perceive only a fraction of
      the presented touch stimuli. We believe, therefore, that the objective CNV
      determination of the light touch perception threshold is precise and sensitive
      enough to be used in research as well as in clinical applications.

PMID- 1864335
TI  - Torque vectors of neck muscles in the cat.
AB  - Anatomical texts describe the neck musculature without measurements of muscle
      locations or quantitative estimates of pulling actions (torques). This study is
      based on measurements in stereotaxic coordinates of cat neck muscle origins and
      insertions, and neck intervertebral rotation axes. Torque vectors in three
      dimensions were calculated for 14 pairs of dorsal and ventral muscles that insert
      on the skull or first cervical vertebra. Predicted torque vectors were in general
      agreement with qualitative statements in the literature. Biventer cervicis and
      the rectus capitis major, medius, and minor muscles act mainly to raise the head,
      and longus capitis acts almost exclusively to lower the head. Longissimus
      capitis, sternomastoid, and cleidomastoid act mainly to roll the head. Complexus
      acts about equally to raise the head and rool it. Splenius and occipitoscapularis
      have torque in all three coordinate directions. Torques were altered by changing
      the pitch of the head with respect to the neck. The calculated neck muscle
      torques did not correspond to previously reported directions of neck muscle
      excitation during the vestibulocollic reflex. The neck musculature appears to be
      a complex, multidimensional system that presents interesting problems in motor
      control.

PMID- 1864336
TI  - Motion processing for saccadic eye movements in humans.
AB  - 1. We studied the latencies and amplitudes of saccades to moving targets in
      normal human subjects. Targets underwent ramp or step-ramp motions. The goal was
      to determine how the saccadic system uses information about target velocity. 2.
      For simple ramp motion saccadic latency decreased as target speed increased. A
      threshold distance model, which assumes that the target has to move a minimum
      distance before saccadic processing starts, provided a good fit to the responses
      of all four subjects and explains discrepancies between previously published
      findings. 3. A double step experiment showed that target position may have some
      effect on saccadic amplitude when sampled approximately 70 ms before saccade
      onset, but it must be sampled at least 140 ms before onset for an accurate
      saccade to occur. 4. Saccades to simple ramp targets approximated the target
      position 55 ms before saccade onset. Based on our double step results, this is
      more compensation than possible by a simple position estimate and implies
      extrapolation of target motion by the saccadic system. The lack of complete
      compensation may be due to an underestimate of the target speed and/or of the
      saccadic latency. 5. A delayed-saccade paradigm resulted in saccades with a
      longer, constant latency and allowed longer viewing of target motion. These
      saccades accounted for all but approximately 20 ms of target motion, suggesting
      that with more processing time of target motion a better extrapolation may be
      generated. 6. In a step-ramp paradigm the target stepped in one direction, then
      moved smoothly in the opposite direction. Saccades in this paradigm could be made
      in either the direction of the step or in the direction of target motion: the
      direction and latency were determined solely by the time at which the target
      crossed the fixation point. This time must be calculated from target speed and
      position, implying that the saccadic system must use speed information to adjust
      latency or to cancel unnecessary saccades.

PMID- 1864337
TI  - Reorganization of activity in the supplementary motor area associated with motor
      learning and functional recovery.
AB  - The supplementary motor area (SMA) of primates has been implicated in the
      initiation and execution of limb movements. However, when a motor task was
      extensively overlearned, few SMA neurons, if any, were active before the movement
      onset. Subsequent lesions of the primary motor cortex gave rise to the appearance
      of premovement activity changes, indicating usedependent reorganization of the
      neuronal activity in SMA.

PMID- 1864338
TI  - Tonically discharging neurons of monkey striatum respond to preparatory and
      rewarding stimuli.
AB  - The behavioral relationships of 396 striatum neurons with regular, tonically
      elevated discharge rates were studied. While monkeys performed a delayed gonogo
      task, neurons predominantly located in medial putamen responded with phasic
      depressions (n = 30) or activations (n = 5) to task-specific stimuli.
      Particularly effective was an instruction light preparing for movement or no
      movement reactions, and an auditory signal associated with reward delivery.
      Stimuli triggering arm or mouth movements were less effective. The data
      demonstrate that these usually poorly modulated neurons display context-dependent
      phasic activity in specific behavioral situations.

PMID- 1864339
TI  - Orientation bias of cat dorsal lateral geniculate cells: directional analysis of
      the major axis of the receptive field centre.
AB  - The receptive field centre of cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus were
      mapped as iso-sensitivity contours. 94% of the cells were found to have
      elliptical centres, and analysis of the major axis orientation showed that 29%
      and 59% of units had their major axis oriented within +/- 20 degrees of the
      radial and horizontal directions, respectively. The data for Y-cells showed a
      greater dispersion in their orientation biases (R = 0.57) compared with X-cells
      (R = 0.79). Nevertheless, a horizontal orientation bias was found in both classes
      of cells: 47% of Y-cells and 73% of X-cells. In addition, an examination of the
      major axis orientations was undertaken for cells with receptive field centres
      located along the radial direction of 35 degrees below the horizontal meridian.
      In this 35 degree Radial Group a horizontal bias was also confirmed. Analysis of
      the dispersion of major axis orientations with eccentricity from the area
      centralis showed a statistically significant decrease in scatter and, hence,
      indicated an increase in the horizontal bias with eccentricity.

PMID- 1864340
TI  - Obstructive lung disease in northern Sweden: respiratory symptoms assessed in a
      postal survey.
AB  - The prevalence of respiratory symptoms in 6,610 adults (3,372 men and 3,238
      women); 35-36, 50-51 and 65-66 yrs of age, living in selected areas of
      Norrbotten, northern Sweden, were assessed in a postal survey. Response rates
      were identical in men and women, and at least one respiratory symptom was
      reported by 41% of each sex. Twenty two percent reported sputum production, and
      14% reported wheezing. Despite differences in smoking habits and in the different
      age groups, the prevalence of symptoms did not differ between the sexes, or
      between urban and rural areas. Symptoms were as common in people living in the
      rural interior as in the industrialized coastal area. Present or past history of
      asthma was reported by 323 (5.9%) subjects, whilst 234 (4.1%) subjects stated
      that they had chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Less than half of the subjects who
      reported attacks of breathlessness together with wheezing stated that they had at
      any time had asthma. Whilst the exact prevalence of had asthma. Whilst the exact
      prevalence of at any time had asthma and chronic bronchitis cannot be assessed
      from this postal survey, its results indicate that the prevalence of asthma may
      be higher in northern Sweden than has been reported from the south of Sweden.

PMID- 1864341
TI  - A population survey of respiratory symptoms in the elderly.
AB  - Reversible airways obstruction is not uncommon in the elderly, but may be
      overlooked because of the high prevalence of other disorders with a similar
      presentation. In a search for patterns of symptoms which might predict treatable
      airways obstruction, we carried out a survey of men and women aged 65 yrs and
      over. Postal questionnaires were completed by 2,161 subjects selected at random
      from the lists of three general practices. Almost 60% of the sample complained of
      one or more respiratory symptoms. Smoking was a more important risk factor than
      age, sex or social class, and was associated particularly with wheeze, morning
      phlegm and chest tightness on waking. Several groups of symptoms tended to
      cluster in the same individuals. The two most closely related were chest
      tightness and breathlessness in response to animals, dust and feathers. Responses
      to irritants tended to cluster according to the symptom produced (cough,
      breathlessness or wheeze) rather than the provoking stimulus (smoke, cold air,
      household chemicals or traffic fumes). There was no evidence for the existence of
      the "bronchial irritability syndrome" which has been linked with asthma in
      younger adults. The relationship of symptoms to respiratory function and
      bronchial reactivity will be reported in a further publication.

PMID- 1864342
TI  - Occupational dust or gas exposure and prevalences of respiratory symptoms and
      asthma in a general population.
AB  - The relationship of occupational airborne, exposure to respiratory symptoms and
      asthma was examined using a self-administered questionnaire in a cross-sectional
      survey of a random sample (n = 4,992 subjects) of the general population aged 15
      70 yrs of Hordaland county, Norway. The response rate was 90%. Twenty nine
      percent of the population had a history of occupational dust or gas exposure, 5%
      reported having been exposed to asbestos at work, and 4% reported quartz
      exposure. A history of occupational dust or gas exposure was associated with
      morning cough, chronic cough, phlegm when coughing, breathlessness on exercise,
      occasional wheezing and a physician's diagnosis of asthma after adjusting for
      sex, age, smoking habits and urban-rural area of residence. The adjusted relative
      odds ratios for the respiratory disorders in subjects exposed to dust or gas
      ranged from 1.6-1.9. The population attributable risk of occupational dust or gas
      exposure for the respiratory disorders ranged from 11-19%. The study indicates
      that respiratory disorders are independently associated with occupational
      airborne exposure in a Norwegian general population sample.

PMID- 1864343
TI  - Relationships between lung function and physical characteristics in young adult
      black and white males and females.
AB  - The relationships of lung function to physical characteristics in young adults
      have not been adequately described for different gender-race groups in the United
      States. As part of a study of the effects of ozone exposure upon Black and White
      men and women, we measured lung volumes, expiratory flow rates, and airways
      resistance on a sample of 314 healthy 18-35 yr old nonsmokers. Regression
      analysis indicated that lung function was adequately described as a linear
      function of either height or sitting height in each of the four groups, and that
      while not always significant, gender and race differences in the height and
      sitting height coefficients were consistently present with those of males and
      Whites larger than those of females and Blacks, respectively. Lung volumes were
      frequently observed to be associated with body mass index as measured by Quetelet
      Index (weight.height.2). The best fitting gender-race specific multiple
      regression models including these terms and occasional age terms are presented.
      Two additional models are presented, one of which simultaneously adjusts for both
      gender and race, and the other of which adjusts for gender for a given race.
      Comparison of predicted values from our study to those of other studies suggests
      that the population samples from this study may be similar to those of other
      American populations reported upon by others.

PMID- 1864344
TI  - Hyperosmolarity-induced increases in airway responsiveness and late asthmatic
      responses.
AB  - Airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine was assessed before and after
      bronchial challenge with ultrasonically nebulized hyperosmolar saline (UNHS), and
      these changes were correlated with the development of late asthmatic responses
      (LAR). Sixteen subjects with mild to moderate asthma had two consecutive
      methacholine challenges before and one after a cumulative-dose challenge with
      UNHS. Twelve of these subjects also had a single-dose hyperosmolar challenge to
      document the occurrence of LAR and determine if UNHS had a significant cumulative
      dose effect. If a LAR was observed, a control day without challenge completed the
      study. Responsiveness to methacholine was similar on the 2 baseline methacholine
      challenges with a provocative concentration producing a 20% fall in forced
      expiratory volume in one second (PC20) (mean +/- SEM) of 1.11 +/- 0.94 and 1.16
      +/- 0.94 mg.ml.1 (r: 0.98). However, it was significantly increased after the
      inhalation of UNHS with a PC20 (mean +/- SEM) of 0.57 +/- 1.00 mg.ml.1 (p less
      than 0.001). Two subjects developed a late fall in forced expiratory volume in
      one second (FEV1) of 19 and 46% after hyperosmolar challenge. In this last
      subject, the LAR, not reproduced on the control day, was associated with a marked
      post-UNHS change in PC20, going from a baseline of 4.4 to 0.7 mg.ml.1 after UNHS.
      The % fall in FEV1 following the dose-response hyperosmolar challenge and the
      single-dose hyperosmolar challenge were not different, with mean values +/- SEM
      of 34.9 +/- 2.2 and 35.8 +/- 4.1, respectively, (p greater than 0.5). In
      conclusion, airway responsiveness to methacholine may increase following
      hyperosmolar saline inhalation, often unrelated to LAR.

PMID- 1864345
TI  - Role of simulated repetitive coughing in mucus clearance.
AB  - The role of repetitive simulated coughing on the clearance of gel mucus simulant
      was investigated in vitro, by using a simulated cough machine. The repetition of
      cough induced a significant increase (p less than 0.01) in mucus simulant
      clearance (139.3 +/- 78.7 mm) in comparison to a single cough (24.9 +/- 27.5 mm).
      Moreover, the increase in frequency of the repetitive coughing induced a marked
      and significant increase in mucus simulant clearance (75.4 +/- 51.1 mm and 139.3
      +/- 78.7 mm at 0.1 Hz and 1.6 Hz frequency, respectively). A significant (p less
      than 0.05) correlation was observed between the percentage increase of clearance
      and both shear-thinning index (r = 0.62) and the thixotropic index (r = 0.63).
      These results suggest that the shear-dependent properties of mucus, associated
      with a repetitive coughing, may increase the efficiency of mucus clearance by air
      flow mechanisms.

PMID- 1864346
TI  - Lack of type II cells and emphysema in human lungs.
AB  - Ten surgically removed human lungs or lobes were studied, to assess the
      relationship between the abundance of type II alveolar epithelial cells and the
      degree of emphysema. Type II cell abundance (total number as well as percentage
      of the total parenchymal cell population) was determined in sections of randomly
      selected tissue samples of these lungs or lobes by using a type II cell specific
      antibody specific anti-lavage serum (SALS-Hu), which recognizes surfactant
      associated proteins. In these tissue samples we also determined the degree of
      emphysema with the aid of a number of morphometric parameters, destructive index
      (DI), mean linear intercept (Lm in mm), and the number of normal alveolar
      attachments on (pre)terminal bronchioles (normal AA.mm.1). We subsequently
      calculated the Spearman rank correlation coefficients (rs) between the abundance
      of type II cells and parameters for emphysema. We found a significant negative
      correlation between the percentage of type II cells and DI at tissue sample level
      (rs = 0.55; p = 0.02). We also calculated correlation coefficients between the
      abundance of type II cells and the degree of small airways disease in
      (pre)terminal and respiratory bronchioles (SADscore), lung function, age and
      smoking habits. The results suggest a role for type II cells in the pathogenesis
      of emphysema.

PMID- 1864347
TI  - Independent risk factors for cumulative recurrence rate after first spontaneous
      pneumothorax.
AB  - From 1975 until 1987, 122 patients without (Group I, mean age 34 yrs) and 20 with
      pre-existing lung disease (Group II, mean age 66 yrs) were treated for their
      first spontaneous pneumothorax. Mean follow-up was 5.2 yrs (max. 12.8 yrs). There
      were 32 chest X-ray verified recurrences, 72% occurring during the first 2 yrs.
      One, 5 and 10 yr cumulative recurrence freedoms +/- standard error in groups I
      and II combined were 85 +/- 3%, 75 +/- 4% and 69 +/- 5%, respectively. Using Cox
      regression analysis in groups I and II combined, pulmonary fibrosis, age greater
      than or equal to 60 yrs, and height/weight ratio were independent predictors of
      recurrence. Combinations of these risk factors identified four risk strata with
      10 yr recurrence freedoms ranging from 83-0%. Independent predictors in group I
      alone were pulmonary fibrosis, age greater than or equal to 60 yrs, height/weight
      ratio, and nonsmoking, resulting in four risk strata with 10 yr recurrence
      freedoms ranging from 98-31%. Recurrences after first-time treated spontaneous
      pneumothorax showed a distinct time-related pattern and should accordingly be
      analysed as a time-related event. In both the total patient-population and in the
      group without pre-existing lung disease, independent predictors of recurrence
      were identified, which allowed the patients to be substratified into groups with
      widely different recurrence rates.

PMID- 1864348
TI  - Inflammatory cell response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after nitrogen dioxide
      exposure of healthy subjects: a dose-response study.
AB  - The combination of environmental chamber exposure and bronchoalveolar lavage
      (BAL) was used to study the effects of the common air pollutant nitrogen dioxide
      (NO2). Eighteen healthy nonsmokers were exposed to NO2 during 20 min in an
      exposure chamber during light bicycle ergometer work. All subjects were examined
      with BAL at least 3 wks before exposure, as a reference. The subjects were re
      examined with BAL, in groups of eight, 24 h after exposure to 4, 7 and 10 mg
      NO2.m.3 (2.25, 4.0 and 5.5 ppm), respectively. An inflammatory cell response was
      found after exposure to all concentrations. An increase in the number of
      lymphocytes in BAL fluid was observed after 7 and 10 mg.m.3 (p less than 0.05 and
      0.02, respectively). An increase in the number of mast cells, that appears to be
      dose-dependent, was found after exposure to all concentrations. The proportion of
      lysozyme positive alveolar macrophages was elevated after exposure to 7 mg.m.3.
      The inflammatory mediators fibronectin, hyaluronan, angiotensin converting enzyme
      (ACE) and beta 2-microglobulin were unchanged by exposure. Due to the findings of
      inflammatory cell changes far below the peak exposure limits for work places in
      industrialized countries, 9-18 mg.m.3, the safety of these limits is questioned.
      Studies are in progress in our laboratory using BAL to evaluate the effects of
      repeated NO2 exposure.

PMID- 1864349
TI  - Effect of cytostatic agents on the number of alveolar phagocytes and the efficacy
      of ceftriaxone in an experimental murine lung infection.
AB  - Mice made monocytopenic and granulocytopenic by cyclophosphamide or monocytopenic
      by etoposide were infected by exposure to an aerosol containing Klebsiella
      pneumoniae. Eighteen hours later ceftriaxone was administered and three hours
      after that the experiment was ended. At the time of infection and at 18 and 21 h
      the numbers of alveolar macrophages and granulocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage
      (BAL) fluid were significantly lower in the cyclophosphamide-pretreated animals
      than in the controls. Furthermore, outgrowth of K. pneumoniae in the lungs was
      significantly stronger in cyclophosphamide-pretreated mice and a fourfold higher
      dose of ceftriaxone was needed to obtain the same antibacterial effect as in the
      controls. In the etoposide-pretreated mice the number of alveolar macrophages in
      BAL was not significantly lower than that in the controls, but the number of
      granulocytes was. Compared with the controls, there was no significant difference
      in the number of K. pneumoniae in the lungs, and the efficacy of ceftriaxone did
      not differ either.

PMID- 1864350
TI  - Changes in left ventricular ejection fraction during REM sleep and exercise in
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnoea syndrome.
AB  - Nine patients, 4 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 5 with
      obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) were monitored during sleep, rest and
      exercise. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was investigated using gated
      equilibrium 99mtechnetium ventricular scintigraphy during rapid eye movement
      (REM) sleep, during exercise, and during wakeful rest. Control wakeful rest
      periods used for comparison with a study state (either REM sleep or exercise)
      were always selected during the same circadian segment as that state. Myocardial
      stress thallium-201 scintigraphy was performed during, and 4 h after, exercise,
      and results were compared to a daytime rest period. Several patients had
      myocardial hypoperfusion despite a normal electrocardiographic (ECG) treadmill
      test. During REM sleep, all patients exhibited a significant change in LVEF
      (greater than 5%) compared to wakefulness. During exercise, 5 subjects increased
      their LVEF normally (greater than 5%) and 4 (1 COPD, 3 OSAS) decreased it. All
      patients had a similar change (increase or decrease) during REM and at maximal
      exercise. Our results suggest that REM sleep in COPD and in OSAS can produce a
      myocardial stress as great as that produced by exercise. We conclude that REM
      sleep, like exercise, is a state in which morbidity may become higher and that it
      may account for mortality in COPD and OSAS patients with compromised myocardial
      circulation.

PMID- 1864351
TI  - Two-compartment modelling of respiratory system mechanics at low frequencies: gas
      redistribution or tissue rheology?
AB  - The mechanical properties of the respiratory system are generally inferred from
      measurements of pressure and flow at the airway opening. Traditionally, these
      measurements have been related through a single-compartment model of the
      respiratory system. Recently, however, there has been considerable interest in
      modelling low-frequency respiratory mechanics in terms of two compartments, since
      this gives a much improved description of experimental data. In this paper we
      consider two classes of two-compartment models that are compatible with pressure
      flow relationships of air measured at the airway opening. One type of model
      accounts for regional ventilation inhomogeneity in the lung in terms of two
      alveolar compartments. The other type of model considers pulmonary ventilation to
      be homogeneous, while the tissues of the respiratory system are modelled as being
      viscoelastic. In normal dogs, the appropriate two-compartment model has been
      shown to be the viscoelastic model. In the case of abnormal physiology, however,
      one must invoke a model having both viscoelastic tissues and ventilation
      inhomogeneities. Additional experimental data are required in order to identify
      such a model, and to quantify these two phenomena.

PMID- 1864352
TI  - Pollen deposition in intrathoracic airways.
AB  - The pathophysiological mechanisms of pollen-induced asthma have until now
      remained unclear, because pollen particles have generally been considered too
      large to penetrate into the lower respiratory tract. Such grains are therefore
      believed to be unable to induce an immunological response in the lower
      respiratory tract. There is evidence, however, that a small percentage of large
      particles (20-30 microns) may penetrate into the peripheral areas of the lung. It
      also appears that small airborne units of less than 5 microns with the same
      antigenic activity as pollen, may contribute to inhaled allergen burdens. Pollen
      asthma probably results from a gradual cumulative effect of deposition of small
      amounts of allergen in lower airways, and is hence poorly correlated with daily
      pollen counts.

PMID- 1864353
TI  - Application of a new ventilator-multi-plethysmograph system for testing efficacy
      of surfactant replacement in newborn rabbits.
AB  - We applied a new ventilator-multi-plethysmograph system to evaluate the effect of
      surfactant replacement in newborn rabbits under well controlled, nearly
      physiological conditions characterized by normal ECG and adequate PCO2 in right
      ventricular heart blood obtained at the end of the experiment. Up to 10 animals
      were ventilated in parallel with a pressure-constant common respirator system.
      Using a working pressure of 4.9 kPa (50 cmH2O), we could adjust the pressure
      delivered to each animal within the range of 0.49-4.4 kPa (5-45 cmH2O), by
      changing the length of an open high-resistance tube constituting the outflow limb
      of the connection between the common ventilator tube and the tracheal cannula.
      Immature newborn animals obtained after 27.5 days gestation and ventilated for 30
      min with a tidal volume of 8-10 ml.kg-1 had a mean +/- SD lung-thorax compliance
      of 4.2 +/- 1.1 ml.kPa-1.kg-1 (0.41 +/- 0.11 ml.cmH2O-1.kg-1) and PCO2 of 8.5 +/-
      1.9 kPa. In littermates treated at birth with a large dose of natural surfactant
      (Curosurf, 200 mg.kg-1, compliance increased to 6.0 +/- 1.0 ml.kPa-1.kg-1 (0.68
      +/- 0.10 ml.cmH2O-1.kg-1) (p less than 0.01) and PCO2 decreased to 6.9 +/- 1.2
      kPa (p less than 0.01). Near-term animals, obtained at 30 days gestation and
      ventilated under similar conditions had a compliance of 7.2 +/- 0.9 ml.kPa-1.kg-1
      (0.71 +/- 0.09 ml.cmH2O-1.kg-1) and PCO2 of 6.4 (1.2) kPa. Administration of
      surfactant (same dose as above) to these mature animals at birth had no adverse
      effects.

PMID- 1864354
TI  - Scoliosis as cause of pulmonary atelectasis.
AB  - We present a patients with persistent position-dependent productive cough and
      intermittent fever. He was first examined at 38 yrs of age. Chest X-ray showed a
      severe thoracic lordoscoliosis and an atelectasis of the right lower lobe.
      Bronchography revealed a total stenosis of the right lower lobe bronchus. Five
      years later had increased symptoms. Spirometry showed total lung capacity (TLC)
      3.8 l (predicted value 6.7 l), forced vital capacity (FVC) 2.6 l (4.8 l) and
      forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) 1.7 l (3.9 l). Bronchoscopy
      demonstrated a smooth stenosis of the right lower lobe bronchus but the stenosis
      could be passed through with a brush. Computed tomographic scanning demonstrated
      compression of the right lower lobe bronchus and the atelectasis. After surgical
      removal of the right lower lobe, all symptoms disappeared. Histological
      examination of the right lower lobe revealed fibrosis and chronic inflammation.

PMID- 1864355
TI  - Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: prolonged spontaneous remission in two patients.
AB  - Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a rare idiopathic diffuse airspace disease
      characterized by intra-alveolar accumulation of large quantities of
      lipoproteinaceous material, with preservation of the lung interstitium. The
      clinical course of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is variable. Spontaneous
      resolution is known to occur in up to a quarter of the cases. We describe two
      patients with untreated pulmonary alveolar proteinosis who experienced complete
      clinical, functional and radiographic resolution. In follow-up periods of
      fourteen and six years, both patients have remained asymptomatic.

PMID- 1864356
TI  - Cyclosporin for a severe case of aspirin-induced asthma.

PMID- 1864357
TI  - Stark effect in P700, the primary electron donor of Photosystem I.
AB  - Quadratic Stark effect in CP1 pigment-protein complex was examined at low
      temperatures in the red spectral region. The Stark spectra of samples containing
      P700 in reduced form exhibit a strong negative band at 704 nm, which disappears
      on chemical oxidation of P700. The change in permanent dipole moment, delta mu,
      of P700 on electronic excitation estimated from these spectra was found to be
      between 4.7 and 7.7 Debye units. It is suggested to reflect the charge-transfer
      contribution to the excited state of P700. For antenna chlorophyll, delta mu
      approximately equal to 1 D was obtained in accordance with the data for monomeric
      chlorophyll.

PMID- 1864358
TI  - Sphingosine stimulates calcium mobilization in rat parotid acinar cells.
AB  - In fura-2-loaded parotid acinar cells, 50-200 microM sphingosine induced an
      increase in cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). When extracellular Ca2+ was chelated by
      EGTA, 50 microM sphingosine failed to increase [Ca2+]i, but 100 or 200 microM
      sphingosine induced a slight and transient increase in [Ca2+]i. The addition of
      LaCl3 to the medium resulted in the same effect as chelation of extracellular
      Ca2+. When cells were incubated in low Ca2+ medium containing sphingosine, and
      extracellular Ca2+ was subsequently added, a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i depending
      on the concentration of sphingosine was shown. In low Ca2+ medium, a slight
      increase in [Ca2+]i induced by high concentrations of sphingosine was not shown
      after the transient increase in [Ca2+]i elicited by methacholine. Inhibitors of
      protein kinase C, H-7 and K252a, did not mimic the effect of sphingosine on
      [Ca2+]i. These results suggest that sphingosine stimulates Ca(2+)-influx and
      further stimulates the release of Ca2+ from agonist-sensitive intracellular pools
      by a mechanism that is independent of protein kinase C.

PMID- 1864359
TI  - Reconstitution of active sucrose transport in plant proteoliposomes.
AB  - The proteins of purified plasma membranes from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaf
      were solubilized and separated on a size exclusion column. The fractions eluted
      from the column were monitored by ELISA with antibodies directed to a putative
      sucrose carrier protein. The peak most reactive in ELISA was approximately 120
      kDa, and yielded a 40 kDa peak after denaturation by SDS. The 120-kDa peak was
      recovered and used for reconstitution experiments with asolectin. Upon imposition
      of an artificial pH gradient and electrical gradient, the obtained
      proteoliposomes exhibited active transport of sucrose, but not of valine. The
      active transport of sucrose was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and HgCl2.

PMID- 1864360
TI  - Osmoregulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Studies on the osmotic induction of
      glycerol production and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NAD+)
AB  - Production of glycerol and a key enzyme in glycerol production, glycerol 3
      phosphate dehydrogenase (NAD+) (GPD), was studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      cultured in basal media or media of high salinity, with glucose, raffinose or
      ethanol as the sole carbon source. At high salinity, glycerol production was
      stimulated with all carbon sources and glycerol was accumulated to high
      intracellular concentration in cells grown on glucose and raffinose. Cells grown
      on ethanol accumulated glycerol to a lower level but showed an increased content
      of trehalose at high salinity. However, the trehalose concentration corresponded
      only to about 20% of the glycerol level, and did not compensate for the shortfall
      in intracellular osmolyte content. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated an increased
      production of GPD at high salinity. This increase was osmotically mediated but
      was lower when glycerol was substituted for NaCl or sorbitol as the stress
      solute. The enzyme also appeared to be subject to glucose repression; the
      specific activity of GPD was significantly lower in cells grown on glucose, than
      on raffinose or ethanol.

PMID- 1864361
TI  - Comparative membrane locations and activities of human monoamine oxidases
      expressed in yeast.
AB  - Human monoamine oxidases A and B were expressed under the control of a galactose
      inducible promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The two MAO isoenzymes were found
      located in the yeast mitochondrial outer membrane, probably in different
      orientations as suggested by controlled proteolysis experiments. A high level of
      both human MAO-A or -B activities is measured in intact mitochondria without the
      need for any detergent solubilisation step. The substrate and inhibitor
      selectivities of the membrane-bound MAOs are highly similar to those of purified
      human enzymes. The level of MAO-B activity, however, is selectively lowered when
      bound to the membrane.

PMID- 1864362
TI  - A mouse brain cDNA encodes a novel protein with the protein kinase C
      phosphorylation site domain common to MARCKS.
AB  - We have isolated a mouse brain cDNA clone encoding a protein of 200 amino acids
      (Mr 20,165) with partial homology with MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C
      kinase substrate). Two regions show similarity with MARCKS, one is the kinase C
      phosphorylation site domain which is supposed to bind calmodulin, and the other
      is the region near to the N-terminus, including the consensus sequence of
      myristoylation. It has a similar amino acid composition to MARCKS, but the
      content of alanine is not as high. It is distributed throughout the mouse brain,
      but the pattern is not identical with that of MARCKS. Both proteins may be
      members of a new protein family involved in coupling the protein kinase C and
      calmodulin signal transduction systems.

PMID- 1864363
TI  - Identification of a polypeptide bound to the beta region of the mouse r protein
      L32 promoter.
AB  - Studies have been initiated to identify the protein component(s) which interact
      with the beta regulatory region of the mouse ribosomal protein L32 gene promoter.
      By the combined use of the mobility shift assay and UV cross-linking, a factor
      specific for the upstream transcriptional control sequence of the beta region of
      the ribosomal protein L32 promoter has been detected in mouse L1210 nuclear
      extracts. A mutation (GT----TC at -71 to -70) in this sequence eliminates the
      binding. Beta factor is identified as a 55 kDa polypeptide by UV cross-linking.
      Addition of excess beta element (double-stranded oligonucleotide) to a cell-free
      transcription system reduces transcription of the ribosomal protein L32 gene. Our
      results provide evidence that the interaction between the beta element and the
      beta factor is involved in ribosomal protein L32 transcription.

PMID- 1864364
TI  - Identification and partial characterisation of a low Mr collagen synthesised by
      bovine retinal pericytes. Apparent relationship to type X collagen.
AB  - Bovine retinal pericytes (BRP) in culture synthesise a low Mr collagenous
      polypeptide which appears similar, but not identical, to bovine type X collagen
      and which we have called 'BRP collagen'. This polypeptide displays the following
      characteristics: (i) it is sensitive to digestion by bacterial collagenase and is
      resistant to pepsin digestion; (ii) it has an apparent Mr of 45 kDa (pepsinised
      form); (iii) it is recognised by specific antibodies to type X collagen using
      immunoblotting; (iv) it is present in the cell layer/matrix but not in the medium
      of pericyte cultures; and (v) it is not disulphide-bonded into higher Mr
      multimers. The latter two properties distinguish BRP collagen from bovine type X
      collagen. We have recently shown that pericytes calcify in vitro. We now report
      that this calcification is associated with an increased synthesis of BRP
      collagen.

PMID- 1864365
TI  - Cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase is a direct descendant of the first aminoacyl-tRNA
      synthetase.
AB  - The gene encoding the cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase of E. coli was cloned from an E.
      coli genomic library made in lambda 2761, a lambda vector which can integrate and
      which carries a chloramphenicol resistance gene. A thermosensitive cysS mutant of
      E. coli was lysogenised and chloramphenicol-resistant colonies able to grow at 42
      degrees C were selected to isolate phages containing the wild-type cysS gene. The
      sequence of the gene was determined. It codes for a 461 amino-acid protein and
      includes the sequences HIGH and KMSK known to be involved in the ATP and tRNA
      binding respectively of class I synthetases. The cysteinyl enzyme has segments in
      common with the cytoplasmic leucyl-tRNA synthetase of Neurospora crassa, the
      tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase of Bacillus stearothermophilus, and the phenylalanyl
      tRNA synthetase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sequence comparisons show that the
      amino end of the cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase has similarities with prokaryotic
      elongation factors Tu; this region is close to the equivalent acceptor binding
      domain of the glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase of E. coli. There is a further
      similarity with the seryl enzyme (a class II enzyme) which has led us to propose
      that both classes had a common origin and that this was the ancestor of the
      cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase.

PMID- 1864366
TI  - Isolation and nucleotide sequence of the extracellular acid protease gene (ACP)
      from the yeast Candida tropicalis.
AB  - The extracellular acid protease of Candida tropicalis was purified from the
      supernatant fraction of culture medium containing bovine serum albumin as
      nitrogen source and the NH2-terminal amino acid (aa) sequence of the protein was
      determined. The gene for the acid protease (ACP) was isolated using a pool of
      synthetic oligonucleotides as a probe and a segment of the deduced aa sequence
      was found to be in agreement with the NH2-terminal aa sequence of the protein.
      The deduced aa sequence of ACP is similar to the aa sequence of proteases of the
      pepsin family. The nucleotide sequence of the 5' portion of this gene revealed a
      coding sequence for a 60 residue propeptide containing two Lys-Arg amino acid
      pairs that have been identified as sites for peptidase processing of several
      exported peptides and proteins. The final Lys-Arg site occurs at the junction
      with the mature extracellular form of the acid protease.

PMID- 1864367
TI  - Effects of the lipase inhibitors, Triton WR-1339 and tetrahydrolipstatin, on the
      synthesis and secretion of lipids by rat hepatocytes.
AB  - The lipase inhibitors, Triton WR-1339 and tetrahydrolipstatin, were incubated
      with rat hepatocytes. Triton WR-1339 increased the recovery of triacylglycerol in
      the hepatocytes and incubation medium by 31% and 38%, respectively.
      Tetrahydrolipstatin decreased the accumulation of newly synthesized, and of total
      triacylglycerol in the medium. This compound might be useful in determining
      mechanisms involved in intracellular triacylglycerol metabolism and the secretion
      of very low density lipoproteins.

PMID- 1864368
TI  - Primary structure of bovine cathepsin S. Comparison to cathepsins L, H, B and
      papain.
AB  - The primary structure of bovine cathepsin S was determined by combining results
      of protein and peptide sequencing with the sequence deduced from nucleic acid
      sequencing. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, cDNA clones
      commencing at amino acid 22 of the mature enzyme and continuing through the 3'
      untranslated region of bovine cathepsin S mRNA were isolated and sequenced. The
      open reading frame in these overlapping clones correctly predicts the determined
      amino acid sequence of 13 tryptic peptides derived from purified bovine spleen
      cathepsin S. The deduced amino acid sequence shows that mature bovine cathepsin S
      consists of 217 amino acids corresponding to a molecular weight of 23.7 kDa.
      Cathepsin S belongs to the papain superfamily of lysosomal cysteine proteinases
      and shares 41% identity with papain. Amino acid sequence identities of bovine
      cathepsin S to human cathepsins L, H, and B are 56%, 47% and 31% respectively.

PMID- 1864369
TI  - Cloning, overexpression, purification and crystallisation of ribosomal protein L9
      from Bacillus stearothermophilus.
AB  - The cloning, sequencing and overexpression of the gene coding for Bacillus
      stearothermophilus ribosomal protein L9 is described. The sequence corresponds
      directly to that presented for the protein itself by classical methods, differing
      at only a few amino acid positions. The purification and crystallisation of the
      corresponding L9 protein is presented. The crystals are isomorphous to those
      described for L9 obtained by conventional methods.

PMID- 1864370
TI  - The involvement of photosystem II-generated H2O2 in photoinhibition.
AB  - The involvement of H2O2 generated by photosystem II (PSII) in the process of
      photoinhibition of thylakoids with a functional oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) was
      investigated. The rate of photoinhibition was decreased to the rate of loss of
      activity in the dark when bovine Fe-catalase was present during the
      photoinhibitory illumination. Photoinhibition was accelerated for both Cl(-)
      depleted and Cl(-)-sufficient thylakoids when KCN was present to inhibit the
      thylakoid-bound Fe-catalase. We propose that these preparations become
      photoinhibited by reactions with H2O2 produced via oxidation of water by the Cl(
      )-depleted OEC and by reduction of O2 at the QB site when PSII is illuminated
      without an electron acceptor.

PMID- 1864371
TI  - Activation mechanism of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase. 5'-p
      fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine as a probe of the MgATP-binding site of the
      calmodulin-bound and calmodulin-free enzyme.
AB  - 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl adenosine (FSBA), an ATP-like affinity labelling
      reagent, reacted with rabbit skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase (skMLCK)
      and its calmodulin complex in a site-specific manner. Reaction was dependent upon
      the presence of the adenosine moiety of FSBA, saturated with increasing FSBA, was
      inhibited by MgATP, and was accompanied by stoichiometric incorporation of
      [14C]FSBA. The kinetic constants describing the reaction were similar for skMLCK
      and its calmodulin complex: k3 = -0.040 min-1 and -0.038 min-1, and Ki = 0.18 mM
      and 0.40 mM, respectively. It is concluded that the MgATP-binding site on skMLCK
      remains accessible at all times and maintains a near constant conformation.

PMID- 1864372
TI  - The binding of [3H]R-PIA to A1 adenosine receptors produces a conversion of the
      high- to the low-affinity state.
AB  - Kinetic evidence for negative cooperativity on the binding of [3H]R-PIA to A1
      adenosine receptors was obtained from dissociation experiments at different
      ligand concentrations and from the equilibrium isotherm. The dissociation curves
      indicate that there is an apparent ligand-induced transformation of high- to low
      affinity states of the receptor. At concentrations of 18.2 nM R-PIA or higher
      there was only found the low-affinity state of the receptor. In view of these
      results equilibrium binding data were analyzed by the usual two-state model
      (assuming that there is an interconversion between them) and by the negative
      cooperativity model employing the Hill equation.

PMID- 1864373
TI  - Autoimmune antigen Ku is enriched on oligonucleotide columns distinct from those
      containing the octamer binding protein DNA consensus sequence.
AB  - During purification of the AP1 complex from the T cell line MLA144 we enriched
      for a complex which bound to an oligonucleotide column containing the AP1 DNA
      consensus sequence and co-eluted with a fraction required for AP1 binding
      activity. This complex although co-eluting with AP1 binding activity had
      previously been determined to be non-specific in its DNA binding properties.
      Further investigation determined that the complex was a heterodimer of 85 and 70
      kDa which was antigenically related to the autoimmune antigen Ku. It is important
      to be aware of the abundance and avidity of the Ku complex to bind
      oligonucleotide columns when purifying sequence specific binding proteins.

PMID- 1864375
TI  - Chondroitinases release acetylcholinesterase from chick skeletal muscle.
AB  - Bacterial chondroitinases (both ABC and AC types) release asymmetric and globular
      forms of AChE from chick skeletal muscle samples. Heparinases, however, including
      heparitinase I, fail to do so under different incubation conditions. These
      results do not support the direct implication of the heparin/heparan sulfate
      family of GAGs in the interaction of the different AChE molecular forms with the
      muscle ECM. GAGs of the chondroitin/dermatan sulfate group could however be
      involved, either directly or indirectly, in the attachment of the AChE collagen
      like tail to the muscle basal lamina.

PMID- 1864374
TI  - Changes in the kinetics of inositol transport during TPA-induced differentiation
      of HL60 cells towards monocytes.
AB  - When exposed to the phorbol ester TPA, HL60 cells undergo growth arrest and
      differentiate towards monocytes. During TPA-induced differentiation there was a
      2.6-fold increase in the rate of inositol transport (Vmax), a 2.1-fold increase
      in intracellular inositol and a 1.5-fold increase in inositol lipid. An increase
      in the Vmax of inositol transport did not occur when the variant cell line
      HL60Ast3 was exposed to TPA, which has been shown in this cell line to induce
      growth arrest but not differentiation. This observation suggests that the change
      in inositol transport during HL60 monocyte differentiation is specifically
      associated with the process of cell differentiation as opposed to growth arrest.

PMID- 1864376
TI  - The primary structure of the Laburnum alpinum seed lectin.

PMID- 1864377
TI  - Sphingosine inhibits attachment of murine Lewis lung carcinoma cells to laminin
      and type IV collagen.
AB  - The effect of sphingosine (SPH) on the adhesive properties of Lewis lung
      carcinoma (3LL) cells was investigated using plastic precoated with the
      extracellular matrix proteins, laminin, fibronectin, or type IV collagen.
      Treatment of 3LL cells with SPH (0.5-10 microM) resulted in a dose-dependent
      decrease in the ability to bind to laminin and type IV collagen but had little or
      no effect on attachment to fibronectin. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)
      selectively enhanced attachment of 3LL cells to laminin and collagen. The
      inhibitory effect of SPH on attachment to both proteins was competitively
      antagonized by PMA. These results suggest that SPH acts as a negative effector
      for cell attachment to laminin and collagen, and that the cell attachment process
      to both proteins might be regulated in part by protein kinase C.

PMID- 1864378
TI  - Shuffled domains in extracellular proteins.
AB  - A comprehensive list of domains in extracellular mosaic proteins is presented.
      About 40 domains were distinguished by consensus patterns. A subsequent sequence
      database search recognized these domains in more than 200 extracellular proteins.
      The results point to a structural network, which may also represent the molecular
      basis for a complex coordination of various functions within the world of
      extracellular proteins.

PMID- 1864379
TI  - Site-directed mutagenesis reveals the importance of disulfide bridges and
      aromatic residues for structure and proliferative activity of human interleukin
      4.
AB  - Mutant proteins (muteins) of human Interleukin-4 (IL4) were constructed by means
      of in vitro mutagenesis. The muteins were expressed in E. coli, submitted to a
      renaturation and purification protocol and analysed for biological activity.
      Exchange of the cysteines at either position 46 or 99 which form one of the three
      disulfide bridges resulted in a nearly complete loss of biological activity and
      an unstable protein. The exchange of tyrosine 124 also inactivated the protein,
      while a mutation of tyrosine 56 left some residual activity. Exchange of the
      other four cysteines or of the single tryptophane had smaller effects.

PMID- 1864380
TI  - Photoreversible antigen-antibody reactions.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody (Z1H01) for an oligopeptide carrying an azobenzene group,
      was prepared under conditions where the azobenzene group is in the trans form.
      The antibody bound the hapten peptide effectively when the hapten peptide is in
      the trans form (K = 5 x 10(7) M-1), but the antibody released the hapten under
      irradiation with UV light where the hapten is in the cis form. The antibody bound
      the hapten again, when the hapten reverted to the trans form after irradiation
      with visible light.

PMID- 1864381
TI  - Genes encoding peroxisomal enzymes are not necessarily assigned on the same
      chromosome of an n-alkane-utilizable yeast Candida tropicalis.
AB  - We have resolved eight chromosomal bands from an n-alkane-assimilating yeast,
      Candida tropicalis pK 233, by using contour-clamped homogeneous electric field
      gel electrophoresis (CHEF). From the results of hybridization of DNA probes of
      yeast peroxisomal enzymes--catalase, acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine
      acetyltransferase, isocitrate lyase, malate synthase, acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase,
      and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase--to Southern transfers of CHEF gels, these genes were
      proven not necessarily to be located on the same chromosome. This fact shows that
      the genes encoding the enzymes tested were not distributed to be cistronic,
      although simultaneous and inducible synthesis of peroxisomal enzymes occurred in
      harmony with the proliferation of peroxisomes, suggesting that their co-ordinated
      expression might be mainly regulated by certain trans-acting factors.

PMID- 1864382
TI  - Evidence for a ribosome-associated thiol protease cleaving wheat germ methionyl
      tRNA synthetase.
AB  - A wheat germ protease is responsible for Mr 105,000 methionyl-tRNA synthetase
      hydrolysis, generating two fragments of Mr 82,000 (harbouring the catalytic
      domain) and 20,000, respectively. Specificity of the protease was sought for
      using different kinds of protein substrates. It turned out that charged peptides
      were preferentially cleaved and that no proteolysis occurred when proteins were
      replaced by small synthetic substrates, harbouring target sites similar to those
      cleaved in proteins. The protease could be a ribosomal protein, since it remained
      associated to ribosomal structure, even after treatment by deoxycholate, Triton X
      100, 800 mM KC1 and puromycin. Nevertheless, it was still active after
      ribonuclease treatment of the ribosomes. An identical protease activity was found
      in rat liver, but not in E. coli.

PMID- 1864383
TI  - Direct demonstration of enol-oxaloacetate as an immediate product of malate
      oxidation by the mammalian succinate dehydrogenase.
AB  - Rapid malonate-sensitive transitory formation of enol-oxaloacetate followed by
      slow ketonization of the product was observed after addition of malate to the
      mammalian succinate-ubiquinone reductase in the presence of electron acceptor.
      The initial rate of enol-oxaloacetate production was equal to that of malate
      oxidation. Oxaloacetate keto-enol tautomerase had no effect on the initial rate
      of enol-oxaloacetate production nor on the kinetics of malate oxidation; the
      enzyme drastically accelerated the ketonization of the product. The solubilized
      and partially purified membrane-bound flavine adenine dinucleotide-dependent
      malate dehydrogenase from Acetobacter xylinum catalyzed oxidation of L- and D
      malate without formation of enol-oxaloacetate as an intermediate of the reaction.

PMID- 1864384
TI  - Chlorophyll levels in the pigment-binding proteins of photosystem II. A study
      based on the chlorophyll to cytochrome ratio in different photosystem II
      preparations.
AB  - The chlorophyll levels in pigment proteins of photosystem II were investigated by
      using photosystem II preparations with different levels of complexity. Based on
      the assumption that there is 1 cytochrome b559 per reaction centre it has been
      found that oxygen-evolving complexes containing CP26 and CP29 bind 42 chlorophyll
      molecules. When CP26 and CP29 are stripped away, the resulting PSII cores bind 30
      chlorophyll molecules while CP43-less cores bind approximately 18 chlorophylls.
      It is therefore concluded that CP47 and CP43 bind 9-12 molecules of chlorophyll a
      and the D1/D2 complex binds 6 chlorophylls. Taken together CP26 and CP29 bind
      about 12 chlorophyll molecules.

PMID- 1864385
TI  - The signal peptide of human preproendothelin-1.
AB  - Synthetic mRNAs were produced using either the complete coding sequence of a
      human preproendothelin-1 cDNA clone or a truncated form in which the portion
      encoding the first 17 amino acids, representing a putative signal peptide for
      insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum, was replaced with a methionine codon.
      The mRNAs were translated in vitro in the presence or in the absence of
      microsomal membranes. Protection from trypsin digestion demonstrated that the
      full-length polypeptide, but not the truncated form, could be inserted into the
      membranes. Sequence analysis revealed that membrane insertion is accompanied by
      removal of the first 17 amino acids. These results indicate that the first 17
      amino acids of human preproendothelin-1 are a functional signal peptide which
      allows the protein to enter the secretory pathway.

PMID- 1864386
TI  - Photoaffinity labeling of dog pancreas microsomes with 8-azido-ATP inhibits
      association of nascent preprolactin with the signal sequence receptor complex.
AB  - Transport of bovine preprolactin into dog pancreas microsomes involves a
      microsomal protein which is sensitive to photoaffinity labeling with azido-ATP
      and which is distinct from the ATP-binding protein, immunoglobulin heavy chain
      binding protein. Here we addressed the question of what stage of preprolactin
      transport is affected. Thus a nascent presecretory protein which is related to
      preprolactin, termed ppl-86mer, was employed. Here we show that the nascent
      preprolactin did not become associated with the alpha-subunit of the signal
      sequence receptor complex after photoaffinity labeling of microsomes with azido
      ATP. Therefore, we conclude that the microsomal protein which is sensitive to
      photoaffinity labeling with azido-ATP acts prior to the signal sequence receptor
      complex.

PMID- 1864387
TI  - Smoking and arterial disease--news of the old enemy.

PMID- 1864388
TI  - Investigation of the vertebral artery in cerebral atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1864389
TI  - Minor asymptomatic carotid stenosis contralateral to carotid endarterectomy
      (CEA): our experience.
AB  - The authors report their experience from 1985 to 1988 with 75 consecutive
      patients affected by bilateral carotid artery stenosis in whom only one side was
      surgically treated and the other had a minor (15-45%) asymptomatic carotid
      stenosis. These patients have been followed for a period ranging from 10 to 50
      months (mean follow-up 21 months) by clinical examinations and non-invasive
      investigations (Doppler CW, Duplex scanner). The non-invasive evaluation included
      assessment of haemodynamic data and characterisation of plaque morphology
      (regular vs. irregular or ulcerated surface, homogeneous vs. heterogeneous
      plaque). During follow-up eight patients died: two (2.6%) from acute myocardial
      infarction, four from stroke (5.3%), and two (2.6%) from other causes. Twenty
      five patients (33.3%) had neurological symptoms related to the unoperated side:
      and four suffered stroke (5.3%). Twenty-one patients had TIAs (28%) related to
      the observed side. During follow-up five out of 29 (17.2%) homogeneous and 20 out
      of 46 (43.4%) heterogeneous plaques progressed (p less than 0.01). With regard to
      the surface characteristics, nine out of 25 regular plaques progressed and only
      three patients (12%) had neurological events; 19 out of 34 (55.9%) irregular
      plaques showed a progression and 14 caused neurological symptoms. Fourteen
      ulcerated plaques (87.5%) progressed (p less than 0.01). Our experience suggests
      that the basic trend in the follow-up of patients with bilateral carotid artery
      disease, is that the contralateral unoperated lesion may evolve and become
      symptomatic. These symptoms are generally TIAs but five patients (4.3%) suffered
      from strokes related to the unoperated side, all without warning TIAs.

PMID- 1864390
TI  - Coagulation in aortofemoral bifurcation bypass grafting.
AB  - Few data are available on the pathophysiology of the coagulation system during
      aortic surgery. Cross-clamping of the aorta, intestinal eventeration and
      circulatory shock in ruptured aortic aneurysms are thought to cause coagulation
      disturbances and hyperfibrinolysis. A prospective study of several parameters of
      the clotting system, i.e. standard clotting tests, platelet count, indicators of
      fibrinolysis, inhibitors of the clotting cascade and proteases were measured
      perioperatively in aortobifemoral bypass grafts. Ten patients undergoing elective
      procedures and two emergency cases with ruptured aortic aneurysms were included.
      The standard clotting tests reflected the use of heparin. A similar course of
      ATIII, C1-inhibitor, alpha 2-antiplasmin, plasminogen and fibrinogen with a
      decrease during the operation and a return to almost normal values
      postoperatively, were due to intra-operative blood loss, haemodilution and a
      slight activation of the clotting cascade, as well as, hyperfibrinolysis. This
      observation was supported by the increased levels of euglobulin lysis and PMN
      elastase and the resultant increase in some fibrinogen degradation products,
      indicating non-specific proteolysis. These changes were more pronounced in the
      two emergency cases, except for the heparin induced changes in PTT and thrombin
      time. It is concluded that non-specific proteolysis may be an important factor in
      the pathogenesis of clotting disorders in surgery of the aorta. Further research
      is needed to discover the pathways of non-specific proteolysis and its prevention
      by protease inhibitors.

PMID- 1864391
TI  - Duplex scanning in the diagnosis of acute deep vein thrombosis of the lower
      extremity.
AB  - In a prospective study the value of duplex scanning in the diagnosis of acute
      femoro-popliteal thrombosis was compared to conventional contrast venography (CV)
      as a gold standard. A total of 126 legs in 117 patients suspected of having deep
      vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) were examined with both methods.
      CV and duplex scanning were diagnostic in 98.5 and 97%, respectively. Femoro
      popliteal thrombosis was present in 64 legs (prevalence 54%). The sensitivity and
      specificity of duplex scanning were 90.6% and 94.6%, respectively. A marked
      improvement in sensitivity from 83.3 to 97% and overall accuracy from 88.7 to 96%
      was noticed between the first and second half of the study period. Of the
      individual duplex criteria in the diagnosis of DVT, abnormal vessel wall
      compressibility was the most accurate. The Doppler measurements however allow
      evaluation of venous areas difficult to assess with B-mode and add discrimination
      between partial or total vein occlusion. Duplex scanning is more accurate
      compared to CV in grading the anatomical extent of thrombosis. Agreement between
      venography and duplex scanning was found in 75% of the vein segments, in about
      20% CV suggested more thrombus formation compared to duplex scanning. Thrombus in
      the deep femoral vein was documented by duplex scanning in 24 patients including
      two cases of isolated deep femoral vein thrombosis. Venography failed to
      visualise the deep femoral vein with sufficient diagnostic accuracy in 88% of the
      patients vs. 8.5% with duplex scanning. Duplex scanning is an accurate non
      invasive test in the diagnosis of acute femoro-popliteal thrombosis and superior
      to CV in the detection of non-occlusive and deep femoral vein thrombosis.

PMID- 1864392
TI  - Popliteal-to-distal bypass grafts for limb salvage in diabetics.
AB  - Between January 1984 and August 1989, 117 diabetic patients with a palpable
      popliteal pulse but distal limb threatening ischaemia underwent 124 popliteal
      artery (or below) to distal bypass grafts. All grafts were intra-operatively
      monitored. The operative mortality was 0.8% and the 30 day primary patency 93%.
      Primary patencies at 1 and 3 years were 88.6 and 85.2%, respectively. The results
      of using the popliteal artery as the proximal graft inflow site in diabetes are
      comparable to other patient groups and to alternative more proximal inflow sites,
      but require a shorter length of vein graft with a shorter vein harvesting
      incision, avoid groin disection and result in a more peripheral operation.

PMID- 1864393
TI  - Forskolin impregnation of small calibre PTFE grafts lowers early platelet graft
      sequestration and improves patency in a sheep model.
AB  - Synthetic vascular grafts have a thrombogenic surface which plays a role in graft
      failure. Systemic pharmacologic interventions have been used to lower platelet
      sequestration onto the graft surface but are associated with side effects. In
      this communication we describe the results of a new therapeutic principle of
      applying forskolin, a powerful cyclic adenosine monophosphate stimulator (cAMP)
      to the inner surface of PTFE vascular grafts. The grafts were evaluated with
      Indium-III-oxine labelled platelets and by graft patency on 3 consecutive days
      after implantation at 1 month and 3 months. Forskolin significantly lowered early
      platelet sequestration onto the treated graft surface when compared with
      controls. Graft potency at 1 and 3 months was also significantly higher in the
      forskolin treated grafts.

PMID- 1864394
TI  - Gentamycin beads in the treatment of localised vascular graft infection--long
      term results in 17 cases.
AB  - Seventeen patients were treated by the implantation of gentamycin beads for
      localised Szilagyi type III prosthetic graft infection. Three patients had a pan
      prosthetic infection and half of the remaining patients were cured, but three of
      these died from other causes within 3 months. The mean observation time of the
      four survivors was 20 months (7-39 months). One of the seven patients, in whom
      the gentamycin beads failed, died of infection, giving a total mortality rate of
      6% (1.5-29%). The remaining patients were cured after resection of the infected
      segment of the prosthesis at a mean follow-up of 22 months (8-37 months).

PMID- 1864395
TI  - Laser thermal angioplasty for early repair of anastomotic stenosis after lower
      extremity arterial reconstruction: initial experience.
AB  - Laser thermal angioplasty with a sapphire hot-tip Nd-YAG laser system was
      effectively used for five grafts with anastomotic stenotic lesions which occurred
      after femoro-popliteal arterial reconstructions. Stenotic lesions were detected
      by a combination of Doppler flow waveform analysis and ankle/brachial index
      measurement in 32 femoro-popliteal and five femoro-tibial arterial bypass grafts
      in the postoperative period. The laser probe used was 3 to 4 mm in diameter.
      There were no perforations of the arterial wall caused by thermal ablation, even
      with repeated pulses of 40 watts of laser energy for 3 s. Contact Nd-YAG laser
      thermal angioplasty using this rounded, 3-4 mm hot-tip facilitated effective
      widening of the lumen of the anastomotic stenotic lesion. All patients remain
      well at follow-up from 9 to 20 months after laser thermal angioplasty.

PMID- 1864396
TI  - Increased in-vitro incubation time of endothelial cells on fibronectin-treated
      ePTFE increases cell retention in blood flow.
AB  - Endothelial cell (EC) seeding is postulated as a mechanism of improving patency
      of small calibre vascular grafts. However, the majority of seeded cells are lost
      within hours following restoration of blood flow. We postulated that incubating
      EC in-vitro on a graft will improve adherence and resistance to the sheer
      stresses of pulsatile blood flow. Fibronectin-treated ePTFE (5 cm x 4 mm ID)
      seeded with Indium-111-labelled autologous canine EC (1.5 x 10(5) cells/cm2) were
      incubated for four different time periods; 90 min, 24 h, 72 h and 6 days.
      Incubated grafts were subjected to blood flow of 75 ml/min for 6 h, in a canine
      ex-vivo arteriovenous shunt circuit. EC retention during perfusion was studied by
      measuring gamma activity emitted by the grafts. Cell morphology of non-perfused
      control groups and perfused groups was compared using scanning electron
      microscopy (SEM). SEM of control grafts showed progressive EC spreading on the
      ePTFE surface for up to 72 h incubation. Gamma activity was significantly higher
      at 6 h perfusion in grafts incubated for 72 h (82 +/- 4%) and 24 h (63 +/- 6%)
      vs. 90 min (34 +/- 13%, p less than 0.05), and between grafts incubated for 72 h
      vs. 6 days (55 +/- 7%, p less than 0.05). Perfused grafts incubated for 72 h
      showed unaltered EC morphology on SEM, few cells remained on 90 min incubated
      grafts. We conclude that incubating EC on fibronectin-treated ePTFE for 72 h in
      vitro after seeding improves cell retention during blood flow.

PMID- 1864397
TI  - The use of an adjuvant arterio-venous shunt in prosthetic femoro-crural bypass.
AB  - In limb threatening ischaemia the use of a long prosthetic graft to the distal
      calf vessels may be the only alternative to a primary amputation. Patency rates
      in these situations are relatively poor and the use of an adjuvant arteriovenous
      fistula (AVF) at the distal anastomosis to increase the velocity of flow above
      the thrombotic threshold seems logical. We present follow-up of up to 8 years in
      a series of 80 consecutive reconstructions to the distal crural vessels using
      human umbilical vein with an adjuvant AVF. The mean age of the patients was 68.3
      years and 12 (15%) were diabetic. The indication for surgery was limb threatening
      ischaemia in all cases; 41 (51.2%) for established necrosis and the remaining 39
      (48.8%) for severe ischaemic rest pain. The mean ankle:brachial index was 0.23.
      The common ostium (CO) configuration of AVF was used in 50 cases (62.5%) and pre
      anastomotic in 30 cases (37.5%). The volume blood flow in 49 cases, measured
      peroperatively using an electromagnetic flowmeter, was 116 ml/min (+/- 62.5) with
      the shunt closed and 283 ml/min (+/- 132.2) with the shunt open (p less than
      0.01, Student's t-test). Cumulative patencies of all grafts were 39% at 2 years
      and 29% at 4 years. The age of the patient and the type of AVF, common ostium or
      pre-anastomotic, had no significant effect on patency rates, but grafts under 70
      cm in length had a cumulative patency at 2 years of 42.5% compared to 13.5% for
      those over 70 cm in length (p less than 0.01). Cumulative patencies were derived
      by life table analysis and compared using the log rank test. The size of the
      recipient vessels at the distal anastomosis is thought to be crucial to the
      outcome of these operations. An increase in velocity of flow produced by an AVF,
      increases the wall shear stresses at this site and may lead to an increased
      tendency for intimal hyperplasia. It may be possible to mitigate these effects by
      the use of additional surgical or pharmacological techniques and further studies
      are required.

PMID- 1864398
TI  - Popliteal venous aneurysms with or without pulmonary embolism.
AB  - Popliteal venous aneurysms are rare and are most often found in patients with
      pulmonary embolism suggesting that such aneurysms are thrombogenic. Only 16 cases
      have been found in the past and only a few of these patients were without
      thrombus or pulmonary embolism. In this paper three patients are presented of
      whom two showed signs of thrombus. Surgical resection was performed to prevent
      thrombosis with a successful result. The literature is reviewed and according to
      this and our own experience surgical resection under cover of anti-coagulation is
      recommended. Our surgical technique is presented.

PMID- 1864399
TI  - Renovascular hypertension secondary to renal artery aneurysm detected by
      captopril-renography.
AB  - A case is described of a renal artery aneurysm which presented initially as
      hypertension. A captopril-renogram suggested a renal artery stenosis although
      none was found on arteriography or at surgery. After resection of the aneurysm
      the captopril-renogram was restored to normal.

PMID- 1864400
TI  - An inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm presenting as bilateral hydroceles.

PMID- 1864401
TI  - Multiple congenital aneurysms of unknown origin.
AB  - A case is reported of an 18-year-old man with a syndrome of multiple aneurysms of
      unknown origin. Several interventions were necessary over a 30-year-period,
      mainly for haemodynamic reasons or compression. A review of the literature
      revealed seven similar cases, two of which had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

PMID- 1864402
TI  - Surgical repair of primary aorto-jejunal fistula associated with non-specific
      inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm.
AB  - A 28-year-old man with aorto-jejunal fistula associated with primary saccular
      abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was effectively treated by resection and
      replacement with polytetraflouroethylene graft. The aetiology was suspected to be
      a non-specific aortitis, a rare cause of aorto-enteric fistula.

PMID- 1864403
TI  - Buerger's disease.

PMID- 1864404
TI  - Clinical features of Buerger's disease.

PMID- 1864405
TI  - Endodontic therapy for an open apex-apexification or apexogenesis.

PMID- 1864406
TI  - Periodontal disease--a growing challenge.

PMID- 1864407
TI  - [Canal obturation. Analysis of 4 different techniques].
AB  - The Authors evaluate four different techniques for root canal filling by means of
      a stereo-microscope analysis of extracted teeth sections. The results indicate
      that: 1) the single-cone technique shows poor apical seal; 2) the Mc Spadden
      thermomechanical condensation technique produces good apical seal but often
      causes overfilling; 3) the vertical condensation and 4) the lateral condensation
      of gutta-percha confirm their efficacy, nevertheless the Authors recommend the
      second one because it is easier and request shorter time of execution.

PMID- 1864408
TI  - [Functional velopalatal insufficiency. Therapeutic possibilities].
AB  - The function of the soft palate is complex; it takes part in speech, swallowing,
      and masticatory mechanisms. Its pathology ranges from morphological deficits to
      functional ones; these are commonly due to a central nervous system damage. The
      clinical analysis is based upon examination and instrumental prove, and leads to
      an optimum choice between surgical and prosthetic solutions. The latter is the
      best one in terms of quick execution, low costs and future possibilities of
      improvement.

PMID- 1864409
TI  - [Topical infiltration of diclofenac sodium during extraction of impacted lower
      3rd molars].
AB  - Somministrations with topical infiltration of a FANS (Diclofenac sodium) based on
      a new therapeutic scheme, were carried on by the Authors. Reduction of
      postoperative compliances and no side or general effects were noted.

PMID- 1864410
TI  - [Dysgeusia in clinical practice. 1. Physiology].
AB  - The anatomical basis of taste are discussed both in their peripheral and in
      central aspects. The perception is based upon four principal flavors; this
      happens by complex chemical interactions between peripheral receptors of papillae
      and the taste producing substances. The nervous stimulus flows through fibres of
      VII-IX-X cranial nerves up to the tractus solitarius nucleus; successive
      elaboration leads to the taste sensation, whose principal cortical site is the
      zone between Silvius and Rolando's sulcus. The distribution of the sensible zones
      for the fundamental flavors is presented.

PMID- 1864411
TI  - [Solitary cyst of the jaws].
AB  - A clinical case of solitary cyst of jaws has been presented. The diagnosis of
      this pathology with only objective and radiological examination is not always
      easy. The Authors suggest the need to execute explorative operation.

PMID- 1864412
TI  - [Orthopedic surgery for edentulous malocclusion].
AB  - The treatment of maxillary deformities in edentulous patients, with reference to
      tooth-bearing ones shows some differences concerning both the treatment planning
      and the surgical procedures. The Authors present in detail their way of planning
      the treatment and some expedients and modifications they apply to the usual
      surgical procedure in this special kind of maxillary deformities.

PMID- 1864414
TI  - [Dysgeusia in clinical practice. 2. Pathology].
AB  - The various types of dysgeusia are discussed and a clinical classification is
      proposed. Dysgeusia are divided according to the modifications of the intensity
      of the perception: ipergeusia and ipogeusie/ageusia. The latter are the most
      frequent and important ones; they are divided in congenital ones, rapidly
      developing ones, and slow developing ones. A practical way to distinguish among
      the rapidly arousing ones is to consider the duration of the symptom. If it lasts
      more than a week the probabilities of an underlying serious illness grow, mainly
      of CNS. The slow onset ones are most commonly due to general metabolic
      alterations, among which diabetes, and to common habits, like smoking.

PMID- 1864413
TI  - [Lesions of the oral cavity during antineoplastic therapy].

PMID- 1864415
TI  - [Ionizing radiation absorbed by the patient].
AB  - The aim of this study is to evaluate the skin contact dose to which the patient
      is exposed during an endo-oral radiography using the long cone technique
      (paralleling technique) and the short cone technique (bisecting angle technique).
      Measures were taken in 50 dental X-ray units with a range of tension from 50 to
      70 Kvs. Measures were taken using a calcium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeter
      (CaF2:Dy). Data are expressed in uGy/mA.sec., divided in relation to the
      tension's values and the kind of technique used. This study reveals that the
      bisecting technique presents higher doses (2-3 times higher) than the long cone
      technique (paralleling technique).

PMID- 1864416
TI  - [Chronic ulceration of the oral mucosa. Description of a case].

PMID- 1864417
TI  - [The importance of materials. The range of choice].

PMID- 1864418
TI  - [Isotopy and multicorticality: two fundamental principles].
AB  - Starting out from Oral Implantology pioneers, the Author comes down to the
      present situation, in an effort to show which values should be considered as the
      true ones. "Nothing new under the skies" is the Author's comment, when he
      examines all the techniques and materials presented as "new" for commercial
      purposes, whereas they are not new at all. To prove his statements he goes back
      to the work of some implantology pioneers, such as Formiggini, Perron Andres,
      Chercheve, Strock, Pasqualini, Muratori, Tramonte, Linkow and others. In going
      over their most remarkable techniques, he maintains that what is being proposed
      nowadays as brand new was actually done long ago. Only names are now different:
      the process now called fibrous osseointegration used to be named osteofibrosis,
      and what is now called osseointegration was known as complete ossification. In
      order to remove the great confusion now prevailing in the dozens of implant
      systems, as well as in implant philosophy itself, the Author maintains that good
      implantologists should follow two fundamental principles: 1) implants should be
      built in a great variety of sizes, in order to take full advantage of cortical
      bones. They should be multicortical, generally quadricortical, since they should
      rest on the sinus floor cortical bone, on the alveolar ridge, the palatal and the
      buccal cortical bones (this is true for the elements implanted in the upper arch
      and in the front-mesial arch).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864419
TI  - [Immediate decontamination. Comparative ergonomic study].
AB  - The standard procedures of decontamination between two patients were studied. As
      standards were chosen the OSHA's standards (Organization for Safety and Health
      Administration). The study was conducted by means of a "time and motion"
      analysis. The most important conclusions reached were: 1) it's impossible to
      complete the whole sequence in less than 10-15 minutes; 2) within this period one
      assistant didn't have any time to help the doctor at the chair; 3) consequently
      the doctor has to work alone for 10-15 minutes, unless a second assistant had
      been employed; 4) consequently, when we try to improve the decontamination, we
      need another assistant to make the work smoother, with a rise of the costs; 5)
      the systematic usage of the so called "barriers" is extremely time-wasting; 6)
      the only way to reduce the decontamination-time is the use of automatic devices,
      as the "Autosteril".

PMID- 1864420
TI  - [Modified Class II tunnel preparation].
AB  - Tunnel preparations for restoration of Class II carious lesions in primary molars
      preserve the marginal ridge and minimize sacrifice of healthy tooth substructure.
      Materials with improved bonding to tooth structure and increase potential for
      fluoride release allow Class II restorations without "extension for prevention".

PMID- 1864421
TI  - [Tartar and periodontal disease--a cofactor in etiopathogenesis].
AB  - Calculus may be considered as an aggregate of calcified deposits or deposits that
      are going to calcify in the oral cavity. From a topographical point of view
      calculus is classified in supragingival and subgingival calculus. Calculus is
      composed by inorganic (70-80%) and organic (20-30%) components. Calculus results
      from calcification of plaque and epithelial cells exfoliated from oral mucosae.
      Calcification phenomena (carbonic acid theory) are caused by a rapid fall down of
      salivary acidity when saliva springs out gland ducts. In fact in the mouth there
      is a lower pressure of carbon dioxide than in the gland ducts. From this fact
      results that calcium bicarbonate (dissolvable) becomes calcium carbonate
      (undissolvable) that forms, starting from nucleating particles, calcium carbonate
      crystals. Then calculus is one of the most important cofactors in the etiology
      and pathogenesis of periodontal disease: a) it favors plaque growth and
      stabilizes it to dental and periodontal tissues; b) it favors retention of food
      debris and hinders dental cleaning; c) it has endotoxins and lets them free
      slowly; d) it hinders periodontal recovery. From this study it results that
      scaling and root planing are one of the first steps in periodontal therapy.

PMID- 1864422
TI  - [Professional dental responsibility in HIV virus contagion].
AB  - The Authors consider the forensic implications regarding the transmission of HIV
      to the orthodontic patient. First of all, the lesions of the oral cavity that
      require immediate diagnosis with foremost importance given to hygiene and
      prevention are examined. Secondly, the subject is considered of professional
      liability for virus transmission due to the physicians malpractice, particularly
      focussing on the possible fault, type of damage and cause-effect relationship.
      Sanctions are considered in detail regarding virus seropositivity and occurrence
      of symptomatology in the different phases of the disease, thus leading to a brief
      outline of possible refunding guidelines. Particular emphasis is placed on the
      evaluation of the causal relationship, underlying the difficulty related to
      establishing a clear cut cause-effect relationship.

PMID- 1864423
TI  - [Complete denture retention. New techniques].

PMID- 1864424
TI  - [Forceps in tooth extraction. Method of use and working position].
AB  - In the present paper the physical properties and the utilization of the surgical
      forceps has been explained. The correct working positions during dental
      extraction in different oral quadrants have been examined.

PMID- 1864425
TI  - [Esthetic restorations and occlusal stress].
AB  - The purpose of this work is to value reconstructions on conoid, abraded and
      fractured elements made using an hybrid composite. Results have been excellent
      either functionally or aesthetically.

PMID- 1864427
TI  - Designed for growth.

PMID- 1864426
TI  - [Training and professional profile of dentistry in the EEC. 14].

PMID- 1864428
TI  - This doctor wanted something "different".

PMID- 1864429
TI  - Planning a new facility?

PMID- 1864430
TI  - Treat your staff like real people.

PMID- 1864431
TI  - Color coding and computers.

PMID- 1864433
TI  - Recall system management--1. Check the health of your recall system.

PMID- 1864432
TI  - Licensure by credentials: still a chance?

PMID- 1864434
TI  - Maintaining preparedness for the life-threatening office medical emergency.

PMID- 1864435
TI  - [Insulin antibodies: methodology and clinical implications].
AB  - Anti-insulin antibodies detection is based on the demonstration of a specific and
      saturable binding to insulin either radiolabelled with 125 I (Radiobinding assay
      or RBA) or coated on a solid phase (Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay or EIA).
      The 2 assays are remarkably different by their sensitivity to the affinity of the
      antigen antibody reaction. In addition, RBA may be biased by the presence of the
      iodine atom on the radioiodinated insulin whereas, at least on theoretical
      grounds. EIA could be biased because of denaturation or non availability of some
      epitopes when insulin is coated. Anti-insulin antibodies may be induced by
      insulin therapy. When they "spontaneously" appear, they are called
      autoantibodies. Insulin autoantibodies may be detected in the normal population,
      in type 1 diabetic patients before any administration of exogenous insulin and in
      patients suffering from the autoimmune hypoglycemic syndrome. In some patients,
      this syndrome may be associated with administration of a thiol containing drug.
      In some cases, insulin antibodies may appear several years after a transient
      insulin therapy, possibly as a consequence of a disturbance of the immunologic
      memory. The properties of antibodies and autoantibodies (concentration, affinity,
      number and nature of epitopes, heavy and light chain composition and ability to
      form aggregates) are relatively characteristic of the disease with which they are
      associated and determine their potential effects on insulin bioavailability and
      plasma glucose homeostasis.

PMID- 1864436
TI  - Risk/benefit ratio of changing late obstetrical strategies in the management of
      insulin-dependent diabetic pregnancies. A comparison between 1971-1977 and 1978
      1985 periods in 389 pregnancies.
AB  - We compared the results of 166 pregestational insulin dependent diabetic
      pregnancies in the period 1971-1977 to those of 223 in the period of 1978-1985,
      after the introduction of self monitoring of blood glucose. During this second
      study period late obstetrical strategies changed to prolongation of pregnancy up
      to term, avoidance of final hospitalization and decrease of the rate of cesarean
      section. Maternal blood glucose control was less optimal in the second period
      resulting in a higher incidence of fetal macrosomia. Despite this, unexplained
      stillbirth disappeared, neonatal morbidity did not change significantly and the
      overall benefit was a reduction of preterm birth and a better quality of life for
      our patients. We conclude that the final hospitalization from week 32 onward in
      insulin dependent diabetic pregnancies is no more mandatory.

PMID- 1864437
TI  - Impaired glucose tolerance: influence by environmental and hereditary factors.
AB  - The influence on impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) by obesity, physical leisure
      time activity (PLTA), family histories of diabetes mellitus (DM) and other
      characteristics were evaluated in a health survey of 807 middle-aged females and
      males, with the rate of IGT 8.4% (WHO-criteria). Independent (adjusted for
      covariates) odds ratios concerning IGT were estimated. The ratios were 5.3 with
      the presence of obesity and 2.2. (ns) with low compared to high PLTA. In a
      subgroup of summarized environmental factors (obesity and low PLTA versus no
      obesity and high PLTA, n = 339), the independent odds ratio for IGT was 9.6 with
      obesity and low PLTA. With one 1st degree DM relative the odds ratio for IGT was
      3.1. The ratio was increased both with the presence of relatives with non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus and with the presence of relatives with insulin
      treated diabetes. Diabetic mothers yielded a higher ratio for IGT than diabetic
      fathers. In conclusion, the independent relative risk for IGT in this Swedish
      middle-aged urban sample was about two times higher with environmental factors
      (obesity only/obesity with low PLTA) than with one 1st degree DM relative.

PMID- 1864438
TI  - Blood pressure by 24 h ambulatory recordings in type 2 (non-insulin dependent)
      diabetics. Relationship to urinary albumin excretion.
AB  - The relationship between blood pressure and microalbuminuria, both associated
      with cardiovascular disease and death, is sparsely studied in Type 2 (non-insulin
      dependent) diabetes, and results may be interfered by the phenomenon of "white
      coat-hypertension". We therefore investigated blood pressure by 24h ambulatory
      recordings (oscillometry) and examined whether blood pressure related to the
      level of urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) by synchronous 24h collections.
      Seventeen diabetics (50-75 years of age) with microalbuminuria (15 less than UAER
      less than 200 micrograms/min) (DM), 15 with normal urinary albumin excretion (DN)
      and 10 healthy controls (C) participated. All groups were of comparable sex, age
      degree of obesity and had normal serum creatinine, and the groups of diabetics
      were of similar known duration, glycemic control and frequency of
      antihypertensive treatment. Blood pressures measured at the clinic were
      significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than 24h recordings. An average systolic
      pressure of 142 +/- 11 mmHg in DN was increased (p less than 0.01) as compared to
      C: 130 +/- 10 mmHg, but no further increase was seen in DM: 146 +/- 19 mmHg.
      Diastolic pressures were not different among the groups (C: 77 +/- 8 mmHg, DN: 80
      +/- 11 mmHg, DM: 79 +/- 9 mmHg). Average 24h systolic pressure correlated to the
      UAER r = 0.61, p = 0.009 in DM, whereas not in DN. By the present method we found
      isolated systolic hypertension in Type 2 diabetes which may express "vascular
      stiffness". There was, however, no further rise in blood pressure in patients
      with microalbuminuria, but in these patients albuminuria may be pressure
      dependent and/or expressive of vascular pathology.

PMID- 1864439
TI  - [Dyslipoproteinemia and diabetic nephropathy].

PMID- 1864440
TI  - [Clinical and epidemiological features of diabetic patients followed under non
      specialized conditions].

PMID- 1864441
TI  - Lectin-carbohydrate interactions in immunoregulation.

PMID- 1864442
TI  - Quantification of enzyme activities in brain sections by microphotometry.
AB  - 1. Catalytic enzyme histochemistry offers the possibility to demonstrate enzyme
      activities quantitatively (microphotometry) in brain sections of those sites
      where they are localized. 2. A prerequisite for quantification are appropriate
      histochemical procedures for the demonstration of enzymes, which are shortly
      discussed. 3. For the microphotometric determination of enzymes in brain sections
      the scanning microphotometry is at present the technique of choice. 4. This is
      described in the example of an image plane scanning system. 5. Using this
      technique two measuring procedures can be applied for the quantification of
      enzyme activities, i.e. kinetic and end-point measurements. 6. Methods for the
      microphotometric determination of certain important oxido-reductases and further
      enzymes are presented. 7. It is concluded that quantitative catalytic enzyme
      histochemistry could be a source of results complementary to those provided by
      conventional biochemistry.

PMID- 1864443
TI  - Liver ferrochelatase from normal and hexachlorobenzene porphyric rats. Mechanism
      of drug action.
AB  - 1. The action of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) on hepatic ferrochelatase was
      investigated. 2. A direct action of HCB, pentachlorophenol, porphyrins and haem
      on this enzyme activity was discarded. 3. In HCB porphyric liver there is
      probably an activator tightly bound to the enzyme. 4. Pyridoxal phosphate (PPL)
      may be a cofactor of ferrochelatase from both normal and porphyric rats. 5. The
      PPL would be involved in the binding site of Fe2+ or at least in the approaching
      of Fe2+ to the active site of the enzyme. 6. The differences found between normal
      and porphyric preparations could be attributed to conformational changes elicited
      by the HCB.

PMID- 1864444
TI  - Studies on the active centre of rat liver porphyrinogen carboxylase in vivo
      effect of hexachlorobenzene.
AB  - 1. Porphyrinogen carboxylase from the liver of normal and hexachlorobenzene
      porphyric rats was subjected to chemical modification using photo-oxidation with
      methylene blue, diethylpyrocarbonate, butane-2,3-dione, and phenylglyoxal. 2. All
      of these chemicals inactivated the enzyme from both sources. 3. Reversion of the
      diethylpyrocarbonate reaction with hydroxylamine as well as protection of the
      enzymes with uroporphyrinogen III indicated that histidine is involved at least
      in the first decarboxylation active site of the porphyrinogen carboxylyase, and
      perhaps in one or more sites where the removal of the other carboxyl groups take
      place. 4. Arginine seems not to be at the active site of the enzyme but at its
      environment since two diketones alter the enzyme activity, however the substrate
      did not protect the enzyme from the butane-2,3-dione modification. 5. Comparative
      studies between the enzyme from normal and porphyric animals suggest that the low
      enzyme activity from intoxicated animals could be due to alterations of its
      active centre environment produced by hexachlorobenzene treatment. This treatment
      seems to partially protect the active site of the porphyrinogen carboxylase from
      the modification reactions.

PMID- 1864445
TI  - Possible endogenous substrate proteins for cytosolic protein-tyrosine kinase from
      porcine spleen.
AB  - 1. Endogenous phosphate acceptor proteins by cytosolic protein-tyrosine kinase
      from porcine spleen (CPTK-40) were studied using subcellular fractions of porcine
      spleen and supernatant fraction of rat various tissues. 2. At least 13 phosphate
      acceptor proteins ranging from 94 to 26 kDa were observed in all but
      mitochondrial subcellular fractions. 3. Among the supernatant fraction of rat
      tissues, brain, testis and spleen contained many phosphate acceptor proteins. 4.
      The most heavily phosphorylated band of around 55 kDa which was commonly
      recognized among various tissues was confirmed as tubulin by the immunoreactivity
      with anti-tubulin antibody. 5. The results obtained in this paper indicate that
      CPTK-40 has the potential to catalyze the phosphorylation of numerous endogenous
      proteins including tubulin.

PMID- 1864447
TI  - Differential theophylline inhibition of alkaline phosphatase and 5'-nucleotidase
      of bovine milk fat globule membranes.
AB  - 1. The effects of theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) on alkaline phosphatase and
      5'-nucleotidase activities of bovine milk fat globule membranes (MFGM) were
      examined. 2. Theophylline inhibited MFGM alkaline phosphatase in a concentration
      dependent manner with 50% inhibition produced by 99 +/- 28 microM theophylline.
      3. The 5'-nucleotidase activity was resistant to theophylline inhibition with 50%
      inhibition produced by 33.9 +/- 3.1 mM theophylline. 4. Theophylline was an
      uncompetitive inhibitor of MFGM alkaline phosphatase with a Ki of 126 +/- 15
      microM. 5. The extent of theophylline inhibition of alkaline phosphatase activity
      was independent of the substrate utilized in the assay. 6. The effect of
      theophylline on bovine MFGM alkaline phosphatase was similar to theophylline
      effects on other mammalian alkaline phosphatases of liver/bone isoenzyme origin.

PMID- 1864446
TI  - Brain protein synthesis in rabbits following low level aluminium exposure.
AB  - 1. Infant rabbits received s.c.injections 3 times weekly of low doses of
      aluminium (A1) maltolate (0.5-1.5 mg Al/kg body wt) or aluminium lactate (8 mg
      Al/kg body wt) from 5 or 10 days of age to 14 or 22 days of age. 2. Brain was
      used to provide a cell-free protein synthesizing system and this system exhibited
      increased activity in preparations from Al-exposed infants. The mRNA fraction
      obtained from the brain polysomal RNA also was more active following Al exposure.
      3. The synthesis of immunoprecipitable calmodulin was significantly elevated.

PMID- 1864448
TI  - Double-blind comparison of diclofenac potassium, ibuprofen and placebo in the
      treatment of ankle sprains.
AB  - In a double-blind, placebo-controlled comparative study in 60 patients with ankle
      sprains suffering from moderate to severe inflammation and tenderness, the
      efficacy and tolerability of 150 mg/day diclofenac potassium given for 7 days was
      superior to that of 1.2 g/day ibuprofen which was, in turn, superior to placebo.
      Efficacy was assessed by volumetric evaluation of inflammation of the injured
      ankle, tenderness on finger pressure, pain on movement and the severity of the
      joint injury. Patients used visual analogue scales to assess severity of pain at
      rest and on walking before and during treatment. Diclofenac potassium was
      significantly superior (P less than 0.02) to ibuprofen for all measures of
      efficacy (except severity of joint injury) and ibuprofen was consistently
      superior to placebo. No serious adverse effects were reported. In conclusion,
      diclofenac potassium has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of
      acute ankle sprains and it had a rapid onset of action and good tolerability.

PMID- 1864449
TI  - Double-blind, randomized crossover study of the percutaneous efficacy and
      tolerability of a topical indomethacin spray versus placebo in the treatment of
      tendinitis.
AB  - Percutaneous efficacy and tolerability of a new topical indomethacin spray
      compared with a corresponding placebo product were evaluated in a double-blind,
      randomized crossover study in 30 patients with tendinitis, i.e. 28 patients with
      peri-arthritis of the shoulder and two with epicondylitis. Each patient was
      treated with 4% indomethacin spray or the corresponding placebo product three to
      five times daily for a period of 14 days and then received the other treatment
      for the same period of time. The indomethacin spray demonstrated a clear efficacy
      compared with the placebo based on both objective criteria (elevation, abduction
      and internal rotation) and subjective criteria (spontaneous pain, pain on
      movement, pressure-induced pain, functional disturbances and sleep disturbances).
      Tolerability was excellent: only two patients had minor local cutaneous
      irritation with the indomethacin spray, which did not require interruption of
      treatment. Treatment with indomethacin spray appeared to be effective in 80% and
      well-tolerated in 93% of the patients studied.

PMID- 1864450
TI  - A double-blind study comparing oleum horwathiensis with placebo in the treatment
      of psoriasis.
AB  - The efficacy and tolerability of topically applied oleum horwathiensis were
      evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 42 patients with chronic
      stable psoriasis. Both groups of patients, 19 receiving oleum horwathiensis
      treatment and 23 receiving placebo treatment for 12 weeks, showed clinically
      significant effects of treatment. Oleum horwathiensis was more effective than
      placebo throughout the treatment period but the difference was not statistically
      significant at any time. No changes in laboratory values attributable to
      treatment were recorded. The symptoms of the oleum horwathiensis-treated group
      continued to be less severe than those of the placebo-treated group throughout
      the 12 weeks of follow-up. The follow-up period, however, occurred partly during
      the summer and since the clinical status of the patients may have been affected
      by climate the difference between the treatment groups was not analysed
      statistically. The tolerability and cosmetic acceptance of oleum horwathiensis
      were remarkably good, and good clinical efficacy in scalp lesions--which was not
      the subject of this study--was spontaneously reported by several patients.

PMID- 1864451
TI  - Imedeen for the treatment of degenerated skin in females.
AB  - Imedeen, a new compound for oral administration consisting of special protein
      fractions and some glucosaminoglycans extracted from marine fish, has been shown
      in previous pilot studies to have a repairing effect on sun-damaged skin. In an
      open study, 10 females with sun-damaged skin, aged 39-61 years, were treated with
      0.5 g/day Imedeen for 90 days. At baseline and after 30, 60 and 90 days, the
      following parameters were clinically evaluated: wrinkles; mottles; dryness of
      skin; and brittleness of hair and nails. After 90 days' treatment all signs of
      sun-damage had improved and brittleness of hair and nails was normalized in all
      cases. These clinical observations were confirmed by changes in skin thickness
      and elasticity. In a second double-blind study, 30 females in the same age range
      and with similar signs of sun-damage were treated with 0.5 g/day Imedeen or
      placebo for 90 days. The results in the Imedeen-treated group corresponded to
      those in the first study whereas no response to treatment was observed in the
      placebo treatment group.

PMID- 1864452
TI  - Symptomatic cervical oesophageal ectopic (heterotopic) gastric mucosa treated
      with omeprazole.
AB  - A 60-year-old female patient with a 3-year history of nausea underwent
      oesophagogastroduodenoscopy. Red lesions were found in the cervical oesophagus:
      one of 2 cm and the other less than 1 cm. These lesions were biopsied and the
      larger lesion showed typical gastric mucosa. Following 40 mg/day omeprazole for 3
      days all symptoms disappeared. Treatment was stopped after the patient remained
      symptom-free for 4 weeks.

PMID- 1864453
TI  - Diclofenac potassium for the treatment of traumatic joint distortions: an open
      multicentre study.
AB  - In an open multicentre study, 410 patients presenting with traumatic joint
      distortions, predominantly involving the ankle, were recruited for treatment with
      50 mg diclofenac potassium given orally three times daily for 7 days. Due to
      various protocol violations, the number of patients eligible for efficacy and
      tolerability analysis were 340 and 344, respectively. Significant (P less than
      0.001) improvement in mobility, swelling, local tenderness, functional impairment
      and pain intensity occurred after both 3 and 7 days of therapy. Overall efficacy
      was assessed as excellent/good in 83% and 87% of cases by the investigator and
      patient, respectively. Altogether, 66 (19.2%) patients complained of adverse
      effects, which were generally mild or moderate in severity. Gastrointestinal
      complaints accounted for around 70% of the reported side-effects. Premature
      discontinuation of therapy due to poor tolerability was necessary in 15 (4.4%)
      patients. In conclusion, diclofenac potassium was both effective and well
      tolerated when used for the short-term treatment of traumatic joint distortions.

PMID- 1864454
TI  - Influence of prostaglandin E1 on heavy proteinuria in slightly azotaemic
      diabetics.
AB  - Treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with nephropathy of
      the nephrotic type using 40 micrograms prostaglandin E1 given intravenously twice
      daily for 4 weeks reduced the urinary protein concentration. Prostaglandin E1
      also increased the total serum protein and serum albumin concentrations, and
      reduced creatinine clearance and plasma renin activity following frusemide
      loading. Treatment with the prostaglandin did not, however, significantly affect
      the blood urea nitrogen and the serum creatinine concentration. It is concluded
      that prostaglandin E1 has overt effects on diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 1864455
TI  - Clinical and pharmacological review of the efficacy of orphenadrine and its
      combination with paracetamol in painful conditions.
AB  - Orphenadrine citrate, a monomethylated derivative of diphenhydramine, has been
      used as a muscle relaxant and as an analgesic both alone or as a constituent of
      combination products. Data on the efficacy of orphenadrine alone and in
      combination with paracetamol for painful conditions are evaluated in the present
      review. From the available animal data it is concluded that the antinociceptive
      effect of orphenadrine has been clearly demonstrated but data have also clearly
      indicated that it has muscle relaxant properties. Human placebo-controlled
      studies have shown some support for the view that orphenadrine on its own acts as
      a mild analgesic in painful conditions associated with muscle spasm. Although
      only a small number of well-controlled studies have been completed with the
      combination product of orphenadrine/paracetamol, each supports the view that the
      combination has superior efficacy over paracetamol alone. There is no doubt that
      the combination product is more efficacious than placebo.

PMID- 1864456
TI  - Is carnitine essential in children?
AB  - Carnitine has a fundamental biological role as a long-chain fatty acid carrier
      across the mitochondrial membrane and in ketone body formation. Although the body
      normally synthesizes carnitine, in certain circumstances such as total parenteral
      nutrition and haemodialysis a dietary supplement may be needed to maintain
      adequate levels. Several considerations suggest that carnitine is a truly
      essential nutrient in infancy and in other situations where the energy
      requirement is particularly high, e.g. pregnancy and breast feeding. There are,
      for example, congenital deficit syndromes due to enzymatic inadequacies. There is
      also the possible role of carnitine in serious metabolic disorders such as
      organic acidaemias and, above all, it has multiple physiological functions in
      major metabolic pathways which are essential for development and growth.

PMID- 1864457
TI  - Neurons are replenished in cultures of embryonic chick optic tectum after
      immunomagnetic depletion.
AB  - The effect of intercellular interactions on the determination and differentiation
      of early embryonic brain cells was tested by immunomagnetic cell separation
      techniques. Using the A2B5 monoclonal antibody, which in chick brain reacts with
      a neuron-specific surface ganglioside, we produced initially pure populations of
      optic tectum cells devoid of the antigen. A coincident depletion of
      neurofilament(+) cells (95%) and nonneuronal growth characteristics of the
      separated A2B5(-) cells indicated that the vast majority of neurons had been
      removed initially. Surprisingly, A2B5(+) cells rapidly appeared in separated
      A2B5(-) cell cultures. After 1 day, the percentage of A2B5(+) cells in separated
      cell cultures equalled those in unseparated cultures (approximately 50%). By a
      week in culture, A2B5(+) cells developed neuronal morphology and contained
      neurofilaments. A2B5(-) to (+) conversion was a regulated phenomenon in that
      removal of different proportions of the (+) cells resulted in different numbers
      of (-) to (+) conversions. New DNA synthesis was not required for the acquisition
      of cell surface A2B5 antigen or for differentiation of cells into definitive
      A2B5(+) neurons. Our results demonstrate that postmitotic embryonic brain
      contains cells which are capable of replacing depleted neurons in vitro.

PMID- 1864458
TI  - Spermatogenesis in Hydra oligactis. II. How temperature controls the reciprocity
      of sexual and asexual reproduction.
AB  - Hydra oligactis undergo two mutually exclusive modes of reproduction: at warm
      temperatures (18-22 degrees C) animals reproduce asexually by budding, while at
      cold temperatures (10-12 degrees C) gamete differentiation occurs. Using a
      monoclonal antibody which is specific for cells of the sperm lineage, it was
      discovered that under conditions where sperm differentiation does not occur (18
      22 degrees C), cells continually enter the sperm pathway but progression down the
      pathway is prematurely halted, effectively blocking the production of sperm. To
      elucidate the mechanism by which completion of sperm differentiation is
      controlled, the cell cycle times of interstitial cells entering the sperm pathway
      at both the restrictive (18 degrees C) and permissive (10 degrees C) temperatures
      were examined. It was envisaged that at the restrictive temperature the cell
      cycle times of committed cells would lengthen as they proceeded down the pathway,
      leading to dilution and eventual loss of cells at later stages of sperm
      differentiation. This did not occur. Although cells of the sperm lineage were
      found overall to divide more slowly at 18 degrees C than at 10 degrees C, at both
      temperatures the cell cycle times shortened as cells proceeded further down the
      pathway, making a dilution mechanism untenable. The effect of high temperature on
      the survival of cells was then tested by subjecting animals to a heat shock.
      Within 12 hr of the increase in temperature, the total number of sperm lineage
      interstitial cells dropped 10-fold while the total numbers of epithelial and
      somatic interstitial cells remained virtually unchanged. A distinct consequence
      of this cell loss was the disappearance of cells furthest down the sperm pathway.
      It is proposed that as cells move down the sperm pathway, they become
      increasingly sensitive to high temperature which adversely affects their
      survival; the higher the temperature, the earlier in the pathway cells die. The
      lethal effect is abolished by lowering the temperature, allowing sperm
      differentiation to continue to completion. The possible adaptive advantages of
      temperature controlling gametogenesis are discussed.

PMID- 1864459
TI  - Immunofluorescence localization of an adducin-like protein in the chromosomes of
      mouse oocytes.
AB  - The mouse oocyte expresses a polypeptide of Mr 120,000 that cross-reacts with an
      antibody to the brain membrane skeletal protein adducin. Immunofluorescence
      localization showed a bright chromosomal staining reaction in metaphase I and
      metaphase II oocytes. Following in vitro fertilization the maternal chromosomes
      lost their immunoreactivity during pronuclear development. The fertilizing sperm
      chromatin and male pronucleus did not show any detectable staining reaction.
      Bright chromosomal fluorescence was again observed in the first mitotic metaphase
      when both maternal and paternal chromosomes gave a positive staining reaction. In
      contrast to the immunoreactivity of the maternal meiotic chromosomes, the meiotic
      chromosomes of male germ line cells failed to exhibit any detectable staining
      reaction and this difference was confirmed by immunolabeling of oocyte and
      spermatocyte karyotypes. Mitotic chromosomes in preimplantation embryos, fetal
      liver, adult intestinal epithelium, and MDCK cells also failed to show any
      detectable labeling reaction. The results suggest that expression of the
      immunoreactive chromosomal adducin may be a unique feature of oogenesis.

PMID- 1864460
TI  - Cytokines modulate preimplantation development and pregnancy.
AB  - Using two different models of pregnancy failure in mice, we show in this
      communication that preimplantation embryonic development can be controlled, in
      vivo, with cytokines. In one model, described by us previously, CSF-1 is shown to
      block gestations in plugged females due to its induction of defective early
      development. Pregnancies and preimplantation development are shown here to be
      restored to normal by TNF alpha or GM-CSF but not by TGF beta 1. In the second
      model, we reveal that CBA/J females plugged by various male strains produce
      spontaneously an extremely high proportion of abnormal precompaction embryos.
      Normal morulae and blastocysts, able to further develop and implant in vitro, are
      shown here to be induced by TNF alpha and to a lesser extent by GM-CSF and IL-1
      alpha. These results suggest strongly that cytokines are potent modulators of
      early development. They may provide new and interesting insights into early
      events of mammalian embryonic development.

PMID- 1864461
TI  - Simultaneous maturation of transverse tubules and sarcoplasmic reticulum during
      muscle differentiation in the mouse.
AB  - The development and maturation of transverse (T) tubules and sarcoplasmic
      reticulum (SR) have been studied in pre- and postnatal mouse muscle, using
      selective "staining" of these membrane systems. As previously reported in the
      literature, orderly transverse orientation of the T tubules occurs late in
      development and early T-SR junctions (triads and dyads) are located at random
      along the T tubules in a predominantly longitudinal orientation. We find that
      initial appearance of transverse tubules occurs fairly abruptly, and that all
      early T tubules have a longitudinal orientation. Transverse orientation of the T
      tubule network, location of triads at the A-I junction, and development of
      differentiated regions of the SR are coordinated events which occur gradually
      over a period of about 3 weeks for leg muscle.s The timing of triad development
      coincides with that reported for the increase in slow calcium current and
      dihydropyridine binding. Differences in T tubule patterns between muscle fibers
      of EDL and soleus are apparent only at relatively late stages.

PMID- 1864462
TI  - Intrinsic electric fields promote epithelization of wounds in the newt,
      Notophthalmus viridescens.
AB  - The lateral electric fields (LFs) in the vicinity of small wounds made in
      hindlimb digit tip skin of Notophthalmus viridescens have been measured and
      manipulated. Healing of these wounds was assessed by crystal violet staining and
      by histology. Paired experiments were conducted on the animals: the healing of
      one digit's wound was compared with healing of the contralateral digit's wound
      whose LF was changed from that of its contralateral wound. When currents were
      passed through the animal (into one wound and out of the contralateral wound) so
      that the LF of one wound was zero while the contralateral wound had an enhanced
      LF, the wounds with the enhanced LF healed more rapidly than the wounds with the
      zero LF. When digits on one side were treated with 30 microM benzamil in an
      artificial pond water so that their wound LFs were reduced to approximately zero,
      and the contralateral wounds were kept in artificial pond water without benzamil
      so that they had normal wound LFs, there was significantly less epithelization of
      the benzamil-treated wounds than of the control wounds. This effect on wound
      healing was reversed by adding currents that restored the normal wound LFs, but
      not by adding currents that reversed the wound LFs to the opposite polarity. When
      currents were added to reverse the wound LFs on one side of the animal, leaving
      the contralateral wounds free of added currents, the wounds with the reversed LFs
      healed more poorly than the contralateral wounds with normal LFs. These results
      are consistent with the hypothesis that the intrinsic LFs in the vicinity of
      wounds promote epithelization of these wounds.

PMID- 1864463
TI  - The calcium content of cortical granules and the loss of calcium from sea urchin
      eggs at fertilization.
AB  - In many species, fertilization triggers a wave of cortical granule exocytosis in
      the egg that is the consequence of an increase in intracellular free calcium
      concentration. We have measured the total calcium content of cortical granules
      from two species of sea urchins by quantitative X-ray microanalysis and
      spectrometric measurements. Our results show that cortical granules: (1) contain
      a high concentration of total calcium (around 30 and 95 mM for Paracentrotus
      lividus and Arbacia lixula, respectively), (2) represent a major cortical storage
      site of calcium in the egg (5 and 11% of total egg calcium for P. lividus and A.
      lixula, respectively), and (3) exchange part of their accumulated calcium by an
      ATP dependent mechanism. In addition we have confirmed that at fertilization, sea
      urchin eggs lose a sizeable amount of their calcium (7% for P. lividus and 15%
      for A. lixula). The kinetics and magnitude of the loss suggest that some of this
      calcium could be provided by cortical granules during exocytosis.

PMID- 1864464
TI  - Mutations within the Ddc promoter alter its neuron-specific pattern of
      expression.
AB  - The Drosophila dopa decarboxylase gene (Ddc) is expressed in a reproducible set
      of approximately 150 neurons, and in a subset of the glia of the third instar
      larva's central nervous system (CNS). Expression in this pattern requires a cell
      type-specific neuronal enhancer/glial repressor region located 1000 bp from the
      transcriptional start site, and specific sequences within the promoter. We have
      used mutagenesis in vitro and P-element-mediated transformation to examine the
      role of the promoter, particularly its major CNS activator sequence (element I),
      in the generation of the wildtype expression pattern. Immunohistological analysis
      of these transgenic strains demonstrates that particular deletion mutations shift
      the site of transgene expression to a set of neurons which do not express Ddc at
      detectable levels in wild-type larvae. Transgene expression in these strains may
      be driven by a previously undetected activator sequence. Our data also suggest
      that glial expression may be driven by the same activator sequences that drive
      expression in the hypoderm.

PMID- 1864465
TI  - The SGP-2 gene is developmentally regulated in the mouse kidney and abnormally
      expressed in collecting duct cysts in polycystic kidney disease.
AB  - Sulfated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) is a secreted, dimeric, glycosylated protein
      synthesized by a number of different epithelial cell types. Although its function
      is not yet understood, SGP-2 has been hypothesized to be involved in such diverse
      processes as the promotion of cell-cell interactions, spermatogenesis, modulation
      of the complement system, and programmed cell death. We have now found that the
      SGP-2 gene is developmentally regulated in the mouse kidney. SGP-2 gene
      expression is first detected in the condensing nephrogenic mesenchyme and is
      subsequently down-regulated during the maturation of the glomerular epithelia,
      proximal tubules, and collecting ducts. SGP-2 continues to be expressed in the
      mature kidney in distal tubules and in the urothelial lining of the calyx and
      papilla. We have also examined the expression of the SGP-2 gene in polycystic
      kidneys of the C57BL/6J-cpk mouse, a model of autosomal recessive polycystic
      kidney disease in which there is development of epithelial-lined cysts arising
      primarily from the collecting duct system. Abnormally high levels of SGP-2 mRNA
      were found in the cyst wall epithelium of polycystic kidneys. The expression of
      the SGP-2 gene in normal development suggests that it plays a role in
      differentiating epithelial structures; and the abnormally high levels of SGP-2
      gene expression in polycystic kidneys suggests that the cells lining cysts are
      not fully differentiated. It is possible, therefore, that polycystic kidney
      disease is caused by a defective developmental process in which there is a delay
      in terminal differentiation.

PMID- 1864466
TI  - Pharmacology of the serotonin-induced meiosis reinitiation in Spisula solidissima
      oocytes.
AB  - Germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) is the first visible response of the oocyte of
      Spisula solidissima to the neurohormone serotonin. Pharmacological
      characterization of this response was performed by using 24 serotonin-related
      compounds. Dose-response curves were assessed by quantification of GVBD. Rank
      orders of potency obtained were among agonists: serotonin greater than 8-hydroxy
      2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin hydrobromide greater than 2-methyl-serotonin greater
      than 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine; among antagonists; ritanserin
      ritanserin greater than ICS205930 greater than mianserin = ketanserin =
      propranolol greater than metoclopramide = yohimbine greater than spiperone.
      Various other monoaminergic compounds tested were inefficient, demonstrating the
      specificity of the oocyte response to serotonin. Transduction mechanisms
      underlying this response were then investigated. Ca2+ appeared to be involved
      since serotonin induced an increase in the uptake of 45Ca2+ and since it was
      inefficient in calcium-free sea water. The absence of synergy between serotonin
      and KCl suggested that both compounds use a common transduction pathway. Exposure
      of the oocyte to the protein kinase C activator TPA inhibited serotonin-dependent
      maturation. Our data thus point to an original, previously uncharacterized
      pharmacological profile and transduction mechanism by which serotonin induces
      oocyte meiosis reinitiation in Spisula solidissima.

PMID- 1864467
TI  - Overexpression of uvomorulin in a compaction-negative F9 mutant cell line.
AB  - The mutant F9 cell line F9att-5.51 synthesizes reduced amounts of uvomorulin (UM)
      protein and we hypothesized earlier (Adamson, Baribault, and Kemler, Dev. Biol.
      (1990), 138, 338) that this may account for its inability to compact into tightly
      aggregated balls of cells. Subsequently, when 5.51 cells are treated with
      retinoic acid to stimulate their differentiation, they are unable to form
      embryoid bodies as do wild-type cells which form an outer epithelial layer of
      visceral endoderm cells. We have now examined the possibility that the UM protein
      made in the mutant line is defective, but find that it is normal in structure and
      stability. The gene coding for UM appears to be normal as does the mRNA which is
      synthesized at a normal rate but is severely reduced in steady-state measurements
      of mutant cells. A rescue experiment was performed by increasing levels of UM in
      mutant cells by means of transfection with a UM expression vector. The resulting
      cells expressed abundant UM mRNA and protein but were still unable to form
      compacted aggregates and did not differentiate into embryoid bodies.
      Interestingly, the stability of endogenous UM mRNA was improved in the presence
      of exogenous UM; therefore, a positive feedback mechanism contributes to low mRNA
      levels in mutant cells. The accumulated data suggest that UM in 5.51 cells is
      unable to mount a compaction activity because a distal connecting link in the
      multicomponent process initiated by UM is missing or or aberrant. The missing
      component is likely to connect UM to actin and the cytoskeleton of the cell.

PMID- 1864468
TI  - Peptides from sperm acrosomal protein that initiate egg development.
AB  - How sperm initiate egg development is being investigated with gametes of the
      marine worm Urechis. Sperm acrosomal protein, previously shown to activate eggs
      (Gould et al., 1986, Dev. Biol. 117, 306-318; Gould and Stephano, 1987, Science
      235, 1654-1656), was enzymatically cleaved into soluble peptide fragments. When
      this mixture was added to eggs they activated, and parthenogenetic cleavage often
      occurred. An active peptide (P23) was purified from the mixture and its sequence
      was determined to be Val-Ala-Lys-Lys-Pro-Lys. Synthetic peptide had the same
      biological activity. P23 induced eggs to undergo the complete sequence of changes
      that normally follows fertilization, including the fertilization potential,
      completion of meiosis, and DNA replication. When a sperm centrosome was
      introduced into eggs by prefertilization without activation, and the eggs were
      subsequently activated by P23, they developed normally to trochophore larvae (the
      contribution of another sperm component is not ruled out by this experiment). P23
      covalently coupled to bovine serum albumin also activated eggs, showing that it
      acted on the external surface of the egg. The peptide did not activate sea urchin
      eggs, but did cause oyster eggs to undergo germinal vesicle breakdown.

PMID- 1864469
TI  - cut-1 a Caenorhabditis elegans gene coding for a dauer-specific noncollagenous
      component of the cuticle.
AB  - We have molecularly identified a new gene of Caenorhabditis elegans that codes
      for a component of the cuticle. The gene has been physically mapped on LGII near
      the locus sqt-1. The structure and the sequence of the gene have been determined
      and antisera have been raised against parts of the protein produced as fusions in
      Escherichia coli. By transcription analysis, and by the use of specific antisera,
      we have determined that this gene is expressed specifically during dauer larva
      formation. In extracts of worms completing the dauer transformation the product
      of this gene migrates in sodium dodecyl sulfate acrylamide gels with an apparent
      molecular mass of 40 kDa. By immunofluorescence we have determined that it is a
      component of the cuticles of dauer larvae. It forms a ribbon approximately 2
      microns wide running along the lateral lines underneath the alae. Once it is
      assembled in the cuticle the protein becomes insoluble even in the presence of
      strong detergents and reducing agents in a manner that is similar to that
      described for the noncollagenous, insoluble residue of nematode cuticles called
      cuticlins; therefore, we have named the gene cut-1 for cuticlin 1. cut-1
      represents the first gene for a noncollagenous component of C. elegans cuticle
      that has been characterized molecularly.

PMID- 1864470
TI  - Cell movements during the initial phase of gastrulation in the sea urchin embryo.
AB  - The morphogenetic processes responsible for the initial phase of gastrulation in
      sea urchin embryos are not known. Here we report observations of the size and
      position of clones of cells derived from horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-injected
      mesomeres and macromeres. The displacement of these clones during the initial
      phase of gastrulation suggests that involution is a mechanism involved in primary
      invagination. Experiments with embryos marked with vital dyes indicate that
      movements occur only during a brief phase coincident with the invagination of the
      vegetal plate. Counts of cells derived from HRP-injected mesomeres and macromeres
      suggest it unlikely that localized growth in the vegetal plate is involved in
      gastrulation. An analysis of changes in cell shape during the initial phase of
      gastrulation indicates that there is a stage-dependent shift from cells being
      columnar to having their apices skewed toward the vegetal plate and an increase
      in the proportion of cells having basal processes during gastrulation. When
      embryos are grown in the presence of monoclonal antibodies to the apical lamina
      or monovalent fragments of these antibodies, the initial phase of gastrulation is
      delayed and they form partial exogastrulae. Analysis of embryos marked with HRP
      indicate that the antibody treatments interfere with the cellular movements
      observed in untreated embryos. We conclude that directed movements of cells
      within the blastoderm, probably employing tractoring on components of the hyaline
      layer, cause the buckling of the vegetal plate and displacement of presumptive
      endoderm cells seen during the initial phase of gastrulation.

PMID- 1864471
TI  - Chronic exposure to an activator of protein kinase C mimics early effects of NGF
      in chromaffin cells.
AB  - Adrenal chromaffin cells respond to nerve growth factor (NGF) in vitro by
      expressing neuronal characteristics and, over a period of 2 to 4 weeks,
      transdifferentiating into postmitotic sympathetic neurons. Phorbol myristate
      acetate (PMA) is a potent activator of protein kinase C (PKC); chronic exposure
      to PMA mimics the initial actions of NGF by promoting the outgrowth of neurites
      and increasing the incorporation of [3H] thymidine in primary cultures of adrenal
      chromaffin cells from young rats. PMA and NGF affect the same populations of
      cells and even individual neurites. These effects are specific for active phorbol
      ester and do not result from the release of NGF or FGF in the cultures. As in the
      case of NGF, the effects are inhibited by glucocorticoids. The PKC inhibitor
      staurosporine inhibits the effects of PMA, as well as those of NGF, in a dose
      dependent manner. These results suggest that a modulation in activity of PKC is
      important in the neuritogenic and proliferative effects of NGF, at least for an
      initial period of approximately 1 week.

PMID- 1864472
TI  - Walking.

PMID- 1864473
TI  - Modifications to the traditional description of neurosegmental innervation in
      myelomeningocele.
AB  - The consistency between patterns of lower-limb muscle strengths in children with
      myelomeningocele and Sharrard's classic description of segmental innervation was
      examined in 291 patients. Although it has been assumed that medial hamstring
      innervation was from a similar neurosegmental level as gluteus medius, and
      gluteus maximus was from a similar level as gastrocnemius-soleus, the authors
      found that medial hamstring strength more frequently correlated with iliopsoas
      and quadriceps, and glutei with anterior tibialis. It is proposed that children
      with myelomeningocele be grouped according to specific muscle strength rather
      than by neurosegmental level.

PMID- 1864474
TI  - Ambulatory outcome of children with myelomeningocele: effect of lower-extremity
      muscle strength.
AB  - The relationship between patterns of strength and mobility was studied in 291
      children with myelomeningocele, graded as community ambulators, partial
      (household) ambulators and nonambulators. Iliopsoas strength was found to be the
      best predictor of ambulation, with the quadriceps, anterior tibialis and glutei
      also contributing significantly. Grade 0 to 3 iliopsoas strength was always
      associated with partial or complete reliance on a wheelchair. No patient with
      grade 4 to 5 iliopsoas and quadriceps function relied completely on wheelchairs
      and the majority were community ambulators. Grade 4 to 5 gluteal and anterior
      tibialis function was associated with community ambulation, without aids or
      braces. Deterioration in mobility was most common in those with strong
      iliopsoas/quadriceps and grade 0 to 3 gluteus medius, and was not age-related.

PMID- 1864475
TI  - Treatment versus non-treatment of hip dislocations in ambulatory patients with
      myelomeningocele.
AB  - Thirty myelomeningocele patients with untreated hip dislocations who had
      functional quadriceps and good ambulatory capability were evaluated for hip pain,
      hip motion and sitting ability: they had no pain, good to excellent hip motion
      and no difficulty in sitting. Three were wheelchair-bound. Nine had a limb-length
      inequality requiring a shoe lift. They were compared with a similar series of 11
      patients who underwent open reduction of a dislocated hip with a two-year follow
      up. Two patients in this group had improved and three had worse sitting balance.
      Serious perioperative complications occurred in six patients. The authors
      conclude that surgical reduction of paralytic hip dislocations in ambulatory
      myelomeningocele patients is costly and offers little obvious benefit.

PMID- 1864476
TI  - Neuropsychiatric assessment of children with autism: a population-based study.
AB  - Thirty-five children with autistic disorder and 17 with autistic-like conditions
      underwent an exhaustive neurobiological evaluation, and the findings were
      contrasted with those obtained from various comparison groups. Almost 90 per cent
      of the children with autistic disorder and autistic-like conditions had major
      indications of brain damage or dysfunction. Some of those who did not show such
      abnormalities had a first-degree relative with Asperger syndrome. The rate of
      abnormality was similar to that of severely mentally retarded children, but in
      excess of that of normal children. Within the autism group, abnormality rate did
      not correlate with degree of mental retardation. It is concluded that autism has
      multiple biological aetiologies and that autistic symptoms in a child should
      always prompt a thorough medical/neurobiological evaluation.

PMID- 1864477
TI  - Hemiplegic cerebral palsy: correlation between CT morphology and clinical
      findings.
AB  - Morphological findings on CT were compared with clinical features of 111 children
      with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Periventricular atrophy, interpreted as
      periventricular leukomalacia, was the most prevalent CT finding, although this
      type of lesion did not indicate severity of neurological impairment.
      Maldevelopments were associated with arm-dominated hemiplegia and with a wider
      range of clinical impairments than previously described. Cortical/subcortical
      atrophy, less common than presumed, indicated arm-dominated hemiplegia and was
      associated with more severe impairment than were other CT findings. A normal CT
      scan indicated leg-dominated hemiplegia and mild impairment. The morphological
      information obtained by CT was found to be useful for predicting clinical
      outcome, and was considered an important adjunct to clinical history and findings
      in these children.

PMID- 1864478
TI  - Cognitive impairment in new cases of epilepsy randomly assigned to carbamazepine,
      phenytoin and sodium valproate.
AB  - Sixty-four new cases of childhood epilepsy were randomly assigned to either
      carbamazepine, phenytoin or sodium valproate, and were assessed with cognitive
      tests before medication and three subsequent times over a year. Carbamazepine in
      moderate dosage adversely affected memory, but sodium valproate and phenytoin did
      not.

PMID- 1864479
TI  - Central nervous system involvement of children with HIV infection.
AB  - The neurological findings in 41 HIV-seropositive children are described. 23
      children were symptomatic, eight seropositive but without symptoms and 10
      seropositive children less than 15 months of age had no other evidence of
      immunodeficiency. Acquired microcephaly, developmental regression and progressive
      motor deterioration indicated HIV encephalopathy, as did developmental delay,
      mental retardation, cerebellar symptoms and behavioural changes. Three children
      with progressive encephalopathy improved after treatment with azidothymidine
      (AZT). In eight children treated with prophylactic intravenous immunoglobulin
      therapy (IVIG) and seven treated with both IVIG and AZT, no mental deterioration
      has been observed since the beginning of therapy. One child with advanced
      encephalopathy and severe pyramidal tract involvement did not improve.

PMID- 1864480
TI  - Cutaneomuscular reflexes recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle of
      children with cerebral palsy.
AB  - Cutaneomuscular reflexes were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscles
      of 21 children with spastic cerebral palsy. The reflex responses in children with
      cerebral palsy were consistent with dysfunction of the pyramidal system, but
      differed from those seen in adults with central nervous lesions. This provides
      further evidence that the effect of a central nervous lesion on the reflex
      control of movement is dependent on whether it occurs in early or adult life.

PMID- 1864481
TI  - Genomic imprinting.

PMID- 1864482
TI  - Recovery by mouse embryos following teratogenic exposure to ketosis.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that the ketone body D,L,-beta-hydroxybutyrate was
      teratogenic to mouse embryos exposed in culture during the period of neurulation.
      Inhibition of closure of the cranial and caudal neuropores was the most
      frequently occurring defect and these abnormalities were thought to be the
      forerunner of anencephaly and spina bifida, respectively. However, additional
      studies demonstrated that embryos could recover morphologically from these
      effects if the ketone body was removed from the culture medium and if the
      recovery period was of sufficient duration. In an attempt to define further the
      phenomenon responsible for this recovery and to determine the extent of the
      recovery process, the present study examining the cross-sectional area, cell
      number, and mitotic index of cranial neuroepithelial cells was conducted in mouse
      embryos cultured from the early somite stage under one of the following
      conditions: 1) control medium for 60 h; 2) medium containing 32 mmol/l D,L,-beta
      hydroxybutyrate for 24 h followed by culture in control medium for an additional
      36 h (recovery group); 3) medium containing 32 mmol/l D,L,-beta-hydroxybutyrate
      for 60 h (continuously exposed group). The results indicate that although neural
      tube closure occurred in the recovery group, complete recovery was limited to the
      ventral regions of the forebrain and that the remainder of the prosencephalon as
      well as the rhombencephalon failed to undergo complete catch-up growth. Thus,
      cell numbers in these areas were approximately 70% of control values. Therefore,
      while the gross anatomical disturbances produced by the ketone body may be
      compensated for, histological alterations in the affected tissues remain.
      Ultimately, these data suggest that neurological deficits may be an outcome of
      ketone body exposure during the early stages of embryogenesis.

PMID- 1864483
TI  - Insulin treatment prevents diabetes mellitus but not thyroiditis in RT6-depleted
      diabetes resistant BB/Wor rats.
AB  - Prophylactic insulin administration is known to prevent hyperglycaemia in
      diabetes prone BB rats and non-obese diabetic mice. This study investigated the
      effect of insulin treatment on the development of overt diabetes, clinically
      inapparent anti-islet autoreactivity, and thyroiditis in RT6-depleted diabetes
      resistant BB rats. Fewer than 1% of these animals develop spontaneous diabetes,
      but if depleted of RT6- T cells greater than 50% become hyperglycaemic. We
      treated 30-day-old diabetes resistant rats with anti-RT6.1 monoclonal antibody,
      exogenous insulin, or both. Up to 60 days of age, 16 of 20 rats given antibody
      alone became diabetic, compared with 1 of 20 also treated with antibody plus
      insulin. Up to 110 days of age, only 1 of 10 rats treated with both insulin and
      antibody between 30 and 60 days became diabetic. Histologic study of non-diabetic
      insulin plus anti-RT6 antibody treated rats revealed insulitis in 3 of 9 at 60
      days old, and insulitis in 3 of 8 and thyroiditis in 6 of 7 at 110 days of age.
      Non-diabetic animals were also found to harbour autoreactive spleen cells that
      adoptively transferred diabetes. Splenocytes from 60 or 110-day-old non-diabetic
      donors that had been treated with insulin and antibody between 30 and 60 days of
      age induced diabetes in 7 of 13 and 6 of 8 adoptive recipients respectively. We
      conclude that insulin treatment prevents clinical diabetes in the RT6-depleted
      diabetes resistant BB rat, but this treatment does not prevent the development of
      autoreactive cell populations that cause thyroiditis and adoptively transfer
      diabetes.

PMID- 1864484
TI  - Anionic sites in diabetic basement membranes and their possible role in diffusion
      barrier abnormalities in the BB-rat.
AB  - Basement membrane anionic sites, thought to be responsible for charge selective
      permeability barriers, were investigated in retinal, endoneurial, and muscle
      capillary basement membranes and in Bruch's membrane of diabetic, and age- and
      sex-matched non-diabetic BB-rats using an ultrastructural quantitative
      histochemical technique. Six months of diabetes was associated with significant
      basement membrane thickening which was linearly related to a decrease in anionic
      site density suggesting a relative loss of proteoglycans. Calculation of anionic
      sites per unit length of basement membrane, reflecting their absolute number,
      revealed a significant loss in basement membrane, constituting part of normal
      blood-tissue barrier systems such as retinal and endoneurial capillary basement
      membranes, and the basement membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium. The
      absolute number of anionic sites in normally permeable microvessels, such as
      those of muscle and choriocapillaries, was unaltered by diabetes. We conclude
      that this specific loss of anionic sites in basement membranes of tissues
      affected by chronic diabetic complications may in part be responsible for
      permeability abnormalities seen in these tissues.

PMID- 1864485
TI  - Insulin prevents adoptive cell transfer of diabetes in the autoimmune non-obese
      diabetic mouse.
AB  - Early intensive insulin treatment is thought to improve subsequent Beta-cell
      function in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Prophylactic insulin
      administration also reduced diabetes incidence in diabetes-prone animals. To
      study the mechanisms by which these effects occur, we tested the ability of
      insulin therapy in the model of non-obese-diabetic mice, to prevent the
      penetration of committed T cells into the islets and subsequent Beta-cell
      destruction. Sublethally irradiated non-obese-diabetic males of 8 weeks of age
      were adoptively transferred with splenocytes from diabetic donors and treated
      with the maximum tolerable dosage of fast-acting insulin (0.5 U, twice daily)
      until 30 days after cell transfer. Diabetes incidence was compared to control
      animals injected with the same concentration of insulin diluent. After one month
      of treatment, the cumulative diabetes frequency was significantly less within the
      insulin-treated group (4 of 15, 26.6%) than in the control group (15 of 18,
      83.3%; p less than 0.01). Pancreatic histological analysis of insulin-treated
      animals revealed a lower severity of insulitis and Beta-cell necrosis and a
      higher percentage of normal islets (46.6 +/- 10% vs 2.3 +/- 2%, p less than
      0.01), including five (33%) mice with no lesions. Immunoperoxydase staining of
      pancreatic sections indicated similar insulin and ganglioside staining of Beta
      cells from insulin-treated mice and control animals. Insulin-treated mice had
      comparable pancreatic insulin content to normal mice. Flow cytometry analysis of
      spleen cell populations indicated that insulin increased the number of Thy1,2+
      and Lyt-2+ T cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864486
TI  - Relationship between serum pseudocholinesterase and triglycerides in
      experimentally induced diabetes mellitus in rats.
AB  - This study was designed to understand the reasons for the increase in serum
      pseudocholinesterase activity in diabetes mellitus. Streptozotocin-induced
      diabetic rats were used for the study. Serum pseudocholinesterase activity
      increased with the induction of diabetes (381.5 units/l +/- 11.8) compared to the
      non-diabetic rats (243.1 units/l +/- 7.2). Serum triglycerides, total low density
      lipoprotein and glycerol also increased concurrently with the development of
      diabetes. Insulin treatment of the diabetic rats normalized serum glucose
      concomitant with the reduction of pseudocholinesterase activity, triglycerides,
      total low density lipoprotein and glycerol. Heparin injection appeared to
      activate lipoprotein lipase in the diabetic rats by showing a marked fall in
      serum triglyceride and total low density lipoprotein levels but not in
      pseudocholinesterase activity. Administration of tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide
      a specific pseudocholinesterase inhibitor, inhibited serum and adipose tissue
      pseudocholinesterase activity by greater than 80% and liver greater than 50%.
      Concurrent with the inhibition of pseudocholinesterase activity serum
      triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and glycerol decreased significantly. In
      normal rats treatment with tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide also reduced serum
      lipoproteins markedly, while glycerol only showed a marginal decrease. Glycerol
      was used as a marker of adipose tissue lipolysis and total low density
      lipoprotein which is defined as lipoproteins of density less than 1.063 (LDL +
      VLDL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864487
TI  - Protection by free oxygen radical scavenging enzymes against glucose-induced
      embryonic malformations in vitro.
AB  - This study addresses the possibility that the teratogenic effects of a diabetic
      pregnancy are associated with increased embryonic activities of free oxygen
      radicals. Rat embryos were cultured in 50 mmol/l glucose for 48 h and
      subsequently showed pronounced growth retardation and severe malformations. The
      enzyme inducer citiolone and the free oxygen radical scavenging enzymes
      superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase protected against the
      disturbed growth and development of the embryos at 50 mmol/l glucose when added
      to the culture media. Enzymatic measurements indicated that citiolone induced an
      increased activity of superoxide dismutase in the embryonic tissues and that the
      added enzymes were taken up by both the yolk sac and the embryo proper. The
      protection against embryonic maldevelopment was thus conferred by agents that
      increased the free oxygen radical scavenging capacity of the embryonic tissues.
      The results suggest that a high glucose concentration in vitro causes embryonic
      dysmorphogenesis by generation of free oxygen radicals. An enhanced production of
      such radicals in embryonic tissues may be directly related to the increased risk
      of congenital malformations in diabetic pregnancy.

PMID- 1864488
TI  - Cumulative cognitive impairment following recurrent severe hypoglycaemia in adult
      patients with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus.
AB  - To examine the hypothesis that episodes of severe hypoglycaemia may cause
      cumulative cognitive impairment. 100 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients
      were examined. Their age range was 25-52 years, and the onset of diabetes had
      occurred after the age of 19 years. Patients with evidence of organic brain
      disease, including cerebrovascular disease, were excluded. A questionnaire was
      used to assess the number, frequency and severity of hypoglycaemic episodes
      experienced during treatment with insulin and the accuracy of this retrospective
      information was verified from general practice and hospital case-notes. A
      detailed neuropsychological assessment was undertaken, including tests of pre
      morbid and present IQ (Wechsler-Revised), memory and information-processing
      speed. Significant correlations were observed between the frequency of severe
      hypoglycaemia and the magnitude of intellectual decline, Performance IQ,
      inspection time and reaction time (patients with the more frequent hypoglycaemia
      had poorer performance). Two sub-groups of patients were identified on the basis
      of their experience of severe hypoglycaemia, and were balanced for pre-morbid IQ,
      age and duration of diabetes. One sub-group (n = 23) had never experienced severe
      hypoglycaemia (Group A), whilst the other sub-group (n = 24) had suffered at
      least five episodes of severe hypoglycaemia (Group B). Group B had greater
      intellectual impairment than Group A, and Group B also had a significantly slower
      mean reaction time and higher reaction time variance when compared with Group A.

PMID- 1864489
TI  - Normalization of hepatic glucose regulation despite systemic insulin delivery.
      Studies in patients with pancreatic transplantation for type 1 (insulin
      dependent) diabetes mellitus.
AB  - With current surgical techniques for pancreatic transplantation, the graft is
      anastomosed to the iliac vessels, resulting in delivery of insulin to the
      systemic circulation rather than to the portal vein as in healthy man. The
      possible influence of the altered route of insulin delivery on the regulation of
      splanchnic glucose metabolism was studied in four patients with Type 1 (insulin
      dependent) diabetes mellitus at 6-19 months after combined pancreatic and kidney
      transplantation. Four non-diabetic, age-matched renal transplant recipients and
      two groups of age-matched healthy subjects served as controls. The studies were
      carried out in the basal state and during two rates of intravenous glucose
      infusion (2 and 4 mg.kg-1.min-1). Fasting arterial glucose and splanchnic glucose
      output was similar in all groups. Basal hyperinsulinaemia was present in
      pancreatic graft recipients compared to healthy subjects. During low rate
      intravenous glucose infusion splanchnic glucose output decreased to a similar
      extent in all groups. With the higher glucose infusion rate (4 mg.kg-1.min-1) a
      net glucose uptake was observed which was similar in all three groups. Peripheral
      glucose uptake was unchanged at the lower glucose infusion rate but increased by
      45-55% at the higher rate. It is concluded that despite systemic insulin delivery
      from a heterotopic pancreatic graft, hepatic glucose metabolism appears normal
      both in the post-absorptive state and in response to glucose-stimulated
      endogenous insulin secretion. Portal insulin delivery is thus not necessary for
      normal hepatic glucose metabolism in the Type 1 diabetic patient.

PMID- 1864490
TI  - Shared genetic susceptibility of type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non
      insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus: contributions of HLA and haptoglobin.
AB  - Epidemiologic data suggest that having a parent with Type 2 (non-insulin
      dependent) diabetes mellitus increases the risk for Type 1 (insulin-dependent)
      diabetes in siblings of a Type 1 diabetes proband. This increase in risk is
      consistent with a shared genetic susceptibility between Type 1 diabetes and Type
      2 diabetes. We contrast genetic risk factors in three sets of families,
      consisting of (1) a single Type 1 diabetic child (proband) and non-diabetic
      parents, (2) multiple Type 1 diabetic siblings and non-diabetic parents, and (3)
      at least one Type 1 diabetic child and at least one Type 2 diabetic parent.
      Previous studies have demonstrated that HLA region genes, which elevate the risk
      in Type 1 diabetes, have no significant effect with respect to the risk for
      developing Type 2 diabetes. An earlier report cited a contribution by the
      haptoglobin locus to genetic susceptibility for Type 2 diabetes. We provide
      evidence that a high risk HLA antigen (HLA-DR3) is decreased to a greater extent
      in Type 1 patients with a Type 2 parent than in Type 1 patients in which the
      parents are not diabetic. The role of HLA-DR4 is maintained in these families,
      with an unexpectedly significant increased rate of transmission of the HLA-DR4
      allele from Type 2 parent to Type 1 offspring. The role of haptoglobin in these
      families does not appear to be important, either with respect to association with
      diabetes or with respect to linkage with a secondary susceptibility locus. These
      results indicate that families with a Type 2 parent and Type 1 child, heavily
      determined by HLA-DR4 linked factors, may represent a homogeneous subset of
      diabetes susceptibility.

PMID- 1864491
TI  - Hyperinsulinaemia as a predictor of coronary heart disease mortality in a healthy
      population: the Paris Prospective Study, 15-year follow-up.
AB  - The Paris Prospective Study is a long-term, large-scale study of the factors
      predicting coronary heart disease. The first follow-up examination included, for
      subjects not known as having diabetes mellitus, a 75 g oral glucose tolerance
      test with measurement of plasma insulin and glucose levels, fasting and 2 h post
      load. Between 1968 and 1973, 6903 men aged 43-54 years were thus examined. Causes
      of death were ascertained within this group after 15 years of mean follow-up. The
      baseline variables were tested as predictors of death from coronary heart disease
      by a Cox regression analysis. Significant independent predictors of coronary
      heart disease death were: systolic blood pressure, number of cigarettes per day,
      plasma cholesterol level, and 2 h post-load plasma insulin level when entered as
      a categorical variable (below or above 452 pmol/l. i.e. the lower limit of the
      fifth quintile of the distribution). This dichotomization was performed to
      account for the non-linear univariate distribution of deaths with increasing post
      load insulin values. Fasting plasma insulin level was not an independent
      predictor of death by coronary heart disease over this long-term follow-up.
      Levels of blood glucose were not significant independent predictors of death by
      coronary heart disease when plasma insulin levels were included in the model. The
      same applied to abnormalities of glucose tolerance when the 125 men with known
      non-insulin-treated diabetes at baseline were added to the group. Under the
      assumption that hyperinsulinaemia is a marker of insulin resistance, the results
      are consistent with the hypothesis that insulin resistance is associated with a
      higher risk of coronary heart disease mortality. However, it is doubtful that
      circulating insulin per se is a direct cause of arterial complications.

PMID- 1864492
TI  - Lack of familial predisposition to cardiovascular disease in type 1 (insulin
      dependent) diabetic patients with nephropathy.
AB  - A familial predisposition has been proposed as a major determinant of the
      increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease demonstrated in
      Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with nephropathy. We assessed this
      concept by studying 91 parents of Type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy and
      94 parents of aged-matched Type 1 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria. The
      two groups of parents were of a similar age (58 +/- 8 vs 58 +/- 7 years). The
      prevalence (%) of death and cardiovascular diseases (World Health Organisation
      questionnaire) was 10 (4-18)% and 12 (6-21)% in parents of nephropathic patients
      compared to 8 (3-16)% and 13 (6-23)% in parents of normoalbuminuric Type 1
      diabetic patients. The frequency of risk factors for cardiovascular disease were
      about the same in both groups of parents. Microalbuminuria was found in 5% and
      11%, hypercholesterolaemia (greater than 6.5 mmol/l) in 25% and 26% and smokers
      constituted 40% and 34% of parents of patients with and without proteinuria,
      respectively. A familial predisposition to cardiovascular disease cannot explain
      the increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease in young
      patients with diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 1864493
TI  - Effect of potassium channel blocking agents on the actions of phenylephrine in
      rabbit taenia caeci.
AB  - The effects of tetraethylammonium, apamin, 4-aminopyridine and holding potential
      on the phenylephrine-evoked outward currents in dispersed smooth muscle cells of
      the rabbit taenia caeci were analyzed using the whole cell patch clamp method.
      Phenylephrine (10 mumol/l) under the double sucrose gap condition, substantially
      hyperpolarized the smooth muscle membrane and reduced the input membrane
      resistance. This concentration of phenylephrine enhanced the frequency and
      amplitude of spontaneous transient outward currents (s.t.o.c.s) and elicited a
      low amplitude sustained outward current which were voltage and temperature
      dependent. In addition, phenylephrine (10 mumol/l) reduced the outward current
      evoked by voltage steps. Tetratehylammonium (1-5 mmol/l) attenuated the
      depolarization-evoked outward current, blocked the appearance of s.t.o.c.s, and
      fully abolished the phenylehrine induced changes in membrane currents. Apamin
      (0.1-10 mumol/l) only slightly affected the evoked outward current and s.t.o.c.s.
      However apamin did not change the phenylephrine-induced outward currents.
      Pretreatment with 4-aminopyridine (0.5-2 mmol/l) did not reduce the phenylephrine
      induced sustained outward current and s.t.o.c.s but prevented the phenylephrine
      induced reduction of the depolarization-evoked outward current. These results are
      in favour of assumption that the phenylephrine induced hyperpolarization and
      reduction in the input membrane resistance are consequences of an enhanced
      potassium current via tetraethylammonium-sensitive, apamin and 4-aminopyridine
      resistant potassium channels.

PMID- 1864494
TI  - Factors controlling the intracellular concentration of calcium and the
      spontaneous activity of the ureter.
AB  - The role of the electrogenic Na(+)-Ca(2+)-exchange mechanism in regulating the
      spike activity of the ureter was studied. The ureter cells were shown to be
      capable of generating action potentials (AP) in sodium-free Krebs solution. The
      time during which the spikes are generated is in exponential dependence on the
      concentration of calcium ions in the medium, [Ca2+]o within 2.5 to 15 mmol/l.
      Simultaneously with the generation of the spikes, accumulation of calcium in the
      muscles is observed, proportional to the increase of [Ca2+]o. The addition of as
      little as 20 mmol/l Na+ or Li+ ions into the solution restores the prolonged
      electrical activity of the ureter. Under these conditions, the decrease of
      intracellular Ca2+ within 5 min was more than two times larger as compared with
      that in sodium-free medium. Upon substituting Ba2+ ions for Ca2+ ions in Krebs
      solution AP are generated within an interval which was the longer the higher the
      Ba2+ concentration in the medium. Li+ ions can replace Na+ ions in maintaining AP
      and in extruding calcium from the cell. It is supposed that the generation of the
      stable spike activity of the ureter depends on the functioning of Na(+)-Ca(2+)
      exchange mechanism.

PMID- 1864495
TI  - Phototactic responses of Chlamydomonas eugametos gametes before and after fusion.
AB  - The phototactic behavior of Chlamydomonas eugametos gametes and vis-a-vis pairs
      was quantitated using a fully automated, computer-controlled microvideo image
      analysis system. Two different mt- (mating type minus) and one mt+ (mating type
      plus) strain, together with the two combinations of pairs were studied. One mt-
      strain of dark-adapted gametes was non-phototactic while the others were
      positively phototactic at all effective intensities of white light. The mt+
      strain exhibited one of the strongest positive responses that has so far been
      reported in algae (r-values greater than 0.7). After sexual fusion, the mt+ cell
      powers the swimming vis-a-vis pair. Its phototactic behavior reversed on fusion,
      with the pairs swimming away from all effective light intensities, irrespective
      of whether its partner was formerly phototactic or not. However, when adapted to
      the dark for an hour or more, vis-a-vis pairs swam positively to the light. The
      ecological consequence could be that pairs settle and develop into zygotes under
      intermediate light intensities or at light-dark interfaces.

PMID- 1864496
TI  - A self-assembled pigmented BLM on a platinum support: the light-induced
      electrical effects.
AB  - The light-induced voltage and current changes under continuous illumination have
      been investigated in pigmented self-assembled lipid bilayer membranes deposited
      on a platinum electrode. Such self-organized pigmented bilayer-platinum system
      containing Zn-Phthalocyanine (ZnPc) as a photosensitizer and glycerol-dioleate
      (GDO) as a bilayer forming solution has been found to shift its electrode
      potential to more positive value on light irradiation as well as to increase the
      cathodic current across the membrane. The results indicate a direct electron
      transfer from the platinum electrode to hydrogen ion in the electrolyte solution.
      Furthermore, it has also been demonstrated a dramatic increase of the
      photocurrent over the time course of BLM formation visualizing a role of the bulk
      quenching processes which are significantly diminished in thin bilayer membrane.

PMID- 1864497
TI  - What are the principal enzymes oxidizing the xenobiotics in plants: cytochromes P
      450 or peroxidases? (A hypothesis).
AB  - Effectively no information is available at present concerning the enzymes which
      directly participate in the in vivo oxidation of xenobiotics in plants. Based on
      the known data a hypothesis is presented suggesting that only a minor part of the
      oxidation of xenobiotics in plants may be catalyzed by cytochrome P-450, the
      majority of xenobiotics being oxidized by plant peroxidases.

PMID- 1864498
TI  - Effects of sodium gradient on the cytosolic free Ca2+ and contractility of the
      pregnant rat myometrium smooth muscle.

PMID- 1864499
TI  - Escherichia coli RecBCD enzyme: inducible overproduction and reconstitution of
      the ATP-dependent deoxyribonuclease from purified subunits.
AB  - The intracellular levels of the Escherichia coli RecBCD proteins have been
      amplified by fusing the recBCD genes to the strong tac promoter/operator in the
      expression vector, pKK223-3. The overproduced proteins occur at levels amounting
      to approx. 10% of total cellular protein. Strains harbouring these overexpression
      plasmids have been used to purify the RecB. RecC and RecD protein subunits, as
      well as the RecBCD holoenzyme. The individually purified protein subunits can be
      used to reconstitute the ATP-dependent DNase activity of the RecBCD enzyme.

PMID- 1864500
TI  - Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of three lipase-encoding genes from
      the psychrotrophic antarctic strain Moraxella TA144.
AB  - The cloning and expression of genes from a psychrotrophic bacterium in a
      mesophilic host are described. Three lipase (Lip)-encoding genes (lip) from the
      antarctic psychrotroph, Moraxella TA144, were cloned by inserting Sau3AI
      generated DNA fragments into the BamHI site of the pSP73 plasmid vector. To
      prevent heat denaturation of the gene product, the screening procedure on agar
      plates containing an emulsified lipid involved growing of Escherichia coli
      recombinant colonies at 25 degrees C followed by incubation at 0 degree C. The
      three recombinant (reLip) were cell-associated and differed by their respective
      specificity towards p-nitrophenyl esters of various aliphatic chain lengths.
      These cloned reLip conserved the main character of the wild-type enzymes, i.e. a
      dramatic shift of the optimal temperature of activity towards low temperatures
      and pronounced heat lability.

PMID- 1864501
TI  - Structure and organization of the gas vesicle gene cluster on the Halobacterium
      halobium plasmid pNRC100.
AB  - Halobacterium halobium strain NRC-1 contains intracellular gas-filled vesicles
      (GVs) that confer buoyancy to the cells. Cloning of the major GV protein (GvpA)
      encoding gene, gvpA, and analysis of GV-deficient mutants (Vac-) of H. halobium
      led to the identification of a region of a 200-kb plasmid, pNRC100, important for
      GV synthesis. We report here the nucleotide sequence of an 8520-bp region which,
      including gvpA, contains twelve open reading frames (ORFs) that are organized
      into two divergent transcription units, gvpAC oriented rightward, and gvpD, E, F,
      G, H, I, J, K, L, and M located upstream from gvpAC and oriented leftward.
      Insertions into the gvpA promoter and gvpD and E resulted in the Vac- phenotype.
      The overall gene organization is highly compact with the end of one ORF
      overlapping with the beginning of the next in most cases. The gene cluster is
      bracketed by two ISH8 element copies in inverted orientation, an organization
      suggestive of a composite transposon. Comparison of predicted amino acid
      sequences showed homology between GvpA, and the gvpJ and gvpM putative gene
      products. The putative gvpC gene product contains eight copies of an imperfectly
      repeated sequence with similarity to repeats in a cyanobacterial GvpC plus a
      highly acidic C-terminal region not found in the cyanobacterial homologue.

PMID- 1864502
TI  - Sequence and expression in Escherichia coli of a Mycoplasma hominis gene encoding
      elongation factor Tu.
AB  - We describe the molecular cloning and the complete nucleotide (nt) sequence of a
      Mycoplasma hominis gene common to a broad range of Mycoplasma species, as defined
      by hybridization analysis with the cloned gene. Production of M. hominis protein
      in Escherichia coli was assayed by use of a monoclonal antibody. The nt sequence
      analysis revealed a 1194-bp open reading frame that could encode a 43 516-Da
      protein. Computer-aided sequence comparison indicated that the gene codes for
      elongation factor Tu.

PMID- 1864503
TI  - The adenylyl cyclase-encoding gene from Saccharomyces kluyveri.
AB  - The gene encoding adenylyl cyclase (CYR) from Saccharomyces kluyveri has been
      cloned. Comparison of the predicted amino acid sequence of this protein with the
      Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CYRs revealed homology
      between different structural and putative functional domains that suggest a high
      degree of conservation in the function and regulation of these proteins.

PMID- 1864504
TI  - Plasmids with easily excisable cat gene cartridges.
AB  - New cat-cassette-containing vectors based on kanamycin-resistance-encoding
      plasmids, pHSG298/299, were constructed. They were designed to facilitate the
      subcloning of the promoterless cat gene into frequently used plasmids, including
      those with an ampicillin-resistance marker. In plasmids pCAT10-pCAT40, the cat
      gene cartridges are flanked by polylinker sequences and can be excised by double
      digestion with pairs of appropriate restriction enzymes. Translation stop condons
      in all three reading frames are located upstream from the AUG start codon of the
      pCAT40 cartridge; the latter can also be excised by a single digestion with the
      enzymes, SalI, PstI, or HindIII.

PMID- 1864505
TI  - Homology between proteins controlling Streptomyces fradiae tylosin resistance and
      ATP-binding transport.
AB  - A tylosin(Ty)-producing strain of Streptomyces fradiae contains at least three
      genes, tlrA, tlrB, tlrC, specifying resistance to Ty (TyR). The complete
      nucleotide sequence of the TyR-encoding gene, tlrC, and the transcription start
      point of the gene were determined. The sequence contains an open reading frame
      coding for a protein of 548 amino acids (aa) with an Mr of 59129. The TlrC
      protein was identified by expression of the cloned gene by in vitro coupled
      transcription and translation in cell-free extracts derived from Streptomyces
      lividans. The N- and C-terminal halves of TlrC share extensive homology,
      suggesting that the protein evolved through tandem gene duplication. Each half of
      the deduced TlrC aa sequence also shows significant homology to numerous
      eukaryotic and prokaryotic membrane-associated, active-transport protein
      subunits. The homologous proteins include examples from the systems responsible
      for efflux of cytotoxic drugs from multidrug-resistant human cells and for export
      of hemolysin from Escherichia coli. The greatest similarity to TlrC is in regions
      containing the ATP-binding sites found in these proteins. These results suggest a
      role for the tlrC gene product as part of a multiple component, ATP-dependent
      transport system for the active excretion of Ty from the producing organism.

PMID- 1864506
TI  - Characterization of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase and C-terminal
      enzymatically active fusion proteins.
AB  - Enhanced expression of the bialaphos resistance (bar) from Streptomyces
      hygroscopicus, which confers resistance to the herbicides bialaphos and
      phosphinothricin (PPT), has been obtained in Escherichia coli using a vector
      system based on translational coupling. The gene product, PPT acetyltransferase,
      was purified to homogeneity and its enzymatic properties were analyzed. Hybrid
      gene constructs with gene fragments fused to the 3'-terminus of bar yield fusion
      proteins having acetyltransferase activity, with a Michaelis constant for the PPT
      substrate comparable to the unmodified enzyme. The bar gene represents a
      selectable and assayable reporter gene especially suitable for 3'-terminal gene
      fusions.

PMID- 1864507
TI  - Cloning, disruption and sequence of the gene encoding yeast C-5 sterol
      desaturase.
AB  - The ERG3 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been cloned by complementation of
      an erg3-2 mutation. ERG3 is the putative gene encoding the C-5 sterol desaturase
      required for ergosterol biosynthesis. The functional gene has been localized on a
      2.5-kb HindIII-BamHI fragment containing an open reading frame comprising 365
      amino acids. Gene disruption resulting from a deletion/substitution demonstrates
      that ERG3 is not essential for cell viability or the sparking function.

PMID- 1864508
TI  - Characterization of CARE-1: Candida albicans repetitive element-1.
AB  - A middle repetitive DNA element, Candida albicans repetitive element-1 (CARE-1)
      has been isolated from the pathogenic yeast C. albicans. CARE-1 appears to be
      species-specific and constitutes approx. 0.045% of total C. albicans DNA, or a
      reiteration frequency of about two to twelve copies per haploid genome. The CARE
      1 element has been detected on several C. albicans chromosomes separated by field
      inversion gel electrophoresis, suggesting that the element is dispersed.
      Interstrain variation was observed in the number and distribution of hybridizing
      bands. The element is well conserved, since no nucleotide (nt) heterogeneity was
      observed when the sequences of two CARE-1 family members isolated from two
      different chromosomes (A and B) of C. albicans were compared. CARE-1 possesses
      467 bp and is characterized by several stretches of A's and T's, short direct
      repeats and shows no significant homology to any known nt sequence.

PMID- 1864509
TI  - Tandem arrangement of tRNA(Asp)-encoding genes in Phytophthora spp.
AB  - We have cloned a region of repetitive DNA from the phytopathogenic fungus,
      Phytophthora parasitica. The cloned region consists of 17 highly homologous units
      arranged in tandem. The consensus sequence is 562 bp long and carries the
      information for a tRNA(Asp). All sequence motifs required for efficient RNA
      polymerase III transcription are present, and the tRNA derived from the
      nucleotide sequence is able to form a complete cloverleaf structure with high
      homology to previously characterized tRNA(Asp) molecules. The isolated tRNA(Asp)
      gene cluster is located at a distance of 20 kb from the TRP1 gene of P.
      parasitica. It comprises about 0.1% of the total genomic DNA. Similar clusters
      were detected in four other Phytophthora species.

PMID- 1864510
TI  - Isolation of two genes encoding putative protein kinases regulated during
      Dictyostelium discoideum development.
AB  - Two Dictyostelium discoideum protein kinase(PK)-encoding cDNAs (Dd PK1 and Dd
      PK2) have been isolated by hybridization with an oligodeoxyribonucleotide derived
      from a highly conserved region of eukaryotic PKs. The two nucleotide (nt)
      sequences encode new putative serine/threonine-specific PKs. Dd PK1 is a partial
      cDNA covering the entire catalytic domain. The derived amino acid (aa) sequence
      is about 30% identical to both cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK) and protein
      kinase C. The Dd PK2 sequence was extended through the isolation of a genomic
      fragment encoding a complete putative protein. A single intron is present, as
      deduced from sequence comparison with the cDNA. The catalytic domain appears more
      closely related to the catalytic subunit of cAPK (54% sequence identity).
      However, our nt sequence potentially codes for a much larger protein (648 vs.
      about 350 aa for most cAPKs) with a N-terminal half containing long homopolymers
      of threonines, glutamines and asparagines. Similar repeats occur at the C
      terminus of Dd PK1, Dd PK1 is expressed in vegetatively growing cells and during
      development. Dd PK1 RNA decreases after 6 h of starvation to re-accumulate once
      the cells have aggregated. Dd PK2 transcripts, present at a low amount in growing
      cells, rise upon starvation. A switch to a shorter form of transcripts occurs
      between 3 and 6 h into development.

PMID- 1864511
TI  - A general method for introducing a series of mutations into cloned DNA using the
      polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - A simple and fast method for introducing a series of mutations in cloned DNA has
      been developed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used for site
      directed mutagenesis. Because mutations can be introduced only within the primer
      sequences used for PCR, a suitable restriction site in the vicinity of the
      mutated nucleotide is required to permit recloning. Several methods have been
      devised to overcome this limitation. Our present method is a modification of the
      overlap extension method [Ho et al., Gene 77 (1989) 51-57], and has some
      advantages over this and other published methods. In our method, three common
      primers and a series of primers specific for various mutations are chemically
      synthesized. Once the proper oligodeoxyribonucleotides are selected as common
      primers, each mutation requires only one additional primer. Therefore, this
      method is very useful for introducing many mutations in various sites of the
      target DNA. We describe our protocol for the site-directed mutagenesis and an
      example of the introduction of several mutations in the hen egg-white lysozyme
      encoding gene.

PMID- 1864512
TI  - Cloning the BstVI restriction-modification system in Escherichia coli.
AB  - A standard DNA modification methyltransferase (MTase) selection protocol was
      followed to clone the BstVI restriction and modification system from Bacillus
      stearothermophilus in Escherichia coli. Both genes were contained in a 4.4-kb
      EcoRI fragment from B. stearothermophilus V chromosomal DNA. The heterologous
      expression of these genes did not depend on their orientation in the vector,
      suggesting that the genes are expressed in E. coli under the control of promoters
      located on the cloned fragment. Subcloning experiments demonstrated that the
      bstVIR gene was expressed in the absence of its cognate MTase.

PMID- 1864513
TI  - A family of Corynebacterium glutamicum/Escherichia coli shuttle vectors for
      cloning, controlled gene expression, and promoter probing.
AB  - A new family of vectors including cloning vectors (pEK0; pEC5), an expression
      vector (pEKEx1), and promoter probe vectors (pEKpllacZ; pEKplCm), has been
      constructed. All these shuttle vectors are based on the replication origins of
      the corynebacterial pBL1 and the Escherichia coli ColE1 plasmids, and thus are
      able to replicate in Corynebacterium glutamicum and E. coli. Plasmids pEK0 and
      pEC5 carry multiple restriction sites useful for gene cloning and the kanamycin-
      or chloramphenicol-resistance-encoding gene from Tn903 or from Tn9, respectively.
      In C. glutamicum, both vectors are compatible with vectors containing the
      corynebacterial pHM1519 replicon. Based on plasmid pEK0, the expression vector
      pEKEx1 was developed to allow for isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside
      inducible expression of inserted genes in C. glutamicum and E. coli. Also based
      on pEK0, the promoter probe vectors pEKpllacZ and pEKplCm were constructed to
      carry the promoterless lacZ or cat reporter genes downstream from useful cloning
      sites, for assaying the transcriptional activity of cloned fragments.

PMID- 1864514
TI  - Shuttle vectors containing a multiple cloning site and a lacZ alpha gene for
      conjugal transfer of DNA from Escherichia coli to gram-positive bacteria.
AB  - The mobilizable shuttle cloning vectors, pAT18 and pAT19, are composed of: (i)
      the replication origins of pUC and of the broad-host-range enterococcal plasmid
      pAM beta 1; (ii) an erythromycin-resistance-encoding gene expressed in Gram- and
      Gram+ bacteria; (iii) the transfer origin of the IncP plasmid RK2; and (iv) the
      multiple cloning site and the lacZ alpha reporter gene of pUC18 (pAT18) and pUC19
      (pAT19). These 6.6-kb plasmids contain ten unique cloning sites that allow
      screening of derivatives containing DNA inserts by alpha-complementation in
      Escherichia coli carrying the lacZ delta M15 deletion, and can be efficiently
      mobilized by self-transferable IncP plasmids co-resident in the E. coli donors.
      Plasmids pAT18, pAT19 and recombinant derivatives have been successfully
      transferred by conjugation from E. coli to Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus
      thuringiensis, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactococcus lactis,
      and Staphylococcus aureus at frequencies ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-9). The
      presence of a restriction system in the recipient dramatically affects (by three
      orders of magnitude) the efficiency of conjugal transfer of these vectors from E.
      coli to Gram+ bacteria.

PMID- 1864515
TI  - An agenda to extend and enhance life.

PMID- 1864516
TI  - AIDS: older patients are also candidates for HIV infection.

PMID- 1864517
TI  - History-taking in the elderly: obtaining useful information.
AB  - Although the medical history in the average adult can approach a diagnostic yield
      of 90%, its utility in geriatric patients is often much lower. Potential barriers
      to communication with the elderly include cognitive, behavioral, and physical
      problems. This article suggests techniques the primary care physician can use to
      overcome these obstacles and get the maximum diagnostic information from the
      patient history.

PMID- 1864518
TI  - Special considerations in the physical exam of older patients.
AB  - For diagnostic utility, aspects of the standard physical examination are modified
      for elderly patients. Special attention is paid to problems that interfere with
      function, such as gait disorders, incontinence, and hearing and visual loss.
      Certain findings in cardiac and pulmonary examinations of the elderly require
      different interpretations. The examination should include the head and neck,
      chest, back, abdomen, breasts and pelvic area in women, prostate in men,
      extremities, and skin, as well as mental status. A number of diagnostic maneuvers
      are used to distinguish changes of normal aging from those associated with
      disease.

PMID- 1864519
TI  - The neurology of aging: normal versus pathologic change.
AB  - Mild changes in neurologic function occur with aging but generally do not
      substantially interfere with everyday activities unless disease intervenes. Not
      infrequently, older adults experience minor impairment in memory, speed of
      cognitive processing, sleep, vision and hearing, vibratory sense in the lower
      extremities, and gait and posture. In general, these changes correspond with age
      associated neuroanatomic changes (eg, diminished brain weight), but there is wide
      variability in the extent to which these changes occur. Often, "normal"
      neurologic changes are difficult to distinguish from impairment associated with
      disease.

PMID- 1864520
TI  - 'Eldercare' goal: integrate health, social needs.
AB  - New national campaign nurtures complementary programs to address a wide range of
      elderly care issues.

PMID- 1864521
TI  - Oxidative stress status: an introduction.

PMID- 1864522
TI  - Oxidative stress status and cancer: methodology applicable for human studies.
AB  - There is convincing evidence to suggest that oxidative stress status might be
      involved in the etiology of cancer, but relatively little direct human data are
      available. The National Cancer Institute recently sponsored a workshop evaluating
      methodology for measuring oxidative stress status with potential application to
      human studies.

PMID- 1864523
TI  - The possible role of lipid peroxidation in breast cancer risk.
AB  - Breast cancer remains the commonest cause of death from cancer in women in most
      of the Western world. There is considerable evidence that breast cancer risk is
      influenced by environmental factors and can therefore potentially be modified. In
      this paper we describe evidence suggesting a relationship of lipid peroxidation
      to breast cancer risk, and propose that the method used to generate this
      information might usefully be applied to other disease states, and make some
      suggestions for further work. We have compared the urinary excretion of the
      mutagen malonaldehyde (MDA) in premenopausal women at different risks for breast
      cancer as determined by the appearance of the breast parenchyma on mammography.
      MDA was measured in 24-h urine samples from both groups and excretion in 30 women
      with mammographic dysplasia (high risk) was found to be approximately double that
      of 16 women without these radiological changes (p less than 0.02). These results
      suggest that mammographic dysplasia may be associated with lipid peroxidation.
      Further study of environmental factors associated with states that precede the
      development of breast and other cancers may lead to the identification of factors
      that can be modified and that may prevent the development of malignant disease.

PMID- 1864524
TI  - In vivo breath alkane as an index of lipid peroxidation.
AB  - Interaction of active oxygen species with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)
      results in a series of reactions called lipid peroxidation. During the process of
      peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids there is a scission of an alkane
      fragment extending from the methyl end of the fatty acid to the double bond.
      Thus, with a w-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid pentane is released, and with a w-3
      polyunsaturated fatty acid ethane is released. These hydrocarbons are distributed
      in the body, partly metabolized, and excreted in the breath, making it possible
      to estimate the magnitude of in vivo lipid peroxidation by measuring pentane and
      ethane exhaled in breath. Advantages of this method are discussed as well as
      limitations and possible sources of error.

PMID- 1864525
TI  - An overview of the relationship between oxidative stress and chemical
      carcinogenesis.
AB  - Substantial experimental evidence exists which implicates both oxygen- and
      organic-free radical intermediates in the multiple stages of chemical
      carcinogenesis. This overview summarizes some of the biochemical and molecular
      interactions which could result from a state of oxidative stress following the
      generation of free radical intermediates from chemical carcinogens in target
      cells. Evidence for a relationship between carcinogenesis and inflammation as a
      mediator of oxidative stress is also discussed. Understanding the interactions of
      radical intermediates with target biomolecules should lead to the development of
      relevant biomarkers of these interactions as well as rational chemoprotective
      strategies with antioxidants or other radical detoxifiers for the prevention of
      neoplasia.

PMID- 1864526
TI  - Correlations and apparent contradictions in assessment of oxidant stress status
      in vivo.
AB  - Oxidative modifications of biological molecules are essential, but uncontrolled
      or excessive oxidative activities appear to contribute to many disease states.
      The mechanisms through which excess oxidant activities cause injury have been
      studied most extensively for acute responses, particularly for drug-induced
      tissue damage and cell death, but substantial evidence suggests that chronically
      elevated oxidative activity may contribute to the development of diseases such as
      cancer. It is important that the correlation between oxidant stress status and
      cancer risk be examined directly in humans. A number of methods have been
      developed for assessing oxidant activities by measuring oxidized products in
      biological systems, but cross-comparison studies of these different methods are
      needed. In studies of mechanisms of acute hepatotoxicity, assessments of oxidant
      stress responses by different analytical methods often have provided data that
      appear at first glance to be contradictory. Marked oxidant stress responses may
      be indicated by one or more methods of analysis despite the lack of detectable
      change in other parameters, whereas in a second experimental model the responses
      may be reversed. These observations emphasize the need to integrate different
      analytical approaches into the assessment of oxidant activity in vivo and
      illustrate the importance for developing a better understanding of the chemical
      and physiological mechanisms through which the analytical methodologies are
      related.

PMID- 1864527
TI  - Determinants of ileoanal pouch function.

PMID- 1864528
TI  - Symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux, abnormal oesophageal acid exposure, and
      mucosal acid sensitivity are three separate, though related, aspects of gastro
      oesophageal reflux disease.
AB  - The Bernstein test has been used as a test of oesophageal acid sensitivity for
      over 30 years but its clinical value has been challenged by the advent of
      ambulatory pH monitoring. Furthermore, the relation between mucosal acid
      sensitivity, symptomatic reflux, and abnormal oesophageal acid exposure time is
      unclear. This study examined the relation between these three parameters in
      patients referred for pH monitoring with unexplained chest pain or heartburn.
      Fifty consecutive patients were studied - nine with non-cardiac chest pain and 41
      with a history of heartburn. Symptomatic reflux was defined as a greater than or
      equal to 50% temporal association between pain episodes and reflux events (pH
      less than 4) during pH monitoring. A positive acid perfusion test (in which the
      patient's usual symptoms were evoked by acid, though not saline) had a 100%
      sensitivity, 73% specificity, and 81% accuracy for the detection of symptomatic
      reflux. All 10 patients with symptomatic reflux during pH monitoring had evidence
      of mucosal acid sensitivity. A negative acid perfusion test made symptomatic
      reflux unlikely. However, symptomatic reflux or a positive acid perfusion test,
      or both, were found in some patients with a normal oesophageal acid exposure time
      during pH monitoring. Mucosal acid sensitivity, abnormal oesophageal acid
      exposure time, and symptomatic reflux should be regarded as separate, though
      related aspects of reflux disease. The Bernstein test is simple, safe, and easily
      performed. A positive test helps to identify an oesophageal cause of symptoms,
      particularly in patients in whom other aspects of 'gastro-oesophageal reflux
      disease' are absent, or who do not have symptoms during pH monitoring.

PMID- 1864529
TI  - Does body posture affect the incidence and mechanism of gastro-oesophageal
      reflux?
AB  - We studied eight patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease to compare the
      frequency and mechanism of reflux in the upright and supine positions.
      Simultaneous oesophageal manometry and pH studies were performed on two separate
      days in each subject in the fasting and postprandial periods. The frequency of
      reflux tended to be higher in the upright position. The most prevalent mechanism
      of reflux in either position was transient relaxation of the lower oesophageal
      sphincter. The frequency of transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation was
      higher in the upright than in the supine position. There was no difference in the
      total reflux time, acid clearance time, and number of reflux episodes lasting
      longer than five minutes in the two positions. We suggest that daytime reflux
      (upright) may be as important as night time (supine) reflux in the pathogenesis
      of reflux oesophagitis and needs to be considered when treating patients with
      reflux disease.

PMID- 1864530
TI  - Gastritis due to spiral shaped bacteria other than Helicobacter pylori: clinical,
      histological, and ultrastructural findings.
AB  - An intensive histological search for Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy
      specimens has led to the detection of other spiral shaped bacteria in the human
      gastric mucosa. The clinical and morphological findings of 39 cases (0.25% of all
      gastric biopsies performed in the observation period) are reported for 34
      patients (87.2%) complaining of upper abdominal discomfort. Five patients (12.8%)
      had chronic gastritis and 34 (87.2%) chronic active gastritis. The organisms were
      seen by light microscopy deep in the gastric foveolae and intracellularly. The
      scanning and transmission electron microscopic findings show bacteria which
      invade and damage gastric mucosal cells. These organisms are similar to the
      spiral shaped bacteria found in the stomachs of cats and dogs and non-human
      primates. In eight patients organisms were not detected after four weeks of
      treatment with bismuth salts. The disappearance of the organisms coincided with
      resolution of the chronic active gastritis and the symptoms.

PMID- 1864531
TI  - Can transcutaneous recordings detect gastric electrical abnormalities?
AB  - The ability of transcutaneous recordings of gastric electrical activity to detect
      gastric electrical abnormalities was determined by simultaneous measurements of
      gastric electrical activity with surgically implanted serosal electrodes and
      cutaneous electrodes in six patients undergoing abdominal operations. Transient
      abnormalities in gastric electrical activity were seen in five of the six
      patients during the postoperative period. Recognition of normal gastric
      electrical activity by visual analysis was possible 67% of the time and with
      computer analysis 95% of the time. Ninety four per cent of abnormalities in
      frequency were detected by visual analysis and 93.7% by computer analysis.
      Abnormalities involving a loss of coupling, however, were not recognised by
      transcutaneous recordings. Transcutaneous recordings of gastric electrical
      activity assessed by computer analysis can usually recognise normal gastric
      electrical activity and tachygastria. Current techniques, however, are unable to
      detect abnormalities in electrical coupling.

PMID- 1864532
TI  - Maintenance treatment of duodenal ulceration: ranitidine 300 mg at night is
      better than 150 mg in cigarette smokers.
AB  - Two hundred patients received either ranitidine 150 mg or 300 mg at night for 18
      months to prevent duodenal ulcer relapse. Recurrence rates were lower in patients
      receiving the higher dose of ranitidine (3.1% v 9.7%, p = 0.78; 6.5% v 16.7%, p =
      0.037; and 8.9% v 17.0%, p = 0.121 at six, 12, and 18 months respectively). In
      patients receiving ranitidine 150 mg, recurrences were significantly more common
      in smokers than non-smokers after 12 and 18 months, while in patients receiving
      ranitidine 300 mg recurrence rates were similar in smokers and non-smokers.
      Ranitidine 300 mg at night abolishes the adverse effect of smoking observed
      during maintenance treatment with ranitidine 150 mg at night and may therefore be
      an appropriate maintenance dose for smokers who relapse during standard dose
      maintenance treatment.

PMID- 1864533
TI  - Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and life threatening chronic diarrhoea.
AB  - Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection is not generally thought to
      cause severe diarrhoea after the neonatal period. Patients admitted to Queen
      Elizabeth Hospital for Children over the three years (1984-7) with diarrhoea and
      EPEC infection were reviewed. Clinical details, features of small intestinal
      mucosa, and treatment were recorded in those who developed chronic diarrhoea with
      failure to thrive. Twenty six children with EPEC required hospital admission for
      diarrhoea and six of these (23%) developed chronic diarrhoea. In contrast only
      two (5%) of 42 with other serogroups of E coli (p less than 0.01) and 28 (4%) of
      764 children without EPEC admitted with acute diarrhoea developed chronic
      symptoms (p less than 0.01). EPEC serogroups detected in the stool of the six
      children with chronic diarrhoea were 0128 in three, 0114 in two, and 0119 in one.
      The patients' clinical characteristics were: previous good health, no significant
      immunodeficiency, age 4-10 months, foreign travel (three of six), severe life
      threatening secretory diarrhoea from 0.5 to 1.5 1 per day (four of six), small
      intestinal enteropathy (five of six) three of whom showed mucosal adherent, non
      invasive E coli of the same serotype as that in the stool, in association with
      microvillous loss and pedestal formation. All were treated with hypoallergenic
      feeds, two with parenteral nutrition, and three with parenteral antibiotics. All
      eventually recovered. EPEC infection is a common treatable cause of life
      threatening chronic diarrhoea in infancy.

PMID- 1864534
TI  - Observations on the Kveim reaction using an animal model of granulomatous bowel
      disease.
AB  - Striking differences were observed between the visceral and cutaneous responses
      after tests with validated Kveim and normal spleen suspensions in a guinea pig
      model of granulomatous bowel disease. Five of six animals sensitised with BCG
      showed positive responses at the ileal Kveim test site whereas all six had
      negative cutaneous Kveim tests. Conversely, two of six animals sensitised with
      irradiated Mycobacterium leprae showed positive cutaneous Kveim tests and only
      one a positive response in the ascending colon. All six showed negative responses
      at the ileal Kveim test site. No positive visceral or cutaneous responses were
      observed in either group of animals after tests with normal spleen suspension.
      These findings are discussed in relation to the positive Kveim responses
      previously reported among patients with Crohn's disease, tuberculoid and
      lepromatous leprosy, and among seemingly healthy BCG vaccinated subjects. The
      findings provide further evidence in support of a possible mycobacterial
      aetiology for sarcoidosis and Crohn's disease.

PMID- 1864535
TI  - Serum and tissue autoantibodies to colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis.
AB  - Sera and colonic tissue-bound immunoglobulin extracts from patients with
      ulcerative colitis and disease controls were examined immunohistochemically and
      by killer cell cytotoxicity assay for the presence of anticolonic epithelial
      autoantibodies. IgG yields in the tissue extracts from patients with colitis and
      control subjects were similar, and the extracts were uniformly autoantibody
      negative. Of 41 sera from patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 'classical'
      anticolon antibody was present in 41% and was commoner in patients with
      sclerosing cholangitis. Cytotoxic anticolon antibody was present in 20% overall
      and was strongly associated with disease activity; it did not correlate with the
      presence of 'classical' anticolon antibody. The heterogeneous and non-universal
      antiepithelial autoantibody response and the failure to detect tissue bound
      autoantibody in vivo argue against the hypothesis that humoral autoimmunity is of
      major importance in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1864536
TI  - Colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis. Influence of anatomical extent and age
      at onset on colitis-cancer interval.
AB  - We have examined the age at onset of both ulcerative colitis and colitis
      associated colorectal cancer in 100 patients seen at Mount Sinai Hospital between
      1959 and 1988. There were 85 patients with extensive colitis and 15 with left
      sided colitis. There was a strong direct correlation between the age at onset of
      ulcerative colitis and age at diagnosis of cancer (p less than 0.0001); this
      correlation was found both in patients with extensive colitis (p less than
      0.0001) and in those with left sided colitis (p less than 0.005). Patients with
      left sided colitis developed both their colitis and their cancers about a decade
      later than did those with extensive disease, but the mean duration of colitis
      before diagnosis of cancer was virtually the same (about 21 years) in both
      groups, irrespective of the age at onset of disease.

PMID- 1864537
TI  - Microscopic activity in ulcerative colitis: what does it mean?
AB  - To determine the prognostic importance of microscopic rectal inflammation we
      followed up 82 patients (aged 21 to 78 years, 44 men) with chronic quiescent
      ulcerative colitis over 12 months. At trial entry each patient underwent a rectal
      biopsy and sections were graded independently by two histopathologists. A chronic
      inflammatory cell infiltrate of varying severity was present in all biopsy
      specimens, and 58% had crypt architectural irregularities. In addition, 32% had
      evidence of acute inflammatory activity: 28% acute inflammatory cell infiltrate,
      11% crypt abscesses, and 22% mucin depletion. Agreement between the two
      histopathologists for the presence of each of these features was 94% (90-98%).
      During the 12 month follow up 27 patients (33%) relapsed after a mean interval of
      18 weeks (range 3-44 weeks). Relapse rates were unrelated to duration or extent
      of disease or to the type of maintenance drug treatment. In patients with an
      acute inflammatory cell infiltrate 52% relapsed, whereas in the absence of such
      an infiltrate only 25% relapsed (p = 0.02). Similarly, relapse rates were higher
      in the presence of crypt abscesses (78% v 27%, p less than 0.005), mucin
      depletion (56% v p less than 0.02), and breaches in the surface epithelium (75% v
      31%, p = 0.1). The presence of a chronic inflammatory cell infiltrate or crypt
      architectural irregularities, however, bore no relation to the frequency of
      colitis relapse.

PMID- 1864538
TI  - Prevalence of proximal faecal stasis in active ulcerative colitis.
AB  - Proximal faecal stasis may occur when faecal matter accumulates in the uninflamed
      colon above an area of active ulcerative colitis. This phenomenon is thought to
      be the cause of symptoms in some patients with distal disease. It is not known,
      however, how often patients with active distal colitis exhibit slow colonic
      transit. Fifty two consecutive patients with active ulcerative colitis each
      ingested 10 radio-opaque markers nightly for 14 days. Minimum colonic transit
      times were derived from counts of retained markers shown by plain abdominal
      radiography on the 15th day. The transit times for each patient were related to
      their disease extent and bowel frequency. Four patients had colonic transit times
      greater than one week and two others had evidence of relative stasis. The results
      indicate that approximately 10% of attacks of distal colitis are associated with
      faecal stasis.

PMID- 1864539
TI  - Morphometric studies in rectal biopsy specimens from patients with ulcerative
      colitis: effect of oral 5 amino salicylic acid and rectal prednisolone treatment.
AB  - Morphometric measurements were performed on rectal biopsy specimens from 10
      normal control subjects and 33 patients with a relapse of distal ulcerative
      colitis before and after treatment for four weeks in a double blind controlled
      trial with oral eudragit S coated 5 amino salicylic acid (n = 12) or rectal
      prednisolone enemas (n = 15). Measurements were assessed using a computer aided
      measuring system and a counting technique. When untreated patients were compared
      with the control group there were significant decreases in the area and height of
      the surface epithelium, in the area of crypt epithelium, and in the ratios of
      goblet cells to epithelial cells and of surface epithelium to lamina propria. The
      vascular and lamina propria areas and the number of intraepithelial polymorphs
      were increased. Treatment with 5 amino salicylic acid and corticosteroids
      resulted in similar morphological improvements: there was an increase in the area
      and height of the surface epithelium and the ratios of surface epithelium to
      lamina propria and of surface to crypt cell height. The ratio of goblet cells to
      epithelial cells also increased after treatment, while the numbers of polymorphs
      in the surface and crypt epithelium and lumen decreased. In conclusion,
      computerised morphometry is valuable for the assessment of the treatment of
      patients with ulcerative colitis and that in the doses used both treatments were
      of similar efficacy.

PMID- 1864540
TI  - Does bipolar electrocoagulation time affect vessel weld strength?
AB  - The value of the bipolar electrocoagulator in the haemostasis of bleeding ulcers
      is controversial. We have therefore investigated the effect of different
      coagulation times on vessel weld strength achieved by the bipolar device. Welds
      were then made in vessels of known diameter using a standard 10F endoscopic
      haemostatic probe at coagulation times of two and 20 seconds. The intravascular
      temperature achieved at each time was measured. Vessel weld strength achieved by
      bipolar electrocoagulation was much greater at 20 seconds (approximately twice
      that at two seconds) and was highly significantly greater at all vessel
      diameters. There was a gradual reduction in weld strength with increasing vessel
      diameter, an effect that was seen for both two and 20 seconds of
      electrocoagulation. Intravascular temperature was significantly higher at 20
      seconds than at two seconds. We conclude that vessel weld strength is related to
      coagulation time and that any future studies comparing the bipolar
      electrocoagulator with other haemostatic devices should use longer periods of
      bipolar electrocoagulation and record the coagulation time in order to optimise
      the clinical value of the device.

PMID- 1864541
TI  - Binding of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) isolectins to differentiated human
      colon carcinoma Caco-2 cells and their effect on cellular metabolism.
AB  - The binding of Phaseolus vulgaris (PHA) isolectins L4 and E4 to the brush border
      membrane of differentiated Caco-2 cells was studied and the impact on cellular
      metabolism and microvilli was assessed. Computer analysis of the data based on
      binding experiments with peroxidase conjugated isolectins gave mean (SD) values
      for maximal binding of 2540 (151).10(-9) M for PHA-L4 and 2104 (140).10(-9) M for
      PHA-E4 per mg of brush border membrane protein. The dissociation constants for L4
      and E4 binding were 4.3 (1.4).10(-6) M and 1.1 (0.8).10(-6) M, respectively.
      Incubation of differentiated Caco-2 cells for 30 minutes with ferritin conjugated
      PHA isolectins showed that, as indicated by the number of ferritin particles, PHA
      E4 bound to the microvilli to a greater extent than PHA-L4. Ferritin particles
      were also localised intracellularly over endocytotic invaginations and vesicles.
      After incubation for 48 hours with PHA-L4 or PHA-E4, the relative incorporation
      of precursors for DNA, RNA, and (glyco)protein synthesis into the trichloroacetic
      acid insoluble fraction of the Caco-2 cells was determined. Both isolectins
      stimulated the incorporation of thymidine and glucosamine, but neither PHA-L4 nor
      PHA-E4 were able to influence the incorporation of uridine. With respect to
      fucose, methionine, and N-acetyl mannosamine, the stimulatory effect remained
      confined to PHA-E4. Since PHA-L4 and PHA-E4 were tested at the same
      concentrations, PHA-E4 is more effective than PHA-L4. The changes in the uptake
      of radioactive precursors were lost after heat inactivation of PHA-E4. Compared
      with control and PHA-L4 incubated Caco-2 cells, the microvilli of PHA-E4
      incubated cells were shortened significantly (p less than 0.01).

PMID- 1864542
TI  - Amenorrhoea in women with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease.
AB  - Amenorrhoea is common in women with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease, but
      little is known about its causes or consequences. We investigated 12 young women
      with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease and amenorrhoea and compared them with
      11 healthy age matched controls studied in the follicular phase of the menstrual
      cycle. None of the patients had raised serum concentrations of follicle
      stimulating hormone suggesting primary gonadal failure, but the variance in serum
      concentrations of testosterone, oestradiol, prolactin, and luteinising hormone
      were significantly greater in chronic liver disease patients than control
      subjects (p less than 0.01). Seven of the 12 chronic liver disease patients had
      low serum luteinising hormone concentrations, and compared with controls these
      patients also had significantly reduced median values of oestradiol (64 pmol/l),
      testosterone (1.1 nmol/l), and follicle stimulating hormone, and were
      significantly underweight as assessed by skinfold thickness measurements (all
      comparisons p less than 0.025). In the group with chronic liver disease skinfold
      thickness was significantly correlated with serum luteinising hormone (p less
      than 0.02). The five patients with normal serum luteinising hormone had higher
      median values of both oestradiol (237 pmol/l) and testosterone (3.0 nmol/l) than
      the control subjects (oestradiol: 113 pmol/l, testosterone: 1.9 nmol/l) but were
      not more obese or hirsute. Amenorrhoea was unrelated to the duration or severity
      of liver disease. The metacarpal cortical bone area (an index of bone density)
      was inversely related to the duration of amenorrhoea (p less than 0.02). We
      conclude that amenorrhoea in women with non-alcoholic chronic liver disease
      arises from hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and can occur at any stage. The
      hormonal findings in amenorrhoeic chronic live disease patients are not uniform.
      In some, hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism is related to undernutrition whereas
      others have normal to high values of luteinising hormone and sex steroids.
      Prolonged oestrogen deficiency can be a risk factor for osteoporosis in women
      with chronic liver disease.

PMID- 1864543
TI  - Confirmation of the efficacy of hepatic tissue iron index in differentiating
      genetic haemochromatosis from alcoholic liver disease complicated by alcoholic
      haemosiderosis.
AB  - The hepatic tissue iron index proposed by Bassett et al was evaluated in 35
      patients with homozygous genetic haemochromatosis, 67 patients with alcoholic
      liver disease, and 18 patients with other forms of chronic liver disease with and
      without cirrhosis. In patients with cirrhosis hepatic tissue iron concentration
      reliably differentiated alcoholic liver disease from genetic haemochromatosis.
      Although mean iron concentration was greater in patients with prefibrotic
      haemochromatosis than in those with prefibrotic alcoholic liver disease, some
      overlap occurred and complete differentiation of the two conditions was not
      possible. This overlap was particularly evident in some young patients with
      haemochromatosis in whom the tissue iron concentration grade fell in the range
      commonly seen in alcoholic haemosiderosis. Inability to differentiate early
      genetic haemochromatosis from alcoholic liver disease complicated by
      haemosiderosis was also a problem with standard Perls's staining. When the
      hepatic tissue iron index was calculated (hepatic tissue iron
      concentration/patient's age in years), clear differentiation of genetic
      haemochromatosis from both alcoholic liver disease and other forms of chronic
      liver disease was obtained in both cirrhotic and precirrhotic patients. This
      study confirms that the hepatic tissue iron index is a useful means of
      differentiating patients with genetic haemochromatosis from those with alcoholic
      liver disease. We suggest that biochemical estimation of tissue iron
      concentration and calculation of the tissue iron index in all patients in whom
      genetic haemochromatosis is a possible diagnosis will reduce the likelihood of
      misdiagnosing this as alcoholic liver disease.

PMID- 1864544
TI  - In vitro comparison of different gall stone dissolution solvents.
AB  - Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) of gall bladder stones leaves
      residual fragments that need to be dissolved by chemical solvents. In this study
      we compared the in vitro dissolving capacity of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE),
      mono-octanoin, limonene, and limonene/mono-octanoin (70%/30%). From nine sets of
      five human gall stones obtained at cholecystectomy, four stones were used for
      dissolution and the fifth was used for chemical analysis of cholesterol, calcium,
      and bilirubin contents. Eight sets were cholesterol stones with a mean (SD)
      cholesterol content of 89.9 (5.6)%. These stones dissolved completely in either
      solvent, often leaving sand-like debris, with the exception of one stone. MTBE
      dissolved cholesterol gall stones 100 times faster than mono-octanoin and 10
      times faster than limonene or the limonene/mono-octanoin mixture (p less than
      0.001). The combination of limonene and mono-octanoin was as effective as
      limonene alone. Of the four solvents, MTBE is the best one to evaluate for
      dissolution of residual fragments after ESWL treatment of gall bladder stones.

PMID- 1864545
TI  - Effect of the cholecystokinin-receptor antagonist lorglumide on pancreatic enzyme
      secretion stimulated by bombesin, food, and caerulein, giving similar plasma
      cholecystokinin concentrations in the dog.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine the role of cholecystokinin in pancreatic
      enzyme secretion stimulated by bombesin and a meal by (a) comparing the
      pancreatic enzyme output during bombesin infusion and after a meal to output
      during caerulein infusion and (b) comparing the inhibitory effect of the
      cholecystokinin-receptor antagonist lorglumide (CR-1409) on enzyme output in
      response to bombesin and food with the response to caerulein. Bombesin (90
      pmol/kg per h) and caerulein (30 pmol/kg per h) were infused into seven dogs in
      doses giving similar plasma cholecystokinin peak increments as a meal (mean (SEM)
      6.8 (0.8), 6.3 (1.2), and 5.7 (0.8) pM, respectively), together with either
      saline or 2 mg/kg per h of lorglumide. A background infusion of synthetic
      secretin 20.5 pmol/kg per h was given in each experiment. In addition, gastric
      acid secretion was determined in the experiments with bombesin and caerulein
      infusion. Pancreatic protein responses to bombesin (1231 (247) mg/h) and food
      (1430 (220) mg/h) were similar to the responses to caerulein (1249 (201) mg/h).
      Lorglumide inhibited pancreatic protein output during stimulation with bombesin
      by 60%, after the meal by 45%, and during caerulein infusion by 68%. Pancreatic
      bicarbonate output by bombesin, caerulein, and food was inhibited by lorglumide
      by 28%, 40%, and 38%, respectively. In contrast, lorglumide significantly
      increased gastric acid secretion from 1.12 to 7.98 mmol/h during bombesin
      infusion and from 0.52 to 7.62 mmol/h during caerulein infusion. In conclusion,
      cholecystokinin plays an important part in the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme
      secretion by bombesin and a meal in conscious dogs and it is involved in the
      regulation of gastric acid during stimulation by infusions of caerulein and
      bombesin.

PMID- 1864546
TI  - Screening for gastrointestinal cancer: an epidemiological review.

PMID- 1864547
TI  - IgA nephropathy in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension.
AB  - Renal glomerular changes are a well recognised complication of cirrhosis and are
      frequently characterised by mesangial IgA deposition. We report a patient with
      non-cirrhotic portal hypertension who developed IgA nephropathy and a nephrotic
      syndrome with renal histological changes classically associated with cirrhosis.
      Splenectomy with resection of a splenic artery aneurysm resulted in remission of
      the nephrotic syndrome. This case illustrates the factors which contribute to the
      pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy in liver disease.

PMID- 1864548
TI  - Sinusoidal portal hypertension in hepatic amyloidosis.
AB  - Hepatic venous catheterisation and transvenous liver biopsy were performed in
      five patients with hepatic amyloidosis. In three patients, hepatic venous
      pressures were normal and histological examination of the liver biopsy specimen
      showed discrete and sparse perisinusoidal amyloid deposits. In the other two,
      however, the gradient between wedged and free hepatic venous pressures was
      increased (12 and 16 mmHg; normal 1-4 mmHg) and amyloid deposits were abundant
      and diffuse in the Disse's space. This study shows that portal hypertension in
      patients with hepatic amyloidosis is of the sinusoidal type and is related to the
      reduction of vascular space of hepatic sinusoids by massive perisinusoidal
      amyloid deposits. Furthermore, portal hypertension is associated with a poor
      prognosis in patients with hepatic amyloidosis.

PMID- 1864549
TI  - Free radicals in colitis.

PMID- 1864550
TI  - Mononuclear cell (MNC) concentration from the marrow harvest by automatic system.
AB  - The availability of reliable and standardizable procedures with low contamination
      risk and less prominent loss in MNC, would solve the existing perplexities about
      the systematic use of this passage. We tried to experiment Areman's et al
      protocol that utilizes the CS 3000 blood cell processor without gradient, making
      some changes and comparing the results with those achieved with the COBE 2991 on
      Ficoll. Some aspects should be defined, but the preliminary results are
      undoubtedly of great interest.

PMID- 1864551
TI  - Prevention of graft-versus-host disease by lymphocyte depletion of the bone
      marrow graft with use of counterflow centrifugation.
AB  - A combination of density flotation centrifugation and counterflow centrifugation
      (elutriation) allows the elimination of 98% of the T-lymphocytes, present in a
      marrow aspirate. This reduces substantially the occurrence of graft versus host
      disease (GvHD) after transplantation without loss of the repopulation capacity. A
      limitation of the traditional Beckman elutriator rotor is the relatively small
      size of the elutriation chamber, which makes five to six runs, of one hour each,
      necessary to process the whole bone marrow graft. We developed a new elutriator
      rotor, containing four disposable elutriator chamber (Dijkstra BV, Amsterdam, The
      Netherlands), which allows to complete the lymphocyte elimination from the bone
      marrow graft within 2 hours. Ninety-nine consecutive patients were transplanted
      with elutriated MLC-negative bone marrow grafts from histocompatible siblings.
      Indications for transplantation were: AML (n = 32), ALL (n = 34) and CML (n =
      33). The grafts contained after counterflow centrifugation a mean of 12.1 (+/-
      2.4)% of the nucleated cells, 1.9 (+/- 1.4)% of the T-lymphocytes, and 93.5 (+/-
      59.4)% of the CFU-GM, originally present in the collected bone marrow.
      Immunoprophylaxis post grafting was given to 97 BMT recipients. Primary graft
      failure occurred in 5 of 95 evaluable patients (5%). The probability of acute
      GvHD greater than grade 1 at day 100 after BMT was 16%. The projected 3-year
      estimate of extensive chronic GvHD was 13%. The low incidence of GvHD was
      associated with a relatively low transplant related mortality in patients above
      the age of 40 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864552
TI  - Immunomagnetic purging procedure for autologous bone marrow transplantation in
      lymphoid malignancies.
AB  - In this report we describe the use of the immunomagnetic depletion of tumor cells
      from harvested bone marrow in two patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The
      immunomagnetic procedure of purging involved one incubation of the marrow cells
      with a mixture of 4 monoclonal antibodies which bind to antigens of CD10 (ALB2),
      CD19 (HD37), CD20 (B1) and CD22 (HD39). Two incubations with magnetic beads
      (Dynabeads M-450) covered with antimouse antibodies followed by magnetic
      separation were performed. The bead/target B cell ratio was 50:1. After purging
      the recovery of mononuclear cells was 56% and 40%, while the recovery of CFU-GM
      was 45% and 38% respectively. Both patients engrafted rapidly without serious
      complications. One patient relapsed 4 months after transplant, the other remains
      in complete remission after 5 months. Our results confirm that the use of
      immunomagnetic beads is a simple, safe and reproducible technique to remove tumor
      cells before ABMT in patients with B malignancies using a broad mixture of MoAbs.
      However only a randomized trial using autologous marrow purged or not will
      clarify the effective clinical value of the procedure.

PMID- 1864554
TI  - Juridical and liability reflexes of bone marrow processing.
AB  - Author analyzes bone marrow processing procedures and points out juridical and
      forensic-medicine reflexes of this therapeutical act. The aspects of informed
      consent and professional liability of hematologist are clarified.

PMID- 1864553
TI  - Detection of bacterial contamination in bone marrow graft.
AB  - A rapid method of determining bacterial contamination was used in a series of
      fifty-five bone marrow harvests (20 allogeneic and 35 autologous
      transplantations). The microbiological culture assays executed on bone marrow
      samples soon after the harvest and before the manipulation, showed a positivity
      only in the autologous bone marrow group. Another positivity was revealed after
      the freezing process of bone marrows for autologous transplantation. Two samples
      in the bone marrow group submitted to purging were positive after treatment and
      freezing process. In this study, the increase of bacterial contamination
      frequency seemed to be related to extensive handlings, such as pharmacological in
      vitro purging and freezing procedures.

PMID- 1864555
TI  - Heparin prevents stasis-induced thrombosis through protection of the venous
      endothelial cells: an electron microscopic study in rabbits.
AB  - This study was performed to see whether or not protection of the endothelial
      cells contributes to the antithrombotic effects of heparin. New Zealand albino
      rabbits were subjected to jugular vein stasis by single caudal ligation for 2 h.
      Three treatments were given: saline (control group), heparin (0.2 mg/kg) 5 or 45
      min before ligature of the vein. Groups of 6-8 animals were killed at 0, 5, 15,
      30 and 120 min. The following parameters were determined: (1) involution and
      damage of the endothelial cells by scanning and transmission electron microscopy;
      (2) incidence and weight of thrombi in the lumens of the veins after 2 h stasis,
      and (3) effects of heparin on APTT and anti-Xa activity. In the control group,
      stasis caused a considerable involution of the endothelial cells in the first 30
      min, followed by fibrin deposition and thrombus generation. Heparin strongly
      reduced the damage to the endothelial cells, with very evident protection of the
      cell membranes, and prevented thrombus generation: there were significant
      decreases in both incidence and weight of thrombi. These effects of heparin were
      evident both shortly after (maximal anticoagulant effect) and long after (no
      anticoagulant effect) pretreatment. We think that, under the experimental
      conditions we used, heparin prevented venous thrombosis at least partially by
      protection of the endothelial cells, through unknown mechanisms.

PMID- 1864556
TI  - Plasma homocysteine in venous thromboembolism.
AB  - Severe hyperhomocysteinemia due to inborn errors of methionine metabolism results
      in precocious development of arteriosclerosis and predisposition to venous and
      arterial thromboembolism. Although the findings of several studies have indicated
      that mild hyperhomocysteinemia is common in occlusive arterial disease, no
      similar studies have been made on venous thromboembolism. In this study of
      subjects under 50 years of age, we found no significant differences in the plasma
      homocysteine concentrations, either in the fasting state or after methionine
      loading, between 42 patients with venous thromboembolism and 42 healthy controls.
      Nonetheless, male patients manifested a tendency toward higher homocysteine
      concentrations than male controls; 6 patients (14%) versus 2 controls (5%)
      responded abnormally to methionine loading which might indicate heterozygosity
      for cystathionine synthase deficiency. Thus, further studies on plasma
      homocysteine in venous thromboembolism are warranted.

PMID- 1864557
TI  - The onset of mammary extraction of plasma triglycerides and circulating levels of
      progesterone during lactogenesis in the cow and goat.
AB  - In untreated cows and goats, the onset of mammary extraction of plasma
      triglyceride was sometimes detected several hours before parturition, prior to
      removal of secretion from the mammary glands by offspring and when circulating
      progesterone concentrations were low. In cows and goats that had secretion
      regularly removed from the mammary glands late in gestation, the onset of
      triglyceride extraction occurred up to several days before parturition, when
      circulating progesterone concentrations were moderately high (up to 3.9 ng/ml in
      the cow and 6.2 ng/ml in the goat).

PMID- 1864558
TI  - The effect of thymosin fraction 5 on lipid peroxidation in rabbits fed a high
      cholesterol diet.
AB  - Plasma and erythrocyte lipid levels and susceptibility of erythrocytes to lipid
      peroxidation were determined in rabbits fed diet containing 2% (w/w) cholesterol,
      for 3 months. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits had high plasma and erythrocyte lipid
      peroxide levels as compared to control rabbits. After high-cholesterol diet, the
      rabbits in the experimental group were divided into two groups. The first group
      was fed a normal diet for 21 days and the second group was given normal diet plus
      thymosin F5 injections every other day for the same period. At the end of this
      period, plasma and erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels were significantly decreased
      in the group injected with thymosin F5.

PMID- 1864559
TI  - Glucose tolerance and incidence of pancreatic islet cell antibodies in pregnancy
      in women with thyroid autoantibodies.
AB  - The prevalence of pancreatic islet cell antibodies (ICA) and complement fixing
      ICA (CF-ICA) and the effect of pregnancy of glucose tolerance was studied in 3
      groups of women. One group had thyroid autoantibodies in serum detected in early
      pregnancy and subsequent development of postpartum thyroiditis (PPT), another
      group had thyroid autoantibodies without signs of PPT and the third group did not
      have thyroid autoantibodies or PPT. In the women with thyroid autoantibodies and
      PPT, ICA were found in one of 12 women (8%, 95% confidence limits 0-38%). In the
      group with thyroid autoantibodies without PPT, ICA were found in three of 27
      women (11%, 2-29%), whereas two of 20 women without thyroid autoantibodies had
      ICA (10%, 1-32%), N.S. Where present, serum ICA levels were very low and similar
      in early pregnancy and 6 months postpartum. CF-ICA were only found in two women
      with thyroid autoantibodies without signs of PPT. In all groups glucose tolerance
      was impaired in pregnancy when compared to postpartum despite an increased
      insulin response to glucose ingestion. In pregnancy, however, glucose tolerance
      was more impaired in the women with thyroid autoantibodies and subsequent PPT,
      than in the women without thyroid autoantibodies. Postpartum glucose tolerance
      was similar in all groups. It is concluded, that the presence of thyroid
      autoantibodies in early pregnancy or development of PPT is not accompanied by an
      increased prevalence of islet cell antibodies, but women with thyroid
      autoantibodies and subsequent PPT have a significantly more reduced glucose
      tolerance in late pregnancy than women without thyroid autoantibodies.

PMID- 1864560
TI  - Serum bone Gla protein (BGP) during treatment of hyperthyroidism and
      hypothyroidism. A longitudinal study.
AB  - Serum bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing (Gla) protein (BGP) was measured
      before and with initially 2 weeks, later 4-8 weeks intervals for 20-58 weeks
      during treatment of patients with hyperthyroidism (n = 10) and hypothyroidism (n
      = 4). Biochemical euthyroidism was obtained in the hyperthyroid patients after a
      median of 3 weeks (range 1-8 weeks), and in the hypothyroid patients after a
      median of 17 weeks (range 10-27 weeks). Serum BGP levels closely followed the
      thyroid state, being high respectively low in the hyperthyroid and hypothyroid
      state and reaching a stable plateau just at the time biochemical euthyroidism was
      obtained. These data suggest that osteoblastic activity is enhanced in
      hyperthyroidism and reduced in hypothyroidism, and that normalization occurs in
      close conjunction with the normalization of the thyroid state, without any delay,
      indicating a direct effect on the function of the excisting osteoblasts by the
      thyroid hormones.

PMID- 1864561
TI  - Glycolipids and complete Freund's adjuvant cause insulitis in rats.

PMID- 1864562
TI  - Plasma prolactin and insulin changes on feeding leucine supplemented diet in
      rats.

PMID- 1864564
TI  - Remembering mental hospitals through the prism of time.

PMID- 1864563
TI  - Triiodothyronine antibodies in a case of Graves' disease: long-term follow-up
      under carbimazole.

PMID- 1864565
TI  - Community psychiatry's changing role.

PMID- 1864566
TI  - Perspectives on human functioning.

PMID- 1864567
TI  - Violence by psychiatric inpatients: a review.
AB  - The literature on violence by psychiatric inpatients provides some evidence that
      rates of violence may be increasing over time and that they are higher in the
      United States than in other nations. This review examines the extent of inpatient
      violence and describes the individual, situational, and structural factors with
      which it is associated. Individual factors include acute illness, psychosis, drug
      abuse, age, and history of violence. Situational variables include overcrowding,
      provocation, staff inexperience, and management tolerance of violence. Structural
      factors include changes in mental health policy that have made dangerousness a
      frequent criterion for commitment and a shortage of treatment resources. The
      author concludes that violence is the result of an interaction between the
      various types of factors and is not simply an expression of individual pathology.

PMID- 1864568
TI  - A personal memoir of the state hospitals of the 1950s.
AB  - The author recalls his experiences as an attendant at a state mental hospital in
      the early 1950s, before the introduction of psychotropic drugs. State hospitals
      of that era served not only as treatment centers for mentally ill patients but
      also as de facto nursing homes, retirement homes, orphanages, and shelters for
      chronic physically ill persons, medically ill poor people and wards of the state,
      adults and juveniles convicted of crimes, behaviorally disturbed retarded people,
      and alcoholics. The author argues that the deinstitutionalization movement
      removed an important, if unrecognized, source of palliative care for dispossessed
      individuals and recommends redesigning the state hospital to provide
      compassionate housing and treatment by trained persons for homeless and chronic
      physically and mentally ill individuals. Four patients typical of the
      heterogenous population of state hospitals in the 1950s are described.

PMID- 1864569
TI  - Treatment protocols in child and adolescent day treatment.
AB  - Twenty treatment protocols in a day treatment program for children and
      adolescents have been developed by multidisciplinary groups based on a review of
      200 patients. The protocols classify patients according to symptom clusters and
      provide standardized treatment plans for each classification. Each protocol
      contains a definition of the symptom cluster, a list of presenting problems, a
      list of other protocols to consider, admission guidelines, treatment options, and
      discharge criteria. The authors describe the developmental process for the
      protocols and present a clinical case example to illustrate their use. The
      application of treatment protocols in research, quality assurance, and teaching
      is briefly discussed.

PMID- 1864570
TI  - Clinical skills for the 1990s: six lessons from HMO practice.
AB  - Clinical practice in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) currently has many
      of the features that will become increasingly common in the managed-care
      environment in which mental health treatment will be provided in the 1990s. HMO
      policies calling for cost containment, attention to outcomes, practice audits,
      and treatment guidelines create distinctive demands on clinicians regarding their
      focus of attention, clinical stance, and professional role. The author identifies
      six crucial skills that can help clinicians meet these demands effectively:
      population-oriented practice management, population-oriented program development,
      ability to apply an adult developmental model, command of a broad repertoire of
      methodologies, ethical analysis, and advocacy. He uses brief case examples to
      illustrate how these skills may be used in managed-care settings.

PMID- 1864571
TI  - Treatment cost and rehospitalization rate in schizophrenic outpatients with a
      history of substance abuse.
AB  - Retrospective self-report data from 60 chronic schizophrenic outpatients in a
      community support program (CSP) were used to study the relationship between a
      history of substance abuse and rate of psychiatric rehospitalization and
      outpatient treatment cost. The sample showed a significant overall reduction in
      days spent in a psychiatric hospital or jail and in outpatient treatment expenses
      during the first year in the CSP. Although subjects with recent symptoms of
      substance abuse (N = 27) showed consistently smaller reductions than subjects
      with no history of substance abuse (N = 17) or subjects with no recent substance
      abuse symptoms (N = 16), the only significant difference between the groups was
      in the total number of days spent in an institution. However, the findings
      suggest that treatment of patients with concurrent substance abuse and
      schizophrenia is disproportionately more costly than that of patients without
      dual diagnoses.

PMID- 1864572
TI  - Characteristics of patients attending an HIV-related psychiatric clinic.
AB  - Demographic and clinical data were recorded for 324 patients who visited an AIDS
      related psychiatric outpatient clinic over a three-year period. Seventy-five
      percent of the patients had a diagnosis of AIDS, AIDS-related complex, or
      asymptomatic HIV seropositivity. Intravenous drug use and heterosexual relations
      were the most common HIV transmission risk factors. Seventy-three percent of the
      patients were black or Hispanic; 51 percent were female. In all stages of HIV
      infection, adjustment disorder was the most common diagnosis; one third to one
      half of the patients had substance abuse diagnoses. Only 5 percent were diagnosed
      with dementia, with the incidence highest (12 percent) in patients with AIDS. On
      the basis of their experience with the clinic, the authors discuss issues that
      have proved important in the treatment of patients with the triple diagnoses of
      medical illness, mental illness, and substance abuse.

PMID- 1864573
TI  - Inpatient psychiatric morbidity of HIV-infected soldiers.
AB  - To determine differences in inpatient psychiatric morbidity, a total of 573
      soldiers seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were matched
      with 2,266 seronegative soldiers by age, sex, race, marital status, military
      rank, length of active service, military occupation, and date of HIV test. An HIV
      infected individual was seven times more likely to be hospitalized than an
      uninfected individual. The rate of total hospitalizations was 16 times higher for
      the HIV-infected soldiers. The median length of hospital stay was six days for
      the infected soldiers and four days for the control group. The incidence of
      psychosis, organic mental disorders, and adjustment disorder in the HIV-infected
      group was significantly higher.

PMID- 1864574
TI  - Responses of mental health professionals to lay-offs.
AB  - In this study, 39 laid-off mental health professionals responded to a
      questionnaire that focused on the emotional stress of being laid off and the
      respondents' efforts to cope with the stress. In the early weeks after lay-off,
      shock, disbelief, anger, and sadness gave way to depression, anxiety, and
      feelings of being betrayed and discounted. Most respondents coped with these
      feelings by talking to others who were being laid off or by focusing their
      energies on seeking a new job. Many respondents felt that mismanagement of the
      lay-off process was a major factor in their emotional distress. The author makes
      recommendations for managing lay-offs based on the responses of the laid-off
      workers and the principles of crisis management. She also speculates about why
      most of the lay-offs were poorly managed.

PMID- 1864575
TI  - One-year follow-up of 24 patients in a clinical trial of clozapine.

PMID- 1864576
TI  - Patient self-regulation and functioning in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1864577
TI  - Seven-year follow-up of an adolescent volunteer program in a psychiatric
      hospital.

PMID- 1864578
TI  - Preference for hospital-based outpatient treatment among Japanese patients in
      Vancouver.

PMID- 1864579
TI  - Smoking patterns among patients discharged from a smoke-free inpatient unit.

PMID- 1864580
TI  - Benefits of inpatient care.

PMID- 1864581
TI  - TV and ECT.

PMID- 1864582
TI  - Telepathology comes of age in Norway.

PMID- 1864583
TI  - Remote frozen section service: a telepathology project in northern Norway.
AB  - We discuss the organization of a remote frozen section service in northern
      Norway. The service is operated by remote control of a motorized video-microscope
      located at Kirkenes Hospital, at a distance of more than 400 km from the
      workstation at the University Hospital in Tromso. The video images of the frozen
      section are transmitted via a two-way telephone and video telenetwork with a 2
      Mbit/s capacity. The images are displayed on monitors and diagnosed by
      pathologists in Tromso. To date, 17 patients have been examined by remote frozen
      section. Correct benign versus malignant diagnoses have been given in all 17
      cases compared with final diagnoses based on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded
      material. The average time taken for examining each frozen section was 15 minutes
      (range, 5 to 30 minutes). In none of the cases was the interpretation of the
      slides difficult due to deficient quality of the video images. For small
      hospitals with limited availability of local pathology services and for hospitals
      with a deficiency of specialists, telepathology may be a worthwhile substitute.

PMID- 1864584
TI  - Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy type 1 in Kumamoto, Japan: a
      clinicopathologic, histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study.
AB  - Seventeen autopsy and five biopsy cases of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy
      were examined clinicopathologically, histochemically, immunohistochemically, and
      ultrastructurally. In the autopsy cases, amyloid deposits were predominant in the
      peripheral nerve tissues, autonomic nervous system, choroid plexus,
      cardiovascular system, and kidneys. Amyloid involvements in the anterior and
      posterior roots of the spinal cord, spinal ganglia, thyroid, and gastrointestinal
      tract were also frequent. In the cardiac conduction system, amyloid deposition
      was prominent in the sinoatrial node and in limbs of the intraventricular bundle.
      In the sural nerve biopsy, besides amyloid deposits, degenerative changes of
      nerve fibers and Schwann cells were detected ultrastructurally, and the
      morphometric analysis showed a marked reduction in the number of myelinated
      fibers which correlated with the clinical stage. Amyloid deposits were resistant
      to pretreatment with potassium permanganate in Congo red staining, and
      transthyretin was confirmed immunohistochemically as a major component of amyloid
      deposits, along with the presence of serum amyloid P-component. Besides the
      amyloid deposits, transthyretin was proven in the liver cells, epithelial cells
      of the choroid plexus, and pancreatic islet A cells, suggesting that the
      transthyretin produced by these cells is secreted, transferred into tissues, and
      deposited in situ as the major component of amyloid in this disorder.

PMID- 1864585
TI  - Bronchocentric injury in Wegener's granulomatosis: a report of five cases.
AB  - While Wegener's granulomatosis is recognized primarily for its vascular
      destruction, the extravascular granuloma is an integral part of the inflammatory
      process. We report five illustrative cases of this phenomenon in which the
      necrotizing process appeared to be centered primarily on the airways. This was
      associated with multisystem disease and cavitary lung nodules, which probably
      resulted from extensive airway necrosis. Prognosis with conventional cytoxan and
      prednisone therapy was excellent. The differential diagnosis of bronchocentric
      Wegener's granulomatosis with bronchocentric granulomatosis, infection, and
      aspiration pneumonia is discussed.

PMID- 1864586
TI  - Senile scleral plaques: a histopathologic study using energy-dispersive x-ray
      microanalysis.
AB  - The investigators reviewed the pathologic findings of 21 senile scleral plaques
      in 17 enucleated globes. Eyes were fixed in formalin and routinely processed for
      light microscopic examination. Two representative calcified scleral plaques were
      subjected to energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis. Plaques were located in the
      sclera just anterior to the insertion of the horizontal rectus muscles.
      Microscopic examination of the involved sclera disclosed a spectrum of
      histopathologic changes involving increased hematoxylinophilia of the scleral
      collagen, decreased stromal cellularity, the presence of scleral fibers with a
      unique corkscrew appearance, and calcium deposition. The calcified plaques
      contained calcium phosphate as indicated by histochemical methods and energy
      dispersive x-ray microanalysis. Conjunctival elastosis was present in 12 of the
      14 eyes in which sufficient conjunctiva was present for histologic evaluation.
      Accumulated actinic damage from solar irradiation may play a role in the
      pathogenesis of senile scleral plaques.

PMID- 1864587
TI  - Leiomyosarcoma of somatic soft tissues in childhood: an immunohistochemical
      analysis of six cases with ultrastructural correlation.
AB  - Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of soft tissue is a rare tumor in children. Although LMS may
      exhibit clinical and histologic features that are typical of smooth muscle
      neoplasms in adults, they may often be confused with or resemble tumors of
      presumed fibroblastic, myofibroblastic, or rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. As a
      result, the diagnosis of LMS in children is often difficult to establish with
      confidence. To address this problem, we analyzed the immunohistochemical features
      of six LMS in children (one of deep soft tissue of an extremity, one of
      paravertebral tissue, one of the retroperitoneum, two of oropharyngeal soft
      tissue, and one of subcutis); the ultrastructural features of four of these
      tumors were also studied. Histologically, each of the three tumors of deep soft
      tissue and one of the retromolar trigone were composed of pleomorphic spindle
      cells arranged in interweaving fascicles. In contrast, the subcutaneous tumor and
      the lesion of the hard palate had an epithelioid appearance. Ultrastructural
      features were typical of adult type LMS. Immunohistochemically, these neoplasms
      were diffusely reactive for vimentin, while each was negative for cytokeratin,
      epithelial membrane antigen, and S-100 protein. Desmin was present in all cases,
      but was expressed only focally in three; a similar pattern of staining was noted
      for muscle-specific actin, although staining was generally noted in a larger
      population of cells. alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin was found in five tumors, and
      cathepsin B reactivity was encountered in four cases. Leu-7 antigen and myelin
      basic protein were coexpressed by one tumor, but neither was found in the
      remaining cases. These results indicate that immunohistochemical detection of
      desmin and muscle-specific actin may be useful in the differential diagnosis of
      spindle or epithelioid cell proliferations in childhood when ultrastructural
      analysis in unavailable.

PMID- 1864588
TI  - Immunophenotypic heterogeneity in osteosarcomas.
AB  - Eighteen osteosarcomas were studied immunohistochemically. The tumors were
      classified into the following six histologic subtypes: five osteoblastic, four
      chondroblastic, four malignant fibrous histiocytoma-like, two telangiectatic, two
      low-grade central, and one giant cell-rich. Variable amounts of osteocalcin
      immunoreactivity were found in all tumors. Factor XIIIa-positive cells, which may
      be of fibrohistiocytic lineage, were present in three tumors of the malignant
      fibrous histiocytoma-like type, one of the telangiectatic type, one of the low
      grade central type, and the tumor of the giant cell-rich type. One tumor of the
      osteoblastic type showed cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen
      immunoreactivities. The positive reactions for desmin in four tumors, for alpha
      smooth muscle actin in 11 tumors, and for type IV collagen in one tumor seemed to
      indicate myofibroblastic differentiation of some tumor cells. S-100 protein
      positive tumor cells were detected not only in all four tumors of the
      chondroblastic type, but also in three of the osteoblastic type, one of the low
      grade central type, and in the tumor of the giant cell-rich type. These
      immunohistochemical results suggest that osteosarcomas are composed of
      heterogeneous cell populations, such as those of the osteoblastic,
      chondroblastic, myofibroblastic, and fibrohistiocytic types, and occasionally
      also of cells with epithelial features.

PMID- 1864589
TI  - Placentomegaly with massive hydrops of placental stem villi, diploid DNA content,
      and fetal omphaloceles: possible association with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
AB  - Marked placental hydrops is generally associated with hydatidiform mole.
      Diagnosis of hydatidiform mole requires both villous hydrops and trophoblast
      hyperplasia. This report describes four cases with massive hydrops of placental
      stem villi without associated trophoblast hyperplasia. All four had diploid DNA
      content by flow cytometry. Fetal omphalocele was present in three; and one had
      diagnostic Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). In two others, there were
      pathologic features suggestive of BWS. The fourth fetus had multiple anomalies by
      ultrasound; autopsy examination of the fragmented fetus failed to disclose
      additional pathology. The association of massive placental hydrops involving stem
      villi, fetal omphalocele, and diploid DNA content is unusual. These fetal and
      placental findings may suggest possible BWS in some cases and allow for antenatal
      diagnosis of affected fetuses, clinical evaluation of additional family members,
      and planning for neonatal care.

PMID- 1864590
TI  - The value of monoclonal antibody B72.3 for the diagnosis of breast carcinoma:
      experience with the first commercially available source.
AB  - One hundred cases of invasive breast carcinoma were studied using the
      commercially available monoclonal antibody Anti-Human Tumor-Associated
      Glycoprotein-72 (MAb B72.3, Biomedical Technologies Inc, Stoughton, MA)
      prediluted at 8.5 micrograms/mL. Forty-three cases displayed positive reactivity
      with this antibody. Intensity and distribution of positive staining varied among
      the tumor cells. Twenty-two cases had 1% or less reactive cells, while eight
      cases contained 40% or more positive tumor cells. Apical cell membrane and
      diffuse cytoplasmic staining were present. In fifteen cases intracytoplasmic
      lumina and extra-cellular secretory material were highlighted by positive
      staining. Thirty-five cases had benign breast tissue adjacent to the tumor.
      Benign ductal and lobular epithelial cells were nonreactive except for two cases
      in which small foci of apocrine metaplasia were positive. Reactivity with MAb
      B72.3 was not dependent upon histologic grade, nuclear grade, nodal status, or
      patient age. Excluding the lower number of positively stained cases, our findings
      were similar to other MAb B72.3 investigations. The number of positively stained
      cases and the intensity of the positivity were increased by using MAb B72.3 at
      5.0 micrograms/mL with overnight incubation, or by using MAb B72.3 at 40.0
      micrograms/mL with 2 hours of incubation. Our findings confirm that MAb B72.3
      shows reliable reactivity with breast carcinoma that is sensitive to antibody
      concentration and incubation time without loss of specificity for tumor cells.
      Our results are also consistent with the view that MAb B72.3 probably detects
      epithelial membrane-related antigens in breast carcinoma, as do several other
      antibodies.

PMID- 1864591
TI  - The internal carotid artery siphon in children and adolescents.
AB  - We observed significant lesions of the carotid artery siphon in two young
      subjects with fatal stroke. Because stroke in children and adolescents is
      uncommon and poorly understood, we examined the internal carotid artery in the
      'siphon' of the skull in 24 unselected, but nearly consecutive autopsies. The age
      range was 10 days to 38 years, with 11 males and 13 females, six blacks, and 18
      whites. In no case was stroke the cause of death. Intimal lesions of two types
      were found in the carotid siphon of all cases. (1) The first was focal splitting
      and/or duplication of the internal elastic lamina with variable proliferation of
      smooth muscle. The resulting 'fibrous' plaques or cushions, when severe, were
      usually found at natural bends in the artery. The number and severity of this
      type of lesion increased with age, but there were no differences in severity or
      distribution when compared by sex, race, or mode of death. (2) The second was
      internal elastic calcification which was found in all cases older than 9. This
      was increasingly severe with age. Although the frequency of the vascular lesions
      was surprisingly high, the relationship of either type to dissecting aneurysm or
      other stroke lesion remains unclear.

PMID- 1864592
TI  - Hepatic fibrin-ring granulomas: a clinicopathologic study of 23 patients.
AB  - Twenty-three patients with characteristic hepatic fibrin-ring granulomas were
      studied. Q fever accounted for 10 cases (43%), visceral leishmaniasis for five
      cases (22%), boutonneuse fever for two cases (9%), and toxoplasmosis, Hodgkin's
      disease, and allopurinol hypersensitivity for one case each (4%). The etiology
      remained undetermined in three cases (13%). This report broadens the range of
      etiologies of hepatic fibrin-ring granulomas to include boutonneuse fever and
      toxoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis of ring granulomas, and it could
      serve as a guideline to the clinician and pathologist for the most frequent
      categories of disease associated with this morphologic pattern.

PMID- 1864593
TI  - Adenocarcinoma and (extragonadal) choriocarcinoma of the gallbladder in a young
      woman.
AB  - This study represents the second case of coexisting adenocarcinoma and
      choriocarcinoma of the gallbladder reported in the English language medical
      literature, and the first such case documented by: (1) positive immunostaining of
      tumor cells for the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin, and (2)
      evidence of gonadotrophin secretion in blood and urine. The patient reported
      herein survived only 1 month following diagnosis, and exemplifies the reportedly
      lethal behavior of extragonadal choriocarcinoma.

PMID- 1864594
TI  - Crisis in sickle cell trait.
AB  - A 34-year-old black male with hemoglobin AS was admitted for renal failure,
      polydipsia, hypertension, schizophrenia, mental confusion, and visual
      hallucinations. Abnormal electrolytes were corrected by dialysis, but blood
      specimens were reported as hemolyzed with hyperkalemia. Peaked T waves on
      electrocardiographic analysis were followed by cardiac arrest. An autopsy
      revealed sickled cells in the visual cortex and other symptomatic organs, but
      normal erythrocytes in most of the vascular tree. These findings suggest true
      progressive sickle cell crisis in a hemoglobin AS patient.

PMID- 1864595
TI  - Osteoclast-like giant cell tumor of the pancreas: immunophenotypic similarity to
      giant cell tumor of bone.
AB  - An immunophenotype was performed on an osteoclast-like giant cell tumor of the
      pancreas using a panel of antibodies to epithelial and leukocyte antigens.
      Several antibodies to cytokeratin and carcinoembryonic antigen were negative in
      the tumor. Osteoclast-like cells were positive for CD4, CD13, CD45, CD68, CD71,
      and vimentin, but negative for lysozyme and HLA-DR. Mononuclear tumor cells were
      positive for CD4, CD11c, CD13, CD14, CD45, CD68, CD71, HLA-DR, and vimentin, but
      negative for lysozyme. The phenotype is similar to that previously described for
      giant cell tumor of bone. The osteoclast-like cell phenotype is also similar to
      that reported for normal osteoclasts. The findings support a nonepithelial origin
      for osteoclast-like giant cell tumor of the pancreas, and suggest a derivation
      similar to giant cell tumor of bone.

PMID- 1864596
TI  - Chlamydia trachomatis in chronic abacterial prostatitis.

PMID- 1864597
TI  - Prospects for homologous recombination in human gene therapy.
AB  - The ideal approach to gene therapy of hereditary diseases or gene correction
      therapy is considered. The advantages, disadvantages and limits of gene targeting
      by homologous recombination are discussed with regard to its possible application
      in gene correction therapy and in comparison with retroviral-mediated gene
      complementation therapy.

PMID- 1864598
TI  - Induction of distamycin A-inducible rare fragile sites and increased sister
      chromatid exchanges at the fragile site.
AB  - Expression of distamycin A-inducible rare fragile sites by AT-specific DNA
      ligands was examined in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from heterozygous
      carriers for the fra(8)(q24), fra(16)(p12), and fra(16)(q22) sites. The
      sensitivity of fragile site expression to the inducers was different at these
      fragile sites. The expression of fra(8)(q24) was induced markedly by Hoechst
      33258, but not by distamycin A or berenil. An increased expression of
      fra(16)(p12) was found following treatment with Hoechst 33258 or berenil, but not
      with distamycin A. At fra(16)(q22), distamycin A markedly induced the fragile
      site, but Hoechst 33258 and berenil did not. Since their response to the
      different inducers was similar to that found in cultured lymphocytes,
      lymphoblastoid cell lines appear to retain their inherent properties. Although
      BrdUrd alone did not induce any fragile sites, concomitant treatment with BrdUrd
      plus the inducer was synergistically effective in inducing all the fragile sites.
      An increased frequency of sister chromatid exchanges was observed at fra(16)(p12)
      following simultaneous treatment with BrdUrd and berenil, mainly when the site
      was expressed as an isochromatid gap. Thus, the induced fra(16)(p12) site is a
      hot spot for the formation of sister chromatid exchanges, as found in other
      reported fragile sites.

PMID- 1864599
TI  - Non-isotopic detection of chromosome 1 in human meiosis and demonstration of
      disomic sperm nuclei.
AB  - Nonradioactive in situ hybridization with the biotin-labeled chromosome 1
      specific probe pUC1.77 was performed on human mitotic and meiotic chromosomes,
      and on sperm nuclei. The streptavidine-horseradish-peroxidase and
      diaminobenzidine detection system demonstrated heteromorphisms in the 1q12
      heterochromatic region, not only in mitotic cells but also in mature sperm heads.
      The localization of chromosome 1 could be traced through all meiotic stages and
      in the sperm nuclei. The frequency of chromosome 1 disomy in human sperm, as
      indicated by two distinct hybridization signals, was calculated to be 0.41%.

PMID- 1864600
TI  - High prevalence of aspartylglycosaminuria among school-age children in eastern
      Finland.
AB  - A high prevalence of the lysosomal storage disease aspartylglycosaminuria was
      found in a study of four birth cohorts of 12882 children in eastern Finland.
      Using school achievement tests and registers of mentally retarded individuals,
      178 mentally retarded children were identified. Randomized urine samples from 151
      of the 178 retarded children and from 101 healthy children were analyzed
      quantitatively for aspartylglucosamine by high-performance liquid chromatography.
      The results identified three affected individuals in the retarded group
      indicating an exceptionally high prevalence of aspartylglycosaminuria (1:3643) in
      the study population, consistent with a carrier frequency of 1:30. The 95%
      confidence limits for the prevalence are 1:4 352-1:16389. This is the highest
      prevalence described for any glycoproteinosis in any population and comparable to
      the incidence figures of the most common lysosomal storage diseases, Gaucher
      disease type I and Tay-Sachs disease among Ashkenazi Jews. In the study group,
      aspartylglycosaminuria was, after trisomy 21 (n = 19) and the fragile X syndrome
      (n = 6), the most common genetic cause for mental retardation.

PMID- 1864601
TI  - The murine Rb(6.16) translocation: evidence for sperm selection and a modulating
      effect of aging.
AB  - The segregation products of the Rb(6.16) translocation were studied at first
      cleavage metaphase. Male mice heterozygous for the translocation mated at 3- and
      14-day intervals to superovulated random-bred ICR females. Chromosome
      preparations of the recovered one-cell embryos were sequentially G- and C-banded
      and male and female complements analyzed cytogenetically. Of the 309 zygotes
      analyzed from both mating groups, no unbalanced segregants of the translocation
      were observed. In the 3-day group there was a highly significant difference (P
      less than 0.001) from the expected 1:1 ratio between sperm with normal (70.5%)
      and balanced segregants (26.2%) of alternate segregation. In the 14-day group the
      level of significance for the difference was ten times lower (P less than 0.01)
      as normal segregants were observed in 56.4% of the sperm and balanced ones in
      36.5%. A comparison of the two groups using a 2 x 2 contingency table showed that
      segregant type was related to mating frequency (P less than 0.05). There was a
      highly significant distortion (P less than 0.01) of the sex ratio, with 178 Y
      bearing and 131 X-bearing sperm in the combined populations. When sex ratio was
      analyzed according to mating intervals, the distortion was significant (P less
      than 0.01) only for the 3-day group. An analysis of the sex ratio according to
      the segregant type showed no significant deviation from 1:1 for type 1
      segregants, which had normal chromosomes, while type 2 segregants, with the
      translocation, had a deficiency of X-bearing sperm. This deficiency was
      significant (P less than 0.05) only for the 3-day population. Analysis of meiotic
      preparations showed no association between the translocation trivalent and the X
      Y bivalent. Our results, obtained under physiological conditions, provide
      definitive evidence for sperm selection and support previous findings that aging
      of sperm can modify the effect of selection.

PMID- 1864602
TI  - Cytogenetic investigations in three cell types of a Saudi family with ataxia
      telangiectasia.
AB  - Chromosomal analyses were performed on lymphocytes, fibroblasts and
      lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from a Saudi family with ataxia telangiectasia
      (AT). The three siblings of a consanguineous marriage were all affected. The
      lymphocytes of the AT homozygotes (probands) showed an increase of 2- to 6-fold
      and 4- to 8-fold respectively, in the frequency of spontaneous and X-ray-induced
      chromosomal aberrations compared with controls, while the parents (obligate
      heterozygotes) of the patients showed no notable difference. The unirradiated
      lymphocytes from the oldest AT sibling, an 11-year-old boy (AT1), showed specific
      rearrangements involving chromosomes 7 and 14 [t(7;14)(q35;q12)] and 12 and 14
      [t(12;14)(q23;q12)] in two different clones. The most severely affected sibling
      was a 9-year-old girl (AT2) who presented with a clone showing a novel
      rearrangement involving chromosomes 14 and 17, namely: del(14) (q31q32) and
      dup(17)(q21-q24). The lymphocytes from the third sibling, a 2-year-old boy (AT3),
      showed a t(2;14)(p24;q12). In addition, an inv(14)(q12q32) was observed in all
      three AT patients, while inv(7)(p14q35) was found only in patients 2 and 3. The
      lymphocytes from the AT parents and controls showed normal karyotypes. The
      breakpoints involving chromosomes 2, 12 and 17, observed in our studies, have
      rarely been reported in other series of AT patients. No non-random chromosomal
      rearrangements were observed either in the skin fibroblasts or in the
      lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from the AT patients, although all cell lines
      showed an increase in both spontaneous and radiation-induced chromosomal breaks
      per cell. The present study constitutes the first report on a cytogenetic
      analysis of a Saudi family with three AT siblings.

PMID- 1864603
TI  - Characterization of seven DA/DAPI-positive bisatellited marker chromosomes by in
      situ hybridization.
AB  - Seven dicentric bisatellited marker chromosomes, ascertained at amniocentesis,
      chorionic villus sampling, and in blood from an abnormal liveborn were
      characterized cytogenetically. All seven markers demonstrated brilliant bands by
      the DA/DAPI technique corresponding to C-band positive regions. Although some
      dicentric DA/DAPI-positive bisatellited markers have been identified as inverted
      duplicated 15s, recent literature has suggested that DA/DAPI lacks specificity
      for chromosome 15. Our evaluation of DA/DAPI-positive bisatellited marker
      chromosomes by in situ hybridization shows that some originate from chromosome 15
      whereas DA/DAPI negative bisatellited markers may not be derived from 15. The
      morphological variations noted in our studies are discussed with respect to
      nomenclature.

PMID- 1864604
TI  - Dominant mutations in familial lethal and severe osteogenesis imperfecta.
AB  - Four families presenting with familial osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have been
      studied: 2 with the lethal type II and 2 with the severe type III form.
      Fibroblasts of the patients, all issue from non-consanguineous parents, produced
      normal and abnormal alpha(I) chains. These heterozygous mutations differentiate
      the recurrent forms from homozygous mutations characteristic of autosomal
      recessive forms. Although the identity of the mutations could not be determined,
      such recurrence of autosomal dominant OI is probably the result of germinal
      mosaicism in one of the parents. Biochemical results were consistent with a
      somatic mosaicism in the father's fibroblasts in one family. Moreover, our
      studies show that not only OI type II but also severe OI type III can arise from
      gonadal mosaicism. We discuss the importance of such a phenomenon for genetic
      counseling.

PMID- 1864605
TI  - Sister chromatid exchanges are preferentially induced at expressed and
      nonexpressed common fragile sites.
AB  - To investigate the relationship between common fragile sites and sister chromatid
      exchange (SCE), lymphocyte cultures were treated with aphidicolin and
      bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and analyzed using a sequential G----SCE staining
      protocol. A total of 1,163 SCEs were mapped to their corresponding G-band sites,
      which were assigned to one of the following four categories: fragile sites
      expressed; fragile sites nonexpressed; nonfragile sites with breaks; or
      nonfragile sites with no breaks. The designated common fragile sites were found
      to be preferred locations for SCE formation, not only when these sites were
      "expressed" as visible gaps or breaks, but even when they were "nonexpressed" in
      the cell. SCEs were also more likely to occur at nonfragile sites with breaks
      than at nonfragile with no break sites. Further, SCEs were found to be
      distributed nonrandomly across fragile sites and nonfragile sites, and among the
      fragile sites, the high frequency SCE sites were highly correlated with the high
      frequency breakage sites. These data support the hypothesis of common steps in
      the mechanism of aphidicolin-induced SCE formation and common fragile site
      expression.

PMID- 1864606
TI  - Recurrent ctb(7)(q31.3) and possible laminin involvement in a neonatal cutis laxa
      with a Marfan phenotype.
AB  - A 6-week-old girl presented with cutis laxa, emphysema, heart anomalies and a
      diaphragmatic hernia. She died at 22 weeks. A recurrent ctb(7)(q31.3) was found
      and the laminin gene was suspected to be involved in the disease. Anti-human
      laminin antiserum showed that this protein was absent from the skin. This case,
      together with 17 other similar cases, could represent a new type of connective
      tissue disease.

PMID- 1864607
TI  - Inherited ring chromosomes: an analysis of published cases.
AB  - A review of case reports on patients with ring chromosome revealed 30 individuals
      (plus two fetuses) who inherited the ring from a total of 23 carrier parents (21
      mothers and 2 fathers). The proportion of cases with inherited rings, among all
      patients with a ring, was calculated to be 5.6% as an upper limit. However,
      because of a propable difference in survival and fertility between individuals
      with transmitted and do novo rings, and because of the preferential publication
      of cases involving inherited rings (and thus a publication bias), the proportion
      of inherited rings should in reality be no more than 1%. Out of 30 transmitted
      rings, there were 9 where parent and child were both mosaics, suggesting an
      inherited instability of the chromosome involved leading to de novo re-formation
      of the ring in the second generation. The relatively mild clinical manifestations
      of ring chromosomes, in general, was found to be even more striking in familial
      cases. In half of the offspring the phenotype was very similar to that of the
      parent. However, in about a third of cases the offspring were more severely
      (mentally) affected. This fact should be considered in genetic counseling of
      clinically normal women who carry a ring chromosome.

PMID- 1864608
TI  - Three unique base pair changes in a family with Gaucher disease.
AB  - Single-stranded cDNA was prepared from RNA obtained from a patient with type 1
      Gaucher disease. The cDNA was amplified in vitro and analyzed by sequencing.
      Three base-pair changes were identified which included a G to C transversion at
      nucleotide 3119 of the active gene (Asp140----His), an A to C transversion at
      nucleotide 3170 (Lys157----Gln) and a G to A change at nucleotide 5309 (Glu326---
      Lys). To study the mode of inheritance of the three different base-pair changes,
      genomic DNA was prepared from blood or skin fibroblasts of several family
      members. Genomic glucocerebrosidase DNA sequences were amplified and subjected to
      hybridization with allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASOs). The hybridization
      profiles demonstrated that two of the base-pair changes originated from the
      mother and were transmitted to her two affected sons and to a grandchild, while
      the third base-pair change, originating from the father, was transmitted to his
      two affected sons, a carrier daughter and a second grandchild. Tests of other
      patients with Gaucher disease failed to disclose the presence of the three base
      changes. This is a unique family with three base-pair changes tightly linked to
      Gaucher disease.

PMID- 1864609
TI  - T296----M, a common mutation causing mild hemophilia B in the Amish and others:
      founder effect, variability in factor IX activity assays, and rapid carrier
      detection.
AB  - By direct genomic sequencing, we have delineated the causative mutation in 64
      families of European decent with hemophilia B. Six (9%) had a C----T transition
      at base 31008, which substitutes methionine for threonine 296 (T296----M) in the
      catalytic domain of factor IX. Five of the patients had the same haplotype
      (frequency of 16% in the northern European population). These individuals are of
      Amish/German descent and they are likely to share a common ancestor. The sixth
      patient had a different haplotype, which indicates that his mutation had an
      independent origin. The data highlight the importance of clinical criteria for
      the classification of hemophilia B. All six patients had clinically mild disease
      and their factor IX coagulant activities were in the range of 3%-6% when tested
      simultaneously in one laboratory, yet the factor IX activities provided with
      patient records varied 40-fold. Due to the high frequency of this mutation, we
      have utilized the technique of polymerase chain reaction amplification of
      specific alleles (PASA) to perform rapid and inexpensive carrier diagnoses in the
      families with this mutation. This is of particular importance for the Amish since
      the mutation should account for much of, if not all, the mild hemophilia B that
      is commonly found in this population.

PMID- 1864610
TI  - X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia and de novo t(X;1) in a female.
AB  - A de novo translocation (X;1)(q13.1;p36.33) was found in a 2-year-old girl with
      typical clinical features of X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA). The
      breakpoint at Xq13.1 is approximately the same as has been described in 2 other
      EDA females with X;autosome translocations.

PMID- 1864611
TI  - Increased band sharing in DNA fingerprints of an inbred human population.
AB  - We have compared band sharing between the DNA fingerprints of members of an
      inbred human population with band sharing between members of an outbred
      population. It had not previously been determined whether the high rate of
      mutation at minisatellite loci is sufficient to prevent an increase in band
      sharing in moderately inbred populations. We have found that there is an increase
      in band sharing in the 2-kb to 9-kb size range, but not in the greater than 9-kb
      size range, in the inbred population. The difference was consistently observed
      using four different multi-locus probes, viz. 33.6, 33.15, (CAC)5 and M13. Thus,
      we have demonstrated that moderate but prolonged inbreeding can lead to increased
      similarity in human DNA fingerprints. This should be considered when analysing
      DNA fingerprints in forensic or paternity cases involving members of an inbred
      community.

PMID- 1864612
TI  - Genotype-phenotype correlation and germline mosaicism in DMD/BMD patients with
      deletions of the dystrophin gene.
AB  - The molecular analysis of 127 DMD/BMD patients showed that 73 of them (57%) had
      deletions in the dystrophin gene. Two different methods were used in this study:
      (a) hybridization of HindIII-digested genomic DNA with nine cDNA probes
      corresponding to the entire 14kb cDNA of the DMD gene; and (b) simultaneous
      amplification of nine exons of the DMD gene (multiplex DNA amplification) by the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR). When the deletion breakpoints of the intragenic
      deletions were analyzed with regard to their phenotypic consequences, nine
      patients were found to represent exceptions to the reading-frame hypothesis.
      Information regarding mental development was also available for 61 of the 73
      deleted patients and for 34 of the 54 non-deleted ones. The proportion of
      mentally retarded patients was found to be similar in the two groups (deleted,
      15%; non-deleted, 18%). Finally, in one family, a junction fragment present in
      the patient was not found in the peripheral blood DNA of the mother but was
      present in the sister, thus indicating germline mosaicism in the mother.

PMID- 1864613
TI  - Isatin--a new biological factor.

PMID- 1864614
TI  - Isonicotinic acid hydrazide inhibits cell population growth during teratogenesis
      of chick embryo.
AB  - In chick embryos treated with a 4 hr pulse of 7.2 X 10(-5) M isonicotinic acid
      hydrazide (INH) the cell population growth is inhibited with an increased
      population doubling time. Teratogenised blastoderm cells complete their ongoing
      cell cycle and arrest in G1 phase. A chase with an equimolar concentration of
      pyridoxal-5-phosphate restores the growth rate after a lag of 4 hr equivalent to
      the duration of treatment with INH. Presumptive mesoblast cells invaginated
      through the primitive streak and neuroectoblast cells induced prior to the
      application of INH differentiate, while the teratogen inhibits morphogenesis and
      organization of organ primordia.

PMID- 1864615
TI  - Decidual cell reaction: relative response to traumatization in uterus of rat,
      hamster and guinea pig.
AB  - Relative decidual cell response to traumatization was studied in the uterus of
      immature rat, hamster and guinea pig. A single dose of progesterone (1.0
      mg/animal) caused 285 +/- 41 and 459 +/- 58% uterotrophy in traumatized horn of
      rat and hamster respectively, while in guinea pig increasing doses of
      progesterone (1, 2 and 5 mg/animal), several combinations of estrogen and
      progesterone or alteration in treatment schedule of the two hormones as well as
      extending the day of traumatization failed to elicit comparable uterotrophic
      response. Uterus of immature hamster was found to be most responsive to
      traumatization and that of guinea pig the least.

PMID- 1864616
TI  - Intra-and interchromosomal effects of heterozygous inversions on recombination in
      the third chromosome of Drosophila ananassae.
AB  - In order to study intra-and interchromosomal effects of heterozygous inversions
      on recombination in the third chromosome of D.ananassae, experiments were
      conducted using Stw-pr marker stock and five wild stocks with known karyotypes.
      The stocks used were homozygous for standard or inverted gene sequence in 2L, 3L,
      and 3R. Recombination was investigated in both sexes. There was complete absence
      of crossing-over in males in all the experiments which appeared to be the
      characteristic of marker stock as spontaneous male crossing-over was reported
      earlier with the same wild stocks when the second chromosome markers were used.
      Based on the data of karyotypically homozygous F1 females, the map distance
      between stw-pr was 36.55 map units. The heterozygosity due to a lengthy inversion
      in 2L increased the level of crossing-over between stw-pr genes of the third
      chromosome indicating interchromosomal effect. There was a considerable reduction
      in the rate of recombination between the same markers due to inversion
      heterozygosity in 3R indicating intrachromosomal effect. However, 3L inversion
      heterozygosity had no effect on crossover rate. These results provide evidence
      for intra-and interchromosomal effects of inversions on crossing-over in the
      third chromosome of D. ananassae.

PMID- 1864617
TI  - Effect of monoamine antagonists on pretectal evoked analgesia in rat.
AB  - Mild and brief electrical stimulation of sites in the pretectal nucleus of rat
      produced analgesia (SPA) of long duration without significant aversion.
      Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of 5-HT receptor antagonists
      methysergide (50 micrograms) and ketanserin (50 micrograms) and the dopaminergic
      antagonist haloperidol (50 micrograms) had no significant effect on pretectal
      SPA, but alpha and beta adrenoceptor antagonists phenoxybenzamine (50 micrograms)
      and sotalol (50 micrograms) on icv injection significantly antagonised the
      pretectal SPA. The results suggest that pretectal SPA involves activation of
      central adrenoceptors.

PMID- 1864618
TI  - Enriched collagen as coadjuvant therapeutic agent in experimental osteomyelitis
      in dogs.
AB  - Osteomyelitis was induced in the tibiae of dogs by injecting hemolytic strain of
      Staphylococcus aureus. Clinical, radiological and histomorphological reactions in
      the diseased tibiae were studied up to 15 weeks to evaluate the response of
      infected bone to parenteral oxytetracycline in cases of closed wounds and
      surgical curettage, antimicrobial irrigation along with parenteral
      oxytetracycline therapy in animals carrying open wounds. Enriched collagen as a
      constituent of therapeutic regimen was also administered locally and its efficacy
      during resolution of osteomyelitis was compared with other treatments. Surgical
      curettage along with irrigation of lesions was observed to be an effective method
      for bringing an early recovery in aggravated cases of osteomyelitis. The addition
      of collagen enhanced the healing process in comparison with non-collagen treated
      animals.

PMID- 1864619
TI  - Autoclaved partially decalcified bone as osteogenic substances--an experimental
      study.
AB  - A large osteoperiosteal gap was created in rabbit's ulna. A total of 18 allogenic
      decalbone grafts in left ulnar gap and 20 autoclaved allogenic decalbone grafts
      on right ulnar gaps were implanted. Five gaps were left unbridged to serve as
      controls. The results were assessed by clinical, radiological, macroscopic,
      histological and tetracycline fluorescent studies. It is observed that whereas
      the decalbone can successfully bridge a large gap in a vast majority of cases;
      the standard autoclaving of decalbone denatures its proteins which melt and cover
      the outer surface. The union, incorporation and remodelling of autoclaved
      decalbone grafts are slower as compared to that with unautoclaved decalbone.

PMID- 1864620
TI  - Hypersensitivity responses to Staphylococcus aureus infections in rabbits. An
      experimental study.
AB  - Repeated weekly infections with S aureus, of bovine mammary origin, for three
      times evoked an immediate and a delayed type hypersensitivity in rabbits. The
      skin responses at 6 hr were characterized by oedema, haemorrhages and
      infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells. While at 24 hr it was dominated by
      mononuclear cells specially lymphocytes in the dermis.

PMID- 1864621
TI  - Effect of cycocel and furfuryl amino purine on protein metabolism of pearl millet
      (Pennisetum americanum L.) under simulated drought conditions.
AB  - Water stress drastically decreased relative water content and total soluble
      protein whereas it increased free amino acids, proline and protease enzyme in P.
      americanum. Treatments with 6-furfuryl amino purine (0.50 mM) and cycocel (60 mM)
      maintained the levels of soluble protein contents but the applications of
      furfuryl amino purine decreased free amino acids and free proline under stress
      conditions.

PMID- 1864622
TI  - Increased plasma lipidperoxidation in vitamin B-6 deficient rats.
AB  - Lipidperoxidation in plasma of rats fed with vitamin B-6 deficient diet for a
      period of 12 weeks was studied with pair-fed controls. Plasma pyridoxal 5'
      phosphate, alanine amino transferase and aspartate amino transferase, the markers
      of vitamin B-6 status, were significantly low in vitamin B-6 deficient rats.
      Plasma malondialdehyde level, conjugated dienes and lipofuscin like pigments were
      increased in vitamin B-6 deficiency. Increased levels of plasma lipids, calcium,
      iron and copper were observed in vitamin B-6 deficiency. Plasma susceptibility to
      lipidperoxidation was maximal in vitamin B-6 deficiency, upon stimulation by the
      promotors, Fe2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, ascorbate, t-butyl hydroperoxide and hydrogen
      peroxide.

PMID- 1864623
TI  - Production and characterisation of a monoclonal antibody to progesterone and its
      effect on fertility.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody reacting with progesterone has been raised by fusion of
      mouse myeloma cells (SP20) and splenocytes of BALB/c mice hyperimmunized with 4
      pregnane 3,20 dione conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Association constant of
      this antibody for binding with progesterone was 0.22 x 10(9) l/mole. The antibody
      was highly specific for progesterone. A single ip injection of this antibody
      brought about an antifertility effect which is influenced by genotype. Antibody
      treatment brought about a significant decrease in the fetal weight and a slight
      decrease in the plasma progesterone levels. The antifertility effect could be
      reversed only up to day 3 by exogenous administration of progesterone.

PMID- 1864624
TI  - Easy criterion for detection of mating in guinea pig.
AB  - Existing criteria for determining receptivity to mating in female guinea pig has
      been redefined on the basis of kind of cells present in vaginal smear following
      its opening. The animals that showed not only cornified but also predominantly
      cornified cells over the leucocytes show higher sperm positivity rate. It is
      inferred that continuous cohabitation of these animals invariably leads to
      successful mating.

PMID- 1864625
TI  - Histamine H2 receptor mediated relaxation of hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)
      uterus.
AB  - Histamine and 4-methyl histamine produced relaxation of KCl depolarized hamster
      uterus in vitro. The relaxation was selectively antagonized by histamine H2
      receptor antagonist cimetidine which failed to antagonize the isoprenaline
      induced relaxation. The histamine induced relaxation was, further, not mediated
      through catecholamine release. The study indicated that, as in the albino rat,
      histamine produces relaxation of the hamster uterus mediated via the H2
      receptors.

PMID- 1864626
TI  - Depletion of ovarian oocytes in sublethally exposed mice to gamma radiation and
      its modification by 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (MPG).
AB  - Adult female Swiss albino mice were exposed to 0.6, 1.2 and 2.4 Gy of 60Co gamma
      radiations in presence and absence of MPG. Quantitative studies were done in
      serial sections of ovary at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 35 days after exposure. Primary
      follicles were found to be most radiosensitive. The depletion in the various
      types of follicles was checked to some extent by prior administration of MPG, but
      MPG could not prevent the complete elimination of all types of follicles by the
      last autopsy interval studied.

PMID- 1864627
TI  - Decrease in dopamine and norepinephrine concentration in different brain regions
      of mice during progression of Sarcoma 180 tumour.
AB  - The distribution and concentration of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE), the
      catecholamine neurotransmitters, were studied in discrete brain areas of Sarcoma
      180 tumour bearing mice. With the progression of tumour, marked depletion of DA
      and NE concentration was observed in some brain areas richly innervated with
      dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons suggesting an inverse relationship between
      brain CA and tumour growth. Since brain CA influence different important
      physiological activities like hormonal and immunological functions, it's
      alteration in brain areas during malignant growth suggests the possibility that
      the hormonal and immunological alterations during tumour growth is at the level
      of brain CA.

PMID- 1864628
TI  - Pre-clinical toxicity of IDPH-791: a new centrally acting muscle relaxant in
      rats.
AB  - IDPH-791, a novel centrally acting muscle relaxant, in doses up to 500 mg/kg (po)
      for 14 days did not result in any appreciable adverse effect on body weight gain,
      food or water consumption including biochemical and haematologica parameters in
      rats. Variations observed in the biochemistry and haematology were either
      comparable to controls or were within normal limits.

PMID- 1864629
TI  - Gene(s) mapping in a small segment of distal short arm of Y chromosome determine
      masculinity in humans.

PMID- 1864630
TI  - Over expression of human apoCIII gene leads to hypertriglyceridemia in transgenic
      mice.

PMID- 1864631
TI  - Cell-surface molecules in the regulation of immune responsiveness.
AB  - This paper reviews current knowledge genetics, structure and function on three
      categories of cell-surface molecules that affect immune responsiveness. It is
      focused on human molecules, but some references to murine analogues are made.
      First, the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules are discussed from
      the point of view of the associative recognition of antigenic peptides. The
      multiplicity, polymorphism and heterozygosity of MHC genes is correlated with the
      fine structure and the function of the molecules encoded by these genes. Second,
      selected CD molecules that are involved in cell-cell interaction and transduction
      of signals are discussed and correlated with discrete subsets of T cells,
      finally, some cell-surface receptors, antigen-specific and interleukin-specific,
      are analyzes, the effect of various molecules on immune responsiveness is
      illustrated by the actual experimental data. A minimal or parsimonious of
      triggering an immune response in which the discussed molecules are involved is
      described as a starting point for further discussion.

PMID- 1864632
TI  - C1-INH defect as an example of deficiency disease.
AB  - Primary defect of C1-inhibitor (C1-INH), the regulatory protein of the initial
      classical pathway of complement, is the cause of hereditary angioedema. Clinical
      symptoms involve potentially fatal obstruction of the upper respiratory tract,
      abdominal pains, and subcutaneous edemas. Since the description of functional
      tests for C1-INH two types of hereditary defect have been known: type I and type
      II. Sixteen patients with the type I of hereditary angioedema were diagnosed and
      treated in our hospital. The onset of the disease occurred between 1.5-12 y. of
      age. Clinical symptoms were observed in skin, gastrointestinal and respiratory
      tracts. Mean concentration of C1-INH in sera of 16 patients was 3.25 mg/dl, below
      8.75 mg/dl that is the critical for well-functioning C1-INH. Inhibitory activity
      of C1-INH for C1 esterase in plasma was zero in most of the patients, while it
      was 0.94 +/- 0.20 U/ml in plasma samples of 91 healthy blood donors. Three
      modalities of treatment are available: substitution with C1-INH concentrate in
      acute attacks and antifibrinolytic and/or anabolic drugs for prophylaxis. We have
      obtained good therapeutic results with epsilon-aminocaproic acid
      (antifibrinolytic), 2g daily during 3 months, with 6 months intervals.

PMID- 1864633
TI  - T and B cell defects in common variable immunodeficiency.
AB  - More than 50 patients with common variable immunodeficiency have been classified
      into 5 groups representing different blocks in B cell function. To do this, B
      cells were assessed in vitro by secretion of IgM or IgG in response to anti-IgM
      and IL-2 or to EBV alone. Some clinical features and the patients' sex ratio
      correlated with this B cell classification. In vitro attempts were made to
      identify and overcome these blocks using physiological ligands (e.g. cytokines),
      and agents that induce transcription (e.g. retinoic acid). The patient group with
      the most severely affected B cells also contained some patients whose T cells
      showed depressed DNA synthesis in response to mitogens. In vitro data indicate
      that the abnormality may be in the T cell itself rather than in monocytes failing
      to provide essential cytokines (e.g. IL-6). In 3 patients, splenic B cells were
      able to secrete IgM more effectively than circulating B cells, but still they
      produced no IgG.

PMID- 1864634
TI  - Cell-mediated immune functions in a patient with MHC class II deficiency.
AB  - This report focuses on cell-mediated immune functions in a patient with MHC class
      II deficiency. The patient described presented with a case of "classical" MHC
      class II deficiency (T and B cells within the normal range, normal lymphocyte
      proliferation in response to stimulation with mitogens, gene encoding for MHC
      class II present, no expression of MHC class II). The absence of MHC class II
      expression resulted in an incapability of the patient's antigen-presenting cells
      to function as accessory cells in the presentation of soluble protein antigens,
      while accessory functions required for the induction of alloantigen-induced
      lymphocyte proliferation or for the generation of cytotoxic T cells in response
      to an allostimulus were normal. The patient's T cells responded normally to
      alloantigenic stimulation and also had the capacity to develop antigen-specific
      cytotoxic functions. However, the T cells were completely naive with respect to
      activation by soluble protein antigens, even after presentation by accessory
      cells derived from the patient's healthy histoidentical brother. In this context
      it was interesting to note that the patient's CD4-positive cells showed a normal
      pattern of expression of the 4B4 marker, a marker generally present on memory T
      cells. These data make it tempting to speculate that in the absence of MHC class
      II, other cell surface structures may at least partially take over immune
      functions normally under the control of the MHC class II complex.

PMID- 1864635
TI  - Unaltered cell proliferation rate of the ataxia telangiectasia lymphocytes
      dividing in vitro.
AB  - Lower cell density was found in cultures of ataxia telangiectasia lymphocytes as
      compared to control lymphocyte cultures. This fits with the earlier observations
      of decreased incorporation of 3H-Thymidine into lymphocytes of ataxia
      telangiectasia (AT) patients. However, the finding that there was no significant
      difference in proliferation rate index between AT and control cultures was
      unexpected. This may indicate that both cell count and measurements of thymidine
      incorporation in lymphocyte cultures characterize cell populations distinct from
      that of proliferating cells.

PMID- 1864636
TI  - IgG subclasses and antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides in
      children with severe sinopulmonary infections and asthma.
AB  - A prospective open study was carried out on 30 pediatric patients with most
      severe chest disease whose serum immunoglobulin levels were normal. The patients
      entered into the study had had two or more documented episodes of pneumonia,
      and/or six episodes of bronchitis with fever within a year, and/or severe asthma
      (steroid-dependent), and/or hospitalization for chest disease for more than 30
      days within the year preceding the study. Eleven patients had sinopulmonary
      infections, 19 had asthma. Twenty patients had low levels of one or two IgG
      subclasses: 11 were deficient in IgG3, three in IgG4, three in IgG3 + IgG4, and
      three in IgG2 + IgG4. Patients with low IgG subclass levels were distributed
      throughout the different clinical entities. These children had significantly
      longer periods of hospitalization than the patients in whom all IgG subclasses
      were within the normal range. They suffered more often from sinopulmonary
      infections. Asthmatic children with low levels of an IgG subclass reported more
      days with wheezing and needed more steroids than the children without subclass
      deficiencies.

PMID- 1864637
TI  - Hypogammaglobulinaemia in low grade B cell tumours; significance and therapy.
AB  - Bacterial infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients
      with B-cell tumors; this is related to their secondary hypogammaglobulinaemia.
      Two studies of intravenous replacement therapy [IVIg] have been performed in such
      patients: a crossover study over two years and a randomised, multicentre study
      over one year. Both involved infusions of IVIg [400 mg/Kg] or an equivalent
      volume of saline every three weeks for one year. In both studies, serious
      bacterial infections were considerably reduced by IVIg. Viral and fungal
      infections were uncommon. In the crossover study bacterial infections were more
      frequent in periods in which patients serum IgG levels were below the normal
      range [less than 6.4 g/l]. The sites of bacterial infection were similar in these
      studies to those in previously published reports, namely respiratory tract, skin,
      urinary tract and blood. There were a few mild adverse reactions which were
      related to the rate of infusion, but no serious toxic effects. Haematological
      parameters were not significantly changed by IVIg at this dose and disease
      progression did not appear to be changed.

PMID- 1864638
TI  - The pharmacokinetics of total IgG, IgG subclasses, and type specific antibodies
      in immunodeficient patients.
AB  - The advent of immunoglobulin concentrates suitable for intravenous administration
      has greatly improved the clinical management of patients with a primary
      immunodeficiency syndrome. However, proper treatment requires understanding of
      the pharmacokinetics of the infused IgG and its components. We review here the
      work that has been conducted in this area. In particular, two studies have shown
      that these concentrates have adequate catabolic properties with regards to total
      IgG, IgG subclasses, and specific antibodies. We conclude that careful evaluation
      of the pharmacokinetics of a given IgG preparation is necessary in order to
      determine an appropriate treatment regimen.

PMID- 1864639
TI  - MHC allograft immunogenicity--its role in bone marrow transplantation and its
      constant downregulation.
AB  - Since 1972 our laboratory has performed a large variety of studies in the rat and
      mouse models. These have shown that it is possible to achieve MHC fully
      allogeneic hematopoietic chimerism with complete restitution of immunological
      reactivity but lasting immunotolerance of donor type cells following
      transplantation of lymphocyte-purged bone marrow into lethally irradiated
      recipients. The clinical application of this obvious immunobiological potential
      is, however, still in its infancy. This is largely due to the belief that graft
      versus-host reactions and host-versus-graft reactions balance each other out--a
      view that cannot be upheld. A decisive element in the network of immunoregulation
      following BMT is the immunogenic strength of the BM. In this context the
      following bits of information are given: (1) Bone marrow that has been completely
      purged of lymphocytes loses its allograft immunogenicity to a great extent and
      may even allow induction of tolerance, whereas unpurged BM is strongly
      immunogenic. (2) This reduction of alloimmunogenicity is only partially
      determined by lymphocytes and other MHC class II-expressing cells. (3) By
      incubating bone marrow with our new cytotoxic monoclonal antibody K31, directed
      against an epitope located an all human lymphocytes and defined cells of the
      monocytic lineage, both the alloimmunogenicity and the accessory cell potential
      of the bone marrow can be greatly reduced. (4) Recent analyses with macrophage
      cell clones rather than heterogeneous mixtures of BM cells indicate that oncogene
      transfections may allow us to completely down-regulate their alloimmunogenicity,
      in spite of unaltered high MHC expression, by genetically downregulating Il-1. In
      conclusion, it is suggested that MHC allogeneic BMT will become feasible in the
      human, as it is well-established in preclinical models.

PMID- 1864640
TI  - Review on therapeutic options in HIV associated thrombocytopenia with emphasis on
      i.v. immunoglobulin treatment.
AB  - Thrombocytopenia as a complicating event in human immunodeficiency infection is a
      rather common hematological disorder and in many aspects resembles
      idiopathic(immune) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Consequently, treatment of
      severe cases is similar to treating ITP, but steroids should be administered with
      particular caution in patients suffering from AIDS. Alternatives to steroids are
      considered in the present article with emphasis on intravenous immunoglobulin as
      a means to favourably influence the pathogenic events on the platelet surface.

PMID- 1864641
TI  - The complement system in HIV disease.
AB  - Different aspects of the relationship between the HIV infection and the
      complement system were studied. 1. No significant differences were found between
      seronegative controls, asymptomatic, and symptomatic (ARC, AIDS) HIV-seropositive
      patients in the plasma levels of complement components C4, Bf, and C3. 2. Using
      sensitive ELISA assays, a significant increase was observed in the levels of
      protein-protein complexes which are formed at the activation of the classical
      (C1r-C1s-C1-INH) and alternative (C3b-Bb-P) pathways, indicating that both
      complement pathways are activated in the HIV disease. No significant differences
      were found, however, in the levels of these complexes between the groups of
      asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV-infected patients. 3. Artificial immune
      complexes of synthetic peptides representing some immunodominant epitopes of HIV
      envelope (gp120, and gp41) proteins, and human polyclonal anti-HIV IgG were found
      to weakly activate both the classical and alternative complement pathways. 4. An
      elevated percentage of the lymphocytes carrying a complement activation fragment,
      C3d, was detected in the blood of HIV seropositive patients as compared to the
      seronegative controls. No significant positive correlation was found between the
      percentage of these cells and that of any T cell subsets tested.

PMID- 1864642
TI  - Do women and men speak in different voices? A comparative study of self
      evolvement.
AB  - A comparative study of women's and men's levels of self evolvement was conducted
      based on Kegan's Constructive-Developmental Theory. The samples for the study
      were drawn from groups of American women and men in military service in Europe
      and their dependents, as well as civilians employed by the American military. The
      participants level of self evolvement was determined by Kegan's Subject-Object
      Interview. The results indicated that there were no gender differences in levels
      of self evolvement. Hence, the orientation toward individuation and increased
      autonomy, which is stereotypically masculine, and the orientation toward
      attachment and dependence, which is stereotypically feminine, are not necessarily
      based on innate male or female characteristics. The tendency towards separateness
      or inclusion may be related more to individual differences and other factors such
      as the social and cultural environment.

PMID- 1864643
TI  - Predicates of personal control among middle-aged and young-old men and women in
      middle America.
AB  - These analyses explore relationships between the conscious general sense of
      control and :1) personal evaluations of major life domains (health, spouse's
      health, marriage, parenting, work, leisure): and 2) spouse's evaluations of life
      domains, within groups defined by gender and age. Respondents include 101 men and
      127 women; all are Caucasian; they reside in a middle-class community in the
      midwestern United States; they are aged forty-three to seventy-six (M = 56); they
      are all in long-term marriages, with an average of 4.4 children; and 73 percent
      had at least one child living at home. Evaluations of life domains included self
      report satisfaction and investment scales completed after personal interview
      questions about the domain. There were no gender differences and minimal age
      differences in levels of sense of control or evaluations of the life domains.
      However, as expected, multiple regression analyses indicated that the evaluations
      that contribute to a sense of control vary by gender and be age group within
      gender group. For men, the sense of control is linked to experiences in work; for
      younger middle-aged men, satisfaction with health is important; and for older
      men, investment in marriage is also important. Younger middle-aged women's sense
      of mastery is tied to satisfaction with mothering and investment in their own
      health; older women's sense of control is linked to satisfaction with marriage,
      health, and leisure. Age group patterns may reflect both developmental and cohort
      effects.

PMID- 1864644
TI  - The impact of the dream on mental health functioning in the male midlife
      transition.
AB  - In the area of adult development, Levinson's notion of the personal Dream is
      important in understanding the male midlife transition. Levinson suggests that
      during this period in the life cycle the status of the Dream becomes a prominent
      issue, as men become increasingly aware of the limits of their achievements.
      Sixty-four midlife men filled out questionnaires examining whether they had a
      Dream, and whether they experienced or anticipated experiencing success or
      failure of that Dream. The Beck Depression Inventory, the IPAT Anxiety Scale, and
      the Purpose-In-Life Test were included to assess the mental health status of the
      respondents. The results support the conclusion that whether a man has a Dream,
      and the degree to which he experiences success in achieving it are significantly
      related to his mental health status (i.e., depression, anxiety, and purpose-in
      life) during the midlife transition.

PMID- 1864645
TI  - Life patterns and age styles in older adults.
AB  - A biographical approach was used to investigate life themes, life experiences,
      and personality styles in older adults. Extensive interviews were conducted with
      fifteen individuals, who sorted index cards with life events and filled out a
      personality inventory. A typology was developed that distinguished individual
      life patterns (i.e., specific life themes and life events) and age styles (i.e.,
      personality traits). Three case histories illustrate each of the major life
      patterns found in the interviews.

PMID- 1864647
TI  - Fluorocarbon-based blood substitutes: what progress?

PMID- 1864646
TI  - A comparison of ego identity status transition pathways and change rates across
      five identity domains.
AB  - The present retrospective study was designed to explore the question of whether
      or not ego identity status transition pathways and change rates differ
      significantly across domains of identity development from adolescence through
      middle adulthood. A sample of 100 middle- and upper-middle-class New Zealand
      adults from forty to sixty-three years of age were interviewed regarding the
      development of values in the areas of vocation, religion, politics, and gender
      roles, and relationships using an adaptation of the Marcia Ego Identity Status
      Interview. Raters later assigned an identity status for each year of
      chronological age for each participant. Preliminary analyses indicated that
      subgroups of the larger sample differed significantly in terms of identity status
      transition patterns. Within each of the eight subgroups examined, there were
      statistically significant differences in transition pathways and change rates
      across the five identity domains. These findings suggest the importance of
      examining separate identity domains and controlling for demographic variables in
      future studies of adult identity development. Results are discussed in terms of
      Grotevant's process model of identity formation.

PMID- 1864648
TI  - Endothelin and renal failure.

PMID- 1864649
TI  - Patient and technique survival for blind and sighted diabetics on continuous
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a ten-year analysis.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of patient and technique survival over 10 years in a
      group of 66 diabetics (40 being blind) and 71 non-diabetics was undertaken.
      Patient survival profiles showed that the blind diabetics lived longer than the
      sighted, but for a shorter time than the nondiabetics. In technique success, the
      sighted diabetics out did the blind and the non-diabetics, long term. Short term,
      the blind performed better than sighted diabetics. The key to success and longer
      survival on CAPD depended on motivation on the part of the patient, patient's
      acceptance of given disability, family (social) support, and willingness on the
      part of renal care personnel to train the disabled diabetic to perform CAPD. With
      adequate education and support, blind diabetics did CAPD as well as sighted
      patients. There was no increased frequency of peritonitis in blind diabetics
      compared to sighted diabetics. Both blind diabetics and non-diabetics had fewer
      episodes than sighted diabetics. Intraperitoneal route of insulin administration
      achieved good glycemic control in diabetic population. Refractory congestive
      cardiac failure and/or fatal arrhythmias was the most common cardiac cause of
      death in diabetics on CAPD.

PMID- 1864650
TI  - Mechanical bridge to cardiac transplantation.

PMID- 1864651
TI  - Timing for implantation and transplantation in mechanical bridge to
      transplantation.
AB  - The implantation of a mechanical blood pump in a deteriorating candidate for
      heart transplantation is indicated in general if the cardiac index is less than
      1.9 L/min/m2 despite maximal inotropic support. Deterioration of end organ
      function may be taken as a second factor indicating the need for mechanical
      support as patients with acute onset of shock may react differently from patients
      with chronic deterioration. Preoperative need for dialysis largely reduces the
      chances of long-term survival. The time on support should be long enough to
      normalize or at least improve secondarily damaged organ systems, but with time
      infectious and thromboembolic complications will increase. So optimal periods for
      artificial heart support range between two days and four weeks. Age less than 40
      years is a positive predictor for outcome in TAH bridging. The general
      guidelines, however, do not preclude a favourable outcome in complicated cases,
      as we show in our own series.

PMID- 1864652
TI  - Prognostic indices of survival in patients supported with temporary devices (TAH,
      VAD).
AB  - In an attempt to identify current indications and patient selection criteria for
      the use of mechanical circulatory support, we reviewed our experience in 83
      patients who received a total artificial heart (TAH; n = 43), ventricular assist
      device (VAD) (n = 13), centrifugal pump (n = 17) or extracorporeal membrane
      oxigenation (ECMO) (n = 8) as a bridge to transplantation (Group I, n = 50) or
      for recovery from heart failure (Group II, n = 33). Comparing patients
      successfully transplanted (n = 20) or weaned (n = 9) who survived initial
      hospitalization, and those who died on mechanical support, there were no
      differences in preoperative renal, hepatic or pulmonary functions. Postoperative
      urinary output and bilirubin levels were the earliest variables affecting
      survival, and urinary output 24 hours after implant was discriminative in
      patients who survived (p less than 0.01). Age (above or below 40 years) and
      modality of terminal heart failure (acute versus chronic) were the most important
      factors affecting survival in the bridge to transplant group: 82% of young
      patients with acute decompensation were transplanted and 63% are long-term
      survivors while all patients over 40 years with chronic heart failure died on
      mechanical support (MS). In postcardiotomy patients, duration of cardiopulmonary
      by-pass (CPB) was significantly different comparing survivors with those who died
      in either bridge or recovery groups and all patients who had a CPB greater than 4
      hours died on MS or after transplantation or weaning. In conclusion, preoperative
      indices indicating reversibility of multiple organ dysfunction remain to be
      identified.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864653
TI  - Irreversible drop of systemic vascular resistances in patients implanted with a
      Jarvik total artificial heart.
AB  - Maintenance of the body's perfusion by a total artificial heart (TAH) may result
      in physiological alterations to the circulatory system. Little has been said
      about modifications to systemic vascular resistances (SVR) during TAH assistance.
      This paper reports on two patients implanted with a Jarvik - 70 cc TAH, who died
      after 1 and 3 days, both with an irreversible drop of SVR related to a complete
      loss of vascular tone but not related to sepsis. Activation of multiple cascades
      of inflammation, triggered by the extracorporeal circulation (ECC), is maintained
      during TAH support. Desperately sick patients might not be able to face the vaso
      active situations created by the inflammatory response.

PMID- 1864654
TI  - Cinematics and sticking of heart valves in pulsatile flow test.
AB  - The aim of the project was to develop laboratory test devices for studies of the
      cinematics and sticking behaviour of technical valve protheses. The second step
      includes testing technical valves of different types and sizes under static and
      dynamic conditions. A force-deflection balance was developed in order to load
      valve rims by static radial forces until sticking or loss of a disc (sticking-
      and clamping-mould point) with computer-controlled force deflection curves. A
      second deflection device was developed and used for prosthetic valves in the
      aortic position of a pulsatile mock circulation loop with simultaneous video
      cinematography. The stiffness of technical valve rims varied between 0.20 (St.
      Jude) and about 1.0 N/micron (metal rim valves). The stiffness decreased
      significantly with increasing valve size. Sticking under pulsatile flow
      conditions was in good agreement with the static deflection measurements. Hence,
      valve sticking with increasing danger of thrombus formation is more likely with a
      less stiff valve rim. In the case of forces acting perpendicularly to the
      pendulum axis, the clamping mould-point of the valve can be reached, followed by
      disc dislodgement.

PMID- 1864655
TI  - Bioartificial polymeric materials obtained from blends of synthetic polymers with
      fibrin and collagen.
AB  - A new class of biomaterials, called "bioartificial polymeric materials", was
      prepared blending a segmented polyurethane (PU) with fibrinogen (FBNG); and
      poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(acrylamide) (PAAM), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL),
      with collagen (CLG), respectively. The PU-FBNG material was processed through a
      spraying, phase-inversion technique to fabricate porous tubular conduits. FBNG
      was subsequently converted into covalently cross-linked fibrin (FBN) through the
      action of thrombin (Th), fibrin-stabilizing factor (FSF), and calcium ions.
      Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the cross-linked blend was more
      stable than native cross-linked FBN. Tensile behaviors of the PU-FBN materials
      closely matched those of a natural artery on varying the ratio PU/FBN.
      Implantation experiments in the rat model showed a mature internal capsule and
      good tissue organization of PU-FBN (50%) grafts in the regenerated arterial wall.
      However, 50% of FBN did not assure adequate mechanical resistance, and aneurysmal
      changes were seen in some grafts. DSC of CLG-based materials, processed by
      casting, showed that the synthetic component offered definite advantage compared
      to the CLG denaturation temperature, particularly noticeable for CLG-PAA and CLG
      PVAL blends. Material advantages and drawbacks are discussed.

PMID- 1864656
TI  - Apheresis-elutriation program for adoptive immunotherapy with autologous
      activated monocytes in cancer patients.
AB  - Human blood monocytes (Mo) and monocyte-derived macrophages (M phi) are known to
      be potent antitumor cytotoxic effector cells through activation with recombinant
      human interferon gamma (rIFN-gamma), bacterial muramyldipeptide or the synthetic
      derivative muramyltripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine entrapped in liposomes (L
      MTP-PE). Large-scale generation of ex vivo activated Mo from the blood of cancer
      patients proved feasible. We report our experience with a fixed rotor speed
      counterflow centrifugation elutration (CEE) procedure using the newly available
      Beckman high capacity JE-5.0 rotor system that reproducibly isolates up to 1.0
      1.5 x 10(9) Mo with greater than 90% purity, in suspension and functionally
      intact derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cell-enriched suspensions
      obtained by leukapheresis (LP) from healthy volunteers and cancer patients. The
      semiclosed, easy to handle CCE system, was adapted to a sterile technique that
      permitted clinical trials in adoptive monocyte immunotherapy. Freshly isolated Mo
      did not lose morphological or functional integrity and had no spontaneous
      activation. Their abilities to become activated to the cytotoxic state after 18-h
      stimulation with 500 U/ml rIFN-gamma or 1 microgram/ml L-MTP-PE and to
      differentiate into matured M phi in vitro were not altered. The system was
      therefore used to isolate large numbers of Mo for a phase I clinical trial of
      intraperitoneal immunotherapy with L-MTP-PE activated autologous Mo in nine
      patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Each patient received weekly Mo
      infusions (n = 5) with an intrapatient dose escalation schedule (from 10(7) to
      10(9) Mo). Toxicities were mild including fever, chills and abdominal pain. There
      was no treatment-induced thromboembolic event or capillary leak
      syndrome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864657
TI  - Membrane plasmapheresis raises the serum concentrations of pseudouridine.

PMID- 1864658
TI  - Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty during pregnancy.
AB  - Severe aortic stenosis may potentiate sudden life threatening complications
      during pregnancy. We report a case of successful percutaneous balloon aortic
      valvuloplasty in a pregnant patient with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis due
      to congenital bicuspid aortic valve at 14 weeks' gestation. Use of percutaneous
      valvuloplasty allowed asymptomatic progression of the pregnancy to term and
      normal delivery of a healthy 2920 g infant.

PMID- 1864659
TI  - Valvar vegetations in the neonate due to fetal endocarditis.
AB  - Mass lesions were observed on the tricuspid valve by cross-sectional
      echocardiography in 5 neonates, 4 of whom presented with fetal distress. Four
      went on to develop severe respiratory distress, 3 from meconium aspiration and 1
      from hyaline membrane disease, with 2 deaths despite intensive treatment. Autopsy
      confirmed meconium aspiration pneumonia. Sterile, unorganised vegetations were
      seen on the tricuspid valve (and in 1 infant the mitral valve too). Perinatal
      factors such as hypoxia, haemodynamic and coagulation disturbances may have
      contributed to the formation of the vegetations and may reflect the severity and
      refractoriness of persistent pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 1864660
TI  - Transoesophageal echocardiography in diagnosis of aberrant coronary artery.
AB  - Aberrant origin of the main stem of the left coronary artery from the right sinus
      of Valsalva caused angina of effort in a 40 year-old patient. Diagnosis was
      revealed by transoesophageal echocardiography and confirmed by selective coronary
      angiography. Aorto-coronary bypass was performed in order to prevent the
      recurrence of myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1864661
TI  - Hydatid cyst of the heart and pericardium.
AB  - Between 1977 and 1988, six young patients (average 22 years) underwent surgery
      for cardiac echinococcosis. Three had a single cyst and the others had multiple
      cysts which ruptured into the pericardium. The diagnosis was always confirmed by
      cross-sectional echocardiography and cardiac angiography. Surgery was always
      performed through median sternotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass. Morbidity and
      mortality were nil and late results were satisfactory.

PMID- 1864662
TI  - Doppler evaluation of a left atrial myxoma.
AB  - We present a detailed Doppler evaluation of a left atrial myxoma. Doppler
      recordings varied considerably with the position of the patient and of the sample
      volume. Maximum obstruction to flow was observed in the left lateral position;
      but no gradient was present when sitting upright. These findings provide a
      haemodynamic explanation for the positional variation of murmurs characteristic
      of atrial myxomas.

PMID- 1864663
TI  - Abnormal systolic atrioventricular flow related to incoordinate motion of the
      ventricular wall after the Fontan operation.
AB  - The development of abnormal flow has been described in patients with incoordinate
      motion of the ventricular wall. In all cases so far documented, these abnormal
      patterns of flow have been restricted to the ventricular cavity, and the
      atrioventricular valve remained closed. We identified a patient after a Fontan
      operation in whom the degree of ventricular mural incoordination was of such
      severity that the atrioventricular valve remained open and atrioventricular flow
      occurred for 140 msec after the onset of QRS complex. As far as we know, this
      phenomenon has not previously been described.

PMID- 1864664
TI  - Conventional right sided chest leads fail to identify small right ventricular
      infarctions.

PMID- 1864665
TI  - A correlation between the structure of myocardial cells and prolonged Q-T
      interval in young rats.
AB  - In the present study, we examined the electrocardiogram and the structure of
      myocardial cells in young rats at different postnatal ages. The offspring of rats
      were sacrificed on different postnatal days following electrocardiographical
      recordings, and sections of their hearts were examined microscopically. In a
      number of newborns, we observed definite prolongation of the Q-T interval in the
      electrocardiogram on the first day of life. Normal shortening of the Q-T interval
      with age was demonstrated in the majority of the offspring while, in some of
      them, the Q-T interval remained prolonged. In the "affected" offspring, which
      exhibit a typical pattern of Q-T prolongation with clear ST segment, definite
      retardation of histological differentiation of the myocardium was found at
      various ages. In these cases, there were large numbers of "myoblasts" scattered
      between normal myocytes in different parts of the ventricular walls and septum.
      These myoblasts were rarely identified in newborns and offspring with a normal Q
      T interval. Our results clearly show a correlation between the ratio of
      persistence of undifferentiated myoblasts at any age and the typical prolonged Q
      T pattern in the electrocardiogram (r = 0.9). Due to the possible clinical
      significance, the hearts of patients with prolonged Q-T syndrome should be
      examined so as to reach for abnormal differentiation of the myocytes.

PMID- 1864666
TI  - Coronary angioplasty with second generation Monorail catheters.
AB  - The Monorail system (Schneider) consists of a balloon catheter in which the
      guidewire passes through the balloon itself, exits the catheter proximal to the
      balloon, and runs alongside its small shaft (3 French) through the length of the
      guiding catheter. It offers distinct advantages over conventional systems of
      coronary angioplasty. It facilitates contrast injections and permits rapid
      balloon exchanges. This system was used for coronary angioplasty in 273
      unselected consecutive patients (age 59 +/- 10, mean 35 to 73 years). There were
      216 patients (84%) undergoing single-vessel and 57 patients (16%) with multi
      vessel coronary angioplasty. A total of 335 coronary stenoses were dilated, which
      included 35 total occlusions. The size of balloon used ranged from 2.0 to 4.25 mm
      (3.0 +/- 0.5 mm) and the severity of stenosis was 85 +/- 11%. Technical success
      was defined as a residual stenosis of less than 50% as determined
      angiographically. Clinical success was defined as technical success, and absence
      of a major inhospital complication defined as absence of myocardial infarction,
      lack of need for coronary arterial bypass surgery, and survival. The Monorail
      system was technically successful in 294/300 stenotic lesions (98%). It was
      clinically successful for 281 lesions (94%). Of the 35 total occlusions,
      technical success was obtained in 25 (71%). The residual stenosis of successful
      cases was 26 +/- 21%. The Monorail system was also successful in 5 patients with
      stenosis of more than 90% in whom conventional systems failed. The complications
      included acute occlusion causing acute myocardial infarction in 13 cases (5%),
      emergency coronary arterial bypass surgery in 1 patient (0.4%), and death in 4
      patients (1.5%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864667
TI  - Different effects of acute intravenous administration of k-strophanthidin and
      prenalterol on the diastolic phase of left ventricular function in patients with
      coronary arterial disease.
AB  - In 21 patients with coronary arterial disease, and with maintained (or mildly
      depressed) systolic function, we studied the effects of two well-known inotropic
      agents, namely prenalterol and k-strophanthidin, on the diastolic phase. Selected
      variables of both systolic and diastolic function were assessed at controlled
      heart rate by cardiac catheterization and left ventriculography before and after
      acute intravenous administration of the beta 1 agonist prenalterol (35
      micrograms/kg for 3 min) and of k-strophanthidin (0.008 mg/kg for 5-10 min). Ten
      patients received prenalterol, and 11 patients were injected with k
      strophanthidin. Administration of prenalterol induced a remarkable diminution of
      end-systolic volume index (mean values from 41.8 +/- 11.9 to 32.2 +/- 10.4),
      while k-strophanthidin showed only a tendency towards a decrease (mean values
      from 43.4 +/- 13.2 to 40.7 +/- 15.1). After k-strophanthidin, we did not observe
      any significant changes in the peaks of maximal rate in volumetric increase
      during filling phase whereas, after prenalterol, a noteworthy increase of the
      first peak was accompanied by a significant decrease of the second peak. The
      lowest and end filling left ventricular pressures were decreased by prenalterol
      (mean values from -0.8 +/- 0.1 to -2 +/- 0.5 and from 10.6 +/- 4.6 to 4.1 +/- 1.1
      respectively), whereas k-strophanthidin increased left ventricular end diastolic
      pressure (mean values from 11.6 +/- 4.3 to 17.1 +/- 9.1). Prenalterol induced a
      relevant increase of ejection fraction (mean values from 0.52 +/- 0.1 to 0.61 +/-
      0.008), whereas k-strophanthidin produced only a nearly significant (P less than
      0.06) mild increase (mean values from 0.51 +/- 0.06 to 0.54 +/- 0.09).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864668
TI  - The coronary arteries of the transplanted human heart: studies of the development
      of disease based on serial angiography.
AB  - 291 coronary angiograms were performed routinely 1 to 8 years after cardiac
      transplantation in 116 patients operated on at Papworth Hospital between January
      1979 and September 1986. In this setting, as in others, angiography tends to
      underestimate the amount of disease present, and the patterns of angiographic
      abnormality are various. The actuarial probability of freedom from angiographic
      evidence of coronary occlusion is 79% at 2 years, 76% at 3 years, 60% at 4 years,
      57% at 5 years. We have defined two disparate groups designated 'fast disease'
      and 'slow disease', being respectively those who have angiographic and/or
      pathologic evidence of disease at two years, and those who have normal coronary
      angiograms at 5 years. In comparing features of these two groups, donor age, high
      density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and
      triglyceride level differ, though significantly only for the high density
      fraction.

PMID- 1864669
TI  - Cardiac rhythm after Mustard repair and after arterial switch operation for
      complete transposition.
AB  - We compared the prevalence of arrhythmias among the first consecutive 45 patients
      with complete transposition (concordant atrioventricular and discordant
      ventriculo-arterial connexions) after arterial switch operation and the last 47
      patients after Mustard repair in infancy. Both groups had 24-hour Holter
      electrocardiographic studies at similar periods of follow up (24 +/- 14 and 25 +/
      18 months). A second group of patients undergoing the Mustard procedure had been
      repaired at an older age before 1981. They were studied to determine the
      frequency of disturbances of rhythm during later postoperative follow-up (85 +/-
      24 months). Symptomatic brady-/tachyarrhythmia syndrome never occurred after the
      arterial switch and only once in the group of patients repaired by the Mustard
      procedure in infancy, but developed at a late stage (69 +/- 28 months); five
      times in the group of patients having Mustard's repair at an older age. In
      addition, Holter monitoring did not detect bradyarrhythmias indicating sinus node
      dysfunction in a single patient after the arterial switch, but did so to a
      similar extent in both groups having the Mustard procedure (recent: n = 14;
      older: n = 18). Three cases of the group of older patients undergoing a Mustard
      operation developed complete atrioventricular block during follow-up. Normal
      findings were present in 93% of the cases after arterial switch, but in only 51%
      of the cases with a similar follow-up repaired by the Mustard procedure, and in
      29% of the group having the Mustard repair at an older age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864671
TI  - Electrophysiologic-structural correlations in chagasic aneurysms causing
      malignant arrhythmias.
AB  - We studied the structure and ultrastructure of three chagasic aneurysms, the
      excision of which abolished malignant arrhythmias. Chronic recurrent ventricular
      tachycardia often occurs in patients with chagasic aneurysms, and ventricular
      mapping indicates that these arrhythmias originate in regions adjacent to those
      aneurysms. In our patients, ventricular tachycardia had been refractory to
      medical treatment. During surgery, epicardial and endocardial mapping showed
      abnormal potentials. Sutures were placed in the areas of resection, their sizes
      approximating those of earliest activation so that these sites could be
      identified. The myocardium showed chronic inflammatory reaction, myocytolysis and
      fibrosis. The presence of "islets" was common (normal, "early" damaged or
      "established" necrotic myocytes surrounded by fibrous tissue). The "early"
      lesions were predominant at the previously identified areas of arrhythmogenic
      activity. The ultrastructural studies showed hypertrophy of myocytes and partial
      or complete loss of myofibrils, swelling of mitochondria and disruption of
      mitochondrial cristae, accumulation of lipofuscin granules, and intracellular
      oedema. A most striking alteration was the thickening of the basement membranes
      of myocytes and vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The interlaced
      fronts of respectively healthy (fast conducting) and "early" damaged (slow
      conducting) myocytes seen in serial sectioning produced an ideal configuration
      for reentry circuits. The final proof that the arrhythmias originated in these
      endocardial regions was their abolition by resection of the aneurysm.

PMID- 1864670
TI  - Relationship of immunosuppression and serum lipids to the development of coronary
      arterial disease in the transplanted heart.
AB  - Coronary arterial disease in the cardiac allograft has emerged as the most
      serious long term complication of cardiac transplantation. The influence of
      patient-related and other potential risk factors on the development of coronary
      arterial disease at 1 year subsequent to cardiac transplantation was examined in
      207 recipients. The mean age of donors in patients with coronary arterial disease
      was 28.5 +/- 9.5 years, compared to 22.6 +/- 7.9 years in patients without
      coronary arterial disease (P less than 0.01). Eight of the 35 patients who
      received immunosuppression by means of prednisone and azathioprine developed
      coronary arterial disease compared to 5 of the 172 patients who were treated with
      cyclosporin and azathioprine without routine oral prednisone (P less than 0.01).
      The relationship of levels of serum lipids to the subsequent development of
      coronary arterial disease was investigated in 95 patients with angiographically
      normal coronary arteries one year after cardiac transplantation. The cumulative
      probability of coronary arterial disease in those with total cholesterol greater
      than 5.8 mmol/l was 9.3% at 2 years (n = 40), 24.4% at 4 years (n = 21) and 45%
      at 4 years (n = 9) compared with 4.3% at 2 years (n = 45), 7.4% at 3 years (n =
      32) and 14% at 4 years (n = 14) in those with a total cholesterol less than 5.8
      mmol/l (P less than 0.05). Similarly, the incidence of coronary arterial disease
      was increased in patients with serum triglyceride greater than 1.4 mmol/l (P less
      than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864672
TI  - Prognostic significant of indium-111 antimyosin antibody uptake in patients with
      dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - The prognostic significance of myocardial uptake of indium-111 antimyosin was
      evaluated in 15 patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathy: 10 patients with dilated
      cardiomyopathy and 5 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Seven of the 10
      patients with dilated cardiomyopathy showed positive images; three of these 7
      patients with strongly positive scans died within 3 months after scintigraphic
      examination. Four of the 5 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy showed
      positive images; two of these patients with dilated left ventricle had prominent
      positive scans and higher heart to lung ratio. One of these two patients died 12
      months after antimyosin scan. The heart to lung ratio of antimyosin uptake in
      total patients was correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (r =
      0.51, P less than 0.05), end-systolic dimension (r = 0.57, P less than 0.05) and
      ejection fraction (r = -0.60, P less than 0.05) measured by echocardiography.
      Although the number of patients is small and the study is preliminary, indium-111
      antimyosin antibody imaging could be of value in establishing prognosis of
      patients with dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in selecting patients for
      cardiac transplantation, and in evaluating the effects of therapeutic
      interventions.

PMID- 1864673
TI  - Senile systemic amyloidosis: a clinico-pathological study of twelve patients with
      massive amyloid infiltration.
AB  - Hearts from 12 patients, 82-92 years old, with immunohistochemically verified
      pronounced senile systemic amyloidosis, were studied postmortem. Sections from
      the left ventricle, atrioventricular and sinus nodes and atrioventricular bundle
      were studied using the light microscope. The weights of the hearts varied between
      310 and 870 grams. In the studied parts of the conduction system, the amounts of
      amyloid were considerably smaller than in the surrounding myocardium. Clinical
      data were taken from available case records. Eight of the patients had a history
      of uncomplicated congestive heart failure, but only two had been in hospital with
      cardiac symptoms prior to their last admission. The electrocardiogram showed
      atrial fibrillation in nine cases, left bundle branch block in three, right
      bundle branch block in two and left anterior hemiblock in one. No evidence of
      atrioventricular dissociation was seen and, in no case, was death considered to
      be due to conduction disturbances. Amyloidosis was a contributing cause of death
      in 7 patients, while the remaining patients died of other diseases. Amyloidosis
      is rarely diagnosed before death and was not suspected during life in any of our
      patients.

PMID- 1864674
TI  - Hypertrophy of surviving myocytes overlying the infarct in human old myocardial
      infarctions with abnormal Q waves.
AB  - The time course of hypertrophy of surviving myocytes overlying the infarct after
      the onset was examined and the hypertrophy was analyzed in relation to the
      transmural extent of infarct in 34 autopsied hearts with Q wave infarction. The
      34 hearts were divided into 4 groups according to the length of time between the
      onset of infarction and death. This was less than 5 days in group 1 (n = 10), 20
      30 days in group 2 (n = 7), 40-60 days in group 3 (n = 7), and 12-24 months in
      group 4 (n = 10). To clarify the regional hypertrophy of myocytes overlying the
      infarct, the size of the surviving myocytes in the outer third of the left
      ventricular wall in the 1-cm wide central zone of the infarct was compared with
      that of the myocytes in the outer third of the left ventricular wall without
      infarction (control wall) in the same heart. To exclude factors which stimulate
      the hypertrophy of the whole left ventricle, the ratio of the monocyte diameter
      in the infarcted wall to that in the control wall was examined. It was 1.0 +/-
      0.0 (mean +/- SD) in group 1, 1.0 +/- 0.1 in group 2, 1.2 +/- 0.1 in group 3, and
      1.3 +/- 0.1 in group 4. The ratio was significantly higher in group 3 than in
      group 1 and 2, and was highest in group 4. In group 4, the corrected percentage
      transmural extent of infarct indicating the original transmural extent of infarct
      at the acute stage was 63 + 8%, and this transmural extent correlated positively
      with the ratio of myocyte diameter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864675
TI  - Lower limb amputations for vascular insufficiency.

PMID- 1864676
TI  - Mothers of children with severe mental retardation: maternal pessimism, locus of
      control and perceived social support.

PMID- 1864677
TI  - Conceptions of hearing impairment in students.

PMID- 1864678
TI  - Psychological characteristics of drug abusers: implications for treatment and
      rehabilitation.

PMID- 1864679
TI  - Origin of the avian glycogen body: I. Effects of tail bud removal in the chick
      embryo.
AB  - The tail bud was removed from chick embryos at stage 16-17 in a first study
      directed to learn of the origin of the glycogen body in the lumbosacral spinal
      cord of birds. Results of tail bud removal and chorio-allantoic grafting of
      caudal portions of the embryo containing the tail bud or the neural tube suggest
      that the glycogen body does not arise from the tail bud, but from the preexisting
      neural tube craniad or anterior to the tail bud. The stem cells of the glycogen
      body are most likely among those components of the anterior portion of the
      lumbosacral neural tube derived from primary neurulation.

PMID- 1864681
TI  - Biorhythms as a possible regulator of longevity.

PMID- 1864680
TI  - Effects of nutrient intake and sexual age of the dam at mating on fetal
      development in swine.
AB  - Fifty-four Duroc gilts (mean wt = 88 kg, mean age = 164 d) were fed a 15% protein
      diet either ad libitum (F) or at a rate of approximately 50% of ad libitum daily
      (1.8 kg: L) prior to mating at either second (Exp. 1) or first (Exp. 2) observed
      estrus. Gilts were checked for estrus twice daily with a mature, active boar,
      mated at the appropriate estrus, and fed 1.8 kg of the prebreeding diet per gilt
      daily until slaughter between 42 and 49 days of gestation, mated gilts were
      slaughtered and measurements taken on fetuses and reproductive organs. In Exp. 1,
      fetal weight per day of gestational age (FetWDA), placental weight (PLW), crown
      to-rump length (CRL) and uterine space per fetus (SP) were greater for fetuses
      from L gilts than F gilts (all P less than .05) with no difference in number of
      fetuses (P greater than .05). In Exp. 2, FetWDA was greater for fetuses from F
      gilts than L gilts (P less than .05), however there was no difference due to
      level of feeding for PLW, CRL and SP (all P greater than .10). Fetal weight (FW)
      was highly correlated with CRL indicated that a cubic relationship existed (both
      r = .97). In both studies, male fetuses grew more rapidly than female fetuses (P
      less than .05). These studies indicate that pre-breeding nutritional status and
      sexual age of the dam at conception have differential effects on fetal growth
      rate, but relationships among FW and CRL are not readily altered by pre-breeding
      level of feeding or sexual age of the dam at conception.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864682
TI  - A longitudinal investigation of the effects of experience on the behavior of
      aging mice.
AB  - The effects of differential experience over most of the adult lifespan of mice
      were examined utilizing longitudinal designs. Repeated experience with nest
      building was contrasted with one-time only experience at various age levels from
      4 to 24 months of age. The results suggest that the presence or absence of
      repeated exposure to nest building opportunities affects stability of nest
      building, while open field activity remains stable regardless of experience and
      vitality declines regardless of experience. Because nest building at maturation
      is not influenced by prior experience, the effect of differential experience
      during the course of aging is not interpreted as a reflection of differential
      initial acquisition of the behavior. Rather, performance differences are
      interpreted as providing evidence for the differential maintenance of neural
      integrity of the underlying mediator for the behavior. The discrepancy among the
      patterns of change for nest building, open field activity, and performance on the
      tightrope test is interpreted as reflecting differences in the relative
      importance of deterioration of the underlying neural mediators in comparison with
      decreases in muscular strength and flexibility. Implications for design issues in
      animal research in aging are discussed.

PMID- 1864683
TI  - Concentration of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) in tissues of
      developing lean and obese pig fetuses.
AB  - An ontogeny study of lean and pre-obese pig fetuses was conducted to evaluate the
      temporal and genetic influence on the relationship between growth and IGF
      production. At 70, 90 and 110 days of gestation, three fetal pigs were obtained
      from each of three obese and lean dams. The heart, kidneys, lungs, liver and one
      biceps femoris muscle were removed, weighed, frozen and extracts prepared. For
      all the organ and tissue weights, there were significant (P less than .001) main
      effects of genotype (G) and fetal age (A). At each fetal age, pre-obese fetuses
      had lighter organ and tissue weights. The content of IGF's in serum and various
      tissues and/or organs was also determined. Main effects of A and G were
      significant (P less than .05) for liver and lung IGF-I and muscle IGF-II
      concentrations. Main effects of G were significant (P less than .01) for liver
      IGF-II whereas muscle IGF-I and lung IGF-II concentrations were only affected by
      fetal age (P less than .01). Overall, liver IGF-I and II and muscle IGF-II
      concentrations were higher in lean fetuses (P less than .01). Serum IGF-I
      concentration increased (P less than .01) with fetal age and was independent of
      fetal strain. Serum IGF-II concentration increased with age (P less than .01) in
      lean but not pre-obese fetuses. Therefore, these studies demonstrate genotype
      dependent growth factor concentrations in tissues and organs of developing
      fetuses. Finally, serum concentration of IGF's were strongly correlated
      (positive) with overall growth but were not strongly correlated with tissue and
      organ concentration of IGFs.

PMID- 1864684
TI  - Influence of method of model fitting and gender on estimated parameters for the
      relationship between starvation heat production and body size in the domestic
      fowl.
AB  - The relationship between starvation heat production (SHP) in kJ/d and body weight
      (W) in kg for domestic fowl was examined with compiled calorimetric data for 294
      fowls (Johnson and Farrell, 1985). Linear regression analyses using ordinary
      least squares methods were performed before and after transformation of the data
      to a logarithmic scale (base = 10). Coefficients of determination (R2) were
      similar for untransformed and log-transformed data (R2's = .56 and .53,
      respectively). The slopes for untransformed data of males and females were
      different (P less than 0.033). When the model parameters for: SHP = b0 Wb1 were
      derived from log-transformed data, there were no significant differences in
      exponents for males vs. females (P greater than .95). However, when the
      coefficients were estimated using non-linear regression techniques, a difference
      was detected at the level of P = 0.072. It was determined that there is no
      advantage in describing the relationship of SHP as a non-linear function of W,
      nor is it appropriate to express physiological variables as a ratio of weight
      raised to some mass exponent without statistical justification. Using W or W2 as
      a covariable for the statistical analysis of physiological data would produce
      equally acceptable determinations of significance.

PMID- 1864685
TI  - Major histocompatibility complex antigen expression on lymphocytes from aging
      strain A mice.
AB  - Molecules encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are crucial for
      the proper functioning of the immune response. In this study, the levels of class
      I and class II major histocompatibility antigens on lymphocytes from strain A
      mice were measured as a function of age. Class I protein levels increased
      significantly on both peripheral blood and spleen (T cells and B cells)
      lymphocytes with age. This increase in MHC class I protein levels was accompanied
      by an increase in class I mRNA levels. On the other hand, class II protein levels
      did not show a significant change with age. Moreover, while the percentage of
      class I-expressing spleen lymphocytes stayed at a steady-state level of 100% with
      age, the percentage of class II-expressing spleen lymphocytes decreased from 85%
      in young animals to 70% in old animals. This decrease was due to a decrease in
      the relative proportion of B cells compared to T cells in the spleen lymphocyte
      population of old mice. When class II mRNA levels were measured, it was found
      that these levels decreased markedly with age. Overall, it is clear that the
      regulation of MHC class I and class II expression changes with age in A strain
      mice. Since optimal levels of MHC expression are crucial for the proper
      functioning of cellular and humoral immune responses, it will be most interesting
      to understand how the control of MHC gene expression changes with age and whether
      MHC gene expression can be modulated in old individuals to restore better immune
      function.

PMID- 1864686
TI  - Japan's new Mental Health Law: more light shed on dark places?
AB  - The legislative response to the crisis in the Japanese mental health care system
      has, on the one hand, been prophylactic. The major thrust of legal reform has
      been to prevent the human rights abuses which occurred all too easily under the
      former structure of legal regulation. Thus, a new category of admission,
      voluntary admission, has been recognized and promoted as the preferred
      hospitalization procedure. Standards for the physical treatment of patients have
      been promulgated, and procedures instituted for review of periodic reports and
      requests for discharge or improved physical treatment, with notification given
      patients as to their rights under the law. The model chosen for this new system
      of safeguards is far from a thorough-going legalistic model. Patients have no
      right to a judicial hearing. Even the informal hearing provided may be limited,
      or eliminated in the PRB's discretion. Reliance is placed upon the PRB and the
      Designated Physicians to protect the patient's rights and to prevent improper
      admission and treatment. However, the PRB is not independent. It is appointed by
      the prefectural governor and its functional units, the review panels, are
      controlled by Designated Physicians judging, in most cases, decisions or actions
      taken by other Designated Physicians. The individual Designated Physicians to
      whom are entrusted many of the critical diagnostic, therapeutic and physical
      treatment decisions respecting an individual patient will in many cases be,
      moreover, an employee of the hospital concerned. Beyond this closed
      administrative process, there are, in legal terms, only the extraordinary powers
      of the governor or Minister of Health and Welfare to detect improper admissions
      or physical treatment and remedy them by order. There are no appeal procedures
      and no access to the courts specifically provided within the Law's system of
      safeguards. Certain areas of concern, such as the right to refuse certain types
      of medical treatment, are not addressed in the Law at all. The new system of
      legal safeguards reflects the continuation of a paternalistic, medical model in
      which abuses will be more difficult to hide from the light of the new, carefully
      channeled and limited administrative review process. Related to but even beyond
      the question of the prevention of human rights abuses, the new Law is also
      concerned with the affirmative realization of the most important right of the
      mental patient, the right to effective treatment and a return to a normal place
      in society.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864687
TI  - Competency to consent to voluntary hospitalization: a therapeutic jurisprudence
      analysis of Zinermon v. Burch.

PMID- 1864688
TI  - Jury selection in malpractice suits: an investigation of community attitudes
      toward malpractice and physicians.

PMID- 1864689
TI  - Length of detention in matched groups of insanity acquittees and convicted
      offenders.

PMID- 1864690
TI  - The crime preventive effect of psychiatric treatment on mentally disordered
      offenders in Sweden.

PMID- 1864691
TI  - Psychiatric admission of family violent versus nonfamily violent patients.

PMID- 1864692
TI  - Of nightmares and sexual monsters: struggles around child abuse in Australia.

PMID- 1864693
TI  - Sexual abuse allegations in child custody disputes.

PMID- 1864694
TI  - Prediction of competency to stand trial: contribution of demographics, type of
      offense, clinical characteristics, and psycholegal ability.

PMID- 1864695
TI  - Using medical registries and data sets for technology assessment.

PMID- 1864696
TI  - Technology assessment in the Connecticut Tumor Registry.
AB  - A search of literature using the Connecticut Tumor Registry (CTR) for technology
      assessment produced eight articles. These articles represent a small but
      apparently increasing percentage (2%) of total CTR publications. By keeping pace
      with the development and dissemination of medical technologies, the population
      based CTR has been useful for assessing them, especially their adverse effects.

PMID- 1864697
TI  - Use of the SEER Cancer Registry for technology assessment.
AB  - The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry
      contributed to technology assessment by providing population-based samples for
      detailed case-control studies, by serving as the control group in comparisons
      with various experimental groups, by allowing an assessment of selection bias in
      clinical trials, and by facilitating evaluations of classification and coding
      systems.

PMID- 1864698
TI  - Technology assessment in the Normative Aging Study.
AB  - This review of publications based on data from the Veterans Affairs Normative
      Aging Study identified four articles that were considered assessments of health
      care technologies. Three evaluated methods for research on body composition, the
      fourth studied ventricular size in patient with presenile dementia. Several
      additional articles are discussed that provided data on baseline values or risk
      factors for disease that might be useful in generating hypotheses to be tested in
      later assessments of technologies.

PMID- 1864699
TI  - Technology assessment in the Veterans Administration Dental Longitudinal Study.
AB  - Of the 52 studies emanating from the Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study,
      6 were identified as technology assessments. Three of these studies evaluated
      dental radiographs used for the diagnosis of oral lesions. Two studies compared
      alternative technologies for the replacement of missing teeth, and one reported
      the effects of NSAIDs on alveolar bone loss. Four additional articles are
      discussed that provide data that will be useful in future assessments of dental
      technologies.

PMID- 1864700
TI  - Technology assessment in the Framingham Heart Study.
AB  - To assess the role of observational data bases in technology assessment, we
      examined 26 articles from the Framingham Heart Study that evaluated a technology,
      therapy, or predictive instrument. These assessments were grouped into four
      categories: (a) the study of a technology voluntarily in use by the cohort, (b)
      the application of an external technology to members of the cohort, (c) the use
      of the Framingham results to evaluate an unrelated assessment, and (d) the use of
      the results to validate predictive instruments from other studies. Factors that
      contribute to the ability of the study to assess voluntary and external
      technologies include long-term follow-up, a stable cohort, and storage of such
      nonnumeric data as cardiograms and blood samples. Framingham results have been
      used to determine outcome measures in later studies. Although the Framingham
      Study was not designed to assess a technology, we found that large-scale,
      observational data bases can and do contribute to technology assessment.

PMID- 1864701
TI  - Technology assessment in the Coronary Artery Surgery Study.
AB  - The majority of the 26 technology assessment articles from the Coronary Artery
      Surgery Study (CASS) follow the original purpose of the registry and evaluate the
      therapeutic capabilities of coronary artery bypass graft surgery. However, these
      registry data have also been used to identify risk factors for cardiovascular
      disease, to test diagnostic technologies, and to evaluate technological
      processes. Consideration of quality of life issues and the availability of cost
      data provide valuable additions to the continued use of the CASS for technology
      assessment.

PMID- 1864702
TI  - Use of a clinical data registry to evaluate medical technologies. Experience from
      the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.
AB  - We reviewed the 18 disease-specific evaluations that used the data base of the
      International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry to determine the effectiveness of
      alternative strategies for bone marrow transplant. We identify 17 treatment
      variables that physicians can control and report the associations between these
      variables and five clinical endpoints: stable engraftment, graft-versus-host
      disease, development of interstitial pneumonia, relapse, and disease-free
      survival. We also suggest policies to promote active participation in
      establishing and operating a registry.

PMID- 1864703
TI  - Using medical registries and data sets for technology assessment. An overview of
      seven case studies.

PMID- 1864704
TI  - Using administrative data bases for technology assessment in health care. Results
      of an international survey.
AB  - This study assesses the nature, use, and quality of large administrative data
      bases available in different countries for technology assessment in health care.
      Using postal questionnaires, data were collected describing 91 data bases from 15
      countries. Current uses are promising, but more efforts are needed if the full
      potential of administrative data files is to be tapped.

PMID- 1864705
TI  - A brief introduction to influence diagnostics in regression.
AB  - Statistical analyses that involve regression methods often encounter data in
      which some observations have substantial influence. This article presents a
      nontechnical discussion of influence and of two techniques, based on leaving out
      each individual observation in turn, for diagnosing influential data. An example
      illustrates the techniques in an analysis of recurrence rates in endoscopic
      treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers.

PMID- 1864706
TI  - Molecular events in measles virus infection of the central nervous system.

PMID- 1864707
TI  - Molecular biology of cytokine effects on vascular endothelial cells.

PMID- 1864708
TI  - Perinephric inflammatory process following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
AB  - A patient with large branched staghorn calculi was treated with ESWL. She
      suffered from recurrent urinary tract infections. Following ESWL she developed a
      perinephric abscess, which necessitated percutaneous drainage. The clinical
      course is described and a possible pathogenesis of perinephric abscess following
      ESWL is suggested.

PMID- 1864709
TI  - Nephrocolic fistula in association with a staghorn calculus discovered
      intraoperatively.
AB  - A rare case of spontaneous nephrocolic fistula discovered intraoperatively in a
      patient with a staghorn calculus is presented with a review of the literature.

PMID- 1864710
TI  - Clinical radiological management of an uncommon perinephric abscess.
AB  - The authors describe an uncommon case of a huge perinephric abscess with a gas
      fluid level occupying the upper left abdomen. A rational sequence of radiological
      diagnostic methods such as plain film, ultrasound, CT, and combined retrograde
      urogram with contrast filling of percutaneous drainage led to correct management.

PMID- 1864711
TI  - Retrograde ureterorenoscopy in the management of ureteral calculi.
AB  - Endourologic techniques have revolutionized the line of treatment of ureteral
      stones. The scope of open ureterolithotomy has been narrowed and the
      contraindications for endoscopic manipulations of ureteric stones became limited.
      Using the rigid ureterorenoscope (URS) after endoscopic dilatation of the
      intramural ureter, we have manipulated 45 ureteral stones located at different
      levels, 33 in the lower ureter (distal ureter), 7 in the middle third and 5 in
      the upper third (proximal ureter). Successful manipulations occurred in 32 stones
      (in 21 by retrieval and in 11 by disintegration using ultrasonic lithotripsy).
      Failures were due to upward dislodgement of the stone in 5 cases, to grasp or
      disintegrate the stone in 2, perforation of the ureter in 2, bleeding from the
      ureteral wall in 2 cases, to reintroduce guidewire in the ureter and to non
      passable stricture below the stone in 1 case each. Delayed complications occurred
      in 4 patients. Two patients developed ureteral stricture, one suffered
      vesicoureteral reflux and one ultimately had urethral stricture.

PMID- 1864712
TI  - Comparison of 3-day versus 14-day treatment of lower urinary tract infection in
      children.
AB  - A total of 87 children were treated for lower urinary tract infection. The
      infection site was determined on the basis of symptoms and laboratory findings.
      The patients were assigned to four groups, medicated for 3 and for 14 days with
      nitrofurantoin or cotrimazole. Results from the short and long-term therapies
      have not shown any significant differences: 9 out of 43 patients in the 3-day
      therapy group and 8 out of 44 in the 14-day group presented recurrences within
      one month.

PMID- 1864713
TI  - Functional electrical stimulation in the management of incontinence: studies of
      urodynamics.
AB  - Intermittent functional electrical stimulation (FES) was employed for the control
      of incontinence. One FES session lasted for 30 minutes. It was repeated at
      intervals of 3 days to 1 week via an anal plug electrode. The success rate was
      64% in 41 patients with pollakiuria, urgency and/or urge incontinence, and 43% in
      7 patients with stress incontinence. Detrusor activity measured by cystometry did
      not correlate significantly with the effect on subjective symptoms and the
      urethral pressure did not increase. The remarkable clinical effect was observed
      in patients with overactive detrusor function. It seems that FES indirectly
      inhibits detrusor contraction by suppressing the intrasacral pathway for detrusor
      activity.

PMID- 1864714
TI  - Metastasis to the penis. Case reports and review of the literature.
AB  - Metastasis to the penis is rare, despite rich vascularization and complex
      circulation. Less than 200 cases have been reported. Three new cases of penis
      metastasis from primary tumours in the bladder and prostate, respectively, are
      described. The most common symptoms are penile induration and swelling.
      Treatments, all of which must be considered merely palliative, consist of local
      tumour excision, radiation therapy, cytostatic and hormone therapy, possibly with
      partial or total penis amputation. The prognosis is poor, irrespective of the
      therapy and site of the primary tumour. More than 80% of the patients die within
      six months after the occurrence of penis metastasis, as a result of disseminated
      cancer disease.

PMID- 1864715
TI  - Comparison of the effects of surgical and autologous fascial suture materials on
      testicular histology in rats subjected to orchiopexy.
AB  - In this study orchiopexy was performed in 30 Sprague-Dawley rats in order to
      compare traumatic effects of surgical and autologous fascial suture materials on
      testicular histology. Abscess formation was observed in 72.7% of the chromic, in
      36.3% of the nylon, and in 18.1% of the vicryl fixed groups. There were no
      abscess formations in the dartos and autologous fascial fixed group. Examination
      of the testes revealed complete absence of spermatogenesis in the chromic fixed
      group. Spermatogenesis was normal, 72% in the vicryl, 18.1% in the nylon, 90.9%
      in the dartos and autologous fascial suture fixed groups. Antisperm antibody was
      not observed in any rat sera. We consider that it is preferred to use dartos
      pouch fixation. If necessary, it is advisable to use autologous fascial suture
      materials.

PMID- 1864716
TI  - Sclerosing peritonitis caused by disinfectant in a patient under peritoneal
      dialysis.
AB  - An uraemic patient under intermittent peritoneal dialysis was found in the 9th
      month of treatment to present ultrafiltration drop and increase of low-molecular
      weight substances. Two instances of laparotomy for heavy abdominal bleeding
      revealed peritoneal thickening, laminar intestinal concrescence and diffuse
      haemorrhage. The patient died in the 13th month of treatment under symptoms of
      ileus. Other reasons excluded, sclerosing peritonitis was attributed to the
      formalin solution employed as disinfectant for the abdominal catheter. The
      causative factors are listed together with the chances of prevention.

PMID- 1864717
TI  - Induced priapism and its management.
AB  - The authors present the seamy side of the beneficial practice to handle erectile
      impotence with papaverine or with the papaverine-Regitin combination. Attention
      is called to danger. The various forms of priapism are defined. In connection
      with 72 cases of priapism the attained results and the way to stop the priapic
      condition are described.

PMID- 1864718
TI  - Acute suppurative renal inflammation.
AB  - Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of acute suppurative renal inflammation are
      discussed in connection with 374 cases. Despite negative X-ray and laboratory
      findings, patients were submitted to operative exploration and 27% of them
      revealed subcapsular abscesses. Anamnestic facts (fever, shiver, etc.) and
      closely observed progression in the patient's morbid condition are factors to
      indicate surgery. Better results from the second part of the observation period
      (1981-1989) are due partly to better timing of the surgical intervention, partly
      to modern, highly effective chemotherapy. The mortality rate of acute suppurative
      renal inflammation dropped from 11 to 3.5%.

PMID- 1864719
TI  - Relatedness of the nucleotide sequence of the 3'-terminal region of clover yellow
      vein potyvirus RNA to bean yellow mosaic potyvirus RNA.
AB  - The sequence of the 3'-terminal 1,357 nucleotides of clover yellow vein potyvirus
      RNA was determined. A coat protein gene was identified and its predicted amino
      acid sequence deduced. It had 273 residues with a molecular weight of 31,019. The
      amino acid and nucleotide sequences of the virus were compared with those of five
      other potyviruses. The homology between these viruses indicated that clover
      yellow vein virus was a distinct virus, but had a closer affinity to bean yellow
      mosaic virus than to the four other potyviruses.

PMID- 1864720
TI  - Identification of the coat protein gene of bean golden mosaic geminivirus.
AB  - An open-reading frame designated 1R1, on DNA component 1 of bean golden mosaic
      geminivirus (BGMV), has been identified as the coat protein gene. A DraI
      restriction fragment of BGMV DNA1 that includes 1R1 was inserted into the SmaI
      pKK223-3 expression vector. The 32 kD protein expressed in Escherichia coli cells
      reacted with antibodies to the BGMV capsid polypeptide and behaved identically to
      purified capsid protein in western blots.

PMID- 1864721
TI  - A response to Papa Ola Lokahi (POL).

PMID- 1864722
TI  - Anisakiasis in Hawaii: a radiological diagnosis.
AB  - Human anisakiasis, an increasing medical problem in Japan, was recently
      identified in 7 people in Hawaii. We report an 8th case occurring in an
      individual who had consumed a large amount of raw squid sushi at a restaurant.
      The diagnosis of anisakiasis in this patient was made after the parasite was
      identified by X-ray. To our knowledge, radiographic demonstration of the
      anisakiasis parasite has not been reported in Hawaii previously.

PMID- 1864723
TI  - Sarcoidosis: a Hawaii rarity.
AB  - Sarcoidosis is so rarely seen in residents of Hawaii that it may not be
      considered as a diagnostic possibility. The differential diagnosis is more
      complex in Hawaii due to the presence of granulomatous diseases such as
      tuberculosis and leprosy. We present the first known case of sarcoidosis in a
      Hawaii resident together with an overview of the disorder.

PMID- 1864724
TI  - Health Devices. Cumulative index: volumes 11-19. May 1991.

PMID- 1864725
TI  - Newer approaches to the radiolabeling of monoclonal antibodies by use of metal
      chelates.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) radiolabeled by use of metal chelators are being
      investigated in the laboratory for use in clinical trials. 111In is presently
      employed for diagnostic scintigraphy, but its applications are limited by
      substantive and persistant uptake of radiometal in the liver. Much current
      research is focused on performing cancer therapy with 90Y and 212Bi chelate
      linked mAbs. This report chronicles the development and evaluation of chelating
      agents for 111In-radioimmunoimaging and 90Y- and 212Bi-radioimmunotherapy.

PMID- 1864726
TI  - Potential artifact for the increase of tumor associated antigens in serum samples
      from patients injected with monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - The administration of [131I]B72.3 MAb for both diagnostic and therapeutic
      purposes is followed by the development of human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) in
      approx. 70% of patients receiving i.v. doses of MAb above 1 mg. The presence of
      HAMA in circulation interferes in the detection of the tumor-associated
      glycoprotein TAG-72 using the CA 72-4 RIA. We have reported elsewhere (Ferroni et
      al., 1990) that heat treatment at 90 degrees C, pH 6.5, for 15 min is capable of
      precipitating and/or inactivating HAMA without causing any significant loss in
      antigen recovery. Furthermore, the removal of the interfering activity leads to a
      more correct evaluation of TAG-72 serum levels in HAMA-positive serum samples and
      to a continued use of TAG-72 in the follow-up of patients undergoing MAb-based
      clinical protocols.

PMID- 1864727
TI  - Comparative biodistribution studies of DTPA-derivative bifunctional chelates for
      radiometal labeled monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Biodistribution of five different backbone-substituted derivatives of SCN-Bz-DTPA
      (1B4M-DTPA, 1M3B-DTPA, 1B3M-DTPA, GEM-DTPA and 2B-DTPA) linked to MAb B72.3 were
      compared to that of the parent molecule after labeling with 111indium. Athymic
      mice, bearing human colon carcinoma xenografts (LS-174T) were injected i.v. to
      determine the biodistribution of the MAb chelate conjugates. Three of the MAb
      metal chelate conjugates (1B4M-DTPA, 1M3B-DTPA, and 1B3M-DTPA), labeled with
      111In showed efficient and stable tumor localization as well as a slower blood
      clearance rate than SCN-Bz-DTPA, GEM-DTPA or 2B-DTPA MAb chelate conjugates.
      Major differences were also seen in normal organ uptake, especially liver and
      spleen. Tumor-to-liver ratios rose as a function of time for 1B4M-DTPA, 1M3B-DTPA
      and 1B3M-DTPA MAb chelate conjugates with virtually no accumulation of the
      radiometal into this organ, as revealed by no increase in the liver-to-blood
      values. Small accretion in normal liver was noted for SCN-Bz-DTPA, GEM-DTPA or 2B
      DTPA MAb chelate conjugates. The results reviewed here, and described previously
      (Roselli et al., 1991) demonstrate that the use in vivo of backbone-substituted
      forms of the SCN-Bz-DTPA, such as 1B4M-DTPA, 1M3B-DTPA, and 1B3M-DTPA bound to
      MAbs, can reduce uptake of indium to normal organs while maximizing the dose to
      tumor.

PMID- 1864728
TI  - In vivo and in vitro clinical applications of monoclonal antibodies against TAG
      72.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies against a tumor-associated antigen (TAG-72) with mucin-like
      properties have been generated. MAb B72.3 was used to identify and help
      characterize this antigen. B72.3 has been successfully used for the localization
      of tumor metastases in situ after i.v. administration. MAb B72.3 has also been
      used in conjunction with CC49, another anti-TAG-72 MAb, to measure TAG-72 levels
      in sera and effusions. TAG-72 can be found in the fluids of patients with
      adenocarcinomas from many different sites. This CA 72-4 double determinant
      radioimmunoassay in conjunction with assays for carcinoembryonic antigen can
      identify patients with malignancies with greater sensitivity than either assay
      alone.

PMID- 1864729
TI  - Preclinical pharmacokinetics and localization studies of the radioiodinated anti
      ovarian carcinoma MAb MOv18.
AB  - The in vivo behavior of the monoclonal antibody (MAb) MOv18, with a restricted
      specificity for human ovarian carcinoma was analyzed on normal and tumor-bearing
      animals. The pharmacokinetics of the iodine-labeled MAb carried out in BALB/c
      mice fits an open two-compartment model. The t1/2 alpha was found not to be
      influenced by the different iodine isotopes used (125I vs 131I) and by the time
      between labeling procedures and administration. The t1/2 beta were found to be
      longer after i.p. than i.v. administration and influenced by the time lapse
      between preparation and administration. A radiolocalization study was carried out
      in CD1 nu/nu mice bearing i.p. xenotransplant of the human ovarian carcinoma cell
      line IGROV1. Tumor/non tumor ratios were higher when the time between
      administration and sacrifice was short and, for 131I-MOv18, with a short interval
      between labeling and injection. Even if longer half lives were obtained using
      125I-MOv18 and i.p. administration a fairly rapid decrease in the values of the
      percentage of the injected dose per gram of tumor during the time was noted.
      These data indicate that this MAb could be considered a good candidate for
      radiotherapeutic approaches.

PMID- 1864730
TI  - Diagnostic evaluation of 111In and 99mTc radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies in
      ovarian and colorectal cancer: correlations with surgery.
AB  - The results of radioimmunoscintigraphy, RIS, in colorectal and gynaecological
      cancers were related to the surgical findings and the analysis of the surgical
      specimens. The improvement in the accuracy of RIS with the progression from 111In
      through 123I to 99mTc as radiolabel is demonstrated. The convenience, low cost
      and low radiation dose of 99mTc-labelled antibodies brings the technique of RIS
      into routine use in the management of patients with these cancers.

PMID- 1864731
TI  - New concepts in monoclonal antibody based radioimmunodiagnosis and
      radioimmunotherapy of carcinoma.
AB  - It is now generally agreed that while numerous monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have
      been shown to efficiently target tumors in patients, much still needs to be
      accomplished to optimize MAb based tumor targeting and the use of MAbs in the
      therapy of human carcinoma. This article will review some recent studies
      undertaken in our laboratory in an attempt to generate novel recombinant
      constructs and test new principles to aid in optimizing MAb based diagnosis and
      therapy. Three areas will be covered: (a) the analysis of dose fractionation
      protocols; (b) the generation of recombinant/chimeric (rec/chi) MAbs including
      the generation of a single chain antigen binding protein (SCA); and (c) the use
      of recombinant interferons (rec IFNs) to selectively up-regulate tumor antigen
      expression. Each of these topics has been previously described in detail and
      appropriate references to these articles are included.

PMID- 1864732
TI  - [Does sonography help in the diagnosis of appendicitis?].
AB  - The aim of the presented study was to find whether improvement has
      ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and on surgeon's decision
      referring to laparotomy. 111 patients entering into the emergency station with
      suspected appendicitis were evaluated in a prospective clinical study. Surgeon
      and radiologist had to commit themselves to the diagnosis, afterwards signs were
      discussed. In 32% the appendix was well seen (accuracy 80%), in 27% sonographic
      examination was doubtful (accuracy 70%) and in 41% the appendix could not be
      demonstrated. Diameter of normal appendix was 8 mm compared to inflamed appendix
      with 12 mm (p less than 0.05). The negative laparotomy decreased from 16% to
      12.7%. Surgeon was not influenced by sonography in 75%. In 12% ultrasonography
      decided for laparotomy and in 4.5% sonography prevented operation. We conclude
      from our results, that sonography reduces negative laparotomy rate. Especially
      ultrasonography is useful in doubtful clinical pictures.

PMID- 1864733
TI  - [Consequences of interventional sonography for abdominal surgery].
AB  - The sonographic-radiologically guided puncture and catheter insertion enables
      certain palliative and curative therapeutic procedures to be performed. Liver
      abscesses represent the most common examples for this procedure, although
      interabdominal abscesses as well as pancreatic pseudocysts can also be treated
      successfully. In our collection of clinical cases various preformed pigtail
      catheters were employed using either the Seldinger-principle or, with help of a
      rigid needle, introduced directly into the lesion. Advantages of sonographically
      guided therapeutic interventions include quick implementation without radiation
      exposure, immediate recognition of possible complications as well as negligible
      expenditures. Ultrasonically guided therapeutic interventions should be
      undertaken only through the close collaboration between intervening radiologists
      and abdominal surgeons. Only so are they both low-risk and successful.

PMID- 1864734
TI  - [Ultrasound controlled aspiration cytology of liver, bile ducts and pancreas].
AB  - Aspiration cytology is an effective and safe method for diagnosis of
      intraabdominal malignancies. In a prospective study we analysed the cytology in
      84 patients. The results showed a sensitivity of 95% with an accuracy of 96%. No
      false positive diagnosis was found where open biopsy was possible. The aspiration
      cytology is a good method to decide whether endoscopic stents or embolization of
      the liver can be used without explorative laparotomy.

PMID- 1864735
TI  - [Percutaneous pancreatic pseudocyst drainage: a combined sonographic-endoscopic
      procedure].
AB  - Certain pancreas-pseudocysts can be effectively drained either transgastrically
      or transduodenally using endoscopic procedures. Applicable methods include
      repeated fine needle punctures, insertion of a drainage tube or the percutaneous
      pseudocyst-drainage according to Hancke. The percutaneous sonographic pancreas
      pseudocyst drainage represents an alternative or an adjunct to the classical
      surgical cyst drainage employing a cysto-jejunostomy or cysto-gastrostomy. The
      indications are analog to the surgical cysto-enterostomy, whereas the optimal
      method for each individual patient should be decided by interdisciplinary
      consultation. The following report presents 21 case studies of pancreas
      pseudocysts which were treated conservatively using ultrasonographical
      procedures.

PMID- 1864736
TI  - [Endoluminal sonography--preoperative staging of rectal cancer].
AB  - The endoluminal sonography is a new investigation in staging rectal cancer. In a
      prospective series the value of the endoluminal sonography is compared with
      clinical staging and computed tomography. The accuracy in clinical staging,
      computed tomography and endoluminal sonography was 77%, 76% and 87%,
      respectively. The reasons for under- and overstaging and the interpretation of
      perirectal lymph nodes are discussed. The endoluminal sonography is an important
      new method evaluating the operative procedure of cancers in the lower rectum.

PMID- 1864737
TI  - [Ambulatory proctologic surgery].
AB  - Outpatient surgical proctology is nowadays more and more frequently performed.
      Between 1986 and 1989, 65% of 1149 anal surgical procedures were performed in our
      institution on an outpatient basis. The various criteria used to select patients
      fit for ambulatory surgery seemed adequate, as no complications were observed and
      no patient required secondary hospitalization.

PMID- 1864738
TI  - Conversion operation Billroth II into Billroth I with jejunal interposition.
AB  - First, under consideration of the erroneous operative often techniques often
      found in patients with B II gastrectomy, all functional complaints of these
      patients should prompt the consultant to recommend conversion surgery. Secondly,
      all recurrent ulcerations, whether peptic or anastomositis, represent an
      indication for conversion surgery. Last but not least reconstruction of normal
      nutrition passage in an important indication for surgery in patients with B II
      gastrectomy, restoring near physiologic passage circumstances. Particularly grave
      in its consequences is the gastric stump carcinoma with its fateful and
      irrevocable course for patients with B II gastrectomy if regular gastroscopic and
      laboratory follow-up inspection do not take place (regardless of questionable
      operation indication). We recall a tragic case of a woman with B II gastrectomy
      who refused conversion surgery despite histologic verification of metaplasia, who
      died of gastric stump carcinoma a year later.

PMID- 1864739
TI  - [Electron microscopy of the exocrine pancreas in experimental acute
      hypercalcemia].
AB  - Hypercalcemia has been associated with acute pancreatitis clinically and in the
      experimental animal. We studied the pancreatic ultrastructure in acute
      experimental hypercalcemia. Anesthetized cats (Pentobarbital, 0.55 mg/kg)
      received Ca++ (Calcium-Gluconate: 0.6 mmol/kgh; n = 4), K+ (KCl: 1.1 mmol/kgh; n
      = 4) or NaCl (0.9%; n = 4) locally through retrograde infusion into the splenic
      artery. Biopsies for electron microscopy (EM) were taken at three hours. Eight
      cats received intravenous Ca++ (0.6 mmol/kgh, 0.3 mmol/kgh after three hours) or
      NaCl (0.9%) for 12 hours. Biopsies were collected in two animals in three-hour
      intervals, and in all animals at twelve hours. After local calcium infusion
      necrotizing pancreatitis was seen macroscopically in the body of the pancreas.
      Biopsies for EM showed acinar cell necrosis, hydrops of nuclei and mitochondria
      and needle-like precipitates in the cytoplasma in the center of calcium
      perfusion. Biopsies taken from the peripheral region of the macroscopically
      altered tissue revealed desorganisation of the acinar polarisation and the
      endoplasmic reticulum, with zymogen granules appearing in the basolateral cell
      portion. After intravenous calcium administration no macroscopical changes were
      seen. In EM acinar cells showed dilatation and proliferation of the golgi
      apparatus and increased number of condensing vacuoles indicating stimulation.
      Again, disorganisation of acinar cell polarisation was present. Control animals
      treated with K+ or NaCl showed normal pancreatic ultrastructure. The
      morphological changes after calcium infusion indicate direct damage to the acinar
      cell. Our results suggest that hypercalcemia induced pancreatitis could originate
      in the acinar cell.

PMID- 1864740
TI  - [Intraperitoneal hepatocyte transplantation: morphologic findings and clinical
      relevance].
AB  - In order to evaluate if intraperitoneal hepatocyte transplantation could include
      a therapeutic approach in acute hepatic failure, isolated hepatocytes as well as
      microcarrier attached hepatocytes were transplanted intraperitoneally and the
      survival rates of transplanted cells were evaluated morphologically. The
      histological investigations showed, that the transplanted hepatocytes undergo
      complete cell necrosis within 3 days due to a lack of substrate, which also
      cannot be avoided by an attachment to microcarriers. Liver cell necrosis is
      followed by a peritoneal reaction resulting in granuloma formation. Because liver
      cell necrosis occurred early after i.p. hepatocyte transplantation a functional
      support in acute hepatic failure cannot be expected.

PMID- 1864741
TI  - [Does tissue pH measurement quantify circulation in the transplanted bronchus in
      lung transplantation].
AB  - Ischemia of the airway is the main cause of severe complications in lung
      transplantation. Tissue-pH is used as an indicator of ischemia in the myocardium
      and various other tissues. We developed a pH needle probe which can be applied
      through a bronchoscope to enable repeated measurements of the pH in the bronchus
      mucosa. In 8 conditioned mongrel dogs (20-25 kg) an autotransplant of a 4-ring
      segment of the thoracic trachea was performed and wrapped with an omental pedicle
      flap in 4 of them (omentum group vs control group). PH-measurements of the mucosa
      were performed at 3 points of the circumference of the normal trachea as well as
      the transplant. The measurements were done immediately postoperative and at day
      3, 8, 14 and 20 using a modified MI 506 pH-needle electrode with an Ag-AgCl skin
      reference electrode and a Fisher accumet pH-meter (model 910). After 3 weeks or
      at occurrence of a severe tracheal stenosis macroscopic and histologic
      examination of the trachea was done. All animals in the omentum group finished
      the study. One developed severe stenosis due to tracheal malacia. Three of the
      four control-dogs had a severe tracheal stenosis at day 12, 13 and 16 which
      necessitated termination of the experiment. The pH-difference between trachea and
      transplant immediately postoperative was 0.16 +/- 0.02 in the 4 dogs with healed
      transplants and 0.15 + 0.03 in the 4 dogs with stenosis due to chondromalacia.
      Follow-up measurements at day 3 and 8 showed a pH-difference of 0.2 for the group
      with chondromalacia vs. 0.1 for the healed tracheas (not significant).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864742
TI  - [Prevention of pulmonary embolism with the Gunther filter].
AB  - From 1987 to 1989 a Gunther vena caval filter was implanted in the inferior caval
      vein in 37 patients to prevent pulmonary embolism. 20 patients had already
      suffered from lung emboli and full anticoagulation did not prevent reembolization
      (11) or was contra-indicated because of hemorrhagic complications (5) or recent
      operation (4). 17 patients had developed severe deep venous thrombosis with a
      free ending thrombus (15) as shown by phlebography and in 2 other patients of old
      age prophylaxis seemed indicated to prevent migration of the thrombi. This device
      can be inserted percutaneously via a 10-French introduction system. No local
      complications were observed. 3 patients showed an oedema of a leg 2 to 7 days
      after insertion with spontaneous regression. One patient had the filter 12 days
      after implantation completely obstructed by a new embolus that needed to be
      removed surgically. One patient had an acute caval obstruction 1 1/2 years after
      implantation. it could not be determined if this was due to new embolisation or
      to thrombosis of the filter. No pulmonary reembolization was observed. Even if
      long-term results with the Gunther vena caval filter can not be reported yet, it
      seems to be a satisfactory device for preventing pulmonary embolism.

PMID- 1864743
TI  - [Simultaneous coronary and vascular surgery interventions: indications,technique
      and results].
AB  - Atherosclerosis is often a generalized disease, affecting not only coronary
      circulation, but other parts of vascular system as well. Vascular diseases most
      commonly encountered in patients with coronary atherosclerosis are carotid
      disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and obliterative atherosclerosis in aortoiliac
      segment. In such situation two options are available: to treat the more
      significant, life-threatening manifestation first and postpone the other
      operation--staged approach; or to perform coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
      and other vascular procedures during one single operation--synchronous surgery.
      The advantages of this latter approach are obvious: patient has to undergo only
      one operation; there is no additional risk in the waiting period for second
      operation; surgical treatment is greatly accelerated. From 1978 until July 1990 a
      total of 123 synchronous CABG and vascular procedures were carried out in our
      clinic. In the same period, CABG was performed in 3867 pts in the same
      institution; combined procedures amount to 3.5% of all coronary
      revascularisations performed in the same period. CABG was done together with
      carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in 45 pts, associated with resection of abdominal
      aortic aneurysm (AAA) in 31 and in 28 pts it was combined with vascular
      procedures in aorto-iliac or femoral segment. In 4 pts a triple procedure--CABG,
      CEA and peripheral vascular reconstruction--were undertaken. Thoracic aortic
      aneurysm and CABG were performed in 15 pts. CEA is performed immediately prior to
      CABG in symptomatic carotid disease, past history of transient ischemic attack,
      severe bilateral carotid disease and unilateral carotid obstruction with
      contralateral stenosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864744
TI  - [A method of surgical treatment of complicated varicose veins].

PMID- 1864745
TI  - [Injuries of the lower extremity with vascular lesions of the popliteal area.
      Management errors].
AB  - Lower extreemity injury complicated by limb-threatening vascular injuries of the
      popliteal artery present an infrequent but difficult management problem. In a
      retrospective study 37 consecutive patients with severely injured lower
      extremities after blunt trauma, all complicated by popliteal vascular injury,
      were evaluated. In 10 patients we found severe management errors: In 7 patients a
      delay in diagnosis of the vascular injury, in 3 patients with extensive bone and
      soft-tissue damage an inadequate stabilisation of the fracture. The optimal
      management of complex injury with associated vascular injuries requires a high
      index of suspicion and a treatment of all components of such an injury. The
      initial goals are the accurate diagnosis or exclusion of arterial injury,
      surgical debridement, adequate bony stabilization with minimal additional bone
      and soft-tissue trauma, revascularisation by interposition of a vein graft after
      resection of the damaged segment, immediate fascial decompression and early soft
      tissue reconstruction.

PMID- 1864746
TI  - [Results of in situ bypass].
AB  - The "in situ" bypass technique was adopted by our group in 1986. A total of 53
      "in situ" bypasses were carried out until June 1989. The worst symptoms were
      incapacitating claudication, rest pain or ischemic necrosis, each in about one
      third of the patients. The site of the distal anastomosis was the popliteal
      artery below the knee in 40 instances, the peroneal artery in 7 and other
      infrapopliteal vessels in 6. Valve incisions were performed uneventfully with
      reusable instruments featuring a sharp-edged blade and an indicator for rotation
      control of the blade ("Insitutom RC"). Vein branches were located mostly by
      angiography, but residual arteriovenous fistula remained a vexing problem. In the
      beginning they were ligated under local anaesthesia. Later on they were dealt
      with successfully using transluminal embolization. Patients were last examined in
      July 1990 when the follow-up time ranged from 12 to 51 months. 4 patients had
      died and 5 were lost to follow-up. Patency rates were evaluated according to the
      life-table method. They were gratifying for femoro-popliteal bypasses with 87
      percent after one year and 83 percent after two and three years. Femoro-tibial
      peroneal bypasses performed below average, but their number was too small to draw
      conclusions.

PMID- 1864747
TI  - [Simultaneous revascularization of the renal arteries in conjunction with
      reconstruction of aneurysms of the abdominal aorta].
AB  - Simultaneous revascularization of stenosed renal arteries during resection of
      aneurysms of the abdominal aorta was performed in a consecutive series of 30
      patients (mean age: 65 +/- 7 years; men 27 [90%]; women 3 [10%]). Right renal
      artery was operated upon in 20/30 cases (66%) and left renal artery in 15/30
      cases (50%) for a mean degree of stenosis of 79 +/- 19%. Suprarenal extension of
      the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta was observed in 7/30 cases (23%). Emergency
      operation because of rupture of the aneurysm was necessary in 7/30 cases (23%).
      The following procedures were performed upon the renal arteries, either isolated
      or combined, in addition to resection of the aneurysm of the abdominal aorta:
      reimplantation of the renal artery in 15 cases, thrombendarteriectomy of the
      renal artery in 11 cases, patchangioplasty in 8 cases, bypass in 4 cases,
      dilatation in 1 case, autotransplantation in 1 case. The 30-day mortality was
      1/23 (4%) for elective procedures versus 3/7 (43%) for emergency procedures
      (ruptures). Systolic (diastolic) blood pressure dropped from a preoperative mean
      value of 181 +/- 139 (104 +/- 18) mm Hg to a postoperative mean value of 147 +/-
      18 (80 +/- 18) mm Hg: p less than 0.05 (p less than 0.05). Hence, simultaneous
      revascularization of stenosed renal arteries during resection of aneurysms of the
      abdominal aorta helps not only to salvage renal parenchyma but also to control
      the risk factor hypertonia in a significant number of patients.

PMID- 1864748
TI  - [Results of surgical treatment of ischemic colitis].
AB  - Between January 1984 and December 1989, 13 patients, aged 39 to 89 (median 63),
      underwent surgery for histologically proven ischemic colitis. Most suffered from
      pre-existing cardiovascular conditions (2 shortly after surgery for aortic
      aneurysm). One patient developed ischemia after the traumatic avulsion of the
      ileocolic artery and another after the spontaneous reduction of a strangled
      inguinal hernia. Diagnosis of ischemic colitis was made prior to operation in 4
      instances only. The left colon was affected 5 times and the right colon 8 times
      (with the terminal coil of ileum 3 times). Treatment always consisted in
      segmental colectomy; laparotomy was used in 3 patients (2 to 7 reoperations).
      Colon anastomosis was performed directly 5 times, while 4 patients had secondary
      stomy closures; 2 patients still have their original stomy. Two patients died
      (15%), one of sepsis and the other following broncho-aspiration. The prognosis of
      ischemic colitis is rather favorable, even at the stage of transmural necrosis,
      provided all ischemic zones are resected. This is in contrast with the severe
      mortality of mesenteric infarcts, when extensive small bowel necrosis is found in
      association with colonic ischemia.

PMID- 1864749
TI  - [Incidence of primary mediastinal lesions: change in the profile and therapeutic
      implications].
AB  - The pattern of occurrence of mediastinal masses has to be taken into account when
      treating and approaching these lesions. In most reported series tumors of neural
      or germinal origin and thymomas are predominant. We reviewed the records of 277
      patients operated for primary mediastinal lesions over the last 25 years (1965
      1989) in our center. Surprisingly (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's) lymphomas (24
      25%) were found to emerge as the most common tumors in our series, whereas tumor
      of neural (11%) and germinal (65%) origins were relatively rare and decreasing in
      incidence. Thymomas (17%) and mediastinal cysts (14%) occurred as predicted in
      the literature. Consequently the malignancy rate was high (53%) even in
      asymptomatic patients (18%). Similar findings have been described recently by
      others. Factors responsible for this new distribution are difficult to identify.
      The therapeutic implications of the changes are discussed.

PMID- 1864750
TI  - [Significance of rib fractures in simple and multiple trauma].
AB  - In a retrospect study we evaluated the clinical impact of traumatic rib
      fractures. Our series included 96 patients treated between 1986 and 1988. Haemato
      and/or pneumothorax corresponded closely to the number of fractured ribs. There
      was a highly significant association (p less than 0.001) between the number of
      fractured ribs and polytrauma. The leading cause of injuries was a traffic
      accident.

PMID- 1864751
TI  - [Functional results of Neer II type hemi-arthroplasty joint replacement of multi
      fragment humerus head fractures].
AB  - Among the fractures of the proximal humerus--a typical kind of injury affecting
      elderly people, as well as gainfully employed patients, the comminuted and
      dislocated humeral head fractures have a specific position because of
      therapeutical reasons. By means of a retrospective analysis, a review is given of
      the results of 26 comminuted humeral head fractures type IV-VI according to Neer,
      treated with a Neer prosthesis type II at the surgical clinic of the
      Kantonsspital Lucerne between 1983 and 1989. Our interest is mainly concentrated
      on the functional results and on their correlation with biomechanical and
      perioperative factors. We use the fracture-classification and functional
      evaluation as described by Neer. For the results classified as "failures" (13
      cases) the functional deficits of the glenohumeral joint mobility are essential.
      The scores reveal no significant correlation to the age of the patients, to the
      time interval between trauma and operation, as well to the duration of the
      postoperative physiotherapy. On the other hand the scores of patients with
      preoperative manipulation of the fractured joint (i.e. osteosynthesis, reduction
      attempts, physiotherapy) were significantly worse than those with primary
      prosthetic replacement. Furthermore, because of the insufficient restitution of
      the lever arm conditions, the implantation of the small-head component (15 mm)
      leads to significantly less favorable functional scores, with a corresponding
      radiological hyperpression in the cranial articular space. Our analysis leads to
      the following conclusions: 1. Under the condition of a conclusive preoperative
      diagnosis a primary prosthetic procedure is recommended depending on the type of
      fracture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864752
TI  - [Surgical treatment of acromioclavicular joint injury].
AB  - The acromioclavicular joint plate according to Rahmanzadeh allows the safe
      retention of the reset acromioclavicular joint in stage Tossy III and in
      exceptional cases also in stage Tossy II traumata when simultaneous early
      functional post-treatment is done from the first postoperative day on. The
      clinical results obtained after follow-up examinations of 53 of the 83 patients
      treated in this way were mostly good or very good. Perfect radiological results
      were obtained in 50% of these patients; 40% showed a slight subluxation and 10% a
      marked but pain-free subluxation.

PMID- 1864753
TI  - [Follow-up results of osteosynthesis of medial femoral neck fractures with the
      dynamic hip screw].
AB  - The operative treatment of subcapital femoral neck fractures of stages Garden III
      and IV in the young patient is still a problem. The current methods of
      osteosynthesis show a high rate of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. We
      controlled 24 patients with subcapital femoral neck fracture, who were treated
      with a dynamic hip screw (DHS). The average age of these patients is 55 years.
      They were examined after 30-89 months from the operation. All patients were
      assessed regarding clinical and radiological parameters. All of the six patients
      with femoral neck fractures of stages Garden I and II had no pain, their clinical
      results were good. In one of these patients we found a partial avascular necrosis
      of the femoral head. Four out of the 18 patients with femoral neck fractures of
      stages Garden III and IV had painful complications, 3 of them needed a
      reoperation. Fourteen patients of the group with femoral neck fractures of stages
      Garden III and IV had no pain and wer satisfied with the result. But in this
      group we found 7 patients with partial avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
      These results are discussed and compared with data published elsewhere.

PMID- 1864754
TI  - [6 years experiences with the "dynamic condylar screw" in supra- and
      intercondylar fractures].
AB  - 44 supra- and intercondylar fractures were treated with the "Dynamic Condylar
      Screw" (DCS). Our experience with this device in a teaching hospital with
      surgeons of different training levels was encouraging, since there was no
      complication due to the insertion technique in this complex fracture setting.
      When we compare our results obtained with the DCS with those in the literature
      achieved with the angled blade plate, we got the same or better results in
      respect to implant failure, infection, fracture healing and function.

PMID- 1864755
TI  - [Interlocking intramedullary nailing of the femur: is the advantage of early
      mobilization gained by risking a malposition?].
AB  - We report a follow-up of 57 consecutive femoral fractures treated by internal
      fixation with the AO Universal Interlocking Nall. All fractures (91% follow-up)
      had healed within a mean of 22 months (range 9-50) after operation. Full weight
      bearing was possible after an average of 9 weeks (range 2-20). The only infection
      occurred after a secondary open lengthening osteotomy. In 5 cases a rotational
      malposition or length discrepancy had to be corrected shortly after initial
      surgery. Rotational malposition in excess of 10 degrees occurred in 26% of cases
      (mostly external rotation) and length discrepancy exceeding 1 cm in 13% (mostly
      shortening). The frequency of malposition is explained by the absence of
      rotational or length control during operation. We recommend that malposition be
      correlated without delay by reoperation.

PMID- 1864756
TI  - [Arthroscopic notch-plasty in persistent extensor deficit following anterior
      cruciate ligament-plasty].
AB  - Occasionally following ACL reconstruction, an extension deficit persists, because
      of impingement of the transplant in the notch. In six cases an arthroscopic
      notchplasty was performed, five of these cases were immediately successful. Due
      to initial insufficient resection of the notch, one patient required a second
      notchplasty to achieve full extension.

PMID- 1864757
TI  - [Does partial anterior cruciate ligament rupture really exist?].
AB  - From 1983 to 1989 129 partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament were
      diagnosed by arthroscopy. To confirm the diagnosis of a partial rupture of the
      anterior cruciate ligament, we began to split the synovial sheath of the anterior
      cruciate ligament in 1986 in order to prove the continuity of the fibers.
      Applying this technique, we quite often found the anterior cruciate ligament
      completely torn. Hence the rate of partial tears of the anterior cruciate
      ligament decreased from about 10% of all anterior cruciate ligament ruptures 1983
      to about 3% 1989. 42 patients whose diagnosis had been a partial rupture of the
      anterior cruciate ligament were reviewed clinically to determine whether the
      anterior cruciate ligament injury had finally proved to be an insignificant
      lesion or had caused a knee instability. The overall results were very good in
      12% and good in 14%; 41% showed a fair, 26% a poor result. Because of this
      unfavourable outcome, we believe that most of the partial tears of the anterior
      cruciate ligament should be regarded as complete ruptures.

PMID- 1864758
TI  - [External fixator as primary and definitive treatment of tibial fracture with
      severe soft tissue damage].
AB  - The initial treatment of choice of fractures with severe soft tissue damage of
      the leg is the stabilization with an external fixator. After successful healing
      the question arises whether to continue the initial treatment with the external
      fixator to bone union or to change the initial concept by an internal fixation.
      Our experience with 62 fractures of the tibia (follow-up of 59 fractures) from
      1985 to 1989 shows that 72% of the fractures were healed by the external fixator
      alone. Delayed union or pseudoarthrosis occurred in 17% and were mostly treated
      by late internal fixation. An analysis of the fracture types (new AO
      classification) did not show certain fracture types, that did not respond to the
      external fixator treatment alone. We conclude that the reason for a delayed union
      or pseudoarthrosis is less a morphological than a biological one. We recommend
      the first and final external fixator as treatment for fractures with severe soft
      tissue damage of the leg.

PMID- 1864759
TI  - [Talus fracture. Injury pattern, treatment tactics and results of operation (1980
      1989)].
AB  - The results of 25 operated talus fractures are presented. 7 of these were
      peripheral fractures with excellent results, 18 central fractures with only
      satisfying or even bad outcome. Although we didn't see any avascular necrosis of
      the talus, almost all patients had pain and slight or even severe signs of
      arthrosis in the ankle or subtalar joint.

PMID- 1864760
TI  - [Surgical treatment of diabetic malum perforans by ray resection].
AB  - The main cause of the diabetic perforating ulcer is peripheral neuro- and
      angiopathy. Trivial injuries of the foot, wounds (chiropody), bacterial or
      mycotic infections often lead to tissue defects in the form of a perforating
      ulcer (in which neuropathy predominates) or of gangrene (in which angiopathy
      predominates). The deeply penetrating trophic ulcer with secondary development of
      osteitis in the foot bones often present us with difficult therapeutic decisions.
      Several measures for its treatment are given in the literature. We report on 5
      patients in whom a plantar perforating ulcer was present beneath the 2nd an 3rd
      metatarsal heads with radiologically confirmed osteitis. The entire ray,
      including the corresponding toe, is excised as a wedge from the plantar and
      dorsal aspects, and the wound left open to heal. The indications, the course of
      healing, the duration of hospital admission and the complications are described.

PMID- 1864761
TI  - Dose-related sevoflurane metabolism to inorganic fluoride in rabbits.
AB  - Serum concentrations and urinary excretion of inorganic fluoride (fluoride ion),
      a metabolite of sevoflurane, were measured by an ion-chromatographic analyzer
      after inhalation of three different concentrations of sevoflurane in adult, male
      Japanese white rabbits weighing 2.6-3.6 kg. Sevoflurane was administered at
      concentrations of 0% (control), 1%, 2% and 3% (Groups I, II, III and IV,
      respectively) through a sevoflurane vaporizer for 2 hr under controlled
      ventilation. Blood and urine samples were collected during and after termination
      of sevoflurane inhalation at scheduled time intervals for 24 hr. The total volume
      of urine, the urinary pH and the osmolality of serum and urine were not
      significantly different among any of the groups. Osmolality of the serum and
      urine was within normal range in all groups of animals. The mean serum peak
      values of fluoride ion were 0.7 +/- 0.5, 22.8 +/- 8.7, 31.8 +/- 11.0 and 41.5 +/-
      13.2 microM (mean +/- SD) in groups I, II, III and IV, respectively. Peak values
      were recorded within 15 min after the termination of inhalation. The cumulative
      amounts of fluoride ion excreted in urine in 24 hr were calculated to be 5.0 +/-
      1.6, 26.1 +/- 6.7, 41.4 +/- 11.3 and 64.3 +/- 18.0 mumol (mean +/- SD) in groups
      I, II, III and IV, respectively. Regression analysis revealed significant
      correlations between the formation and excretion of fluoride ion, and the dose of
      sevoflurane (r = 0.85, p less than 0.05 and r = 0.89, p less than 0.05,
      respectively). The authors conclude that the formation and excretion of fluoride
      ion after sevoflurane anesthesia is dependent on the dose of the drug.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864762
TI  - Inhibition of 3H-TdR uptake for human gastric carcinoma cells by epidermal growth
      factor specific antibody.
AB  - This study examined whether human gastric carcinoma cells produced EGF for self
      stimulation, using TMK-1 and MKN-28 cells which express mRNA for EGF and EGF
      receptor. EGF protein production was confirmed by ELISA and flow cytometric
      analysis. The lysates of these cells replaced EGF-induced biological activity to
      EGF receptor bearing KB cells but the culture supernatants did not. Furthermore,
      EGF-radioreceptor assay revealed non-secretion of EGF product. EGF specific
      monoclonal antibody neutralized exogenous EGF-induced 3H-TdR uptake, and
      inhibited spontaneous 3H-TdR uptake of TMK-1 and MKN-28 cells. These results
      suggest that EGF specific antibody binds to EGF protein at the cell surface,
      leading to the inhibition of 3H-TdR uptake, and that EGF produced by tumor cells
      may act as an autocrine growth factor in human gastric carcinoma cells.

PMID- 1864763
TI  - Aerobic dehalogenation of halothane showing different substrate dependency from
      anaerobic dehalogenation in liver microsomes of guinea pig.
AB  - The formation of trifluoroacetic acid (TFAA) from halothane under aerobic
      conditions and that of chlorotrifluoroethane (CTE) and chlorodifluoroethylene
      (CDE) from halothane under anaerobic conditions were studied using guinea pig
      liver microsomes. The formation of TFAA was inhibited by specific inhibitors of
      cytochrome P450 (P450), such as carbon monoxide and metyrapone and was dependent
      upon P450 contents. The maximum activity of the TFAA formation was obtained at pH
      6.0. On the other hand, the maximum activity to form CTE and CDE was obtained at
      pH 7.4. The formation of TFAA reached a plateau at a halothane concentration
      above 0.17 mM, but the rate of formation of CDE and CTE was dependent upon a
      halothane concentration up to 1.5 mM. The values of apparent Michaelis-Menten
      constant (Km) and maximum velocity (Vmax) for TFAA formation were 0.067 mM and
      0.349 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively, those for CDE formation were 0.983 mM and
      0.326 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively, and those for CTE formation were 1.71 mM
      and 0.752 nmol/nmol P450/min respectively. These results showed clearly that the
      formation of TFAA, CDE and CTE was catalyzed by the P450 system in guinea pig
      liver microsomes. Under optimal conditions, saturation was observed in the
      formation of TFAA from halothane at a halothane concentration above 0.17 mM but
      the formation of CDE and CTE was not saturated at this concentration, and the
      value of apparent Km for TFAA formation was lower than those for CDE and CTE
      formation.

PMID- 1864764
TI  - Study of portal arterialization with auxiliary liver in rats.
AB  - The effect of portal arterialization was examined in 20 heterotopic auxiliary rat
      livers. Portal blood was supplied from recipient iliac artery (0.58 mm in
      diameter) connected to the donor portal vein using the cuff technique. Portal
      hypertension caused by arterial blood pressure resulted in the immediate
      operative death by bleeding in four of the rats (20%) from the spontaneous
      rupture of the graft capsule. Severe graft congestion was noticed at autopsy 3-14
      days after transplantation in 13 rats. Massive portal and sinusoidal congestion
      and focal hemorrhagic necrosis were confirmed by pathological examination. The
      results of our study demonstrate that the portal arterialization used in the
      auxiliary rat liver transplantation would not be applicable unless the optimal
      hemodynamic condition is warranted.

PMID- 1864765
TI  - Mode of antibacterial action of cefprozil, a new cephalosporin, on Escherichia
      coli, Serratia marcescens and Morganella morganii.
AB  - The mode of antibacterial action of cefprozil (CFPZ, BMY-28100), a newly
      developed cephalosporin, was investigated using Escherichia coli K12, Serratia
      marcescens IFO 12648 and Morganella morganii IFO 3848 as test organisms, in
      comparison with the action of cefaclor (CCL). The minimum inhibitory
      concentrations (MICs) of CFPZ for these organisms were 1.56, 800 and 25
      micrograms/ml, whereas those of CCL were 1.56, 800 and 100 micrograms/ml,
      respectively. The addition of a subinhibitory concentration (1/4 MIC) of
      ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which damages the permeability barrier of
      the outer membrane, markedly reduced the MICs of CFPZ for E. coli and S.
      marcescens, compared with those of CCL, whereas the MICs of both antibiotics for
      M. morganii were hardly affected by the presence of EDTA. CFPZ was more stable to
      beta-lactamase activities from these organisms than CCL. The cross-linking
      reactions of peptidoglycan synthesis catalyzed by the ether-treated cells from
      these organisms were inhibited by a lower concentration of CFPZ than of CCL.

PMID- 1864766
TI  - Establishment and characterization of human medulloblastoma xenograft line.
AB  - A new xenotransplantable tumor line, MED-FU, was derived from a 6-year-old female
      patient with cerebellar medulloblastoma. This tumor was grown in nude mice as
      serially transplantable subcutaneous xenografts composed of small round cells
      with hyperchromatic nuclei and scant cytoplasm. Many rosettes and mitoses were
      observed. Immunohistochemically, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100
      protein, and neuron specific enolase (NSE) were not detected. The doubling time
      of the subcutaneous tumors was 6.8 days. Highly concentrated polyamines were
      detected in the tumor tissue and serum of tumor-bearing mice. This
      xenotransplanted tumor line, MED-FU, is considered to provide an available
      experimental model for the study of human medulloblastoma.

PMID- 1864767
TI  - WPW syndrome complicated by another cardiac disorder.
AB  - During the past 28 months, 16 cases of WPW syndrome were operated on at Hiroshima
      University Hospital. Two cases were complicated by other cardiac disorders which
      accelerated tachycardia, making diagnosis difficult. One of these cases showed
      serious mitral regurgitation, due to infective endocarditis and the patient
      suffered cardiac failure accompanied by paroxysmal tachycardia not responsive to
      medical therapy or cardioversion. A complex rhythm with atrial fibrillation and
      antegrade conduction rhythm through the accessory pathway made diagnosis and
      therapy quite difficult. The condition of the other patient was associated with
      myocardial bridging which caused angina pectoris during paroxysmal tachycardia.
      Myocardial scintigraphy showed myocardial ischemia in the antero-lateral area of
      the left ventricle. In the former case, mitral valve replacement and interruption
      of the accessory pathway were undergone simultaneously. In the latter case,
      myotomy of the muscle on segment 7 was conducted, following interruption of the
      accessory pathway.

PMID- 1864768
TI  - Effects of several volatile anesthetics on the Ca(2+)-related functions of
      skinned skeletal muscle fibers from the guinea pig.
AB  - The effects of various volatile anesthetics on intramuscular Ca(2+)-related
      functions were studied with the skinned fiber technique in guinea pig skeletal
      muscles. All the volatile anesthetics tested significantly enhanced Ca(2+)
      induced Ca2+ release (CICR) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) at clinical
      concentrations with negligible effects both on Ca2+ sensitivity of the
      contractile system and on Ca2+ uptake by the SR. A comparison was made of the
      enhancing effect of several volatile anesthetics on CICR at clinical
      concentrations. Halothane was the most potent, followed by methoxyflurane,
      isoflurane, enflurane, sevoflurane and diethyl ether. If CICR plays an important
      role in triggering MH, this order of volatile anesthetics on their enhancing
      effect on CICR, also corresponds to their potency in triggering MH.

PMID- 1864769
TI  - Effect of microgravity on the respiratory system.
AB  - Because the pleural pressure gradient and regional distribution of pulmonary
      function are gravity dependent, substantial changes may be expected during
      weightlessness. Although very few measurements have been made during
      spaceflights, a number of observations during brief periods of weightlessness
      inside aircraft flying with parabolic trajectories confirm these predictions.
      Single-breath N2 washouts suggest a marked reduction in the inequality of
      ventilation distribution seen at 1 G. Similarly, inferences made from cardiogenic
      oscillations during single-breath washouts suggest a greater uniformity of
      perfusion during weightlessness. This is supported by changes seen on chest
      radiographs as well as by more direct measurements of regional blood flow
      distribution using radioactive iodine-labeled macroaggregates. Vital capacity is
      only slightly reduced, but functional residual capacity decreases by
      approximately 10% and maximum expiratory flow rates are slightly decreased,
      especially at low lung volumes. Weightlessness decreases abdominal girth,
      increases abdominal compliance, and substantially increases the abdominal
      contribution to tidal volume during resting breathing. Despite these changes,
      there does not appear to be any alteration in the temporal pattern of breathing.
      However, the deposition of inhaled medium-sized aerosol particles is
      substantially reduced, as predicted by model analyses of gravitational
      sedimentation. Virtually all these observations describe effects at the very
      onset of weightlessness. Practically nothing is known of slower functional
      changes and adaptations to prolonged weightlessness. Systematic repeated
      measurements during manned spaceflights will hopefully begin to provide some
      information on this subject in the near future.

PMID- 1864770
TI  - Muscle hypertrophy response to resistance training in older women.
AB  - We conducted a 12-wk resistance training program in elderly women [mean age 69 +/
      1.0 (SE) yr] to determine whether increases in muscle strength are associated
      with changes in cross-sectional fiber area of the vastus lateralis muscle. Twenty
      seven healthy women were randomly assigned to either a control or exercise group.
      The program was satisfactorily completed and adequate biopsy material obtained
      from 6 controls and 13 exercisers. After initial testing of baseline maximal
      strength, exercisers began a training regimen consisting of seven exercises that
      stressed primary muscle groups of the lower extremities. No active intervention
      was prescribed for the controls. Increases in muscle strength of the exercising
      subjects were significant compared with baseline values (28-115%) in all muscle
      groups. No significant strength changes were observed in the controls. Cross
      sectional area of type II muscle fibers significantly increased in the exercisers
      (20.1 +/- 6.8%, P = 0.02) compared with baseline. In contrast, no significant
      change in type II fiber area was observed in the controls. No significant changes
      in type I fiber area were found in either group. We conclude that a program of
      resistance exercise can be safely carried out by elderly women, such a program
      significantly increases muscle strength, and such gains are due, at least in
      part, to muscle hypertrophy.

PMID- 1864771
TI  - Substrate and hormonal responses to exercise in women using oral contraceptives.
AB  - Hormone and substrate responses to mild and heavy treadmill exercise were
      compared in women who used oral contraceptives (OC group; n = 7) and in normally
      menstruating women (control group; n = 8). Venous blood samples were obtained
      before exercise (-5 min), during exercise (15, 30, 45, and 60 min), and 30 min
      after exercise. All samples were analyzed for glucose, lactate, free fatty acids
      (FFA), glycerol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH),
      human growth hormone (hGH), cortisol, insulin, estradiol (E2), and progesterone
      (P). Substrate patterns during exercise were not altered by the phase of the
      menstrual cycle or OC usage. However, in the OC group the FFA concentrations were
      consistently higher during mild exercise and the glucose concentrations were
      lower at rest and during exercise than in the control group (P less than 0.05).
      No differences in lactate or glycerol responses were observed between the groups
      (P greater than 0.05). The responses of insulin and hGH to exercise were not
      related to the OC use per se but rather to the steroid status, either endogenous
      or exogenous. Specifically, during the steroid phases (OC use phase and luteal
      phase) 1) insulin concentrations were not quite as markedly reduced (i.e., 12%
      higher when luteal phase and OC usage phase data were combined; P less than
      0.05), and 2) hGH concentrations at rest and during light exercise were higher in
      the OC group during the OC use phase (P less than 0.05). LH patterns were not
      affected by exercise (P greater than 0.05), but a slight decrease was found in
      FSH (P less than 0.05). Increments in P and E2 were observed in the control group
      in both the follicular and luteal phase (P less than 0.05), but much greater
      increments in P occurred in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase (P less
      than 0.05). In contrast to the control group, no increments in P, E2, or cortisol
      occurred in the OC users during exercise (P greater than 0.05). Therefore the new
      observations in this study are that 1) insulin and growth hormone respond in a
      complex manner during exercise with either the phase of the menstrual cycle or
      the phases of OC use and disuse and 2) the steroid concentrations (P, E2,
      cortisol) are increased in the controls but not in the OC users during exercise.
      The latter point suggests that normal steroid increments are due to an increased
      rate of secretion rather than a decrease in the hepatic clearance of these
      steroids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1864772
TI  - Effects of electric charge on hydraulic conductivity of pulmonary interstitium.
AB  - The hydraulic conductivity of pulmonary interstitium was measured in a short
      isolated segment of interstitium surrounding a large pulmonary artery (1-3 mm
      diam) of the rabbit. The flow rate of the following solutions was measured
      sequentially: normal saline, polycation protamine sulfate (0.08 mg/ml), cationic
      dextran (0.1 or 1.5%) or anionic dextran (0.1 or 1.5%), and hyaluronidase
      (testes, 0.02%) solution. The pH of all solutions was adjusted to 7.35-7.40. The
      ratios of the flow of protamine sulfate and cationic dextran to that of saline
      averaged 2.3 +/- 0.92 (SD, n = 7) and 3.0 +/- 1.2 (n = 6), respectively. The
      anionic dextran-to-saline flow ratio averaged 0.72 +/- 0.28 (n = 13). Flow
      increased in the presence of positively charged molecules and decreased in the
      presence of negatively charged molecules. At a lower pH of 5.0-6.0, only 0.1%
      cationic dextran had an effect on interstitial conductivity. Thus pulmonary
      interstitium at physiological pH has the properties of a negatively charged
      membrane. The increased interstitial conductivity caused by the positively
      charged molecules was not observed after treatment with hyaluronidase. These
      effects of electric charge on interstitial conductivity were partly attributed to
      the presence in the interstitium of negatively charged hyaluronan.

PMID- 1864773
TI  - Muscle structure and performance capacity of Himalayan Sherpas.
AB  - The ultrastructure of the vastus lateralis muscle of Sherpas from Nepal [5 males;
      age 28 +/- 2.8 (SD) yr, indirect maximal O2 consumption 48.5 +/- 5.4 ml.kg(
      1).min(-1)] was assessed and compared with those of sedentary lowlanders and of
      Caucasian climbers before and after high-altitude exposure. The mean cross
      sectional area of the fibers was 3,186 +/- 521 microns2, i.e., similar to those
      of Caucasian elite high-altitude climbers (3,108 +/- 303 microns2) and a group of
      climbers after a 6- to 8-wk sojourn at 5,000-8,600 m (3,360 +/- 580 microns2) but
      significantly (P less than 0.05) smaller than that of unacclimatized climbers
      (4,170 +/- 710 microns2) and slightly, although not significantly, lower than
      that of sedentary lowlanders (3,640 +/- 260 microns2). The number of capillaries
      per square millimeter of muscle cross section was 467 +/- 22, not significantly
      smaller than those of climbers on return from a Himalayan expedition (538 +/- 89)
      and elite high-altitude climbers (542 +/- 127) but significantly (P less than
      0.05) greater than that of sedentary lowlanders (387 +/- 25). The volume density
      of mitochondria was 3.96 +/- 0.54%, significantly (P less than 0.05) less than
      the values found for any other investigated group, including sedentary subjects
      at sea level (4.74 +/- 0.30%). It is concluded that Sherpas, like acclimatized
      Caucasian climbers, are characterized by 1) facilitated convective and diffusive
      muscle O2 flow conditions and 2) a higher maximal O2 consumption-to-mitochondrial
      volume ratio than lowlanders despite a reduced mitochondrial volume density.

PMID- 1864774
TI  - Effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure on surface properties of lung surfactant.
AB  - Hydrogen sulfide is an irritant and chemical asphyxiant gas that exerts its
      primary toxic effects on the respiratory and neurological systems. Exposure to
      hydrogen sulfide above a threshold value of 200-300 ppm is characterized by the
      sudden onset of hemorrhagic pulmonary edema. The purpose of this study was to
      determine whether this response is associated with changes in the surface
      properties of pulmonary surfactant. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was retrieved
      from the lungs of Fischer 344 rats exposed to two concentrations of hydrogen
      sulfide or fresh air for 4 h. Surface tension-lowering properties were assayed
      using a captive bubble surface tensiometer. Lung injury was assessed by
      histopathology and measurements of total protein and lactate dehydrogenase
      activity in the lavagate. Marked abnormalities in surfactant activity were
      demonstrated in the lavagates from rats exposed to the highest concentration (300
      ppm) of hydrogen sulfide. These involved the properties of adsorption to the air
      water interface and surface tension lowering under quasi-static interfacial
      compression. Exposure to 200 ppm hydrogen sulfide had no effect on minimum
      surface tension despite a significant increase in protein and lactate
      dehydrogenase in the lavagate. This would suggest a threshold-type response for
      the inhibition of surfactant activity by hydrogen sulfide. In vitro studies using
      normal rat surfactant showed that the abnormalities in surfactant activity were
      due to inhibitors in the edema fluid and not to a direct effect of sulfide on
      surfactant. The pathophysiological consequences of increased alveolar surface
      tension after hydrogen sulfide exposure may need to be considered in the clinical
      setting.

PMID- 1864775
TI  - Renal O2 consumption during progressive hemorrhage.
AB  - Most mammalian tissues regulate O2 utilization such that O2 consumption (VO2) is
      relatively constant at O2 delivery (DO2) higher than a critical value (DO2c). We
      studied the relationship between VO2 and DO2 of kidney and whole body during
      graded progressive exsanguination. The relationship between whole body VO2 and
      DO2 was biphasic, and whole body VO2 decreased by 5.6 +/- 14.4% (P = NS) from the
      initial value to the value nearest whole body DO2c. Kidney DO2 decreased in
      direct proportion to whole body DO2 such that the average R2 value describing the
      linear regression of kidney DO2 vs. whole body DO2 was 0.94 +/- 0.02. The
      relationship between kidney, like whole body, VO2 and DO2 appeared biphasic;
      however, kidney VO2 decreased by 63.3 +/- 10.4% (P less than 0.0001) from the
      initial value to the value nearest kidney DO2c. Renal O2 extraction ratio was
      relatively constant over a wide range of kidney DO2, whereas whole body O2
      extraction ratio increased progressively at all whole body DO2 values as whole
      body DO2 decreased. However, final values of O2 extraction ratio were
      indistinguishable for whole body (0.86 +/- 0.1) and kidney (0.86 +/- 0.06) (P =
      NS). We conclude that the pattern of kidney and whole body VO2 response to
      decreasing DO2 differs during hemorrhage, particularly in the range of DO2
      normally associated with tissue wellness.

PMID- 1864776
TI  - Skeletal muscle metabolism and work capacity: a 31P-NMR study of Andean natives
      and lowlanders.
AB  - Two metabolic features of altitude-adapted humans are the maximal O2 consumption
      (VO2max) paradox (higher work rates following acclimatization without increases
      in VO2max) and the lactate paradox (progressive reductions in muscle and blood
      lactate with exercise at increasing altitude). To assess underlying mechanisms,
      we studied six Andean Quechua Indians in La Raya, Peru (4,200 m) and at low
      altitude (less than 700 m) immediately upon arrival in Canada. The experimental
      strategy compared whole-body performance tests and single (calf) muscle work
      capacities in the Andeans with those in groups of sedentary, power-trained, and
      endurance-trained lowlanders. We used 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
      to monitor noninvasively changes in concentrations of phosphocreatine [( PCr]),
      [Pi], [ATP], [PCr]/[PCr] + creatine ([Cr]), [Pi]/[PCr] + [Cr], and pH in the
      gastrocnemius muscle of subjects exercising to fatigue. Our results indicate that
      the Andeans 1) are phenotypically unique with respect to measures of anaerobic
      and aerobic work capacity, 2) despite significantly lower anaerobic capacities,
      are capable of calf muscle work rates equal to those of highly trained power- and
      endurance-trained athletes, and 3) compared with endurance-trained athletes with
      significantly higher VO2max values and power-trained athletes with similar VO2max
      values, display, respectively, similar and reduced perturbation of all parameters
      related to the phosphorylation potential and to measurements of [Pi], [PCr],
      [ATP], and muscle pH derivable from nuclear magnetic resonance. Because the
      lactate paradox may be explained on the basis of tighter ATP demand-supplying
      coupling, we postulate that a similar mechanism may explain 1) the high calf
      muscle work capacities in the Andeans relative to measures of whole-body work
      capacity, 2) the VO2max paradox, and 3) anecdotal reports of exceptional work
      capacities in indigenous altitude natives.

PMID- 1864777
TI  - Respiratory compliance during sedation, anesthesia, and paralysis in infants and
      young children.
AB  - Although total respiratory compliance (Crs) has been shown to fall in adults on
      induction of halothane anesthesia, no successful paired studies have been
      reported in children. The multiple occlusion technique was used to measure Crs in
      17 infants and young children during sedated sleep (CrsS) and shortly after,
      following induction of halothane anesthesia (CrsA). Crs fell in all but one
      infant after induction of anesthesia, with a mean fall of 34.7% (range 0-58%).
      This was accompanied by a reduction in tidal volume and increase in frequency in
      every case. In 7 of the 17 children, who were to be paralyzed for surgical
      purposes, Crs was also measured in this anesthetized-paralyzed state. When tidal
      volume administered during manual ventilation was similar to that observed during
      measurement of CrsA, Crs during this low-volume ventilation was similar to CrsA.
      When tidal volume was increased and Crs remeasured, there was a significant
      increase in every case, with the high-volume Crs within 10% of CrsS in all but
      one child, in whom there was a 31.4% increase with respect to CrsS. Changes in
      tidal volume accounted for approximately 50% of the variability in each state.
      These results demonstrate a highly significant fall in Crs in infants and young
      children after induction of halothane anesthesia. In addition it appears that
      this reduction in Crs can be reversed by paralyzing the child and manually
      ventilating with tidal volumes approximating those seen during sedation.

PMID- 1864778
TI  - Oxygen cost of inspiratory loading: resistive vs. elastic.
AB  - We measured the O2 cost of breathing (VO2resp) against external inspiratory
      elastic (E) and resistive loads (R) when end-expiratory lung volume, tidal
      volume, breathing frequency, work rate, and pressure-time product were matched in
      each of six pairs of runs in six subjects. During E, peak inspiratory mouth
      pressure was 65.7 +/- 1.8% (SD) of the maximum at functional residual capacity.
      However, during resistive runs, peak inspiratory mouth pressure was 41.1 +/- 2.8%
      of the maximum at functional residual capacity. In 36 paired runs, where both
      work rate and pressure-time product were within 10%, VO2resp for E was less than
      for R (81 and 96 ml/min, respectively; P less than 0.01). During loaded and
      unloaded breathing with the same tidal volume, we measured the changes in
      anteroposterior diameter of the lower rib cage in five subjects. In four subjects
      we also recorded the electromyograms of several fixator and stabilizing muscles.
      During E and R, the change in anteroposterior diameter of the lower rib cage was 
      116 +/- 5 and -45 +/- 4% (SE), respectively, of the unloaded value (P less than
      0.01), indicating greater deformation during E. Although the peak
      electromyographic activity was 72 +/- 16% greater during E (P less than 0.01),
      there was no difference between the loads for area under the electromyogram time
      curve (P greater than 0.05). However, the time to 50% peak activity was less
      during R (P less than 0.02). We conclude that, even when work rate and pressure
      time product are matched, VO2resp during R is greater than that during E. This
      difference may be due to preferential recruitment of faster and less efficient
      muscle fibers.

PMID- 1864779
TI  - Effects of left atrial pressure on the pulmonary vascular response to hypoxic
      ventilation.
AB  - We investigated the effects of hypoxic ventilation on the pulmonary arterial
      pressure- (P) flow (Q) relationship in an intact canine preparation. Mean
      pulmonary P-Q coordinates were obtained during hypoxic ventilation and during
      ventilation with 100% O2 at normal and at increased left atrial pressure.
      Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that, over a wide range, changes in left
      atrial pressure would alter the effects of hypoxic ventilation on pulmonary P-Q
      characteristics. Seven dogs were studied. When left atrial pressure was normal (5
      mmHg), the mean value of the extrapolated intercept (PI) of the linear P-Q
      relationship was 10.9 mmHg and the slope (incremental vascular resistance, IR) of
      the P-Q relationship was 2.2 mmHg.l-1.min. Hypoxic ventilation increased PI to 18
      mmHg (P less than 0.01) but did not affect IR. Subsequently, during ventilation
      with 100% O2, when left atrial pressure was increased to 14 mmHg by inflation of
      left atrial balloon, PI increased to 18 mmHg. IR was 1.6 mmHg.l-1.min. Again,
      hypoxic ventilation caused an isolated change in PI. Hypoxia increased PI from 18
      to 28 mmHg (P less than 0.01). As in the condition of normal left atrial
      pressure, hypoxic ventilation did not affect IR. We conclude that, in an
      anesthetized intact canine preparation, hypoxic ventilation causes an isolated
      increase in the extrapolated pressure intercept of the pulmonary P-Q
      relationship. Furthermore the effects of hypoxic ventilation on pulmonary P-Q
      characteristics are not affected by the resting left atrial pressure.

PMID- 1864780
TI  - Shivering onset, metabolic response, and convective heat transfer during cold air
      exposure.
AB  - The onset and intensity of shivering of various muscles during cold air exposure
      are quantified and related to increases in metabolic rate and convective heat
      loss. Thirteen male subjects resting in a supine position and wearing only shorts
      were exposed to 10 degrees C air (42% relative humidity and less than 0.4 m/s
      airflow) for 2 h. Measurements included surface electromyogram recordings at six
      muscle sites representing the trunk and limb regions of one side of the body,
      temperatures and heat fluxes at the same contralateral sites, and metabolic rate.
      The subjects were grouped according to lean (LEAN, n = 6) and average body fat
      (NORM, n = 7) content. While the rectal temperatures fluctuated slightly but not
      significantly during exposure, the skin temperature decreased greatly, more at
      the limb sites than at the trunk sites. Muscles of the trunk region began to
      shiver sooner and at a higher intensity than those of the limbs. The intensity of
      shivering and its increase over time of exposure were consistent with the
      increase in the convective heat transfer coefficient calculated from skin
      temperatures and heat fluxes. Both the onset of shivering and the magnitude of
      the increase in metabolic rate due to shivering were higher for the LEAN group
      than for the NORM group. A regression analysis indicates that, for a given
      decrease in mean skin temperature, the increase in metabolic rate due to
      shivering is attenuated by the square root of percent body fat. Thus the LEAN
      group shivered at higher intensity, resulting in higher increases in metabolic
      heat production and convective heat loss during cold air exposure than did the
      NORM group.

PMID- 1864781
TI  - Activated neutrophils increase microvascular permeability in skeletal muscle:
      role of xanthine oxidase.
AB  - To determine the role of xanthine oxidase in the microvascular dysfunction
      produced by activated granulocytes, we examined the effect of xanthine oxidase
      depletion or inhibition on the increase in microvascular permeability produced by
      infusion of the neutrophil activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Changes in
      vascular permeability were assessed by measurement of the solvent drag reflection
      coefficient for total plasma proteins (sigma) in rat hindquarters subjected to
      PMA infusion in xanthine oxidase-replete and -depleted animals, in animals
      pretreated with the xanthine oxidase inhibitor oxypurinol, and in animals
      depleted of circulating neutrophils by pretreatment with antineutrophil serum
      (ANS). Xanthine oxidase depletion was accomplished by administration of a
      tungsten-supplemented (0.7 g/kg diet) molybdenum-deficient diet. In animals fed
      the tungsten diet, muscle total xanthine dehydrogenase plus xanthine oxidase
      activity was decreased to less than 10% of control values. Estimates of sigma
      averaged 0.84 +/- 0.04 in control hindquarters, whereas PMA infusion was
      associated with a marked increase in microvascular permeability (decrease in
      sigma to 0.68 +/- 0.03). PMA infusion also caused an increase in the amount of
      the radical-producing oxidase form of xanthine oxidase (from 3.9 +/- 0.05 to 5.6
      +/- 0.4 mU/g wet wt). ANS pretreatment attenuated this permeability increase
      (sigma = 0.77 +/- 0.04) and diminished the rise in xanthine oxidase activity (4.9
      +/- 0.5 mU/g wet wt). Xanthine oxidase depletion with the tungsten diet or
      pretreatment with oxypurinol had no effect on this neutrophil-mediated
      microvascular injury (sigma = 0.69 +/- 0.06 and 0.67 +/- 0.03,
      respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864782
TI  - Restricting environmental stimulation influences levels and variability of plasma
      cortisol.
AB  - Restricting stimulation from the environment has been shown to alter
      psychological and physiological states. The present study of 27 healthy subjects
      examines the effects of restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) on
      plasma levels of cortisol and variability in plasma cortisol levels across
      repeated REST sessions. The REST environment consisted of a 1.2 X 1.2 X 2.4-m
      ovoid chamber containing 25 cm of saturated MgSO4 solution (sp gr 1.28)
      maintained at 34.5 degrees F. The buoyant supinely floating subject experienced a
      minimum of light, sound, and temperature awareness and spatial orientation. The
      non-REST environment was a cushioned reclining chair in a quiet dimly lit room.
      The 5-wk protocol consisted of four visits for blood sampling during a 2-wk
      baseline followed by eight REST or non-REST sessions, 40 min each, with blood
      samples taken on four nonsession days between sessions 5 and 8. Variability in
      plasma cortisol was expressed in terms of standard deviation. REST was associated
      with across-session decreases of 21.6% in plasma cortisol and 50.5% in plasma
      cortisol variability, whereas no changes in these measures occurred in non-REST.
      It is concluded that REST influences both static and dynamic aspects of
      adrenocortical function, possibly altering the feedback monitoring of plasma
      cortisol.

PMID- 1864783
TI  - Mechanical role of expiratory muscle recruitment during eupnea in supine
      anesthetized dogs.
AB  - To assess the mechanical role of the expiratory musculature during eupnea, we
      recorded the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the triangularis sterni, the
      external oblique, and the transversus abdominis in eight supine lightly
      anesthetized dogs and have measured the volume generated by the phasic activation
      of the expiratory muscles. Activation of the expiratory muscles was invariably
      associated with a decrease in lung volume below the relaxed position of the
      respiratory system, a volume equal to 41.3 +/- 8.4 ml. This volume represented
      roughly 20% of tidal volume generated during spontaneous breathing. The
      fractional expiratory contribution to the tidal volume was unrelated to the size
      of the animal. Traction on the forelimbs (limb extension), however, tended to
      enhance the phasic expiratory activation of both the triangularis sterni and the
      transversus abdominis in the majority of animals. Moreover, after limb extension,
      the fractional contribution of tidal volume attributed to the phasic activation
      of the expiratory muscles increased in all but one animal. During spontaneous
      breathing with the forelimbs extended, roughly 25% of tidal volume was found to
      be due directly to phasic expiratory muscle contraction. The present observations
      firmly establish that in supine lightly anesthetized dogs breathing at rest the
      expiratory component of tidal volume represents a substantial contribution.

PMID- 1864784
TI  - Early muscular and metabolic adaptations to prolonged exercise training in
      humans.
AB  - A short-term training program involving 2 h of daily exercise at 59% of peak O2
      uptake (VO2max) repeated for 10-12 consecutive days was employed to determine the
      significance of adaptations in energy metabolic potential on alterations in
      energy metabolism and substrate utilization in working muscle. The initial VO2max
      determined before training on the eight male subjects was 53.0 +/- 2.0 (SE) ml.kg
      1.min-1. Analysis of samples obtained by needle biopsy from the vastus lateralis
      muscle before exercise (0 min) and at 15, 60, and 99 min of exercise indicated
      that on the average training resulted (P less than 0.05) in a 6.5% higher
      concentration of creatine phosphate, a 9.9% lower concentration of creatine, and
      a 39% lower concentration of lactate. Training had no effect on ATP
      concentration. These adaptations were also accompanied by a reduction in the
      utilization in glycogen such that by the end of exercise glycogen concentration
      was 47.1% higher in the trained muscle. Analysis of the maximal activities of
      representative enzymes of different metabolic pathways and segments indicated no
      change in potential in the citric acid cycle (succinate dehydrogenase, citrate
      synthase), beta-oxidation (3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase), glucose
      phosphorylation (hexokinase), or potential for glycogenolysis (phosphorylase) and
      glycolysis (pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, alpha-glycerophosphate
      dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase). With the exception of increases in the
      capillary-to-fiber area ratio in type IIa fibers, no change was found in any
      fiber type (types I, IIa, and IIb) for area, number of capillaries, capillary-to
      fiber area ratio, or oxidative potential with training.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1864785
TI  - Impedance electrodes positioned on proximal portions of limbs quantify fluid
      compartments in dogs.
AB  - Body resistance and reactance to the conduction of an alternating electrical
      current were measured using electrodes attached to distal and proximal portions
      of limbs in anesthetized dogs. Body impedance was calculated from these
      measurements obtained at 30-min time intervals during a control period and after
      intravenous administration of 0.9% saline. Extracellular (ECW) and total body
      water (TBW) were determined by bromide and heavy water dilution techniques,
      respectively. Baseline impedance obtained from proximal electrodes was related to
      ECW (r = 0.95, P less than 0.001) and TBW (r = 0.80, P less than 0.02). After
      saline infusion, proximal electrodes detected a significant fall in impedance (P
      less than 0.001), whereas distal electrodes did not (P = 0.06). Furthermore, ECW
      and TBW could be estimated from the drop of proximal impedance after this bolus
      infusion (r = 0.82, P less than 0.02, and r = 0.86, P less than 0.01,
      respectively), but not from distal impedance measurements. Proximally placed
      impedance electrodes are superior to traditionally used distal electrodes for
      assessment of body fluid changes in the dog.

PMID- 1864786
TI  - Phrenic neural output during hypoxia in dogs: constant-flow ventilation vs.
      spontaneous breathing.
AB  - We studied the effects of removing cyclic pulmonary afferent neural information
      on respiratory pattern generation in anesthetized dogs. Phrenic neural output
      during spontaneous breathing (SB) was compared with that occurring during
      constant-flow ventilation (CFV) at several levels of eucapnic hypoxemia. Hypoxia
      caused an increase in both the frequency and the amplitude of the moving time
      average (MTA) phrenic neurogram during both SB and CFV. The change in frequency
      as arterial saturation was reduced from 90 to 60% during SB was significantly
      higher than that during CFV [SB, 32.3 +/- 10.9 (SD) breaths/min; CFV, 10.3 +/-
      5.8 breaths/min; P = 0.001]. By contrast, the increase in the amplitude of the
      MTA phrenic neurogram was smaller (SB, 0.62 +/- 0.68 units; CFV, 1.35 +/- 0.81
      units; P = 0.01). The changes in frequency with hypoxia during both modes of
      ventilation resulted primarily from a shortening of expiratory time. Both
      inspiratory time and expiratory time were greater during CFV than during SB, but
      their change in response to hypoxia was not significantly different. We conclude
      that the amplitude response of the MTA phrenic neurogram to hypoxia is similar to
      that seen during hypercapnia; in the presence of phasic afferent feedback the MTA
      amplitude response is decreased and the frequency response is increased relative
      to the response observed in the absence of phasic afferents.

PMID- 1864787
TI  - Influence of cold, exercise, and caffeine on catecholamines and metabolism in
      men.
AB  - Recently we found that caffeine ingestion did not enhance either thermal or fat
      metabolic responses to resting in cold air, despite an increase in plasma
      epinephrine and free fatty acids. Theophylline, another methylxanthine, has been
      shown to be effective during exercise but not at rest during cold stress.
      Therefore we hypothesized that caffeine ingestion before exercise in cold air
      would have a thermal-metabolic impact by increasing fat metabolism and increasing
      oxygen consumption. Young adult men (n = 6) who did not normally have caffeine in
      their diet performed four double-blind trials. Thirty minutes after ingesting
      placebo (dextrose, 5 mg/kg) or caffeine (5 mg/kg) they either exercised (60 W) or
      rested for 2 h in 5 degrees C air. Cold increased (P less than 0.05) plasma
      norepinephrine while both caffeine and exercise increased (P less than 0.05)
      epinephrine. Serum free fatty acids and glycerol were increased, but there were
      no differences between rest and exercise or placebo and caffeine. Caffeine had no
      influence on either respiratory exchange ratio or oxygen consumption either at
      rest or during exercise. The exercise trials did not significantly warm the body,
      and they resulted in higher plasma norepinephrine concentrations and lower mean
      skin temperatures for the first 30 min. The data suggest that skin temperature
      stimulates plasma norepinephrine while caffeine has little effect. In contrast,
      caffeine and exercise stimulate plasma epinephrine while cold has minimal effect.
      Within the limits of this study caffeine gave no thermal or metabolic advantage
      during a cold stress.

PMID- 1864788
TI  - Effect of respiratory muscle fatigue on subsequent exercise performance.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether induction of inspiratory
      muscle fatigue might impair subsequent exercise performance. Ten healthy subjects
      cycled to volitional exhaustion at 90% of their maximal capacity. Oxygen
      consumption, breathing pattern, and a visual analogue scale for respiratory
      effort were measured. Exercise was performed on three separate occasions, once
      immediately after induction of fatigue, whereas the other two episodes served as
      controls. Fatigue was achieved by having the subjects breathe against an
      inspiratory threshold load while generating 80% of their predetermined maximal
      mouth pressure until they could no longer reach the target pressure. After
      induction of fatigue, exercise time was reduced compared with control, 238 +/- 69
      vs. 311 +/- 96 (SD) s (P less than 0.001). During the last minute of exercise,
      oxygen consumption and heart rate were lower after induction of fatigue than
      during control, 2,234 +/- 472 vs. 2,533 +/- 548 ml/min (P less than 0.002) and
      167 +/- 15 vs. 177 +/- 12 beats/min (P less than 0.002). At exercise isotime,
      minutes ventilation and the visual analogue scale for respiratory effort were
      larger after induction of fatigue than during control. In addition, at exercise
      isotime, relative tachypnea was observed after induction of fatigue. We conclude
      that induction of inspiratory muscle fatigue can impair subsequent performance of
      high-intensity exercise and alter the pattern of breathing during such exercise.

PMID- 1864789
TI  - Direct injury to the bronchial vasculature in anesthetized sheep.
AB  - Injury to the bronchial vasculature may contribute to liquid and solute leakage
      into the lung during noncardiac pulmonary edema. The purpose of this study was to
      measure changes in hemodynamics, pulmonary mechanics, extravascular lung water,
      and lung morphometry after selectively injuring the bronchial vasculature in
      anesthetized sheep. In two groups of seven sheep, we injected oleic acid (0.1
      ml/kg) or normal saline directly into the bronchoesophageal artery. We measured
      systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, cardiac output, oxygen saturation,
      pulmonary resistance and compliance, and lung volumes before and 1 and 4 h after
      injection. The lungs were removed for measurement of extravascular water,
      histology, and morphometry. Four hours after injection of oleic acid, cardiac
      output decreased but pulmonary arterial pressure did not change. In addition,
      pulmonary resistance increased and dynamic compliance and vital capacity
      decreased. Extravascular lung water was slightly but significantly greater in the
      oleic acid group. Histological examination showed interstitial edema and
      leukocytes in airway walls and sloughing of bronchial epithelium but little or no
      alveolar edema. Morphometric analysis showed significant thickening of airway
      walls. We conclude that direct injury to the bronchial vasculature increases lung
      resistance, decreases dynamic compliance, and increases extravascular lung water
      by the accumulation of an inflammatory infiltrate in airway walls.

PMID- 1864790
TI  - Upper airway cooling and l-menthol reduce ventilation in the guinea pig.
AB  - Cooling of the upper airway, which stimulates specific cold receptors and
      inhibits laryngeal mechanoreceptors, reduces respiratory activity in
      unanesthetized humans and anesthetized animals. This study shows that laryngeal
      cooling affects the pattern of breathing in the guinea pig and assesses the
      potential role of cold receptors in this response by using a specific stimulant
      of cold receptors (l-menthol). The response to airflows (30 ml/s, 10-s duration)
      through the isolated upper airway was studied in 23 anesthetized (urethan, 1 g/kg
      ip) guinea pigs breathing through a tracheostomy. Respiratory airflow, tidal
      volume, laryngeal temperature, and esophageal pressure were recorded before the
      challenges (control), during cold airflows (25 degrees C, 55% relative humidity),
      and during warm airflows (37 degrees C, saturated) with or without the addition
      of l-menthol. Whereas warm air trials had no effect, cold air trials, which
      lowered laryngeal but not nasal temperature, reduced ventilation (VE) to 85% of
      control, mainly by prolonging expiratory time (TE, 145% of control), an effect
      abolished by laryngeal anesthesia. Addition of l-menthol to the warm airflow
      caused a greater reduction in VE (41% of control) by prolonging TE (1,028% of
      control). Nasal anesthesia markedly reduced the apneogenic effect of l-menthol
      but did not affect the response to cold air trials. In conclusion, both cooling
      of the larynx and l-menthol in the laryngeal lumen reduce ventilation. Exposure
      of the nasal cavity to l-menthol markedly enhances this ventilatory inhibition;
      considering the stimulatory effect of l-menthol on cold receptors, these results
      suggest a predominant role of nasal cold receptors in this response.

PMID- 1864791
TI  - Plasma and muscle amino acid and ammonia responses during prolonged exercise in
      humans.
AB  - Plasma and muscle amino acid (AA) and ammonia (NH3) responses were measured
      during prolonged submaximal exercise in humans. Increased NH3 production during
      submaximal exercise has been attributed to the activity of the purine nucleotide
      cycle, without consideration of any possible contribution from AA. Six men cycled
      at 75% of maximal O2 uptake until exhaustion on two occasions after 2.5 days of
      ingestion of a high-carbohydrate or mixed diet. Plasma samples (antecubital vein)
      and muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were obtained at rest and during exercise
      and analyzed for plasma and muscle NH3 and AA as well as muscle metabolites.
      There were no significant diet effects in these parameters, so the majority of
      results focus on the effects of exercise. Plasma and muscle NH3 increased
      significantly from the onset and continued to increase throughout exercise. The
      total and total essential [AA] of muscle were significantly increased at
      exhaustion, whereas both the plasma and muscle branched-chain AA contents were
      unchanged. This suggests that protein catabolism was occurring during exercise
      and the branched-chain AA were used for energy and NH3 production.

PMID- 1864792
TI  - Albumin transport across pulmonary capillary-interstitial barrier in anesthetized
      dogs.
AB  - To evaluate albumin transport across the pulmonary capillary endothelial and
      interstitial barriers, we simultaneously measured blood-to-tissue (QA,t) and
      blood-to-lymph (QA,l) clearances of 125I-radiolabeled albumin as well as
      endogenous albumin clearance (Qa,l) in the canine lung in vivo (n = 10). Steady
      state prenodal lung lymph flows (Qw,l) and protein clearances were measured over
      a 2-h period at a constant capillary pressure (Pc, 13-33 cmH2O). Comparison
      between QA,t and QA,l as a function of Pc suggests that little of the albumin
      that crossed the capillary wall remained in the lung tissue, with most leaving in
      the lymph. Qw,l increased significantly as Pc increased, but lung tissue water
      was minimally affected. From the ratio of the clearance-Pc slopes for albumin and
      water, the albumin reflection coefficient was estimated to be 0.81 using QA,l and
      Qw,l and 0.56 using Qa,l and Qw,l. The permeability surface area product for the
      sum of blood-to-tissue and blood-to-lymph fluxes of labeled albumin (QA,t + QA,l)
      was 31 +/- 9 microliters/min, whereas that calculated from the blood-to-lymph
      flux of endogenous albumin (Qa,l) was 97 +/- 22 microliters/min. These data
      suggest that 1) both tissue and lymph accumulations of albumin must be considered
      when microvascular permeability is evaluated using protein tracers; 2) lymph
      clearance, but not tissue accumulation of albumin, was filtration dependent; and
      3) lymph flow was an important contributor to the safety factor against edema
      formation over a moderate range of capillary pressures.

PMID- 1864793
TI  - Is fiber mitochondrial volume density a good indicator of muscle fatigability to
      isometric exercise?
AB  - The relationship between the ratio of interfibrillar mitochondrial volume density
      (Vvmit) to myofibrillar volume density (Vvmyo) and isometric fatigue
      characteristics of the human triceps surae was determined in six bodybuilders,
      six endurance athletes, and six active controls before and after 16 wk of
      isometric training at 30 or 100% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) in six
      sedentary subjects in a unilateral exercise model. Time to fatigue at 30% MVC was
      significantly less in sedentary subjects before training than in the other
      subject groups, but it was similar to the other groups posttraining.
      Stereological analyses of type I fibers indicated that Vvmit/Vvmyo was less in
      bodybuilders than in other subjects. Training at 30% MVC increased type I fiber
      Vvmit/Vvmyo of the soleus by 11% but did not affect the gastrocnemii. Training at
      100% MVC did not alter Vvmit/Vvmyo in any muscle, nor was this ratio changed in
      type II fibers by either training program. Despite the morphological differences,
      both training protocols increased relative endurance, although greater fatigue
      resistance was seen after training at 30% MVC. Correlation analyses indicated
      that isometric endurance and improvements in muscle endurance by isometric
      exercise were not dependent on increasing interfibrillar Vvmit or Vvmit/Vvmyo in
      either fiber type.

PMID- 1864794
TI  - Time course of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction after endotoxin infusion in
      unanesthetized sheep.
AB  - Endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] has been reported to reduce hypoxic
      pulmonary vasoconstriction and thus increases venous admixture. The time course
      of this failure of pulmonary blood flow regulation was investigated in six
      chronically instrumented unanesthetized sheep after infusion of Escherichia coli
      LPS (1 microgram/kg). The change in left pulmonary arterial blood flow (LPBF,
      ultrasonic transit time) in response to unilateral lung hypoxia (10 min of N2
      alternately to the left and right lungs) was compared before and at various time
      intervals after the administration of LPS. During baseline conditions, LPBF was
      33% of total cardiac output and decreased to 15% when the left lung was
      ventilated with a hypoxic gas mixture. One hour after endotoxin infusion, LPBF
      remained at 33% of total cardiac output yet only decreased to 28% during the
      hypoxic challenge. The response to one-lung hypoxia was still significantly
      depressed 10 h post-LPS administration. It is concluded that hypoxic pulmonary
      vasoconstriction is almost completely abolished for a prolonged time period after
      a small dose of LPS.

PMID- 1864795
TI  - Localization of the sites of pulmonary vasomotion by use of arterial and venous
      occlusion.
AB  - In this study, we present a new approach for using the pressure vs. time data
      obtained after various vascular occlusion maneuvers in pump-perfused lungs to
      gain insight into the longitudinal distribution of vascular resistance with
      respect to vascular compliance. Occlusion data were obtained from isolated dog
      lung lobes under normal control conditions, during hypoxia, and during histamine
      or serotonin infusion. The data used in the analysis include the slope of the
      arterial pressure curve and the zero time intercept of the extrapolated venous
      pressure curve after venous occlusion, the equilibrium pressure after
      simultaneous occlusion of both the arterial inflow and venous outflow, and the
      area bounded by equilibrium pressure and the arterial pressure curve after
      arterial occlusion. We analyzed these data by use of a compartmental model in
      which the vascular bed is represented by three parallel compliances separated by
      two series resistances, and each of the three compliances and the two resistances
      can be identified. To interpret the model parameters, we view the large arteries
      and veins as mainly compliance vessels and the small arteries and veins as mainly
      resistance vessels. The capillary bed is viewed as having a high compliance, and
      any capillary resistance is included in the two series resistances. With this
      view in mind, the results are consistent with the major response to serotonin
      infusion being constriction of large and small arteries (a decrease in arterial
      compliance and an increase in arterial resistance), the major response to
      histamine infusion being constriction of small and large veins (an increase in
      venous resistance and a decrease in venous compliance), and the major response to
      hypoxia being constriction of the small arteries (an increase in arterial
      resistance). The results suggest that this approach may have utility for
      evaluation of the sites of action of pulmonary vasomotor stimuli.

PMID- 1864796
TI  - Respiratory epithelium-dependent inhibition of protein kinase C of airway smooth
      muscle cells.
AB  - We have examined the effect of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) on airway smooth
      muscle (ASM) in the presence and absence of respiratory epithelium (RE) and
      analyzed the dependence of this response on extracellular sodium, Na+/H+
      exchange, calcium, and cyclooxygenase products; we determined both the resting
      membrane potential and isometric force developed by ASM preparations. Removal of
      RE had no effect on the values of the resting membrane potential of ASM cells. In
      the presence of RE in the preparation, both electrical and contractile responses
      to PMA (10(-5) M) were significantly different compared with the response of ASM
      to PMA without RE. When the RE was present, stimulation of protein kinase C
      caused only a biphasic response in both membrane potential and isometric force.
      In either the presence or absence of RE, amiloride (10(-5) M) and a low-sodium
      solution inhibited both electrical and contractile changes of ASM cells caused by
      PMA. In the presence or absence of RE, verapamil (10(-5) M) attenuated (P less
      than 0.05) both electrical and contractile responses of ASM cells as induced by
      PMA. Verapamil, however, had no effect on the last phase of PMA-induced response.
      Pretreatment of preparations with indomethacin (10(-6) M) changed the PMA-induced
      response of ASM with RE to a response usually observed in ASM without RE.
      Finally, the incubation of tracheal preparations without RE with prostaglandin E2
      (10(-8) M) altered the response of these preparations in such a way that their
      electrical and contractile response to PMA was essentially identical to the PMA
      response observed in preparations with an intact RE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1864797
TI  - Alveolar air-tissue interface and nuclear magnetic resonance behavior of lung.
AB  - Inflated lungs are characterized by a short nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) free
      induction decay (rapid disappearance of NMR signal), likely due to internal
      (tissue-induced) magnetic field inhomogeneity produced by the alveolar air-tissue
      interface. This phenomenon can also be detected using temporally symmetric and
      asymmetric NMR spin-echo sequences; these sequences generate a pair of NMR images
      from which a difference signal (delta) is obtained (reflecting the signal from
      lung water experiencing the air-tissue interface effect). We measured delta in
      normal excised rat lungs at inflation pressures of 0-30 cmH2O for asymmetry times
      (a) of 1-6 ms. Delta was low in degassed lungs and increased markedly with
      alveolar opening when measured at a = 6 ms (delta 6 ms); delta 6 ms varied little
      during the rest of the inflation-deflation cycle. Delta 1 ms (a = 1 ms) did not
      vary significantly on inflation and deflation. Measurements of delta at a = 3 and
      5 ms generally lay between those of delta 1 ms and delta 6 ms. These findings,
      which are consistent with theoretical predictions, suggest that measurements of
      delta at appropriate asymmetry times are particularly sensitive to alveolar
      opening and may provide a means of distinguishing alveolar recruitment from
      alveolar distension in the pressure-volume behavior of the lung.

PMID- 1864798
TI  - Factors that determine the hemodynamic response to inhalation anesthetics.
AB  - The hemodynamic response to inhalation anesthesia is influenced by three factors:
      1) the specific drug, 2) the dose, and 3) individual characteristics of the
      subject. To investigate the importance of these factors on the cardiovascular
      response, we administered five doses [0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 minimum alveolar
      concentration (MAC)] of enflurane, halothane, and isoflurane to each of six dogs.
      Twelve hemodynamic variables were measured. For all variables, a change in the
      dose of each drug produced a consistent effect in each dog. Increases in dose
      resulted in significant decreases in seven variables [left ventricular ejection
      fraction, cardiac index (CI), stroke volume index (SVI), mean arterial pressure
      (MAP), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP), left ventricular stroke work
      index (LVSWI), and heart rate (HR)] and a significant increase in one variable
      [central venous pressure (CVP)]. In contrast, the response of individual dogs to
      different drugs was not consistent. For seven variables [MAP, MPAP, LVSWI, CVP,
      pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), and
      end-systolic volume index (ESVI)], a significant difference in the responses of a
      dog to two drugs was greater than zero, whereas a significant difference in the
      response of at least one other dog to the same two drugs was less than zero
      (discordant dog-drug interactions). Thus, in contrast to the consistency of the
      cardiovascular response to changes in dose, the hemodynamic response to different
      drugs was inconsistent among dogs. We also studied the effect of fluid challenge
      on hemodynamic response at 1.5 or 2.0 MAC of the three drugs given to each
      dog.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864799
TI  - Adipose tissue volume measured by magnetic resonance imaging and computerized
      tomography in rats.
AB  - The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the viability of magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) as a means of measuring the body composition of rodents.
      To do so we compared adipose tissue (AT) volumes measured by MRI with those
      obtained by X-ray computerized tomography (CT) in a group of rats (n = 17)
      varying in weight (465-815 g) and percent body fat (5.4-31.1%), with the latter
      determined by chemical analysis. For both MRI and CT, AT volumes (cm3) per
      transverse slice (3-mm thickness, 21-mm centers) were determined using a computer
      based image analysis system that permitted detailed comparisons of both visceral
      and subcutaneous AT depots. Total AT volumes were calculated using a linear
      interpolation of AT areas obtained on consecutive slices. Correlation
      coefficients between MRI and CT for visceral [r = 0.98, standard error of
      estimate (SEE) = 6.8 cm3], subcutaneous (r = 0.98, SEE = 6.5 cm3), and total AT
      volumes (r = 0.99, SEE = 9.0 cm3) were highly significant (P less than 0.001).
      Both MRI- and CT-predicted AT mass (assuming fat density = 0.90 g/ml) correlated
      strongly with chemically extracted lipid (grams) values (r = 0.98, SEE 9.6 g and
      r = 0.99, SEE = 6.9 g, respectively). Post hoc Scheffe contrasts demonstrated
      that the mean AT and lipid mass values derived by the three methods were not
      significantly different (P = 0.01). No systematic differences were observed
      because the regression lines derived for either MRI or CT vs. chemical analysis
      were not significantly different from the identity line.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864800
TI  - Effect of preexisting brain ischemia on sympathetic nerve response to
      intracranial hypertension.
AB  - The performance of the sympathetic nervous system during sustained moderate
      cerebral ischemia (CI) was examined in the present study. For this purpose, a
      Cushing response was elicited repeatedly during incomplete global CI in
      anesthetized artificially ventilated cats after vagotomy and baroreceptor
      denervation. In control animals without CI, sympathetic activity in response to
      brief elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) showed a well-repeatable two-phase
      reaction. During CI there was a progressive deterioration of background
      sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) over a period of 30 min. SND response to
      repeated elevation of ICP was initially similar to control response but later
      with progression of CI was seriously changed. 1) Instead of the usual
      hyperactivation, sympathetic nerve activity was depressed during intracranial
      hypertension. 2) The characteristic desynchronized activity either appeared later
      during the reperfusion period or remained absent. The progressive loss of SND
      response to raised ICP in developed CI was compared with the changes seen in
      experiments in which repeated ICP elevations were superimposed on asphyxia. These
      findings suggest that the sympathetic component of the Cushing reaction strongly
      depends on the actual state of brain stem autonomic circuits and may be seriously
      altered in pathological situations involving ischemic brain injury.

PMID- 1864801
TI  - Inhomogeneity of ventilatory unit volume and its effects on reactive gas uptake.
AB  - This study addressed the question of whether variations in the volume of alveoli
      and alveolar ducts forming single units of ventilation can significantly
      influence the distribution and uptake of inspired reactive gases. Quantitative
      serial section analyses of vascular perfusion-fixed rat lungs were used to
      determine the anatomic dead space proximal to specific ventilatory units as well
      as the gas volume of these ventilatory units. Three reconstructions, each
      consisting of ventilatory units distal to a specific bronchus, were carried out.
      The number of ventilatory units for each reconstruction varied from 26 to 71. The
      average ventilatory unit volume for the three reconstructions [0.53 +/- .03 (SE)
      mm3] was not significantly different from measurements based on random sampling.
      The distribution of ventilatory unit volume was diverse, with 15% of the
      population having a volume less than 0.3 mm3 and 9% of the population having a
      volume greater than 1.0 mm3. For a gas of relatively low reactivity (e.g.,
      oxygen) the predicted oxygen uptake per unit surface area did not vary
      significantly between ventilatory units. The predicted oxygen uptake was
      approximately 92% of the uptake in the absence of gradients in oxygen
      concentration between ventilatory units. For a highly reactive gas (e.g., ozone),
      the predicted uptake per unit surface area in the proximal portions of larger
      ventilatory units was significantly greater than the average uptake. These
      results suggest that focal areas of injury likely result from exposure to inhaled
      reactive gases.

PMID- 1864802
TI  - PET evaluation of pulmonary vascular permeability: a structure-function
      correlation.
AB  - We compared regional measurements of the pulmonary transcapillary escape rate
      (rPTCER) for 68Ga-transferrin, obtained by positron emission tomography (PET),
      with morphometric data obtained from corresponding tissue samples in six
      anesthetized mechanically ventilated dogs, 1 h after oleic acid administration to
      either the left caudal lobe (0.015 ml/kg; Lobar group, n = 3) or the right atrium
      (0.08 ml/kg; Diffuse group, n = 3). Data were obtained from 48 regions in both
      injured and control lobes (right caudal lobes from the Lobar group). The volume
      density of edematous or hemorrhagic alveoli at the light-microscopic level was
      directly related to rPTCER (r = 0.82 for regions with rPTCER values less than 700
      x 10(-4) min-1). Likewise, the relative surface of abnormal capillary endothelium
      and alveolar epithelium at the electron-microscopic level correlated well with
      rPTCER (r = 0.87 for regions with rPTCER less than 1,200 X 10(-4) min-1). We
      conclude that the rPTCER measurements obtained with PET reflect the morphological
      heterogeneity present in oleic acid-damaged lung tissue. Thus rPTCER measurements
      should be useful as a noninvasive quantitative index of lung injury. Furthermore,
      the tomographic image display of rPTCER may allow PET to be used as a
      "physiological probe" to guide tissue excision for later histological evaluation
      when lung injury is heterogeneous.

PMID- 1864803
TI  - Respiratory-related activity of cricothyroid muscle in awake normal humans.
AB  - The role of the cricothyroid muscle (CT) in respiration is unclear. To examine
      the respiratory-related electrical activity of the CT, we measured its
      electromyogram (EMG) and compared it with that of the alae nasi (AN) in eight
      healthy subjects. During quiet breathing the CT EMG phasing was inspiratory in
      seven subjects. This pattern was similar to the AN with respect to phasing and
      shape of the integrated EMG. The onset of phasic CT and AN activity related to
      inspiration preceded flow by 173 +/- 39 and 570 +/- 76 (SE) ms, respectively (P
      less than 0.01). We measured the duration from onset of phasic activity to peak
      of the EMG (TA) and the total cycle duration (TT). TA/TT of the CT was 0.29 +/-
      0.02, similar to that of the AN (0.28 +/- 0.03). Inspiratory resistive loading,
      panting, and voluntary hyperventilation increased CT activity above the peak
      level seen during tidal breathing. Voluntary glottic closure increased CT
      activity to a level above tonic but below peak tidal activity. The findings
      suggest that the phasic electrical activity of the CT simulates predominantly
      that of an upper airway dilator.

PMID- 1864804
TI  - Cricothyroid muscle responses to increased chemical drive in awake normal humans.
AB  - To examine the response of the cricothyroid muscle (CT) to increased chemical
      drive, we measured its electromyogram simultaneously with that of the alae nasi
      (AN) in seven normal awake subjects. During both progressive hyperoxic
      hypercapnia and hypoxia, peak integrated inspiratory activity (moving time
      average, MTA) of the CT and AN increased as a power function of mean inspiratory
      flow (ratio of tidal volume to inspiratory time, VT/TI), given by MTA = a(VT/TI)b
      + c (where a, b, and c are constants). The exponent b varied from 0.009 to 3.4
      among subjects but was correlated between CT and AN both during hypercapnia (r =
      0.86) and hypoxia (r = 0.81). The onset of inspiratory activity of the CT and AN
      preceded that of inspiratory flow. Expressed as a percentage of expiratory time,
      the CT lead time rose from 7% at rest to 20% during hyperpnea. The corresponding
      values for the AN were from 22 to 52% (both P less than 0.03). Thus the pattern
      of response of the CT and AN is similar and related to that of the inspiratory
      muscles in a curvilinear manner. The findings suggest that during chemical
      stimulation the electrical activity of the CT is analogous to that of the AN, an
      upper airway dilator.

PMID- 1864805
TI  - Pressure-diameter relationships of the upper airway in awake supine subjects.
AB  - In awake supine normal subjects, dimensional changes of the oropharyngeal airway
      were measured during exposure to negative intraluminal pressures. The pressure
      was generated 1) "actively" by subjects inspiring against an externally occluded
      airway or 2) "passively" by external suction at the mouth during voluntary
      glottic closure with no inspiratory effort. Airway dimensions were imaged with X
      ray fluoroscopy and anteroposterior diameters measured at levels corresponding to
      cervical vertebra 3 and 4 (C3 and C4). Cephalad axial displacement of the hyoid
      bone (CDHY) was also measured. During the "active" maneuver, airway diameters and
      position were maintained at resting levels despite airway pressure up to -15
      cmH2O. In contrast, during the passive maneuver at -15 cmH2O, C3 was only 15 +/-
      9% and C4 only 47 +/- 8% of control; CDHY was 5.6 +/- 1.8 mm. In three subjects
      airway wall apposition occurred and persisted until an active inspiratory effort.
      We conclude that, in the absence of inspiratory effort, negative oropharyngeal
      airway pressures result in marked narrowing and cephalad displacement of the
      upper airway, even during wakefulness. Therefore, our data suggest that the
      complex interaction of upper airway and thoracic muscle activity is critical in
      determining the effective compliance and patency of the upper airway, which is
      readily collapsible even in normal subjects.

PMID- 1864806
TI  - Influence of posterior cricoarytenoid muscle activity on pressure-flow
      relationship of the larynx.
AB  - We examined the effect of posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle activity on the
      pressure-flow (PV) relationship of the larynx in five anesthetized
      tracheostomized dogs. The PCA activity was recorded using bipolar fine-wire
      electrodes, expressed as a percentage of the quiet breathing level and altered by
      mechanical ventilation, changes in lung volume, and chest wall compression.
      Subglottic pressure was recorded while a constant flow of air was passed through
      the upper airway. In the absence of PCA activity the PV relationship was alinear
      and could be described by a power function (P = K0Va, where K0 and a are
      constants). The slope of the log P-log V plots in the absence of PCA and
      thyroarytenoid activity was 1.83 +/- 0.02 (SD), whereas with increasing PCA
      activity it was 1.88 +/- 0.11. An effective hydraulic diameter (DH) was
      calculated for 20% increments of PCA activity, and in two dogs glottic diameter
      (Dg) was calculated from glottic area measurements obtained by fiber-optic
      laryngoscopy. Both DH and Dg increased linearly with increasing PCA activity.
      Denervation of the cricothyroid muscle had no systematic effect on laryngeal
      resistance. The results indicate that the PV relationship of the larynx may be
      described by a power function with a single exponent, the magnitude of which is
      independent of glottic dilator muscle activity and consistent with orifice flow.
      However, laryngeal diameter increases linearly with PCA activity in the range
      studied.

PMID- 1864807
TI  - Adaptive modeling of the human rib cage in median sternotomy.
AB  - This paper describes a limited computer-analyzed kinematic model of the rib cage
      that can be adapted to individual subjects. Also described is its validation and
      use in assessing the changes in chest wall shape after coronary artery bypass
      graft (CABG) surgery in 12 patients. The positions of a small number of anatomic
      locations on the thoracic spine, ribs, manubrium, and sternum are measured from
      lateral and posterior-anterior chest radiographs. The computer program puts these
      two views together removing the magnification and reconstructs any missing points
      to give a three-dimensional picture of the rib cage to which mathematical models
      of the bones are scaled. The patients had chest radiographs taken at total lung
      capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV) to investigate the source of the
      restrictive ventilatory defect that follows CABG. The predictions from the model
      were tested by comparing full-sized computer plots with the actual chest
      radiographs. The estimates of the bony structures were accurate to +/- 3 degrees
      for orientations and +/- 6 mm for positions. We found reduced rib motion both
      "pump-handle" (theta) and "bucket handle" (psi) going from theta, psi left, psi
      right = 9 degrees, 10 degrees, 14 degrees to 4 degrees, 10 degrees, 9 degrees,
      respectively, after surgery with P less than 0.025, 0.42, 0.07. The angles were
      measured from the horizontal and increased caudally. There was also reduction in
      the range of angles subtended by the arc of the thoracic vertebrae between TLC
      and RV, which went from 12 degrees to -1 degrees (P less than 0.015). These data
      explain the fall in lung volumes that follow CABG and provide insight into the
      contribution made by the ribs and spine in full inspiration and full expiration.

PMID- 1864808
TI  - Exercise training elevates RMR during moderate but not severe dietary restriction
      in obese male rats.
AB  - This study examined the effects of 11 wk of exercise training (E) on resting O2
      uptake (RMR) and the composition of diet-induced weight loss in obese male
      Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 48). The rats underwent one of three levels of dietary
      treatment: ad libitum (AL), moderate restriction (MR), and severe restriction
      (SR). Compared with AL-CC (cage confined; 647 +/- 13 g), the AL-E (84% of AL-CC),
      MR-CC (77%), MR-E (77%), SR-CC (63%), and SR-E (63%) groups were all reduced in
      body mass. At the MR level, E significantly reduced fat mass (FM; MR-CC 73 +/- 5,
      MR-E 45 +/- 5 g) and increased water mass (WM; MR-CC 307 +/- 5, MR-E 329 +/- 5 g)
      compared with CC. In contrast, no significant differences existed between the SR
      CC and SR-E groups. Exercise training did not result in conservation of protein
      mass at any level of dietary intake. Exercise training significantly elevated RMR
      (on a kg0.75 basis) by approximately 7% for the AL-E and MR-E groups compared
      with their respective dietary counterparts. These findings may help reconcile the
      conflicting results present in the literature with respect to the effects of
      exercise training during diet-induced weight loss. That is, studies using
      relatively severe dietary restrictions are less likely to demonstrate exercise
      induced changes in RMR, FM, and WM than those employing moderate dietary
      restrictions.

PMID- 1864809
TI  - Use of a triaxial magnetometer for respiratory measurements.
AB  - We describe a triaxial magnetometer (Tri-mag) system, which consists of a
      transmitter, four sensors, a processing unit, and a personal computer (PC). The
      Tri-mag processing unit outputs the position of each sensor relative to the
      transmitter in three orthogonal coordinates, and this information is communicated
      to the PC. First, we demonstrated that within a defined octant of a sphere in
      which the center is the transmitter, we can measure radial distances with an
      accuracy of +/- 1 mm over a range extending from 10 to 70 cm from the
      transmitter. Second, we recorded the three-dimensional movement of sensors on the
      anterior and posterior surfaces of the chest wall during maximum voluntary
      ventilation in four normal men; all sensors were placed in the midsagittal plane
      of the body. Anterior sensors were located on the sternum at the level of the
      third intercostal space and at 2 cm above the umbilicus, whereas posterior
      sensors were located on the posterior spine at the same vertical levels as the
      anterior sensors. In all subjects the following was found. 1) Both anterior
      sensors moved anterior and cephalad during inspiration. The anterior thoracic
      sensor showed greater vertical than anteroposterior (A-P) movement, whereas the
      anterior abdominal sensor showed greater A-P than vertical movement. 2)
      Inspiration was associated with spinal extension, whereas expiration was
      associated with spinal flexion. Third, we used Tri-mag information to 1) measure
      tidal volume (VT) over a range extending from 500 ml to inspiratory capacity and
      2) measure the change in end-expiratory lung volume (EELV) over a range extending
      from FRC to FRC plus a minimum of 1.5 liters. Our results indicate that greater
      than 96% of the changes in VT and greater than 82% of the changes in EELV can be
      accounted for by changes in A-P, vertical, and lateral dimensions of the chest
      wall.

PMID- 1864810
TI  - Effect of denervation or unweighting on GLUT-4 protein in rat soleus muscle.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the decreased capacity
      for glucose transport in the denervated rat soleus and the increased capacity for
      glucose transport in the unweighted rat soleus are related to changes in the
      expression of the regulatable glucose transporter protein in skeletal muscle
      (GLUT-4). One day after sciatic nerve sectioning, when decreases in the
      stimulation of soleus 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake by insulin (-51%, P less than
      0.001), contractions (-29%, P less than 0.05), or insulin and contractions in
      combination (-40%, P less than 0.001) were observed, there was a slight (-18%,
      NS) decrease in GLUT-4 protein. By day 3 of denervation, stimulation of 2-DG
      uptake by insulin (-74%, P less than 0.001), contractions (-31%, P less than
      0.001), or the two stimuli in combination (-59%, P less than 0.001), as well as
      GLUT-4 protein (-52%, P less than 0.001), was further reduced. Soleus muscle from
      hindlimb-suspended rats, which develops an enhanced capacity for insulin
      stimulated glucose transport, showed muscle atrophy similar to denervated soleus
      but, in contrast, displayed substantial increases in GLUT-4 protein after 3
      (+35%, P less than 0.05) and 7 days (+107%, P less than 0.001). These results
      indicate that altered GLUT-4 expression may be a major contributor to the changes
      in insulin-stimulated glucose transport that are observed with denervation and
      unweighting. We conclude that muscle activity is an important factor in the
      regulation of GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscle.

PMID- 1864811
TI  - Competitive control of myosin expression: hypertrophy vs. hyperthyroidism.
AB  - The competition between two opposing influences on the phenotypic expression of
      skeletal muscle myosin were studied to determine which was the dominant
      regulator. Experimental hyperthyroidism, which induces fast myosin expression,
      was produced by subcutaneous implantation of a 40-day constant-time-release
      triiodothyronine pellet. Compensatory hypertrophy, which induces slow myosin
      expression, was produced by surgical removal of a synergistic hindlimb muscle.
      Hyperthyroidism increased the percentage of type II fibers and the fast myosin
      isoforms in both the plantaris and soleus muscles. Hypertrophy significantly
      increased the percentage of type I fibers and the slow myosin type in the
      plantaris and soleus muscles. However, with the simultaneous introduction of
      hyperthyroidism and hypertrophy, only the hyperthyroid effects were observed.
      Hyperthyroidism and not physiological demand was found to be the dominant
      regulator of skeletal muscle myosin expression.

PMID- 1864812
TI  - Eyewitness memory for a touching experience: accuracy differences between child
      and adult witnesses.
AB  - Children, ages 5-6 and 9-10 years, and adults spent 6 min with a man (toucher)
      who administered a test that required interpersonal touch. The test was briefly
      interrupted by a woman (intruder). Afterward, the participant-witnesses provided
      a memory report that included free recall, answers to objective-memory questions,
      and two lineup identifications. Relative to the adults and older children, the 5-
      to 6-year-olds gave less complete free recall and made more errors in answering
      objective questions about the features and actions of the toucher and the
      intruder. On recognition tests, both the 5- to 6- and 9- to 10-year-olds were
      somewhat less likely than adults to make accurate lineup decisions about the
      toucher and much less likely to accurately identify the briefly seen intruder.
      Children may remember even salient stimuli and actions more poorly than adults
      do, but there was no evidence that children misremembered touches that did not
      occur.

PMID- 1864813
TI  - Negative affectivity as the underlying cause of correlations between stressors
      and strains.
AB  - The extent to which negative affectivity (NA), the tendency to experience a wide
      range of negative emotions, inflated correlations between chronic job stressors
      and strains was examined in this study. NA was found to account for a large
      proportion of shared variance between stressors and physical strains (as
      indicated by absence, doctor visits, and physical symptoms). Contrary to the
      results of Brief, Burke, George, Robinson, and Webster (1988), NA did not account
      for much of the variance shared by stressors and affective strains (job
      satisfaction, anger, and feelings of stress and frustration). Reasons for the
      failure of this and several earlier studies to successfully replicate Brief et
      al.'s results are explored.

PMID- 1864815
TI  - Hemoglobinopathies.

PMID- 1864814
TI  - Influence of job characteristics on the acceptability of employee drug testing.
AB  - Measures of the acceptability of employee drug testing were obtained from a
      sample of college students (N = 371) and a second sample of nontraditional, older
      college students (N = 112) and were correlated with job-analysis data from the
      Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) and Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)
      databases, and with measures of perceived danger from impaired performance in
      each job. Both PAQ and DOT data accounted for variance in ratings of
      acceptability. Perceptions of danger were the best single predictor of
      acceptability and appeared to mediate the relationships between job
      characteristics and the acceptability of employee drug testing.

PMID- 1864816
TI  - Sickle cell vaso-occlusion.
AB  - A polymerizable cell is a requirement for sickle cell vaso-occlusion, but other
      factors clearly modulate the course of the disease. Hemolysis produces a young
      red cell population that is capable of adhesion and may result in polymer
      formation in cells that would otherwise have remained deformable during transit
      through the microcirculation owing to prolonged delay time for polymerization. In
      addition, a young red cell population will have a higher activity of K:Cl
      cotransport, which is capable of rapidly dehydrating cells under acid conditions,
      thus promoting a vicious circle of hemolysis and adhesion. Transient occlusion
      may stimulate the release of vasoactive substances, which may lead to involvement
      of a larger area. In the past, research aimed at reducing the incidence of
      painful crisis was primarily focused on antisickling agents. Currently,
      hydroxyurea, which increases the level of fetal hemoglobin, which may be
      described as a natural antisickling agent, is undergoing clinical trials. Future
      research may involve agents that inhibit sickle cell adhesion, K:Cl cotransport,
      or vasoactive substances.

PMID- 1864817
TI  - Somatic gene therapy.
AB  - Many problems obviously continue to exist in gene transfer using retroviruses as
      a means of inserting foreign DNA into hematopoietic stem cells, especially with
      regulated genes such as the human beta globin genes. First, it is unclear whether
      the available retroviral vectors will infect enough stem cells for gene transfer
      to be successful over the long term. Second, there may be sequences necessary for
      normal beta globin gene expression that may also inhibit the normal retroviral
      life cycle, thus decreasing the efficiency of gene transfer or gene expression.
      It seems clear that in order to optimize the success of gene transfer, the
      highest possible titer of viral production is necessary. New approaches are aimed
      at increasing viral titer. The transfect/infect method appears useful. Growth
      factors may also be useful by increasing stem cell proliferation. Single growth
      factors may not be sufficient to optimize stem cell cycling. To date, interleukin
      3 seems to be the single most useful growth factor, although interleukin-3 with
      interleukin-6 or other combinations of growth factors including interleukin-1 and
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) appear to have
      potential. Future work also is required to optimize the number of marrow stem
      cells needed for successful transplantation. Long-term bone marrow culture and
      stromal cell cultures may provide new and improved marrow culture conditions for
      achieving this goal. Improvements in the efficiency of both gene transfer and
      gene expression are necessary before we can consider the concept of gene transfer
      for the treatment of various hematologic genetic diseases in humans.

PMID- 1864818
TI  - The distinct pathobiology of sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease. Therapeutic
      implications.
AB  - The data available clearly establish that the hyperconcentration of hemoglobin C
      and S inside SC cells is the main and driving mechanism for the pathologic
      behavior of these cells. It facilitates the polymerization of Hb S, but it also
      favors the tendency of Hb C to induce the formation of crystals and aggregates,
      abnormal morphologic shapes, and abnormally dense reticulocytes, through a
      particularly active K:Cl cotransport. Why these cells are endowed with a
      particularly active K:Cl cotransport is still a mystery; it is disproportionate
      with the extent of the hemolysis and the number of young cells. Is there an
      abnormal interaction between Hb C and the K:Cl cotransport protein in the inner
      aspect of the membrane? Are there abnormal interactions between Hb C and the
      other transport mechanisms that balance the shrinking capacity of K:Cl
      cotransport (as Na/H exchange)? Only future work will tell. In any case, SC
      disease is unique among the hemoglobinopathies in that a single intervention
      could correct all abnormalities: the restitution of the normal MCHC, as proven
      experimentally by Fabry et al. Hence, effort should be centered on looking for
      compounds that increase red cell volume, because in SC cells, increases in volume
      will not distort the cell, but restore it to the normal red cell volume and the
      normal red cell shape. This luxury is not available for cells with normal MCHC
      (the majority of the red cells in SS blood), because increasing their volume will
      progressively turn them into spheres, a rheologically disadvantaged shape.

PMID- 1864819
TI  - The interactions of alpha-thalassemia with hemoglobinopathies.
AB  - Because of their high prevalence throughout the world, alpha-thalassemia and
      hemoglobinopathies often occur in the same individual. Southern blot
      hybridization analysis of the alpha-globin gene cluster permits the detection of
      the common deletion alpha-thalassemias and the definition of the phenotypes
      affiliated with the interactions of alpha-thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies.
      Important insights into the pathophysiology of Hb SS have been gained, and the
      nature of the perturbation of heterozygous hemoglobinopathies by alpha
      thalassemia has been established.

PMID- 1864820
TI  - Noninvasive diagnostic imaging in hemoglobinopathies.
AB  - We have provided a global review of the current applications of newer modalities,
      particularly MR imaging, as applicable to the major manifestations of sickle cell
      disease, the most common hemoglobinopathy. There is a need for well-designed
      prospective longitudinal studies utilizing MR imaging to gain further insight
      into the pathophysiology of this intriguing disease. Additionally, MR imaging,
      because of lack of ionizing radiation, is ideally suited for long-term sequential
      studies and may thus provide an objective means for monitoring response to
      therapy.

PMID- 1864821
TI  - Ophthalmologic complications in hemoglobinopathies.
AB  - The various forms of sickle cell disease share the common feature of an abnormal
      globin chain that, under certain conditions such as hypoxia, results in the
      sickling of red blood cells and obstruction of blood vessels. The ophthalmic
      manifestations of sickle cell disease are present in various segments of the eye,
      which include the conjunctiva, iris, retina, and optic nerve. Patients with SC
      disease and SB thalassemia tend to have more severe ophthalmic complications than
      their counterparts with the more severe systemic form of sickle cell disease--SS
      disease. It is important for patients with sickle cell disease to have periodic
      examinations by ophthalmologists, because the early identification of peripheral
      retinal disease can be adequately treated, with preservation of vision. Without
      treatment, peripheral retinal changes can lead to retinal detachments and
      vitreous hemorrhages, which account for the majority of visual impairment in
      patients with sickle cell disease.

PMID- 1864822
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation in thalassemia.
AB  - Since 1983, 350 patients aged 1 to 19 years with beta-homozygous thalassemia were
      given infusions of HLA-identical marrow after high doses of busulphan and
      cyclophosphamide. Survival and event-free survival leveled off about 1 year after
      bone marrow transplantation at 82% and 75%, respectively. In 172 consecutive
      patients who were treated with our current regimen since June 1985, a
      multivariate analysis demonstrated that portal fibrosis, hepatomegaly, and a
      history of inadequate chelation therapy were significantly associated with
      reduced probabilities of survival and event-free survival. The patients were
      divided into three classes on the basis of the presence of hepatomegaly, portal
      fibrosis, and inadequate chelation therapy. Class 1 had none of the factors and
      class 3 had all three factors; class 2 had different associations of two out of
      the three factors. For class 1 patients, the 3-year probabilities of survival and
      event-free survival were 97% and 94%, respectively. For class 2 patients, the
      probabilities were 86% and 83%, and for class 3 patients, 58% and 52%. Bone
      marrow transplantation from HLA-identical donors is followed by a high
      probability of event-free survival in thalassemic patients, particularly if they
      belong to class 1.

PMID- 1864823
TI  - Management of thalassemia major (Cooley's anemia).
AB  - Cooley's anemia patients, treated with a combined regimen of blood transfusions
      and chelation therapy, can look forward today to near-normal survival and
      excellent quality of life. Transfusion therapy should be directed at maintaining
      a hemoglobin baseline (greater than or equal to 10 g/dL) adequate to prevent
      hypoxia and its consequences: bone marrow expansion and cardiomegaly. Chelation
      therapy should aim at a very reduced Fe overload, to be monitored by the serum
      ferritin level. Several oral Fe chelating drugs currently being developed appear
      promising; none, however, is ready for general use as yet. Transplantation of
      bone marrow from a compatible sibling can cure Cooley's anemia; however, this
      therapy is currently only applicable to a small percentage of patients.

PMID- 1864824
TI  - Management of pregnancy in sickle cell syndromes.
AB  - We have seen a marked decrease in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality
      among pregnant patients with sickle cell disease. This has been the result of
      coordinated efforts with the obstetric and hematologic teams. Patients are
      counseled prior to pregnancy regarding the risks and are given the opportunity to
      modify their life style to prepare for the additional metabolic burden of
      gestation. Once pregnant, they are instructed in the techniques to recognize and
      avoid complications. They are observed frequently for the appearance of pain
      crisis and other medical and obstetric complications. If complications are
      identified, they should be treated aggressively. Transfusion therapy is important
      in the management of patients; however, prophylactic transfusion does not change
      outcome. Although significant laboratory techniques aid in fetal and maternal
      supervision, the universal fundamentals of good clinical perinatal care provided
      through the combined efforts of the obstetrician and hematologist contribute to
      the framework for the modern management and successful outcome of patients with
      sickle cell disease during pregnancy.

PMID- 1864825
TI  - Neologisms and idiosyncratic language in autistic speakers.
AB  - Language samples from matched groups of 80 autistic, mentally handicapped, and
      normally developing children were coded for the presence of neologisms and/or
      idiosyncratic language use. Cognitive, social, or linguistic factors that might
      account for these errors were identified and assessed. More autistic subjects
      used neologisms and idiosyncratic language than age- and language skill-matched
      control groups. No single factor or combination of factors was responsible for
      this difference. Across diagnostic groups, similar patterns of error were noted,
      except that the autistic subjects were more likely to use words inappropriately
      that had no phonological or semantic similarity to the intended English word. For
      the autistic groups, the frequency of idiosyncratic language increased with
      language complexity. In contrast, such errors decreased with language skill in
      the mentally handicapped group. Theoretical implications for determining the
      nature and source of the language disorder associated with autism are discussed.

PMID- 1864826
TI  - The effects of two levels of linguistic constraint on echolalia and generative
      language production in children with autism.
AB  - The effects of specific types of adult antecedent utterances (high vs. low
      constraint) on the verbal behaviors produced by three subjects with autism were
      examined. Adult utterance types were differentiated in terms of the amount of
      control the adults exhibited in their verbal interactions with the subjects
      during a free play setting. Videotaped interactions were analyzed and coded
      according to a predetermined categorical system. The results of this
      investigation suggest that the level of linguistic constraint exerted on the
      child interactants during naturalistic play sessions affected their communicative
      output. The overall findings suggest that (a) adult high constraint utterances
      elicited more verbal utterances in general, as well as a majority of the
      subjects' echolalia; (b) adult low constraint utterances elicited more subject
      high constraint utterances; and (c) the degree of constraint of adult utterances
      did not appear to influence the mean lengths of subjects' utterances. The results
      are discussed in terms of their implications for educational interventions, and
      suggestions are made for future research concerning the dynamics of echolalia in
      interactive contexts.

PMID- 1864827
TI  - Pre- and perinatal factors in high-functioning females and males with autism.
AB  - Pregnancy and delivery complications as indicated in medical records and maternal
      reports for 23 high-functioning autistic females and 23 high-functioning males of
      similar IQ and age were compared with those of 54 of their normally developing
      siblings. Autistic subjects of both sexes had higher non-optimality scores than
      their siblings. Much of this difference was accounted for by a higher incidence
      of firstborns and fourth- or later-borns in the autistic group. Of factors found
      in previous research with mentally handicapped, autistic samples, only estimated
      weeks of gestation greater than 42 occurred more often in autistic subjects than
      siblings. The only sex difference specific to the autistic group was that
      autistic males came from larger families than females. These data provide slight
      support for the contribution of nonspecific pre- and perinatal factors to other
      etiological bases of autism. It is proposed that pre- and perinatal factors may
      play less of a role in autism in high-functioning individuals than suggested in
      studies of autism associated with severe retardation.

PMID- 1864828
TI  - Prediction of clinical response in children taking methylphenidate.
AB  - Twenty-six children having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were tested
      before and after treatment with methylphenidate. In addition to standardized
      parent and teacher rating scales, each child was assessed on a variety of
      psychomotor tests with an emphasis on attentional constructs. Relatively few of
      the performance tests, administered prior to medication, predicted clinical
      response to medication. However, chronological age and performance on a memory
      distraction task and on the Graduated Holes Task (Klove, 1963) were moderately
      correlated with clinical outcome. Using stepwise multiple regression analyses to
      predict outcome, age and the psychomotor tasks predicted about 50% of outcome
      variance. There was virtually no relationship between clinical change and change
      on the performance tests. Findings are discussed with respect to results from
      previous prediction studies, theoretical models of drug response, and clinical
      management.

PMID- 1864829
TI  - Brief report: a prospective case report of infantile autism from pregnancy to
      four years.

PMID- 1864830
TI  - Brief report: competitive employment of adults with autism.

PMID- 1864831
TI  - Brief report: a synopsis of an open-trial of naltrexone treatment of autism with
      four children.

PMID- 1864832
TI  - Note on the relationship between population-based and clinical studies: the
      question of reduced optimality in autism.

PMID- 1864833
TI  - Autism and the use of hypnotic barbiturates in obstetrics and pediatrics.

PMID- 1864834
TI  - Characterization of monoclonal anti-rabbit apolipoprotein E antibodies and
      chemical composition of lipoproteins separated by anti-apolipoprotein E immuno
      affinity chromatography.
AB  - Six mouse monoclonal antibodies against rabbit apolipoprotein E (apo E) have been
      developed. Of these monoclonal antibodies, clone 5 revealed a high affinity for
      purified apo E, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and beta-VLDL. This
      monoclonal antibody was used to prepare an immunoaffinity column. Coupled to
      Sepharose 4B, this antibody allowed complete removal of lipoproteins containing
      apo E from plasma of New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits; 62, 46, 14, and 3% of VLDL
      , IDL-, LDL-, and HDL-protein, respectively, were bound to the anti-apo E
      affinity column. The bound VLDL was significantly rich in free cholesterol (FC)
      and cholesteryl esters (CE) relative to the unbound VLDL, whereas bound IDL, LDL
      and HDL were significantly rich in FC only. All of the bound fractions were
      characterized by significantly increased ratios of FC/phospholipids (PL). These
      results indicate that the two lipoprotein populations with and without apo E have
      different lipid compositions. The relatively high content of cholesterol in
      lipoproteins containing apo E suggests a contribution of apo E to plasma
      cholesterol transport.

PMID- 1864835
TI  - Purification and characterization of a novel thermostable lipase from Bacillus
      sp.
AB  - A thermostable lipase from Bacillus sp. has been purified to homogeneity as
      judged by disc-PAGE, SDS-PAGE, and isoelectric focusing. The purification
      included ammonium sulfate fractionation, treatment with acrinol, and sequential
      column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Toyopearl HW-55F, and Butyl
      Toyopearl 650M. The purified enzyme was found to be a monomeric protein with Mr
      of 22,000, and pI of 5.1. The optimal pH at 30 degrees C, and optimal temperature
      at pH 5.6 were 5.5-7.2, and 60 degrees C, respectively, when olive oil was used
      as the substrate. The substrate specificity towards simple triglycerides was
      broad and 1- and 3-positioned ester bonds were hydrolyzed in preference to a 2
      positioned ester bond. The addition of acetone to the assay mixture in the range
      of 0-60% (v/v) stimulated the enzyme remarkably, whereas n-hexane had an
      inhibitory effect.

PMID- 1864836
TI  - 1H NMR study on amide proton exchange of calmodulin-mastoparan complex.
AB  - Amide proton exchange rates of Ca2(+)-saturated calmodulin and Ca2(+)-saturated
      calmodulin-mastoparan complex were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Exchange rates
      of Gly25, Gly61, Gly98, Gly134, Ile27, Ile100, and Asn137 were determined for
      Ca2(+)-saturated calmodulin and for Ca2(+)-saturated calmodulin-mastoparan
      complex, and were found to be less than 10(-4)s-1. All these residues of which
      the amide proton resonances appear at lower fields were considered to form
      hydrogen bonds, based on the results of X-ray analysis. Exchange rates of Ile27
      and Asn137 became an order of magnitude smaller when mastoparan bound to Ca2(+)
      saturated calmodulin, while those of the four glycines and Ile100 did not change
      appreciably. The reduction in accessibility of Asn137 to water cased by
      mastoparan binding suggests that a part of the mastoparan binding site is
      probably located in or near the hydrophobic cluster of the C-terminal-half
      domain. The reduction in accessibility of Ile27 also suggests that another part
      of the mastoparan binding site is located in or near the hydrophobic cleft of the
      N-terminal-half domain.

PMID- 1864837
TI  - Molecular cloning and characterization of rat contrapsin-like protease inhibitor
      and related proteins.
AB  - A glycoprotein with Mr 63,000 purified from rat serum was found to inhibit
      trypsin activity but not chymotrypsin or elastase activity, resembling contrapsin
      purified from mouse serum. To obtain further information on the molecular
      structure, a cDNA clone (lambda CPi-21) for this contrapsin-like protease
      inhibitor was isolated from a rat liver cDNA library. The 1.6-kb cDNA insert
      contained an open reading frame that encodes a 416-residue polypeptide (CPi-21),
      in which the first 29 residues were suggested to comprise a signal peptide by
      comparison with the NH2-terminal sequence of the purified protein. The predicted
      structure also contained other peptide sequences determined by Edman degradation.
      Four potential N-linked glycosylation sites were found in the molecule,
      presumably accounting for the larger molecular mass of the mature form. Further
      screening of the cDNA library with a Pst-XbaI fragment (302 bp) of lambda CPi-21
      as a probe yielded two other cDNA clones (lambda CPi-23 and lambda CPi-26), which
      encode 413-residue and 418-residue polypeptides, respectively. A comparison of
      their amino acid sequences revealed that CPi-21 has 89 and 71% homology with CPi
      23 and CPi-26, respectively. The primary structure of each of the three proteins
      has about 70% homology with that of mouse contrapsin, in contrast to 43-46%
      homology with that of rat alpha 1-protease inhibitor. These results indicate that
      all the CPi proteins presented here belong to a subfamily of "serpins" of which
      mouse contrapsin was the first member to be identified.

PMID- 1864838
TI  - Analysis of oxygen equilibria of the giant hemoglobin from the earthworm Eisenia
      foetida using the Adair model.
AB  - Oxygen equilibrium curves of the giant hemoglobin from the earthworm Eisenia
      foetida were determined at various concentrations of cations. Using the Adair
      model of 12 oxygenation steps, we succeeded in fitting the data better than the
      simple concerted model (MWC model). Analysis of the Adair constants (K1 to K12)
      indicated that the increase in oxygen affinity occurs in the last six steps (K7
      to K12) of the oxygen binding and that it is enhanced by increase in Ca2+
      concentration. The Hill coefficient (nmax) at pH 7.5 attained a maximum value of
      9.76 at 20 mM CaCl2. In the presence of physiological levels of Ca2+ (5 mM), the
      Bohr effect was similar to that seen in vertebrates. The data were consistent
      with the release of two Bohr protons being accompanied by the oxygen-linked
      binding of one Ca2+. Mg2+ and Na+ exerted a similar effect on the hemoglobin,
      though to a lesser extent. The stoichiometry of Ca2+ binding of the hemoglobin
      revealed the presence of two classes of binding sites, of which the affinities
      are high (Ka = 8.8 x 10(3) +/- 103 M-1) and low. The number of high affinity
      sites per heme was found to be 0.3, comparable to the number of oxygen-linked
      Ca2+ binding sites.

PMID- 1864839
TI  - Purification and characterization of the Escherichia coli OxyR protein, the
      positive regulator for a hydrogen peroxide-inducible regulon.
AB  - The Escherichia coli oxyR gene is required for the induction of a regulon that is
      inducible by hydrogen peroxide and confers resistance to oxidative stresses. We
      constructed a plasmid system that greatly overproduced OxyR protein and purified
      the protein. OxyR protein specifically bound to the upstream regulatory regions
      of the oxyR and katG genes as demonstrated by the gel-retardation assay and the
      DNase I footprinting experiment, and activated the transcription initiation of
      the katG gene in vitro. Using a plasmid carrying an oxyR'-'lacZ fusion gene, we
      studied the regulation of oxyR expression in vivo. The expression of oxyR was not
      induced by the treatment with a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide which
      induces the genes in the oxyR regulon. The expression of the oxyR'-'lacZ gene was
      higher in an oxyR-deletion strain than in the oxyR+ strain, and was repressed by
      overexpressing the OxyR protein. These results suggest that OxyR protein
      functions as a repressor for oxyR, in addition to its known function as a
      transcriptional activator for the genes in the oxyR regulon.

PMID- 1864840
TI  - Lysophospholipase L1 from Escherichia coli K-12 overproducer.
AB  - After screening 900 E. coli strains of the Clarke and Carbon collection for by
      lysophospholipase L1 activities, we isolated a clone bearing the plasmid pLC6-34,
      which showed an increased level of lysophospholipase L1 activity. Strains bearing
      the plasmid pC124, a subclone of pLC6-34 in plasmid vector pUC8, showed
      approximately 11.4 times higher lysophospholipase L1 activity than that of the
      parental strain. Starting from those overproducing strains, the lysophospholipase
      L1 was purified to near homogeneity by sequential use of ammonium sulfate
      fractionation, Sephacryl S-300, DEAE-cellulose, hydroxyapatite and Sephacryl S
      200 column chromatographies. The apparent molecular weight of the purified
      lysophospholipase L1 was estimated to be 20,500-22,000 both by SDS-polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis and by gel permeation chromatography. The specific activity
      of the homogeneous lysophospholipase L1 was 10,400 nmol/min/mg protein when 1
      acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine was used as the substrate. The amino acid
      sequence of the amino-terminal portion of purified lysophospholipase L1 was
      determined and was different from that of lysophospholipase L2, which had
      previously been purified from the envelope fraction of E. coli strains bearing
      its cloned structural gene, pldB [Karasawa, K., Kudo, I., Kobayashi, T., Sa-eki,
      T., Inoue, K., & Nojima, S. (1985) J. Biochem, 98, 1117-1125]. The gene
      responsible for overproduction of lysophospholipase L1 activity was designated as
      pldC (phospholipid degradation C). Its restriction enzyme map was also different
      from that of cloned pldB. These results further confirmed that, in E. coli, there
      are two lysophospholipases with distinct characteristics.

PMID- 1864841
TI  - Papain-inhibitory activity of oryzacystatin, a rice seed cysteine proteinase
      inhibitor, depends on the central Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly region conserved among
      cystatin superfamily members.
AB  - Oryzacystatin, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor occurring in rice seeds, contains
      a particular glycine residue (Gly5) near the NH2-terminal position, and the
      sequence Gln53-Val54-Val55-Ala56-Gly57 in a central part of the molecule. Both
      are conserved among most members of the cystatin superfamily. We have found from
      Escherichia coli expression studies that the NH2-terminal 21 residues of
      oryzacystatin are not essential for its papain-inhibitory activity, and that the
      conserved pentapeptide region may be indispensable [Abe, K., Emori, Y., Kondo,
      H., Arai, S., & Suzuki, K. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 7655-7659]. Here we present
      more detailed data based on quantitative analyses of the inhibitory activities of
      NH2- and COOH-terminally truncated oryzacystatin and site-directed mutants at the
      Gln-Val-Val-Ala-Gly region. The data indicate the following results. (1) The
      truncated mutants lacking the NH2-terminal 21 residues or the COOH-terminal 11
      residues exhibit potent papain-inhibitory activity equivalent to the activity of
      wild oryzacystatin. (2) However, neither the mutant lacking the NH2-terminal 38
      residues nor that lacking the COOH-terminal 35 residues is completely able to
      inhibit papain. (3) Site-directed mutants at the Gln residue of the Gln-Val-Val
      Ala-Gly region have drastically reduced papain-inhibitory activities: the Gln---
      Pro mutant is completely inactive and the Gln----Leu mutant has an approximately
      150 times higher Ki value than wild-type oryzacystatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1864842
TI  - Co-localization of immunoreactive forms of calponin with actin cytoskeleton in
      platelets, fibroblasts, and vascular smooth muscle.
AB  - Calponin is an actin binding protein found in the smooth muscle cells of chicken
      gizzard. The localization of the protein was examined in bovine platelets, mouse
      fibroblasts, and the smooth muscle cells of the bovine aorta. Immunoblotting of
      whole platelet lysates revealed that the antibody to chicken gizzard calponin
      recognized two proteins with apparent molecular masses of 37 and 23 kDa in the
      resting state and an additional high-molecular-weight component (approximately 40
      kDa) in the activated state. The localizations of calponin and caldesmon, and the
      correlation of their localizations with that of the actin cytoskeleton were
      analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy using appropriate antibodies and
      rhodamine-phalloidin. In resting bovine platelets, calponin exhibited the same
      distribution as actin filaments, which are organized in a characteristic wheel
      like structure. A similar distribution was observed with the anti-caldesmon
      antibody. Colocalization of calponin and actin were shown in activated platelets
      and along stress fibers of both fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. These
      results suggest not only a cytoskeletal role associated with microfilaments but
      also a regulatory role of these proteins for actin-myosin interaction.

PMID- 1864843
TI  - An NMR study on the conformation of a deoxyoligonucleotide duplex, d(GGGGCCCC)2,
      and its complex with chromomycin.
AB  - The conformation of drug-free d(GGGGCCCC)2 and the chromomycin-d(GGGGCCCC)2
      complex in aqueous solution were studied by NMR spectroscopy. The present study
      has indicated that free d(GGGGCCCC)2 takes the B form in solution, although it
      takes the A form in the crystalline state. The NMR spectrum of the complex
      indicated that chromomycin binds as a symmetry-related dimer to the minor groove
      of the central four residues of d(GGGGCCCC)2. The drastic conformational change
      in the central four residues of d(GGGGCCCC)2 on going from the B form family to
      the A form was demonstrated by the characteristic NOEs and coupling patterns. The
      change seems to be indispensable for accommodation of the bulky chromomycin dimer
      in the minor groove. On the basis of the intermolecular NOEs between chromomycin
      and d(GGGGCCCC)2, the structure of the complex has been constructed and refined
      by energy minimization.

PMID- 1864844
TI  - Triflavin, an antiplatelet Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptide, is a specific
      antagonist of platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex.
AB  - Triflavin, an antiplatelet peptide containing Arg-Gly-Asp, purified from
      Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom, inhibits aggregation of human platelets
      stimulated by a variety of agonists. It blocks aggregation through interference
      with fibrinogen binding to its specific receptor on the platelet surface membrane
      in a competitive manner, but it has no apparent effect on intracellular events,
      such as thromboxane B2 formation, phosphoinositides breakdown and intracellular
      Ca2+ mobilization of thrombin-activated platelets. In this study, we determined
      the complete sequence of triflavin, which is composed of a single polypeptide
      chain of 70 amino acids. Its sequence is rich in cysteine and contains Arg-Gly
      Asp at residues 49-51 in the carboxy-terminal domain. Triflavin shows about 68%
      identity of amino acid sequence with trigramin, which is a specific antagonist of
      the fibrinogen receptor associated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex.
      [125I]Triflavin binds to unstimulated and ADP-stimulated platelets in a saturable
      manner and its Kd values are estimated to be 76 and 74 nM, respectively; the
      corresponding numbers of binding sites are 31,029 and 34,863 per platelet,
      respectively. [125I]Triflavin binding is blocked by Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser in a
      competitive manner. EDTA, the Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptides (including
      naturally occurring polypeptides, trigramin and rhodostomin), and monoclonal
      antibody, 7E3, raised against GP IIb/IIIa complex, inhibit [125I]triflavin
      binding to unstimulated and ADP-stimulated human platelets. In conclusion,
      triflavin specifically binds to fibrinogen receptor associated with GP IIb/IIIa
      complex and its binding site is located at or near GP IIb/IIIa complex,
      overlapping with those of 7E3 and another Arg-Gly-Asp-containing polypeptide,
      rhodostomin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864845
TI  - Interaction of nonpolymerizable actins with myosin.
AB  - Polymerization of G-actin in the presence of salt and phalloidin was blocked by
      treatment of G-actin with m-maleimidobenzoic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester
      (MBS) (designated as m-actin). The actin dimer produced by chemical crosslinking
      of F-actin with N,N'-p-phenylenedimaleimide did not polymerize and was still
      dimeric or tetrameric after further treatment with MBS (designated as d-actin).
      The m- and d-actins retained the ability to bind to myosin heads with apparent
      dissociation constants of 3-8 x 10(-6) and 3-5 x 10(-7) M, respectively. d-Actin
      formed a 1:1 actin monomer-myosin head complex. However, m-actin formed a 2:1 m
      actin-head complex, suggesting the presence of at least two latent actin-binding
      sites on a myosin head. ATP weakens only 2- to 6-fold the binding of these
      complexes. One of two m-actins on a myosin head was replaced by d-actin. Native F
      actin blocked the binding of both m- and d-actins to myosin heads in the presence
      and absence of ATP, although the affinities of myosin head for MBS-treated actins
      and F-actin are similar in the presence of ATP. These results suggest that there
      are at least three actin binding sites on a myosin head: one is responsible for
      binding of F-, m-, and d-actins, the second for binding of F- and m-actins, and
      the third for binding of F-actin at least in the presence of ATP. F-Actin binding
      to the third site may in some way block the first and second binding sites.

PMID- 1864846
TI  - Acyclic monoterpene primary alcohol:NADP+ oxidoreductase of Rauwolfia serpentina
      cells: the key enzyme in biosynthesis of monoterpene alcohols.
AB  - Acyclic monoterpene primary alcohol:NADP+ oxidoreductase, a key enzyme in the
      biosynthesis of monoterpene alcohols in plants, is unstable and has been only
      poorly characterized. However we have established conditions which stabilize the
      enzyme from Rauwolfia serpentina cells, and then purified it to homogeneity. It
      is a monomer with a molecular weight of about 44,000 and contains zinc ions.
      Various branched-chain allylic primary alcohols such as nerol, geraniol, and 10
      hydroxygeraniol were substrates, but ethanol was inert. The enzyme exclusively
      requires NADP+ or NADPH as the cofactor. Steady-state kinetic studies showed that
      the nerol dehydrogenation proceeds by an ordered Bi-Bi mechanism. NADP+ binds the
      enzyme first and then NADPH is the second product released from it. Gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of the reaction products showed that
      10-hydroxygeraniol undergoes a reversible dehydrogenation to produce 10
      oxogeraniol or 10-hydroxygeranial, which are oxidized further to give 10
      oxogeranial, the direct precursor of iridodial. The enzyme has been found to
      exclusively transfer the pro-R hydrogen of NADPH to neral. The N-terminal
      sequence of the first 21 amino acids revealed no significant homology with those
      of various other proteins including the NAD(P)(+)-dependent alcohol
      dehydrogenases registered in a protein data bank.

PMID- 1864847
TI  - Hydroxylation of o-halogenophenol and o-nitrophenol by salicylate hydroxylase.
AB  - Salicylate hydroxylase [EC 1.14.13.1] from Pseudomonas putida catalyzed the
      formation of catechol from substrate analogues such as o-nitro-, o-amino-, o-iodo
      , o-bromo-, and o-chloro-phenol by removing the ortho-substituted groups. They
      are converted into nitrite, ammonia, and halide ions, respectively. Kinetic
      parameters of these reactions were determined by spectrophotometric and
      polarographic methods. Hydroxylation of o-nitro- or o-iodophenol proceeds with
      the unusual stoichiometry of 2:1:1 for consumed NADH, O2-uptake, and catechol
      formed. Other ortho-substituted phenols examined also gave the same results. Like
      salicylate, these substrates perturb the absorption spectrum of salicylate
      hydroxylase in the visible region, indicating the formation of enzyme.substrate
      complexes. Titration experiments with ortho-substituted phenols gave the
      dissociation constants of the complexes. The complexes were quantitatively
      reduced with NADH or dithionite without detectable formation of the
      intermediates. The fact that one atom of 18O2 was incorporated into the produced
      catechol in hydroxylation of o-nitrophenol indicates that the reaction is of
      monooxygenase nature. It is concluded that salicylate hydroxylase cleaves the C-N
      and C-X bonds of ortho-substituted phenols.

PMID- 1864848
TI  - A new monoclonal antibody directed to sialyl alpha 2-3lactoneotetraosylceramide
      and its application for detection of human gastrointestinal neoplasms.
AB  - A new monoclonal antibody (NS24) directed to the N-acetylneuraminyl alpha 2-3Gal
      beta 1-4GlcNAc residue in type II sugar chain of N
      acetylneuraminyllactoneotetraosylceramide [sialylparagloboside,
      IV3(NeuAc)nLc4Cer] was prepared by hybridoma technique. Liposomes composed of
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, IV3(NeuAc)nLc4Cer, and
      lipopolysaccharides from Salmonella minnesota R595 were used for immunization
      with IV3(NeuAc)nLc4Cer isolated from human erythrocytes. This method allowed the
      fusion of spleen cells of immunized mouse with myeloma cells only three days
      after immunization. NS24 reacted specifically to both naturally occurring and
      chemically synthesized IV3-(NeuAc)nLc4Cer, whereas it has no reactivity to
      structurally related gangliosides, such as IV6(NeuAc)nLc4Cer, N
      glycolylneuraminyl alpha 2-3lactoneotetraosylceramide [IV3(NeuGc)-nLc4Cer], i
      active ganglioside [VI3(NeuAc)nLc6Cer], I-active ganglioside [VIII3(NeuAc)
      VI3(NeuAc)IV6kladoLc8Cer], GM4(NeuAc), GM3(NeuAc), GM3(NeuGc), GM1b(NeuAc), GD3
      (NeuAc), other ganglio-series gangliosides, sulfatide, and paragloboside
      (nLc4Cer). Synthetic N-acetylneuraminyl alpha 2-3lactotetraosylceramide
      [IV3(NeuAc)Lc4Cer] and its asialo-derivative (Lc4Cer) carrying type I sugar chain
      also showed no reaction with NS24. One to 100 pmol of IV3(NeuAc)nLc4Cer was
      detected dose-dependently by a thin-layer chromatography/enzyme immunostaining
      procedure. Human gastric carcinomas showed positive reactions with NS24
      immunochemically and histochemically. NS24 reacted preferentially with poorly
      differentiated adenocarcinomas rather than well differentiated ones.

PMID- 1864849
TI  - The role of plasma membrane redox activity in light effects in plants.
AB  - Stimulations by light of electron transport at the plasma membrane make it
      possible that redox activity is involved in light-induced signal transduction
      chains. This is especially true in cases where component(s) of the chain are also
      located at the plasma membrane. Photosynthetic reactions stimulate transplasma
      membrane redox activity of mesophyll cells. Activity is measured as a reduction
      of the nonpermeating redox probe, ferricyanide. The stimulation is due to
      production of a cytosolic electron donor from a substance(s) transported from the
      chloroplast. It is unknown whether the stimulation of redox activity is a
      requirement for other photosynthetically stimulated processes at the plasma
      membrane, but a reduced intermediate may regulate proton excretion by guard
      cells. Blue light induces an absorbance change (LIAC) at the plasma membrane
      whose difference spectrum resembles certain b-type cytochromes. This transport of
      electrons may be due to absorption of light by a flavoprotein. The LIAC has been
      implicated as an early step in certain blue light-mediated morphogenic events.
      Unrelated to photosynthesis, blue light also stimulates electron transport at the
      plasma membrane to ferricyanide. The relationship between LIAC and transmembrane
      electron flow has not yet been determined, but blue light-regulated proton
      excretion and/or growth may depend on this electron flow. No conclusions can be
      drawn regarding any role for phytochrome because of a paucity of information
      concerning the effects of red light on redox activity at the plasma membrane.

PMID- 1864850
TI  - Transplasma membrane electron transport in plants.
AB  - The presence of transplasma membrane electron transport in a variety of plant
      cells and tissues is reported. It is now agreed that this property of eukaryotic
      cells is of ubiquitous nature. Studies with highly purified plasma membranes have
      established the presence of electron transport enzymes. Two types of activities
      have been identified. One, termed "Standard" reductase, is of general occurrence.
      The other, inducible under iron deficiency and relatively more active, is "Turbo"
      reductase. However, the true nature of components participating in electron
      transport and their organization in the plasma membrane is not known. The
      electron transport is associated with proton release and uses intracellular
      NAD(P)H as substrate. The electron flow leads to changes in intracellular redox
      status, pH, and metabolic energy. The responsiveness of this system to growth
      hormones is also observed. These findings suggest a role for electron flow across
      the plasma membrane in cell growth and regulation of ion transport. Involvement
      of this system in many other cellular functions is also argued.

PMID- 1864851
TI  - NADH oxidase of plasma membranes.
AB  - NADH oxidase is a cyanide-resistant and hormone-responsive oxidase intrinsic to
      the plasma membrane of both plant and animal cells. The activity has many unique
      characteristics that distinguish it from other oxidases and oxidoreductases of
      both organelles and internal membranes and from other oxidoreductases of the
      plasma membrane. Among these are resistance to inhibition by cyanide, catalase,
      superoxide dismutase, and phenylchloromercuribenzoate. Activity is stimulated by
      hormones and growth factors and inhibited by quinone analogs such as piercidin,
      the flavin antagonist atebrin, and growth inhibiting gangliosides such as GM3. In
      marked contact to the NADH-ferricyanide oxidoreductase of the plasma membrane,
      the NADH oxidase is activated by lysophospholipids and fatty acids, products of
      phospholipase A2 action, in a time-dependent manner suggestive of stabilization
      of an activated form of the enzyme. The hormone-responsive NADH oxidase of the
      plasma membrane is not a peroxidase and may function as a terminal oxidase to
      link transfer of electrons from NADH to oxygen at the plasma membrane. The
      functional significance of the NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane is unknown but
      some relationship to growth or growth control is indicated. In both animal and
      plant plasma membranes, the oxidase is activated by growth factors and hormones
      to which the cells or tissues of origin have functional hormone or growth factor
      receptors. In addition, substances that inhibit the oxidase, the associated
      transmembrane reductase or both, inhibit growth. In transformed cells and
      tissues, the hormone and growth factor responsiveness of the NADH oxidase is
      reduced or absent. With human keratinocytes which exhibit an increased
      sensitivity to the antiproliferative action of both retinoic acid and calcitriol,
      the NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane is strongly inhibited by these agents and
      shows the same increased sensitivity. If transfer of electrons from NADH to
      oxygen across or within the eukaryotic plasma membrane is an important aspect of
      growth or growth control, then the hormone- and growth factor-responsive NADH
      oxidase associated with the plasma membrane could be of fundamental importance.
      Because of its low basal activity, stimulation by growth factors and hormones,
      and the inhibition of growth in direct proportion to inhibition of the oxidase,
      the activity is a candidate as a rate-limiting step in the growth process.
      Completely unknown is the mechanism whereby NADH oxidation and growth or growth
      control may be coupled. This, together with further characterization of the
      activity and the mechanism of loss of control with neoplastic transformation,
      represent important challenges for future investigations.

PMID- 1864852
TI  - [A comparison between 4 subgingival bacteriologic sampling technics].
AB  - A comparative study of four classical techniques employed in the sampling of
      subgingival microflora (paper points, swabbing, curette and washing followed by
      aspiration) has been carried out. This study was based upon quantitative criteria
      (number of bacteria sampled) and qualitative criteria (number of morphologically
      distinct colonies found per sampling technique). Sampling was done on three
      different groups of patients: a control group, a group of patients with
      gingivitis and a group of patients with periodontitis. The curette sampling
      technique was found to be efficient both quantitatively and qualitatively.
      Difficulties in standardizing this method however were encountered with the
      failure to achieve reproducible results. For this reason the technique of paper
      point was preferred. This method was found to be more reliable and reproducible
      in each of the three groups of patients sampled.

PMID- 1864853
TI  - Autometallographic visualization of glycosaminoglycans in the tongue mucosa of
      rats using cuprolinic blue and enzymatic digestions.
AB  - In order to visualize by light microscopy the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the
      rat tongue mucosa, the tissue was fixed with cuprolinic-blue (CB)-aldehyde and
      the staining enhanced by autometallographic (AM) procedure. As other polyanions
      were also detected, enzymatic digestions with hyaluronidase, chondroitinase ABC
      and pronase were performed on these tissues in order to test the specificity of
      the staining. Chondroitinase ABC caused a dramatic decrease of silver grains in
      the lamina propria whereas hyaluronidase and pronase induced only discrete or no
      modification. This supported the concept that the GAGs visualized by CB and
      autometallography in this area as dermatan sulphate. The other polyanions (mostly
      DNA and RNA) seen in the epithelial layers were unaffected by these enzyme
      treatments.

PMID- 1864854
TI  - The effect of an antimicrobial releasing varnish on root demineralisation in
      situ. The influence of the demineralisation period.
AB  - Caries in exposed root surfaces is becoming a significant problem in dentistry.
      Varnish applications have interesting preventive possibilities against root
      caries. The effect of such a varnish, containing two antimicrobials, was studied
      on the demineralisation of roots with a twofold aim. Firstly, the efficacy of the
      varnish was investigated in situ as a function of the demineralisation period.
      Ten participants wore sound intact roots treated with the varnish in an intra
      oral appliance for 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Secondly, the effect of the varnish on root
      demineralisation after removal of the varnish was measured. The results showed
      that the reduction, in demineralization of about 80% after 2 weeks, decreased in
      magnitude with the length of the in situ demineralisation period. After 4 weeks
      there was no longer statistically significant difference compared with untreated
      roots. The acid attack by plaque was, however, substantial in this model; after 6
      weeks in situ untreated roots were so strongly demineralised that
      microradiography was no longer possible anymore. In the second experiment in
      which the varnish was removed 2 days after application there was a trend toward a
      reduction of about 30% in root demineralisation after 2 weeks. This was not
      statistically significant when compared with no application.

PMID- 1864855
TI  - [Oral bacterial flora and its pathogenic potential].
AB  - The oral flora is a complex body formed by at least a hundred bacterial species
      which can be more or less regular residents in the oral cavity. Thanks to a
      developing taxonomy related to progress made in bacterial identification, these
      oral species can be separated into five groups based Gram staining and
      morphology: the Gram positive cocci group (Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and
      related geni), the Gram negative cocci group (Neisseria, Veillonella and related
      geni), the Gram positive bacilli group (Corynebacterium, Actinomyces,
      Lactobacillus, Methanobrevibacter and related geni), the Gram negative bacilli
      group (Haemophilus, Campylobacter, Bacteroides and related geni) and finally the
      spirochete group (Treponema).

PMID- 1864856
TI  - The effect of 2-O-stearoyl-glycerol 1,3-bisphosphate on the demineralization of
      dental enamel in vitro.
AB  - Parts of the buccal and lingual enamel surfaces of sound human third molars were
      treated with a test compound, and the non-treated parts served as control. After
      the treatment both parts were demineralized, and the artificial caries lesions
      were analyzed by means of quantitative microradiography. Treatment during only 1
      minute with an aqueous solution of 1.5 mmol/l of the surface active compound 2-O
      stearoyl-glycerol 1,3-bisphosphate (Glydip) resulted in a decrease in the rate of
      enamel demineralization by about 60%. When Glydip was dissolved in a
      toothpaste/water slurry it inhibited the demineralization by about 30%. When the
      enamel was covered by a salivary pellicle prior to the application of the slurry,
      the inhibition of the demineralization disappeared. However, when Glydip was
      applied in an aqueous solution, the presence of a salivary pellicle did not
      interfere with the decreasing effect of Glydip on the demineralization. It is
      concluded that Glydip has promising properties for its use as an anti-caries
      agent, in combination with fluoride.

PMID- 1864857
TI  - Embryology and secretory activity of labial salivary glands.
AB  - This study was carried out on the heads of 20 foetuses aged between 11 and 26
      weeks. Four stages were distinguished in the development of labial salivary
      glands, each stage corresponding to gestational age. Stage I is characterized by
      a localized, rounded thickening of the stomodial epiblast into the mesenchyma of
      the mucosal side of the lower lip. This occurs at the 9th-10th week of gestation.
      Stage II is reached when the epiblastic thickening assumes the form of a single
      cord. It is oval when sectioned transversally and is the result of the
      proliferation of epiblastic cells into the underlying mesenchyma during the 11th
      12th week. Stage III corresponds to a branching process which takes place at the
      13th week. The single cord branches to form the future secretory lobes, which
      rapidly assume a grape-like appearance. The number of rudimentary glands
      increases during the first three stages of development, i.e. as long as the first
      formed glands have not developed ducts. Stage IV corresponds to the process of
      duct formation at the 18th week. Simultaneous differentiation of acinal and duct
      cells is observed and this procedes the onset of secretory activity.

PMID- 1864858
TI  - The cellular and extracellular distribution of osteocalcin and dentin
      phosphoprotein in teeth of vitamin D-deficient rats.
AB  - Experimental and clinical data indicate that dentin mineralization is vitamin D
      dependent. This calcium-regulating steroid controls protein synthesis, for
      instance that of osteocalcin in osteoblasts. This protein also elaborated by
      odontoblasts was used as a molecular marker for vitamin D action on odontoblasts.
      Since the most characteristic protein synthesized by odontoblasts is the dentin
      phosphoprotein which is thought to regulate hydroxyapatite growth, its cellular
      and extracellular distribution was also studied. Tooth formation in the molars
      and incisors of successive generations of vitamin D-deficient animals (-D) and in
      controls (+D) was compared by microadiography, toluidine blue histochemistry, and
      immunocytochemistry. In -D samples, the presence of dentin phosphoprotein in
      odontoblasts indicated that their differentiation occurred despite major
      morphological disturbances at the cusp tips. In contralateral teeth, osteocalcin
      was depleted in odontoblasts and dentin, suggesting an inhibition of protein
      synthesis induced by vitamin D-deficiency. In the extracellular matrix of +D
      animals, phosphoprotein distribution was associated with dentin, especially
      within actively forming calcospherites at the mineralization front. In contrast,
      in -D dentin, the mineralization defects corresponded to irregular absence of
      histochemically detectable phosphoprotein. This protein indeed appeared either
      absent or uniformly sparse in -D dentin by immunocytochemistry. These data
      suggest that vitamin D acts directly on odontogenic cells at various synthetic
      (osteocalcin) or secretory (phosphoprotein) levels indicating that odontoblasts
      are target-cells for vitamin D. Therefore, this hormone could contribute to the
      regulation of extracellular mineralization during dentinogenesis, via different
      mechanisms in the processing of matrix protein.

PMID- 1864859
TI  - A rat incisor dentin matrix protein can induce neonatal rat muscle fibroblasts,
      in culture, to express phenotypic products of chondroblastic cells.
AB  - Demineralized dentin matrix induces the ectopic formation of bone, in vivo, when
      implanted subcutaneously or in muscle pouches. In these situations the bone
      induction follows a chondrogenic pathway. As part of the strategy for the assay
      and isolation of the factors responsible for initiating induction, we have
      developed a cell culture system in which the addition of soluble factors
      extracted from the dentin matrix appears to initiate chondrogenesis. Indicators
      of chondrogenesis, relative to control cultures, were taken as an increase of 35S
      sulfate incorporation into proteoglycan (PG), an altered size of the PG,
      production of type II collagen, and changes in cell morphology and matrix
      histochemistry. Our studies have taken two directions: the use of the cell
      culture system under standard conditions to select fractions inducing one or more
      of the above indica-tors; and, the purification and characterization of the in
      vitro chondrogenesis inducing factor(s). Here we report the identification of a
      peptide fraction which acts in culture to satisfy each of the above indicators of
      chondrogenesis. An EDTA extract of rat incisor dentin was fractionated by CaCl2
      precipitation, Sephacryl S-100 chromatography, and reverse phase HPLC. A single
      peptide fraction from the HPLC, evidenced by the existence of a single spot on 2
      D Gel Electrophoresis, was found to be a potent enhancer of 35S-sulfate
      incorporation during the standard assay, with maximal activity in the 1-10 ng/ml
      range. Further detailed studies showed that the heightened incorporation occurred
      without any increase in cell number. The neonatal rat muscle explant fibroblasts
      exposed to this fraction for 7 days in monolayer culture formed dense cell
      nodules which stained intensely with Alcian blue relative to controls.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864860
TI  - Rates of protein turnover at specific sites of the rat incisor periodontal
      ligament.
AB  - Extraction of rat incisor periodontal ligament using neutral salt solutions was
      carried out on a site-specific basis following administration of 3H-labelled
      proline, the incorporation of 3H-proline into soluble proteins of different
      molecular weights was determined by SDS electrophoresis and scintillation
      counting. Tracer was incorporated primarily into 3 fractions with Mr = greater
      than 120K, 100K and 45-65K. Appearance of 3H-proline in low molecular weight
      components which cross-reacted with antibodies to Type 1 collagen (presumably
      collagen breakdown products) within 30 minutes of administration suggests a pool
      of collagen which is rapidly turning over. The rate of maturation of collagen
      from this soluble to insoluble forms may represent a level of post-translational
      control within the tissue which may be directly related to tissue morphostasis.

PMID- 1864861
TI  - An assessment of the control of matrix turnover by a quantitative ultrastructural
      analysis of fibroblasts of the periodontal ligament in rats.
AB  - A quantitative structural analysis of the synthetic and degradative organelles of
      fibroblasts of rat incisor and molar periodontal ligaments was conducted. The
      results showed that in these tissues which are reported to have significantly
      different rates of turnover of their functional matrix collagen the rate of
      synthetic activity was the same. However, there were differences in the pattern
      of degradation with the molar ligament having between 5 and 6 times more
      phagocytosed collagen than the incisor. It is suggested that post-synthesis
      processing may control collagen turnover rather than modulation of rates of
      synthesis.

PMID- 1864862
TI  - How osteoblasts become osteocytes: a decreasing matrix forming process.
AB  - Osteocyte matrix inclusion process was studied in an in vitro woven bone nodule
      formation model where a large number of osteocytes at different degrees of
      maturation were examined. This work focused on early stages of osteocyte
      inclusion. This matrix inclusion occurred without a matrix synthesis inversion by
      the future osteocyte and with maintenance of close cell contacts with the
      replacing cell. A passive matrix embedding process related to a decreased
      activity of the osteoblast-osteocyte cell is proposed as a comprehensive pathway
      from osteoblast to osteocyte. The formation of the osteocyte is therefore
      presented as a very coordinated space and time related cell-cell interaction
      between cells of the three cell pools of the bone.

PMID- 1864863
TI  - Sialoproteins of bone and dentin.
AB  - Osteopontin (OPN), bone sialoprotein (BSP) and bone acidic glycoprotein-75 (BAG
      75), are sialoproteins isolated from bone extracts that resemble each other in
      size and composition. OPN and BSP contain an RGD sequence (not proven but
      possible for BAG-75), suggesting that their biological functions involve
      interaction with cell membrane integrins. Dentin has small amounts of OPN and BSP
      but also contains a major sialic acid-rich protein, DSP that has an overall
      composition similar to the bone sialoproteins. It is possible that DSP plays a
      similar biological role in dentin as OPN, BSP, and BAG-75 play in bone. Future
      experimentation should shed further light onto the potential relationships of the
      four sialoproteins.

PMID- 1864864
TI  - Calcium-binding proteins: an overview.
AB  - In order to understand the mechanism of the various responses evoked by calcium
      in the cell, the identification and characterization of a number of calcium
      receptors were undertaken within the past two decades. Advances in amino acid
      sequence and protein three-dimensional structure led to the description of two
      families of calcium-binding proteins, the EF-hand homolog family and the annexin
      family. The EF-hand motif consists of two alpha helices, "E" and "F", joined by a
      Ca(2+)-binding loop. EF-hands have been identified in numerous Ca(2+)-binding
      proteins by similarity of amino acid sequence and confirmed in some crystal
      structures. Functional EF-hands seem always to occur in pairs. To date, the EF
      hand homolog family contains more than 160 different Ca(2+)-modulated proteins
      which have a broad range of functions. Among them, are the calmodulin, the
      troponin C, the myosin regulatory light chain, the parvalbumin, the S-100
      proteins and the calbindins 9- and 28 kDa. The most striking feature of the EF
      hand family is the ability to modulate the activity of a number of enzymes.
      Several groups have identified proteins from various tissues that show calcium
      dependent binding to membranes. These proteins, termed annexins have a molecular
      weight of 35- or 67 kDa. The amino acid sequences of the members of the annexin
      family show that each protein contains conserved internal repeats of about 70
      amino acids each. The 35 kDa annexins contain four repeats, which show a high
      degree of homology with each other and with the repeat sequences of the other
      proteins. These repeats correspond to structural domains with a similar
      fold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864865
TI  - Immunolocalization of a 110 kD molecule and a 150 kD molecule in rat incisor and
      mandibular bone.
AB  - In the present study, antibodies against rat dental proteoglycans were used to
      characterize and localize the proteoglycans in rat incisor and mandibular
      tissues. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies were raised against a CPC-precipitated
      fraction of a sulfated dental extract. In unpurified dental extract these
      antibodies recognized two molecules of 110 kD and 150 kD. The 150 kD molecule was
      susceptible to chondroitinase ABC digestion but the 110 kD molecule resisted this
      enzymatic degradation. Immunocytochemically these two molecules were seen to be
      located in the pulp, the enamel organ and the mandibular bone. In each tissue
      only the periphery of the cells was stained and not the intracellular
      compartment. In the mineralized area of bone, dentin and forming enamel no
      staining was seen. These results indicate common epitopes in the proteoglycans
      from pulp, predentin, enamel organ and bone. Some differences were found in the
      nature of tooth and bone proteoglycans.

PMID- 1864866
TI  - Surgical management of extracranial vertebral artery occlusive disease.
AB  - Thirty-seven consecutive patients underwent vertebral artery (VA) reconstruction
      over a 6 years period (1983-1989). Detailed neurologic, medical, and angiographic
      information was obtained for all patients. Indications for surgery were as
      follows: (1) stenosis of VA with symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency; (2)
      very tight stenosis (greater than 75%) of the dominant VA with stenosis or
      occlusion of the contralateral VA; (3) very tight stenosis of VA with bilateral
      occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA); (4) very tight stenosis of VA
      with homolateral ICA lesion eligible for simultaneous repair; (5) very tight
      stenosis of VA and very tight stenosis of the homo or contralateral carotid
      siphon. There were 15 isolated vertebral lesions (group I), and 22 were VA
      lesions associated with lesions of the supraaortic trunks which were
      simultaneously treated (group II). The reconstructions of the first portion of
      the VA were 30 (12 of group I and 18 of group II) and reimplantation of the VA
      into the common carotid artery was the procedure of choice. There were 7
      revascularizations of the third portion of the VA at C1-C2 level (3 of group I
      and 4 of group II): carotid-vertebral bypass, using an autogenous vein graft, was
      the procedure of choice. Three patients in group II died in the immediate
      postoperative period from myocardial infarction but no patient presented
      immediate postoperative neurologic deficits. All symptomatic patients but one
      were relieved of their symptoms in a median follow-up of 31 months. No
      postoperative complications were observed. Long-term results were satisfactory in
      all the 28 patients at their last follow-up visit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1864867
TI  - Clinical follow-up and progression of carotid atherosclerosis determined by
      duplex scanning in patients suffering from TIA.
AB  - We investigated the clinical outcomes and the progression of the internal carotid
      arterial lesions of a group of patients presenting with hemispheric TIAs. The
      cumulative frequency of TIAs during a mean follow-up period of 40 +/- 14 months
      was 14%, and no relationship was found between new TIAs and the presence of known
      cardiovascular risk factors or plaque characteristics as determined by duplex
      scanning. With the exception of one patient who died of stroke, none of the
      patients developed a permanent neurologic deficit. The cumulative death rate was
      6.5%; myocardial infarction was the most common cause (3 out of 7). Anatomic
      progression of plaques was determined by duplex scanning in 22% of the internal
      carotid arteries. No relationship between progression of these plaques and the
      development of new TIAs was evident. We conclude that, in this group of patients,
      TIAs do not inevitably lead to stroke and that TIAs are not predictable based on
      risk factors or plaques characteristics.

PMID- 1864868
TI  - Resection and reconstruction of the carotid bifurcation with
      polytetrafluoroethylene grafts; operative technique. Preliminary results in 25
      procedures and indications.
AB  - Although carotid endarterectomy is the standard procedure, the purpose of this
      paper is to describe a new surgical technique and indicate its role in the
      surgery of cervical cerebrovascular disease. The technique consists of resection
      of the pathologic carotid artery bifurcation followed by its total replacement
      with a bifurcated thin-wall polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft constructed by
      the surgeon. Prosthetic graft reconstruction of the carotid bifurcation (PGRCB)
      was performed in 21 patients (25 procedures) from November 1984 to May 1987. Many
      patients were over 70 years old. The indications for surgery were transient
      ischemic attacks (TIA)'s in 10 patients (high-grade stenosis), established stroke
      with mild deficit in 3 patients (high-grade stenosis). Eight patients (high-grade
      stenosis) were asymptomatic and 4 had vertebro-basilar symptoms. In 11 procedures
      the indications were the same as for standard carotid endarterectomy (significant
      stenosis and/or ulcerated plaque). In 14 cases, the procedure was justified by
      extensive lesions involving a long segment of the internal carotid artery (2
      restenoses, 12 calcified lesions). In the perioperative period, there were no
      deaths and no TIA's. The 25 procedures were assessed one month postoperatively by
      ultrasonic imaging and venous substraction angiography. All the grafts were
      patent with perfect restoration of the carotid bifurcation anatomy. Systematic
      follow-up study was carried out in 1987. Three patients had died of non
      neurologic causes and one was lost to study. The remaining 19 procedures were
      evaluated with an average follow-up of 19 months (range 7 to 32 months). The
      patients were asymptomatic and all the grafts remained patent including one
      stenosis (greater than 50%) at the common carotid artery anastomosis. Because
      recent studies have documented a much higher rate of technical defects or
      recurrent stenosis after carotid endarterectomy, we believe that PGRCB merits
      consideration, particularly in difficult endarterectomies, and in recurrent
      carotid stenosis. Furthermore it seems acceptable to advocate PGRCB in aneurysms
      of the internal carotid artery and in post-irradiation arteritis.

PMID- 1864869
TI  - General moderate hypothermia in the surgical treatment of descending thoracic
      aortic aneurysms.
AB  - The diagnosis and surgical treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic
      aorta is difficult and some aspects of management remain controversial. We report
      53 patients treated in the period 1983-1988; 25.9% of them had previously been
      erroneously diagnosed as having mediastinal cysts or tumours. Duplex scanning and
      computerised tomography were valuable adjuncts in establishing the correct
      diagnosis, which was confirmed by aortography in 52 patients. Of 49 patients
      operated upon electively three died with a mortality rate of 6.1%; of the 4
      patients operated upon as emergencies 2 died. Fifty patients survived the
      operative procedure and of the 3 operated upon under normothermia 1 developed
      paraplegia, whereas of the 47 patients operated upon under moderate hypothermia
      (30 degrees-31 degrees C) only 1 developed paraplegia.

PMID- 1864870
TI  - Descending thoracic aortofemoral bypass as an alternative for aortoiliac
      revascularization.
AB  - We performed descending thoracic aorta to femoral bypass in six selected patients
      over the past four years. An alternative inflow source was selected because the
      standard transabdominal approach was contraindicated or considered hazardous. The
      inflow consisted of a single Dacron tube from the descending thoracic aorta to
      the left groin, and a femorofemoral bypass to the right groin. There was no
      operative mortality or major morbidity related to the surgical procedure. After
      an average follow-up of 17.1 months (range 6 to 23 months), all thoracofemoral
      grafts remained patent. One patient had repeated occlusions of the femorofemoral
      graft related to right lower extremity outflow disease, while the remaining five
      crossover grafts are patent. One patient died 22 months postoperatively from a
      myocardial infarct, with a patent bypass. Although this series represents a small
      group of patients, we feel that descending thoracic aortofemoral bypass offers
      excellent inflow and reliable patency, and is a good alternative when reoperation
      on the abdominal aorta is undesirable. This procedure may also be considered for
      conversion of an axillofemoral bypass that has failed repeatedly.

PMID- 1864871
TI  - Hydronephrosis after aortofemoral bypass graft. A prospective study.
AB  - This prospective study was designed to determine the frequency and natural
      history of hydroureteronephrosis (HUN) after placement of an aortobifemoral
      vascular graft. A total of 30 patients were evaluated by the study protocol,
      which included: pre and postoperative biological kidney function tests,
      preoperative and early postoperative (14th day) intravenous pyelograms and a late
      (mean 18th month) urologic examination by renal ultrasonic tomography. Four
      asymptomatic, early cases of HUN were observed in the 57 ureters examined (7%);
      all four complications regressed in less than 30 days. No cases of symptomatic
      early or late HUN were observed in this series. Asymptomatic early HUN was a
      frequent complication in our series (7%) but its benign course does not justify
      systematic screening. These asymptomatic complications contrast with the
      symptomatic cases of early or late HUN reported in the literature which
      necessitated urologic and vascular investigations.

PMID- 1864872
TI  - Ischemic complications of abdominal aortic surgery.
AB  - From 1982 through 1988, 634 consecutive patients underwent abdominal aortic
      reconstruction for occlusive (37%) or aneurysmal (63%) disease. We studied the
      ischemic problems affecting the branches of the aorta, excluding the coeliac and
      superior mesenteric arteries. Ischemic colitis (0.6%), spinal cord ischemia
      (0.16%), renal insufficiency (17%), and lower limbs ischemia (6.5%) were the
      major problems encountered. We identified the most significant factors associated
      with these complications such as hypotension, emergency, hypovolemia,
      preoperative renal function, suprarenal clamping, the quality of the preoperative
      investigation, and have suggested some specific preventive measures.

PMID- 1864873
TI  - Rehabilitation potential of elderly patients with major amputations.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine the rehabilitation potential of patients
      undergoing amputation for vascular disease. A total of 101 patients were studied
      with a mean age of 69 +/- 14 years, 26 of whom were over age 80. Operative
      indications were gangrene or ulceration in 80% with rest pain in 20%. Eighteen
      patients were bilateral amputees. Fifty per cent of the patient population had
      previous vascular operations. The operative mortality was 13% and was not
      affected by the age of the patients or the presence of diabetes. Most operative
      deaths were due to cardiac or septic respiratory complications. Twenty-four of 88
      surviving patients were not considered candidates for rehabilitation and the
      major determining factor was the occurrence of a remote or perioperative stroke.
      None of these 24 patients was discharged from institutional care. Sixty-four
      patients were considered rehabilitation candidates with equal distribution in all
      age groups. Ninety-five per cent of these patients were discharged home with 80%
      of those patients over 80 being discharged. Eighty-seven per cent of the elderly
      rehabilitation candidates were fitted with prostheses which compares favourably
      to other age groups. Seventy-three per cent of the elderly reached their
      rehabilitation goals (most frequently ambulation with the aid of a walker) which
      is only slightly less than the younger amputation group. From this study we
      conclude that amputations which are done for ease of nursing care and patient
      comfort in debilitated patients have a high mortality rate and rehabilitation
      goals are unlikely to be met. We have demonstrated high success rates with
      rehabilitation including patients over age 80. The majority of these patients may
      be discharged home after a period of aggressive rehabilitation.

PMID- 1864874
TI  - Arterial injuries. Review of 12 years experience with 32 patients.
AB  - Thirty-two patients with 41 injured arteries were operated upon during a period
      of 12 years. Three quarters were men, and the median age was 33 years.
      Accompanying lesions were seen in 87.5% of the patients. Nearly half the lesions
      were related to blunt trauma. Occupational accidents constituted the largest
      group. The diagnosis was made on clinical grounds in most cases. The median time
      lapse from trauma to operation was 5 hours. The principles of treatment were
      those that are generally accepted. No patients died, the amputation rate was
      12.5%. Median follow-up was 8 months. A successful arterial reconstruction
      contributed to a good functional result. Postreconstruction thrombosis of
      arteries were found to occur within the first hours or days after reconstruction.
      Late thrombosis was rare and the overall long-time patency was 61.4%. Patency of
      repair of upper limb small vessels was 54.5%.

PMID- 1864875
TI  - Clostridial mycotic aneurysm of the suprarenal abdominal aorta.
AB  - Clostridial mycotic aneurysms are unusual. We therefore record a fatal case of a
      ruptured clostridial mycotic aneurysm of the suprarenal aorta which developed
      several weeks after the resection of a segment of gangrenous small bowel.

PMID- 1864876
TI  - Recurrent aortic graft infection following descending thoracic aorta to femoral
      artery bypass. A case report and review.
AB  - This paper presents a patient who developed a recurrent aortic graft infection
      after a descending thoracic aorta to femoral artery bypass. The patient had
      previously undergone successful management of an infected aortobifemoral bypass
      by removal of the graft and revascularization of the lower extremities with
      axillofemoral bypasses. A general discussion of the management of infected aortic
      grafts is presented and a discussion of the management of this particular patient
      is presented in detail.

PMID- 1864877
TI  - Popliteal aneurysm with spontaneous arteriovenous fistula.
AB  - This report documents a rare manifestation of aneurysmal disease of the popliteal
      artery. We describe a popliteal aneurysm presenting with acute venous
      hypertension due to a spontaneously occurring arteriovenous fistula. The fistula
      was defunctionalized by treating the aneurysm with a standard technique of
      exclusion and bypass with resolution of the symptoms of venous hypertension and
      maintenance of normal distal perfusion.

PMID- 1864878
TI  - Physiologic and pathologic evaluation of chronic extra-aortic counterpulsation
      with latissimus dorsi flap. Preliminary results.
AB  - This study attempted to evaluate the efficacy of chronic extra-aortic
      counterpulsation with a latissimus dorsi neuro vascular flap. Five dogs had a
      preliminary procedure consisting of the creation of a latissimus dorsi flap and a
      thoracotomy in which the flap was wrapped around the descending aorta just distal
      to the left subclavian artery. An epicardial lead was placed on the left
      ventricle and a nerve stimulating lead placed around the thoraco-dorsal nerve.
      Three weeks later, both leads were connected to a cardiomyostimulator programmed
      to function in a counterpulsation mode with a 1:2 assist frequency. Hemodynamic
      measurements were made at 6 and 8 and 10 and 12 weeks and the dogs were
      sacrificed. Three dogs had all sets of hemodynamic measurements made. Two of the
      three dogs demonstrated diastolic augmentation at 6 and 8 and 10 and 12 weeks
      average 20 to 25 mmHg. The third dog failed to demonstrate any change. All dogs
      were sacrificed at 12 weeks and specimens were submitted for histologic
      evaluation. The muscle flap was preserved in all animals. The aorta subjacent to
      the flap showed, (1) normal intima with no evidence of disruption or thrombus in
      all animals, (2) in the animals in whom counterpulsation was observed, there
      appeared to be thinning of the media in the aorta subjacent to the muscle flap,
      and (3) no evidence of distal emboli. This study demonstrated that chronic
      counterpulsation can be obtained with a latissimus dorsi flap. The actual
      hemodynamic benefits are not determined from this study. The medial thinning in
      the aortic wall may limit the long-term benefit of this procedure.

PMID- 1864879
TI  - A "twilight period" of coronary perfusion: the risk of intraoperative infarction
      in surgery for main left coronary obstruction.
AB  - This study investigates the significance of an intraoperative period of low
      coronary perfusion pressure which may lead to ischemia, infarction, or both, in
      patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery for tight left main obstruction.
      "Twilight Period" (TP) was defined as the time interval from initiation of
      cardiopulmonary bypass to implementation of cold cardioplegia. Fifty-four
      patients with main left coronary obstruction (greater than 50%) were divided in
      three groups: Group I (20), TP less than 5 minutes; Group II (15), TP = 5-15
      minutes; and Group III (19), TP greater than 15 minutes. Monitoring parameters
      included: systemic perfusion pressure during TP, perfusion flows, length of TP,
      time of ischemia, myocardial temperatures during ischemia, postoperative CK-MB
      level, EKG-detectable infarction, and postoperative therapeutic support
      requirements. RESULTS: Intraoperative myocardial infarction by EKG was 0% in
      Group I, 7% in Group II, and 26.3% in Group III; mortality was 0%, 0%, and 15.7%,
      respectively. CK-MB values were 18 +/- 3.2 IU, Group I; 18.3 +/- 2.5 IU, Group
      II; and 49.4 +/- 10.3 IU, Group III. Group I vs. III: P 0.01. Levels of
      postoperative support: Level A, less than 12 hours; Level B, 12-36 hours; and
      Level C, greater than 36 hours. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was considered
      Level C. In Group I, 75% (15/20) fell in Level A; 15% (3/20) in Level B and 10%
      (2/20) in Level C. In Group II, 60% (9/15) fell in Level A; 26.7% (4/15) in Level
      B; and 13% (2/15) in Level C. In Group III, 36.8% (7/19) fell in Level A; 15.8%
      (3/19) in Level B; and 47.4% (9/19) in Level C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1864880
TI  - Age-related complications and optimal choice of artificial heart valves in
      elderly patients.
AB  - The use of bioprosthetic heart valves in elderly patients is presently advocated
      by many since implanting mechanical valves are considered to result in
      unacceptable rates of thromboembolism and bleeding. However the somewhat limited
      durability of bioprostheses has to be acknowledged since a group of elderly
      patients will eventually require a reoperation due to tissue failure. We have
      evaluated our policy to implant mechanical heart valve prostheses even in elderly
      patients based on the conception that we believe that anticoagulation in this
      group of patients can be handled with a low rate of complications.

PMID- 1864881
TI  - Paraprosthetic leak: a complication of cardiac valve replacement.
AB  - Paraprosthetic leak (PPL) is a rare but potentially serious complication of
      cardiac valve replacement. Between 1974 and 1988, 1175 prosthetic valves were
      implanted in 1026 patients by one cardiac surgeon at St. Thomas' Hospital,
      London. Of these 539 (52.5%) were aortic (AVR), 334 (32.6%) mitral (MVR), 7
      (0.7%) tricuspid, and 144 (14%) AV and MV double valve replacements (DVR). There
      were only 2 triple valve replacements. The prosthetic valves implanted were the
      Starr-Edwards (7%), Bjork Shiley (11.8%), Lillehei-Kaster (23%), Carpentier
      Edwards bioprosthesis (35.2%), Duromedics bileaflet (16.4%) and a variety of
      other mechanical and bioprosthetic valves (6.6%). Over the 15 year period there
      were a total of 82 (7%) valve failures of which PPL was diagnosed in 29 (2.5%)
      valves in 24 patients. Presenting features included cardiac decompensation in
      72%, bacterial endocarditis in 12% and haemolytic anaemia in 12%. One patient
      (4%) had no symptoms. Nineteen patients underwent re-operation. Median time to re
      operation was 15 months (range 1-65 months) with a re-operative mortality of 22%.
      Clinical evidence of prosthetic valve infection was found in 79% of MVR and 67%
      of AVR. A heavily calcified aortic annulus, found in 47% of patients, may also
      have contributed to PPL after AVR.

PMID- 1864882
TI  - Clinical results of mitral valve replacement with and without preservation of the
      posterior mitral valve leaflet and subvalvular apparatus.
AB  - In this study we attempted to investigate the importance of posterior leaflet
      preservation during mitral valve replacement (MVR). One hundred and forty
      randomly selected patients with isolated mitral insufficiency were studied, half
      of whom had MVR with preservation of the posterior leaflet (Group I), whereas in
      the other half conventional MVR was performed, without preservation of the
      posterior leaflet (Group II). Within these two groups there were no in hospital
      deaths, but 5 patients in Group II were admitted to the hospital with congestive
      heart failure and 3 of them died after approximately 6 months. Long term
      mortality rate was 4.2% in Group II. Ejection fraction (EF) decreased
      postoperatively from 56% to 50% in Group I (p less than 0.05), and from 59% to
      49% in Group II (p less than 0.05). Fifteen patients in each group and aged below
      30 with sinus rhythm and in the first functional capacity according to the New
      York Heart Association classification (NYHA) were subjected to exercise study, 18
      months after the operation. After exercise EF increased from 47% to 64% in Group
      I and decreased from 51% to 47% in Group II. These findings suggested that MVR
      with the preservation of the chordae tendineae can be done with a low morbidity
      and mortality rate in the early and late postoperative period.

PMID- 1864883
TI  - Changes in the serum levels of CK-MB, LDH, LDH1, SGOT and myoglobin due to
      cardiac surgery.
AB  - Elevation of serum levels of enzymes due to myocardial necrosis is considered to
      be a specific finding for myocardial infarction. This study was designed to
      determine the changes in the levels of LDH, SGOT enzymes, LDH1, CK-MB isoenzymes
      and myoglobin in patients who have had coronary bypass grafting and who have had
      atriotomy for surgical correction without any evidence of myocardial infarction
      diagnosed by clinical, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic findings. It was
      found that CK-MB, LDH, LDH1 and myoglobin showed significant elevations which
      mimicked a perioperative myocardial infarction. SGOT also increased, but remained
      within the normal range. CK-MB, LDH and LDH1 increased more in the coronary
      bypass grafted patients whereas myoglobin increased in the patients who had
      atriotomies. It was concluded that in order to demonstrate a perioperative
      myocardial infarction it is necessary to determine at least two of these enzymes
      for a long period and to correlate these results with the clinical, hemodynamic
      and electrocardiographic findings.

PMID- 1864884
TI  - Intestinal ischemia associated with cardio-pulmonary-bypass surgery: a life
      threatening complication.
AB  - Intestinal ischemia following open heart surgery is rare but nevertheless
      extremely dangerous and the causes are still unclear. The purpose of this study
      was to evaluate the factors influencing the occurrence and outcome of patients
      with this complication. At our institution between 1985 and 1989 1712 patients
      underwent open heart surgery and 4 female patients suffered from intestinal
      ischemia. The early mortality was 2.5% for the whole group and 100% for the group
      with intestinal ischemia. All these 4 patients were elderly and had a history of
      hypertension and hyperlipoproteinemia. Three of the four patients with intestinal
      ischemia had various risk factors for thromboembolic events such as pre-existing
      occlusive arterial disease and cardiac dysrhythmias or had a complicated
      postoperative course. In two patients an enormous increase in serum lactate to
      over 10 mmol/l occurred prior to the intestinal ischemia. We therefore consider
      advancing age, female gender and a susceptibility for thromboembolic events as
      important risk factors for the development of intestinal ischemia. A serum
      lactate over 10 mmol/l should lead to an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic
      approach including exploratory laparotomy.

PMID- 1864885
TI  - Myocardial echinococcosis with perforation into the pericardium.
AB  - Though rare, cardiac echinococcosis should be included in the differential
      diagnosis of cardiac tumors, particularly in patients originating from endemic
      areas or with manifestation of hydatid disease in other organs. Diagnosis and
      localisation of the cysts is best accomplished with non-invasive methods such as
      2-D transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, computed tomography and
      NMR. Excision of the cardiac cyst from the interventricular septum in a 21 year
      old patient with polyvisceral echinococcosis was performed with cardiopulmonary
      bypass. Adjunctive medical therapy with mebendazol is being continued for 24
      months postoperatively. Twelve months after surgery the patient is asymptomatic
      without echocardiographic signs of recurrence.

PMID- 1864886
TI  - Hemopericardium: a late complication after repair of pectus excavatum.
AB  - Hemopericardium and tamponade occurred in a 12 year old boy with Marfan's
      syndrome, two years after surgical repair of pectus excavatum. This life
      threatening complication resulted from penetration of a fractured metal plate
      through the pericardium into the right atrium. The clinical details are reported
      and discussed.

PMID- 1864887
TI  - Interrupted aortic arch with tetralogy of Fallot. A report of an unsuccessful
      surgically treated case.
AB  - Interrupted aortic arch is a complete discontinuity of two segments of the aorta.
      Although associated with a number of conditions, it does not occur in association
      with pulmonary stenosis. We report a case unsuccessfully treated but from which
      we have learnt a lesson.

PMID- 1864888
TI  - A simple method of scapular retraction for posterolateral thoracotomy.
AB  - A simple method of scapular retraction for posterolateral thoracotomy is
      presented. This technique allows for retraction and stabilisation of the scapula
      and prevents it from protruding over the intercostal space chosen for entry into
      the chest cavity. It also facilitates insertion of the chest retractor and
      spreading of the intercostal space since reduced tension is now exerted on the
      rib cage by the retracted scapula and muscle layers.

PMID- 1864889
TI  - Annotation: the analysis of change in longitudinal studies of development.

PMID- 1864890
TI  - The Emanuel Miller Memorial Lecture 1990. Cooperative learning in classrooms:
      processes and outcomes.
AB  - This article focuses on the description and analysis of our research on
      cooperative grouping over the last 8 years. This research effort has moved
      through three interconnected phases--from description of classroom practice, to
      experimentation, to implementation. Descriptions of typical classroom practice
      have established the paucity of cooperation. Groups tend to be no more than
      collections of children sitting together but engaged on individual work. In such
      groups the level of cooperation, frequency of explanations and knowledge exchange
      is low. Thus, in order to gain an understanding of the nature and process of
      cooperation in groups on normal curriculum tasks required the setting up of
      within-classroom experiments. These revealed, among others, that group
      composition is important to learning outcomes, and that pupil involvement
      substantially improves in cooperative group endeavours. Missing, however, were
      data on the successful implementation of cooperative groups. Yet successful
      implementation has great contemporary relevance because of the demand for
      assessed skills in collaboration in the national curriculum. Our current work
      therefore addresses the impact of changing grouping practices on group processes,
      classroom management, the teacher's role and children's learning. Preliminary
      findings from this study are presented together with a wider analysis of the
      state of the research field and possible ways forward.

PMID- 1864891
TI  - Social-emotional predictors of preschoolers' responses to adult negative emotion.
AB  - The study examined predictors of children's prosocial responses to adult negative
      emotions. An adult displayed anger, sadness and pain during play sessions with 39
      preschoolers (mean age = 43 months). Older children responded more prosocially to
      all three emotions, whereas children with greater emotion knowledge responded
      more prosocially to the adult's sadness. Children who behaved prosocially in
      response to peers' negative emotions also were prosocial after the adult's
      negative emotions, even with effects of age and emotion knowledge held constant.
      Assertive children responded more prosocially to the adult's anger, even with
      effects of other variables held constant. Both theoretical and practical
      implications are discussed.

PMID- 1864892
TI  - Risk indicators: assessment of infancy predictors of pre-school behavioural
      maladjustment.
AB  - The prediction of later outcome from factors present in infancy has been an
      ongoing concern, with difficult temperament frequently being posited as one
      important risk factor. Using data from a longitudinal study of a large
      representative sample of children, and a categorical approach to analysis, a set
      of infancy risk factors covering within-child, environmental and relationship
      variables was related to behavioural and emotional adjustment at 4-5 years.
      Single risk factors, including difficult temperament, resulted in only modest
      increases in the prevalence of later maladjustment. However, certain combinations
      of risk factors were associated with markedly increased prevalence rates. The
      results indicate the cumulative effects of risk factors, and the need to consider
      temperament within a contextual framework.

PMID- 1864893
TI  - Child and parent perceptions of the upsettingness of major life events.
AB  - An adaptation of the Coddington Social Readjustment Rating Scale for use with
      first-grade children was administered to 164 first-graders and their parents.
      Parents indicated whether each event occurred and both parents and their children
      rated the upsettingness to the child. Parent ratings of stress are significantly
      higher than child ratings for specific events and a composite stress measure.
      Parent and child composite scores correlated 0.21 when the number of events was
      controlled. Implications for research on life events and childhood stress are
      discussed.

PMID- 1864894
TI  - The development of psychological well-being in late adolescence.
AB  - Studies following adolescents from school to work indicate a sharp decrease in
      psychological symptoms over the 16-17-year period compared to a more gentle
      decrease subsequently. This could be a genuine developmental phenomenon, related
      to school leaving, or because anxiety levels are higher at age 16 years due to
      approaching examinations. The present study examined these hypotheses. GHQ scores
      for those at school were related to examination candidacy. Eighteen months later
      such differences had disappeared among those young people now in full-time
      employment. Similarly, a group who remained in full-time education also showed a
      significant decline in GHQ scores.

PMID- 1864895
TI  - Adult attitudes toward over- and undercontrolled child problems: urban and rural
      parents and teachers from Thailand and the United States.
AB  - In a study of adult attitudes, urban and rural parents and teachers in Thailand
      and the U.S. made judgments about two children, one with overcontrolled problems
      (e.g. shyness, fear), one with undercontrolled problems (e.g. disobedience,
      fighting). Consistent with previous literature, Thais (vs Americans) rated
      problems of both types less serious, less worrisome, less likely to reflect
      personality traits, and more likely to improve with time. Urban-rural differences
      and parent-teacher differences had negligible impact. The findings suggest that
      certain cultural differences in adult attitudes toward child problems may be
      robust across parents and teachers and across urban and rural settings.

PMID- 1864896
TI  - The use of questionnaires in child psychiatry research: measuring their
      performance and choosing an optimal cut-off.
AB  - This paper introduces the basic principles of Receiver Operating Characteristics
      (ROC) analysis, a technique to evaluate and compare the discriminant power of
      questionnaires employed in psychiatric research. ROC curves may assist in the
      selection of an optimal cut-off point, which has been shown to depend upon the
      prevalence rate, the consequences of correct and incorrect classifications, and
      the distributions of scale scores among normal individuals and cases. Then, ROC
      analysis is applied to the Child Behavior Checklist on a sample of 564 6-11-year
      old French children. The performances of the social competence scales of this
      instrument are poorer than those of the behavior problem scales. The findings
      suggest also that the cut-offs should be varied within this same age group and be
      higher for screening in community surveys. Further applications of ROC analysis
      are discussed.

PMID- 1864897
TI  - Chromosomes in anorexia nervosa. A study of 47 cases including a population-based
      group: a research note.
AB  - Forty-seven cases with anorexia nervosa (including a total population group) and
      47 sex-, age-, and school-matched comparison cases were subjected to chromosome
      analyses in a blind fashion. No major abnormalities were found in any of the
      cases. Sex chromatin was analysed in buccal smears from the girls. No differences
      between the anorexia nervosa and the comparison cases were found. It seems that
      chromosomal/sex chromatin analyses in anorexia nervosa are not warranted.

PMID- 1864898
TI  - IQ similarity in monozygotic and dizygotic twin children: effects of the same
      versus different examiners: a research note.
AB  - The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised was administered to two
      independently identified samples of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin
      children. Co-twins in the first sample were tested by the same examiner, while co
      twins in the second sample were tested by different examiners. IQ intraclass
      correlations were similar for the two MZ twin samples (.84 and .88), and
      identical for the two DZ twin samples (.54). The implications of this analysis
      are discussed with reference to twin study methodology, research on IQ similarity
      and replication of child development research.

PMID- 1864899
TI  - Use of chromatofocusing for separation of beta-lactamases. IX. Analytical
      chromatofocusing for the separation of a chromosomal cephalosporinase from
      Proteus vulgaris 1028.
AB  - Simultaneous purification and isoelectric point (pI) determination was carried
      out at analytical scale of the chromosomal cephalosporinase from the Proteus
      vulgaris 1028 strain. Comparison of the enzyme to the purification results with m
      aminophenylboronic acid-agarose affinity chromatography with sodium dodecyl
      sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that minute amounts of
      accompanying proteins having identical pI values but different molecular masses
      were found in the chromatofocused preparation. The molecular mass of the enzyme
      was 24,000 dalton. The pI was found to be 8.3.

PMID- 1864900
TI  - Separation of ribosomal subunits on Trisacryl GF 2000.
AB  - The separation of rat liver and E. coli ribosomal subunits was attempted on
      Trisacryl GF 2000. Contrary to experiments with Sepharose 4B and Bio-Gel A-15 the
      60S mammalian subunit did not bind to the resin at 4 degrees C but eluted within
      the column volume ahead of the 40S subunit. Puromycin, however, used to prepare
      the subunits, which on the agarose gels had eluted at the total column volume,
      exhibited anomalous retardation on the Trisacryl resin. Trisacryl therefore
      behaves as the more non-polar resin, and the binding of 60S subunits to agarose
      gels is a result of hydrophilic interaction.

PMID- 1864901
TI  - Quantification of methyl farnesoate levels in hemolymph by high-performance
      liquid chromatography.
AB  - Methyl farnesoate (MF) is an acyclic sesquiterpenoid that has been detected in
      hemolymph and other tissues of crustaceans and insects. This paper describes a
      rapid and sensitive method for measuring MF in crustacean hemolymph. Extracts of
      hemolymph samples were separated by normal-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatography (5-microns silica, 250 x 4.6 mm I.D., 1.3% diethyl ether in
      hexane) and detected by UV (220 nm). The limit of detection with this method was
      less than 250 pg/ml. This method should be useful for studying the physiological
      functions of MF in crustaceans and other arthropods.

PMID- 1864902
TI  - Separation and purification of oligonucleotides using a new bonded-phase packing
      material.
AB  - We describe a new bonded-phase packing material, based upon surface-stabilised
      microparticulate silica, suitable for the rapid separation and purification of
      oligonucleotides. Columns packed with this material were demonstrated to give
      rapid separations of individual oligonucleotide species of up to 44 base units
      with high purity; agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the products were
      essentially single bands, with only trace quantities of the (n-1)-mer present.
      Baseline resolution of the desired oligomer from (n +/- 1)-mer was achieved under
      preparative loading conditions, where up to 200-300 micrograms of oligonucleotide
      could be separated. The separation was essentially independent of structure or
      sequence of the oligonucleotides. The retention mechanism of the oligonucleotides
      was investigated, and the results used to determine the optimum column
      configuration and separation conditions.

PMID- 1864903
TI  - Optimized high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the separation
      and determination of the main folacins and some derivatives. II. Extraction
      method and application to rat liver.
AB  - Different methods for the extraction of folacins from biological materials and
      the hydrolysis of pteroylpolyglutamates prior to high-performance liquid
      chromatography were investigated. Acetone precipitation of proteins led to higher
      extraction rates of folates from biological materials as examined by using an
      endogenous labelling technique. It also caused less destruction of some folates
      but could not be combined with subsequent hydrolysis of pteroylpolyglutamates.
      Pteroylpolyglutamates were hydrolysed by a partially purified suspension of
      pteroylpolyglutamates hydrolase (PPH). Comparative studies on the folate content
      of rat liver revealed that complete hydrolysis of polyglutamates could also be
      achieved by incubating the homogenized tissue at 37 degrees C to allow endogenous
      PPH to act. This procedure causes interconversions of folates and is therefore
      not suitable for the analysis of biological materials.

PMID- 1864904
TI  - A PCR membrane spot assay for the detection of plum pox virus RNA in bark of
      infected trees.
AB  - A procedure for sensitive detection of plum pox virus RNA in infected bark of
      trees is described. The method is based on the extraction of bark material with
      buffer containing proteinase K followed by partial purification of RNA using
      QUIAGEN anion exchange resin. The RNA is then reverse transcribed, the single
      stranded cDNA is amplified by the polymerase chain reaction using biotinylated
      deoxynucleotides as label. The amplified cDNA can subsequently be detected by
      spotting the reaction mixture onto a nitrocellulose membrane. After fixation and
      washing the incorporated label is detected enzymatically using streptavidin
      alkaline phosphatase. It was shown that this non-radioactive detection system is
      more sensitive than ELISA and a DNA/RNA hybridization test using 32P-labelled
      probes. It is also possible to detect plum pox virus infection with this assay in
      trees in the non-vegetative period.

PMID- 1864905
TI  - A new virus isolate from infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus
      (IHHNV)-infected penaeid shrimps.
AB  - A new virus was isolated from infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis
      virus (IHHNV)-infected penaeid shrimps. The virus was isolated from two species
      of penaeid shrimps obtained from three different sources employing a previously
      developed cell-culture assay. Electron-microscopical studies of both purified
      virus and infected cells showed bullet-shaped particles identifying it as a
      rhabdovirus.

PMID- 1864906
TI  - Method for the concentration of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus from
      hatchery water.
AB  - A method was developed for concentrating infectious pancreatic necrosis virus
      from hatchery water using positively charged 1-MDS filters. The method consists
      of passing large volumes (Ca. 1001) of hatchery water through 1-MDS microporous
      filter followed by the elution of the adsorbed virus using a high pH buffer. The
      virus adsorbed efficiently to 1-MDS filters when the pH of the water was 5.5 and
      was eluted optimally with 3% beef extract solution (pH 10). This procedure
      permitted the processing of 100 1 of hatchery water which resulted in a 300-fold
      reduction in the volume of water and greater than 90% recovery of the seeded
      virus.

PMID- 1864907
TI  - Rubella-specific IgG1 avidity: a comparison of methods.
AB  - Two methods of determining the avidity of specific IgG1 were compared with sera
      from different categories of rubella infection. Both methods were based on an
      antiglobulin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In one method the absorbances
      were compared with and without diethylamine (DEA) in the serum diluent over a
      range of serum dilutions and the difference between the dilution curves measured
      (DEA-shift). In the other, the absorbances at a single serum dilution were
      compared with and without urea in the wash fluid used after the antigen/serum
      incubation (avidity index). Various concentrations of DEA were also assessed in
      the avidity-index method, as this method is simpler to perform. The DEA-shift
      method was shown to be more sensitive for diagnosing recent primary rubella or
      immunization by demonstrating specific IgG1 of low avidity. The avidity-index
      method, however, was more specific when sera from cases of reinfection or non
      specific rubella IgM reactivity were tested. 35 mM DEA was found to be the
      optimal concentration of DEA when DEA was substituted for urea in the avidity
      index method.

PMID- 1864908
TI  - High quality of DNA retrieved for Southern blot hybridization from microwave
      fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissues.
AB  - To overcome the degradation problem encountered in DNA extracted from formalin
      fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, several methods of tissue fixation were
      examined in order to improve the quality of the DNA recovered for use in nucleic
      acid analysis. The fixation methods included formalin fixation alone, alcohol
      fixation alone, and microwave fixation with tissues immersed in phosphate
      buffered saline (PBS), alcohol, or formalin. Unfixed fresh frozen tissue served
      as the control. Using hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequences and the type I human
      procollagen gene as markers and liver tissue as a target, microwave fixation,
      with formalin omitted, not only preserved the DNA very well, but also the labile
      viral antigen. Both high molecular weight-integrated and free-form HBV DNAs were
      well preserved, and suitable for polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot
      analysis. The restriction enzyme fragment pattern of DNA recovered from these
      paraffin blocks was identical to that of unfixed fresh frozen tissue. Microwave
      fixation also preserved the labile preS2 epitope of the hepatitis B surface
      antigen (HBsAg) considerably better than formalin. These results suggest that
      microwave fixation is superior to routine formalin fixation for the preservation
      of excellent quality of genomic and viral DNAs for nucleic acid hybridization
      analysis. Alcohol, often used for nucleic acid purification, was also a good
      fixative for preserving DNA and the antigenicity of the labile antigen,
      especially when carried out in combination with microwave fixation.

PMID- 1864909
TI  - A serogroup specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection and
      identification of African horse sickness viruses.
AB  - A serogroup specific, indirect, sandwich ELISA was developed for the rapid
      detection of African horse sickness virus and viral antigens in field samples or
      in infected tissue cultures. The assay was shown to be highly sensitive and
      capable of providing confirmation of clinical diagnosis within one day. The
      results demonstrated that this ELISA will be useful for epidemiological
      surveillance of insect and mammalian host populations.

PMID- 1864910
TI  - Detection of virus-associated dsRNA from leafroll infected grapevines.
AB  - A simple procedure is described for reproducible detection of double stranded
      (ds) RNAs in leafroll infected grapevines. The procedure involves the extraction
      of tissues by a medium which preferentially yields dsRNA. The RNA is purified by
      CF11 cellulose chromatography and gel electrophoresis. The dsRNAs varied in size
      in different vines. In the cases tested they did not cross hybridize and occurred
      at higher concentrations in stem cortex tissues than in leaves. They were not
      detectable in healthy vines, could be passaged with the disease to healthy plants
      by graft inoculation and removed by virus elimination procedures. These
      observations indicated that the dsRNAs are of viral origin and that a number of
      viruses are associated with the grapevine leafroll disease.

PMID- 1864911
TI  - Estimating WAIS-R IQ from the National Adult Reading Test: a cross-validation.
AB  - The National Adult Reading Test (NART) was devised to predict premorbid
      intellectual functioning in people suspected of having dementia, so that the
      extent of cognitive decline could be assessed by comparing these results with
      current performances. This study undertook a double cross-validation of the NART
      on a neurologically normal sample (N = 104) and on a clinically relevant sample
      (49 aged subjects). The results provide encouragement for the clinical utility of
      the NART. The study also demonstrated that the inclusion of demographic variables
      with the NART gives a substantially better estimate of premorbid cognitive
      functioning than that given by the NART or by demographic data alone.

PMID- 1864912
TI  - Right-hemisphere language dominance in temporal lobe epilepsy: clinical and
      neuropsychological correlates.
AB  - Prior to and following temporal lobe surgery, patients with right-hemisphere
      language dominance and focal left temporal lobe epilepsy (RHLD-LTLSz) were
      compared to right-handed patients with left-hemisphere language dominance and
      either left temporal lobe epilepsy (LHLD-LTLSz) or right temporal lobe epilepsy
      (LHLD-RTLSz). The group of RHLD-LTLSz patients had a more consistent history of
      brain involvement before the age of 5 years and had a higher seizure frequency
      rating than did either LHLD patient group. Cognitively, RHLD-LTLSz patients did
      not show significant deficits in psychometric intellectural scores. In addition,
      they did not demonstrate comparable degrees of verbal memory loss as found either
      pre- or postoperatively in LHLD-LTLSz patients. The right-handed RHLD-LTLSz and
      the right-handed LHLD-LTLSz groups both appeared to exhibit bilaterally depressed
      fine-motor coordination. The left-handed RHLD-LTLSz patients did not show the
      same motor deficiencies. These latter findings suggest that hemispheric dominance
      for bilateral motor control may exist independent of language dominance, but not
      independent of handedness.

PMID- 1864913
TI  - A cognitive and behavioural phenotype in Williams syndrome.
AB  - Comparisons between children with Williams syndrome and control group children
      matched for age, sex, social class, and verbal intelligence provide support for a
      cognitive and behavioural phenotype in Williams syndrome. Children with the
      syndrome showed higher rates of behavioural and emotional difficulties when
      compared with the control group children, particularly in terms of concentration
      difficulties, excessive anxiety, and poor relationships with peers; and they also
      had significantly poorer visuo-spatial and motor skills. However, the Williams
      syndrome children were not uniformly poor in all areas of nonverbal abilities.
      Their visual recall skills were as good as those of the control group children,
      and their performance was superior to that of the control group children on a
      task of face recognition and on tasks requiring recall of verbal material.

PMID- 1864914
TI  - Cognitive and motor abilities in preschool hydrocephalics.
AB  - The neuropsychological performance of three groups of preschool children was
      evaluated: (a) one with hydrocephalus associated with myelomeningocele; (b) one
      with hydrocephalus associated with intraventricular hemorrhage and very low birth
      weight; and (c) a nonhydrocephalic normal comparison group. Multivariate profile
      analysis revealed lower levels of performance on measures of verbal and nonverbal
      cognitive skills for both groups of hydrocephalic children relative to normals.
      Comparison of group profiles on tasks requiring figure copying as opposed to
      figure matching and analysis of specific gross and fine motor skills revealed
      that both hydrocephalic groups had impaired visual-motor integration in the
      presence of average visual perceptual matching. In addition, different patterns
      of motor skill deficits were found for each hydrocephalic group. The results of
      this study suggest that decreased visual-motor integration and etiology-specific
      motor deficits are major sequelae of these forms of hydrocephalus in the
      preschool years.

PMID- 1864915
TI  - An empirical subgrouping of Finnish learning-disabled children.
AB  - The internal and external validity of a subgrouping of 82 Finnish children with
      relatively mild learning disabilities and 84 Controls was explored. The sample
      was selected from a total population of 1607 second grade pupils. Eight
      neuropsychological measures from four function areas were selected as
      classification criteria in cluster analysis. Six consistent and clinically
      meaningful subgroups were derived. These subgroups were designated as follows:
      (1) Normal, (2) General Language, (3) Visuo-Motor, (4) General Deficiency, (5)
      Naming, and (6) Mixed. Most of the LDs were clustered in subgroups (2) through
      (6); and most of the Controls, in subgroup (1). Several internal and external
      validation procedures indicated at least moderate validity in the subgroups, with
      the exception of the Mixed subgroup. The five valid subgroups encompassed 82% of
      the LDs and 90% of the Controls, and moreover, resembled subgroups which
      previously have been found among English-speaking children. This suggests that
      language differences exert no significant effect on the types of the emerging
      subgroups.

PMID- 1864916
TI  - Automatic temporal order judgment: the effect of intentionality of retrieval on
      closed-head-injured patients.
AB  - Closed-head-injured (CHI) and control groups were tested on a temporal order task
      under intentional and incidental retrieval conditions. Subjects were given five
      presentations of a list of nouns. In the incidental retrieval condition, subjects
      were told that they were to remember the words but that the order was not
      important. In the intentional retrieval condition, subjects were given the words
      in an order different from that in which they were originally presented and were
      asked to reorder the words to match the original order. For both conditions we
      compared the order in which words were recalled to the order in which they were
      originally presented. The results suggest that temporal order memory had more
      effortful characteristics in the intentional than in the incidental retrieval
      condition. The two groups did not differ significantly in the incidental
      retrieval condition. However, while the control group showed a significant
      improvement in the intentional retrieval condition. CHI groups performance did
      not significantly change. This study highlights two major points: (1)
      intentionality at the retrieval stage determines the effortfulness with which
      information is processed; (2) the more automatic the tasks, the better it is
      preserved following closed-head injury.

PMID- 1864917
TI  - Mirror phenomena in language and nonverbal activities--a case report.
AB  - A case is described of a 38-year-old, left-handed female who demonstrated mirror
      phenomena for both language and non-motor, nonverbal material. She mirror-wrote
      with her left hand with normal right-hand writing. Mirror-reading as well as
      object and spatial reversals were revealed. These data are consistent with
      bilateral representation of visual engrams, with one hemisphere containing a
      mirror-reversed representation of the other.

PMID- 1864918
TI  - Establishing the reliability and validity of neuropsychological disorders with
      low base rates: some recommended guidelines.
AB  - The issues of low prevalence in the context of the diagnosis of
      neuropsychological disorders in the larger community is discussed. Guidelines are
      proposed for producing reliability and validity estimates which are clinically,
      as well as statistically meaningful.

PMID- 1864919
TI  - Implicit and explicit memory in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Several tasks examined implicit and explicit memory in demographically matched
      samples of Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, and healthy
      elderly subjects. A fragmented pictures test, word stem-completion repetition
      priming, and a pursuit-rotor tracking task, followed by explicit memory tests,
      were given. AD patients were impaired on all explicit tests and on word stem
      completion priming, but were intact on pursuit-rotor tracking and the skill
      learning (SL) component of the fragmented pictures test. PD patients were
      significantly better than AD patients on all explicit memory tests, but were
      selectively impaired on the SL component of the fragmented pictures test.
      Finally, a mirror-reading test was given to the PD patients and control subjects,
      with no significant differences found in performances between the two groups.
      Results are discussed in terms of hypothetical cognitive processes and brain
      circuits underlying different implicit and explicit memory domains.

PMID- 1864920
TI  - Memory deficits in Wilson's disease: a response to Lang.
AB  - Lang (1989) suggested that patients with Wilson's disease do not have memory
      deficits, unless they suffer from severe neurologic impairment. Results from
      three recent studies conflict with this view. The interaction of neurologic and
      cognitive deficits in Wilson's disease is discussed.

PMID- 1864921
TI  - A critical note on Lezak's 'best performance method' in clinical neuropsychology.
AB  - A fundamental problem in clinical neuropsychology is the estimation of premorbid
      levels of cognitive functioning. Lezak (1983) described the so-called 'best
      performance method' of estimating premorbid abilities. Essentially, this method
      consists in using the highest test scores or the best performance in everyday
      tasks as the best estimate of premorbid ability. This paper describes three
      studies of the empirical consequences of using the 'best performance method': The
      first study demonstrates that application of this method on WAIS subtests leads
      to a gross overestimation of intelligence as measured by the IQ. The second study
      corroborates this finding and also shows that overestimation of intelligence
      leads to systematic errors in the expected performance in neuropsychological
      tests in normal subjects. Finally, the third study shows that this is also the
      case in patients with diffuse cerebral atrophy.

PMID- 1864922
TI  - The two-component hypothesis of memory deficit in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Becker (1988) has argued that Alzheimer's disease is particularly characterised
      by a combination of amnesic and dysexecutive deficits. He has supported this
      hypothesis by identifying patients who represent a relatively pure example of
      each of these. We describe a search for similarly pure patients in a sample of 55
      carefully selected Alzheimer cases. We succeed in identifying one case each of
      relatively pure amnesia and relatively pure dysexecutive syndrome. We also,
      however, find cases of predominant STM deficit, as well as cases with defective
      visual but not verbal memory, and cases of the converse pattern. These cases do
      not seem to reflect simple random variation in the data, since less theoretically
      coherent patterns of symptoms are not found in this pure form. We conclude that
      AD can give rise to relatively specific cognitive deficits during its early
      stages, but that these do not necessarily argue for Becker's two-component
      interpretation of the cognitive deficit in Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1864923
TI  - Comparison study of broth macrodilution and microdilution antifungal
      susceptibility tests.
AB  - An evaluation of broth dilution antifungal susceptibility tests was performed by
      determining both the micro- and macrodilution MICs of amphotericin B,
      flucytosine, fluconazole, ketoconazole, and cilofungin against 38 isolates of
      Candida albicans, Candida lusitaniae, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis,
      Cryptococcus neoformans, and Torulopsis glabrata. The following preliminary
      antifungal working group recommendations of the National Committee for Clinical
      Laboratory Standards for broth macrodilution tests with antifungal agents were
      used: inocula standardized to 1 x 10(4) to 5 x 10(4) CFU/ml with a
      spectrophotometer, RPMI 1640 medium buffered with morpholinopropanesulfonic acid
      (pH 7.0), incubation at 35 degrees C for 24 to 48 h, and an additive drug
      dilution procedure. Broth microdilution MICs were higher (two or more dilutions)
      than broth macrodilution MICs for all isolates tested with amphotericin B and for
      most isolates tested with ketoconazole, fluconazole, and cilofungin. MICs of
      flucytosine were the same by both techniques or lower by the broth microdilution
      test except in tests with C. neoformans. However, the only statistically
      significant differences between the two tests were observed with amphotericin B
      against all isolates (P = 0.01 to 0.07), ketoconazole against C. neoformans (P =
      0.01 to 0.02), and cilofungin against C. albicans (P = 0.05 to 0.14). Tests
      performed with less dense inocula (1 x 10(3) to 5 x 10(3] produced similar
      results.

PMID- 1864924
TI  - New aniline blue dye medium for rapid identification and isolation of Candida
      albicans.
AB  - Organic dyes have long been used in diagnostic microbiology to differentiate
      species by color reactions. We studied the ability of a new noninhibitory medium,
      YM agar containing 0.01% aniline blue WS dye, Colour Index 42780 (YMAB), to
      identify Candida albicans among 1,554 yeast specimens obtained from seven
      clinical laboratories. Appropriate American Type Culture Collection and other
      characterized strains served as controls. A total of 487 of the clinical strains
      were identified as C. albicans. The remainder were other Candida species and non
      Candida yeasts. Clinical isolates and controls were grown on Sabouraud agar for
      18 h at 30 degrees C and then transferred to YMAB. Plates were incubated for 12
      to 18 h at 30 degrees C, and colonies were observed for yellow-green fluorescence
      under long-wave UV light (A365). All control strains of C. albicans and Candida
      stellatoidea fluoresced, as did 480 of the 490 isolates designated as C. albicans
      (which included 3 strains of C. stellatoidea). Cells of C. albicans grown on YMAB
      produced germ tubes in serum. Only five of the other 1,062 non-C. albicans yeasts
      fluoresced. The sensitivity and specificity were 98.0 and 99.5%, respectively,
      with a predictive value of 99.1%. A fluorescent metabolite was found in cell wall
      particulate fractions of C. albicans sonic extracts grown on YMAB but not in non
      C. albicans yeasts. This metabolite showed the same spectral curve as those of
      metabolites from whole cells in a recording spectrofluorometer when it was
      excited at 400 nm and scanned from 420 to 550 nm. Thus, growth on YMAB generates
      the production of a fluorescent moiety that can be used to specifically identify
      C. albicans within 12 to 18 h.

PMID- 1864925
TI  - DNA fingerprinting of isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from newborns and their
      contacts.
AB  - During a study on the epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus colonization in
      newborns, mothers, and hospital staff, S. aureus was isolated from 536 of 1,945
      specimens. Ninety-three isolates of S. aureus from the three groups of
      individuals were included in a study to evaluate the potential of DNA
      fingerprinting for strain differentiation. The 93 isolates were also phage typed
      and their plasmid profiles were analyzed. Cleavage of DNA with BamHI resulted in
      13 different DNA restriction endonuclease band patterns (DNA REBPs), one of which
      consisted of eight isolates whose DNA was not cleaved with BamHI. The DNAs from
      these eight isolates were easily cleaved with HindIII. The different DNA REBPs
      were stable both during in vitro and in vivo growth and allowed strain
      differentiation within phage groups or types. We could not show any strong
      association between DNA REBP classes, phage types or groups, and plasmid
      profiles. Of the 93 isolates, 27 (29.0%) could not be phage typed and 12 (12.9%)
      lacked plasmids. We therefore conclude that DNA fingerprinting is a powerful
      tool, in addition to phage typing and plasmid profile analysis, for strain
      differentiation of S. aureus.

PMID- 1864926
TI  - Isolation and characterization of Sporothrix schenckii from clinical and
      environmental sources associated with the largest U.S. epidemic of
      sporotrichosis.
AB  - The largest recorded epidemic of sporotrichosis in the United States occurred in
      1988 and involved a total of 84 cases in 15 states. All cases were associated
      with Wisconsin-grown sphagnum moss. Twenty-one clinical isolates of Sporothrix
      schenckii and 69 environmental isolates of Sporothrix spp. from the epidemic were
      characterized and compared. The environmental isolates were recovered from 102
      samples of sphagnum moss and other material by using direct plating techniques.
      Characteristics examined included macroscopic and microscopic morphology,
      conversion to a yeast phase, exoantigen reactions, and virulence in mice. On the
      basis of these studies, eight environmental isolates were identified as S.
      schenckii, five were identified as Ophiostoma stenoceras, and the remainder were
      identified as Sporothrix species. The environmental isolates of S. schenckii were
      recovered from moss samples from one Pennsylvania nursery and from three New York
      State Soil and Water Conservation districts, but none were recovered from moss
      directly from the bogs in Wisconsin.

PMID- 1864927
TI  - Identification of Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium argentinense, and related
      organisms by cellular fatty acid analysis.
AB  - On the basis of 686 analyses of 285 strains of Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium
      argentinense (formerly C. botulinum type G), and phenotypically related
      organisms, 14 cellular fatty acid (CFA) groups of toxic organisms and 6 CFA
      groups of nontoxic organisms were delineated. The CFA groups of toxic strains
      included two of type A, three of proteolytic strains of type B, two of
      proteolytic strains of type F, one each of nonproteolytic strains of types B, E,
      and F, and one each of types C alpha, C beta, and D and C. argentinense. The
      groups of phenotypically similar nontoxic strains included Clostridium
      sporogenes, Clostridium putrificum, nontoxic strains with phenotypic
      characteristics similar to those of nonproteolytic strains of C. botulinum types
      B, E, and F (BEF-like), two groups of nontoxigenic organisms with phenotypic
      characteristics similar to those of C. botulinum types C and D and Clostridium
      novyi (CDN-like), and Clostridium subterminale, which has phenotypic
      characteristics similar to those of C. argentinense. Within the toxin types, 89
      to 100% of the strains were correctly identified by CFA analysis, and 74 to 100%
      of the analyses were correct. Of 36 strains of C. sporogenes, 30 (83%) were
      correctly identified; 17% of the strains of C. sporogenes were incorrectly
      identified as C. botulinum type A or B. All analyses of C. putrificum and C.
      subterminale were correctly identified. There was no significant level of
      similarity between strains of C. botulinum and phenotypically similar organisms
      and 85 other species of clostridia or 407 other taxa of gram-positive and gram
      negative bacteria. Additionally, the one strain each of Clostridium baratii and
      Clostridium butyricum previously reported to produce C. botulinum toxin could be
      differentiated from C.botulinum types as well as from strains of C. baratii and
      C. butyricum that did not produce neurotoxin.

PMID- 1864928
TI  - Evaluation of a recombinant human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) p21E
      antibody detection enzyme immunoassay as a supplementary test in HTLV-I/II
      antibody testing algorithms.
AB  - To evaluate the usefulness of a human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)
      recombinant p21E immunoassay as a supplementary test in HTLV-I/II serologic
      testing algorithms, we used this assay to test 378 serum samples previously
      categorized as positive, indeterminant, or negative for HTLV-I/II antibody, as
      defined by U.S. Public Health Service guidelines. We found this test to be highly
      sensitive for detecting antibody to HTLV-I/II env (99.4%) but slightly less
      specific (96.0%), particularly among samples from intravenous drug users. Our
      data suggest that this test is most appropriately used to confirm the absence of
      env antibody in samples which are repeatably reactive in an HTLV-I/II screening
      assay and gag reactive only by immunoblotting. Because of the high sensitivity of
      this recombinant p21E test, a negative result in this context could preclude
      radioimmunoprecipitation testing. However, pending further evaluation of the
      specificity of this assay, samples testing positive for p21 env antibody may
      require confirmation by radioimmunoprecipitation, particularly in situations in
      which the results will be used for diagnostic purposes or blood donor counseling.

PMID- 1864929
TI  - High prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and histologic gastritis in
      asymptomatic Hispanics.
AB  - In this study, we estimated the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and
      histologic gastritis in 58 asymptomatic Hispanic adult volunteers (mean age, 41
      years; 59% male) by endoscopic biopsy of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Forty
      six subjects (79%) were found to harbor H. pylori in gastric biopsies, and all
      had histologic gastritis. Four other subjects were found to have gastritis in the
      absence of H. pylori. Similar prevalences of H. pylori and gastritis were noted
      in all age groups and also in American-born and immigrant Hispanics. Biopsy data
      and serologic studies of H. pylori antibodies correlated well. We conclude that
      H. pylori infection is an almost universal finding in the gastric mucosa of
      asymptomatic adult Hispanics, regardless of age. The clinical significance of
      these findings is unknown, but we speculate that H. pylori and its associated
      gastritis could have a role in the high incidence of gastric carcinoma in
      Hispanic populations.

PMID- 1864930
TI  - Evaluation of a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for
      Giardia lamblia antigen in stool.
AB  - The lack of a quick, simple, and inexpensive diagnostic test has limited the
      ability of public health officials to rapidly assess and control outbreaks of
      Giardia lamblia in child day-care centers. We evaluated the performance of a
      commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the
      detection of a G. lamblia-associated antigen in stool. Stool specimens were
      collected from the diapers of 426 children attending 20 day-care centers, fixed
      in 10% Formalin and polyvinyl alcohol, and examined by microscopy by Formalin
      concentration and trichrome staining techniques. Specimens were also tested
      visually and spectrophotometrically by ELISA. Of 99 tests positive by microscopy,
      93 were visually positive by ELISA (sensitivity, 93.9%). Of 534 tests negative
      for G. lamblia by microscopy, 32 (6.0%) were ELISA positive. However, on the
      basis of examination of multiple specimens from the same child, none of these
      could be considered false-positive ELISAs; the specificity of the ELISA was
      therefore 100%. The sensitivity of both microscopy and ELISA improved as the
      number of specimens per child increased. An optical density value of greater than
      0.040 was 98.0% sensitive and 100% specific for G. lamblia. This ELISA, which
      appeared to be more sensitive for G. lamblia than did microscopic examination of
      stool, should be useful as an epidemiologic tool, particularly in day-care
      settings, and may also have a role in confirming clinical diagnoses of
      giardiasis.

PMID- 1864931
TI  - Preliminary evaluation of Biolog, a carbon source utilization method for
      bacterial identification.
AB  - The Biolog Identification System (Biolog, Inc., Hayward, Calif.) is a new
      bacterial identification method that establishes an identification based on the
      exchange of electrons generated during respiration, leading to a subsequent
      tetrazolium-based color change. This system tests the ability of a microorganism
      to oxidize a panel of 95 different carbon sources. We report on a preliminary
      investigation of the ability of the instrument to identify, using its computer
      driven enzyme immunoassay reader, a diverse group of clinically relevant members
      of the family Enterobacteriaceae and gram-negative non-Enterobacteriaceae. The
      Biolog reported identifications (correct or incorrect) for 266 of 352 organisms
      tested (75.6%). Of the 266 identifications reported, 87.3% were correct at the
      genus level and 75.6% were correct at the species level at 24 h. In the total
      study of 352 strains, 46.6% were correct to the species level at 4 h and 57.1%
      were correct to the species level at 24 h. The error rate was 10.4% after 4 h and
      9.6% after 24 h. The Biolog performed well with many genera, but problems were
      encountered with some strains of Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Serratia. We found
      the system to be versatile and easy to use.

PMID- 1864932
TI  - Use of immunofluorescence to identify measles virus infections.
AB  - Monoclonal antibody to measles virus was used successfully to identify measles
      virus antigen directly in clinical specimens, as well as in cell cultures. Pooled
      nasopharyngeal-throat swab specimens had a higher yield than throat swabs or
      urine samples for virus detection. Use of A549 cell cultures in the spin
      amplification vial assay proved to be highly efficient, allowing virus
      recognition within 1 to 2 days of inoculation. A combination of appropriately
      collected specimens, which includes a nasopharyngeal-throat swab, direct antigen
      detection with monoclonal antibody to measles in an indirect immunofluorescence
      system, and the spin amplification vial assay using A549 cells provides a
      sensitive and rapid system for isolation and/or identification of measles virus
      infections.

PMID- 1864933
TI  - High frequency of coinfecting enteropathogens in Aeromonas-associated diarrhea of
      hospitalized Peruvian infants.
AB  - Rectal swabs from 391 infants less than 18 months of age who were hospitalized
      with acute diarrhea and from 138 similarly aged healthy infants were examined for
      the etiologic agents of diarrhea. Aeromonas spp. were recovered from 205 of 391
      (52.4%) diarrheic patients, whereas they were recovered from 12 of 138 (8.7%)
      controls (P less than 10(-11). Among the 205 Aeromonas-positive diarrheic
      patients, 118 (57.6%) were found to be coinfected with other common
      enteropathogens. Of the 164 Aeromonas-positive initial diarrheic specimens, 82
      (50.0%) had one or more other enteropathogens present; 30 patients were
      coinfected with rotavirus, 20 with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, 16 with
      Campylobacter spp., 14 with Shigella spp., 13 with enteropathogenic E. coli, 4
      with Vibrio spp., 1 with Salmonella spp., and 1 with Plesiomonas spp. of
      Aeromonas strains from cases compared with that from controls supports an
      etiologic role for this organism. However, frequent concomitant infections with
      other well-recognized enteropathogens and a lack of disease correlation with
      common Aeromonas phenotypes suggest that only a subset of Aeromonas strains may
      be diarrhea causing and that such strains may be common to several of the
      existing species.

PMID- 1864934
TI  - Characterization of Gardnerella vaginalis and G. vaginalis-like organisms from
      the reproductive tract of the mare.
AB  - Gardnerella vaginalis has been isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis, from
      the genital tracts of asymptomatic women, and from several other infected body
      sites in humans. However, until recently, it has not been isolated from any other
      animal species. Between June 1988 and October 1989, 31 isolates identified as G.
      vaginalis and 70 isolates identified as G. vaginalis-like organisms have been
      recovered from the genital tracts of 93 mares from Michigan and Ohio.
      Identification was based on biochemical reactions, hemolysis on media containing
      blood from various animal sources, and susceptibility to select antimicrobial
      agents. This report details the characterization of G. vaginalis and G. vaginalis
      like organism isolates obtained from the reproductive tracts of these mares and
      compares the equine isolates with human isolates.

PMID- 1864935
TI  - Immune capture and detection of Borrelia burgdorferi antigens in urine, blood, or
      tissues from infected ticks, mice, dogs, and humans.
AB  - Current biological and serological techniques for demonstrating infections by
      Borrelia burgdorferi can be inconclusive. In order to monitor Lyme borreliosis,
      we developed a rapid and sensitive assay for B. burgdorferi antigens in infected
      hosts. Polyclonal rabbit antisera were raised against membrane vesicles and an 83
      kDa vesicle-associated protein band that was purified from in vitro B.
      burgdorferi cultures. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were recovered from these
      sera and tested for a species-specific reaction with several geographically
      diverse Borrelia isolates by immunoblot analysis. Parlodion-coated electron
      microscope grids were activated with anti-vesicle F(ab')2 fragments and then
      incubated with confirmed or experimental sources of spirochetal antigens. Such
      sources included cultured spirochetes; spirochete culture supernatants; samples
      of urine, blood, or serum from mice, dogs, and humans; triturates of Ixodes
      ticks; and bladder, spleen, liver, kidney, heart, or brain tissues from infected
      or control mice. Captured antigens were assayed by immune electron microscopy by
      using anti-83-kDa IgG antibodies and protein A-colloidal gold conjugates. The
      results indicated that B. burgdorferi appears to shed surface antigens which are
      readily detectable in urine, blood, and several organs from infected hosts. Such
      antigens were detectable in mouse urine at dilutions exceeding 10(-6). Intact
      spirochetes were frequently observed on grids incubated with blood, spleen, or
      bladder preparations, and B. burgdorferi was reisolated from the urinary bladders
      of all experimentally infected mice. These results indicated that B. burgdorferi
      antigens arise in a variety of host materials. Such antigens can be captured and
      identified with specific polyclonal antibodies, providing a sensitive assay for
      monitoring and studying Lyme borreliosis.

PMID- 1864936
TI  - Determination of genetic variation within Plasmodium falciparum by using
      enzymatically amplified DNA from filter paper disks impregnated with whole blood.
AB  - A new method which allows the enzymatic amplification of DNA extracted from whole
      blood dried on filter paper disks is presented. The method was used to study
      heterogeneity within an erythrocyte-binding antigen (EBA-175) of Plasmodium
      falciparum. Blood specimens from malaria-infected patients in Southeast Asia and
      Africa were spotted onto filter paper, dried, and transported for processing. P.
      falciparum DNA was extracted by boiling the filter paper disks in the presence of
      Chelex-100 ion-chelating resin, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and
      analyzed for the presence of genetic variation. In all cases examined, plasmodial
      DNA was successfully amplified and characterized from filter paper disks.
      Hybridization of the polymerase chain reaction products with internal probes
      demonstrated simultaneous infection with two strains of P. falciparum in two
      patients. This technique represents a sensitive and practical field method for
      the determination of genetic variation within P. falciparum and the study of
      molecular epidemiology.

PMID- 1864937
TI  - Construction of a DNA probe and detection of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae by
      using polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - A 1.5-kb Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae 4074 DNA fragment from a genomic library
      was found to hybridization. No cross-hybridization hybridization. No cross
      hybridization was detected with DNAs from hemolytic members of the family
      Pasteurellaceae. From the nucleotide sequence of the putative genomic probe,
      three primers were synthesized for use in polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), with
      31 strains tested by using purified and crude DNA targets. PCR amplification
      products of 610 and 985 bp were observed in nucleic acids extracted from the 12
      known serotypes and a biotype 2 strain. Template DNAs from other gram-negative
      and gram-positive bacteria, some of them found in the normal flora of swine and
      the upper respiratory tract, were not amplified by PCR. The only exception was an
      amplification of a similar 610- or 985-bp sequence in Actinobacillus lignieresii,
      a species that is closely related to A. pleuropneumoniae but that has never been
      isolated from swine. Amplification of specific A. pleuropneumoniae sequences by
      PCR directly from clinical specimens may find applications in the identification
      of asymptomatic carriers as well as in efforts to eradicate porcine
      pleuropneumonia.

PMID- 1864938
TI  - Genetic diversity and identification of human infection by amplification of the
      chlamydial 60-kilodalton cysteine-rich outer membrane protein gene.
AB  - The 60-kDa cysteine-rich outer membrane protein genes of Chlamydia psittaci,
      Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Chlamydia trachomatis have very different 5' ends, but
      two areas flanking this variable region show absolute sequence conservation. This
      observation permitted differentiation of the three species of Chlamydia by the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR), forming the basis of a diagnostic test for
      chlamydial infections. The PCR product containing the variable region of the
      respective 60-kDa CrP genes was also subjected to restriction endonuclease
      digestion, enabling differentiation of individual type strains of C. psittaci.
      Differentiation was possible between lymphogranuloma venereum and trachoma
      isolates of C. trachomatis. The PCR-based diagnostic test was successful with all
      strains of chlamydiae studied. The PCR primers showed high specificity and did
      not produce any product with common bacterial pathogens that may share the same
      sites of infection.

PMID- 1864939
TI  - Aeromonas trota sp. nov., an ampicillin-susceptible species isolated from
      clinical specimens.
AB  - Previous DNA hybridization studies established 12 Aeromonas genospecies, from
      which nine phenotypic species have been proposed: Aeromonas hydrophila, A.
      sobria, A. caviae, A. media, A. veronii, A. schubertii, A. salmonicida, A.
      eucrenophila, and A. jandaei. We have delineated a new Aeromonas genospecies, A.
      trota, on the basis of 13 strains isolated primarily from fecal specimens from
      southern and southeastern Asia. All strains were highly related to the proposed
      type strain, AH2 (ATCC 49657T): 51 to 100% (60 degrees C) and 49 to 99% (75
      degrees C), with 0.2 to 2.2 divergence. AH2 was only 16 to 41% (60 degrees C)
      related to all other Aeromonas type strains and DNA group definition strains. The
      unique profile of A. trota includes negative reactions for esculin hydrolysis,
      arabinose fermentation, and the Voges-Proskauer test, positive reactions for
      cellobiose fermentation, lysine decarboxylation, and citrate utilization, and
      susceptibility to ampicillin, as determined by the broth microdilution MIC method
      and the Bauer-Kirby disk diffusion method (10 micrograms). Nine of the A. trota
      strains were from a single study of 165 geographically diverse aeromonads. This
      finding questions the efficacy of screening fecal specimens for Aeromonas spp.
      with ampicillin-containing media and suggests a previously unrecognized
      prevalence of this new species.

PMID- 1864940
TI  - Effect of delays in processing on the survival of Mycobacterium avium-M.
      intracellulare in the isolator blood culture system.
AB  - Concentrations of Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare ranging from 10(-1) to
      10(3) CFU/ml were added to blood, placed in Isolator tubes, and held at room
      temperature for intervals ranging from 4 h to 56 days before being processed
      (centrifugation and culture on Middlebrook 7H10 agar). At all concentrations
      tested, M. avium-M. intracellulare was recovered after hold times ranging from 4
      h to 7 days; the number of final CFU actually increased progressively for hold
      times of 8 h or more. Hold times of up to 7 days did not increase the time from
      processing to the first appearance of visible colonies. At an inoculum of 10(2)
      CFU/ml, M. avium-M. intracellulare was recovered from Isolator tubes processed 56
      days after inoculation. Two Isolator blood cultures were drawn from a patient
      with AIDS; M. avium-M. intracellulare was recovered from the sample processed
      immediately and from the sample processed after a hold time of 7 days. Since M.
      avium-M. intracellulare survives for prolonged periods in Isolator tubes, blood
      cultures may be collected in outpatient settings or in hospitals without
      mycobacterial culture facilities and shipped to reference laboratories for
      processing without loss of viability.

PMID- 1864941
TI  - Characterization of Staphylococcus hyicus with the ATB 32 Staph system and with
      conventional tests.
AB  - The ATB 32 Staph system correctly identified 45 of 54 Staphylococcus hyicus
      cultures isolated from pigs and cattle. The biochemical profiles of the remaining
      nine cultures were not listed in the product data base. The 40 porcine and 14
      bovine cultures resulted in three and seven different biochemical profiles,
      respectively. In parallel experiments, almost all S. hyicus cultures showed
      hemolytic reactions on chocolate agar, had CAMP-like reactivities in the zone of
      lysis of the staphylococcal beta-lysin, and had bacteriolytic properties on
      Micrococcus luteus cells. In addition, the S. hyicus cultures were unpigmented,
      were DNase positive, expressed an S. hyicus-specific teichoic acid, and were
      usually coagulase positive in porcine plasma. Most of the porcine strains were
      protein A positive, and two porcine cultures were clumping factor positive.

PMID- 1864942
TI  - Detection of antigens and antibodies in the urine of humans with Plasmodium
      falciparum malaria.
AB  - Humans infected with Plasmodium falciparum frequently have elevated levels of
      proteins in their urine, but it is unclear if any of these proteins are parasite
      antigens or antimalarial antibodies. To resolve this question, urine samples from
      malaria patients and controls living in Thailand and Ghana were evaluated. Urine
      samples from 85% of the patients had elevated protein levels and contained
      proteins with Mrs ranging from less than 29,000 to greater than 224,000 as
      determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antisera
      were produced against urine from infected and control subjects. Antisera raised
      against infected, but not control, urine were positive by indirect
      immunofluorescence on P. falciparum parasites and immunoprecipitated
      approximately 12 unique bands from extracts of parasites metabolically labeled
      with 35S-methionine. These data suggest that a variety of P. falciparum antigens
      are released into urine during acute infection. It is also likely that anti-P.
      falciparum antibodies are present in the urine of malaria patients because
      samples from these patients, but not controls, were positive in indirect
      immunofluorescence assays and immunoprecipitated at least 19 P. falciparum
      antigens from extracts of metabolically labeled parasites. The detection of
      malarial antigens and antibodies in urine may lead to a new approach for the
      diagnosis of malaria.

PMID- 1864943
TI  - Class-specific immune response to Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O9 antigens as
      determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
AB  - An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using lipopolysaccharide (S-LPS) as
      the antigen was used to analyze the antibody response in rabbits orogastrically
      and intravenously infected with virulent (plasmid-bearing) Yersinia
      enterocolitica O9 strains (pYV+) and with the avirulent (plasmid-cured)
      derivatives (pYV-). A significative response of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and
      IgM antibodies against the S-LPS antigen was evident in sera from the rabbits
      orogastrically infected with pYV+ strains. This immune response was stronger and
      persisted longer than those obtained with the corresponding pYV- strains. In
      contrast, few differences were observed in the titers and evolution of IgG, IgA,
      and IgM antibodies against the S-LPS antigen in rabbits intravenously infected
      with pYV+ and pYV- strains. These results suggest that the necessity of the
      virulence plasmid for the establishment of infection by Y. enterocolitica
      serotype O9 is conditioned by the infection route used. When the S-LPS ELISA was
      compared with the radial immunodiffusion test using the native hapten as the
      antigen, the results showed that the ELISA technique was more sensitive. However,
      only those sera obtained between 2 and 8 weeks postinfection from rabbits
      intravenously infected with plasmid-bearing strains were positive in the radial
      immunodiffusion test.

PMID- 1864944
TI  - Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of veterinary clinical isolates with the
      Sceptor System.
AB  - The Sceptor System (Becton Dickinson) was compared with an agar dilution method
      for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of veterinary clinical isolates. The
      results indicate that the Sceptor System may be used to test gram-positive and
      fastidious gram-negative bacteria.

PMID- 1864945
TI  - Synthetic oligonucleotide probes differentiate respiratory syncytial virus
      subgroups in a nucleic acid hybridization assay.
AB  - A new approach to respiratory syncytial virus subgroup differentiation has been
      developed on the basis of the hybridization of subgroup-specific synthetic
      oligonucleotides with viral mRNA. Two oligonucleotide probes were designed from
      the nucleotide sequences of an A and a B subgroup respiratory syncytial virus
      glycoprotein G gene. All 28 virus isolates tested were correctly classified by
      subgroup with these probes.

PMID- 1864946
TI  - False-positive reactions in the latex agglutination test for Cryptococcus
      neoformans antigen.
AB  - The latex agglutination test for Cryptococcus neoformans antigen is a simple and
      rapid procedure for the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis. Although the test
      is sensitive, care must be taken to prevent contamination of the sample, which
      may result in false-positive reactions. It was discovered in our laboratory that
      immersion of a platinum wire inoculating loop into a sample of cerebrospinal
      fluid prior to testing introduced interfering substances leading to nonspecific
      agglutination. After further studies, it was determined that trace amounts of
      surface condensation (syneresis fluid) from agar, either added to the
      cerebrospinal fluid or adhering to the loop, were the probable source of
      contamination. It is suggested that the latex agglutination test for C.
      neoformans antigen be performed prior to culture or on a separate sample.

PMID- 1864947
TI  - Incidence of toxigenic Campylobacter strains in South Africa.
AB  - Campylobacter strains can produce a heat-labile cytotonic toxin (CTON) and
      various cytotoxins (CTOX). Of 22 South African Campylobacter strains tested, 86%
      were toxigenic (77% produced CTON, 41% produced CTOX, and 32% produced both
      types) and 14% were toxin negative. Campylobacter jejuni strains were 67% CTON
      positive and 47% CTOX positive, whereas Campylobacter coli strains were 100 and
      29% positive, respectively.

PMID- 1864948
TI  - Acute mesenteric lymphadenitis due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis lacking a
      virulence plasmid.
AB  - A serotype 4a strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis lacking the virulence plasmid
      pYV (pYV- strain) was isolated from the mesenteric lymph nodes but not from the
      stool or the appendix of a 10-year-old girl with a diagnosis of acute mesenteric
      lymphadenitis. Microscopically, reticulocytic abscess and lymphadenitis were
      persent in the enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Antibody against the isolate was
      detected in the serum. The isolate was negative for the presence of plasmid pYV
      and plasmid pYV-mediated properties, including autoagglutination and calcium
      dependency, but was positive for chromosome-mediated properties, including
      invasion into HeLa cells and tissues of mice and the Sereny test. Mice were
      orally infected with this pYV- strain, and rapid elimination from the intestine
      occurred 14 days later. Hence, the potential to inhibit the phagocytosis encoded
      by plasmid pYV was lacking. As the pYV- strain was recovered from the mesenteric
      lymph nodes and the spleen, the invasiveness was encoded by chromosomal genes.
      The count of the pYV- strain in the mesenteric lymph nodes increased to 10(4.6)
      cells per g within 4 days. These findings suggest that pYV- Y. pseudotuberculosis
      was the causative agent of acute mesenteric lymphadenitis in the absence of
      gastroenteritis.

PMID- 1864949
TI  - Quantitation of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci in throat culture.

PMID- 1864950
TI  - Mechanisms of acute ischemic contractile failure of the heart. Role of
      intracellular calcium.

PMID- 1864951
TI  - Effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I on rabbit proximal
      convoluted tubule transport.
AB  - This in vitro microperfusion study examined the effects of growth hormone and
      insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) on proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
      transport. Tubules were perfused with an ultrafiltrate-like solution and bathed
      in a serum-like albumin solution. Neither a physiologic (5 x 10(-10) M), nor a
      pharmacologic (5 x 10(-8) M) dose of growth hormone had an effect on PCT
      phosphate or bicarbonate transport, or volume absorption. Addition of 5 x 10(-9)
      M and 5 x 10(-8) M IGF-I, but not 5 x 10(-10) M IGF-I, to the bathing solution
      resulted in an increase (12-15%) in phosphate transport, but no change in volume
      absorption or bicarbonate transport. Addition of IGF-I to the luminal perfusate
      also stimulated phosphate transport. The effect was noted at a concentration of 5
      x 10(-11) M IGF-I (27% stimulation) and was maximal at a concentration of 5 x 10(
      10) M IGF-I (46% stimulation). There was no effect of luminal IGF-I on volume
      absorption or bicarbonate transport. These data indicate that growth hormone has
      no direct effect on PCT transport. In the PCT, IGF-I stimulates phosphate
      transport specifically and acts via both basolateral and apical membranes.
      However, the magnitude of the maximal response to the luminal addition of IGF-I
      was threefold greater than that measured upon addition of the hormone to the
      bath, and the stimulation occurred at a 100-fold lower concentration. These data
      are consistent with IGF-I mediating the in vivo stimulation of phosphate
      transport by growth hormone.

PMID- 1864952
TI  - Interleukin 2 mediates stimulation of complement C3 biosynthesis in human
      proximal tubular epithelial cells.
AB  - Previous reports have suggested the production of complement components C4, C2,
      and factor B by renal tissue. However, the cells involved in production of
      complement have not been identified. In this study metabolic labeling experiments
      demonstrated that human proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) synthesize a 180
      kD precursor of C3 that is secreted after proteolytic cleavage into a disulphide
      linked two-chain molecule as found in plasma. C3 present in culture supernatants
      of PTEC was functionally active, however, during the culture period there was a
      partial inactivation of the C3 molecule as assessed by hemolytic titration.
      Recombinant IL-2 enhances the rate of C3 synthesis in a dose-dependent manner
      reaching maximal stimulation at doses of 200-400 U/ml IL-2. Northern blot
      analysis demonstrated a 5.2-kb C3 mRNA species present in PTEC that was increased
      within 24 h of IL-2 treatment. IL-2-induced enhancement of C3 production by PTEC
      could be neutralized with specific antibodies to IL-2. This study demonstrates
      that C3 synthesis in PTEC is upregulated by IL-2, the major cytokine produced by
      activated T cells.

PMID- 1864953
TI  - Role of nitric oxide in renal medullary oxygenation. Studies in isolated and
      intact rat kidneys.
AB  - We investigated the role of the endothelial-derived relaxing factor nitric oxide
      (NO) in the homeostasis of O2 supply to the renal medulla, a region normally
      operating on the verge of hypoxia. Sensitive Clark-type O2 microelectrodes were
      inserted into renal cortex and medulla of anesthetized rats. The inhibitor of NO
      formation, L-NG-monomethylarginine (LNMMA), while increasing blood pressure and
      reducing renal blood flow, decreased medullary pO2 from 23 +/- 3 mmHg to 12 +/- 3
      (P less than 0.001), with no change in the cortex. These responses were promptly
      reversed by L-arginine, which bypasses the LNMMA blockade. In isolated rat
      kidneys, LNMMA reduced perfusion flow without altering glomerular filtration
      rate, and augmented deep medullary hypoxic injury to thick ascending limbs from
      68 to 90% of the tubules (P less than 0.02). These changes were prevented by L
      arginine. Nitroprusside had a protective effect upon thick limb injury. Finally,
      in a previously reported model of radiocontrast nephropathy (1988. J. Clin.
      Invest. 82:401), LNMMA increased the severity of renal failure (final plasma
      creatinine from 2.3 +/- 2 mg% to 3.4 +/- 3, P less than 0.005) and the proportion
      of damaged thick limbs (from 24 +/- 6% to 53 +/- 9, P less than 0.01).
      Nitrovasodilatation may participate in the balance of renal medullary oxygenation
      and play an important role in the prevention of medullary hypoxic injury.

PMID- 1864954
TI  - Intestinal absorption of magnesium from food and supplements.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to measure magnesium absorption over the wide range
      of intakes to which the intestine may be exposed from food and/or magnesium
      containing medications. Net magnesium absorption was measured in normal subjects
      after they ingested a standard meal supplemented with 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mEq
      of magnesium acetate. Although absorption increased with each increment in
      intake, fractional magnesium absorption fell progressively (from 65% at the
      lowest to 11% at the highest intake) so that absorption as a function of intake
      was curvilinear. This absorption-intake relationship was almost perfectly
      represented by an equation containing a hyperbolic function plus a linear
      function. Our results are statistically compatible with a magnesium absorption
      process that simultaneously uses a mechanism that reaches an absorptive maximum,
      plus a mechanism that endlessly absorbs a defined fraction (7%) of ingested
      magnesium. Compared to previous studies of calcium absorption, much less
      magnesium that calcium was absorbed at intakes above 8 mEq/meal, apparently due
      to greater restriction of intestinal permeability to magnesium. We also found
      that magnesium from a high magnesium-containing food source, almonds, was just as
      bioavailable as from soluble magnesium acetate. In contrast, magnesium absorption
      from commercially available enteric-coated magnesium chloride was much less than
      from magnesium acetate, suggesting that enteric coating can impair magnesium
      bioavailability.

PMID- 1864955
TI  - Differential effects of microenvironmentally presented interleukin 3 versus
      soluble growth factor on primitive human hematopoietic cells.
AB  - The effect of IL-3 on hematopoiesis in long-term culture (LTC) was studied by
      cocultivating normal human marrow cells with human marrow fibroblast feeders
      engineered to constitutively produce IL-3 and by adding soluble IL-3 to LTC
      according to a variety of dose-time schedules. Feeders stably producing 7 ng/ml
      IL-3, or LTC to which 10 ng/ml IL-3 was added daily for 5 wk, but not once or
      twice weekly for the same time period, increased the output of mature nonadherent
      cells and progenitors from LTC as compared to control cultures. At the time of
      the weekly half-medium change, when primitive clonogenic progenitors in the
      adherent layer of standard LTC are quiescent, such cells were actively cycling in
      cultures containing a continuous source of an adequate dose of IL-3. In LTC,
      where the proportion of IL-3-producing cells in the feeder layer was diluted to
      10% and no IL-3 was detectable in culture medium, primitive adherent layer
      progenitors were, nevertheless, maintained as a population of continuously
      proliferating cells. Thus, the presence of IL-3 in LTC can enhance the
      proliferation and differentiation of very early human hematopoietic cells, but
      the concentration, duration of exposure, and method of IL-3 presentation are
      important determinants of the ultimate effects observed.

PMID- 1864956
TI  - Transcellular water flow modulates water channel exocytosis and endocytosis in
      kidney collecting tubule.
AB  - The regulation of osmotic water permeability (Pf) by vasopressin (VP) in kidney
      collecting tubule involves the exocytic-endocytic trafficking of vesicles
      containing water channels between an intracellular compartment and apical plasma
      membrane. To examine effects of transcellular water flow on vesicle movement, Pf
      was measured with 1-s time resolution in the isolated perfused rabbit cortical
      collecting tubule in response to addition and removal of VP (250 microU/ml) in
      the presence of bath greater than lumen (B greater than L), lumen greater than
      bath (L greater than B), and lumen = bath (L = B) osmolalities. With VP addition,
      Pf increased from 12 to 240-270 x 10(-4) cm/s (37 degrees C) in 10 min. At 1 min,
      Pf was approximately 70 x 10(-4) cm/s for B greater than L, L greater than B, and
      L = B conditions. At later times, Pf increased fastest for L greater than B and
      slowest for B greater than L osmolalities; at 5 min, Pf was 250 x 10(-4) cm/s (L
      greater than B) and 158 x 10(-4) cm/s (B greater than L). With VP removal, Pf
      returned to pre-VP levels at the fastest rate for B greater than L and the
      slowest rate for L greater than B osmolalities; at 30 min, Pf was 65 x 10(-4)
      cm/s (B greater than L) and 183 x 10(-4) cm/s (L greater than B). For a series of
      osmotic gradients of different magnitudes and directions, the rates of Pf
      increase and decrease were dependent upon the magnitude of transcellular volume
      flow; control studies showed that paracellular water flux, asymmetric
      transcellular water pathways, or changes in cell volume could not account for the
      data. VP-dependent endocytosis was measured by apical uptake of rhodamine
      dextran; in paired studies where the same tubule was used for + and - gradients,
      B greater than L and L greater than B osmolalities gave 168% and 82% of uptake
      measured with no gradient. In contrast, endocytosis in proximal tubule was not
      dependent on gradient direction. These data provide evidence that transcellular
      volume flow modulates the vasopressin-dependent cycling of vesicles containing
      water channels, suggesting a novel driving mechanism to aid or oppose the
      targeted, hormonally directed movement of subcellular membranes.

PMID- 1864957
TI  - Three-dimensional characterization of human ventricular myofiber architecture by
      ultrasonic backscatter.
AB  - Normal human left ventricular architecture comprises a highly aligned array of
      cardiac myofibers whose orientation depends on transmural location. This study
      was designed to determine whether measurement of integrated backscatter could be
      used detect the progressive transmural shift of myofiber alignment that occurs
      from epicardium to endocardium in human ventricular wall segments. Integrated
      backscatter was measured at 32 transmural levels in seven cylindrical biopsy
      specimens (1.4 cm diam) sampled from normal regions of six explanted fixed human
      hearts by insonification of samples at 180 independent angles in 2 degrees steps
      around their entire circumference with a 5-MHz broadband piezoelectric
      transducer. Histologic analysis was performed to determine fiber orientation.
      Integrated backscatter varied approximately as a sinusoidal function of the angle
      of insonification at each transmural level. Greater integrated backscatter was
      observed for insonification perpendicular as compared with parallel to fibers
      (difference = 14.5 +/- 0.6 dB). Ultrasonic analysis revealed a progressive
      transmural shift in fiber orientation of approximately 9.2 +/- 0.7 degrees/mm of
      tissue. Histologic analysis revealed a concordant shift in fiber orientation of
      7.9 +/- 0.8 degrees/mm of tissue. Thus, human myocardium manifests anisotropy of
      ultrasonic scattering that may be useful for characterization of the intramural
      fiber alignment and overall three-dimensional organization of cardiac myofibers.

PMID- 1864958
TI  - Prostacyclin production and mediation of adenylate cyclase activity in the
      pulmonary artery. Alterations after prolonged hypoxia in the rat.
AB  - Prostacyclin is a critical mediator of structure and function in the pulmonary
      circulation, causing both the inhibition of vascular smooth muscle growth and
      vasodilation via the stimulation of adenylate cyclase. To examine the potential
      role of alterations in prostacyclin production or mechanism of action in chronic
      hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, we determined the effects of prolonged (7 d) in
      vivo hypoxia on in vitro prostacyclin synthesis and mediation of adenylate
      cyclase activity in rat main pulmonary arteries. In control arteries prostacyclin
      production exceeded that of prostaglandin (PG) E2 by 25-fold, with 42%
      originating from the endothelium. Studies utilizing indomethacin revealed that
      endogenous prostaglandins mediate at least 69% of basal adenylate cyclase
      activity. Prostacyclin-stimulated enzyme activity was enhanced by exogenous GTP,
      indicating that this is a receptor-mediated process involving G protein
      amplification. Comparable dose-related responses to prostacyclin and PGE2 suggest
      that these agents may activate a common receptor. After 7 d of in vivo hypoxia
      there was a 2.7-fold increase in in vitro prostacyclin production, with
      equivalent increases in synthesis in the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle.
      However, despite this increase there was no change in basal adenylate cyclase
      activity, and this was associated with attenuated sensitivity of the enzyme to
      prostacyclin stimulation. Concomitant diminution of the response to beta
      adrenergic stimulation, with previously-demonstrated beta receptor downregulation
      and unaltered postreceptor-mediated activity, suggests that the blunted response
      to prostacyclin is due to receptor downregulation. Parallel studies of the
      thoracic aorta indicated that these changes are specific to the pulmonary artery.
      It is postulated that attenuation of the response of adenylate cyclase to
      prostacyclin may contribute to the structural changes and hypertension observed
      in the pulmonary vasculature of the rat with chronic hypoxia.

PMID- 1864959
TI  - Human anti-phosphorylcholine antibodies share idiotopes and are self-binding.
AB  - We have previously shown that BALB/c antipneumococcal polysaccharide antibodies
      with phosphorylcholine (PC) specificity are self-binding, mediated by
      hypervariable sequence structure of the heavy chain. We extended the observation
      of self-binding anti-PC antibodies to naturally occurring human anti-PC
      antibodies. Anti-PC antibodies were purified from normal donor sera and shown to
      bind to monoclonal antiidiotypic anti-T15 antibodies originally raised against
      the murine T15 idiotype. These human antibodies are self-binding which is
      inhibitable by the PC hapten and the murine T15 (50-73)-derived Vh peptide. The
      anti-PC antibodies were further separated into id-positive and id-negative anti
      PC antibodies. Only the T15 id-positive preparation was self-binding. These
      findings demonstrate an evolutionary, conserved biological property between mouse
      and man associated with a naturally occurring antibacterial antibody. This
      conserved biological and structural property may have been selected in evolution
      because it is part of an important immune defense mechanism against bacterial and
      other environmental pathogens.

PMID- 1864960
TI  - Mast cell tryptase is a mitogen for cultured fibroblasts.
AB  - Mast cells appear to promote fibroblast proliferation, presumably through
      secretion of growth factors, although the molecular mechanisms underlying this
      mitogenic potential have not been explained fully by known mast cell-derived
      mediators. We report here that tryptase, a trypsin-like serine proteinase of mast
      cell secretory granules, is a potent mitogen for fibroblasts in vitro. Nanomolar
      concentrations of dog tryptase strongly stimulate thymidine incorporation in
      Chinese hamster lung and Rat-1 fibroblasts and increase cell density in both
      subconfluent and confluent cultures of these cell lines. Tryptase-induced cell
      proliferation appears proteinase-specific, as this response is not mimicked by
      pancreatic trypsin or mast cell chymase. In addition, low levels of tryptase
      markedly potentiate DNA synthesis stimulated by epidermal growth factor, basic
      fibroblast growth factor, or insulin. Inhibitors of catalytic activity decrease
      the mitogenic capacity of tryptase, suggesting, though not proving, the
      participation of the catalytic site in cell activation by tryptase. Differences
      in Ca++ mobilization and sensitivity to pertussis toxin suggest that tryptase and
      thrombin activate distinct signal transduction pathways in fibroblasts. These
      data implicate mast cell tryptase as a potent, previously unrecognized fibroblast
      growth factor, and may provide a molecular link between mast cell activation and
      fibrosis.

PMID- 1864961
TI  - Exogenous insulin augments in healthy volunteers the cardiovascular reactivity to
      noradrenaline but not to angiotensin II.
AB  - Hyperinsulinemia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the blood pressure
      elevation in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity, but
      also essential hypertension. In these conditions an increased cardiovascular
      reactivity to noradrenaline (NA) and angiotensin II (AII) can be observed. Using
      the euglycemic clamp technique, we determined the cardiovascular reactivity to
      graded infusions of NA and AII in nine healthy males before (Bas), and 1 and 6 h
      after infusion of insulin (50 mU/kg per h) was started. On separate days control
      experiments were carried out to control for any circadian variation. Insulin led
      to a decrease of the amount of circulating NA necessary to increase the diastolic
      blood pressure (DBP) 20 mmHg (actual experiment [mean +/- SEM]: Bas, 23.1 +/-
      5.0; 1 h, 14.8 +/- 3.0; and 6 h, 12.3 +/- 3.1; and control experiment: Bas, 20.7
      +/- 5.0; 1 h, 18.6 +/- 3.5; and 6 h, 17.3 +/- 3.3 nmol/liter; Bas vs. 1 and 6 h:
      P less than 0.05). Although the amount of NA infused to raise DBP 20 mmHg showed
      a similar decline after 1 h of insulin infusion, no such change from baseline
      could be observed at 6 h. This appeared to be due to an increase in NA clearance
      with more prolonged insulin infusion. Insulin exerted no effect on the amount of
      AII infused to increase DBP 20 mmHg (actual experiment: Bas, 27.6 +/- 6.4; 1 h,
      28.8 +/- 10.0; and 6 h, 21.2 +/- 5.3; and control experiment: Bas, 33.6 +/- 5.7;
      1 h, 34.2 +/- 6.1; and 6 h, 23.4 +/- 4.7 ng/kg/min; NS). We did observe a
      circadian variation in AII reactivity. Whether the increase in cardiovascular
      responsiveness to NA after administration of insulin contributes to the elevation
      in blood pressure frequently observed in patients with insulin resistance remains
      to be proven.

PMID- 1864962
TI  - Mutations of P450c21 (steroid 21-hydroxylase) at Cys428, Val281, and Ser268
      result in complete, partial, or no loss of enzymatic activity, respectively.
AB  - Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the major cause of congenital adrenal
      hyperplasia (CAH), a common genetic disease. To define the relationship between
      gene mutations and enzyme deficiency, we generated missense mutations of the 21
      hydroxylase cDNA at three different sites and characterized the mutant proteins
      after expressing them in cultured mammalian and yeast cells. Among them, Ser268
      and Val281 have been found to be mutated in CAH patients, whereas Cys428 has been
      implicated as the heme ligand. Our results show mutations at these sites result
      in complete, partial, or no loss of the enzymatic activity. All the Cys428
      mutants had neither enzymatic activity nor P450 absorption, thus supporting the
      notion that Cys428 is the heme ligand. All the 268-mutants exhibited the same
      activity as normal 21-hydroxylase, demonstrating that the clinically observed
      Ser268----Thr change represents a polymorphism rather than the cause of the
      enzyme deficiency. The 281-mutants had normal Km but greatly reduced Vmax values
      that also paralleled the reduction in the heme content, in the order Val281
      (normal, 100%) greater than Ile281 (50%) greater than Leu281 (20%) greater than
      Thr281 (10%). Our findings suggest that the methyl group at the beta-carbon of
      Val281 is required for heme incorporation and consequently enzymatic activity.

PMID- 1864963
TI  - Glomerular function in Pima Indians with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
      of recent onset.
AB  - Differential solute clearances were used to characterize glomerular function in
      20 Pima Indians with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) of less than
      3 yr duration. 28 Pima Indians with normal glucose tolerance served as controls.
      In the diabetic group, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR, iothalamate
      clearance) exceeded the control value by 15% (140 +/- 6 vs. 122 +/- 5 ml/min, P
      less than 0.01). A corresponding 12% increase in renal plasma flow (RPF) was not
      statistically significant and did not account fully for the observed
      hyperfiltration, suggesting a concomitant elevation of the ultrafiltration
      pressure or coefficient. The median albumin excretion ratio in NIDDM exceeded
      control by almost twofold (10.1 vs. 5.8 mg/g creatinine), a trend which just
      failed to achieve statistical significance (P = 0.06). Fractional clearances of
      dextrans of broad size distribution were also elevated in diabetic subjects,
      significantly so for larger dextrans of between 48 and 60 A radius. A theoretical
      analysis of dextran transport through a heteroporous membrane revealed glomerular
      pores in NIDDM to be uniformly shifted towards pores of larger size than in
      controls. We conclude that an impairment of barrier size selectivity combined
      with high GFR elevates the filtered protein load in NIDDM of recent onset. We
      propose that enhanced transglomerular trafficking of protein may predispose to
      sclerosis of glomeruli in those Pima Indians with NIDDM who ultimately develop
      diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 1864964
TI  - Phosphatidic acid as a second messenger in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
      Effects on activation of NADPH oxidase.
AB  - Receptor-mediated agonists, such as FMLP, induce an early, phospholipase D (PLD)
      mediated accumulation of phosphatidic acid (PA) which may play a role in the
      activation of NADPH oxidase in human PMN. We have determined the effect of
      changes in PA production on O2 consumption in intact PMN and the level of NADPH
      oxidase activity measured in a cell-free assay. Pretreatment of cells with
      various concentrations of propranolol enhanced (less than or equal to 200 microM)
      or inhibited (greater than 300 microM) PLD-induced production of PA (mass and
      radiolabel) in a manner that correlated with enhancement or inhibition of O2
      consumption in PMN stimulated with 1 microM FMLP in the absence of cytochalasin
      B. The concentration-dependent effects of propranolol on FMLP-induced NADPH
      oxidase activation was confirmed by direct assay of the enzyme in subcellular
      fractions. In PA extracted from cells pretreated with 200 microM propranolol
      before stimulation with 1 microM FMLP, phospholipase A1 (PLA1)-digestion for 90
      min, followed by quantitation of residual PA, showed that a minimum of 44% of PA
      in control (undigested) sample was diacyl-PA; alkylacyl-PA remained undigested by
      PLA1. Propranolol was also observed to have a concentration-dependent enhancement
      of mass of 1,2-DG formed in PMN stimulated with FMLP. DG levels reached a maximum
      at 300 microM propranolol and remained unchanged up to 500 microM propranolol.
      However, in contrast to PA levels, the level of DG produced did not correlate
      with NADPH oxidase activation. Exogenously added didecanoyl-PA activated NADPH
      oxidase in a concentration-dependent manner (1-300 microM) in a reconstitution
      assay using membrane and cytosolic fractions from unstimulated PMN. In addition,
      PA synergized with SDS for oxidase activation. Taken together, these results
      indicate that PA plays a second messenger role in the activation of NADPH oxidase
      in human PMN and that regulation of phospholipase D is a key step in the
      activation pathway.

PMID- 1864965
TI  - Lipolysis exposes unreactive endogenous apolipoprotein E-3 in human and rat
      plasma very low density lipoprotein.
AB  - Endogenous apolipoprotein E in VLDL is poorly expressed in receptor binding
      processes. Yet catabolism of VLDL-remnants by cellular receptors depends on
      functional apo E molecules. To better understand remnant catabolism phenomena, we
      determined the metabolism of VLDL and post-lipolysis VLDL by cultured cells.
      Partial lipolysis was achieved by incubation of VLDL with lipoprotein lipase in
      vitro (human) or recirculation (rat) in supradiaphragmatic animals. Lipolyzed
      VLDL exhibit metabolic activities 2-20-fold higher than control VLDL, that are
      saturable and dependent on the presence of LDL receptors. The ligand responsible
      for receptor interaction of lipolyzed VLDL (apo E or apo B-100) and its source
      (endogenous or transferred) was studied with monoclonal antibodies and with
      lipoproteins from E-3/3 and E-2/2 subjects. The data unequivocally proved that
      lipolysis causes exposure of unreactive endogenous apo E-3 at the VLDL surface,
      possibly by a change of conformation of the protein. Apo B-100 becomes
      biologically expressed only in lipolyzed VLDL-III. Lipolyzed VLDL, however, is
      less reactive to exogenous apo E-3 than control VLDL indicating that endogenous
      and exogenous apo E are oriented differently in VLDL. It is proposed that VLDL
      delivers triglycerides to tissues when apo E is unreactive but becomes a remnant
      after the protein becomes exposed and directs the particles from lipoprotein
      lipase sites to cellular receptors.

PMID- 1864966
TI  - Effect of physiologic hyperinsulinemia on glucose and lipid metabolism in
      cirrhosis.
AB  - Insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity were evaluated in eight clinically
      stable cirrhotic patients and in 12 controls. OGTT was normal in cirrhotics but
      plasma insulin response was increased approximately twofold compared with
      controls. Subjects received a three-step (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 mU/kg.min) euglycemic
      insulin clamp with indirect calorimetry, [6-3H]-glucose, and [1-14C]-palmitate.
      During the two highest insulin infusion steps glucose uptake was impaired (3.33
      +/- 0.31 vs. 5.06 +/- 0.40 mg/kg.min, P less than 0.01, and 6.09 +/- 0.50 vs.
      7.95 +/- 0.52 mg/kg.min, P less than 0.01). Stimulation of glucose oxidation by
      insulin was normal; in contrast, nonoxidative glucose disposal (i.e., glycogen
      synthesis) was markedly reduced. Fasting (r = -0.553, P less than 0.01) and
      glucose-stimulated (r = -0.592, P less than 0.01) plasma insulin concentration
      correlated inversely with the severity of insulin resistance. Basal hepatic
      glucose production was normal in cirrhotics and suppressed normally with insulin.
      In postabsorptive state, plasma FFA conc (933 +/- 42 vs. 711 +/- 44 mumol/liter,
      P less than 0.01) and FFA turnover (9.08 +/- 1.20 vs. 6.03 +/- 0.53 mumol/kg.min,
      P less than 0.01) were elevated in cirrhotics despite basal hyperinsulinemia;
      basal FFA oxidation was similar in cirrhotic and control subjects. With low-dose
      insulin infusion, plasma FFA oxidation and turnover failed to suppress normally
      in cirrhotics. During the two higher insulin infusion steps, all parameters of
      FFA metabolism suppressed normally. In summary, stable cirrhotic patients with
      normal glucose tolerance exhibit marked insulin resistance secondary to the
      impaired nonoxidative glucose disposal. Our results suggest that chronic
      hyperinsulinism may be responsible for the insulin resistance observed in
      cirrhosis.

PMID- 1864967
TI  - Expression of the early growth response 1 and 2 zinc finger genes during
      induction of monocytic differentiation.
AB  - Members of the early growth response (EGR) gene family are rapidly induced after
      mitogenic stimulation of diverse cell types. The present work has examined EGR
      gene expression during differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells along the
      monocytic lineage and in activated monocytes. Low levels of EGR-1 transcripts
      were detectable in untreated U-937 and HL-60 leukemia cells. In contrast,
      treatment of these cells with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was
      associated with increases (within 1 h) in EGR-1 mRNA levels. The induction of
      monocytic differentiation by TPA and other agents was further associated with
      increases in EGR-2, but not EGR-3 or EGR-4, mRNA levels in these cells. Treatment
      of resting peripheral blood monocytes with the macrophage colony-stimulating
      factor (M-CSF) was also associated with rapid (within 15 min) increases in
      expression of the EGR-1 and EGR-2 genes. The results of nuclear run-on assays
      demonstrate that EGR-1 mRNA levels are increased in part by transcriptional
      activation of this gene in M-CSF-stimulated monocytes. The results also
      demonstrate that both EGR-1 and EGR-2 mRNA levels are regulated at the
      posttranscriptional level by a labile protein that destabilizes these
      transcripts. Finally, we demonstrate that dexamethasone, an inhibitor of
      monocytic differentiation, blocks the associated increases in EGR-1 and EGR-2
      expression. Taken together, the results indicate that the EGR-1 and EGR-2 early
      response genes are involved in the induction of myeloid leukemia cell
      differentiation along the monocytic lineage and in the activation of human
      monocytes.

PMID- 1864968
TI  - Sources of carbon for hepatic glycogen synthesis in the conscious dog.
AB  - To identify the source(s) of carbon for the indirect pathway of hepatic glycogen
      synthesis, we studied nine 42-h fasted conscious dogs given a continuous
      intraduodenal infusion of glucose, labeled with [1-13C]glucose and [3-3H]glucose,
      at 8 mg.kg-1.min-1 for 240 min. Glycogen formation by the direct pathway was
      measured by 13C-NMR. Net hepatic balances of glucose, gluconeogenic amino acids,
      lactate, and glycerol were determined using the arteriovenous difference
      technique. During the steady-state period (the final hour of the infusion), 81%
      of the glucose infused was absorbed as glucose. Net gut output of lactate and
      alanine accounted for 5% and 3% of the glucose infused, respectively. The
      cumulative net hepatic uptakes were: glucose, 15.5 +/- 3.8 g; gluconeogenic amino
      acids, 32.2 +/- 2.2 mmol (2.9 +/- 0.2 g of glucose equivalents); and glycerol,
      6.1 +/- 0.9 mmol (0.6 +/- 0.1 g of glucose equivalents). The liver produced a net
      of 29.2 +/- 9.6 mmol of lactate (2.6 +/- 0.8 g of glucose equivalents). Net
      hepatic glycogen synthesis totaled 9.3 +/- 2.5 g (1.8 +/- 0.4 g/100 g liver),
      with the direct pathway being responsible for 57 +/- 10%. Thus, net hepatic
      glucose uptake was sufficient to account for all glycogen formed by both the
      direct and indirect pathways. Total net hepatic uptake of gluconeogenic
      precursors (gluconeogenic amino acids, glycerol, and lactate) was able to account
      for only 20% of net glycogen synthesis by the indirect pathway. In a net sense,
      our data are consistent with an intrahepatic origin for most of the three-carbon
      precursors used for indirect glycogen synthesis.

PMID- 1864969
TI  - Differences in the expression of the cardiopulmonary alterations associated with
      anti-immunoglobulin E-induced or active anaphylaxis in mast cell-deficient and
      normal mice. Mast cells are not required for the cardiopulmonary changes
      associated with certain fatal anaphylactic responses.
AB  - We compared the changes in heart rate (HR), pulmonary dynamic compliance (Cdyn),
      and pulmonary conductance (GL) associated with three different models of
      anaphylaxis in genetically mast cell-deficient WBB6F1-W/Wv and congenic normal
      (+/+) mice. Intravenous infusion of a monoclonal rat anti-mouse IgE produced a
      marked tachycardia, diminutions in Cdyn and GL, and death in +/+ but not W/Wv
      mice, and +/+ mice sensitized to develop high circulating levels of IgE exhibited
      HR, Cdyn, and GL responses to rat anti-IgE challenge which were significantly
      less intense than those in nonimmunized +/+ mice. By contrast, virtually
      identical cardiopulmonary responses were observed in either +/+ or W/Wv mice
      challenged to elicit pure active anaphylactic responses or simultaneous active
      and anti-IgE-dependent anaphylaxis. These findings show that anaphylactic
      responses associated with significant tachycardia, reductions in Cdyn and GL, and
      death can occur in the virtual absence of tissue mast cells. This is true even
      though, in normal mice, such responses are associated with extensive
      degranulation of tissue mast cells. By contrast, certain models of anaphylaxis,
      such as that induced in nonsensitized mice by anti-mouse IgE, can not be elicited
      in the absence of mast cells.

PMID- 1864970
TI  - Effects of body fat distribution on regional lipolysis in obesity.
AB  - To determine the contribution of the major body fat depots to systemic free fatty
      acid (FFA) availability, palmitate ([1-14C]-palmitate) release was measured from
      leg (lower body) and non-leg (upper body) fat in eight upper body obese (UB Ob),
      six lower body obese (LB Ob), and six nonobese (Non Ob) age-matched premenopausal
      women in the overnight postabsorptive state. Splanchnic palmitate release was
      determined in 16 of these subjects. RESULTS: total palmitate release was greater
      in UB Ob (P less than 0.005) than LB Ob or Non Ob women (161 +/- 16 vs. 111 +/- 9
      vs. 92 +/- 9 mumol/min, respectively). Despite increased leg fat mass in obese
      women, leg palmitate release was similar in each group. Therefore, leg fat
      palmitate release was greater in Non Ob women than LB Ob (P less than 0.01) or UB
      Ob (P = 0.06) women (3.7 +/- 0.3 vs. 2.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.7 +/- 0.2 mumol.kg fat
      1.min-1, respectively). Upper body fat palmitate release was less (P less than
      0.01) in LB Ob than Non Ob or UB Ob women (3.0 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.0 +/- 0.3 vs. 4.9 +/
      0.4 mumol.kg fat-1.min-1, respectively). Splanchnic palmitate release accounted
      for 20-32% of upper body fat palmitate release in each group (P = NS between
      groups). Leg fat palmitate release was significantly less than upper body fat
      palmitate release. We conclude that the major difference in resting FFA
      metabolism between UB Ob and LB Ob women is the ability of the later to down
      regulate upper body fat lipolysis to maintain normal FFA availability.

PMID- 1864971
TI  - The effects of infusion of insulinlike growth factor (IGF) I, IGF-II, and insulin
      on glucose and protein metabolism in fasted lambs.
AB  - In vivo effects of 300-min infusions of recombinant insulinlike growth factor I
      (IGF-I) and IGF-II on glucose and protein metabolism have been investigated in
      awake, fasted lambs. Two doses of recombinant human (rh) IGF-I were infused: 6.7
      nmol/kg.h, which induced hypoglycemia, and 2.0 nmol/kg.h, which did not. The
      effects were compared with an insulin infusion (0.17 nmol/kg.h) that had the same
      hypoglycemic potential as the high dose rhIGF-I infusion. rhIGF-II was infused at
      a rate of 6.7 nmol/kg.h. Primed constant infusions of isotopically labeled
      glucose, urea and leucine tracers were used to determine glucose and protein
      kinetics. rhIGF-I lowered blood glucose by increasing the rate of glucose
      clearance (P less than 0.01), in contrast to insulin, which both increased
      clearance and reduced glucose production. Net protein loss was reduced after
      infusion of low and high dose rhIGF-I and insulin by 11% (P less than 0.05), 15%
      (P less than 0.01), and 12% (P less than 0.05), respectively. rhIGF-II infusion
      did not alter the rate of net protein loss. In contrast to insulin, high dose
      rhIGF-I infusion increased the rate of protein synthesis in skeletal (P less than
      0.05) and cardiac muscle (P less than 0.01) and in hepatic tissue (P less than
      0.05). We conclude that (a) protein metabolism is more sensitive than glucose
      metabolism to rhIGF-I infusion, as protein loss was reduced by an rhIGF-I
      infusion that did not alter glucose kinetics; (b) protein synthesis is increased
      by rhIGF-I infusion but not by insulin infusion; and (c) rhIGF-II is a less
      effective anabolic agent than rhIGF-I. We speculate that the effects of rhIGF-I
      on protein metabolism are not mediated by insulin receptors.

PMID- 1864972
TI  - Cationic Yersinia antigen-induced chronic allergic arthritis in rats. A model for
      reactive arthritis in humans.
AB  - Cationic antigens are known to have considerable arthritogenic potential in
      experimental systems. During a systematic search for suitable, naturally
      occurring candidates an intracellular protein was isolated from the ribosomal
      pellet of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3, a bacterial strain associated with
      reactive arthritis in humans. The protein is highly cationic, contains two 19-kD
      polypeptide chains linked by a disulfide bond, and reveals a strong tendency for
      spontaneous aggregation. It is suggested to be a nucleic acid binding protein. We
      tested this antigen for its ability to induce arthritis after intra-articular
      challenge in preimmunized rats. An acute inflammatory phase followed by
      transition to chronicity was observed both by technetium-99m scintigraphy and
      from histology. Massive polymorphonuclear leucocyte infiltration of the synovium
      was seen early on and fibrosis and thickening of the joint capsule occurred in
      later stages. Control groups showed no evidence of inflammation. Western blot and
      ELISA analysis of unselected sera from Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3-infected
      patients revealed antibodies to the antigen in the majority of cases, whereas
      healthy individuals rarely reacted. This is the first report of a naturally
      occurring cationic antigen capable of inducing immunologic tissue injury; it
      justifies the speculation that cationic antigens from prokaryotic cells could
      trigger reactive arthritis in humans.

PMID- 1864973
TI  - Familial dysbetalipoproteinemia associated with apolipoprotein E3-Leiden in an
      extended multigeneration pedigree.
AB  - By the careful screening of familial dysbetalipoproteinemic (FD) patients, five
      probands showing heterozygosity for the APOE*3-Leiden allele were found.
      Genealogical studies revealed that these probands share common ancestry in the
      17th century. In a group of 128 family members, spanning three generations, 37
      additional heterozygous APOE*3-Leiden gene carriers were detected. Although with
      a variable degree of severity, all carriers exhibited characteristics of FD such
      as (a) elevated levels of cholesterol in the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)
      and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) fractions, (b) elevated ratios of
      cholesterol levels in these density fractions over total plasma levels of
      triglycerides, and (c) strongly increased plasma levels of apolipoprotein E
      (apoE). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that most of the variability
      in expression of FD in APOE*3-Leiden allele carriers can be explained by age.
      Body mass index showed a less significant influence on the expression of FD.
      Gender had no effect on the expression in E*3-Leiden allele carriers, nor did it
      influence the age of onset of FD. In the group of APOE*3-Leiden allele carriers,
      we found that the E*2 allele enhances the expression of FD, whereas the E*4
      allele had the opposite effect. Isoelectric focusing of plasma and of isolated
      VLDL, IDL, and high density lipoprotein density fractions showed that in E*3
      Leiden allele carriers the apoE3-Leiden variant largely predominates over its
      normal apoE counterpart, especially in the VLDL and IDL density fractions. We
      conclude that in APOE*3-Leiden allele carriers FD is dominantly inherited with a
      high rate of penetrance, i.e., the presence of normally functioning apoE
      molecules in the plasma does not prevent the age-related expression of this
      disease.

PMID- 1864974
TI  - Taurine behaves as an osmolyte in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Protection by
      polarized, regulated transport of taurine.
AB  - Using a clonal growth assay, we demonstrated that taurine, a nonperturbing
      osmolyte accumulated in kidney medulla, brain, and some other tissues of
      hypertonic experimental animals can function as a nonperturbing osmolyte in Madin
      Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. The taurine content of hypertonic MDCK cells is
      twice that of isotonic MDCK cells (isotonic 160 nmol/mg protein; hypertonic 320
      nmol/mg protein). Therefore we studied taurine transport in MDCK cells grown on
      porous supports and then studied the effect of hypertonicity which is known to
      elicit increased uptake of some other nonperturbing osmolytes by MDCK cells.
      Basal uptake exceeded apical uptake, with Km and Vmax of 56 microM and 933
      pmol/min.mg protein on the basal surface and 10 microM and 50 pmol/min.mg protein
      on the apical surface. On both surfaces, virtually all taurine uptake was Na+ and
      Cl- dependent. 24 h after cells were shifted to hypertonic medium (500
      mosmol/kg), taurine uptake doubled on the basolateral surface without change on
      the apical surface. The response to hypertonicity was the result of an increase
      in Vmax without change in Km. There was no change in taurine efflux when cells
      were shifted from isotonic to hypertonic medium. When cells adapted to hypertonic
      medium were shifted to isotonic medium, a large transient basolateral efflux of
      taurine occurred within 10 min. We conclude that taurine can function as a
      nonperturbing osmolyte in MDCK cells and that tonicity-regulated taurine
      transport is a basolateral function in MDCK cells.

PMID- 1864975
TI  - Acute lung injury. Pathogenesis of intraalveolar fibrosis.
AB  - In patients dying with acute lung injury, interstitial mesenchymal cells migrate
      into the airspace where they replicate and deposit connective tissue. We
      therefore hypothesized that peptides capable of promoting mesenchymal cell
      migration and replication would be present in the alveolar airspace. To examine
      this hypothesis, patients with severe acute diffuse lung injury (n = 26)
      underwent bronchoalveolar lavage. Acutely ill patients without lung injury served
      as controls (n = 12). Recovered effluent was examined for mesenchymal cell growth
      promoting and migration-promoting activity. Lavage cell supernates from both
      patients and controls were devoid of bioactivity. However, substantial growth
      promoting and migration-promoting activity was present in lavage fluid from
      nearly every patient, whereas little or none was present in fluid from controls.
      Characterization of the bioactivity indicated a significant proportion consisted
      of three peptides related to PDGF: (a) a 14-kD peptide that shared with PDGF
      several biophysical, biochemical, receptor-binding, and antigenic properties; (b)
      a 29-kD peptide that appeared identical to PDGF of platelet origin; and (c) a 38
      kD peptide that was biophysically and antigenically similar to PDGF. These data
      indicate that peptide moieties are present in the airspace of patients after
      acute lung injury that can signal mesenchymal cell migration and replication.

PMID- 1864976
TI  - Oxygen-dependent lipid peroxidation during lung ischemia.
AB  - The effect of alveolar oxygen tension on lung lipid peroxidation during lung
      ischemia was evaluated by using isolated rat lungs perfused with synthetic
      medium. After a 5-min equilibration period, global ischemia was produced by
      discontinuing perfusion while ventilation continued with gas mixtures containing
      5% CO2 and a fixed oxygen concentration between 0 and 95%. Lipid peroxidation was
      assessed by measurement of tissue thiobarbituric acid-reactive products and
      conjugated dienes. Control studies (no ischemia) showed no change in parameters
      of lipid peroxidation during 1 h of perfusion and ventilation with 20% or 95% O2.
      With 60 min of ischemia, there was increased lipid peroxidation which varied with
      oxygen content of the ventilating gas and was markedly inhibited by ventilation
      with N2. Perfusion with 5-, 8-, 11-, 14-eicosatetraynoic acid indicated that
      generation of eicosanoids during ischemia accounted for approximately 40-50% of
      lung lipid peroxide production. Changes of CO2 content of the ventilating gas (to
      alter tissue pH) or of perfusate glucose concentration had no effect on lipid
      peroxidation during ischemia, but perfusion at 8% of the normal flow rate
      prevented lipid peroxidation. Lung dry/wet weight measured after 3 min of
      reperfusion showed good correlation between lung fluid accumulation and lipid
      peroxidation. These results indicate that reperfusion is not necessary for lipid
      peroxidation with ischemic insult of the lung and provide evidence that elevated
      PO2 during ischemia accelerates the rate of tissue injury.

PMID- 1864977
TI  - Drug-induced anti-histone autoantibodies display two patterns of reactivity with
      substructures of chromatin.
AB  - Increasing evidence suggests that autoantibodies in the rheumatic diseases are a
      consequence of immune selection by self-material, but the nature of the in vivo
      immunogen is unknown. Insight into this problem may be obtained by measuring
      autoantibody binding to various forms of a target antigen. Antihistone antibodies
      arising as a side effect of therapy with various drugs offer an opportunity to
      explore this premise because many forms of histone have been characterized and
      adapted to ELISA formats. Two patterns of antibody reactivity were observed. All
      21 patients with symptomatic procainamide-induced lupus and 7 of 12 patients with
      quinidine-induced lupus had IgG antibodies reacting predominantly with the (H2A
      H2B)-DNA complex and with chromatin. In contrast, antibodies in 19 of 24 patients
      taking procainamide without accompanying lupus-like symptoms did not show any
      pattern. The second pattern was observed in 18/19 chlorpromazine-treated patients
      and 14/17 patients with hydralazine-induced lupus in which IgM antibodies
      displayed more reactivity with DNA-free histones than with the corresponding
      histone-DNA complexes and almost no binding to H1-stripped chromatin. Absorption
      studies were entirely consistent with these results. Thus, the two patterns of
      reactivity with nucleosomal components reflect the molecular substructure of
      chromatin, suggesting that two processes underlie antihistone antibody induction
      by drugs. In one, IgG autoantibodies appear to be elicited by chromatin, whereas
      in the other, autoimmune tolerance to native chromatin appears largely intact,
      and IgM antibodies may be driven by DNA-free histone.

PMID- 1864978
TI  - Ionizing radiation induces expression and binding activity of the nuclear factor
      kappa B.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment of mammalian cells with ionizing
      radiation is associated with activation of gene expression. Although the signal
      transduction pathways stimulated by ionizing radiation remain unclear, our
      previous findings indicate that radiation induces specific genes at the
      transcriptional level. The present work has examined the effects of ionizing
      radiation on the transcription factor NF-kappa B. The results demonstrate that
      ionizing radiation activates DNA binding of nuclear factor (NF)kappa B. This
      effect was detectable at 2 grays (Gy) and reached a maximum at 5-20 Gy. At a dose
      of 20 Gy, the increase in NF-kappa B binding activity was maximal at 2-4 h and
      then declined to pretreatment levels. The results also demonstrate that ionizing
      radiation transiently increases NF-kappa B mRNA levels. However, the finding that
      induction of NF-kappa B binding to DNA occurs in the presence of cycloheximide
      indicates that ionizing radiation activates preexisting NF-kappa B protein. NF
      kappa B exists as a cytoplasmic protein before activation. Thus, our results
      suggest that ionizing radiation induces transduction pathways which include
      cytoplasmic signaling events.

PMID- 1864979
TI  - Interleukin-6 antisense oligonucleotides inhibit the growth of human myeloma cell
      lines.
AB  - IL-6 has been shown to be a plasmacytoma growth factor in mice and is believed to
      play a key role in the development of human multiple myeloma. We investigated the
      IL-6 requirements for the growth of two human myeloma cell lines, U 266 and RPMI
      8226. These cell lines secreted minute amounts of IL-6 (20 U/ml) and featured IL
      6 mRNA. IL-6 receptors were detectable at the surface of malignant cells by
      immunofluorescence. Antibodies to IL-6 did not alter the proliferation of these
      myeloma cells. There was a dose-dependent decrease, however, in [3H]-thymidine
      uptake in the presence of IL-6 antisense (and not sense) oligodeoxynucleotides;
      in the presence of 20 microM IL-6 antisense, an 80 and 95% inhibition of the
      proliferation of U 266 and RPMI 8226 cells was observed, respectively. These
      results provide strong evidence for an IL-6 autocrine proliferation of myeloma
      cells which may occur via internal interaction between IL-6 and the IL-6
      receptor.

PMID- 1864980
TI  - Truncated forms of DNA-binding estrogen receptors in human breast cancer.
AB  - The likelihood a breast cancer will respond to antiestrogen therapy depends on
      the tumor content of immunoreactive or ligand-binding estrogen receptor (ER). To
      investigate the failure of many ER-positive breast cancers to respond to
      antiestrogen therapy, we examined by gel-shift assay the ability of tumor ER to
      bind its cognate estrogen response element (ERE). Analysis of 38 primary breast
      cancers showed that some tumors containing abundant immunoreactive ER failed to
      demonstrate DNA binding ER. In many other ER-positive tumors, the fraction of DNA
      binding ER was low and consisted primarily of truncated receptor forms, which on
      Western analysis were revealed to be 50 kD homodimers and 67-50 kD ER
      heterodimers. The use of protease inhibitors during tumor extraction and the
      demonstration of nuclear-localizing ER and ERE-binding COUP (chicken ovalbumin
      upstream promoter) protein in these tumors indicated that the truncated forms of
      ER were likely present in vivo. The presence of intact DNA binding ER correlated
      with higher tumor content of immunoreactive sex steroid receptors (ER and/or PR),
      standard predictors of tumor responsiveness to antiestrogen, suggesting that loss
      or truncation of DNA binding ER may be an important prognostic parameter
      accounting for some forms of clinical resistance to antiestrogen therapy.

PMID- 1864981
TI  - Recapitulation of normal and abnormal BB rat immune system development in scid
      mouse/rat lymphohemopoietic chimeras.
AB  - Mice homozygous for the mutation "severe combined immune deficiency" (C.B17
      scid/scid) lack functional T and B lymphocytes and readily accept tumor
      xenografts. Partial lymphohemopoietic scid/human and mouse/rat chimeras have been
      described, but complete chimerization with thymic engraftment and generation of
      donor-origin thymocytes has not been achieved. We now report that low-dose
      irradiation permits the engraftment of BB rat fetal liver stem cells in scid
      recipients. We observed that BB rat fetal liver cells injected into irradiated
      scid mice establish a rat hemopoietic system in the scid mouse bone marrow and
      populate the scid mouse thymus. These stem cells generated rat-origin thymocytes
      that migrated to the scid mouse spleen, a peripheral lymphoid organ. Finally, we
      found that xenogeneic chimeras created using fetal liver cells from the abnormal
      (lymphopenic, diabetes prone) subline of BB rats recapitulated both the
      quantitative and phenotypic abnormalities of the donor rat. Xenogeneic
      lymphohemopoietic chimeras established in scid mice may provide a powerful new
      tool in the study of immune system development and autoimmunity.

PMID- 1864982
TI  - Macrophages, microglial cells, and HLA-DR antigens in fetal and infant brain.
AB  - Immunohistochemical reactions for macrophages, microglia, and HLA-DR antigens
      were tested on frozen sections of necropsy brain tissue from 20 fetuses and
      infants ranging in age from 18 weeks' gestation to 8 months post term. No primary
      central nervous system disease was present but there were four cases of sudden
      infant death syndrome (SIDS). Macrophages were detected in all the samples
      studied and were located in the germinal matrix zone, in perivascular spaces
      throughout the brain, and in the leptomeninges and subependymal layer. Well
      differentiated microglia were present in all cases examined after 35 weeks'
      gestation and less well ramified forms were seen at earlier stages of gestation.
      HLA-DR antigens were detected on a small number of macrophages, chiefly in a
      perivascular location, in all but three cases. The fewest reactive cells and the
      weakest reactions occurred in the youngest fetuses. One case of SIDS showed
      increased foci of microglia in perivascular white matter: this case and one other
      case of SIDS were the only cases with well ramified microglia that expressed HLA
      DR antigens. These findings may be relevant to an understanding of local immune
      responses in fetal brain infections, including human immunodeficiency virus
      infection.

PMID- 1864983
TI  - Class I and class II major histocompatibility complex antigens on hepatocytes:
      importance of the method of detection and expression in histologically normal and
      diseased livers.
AB  - Methodological differences in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen
      detection were investigated on isolated, viable hepatocytes and cryostat hepatic
      sections from 27 children with liver disorders, six of whom had normal histology.
      Class I antigens were constantly found on sections using a three step
      immunoperoxidase technique after acetone/chloroform fixation, other techniques
      being less sensitive, or on isolated hepatocytes by indirect immunofluorescence
      alone. With mechanical isolation the percentage of positivity ranged from 85 to
      100%, while with collagenase isolation it ranged from 22 to 49% on immediate
      testing, and from 53 to 80% after 24 hour incubation. Class II antigens were only
      detected in one patient with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and two with
      primary sclerosing cholangitis. Flow cytofluorimetric analysis in 11 cases
      confirmed class II or class I positivity, or both, on isolated hepatocytes,
      allowing MHC antigen expression on hepatocytes to be measured. Class I and II
      antigen detection on hepatocytes is influenced by the technique used. Although
      class I antigens are invariably expressed on hepatocytes, class II antigens are
      only found on hepatocytes from patients with immune mediated liver disorders.

PMID- 1864984
TI  - Comparison of a modified thiazole orange technique with a fully automated
      analyser for reticulocyte counting.
AB  - Two independent methods for quantitating reticulocyte counts were compared. One
      used a modified thiazole orange technique and a flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson
      FACS); the other was a fully automated whole blood analyser (Sysmex R1000). Both
      methods gave comparable results with a coefficient of variation of less than 5%.
      Samples measured using the R1000 showed a negligible decrease in the reticulocyte
      count over five days at room temperature, although there was evidence of
      continuing intracellular maturation: with thiazole orange there was an apparent
      increase. A practical reference range of 20-70 x 10(9)/l was established from 89
      normal subjects. The close correlation between the two independent estimates
      indicates the validity of the quantitation of the reticulocyte count and shows
      that automation allows significant changes within and below the normal range to
      be detected with a degree of reliability which was not previously possible.

PMID- 1864986
TI  - Distribution of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in tissues.
AB  - Extracts of human tissue were analysed for plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI
      1) antigen and activity. PAI-1 was localised in tissues by an immunochemical
      method, using monoclonal antibodies. PAI-1 occurred throughout the body; its
      concentration and activity differed considerably from organ to organ. Extracts of
      liver and spleen had the greatest abundance of PAI-1, but the activity of the
      inhibitor was much higher in liver than in spleen: the liver may be a source of
      plasma PAI-1. Immunochemical staining for PAI-1 was observed in endothelium,
      platelets and their precursor cells, the megakaryocytes, and locations central to
      the process of haemostasis. PAI-1 also occurred in neutrophil polymorphs and
      macrophages, cells important in inflammatory and immune processes, but not in
      lymphocytes. Other cell types, in particular, vascular smooth muscle cells and
      mesangial cells, also stained positively for PAI-1 and such cells seem to
      represent an important reservoir of PAI-1.

PMID- 1864985
TI  - Globin chain synthesis in myelodysplastic syndromes.
AB  - Globin chain synthesis was studied in the reticulocytes of 30 patients with
      various myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to determine the alpha:beta globin chain
      synthetic ratio and its probable prognostic value. The mean (SD) value of the
      total alpha:beta ratio was 0.82 (0.45) ranging from 0.05 to 1.73. The same ratio
      in 10 normal controls was 1.01 (0.04). This difference was significant.
      Furthermore, the alpha:beta ratios were lower than normal in 14 patients (alpha
      thalassaemia-like) (group I), almost within normal limits in 11 (group II), and
      higher than normal in five (beta-thalassaemia-like) (group III). In each group
      almost all the FAB subtypes were represented. The addition of exogenous haem in
      several of the test samples resulted in a slight to pronounced increase in the
      alpha:beta ratios, particularly in group I. In 92% of the high risk cases
      (refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB), chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia
      (CMML] or 87.5% of patients who finally developed acute non-lyphoid leukaemia
      (ANLL) low or normal alpha:beta ratios were found. No significant correlation was
      noticed between alpha:beta ratios and various haematological variables or
      survival. It is concluded that in MDS the alpha:beta ratio varied enormously
      across the entire population of patients, as well as within each FAB subtype,
      thereby restricting its prognostic value. Although haem deficiency may be
      implicated in some cases of MDS, why this should be remains unclear.

PMID- 1864987
TI  - Comparison of image analysis and flow cytometric determination of cellular DNA
      content.
AB  - A good correlation (r = 0.94) was obtained between the DNA indices (DI) using
      flow cytometry and image analysis of nuclei cytospins extracted from paraffin wax
      embedded tumour sections. Some of the limitations and problems associated with
      image analysis which came to light included an unacceptably high coefficient of
      variation (CV) and a "left-shift" in the DI in most DNA histograms obtained when
      using image analysis of 5 microns sections. In contrast, the DNA histograms
      generated using image analysis of cytospun nuclei from paraffin wax blocks were
      of good quality and similar to those obtained using flow cytometry. Variability
      in Feulgen staining was common and an important source of error despite rigorous
      control of the staining technique. This could be overcome by using internal
      controls such as fibroblasts rather than external controls (rat hepatocytes) to
      determine the diploid DI with image analysis. A thorough understanding and
      appreciation of the methodological problems associated with image analysis and
      flow cytometric determination of DNA content is required before these methods
      find widespread clinical application.

PMID- 1864988
TI  - Harnessing of urease activity of Helicobacter pylori to induce self-destruction
      of the bacterium.
AB  - Eradication of Helicobacter pylori with currently available antibacterial agents
      is unsatisfactory due to the risk of side-effects and the emergence of
      resistance. The organism rapidly dies in vitro in the presence of urea at pH 6.
      When incubated in citrate buffer (pH 6) plus urea (10 mM) the five minute
      survival was 26% compared with 96% without urea and the survival progressively
      decreased with increasing urea concentrations, being only 9% in 50 mM urea. The
      bactericidal effect depended on pH as the organism survived in citrate buffer (pH
      7) plus urea (50 mM). The death of the organism at pH 6 in the presence of urea
      was prevented by the addition of the competitive urease inhibitor hydroxyurea.
      These findings indicate that destruction of the organism is mediated by its
      exceptionally high urease activity. Harnessing this enzyme to induce self
      destruction could provide a new approach to eradicating this common infection.

PMID- 1864989
TI  - Incidence of penicillin tolerance among blood culture isolates of Streptococcus
      sanguis, 1987-88.
AB  - Laboratories that reported isolations of Streptococcus sanguis from blood
      cultures to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) Colindale were
      requested to submit strains to Bath Public Health Laboratory to allow the
      prevalence of penicillin tolerance within different biotypes of this species to
      be studied. One hundred and fifty one Streptococcus spp were received from 78
      United Kingdom laboratories in one year. Strains were identified using the API 20
      Strep, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin were determined
      using the spiral gradient plate method. Penicillin tolerance was detected by
      spraying beta-lactamase over inoculated gradient plates, reincubating for 48
      hours and counting the number of surviving organisms represented by colonies.
      There were 57 different API identification profiles encountered in the survey.
      Most S sanguis I/1 strains were penicillin tolerant, most S sanguis II strains
      were non-tolerant. The overall geometric mean MIC of penicillin was considerably
      lower for S sanguis I/1 than for all other biotypes. The distribution of biotypes
      and the geometric mean MIC of penicillin for each biotype were not significantly
      different for infective endocarditis strains than for all strains tested,
      suggesting little or no association between penicillin tolerance and the seeding
      of endocardium. When the reactions obtained using API 20 Strep were compared with
      a recent taxonomic study of viridans streptococci, 22 of 38 S sanguis I/1 strains
      could be reclassified as S gordonii; all these strains were penicillin tolerant.
      Such reclassification would allow likely penicillin tolerant strains to be
      predicted.

PMID- 1864990
TI  - What's in a burger?
AB  - In an attempt to confirm the presence or absence of central nervous tissue in
      commercially prepared beefburgers, four burgers were processed and stained using
      routine histological laboratory techniques. Constituent parts of the burgers
      could be identified readily. In this small sample no central nervous tissue was
      found. There is currently considerable general interest in the contents of
      foodstuffs, particularly now that certain specified bovine offals as well as
      central nervous tissue have been banned from human consumption. Conventional
      histological techniques may be of value in analysing the ingredients of beef
      products.

PMID- 1864991
TI  - The need for primary quality control of commercially available immunoassay kits.
AB  - Discrepancies among three commercially available luteinising hormone (LH)
      radioimmunoassay RIA kits, all calibrated against the second-IRP-HMG (World
      Health Organisation International Laboratory for Biological Standards), were
      observed. Even though the Japan Radioisotope Association carries out external
      quality control in Japan every year, inaccuracies still exist. This problem also
      exists elsewhere, and it is proposed that a global monitoring system of primary
      quality control (PQC) should be introduced by a body such as the World Health
      Organisation.

PMID- 1864992
TI  - Helicobacter pylori serology using specimens collected on filter paper.
AB  - A simple method for the collection of blood specimens on filter paper for
      serology of Helicobacter pylori was devised. Blood was freshly applied to small
      Whatman 3 mm filter paper and allowed to dry. Serological activity, as measured
      by reactivity to H pylori antigens (AMRAD, Australia), was retained after storage
      for one month at both room temperature and at 4 degrees C. This technique
      eliminates formal venepuncture, separation of sera, and arduous packaging of
      specimens to be sent to the laboratory.

PMID- 1864993
TI  - Examination of spinal cord in diseases of the craniocervical junction and high
      cervical spine.
AB  - A simple necropsy technique for the removal of the craniocervical junction was
      devised: a relatively small specimen comprising part of the clivus, the foramen
      magnum, and cervical vertebral canal is removed in one piece with the medulla and
      spinal cord inside, and examined systematically after fixation. This method, used
      in a series of patients with chronic craniocervical instability, allows both good
      clinicopathological correlations to be made and histological changes in the lower
      medulla or upper cervical cord segments to be related to sites of extrinsic
      compression.

PMID- 1864994
TI  - Royal College of Pathologists' accreditation pilot study: a year later. The
      College Audit Steering Committee.
AB  - Twenty one heads of departments who participated in the Royal College of
      Pathologists' pilot study of laboratory accreditation were questioned a year
      after the event to discover if the process had produced any lasting effect. All
      but one responded. Eighteen (90%) felt that there had been lasting and tangible
      benefit from their inspection. Of 10 departments with deficiencies relating to
      resources (and where no plans to upgrade existed before the study), five (50%)
      had obtained improvements as a direct result of the inspector's report. Overall,
      16 (80%) of respondents were in support of the development of an accreditation
      scheme of the type attempted, and none were opposed. The envisaged scheme seems
      to have the potential to produce lasting improvements in service and commands the
      support of the departments involved so far.

PMID- 1864995
TI  - Modification of the alcian blue method for marking breast biopsy specimens.

PMID- 1864996
TI  - Immunoalkaline phosphatase technique in renal pathology.

PMID- 1864997
TI  - Laboratory handling of impalpable breast lesions: a review.

PMID- 1864998
TI  - Early clinical pathologists: 3. Sidney Campbell Dyke.

PMID- 1864999
TI  - Localization of NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurons in sensory ganglia of the
      rat.
AB  - The presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)
      diaphorase activity was studied histochemically in the sensory ganglia of the
      rat. Supraspinally, the trigeminal ganglion possessed only a few cells positively
      stained for NADPH-diaphorase, while a large number of positive neurons was found
      in the nodose ganglion. In the dorsal root ganglia, the distribution of positive
      cells showed a peculiar pattern in relation to spinal levels. Very minor
      populations (less than 2% of the total ganglionic cells) exhibited positive
      reaction in ganglia at levels ranging from the first cervical (C1) to fourth
      thoracic (T4) and from the second lumber (L2) through the entire sacral levels.
      In the middle to lower thoracic levels (from T5 to L1), however, abundant
      diaphorase-positive cells were observed. From these positive neurons it was
      possible to trace intensely stained nerve fibers. In the lower thoracic level,
      for example, dense positive fibers were seen in the ramus communicans. Retrograde
      tracing studies revealed that diaphorase-containing neurons in the lower thoracic
      level project at least partly to the gastric wall and the celiac ganglion. These
      results indicate that the diaphorase-positive ganglionic neurons in the
      thoracicolumbar levels may carry autonomic visceral afferent information. Double
      staining with NADPH-diaphorase histochemistry and peptide immunohistochemistry
      revealed that NADPH-diaphorase colocalizes with calcitonin gene-related peptide
      and substance P in many of these visceral afferent neurons.

PMID- 1865000
TI  - Neurofilament antibodies and spiral ganglion neurons of the mammalian cochlea.
AB  - The spiral ganglia of the cat, gerbil, mouse, rat, and human were
      immunohistochemically stained with various monoclonal neurofilament antibodies.
      Three antibodies to the 200-kD neurofilament protein (R-3, Drager et al., '84;
      ICN anti-200, clone NE14, Debus et al., '83; RT-97, Wood and Anderton, '81)
      labeled the somata of type II spiral ganglion neurons but not those of type I
      ganglion neurons. In the extreme base of the cochlea of cats, mice and rats,
      there was intense labeling of a few (less than 0.5% of the total ganglion
      population) large neurons resembling type I ganglion neurons. Several other
      neurofilament antibodies (Amersham anti-68, Amersham and ICN anti-160, and SMI
      32) did not specifically label type II ganglion neurons but instead labeled all
      neurons of the spiral ganglion. These two patterns of labeling prompted us to
      investigate the cause for this difference. Because antibodies against the 200-kD
      neurofilament protein preferentially labeled type II neurons and because 200-kD
      neurofilament is highly phosphorylated, we treated cochlear tissue with alkaline
      phosphatase in order to remove phosphate groups. This treatment eliminated the
      intense labeling of type II neurons with R-3, ICN anti-200, and RT-97, but had no
      effect on the intense labeling of ganglion cell bodies observed with the other
      neurofilament antibodies tested. This evidence suggests that labeling occurs
      because of the cytoplasmic presence of phosphorylated 200-kD neurofilament
      protein in type II ganglion neurons. Populations of neurons may thus differ in
      their neurofilament epitopes and monoclonal antibodies can be used to mark such
      differences.

PMID- 1865001
TI  - Axonal regeneration in the adult lamprey spinal cord.
AB  - Larval sea lampreys recover from complete spinal transection by a process
      involving directionally specific axonal regeneration. In order to determine
      whether this is also true of adults, 14 adult lampreys were transected at the
      level of the 5th gill and allowed to recover for 10 weeks. Muller and Mauthner
      cells and their giant reticulospinal axons (GRAs) were impaled with
      microelectrodes and injected with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The tissue was
      processed for HRP histochemistry and wholemounts of brain and spinal cord were
      prepared. All animals recovered coordinated swimming; 61 of 121 (50%) neurites
      emanating from 30 axons regenerated caudal to the scar into the distal stump. Of
      the neurites which had grown beyond the scar, 92% were correctly oriented, i.e.,
      caudalward and ipsilateral to the parent axon. Retransection in two additional
      animals eliminated the recovered swimming. Thus, behavioral recovery in adult sea
      lampreys is accompanied by directionally specific axonal regeneration.

PMID- 1865002
TI  - SCPB-and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities in lobster neurons: colocalization of
      distinct peptides or colabeling of the same peptide(s)?
AB  - Virtually all of the SCPB-like immunoreactive neurons (ca. 60 cells) in the
      lobster Homarus americanus also contain FMRFamide-like immunoreactivity. Control
      experiments reveal that SCPB-and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities are
      successfully preadsorbed with their specific antigens, while the normal staining
      pattern is retained following preadsorption of each antibody with the alternate
      peptide. These experiments potentially lead to the conclusion that the anti-SCPB
      and anti-FMRFamide antibodies are labeling distinct compounds that are
      colocalized in lobster neurons. The lobster nervous system does not, however,
      contain authentic FMRFamide, but rather several FMRFamide-like compounds (Trimmer
      et al., J. Comp. Neurol. 266:16-26, 1987). The most abundant of these is the
      octapeptide TNRNFLRFamide. Experiments demonstrate that SCPB-like
      immunoreactivity is completely preadsorbed with synthetic TNRNFLRFamide, while
      there is a significant or complete loss of staining after preadsorption of the
      FMRFamide antibody with this molecule. Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe-amide
      (YGGFMRFamide), an extended opioid peptide containing the FMRFamide sequence,
      also preadsorbs SCPB- and FMRFamide-like immunoreactivities, while Met-enkephalin
      Arg-Phe (YGGFMRF) has no effect on the staining properties of these antibodies.
      These results suggest that the SCPB antibody can bind to extended forms of
      FMRFamide-like molecules, and that anti-SCPB and anti-FMRFamide antibodies may be
      colabeling one or more FMRFamide-like molecules in lobster neurons.

PMID- 1865003
TI  - Nerve growth factor mRNA-containing cells are distributed within regions of
      cholinergic neurons in the rat basal forebrain.
AB  - It has been proposed that nerve growth factor (NGF) provides critical trophic
      support for the cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain and that it becomes
      available to these neurons by retrograde transport from distant forebrain
      targets. However, neurochemical studies have detected low levels of NGF mRNA
      within basal forebrain areas of normal and experimental animals, thus suggesting
      that some NGF synthesis may actually occur within the region of the responsive
      cholinergic cells. In the present study with in situ hybridization and
      immunohistochemical techniques, the distribution of cells containing NGF mRNA
      within basal forebrain was compared with the distribution of cholinergic
      perikarya. The localization o NGF mRNA was examined by using a 35S-labeled RNA
      probe complementary to rat preproNGF mRNA and emulsion autoradiography.
      Hybridization of the NGF cRNA labeled a large number of cells within the anterior
      olfactory nucleus and the piriform cortex as well as neurons in a continuous zone
      spanning the lateral aspects of both the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of
      Broca and the magnocellular preoptic nucleus. In the latter regions, large
      autoradiographic grain clusters labeled relatively large Nissl-pale nuclei; it
      did not appear that glial cells were autoradiographically labeled. Comparison of
      adjacent tissue sections processed for in situ hybridization to NGF mRNA and
      immunohistochemical localization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) demonstrated
      overlapping fields of cRNA-labeled neurons and ChAT immunoreactive perikarya in
      both the horizontal limb of the diagonal band and magnocellular preoptic regions.
      However, no hybridization of the cRNA probe was observed in other principal
      cholinergic regions including the medial septum, the vertical limb of the
      diagonal band, or the nucleus basalis of Meynert.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865004
TI  - Organization of nucleoli and nuclear bodies in osmotically stimulated supraoptic
      neurons of the rat.
AB  - This study has analyzed variations in the number of nucleoli and nuclear bodies,
      as well as in their ultrastructural and cytochemical organization, after the
      osmotically induced activation of supraoptic nucleus (SON) neurons of the rat.
      The number of nucleoli and nuclear bodies and also the nucleolar size were
      determined on smear preparations of previously block-impregnated SON. The mean
      number of nucleoli per cell was 1.35 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SDM) in control rats. No
      significant variations in this value were registered either in dehydrated or
      rehydrated rats. The mean nucleolar volume and the total nucleolar volume per
      cell showed a significant increase in dehydrated rats with respect to the
      controls, whereas these two parameters tended to return to control values in rats
      rehydrated after dehydration. The mean number of nuclear bodies per cell
      increased significantly from 0.56 +/- 0.50 (mean +/- SDM) in control rats to 1.54
      +/- 1.1 after 6 days of dehydration. By electron microscopy, SON neurons
      displayed a reticulated nucleolar configuration. After the osmotically induced
      neuronal activation, there was an increase in the proportion of the total
      nucleolar area occupied by the granular component, and also a reduction in the
      mean fibrillar-center area. The most characteristic nucleolar features in
      rehydrated rats were the tendency for the granular component to be segregated and
      the occurrence of intranucleolar vacuoles. Ultrastructural cytochemistry with a
      specific silver method revealed a selective silver reaction on the coiled threads
      of the nuclear bodies--identified as "coiled bodies"--and on the nucleolar
      fibrillar components in all animal groups studied. Since nucleoli play a major
      role in ribosome biogenesis, a relationship between these nucleolar changes and
      the level of cellular activity of SON neurons is proposed. Furthermore, the
      response of nuclear "coiled bodies" to neuronal activation suggests their
      participation in the processing and transport of rRNA precursors.

PMID- 1865005
TI  - Mapping of glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactivity in the rat forebrain
      and mesencephalon by computerized image analysis.
AB  - Computer-assisted image analysis was used to map the regional distribution of
      glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive (GFAP-IR) astrocytes in the rat
      forebrain and mesencephalon. A complete survey of packing densities of GFAP-IR
      structures was performed. Computer maps revealed high values in the outer and
      inner layers of the cortex, some hippocampal and olfactory bulb layers,
      prepiriform cortex, dorsal part of the caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, lateral
      septum, reticular thalamic nucleus, lateral habenular nucleus, circumventricular
      organs, nuclei of the medial hypothalamus, substantia nigra, interpeduncular
      nucleus, and mamillary body. These correspond to regions of the embryonic pial
      and ventricular brain surfaces, which undergo developmental alterations including
      growth and various forms of internalization. From this we conclude that in the
      adult brain, astrocytes of high GFAP-IR are derivatives of surface-contact glia,
      whereas those located in areas having developed by the local thickening of the
      neural tube wall show reduced or no GFAP-IR.

PMID- 1865006
TI  - Rod and cone specific domains in the interphotoreceptor matrix.
AB  - The insoluble matrix domain of the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) from normal
      dog, cat, and mouse retinae were characterized using lectin cytochemistry. The
      lectins WGA (wheat germ agglutinin) and PNA (peanut agglutinin) were used to
      label interphotoreceptor matrix microdomains in cryosections of retinal tissue
      and in extracted insoluble matrix. Retinal cryosections and extracted matrix were
      examined by epifluorescence microscopy and scanning confocal laser microscopy,
      the latter allowed for the removal of all background fluorescence and gave
      increased resolution. The insoluble matrix was extracted as a continuous sheet
      that was comprised of two photoreceptor-specific matrix domains distinguished
      both by the size of the domains, and by differential binding of WGA and PNA
      lectins. Each domain encloses a photoreceptor inner and outer segment. Individual
      rod-associated domains were connected into a hexagonal lattice and this pattern
      was regularly interrupted by the larger cone-associated domains which have 8-10
      surrounding rod domains. The PNA lectin primarily labeled the cone-associated
      matrix with faint binding to the rod matrix; the WGA lectin labeled both the rod-
      and cone-associated matrix.

PMID- 1865008
TI  - Histochemical demonstration of zinc in the hippocampal region of the domestic
      pig: III. The dentate area.
AB  - The distribution of zinc was described in the dentate area, a part of the
      hippocampal region, of the domestic pig. A modification of Timm's sulphide silver
      procedure, the Neo-Timm method, was used for the histochemical demonstration of
      zinc. The staining of the dentate area exhibited a well-defined stratified
      pattern, the predominant part of the staining being restricted to the neuropil,
      although weakly stained nerve cell bodies were observed in the hilus fasciae
      dentatae. In the molecular layer, three distinct sublaminae were seen at most
      septotemporal levels. The outer and inner sublaminae displayed medium staining
      intensity, whereas the intermediate sublamina appeared extremely pale. The
      granular cell layer was well stained in its superficial two thirds, because of
      dense masses of staining occupying the interstices between the unstained granular
      cells. In the hilus fasciae dentatae, extreme differences in staining intensity
      were seen between the layers, ranging from very intense staining of the outer
      hilar cell layer to generally weak staining of the inner plexiform layer. The
      distribution of zinc in the pig was compared with that in the guinea pig and rat,
      described previously. The staining pattern of the molecular layer showed striking
      species differences, whereas the granular cell layer appeared very near
      identical. The stratified staining pattern seen in the hilus of the pig is very
      similar to the distribution observed in the guinea pig, but differs from the
      essentially homogeneous staining of the rat hilus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865007
TI  - Calcium-binding protein (calbindin-D28K) and parvalbumin immunocytochemistry in
      the normal and epileptic human hippocampus.
AB  - The calcium-binding proteins calbindin-D28K (CaBP) and parvalbumin (PV) were
      localized in the "normal" and "epileptic" human hippocampus to address the
      possible relationship between the expression of these constitutive cytosolic
      calcium-binding proteins and the resistance or selective vulnerability of
      different hippocampal neuron populations in temporal lobe epilepsy. Compared to
      rodents and a baboon (Papio papio), the pattern of CaBP-like immunoreactivity
      (LI) in the "normal" human hippocampus is unique. CaBP-LI is present in the
      dentate granule cells, neurons of the "resistant zone" (area CA2), and presumed
      interneurons of all regions. Unlike rodent and baboon CA1 pyramidal cells, human
      CA1 pyramidal cells appear to be devoid of CaBP-LI. Thus, the relatively
      resistant dentate granule cells and CA2 pyramidal cells are the only human
      hippocampal principal cells that contain CaBP-LI normally. As in lower mammals,
      PV-LI is present exclusively in interneurons of all human hippocampal subregions.
      CaBP- and PV-LI were localized in hippocampi surgically removed in the treatment
      of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy to determine whether surviving hippocampal
      cells were those that express these calcium-binding proteins. Hippocampi removed
      from patients with tumors or arteriovenous malformations that were associated
      with complex partial seizures arising from this region appeared relatively normal
      histologically. CaBP- and PV-LI in this patient group appeared similar to that
      seen in autopsy controls. Conversely, "cryptogenic" epileptics, who exhibit
      hippocampal sclerosis as the only lesion associated with the epilepsy, exhibited
      a preferential survival of hippocampal cells that were CaBP- or PV
      immunoreactive. In the dentate hilus, which normally contains few CaBP-LI
      neurons, most of the few surviving hilar neurons were CaBP-immunoreactive. Their
      number and darkness of staining suggests that CaBP synthesis may be increased in
      cells that survive. Despite an obvious decrease of PV-LI specifically in the
      damaged parts of the sclerotic hippocampi, PV-immunoreactive interneurons were
      often among the few surviving cells. Nevertheless, large expanses of the
      surviving granule cell layer appeared to have lost the PV-immunoreactive
      axosomatic fiber plexus. These results reveal a unique and striking correlation
      between the human hippocampal cells that normally express these calcium-binding
      proteins and those that survive in the sclerotic epileptic hippocampus.

PMID- 1865009
TI  - Central projections of cervical primary afferent fibers in the guinea pig: an HRP
      and WGA/HRP tracer study.
AB  - The central course and the projections of the first and the second cervical
      dorsal root ganglia and of suboccipital muscle primary afferent fibers in the
      guinea pig were studied by means of anterograde transport of wheat germ
      agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA/HRP) or aqueous solution of
      horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Injections of WGA/HRP into the second cervical
      dorsal root ganglion produced labeling in the dorsal and ventral horns. Within
      the spinal cord, the largest amount of HRP reaction product was found within the
      lateral third of the substantia gelatinosa and within the central cervical
      nucleus. The main area of termination in the medulla was the external cuneate
      nucleus. However, HRP reaction product was also found within the medial and
      inferior vestibular nuclei, cell group x, the perihypoglossal nuclei, the nucleus
      of the solitary tract, and the nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract. Descending
      fibers could be detected as caudal as spinal segment T5. Injections of WGA/HRP
      into the first cervical dorsal root ganglion produced heavy terminal label within
      the central cervical nucleus but not within the substantia gelatinosa. Again, the
      external cuneate nucleus was the main area of termination within the medulla.
      Label could not be observed within the vestibular nuclear complex or within the
      spinal trigeminal nucleus. Injections of aqueous HRP into the suboccipital
      muscles produced heavy transganglionic label within the central cervical nucleus,
      whereas the substantia gelatinosa totally lacked terminal label. Ascending
      proprioceptive fibers reached the external cuneate nucleus and group x. Scanty
      projections could be detected within the vestibular nuclei as well as within the
      perihypoglossal nuclei except for the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi. Label was
      absent in the spinal trigeminal nucleus.

PMID- 1865010
TI  - Patterns of sensory intermodality relationships in the cerebral cortex of the
      rat.
AB  - Patterns of connections underlying cross-modality integration were studied by
      injecting distinguishable, retrograde tracers (Fluoro-Gold and diamidino yellow)
      in pairwise manner into different sensory representations (visual, somatosensory,
      and auditory) in the cerebral cortex of the rat. In agreement with previous
      single tracer studies, our results indicate that the central core of sensory
      areas receives projections mainly from a set of association areas located in a
      ringlike fashion along the margin of the cortical mantle. The visual cortex
      received projections from areas 48/49, area 29d, posterior agranular medial
      cortex (AGm), area 11, area 13, and area 35. All these areas were also connected
      to the auditory cortex with the exception of areas 29d and AGm. However, lateral
      to area 29d and posterior AGm, a band of neurons projecting to the auditory
      cortex was present. Somatosensory cortex was connected mainly with the more
      anterior aspect of the hemisphere, which included primary motor area, area 11,
      and area 13. The patterns of intermodality relationships revealed in the present
      study were of two main categories. In the anterior and lateral areas, an
      intermingling of cells projecting to different sensory modalities was observed.
      In contrast, in areas located along the medial aspect of the hemisphere, cells
      connected to different sensory modality representations tended to be segregated
      from each other. Postsubicular cortex (areas 48/49) contained both intermingled
      and segregated groups of cells. The incidence of clearly identified double
      labeled cells concurrently projecting to two different sensory representations
      was extremely rare. These patterns may form a substrate for different levels of
      cross-modal sensory integration in the rat cortex.

PMID- 1865011
TI  - Cortical areas in the medial frontal lobe of the cat delineated by quantitative
      analysis of thalamic afferents.
AB  - The aim of these experiments was to establish the number and location of
      connectionally distinct areas in the medial frontal lobe of the cat. Thirty
      deposits of distinguishable retrograde tracers were placed at restricted sites
      spanning the medial frontal lobe in 16 cats. Following each deposit, the number
      of retrogradely labeled neurons in each of 17 thalamic nuclei was determined.
      Variations of the thalamic labeling pattern dependent on the location of the
      cortical tracer deposit were then analyzed by a quantitative procedure. The
      results indicate that the medial frontal lobe contains three fundamental
      divisions: the anterior cingulate area, medial area 6, and the medial prefrontal
      district. The anterior cingulate area derives its strongest thalamic input from
      the anteriomedial nucleus. Medial area 6 is the target of afferents originating
      in a dorsolateral sector of the mediodorsal nucleus and in the ventroanterior
      nucleus. Medial prefrontal cortex is heavily innervated by pathways originating
      in the core of the mediodorsal nucleus and in the principal ventromedial nucleus.
      Within each major district, thalamic connectional patterns exhibit graded
      regional variation, with the result that, whereas the connections of the district
      are not uniform, it is difficult to define further discrete subdivisions. We
      discuss these results in relation to previously proposed schemes for
      paracellation of the cat's medial frontal lobe and conclude that the infralimbic
      and prelimbic areas (areas 25 and 32) of previous systems are best understood not
      as discrete areas but as ventral and intermediate sectors of a continuous medial
      prefrontal domain.

PMID- 1865012
TI  - Anatomic evidence of nociceptive inputs to primary somatosensory cortex:
      relationship between spinothalamic terminals and thalamocortical cells in
      squirrel monkeys.
AB  - This study examined anatomic pathways that are likely to transmit noxious and
      thermal cutaneous information to the primary somatosensory cortex. Anterograde
      and retrograde labeling techniques were combined to investigate the relationship
      between spinothalamic (STT) projections and thalamocortical neurons in the
      squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). Large injections of diamidino yellow (DY)
      were placed in the physiologically defined hand region of primary somatosensory
      cortex (hSI), and wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was
      injected in the contralateral cervical enlargement (C5-T1). Both DY-labeled
      neuronal cell bodies and HRP-labeled STT terminal-like structures were visualized
      within single thalamic sections in each animal. Quantitative analysis of the
      positions and numbers of retrogradely labeled neurons and anterogradely labeled
      terminal fields reveal that: 1) ventral posterior lateral (VPL), ventral
      posterior inferior (VPI), and central lateral (CL), combined, receive 87% of
      spinothalamic inputs originating from the cervical enlargement; 2) these three
      nuclei contain over 91% of all thalamocortical neurons projecting to hSI that are
      likely to receive STT input; and 3) these putatively contacted neurons account
      for less than 24% of all thalamic projections to hSI. These results suggest that
      three distinct spinothalamocortical pathways are capable of relaying nociceptive
      information to the hand somatosensory cortex. Moreover, only a small portion of
      thalamocortical neurons are capable of relaying STT-derived nociceptive and
      thermal information to the primary somatosensory cortex.

PMID- 1865013
TI  - Synaptogenesis in the primary visual cortex of the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri).
AB  - The primary visual cortex of the tree shrew is characterized by the lack of
      ocular dominance columns. The two eyes are represented in sublayers of laminae 3
      and 4. In an earlier study using the transneuronal transport we observed that the
      geniculate afferents from the two eyes do not initially overlap and then
      segregate into their appropriate sublaminae. The final distribution pattern can
      already be observed during the early postnatal period. Since segregation and
      elimination of afferent terminal branches do not seem to take place, we wanted to
      investigate whether or not an overproduction of synapses can be observed as in
      several other animals. We examined layers 3B, 3C, 4A, and 4B, which receive
      afferents from the retina via the lateral geniculate nucleus, from P5 to maturity
      by using the electron microscope. The brain tissue was excised in the region
      where the central vision is represented in adult animals. Then we determined the
      density of synapses per 100 microns 2 neuropil for each of the four sublayers at
      the ages P5, P15, P19, P23, P31, and P42 and in the adult animal (AD). In
      determining the neuropil we measured the size of two additional compartments,
      i.e., the compartments consisting of perikarya and of blood vessels. At a higher
      resolution we determined the fraction of Gray type I and type II synapses in each
      sublamina and in each developmental stage. The size of the neuropil increases
      from 57% at P5 to 81% in AD whereas the compartment of perikarya decreases from
      42% to 15% and the compartment of blood vessels increases from 1.3% to 3.9%. The
      synaptic density starts with very low values (3.5/100 microns 2) at P5. Then it
      increases rapidly and attains a maximal rate of increase during the period of
      eyelid opening. After this period the increase is slowed down and approaches the
      adult value (12.5/100 microns 2) slowly. An overproduction of synapses could not
      be observed. The percentage of type I and type II synapses also changes during
      this period. The fraction of type I synapses amounts to 73% at P5 and increases
      to 92% in AD. The increase in density of type I synapses is continuous and does
      not show any sign of overproduction. The density of type II synapses rapidly
      reaches it final value and then remains constant. Possibly there is a slight
      overproduction during the period of eyelid opening.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865014
TI  - Musculotopic organization of the hypoglossal nucleus in the grass frog, Rana
      pipiens.
AB  - Recent neural tracer studies in several mammalian species have demonstrated a
      similar musculotopic organization of the hypoglossal motoneurons which innervate
      individual tongue muscles. The distribution of this musculotopic organization in
      nonmammalian tetrapods, however, has not received detailed investigation. As part
      of an ongoing study on the comparative organization of the vertebrate hypoglossal
      nucleus, the musculotopic organization of the hypoglossal nucleus of Rana pipiens
      was studied by injection of lectin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase into four
      distinct tongue muscles and the geniohyoid muscle. Injections into the hyoglossus
      muscle label neurons in dorsal regions of the hypoglossal nucleus in middle and
      rostral nucleus levels. Injections into the genioglossus basalis muscle label
      neurons in ventral and lateral regions of the hypoglossal nucleus in caudal
      nucleus levels. Injections into the genioglossus medialis muscle label neurons in
      dorsal regions in caudal levels, throughout the nucleus in middle levels, and in
      ventral regions in more rostral levels. Injections into the geniohyoid muscle
      label neurons in the ventral tip of the hypoglossal nucleus and in the
      ventromedial corner of the medullary gray matter in middle and rostral nucleus
      levels. These results demonstrate that the organization of the hypoglossal
      nucleus in Rana pipiens is more complex than previous tracer studies indicated.
      Similarities in the musculotopic organization of the amphibian and mammalian
      hypoglossal nuclei suggest an evolutionary conservatism of the motor system
      controlling tongue movement.

PMID- 1865015
TI  - Reinnervation of cerebellar Purkinje cells by climbing fibres surviving a
      subtotal lesion of the inferior olive in the adult rat. I. Development of new
      collateral branches and terminal plexuses.
AB  - Cerebellar climbing fibres react by collateral sprouting after subtotal lesions
      of the inferior olive, and the newly formed branches are able to reinnervate
      neighbouring denervated Purkinje cells. In the present paper, we used the
      Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) tracing technique to label the
      climbing fibres and study their plasticity in detail at the light microscopical
      level. The specific objectives were to study the time course and morphological
      aspects of their sprouting, to estimate their extent of growth, and to compare
      the newly formed terminal plexuses with normal climbing fibres. Intraperitoneal
      injection of 3-acetylpyridine induced degeneration of the majority of the olivary
      neurones, which terminate as climbing fibres in the cerebellar cortex. Regularly,
      small numbers of neurones survived in the inferior olive. In the cerebellar
      cortex scattered surviving climbing fibres were found, which were devoid of any
      sign of injury. Already 3 days after the lesion, surviving climbing fibres had
      emitted collateral branches, which elongated for some distance through the
      molecular layer and ended with a number of varicosities and very fine branchlets.
      By 7 days, it was possible to recognize new developing arbours which grew in the
      molecular layer with the same orientation as normal climbing fibres. At longer
      survival times, extensive terminal arbours had developed and double labelling
      experiments confirmed that they terminated around the proximal dendrites of
      Purkinje cells. The newly formed terminal plexuses resembled, in all essential
      aspects, normal climbing fibres. In addition, from 1 month onward, it was evident
      that every surviving climbing fibre was able to form several new terminal
      plexuses reinnervating a number of neighbouring Purkinje cells. The result of
      this process was the formation of large clusters of newly formed plexuses around
      the parental arborization. Quantitative estimates indicated that the domain of
      innervation of single surviving climbing fibres could be increased by more than
      six times. It is concluded that climbing fibres surviving a subtotal olivary
      lesion are capable of extensive sprouting, axonal growth, and formation of new
      terminal plexuses, which resemble normal climbing fibres. Previous
      electrophysiological evidence indicates that this reinnervation is functional.
      The high specificity with which sprouting olivary axons reinnervate the proximal
      Purkinje cell dendrites suggests the existence of precise interactions between
      the growing fibres and their target. This example of "homotypic" collateral
      sprouting and reinnervation may thus provide a useful model for the study of
      nerve-target interactions.

PMID- 1865016
TI  - Reinnervation of cerebellar Purkinje cells by climbing fibres surviving a
      subtotal lesion of the inferior olive in the adult rat. II. Synaptic organization
      on reinnervated Purkinje cells.
AB  - A salient feature of the cerebellar Purkinje cells is the highly ordered
      distribution of their excitatory afferents on the dendritic tree. Climbing fibres
      synapse exclusively on the proximal dendrites, whereas parallel fibres articulate
      with the distal branches, the so-called spiny branchlets. This input organization
      is lost following the removal of climbing fibres. Such denervation results in the
      formation of a large number of new spines on the proximal dendrites, and these
      become contacted by sprouting parallel fibres, which thereby extend their domain
      of innervation. We have previously shown that the climbing fibres surviving a
      subtotal lesion of the inferior olive sprout and reinnervate neighbouring
      Purkinje cells. In the present ultrastructural study, we have investigated the
      features of Purkinje cells reinnervated by sprouting climbing fibres. The
      objectives were to examine the fine morphology of the newly formed synapses and
      to determine whether the modifications of Purkinje cell morphology and afferent
      organization are reversed by this reinnervation. Surviving climbing fibres were
      labelled by the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) and
      immunohistochemically visualized by means of the gold-substituted silver
      peroxidase technique, 2 and 6 months after 3-acetylpyridine lesions of the
      inferior olive in adult rats. Sprouting climbing fibres and newly formed
      arborizations were identified in the light microscope, isolated, and cut in
      serial ultrathin sections for electron microscopic analysis. The labelled boutons
      belonging to newly formed terminal plexuses exhibited the typical morphological
      features of climbing fibre terminals, i.e., a high number of round synaptic
      vesicles and a few small mitochondria. Most frequently they formed asymmetric
      synapses on stubby thorns protruding from the proximal Purkinje cell dendrites.
      In some instances, however, the postsynaptic element consisted of long slender
      spines or spines showing an atypical morphology. A number of labelled boutons was
      also in contact with the perikarya of reinnervated Purkinje cells, either
      articulating with spines or synapsing directly on the smooth somatic surface. The
      proximal dendrites of denervated Purkinje cells were characterized by large
      numbers of spines, which were frequently postsynaptic to parallel fibres. By
      contrast, Purkinje cells reinnervated by the sprouting climbing fibres generally
      showed a lower number of spines on their proximal dendrites, indicating a
      reversal of this morphological change. The aberrant parallel fibre input was also
      decreased on reinnervated dendrites or had completely disappeared. Nevertheless,
      some reinnervated Purkinje cells showed the persistence of some parallel fibre
      synapses on their proximal dendrites. On occasion, climbing fibre and parallel
      fibre boutons synapsed on the same spine.

PMID- 1865017
TI  - Inhibition of axonal development after injection of neurofilament antibodies into
      a Xenopus laevis embryo.
AB  - The ability to target specific cytoskeletal components in axons for disruption
      within intact developing embryos would provide a valuable tool for studying
      neuronal development. Neurofilaments are an attractive target for such an
      approach, because they are neuron specific and are expressed late in
      embryogenesis principally beginning during axon outgrowth. No pharmacological
      agents are currently available that disrupt neurofilaments without also affecting
      general development. One approach that has been used successfully to affect
      proteins in vivo is to inject specific antibodies into living cells. We employed
      this approach in Xenopus laevis embryos by injecting two antibodies directed
      against the middle molecular weight neurofilament protein (NF-M) into a single
      blastomere of a two-cell stage embryo. Injected antibodies could be detected for
      as long as 3.5 days in cells descended from the injected blastomere. Only cell
      bodies of neurons descended from anti-NF-M-injected blastomeres contained
      abnormal accumulations of intermediate filament proteins, and peripheral nerve
      development was unilaterally retarded in these neurofilament antibody-injected
      tadpoles. Such accumulations and peripheral nerve defects were not seen in
      neurons derived from uninjected blastomeres or from blastomeres injected with
      control antibodies. These data demonstrate the usefulness of specific antibodies
      to perturb neuronal development in intact frog embryos and, in addition, suggest
      a role for neurofilaments in axon elongation.

PMID- 1865018
TI  - Comparative aspects of the basal ganglia-tectal pathways in reptiles.
AB  - To determine how the basal ganglia in reptiles may influence visuomotor behavior,
      the connections from the basal ganglia to the tectum of the midbrain were studied
      in several species of reptiles. Immunohistochemical studies by means of
      antibodies against Leu-enkephalin (LENK) as well as experimental hodological
      studies with anterograde (PHA-L) and retrograde (HRP, Fluorogold, Cholera toxin)
      tracers were carried out. The results indicate that within the class of Reptilia,
      two different patterns occur: one in which information from the basal ganglia is
      relayed to the tectum via the substantia nigra as well as via a pretectal,
      enkephalinergic cell group, and another one in which only the ventral route, via
      the substantia nigra, is present. The former pattern is found in turtles,
      crocodiles, and the lacertid lizards Podarcis and Gallotia, and the latter
      pattern in the gekkonid lizards Gekko and Eublepharis, in Varanus, and in the
      snakes Python and Thamnophis. The presence or absence of the pretectal relay
      center is reflected in the laminar distribution of LENK immunoreactivity in the
      tectum. The apparent lack of a pretectal relay in nocturnal gekkonids and in
      snakes underlines the hypothesis (Reiner et al., '84: T.I.N.S. 7:320-325) that a
      de-emphasis of visual-basal ganglia mechanisms has occurred during the evolution
      of ancestral reptiles to modern mammals.

PMID- 1865020
TI  - Blood-nerve barrier in the frog during wallerian degeneration: are axons
      necessary for maintenance of barrier function?
AB  - Blood-nerve barrier tissues (endoneurial blood vessels and perineurium) of the
      frog's sciatic nerve were studied during chronic Wallerian degeneration to
      determine whether barrier function depends on the presence of intact axons.
      Sciatic nerves of adult frogs were transected in the abdominal cavity; the ends
      were tied to prevent regeneration and the distal nerve stumps were examined.
      Vascular permeabilities to horseradish peroxidase and to [14C]sucrose increased
      to day 14, returned toward normal levels by 6 weeks, and continued at near normal
      levels to 9 months. Perineurial permeabilities to the tracers increased by day 10
      and remained elevated at 9 months. Proliferation of perineurial, endothelial, and
      mast cells occurred between 3 days and 6 weeks, resulting in an increased
      vascular space (measured with [3H]dextran) and number of vascular profiles. The
      perineurium increased in thickness and the mast cells increased in number. This
      study indicates that during Wallerian degeneration of the frog's sciatic nerve
      there is 1) a transitory increase in vascular permeability distal to the lesion,
      that is related to changes within the endoneurium; 2) an irreversible increase in
      permeability of the perineurium, which begins later than that seen in the
      endoneurial blood vessels; and 3) proliferation of non-neuronal components in the
      absence of regenerating neuronal elements. The results indicate that maintenance
      of vascular integrity does not require the presence of axons in the frog's
      peripheral nerve, whereas perineurial integrity and barrier function are affected
      irreversibly by Wallerian degeneration.

PMID- 1865019
TI  - Cerebellar Purkinje cell markers are expressed in retinal bipolar neurons.
AB  - Previous studies have been directed at the elucidation of neuron-specific gene
      expression in the mammalian central nervous system. In particular, we have
      identified a series of marker molecules that are expressed in cerebellar Purkinje
      cells with varying degrees of specificity. Here, we show by light microscopic
      immunocytochemistry and Northern transfer and hybridization that two of these
      markers, namely, L7 and PEP19, are expressed in the retina of mouse and rabbit,
      while a third marker, cerebellin, is absent. Light and electron microscopic
      immunocytochemistry proves that L7-like immunoreactivity is restricted to rod
      bipolar cells, while PEP 19-like immunoreactivity is distributed in both rod and
      cone bipolars. PEP19 is also expressed by subsets of amacrine and ganglion cells.
      The density of PEP19-positive bipolar cells is greater than that of L7-positive
      bipolar cells, although the density of each is approximately equal in central and
      peripheral portions of the retina. An antiserum to a fourth Purkinje cell marker,
      vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein-28 kD (CaBP), reveals primarily
      axonless horizontal cells, but also subsets of rod bipolar, amacrine, and, in the
      mouse but not in the rabbit, ganglion cells. The processes of immunoreactive cell
      bodies form discrete bands in the internal plexiform layer, and mixtures of the
      antisera help distinguish their identity. Thus, these Purkinje cell markers can
      be used at the electron microscopic level to unravel the extremely complex
      neuropil of this retinal layer. Furthermore, knowledge of the retinal
      distribution of this panel of molecules is of general value for future studies of
      retinal neuronal typology and can serve to map the densities of subsets of
      bipolar cells throughout the retina. The expression of L7 and PEP19 in bipolar
      cells and in Purkinje cells suggests a biochemical relationship between these two
      spatially distant neuronal populations.

PMID- 1865021
TI  - Topographic organization of cortical input to striate cortex in the Cebus monkey:
      a fluorescent tracer study.
AB  - Cortical afferents to area V1 were studied in seven Cebus monkeys by means of
      retrograde fluorescent tracers. Injections were placed in V1, under
      electrophysiological guidance, in the regions of representation of both the upper
      and lower visual quadrants, at eccentricities that ranged from 0.5 to 64 degrees.
      In all cases retrogradely filled neurons were found in retinotopically
      corresponding portions of areas V2 and MT, as defined electrophysiologically
      (Rosa et al: J. Comp. Neurol. 275:326, 1988; Fiorani et al: J Comp Neurol 287:98,
      1989). The results also revealed two other visual zones located anterior to V2
      here named third and fourth visual areas. A topographical organization of the
      connections was observed in these areas, with upper quadrant located ventrally
      and lower quadrant located dorsally. A clear central-peripheral gradient, from
      the lateral to the medial cortical surface, was also observed in these areas.
      Lower field injections revealed crude topographic organization in area DZ and a
      diffuse projecting zone in the annectent gyrus. Peripheral injections in V1
      revealed a clear upper and lower field segregation in areas PO and prostriata as
      well as a complex topography in MST. In addition, another region of labeling
      revealed the presence of an area, the temporal ventral posterior region, with an
      organized topographic representation of the upper field, with a central to
      peripheral gradient, from the lateral to the medial cortical surface. Three
      groups of cortical areas were distinguished according to the laminar distribution
      of neurons labeled from V1. In the first group, which is characterized by dense
      infra- and supragranular labeling, only V2 was included. The second group
      consists of areas V3, MT, and PO. These areas show dense labeling in the
      infragranular layers and occasionally sparse labeling in the supragranular
      layers. Finally, V4 and the other projecting areas, which are characterized by
      exclusive labeling of the infragranular layers were included in the third group.

PMID- 1865022
TI  - The effect of heparin on glomerular coagulation induced in mice by cycloheximide
      and bacterial lipopolysaccharide.
AB  - The glomerular capillary coagulation in mice which follows challenge with
      cycloheximide and a submicrogram dose of endotoxin was shown to become fully
      established between 4 h and 6 h after challenge. Complete protection against the
      renal lesion was achieved by heparin treatment 4 h after challenge. The
      antifibrinolytic agent, tranexamic acid, given 4 h and 6 h after challenge,
      abolished this heparin-induced protection, but had no effect when given 6 h and 8
      h after challenge. These findings suggest that heparin in some way delayed the
      onset of cycloheximide and endotoxin-induced irreversible coagulation in
      glomerular capillaries, and by so doing, allowed the development of local,
      protective, fibrinolytic activity. A relatively brief period of such fibrinolytic
      activity appeared to confer lasting protection against coagulation in glomerular
      capillaries. Appropriately timed treatment with hydrocortisone also abolished the
      heparin-initiated protection, and the evidence suggests that the steroid acts by
      inhibiting the development of local fibrinolytic activity.

PMID- 1865023
TI  - Experimental haemarthrosis in rhesus monkeys: morphometric, biochemical and
      metabolic analyses.
AB  - The effects of a single episode of massive haemarthrosis in rhesus monkeys were
      studied. Autologous whole blood was injected into a femorotibial joint of 16
      anaesthetized monkeys, equally divided into four groups and killed 7 days, 2, 3
      and 6 months post-injection (PI). Synovial membrane and femoral articular
      cartilage were analysed morphometrically and articular cartilage was further
      analysed biochemically and metabolically. At 7 days PI, morphometric evaluation
      revealed a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in synovial membrane
      cellularity and synovial intimal thickness of injected joints versus control
      joints. This change was no longer evident 2 months PI. There was also an overall
      (n = 16) significant increase (P less than 0.05) in femoral articular cartilage
      cellularity in injected joints. The average chondrocyte lacuna area of injected
      joints was not statistically different from the control joints. Biochemical
      analyses of femoral articular cartilage revealed a significant decrease in
      hexosamine concentration (P less than 0.05) of injected joints. There was no
      significant difference between the injected and control joints in hydroxyproline
      or total protein concentration. Metabolic analyses revealed a significant
      increase (P less than 0.05) in cartilage collagenous protein production by
      injected joints compared with control joints. There were no significant
      differences in cartilage or secreted total protein production between injected
      and control joints. There were also no significant differences in cartilage or
      secreted proteoglycan production between joints. Morphometric evaluation of
      articular tissues following massive haemarthrosis has quantified a temporary
      hyperplastic reaction. A significant decrease in cartilage hexosamine
      concentration in haemarthrotic joints suggests this is a crucial biochemical
      event in the pathogenesis of blood-induced cartilage destruction.

PMID- 1865024
TI  - Lectin histochemistry of feline polyglucosan bodies.
AB  - Lectin histochemistry was conducted to identify sugar residues of the
      polyglucosan bodies (PGB) in the feline brain. PGB stained with Concanavalia
      ensiformis agglutinin (Con A) and peanut agglutinin, but not with soybean
      agglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin, Ricinus communis
      agglutinin or Ulex europaeus agglutinin. In addition, PGB bound to Con A after
      periodate oxidation. These results suggest that feline PGB contain mannose and
      galactose in addition to glucose and that the partial component of PGB is derived
      from rough endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus.

PMID- 1865025
TI  - Granulomatous inflammation and monstrous giant cells in response to
      intraperitoneal hormone implants in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).
AB  - Plastic implants (2.7 mm maximum dimension) of an ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer
      (EVAc) matrix, containing inulin, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and luteinizing
      hormone releasing hormone (LHRH), were covered with impervious EVAc and then
      surgically placed into the peritoneal cavity of 1-year-old channel catfish,
      Ictalurus punctatus. In fish kept in cold water (13 degrees C), 10 per cent of
      the implants per month were encapsulated by granulation tissue. In fish kept in
      warm water (27 degrees C), 20 per cent of the implants per month were
      encapsulated, with a total of 86 per cent encapsulated at 5 months. In addition
      to fibroblasts and capillaries, the granulation tissue included macrophages,
      neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, multinucleated giant cells and a matrix
      of collagen fibres. The density of the fibrous capsule increased with time. In a
      separate investigation, it was found that the thickness of the capsule was
      directly proportional to the degree of exposure of the EVAc matrix to the fish
      (exposure influenced by the rate of dissolution of the capsule content).
      Monstrous giant cells with up to 600 nuclei per 5 microns thick section were seen
      in capsules around implants. On intraperitoneally implanted cover glasses, whole
      giant cells contained up to 6000 nuclei and were interconnected by cytoplasmic
      bridges. Signs of neoplasia, implant expulsion or massive adhesions were not
      seen.

PMID- 1865026
TI  - Equine cutaneous mastocytoma: morphology, biological behaviour and evolution of
      the lesion.
AB  - Thirty equine cutaneous mastocytomas were examined histologically and two were
      studied ultrastructurally. Lesions were characterized by distinct sheets of well
      differentiated mast cells with variable degrees of eosinophil infiltration,
      collagen degeneration, necrosis, granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis. Twenty
      two of 25 growths did not recur for up to 6 years after surgical excision, two
      recurred at the surgical site and one spontaneously regressed less than 3 months
      after obtaining a biopsy sample. Equine cutaneous mastocytoma is a benign
      proliferative lesion which seldom recurs after excision. The varied histological
      presentation of equine mastocytoma can be attributed to a sequence of events
      initiated by a cutaneous mast cell proliferation. It is suggested that these mast
      cells release chemotactic factors for eosinophils which accumulate and
      degranulate, initiating collagen degeneration and cellular necrosis with
      subsequent granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis. The focal spontaneous nature
      of the primary mast cell proliferation is typical of neoplasia.

PMID- 1865027
TI  - Haematological and pathological responses to experimental Trixacarus caviae
      infection in guinea pigs.
AB  - Outbred guinea pigs became infected with the mite Trixacarus caviae (Acarina,
      Sarcoptidae) when introduced into an infected colony. Mite numbers were highest
      after one month, then fell progressively. Infected guinea pigs developed a
      neutrophilia, monocytosis, eosinophilia and basophilia. Despite pronounced
      reactive changes in the superficial lymph nodes, infected guinea pigs developed
      only a mild dermatitis. In contrast, home bred animals, susceptible to T. caviae
      acquired many mites and developed a severe chronic dermatitis. Trixacaral manage
      in guinea pigs offers considerable potential for the study of mite infections in
      man and animals.

PMID- 1865028
TI  - Spontaneous ovarian tumour in a medaka (Oryzias latipes).
AB  - Swelling of the abdomen was found in an adult female medaka (Oryzias latipes).
      Multiple tumour masses occupying most of the abdominal cavity were found at
      necropsy. Histologically, the tumour consisted of homogeneous round cells
      arranged in islands and occasional trabecular structures with thin capsules. Ova
      at various stages of maturation were seen in the periphery of the tumour mass.
      Metastasis was observed in the vicinity of the thyroid gland with accompanying
      infiltration by lymphocytic cells and also abdominal muscles. The tumour cells
      were characterized by a large ovoid nucleus with no aggregation of
      heterochromatin, occasional mitotic figures and prominent nucleoli. Examination
      by electron microscopy showed cells with scant cytoplasm but many ribosomes and a
      few other organelles. Annulate lamellae and dense cytoplasmic masses were also
      frequently observed. Based on the above features, the tumour was diagnosed as an
      ovarian dysgerminoma, the first reported case in a medaka.

PMID- 1865029
TI  - An immunohistochemical study of spontaneous lymphomas in the C57B1/10J mouse.
AB  - Immunocytochemistry was used to examine 26 cases of composite lymphoma in the
      mouse mesenteric lymph node. The diagnosis was made by light microscopic
      criteria. A selection of polyclonal antibodies to light (Kappa and Lambda) and
      heavy chain (IgD, IgM, IgC, IgA, IgE) antigens was used together with three
      monoclonal antibodies to T cells, B cells (HLA-DR) and macrophages. Twenty
      lymphomas were classified as B cell and six as T cell. The B cells were
      subdivided into IgM and IgD (five), IgD (five), IgM (three) and IgA (one), three
      undifferentiated and, in three, there was insufficient tissue for further typing.
      There did not appear to be any correlation between the morphological appearance
      and the immunophenotype.

PMID- 1865030
TI  - Hepatic mitochondrial redox state in hypotensive brain-dead patients and an
      effect of dopamine administration.
AB  - Arterial blood ketone body ratio, reflecting hepatic mitochondrial redox state,
      was measured in 26 brain-dead patients who were hypotensive but hemodynamically
      stable. All of them had substantially normal hepatic function. In 18 of the
      patients, blood ketone body ratio was maintained within the normal range in spite
      of hypotension. This was in marked contrast to the markedly decreased blood
      ketone body ratio often observed in patients in shock. This phenomenon was
      especially conspicuous in those who had not received exogenous dopamine infusion.
      It is suggested that hepatic mitochondrial redox state can probably be maintained
      despite systemic hypotension in brain-dead patients. Dopamine administration, on
      the other hand, is suggested to be a contributing factor to the reduction of
      hepatic mitochondrial redox state in hypotensive brain-dead patients. This study
      may provide a guideline for effective preservation of hepatic function in the
      body of brain-dead patients.

PMID- 1865031
TI  - Improved determination of static compliance by automated single volume steps in
      ventilated patients.
AB  - A new method for determination the static compliance of the respiratory system is
      described ("static compliance by automated single steps"--SCASS). In 12
      ventilated patients pressure/volume (P/V) curves were determined by automated
      repetitive occlusion (6 s) at single volume steps and compared to the
      conventional syringe method (SM). All measurements were corrected for effects of
      temperature, humidity and pressure (THP). SM was found to be significantly
      influenced by intrapulmonary gas exchange causing an effective mean volume
      deficit of 217.4 +/- 65.7 ml (BTPS) at the end of the deflation. In contrast to
      that, the short duration of occlusion in SCASS minimize the gas exchange effects.
      The methodical differences between both methods result in overestimation of the
      inflation compliance in the uncorrected SM (SMuncorr: 83.4 +/- 12.6; SCASS: 76.0
      +/- 11.9 ml/cmH2O. p less than 0.01) and underestimation of the deflation
      compliance resp. (SMuncorr: 58.3 +/- 7.5; SCASS: 79.1 +/- 15.0 ml/cmH2O. p less
      than 0.005). In contrast to the P/V curves by SM no significant hysteresis was
      found by SCASS. Gas exchange seems to be the main reason for the hysteresis. Even
      after correcting gas exchange and THP effects a significant hysteresis remained.
      The SCASS method avoids these problems and allows furthermore an accurate
      checking of leaks.

PMID- 1865032
TI  - Acute pulmonary emboli associated with guidewire change of a central venous
      catheter.
AB  - The potential complications of percutaneous venous catheterizations are many and
      include pneumothorax, subclavian and carotid artery puncture, hematoma, air
      embolism, catheter malposition, catheter fragment embolization, venous thrombosis
      and infection. This case report describes a patient who developed
      angiographically documented pulmonary emboli associated with the changing of a
      central venous catheter over a guidewire using Seldinger technique. This episode
      adds the possibility of acute pulmonary emboli to the list of potential
      complications from central venous catheterizations.

PMID- 1865033
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis presenting as diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.
AB  - A 35-year-old woman experienced diffuse intraalveolar haemorrhage with
      respiratory distress and acute renal failure. Renal histology and evolution
      confirmed Wegener's granulomatosis. Early use of immunosuppressive drugs allowed
      weaning from mechanical ventilation and temporary improvement of the renal
      failure. A review of the literature emphasizes the rarity of alveolar hemorrhage
      as an initial symptom of Wegener's granulomatosis and the necessity of aggressive
      management.

PMID- 1865034
TI  - Transient unilateral hyperlucent lung due to mucus plugs.
AB  - A 63-year-old patient with a tracheostomy presented with a transient unilateral
      hyperlucent lung and absent breath sounds over the left lower lobe. A
      tracheobronchial cast and an additional floating mucus plug in the left lower
      lobe bronchus were retrieved with fiberbronchoscopy. Subsequently normalisation
      of ventilation and radiological appearance of the left lung occurred.

PMID- 1865035
TI  - Acyclovir clearance by CAVHD.

PMID- 1865036
TI  - Nosocomial maxillary sinusitis during mechanical ventilation: comparison of
      orotracheal versus the nasotracheal route for intubation.

PMID- 1865037
TI  - Management of resources in intensive care.

PMID- 1865038
TI  - A nordic ECMO saga or whither ECMO?

PMID- 1865039
TI  - Assessing tissue perfusion.

PMID- 1865040
TI  - Total extracorporeal lung assist--a new clinical approach.
AB  - Total extracorporeal lung assist (ECLA) requires a bypass flow approaching
      cardiac output. Recirculation of venous blood through the oxygenator is minimized
      with a veno-right ventricular cannulation technique which separates venous
      drainage from returned oxygenated blood. A case of posttraumatic ARDS was treated
      with surface-heparinized veno-right ventricular ECLA for 35 days. Cardiac output
      was stabilized by means of sedation, hypothermia (35 degrees C) and beta blockers
      (pulse rate less than 90) in order to match the maximal venous drainage achieved
      (5.5 l/min). A bypass flow around 85% of cardiac output resulted in mean arterial
      PO2 values between 9-13.6 kPa without any contribution from the lungs. Low
      platelet counts and a marked bleeding tendency complicated treatment, even though
      no heparin was used during the last 24 days of ECLA. Weaning from the ventilator
      was accomplished 2 months after ECLA. Lung function tests show constant
      improvement.

PMID- 1865041
TI  - Assessment of the perfusion in peripheral tissue beds by subcutaneous oximetry
      and gastric intramucosal pH-metry in elective colorectal surgery.
AB  - Gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) and subcutaneous oxygen tension (PscO2) were
      compared with traditional perfusion parameters in patients undergoing elective
      colorectal surgery and were related to clinical outcome. Ten patients were
      studied per- and postoperatively and tissue oximetry studies were also performed
      in a group of 10 healthy volunteers. The response of PSCO2 to oxygen breathing
      proved to be the most sensitive predictor of clinical outcome. Of the 10 patients
      8 failed to respond to an O2 challenge, while all 10 volunteers in the control
      group did so. Out of those 8 patients 6 presented with mainly infectious
      complications while only 3 had an inadequate perioperative urine output and none
      presented with signs of arterial or of gastric intramural acidosis. The present
      study suggests a possible relationship between clinical outcome and oxymetric
      signs of tissue hypoperfusion after O2 challenge in surgical patients, even in
      the presence of an adequate urine output and a normal gastric wall pH.

PMID- 1865042
TI  - Continuous multivariable monitoring in neurological intensive care patients-
      preliminary reports on four cases.
AB  - Evoked potential monitoring is a standard examination method in neurological
      intensive therapy units. Previously, multimodality observation was only possible
      in follow-up examinations. First experience with a new bed-side system
      continuously monitoring 12 neurophysiological and clinical parameters is
      reported. It consists of a personal computer and various stimulation units. EEG
      activity, median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and brainstem
      auditory evoked potential (BAEPs) are recorded. Additionally, EEG spectral band
      power, heart rate, heart rate variability, intracranial pressure, body
      temperature, expiratory PCO2, blood pressure and transcutaneously measured
      oxygenation can be monitored. This paper reports on 4 exemplary cases of the 33
      patients we have monitored to date, illustrating the principles and main
      advantages of the system. The system was developed to support the observation of
      ICU patients as well as to aid therapeutic decisions. It supports the clinical
      determination of brain death by specifying the deterioration of various
      neurological systems.

PMID- 1865043
TI  - Evoked potentials in severe herpes simplex encephalitis.
AB  - Diagnostic and prognostic value of evoked potentials (EP) were studied in 5
      patients with severe herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). Latency of the third
      negative cortical N70 peak, elicited by median nerve stimulation, was prolonged
      in 3 survivors with Glasgow coma score of less than or equal to 6 (115 vs 71 ms
      in controls, p less than 0.05), but normal after improvement of the acute
      disease. N70 right to left interhemisphere difference was increased initially in
      the 4 survivors (26 vs 3 ms in controls, p less than 0.05) indicating focal brain
      involvement, a crucial finding in HSE. The first cortical N20 peak was preserved
      in all survivors even during deep coma where evaluation of brain function is
      difficult. Auditory brainstem EP were normal in all patients and useful to
      exclude brainstem death. In severe HSE, somatosensory long-latency EP are an
      effective monitor of the level of impaired consciousness and can detect brain
      focal signs. Short-latency N20 components may be predictive of the outcome.

PMID- 1865044
TI  - Hyperactivity and the fragile X syndrome.
AB  - Workers who have claimed an association between Fragile X [fra(x)] Syndrome and
      Hyperactivity and aggressive behavior have done so despite the lack of controlled
      studies using standard diagnostic criteria. Accordingly, we provided a controlled
      test of the hypothesis that individuals with the fra(x) Syndrome are more
      hyperactive and have more symptoms of aggression than other mentally retarded
      individuals. The test formed part of a study to assess autistic behavior in
      fra(x) individuals. A sample of fra(x) individuals was obtained from the register
      of a clinical genetics unit and individually matched for age, sex, and IQ with
      mentally retarded individuals selected from assessment centres. Forty-five pairs
      of fra(x) cases and control individuals were compared on criteria which reflected
      DSM-III concepts of hyperactivity and on criteria reflecting aggressive behavior.
      The comparison failed to find a higher prevalence of these symptoms in the fra(x)
      group. An analysis of the study's statistical power suggested that it is unlikely
      that the investigation failed to detect a large to medium difference between
      fra(x) individuals and control individuals in the symptoms investigated.

PMID- 1865045
TI  - Methylphenidate speeds evaluation processes of attention deficit disorder
      adolescents during a continuous performance test.
AB  - Forty-six Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) adolescents took a Continuous
      Performance Test (CPT) under placebo and methylphenidate (35.33 mg/day). The task
      required pressing one button for targets (p = .133), and another button for
      nontargets. Subjects displayed a strong bias to make the more frequent negative
      response before completely evaluating stimuli. Consistent with this assumption,
      subjects responded faster (by an average of 87 ms) to nontargets than to targets.
      Methylphenidate increased accuracy and speeded reaction times (RTs) to targets.
      The drug also increased the amplitude of the P3b component of the event-related
      potential for nontargets and shortened the latency of P3b for both targets and
      nontargets. These results suggest increased capacity allocation to and faster
      evaluation of task stimuli. Finally, the stimulant lengthened relative motor
      processing time (RT-P3b latency) for nontargets, a finding implying that response
      processing was accomplished with the benefit of earlier completion of evaluation
      processes for these stimuli.

PMID- 1865046
TI  - Disruptive boys with stable and unstable high fighting behavior patterns during
      junior elementary school.
AB  - Boys' fighting was assessed at ages six, eight, and nine. The boys (N = 69) had
      been selected from the 30% most disruptive children in kindergartens from low
      socioeconomic neighborhoods. Twenty-three percent of these disruptive boys were
      rated as high fighters on three assessments ("stable high fighters"), and 28%
      were rated as high fighters on two of the three assessments ("variable high
      fighters"). Forty-two percent were rated as high fighters only one out of three
      assessments ("occasional high fighters") and 7% were never rated as high
      fighters. Only high fighting in two successive years significantly increased the
      risk of being rated a high fighter in a following year. At age 10, stable high
      fighters (high fighters at ages 6, 8, 9) were perceived by teachers, peers,
      mothers, and the boys themselves as more disruptive and more antisocial than
      occasional high fighters. These results show an impressive self-other agreement
      in boys who have adopted a physically aggressive life style from an early age.
      The three groups did not differ on individual family demographic characteristics,
      but stable high fighters had a higher mean on an index of family socioeconomic
      disadvantage. Results indicate that the aggression scales which include only a
      few physical aggression items and many disruptive items (oppositional behavior,
      rejection, hyperactivity, inattention, etc.) probably aggregate two kinds of
      disruptive boys, the high-frequency fighters at high risk for stable disruptive,
      physically aggressive, and antisocial behaviors, and the disruptive low-frequency
      fighters who are at a lower risk of stable disruptive behavior and at a lower
      risk of early antisocial behavior.

PMID- 1865047
TI  - Hard-to-manage preschool boys: family context and the stability of externalizing
      behavior.
AB  - Preschool boys identified by their teachers as active, inattentive, and impulsive
      (N = 42) were compared with matched classroom controls (N = 43) and with parent
      identified problem boys (N = 27) on measures of family functioning often
      associated with children's problem behaviors, including family history of
      psychopathology, stressful life events, and family composition. Teacher
      identified and parent-identified problem boys did not differ on measures of
      family adversity, and both groups came from less well functioning families than
      comparison boys. Mothers of problem boys, regardless of referral source, were
      more negative and controlling toward their sons when observed in a compliance
      task. Children's problem behaviors were moderately stable over a one-year follow
      up period; initial symptom levels, maternal self-reported depression, and
      negative maternal control predicted follow-up ratings of externalizing problems.

PMID- 1865048
TI  - A qualitative and serial analysis of social problem solving in aggressive boys.
AB  - Social problem solving skills in 84 elementary school aged boys were assessed to
      identify those responses most salient in the prediction of ratings of aggressive
      and socially withdrawn behavior. Aggressive and socially withdrawn boys did not
      differ from the control group in the number of effective first solutions
      generated to the hypothetical stories. The control group generated significantly
      more effective solutions as second alternatives to the stories than did the
      aggressive or socially withdrawn boys. In addition, the number of effective
      second responses generated significantly predicted both aggression and social
      withdrawal after controlling for verbal problem solving. Results are discussed in
      terms of differences in cognitive processes as well as implications for
      treatment.

PMID- 1865049
TI  - Linking family characteristics with poor peer relations: the mediating role of
      conduct problems.
AB  - Parent, teacher, and peer ratings were collected for 75 grade school boys to test
      the hypothesis that certain family interaction patterns would be associated with
      poor peer relations. Path analyses provided support for a mediational model, in
      which punitive and ineffective discipline was related to child conduct problems
      in home and school settings which, in turn, predicted poor peer relations.
      Further analyses suggested that distinct subgroups of boys could be identified
      who exhibited conduct problems at home only, at school only, in both settings, or
      in neither setting. Boys who exhibited cross-situational conduct problems were
      more likely to experience multiple concurrent problems (e.g., in both home and
      school settings) and were more likely than any other group to experience poor
      peer relations. However, only about one-third of the boys with poor peer
      relations in this sample exhibited problem profiles consistent with the proposed
      model (e.g., experienced high rates of punitive/ineffective home discipline and
      exhibited conduct problems in home and school settings), suggesting that the
      proposed model reflects one common (but not exclusive) pathway to poor peer
      relations.

PMID- 1865050
TI  - Development and functional significance of private speech among attention-deficit
      hyperactivity disordered and normal boys.
AB  - We compared the development of spontaneous private speech and its relationship to
      self-controlled behavior in a sample of 6- to 12-year-olds with attention-deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and matched normal controls. Thirty-eight boys were
      observed in their classrooms while engaged in math seatwork. Results revealed
      that ADHD children were delayed in private speech development in that they
      engaged in more externalized, self-fuiding and less inaudible, internalized
      speech than normal youngsters. Several findings suggest that the developmental
      lag was a consequence of a highly unmanageable attentional system that prevents
      ADHD children's private speech from gaining efficient mastery over behavior.
      First, self-guiding speech was associated with greater attentional focus only
      among the least distractible ADHD boys. Second, the most mature, internalized
      speech forms were correlated with self-stimulating behavior for ADHD subjects but
      not for controls. Third, observations of ADHD children both on and off stimulant
      medication indicated that reducing their symptoms substantially increased the
      maturity of private speech and its association with motor quiescence and
      attention to task. Results suggest that the Vygotskian hypothesis of a
      unidirectional path of influence from private speech to self-controlled behavior
      should be expanded into a bidirectional model. These findings may also shed light
      on why treatment programs that train children with attentional deficits in speech
      to-self have shown limited efficacy.

PMID- 1865051
TI  - Application of adsorption kinetics for estimation of dissociation constants.
AB  - Substances such as drugs, as well as special ligands with expressive biospecific
      properties, all with different affinities, interact with proteins which can be
      characterized by dissociation constants. The method for estimation of the
      dissociation constant on the basis of adsorption kinetics was verified for two
      typical cases: adsorption of lactate dehydrogenase onto bead cellulose
      derivatized by reactive dyes C.I.2. or C.I.19, and adsorption of different drugs
      (neuroleptics and local anesthetics) onto calmodulin immobilized on agarose gel.
      The real equilibrium values obtained by using the complete time-concentration
      model of adsorption were fitted according to the respective adsorption isotherms
      by non-linear regression.

PMID- 1865052
TI  - Cleavage by protease from Staphylococcus aureus V8: an improvement in the
      sequence analysis of human hemoglobin variants.
AB  - Protease from Staphylococcus aureus V8 cleaves either at glutamic residues or at
      both aspartic and glutamic residues, depending on the experimental conditions. In
      structural analyses of human hemoglobin variants, the specificity of this enzyme
      is of considerable interest to localize substitutions occurring in medium or
      large size peptides as it cleaves in smaller fragments which may be unambiguously
      characterized. It may also recognize the replacement of an acidic residue by the
      corresponding amide, or vice versa, avoiding protein sequence analysis. The
      various aspects of the use of protease V8 are illustrated by the study of four
      alpha chain hemoglobin variants concerning peptides alpha T-9 and alpha T-12b.

PMID- 1865053
TI  - Electroporation of lymphoid cells: factors affecting the efficiency of
      transfection.
AB  - We have increased the efficiency of electroporation of lymphoid cells over fifty
      fold by optimising several biological and electrical parameters. Under optimised
      conditions, the electroporation efficiency was comparable to that reported for
      other cell types. Actively dividing cells were crucial for high transient
      transfection signal. The two most important electrical parameters were high
      capacitance (960 microF) and moderate decay constants in the range of 10-15 ms.
      The optimal field strength depended on the cell line, but was in the range 0.6-1
      kV/cm. Administering the pulse in medium lacking serum gave higher efficiency
      than when isotonic salt solution was used and the transfection signal was
      depressed if cells and DNA were allowed to incubate for several minutes either
      before or after the pulse. Electroporation was carried out at room temperature
      and there was no advantage in using low temperatures (0-4 degrees C). When
      electroporated cells were grown in conditioned medium, the signal was enhanced
      about two fold depending on the source of the conditioned medium.

PMID- 1865054
TI  - Differential precipitation and zinc chelate chromatography purification of
      biologically active HTLV-I Tax1 expressed in E. coli.
AB  - A protocol which involves sequential ammonium sulfate precipitation and zinc
      chelate chromatography to purify the HTLV-I Tax1 protein expressed in E. coli is
      described. The final Tax1 product is greater than 90% pure and the yield is
      approximately 1 mg per liter of liquid culture. The purified Tax1 protein is
      biologically active in indirect in vitro DNA binding assays and cellular NF-kB
      induction experiments.

PMID- 1865055
TI  - Microinjection into Xenopus oocytes: a precise semi-automatic instrument and
      optimal parameters for injection of mRNAs.
AB  - A new apparatus for the injection of Xenopus oocytes is described which provides
      semi-automatic cell handling together with highly accurate and reproducible
      volume delivery. Using the system requires very little skill, yet it gives 6.3%
      average reproducibility in the 5 to 70 nl volume range. The instrument uses a
      fixed injector system driven by an Inchworm piezoelectric positioner or, in a low
      cost version, by a Rainin EDP-2 battery-operated motorized pipette. A movable,
      vacuum-operated oocyte holder minimizes lateral movement of the oocyte during
      injection. Oocytes injected with the system show better survival and enhanced
      expression of mRNA compared with those injected with a widely used type of manual
      injector (Coleman, 1984).

PMID- 1865056
TI  - Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the membrane-bound protein complexes,
      including photosystem I, of thylakoid membranes in the presence of sodium
      oligooxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate/dimethyl dodecylamine oxide and sodium
      dodecyl sulfate.
AB  - Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), using a mixture of
      sodium oligooxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate and dimethyl dodecylamine oxide as
      detergents (AES-DDAO mixture) in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate
      (SDS) in the second dimension, was developed and applied to an analysis of the
      photosystem I (PS I) complex in thylakoid membranes prepared from spinach
      chloroplasts. When thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts were solubilized directly
      in the AES-DDAO mixture and subjected to PAGE in the presence of these detergents
      as the first dimension, some protein complexes containing chlorophyll were
      observed. The protein components in these complexes separated into an array of
      polypeptide spots when the strip of gel after PAGE in the first dimension was
      subjected to PAGE in the presence of SDS as the second dimension. The main band
      of protein which separated in the first dimension was demonstrated to be the PS I
      complex. This complex retained the intrinsic photochemical activity of P700 even
      after it was subjected to one-dimensional PAGE. These results suggest that
      certain protein complexes can be separated, with the maintenance of their
      original structures, by electrophoresis in the presence of the AES-DDAO mixture,
      and this method appears to have valuable potential for analysis of the components
      of membrane-bound protein complexes.

PMID- 1865057
TI  - Untreated tendon pathologies resulting in major functional disability.

PMID- 1865058
TI  - Comparison of oblique closing base wedge osteotomies of the first metatarsal:
      stripping versus nonstripping of the periosteum.
AB  - The authors present a study comparing two methods of performing the oblique
      closing base wedge osteotomy of the first metatarsal for correction of hallux
      abducto valgus deformity. In one group, the periosteum was stripped from the
      metatarsal prior to performing the osteotomy, and in the other group, the
      osteotomy was performed through the periosteum. Sixty-five osteotomies are
      included in the study. This article discusses the closing base wedge osteotomy,
      fracture healing and the role of the periosteum, the blood supply to the first
      metatarsal, and the effects of periosteal stripping. Also included is a
      presentation of the surgical technique used, a statistical review of the
      procedures performed, a critical discussion summarizing the results, and a
      discussion of the postoperative complications encountered.

PMID- 1865059
TI  - Tarsal tunnel syndrome secondary to neurilemoma of the medial plantar nerve.
AB  - A neurilemoma of the medial plantar nerve was observed in a 52-year-old Caucasian
      female. She was diagnosed with tarsal tunnel syndrome by clinical and
      electromyographic examination. This case was followed up for 18 months and has
      been presented as a very rare cause of tarsal tunnel syndrome. Relevant
      literature was reviewed.

PMID- 1865060
TI  - Pathologic afflictions of the Achilles tendon.
AB  - The Achilles tendon represents a very important structure in human locomotion.
      Pathologic afflictions of this tendon may lead to serious problems if not
      recognized and treated appropriately. Drs. Reinherz, Granoff, and Westerfield
      briefly review normal tendon anatomy and function. The mechanisms of tendon
      injury with clinical recognition of pathology, both objective and subjective, are
      then discussed. Proper management of the compromised tendo Achillis is presented.

PMID- 1865061
TI  - Old instrumentation with a new application: Smillie knife.
AB  - Foot surgery requires various dissection techniques through skin incisions with
      limited exposure. Although the unique knife was designed for knee surgery, its
      application for podiatric surgery is ideal. Through small skin incisions, the
      Smillie knife can use techniques to incise, excise, deglove, unzipper, and strip
      away soft tissue attachments from bone, cartilage, and other tissues. The Smillie
      knife or meniscutome is an instrument that is uniquely and specifically designed
      to allow precise dissection of designated structures. Thus, it maintains closely
      associated vital structures such as tendons, veins, arteries, and nerves
      undisturbed.

PMID- 1865062
TI  - Brachymetapody: case report of surgical correction.
AB  - Brachymetapody is an uncommon condition that can have both cosmetic and
      functional considerations. The literature is reviewed with respect to techniques
      for repair of short metatarsals. Surgical indications are discussed as well as
      techniques for repair. A case report of bilateral first and fourth metatarsal
      brachymetapody is reviewed with illustration of a successful surgical outcome
      after more than 5 years of follow-up.

PMID- 1865063
TI  - Distal extensor hallucis longus tenotomy.
AB  - This manuscript describes a clinical entity caused by hyperextension of the
      interphalangeal joint of the hallux and a corrective procedure performed
      percutaneously through a 3-mm. incision. A discussion of local anatomy, patient
      selection, and contraindications is included. Proper pre-operative assessment is
      stressed.

PMID- 1865064
TI  - Osteomyelitis of the foot in diabetic patients: evaluation with magnetic
      resonance imaging.
AB  - Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examination was performed with a 1.5-Tesla
      superconducting magnet on a diabetic patient's right foot that had extensive
      deformities due to previous surgery, infection, and neuropathy. The purpose of
      the examination was to help identify areas of active infection in preparation for
      surgical debridement. This manuscript reviews current concepts on the use of
      radionucleotide scanning and computed tomography (CT) as compared to MR imaging
      when used to assist in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot. MR
      imaging was found to be useful in identifying areas of active bone infection in
      the presence of underlying osseous pathology when radiographic images and
      radionucleotide scans were unreliable.

PMID- 1865065
TI  - Ankle arthrodesis by the Heiple technique in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - The authors report on seven rheumatoid arthritic patients that successfully
      sustained ankle joint arthrodesis. They incorporated a chevron fusion technique
      previously described. Patients were followed an average of 44 +/- 11 months. They
      report a satisfactory result.

PMID- 1865066
TI  - Delayed appearance of metastatic renal cell carcinoma subcutaneously in the left
      fifth toe after ipsilateral nephrectomy.
AB  - Pedal metastases from visceral cancers, while rare, constitute a consideration in
      the presence of an otherwise unexplained mass in the skin, subcutis, or bones of
      the foot. Metastatic lesions may be presenting signs of visceral malignant
      tumors, or may remain occult for years after extirpation of the primary visceral
      lesion. The presented case depicts sudden activation and growth of an occult
      renal cell carcinoma metastasis in the subcutaneous tissue of a 69-year-old man's
      left fifth toe, 10 years after ipsilateral nephrectomy. Cytogenetic studies
      correlate with tumor histologic patterns and help to predict heritability, uni-
      or bilaterality, and local and systemic biologic behavior of renal cell
      carcinoma, thereby aiding in prognosis and treatment planning.

PMID- 1865067
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of talar tilt and its relationship to the occurrence of
      transchondral fractures: a retrospective study.
AB  - A study of 112 acute ligamentous injuries of the ankle diagnosed with the Telos
      stress device and repaired surgically was conducted by the authors. They found
      that the likelihood of a transchondral fracture of the talar dome was
      significantly increased when the talar tilt was 18 degrees or greater. A
      significant number of these fractures were not diagnosed until surgical
      inspection. The authors provide a comprehensive review of transchondral fractures
      of the talar dome and attempt to correlate the clinical significance of the data
      obtained in this study with the diagnosis and treatment of these fractures.

PMID- 1865068
TI  - Long-standing reaction to a hemi-silastic implant.
AB  - The complications associated with the hemi-silicone implants of the foot have
      been well documented. Reasons for their failure are many. In the past, there has
      been an overuse of these devices without strict adherence to their proper
      indications. Today, these implant failures are being manifested by extremely
      unusual pathology. Although silicone has not been shown to be carcinogenic, the
      florid reaction seen in this case demonstrated a degree of "malignancy" that may
      have incapacitated the patient.

PMID- 1865069
TI  - Adventitial cystic disease.
AB  - Adventitial cystic disease is a rare syndrome predominantly seen in young males
      with the acute onset of claudication. Early diagnosis and confirmation with
      arteriography is of utmost importance to the success of treatment. The authors
      present a rare case report and treatment of adventitial cystic disease.

PMID- 1865070
TI  - Opening base wedge osteotomy with first metatarsophalangeal joint implantation
      arthroplasty--a retrospective study.
AB  - The authors present a retrospective study of the opening base wedge osteotomy
      with first metatarsophalangeal joint implant arthroplasty, for the correction of
      long-standing hallux abducto valgus deformity. Twenty cases involving 23 feet
      were performed, and the results are discussed. The indications and procedure are
      described, as well as an in-depth discussion.

PMID- 1865071
TI  - Endoscopic plantar fasciotomy: preliminary study with cadaveric specimens.
AB  - The authors have developed an endoscopic approach to a plantar fasciotomy. This
      technique would minimize the surgical trauma that is normally induced with a
      conventional type of heel spur surgery. The authors believe that this new
      technique will provide an earlier return to normal ambulation, less loss of work,
      and earlier, overall increased patient comfort.

PMID- 1865072
TI  - Pseudogout of the ankle: a case study and arthroscopic-assisted treatment.
AB  - Chondrocalcinosis, also known as pseudogout, a calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate
      crystal deposition disease, has been reported in many joints of the human body. A
      review of the literature reveals few reported cases of pseudogout of the ankle
      and various uncertainties of the etiology of pseudogout. The authors offer a
      review of the disease and a case presentation with the use of arthroscopy to
      assist in the diagnosis and treatment of pseudogout of the ankle.

PMID- 1865073
TI  - Tendon sheath injuries of the foot and ankle.
AB  - Tendon sheath injuries of the foot and ankle are a common clinical entity
      secondary to trauma and abnormal biomechanics. These injuries are often
      misdiagnosed and/or inappropriately treated. This article presents an historic
      review, etiology, classification, diagnosis, and treatment protocol for these
      injuries.

PMID- 1865074
TI  - Osteoid osteoma of the foot.
AB  - Dr. Wu discusses a benign osteoblastic neoplasm that accounts for less than 3% of
      all excised tumors. He reviews the symptoms of a 17-year-old, with pathology
      localized to the third toe. Clinical, radiographic, and histologic
      characteristics are described.

PMID- 1865075
TI  - Pharmacology of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
AB  - Various medications are used by the lower extremity surgeon that affect the
      entire body. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are one such class. The authors
      review certain commonly used pharmaceuticals in this category, comparing the
      basic characteristics of each one.

PMID- 1865076
TI  - Diagnostic imaging approach to bone tumors of the foot.
AB  - The authors review various bone tumors in the foot. They use ten key points with
      respect to five levels of evaluation, in order to assist the clinician in rapid
      recognition of these maladies. The classification system relates to plain x-ray
      films, although the authors also illustrate other sophisticated radiologic
      techniques for increased accuracy.

PMID- 1865077
TI  - Sex differences in growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether sex differences exist in GH
      response to GHRH, and the influence that menstrual cycle have on this response. A
      GHRH test was performed on nine healthy men and ten women on days one and twelve
      of the menstrual cycle. Basal GH levels, (mean +/- SE) (7.98 +/- 3.09 ng/ml in
      women and 0.13 +/- 0.07 ng/ml in men, p less than 0.05) as well as maximal GH
      response (40.17 +/- 11.96 ng/ml in women and 9.63 +/- 2.32 ng/ml in males, p less
      than 0.01) were significantly higher in women than in men. In spite of a
      significant increase in estradiol levels during the menstrual cycle (75.88 +/-
      2.48 pg/ml on day one and 198.40 +/- 28.65 pg/ml on day twelve, p less than 0.01)
      neither basal plasma GH levels, nor GH response to GHRH were significantly
      different. In conclusion, these results confirm that GH response to GHRH is
      higher in women than in men, and that this difference is not modified during the
      first phase of the menstrual cycle.

PMID- 1865078
TI  - Glucagon-induced changes in plasma thyroid hormone concentrations in healthy dogs
      resemble "euthyroid sick syndrome".
AB  - We recently demonstrated that glucagon infusion induced a decline in T3 and a
      rise in rT3 in anesthetized dogs. These changes in T3 and rT3 may be attributed,
      at least in part, to anesthesia itself, since general anesthesia is known to
      cause lowering of T3 and an elevation in rT3 during the perioperative period.
      Therefore, to eliminate the contribution, if any, of anesthesia to these changes
      in T3 and rT3, we assessed plasma glucose, T3 resin uptake (T3RU), T4, free T4,
      T3 and rT3 concentrations following intravenous glucagon (0.5 mg) or normal
      saline (0.5 ml) administration at frequent intervals for 3 h in 6 conscious dogs
      fasted for 16 h. No significant alterations were noted in T4, free T4, and T3RU
      levels during either study. However, glucagon infusion alone induced a
      significant fall in T3 (0.33 +/- 0.06 in nmol/l vs -0.03 +/- 0.03 nmol/l with
      normal saline; p less than 0.01) and marked elevations in glucose (3.66 +/- 0.22
      mmol/l vs 0.61 +/- 0.11 nmol/l with normal saline, p less than 0.001) and rT3
      concentrations (0.11 +/- 0.02 nmol/l vs 0.005 nmol/l; p less than 0.001).
      Furthermore, the integrated responses of T3 and rT3 as assessed by cumulative
      changes and areas under the curves were markedly greater during glucagon infusion
      when compared with saline administration (p less than 0.01 for all comparisons).
      Since the elevations in levels of stress hormones known to ensue during
      anesthesia do not occur during a conscious resting state, we believe that
      hyperglucagonemia may be a major contributor of thyroid hormone alterations
      observed in several euthyroid sick states, not associated with stress, and may
      enhance these changes during euthyroid sick syndrome associated with stressful
      crises. Finally, these changes may be attributed to altered metabolism of
      iodothyronines in peripheral tissues as reflected by lowered T3/T4 and increased
      rT3/T4 ratios.

PMID- 1865079
TI  - Islet cell surface antibodies by an ELISA method in diabetic and nondiabetic
      patients.
AB  - Islet cell surface antibodies (ICSA) were investigated by an ELISA method using a
      commercial kit in 146 subjects with and without islet cell antibodies (ICA): 28
      with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), 24 with noninsulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), 22 first-degree relatives (FDR) of IDDM patients, 31
      organ-specific autoimmune patients (OSAP), 21 nonautoimmune hospitalized patients
      (NAP), and 20 ICA-negative normal controls. Furthermore, insulin autoantibodies
      (IAA) were evaluated in 87 of these subjects. ICSA were found in 11% of IDDM
      patients and in 14% of their FDR, in 4% of NIDDM patients, in 10% of OSAP, in 10%
      of NAP, and in 5% of normal controls. After absorption with rat liver powder,
      ICSA were detected in 7% of IDDM patients, in 5% of their FDR, in 4% of NIDDM, in
      6% of OSAP, in 5% of NAP and in none of normal controls. ICSA were also detected
      in 4% of IAA-positive compared to 3% of IAA-negative sera. Neither correlation
      was found between ICSA and ICA in each group of subjects, nor between ICSA and
      IAA, suggesting that these autoantibodies recognize different pancreatic targets.
      Moreover, no significant difference was observed for ICSA prevalence in the
      various groups of patients studied when compared with normal controls. The
      prevalence of ICSA assessed by this ELISA method has been compared to that
      reported by other workers, who employed different techniques.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865080
TI  - Coexisting hyperparathyroidism with thyrotoxicosis.
AB  - The coexistence of hyperparathyroidism complicating thyrotoxicosis is quite rare.
      We report the case of one patient who presented with thyrotoxicosis, (total
      thyroxine of 15.1 micrograms/dl (5-13), free thyroxine index of 18 (4-15) and
      triiodothyronine by RIA of 305 ng/dl (70-230) and asymptomatic hypercalcemia of
      15 mg/dl (8.5-10.6), who was also initially noted to have an elevated (C
      terminal) serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level of 8,800 pg/ml
      (50-340). With propylthiouracil and propranolol, however, this patient became
      normocalcemic with a decrease in iPTH values to 714 pg/ml. As the patient was
      tapered from medication, after being rendered euthyroid, a recurrence of
      hypercalcemia with rising iPTH levels occurred. PTH levels should be helpful in
      defining coexisting hyperparathyroidism in patients with thyrotoxicosis since in
      the latter iPTH is usually suppressed. Our findings support the recommendation
      that in patients suspected of having both hyperparathyroidism and
      hyperthyroidism, a diagnosis of the former can only be made with certainty after
      the patient has been rendered euthyroid with persistently elevated serum calcium
      and iPTH levels. While there are no clinical features which permit the easy
      identification of patients who present with dual lesions, the determination of
      iPTH values may be the most consistently helpful test initially, whereas other
      parameters such as vitamin D, serum phosphate are less reliable.

PMID- 1865081
TI  - In vitro production of estradiol by ovarian granulosa cells in a case of McCune
      Albright syndrome.
AB  - A 14-year-old girl presented with classic McCune-Albright syndrome. She underwent
      the ablation of several cysts during a laparotomy performed on the basis of
      persistent and intense pelvic pain and recurrent episodes of menometrorrhagia not
      responsive to pharmacologic therapy. Granulosa cells obtained from an isolated
      follicle and a cyst were cultured and estradiol (E2) secreted in the culture
      medium measured. Granulosa cells, obtained from the follicle, produced much
      higher levels of estradiol compared to those of cells coming both from follicles
      of equivalent size and preovulatory follicles of normal patients. Secretion of E2
      by granulosa cells from the cyst was comparable to that of normal preovulatory
      follicles. We conclude that in this patient, ovaries are hyperfunctioning in
      terms of E2 production. This high production of estradiol and the fact that
      several cysts were found in the ovaries can justify the high levels of estradiol
      found in the serum of this patient at the moment of the operation.

PMID- 1865082
TI  - Insulin-like growth factor I: a good indicator of functional hepatocellular
      capacity in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.
AB  - To assess the value of serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) determination
      in liver disease, 21 patients hospitalized for active alcoholic cirrhosis (19
      males, 2 females), 56 +/- 2 y (mean +/- SE) were studied at admission. Individual
      scores of hepatic alterations (Child score) ranged from 6 to 12 (mean: 9 +/- 1).
      Basal IGF-I levels were dramatically decreased, averaging 0.11 +/- 0.02 U/ml vs
      0.70 +/- 0.08 U/ml in 15 control subjects. In cirrhotic patients, IGF-I values
      were inversely correlated with the modified Child index (r = 0.57, p less than
      0.01). A highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.68, p less than 0.001)
      was evidenced between IGF-I levels and aminopyrine breath test values (which
      provide quantitative estimates of the hepatic functional capacity). In contrast,
      no significant relationship was found between IGF-I levels and various
      nutritional parameters (albumin, prealbumin, retinol binding protein) after
      partial correlation analysis. The present data suggest that, in alcoholic
      cirrhosis, the decrease of circulating IGF-I values is mainly related to
      alterations of liver function, and that IGF-I can be used as a good indicator of
      functional hepatocellular capacity.

PMID- 1865084
TI  - Health-care practices of the rural aged.
AB  - 1. One of the primary concerns of the rural aged is the maintenance of their
      physical health so that they may function independently and remain in their own
      homes. 2. The findings of this study indicate that most older rural adults do not
      regularly have positive health-care practices. This may be due to the
      unavailability of health-care providers or health promotion programs in isolated
      rural areas. 3. Implications of this study include the need to make health
      promotion programs relevant to the concerns of the rural aged rather than those
      of the urban elderly.

PMID- 1865085
TI  - Essential gerontological content for the associate degree nursing curriculum. A
      national study.
AB  - 1. The growing number of associate degree registered nurses caring for the
      elderly underscores the need for gerontological nursing preparation within
      associate degree programs. 2. The curriculum content validity theory of Taba and
      Zoot requires content selection criteria to reflect the relationship of course
      content to program outcomes. 3. Appropriateness of gerontological content for
      associate degree nursing was defined by the five practice roles of the associate
      degree nurse. 4. Gerontological nursing content rated essential by nationwide
      panels of associate degree nursing educators and practicing nurses includes items
      within the areas of commonly encountered health problems, ethical issues, chronic
      illness, long-term care of older adults, and nursing process.

PMID- 1865086
TI  - Why walk when you can ride? Clinical ambulation incentives for the immobile
      elderly.
AB  - 1. Gerontological nurses in long-term care settings should be selective in the
      use of wheelchairs for residents with ambulation ability. 2. The gerontological
      nurse specialist can facilitate change in a long-term care setting through the
      implementation of an ambulation incentive program. 3. The benefits of an
      ambulation incentive program support rehabilitation-focused care as opposed to
      custodial care in a long-term care facility. 4. Quality of life outcomes for
      elderly residents are supported through multidisciplinary collaboration in the
      implementation of an ambulation program.

PMID- 1865087
TI  - Using previous knowledge to teach elderly clients.
AB  - 1. Fluid intelligence decreases while crystallized intelligence continues to
      increase over the life span. 2. Nurses should determine what patients already
      know about how to care for themselves. 3. Nurses may help patients to learn
      better by intentionally basing new information on what patients already know.

PMID- 1865088
TI  - Multistix versus laboratory urinalysis in the detection of urinary tract
      infection.
AB  - 1. Difficulty with the early recognition of infection is a problem when caring
      for patients in an extended care facility. 2. The ability to quickly
      differentiate between asymptomatic bacteriuria and actual infection in male
      extended care patients is useful for guiding antibiotic therapy. 3. The nurse
      administered nitrite test proved reliable as an indicator or urinary tract
      infection.

PMID- 1865089
TI  - Clinically managing disruptive behavior on the ward.
AB  - 1. The inability to manage disruptive yelling has lead to the overuse of physical
      restraints, inappropriate use of psychotropic medications, and provoked feelings
      of powerlessness, helplessness, and frustration among caregivers that could
      detract from the overall quality of care. 2. Behavioral analysis provides a
      framework for caregivers to identify, modify, and develop practical means to
      alleviate and to monitor a problem. 3. Noisy behavior can become more manageable
      by combining the effects of improved environment, continuous monitoring and
      simplification of medication, individualized nursing care, and a sense of
      creativity. 4. Caregivers need to examine their own feelings and behavior and to
      understand that they have a responsibility to create an environment in which
      their clients can respond positively.

PMID- 1865090
TI  - Two decades of advancement in the assessment of fetal health.
AB  - Over the past twenty years there has been a substantial refining and extension of
      the tests available for the assessment of fetal health. This has particularly
      been related to the developed of reasonably-priced real-time ultrasound and an
      improved understanding of the relationship between aspects of fetal behaviour and
      state and fetal health. The impact of these developments is briefly reviewed.

PMID- 1865091
TI  - Behavioural assessment of fetal health.
AB  - The assessment of behavioural activity of the fetus is widely used to assess
      fetal health in clinical practice as part of the biophysical profile as well as
      the nonstress test. Considerable information regarding normal activity patterns
      of healthy human fetuses have been obtained from 24 to 40 weeks gestation. It is
      this information which has provided the scientific foundation for the development
      of fetal assessment protocols. Studies in chronically-catheterized fetal sheep
      have demonstrated that acute hypoxemia leads to an inhibition of fetal breathing
      movements although prolonged reductions in oxygen delivery to the fetus in the
      absence of acidemia are associated with adaptation by the fetus and subsequent
      return to normal incidence of behavioural activity. The behavioural responses of
      the fetus to specific stimuli including vibroacoustic stimulation have been
      examined in relation to gestational age as well as type of stimulus, it is
      proposed that fetal acoustic stimulation could possibly be used to assess fetal
      neurological function although prior to it being accepted as an universal method
      for assessing fetal health it is essential that a greater understanding of the
      mechanisms involved in fetal responses to sound and vibration be determined using
      appropriate experimental techniques.

PMID- 1865092
TI  - Use of Doppler technology in assessing fetal health.
AB  - Doppler technology has provided new information about the fetus during
      intrauterine life. Changes in red cell velocity in the umbilical artery relate
      well to changes in downstream resistance in the placenta. Resistance (or more
      correctly impedance) appears to be closely linked to the number of small fetal
      arterioles in the tertiary stem villus. Placental pathology leading to a
      reduction in these arterioles is often associated with severe intrauterine growth
      restriction and poor perinatal outcome. Whilst there is no good evidence that
      screening women with low risk pregnancies is clinically useful, umbilical artery
      Doppler information would appear to be useful in the management of pregnancies
      already identified as at risk. Here abnormal Doppler findings suggest the need
      for maternal rest, increased fetal surveillance and early delivery when
      indicated.

PMID- 1865083
TI  - The interaction between mediobasohypothalamic dopaminergic and endorphinergic
      neuronal systems as a key regulator of reproduction: an hypothesis.

PMID- 1865093
TI  - Assessment of regionalized perinatal programs.
AB  - This paper addresses issues encountered in studies of the effectiveness of
      regionalized perinatal care. Regionalization of perinatal care has been actively
      promoted based upon the intuition that regionalization should reduce perinatal
      mortality and morbidity. When assessing the effectiveness of a perinatal service,
      one is interested in whether the service is being utilized appropriately and, if
      utilized appropriately, whether it is impacting upon outcome. Studies of
      utilization of regionalized perinatal care include studies of: utilization of the
      tertiary centre, non-utilization of the tertiary centre and antenatal transfer
      patterns. Studies of program impact are few. There is one quasi-experimental
      study which examines mortality and morbidity impact of a program and a few
      studies examining indirect hypotheses of the impact of regionalization on
      mortality. Despite the sparsity of the literature, there is evidence in the
      papers reviewed that regionalization of care may have impact on both mortality
      and morbidity. Further studies of the latter are needed. Further studies might
      also include measures of satisfaction of care providers, satisfaction of patients
      and maternal attachment, among others. In addition, since preliminary evidence
      implies that regionalized perinatal care is effective, future studies might
      include considerations of cost-effectiveness.

PMID- 1865094
TI  - The trigger for parturition in sheep: fetal hypothalamus or placenta?
AB  - The fetal pituitary-adrenal axis plays a pivotal role in the mechanisms leading
      to parturition in sheep. Fetal cortisol concentrations gradually increase in the
      last 15 days before term, with a marked increase occurring in the last 3-4 days.
      Some mechanism causes a marked increase in the stimulatory drive to the fetal
      pituitary resulting in increased secretion of ACTH from the pituitary, and
      subsequent cortisol secretion from the adrenal gland. In this paper we discuss
      the roles of the hypothalamus and placenta in triggering the onset of labour in
      sheep. We have shown that prostaglandin E2 can stimulate the release of ACTH and
      cortisol in the intact fetus and we believe that this could be mediated by the
      release of CRH and AVP. Although CRH and AVP are present in the fetal
      hypothalamus and are capable of being released, these factors may not be released
      until approximately 135 days of gestation. One fundamental question in relation
      to parturition remains unanswered: how are the high concentrations of cortisol in
      fetal plasma sustained given that cortisol has an inhibitory feedback effect on
      the release of CRH and ACTH secretion? We discuss the possibility that the
      placenta provides an additional trophic drive to both the pituitary and adrenal
      glands which contributes towards the sustained elevated cortisol concentrations
      needed to initiate parturition. The placenta may initiate the hypothalamus and
      PGE2 and/or CRH, secreted by the placenta, may stimulate pituitary ACTH release.

PMID- 1865095
TI  - Control of glucose metabolism in the perinatal period.
AB  - The central importance of glucose as a fuel for energy metabolism and growth of
      the fetus is clear as is the role of insulin in coordinating its utilisation by
      many fetal tissues. What is less clear is the qunatitative nature of the
      interaction between the fetus and placenta in organising glucose metabolism.
      Increasingly there is evidence that the fetus coordinates some of the supply of
      glucose to the placenta and that this is particularly important when uterine
      blood flow is reduced. It is unclear how this is regulated, but substrate cycles
      of glucose and lactate appear to make a significant contribution to carbohydrate
      metabolism in fetus and placenta. Another area as yet unresolved in the control
      of fetal glucose metabolism is the coordination of the changes that occur around
      the time of birth. Notable of these is the activation of glycogen mobilisation
      and of glucose synthesis and changes in the setting of glucose regulatory
      mechanism. These are briefly reviewed.

PMID- 1865097
TI  - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities.

PMID- 1865098
TI  - Strategies for disinfection and sterilization of endoscopes: the gap between
      basic principles and actual practice.

PMID- 1865096
TI  - Paracrinology of growth regulation.
AB  - Embryonic and fetal growth is dependent on genetic factors and epigenetic factors
      such as peptide growth factors. We describe here the interactions of several
      peptide growth factors during the growth and function of two cell types, growth
      plate chondrocytes from the ovine fetus and astroglial cells from the newborn rat
      cerebral cortex. Isolated chondrocytes released two endogenous growth factors,
      basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II).
      Although the latter was released in greater abundance, as detected by
      radioimmunoassay, exogenous bFGF was more than a thousand fold more active as a
      mitogen. Insulin was also able to increase chondrocyte replication at
      physiological concentrations, and bFGF, insulin and IGFs were additive in their
      effects on DNA and protein synthesis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta),
      which is abundant in bone, had little effect on chondrocyte DNA or total protein
      synthesis alone, but blocked the stimulatory actions of insulin and IGFs on these
      parameters. However, TGF beta when alone or in combination caused an increase in
      the collagen: non collagenous protein ratio of new proteins synthesized by
      chondrocytes. Adult rat brain is a rich source of IGF II, and both IGF I and II
      are present during neurogenesis and gliagenesis in the fetal and neonatal rat
      respectively. We have cultured astroglial cells isolated from neonatal rat
      cerebral cortex to examine the production and interaction of peptide growth
      factors during their growth. Isolated astroglial cells contained mRNAs encoding
      both IGF I and II but abundance was not regulated by other hormones or growth
      factors. Using affinity cross-linking we found that cultured cells also released
      two species of IGF binding protein (IGF-BP) of 33 kDa and 38 kDa. Northern blot
      analysis using homologous cDNA probes showed that astroglial cells expressed IGF
      BP2 and BP3, but little BP1. Both IGF I and II were mitogenic for astroglial
      cells, as was insulin at physiologic concentrations. Exogenous IGF-BP2 was able
      to modulate the mitogenic actions of exogenous IGF I. These two very different
      cell models show many similarities of endogenous growth control. Both release
      IGFs and IGF-BPs which regulate mitogenic rate. In addition, in both insulin
      functions as a growth factor at physiologic concentrations. These findings
      suggest common principles governing embryonic and fetal growth and development.
      Studies have shown that fetal and neonatal growth is independent of regulation by
      classic hormones (e.g. growth hormones) synthesized by the mother or the fetus.
      It is believed that embryonic and fetal growth is controlled by two major
      mechanisms, namely, (i) the genetic factors as determined by the embryonic and
      fetal genome, and (ii) the epigenetic and environmental factors that alter the
      expression of the embryonic or fetal genome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1865099
TI  - Infection control practices in gastrointestinal endoscopy in the United States: a
      national survey.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To ascertain current infection control practices, endoscope cleaning
      procedures, perceived risks of infection, and implementation of universal
      precautions in gastrointestinal endoscopy units in the United States. DESIGN:
      National mailed survey of gastroenterology nurses and associates conducted
      anonymously in March 1988. SETTING: Completed surveys were received from all 50
      states and Puerto Rico and from all practice settings. The most common practice
      setting was private/community hospitals (66%). PARTICIPANTS: Of the 4,952 survey
      forms mailed to all members and to interested nonmembers of the Society of
      Gastrointestinal Nurses and Associates, 2,158 (44%) were returned and 2,030 (41%)
      were completed and evaluable. Of the respondents, 1,487 (73%) were registered
      nurses. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent (n = 1,358) of the respondents routinely
      used an enzymatic cleaner as a step in the instrument decontamination process;
      93% (n = 1,879) chemically disinfected instruments after each case; and 88% (n =
      1,779) disinfected endoscopes with an aqueous glutaraldehyde product. Respondents
      reported that they and a significantly smaller proportion of physicians (p less
      than .001) employed barrier precautions for all endoscopic cases involving
      possible contact with blood/body fluids of patients known (66% versus 57%,
      respectively) and not known (12% versus 8%, respectively) to have a bloodborne
      infection. Endoscopy-related infections, usually bacterial, were reported to have
      occurred at their institutions by 6% (n = 116) of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: We
      conclude that cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization procedures for
      gastrointestinal endoscopic instruments vary, that appropriate protective apparel
      is not always worn, and that some practices may lead to preventable endoscopy
      related infection in patients.

PMID- 1865100
TI  - Investigations of intrinsic Pseudomonas cepacia contamination in commercially
      manufactured povidone-iodine.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Laboratory investigations were initiated with a povidone-iodine
      antiseptic solution that was intrinsically contaminated with Pseudomonas cepacia.
      These investigations were helpful in understanding the microbicidal and chemical
      properties of iodophor solutions and the mechanism by which P cepacia can survive
      in iodine-containing antiseptics. DESIGN: Included in these studies were:
      prolonged survival of P cepacia; available and free iodine determinations;
      microbial challenge studies; and scanning electron microscopic examination of
      contaminated antiseptic. RESULTS: P cepacia survived in this iodophor antiseptic
      up to 68 weeks from the date of manufacture. A uniform concentration of 1%
      available iodine was found in all lots of povidone-iodine tested as specified on
      the product label, but free iodine (I2) values varied greatly. Low free iodine
      levels of 0.23 to 0.46 ppm were associated with the contaminated lot of povidone
      iodine. Solutions of povidone-iodine with varying levels of free iodine were
      rapidly microbicidal when challenged with cells of P cepacia derived from culture
      broth and washed or adapted to growth in water. P cepacia cells taken directly
      from contaminated povidone-iodine survived for significantly longer periods of
      time. Large numbers of P cepacia were found embedded in extracellular material
      and among strands of glycocalyx between cells as shown by scanning electron
      microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The physical thickness of cellular and extracellular
      material that forms on surfaces could protect embedded organisms from the
      microbicidal action of disinfectants and antiseptics and subsequently allow for
      extended microbial survival times. Manufacturers should be aware that
      distribution piping surfaces colonized with bacteria may be a source of product
      contamination and resistant organisms.

PMID- 1865101
TI  - Epidemiology of isolation precautions.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate compliance with isolation precautions. DESIGN: A
      prospective observational study carried out during ten weeks of 1989.
      Participants were unaware of the study. SETTING: The isolation bay of a 24-bed
      surgical intensive care unit in a 900-bed university tertiary care facility.
      PARTICIPANTS: Study participants included any healthcare worker or visitor
      entering the patient room during designated 15-minute intervals. RESULTS: We
      observed 467 subjects entering patient rooms. Compliance with strict isolation
      (65%) was better than with wound/skin (40%) or excretion/secretion (36%)
      isolation (p less than .01). Visitors were more compliant than healthcare workers
      (88% versus 41%; p less than .01). Spending more time in the room was associated
      with improved compliance (p less than .01). Compliance was higher for subjects
      entering with a group compared with those entering alone (51% versus 41%; p less
      than .05). The compliance rate for nurses improved as the nurse/patient ratio
      improved (p = .14). Compliance was independent of severity of illness.
      Multivariate analysis revealed that the amount of time spent in the room, being a
      visitor, and use of strict isolation were independent predictors of compliance.
      CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance was widespread. When increased demands are placed on
      the time of physicians and nurses in the name of cost containment, unperceived
      consequences, such as those resulting from decreased compliance, must be
      considered.

PMID- 1865102
TI  - Emperor's clothing for the contemporary healthcare worker.

PMID- 1865103
TI  - Monitoring and evaluation.

PMID- 1865104
TI  - Epidemiologic typing systems for coagulase-negative staphylococci.

PMID- 1865105
TI  - Combination of in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to detect messenger
      RNAs in identified CNS neurons and glia in tissue culture.
AB  - We have developed a technique in which immunofluorescence is combined with in
      situ hybridization using cDNA and RNA probes to assess the expression and
      distribution of messenger RNAs (mRNA) by neurons and neuroglia in tissue cultures
      of the rat dentate gyrus. The probes used in this study include a cDNA probe for
      ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and an RNA probe (cRNA) for glial fibrillary acidic protein
      (GEAP), an intermediate filament protein subunit expressed by astrocytes in the
      central nervous system. Both ubiquitous (tubulin) and cell type-specific (MAP-2
      and GEAP) antibodies were used to identify neurons and neuroglia in culture.
      Using this procedure, the mRNA for rRNA was found in the cell bodies and large
      processes of MAP-2-positive neurons and throughout the cytoplasm of GEAP-positive
      flat astrocytes. In process-bearing astrocytes, GEAP mRNA is concentrated in the
      cell body, although some hybridization also occurred in astrocyte cell processes.
      With this combined in situ hybridization-immunofluorescence technique, the
      expression and distribution of an mRNA can be examined in different
      immunocytochemically identified cell types under identical culture and
      hybridization conditions. It is also possible to determine if there is a
      differential subcellular distribution of an mRNA in a single cell and if the
      distribution of the mRNA reflects the distribution of the protein itself.
      Finally, this technique can be utilized to verify the specificity of probes for
      cell type-specific mRNAs and to determine appropriate hybridization conditions to
      produce a specific signal.

PMID- 1865106
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor binding is a marker for extracellular
      neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease.
AB  - Neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are abnormal filamentous inclusions that develop in
      neurons in Alzheimer disease and other disorders. When neurons die, the
      neurofibrillary tangles that persist in the extracellular space show
      ultrastructural and antigenic changes. Both intra- and extracellular NFT have
      recently been shown to contain heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). HSPGs are
      also present in other amyloid deposits in the brain and in systemic amyloidoses.
      Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a heparin binding growth factor which is
      involved in angiogenesis and also has neurite promoting activity. We now report
      that bFGF binds avidly to extracellular NFT. Alz-50, a monoclonal antibody (MAb)
      to an abnormal form of tau and bFGF binding label mutually exclusive
      subpopulations of neurofibrillary tangles. bFGF binding is abolished by
      heparinase or heparitinase treatment and therefore is most likely based on the
      presence of HSPG. Binding of bFGF is a specific and sensitive morphological
      method to distinguish intra- from extracellular NFT. As intracellular NFT, which
      also contain HSPGs, are not labeled by bFGF binding, this finding also suggests
      that HSPGs are modified when the NFT become extracellular.

PMID- 1865107
TI  - Production and characterization of osteoclast-selective monoclonal antibodies
      that distinguish between multinucleated cells derived from different human
      tissues.
AB  - Osteoclastoma-derived giant cells were used to produce 11 mouse monoclonal
      antibodies (MAb) reactive against human osteoclasts on undecalcified sections of
      adult human bone. All exhibited unique reactivities across a wide range of human
      tissues. Three in particular demonstrated distinctive reactivities; C35 was
      highly selective for bone osteoclasts, C27 showed selective reactivity for
      osteoclasts, tissue macrophages and blood-borne monocytes, and C22 showed
      selective membrane staining of osteoclasts. Consequently, C22 was used to coat
      Dynabeads to affinity-purify viable human osteoclasts from osteoclastoma-derived
      cell suspensions. Immunocytochemical staining of inflammatory osteoarthritic
      synovium/granulation tissue demonstrated positivity in the majority of giant
      cells with MAb C22 and C27. In contrast, C35 reacted with only very occasional
      giant cells. Furthermore, multinucleated cells formed in long-term human bone
      marrow cultures demonstrated similar selective staining. C27 stained all giant
      cells and the majority of mononuclear cells. C22 detected only a small proportion
      of giant cells. In contrast to its staining on bone osteoclasts, C22 demonstrated
      granular cytoplasmic staining in cultured giant cells. C35 stained no cells at
      all in these cultures. These MAb can therefore distinguish between giant cells of
      various origins and authentic mature osteoclasts. Alternatively, they can
      recognize antigens expressed at different stages of osteoclast differentiation
      and therefore provide an excellent tool for the study of the human osteoclast
      lineage.

PMID- 1865108
TI  - Immunocytochemical demonstration of a pancreatic secretory protein of unknown
      function in human duodenum.
AB  - We have previously isolated from human pancreatic juice a secretory glycoprotein
      of 19 KD (P19), devoid of known enzymatic activity. P19 gave by proteolysis a
      protein of 14 KD (P14), at first named protein X and also called pancreatic
      thread protein or pancreatic stone protein. Specific rabbit immunosera prepared
      against P19 and P14 were applied to localize these proteins in human small
      intestine. By comparison, antibodies directed against some human pancreatic
      enzymes (amylase, lipase, chymotrypsin, trypsinogen 1, trypsinogen 2, and trypsin
      1) were also tested. Positive immunoreactivity was observed on Paneth cells with
      antisera directed against trypsinogens, trypsin 1, and P19-related proteins. In
      addition, antisera directed against P19-related proteins stained the columnar
      cells located in the crypts of Lieberkuhn. These original findings are a further
      indication of the resemblance between Paneth and pancreatic acinar cells but show
      that their functional analogy is only partial. On the other hand, the presence of
      P19-related proteins on non-mature columnar cells suggests that this differential
      distribution is a consequence of differentiation.

PMID- 1865109
TI  - R-phycoerythrin as a fluorescent label for immunolocalization of bound atrazine
      residues.
AB  - We established a highly sensitive immunofluorescence procedure for localizing
      bound atrazine in the aquatic macrophytes Elodea canadensis and E. densa. The
      technique included biotin-labeled anti-rabbit IgG as a first enhancement step and
      R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) coupled to streptavidin for fluorescent labeling as a
      second improvement on the procedure. A comparison with the conventional indirect
      immunofluorescence method confirmed the superior results of the R-PE approach.
      The use of atrazine-free plants (grown in charcoal-filtered water) and a variety
      of other controls excluded both contaminating atrazine and nonspecific incubation
      constituents as sources of tissue staining. Pre-incubations to block nonspecific
      binding sites proved to be unnecessary in this system. The highly sensitive
      procedure described here might be a useful tool for the localization of tissue
      bound pesticides in general and possibly of other haptens as well.

PMID- 1865111
TI  - Enhanced resolution of histochemical distribution of glucose-6-phosphate
      dehydrogenase activity in rat neural tissue by use of a semipermeable membrane.
AB  - We examined the histochemical distribution of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
      (G6PD) activity in neural tissue using different diffusion barriers. Although
      polyvinyl alcohol and agar overlays permitted regional localization of G6PD, a
      semipermeable membrane revealed cellular differences in G6PD activity within
      populations of neurons. Distribution of G6PD activity in selected regions of the
      nervous system was examined using the membrane technique. White matter usually
      exhibited strong G6PD activity. The neuronal somata of the dorsal root ganglia
      (L4-L6) and anterior horns of the spinal lumbar enlargement demonstrated a
      variation in activity which was independent of somal size. Satellite cells showed
      intense activity when the membrane technique was used. Hippocampal pyramidal and
      granular cells of the dentate gyrus exhibited moderate, uniform G6PD activity,
      but only weak activity was seen in hippocampal and dentate molecular layers. High
      levels of activity were observed in the vascular endothelial cells of the brain,
      spinal cord, and choroid plexus, and in the ependymal cells of the spinal central
      canal and ventricles of the brain. The superior vestibular nucleus appeared to
      have little G6PD activity in either the neuron cell bodies or the surrounding
      parenchyma. The use of a semipermeable membrane for localization of G6PD activity
      in neural tissues permits enhanced resolution of neuron elements and may provide
      a more accurate assessment of G6PD activity in histological preparations.

PMID- 1865110
TI  - Androgen receptor expression in human tissues: an immunohistochemical study.
AB  - The cellular localization of the human androgen receptor was visualized
      immunohistochemically using a mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) F39.4, directed
      against a fragment of the N-terminal domain of the androgen receptor. The nuclear
      immunoreactivity of various human tissues with F39.4 was generally consistent
      with earlier biochemical and autoradiographic data. However, previously suggested
      androgen receptor expression in thyroid, pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and
      bladder tissues was not confirmed immunohistochemically. Stratified squamous
      epithelia of vagina and cervix showed selective immunostaining of the basal cell
      layer, whereas in the preputial epithelium the intensity of immunoreactivity
      decreased gradually with maturation. In contrast, glandular epithelia of the
      sweat glands, male accessory sex organs, and female breast showed nearly
      exclusive F39.4 staining of the inner cylindric layer. In the testis, Sertoli
      cells, peritubular myoid cells, and interstitial cells were immunoreactive with
      MAb F39.4. Expression of the androgen receptor by smooth muscle tissue was
      largely confined to the male reproductive organs. The specificity and sensitivity
      of this simple and rapidly performed immunohistochemical technique in the
      detection of the human androgen receptor at the cellular and subcellular level
      makes it worthwhile to study tissue androgen receptor expression by
      immunohistochemistry in physiological and pathological states.

PMID- 1865112
TI  - Quantitative immunocytochemistry of rat submandibular secretory proteins during
      chronic isoproterenol administration and recovery.
AB  - We utilized quantitative electron microscopic immunogold labeling procedures to
      follow changes in the intragranular content of five secretory proteins of the rat
      submandibular gland (SMG) during and after chronic treatment with the beta
      adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (IPR). Labeling intensities (gold
      particles/microns2) of acinar cell secretory granules for mucin and
      glutamine/glutamic acid-rich proteins, major secretory proteins of the normal
      SMG, showed opposite responses to IPR. Labeling intensities increased for mucin
      and decreased for glutamine/glutamic acid-rich proteins immediately after IPR
      injections began, then rapidly returned to control levels after cessation of IPR
      treatment. SMG Protein C immunoreactivity, found in both acinar and intercalated
      duct granules, was less affected by IPR. However, opposite changes in labeling
      intensity were observed between acinar and intercalated duct granules. Labeling
      intensities for proline-rich proteins, IPR-inducible secretory proteins,
      increased only after 10 days of stimulation and maintained a high level even
      after cessation of drug treatment. Type 2 cystatin, another IPR-inducible
      protein, increased gradually with chronic IPR treatment and decreased slowly
      during the recovery phase. These results suggest that chronic beta-adrenergic
      stimulation affects the expression of genes for several rat SMG secretory
      proteins in a different manner.

PMID- 1865113
TI  - Immunohistochemical characterization of a crypt cell-specific plasma membrane
      protein in rat small intestine epithelium using a monoclonal antibody.
AB  - Proteins of the basolateral membrane (BLM) of small intestine epithelial cells of
      adult rats, in the MW ranges of 50-65 KD, 85-100 KD, and over 100 KD, were
      obtained as follows. After isolation of the BLM and subsequent SDS-PAGE and
      transblotting of the proteins on nitrocellulose sheets, the bands in these MW
      ranges were cut out of the nitrocellulose sheet and extracted. Balb/C mice were
      immunized with these protein fractions and a monoclonal antibody (MAb) was then
      produced. MAb SI/CC1 obtained via immunization with the 50-65 KD protein fraction
      shows specificity for the crypt epithelium of the small intestine. It can be used
      to characterize, by light and electron microscopic immunohistochemical methods, a
      crypt cell protein (SI/CC1-Ag) with a very specific localization. Fluorescence
      labeling shows that the SI/CC1-Ag can be found only in the epithelium of small
      intestine crypts (except for the granules in eosinophilic granulocytes). The
      epithelium of the colon, as well as the epithelia of other organs, could not be
      labeled. In the small intestine crypts, SI/CC1-Ag is found only in the Paneth
      cells located in the basal crypt section, and in the undifferentiated cells in
      the middle crypt section; it is lacking in the cells of the upper crypt section.
      Gold labeling shows that SI/CC1-Ag in the undifferentiated cells is localized
      exclusively in the basolateral PM domain. On the Paneth cells, the content of the
      secretory granules is labeled, along with the basolateral PM domain; the labeling
      sometimes present on their luminal part is probably due to passively absorbed
      secretion from these cells. The SI/CC1-Ag in the BLM of undifferentiated and
      Paneth cells is found only on Days 21-23 post partum, whereas the Paneth cell
      granules could be labeled as early as the Day 16 post partum. With
      immunodetection with SI/CC1, one band at about 55 KD is specifically labeled in
      the protein pattern of the isolated small intestine cell BLM. In the protein
      pattern of the isolated crypt cells two bands were labeled, again one at 55 KD
      and one at about 120 KD. These findings indicate that SI/CC1-Ag is a 55 KD
      protein that appears on Days 21-23 post partum in the BLM of undifferentiated
      cells and of Paneth cells.

PMID- 1865114
TI  - Antibodies to tubulin and actin bind to the surface of a human monocytic cell
      line, U937.
AB  - Intermittent reports of cytoskeleton proteins (actin and tubulin) on the cell
      surface have appeared over the last 13 years. Whereas most have concentrated on
      lymphocytes, this study provides evidence for the presence of these proteins on
      the surface of a human cultured monocyte-like cell line, U937. Both actin and
      tubulin were detected on the surface of U937 cells by flow cytometry, using an
      indirect staining procedure based on biotin-streptavidin-phycoerythrin, chosen
      for greater sensitivity. By use of this procedure, the majority of viable
      unstimulated U937 cells stained positively for actin and tubulin, although the
      level of fluorescence intensity was low. With an antibody specific for tyrosine
      tubulin, most of the surface tubulin was also found to be tyrosinylated. For
      vimentin, an intermediate filament protein abundantly present in the cytoplasm of
      U937 cells, no staining could be detected. Confirmation of the flow cytometry
      data for surface actin and tubulin on unstimulated U937 cells was achieved by
      direct vesualization using a confocal laser scanning microscope. When U937 cells
      were activated with PMA and LPS, a marked reduction in the level of cell surface
      actin and tubulin occurred. The role of cell surface actin and tubulin on
      unstimulated U937 cells, in terms of monocyte function, remains to be elucidated.

PMID- 1865115
TI  - Conjugate formation in urea: coupling of insoluble peptides to alkaline
      phosphatase for ELISA and in situ detection of antibody-forming cells.
AB  - We report here a new method to produce synthetic peptide/alkaline phosphatase
      (AP) conjugates in the presence of urea. The method allows the use of peptides
      that are not soluble to a sufficient degree in aqueous buffers. The presence of 8
      M urea during the construction of the synthetic peptide/AP conjugates does not
      influence enzyme activity nor the affinity of the anti-peptide antibodies for the
      conjugated peptide. We demonstrate that these synthetic peptide/AP conjugates can
      be used for detection of specific antipeptide antibody-forming cells (AFC) in
      vivo. This method for constructing enzyme conjugates with insoluble proteins or
      peptides suggest not only new possibilities for detection of specific AFC in vivo
      but also for applications in receptor-ligand studies, ELISA (enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay), and spot ELISA for detection of antibody-secreting cells in
      vitro.

PMID- 1865116
TI  - Assays for transforming growth factor beta.

PMID- 1865117
TI  - Freezing of cells--replacement of serum by oxypolygelatine.
AB  - A commercially available plasma expander (Gelifundol) containing 5.5%
      oxypolygelatine in buffered saline was used instead of serum as a supplement for
      freezing several types of human cell and a mouse myeloma cell line in liquid
      nitrogen. Viability, recovery, proliferation and cytotoxic activity were compared
      after freezing with a plasma expander and after conventional freezing with human
      AB serum or fetal calf serum. The plasma expander proved to be equivalent or
      superior to AB serum by all parameters tested and acceptable even when compared
      with fetal calf serum. Furthermore, this preparation is cheap, sterile, free of
      BSE, viral and mycoplasmal contamination or antibodies and foreign serum
      proteins. We therefore recommend it for freezing of cells for culture of HLA
      typing.

PMID- 1865118
TI  - A rapid and simple method for the preparation of a monospecific antibody to ovine
      haptoglobin.
AB  - Antisera specific to ovine haptoglobin were obtained by the immunization of
      rabbits with their own insolubilized haemoglobin after it had been allowed to
      react with a pool of haptoglobin-rich ovine serum. This method exploits the
      unique property of haptoglobin to bind with great specificity and affinity to
      both homologous and heterologous haemoglobin. The procedure is rapid, simple,
      inexpensive and could be readily applied to the production of antisera against
      the haptoglobins of other species.

PMID- 1865119
TI  - Production of monoclonal antibody against granulomonopoietic enhancing activity
      (GM-EA).
AB  - The granulomonopoietic enhancing activity (GM-EA) is a novel myelopoietic
      synergizing factor which acts as an enhancing factor for the proliferation and/or
      maturation of myelopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-GM) in combination with various
      types of colony-stimulating factors. In the present study, we report the
      production of a mouse anti-human GM-EA monoclonal antibody (mAb) designated 63A
      which is of the IgG1 subclass and has kappa light chains. This mAb can be used to
      quantitate GM-EA using a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA)
      and is shown to have no cross-reaction with other myeloid synergizing factors.
      Furthermore, 63A mAb can significantly neutralize the colony-enhancing activity
      of GM-EA when added to CFU-GM assay cultures. In addition to being a convenient
      tool for the assay of GM-EA, 63A mAb may also be valuable for the exploration of
      the full potential of this enhancing factor in myelopoiesis.

PMID- 1865120
TI  - Cell mediated cytotoxicity against U 937 cells by human monocytes and macrophages
      in a modified colorimetric MTT assay. A methodological study.
AB  - The colorimetric MTT assay based on the selective ability of living cells to
      reduce 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide into
      formazan was adapted for measuring antibody independent monocyte mediated
      cytotoxicity. In view of the suggested application of adoptive immunotherapy we
      studied the anti leukaemic effects of activated human monocytes and macrophages
      against U 937 cells in vitro. Purified monocytes (greater than 98%) isolated by
      centrifugal elutriation and activated with interferon-gamma (IFN) were incubated
      with U 937 cells for 24 h at effector-to-target cell ratios (E/T) of 0.1-10. We
      assayed cytotoxicity by relating the optical density (OD) of residual
      metabolically active U 937 cells after exposure to effector cells to the OD of
      the initially inoculated U 937 cells. MTT reduction of effector cells was
      dependent on monocyte activation and differentiation into macrophages but did not
      interfere with the target cell signal up to an E/T ratio of 10. Improved signals
      could be obtained by dissolving formazan in DMSO with the addition of glycine
      instead of using propanol as solvent. Maximum cytostasis (95%, conventional [3H]
      incorporation assay) and cytotoxicity (80%, modified MTT assay) was reached with
      IFN activated monocytes at an E/T ratio of 10. In conclusion these data show that
      the modified MTT assay is a useful method of measuring monocyte mediated
      cytotoxicity in a sensitive, rapid, semi-automatic manner without the use of
      radioactive isotopes.

PMID- 1865121
TI  - A versatile dot-ELISA method with femtomole sensitivity for detecting small
      peptides.
AB  - Several protocols for conjugating peptides in situ to a protein carrier on paper,
      nitrocellulose, or nylon membranes were explored for their usefulness in dot
      ELISA detection of the peptides. The most sensitive method in which peptide
      diluted in bovine serum albumin is applied to nitrocellulose, then fixed with
      glutaraldehyde, can detect several peptides, ranging from 4 to 38 amino acids in
      length, at the level of 2-10 fmol. Both immunohistochemical grade antisera and
      monoclonal antibodies have been used successfully. The method may be a useful
      alternative to radioimmunoassay since there is no requirement for radiolabelled
      peptide, or (for quantitation) for known quantities of unlabelled peptide. The
      method has been used to monitor, semiquantitatively, the fractionation of
      FMRFamide-like or CCK-like peptides from the nematode Ascaris, and to detect
      peptide-like immunoreactivities in tissue extracts.

PMID- 1865122
TI  - Methods for the detection of anti-endothelial antibodies by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay.
AB  - In order to obtain a routine simple screening test for the detection of anti
      endothelial antibodies (AEA) we developed a highly reproducible and sensitive
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on fixed endothelial hybridoma cells.
      Detection of AEA with this type of monolayer appeared to be superior to ELISAs
      with monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, unfixed endothelial
      hybridoma cells or assays with membranes of endothelial cells. Glutaraldehyde
      treated endothelial hybridoma cells are most appropriate for use in ELISA
      procedures to detect AEA because the endothelial hybridoma cells are easy to
      culture, form a constant antigenic source and when plated and fixed to microtitre
      plates they can be stored without losing their ability to bind AEA.

PMID- 1865123
TI  - Efficient gene transfer and expression in primary B lymphocytes.
AB  - In this study we have used a panel of vectors expressing the chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene under the control of different regulatory
      elements to optimize gene transfer and expression in primary B lymphocytes. The
      Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat (MoMLV LTR) and the SV40 early
      region promoters, while functional in transfected plasmacytoma cell lines, did
      not give rise to detectable CAT activity following transfection into primary
      activated mouse or human B lymphocytes. In contrast, the human cytomegalovirus
      immediate-early (HCMV-IE) enhancer/promoter functioned in both established and
      primary B cells. The highest expression levels in the primary cells were obtained
      with vectors containing the Adenovirus 2 major late promoter or the HCMV-IE
      enhancer/promoter in combination with the Adenovirus 2 tripartite leader and VA
      genes. These latter expression cassettes were placed in a retroviral vector with
      the aim of combining their capacity for high-level gene expression with the
      efficient stable gene transfer afforded by retroviral infection. Several
      retroviral constructs were made, some of which were able to generate high virus
      titers. However all of these underwent deletions during the process of retroviral
      infection, as judged by Southern analysis of infected cells, indicating that they
      were not optimal gene transfer vectors. The HCMV enhancer/promoter, which was the
      most active of the other expression cassettes tested in the primary B cells, was
      inserted into a retroviral vector which also expressed the hph gene under the
      transcriptional control of the retroviral LTR. This vector did not undergo
      rearrangement during the process of retroviral infection, as judged by Southern
      analysis. The CAT gene was inserted downstream of the HCMV promoter in this
      vector, and a high-titer retroviral stock was generated. Primary B lymphocytes
      infected with this vector gave high levels of CAT activity, under conditions in
      which parallel experiments with the hph drug resistance marker showed that one in
      20 of the cells were infected. These experiments demonstrate efficient gene
      transfer and expression in primary B lymphocytes in vitro.

PMID- 1865124
TI  - Mannan-binding protein in human liver.
AB  - Mannan-binding protein (MBP) is a Ca(2+)-dependent lectin which was first
      described in 1978 in rabbit liver, and subsequently in serum and liver tissue
      from humans and a range of animal species. MBP structurally resembles C1q, and
      may act both as a focus for complement activation on the surface of
      microorganisms and as an opsonin in its own right. Low serum levels of serum MBP
      have been described in a group of children known to suffer from severe recurrent
      infections. MBP has also been reported to behave as an acute phase reactant. This
      preliminary study has investigated the localisation of MBP in human tissues using
      material obtained both at post mortem and from diagnostic liver biopsies. Using
      the IgG fraction of rabbit anti-human MBP, immunoperoxidase staining showed no
      evidence of significant MBP in a wide range of normal tissues, including liver
      taken both at post mortem and needle biopsy. However, there was a significant
      degree of staining for MBP in liver biopsies showing a variety of different
      pathologies, in particular severely damaged alcoholic livers, and those
      harbouring metastatic tumour. Moderate degrees of staining were also seen in
      liver biopsies from patients suffering from chronic biliary disease. It is
      uncertain whether this localisation of MBP in abnormal liver is an acute phase
      response, or represents a more fundamental link with liver disease. This question
      could be the focus for future studies.

PMID- 1865125
TI  - Production, characterisation and use of monoclonal antibodies to human
      interleukin-5 in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
AB  - Two mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against recombinant human interleukin
      5(rhIL-5) have been produced, characterised and purified. Both are IgG1
      antibodies and neutralised the activity of rhIL-5 in the B13 assay. Neither Mab
      cross-reacted with mouse IL-5. A two-site sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA) was developed with different combinations of the mouse Mabs and
      also a rat anti-mouse IL-5 Mab, TRFK5, which also has activity against rhIL-5.
      The most sensitive assay, with a lower detection limit of 0.5 ng/ml IL-5, used
      TRFK5 as the capture antibody and the mouse anti-human IL-5 Mab as second
      antibody. The sensitivity of this assay was increased by an enhanced
      chemiluminescent reagent and resulted in a lower limit of detection around 40
      pg/ml IL-5.

PMID- 1865126
TI  - Eosinophil protein X/eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EPX/EDN). Detection by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay and purification from normal human urine.
AB  - Eosinophil protein X/eosinophil derived neurotoxin (EPX/EDN) is one of the
      cationic proteins found in the granules of the human eosinophilic granulocytes.
      EPX was purified from extracts of granules isolated from blood buffy coat cells
      of healthy donors. Polyclonal anti-EPX antibodies were subsequently raised in
      rabbits. The anti-EPX-antibodies raised in rabbits showed no reactivity with
      other proteins in the granule extract. The sandwich ELISA utilized the
      biotin/avidin amplification system and measured EPX over the range of 60-2000
      pg/ml. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 6.5% and 8.2%,
      respectively, and the mean recoveries of 25 and 50 pg of purified EPX added to
      diluted serum samples were 106 +/- 16% (mean +/- SD; n = 12) and 112 +/- 14%,
      respectively. Using this assay we found high amounts of EPX in normal human urine
      (U-EPX). U-EPX was purified by a two step procedure involving affinity
      chromatography on heparin Sepharose and size exclusion chromatography on Sephadex
      G-50 superfine. Extracted EPX and U-EPX had ribonuclease activity and comigrated
      on agarose electrophoresis. They also showed immunological identity when
      evaluated with rabbit anti-EPX antibodies, but they differed slightly on SDS-PAGE
      probably due to differences in glycosylation. Our results support the findings
      that EPX/EDN is identical to a nonsecretory ribonuclease isolated from urine.

PMID- 1865127
TI  - [Structure and function of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor].

PMID- 1865128
TI  - [The sec genes of Escherichia coli].

PMID- 1865129
TI  - Functional role of CD44 (Pgp-1) on activated B cells.

PMID- 1865130
TI  - Molecular genetics, structure, and function of C-reactive protein.

PMID- 1865131
TI  - Peptide presentation by class-I major histocompatibility complex molecules.
AB  - MHC class-I molecules express distinct peptide-binding pockets within their
      antigen-binding groove. These are critically involved in the binding of antigenic
      peptides. The amino acid composition of a pocket dictates the structure of a
      peptide which can be bound in it. This is evident as a consensus amino acid motif
      which has to exist within a peptide in order for it to bind to a particular MHC
      allele. Perturbation of a MHC pocket by amino acid substitution can result in the
      abolition of peptide binding. Less drastic mutations of the peptide-binding
      groove, particularly the ones away from the critical pocket, can subtly alter the
      conformation of bound peptide. Both types of substitution exert an influence on
      the TCR recognition of antigenic peptide. Peptides are also critically involved
      in the positive selection of the class-I-restricted TCR repertoire in the thymus.
      These self peptides act by mimicking their foreign antigens. This mimicking
      involves the binding of self peptides and foreign antigenic peptides to the same
      pockets of the MHC class-I-antigen binding groove. Consequently, MHC class-I
      polymorphism in the antigen binding groove controls the intrathymic positive
      selection and peripheral antigen presentation by the same mechanisms. The
      majority of positively selecting self peptides could well originate from the
      extracellular processing of circulating self proteins. Using the diverse,
      extracellularly generated self peptides and the different determinant density
      requirements for positive versus negative selection, the immune system can ensure
      the repertoire diversity, avoiding both the massive clonal deletion of the
      selected repertoire and the autoreactivity of its T cells.

PMID- 1865134
TI  - [Bed-side approach to water and electrolyte metabolism disorders].

PMID- 1865133
TI  - Direct tolerance induction in mature B lymphocytes may resemble clonal anergy
      phenomenon.
AB  - Several mechanisms have been postulated for direct induction of B-cell tolerance
      in mature B cells, such as the Bretscher and Cohn [5] hypothesis which states
      that an antigenic signal to B cells without the 'second signal' provided by T
      cells or lymphokines produces unresponsiveness. A second explanation is that
      tolerogens which cross-link immunoglobulin and Fc receptors abort the biochemical
      activation of the B cell via the phosphatidyl inositol pathway. Results of our
      studies are not consistent with either of these hypotheses. We speculated that
      DNP-MGG induces immunoglobulin receptor capping and internalization in mature B
      cells, but a suppressive signal is given to the B cell when DNP-MGG is present at
      the time of antigen receptor reexpression in a fashion similar to clonal anergy.
      The studies reported here test this hypothesis as a possible additional mechanism
      of direct B-cell tolerance. When pure DNP-specific B cells were incubated for 6 h
      with DNP-MGG in the presence of lymphokine-rich EL-4 supernatant, an immune
      response was induced; but 48 h preincubation with DNP-MGG in the presence of
      lymphokines induced tolerance. If B-cell cultures were preincubated with DNP-MGG
      for 6 h followed by a 24-hour incubation without conjugate and DNP-MGG was then
      added for the third preincubation period of 18 h (at a time when receptors are
      being reexpressed), tolerance was induced. Substitution of DNP-Ficoll antigen for
      DNP-MGG in either the first or third time period did not result in tolerance
      induction but substituting DNP-KLH during either of these two periods did result
      in tolerance.

PMID- 1865135
TI  - [Hypernatremia and hyponatremia].

PMID- 1865132
TI  - Heat shock proteins and immune responses: an early view.

PMID- 1865136
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of water metabolism disorders].

PMID- 1865137
TI  - [Hyperkalemia and hypokalemia].

PMID- 1865138
TI  - [Hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia].

PMID- 1865139
TI  - [Hypophosphatemia and hyperphosphatemia].

PMID- 1865140
TI  - [Magnesium metabolism disorders].

PMID- 1865141
TI  - [Metabolic disorders of trace elements].

PMID- 1865142
TI  - [Adverse effect of various drugs on electrolyte metabolism].

PMID- 1865143
TI  - [Necessary knowledge for understanding of acid-base equilibrium].

PMID- 1865144
TI  - [Diagnosis and classification of renal tubular acidosis].

PMID- 1865145
TI  - [Cautions for administration of diuretics in the therapy of water-electrolyte
      imbalance].

PMID- 1865146
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of water-electrolyte imbalance].

PMID- 1865147
TI  - [Three cases of anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome due to SLE].

PMID- 1865148
TI  - [A case of chondrosarcoma of femur forming tumor embolism in the left heart
      atrium].

PMID- 1865149
TI  - [A case of IGA nephropathy complicated with membranous nephropathy].

PMID- 1865150
TI  - [A case of Basedow's disease with thiamazole and propylthiouracil-induced
      thrombocytopenia].

PMID- 1865151
TI  - [Multiple organ failure during digestive disease surgery].

PMID- 1865152
TI  - [Tumor-related genes].

PMID- 1865153
TI  - Correlative light and electron microscopic observations on ectopic neurons in the
      cerebellum of dreher mutant mouse.
AB  - The structure of ectopic neurons in the cerebellum of dreher mutant mouse was
      investigated by correlative light and electron microscopic observations. Tissue
      blocks were fixed in buffered aldehyde and embedded in a mixture of 2
      hydroxypropyl methacrylate, Quetol 523, and methyl methacrylate. Sections at 0.4
      0.5 microns in thickness were examined by electron microscopy after observation
      under a light microscope. By comparing the electron images with those of light
      microscopy in the same sites, the structures of ectopic cells were confirmed.
      Ectopic Purkinje cells were arranged with cell bodies that contained an oval,
      spherical or wrinkled nucleus without deep invagination and the thin layers of
      endoplasmic reticulum at the perinuclear regions. Granule cells were ectopically
      matured in the external granular layer and within the cluster at the cortical
      region. This method provides a useful procedure for understanding structures of
      the cerebellar neurons of the mutant.

PMID- 1865154
TI  - Mineral content of the innermost enamel in erupted human teeth.
AB  - It has been said that the innermost enamel of erupted human teeth is either a
      hyper- or a hypomineralized layer. Using SEM-EDX, in the present study, the Ca
      and P mineral contents of the innermost 10-15 microns enamel showing a highly
      negative birefringence (IE-I) were analyzed and compared with those of the
      adjacent inner enamel (IE-II) in each cuspal-third, mid-coronal, and cervical
      third region. The Ca content in the IE-I zone was significantly lower than that
      in the IE-II zone in the mid-coronal and cervical-third regions, whereas the
      significant difference of P content was seen only in the cervical-third region.
      In the other areas, the IE-I zone tended to be lower than the IE-II zone. These
      significant and no significant differences of Ca and P contents may be due to the
      difference in the amount of organic substance in the IE-II zone of the three
      regions, and that of these mineralization rates after eruption of a tooth.

PMID- 1865155
TI  - Association of cytoskeletons with the Golgi apparatus: three-dimensional
      observation and computer-graphic reconstruction.
AB  - The association of cytoskeletons with the Golgi apparatus (GA) in cultured 3Y1
      cells was investigated by stereo electron microscopy of thick sections and
      computer-graphic reconstruction of serial thin sections. The 3-dimensional
      analysis has demonstrated that: 1) both microtubules (MT) and vimentin
      intermediate filaments (IF) were abundantly present in close vicinity to GA, and
      some of them were closely associated with GA; and 2) such GA-associated
      cytoskeletons were attached to GA either at their termini or at their lateral
      side. The present observations suggest that both MT and vimentin IF are
      responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of GA.

PMID- 1865156
TI  - Venous microvasculature of the pineal body and choroid plexus in the rat.
AB  - Rats were perfused from aorta with Ringer's solution and with Karnovsky's
      fixative, and injected from the right atrium with Mercox resin. Specimens were
      properly taken, observed under LM, TEM, SEM, and stereo-photographed. Fenestrated
      endothelial cells of the pineal capillary were observed to contain plenty of
      microtubules running parallel to the long axis of the vessel. The endothelial
      basal lamina appeared anchored by microfibrils onto fine collagen fibrils and
      onto the basal lamina of the perivascular cells. These findings indicate
      resistance of the capillary endothelium against compression by perivascular
      hydrostatic pressure, and strongly suggest that the perivascular cerebrospinal
      fluid is absorbed into the capillary lumen. Resin cast of the pineal venous
      system looked like a glomerule with two longer collecting veins on the ventral
      surface and with shorter ones on the dorsal side all emptying into the straight
      sinus and the confluence of sinuses. Resin cast of the choroid plexus venous
      system tended to lobulate and looked like a vine with a spiral collecting vein
      emptying into the great vein. Two veins were found connecting the great vein to
      the confluence and to the transverse sinuses. These could be effective
      collaterals in case of occlusion of Galen's vein.

PMID- 1865157
TI  - The three-dimensional structure of the clear zone of a cultured osteoclast.
AB  - Osteoclasts collected from long bones of newborn mice were cultured on dentine
      slices. Then, osteoclasts were sectioned by alternating semithin and ultrathin
      sections, and the three-dimensional reconstruction was made by the serial
      semithin sections. By this method, the present study showed first the three
      dimensional structure of an osteoclast, especially the clear zone. A
      reconstructed osteoclast with complicated contours shifted from the lacuna, and
      its clear zone was a ring-shaped structure. By TEM, a new small lacuna was formed
      under the ruffled border, and the clear zone could be further classified into
      three types. The present study suggested that the synthetic observations of both
      three-dimensional structure and ultrastructure by transmission electron
      microscopy were necessary to determine whether the osteoclast was resorbing or
      migrating. According to these observations, the reconstructed osteoclast seemed
      to be migrating.

PMID- 1865158
TI  - Three-dimensional reconstruction of goblet cells in the rabbit conjunctivum.
AB  - Goblet cells in the rabbit bulbar conjunctivum were not real "goblet," but were
      variable in shape. The diversity of the morphology became evident by means of
      computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction. All of the cells reconstructed
      (N = 5) were in touch with the basal lamina, and were open to the epithelial
      surface. Their cytoplasm was filled with secretory granules (about 71% of the
      cellular volume, in average), while the nucleus occupied only 5.3%.

PMID- 1865159
TI  - Intensified conventional insulin treatment retards the microvascular
      complications of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM): the Stockholm
      Diabetes Intervention Study (SDIS) after 5 years.
AB  - Ninety-six patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non
      proliferative retinopathy were randomized to intensified conventional treatment
      (ICT) (n = 44) or regular treatment (RT) (n = 52), and followed up for 5 years.
      HbA1c decreased from 9.5 +/- 0.2% (mean value +/- SEM) to 7.2 +/- 0.1% in the ICT
      group, and from 9.4 +/- 0.2% to 8.7 +/- 0.1% in the RT group (difference between
      the groups, P less than 0.001). Retinopathy increased in both groups (P less than
      0.001), but after 5 years it was worse in the RT group (P less than 0.05). The
      urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in the RT group than in the ICT group
      after 5 years (239.9 +/- 129.7 micrograms min-1 vs. 46.0 +/- 26.1 micrograms min
      1, P less than 0.05). Eight RT patients developed manifest nephropathy, compared
      with none in the ICT group (P less than 0.01). After 5 years the conduction
      velocities of the sural (P less than 0.05), peroneal (P less than 0.01) and
      tibial (P less than 0.001) nerves were lower in the RT group. The respiratory
      sinus arrhythmia was 12.1 +/- 1.2 beats min-1 in the RT group and 16.7 +/- 1.4
      beats min-1 in the ICT group at the end of the study (P less than 0.01). The
      increases in retinopathy (P less than 0.01), nephropathy (P less than 0.01) and
      neuropathy (P less than 0.001) were all related to the mean HbA1c value during
      the study. Smoking habits only influenced the progression of retinopathy (P less
      than 0.05). Serious hypoglycaemia occurred in 34 ICT patients and 29 RT patients
      (242 and 98 episodes, respectively) (P less than 0.05). Whereas weight was stable
      in the RT group, the body mass index increased by 5.8% in the ICT group (P less
      than 0.01). In conclusion, microvascular complications of diabetes were retarded
      by intensified conventional insulin treatment. However, such treatment increased
      the frequency of serious hypoglycaemia, and led to an increase in body weight.

PMID- 1865160
TI  - Thalassaemia trait and myocardial infarction: low infarction incidence in male
      subjects confirmed.
AB  - A total of 4401 subjects admitted to the Medical Division of St Camillo Hospital
      in Comacchio (Ferrara, Italy) over a period of 7 years were prospectively
      evaluated in order to determine whether the heterozygous beta-thalassaemic (HBT)
      could be considered as a protective factor against the occurrence of acute
      myocardial infarction (AMI). Of the total patient sample, 3954 subjects were non
      beta-thalasaemics (NBTs), and 447 subjects were heterozygous beta-thalassaemics
      (HBTs). AMI was diagnosed in 384 patients, of whom 17 individuals were HBTs and
      367 subjects were NBTs. The prevalence of HBTs in this group was significantly
      lower than expected (4.43%, P less than 0.0001). Furthermore, an analysis by sex
      showed that this lower prevalence could be attributed to male patients. Moreover,
      only in male subjects was a significant negative correlation observed between AMI
      and HBT. The mean age at which AMI occurred in male HBTs was significantly higher
      than in male NBTs (72 +/- 2.69 vs. 63 +/- 0.7 years, P less than 0.05), while no
      differences were found in the mean age at which AMI occurred between HBT and NBT
      female subjects. This study demonstrates that the thalassaemic trait may afford
      some protection against the occurrence of AMI in men.

PMID- 1865161
TI  - Sinemet (CR4): an open-label study in moderately severe Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Almost all patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease respond to levodopa and
      progress steadily, requiring an increased overall dosage with time. Sinemet CR4
      offers a theoretically attractive method of achieving gradual sustained release
      of levodopa over time which may be more physiological to striatal dopamine
      receptors in the early stages of the disease. This study evaluated 20 patients
      with moderate to severe Parkinson's disease who were treated with Sinemet CR4
      over a 1-year period. Eleven patients completed the full year on therapy, and
      nine subjects withdrew. Of the withdrawals, two subjects died from non
      Parkinson's disease-related illness, three showed no therapeutic benefit, and
      four responded well for a minimal 6-month period, but then lost therapeutic
      benefit and developed more severe dystonias. A higher overall levodopa dosage was
      required by all patients, and side-effects of levodopa were still present in most
      patients. However, the nocturnal benefit of this long-acting preparation was
      observed by all the patients in the study. Slow onset of action of Sinemet CR4
      resulted in early-morning immobility. Sinemet CR4 cannot replace standard
      Sinemet, but appears to be a useful form of adjunct therapy in selected patients.

PMID- 1865162
TI  - Excess mortality in giant cell arteritis.
AB  - A 13-year departmental sample of 34 patients with definite (biopsy-verified)
      giant cell arteritis (GCA) was reviewed. The mortality of this material was
      compared to sex-, age- and time-specific death rates in the Danish population.
      The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 1.8 (95% confidence limits, 1.1-2.8).
      During the same period 146 patients with probable (not biopsied, but clinically
      diagnosed in the department) GCA and 85 cases of possible (diagnosed and treated
      before admission) GCA had been admitted to the department. Those two groups did
      not differ from the biopsy-verified group with respect to SMR, sex distribution
      or age. In the group of patients with department-diagnosed GCA (definite +
      probable = 180 patients), the 95% confidence interval for the SMR of the women
      included 1.0. In all other subgroups there was a significant excess mortality.
      Excess mortality has been found in two of seven previous studies on survival in
      GCA. The prevailing opinion that steroid-treated GCA does not affect the life
      expectancy of patients is probably not correct.

PMID- 1865163
TI  - Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in morbidly obese patients.
AB  - Twenty-seven morbidly obese patients (13 men and 14 women) with body mass index
      greater than or equal to 40 kg m-2 were examined. The mean age of the subjects
      was 36.9 +/- 8.2 years (range 23-51 years), and the mean BMI was 50.2 +/- 6.2 kg
      m-2 (range 40.0-62.9 kg m-2). A whole-night sleep recording was made for all
      patients with signs or symptoms indicative of possible obstructive sleep apnoea
      syndrome (OSAS). If the first nocturnal sleep recording was abnormal, it was
      controlled after 1 year. Eleven (10 men and one woman) of the 27 patients had an
      oxygen desaturation index (ODI) of 10 h-1. They were symptomatic with excessive
      daytime sleepiness or other daytime symptoms of OSAS. The occurrence of OSAS in
      men and women was 76.9 and 7.1%, respectively. Arterial hypertension was
      associated with OSAS, but not with smoking or the degree of obesity.
      Antihypertensive treatment was received by nine of the 27 patients; six of them
      had OSAS. Thus six of the 11 (54.5%) patients with OSAS and three of the 16
      (18.8%) nonapnoeic patients were treated for arterial hypertension (Fisher exact
      test, P = 0.042). The odds ratio of OSAS for arterial hypertension is 5.2 (95%
      CI, 0.71-43.6). Vertical-banded gastroplasty was performed in 14 patients, three
      of whom had OSAS. The selection of patients for gastroplasty was made without
      taking into account the results of sleep recordings. In the three OSAS patients,
      a 30-38% reduction in BMI was achieved by surgery. Eight patients with OSAS were
      treated with an intensified dietary regimen, and the reduction in BMI ranged from
      -2.6 to 33%. OSAS was either cured or significantly improved in six (55%)
      patients, with a mean reduction in BMI of 27%, while in patients with persistent
      OSAS the mean reduction in BMI was only 7%.

PMID- 1865164
TI  - Serum lipid and apolipoprotein levels in non-hypertensive lean NIDDM patients.
AB  - To determine the possible role of a glycaemic control in lipid metabolism in non
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients, serum lipid and
      apolipoprotein levels were measured in well-controlled and poorly controlled lean
      NIDDM without proteinuria and hypertension. A sample of 96 lean NIDDM patients
      (body mass index less than 25 kg m-2 in men and less than 27 kg m-2 in women)
      were divided into two groups: group I, where the HbA1c concentration had been
      less than 6% for the previous 3 months, and group II, where the HbA1c
      concentration had been greater than 8% for the previous 3 months. Serum total
      cholesterol, triglyceride, and HDL-cholesterol levels showed no significant
      differences between groups I and II. Furthermore, serum levels of apolipoproteins
      AI, AII, B, CII, CIII, and E did not differ significantly between groups I and
      II. These results suggest that glycaemic control did not influence lipid
      metabolism in lean NIDDM patients.

PMID- 1865165
TI  - The sleep apnoea syndrome in obesity: risk of sudden death.
AB  - A total of 34 severely obese men with a history of heavy snoring and excessive
      daytime sleepiness indicative of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) were
      studied prospectively. Their mean age was 46 years, and mean body mass index was
      41.6 kg m-2. During a 4-year follow-up, 15% (5/34) of these subjects died (three
      cases of acute myocardial infarction and two cases of pulmonary oedema), all of
      them suddenly and unexpectedly, outside hospital. On autopsy the degree of
      atherosclerosis was found to be moderate in all cases. In 68% (15/22) of the men
      a pathological apnoea index (mean value 46 +/- 20) confirmed the OSAS diagnosis.
      Exercise tests and neurological examinations did not reveal any other causes of
      daytime sleepiness. Mean blood pressure at rest and during exercise was normal,
      and mean serum lipid and blood glucose levels were normal. Spirometry revealed
      intrapulmonary restrictive changes that could not be attributed to the heavy
      thoracic wall. Compliance was reduced to about 50% of reference values, and the
      mean pCO2 level (5.8 kPa) was close to the upper reference limit. Blood tests
      suggested that high alcohol consumption may be an important factor contributing
      to OSAS. These results demonstrate that morbidly obese men with a history of OSAS
      have a high risk of sudden cardiovascular death, despite the absence of other
      conventional risk factors.

PMID- 1865166
TI  - Increased occurrence of arrhythmias in men with ischaemic type ST-segment
      depression during long-term ECG recording. Prognostic impact on ischaemic heart
      disease: results from the prospective population study 'Men born in 1914', Malmo,
      Sweden.
AB  - The objective of this long-term ECG (LTER) study in 394 68-year-old men, selected
      at random from the general population of Malmo, Sweden, was to determine the
      prevalence and occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias and their impact on morbidity
      and mortality from IHD. According to Lown classification, 29.4% (116 men) had
      ventricular arrhythmia (VA) group 4-5. Serious ventricular arrhythmia (Lown group
      4-5) was more common in men with asymptomatic ischaemic type ST-segment
      depression (STD) than in those without it (37.8% vs. 26.7%: P less than 0.05).
      During the mean follow-up period of 53.1 months there were seven IHD deaths (6%)
      among the 116 patients with VA, Lown 4-5, and nine IHD deaths (3.2%) among the
      278 patients without serious VA, Lown 0-3, (P = 0.26). Six and three of these
      deaths, respectively, were considered to be sudden (P = 0.022). The increased
      cardiac event rate (fatal or non-fatal MI or deaths due to chronic IHD)
      associated with a serious ventricular arrhythmia disappeared when history of IHD
      at baseline and occurrence of STD during LTER were taken into account. The study
      did not provide any evidence to suggest that ventricular arrhythmia was triggered
      by myocardial ischaemia. Five of 9 (56%) deaths due to IHD in men with STD
      occurred among the 38% (37/98) of patients who belonged to Lown class 4-5. It is
      concluded that the prognostic information derived from LTER can be improved by
      combined monitoring of STD and ventricular arrhythmias.

PMID- 1865167
TI  - Long-term effects of simvastatin in familial dysbetalipoproteinaemia.
AB  - The long-term effects (66 weeks) of simvastatin (40 mg in one or two doses per
      day), an inhibitor of HMG CoA-reductase, were evaluated in 12 patients with
      familial dysbetalipoproteinaemia (type III hyperlipoproteinaemia). Simvastatin
      had a persistent hypolipidaemic effect; the mean reduction in serum cholesterol
      was 36-51%, and the mean reduction in serum triglycerides was 32-55%. The
      decrease in serum lipids was caused by a decline in VLDL-cholesterol and LDL
      cholesterol levels; the mean ratio between VLDL-cholesterol and serum
      triglycerides decreased significantly from 1.06 to 0.73. There was no significant
      difference between the once-a-day and twice-a-day regimens. Simvastatin was well
      tolerated; no serious side-effects were observed. These data demonstrate the
      usefulness of simvastatin in the therapy of familial dysbetalipoproteinaemia.

PMID- 1865168
TI  - Evaluation of a structured treatment and teaching programme on asthma.
AB  - The objective of this study was to evaluate a structured treatment and teaching
      programme for adult patients with moderate to severe asthma. The design consisted
      of a prospective, before-after trial: the same consecutive patients were studied
      before and after intervention with observation periods 1 year before and 1 year
      after intervention. The investigation took place within a tertiary care centre
      (university hospital). A total of 142 consecutive patients were referred for in
      patient treatment of their asthma, of whom 132 (93%) patients participated in the
      follow-up examination. The intervention consisted of a structured 5-d in-patient
      treatment and teaching programme presented by a specialized nurse educator. The
      aim of the programme was for the patient to assume greater responsibility for
      disease management, including self-monitoring of peak expiratory flow and
      qualified self-adaptation of drug therapy. The main outcome measures were the
      frequency of severe asthma attacks, hospitalization, and absenteeism from work
      (data provided by health insurance companies), patients' compliance and
      management skills. During the year before and the year after the intervention 71%
      and 36%, respectively of patients had one or more severe asthma attacks (mean
      difference 35%, 95% CI: 25-45%, P less than 0.0001). The percentage of patients
      who were hospitalized because of asthma decreased from 39% to 22% (mean
      difference 17%, 95% CI: 7-27%, P less than 0.002). The percentage of employed
      patients (n = 67) who were absent from work because of asthma decreased from 60%
      to 43% (mean difference 17%, 95% CI: 4-30%, P less than 0.04). The patients'
      adherence to maintenance drug therapy and their management skills improved
      significantly. It was concluded that the participation of patients with moderate
      to severe asthma in a structured treatment and teaching programme resulted in a
      substantial reduction in asthma morbidity in the year following the intervention.

PMID- 1865169
TI  - Successful treatment of hepatosplenic candidiasis with a liposomal amphotericin B
      preparation.
AB  - The case of a granulocytopenic patient with acute undifferentiated leukaemia and
      hepatosplenic candidiasis who was refractory to conventional deoxycholate
      amphotericin B (AmpB) and 5-flucytosine therapy is reported. He experienced
      severe AmpB-related side-effects, and was subsequently successfully treated with
      a pharmaceutical preparation of AmpB (5.7 g) entrapped in sonicated liposomes,
      composed of lecithin, cholesterol and stearylamine in a molar ratio of 4:3:1.
      Three months later, during maintenance chemotherapy, liposomal AmpB (5.1 g) was
      reinstituted due to the finding of biopsies positive for Candida albicans at
      bronchoscopy. After healing of the patient's fungal infection a left upper lobe
      resection was performed, which showed advanced fibrosis with signs of
      inflammation, but no evidence of fungal disease. Since no acute side-effects and
      only moderate hypokalaemia were observed, it appears that liposomal AmpB is
      superior to conventional AmpB treatment in granulocytopenic patients with
      hepatosplenic candidiasis and unbearable therapy-related side-effects.

PMID- 1865170
TI  - Adrenocortical insufficiency with normal serum cortisol levels and hyporeninaemia
      in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
AB  - The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been associated with
      abnormalities of adrenocortical function, and hypoaldosteronism due to
      hyporeninaemic hypoaldosteronism (HHA). We here report the case of a woman with
      AIDS associated with orthostatic hypotension, persistent hyponatraemia and
      hyperkalaemia, in whom basal serum cortisol levels were normal and serum renin
      activity was low. Subsequent post-mortem examination revealed almost complete
      adrenocortical destruction. A possible explanation of this apparently
      contradictory combination of findings is discussed, together with the therapeutic
      implications for similar cases.

PMID- 1865171
TI  - Expression of type III hyperlipoproteinaemia in a subject with secondary
      hypothyroidism bearing the apolipoprotein E2/2 phenotype.
AB  - Post-surgical hypothyroidism developed in a now 43-year-old woman with complete
      insufficiency of the anterior pituitary gland who discontinued levothyroxine
      replacement therapy. Serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels increased in
      parallel, and classical type III hyperlipoproteinaemia (HLP) with xanthoma
      striata palmaris developed. The patient is homozygous for apolipoprotein (apo)
      E2. The case reported here represents the first example of manifestation of type
      III hyperlipoproteinaemia in a subject with secondary hypothyroidism bearing the
      apo E2/2 phenotype.

PMID- 1865173
TI  - Internal medicine and molecular biology--molecular medicine.

PMID- 1865172
TI  - Nephrocalcinosis in Sjogren's syndrome: a late sequela of renal tubular acidosis.
AB  - Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune exocrinopathy that develops into
      systemic autoimmune disease in 25% of patients, leading to general complications,
      one of which is kidney involvement. It presents mainly as interstitial nephritis,
      disclosed by hyposthenuria, distal renal tubular acidosis (RTA) and diabetes
      insipidus. We here describe five cases of SS with type-1 RTA (hyperchloraemic
      metabolic acidosis with an anion gap and alkaline urine pH) who developed
      nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis and renal insufficiency. Hypercalciuria due to
      acidosis was the main nephrocalcinosis-prone factor in four patients; four
      subjects displayed diminished renal concentrating capacity, and two had
      hypokalaemia.

PMID- 1865174
TI  - Properties of transient K+ currents and underlying single K+ channels in rat
      olfactory receptor neurons.
AB  - The transient potassium current, IK(t), of enzymatically dissociated rat
      olfactory receptor neurons was studied using patch-clamp techniques. Upon
      depolarization from negative holding potentials, IK(t) activated rapidly and then
      inactivated with a time course described by the sum of two exponential components
      with time constants of 22.4 and 143 ms. Single-channel analysis revealed a
      further small component with a time constant of several seconds. Steady-state
      inactivation was complete at -20 mV and completely removed at -80 mV (midpoint 
      45 mV). Activation was significant at -40 mV and appeared to reach a maximum
      conductance at +40 mV (midpoint -13 mV). Deactivation was described by the sum of
      two voltage-dependent exponential components. Recovery from inactivation was
      extraordinarily slow (50 s at -100 mV) and the underlying processes appeared
      complex. IK(t) was reduced by 4-aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium applied
      externally. Increasing the external K+ concentration ([K+]o) from 5 to 25 mM
      partially removed IK(t) inactivation, usually without affecting activation
      kinetics. The elevated [K+]o also hyperpolarized the steady-state inactivation
      curve by 9 mV and significantly depolarized the voltage dependence of activation.
      Single transient K+ channels, with conductances of 17 and 26 pS, were observed in
      excised patches and often appeared to be localized into large clusters. These
      channels were similar to IK(t) in their kinetic, pharmacological, and voltage
      dependent properties and their inactivation was also subject to modulation by
      [K+]o. The properties of IK(t) imply a role in action potential repolarization
      and suggest it may also be important in modulating spike parameters during
      neuronal burst firing. A simple method is also presented to correct for errors in
      the measurement of whole-cell resistance (Ro) that can result when patch-clamping
      very small cells. The analysis revealed a mean corrected Ro of 26 G omega for
      these cells.

PMID- 1865175
TI  - The mechanism of KATP channel inhibition by ATP.

PMID- 1865176
TI  - Contraction threshold and the "hump" component of charge movement in frog
      skeletal muscle.
AB  - The delayed component of intramembranous charge movement (hump, I gamma) was
      studied around the contraction threshold in cut skeletal muscle fibers of the
      frog (Rana esculenta) in a single Vaseline-gap voltage clamp. Charges (Q) were
      computed as 50-ms integrals of the ON (QON) and OFF (QOFF) of the asymmetric
      currents after subtracting a baseline. The hump appeared in parallel with an
      excess of QON over QOFF by approximately 2.5 nC/mu F. Caffeine (0.75 mM) not only
      shifted the contraction threshold but moved both the hump and the difference
      between the ON and OFF charges to more negative membrane potentials. When using
      10-mV voltage steps on top of different prepulse levels, the delayed component,
      if present, was more readily observable. The voltage dependences of the ON and
      OFF charges measured with these pulses were clearly different: QON had a maximum
      at or slightly above the contraction threshold, while QOFF increased
      monotonically in the voltage range examined. Caffeine (0.75 mM) shifted this
      voltage dependence of QON toward more negative membrane potentials, while that of
      QOFF was hardly influenced. These results show that the delayed component of
      intramembranous charge movement either is much slower during the OFF than during
      the ON, or returns to the OFF position during the pulse. Tetracaine (25 microM)
      had similar effects on the charge movement currents, shifting the voltage
      dependence on the ON charge in parallel with the contraction threshold, but to
      more positive membrane potentials, and leaving QOFF essentially unchanged. The
      direct difference between the charge movement measured in the presence of
      caffeine and in control solution was either biphasic or resembled the component
      isolated by tetracaine, suggesting a common site of caffeine and tetracaine
      action. The results can be understood if the released Ca plays a direct role in
      the generation of the hump, as proposed in the first paper of this series
      (Csernoch et al. 1991. J. Gen. Physiol. 97:845-884).

PMID- 1865178
TI  - Catabolite repression by galactose in overexpressed GAL4 strains of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - Catabolite repression by galactose was investigated in several strains of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on different carbon sources. Galactose repressed
      as much as glucose; raffinose was less effective. Full derepression was achieved
      with lactate. The functions tested were L-lactate ferricytochrome c
      oxidoreductase, NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase, and respiration. Galactose
      repression was observed only in the GAL4 but not in the gal4 strain. The presence
      of multiple copies of the GAL4 gene enhanced the repression by galactose.
      Different alleles of the GAL4 gene and the copy number did not affect glucose
      repression.

PMID- 1865177
TI  - Characterization of two distinct depolarization-activated K+ currents in isolated
      adult rat ventricular myocytes.
AB  - Depolarization-activated outward K+ currents in isolated adult rat ventricular
      myocytes were characterized using the whole-cell variation of the patch-clamp
      recording technique. During brief depolarizations to potentials positive to -40
      mV, Ca(2+)-independent outward K+ currents in these cells rise to a transient
      peak, followed by a slower decay to an apparent plateau. The analyses completed
      here reveal that the observed outward current waveforms result from the
      activation of two kinetically distinct voltage-dependent K+ currents: one that
      activates and inactivates rapidly, and one that activates and inactivates slowly,
      on membrane depolarization. These currents are referred to here as Ito (transient
      outward) and IK (delayed rectifier), respectively, because their properties are
      similar (although not identical) to these K+ current types in other cells.
      Although the voltage dependences of Ito and IK activation are similar, Ito
      activates approximately 10-fold and inactivates approximately 30-fold more
      rapidly than IK at all test potentials. In the composite current waveforms
      measured during brief depolarizations, therefore, the peak current predominantly
      reflects Ito, whereas IK is the primary determinant of the plateau. There are
      also marked differences in the voltage dependences of steady-state inactivation
      of these two K+ currents: IK undergoes steady-state inactivation at all
      potentials positive to -120 mV, and is 50% inactivated at -69 mV; Ito, in
      contrast, is insensitive to steady-state inactivation at membrane potentials
      negative to -50 mV. In addition, Ito recovers from steady-state inactivation
      faster than IK: at -90 mV, for example, approximately 70% recovery from the
      inactivation produced at -20 mV is observed within 20 ms for Ito; IK recovers
      approximately 25-fold more slowly. The pharmacological properties of Ito and IK
      are also distinct: 4-aminopyridine preferentially attenuates Ito, and
      tetraethylammonium suppresses predominantly IK. The voltage- and time-dependent
      properties of these currents are interpreted here in terms of a model in which
      Ito underlies the initial, rapid repolarization phase of the action potential
      (AP), and IK is responsible for the slower phase of AP repolarization back to the
      resting membrane potential, in adult rat ventricular myocytes.

PMID- 1865180
TI  - Ultrastructural localization of the Pasteurella multocida toxin in a toxin
      producing strain.
AB  - Toxigenic strains of Pasteurella multocida produce the 147 kDa protein
      Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) which is responsible for the osteoclastic bone
      resorption in progressive atrophic rhinitis in pigs and induces such resorption
      in all experimental animals tested so far. In the present study we have carried
      out immunocytochemistry on formaldehyde- and glutaraldehyde-fixed ultracryocut P.
      multocida using a pool of monoclonal antibodies against different epitopes on PMT
      as the first layer and affinity purified rabbit anti-mouse IgG as the second
      layer. Goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated with 5 nm gold particles was used as
      marker. The gold particles were silver-enhanced prior to examination in the
      transmission electron microscope. Whole bacteria were also immunostained after
      fixation and critical point drying and examined by scanning transmission electron
      microscopy. The results showed that PMT was located in the cytoplasm of P.
      multocida. PMT could not be detected on intact, undamaged P. multocida by
      scanning electron microscopy. Neither pili nor flagella could be detected on the
      surface of the negatively stained P. multocida strains investigated. PMT has a
      series of characteristics encompassed in the definition of an exotoxin. However,
      that PMT was not secreted by living intact P. multocida is unexpected for an
      exotoxin.

PMID- 1865179
TI  - Cell wall glycoproteins of Candida albicans as released by different methods.
AB  - Different methods of extraction frequently used in other studies were used to
      release glycoproteins from both intact cells and isolated cell walls of yeast and
      hyphal forms of Candida albicans. Extracts were obtained from whole cells by
      treatment (i) with 2-mercaptoethanol (beta ME) at pH 8.6 and 37 C degrees and
      (ii) with zymolyase after treatment with beta ME. Extracts were obtained from
      isolated and washed cell walls (i) by boiling with beta ME and sodium dodecyl
      sulphate (SDS), (ii) by boiling with SDS and (iii) by treatment with zymolyase
      after SDS. The extracts were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
      and analysed by Western blotting with four reagents. Analysis with concanavalin A
      (ConA) revealed different glycoprotein populations depending on the treatment.
      Three possible germ-tube-specific constituents were observed; and 80 kDa
      component released by beta ME from both intact cells and cell walls, and 47 kDa
      and 43 kDa moieties released by zymolyase only from intact cells. MAb 4C12,
      specific for the protein portion of a large germ tube constituent, recognized
      polydisperse material which just entered the gel in beta ME extracts and in the
      region extending up from 200 kDa to near the top of the gel in zymolyase
      extracts. MAb 24.17, specific for a carbohydrate determinant of yeast phase
      cells, reacted with disperse material in the region from the top of the gel to
      one-third to two-thirds the distance to the 220 kDa mass marker. Antiserum
      specific for the serotype A determinant of mannan reacted with large disperse
      component(s) migrating in the region from the top of the gel to about two-thirds
      the distance to the 220 kDa mass marker and with a 180 kDa component. The
      components recognized by MAb 4C12, but not those recognised by MAb 24.17 and
      serotype A antiserum, were effected by treatment with endo-beta-N
      acetylglucosamidase H. The various analyses revealed that the method of
      extraction affected the composition and size of the constituents recognized by
      the reagents.

PMID- 1865181
TI  - Tubular spinae are long-distance connectors between bacteria.
AB  - The marine pseudomonad D71 (NCMB 2018) ['Spinomonas maritima'] can be induced to
      produce long tubular surface appendages (spinae) in a growth medium of low
      osmolarity. In general, spina-carrying cells show these appendages with open
      distal ends. We examined cultured cells by scanning and transmission electron
      microscopy, using both critical-point drying and thin sectioning after embedding
      with agarose protection. By scanning electron microscopy, spinae were observed
      that connected cells over distances of several micrometers. Ultrathin sections
      often revealed an additional layer outside the outer membrane, resembling an S
      layer. The inner and outer cell membranes were often joined at spina-insertion
      areas. Furthermore, evidence was found in ultrathin sections for uninterrupted
      tubes connecting two cells over a distance of up to 7 microns. We propose,
      therefore, that spinae form the framework for wide open cell clusters; we
      hypothesize that these spinae might also permit an exchange of cell-to-cell
      signals.

PMID- 1865182
TI  - Isolation and purification of viable Ureaplasma urealyticum cells free from
      medium components.
AB  - A procedure was devised to produce Ureaplasma urealyticum preparations free of
      adsorbed components of the growth medium, which contains high concentrations of
      serum. The ureaplasmas were cultivated in a medium containing PPLO-serum fraction
      as a replacement for horse serum. High titres of ureaplasmas (greater than 10(7)
      c.f.u. ml-1) were obtained. Harvested cells were then purified by Urografin
      density gradient centrifugation. By use of 3H-labelled ureaplasma cells and 125I
      labelled medium components, a distinct band of viable cells devoid of serum
      constituents was demonstrated. The absence of medium components was verified by
      immunoblotting cells from this band with antiserum to medium components. Medium
      components that had been present before the purification procedure were
      undetectable in the purified cell fraction obtained. The viability of the
      purified ureaplasma cells represented an 85% recovery rate and their
      antigenicity, examined with anti-serotype specific antiserum, remained intact.
      This easy and reproducible procedure can be used to prepare purified ureaplasmas
      for investigation of ureaplasmal antigens and their expression and/or role in
      disease.

PMID- 1865183
TI  - Isolation and evolutionary analysis of a RepFVIB replicon of the plasmid pSU212.
AB  - We have isolated at least two different replication regions from pSU401, a Tn802
      insertion derivative of the IncFVI plasmid pSU212. One of the replication regions
      (RepFVIB) is highly homologous to the RepFIIA replicon of IncFII plasmids, and
      thus belongs to the RepFIIA family. We have also cloned the incompatibility
      determinant (incFVI) and the copy number control gene (cop) from RepFVIB and
      determined their nucleotide sequences. The analysis of the sequences supports the
      idea of a modular evolution of RepFIIA plasmids.

PMID- 1865184
TI  - Production of type 5 capsular polysaccharide by Staphylococcus aureus grown in a
      semi-synthetic medium.
AB  - The concentration of the type 5 capsular polysaccharide (CP) antigen of
      Staphylococcus aureus can be measured directly in cultures or cell suspensions by
      a two-step inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using monoclonal
      antibodies. CP was synthesized during growth on a variety of carbon substrates
      and its production was not affected by the nature of the carbon source. High
      levels of yeast extract inhibited CP formation. CP was synthesized in batch
      culture at the same rate during exponential growth as in the post-exponential
      phase. Post-exponential CP production contributed at least half the final amount
      of CP measured. This phenomenon was observed in different culture media, although
      the specific yield of polysaccharide varied from one medium to another. Post
      exponential CP production was observed in the pH range 6-7, but not at pH 8. Post
      exponential production was strictly dependent on oxygen availability and did not
      occur under anaerobic conditions.

PMID- 1865185
TI  - Determination of effector molecules in L-arabinose-induced bulge formation and
      lysis of Escherichia coli IFO 3545.
AB  - L-Ribulose 5-phosphate (L-Ru5P) was identified as the primary effector molecule
      of L-arabinose-induced bulge formation in Escherichia coli IFO 3545 observed in
      nutrient broth with 5% (w/v) sodium chloride. Hyperinduction of L-arabinose
      isomerase was due to exogenous sodium chloride and the resulting alteration in
      the balance of the L-arabinose-metabolizing enzymes resulted in accumulation of L
      Ru5P. L-Ru5P induced the lysis of an L-arabinose-negative, L-Ru5P 4-epimerase
      less mutant, ara-207, even when directly added to the medium but was not active
      against the wild-type strain. Some L-arabinose-utilizing (L-arabinose-resistant)
      revertants of ara-207 were still sensitive to L-Ru5P, indicating the involvement
      of another mutation in L-Ru5P-sensitivity other than genetic lack of L-Ru5P 4
      epimerase. Among the various pentose phosphate esters tested, only L-Ru5P could
      induce lysis of ara-207. The lytic activity of L-Ru5P was attributed to its
      effect on bacterial sugar nucleotide metabolism which caused secondary
      accumulation of uridine 5'-diphosphate galactose (UDPGal), which provoked lysis
      induction.

PMID- 1865186
TI  - Phylogenetic analysis of five medically important Candida species as deduced on
      the basis of small ribosomal subunit RNA sequences.
AB  - The classification of species belonging to the genus Candida Berkhout is
      problematic. Therefore, we have determined the small ribosomal subunit RNA
      (srRNA) sequences of the type strains of three human pathogenic Candida species;
      Candida krusei, C. lusitaniae and C. tropicalis. The srRNA sequences were aligned
      with published eukaryotic srRNA sequences and evolutionary trees were inferred
      using a matrix optimization method. An evolutionary tree comprising all available
      eukaryotic srRNA sequences, including two other pathogenic Candida species, C.
      albicans and C. glabrata, showed that the yeasts diverge rather late in the
      course of eukaryote evolution, namely at the same depth as green plants, ciliates
      and some smaller taxa. The cluster of the higher fungi consists of 10 ascomycetes
      and ascomycete-like species with the first branches leading to Neurospora crassa,
      Pneumocystis carinii, Candida lusitaniae and C. krusei, in that order. Next there
      is a dichotomous divergence leading to a group consisting of Torulaspora
      delbrueckii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, C. glabrata and Kluyveromyces lactis and a
      smaller group comprising C. tropicalis and C. albicans. The divergence pattern
      obtained on the basis of srRNA sequence data is also compared to various other
      chemotaxonomic data.

PMID- 1865187
TI  - Memory development in early childhood: encoding process in a spatial task.
AB  - A new kind of spatial task was devised to provide a description of the
      development of mnemonic strategy in early childhood. Five kinds of vertical
      arrays of drawings differing only in left-right orientation were presented one by
      one. Children at ages 5, 6, 7, and 9 years were asked to reconstruct the model.
      Most of the preschoolers succeeded only with those arrays in which drawings in
      the same orientation were juxtaposed. Memory for the most complicated array was
      not accurate enough until age 9. During the study, the oldest children usually
      verbalized the orientations as a sequence or the positions of the drawings in
      each orientation distinctively. This was interpreted as indicating that only the
      oldest children executed the sophisticated encoding strategies that integrate
      information on the orientation and position. Analysis of children's answers to
      the question about how to memorize revealed that awareness of using a strategy
      emerged at age 7 and grew clear by age 9.

PMID- 1865188
TI  - Preschoolers' construction order of event sequences related to mental ability and
      degree of familiarity.
AB  - Preschoolers' understanding of sequential relations was investigated in two
      experiments. Experiment 1 showed that appreciation of sequential relations
      depends on the level of mental ability and the degree of familiarity displayed
      with the social or behavioral phenomena under investigation. Experiment 2
      reproduced the findings of Experiment 1 and, further, demonstrated that an
      increase in experience and familiarity through an interaction phase between
      children with higher and those with lower mental abilities led to a significant
      exchange of information and performance that was retained over the posttest
      phase. The data of both experiments are discussed within the framework of the
      "invariance hypothesis" (Bullock, 1985) in contrast to Piagetian theory (Piaget,
      1946/1969).

PMID- 1865189
TI  - Stress as a predictor of the quality of parent-infant interactions.
AB  - Three predictor variables--vulnerability to stress, expectations for parenting
      stress, and low power attributions--were assessed for 21 couples during
      pregnancy. In-home observations of parent-infant interactions occurred 4 months
      postnatally. Stepwise multiple regression analyses, calculated separately for
      mothers and fathers, revealed that prenatal stress factors were more successful
      in predicting father-infant interactions. On the interaction variable basic care,
      67% of the variance was explained by fathers' parenting stress expectations,
      stress vulnerability, and attributions for low power, whereas only 2% of the
      variance on basic care was explained by maternal scores on the same variables.
      Results of this study indicated that parent-infant interactions are affected by
      parental attitudes and personality characteristics. The present research also
      underscored the continued need to study the differential effects of gender on
      parent-infant interactions.

PMID- 1865190
TI  - Developmental status and AIDS attitudes in adolescence.
AB  - We postulated that among adolescents and young adults, the development of
      consistent and responsible attitudes with respect to acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome (AIDS) precautions would follow a pattern similar to that of the
      development of a sense of identity. Late-adolescent trainee teachers and nurses
      (N = 262) were administered identity and intimacy measures and a questionnaire
      measuring attitudes toward and knowledge of AIDS prevention. Attitudes were shown
      to be conceptually complex, with dimensions expressing the identity statuses of
      diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement. Few relationships were found
      between AIDS attitudes and sex, course, measures of identity, or intimacy.
      However, attitudes toward AIDS precautions and identity status were predictive of
      future intention to use a condom. Intimacy level was negatively related to such
      an intention, suggesting that those in steady relationships may not recognize the
      need for AIDS protection.

PMID- 1865191
TI  - Self-reported depression in younger and older pregnant inner-city adolescents.
AB  - Younger (14- to 17-year-old) inner-city adolescent mothers have been reported by
      Colletta (1983) as being more depressed than older (18- to 19-year-old) inner
      city adolescent mothers. To determine whether this finding applies to pregnant
      adolescents, the revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Rush, Shaw, &
      Emery, 1979; Beck & Steer, 1987) was administered to 175 (65.1%) Black, 64
      (23.8%) Hispanic, and 30 (11.1%) White inner-city adolescents during their 28th
      week of pregnancy. The sample was divided into 129 (48.0%) younger (13- to 15
      year-old) adolescents and 140 (52.0%) older (16- to 18-year-old) adolescents. The
      mean profiles of the 21 BDI symptoms were comparable for both age groups, and it
      was concluded that younger and older pregnant inner-city adolescents describe
      similar levels of self-reported depression.

PMID- 1865192
TI  - Venturesomeness, impulsiveness, and Eysenck's personality dimensions: a study
      among Australian adolescents.
AB  - In Eysenckian personality theory, the dimension extraversion has traditionally
      consisted of two elements, sociability and impulsiveness. More recently, however,
      impulsiveness has become associated with the dimension psychoticism (Rocklin &
      Revelle, 1981), although subfactors of impulsiveness have been shown to be
      differentially related to extraversion and psychoticism (S. Eysenck & H. Eysenck,
      1977). This study investigates the structures of impulsiveness and
      venturesomeness and their association with extraversion, emotional stability
      neuroticism, and psychoticism among 170 Australian adolescents. Both
      impulsiveness and venturesomeness were found to be multidimensional, although the
      subfactors differed slightly from those suggested by the Eysencks. No support was
      found for the view that impulsiveness narrowly defined is pathological, although
      the impulsiveness and venturesomeness subfactors were found to be differentially
      related to extraversion, emotional stability-neuroticism, and psychoticism. The
      theoretical implications of these findings are briefly discussed.

PMID- 1865193
TI  - Psychophysiological aspects of nightmares, night terrors, and sleepwalking.
AB  - Monitoring sleep through electroencephalography and electroculography has
      identified the different sleep stages in which nightmares, night terrors, and
      sleepwalking occur. Questionnaire surveys have supplemented the findings of case
      studies of these sleep disorders. Neurotransmitters operative during these sleep
      disorders have enlarged the knowledge of the psychophysiological dimensions
      especially of nightmares.

PMID- 1865194
TI  - Induced rotary movement during eye movements: displays with unequal spacing of
      pattern.
AB  - In my previous (Reinhardt-Rutland, 1982) study, I suggested that eye movements
      enhance induced rotary movement. However, low salience of absolute displacement
      might also explain the results, as displays were covered with large numbers of
      equally spaced radial pattern elements. To test these competing hypotheses in the
      present study, I used an unequally spaced pattern in two displays. Common to each
      display was an annulus: In one display, the common annulus surrounded a disk, and
      in the other display the common annulus was surrounded by another annulus. In any
      trial, one component rotated and the other was stationary while for 40 s the
      subject's eyes followed a circular path concentric with the display; subjects
      timed those occasions when perceived stronger rotation resided in the common
      annulus. Despite an unequally spaced pattern, absolute displacement had a barely
      significant effect. Instead, perceived stronger rotation mostly resided in a
      display's more central component. I concluded therefore that eye movements
      enhance induced rotary movement.

PMID- 1865195
TI  - Testing organization preferences in serial pattern learning.
AB  - Subjects studied a series of colored dots for 6 s and then performed a memory
      reproduction task for which they chose alternative puzzle pieces from a set.
      Series were presented repeatedly until subjects made a completely correct
      reproduction. The puzzle pieces contained parts of the series that were expected
      to interact with the groups identified by spontaneous perceptual organization. By
      assuming that same grouping in series and puzzle pieces would be preferred, the
      preferences could be predicted on the basis of an economy principle. The
      preferences obtained were in accordance with the predictions.

PMID- 1865196
TI  - Partial report: iconic store or two buffers?
AB  - Selective recall of a subset of letters from a multiletter array declines
      systematically with increases in the delay of the partial report cue. The issues
      addressed were (a) whether such a decline is due to progressive loss of location
      information or to systematic loss of features and (b) whether partial report is
      the result of a select-then-identify or an identify-then-select process.
      Instructing the subjects to guess or not to guess had an effect of intra-array,
      displacement, and extra-array errors. Emphasizing on recall location affected
      both intra- and extra-array errors. The interstimulus interval manipulation had
      an effect on extra-array errors as well as on intra-array errors. These
      observations are contrary to the suggestions that intra-array errors are due to
      loss of location information and that extra-array errors are indicative of a
      joint effect on misidentification due to chance and the ratio of extra-array
      errors to intra-array errors. Some other results are difficult for a dual-buffer
      model but can readily be accounted for by the orthodox view of the iconic store.

PMID- 1865198
TI  - St Vitus (286-302).

PMID- 1865197
TI  - Epilepsy after first seizures: risks and implications.

PMID- 1865199
TI  - Anatomy, pigmentation, ventral and dorsal subpopulations of the substantia nigra,
      and differential cell death in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - In six control subjects pars compacta nerve cells in the ventrolateral substantia
      nigra had a lower melanin content than nerve cells in the dorsomedial region.
      This coincides with a natural anatomical division into ventral and dorsal tiers,
      which represent functionally distinct populations. In six cases of Parkinson's
      disease (PD) the ventral tier showed very few surviving nerve cells compared with
      preservation of cells in the dorsal tier. In 13 subjects without PD, but with
      nigral Lewy bodies and cell loss, the degenerative process started in the ventral
      tier, and spread to the dorsal tier. This pattern of selective degeneration of
      nigrostriatal neurons is not seen in ageing or after acute administration of MPTP
      (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine).

PMID- 1865200
TI  - Pure akinesia: an atypical manifestation of progressive supranuclear palsy.
AB  - Two patients with "pure akinesia" who showed the characteristic changes of
      progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) at necropsy are described. They had akinesia
      but no rigidity or tremor, and ophthalmoplegia was not observed during the course
      of illness. The symptoms of "pure akinesia" was not improved by levodopa therapy
      but was considerably improved by L-threo-3,4-dihydroxy-phenylserine. At necropsy,
      pathological findings were not different from those reported for PSP. It is
      suggested that "pure akinesia" is an atypical manifestation of PSP, and that
      norepinephrinergic neurons may be involved in some types of PSP.

PMID- 1865201
TI  - Comparison of the clinical pharmacology of (-)NPA and levodopa in Parkinson's
      disease.
AB  - Direct acting dopamine agonists are generally less effective than levodopa in
      relieving symptoms of Parkinson's disease. In an attempt to quantitate and
      explain this situation, the acute motor responses to intravenous injections of
      the dopamine agonist, (-)-N-n-propyl-norapomorphine hydrochloride (NPA), were
      compared with those of the dopamine precursor, levodopa. At optimum dose levels,
      the acute anti-Parkinsonian efficacy of NPA averaged only about 50% of maximum,
      while essentially total symptom suppression was obtained with levodopa in
      patients previously treated with the amine precursor. Dyskinesia severity,
      however, was similar with the two drugs. These differences in anti-Parkinsonian
      efficacy may reflect the fact that while NPA acts mainly on D-2 dopamine
      receptors, levodopa results in stimulation of both the D-1 and D-2 subsets of
      receptors at a more physiological ratio. Future efforts to develop dopamine
      agonists for the treatment of Parkinsonian symptoms may thus have to consider
      focusing on drugs having pharmacological profile more similar to that of
      dopamine.

PMID- 1865202
TI  - Actuarial analysis of the occurrence of remissions following thymectomy for
      myasthenia gravis in 400 patients.
AB  - The role of thymectomy in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) was analysed in
      400 patients affected with generalised MG operated on between 1974-83, and
      prospectively followed up for five years after surgery. The occurrence of stable
      remission (SR) (that is, complete clinical drug-free remission that remains
      stable for all the subsequent follow up) was the endpoint of survival analyses
      and the distribution of SR time (SRT, that is, the interval from thymectomy to
      the occurrence of SR) was assessed by actuarial and Cox multivariate analyses.
      SRT distribution after surgery showed a slow progressive increase of cumulative
      SR rate that could both be ascribed to a delayed effect of thymectomy as well as
      reflect the natural history of MG, itself characterised by an increasing
      probability of spontaneous remission with time. SRT distribution was similar
      after stratification for all variables studied except when patients without
      thymoma were stratified for the need for immunosuppressive treatment in addition
      to thymectomy. Patients without thymoma who did not require additional
      immunosuppressive therapy (n = 130) had the highest SR rate occurring in the two
      years after thymectomy, and differed from patients treated with immunosuppressive
      drugs who showed the highest SR rate five years after surgery. Actuarial analysis
      has therefore identified a subgroup of patients where SR, occurring in the first
      years after surgery, is more likely to be ascribed to thymectomy than merely
      reflect the natural course of the disease.

PMID- 1865203
TI  - Macrocytosis in multiple sclerosis. A study in 82 de novo Arab patients.
AB  - Macrocytosis, without anaemia, was common in 82 de novo multiple sclerosis
      patients compared with a similar number of age and sex matched controls. This was
      an early phenomenon in the course of the disease and was not influenced by the
      age of the patients nor the duration of the disease. None of the patients proved
      to have pernicious anaemia, yet the similarity in the geographical and sex
      distribution as well as the similarity in HLA associations of multiple sclerosis
      and pernicious anaemia may indicate that both diseases are under similar genetic
      influence.

PMID- 1865204
TI  - Benign vascular sexual headache and exertional headache: interrelationships and
      long term prognosis.
AB  - There is a definite relationship between the vascular type of benign sexual
      headache and benign exertional headache. Forty five patients with benign vascular
      sexual headache were reviewed. Twenty seven (60%) experienced benign vascular
      sexual headache alone and eighteen (40%) had experienced both benign vascular
      sexual headache and benign exertional headache on at least one occasion. The mean
      age was 34.3 years with a male:female ratio of 5.4:1. Thirty patients with a
      history of benign vascular sexual headache were followed for an average of 74
      months. A personal history of migraine was found in 47% of cases and a family
      history of migraine in 30%. Forty one per cent of patients with benign vascular
      sexual headache alone had recurrences after diagnosis, and stress and fatigue
      were considered major contributing factors to the initial and recurrent headache.
      Nine patients had experienced benign vascular sexual headache and benign
      exertional headache within 72 hours of each other on at least one occasion, often
      with a residual headache between the two. Four patients experienced their benign
      vascular sexual headache and benign exertional headache separated by months to
      years. The prognosis of benign vascular sexual headache and the clinical and
      possible pathophysiological relationships between benign vascular sexual headache
      and benign exertional headache are discussed. Knowledge of the interrelationships
      of these varieties of headache is valuable in the counselling of patients.

PMID- 1865205
TI  - Maternal reporting of behaviour following very severe blunt head injury.
AB  - Mothers of 40 very severely head injured male subjects rated their son's
      behaviour on the Current Behaviour Scale and their ratings were compared with
      mothers' ratings of 40 control male subjects. The scale was able to discriminate
      the two groups, by utilising two factors--loss of emotional control and loss of
      motivation. The mothers' level of emotional distress was closely related to their
      reporting of loss of emotional control in their sons, but reporting of loss of
      motivation, or lowered arousal, was strongly predicted by the functional
      disability of the son. The utility of refining the measurement of post-trauma
      behaviour is discussed.

PMID- 1865206
TI  - Glial swelling following human cerebral contusion: an ultrastructural study.
AB  - The ultrastructural features of cerebral contusion seen three hours to 11 days
      after head injury were studied in 18 patients undergoing surgery. Massive
      astrocytic swelling ("cytotoxic" oedema) was seen three hours to three days after
      injury, maximal in perivascular foot processes, and compressing some of the
      underlying capillaries. The tight junctions were not disrupted. Neuronal damage
      was most marked three to 11 days after injury. The pathophysiological mechanisms
      leading to oedema formation and neuronal degeneration are discussed.

PMID- 1865207
TI  - Vigabatrin and psychosis.
AB  - We report a series of 14 cases of psychosis occurring in patients with severe
      intractable epilepsy, following the prescription of vigabatrin, a new
      antiepileptic drug. Nine patients had no previous history of psychosis. In eight
      patients the psychosis occurred following a change in the habitual pattern of
      seizure activity; in four it developed after a period of seizure freedom followed
      by a cluster of seizures, and in the other four patients an alternating psychosis
      was observed. In five patients there was no clear relationship to seizure
      pattern. Another patient developed psychosis after taking an overdose of between
      eight and 12 g of vigabatrin. A further three patients, who developed psychosis
      following vigabatrin withdrawal, were not included in this series. The mean dose
      at onset of the psychosis (excluding the patient who took an overdose) was 2580
      mg, and the period from initiation of therapy to the onset of psychosis varied
      from five days to 32 weeks (and occurred 24 hours after the overdose of
      vigabatrin). In all cases the psychosis resolved, but necessitated the withdrawal
      of vigabatrin, except in the single patient who took the overdose. The mechanism
      of this behaviour change is unclear, but in some instances may reflect
      vigabatrin's powerful anti-epileptic action. This is clearly not the case for all
      patients. Vigabatrin should be started with caution in patients with severe
      epilepsy, particularly in the presence of a previous history of psychosis, and
      such patients should be carefully monitored.

PMID- 1865208
TI  - Changes in intracranial CSF volume after lumbar puncture and their relationship
      to post-LP headache.
AB  - Post-lumbar puncture (LP) headache may be due to "low CSF pressure", leading to
      stretching of pain sensitive intracranial structures. The low intracranial
      pressure is secondary to net loss of intracranial CSF. It has, however, not been
      possible to measure intracranial CSF volume accurately during life until
      recently. Intracranial CSF volume can now be measured non-invasively by a MRI
      technique. The changes in intracranial CSF volume were studied in 20 patients who
      had LP. Total intracranial CSF volume was reduced in 19 of the 20 patients 24
      hours after LP (range -1.8 mls to -158.6 mls). Most of the CSF was lost from the
      cortical sulci. Very large reductions in intracranial CSF volume were frequently
      related to post-LP headache but some patients developed headache with relatively
      little alteration in the intracranial CSF volume. There was not a measurable
      change in position of the intracranial structures following LP.

PMID- 1865209
TI  - Posterior cortical dementia with alexia: neurobehavioural, MRI, and PET findings.
AB  - A progressive disorder of relatively focal but asymmetric biposterior dysfunction
      is described in a 54 year old right handed male. Initial clinical features
      included letter-by-letter alexia, visual anomia, acalculia, mild agraphia,
      constructional apraxia, and visuospatial compromise. Serial testing demonstrated
      relentless deterioration with additional development of transcortical sensory
      aphasia, Gerstmann's tetrad, and severe visuoperceptual impairment. Amnesia was
      not an early clinical feature. Judgment, personality, insight, and awareness
      remained preserved throughout most of the clinical course. Extinction in the
      right visual field to bilateral stimulation was the sole neurological
      abnormality. Early CT was normal and late MRI showed asymmetrical
      bioccipitoparietal atrophy with greater involvement of the left hemisphere.
      Results from positron emission tomography (PET) showed bilaterally asymmetric
      (left greater than right) occipitotemporoparietal hypometabolism. The metabolic
      decrement was strikingly asymmetric with a 50% reduction in glucose consumption
      confined to the left occipital cortex. The picture of occipitotemporoparietal
      compromise verified by MRI, PET, and neurobehavioural testing would be unusual
      for such degenerative dementias as Alzheimer's (AD) and Pick's disease, although
      atypical AD with predominant occipital lobe involvement cannot be excluded. This
      case supports the concepts of posterior cortical dementia (PCD) as a clinically
      distinct entity and for the first time documents its corresponding metabolic
      deficit using PET.

PMID- 1865210
TI  - A case of progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and positive antiglutamic
      acid decarboxylase antibodies [corrected].
AB  - A 50 year old woman developed progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity over a
      three year period. Her CSF contained oligoclonal bands and both her serum and CSF
      contained antibodies directed against GABA-ergic synapses (antiglutamic acid
      decarboxylase [corrected] antibodies). These antibodies have recently been
      described in cases of stiff man syndrome. Both disorders may be part of a
      clinical spectrum that has an underlying autoimmune basis.

PMID- 1865211
TI  - Deficiencies in anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody measurement in myasthenia
      gravis.
AB  - In a retrospective case note study of 86 patients with myasthenia gravis, 60 had
      an anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody assay performed by the regional
      immunology laboratory. Antibody was detected in 38% which compares with 66-93% in
      other series. Whilst the use of staphylococcal protein A to precipitate the
      antibody-receptor complex, rather than anti-human immunoglobulin, may be partly
      responsible for this low sensitivity, other methodological problems are likely to
      exist. It is suggested that this potentially critical assay becomes a subject for
      regular audit.

PMID- 1865213
TI  - Neurocysticercosis: regression of a fourth ventricular cyst with praziquantel.
AB  - Symptomatic intraventricular cysticerci are said to respond poorly to the
      anticestodial agent praziquantel. A case is reported of rapid regression of a
      large cyst of the fourth ventricle after oral praziquantel, avoiding the need for
      surgery.

PMID- 1865212
TI  - Contractile properties of lower leg muscles are normal in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Contraction parameters (time-to-peak and half relaxation time), responses to
      short tetani and resistance to stretch were studied in the lower leg muscles of
      Parkinsonian patients and in age-matched controls. It was possible to distinguish
      between muscle groups of different fibre type composition in normal subjects on
      the basis of their contraction and relaxation velocities. These parameters,
      however, failed to show any abnormalities in the patient group. The only abnormal
      finding in Parkinsonian subjects was an increased resistance to passive stretch
      under static conditions, presumably elastic in origin. The results are evidence
      against a contribution of altered contractile properties to muscular rigidity in
      Parkinsonism.

PMID- 1865214
TI  - Neurosurgical complications after intranasal ethmoidectomy.
AB  - Intranasal ethmoidectomy is a common otolaryngological procedure. Despite the
      potential for serious intracranial complications, there is a paucity of reports
      describing the neurosurgical complications of the procedure. Two patients with
      intracranial complications of intranasal ethmoidectomy, and the relevant medical
      literature, are reviewed. The anatomy of the ethmoid air cells and their relation
      to the intracranial cavity are described. The importance of definitive, emergent
      repair with attention to the potential for vascular injury is discussed.

PMID- 1865215
TI  - Early heparin therapy in patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage.
AB  - In 68 patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage the effect of heparin
      treatment beginning on the second, fourth or tenth day was investigated. Early
      (day 2) low-dose heparin medication significantly lowered the incidence of
      pulmonary embolism. An increase in the number of patients with rebleeding was not
      observed. The results indicate that the early use of heparin in these patients is
      safe and can be recommended for the prevention of thromboembolic complications.

PMID- 1865216
TI  - Treatment of persistent hiccups.

PMID- 1865217
TI  - Postradiation motor neuron syndrome of the upper cervical region--a manifestation
      of the combined effect of cranial irradiation and intrathecal chemotherapy?

PMID- 1865218
TI  - Optic nerve cysticercosis: a case report.

PMID- 1865219
TI  - Vertebral haemangioma causing acute recurrent spinal cord compression.

PMID- 1865220
TI  - Giant intracranial aneurysm associated with Marfan's syndrome: a case report.

PMID- 1865221
TI  - Binswanger's disease: neither Binswanger's nor a disease.

PMID- 1865222
TI  - Isolated and combined pareses of cranial nerves III, IV and VI. A retrospective
      study of 412 patients.
AB  - We evaluated the hospital records of 412 patients with isolated or combined
      ocular nerve palsies in a retrospective study. Palsies of the oculomotor nerve (n
      = 172) and of the abducens nerve (n = 165) were more frequent than those of the
      trochlear nerve (n = 25). Combined ocular nerve palsies (n = 50) were generally
      combinations of the 3rd and 6th cranial nerves (n = 21) or pareses of all three
      ocular nerves (n = 17). 165 ocular nerve palsies were due to vascular causes: in
      135 of these cases diabetes mellitus and hypertension were present. The
      oculomotor nerve was most frequently affected; in 63% there was no involvement of
      the pupil. In inflammatory disease and brain tumor the abducens nerve was most
      frequently affected, with aneurysm of the oculomotor nerve. The origin of
      ophthalmoplegia was unclear in 73 patients. Ocular nerve paralysis was most
      common with tumors, aneurysm, and vascular processes and in 206 cases was only
      partial. Pain was associated with tumor, trauma and aneurysm. In trochlear nerve
      palsies concomitant pain was much less frequent than in palsies of the other two
      ocular nerves. The clinical course was followed for 3 weeks in 352 patients; in
      191 patients there was a complete regression of the pareses and in 59 only a
      partial recovery. The most favorable prognosis was with inflammatory and vascular
      lesions; in the latter the outcome was improved by the administration of non
      steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

PMID- 1865223
TI  - Intrathecal humoral immune reaction in zoster infections.
AB  - Intrathecal humoral immune reaction in 26 patients with a reactivation of
      varicella-zoster virus was analyzed. 11 suffered from ganglionitis, in 7 cases an
      additional affection of the lower motor neuron was demonstrable. In 8 patients,
      meningitis, myelitis or cerebral infarctions by zoster angiitis were diagnosed.
      Intrathecal immune reaction in ganglionitis was weak whereas an intense IgG
      synthesis became demonstrable in all meningomyelitis/cerebral infarction cases.
      As demonstrated by immunoblotting, in early stages of the disease immune reaction
      in serum and cerebrospinal fluid differed only quantitatively. In the further
      course, most intrathecally synthesized antibodies were directed against low
      molecular antigens whereas serum pattern did not change. In some patients,
      additional antibodies not detectable in serum were demonstrable. Though intensity
      markedly differed, no qualitative differences between the immune response in
      ganglionitis and more widespread zoster infections of the CNS were detectable.

PMID- 1865224
TI  - A private practice model for teaching and research activities.
AB  - The majority of neurologists in the United States are in fee for service patient
      management, dividing their time between hospital and office based practice. Many
      have had subspecialty training or have had research experience. It is our belief
      that research should be a component of a neurologist's practice. This is
      particularly true for an assessment of outcome. In order to accomplish this, we
      have developed a system which includes patient management, teaching, and clinical
      research, within our fee for service model.

PMID- 1865225
TI  - Resistance to hypoxic conduction block in sciatic nerves of rats with
      streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus.
AB  - This study describes the electrophysiological responses of endoneurial
      preparations derived from rat sciatic nerve to acute hypoxia in vitro.
      Preparations from control rats exhibited a marked decline in compound action
      potential (CAP) amplitude coupled with an increase in latency, during 40 minutes
      exposure to 8% O2. In contrast, preparations from 4 week streptozotocin-diabetic
      rats showed a greatly reduced decline in CAP amplitude, with an increase in
      latency. Twice-daily insulin treatment of diabetic rats resulted in a pattern of
      CAP amplitude decline that initially resembled that of untreated diabetics but by
      40 min was similar to controls, with latency again increasing during hypoxia.
      Nerves were also maintained in 25 mmol/l glucose, rather than the 5 mmol/l
      glucose of the above studies. Under such conditions the performance of nerves
      from diabetic rats was unaltered. Nerves from control rats exhibited an initial
      resistance to hypoxia but by 40 min CAP had declined to values of control rats
      maintained in 5 mmol/l glucose. An increase in latency during hypoxia was also
      noted in preparations from control or diabetic rats maintained in 25 mmol/l
      glucose. The maintenance of CAP amplitude during hypoxia by diabetic preparations
      is initially related to increased substrate availability, with an additional
      component that is not related to external glucose levels in vitro, and is absent
      after insulin treatment of diabetic rats.

PMID- 1865226
TI  - Cerebral angiotropic large cell lymphoma (neoplastic angioendotheliosis):
      therapeutic considerations.
AB  - Cerebral angiotropic large cell lymphoma (neoplastic angioendotheliosis) is a
      rare disease with a particular propensity to affect the central nervous system by
      vascular occlusion. Because the disease is rare and there are no specific
      diagnostic procedures apart from cerebral biopsy, it is difficult to diagnose in
      life. Accordingly, chemotherapy or radiotherapy has only rarely been attempted
      and their effectiveness is uncertain. We established the diagnosis in a 62-year
      old patient by cerebral biopsy and observed remission following institution of
      combination chemotherapy. Unfortunately, neurologic deterioration recurred during
      maintenance chemotherapy. We identified 30 patients in the literature who
      initially presented with definite central nervous system manifestations and whose
      clinical conditions were described sufficiently enough for comparison with our
      case. Eleven patients had the diagnosis made in life, but only 5 received
      chemotherapy other than corticosteroid hormones. Our patient's survival for 16
      months exceeded that in the majority of the 30 reported cases. Intense anti
      lymphoma chemotherapy, and possibly radiotherapy, may be beneficial and should be
      studied in this otherwise rapidly fatal disease. It seems certain that early
      diagnosis is essential if therapeutic intervention is to be successful.

PMID- 1865227
TI  - Centronuclear myopathy: clinical, morphological and genetic characters. A review
      of 288 cases.
AB  - We reviewed the 288 cases of centronuclear (myotubular) myopathy reported in the
      literature to correlate the clinical findings with the different modes of
      inheritance. Autosomal dominant (AD) inheritance occurred in 65 patients in 14
      families. Recessive X-linked transmission (XLR) was present in 84 males belonging
      to 14 families. In 54 familial cases and in 85 isolated cases the mode of
      inheritance was uncertain. The clinical picture was very severe in the XLR form
      with most dying in the first year of life, and more heterogeneous and much less
      severe in the AD form. Clinico-genetic analysis of unclassified familial and
      isolated cases suggested that most of them fitted in either the AD and the XLR
      form. The diagnosis of the autosomal recessive mode of inheritance, in the past
      considered to be the most frequent type, is possible in a minority of cases and
      is difficult to document.

PMID- 1865228
TI  - Norepinephrine and epinephrine responses to postural stimulus in orthostatic
      hypotension due to brainstem ischemic lesions.
AB  - Norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) responses to upright posture were
      investigated in 25 patients with orthostatic hypotension due to brainstem
      ischemic lesions and in 25 control subjects. In controls the postural stimulus
      induced constantly a rise in NE urinary excretion and a reduction in E excretion,
      while in patients with orthostatic hypotension it caused a depression in NE
      urinary excretion and a rise in E urinary excretion; the last alteration was
      noticed in all but one patient. The E discharge induced by posture in patients
      with orthostatic hypotension may be involved in the reduction of vascular
      peripheral resistance and then in postural fall of blood pressure displayed by
      such patients.

PMID- 1865229
TI  - Multiple sclerosis in Cyprus.
AB  - The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) was studied in the Greek-speaking
      population in the southwestern district of Paphos and the eastern Famagusta area
      and in the Troodos mountains in Cyprus. Excluding refugees from the northern part
      of the island, the MS prevalence was 44.5 per 100,000. This is a similar
      prevalence to that found in Sicily and shows that, like Sicily, Greek-speaking
      Cypriots have a medium to high and not a low MS prevalence. There was no
      significant difference in MS prevalence between the warm Paphos and Famagusta
      areas and the much colder mountainous areas. In one village, Liopetri, there were
      five families with definite MS (CDMS), and one patient with clinically probable
      MS (CPMS). Excluding refugees, the prevalence for CDMS and CPMS in this village
      was 240 per 100,000. All six families are probably related.

PMID- 1865230
TI  - MELAS of infantile onset: mitochondrial angiopathy or cytopathy?
AB  - An 83-day-old male infant had convulsions, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and
      lactic acidosis. Cranial computed tomography revealed low-density areas in both
      parieto-occipital lobes and in the left temporal lobe. Muscle biopsy did not
      reveal ragged-red fibers, but abnormal mitochondria were found in the capillary
      endothelial cells as well as in the muscle fibers. At 5 months of age, the
      patient developed purpura on the soles and palms. Skin biopsy showed degeneration
      of the endothelial cells with abnormal mitochondria in the arterioles and
      capillaries. Myelinated nerves in the skin had vacuolated axons with swollen
      mitochondria, and their myelin sheaths showed vacuolation. At 9 months of age, he
      died of heart failure, and autopsy revealed abnormal mitochondria in the
      myocardium but not in the coronary vessels. Our findings indicate that the
      symptoms of the mitochondrial encephalopathy, myopathy, lactic acidosis, and
      strokelike episodes (MELAS) syndrome cannot be fully explained by the
      mitochondrial angiopathy alone.

PMID- 1865231
TI  - Syphilitic meningitis causing paraparesis in an HIV-negative woman.
AB  - Syphilitic meningitis, which can occur near the time of secondary syphilis, is
      frequently asymptomatic. There has been one recent report of an HIV-positive
      patient who developed syphilitic polyradiculopathy following a recent history of
      secondary syphilis. We describe an HIV-negative woman in whom paraparesis
      occurred secondary to syphilitic meningitis. Complete recovery followed a course
      of high-dose intravenous penicillin therapy, emphasizing the treatable nature of
      this cause of paraparesis.

PMID- 1865232
TI  - Dopa-sensitive and dopa-resistant gait parameters in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Quantitative analysis of gait was performed in 20 parkinsonians before and 1 h
      after the acute administration of L-Dopa in order to discriminate between the
      Dopa-sensitive and the Dopa-resistant kinematic gait parameters. The stride
      length and the kinematic parameters (swing velocity, peak velocity) related to
      the energy were Dopa-sensitive. The improvement of the bent forward posture by L
      Dopa may explain the stride length increase. Temporal parameters (stride and
      swing duration, stride duration variability), related to rhythm, were Dopa
      resistant. Experimental data argue for the importance of force control in
      maintaining the posture. The stride length variability, possibly related to the
      variability of force production shown to exist in parkinsonians was not
      significantly improved by L-Dopa. In Parkinson's disease different hypotheses
      might explain the inexorable aggravation of gait disorders along the course of
      the disease: (1) an advancing disorder of coordination between postural control
      and locomotion, (2) if some gait parameters like stride length and kinematic
      parameters are Dopa-sensitive, the others are Dopa-resistant and thus may involve
      other mechanisms than dopamine deficiency.

PMID- 1865233
TI  - Multisystem involvement of the central nervous system in Strumpell's disease. A
      neurophysiological and neuropsychological study.
AB  - The multisystem involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in familial
      spastic paraplegia (FSP) has not been fully investigated by means of complete
      neurophysiological and neuropsychological examinations. The classification which
      distinguishes pure and complicated forms of FSP, is based on clinical features
      and does not take into account the possibility that clinically silent lesions of
      the CNS can be identified by means of adequate tests. The study was intended to
      assess the subclinical and multisystem involvement of the CNS in a group of 11
      patients affected by FSP, clinically distinguished in 7 pure forms and 4
      complicated forms. Neurophysiological tests included saccadic eye movements
      analysis, visual and auditory brain stem evoked responses. Neuropsychological
      examination was devised by means of a special purpose mental deterioration
      battery. Our results, showing a high incidence of multisystemic subclinical
      involvement of the CNS, confirm and extend the concept that FSP is a
      multisystemic degenerative disease of the CNS, and that the existence of "pure"
      forms should be reconsidered.

PMID- 1865234
TI  - Historical aspects of neurosciences. Otto Binswanger (1852-1929).

PMID- 1865235
TI  - Limb-girdle syndrome: a genetic study of 22 large Brazilian families. Comparison
      with X-linked Duchenne and Becker dystrophies.
AB  - The differential clinical diagnosis between the X-linked muscular dystrophies
      (DMD and BMD) and autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD),
      which is extremely important for genetic counseling, may be very difficult. The
      aim of the present report is to describe clinical and laboratory findings in
      patients from large families, with AR inheritance, in an attempt to characterize
      better cases which have been diagnosed as LGMD compared with the X-linked forms.
      The main features analysed are: age of onset and of confinement to a wheelchair,
      reproductive performance, serum enzymes (CK and PK) and dystrophin assessment
      (through immunohistochemistry and Western blot). Twenty-two families, with 62
      affected patients diagnosed as limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, were included in
      this report. In 19 families, the patients had a milder clinical course, while in
      the remaining 3, the progression of the disease was continuous and clinically
      similar to X-linked DMD ("DMD-like"). A high consanguinity rate was observed
      among the parents of the affected patients (77%). No major clinical difference
      was observed between the X-linked and the AR forms. However, muscle dystrophin
      was found qualitatively and quantitatively normal in the autosomal forms but
      absent or abnormal in the X-linked ones. The reproductive performance was
      significantly higher for male than female patients. In addition, a surprising
      finding was the significantly greater fitness estimated for male LGMD cases as
      compared with Becker patients of comparable age studied in our center. The
      implications of such findings are discussed.

PMID- 1865236
TI  - Amplifications of multiple regions of the HTLV-I genome from DNA of an Italian
      spastic paraparesis patient but not from DNA of multiple sclerosis patients.
AB  - We searched for evidence of infection by the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus
      type I (HTLV-I) in patients with multiple sclerosis (40 cases); brainstem
      encephalitis (1 case); Friedreich's ataxia (1 case); spastic paraparesis of
      unknown etiology (1 case). All patients were from the region of Abruzzo, Italy.
      Sera were all negative for anti-HTLV-I reactivity by the Western blotting (WB)
      analysis. DNAs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were amplified using the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique with primers specific for the HTLV-I
      gag, pol, and env proviral regions. HTLV-I sequences were amplified only in the
      patient with spastic paraparesis of unknown etiology. In this case, HTLV-I
      infection might have been related to blood transfusions received 2 years prior to
      the onset of the neurologic symptoms. Members of the patient's family were
      negative for HTLV-I by PCR and WB. These data indicate that HTLV-I associated
      myelopathy is present also in Italy, but fail to substantiate an association of
      HTLV-I with multiple sclerosis.

PMID- 1865237
TI  - Polarity of the surface and cortex of the amphibian egg from fertilization to
      first cleavage.
AB  - The anuran egg is polarized along its animal-vegetal axis and becomes bilaterally
      symmetrical before first cleavage. Functional sperm entry is regionally
      restricted to the animal hemisphere of the egg, and functional sperm entry does
      not occur after egg activation. This regional and functional restriction in sperm
      entry correlates with the presence of long, slender microvilli and with the
      presence of the filamentous component of the glycocalyx. After sperm fusion, the
      egg undergoes activation, including a depolarization of the membrane potential
      and exocytosis of granules in the cortex. Both of these activation responses are
      the result of a propagated increase in intracellular calcium. The egg's ability
      to undergo a propagated activation response develops after germinal vesicle
      breakdown and depends on the development of the cortical endoplasmic reticulum.
      Once activated, the radial symmetric egg acquires bilateral symmetry due to a
      rotation of the egg cortex relative to the inner cytoplasm. A transient array of
      parallel microtubules forms near the vegetal cortex and may be part of the motor
      driving the cortical rotation.

PMID- 1865238
TI  - Three-dimensional imaging of fertilization and early development.
AB  - The field of biological microscopy has recently enjoyed major technical advances,
      exemplified by the development of field-emission low-voltage scanning electron
      microscopes and laser scanning confocal light microscopes. In addition, computer
      processing of microscopical data is revolutionizing the way morphological
      information is imaged. In this paper, we illustrate methods by which this new
      technology can be used to examine events in fertilization and early development
      in three dimensions. Different types of specimen preparation protocols, using
      both echinoderm and mammalian gametes and embryos, are evaluated for their
      ability to preserve accurately the three-dimensional organization of these
      specimens for imaging by both low-voltage scanning electron microscopy and laser
      scanning confocal light microscopy.

PMID- 1865239
TI  - Fertilization of the mouse oocyte.
AB  - This paper presents morphological data on mouse oocyte maturation and
      fertilization, reviews evidence supporting the existence of a sperm receptor, and
      suggests future directions for this line of research. We used scanning electron
      microscopy to examine oocytes under a variety of conditions. The surfaces of
      mature mouse oocytes are seen to be similar whether maturation occurs in vivo or
      in vitro. Capacitated sperm (both acrosome-intact and acrosome-reacted) are
      observed to interact with the microvilli of the oocyte surface. Little is known
      about oocyte surface proteins that mediate fertilization in mammals. Data of ours
      and others show that enzyme treatment of live unfertilized eggs interferes with
      sperm binding. Enzyme treatment (trypsin, chymotrypsin treatment, or pronase)
      reduces the number of bound sperm, suggesting removal of a surface protein
      involved in fertilization. Trypsin treatment also causes some lengthening of
      surface microvilli in a belt surrounding the metaphase II region. After metabolic
      labeling, proteins of zona-free unfertilized eggs can be identified by SDS-PAGE
      and autoradiography. Comparison of 1-D gels from untreated and enzyme-treated
      eggs show the nearly complete disappearance of proteins of 263, 170, 137, 97, and
      87 kD after digestion; an increase in a 66 kD protein after trypsin or
      chymotrypsin; and a major new band of 20 kD after chymotrypsin treatment.
      Fertilized eggs show the loss of a 255-265 kD band among other changes. Proteins
      of 97 kD and 87 kD were seen previously by surface labeling (Johnson and Calarco,
      1980b), and our 97 kD and 66 kD bands are similar in molecular weight to those
      identified by Boldt et al. (1989). Taken together, these data identify a few
      candidate proteins for the role of sperm receptor on the egg surface. Future work
      should focus on identification of the surface protein(s) which functions
      physiologically in fertilization by developing fertilization-blocking antibodies.
      Relatedness to other mammalian sperm receptors and identification of the genes
      involved would provide valuable information to our understanding of fertilization
      and to the problems of infertility and contraception.

PMID- 1865240
TI  - Physiology and pathophysiology of the human spermatozoon: the role of electron
      microscopy.
AB  - In this article, the major contributions of electron microscopy to the present
      understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the human spermatozoon are
      reviewed. The ultrastructural organization of sperm organelles playing a
      significant role for cell function and, therefore, for the reproductive process
      is described. Also, the major abnormalities and defects of the various organellar
      systems and how they impair the reproductive function and/or the viability of the
      cell are reviewed.

PMID- 1865242
TI  - Versatile controlling system for cryopreparation techniques in electron
      microscopy.
AB  - A new setup for freeze-substitution and a versatile controlling system has been
      developed. Our goal was to build a simple system allowing precise control of the
      physical parameters of freeze-substitution experiments to learn more about their
      influences on the cellular ultrastructure and immunoreactivity of macromolecules.
      An improved apparatus for freeze-substitution, based on liquid nitrogen cooling,
      and a universal software for controlling the complex preparation protocols from
      cryofixation to final polymerization are described. This controlling system has
      the following advantages: it allows precise control and registration of
      temperature profiles, reconstruction of each individual step of previous
      experiments, and optimization of working conditions. The setup of the freeze
      substitution apparatus is designed to run many different substitution media in
      parallel; freeze-substitution (cryostat), embedding (working platform), and
      polymerization are carried out at separate places; therefore, more experiments
      can be done simultaneously. The ergonomic working platform allows exchange of
      media at controlled temperature and easy handling; survey of the temperature in
      individual tubes is possible, and the system is protected from water condensation
      and uncontrolled warming by the deep freezer.

PMID- 1865241
TI  - Dispermic fertilization of human oocytes.
AB  - Regardless of whether fertilization occurs in vivo or in vitro, polyspermic
      penetration of the human oocyte is a not infrequent cause of reproductive
      failure. This report describes the occurrence of human eggs fertilized by two
      spermatozoa and the variable developmental potentials expressed by the resultant
      embryos. The cellular and subcellular events that characterize the pronuclear and
      early cleavage stages of preimplantation embryogenesis are discussed with respect
      to the ability of such embryos to progress to implantation.

PMID- 1865243
TI  - An easy method for orientated embedding tissue culture cell monolayers in LR
      White resin for postembedding immunocytochemistry.
AB  - Partial polymerization of LR White resin blocks is a frequently encountered
      problem if oxygen is present during the polymerization reaction. Instructions are
      given for a simple method to embed cell culture monolayer in LR White acrylic
      resin, which is suitable for immunocytochemistry. The advantage of this method is
      that it is easy and reliable. It also ensures accurate orientation of the cell
      monolayer in relation to the desired plane of sectioning.

PMID- 1865244
TI  - Determination of vesicle size distributions by freeze-fracture electron
      microscopy.
AB  - The most common electron microscopic technique for obtaining information on size
      distributions of uncollapsed membrane vesicles is based on the method of van
      Venetie (1980). This technique involves the sizing of only those vesicles that
      were freeze fractured at their equatorial planes. As a result, only a small
      number of images can be used to generate size distributions. Further, the
      technique is susceptible to systematic error. An alternate approach is to
      consider the complete distribution of image sizes and use this distribution to
      determine the average size and distribution of the vesicles. It is shown that the
      mean vesicle size is 4/pi times the mean image size. As well, a parameter, m,
      which can be determined from the image distribution, can be used to characterize
      the vesicle distribution. The advantage of this new approach is that images of
      all vesicles are used, leading to a statistically better determination of vesicle
      sizes.

PMID- 1865245
TI  - Polychloroprene glue as an adhesive for mounting specimens for SEM.

PMID- 1865247
TI  - VDT exposure and pregnant workers.

PMID- 1865246
TI  - Improved fixation for cytochemical demonstration of acid phosphatase in mouse
      decidual cells.

PMID- 1865248
TI  - A comparison of cause-specific mortality among participants and nonparticipants
      in a work-site medical surveillance program.
AB  - Nonparticipants in general population health surveys have been found to be less
      healthy than participants, but data on nonparticipants in work-site health
      surveys have been more scarce. We compared cause-specific mortality among 11,156
      male employees of The Dow Chemical Company who participated in at least one work
      site health examination between 1967 and 1978 with 6915 employees who did not
      participate. The nonparticipants experienced higher mortality rates for nearly
      every cause of death examined but particularly from smoking and alcohol-abuse
      related diseases. This was especially true during the first 5 years of follow-up,
      suggesting that some employees do not participate because they are already ill.
      These findings have important implications for the use of examination data for
      both primary and secondary disease prevention purposes, and these are discussed.

PMID- 1865249
TI  - Success in basic combat training: the role of cigarette smoking.
AB  - We studied whether cigarette smoking affected a soldier's ability to complete
      basic combat training. Demographic and tobacco use information was collected from
      a cohort of soldiers before they began training. A list of all graduates was
      obtained and analyzed against the initial questionnaire data. In this prospective
      study, the smoking group comprised 339 soldiers and the nonsmoking group
      comprised 535 soldiers. We found that those soldiers who smoked one or more packs
      of cigarettes per day were at a greater risk for failing basic combat training
      (relative risk = 2.05, P = 0.092. There was no relationship observed between a
      soldier's education and his ability to complete basic combat training. Our data
      indicate that smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day may adversely
      affect a soldier's ability to complete basic combat training.

PMID- 1865250
TI  - Pulmonary health risks among northwest loggers.
AB  - Spirometry, respiratory symptom questionnaires, and chest radiographs were
      obtained from 688 loggers in Oregon and Washington. These were compared against
      previously published National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
      studies of nonexposed blue-collar workers to determine if these predictions fit
      our population. The loggers forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital
      capacity values were significantly greater than predicted, and their forced
      expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity values were less than
      predicted. The only consistent difference in symptoms between the sample and
      reference populations was for recent chest illnesses, which were more prevalent
      in the loggers than in the reference population. The chest radiographs showed a
      small excess of pleural thickening that we believe is most likely due to chest
      trauma. We conclude that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
      Health studies spirometry prediction equations may not be generalized to other
      blue-collar populations.

PMID- 1865251
TI  - Correlates of motor-vehicle safety behaviors in working populations.
AB  - To determine the prevalence and correlates in a working population of failure to
      wear seat belts, drinking and driving, and speeding, we examined the responses of
      18,046 health-profile participants. Twenty-four percent of subjects reported
      failure to wear seat belts at least 80% of the time. Twenty-two percent reported
      speeding at least 10 miles per hour over the speed limit when traffic permits.
      Twenty-three percent reported traveling at least once a month with a driver who
      had two or more drinks. Correlates of high-risk behaviors included male gender
      and youth. Educational attainment was inversely associated with seat-belt nonuse
      but directly related to speeding and drinking/driving. Our findings suggest a
      substantial opportunity to help employees lower important risks for serious motor
      vehicle injury.

PMID- 1865253
TI  - Poor agreement of occupational data between a hospital-based cancer registry and
      interview.
AB  - With occupation recognized as a risk factor for various cancers, collecting
      occupation and industry data by a number of vital registries, including cancer
      registries, has developed. Registries may be data sources for cancer etiology
      research and occupational disease surveillance, despite concerns that their data
      are fragmentary and may lack validity. To improve completeness and validity of
      occupational information in a hospital-based cancer registry, this study compared
      information obtained through abstracting medical records for the registry with
      information obtained through lung-cancer patient interviews. Employing the kappa
      statistic, agreement was generally poor, largely due to data missing in the
      medical record. Data quality of hospital-based cancer registries can be improved
      by employing trained cancer registrars to elicit occupational histories from
      patients.

PMID- 1865252
TI  - Lead exposure at uncovered outdoor firing ranges.
AB  - Excessive lead exposure in shooting instructors at indoor firing ranges and
      covered outdoor firing ranges has been documented. The City of Los Angeles
      assessed exposure of its full-time shooting instructors at uncovered outdoor
      ranges via air monitoring and blood lead-level measurements. Results of these
      tests revealed that significant lead exposure and absorption can occur at outdoor
      firing ranges. The use of copper-jacketed ammunition may decrease air lead levels
      and decrease lead absorption by range instructors.

PMID- 1865254
TI  - Ridge detection tactility deficits associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
AB  - A ridge detection threshold task was administered to patients diagnosed as having
      carpal tunnel syndrome for studying performance in an occupationally relevant
      functional tactile inspection task. Thresholds were compared with a reference
      group of subjects not having carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, performing the same
      task. The threshold detection task used the method of limits for studying the
      effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, rate of ridge height changes, ridge gradient,
      and direction of shearing against the skin on ridge detection thresholds for a
      repeated measures factorial experimental design. Sixteen carpal tunnel syndrome
      hands and 30 normal hands were studied. Average ridge detection threshold was
      0.08 mm for the normal subjects and increased to 0.20 mm for the carpal tunnel
      syndrome subjects. No significant age effect was observed. These results suggest
      that workers having carpal tunnel syndrome may not detect an edge or surface
      defect in a tactile inspection task unless it was more than twice as high as
      detected by workers without CTS.

PMID- 1865255
TI  - Sick-hospital syndrome.
AB  - An outbreak of complaints consisting primarily of eye and respiratory tract
      irritation accompanied by headache, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea occurred among
      the operating room personnel of a large metropolitan hospital. This initially was
      attributed to infiltration of diesel exhaust emissions into the ventilation
      system. However, following correction of this problem and subsequent unrevealing
      air monitoring, symptoms persisted and were noted in personnel in adjacent areas
      of the hospital as well. An industrial hygiene and medical evaluation was
      undertaken. Monitoring for carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and anesthetic gases
      and review of medical records and patient examinations were unrevealing, and the
      problem resolved gradually over several weeks. This outbreak represents a case of
      building-associated illness among health professionals in a hospital setting that
      was triggered by a single, identifiable noxious exposure but was sustained
      despite any apparent ongoing noxious exposures.

PMID- 1865256
TI  - Miracidia of Schistosoma japonicum: approach and attachment to the snail host.
AB  - Schistosoma japonicum miracidia swim directed along a chemical gradient toward
      the snails Oncomelania hupensis and Biomphalaria glabrata, and they turn back
      when the concentration of attractive chemicals decreases. The host signal for
      this chemotactic response has a molecular weight of more than 30,000. When
      swimming miracidia encounter the surface of O. hupensis or agar containing O.
      hupensis snail-conditioned water (SCW) they perform the host-specific responses
      "contact with return," "repeated investigation," and "attachment," but they do
      not exhibit such behavior when encountering B. glabrata surface or agar
      containing B. glabrata SCW. Thus S. japonicum miracidia respond to different host
      signals when they approach snails than when they attach to snails.

PMID- 1865257
TI  - Phaneropsolus spinicirrus n. sp. (Digenea: Lecithodendriidae), a human parasite
      in Thailand.
AB  - Phaneropsolus spinicirrus n. sp., collected in a postpraziquantel treatment stool
      of a 44-yr-old woman from Kalasin Province in northeastern Thailand, is
      described. It is the second species of the genus Phaneropsolus Looss, 1899, found
      to parasitize a human host. It differs from the first species, Phaneropsolus
      bonnei Lie, 1951, in the presence of a short spinose cirrus and the structure and
      distribution of tegumental spines. The new species is most similar to
      Phaneropsolus perodictici Goodman and Panesar, 1986, isolated from the potto,
      Perodicticus potto, in Uganda because digeneans of both species have numerous
      spines on the cirrus. However, the new species differs from P. perodictici in
      having more conspicuous spines, the genital pore at the posterior border of the
      oral sucker or lateral to the pharynx, a body and internal organs of larger size,
      conical spines on the tegument, an ovoid to bilobed ovary and a large V-shaped
      excretory bladder. Phaneropsolus spinicirrus is distinguishable from other
      previously reported Phaneropsolus by possessing a spinose cirrus.

PMID- 1865258
TI  - National seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs.
AB  - Serum samples from 11,842 commercial pigs killed in 1983-1984 throughout the
      United States were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by the
      agglutination test in dilutions of 1:25, 1:50, and 1:500. Anti-T. gondii
      antibodies were found in 23.9% of pigs. At dilutions of 1:25, 1:50, and 1:500,
      13.5%, 6.9%, and 3.5% were serologically positive, respectively. The prevalence
      of anti-T. gondii antibodies was higher in breeder pigs (42%) than in market pigs
      (23%). These results indicate that anti-T. gondii antibodies are widespread in
      the national swine herd.

PMID- 1865260
TI  - The component community structure of larval trematodes in the pulmonate snail
      Helisoma anceps.
AB  - Factors that affected the component community structure of larval trematodes in
      the pulmonate snail Helisoma anceps in Charlie's Pond, North Carolina, were
      studied over a 15-mo period using a multiple mark-recapture protocol. Patent
      infections of 8 species were observed in 1,485 of 4,899 snails examined.
      Reproductive activity, population size, and survival rate of the snail population
      were estimated to evaluate the extent of resource availability for the parasites.
      Antagonistic interactions between trematode species that occurred at the
      infracommunity level had a neglible effect on the composition and structure of
      the component community. The patterns observed at this level were related to
      temporal heterogeneity in the abundance of infective stages (mostly miracidia),
      differential responses of trematode species to the diverse and constantly
      changing distribution of snail size and abundance, differential mortality of
      snails infected with certain trematode species, constant recruitment of 1
      trematode species over time, and the existence of predictable disturbances such
      as the complete mortality of the host population and recruitment of a replacement
      population during a 6-8 wk period. The last factor operated as a reset mechanism
      for this snail-trematode system once each year. A model of patch dynamics, with
      snails as patch resources, best explains the organization and dynamics of this
      system.

PMID- 1865259
TI  - Guild structure of larval trematodes in the snail Helisoma anceps: patterns and
      processes at the individual host level.
AB  - Factors that influenced the infracommunity structure of trematodes parasitizing
      the pulmonate snail Helisoma anceps were studied over a 15-mo period; the guild
      included 8 species of parasites. Infracommunities were depauperate, with double
      patent infections observed in only 7 of 1,485 infected snails; a total of 4,899
      was examined. Halipegus occidualis-Haematoloechus longiplexus was the most common
      dual infection. Both species share the same definitive host and, in both cases,
      eggs are the infective stage for the snail. Switches and losses of infections in
      individual snails were observed, suggesting the occurrence of dynamic
      interactions within the guild. A dominance hierarchy was constructed based on
      field observations and experimental infections. Echinostomatids were dominant;
      species without rediae in their life cycles were subordinates. Halipegus
      occidualis (which has rediae) was intermediate in dominance. Spatial and temporal
      heterogeneity in the distribution and abundance of trematode infective stages
      indicate that not all the snails have the same probability of becoming infected.
      Habitat structure, behavior of the definitive host, the nature of the infective
      stages, and snail population dynamics (mortality, recruitment, and size
      structure) generated spatial and temporal heterogeneity in this system. As a
      consequence, predictions of the probabilities of interspecific interactions based
      on an analysis of observed and expected frequencies of multiple infections could
      be inappropriate unless the potential sources of heterogeneity are considered.

PMID- 1865261
TI  - The effects of periodic eutrophication on parasitism and stock identification of
      Trematomus bernacchii (Pisces: Nototheniidae) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.
AB  - McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, is suited for the study of the effects of
      eutrophication on diet-related parasites of Trematomus bernacchii (Boulenger,
      1902) (Pisces). It has been relatively well studied, the environment is
      predictable, and there are significant differences in primary productivity over
      small distances. The differences in parasitism for 5 helminth species can be
      attributed to the enrichment processes in the sound. The prevalences of the
      acanthocephalan Echinorhynchus sp., the nematode Ascarophis nototheniae, the
      digenean Dinosoma sp., and the cestode Phyllobothrium sp. are significantly
      higher on the east side of the sound than on the west. The prevalence of the
      digenean Lepidepedon garrardi was significantly higher on the west side. We
      believe that the differences in the prevalences of infection between the east and
      west sides suggest that at least the benthic, adult fish do not readily move from
      one side of the sound to the other. We report the following (new host records are
      marked by asterisks): Echinorhynchus sp., Corynosoma hamanni (Acanthocephala);
      Phyllobothrium sp., Diphyllobothrium sp., Trypanorhyncha (Cestoidea);
      Clavellopsis (Copepoda); Dinosoma sp., Lepidepedon garrardi (Digenea);
      Pseudobenedenoides brachicola, Polyopisthocotylea (Monogenea); Contracaecum sp.,
      Ascarophis nototheniae (Nematoda); Myxoproteus sp., Henneguya sp., Ceratomyxa
      sp., and Zschokkella sp. (Protozoa).

PMID- 1865262
TI  - Canine leishmaniasis: pathological and ecological factors influencing
      transmission of infection.
AB  - Canine leishmaniasis was studied in 1,823 dogs from the Lisbon metropolitan
      region. The breeds most affected were doberman and German shepherd, independent
      of sex and use. Young adult (12.2%) and older dogs (14.7%) had higher prevalences
      of infection. Parasitological confirmation of serological diagnosis was higher in
      dogs with indirect fluorescent antibody test titer greater than or equal to
      1:512, indicating that parasitological patency is a late event. Exposure of
      Leishmania in lymph nodes is more efficient for parasitological confirmation
      (75.4% of cases). Frequent signs of disease were enlarged lymph nodes and
      onychogriphosis. However, 53.8% of the dogs with significant antibody titers
      (greater than or equal to 1:128) showed no symptom, suggesting that canine
      leishmaniasis has a prolonged asymptomatic period. This study confirmed the
      importance of the dog as the reservoir of visceral leishmaniasis.

PMID- 1865263
TI  - Infection of Aotus vociferans monkeys with different strains of Plasmodium
      falciparum.
AB  - Twenty-one splenectomized Aotus vociferans monkeys were infected with the
      different strains/clones of Plasmodium falciparum. Maximum parasitemia ranged
      from 1,302 to 1,460,000 parasites per mm3. Only the Santa Lucia strain was shown
      to produce gametocytes for extended periods. Gametocytes produced during the
      primary episode of parasitemia were highly infective to Anopheles freeborni
      mosquitoes. Gametocytes produced during recrudescence were not infective to
      mosquitoes feeding directly on the animals. This lack of mosquito infection
      during recrudescence periods suggests the presence of transmission-blocking
      immunity, which may be important in understanding the control of malaria through
      immunologic initiatives.

PMID- 1865264
TI  - Cultivation of excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) to
      ovigerous adults on the chick chorioallantois.
AB  - Excysted metacercariae of Echinostoma caproni were cultivated on the chick
      chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) maintained at 38.5 +/- 1 C and a relative humidity
      of 60-65%. Of 59 6-day-old embryos, each inoculated with 25 metacercariae, 29
      (49.2%) were infected 2-12 days postinoculation. The total number of worms
      recovered from the infected eggs was 163 or 22.5% of the 725 inoculated
      metacercariae. Eggs contained from 1 to 12 (average 5.6) worms per CAM. Worm
      length increased rapidly from an average of 0.5 mm at 2 days to about 3.0 mm at 6
      days postinoculation. Ovigerous worms first were seen on day 8 PI, but fluke eggs
      did not develop embryos. Worm development in ovo lagged about 1 day behind that
      of in vivo worms. One worm maintained for 17 days on 2 successive CAMs reached 6
      mm in length, contained about 100 eggs in its uterus, and laid an additional 100
      eggs on the CAM surface.

PMID- 1865265
TI  - Effects of medium alterations on in vitro development of Brugia malayi larvae in
      cultured mosquito thoraces.
AB  - A recent study showed that 1-day-old, intracellularly lodged larvae of Brugia
      species develop in vitro to the infective third-stage larvae (L3) in excised
      thoraces of susceptible mosquitoes in the diphasic insect tissue culture medium
      containing a nutrient agar base overlaid with a 1:1 mixture of Schneider's
      Drosophila medium and Grace's insect cell culture medium supplemented with 20%
      fetal bovine serum (FBS) and antimicrobial agents. In the present investigation,
      the diphasic culture medium was used to evaluate the effects of medium
      alterations on the development of 1-day-old, intracellularly lodged larvae of
      subperiodic Brugia malayi in excised thoraces of Aedes aegypti to the L3. One-day
      old larvae developed to the L3 in medium without nutrient agar base, at pH 7.0
      and pH 7.5, in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) and in HBSS supplemented with
      bovine albumin fraction-V (BAF-V). These larvae also developed in the absence of
      FBS in the overlay medium, in overlay medium containing 5-20% FBS, in medium
      components obtained from different sources, in serum free Sf-900 (GIBCO) medium,
      and when FBS is replaced by BAF-V in the overlay medium. The percentage of L3 was
      not increased substantially in infected excised thoraces of mosquitoes when
      nutrient supplements, such as folic acid, p-aminobenzoic acid, glucose, lipid
      concentrate, hemin, or reduced glutathione, were added to the overlay medium
      containing BAF-V. These results suggested that 1-day-old, intracellularly lodged
      larvae developed to the L3 in infected excised thoraces of mosquitoes at almost
      the same rate as in intact mosquito, when excised thoraces were maintained alive
      under optimal conditions in a culture medium.

PMID- 1865266
TI  - Recovery, distribution, and development of Acanthocheilonema viteae third- and
      early fourth-stage larvae in adult jirds.
AB  - Living third- and fourth-stage larvae (L3 and L4) of Acanthocheilonema viteae
      were recovered quantitatively from adult Meriones unguiculatus within the first
      10 days after subcutaneous inoculation of 60 arthropod-derived larvae (mL3). The
      average recovery of the inoculated larvae was about one third (28.5%), and the
      majority (87.7%) were found in muscular tissues. Seventy-two hours after
      inoculation, larvae could be isolated from all body locations, although the
      majority still was found near the site of inoculation. Morphological and
      biometrical data indicated that, at least until molting, the development of the
      larval population was not synchronous, with molting occurring over a period of 48
      hr on days 7 and 8 postinoculation. The stomatal rings of postinvasive L3's and
      L4's were distinguishable structurally and could be used as stage-specific
      determinants. Immediately after infection, L3's showed a linear growth in
      diameter; rapid longitudinal growth started after the molt, leading to a doubling
      in the length of L4's within 4 days. The time course of shedding was
      reconstructed in detail using isolated L3/L4 intermediates.

PMID- 1865267
TI  - Species-specific differences in heterogonic development of serially transferred
      free-living generations of Strongyloides planiceps and Strongyloides stercoralis.
AB  - The direction of free-living development (homogonic vs. heterogonic) in
      Strongyloides stercoralis and Strongyloides planiceps was examined by successive
      transplantation of the uterine eggs of free-living females into a test tube
      culture system containing fresh feces. The eggs from the first-generation free
      living females of S. stercoralis did not develop into second-generation free
      living adult worms, but all developed into filariform larvae. However, the
      majority of S. planiceps eggs from the first-generation free-living females
      developed into second-generation free-living adults. By successive transfer of
      uterine eggs of each generation, 9 generations developed, and in every cycle more
      adult worms developed than filariform larvae. However, the number of free-living
      generations was not infinite; in experiments repeated twice, the number of worms
      developing from the eggs of eighth or ninth generations was too small to continue
      further culture. These findings indicate that the pattern of free-living
      development is different between the 2 species.

PMID- 1865268
TI  - Formation and excretion of calcareous bodies by the metacestode (Tetrathyridium)
      of Mesocestoides vogae.
AB  - The function of calcareous bodies, commonly found in the parenchyma of cestodes
      and trematodes, is relatively poorly understood. The present histochemical
      ultrastructural study of the proliferative tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides vogae
      revealed that calcareous corpuscles begin to form as organic (lipid-protein)
      masses that coalesce in parenchymal (calcareogenic) cells. Concentric accretion
      of organic and inorganic crystalline material then leads to the formation of
      typical refractile calcareous bodies. The precise composition of such bodies,
      determined by x-ray diffraction, revealed that their major inorganic constituent
      is indeed calcium, with significant amounts of phosphorus, silicon, and zinc as
      well. Emission of calcareous bodies through the tegument was observed by scanning
      electron microscopy, explaining their accumulation in the intracapsular spaces
      around worms embedded in liver tissue of the host. Following their emission, the
      crystalline substance of corpuscles dissolves, leaving only nonrefractile,
      membrane-bound cytoplasmic debris. These observations do not preclude the
      possibility that calcareous bodies may play some role as buffers or reservoirs of
      inorganic ions. However, it is difficult to accept such a function for
      unencapsulated worms in the coelom or intestinal lumen; we suggest that excretion
      is a more likely role in such sites.

PMID- 1865269
TI  - The cytoskeletal architecture of Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - The cytoskeleton of Trypanosoma brucei has been analyzed by the high-resolution
      technique of quick-freeze deep-etch rotary-shadowing electron microscopy. The
      study provides detailed structural information on the subpellicular array of
      microtubules, the flagellum, and the interaction of these 2 major structures of
      the trypanosomal cytoskeleton with each other. The subpellicular microtubules
      closely interact both with the cell membrane and with each other. At the anterior
      tip of the cell they converge into a tightly closed structure, whereas at the
      posterior end the microtubular array remains open ended. The microtubular array
      is involved also in forming the opening of the flagellar pocket. The microtubular
      array interacts with the paraflagellar rod of the flagellum through a dense
      meshwork of fibers that are anchored on the microtubular surface with one end and
      within the paraflagellar rod structure with the other. The highly ordered, 3
      dimensional network of the paraflagellar rod itself is connected tightly to the
      microtubular axoneme of the flagellum through a regular array of fleur-de-lis
      shaped linking structures.

PMID- 1865270
TI  - Surface ultrastructure of the developmental stages of Heterophyopsis continua
      (Trematoda: Heterophyidae).
AB  - Ultrastructural observations were made on the tegument of juvenile and adult
      stages of Heterophyopsis continua using scanning electron microscopy. On the
      surface posterior to the ventral sucker, the tegumental processes were bandlike
      in the metacercariae, cobblestonelike in the flukes 2 days postinfection (PI),
      and velvety at 3 days PI. The anterior surface between the oral and ventral
      suckers of the metacercariae was packed densely with tegumental spines having a
      10- to 14-pointed tip. In flukes 6 days PI, the number of points increased to 15
      17. The tegumental spines immediately behind the ventral sucker on the
      metacercariae surface possessed 5-7 points; posteriorly the points were reduced
      in size and in number. Ciliate sensory papillae (type I), as single or clumped
      forms of 2 or 3, were abundant around the oral and ventral suckers of
      metacercaria and adult worms. The clumped papillae appeared bilaterally
      symmetrical on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. The ciliate papillae may function
      in tango-, rheo-, and/or chemoreception. On the lip of the ventral sucker, 6-7
      aciliate domed papillae (type II) were arranged in an equidistant manner. At 2
      days PI each type II papilla became a clumped form having 2 or 3 papillae. Type
      II papillae may function as tango- and/or pressure-receptors. The structure and
      distribution of papillae suggest that the ventral sucker likely functions as a
      holdfast organ and the oral sucker as a probing organ involved in feeding.

PMID- 1865271
TI  - Concurrent infections with the ruminant nematodes Haemonchus contortus and
      Trichostrongylus colubriformis in jirds, Meriones unguiculatus, and use of this
      model for anthelmintic studies.
AB  - Haemonchus contortus- and Trichostrongylus colubriformis-infected jirds (Meriones
      unguiculatus) are useful for anthelmintic studies. With concurrent infections of
      these parasites established in the jird, questions of not only anthelmintic
      activity, but to some extent spectrum, could be assessed in a single model
      system. This report outlines a model using immunosuppressed (0.02% hydrocortisone
      in feed) jirds concurrently infected with H. contortus and T. colubriformis.
      Immunosuppressed jirds were inoculated with approximately 1,000 exsheathed
      infective larvae of each species, treated per os on day 10 postinoculation (PI),
      and killed on day 13 PI. Stomachs and small intestines were removed, opened
      longitudinally, incubated in distilled water at 37 C for 5 hr, fixed in
      formaldehyde solution, and stored for subsequent examination. Contents of both
      organs were examined using a stereomicroscope (15-45 x). Various standard
      anthelmintics were evaluated in the model; modern broad-spectrum ruminant
      anthelmintics (benzimidazoles, febantel, ivermectin, levamisole hydrochloride,
      and milbemycin D) are active uniformly and in most cases at doses comparable to
      those required for efficacy against these parasites in ruminants. This model,
      using worms of 2 genera living in distinct sites, allows preliminary evaluation
      of anthelmintic activity and spectrum for experimental compounds in a single cost
      and resource-efficient experiment.

PMID- 1865272
TI  - A simple method for cloning Giardia duodenalis from cultures and fecal samples.
AB  - Using a novel method for cloning Giardia duodenalis from cultures and fecal
      samples, 47 clones from 7 isolates were established in vitro. Average colony
      forming efficiency in established cultures was 43.2% compared to 11.2% when
      cloning directly from excystation. The highest success rate of cloning was found
      with the Portland (P1, ATCC No. 30888) isolate, with a colony-forming efficiency
      of 92.7%. Cloned and parent populations were compared over a range of 13 enzymes
      using starch gel electrophoresis. No genetic difference was found between any of
      the clones and the parent isolates.

PMID- 1865273
TI  - Altered adult worm location in young male jirds infected with Brugia pahangi.
AB  - Male jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) were inoculated subcutaneously with 100 Brugia
      pahangi L3 each at 2, 6, 10, and 15 wk of age to compare their susceptibility and
      pathologic reactivity to infection. Adult worm recoveries (mean +/- SD) ranged
      from 24.1 +/- 15.1 to 36.4 +/- 13.9 at 60 days postinfection. No significant
      difference in susceptibility was measured among the 4 age groups. Jirds infected
      at 2 wk of age had significantly fewer (alpha less than or equal to 0.025)
      testicular and intralymphatic worms than all other age groups. Numbers of
      intralymphatic thrombi were significantly lower (alpha less than or equal to
      0.01) in jirds infected at 2 wk of age. Lymphatic lesion severity, expressed as
      the number of intralymphatic thrombi per intralymphatic worm, was similar between
      age groups. These data indicate no differences in susceptibility or lymphatic
      lesion formation following B. pahangi infection in 2-wk-old male jirds, despite
      altered adult worm location.

PMID- 1865274
TI  - The cell content of peritoneal exudates following the injection of neutral thiol
      protease into guinea pigs.
AB  - The cell content of the peritoneal exudate was examined 4 days after an
      intraperitoneal injection of glycogen in uninfected and Paragonimus westermani
      infected guinea pigs. In uninfected animals a reduction in macrophage count and
      an accumulation of granulocytes in the exudate were observed at 3 and 6 hr after
      an intraperitoneal injection of purified neutral thiol protease from P.
      westermani metacercariae. No such effect occurred after the enzyme was injected
      into infected animals. At 9 hr after enzyme injection, vacuoles were found in the
      cytoplasm of macrophages in uninfected animals.

PMID- 1865275
TI  - Infectivity, growth, and distribution of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) in the
      ICR mouse.
AB  - Host-parasite interactions of the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni were
      studied in ICR laboratory mice. All of 40 mice, each fed 25 metacercarial cysts
      of Echinostoma caproni, were infected 1-20 wk postinfection (PI) with a mean of
      17.2 worms/host. At 24 and 29 wk PI only 2 of 6 mice (33%) were infected, with a
      mean of 4.2 worms/host. Mean body area of worms increased rapidly to about 5 mm2
      by week 2, increased less rapidly to 8.8 mm2 by week 12, plateaued until week 24,
      and then declined. Mean dry weight of worms increased rapidly to about 0.5 mg by
      week 2, less rapidly to 1.4 mg by week 12, and then plateaued until week 24 PI.
      From 1 to 8 wk PI most worms localized in the jejunum and ileum; later most worms
      were in the jejunum and duodenum. Considerable differences were seen in the
      growth and distribution of E. caproni in the ICR mouse compared with previous
      studies on this echinostome species in the NMRI mouse.

PMID- 1865276
TI  - The controversy of the use of anti-gluten antibody (AGA) as a diagnostic tool in
      celiac disease.

PMID- 1865277
TI  - Alkaline gastroesophageal reflux in infancy.
AB  - Alkaline gastroesophageal reflux is a rare disorder, although it has been
      suggested as a cause of esophagitis. However, up to now, there exists no
      unequivocally accepted diagnostic method for alkaline reflux that can be
      routinely applied. "Normal ranges" of episodes of pH greater than 7.0-7.5 in
      asymptomatic as well as in symptomatic infants are proposed. In the asymptomatic
      infants (n = 83), the mean percentage of time the pH was greater than 7.0 was 1.3
      +/- 2.6, and the number of episodes in 24 h with a pH greater than 7.0 was 10.4
      +/- 16.4. In the symptomatic group (n = 60), including infants with chronic
      vomiting, the mean percentage of time the pH was greater than 7.0 was 0.15 +/-
      0.5, and the number of episodes with a pH greater than 7.0 was 2.8 +/- 5.5. In
      all but six infants the percentage of time the pH was greater than 7.5 was less
      than 0.1. In three of four of these infants (endoscopy was refused by two
      parents) whose conditions exceeded the cut-off limits, there was a histologically
      proven esophagitis. To evaluate the proposed "normal" ranges for episodes of pH
      greater than 7.0 and 7.5, 200 symptomatic children were included in a prospective
      study. Symptoms were repetitive vomiting (n = 110), excessive crying (n = 53),
      and chronic respiratory disease (n = 37). Esophagoscopy was performed in 18
      babies (9%) because pH monitoring data exceeded the proposed limits for the
      percentage of time the pH was greater than 7.0.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865278
TI  - Impaired intestinal function in symptomatic HIV infection.
AB  - A longitudinal (10-22 month) evaluation of intestinal symptoms and function was
      performed in five children with symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      infection. All received cotrimoxazole, ketoconazole, and immunoglobulins. A
      search for enteric pathogens and intestinal function tests were repeatedly
      performed in all patients. Mild episodes of diarrhea were observed in two
      children. One had cow's milk protein intolerance. Giardia lamblia was found in an
      asymptomatic carrier. Evidence for impaired intestinal function was found in all
      patients. These consisted of positive D-xylose and iron oral loads, increased
      steatorrhea, increased fecal excretion of alpha 1-antitrypsin, abnormal
      intestinal permeability, and increased food antibody levels. Our results suggest
      that severe diarrhea may be uncommon in children with HIV infection receiving
      antimicrobial prophylaxis, but that the intestinal function is frequently, and
      often markedly, impaired.

PMID- 1865279
TI  - Serum lipids in celiac children.
AB  - The plasma lipid levels were investigated in 45 celiac children under 3 years of
      age and 49 over this age at diagnosis (untreated groups), after gluten-free diet
      and in comparison with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) groups matched for size,
      gender, and age. Total and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower and
      triglycerides higher in celiac untreated children than in IBS control children in
      both age groups. HDL cholesterol significantly increased in both age groups after
      some months of gluten-free diet. Total and LDL cholesterol significantly
      increased and triglycerides decreased in the younger group of subjects after the
      period of gluten-free diet. These results may be useful for diagnostic purposes
      and to motivate a strict gluten-free diet in celiac children.

PMID- 1865280
TI  - Alanine-based oral rehydration solution: assessment of efficacy in acute
      noncholera diarrhea among children.
AB  - This randomized, double-blind trial determined whether adding 90 mmol/L of
      alanine with a reduction in glucose to 90 mmol/L (alanine ORS) improves the
      efficacy of the standard oral rehydration solution (WHO-ORS). One hundred twenty
      nine males aged 3-48 months with weight for length greater than or equal to 70%
      of NCHS, diarrheal duration less than or equal to 96 h, and clinical signs of
      mild to moderate dehydration were randomly allocated to either treatment group.
      During 0-6 h of treatment, ORS was offered at 120 ml/kg for rehydration without
      food or water. Beyond 6 h, ORS was offered as a volume-to-volume replacement for
      stool losses and a mixed diet of uniform composition was offered in amounts
      standardized for body weight. The most frequently isolated pathogens in alanine
      ORS and WHO-ORS groups were rotavirus (42 and 48%, respectively) and
      enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (15 and 12%, respectively). In the 0-6 h period
      when food was withheld, median urine output in ml/kg (8;5, p less than 0.05) and
      percentage decrease in total serum solids (9:7%, p = 0.06) was significantly
      greater in alanine ORS than in WHO-ORS; median ORS intake and stool output were
      marginally lower in the alanine group but the differences were statistically not
      significant. Between 0 h and recovery, although the median values for duration of
      diarrhea (56.5 and 65.0 h), ORS consumption (260 and 323 ml/kg), and stool output
      (188.4 and 216.3 g/kg) were lower in the alanine ORS group, these differences
      with the WHO-ORS group were not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865281
TI  - Stable isotopic measurement of endogenous fecal calcium excretion in children.
AB  - Using a stable isotopic technique in which 42Ca was administered via a bolus
      injection, we measured endogenous fecal calcium excretion, Vf, in five healthy
      children, aged 3-14 years. The Vf averaged 1.4 +/- 0.4 mg/kg/day, and was lower
      than urinary Ca excretion (Vu) in four of the five children. These results for Vf
      are consistent with previously reported results for Vf in healthy adults and much
      lower than those reported in premature infants. These results may be useful in
      understanding developmental changes in Ca metabolism and in interpreting dual
      tracer Ca isotope studies in children.

PMID- 1865282
TI  - Affinity chromatographic identification and quantitation of blood group A-active
      oligosaccharides in human milk and feces of breast-fed infants.
AB  - The finding of large quantities of blood group A-active oligosaccharides in the
      feces of a blood group A breast-fed infant motivated a search for the origin of
      these compounds. Using an affinity chromatographic technique, the nature of A
      active oligosaccharides in human milk is demonstrated. The amounts of A-active
      tetrasaccharide (A-tetra) and the Lewis b-active lacto-N-difucohexaose I (LND-I)
      varied between 19-375 mg/L for A-tetra and 14-710 mg/L for LND-I. Using the same
      technique, the amounts of A-tetra and LND-I in milk samples from five women of
      different blood groups were compared with those in the feces of their breast-fed
      infants. The A-tetra was present only in feces from infants of blood group A or
      AB mothers and the amount per 24 h corresponded roughly to that in a I-L portion
      of milk. One of the milk samples was also analyzed for the presence of larger A
      active oligosaccharides (A-pentasaccharide, A-hexasaccharide, and A
      heptasaccharide). Their amounts were much less as compared to the amounts present
      in feces. These results indicate that milk is a possible source for the smallest
      A-tetrasaccharide found in the feces of breast-fed infants, while the larger A
      active oligosaccharides might be the result of an intestinal metabolic
      modification.

PMID- 1865283
TI  - Sialylated oligosaccharides in human milk and feces of preterm, full-term, and
      weaning infants.
AB  - The amount of free and glycosidically bound sialic acid was quantitated in the
      oligosaccharide fraction of breast milk from nine women in the 2nd-3rd week of
      lactation. These amounts showed a certain individual variation but the amount of
      bound sialic acid was higher than the free sialic acid in each sample. A similar
      study on the feces from preterm and full-term breast-fed infants revealed that
      the amount of free sialic acid increased while the bound sialic acid decreased
      during maturation, which could possibly be a result of increasing activity of an
      intestinal sialidase in the newborn child. The fecal oligosaccharide patterns in
      one blood group A secretor breast-fed infant were studied every 2 months during
      weaning until the age of 1 year. It was seen that the fecal oligosaccharide
      pattern disappears, along with the blood group A-active compounds, with a
      corresponding decrease in the amount of breast milk in the diet.

PMID- 1865284
TI  - Comparison of nonabsorbable markers Poly R-478 and [14C]PEG-4,000 for use in
      developmental absorption studies.
AB  - To determine the utility of Poly R-478, a stable, polymeric dye (MW, 40,000), as
      a nonabsorbable marker for studies in the developing small intestine, it was
      validated by comparison to carbon 14-labeled polyethylene glycol, MW 4,000 [(
      14C]PEG-4,000) in rats from 14 to 40 days of age. The recovery and quantification
      of Poly R-478 from biological samples is simple and rapid compared to other
      nonradioactive nonabsorbable markers. In 40-day-old rats simultaneously given
      Poly R-478 and [14C]PEG, total recoveries were similar, the percentages of the
      Poly R-478 dose and the [14C]PEG dose recovered per segment were identical, and
      taurocholate absorption rates calculated using each marker were comparable.
      Recovery of Poly R-478 from flushed intestinal segments, determined by a one-step
      extraction, was equivalent to that of [14C]PEG in 40-day-old rats (96.5 +/- 3.7%
      versus 102.7 +/- 10.1%; NS) but was superior to that of [14C]PEG in 21-day-old
      rats (98.0 +/- 6.2% versus 63.4 +/- 5.5%; p less than 0.001) and 14-day-old rats
      (97.8 +/- 6.7% versus 56.7 +/- 12.6%; p less than 0.001). Within each age group,
      the distribution of Poly R-478 within the intestine was similar to that of
      [14C]PEG. In addition, total taurocholate absorption in the presence of Poly R
      478 was comparable to that in the presence of [14C]PEG. Complete recovery of Poly
      R-478 from a suspension of liver particles and from mixtures with two commercial
      infant formulas was demonstrated in vitro, suggesting that Poly R-478 may be used
      when foods are present in the intestine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865285
TI  - Effect of cholesterol deprivation on piglet small intestine and serum lipids.
AB  - Using the neonatal piglet, the effects of dietary cholesterol deprivation on
      growth, intestinal enzyme activity, intestinal and hepatic 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), and serum lipid were
      studied. Six litters of piglets were randomly assigned to one of two feeding
      regimens: restricted (800 ml of formula/24 h) versus unrestricted (1,200 ml of
      formula/24 h). Within litters, piglets were separated by sex, then randomly
      assigned to a formula containing low cholesterol (less than 2 mg/dl) or high
      cholesterol (145 mg/dl). Piglets were fed for 2 weeks. Male piglets in the
      restricted low cholesterol group gained significantly less weight per milliliter
      of formula than the restricted high cholesterol males. No effect was observed in
      the females. Microvillus membrane lactase activity was greater in males fed a
      high versus low cholesterol diet. Intestinal and hepatic HMG-CoA reductase
      activities and serum lipid profiles showed a trend toward compensation for
      dietary cholesterol deprivation but did not differ statistically between the
      cholesterol-fed versus -deprived groups. It is concluded that dietary cholesterol
      deprivation in the male neonatal pig causes alterations in growth, but no other
      statistically significant responses were detectable in this study.

PMID- 1865287
TI  - Needed: a research agenda for PNPs.

PMID- 1865286
TI  - Nondairy-creamer-induced kwashiorkor: 5-year follow-up.
AB  - Failure to thrive may not be a result of organ disease, physical abuse, or
      intentional neglect. We describe an infant who developed kwashiorkor with a high
      fat, low-protein, nondairy coffee creamer diet. The elimination diet was
      administered on the advice of a family friend for a facial rash. The child
      presented at 10 months of age with decreased weight for height, rash,
      hepatomegaly, edema, hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, hypoglycemia, and
      evidence of hepatic sequestration of lipids. A rapid recovery of biochemical
      abnormalities was evident on reinstitution of a full diet. An intellectual
      assessment at age 5 years showed normal results.

PMID- 1865288
TI  - Case management: ambiguous at best.
AB  - This article defines case management with an emphasis on the functions and
      providers of various case management models. Nursing Case Management delivery
      system is compared with several other models of case management. The potential
      role for the nurse practitioner in case management is discussed as well as
      ethical pitfalls that are attributed to various case management models.

PMID- 1865289
TI  - Office management of the infant with colic.
AB  - Coping with a colicky infant can be stressful for parents. Proper office
      management can reduce parental stress and help parents handle the prolonged
      crying periods. This article assists the practitioner to better define colic and
      the current "cures" for excessive crying. Office management is reviewed, focusing
      on calming techniques and psychosocial support for parents and family. A case
      study is reviewed, and the use of appropriate referrals is discussed.

PMID- 1865290
TI  - Biting in day care centers: incidence, prevention, and intervention.
AB  - Analysis of accident logs in child day care centers indicates that biting is
      common, especially among toddlers 13 to 30 months of age. Children of this age
      often lack appropriate verbal skills and resort to aggressive means to achieve
      their goals. Still awkward in gross-motor skills, toddlers can also suffer self
      bites following accidental falls. According to medical reports, human bites
      sometimes are more virulent than animal bites and can cause severe trauma.
      Although the AIDS virus has been cultured from saliva, transmission from saliva
      alone has not been documented. Bite injuries in day care, however, usually are
      minor and can be treated by washing, applying cold compresses, and comforting the
      child. Suggested methods to diminish the frequency of biting in day care include
      physical changes within the room, behavior modification, and other classroom
      management techniques.

PMID- 1865291
TI  - Menstrual disorders during adolescence.
AB  - Concerns about menstrual function are a frequent reason for primary care visits
      during adolescence. Following a review of normal pubertal development and
      menstrual function, primary care assessment and management of delayed menarche,
      amenorrhea, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding during adolescence are presented.

PMID- 1865292
TI  - Anticipatory guidance for the employed breast-feeding mother.
AB  - A significant number of women are combining childrearing and career. Mothers who
      opt to breast-feed while employed may demonstrate increased breast-feeding
      success when supported by knowledgeable counseling. This article discusses
      specific techniques for maintaining maternal fluid intake; pumping, storing and
      preparing breast milk; wardrobe planning; and personal hygiene. Knowledge of
      these measures will provide the basis for anticipatory guidance for mothers who
      wish to balance the demands of breast-feeding and employment.

PMID- 1865293
TI  - Assessment of hyperbilirubinemia in full-term infants: Part II.
AB  - The nurse practitioner plays an important role in assessing infants for factors
      that may contribute to unconjugated bilirubinemia. Healthy, full-term infants
      with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and no evidence of hemolysis require
      monitoring of their total serum bilirubin levels and stooling patterns, and they
      need encouragement to feed more frequently to resolve the hyperbilirubinemia.
      Promoting frequent breast-feeding is essential, especially for infants with
      unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. For those infants with evidence of hemolysis or
      exaggerated physiologic jaundice, more advanced medical intervention such as
      phototherapy and exchange transfusion are available when indicated.

PMID- 1865295
TI  - Pertussis in an infant.

PMID- 1865294
TI  - Delayed sexual development.
AB  - Sexual maturation can occur at an early age, at the expected or average time, or
      late. In adolescents who mature late, osseous development may be delayed. A
      variety of causes for delayed growth and sexual development should be evaluated.
      Constitutional delay is a nonpathogenic variation within normal growth
      parameters. The Tanner criteria should be used in assessing sexual maturation and
      bone age evaluation for skeletal growth. These criteria are based on the fact
      that sexual growth follows predictable patterns. Children need reassurance about
      their developmental growth, and subsequent growth should be monitored carefully.

PMID- 1865296
TI  - Treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

PMID- 1865297
TI  - 8-year-old girl with short stature.

PMID- 1865298
TI  - Medicaid reimbursement and pediatric nurse practitioners.

PMID- 1865299
TI  - Assessment of ego functioning in multiple personality disorder.
AB  - The dissociative disorder known as multiple personality disorder (MPD) presents a
      diagnostic challenge to psychological assessment techniques. A case example is
      presented in which a new self-report, multifactorial measure of ego functioning
      discriminated distinct profiles for four personalities within one multiple
      personality organization. Interpretations of characteristics of the primary and
      secondary personalities based on the Bell Object Relations Reality Testing
      Inventory (BORRTI) are presented. The relationship between these findings and
      other approaches to psychological testing for dissociation and MPD are discussed.
      It is suggested that this approach will facilitate the clinical assessment of
      suspected MPD subjects and contribute to affording appropriate treatment to this
      population.

PMID- 1865300
TI  - Toward the equivalence of the HIT and HIT 25 in community-residing older adults.
AB  - In a study by the first author wherein 102 community-residing older adults were
      administered the Holtzman Inkblot Technique (HIT), data collected were analyzed
      regarding the equivalence of the HIT and the HIT 25. Although alpha coefficients
      and split-half correlations were low when single-response-per-card data were
      analyzed, corrected Spearman-Brown coefficients were more supportive of the use
      of the HIT 25 with older adults. These data suggest that although a shortened
      form of the HIT may be useful with aged persons, research exploring the
      substantive bases for creating a shortened version of the HIT is nevertheless
      necessary.

PMID- 1865301
TI  - The Color-A-Person Body Dissatisfaction Test: stability, internal consistency,
      validity, and factor structure.
AB  - Stability, internal consistency, validity, and factor structure of the Color-A
      Person Body Dissatisfaction Test (CAPT) were assessed. Two- and 4-week test
      retest correlations for college students and alpha coefficients for students and
      eating-disorder patients ranged from .70 to .89. Factor structure was unaffected
      by gender and clinical status. Correlations were mostly between -.40 and -.60
      with Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale and Secord and Jourard's (1953) Body
      Cathexis Scale (BCS). Men higher on Body Mass Index (BMI) liked upper body parts;
      women higher on BMI disliked lower body parts. Treatment for bulimia affected
      both body image tests comparably.

PMID- 1865302
TI  - The factor analytic structure of the Roberts Apperception Test for Children: a
      comparison of the standardization sample with a sample of chronically ill
      children.
AB  - A confirmatory principal component factor analysis of the Roberts Apperception
      Test for Children was conducted using the standardization sample and a sample of
      chronically ill children. An interpretation of three- and four-factor solutions
      identified the three-factor solution as superior to the four-factor solution as
      measured by chi-square goodness of fit and coefficients of convergence. A cluster
      analysis using Ward's minimum variance method was calculated to determine the
      typical profiles that best describe the chronically ill sample. Results of this
      analysis reveal two distinct profiles that differ primarily on the level of
      adaptive psychological functioning.

PMID- 1865303
TI  - What have surveys taught us about the teaching and practice of psychological
      assessment?
AB  - In efforts to gather information about training in and the practice of
      psychological assessment, numerous surveys of practicing psychologists, training
      program directors, and internship training directors have been conducted. In this
      article, I briefly review all survey studies about psychological assessment that
      have appeared in the last 30 years (1960 through early 1990). The major findings
      of all the surveys are summarized in 14 points, and discussion of several of the
      points is provided. Of most significance, the surveys collectively attest to (a)
      the remarkable stability of psychologists' assessment practices over the past 3
      decades; (b) the ever-consistent, ever-continuing significance of the assessment
      role in psychological training and practice; and (c) the resilient, enduring
      nature of projective techniques in psychodiagnostic assessment.

PMID- 1865304
TI  - Hostility, aggression, and anxiety levels of divorce and nondivorce children as
      manifested in their responses to projective tests.
AB  - The effects of parental divorce on the levels of aggression, hostility, and
      anxiety in children, as measured by the Rorschach test, together with the type
      and direction of aggression, as measured by the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration (P
      F) Study, were studied. The Rorschach and the Rosenzweig P-F study were
      administered to a nonclinical sample of 108 Swedish children ranging in age from
      10 to 12 years old. The subjects constituted a divorce and a nondivorce group of
      27 girls and 27 boys each. Children of divorced parents (hereafter referred to as
      divorce children, divorce boys, or divorce girls) showed significantly higher
      levels of hostility, aggression, and anxiety than children of married parents
      (hereafter referred to as nondivorce children, nondivorce boys, nondivorce
      girls). There were significant differences found in the type and direction of
      aggression between divorce girls and boys. Divorce boys showed more
      extraggression and ego defensive reactions, whereas divorce girls tended to evade
      aggression. The differences between divorce and nondivorce groups and the
      diversity of reactions between divorce boys and girls are discussed.

PMID- 1865305
TI  - MCMI-II report style and bias: profile and validity scales analyses.
AB  - This study examines the behavior of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II
      (MCMI-II) in the face of various response styles and biases. The profiles and
      validity configurations of eight different test-taking styles were analyzed. Four
      hundred MCMI-II inventories (50 for each of the following categories) were
      administered or generated to produce the following: (a) normal endorsement by
      subjects, (b) fake good for administrative reasons, (c) fake good for clinical
      reasons, (d) fake bad administratively, (e) fake bad clinically, (f) 50% true/50%
      false computer generated, (g) 95% true computer generated, and (h) 95% false
      computer generated. Good statistical and clinically relevant separation of the
      profiles was found for normal, fake good, fake bad, and the randomly generated
      profiles with 44% of the variance predicted. The percentage of profiles
      identified by validity scales, however, was modest.

PMID- 1865306
TI  - The MCMI-II depression scales: do they assist in the differential prediction of
      depressive disorders?
AB  - This study examined the diagnostic efficiency of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial
      Inventory-II (MCMI-II) Major Depression (CC) and Dysthymia (D) scales for the
      differential prediction of unipolar depressive disorders. The MCMI-II was
      administered to 109 inpatients at a large private psychiatric hospital in the
      Midwest. All patients had a primary Axis I diagnosis of a depressive disorder,
      given at discharge by the attending psychiatrists. When CC scores were compared
      to clinician diagnoses, results indicated that the sensitivity of the CC scale
      was improved over what had previously been reported for studies involving the
      MCMI-I CC scale. However, overall, the D scale functioned slightly better as a
      predictor of major depression than did the CC scale. One likely factor in
      explaining this finding is that the CC scale contains very few items assessing
      vegetative/somatic symptomatology, which are the critical factors in
      distinguishing major depression from other unipolar depressive disorders.

PMID- 1865307
TI  - The Ego Impairment Index as a predictor of outcome in melancholic depressed
      patients treated with tricyclic antidepressants.
AB  - The standard model of assessing ego impairment relies on patients' accurate self
      report and description of their behavior. This study offers an alternative
      approach to assessing ego impairment in a population of major depression,
      melancholic type outpatients treated with tricyclic antidepressants. A new index
      called the Ego Impairment Index (EII) was developed. The index is derived from
      the Rorschach test and offers a single composite score of ego impairment. It was
      hypothesized that those melancholic, biologically depressed individuals who were
      lacking in ego resources were less likely to benefit from tricyclic
      antidepressant treatment. Thus, the EII could predict overall outcome while on
      antidepressants. The results support that the level of ego impairment, as
      assessed by the EII, could predict depression outcome averaged over 9 weeks of
      tricyclic antidepressant treatment.

PMID- 1865308
TI  - Measures of depressive dimensions: are they interchangeable?
AB  - Several theorists have posited two focuses for depressive experience and/or
      vulnerability: dependency and rejection, and self-criticism and failure. In turn,
      three instruments have emerged, each addressing these two components,
      respectively: the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Dependent and Self
      Critical scales), the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scales (SAS), and the Anaclitic and
      Introjective Dysfunctional Attitude Scales (DAS). In this study, we addressed the
      relations within and among these three pairs of scales in a large undergraduate
      sample. Generally, the DEQ-Dependent, SAS-Sociotrophy, and DAS-Anaclitic scales
      showed substantial convergent and discriminant validity. Although this was true
      also for the DEQ-Self-Critical and DAS-Introjective scales, neither scale was
      closely related to the SAS-Autonomy scale, which appeared instead to be a better
      measure of counter dependency than a measure of self-critical, introjective
      features.

PMID- 1865309
TI  - Development and validation of the Physical Appearance Related Teasing Scale.
AB  - The development and preliminary validation of the Physical Appearance Related
      Testing Scale (PARTS) is reported. The 18-item scale has good psychometric
      qualities (high internal consistency and test-retest reliabilities) and consists
      of two factors: Weight/Size Testing (W/ST) and General Appearance Teasing (GAT).
      The W/ST converges well with measures of eating disturbance, body image
      dissatisfaction, social comparison, depression, and self-esteem, whereas the GAT
      scale shows little relationship to these variables. The role of teasing history
      as an etiological component of body image and eating disturbance is discussed;
      the need for further validation work on the PARTS is addressed.

PMID- 1865310
TI  - Subtle-obvious scales of the MMPI: indicators of profile validity in a
      psychiatric population.
AB  - This study explored the usefulness of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
      Inventory (MMPI) Subtle-Obvious scales as profile validity indicators with a
      inpatient psychiatric population. Some 292 MMPI profiles were utilized and
      divided into overreporters, underreporters, and standard reporters, based on
      their Subtle-Obvious scale scores. Reporting style was shown to be unrelated to
      actual patient pathology because of the lack of relationship between reporting
      style and diagnostic categorization according to the Diagnostic and Statistical
      Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric
      Association, 1987) Axis I and II. Comparisons of MMPI profiles of the three
      groups revealed that overreporters endorsed more pathology on the MMPI clinical
      scales than did either underreporters or standard reporters. The same pattern of
      response style was demonstrated by subjects on another objective measure, the
      Beck Depression Inventory, whereas on a projective measure, the Rorschach Inkblot
      Test, there were no differences between groups. These findings suggest that
      clinicians may want to utilize the Subtle-Obvious scales to gain information
      about MMPI profile validity. Specifically, profiles of patients identified as
      overreporters should be interpreted with caution so as to not overstate their
      level of pathology.

PMID- 1865311
TI  - Cardiovascular risk factors in children: a Bloomsday research report.
AB  - Cardiovascular risk factors identified in major studies of children include a
      family history of heart disease, smoking, blood pressure, dietary factors,
      exercise or fitness level, and stress. The purpose of this descriptive study was
      to identify differences in children's physical measurements with regard to six
      cardiovascular risk factors. A descriptive design using three questionnaires and
      physical measurements was used. The questionnaires included the Bloomsday
      Cardiovascular Fitness Questionnaire, the Coronary Risk Profile, and the Diet
      Habit Survey. Physical measurements included blood pressure readings, weight,
      total serum cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein levels. A convenience
      sample of 78, predominantly Caucasian children between the ages of 7 and 18 years
      (M = 13.13, SD = 2.79) participated. Results indicated that differences in
      physical measurements were significantly for children with respect to the
      cardiovascular risk factors, including dietary factors, blood pressure, exercise,
      and stress. Nursing implications for thorough assessment and intervention through
      education are discussed.

PMID- 1865312
TI  - Cognitive abilities of preschool children: implications for nurses working with
      young children.
AB  - To effectively care for well or ill children, nurses must know something about
      how children think and what they are capable of comprehending. Nurses have
      traditionally based assumptions about children's cognitive abilities on a surface
      knowledge of Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Many recent researchers in
      the field of cognitive development have pointed out limitations in Piaget's
      theory and offer new ways of conceptualizing the way children think. In this
      article, I will identify limitations of Piaget's theory as it applies to
      preschool-aged children. Ideas of researchers using an information processing
      approach to understanding children's thinking will be described as alternative
      approaches to the understanding of preschool thought. I prescriptively postulate
      how research findings concerning cognition have implications for nurses working
      with young children.

PMID- 1865313
TI  - Growth-enhancing interventions for nonorganic failure to thrive.
AB  - The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of two interventions,
      Calorie Management and Socioemotional Growth Fostering, on (a) the weight of
      children aged 1 to 3 years with nonorganic failure to thrive and (b) the
      interaction behaviors of 10 mother-child dyads. Calorie Management, focusing on
      nutritional intake, seemed to enhance current mother-child conflicts. The
      Socioemotional Growth Fostering Intervention, focusing on healthy mother-child
      interaction behaviors, produced a greater weight gain in the children and growth
      enhancing behaviors in the mothers.

PMID- 1865314
TI  - Systemic lupus erythematosus in adolescents.
AB  - Once considered a rare, fatal illness in children and adolescents, systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, is now understood to be a relatively common
      chronic disorder in these age groups. This article provides a brief overview of
      the disease, describing its etiology, pathology, clinical manifestations,
      diagnosis, and treatment. A case history of an adolescent girl with lupus is
      presented, and the role of the nurse is discussed in relation to promoting four
      developmental tasks of adolescents: developing a positive body image,
      establishing a sexual identity, achieving independence, and acquiring formal
      thought processes. Since lupus interferes to some degree in the accomplishment of
      these tasks, we suggest methods of assessment and intervention that the nurse can
      use in each area to overcome these interferences.

PMID- 1865315
TI  - Understanding the child with special health care needs: a developmental
      perspective.
AB  - Children with special health care needs and their families are becoming a greater
      part of pediatric nursing practice, and often present with major health and
      psychosocial needs that interfere with their ability to function. Optimal
      intervention with these children requires an understanding of their chronic
      conditions as well as their unique developmental needs. This paper reviews the
      characteristics of children with special health care needs and introduces some of
      the most salient theories of child development in order to provide a perspective
      from which to view this population. A case example that illustrates some of the
      features discussed is presented. Because a knowledge of theories of child
      development can improve the care provided to children with special health care
      needs, it should be included as part of nursing curricula.

PMID- 1865316
TI  - A comparison of fathers of high-risk newborns and fathers of healthy newborns.
AB  - Eighteen fathers of healthy newborns were matched and compared with 18 fathers of
      newborns with health problems at birth to determine if there is a relationship
      between the newborn's health status and paternal perceptions, behaviors, and
      adjustment to fatherhood. A series of questionnaires were administered during the
      newborn's hospitalization and at 1 and 3 months after discharge. Fathers of
      newborns with health problems performed significantly more infant care (p less
      than 0.005) behaviors and were found to have higher adjustment to parenthood
      scores (p less than 0.0381) 1 month after discharge than fathers of healthy
      newborns. No differences were found between the two groups 3 months after
      discharge.

PMID- 1865317
TI  - Research subjects: yours, mine, or ours?
AB  - Involving staff in research will improve communication and heighten interest of
      nurses in research. Hopefully, this sharing will result in more research
      questions to be asked by researchers than are relevant to clinical practice.
      Also, sharing will encourage and facilitate the development of research-based
      practice and contribute to more varied and skilled research teams. Such
      collaborative activities between clinicians and nurses will further acquaint each
      group with the other's world and ultimately improve patient care and expand
      nursing science. Ultimately, these relationships will increase researchers'
      investment in clinical care and clinicians' research savvy and confidence.

PMID- 1865318
TI  - Part of me died with you.

PMID- 1865319
TI  - Project Head Start: "an extraordinary economic buy".

PMID- 1865320
TI  - Evaluation of a new infrared tympanic thermometer: a comparison of three bands.
AB  - As technology advances, it is important for nurses to compare various types of
      equipment used on pediatric patients to determine the cost effectiveness, risk,
      and ease of use. Presently, there are several types of electronic thermometers in
      use to measure body temperature. The following article discusses the comparison
      of the Thermoscan Instant Thermometer (Thermoscan Inc., San Diego, CA) with the
      First Temp infrared (Intelligent Medical Systems, Carlsbad, CA) and IVAC
      electronic thermometer (IVAC Corporation, San Diego, CA).

PMID- 1865321
TI  - An educational challenge: focus on behavior.

PMID- 1865322
TI  - The care of children with minimal brain dysfunction: a Roy adaptation analysis.

PMID- 1865323
TI  - Sharing of home responsibilities between professionally employed women and their
      husbands.
AB  - A sample of 139 married couples with young children and with relatively equal
      status careers (wives were university professors or businesswomen) were
      interviewed about work and home life. Considerable, traditional inequity in the
      distribution of child-care tasks and chore responsibility was noted, but women
      were generally satisfied with their husbands' home involvement. In the academic
      sample, the longer hours each spouse worked, the more child care the other
      performed; in the business sample, child-care involvement was largely determined
      by the husband's work hours, income, and education. Overall, women were more self
      critical than were men about their performance in home roles, and women's role
      performance was rated more highly by husbands than by themselves. Women
      professionals' continued use of traditional sex role standards and the importance
      of attending to both partners' perspectives in studies of married life are
      discussed.

PMID- 1865324
TI  - Attachment in marriage: effects of security and accuracy of working models.
AB  - Working models of attachment in marital functioning were examined. The security
      and accuracy of working models were measured with a new Q-sort method. Spouses
      with secure working models (self as relying on partner and partner as
      psychologically available) showed more constructive modulation of emotion and
      reported better marital adjustment. The accuracy of internal working models,
      measured with an objective index of spouses' agreement about models, was
      associated with independent reports of marital adjustment and observers' ratings
      of communication in problem-solving and confiding tasks. Behavior in
      communication tasks showed predictable associations with attachment security.
      Husbands' attachment security covaried with wives' rejection during problem
      solving, and wives' security covaried with quality of husbands' listening during
      a confiding task. A reciprocal interaction view of working models and marital
      functioning is supported.

PMID- 1865325
TI  - Individual differences in sociosexuality: evidence for convergent and
      discriminant validity.
AB  - Individual differences in willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations
      were investigated in 6 studies. In Study 1, a 5-item Sociosexual Orientation
      Inventory (SOI) was developed. Studies 2, 3, and 4 provided convergent validity
      evidence for the SOI, revealing that persons who have an unrestricted sociosexual
      orientation tend to (a) engage in sex at an earlier point in their relationships,
      (b) engage in sex with more than 1 partner at a time, and (c) be involved in
      relationships characterized by less investment, commitment, love, and dependency.
      Study 5 provided discriminant validity for the SOI, revealing that it does not
      covary appreciably with a good marker of sex drive. Study 6 demonstrated that the
      SOI correlates negligibly with measures of sexual satisfaction, anxiety, and
      guilt. The possible stability of, origins of, and motivational bases underlying
      individual differences in sociosexuality are discussed.

PMID- 1865326
TI  - Predicting personality and behavior: a boundary on the acquaintanceship effect.
AB  - Recent research has shown that interjudge agreement in personality ratings
      increases with acquaintanceship. The present study sought to replicate and extend
      this finding by investigating the relation between acquaintanceship and
      behavioral prediction. A total of 138 undergraduate targets were videotaped while
      interacting with an opposite-sex partner in 3 situations. The targets also
      completed 5 personality measures. Results indicated that acquaintances' judgments
      predicted personality scores much better than did strangers' judgments, but
      acquaintances' and strangers' judgments did equally well at predicting behavior.
      Implications for research on the accuracy of personality judgments are discussed.

PMID- 1865327
TI  - Multidimensionality of state and trait anxiety: factor structure of the Endler
      Multidimensional Anxiety Scales.
AB  - The Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS) are derived from an
      interactional model of personality that proposes that anxiety is a function of
      the interaction of person and situation variables. The EMAS distinguish between
      state and trait anxiety and assume that both are multidimensional constructs. The
      EMAS were administered to 2,009 students in a neutral situation. Three factor
      analyses were performed to clarify the empirical relation between state and trait
      anxiety and the variables within the 2 domains. Results support the distinction
      between state and trait anxiety. Factor analysis of the state items provided
      support for the separate dimensions of cognitive and autonomic state anxiety.
      Factor analysis of the trait items provided support for trait anxiety
      multidimensionality. Four congruent factors were associated with increases in
      state anxiety in 4 general situations: Social Evaluation, Physical Danger,
      Ambiguous, and Daily Routines.

PMID- 1865328
TI  - Microbial models of mammalian metabolism: production of 3'-hydroxywarfarin, a new
      metabolite of warfarin using Cunninghamella elegans.
AB  - Warfarin, an anticoagulant and "metabolic probe" for cytochrome P-450 isozyme
      multiplicity, was metabolized by the fungus Cunninghamella elegans (ATCC 36112)
      to yield the previously unreported metabolite 3'-hydroxywarfarin. This metabolite
      was isolated from cell suspension cultures and characterized by analytical (HPLC)
      and spectral (EI-MS, PMR) comparisons with synthetic 3'-hydroxywarfarin.

PMID- 1865329
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of acebutolol enantiomers in humans.
AB  - The chiral beta-blocker acebutolol (AC) is marketed as a racemic mixture. Both AC
      and its major metabolite, diacetotol (DC), are chiral, the S-enantiomer
      possessing beta-blocking activity. The pharmacokinetics of AC and DC enantiomers
      was determined in 12 healthy subjects following oral administration of 200 mg of
      AC. Plasma and urine were collected over a 24-hr period and both AC and DC
      enantiomers were measured utilizing a stereospecific HPLC assay. Concentrations
      of S-AC were predominant in both plasma and urine [AUC S:R, 1.20 +/- 0.1;
      cumulative urinary excretion (sigma Xu) S:R, 1.17 +/- 0.05), which corresponded
      to a significantly greater oral clearance of R-AC (106 +/- 30 L/h) than S-AC (87
      +/- 22 L/h). The Cmax of R-DC was significantly greater than for S-DC (S/R 0.7 +/
      0.1). The half-life (t1/2) of R-DC (6.4 +/- 1.6 h) was significantly shorter
      than that of S-DC (8.8 +/- 2.4 h). The observed AUC values for R- and S-DC were
      not significantly different. Renal clearance of R-DC (70 +/- 34 mL/min) was
      significantly greater than that of S-DC (53 +/- 29 mL/min). The data suggest that
      the first-pass metabolism of R-AC to R-DC is stereoselective. This metabolism,
      coupled with the stereoselective renal excretion of R-DC is likely a major
      contributor to the observed stereoselective disposition of AC and its major
      metabolite in humans.

PMID- 1865330
TI  - Easy and practical utilization of CONSAM for simulation, analysis, and
      optimization of complex dosing regimens.
AB  - Complex dosing regimens simulated in the literature using a universal dosing
      regimen were calculated with a general dosing program developed using the program
      CONSAM. The program provides a rapid method of calculating nonuniform dosing
      regimens for up to n = 3 compartments for any linear model. Subject data can also
      be curve fitted with the program to obtain individual subject estimates to allow
      for dosage optimization, which is important in a clinical setting. Examples are
      presented to show the use of the program in optimizing a theophylline regimen, as
      well as estimation of a new parameter, Cuneq(T), which is defined as the average
      non-steady-state drug concentration at time t for a drug with an irregular dosing
      interval.

PMID- 1865331
TI  - Human pharmacokinetics of betaxolol enantiomers.
AB  - Betaxolol is a cardioselective beta-adrenergic antagonist effective in the
      treatment of hypertension. The pharmacokinetic behavior of betaxolol enantiomers
      in healthy male subjects is reported. Betaxolol enantiomer concentrations were
      determined in samples collected up to 48 h after iv administration of a 10-mg
      dose over a 30-min period by constant-rate infusion in 12 subjects and after oral
      administration of 40-mg capsules to eight of the same subjects. Betaxolol
      extracted from whole blood was reacted with (+) or (-)-1-naphthylethyl
      isocyanate. The resulting diastereoisomeric derivatives were analyzed by reversed
      phase HPLC with fluorimetric detection. Following the iv dose, there were no
      differences in clearance or volume of distribution for the two enantiomers (15.6
      +/- 4.4 versus 16.4 +/- 4.1 L/h and 342 +/- 62 versus 340 +/- 65 L,
      respectively). Likewise, after the oral dose, there were no differences in the
      maximum concentration, time of maximum concentration, bioavailability, or
      apparent absorption rate constant (41.0 +/- 8.6 versus 42.0 +/- 7.0 ng/mL, 214 +/
      59 versus 215 +/- 56 min, 0.89 +/- 0.26 versus 0.94 +/- 0.23, and 1.0 +/- 0.6
      versus 1.2 +/- 0.6 h-1, respectively). Thus, the pharmacokinetic behavior of
      racemic betaxolol accurately reflects the behavior of betaxolol enantiomers in
      this subject group.

PMID- 1865332
TI  - Cytotoxic principles of Securinega virosa: virosecurinine and viroallosecurinine
      and related derivatives.
AB  - Virosecurinine (1) and viroallosecurinine (2) were isolated as two cytotoxic
      alkaloids from the leaves of Securinega virosa. A comparison of the cytotoxicity
      of 1 and several of its derivatives indicates that an alpha,beta- and a
      gamma,delta-unsaturated lactone located in a strained ring system, such as rings 
      B, -C, and -D of 1, is structurally required for significant cytotoxicity.

PMID- 1865333
TI  - A quantitative structure-activity relationship approach to the minimization of
      albumin binding.
AB  - The binding of 2,6-disubstituted xanthones to human serum albumin (HSA) has been
      investigated using an ultrafiltration technique. A set of 26 compounds was chosen
      for study using a selection procedure aimed at minimizing the interparameter
      correlations, while ensuring that the physicochemical properties covered the
      maximum possible range of values. The magnitude of binding has been expressed as
      the compound concentration required to produce a specified bound concentration,
      in preference to equilibrium constants and number of albumin binding sites.
      Albumin binding was found to have a nonlinear dependence on the octanol-water
      partition coefficient (log P) and has been rationalized in terms of a simple
      binding model.

PMID- 1865334
TI  - 5-Acyl-6-aryl-4-nitro-3(2H)pyridazinones and related 4-amino compounds: synthesis
      and pharmacological evaluation.
AB  - Several 4-nitro- and 4-amino-5-acyl-6-aryl-3(2H)pyridazinones were prepared and
      their in vitro and ex vivo antiaggregatory properties were evaluated. 4-Nitro
      derivatives 3 generally showed good activity in vitro towards arachidonic acid
      (AA)-induced human blood platelet aggregation. The 4-amino compound 4a, which has
      weak in vitro activity, exhibited antiplatelet activity, particularly on
      adenosine dephosphate (ADP)-induced aggregation ex vivo in rabbit. Moreover, the
      same compound was shown to be active in platelet-activating factors (PAF)-induced
      rat paw hyperalgesia and to be endowed with low acute oral toxicity. The 4-amino
      derivatives 4a-m and the other pyridazinones 5-9 administered orally to rats were
      also found to be more potent antiinflammatory agents than acetyl salicylic acid
      (ASA). Compounds 3a and 4a, tested in vitro on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages, were seen to be active in the inhibition
      of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and interleukin-1 activity. Structure
      activity relationship studies in the series of antiaggregating pyridazinones 3
      have shown the primary importance of the nitro and acetyl substituents at
      positions 4 and 5, respectively. Hydrophobic substituents at position 2 were also
      required for better activity.

PMID- 1865335
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of pyridostigmine in dogs.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of the cholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine has been
      studied in six male Beagle dogs after iv infusion and after oral doses as an
      immediate-release syrup and as an extended-release tablet, all at a level of
      approximately 0.6 mg/kg. Pyridostigmine was characterized as a drug of relatively
      long terminal half-life (8.3 h +/- 2.1 SD), low systemic clearance (13 mL/min/kg
      +/- 1 SD) and high volumes of distribution (Vd lambda z, 8.7 L/kg +/- 1.9 SD and
      Vdss, 3.9 L/kg +/- 0.9 SD). The ratio of mean residence times in tissues and
      plasma was greater than 4, indicating a high affinity of peripheral tissues for
      the drug. This ratio was about twofold higher in three of the dogs than in the
      others. Pyridostigmine was slowly and incompletely bioavailable in these dogs;
      the systemic availability was 44.4% +/- 4.3 SD from the syrup and 33.6% +/- 9.5
      SD from the tablet. Pyridostigmine disposition in these dogs was largely
      determined by distribution processes.

PMID- 1865336
TI  - High-resolution solid-state carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of
      mofebutazone, phenylbutazone, and oxyphenbutazone in relation to X-ray
      crystallographic data.
AB  - The solid-state 13C NMR spectra of mofebutazone, phenylbutazone, and
      oxyphenbutazone monohydrate and anhydrate are presented. The crystal structures
      of these pyrazolidinedione derivatives, obtained by single-crystal X-ray
      analysis, were previously reported, revealing distinct differences in crystal
      structure. In this report, the chemical shift values observed for the solid-state
      13C spectra are related to the chemical environment of the various carbon atoms
      and compared with the crystallographic data. Results indicate that solid-state
      NMR spectroscopy is potentially useful in the study of drugs in the solid state.

PMID- 1865337
TI  - Synthesis of a fluorescent derivative of cyclosporin A for high-performance
      liquid chromatography analysis.
AB  - A direct assay method for use in studies of cyclosporin binding must be highly
      sensitive and selective since it must be capable of measuring the concentrations
      encountered in the protein-free matrix. The failure of current HPLC methods to
      achieve the sensitivity required for binding studies may be attributed to the use
      of UV detection, which relies on the relatively weak end-absorption of
      cyclosporin A. A method involving fluorescence derivatization was sought with the
      aim of increasing HPLC assay sensitivity. A method is described for producing a
      fluorescent derivative of cyclosporin A, a compound which has no functional
      groups which are easily derivatized. However, intramolecular rearrangement of
      cyclosporin A to form its structural isomer, isocyclosporin A, exposes a
      secondary amine which can be reacted with dansyl chloride to produce a
      fluorescent derivative. This two-step derivatization procedure was used as the
      basis of an HPLC fluorescence assay. Although this assay is not sufficiently
      sensitive to measure concentrations encountered in the protein-free matrix during
      plasma binding studies, the method does point to the possible development of a
      more sensitive assay using a derivatizing reagent other than dansyl chloride.

PMID- 1865338
TI  - Simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins by over-pressure layer
      chromatography and photodensitometric detection.
AB  - An over-pressure layer chromatographic procedure with photodensitometric
      detection for the simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins in
      multivitamin pharmaceutical preparations was developed and evaluated. The method
      uses high-performance TLC (HPTLC) plates with silica gel as the thin-layer, and
      an n-butanol:pyridine:water mixture (50:35:15, v/v/v) as mobile phase at a rate
      of 0.25 mL/min for baseline separation. The quantitation was carried out without
      derivatization (vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, folic acid, nicotinamide,
      vitamin C) or after spraying ninhydrin reagent (calcium pantothenate) or 4
      dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde (vitamin B12, biotin). This was applied to the
      analysis of multivitamin solutions. Satisfactory relative standard deviations and
      good recovery were obtained for all the vitamins examined. It was concluded that
      this method is fast, accurate, specific, and suitable for routine quality control
      use.

PMID- 1865339
TI  - Plasma compatibility of injectables: comparison of intravenous U-74006F, a 21
      aminosteroid antioxidant, with Dilantin brand of parenteral phenytoin.
AB  - The 21-aminosteroid antioxidant U-74006F (1) is being developed as an iv
      injectable agent for the treatment of human CNS trauma and ischemia. Because of
      its poor water solubility, the plasma compatibility of the parenteral formulation
      of 1 was evaluated using three models: (I) static solubility, (II) aggregometric,
      and (III) dynamic flow. The flow model was designed to mimic an iv infusion into
      the human antecubital vein, which was assumed to have plasma flow of 10 mL/min.
      Dilantin (phenytoin), the positive control, produced a precipitate in all three
      models from a 10% (v/v) mixture with human plasma, which approximates the in vivo
      ratio when the drug is infused at the recommended rate of 1 mL/min. Approximately
      39% of the phenytoin dose in the flow model was retained on a downstream 3
      microns filter as crystals. In comparison, the parenteral formulation of 1
      produced minimal precipitate in models I and II from 40% mixtures with plasma,
      but higher percentages produced unstable suspensions with time-dependent
      precipitation. The percentage of the dose of the parenteral formulation of 1
      retained on the filter in the flow model was 0.5% or less at infusion rates as
      high as 10 mL/min and 3% at 19 mL/min. At the 10-mL/min infusion rate, the mass
      of 1 retained on the filter per minute was less than 1% of the mass of phenytoin
      retained at the 1-mL/min infusion rate for Dilantin. The acceptable plasma
      compatibility of the parenteral formulation of 1 appears to be related to the
      solubilizing effects of plasma protein binding and pH suppression by the citric
      acid vehicle.

PMID- 1865340
TI  - Development of aqueous parenteral formulations for carbamazepine through the use
      of modified cyclodextrins.
AB  - The poor aqueous solubility of carbamazepine was dramatically increased via
      complexation with various chemically modified beta-cyclodextrins and gamma
      cyclodextrins. A preparation of carbamazepine and 2-hydroxypropyl-beta
      cyclodextrin was found to be stable to steam sterilization and to storage under a
      variety of conditions. Carbamazepine, when solubilized in this manner, was found
      to exert potent anticonvulsant effects in various seizure models and the
      formulation was tolerated in animals at high doses (100 mg/kg carbamazepine and
      1200 mg/kg of the cyclodextrin excipient). The onset of anticonvulsant action was
      rapid and consistent with almost instantaneous in vivo complex dissociation. The
      low toxicity of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, when administered via the
      parenteral route, and its ability to enhance the aqueous solubility of
      carbamazipine highly favor the use of this excipient.

PMID- 1865341
TI  - Oversaturated solutions of drug in hydroxypropylcyclodextrins: parenteral
      preparation of pancratistatin.
AB  - The effect of 15 cyclodextrin derivatives (polar-electroneutral, cationic,
      anionic, and lipophilic) and of three 2-hydroxypropyldigitonins on the solubility
      of pancratistatin, an anticancer drug, was evaluated. The direct solubilizations
      into aqueous solutions were invariably low (0.1-1.2 mg/mL compared with 50
      micrograms/mL in water). Complexes of pancratistatin with hydroxypropyl-beta
      cyclodextrin were more stable (Kapp 153 M-1) than those with hydroxypropyl-gamma
      cyclodextrin (Kapp 108 M-1). Acceptable preparations were made by dissolution of
      pancratistatin in a large excess (50x) of hydroxypropylcyclodextrin by ammonia
      and then freeze drying to ammonia-free preparations. In these preparations, both
      the inclusion and interdispersion phenomena were operative, and the preparations
      dissolved rapidly forming clear solutions of pancratistatin of concentrations up
      to 9 mg/mL. These solutions were oversaturated and while those based on
      hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin precipitated within 1 h; those based on
      hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin were stable for at least 4 h when kept in a
      plastic container (i.e., time sufficient for potential use in parenteral
      preparations).

PMID- 1865342
TI  - Phase diagram studies for microencapsulation of pharmaceuticals using cellulose
      acetate trimellitate.
AB  - Phase diagrams were prepared to indicate the region of microcapsule formation for
      the following system: cellulose acetate trimellitate, light mineral oil, and the
      solvent mixture (acetone:ethanol), using chloroform as the hardening agent. The
      effect of sorbitan monoleate, sorbitan monolaurate, and sorbitan trioleate on the
      region of the phase diagram for the formation of microcapsules was investigated.
      The results indicate that microcapsules are readily formed when the polymer
      concentration is in the 0.5-1.5% range and the solvent concentration is in the 5
      10% range. Aggregation of microcapsules was minimized by using lower solvent
      concentration. Low concentrations of sorbitan monooleate in mineral oil (less
      than or equal to 1%) gave products that had smoother coats and more uniform
      particle size. Surfactants with low hydrophile:lipophile balance produced larger
      regions on the phase diagram for microencapsulation compared with a surfactant
      with higher hydrophile:lipophile balance. A mechanism for microencapsulation is
      described. Tartrazine microcapsules produced using different concentrations of
      surfactant were tested for dissolution characteristics in both acidic and neutral
      conditions. Tartrazine-containing microcapsules prepared by using 3% sorbitan
      monooleate had the lowest release in acidic conditions. The effect of surfactant
      and formulation concentration on microcapsule size was studied by analyzing the
      particle size distribution for both blank and tartrazine-containing
      microcapsules. The smallest microcapsule size was obtained when the sorbitan
      monooleate concentration was 3%. It appears that there is an upper limit for the
      surfactant concentration that could be used to achieve successful
      microencapsulation.

PMID- 1865343
TI  - Dissolution rate of griseofulvin in bile salt solutions.
AB  - Bile salts increase the apparent solubility of lipophilic poorly water-soluble
      drugs like griseofulvin. In this study, the dissolution kinetics of griseofulvin
      in solutions of bile salts (sodium taurocholate and sodium cholate) were
      investigated. A rotating disk apparatus was chosen to monitor dissolution
      kinetics; it well-defined hydrodynamic conditions allowed for analysis of the
      behavior of bile salt micelles under different conditions. Griseofulvin
      solubility and dissolution rate increased with increasing bile salt concentration
      in the dissolution medium. The enhancement of the dissolution rate was not
      linearly related to the solubility increase, as diffusional transport of the
      solubilized drug proved to be less efficient than transport of the unsolubilized
      ("free") drug. The dissolution process proved to be controlled by convective
      diffusion. An analysis of the data with the phase separation model provided
      results for the micellar diffusion coefficient comparable with literature data
      obtained with different techniques.

PMID- 1865344
TI  - Improved delivery of acyclovir to the skin using a dihydrotrigonelline in
      equilibrium with trigonelline redox carrier.

PMID- 1865345
TI  - Plasma concentrations of zidovudine in rats via oral administration of its ester
      prodrugs.

PMID- 1865346
TI  - Half-life revisited: implication in clinical trials and
      bioavailability/bioequivalence evaluation.

PMID- 1865347
TI  - Energetic aspects of the regulation of Ca++ sensitivity of permeabilized rabbit
      mesenteric artery: possible involvement of a second Ca++ regulatory system in
      smooth muscle contraction.
AB  - The effects of phosphagen concentrations and adenosine-5'-O-(2
      thiodiphosphate)(ADP beta S), a nonhydrolyzable ADP analog, on the pCa++ tension
      relationships were investigated, using alpha-toxin permeabilized rabbit
      mesenteric artery. The removal of creatine phosphate (CP) greatly affected the
      Ca++ sensitivity and induced a leftward shift of the pCa++ tension curve.
      Addition of ADP beta S (10-300 microM) also caused a leftward shift of the pCa++
      tension curve. Ca++ solutions (0.3-10 microM) containing 0.1 mM ATP did not
      induce contraction. However, the addition of CP in the presence of 0.1 mM ATP
      dose-dependently increased force development which reached a maximum around 3 mM
      CP. A 10 microM Ca++ solution containing 0.1 mM ATP and 1 mM CP was much more
      effective in inducing contraction than a 10 microM Ca++ solution containing 1.1
      mM ATP alone, although the total concentration of phosphagen (ATP + CP) was the
      same. Application of 0.1 mM ATP solution containing various concentrations of
      Ca++ after the maximal Ca+(+)-induced contraction relaxed the tissue, with the
      higher Ca++ concentrations inducing the faster relaxation. The same pattern of
      the relaxation was seen when the tissue was pretreated with adenosine-5'-O-(3
      thiotriphosphate) beforehand. The contractile state observed in the Ca+(+)-free
      solution containing 0.1 mM ATP and 0.1 mM CP was completely relaxed by 1 mM
      vanadate, consistent with the idea that the sustained contraction was due to
      accumulation of the actomyosin-ADP complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865348
TI  - Correlation of the amnestic effects of nicotinic antagonists with inhibition of
      regional brain acetylcholine synthesis in rats.
AB  - Acetylcholine (ACh) is considered to play a primary role in normal mnemonic
      functioning. Although most research has centered on the central muscarinic
      cholinergic system, of recent interest in normal and pathologic cognitive
      processing is the role of the nicotinic cholinergic system. The purpose of this
      research was to further characterize the role of the nicotinic system in learning
      and memory processing in a classical passive avoidance task by rats. The
      centrally acting nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine produced a dose-dependent
      impairment of performance in the passive avoidance task, however, the
      peripherally acting nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium was ineffective in this
      test. To elucidate the potential neurochemical mechanisms underlying
      mecamylamine's amnestic effect, we examined the ability of the drug to alter
      specific dynamic components of rat brain cholinergic systems in five brain
      regions. Mecamylamine produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the synthesis of
      [3H]ACh from pulse-injected [3H]choline in all regions examined, but was without
      effect on endogenous, steady-state levels of ACh. As with the behavioral study,
      administration of hexamethonium was without effect on [3H]ACh synthesis.
      Calculation of the turnover rates of ACh allowed a correlation between the
      inhibition of the behavioral task and the inhibition of central cholinergic
      function. The high degree of correlation obtained (as well as earlier studies in
      nonhuman primates) underlined the possibility that presynaptically located
      nicotinic receptors on brain cholinergic neurons are tonically active and mediate
      a positive feedback mechanism for controlling cholinergic neuronal activity.
      These receptors may be the neurochemical substrate which underlie the behavioral
      changes after administration of nicotinic agonists and antagonists.

PMID- 1865349
TI  - The antifibrillatory actions of UK-68,798, a class III antiarrhythmic agent.
AB  - The electrophysiologic and antifibrillatory properties of UK-68,798 were studied
      in vivo in a conscious canine model of sudden coronary death. Electrophysiologic
      testing was performed on conscious male mongrel dogs (14.5-21.5 kg) 3 to 5 days
      after surgical induction of an anterior myocardial infarction by occlusion (2 h)
      reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Compared to saline
      treated control animals, UK-68,798 at a dose of 0.9 mg/kg i.v. did not (P = .083)
      suppress the induction of ventricular tachycardia by programmed electrical
      stimulation. Six of 12 UK-68,798-treated dogs remained inducible, whereas 10 of
      12 vehicle-treated dogs responded to electrical induction of arrhythmia. When
      compared to predrug inducibility, UK-68,798 significantly (P = .007) reduced the
      incidence of programmed electrical stimulation-induced ventricular tachycardia.
      In five of the six dogs inducible after UK-68,798 administration, the cycle
      length of the induced ventricular tachycardia was prolonged (P = .007) compared
      to the predrug cycle length. Heart rate, PR interval and QRS duration were not
      affected by UK-68,798 administration. The rate-corrected QT interval was
      prolonged (P less than .05) by UK-68,798. The ventricular effective refractory
      period was increased by UK-68,798 (158 +/- 7 msec, predrug vs. 185 +/- 7 msec,
      postdrug). Subsequent to programmed electrical stimulation, a 150 microA anodal
      current was applied to the luminal surface of the left circumflex coronary artery
      to induce transient episodes of posterolateral ischemia in response to
      electrolytic injury of the vessel wall.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865350
TI  - L-dihydroxyphenylalanine methyl ester is a potent competitive antagonist of the L
      dihydroxyphenylalanine-induced facilitation of the evoked release of endogenous
      norepinephrine from rat hypothalamic slices.
AB  - Using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, we
      attempted to find among L-dopa-related analogs a competitive antagonist against L
      dopa-induced facilitation of impulse (2 Hz)-evoked endogenous norepinephrine (NE)
      release from rat hypothalamic slices. At the first screening in the presence of
      cocaine and 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine (NSD-1015), a L-aromatic amino acid
      decarboxylase inhibitor, L-dopa (1-100 nM) concentration-dependently facilitated
      NE release. L-dopa (1 microM) reduced NE release. D-dopa, L-phenylalanine, 3-O
      methyl-dopa, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid or L-dopa-phosphate at 1 to 1000 nM,
      and carbidopa (1-10 nM), did not mimic L-dopa. L-dopa methyl ester (0.3-10 nM)
      concentration-dependently decreased NE release, suggesting that it is
      antagonistic, whereas L-threo-3,4-dihydroxyphenylserine (0.001-1 nM)
      concentration-dependently mimicked L-dopa. At the second screening in the
      additional presence of S-sulpiride, L-dopa (1-1000 nM) concentration-dependently
      facilitated NE release. Maximum effect was seen at 0.3 to 1 microM. Pretreatment
      with carbidopa (0.1-10 nM) or L-dopa phosphate (0.01-0.1 nM) was somewhat
      antagonistic. L-Dopa methyl ester (3-30 nM) in a concentration-dependent manner
      shifted the concentration-facilitation curve for L-dopa to the right: Schild
      plots gave a straight line with a slope of 1.00 and pA2 was 8.9, whereas l
      propranolol (1-100 nM) concentration-dependently reduced maximal effect of L-dopa
      without rightward shift of the curve. L-Dopa methyl ester and some large neutral
      amino acids inhibited uptake of [3H]-L-dopa into slices in the presence of NSD
      1015.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865351
TI  - Cocaine pharmacokinetics in the pregnant guinea pig.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of cocaine (COC) were studied during late gestation in
      guinea pigs. Clearance (Cl) was not dose-dependent and the average +/- S.D. was
      59 +/- 16 ml/min/kg over the i.v. dose range of 2 to 12 mg/kg. Volume of
      distribution at steady state (Vdss), mean resident time (MRT) and elimination
      half-life (T1/2) were dose-dependent over this dose range with changes occurring
      between the 2 and the 4 mg/kg dose of COC. Vdss was 2.1 and 3.9 l/kg. MRT time
      was 42 and 57 min, and elimination T1/2 was 34 and 49 min at the 2 and 4 mg/kg
      dose, respectively. Cl and Vdss values after 2 to 20 mg/kg of COC s.c. were
      similar to those after i.v. administration, whereas MRT was significantly greater
      as a result of delayed absorption. Absorption of COC s.c. was nearly complete
      (84%) and had a T1/2 of 51 min. Benzoylecgonine (BE) and benzoylnorecgonine (NOR)
      were major and persistent metabolites of COC. Norcocaine was present after COC
      doses of 4 mg/kg or higher but could only be detected during the first 2 hr.

PMID- 1865352
TI  - Adenosine A1 and A2 receptors mediate presynaptic inhibition and postsynaptic
      excitation in guinea pig submucosal neurons.
AB  - Intracellular recordings were made from guinea pig submucosal neurons in vitro.
      Adenosine, 2-[p-(carboxyethyl)phenylethylamino]-5'-N- ethylcarboxamidoadenosine
      (CGS21680), 2-chloroadenosine (CADO), 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA), R(-)
      N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA), N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) and 1-deaza
      2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (DCCPA) were applied by adding them to the
      superfusion solution. Adenosine (30 nM to 30 microM) depolarized S-type neurons
      neurons and this was mimicked by analogs with potency order: CGS21680 = NECA
      greater than R-PIA greater than CADO greater than adenosine greater than CHA much
      greater than DCCPA. 8-Cyclopentyltheophylline (CPT) blocked the depolarizing
      action of CADO or R-PIA; this antagonism was surmountable and the dissociation
      equilibrium constant (KD) estimated by the Schild method was 295 nM. Synaptic
      potentials were evoked by focal stimulation of nerve strands running between
      submucosal ganglia. The nicotinic excitatory postsynaptic potential was reduced
      by adenosine and analogs with potency order CHA = R-PIA greater than DCCPA = NECA
      = CADO greater than adenosine much greater than CGS21680; CPT competitively
      antagonized this effect of CADO or CHA with a KD of 13 nM. The noradrenergic
      inhibitory postsynaptic potential was also reduced; the potency order was R-PIA
      greater than CHA = CADO = NECA = DCCPA greater than adenosine much greater than
      CGS21680; the KD of CPT as an antagonist was 7 nM. It is concluded that adenosine
      directly depolarizes submucosal neurons by acting at an A2 receptor, and that it
      inhibits the release of acetylcholine (from intramural nerves) and noradrenaline
      (from sympathetic nerves) by acting at a presynaptic A1 receptor.

PMID- 1865353
TI  - Age-related differences in the effects of some muscarinic agents on acetylcholine
      release from rat neostriatal slices.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the muscarinic modulation of
      neostriatal acetylcholine release changes with senescence. Neostriatal slices
      from Fischer 344 rats aged 3, 10 and 28 months were prepared and incubated in
      Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer oxygenated with 95% O2/5% CO2. Acetylcholine
      release from slices of each age group was monitored in the presence or absence of
      muscarinic agents, and the release in the presence of the drug was compared to
      the release from slices of age-matched controls in the absence of drug. The
      muscarinic agonist, oxotremorine, and two muscarinic antagonists, atropine and
      pirenzepine, were tested for their effects on acetylcholine release. Pirenzepine
      is selective in its interaction with the M1 muscarinic receptor subtype; atropine
      and oxotremorine are nonselective in their actions. Of the three drugs tested,
      pirenzepine displayed a significant age-related difference in its effects on
      acetylcholine release. Whereas the effects of pirenzepine (50 microM) on
      acetylcholine release modulation in slices from the 3-month rats were negligible,
      the M1-selective antagonist increased the release of acetylcholine from slices of
      10- and 28-month rats by another 42 and 192% (P less than .05), respectively.
      Atropine (1 microM) was also tested, and an increase in acetylcholine release by
      another 64, 104 and 218% (all P less than .05) was observed in slices from the 3
      , 10- and 28-month rats, respectively. In the presence of oxotremorine (50
      microM), acetylcholine release decreased in slices from the 3-month rats by 35%
      (P less than .1), but changed by only 7 and 15% in the 10- and 28-month slices,
      respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865354
TI  - Analgesic and hyperthermic effects of intravenously administered morphine in the
      rat are related to its serum levels.
AB  - The analgesic response, colonic temperature changes and the pharmacokinetic
      parameters of i.v. administered morphine sulfate (2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg)
      through indwelling cannulas in the jugular vein were determined in male Sprague
      Dawley rats. The analgesic and hyperthermic responses were determined before and
      at 30-min intervals for a period of 360 min after the morphine injection and were
      expressed as area under the time-response curve. Blood samples were collected
      periodically for a period of 24 h. Serum was separated and was used for the
      estimation of morphine by the highly sensitive radioimmunoassay. The
      pharmacokinetic parameters, half life, the terminal elimination rate constant,
      the mean residence time, the apparent volume of distribution at steady state and
      the total clearance were determined by using noncompartmental analysis. The area
      under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity was related
      to the dose of morphine. The other parameters were the same for all the doses of
      morphine, except the serum levels of morphine extrapolated to zero time which
      increase gradually with the dose. Dose-dependent analgesic and hyperthermic
      responses were related to the area under the serum concentration-time curve. It
      is concluded that the dose-dependent pharmacological effects of morphine were
      related to the area under the serum concentration-time curve from time zero to
      infinity for serum levels of morphine but not to the other pharmacokinetic
      parameters.

PMID- 1865355
TI  - Endothelin and calcium signaling in NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma cells.
AB  - Endothelin (ET)-mediated Ca++ signaling in NG108-15 neuroblastoma x glioma cells
      was studied by measuring free intracellular Ca++ (Ca++i) levels with the
      fluorescent Ca++ indicator, fura-2. ET-1 produced biphasic increases in Ca++i
      consisting of a transient peak elevation followed by a sustained plateau phase.
      Both peak and plateau Ca++i responses to 5 nM ET-1 were reduced by depletion of
      extracellular Ca++. Peak responses were also attenuated by inhibitors of inositol
      phosphate metabolism, whereas plateau responses were affected by dihydropyridine
      Ca++ channel agonists and antagonists and by differentiation. These results
      suggest that peak Ca++i responses to ET-1 involve mobilization of Ca++ from
      inositol phosphate-sensitive intracellular stores and influx of extracellular
      Ca++ through nonclassical Ca++ channels, whereas plateau responses are mediated
      by Ca++ influx through dihydropyridine-sensitive, voltage-gated channels.

PMID- 1865356
TI  - Mechanisms for the uptake of cationic drugs by the liver: a study with
      tributylmethylammonium (TBuMA).
AB  - The mechanisms of hepatic organic cation transport were examined in isolated rat
      hepatocytes, using the model compound [methyl-3H]tributylmethylammonium (TBuMA).
      [3H]TBuMA is shown to be taken up into rat hepatocytes by two carrier-mediated
      systems in addition to a nonsaturable process. The transport mechanisms for TBuMA
      share common features with both the type I and type II carrier systems reported
      for exogenous organic cations such as procainamide ethobromide and vecuronium,
      respectively. Only slight effects were seen in the presence of relatively high
      concentrations of endogenous organic cations such as thiamine, choline and N1
      methyl nicotinamide. The total uptake of [3H]TBuMA was neither influenced by an
      electronegative membrane potential and variations in external and internal pH,
      nor by the absence of Na+, K+ or Cl- in the incubation medium. The presence of
      the inorganic anion I- stimulated the uptake of [3H]TBuMA. An improved
      presentation or binding to the carrier may be involved because symport with the
      anion could not be demonstrated. Lowering of the temperature produced a
      significant reduction in the uptake velocity of [3H] TBuMA, whereas metabolic
      inhibitors such as valinomycin and carbonylcyanide-m-chlorphenylhydrazone reduced
      the uptake rate by 80 and 90%, respectively, which was correlated with the extent
      of ATP depletion. It is concluded that the monovalent cationic drug TBuMA can be
      considered as a mixed type I/type II compound that exhibits an electroneutral and
      anion-sensitive uptake mechanism, depending on metabolic energy. The uptake
      mechanism is dissimilar from Na(+)-dependent and H(+)-dependent transport systems
      that have been described for endogenous cations, such as thiamine, choline and N1
      methylnicotinamide.

PMID- 1865357
TI  - Naltrexone modulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity.
AB  - The narcotic antagonist naltrexone (NTX) has both depressant and excitatory
      effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity, and the present study was
      primarily concerned with mechanisms involved in the latter modulatory action.
      Single channel data were recorded in cell-attached mode from cultured embryonic
      chick skeletal muscle myotubes at 10 degrees C under control conditions (0.15 or
      0.3 microM acetylcholine, ACh) or in the presence of NTX (0.15 microM ACh plus
      0.1-5 microM NTX). Distributions of open and closed times indicated that there
      were at least two open and four closed channel states in all cases, and evidence
      for at least two gateways between the open and closed classes was provided by
      autocorrelation data. In the absence of NTX the proportion of long (greater than
      2 msec) openings increased with increasing ACh concentration, suggesting that the
      channel in both the mono- and biliganded forms of the receptor could open. Three
      possible six-state models of channel kinetics which were compatible with these
      findings could not be distinguished on the basis of conventional Markov modeling
      of open and closed times; however when account was taken of burst distributions,
      one model was clearly superior. Estimated transition rates in this model showed
      that enhanced receptor activity in the presence of NTX was due mainly to
      increased cooperativity of ACh binding. The results suggest that in the chick
      nicotinic ACh receptor, low micromolar concentrations of NTX may cause
      enhancement and blockade of activity by binding to a site which is allosterically
      coupled to several activation and gating processes.

PMID- 1865358
TI  - Interaction between methotrexate, "rescue" agents and cell proliferation as
      modulators of homocysteine export from cells in culture.
AB  - Clinical studies on cancer and psoriasis patients have shown that plasma and
      urinary homocysteine (Hcy) responds to methotrexate (MTX) therapy, indicating
      that Hcy in extracellular fluids may be an indicator of the antifolate effect.
      However, the clinical data indicate that the burden of proliferating cells,
      cytotoxicity and the folate status are also determinants of extracellular Hcy. To
      evaluate this further, we investigated the modulation of cellular Hcy egress by
      MTX, rescue agents, cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. Nontransformed and
      chemically transformed fibroblasts and murine lymphoma cells, which are
      characterized by different growth behavior and MTX response, were used. The Hcy
      export rate was correlated positively with the proliferation rate in all cell
      types. 5-Formyltetrahydrofolate or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate added to fibroblasts
      not exposed to MTX reduced the Hcy export rate, whereas the export from the
      lymphoma cells was not affected. All cells types exposed to MTX were rescued by
      thymidine + hypoxanthine, and this allowed the assessment of Hcy export during
      MTX exposure without interference from cytotoxicity. In the fibroblasts, MTX with
      thymidine + hypoxanthine rescue induced a marked increase in Hcy export, and the
      dose-response paralleled the cytotoxicity curves obtained for MTX without rescue.
      Nontoxic concentrations of MTX without rescue enhanced the Hcy export. When MTX
      concentration was increased further, Hcy export was stimulated initially, and
      then declined rapidly as cell death ensued. MTX did not enhance the Hcy export
      from the lymphoma cells and, in the absence of rescue, the Hcy export from these
      cells declined in proportion to inhibition of cell growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865359
TI  - Caffeine and theophylline as adenosine receptor antagonists in humans.
AB  - Substantial in vitro and animal data suggest that methylxanthines, such as
      caffeine and theophylline, act as adenosine receptor antagonists. To test this
      hypothesis in humans, we first determined if theophylline would antagonize the
      effects of adenosine. Intravenous administration of adenosine, 80
      micrograms/kg/min, increased heart rate 28 +/- 6 bpm, systolic blood pressure 19
      +/- 5 mm Hg and minute ventilation 6.1 +/- 2.2 liters/min. All these changes were
      significantly attenuated during theophylline administration (17 +/- 3 bpm and 1
      +/- 2 mm Hg and 1.6 +/- 0.6 liters/min, respectively, P less than .05), at a dose
      (10 mg/kg over 1 hr, followed by 1.8 micrograms/kg/min i.v.) that produced plasma
      theophylline levels of 17 +/- 2 micrograms/ml (94 microM). We then determined if
      chronic caffeine consumption resulted in upregulation of platelet adenosine
      receptors in eight normal volunteers. After 7 days of caffeine abstinence, the
      adenosine analog 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine produced a dose-dependent
      inhibition of thrombin-induced aggregation (EC50 = 69 nM). Subjects then were
      given caffeine, 250 mg p.o. 3 times a day for 7 days. Actual caffeine withdrawal,
      that is, virtual disappearance of caffeine in plasma, was apparent 60 hr after
      the last dose of caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal produced a significant shift to
      the left of 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine inhibition of aggregation (EC50 = 49
      nM, P less than .01), implying sensitization and/or upregulation of adenosine
      receptors as seen after chronic exposure to an antagonist. These results suggest
      that methylxanthines act as adenosine receptor antagonists in humans.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865360
TI  - Tetanus toxin and neuronal membranes: the relationship between binding and
      toxicity.
AB  - Tetanus toxin labeled by the Bolton-Hunter technique possesses high specific
      activity and retains substantial biological activity. This material can be used
      to characterize tetanus toxin binding to receptors in brain membrane
      preparations. In experiments aimed at measuring the absorption of labeled toxin,
      the displacement of labeled toxin by unlabeled toxin and the on-rate and off-rate
      constants, the data revealed two binding sites. The high affinity site had a Kd
      of 0.033 to 0.070 nM and a Bmax of 0.26 to 0.4 pmol/mg of protein; the low
      affinity site had a Kd of 0.89 to 6.9 nM and a Bmax of 1.55 to 3.0 pmol/mg of
      protein. The binding of tetanus toxin to brain membranes was enhanced greatly by
      low pH and ionic strength. Similarly to tetanus toxin, botulinum neurotoxin could
      be labeled by the Bolton-Hunter technique, and its binding to brain membranes was
      also enhanced by low pH and ionic strength. In studies with a neutralizing
      monoclonal antibody against tetanus toxin, the antigen-antibody interaction was
      not significantly altered by media with low ionic strength and pH. On the other
      hand, the ability of the antibody to block toxin binding to brain membranes was
      reduced substantially in nonphysiologic media. In a bioassay aimed at determining
      the effect of pH and tonicity on tissue association by toxin, low pH and ionic
      strength did not enhance toxicity. The biological activity of tetanus toxin was
      unaffected and that of botulinum neurotoxin was greatly diminished. The present
      findings confirm the widely reported observation that low pH and ionic strength
      promote tissue association by tetanus toxin, but they challenge the premise that
      this binding is relevant to the normal process of cell poisoning.

PMID- 1865361
TI  - Lipolytic activity of progesterone and synthetic progestins on rat parametrial
      adipocytes in vitro.
AB  - Despite the known lipogenic properties of progesterone (P) in vivo, one study had
      previously reported a direct in vitro lipolytic activity of P on isolated
      adipocytes from rat parametrial adipose tissue (Sutter-Dub et al., 1981). The aim
      of the present study was to further investigate this finding. Parametrial, but
      not retroperitoneal adipocytes, isolated from 6-week-old female rats, showed an
      increase in glycerol release under P stimulation. Estrone, estradiol, estriol and
      testosterone were inactive. At 12 weeks of age, parametrial adipocytes were
      bigger and failed to respond to P. P-stimulated glycerol release was
      concentration-related between 10(-7) M and 10(-5) M. Compared to norepinephrine,
      P activity displayed less potency (EC50 around 5 X 10(-7) M vs. 10(-6) M, and 4
      fold vs. 2-fold maximal stimulation, respectively). Compared to P, synthetic
      progestins used in therapeutics (medroxyprogesterone acetate, norethindrone
      acetate, megestrol acetate and nomegestrol acetate) were more active at 10(-7) M
      but did not induce a greater response at 10(-5) M. Some 17 alpha-hydroxy and 17
      alpha-acetoxy derivatives of P or 19-norprogesterone were also tested at 10(-5)
      M. General agreement was found between experimental lipolytic activities and
      known progestative agonist properties, with the exception of 19-norprogesterone,
      which showed a reduced lipolytic activity compared to P, in contrast with its
      usually higher progestative potency. The direct in vitro lipolytic activity of P
      was characterized as specific of age and of the parametrial adipose tissue,
      concentration-related, and common to synthetic progestins.

PMID- 1865362
TI  - Purified choleragenoid does not induce migrating action potential complex
      activity in rabbit ileum in vivo.
AB  - The migrating action potential complex (MAPC), a single ring contraction that
      propels luminal contents abroad, is elicited by Vibrio cholerae and its
      enterotoxin, choleragen (A1A2B5), in rabbit ileal loops in vivo. Choleragenoid
      (B5; the binding subunit) was shown previously to induce MAPCs without activating
      the adenylate cyclase system and without stimulating fluid output. We restudied
      purified B5 (extracted by high-performance liquid chromatography) to assess its
      effects on the myoelectric activity of rabbit ileum: can MAPC activity can be
      induced without associated fluid production? Four different B5 preparations and
      two controls, V. cholerae and sterile saline, were used. MAPC activity and ileal
      fluid output were significantly increased in animals inoculated with A1A2B5 (V.
      cholerae-El Tor) compared with all other preparations and controls. Importantly,
      MAPC activity and fluid output in all B5 groups did not differ from those in
      saline controls, demonstrating that purified B5 does not induce MAPC activity in
      rabbit ilium in vivo. The previous study showing B5-induced MAPCs may have
      resulted from A1A2B5 contamination. These results suggest A1A2B5-induced
      adenylate cyclase activation; myoelectric activity may be interrelated with
      holotoxin binding that causes a neural response.

PMID- 1865363
TI  - Response of rat thoracic aortic rings to thromboxane mimetic U-46,619: roles of
      endothelium-derived relaxing factor and thromboxane A2 release.
AB  - Studies were designed to test the role of the endothelium and endogenous release
      of thromboxane (Tx) A2 in the contractile response of rat thoracic aortic rings
      to the TxA2/prostaglandin (PG) H2 mimetic, U-46,619. U-46,619 caused a dose
      dependent contraction of rings with endothelium (mean ED50 = 6.54 +/- 3.02 x 10(
      9) M; n = 13) which was abolished by the TxA2/PGH2 receptor antagonist, SQ
      29,548. Removal of endothelium greatly potentiated (P less than .05) the
      contractile response to U-46,619 (ED50 = 4.78 +/- 2.14 x 10(-10) M; n = 14). On
      addition to the organ bath, oxyhemoglobin (10(-6) M), an inhibitor of endothelium
      derived relaxing factor, increased vascular smooth muscle contraction in response
      to U-46,619 and abolished the difference in response between rings with
      endothelium (ED50 = 6.63 +/- 0.38 x 10(-11) M) and those without (ED50 = 5.13 +/-
      0.18 x 10(-11) M). Vascular contraction with U-46,619 (10(-7] was associated with
      release of immunoreactive TxB2 and 6-keto PGF1 alpha as well as increased
      conversion of [14C]arachidonate to [14C]TxB2 and 6-keto-[14C]PGF1 alpha. To test
      the role of endogenous TxA2 in response to U-46,619, the TxA2 synthetase
      inhibitor UK-38,485 (10(-6) M) was added directly to the organ bath; this
      diminished (P less than .05) the contractile responses to U-46,619 of rings with
      and without endothelium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865364
TI  - Effect of accumulation of NKY-722, a water-soluble vasoselective Ca++ antagonist,
      on KCl-induced contraction in isolated canine mesenteric arteries.
AB  - The relationship between the accumulation of NKY-722 and its vasoinhibitory
      effect on KCl-induced contraction was examined in canine mesenteric arteries. NKY
      722 showed a high level of accumulation in canine mesenteric arteries and reached
      near maximal levels at 60 min. The tissue/medium ratio measured at 60 min was
      independent of the bath concentration of NKY-722 (10(-9), 10(-8) and 10(-7) M).
      NKY-722 (10(-9) and 10(-7) M) attenuated the KCl (30 mM)-induced contraction of
      canine mesenteric arteries, and this effect was dependent on the pretreatment
      time (5-60 min). The vasoinhibitory effect of NKY-722 (during incubation) on KCl
      induced contraction correlated with its accumulation in the vascular
      preparations. Preparations were incubated with NKY-722 (5 x 10(-9) M) for 60 min
      and repetitively washed out, showing that the accumulation of NKY-722 decreased
      slowly over 300 min. When the preparations were incubated with NKY-722 (5 x 10(
      9) M) for 60 min, the vasoinhibitory effect on KCl-induced contraction remained
      for over 300 min after repetitive washouts. The vasoinhibitory effect of NKY-722
      (during washout) on KCl-induced contraction also correlated with its accumulation
      in the vascular preparations. The present experiments indicate that NKY-722
      accumulates in canine mesenteric arteries at high levels and should be washed out
      slowly, and suggest that NKY-722 accumulation in vessel walls may contribute to
      the long duration of its antihypertensive effect.

PMID- 1865365
TI  - U-78517F: a potent inhibitor of lipid peroxidation with activity in experimental
      brain injury and ischemia.
AB  - U-78517F (2-[4-[2,6-di-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-4-pyridinyl)-1-piperazinyl] methyl]-3,4
      dihydro-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol, dihydrochloride), which
      combines the antioxidant ring portion of alpha-tocopherol together with the amine
      of the previously described 21-aminosteroids (e.g., U-74006F), is a novel
      inhibitor of iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation. U-78517F was found to have a 50%
      inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.6 microM against 200 microM ferrous chloride
      initiated lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenates, compared to 8 microM for U
      74006F, 28 microM for alpha-tocopherol and 43 microM for the ring portion of
      alpha-tocopherol (i.e., trolox). Both stereoisomers of the racemic U-78517F
      proved to be equally active antioxidants. Against lipid peroxidation initiated by
      xanthine/xanthine oxidase, U-78517F was even more potent, with an IC50 of 0.01
      microM. U-78517F was also observed to protect cultured mouse spinal neurons
      against iron-induced damage, with an IC50 of approximately 0.5 microM. When
      administered to male CF-1 mice i.v. at 5 min after a severe concussive head
      injury. U-78517F produced a dose-related improvement in the 1-hr neurological
      recovery. The minimum effective i.v. dose was 1.0 micrograms/kg. Measurement of U
      78517 concentrations in the brains of mice after administration of a 10-mg/kg
      i.v. dose revealed effective antioxidant levels for as long as 2 hr. Evidence of
      an in vivo antioxidant action was provided by the attenuation of iron-induced
      blood-brain barrier disruption (i.e., Evans' blue extravasation) in rats
      pretreated with U-78517F.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865366
TI  - Presystemic and systemic chiral inversion of R-(-)-fenoprofen in the rat.
AB  - Fenoprofen (FN), a member of the 2-arylpropionic acid (2-APA) class of
      nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is administered clinically as a racemate. In
      humans, FN has been shown to rapidly undergo substantial in vivo unidirectional
      chiral inversion with the inactive R-isomer converted to its active antipode. As
      with any p.o. administered drug, before reaching the systemic circulation. FN may
      undergo first-pass metabolism, the major organs involved being the
      gastrointestinal tract and/or the liver. The site(s) of inversion for the 2-APAs
      have been a subject of debate, with presystemic intestinal metabolism in humans
      and hepatic systemic metabolism in rats receiving the most attention. The
      inversion of R-FN was studied in the male Sprague-Dawley rat 1) in vivo after
      p.o. and i.v. administration of racemic-FN and R-FN, 2) after perfusion of R-FN
      into isolated liver (single-pass and recirculation) and 3) after a 2-hr
      incubation with everted intestinal tissue (duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon)
      and noneverted stomach pouch. The enantiomers and their acyl-glucuronides were
      quantitated using a previously developed stereospecific assay. With the isolated
      liver, R-FN was shown to invert in both the single-pass and recirculation
      systems, with a first-pass extraction ratio of 0.3. A significant but variable
      inversion in all intestinal segments was observed. Substantial inversion by the
      duodenum was observed (serosal S:R ratio, 1.2) with maximal inversion by the
      jejunum (serosal S:R ratio, 2.2), whereas inversion of R-FN was absent in the
      stomach. Considerable glucuronidation was observed in all tissues studied
      including first-pass glucuronidation of both enantiomers after single-pass
      perfusion through the isolated liver and stereoselective glucuronidation in
      intestinal tissue segments. The results indicate that, in the male Sprague-Dawley
      rat, R-FN undergoes presystemic inversion by both the gastrointestinal tract and
      liver. These results, however, must be viewed with caution as they may not
      necessarily be extrapolated to other 2-APAs or species.

PMID- 1865367
TI  - Studies of concanavalin A in nonobese diabetic mice. II. Lymphocyte tracking and
      phenotype responses.
AB  - We studied the tracking of 51chromium-labeled (resting) and Con A-induced
      (activated) tritiated thymidine-labeled syngeneic lymphocytes to adrenal, blood,
      brain, heart, liver, lymph nodes, pancreas, spleen, testis/ovary, thymus and
      thyroid in prediabetic, nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and in age- and sex-matched
      C57BL/6 mice. 51Chromium-labeled cells showed no significant difference between
      strains in tracking to any tissue except lymph nodes (decreased in NOD vs. C57, P
      less than .05). Con A incubation resulted in no difference between strains in
      lymphocyte tracking to lymph nodes, but NOD mice had increased pancreatic
      tracking with Con A-incubated cells compared to C57 mice (P less than .05).
      Female NOD mice had reduced thymic tracking (P = .001) compared to C57 controls.
      Positive selection experiments showed the Con A-responsive cell to be a T cell.
      Both Lyt2+ (CD8+) and L3T4+ (CD4+) enriched T cell populations showed a labeling
      response to Con A. After 48 h of Con A incubation, the L3T4+/Lyt2+ ratio
      increased in splenocytes from NOD mice (P less than .05), whereas it decreased in
      C57 controls (P less than .01). Over the course of 6 days in culture, NOD
      splenocytes exposed to Con A characteristically exhibited a delayed expansion of
      the Lyt2+ population. We conclude that Con A incubation of NOD splenocytes
      results in T cells that, when reinfused, avoid the thymus and track
      preferentially to the pancreas. Con A immunomodulation as potential treatment for
      autoimmune disease warrants further study in this murine model.

PMID- 1865368
TI  - Propafenone disposition and pharmacodynamics in normal and norepinephrine-induced
      cardiomyopathic rabbit hearts.
AB  - The myocardial disposition and pharmacodynamics of propafenone were studied in 10
      normal and 10 norepinephrine-induced cardiomyopathic rabbit hearts. The left
      ventricular propafenone concentrations measured after perfusion of propafenone
      (0.3 microM) for 150 min were similar in the normal group (18 +/- 8 micrograms/g)
      compared to the cardiomyopathy group (20 +/- 5 micrograms/g, P = NS). However,
      the concentration of propafenone in cardiomyopathic left ventricular papillary
      muscle, which was always extensively involved in the inflammatory process, was
      significantly lower (11 +/- 2 micrograms/g) compared to normal papillary muscle
      (19 +/- 4 micrograms/g, P less than .05). During propafenone perfusion a
      significantly greater increment in ventricular conduction time was observed in
      the cardiomyopathy group (17 +/- 6 msec) compared to the normal group (12 +/- 3
      msec, P less than .05). The propafenone myocardial concentration-effect
      relationships describing changes in QRS duration were shifted to the left in the
      cardiomyopathy group. Furthermore, the slopes of these linear concentration
      effect relationships were greater in the cardiomyopathy group (1.80 +/- 0.60
      msec/micrograms/g) compared to the normal group (1.07 +/- 0.25 msec/micrograms/g,
      P less than .01). The ventricular effective refractory period was shorter at base
      line in the cardiomyopathy hearts (156 +/- 21 msec) compared to the normal group
      (176 +/- 23 msec, P less than .08). However, propafenone effects on changes in
      the ventricular effective refractory period were similar in the two groups. Thus,
      the myocardial accumulation of propafenone is reduced in areas of extensive
      necrosis observed in norepinephrine-induced cardiomyopathy. As well,
      cardiomyopathic tissue is more responsive to propafenone effects on ventricular
      conduction time.

PMID- 1865369
TI  - Inhibitory influence of the mesocortical dopaminergic neurons on their target
      cells: electrophysiological and pharmacological characterization.
AB  - Both dopaminergic (DA) and noradrenergic (NA) systems exert an inhibitory
      influence on the activity of prefrontal cortical neurons (PFC). As NA-containing
      fibers run close to the dorsal ventral tegmental area (VTA), electrical
      stimulation of the VTA might coactivate both DA and NA systems. In the present
      study extracellular recordings and microiontophoresis were used in anesthetized
      rats to analyze first whether the inhibitory cortical responses to VTA
      stimulation and DA application were mediated by DA or adrenergic receptors.
      Inhibitory responses elicited by DA application or VTA stimulation were observed
      in PFC output neurons identified by antidromic activation from subcortical
      structures. Both types of inhibitory effects were reversed by the DA antagonist
      sulpiride, but not by the adrenergic antagonists prazosin (alpha-1), yohimbine
      (alpha-2) or propranolol (beta). NA and the beta agonist isoproterenol inhibited
      the activity of PFC cells and these effects were antagonized by propranolol, but
      neither by prazosin and yohimbine nor by the DA antagonist sulpiride. Thus, the
      inhibitory influence of the mesocortical DA system in the PFC involves DA, but
      not NA, recognition sites. The DA receptor subtype mediating the inhibitory
      effects of VTA stimulation and DA application in the PFC was analyzed further.
      VTA- and DA-evoked inhibitory responses were antagonized by the D2 selective
      antagonists (-)-sulpiride, LUR 2366 and RIV 2093, but not by the D1 selective
      antagonist SCH23390. In addition, the DA-induced inhibitory response was mimicked
      by the selective D2 agonist LY 171555 but not by the selective D1 agonist SKF
      38393. Surprisingly, haloperidol, which is also a potent D2 antagonist, failed to
      consistently block DA- and VTA-induced inhibitory effects. The present results
      indicate that the inhibition of PFC cells by mesocortical DA neurons is mediated
      via a subtype of DA receptors which is particularly sensitive to benzamides.

PMID- 1865370
TI  - Toxicity to isolated hepatocytes caused by the intracellular calcium indicator,
      Quin 2.
AB  - To determine whether incubation for several hours with intracellular Ca++
      indicators caused toxicity to freshly isolated hepatocytes from rats, cells were
      incubated under 95% O2-5% CO2 in medium containing 2 mM Ca++ and the
      acetoxymethyl (AM) esters of Quin 2, Indo 1, Fluo 3, 5,5'-Dimethyl BAPTA, 4,4'
      Difluoro BAPTA or Fura 2 for up to 5 hr. Quin 2-AM and Indo 1-AM (2.5 microM)
      induced lipid peroxidation in the cells after 1 or 3 hr of treatment,
      respectively. Additional experiments with Quin 2-AM (25 microM) revealed that it
      also caused lactate dehydrogenase leakage, cell blebbing and vitamin E loss in
      cells, but did not affect reduced glutathione or intracellular Ca++ content. The
      ability of Quin 2-AM to cause toxicity was dependent on the amount of Quin 2
      which was present in the cell. Ca++ appeared to be involved in the mechanism of
      Quin 2-AM toxicity, for modulation of the extracellular Ca++ concentration
      partially inhibited lipid peroxidation, vitamin E loss, cell blebbing and lactate
      dehydrogenase leakage.

PMID- 1865371
TI  - Involvement of calcium and iron in Quin 2 toxicity to isolated hepatocytes.
AB  - When treated with the cytosolic Ca++ indicator Quin 2-acetoxymethyl ester (Quin 2
      AM), isolated hepatocytes exhibited signs of toxicity, such as extensive lipid
      peroxidation and vitamin E loss and release of lactate dehydrogenase. Lipid
      peroxidation induced by this agent was blocked completely by cotreatment of the
      cells with ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid,
      EDTA, ruthenium red, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, desferal and
      trifluoperazine, and was partially inhibited by quinacrine and indomethacin. With
      the exception of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and quinacrine, these
      agents also inhibited lactate dehydrogenase leakage. Although the results with
      ruthenium red suggested that Quin 2-AM may cause toxicity by altering handling of
      Ca++ by mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane potential was not altered in cells
      treated with Quin 2-AM until after toxicity occurred. Evidence of a direct,
      potentiative effect of Quin 2 on iron-induced lipid peroxidation was gained from
      experiments with liposomes. Treatment of cells with Quin 2-AM did not enhance
      nitro blue tetrazolium reduction, suggesting that Quin 2 did not stimulate O2-
      production by the cells. Direct chelation of Ca++ did not appear to be involved
      in the mechanism of Quin 2 toxicity, for an analog of Quin 2 that is virtually
      nonhydrolyzable, which greatly limits the binding of Ca++, also caused lipid
      peroxidation and cell death. These results suggest that Quin 2 causes toxicity by
      chelating iron or by activating some cellular process(es) that is dependent on
      the presence of iron or Ca++.

PMID- 1865372
TI  - Proceedings of the Physiological Society. Charing Cross and Westminster meeting,
      10-11 January 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1865373
TI  - Proceedings of the Physiological Society. University College London meeting, 25
      26 March 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1865374
TI  - Proceedings of the Physiological Society. Sheffield joint meeting with the
      British Society for Clinical Neurophysiology, 19-20 April 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1865375
TI  - Proceedings of the Physiological Society. Royal Free meeting, 15-16 February
      1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1865376
TI  - Patients who develop postanesthesia shaking show no difference in postoperative
      temperature from those who do not develop shaking.
AB  - While the cause of postanesthesia shaking (PS) remains unknown, nurses
      traditionally believe that the etiology of PS is hypothermia. Two theoretical
      constructs have been proposed to describe the development of PS. The first is
      based on classic thermoregulation theory. The second is based on spinal reflex
      hyperactivity. The purpose of this comparison study was to determine if
      significant differences in postoperative temperature, as well as change in
      preoperative to postoperative temperature, exists between patients who develop
      and who do not develop PS. The study also examined the difference in
      postoperative temperature between women and men. Postoperative axillary
      temperature was measured on admission to the PACU. The nonprobability convenience
      sample consisted of patients between the ages of 18 and 89 years who were
      extubated and breathing spontaneously following general anesthesia. PS developed
      in 120 of 533 patients. By t-test analysis, there was no statistical significant
      difference between groups in postoperative mean temperature (P greater than .10)
      or in preoperative to postoperative mean temperature change (P greater than .40).
      The group that developed PS had a narrower and higher range of postoperative
      temperature and a smaller preoperative to postoperative temperature change than
      those who did not develop PS. In both groups, 52% of the patients were
      hypothermic (less than 35 degrees C[less than 95 degrees F]) on PACU admission.
      Women had lower postoperative mean temperature than men (P less than .05).
      Findings indicate that temperature on PACU admission is not a variable of
      difference between groups of patients who develop or who do not develop PS. As
      postoperative temperature decreases, the incidence of PS does not
      increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865377
TI  - Postoperative joint replacement pain: description and opioid requirement.
AB  - The present research was designed to describe the character, severity, and
      factors associated with postoperative pain following total hip replacement (THR)
      and total knee replacement (TKR) surgery, and to identify amounts of opioid
      required to relieve that pain. It was the investigators' intention to investigate
      the impact of age on severity of pain and amount of opioid required after
      surgery. Complete data were obtained on 29 white subjects, 16 of whom were men.
      Subjects' ages ranged from 27 to 88 years (mean, 66). The mean age for the men
      was 61 years and the mean age for the women was 72 years. Twelve subjects
      underwent THR and 17 underwent TKR. Eight patients received general anesthesia
      and 21 received spinal anesthesia. Pain was described using the McGill Pain
      Questionnaire-Short Form and quantified using a visual analogue scale. Amount of
      opioid required to relieve pain over 24 hours was recorded using a patient
      controlled analgesia pump. Data analysis indicated that most patients do not
      report their pain as being controlled when discharged from the PACU, and that
      patients who receive spinal anesthesia require more postoperative opioid to
      control pain than patients who receive general anesthesia. In general, patients
      who undergo TKR experience more pain than patients who undergo THR. Pain was
      described as moderate to severe aching. As age increases, patients self
      administer less postoperative opioid, but they do not report less postoperative
      pain.

PMID- 1865378
TI  - A new approach to postanesthesia care unit documentation.
AB  - Documentation demonstrates that nursing standards of care have been met. To be an
      effective tool, a record must be complete and concise. A request to develop PACU
      care plans became the impetus to revise the PACU record. Perioperative
      information and physical assessments are data required to formulate
      individualized plans. Development and implementation of a comprehensive record
      was a positive outcome of a lengthy but interesting and worthwhile project.

PMID- 1865379
TI  - A standards of care plan in the postanesthesia care unit.
AB  - Every patient is entitled to consistent, high-quality, individualized care. The
      PACU staff and former director of staff education at Southwestern Vermont Medical
      Center developed a documentation tool to achieve this end. The primary focus of
      the tool is on standards of care with an emphasis on outcome standards. Every
      patient received and cared for in the PACU is evaluated in terms of these outcome
      standards. If for any reason an outcome standard is not achieved, appropriate
      action is taken. The four-page bifold tool incorporates the nursing process.
      Potential nursing diagnostic problems are described and assessment and
      intervention data are integrated accordingly. The plan is further individualized
      vis a vis nursing progress notes. The tool has been in use for well over 1 year,
      and quality assurance studies demonstrate that outcome standards achieved and not
      achieved are consistently documented. The PACU staff believe this tool has
      enhanced professional practice and improved use of the nursing process and
      standards of care.

PMID- 1865380
TI  - A perioperative case study of frontal lobe meningioma.

PMID- 1865381
TI  - Meningioma: nursing care considerations.
AB  - In spite of over 100 years of surgical experience with the brain tumor,
      meningioma, it continues in many cases to be a challenge. Although benign by
      nature, meningiomas may be difficult to resect and a small percentage may recur.
      Surgical intervention is the treatment of choice for complete abolition of the
      tumor. Following surgery, astute nursing care is required to promote
      physiological stability while monitoring for life-threatening complications.

PMID- 1865382
TI  - Organizational issues in nursing case management.
AB  - The nursing case manager has a critical role in achieving the high level of
      interdepartmental communication, mutual adjustment, and coordination necessary
      for efficient and effective patient care. This article addresses organizational
      factors that influence the nursing case manager's role in the interconnectedness
      of the departments.

PMID- 1865383
TI  - Prevention of accidental injection of drugs in epidural tubing.
AB  - Numerous drugs have been injected into the epidural space unintentionally and
      different methods of prevention have been reported. This article describes the
      use of a needle cap as an available cost-effective alternative to prevent this
      mishap.

PMID- 1865384
TI  - Rationing health care resources: who will set limits?
AB  - Hospitals faced with additional reductions in Medicare and Medicaid
      reimbursements are discontinuing unprofitable services and programs. Nurses and
      physicians are finding that the patient's care plan is often dictated by economic
      considerations rather than what they believe to be beneficial. This article
      provides an overview of the problems and considerations involved in the rationing
      of health care resources.

PMID- 1865385
TI  - Transcending specialization.

PMID- 1865386
TI  - Morphological correlates of pyramidal cell adaptation rate in the electrosensory
      lateral line lobe of weakly electric fish.
AB  - 1. Extracellular HRP injections into the nucleus praeeminentialis dorsalis (NPd)
      of Apteronotus leptorhynchus retrogradely labeled a population of electrosensory
      lateral line lobe (ELL) efferent cells, deep basilar pyramidal cells, that differ
      morphologically from the previously described basilar and nonbasilar pyramidal
      cells. These neurons are found deep in the ELL cellular layers; they have small
      cell bodies and very short sparsely branching apical dendritic trees. The
      previously described basilar and nonbasilar pyramidal cells are larger, have
      extensive apical dendrites and are found more superficially. 2. Axon terminals of
      the deep basilar pyramidal cells were recorded from in the NPd and labeled with
      lucifer yellow. These NPd afferents have high, regular spontaneous firing rates,
      and respond tonically to changes in electric organ discharge amplitude. 3. Deep
      basilar pyramidal cell bodies were recorded from and labeled in the ELL, and
      these showed the same physiological responses as did the NPd afferent fibers. 4.
      In addition, basilar pyramidal cells were found which had spontaneous activity
      patterns and adaptation characteristics intermediate to those typical of the
      superficial basilar pyramidal cells and the deep basilar pyramidal cells. The
      size of the pyramidal cells' apical dendritic trees and the placement of their
      somata within the dorsoventral extent of the ELL cellular layers are highly
      correlated with the neurons' physiological properties.

PMID- 1865387
TI  - Effects of temperature, steroids and castration on daily torpor in the Djungarian
      hamster (Phodopus sungorus).
AB  - 1. In Phodopus sungorus the frequency and characteristics of daily torpor were
      not affected by a decrease in temperature. The seasonal cycle of daily torpor is
      essentially under photoperiodic control. 2. Testicular regression is a necessary
      condition for daily torpor occurrence. Testosterone and 5 alpha
      dihydrotestosterone administration totally inhibited daily torpor in hamsters
      which were exposed to short days. The temporal inhibition of torpor by steroids
      had no effect on the seasonal time measuring mechanism governing daily torpor. 3.
      Castration influenced certain aspects of the daily torpor display. Castrated
      hamsters showed a delay in terminating torpor season lending further support to
      the hypothesis that recrudescence of the testis plays a role in terminating the
      daily torpor season. Castration, when performed before or on the day of transfer
      to short photoperiod led to an increase in the frequency of torpor bouts and
      reduce SP exposure duration which is necessary for the daily torpor season
      beginning.

PMID- 1865388
TI  - Tissue factor in chronic villitis of unestablished etiology.
AB  - We have previously reported the presence in normal human placentae of
      coagulation, macrophages and helper T lymphocytes in inflammatory foci known as
      villitis of unestablished etiology. In order to investigate the link between
      coagulation and immunity, we have studied fetal stem vessel endothelium for
      tissue factor, which is made available by cytokines and activates coagulation via
      the extrinsic pathway. We found that fetal stem vessel endothelial cells of
      normal chorionic villi did not react with antibody to tissue factor. Normal
      placentae contain small numbers of villitis areas and endothelium in these areas
      was reactive with antibody to tissue factor. Endothelial tissue factor reactivity
      was more prominent in placentae from secondary recurrent spontaneous aborters and
      these placentae have greatly increased numbers of villitis areas. The tissue
      factor availability on fetal stem vessel endothelium may result from
      immunologically mediated cytokine release. The net effect of these reactions is
      the presence of lymphocytes, macrophages, coagulation, necrosis and vasculitis in
      villitis.

PMID- 1865389
TI  - Immunoregulatory effects of ovine trophoblastin protein (oTP): all five isoforms
      suppress PHA-induced lymphocyte proliferation.
AB  - The immunosuppressive properties of ovine trophoblastin protein (oTP) isoforms
      purified to homogeneity by DEAE HPLC have been studied within and across species
      barriers by in vitro assays. It has been demonstrated that not only the classical
      oTP 1, but in fact all 5 isoforms, are immunosuppressive in a PHA-induced
      proliferation assay, whilst being ineffective on IL-2 dependent CTL-L2 cell
      replication. The significance of these findings is discussed.

PMID- 1865390
TI  - Identification and characterization of human acrosomal antigen defined by a
      monoclonal antibody with blocking effect on in vitro fertilization.
AB  - A monoclonal anti-human sperm antibody (Mab 1A1) has been produced by fusion of
      myeloma cells with splenocytes from a BALB/c mouse immunized with in vitro
      capacitated human spermatozoa. Immunofluorescence studies with Mab 1A1 show that
      it recognizes an antigen(s) (Ag 1A1) which is located in the acrosome of human
      spermatozoa. As shown by Western blotting experiments, 1A1 antigen represents a
      family of proteins with Mr ranging from 20 kDa to 34 kDa. Immunofluorescence
      observations on epitope exposure and location suggest that during in vitro
      capacitation of human spermatozoa, Mab 1A1 epitope-bearing molecules are
      concentrated in regularly arranged granules in the acrosome. After long-term
      incubation the epitope is exposed on the apical acrosome surface exhibiting a
      spot-like arrangement. The 1A1 epitope is widely distributed among mammalian
      species: boar, ram, mouse and rat acrosome is intensively stained by Mab 1A1. The
      antibody inhibits in vitro fertilization mainly by blocking sperm attachment to
      and penetration through the zona pellucida when included in the medium for the in
      vitro fertilization of mouse, porcine and human oocytes.

PMID- 1865391
TI  - Evaluation of human sperm-zona pellucida tight binding by presence of monoclonal
      antibodies to sperm antigens.
AB  - Characterized WHO monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to human sperm antigens were
      evaluated as to whether they inhibited sperm-zona pellucida tight binding as
      assessed by the hemizona assay (HZA). Of the 26 MAbs tested, only one inhibited
      zona binding. The whole sperm-specific MAb inhibited zona binding by 70%. The MAb
      also caused strong agglutination. Two procedures, Sephadex column chromatography
      and papain digestion, were used to determine whether agglutination or steric
      hindrance was a factor in the capability of MAb to inhibit zona binding. However,
      inhibition remained comparable to previous results. The MAb did not prevent
      capacitation, nor calcium influx and the resulting increase in hyperactivated
      motility and acrosome reaction. Since its inhibitory influence is not due to
      agglutination factors, steric hindrance or prevention of normal pre-fertilization
      maturation, the MAb may be blocking a portion of the zona binding receptor and
      may be useful in elucidating sperm antigens important to sperm-egg interaction.
      The approach used in this study allows definition of sperm surface antigens
      involved in zona pellucida binding.

PMID- 1865392
TI  - Inhibition of human sperm-zona pellucida tight binding in the presence of
      antisperm antibody positive polyclonal patient sera.
AB  - Patient sera previously characterized as containing high levels of IgG and IgA
      antisperm antibodies that bound to the sperm surface, most specifically the head
      region, were evaluated for their effect on sperm-zona pellucida tight binding as
      assessed by the hemizona assay (HZA). Of the ten patient sera tested, 7 reduced
      zona binding by approximately half. Two of the most strongly inhibitory (greater
      than 70% inhibition) were examined for their effect on the prefertilization
      maturation of sperm. The patient sera did not affect sperm motion
      characteristics, or development of hyperactivated motility. However, in the
      presence of these sera some impedance was noted in calcium uptake after
      stimulation with human follicular fluid and in the acrosome reaction after
      calcium ionophore induction. Whether these two sera specifically affect sperm
      zona pellucida binding or non-specifically affect the normal progression of
      capacitation remains to be eludicated.

PMID- 1865393
TI  - Analysis of litter size and weight in mice differing in Ped gene phenotype and
      the Q region of the H-2 complex.
AB  - A gene has been described, Ped (Preimplantation embryo development), that
      influences the rate of cleavage of preimplantation mouse embryos. Previous
      studies of linkage of Ped gene phenotype (fast or slow embryo development) and H
      2 haplotype (H-2b or H-2k) in backcross embryos from the C57BL/10Sn and B10.BR
      congenic strains have shown that the Ped gene is located in the H-2 complex, the
      major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of the mouse. The present study was
      undertaken to localize the Ped gene to a particular subregion of the H-2 complex.
      Analysis of the B6.K1 and B6.K2 congenic strains, which differ at only the Q
      subregion of the MHC, was undertaken to test whether the Ped gene is located in
      the Q subregion of the MHC. Qa-2 antigen expression was used as a marker for the
      Q subregion and fast or slow development was used to assess Ped gene phenotype in
      backcross embryos generated from the mating of (B6.K1 x B6.K2)F1 and B6.K1 mice.
      The results showed linkage of Ped gene phenotype and Qa-2 antigen expression,
      which strongly supports the idea that the Ped gene is located in the Q subregion
      of the MHC. In a further set of experiments, litter size and weight were
      investigated in the B6.K1 and B6.K2 mice. Pure line and reciprocal crosses were
      made using sires and dams of both the B6.K1 and B6.K2 genotypes. Traits measured
      on pups included birth weight, weaning weight and weight per day of age from
      birth to weaning. Litter traits measured were number born and weaned and
      survivability. Sex effects existed for weaning weight and weight gain per day of
      age. Males gained more and were heavier than female pups (P less than 0.05). Pups
      whose sire or dam were B6.K2 were significantly (P less than 0.05) heavier at
      birth than those pups whose sire or dam were B6.K1, and B6.K2 homozygous pups
      were significantly (P less than 0.001) heavier than all others. Litters whose
      dams were B6.K2 had significantly more pups at birth (P less than 0.05) than
      those litters whose dams were B6.K1. Results suggest that pups that are
      heterozygous or homozygous B6.K2 are more apt to be heavier at birth and be in
      larger litters suggesting that genes in the Q region of the H-2 complex are
      advantageous to reproductive performance.

PMID- 1865394
TI  - Detection of class I MHC mRNA in subpopulations of first trimester
      cytotrophoblast cells by in situ hybridization.
AB  - Class I MHC mRNA has been identified in both villous and extravillous
      cytotrophoblast cells in first trimester placentas by in situ hybridization. In
      this report, we expand those observations to additional morphologically and
      anatomically distinct subpopulations of trophoblast cells in early placentas
      using the same experimental approach. In the transition zone of first trimester
      placental villi, where cytotrophoblast cells are proliferating to form new villi
      or to migrate into adjacent tissue, both cytotrophoblast cells beneath the
      uninterrupted syncytium and the proliferating cytotrophoblast cells contained
      class I mRNA whereas a layer of cytotrophoblast cells proximal to the villus core
      did not contain class I mRNA. In the placental bed, migrating cytotrophoblast
      cells contained high levels of class I mRNA as determined by the intensity of
      staining. In contrast, multinucleated giant trophoblast cells contained little
      specific message. Alterations in levels of class I mRNA seem therefore to be
      associated with trophoblast proliferation, migration and differentiation.

PMID- 1865395
TI  - Umbilical cord prolapse: a contemporary look.

PMID- 1865396
TI  - Transabdominal chorionic villus sampling for rapid karyotyping in advanced
      gestation.
AB  - Late pregnancy fetal karyotyping is not employed often because a clinical
      decision about labor and delivery may be required before the results would be
      available. However, percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS) has been used
      recently to obtain fast karyotypes. We have extended our chorionic villus
      sampling (CVS) procedure to the second and third trimesters and compared the
      results obtained with late CVS and PUBS. CVS karyotypes were obtained faster and
      may be technically easier to perform.

PMID- 1865397
TI  - Efficacy of danazol in the control of hormonal migraine.
AB  - Of 131 women with hormonally related migraines unresponsive to standard
      medication, 67 (51.1%) noted profound relief after a 12-month, phased study using
      danazol for migraine prevention. The first three phases consisted of two-month
      cycles: dietary control and acetazolamide, the addition of danazol and danazol
      discontinuation. Eighty-three women (63.36%) reported control of their hormonal
      migraines while using danazol. In phase IV, 81 women whose headaches were
      controlled by danazol restarted danazol for an additional six months. Sixty-seven
      (82.7%) reported continued success with this medication. Danazol proved highly
      successful in the control of women's cyclic migraine. Its effectiveness remained
      consistent throughout the treatment course. In the prophylactic treatment of
      women's hormonal migraine, 400 mg of danazol administered daily for 25 days each
      month can prove effective when standard medical therapy fails. Furthermore, the
      response to danazol supported the concept that hormonal migraine should be
      treated as a distinct clinical entity.

PMID- 1865398
TI  - Use of the drop volume of amniotic fluid in predicting fetal lung maturity.
      Clinical experience.
AB  - Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), resulting from inadequate amounts of
      alveolar surfactant, is a leading cause of neonatal mortality. This study
      analyzed the drop volume for predicting the risk of neonatal RDS by evaluating
      the surface tension of amniotic fluid. The drop-volume method quantifies the
      surface tension of amniotic fluid using the fact that the volume of a falling
      drop of liquid is proportional to the quantity of surface-active substances
      (surfactant) in the solution. Distilled water is used as a reference solution.
      The test is simple to perform and requires only two minutes and 2 mL of amniotic
      fluid. Amniotic fluid was obtained by amniocentesis from 120 pregnancies, ranging
      from 24 to 42 weeks of gestation, within four days of delivery. Specimens
      contaminated with meconium or hemolyzed blood or from patients with clinical
      chorioamnionitis were not used. The lecithin:sphingomyelin ratio and
      phosphatidylglycerol tests were also determined for 54 of the study cases. A
      mature drop-volume test result was associated with a healthy infant with no RDS
      95% of the time (negative predictive value). Fifty-two percent of the healthy
      infants in the study were predicted by an arbitrary unit of time (S) value of
      less than or equal to 85.0 (specificity). Thirteen of the 16 infants who
      developed RDS (81%) were predicted by an S value of greater than or equal to 85.1
      (sensitivity). Of those infants with an S value of greater than or equal to 85.1,
      21% developed RDS (positive predictive value).

PMID- 1865399
TI  - Smoking and buccally administered nicotine. Acute effect on uterine and umbilical
      artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms.
AB  - The effects of maternal smoking and buccal nicotine exposure on uterine and
      umbilical artery blood flow velocity waveforms were studied in 47 healthy women
      during late pregnancy. Systolic:diastolic ratios of recorded waveforms were
      calculated before and after each woman smoked one cigarette containing 1.2 mg of
      nicotine. The same protocol was followed at a subsequent clinic visit, when each
      woman chewed a piece of nicotine polacrilex containing 2 mg of nicotine. No
      significant changes could be induced in either nonsmokers or prior smokers, nor
      were any significant changes measured in the uterine vessels of any patient
      subgroup. A significant decrease (P less than .01) in umbilical artery diastolic
      blood flow velocities was measured after smoking in all habitual smokers after
      chewing nicotine polacrilex and in those who smoked greater than 10 cigarettes
      per day (P less than .05). All the measured changes returned to baseline levels
      by 10 minutes after cessation of exposure. Similar changes in the umbilical
      artery flow velocity waveforms after exposure to a cigarette and nicotine
      polacrilex implicated nicotine as a probable cause. Failure to observe
      significant changes except in habitually smoking women suggests a receptor
      mediated response. The finding of altered umbilical artery flow velocity
      waveforms in the absence of demonstrable changes in the uterine vessels indicates
      a direct toxic effect of maternal nicotine exposure on the fetal cardiovascular
      system.

PMID- 1865400
TI  - Brucellosis in pregnancy.
AB  - Brucellosis in pregnancy is a rare entity. It has been associated with an
      increased risk of spontaneous abortion in animals and possibly humans. Among six
      patients with brucellosis in pregnancy, one requested termination of the
      pregnancy in the first trimester, one had a spontaneous abortion at 12 weeks that
      could not be directly related to brucellosis, and four continued their
      pregnancies with no significant increase in maternal or neonatal morbidity or
      mortality.

PMID- 1865401
TI  - Amniotic cavity accumulation of magnesium with prolonged magnesium sulfate
      tocolysis.
AB  - In seven women, continuous intravenous tocolysis with magnesium sulfate for 4-28
      days resulted in high amniotic fluid magnesium levels (10.54 mg% +/- 1.83 SD). In
      all cases the amniotic fluid magnesium level greatly exceeded the maternal serum
      level in a sample collected simultaneously. Additionally, when amniorrhexis and
      delivery occurred within one hour of each other, the fetal magnesium levels
      uniformly exceeded the maternal levels in paired maternal and cord blood samples.

PMID- 1865402
TI  - Gastric carcinoma presenting as an exacerbation of ulcers during pregnancy. A
      case report.
AB  - Gastric cancer is unusual during pregnancy. Also, because of the physiologic
      changes that occur with pregnancy, it is rare to see a worsening of peptic ulcers
      during pregnancy. A patient with an exacerbation of peptic ulcers presented with
      gastric carcinoma during pregnancy.

PMID- 1865403
TI  - Necrotizing fasciitis in irradiated tissue from diabetic women. A report of two
      cases.
AB  - Two diabetic women with pelvic malignancies developed necrotizing fasciitis
      within the irradiation fields. Despite aggressive surgical and medical therapy,
      both died when their health became too unstable for them to tolerate further
      surgery to resect the residual infection. We attribute their poor outcome to
      several factors. First, postradiation tissue changes obscured the early clinical
      findings necessary for a prompt diagnosis and made the identification of adequate
      surgical margins difficult. Second, diabetic patients have increased
      susceptibility to this infection. Third, the cumulative effects of radiation,
      diabetes mellitus and other factors that are common in patients with gynecologic
      malignancy (advanced age, vascular disease, obesity) favor the development,
      progression and persistence of necrotizing fasciitis. Radiographic studies were
      helpful in defining the extent of the infection in one patient.

PMID- 1865404
TI  - Cervical pregnancy. A report of two cases.
AB  - Cervical pregnancy is a rarely occurring form of ectopic pregnancy. Given its
      rarity, the identification of risk factors is based on anecdotal case reports and
      occasional summarizing reviews. We managed two additional cases with a new,
      conservative approach. The trend is away from radical therapy and toward
      conservation of reproductive function.

PMID- 1865406
TI  - Evaluating combination drug therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1865407
TI  - Standard self-report questionnaires in routine clinical and research practice--an
      opportunity for patients and rheumatologists.

PMID- 1865405
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by pregnancy. A case report.
AB  - A 23-year-old woman who presented in the 17th week of her third intrauterine
      pregnancy was diagnosed as having active Wegener's granulomatosis. Therapy,
      consisting of corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and hemodialysis, was instituted
      and maintained until delivery. Although Wegener's granulomatosis complicated by
      pregnancy has been reported previously, this is the first reported patient to be
      treated successfully with the above agents during the second and third trimesters
      without apparent harm to her or her infant.

PMID- 1865408
TI  - Vasculitis and the gut: unwitting partners or strange bedfellows.

PMID- 1865409
TI  - Relation between patients' own health assessment and clinical and laboratory
      findings in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Health status encompasses not only physical aspects, but also psychological and
      social aspects. A multidimensional health status questionnaire was used in 69
      Dutch patients with rheumatoid arthritis to assess their physical, psychological
      and social well being. The same day clinical and laboratory data were recorded.
      The health status questionnaire provided additional information to clinical and
      laboratory findings. The various clinical and laboratory measures of disease
      activity reflect aspects other than the self-reported measure of physical well
      being. As such they are not interchangeable. Furthermore clinical and laboratory
      measures of physical well being appeared to be unrelated with psychological and
      social measures. In contrast, the patients' self-report of physical well being
      was related only with depressive mood and to some extent with anxiety.

PMID- 1865410
TI  - Marital status in rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic disorders: a study of
      7,293 patients.
AB  - Divorce has been considered to be increased in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), perhaps
      as a result of the stress of serious chronic illness. We studied marital status
      in 7,293 consecutive rheumatic disease patients attending an outpatient rheumatic
      disease clinic. Divorce was associated with age, sex, population size, and ethnic
      origin, but when these factors were controlled for, divorce was not more common
      in the 1,267 patients with RA. Age and sex adjusted divorce percentages for RA
      and non-RA patients were 6.9 and 6.8 compared with a U.S. percentage of 7.6.
      Patients with RA, however, were almost 5 times less likely to be remarried after
      divorce than patients with osteoarthritis.

PMID- 1865411
TI  - Analysis of methotrexate treatment effect in a longitudinal observational study:
      utility of cluster analysis.
AB  - We studied 235 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) beginning therapy with
      methotrexate utilizing a k-means clustering algorithm. Four groups were
      identified: mild RA (Group 3), very severe RA (Group 4), and 2 groups
      intermediate in severity (Groups 1 and 2). Group 2, the largest of the clusters
      (n = 89), appeared to have greater tolerability of RA as measured by severity and
      psychological variables, and took the drug almost twice as long as other groups,
      although improvement was not greater nor side effects fewer. All groups improved
      over a mean of 1.9 years, and the degree of improvement was not related to the
      initial severity classification. Improvement occurred almost equally in all
      clusters, and the relative ranking of the groups was maintained at study closure.

PMID- 1865412
TI  - Presence of immunoreactive endothelin in synovial fluid: analysis of 22 cases.
AB  - The endothelins are a family of recently defined active peptides with a wide
      range of activities, including the activation of the synthesis of prostaglandins.
      The concentration of endothelin in inflammatory and noninflammatory synovial
      fluids (SF) was measured by a sensitive radioimmunoassay. Endothelin-like
      immunoreactivity was detectable in all SF samples and the mean concentration of
      endothelin was 2.6 +/- 0.3 pg/ml, more than twice that in normal human plasma.
      The mean level of endothelin in SF in rheumatoid arthritis was 2.5 +/- 0.4 pg/ml
      (n = 11), and was not statistically different from either osteoarthritis, 3.0 +/-
      0.5 pg/ml (n = 7), or acute inflammatory arthritis, 2.0 +/- 0.4 pg/ml (n = 4).
      Our data do not support the hypothesis that endothelin plays an important role in
      the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis.

PMID- 1865413
TI  - Glucocorticoid receptors in systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Glucocorticosteroids remain the major treatment modality for systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE), but their mechanism of action is unclear. Over the past
      decade it has become clear that glucocorticosteroid receptors play a significant
      role in the mechanism of glucocorticosteroid action. We studied
      glucocorticosteroid receptor density and affinity on peripheral blood mononuclear
      cells by the glucocorticosteroid binding assay in 33 patients with SLE who had
      taken no glucocorticosteroid for the previous 6 months and in 32 healthy
      controls. Patients' disease activity was measured by the SLE Disease Activity
      Index (SLEDAI). Glucocorticosteroid receptors on leukocytes of patients with SLE
      were significantly higher than in healthy controls (4419 +/- 306 vs 3369 +/- 196,
      p less than 0.005). The binding affinity was not different between patients and
      controls. There was no correlation between glucocorticosteroid receptor number
      and SLE disease activity.

PMID- 1865414
TI  - Esophageal involvement in mixed connective tissue disease.
AB  - A study of esophageal symptoms and function was performed in 21 patients with
      mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Esophageal involvement was found in 18
      cases (85%), in 14 (66%) with typical symptoms, in 15 (71%) with manometric
      abnormalities and in 11 (57%) with both. The manometric pattern was characterized
      by reduction of amplitude and coordination of peristaltic waves throughout the
      esophageal body and reduction of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) competency. In
      comparison, 38 patients with systemic sclerosis showed a similar but more severe
      pattern, particularly at the level of the distal esophagus and LES. Thus,
      although similar, the esophageal involvement in MCTD was not exactly the same as
      that of systemic sclerosis. Furthermore, in MCTD a correlation between manometric
      abnormalities and cutaneous involvement was lacking, and this suggests that
      esophageal disorders are not always linked with clinically evident scleroderma
      like features of this disease. Since the diagnosis of MCTD is made in the
      presence of the clinical picture of more than one connective tissue disease, the
      detection of esophageal involvement by a sensitive technique such as esophageal
      manometry in a patient with suspected MCTD may be a useful diagnostic aid.

PMID- 1865415
TI  - Effect of bucillamine (SA96) on type II collagen induced arthritis in rats.
AB  - The effects of bucillamine, a new antirheumatic drug, on type II collagen induced
      arthritis in rats was examined. Bucillamine inhibited hindpaw swelling in a dose
      dependent manner. The histopathological study indicated that bucillamine
      inhibited the proliferation of synovial lining cells. The anti-type II collagen
      antibody level was also decreased by the treatment with bucillamine. D
      penicillamine, on the other hand, showed no beneficial effects on arthritis
      except for inhibiting new bone formation. Our findings suggest that bucillamine
      has beneficial effects on type II collagen induced arthritis in rats and that its
      mechanism of action is different from those of D-penicillamine.

PMID- 1865416
TI  - Primary ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic and enteropathic spondyloarthropathy: a
      controlled analysis.
AB  - Within our ankylosing spondylitis (AS) population (n = 1331), 85% (n = 1128) had
      primary AS (1 degree AS), 9% (n = 121) had psoriatic AS (PsAS) and 6% (n = 82)
      enteropathic AS (IBDAS). In an attempt to explore further the relationship
      between 1 degree AS and the secondary spondyloarthritides, we evaluated 121
      consecutive patients with PsAS and 82 with IBDAS, as well as 202 controls with
      primary disease. The patients were matched for sex and age at review PsAS:48.1
      (SD 11.3) years vs 1 degree AS:48.4 (SD 11.5), and IBDAS:46.0 (SD 12.7) vs 1
      degree AS:45.9 (SD 12.7). The sex distribution for IBDAS (M:F, 1:1), was
      significantly less (p less than 0.001) than that for PsAS (M:F, 3.5:1) or 1
      degree AS (M:F, 2.4:1). Overall, compared to 1 degree AS the PsAS and IBDAS
      tended to have greater disease severity as defined by e.g., (1) those taking non
      steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, 86 vs 72% (p less than 0.01) and 71 vs 60% (p
      less than 0.05), respectively; (2) decreased spinal mobility (scale 0-8) 5.0 (SD
      2.0) vs 4.4 (SD 2.3); p = 0.029 and 4.9 (SD 2.0) vs 3.9 (SD 2.4); p = 0.024,
      respectively; and (3) PsAS resulted in a higher AIMS pain score; 4.9 (SD 2.5) vs
      4.0 (SD 2.4): p = 0.042. By contrast, peripheral joint involvement, number of
      total hip replacements and capacity for employment were similar in all 3 groups.
      In conclusion (1) among the AS population the prevalence of 1 degree AS, PsAS and
      IBDAS is 90, 6 and 4%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865417
TI  - Chondrocyte nonresponsiveness of arthritic articular cartilage caused by short
      term immobilization.
AB  - We studied the effect of short term immobilization on chondrocyte synthetic
      function. Arthritis from intraarticular injection of either glucose oxidase or
      interleukin 1 (IL-1) led to suppression of proteoglycan synthesis. Extension
      casting of arthritic knees prevented inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis,
      whereas later casting restored synthesis to normal. During chronic antigen
      induced arthritis casting protected chondrocyte synthesis for a period of 5 days.
      The chondrocyte nonresponsiveness was not from altered penetration of suppressing
      substances. Radiolabelled biologically active IL-1 showed no difference in
      retention or localization in articular cartilage of either mobile or immobile
      knees. Flexion casting did not induce unresponsiveness of chondrocytes and
      suppression of synthesis was similar to that in mobile arthritic knees,
      indicating the importance of loading. The nonresponsiveness occurred only during
      immobilization and rapidly disappeared after removal of the cast, provided that
      suppressing agents were still present. Thus, during short term immobilization
      chondrocytes are protected from inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis by
      suppressing agents. This protection may benefit repair of the depleted cartilage
      matrix with waning inflammation.

PMID- 1865419
TI  - The fibromyalgia impact questionnaire: development and validation.
AB  - An instrument has been developed to assess the current health status of women
      with the fibromyalgia syndrome. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) is a
      brief 10-item, self-administered instrument that measures physical functioning,
      work status, depression, anxiety, sleep, pain, stiffness, fatigue, and well
      being. We describe its development and validation. This initial assessment
      indicates that the FIQ has sufficient evidence of reliability and validity to
      warrant further testing in both research and clinical situations.

PMID- 1865418
TI  - Rheumatic manifestations in myelodysplastic syndromes.
AB  - The myelodysplastic syndromes are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis with
      possible transformation to acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. We describe a patient
      with refractory anemia with excess blasts with unusual rheumatic manifestations
      of vasculitis, migratory synovitis, arthralgias, and myalgias. A retrospective
      review over a 6-month period of 162 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes found
      16 patients (10%) with several rheumatic manifestations. We divided these
      manifestations into 4 different categories: cutaneous vasculitis, "lupus-like
      syndrome," neuropathy, and patients with both a rheumatic disease and a
      myelodysplastic syndrome. There were 7 with cutaneous vasculitis including
      leukocytoclastic vasculitis and other individual cases of urticarial vasculitis
      and panniculitis; 3 with lupus-like manifestations with histological evidence of
      an inflammatory process; 3 with neuropathic manifestations including peripheral
      neuropathy, mononeuritis with foot drop, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating
      polyneuropathy; and 3 patients in which their myelodysplastic syndrome was
      diagnosed after their rheumatic disease was known, including rheumatoid
      arthritis. Sjogren's syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease. The class with
      refractory anemia with excess blasts had 9 patients with rheumatic manifestations
      but also had the largest number of patients in the study (46/162 or 29%). Three
      of the 16 patients died, all from the refractory anemia with excess blasts class,
      reflecting the known mortality in this group of patients. We believe there is a
      significant association between myelodysplastic syndromes and rheumatic
      manifestations.

PMID- 1865420
TI  - Chronic myeloid leukemia in a woman with Still's disease treated with 198Au
      synoviorthesis.
AB  - A 32-year-old woman presented with chronic myeloid leukemia 20 years after 2
      198Au synoviortheses to her knees for severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She
      progressed to blast phase of her disease and died from complications of therapy.
      The literature on rheumatoid arthritis, its therapy, radioisotopes and leukemia
      is reviewed.

PMID- 1865421
TI  - Complete reversal of rheumatoid nodulosis.
AB  - A woman first seen in 1978 had a history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis
      (RA) of 12 years' duration with attacks of palindromic rheumatism for 3 years.
      She was treated with D-penicillamine, pyridoxine and hydroxychloroquine and
      serial measurements of her grip strength and proximal interphalangeal joint
      circumference were taken. By 1987 all her nodules had resorbed completely.
      Hydroxychloroquine effects probably helped her improvement. Although spontaneous
      resorption of a rheumatoid nodule is not a rare event, to the best of our
      knowledge, this is the first instance of complete resolution of all nodules in a
      patient with RA with the nodulosis variant.

PMID- 1865422
TI  - Bone remodelling after growth factor and cyclosporine A therapy for aplastic
      anemia.
AB  - We describe a patient with viral induced aplastic anemia who developed severe
      bone pain after treatment with multiple courses of antithymocyte globulin,
      cyclosporine A, recombinant human granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating
      factor and deferoxamine. Radiographs and bone biopsy revealed extensive new
      trabecular bone formation in long bone diaphyses and adjacent periosteal
      reaction. The effects of hematopoietic growth factors, cyclosporine A and
      deferoxamine on bone metabolism are reviewed.

PMID- 1865423
TI  - Subcutaneous cholesterol crystals mimicking calcinosis cutis in systemic
      sclerosis.
AB  - A patient is described with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and subcutaneous cholesterol
      crystals mimicking calcinosis cutis. Though not detectable radiographically,
      basic calcium phosphate crystals were identified by alizarin red staining of
      aspirate from one digit. The value of crystal identification by microscopy in
      cases of SSc with presumed calcinosis cutis, but without radiographic evidence of
      subcutaneous calcific deposits, is emphasized.

PMID- 1865424
TI  - Bowel perforation and interstitial cystitis in childhood systemic lupus
      erythematosus.
AB  - A 13-year-old girl presented with abdominal pain, fever, dysuria, incontinence
      and pyuria and was subsequently diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus
      (SLE) with extensive gastrointestinal involvement and an associated interstitial
      cystitis. Despite aggressive therapy with high dose prednisone and
      cyclophosphamide she developed a small bowel perforation and subsequently died.
      The combination of bowel symptoms and interstitial cystitis seems unique to the
      population with SLE, while the separate complication of bowel perforation carries
      an extremely poor prognosis in this group of patients.

PMID- 1865425
TI  - Large vessel vasculitis of the central nervous system in systemic lupus
      erythematosus: report and review of the literature.
AB  - Large vessel vasculitis rarely involves the central nervous system in patients
      with systemic lupus erythematosus. We describe an exemplary case, along with its
      dramatic cerebral angiogram, and review the literature on this unusual entity.

PMID- 1865426
TI  - Recurrent pericarditis and cardiac tamponade in a patient with hypocomplementemic
      urticarial vasculitis syndrome.
AB  - We describe a patient with hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome
      complicated by recurrent pericarditis and cardiac tamponade. The episodes of
      pericarditis were associated with urticarial vasculitis, hypocomplementemia, and
      circulating IgG antibodies to the collagen-like region of Clq. Histopathologic
      examination of the skin and pericardium demonstrated vasculitis associated with
      immunoglobulin and complement deposition suggesting an immune complex mediated
      etiology. Recurrent pericarditis should be included in the clinical spectrum of
      hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome.

PMID- 1865427
TI  - Cardiac manifestations of Weber-Christian disease: report and review of the
      literature.
AB  - A patient with chronic systemic Weber-Christian disease who was treated with
      hydroxychloroquine developed cardiac dilatation with congestive heart failure.
      Endomyocardial biopsy demonstrated myocyte degeneration and interstitial
      fibrosis, but no typical features of chloroquine induced cardiomyopathy. Clinical
      symptoms of congestive heart failure also were recognized in 7 of the 11 reported
      autopsy cases of Weber-Christian disease having cardiac involvement. This
      involvement can affect the pericardium and the myocardium.

PMID- 1865428
TI  - Diabetes insipidus secondary to Wegener's granulomatosis: report and review of
      the literature.
AB  - We describe a 51-year-old woman with Wegener's granulomatosis who developed
      diabetes insipidus 7 months after the onset of her granulomatous disease and
      despite apparently good clinical response to prednisone and trimethoprim
      sulphametoxazole treatment. A brain computerized tomographic scan taken soon
      after the onset of polyuria disclosed an enlarged pituitary gland that completely
      returned to its normal size after 5 months of cyclophosphamide therapy. We review
      6 other published cases of diabetes insipidus secondary to Wegener's
      granulomatosis and discuss the potential pathogenetic mechanisms of this rare
      combination.

PMID- 1865429
TI  - Inner ear deafness in Wegener's granulomatosis.
AB  - Autoimmune deafness represents a heterogeneous group of disorders in which there
      is though to be inner ear and/or middle ear damage mediated by various
      immunological abnormalities. We describe a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis
      in whom there was evidence of significant inner ear damage caused by vasculitis,
      which was completely reversed by cyclophosphamide and prednisolone. We propose
      that Wegener's granulomatosis is a cause of autoimmune deafness.

PMID- 1865430
TI  - Fractures of the dens complicating ankylosing spondylitis with atlantooccipital
      fusion.
AB  - Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are prone to fractures. Fractures tend to
      occur in the lower cervical spine disc space. We describe 2 patients with
      odontoid fractures. Both patients had atlantooccipital fusion which may have
      increased their susceptibility for dens fractures. One patient had Crohn's
      disease.

PMID- 1865431
TI  - Common variable hypogammaglobulinemia presenting as nontypable Haemophilus
      influenzae septic arthritis in an adult.
AB  - Haemophilus influenzae is a rare cause of septic arthritis in adults. We describe
      a case of septic arthritis with nontypable Haemophilus influenzae presenting as
      the first invasive infection leading to a diagnosis of common variable
      hypogammaglobulinemia. Although nontypable strains have been shown to cause
      serious infections in adults, they are a rare cause of septic arthritis.
      Underlying immune deficiency should be considered in an adult who presents with
      invasive infection with Haemophilus influenzae, regardless of serotype.

PMID- 1865432
TI  - Mycobacterium gastri arthritis: septic arthritis due to Mycobacterium gastri in a
      patient with a renal transplant.
AB  - We describe an 18-year-old man with a renal transplant who developed septic
      metacarpophalangeal arthritis due to Mycobacterium gastri. He had several
      episodes of crystal induced synovitis, and treatment with intraarticular steroids
      was complicated 3 months later by iatrogenic septic arthritis. Appropriate
      treatment based on in vitro drug susceptibility was successful. This seems to be
      the first case of articular infection and the third report of human infection
      caused by this atypical mycobacteria.

PMID- 1865433
TI  - Scleroderma-like fasciitis without eosinophilia after L-tryptophan ingestion.
AB  - A 53-year-old man developed severe sclerodermatous skin changes and a
      neuromyopathic process, consistent with the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, 2
      months after discontinuation of L-Tryptophan (L-Try). His peripheral eosinophil
      count was within normal limits upon presentation and remained so throughout the
      illness. Currently the Centers for Disease Control surveillance definition
      requires peripheral eosinophilia greater than 1000 cells/mm3. Eosinophilia
      myalgia syndrome may need to be part of a differential diagnosis even in the
      absence of peripheral eosinophilia.

PMID- 1865434
TI  - Concurrent use of folinic acid and MTX in rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1865435
TI  - Changes in the marketing of methotrexate.

PMID- 1865436
TI  - IV methylprednisolone and nitrogen mustard.

PMID- 1865437
TI  - Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting as Salmonella enteritidis bacteremia.

PMID- 1865438
TI  - Hydroxyapatite pseudopodagra.

PMID- 1865439
TI  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in giant cell arteritis.

PMID- 1865440
TI  - Evaluation of the lateral flexion of the trunk.

PMID- 1865441
TI  - Epidermoid cancer of the anus--the surgeon retreats.

PMID- 1865442
TI  - Lipids in non-insulin dependent diabetes: a case for treatment?

PMID- 1865443
TI  - Anal cancer: the case for earlier diagnosis.
AB  - The results of treatment in 22 patients with anal carcinoma are reviewed. The
      overall results are disappointing with only five (28%) surviving more than 5
      years. The commonest form of treatment during the study period was an abdomino
      perineal excision of rectum (APER). For patients with tumours less than 2 cm in
      diameter local excision is an acceptable alternative. The majority (76%) of
      tumours were diagnosed as common benign conditions by the referring practitioners
      leading to a delay in initiating definitive treatment. Most tumours (81%) were
      greater than 2 cm in diameter and therefore unsuitable for local excision. There
      was a high recurrence rate (76%) amongst the group treated by APER. This along
      with the poor overall survival is probably due to late presentation.

PMID- 1865444
TI  - Value of emergency cardiac enzymes: audit in a coronary care unit.
AB  - Medical audit in a district general hospital coronary care unit led to the
      introduction of an emergency cardiac enzyme service. 91.2% of patients eligible
      for thrombolysis therapy received treatment following this introduction compared
      to 73.7% before (P = .05). No patient was treated inappropriately on the basis of
      a raised cardiac enzyme.

PMID- 1865445
TI  - Cortical evoked response olfactometry.
AB  - An objective for the assessment of smell based upon olfactory cortical responses
      is introduced and illustrated with clinical examples.

PMID- 1865446
TI  - Should general practitioners refer more patients to hospital?
AB  - Twenty-two patients with skin problems were identified on the basis that their
      general practitioner was satisfied with their management and had no intention of
      referring them to hospital. These patients were reviewed by one of two
      dermatologists who made treatment recommendations in 14 cases, and these
      suggestions were taken up by 11 patients. Six patients reported definite
      subjective improvement in their skin condition six weeks later. The general
      practitioners found the consultation valuable in 17 cases. Although these
      patients might have improved without the dermatologists' intervention, a group of
      patients may exist who would benefit from specialist advice, even though that
      advice has not been sought. Restriction on hospital referrals could therefore be
      detrimental to patient care. Controlled trials could be conducted to determine
      the benefit of specialist advice on patients not currently seen in hospital.

PMID- 1865447
TI  - Waiting list initiatives: crisis management or targeting of resources?
AB  - To investigate the impact of a waiting list initiative on an ENT surgical waiting
      list, we have evaluated the outcome of the Tayside ENT Waiting List Initiative.
      Four hundred and forty-five patients were offered dates to come in during the
      initiative. Of these, 280 underwent surgery and 16 indicated that their
      operations were no longer necessary. The maximum wait for routine operations
      falling within the criteria for inclusion in the initiative was 28 months prior
      to the initiative can be effective in reducing waiting times for routine surgery.
      However, it is too early to describe the Tayside initiative as an unqualified
      success, as it remains to be seen whether or not the waiting list will lengthen
      again now that it is over.

PMID- 1865448
TI  - 'Skin failure'--a real entity: discussion paper.

PMID- 1865449
TI  - Liaison psychiatry for the 21st century: a review.
AB  - The development of liaison psychiatry services over the last 20 years is briefly
      reviewed--sophisticated liaison services have been confined to teaching
      hospitals. Limited manpower and other resources have prevented the development of
      liaison services in most district general hospitals; further developments are
      unlikely unless these deficiencies are corrected and psychiatrists take a more
      active role in developing links with physicians and surgeons. The time is right
      for such development as physicians are keen to extend our understanding of
      psychological and social factors in causing non-organic disorders, reduce
      unnecessary investigations and provide more comprehensive care. Increased
      collaboration between physicians and psychiatrists will provide a better service
      for many patients and this should be extended to all district general hospitals.

PMID- 1865450
TI  - Surveillance of disorders caused by occupational hazards--principles and
      practice: a review.

PMID- 1865451
TI  - An early 19th century view of the sympathetic ganglia.

PMID- 1865452
TI  - A contribution to the history of tuberculosis and leprosy in 19th century Norway.

PMID- 1865453
TI  - A question of principle.

PMID- 1865454
TI  - 'The strange mental state of an old man who thought he would be slaughtered'--an
      early report of dementia with delusion (1785).

PMID- 1865455
TI  - Subtle early features of onchocerciasis in a European.

PMID- 1865456
TI  - Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and coeliac disease.

PMID- 1865457
TI  - Intestinal tuberculosis: an ongoing diagnostic dilemma.

PMID- 1865458
TI  - Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding in association with the brown bowel
      syndrome.

PMID- 1865459
TI  - 5 q-syndrome and monoclonal gammopathy with alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.

PMID- 1865460
TI  - Subtotal colectomy following marathon running in a female patient.

PMID- 1865461
TI  - Accident flying squads.

PMID- 1865462
TI  - Gastrointestinal haemorrhage in the over 75s.

PMID- 1865463
TI  - Briquet's syndrome--some diagnostic considerations.

PMID- 1865464
TI  - Honey and healing.

PMID- 1865465
TI  - Immunology of the tonsils.

PMID- 1865466
TI  - Holoprosencephaly-polydactyly ('pseudotrisomy 13') syndrome: a syndrome with
      features of hydrolethalus and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndromes. A collaborative
      multicentre study.
AB  - A syndrome of holoprosencephaly and postaxial polydactyly, associated with
      hydrocephalus, heart defect, adrenal hypoplasia, and other visceral
      malformations, has been observed in five unrelated children with normal
      chromosomes. Clinical overlap with lethal acrodysgenital dwarfism (Smith-Lemli
      Opitz syndrome type II) and hydrolethalus syndrome is discussed. Recessive
      inheritance seems likely.

PMID- 1865467
TI  - A convenient multiplex PCR system for the detection of dystrophin gene deletions:
      a comparative analysis with cDNA hybridisation shows mistypings by both methods.
AB  - Existing reactions for the multiplex PCR amplification of exons in the dystrophin
      gene have been modified to produce two multiplex reactions which separately cover
      the 5' and 3' major deletion 'hotspots' in the gene, and together detect
      approximately 98% of all deletions detectable by Southern cDNA hybridisation. A
      comparative study of 148 patients showed mistypings in both the cDNA
      hybridisation data (4%) and the PCR analysis (1.2%). We suggest means of
      circumventing the underlying problems in order to avoid mistyping and subsequent
      misdiagnosis, and conclude that, with appropriate precautions, multiplex PCR
      amplification can be the method of choice for detecting deletions in the
      dystrophin gene.

PMID- 1865468
TI  - Application of PCR amplification of DNA from paraffin embedded tissue sections to
      linkage analysis in familial retinoblastoma.
AB  - A family segregating for the retinoblastoma predisposition gene has been analysed
      using the polymerase chain reaction to exclude their son as being an affected
      gene carrier. The unusual feature of this family is that the affected child, who
      would ordinarily have been used to establish phase in a linkage study, died as a
      result of developing a second tumour some years ago. The only tissue available
      from this child was a paraffin embedded, formalin fixed histopathological
      specimen from the second tumour. It was possible to isolate DNA from this tissue
      and amplify the DNA flanking two polymorphic restriction enzyme sites to
      establish alleles which cosegregated with tumour predisposition. Archival
      material can now be used to offer families such as this prenatal screening to
      provide informed genetic counselling.

PMID- 1865469
TI  - What do young people think about screening for cystic fibrosis?
AB  - We investigated the knowledge of cystic fibrosis and the views about neonatal and
      carrier screening in 216 school students aged 14 to 16 years. This work was
      completed before the published identification of the cystic fibrosis gene in
      September 1989. Although initial knowledge of cystic fibrosis was low (only 17%
      of the students knew that the disease affected the lungs), there was good recall
      of basic information about cystic fibrosis and of recessive inheritance after a
      brief lecture. A total of 86% considered that carrier detection should be offered
      routinely and 88% felt that an offer of prenatal diagnosis for cystic fibrosis
      should be made if both prospective parents were known to be carriers. We believe
      that pilot studies of cystic fibrosis carrier screening in schools should be
      undertaken.

PMID- 1865470
TI  - Sweat testing to identify female carriers of X linked hypohidrotic ectodermal
      dysplasia.
AB  - X linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XHED) affects many epithelial
      functions, including sweat gland formation. Female carriers who manifest XHED may
      have defective dentition or a patchy distribution of sweating or both, as
      determined by starch and iodine sweat testing. Such sweat testing can be useful
      in assigning carrier status to at risk females in XHED families, and in obtaining
      an accurate diagnosis for isolated females who present with features of
      ectodermal dysplasia. The advantages of diagnosing female carriers of XHED
      include the optimisation of neonatal and paediatric care for affected male
      infants, who may be at substantial risk of death in infancy.

PMID- 1865471
TI  - Adult polycystic kidney disease in a kindred of West Indian origin exhibits
      linkage with the 3'HVR probe on chromosome 16.
AB  - In a large pedigree of Caribbean origin with adult polycystic kidney disease,
      linkage has been established to the 3'HVR probe on chromosome 16. Although there
      are five different fathers in this pedigree, only one of whom was available for
      DNA analysis, the polymorphic nature of 3'HVR has enabled gene tracking to be
      carried out. The same allele cosegregates with the disease in every affected
      family member.

PMID- 1865472
TI  - Somatic recombination may explain linear psoriasis.

PMID- 1865473
TI  - Coffin-Siris syndrome.

PMID- 1865474
TI  - Iris coloboma, ptosis, hypertelorism, and mental retardation: a new syndrome
      possibly localised on chromosome 2.
AB  - A patient with a phenotype resembling that of three children recently reported is
      described. His karyotype shows a pericentric inversion of chromosome 2, very
      similar to another child previously reported. We discuss the possibility that all
      these cases constitute a distinct syndrome.

PMID- 1865475
TI  - Infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and multiple congenital bone fractures in
      sibs: a lethal new syndrome.
AB  - Acute infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA type I, Werdnig-Hoffmann disease)
      has generally been accepted as an autosomal recessive disorder. However, several
      investigators have noted a slightly increased male to female ratio. We describe
      here a family with two affected male sibs who had a form of acute infantile SMA
      with congenital bone fractures, whose parents were first cousins. Pedigree
      analysis strongly suggested autosomal recessive inheritance, but X linked
      recessive inheritance could not be ruled out. In view of the heterogeneity of the
      SMAs, and the distinct clinical features found in our patients, we suggest that
      their infantile SMA might well be a distinct entity. We suggest that SMA I with
      congenital contractures and bone fractures appears to be a recognisable disorder
      that can be distinguished from the more common classic form of SMA I.

PMID- 1865476
TI  - Hypercoagulability in a patient with Marfan syndrome.
AB  - A 39 year old man with Marfan syndrome presented with multiple pulmonary emboli
      and renal, hepatic, and splenic infarcts of unknown aetiology. The combination of
      thromboemboli and physical features initially suggested homocystinuria; however,
      laboratory examination showed no evidence for this disorder. Laboratory
      evaluation identified no coagulation abnormalities. This patient represents the
      unusual occurrence of hypercoagulability in a patient with Marfan syndrome.

PMID- 1865477
TI  - Interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 18, del(18)(q12.2q21.1): a
      report of three cases of an autosomal deletion with a mild phenotype.
AB  - We describe three unrelated patients with apparently identical interstitial
      deletions of the segment (18) (q12.2q21.1). They were a short and markedly
      mentally retarded 5 year old girl, a macrocephalic and obese 2 1/2 year old boy
      with moderate mental retardation, and a macrocephalic, severely mentally retarded
      5 year old boy. Findings common to all five liveborn patients so far identified
      as carrying this deletion include a pattern of minor dysmorphic features
      (prominent forehead, ptosis of the upper eyelids, full periorbital tissue,
      epicanthic folds, strabismus), muscular hypotonia, seizures, behavioural
      disorders, and lack of major malformations.

PMID- 1865478
TI  - A new folate sensitive fragile site at 1p21.3.

PMID- 1865479
TI  - Prevalence of fragile X syndrome.

PMID- 1865480
TI  - HLA markers, hormones, and disease.

PMID- 1865481
TI  - Effect of clomiphene citrate upon periovulatory endometrial development in the
      baboon.
AB  - Endometrial histology in baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) was evaluated after
      five days of clomiphene citrate (CC) treatment initiated on either cycle day six
      (n = 8) or ten (n = 4). Biopsies performed before and after a human chorionic
      gonadotropin (hCG) induced ovulation were compared to non-CC treated controls.
      Although CC had a definite antiestrogenic effect on perineal skin, no significant
      effect of endometrial proliferation was demonstrable.

PMID- 1865482
TI  - Quantitation of serum immunoglobulins G, M, and A in the rhesus monkey (M.
      mulatta) using human monospecific antisera in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay: developmental aspects.
AB  - Using human monospecific antisera, several parameters have been optimized for the
      micro-ELISA "sandwich" technique used in the quantitative measurement of total
      serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels in rhesus monkeys. Representation of the optical
      density as a four-parameter logistic function provided excellent fits of the data
      over a wide choice of dilutions of human antisera used for coating the ELISA
      plates and for the peroxidase-conjugated antisera used in the system. The micro
      ELISA "sandwich" technique was shown to be specific, reliable, sensitive, and
      economical for use in the routine measurement of total serum IgG, IgM and IgA
      levels in the rhesus monkey.

PMID- 1865483
TI  - Serial estimates of body water content and distribution during the first
      postnatal month in baboons.
AB  - Water content of the various body compartments was estimated serially during the
      first postnatal month in six term baboon neonates. In absolute volumes (mL),
      total body water, intracellular water, and plasma volume all increased linearly
      with body weight and postnatal age, although the effect of weight was
      predominant. In proportion to body weight (mL/kg), total body water,
      intracellular water, and plasma volume increased linearly with postnatal age
      whereas extracellular water and red cell volume decreased. There was no linear
      relation between the proportions of any of the water volumes and body weight.

PMID- 1865484
TI  - Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).
AB  - A juvenile rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) developed a symmetrical erosive
      polyarthritis involving both large and small diarthrodial joints. Neither an
      infectious nor a metabolic etiology could be determined. This case shares many
      clinical and pathological features with the polyarticular form of human juvenile
      rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1865485
TI  - Preclinical toxicity study of a male injectable antifertility agent (styrene
      maleic anhydride) in rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta.
AB  - Polymer styrene maleic anhydride dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide was injected
      intravasally to rhesus monkeys at the dose levels of 100 mg, 250 mg, and 500 mg
      in each vas deferens in low, high, and highest dose groups respectively, while
      control group received 0.5 ml DMSO in each vas deferens. The systemic toxicity
      study of the implant was carried out for 90 d. There had been no alteration in
      any of the toxicity parameters, ie, body weight, haematological, biochemical or
      histopathological, in the test animals as compared to control animals. Hence, it
      is concluded that the polymer SMA injected at above doses appears to be safe in
      our experiment.

PMID- 1865486
TI  - Technical note: a primatrail or an inexpensive cage expansion for group housing
      small primates.

PMID- 1865487
TI  - Dissecting the molecular mechanism of ion-solute cotransport: substrate
      specificity mutations in the putP gene affect the kinetics of proline transport.
AB  - Rare mutations that alter the substrate specificity of proline permease cluster
      in discrete regions of the putP gene, suggesting that they may replace amino
      acids at the active site of the enzyme. If putP substrate specificity mutations
      directly after the active site of proline permease, the mutants should show
      specific defects in the kinetics of proline transport. In order to test this
      prediction, we examined the kinetics of three putP substrate specificity mutants.
      One class of mutation increases the Km over 120 fold but only decreases the Vmax
      fourfold. Such Km mutants may be specifically defective in substrate recognition,
      thus identifying an amino acid critical for substrate binding. Another class of
      mutation decreases the Vmax 80-fold without changing the Km. Vmax mutants appear
      to alter the rate of substrate translocation without affecting the substrate
      binding site. The last class of mutation alters both the Km and Vmax of proline
      transport. These results indicate that substrate specificity mutations alter
      amino acids critical for Na+/proline symport.

PMID- 1865488
TI  - Single-channel K+ currents in Drosophila muscle and their pharmacological block.
AB  - Four types of nonvoltage-activated potassium channels in the body-wall muscles of
      Drosophila third instar larvae have been identified by the patch-clamp technique.
      Using the inside-out configuration, tetraethylammonium (TEA), Ba2+, and quinidine
      were applied to the cytoplasmic face of muscle membranes during steady-state
      channel activation. The four channels could be readily distinguished on the basis
      of their pharmacological sensitivities and physiological properties. The KST
      channel was the only type that was activated by stretch. It had a high unitary
      conductance (100 pS in symmetrical 130/130 mM KCl solution), was blocked by TEA
      (Kd approximately 35 mM), and was the most sensitive to Ba2+ (complete block at
      10(-4) M). A Ca(2+)-activated potassium channel, KCF.72 pS (130/130) mM KCl), was
      gated open at greater than 10(-8) m Ca2+, was the least sensitive to Ba2+ Kd of
      approximately 3 mM) and TEA (Kd of approximately 100 mM), and was not affected by
      quinidine. K2 was a small conductance channel of 11 pS (130/2 KCl, pipette/bath),
      and was very sensitive to quinidine, being substantially blocked at 0.1 mM. It
      also exhibited a half block at approximately 0.3 mM Ba2+ and approximately 25 mM
      TEA. A fourth channel type, K3, was the most sensitive to TEA (half block less
      than 1 mM). It displayed a partial block to Ba2+ at 10 mM, but no block by 0.1 mM
      quinidine. The blocking effects of TEA, Ba2+ and quinidine were reversible in all
      channels studied. The actions of TEA and Ba2+ appeared qualitatively different:
      in all four channels, TEA reduced the apparent unitary conductance, whereas Ba2+
      decreased channel open probability.

PMID- 1865489
TI  - Intracellular potassium activity in mammalian proximal tubule: effect of
      perturbations in transepithelial sodium transport.
AB  - Intracellular potassium activity (alpha Ki) was measured in control conditions in
      mid-cortical rabbit proximal convoluted tubule using two methods: (i) by
      determination of the K+ equilibrium potential (EK) using Ba(2+)-induced
      variations in the basolateral membrane potential (VBL) during transepithelial
      current injections and (ii) with double-barrel K-selective microelectrodes. Using
      the first method, the mean VBL was -48.5 +/- 3.2 mV (n = 16) and the mean EK was 
      78.4 +/- 4.1 mV corresponding to alpha Ki of 68.7 mM. With K-selective
      microelectrodes, VBL was -36.6 +/- 1.1 mV (n = 19), EK was -64.0 +/- 1.1 mV and
      alpha Ki averaged 40.6 +/- 1.7 mM. While these last EK and VBL values are
      significantly lower than the corresponding values obtained with the first method
      (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.01, respectively), the electrochemical
      driving force for K transport across the basolateral membrane (microK = VBL-EK)
      is not significantly different for both techniques (30.1 +/- 3.3 mV for the first
      technique and 27.6 +/- 1.8 mV for ion-selective electrodes). This suggests an
      adequate functioning of the selective barrel but an underestimation of VBL by the
      reference barrel of the double-barrel microelectrode. Such double-barrel
      microelectrodes were used to measure temporal changes in alpha Ki and microK in
      different experimental conditions where Na reabsorption rate (JNa) was reduced.
      alpha Ki was shown to increase by 12.2 +/- 2.7 (n = 5) and 14.1 +/- 4.4 mM (n =
      5), respectively, when JNa was reduced by omitting in the luminal perfusate: (i)
      5.5 mM glucose and 6 mM alanine and (ii) glucose, alanine, other Na-cotransported
      solutes and 110 mM Na. In terms of the electrochemical driving force for K exit
      across the basolateral membrane, microK, a decrease of 5.4 +/- 2.0 mV (P less
      than 0.05, n = 5) was measured when glucose and alanine were omitted in the
      luminal perfusate while microK remained unchanged when JNa was more severely
      reduced (mean change = -1.7 +/- 2.1 mV, NS, n = 5). In the latter case, this
      means that the electrochemical driving force for K efflux across the basolateral
      membrane has not changed while both the active influx through the Na-K pump and
      the passive efflux in steady state are certainly reduced. If the main pathway for
      K transport is through the basolateral K conductance, this implies that this
      conductance must have decreased in the same proportion as that of the reduction
      in the Na-K pump activity.

PMID- 1865490
TI  - Labeling of adipocyte membranes by sulfo-N-succinimidyl derivatives of long-chain
      fatty acids: inhibition of fatty acid transport.
AB  - Sulfo-N-succinimidyl derivatives of the long-chain fatty acids, oleic and
      myristic, were synthesized and covalently reacted with isolated rat adipocytes.
      The plasma membrane proteins labeled by these compounds and the effect of
      labeling on the transport of long-chain fatty acids were investigated. Sulfo-N
      succinimidyl oleate (SSO) and myristate (SSM) inhibited the transport of fatty
      acids (by about 70%). Inhibition of fatty acid transport was not a result of
      alterations in cell integrity, as intracellular water volume was not changed. It
      did not reflect effects on fatty acid metabolism, since it was observed under
      conditions where greater than 90% of the fatty acid taken up was recovered in the
      free form. The inhibitory effect was specific to the fatty acid transport system,
      as the transport of glucose and the permeation of retinoic acid, a substance with
      structural similarities to long-chain fatty acids, were unaffected.
      Sulfosuccinimidyl oleate reacted exclusively with a plasma membrane protein with
      an apparent size of 85 kDa while sulfosuccinimidyl myristate also labeled a 75
      kDa protein. These proteins were among the ones labeled by
      diisothiocyanodisulfonic acid (DIDS) which also inhibits fatty acid transport
      irreversibly. The data suggest that the 85-kDa protein, which is the only one
      labeled by all three inhibitors is involved in facilitating membrane permeation
      of long-chain fatty acids.

PMID- 1865491
TI  - Structural analogues of pyrroline 5-carboxylate specifically inhibit its uptake
      into cells.
AB  - Pyrroline 5-carboxylate, a naturally occurring intermediate, is a potent
      activator of redox-dependent metabolic pathways. The effect of pyrroline 5
      carboxylate is due, at least in part, to the special mechanism mediating its
      entry into cells. Using Chinese hamster ovary cells we recently characterized the
      cellular uptake of pyrroline 5-carboxylate as a process transferring oxidizing
      potential pari passu with cell entry, a process consistent with group
      translocation. We sought to identify specific inhibitors to probe this unique
      uptake mechanism, to blockade the metabolic effects of pyrroline 5-carboxylate,
      and to provide strategies to identify the putative carrier protein. Because
      pyrroline 5-carboxylate, a ring structure with a tertiary nitrogen, is in
      spontaneous equilibrium with glutamic-gamma-semialdehyde, an open-chain
      structure, we tested analogues of both. Most open-chain aldehydes at 10 mM had
      little effect on the uptake of pyrroline 5-carboxylate. Although succinic
      semialdehyde did inhibit, its effect was nonspecific in that the uptake of
      alpha(methylamino) isobutyric acid was inhibited as much as the uptake of
      pyrroline 5-carboxylate. In contrast, pyrroline 2-carboxylate and other cyclic
      compounds with tertiary nitrogens, e.g., pyridines, were specific inhibitors of
      pyrroline 5-carboxylate uptake. Respective potencies of pyridine derivatives
      depended on the nature and location of constituent groups. Kinetics studies
      showed that these inhibitors were competitive with pyrroline 5-carboxylate and
      the most potent inhibitor, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde, exhibited a K12 of 0.27
      +/- 0.05 mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865492
TI  - Inability of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells to volume regulate following a
      hyperosmotic challenge.
AB  - Ehrlich cells shrink when the osmolality of the suspending medium is increased
      and behave, at least initially, as osmometers. Subsequent behavior depends on the
      nature of the hyperosmotic solute but in no case did the cells exhibit regulatory
      volume increase. With hyperosmotic NaCl an osmometric response was found and the
      resultant volume maintained relatively constant. Continuous shrinkage was
      observed, however, with sucrose-induced hyperosmolality. In both cases increasing
      osmolality from 300 to 500 mOSM initiated significant changes in cellular
      electrolyte content, as well as intracellular pH. This was brought about by
      activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger, the Na/K pump, the Na+ + K+ + 2Cl
      cotransporter and by loss of K+ via a Ba-sensitive pathway. The cotransporter in
      response to elevated [Cl-]i (approximately 100 mM) and/or the increase in the
      outwardly directed gradient of chemical potential for Na+, K+ and Cl-, mediated
      net loss of ions which accounted for cell shrinkage in the sucrose-containing
      medium. In hyperosmotic NaCl, however, the net Cl- flux was almost zero
      suggesting minimal net cotransport activity. We conclude that volume stability
      following cell shrinkage depends on the transmembrane gradient of chemical
      potential for [Na+ + K+ + Cl-], as well as the ratio of intra- to extracellular
      [Cl-]. Both factors appear to influence the activity of the cotransport pathway.

PMID- 1865493
TI  - Stereological estimation of the mean and variance of nuclear volume from vertical
      sections.
AB  - The application of assumption-free, unbiased stereological techniques for
      estimation of the volume-weighted mean nuclear volume, nuclear vv, from vertical
      sections of benign and malignant nuclear aggregates in melanocytic skin tumours
      is described. Combining sampling of nuclei with uniform probability in a physical
      disector and Cavalieri's direct estimator of volume, the unbiased, number
      weighted mean nuclear volume, nuclear vN, of the same benign and malignant
      nuclear populations is also estimated. Having obtained estimates of nuclear
      volume in both the volume- and number distribution of volume, a detailed
      investigation of nuclear size variability is possible. Benign and malignant
      nuclear populations show approximately the same relative variability with regard
      to nuclear volume, and the presented data are compatible with a simple size
      transformation from the smaller benign nuclei to the larger malignant nuclei.
      Finally, the variance in the volume distribution of nuclear volume is estimated
      by shape-independent estimates of the volume-weighted second moment of the
      nuclear volume, vv2, using both a manual and a computer-assisted approach. The
      working procedure for the description of 3-D size variability within benign and
      malignant nuclear populations can for all practical purposes be reduced to 2-D
      measurement of nuclear profile areas. These new powerful stereological estimators
      of nuclear volume and nuclear size variability provide an attractive approach to
      quantitative and reproducible malignancy grading of cancers.

PMID- 1865494
TI  - Study of potassium deficiency in cardiac muscle: quantitative X-ray microanalysis
      and cryotechniques.
AB  - An imbalance of potassium in cardiac muscle causes an alteration of heart
      function. The distribution and concentration of potassium in rat papillary heart
      muscle was studied using cryofixation and X-ray microanalysis. Freeze-dried
      cryosections and sections of freeze-dried, embedded tissue were analysed. Bulk
      frozen specimens were freeze-dried either in a vacuum or by a new technique using
      liquid propane as a cryodehydration medium. These two methods of freeze-drying
      were tested for elemental retention in other specimens, with comparable results.
      A potassium concentration of 120 mmol/l was measured in normal myocytes of
      cardiac papillary muscle compared to 80 mmol/l in myocytes of animals stressed by
      a temperature of 45 degrees C for 1 h. The presumed physiological significance of
      the findings is discussed.

PMID- 1865495
TI  - Comparison between the conventional method and the simple desiccation method in
      porcine sperm processing for scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - Sperm quality has been studied using different microscopic methods. Light
      microscopy gives similar percentages of sperm typologies (mature, immature and
      aberrant) as scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques using both normal
      (critical-point drying) and simple desiccation techniques. Artefactual forms,
      which are easily recognizable, are not taken into account. The artefactual forms
      observed by the simple desiccation SEM method were spermatozoa with tails folded
      in a simple loop, and spermatozoa with short tails coiled at their extreme. The
      simple desiccation SEM method is a useful and rapid technique for the testing of
      porcine sperm quality.

PMID- 1865496
TI  - Alkaline hydrolysis/methylation-acetylation: a new technique for ultrastructural
      DNA cytochemistry.
AB  - A new technique for the visualization of DNA-containing structures in electron
      microscopy is described. Samples of glutaraldehyde-fixed bone marrow from rats
      were subjected to alkaline hydrolysis to remove RNA and the phosphate of
      phosphoproteins, followed by a combined blockage of protein carboxyl and amino
      groups through methylation-acetylation. After uranyl acetate staining of epoxy
      embedded ultrathin sections, chromatin from all cell types showed a highly
      selective and intense electron opacity. Staining methods for DNA were also
      positive in semithin sections. This simple procedure could be very useful in
      ultrastructural cytochemistry of DNA and chromatin.

PMID- 1865497
TI  - The African-American medical student: 1990 and beyond.

PMID- 1865498
TI  - Racism in the 1990s: old wine in a high-tech bottle.

PMID- 1865499
TI  - Cancer awareness among African Americans: a survey assessing race, social status,
      and occupation.
AB  - Knowledge of cancer prevention and control was defined in terms of prevention,
      etiology, treatment, symptoms, cancer rates, screening, and detection
      examinations. A survey of 86 African Americans and 68 white Americans in Alameda
      County, California was completed in 1985. An index comprised of 69 knowledge
      items was assessed. A multivariate analysis of race, education, socioeconomic
      status, and occupation confirmed that these characteristics were independent
      predictors of knowledge. Blue collar work status was the most important predictor
      of low knowledge levels. African Americans were less knowledgeable than white
      Americans with regard to diet in preventing cancer and treatment modalities for
      cancer, and were most likely to perceive surgery as contributing to metastases.
      Low education and income status predicted low levels of knowledge. An important
      consideration in changing knowledge levels is the need to translate technical
      information about treatment and metastases in ways that are effective in reaching
      target populations at risk for low levels of knowledge. Cancer prevention and
      control programs need to develop materials and strategies that are responsive to
      communities whose members are predominantly African Americans or blue collar
      workers, or have low levels of education and income.

PMID- 1865500
TI  - Trauma-adult respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - Sixteen trauma victims with adult respiratory distress syndrome were
      retrospectively examined. High injury severity score (mean: 44), massive
      transfusion requirements, and prolonged ventilator days characterize this group.
      Persistent intra-abdominal infection accounted for two of three deaths in this
      series. Most of these patients were managed without paralysis using intermittent
      mandatory ventilation and positive-end expiratory pressure (PEEP). High frequency
      jet ventilation was necessary in one subject. Two patients exhibited early ARDS
      reversal, ie, clinical improvement, better chest x-ray and decreased shunt
      (within 72 hours) when an intra-abdominal septic focus was eradicated. Principles
      of critical care for these patients remain: an FiO2 less than .40, limiting
      barotrauma, using PEEP for alveolar recruitment and close monitoring of O2
      transport.

PMID- 1865501
TI  - The effect of ethanol on bone mineral.
AB  - Chronic alcoholics frequently have osteopenia. This usually leads to an increase
      in long bone fractures. The exact cause of these changes is unknown. They could
      be caused by a change in the calcium metabolism or a change in the organic phase
      of bone. To elucidate the exact mechanism by which these changes occur, the
      following study was done. Forty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four
      groups. Two groups received alcohol, and two groups served as control. One set of
      each group received a fracture to the leg in order to study any change that might
      occur in the organic phase of bone. Our findings in these animals demonstrated
      that alcohol causes osteopenia due to a change in calcium metabolism and does not
      appear to effect the organic phase of bone.

PMID- 1865502
TI  - Risk of aortocoronary bypass surgery in a low-volume inner city hospital.
AB  - Incidence of coronary heart disease deaths has been reported to be higher in low
      socioeconomic groups compared to affluent subjects. In addition, a higher
      mortality rate has been reported at centers doing fewer open heart surgeries.
      This article presents evidence in variance with these convictions. We report a
      single team's experience with coronary artery surgery on 76 low socioeconomic,
      predominantly black patients (84%) over a period of 8 years. The volume of open
      heart surgery per year was less than 20. The overall mortality rate of 5.3%,
      infection rate of 1.3%, and perioperative infarction rate of 7.9% are not
      significantly different from the reported experience of high-volume surgical
      centers on similar patients during the same period. Thus, it is possible to
      obtain comparable results of myocardial revascularization surgery in low-volume,
      socioeconomically disadvantaged, inner city minority populations.

PMID- 1865503
TI  - Measures of renal function in patients with cisplatin-related chronic renal
      disease.
AB  - Twenty-seven patients with advanced stage refractory ovarian cancer were studied
      to determine if chronic stable cisplatin-related renal dysfunction was present.
      Medical histories were examined to determine the types of therapy previously
      received as well as the total previous platinum doses received that ranged from
      200 to 2,100 mg/m2. Standard assessments of renal function were made prior to
      administering current chemotherapy or immunotherapy to the patient, which
      included 24-hour creatinine clearance, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen
      (BUN). For patients with a 24-hour creatinine clearance of less than 60
      mL/minute, serum creatinine was highly variable (range: 0.9 to 2.0 mg/dL) and was
      not related to the degree of diminution in the 24-hour creatinine clearance
      value. Conversely, for patients with a serum creatinine of less than 1.5, the 24
      hour creatinine clearance values varied by almost three-fold, ranging between 46
      and 120 mL/minute. Two patients with serum creatinines of less than 1 had
      creatinine clearances of less than 50 mL per minute. Similarly, BUN measurements
      did not correlate with 24-hour creatinine clearance values, and the 24-hour
      creatinine clearance value was not related to the total cumulative platinum dose.
      We conclude that patients who receive substantive doses of cisplatin may
      experience chronic stable cisplatin-related renal dysfunction and that serum
      creatinine cannot be relied on to assess the degree of renal compromise. In such
      patients, we recommended that the 24-hour creatinine clearance value should be
      used when medical management is influenced by renal function.

PMID- 1865504
TI  - Comparison of pulmonary tuberculosis in younger and elderly patients.
AB  - Pulmonary tuberculosis remains a significant clinical and public health problem
      in the elderly population. To describe age-related differences in disease
      manifestations, a comparison of the clinical features, predisposing factors,
      diagnostic approaches and radiographic findings in cases of pulmonary
      tuberculosis among 52 young and 62 elderly patients was performed. The elderly
      patients had a higher number of underlying disease than younger patients (p less
      than 0.05). Prior to admission, symptoms occurring with equal frequency in both
      younger and elderly patients included coughing, malaise, and weight loss. Elderly
      patients had significantly higher incidences of negative reactions to the PPD
      test (p less than 0.05). Radiographic findings revealed that upper lung field
      infiltrates were still common in both groups, but the elderly had more severe
      lung field involvement (two or more lobes affected), and more frequent pleural
      reactions than younger patients (p less than 0.05). Since there were non-specific
      clinical features, false negative skin test and complex radiographic
      manifestations, tuberculosis was frequently not suspected in the differential
      diagnosis, especially among elderly patients with multiple medical problems. We
      suggest that physicians need to have a high level of suspicion and awareness of
      varied manifestations for tuberculosis, especially elderly patients.

PMID- 1865505
TI  - Polymerase chain reaction technique for detection of human immunodeficiency virus
      type I.
AB  - A total of 7 cases were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with an HIV-1
      primer set matched the polymerase region. One homosexual man who was HIV-1
      antibody negative was used as a negative control, the other cases included HIV-1
      antibody positive asymptomatic, ARC and AIDS cases. The length of the amplified
      DNA segment was 115 base pairs (bp) and the appearance of this segment showed
      positive reaction with the HIV-1 antigen. These six HIV-1 antibody positive
      cases, including an asymptomatic infant showed a segment size of about 115 bp and
      were recognized as HIV-1 positive infections, and whereas the HIV-1 antibody
      negative case did not.

PMID- 1865506
TI  - Ocular refraction and its components among younger children in Kaohsiung: a 4
      year longitudinal study.
AB  - A four-year longitudinal study was made on refraction and its components among 50
      children of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C. aged from 7 to 10.6 years. The methods of
      examination of the eyes were the same as that of four years ago, including
      Mydriacyl refraction, keratometry for corneal curvature radius, and ultrasonic
      measurement of the refractive components. One eye with amblyopia was excluded.
      The results of our study showed that all of our cases over 6 years of age had a
      corrected visual acuity of 0.8 or better, and that the refractive state shifted
      to myopia in our 4-year follow up. The rate of myopia increased from 2% to 27.3%.
      Comparisons of refractive components between the years 1983 and 1987 showed
      significant increases in refractive power, length of vitreous cavity and total
      axial length of the eyes. Corneal refractive power and lens thickness, however
      decreased significantly. As for differences in gender, several results were the
      same for both 1983 and 1987: corneal curvature radius, the length from anterior
      corneal surface to anterior lens surface, length of vitreous cavity and total
      axial length were larger in males than females. Finally, total axial length and
      corneal curvature radius were the factors most affecting the refractive state in
      younger children.

PMID- 1865507
TI  - Clinical efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of anemia
      in hemodialysis patients: influence of dosing regimen, iron status, and serum
      aluminum.
AB  - To evaluate the clinical efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) and
      its influencing factors in the treatment of anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients,
      17 chronic stable HD patients (10 males, 7 females; mean age: 46.0 +/- 2.6 years)
      with severe anemia were enrolled in this study. The study period (ranging from 5
      to 11 months) was divided into the initial 12 weeks of correction phase and the
      subsequent maintenance phase. EPO, 1500 U initially, was administered
      intravenously twice weekly (BIW group, n = 10) or thrice weekly (TIW group, n =
      7) at the end of each HD. Dose was doubled every 4 weeks until up to a maximum
      dose of 6000 U if increment of hematocrit (Hct) was less than 3%. At the end of
      correction phase, anemia was markedly improved. Hct and hemoglobin (Hb) increased
      from 19.3 +/- 0.8 to 28.7 +/- 1.1% and from 6.5 +/- 0.3 to 9.6 +/- 0.4 g/dl,
      respectively. Fifteen patients (88%) reached to the target Hct of 30% at 13.7 +/-
      1.2 weeks. At the end of study, Hct and Hb was maintained at 29.1 +/- 0.7% and
      9.6 +/- 0.3 g/dl, respectively. Requirement of EPO dose to reach the target and
      maintain the stable Hct (greater than or equal to 28%) was 99 +/- 14 and 62 +/-
      11 U/kg/week, respectively. Laboratory parameters showed that serum iron,
      transferrin saturation, sugar and triglyceride decreased significantly and uric
      acid and aluminum (Al) increased significantly. There was no significant change
      in predialysis blood pressure, body weight, cardiac ratio, and ECG. Quality of
      life was markedly improved with the better subjective feelings, physical activity
      and Karnorfsky index. Common adverse effects included exacerbated hypertension
      (23%), hyperphosphatemia (18%), hyperkalemia (18%), and flu-like syndrome (12%).
      All of them could be managed by medical and dialysis treatment. Investigation of
      influencing factors on response to EPO suggests that 1) TIW group had a better
      response than BIW group 2) Response was better in patients with more adequate
      iron status and less severe Al burden. 3) Time to target Hct correlated
      approximately with basal serum Al levels but did not correlate with basal serum
      parathyroid hormone levels. In conclusion, low dose of EPO therapy corrects
      anemia effectively with minimal adverse effects in HD patients. Dosing regimen,
      iron status, and serum Al will influence the response to EPO.

PMID- 1865508
TI  - [The relationship between functional recovery one year after a stroke, and
      related factors].
AB  - This study examines the factors affecting functional performance of 40 hemiplegic
      subjects in their homes following discharge from the hospital. All subjects
      suffered a cerebral vascular accident at least one year prior to this research
      period. Barthel Index was used to assess subjects' self-reported functional level
      in activities of daily living (ADL). A backward elimination of stepwise
      regression analysis was performed to ascertain the predictive value of the
      variables in determining functional performance one year after the onset of a
      stroke. These variables are factors related to the initial onset and those
      affecting the patient's functional status at home. The results revealed that
      subjects who had a shorter length of stay in the hospital, scored a higher on the
      Barthel Index (p less than 0.05). It also demonstrated that subjects who were
      more satisfied with their current subjective health status, had a higher Barthel
      Index score.

PMID- 1865509
TI  - [Primary omental torsion--report of two cases].
AB  - Primary omental torsion is a rare disease, with only two cases in the past four
      years reported at our hospital. The patients suffered from pains over the right
      lower quadrant region of the abdomen for 3 days. Physical examination showed
      tenderness and rebounding pain over the right lower quadrant region of the
      abdomen. Laboratory data revealed leucocytosis. Surgical intervention was
      performed under the initial impression of acute appendicitis. The surgery
      revealed omental torsion. The twisted omentum was smoothly, resected and the
      postoperative course was uneventful. We present these two cases and review the
      literature.

PMID- 1865510
TI  - Bacteriological quality and Escherichia coli resistance from downstream water
      source of Kao-Ping river in the period September 1990-January 1991.
AB  - Ten sites along the downstream of the Kao-Ping river were allocated for
      monitoring water pollution. A total of 120 water samples were collected during
      the period between September 1990 to January 1991. The membrane filtration
      technique was used to detect total coliform (TC), faecal coliform (FC) and faecal
      streptococci (FS). The pH value, temperature and conductivity of water sources
      were also recorded. The results revealed that mean water temperature was 24.3
      degrees C, with weak basic (pH 7.5) and high conductivity (578.5 microS cm-1).
      Evidence of faecal pollution was seen throughout the study period. The geometric
      mean count per 100 ml water ranged from 32,398 to 87,876 for TC, from 20,443 to
      44,244 for FC and from 1,354 to 4,774 for FS. Meanwhile, a total of 185 strains
      of Escherichia coli were tested for their resistance to antibiotics and heavy
      metal ions. The tested isolates exhibited a high level of resistance to
      tobramycin (46.5%), Pb (79.5%), As (73.5%) and Hg (71.4%). Most antibiotic
      resistance strains were found to be simultaneously resistant also to heavy metal
      ions. This study demonstrated that Kao-Ping river is heavily contaminated with
      faecal indicator bacteria.

PMID- 1865511
TI  - Can't find one AIDS vaccine? Try for a few!

PMID- 1865512
TI  - Defining, treating borderline hypertension continues to challenge clinicians,
      researchers.

PMID- 1865513
TI  - From the Food and Drug Administration.

PMID- 1865514
TI  - From the Surgeon General, US Public Health Service.

PMID- 1865515
TI  - A piece of my mind. House calls.

PMID- 1865516
TI  - Volunteer clinic caveats.

PMID- 1865517
TI  - Effects of outcome on physicians' judgment of appropriateness of care.

PMID- 1865518
TI  - Human factor IX for the treatment of hemophilia B.

PMID- 1865519
TI  - Questions about DNR orders.

PMID- 1865520
TI  - The subsequent risk of internal cancer with Bowen's disease. A population-based
      study.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To address the subsequent risk of internal cancer in a population
      based cohort of patients with Bowen's disease. DESIGN: Incident cases of skin
      cancers other than malignant melanoma occurring in a defined population were
      classified as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or Bowen's disease.
      Through medical records, all patients were followed up for the development of
      subsequent internal cancer until they died, moved from Rochester, Minn, or
      January 1, 1986, whichever came first. Incidence rates of skin cancer and
      subsequent cancer were computed; the subsequent rate of internal cancer was
      compared with that prevailing in the community. PATIENTS: Enrolled were all
      permanent residents in the population base of Rochester, Minn, who developed
      basal cell carcinoma (n = 657), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 169), or Bowen's
      disease (n = 71) on the basis of pathologic examination and clinical presentation
      from 1976 through 1984. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The relative risk of subsequent
      internal cancer among patients with Bowen's disease compared with that of the
      population base from which they arose was 1.1 (95% confidence limits, 0.5, 1.6).
      RESULTS: Annual incidence rates, adjusted to the 1980 US white population, were
      14.9 per 100,000 for Bowen's disease, 38.8 for squamous cell carcinoma, and 146
      for basal cell carcinoma. The estimated relative risk for subsequent cancer was
      0.9 (95% confidence limits, 0.5, 1.6) among patients with squamous cell carcinoma
      and 1.0 (95% confidence limits, 0.7, 1.3) for patients with basal cell carcinoma.
      These risks were not significantly different for various durations of follow-up
      or for sun-exposed vs sun-protected sites. CONCLUSIONS: We find no evidence in
      these population-based cohort data of and increased risk of subsequent internal
      cancer associated with Bowen's disease or other forms of nonmelanomatous skin
      cancer.

PMID- 1865521
TI  - Limitations of listing specific medical interventions in advance directives.
AB  - Recent events, including the Cruzan decision and the passage of the Patient Self
      Determination Act, have renewed interest in the strengths and limitations of
      various types of advance directives. In one well-known approach, the competent
      person indicates preferences for or against a series of specific medical
      interventions that might be considered if the person loses decision-making
      capacity. However, such lists of interventions may shift attention away from
      overall treatment goals or may prescribe inappropriate medical care. Moreover,
      listing specific interventions in advance does not necessarily enhance self
      determination or reduce uncertainty in decision making.

PMID- 1865522
TI  - Management of hypertensive crises.
AB  - The availability of potent antihypertensive drugs that will decrease markedly
      elevated blood pressure within minutes to hours has changed the concepts of
      definition and therapy of hypertensive emergencies and urgencies. Intravenous
      infusion of sodium nitroprusside can be used in the truly emergent situation and
      is effective, reliable, and safe. While oral therapy is more convenient, it is
      not as consistently effective as parenteral administration and can lead to
      excessive reductions in blood pressure that are more difficult to manage than
      when short-acting agents are given intravenously.

PMID- 1865523
TI  - Use of animals in medical education. Council on Scientific Affairs, American
      Medical Association.
AB  - The use of animals in general medical education is essential. Although several
      adjuncts to the use of animals are available, none can completely replace the
      limited use of animals in the medical curriculum. Students should be made aware
      of an institution's policy on animal use in the curriculum before matriculation,
      and faculty should make clear to all students the learning objectives of any
      educational exercise that uses animals. The Council on Scientific Affairs
      recognizes the necessity for the responsible and humane treatment of animals and
      urges all medical school faculty members to discuss this moral and ethical
      imperative with their students.

PMID- 1865524
TI  - Free clinics. A solution that can work ... now!

PMID- 1865525
TI  - The double edge of knowledge.

PMID- 1865526
TI  - Thrombocytopenia during interferon alfa therapy.

PMID- 1865527
TI  - Military physicians train in civilian 'war'.

PMID- 1865528
TI  - Medical developments raise social, ethical issues.

PMID- 1865529
TI  - Rapid spread of pandemic in Asia dismays experts, spurs efforts to fight
      transmission.

PMID- 1865530
TI  - A sticky issue: HIV and the IVDU.

PMID- 1865531
TI  - Costs in dollars and lives continue to rise.

PMID- 1865532
TI  - From the Centers for Disease Control. Public Health Service report on fluoride
      benefits and risks.

PMID- 1865533
TI  - From the Centers for Disease Control. Cardiovascular disease, motor-vehicle
      related injury, and use of clinical preventive services--Behavioral Risk Factor
      Surveillance System, 1989.

PMID- 1865534
TI  - Fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents and adults.

PMID- 1865535
TI  - Prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in children with HIV.

PMID- 1865536
TI  - The hypocholesterolemic effects of beta-glucan.

PMID- 1865537
TI  - The road to diagnostic certainty.

PMID- 1865539
TI  - Ehrlichia.

PMID- 1865538
TI  - Costs of low-osmolar contrast media.

PMID- 1865540
TI  - Patients who leave a public hospital emergency department without being seen by a
      physician. Causes and consequences.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients who sought care at a public hospital
      emergency department and left without being seen by a physician needed immediate
      medical attention and whether they obtained care after leaving. DESIGN: Follow-up
      study of patients who left without being seen and of patients who waited to be
      seen by a physician. SETTING: A public hospital's emergency department in
      Torrance, Calif. PATIENTS: All patients who registered for care and left without
      being seen (n = 186) and a 20% random sample of patients who waited until they
      were seen (n = 211) in a 2-week period during spring 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
      At time of presentation: triage nurse urgency assessment, clinical acuity rating,
      and self-reported health status. At follow-up: hospitalization rates. RESULTS:
      Patients who left reported that they had waited 6.4 hours before leaving; those
      who stayed reported a 6.2-hour wait before being seen. There were no differences
      between those who left and those who stayed in chief complaint, triage nurse
      assessment, acuity ratings, or self-reported health status. Forty-six percent of
      those who left were judged to need immediate medical attention, and 29% needed
      care within 24 to 48 hours. Eleven percent of those who left were hospitalized
      within the next week, and three patients required emergency surgery. Nine percent
      of those who waited to be seen were hospitalized. Forty-nine percent of patients
      who left did not see a physician during the 1-week follow-up period. CONCLUSION:
      Overcrowding in this public hospital's emergency department restricts access to
      needed ambulatory medical care for the poor and uninsured.

PMID- 1865541
TI  - Consequences of queuing for care at a public hospital emergency department.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the length of a queue at a public hospital
      emergency department was associated with increased likelihood of patients'
      leaving without being seen by a physician and whether leaving adversely affected
      patients' health or affected their subsequent use of health care services.
      DESIGN: Observational cohort. Patients were surveyed during 1 week in July 1990
      and received a follow-up survey 7 to 14 days later. The responses of patients who
      left without being seen by a physician were compared with those who were seen by
      a physician. SETTING: Emergency department at San Francisco (Calif) General
      Hospital. PATIENTS: All English-, Spanish-, and Cantonese-speaking adults waiting
      for emergency care were eligible. Of 882 eligible individuals, 700 agreed to
      participate; 85% of enrolled subjects saw a physician and 15% left without being
      seen. Demographic characteristics of patients who were and who were not seen were
      not significantly different. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Emergency department waiting
      time and changes in patients' self-reported health. RESULTS: Patients were more
      likely to leave as waiting times increased. At follow-up, patients who left
      without being seen were twice as likely as those who were seen to report that
      their pain or the seriousness of their problem was worse. Only 4% of patients who
      left required subsequent hospitalization, but 27% returned to an emergency
      department. CONCLUSION: Many patients can appropriately decide whether their
      problem is truly urgent and make alternative plans in the face of long waits, but
      the health of some patients may be jeopardized by long queues for emergency care.

PMID- 1865542
TI  - A controlled clinical trial of E5 murine monoclonal IgM antibody to endotoxin in
      the treatment of gram-negative sepsis. The XOMA Sepsis Study Group.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of adjunctive monoclonal antibody antiendotoxin
      immunotherapy in patients with gram-negative sepsis. DESIGN: Double-blind,
      randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Thirty-three university-affiliated
      centers, including Veterans Affairs, community, and municipal hospitals.
      PATIENTS: Hospitalized adults with signs of gram-negative infection and a
      systemic septic response. INTERVENTION: Patients were assigned to receive either
      2 mg/kg of a murine monoclonal antibody directed against gram-negative endotoxin
      (E5) or placebo. A second infusion was administered 24 hours later. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Mortality over the 30-day study period, resolution of organ failures,
      and safety. RESULTS: Four hundred eighty-six patients were enrolled. Three
      hundred sixteen had confirmed gram-negative sepsis (54% bacteremic, 46%
      nonbacteremic). The survival difference was not statistically significant for all
      patients. Among patients with gram-negative sepsis who were not in shock at study
      entry (n = 137), E5 treatment resulted in significantly greater survival
      (relative risk, 2.3; P = .01). Resolution of individual organ failures was more
      frequent among these patients, occurring in 19 (54%) of 35 patients in the E5
      group vs eight (30%) of 27 in the placebo group (P = .05). Four reversible
      allergic reactions occurred among 247 patients (1.6%) receiving E5. No other
      toxicity was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with E5 antiendotoxin antibody
      appears safe. It reduces mortality and enhances the resolution of organ failure
      among patients with gram-negative sepsis who are not in shock when treated.

PMID- 1865543
TI  - Changes over time in the knowledge base of practicing internists.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine factors affecting the knowledge base of practicing
      internists. DESIGN: An 82-item multiple-choice examination with questions from
      the 1988 American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certifying examination was
      used to assess the knowledge base of 289 internists. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:
      Participants were selected from among practicing internists in New York, New
      Jersey, and Pennsylvania who had received ABIM certification 5 to 15 years
      previously. RESULTS: significant inverse correlation (r = -.30) was found between
      examination scores and the number of years elapsed since certification. Knowledge
      declined sharply within 15 years of certification. In addition, procedure
      oriented subspecialists (cardiologists and gastroenterologists) had lower scores
      than other internists in this examination of general medical knowledge.
      Multivariate analyses showed that independent variables that predicted test
      performance were initial ABIM certifying examination score, time elapsed since
      certification, subspecialty classification, medical school type, and residency
      type. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the recent decision for time-limited
      certification of internists and raise questions related to content and standard
      setting for recertification examinations.

PMID- 1865544
TI  - British Columbia sends patients to Seattle for coronary artery surgery. Bypassing
      the queue in Canada.
AB  - Concern about waiting lists for elective procedures has become a highly visible
      challenge to the universal health insurance program in Canada. In response to
      lengthening queues for patients waiting for cardiac surgery, British Columbia
      made contracts with four Seattle hospitals to send a total of 200 patients for
      coronary artery bypass surgery. This article examines the cause of the queue for
      cardiac surgery in British Columbia and the events that led to outside
      contracting. Global hospital budgets and restrictions on capital expansion have
      limited hospital capacity for cardiac surgery. This constrained supply, combined
      with periodic shortages in critical care nurses and cardiac perfusion
      technologists, has resulted in a rapid increase in the waiting list. Reducing
      wide variations in the lengths of queues for individual surgeons may afford an
      opportunity to reduce long waits. While the patient queue for cardiac surgery has
      sparked a public debate about budget limits and health care needs, its clinical
      impact remains uncertain.

PMID- 1865545
TI  - Invasive group B streptococcal disease in adults. A population-based study in
      metropolitan Atlanta.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To define the incidence and clinical spectrum of group B streptococcus
      infection in adults. To characterize groups at increased risk for infection.
      DESIGN: Retrospective population-based surveillance of group B streptococcus
      infections occurring in adults. Patients were identified by review of
      microbiology records at all surveillance area hospital laboratories. Demographic
      and clinical data were abstracted from patient medical records. SETTING:
      Metropolitan Atlanta, Ga, 1982 through 1983. PATIENTS: We identified 70 adult
      patients with invasive group B streptococcus infections; 14 infections occurred
      in pregnant women and 56 in nonpregnant adults. RESULTS: The annual incidence of
      group B streptococcus infection in men and nonpregnant women was 2.4 cases per
      100,000 population. Incidence increased with age and was higher in blacks than in
      whites. The case-fatality rate was 32%. Group B streptococcus was most often
      isolated from blood (71%) and soft tissue (16%). Common clinical presentations
      included skin and soft-tissue infection (36%), bacteremia without focus (34%),
      pneumonia (11%), arthritis (9%), and endocarditis (9%). Compared with the general
      population's risk of infection, the risk of infection in persons with diabetes
      mellitus was increased 10.5-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.8 to 14.4); in
      persons with cancer, it was increased 16.4-fold (95% CI, 11.5 to 23.3).
      CONCLUSIONS: Group B streptococcus infections cause serious disease in adults as
      well as in neonates, providing an additional rationale for vaccine development.
      Determining the incidence of adult disease and groups at greatest risk will help
      in focusing prevention efforts.

PMID- 1865546
TI  - The Maryland experience and a practical proposal to expand existing models in
      ambulatory primary care.
AB  - Two unique models for caring for the uninsured and underinsured are operating in
      Maryland. The first is a group practice, primary care model with a unique
      ambulatory Medicare waiver that has had a positive impact on patients and
      physicians. The second is a financial model--an all-payer prospective rate
      setting system for all critical care inpatient hospitals that, during a 13-year
      period from 1977 through 1989, has saved the citizens of the state approximately
      $5.361 billion, has allowed hospitals to provide $1.657 billion of charity care
      and bad debts, and has earned $517 million in net profits. The reasons for the
      success of each of the models are discussed and form the basis for a practical
      and politically feasible proposal: merge the best aspects of each model into an
      ambulatory primary care-based model financed through an all-payer prospective
      charge system.

PMID- 1865547
TI  - Too sick to wait.

PMID- 1865548
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies to endotoxin. New allies against sepsis?

PMID- 1865549
TI  - Sidney Wolfe, MD--healing the system or just raising hell?

PMID- 1865550
TI  - From the Office of the General Counsel. HIV-infected surgeons: Behringer v
      Medical Center.

PMID- 1865551
TI  - Effect of a taurine-supplemented diet on conjugated bile acids in biliary
      surgical patients.
AB  - The effect of a taurine-supplemented diet on the level of conjugated bile acids
      in postoperative patients was investigated during two consecutive 5-day period.
      Eighteen hepatobiliary patients with choledochostomies and a specific T-tube
      insertion were collected and divided randomly into two groups. In group 1, an
      ordinary postoperative soft diet was prescribed for the first 5 postoperative
      days and then followed with a taurine-supplemented soft diet (40 mumol/kg per
      day) for 5 consecutive days. In group 2, the taurine-supplemented diet was
      prescribed in reverse. At the end of the two periods, on days 5 and 10, bile was
      collected via a T-tube with an inflatable balloon and low-pressure motor suction.
      Analysis of conjugated bile acids was done by high-performance liquid
      chromatography. The results showed that a taurine-supplemented diet increased the
      concentration of taurocholic acid, glycocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid,
      glycochenodeoxycholic acid, and total bile acid from 0.5, 1.9, 0.3, 1.4, and 4.7
      mg/mL (on day 5) to 1.1, 3.5, 1.0, 2.6, and 8.9 mg/mL, respectively, on day 10 in
      group 1. Similar findings were noted in group 2. These results indicate that a
      taurine-supplemented diet may enhance the conjugation and secretion of bile acid
      in hepatobiliary patients.

PMID- 1865552
TI  - Dietary manipulation of methotrexate-induced enterocolitis.
AB  - Administration of chemotherapy is limited by host toxicity, which is often
      manifested by severe enterocolitis. This study evaluated the effects of a liquid,
      elemental, chemically defined diet (ED) supplemented with 2% glutamine (Glu-ED)
      compared with a polypeptide diet (PPD) on the morbidity and mortality after
      methotrexate (MTX) administration. Fischer 344 rats (n = 80) were fed either a
      regular rat chow diet (RD), a 2% glycine supplemented elemental diet (Gly-ED), a
      2% glutamine-supplemented elemental diet (GLU-ED), and a glycine-supplemented
      polypeptide diet(Gly-PPD) for 7 days prior to administration of MTX (20 mg/kg,
      ip). After 72 hours, eight rats per group were killed; portal vein and vena cava
      blood, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), liver, small intestine, and cecum were
      sampled for bacterial culture. Remaining animals were followed to calculate
      survival. One hundred percent of the Gly-PPD and 25% of the Glu-ED animals
      survived compared with 0% of the Gly-ED animals. Our data showed that ED resulted
      in an increased quantity of intestinal Gram-negative bacteria and diminished
      intestinal mucosal height and mucosal DNA/protein content. The polypeptide diet
      prevented intestinal mucosal atrophy, avoided MTX-induced enterocolitis and
      significantly improved animal survival compared with an elemental diet with or
      without glutamine supplementation.

PMID- 1865553
TI  - Comparative hypersensitivity in intravenous lipid emulsions.
AB  - We report a case of hypersensitivity to Intra-lipid but not to Liposyn II lipid
      emulsion. The patient had mild allergies to soybean protein, egg yolk, and egg
      whites by radioallergosorbent testing (RAST). Because protein contamination of
      the phospholipid binder during the emulsion manufacture may rarely occur, such
      contamination should be considered as a cause for urticarial eruptions associated
      with lipid emulsions.

PMID- 1865554
TI  - Selenium deficiency and cardiomyopathy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - Selenium deficiency is common in patients with human immunodeficiency virus
      infection and may contribute to the development of cardiomyopathy. A 5-year-old
      boy with congenital human immunodeficiency virus infection developed
      cardiomyopathy. Evaluation for reversible causes of cardiomyopathy was notable
      for the diagnosis of selenium deficiency. Cardiac function improved on selenium
      supplementation. The role of selenium in cardiac dysfunction and the need for
      nutritional evaluation and supplementation of malnourished patients with acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome is discussed.

PMID- 1865555
TI  - Vitamin K therapy in severe liver disease.
AB  - A middle-aged man with parenchymatous liver disease and a decrease in vitamin K
      dependent factors was given large doses of intravenous phylloquinone (10 mg/d for
      20 days) without improvement in the synthesis of vitamin K-dependent factors.
      During subsequent liver transplantation, he exsanguinated. Although the exact
      role of over treatment with phylloquinone in this case is unclear, plasma levels
      of phylloquinone 300 times normal were attained after 5 days of treatment without
      effect on factors II, VII, IX, and X. Further therapy with vitamin K was
      unnecessary.

PMID- 1865556
TI  - Accessible pool and system parameters: assumptions and models.
AB  - Quantitative assessment of substrate metabolism from in vivo tracer kinetic data
      requires a model of the system, i.e., a hypothesis on the structure and
      functioning of the system. Some fundamentals of modeling important for studying
      intermediary metabolism in the steady state will be discussed. Accessible pool
      and system parameters are defined. Although the calculation of accessible pool
      parameters is structure-free, that of system parameters requires the use of non
      compartmental or compartmental structures. Assumptions, bases for choice, and
      relative merits of these two modeling strategies are discussed. Glucose and
      leucine metabolism serve as prototypes to illustrate the theoretical points.

PMID- 1865557
TI  - Empirical assessment of model validity.
AB  - The metabolism of amino acids is far more complicated than a 1- to 2-pool model.
      Yet, these simple models have been extensively used with many different
      isotopically labeled tracers to study protein metabolism. A tracer of leucine and
      measurement of leucine kinetics has been a favorite choice for following protein
      metabolism. However, administering a leucine tracer and following it in blood
      will not adequately reflect the complex multi-pool nature of the leucine system.
      Using the tracer enrichment of the ketoacid metabolite of leucine, alpha
      ketoisocaproate (KIC), to reflect intracellular events of leucine was an
      important improvement. Whether this approach is adequate to follow accurately
      leucine metabolism in vivo or not has not been tested. From data obtained using
      simultaneous administration of leucine and KIC tracers, we developed a 10-pool
      model of the in vivo leucine-KIC and bicarbonate kinetic system. Data from this
      model were compared with conventional measurements of leucine kinetics. The
      results from the 10-pool model agreed best with the simplified approach using a
      leucine tracer and measurement of KIC enrichment.

PMID- 1865558
TI  - Identifiability and parameter estimation.
AB  - In experiments on biological systems one often cannot measure all state variables
      (compartments). Given a particular experiment of that type, a basic kinetic
      parameter may have no effect on the observations; such a parameter is an
      insensible parameter for that experiment. A parameter may influence the
      observations and not be uniquely determinable; such a parameter is
      nonidentifiable for that experiment. Only identifiable parameters can be
      estimated uniquely, by that experiment. I review the basic theory to check
      identifiability for a nominal value of a parameter (local identifiability), and
      present some examples of problems that may arise in estimation.

PMID- 1865559
TI  - Noncompartmental analysis in metabolism.
AB  - A new type of model called a department is formulated to complement the
      compartment. While a compartment may be dominated by convective transport, a
      department is dominated by diffusive transport. Although exit from a compartment
      is limited by the rate of biophysical or biochemical removal ("kc"), exit from a
      department is limited by the rate of transport to the site of biophysical or
      biochemical removal.

PMID- 1865560
TI  - Role of modeling in the design of experiments in carbohydrate metabolism.
AB  - Most publications on modeling present only the final product without describing
      the details as to how they were developed and tested. It is, however, by model
      development and testing that the true power of modeling as a research tool
      reveals itself. The purpose of this paper is to present a "behind the scenes"
      look at a set of experiments designed to study carbon atom transport in
      gluconeogenesis. In particular, it will be shown how the development of one model
      led to hypotheses for which another set of experiments was designed. The model
      which resulted from the second study contained in turn a number of new hypotheses
      for which further experiments remain to be designed. The second model supported
      the findings of the first, and yielded deeper insights into the exchange of
      carbon atoms among three metabolites. It is hoped this illustration will
      encourage other investigators to take advantage of the utilitarian value of
      modeling not only as a parameter generating tool, but also as a true research
      tool which can aid significantly to extract more information from available data.

PMID- 1865561
TI  - Factors which regulate net hepatic glucose uptake in vivo.
AB  - The regulation of net hepatic glucose uptake in vivo occurs by way of the
      hormonal milieu (insulin and glucagon), the glucose level, and the route of
      glucose delivery. Hyperglycemia in the absence of changes in pancreatic hormones
      (i.e., increased insulin and/or decreased glucagon) does not elicit significant
      glucose uptake by the liver. Net hepatic glucose uptake is augmented in a dose
      dependent manner by a rise in insulin and is further stimulated by the presence
      of a "portal signal." The presence of coordinated changes in insulin, glucagon,
      and the glucose level in combination with the "portal signal" ensures adequate
      glucose uptake by the liver in response to a meal.

PMID- 1865562
TI  - Noninvasive approaches to tracing pathways in carbohydrate metabolism.
AB  - Compounds that can be given safely in large quantity, conjugate with
      intermediates of carbohydrate metabolism in liver, and are excreted, allow large
      amounts of those intermediates to be isolated noninvasively. By administering
      labeled compounds that form those intermediates and determining the amount and/or
      distribution of label in those intermediates, the metabolism of those compounds
      can be traced. Thus, glucuronide formation has been used to sample hepatic
      uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP-glucose) and study glycogen metabolism and the
      pentose pathway, phenylacetate to sample hepatic alpha-ketoglutarate and estimate
      relative flux through the Krebs cycle, and acetylation to sample hepatic acetyl
      CoA. Interpretations require knowledge of the anatomical sites of formation of
      the intermediates, since more than one pool of an intermediate can exist in
      liver. The extent the labeled compound is metabolized in extrahepatic tissues
      also must be taken into account.

PMID- 1865563
TI  - The liver and glycogen metabolism.
AB  - It was shown that the liver is not the major site of removal of glucose after a
      carbohydrate meal in man. Fractional extractions varied from 5 to 10%.
      Alternative substrates for postprandial hepatic glycogen synthesis were therefore
      sought. It was demonstrated than, in man, about 60% of hepatic glycogen was
      formed from gluconeogenetic substrates. Since significant excursions occur only
      in plasma lactate after glucose loading, this was deemed the most likely
      substrate under these circumstances. By differential sampling across the liver
      and the gut in a conscious pig model, it was found that the liver takes up enough
      lactate (fractional extraction of 40-50%) to account for the gluconeogenetic
      production of glycogen. Forty percent of this arises from the gut. Muscle (as
      represented by the forearm in man) does not contribute lactate during glucose
      loading, suggesting that other tissues such as the skin are of importance. The
      gluconeogenetic process may be an important site for the obligatory tissue
      production of lactate.

PMID- 1865564
TI  - Use of amino acid clamps to investigate the role of insulin in regulating protein
      breakdown in vivo.

PMID- 1865565
TI  - Leucine metabolism in man: lessons from modeling.
AB  - The metabolism of amino acids is far more complicated than a 1- to 2-pool model,
      yet, such simple models have been extensively used with many different
      isotopically labeled tracers to study protein metabolism. A tracer of leucine and
      measurement of leucine kinetics has been a favorite choice for following protein
      metabolism. However, administering a leucine tracer and following it in blood
      will not adequately reflect the complex, multi-pool nature of the leucine system.
      Using the tracer enrichment of the ketoacid metabolite of leucine, alpha
      ketoisocaproate (KIC), to reflect intracellular events of leucine was an
      important improvement. Whether this approach is adequate to follow accurately
      leucine metabolism in vivo or not has not been tested. From data obtained using
      simultaneous administration of leucine and KIC tracers, we developed a 10-pool
      model of the in vivo leucine-KIC and bicarbonate kinetic system. Data from this
      model were compared with conventional measurements of leucine kinetics. The
      results from the 10-pool model agreed best with the simplified approach using a
      leucine tracer and measurement of KIC enrichment.

PMID- 1865566
TI  - Determination of plasma-free fatty acid kinetics with tracers: methodologic
      considerations.
AB  - Plasma-free fatty acids (FFA) are an important source of energy for a variety of
      tissues. Recently, there has been an increased interest in the measurement of FFA
      kinetics in vivo, using radiolabeled or stable isotopic tracers. Standard
      techniques for measurement of FFA-specific activity are relatively imprecise and
      have limited sensitivity. We have developed a method for determination of the
      concentration and specific activity of individual plasma FFA that is precise
      (coefficient of variation less than 2%) and sensitive (detection limit in the
      high femptomolar to low picomolar range). Using this method, one can measure the
      kinetics of three or more long-chain fatty acids simultaneously. Its sensitivity
      is a particular advantage if one wishes to measure low rates of FFA turnover such
      as are encountered during hyperinsulinemia. It has been suggested that, for
      optimal accuracy in the determination of substrate kinetics, the tracer should be
      administered in the left ventricle and mixed venous blood samples should be
      obtained from the right heart. We have conducted experiments in dogs which
      demonstrate that peripheral tracer infusion and more conventional arterial (or
      arterialized venous) sampling actually provide more accurate estimates of FFA
      turnover; this is fortunate, since intracardiac infusion and sampling are not
      practical for human studies.

PMID- 1865567
TI  - Methods of investigating intestinal transport.
AB  - This article provides a brief overview of well-established in vivo and in vitro
      methods that have contributed the most to the understanding of transport
      processes across the gastrointestinal epithelium. In vivo perfusion techniques in
      humans revolve around double- and triple-lumen per oral tubes. In animals, in
      vivo techniques include the single and recirculation perfusion techniques and the
      double-isotope technique for measurement of net absorption. In vitro methods of
      studying intestinal transport include the everted gut sac technique, the Ussing
      chamber, the use of isolated epithelial cells, and the use of brush border and
      basolateral membranes isolated from enterocytes. The use of fluorescent probes
      for the measurement of intracellular ionic concentrations is a new and powerful
      in vivo technique that is now being applied to the gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1865568
TI  - Correlation between clinical features and deletions of the gene for dystrophin in
      Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
AB  - The clinical course and prognosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was
      compared in patients with deletions of the gene for dystrophin (cDMD) and those
      without such deletions. A total of 24 patients was followed for at least 2 yrs.
      At age 12 the rating of the activities of daily life (ADL) and disease stage were
      less favorable in those patients with deletions of the gene for cDMD. At age 14,
      no difference in ADL and disease stage was observed between the two groups. The
      percent vital capacity was lower in those patients with the cDMD deficit. When
      the prognosis was evaluated by multivariate analysis of the data obtained at age
      12, the percent of patients predicted as dying before the age of 20 was 40% for
      those without the cDMD deficit but 76% for those who were cDMD defective. None of
      the cDMD defective patients lived longer than 20 yrs, whereas 5 of 14 patients
      without the cDND deficit survived longer than 20 yrs. Disorders such as cardiac
      and respiratory failure were also seen more frequently in the cDND defective
      patients. These results suggest that patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
      with defective cDMD have more severe disease than those without cDMD deficit.

PMID- 1865569
TI  - Discrepancy between antiplatelet antibody activities detected by immunoblot
      procedure and platelet counts in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
AB  - By immunoblot procedure it is possible to identify the pathogenic autoantibody
      responsible for platelet destruction in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
      (ITP). We assessed the relationship between antiplatelet antibody activities
      detected by this technique and clinical thrombocytopenia in a patient with ITP
      whose antiplatelet autoantibody was directed toward an 85-kDa antigen. In this
      patient, over a 2-year-period, the platelet counts were not correlated with the
      levels of antiplatelet autoantibody detected by immunoblotting. The present
      observations suggest that IgG autoantibody directed toward a specific antigen is
      not necessarily a critical determinant of the degree of thrombocytopenia, and
      that factors other than IgG-Fc-receptor-mediated platelet destruction are also
      important in the determination of the disease activity in ITP.

PMID- 1865570
TI  - Dihydroergotamine raises the level of serum growth hormone.

PMID- 1865571
TI  - Bucillamine may induce myasthenia gravis.

PMID- 1865572
TI  - Lymphocytic infiltrations in the lung of two autopsy cases with HTLV-I-associated
      myelopathy.
AB  - Pulmonary involvement in two autopsy cases with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy
      (HAM) was observed histopathologically and immunohistochemically. Case 1 was a 59
      year-old woman who fell ill after having a blood transfusion, and died
      immediately of acute heart failure. Case 2, a 55-year-old man, died of pelvic
      tumor after a long period of steroid medication for the myelopathy.
      Histologically, in case 1, the submucosal stroma of bronchioles was thickened
      with T-lymphocyte infiltration. In addition, clusters of B-lymphocytes were
      aggregated beneath the epithelial layer of respiratory bronchiole; the alveolar
      septum was infiltrated with a few T-lymphocytes. Furthermore, many B-lymphocytes
      were aggregated in the submucosal stroma of large bronchi. On the other hand,
      obvious pathological changes were not seen in the lung tissues of case 2. The
      long period of steroid medication may account for the fewer findings in case 2.
      These results present the possibility that latent inflammatory changes develop in
      the lung of HAM patients, although clinical manifestations are not obvious, and
      that steroid therapy can modify those inflammatory changes.

PMID- 1865573
TI  - Primary aldosteronism with cortisol overproduction from bilateral multiple
      adrenal adenomas.
AB  - A 55-year-old woman with bilateral multiple adenomas showed hypertension, muscle
      weakness, hypokalemia, moon-like face and truncal obesity. Increased serum and
      urinary levels of aldosterone were observed. Serum cortisol level did not show a
      normal circadian rhythm. Microscopic examination of the resected tumors showed
      two types of adenoma cells; one (golden yellow tumor) was a large clear cell with
      foamy cytoplasm which possibly secreted aldosterone and the other (dark brown
      tumor) was an acidophilic cell with lipofuscin which might have produced
      cortisol. This is a very rare case of primary aldosteronism with Cushing's
      syndrome due to multiple bilateral adrenal adenomas.

PMID- 1865574
TI  - Pulmonary infiltrates with eosinophilia due to naproxen.
AB  - An increasing number of drugs have been implicated in the etiology of
      eosinophilic pneumonia characterized by the development of pulmonary infiltrates,
      and peripheral blood eosinophilia. Naproxen is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drug which may be added to the growing list of pharmacologic agents
      associated with infiltrative pulmonary lesions. A case of eosinophilic pneumonia
      induced by Naproxen is described. The results of TBLB, a lymphocyte stimulation
      test, and a challenge test supported this diagnosis.

PMID- 1865575
TI  - Renal failure due to cholesterol embolization following percutaneous transluminal
      renal angioplasty.
AB  - Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty was performed in a 63-year-old
      diabetic woman who had renovascular hypertension with solitary functioning kidney
      and diffuse atherosclerosis. Angioplasty was technically successful, while
      thereafter, fever and myalgia of legs occurred with gradual increases in blood
      urea nitrogen and creatinine. The patient became uremic over a month after
      angioplasty and was placed on dialysis. She died six months after angioplasty.
      Autopsy revealed cholesterol embolization in bilateral kidney, pancreas and
      spleen, causing subacute renal failure. It is suggested that careful assessment
      of the patient should be made when determining the need for renal angioplasty for
      renovascular hypertension with a solitary functioning kidney.

PMID- 1865576
TI  - A case of maternal subclinical Sjogren's syndrome associated with congenital
      heart block.
AB  - A case of subclinical Sjogren's syndrome was diagnosed when the patient delivered
      a baby with SSA antibody-positive congenital heart block (CHB). The mother had
      been asymptomatic throughout her life. The laboratory findings including
      sialography, lip biopsy, Schirmer's test and a Rose-Bengal test showed Sjogren's
      syndrome. Such an asymptomatic case is termed subclinical Sjogren's syndrome.
      Thus, it was important to investigate an asymptomatic mother who delivers a SSA
      antibody-positive CHB baby.

PMID- 1865577
TI  - Erythroleukemia and gastric cancer following thorotrast injection.
AB  - A 63-year-old male, who had undergone angiography using thorium dioxide
      (Thorotrast) at the age of 15 for investigation of a giant hemangioma on his left
      thigh, developed anemia in September 1986 (47 yrs after the angiography). A
      diagnosis of erythroleukemia was made from a bone marrow study which showed 56.4%
      megaloblastoid erythroblasts and 12.8% myeloblasts. Autopsy revealed Thorotrast
      deposition in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, and monotonous
      proliferation of myeloblasts in the bone marrow. He also had differentiated
      tubular adenocarcinoma of the posterior wall of the stomach.

PMID- 1865578
TI  - Hypophosphatasia in an adult: a case report.
AB  - In this rare case of adult hypophosphatasia, no radiological abnormalities of the
      skeletal system could be detected even by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
      Severe dental caries was the sole clinical manifestation, indicating this case as
      an "odontohypophosphatasia". The levels of serum osteocalcin were low, which may
      be a useful biochemical marker to diagnose hypophosphatasia. Southern blot
      analyses of the genomic DNA revealed no gross abnormalities. Thus,
      hypophosphatasia in this patient was presumed to be caused by point mutations or
      small deletions. In a review of previous reports, an increased incidence among
      women was found.

PMID- 1865579
TI  - Effect of glucagon infusion on renal hemodynamics in normal subjects and patients
      with chronic glomerulonephritis.
AB  - The effect of glucagon infusion (15-20 ng/kg/min, for one hour) on renal
      hemodynamics was examined in normal subjects and in patients with chronic
      glomerulonephritis (CGN). In normal subjects, the glomerular filtration rate
      (GFR) was significantly increased by glucagon with a concomitant rise in
      effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and filtration fraction (FF) (GFR/ERPF). In
      renal patients with a baseline GFR of above 90 ml/min/l/73 m2, GFR was
      significantly increased in response to glucagon, without a significant rise in
      ERPF. The patients whose baseline GFR ranged from 40-90 ml/min had no significant
      increase in GFR, while ERPF rose significantly. These results suggest that the
      renal hemodynamic response to glucagon infusion were modified by the level of
      baseline GFR in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.

PMID- 1865580
TI  - Pachydermoperiostosis with myelofibrosis and anemia: report of a case of anemia
      of multifactorial causes and its improvement with steroid pulse and iron therapy.
AB  - A 26-year-old male patient with pachydermoperiostosis is reported. He had severe
      anemia with myelofibrosis. Treatment with iron, prednisolone, oxymethorone and 1
      alpha (OH)D3 were not satisfactory. But steroid pulse therapy with parenteral
      iron improved his anemia and pancytopenia, but was not sufficient to relieve the
      bone marrow fibrosis or splenomegaly. The mechanism of anemia which was
      considered to be multifactorial including gastro-intestinal bleeding associated
      with peptic ulcer or erosion and bone marrow failure due to myelofibrosis, is
      discussed.

PMID- 1865581
TI  - Renal manifestation of pustulosis palmaris et plantaris.
AB  - Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis without IgA deposits (DPGN) in patients
      with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP) is described. This association has
      not been previously reported. Although PPP was resolved transiently after
      tonsillectomy, it was worsened coincidently at the time of exacerbation of DPGN.
      Improvement of proteinuria and PPP was observed after antiplatelet therapy. It
      was suggested that the renal manifestation and the development of PPP were
      associated.

PMID- 1865582
TI  - A case of malignant hypertension and scleroderma after cosmetic surgery.
AB  - A 44-year-old woman with scleroderma-like skin lesions and malignant hypertension
      following mammoplasty is reported. Sclerotic change is an unusual finding for
      ordinary finding progressive systemic sclerosis. On admission, she had severe
      high-renin hypertension and progressive renal failure, suggesting scleroderma
      renal crisis. With intensive treatment for hypertension including angiotensin
      converting enzyme inhibitor, the blood pressure was well controlled. It was then
      suggested that she had malignant hypertension due to scleroderma after silicone
      injection, or the so-called human adjuvant disease after cosmetic surgery.

PMID- 1865583
TI  - Impaired neutralizing capacity of duodenal mucosa following luminal acidification
      in recurrent duodenal ulcer.
AB  - To investigate the role of the mucus-bicarbonate barrier in the prevention of
      duodenal ulcer recurrence, duodenal mucosal neutralizing capacity and mucosal
      prostaglandin (PG) synthesis were examined in 5 normal controls (NC) and 12
      duodenal ulcer (DU) patients. DU patients were divided into non-recurrent (NR,7)
      and recurrent (R,5) groups based on endoscopic follow-up study. The recovery time
      (RT) was significantly longer and the mucosal PGE2 synthesis was significantly
      lower in R than in NC and NR groups. There was a proportional correlation between
      mucosal PG synthesis and RT in DU These results indicate that impaired
      neutralizing capacity caused by reduced endogenous PG synthesis in duodenal
      mucosa may contribute to recurrence of DU.

PMID- 1865584
TI  - A case of Trichosporon pullulans infection of the lung with adult T-cell
      leukemia.
AB  - Fungal infections are often reported, but Trichosporon infection is very rare. A
      78-year-old man with adult T-cell leukemia complicated with pulmonary infections
      is presented. Bronchial exudate culture revealed many yeast-like colonies, which
      were morphologically and biochemically identified as Trichosporon pullulans.

PMID- 1865585
TI  - CA125-positive papillary tumor of the peritoneum.
AB  - A 71-year-old female visited our outpatient unit with chief complaints of
      anorexia and a sense of abdominal distension. The abnormalities found after
      admission were conspicious increases in CA125 levels in serum and ascites as well
      as anemia, accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation and increased serum LDH. The
      patient underwent an emergency operation for ileus. The histological diagnosis
      was serous papillomatous cancer. Immunohistologic staining of the cancer tissue
      demonstrated the production of CA125. In this very rare the remnant of the
      Mullerian duct in the peritoneum is thought to have been cancerous.

PMID- 1865586
TI  - A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage with electrocardiographic and echocardiographic
      changes simulating transmural myocardial infarction.
AB  - A patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage who exhibited changes suggestive of
      myocardial infarction by electro- and echocardiography and underwent coronary
      angiography is reported. Echocardiography demonstrated marked hypokinesis in the
      left ventricular anterior wall to the septum. Since the possibility of
      concomitant myocardial infarction could not be excluded, coronary angiography was
      performed with cerebral angiography. No abnormalities were observed in the
      coronary arteries, and the myocardial damage was considered to be due to
      subarachnoid hemorrhage. Echocardiograms showed improvements in left ventricular
      wall motion within a short time after operation of the intracranial lesion.

PMID- 1865587
TI  - Infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve in a non-drug user.
AB  - A case of infective endocarditis of the tricuspid valve is described in a young
      female patient with no history of intravenous drug abuse. The patient suffered
      from symptoms of septic emboli of the lung and right heart failure. She was
      ultimately treated by tricuspid valve replacement. There was no recurrence of
      symptoms following surgery.

PMID- 1865588
TI  - Factor V deficiency in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Factor V deficiency associated with rheumatoid arthritis was found in a 54-year
      old woman. Hereditary factor V deficiency is very rare; only about 150 cases have
      been reported since its discovery in 1943. This appears to be the first case
      report of factor V deficiency associated with rheumatoid arthritis in the
      literature.

PMID- 1865589
TI  - Hypopituitarism associated with Cogan's syndrome; high-dose glucocorticoid
      therapy reverses pituitary swelling.
AB  - A 70-year-old woman with Cogan's syndrome first presented with central diabetes
      insipidus and then developed secondary hypothyroidism. Magnetic resonance imaging
      revealed a diffuse pituitary swelling without evidence of tumor. High-dose
      glucocorticoid therapy administered to treat Cogan's syndrome was very effective
      in suppressing the inflammatory process, and resulted in the reversal of the
      pituitary swelling and partial recovery of thyroid stimulating hormone secretion.
      This is the first case of hypopituitarism associated with Cogan's syndrome, a
      form of autoimmune vasculitis. The glucocorticoid-responsive pituitary lesion is
      best explained by autoimmune hypophysitis which shows pituitary swelling and is
      known to often associate with other autoimmune phenomena.

PMID- 1865590
TI  - Painless myocardial infarction in identical diabetic twins.
AB  - A pair of 37-year-old identical twins with diabetes mellitus are described. One
      of the brothers was admitted for heart failure without pain, and autonomic
      neuropathy was found. The clinical diagnosis was inferior myocardial infarction
      with anteroseptal healed myocardial infarction. Cardiac catheterization revealed
      triple coronary vessel involvement. The diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy after
      sudden death. The other brother was also examined by cardiac catheterization,
      which revealed total right coronary occlusion and hypokinesis of the wall. There
      had been no previous pain nor upper body discomfort until that time in either
      twin. Thus, genetic factors should possibly be considered in the genesis of
      asymptomatic or silent myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1865591
TI  - Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis in blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous
      leukemia--a case report of a complete recovery.
AB  - Literature reviews have indicated that thrombotic complications in leukemic
      patients are rare that prompt diagnosis is very difficult, and that morbidity and
      mortality are extremely high. We describe the successful treatment of a 36-year
      old housewife suffering from chronic myelogenous leukemia with secondary
      myelofibrosis.

PMID- 1865592
TI  - Thyroid crisis associated with severe hypocalcemia.
AB  - A 30-year-old woman with thyroid crisis and impaired renal function presented
      with severe hypocalcemia. She had already had hypocalcemia one yr previously when
      her serum creatinine level was normal. A normal level of serum amino terminal
      fragment of parathyroid hormone in spite of severe hypocalcemia suggested
      impairment of parathyroid function. Since her serum magnesium was normal and she
      had no history of neck surgery or radioiodine therapy, her hypoparathyroidism was
      considered to be idiopathic. This is the seventh case with co-existing Graves'
      disease and idiopathic hypoparathyroidism reported in the literature.

PMID- 1865593
TI  - Parkinsonism in cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis.
AB  - This report describes a case of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) accompanied
      by clinical manifestations of parkinsonism, including oily and masked face,
      marked akinesia, muscle rigidity and resting hand tremor. Magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) of the brain showed high intensity areas on T2 weighted imaging,
      and slightly low intensity areas on T1 weighted imaging in the right globus
      pallidus and the left putamen. Cerebral cortical atrophy with slight ventricular
      dilatation and cerebellar atrophy were present as well. This is a case report of
      CTX which manifested parkinsonism. Parkinsonism may not be a coincidental
      manifestation in CTX, but rather represent a symptom of the same underlying
      diathesis.

PMID- 1865594
TI  - [Clinical features of 32 cases of fungal pneumonia].
AB  - A total of 32 patients with mycoses other than cavity-formed aspergilloma were
      reviewed. The main pathogenic fungi were Aspergillus in 14, Candida in 8,
      Cryptococcus in 4, Trichosporon in 4 and Mucor in 2. Coinfection by two species
      was detected in 3 cases: Trichosporon and Aspergillus in 2 and Aspergillus and
      Candida in 1. The underlying diseases were hematologic malignancies in all cases
      except 1 case of lung cancer. The hematologic malignancies were mostly leukemias
      of various types. Cryptococcosis developed in patients given long-term
      corticosteroid treatment but not in leukemic patients. All cases of
      aspergillosis, candidiasis and mucormycosis were due to nosocomial infection. On
      the other hand, 3 of 4 cases of cryptococcosis or trichosporonosis were
      attributable to community-acquired infection. Two of 4 trichosporonosis cases
      were considered to have been acquired during 2-day home stays. The diagnosis of
      pulmonary mycosis was made pathologically in 18 and clinically in 14 cases. Of
      the latter, 6 cases had an air-crescent sign on chest X-ray films and 8 cases
      were culture-positive. Extrapulmonary involvement was seen in all 16 cases of
      candidiasis, cryptococcosis and trichosporonosis but not in 10 of 14
      aspergillosis cases. Severe granulocytopenia was present in all cases except 4
      cases of cryptococcosis and 3 cases of aspergillosis. Chest X-ray findings of
      aspergillosis were of two types: one was an air-crescent sign which was noted in
      the recovery phase from leukopenia and the other was gradually enlarging
      consolidation which was bound by the interlobar fissure and progressed to lobar
      penumonia. A diffuse granular shadow was not characteristic of any fungus
      species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865595
TI  - [Upper airway finding on CT scan with and without nasal CPAP in obstructive sleep
      apnea patients].
AB  - The area of upper airway (from the nasopharynx to the hypopharynx) was measured
      by means of computed tomography (CT) scan in 15 confirmed cases of obstructive
      sleep apnea (OSA) and in 4 normal controls while they were awake. The minimum
      cross-sectional area (MA) of the upper airway was 14.7 +/- 20.0 mm2 in OSA
      patients and 80.0 +/- 33.1 mm2 in normal controls and the difference was
      statistically significant (p less than 0.01). In OSA patients, MA did not
      correlate with age, body weight, apnea index, desaturation index, mean nadir-SO2
      and lowest SO2. MA was also measured with OSA patients while nasal continuous
      positive airway pressure (NCPAP) of 10 cmH2O was applied and it was found that MA
      was significantly widened when NCPAP therapy was performed. We conclude that
      upper airway narrowing is consistent finding in OSA patients but the degree of
      narrowing does not correlate with parameters of apnea and gas exchange during
      sleep, and NCPAP is effective to widen the area of upper airway in OSA patients.

PMID- 1865596
TI  - [Changes of serum lipids and high density lipoprotein levels in patients with
      bronchial asthma].
AB  - Serum lipid levels of 60 cases of bronchial asthma (males 30, females 30) were
      compared with 161 (males 91, females 70) controls. Serum cholesterol,
      triglyceride, Apo A1, A2, B, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL VLDL, and
      atherosclerotic index (T-chol. HDL-chol/T-chol.) were measured. Asthma cases
      slowed low levels of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, VLDL and Apo B
      compared to the control group, while HDL-C, ApoA2 were higher than the control
      group. (p less than 0.05). The atherosclerotic index was low in the asthma group.
      A patient who had a 9-year history of asthma showed decreased HDL-C and increased
      T-cholesterol, on improvement of asthma attack and body weight loss.

PMID- 1865597
TI  - [Phase difference between chest flow and mouth flow during rest breathing in
      cases of pulmonary diseases].
AB  - The phase difference between mouth flow and chest flow in cases of pulmonary
      diseases measured using a body box was compared with those in normal subjects.
      Phase differences in chronic pulmonary emphysema (CPE) and diffuse
      panbronchiolitis (DPB) patients increased compared to normal subjects, but
      remained normal in interstitial pneumonitis patients (Normal: 3.76 +/- 1.71, CPE:
      10.70 +/- 4.93, DPB: 10.81 +/- 3.15, IP: 3.83 +/- 0.15 degrees). In addition,
      there was a good correlation with FEV1.0, FEV1.0% and RV/TLC (r: -0.634, -0.610
      and 0.803). The analysis of phase differences during rest breathing is clinically
      useful because it is non-effort dependent and can evaluate the degree of airway
      disorders.

PMID- 1865598
TI  - [Clinical and physiological features of chronic pulmonary emphysema with
      paroxysmal dyspnea attacks masquerading as bronchial asthma--improvement of
      respiratory function after combination therapy of intravenous aminophylline and
      subcutaneous epinephrine following daily oral administration of prednisolone].
AB  - Cases of chronic pulmonary emphysema accompanied with paroxysmal dyspnea attacks
      are often misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma. These patients repeatedly fall into a
      state of life-threatening respiratory failure. We must make an accurate diagnosis
      of emphysema to provide care of them. To clarify the possibility of doing this,
      we investigated the clinical and physiological features (primarily respiratory
      function) of emphysema. We observed twenty-five patients with chronic pulmonary
      emphysema and with chronic bronchial asthma, previously confirmed by selective
      alveolo-bronchogram (SAB); this technique reliably diagnoses emphysema, but often
      induces dyspnea attacks due to the stimulation resulting from intratracheal and
      intrabronchial procedures. In eight patients, chronic pulmonary emphysema was
      accompanied by an attack of paroxysmal wheezing and dyspnea; chronic pulmonary
      emphysema with wheezing (WPE). In eight other patients, chronic pulmonary
      emphysema was present without such attacks; usual pulmonary emphysema (UPE). In
      the final nine patients, chronic bronchial asthma (CBA) was present, while
      emphysema was ruled out by means of SAB. In all patients, we measured respiratory
      function before and after the combination therapy of intravenous aminophylline
      and subcutaneous epinephrine, which followed daily oral administration of
      prednisolone (PAE-treatment). In the WPE group, significant increases in
      measurement of various respiratory functions, including VC, RV, RV/TLC%, FVC,
      FEV1.0, PFR and V75 (p less than .05 excluded in FEV1.0 and PFR were p less than
      .01), were found after the PAE-treatment, compared with the values revealed
      before the treatment. In the UPE group, there were few changes PAE-treatment,
      compared with the values revealed before the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865599
TI  - [A case of T cell lymphoma of the lung].
AB  - A 70-year-old woman complained of cough, sputum and fever. Chest roentgenogram
      showed a mass-like lesion with pleural effusion in the left thorax. Bronchoscopy
      revealed a polypoid lesion at the orifice of left B10 and mucosal swelling of the
      left lower lobe bronchi. The biopsied material of the polypoid lesion was
      diagnosed as malignant lymphoma (diffuse small cell type by LSG classification)
      and the immunohistochemical examination showed monoclonal proliferation of T
      lymphocytes. The atypical lymphocytes which were positive for T lymphocyte
      surface marker were detected in the pleural effusion. There was no evidence of
      metastasis in any part of the body under clinical examinations, and the lung was
      thought to be a primary site of the lymphoma. The doubling time of tumor was
      estimated to be 134 days. Four-drug combination chemotherapy resulted in a marked
      decrease of the tumor size. Immunohistochemical study to determine the
      subpopulation of lymphoma cells are required for diagnosis of pulmonary lymphoma,
      because the biological characters of T cell lymphoma might differ from those of B
      cell lymphoma.

PMID- 1865600
TI  - [A case of malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting as pneumothorax].
AB  - The patient was a 51-year-old woman who had no history of asbestos exposure and
      showed left pneumothorax with a small amount of pleural effusion. On admission to
      our hospital, she showed clinical and laboratory data similar to that of
      spontaneous pneumothorax except for a high concentration of hyaluronic acid in
      pleural fluid. After treatment of pneumothorax, pleural effusion appeared to
      decrease on chest X-ray. After 3 months, however, pleural effusion again
      increased, in spite of the improvement of pneumothorax. The patient received open
      lung biopsy and the histological examination showed mixed type malignant pleural
      mesothelioma.

PMID- 1865601
TI  - [A case of multiple pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae associated with splenic
      abscess].
AB  - A 51-year-old female was admitted with high grade fever, cyanosis and hypoxemia.
      The chest X-ray showed nodular shadows on bilateral lung fields. Beta
      streptococci were found on culture from the blood, and the fever fell after
      administration of both antibiotics and corticosteroid. Pulmonary angiography
      revealed four arteriovenous fistulae on bilateral lung fields. On abdominal
      ultrasonography and CT scan, a hypoechoic lesion with an irregular wall and
      varying internal echogenicity was detected within the spleen. This lesion changed
      in size and shape during the clinical course and diminished with improvement in
      the patient's condition. These findings were compatible with splenic abscess.
      Splenic abscess with pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae is rare.

PMID- 1865602
TI  - [A case of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia, which recurred during
      prednisolone maintenance therapy].
AB  - A 69-year-old man was admitted with general fatigue, dyspnea, cough, fever and
      right pulmonary infiltrations on a chest X-ray films. He had suffered from
      myocardial infarction 8 years before. Since September 1987, he had been given
      Aprindine in addition to previous drugs. In early November 1987, he developed
      dyspnea. Antibiotics were not effective. He was hospitalized on Nov. 13, '87 when
      crepitations were audible on his right chest. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy
      was effective, however right pneumothorax developed. He underwent right
      thoracotomy and lung biopsy. Lung biopsy specimens showed pathological features
      of bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Corticosteroid therapy
      yielded a remarkable clinical, physiological and roentgenographic recovery.
      However, approximately two years later during prednisolone maintenance therapy,
      BOOP recurred. He responded again to corticosteroid treatment, however he died of
      hepatic failure on Dec. 17, '89. "Idiopathic" rather than "drug induced" was
      suggested for the cause of BOOP in this case.

PMID- 1865603
TI  - [A case of Klinefelter syndrome associated with lung cancer and RA lung].
AB  - A 50-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of an abnormal shadow on a chest X
      ray. He had experienced pain and swelling in his fingers for three years. He had
      also noticed that he is impotent. The diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome and
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was established by clinical findings and chromosomal
      analysis. Transbronchial biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma and right upper lobectomy
      was performed. Open lung biopsy showed interstitial pneumonia. In conclusion, we
      reported a rare case of lung cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and RA lung associated
      with Klinefelter syndrome.

PMID- 1865604
TI  - [A case of Kartagener's syndrome with bilateral superior vena cava and absent
      inferior vena cava].
AB  - A 39-year-old man with a history of repeated attacks of acute bronchitis and
      pneumonia since childhood was admitted complaining of cough, sputum, and a high
      fever. A diagnosis of Kartagener's syndrome was made because of the presence of
      mirror-image dextrocardia with complete situs inversus, bronchiectasis in right
      B6 and B10, and chronic sinusitis. Examination of the ciliary ultrastructure of
      the bronchial epithelium showed defective inner dynein arms and impaired nasal
      clearance was suggested by the saccharin particle method. Contrast venography of
      great veins revealed a McCotter type II bilateral superior vena cava and an
      absent inferior vena cava with (hemi-) azygos continuation. A search to find a
      similar case in the literature failed. Abnormal ciliary movement from the
      embryonic period was implicated as a causative factor in Kartagener's triad and
      the morphological abnormalities of the great veins.

PMID- 1865605
TI  - [A case of CA19-9 producing adenocarcinoma of the lung associated with idiopathic
      interstitial pneumonia].
AB  - A 63-year-old female, who had been suffering from idiopathic interstitial
      pneumonia (IIP) since two years and four months previously, was admitted with
      general fatigue, body weight loss, bloody sputum and progression of dyspnea.
      Chest roentgenogram on admission showed diffuse coarse ring shadows in the right
      middle and lower lung fields and in the left middle lung filed. Chest CT clearly
      showed honeycombing in bilateral dorso-basal segments of the lung. Serum CA19-9
      level was elevated, and continued to increase during her clinical course. Sputum
      cytology was positive. Autopsy showed papillary adenocarcinoma of the lung
      (alveolar cell type). Immunohistochemical study of lung tissue showed positive
      CA19-9 staining on the surface of adenocarcinoma cells.

PMID- 1865606
TI  - This journal needs more research.

PMID- 1865607
TI  - Act now to implement nursing's agenda for health care reform.

PMID- 1865608
TI  - Information about SANE program is sought.

PMID- 1865609
TI  - Should there be a written policy on length of patient wait before discharge after
      administration of medications?

PMID- 1865610
TI  - A process for subsidizing the trauma nursing core course.

PMID- 1865611
TI  - Timber rattlesnake bite to the hand with secondary coagulopathy and serum
      sickness.

PMID- 1865612
TI  - A qualitative investigation of the use of humor by emergency personnel as a
      strategy for coping with stress.

PMID- 1865613
TI  - Implementing a new clinical coordinator role to facilitate primary care: one
      emergency department's experience.

PMID- 1865614
TI  - A two-part quality assurance project addressing infection rates of wounds sutured
      in the emergency department.
AB  - The process and outcome of our QA program suggest many areas for further
      examination; a study featuring a larger sample and more rigorous experimental
      research could address these. Our immediate goals, however--to examine the
      quality of wound care in our emergency department and to improve it--were
      accomplished. What is perhaps more important, this QA project made us look at our
      practice and realize that we could change things. We identified a problem,
      studied it, and did something about it.

PMID- 1865615
TI  - Ventricular fibrillation in a 2-month-old infant: a pediatric case study and
      review of lessons learned.
AB  - The best way to deal with pediatric patients in cardiac arrest is to be prepared.
      We often acknowledge that children may experience V fib, but we do not truly take
      to heart that those events with "less than 10% chance of occurrence" can happen
      to us. From this case, the pediatric resuscitation team concluded that it is
      necessary to be prepared for all possible cardiac arrest situations. I know that
      our ED staff is more prepared now that this unusual situation has happened to us.
      I hope that others will also reassess their hospital's ability to handle a
      pediatric arrest that is not related to a primary respiratory event.

PMID- 1865616
TI  - Emergency department care of the patient with an insulin pump.

PMID- 1865617
TI  - Starting intravenous lines in children.
AB  - Starting an IV line in children can be difficult. As with most skills, practice
      improves performance. However, a lack of practice for the clinician with
      otherwise good IV skills need not be an impediment. The suggestions described in
      this article can assist you in adapting your good IV technique to the pediatric
      patient.

PMID- 1865618
TI  - Preparing for pediatric emergencies.

PMID- 1865619
TI  - Law and the emergency nurse. Anything can happen!

PMID- 1865620
TI  - Emergency nursing in a baccalaureate program that uses a clinical preceptorship
      approach.

PMID- 1865621
TI  - Listen to the children.

PMID- 1865622
TI  - Innovative assessment of children's pain.

PMID- 1865623
TI  - Trauma site survey: emergency department preparation.

PMID- 1865624
TI  - A 57-year-old man with muscle spasms.

PMID- 1865625
TI  - An open letter to emergency nurses from a survivor of a major head injury.

PMID- 1865626
TI  - Deployed to Desert Storm: the first 40 hours.

PMID- 1865627
TI  - I didn't feel very tough.

PMID- 1865628
TI  - ENA sexual assault nurse examiners resource list.

PMID- 1865629
TI  - Annual listing of graduate programs offering emergency nursing or trauma-related
      nursing tracks.

PMID- 1865630
TI  - [ACE inhibition: mechanisms of "cardioprotection" in acute myocardial ischemia].
AB  - Local inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, kininase II) produces
      both-attenuation of angiotensin II generation and of bradykinin degradation. To
      delineate the participation of bradykinin in the cardioprotective actions of ACE
      inhibitors, experiments were performed in rats and dogs with cardiac ischemia
      reperfusion injuries. In isolated perfused working rat hearts with regional
      myocardial ischemia, bradykinin in concentrations as low as 1 x 10(-9) M
      increases coronary flow and reduces the incidence and duration of reperfusion
      ventricular fibrillation. In addition, enzyme activities of lactate dehydrogenase
      and creatine kinase as well as lactate output were decreased in the venous
      effluent of bradykinin-perfused hearts, which also showed improved cardiodynamic
      and metabolic parameters. Even concentrations of bradykinin lower than 1 x 10(
      10) M, which were without influence on coronary flow, exerted comparable
      beneficial metabolic effects connected with reduced incidence and duration of
      ventricular fibrillation. Combined perfusions with threshold concentrations of
      bradykinin (1 x 10(-12) M) and the ACE inhibitor ramiprilat (2,58 x 10(-9) M),
      which were ineffective given alone, resulted in a marked cardioprotective effect.
      Perfusion with angiotensin II (1 x 10(-9) M) aggravated reperfusion arrhythmias
      and worsened myocardial metabolism. Bradykinin perfusion prevented this
      deterioration in a concentration-dependent manner. The bradykinin antagonist D
      Arg-[Hyp2, Thi5,8, D-Phe7]-bradykinin (1 x 10(-5)) completely abolished the
      cardioprotective effects of bradykinin or the ACE inhibitor. However, higher
      concentrations of bradykinin (1 x 10(-7) M) or ramiprilat (2,58 x 10(-5) M)
      reversed these properties of the bradykinin antagonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865631
TI  - [Possibilities of ACE inhibitor therapy in acute myocardial ischemia].
AB  - Acute myocardial ischemia results from an increased cardiac workload in presence
      of a critical coronary stenosis (demand ischemia), coronary occlusion (supply
      ischemia) or a combination of both. It is complicated by cardiac arrhythmias and
      deterioration of function of ischemic myocardium and results in an increased load
      and dilatation of non-ischemic myocardium. Cardiac protection in acute myocardial
      ischemia can be related to preservation of coronary blood flow, function of
      ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium or prevention of cardiac arrhythmias. In
      control animals and humans, ACE-inhibitors have no major effect on coronary blood
      flow. Myocardial ischemia raises plasma-renin-activity, angiotensin I-conversion
      by passage through coronary circulation, and plasma-angiotensin-II
      concentrations. ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin-II-receptor blockers increase
      coronary blood flow during myocardial ischemia. Other mechanisms (bradykinin
      potentiation) may be involved. We found a potentiation of the coronary dilatory
      effect of the neuropeptide neurotensin (which is probably mediated by
      prostaglandins) by ACE-inhibitor. ACE-inhibitor may delay infarct development in
      animal experiments and improve function of ischemic myocardium. The importance of
      early dilatation of non-ischemic myocardium is unknown and it is unclear whether
      it may be prevented by an ACE-inhibitor as was shown for late dilatation. Studies
      on the effect of ACE-inhibitors in exercise-induced angina pectoris are
      controversial. An antiischemic and coronary dilatory effect has been shown by
      invasive studies in patients. A preliminary study in unstable angina pectoris was
      positive. Beneficial hemodynamic and antiarrhythmic effects (as well as excessive
      hypotension, however) have been shown in patients with acute myocardial
      infarction.

PMID- 1865632
TI  - [ACE inhibition: mechanisms of cardioprotection in chronic heart failure].
AB  - In the treatment of heart failure ACE inhibitors gained a unique position because
      of their beneficial effect on prognosis. The most likely explanation is their
      influence on factors that determine progression of the disease. These are:
      progressive deterioration of central hemodynamics, impairment of coronary
      perfusion, further activation of vasopressor systems, imbalance of sodium and
      water homeostasis and occurrence of malignant arrhythmias. ACE inhibitors have
      been shown to modulate these factors in a positive manner. In addition, they may
      also act by modulating factors, which may exert harmful effects on cardiac
      function in long term. These are: prevention and regression of the hypertrophy of
      the left ventricle as well as the media of resistance vessels, prevention of
      restenosis following PTCA, prevention of cyclosporin-induced premature coronary
      artery sclerosis, and correction of an impaired glucose metabolism. Whereas the
      positive effects of ACE inhibitors in the treatment of heart failure are well
      documented, their value for preventing heart failure has not been established,
      yet.

PMID- 1865633
TI  - [Renal effects of conversion enzyme inhibitors].
AB  - Recently it has been recognized that even minor elevations of blood pressure
      contribute to progression of renal failure. Furthermore it has been documented
      that antihypertensive treatment retards progression of renal failure. Despite
      impressive experimental data firm clinical evidence, incontrovertible on
      biostatistical grounds, is not yet available to document that converting enzyme
      inhibitors (CEI) are superior to alternative antihypertensive agents with respect
      to halting progression. CEI undoubtedly reduce albuminuria, independent of their
      effect on systemic blood pressure, and this is related to alterations of
      glomerular permeability. Recent experimental data suggest that growth processes
      in damaged kidneys are an important aspect of progression. It is a fascinating
      perspective, but yet unproven, that CEI interfere with these processes.

PMID- 1865634
TI  - [ACE inhibition in heart failure and compromised kidney function].
AB  - If ACE-inhibitors are considered for therapy in patients with heart failure, the
      actual renal function has to be taken into account. In patients with reduced
      intravascular volume, e.g. during therapy with diuretics, the renin-angiotensin
      system is activated. In this situation, the renin-angiotensin-system contributes
      to the maintenance of arterial blood pressure and glomerular filtration rate by
      angiotensin II mediated vasoconstriction in vas efferens and systemic
      circulation. A sudden complete inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system
      therefore may cause a pronounced decrease in blood pressure and a reduction in
      glomerular filtration rate (impaired renal excretory function). In patients with
      heart failure concomitant chronic renal failure, the use of ACE-inhibitors is
      without major risk; however, the clinical efficacy may be limited. This does not
      apply to patients with diabetes, where the risk for impairment of renal function
      is increased. The potential advantage of short acting ACE-inhibitors such as
      captopril may clinically be relevant only in patients with very advanced severe
      heart failure and low arterial pressure. In any case, it is recommended to start
      ACE-inhibitors with a low dose and withdraw diuretics one or two days before in
      order to restore the intravascular volume.

PMID- 1865635
TI  - [Changes in renal function in heart failure and their modification by conversion
      enzyme inhibitors].
AB  - In congestive heart failure renal hemodynamics are characterized by a decrease of
      fractional renal blood flow (renal fraction of the cardiac output) and marked
      changes of the intrarenal circulation. The latter consists of cortical
      hypocirculation and an enhanced medullary blood flow in the presence of a
      relative rise in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This compensatory increment of
      GFR is mediated by a stimulation of prostaglandins (dilatation of vas afferens)
      as well as the renin-angiotensin- and adrenergic systems (contraction of vas
      efferens). Therapy with ACE inhibitors influences renal function in a complex
      manner. A decline in GFR resulting in the worst case in acute renal failure (ARF)
      may be caused by two pathogenetic possibilities: 1. critical reduction in renal
      perfusion pressure (below 70 mm Hg) and/or 2. loss of the autoregulation of GFR
      by relaxation of the constricted vas efferens induced by stimulation of the renin
      angiotensin-systems (RAS). Activation of the RAS might be a consequence of severe
      renal hypocirculation as well as a diuretic induced volume and sodium depletion
      (contraction of the effective arterial blood volume). On the other hand, ACE
      inhibitors may improve renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. This may
      be due to a rise in cardiac output, dilatation of vas efferens and occasionally
      vas afferens and an increase of the ultrafiltration coefficient. The
      deterioration of renal function caused by ACE-inhibitors may be prevented by
      avoiding a volume and sodium deficit (withdrawal or reduction of diuretics) and
      careful titration of the ACE-inhibitor starting with lowest dosages.

PMID- 1865636
TI  - [Mechanisms of the development of the chronic phase of diseases of the small
      intestine].
AB  - The results of studying mechanisms underlying chronicity of functional (chronic
      enteritis ) and severe organic (celiac disease) lesions of the small intestine
      have been analyzed. Mechanisms causing the diseases take a chronic course
      appeared very similar. They involve bacterial proliferation in the intestine with
      consequent impairment of the digestion, absorption and motility resultant in
      derangement of metabolism. Defects in protein and lipid metabolism proved most
      essential. Chronic enteritis is associated with a favorable outcome provided
      there are no grave malabsorption symptoms. Combined treatment as a rule produces
      good therapeutic response in chronic enteritis and celiac disease. Relevant
      schemes are presented.

PMID- 1865637
TI  - ["Non-ulcerative dyspepsia": its concept, clinical aspects, diagnosis and
      treatment].
AB  - A conception of ++non-ulcerative dyspepsia is suggested. Relevant symptoms and
      their pathogenetic mechanisms are outlined. Basing on clinical aspects, separate
      forms of the syndrome, therapeutic and diagnostic approaches to each of the forms
      with special emphasis on pilot chemotherapy are considered.

PMID- 1865638
TI  - [Hospital mortality in myocardial infarction].
AB  - The author considers the results of conservative treatment of 9709 patients who
      received continuous intravenous drip nitroglycerin as a component of the basic
      therapy. For these patients hospital lethality amounted to 17.5%. The lethality
      in shown to vary with sex, age, infarction extent, primary or repeated
      occurrence. The results obtained were compared to those from other institutions.
      It is believed that hospital lethality standards should not be inappropriately
      overstated.

PMID- 1865639
TI  - [Current concepts of the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis].

PMID- 1865640
TI  - [Cardiac insufficiency].

PMID- 1865641
TI  - [Did Pechorin have Gilbert's disease? Reconstruction of the diagnosis based on
      the literary text].

PMID- 1865642
TI  - [Atypical and combined forms of infectious-allergic polyneuropathies].

PMID- 1865643
TI  - [Famotidine--a new histamine H2 receptor blockader].

PMID- 1865644
TI  - [Chemotherapy of portal hypertension].

PMID- 1865645
TI  - [Problems of classification of lymphoproliferative disorders].

PMID- 1865646
TI  - [Clinical and social factors of resuming work by patients with ischemic heart
      disease after aortocoronary bypass].
AB  - In spite of the fact that clinical condition in 85.6% of coronary patients
      subjected to aortocoronary shunting has improved against their preoperative
      status, only 43.3% of them resume work. Invalidity in these patients increases
      two-fold mounting to 94.4%. The causes of the discrepancy between the expected
      and real performance are scrutinized with due consideration of clinical and
      social factors essential for the patients' decision to resume or give up work.

PMID- 1865647
TI  - [Work capacity of patients with heart aneurysm after surgical treatment].

PMID- 1865648
TI  - [Thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction at the pre-hospital stage].
AB  - Mobile teams of the Leningrad Emergency Station came to use prehospital
      thrombolytic therapy (TT) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 1986. The
      trial reported includes three groups of AMI patients: group I of 67 patients
      received avelysin in a dose of 0.5 mln FU, group II of 35 patients received
      celyase in a dose of 1 mln FU, group III consisted of 47 control subjects. The
      analysis of the treatment results showed that intravenous infusion of avelysin
      enabled myocardial reperfusion in 49.3% of cases while that of celyase in 5.7%
      (noninvasive data). High effectiveness of avelysin is inferred as well as safety
      of systemic TT at prehospital stage of AMI.

PMID- 1865649
TI  - [Unstable stenocardia: prognostic significance of painless forms of myocardial
      ischemia during hospitalization and in the remote period].
AB  - Variants of unstable angina pectoris were compared upon examination of 366
      relevant patients. 24-h ECG monitoring registered painless ST shifts in 75 of
      them. Treatment at hospital produced results independent of ischemia form
      (painful or painless). However, the analysis of long-term response for 10
      patients demonstrating episodes of ischemia at discharge suggests that in spite
      of numerous adjustments of treatment in 70% of the patients the risk of
      unfavorable outcome seems great.

PMID- 1865650
TI  - [Hyperproduction of immunoglobulin E in occlusive diseases of the peripheral
      arteries].

PMID- 1865651
TI  - [Prevalence of cough as a predictor and symptom of chronic bronchitis among male
      population of Kharkov].
AB  - A questionnaire survey using WHO-recommended unified questionnaires was performed
      in Kharkov to elucidate the role of short-term (less than 3 months yearly) and
      long-term (greater than 3 months, per 2 years) cough in prediction and diagnosis
      of chronic bronchitis. Cough prevalence was investigated in 5-year age groups (40
      44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59) and correlated to education level and risk of chronic
      noninfectious diseases. The study covered a population of 7901 males at the mean
      age of 49 +/- 2.3 years. A group of active prophylaxis and two reference groups
      comprised 2001 males from an open population. The trial revealed an increase in
      cough incidence for smokers, low-educated and aged examinees. It is suggested
      that social and economic status dependent on educational level may represent a
      risk of chronic bronchitis not less than occupation, smoking, etc.

PMID- 1865652
TI  - [Enterosorption and therapeutic fasting in the treatment of patients with
      bronchial asthma].
AB  - To rise the effectiveness of the treatment and reduce its duration as well as to
      out acidosis, 18 patients with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive
      bronchitis were treated by fasting diet and enterosorption. The scheme of the
      diet was conventional, with intake of SKNP-2 enterosorbent in daily dose 30-60 ml
      throughout the fasting. The combination of the two treatment methods appeared
      effective, fasting-related acidosis was not recorded.

PMID- 1865653
TI  - [Use of chlotazol as an immunomodulating agent in chronic bronchitis].
AB  - A positive immunomodulatory effect was found in chronic bronchitis patients
      examined immunologically before and after treatment including chlotazol. T- and B
      cell immunity recovered, clinical condition of the patients improved. A
      combination of known antimicrobial and antiinflammatory effects with an uncovered
      immunomodulatory one made chlotazol a valuable modality in the treatment of
      chronic bronchitis associated with secondary immune deficiency.

PMID- 1865654
TI  - [Surface hepatitis B- and delta antigens in the liver of patients with chronic
      active hepatitis].

PMID- 1865655
TI  - [Diagnostic and prognostic significance of anti-HBCAG IgM in hepatitis B and its
      outcomes].
AB  - Enzyme immunoassay was employed to investigate HBV markers (HBsAg, HBeAg, IgM
      anti-HBc, anti-HBc, anti-HBs) in 126 patients suffering from viral hepatitis B.
      It was noted that IgM anti-HBc appeared in ++pre-jaundice period in 100% of the
      examinees. In case of hepatitis transformation into a chronic form the titers of
      IgM anti-HBc depended on the disease activity, their high concentration being
      typical for the stage of active virus replication.

PMID- 1865656
TI  - [Differential diagnosis of myocardiodystrophies of different etiologies].

PMID- 1865657
TI  - [Immunoglobulin E level in acute Yersinia infection].
AB  - IgG, IgE, IgA, IgM levels were measured in patients with yersiniosis (generalized
      or mixed variant). Acute period of the disease (week 1-2) was associated with
      elevated levels of IgE in 59.1% of the patients which returned to normal on week
      4-6. Time course changes in IgA, IgG and IgM concentrations were related to the
      synthesis of specific antibodies. IgE level rise can be considered a defence
      mechanism contributing to elimination of yersinia antigens from the body.

PMID- 1865658
TI  - [Fibrinolysis as a cause of coagulopathy in patients with chronic diffuse
      diseases of the liver].
AB  - Examination was performed of 74 patients with chronic diffuse diseases of the
      liver; chronic active hepatitis, compensated hepatitis, decompensated cirrhosis
      of the liver (26, 28, 20 patients, respectively). Fibrinolysis was evaluated in
      relation to its effect on hemocoagulation. It appeared the principal cause of
      coagulopathy in 3% of the examinees. It is stated that activated fibrinolysis in
      chronic diffuse diseases of the liver underlies coagulopathy in few patients with
      decompensated cirrhosis, in compensated hepatopathy the influence of fibrinolysis
      on overall coagulative capacity of peripheral blood is insignificant.

PMID- 1865659
TI  - [Examination of carriers of biological false positive results of serological
      reactions to syphilis].

PMID- 1865660
TI  - [Accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation syndrome].
AB  - Accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate detected in 59 patients was a cause of
      their hospitalization and close examination. It revealed tumors, soft tissue and
      vessel inflammation, hematologic disorders with M-gradient found at blood protein
      electrophoresis, disseminated atheromatosis. The cause of the syndrome was not
      identified in 3 cases.

PMID- 1865661
TI  - [Status of phosphorus-calcium metabolism and the bone system in diffuse-toxic
      goiter].

PMID- 1865662
TI  - [Effect of pathogenetic treatment on vasopressin secretion in patients with
      hypothalamic syndrome].
AB  - Blood vasopressin concentration, hypothalamic response to stress resultant from
      insulin hypoglycemia and to acute furosemide load were measured in 72 patients
      with neuro-endocrine-metabolic form of hypothalamic syndrome. Pathogenetic
      treatment was decided upon by sensitivity to dopaminergic drug parlodel and
      antiserotonin drug peritol. According to the sensitivity tests the patients
      received either parlodel (5 mg/day) or peritol (12 mg/day) for 3-6 months. There
      were also patients on symptomatic treatment aimed at reduction of body weight.
      Peritol treatment promoted a decline in basal blood level of vasopressin and
      better response to insulin hypoglycemia and furosemide test. Parlodel treatment
      normalized vasopressin blood concentration and hypothalamic response to
      stimulators. Routine symptomatic therapy did not induce differences in
      vasopressin level compared to active stage of the disease.

PMID- 1865663
TI  - [Laser therapy of stomach and duodenal ulcers].

PMID- 1865664
TI  - [Gaucher's disease].
AB  - Two cases of Gaucher's disease are described. The diagnosis was based on clinical
      appearance, observation of the typical cells in the sternal and splenic puncture
      biopsies. Leucocytic beta-glucocerebrosidase activity was found inhibited in
      contrast to normal activity of the other lysosomal glycosidases. A female of 51
      developed significant changes in the bones, progressive enlargement of the liver,
      chronic calculous cholecystitis 36 years after splenectomy. Current aspects of
      pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Gaucher's disease are
      reviewed.

PMID- 1865665
TI  - [Pathogenesis and treatment of abdominal pain spinal syndrome].
AB  - Development of the abdominal pain spinal syndrome is due to alterations in motor
      segments of the low-thoracic spine which bring about compression and
      dyscirculatory shifts in the nervous roots and their vegetative branches. Manual
      therapy was successful in recovery of physiological coordination between elements
      of the spinal motor segment thus correcting abnormalities in the nervous roots
      related to compression and affected circulation in 30 out of 36 patients treated.

PMID- 1865666
TI  - [Peutz-Jeghers syndrome].

PMID- 1865667
TI  - [A case of candidiasis in a patient with chronic fungal infection, secondary
      immunodeficiency and Cushing's syndrome].

PMID- 1865668
TI  - [Splenic infarction as a cause of suppurative peritonitis and septicemia].

PMID- 1865669
TI  - [Horton's disease].

PMID- 1865670
TI  - [Hemochromatosis associated with polyserositis].

PMID- 1865671
TI  - [Painless myocardial ischemia].

PMID- 1865672
TI  - Changes in blood rheologic factors following coronary artery surgery.
AB  - Blood rheologic parameters were examined in 16 patients without multiple organ
      failure 2 weeks after coronary artery surgery. The whole blood viscosity (shear
      rate = 94.5 sec-1) was unchanged (4.59 +/- 0.53 to 4.56 +/- 0.58 mPa.s) despite a
      significant decrease in hematocrit (39.8 +/- 4.3 to 37.1 +/- 3.8%, P less than
      0.05). The oxygen delivery index (the ratio of hematocrit to whole blood
      viscosity) was significantly decreased (8.67 +/- 0.35 to 8.18 +/- 0.59%/mPa.s, P
      less than 0.05). Plasma viscosity (shear rate = 94.5 sec-1) increased
      significantly (1.60 +/- 0.13 to 1.72 +/- 0.10 mPa.s, P less than 0.01), as did
      serum levels of globulin (2.8 +/- 0.4 to 3.0 +/- 0.4 g/dl, P less than 0.01),
      alpha 1-antitrypsin (232 +/- 41 to 308 +/- 60 mg/dl, P less than 0.001), and
      fibrinogen (381 +/- 81 to 479 +/- 117 mg/dl, P less than 0.001). Total protein
      and globulin levels showed a good correlation with plasma viscosity, but the
      fibrinogen concentration demonstrated no correlation. The passage time of a 40%
      red blood cell suspension (0.5 ml) was shortened significantly from 10.2 +/- 1.1
      to 9.2 +/- 1.0 sec (P less than 0.05). These results indicate that an increase in
      plasma viscosity is important in determining blood rheologic properties 2 weeks
      after coronary artery surgery.

PMID- 1865673
TI  - Neonatal myocardium resists reperfusion injury.
AB  - The response of neonatal myocardium to ischemia and reperfusion was observed in
      an isolated working heart model using neonatal rabbits and compared to that of
      the adult rabbit heart. Lipid peroxidation occurring during ischemia and that
      occurring during reperfusion were evaluated separately. Malondialdehyde (MDA) in
      heart tissue was measured as an index of lipid peroxidation, and the occurrence
      of oxygen free radical damage was assessed by the effects of the scavengers,
      superoxide dismutase and catalase, on MDA production. Baseline MDA levels were
      similar in neonatal and adult hearts, were changed little by treatment with
      normoxic cardioplegia, and were elevated in both groups by treatment with
      hyperoxic cardioplegia. Thus, the degree of lipid peroxidation during ischemia is
      similar in neonatal and adult hearts. After 10 min of retrograde reperfusion
      subsequent to treatment with anoxic cardioplegia, the MDA content of adult hearts
      was significantly greater than that of similarly treated neonatal hearts.
      Addition of free radical scavengers to the reperfusion medium lowered the MDA
      content of adult hearts significantly, but not to the level of neonatal hearts.
      After 60 min of reperfusion subsequent to hyperoxic cardioplegia, adult hearts
      had higher MDA than neonates; addition of scavengers to the cardioplegia did not
      lower the MDA significantly in either group. Only 5 of 12 adult hearts recovered
      function after hyperoxic cardioplegia, while all 12 neonatal hearts recovered.
      Our results indicate that neonatal myocardium suffers less damage from oxygen
      centered free radicals during reperfusion than does adult myocardium.

PMID- 1865674
TI  - Depression of liver-specific gene expression in regenerating rat liver: a
      putative cause for liver dysfunction after hepatectomy.
AB  - We carried out studies on the expression of liver-specific genes during
      regeneration of the liver and searched for changes in the expression of oncogenes
      and housekeeping genes. Albumin and ornithine transcarbamylase genes were the
      liver-specific genes examined by Northern blot analysis, using total RNAs
      isolated from residual livers of Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to a 68% partial
      hepatectomy. The mRNA levels of both genes began to decrease 8 hr after
      hepatectomy, both reaching the lowest levels at 24 hr, and then recovered to some
      extent at 48 hr. In contrast, these levels in the housekeeping and growth-related
      genes were augmented during this period. This would suggest that there is a
      selective expression of growth-related and housekeeping genes, in preference to
      liver-specific genes during liver regeneration. The expression of these genes in
      the regenerating liver was simulated in primary cultured hepatocytes during the
      dedifferentiation processes. It would appear that the first step in regeneration
      of the residual liver is dedifferentiation, in which the depression of liver
      specific genes may be linked to liver dysfunction following hepatectomy.

PMID- 1865675
TI  - Metabolic and functional cardiac impairment after reperfusion with persantine.
AB  - The effect of dipyridamole (DYP) on postischemic myocardial function and
      metabolism was studied using the isolated rabbit heart model. Twenty-one isolated
      rabbit heart preparations were divided into two groups: KH (control N = 10) were
      reperfused after 24 min normothermic hyperkalemic arrest with modified Krebs
      Henseleit buffer (KH) while DYP (N = 11) were reperfused with KH and 5 X 10(-6) M
      DYP. Hearts were analyzed for myocardial function (DP, developed pressure,
      +dp/dt, -dp/dt) and metabolic function (ATP, CrP, ADP, AMP, purines, and lactate
      levels). Data analysis revealed significant reperfusion depression in DYP
      myocardial function compared with KH (P less than 0.05): DP (42 +/- 6 vs 89 +/- 7
      mm Hg), +dp/dt (390 +/- 21.6 vs 1227 +/- 48.4), and -dp/dt (280 +/- 20.1 vs 677
      +/- 19.8). Comparison of DYP to KH metabolic parameters was also significantly
      different (P less than 0.05): ATP (5.8 +/- 0.7 vs 9.5 +/- 1.4), ADP (2.1 +/- 0.2
      vs 3.2 +/- 0.6), CrP (9.6 +/- 0.3 vs 17.2 +/- 1.3). Tissue purines (adenosine and
      inosine) were significantly elevated (P less than 0.01) in the DYP group, while
      coronary sinus purines and lactate loss were similar. Thus, the data suggest that
      DYP, present during postischemic reperfusion, depresses myocardial function by
      inhibiting adenosine phosphorylation, thereby decreasing the generation of high
      energy phosphates without increased substrate loss or ischemia.

PMID- 1865676
TI  - Immunosuppressive mechanism of 15-deoxyspergualin on sinusoidal lining cells in
      swine liver transplantation: suppression of MHC class II antigens and interleukin
      1 production.
AB  - To elucidate the precise mechanism of action of 15-deoxyspergualin (DSG) in swine
      liver transplantation, the expression of MHC class II antigens (Ia) on hepatic
      sinusoidal lining cells (SLC) and their production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) were
      examined. In our previous study, we isolated sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC)
      and Kupffer cells (KC) by enzymatic digestion and centrifugal elutriation, and
      demonstrated that both SEC and KC present alloantigens effectively and generated
      IL-1 in response to allogenic or lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Animals were
      divided into three groups: group 1, nontransplanted normal controls (n = 3);
      group 2, no immunosuppressive treatment following liver transplantation (n = 5);
      group 3, DSG (0.8 mg/kg/day) intravenously for 7 days following liver
      transplantation (n = 5). At 1 week after transplantation, the three liver grafts
      in groups 2 and 3 were processed for the study of Ia expression and IL-1
      production on SEC and KC. The expression of Ia was detected in 21.5 +/- 4.7% of
      SEC and 24.3 +/- 11.1% of KC in group 1. In group 3, Ia expression was suppressed
      compared with group 2, being 3.6 +/- 2.8% versus 22.0 +/- 2.8% for SEC (P less
      than 0.02) and 15.5 +/- 11.3% versus 24.3 +/- 7.1% for KC. IL-1 production by SEC
      and KC was respectively 11,483 +/- 3311 cpm and 9077 +/- 2161 cpm in group 1. In
      group 3, IL-1 production was inhibited compared with that in group 2, being 7190
      +/- 883 cpm versus 19,297 +/- 5182 cpm for SEC (P less than 0.05) and 16,130 +/-
      3769 cpm versus 25,857 +/- 3963 cpm for KC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865677
TI  - Cyclosporin A augments human platelet sensitivity to aggregating agents by
      increasing fibrinogen receptor availability.
AB  - Clinical use of cyclosporin A (CsA) has been associated with platelet
      hypersensitivity and an increased incidence of thrombotic and vasoactive events.
      The purpose of this study was (1) to confirm that CsA enhances platelet
      sensitivity to the soluble agonists, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and epinephrine
      (EPI), and (2) to determine if this enhancement is mediated by alteration in the
      availability of platelet surface fibrinogen receptors, a final mediator of
      platelet activation. Mean log dose of ADP required to achieve complete second
      wave platelet aggregation in vitro decreased from 1.90 to 1.49 microM (n = 19,
      paired t test, P less than 0.05) and 2.86 to 2.11 microM (n = 16, P less than
      0.05) following a 15-min and 3-hr incubation in the absence (saline) and presence
      of CsA (1000 ng/ml), respectively. At the threshold dose of ADP, concurrent
      thromboxane B2 levels at 15 min were 245 +/- 44 ng/ml (n = 12, saline) and 265 +/
      54 ng/ml (n = 9, CsA; P greater than 0.05). At 3 hr respective levels were 333
      +/- 57 and 442 +/- 81 ng/ml (P greater than 0.05). Similar results were obtained
      with EPI. The number of fibrinogen binding sites in response to 50 microM ADP was
      determined in washed platelets in the absence and presence of CsA by radioligand
      binding. In 6 of 7 volunteers, CsA increased fibrinogen receptors from 26,635 +/-
      4841 to 35,925 +/- 7290 sites/platelet (means +/- SEM; P less than 0.05). No
      change in receptor affinity was noted. In conclusion, cyclosporine does augment
      platelet reactivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865678
TI  - Impact of exogenous growth hormone on host preservation and tumor cell-cycle
      distribution in a rat sarcoma model.
AB  - Growth hormone (hGH) has been reported to improve nitrogen balances and accrue
      lean mass tissue in stable subjects. However, the ability of hGH to positively
      influence host preservation in stressed catabolic states such as cancer-induced
      cachexia remains unproven. Thirty-seven sham or tumor implanted Fischer 344 rats
      were randomized to receive either 0.5 mg/kg/day hGH or saline (SAL)
      subcutaneously from Days 14 to 23 postimplantation. Plasma levels of hGh and
      somatomedin C/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) as well as IGF I bioactivity
      were determined at sacrifice. Gastrocnemius muscle protein content was used as a
      index of host lean tissue mass and the tumor response was evaluated via flow
      cytometry for analysis of cell-cycle distribution. Host cachexia was not
      attenuated by hGH as muscle protein content was similar in hGH and saline-treated
      groups. Despite elevated hGH levels (range, 77-222 ng/ml (GH) vs less than 2
      ng/ml (SAL], IGF I levels and bioactivity were not elevated in GH-treated groups.
      In contrast, cancer-induced anorexia markedly decreased IGF I levels (4 U/ml vs 9
      U/ml, NTB; P less than 0.01) and this response remained refractory to hGH
      administration. While final tumor weights were similar between GH- and SAL
      treated groups, hGH treatment caused a twofold increase in the proportion of
      aneuploid cells (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, hGH failed to attenuate lean
      mass dissolution in the tumor bearing host and this response may be related to
      the failure of IGF I induction. Conversely, the altered proportion of tumor
      aneuploid cells suggests a direct influence on tumor cell-cycling populations.

PMID- 1865679
TI  - Parasitic diseases reported in Memphis hospitals in 1984 and 1989.

PMID- 1865680
TI  - Pulsed dye laser therapy for port-wine stains in children.

PMID- 1865681
TI  - Pancreatic carcinoid with extensive osteolytic bone disease.

PMID- 1865682
TI  - Bronchial rupture.

PMID- 1865683
TI  - Postoperative fever, hypotension, and renal failure.

PMID- 1865684
TI  - Hemarthrosis and oral anticoagulants.

PMID- 1865685
TI  - Health risks from radon exposure.

PMID- 1865686
TI  - Stop, look, listen.

PMID- 1865687
TI  - A key to the most deadly lock.

PMID- 1865688
TI  - Counting the cost.

PMID- 1865689
TI  - Gripes, et. al. a lesson in loss prevention.

PMID- 1865691
TI  - A visit to the doctor.

PMID- 1865690
TI  - Loss prevention.

PMID- 1865692
TI  - The TMA Impaired Physician Peer Review Committee. A progress report.

PMID- 1865693
TI  - Pregnancy and childbearing in a population with biologic valvular prostheses.
AB  - Long-term performance of biological prostheses and course of pregnancy, labor,
      and delivery were evaluated in women less than 35 years of age. Between 1975 and
      1987, 87 female patients received a porcine (n = 86) or pericardial valve (n =
      1); the mean patient age was 26.8 years, with a range of 8 to 35 years. A total
      of 17 of these patients experienced 37 pregnancies. A total of 25 babies were
      delivered, of which 19 were babies of normal birth weight born at term and six
      were born prematurely (two of these were stillborn). There were six spontaneous
      abortions and five therapeutic abortions. The mean time from primary operation to
      first delivery was 29 months. Of the 17 pregnant patients, 14 were in normal
      sinus rhythm and three were in atrial fibrillation. One of those in fibrillation
      had a therapeutic abortion while receiving warfarin therapy, and another was
      successfully delivered of her neonate after 7 months of warfarin therapy. The
      remaining 15 patients were treated through 35 pregnancies without anticoagulants
      or antiplatelet agents. Of the total population of 87 patients, 32 (36.8%) were
      treated for valve-related complications. Structural valve deterioration occurred
      in eight patients (47.1%) of the pregnancy group and 10 patients (14.3%) of the
      nonpregnancy group (p less than 0.05). The freedom from structural valve
      deterioration at 10 years was 23.3% +/- 14% for the pregnancy group and 74.2% +/-
      8.5% for the nonpregnancy group (p less than 0.05, age as a determinant, p not
      significant). There were eight valve-related deaths (1.5%/patient-year).
      Reoperation was performed in 59% of the pregnancy group and 19% of the
      nonpregnancy group, primarily for structural valve deterioration manifested as
      valvular obstruction from aggressive calcification (p less than 0.05). The
      freedom from reoperation at 10 years parallels freedom from structural valve
      deterioration (20.3% +/- 12.4% and 64.3 +/- 9.1% for the pregnancy and
      nonpregnancy groups, respectively, with p less than 0.05; with age added as a
      determinant, p not significant). The overall reoperative mortality was 8.7% (two
      patients). The biologic prostheses afforded successful pregnancy without fetal
      wastage or congenital anomalies and without significant maternal morbidity or
      mortality.

PMID- 1865694
TI  - Patterns of failure in Hancock pericardial bioprostheses.
AB  - A series of Hancock pericardial valve bioprostheses was reviewed for cases of
      primary valve failure. Thirteen mitral and 10 aortic valve explants were
      recovered from 21 adult patients. Mitral valves had been in place for a mean of
      56.4 months, and aortic valves for 53.8 months. All valves failed with cusp tears
      from stents (with a mean of 1.7 for mitral valves and 2.6 for aortic valves) in a
      predictable pattern, suggesting that wear and stress at cusp stitch sites are
      important in their pathogenesis. The topography of these tears is illustrated as
      are the less common associates of primary failure, such as calcification,
      fibrosis, and thrombosis. Similarities and differences of this valve's failure
      compared with that of the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial valve are discussed.

PMID- 1865695
TI  - Bilateral enlargement of the aortic valve ring for valve replacement in children.
      New operative technique.
AB  - We report a new technique for the bilateral enlargement of a small aortic anulus
      in two children by the insertion of a bifurcated teardrop-shaped Dacron fabric
      lined with a porcine pericardium. Our experience in two children indicates that
      this technique will permit the insertion of a prosthetic valve that is four sizes
      larger than that measured with the native anulus intact in children weighing
      around 15 kg. It entails no risk of distorting the mitral valve, damaging the
      conduction system, the main coronary arteries or their important trunks, or of
      leading to left ventricular dysfunction.

PMID- 1865696
TI  - Monitoring of mononuclear cell subsets isolated from the coronary sinus and the
      right atrium in patients after heart allograft transplantation.
AB  - The rejection of a transplanted heart leads to an accumulation of mononuclear
      cells in the cardiac tissue and to reactions of the antigen-recognizing cells
      with the foreign tissue. Consequently, during rejections immunologic changes,
      such as the number of mononuclear cells and the patterns of mononuclear cell
      subpopulations, should be detectable by analysis of mononuclear cells from the
      coronary sinus of transplanted hearts. Seventy-nine endomyocardial biopsies were
      performed in 37 patients. Severity of graft rejection was classified by the
      Billingham scheme. Thirty-two biopsy specimens showed no rejection, 33 mild, and
      14 moderate rejection. After endomyocardial biopsy the coronary sinus was
      catheterized under x-ray guidance. Heparinized blood samples were obtained from
      the coronary sinus and the right atrium, and mononuclear cell counts and
      subpopulation pattern were compared. Patients without rejection and patients with
      mild rejection showed no significant differences in the patterns of mononuclear
      cell subpopulation identified in right atrium blood. However, a significant (1.56
      fold) increase of mononuclear cells was assessed in the CS blood (p less than
      0.01). Moderate rejections showed a 4.2-fold augmentation of mononuclear cells in
      the coronary sinus (p less than 0.005) compared with nonrejections. In addition,
      the T-helper/inducer (CD4) percentage increased from 27.1% in the right atrium to
      41.2% in the coronary sinus (p less than 0.005), natural killer cells (CD16) from
      17.7% to 31.8% (p less than 0.005), and the interleukin 2 receptor-bearing cells
      from 6.6% to 15.3% (p less than 0.005). Percentage of pan-T cells (CD3), T
      cytotoxic/suppressor cells (CD8), and monocytes (CD14) showed no statistically
      significant changes. These findings correlated with grading according to
      endomyocardial biopsy. Using the ratio of values obtained from cells of the
      coronary sinus and the right atrium rendered the coronary sinus immunologic
      monitoring independent of changes in the administered immunosuppressive regimen.
      The specificity of the described method was as good as that of endomyocardial
      biopsy. It is concluded that the discrimination of the patterns of mononuclear
      cell subpopulations from right atrium versus coronary sinus blood samples is
      highly sensitive and allows the correct diagnosis of graft rejection within 1 to
      2 hours.

PMID- 1865697
TI  - Two-day preservation of major organs with autoperfusion multiorgan preparation
      and hibernation induction trigger. A preliminary report.
AB  - A new autoperfusion multiorgan preparation was studied in which the heart and
      lungs were removed with the liver, pancreas, duodenum, and both kidneys en bloc
      while being perfused by the heart and oxygenated by the lungs. A respirator with
      50% oxygen was used for ventilation. Fresh blood, glucose, electrolytes,
      mannitol, and antibiotics were given through the portal vein. Fifteen mongrel
      dogs were used. In the study group (seven dogs), 10 ml of plasma containing
      hibernation induction trigger, obtained from deeply hibernating woodchucks, was
      given intravenously 2 hours before the operation, and 4 ml was given every 4
      hours during the preservation period. In the control group (eight dogs), no
      hibernation induction trigger was used. Survival time in the study group ranged
      from 33 to 56 hours (mean 43.4 +/- 4.1 hours), longer than that of the control
      group, which was 9 to 31 hours (mean 16.2 +/- 2.6 hours, p less than 0.001). In
      the study group aortic systolic pressure ranged from 64 +/- 5 to 92 +/- 7 mm Hg,
      arterial oxygen tension from 180 +/- 35 to 285 +/- 66 mm Hg. Urine output ranged
      from 15 to 70 ml/hour. Blood urea nitrogen declined from 15.6 +/- 2.5 to 6.6 +/-
      1.3 mg/dl (p less than 0.01); creatinine declined from 0.8 +/- 0.03 to 0.3 +/-
      0.01 mg/dl (p less than 0.01). Severe liver congestion and premature renal
      failure occurred in the control group but did not occur in the study group. In
      the study group one lung was transplanted after 33 hours of preservation with
      simultaneous contralateral pulmonary artery ligation. Good lung function was
      maintained after transplantation. Although the exact mechanism by which
      hibernation induction trigger extends tissue survival time is still not clear,
      its effect on organ preservation is profound. This study also produced one of the
      longest average survival times for organ preservation.

PMID- 1865698
TI  - Long-term preservation of the mammalian myocardium. Effect of storage medium and
      temperature on the vulnerability to tissue injury.
AB  - Human heart preservation for transplantation commonly involves infusion of cold
      cardioplegic solutions and subsequent immersion in the same solution. The
      objectives of the present study were (1) to establish the temporal relationship
      between storage time (at 10 degrees C) and the postischemic recovery of function
      in the isolated rat heart, (2) to assess, by metabolic and functional
      measurements, whether storing the heart in fluid as opposed to moist air had any
      effect on the viability of the preparation, and (3) to ascertain the optimal
      storage temperature. Isolated rat hearts (at least 6 in each group) were infused
      for 3 minutes with St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2 at 10 degrees
      C, stored at 10 degrees C for 6, 12, 18, or 24 hours, and then reperfused at 37
      degrees C. Mechanical function, assessed by construction of pressure-volume
      curves (balloon volumes: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 microliters), was measured
      before ischemia and storage and after 60 minutes of reperfusion. Function
      deteriorated in a time-dependent manner; thus at a balloon volume of 60
      microliters the recovery of left ventricular developed pressure was 84.2% +/-
      5.3% after 6 hours (p = not significant when compared with preischemic control);
      69.1 +/- 3.3% after 12 hours (p less than 0.05); 55.6% +/- 4.4% after 18 hours (p
      less than 0.05), and 53.0% +/- 6.8% (p less than 0.05) after 24 hours of storage.
      Other indices of cardiac function, together with creatine kinase leakage and high
      energy phosphate content, supported these observations. Since the recovery of the
      left ventricular developed pressure balloon volume curves were essentially flat
      after 18 and 24 hours of storage, either 6 or 12 hours of storage were therefore
      used in subsequent studies. Comparison of storage environment (hearts either
      immersed in St. Thomas Hospital cardioplegic solution No. 2 or suspended in moist
      air at 10 degrees C for 6 or 12 hours) revealed no significant differences in
      functional recovery between the groups. Thus hearts recovered 94.9% +/- 3.5% and
      113.7% +/- 12.4%, respectively, after 6 hours of storage and 71.6% +/- 2.4% and
      54.2% +/- 7.9%, respectively, after 12 hours of storage. Enzyme leakage and
      tissue water gain were also similar in both groups of hearts. Finally, hearts (n
      = 6 per group) were subjected to 12 hours' storage at 1.0 degree, 5.0 degrees,
      7.5 degrees, 10.0 degrees, 12.5 degrees, 15.0 degrees, and 20.0 degrees
      C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1865699
TI  - Long-term follow-up after prosthetic replacement of the superior vena cava
      combined with resection of mediastinal-pulmonary malignant tumors.
AB  - The contraindication to curative excision of mediastinal and pulmonary cancers
      because of invasion of the superior vena cava is now challenged by the existence
      of vascular prostheses that are suitable for venous replacement. Between 1979 and
      1990 22 patients underwent resection of lung cancer (n = 6) or malignant
      mediastinal tumors (n = 16) involving the superior vena cava. Resection was done
      with concomitant venous reconstruction, and polytetrafluorethylene grafts were
      used. All bronchogenic carcinomas necessitated right pneumonectomy, whereas the
      excision of mediastinal tumors had to include pulmonary resections in nine
      patients (five lobectomies and four sublobar resections) and the right phrenic
      nerve in 12 patients. Venous reconstruction was performed by interposition of a
      large polytetrafluoroethylene graft between the proximal and cardiac ends of the
      superior vena cava (n = 8), or between one (n = 10) or both brachiocephalic veins
      (n = 4) and the right atrium. One patient died postoperatively (4.5%), and
      another had mediastinitis that was successfully treated by omentopexy.
      Chemotherapy was administered preoperatively to five patients and postoperatively
      to seven patients; radiotherapy was administered to two and 10 patients,
      respectively. The overall actuarial survival rate is 48% at 5 years, with 11
      patients presently alive. The survival rate of patients with mediastinal tumors
      is 60% at 5 years. Among the patients with lung cancer, two with N1 disease are
      alive at 16 and 51 months, and one died at 38 months; the two patients with N2
      disease died at 6 and 8 months. Only one graft occlusion occurred in the
      postoperative period; another occurred 14 months after operation and was
      precipitated by insertion of a central venous catheter. The patency of all
      remaining grafts was demonstrated after an average time of 23 (1 to 98) months.
      On the basis of these results, polytetrafluoroethylene graft replacement of the
      superior vena cava should be part of the planning and execution of radical
      excision with curative intent of mediastinal and right pulmonary malignant tumors
      that are not present with other contraindications, such as pleural or distant
      metastasis and severe systemic disease.

PMID- 1865700
TI  - Routine computed tomographic scans, selective mediastinoscopy, and other factors
      in evaluation of lung cancer.
AB  - Routine computed tomographic scan is advocated as the best noninvasive method of
      evaluating mediastinal nodes for cancer spread. Positive studies should be
      confirmed histologically. Large size, central location, unfavorable cell type,
      poor cellular differentiation of the primary cancer, and weight loss also
      correlate with increased likelihood of mediastinal involvement.

PMID- 1865701
TI  - Results of total cavopulmonary connection in the treatment of patients with a
      functional single ventricle.
AB  - Total cavopulmonary connection was proposed as a modification of the Fontan
      procedure that might have greater benefits than previous methods. To assess this
      procedure we reviewed case histories of 38 patients (aged 17 months to 30 years)
      who underwent Fontan procedures with cavopulmonary anastomoses between January
      1987 and December 1989. The group included 32 patients with univentricular heart,
      2 with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum, 3 with tricuspid atresia,
      and 1 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. One or more previous palliative
      procedures were performed in 34 patients, including 19 systemic-pulmonary shunts,
      16 pulmonary artery bandings, 7 atrial septectomies/septostomies, 7 Glenn shunts,
      and 1 patent ductus arteriosus ligation. Preoperative hemodynamics showed a
      pulmonary artery pressure of 12 mm Hg (range 6 to 22 mm Hg), pulmonary-systemic
      flow ratio of 1.6 (range 0.37 to 3.0), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure 9
      mm Hg (range 3 to 15 mm Hg), and systemic arterial oxygen saturation of 82%
      (range 67% to 94%). Concomitant with cavopulmonary connection, 13 patients
      underwent additional procedures, including 9 atrioventricular valve
      annuloplasties, 4 Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedures, and 2 resections of subaortic
      membranes. Modifying the Fontan procedure in this fashion was particularly useful
      in the management of 2 patients with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular
      septum who had right ventricular-dependent coronary blood flow. Cavopulmonary
      anastomosis and atrial septectomy were performed in both patients, with resultant
      inflow of oxygenated blood to the right ventricle and coronary arteries.
      Excellent postoperative results were noted in each. Postextubation hemodynamics
      for the entire group included a mean right atrial pressure of 13 mm Hg (range 11
      to 17 mm Hg), a mean left atrial pressure of 6 mm Hg (range 3 to 12 mm Hg), and a
      room air oxygen saturation of 96% (range 92% to 98%). Seven patients had pleural
      effusions, 3 required postoperative pacemaker placement, and 2 required
      reoperation for tamponade. A venous assist device was required in one patient on
      the second postoperative day, but the patient was weaned successfully within 24
      hours. One early death (2.6%) occurred in a patient who had intractable
      ventricular fibrillation 2 days after operation. There was one late cardiac death
      (2.7%) caused by ventricular failure and one late noncardiac death. These results
      demonstrate that total cavopulmonary connection provides excellent early
      definitive treatment, with low morbidity and mortality, for a variety of complex
      congenital heart lesions.

PMID- 1865702
TI  - Surgical management of the conal (supracristal) ventricular septal defect.
AB  - Surgical management of the conal (supracristal) ventricular septal defect differs
      significantly from the management of the perimembranous (infracristal)
      ventricular septal defect. The absence of a portion of the conal septum can lead
      to prolapse of the right cusp of the aortic valve, which predisposes these
      patients to aortic insufficiency. Between January 1980 and December 1989, 36
      children with conal ventricular septal defect underwent intracardiac repair.
      Diagnosis was by echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and intraoperative
      exploration. Preoperative evaluation showed that 26 patients (72%) had aortic
      valve prolapse and 16 (44%) had aortic insufficiency. Pulmonary-to-systemic flow
      ratios ranged from 1:1 to 3.5:1 (mean 2.0:1.0). Ten patients (27%) were believed
      to have clinical congestive heart failure. Age at the time of operation ranged
      from 2 weeks to 18 years (mean 5.5 years). Operative exposure was through the
      pulmonary artery (26), aorta (4), right ventricle (3), or right atrium (3).
      Simultaneous aortic valve suspension for aortic insufficiency was performed in
      four patients. Operative survival was 100%. Follow-up is complete in all patients
      and ranges from 0.5 to 9 years (mean 4.3 years). All patients are in normal sinus
      rhythm. No residual ventricular septal defects have been identified. Twenty-three
      of 36 patients (64%) have no evidence of aortic insufficiency; 12 of 36 (33%)
      have trivial or mild aortic insufficiency. One patient with initial severe aortic
      insufficiency underwent repeat aortic valvuloplasty 3 years after ventricular
      septal defect closure and aortic valve suspension. No patients have required
      aortic valve replacement. Surgical management of the conal ventricular septal
      defect differs from that of the perimembranous ventricular septal defect in two
      critical aspects. The operative approach should be through the pulmonary artery.
      This allows the best exposure of the remaining conal septum and the pulmonary and
      aortic valve leaflets, facilitating closure of the defect without injury to the
      valves or conduction system. Conal ventricular septal defects should undergo
      early closure, regardless of shunt volume, to prevent progressive aortic
      insufficiency.

PMID- 1865703
TI  - Myocardial reperfusion injury. Platelet-activating factor stimulates
      polymorphonuclear leukocyte hydrogen peroxide production during myocardial
      reperfusion.
AB  - To study the roles of platelet-activating factor, polymorphonuclear leukocytes,
      and oxygen free radicals in myocardial reperfusion injury, we subjected 10 sheep
      to 90 minutes of mid-left anterior descending coronary artery followed by 6 hours
      of reperfusion. Stainings with gentian violet and tetratriphenyl ammonium
      chloride demonstrated 20% +/- 3% of the left ventricular mass at risk for
      ischemia, of which 75% +/- 10% underwent infarction. Coronary sinus blood was
      assayed for platelet-activating factor and neutrophil hydrogen peroxide
      production before and during coronary occlusion and during reperfusion. Platelet
      activating factor was isolated by column chromatography and lipid extraction and
      quantified by radioimmunoassay. Neutrophil hydrogen peroxide production was
      measured by a 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein flow-cytometric assay. Platelet
      activating factor was elevated to 899 +/- 210 pg/ml at 15 minutes of reperfusion,
      compared with the preocclusion level of 271 +/- 55 pg/ml and coronary occlusion
      level of 359 +/- 64 pg/ml (p less than 0.05; analysis of variance). Neutrophil
      hydrogen peroxide production, measured on a relative fluorescence scale, was also
      elevated to a level of 141 +/- 27 at 1 hour of reperfusion, compared with the
      preocclusion level of 103 +/- 6 and the coronary occlusion level of 114 +/- 13 (p
      less than 0.01; analysis of variance). Both of these parameters returned toward
      baselines at the end of 6 hours of reperfusion. Histologic examination revealed
      infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the interstitium of the
      reperfused myocardium. Neutrophils isolated from unoperated and healthy sheep
      demonstrated a graded dose response in hydrogen peroxide production when
      stimulated by purified platelet-activating factor in vitro. These findings
      suggest that platelet-activating factor is released in the coronary circulation
      and is a mediator of oxygen free radical production in polymorphonuclear
      leukocytes during myocardial reperfusion.

PMID- 1865704
TI  - Invited letter concerning: neutrophil activation during cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID- 1865705
TI  - Modification of De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty.

PMID- 1865706
TI  - Exit block in pediatric cardiac pacing.

PMID- 1865707
TI  - Coronary artery bypass graft in the elderly.

PMID- 1865708
TI  - Reply to invited letter concerning: neonatal aortic stenosis. The balloon
      deflated? (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1990;100:927-89)

PMID- 1865709
TI  - Median sternotomy for high-risk patients with bilateral pulmonary disease: a case
      report.

PMID- 1865710
TI  - Wife abuse during pregnancy: a nursing research study.

PMID- 1865711
TI  - [Treatment of basalioma].

PMID- 1865712
TI  - [Foreign models can help us to estimate the costs of health care services].

PMID- 1865713
TI  - [Create a central unit to support abused children].

PMID- 1865714
TI  - [Why increase the indications for Zovirax?].

PMID- 1865715
TI  - [Free interpretations of facts on the HIV epidemic among drug addicts].

PMID- 1865716
TI  - [Is vaccination against pregnancy a way to stop overpopulation in the world?].

PMID- 1865717
TI  - [Clozapine treatment in schizophrenia. A safety system is needed to prevent side
      effects].

PMID- 1865718
TI  - [Mutation diagnosis is a possibility for the half of the families with acute
      intermittent porphyria].

PMID- 1865719
TI  - [Congenital heart defects among children are surveyed in a Swedish registry].

PMID- 1865720
TI  - [It is possible to discover tendencies through registry studies: the most
      difficult injuries are strongly increasing according to the Patient Insurance
      Registry].

PMID- 1865721
TI  - [Curettage and cryosurgery as a safe method for treatment of non-melanoma skin
      cancer of the nose and ear].
AB  - Treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer of the nose and ear is often complicated.
      In the article is described combination treatment with thorough curettage and
      cryosurgery of 125 tumours, 98 of the nose and 27 of the ear, with no recurrence
      during a mean follow-up of 25 months.

PMID- 1865722
TI  - [Lobac caused a life-threatening burn-like skin injury].

PMID- 1865723
TI  - [Guidelines on nursing ethics, more knowledge, increased consciousness as results
      of a project on ethics in a primary health care district].

PMID- 1865724
TI  - [Compulsory isolation of HIV-positive persons--why is it so difficult to agree?].

PMID- 1865725
TI  - [Antibiotics containing pivalic acid and carnitine deficiency. A report of the
      present status--therapeutic recommendations].

PMID- 1865726
TI  - Laser midline glossectomy as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
AB  - Multiple site specific procedures have been proposed to treat obstructive sleep
      apnea syndrome (OSAS). Midline glossectomy (MLG) is a procedure that directly
      enlarges the hypopharyngeal airspace using the carbon dioxide laser. The initial
      experience of 12 patients is presented. Midline glossectomy as the sole procedure
      was performed on 11 patients who had failed uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and
      who were felt to have significant hypopharyngeal collapse on physical examination
      and Muller's maneuver. One patient with primary hypopharyngeal narrowing
      underwent MLG. Five (42%) were considered responders with Respiratory Disturbance
      Index (RDI) decreasing from 60.6 per hour to 14.5 per hour. In seven
      nonresponders, there was no significant change in the RDI (62.6 events per hour
      to 48.4 events per hour). Cephalometric analysis showed that responders tended to
      be more retrognathic (sella-nasion-supramentale (S-N-B = 74.4 degrees)) than
      nonresponders (S-N-B = 79.3 degrees). Responders were significantly less obese
      (body mass index (BMI = 30.6)) than nonresponders (BMI = 37.9). There were five
      minor complications including minor bleeding (n = 3), prolonged odynophagia (n =
      1), and minor change in taste (n = 1). There were no major complications, and no
      persistent difficulties with speech or swallowing. These results demonstrate that
      direct surgical modification of the tongue base and associated structures can
      significantly impact obstructive apnea. Midline glossectomy or similar procedures
      may be useful in a subset of patients with OSAS.

PMID- 1865727
TI  - Stapedectomy: long-term hearing results.
AB  - The initial improvement in hearing following stapedectomy usually deteriorates
      with the passage of time. We studied the long-term results of stapedectomies
      performed on 42 patients (49 ears) between 1959 and 1969 who had a minimum follow
      up of 18 years. Both air conduction (AC) and bone conduction (BC) thresholds
      progressively deteriorated over the long term. The degree of BC loss paralleled
      that expected from presbycusis alone. A greater deterioration was noted in the AC
      levels, producing a recurrent conductive hearing loss in the speech frequencies.
      Age at the time of surgery had no effect on the long-term outcome. Comparison of
      the average preoperative speech discrimination scores (SDS) to the 1-year
      postoperative SDS and the long-term SDS revealed a 1.1% and 16.7% drop,
      respectively. The improvement in the average speech reception threshold (SRT)
      obtained 1 year postoperatively deteriorated by less than 1 dB per year over the
      long term. Patients with a higher SDS (more than 95%) preoperatively fared better
      in the maintenance of speech discrimination than those with a lower SDS (less
      than 95%). The preoperative SRT level was predictive of the timing for the
      requirement of hearing amplification. The postoperative SRT level was predictive
      of the timing for the requirement of hearing amplification. The caused by
      presbycusis, combined with a recurrent conductive loss in the speech frequencies
      rather than cochlear otosclerosis. Although the decline in hearing following
      stapedectomy exceeds the rate of hearing loss due to presbycusis, many
      individuals, after successful stapes surgery, are able to delay the need for
      hearing amplification for longer periods than had been previously reported.

PMID- 1865728
TI  - Allergic fungal sinusitis: problems in diagnosis and treatment.
AB  - Although first described in 1983, allergic Aspergillus sinusitis (AAS) has yet to
      gain wide recognition among otolaryngologists and pathologists. We have treated
      three patients with a history of asthma, nasal polyposis, and recurrent
      pansinusitis who fit the description of allergic Aspergillus sinusitis.
      Histopathologically, mucinous material with abundant eosinophils and Charcot
      Leyden crystals ("allergic mucin") is interspersed with fungal hyphae.
      Immunologic characteristics include serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) elevation,
      increased RAST classes, and cutaneous reactivity to molds. A retrospective
      analysis of the histopathology of 82 patients with chronic sinusitis was also
      undertaken. Eleven additional patients with classic allergic mucin were
      identified, but were found to be without evidence of fungal elements. The
      clinical features of all 14 patients are reviewed revealing the spectrum of
      disease. The difficulties of diagnosis and a therapeutic protocol which includes
      wide local debridement and postoperative use of systemic steroids are discussed.

PMID- 1865729
TI  - Ciprofloxacin: drug of choice in the treatment of malignant external otitis
      (MEO).
AB  - Ciprofloxacin, a fluorinated quinolone with high efficacy against Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa, was used in the treatment of 10 consecutive patients with malignant
      external otitis. All patients had skull base osteomyelitis documented by nuclear
      and computed tomography (CT) scans. Dosages of 1.5 g of ciprofloxacin daily were
      used for a mean average of 10 weeks. All patients were considered cured with a
      minimum follow-up of 18 months after completion of therapy. A new classification
      of malignant external otitis (MEO) is presented.

PMID- 1865730
TI  - A new approach to serial monitoring of ultra-high frequency hearing.
AB  - Early detection of drug-induced hearing loss is best accomplished by monitoring
      hearing at the ultra-high frequencies. Unfortunately, at these frequencies, sound
      pressure at the tympanic membrane (TM) critically depends on the placement of the
      sound source and on the size and shape of each individual external ear. Thus,
      presentation of the same sound may yield substantially different sound pressures
      in different ears. Moreover, only a slight change in the position of an earphone
      may yield large changes in sound pressure at the tympanic membrane. As a
      consequence of these characteristics, the reliability of ultra-high-frequency
      audiometry is poorer than at conventional audiometric frequencies. However, for
      the early detection of ototoxicity, it is necessary only to monitor for increases
      in thresholds. Accordingly, a sound-delivery system was developed which fixes the
      relative position of the sound source and the ear. This system ensures that
      sounds at the same level may be presented during different test sessions. To
      assess the stability of ultra-high-frequency thresholds, normal hearing subjects
      were tested in sessions separated by several weeks. Thresholds were obtained
      between 1 and 16 kHz and were found to be reliable. It is concluded that this
      type of system can be used for monitoring the ototoxic effects of drug therapy.

PMID- 1865731
TI  - Lightning and its effects on the auditory system.
AB  - Patients struck by lightning can present with a wide variety of unusual otologic
      problems including burns to the external auditory canal, tympanic membrane
      rupture, middle ear injury, and sensorineural hearing loss. Four patients who
      incurred various otologic problems, including one patient with previously
      unreported bilateral oval window fistulas following lightning injury, are
      presented. Audiologic, otologic, and surgical findings are reviewed as well as
      patient follow-up and outcome.

PMID- 1865732
TI  - Facial nerve trauma: optimal timing for repair.
AB  - Due to the uncertainty of optimal timing for facial nerve repair after severe
      trauma, a study was designed to investigate facial nerve repair in micro-pigs by
      grafting at intervals after nerve transection ranging from 0 to 90 days.
      Following adequate time for regeneration, it was possible to electrically
      stimulate across the nerve graft in all animals. No significant difference
      existed between operative groups for electrophysiologic testing. Axon counts
      demonstrated a trend toward a lower regeneration rate in more delayed grafts.
      This trend and the ease of grafting with less scar and nerve stump resection
      suggest that the best results may be obtained with grafting as early as possible.
      Grafting at 21 days, the peak of neuron cell-body metabolic activity, did not
      produce better results. Since statistically significant differences do not exist
      between individual groups, grafting several months after trauma can be
      successful, if medically necessary.

PMID- 1865733
TI  - The role of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle in phonation: an
      electromyographic investigation in dogs.
AB  - The activity of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle during respiration has been
      well investigated electromyographically. Its activity during phonation, however,
      has not been studied systematically. We, therefore, focused our attention on the
      phonatory activity of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle to confirm whether it
      also contracts during phonation, as has been reported by some researchers. In our
      series of 12 adult dogs, the posterior cricoarytenoid was active in 11 dogs and
      inactive in one dog during phonation. Our present study also showed that the
      posterior cricoarytenoid activity was stronger for phonation than for inspiration
      in 6, stronger for inspiration than for phonation in 3, and the same for
      phonation and inspiration in 2 dogs. The results obtained from the present
      electromyographic evaluation demonstrated that the posterior cricoarytenoid is
      activated during phonation. The authors believe that the posterior cricoarytenoid
      muscle has phonatory function and that the phonatory effect of this muscle on the
      vocal cord may play an important role in precise glottis control.

PMID- 1865734
TI  - Singular neurectomy update. II. Review of 102 cases.
AB  - During the past 18 years, 102 singular neurectomies (SN) were performed on 95
      patients with chronic cupulolithiasis of the posterior canal sense organ.
      Bilateral sequential singular neurectomies were performed in 7 patients and
      unilateral singular neurectomies in 88 patients. Ninety-nine (97%) of the 102
      singular neurectomies completely eliminated the positional nystagmus and vertigo
      produced by the involved (undermost) ear in the Hallpike maneuver. Following
      three singular neurectomies (3%), there was improvement but incomplete relief
      from the positional nystagmus. A sensorineural hearing loss caused by the
      singular neurectomies occurred in four patients (4%). A thorough knowledge of the
      surgical and histologic anatomy of the round window niche and singular canal,
      together with the use of local anesthesia to allow monitoring of a vestibular
      response to singular neurectomy are essential for effectiveness and safety.

PMID- 1865735
TI  - The nasal septum in relation to the development of the nasomaxillary complex: a
      study in identical twins.
AB  - The influence of the nasal septum and respiration, evaluated by the total nasal
      resistance (TR) on the development of the nasomaxillary complex, was studied in
      42 identical twins. An understanding of this influence is important for a
      determination of whether surgery involving the nose should be performed in
      children. Comparison within and between twins with different septal deformities
      indicated that the cartilaginous nasal septum influences the development of the
      nose and the anteroposterior dimensions of the maxilla. Anterior septal
      deformities resulted in underdeveloped cartilaginous noses and a shorter
      anteroposterior dimension for the maxilla. No relation was found with regard to
      posterior septal deformities, which may be considered as part of the development
      of the midface. Vertical dimensions of the face were related to TR. Increased
      values of TR were significantly related to a shorter maxillary height. This may
      not express a causal relationship but rather genetically determined shorter
      facial dimensions.

PMID- 1865736
TI  - Wide vertical hemipharyngolaryngectomy with immediate glottic and pharyngeal
      reconstruction using a radial forearm free flap: preliminary results.
AB  - We propose a new technique of wide vertical hemipharyngolaryngectomy which
      combines resection of laterally localized extended pharyngolaryngeal tumors with
      immediate microsurgical reconstruction using a radial forearm free flap,
      including the tendon of the palmaris longus. It eliminates the limitations of
      resections, which are usually performed to avoid closure difficulties of the
      resulting defect. In addition, the new technique avoids the use of tumor
      neighboring structures for closure, fulfilling the oncological principles of
      surgery performed in this region. Our preliminary results show good restored
      deglutition and phonation. Postoperative irradiation does not seem to affect
      these results.

PMID- 1865737
TI  - Otologic sequelae after pneumococcal meningitis: a survey of 164 consecutive
      cases with a follow-up of 94 survivors.
AB  - As part of a comprehensive study on sequelae after pneumococcal meningitis, 94 of
      111 consecutive survivors were re-examined 4 to 16 years after discharge. Twenty
      three patients had otological sequelae after pneumococcal meningitis. In these
      patients, 17 had hearing losses, 7 had tinnitus, 9 had vertigo, 13 had vestibular
      areflexia, 4 had loss of smell, and 3 had loss of taste. Among the patients with
      hearing loss, 4 were bilaterally deaf, 6 were unilaterally deaf, and 2 had mild
      and 5 had slight hearing losses. From correlations with extensive data from the
      medical records, preadmission antibiotic treatment appeared to protect from
      acousticovestibular damage. Purulent otitis media and otosurgical intervention
      did not correlate to the fatality rate or the development of sequelae. Acute
      purulent otitis media appeared as a concomitant manifestation, rather than the
      focus of pneumococcal meningitis.

PMID- 1865738
TI  - Otoplasty: critical review of clinical results.
AB  - Although it is generally believed that otoplasty provides uniformly gratifying
      results, thorough patient follow-up reviews are quite rare. Otoplasty surgery
      performed on 119 ears was retrospectively reviewed to assess the results of our
      cartilage-sparing technique. This method of otoplasty relies on a conchal set
      back and suture transfixation technique to improve the antihelical contour.
      Auricular medialization averaged 10.3 mm. Over-correction is required,
      particularly in the superior pole, as loss of correction with healing was
      approximately 40% of the initial medialization. Revision surgery due to loss of
      correction was necessary for 6.6% of the ears initially operated on by the senior
      author. Patients who presented following cartilage-cutting procedures tended to
      have a higher rate of revision and persistent postoperative stigmata.
      Complications in general were few; however, mersilene suture extrusion occurred
      in 8% of ears. Only one of these required revision surgery for associated loss of
      correction. Despite these drawbacks, over 95% of patients achieved satisfactory
      results using cartilage-sparing otoplasty techniques.

PMID- 1865739
TI  - Facial reanimation after acoustic neuroma excision: the patient's perspective.
AB  - Facial reanimation after acoustic neuroma excision is currently accomplished
      using a variety of surgical techniques. A multi-institutional survey of patient
      perceptions of facial reanimation success was accomplished by mailing a
      questionnaire to 809 randomly selected members of the Acoustic Neuroma
      Association. Four hundred sixty patients who underwent 296 reanimation procedures
      responded. Facial to hypoglossal nerve anastomosis, tarsorrhaphy, and upper
      eyelid implants were most frequently performed. The patient's estimations of
      initial deficit, spontaneous recovery, and overall satisfaction with the
      reanimation procedures are discussed.

PMID- 1865740
TI  - The lymphocyte transformation test with type II collagen as a diagnostic tool of
      autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss.
AB  - Immunological disorders of the cellular type can be diagnosed by the lymphocyte
      transformation test (LTT). An autoimmune mechanism of certain cases of
      sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can be evaluated by using human inner ear
      tissue as an antigen. Recent studies have shown that type II collagen plays an
      important role, not only in some autoimmune mediated rheumatoid diseases, but
      also as an antigenic substrate of inner ear tissue in autoimmune sensorineural
      hearing loss. This paper deals with results of the lymphocyte transformation test
      using type II collagen as antigen in 68 patients with progressive sensorineural
      hearing loss (PSNHL) and 68 healthy volunteers. Thirty-four patients showed a
      strong stimulation in the lymphocyte transformation test, in contrast to only
      four volunteers in the control group, two of whom had a history of rheumatoid
      arthritis.

PMID- 1865741
TI  - Surgical treatment of chronic otitis media and Meniere's syndrome.
AB  - Meniere's symptom-complex in conjunction with chronic otitis media (COM) has
      occasionally been encountered in otologic practice. This study compares the
      effects of various surgical techniques on patients with COM and Meniere's
      syndrome, primarily on incapacitating vertigo. One group of patients with
      incapacitating vertigo received endolymphatic system drainage procedures, either
      endolymphatic sac surgery (83 patients) or cochleosacculotomy (12 patients)
      simultaneously with surgery for COM. Another group (14 patients) had surgery for
      COM only. A comparison of the results for vertigo control between the two
      approaches indicates a significant difference in success rate in favor of
      endolymphatic system drainage procedures (80% versus 20%). COM is regarded as one
      of the causes of endolymphatic hydrops (EH). The results of this study seem to
      indicate both 1. the likelihood of the cause-and-effect relationship between COM
      and EH, and 2. the effectiveness of endolymphatic shunting procedures on control
      of incapacitating vertigo, thus supporting the contentions of other authors with
      regard to pathogenesis and sac enhancement in patients with COM and Meniere's
      syndrome.

PMID- 1865742
TI  - P300 response to tones and speech sounds after cochlear implant: a case report.
AB  - P300 potentials evoked by tones and spoken words were recorded from a 20-year-old
      man with a House-3M single-channel cochlear implant. Three months after cochlear
      implantation, there was a slight appearance of P300 response to both pure-tone
      stimuli and spoken-word stimuli; 6 months later, clearly identifiable P300
      response to both pure-tone stimuli and spoken-word stimuli were obtained. These
      results are consistent with an encoding improvement for re-establishment of
      information processing after auditory rehabilitation.

PMID- 1865743
TI  - A safe technique for frontal sinus osteoplastic flap.

PMID- 1865744
TI  - A method for the treatment of abductor spasmodic dysphonia with botulinum toxin
      injections: a preliminary report.
AB  - A preliminary technical report of the effective treatment of abductor spasmodic
      dysphonia with botulinum toxin is presented. Our technique attempts to place the
      toxin close to the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle to allow diffusion of the
      material to the PCA. Our pilot study demonstrates that botulinum toxin is an
      effective approach for reducing or eliminating the abductor glottal spasms during
      phonation and, thereby, providing functional speech communication.

PMID- 1865745
TI  - Meniere's disease.

PMID- 1865746
TI  - Nicotinic action of anatoxin-a on guinea pig ileum antagonized by thymopentin.
AB  - (+)-Anatoxin-a (ANTX) stimulated guinea pig ileum contraction with a potency
      similar to that of acetylcholine (ACh); the stimulation was blocked by
      tubocurarine, hexamethonium, or atropine. Although the contraction stimulated by
      ANTX was blocked by atropine, no specific inhibition of the binding of [3H]N
      methylscopolamine to ileum membranes was observed in the presence of ANTX.
      Furthermore, ANTX failed to stimulate the secretion of alpha-amylase from
      pancreatic acinar cells, a process that is activated by cholinergic agonists at
      the muscarinic receptors. When the ileum itself was stimulated by ACh, the
      contraction was not blocked by either hexamethonium or tubocurarine.
      Preincubation of the ileum with hemicholinium caused a 50% reduction in the
      ability of ANTX to stimulate contraction. Based upon these data, it was inferred
      that ANTX binds to postganglionic synaptic nicotinic receptors in the ileum, thus
      releasing endogenous ACh, which in turn causes ileum contraction by interacting
      with the postsynaptic muscarinic receptors. It was also observed that thymopentin
      (TP-5), a pentapeptide corresponding to positions 32-36 of thymopoietin, blocked
      the stimulation of ileum contraction by ANTX.

PMID- 1865747
TI  - The effects of race on norepinephrine clearance.
AB  - Eighteen normotensive and 19 unmedicated hypertensive black and white male
      subjects were studied twice, during a 10 meq sodium diet for 5 days and a 200 meq
      sodium diet for 4 days. The subjects received an infusion of 3H-norepinephrine
      (3H-NE) during both low and high sodium diets to measure NE clearance. Dietary
      sodium and blood pressure classification had no effect on 3H-NE clearance.
      Infusion of pressor doses of NE also failed to alter 3H-NE clearance. Both
      normotensive and hypertensive blacks had increased 3H-NE clearance rates (p less
      than .001). The increased rate of 3H-NE clearance among blacks was not affected
      by alterations in dietary sodium or by pressor doses of NE. Increased NE
      clearance by blacks may help explain observations that white hypertensives in the
      age range we studied (25-46 years) have elevated plasma NE levels, while blacks
      have normal NE levels.

PMID- 1865748
TI  - Diurnal variations of serum beta 2-microglobulin in multiple myeloma.
AB  - The chronobiological circadian behaviour in serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin
      has been investigated in three groups of subjects: (A) 6 healthy controls; (B) 6
      patients with untreated multiple myeloma; (C) 6 patients with multiple myeloma in
      complete remission after polychemotherapy. From all subjects, under the same
      standard life conditions, venous blood samples were drawn at 4-hour intervals
      starting from midnight during the span of a whole day. Circulating serum beta 2
      microglobulin levels were determined by RIA method. The time-related data were
      analyzed by chronograms and the "mean-group cosinor" method. A significant
      circadian rhythm for serum beta 2-microglobulin was detected in the control
      group, with a peak in the morning hours, and in untreated patients, with a peak
      in the afternoon hours. No significant rhythm was found in treated patients with
      multiple myeloma. A significant mesor reduction was noted in patients with
      complete remission, correlated with the absence of circadian rhythm, in respect
      to untreated patients. These data suggest that serum levels of beta 2
      microglobulin could be related to the neoplastic plasma cell proliferation and to
      the effect of therapy, and that the circadian evaluation could be used as a guide
      in monitoring myeloma patients.

PMID- 1865749
TI  - Metabolic effects of cyanate on mice at sea level and in chronic hypobaric
      hypoxia.
AB  - In order to evaluate the toxic effects of Sodium Cyanate (NaOCN), it was orally
      administered to growing mice at sea level (SL-CN) and to mice chronically exposed
      to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH-CN). The effects on body weight, in-vivo
      O2 consumption (VO2) and the respiratory function of liver mitochondria were
      evaluated. At sea level, the animals on cyanate lost weight in contrast with the
      controls that gained weight. When exposed to IHH, the controls lost weight and
      the animals on cyanate regained weight. After 2 months observation the weights of
      the IHH-CN and IHH-C were similar. The VO2 after one month of treatment was
      similar in the SL-C and in the SL-CN but it was lower in the IHH-CN when compared
      with IHH-C. The substrate-stimulated respiration of isolated liver mitochondria
      (ST4) was not affected by NaOCN, but the ADP-stimulated respiration (ST3) was
      reduced. The ratio ST3/ST4 (RCR) was also lower. These changes were present in
      both SL and in IHH and were much larger after three months of treatment. The
      toxic effects of chronic administration of NaOCN are discussed.

PMID- 1865750
TI  - Low pH medium induces calcium dependent release of CGRP from sensory nerves of
      guinea-pig dural venous sinuses.
AB  - Low pH medium has been shown to activate the 'efferent' function of capsaicin
      sensitive primary sensory neurons. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is
      released from capsaicin-sensitive afferents of guinea-pig superior sagittal and
      transverse sinuses (SSTS), by capsaicin or bradykinin. Here, we report that low
      pH medium produces a remarkable release of CGRP from SSTS, which was dependent on
      the concentration of hydrogen ions of the medium (pH 7-5). Moreover, the pH 5
      evoked release of CGRP-LI was markedly reduced (by about 70%) in a calcium-free
      medium containing 1 mM EDTA or abolished in samples pre-exposed to 10 microM
      capsaicin. The present observation that lowering of the pH promotes release of a
      powerful vasoactive peptide from perivascular capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves
      may have some relevance in the pathophysiology of brain injury and migraine
      headaches.

PMID- 1865751
TI  - Long term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on bone in rats.
AB  - Prenatal exposure to cocaine has been shown to produce a variety of effects on
      skeletal development and mineralization in humans, mice, and rats. The effects of
      cocaine on bone cell function and mineral metabolism pre- and postnatally are
      poorly understood. The present study examined the long term effects of prenatal
      cocaine exposure on femoral growth and mineralization in male rats. Pregnant rats
      were given 80 or 100 mg cocaine hydrochloride/kg during days 7-20 of gestation.
      At birth, body weights of pups born to these females were significantly decreased
      compared to normal and pair-fed controls. At the termination of the study (32
      weeks), body weights of offspring from C100-treated females were still lower than
      normal. Long term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on femoral growth were
      most pronounced in offspring of C80-treated females. Femur dry weight, ash
      weight, organic matrix weight and density were significantly reduced in these
      animals compared to normal or pair-fed controls. The apparent osteopenic effects
      of prenatal exposure to cocaine suggests some long term postnatal impact on bone
      cell or mineral metabolism. Previous studies of cocaine use during pregnancy in
      humans and animals have focused primarily on physical and behavioral defects in
      offspring. The present findings indicate that prenatal exposure to cocaine may
      also have long term consequences to the skeleton.

PMID- 1865752
TI  - Diazepam administered prior to coronary artery occlusion increases latency to
      ventricular fibrillation.
AB  - Few studies have addressed the antiarrhythmic potential of pretreatment with
      diazepam in acute myocardial infarction. Thus, the effect of diazepam
      pretreatment prior to coronary artery occlusion was examined in conscious pigs.
      Animals were instrumented with aortic catheters to measure arterial pressure, a
      pulmonary artery catheter for drug administration, and a snare around the left
      anterior descending coronary artery for permanent occlusion one week later.
      Diazepam (1 mg/kg iv bolus) or vehicle was administered 10 minutes prior to
      occlusion. Eight of 14 animals receiving diazepam (57%) and 13 of 22 receiving
      vehicle animals (59%) developed ventricular fibrillation following coronary
      occlusion. However, the latency to ventricular fibrillation was significantly
      shorter (7 +/- 1 min) in animals receiving vehicle compared to animals receiving
      diazepam (11 +/- 1 min). Significant increases in heart rate were seen up to 5
      hours after coronary occlusion only in animals receiving vehicle. The results
      indicate that diazepam pretreatment can increase ventricular fibrillation latency
      and prevent heart rate increases following acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1865753
TI  - D1 agonist SKF 38393 antagonizes pentobarbital-induced narcosis and depression of
      hippocampal and cortical cholinergic activity in rats.
AB  - SKF 38393 (5 mg/kg), but not quinpirole, shortened the duration of loss of
      righting reflex produced in pentobarbital-narcotized rats. This effect was
      blocked by atropine (2 mg/kg), but not by atropine methylbromide, suggesting
      involvement of central cholinergic mechanisms. The analeptic effect was also
      blocked by SCH 23390 (0.2 mg/kg) or raclopride (2 mg/kg). SKF 38393 also
      increased sodium dependent high affinity choline uptake (HACU) in cortical and
      hippocampal synaptosomes that had been depressed by pentobarbital. SCH 23390 or
      raclopride prevented the SKF 38393 reversal of the depressed HACU, indicating
      that both D1 and D2 mechanisms were involved mediating the analeptic effect.
      These results provide neurochemical evidence that cortical and hippocampal D1
      mediated cholinergic activation results in a behavioral arousal (analeptic)
      response. They also suggest that DA mechanisms may be involved in regulation of
      cortical and hippocampal cholinergic neurons.

PMID- 1865754
TI  - Human serum stimulates endothelin-1 synthesis more potently than prostacyclin
      production by cultured vascular endothelial cells.
AB  - Human serum stimulated the synthesis of a vasoconstrictive peptide, endothelin-1
      (ET-1), and a vasodilatory prostanoid, prostacyclin (PGI2), by cultured human
      umbilical vein endothelial cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.
      Incubation in 20% concentration of the serum for 24 h stimulated ET-1 synthesis
      almost six-fold while PGI2 production increased two-fold. In addition, a tumor
      promoting phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), inhibited the
      serum-induced ET-1 production and stimulated PGI2 synthesis in a concentration-
      and time-dependent manner. Our results suggest that human serum derived factor(s)
      stimulate the production of vasoconstrictive ET-1 more potently than the
      synthesis of vasodilatory PGI2 by human vascular endothelial cells and that the
      production of these agents is differentially regulated by PMA.

PMID- 1865755
TI  - Urinary excretion of digoxin-like immunoreactive factor and arginine-vasopressin
      in rats after several osmotic loads.
AB  - Urinary digoxin-like immunoreactive factor (DLIF), arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and
      other urinary parameters were investigated under normal conditions and after the
      i.p. injection of the following solutions: distilled water, isotonic and
      hypertonic NaCl, NaHCO3, KCl and urea, at a rate of 3 ml/100 g body weight. The
      measurement of digoxin-like immunoreactivity by two different radioimmunoassays
      showed that DLIF was stimulated by all volume loads regardless of the presence or
      absence of osmolar compounds. This dissociation between DLIF and urinary sodium
      excretion suggests that DLIF may not constitute the natriuretic hormone.
      Moreover, a dissociation between DLIF and AVP excretion also were found, which
      speaks against the hypothesis of a common mechanism of stimulation for both
      substances.

PMID- 1865756
TI  - Assay of circulating hyaluronic acid in the rat: study of diurnal variation and
      effect of anesthesia.
AB  - Serum hyaluronic acid (HA) may provide a good marker for the severity of joint
      disease in the rat since a positive correlation was observed in experimental
      models of arthritis. However, little is known about its physiological variation
      in rats. In the present work, we do not find any circadian rhythm of HA in
      healthy Sprague-Dawley rats in contrast to that observed in humans, whose serum
      levels vary during daytime. Furthermore, the influence of blood sampling
      conditions on HA concentrations was evaluated in conscious animals and by using
      different anesthetics. The greater reproducibility for the assay of HA is
      observed with the intracardiac puncture under ether inhalation. Blood sample
      collection in the absence of anesthesia leads to a significant increase in serum
      levels of HA, which could be attributed partly to enhanced joint movements
      generated by psychological stress.

PMID- 1865757
TI  - Incorporation of xenobiotic carboxylic acids into lipids.
AB  - Over thirty-six different xenobiotic carboxylic acids have been reported to form
      xenobiotic lipids. The majority form triacylglycerol analogs or cholesterol
      esters with fewer reports of polar lipids being formed. As yet there is
      insufficient information to deduce a relationship between the structure of the
      xenobiotic acid and its activity as a substrate for lipid biosynthesis, although
      the ability to form a CoA ester appears to be important. The action of
      monoacylglycerol acyltransferase, diacylglycerol acyltransferase, lecithin
      cholesterol acyltransferase and a carboxylesterase in synthesizing xenobiotic
      lipids has been demonstrated. One xenobiotic lipid has been shown to be the cause
      of granulomatous changes and there are some indications that others may prove to
      be of toxicological or pharmacological significance. Detailed investigations into
      several aspects of xenobiotic lipid biochemistry are still required.

PMID- 1865758
TI  - 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3-induced 45CA uptake in vascular myocytes cultured from
      spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.
AB  - The effect of 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 on basal 45Ca uptake was examined in vascular
      smooth muscle cells cultured from mesenteric arteries of spontaneously
      hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) normotensive rats. Basal uptake of 45Ca
      was significantly greater in myocytes of WKY than SHR at 5, 10, 30 and 60 min
      incubation with the isotope. Incubation with 1 ng/ml 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 for 48
      hr increased basal 45Ca uptake between 1-10 min in SHR and between 5-10 min in
      WKY. The dose-response relationship indicated that cells from both strains are
      equally sensitive to the calciotropic effects of 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 with half
      maximal stimulation occurring at approximately 0.3-0.4 ng/ml. In cells of both
      strains maximal stimulation of 45Ca uptake was achieved only after a 12-24 hr
      period of incubation with hormone and pretreatment with cycloheximide inhibited
      1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3-enhanced 45Ca uptake. Although 45Ca binding by
      extracellular matrix material was significantly greater in WKY than SHR, 1,25
      (OH)2 vitamin D3 had no effect on the amount of matrix 45Ca binding in either
      strain. These results suggest that 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 induces an increase in
      intracellular protein synthesis that results in enhanced 45Ca uptake. The similar
      responses of the two strains indicate that hypertensive smooth muscle is not more
      sensitive to 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 and the Ca2+ response is a general property of
      vascular muscle.

PMID- 1865759
TI  - Serum interleukin-6 in schizophrenic patients.
AB  - We examined serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) in 90 schizophrenic patients in remission
      and 90 normal controls using enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA). We found
      a significant difference in variation between the schizophrenic and the control
      groups (F = 10.9, P less than .002). The difference in distribution was also
      statistically significant by Kolmogorov-Smirnov (chi-square = 45.0, P less than
      .001). Eight patients had aberrantly high serum levels of interleukin-6. Since
      the higher levels of IL-6 are characteristically found in several autoimmune
      disorders, our finding suggests a link between schizophrenia and immune response,
      which could be either autoimmune or a process induced by reactivation of viruses.

PMID- 1865760
TI  - Chronic prenatal nicotine exposure sensitizes rat brain to acute postnatal
      nicotine challenge as assessed with ornithine decarboxylase.
AB  - Prenatal exposure to nicotine has been shown to produce postnatal up-regulation
      of central nervous system nicotinic receptors and to alter subsequent
      differentiation of neural tissues. In the current study, pregnant rats received
      nicotine infusions of 6 mg/kg/day throughout gestation, administered by osmotic
      minipump implants; the postnatal development of cholinergic receptor reactivity
      was examined through measurements of the ability of acute nicotine administration
      to stimulate midbrain + brainstem ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, a key
      regulatory enzyme in neural cell differentiation and growth. In control rats, the
      ODC response to nicotine was absent at birth and developed during the second
      postnatal week in parallel with the known ontogenetic rise of nicotinic
      receptors. Offspring of the nicotine-infused dams exhibited hyper-reactivity of
      ODC to postnatal acute nicotine challenge: the response developed earlier than in
      controls and subsequently the magnitude of the effect was 2-3 times greater.
      Since the development of cholinergic transmission influences differentiation of
      target cells, alterations in cholinergic nicotinic receptor mediated responses
      likely explain the delayed appearance of abnormal cell differentiation associated
      with prenatal nicotine.

PMID- 1865761
TI  - Stress modulates calcium mobilization in immune cells.
AB  - Both acute and chronic restraint stress modulated mitogen-induced increases in
      cytoplasmic free-calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in mouse spleen cells. Dual
      color analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations demonstrated that acute (2 hour)
      restraint stress suppressed mitogen-stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T
      cells, but enhanced [Ca2+]i in CD8+ T cells. Chronic restraint stress (2 hours
      daily for up to 21 days) resulted in a significant suppression of mitogen
      stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T cells at 3 and 7 days, but not at 21
      days. CD8+ T cells were unaffected by chronic stress. Chronic stress (for 7 days)
      had a modest suppressive effect on mitogen-induced Ca2+ responses in B cells.
      Within T lymphocyte subpopulations, both acute and chronic stress predominantly
      affected CD4+ T cells, which may induce a functional reversal of the CD4/CD8
      ratios in vivo. Such a reversal could result in suppression of a variety of
      immune responses such as lymphocyte proliferation and antigen-specific antibody
      production. These findings indicate that the inhibitory effects of stress on
      calcium mobilization in lymphocytes may be an early event mediating stress
      induced immunosuppression.

PMID- 1865762
TI  - Rat liver outer mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase activity towards
      long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and their CoA esters.
AB  - The activity of the overt form of rat liver mitochondrial carnitine
      palmitoyltransferase or CPT0 (EC 2.3.1.21) towards different fatty acid
      substrates was studied. The following non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and their
      CoA esters in the presence of 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) were tested: 16:0,
      18:0, 18:1, 18:2, 18:3 omega 3, 20:4, 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega 3. The data fit
      a square hyperbolic model for enzyme catalysis (p less than 0.001, non-linear
      regression). Asymptotic Vmax and K0.5, substrate concentration at one-half Vmax,
      were calculated using total concentrations of acyl-CoA, or unbound concentrations
      of NEFA. BSA was found to act as a true substrate reservoir for NEFA in that the
      dissociation of the NEFA-BSA complex was 10-330 times faster than the CPT0
      reaction. Regardless of form (NEFA or CoA ester), 18:3 omega 3 gave the highest,
      while 22:6 omega 3 and 18:0 gave the lowest rates of acylcarnitine synthesis.
      Except for 18:3 omega 3 and 18:2, Vmax for NEFA was generally lower than for acyl
      CoA, with the greatest differences observed for 20:4, 20:5 omega 3 and 22:6 omega
      3, suggesting that acyl-CoA synthesis may also be important in the control of the
      entry of these fatty acids into the mitochondria. The data provide an enzymatic
      rationale for the relatively low content of 18:3 omega 3 in esterified lipid.

PMID- 1865763
TI  - Thermal adaptation in biological membranes: functional significance of changes in
      phospholipid molecular species composition.
AB  - Quantities of 1-palmitoyl 2-docosahexaenoyl phosphatidylcholine (16:0/22:6-PC or
      PDPC) increase from 24 to 40 weight percent as a consequence of cold acclimation
      in mitochondrial membranes of rainbow trout liver (J. Comp. Physiol. 156, 665
      674, 1986). The present study was undertaken to assess the impact of such a large
      change in the proportions of a single molecular species on the fluidity, lateral
      packing (as sensed by phospholipase A2), and permeability of biological
      membranes. These properties were examined in multilamellar liposomes prepared
      from binary mixtures of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and PDPC in
      proportions increasing from 10 to 40 mole% PDPC. Glucose permeability was
      positively correlated with both assay temperature and PDPC content. The
      temperature dependence of Na+ permeability declined steadily as the mole fraction
      of PDPC increased; consequently, sodium permeability was positively correlated
      with PDPC content at 5 degrees C, but inversely correlated at 20 degrees C.
      Phospholipase A2 activity was independent of both assay temperature and vesicle
      composition. Vesicles of all compositions displayed a single transition in the
      temperature dependence of 1,6 diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence
      polarization, which shifted to lower temperature and broadened as proportions of
      PDPC increased. At temperatures below the transition, fluidity was positively
      correlated with the mole fraction of PDPC, but interfacial and deeper regions of
      the bilayer were affected differently by variations in PDPC content.
      Nonelectrolyte permeability was the only index of membrane structure or function
      to be significantly correlated with the fluidity of the bilayer interior. The
      tendencies of PDPC to both fluidize the membrane and to reduce the temperature
      sensitivity of electrolyte permeation may promote the adaptation of membrane
      function to low temperature.

PMID- 1865764
TI  - Hydrolysis of neutral lipid substrates by rat hepatic lipase.
AB  - Rat hepatic lipase, an enzyme whose involvement in the catabolism of lipoproteins
      remains poorly defined, has both neutral lipid and phospholipid hydrolyzing
      activity. We determined the substrate specificity of hepatic lipase for 1-oleoyl
      sn-glycerol, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol, and 1,3-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol in the Triton
      X-100 mixed micellar state, and compared these results to those obtained
      previously in our laboratory for the phospholipid substrates phosphatidic acid
      (PA), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylcholine (PC). Vmax values
      were determined by diluting the substrate concentration in the surface of the
      micelle by Triton X-100. The Vmax values obtained were 144 mumol/min/mg for 1
      oleoyl-sn-glycerol, 163 mumol/min/mg for 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol, and 145
      mumol/min/mg for 1,3-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol. These values were higher than those
      obtained earlier for phospholipids which were 67 mumol/min/mg for PA, 50
      mumol/min/mg for PE and 4 mumol/min/mg for PC. In addition, the mole fraction of
      lipid substrate at half maximal velocity (K) in the surface dilution plot was
      lower for the neutral lipid substrates as compared to those obtained for the
      phospholipid substrates. When the hydrolysis of 1,3-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol mixed
      micelles was studied as a function of time, cleavage at the sn-1 and sn-3
      positions occurred at the same rate, suggesting that hepatic lipase is not
      stereoselective with respect to 1,3-diacyl-sn-glycerol substrates.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865766
TI  - Reactions of dinitrogen pentoxide and nitrogen dioxide with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl
      sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine.
AB  - The reactions of gaseous dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
      with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (POPC) coated on the
      inside surface of a glass reaction cell were studied at 298 K. Unsaturated
      phosphatidylcholines are significant components of pulmonary surfactant in the
      alveolar region of the lung and hence serve as a simple model to examine
      reactions of pulmonary surfactant with these oxidant air pollutants. Using high
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared and fast
      atom bombardment mass spectroscopy, the major products of reactions of POPC with
      N2O5 and NO2 were separated and identified. In the POPC-N2O5 reaction using
      either air or helium as a buffer gas, the nitronitrate, vinyl nitro and allylic
      nitro derivatives, as well as a small amount of the trans-isomer of the starting
      material, were obtained. The nature of the products obtained from the POPC-NO2
      reaction depends on the concentration of NO2 as well as whether air is present.
      At low NO2 concentrations (PNO2/N2O4 less than or equal to 3.8 Torr) in air or in
      helium, the trans-isomer of POPC was formed almost exclusively. At higher NO2
      concentrations (PNO2/N2O4 greater than or equal to 20 Torr) in helium, the
      dinitro, vinyl nitro and nitro alcohol derivatives were formed. In the presence
      of air (or 24% 18O2 in helium), a nitronitrate and a dinitronitrate were
      additional products. Mechanisms for the formation of the observed products and
      implications for the inhalation of oxides of nitrogen are discussed.

PMID- 1865765
TI  - Lipoprotein lipase in rats fed fish oil: apparent relationship to plasma insulin
      levels.
AB  - To investigate the role of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase in the
      triacylglycerol lowering effects of fish oil, rats were fed lard (L), corn oil
      (CO) or menhaden oil (MO) as the primary fat source in otherwise identical diets.
      After 2 weeks, soleus muscle LPL differed between groups (MO greater than CO
      greater than L). Hepatic lipase did not differ between CO- and MO-fed rats but
      was elevated in L-fed rats. Adipose LPL did not differ between diet groups. Total
      epididymal fat weight was reduced in MO-fed rats. There was a significant
      positive correlation between adipose tissue weight and plasma free fatty acids.
      MO-fed rats had lower plasma insulin levels. Insulin was directly correlated with
      plasma triacylglycerol and glucose, consistent with a hyperinsulinemic, insulin
      resistant state in CO- and L-fed rats, and a protective effect with MO feeding.
      In addition, insulin was directly correlated with adipose LPL. A negative
      relationship between soleus muscle LPL and insulin approached significance.
      Soleus muscle LPL was significantly inversely correlated with triacylglycerol.
      The data indicate that increased skeletal muscle LPL, in response to MO or a MO
      induced decrease in insulin, may contribute to the triacylglycerol-lowering
      effects of fish oil. Decreased fat weight and adipose LPL and increased soleus
      muscle LPL and decreased plasma triacylglycerol suggest a shift from fat
      deposition to oxidation with MO feeding. The lack of response of hepatic lipase
      to MO feeding suggests that this enzyme does not contribute to the fish oil
      stimulated lowering of plasma triacylglycerol via hepatic reuptake of very low
      density lipoproteins or other triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins.

PMID- 1865767
TI  - Determination of phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine.
AB  - While phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine is well
      documented, we have recently shown that phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of
      phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) [Kiss, Z., and Anderson, W.B., J. Biol. Chem.
      264, 1483-1487 (1989); J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7345-7350 (1990)] is equally
      prominent. This made it necessary to define in detail the conditions required for
      the detection of agonist-stimulated PtdEtn hydrolysis. Using the
      [14C]ethanolamine-prelabeled rat-1 fibroblast model and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol
      13-acetate (TPA) as a model compound with the known ability to stimulate
      phospholipase D, we demonstrated that optimal detection of TPA-induced
      ethanolamine release requires i) fractionation of water-soluble ethanolamine
      products; ii) addition of unlabeled ethanolamine to quench the phosphorylation of
      newly formed [14C]ethanolamine; and/or iii) prolonged preincubation of prelabeled
      cells in an isotope-free medium before the addition of TPA. This preincubation
      step reduced the cellular content of unincorporated 14C-labeled ethanolamine
      metabolites and improves the signal-to-noise ratio.

PMID- 1865768
TI  - Two novel phospholipid fatty acids from the Caribbean sponge Geodia gibberosa.
AB  - The novel fatty acids (Z)-6-nonadecenoic acid (1) and (Z)-17-pentacosenoic acid
      (2) were characterized in the sponge Geodia gibberosa. These fatty acids were
      mainly found in phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine.

PMID- 1865769
TI  - Psychiatric expert testimony: are the criticisms justified? (Part 1).
AB  - What weight is given psychiatric testimony when it is allowed in evidence? How
      much influence has the psychiatrist over the court process? These questions are
      examined in detail.

PMID- 1865770
TI  - The so-called 'therapeutic privilege' or 'contra-indication': its nature and role
      in non-disclosure cases.
AB  - This article critically examines the nature, scope and application of the so
      called 'therapeutic privilege' or 'contra-indication' as a defence to a failure
      to procure an informed consent to medical interventions. This is done within the
      context of the doctor's legal-ethical duty to inform his patient of the diagnosis
      and treatment on the hand and his sometimes conflicting medico-ethical duty to
      heal on the other, with special reference to the application of the defence in
      cases of solicited information and lie-telling.

PMID- 1865771
TI  - The breaching of medical confidentiality by reason of an order of court.
AB  - The ethical rule of medical confidentiality is not sacrosanct, for a doctor may
      be ordered by a court of law to make disclosures against his patients wishes.
      While this may assist in justice being done, it also raises the question of
      whether sufficient regard is paid to a patient's right to privacy.

PMID- 1865772
TI  - The impact of genetics on society: the law's response.
AB  - Technology has provided man with the ability to manipulate the genetic structure
      of the human race. The knowledge which geneticists have gained and will gain in
      future will raise numerous legal and ethical problems which will have to be
      debated and resolved within the parameters of the prevailing boni mores.

PMID- 1865773
TI  - On patient's rights.
AB  - A committee appointed by the World Health Organization was given the task of
      formulating a Declaration on the Rights of Patients. A member of this committee
      outlines the main guidelines formulated in the Declaration and discusses its
      utility in the struggle for patients' rights in general.

PMID- 1865774
TI  - AIDS: a right to be informed.
AB  - Individuals have to assume some responsibility for their own health. Governments
      do, however, have a duty to ensure that their citizens are armed with the
      necessary information and education. At present there appears to be a serious
      degree of ignorance about sexually transmitted disease in general and AIDS in
      particular. The importance of disseminating information on this topic is
      discussed.

PMID- 1865775
TI  - Alcohol on the television and in viewers' experience.
AB  - This study explores television viewers' perceptions of the portrayal of alcohol
      use in prime-time television programmes, and viewers' attitude toward alcohol use
      in real life. The actual incidence of the portrayal of alcohol use on television
      during the same period of the survey was also taken into consideration. These
      perceptions and attitudes were scrutinized for factors of risk in terms of the
      development of alcohol-related problems in South Africa with a view to assisting
      preventive agents in devising rational and timeous preventive programmes.

PMID- 1865776
TI  - Signal detectability: the use of ROC curves and their analyses.
AB  - Issues related to ROC curves are addressed. The original article on the subject
      by Lee Lusted, describing the "state of the art" 20 years ago, is reviewed. The
      concepts that Lusted addressed are then expanded, suggesting the current state of
      the art. New issues that have arisen with regard to ROC curves and their use in
      medicine are addressed. Finally, potential areas for future investigation are
      suggested.

PMID- 1865777
TI  - Bayesian reasoning in medicine: the contributions of Lee B. Lusted, MD.
AB  - The role of Bayesian reasoning in medicine is explored from the perspective of
      the writings of Dr. Lee B. Lusted. Starting with the influential article by
      Ledley and Lusted published in Science in 1959, the contributions of Dr. Lusted
      and his coauthors to medical education and clinical medicine are chronicled. An
      explication of Bayes' theorem and its reliance on the conditional independence
      assumption is followed by a summary of some applications to the interpretation of
      diagnostic tests. Opportunities for and challenges to the widespread application
      of Bayesian reasoning in daily clinical medicine are described.

PMID- 1865778
TI  - Decision-making studies in patient management: twenty years later.
AB  - This article surveys the contribution of decision analysis to diagnosis and
      treatment in medicine, beginning with a review of Dr. Lee B. Lusted's 1971 paper,
      "Decision-making studies in patient management." From this beginning methods of
      decision analysis were developed that were particularly appropriate to medical
      problems. The author reviews the effects of Dr. Lusted's interests in the field
      on subsequent research and publications, and critiques prophetic statements found
      in the early paper.

PMID- 1865779
TI  - A citation analysis of the work of Lee B. Lusted, MD.

PMID- 1865780
TI  - The impact of a rapid screen for streptococcal pharyngitis on clinical decision
      making in the emergency department.
AB  - The impact of a rapid streptococcal screening test (RSS) on clinical decision
      making in the management of patients with acute pharyngitis was evaluated.
      Physicians managing 95 ambulatory patients with the complaint of sore throat were
      asked to estimate the probability of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal
      pharyngitis (GRABS) in each patient and whether they intended to treat with
      antibiotics both before and after the results of the RSS were known. Simultaneous
      throat cultures were obtained for 80 patients at the discretion of the treating
      physicians. Regression analysis revealed that the RSS result was an important
      independent predictor for the posttest decision to treat with antibiotics and for
      the estimated probability of disease. The mean absolute log-likelihood ratio was
      used to quantify the effect of the RSS on diagnostic certainty; a greater
      contribution to diagnostic certainty occurred when the RSS was positive.
      Physicians would have prescribed an antibiotic 49 times without the benefit of
      the RSS and prescribed an antibiotic 48 times given the RSS result. Without the
      RSS, the treatment decision contradicted the throat culture result in 25 cases.
      With the RSS, this occurred in 26 cases. The RSS, while influencing decision
      making, especially when positive, did not decrease the use of antibiotics.

PMID- 1865781
TI  - Physicians' risk attitudes, laboratory usage, and referral decisions: the case of
      an academic family practice center.
AB  - Individual differences in physicians' laboratory use and referral rates are
      important aspects of practice variation that have real financial and health
      consequences. A way to explain these differences is needed. In this empirical
      study, physicians' risk attitudes (measured on a multidimensional scale) are
      shown to be good predictors of use rates for certain specific laboratory
      procedures, but not good predictors of physicians' referral rates. A 15-item
      survey form that measured risk-taking attitudes in the financial, health, social,
      and ethical domains was administered to all clinical faculty at an academic
      family practice center (n = 14). Each physician's utilization rates for the 17
      most frequently ordered laboratory procedures were calculated for all patient
      visits for one calendar year. Overall referral rates were calculated for the same
      period. Physicians' risk attitudes (12 completed the survey) accounted for over
      50% of the variance for several of the laboratory procedures. For example, the
      rank-order correlation between the complete blood count utilization rate and a
      Likert-scale item measuring physicians' propensity to take physical risks was
      0.91 (p less than 0.001). The details of these findings help to explain an
      important component of practice variation.

PMID- 1865783
TI  - Festschrift: In honor of Lee Lusted.

PMID- 1865782
TI  - The healthy-years equivalents: how to measure them using the standard gamble
      approach.
AB  - The healthy-years equivalent (HYE) is a measure of outcome of health care
      programs that combines two outcomes of interest: quality of life and quantity of
      life. Unlike QALYs (quality-adjusted life years) HYEs fully represent patients'
      (or other individuals') preferences, as a result of the way they are calculated
      from each individual's utility function. The authors suggest an algorithm to
      measure the HYE of any given lifetime health profile. The algorithm is based on
      the classic standard gamble method to measure individuals' preferences under
      uncertainty, and consists of two lottery questions. Algorithms for the general
      case (any given lifetime health profile) and a simpler case--the chronic health
      state case--are provided, as is a modification of the algorithm aimed at
      shortening the length of the interview when an individual is faced with many
      possible lifetime health profiles. In addition, two questions are addressed. The
      first is theoretical and deals with the existence of HYE: do all lifetime health
      profiles, which are preferred to death, have hypothetical equivalents that can be
      measured in healthy years? The second is empirical and deals with the
      reproducibility of the measures obtained by using the measurement technique
      suggested. This is needed because the technique employs a combination of lottery
      questions that had not previously been used together. The results of an
      experiment performed to test the reproducibility of the measures were
      satisfactory.

PMID- 1865784
TI  - The clearing "haze": a view from my window.

PMID- 1865785
TI  - The area under the ROC curve and its competitors.
AB  - The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is a popular
      measure of the power of a (two-disease) diagnostic test, but it is shown here to
      be an inconsistent criterion: tests of indistinguishable clinical impacts may
      have different areas. A class of diagnosticity measures (DMs) of proven
      optimality is proposed instead. Once a regret(-like) measure of diagnostic
      uncertainty is agreed upon, the associated DM is uniquely defined and, indeed,
      calculable from the ROC curve configuration. Two scaled variants of the ROC are
      introduced and used to advantage in the analysis. They may also be helpful to
      students of medical decision making.

PMID- 1865786
TI  - Research commentary: research critique and utilization.

PMID- 1865787
TI  - Prenatal drug exposure: a growing problem for families.

PMID- 1865788
TI  - From the Psych/Mental Health Council. New domestic violence legislation; new hope
      for victims of domestic violence.

PMID- 1865789
TI  - What are subjects of bargaining?

PMID- 1865790
TI  - From the Psych/Mental Health Council. Home sweet home.

PMID- 1865791
TI  - Research commentary: from concept to reality research critique and utilization.

PMID- 1865792
TI  - Self-evaluation of skills as a method of assessing learning needs for continuing
      education.
AB  - Identification of self-perceived learner needs is important in continuing
      education programmes for health professionals. This paper describes the use of a
      self-evaluation skill inventory as a method of determining priorities for
      continuing education of a category of middle-level health professionals.

PMID- 1865793
TI  - Do you know? An opportunity to assess how up-to-date you are with the medical
      education literature.

PMID- 1865794
TI  - How to share control with workshop participants.
AB  - The authors discuss the five steps they have used to share control with
      participants over the planning, implementation and evaluation of a workshop: (1)
      establish a co-operative learning climate; (2) provide resources for participants
      to identify their individual learning needs; (3) assist participants in
      organizing learning groups and defining objectives for each workshop session; (4)
      provide support for participants to manage the workshop sessions themselves; and
      (5) encourage participants to reflect on and evaluate their learning.

PMID- 1865795
TI  - Practical reform of preclinical education: core curriculum and science projects.
AB  - This essay proposes reform of the preclinical curriculum which is seen as
      deficient in both content and method. The period of preclinical study should have
      a dual purpose: to provide a vocational training in basic scientific knowledge
      essential to good clinical practice, and to educate medical students in the
      methods and skills of science. These purposes are best separated. The vocational
      element constitutes a core curriculum which could be constructed from a
      consideration of the basic scientific knowledge used by clinicians in their
      medical practice. A core curriculum could be prepared and examined on a national
      basis, and would provide a means for quality control of medical education. The
      timetable space thus liberated would be used for project work in medical
      sciences, using the teaching methods of science degrees. The proposed curriculum
      combines the discipline of vocational relevance with the educative potential of
      an honours BSc, but with no requirement for increased resources or alterations in
      manpower. It may be seen as a shift from theory towards practice during
      preclinical study. Strategies for introducing such a system are discussed.

PMID- 1865796
TI  - Achievement of objectives: internal medicine fourth year clinical clerkship.
AB  - The clinical clerkship in Canadian Medical Schools is intended to provide senior
      medical students with opportunities to gain practical knowledge of clinical
      medicine, develop technical skills, learn to use judgement and experience first
      hand clinical decision making. Assessment of rotations in internal medicine were
      undertaken in order to understand more fully the nature of medical clerkship
      experiences. We found that medical clerks in our programme were exposed to a high
      proportion of undifferentiated problems and an adequate case mix. They performed
      a wide range of technical procedures. There were, however, certain gaps in the
      clerks' experiences both in the specialty areas, and in therapeutic and technical
      procedures. Recognition of these gaps in the clerkship experiences suggest that
      further deliberation of goals and objectives is required and issues of
      achievement of competencies need to be addressed.

PMID- 1865797
TI  - Student contact with patients in hospital: frequency, duration and effects.
AB  - Student-patient contacts on the wards were monitored by having students keep
      daily logs of patient contacts during a 5-week period of routine clinical
      attachments in a teaching hospital. After being discharged patients were followed
      up by postal questionnaire. Results indicated that on average students spend
      substantially less time with patients than is allowed for in the curriculum.
      Variability in contact time was high both within and between attachments to
      different wards. Patient satisfaction with student contact was high. The duration
      of student-patient contact was not significantly related to patient satisfaction.
      There was a significant relationship between patient satisfaction and the number
      of different topics patients recalled discussing with students.

PMID- 1865798
TI  - The use of role-play in teaching medical students obstetrics and gynaecology.
AB  - There is a great need to review and critically assess medical education. Role
      play has seen increasing use as an educational tool. We investigated its role in
      a 'conventional speciality', Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This is a part of the
      medical curriculum where communication skills are particularly important, but
      difficult to learn in practice. Twenty-one medical students took part in three
      role-play case studies. An innovation we implemented was the use of 'time outs'
      which could be called at any time through a session. After the exercise students
      were required to complete a questionnaire designed to probe their attitudes
      towards the experience. The results indicate that this technique can be
      successfully used in teaching a conventional speciality. Unlike some previous
      studies we also found this to be a satisfactory tool in teaching the factual part
      of the course. We found the 'time out' innovation to be an important aid. We
      argue that there is an important niche for role-play in medical education.

PMID- 1865799
TI  - Using role-play to teach consultation skills--the Singapore experience.
AB  - Role-play by students has been adopted as a teaching method for learning
      consultational skills during a primary health care posting for fourth year
      medical students in the National University of Singapore. This article describes
      the construction of the framework used, and reports on its evaluation by both the
      students and their teachers. The overall response to the session by the students
      was positive. Suggestions were then solicited to make refinements to enhance its
      efficacy as a teaching tool.

PMID- 1865800
TI  - The way we teach otolaryngology in an integrated problem-based curriculum.
AB  - The University Science Malaysia, Penang, the third medical school in Malaysia, is
      following an integrated curriculum. In this curriculum, the students are taught
      the subject of otolaryngology from the second year of their course unlike the
      traditional schools where they are taught in the fourth or fifth year. This paper
      describes how otolaryngology is introduced in this integrated, problem-based
      curriculum.

PMID- 1865801
TI  - How we teach ... practical skills in an undergraduate medical curriculum: 5 years
      of experience at Gezira Medical School (Sudan).
AB  - An outline of an undergraduate course to teach medical students practical medical
      procedures early in their curriculum is described. Introduction of those skill as
      early as the second year has given the student ample time to practice those
      skills before graduation. Feedback has shown that the course has been successful
      in helping the students to master simple procedures by the time they graduate.
      Early demonstration of complicated skills has also facilitated the ability and
      confidence of the student to perform those skills during the internship.

PMID- 1865802
TI  - Twelve tips on providing handouts.

PMID- 1865803
TI  - Preceptors for an introduction to clinical medicine course: needs of volunteer
      and full-time faculty.
AB  - Recruiting clinicians to teach bedside skills is often a challenge for
      Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) course co-ordinations. Little data is
      available concerning what motivates a faculty to participate in these programmes.
      Better understanding of these factors might allow enhanced faculty involvement.
      We surveyed full-time and volunteer faculty as to what forces promote and hinder
      participation as preceptors for an ICM course. Results documented that both
      faculty groups found student interactions and teacher fulfillment their major
      reward, with little perceived academic or patient recognition. Personal time
      limitations was the greatest deterrent to participation. Assessing faculty needs
      has allowed focused course changes and new activities to facilitate involvement.

PMID- 1865804
TI  - The evaluation of teaching in undergraduate psychiatric education: students'
      attitudes to psychiatry and the evaluation of clinical competency.
AB  - There is an increasing demand for improved skills by medical graduates in the
      psychosocial aspects of medical care. Psychiatrists as educators need to play an
      important role in the development and evaluation of education in many areas of
      the undergraduate curriculum in addition to the continuing education of
      graduates. In this review approaches to the evaluation of undergraduate
      psychiatric education are discussed with particular emphasis on students'
      attitudes to psychiatry. Key issues that remain to be addressed include the
      clarification of the most appropriate goals for undergraduate education in
      psychiatry, the most valid means of evaluating such educational programmes,
      particularly clinical competency and, finally, the many tasks in improving the
      status of the psychosocial aspects of medical care for students and their
      clinical teachers.

PMID- 1865805
TI  - Investigating stress levels of residents: a pilot study.
AB  - A pilot study of the levels of stress among residents was conducted in three
      departments in a university hospital prior to initiating a programme in stress
      management for residents. The Beck Depression Inventory, which is a brief,
      standardized self-report measure of depression, was given to residents in
      anaesthesiology, paediatrics and psychiatry. Six additional questions were asked
      about the functioning of peers and services residents would like to have
      available. Of the 113 residents surveyed, 16% were experiencing a mild mood
      disturbance. The researchers feel this is probably under-reported. Residents felt
      that about 15% of their colleagues were emotionally impaired; 10% may have a drug
      and/or alcohol problem; 12% were having marital problems. Eighty per cent of all
      residents studied said that they would attend support groups if they existed.
      Approximately 60% thought coping skills/stress management seminars would be
      useful, and 30% of the paediatric and anaesthesiology residents (60% of the
      psychiatry residents) said they would use confidential individual psychotherapy
      if it were available.

PMID- 1865806
TI  - How we teach ... key aspects of general practice using weekly seminars for GP
      trainees.
AB  - This article reports the author's experience of designing, teaching and
      evaluating a weekly lunchtime seminar series for Family Medicine Programme
      trainees in Gippsland. After reviewing the objectives of the seminar series and
      characteristics of the participants, the article outlines the process and content
      of the course. Particular emphasis is given to seven seminars on key aspects of
      general practice/family medicine, which highlight the differences between the
      models, concepts and attitudes of specialists and teaching hospitals, and those
      of general practice. Results of evaluations of seminar series from the beginning
      of 1986 to the present time are reported and discussed. Overall, the seminar
      series has been found to be effective in helping trainees to develop an
      appropriate understanding of key aspects of general practice/family medicine;
      facilitating the transition for trainees from hospital practice to general
      practice; and in encouraging active participatory learning.

PMID- 1865807
TI  - Pedicled radial forearm flaps for recalcitrant defects about the elbow.
AB  - Chronic, open wounds about the elbow frequently require flap coverage. Skin
      grafts, local transposition flaps, muscle transposition flaps, and two-staged
      pedicled flaps from the chest and abdomen as well as free tissue transfers have
      all been reported. Recalcitrant elbow defects in patients in whom these previous
      flaps have failed are especially challenging to the upper extremity
      reconstructive surgeon. We have successfully employed pedicled radial forearm
      flaps in three patients in whom one or more previous flaps have failed.

PMID- 1865808
TI  - Experience with calcium antagonists nitrendipine, diltiazem, and verapamil and
      beta 2-agonist salbutamol in salvaging ischemic skin flaps in rabbits.
AB  - This study investigated the efficacy of selected agents in the salvage of
      experimental skin flaps in rabbits after 21 hours of 25 degrees C ischemia.
      Calcium channel antagonists nitrendipine, diltiazem, and verapamil increased
      ischemic skin flap survival in rabbits from 33.3% for buffered saline infused
      controls to 71.4% (P less than 0.05), 71.4% (P less than 0.05), and 50.0% (not
      significant) respectively. The beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist salbutamol produced an
      increase in survival to 64.3%, which narrowly missed statistical significance.
      All four test agents invoked a vasodilatory response (greatest for nitrendipine,
      diltiazem, and salbutamol), a slight fall in blood pressure, and a small increase
      in heart rate. It is concluded that the vasodilatory response in the
      microcirculation of the ischemic flap helped to minimize the risk of occlusion
      due to thrombosis or cell sludging during reperfusion, thus leading to improved
      flap survival.

PMID- 1865809
TI  - Failure to obtain long-term patency after implantation of fibrous polyurethane
      prostheses in the carotid arteries of rabbits.
AB  - Fibrous polyurethane prostheses were implanted in the carotid arteries and aortae
      of New Zealand white (NZW) and Chinchilla (CHIN) rabbits. No immediate post
      implantation patency was obtained after implantation in the carotid arteries in
      NZW rabbits. In CHIN rabbits patency up to 1 week was obtained after carotid
      implantation. Attempts to increase patency rates by administration of 20 mg/kg
      body weight/day of both dipyridamol (DIP) and acetyl-salicylic acid (ASA) p.o.,
      starting the week before implantation, had an adverse effect; prostheses became
      occluded within a few hours after implantation. Coagulation tests (Lee and White,
      Am J Med Sci 145:495-503, 1913) carried out with blood drawn from CHIN rabbits
      revealed hypercoaguability after administration of either 10 or 20 mg/kg body
      weight/day of both DIP and ASA compared to pre-medication values. Prostheses
      implanted in the aortae of both strains remained patent without anti-platelet
      aggregation therapy for a 3-month observation period. It is concluded that in the
      NZW rabbit carotid implantation was not successful due to severe spasmic
      reactions and that in CHIN rabbits only very short-term patency could be obtained
      both with and without administration of 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day medication
      DIP and ASA.

PMID- 1865810
TI  - Free vascularized fibula transfer in the management of congenital pseudarthrosis
      of the tibia.

PMID- 1865811
TI  - Brachial plexus microsurgery in children.
AB  - From this review, the following points have emerged: 1. The typical obstetrical
      palsy is a traumatic lesion caused by forced lowering of the shoulder during
      delivery. 2. While the lesion may affect all the roots, the upper roots are
      usually ruptured, whereas the lower roots (if involved) are always avulsed. 3.
      Spontaneous recovery is possible, but its quality depends on how early recovery
      of previously paralyzed muscles begins. If the biceps have not started to recover
      by 3 months, the final result will be poor. It is at this time interval that a
      surgical decision should be made. 4. Surgical repair is always possible, usually
      by grafting, though repair can be difficult if significant numbers of avulsions
      have occurred. 5. The results of surgical reconstruction are better than are the
      results of spontaneous evolution, at least in those patients who reach the age of
      3 months without evidence of recovery of the biceps. For example, more than half
      of the patients recover a nearly normal shoulder after grafting C5, C6 lesions in
      Gilbert's series, whereas in the same control population of patients, none
      achieved this result spontaneously. 6. Palliative treatment of the sequelae of
      birth palsies is difficult, and the results obtained are rarely totally
      satisfactory. It is for these reasons that the initial surgical intervention
      should be on the plexus itself in those instances meeting the criteria
      established above. It is important to make this decision as quickly as possible
      before neuroplasticity is diminished and joint contractions have occurred.

PMID- 1865812
TI  - Toe transfer for congenital hand defects.
AB  - Toe-to-hand transfer is a well-established reconstructive option for certain
      congenital hand anomalies. It is the only technique which can add growth
      potential to the immature skeleton. Toe transfer is best suited for constriction
      ring amputations, which have relatively normal proximal anatomy. Transfers should
      be performed early in life to avoid lack of cortical integration of the new part.
      Anatomic variations of both hand and foot are often encountered, which influence
      both operative approach and functional prognosis. Indications, techniques, and
      complications are reviewed.

PMID- 1865813
TI  - Free vascularized whole joint transfer in children.
AB  - Reconstruction of the traumatized finger joint with epiphyseal destruction has
      long been problematic. Since free vascularized whole joint transfer was
      introduced as a treatment for joint and epiphyseal destruction, this procedure
      has been selected as an alternative treatment because it may provide a growing
      epiphysis. We have reviewed our series of 19 joint transfers. Mean age at
      operation was 6.2 years (range 3 to 12). Average active range of motion was 31
      degrees/61 degrees for the group with posttraumatic reconstruction (n = 12) and
      21 degrees/43 degrees for the group with reconstruction of a congenital deformity
      (n = 7), with an overall average of 27 degrees/54 degrees. Average range of
      motion following transfer of an metatarsophalangeal (MTP) or metacarpophalangeal
      (MCP) joint to an MCP joint position was 39 degrees/75 degrees (n = 4); proximal
      interphalangeal (PIP) to PIP transfer was 22 degrees/39 degrees (n = 13); and PIP
      to MCP transfer was 38 degrees/51 degrees (n = 2). The proximal phalanges in MCP
      joints transferred to the MCP position grew an average of 7.0 mm, and the middle
      phalanges of joints transferred to the PIP position grew 4.3 mm. Almost normal
      growth was observed in all transferred joints except two that showed premature
      epiphyseal closure. Indications for this procedure and techniques to improve
      range of motion are described.

PMID- 1865814
TI  - Free tissue transfer for reconstruction of traumatic limb injuries in children.
AB  - Free tissue transfer was used for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects in 94
      children. Of the 127 procedures performed, the latissimus dorsi, scapular skin,
      lateral arm skin, rectus abdominis, and gracilis were used with the greatest
      frequency. The microsurgical success rate was 96%. Microsurgical failures were
      repeated, successfully, and in all cases the limbs were salvaged. Other than
      having to deal with decreased vessel size and avoiding continuous suture lines,
      there appears to be little difference in technique or outcome of free tissue
      transfer when compared to adults.

PMID- 1865815
TI  - Replantation in children.
AB  - The authors have replanted 162 parts in 120 children over the past 15 years. The
      youngest patient, undergoing successful replantation, was aged 7 months, 3 weeks.
      Unlike an adult, any child suffering a traumatic amputation should be considered
      for a possible replantation. Replantation should consist of minimal bone
      shortening to preserve epiphyseal plates, with repair of all severed structures.
      Longitudinal K-wires usually provide adequate fixation. Our survival rate for
      complete replantation in children under the age of 16 years is 77%. Long-term
      study showed that continued skeletal growth occurred and the digit attained 81%
      of normal longitudinal length at maturity. Recovery of sensibility in the
      replanted digit is nearly as good as for isolated digital nerve repair. Patient
      and parent satisfaction is high when replantation is successful, with uniform
      approval of the extensive effort required.

PMID- 1865816
TI  - Major limb replantation in children.
AB  - This retrospective study evaluated patients under 18 years of age who underwent
      major limb replantation between 1976 and 1989 at Louisville Hand Surgery. The age
      of the 15 patients followed for between 1 and 8.5 years (mean 4.2 years) ranged
      from 2 to 17 years (mean 9.8). Of amputations, 40% were guillotine, 40% were
      limited crush-avulsions, 7% were extended crushing, and eight were of an upper
      extremity and seven of a lower extremity. Average warm/total ischemia times were
      4.8/14.8 hr in failures and 1.1/7.5 hours in successful replantation. Overall
      limb survival was 87%. Among the patients, 93% felt that their replanted limb
      functioned and looked better than a prosthesis; 87% of patients had a sensory
      recovery of more than S2+ in the lower extremity or S3 in the upper extremity;
      and 38% of upper extremity replantation patients had two-point discrimination of
      less than 15 mm.

PMID- 1865817
TI  - Rat vein graft diameters.

PMID- 1865818
TI  - Isotopic determination of fibronectin synthesis in humans.
AB  - Fibronectin is an opsonic protein that, among other functions, activates the
      reticuloendothelial system. Accurate measurement of its rate of synthesis is
      necessary to more fully understand its physiological role in normal and
      pathological conditions. We have determined the rate of fibronectin synthesis in
      three normal volunteers using a primed-constant infusion of 15N-glycine and 1,2
      13C-leucine, and measuring the incorporation of the isotopes into the protein
      over 5 days of infusion. In nine additional subjects, the fractional synthetic
      rate (FSR) of fibronectin was calculated during a 24-hour infusion using urinary
      hippurate and plasma alpha-ketoisocaproic acid enrichment to represent the
      precursors for incorporation of labeled glycine and leucine, respectively, into
      fibronectin. The FSR using glycine and leucine was 1.56 +/- 0.14 and 1.29 +/-
      0.04 (%/h), respectively, in the 5-day infusion study, and 1.56 +/- 0.10 versus
      1.83 +/- 0.09 (%/h), respectively, in the 24-hour study. The results of the 5-day
      infusion of 15N-glycine justify the use of urinary hippurate to reflect the
      precursor enrichment for the determination of the FSR of fibronectin during a
      shorter (less than 24 hour) infusion period.

PMID- 1865819
TI  - Ethanol inhibits human bone cell proliferation and function in vitro.
AB  - The direct effects of ethanol on human bone cell proliferation and function were
      studied in vitro. Normal human osteoblasts from trabecular bone chips were
      prepared by collagenase digestion. Exposure of these osteoblasts to ethanol in
      concentrations of 0.05% to 1% for 22 hours induced a dose-dependent reduction in
      bone cell DNA synthesis as assessed by incorporation of 3H-thymidine. After 72
      hours of ethanol exposure in concentrations of 0.01% to 1%, protein synthesis as
      measured by 3H-proline incorporation into trichbroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitable
      material was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Human bone cell protein
      concentrations and alkaline phosphatase total activity were significantly reduced
      after exposure to 1% ethanol for 72 hours, but not with lower concentrations of
      ethanol. This reduction in osteoblast proliferation and activity may partially
      explain the development of osteopenia in humans consuming excessive amounts of
      ethanol.

PMID- 1865820
TI  - Dose-response effects of glucose, insulin, and glucagon on mouse pre-embryo
      development.
AB  - The diabetic state, as well as elevated culture media glucose level (950 mg D
      glucose/dL) per se, significantly retards in vitro development of mouse pre
      implantation embryos from a two-cell stage to blastocyst stage; maternal insulin
      therapy to diabetic mice reverses this impairment. This study was undertaken to
      assess (1) whether less extreme elevation of the media glucose concentration
      would also impair development, and (2) whether elevated culture media insulin or
      glucagon levels would alter development. Two-cell pre-embryos were recovered from
      B6C3F1 mice that had been stimulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)
      and human chorionic gonadotropin (hGG), mated, and killed 48 hours later. Pre
      embryos were observed in culture at 24-hour intervals for a total of 72 hours at
      four glucose levels: 110 (n = 108), 220 (n = 101), 440 (n = 65), and 950 (n =
      106) mg D-glucose/dL. Impairment in progression of development was noted at each
      time period; compared with development in 110 mg glucose/dL, the distribution of
      development was significantly different at 24 hours (chi 2 = 60.1, P less than
      .001), at 48 hours (chi 2 = 36.7, P less than .001), and at 72 hours (chi 2 =
      45.1, P less than .001). Rate of development as assessed by ANOVA was also
      significantly reduced at increasing glucose levels (P less than .0001), with
      Duncan Multiple Range test demonstrating differences between development at
      higher glucose levels in the comparison of development in 110 mg/dL versus 440
      mg/dL and 950 mg/dL, and at 220 mg/dL versus 950 mg/dL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1865821
TI  - The association of lipid abnormalities with tissue pathology in human
      osteoarthritic articular cartilage.
AB  - Articular cartilage is one of very few body tissues uniquely characterized as
      having substantial stores of lipid deposits. Lipid droplets are naturally
      accumulated by chondrocytes and individual fatty acids have been shown to have
      protective as well as deleterious effects on cartilage degradation in animal
      models of degenerative joint disease. As a means to better assess the role of
      lipids in human joint pathology, a comparative analysis of fatty acids was
      undertaken in small segments of osteoarthritic articular cartilage. The data were
      assessed in terms of chondrocyte synthetic activity and histological
      determination of disease severity. The distribution profile of individual fatty
      acids in normal and osteoarthritic specimens remained constant, with palmitic,
      oleic, and linoleic acids representing 85% of the total fatty acids. In contrast,
      levels of total fatty acids were markedly increased in association with
      increasing degree of lesion severity. Compared with tissue from normal-aged
      joints, grade 0 to 1 mild lesions had elevated levels of total fatty acids,
      essential fatty acids, and chondrocyte synthetic activity of 80%, 312%, and 393%,
      respectively. More severe tissue involvement (grade 6 to 9), was associated with
      even greater increases of 440%, 1,100%, and 1,150%, respectively. No change was
      noted in cholesterol content in any tissue. The accumulation of arachidonic acid
      was greater than the proportional increase in total fatty acid content and was
      primarily distributed into the neutral lipid fraction, where it constituted
      almost 62% of the fatty acid level in tissues of moderate lesion severity. There
      was an association of lipid accumulation in general and arachidonic acid in
      particular with histological severity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865822
TI  - Dihydroergotamine as a pharmacologic euglycemic clamp in the surgically
      traumatized rabbit.
AB  - We assessed the utility of a pharmacologic euglycemic clamp technique by
      examining the metabolic and hemodynamic changes brought about by administration
      of dihydroergotamine (DHE) prior to anesthesia and operative trauma in the
      rabbit. New Zealand white rabbits received an intramuscular injection of 0.15 mg
      DHE/kg body weight 20 minutes before general anesthesia and minor surgical
      trauma, which consisted of carotid artery and jugular vein catheterizations
      followed by femoral artery and vein cannulations. Arterial blood was sampled
      every 20 minutes and assayed for glucose, lactate, nonesterified fatty acids
      (NEFA), and insulin. Rates of hindlimb skeletal muscle glucose uptake (Rg) and
      blood flow were determined 2 hours after the initial administration of DHE. DHE
      did not produce any effects on heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow, and Rg
      when compared with control animals. Liver glycogen levels were significantly
      higher after DHE treatment (140 +/- 31.4 v 34 +/- 9.6 mumol/g dry weight, P less
      than .01). Those animals receiving DHE had significantly lower and more stable
      plasma glucose levels than untreated animals (ranges, 5 to 9 v 7 to 22 mumol/mL
      plasma) and circulating NEFA were also lower and less variable (ranges, 0.1 to
      1.0 v 0.1 to 2.0 muEq/mL plasma). The results show that DHE prevents stress
      induced hyperglycemia in vivo in the rabbit without altering glucose uptake by
      skeletal muscle. The technique provides control over circulating glucose levels
      during the study of skeletal muscle glucose uptake without apparent negative
      physiologic effects.

PMID- 1865823
TI  - Intra-abdominal fat is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in healthy
      young men.
AB  - To distinguish the relative role of intra-abdominal and subcutaneous abdominal
      fat in metabolic aberrations in upper body fat localization, we measured the
      relationship between regional fat distribution and insulin sensitivity in nine
      young men (28.6 +/- 0.7 years; body mass index [BMI], 24.7 +/- 1.3 kg/m2).
      Regional fat distribution was measured by anthropometric measurement and computed
      tomography (CT). Insulin sensitivity was measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic
      glucose clamp. Insulin sensitivity, expressed as the ratio of rate of glucose
      utilization to the mean plasma insulin concentration during the second hour of
      glucose clamp (M/I) was negatively correlated with BMI (r = -.91, P less than
      .001), waist to hip girth ratio (WHR) (r = -.80, P less than .01), subcutaneous
      abdominal fat area (r = -.90, P less than .001), and intra-abdominal fat area (r
      = -.88, P less than .01). Stepwise forward regression analysis showed that in
      addition to BMI, intra-abdominal fat area was a significant correlate of decrease
      in insulin sensitivity. These findings suggest that intra-abdominal fat play an
      important role in decreasing insulin sensitivity, even in healthy young men.

PMID- 1865824
TI  - Plasma levels of lathosterol and phytosterols in relation to age, sex,
      anthropometric parameters, plasma lipids, and apolipoprotein E phenotype, in 160
      Dutch families.
AB  - In this study, the relation of plasma levels of lathosterol (an indicator of
      whole body cholesterol synthesis) and plant sterols (indicator of cholesterol
      absorption) with age, sex, weight, height, plasma lipids, and lipoproteins, and
      with apolipoprotein (apo) E phenotype, was investigated in a group of 160 nuclear
      families consisting of twins living with their parents. Lathosterol was higher in
      fathers than in mothers, but not different between boys and girls. In each of
      these four groups, there was a strong correlation with plasma and low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and -triglyceride, as well as with body weight, but
      not with height or high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. In adults,
      lathosterol was inversely correlated with plant sterols. Lathosterol was higher
      in children with E4/3 phenotype than in those with E3/3 or E3/2; in adults,
      lathosterol did not differ among the various E phenotypes. The plasma levels of
      the two plant sterols, campesterol and beta-sitosterol, were highly correlated
      with each other, and also with plasma or LDL-cholesterol, in each of the four
      groups. Plant sterols were higher in adults or children with E4/3 phenotype as
      compared with those with other phenotypes. In multivariate analysis (performed
      separately for two groups of adults and children) plasma cholesterol, plasma
      plant sterols, plasma triglycerides, and weight were found to make significant
      contributions to the variation of lathosterol in all groups, and E phenotype and
      sex only in one group, while age did not contribute in any group.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865825
TI  - Metabolism of aspartame and its L-phenylalanine methyl ester decomposition
      product by the porcine gut.
AB  - The intestinal metabolism of aspartame (N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl
      ester; APM) and its L-phenylalanine methyl ester (PME) decomposition product was
      evaluated in six young pigs. Equimolar doses (2.5 mmol/kg body weight) of APM,
      PME, and L-phenylalanine (PHE) administered to the proximal jejunum produced
      similar increases in portal blood PHE concentrations. Methanol, nondetectable in
      portal blood after PHE ingestion, increased markedly after administration of
      either APM or PME. Portal blood aspartate concentrations were unchanged after PME
      and PHE administration, but increased significantly after APM administration.
      Increases in portal blood PHE concentrations were significantly greater than were
      increases in aspartate concentrations following APM administration. Neither APM,
      PME, nor aspartyl-phenylalanine (AspPhe) were detected in portal or vena caval
      blood following administration of any test compound. Steady-state perfusion of
      the small intestine with APM showed a net intraluminal appearance rate of AspPhe
      at 36% of the disappearance rate of APM. During steady-state PME perfusion, PHE
      had a significantly greater net appearance rate than during APM perfusion.
      Methanol appearance rates were slightly, but not significantly, higher during PME
      than during APM perfusions. The data suggest that (1) APM is hydrolyzed to AspPhe
      and both APM and PME are hydrolyzed to their constituent amino acids and and
      methanol prior to entering the portal circulation; (2) AspPhe is an important
      intraluminal intermediate in aspartame metabolism; and (3) aspartate is rapidly
      metabolized by the enterocyte.

PMID- 1865826
TI  - The effect of lovastatin treatment on low-density lipoprotein hydrated density
      distribution and composition in patients with intermittent claudication and
      primary hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - The effects of lovastatin treatment on density distribution and composition of
      low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were studied using a density gradient
      ultracentrifugation method in 35 hypercholesterolemic patients with severe
      peripheral vascular disease. Lovastatin caused a 32% mean reduction in LDL
      particle mass and a 36% reduction in LDL cholesterol. The cholesteryl ester to
      apolipoprotein (apo) B, free cholesterol to apo B, and phospholipid to apo B
      weight ratios in LDL decreased significantly during treatment (P less than .01, P
      less than .01, and P less than .001, respectively). The effect on plasma
      triglycerides (Tg) was not uniform. Plasma Tg levels decreased in 25 patients,
      but increased in 10 patients. Since plasma Tg level influences the LDL density
      distribution and composition, the patients were also subgrouped and analyzed
      according to change in plasma Tg. In those with increased plasma Tg, the light
      LDL particles were reduced more and the dense particles less compared with
      patients with decreased Tg. The mean Tg content of LDL increased (from 7.7% to
      9.3%; P less than .05) and the weight ratio of core lipids (cholesteryl ester/Tg)
      in LDL decreased (from 4.57 to 3.44; P less than .01) in patients with increased
      plasma Tg during treatment. The results indicate that the change in plasma Tg
      (decrease or increase) determined the qualitative changes in LDL observed during
      lovastatin treatment.

PMID- 1865827
TI  - Bromocriptine inhibits the seasonally occurring obesity, hyperinsulinemia,
      insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance in the Syrian hamster,
      Mesocricetus auratus.
AB  - Seasonally obese-hyperinsulinemic female Syrian hamsters were injected daily with
      bromocriptine or saline for a period of 34 days to test for effects of
      bromocriptine on body fat store levels, hepatic triglyceride secretion, glucose
      tolerance, and plasma insulin and glucose concentrations. The effects of
      bromocriptine on body fat store levels, as well as on plasma insulin and glucose
      concentrations, in seasonally obese hamsters were compared with the levels of
      body fat, plasma insulin, and plasma glucose observed in seasonally lean
      hamsters. Bromocriptine treatment substantially improved glucose intolerance and
      reduced the total and stimulated areas under the glucose tolerance curve by 33%
      after 14 days of treatment. After 34 days of treatment, bromocriptine reduced
      body fat store levels by 36% and hepatic triglyceride secretion by 40% without
      any concurrent change in food consumption. Furthermore, bromocriptine reduced the
      plasma insulin level by 70%, while slightly reducing plasma glucose concentration
      (ie, 68% reduction in the insulin to glucose ratio). The reductions of body fat,
      plasma insulin, and plasma insulin to glucose ratio produced by bromocriptine in
      seasonally obese hamsters are equivalent to those observed in seasonally lean
      hamsters. Shifts in phase relationships of circadian neuroendocrine rhythms have
      been demonstrated to regulate annual cycles of metabolism in vertebrates,
      including the Syrian hamster. The effects of bromocriptine can also be explained
      as an alteration of such a circadian mechanism.

PMID- 1865828
TI  - The hepatocellular thyroid status of uremic rats estimated from the abundances of
      thyroid hormone-dependent nucleoplasmic proteins.
AB  - Although the serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations of
      uremic rats are commensurate with moderate hypothyroidism, their thyroid status
      at the tissue level remains controversial. To help establish the hepatocellular
      thyroid status of uremic rats, a novel tissue marker (nuclear protein abundances)
      was evaluated in uremic rats (U), hypothyroid rats (H), and hypothyroid uremic
      rats (HU). Uremia was established by five-sixths nephrectomy. Moderate
      hypothyroidism was established by partial thyroidectomy or by provision of
      drinking water supplemented with propylthiouracil and T4. Normal rats (N) and
      pair-fed, sham-operated rats (1 to 3 weeks after surgery) served as controls.
      Animals were killed 1 to 5 weeks postoperatively. The following values were
      obtained 5 weeks after surgery, at which time the total and free serum T4 and T3
      levels of the hypothyroid rats (H) were equivalent to those of the uremic rats
      (U). Total T4 (micrograms/dL +/- 1 SD): N, 5.4 +/- 1.7; H, 2.2 +/- 0.5; U, 1.9 +/
      1.5; HU, 0.5 +/- 0.0. Free T4 (ng/dL +/- 1 SD): N, 535 +/- 165; H, 126 +/- 37;
      U, 135 +/- 89; HU, 26 +/- 1. Total T3 (ng/dL +/- 1 SD): N, 63 +/- 20; H, 39 +/-
      14; U, 38 +/- 18; HU, 13 +/- 4. Free T3 (ng/dL +/- 1 SD): N, 7.83 +/- 3.00; H,
      3.87 +/- 1.05; U, 3.47 +/- 1.73; HU, 0.94 +/- 0.47. Hepatocellular thyroid status
      was estimated from the relative abundances of two nucleoplasmic proteins on
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoregrams.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865829
TI  - Insulin sensitivity and insulin clearance in human immunodeficiency virus
      infected men.
AB  - To test whether clinically stable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection,
      like other infections, is associated with insulin resistance and increased
      insulin clearance, we measured the sensitivity to insulin and insulin clearance
      using the euglycemic insulin clamp technique in 10 clinically stable outpatients
      with symptomatic HIV infection (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] group IV) and
      10 healthy controls. During administration of 0.8 and 4 mU insulin.kg-1.min-1,
      HIV-infected men had 40% (P less than .02) and 83% (P less than .01) higher rates
      of insulin clearance when compared with healthy controls. Despite significantly
      lower steady-state insulin concentrations (42 +/- 2 v 52 +/- 4 microU/mL, P less
      than .05, and 255 +/- 17 v 392 +/- 14 microU/mL, P less than .001, patients v
      controls), patients and controls had similar total glucose uptake (7.99 +/- 0.81
      v 7.92 +/- 0.44 mg.kg-1.min-1 and 14.00 +/- 0.81 v 13.65 +/- 0.65 mg.kg-1.min-1,
      patients v controls). In the postabsorptive state, no differences were found
      between patients and controls in insulin levels (7 +/- 1 microU/mL in both) and
      endogenous glucose production (2.52 +/- 0.07 and 2.24 +/- 0.17 mg.kg-1.min-1,
      respectively), but plasma glucose levels in the patients (5.02 +/- 0.15 mmol/L)
      were significantly lower when compared with controls (5.46 +/- 0.14 mmol/L, P
      less than .05). The results indicate that HIV-infected men have increased rates
      of insulin clearance and increased sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin,
      which makes HIV infection unique with regard to glucose and insulin metabolism.

PMID- 1865830
TI  - Effect of Aeromonas proteases on the binding of Aeromonas hydrophila strains to
      connective tissue proteins.
AB  - 125I-labelled connective tissue protein binding to cells of Aeromonas hydrophila,
      A. caviae, and A. sobria strains isolated from diseased fish, was correlated with
      the Aeromonas protease degradation of 125I-labelled collagen types I and IV,
      fibronectin and laminin, immobilized on tissue culture microtitre plates. An
      inverse relation between 125I-labelled connective tissue protein binding to cells
      of Aeromonas strains and proteolytic degradation of immobilized connective tissue
      proteins by Aeromonas proteases was established. Inhibition of the Aeromonas
      proteolytic activity by protease inhibitors enhances the 125I-labelled connective
      tissue protein binding to cells of Aeromonas hydrophila strains. Culture
      conditions were found to influence both expression of proteolytic activity and
      binding properties.

PMID- 1865831
TI  - Changes in hydrolytic enzyme activities in armadillos infected with Mycobacterium
      leprae.
AB  - The activities of hydrolytic enzymes in various organs of armadillos infected
      with Mycobacterium leprae were compared with those in normal armadillos. Except
      for aspartate aminopeptidase and esterase, the levels of the other enzymes in
      liver, spleen and inguinal lymph nodes were significantly higher in armadillos
      infected with M. leprae compared with those in non-infected ones. These enzymes
      levels were at a maximum when the animals were sacrificed 22 to 30 months post
      inoculation, a period when the bacterial load in the animals had also reached a
      maximum. Animals infected with M. leprae but not showing any signs of
      disseminated infection behaved similar to those in the non-infected group. The
      observed changes in enzymatic activities were not due to bacterial enzymes and so
      can be related to tissue damage caused by M. leprae.

PMID- 1865832
TI  - Purification, characterization and antimicrobial properties of an antibiotic
      (wassumycin) from Streptomyces species 215.
AB  - A yellow amorphous compound, wassumycin, was isolated from an unidentified strain
      of Streptomyces. Wassumycin inhibited the growth of several species of human and
      animal pathogenic bacteria especially Clostridia. Wassumycin also inhibited the
      growth of HeLa cells, and showed good antitumour activity against experimental
      mouse tumours such as L1210, P388 leukaemias, and B16 melanoma. On the basis of
      the chemical and antimicrobial properties, the antibiotic appeared similar to the
      chromomycins and olivomycins, but its ultraviolet, infrared, and proton magnetic
      resonance spectra differed from theirs significantly.

PMID- 1865833
TI  - Altered lipid metabolism in parvovirus-infected cells.
AB  - A broad spectrum of cell lipid alterations are known to occur as a consequence of
      various viral infections. These changes include inhibition of lipid synthesis,
      stimulation of lipid synthesis and changes in the proportions of various lipids.
      The current study examined the effects of two parvoviruses on lipids of rat
      kidney (NRK) cells. Cells were infected with H-1 or Kilham rat virus (KRV) and
      the effects on 14C-acetate incorporation determined. Results showed that H-1
      virus rapidly inhibited lipid formation (in 1 h) while KRV produced a similar
      effect beginning around 8 h. Pretreatment of the cells with cycloheximide did not
      alter this response. Fatty acid analysis by gas chromatography did not reveal
      major alterations in this component of total cell lipids although some fatty
      acids became undetectable by 18 h post-infection. The data suggest that these
      parvoviruses, especially H-1 virus, are able to rapidly alter lipid formation
      following infection and that this effect may be mediated by a virion component.

PMID- 1865834
TI  - Flow microcalorimetry investigation of the influence of glucose and maltose on
      the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae and the production of CAMP factor (protein
      B).
AB  - Microcalorimetric investigations of the growth of Streptococcus agalactiae and
      production of CAMP factor were performed in combination with the photometric
      estimation of bacterial mass and the bioluminescent measurement of extracellular
      ATP in trypticase peptone-yeast extract broth supplemented with either 2% maltose
      or glucose. Maltose was found to be a more efficient energy substrate than
      glucose, providing more energy and C-atoms to the growing cells. In the presence
      of maltose, the metabolic activity of S. agalactiae was more efficient and better
      balanced than in that of glucose. Bacterial cells growing in maltose-containing
      medium used more substrate energy for their anabolic activities, while cells
      growing in the presence of glucose lost more substrate energy in the form of
      heat. The addition of 0.2% NaHCO3 to the carbohydrate-supplemented medium
      enhanced the efficiency of the anabolic activity of growing cells, but did not
      promote bacterial growth. Microcalorimetry should be considered as a useful
      alternative as well as a complementary method for the optimization of the growth
      media or growth conditions.

PMID- 1865835
TI  - Everyday diagnostics--a critique of the Bayesian model.
AB  - In recent years Bayesian probability calculus and Bayesian decision procedures
      have been recommended for use in clinical medicine. The author investigate
      everyday diagnostics asking if it takes place in a reality that meets the
      conditions of the method. He finds it does not. Above all we lack that strict
      randomness essential for probability calculus and, further, evaluation of utility
      easily becomes disputable, not to say unethical. The measures constructed for
      neutralizing these discrepancies between model and reality demand great
      resources. Yet, they are not enough to permit the clinician to refrain from
      supervising the consequences of his decisions as carefully as he has always done.
      A different method, a different model is wanted.

PMID- 1865836
TI  - Melatonin: a chronobiotic with anti-aging properties?
AB  - Recently, it has been reported that melatonin administration extends the lifespan
      of mice, a finding which supports previous research on the effects of
      pinealectomy and pineal extract administration. The prolongation of lifespan by
      melatonin has been interpreted in favour of an upregulation of the immune system
      as well as due to anti-stress properties of melatonin acting via the brain opioid
      system. In this paper we offer an alternative explanation of melatonin's anti
      aging effect: the circadian pacemaker system has a diminished amplitude with age
      as indexed by a decrease in circulating melatonin levels. Stability of the
      circadian system correlates with its amplitude and loss of circadian amplitude
      produces lability which, in turn, leads to internal temporal disorder. Internal
      temporal disorder may be a precursor of disease states. Exogenous melatonin
      increases the amplitude of the circadian pacemaker system by feedback onto that
      system. The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei are thought to be the mammalian
      biological clock in the brain and have high concentrations of melatonin
      receptors. Therefore, melatonin administration in pharmacological doses may
      prevent aging symptoms by acting at the level of the circadian pacemaker's
      amplitude.

PMID- 1865837
TI  - Dissipative structure and the mind-body problem.
AB  - A theory explaining the link between mind and body is presented which depends
      upon viewing personal awareness as a figure against the ground of infinity. It is
      proposed that a tendency toward dissipation, in tension with an opposite tendency
      toward structural integrity, determines both the 'illumination' and specificity
      of awareness. Mind, as an aspect of the awareness bubble, is envisioned as
      influencing the body via a regressive discrepancy in relation to the current
      organization of the body mass - a conclusion derived from the fact that the
      origin of the tension between structure and its dissipation extends regressively
      back to the time when self was infinite or boundless, i.e., non-existent. This
      regressive discrepancy drives behavior in an expectable and therefore visible
      direction [corrected]. The entire thesis rests upon viewing reality as
      fundamentally personal, such that the linkage between a sensory field and neural
      activity can be explained on the basis of a simple gap between structure and its
      dissipation. The significance of this viewpoint for understanding the brain is
      briefly discussed.

PMID- 1865838
TI  - Scaling concepts in cellular and subcellular dynamics.
AB  - After developing a map for certain states typical of hemopoietic stem cells
      (SCs), we identify a number of parameters (e.g. fractal dimensions, oscillatory
      behavior in a multistable landscape, etc.) that scale down to subcellular
      structures such as interphase genome, chromatids, chromatin entanglements and DNA
      segmental motions. A curious aspect is the continuous reappearance of recursive
      processes even at very small biologic scales. These iterations are relevant not
      only for the normal behavior of (hemopoietic) cells but also for amplifying
      hidden genomic singularities above some critical threshold. When that happens,
      there are sudden quali-quantitative and often clonal changes in the cell
      behavior. As illustrated by specific leukemic cases, many paradoxes of malignant
      growth seem best explained by the peculiar sensitivity to initial condition of
      (hemopoietic) cells. Interpreted as chaotic oscillators, these cells display a
      spectrum of disorders that, in spite of appearing as random, are in fact
      triggered by amplification of subtle preconditions with statistico-deterministic
      outcomes, that are predictable within certain time limits.

PMID- 1865839
TI  - The role of the saphenous nerve in insomnia: a proposed etiology of restless legs
      syndrome.
AB  - Entrapment of the saphenous nerve after emergence from its lumbar roots and
      before its distribution to the medial surface of the leg is suggested as a cause
      of Restless Legs Syndrome (other anomalies of the saphenous nerve, especially
      those where the nerve is part of a general neuropathy, are not considered here).
      This finding is supported by evidence which: 1) identifies Restless Legs Syndrome
      as a nerve entrapment syndrome from: the dysesthesia in Meralgia Paresthetica,
      the paraesthesiae of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and the poorly localized pain in
      pronator syndrome and suprascapular nerve entrapment; 2) isolates the saphenous
      nerve as the entrapped nerve from the patient's difficulty in identifying the
      precise area of sensation in saphenous nerve entrapment at Hunter's Canal; 3)
      localizes the pelvic region as the site of entrapment from rates of Restless Legs
      Syndrome of 11 and 19% in pregnant women, a correlation between chronic
      nonspecific prostatitis and Restless Legs Syndrome.

PMID- 1865840
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma among AIDS patients: transmissible venereal tumour by cell
      engraftment?
AB  - The epidemiologic findings of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) among patients with the
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) suggest that human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV) infection is insufficient for the development of KS. It was
      speculated that another sexually transmitted infection is responsible for the
      markedly increased incidence of KS among patients who acquired HIV infection
      through sexual intercourse. However, no such contributing infectious agent was
      consistently identified. The canine transmissible venereal tumour (TVT) is a
      malignant tumour that can be transplanted by viable cells across major
      histocompatibility complex (MHC) barriers. Recent findings suggest that all
      canine TVTs originated from the same tumour and were transferred from one animal
      to the other during sexual intercourse. It is suggested that, in analogy with the
      canine TVT model, the characteristics of KS epidemic among AIDS patients may be
      explained by transmission and engraftment of viable malignant cells during
      intercourse.

PMID- 1865841
TI  - [The forensic medical assessment of occupational hypoacusis in the penal field].
AB  - The authors discuss the difference between otopathy intended as anatomic and
      functional damage occurring in the Corti cells, and hearing loss intended purely
      as the functional aspect of otopathy. The different juridical interpretations of
      the "appreciability" concept are described, both case by case interpretation and
      interpretation on the basis of a minimal threshold limit (10-15%). In Italian
      penal law and jurisprudence, an extremely rigorous approach is generally used
      based on the minimum technically detectable impairment. A recent sentence of the
      Penal Court (No. 4049/89) is illustrated. Other juridical problems posed by
      Italian law and jurisprudence are reviewed and discussed. Practical operational
      problems are described and guidelines for intervention are proposed. The authors
      strongly support the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the problems of
      occupational hearing loss or impairment which is one of the chief aims of the
      Italian National Study Group for Forensic Audiology, which consists of members of
      the Italian scientific societies of Audiology, Occupational Medicine, and
      Forensic and Insurance Medicine.

PMID- 1865842
TI  - Mortality among male farmers licensed to use pesticides.
AB  - The mortality experience of 4,580 male farmers licensed to buy and use pesticides
      in Northern Italy was examined from 1974 to 1987. The historical cohort was
      determined from the registers of the agricultural inspectorate offices. The vital
      status at the end of the study period was ascertained by municipality records and
      only 4 subjects were lost to follow-up. Death certificates were obtained for 100%
      of the 565 identified deaths. External comparison on to the Italian male
      population was supplemented by regional comparison. Mortality deficits were
      observed for all causes, all neoplasms and most specific malignancies. A non
      significant mortality excess due to brain cancer, compared both to national and
      regional populations, was found (11 cases, Standardized Mortality Ratio 169 and
      139, respectively). The excess of brain cancer became statistically significant
      in the age group 65-75 years. Caution must be used in the interpretation of our
      findings. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to hypothesize an association of the
      observed excess of brain cancer with the occupational and/or environmental
      exposure of the cohort.

PMID- 1865843
TI  - [Impairment of the osteoarticular and musculoligamentous components in bill
      posters: an example of the thoracic outlet syndrome].
AB  - The authors analysed the risks and associated damage in bill posters on the basis
      of a case history description. Biomechanical analysis of the job revealed in
      particular the involvement of the musculoligamentous structure of the cervical
      spine and shoulder, mostly during the actual posting of bills. The authors
      propose a clinical-functional definition of the pain and paresthetic symptoms of
      the upper limbs which are frequently encountered in this category of workers.

PMID- 1865844
TI  - Vibration effects on fatty acid composition of organ and cell membrane lipids.
AB  - The influence of middle and high frequency vibrations (50 and 150 Hz) on the
      fatty acid pattern of structural lipids in white rat liver, kidney, heart, aorta
      and muscular tissue was studied in a 3-month experiment. The study also examined
      the fatty acid composition of phospholipids in erythrocyte cell membranes of
      workers occupationally exposed to vibrations and of patients suffering from
      vibration disease. Statistically significant changes in the per cent distribution
      of fatty acids were observed, which were more evident in the liver and kidney of
      experimental animals, and also after high frequency (150 Hz) vibration exposure.
      Changes in human subjects were greater in workers exposed to hand-arm vibrations
      and in patients suffering from vibration disease. Routine and more precise
      methods are needed to assess occupational risk via determination of the lipid
      metabolism state in workers exposed to vibrations and in patients suffering from
      vibration disease.

PMID- 1865845
TI  - [Asbestosis in a truck driver: a clinical case and analysis of the exposure].
AB  - The paper reports a case of asbestosis in a truck driver whose anamnesis, at
      first, revealed no evidence of previous exposure to asbestos, whether
      occupational or extra occupational. A pleuro-pulmonary fibrosis was discovered in
      1987, following an episode of exudative pleurisy on the right side. The thickened
      pleura was then surgically removed. In the samples of pleuro-pulmonary fibroid
      tissue taken during the operation, typical asbestos bodies were demonstrated in
      optical microscopy. The analysis of possible exposure to asbestos that might not
      have been referred in the anamnesis revealed that in at least six widely used
      truck models (of which three were driven by the worker from 1958 to 1984), the
      presence of an asbestos winding around a manifold found on the bottom or on the
      side of the engine. In such trucks, the engine is inside the driver's cab,
      covered by a cowling set on the floor. Asbestos fibers could enter the driver's
      cab through a little window in the cowling or through outlets in the dashboard,
      carried by the airflow generated by the big fan at the back of the radiator and
      by the truck motion itself. The window or the outlets remained open during cold
      periods of the year to allow the air, warmed by the motor, to enter the driver's
      cab.

PMID- 1865846
TI  - [The use of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (methylchloroform) in industrial operations:
      the neurotoxicity risk].
AB  - 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (1,1,1-TE) is a widely used organic solvent which is
      thought to be relatively safe. The present review is mainly focused on the
      neurotoxic effects of 1,1,1-TE. Concentrations above 350 ppm are considered
      capable of negatively conditioning the performance of the exposed person, in
      particular reaction time and manual abilities. Peripheral neuropathies have also
      been described. More recently the potential neurotoxicity of 1,1,1-TE has been
      underscored by animal studies investigating the effects of this substance in
      neurobehavioral tests and on neurochemical parameters. 1,1,1-TE alters the motor
      activity in small laboratory rodents. In fixed interval responding in mice, the
      effects of 1,1,1-TE are qualitatively similar to those of other volatile
      (ethanol) and non volatile (benzodiazepines and barbiturates) CNS depressants. In
      addition, in drug discrimination procedures 1,1,1-TE shares discriminative
      stimulus properties with barbiturates, toluene, halotane, and oxazepam indicating
      that this solvent has behavioral effects in common with central nervous system
      depressant drugs. From a neurochemical point of view long-term exposure to 1,1,1
      TE induces astrogliosis in the cerebral cortex of gerbils as indicated by an
      increased concentration of glial fibrillary acidic protein. In addition low dose
      inhalation of 1,1,1-TE for 3 months decreases DNA concentrations in several brain
      regions of the gerbil. 1,1,1-TE affects also brain concentrations of cAMP and
      cGMP as well as calcium ion control, possibly through an action on voltage
      dependent calcium channels. It has been also suggested that intermediate
      metabolites of 1,1,1-TE may give origin to condensation products with dopamine,
      ultimately impairing dopaminergic transmission. Some of the neurochemical effects
      of 1,1,1-TE are shared by other chlorinated organic solvents as well as by CNS
      depressants. The literature analyzed indicates that 1,1,1-TE may exert
      significant neurotoxic effects suggesting that more caution in its use is needed
      and that attention should be paid to the possibility of an additive effect of
      1,1,1-TE and CNS depressants (ethanol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and other
      volatile solvents) giving origin to severe neurotoxicity.

PMID- 1865847
TI  - [Operator exposure levels in nuclear medicine studies].
AB  - In diagnostic examinations performed in nuclear medicine, radio-isotopes with a
      relatively short half-life are used, the quantity varying according to the type
      of examination. After administration of the labelled substance, the patient
      becomes a large source of ionizing radiations. During the course of a
      scintigraphic examination, the operator is obliged to go near the couch to assist
      the patient in the positions and will therefore inevitably be in this radiation
      field. The paper reports the radio-activity levels recorded at gonad and eye
      levels of the operator in positions most frequently held during the course of the
      most commonly performed scintigraphic examinations using a G.E. STARCAM 500 A
      gamma-camera.

PMID- 1865848
TI  - [Bicycle ergometry exercise tests: a comparison between 3 protocols with an
      increasing load].
AB  - A group of 26 male long-distance runners performed 3 cycle ergometer tests of
      progressively increasing intensity up to exhaustion. The tests were performed on
      3 different days. The workload increased as follows: 30 Watts every 3 min (test
      I), 10 Watts every min (test II), and 30 Watts every min (test III). Ventilatory
      and gas exchange measurements were averaged every 30 sec during each test. The
      heart rate (HR) was monitored continuously by ECG. In each test the anaerobic
      threshold (AT) was determined using ventilatory and gas exchange indices (VE,
      VCO2, VE/VO2). The work load on exhaustion and power at AT were the same
      comparing test I with test II, but these values were significantly higher in the
      30 Watts/1 minute test. Conversely, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and the VO2
      observed at anaerobic threshold were comparable in the 3 protocols. The slopes of
      VO2, VCO2, VE and HR against the work load (Watts) were identical in test I and
      II, but were slower in test III. However, no differences in the ventilatory and
      heart rate patterns versus oxygen uptake were observed comparing the three
      exercise tests. These results suggest a good comparability between the 30 Watts/3
      min test and the 10 Watt/1 min protocol. Furthermore, for workloads below AT, a
      steady state was attained at the 3rd minute of each phase during test I, while
      oxygen uptake and other cardio-respiratory variables were underestimated during
      the protocol in which phases of 30 Watts were maintained only for 1
      minute.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865849
TI  - [The admissibility into Italian regulations of the TLV. The paragraph on
      occupational carcinogens].

PMID- 1865850
TI  - [A program for hearing preservation].

PMID- 1865851
TI  - Topical drugs for vaginal candidiasis.

PMID- 1865852
TI  - Alglucerase for Gaucher's disease.

PMID- 1865853
TI  - Irritable bowel syndrome complaints following the uprising of December 1989 in
      Romania.
AB  - Irritable bowel syndrome has a strong psychogenic component. One of its features
      is the influence of stress on the clinical state. An increased amount of
      irritable-bowel-like symptoms within the first month following the uprising in
      Romania in December 1989 is reported. These symptoms seem to be related to the
      impressive amount of stress developed by dramatic events presented live on
      television and watched by the population. Several new cases as compared to the
      previous year were also reported by our group for the study of psychogenic
      factors in irritable bowel syndrome.

PMID- 1865855
TI  - Human and health rights of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Essay
      review.

PMID- 1865854
TI  - Doctors and human rights.
AB  - This article describes the roles of Amnesty International's Medical Groups and
      the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture in campaigning for and
      treating those suffering the physical and psychological effects of human rights
      abuse in peace and war.

PMID- 1865856
TI  - 'Low intensity' war and mental trauma in Nicaragua: a study in a rural community.
AB  - 'Low intensity' warfare, with its key psychological element, aimed to terrorize
      the rural population of Nicaragua during the 1980s. A survey of ex-refugees still
      living in the war zone revealed 62% of men and 91% of women as 'cases' of
      psychological disturbance on the General Health Questionnaire. Somatization was
      central to the subjective experience and communication of the distress caused by
      the Contra war. Sustained sleep disturbance, hyperalertness and other anxiety
      based symptomatology and poor concentration were very common and were exacerbated
      by war-related cues. 25% of men and 50% of women merited a diagnosis of
      posttraumatic stress disorder. Some distress reflected unresolved grief states.
      The longer term mental and social costs of terrorization have been insufficiently
      documented in the Third World.

PMID- 1865857
TI  - Diagnosis: the Achilles' heel of biological psychiatry.

PMID- 1865858
TI  - Biomedical ethics: confronting dilemmas of modern medicine.

PMID- 1865859
TI  - Adolescent occupational injuries in Minnesota. A descriptive study.
AB  - A descriptive study of adolescent work injuries was undertaken using information
      from Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry workers' compensation files.
      During the two-year period, 1986-1987, 1,607 work-related injuries were reported
      in adolescents ages 12 through 17. The largest proportions of injuries occurred
      in wholesale and retail trade (61.2%), services (24.1%), and manufacturing
      (5.8%). Injuries most commonly reported were sprains (27.1%), lacerations
      (26.5%), heat burns (11.4%), and contusions (8.8%). Average annual injury rates
      were estimated at 14.0/1,000 full-time equivalents for adolescents compared with
      24.5/1,000 for adults. The extent of disability or severity of injury could not
      be determined except that there were no deaths reported during this period.

PMID- 1865860
TI  - Diagnosis of meniscal and cruciate ligament tears using MRI. Evaluation of two
      scanning techniques.
AB  - The accurate diagnosis of meniscal and cruciate ligament tears is essential for
      proper management of knee injuries. In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging
      has been increasingly used to diagnose knee pathology. Several articles have
      documented the accuracy of MRI, but conflicting results have been reported. We
      present a series of 50 consecutive patients who underwent both MRI and complete
      arthroscopy. We tested two different scanning protocols and found the higher
      resolution scanning protocol to be more accurate, resulting in fewer
      discrepancies between the results of MRI and arthroscopy, which we used as the
      standard for comparing the MRI interpretations. Magnetic resonance imaging is an
      important diagnostic tool in orthopedic practice. It is available, accurate, and
      well-accepted by patients. However, as demonstrated by the results of this study,
      the accuracy of MRI is highly dependent upon the scanning protocol used.

PMID- 1865861
TI  - Communicating DNR orders to ambulance personnel.
AB  - To summarize, the MMA will provide a standard DNR form and guidelines for
      implementation in local communities. Local physicians, nursing home
      administrators, and ambulance service operators need to agree on an established
      set of guidelines that long-term care facilities, hospices, and private homes
      will follow to inform ambulance personnel of DNR orders. Ambulance medical
      directors should instruct ambulance staff on the proper implementation and use of
      DNR orders. The decision to write a DNR order rests with the attending physician,
      based on disclosure and consent of the patient, family, or proxies. Full
      implementation of a prehospital DNR system will reduce the suffering that
      patients and family members endure when inappropriate and unnecessary
      cardiopulmonary resuscitation is given by ambulance personnel. A similar program,
      administered by the county health department, has been successful in the west
      metropolitan Twin Cities area for the past five years. The model offered by the
      MMA to individual physicians and their medical societies may be modified to meet
      local needs. This community emergency medical services DNR program helps ensure
      the provision of appropriate ambulance service based on patients' individual
      needs and requests.

PMID- 1865862
TI  - Futures in your future.

PMID- 1865863
TI  - Judge favors patient notification.

PMID- 1865864
TI  - Oregon sets AIDS policy.

PMID- 1865865
TI  - In the aftermath: health care in Kuwait city.

PMID- 1865866
TI  - Sisters share their lives. Interview by Sharon White.

PMID- 1865867
TI  - Nursing management information system development.

PMID- 1865868
TI  - Mississippi becoming a leader in advancing work place advocacy.

PMID- 1865869
TI  - Workplace advocacy new watchword.

PMID- 1865870
TI  - A survey of Mississippi nurses' knowledge of AIDS.

PMID- 1865871
TI  - Childhood cancers--New Jersey, 1979-1985.
AB  - In New Jersey, cancers among children aged 0-14 years account for fewer than 1%
      of all cancers diagnosed annually; however, childhood cancers account for the
      greatest number of years of potential life lost from cancer. This report
      summarizes a study by the New Jersey State Department of Health (NJSDH) that
      determined the incidence and death rates for the most frequent cancers among
      children aged 0-14 years in New Jersey during 1979-1985; these rates are compared
      with those for the United States for a comparable period.

PMID- 1865872
TI  - Comparative mortality of two college groups, 1945-1983.
AB  - Patterns of morbidity and mortality vary substantially among some religious
      groups in the United States. These variations may be associated with a wide range
      of factors, including lifestyle, acceptance of prevention measures (e.g.,
      vaccination), and risks for injury (1-12). This report summarizes a study of
      mortality in cohorts of graduates from two colleges whose students are from
      different religious backgrounds.

PMID- 1865873
TI  - Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis: recommendations for vaccine use and other
      preventive measures. Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory
      committee (ACIP).
AB  - This revision of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) statement
      on diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis updates the statement issued in 1985, and
      incorporates the 1987 supplementary statement, which addressed two issues: a) the
      risks and benefits of pertussis vaccine for infants and children with family
      histories of convulsions; and b) antipyretic use in conjunction with diphtheria
      and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine absorbed (DTP) vaccination among
      children with personal or family histories of convulsions (1,2). This document
      presents new recommendations for epidemiologic investigation and management of
      contacts of diphtheria patients. The updated recommendations include a review of
      the epidemiology of the three diseases and descriptions of the available
      immunobiologic preparations with appropriate vaccination schedules. Also included
      are a) new information on and reassessment of the possible relation between
      receipt of DTP and the occurrence of serious acute neurologic illness and
      permanent brain damage, b) revisions in the recommendations on precautions for
      and contraindications to pertussis vaccine use, and c) revisions on
      recommendations for chemoprophylaxis for household and other close contacts of
      pertussis patients. The Committee has reviewed and taken into consideration the
      recent report by the Institute of Medicine entitled, "Adverse Effects of
      Pertussis and Rubella Vaccines" in making these recommendations.

PMID- 1865874
TI  - Transcription of the Petunia mitochondrial CMS-associated Pcf locus in male
      sterile and fertility-restored lines.
AB  - Transcripts of the Petunia mitochondrial cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)
      associated S-Pcf locus, which consists of three co-transcribed genes (pcf, NADH
      dehydrogenase subunit 3, and ribosomal protein S12), have been characterized in
      reproductive tissues of CMS and fertility restored (Rf) Petunia lines by nuclease
      protection experiments and by RNA blot hybridization. Three 5' transcript termini
      have been previously described. Two 3' transcript termini and an additional S-Pcf
      locus transcript have now been identified. The relative abundance of the three 5'
      transcript termini is influenced by the presence of the nuclear Rf gene. A
      decrease in the abundance of the -121 5' transcript terminus relative to the -266
      and -522 termini is consistently seen in Petunia lines which are restored to
      fertility by the Rf gene, compared to CMS Petunia lines. An additional transcript
      with a 5' terminus within the urf-s region of pcf is much more abundant in
      immature bud and anther tissue than in leaf or suspension cells. The total
      abundance of pcf transcripts varies greatly between plants of different nuclear
      backgrounds which lack the nuclear Rf allele, indicating that other nuclear genes
      also influence expression of the S-Pcf locus.

PMID- 1865875
TI  - Correlation of biochemical blocks and genetic lesions in leucine auxotrophic
      strains of the imperfect yeast Candida maltosa.
AB  - The four enzymatic steps in the conversion of alpha-ketoisovaleriate to leucine
      were examined in the wild type and in 13 leucine auxotrophic strains of Candida
      maltosa. The genetic lesions in the auxotrophs, involve at least five different
      loci and are correlated with three enzymatic steps. This was confirmed by gene
      cloning, protoplast fusion, and enzyme assays. The pathway for leucine
      biosynthesis in C. maltosa shows general similarity to that of other lower
      eukaryotes but there are individual differences in the numbers of genes
      responsible for single enzymatic steps. A disomic state of the chromosomes
      carrying genes coding for alpha-isopropylmalate synthase and beta-isopropyl
      malate dehydrogenase was elucidated.

PMID- 1865876
TI  - An auxin-auxotrophic mutant of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.
AB  - Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) is considered to be an important signalling molecule
      in the regulation of plant growth and development but neither auxin synthesis nor
      its mode of action is clearly understood. To identify genes involved in these
      processes, mutations were sought that altered the auxin requirement of plant
      tissues for growth. For the first time mutant plants were obtained that carry a
      recessive mutation at a single nuclear locus (aux1) which results in an absolute
      requirement for exogenous auxin for normal growth. In the absence of auxin
      treatment, mutant plants undergo premature senescence and die.

PMID- 1865877
TI  - The use of subtractive hybridization to obtain a DNA probe specific for
      Pseudomonas solanacearum race 3.
AB  - Pseudomonas solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt, has been classified
      into three races based on host range and into five biovars based on physiological
      properties. Strains of race 3 belong exclusively to biovar 2 and primarily affect
      potatoes. Although this race is thought to have originated in the Andean
      highlands, it has unusual physiological properties that make it a potential
      threat to potatoes grown at the cooler latitudes worldwide. Consequently, there
      is need for a rapid and sensitive method for detection of race 3 strains. We have
      used subtractive hybridization to enrich for race 3-specific DNA sequences in
      total race 3 genomic DNA, and thereby obtained a 2 kb clone homologous to DNA
      from all 28 race 3 strains tested, but with only five of 90 non-race 3 strains.
      In addition, two larger regions of the genome, containing a minimum of 23 kb of
      DNA, are also specific for race 3. Deletion of this DNA did not affect virulence.
      This race 3-specific DNA is a potentially useful diagnostic tool for the
      detection of race 3 strains.

PMID- 1865878
TI  - Analysis of barley nitrate reductase cDNA and genomic clones.
AB  - Barley nitrate reductase cDNA and genomic clones were isolated by homology with
      the barley nitrate reductase cDNA clone bNRp10 and sequenced. This is the first
      reported analysis of a full-length nitrate reductase gene and its corresponding
      cDNA in the same species. The longest cDNA clone extends to within 9 bp of the
      ATG start codon and the sequence is similar to that reported for the higher plant
      NR sequences. As expected, the amino acid sequence of barley nitrate reductase is
      more related closely to the rice (84% homology) than to the Arabidopsis (62%)
      sequence. Four different polyA addition sites were identified from sequence
      analysis of nine barley NR cDNA clones. A 7.3 kb region of a genomic recombinant
      lambda clone was subcloned as two contiguous BamHI fragments into p Bluescript,
      designated pMJ7 and pMJ8, and sequenced. These clones include the entire nitrate
      reductase coding region, one large intron, 2.7 kb of untranslated sequence 5' to
      the translation start codon and 0.25 kb 3' to the translation termination codon.
      The mRNA cap site was identified as a cytosine, 111 bases upstream of the ATG
      translation start codon. The putative CAAT and TATA boxes were identified at -115
      and -33 bp, respectively, with the mRNA cap site designated as +1. The barley
      nitrate reductase gene coding region strongly favors G or C in the third codon
      position.

PMID- 1865879
TI  - Analysis of yeast prp20 mutations and functional complementation by the human
      homologue RCC1, a protein involved in the control of chromosome condensation.
AB  - Mutations in the PRP20 gene of yeast show a pleiotropic phenotype, in which both
      mRNA metabolism and nuclear structure are affected. srm1 mutants, defective in
      the same gene, influence the signal transduction pathway for the pheromone
      response. The yeast PRP20/SRM1 protein is highly homologous to the RCC1 protein
      of man, hamster and frog. In mammalian cells, this protein is a negative
      regulator for initiation of chromosome condensation. We report the analysis of
      two, independently isolated, recessive temperature-sensitive prp20 mutants. They
      have identical G to A transitions, leading to the alteration of a highly
      conserved glycine residue to glutamic acid. By immunofluorescence microscopy the
      PRP20 protein was localized in the nucleus. Expression of the RCC1 protein can
      complement the temperature-sensitive phenotype of prp20 mutants, demonstrating
      the functional similarity of the yeast and mammalian proteins.

PMID- 1865882
TI  - Determination and occurrence of benzo[a]pyrene in smoked meat products.

PMID- 1865881
TI  - The Escherichia coli recA gene increases resistance of the yeast Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae to ionizing and ultraviolet radiation.
AB  - The Escherichia coli recA protein coding region was ligated into an
      extrachromosomally replicating yeast expression vector downstream of the yeast
      alcohol dehydrogenase promoter region to produce plasmid pADHrecA. Transformation
      of the wild-type yeast strains YNN-27 and 7799-4B, as well as the recombination
      deficient rad52-1 C5-6 mutant, with this shuttle plasmid resulted in the
      expression of the bacterial 38 kDa RecA protein in exponential phase cells. The
      wild-type YNN27 and 7799-4B transformants expressing the bacterial recA gene
      showed increased resistance to the toxic effects of both ionizing and ultraviolet
      radiation. RecA moderately stimulated the UV-induced mutagenic response of 7799
      4B cells. Transformation of the rad52-1 mutant with plasmid pADHrecA did not
      result in the complementation of sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Thus, the
      RecA protein endows the yeast cells with additional activities, which were shown
      to be error-prone and dependent on the RAD52 gene.

PMID- 1865883
TI  - [The determination of thiazafluron in drinking water].

PMID- 1865880
TI  - CDC7 protein kinase activity is required for mitosis and meiosis in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - The product of the CDC7 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has multiple cellular
      functions, being needed for the initiation of DNA synthesis during mitosis as
      well as for synaptonemal complex formation and commitment to recombination during
      meiosis. The CDC7 protein has protein kinase activity and contains the conserved
      residues characteristic of the protein kinase catalytic domain. To determine
      which of the cellular functions of CDC7 require this protein kinase activity, we
      have mutated some of the conserved residues within the CDC7 catalytic domain and
      have examined the ability of the mutant proteins to support mitosis and meiosis.
      The results indicate that the protein kinase activity of the CDC7 gene product is
      essential for its function in both mitosis and meiosis and that this activity is
      potentially regulated by phosphorylation of the CDC7 protein.

PMID- 1865884
TI  - [Diaplacental transition of selected fatty acids in the rat].

PMID- 1865885
TI  - Determination of antimony in drinking waters by an inexpensive, reproducible
      hydride generator for atomic spectroscopy.
AB  - A method for determining antimony in drinking waters is described. In order to
      prevent a substantial error caused by the different oxidation states of antimony,
      Sb(V) is reduced to Sb(III) with potassium iodide-ascorbic acid. Covalent hydride
      is generated with a home made device by adding NaBH4. The hydride is then
      atomized in a flame-heated silica tube and atomic absorption is measured
      spectrophotometrically. The optimal conditions for this determination are
      discussed and interference effects are described. Results obtained by determining
      linearity range (0-200 ng), detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) limits (LOD =
      0.347 ng/ml, LOQ = 1.158 ng/ml), precision (instrumental CV 4.08% and method CV
      7.74%) and accuracy performed by recovery assays (96.1%) show that the method is
      useful for antimony determination at the concentration usually present in
      drinking water.

PMID- 1865886
TI  - Effect of fat and retinol loading on serum triglyceride and retinol levels in
      patients with ulcerative colitis.
AB  - Serum copper, zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium, cholesterol, triglyceride and
      retinol contents were determined in 11 patients with ulcerative colitis and in 20
      healthy volunteers. Lipid and retinol loadings were performed as well. No
      differences were found in serum copper, zinc, calcium and selenium levels between
      the groups. Serum magnesium levels were somewhat lower in the patients than in
      the volunteers. During the period of loading, cholesterol levels did not differ
      between the two groups at any time. Triglyceride levels except for two persons,
      were higher in patients. Triglyceride curves showed pathological courses in each
      case. Retinol concentrations in patients remained below the values observed in
      volunteers. Data suggest a disturbed utilization of fat and retinol in patients
      with ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1865887
TI  - Accumulation of diflubenzuron in bolti fish Orechromis niloticus.
AB  - Orechromis niloticus fingerlings were exposed to the insect growth inhibitor
      diflubenzuron 1-(2,6-Difluorobenzoyl)3-(4-chlorophenyl)urea for 21 days.
      Diflubenzuron was introduced to the aquariums where fish were maintained at the
      beginning of the experiment, then its level in water, gills and liver was
      detected after 1, 7, 14 and 21 days. The fish accumulated diflubenzuron 76 and 99
      times greater than the water content when kept in an ambient concentration of 2.5
      and 5 mg/l, respectively, indicating a low bioaccumulation potential. Some
      degradation products of diflubenzuron were found mainly in liver and water.

PMID- 1865888
TI  - Microbiological status of Egyptian prawn.
AB  - A total of 110 prawn individuals were collected from different markets at Cairo
      and Giza Governorates. The average counts of Aerobes, Psychrophiles,
      Enterobacteriaceae, Coliforms and Staphylococci were 5 x 10(3), 3 x 10(2), less
      than 2 x 10(2), less than 3 and 2 x 10(2) organisms per gram newly caught prawn
      sample, respectively. Such counts were significantly increased in samples
      collected from markets including raw prawn in shell, raw peeled samples and
      frozen samples either peeled or in shell. Arizona group, Escherichia coli,
      Enterobacter group, Proteus group, Providencia group A & B, Shigella group and
      Staphylococcus aureus could be isolated from examined samples with variable
      percentages. The public health significance of isolated organisms is discussed.

PMID- 1865889
TI  - Effect of temperature on initial bacteria of prawn.
AB  - This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of heat and cold on the
      microorganisms existing in prawn. Roasting for 5 min, boiling for 10 min and
      storage at -18 degrees C for 10, 20 and 30 days were applied on raw prawn to
      study the effect of each treatment on the bacterial load. The average counts of
      APC (aerobic plate count) at 25 degrees C and 0 degree C, Enterobacteriaceae,
      Coliforms and Staphylococci were 1.3 x 10(7), 6 x 10(4), 2 x 10(2) and 3 x 10(3)
      organisms per gram raw prawn sample, respectively, then reduced to 10(4), 8 x
      10(2), 3 x 10(3), less than 3 and 3 x 10(2) organisms per gram roasted prawn in
      shell, respectively. Such counts were more reduced in roasted peeled samples.
      Boiling reduced the average counts of APC at 25 degrees C and 0 degrees C,
      Enterobacteriaceae, Coliforms and Staphylococci from 8 x 10(8), 2 x 10(5) 2 x
      10(7), 3 x 10 and 3 x 10(4) organisms per gram raw prawn sample to 2 x 10(5), 3 x
      10(3), 2 x 10(2), less than 3 and 4 x 10(2) organisms, respectively. Concerning
      freezing storage, it could be observed that the average counts of APC at 25
      degrees C and 0 degree C, Enterobacteriaceae, Coliforms and Staphylococci were
      reduced from 4 x 10(7), 5 x 10(5), 3 x 10(5), 10(3) and 3 x 10(2) organisms per
      gram raw sample to 5 x 10(4), 10(3), 3 x 10(2), 10 and less than 2 x 10(2)
      organisms per gram after freezing storage for 30 days.

PMID- 1865890
TI  - Effect of cumin, cinnamon, ginger, mustard and tamarind in induced
      hypercholesterolemic rats.
AB  - The effect of a few common spices--cumin (Cuminum cyminum, cinnamon (Cinnamomum
      zeylanicum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), mustard (Brassica nigra) and tamarind
      (Tamarindus indica)--added to normal and hypercholesterolemia inducing diet on
      serum and liver cholesterol levels in rats was studied. These spices did not show
      any cholesterol lowering effect when included in the diet at about 5-fold the
      normal human intake level.

PMID- 1865891
TI  - [The characterization of microbial lipases. 2. The determination of lipase
      specificity].
AB  - Types of lipase specificity are as follows: Positional specificity; fatty acid
      specificity; stereospecificity; substrate specificity (different rates of
      lipolysis of different glyceride classes. The acylglycerol used for determination
      of lipase specificity must be so structured, that specificities are not confused
      and unambiguous results are obtained. Different substrates and methods for
      detection of specificity are reviewed and advantages and disadvantages are
      discussed. Positional specificity can be determined with synthetic
      dialkylacylglycerols and 2,3-dioleoyl butanediol. Stereospecificity can be
      detected with enantiomeric dialkylacylglycerols or diacylalkylglycerols.

PMID- 1865892
TI  - Some pathological and biochemical studies on experimental ascaridiasis in
      chickens.
AB  - During studying the pathogenicity of Ascaridia galli for young Ross-Broiler
      chickens fed with single doses of 100, 200 and 500 infective eggs, it was found
      that the infected chickens showed variable decreases in body weight gain and
      increases in the ratio of liver weight relative to body weight when compared with
      the control. Both decrease and increase was proportionally related with the
      number of infective eggs given to the chickens. Biochemical analysis of muscle
      and liver tissue of the previous groups of chickens showed a decrease in both
      glycogen and protein content and an increase in fat content of muscle and liver
      of infected chickens when compared with those of normal tissues. The decrease in
      the glycogen content due to ascaridiasis was mostly apparent in case of 500 egg
      dose and that of the protein content was noted with the egg doses of 200 and 500.
      Each of the three egg doses showed a significant increase in the fat content of
      the muscle and liver of infected chickens when compared with the control. After
      the sixth week of infection chickens fed with 500 eggs showed emaciation, loss of
      colour of combs and legs and of brightness of plumage, diarrhoea, drooping wings,
      ruffled feathers and a gradual loss of strength manifested by leg weakness. At
      autopsy, the small intestine showed external macroscopic lesions of haemorrhage
      and congestion. Intestinal obstruction with adult Ascaridia galli was also found
      in the infected birds.

PMID- 1865893
TI  - Dr Healy, Dr Kennedy and Mr Dingell.

PMID- 1865894
TI  - Stanford counts cost of overhead scandal.

PMID- 1865895
TI  - National Institutes of Health. Healy and Dingell lock horns.

PMID- 1865896
TI  - US National Laboratories. California's record attacked.

PMID- 1865897
TI  - Animal rights. A leap into controversy.

PMID- 1865898
TI  - Biomedical research. New institute snares prize team.

PMID- 1865899
TI  - Animal rights.

PMID- 1865900
TI  - Bad taste.

PMID- 1865901
TI  - Towards the brain-computer's code?

PMID- 1865902
TI  - Cell biology. ABG of microtubule assembly.

PMID- 1865903
TI  - Structural biology. Complex behaviour.

PMID- 1865904
TI  - Whaling in the dark.

PMID- 1865905
TI  - Crystallographic analysis of the interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor with
      DNA.
AB  - Two crystal structures of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain
      complexed with DNA are reported. The domain has a globular fold which contains
      two Zn-nucleated substructures of distinct conformation and function. When it
      binds DNA, the domain dimerizes, placing the subunits in adjacent major grooves.
      In one complex, the DNA has the symmetrical consensus target sequence; in the
      second, the central spacing between the target's half-sites is larger by one base
      pair. This results in one subunit interacting specifically with the consensus
      target half-site and the other nonspecifically with a noncognate element. The DNA
      induced dimer fixes the separation of the subunits' recognition surfaces so that
      the spacing between the half-sites becomes a critical feature of the target
      sequence's identity.

PMID- 1865906
TI  - Effects of a change in the level of inbreeding on the genetic load.
AB  - "The effects of inbreeding may not be as noticeable in the first generation as
      the invigoration immediately apparent after crossing". This statement, published
      in 1919, has received little attention, and has apparently never been tested
      empirically, although the reduction of the genetic load of populations by
      inbreeding is well known in theoretical terms. Because inbreeding increases
      homozygosity, and hence the effectiveness of selection against recessive or
      partially recessive detrimental alleles, changes in levels of inbreeding can lead
      to a reduction in the frequencies of such mutant alleles. This results in
      equilibration at higher population mean fitness and is referred to as 'purging'
      populations of their genetic load. Severe inbreeding can also reduce genetic load
      due to overdominant alleles, provided selection coefficients are not symmetrical
      at all loci, because alleles giving lower fitness will be reduced in frequency at
      equilibrium. With either fitness model, however, reduction in genetic load takes
      time, and the initial effect of an increase in inbreeding is reduced fitness due
      to homozygosity. There are few data relating to the extent to which fitness is
      reduced during inbreeding in a set of lines and to how long the reduction lasts
      before increasing again to the initial level, or higher. Inbreeding experiments
      involving sib mating in mice and Drosophila subobscura, and successive
      bottlenecks in house flies have yielded some evidence consistent with the purging
      hypothesis. Here, we report results of an experiment demonstrating a prolonged
      time-course of recovery of mean fitness under self-fertilization of a naturally
      outcrossing plant, and also compare our results with expectations derived by
      computer calculations. Our results show that the genetic load present in an
      outcrossing population can be explained only with a high mutation rate to
      partially recessive deleterious alleles, and that inbreeding purges the
      population of mutant alleles.

PMID- 1865907
TI  - Transgenic plant aequorin reports the effects of touch and cold-shock and
      elicitors on cytoplasmic calcium.
AB  - Methods for measuring plant cytoplasmic calcium using microelectrodes or
      microinjected fluorescent dyes are associated with extensive technical problems,
      so measurements have been limited to single or small groups of cells in tissue
      strips or protoplasts. Aequorin is a calcium-sensitive luminescent protein from
      the coelenterate Aequorea victoria (A. forskalea) which is formed from
      apoaequorin, a polypeptide of relative molecular mass approximately 22,000, and
      coelenterazine, a hydrophobic luminophore. Microinjected aequorin has been widely
      used for intracellular calcium measurement in animal cells, but its use in plants
      has been limited to exceptionally large cells. We show here that aequorin can be
      reconstituted in transformed plants and that it reports calcium changes induced
      by touch, cold-shock and fungal elicitors. Reconstituted aequorin is cytoplasmic
      and nonperturbing; measurements can be made on whole plants and a calcium
      indicator can be constituted in every viable cell. Now that apoaequorin can be
      targeted to specific organelles, cells and tissues, with the range of
      coelenterazines with differing calcium sensitivities and properties available,
      this new method could be valuable for determining the role of calcium in
      intracellular signalling processes in plants.

PMID- 1865908
TI  - The mdx mouse diaphragm reproduces the degenerative changes of Duchenne muscular
      dystrophy.
AB  - Although murine X-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy
      (DMD) are genetically homologous and both characterized by a complete absence of
      dystrophin, the limb muscles of adult mdx mice suffer neither the detectable
      weakness nor the progressive degeneration that are features of DMD. Here we show
      that the mdx mouse diaphragm exhibits a pattern of degeneration, fibrosis and
      severe functional deficit comparable to that of DMD limb muscle, although adult
      mice show no overt respiratory impairment. Progressive functional changes include
      reductions in strength (to 13.5% of control by two years of age), elasticity,
      twitch speed and fibre length. The collagen density rises to at least seven times
      that of control diaphragm and ten times that of mdx hind-limb muscle. By 1.5
      years of age, similar but less severe histological changes emerge in the
      accessory muscles of respiration. On the basis of these findings, we propose that
      dystrophin deficiency alters the threshold for work-induced injury. Our data
      provide a quantitative framework for studying the pathogenesis of dystrophy and
      extend the application of the mdx mouse as an animal model.

PMID- 1865909
TI  - Amino-terminal domains of c-myc and N-myc proteins mediate binding to the
      retinoblastoma gene product.
AB  - The proteins encoded by the myc gene family are involved in the control of cell
      proliferation and differentiation, and aberrant expression of myc proteins has
      been implicated in the genesis of a variety of neoplasms. In the carboxyl
      terminus, myc proteins have two domains that encode a basic domain/helix-loop
      helix and a leucine zipper motif, respectively. These motifs are involved both in
      DNA binding and in protein dimerization. In addition, myc protein family members
      share several regions of highly conserved amino acids in their amino termini that
      are essential for transformation. We report here that an N-terminal domain
      present in both the c-myc and N-myc proteins mediates binding to the
      retinoblastoma gene product, pRb. We show that the human papilloma virus E7
      protein competes with c-myc for binding to pRb, indicating that these proteins
      share overlapping binding sites on pRb. Furthermore, a mutant Rb protein from a
      human tumour cell line that carried a 35-amino-acid deletion in its C terminus
      failed to bind to c-myc. Our results suggest that c-myc and pRb cooperate through
      direct binding to control cell proliferation.

PMID- 1865910
TI  - Preferential DNA secondary structure mutagenesis in the lagging strand of
      replication in E. coli.
AB  - When present in single-stranded DNA, palindromic or quasi-palindromic sequences
      have the potential to form complex secondary structures, including hairpins,
      which may facilitate interstrand misalignment of direct repeats and be
      responsible for diverse types of replication-based mutations, including
      deletions, additions, frameshifts and duplications. In regions of palindromic
      symmetry, specific deletion events may involve the formation of a hairpin or
      other DNA secondary structures which can stabilize the misalignment of direct
      repeats. One model suggests that these deletions occur during DNA replication by
      slippage of the template strand and misalignment with the progeny strand. The
      concurrent DNA replication model, involving an asymmetric dimeric DNA polymerase
      III complex which replicates the leading and lagging strands, has significant
      implications for mutagenesis. The intermittent looping of the lagging strand
      template, and the fact that the lagging strand template may contain a region of
      single-stranded DNA the length of an Okazaki fragment, provides an opportunity
      for DNA secondary-structure formation and misalignment. Here we report our design
      of a palindromic fragment to create an 'asymmetric palindromic insert' in the
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene of plasmid pBR325. The frequency with
      which the insert was deleted in Escherichia coli depends on the orientation of
      the gene in the plasmid. Our results suggest that replication-dependent deletion
      between direct repeats may occur preferentially in the lagging strand.

PMID- 1865911
TI  - Solid-phase gene assembly.
AB  - New technologies for multiple chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and stepwise
      hybridization on a solid-phase support enable the rapid and cost-effective
      preparation of long duplex DNA regions. Will these new technologies usher in a
      new era in protein engineering?

PMID- 1865912
TI  - Final Exit: euthanasia guide sells out.

PMID- 1865913
TI  - AIDS. Leaked report queries Gallo patent.

PMID- 1865915
TI  - US biomedical research. Exploring the limits to continued growth.

PMID- 1865914
TI  - French scientists rebel against review system.

PMID- 1865916
TI  - Less animal testing.

PMID- 1865917
TI  - Imanishi-Kari (continued).

PMID- 1865918
TI  - NIH need clear definition of fraud.

PMID- 1865919
TI  - Immunology. Disease and evolution.

PMID- 1865920
TI  - Population genetics. A way to world knowledge.

PMID- 1865921
TI  - Riddle of the giant panda.

PMID- 1865922
TI  - The spread of HIV-1 in Africa: sexual contact patterns and the predicted
      demographic impact of AIDS.
AB  - The spread of HIV-1 in Africa is examined here in the light of recent information
      on the main epidemiological and behavioural determinants of transmission.
      Mathematical models incorporating demographic, epidemiological and behavioural
      processes are used to assess the potential demographic impact of the disease
      AIDS. These analyses highlight the significance of patterns of sexual behaviour,
      and in particular networks of sexual contact, on the predicted spread of
      infection. Current data reveal substantial variations in the degree of spread
      between and in countries, but new analyses support earlier predictions that in
      the worst-afflicted areas AIDS is likely to change population growth rates from
      positive to negative values in a few decades.

PMID- 1865923
TI  - Common west African HLA antigens are associated with protection from severe
      malaria.
AB  - A large case-control study of malaria in West African children shows that a human
      leucocyte class I antigen (HLA-Bw53) and an HLA class II haplotype (DRB1*1302
      DQB1*0501), common in West Africans but rare in other racial groups, are
      independently associated with protection from severe malaria. In this population
      they account for as great a reduction in disease incidence as the sickle-cell
      haemoglobin variant. These data support the hypothesis that the extraordinary
      polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex genes has evolved primarily
      through natural selection by infectious pathogens.

PMID- 1865924
TI  - Mating patterns in seminatural populations of mice influenced by MHC genotype.
AB  - Because of the central role of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in
      immune recognition, it is often assumed that parasite-driven selection maintains
      the unprecendented genetic diversity of these genes. But associations between MHC
      genotype and specific infectious diseases have been difficult to identify with a
      few exceptions such as Marek's disease and malaria. Alternatively, MHC-related
      reproductive mechanisms such as selective abortion and mating preferences could
      be responsible for the diversity. To determine both the nature and strength of
      selection operating on MHC genes by we have studied components of selection in
      seminatural populations of mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Here we assess MHC
      related patterns of reproduction and early (preweaning) mortality by analysing
      1,139 progeny born in nine populations, and 662 progeny from laboratory matings.
      Reproductive mechanisms, primarily mating preferences, result in 27% fewer MHC
      homozygous offspring than expected from random mating. MHC genotype had no
      detectable influence on neonatal (preweaning) mortality. These mating preferences
      are strong enough to account for most of the MHC genetic diversity found in
      natural populations of Mus.

PMID- 1865925
TI  - 'Pseudo' domains in phage-encoded DNA methyltransferases.
AB  - 5-Cytosine-DNA-methyltransferases, which are found in many organisms ranging from
      bacteriophages to mammals, transfer a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to
      the carbon-5 of a cytosine residue in specific DNA target sequences. Some phage
      encoded methyltransferases methylate more than one sequence: these enzymes
      contain several independent target-recognizing domains each responsible for
      recognizing a different site. The amino-acid sequences of these multispecific
      methyltransferases reveal that some enzymes in addition carry domains that do not
      contribute to the enzymes' methylation potential, but strongly resemble
      previously identified target-recognizing domains. Here we show that introducing
      defined amino-acid alterations into these inactive domains endows these enzymes
      with additional methylation specificities. Gel retardation analysis demonstrates
      that these novel methylation specificities correlate with the acquisition of
      additional DNA-binding potential of the proteins.

PMID- 1865926
TI  - Bioaccumulation, elimination and metabolism of triphenyltin chloride by early
      life stages of minnows Phoxinus phoxinus.

PMID- 1865927
TI  - Neurodepressing effect of brassinosteroids in the cockroach Periplaneta
      americana.

PMID- 1865928
TI  - Positive cooperative interaction of quaternary anticholinergics with functional
      muscarinic receptors in bovine tracheal smooth muscle.
AB  - The interaction of quaternary anticholinergics with muscarinic receptors in
      bovine tracheal smooth muscle strips was investigated because some of these
      compounds have shown anomalous (biphasic) behaviour in radioligand displacement
      studies, in contrast to their tertiary analogues. It was found that ipratropium,
      N-methylscopolamine, oxyphenonium and N-methyldeptropine give Schild plots with
      slopes significantly greater than unity (up to 2.0) in contrast to 4-DAMP
      methobromide and thiazinamium, and the tertiary analogues atropine and
      scopolamine. However, in guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, ipratropium and N
      methyldeptropine behaved as classic antagonists with Schild slopes of unity. The
      high Schild plot slopes in bovine tracheal smooth muscle could not be solely
      explained by inadequate equilibration of the antagonists, since increased
      incubation times (3 or 5 h instead of 30 min) still brought about slopes
      significantly greater than unity, or by the presence of an atropinesterase in the
      tissue. However, by using combinations of atropine with ipratropium or
      oxyphenonium it could be demonstrated that these quaternary antagonists interact
      with muscarinic M3 receptors in bovine but not in guinea pig tracheal smooth
      muscle in a positive cooperative fashion.

PMID- 1865929
TI  - Does brain histamine contribute to the development of hypertension in
      spontaneously hypertensive rats?
AB  - Histaminergic neurons of the brain have been implicated in genetic hypertension.
      We investigated the effect of inhibition of histamine synthesis by alpha
      fluoromethylhistidine (alpha-FMH), the irreversible inhibitor of histidine
      decarboxylase, on the development and maintenance of hypertension in
      spontaneously hypertensive rats. Young (3-week-old) and adult (7-week-old) rats
      were treated with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine for 29 and 13 days, respectively.
      Treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats
      with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine led to a pronounced decrease in the histidine
      decarboxylase activity and in the histamine concentration in the brain
      (hypothalamus, brainstem, cortex-midbrain). In adult spontaneously hypertensive
      rats, the development of hypertension was not influenced by alpha
      fluoromethylhistidine. In young spontaneously hypertensive rats, alpha
      fluoromethylhistidine led to a transient delay in the development of hypertension
      which was followed by a transient tendency to increased blood pressure. It is
      concluded that histaminergic neurons of the brain play only a subordinate role,
      if any at all, in the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive
      rats.

PMID- 1865930
TI  - Flow-dependent extraction of 1-naphthol by the rat isolated perfused kidney.
AB  - The influence of variation of perfusion flow rate on the renal clearance of p
      aminohippuric acid and 1-naphthol was studied with an isolated perfused rat
      kidney preparation. Kidney functions were well maintained at low perfusion flow
      rates by the use of a fluorocarbon emulsion to increase the oxygen capacity of
      the perfusion buffer. Renal extraction of p-aminohippuric acid decreased with
      increasing perfusion flow. Our data show that at high perfusion flow rates
      maximal extractable perfusion flow forms only a small part of the total perfusion
      flow. 1-Naphthol is rapidly metabolized to its glucuronide and sulfate conjugate
      in the isolated perfused rat kidney. Using PAH as a marker for the maximal
      extractable perfusion flow, 1-naphthol could be regarded as a high-extraction
      compound even at high perfusion flow rates. Our results suggest that p
      aminohippuric acid clearance, rather than total perfusion flow rate, should be
      used as the measure of maximal extractable blood flow for the estimation of
      extraction ratio in the isolated perfused kidney of compounds excreted or
      metabolized by the proximal tubules.

PMID- 1865931
TI  - [Diagnosis of neoformations in the colon; radiography or illumination?].

PMID- 1865932
TI  - [Emergency situations in patients in psychiatric hospitals; confusing and
      ambiguous statement of the Medical Inspection for Public Mental Health].

PMID- 1865933
TI  - [Human T-cell lymphotropic virus Type I (HTLV-I) as a cause of progressive
      myelopathy].

PMID- 1865934
TI  - [Voice rehabilitation following larynx extirpation using the Groningen button].
AB  - The long term results of implantation of the 'Groningen button' after total
      laryngectomy were determined retrospectively in the ENT Department of the
      University Hospital Groningen, after follow-up periods of 6 months to 5 years.
      The study group consisted of 86 patients who received a Groningen button between
      1981 and 1985, 79 men and 7 women with an average age of 60.5 years at the time
      of the total laryngectomy. The Groningen button is a silicon valve, which is
      introduced into a tracheo-oesophageal shunt, thus preventing aspiration of
      oesophageal contents and keeping the shunt open. The valve can be placed
      primarily during the laryngectomy or secondarily after the laryngectomy. The
      results of the voice restoration with the Groningen button were better than the
      results achieved with the injection oesophageal speech only. The results of a
      primarily constructed shunt with placement of the button were better than those
      of a button placed secondarily more than one year after the laryngectomy. The
      average lifetime of a button was about 3 months. The buttons of one-third of all
      patients were removed permanently after some time. In our study the complications
      were few. In our opinion a Groningen button can be placed during a laryngectomy
      to achieve a better voice restoration.

PMID- 1865935
TI  - [Balloon embolization of a large carotid-cavernous fistula].
AB  - A 58-year-old male patient with a giant carotid-cavernous fistula was treated by
      means of endovascular balloon embolisation. The fistula was closed, and good
      antegrade flow in the carotid artery and intracranial vessels was obtained. Based
      on this case history, the pathophysiology, ultrasonographic and angiographic
      evaluation and treatment options are reviewed.

PMID- 1865936
TI  - [Immunotoxicology; current developments and perspectives].

PMID- 1865937
TI  - [Classification and treatment of severe constipation].

PMID- 1865938
TI  - [Differences an health care delivery among 11 KNO partnerships in 2 catchment
      areas].

PMID- 1865939
TI  - [A psychiatric disorder in an intensive care unit].

PMID- 1865940
TI  - [Fluid accumulation in the pericardium in children].

PMID- 1865941
TI  - [DNA studies in proximal spinal muscular atrophy].

PMID- 1865942
TI  - [Lidocaine-prilocaine ointment; a welcome addition in local anesthesia].

PMID- 1865943
TI  - [Effect of zinc oxide tape on plantar ulcers in leprosy patients in Indonesia].
AB  - In this investigation the effectiveness was studied of adhesive zinc oxide tape,
      as additional therapy to the usual application of povidone iodine (10%), for
      leprosy patients with plantar ulcers in Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia. The
      effectiveness (degree of wound healing measured as surface reduction) of this
      experimental therapy was compared with that of the usual therapy alone. At the
      same time the influence of the physical activity level on the effectiveness of
      both therapies was studied. During six weeks 38 leprosy patients with simple
      ulcers were treated with either one of the therapies. The average wound healing
      of the experimental group and the control group was 388 mm2 (SD 498) and 260 mm2
      (SD 260) respectively. Using the t-test, there was no statistically significant
      difference in wound healing between the two therapies (p = 1.7). The average
      wound healing of the experimental group with a high and a low activity level was
      342 mm2 (SD 226) and 405 mm2 (SD 571) respectively. The average wound healing of
      the control group with a high and low activity level was 246 mm2 (SD 289) and 275
      mm2 (SD 232) respectively. Using analyses of variance, there was no statistically
      significant influence on the effectiveness of the therapies (p greater than 0.1).
      Methodological problems possibly influenced on the results. Different problems
      which may be encountered during research in third world countries are mentioned.

PMID- 1865944
TI  - [(Procto)colectomy with permanent ileostomy versus restorative proctocolectomy in
      ulcerative colitis; the past as background for the present].
AB  - In the University Hospital of Utrecht, in order to assess the value of
      'restorative' proctocolectomy, the early and late complications after 'classical'
      (procto)colectomy with establishment of a permanent ileal stoma were evaluated
      retrospectively over the period 1969-1988. The inclusion criteria were: having
      undergone a (procto)colectomy with establishment of an ileal stoma because of
      pathologico-anatomically confirmed ulcerative colitis, with follow-up in the
      clinic mentioned. Data on the preoperative period, on the operation and on the
      early and late complications were collected of 101 patients. Immediately
      postoperative complications were encountered in 50% of the patients. Mortality
      was 2% in the group as a whole and 5% after emergency surgery. Late complications
      occurred in 62% of the patients, and in 45% of the patients they necessitated one
      or several reoperations. Sources of late complications included: the rectal stump
      left in situ, the perineal wound area, the stoma and the formation of abdominal
      adhesions. Classical (procto)colectomy with establishment of a permanent ileal
      stoma entails a large proportion of early and late postoperative complications.
      It is asserted that the complications at present observed after restorative
      proctocolectomy must not prompt a return to classical proctocolectomy as the
      standard surgical treatment of ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1865945
TI  - [Chronic atrophic acrodermatitis; a deceptive form of Lyme borreliosis].
AB  - Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) was diagnosed in 15 patients from the
      southern and eastern part of Friesland (the Netherlands). Twelve patients had one
      leg affected; three had more than one extremity involved. Frequent complaints
      were fatigue, paraesthesia, swelling and blue discoloration. The symptoms
      persisted for many years in most cases. The inflammatory stage was observed most
      frequently (13/15): violet-blue erythema, oedema, firm swelling and nodules.
      Atrophy (4/15) was observed once in the form of a scleroderma-like lesion.
      Neuropathy was found in five patients. Histological investigation showed
      infiltration with lymphocytes and plasma cells (13/15) and atrophy (2/15).
      Spirochaetes were demonstrated in biopsies of 13 patients. Specific antibodies
      against Borrelia burgdorferi were found in all patients. ACA appears to be not
      infrequent and must be distinguished from other inflammatory and vascular
      diseases, such as chronic venous insufficiency.

PMID- 1865946
TI  - [Breast-preserving therapy: shorter treatment period with peroperative placement
      of iridium guide-needles].

PMID- 1865948
TI  - [The treatment of surgical patients in an intensive care unit in a peripheral
      hospital].

PMID- 1865947
TI  - [Unnecessary delay in vulvar carcinoma].

PMID- 1865949
TI  - [Brain infarct; current developments].

PMID- 1865950
TI  - [Review of the reference model for family practitioner information systems of the
      Work Group Coordination Information Automation].

PMID- 1865951
TI  - [Reported patients with infectious diseases in 1990].
AB  - The number of cases of infectious diseases notified in 1990 in accordance with
      the Infectious Diseases Control and Disease Cause Act are given. Of each A, B and
      C disease the figures are given separately. The most significant changes as
      compared with the previous years are discussed.

PMID- 1865952
TI  - [Measurement of the quality of care for surgical patients in an intensive care
      unit in a peripheral hospital].
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the quality of care in an intensive care unit. DESIGN:
      Prospective investigation for one year. Comparison with results from the
      literature. SETTING: Surgical intensive care unit of a community hospital.
      PATIENTS: Measurement of the APACHE-II-score was performed on days 1, 3 and 7 in
      all surgical intensive care unit patients admitted during a one-year period. The
      predicted mortality from the literature was compared with the actual mortality in
      our hospital. RESULTS: A total of 301 patients were admitted to the intensive
      care unit. Overall mortality was 9%. All the patients with an APACHE II score
      above 25 on admission died. The actual mortality was comparable with the
      predicted mortality from the literature. CONCLUSION: The APACHE II score can be
      used to determine the quality of care in an intensive care unit. Early prediction
      of a bad prognosis makes transportation to a more specialized hospital possible,
      before irreversible organ damage develops.

PMID- 1865954
TI  - [Validity of the cognitive screening test and the mini-mental status examination
      in a group of elderly health insurance patients].

PMID- 1865953
TI  - [Anaphylaxis induced by exertion].
AB  - A 44-year-old man with a two-year history of episodes of exercise-related
      urticaria and facial angioedema was admitted to our department because of
      vascular collapse during an athletic activity. The diagnosis of exercise-induced
      anaphylaxis was established after excluding other causes of shock. This clinical
      syndrome was described recently; it consists of urticaria, local angioedema
      and/or cardiorespiratory failure following exercise. Factors possibly associated
      with or predisposing to attacks include personal and family histories of atopy,
      food ingestion and weather conditions. Not every effort evokes these reactions,
      indicating the presence of other, still unknown variables and therefore
      complicating the diagnosis because provocation tests often have false-negative
      results. With reference to this case, the clinical syndrome, its pathophysiology
      and its treatment are discussed.

PMID- 1865955
TI  - [Intolerance of ambiguity in affective and schizophrenic disorders].
AB  - In a study of determine the relationship between intolerance of ambiguity and
      different psychiatric disorder classified according to DSM-III and DSM-III-R
      criteria, 68 inpatients, 46 outpatients at the Psychiatric Clinic of the
      University of Heidelberg und 25 normal subjects completed the Kischkel
      Intolerance of Ambiguity Scale as well as other psychometric instruments. The
      group of unipolar depressive inpatients showed significantly higher scores than
      the control group and the schizophrenic group. Among the outpatients without
      clinical symptoms the group of unipolar depressives also showed significantly
      higher scores than the control group and the schizoaffective group. No
      differences were found between unipolar and bipolar individuals. Intolerance of
      ambiguity did not show no significant correlations with age, depressivity or
      anxiety scores. The meaning of this 'intolerance of ambiguity' among unipolar
      depressive patients is discussed.

PMID- 1865956
TI  - [Paraphrenia in the elderly. Psychopathologic and computer tomography indications
      of two subtypes].
AB  - Psychopathological and cranial computed tomography findings in 48 patients with
      late paraphrenia were compared with the findings in 40 normal controls. 19
      patients with late paraphrenia and first rank symptoms showed significantly less
      cortical atrophy than 29 patients without first rank symptoms (p less than 0.01).
      There were no significant differences of ventricular enlargement, cerebellar
      atrophy, the presence of leukoaraiosis or basal ganglia mineralisation between
      the late paraphrenic and control groups. In contrast to the controls, cortical
      atrophy, ventricular enlargement and the presence of leukoaraiosis were not age
      related. These results may indicate different origins of late paraphrenia with or
      without first rank symptoms.

PMID- 1865957
TI  - [Manifestations of Alzheimer's disease in daily living].
AB  - From the perspective offered by diagnostic criteria, cognitive rating scales and
      psychometric tests, Alzheimer's disease appears to be primarily a continuous
      decline of memory and intelligence. Changes in other areas of behaviour often go
      unrecognized at examination or are considered insignificant. A completely
      different view is offered by the reports of care-givers. Here, impairment of
      everyday activities, abnormal emotional and social behaviours are the most
      important features. To examine the everyday manifestation of Alzheimer's disease
      at greater detail, a questionnaire for care-givers was developed. Observations of
      patients' behaviours as recorded on this instrument demonstrate the presence of
      significant changes of affect and drive even in mild stages of the disorder. They
      show only weak associations with cognitive symptoms and cannot be explained as
      psychological reactions. The non-cognitive aspects of Alzheimer's disease deserve
      particular diagnostic and therapeutic interest.

PMID- 1865958
TI  - [The effectiveness of therapeutic horseback-riding in the treatment of chronic
      schizophrenic patients. Experimental results and clinical experiences].
AB  - After describing horse-riding as a facility in managing mentally ill patients, a
      program for chronic schizophrenic in-patients is presented. Clinical experience
      with this program and also results of a controlled study are reported. The
      therapeutic value and slope for horse-riding are discussed in relation to
      different diagnoses.

PMID- 1865959
TI  - [Onset of the antidepressive effect of rolipram, an antidepressant with a new
      mechanism of action, in comparison with imipramine].

PMID- 1865960
TI  - [Sleep polygraphic studies as an objective method for assessing the therapeutic
      result in a case of periodic hypersomnia (Kleine-Levin syndrome)].

PMID- 1865961
TI  - [Cardiovascular irregularities in schizophrenia--more than an epiphenomenon?].

PMID- 1865962
TI  - [Compulsory patient admission--a psychiatric risk group].

PMID- 1865963
TI  - [Time perspective in the treatment of elderly depressed patients].
AB  - Coping with depressive illness in old age is impeded by particular strains: an
      increasing incidence of loss events, physical constraints, lack of social support
      and narrowing prospects for the future may lead to relapse as well as retarded
      recovery or chronification. Treatment directed toward long-term rehabilitation
      therefore requires, in addition to medical measures, psychotherapeutic and social
      interventions which help the patient cope with past loss, solve current problems
      and open up new perspectives for the future. This integration would overcome a
      dichotomy, still prevalent in psychotherapy for the elderly, between
      retrospection and life review on the one hand, activation and extension of
      competence on the other--or "involution" versus "evolution". A therapeutic
      approach which thus integrates personal aspects of the past, present and future
      may also combine various methods such as reminiscence therapy, interpersonal
      therapy, behavioral and social interventions.

PMID- 1865964
TI  - [Drug treatment of compulsive disorder].

PMID- 1865965
TI  - [Magnesium in neurology].

PMID- 1865966
TI  - Improved physical performance after treatment of renal anemia with recombinant
      human erythropoietin.
AB  - The physical performance of 12 anemic patients on renal dialysis was investigated
      following treatment of renal anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO;
      40-120 U/kg, 3 times a week). Exercise intensity at a heart rate of 130 beats/min
      (PWC130) on a bicycle ergometer was assessed before rhEPO treatment, after
      reaching the target hematocrit (73 +/- 18 days), and in the maintenance phase
      (211 +/- 53 days). Hemoglobin concentrations measured at these time points were
      7.3 +/- 1.2, 11.9 +/- 1.5, and 12.1 +/- 1.4 g/dl, respectively. PWC130 rose from
      77 +/- 27 to 104 +/- 37 and 104 +/- 51 W, respectively. Aerobic threshold (i.e.
      blood lactic acid concentration of 2 mmol/l) shifted to higher workloads
      indicating improved muscle oxygen supply.

PMID- 1865967
TI  - Hemodynamic changes in hemodialyzed patients during treatment with recombinant
      human erythropoietin.
AB  - Evolution of cardiac index in 12 patients with severe renal anemia on regular
      hemodialysis (hematocrit 19.9 +/- 2.8%) was studied during the first 4 months of
      treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). At the end of the study
      period, hematocrit rose to 31.1 +/- 3.5% (p less than 0.001) and cardiac index
      significantly decreased (5.34 +/- 1.25 vs. 3.81 +/- 0.84 liters/min/m2, p less
      than 0.001). Cardiac index fell mainly because of reduction of stroke volume (108
      +/- 27 vs. 81 +/- 25 ml, p less than 0.001), while heart rate did not change
      during the study period. Before starting rhEPO cardiac index was elevated in 11
      out of the 12 patients, whereas after 4 months of treatment this was only
      maintained in 4 of them. We conclude that substitution with rhEPO in hemodialysis
      patients significantly decreases cardiac index, confirming anemia as the main
      factor for hyperdynamic circulatory state in these patients. Whether this
      reduction in cardiac index will ameliorate cardiac morbidity or not and
      hematocrit levels for achieving the major benefits require further studies.

PMID- 1865968
TI  - Immunoreactive serum calcitonin and skeletal histology in chronic renal failure.
AB  - Serum calcitonin and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured in 50 patients
      undergoing regular haemodialysis for end-stage chronic renal failure, and an
      analysis of osteoclast and osteoblast activities was made in bone biopsies
      obtained by iliac crest trephine. Osteoclast and osteoblast activities were
      studied in a multivariate analysis in relation to factors which might reasonably
      be thought to influence activity, namely serum calcitonin, serum PTH, serum
      calcium, serum inorganic phosphate, and bone aluminium. Only serum PTH correlated
      strongly with osteoclast activity (p = 0.0047). Serum PTH correlated also with
      osteoblast activity (p = 0.0024). Serum inorganic phosphate correlated negatively
      with osteoblast activity (p = 0.0082). Serum calcitonin did not correlate with
      osteoclast or osteoblast activities but did correlate strongly with bone
      aluminium in a multivariate analysis (p = 0.0078). Bone aluminium did not
      correlate independently with osteoclast or osteoblast activities. This study
      affirms the implied powerful role of PTH in influencing osteoclast and osteoblast
      activities in end-stage chronic renal failure.

PMID- 1865969
TI  - Lack of relationship between parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in
      chronic renal failure.
AB  - In the present study, concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH), determined by
      an intact PTH assay and a midregion/C-terminal PTH assay, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D
      [1,25(OH)2D3], ionized calcium and phosphate were measured in 15 patients with a
      stable creatinine clearance (Ccr) of 21.2 +/- 14.4 ml/min (mean +/- SD; group 1)
      and in 10 patients with a Ccr regularly undergoing hemodialysis (group 2, Ccr not
      measured). In group 1, the mean concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 was significantly
      increased compared with the level in group 2, whereas no differences were found
      concerning the concentrations of intact PTH, midregion/C-terminal PTH, ionized
      calcium and phosphate. In group 1, the PTH concentration correlated inversely
      with ionized calcium concentration and Ccr, which in turn, was directly
      correlated. The concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3 correlated inversely with phosphate
      concentration, but did not correlate with either PTH or ionized calcium
      concentrations. In group 2 no correlation was found between any of the
      biochemical variables. The data demonstrate that in patients with stable renal
      failure, the concentration of ionized calcium still regulates PTH secretion but
      other variables such as parathyroid cell mass and setpoint may interfere with the
      interrelation. The elevated concentration of phosphate in renal failure may
      override PTH as a regulator of the renal 1,25(OH)2D3 formation. The lack of
      correlation in the hemodialyzed patients may be attributed to extrarenal
      production of 1,25(OH)2D3, reduced binding of 1,25(OH)2D3 to parathyroid tissue
      or the major changes in calcium homeostasis caused by the hemodialysis.

PMID- 1865970
TI  - Effects of rhubarb tannins on uremic toxins.
AB  - The effects of each of several tannins purified from Rhei Rhizoma on serum
      constituents were investigated in rats with adenine-induced renal failure. Blood
      levels of urea nitrogen, methylguanidine (MG), and guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA)
      were significantly decreased in rats given (-)-epicatechin 3-O-gallate at a dose
      of 2.5, 5 or 10 mg/kg body weight/day for 24 days. The creatinine (Cr) level was
      also significantly decreased in rats given 5 and 10 mg of this compound. A
      significant decrease in urea nitrogen, MG, and GSA was found in rats given 6.25
      mg of procyanidin B-2 3,3'-di-O-gallate. However, unlike the former two
      components the administration of 12.5 mg of procyanidin C-1 3,3',3''-tri-O
      gallate produced a considerable or significant increase in bLood levels of urea
      nitrogen, Cr, MG, and GSA. RG-tannin had a weaker overall effect on serum
      constituents except for GSA in comparison with the corresponding effect of (-)
      epicatechin 3-O-gallate and 6.25 mg of procyanidin B-2 3,3'-di-O-gallate.
      Rhatannin tended to increase the serum nitrogen constituents.

PMID- 1865971
TI  - Microalbuminuria is acutely increased during anesthesia and surgery.
AB  - Microalbuminuria is known to increase in various diseases with potential
      repercussion on the kidneys and indicates an increase in glomerular
      intracapillary pressure or changes in permeability characteristics. In this
      study, we measured whether albumin excretion is affected in patients undergoing
      anesthesia and surgery, which are both known to induce dramatic changes in renal
      function and in the release of vasoactive substances such as catecholamines,
      vasopressin, angiotensin, and prostaglandins. Seven patients with normal renal
      function and physiological microalbuminuria prior to surgery were studied. Urine
      samples were collected before anesthesia, just before the beginning of surgery,
      and thereafter 30 min following incision, and 30 min after the end of surgery.
      Anesthesia induced a significant increase in microalbuminuria, which further
      increased during surgery. After the end of surgical procedure, microalbuminuria
      decreased but remained significantly higher than control. This phenomenon may be
      due to an increase in intracapillary glomerular pressure and/or an alteration in
      glomerular permeability induced by a direct effect of drugs, or to the action of
      vasoactive substances on the glomerular structure.

PMID- 1865972
TI  - Elevated dietary protein intake impairs the renal hemodynamic response to
      hyperaminoacidemia in patients with primary glomerular diseases.
AB  - We have evaluated the renal hemodynamic response to a mixed amino acid infusion
      in 7 control subjects and in 8 patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN). In
      order to evaluate the role of dietary protein intake in this response, GN
      patients were maintained for 3 weeks on two separate dietary regimens providing
      130 +/- 5 g of protein/day (study 1) and 60 +/- 3 g of protein/day (study 2),
      respectively. Normal subjects were studied while consuming a free diet. In GN
      patients, following the reduction in dietary protein intake basal RPF and GFR
      decreased from 589 +/- 109 to 422 +/- 81 ml/1.73 m2/min (p less than 0.01, vs.
      study 1) and from 75 +/- 7 to 70 +/- 8 ml/1.73 m2/min (p = NS). Filtration
      fraction rose from 0.14 +/- 0.02 to 0.19 +/- 0.03 (p less than 0.05). In study 1,
      during amino acid infusion GFR and RPF did not change significantly from baseline
      (75 +/- 7 vs. 66 +/- 8 ml/1.73 m2/min at 180 min and 589 +/- 109 vs. 567 +/- 102
      ml/1.73 m2/min, respectively). These results are at variance with data obtained
      in normal controls in whom both GFR and RPF rose significantly following
      hyperaminoacidemia. In contrast, when dietary protein intake was reduced, a
      normal renal hemodynamic response to amino acid infusion was restored (GFR went
      from 70 +/- 8 to 90 +/- 18 ml/1.73 m2/min and RPF from 422 +/- 81 to 517 +/- 90
      ml/1.73 m2/min, both p less than 0.05 vs. basal), both absolute and percentage
      increases were similar to what was observed in controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865973
TI  - Aluminium determination in the skin of patients with and without end-stage renal
      failure.
AB  - Aluminium (Al) concentration in the skin was determined by inductively coupled
      plasma optical emission spectrometry to look for a correlation between Al
      exposure and skin content in patients with end-stage renal failure. Skin Al
      concentrations were higher in dialyzed patients than in the nondialyzed group
      (1.02 +/- 0.30 vs. 0.26 +/- 0.10 micrograms/g; p less than 0.001). Moreover, in
      the dialyzed group, the patients treated for more than 100 months had a higher
      concentration of Al in the skin than the others (1.20 +/- 0.26 vs. 0.80 +/- 0.18
      micrograms/g; p less than 0.05). Al skin content correlated better with the
      deferoxamine infusion test (DIT) than with Al blood plasma concentration. In
      conclusion, our data confirm that the DIT is a valuable tool for the evaluation
      of body Al content.

PMID- 1865974
TI  - Bicarbonate and calcium kinetics in postdilutional hemodiafiltration.
AB  - Hemodiafiltration (HDF) is a very effective blood treatment resulting from the
      coupling of dialysis and hemofiltration and leading to reduction of dialysis
      time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the balance of bicarbonate and
      calcium through the filter during postdilutional HDF (with an ultrafiltration
      flow rate of 70 ml/min) and to verify the effect of ultrafiltration on the
      kinetics of these two solutes. The study was performed by simultaneously
      collecting three blood samples (at filter inlet and outlet and after reinfusion)
      at different ultrafiltration flow rates (12.5-90 ml/min), to measure blood pH,
      pCO2, plasma total CO2(TCO2), total calcium, ionized calcium and plasma protein
      concentration. Plasma bicarbonate concentration was calculated by measuring
      plasma TCO2. The results showed an inverse linear relationship between
      bicarbonate (r: -0.7938; p less than 0.001) and calcium (r: -0.8731; p less than
      0.001) balance and ultrafiltration flow rate. In particular, in postdilutional
      HDF both bicarbonate and calcium balances through the filter were negative at
      ultrafiltration flow rates greater than 40 and 55 ml/min, respectively. The
      negative bicarbonate balance, however, was corrected by reinfusing a substituting
      solution containing bicarbonate (40 mmol/l). By contrast, the negative calcium
      balance cannot be corrected by reinfusion and requires a greater calcium
      concentration in the dialysate and oral calcium supplements.

PMID- 1865975
TI  - Evaluation of a region-wide hepatitis B vaccination program in dialysis patients:
      experience in an Italian region. The Latium Hepatitis Prevention Group.
AB  - In 1985-1986, 634 adult dialysis patients were tested prior to hepatitis B
      vaccination, representing 40% of the total patients in Latium, an Italian region.
      HBsAg and anti-HBs prevalences were 7.1 and 36.0%, respectively. Merck, Sharp &
      Dohme (MSD) and Pasteur plasma-derived vaccines were randomly allocated to the 44
      dialysis units. An anti-HBs response greater than or equal to 10 IU/l was
      elicited in 58.5% of 236 subjects tested at 6 months, 63.4% MSD and 52.4% Pasteur
      (p n.s.). The relatively low response to the vaccine in this high-risk group
      stresses the need to improve the efficacy of the vaccination and to maintain
      policies of environmental control.

PMID- 1865976
TI  - Glycosaminoglycans, albuminuria and hydrocarbon exposure.
AB  - The value of the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) determination in urine was examined in
      a population of hydrocarbon-exposed workers and compared to the usefulness of the
      fractional albumin clearance (FAC). Blood pressure and hydrocarbon exposure
      interact to increase the FAC but the GAG concentration seems less useful because
      too many other variables influence it as well.

PMID- 1865977
TI  - Experience with vascular access for acute renal failure: using Buselmeier shunt
      and femoral vessel catheter.
AB  - Three types of vascular access were evaluated over a period of 2 years, January
      1987-December 1989, in 76 critically ill acute renal failure (ARF) patients. The
      Buselmeier shunt comprised 75% of the acute vascular access which were utilized,
      the cannulation of the femoral vessel 23% and the Scribner shunt 2%. The
      Buselmeier shunt was successfully used alone (mainly in the forearm) in 58
      patients for continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration, continuous arteriovenous
      hemodialysis and intermittent hemofiltration. Thrombosis was noted in 7% of the
      shunts, where the majority needed a new shunt either on the same or the
      contralateral arm. Blood leakage was noted in 2%, hematoma in 1%, and accidental
      bleeding in 1% of the shunts. This study showed that the Buselmeier shunt is more
      used in our center, most likely because it is easy to bypass the hemodialysis
      filter by the staff nurse in case of clotting. No major complications were noted
      even if kept in place for a longer period of time. It offers adequate blood flow
      for continuous renal replacement therapy and intermittent hemofiltration in ARF.

PMID- 1865978
TI  - Hemodialysis-associated cardiac arrhythmias: a lower risk with bicarbonate?
AB  - The role of hemodialysis (HD) as an arrhythmogenic event has recently been
      emphasized. We studied 18 patients by Holter monitoring, comparing the
      arrhythmogenic effect of acetate dialysis (AHD) and bicarbonate dialysis (BHD).
      The frequency of ventricular arrhythmias was 93 +/- 66/h in AHD and 32 +/- 26/h
      in BHD (p less than 0.005). According to the classification of Lown and Graboys,
      classes III and IV were more often to be found in AHD than in BHD and no patient
      on BHD was in class IVB and class V. Five patients affected with ischemic heart
      disease had more frequent and dangerous ventricular arrhythmias than the others;
      a significant difference between buffers was recorded in all cases but 1.
      Intradialytic changes in body weight, hematocrit, osmolarity, ionized calcium and
      potassium during AHD and BHD were similar. The two methods only differed in the
      quickness and degree of correction of acidosis, and this was related to a
      significant difference in intraerythrocytic potassium at the end of the session.
      The quicker and more regular correction of acidosis with BHD and the consequent
      difference in ionic flows between the intra- and extracellular spaces, as
      demonstrated by changes in intraerythrocytic potassium at the end of the session,
      could account for the seemingly less arrhythmogenic effect of BHD.

PMID- 1865979
TI  - Examination of aggravating factors of urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D
      glucosaminidase after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
AB  - We measured urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion before and
      after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with a view to study the
      underlying factors which aggravate renal impairment immediately after ESWL. The
      factors associated with the significant elevation of urinary NAG after ESWL
      included female sex, a previous history of ESWL, and urinary tract infection
      (UTI). By studying the backgrounds of these factors, we found that both the
      female group and the group with a previous history of ESWL contained
      significantly more patients with UTI. These findings indicate that UTI may be one
      of the risk factors which aggravate renal damage immediately after ESWL, and that
      careful management is necessary in the ESWL treatment of urinary tract stones
      with UTI.

PMID- 1865980
TI  - Unique glomerular lesion with spontaneous lipid deposition in glomerular
      capillary lumina in the NON strain of mice.
AB  - We found a strain of nonobese, nondiabetic (NON) mice which has spontaneous lipid
      deposition in glomerular capillary lumina. This strain was developed together
      with a diabetic strain of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice for the generation of
      mouse models of diabetes mellitus. In the NON strain, contrary to the name,
      impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was observed in about half of the mice.
      Meanwhile, peculiar glomerular abnormalities which remotely resemble those of
      diabetic nephropathy were observed in the NON strain. The lesions were
      characterized by massive lipid accumulation with proteinaceous material within
      the glomerular capillary lumina. In addition, positive staining for
      immunoglobulins, especially IgM, was observed by immunofluorescence microscopy.
      The overall frequency of this lesion was 91%. Mesangiolysis, capillary ballooning
      with many small lipid vesicles were the striking features by electron microscopy.
      Histochemical analysis revealed the presence of various lipids in these lesions.
      However, as far as we examined, these lesions did not correlate with
      hyperlipidemia or IGT. Lymphoid follicle-like structures were seen around the
      renal arterioles. The cellular components of these lymphoid follicles reacted
      with monoclonal antibodies to L3T4. High levels of serum immunoglobulins were
      observed in this strain. We suppose that the immunological disorders may have
      some bearing in the evolution of this lesion in NON mice. We believe that this
      model may be of use in studying the role of lipid derangements in renal diseases.

PMID- 1865981
TI  - Insulin-like growth factor 1 and renal growth following ureteral obstruction in
      the rat.
AB  - The role of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in renal growth of obstructed
      and contralateral kidneys was investigated for 10 days following unilateral
      ureteric obstruction in male Wistar rats. The weight of the obstructed kidney
      increased rapidly, rising from 671 +/- 10 to 1,378 +/- 42 mg on day 10, an
      increase of 105%. IGF-1 content of the obstructed kidney was significantly less
      than in control kidneys from day 2 onwards, reaching a nadir of 70 ng/mg, a fall
      of 64%. The protein concentration, expressed as milligrams per gram kidney
      weight, also fell rapidly from 141 +/- 11 to 88 +/- 3 mg/g on day 6. The weight
      of the contralateral kidney increased by 32%, from 671 +/- 10 to 887 +/- 48 mg on
      day 10. The IGF-1 content of this kidney was increased by 48% from baseline on
      day 1 (268 +/- 23 vs. 191 +/- 13 ng/g) and remained increased compared to sham
      operated animals on days 6 and 8. The protein content, expressed as milligrams
      per gram kidney weight, remained constant throughout the study. We conclude that
      in the acutely obstructed left kidney increasing kidney weight is associated with
      falling concentration of IGF-1 and protein and may be due to oedematous and
      reactive change. Growth of the contralateral kidney is preceded by a rise in the
      concentration of IGF-1 and may represent true renal compensatory growth.

PMID- 1865982
TI  - Lead stores in patients with renal insufficiency.

PMID- 1865983
TI  - Effect of carbamazepine on cyclosporin blood level.

PMID- 1865984
TI  - Anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis due to hydralazine.

PMID- 1865985
TI  - Absence of mesangial IgA in AIDS: a postmortem study.

PMID- 1865986
TI  - Mechanism of kidney stone formation in chronic hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 1865987
TI  - Detection of circulating immune complexes in patients on hemodialysis by a new
      immunoassay.

PMID- 1865988
TI  - Decreased need for blood transfusion during one year after discontinued
      erythropoietin treatment in haemodialyzed patients.

PMID- 1865989
TI  - Extremely prolonged half-life of prostacyclin in plasma causative for bleeding in
      an uremic patient?

PMID- 1865990
TI  - Low-protein diet and renal osteodystrophy.

PMID- 1865991
TI  - Follow-up of lipid and apoprotein levels in renal transplant recipients.

PMID- 1865992
TI  - Galanthamine: pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and cholinesterase inhibition
      in brain of mice.
AB  - Galanthamine was determined in plasma and tissue extracts of mice, after the
      application of 4, 6 and 8 mg/kg (i.v.), by reverse phase HPLC, with fluorescence
      detection. A biexponential decline of concentrations in plasma, with a terminal
      half-life of 43.3 min, was observed after the dose of 4 mg/kg. The volume of
      distribution (Vss) of 2.17 l/kg was similar to that found in other species,
      including man. Metabolism to the inactive diastereomer, epigalanthamine, was very
      limited. There was a rapid accumulation of galanthamine in tissues, which was
      most pronounced in the kidney (10-fold compared to plasma) and liver (5-fold). In
      brain, accumulation was similar to other parenchymatous organs (diaphragm, lung)
      and amounted to 2.10-fold. Red blood cells showed a concentration 1.34-fold
      greater than plasma. The accumulation of galanthamine in tissue, with the
      exception of liver and kidney, can be explained by passive distribution according
      to differences in pH, between intra- and extracellular compartments. Extraction
      of galanthamine from blood to brain tissue was complete, indicated by a clearance
      in the range of cerebral blood flow (1.05 ml min-1 g-1). The concentration-time
      course of galanthamine in brain tissue was parallel to that in plasma during the
      terminal elimination phase. Measurement of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase
      (AChE) in the same samples from brain revealed a maximum apparent inhibition of
      43% in the homogenate of brain (1:4 w/v in phosphate buffer, 4 mg/kg, 5 min after
      injection).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1865993
TI  - The effect of theophylline and immobilization stress on haloperidol-induced
      catalepsy and on metabolism in the striatum and hippocampus, studied with
      lactography.
AB  - Whether inducing catalepsy in the rat by an intraperitoneal injection of
      haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg) had an effect on metabolism in the striatum and in the
      hippocampus, as determined by lactography, and whether reducing the cataleptic
      state with stress or theophylline (8 mg/kg i.v.) had any impact on metabolism in
      these two regions of the brain was investigated. Furthermore, whether
      theophylline reduced catalepsy in rats through the adrenals was investigated.
      Haloperidol caused a significant increase in the metabolism of lactate, both in
      the striatum and in the hippocampus. Reducing haloperidol-induced catalepsy with
      short-term immobilisation stress did not affect the metabolism of lactate,
      neither in the striatum nor in the hippocampus. Reducing haloperidol-induced
      catalepsy with theophylline caused a significant rise in the metabolism of
      lactate in the striatum, while no effect was seen in the hippocampus.
      Adrenalectomy did not compromise the anti-cataleptic property of theophylline. It
      is concluded theophylline is a potent antagonist of haloperidol-induced
      catalepsy, and that this effect is not mediated by the adrenals. Furthermore, it
      is reported that haloperidol influenced metabolism in regions of the brain not
      considered to be its primary target. Lactography is considered to be a very
      useful tool in the study of metabolism during activity.

PMID- 1865994
TI  - Involvement of the dorsal hippocampus in mediation of the antianxiety action of
      tandospirone, a 5-hydroxytryptamine1A agonistic anxiolytic.
AB  - The effect of tandospirone, a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)1A agonist/anxiolytic,
      injected directly into dorsal hippocampus, on Vogel-type conflict behavior in
      rats was investigated and the findings were compared with the effects of diazepam
      and zopiclone. Tandospirone (30 micrograms/2 microliters and 60 micrograms/2
      microliters) and diazepam (40 micrograms/2 microliters) but not zopiclone (20
      micrograms/2 microliters), produced a potent anticonflict action in rats. The
      anticonflict action of tandospirone (30 micrograms/2 microliters), injected into
      the dorsal hippocampus, was significantly blocked by (-)-propranolol (5 mg/kg
      i.p.). The present findings provide evidence that suggests that tandospirone has
      an antianxiety action, presumably by stimulating 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal
      hippocampus.

PMID- 1865995
TI  - Neonatal exposure to therapeutic caffeine alters the ontogeny of adenosine A1
      receptors in brain of rats.
AB  - Caffeine is a methylxanthine, commonly used in the premature neonate to treat
      apnea of prematurity. It is efficacious and appears to have few short-term side
      effects. An animal model, designed to mimic the developmental period in brain and
      level and duration of exposure in humans, was used to investigate possible long
      term effects of early developmental exposure to caffeine on the ontogeny of the
      adenosine receptor to which caffeine binds. Specific binding at the adenosine A1
      receptor, in five distinct regions of the brain was determined in rats, 14-90
      days old, as a function of early postnatal exposure to caffeine, over days 2-6.
      In cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus but not in the brain stem or hypothalamus,
      there was an increase in specific binding, following neonatal exposure to
      caffeine, compared to specific binding in control animals. Kinetic analysis of
      binding to the A1 site in cortical tissue suggests that this increase was due to
      an increased maximum binding density (Bmax); binding affinity (Kd) did not
      change. Thus, limited exposure to caffeine, in the early neonatal period, may
      result in up-regulation of the adenosine A1 receptor that persists to young
      adulthood in the rat.

PMID- 1865996
TI  - Nifedipine has paradoxical effects on the development of kindling but not on
      kindled seizures in amygdala-kindled rats.
AB  - The effects of nifedipine, an antagonist of voltage-operated calcium channels, on
      the development of amygdala kindling and on the production of fully kindled
      seizures, stimulated from the amygdala, were investigated. Rats were treated
      daily with two doses (5 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) of nifedipine during the development
      of kindling. Both doses of nifedipine retarded the development of kindled
      seizures and 50 mg/kg of nifedipine prolonged the latency to the occurrence of
      bilateral forelimb clonus. In contrast to these antiepileptogenic effects,
      however, both doses also increased the duration of afterdischarge. This resulted
      in a striking increase in the cumulative duration of afterdischarge, required to
      reach stage 4 and 5 seizures. Contrary to the results of a previous study, 50
      mg/kg of nifedipine did not produce any significant effect on fully kindled
      seizures, regardless of the interval (5 min-24 hr) between injection and
      stimulation of kindling. These results suggested that although nifedipine
      inhibited the propagation processes of seizures during development of kindling,
      it appeared to increase the duration of epileptic activity at the kindling focus.

PMID- 1865997
TI  - 2-propyl-1-aminopentane, its deamination by monoamine oxidase and semicarbazide
      sensitive amine oxidase, conversion to valproic acid and behavioral effects.
AB  - 2-Propyl-1-aminopentane (2-PAPN), a branched aliphatic amine, was found to be
      readily deaminated by monoamine oxidase B in the liver of the rat and
      semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase in the aorta of the rat. The deaminated
      product, 2-propyl-1-pentaldehyde, could be subsequently converted to valproic
      acid in the presence of aldehyde dehydrogenase and beta-NAD cofactor in vitro as
      well as in vivo. Valproic acid was identified after derivatization with 4
      bromomethyl-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, followed by HPLC-fluorometric assessment.
      Absorption and biotransformation of a single intraperitoneal dose of 2-PAPN
      resulted in the rapid appearance of the drug and its metabolite in the blood and
      in the brain. The formation of valproic acid from 2-PAPN in vivo, however, was
      insufficient to facilitate anticonvulsant action. In fact, 2-PAPN itself, at
      relatively small doses, exhibited distinct tremor effects. Such tremor effects
      could be prevented by valproic acid. However, 2-PAPN was also found to potentiate
      the convulsant effect induced by mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and, in addition,
      the 2-PAPN-induced tremor could be potentiated by MPA in mice.

PMID- 1865998
TI  - Geriatric neurology.

PMID- 1865999
TI  - Added qualification in clinical neurophysiology.

PMID- 1866001
TI  - Botulinum toxin treatment of tremors.
AB  - We report the results of an open trial of botulinum toxin (Botox) in the
      treatment of 51 patients with disabling tremors, classified as dystonic (14),
      essential (12), combination of dystonic and essential (22), parkinsonian (1),
      peripherally induced (1), and midbrain (1). The average age of the patients was
      55.8 years, and duration of symptoms was 13.9 years. During a total of 160
      treatment visits, an average of 242 +/- 75 units of Botox was injected per visit
      in cervical muscles of 42 patients with head tremor and 95 +/- 38 in forearm
      muscles of 10 patients with hand tremor; one patient was injected in both. The
      average peak effect for all patients was rated as 3.0 (0 to 4 scale). Thirty-five
      (67%) patients improved (peak effect greater than or equal to 1). The average
      latency from injection to response was 6.8 days, and the average duration of
      maximum improvement was 10.5 weeks. Local complications, lasting an average of
      20.6 days, were noted in 17 (40%) patients injected for head tremor, consisting
      chiefly of dysphagia in 12 (29%), transient neck weakness in four (10%), and
      local pain in two (5%). Six (60%) patients with hand tremor had transient focal
      weakness. EMG recordings showed decreased amplitude of EMG bursts after Botox
      treatment. The results of this pilot study indicate that Botox injections can be
      used to control tremor in patients in whom other forms of therapy have failed.

PMID- 1866000
TI  - A comparative study of the cerebrovascular complications of cocaine: alkaloidal
      versus hydrochloride--a review.
AB  - Cocaine, especially in its alkaloidal or "crack" form, has been increasingly
      associated with cerebrovascular disease. Before the crack epidemic, cocaine
      hydrochloride (HCl) was also implicated as a cause of stroke. However, less is
      known about the differences in stroke subtypes, age at stroke onset, or presence
      of underlying structural cerebrovascular disease with different forms of cocaine
      use. We compared 26 patients (previously reported) from our four institutions
      plus 16 cases reported in the literature of stroke associated with alkaloidal
      cocaine to 63 (57 reported in the literature and six not previously reported from
      our four institutions) cases of stroke associated with cocaine HCl. Ischemic and
      hemorrhagic strokes are equally likely after alkaloidal cocaine use, whereas
      cocaine HCl is more likely (approximately 80% of the time) to cause hemorrhagic
      stroke, with approximately half the intracranial hemorrhages occurring from
      ruptured cerebral saccular aneurysms or vascular malformations. The presence of
      an underlying cerebral aneurysm was more common among patients with cocaine HCl
      associated strokes than alkaloidal cocaine-associated strokes. Cerebral
      infarction was significantly more common among the alkaloidal cocaine users than
      in all the cocaine HCl users, and this was also true when alkaloidal cocaine
      users were compared with parenteral cocaine HCl (intravenous and intramuscular)
      users. Only hemorrhagic stroke has been reported with intravenous cocaine HCl
      use. We conclude that the pathogenesis of cocaine-related stroke is
      heterogeneous, and depends, in part, on the form of cocaine used.

PMID- 1866002
TI  - The European Stroke Prevention Study: results according to sex.
AB  - The European Stroke Prevention Study was a multicenter trial comparing the effect
      of a combination of 75 mg dipyridamole and 330 mg acetylsalicylic acid tid with
      placebo in the prevention of stroke or death after one or more attacks of recent
      transient ischemic attacks or stroke of atherothrombotic origin. From the 2,500
      patients in the intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of women was 42%, and
      from the 1,861 patients in the explanatory analysis it was 44%. The endpoint
      incidence was significantly higher in men than in women. The endpoint reduction
      was statistically significant only in the intention-to-treat analysis with total
      endpoints. However, there was a marked percentage reduction of endpoints in both
      men and women in explanatory analysis. The risk reduction of strokes was 49% for
      men and 41% for women, and the reduction of total endpoints was 39% in men and
      30% in women. Thus, antiplatelet therapy is effective in the prevention of stroke
      or death in both sexes.

PMID- 1866003
TI  - Cause of death in patients attending multiple sclerosis clinics.
AB  - Between 1972 and 1988, 145 deaths occurred among 3,126 patients attending the
      Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Clinics in Vancouver, British Columbia (N = 1,583), and
      London, Ontario (N = 1,543). We could determine the exact cause of death in 82.1%
      of cases (119 of 145). Of the 119 patients for whom the cause of death was known,
      56 deaths (47.1%) were directly attributed to complications of MS. Of the
      remaining 63 deaths, 18 (28.6%) were suicides, 19 (30.2%) were due to malignancy,
      13 (20.6%) to an acute myocardial infarction, seven (11.1%) to stroke, and the
      remainder (9.5%) to miscellaneous causes, of which two may have been suicides.
      The proportion of suicides among MS deaths was 7.5 times that for the age-matched
      general population, and the proportion of MS deaths from malignancy was 0.67
      times that for the age-matched general population. The proportion of deaths due
      to malignancy and stroke was the same for the MS patients and the age-matched
      general population.

PMID- 1866004
TI  - Seizures caused by nontraumatic parenchymal brain hemorrhages.
AB  - Seizures occurred in 15% of patients with parenchymal brain hemorrhage (early in
      12% and delayed in 3%). Seizures were most frequent with lobar hemorrhages and
      uncommon with deep subcortical hemorrhages. Lobar hemorrhages in the frontal,
      parietal, or temporal region were more commonly associated with seizures, whereas
      occipital hemorrhages were not. Seizures were most common if the hemorrhage was
      due to an aneurysm, angioma, or neoplasm and less common if hypertensive or
      spontaneous. If the patient had recurrent seizures or developed delayed seizures,
      CT showed that the hemorrhage evolved to a hypodense appearance; if the seizure
      did not recur, CT showed that the hemorrhage evolved to an isodense appearance.

PMID- 1866005
TI  - Spatial contrast sensitivity is reduced in bilateral Parkinson's disease.
AB  - We studied the contrast sensitivity functions of 41 patients with idiopathic
      Parkinson's disease (PD) with a wide range of parkinsonian symptomatology (Hoehn
      and Yahr stages 1 to 4) and 22 age-matched control subjects in a parametric
      design. Results demonstrated reduced contrast sensitivity in PD patients but only
      in those patients who had progressed beyond Hoehn and Yahr stage 1. Furthermore,
      there were deficits in contrast sensitivity related to the severity of PD.

PMID- 1866006
TI  - Optic chiasmal neuritis.
AB  - In four of six patients with clinical optic chiasmal neuritis, MRI demonstrated
      abnormalities of the chiasm. Optic chiasmal neuritis may be the initial
      manifestation of multiple sclerosis, a reflection of established CNS
      demyelination, or an isolated clinical finding.

PMID- 1866007
TI  - Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy: genetic, biochemical, and phosphorus
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in an Italian family.
AB  - Three siblings of a family affected with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy
      (LHON) showed a mitochondrial DNA mutation at position 11778. The lactate
      response to a standardized effort was increased in only one case. Muscle biopsies
      and biochemistry of muscle and platelet mitochondrial enzymes were normal. All
      patients showed an altered energy metabolism during exercise and during recovery
      after exercise on phosphorus 31-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) of
      muscle. Brain 31P-MRS showed a decreased energy reserve (decreased PCr/Pi ratio)
      in all patients. 31P-MRS noninvasively demonstrated an altered mitochondrial
      energy metabolism in muscle and, for the first time, in the brains of LHON
      patients.

PMID- 1866008
TI  - Preherpetic neuralgia.
AB  - We have encountered six zoster patients whose pain preceded rash by 7 to more
      than 100 days. Pain was severe, burning, and radicular, and located both in
      dermatomes different from, as well as in, the area of eventual rash. Two patients
      ultimately developed disseminated zoster with neurologic complications, one of
      zoster paresis, and the other, a fatal zoster encephalitis; both had been taking
      long-term, low-dose steroids. A third case of preherpetic neuralgia developed in
      a patient with prior metastatic carcinoma, and another case in a patient with an
      earlier episode of brachial neuritis. The final two cases of preherpetic
      neuralgia developed in individuals with no underlying disease. An extended period
      of pain before the onset of zoster rash has gone largely unrecognized.

PMID- 1866009
TI  - Quantitative MRI changes in gadolinium-DTPA enhancement after high-dose
      intravenous methylprednisolone in multiple sclerosis.
AB  - In 12 patients with definite multiple sclerosis who received a total of 21
      courses of high-dose (1 gram daily for 10 consecutive days) intravenous
      methylprednisolone, we performed MRI of the brain with and without gadolinium
      DTPA before and after treatment. On the initial MRI, there was a total of 98
      enhancing lesions, 93 of which were also represented on the unenhanced images.
      After treatment, 13 patients improved clinically, and 78 of the lesions lost
      enhancement but remained visible on the unenhanced images. There were six new
      enhancing lesions on the second MRI. Thus, the blood-brain-barrier integrity
      improved after high-dose IV methylprednisolone, which correlated well with the
      clinical improvement. The lesions remaining visible on the unenhanced images
      indicate an incomplete histologic recovery at the time of the second scan, and
      also demonstrate that unenhanced MRI alone is not sufficient to monitor disease
      activity in the short term in multiple sclerosis.

PMID- 1866010
TI  - Multifocal independent epileptiform discharges in children: ictal correlates and
      surgical therapy.
AB  - We obtained continuous EEG/video recordings on four children who had the
      interictal EEG pattern of multifocal independent epileptiform discharges (MIED).
      The prominent feature of their evaluation was the evidence that their clinical
      seizures appeared to be of focal origin; 42/44 seizures were manifested by
      "fencing postures." Three patients subsequently underwent epilepsy surgery: one
      focal resection of superior frontal-parietal cortex and two hemidecorticectomies.
      Seizure control improved in all three patients, and one patient is now seizure
      free. Our patients differ from those previously reported in that they had a
      predominance of tonic seizures and had no history of infantile spasms or Lennox
      Gastaut syndrome. Some patients, such as ours, with MIED may have clinical
      seizures of more focal origin than might be expected from their interictal EEG
      and, therefore, may benefit from resective epilepsy surgery.

PMID- 1866011
TI  - The spectrum of vertical gaze palsy following unilateral brainstem stroke.
AB  - A single unilateral lesion, near the midline, may interrupt the pathways involved
      in vertical gaze just before and after they decussate, inducing an anatomically
      unilateral, but functionally bilateral, lesion. We report 11 patients with
      supranuclear vertical gaze palsies (two with conjugate upgaze palsy, four with
      combined up- and downgaze palsies, two with monocular elevation palsy, and three
      with vertical "one-and-a-half" syndrome) due to unilateral midbrain strokes.

PMID- 1866012
TI  - Steroid-induced weakness in patients with primary brain tumors.
AB  - Clinically significant steroid myopathy (SM) occurred in 23 (10.6%) of 216 adult
      patients with primary brain tumors who received 2 or more continuous weeks of
      daily dexamethasone therapy. SM occurred over a wide range of peak and cumulative
      doses of dexamethasone as well as a wide range of periods of continuous
      treatment. This was not an entirely random event, however, as two-thirds of the
      patients developed their weakness during the 9th through the 12th week of
      continuous dexamethasone treatment. The risk of developing SM was significantly
      lower in patients taking phenytoin than in patients who were not taking
      anticonvulsants. The only other patient or treatment factor associated with SM
      was a possible direct correlation with the appearance of a cushingoid body
      habitus. In this retrospective review, the occurrence of SM had a significant
      negative impact on the quality of life of all affected individuals. As expected,
      patients who tolerated a reduction in their steroid dose improved, while other
      patients suffered the combined effects of tumor progression and worsening
      myopathy. Substituting a nonfluorinated glucocorticoid for dexamethasone is
      probably advisable if neuro-oncology patients affected by SM cannot be weaned
      from the steroids.

PMID- 1866013
TI  - Are demented patients with Parkinson's disease accurately reflected in prevalence
      surveys? A survival analysis.
AB  - We re-reviewed 257 patient records previously reviewed for an incidence study of
      dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD) to determine the frequency, date of death,
      and cause of death. We posited that if disease duration is shortened when
      dementia occurs, then dementia may be far more common than reflected in
      prevalence studies. There were 17 deaths among 65 demented patients and 28 deaths
      among 168 nondemented patients. When we matched a subset of the nondemented
      patients to the demented patients by age and disease duration distributions, the
      demented subjects had significantly more deaths (p less than 0.02), and survival
      among demented subjects was decreased (p less than 0.05). Dementia was a
      significant predictor of death in this sample. We conclude that dementia reduces
      survival in patients with PD. Incidence is a much better measure of dementia in
      PD than prevalence because shortened duration makes it less likely to detect
      dementia in prevalence surveys.

PMID- 1866014
TI  - Gaze-dependent hemianopia without hemispatial neglect.
AB  - A hemispheric field is the space defined by the midsagittal plane of the body.
      Hemianopia, in the absence of hemispheric spatial neglect, has been thought to be
      purely retinotopic. Confrontation testing of visual fields in eccentric positions
      of gaze in hemianopic patients permits the discrimination of hemispheric from
      retinotopic deficits. In the primary position of gaze, a patient with an ischemic
      lesion of the right occipital and temporal lobes, who was without unilateral
      spatial neglect, was unable to detect finger movement, name objects, or identify
      shapes or colors in the left retinotopic hemifield, but when gazing 30 degrees to
      the right (so that the left retinotopic field was in the right hemispheric
      field), he performed nearly as well in the left retinotopic field as in the
      right. The mechanism of this gaze-dependent hemifield visual impairment is
      unknown, but we discuss four possibilities: (1) eccentric gaze enhances an
      alternative visual system; (2) the lesion led to modality-specific hemispheric
      inattention that was corrected by directing intention (plan to act) and gazing to
      the right; (3) the lesion led to modality specific inattention that was corrected
      by compensatory mechanisms that may normally enhance attentive vigilance in
      central space during eccentric gaze; and (4) the neuronal substrate for
      hemispheric vision was destroyed, whereas that for retinotopic vision was
      preserved.

PMID- 1866015
TI  - Progressive supranuclear palsy: altered sensory processing leads to degraded
      cognition.
AB  - We studied the latencies, amplitudes, and scalp distributions of the early and
      late components of the event-related brain potential (ERP) in patients with
      progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and matched normal controls. In separate
      choice reaction time (RT) tasks, the subjects pressed buttons to visual stimuli
      presented randomly at probabilities of either 20/80 or 50/50. Compared with
      normal controls, PSP patients had significantly reduced amplitudes and increased
      latencies for both the visual P2 and P300 components at all levels of
      probability. RTs and percent errors were significantly greater in the patients
      compared with controls. Neither the amplitude nor latency of the visual N1
      component was significantly altered in these patients. There were no significant
      group differences in the distribution of electrical activity over the scalp for
      any of these ERP components, a finding which suggests that the neural structures
      responsible for generating these potentials were intact in these patients. The
      decreased ERP component amplitudes and increased ERP component latencies,
      combined with intact scalp distributions and increased RTs and error rates,
      present a pattern of results suggesting that the stimulus identification or
      categorization processes in these patients are significantly degraded.

PMID- 1866016
TI  - Non-Menkes-type copper deficiency with regression, lactic acidosis, and
      granulocytopenia.
AB  - A 2-year-old girl with granulocytopenia developed fever followed by truncal
      ataxia and progressive neurologic regression. CT demonstrated symmetric low
      density areas in the cerebral white matter. Sural nerve biopsy revealed axonal
      degeneration. Blood lactate levels were high, and serum levels of copper and
      ceruloplasmin and urinary excretion of copper were low. Cultured skin fibroblasts
      showed normal copper uptake. Treatment with oral copper administration normalized
      serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels, blood lactate levels, and granulocyte
      count. However, copper levels in the CSF were still low, and the patient showed
      no clinical improvement. We speculated that copper transport across the
      intestinal wall and across the blood-brain barrier was impaired.

PMID- 1866017
TI  - The effects of L-dopa on excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy.
AB  - We examined the effects of L-dopa on the excessive daytime sleepiness of six
      narcoleptic patients while using a double-blind design and objective measurements
      of vigilance. The two treatment periods, L-dopa or placebo, lasted for 2 weeks
      each, separated by a 1-week washout period. In addition to the standard Multiple
      Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), two different tests assessed the daytime vigilance:
      the Analogue Vigilance Scale (AVS) and the Four Choice Reaction Time Test
      (FCRTT). L-dopa improved vigilance and performance as evaluated by the AVS and
      the FCRTT, while the capacity to fall asleep rapidly remained unchanged as
      evaluated by the MSLT. Results of the present study suggest that L-dopa is
      effective in improving the vigilance level of narcoleptic patients and raises the
      hypothesis that dopamine may play a role in the physiopathology of excessive
      daytime sleepiness of this condition.

PMID- 1866018
TI  - Reorganization of corticospinal pathways following spinal cord injury.
AB  - To assess changes in the relationship between cortical motor representation areas
      and their target muscles following spinal cord lesions, we studied motor evoked
      potentials (MEPs) to transcranial magnetic stimulation in six patients with
      complete spinal cord injuries at low thoracic levels and eight healthy subjects.
      Magnetic stimulation at rest activated a larger fraction of the motoneuron pool
      and evoked MEPs with shorter latencies from a larger number of scalp positions in
      muscles immediately rostral to the level of a spinal cord injury than in
      corresponding muscles in controls. The MEPs associated with maximal voluntary
      activation were not significantly different in the two groups. These results
      suggest enhanced excitability of motor pathways targeting muscles rostral to the
      level of a spinal transection, reflecting reorganization of motor pathways either
      within cortical motor representation areas or at the level of the spinal cord.
      The data do not allow the determination of the contribution of spinal or cortical
      mechanisms. However, they support the notion of a limited flexible relationship
      between primary motor cortex and its target muscles following alterations of
      normal input-output patterns.

PMID- 1866019
TI  - Leg paresthesias induced by magnetic brain stimulation in patients with thoracic
      spinal cord injury.
AB  - We studied the induction of leg paresthesias by magnetic stimulation of the brain
      in seven patients with thoracic T9-12 spinal cord injury and in four normal
      volunteers by delivering transcranial magnetic stimulation over scalp positions 1
      cm apart with a Cadwell MES-10 magnetic stimulator and an 8-shaped magnetic coil
      at 100% stimulus intensity. We asked subjects to report sensations felt after
      each stimulus. In all normal subjects, magnetic stimulation evoked sensations
      described as tingling or a wave descending along the leg, usually accompanied by
      EMG responses in leg muscles. In three of the seven patients, stimulation evoked
      sensations of tingling, numbness, touch, or a wave descending along the leg,
      lasting up to 10 seconds and referred to different parts of the legs and toes. In
      the patients, sensations were felt more distally the closer the site of
      stimulation was to the midline. Patients with leg paresthesias had less motor
      reorganization in abdominal muscles than those without paresthesias. These
      findings suggest that portions of the cortical representation areas for body
      parts deafferented by a complete spinal cord injury can remain related to those
      body parts for up to several years. A central origin of these paresthesias is
      probable.

PMID- 1866020
TI  - Parental sex effect in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - Since a parental sex effect has been reported in Huntington's disease, we looked
      to see whether a similar effect is apparent in adult (autosomal dominant)
      familial ALS. We analyzed the data for 145 patients, with an onset age range of
      20 to 68 years and a known affected parent (AP), from 52 families described in
      the literature. There was a significant increase in the percentage of patients
      inheriting the gene from an affected mother as a function of the age at onset.
      There was also a significant correlation between AP and offspring age at onset
      only when the AP was the mother.

PMID- 1866021
TI  - A balanced carbohydrate: protein diet in the management of Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Although restricting dietary protein is a proposed adjunct to treating
      Parkinson's disease (PD), the effect of carbohydrate consumption is unknown. We
      measured plasma levodopa and large neutral amino acid (LNAA) levels in nine PD
      patients treated with carbidopa/levodopa and different isocaloric meals
      containing high protein-low carbohydrate, low protein-high carbohydrate, and
      balanced 5:1 carbohydrate:protein mixtures. We found that levodopa levels
      increased significantly regardless of the type of diet, but that plasma LNAA
      levels varied less and motor performance was superior after the balanced diet
      than after the other two meals. We conclude that PD patients can consume
      nutritionally adequate meals and still maintain a stable plasma levodopa:LNAA
      ratio.

PMID- 1866022
TI  - Occurrence of resting tremor in Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Several previous studies have noted that resting tremor (RT) is absent in 10% to
      30% of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) patients. We report our 22-year
      observations in 47 pathologically verified parkinsonian patients. In all the IPD
      cases with median follow-up of 3.7 years, RT was noted on at least one
      evaluation. Among other parkinsonian syndrome variants characterized by
      widespread subcortical pathology with median follow-up of 2.86 years, RT was seen
      in 31% of the cases. Our data indicate that the sites typically involved in IPD
      are sufficient to produce RT.

PMID- 1866023
TI  - MRI reveals multiple reversible cerebral lesions in an attack of acute
      intermittent porphyria.
AB  - A 20-year-old woman had an attack of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) with
      seizures and hallucinations. MRI revealed multiple lesions in both hemispheres.
      Both the cerebral clinical abnormalities and the MRI lesions resolved following
      treatment. These findings suggest that a vascular mechanism may underlie the
      pathogenesis of cerebral dysfunction in AIP.

PMID- 1866024
TI  - Clinical correlation with serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in Guillain
      Barre syndrome.
AB  - In patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) soluble interleukin-2 receptor
      (sIL-2R) levels were elevated compared with those of patients with other
      neurologic diseases (OND), and of healthy controls. Smaller increases in sIL-2R
      levels occurred in OND patients compared to healthy subjects. Monitoring of GBS
      patients clearly demonstrated that decreases in sIL-2R levels correlated with
      clinical recovery. Thus, T-cell activation may be relevant in the pathogenesis of
      GBS.

PMID- 1866025
TI  - Serotonin uptake in the blood platelets of Alzheimer's disease patients.
AB  - We determined serotonin (5-HT) uptake in the blood platelets of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) patients and comparable age-matched normal controls. The maximum
      number of 5-HT uptake sites (Vmax) was significantly increased in mild and
      moderate AD patients, and a trend toward decreased V max was observed in severe
      AD patients as compared with normal controls. The Km of 5-HT uptake was
      negatively correlated with the Face-Hand Test (FHT) score of severely ill AD
      patients, whereas Vmax was correlated with the FHT score and the Mental Status
      Questionnaire score in the entire AD sample.

PMID- 1866026
TI  - Theophylline-associated seizures with "therapeutic" or low toxic serum
      concentrations: risk factors for serious outcome in adults.
AB  - We report 12 adults with seizures associated with serum theophylline levels
      between 14 and 35 mg/l. The seizures were frequently prolonged, and outcome was
      generally poor with eight deaths. Although we did not identify comparable control
      groups, possible risk factors for serious outcome in theophylline-associated
      seizures were age, previous brain injury or disease, severe pulmonary disease,
      and possibly low serum albumin level. In patients with these risk factors, serum
      theophylline levels should be maintained below 10 to 15 mg/l.

PMID- 1866027
TI  - Homocystinuria due to 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency
      revealed by stroke in adult siblings.
AB  - Three patients from a single family of six siblings had homocystinemia and
      homocystinuria due to 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency and had
      severe recurrent strokes in adult life. Two of the patients died 1 year after
      clinical onset.

PMID- 1866028
TI  - Evidence against the transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1866029
TI  - Conjugal multiple sclerosis: a clinical and laboratory study.

PMID- 1866030
TI  - Hemifacial spasm associated with Paget's disease of bone: good response to
      calcitonin.

PMID- 1866031
TI  - Persistent lumbar aglycorrhachia of unknown cause.

PMID- 1866032
TI  - Cognitive effects of anticonvulsants.

PMID- 1866033
TI  - Campylobacter neuropathy.

PMID- 1866034
TI  - [Heller's extramucosal cardiomyotomy under endoscopic control. The long-term
      results].
AB  - Twenty-five patients underwent Heller cardiomyotomy with Nissen fundoplication,
      made through an abdominal incision under endoscopic control. Long term results
      were evaluated according to clinical, radiological, manometric and 24-hour
      esophageal pH-metric studies. Clinical results were excellent in 44% of the
      patients, good in 40%, fair in 4% and bad in 12%. The four unsatisfactory results
      are due to recurrence of dysphagia in one case and to appearance of GER in the
      others. Postoperative X-ray controls and manometric tests showed a significative
      decrease in the esophageal diameter, in resting and post swallowing LES and
      esophageal body pressure. The 24-hour pH test showed an abnormal percentage of
      time with pH less than 4 in two patients, and a direct connection with clinical
      and endoscopic results. Endoscopic control of myotomy allows us to define
      precisely the extension of the functional stenosis and to eliminate completely
      the dysphagia. In the postoperative evaluation the 24-hour pH monitoring allows
      an early identification of GER, and the prevention of possible complications even
      in the absence of any clinical sign.

PMID- 1866035
TI  - [The surgical treatment of gastric cancer. A review of the results and a
      comparison with Japanese experience].
AB  - The authors synthetize the principal trends about surgical treatment of gastric
      cancer underlining the actual way. Then, is considered the Japanese experience
      whose results are compared with those in the west to try an explanation of
      surgical data amply in favour of resected in Japan.

PMID- 1866036
TI  - [Pancreatic pseudocysts. An important surgical problem].
AB  - The pancreatic pseudocyst is a serious complication of acute or chronic
      pancreatitis. Surgical internal anastomosis can be an adequate solution to this
      problem. Sixty patients with pancreatic pseudocyst have been referred to our
      institution in the last 15 years; 47 of them were operated upon. Different
      techniques were employed according to differences in the pseudocyst wall status
      and the presence or absence of infection.

PMID- 1866037
TI  - [Internal pancreatic fistulae. The authors' experience].
AB  - The paper describes the authors' personal experience of internal pancreatic
      fistulas. This is an uncommon pathology which should however be taken into
      account in the presence of ascites or pleural effusion without a clear cause.
      Essential diagnostic tests are chemical and physical examination and the assay of
      amylase in ascitic or pleural fluids. Medical treatment is sometimes efficient
      leading to the disappearance of the fistula. If medical therapy fails, surgery is
      necessary, based on pancreatic resection or the drainage of the cyst or
      interrupted pancreatic duct.

PMID- 1866038
TI  - [The diagnosis and therapy of recurrent tumor of the rectum].
AB  - The authors review the pathogenesis of locoregional recurrences of rectal cancer,
      pointing out clues for the diagnosis and staging of the disease which are
      valuable for the definition of a treatment strategy. Surgery is the mainstay of
      any attempt to cure those recurrences that are amenable to radical resection;
      over and above the diagnostic role of second-look laparotomy in suspected cases,
      surgery must include those measures able to reduce actinic damage whenever
      postoperative radiotherapy is required. On the other hand, palliative surgery is
      necessary to resolve the presence of intestinal obstruction, fistulous tract, or
      the removal of abscess and necrotic tissue. In these cases, the quality of life
      seems to be the prime factor in the choice of therapy (radiotherapy, loco
      regional or systemic chemotherapy, hyperthermia).

PMID- 1866039
TI  - [The management of head trauma in a general surgery department. a contribution to
      an epidemiological analysis].
AB  - Personal experience in the management of head injury in a General Surgery
      Department is reported and a series of 352 patients analysed with a view to
      identifying variations in the epidemiological profile of this pathology over the
      last decade and in order to establish indications for admission and the transfer
      of the patient to specialist departments.

PMID- 1866040
TI  - [A mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas. A clinical and histopathological
      contribution].
AB  - Two cases of pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma, a very rare pathology, are reported.
      The authors treat the anatomopathological classification and they underline the
      diagnosis especially with reference to the new methods of cytologic study.
      Finally they consider the surgical approach that must be radical because of the
      potential malignancy of this kind of tumor whose prognosis is quite good with a
      lasting long-term survival.

PMID- 1866041
TI  - [Submucosal lipomas of the cecum. A case report].
AB  - The paper reports a case of submucous lipoma of the cecum. The difficulty of
      clinical diagnosis is underlined on account of aspecific symptoms, and in fact it
      is uncommon for diagnosis to be made on the basis of X-rays. Colonoscopy, in
      particular using bioptic techniques, allows the nature of the lipoma to be
      diagnosed, and in addition may act as an excellent therapeutic instrument.

PMID- 1866042
TI  - Minimal change nephrotic syndrome associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
AB  - This report documents the occurrence of minimal-change nephropathy in four
      patients with Hodgkin's disease. In two cases the onset of the nephrotic syndrome
      antedated the recognition of lymphoma by 4 and 7 years respectively, while in the
      other two the nephrotic syndrome manifested 5.5 years and 13 months respectively
      after lymphoma. In all cases, the nephrotic syndrome resolved when therapy was
      effective in treating active Hodgkin's disease. The significance of minimal
      change nephropathy in association with Hodgkin's disease is discussed. It may be
      that abnormalities in T-cell function lead to minimal-change nephropathy in some
      patients with certain forms of Hodgkin's disease.

PMID- 1866043
TI  - Flexible urethrocystoscopy in nephrological investigation.
AB  - Flexible urethrocystoscopy under local anaesthetic was performed on 100 patients
      as part of their nephrological investigations. This was carried out by a
      nephrologist, obviating the previous practice of referral to a surgical colleague
      for rigid instrumentation under general anaesthetic. A pathological diagnosis was
      made in 69 patients with flexible urethrocystoscopy alone; 17 patients required
      subsequent rigid cystoscopy to obtain or confirm a diagnosis. Thirty-four
      patients had normal examinations and of these 13 underwent renal biopsy for
      diagnosis. Considerable savings in theatre time, man-hours and anaesthetic risk
      to the patients were made without compromising diagnostic accuracy or patient
      wellbeing.

PMID- 1866044
TI  - Calcium metabolism in early chronic renal failure: implications for the
      pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism.
AB  - Studies in the past showed elevated immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (PTH)
      serum values in early renal failure, but the assays used in these studies could
      not discriminate between bioinactive fragments of the PTH peptide and
      biologically active hormone. The availability of a sensitive PTH assay, which
      quantitates intact hormone, now allows the analysis of biologically active PTH in
      renal failure. To characterise more precisely the point of onset of
      hyperparathyroidism in the course of chronic renal failure and its relation to
      1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], we measured plasma intact PTH and vitamin
      D metabolite serum values in 63 non-nephrotic uraemic patients (male n = 35,
      female n = 28, age 31-78 years) with incipient (GFR 60-90 ml/min per 1.73 m3, n =
      19) mild (GFR 40-60, n = 22) and moderate (GFR 20-40, n = 22) renal failure, and
      in 22 age-matched healthy control subjects. Intact PTH concentrations were
      negatively correlated with GFR (r = -0.57, P less than 0.001). Median plasma
      intact PTH values (normal range 1.2-6 pmol/l) were 5.6 (range 2.2-13.0) in
      incipient, 8.1 (2.9-24.0) in mild, and 13.0 (5.4-59.0) in moderate renal failure.
      Intact PTH values in incipient renal failure were significantly greater than in
      22 age-matched control subjects (P less than 0.01). The decline of GFR was
      paralleled by a progressive decrease in 1,25(OH)2D3 serum values (r = 0.44, P =
      0.001). Median values of the hormone (normal range 35-90 pg/ml) were 32 (range 20
      66) in incipient (P less than 0.01 vs. age-matched control subjects), 34 (22-74)
      in mild, and 26 (17-39) in moderate renal failure. In all three groups, mean
      serum phosphate and total calcium concentrations (corrected for serum protein)
      were within the normal range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866045
TI  - The treatment of uraemic hyperphosphataemia with calcium acetate and calcium
      carbonate: a comparative study.
AB  - A comparative study of long-term haemodialysis patients investigated the effects
      of calcium acetate and calcium carbonate on concentrations of serum phosphate,
      calcium, and parathyroid hormone. It was demonstrated that both substances led to
      a significant decrease in phosphate and serum parathyroid hormone. Administration
      of calcium acetate reduced the serum phosphate concentration in 7 weeks from an
      initial value of 2.08 +/- 0.53 mmol/l to 1.51 +/- 0.39 mmol/l (P less than 0.01).
      Following a 1-week wash-out period, calcium carbonate reduced the serum phosphate
      concentration in the same patients from 1.99 +/- 0.62 mmol/l to 1.34 +/- 0.40
      mmol/l (P less than 0.01). Of particular significance, however, is the fact that
      in relation to daily elementary calcium intake, calcium acetate was a
      considerably more effective binder of intestinal phosphate than calcium
      carbonate. During administration of calcium acetate only 1.02 g of elementary
      calcium were required daily in order to reduce the serum phosphate concentration.
      The same patients, however, required 1.88 g of elementary calcium during calcium
      carbonate therapy. Complementary studies investigated the influence of an
      accompanying calcitriol medication. In this instance, too, calcium acetate was
      shown to be more effective; although the patients developed hypercalcaemia with
      calcium acetate, this happened more often with calcium carbonate. In summary it
      can be said that daily calcium loading of the uraemic organism under calcium
      acetate therapy is reduced by nearly half as compared to calcium carbonate
      therapy, and that this can be achieved with the same effective decrease of the
      serum phosphate concentration.

PMID- 1866046
TI  - Reoperation for secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic renal failure.
AB  - From 1972 to 1987, 112 parathyroidectomy (PTX) operations were carried out in 105
      haemodialysis or transplant patients by the same surgeon. Twelve had to be
      reoperated on (19 operations in all) for persistent (9 cases) or recurrent (3
      cases) hyperparathyroidism. In six patients morphological tests (echography and
      technetium-thallium scintigraphy) contributed usefully by detecting parathyroid
      masses. Repeated surgery was finally effective in nine cases.

PMID- 1866047
TI  - Theoretical approach and clinical application of kinetic modelling in dialysis.
AB  - Using kinetic modelling for shaping profile dialysis, we present a promising
      approach to improve the cardiovascular stability of patients during dialysis
      treatment. In order to obtain an insight into the physiological mechanisms of
      increased stability, a model considering alterations of electrolytes and water
      distribution and of acid-base status was developed. This algorithm was used for
      the evaluation of 114 dialysis sessions, which were performed with highly
      individualised profiles. Each profile was developed for one patient by trying
      empirically to prevent episodes of hypotension as well as other clinical problems
      throughout dialysis. The main advantage of profile dialysis compared to standard
      bicarbonate dialysis, for example, is a reduced water influx into the cell during
      the treatment. According to our clinical and theoretical results a correlation
      between water influx into the cell and time of occurrence of hypotensive episodes
      in individuals can be assumed. Hypotension usually starts after 0.5 litres of
      water have entered the intracellular space, regardless of the time necessary for
      this fluid shift.

PMID- 1866048
TI  - Effect of intraperitoneal administration of two different batches of albumin
      solutions on peritoneal solute transport in CAPD patients.
AB  - The effects of intraperitoneal administration of two different batches of human
      albumin (batch A and batch B) on peritoneal solute transport and dialysate white
      cell count were studied in 16 CAPD patients. The studies were done on two
      separate days during a 4-h dwell, one day without and one day with the
      intraperitoneal administration of 10 g/l human albumin. Marked differences were
      found between the two batches. The transport of all measured solutes increased
      during administration of batch A compared to the control experiments: urea 78% +/
      62%, lactate 51% +/- 38%, creatinine 96% +/- 54%, glucose 67% +/- 55%, inulin
      27% +/- 33% IgG 126% +/- 80%, mean +/- SD; P less than 0.02). In the experiments
      with batch A the white cell count of the test bag was greater than that of the
      effluent ('night bag') before the test (13 +/- 5 vs 194 +/- 61 mm3/l; P less than
      0.02). These effects were also observed when the dialysate was buffered to pH =
      7.4 before inflow. Albumin batch B showed no effect on solute transport and white
      cell count. The effects of solute transport and white cell count are probably
      caused by the greater concentration of prekallikrein activator in batch A when
      compared to batch B (30.1 vs 0 U/l). Caution is warranted when human albumin is
      used for simultaneous measurement of peritoneal fluid and solute kinetics.

PMID- 1866049
TI  - Streptokinase in the treatment of innominate-vein thrombosis in association with
      haemodialysis catheter. Preservation of a precious arteriovenous fistula.

PMID- 1866050
TI  - Disseminated infection of the central nervous system caused by Nocardia
      farcinica.

PMID- 1866051
TI  - Is chronic peritoneal dialysis safe in patients with intra-abdominal prosthetic
      vascular grafts?

PMID- 1866052
TI  - Nephrotic syndrome in ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1866053
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis presenting as granular gingivitis.

PMID- 1866054
TI  - Biocompatibility of haemodialysis systems: present and future. Vienna, 9
      September 1990.

PMID- 1866055
TI  - Introducing the biology of bioincompatibility in dialysis.

PMID- 1866056
TI  - Recent advances in the biocompatibility of haemodialysis membranes.

PMID- 1866057
TI  - Ionised calcium changes and parathyroid hormone secretion in haemodiafiltration
      in relation to substitution fluid calcium content.
AB  - This study was carried out to evaluate the acute effect of either 1.75 mmol/l
      calcium (A-HDF) or bicarbonate-containing and calcium-free (B-HDF) substitution
      fluid on calcium balance, serum ionised calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone
      (PTH) during haemodiafiltration (HDF: 1.3 m2 polysulphone dialyser; blood flow
      rate, 400 ml/min; treatment time 210 min; substitution fluid volume, 10 litres;
      dialysate calcium, 1.75 mmol/l). During A-HDF calcium balance was slightly
      positive (1.47 +/- 2.95 mmol), serum ionised calcium increased from 1.24 +/- 0.08
      mmol/l to a final 1.46 +/- 0.05 mmol/l at the end of the treatment (P less than
      0.001), and PTH decreased from 227 +/- 231 pg/ml to 150 +/- 123 pg/ml (P less
      than 0.01), during B-HDF calcium balance was negative (-3.06 +/- 1.3 mmol),
      ionised calcium decreased from 1.29 +/- 0.05 to 1.24 +/- 0.05 mmol/l (P less than
      0.05) without inducing a statistically significant increase in PTH. However, in
      some patients the increase in PTH after treatment was greater than 50%. When the
      ultrafiltration rate was increased to 75-100 ml/min and bicarbonate-containing
      and calcium-free replacement fluid was used (B2-HDF), calcium balance became more
      negative (-9.75 +/- 4.55 mmol) and the decrease of ionised calcium was greater
      (from 1.3 +/- 0.06 to 1.14 +/- 0.04 mmol/l, P less than 0.01) inducing a
      significant increase of PTH (from 297 +/- 366 to 443 +/- 518 pg/ml, P less than
      0.01). PTH changes were negatively correlated (r = -0.85) to ionised calcium
      changes during the treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866058
TI  - Phosphate kinetics in dialysis patients.
AB  - During extrarenal therapy, plasma phosphate concentrations have specific
      kinetics: plasma values reach a steady-state nadir 90-120 min after the beginning
      of the session (from 0.6 to 1.1 mmol/l) with a subsequent high rebound in the 3-4
      h following the session. These kinetics are found during haemofiltration (HF)
      with high ultrafiltration (UF) rates (greater than 270 ml/min) and UF volumes
      (greater than 30 1). Other HF studies with different UF rates (100 or 200 ml/min)
      show that delayed mass transfer cannot explain kinetics which result from a
      phosphate transfer from cellular to extracellular space. Acetate or bicarbonate
      reinjection fluid does not modify phosphate kinetics. Immediate decrease of
      ionised calcium after the session argues against a mobilisation from the
      exchangeable phosphate pool of bone. Only potassium shows a similar pattern to
      phosphate, so the hypothesis of a relation between cellular phosphate and
      potassium fluxes is postulated. 31P-NMR study during and after HF does not allow
      us to specify phosphate transfer from the cell, but various potassium
      concentrations in the reinjection fluid (0, 2, 3.5, or 4 mmol/l) confirm the
      influence of potassium removal on phosphate transfer, and a significant linear
      relationship can be established between cellular potassium and phosphate fluxes.
      The influence of phosphate removal on phosphataemia has also been investigated
      using 0, 2, or 3 mmol/l phosphate in the reinjection fluid. Whatever the
      phosphate modification achieved by the session, the patient's phosphate
      concentrations are not significantly different 2 days later.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866059
TI  - Phosphate removal rate: a comparative study of five high-flux dialysers.

PMID- 1866060
TI  - Anaemia in high-efficiency dialysis.

PMID- 1866061
TI  - Recombinant human erythropoietin expressed in C-127 mouse cells: efficacy, side
      effects and cardiovascular actions.

PMID- 1866062
TI  - Cytokine production by monocytes during haemodialysis.
AB  - In order to follow the effect of haemodialysis on monocyte function, we measured
      the release of interleukin-1 beta (Il-1), interleukin-6 (Il-6), and tumour
      necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) from cultured monocytes isolated before and
      after dialysis. Monocytes obtained from patients before dialysis released smaller
      amounts of cytokines than cells from healthy controls. The choice of the dialysis
      membrane had no effect on predialytic monocyte activity. Basal cytokine release
      after dialysis remained virtually unchanged, irrespective of the membrane
      material used. When stimulated with LPS, cells significantly produced more
      cytokines than under basal conditions. Stimulated monocytes isolated before
      dialysis produced considerably more cytokines than cells obtained at the end of
      the dialysis. Taken together, uraemia by itself seemed to depress monocyte
      activity. Haemodialysis either with cuprophan or PMMA dialysers had no influence
      on basal cytokine release during a 24-h period following dialysis. Uraemic
      monocytes, however, appeared to be primed, since stimulation with LPS in vitro
      caused a more pronounced release of cytokines than in healthy volunteers.

PMID- 1866064
TI  - Leukocyte-derived mediators and biocompatibility.

PMID- 1866063
TI  - Involvement of peripheral blood monocytes in haemodialysis: in vivo induction of
      tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6 and beta 2-microglobulin.
AB  - Our aim was to evaluate the role of three different variables in the activation
      of the monocyte system: dialysis membrane (cuprophane or polyacrylonitrile),
      dialysate (acetate or bicarbonate), and procedure (standard or high-flux
      haemodialysis). By ELISA test we measured the 'in vivo' intracellular (monocyte
      associated) production and extracellular release of tumour necrosis factor alpha
      (TNF alpha), interleukin-6 (Il-6) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) by
      monocytes from 20 uraemic patients before and after the dialysis session. At the
      beginning of the dialysis session, uraemic patients' cultured monocytes
      spontaneously released a greater amount of TNF alpha, Il-6 and beta 2-M compared
      to normal controls. However, no differences in cytokine and beta 2-M were
      observed in monocyte lysate between the two groups. At the end of the dialysis
      session, cultured monocytes from patients treated with cellulosic membranes and
      acetate dialysate showed greater TNF alpha values than normal controls (P less
      than 0.001 and P less than 0.05 respectively). Moreover, TNF alpha and Il-6
      values were strictly correlated (P less than 0.05). These results clearly show an
      activation of the monocyte system in uraemic patients undergoing periodic
      haemodialysis. The implicated factors may be multiple, such as complement
      activating cellulosic membranes or acetate dialysate. The production of TNF
      alpha, Il-6 and beta 2-M may explain some of the pathological findings observed
      in long-term haemodialysis patients.

PMID- 1866065
TI  - Flow cytometric analysis of leukocytes eluted from haemodialysers.
AB  - The cellular immune system is impaired in uraemic and haemodialysed patients. We
      describe a method of studying leukocytes eluted from dialysers at the end of the
      dialysis session, and we have studied five haemodialysers: cuprophane (CU),
      cellulose acetate (CA), polymethylemethacrylate (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PN),
      and polysulphone (PS). The analysis was performed by flow cytofluorimetry using
      monoclonal antibodies. The absolute number of eluted leukocytes was rather
      elevated, ranging from 88 (CU) to 9 (PS) millions of cells. When compared to
      peripheral blood values, the percentage analysis revealed an increase of PMN and
      monocytes and a decrease of lymphocytes. A relative increase of B lymphocytes was
      observed in all filters studied. A trapping of T lymphocytes (PAN) and a minor
      increase of NK cells (PMMA, PS, CA) were also observed. The elution of leukocytes
      from dialysers may be helpful in evaluating the biocompatibility of membranes for
      haemodialysis.

PMID- 1866066
TI  - In vitro platelet adhesion to dialysis membranes.
AB  - This work describes an in vitro system developed to quantitate platelet
      deposition on different dialysis membranes. The system is based on the use of
      small dialysis filters and reproduces the haemodynamic pattern of blood flowing
      through hollow fibres during in vivo dialysis. We have determined the in vitro
      platelet adhesion to cuprophan and to a non-cellulosic membrane,
      polymethylmethacrylate. When albumin concentration in the platelet suspension was
      low (0.35%) platelet deposition to cuprophan and to polymethylmethacrylate was
      comparable. When albumin concentration was increased to a physiological value
      (3.5%) platelet adhesion to both cuprophan and to polymethylmethacrylate
      membranes significantly decreased. This effect of albumin was greatest for the
      high-permeable polymethylmethacrylate membrane (BK). These data suggest that
      platelet membrane interaction is significantly influenced by circulating albumin.

PMID- 1866067
TI  - Cellular immunology in regular dialysis: a biological model for biocompatibility
      evaluation.
AB  - Cellular immunity represents an interesting biological model for biocompatibility
      evaluation of artificial materials owing to its sensitivity to contact with the
      external environment and its capability of modulating response reactions to
      foreign agents. Advanced methodologies such as flow cytometry and the
      immunoenzyme techniques in particular have given new insights into lymphocyte
      structure and functions, enabling analysis of the in vivo modification of these
      cells. By means of these sophisticated techniques we investigated lymphocyte
      activation and proliferation during one single haemodialysis session. Findings
      clearly show that increases in HLA antigen density (class I and II), DNA
      synthesis, and interleukin-2 receptor serum concentration (Il-2R) take place
      during the dialysis procedure, and reach their maximum during the first hour of
      extracorporeal circulation. The relationship between dialysis procedure and
      cellular immunity appears noticeable and is of potential value in the evaluation
      and quantification of the biocompatibility of different dialysis membranes.

PMID- 1866068
TI  - Development of a new antithrombogenic continuous ultrafiltration system (ACUS)
      and its clinical evaluation.
AB  - A new totally antithrombogenic continuous ultrafiltration system (ACUS),
      consisting of polyacrylonitrile-polyethyleneoxide (PAN-PEO) membrane and
      ionically heparin-bound catheter, tubing, and module header was designed and its
      performance was confirmed through animal experiments and clinical evaluation.
      Animal experiments revealed that persistent antithrombogenicity and maintained
      ultrafiltration without systemic heparinisation were observed only when the three
      major parts--i.e. (1) the catheter and tubing, (2) the header part of a
      haemofilter module, and (3) the fibre membrane--were all antithrombogenic and
      connected to each other without uneven structures. ACUS was clinically applied to
      15 oliguric patients with various severe conditions. We found that one filter
      could function for approximately 26 h without systemic anticoagulation, even in
      the presence of low blood pressure, and that ACUS did not change platelet
      function. Thus, ACUS seems to be very suitable for the management of volume
      overload, especially in patients with severe circulatory problems or bleeding
      tendencies.

PMID- 1866069
TI  - Biocompatibility of dialysis membranes: a comparative study.
AB  - White blood cell counts and plasma C5a anaphylatoxin values were studied during
      haemodialysis with cuprophane, ethylenevinylalcohol, polycarbonate,
      polymethylmethacrylate, acrylonitrile, polysulphone and polyacrylonitrile
      membrane dialysers. Cuprophane induced marked leukopenia with striking plasma
      generation of C5a. Ethylenevinylalcohol, polycarbonate, polymethylmethacrylate
      and acrylonitrile promoted an intermediate degree of leukopenia with mild but
      significant complement activation; however, leukopenia and C5a generation were
      not time-related with some of these membranes. In contrast, polysulphone and
      polyacrylonitrile showed neither leukopenia nor C5a increase. These data suggest
      that although there must be further factors involved, complement-derived
      anaphylatoxin C5a generation may have a relevant role in the mechanism of
      haemodialysis-induced leukopenia. At the present time evaluation of the
      leukopenic effect and the C5a generation capability of a membrane seem worthwhile
      for estimating its degree of biocompatibility.

PMID- 1866070
TI  - Biocompatibility of dialyser membranes: roles of membranes and of patients.

PMID- 1866071
TI  - Long-term influence of dialysis treatment on beta 2-microglobulin, interleukin-2
      R and tumour necrosis factor.
AB  - Recently much interest has been focused on the phenomena produced by the
      interaction between blood and dialytic membranes. The aim of this study was to
      evaluate beta 2-M, Il-2 and TNF changes in relation to the long-term use of
      different membranes (CU, PAN-AN69, PMMA, PS) and different dialytic treatments
      (HD, HDF, AFB). Plasma beta 2-M was significantly increased in patients dialysed
      with CU compared to synthetic membranes, and decreased in AFB compared to HD and
      HDF. Intradialytic changes of beta 2-M, corrected for haemoconcentration,
      resulted in a significant increase with CU and PMMA, while a decrease was found
      with PAN-AN69 and PS and during convective treatments, more evident during
      haemofiltration performed with sterile dialysate without acetate. I1-2R was
      increased in all patients compared to normal subjects, without any intradialytic
      change, regardless of the type of membrane used. TNF was in the normal range. The
      different decrease of beta 2-M observed with synthetic membranes, the stable
      intradialysis I1-2 R values during HD performed with membranes non-permeable to
      endotoxins and during AFB, and the absence of detectable TNF support the
      hypothesis that dialysate plays an important role in activating beta 2-M and
      cytokines, together with other factors.

PMID- 1866072
TI  - The role of adsorption in beta 2-microglobulin removal.
AB  - BK-PMMA 2.1 m2 surface dialysers were used in vivo and in vitro for evaluation of
      their capacity for beta 2-M removal by both adsorption and elimination through
      the membrane. As expected, in vivo, beta 2-M plasma concentrations were more
      effectively reduced when the dialyser was used in haemofiltration, rather than in
      haemodialysis. However, the mass recovered in the ultrafiltrate could not account
      for the observed difference in beta 2-M removal. In vitro tests demonstrated that
      membrane adsorption of beta 2-M is greater when the dialyser is used in
      convection than in diffusion. Therefore, the greater beta 2-M removal during
      haemofiltration depends on both increased adsorption and membrane elimination by
      convection. Thanks to adsorption, beta 2-M removal by haemodialysis was greater
      than for other synthetic membranes, but was insufficient to obtain beta 2-M
      removal corresponding to the estimated generation.

PMID- 1866073
TI  - Long-term multicentre study on beta 2-microglobulin removal by PMMA BK membrane.
AB  - A long-term multi-centre clinical study was performed, based upon our first
      identification of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) amyloid fibrils and
      optimisation of the pore-size of the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membrane for
      its removal. To clarify the clinical significance of the newly designed PMMA
      membrane, BK membrane, having an average pore radius of 70-80 Angstroms (7-8 nm),
      a total of 73 chronic haemodialysis patients from 28 centres, classified into
      four groups, were studied. Although the plasma beta 2-M decreased in all groups
      through the continued use of BK membrane, the early introduction of haemodialysis
      with BK membrane reduced the plasma concentration of this substance more than in
      the case of the later introduction. Pain index, defined as the total pain score
      divided by the number of painful joints, decreased significantly over the period
      of haemodialysis duration with BK membrane. This suggests that the continued use
      of BK membrane from the early phase of haemodialysis treatment results in the
      amelioration and/or prevention of joint pains of haemodialysis patients as well
      as preventing the increase in plasma beta 2-M.

PMID- 1866074
TI  - High-flux acetate haemodialysis: a single-centre experience.
AB  - One hundred haemodialysed patients have been treated for 4 h thrice weekly by
      acetate haemodialysis with high-flux dialysers (HAHD) 1.4-1.8 m2 and automated
      ultrafiltration control for 18.9 +/- 8.3 months. The aim of the study was to
      evaluate the efficacy of treatment as regards urea and beta 2-microglobulin
      removal, cardiovascular stability, acid-base balance and plasma Il-1 variations.
      Moreover medium-term observation of both lipid profile and basal beta 2
      microglobulin concentrations were performed. With our current adequacy criteria
      (urea clearance greater than or equal to 120 l/week; KT/V greater than or equal
      to 1.2; beta 2-microglobulin removal greater than or equal to 150 mg/treatment),
      the occurrence of hypotension was 6% during 24,500 treatments. Cardiovascular
      stability was preserved by the increase of total peripheral resistances in
      response to cardiac output decrease. No disturbances of acid-base parameters were
      observed in spite of plasma acetate concentrations greater than 6 mmol/l. No
      variations of plasma Il-1 occurred during the session or 2 h later.

PMID- 1866075
TI  - Haemodiafiltration versus paired filtration dialysis: evaluation of in vivo
      solute removal.

PMID- 1866076
TI  - Biocompatibility of PMMA membranes used in haemofiltration and
      haemodiafiltration: beta 2-microglobulin removal and release of granulocyte
      elastase.

PMID- 1866077
TI  - Biocompatibility and capability of haemopurification systems: review and future
      development.
AB  - Past, present, and future developments of haemopurification systems are reviewed
      with respect to their biocompatibility and functional capability. The history of
      the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membrane is introduced, along with the
      modifications aimed at removing beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M). A highly
      permeable PMMA membrane (BK) has the capability to adsorb beta 2-M. We have
      succeeded in finding material, thought to be beta 2-M, in transmission electron
      microscopy of the membrane perfused with plasma from haemodialysis patients. As
      examples of the future development of haemopurification systems to remove
      targeted substances more specifically and efficiently, we consider hybridised
      bioartificial kidney containing proximal renal tubular cells fixed on collagen
      hollow fibre for degradation of beta 2-M to aminoacids, and an artificial
      reticuloendothelial system with polymyxin B immobilised fibre for removing
      endotoxin in blood. Targeting and specific removal with prepared biocompatible
      materials will open the way to the development of the second generation systems
      and close collaboration between medicine and industry is essential for realising
      these goals.

PMID- 1866078
TI  - Beta 2 microglobulin-related amyloidosis causing atlantoaxial spondylarthropathy
      with spinal-cord compression in haemodialysis patients: detection by MRI.
AB  - Bone destruction due to beta-2 microglobulin (beta 2-M)-related amyloid
      deposition is becoming more frequently observed in long-term haemodialysis
      patients. We report five cases in an unusual site, the upper cervical spine. All
      patients had been on haemodialysis for more than 13 years and presented with
      progressive spinal-cord involvement in the region of the first and second
      cervical nerves. While conventional X-rays and CT scans showed only minor
      vertebral destruction, MRI disclosed a tumour-like mass within the upper spinal
      canal, best seen with long TR gradient recalled images. One patient required
      urgent surgical intervention because of severe spinal-cord compression, and the
      material was shown to be typically beta 2-M-related amyloid.

PMID- 1866079
TI  - Interleukin-6 production of uraemic haemodialysed patients: effects of different
      membranes.
AB  - Interleukin-6 (Il-6) has a complex spectrum of biological activities (growth and
      differentiation of B cells and synthesis of acute-phase proteins by liver). To
      evaluate the role of this cytokine in the inflammatory response induced by blood
      interaction with haemodialysis membranes, we have investigated Il-6 synthesis and
      release in supernatant of 24-h cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
      isolated from ten haemodialysed patients and eight healthy control subjects. In
      haemodialysed patients, blood samples were drawn before and after their usual
      dialytic treatment with cuprophane membranes and following 1 and 2 months with
      polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes. Il-6 was determined by 72-h incubation
      of serial dilutions of PBMC supernatant with Il-6-dependent cell line 7TD1;
      dilutions of rIl-6 were included as standard. Compared to Il-6 synthesis in
      control subjects (3.3 +/- 2.8 U/ml) the patients usually haemodialysed with
      cuprophane membranes showed significantly greater values (9.8 +/- 4.5 U/ml, P
      less than 0.02 before the treatment, and 10.4 +/- 6.1 U/ml, P less than 0.05
      after the treatment). A significant reduction, in comparison with the values
      obtained with cuprophane membranes, was obtained after 1 month (5.3 +/- 2 U/ml, P
      less than 0.02 before the treatment, and 7.5 +/- 6 U/ml after the treatment) and
      especially after 2 months (3.4 +/- 3.2 U/ml, P less than 0.02 before the
      treatment, and 4.4 +/- 3.4 U/ml, P less than 0.05 after the treatment) of
      dialysis with PMMA membranes. In conclusion, our results show increased Il-6
      production in haemodialysed patients usually treated with cuprophane membranes,
      suggesting a chronic stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866080
TI  - Long-term observation on renal-osteodystrophy-related parameters in dialysis
      patients.
AB  - Among chronic haemodialysis patients, renal osteodystrophy is one of the most
      serious long-term complications which should be solved for substantially
      improving the quality of their lives. However, due to its multifactorial
      mechanism and the difficulty of its diagnosis, a final protocol to ameliorate
      and/or prevent renal osteodystrophy is difficult to establish. To discover any
      clues to a solution, we performed long-term observations on renal osteodystrophy
      related parameters in chronic haemodialysis patients over 9 years, starting in
      1980, focusing mainly on X-ray photodensitometry. Taking into consideration
      changes of treatments prescribed and/or tried during this period, changes of
      renal osteodystrophy-related parameters including metacarpal index, bone mineral
      content, and bone index were periodically monitored. While bone mineral content
      and bone index deteriorated for patients who were commenced on haemodialysis in
      1980, during the consecutive 4 years, bone mineral content was significantly
      improved, with maintained bone index during the last 4 years for patients started
      on haemodialysis in 1985. Thirty-one male and thirteen female patients, monitored
      throughout the 9 years, showed a significant increase in bone mineral content
      during the past 4 years. The combined effects of current modality such as
      bicarbonate dialysate, active vitamin D3 and removal of accumulated aluminium,
      are suggested explanations.

PMID- 1866081
TI  - Postischemic spontaneous hyperthermia is not a major aggravating factor for
      neuronal damage following repeated brief cerebral ischemia in the gerbil.
AB  - Brief and non-lethal cerebral ischemia produces most severe neuronal damage when
      such ischemia is induced repeatedly at 1-h intervals. We examined whether
      spontaneous postischemic hyperthermia is an aggravating factor for the cumulative
      damage following repeated ischemia in the gerbil. We maintained body and cranial
      temperature at normothermia throughout the initial reperfusion period, but could
      not observe an amelioration of histopathological brain damage following two 2-min
      bilateral carotid artery occlusions at a 1-h interval as compared to hyperthermic
      conditions. The results suggest that postischemic hyperthermia is not a major
      aggravating factor for the cumulative damage following repeated ischemic insults.

PMID- 1866082
TI  - Refining the temporal definition of an association at the neuronal level using
      long-term potentiation and long-term depression in the dentate gyrus.
AB  - This study sharpens the temporal definition of an association in the context of
      long-term synaptic modification of the monosynaptic projections from entorhinal
      cortex to dentate gyrus in the anesthetized rat. The ipsilateral projection
      produces a powerful postsynaptic excitation and shows synaptic potentiation
      following 7.5 ms trains. On the other hand, brief, high-frequency contralateral
      stimulation just after this powerful postsynaptic excitation is followed by long
      term depression (LTD) at the synapses of this pathway. Therefore, based on the
      differential induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) or LTD, a cell can
      distinguish associated pre- and postsynaptic activation at a temporal resolution
      at least as small as 7.5 ms.

PMID- 1866083
TI  - Glutamate exocytosis evoked by 4-aminopyridine is inhibited by free fatty acids
      released from rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes.
AB  - The Ca(2+)-dependent release of glutamate induced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in
      rat cerebral cortical synaptosomes was reduced by removal of bovine serum albumin
      (BSA) from the incubation medium. The decrease in the glutamate release in the
      absence of BSA was consistent with a reduction in the rise in cytosolic free
      [Ca2+] after depolarization with 4-AP. Contrarily, neither the glutamate release
      nor the elevation in cytosolic free [Ca2+] after depolarization with 30 mM KCl
      was altered by the removal of BSA. The inhibitory action of the free fatty acids
      released during the incubation of synaptosomes was also observed when exogenous
      free fatty acids were added to the medium in the presence of BSA. The highest
      inhibition of 4-AP-induced release of glutamate was observed in the presence of
      arachidonic acid. The results strongly suggest an inhibitory action of free fatty
      acids by decreasing Ca2+ entry and glutamate release in rat cerebrocortical
      synaptosomes.

PMID- 1866084
TI  - Neonatal striatal NADPH-diaphorase neurons are vulnerable to quisqualate and its
      analogue alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionate (AMPA).
AB  - A small population of neurons in the mammalian striatum and cerebral cortex
      contain NADPH-diaphorase. Recently, this class of neurons has been found in vitro
      to be selectively vulnerable to low concentrations of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate
      (NMDA) glutamate agonists. To determine if this pattern exists in vivo, we
      injected either quisqualate (QA) or its inotropic site analogue alpha-amino-3
      hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole proprionate (AMPA) into the striatum of neonatal rat
      pups and found a dose-dependent loss of NADPH-diaphorase reactive neurons. These
      data suggest that the QA receptor may be present and functional at postnatal day
      7 when other glutamate receptor subtypes have not yet fully developed and that QA
      is working through its inotropic site since AMPA causes the same dose-dependent
      cell death.

PMID- 1866085
TI  - Generation of developmental patterns in the neuroepithelium of the developing
      mammalian eye: the pigment epithelium of the eye.
AB  - Culture experiments with eye anlages of mouse embryos were performed to study
      developmental traits of the neuroepithelial cells of the prospective pigment
      epithelium in the eye anlage of pigmented mice. Between the neural plate stage on
      embryonic day 8 (ED 8, developmental stage 12) and the neural tube stage on
      embryonic day 9 1/2 (stage 15), the cultured neuroepithelium of the eye generated
      neurons and glia, identified by morphological and immunocytochemical evidence,
      but no pigmented cells. In contrast, eye anlages did produce pigment epithelium
      when cultured in their natural position in a head tissue fragment. A minority of
      developing neurons displayed tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity, whereas
      GABAergic, serotoninergic and substance P-ergic neurons, which are common in the
      mature neuroretina, were not observed. When neuroepithelial cells from embryonic
      eyes older than stage 15 (ED 9 1/2) were cultured, they differentiated into
      pigment cells but not into nerve cells or glia. This developmental sequence
      indicates that the pigment cells derive from the neural lineage. Pigment cell
      fate dominates over the neural fate beginning at about stage 15 (ED 9 1/2-10).
      That is at least 2 days before the pigment cell phenotype becomes apparent in
      vivo (ED 11 1/2-12).

PMID- 1866086
TI  - Analgesic effects of centrally administered aminoglycoside antibiotics in mice.
AB  - The possible analgesic effects of i.c.v. administration of several aminoglycoside
      antibiotics were evaluated in mice using hot plate and tail flick tests. Neomycin
      (10-80 micrograms/mouse), gentamicin (40-160 micrograms/mouse) and kanamycin (80
      320 micrograms/mouse) produced dose-dependent increases in the latencies to
      forepaw licking and jumping in hot plate test. These drugs also produced dose
      dependent increases in the percentage of animals showing analgesia in tail flick
      test. The order of potency of these aminoglycoside antibiotics in both tests was
      neomycin greater than gentamicin greater than kanamycin, which is exactly the
      same order that these drugs show as N-type calcium channel blockers. Bearing in
      mind this fact and the well known analgesic activity of several drugs which
      decrease neuronal calcium availability, we suggest that the mechanism of
      aminoglycoside-induced antinociception may be related to the capacity of these
      antibiotics to block N-type calcium channels and decrease neuronal calcium
      availability.

PMID- 1866087
TI  - Compensation of human stance perturbations: selection of the appropriate
      electromyographic pattern.
AB  - Perturbations of stance evoke purposive EMG patterns which are directed to hold
      the body's centre of gravity over the feet. Dorsiflexing rotation of the feet is
      followed by a monosynaptic stretch reflex response in the gastrocnemius muscle,
      succeeded by a late compensatory tibialis anterior activation. Backward
      translation of the feet elicits only a compensatory polysynaptic EMG response in
      the gastrocnemius muscle, while an early gastrocnemius response is absent. The
      amplitude modulation of the gastrocnemius H-reflex has been investigated during
      the early part of the two modes of perturbation. Only during translational
      perturbation a progressive decrease in gastrocnemius H-reflex amplitude started
      within 5 ms after onset of displacement. The degree of the reduction in amplitude
      in the former perturbation was dependent on the displacement velocity. Only the
      contact forces (torques) differed between the two modes of perturbations within
      the first 10 ms after onset of perturbations. It is suggested that signals from
      pressure receptors within the body are responsible for the early change in H
      reflex amplitude during translational perturbations and it is concluded that the
      simplest spinal reflex is under very rapid and powerful moment-to-moment control
      by changes in peripheral feedback. In view of a strong reciprocal modulation of
      monosynaptic and polysynaptic reflex responses, the later purposive EMG responses
      may be determined by early changes in presynaptic inhibition of group I
      afferents.

PMID- 1866088
TI  - The severity of excitotoxic brain injury is dependent on brain temperature in
      immature rat.
AB  - The effect of brain temperature on the severity of excitotoxic brain injury was
      evaluated in perinatal rats. Postnatal day (PND) 7 rats received unilateral
      intrastriatal injections of 25 nmol N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and then were
      exposed for 2 h to one of six different ambient temperatures. Animals were
      sacrificed 5 days later and the severity of brain injury was assessed
      quantitatively by comparison of the weights of the injected and contralateral
      cerebral hemispheres. Injection of NMDA consistently produced extensive
      unilateral brain injury in rats maintained at normothermia (36 degrees C ambient
      temperature; 29 +/- 1.8% reduction in the weight of the injected hemisphere). In
      the range of ambient temperatures between 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C, there
      was a linear relationship between temperature and the severity of NMDA-induced
      injury (r2 = 0.95, P less than 0.001, linear regression). In a separate analysis,
      in PND 7 rats, a positive linear relationship between ambient temperature (28
      degrees C and 40 degrees C) and brain temperature was observed (r2 = 0.96, P less
      than 0.001). These data suggest that the severity of excitotoxic brain injury is
      dependent upon brain temperature.

PMID- 1866089
TI  - A capstone experience in the baccalaureate curriculum.
AB  - Nurse educators focus on the competencies of graduates and the outcomes of
      undergraduate education. A capstone, the integrative end-of-program experience in
      the major, allows students to synthesize their learning with a focus toward their
      future practices and shows achievement of curriculum goals. The authors describe
      a capstone experience for the nursing major, proposing mechanisms for developing
      and evaluating a capstone in the baccalaureate nursing curriculum.

PMID- 1866090
TI  - Through the eyes of a nurse: a summer program for kids.
AB  - The author describes a summer program that is designed to stimulate an interest
      in nursing in grade school children. The 2-week calendar is described.

PMID- 1866091
TI  - Public health nursing partnership: agencies and academe.
AB  - The authors describe an approach to bridging the education-practice gap in
      nursing through a joint venture between a nursing center in a college of nursing
      and a public health department. The purposes of the cooperative efforts are
      defined and the services described. Administrative problems and solutions in such
      a venture are explored and evaluation methods explained. Finally, opportunities
      for expansion of the venture are considered.

PMID- 1866092
TI  - Ethical case analysis using a hospital bill.
AB  - When nursing ethics is integrated into the curriculum, it may be difficult to
      discern the best way to offer essential content to students. Faculty members who
      are charged with the responsibility of integrating ethics content will find the
      use of ethical case analysis helpful and effective. The author offers a unique
      application of ethical case analysis that incorporated the use of a patient bill
      to help students to learn about the complex issues of justice and the allocation
      of scarce critical care resources.

PMID- 1866093
TI  - Creatively teaching the interrelationships of a nursing model.
AB  - Nursing students find that the abstract description of nursing models is
      difficult to understand and apply. On the other hand, strategies that
      operationalize these concepts through concrete applications within everyday
      experiences help to promote the students' understanding. The author describes an
      exercise for teaching nursing students the central concepts of a nursing model.

PMID- 1866094
TI  - Reliability and validity of the productivity environmental preference survey
      (PEPS).
AB  - This study was conducted to establish the reliability and validity of the Dunn,
      Dunn, and Price Productivity Environmental Preferences Survey (PEPS) with
      baccalaureate nursing students and to identify differences between subpopulations
      (age, class level, sex, type of student (RN versus generic] and students at risk.
      The findings have implications for nurse educators who choose teaching-learning
      experiences for a diverse student population.

PMID- 1866095
TI  - Fundraising: developing and using the advisory board.
AB  - Fundraising is an essential yet undeveloped activity for administrators of
      schools of nursing. Advisory boards, longstanding adjuncts to schools of nursing,
      are an untapped resource for fundraising. Strategies to develop financial support
      are presented using knowledge, human behavior, and motivation.

PMID- 1866096
TI  - Secondary analysis: expanding survey research by faculty members.
AB  - Secondary analysis is a valid, efficient, and effective method of research that
      is under-used by nurse researchers. It can be used effectively by beginning and
      advanced researchers among the nursing faculty members to expand survey research,
      and thus increase their research productivity. The benefits of secondary
      analysis, particularly in survey research, are many, but the researcher must be
      cognizant of the risks as well so that their effect can be minimized.

PMID- 1866097
TI  - Helping students use research in the clinical setting.
AB  - This series of articles, Managing Your Academic Career, presents ways to
      intentionally improve your teaching. This first article explains the concept of
      becoming an intention teacher. Subsequent articles will deal with strategies that
      are useful in clinical teaching, such as preparing students to value and use
      research in practice, and providing feedback to students in the clinical setting.

PMID- 1866098
TI  - Self-concept among senior students in four types of nursing education programs.

PMID- 1866099
TI  - Teaching basic sciences to nursing students: the effects of an accelerated
      lecture schedule.

PMID- 1866100
TI  - ADN-MD partners.

PMID- 1866101
TI  - Comparison between exercise myocardial perfusion and wall motion using 201Tl and
      191Irm simultaneously.
AB  - By exploiting the ultrashort half-life 191Irm as tracer for left ventricular
      first-pass angiocardiography and 201Tl as myocardial perfusion agent, direct
      comparison between myocardial perfusion and regional wall motion was obtained
      during the same exercise stress test in patients with non-significant coronary
      artery disease, in patients with recent myocardial infarction, and in patients
      six weeks after successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).
      A good agreement between regional myocardial perfusion and regional wall motion
      was observed in patients with non-significant coronary artery disease and in most
      patients with recent myocardial infarction. In contrast, discrepancies occurred
      at maximal exercise in patients studied six weeks after successful PTCA: only 38%
      of the patients with no evidence of restenosis and with a completely normal
      myocardial perfusion scintigraphy had a normal regional wall motion at maximal
      exercise stress. According to these results, a normal uptake of 201Tl six weeks
      after PTCA would mean that the circulation has been successfully reestablished
      but without predicting the functional capacities of the myocardial cells which
      remain altered at least six weeks after the revascularization procedure in about
      two-thirds of the patients. We conclude that 191Irm in combination with 201Tl
      offers the opportunity of performing myocardial perfusion and wall motion studies
      simultaneously both at rest and during exercise.

PMID- 1866102
TI  - Radiological protection guidance for radioactive patients--new data for
      therapeutic 131I.
AB  - Patients leaving hospital after 131I treatment for thyrotoxicosis face
      restrictions on their contact with other members of the public. These
      restrictions depend on the level of residual body radioactivity which for
      practical purposes can be taken to be almost entirely in the thyroid gland. This
      study provides an appropriate data base from which to draw advice to patients
      consistent with current radiological protection requirements in terms of the
      duration of these restrictions. Thyroidal retention of 131I was measured in 77
      thyrotoxic patients over a period of 1-50 days after a first therapeutic
      administration of the radionuclide. Mean 131I activity in the gland (+/- S.D.) at
      1 day was 56.1 +/- 11.1% of the administered dose activity and thereafter
      retention followed a single exponential decay pattern with a mean effective half
      life (+/- S.E.M.) of 6.35 +/- 0.14 days. In patients who required further 131I
      therapy, there was evidence that retention could be markedly reduced if there was
      virtual ablation of thyroid tissue. It is proposed that these retention data can
      be used to determine body radioactivity at any interval after the administration
      of 131I for treatment of thyrotoxicosis, thus obviating the need for serial
      measurements in every individual patient.

PMID- 1866103
TI  - The use of induction in the design of an expert system for thyroid function
      studies.
AB  - In this study, the role of induction in the design of an expert system for
      diagnosing thyroid disorders is evaluated. An expert system was first designed
      conventionally, based on interaction between a knowledge engineer and a thyroid
      specialist. This involved weighting three tests (T3, free T4 and TSH) according
      to the reliability of the test and the presence or otherwise of influencing
      factors. Compatibility was then tested with known ranges for the parameter
      values, and a diagnosis made of one of three possible outcomes (euthyroid;
      hypothyroid; hyperthyroid). Two expert systems were then induced using, firstly,
      a set of rules and, secondly, a sample set chosen from a database. These systems
      were then tested against the expert designed system. Both induced systems
      produced results which were superior to the expert designed system and, in
      addition, provided insight into the decision-making process. It is concluded that
      induction is very useful in the design of expert systems of this nature.

PMID- 1866105
TI  - Effects of extra-renal background subtraction and kidney depth correction in the
      measurement of GFR by gamma camera renography.
AB  - 99Tcm-DTPA gamma camera renography was performed in 83 patients with a wide range
      of renal function. An uptake index (UI) proportional to the single kidney
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated from the renograms according to
      two different algorithms, one based on a blood background taken from a region of
      interest (ROI) over the heart (method I), and the other a modification of that
      procedure including an extra-renal background subtraction (method II). The extra
      renal background was defined by a ROI closely surrounding the kidney, making the
      separation between the extra-renal background and intra-renal blood background
      possible. Method II was further evaluated by comparing the results without and
      with correction for kidney depth (method III), the skin-kidney distance being
      measured by sonography. Calculated UI from the renograms was compared with
      measured 51Cr-EDTA plasma clearance as the reference method. Method I
      overestimated GFR at low kidney function. Addition of the extra-renal background
      subtraction (method II) eliminated that error and correction for kidney depth
      improved the accuracy (the standard error of the estimate was reduced from 18.2
      min-1 to 12.3 min-1). It is concluded that the measurement of GFR by gamma camera
      renography is improved by these additional operations.

PMID- 1866104
TI  - Functional liver imaging with 99Tcm-galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA) in alcoholic
      liver cirrhosis and liver fibrosis.
AB  - Synthesis of 99Tcm-galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (99Tcm-NGA), a recently described
      new radioligand with high specificity for hepatic binding protein (HBP), a
      galactose-residue specific receptor on hepatocytes, was carried out by covalent
      coupling of 2-imino-2-methoxyethyl-1-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside to the primary
      amino groups of human serum albumin. NGA was purified by ultrafiltration and size
      exclusion high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using a computer-based
      simulation program, time-activity data for the liver and precordium, blood
      radioactivity 2 min after i.v. injection of the radioligand, the association
      constant of 99Tcm-NGA-binding to HBP measured on human liver biopsies in vitro,
      and other patient-related parameters were put into a five-state non-linear model
      describing the pharmacokinetics of 99Tcm-NGA. By fitting the parameters of the
      model iteratively to the experimental data, an estimate of HBP concentration in
      the liver and of total liver blood flow was obtained. Using this model we studied
      32 patients (53 +/- 11 years) with different clinical stages of alcoholic liver
      cirrhosis. Child B and Child C stage cirrhotic patients had a lower HBP
      concentration in the liver compared to control individuals (0.96 +/- 0.21 mumol l
      1). The group with the most advanced cirrhosis (Child C stage) had a
      significantly lower HBP concentration (0.27 +/- 0.15 mumol l-1) than Child A
      patients (0.66 +/- 0.21 mumol l-1; P less than 0.01) and Child B patients (0.53
      +/- 0.18 mumol l-1; P less than 0.05). In four patients with biopsy-proven liver
      fibrosis (0.84 +/- 0.20 mumol l-1) no difference in receptor concentration from
      normal individuals was estimated. Changes in liver blood flow were not
      significant between the groups. A direct comparison of HBP concentration
      estimated in vivo by 99Tcm-NGA functional imaging and HBP concentration measured
      in vitro on a surgically removed liver biopsy specimen from the same patient with
      a normal liver and liver cirrhosis showed good matching of these two values. The
      results suggest that in vivo estimation of HBP concentration in the liver by
      99Tcm-NGA functional imaging might be a suitable method for determining liver
      cell mass.

PMID- 1866106
TI  - Functional assessment of human gastrointestinal tract using 99Tcm-latex
      particles.
AB  - 99Tcm-latex particles (LP) is a newly developed radiopharmaceutical for the
      evaluation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Following oral ingestion, it
      passes through the entire GI tract undissolved. The purpose of the present
      investigation was to introduce the clinical application of 99Tcm-LP. A group of
      11 healthy volunteers was studied. Following a 12 h fast, the subjects were given
      150 ml of water containing 37 MBq of 99Tcm-LP orally. Dynamic images up to 2 h
      were recorded to document temporal progression of radioactivity. Static images of
      the abdomen and whole body were taken at intervals. In normal subjects the tracer
      arrival times at the caecum and sigmoid colon were 3.2 +/- 0.9 and 11.2 +/- 3.2
      h, respectively. The average t1/2 value for gastric emptying, 50% colonic filling
      and small bowel transit time were found to be 21.6 +/- 5.6, 233 +/- 72 and 211 +/
      66.4 min, respectively. In conclusion, 99Tcm-LP has the potential of providing
      functional information of the GI tract.

PMID- 1866107
TI  - Validation to eliminate vascular activity on 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPECT for regional
      cerebral blood flow (rCBF) determination.
AB  - Since more than 15% of the injected dose of 99Tcm-HMPAO 10 min after injection
      labels plasma or red blood cells (RBC), the elimination of vascular activity from
      actual brain activity is mandatory to evaluate accurately regional cerebral blood
      flow (rCBF) with 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPECT. The late image (4 h post-injection)
      will show a reduced vascular activity of approximately 30% compared to the
      initial image (30 min post-injection), due principally to a plasma fraction
      reduction of 54%, and an insignificant reduction of activity in the RBC fraction.
      The circulating RBC count can then be normalized for both the injected dose and
      total blood volume, because the entrapment mechanism of 99Tcm-HMPAO with RBC is
      the same as that with brain retention. After elimination of the vascular
      contribution using the RBC activity the mean counts in the 14 middle cerebral
      artery areas from seven cases on 99Tcm-HMPAO SPECT showed a good correlation (r =
      0.85) with the initial slope index of 133Xe cerebrography. It was concluded that
      the elimination of the vascular activity on 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPECT is needed to
      quantify rCBF accurately.

PMID- 1866108
TI  - Quantitative 99Tcm-HMPAO white blood cells and 67Ga scanning in rheumatoid
      arthritis.
AB  - This investigation assessed 99Tcm-HMPAO white blood cell (Tc-WBC) and 67Ga knee
      uptake indices before and after 90Y treatment in patients with intractable
      rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and correlated the uptake indices with the clinical
      score. Sixteen knee joints with RA were treated with intra-articular injection of
      185 MBq of 90Y-silicate colloid (Amersham) flushed with 50 mg of hydrocortisone.
      Clinical score, quantitative 67Ga and Tc-WBC knee uptake indices were obtained
      before and three weeks after treatment. Our results showed that 9/16 (56%) had a
      good response and 7/16 (44%) had a poor response to 90Y injection. There was poor
      correlation between clinical improvement and changes in 67Ga and Tc-WBC knee
      uptake indices (r = 0.46 and 0.14, respectively). The correlation coefficient
      between changes in 67Ga and Tc-WBC knee uptake indices was 0.29.

PMID- 1866109
TI  - Letter from America.

PMID- 1866110
TI  - The fatty meal in 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial imaging.

PMID- 1866111
TI  - Robotics. Safety developments and applications in the 1990s.

PMID- 1866112
TI  - Hazardous-waste operation training: the University of Wisconsin approach.

PMID- 1866113
TI  - Safety engineers have obligation to control hazards through design.

PMID- 1866114
TI  - Engineers, safety professionals work on total ergonomic quality.

PMID- 1866115
TI  - Hazardous-waste storage program sends positive message to workers.

PMID- 1866116
TI  - Chemical process safety needs effort from industry, government and public.

PMID- 1866117
TI  - Standards, codes, regulations help keep indoor air quality acceptable.

PMID- 1866118
TI  - Electronic claims filing not without cost.

PMID- 1866119
TI  - Health care's future.

PMID- 1866120
TI  - The risks of quality assurance.

PMID- 1866121
TI  - Cincinnati lags in AIDS cases.

PMID- 1866122
TI  - AIDS and your office staff.

PMID- 1866123
TI  - Developmental changes in the ferret ileum during the postnatal period.
AB  - The development of the ferret ileum was studied in order to determine the pattern
      of morphological maturation during the postnatal period. In the newborn,
      intestinal villi were short, and lined by simple columnar enterocytes with
      striated borders and small vacuoles. At one week old, the equivalent cell had
      large vacuoles that were shown on TEM to be related to a tubulovesicular system
      in the apical region of the cytoplasm. At two and three weeks old, the epithelial
      cells at the same site showed a more extensive tubulovesicular system, and
      vacuoles occupied major areas of both the supra- and subnuclear cytoplasm. At six
      weeks old (weaning), although the enterocytes contained a few small intracellular
      vesicles, they appeared histologically more mature than in previous stages. At
      nine weeks and in the adult, the villi were longer and the enterocytes no longer
      contained vacuoles. In TEM, the epithelial cells had long microvilli, and the
      apical tubulovesicular system and vacuoles had completely disappeared from the
      cytoplasm.

PMID- 1866124
TI  - Synaptic connections of extrinsic nerve fibers in the myenteric plexus of the rat
      duodenum.
AB  - In the present study the degeneration of extrinsic nerve fibers was first
      investigated in the duodenal myenteric plexus after their transection, and
      subsequently synaptic connections of the extrinsic nerve fibers were observed
      with their degenerative changes to examine the relationship of the extrinsic
      nerve fibers with the neuronal circuits in the myenteric plexus. Adult rats were
      anesthetized with pentobarbital, and the extrinsic nerve fibers running with the
      coeliac and superior mesenteric arteries were cut at about 2 mm distance from the
      coeliac ganglia to duodenum. Their duodena were fixed at 6 and 12 hours, and 1,
      2, 4, 7 and 11 days after the extrinsic denervation, and their myenteric plexuses
      were observed with the electron microscope. Then, montages on 22 fields of the
      myenteric plexuses of 7 days after the denervation were made, and the number of
      all synapses and degenerated synapses in them was counted in each montage. 1. The
      degenerated changes of the extrinsic nerve fibers Three types of the degenerated
      axons were found in stages ranging from 12 hours to 11 days after the extrinsic
      denervation as follows: 1) Type I appeared mainly at 1 and 2 days. The electron
      density in the axoplasm decreased, and the synaptic vesicles accumulated in the
      central area of the axoplasm. 2) Type II appeared, also, at 1 and 2 days. The
      electron dense material occupied the axoplasm or the myelin-like structure
      appeared in the slightly swollen axons. 3) Type III appeared in stages from 1 to
      11 days. Electron dense bodies appeared in the axoplasm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866125
TI  - Histological examination of chick embryos with bilateral microphthalmus with
      reference to laterality in the visual apparatuses.
AB  - The histological abnormalities of chick embryos with bilateral microphthalmus
      were examined in serial paraffin sections with special reference to laterality in
      the visual apparatuses, including the cornea, lens, neural retina and pigment
      epithelium. There was marked laterality in the above structures; some eyeballs
      had individual, if incomplete, sublayers of the cornea and the neural retina, and
      others not. The sublayers of the neural retina were occasionally observed even in
      eyeballs at the stage of optic vesicle formation, in contrast to the previous
      notion that the pigment epithelium induces the maturation of the primordial
      neural retina after optic vesicle differentiation into the optic cup. There was
      also a case where developmental differences between the right and left eyeballs
      were absent except in the lens. These findings suggest that chick embryos with
      bilateral microphthalmus exhibit a more complex histological profile or diversity
      than previously considered, possibly as a result of the differential actions of
      various mutagens and endogenous trophic factors on the developing visual system.

PMID- 1866126
TI  - Immunoelectron microscopical demonstration of egg-yolk plasma precursor
      vitellogenin in the hepatocyte of oestradiol-treated cockerels.
AB  - Vitellogenin has been localized at the electron microscopical level in the liver
      of the cockerel using a colloidal gold technique. White leghorn cockerels were
      treated with 17 beta-oestradiol to induce vitellogenesis. Pieces of liver were
      removed from control and experimental birds on the 4th and 8th days following
      hormone treatment, and embedded in Lowicryl K4M. Vitellogenin was isolated from
      the plasma of oestradiol-treated cockerels, and the antibody to it elicited in
      rabbits and made vitellogenin-specific by affinity chromatography on lipovitellin
      Sepharose columns. At the light microscopical level, the intensity of
      immunohistochemical staining was considerably above background levels in
      oestradiol-treated cockerels. At the electron microscopical level, gold particles
      indicating antigenic sites of vitellogenin were largely confined to the rough
      endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, immature and lysosomes and phagosomes
      within hepatocytes and sinusoidal cells respectively. These observations strongly
      suggest that the intracellular pathway of vitellogenin secretion in chicken
      hepatocytes under the experimental conditions studied involves external stimuli
      and secretory vacuoles. The labelling of lysosomes may reflect catabolic turnover
      (crinophagy).

PMID- 1866127
TI  - Atrioventricular and ventriculo-atrial branches of the human coronary arteries
      supplying the walls of heterolateral cardiac chambers.
AB  - In 20% of 40 human hearts, AV and VA branches of the coronary arteries supplied
      the wall of cardiac chambers on the opposite side of the heart. VA branches were
      more frequent than AV branches and both were observed at the level of the crux
      cordis (in the diaphragmatic aspect of the heart).

PMID- 1866128
TI  - A tongue-like projection of the left lobe in human liver, accompanied with
      lienorenal venous shunt and intrahepatic arterial anastomosis.
AB  - The characteristic features of a tongue-like projection of the left lobe of the
      liver in a female adult, accompanied with a large lienorenal venous shunt and an
      intrahepatic anastomosis of the hepatic arteries, are described. By dissecting
      the liver parenchyma, this projection is supplied by a set of the lateral
      segmental branches of the portal vein, hepatic artery and hepatic ducts and by
      the branch of the left hepatic vein. The boundary between the abnormal and the
      proper left lobes can not be confirmed accurately, because the tongue-like
      projection is overlapped with the paraumbilical lobe on the visceral surface.
      However, the position is estimated a transverse line superior to the attachment
      to the proper left lobe. The anomaly is derived from a medial and inferior
      portion of the left lobe of the liver and may be regarded as a left half of the
      central lobe in the ape etiologically. No evidences to justify the co-existence
      of the tongue-like projection with the lienorenal shunt are confirmed.

PMID- 1866129
TI  - Effect of denervation on the neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivity of Merkel
      cells in the taste organs of the frog.
AB  - The changes in neuron-specific enolase (NSE) immunoreactivity of Merkel cells in
      the frog taste organ were investigated up to 5 months after resection of the
      glossopharyngeal nerve. Even at 5 months after denervation, the denervated Merkel
      cells exhibited an immunoreaction with NSE antiserum.

PMID- 1866130
TI  - A macroscopic study of the internal thoracic artery of the rat.
AB  - The internal thoracic artery (ATI) of rats was macroscopically studied. In this
      study, the overall features of the artery were virtually elucidated in entirety.
      The artery was found to arise from the subclavian artery in the thoracic cavity
      and to immediately break up into the following branches: (1) the
      pericardiacophrenic artery, (2) the superior epigastric artery, (3) the thymic
      branch, (4) the comitans branch to the brachiocephalic veins, and finally (5) the
      bronchoesophageal trunk. As is well known, rats are devoid of the superior caval
      veins, retaining instead a pair of brachiocephalic veins into adulthood; this is
      a greatly beneficial condition as it enables us to consider the essential
      relationships of the ATI to relevant structures which are thought to be directly
      involved in the development of the ATI. In fact, the rat ATI revealed
      topographically a remarkable intimacy with the phrenic nerve, the brachiocephalic
      and inferior caval veins, the heart and lungs and also with the diaphragm; in
      their development all are in close relationship with the pleuropericardial fold.
      This fact leads us to the opinion that, for a better understanding of the
      morphological meanings of the ATI, an understanding of the relationship of this
      artery to the pleuropericardial fold seems to be a prerequisite.

PMID- 1866131
TI  - Glaucoma laser trial.

PMID- 1866132
TI  - Pseudo-loss of fixation.

PMID- 1866133
TI  - Retrograde retinal degeneration.

PMID- 1866134
TI  - Corticosteroids: an unresolved debate.

PMID- 1866135
TI  - Use of corticosteroids in combination with antimicrobial drugs in the treatment
      of infectious corneal disease.
AB  - The use of corticosteroids in the management of infectious eye disease is
      controversial. In this study, the authors attempt to analyze the goals and risks
      of the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of various forms of infectious
      keratitis with reference to generally recognized principles for the treatment of
      infectious diseases. Existing clinical and research data are reviewed in this
      context to make appropriate recommendations for the use of corticosteroids in the
      treatment of bacterial, fungal, and acanthamoeba keratitis. The authors conclude
      that corticosteroids are definitely contraindicated in the treatment of fungal
      keratitis, and relatively contraindicated in the treatment of Acanthamoeba
      keratitis. Topical corticosteroid therapy may have a role in the treatment of
      bacterial keratitis if appropriate guidelines are followed.

PMID- 1866136
TI  - Effect of contact lens preservatives on Acanthamoeba.
AB  - Single preservatives used in contact lens solutions were evaluated for their
      effectiveness in killing Acanthamoeba castellanii and Acanthamoeba polyphaga
      trophozoites and cysts. Preservatives were tested against amoebae at intervals
      varying from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The preservatives were tested with
      axenically and nonaxenically grown organisms. Chlorhexidine (0.001% and 0.005%),
      polyaminopropyl biguanide (0.0015%), benzalkonium chloride (0.001% and 0.004%),
      and hydrogen peroxide (3%) were very effective preservatives. Lower
      concentrations of these same preservatives were less effective. Thimerosal
      (0.001% and 0.004%), sorbic acid (0.1%), potassium sorbate (0.13%), EDTA (0.1%),
      polyaminopropyl biguanide (0.00005%), and polyquaternium-1 (0.001%) were not
      effective as tested. However, thimerosal 0.004% when combined in solution with
      EDTA was effective. Preservatives were more effective when tested against
      axenically prepared organisms than when tested against co-cultured organisms.

PMID- 1866137
TI  - Remission and recurrence after withdrawal of therapy for ocular cicatricial
      pemphigoid.
AB  - Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune disease
      that scars mucus membranes and may lead to blindness. The authors studied the
      long-term effects of OCP in 104 consecutive patients (average follow-up, 4 years)
      to determine whether complete remission could be achieved after a course of
      treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Prolonged periods of remission while not
      undergoing therapy were maintained in approximately one third of patients with
      OCP. Follow-up must be continued for life, as relapse occurred in 22% of those
      who were in remission and not undergoing therapy. Those who relapsed regained
      disease control readily upon reinstitution of therapy and did not deteriorate to
      more advanced cicatrization. Sex, age, initial degree of inflammation, and the
      incidence of extraocular involvement did not have a prognostic significance on
      outcome. Mechanisms that underlie the differing responses to therapy are not yet
      known.

PMID- 1866138
TI  - Antimicrobial efficacy and corneal endothelial toxicity of DexSol corneal storage
      medium supplemented with vancomycin.
AB  - Despite the presence of gentamicin in corneal storage medium, postoperative
      endophthalmitis may result from the transmission of bacteria via contaminated
      corneal tissue. The authors evaluated the antimicrobial activity and endothelial
      toxicity of vancomycin (10 micrograms/ml) in combination with gentamicin (100
      micrograms/ml) in DexSol corneal storage medium. When tested against a panel of
      common ocular pathogens, vancomycin combined with gentamicin proved more
      effective than gentamicin alone for inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus
      pneumoniae at 4 degrees C after 1- and 5-day incubation periods. Ultrastructural
      and morphometric analyses of paired human corneas stored for 5 days in either
      DexSol supplemented with vancomycin combined with gentamicin or DexSol with
      gentamicin alone did not show a significant difference in endothelial toxicity
      between the two groups. These results suggest that vancomycin combined with
      gentamicin has superior antimicrobial effect and similar corneal toxicity when
      compared with media supplemented with gentamicin alone.

PMID- 1866139
TI  - Dissolution of intraocular fibrinous exudate by streptokinase.
AB  - In a prospective, open, pilot study, the authors evaluated the effects of
      intraocular injection of streptokinase on intraocular fibrin. The study was
      composed of nine patients in whom fibrinous exudate developed after pars plana
      vitrectomy. There were seven male and two female patients with a mean age of 44
      years (range, 27 to 65 years). Fibrinous exudates were seen 1 to 22 days after
      surgery with obstruction of the view of the posterior segment. Each patient
      received a single intraocular injection of 1000 IU of purified streptokinase.
      Four hours after the streptokinase injection, complete dissolution of the fibrin
      was noted in each patient. There were no clinically detectable adverse effects
      from the intraocular administration of streptokinase. Streptokinase may be
      considered in the dissolution of intractable intraocular fibrinous exudates after
      vitrectomy.

PMID- 1866140
TI  - Implantation of Kelman-style, open-loop anterior chamber lenses during
      keratoplasty for aphakic and pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. A comparison with
      iris-sutured posterior chamber lenses.
AB  - The clinical and specular microscopic results of 40 cases (39 patients) of
      penetrating keratoplasty during which a Kelman-style anterior chamber intraocular
      lens was implanted were reviewed retrospectively. Thirty-one pseudophakic eyes
      received an intraocular lens exchange and nine aphakic eyes received a secondary
      intraocular lens. Postoperative follow-up averaged 24.5 months (range, 3 to 51
      months). At 1, 2, and 3 years after keratoplasty, 39.3%, 63.2%, and 63.6% of
      eyes, respectively, had visual acuities of 20/40 or better. Ninety-five percent
      of the grafts remained clear. Causes of poor postoperative visual acuity included
      cystoid macular edema (32.5%), new glaucoma (22.5%), and age-related macular
      degeneration (10.0%). Other causes were endothelial rejection leading to graft
      failure, corneal ulceration, and retinal detachment. Corneal endothelial cell
      loss by specular microscopy was 11.5% at 1 years, 21.3% at 2 years, and 25.0% at
      3 years. These results were compared with cell loss associated with iris-sutured
      posterior chamber lenses in penetrating keratoplasty. Visual outcomes and
      complication rates were similar between these two methods; however, the
      endothelial attrition at 1 and 2 years for the sutured posterior chamber lens was
      greater than that of the Kelman anterior chamber lens.

PMID- 1866141
TI  - Visual and refractive results of multifocal intraocular lenses.
AB  - One hundred forty-nine selected patients with bilateral multifocal intraocular
      lenses (IOLs) were evaluated and compared retrospectively with 131 patients with
      bilateral monofocal IOLs. Seventy-eight percent of multifocal cases and 74.8% of
      monofocal cases had uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Fifty-four
      percent of multifocal cases had near uncorrected visions of J1 to J3. Eighteen
      percent had best-corrected near vision of J4 or worse. Sixty-three percent of
      multifocal cases versus 4% of monofocal cases needed no spectacle correction.
      Multifocal cases reported significantly more visual side effects (flare, glare,
      and halos). The 10% of cases with poor satisfaction (rating vision as fair-to
      poor) had significantly (P = 0.03) more postoperative astigmatism (1.1 prism
      diopters [D] versus 0.74 D) compared with satisfied (good-to-excellent) cases.
      Patients who were dissatisfied reported more need for corrective lenses but not
      more side effects. A greater decrease in contrast sensitivity at low contrast
      levels was detected among multifocal cases. Both groups had similar contrast
      sensitivity at 96% and 50% contrast, but at 11% contrast, multifocal cases
      averaged a loss of 3.45 Snellen lines (to 20/48.2) compared with 2.65 lines (to
      20/36) for monofocal cases.

PMID- 1866142
TI  - Management of dislocated posterior chamber intraocular lenses.
AB  - Management options for posteriorly dislocated posterior chamber intraocular
      lenses include observation, removal, exchange, and repositioning. Many
      microsurgical techniques have been developed for repositioning posterior chamber
      implants. These include repositioning into the ciliary sulcus without suturing if
      adequate posterior capsule support remains, iris fixation suturing techniques,
      and scleral fixation suturing techniques. The indications, timing, and techniques
      for intervention are reviewed in a series of 32 cases with posteriorly dislocated
      posterior chamber implants. A final visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved
      in 15 (79%) of 19 IOL repositioned cases, in 6 (75%) of 8 IOL exchanged cases,
      and in 1 (33%) of 3 IOL removed cases. In two patients observed without surgery,
      final visual acuity was 20/25 and 20/300, respectively.

PMID- 1866143
TI  - National outcomes of cataract extraction. I. Retinal detachment after inpatient
      surgery.
AB  - Rehospitalization for retinal detachment (RD) was studied in 338,141 Medicare
      beneficiaries older than 65 years of age who were undergoing inpatient cataract
      extraction in 1984. Extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) was performed in 60%
      of patients, intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE) in 31%, and
      phacoemulsification in 9%. The risk of rehospitalization for RD within 4 years of
      ICCE was 1.55% over 1.5 times the risk associated with ECCE (0.9%). The risk of
      RD after phacoemulsification was 1.17%. Cataract surgery accompanied by anterior
      vitrectomy was associated with a 5.0%, likelihood of RD at 4 years, which is 4.5
      times greater than that for cataract surgery alone (1.12%). White patients were
      1.7 times more likely to be rehospitalized for RD than were black patients (1.15%
      versus 0.67%; P less than 0.001). In both races, younger patients were more
      likely to be rehospitalized for RD than were older patients (P less than 0.001).
      While the increased rate of RD after ICCE versus ECCE confirms previously held
      clinical beliefs, the increase in the risk following phacoemulsification (P less
      than 0.0001) has not been reported previously.

PMID- 1866144
TI  - Visual results after early surgical treatment of unilateral congenital cataracts.
AB  - The authors reviewed the records of 25 consecutive patients who had been operated
      on for unilateral congenital cataracts at 1 year of age or younger and who had
      been followed for a period of 5 years or longer. Excluded were patients who
      demonstrated retinal and optic nerve anomalies. Five eyes achieved 20/40 or
      better Snellen visual acuity, 5 eyes achieved 20/50 to 20/100 visual acuity, and
      15 eyes had 20/200 or less visual acuity. All patients with visual acuity of
      20/40 or better had cataract surgery performed before 17 weeks of age, the
      critical period, and surgery was scattered within this time frame. For surgery
      performed between 17 weeks and 1 year of age, the best achieved visual acuity in
      children with surgically significant unilateral congenital cataracts was between
      20/50 and 20/100. There was no correlation between the age at the time of surgery
      and the attainment of these visual levels in this patient subset.

PMID- 1866145
TI  - Incomitant dissociated vertical deviation and superior oblique overaction.
AB  - When superior oblique overaction coexists with dissociated vertical deviation, it
      may produce a pattern of disparity in the amount of dissociated vertical
      deviation in different horizontal gaze fields, which the authors have termed
      incomitance. Seven patients with the constellation of esotropia, bilateral
      superior oblique overaction, "A"-pattern, and incomitant dissociated vertical
      deviation are presented. In each case, a distinctive incomitant pattern of
      dissociated vertical deviation was noted in which dissociated vertical deviation
      was least in adduction, moderate in primary position, and greatest in abduction.
      Four patients underwent asymmetric superior rectus recessions and partial
      tenotomy of the superior oblique tendons at their insertions as the initial
      treatment for their incomitant dissociated vertical deviation. Recognition of
      such a pattern of incomitant dissociated vertical deviation is important in
      choosing appropriate surgical management.

PMID- 1866146
TI  - Hemangiopericytoma of the lacrimal sac.
AB  - Hemangiopericytomas of the orbit are rare tumors with low malignancy potential.
      To the authors' knowledge, only three previous cases of these tumors occurring in
      the lacrimal sac have been reported. The authors report a fourth case. Follow-up
      was obtained on the first reported case, and the patient in that case had a
      recurrence after 15 years. These tumors should be totally excised and followed
      for long periods of time.

PMID- 1866147
TI  - Tissue eosinophilia and eosinophil degranulation in orbital pseudotumor.
AB  - To investigate the participation of the eosinophil in orbital pseudotumor, the
      authors studied surgical biopsy specimens from nine patients with pseudotumor.
      Surgical biopsy specimens of orbital tissue from four patients with Graves'
      ophthalmopathy and autopsy specimens of orbital tissue from six patients without
      orbital diseases served as controls. Eosinophil infiltration and degranulation
      were assessed by immunofluorescence staining of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded
      tissues for the cytotoxic eosinophil granule major basic protein. Eosinophil
      infiltration and extracellular major basic protein deposition were evident in all
      orbital pseudotumor specimens. In contrast, no eosinophil infiltration or
      extracellular major basic protein deposition was present in any of the ten
      control specimens. These findings indicate that eosinophil degranulation is found
      in orbital pseudotumor, and they also identify yet another clinical entity where
      eosinophil infiltration and degranulation are associated with fibrosis.

PMID- 1866148
TI  - Biofilm and scleral buckle-associated infections. A mechanism for persistence.
AB  - Scleral buckle infections tend to be persistent as well as resistant to
      antimicrobial treatment. Often, scleral buckle infections require removal of the
      buckling elements for resolution. To determine if bacteria are able to persist on
      scleral buckles by elaborating a glycocalyx matrix or biofilm that offers
      protection against host defenses and antimicrobial treatment, the authors
      cultured 28 scleral buckle elements removed for infection and extrusion. Bacteria
      were isolated from 18 elements (64%). The most frequently isolated bacteria were
      Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci (8),
      Staphylococcus aureus (3), corynebacteria (3), Mycobacterium chelonei (3), and
      Proteus mirabilis (3). Eleven (65%) of 17 buckles evaluated with scanning
      electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of bacteria encased in biofilm.
      Biofilm was demonstrated on the surfaces and ends of solid silicon elements. In
      the silicon sponges, biofilm also extended into the matrix of the sponges. The
      authors believe that bacterial production of biofilm offers an explanation for
      the persistence of scleral buckle infections and their ability to withstand
      antimicrobial treatment.

PMID- 1866149
TI  - Triple agent immunosuppression in serpiginous choroiditis.
AB  - Serpiginous choroidopathy is a progressive choroidal inflammatory disorder that
      typically has a variable saltatory course. Response to steroids is uncertain. By
      using azathioprine, cyclosporine, and prednisone in combination, the authors have
      observed rapid remission of active disease in five patients. Remissions have been
      maintained for periods up to 18 months. Because of the synergistic effects of
      this combination, doses could rapidly be reduced to maintenance levels without
      reactivation. Disease in two patients recurred immediately after discontinuation
      of low-dose therapy but was arrested when therapy resumed. Triple agent
      immunosuppressive therapy is well tolerated and appears to be effective.

PMID- 1866150
TI  - Histopathology of incipient fundus flavimaculatus.
AB  - A 9-year-old boy was diagnosed with fundus flavimaculatus in his left eye. The
      boy's fellow eye was enucleated at 16 months of age for retinoblastoma. The
      authors reviewed the material submitted for histopathologic examination and found
      that the retinal pigment epithelial cells demonstrated increased autofluorescence
      and increased reactivity to periodic acid-Schiff staining. Many cells had their
      melanin granules displaced toward the cell apex. The retinal pigment epithelial
      changes are consistent with previous histopathologic findings in fundus
      flavimaculatus and imply that the structural changes are seen in early life.

PMID- 1866151
TI  - Delayed rod dark adaptation in patients with Stargardt's disease.
AB  - Twelve patients with Stargardt's dystrophy were each found to have a prolongation
      in rod dark adaptation. All had a normal rate of recovery during the early
      portion of rod dark adaptation but a selective prolongation of the later segment
      of rod recovery. This observation was apparent in patients with limited fundus
      flecks and those with extensive fundus flecks, whether or not a dark choroid was
      observed and independent of the presence or absence of an atrophic-appearing
      macular lesion. A defect within retinal pigment epithelial cells of an enzyme or
      intracellular transport mechanism involved in the visual pigment regeneration
      cycle could account for these findings.

PMID- 1866152
TI  - Choroidal detachment associated with malignant choroidal tumors.
AB  - The association of choroidal detachment with malignant choroidal tumors is not
      well recognized. The authors' experience with six cases suggests that choroidal
      detachment may be associated with both metastatic tumors and choroidal melanoma.
      In two of these cases, the choroidal or retinal detachment was so massive that
      echography was necessary to detect the underlying tumor. Three patients presented
      with painful visual loss, and three patients presented with painless visual loss
      or a visual field defect. In one patient, the correct diagnosis and appropriate
      treatment of the choroidal metastasis with external radiation relieved the
      patient's pain and improved visual acuity from 1/200 to 20/35. Metastatic and
      primary uveal malignant tumors should be added to the list of causes of choroidal
      detachment and can be excluded only after thorough clinical, and often
      echographic, examination.

PMID- 1866153
TI  - Partial lamellar sclerouvectomy for ciliary body and choroidal tumors.
AB  - The authors reviewed the postoperative course, visual results, histopathologic
      findings, and mortality data on 95 consecutive patients with tumors of the
      ciliary body and/or choroid who were managed by a partial lamellar
      sclerouvectomy. This surgical procedure is designed to remove the uveal tumor and
      leave intact the outer sclera and sensory retina. In this group of 95 patients,
      vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 79 (83%) cases, intraretinal or subretinal
      hemorrhage in 33 (35%), retinal detachment in 26 (28%), and cataract in 32 (34%).
      Most of the vitreous and retinal hemorrhages resolved spontaneously, sometimes
      leaving subretinal or preretinal fibrosis. A number of the postoperative retinal
      detachments resolved spontaneously, but retinal detachment surgery was necessary
      in 16 patients (17%), mostly in the earlier years of the survey. Most of the
      cataracts were mild and did not require surgery. The eventual postoperative
      visual acuity was equal to or better than the preoperative visual acuity in 23
      cases (24%) over a mean follow-up period of 5 years. Enucleation was eventually
      necessary in 15 cases (16%), usually because of residual or recurrent tumor.
      Histopathologic diagnosis was uveal melanoma in 81 cases (85%) and other tumors
      in 14 cases (15%). There were no orbital recurrences, but distant metastases
      developed in five patients (5%), all of whom had undergone enucleation for
      recurrence of the intraocular melanoma. Although the surgical technique is
      difficult, partial lamellar sclerouvectomy appears to be a reasonable therapeutic
      option in selected cases of posterior uveal tumors.

PMID- 1866155
TI  - Retinal capillary blood flow measurement with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope.
      Preliminary results.
AB  - The scanning laser technique in combination with digital image analysis allows
      direct objective measurement of flow velocities in perimacular capillaries. In
      addition, the complete macular network of capillaries can be observed. By means
      of digital frame-to-frame picture analysis of digital recordings, blood flow
      velocities and morphologic data have been measured. The mean flow velocity in
      perimacular capillaries observed with the scanning laser ophthalmoscope in
      healthy subjects (n = 21) amounted to 3.28 +/- 0.45 mm/second. In patients (n =
      13) with diabetes mellitus (no or background retinopathy), the mean flow velocity
      was significantly reduced (2.89 +/- 0.57 mm/seconds) compared with healthy
      subjects. Morphologic data of the perifoveal capillary bed showed a significant
      reduction of capillaries in patients with diabetes mellitus when compared with
      healthy subjects.

PMID- 1866154
TI  - Impact of local tumor relapse on patient survival after cobalt 60 plaque
      radiotherapy.
AB  - The authors investigated the impact of local intraocular tumor relapse on
      survival in a matched-group comparison study of patients with primary choroidal
      or ciliary body melanoma managed with cobalt 60 plaque radiotherapy. Sixty-two
      patients with local relapse were matched with an equal number of relapse-free
      patients in terms of known clinical prognostic factors for both melanoma-specific
      mortality (largest linear tumor dimension, location of anterior tumor margin,
      age) and local tumor relapse (location of posterior tumor margin). The follow-up
      of every relapse-free patient equaled or exceeded the interval to relapse for
      each matched patient with local relapse. The estimated 5-year survival (Kaplan
      Meier) in the relapse-free patients was 87% (standard error = 4%), while that in
      the local relapse group was 58% (standard error = 6%). This difference is
      statistically significant (P less than 0.0001, log rank test). These results
      support the hypothesis that local tumor relapse after cobalt 60 plaque
      radiotherapy is an important post-treatment clinical indicator of the tumor's
      greater malignant potential and the patient's increased risk of melanoma-specific
      mortality.

PMID- 1866156
TI  - [Plasma prostacyclin and thromboxane concentration in healthy children and in
      offspring of parents suffering from myocardial infarct].
AB  - 6-keto-prostaglandin F1a and thromboxane B2 were determined by radioimmunoassay
      in 135 healthy children, as a control group, and in 125 offsprings of parents
      suffering from premature coronary artery disease. Plasma prostacyclin
      concentration had decreased in children with a positive family history of
      coronary artery disease. It was demonstrated a strong reduction of thromboxane
      level in boys from age 11 in endangered group while the thromboxane/prostacyclin
      ratio did not differ from the control. It was supposed that in adolescent sons of
      parents who have had an acute myocardial infarction before the age of 45, a
      compensatory mechanism exists to protect them from disturbances in regulation of
      the balance between prostacyclin and thromboxane.

PMID- 1866157
TI  - [Effect of somatostatin analogue on experimental pancreatic lesions and their
      sequelae].
AB  - The authors examined the effect of long acting somatostatin analogue
      (Sandostatin, Sandoz) on acute experimental pancreatitis and on the subsequent
      regeneration. Acute injury to the pancreas was produced by an intraductal
      intervention (ligature of the bile duct and intraductal injection of taurocholic
      acid) and by a metabolic route (supramaximal dose of caerulein by repeated
      subcutaneous injections). The effect of the drug on the acute injury was examined
      at 6 and 24 hours following the intervention and the effect on regeneration was
      examined on day 3 and 5 in all cases by determination of plasma enzyme levels and
      examination of the pancreatic tissue. Long acting somatostatin analogue did not
      prove to be effective in the serious acute pancreatitis produced by the
      intraductal intervention. However, in the acute phase of the caerulein induced
      pancreatitis, it had a beneficial effect as seen by it's ability to moderate the
      serum enzyme levels. During the examination of pancreatic regeneration was found
      that in caerulein induced pancreatitis the weight of the pancreas decreases due
      to atrophy and that this was not affected by long acting somatostatin analogue.
      As a matter of fact, the somatostatin counteracted the caerulein induced DNA
      increase, and therefore acted against the reactive hyperplasia. Therefore, the
      favorable effect of long acting somatostatin analogue is witnessed only in the
      caerulein induced acute injury but it does not accelerate the rate of pancreatic
      regeneration following injury. Due to this fact, protracted administration of
      this agent can not be rationalized.

PMID- 1866158
TI  - [Split hand/foot abnormalities: classification, pathogenesis, epidemiology].
AB  - Authors report on the genetic epidemiologic investigation of one of the sentinel
      anomalies made on purpose to define the birth prevalence of the different types
      of it, to calculate the mutation rate of autosomal dominant forms as well as to
      recognize the clinical features of Hungarian cases. 58% of all cases registered
      in the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry in 1975-1984 proved to be
      atypical. The birth prevalence of autosomal dominant forms was 1.33/100.000 total
      birth. 71% of dominant forms was sporadic since 29% was familial. Thus the
      mutation rate was estimated 4.7 x 10(-6) +/- 1.22 x 10(-6).

PMID- 1866159
TI  - [Experience with chorionic villi sampling].
AB  - The authors discuss their experiences from 412 chorion villus samplings, (CVS),
      which they have done under four and a half years since 1985. They used eight
      types of instruments in performing their examinations and each instrument proved
      to be satisfactory in the gaining of chorion villus samples, suitable for further
      tests. They also discuss the bacteria found most frequently in the vagina on the
      basis of the examination and culturing of both vaginal and cervical fluid done
      prior to 151 CVS examinations and the effective method with which ascending
      infection can be prevented. They discuss a distributional pattern of their
      results based on the different indications for the CVS examinations, and the
      outcome of each of the pregnancies after CVS. In 377 cases they did direct
      karyotyping, in 30 cases DNA examination and in five cases enzyme determination
      also occurred.

PMID- 1866160
TI  - [When is surgical correction of the terminal ileum during appendectomy
      indicated?].
AB  - During 1416 appendectomy operations we examined the ileum and found 42 cases of
      terminal ileum infraction (ileum terminale duplex) caused by the cicatrisation of
      the mesenterium. Nine of the forty-two had characteristic symptoms of terminal
      ileum infraction syndrome (stomachodynia and pain in the right lower part of the
      abdomen 4 or 5 hours after meals, distensions). Deliberation was performed in
      this cases at the time of the appendectomy operations. Following the operations
      they had no symptoms. When the infraction is severe or the patient has typical
      complaints of terminal ileum infraction syndrome necessitates the deliberation of
      the terminal ileum in our opinion.

PMID- 1866161
TI  - [Typhlitis as a complication of acute leukemia].
AB  - The authors describe the clinical history of two adult patients with acute
      myeloid leukemia, who had severe neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. After
      chemotherapy in both patients had developed typhlitis with fatal outcome caused
      by sepsis. They discuss the etiopathogenesis and clinical features of necrotizing
      typhlitis as a complication of treated acute leukemia and point out the
      difficulty of the differential diagnosis and management.

PMID- 1866162
TI  - [The importance of Paracelsus (1493-1541) in the history of medicine].

PMID- 1866163
TI  - [Judging the severity of regurgitation in acquired heart defects using color
      coded Doppler echocardiography].
AB  - In the study, 139 valvular regurgitations of 120 patients (55 mitral and 84
      aortic regurgitations) were investigated and compared by means of colour flow
      mapping and heart catheterization. During the echocardiographic examination, the
      length and width of the regurgitant jets were measured and the jet area was
      planimetered besides the subjective grades. The above parameters were correlated
      with the angiographic grades. Good agreement was found between the results of the
      two methods. As concerns the different parameters of the regurgitant jets in
      mitral regurgitation, the most severe (grade IV) category was easily
      distinguished from the others, while in aortic regurgitation all four categories
      were differentiated by colour flow mapping. These measurements indicated that
      colour-coded Doppler echocardiography is a suitable tool for detection of the
      severity of valvular regurgitations in a noninvasive way.

PMID- 1866165
TI  - [Diagnostic findings and decision making in the establishing of diagnosis].
AB  - Instead of collecting data by far-reaching and unlimited investigations it is
      recommended to restrict our activity to rationalized and by thought selected
      examinations. To well appreciate the value of data we must well know the
      sensitivity and specificity of different examinations. These principles are in
      practice often not realized and that causes easily diagnostical polypragmasy,
      even false diagnosis. The author illustrates the mentioned method by examples
      taken from the process of raising diagnosis in different respiratory diseases
      (localized infiltrations of the lung, nodular pulmonary disseminations, pulmonary
      embolism, chronic persistent cough).

PMID- 1866164
TI  - [Experience with cytostatic therapy of stomach cancer].
AB  - The authors have been working on the cytostatic treatment of gastric cancer since
      1982. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1.: Patients who had been
      operated radically on gastric cancer. Group 2.: Patients who had advanced gastric
      cancer. The following cytostatic drugs were administrated: Cyclophosphamide,
      Vincristine, Ftorafur. The patients who had been operated on radically were given
      adjuvant cytostatic treatment for 3 months according to their own protocol. The
      patients advanced gastric cancer got life long systemic cytostatic treatment.
      Between 1982 and 1989, 36 histologically proven gastric carcinoma patients were
      treated. The effectiveness of the therapy was measured by the survival time from
      the beginning of the cytostatic treatment. The control group 67 patients
      consisted of radically or palliative operated patients of the surgical department
      of those who had not got chemotherapeutic treatment. According to the experiences
      of the authors, the survival time was prolonged considerably by cytostatic
      treatment in the group of palliative operated or inoperable patients.

PMID- 1866166
TI  - [Relationship between histological prognostic indices and clinical course in
      prostatic carcinoma].
AB  - The authors have summarized the relationship between histological differentiation
      indices and survival rate, hormonal sensitivity time, hormonal resistance time
      for the past 10 years. The classifications have been made according to Dhom and
      Gleason. 130 patients have been followed from the time of diagnosis to the time
      of their death. 95 patients died because of tumour. They found that there is a
      relationship between the survival rate and indices in those cases who were early
      diagnosed and they had no metastasis. There was no relationship between hormonal
      sensitivity time, hormonal resistance time and histological prognostic
      differentiation indices.

PMID- 1866167
TI  - [Conservative management of lymphedema of the limbs].
AB  - Etiology and stadium of 63 lymphoedema patients are shown. The method of lymph
      drainage therapy is discussed. Important part of this treatment is bandaging.
      Lymphamat pump (Bosl) was successfully used as a part of the therapy. According
      to the good experiences it seems to be adviceable to use this method for
      treatment of limb lymphoedema. This method was successful in diuretics,
      Venoruton, Doxium and Lymph-compress resistant cases.

PMID- 1866168
TI  - [Primary adenocarcinoma at a colostomy site].
AB  - The colostomy opening is a very rare site of the large bowel cancer. There is
      only one case report in the world literature and none in the Hungarian one. The
      authors report a case of a 51 year old man, who presented a typical malignant
      growth in his colostomy opening, created 24 years before due to a rectal lesion
      considered as an inoperable cancer, though not proved histologically. Later the
      patient was treated by telecobalt irradiation, and the growth perfectly
      disappeared. Now the second, metachron malignancy arising from the colostomy has
      been removed and the patient is symptom free four years after the operation.
      Emphasizing the importance of postoperative follow-up in cases of
      gastrointestinal malignancies the authors considered this case as an unique but
      instructive one.

PMID- 1866170
TI  - [Hungarian journal publishing endangered].

PMID- 1866169
TI  - [Fatal hospital cases from the viewpoint of the forensic medical expert].
AB  - The number of lethal cases in hospitals keeps decreasing from year to year,
      whereas the rate of omitted post-mortem examinations increases. The "control"
      role of autopsy decreases consequently. Autopsy is omitted even in cases that
      have been considered as possibly "extraordinary" at the beginning of the
      procedure and this may mean danger also from the viewpoint of criminology.
      According to the observations of the authors there are still uncertainties
      (irregularities?) concerning the tasks connected with the autopsy of those who
      died in hospitals, as legal injunctions are lacking. On the basis of their
      experiences the authors interpret the related legal measures and describe the
      essentials of the procedural practice considered by them correct.

PMID- 1866171
TI  - [Effectiveness of medical activities].

PMID- 1866172
TI  - [Glucose content of blood preparations].

PMID- 1866173
TI  - PNA's relationship with Nursing Foundation examined.

PMID- 1866174
TI  - Unlicensed nursing practice: giving our profession away.

PMID- 1866175
TI  - New nursing regs to impact foreign RNs.

PMID- 1866176
TI  - ANA releases statement on mobilization of nurses.

PMID- 1866177
TI  - The Cruzan decision and the right to die.

PMID- 1866178
TI  - The values history: an innovation in surrogate medical decision-making.

PMID- 1866179
TI  - Leadership--and followership.

PMID- 1866180
TI  - Cytoadherence of knobby and knobless Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.
AB  - Cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes to melanoma cells
      was analysed using strains or isolates of parasites expressing or not expressing
      knobs (K+ or K- phenotype) on the erythrocyte surface. Both K+ and K- parasites
      had the capacity to cytoadhere to melanoma cells. Using a panel of melanoma cell
      lines with different surface expression of the cytoadherence receptors CD36,
      thrombospondin and ICAM-1 indicated that CD36 was the major receptor for
      parasites of both K+ and K- phenotypes. Binding competition experiments between
      K+ and K- -infected erythrocytes suggested that K+ cytoadherence is of higher
      affinity than that of K- parasites. However, some K- cytoadherence was also found
      in isolates containing mixed populations of K+ and K- parasites. The interaction
      of the two types of infected erythrocytes with melanoma cells also differed
      ultrastructurally, erythrocytes of K+ phenotype showing intimate interdigitations
      with microvilli on the melanoma cells, while erythrocytes of K- phenotype
      displayed more separated interactions with fewer sites of contact and involving
      only a few melanoma cell microvilli. One and the same infected erythrocyte may co
      express the ligand for CD36-mediated cytoadherence and the structures mediating
      binding of uninfected erythrocytes to form rosettes.

PMID- 1866181
TI  - DNA probes for the detection of Babesia caballi.
AB  - A genomic library of Babesia caballi DNA was constructed in the plasmid vector
      pUC13. The specificity of the clones for B. caballi was established by the lack
      of hybridization to Babesia equi, Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and equine DNA.
      Two probes, pBC11 and pBC191, were isolated that could detect 0.25 ng and 0.125
      ng of B. caballi DNA, corresponding to a parasitaemia of 0.12% and 0.06%
      respectively. pBC191 could detect B. caballi parasites in the blood of an
      experimentally infected horse as well as in naturally infected horses.

PMID- 1866182
TI  - Characterization of the lipid content of Toxoplasma gondii rhoptries.
AB  - Quantitative and qualitative analysis of lipids has been performed on a rhoptry
      fraction purified from Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. The lipid to protein ratio
      was estimated to be 0.26. The cholesterol to phospholipid ratio was unusually
      high at 1.48. Phosphatidylcholine was the major phospholipid; phosphatidylserine,
      phosphatidylinositol and sphingomyelin were absent whereas significant amounts of
      phosphatidic acid and lysophospholipids were found. This pelicular composition
      could be related to functional involvement of the organelle in host-cell
      invasion.

PMID- 1866183
TI  - An analysis of survey measurements of tsetse challenge to trypanotolerant cattle
      in relation to aspects of analytical models of trypanosomiasis.
AB  - The recent development of analytical models of trypanosomiasis has increased the
      general applicability of models to the strategic control of the disease. An
      analysis of detailed data on tsetse abundance and infection rates and trypanosome
      prevalence in village-based trypanotolerant cattle over 4 years in The Gambia
      showed that seasonal patterns of abundance in Glossina morsitans-infested areas
      were consistent, and that the rates of trypanosome infection remained relatively
      unchanging. However, there were two distinct seasonal trypanosome prevalence
      patterns in cattle, with peaks occurring either in May/June/July or
      November/December. The peaks of trypanosome prevalence therefore occurred either
      4 months before or after the times of peak challenge from G. morsitans, not 1 or
      2 months after as predicted by analytical models. In G. palpalis-infested areas
      there was little seasonal variation in abundance or trypanosome infections, but
      peak trypanosome prevalence still occurred mostly in June/July. Despite the
      incongruity between the months of peak prevalence and challenge, the overall
      annual prevalence rates and tsetse challenge indices showed a significant linear
      relationship. It is concluded that existing analytical models need to be refined
      to take into account trypanotolerance and the various influences on the
      expression of this trait.

PMID- 1866184
TI  - Negative effect on early post-implantation pregnancy and progesterone levels in
      mice infected with the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni.
AB  - Infection in mice (BALB/cABom) with the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni
      had a negative influence on pregnancy. The effect of the infection set in
      immediately following implantation (day 5 of pregnancy) resulting in fewer
      foetuses being present in infected mice on day 9 than in the controls. Ovulation,
      fertilization of eggs, and implantation itself were obviously not impaired. The
      infected mice had significantly lower serum progesterone levels on day 5 of
      pregnancy than the non-infected controls. It is speculated that the progesterone
      levels in the infected female mice were too low to secure early post-implantation
      gestation.

PMID- 1866185
TI  - Effects of temperature and host density on the snail-finding capacity of
      cercariae of Echinostoma caproni (Digenea: Echinostomatidae).
AB  - The effect of temperature (19-36 degrees C) and snail host density (0.014-10
      snails/l) on the snail-finding capacity of Echinostoma caproni cercariae is
      described. The initial swimming speed increased whereas the length of the
      infective period decreased with increasing temperature. The combined effect
      resulted in the E. caproni cercarial snail-finding capacity being temperature
      independent in the range 19 to 36 degrees C at a snail density of 0.014 snails/l.
      A moderate temperature dependency was, however, seen at a lower snail density.
      The cercarial snail-finding capacity was snail-host density dependent in the
      density range 0.014 to 1 snail/l. The findings from this study show that a
      relatively low and biologically realistic snail host density must be used in
      experimental studies if realistic estimates of the dynamics of cercarial
      transmission are to be obtained.

PMID- 1866186
TI  - Existence of host-related DNA sequences in the schistosome genome.
AB  - DNA sequences homologous to the mouse intracisternal A particle and endogenous
      type C retrovirus were detected in the DNAs of Schistosoma japonicum adults and
      S. mansoni eggs. Furthermore, other kinds of repetitive sequences in the host
      genome such as mouse type 1 Alu sequence (B1), mouse type 2 Alu sequence (B2) and
      mo-2 sequence, a mouse mini-satellite, were also detected in the DNAs from adults
      and eggs of S. japonicum and eggs of S. mansoni. Almost all of the sequences
      described above were absent in the DNAs of S. mansoni adults. The DNA
      fingerprints of schistosomes, using the mo-2 sequence, were indistinguishable
      from each other and resembled those of their murine hosts. Moreover, the mo-2
      sequence was hypermethylated in the DNAs of schistosomes and its amount was
      variable in them. These facts indicate that host-related sequences are actually
      present in schistosomes and that the mo-2 repetitive sequence exists probably in
      extra-chromosome.

PMID- 1866187
TI  - Site availability and density-dependent constraints on the acanthocephalan
      Pomphorhynchus laevis in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum).
AB  - Threshold density levels were investigated experimentally in rainbow trout,
      Oncorhynchus mykiss, for the acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis. Fifty small
      fish 120-150 mm long were infected with 50 cystacanths each every 4 weeks for 16
      weeks, and samples of up to 10 fish examined at 1, 5, 9, 13 and 17 weeks after
      the original infection. The mean intestinal length was found to have increased
      significantly over this period, from a mean of 125 to 173 mm and the mean number
      of parasites recovered increased after each interval of 4 weeks, and
      significantly from 19.30 to 86.40 per fish over the 17 weeks. The distribution of
      the parasites in the alimentary tract of O. mykiss was unaltered, indicating that
      the favourable region for establishment had remained unchanged. The failure to
      detect any manifestations of competition is discussed, and the relevance of
      conventional approaches to experimental investigations of both intra- and
      interspecific competition in fish was queried, and contrasted to the situation in
      birds and mammals.

PMID- 1866188
TI  - Specific immunosuppression by Trichinella: fine specificity and effect on
      lymphocyte function in vivo.
AB  - Muscle-phase Trichinella larvae depress the immune response of mice to the
      phosphorylcholine (PC)-bearing Trichinella antigen FCp without affecting
      responses to other PC-bearing or non-PC antigens. The depressive activity is
      independent of antigen dose and Trichinella species and, in adoptive cell
      transfer experiments with lethally irradiated recipient mice, depended on the
      state of the recipient (infected recipients had a depressed response even a month
      after their encysted larvae had been killed and regardless of whether the donor
      had been exposed to FCp) but not on the state of the transferred cells. We
      conclude that lymphocytes are not permanently altered by the depressive action,
      that the agent responsible persists in the host at least a month after the death
      of the encysted Trichinella larvae, and that the alteration does not eliminate
      lymphocyte immunological memory.

PMID- 1866189
TI  - Host specificity of and cross-immunity between two strains of Heligmosomoides
      polygyrus.
AB  - The infectivity of wild and laboratory strains of Heligmosomoides polygyrus
      (Nematospiroides dubius) in laboratory mice and in three species of wild British
      rodent was compared. Wild strains, of the subspecies H. p. polygyrus, were
      isolated from wild caught Apodemus sylvaticus. Only very low-level infections of
      the wild strains became established in laboratory mice. Similar worm burdens of
      the laboratory strain became established in laboratory mice and A. sylvaticus,
      although infections in A. sylvaticus were more short lived. Cortisone treatment
      of hosts increased the establishment and survival of the heterologous worm strain
      to that of the homologous strain. In contrast, neither strain of parasite
      established in Clethrionomys glareolus or Microtus agrestis, and cortisone
      treatment of C. glareolus did not increase establishment. Infection of laboratory
      mice with the wild-strain parasite induced significant immunity to a challenge
      infection with the laboratory strain.

PMID- 1866190
TI  - The ultrastructure and immunogold labelling of pancreatic polypeptide
      immunoreactive cells associated with the egg-forming apparatus of a monogenean
      parasite, Diclidophora merlangi.
AB  - An electron microscopical examination has been made of the fine structure and
      disposition of pancreatic polypeptide immunoreactive cells associated with the
      egg-forming apparatus in Diclidophora merlangi. The cell bodies are positioned in
      the parenchyma surrounding the ootype and taper to axon-like processes that
      extend to the ootype wall. The terminal regions of these processes branch and
      anastomose and, in places, the swollen endings or varicosities form synaptic
      appositions with the muscle fibres in the ootype wall. The cells are
      characterized by an extensive GER-Golgi system that is involved in the assembly
      and packaging of dense-cored vesicles. The vesicles accumulate in the axons and
      terminal varicosities, and their contents were found to be immunoreactive with
      antisera raised to the C-terminal hexapeptide amide of pancreatic polypeptide. It
      is concluded that the cells are neurosecretory in appearance and that,
      functionally, their secretions may serve to regulate ootype motility and thereby
      help co-ordinate egg production in the worm.

PMID- 1866191
TI  - Partial characterization of 2-beta-mercaptoethanol-soluble surface-associated
      antigens of Onchocerca volvulus.
AB  - Antigens were extracted from the epicuticle/cuticle of intact female Onchocerca
      volvulus using 2% 2-beta-mercaptoethanol and 1% SDS. In Western blot analysis a
      human infection serum selected for its high antibody titre against whole worm
      homogenates did not recognize any component solubilized by 1% SDS. However, the
      same serum did bind at least 7 antigens among the material extracted with 2-beta
      mercaptoethanol. These antigens have apparent molecular weights (Mr) of: 15,000,
      18,000, 28,000, 78,000, 98,000, 120,000 and 200,000. In ELISA using this
      preparation as target antigen, 151 out of 153 human infection sera gave positive
      results. An Onchocerca-specific IgG1 monoclonal antibody, designated Cam1,
      recognized the 28,000 Mr antigen, which is the most prominent antigen detected by
      Western blot analysis using human infection sera. In ELISA, using material
      affinity-purified with Cam1 as target antigen, 149 out of 153 human infection
      sera gave a positive IgG response. From a cDNA library three expressing clones
      were isolated with a rabbit serum raised against 2-beta-mercaptoethanol
      solubilized material. One of these clones was recognized by the monoclonal
      antibody Cam1.

PMID- 1866192
TI  - N-acetylation of biogenic amines in Ascaridia galli.

PMID- 1866193
TI  - Five years survival of 1112 patients with cancer of the breast: prognostic value
      of clinico-morphological parameters including the histochemically evaluated
      receptor status. An Italian cooperative study.
AB  - In 1112 patients operated for carcinoma of the breast in 13 different Italian
      Institutions between 1980 and 1984, and then coded according to several
      traditional parameters and to the histofluorescent evaluation of the estrogen
      receptor status (Rf test), by the end of 1988 there were 245 deaths related to
      cancer and 52 deaths for unspecified cause. Mortality increased from 13 to 83%
      from stage 1 to stage 4. Within stage 1 and 2 survival was related to the tumor
      size and the extent of lymph-node involvement. The prognosis was significantly
      worsened on the whole series (but not on N--patients) when the tumor had
      irregular borders, more than one nodule and it was angioinvasive. The Rf test had
      a long lasting prognostic value only if positive in more than 50% of the
      neoplastic cells, especially in stages 1 and 2, in patients younger than 35 and
      in the perimenopausal age, in tumors smaller than one cm. and larger than two cm.
      even with lymph-node involvement.

PMID- 1866194
TI  - [Tumor grading in urinary cytology. A study of the cytohistological relationship
      with evaluation of the kappa statistic for concordance].
AB  - In order to verify both usefulness and reliability of cytologic grading evaluated
      on urinary sediment, we designed a study to test the ability to distinguish
      consistently between different degrees of neoplastic abnormalities of urothelial
      cells from voided urine, in relation to the histologic findings of bladder
      biopsies performed after cytologic reading. Kappa measures were calculated in 112
      cytohistologic pairs representative of first disease detection (A) and in 35
      pairs representative of disease recurrence (B). Cytology was able to correctly
      identify a cancer in 70.5% and 80.0% of group A and group B lesions,
      respectively. Unweighted kappa values of both groups A and B were poor (0.298 and
      0.324 respectively). When we considered the weighted kappa, values suggesting
      fair agreement were obtained (0.576 and 0.500). Our data confirm that urinary
      cytology shows a good sensitivity in detecting bladder cancer, but it does not
      seem to give reliable results for the assessment of the tumor grading.

PMID- 1866195
TI  - [Identification of mucin-secretion characteristics in cells from serous
      effusions: consideration of histochemical and immunohistochemical aspects].
AB  - Fourty-two cell-blocks of serous effusions (thirty malignant and twelve reactive)
      were tested by anti Secretory Component Ab (policlonal) using the s.-Ab method,
      and by histochemical tests: PAS, PAS Diastase and Alcian blue pH 2.5.
      Immunohistochemical and histochemical features were compared to identify their
      meaning and correlation in epithelial mucin detection. This study suggests the
      evident correlation between SC and PAS diastase (better than between SC and
      Alcian blue) and possibility to replace the old traditional test of PAS diastase
      with anti SC antibody (much more sensible than PAS diastase) in routine mucin
      detection histochemical tests.

PMID- 1866196
TI  - [Human pulmonary dirofilariasis. A third case in Italy].
AB  - A new case of Human Pulmonary Dirofilariasis, the third in Italy, is described.
      It occurred in August 1990 in a 66 years old man, living in San Dona di Piave
      (province of Venice). The pulmonary infarctual lesion caused few symptoms and was
      discovered by chance during a chest X-ray examination as a coin lesion and
      suspected to be of a neoplastic origin. The histological findings allowed the
      exact diagnosis, identifying the causal agent as Dirofilaria probably repens, a
      nematode common parasite of dogs in the Old World and recognised agent of over 90
      human cases of Subcutaneous Dirofilariasis reported in Italy. The parasite was an
      immature male in advanced regressive conditions. It was inside the lumen of a
      small artery, surrounded by necrotic-phlogistic tissue with granulomatous
      giantcellular aspects of the foreign body type. Some questions are raised by the
      authors in relation to the presence of human cases by D. repens and not by D.
      immitis (dog heartworm) in areas of Italy where this last species is much more
      prevalent than the former in canine populations; to the fact that the 3 Italian
      pulmonary cases (which are the only ones reported in Europe) happened in the same
      restricted geographic area (Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions); and finally to
      the fact that all the 3 cases occurred in elderly people.

PMID- 1866197
TI  - [Melanoma of the lower female urogenital tract (gynecological melanoma)].
AB  - Eight cases of melanoma of the lower female urogenital tract are presented. The
      lesions were located 5 in the vulva, 2 in the vagina and 1 in the urethra.
      Patients had a mean age of 58.3 (range 43-80). Most of vulvar melanomas were
      polypoid and black, 3 of them arose in the major labium, 2 in clitoris area;
      histologically, four tumors were superficial spreading melanomas and one
      unclassifiable. Grossly, one vaginal melanoma was nodular, one polypoid, both
      were black and arose in the lower vagina. Urethral melanoma arose in the distal
      part of the organ. Prognosis of gynecological melanoma is severe, as 5 out of 8
      patients died in 5-52 months.

PMID- 1866198
TI  - [A quantitative analysis of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in renal
      adenocarcinoma].
AB  - A quantitative analysis of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in renal
      adenocarcinoma is proposed. The NORs have been evaluated on paraffin sections by
      a silver staining methods. A series of 19 renal adenocarcinoma is tested. A
      significant statistical difference (P less than 0.001) is found between normal
      and neoplastic tubules and between different stages of neoplasia. The authors
      suggest that this method if supported by authors date, may be a new prognostic
      index.

PMID- 1866199
TI  - [Receptor assessment of primary breast carcinoma and synchronous metastatic lymph
      nodes: histochemical study].
AB  - Several AA, utilizing the biochemical method (DCC) showed the presence or absence
      of hormonal receptor in either synchronous or metachronous metastatic nodes (N)
      can reproduce the receptor assessment (AR) of the primary breast tumor (T). We
      evaluated the AR in T and in synchronous N, by using two morphological methods,
      immunocytochemical and histofluorescent, to detect the nuclear Estrogen Receptor
      (ER1) and cytoplasmic sites of the II type (ER2 and PgR2). We studied 50 patients
      who underwent radical mastectomy for breast cancer N+. In this series we founded
      a high correlation between AR in T and in N: 82% for ER1, 94% for ER2, and 92%
      for PgR2. Also we observed 4 cases (2 ER1 and 2 PgR2) which presented the
      receptor in N only. These data are comparable to results obtained with the DCC
      method and confirm the opportunity to perform also morphological techniques to
      evaluate AR in breast cancer to take into consideration also cellularity and
      tumor heterogeneity informations.

PMID- 1866200
TI  - [Evolution of acute leukemia in myelodysplastic syndromes: prognostic
      histopathological factors in a series of bone marrow biopsies].
AB  - Out of 9,324 bone marrow biopsies, 250 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
      and 514 of acute non-lymphoid leukemia (AL) were collected. Twenty AL represented
      an evolution of MDS: the marrow had a mean cellularity of 58.5%, a mean
      percentage of blasts of 19% (55% of the cases had more than 10% of blasts in the
      marrow); only in one case (5%) benign lymphoid nodules (LN) were present. In 42
      cases of MDS deceased without an evolution to overt AL, the bone marrow showed a
      cellularity of 60%, a mean percentage of blasts of 14% (only 29% had more than
      10% of blasts); in 13 cases (31%) LN were present. Our data indicate that the
      percentage of bone marrow blasts is the most significant criterion for predicting
      an evolution to AL, although in the single case such evolution is not
      foreseeable. The presence of LN mostly in MDS without a leukemic progression
      could indicate a protective effect of NL, perhaps by means of an immunologic
      mechanism.

PMID- 1866201
TI  - Splenic morphological changes in acute peritonitis: experimental observations in
      rats.
AB  - In course of acute bacterial peritonitis in rats, the authors observed an active
      role of the macrophages of the spleen, well explaining the important defensive
      function of this organ against infection.

PMID- 1866202
TI  - [Cystic adventitial disease (histopathological contribution of a case in the ilio
      femoral region)].
AB  - Cystic adventitial disease is a rare vascular pathology mostly affecting the
      popliteal artery in disease is a rare vascular pathology mostly affecting the
      popliteal artery in men. An unusual case, located in the ilio-femoral region of a
      young woman, is reported. The authors claim that the cystic adventitial
      formations are similar to the ganglia that originate from tendon-sheaths, as
      structure, configuration and, probably, histogenesis are concerned. Moreover the
      authors suggest that cystic adventitial disease can be located among "histogenic
      dystrophic arteriopathies" in the pathokinetic classification of angiopathies.

PMID- 1866203
TI  - [Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the eye: cytological diagnosis by fine needle
      aspiration].

PMID- 1866204
TI  - [Primary isolated lymphoma of the liver: rapid cytological diagnosis by fine
      needle aspiration biopsy].
AB  - A case of primary hepatic lymphoma diagnosed with rapid staining of smears of
      material collected with echo-guided FNAB is described. The primary isolated
      lymphoma of the liver is a rare disease and forty reported cases since 1989 have
      been reviewed in the literature; many of which were first diagnosed at autopsy or
      shortly before death. Due to the rarity of the primary hepatic lymphoma, a large
      list of differential diagnosis has to be considered and they all fall into the
      category of malignant small cell tumors: moreover a definitive diagnosis may be
      sometimes impossible in a small needle biopsy. In the reported case the
      importance of a unique morphological feature (lymphoglandular bodies) is
      discussed in order to stress the easier diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disease
      allowed on cytological preparations vs. histological ones.

PMID- 1866205
TI  - [Utility of morphometry and nucleolar organizer regions count in the
      differentiation of reactive and malignant mesothelial cells in pleural
      effusions].
AB  - The authors have evaluated in eight reactive and eight malignant pleural
      effusions the number of intranucleolar dots representing the nucleolar associated
      proteins stained with silver colloid technique (interphase nucleolar organizer
      regions-AgNOR). The mean number per nucleus in benign reactive mesothelium was
      significantly lower than in mesothelioma effusions. Other morphometric
      measurements of nuclear diameters and areas were effected. The authors evaluate
      the variability of the AgNOR counts and morphology in reactive and mesothelioma
      cells of pleural fluids.

PMID- 1866206
TI  - Use of monoclonal antibody B72.3 as a marker of metastatic carcinoma cells in
      neoplastic effusions.
AB  - The value of monoclonal antibody B72.3 as a diagnostic discriminator between
      mesothelioma and carcinoma cells in malignant effusions was assessed using the
      ABC method in a series of cell blocks prepared from centrifuged fluids. These
      were obtained from either pleural or peritoneal neoplastic effusions in patients
      with histologically verified malignant mesothelioma (n:10) or carcinoma (n:20).
      Reactivity with MAb B72.3 in at least 10% or more of tumour cells was found in 16
      (80%) out of 20 metastatic carcinoma, whereas 2 mesotheliomas displayed positive
      immunostaining in less than 5% and approximately 20% of the malignant cells
      respectively. Reactive mesothelial cells were consistently non-immunostained.
      These results suggest that B72.3 positivity in greater than 10% of tumour cells
      is certainly indicative, but not absolutely diagnostic, of a metastatic origin of
      malignant effusions.

PMID- 1866207
TI  - Enhanced lung maturation in cocaine-exposed rabbit fetuses.
AB  - Because of cocaine's possible effect on the incidence of respiratory distress
      syndrome in offspring of cocaine-addicted mothers, we have studied the effects of
      maternal exposure to cocaine on the functional anatomy of fetal rabbit lungs.
      Pregnant dams were injected s.c. daily with either cocaine (18 mg/kg) or an equal
      volume of 0.9% NaCl at 24, 25, and 26 d gestation. Cocaine metabolites were
      confirmed both in urine of treated dams and in fetal amniotic fluid. Serum
      cortisol levels were higher in treated dams than in controls. Fetuses were
      delivered through hysterotomy at 27 d. Tracheas were cannulated and a volume
      pressure diagram was obtained during initial lung inflation-deflation. Volume was
      measured for 2 min at each pressure (P) increment of 5 cm H2O. Body weights and
      dry lung weights were comparable between the two groups. In contrast, cocaine
      exposed lungs differed from controls as follows: 1) wet lung weights were lower
      (0.79 versus 0.89 g, p less than 0.02); 2) opening pressure was lower (P25 versus
      P35); 3) volume (mL/kg) was higher in treated animals at each pressure step (p
      less than 0.05); 4) end-deflation volume at P0 was higher (30.4 versus 0.8 mL/kg,
      p less than 0.001); and 5) bubbles released from saccules by micropuncture, which
      were stable by Pattle's criteria, had estimated surface tension near zero
      (controls produced no stable bubbles). Light micrographs of cocaine-exposed
      fetuses revealed more secondary septa and thinner septal walls than
      controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866208
TI  - Endothelium-derived relaxing factor: evidence that it regulates pulmonary
      vascular resistance in the isolated neonatal guinea pig lung.
AB  - Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), believed to be nitric oxide or a
      compound that releases nitric oxide, has been previously identified in the
      pulmonary and systemic vasculature of the newborn guinea pig using isolated
      arterial rings. The aim of our study was to determine if EDRF regulates vasomotor
      tone at the level of resistance vessels in the neonatal pulmonary circulation.
      Isolated lungs from guinea pigs (1-3 d old, n = 4-8/protocol) were ventilated
      with room air and perfused with a Krebs-Henseleit solution containing albumin at
      a constant flow. Angiotensin II (AII, 6 nM) was added to the perfusate to give a
      stable elevation in mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) from 7.0 +/- 1.1 to 19.7
      +/- 1.5 torr, a 182 +/- 32% (mean +/- SEM) increase above baseline. Addition of
      bradykinin (BK, 10 nM) or L-arginine (2 mM) markedly reduced the AII-induced
      elevation in PAP. At the steady state response to BK (33% above baseline),
      addition of Hb (10 microM, binds EDRF), NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMA, 100
      microM, blocks EDRF production), NMA (200 microM), or NMA + Hb, reversed the
      effect of BK to the following levels of PAP above baseline: 77 +/- 5, 94 +/- 24,
      163 +/- 20, or 246 +/- 25%, respectively (p less than 0.05). Indomethacin had no
      effect on BK-induced vasodilation. In separate studies, NMA (200 microM)
      increased baseline PAP by 46 +/- 13% and NMA pretreatment raised the AII-pressor
      response (AII 6 nM) from 133 +/- 49 to 306 +/- 65% above baseline PAP.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866209
TI  - Reactive oxygen metabolites produce pulmonary vasoconstriction in young pigs.
AB  - Reactive oxygen metabolites appear to modulate pulmonary vascular changes. To
      study the effects of free radical formation in vivo, we investigated five groups
      of young pigs by recording hemodynamic changes after xanthine oxidase infusion
      alone and after pretreatment with hypoxanthine or possible blocking agents. The
      pulmonary vascular pressure increased rapidly in the groups without inhibition
      reaching maximum levels 25 min after the start of the experiment. The pulmonary
      artery blood flow declined toward minimum values at the same time. Compared to
      baseline levels, the calculated vascular lung resistance increased by 300% when
      the pigs were pretreated with hypoxanthine, and by 150% when xanthine oxidase was
      given alone. These findings suggest enhanced pulmonary vasoconstriction as a
      result of high initial hypoxanthine levels probably capable of forming larger
      quantities of oxygen radicals. The vascular reaction was attenuated when the pigs
      were pretreated with indomethacin (cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor) or allopurinol
      (xanthine oxidase inhibitor). Furthermore, the presence of catalase (hydrogen
      peroxide scavenger) reduced the pulmonary vasoconstriction significantly. We
      observed less decline in arterial oxygen tension and oxygen saturation when the
      animals had been pretreated with inhibitory agents, compared to the blood gas
      changes found in the xanthine oxidase group. The systemic pressure recordings in
      the carotid artery remained at baseline levels in all groups. We conclude that
      oxygen radicals formed by the hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system produce severe
      pulmonary vascular constriction in young pigs.

PMID- 1866210
TI  - Respiratory effects of lactic acid injected into the jugular vein of newborn
      rabbits.
AB  - To define respiratory effects of peripheral acidemia during early development, we
      injected lactic acid (LA) into the jugular vein of 32 1- to 7-d-old rabbit pups
      and four adult rabbits. The body weight of newborns varied between 67 +/- 17 g in
      1-d-old and 119.8 +/- 33.7 g in 7-d-old animals versus 4 +/- 0.1 kg in adults.
      Animals were anesthetized with ketamine (30 mg/kg) and urethane (0.6-1.2 g/kg),
      tracheotomized, and breathed spontaneously. Diaphragmatic electromyogram, tidal
      volume, esophageal pressure, and arterial pressure were recorded. In adult
      rabbits, a LA dose of 0.25 mM/kg elicited an increase in the rate of breathing
      with no change or a decrease in tidal volume (early response), followed by a deep
      and fast respiration (late response). The same LA dose had no effect or provoked
      only the late response in 1- and 2-d-old rabbits and led to the early and late
      responses in older newborns. The early response was abolished and the late
      response was diminished after vagotomy. Our results suggest that the early
      response is mediated by vagal afferents and the late response, although modified
      by vagal input, is of an extravagal origin. It is suggested that acidemia may be
      involved in the transient tachypnea syndrome in newborn infants. Possible
      contribution of vagal nonmyelinated endings in triggering the early response to
      LA is discussed.

PMID- 1866211
TI  - Dexamethasone prevents hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in the neonatal rat.
AB  - Glucocorticoid therapy is frequently used in perinatology and neonatology for its
      beneficial pulmonary effects. We investigated the influence of neonatal
      glucocorticoid administration on brain damage caused by a concurrent episode of
      cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. Various doses of dexamethasone in several treatment
      schedules were administered to 7-d-old rats that were also subjected to
      unilateral cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. In 79% of control rats, a large unilateral
      cerebral infarction occurred, whereas all rats pretreated with dexamethasone in
      doses of 0.01 to 0.5 mg/kg/d for 3 d had no infarction (p less than 0.001). The
      neuroprotective effect of dexamethasone pretreatment was dose- and time
      dependent. Treatment with dexamethasone after the insult or with lower doses
      before the insult did not prevent infarction. The neuroprotective effect was not
      immediate: single doses 0 to 3 h prehypoxia were not effective but a single dose
      24 h before hypoxia-ischemia prevented cerebral infarction. The results
      demonstrate that glucocorticoid administration in the neonatal period, even in
      low doses, protects the brain during subsequent periods of hypoxia-ischemia.

PMID- 1866212
TI  - Nondeformable red blood cells do not interfere with uteroplacental blood flow in
      the awake, late-pregnant guinea pig.
AB  - The fractional entrapment of rigidified [relative to control (labeled)] red cells
      after the intravascular bolus injection of a cocktail of these cells, and the
      concomitantly induced changes in cardiac output and its distribution
      (microspheres) were studied in 14 awake, late-pregnant guinea pigs. In a
      preceding validation study in eight nonpregnant guinea pigs, it was demonstrated
      that with this technique reproducible data could be generated on the fractional
      entrapment of rigidified red cells in all organs in this species except for
      lungs, liver, and spleen. In response to a bolus injection with rigidified and
      control red cells, only the brain showed preferential entrapment of rigidified
      red cells, together with a small but consistent increase in blood flow. In other
      organs (lungs, liver, and spleen excluded), neither preferential entrapment of
      rigidified red blood cells nor a consistent change in blood flow could be
      demonstrated. The results of our study suggest that circulating nondeformable red
      cells have no measurable adverse effect on the perfusion of the nondiseased
      hemochorial placenta in the awake, late-pregnant guinea pig. This does not
      exclude the possibility that rigidified red cells may increase the resistance to
      flow in a microcirculation that has been pathologically changed by some
      underlying disease.

PMID- 1866213
TI  - Patent ductus arteriosus, indomethacin, and intestinal distension: effects on
      intestinal blood flow and oxygen consumption.
AB  - To determine the relative importance of patent ductus arteriosus, indomethacin,
      and intestinal distension as factors that promote terminal ileum ischemia, eight
      near-term fetal lambs were surgically prepared by in situ cannulation of the
      proximal and distal ends of a loop of terminal ileum, formalin infiltration of
      the ductus arteriosus, and placement of a snare around the ductus arteriosus to
      control its patency. The incisions were closed; the lambs were delivered and
      mechanically ventilated. Terminal ileum blood flow and oxygen consumption were
      measured after the loop of ileum had been distended with 0.9% NaCl to luminal
      pressures of 1-2, 7, and 18 mm Hg (0.13-0.26, 0.93, and 2.38 kPa) (pressures
      observed in the intestinal lumen after feeding and during pathologic conditions).
      The effect of these pressures on terminal ileum blood flow and oxygen consumption
      was examined: 1) with ductus closed, 2) with ductus open, and 3) 1 h after
      administration of indomethacin (0.3 mg/kg; 0.8 mumol/kg) with ductus closed. Both
      open ductus and indomethacin produced a significant decrease in intestinal blood
      flow. This occurred over the entire range of luminal pressures examined. In all
      three study conditions, terminal ileum blood flow fell commensurate with a fall
      in perfusion pressure. Despite this absence of pressure-flow autoregulation,
      oxygen consumption was maintained when the ductus was closed or open. In
      contrast, indomethacin inhibited the ability of the terminal ileum to
      autoregulate its oxygen consumption. These findings suggest that both open ductus
      and indomethacin present an increased risk of intestinal ischemia. We hypothesize
      that indomethacin's beneficial effect on ductus closure may be counterbalanced by
      its negative effect on intestinal perfusion and metabolism.

PMID- 1866214
TI  - Heart rate recovery from 1 minute of exercise in children and adults.
AB  - Previous studies demonstrated that the time required for oxygen uptake, CO2
      production, and minute ventilation to return to baseline levels after 1-min
      bursts of exercise is different in children compared with adults. To test the
      hypothesis that the heart rate (HR) recovery time after exercise is also
      different in children compared with adults, we examined HR in 10 children (range
      7-11 y old) and 12 adults (26-42 y old) for 10 min after 1 min of cycle ergometer
      exercise. Each subject exercised at work rates corresponding to 80% of the
      lactate or anaerobic threshold (AT), 50% of the difference between AT and maximal
      O2 uptake (delta), 100% of maximal uptake, and 125% of maximal uptake. Gas
      exchange was measured breath by breath. In adults, the HR recovery time increased
      significantly with work intensity as judged by the time constant of a single
      exponential curve fit to postburst-exercise HR [23 +/- 8 (SD) s at 80% AT, 55 +/-
      16 at 50% delta, 74 +/- 13 at 100% of maximal uptake, and 83 +/- 20 at 125% of
      maximal uptake]. HR recovery time tended to increase with work intensity in
      children (16 +/- 7, 20 +/- 4, 23 +/- 7, and 27 +/- 9; for 80% AT, 50% delta, 100%
      of maximal uptake, and 125% of maximal uptake respectively), but to a much
      smaller extent, and the HR recovery time was significantly smaller in children in
      the high-intensity (above AT) range of exercise (p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866215
TI  - Troponin T expression in normal and pressure-loaded fetal sheep heart.
AB  - The effects of cardiac hypertrophy in adult animals on the expression of a number
      of genes are well established. There is, however, a paucity of information about
      the effect of pressure overload on the expression of genes coding for the
      contractile proteins in the prenatal developing heart. The prenatal cardiac
      muscle can increase cell number in response to stress, whereas the adult heart
      increases cell mass. Thus, the response of the fetal heart to pressure overload
      cannot be assumed to be identical to that of adult myocardium. We studied the
      effect of banding the great vessels of fetal sheep hearts on the expression of
      troponin T (TNT). In other vertebrates, TNT mRNA is generated by alternative
      splicing of a primary transcript. Thus, both the levels and patterns of TNT
      isoforms generated by alternative splicing in the heart could be influenced by
      pressure overload. The techniques of cDNA library screening and polymerase chain
      reaction were used to define the influence of in utero banding of the great
      vessels on TNT expression. The data indicate that there is a single dominant
      isoform of TNT expressed from mid-gestation to adult life in sheep. The pattern
      of TNT isoform expression in the sheep heart proved to be unique among all
      animals studied to date.

PMID- 1866216
TI  - The incorporation of n-3 and n-6 essential fatty acids into the chick embryo from
      egg yolks having vastly different fatty acid compositions.
AB  - The effect of egg yolk fatty acid composition on essential fatty acid utilization
      by the developing chick embryo was studied by feeding laying hens a fat-free diet
      supplemented with oils containing widely divergent contents of the essential n-6
      and n-3 fatty acids. A control hen was fed a commercial feed for laying hens. The
      diets contained 20 to 4370 mg/100 g n-3 fatty acids and 360 to 8020 mg/100 g n-6
      fatty acids. Fertile eggs were collected in pairs: one was incubated and the
      other served as an unincubated control. The fatty acid content of the unincubated
      egg and the newly hatched chick from each pair was compared. Some 50% of the
      total fatty acids in the egg yolk were incorporated into the tissues of the newly
      hatched chick. Regardless of diet, more yolk n-6 fatty acids were incorporated
      into the chick compared to saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids. The
      percentage of incorporation especially increased from the eggs containing
      relatively low amounts of n-6 fatty acid. The percentage of incorporation of n-3
      fatty acids was similar to that of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids when
      n-3 fatty acids were plentiful in the egg yolk, but increased significantly when
      n-3 fatty acids were low in the eggs. There was a generally linear relationship
      between essential fatty acids in the egg and in the chick, although levels of
      docosahexaenoic acid [DHA; 22:6(n-3)] in the brain did not respond
      proportionally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866217
TI  - The cross-generation effect of neonatal macrosomia in rat pups of streptozotocin
      induced diabetes.
AB  - To study the cross-generation effect of enhanced growth in macrosomic newborn
      rats, we induced mild hyperglycemia in 15 pregnant Sprague Dawley rats by
      intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, 35 mg/kg body weight, on the 5th d
      of gestation. As reported previously, we produced hyperinsulinemia and
      accelerated growth in the fetuses of hyperglycemic dams. We also showed that the
      macrosomic female pups (second generation) continued to have a higher growth rate
      through the first 12 wk of life. In this study, the second-generation female rats
      were mated with macrosomic second-generation males; they demonstrated glucose
      intolerance during late pregnancy and delivered pups (third generation) with
      higher birth weight and plasma insulin levels than the pups from control second
      generation rats. When the macrosomic third-generation pups were raised under
      identical nutritional and environmental conditions as controls, the macrosomic
      rats showed accelerated growth and higher fat tissue weight during the first 12
      wk of life. Furthermore, the macrosomia was associated with glucose intolerance
      and higher insulin to glucose ratios compared to controls. We also mated the
      offspring of second-generation streptozotocin-injected nonmacrosomic as well as
      the offspring of macrosomic pups of buffer-injected dams; none of the pups from
      these matings were significantly macrosomic. Therefore, we conclude that the
      perpetuation of obesity and possibly glucose intolerance across generations in
      this rat model is predominantly a result of abnormal intrauterine metabolic
      environment rather than genetic factor driven.

PMID- 1866218
TI  - Insulin receptor number and binding affinity in newborn dogs.
AB  - The insulin resistance in newborn mammals may be caused by a receptor or
      postreceptor defect. Although liver and umbilical cord blood monocytes have
      increased numbers of insulin receptors, there is a paucity of information about
      other neonatal tissues. Glucose disposal takes place primarily in the skeletal
      muscle; therefore, it is important to evaluate this tissue for an insulin
      receptor defect. To determine the role of insulin receptors in neonatal insulin
      resistance, neonatal and adult canine skeletal muscle, heart, and liver were
      compared for numbers of insulin receptors and their affinity for insulin.
      Partially purified receptors from four animals in each group were obtained by
      wheat germ lectin affinity chromatography and used in competition binding
      studies. Specific binding (mean +/- SE) in the absence of cold insulin was
      increased in newborn skeletal muscle (9.7 +/- 0.8 versus 4.8 +/- 0.5%, p less
      than 0.001) and heart (8.1 +/- 1.2 versus 5.5 +/- 0.6%, p less than 0.05). High
      affinity insulin receptor number (mean +/- SEM) was increased in newborn skeletal
      muscle (183 +/- 40 versus 120 +/- 29 pM, p less than 0.002) and heart (264 +/- 94
      versus 157 +/- 51 pM, p less than 0.05) as estimated from the X intercept of the
      Scatchard plot. Using half-maximal binding to estimate affinity, there were no
      differences between adults and newborns among all tissues studied. High-affinity
      receptor number and percentage of specific binding were similar for newborn and
      adult liver tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866219
TI  - Dual tracer stable isotopic assessment of calcium absorption and endogenous fecal
      excretion in low birth weight infants.
AB  - Using a dual tracer (44Ca orally and 46Ca i.v.) stable isotope technique, true
      dietary Ca absorption, endogenous fecal Ca excretion, and net Ca retention were
      measured in 12 low birth weight (1426 +/- 260 g) infants fed a high Ca-containing
      formula. Endogenous fecal Ca excretion averaged 7.2 +/- 4.1% of intake, and
      exceeded 10% of intake in three infants. Net Ca retention, 103 +/- 38 mg/kg/d,
      was consistent with previous studies of Ca retention obtained using mass balance
      techniques and correlated closely (r = 0.98, p less than 0.001) with true Ca
      absorption but not with endogenous fecal excretion (r = -0.40, p = 0.19).
      Although endogenous fecal excretion may represent a significant source of Ca loss
      for some low birth weight infants, these data suggest that net Ca retention in
      low birth weight infants fed a high Ca-containing formula is primarily determined
      by the total dietary Ca absorbed.

PMID- 1866220
TI  - Diagnostic significance of urinary growth hormone measurements in children with
      growth failure: correlation between serum and urine growth hormone.
AB  - Twelve-h overnight urine and serum samples obtained simultaneously at 20-min
      intervals were assayed for growth hormone (GH). Ninety-one children, 5 to 16 y
      (Tanner stage 1 to 3) participated; group 1 were healthy children, group 2 were
      children with organic GH deficiency, and group 3 had idiopathic growth failure
      and normal GH stimulation tests. Serum pool GH concentrations in group 1 were
      similar to those in group 3 (3.3 +/- 0.3 versus 3.4 +/- 0.2 micrograms/L); group
      2 had significantly lower GH concentrations (1.6 +/- 0.2 micrograms/L). Plasma
      IGF-I levels were significantly greater in groups 1 (14.2 +/- 2.6 nmol/L, p less
      than 0.001) than in groups 2 and 3 (2.6 +/- 0.5 and 5.5 +/- 0.7 nmol/L,
      respectively). Urinary GH (mean +/- SEM) standardized for body weight
      (micrograms/kg) in group 1 (0.31 +/- 0.02) was significantly greater than in
      group 2 (0.14 +/- 0.01) and group 3 (0.20 +/- 0.01). However, when expressed as
      microgram/mol creatinine, the output of GH was similar in group 1 (4.0 +/- 0.3)
      and group 3 (3.4 +/- 0.3); both groups had significantly greater output compared
      to group 2 (1.3 +/- 0.2). Urinary IGF-I (nmol/kg) in group 1 (0.22 +/- 0.02) was
      significantly greater than in group 2 (0.12 +/- 0.01) or group 3 (0.07 +/- 0.01).
      Urinary GH correlated with serum pool GH concentration (r = 0.64, p less than
      0.001). Although urinary GH output reflects endogenous GH secretion, the overlap
      between groups 1 and 3 precludes using urinary GH measurements as a diagnostic
      test for GH deficiency in children with idiopathic growth failure.

PMID- 1866221
TI  - Reduction in plasma protein does not affect body water content in fetal sheep.
AB  - We performed this study to determine if isolated hypoproteinemia and low colloid
      osmotic pressure cause formation of fetal edema. We successfully operated on six
      sets of twin fetal sheep at 114 d gestation to insert catheters into arteries and
      veins of both fetuses, allowing us to chronically perform partial exchange
      transfusions. One twin underwent protein reduction by repeated partial exchange
      transfusion over 3 d, and the other twin underwent simultaneous sham procedures.
      We removed an average of 18 g of protein, causing a 41% decrease in plasma
      protein concentration and a 44% decrease in colloid osmotic pressure. Vascular
      pressures, heart rate, hematocrit, plasma osmolarity, arterial pH, and arterial
      PO2 were not affected by protein reduction or by sham procedure, whereas PCO2
      increased by a small amount in both groups. At autopsy, none of the fetuses in
      either group were edematous. Measurements of total body water by the wet to dry
      method, chloride space, and amniotic and allantoic fluid volumes were similar in
      both groups. We conclude that hypoproteinemia of a short duration does not affect
      the body water content of fetal sheep.

PMID- 1866222
TI  - [Health status in young institutionalized children].

PMID- 1866223
TI  - [Involvement of blood vessels and hemodynamics in children with rheumatoid
      arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus].

PMID- 1866224
TI  - [Characteristic of endocrinopathies in children and adolescents with socio
      psychological deprivation].

PMID- 1866225
TI  - [Physical development and psychoemotional status of Soviet children, temporary
      living in Mongolia].

PMID- 1866226
TI  - [Lipids peroxidation in children with atopic dermatitis].

PMID- 1866227
TI  - [Effectiveness of antioxidant inhalation in children with bronchial asthma].

PMID- 1866228
TI  - [Effect of initial autonomic tonicity on the results of reflexotherapy in
      children with chronic gastritis].

PMID- 1866229
TI  - [Evaluation of the effect of vitamin E on the fetus and newborn baby].
AB  - The authors studied the effect of vitamin E administered antenatally in view of
      miscarriage on the body of the fetus and newborn. Experiments made on albino
      rats, their fetuses and newborn rats demonstrated an increase of the mass of the
      newborn and their organs together with a greater morphofunctional maturity and
      higher content of vitamin E in the body. Administration of vitamin E to pregnant
      women also provided a beneficial effect: a favourable course of the neonatal
      period, a milder course of diseases that occurred, and a high level of natural
      antioxidants in the children's body.

PMID- 1866230
TI  - [Hormonal diagnosis of endocrinopathies in the early neonatal period].
AB  - Based on the summarization of the results of hormonal examination of the newborn
      during the early neonatal period it has been revealed that early diagnosis of
      endocrinopathies can only be made with the use of the laboratory measurements of
      the concentrations of the appropriate hormones. For early diagnosis of congenital
      endocrine diseases the screening made according to the specific hormonal test is
      the most effective approach. It is necessary to differentiate between alterations
      associated with congenital endocrine diseases and transitory hormonal reactions
      due to the derangement of the child's status in the ante-, intra- or postnatal
      periods.

PMID- 1866232
TI  - [Microbial biocenosis in normal newborn babies and in septic diseases].
AB  - A study was made of the symbion microflora of different biotopes in 185 neonates
      with sepsis and 200 healthy neonates on natural feeding. Appreciable differences
      were revealed in the formation of the microbial ecosystems in children with
      sepsis as compared to the healthy neonates. In the septic process the
      microbiological profile for different biotopes is poorly differentiated and is
      characterized by the similarity of opportunistic bacteria isolated. The children
      who suffered pyoseptic pathology need additional bacterial therapy aimed at the
      recovery of the normal microflora.

PMID- 1866231
TI  - [Hormonal regulation of glycemia and metabolic adaptation of newborn babies with
      intrauterine hypotrophy].
AB  - The content of hormones that regulate carbohydrate metabolism was studied during
      the early neonatal period in 80 full-term neonates with intrauterine hypotrophy.
      Early application to the breast (2 to 6 hours after the birth) was shown to
      promote the normalization of the hormonal content. The levels of blood serum C
      peptide in the newborn depend on the degree of the rise of the mother's body
      weight during pregnancy and the presence of toxicosis. The levels of cortisol,
      somatotropic hormone, immunoreactive insulin and C-peptide were determined by the
      degree of morphological immaturity of the tissues whereas the content of STH and
      cortisol by the intensity of hypotrophy as well. The moment of the birth and the
      early neonatal period of children with intrauterine hypotrophy is characterized
      by a decrease of the activity of lactate dehydrogenase, alpha-hydroxybutyrate
      dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase.

PMID- 1866233
TI  - [Enzyme status of blood cells in premature children during the treatment of
      omphalitis by helium-neon laser radiation].
AB  - Helium-neon laser radiation was employed in the treatment of 27 premature
      children suffering from omphalitis. It has been established that helium-neon
      laser radiation produces a favourable effect on the healing and epithelization of
      the umbilical wound, activates lymphocyte succinate dehydrogenase in premature
      children. The rate of wound healing correlates with the initial enzymic status,
      with the number of sessions of laser therapy and the general estimation of the
      previous development of the child in accordance with the prognostic coefficient
      of sepsis development.

PMID- 1866234
TI  - [Medium-weight molecules in the determination of the level of endogeneous
      intoxication in newborn babies].
AB  - Criteria for the diagnosis of the syndrome of endogenous intoxication were
      specified in neonates in a critical condition because of pathology of the early
      neonatal period. It has been established that early diagnosis of toxicosis is
      promoted by the determination of the pool of medium-weight molecules, the growth
      of which precedes the clinical picture manifestation. The totality of the
      indicators of the content of medium-weight molecules and the leukocytic index of
      intoxication determine the type of toxicosis (infectious, hypoxic, traumatic),
      predict its course and outcome, being an alternative in the choice of methods for
      body detoxifying.

PMID- 1866235
TI  - [Clinico-hemostatic features in premature infants with hypertensive hydrocephalic
      syndrome].
AB  - The authors relate the results of studying certain indicators of hemostasis in 42
      premature children of the first year of life seen for the hypertensive
      hydrocephalic syndrome at the Neonatality Center. A relationship has been
      discovered between the coagulogram and the degree of the child's maturity at
      birth, the age, and initial disease.

PMID- 1866236
TI  - [Children morbidity in the first 3 years of life in the family].
AB  - The purpose of the study was to explore in detail the health status of children
      of the first three years of life. As many as 450 children born in 1977-1981 were
      examined. It has been established that the children's morbidity in the following
      life periods is influenced by the time of the first disease onset and social and
      hygienic conditions of the child's life.

PMID- 1866237
TI  - [Persistence of opportunistic Staphylococcus and disorders of immune homeostasis
      in frequently sick children].
AB  - Clinical, microbiological and immunological examinations were made of ailing
      children with localized (fauces) and spread (fauces, skin, intestine)
      staphylococcal lesions. The clinicogenealogical analysis revealed considerable
      hereditary aggravation as regards immune pathology, the presence of
      immunopathological diatheses, and a high level of dysembryogenesis stigmas in the
      given children's group. S. aureus and S. epidermidis were identified. In ailing
      children, the authors proved the persistence of ubiquitary staphylococcus, giving
      rise to the deficiency of immune factors consumption as related to the
      characteristics of antigenic adaptation of such children. Immunologic tolerance
      was found to fail at one of the crucial periods of immunity, with the
      opsonocytophagic component appearing to be the site of application of the
      suppressant action of Staphylococcus.

PMID- 1866238
TI  - [Today's problems of medical care for low birth weight infants].

PMID- 1866239
TI  - [Incidence of immune deficiency in children population from industrial city].
AB  - The authors relate the data on the incidence of different forms of immune
      deficiency (ID). The studies were carried out within the framework of the All
      Union program of mass immunoepidemiological screenings, among the childhood
      population of industrial city numbering 59,178 persons. The primary group at ID
      risk amounting to 2.2% was distinguished. Based on the clinico-anamnestic data a
      group at higher ID risk was made up (n-421). 450 children were examined by the
      level I tests. The children were characterized clinicoimmunologically according
      to different immunopathological syndromes. All the children with the identified
      forms of ID and those without well-defined forms of immunodeficiency conditions
      but with steady alterations of the immunologic parameters and the clinical signs
      need prophylactic medical examinations.

PMID- 1866240
TI  - [Neuropeptides in atopic dermatitis in children].
AB  - Radioimmunoassay was used to measure the blood plasma content of endogenous
      opioid peptides (beta-andorphine, methionin- and leucine-enkephalins), R
      substance, calcium-regulating hormones (parathyroid hormone and carcitonin),
      ionized calcium and cortisol in 152 children aged 6 months to 12 years with
      atopic dermatitis. The data obtained were compared to those obtained in healthy
      children. The stress-activating and stress-limiting systems were established to
      be activated in all the patients. It is concluded that the intensity of the
      adaptation compensatory process depends on the clinical form, disease standing,
      and spreading of skin impairment.

PMID- 1866241
TI  - [Various indices of collagen metabolism in children with rheumatoid arthritis].
AB  - To study collagen metabolism, 113 children aged 3 to 14 years afflicted with
      rheumatoid arthritis and 43 conventionally normal children were examined. The
      patients were examined for free and protein-bound hydroxyproline in the blood
      serum and synovial fluid and for total hydroxyproline in diurnal urine. The blood
      serum and synovial fluid showed a decline of free and a rise of protein-bound
      hydroxyproline, more marked in severe rheumatoid arthritis, its higher activity
      and damage to numerous joints. Excretion of free and total hydroxyproline with
      urine was significantly lower than in the normal children whatever the form of
      rheumatoid arthritis, its activity or number of the joints involved into the
      process. In view of the lack of hydroxyprolinuria in the sick children, the
      authors discuss a hypothesis of a potential initial decrease of collagen
      formation in children afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting its
      relationship to the "ligand pathology".

PMID- 1866242
TI  - [Adrenocortical function in children with connective tissue syndromes and funnel
      chest deformation].
AB  - Measurement of the content of C-21-corticosteroids in the diurnal urine by thin
      layer chromatography has demonstrated that in children with isolated and
      syndromal forms of funnel-like chest deformation, grades II and III,
      adrenocortical function is decreased. In preschool children, such a decrease is
      accompanied by proneness to the tense biosynthesis of glucocorticoids. Children
      with congenital hereditary connective syndromes manifest adrenocortical
      dysfunction, most characteristic of Marfan's syndrome, and, to a less degree, of
      Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and unclassified complex of developmental defects with the
      Marfan-like phenotype. In view of this fact, the children with Marfan's, Ehlers
      Danlos syndromes and with the unclassified complex of developmental defects with
      the Marfan-like phenotype and children with funnel-like chest deformation, grades
      II and III, should be given glucocorticoid hormones in stressful conditions
      (severe diseases, traumas, operations).

PMID- 1866243
TI  - [Clinical importance of determination of lipid peroxidation of erythrocyte
      membrane in children with mucoviscidosis].
AB  - The intensity of membranous red blood cell metabolism (lipid peroxidation /LPO/
      and malonic dialdehyde /MDA/ metabolism) was examined in children suffering from
      mucoviscidosis depending on the gravity of the clinical manifestations of the
      disease. The membranopathological processes accompanied by different disorders of
      membranous metabolism, depending on the patient's status gravity and the
      intensity of inflammation in the respiratory organs were revealed. Based on the
      disagreement between different parameters that characterize LPO of red blood
      cells and MDA metabolism the conclusion is drawn that in children with
      mucoviscidosis, the metabolic processes occurring at the level of cellular
      membranes are not balanced. The data obtained point to the necessity of an
      individual approach to the use of membranoprotectors in multimodality treatment
      of children with mucoviscidosis together with the control over the treatment
      efficacy on the basis of a dynamic follow-up of membranous LPO with the aid of
      the method employed in the work.

PMID- 1866244
TI  - [Clinico-morphological comparison in children with infectious endocarditis].
AB  - As many as 21 children suffering from infectious endocarditis (IE) were examined
      for the clinical and morphological picture of the disease. The patients' age
      ranged from 2 to 15 years. In 15 children, IE developed in association with
      different congenital diseases; in one patient, in the presence of rheumatic heart
      disease, and in 5 patients, in unaffected heart valves. The sectional material
      was examined in 19 cases whereas the operational material in 2 cases. Analysis of
      the data obtained has shown that early diagnosis of IE (primary and secondary)
      may not infrequently be fairly difficult, which is likely to result in the late
      administration of antibacterial therapy. In addition to the involvement of the
      valvular apparatus of the heart, the majority of the patients demonstrated the
      signs of focal myocarditis and postmyocarditic cardiosclerosis, which is one of
      the causes of the development of refractory heart insufficiency. IE children
      mostly die from heart insufficiency and thromboembolism.

PMID- 1866245
TI  - [Arterial bed of myocardium in congenital heart defects].
AB  - Structural reconstruction of the myocardial arteries seen in congenital heart
      disease was analyzed and its importance for cardiac activity was defined on the
      basis of studying case reports, postmortem examinations and morphological data on
      127 abnormally formed hearts. It has been established that developmental
      abnormalities of the heart may be accompanied by myocardial hypertrophy and
      lesions of the coronary arteries, having an adaptation and pathological
      character. The former ones lie in hypertrophy and hyperplasia of vascular wall
      muscles, whereas the latter ones in sclerosis and thrombosis of the arteries,
      thus creating prerequisites for heart decompensation.

PMID- 1866246
TI  - [Diagnosis of allergy to mold fungi in children with bronchial asthma].
AB  - As many as 360 children with bronchial asthma were examined for fungal
      sensitization. In addition to intracutaneous tests, use was made of the natural
      leukocyte migration inhibition test and leukocyte lysis test under the action of
      a specific allergen. The data obtained attest to a high portion (23.3%) of fungal
      sensitization among children suffering from bronchial asthma in the BSSR, high
      specificity of the leukocyte migration inhibition test and leukocyte lysis in the
      diagnosis of fungal sensitization.

PMID- 1866247
TI  - [Ultrasonic methods in diagnosis of urinary tract defects in children during mass
      screening].
AB  - Materials on urinary diseases collected by maternity hospitals and children's
      outpatient clinics and pertaining to 145,979 children of different ages including
      neonates were compared to the ultrasound data on 10,396 children of the same age.
      According to the ultrasound data, the incidence of urinary system abnormalities
      in children is 1.83 +/- 0.196%. The highest rate of the diseases was recorded in
      neonates. Later it was found to decrease. The method of ultrasound diagnosis can
      be used as a screening stage in mass prophylactic examinations of the childhood
      population of all ages including the earliest one. It is advisable that the
      method be introduced in medical practice of the city (regional) and interregional
      outpatient clinics.

PMID- 1866248
TI  - [Blood aggregation in duodenal ulcer].
AB  - Thirty-six children with duodenal ulcer were examined for the coagulation and
      thrombocytic components of hemostasis. Use was made of the new coagulologic
      research methods based on administration of the synthetic tri- and tetrapeptides
      containing a chromoform group. The high sensitivity of the synthetic peptides
      enables the use of plasma in high dilutions, owing to which the effect of
      inhibitors is decreased and a small amount of blood is only required, being of
      paramount importance in carrying out serial tests. In acute ulcer 1/3 of the
      children show the signs of the DIC syndrome compensated at the expense of the
      high content of anticoagulants. At the same time 4 patients were discovered to
      have coagulologic disorders characteristic of Willebrand's disease (3 cases) and
      thrombasthenia (1 case). The coagulologic alterations should be taken into
      consideration in treatment administration, since the compensated DIC syndrome
      untreated by anticoagulant therapy aggravates the course of the ulcerous process
      and gives rise to hemorrhagic diathesis. Meanwhile in children with hemorrhagic
      diathesis, peptic ulcer may cause severe, life-threatening hemorrhages.

PMID- 1866249
TI  - [The importance of congenital enterovirus infection in perinatal pathology].

PMID- 1866250
TI  - [Chronopharmacological approach to the treatment of children with bronchial
      asthma].

PMID- 1866251
TI  - [Results of antirecurrence treatment of pyelonephritis in children].

PMID- 1866252
TI  - Dignified in death.

PMID- 1866254
TI  - Blood rights.

PMID- 1866253
TI  - Hard-fought battle.

PMID- 1866255
TI  - Short-changed.

PMID- 1866256
TI  - Pay and conditions. The wages of trusts.

PMID- 1866257
TI  - Pay and conditions--divided states.

PMID- 1866258
TI  - Victorian values.

PMID- 1866259
TI  - Death of a hospital.

PMID- 1866260
TI  - Reducing hospital respiratory infections.

PMID- 1866261
TI  - Vibroacoustic stimuli and fetal behavior.

PMID- 1866262
TI  - Predictors of outcome for abstinent alcoholics.

PMID- 1866263
TI  - Education--devolving responsibility.

PMID- 1866265
TI  - Computing in practice. Information management and technology. Unfamiliar
      language?

PMID- 1866264
TI  - Midwifery--team labour.

PMID- 1866266
TI  - Medication education.

PMID- 1866267
TI  - Arts in action. Reviving memories.

PMID- 1866268
TI  - Diabetes. Agreeing on advice.

PMID- 1866269
TI  - Diabetes. Care of a gangrenous foot.

PMID- 1866270
TI  - Home help for people with HIV.

PMID- 1866271
TI  - HIV test no longer pre-empts life insurance automatically.

PMID- 1866272
TI  - The right to keep mum.

PMID- 1866273
TI  - Conduct unbecoming?

PMID- 1866274
TI  - Forgotten few.

PMID- 1866275
TI  - No easy option.

PMID- 1866276
TI  - Skin deep concern.

PMID- 1866277
TI  - Still crazy after all these years?

PMID- 1866278
TI  - Change in the ward. Making things happen.

PMID- 1866279
TI  - Change in the ward. A structured approach.

PMID- 1866280
TI  - Increasing knowledge.

PMID- 1866281
TI  - The view from the ward.

PMID- 1866282
TI  - Unstable lodgings.

PMID- 1866283
TI  - Sight restored. Care study.

PMID- 1866284
TI  - Return to nursing. Back to school.

PMID- 1866285
TI  - Return to nursing. Back to work.

PMID- 1866286
TI  - Placebo response in mild depression.

PMID- 1866287
TI  - Primary nursing. Philosophy for change.

PMID- 1866288
TI  - Primary nursing. A waste of energy?

PMID- 1866289
TI  - Primary nursing. North of the border.

PMID- 1866291
TI  - Someone to watch over me.

PMID- 1866290
TI  - Primary nursing. The Ulster experience.

PMID- 1866292
TI  - Under the spotlight.

PMID- 1866293
TI  - Exchanging ideas.

PMID- 1866294
TI  - Over the counter.

PMID- 1866295
TI  - Body politic--smoke-buster.

PMID- 1866296
TI  - Career patterns. The collapse of the conventional career.

PMID- 1866297
TI  - Career patterns. Equal to the task.

PMID- 1866298
TI  - Individual nurses must resolve to keep up their own personal campaign to ensure
      that patients with AIDS/HIV receive non-judgmental care and compassion.

PMID- 1866299
TI  - Career patterns. Different paths.

PMID- 1866300
TI  - Nursing overseas. After the killing fields.

PMID- 1866301
TI  - Self-care in the community.

PMID- 1866302
TI  - Transplanting fetal tissue.

PMID- 1866303
TI  - Plans for a better future.

PMID- 1866304
TI  - A fruitful collaboration.

PMID- 1866305
TI  - The impact of 12-hour nursing shifts.

PMID- 1866306
TI  - Nurses and the law. Making the law.

PMID- 1866307
TI  - Accountability: just between you and me.

PMID- 1866309
TI  - Child health--a taste of things to come.

PMID- 1866308
TI  - Child health--prepare for the best.

PMID- 1866310
TI  - Ignorant views on HIV revealed.

PMID- 1866312
TI  - Accuracy of self-measurement of body fat distribution by waist, hip, and thigh
      circumferences.
AB  - There are indications that body fat distribution, independent of obesity, may be
      a disease risk factor. The accuracy of self-measurement of waist, hip, and thigh
      circumferences, indicators of fat distribution, were examined for 227 women (aged
      19-45) who were sent either a calibrated or uncalibrated tape measure and
      subsequently remeasured by a trained technician. Subjects tended to underestimate
      all circumferences somewhat. Spearman correlations between self-measurement and
      technician measurement were 0.88, 0.89, and 0.86 for the waist, hip, and thigh,
      respectively, and 0.65 and 0.77 for the waist-to-hip waist-to-thigh ratios.
      Correlations for waist, but not other measures, were better with the uncalibrated
      than with the calibrated tape. Accuracy did not vary within strata of education,
      body mass index, or waist-to-hip ratio. Subjects were able to measure their
      circumferences with reasonable accuracy. Circumference measures were more
      accurate than were computed ratios of circumferences; waist-to-thigh ratios were
      more accurate than were waist-to-hip ratios.

PMID- 1866311
TI  - Quantitative review of studies of dietary fat and rat colon carcinoma.
AB  - A quantitative overview of 14 studies of rat colon carcinogenesis was undertaken
      to examine the relationship between fat intake, and fat intake by degree of
      saturation, on the incidence of colon carcinoma while controlling for calorie
      consumption. Calorie consumption was not recorded in 11 of the 14 studies. Hence,
      two types of analyses were conducted. The first examines carcinoma incidence as a
      function of percent fat (by weight), with calories controlled for by including
      weight gain per week in the analysis. The second estimates calories per day, for
      studies not providing such information, using weight gain per week and age at
      death, followed by a joint analysis of estimated fat calories and estimated total
      calories. With either approach, a rather strong positive relationship between
      colon carcinoma incidence and fat intake is indicated for Fischer 344 rats, but
      no association is apparent for Sprague-Dawley rats. This situation is somewhat
      clarified when the degree of saturation is taken into account: both strains gave
      results that suggest a negative relationship between colon cancer incidence and
      omega-3 fatty acids intake and a positive relationship with non-omega-3
      polyunsaturated fat intake among Fischer 344 rats. These analyses suggest an
      important and specific role for dietary fat in the promotion of rat colon
      carcinoma.

PMID- 1866313
TI  - Endogenous nitrosation of L-proline by dietary-derived nitrate.
AB  - Two studies were conducted to assess the availability of normal dietary sources
      of nitrate for endogenous nitrosation of an amino acid substrate, L-proline, and
      to investigate the potential for dietary ascorbic acid to inhibit such
      nitrosation. In the first study, 16 subjects consumed a salad meal (containing
      about 172 mg nitrate) with and without a loading dose of proline. A significant
      increase (10.8 compared with 2.7 micrograms/24 hrs, p less than 0.0001) in mean
      urinary N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) excretion following meal plus substrate ingestion
      was indicative of intragastric proline nitrosation by meal-derived nitrate. In
      the second study (19 different subjects), the mean urinary NPRO level was
      significantly decreased (15.8 micrograms compared with 28.4, p = 0.022) by
      inclusion of ascorbic acid sources in the meal. This demonstrated inhibition of
      proline nitrosation by dietary sources of the vitamin. Large interindividual
      variation in nitrosating ability was apparent that was associated with variation
      in meal nitrate to salivary nitrite conversion. Although meals containing fresh
      vegetables, as tested here, could provide sufficient nitrate to result in
      endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds, there will be considerable inter-
      and intraindividual variation in the extent of this process.

PMID- 1866315
TI  - Effect of long-term treatment of two tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines on the
      vitamin A status of mice.
AB  - The effect of long-term treatment of two important tobacco-specific N
      nitrosamines, N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)
      1-butanone (NNK), on the depot or circulating levels of vitamin A of Swiss and
      BALB/c male mice was studied. It was observed that treatment of both NNN and NNK
      in Swiss and BALB/c mice decreased liver vitamin A levels significantly. NNK
      treatment also caused a decrease in the levels of vitamin A in plasma.

PMID- 1866314
TI  - Associations between breast cancer, plasma triglycerides, and cholesterol.
AB  - A case-control study investigating the association between plasma lipids and
      breast cancer was conducted among women aged 30-80 in Buffalo, NY. All eligible
      women from a large breast clinic and two area physicians' offices were requested
      to participate over a one-year period. Subjects completed a health questionnaire
      and donated a fasting blood sample prior to diagnostic breast biopsies. The 83
      women found to have breast cancer (cases) had significantly higher plasma
      triglyceride values than did the 113 women found not to have breast cancer
      (controls). Lower plasma beta-carotene values were associated with breast cancer,
      but only in those women with elevated triglyceride or cholesterol. Plasma
      cholesterol values were lower in those breast cancer cases presenting with more
      advanced stages of cancer, suggesting that metabolic effects of clinical and
      preclinical breast cancer may lower cholesterol levels. Although the limitations
      of case-control studies are well-recognized, these data suggest an etiologic role
      for plasma triglycerides and beta-carotene or for related dietary factors.

PMID- 1866316
TI  - Enhancing effect of ethanol or sake on methylazoxymethanol acetate-initiated
      large bowel carcinogenesis in ACI/N rats.
AB  - Effects of ethanol or sake on intestinal carcinogenesis by methylazoxymethanol
      (MAM) acetate were examined in two experiments. In the first experiment, 39 male
      ACI/N rats were given two weekly intraperitoneal injections of MAM acetate (25
      mg/kg body wt) and divided into two groups, with Group 1 being given 10% ethanol
      and Group 2 being given distilled water. The incidence of colonic cancer in Group
      1 (15/17, 88%) was higher than in Group 2 (9/16, 56%, p = 0.040). Differences in
      the incidences of rectosigmoidal colonic neoplasms were even more marked (59% vs.
      19%, p = 0.019) and their proportion of the total number of large intestinal
      neoplasms was greater in Group 1 (36%) than in Group 2 (15%, p = 0.046). In the
      second experiment, 97 female ACI/N rats were divided into 6 groups, with the
      animals of Groups 1-5 being given MAM acetate (2 times, 25 mg/kg body wt). Rats
      in Group 6 received saline. The rats received isocaloric drinks: Group 1, sake;
      Group 2, 50% sake; Groups 3 and 6, 15% ethanol; Group 4, 7.5% ethanol; and Group
      5, nonalcoholic water. Incidences of rectosigmoidal colonic neoplasms in Groups
      1, 2, and 3 (53%, 46%, and 50%) tended to be higher than in Group 5 (38%). Their
      proportions of the total number of large intestinal neoplasms in Groups 1 (68%)
      and 2 (67%) were slightly greater than in Group 5 (45%). The results suggest an
      enhancing effect of ethanol or sake on rectosigmoidal colonic carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1866318
TI  - Vitamin C: biologic functions and relation to cancer. September 10-12, 1990,
      Bethesda, Maryland. Abstracts.

PMID- 1866317
TI  - Nutritional risk factors and ovarian cancer.
AB  - In a hospital-based case-control study, consumption of lactose-containing (dairy)
      foods and foods containing beta-carotene by 71 women with epithelial cancer of
      the ovary and 141 matched controls was investigated. No significant differences
      were found between cases and controls in the frequency of consumption of dairy
      foods or in the amount of lactose consumed. Consumption of carrots was found to
      decrease risk. Logistic regression analyses indicated a protective effect of high
      beta-carotene intake (odds ratio = 0.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.1-0.8), after
      adjusting for body mass, smoking, and lactose consumption.

PMID- 1866319
TI  - [Emergency endoscopic sphincterotomy in acute obstructive cholangitis].
AB  - In 45 patients with acute obstructive cholangitis (AOC) endoscopic sphincterotomy
      (ES) was performed within 24 hours after admission. Criteria for the diagnosis of
      AOC were as follows: clinical symptoms consisting of fever and chills, right
      upper abdominal pain, and jaundice (Charcot's triad) with coexisting laboratory
      data as elevated WBC, ERS, bilirubin level and evidence of obstructive biliary
      disease confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The causes
      of AOC were: in 38 patients (84.5%)--common bile duct stones, in 2 patients
      (4.5%)--carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, and in 5 patients (11%)--benign
      stenosis of the papilla of Vater. A rapid clinical improvement was observed in 40
      patients after ES. Within 24 hours after ES patients had relief of pain, fever
      subsided and white blood cell count returned from 11.7 +/- 6.9 G/l to 7.0 +/- 3.0
      G/l. Bilirubin level decreased from 101 +/- 86 mumol/l to 77 +/- 68 mumol/l.
      Endoscopic drainage failed only in 4 patients (9%) who required surgery. One
      patient (2%)--died. In the treatment of acute obstructive cholangitis urgent
      endoscopic sphincterotomy should be a method of choice. Surgery should be
      reserved only for patients in whom ES failed.

PMID- 1866320
TI  - [Value of two-dimensional echocardiography in predicting the clinical course and
      fates of patients 2 years after myocardial infarction].
AB  - 133 patients with acute myocardial infarction, admitted to hospital 24 hours or
      less from the beginning of chest pain were investigated. Two-dimensional
      echocardiography (ECHO 2D) was performed 1-2, 3-5, 7-10, 21-28 days and 3, 6, 9,
      12, 18 and 24 months after myocardial infarction. Relations between ECHO
      parameters, clinical course and prognosis. 2 years after myocardial infarction
      were analysed. Worse clinical course and prognosis during 2 years after
      myocardial infarction predict high values of 1) asynergy index (greater than or
      equal to 1), 2) percentage of asynergy segments (greater than or equal to 50) and
      3) percentage of left ventricular (LV) akinetic and (or) dyskinetic segments
      (greater than or equal to 37.5). Right ventricular asynergy and maintenance or
      increase of LV asynergy degree aggravate clinical course and prognosis too.

PMID- 1866321
TI  - [Dynamics of disorders of ventricular contraction studied by two-dimensional
      echocardiography 2 years after myocardial infarction].
AB  - Two-dimensional echocardiography (ECHO 2D) was performed in 133 patients 1-2, 3
      5, 7-10, 21-28 days and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months after myocardial
      infarction. During 2-years observation after myocardial infarction a gradually
      diminishing occurrence of left ventricular (LV) systolic wall motion
      abnormalities, is seen mostly--akinesia. Dyskinesia is the most persistent form
      of asynergy appearing with similar frequency during the whole study period.
      Improvement, worsening or no changes of LV asynergy are found with similar
      frequency in hospital phase. Favourable asynergy changes predominantly++ in the
      ambulatory phase. Right ventricular (RV) asynergy is found rarely (5%) in
      transmural inferior infarction only. It coexists with enlargement of RV. RV
      asynergy is always associated with LV asynergy, mostly of its inferior or
      posterior wall.

PMID- 1866322
TI  - [Megakaryocytopoiesis in different blood diseases. II].

PMID- 1866323
TI  - [Transplantation of the kidney with preoperatively undetected clear cell
      carcinoma].

PMID- 1866324
TI  - [Iatrogenic disease and inappropriate physician-patient relations as the causes
      of rejecting scientific medicine].

PMID- 1866325
TI  - [Diagnostic effectiveness of Rtg-TV, echocardiography and computerized tomography
      in mitral valve calcinosis].
AB  - The aim of the study was a comparative evaluation of the three diagnostic
      procedures: fluoroscopy (Rtg-TV), echocardiography (ECHO) and computer assisted
      tomography (CT) in detection of mitral valve calcifications. These methods were
      applied to the 46 patients with mitral valve disease (24 males and 22 females
      which age was 24-56 years). The results were compared with radiograms of isolated
      valves after surgery. We found that the most efficient diagnostic method is CT
      which provided following results: sensitivity--100%, specificity-- 89% efficiency
      -95%, false positives and false negatives rates 11% and 0% respectively. The same
      diagnostic indices in the other methods were: ECHO--92%, 77%, 85%, 22%, 7%; Rtg
      TV--50%, 100%, 75%, 0%, 50%. The last method can not be used as a routine
      examination in detecting of the mitral valve calcifications because of its low
      sensitivity+ and high grade of false-negatives rate.

PMID- 1866326
TI  - Multiple coronary stenoses of unknown etiology.
AB  - The case of a 13-year-old girl with multiple coronary stenoses and abundant
      collaterals, but no risk factors, is described. She was not suspected of having
      ischemic heart disease until an abnormal electrocardiographic pattern was
      detected during a routine examination in school. All children with
      electrocardiographic abnormality should be carefully examined, even though they
      have neither symptoms nor coronary risk factors.

PMID- 1866327
TI  - Bull-worker syncope: congenital subclavian steal syndrome following isometric
      exercise.
AB  - A patient with congenital great artery abnormality facilitating subclavian steal
      is presented. Sustained isometric upper body exercise, using a "Bull-Worker,"
      resulted in vertebrobasilar steal symptoms (subclavian steal syndrome) shortly
      after exercise. A mechanism for the timing of symptoms following isometric
      exercise is suggested.

PMID- 1866328
TI  - Cerebral arteriovenous malformation diagnosis by two-dimensional color-coded
      Doppler ultrasonography of the head.
AB  - Two-dimensional color-coded Doppler examination revealed a cranial arteriovenous
      (AV) malformation in a critically ill newborn with intractable congestive heart
      failure. This case emphasizes the value of color-coded Doppler in the diagnosis
      of this rare malformation.

PMID- 1866329
TI  - Multiple floppy valves with all cardiac valves prolapsing: clinical course and
      treatment.
AB  - Two cases with prolapse of all four cardiac valves are described and compared
      with two similar ones previously reported. The severity and progression of
      regurgitation of each of the valves differed by case, despite having similar
      echocardiographic findings consistent with the diagnosis of multiple floppy
      valves. Two of the four patients had their aortic valve replaced because of
      severe regurgitation: the excised valves revealed myxomatous degeneration. None
      of the patients had any stigmata of Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, except for
      the presence of hyperextensive joints. There may be an unknown collagen disorder
      that caused floppiness in all the valves.

PMID- 1866330
TI  - Aplasia of semilunar valve leaflets: two case reports and developmental aspects.
AB  - Two fetuses of approximately 11 weeks development with aplasia of the pulmonary
      as well as the aortic valve leaflets are reported. Both cases showed additional
      cardiac malformations. Case 1, with all leaflets missing, also had double-outlet
      right ventricle, hypoplastic left ventricle, large ventricular septal defect,
      straddling tricuspid valve, and atretic mitral valve. Case 2, with only one
      hypoplastic aortic valve leaflet, showed hypoplasia of the mitral valve and the
      left ventricle, and a subaortic ventricular septal defect. The observations made
      and data in the literature suggest that aplasia of semilunar valve leaflets
      reflects an underdevelopment of the endocardial cushion swellings at the
      ventriculoarterial junction, rather than resulting primarily from a malseptation
      of the cardiac outflow tract.

PMID- 1866331
TI  - Cardiac fibroma presenting with clinically significant arrhythmias in infancy.
AB  - Supraventricular or ventricular ectopy has been reported in association with
      cardiac fibroma. We report two patients, one with acquired complete heart block
      and one with mixed ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias associated with
      this rare tumor of the heart.

PMID- 1866332
TI  - Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with rhabdomyoma of the left ventricle.
AB  - A case of primary cardiac tumor with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLH) is
      presented. Sonographic examination at 32 weeks' gestation revealed a large tumor
      in the left ventricle of the fetal heart. The newborn died of congestive heart
      failure at 11 days of age. Autopsy demonstrated a large tumor in the left
      ventricle obliterating most of the left ventricular cavity, aortic atresia, and
      hypoplastic ascending aorta. Microscopically, the cardiac tumor showed "spider
      cells" characteristics of rhabdomyoma.

PMID- 1866333
TI  - Unique variant of Taussig-Bing heart: double-outlet right ventricle with double
      ventricular septal defects and double overriding of great arteries.
AB  - A cyanotic, tachypneic newborn was diagnosed to have double-outlet right
      ventricle of the Taussig-Bing type. Cardiac failure did not respond to medical
      treatment or surgical palliation. Postmortem examination revealed two ventricular
      septal defects (VSDs), one a malalignment VSD in the membranous septum and
      adjacent tissue and the other in the anterosuperior part of the muscular septum.
      The D-malposed aortic root emerged mainly from the right ventricle, with aortic
      mitral continuity. The larger posterolateral pulmonary root arose almost entirely
      from the right ventricle, confluent with the muscular VSD, and unrelated to the
      mitral valve. Its right ventricular aspect was obstructed by hypertrophied
      infundibulum. This unique malformation of the heart functioned as a double-outlet
      right ventricle of Taussig-Bing type. In addition, however, the malformation had
      elements of tetralogy of Fallot because of the malaligned VSD and hypertrophied
      conal musculature (although pulmonary flow was excessive), and also of complete
      transposition of the great arteries because of the arrangements of the two VSDs,
      which favored aortic flow from right ventricle and pulmonary blood flow from the
      left ventricle. Thus, a single heart presented similarities to three anatomic and
      functional entities.

PMID- 1866334
TI  - Discordant atrioventricular connection and concordant ventriculoarterial
      connection in situs inversus: isolated ventricular noninversion.
AB  - A case of discordant atrioventricular (AV) connection and concordant
      ventriculoarterial (VA) connection (with aortomitral fibrous continuity and
      tricuspid pulmonary discontinuity) in situs inversus (I, D, I) is reported
      because of its rarity. This segmental combination with abnormally related great
      arteries in the absence of anomalies of venous connections and/or splenic
      anomalies is extremely rare.

PMID- 1866335
TI  - Truncus arteriosus associated with mitral atresia and a hypoplastic left
      ventricle.
AB  - The association of truncus arteriosus with congenital left heart abnormalities is
      rare. We describe a case of truncus arteriosus associated with mitral atresia and
      a hypoplastic left ventricle. In 11 other patients diagnosed with truncus
      arteriosus, none had left heart hypoplasia. Despite the truncal root being
      primarily or entirely committed to the right ventricle, more right than left
      heart abnormalities have been found. This is in contrast to double-outlet right
      ventricle in which left heart abnormalities are more often associated.

PMID- 1866336
TI  - Fetal atrial flutter and necrotizing enterocolitis in a term neonate.

PMID- 1866337
TI  - An alternative approach to difficult mitral valve problems.

PMID- 1866338
TI  - Atrioventricular block in the neonate.

PMID- 1866339
TI  - 18p monosomy syndrome.

PMID- 1866340
TI  - Reduced left ventricular afterload and increased contractility in children with
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: an M-mode and Doppler-echocardiographic
      evaluation of left ventricular diastolic and systolic function.
AB  - Twenty-three children with diabetes mellitus, their ages ranging from 0.2-9.8
      years, but with no sign of diabetic microvascular disease were investigated by M
      mode and Doppler echocardiography, along with a comparable group of control
      subjects. In the diabetics, the fractional shortening and the mean velocity of
      fractional shortening were 14 and 18% higher, respectively, whereas the left
      ventricular end-systolic wall stress, an indicator of left ventricular afterload,
      was markedly reduced (22%). Assuming an unchanged preload in the two groups, this
      indicates a reduced afterload in these children. Systolic and diastolic time
      intervals, heart rate, and blood pressure were similar in diabetics and controls.
      Doppler-derived transmitral left ventricular filling indices were also similar.
      Thus, in these diabetic children no signs of left ventricular diastolic
      abnormality were detected. The state of hypercontractility of the left ventricle
      is considered to be due to a reduced afterload in early insulin-dependent
      diabetes.

PMID- 1866341
TI  - Variations in local PGE levels: a potential factor in therapeutic responsiveness?
AB  - It was hypothesized that it is the concentration of PGE in the plasma which
      actually reaches the ductus arteriosus which determines ductal response to PGE
      administration. Therefore, site specific PGE levels were studied in two infants
      with ductus dependent congenital heart lesions who were receiving PGE1 infusions.
      PGE levels were found to vary in a fashion related to the infusion site and the
      specific cardiac anatomy and hemodynamics of each patient. One of our patients,
      for instance, had a double outlet right ventricle with high pulmonary vascular
      resistance and right to left ductal shunting. This infant was given an
      intraarterial infusion of PGE. The plasma concentrations of PGE in the ductal
      blood of the infant were negligible. Assuming that ductal site specific PGE
      levels are critical in mediating the therapeutic response, hemodynamics and
      infusion site are factors that should be considered when initiating a PGE
      infusion, or in evaluating a therapeutic failure of PGE.

PMID- 1866342
TI  - Asymptomatic myocardial infarction in Kawasaki disease: long-term prognosis.
AB  - Eight patients with Kawasaki disease who had sustained asymptomatic myocardial
      infarction 8-15 years ago (mean, 13.1 years) were reexamined by various
      noninvasive cardiac function tests to assess long-term prognosis. At present,
      electrocardiograms (ECGs) are normal in six patients. However, all eight patients
      had a prolonged preejection period (PEP) to left ventricular ejection time (LVET)
      ratio 30 s after amylnitrate (AN) inhalation. Six patients had perfusion defects
      by exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy, and two patients developed ST
      segment depression in treadmill exercise testing. These patients are symptom-free
      even though their physical activity has not been restricted. Yet they proved to
      have serious abnormalities suggesting sequelae of myocardial infarction or
      existing myocardial ischemia. Judging from the results of noninvasive cardiac
      function tests and recently performed coronary angiography, five of the eight
      patients require coronary bypass surgery.

PMID- 1866343
TI  - Cardiac arrhythmias after surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous
      connection: late follow-up.
AB  - Sixteen patients (10 males and six females) aged 7 months to 20 years, who had
      undergone surgical repair in the first year of life for total anomalous pulmonary
      venous connection (TAPVC), underwent assessment of cardiac rhythm by 24-h
      electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, nine of them also had maximal exercise
      treadmill tests, 3 months to 19.5 years after surgical repair. No patient had
      symptoms of an arrhythmia and the resting ECG was normal in all except one who
      had occasional single supraventricular ectopic beats. But on 24-h ECG monitoring
      significant arrhythmias were recorded in six of the 16 patients, including
      supraventricular tachycardia (three patients), bradyarrhythmia (two patients),
      sick sinus syndrome (two patients), and multiform supraventricular and
      ventricular ectopic beats (two patients). Five of these six patients were
      assessed more than 6 years after surgery. An inappropriate chronotropic response
      was seen on maximal exercise treadmill testing in four patients; three of them
      had arrhythmias previously recorded by 24-h ECG monitoring. Our observations show
      that significant arrhythmias may occur in asymptomatic patients long after TAPVC
      correction, and we therefore recommend long-term follow-up of these patients,
      even if they are asymptomatic.

PMID- 1866345
TI  - Preparing general orthopedists for foot and ankle care.

PMID- 1866344
TI  - Cardiac output by Doppler echocardiography in the premature baboon: comparison
      with radiolabeled microspheres.
AB  - Pulsed-Doppler echocardiography (PDE) is a useful noninvasive method for
      determining left ventricular output (LVO). However, despite increasingly
      widespread use in neonatal intensive care units, validation studies in prematures
      with cardiopulmonary disease are lacking. The purpose of this study was to
      compare radiolabeled microsphere (RLM) and PDE measurements of LVO, using the
      critically ill premature baboon as a model of the human neonate. Twenty-two
      paired RLM and PDE measurements of LVO were obtained in 14 animals between 3 and
      24 h of age. Average PDE LVO was 152 ml/min/kg (range, 40-258 ml/min/kg) compared
      to 158 ml/min/kg (range, 67-278 ml/min/kg) measured by RLM. Linear regression
      analysis of the paired measurements showed good correlation with a slope near
      unity (gamma = 0.94x + 4.20, r = 0.91, SEE = 25.7 ml). We conclude that PDE
      determinations of LVO compare well with those measured by RLM in the premature
      baboon. PDE appears to provide a valid estimate of LVO and should be useful in
      human prematures with cardiopulmonary distress.

PMID- 1866346
TI  - Lower extremity torsional deformities in children: a prospective comparison of
      two treatment modalities.
AB  - A prospective randomized analysis was conducted on children with lower extremity
      torsional deformities. Its purpose was to define the natural history of these
      anomalies and to determine the efficacy of treatment with a Denis-Browne splint.
      The natural history of pediatric lower extremity torsional deformities is to
      correct toward the mean of the population. The Denis-Browne splint did not alter
      the natural history of lower extremity torsional deformities as defined by the
      foot progression angle.

PMID- 1866347
TI  - Girdlestone's modified resection arthroplasty.
AB  - Thirty-three patients were operated for septic (n = 20) and aseptic (n = 13)
      loosening of their hip prostheses using Girdlestone's operation over 10 years. An
      average of 46.6 months later, 22 of these patients were given a follow-up
      examination. Clinical evaluation according to Harris showed an improvement in
      mean values from 25 to 53 points, which can be attributed mainly to a marked
      reduction in pain, as function remained poor and the patients still depended on
      walking aids. The infection ceased in 92% of the patients with septic prosthesis
      loosening.

PMID- 1866348
TI  - Surgical treatment for primary interdigital neuroma.
AB  - We studied 366 feet in 313 patients who underwent surgical treatment for a
      primary interdigital neuroma through a dorsal web-splitting incision. Three
      hundred five feet in 259 patients were available for follow up, which averaged
      5.9 years (range: 2.8 to 13); 45.2% of these patients were completely satisfied,
      33.8% were satisfied with minor reservations, 9.2% were satisfied with major
      reservations, and 11.8% were dissatisfied after the surgical procedure. Patient
      satisfaction was directly related to the size of the neuroma found at the time of
      operation. Bilateral procedures were associated with a higher rate of
      dissatisfaction. The third web space accounted for 91% of the neuromas.

PMID- 1866349
TI  - Anatomic variations of the blood supply of the soleus muscle.
AB  - A total of 36 cadaver and fresh amputation specimens were studied by dissection.
      Two vascular patterns were identified--a segmental posterior tibial artery (Type
      1) and a proximally dominant posterior tibial artery (Type 2). Type 1 was seen in
      77.8% of cases, and Type 2 in 22.2%. Injection studies in five fresh specimens
      demonstrated numerous cross-connections between the two halves of the muscle. A
      distally based hemisoleus flap should not be performed when a Type 2 vascular
      pattern is encountered. Also, vascular cross-connections between the two halves
      of the soleus muscle should be preserved, when possible.

PMID- 1866350
TI  - Operative management of acute PCL injuries with associated pathology: long-term
      results.
AB  - Eighteen consecutive patients with posterior cruciate ligament injury and
      associated pathology were reviewed. All were re-examined with an average follow
      up of 5.4 years (range: 3.5 to 7.5). Six posterior cruciate ligaments were
      repaired to the femur with multiple #2 nonabsorbable suture, and one "mop end"
      mid-substance tear was repaired with sutures in each stump. Seven mid-substance
      tears were repaired and augmented with the semitendinosus tendon, while four
      additional mid-substance tears were repaired and augmented with the
      semitendinosus tendon and a Dacron stent (Meadox). One medial meniscus was
      repaired and one was partially excised, and one lateral meniscus tear was
      partially excised. The anterior cruciate ligament was repaired to the tibia in
      two knees, left alone (interstitial tear) in two, and excised with extraarticular
      iliotibial band tenodesis augmentation in five. At follow up, arthrometer
      readings (Stryker) correlated well with clinical examination. The four knees with
      Dacron stent had a 0 to 1 mm difference at 90 degrees, while the failures had
      greater than 5 to 6 mm. Six of these were in the repair alone group and two were
      in the repair with semitendinosus augmentation group. Eight knees (44.5%) had
      radiographic changes primarily in the medial compartment. Using Hughston's
      perimeters to evaluate the results, objective 55.5% were rated good, 27.8% were
      rated fair, and 16.7% were rated poor or failures. Using Clancy's criteria, 22.2%
      were excellent, 22.2% were good, 44.5% were fair, and 11.1% were rated
      failures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866351
TI  - Displaced fractures of the head and neck of the radius in children: open
      reduction and temporary transarticular internal fixation.
AB  - This report reviews the results of 36 children surgically treated for fractures
      of the head and neck of the radius. Indications for operation were: displacement
      over 2 mm and/or angulation over 45 degrees. Treatment included open reduction
      and temporary internal fixation with a K-wire transfixing the joint. Eighteen
      children had a good result, 8 had a fair result, and 10 had a poor result. It
      appears that when radial head fractures are associated with severe displacement,
      a high rate of fair and poor results can be expected, despite treatment by open
      reduction and temporary internal fixation.

PMID- 1866352
TI  - Osteonecrosis of the knee detected only by magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 1866353
TI  - Acute hematogenous epiphyseal osteomyelitis.

PMID- 1866354
TI  - Recurrent elbow dislocations in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

PMID- 1866355
TI  - Seal finger.

PMID- 1866356
TI  - Ipsilateral proximal metaphyseal and flexion supracondylar humerus fractures with
      an associated olecranon avulsion fracture.
AB  - An ipsilateral proximal humerus fracture, "flexion" supracondylar humerus
      fracture, and olecranon fracture found together is a rare event. The
      supracondylar fracture should be reduced and percutaneously pinned before the
      ipsilateral upper extremity fractures are reduced. Displaced supracondylar
      fractures should be pinned with crossed smooth pins. Most pediatric proximal
      humerus and olecranon fractures can be treated closed.

PMID- 1866357
TI  - Meniscal salvage: maintenance of function.

PMID- 1866358
TI  - Radiologic case study. Blastomycotic osteomyelitis.

PMID- 1866360
TI  - Foreign-body pulmonary embolism.
AB  - The minimal incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism in a general pediatric
      pathology experience was ascertained by reviewing autopsy records, and the true
      incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism was determined by studying lung
      sections from 64 autopsies of patients who had undergone cardiac procedures.
      Seventeen cases of embolism were reported from 370 autopsies, an incidence of
      4.6%. The true incidence of pulmonary foreign-body embolism was found to be 21.9%
      in the cardiac surgical autopsies and the minimal incidence was 5.1% in patients
      who had other types of surgery. No patients other than those having surgical
      procedures had embolism. Hair was found to be the embolic material in 35% of
      cases. Embolic lesions were characterized, staged, and correlated with clinical
      data. The pathogenesis of this condition is unclear, but it probably involves
      contamination of surgical materials with particulate matter.

PMID- 1866359
TI  - Postmortem recognition of fatty acid oxidation disorders.
AB  - With an appropriate protocol for collection, storage, and sample analysis, it
      should be possible to ensure correct diagnosis of disorders of fatty acid
      oxidation presenting to the pathologist. Appropriate counseling of affected
      families will lead to presymptomatic sibling diagnosis of these frequently
      treatable disorders, which, in turn, can prevent the catastrophic metabolic
      consequences of the disorders.

PMID- 1866361
TI  - Exogenous iron overload in perinatal hemochromatosis: a case report.
AB  - We report an infant with fatal neonatal liver disease in whom efforts to correct
      an associated unremitting anemia resulted in massive exogenous iron overload that
      was expressed as perinatal hemochromatosis (PH). Levels of iron and copper were
      elevated in multiple tissues. Echovirus subtype 9, recovered from the urine at
      age 3 weeks, may have been etiologic in the liver failure. PH is best viewed as a
      definable phenotype with an undefined genetic and/or environmental basis that
      emerges only in the context of severe perinatal liver disease. The absence of
      hemosiderin in splenic and bone marrow reticuloendothelial (RE) cells of our
      patient suggests an important role for RE cell dysfunction.

PMID- 1866362
TI  - Apoptosis: a basic pathological reaction of injured neonatal muscle.
AB  - A light and electron microscopic study of immature muscle cell degeneration
      induced by bupivacaine (BPVC) was performed. The pattern of muscle cell death is
      related to muscle maturity; in newborn rats, cell death has the morphology of
      apoptosis, whereas in the older animals muscle cell death resembles cell necrosis
      and the ultrastructural feature of these changes are essentially the same as
      those described in adult muscle. The ability to undergo apoptosis in response to
      a pathological stimulus is a common effector mechanism of immature muscle.

PMID- 1866363
TI  - Thymic involution with loss of Hassall's corpuscles mimicking thymic dysplasia in
      a child with transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease.
AB  - A 7-year-old leukemic girl developed pancytopenia following chemotherapy and was
      given several transfusions of nonirradiated blood. Within 2 weeks she developed a
      maculopapular rash, fever, abnormal liver function, diarrhea, and wasting. She
      became septic and died 6 weeks later. Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host
      disease (GVHD) was suspected clinically. At autopsy, changes diagnostic of GVHD
      were present in the skin and liver. The remarkable feature of the case was the
      histopathology of the thymus, which was morphologically "dysplastic," i.e.,
      minute, lymphoid depleted, devoid of a corticomedullary demarcation, and
      completely lacking in Hassall's corpuscles. These changes were virtually
      identical to those seen in the thymus of children with severe combined
      immunodeficiency disease (SCID). There was no evidence of preexisting immune
      deficiency. There is compelling experimental evidence that GVHD can produce
      changes in the thymus that are identical to those of "thymic dysplasia." These
      observations have led to the hypothesis that immunodeficiency associated with
      GVHD may stem, in part, from injury to thymic epithelium resulting in defective T
      cell maturation. As a corollary of this hypothesis, it has been suggested that
      the pathogenesis of some forms of SCID may involve GVHD-associated injury to the
      thymus by a maternal allograft acquired in utero. This report further documents
      thymic pathology in human GVHD and discusses these changes in the light of these
      ideas.

PMID- 1866364
TI  - Intraoral plexiform (multinodular) neurilemoma.
AB  - An intraoral (buccal) mass in a 6-year-old child was found to be a benign
      plexiform (multinodular) neurilemoma by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
      cytology and histologic examination of the excised specimen. Clinical and
      pathological features of these rare tumors are reviewed, and the capacity of FNA
      to guide surgical planning in the pediatric population is emphasized.

PMID- 1866365
TI  - Two cases of fetal akinesia/hypokinesia sequence.
AB  - Two cases of fetal akinesia sequence are described. Both showed facial anomalies,
      arthrogryposis multiplex, bilateral camptodactyly, and pulmonary hypoplasia. One
      child had degeneration of large motor neurons of the thoracolumbosacral spinal
      cord and irregular atrophy of diaphragm; the other had left microphthalmia,
      hemiatrophy of the left temporal lobe with calcification of degenerated neurons,
      and hypoplasia of the cervothoracic spinal cord with decrease and degeneration of
      neurons. The iliopsoas and intercostal muscles showed focal myofiber atrophy.
      These findings suggested that some instances of this fetal akinesia syndrome
      might be due to neuromuscular dysfunction that occurred in utero and may have
      various causes.

PMID- 1866366
TI  - Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of fetal liver: a report of two cases.
AB  - Nodular regenerative hyperplasia in the liver is characterized by diffuse
      nodularity of the organ secondary to regenerative hepatocellular activity. This
      alteration is rare in infants and children. We present two cases of nodular
      regenerative hyperplasia found in fetuses that exhibited several other
      malformations, sirenomelia and features of schisis association in one and
      Poland's sequence in the other.

PMID- 1866367
TI  - Stereoselectivity in pharmacokinetics: a general theory.
AB  - Stereoselectivity in pharmacokinetics may be characterized by a measurable
      difference between enantiomers in a pharmacokinetic parameter. We propose that
      pharmacokinetic parameters may be classified according to three levels of
      organization in the body and that the hybrid character of parameters increases
      with the level of organization that they represent. At the molecular level are
      intrinsic metabolite formation clearances and fraction of drug unbound in plasma,
      reflecting the selectivity of an endogenous macromolecule for the enantiomers of
      a chiral drug molecule. At the organ level, pharmacokinetic parameters represent
      the combined effects of stereoselectivity in each of their component parameters
      within an organ. As a result, these parameters are of intermediate hybrid
      character. Parameters with the highest degree of hybrid character describe the
      pharmacokinetic behavior of a drug in the whole body. The stereoselectivity
      associated with each of the component parameters could either amplify or dampen
      the resultant stereoselectivity in hybrid parameters. The hypothesis that kinetic
      differences between enantiomers are inversely correlated with the degree of
      hybrid character was examined for four drugs: warfarin, verapamil, mephenytoin,
      and propranolol. By classifying pharmacokinetic parameters according to both the
      level of organization that they characterize and their hybrid nature, it becomes
      possible to account for stereoselectivity in drug distribution and elimination.

PMID- 1866368
TI  - Comparison of the methods for determining cell-surface and intracellular
      receptors for epidermal growth factor in the rat liver.
AB  - We compared methods for determining the distribution of epidermal growth factor
      (EGF) receptors between the cell surface and the cell interior in the rat liver.
      Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with 100 nM EGF for 20 min at 37 degrees C
      remarkably decreased the cell-surface EGF receptor density (internalization of
      receptors). The detergent Brij 35 was previously reported to permit assay of the
      intracellular latent EGF receptors in liver homogenates, but in the present
      investigation, Brij 35 lowered the affinity of EGF for the receptor depending on
      the detergent concentration, and the appearance of latent receptors was not
      observed. In contrast, permeabilization of the cells with digitonin, followed by
      an acid-washing procedure, increased the EGF binding capacity to close to the
      control level. Hence, the EGF receptors, internalized together with EGF
      molecules, were not degraded for at least 20 min, and the digitonin method is
      suitable for quantifying the intracellular EGF receptors. The binding capacities
      of the digitonin-treated and untreated control cells showed no difference upon
      digitonin treatment, suggesting that the bulk of EGF receptors exists on the cell
      surface. Further, cell-surface EGF receptor density was determined after the i.v.
      administration of EGF (300 micrograms/kg) to rats. Isolated hepatocytes prepared
      30 min after the administration of EGF showed little binding for EGF on the cell
      surface, while the cell-surface EGF receptor density recovered to close to
      control values in cells prepared after 3 hr.

PMID- 1866370
TI  - Nonisothermal stability assessment of stable pharmaceuticals: testing of a
      clindamycin phosphate formulation.
AB  - The stability of an antibiotic formulation (clindamycin phosphate in dextrose),
      which is stable at room temperature, was assessed by nonisothermal kinetic
      analysis at elevated temperatures. A preliminary study, conducted to establish
      apparent rate order, verified the appropriateness of a first-order kinetic model.
      The test formulation was then heated linearly from 70 to 90 degrees C over 12 hr.
      Data (drug concentration, temperature, and time) were fitted to the first-order
      model using nonlinear least-squares regression. Arrhenius parameter estimates
      obtained from three nonisothermal trials, and rate constants at 25 degrees C
      derived by extrapolation, demonstrated acceptable reproducibility and were in
      agreement with values derived from isothermal experiments at 30, 45, 55, 65, and
      75 degrees C. First-order rate constants obtained from studies conducted for 20
      months at 25 degrees C were in accord with isothermal and nonisothermal results.

PMID- 1866369
TI  - Effect of receptor up-regulation on insulin pharmacokinetics in streptozotocin
      treated diabetic rats.
AB  - The present study investigated the mechanism by which the disposition of insulin
      is altered in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic rats as compared with 48-hr
      fasted normal (control) rats. It was shown by an indocyanine green infusion
      method that the hepatic plasma flow rate (QH) in diabetic rats (1.64 ml/min/g
      liver) is significantly higher than that in control rats (0.982 ml/min/g liver).
      The portal injection technique revealed that the unidirectional clearance (CLon),
      which represents the binding of A14-125I-insulin to surface receptors in the
      liver, is significantly elevated in diabetic rats, suggesting an increase in the
      surface receptor number (RT), i.e., up-regulation in the liver. In both control
      and diabetic rats, the total-body clearance (CLtot) and steady-state volume of
      distribution (Vdss) of labeled insulin decreased significantly with a
      simultaneous injection of unlabeled insulin (8 U/kg), confirming that the
      disposition of insulin is affected largely by specific, saturable receptor
      mediated processes. The CLtot and Vdss increased significantly in diabetic rats,
      while nonspecific portions of these parameters were not changed. From the
      increases in CLtot (80%) and QH (67%) in diabetic rats, a pharmacokinetic
      analysis has revealed a 40% increase in the hepatic intrinsic clearance
      (CLint,sp) of A14-125I-insulin via a specific mechanism in diabetic rats. In
      conclusion, we have provided in vivo evidence for a small increase in CLint,sp of
      insulin in STZ-diabetic rats compared with control rats, which may be caused by
      an increase in the surface receptor number in the livers of diabetic rats.

PMID- 1866371
TI  - A novel, self-correcting membrane coating technique.
AB  - A novel coating process, leading to formation of uniform, defect-free coating on
      solid dosage forms, is proposed. The coating process, termed "diffusion
      controlled interfacial complexation," involves a chemical reaction between a
      reactant incorporated in the solid unit to be coated and a polymer solution,
      forming the coating medium. The reaction results in the formation of an insoluble
      reactant-polymer film around the solid. The rate of film/membrane formation is
      controlled by the rate of diffusion of reactant through the reactant-polymer
      film. In the model system, calcium acetate was selected as the reactant and algin
      as the polymer. The coating process was mathematically characterized in terms of
      rate of increase in film thickness, film weight, and depletion of reactant.
      Compressed tablets coated using the above process provided zero-order release in
      distilled water.

PMID- 1866372
TI  - Absorption enhancing effect of cyclodextrins on intranasally administered insulin
      in rats.
AB  - The absorption enhancing effect of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrin (CD),
      dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DM beta CD), and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP
      beta CD) on intranasally administered insulin was investigated in rats.
      Coadministration of 5% (w/v) DM beta CD to the insulin solution resulted in a
      high bioavailability, 108.9 +/- 36.4% (mean +/- SD, n = 6), compared to i.v.
      administration, and a strong decrease in blood glucose levels, to 25% of their
      initial values. Coadministration of 5% alpha-CD gave rise to an insulin
      bioavailability of 27.7 +/- 11.5% (mean +/- SD, n = 6) and a decrease in blood
      glucose to 50% of its initial value. The rate of insulin absorption and the
      concomitant hypoglycemic response were delayed for the alpha-CD-containing
      solution as compared to the DM beta CD preparation. The other CDs, HP beta CD
      (5%), beta-CD (1.8%), and gamma-CD (5%), did not have significant effects on
      nasal insulin absorption. DM beta CD at a concentration of 5% (w/v) induces
      ciliostasis as measured on chicken embryo tracheal tissue in vitro, but this
      effect is reversible. In conclusion, DM beta CD is a potent enhancer of nasal
      insulin absorption in rats.

PMID- 1866373
TI  - Structural requirements for the intestinal mucosal-cell peptide transporter: the
      need for N-terminal alpha-amino group.
AB  - The requirement for a free alpha-amino group for the intestinal peptide carrier
      mediated transport was investigated. A series of dipeptide analogues without the
      N-terminal alpha-amino group [including phenylpropionylproline,
      phenylacetylproline, N-benzoylproline, phenylacetyl-alpha-methyldopa, and
      hippuric acid (N-benzoylglycine)] were studied in the perfused rat intestinal
      segment. The absorption of phenylpropionylproline, phenylacetyl-alpha-methyldopa,
      and N-benzoylproline was concentration dependent. The transport parameters (mean
      +/- SD) of phenylpropionylproline and N-benzoylproline were as follows: Jmax*,
      0.037 (+/- 0.019) mM; Km, 0.045 (+/- 0.027) mM; Pc*, 0.830 (+/- 0.130); and Pm*,
      0.673 +/- 0.049; and Jmax*, 1.34 (+/- 0.24) mM; Km, 1.31 (+/- 0.30) mM; Pc*, 1.02
      (+/- 0.11); and Pm*, 0; respectively. The intestinal permeabilities of
      phenylpropionylproline, phenylacetylproline, N-benzoylproline, and hippuric acid
      (N-benzoylglycine) were significantly reduced by dipeptides and cephradine. These
      results strongly suggest that these dipeptide analogues, without an alpha-amino
      group, are transported by the peptide carrier and provide more direct evidence
      that a free alpha-amino group is not absolutely essential for the mucosal-cell
      peptide carrier-mediated transport.

PMID- 1866374
TI  - Use of modified ethylcellulose lattices for microporous coating of osmotic
      tablets.
AB  - Commercially available lattices are often used to coat nonpareils or beads. Drug
      release occurs via diffusion through the polymer coating. Adequate release rates
      may be achieved with small particles because the surface area is large. However,
      tablets coated with unmodified lattices have exceedingly slow release rates.
      Therefore, a pore-forming agent, urea, was added to a commercially available
      ethyl cellulose latex, Aquacoat, to increase the release rate of drugs from
      coated osmotic tablets. Modified lattices were used to coat KCl and diltiazem.HCl
      tablets. Release of KCl and diltiazem into water or buffer solutions was
      determined in a standard U.S.P. dissolution apparatus. Rates varying from 1 to
      100% release in 12 hr were obtained by varying the coating thickness, pore-former
      level, and plasticizer type and concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
      showed that the urea was eluted from the coat in aqueous solution leaving a
      porous coating. Coat burst strengths were dependent on the coat thickness and the
      concentrations of pore former and plasticizer. Hence, modified lattices hold
      potential for use as coatings for controlled release osmotic formulations.

PMID- 1866375
TI  - Bioavailability of flurbiprofen following buccal administration.
AB  - The buccal absorption of flurbiprofen was evaluated in nine normal volunteers.
      Twenty milliliters of 2.5 mg/ml flurbiprofen solution (pH 8.03) was administered
      as a 1-min mouthwash or a 5-min mouthwash or swallowed. Serum was harvested from
      blood samples taken at specified times over a 12-hr period. Serum flurbiprofen
      concentration data indicate that the extent, but not the rate, of drug absorption
      was dependent upon the time of exposure of the flurbiprofen solution to the
      buccal membrane. Following the 1- and 5-min mouthwash treatments, 5.2 and 9.4% of
      the administered doses were absorbed, respectively.

PMID- 1866376
TI  - Dose-dependent pharmacokinetics of MK-417, a potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitor,
      in experimental polycythemic and anemic rats.
AB  - MK-417 is a potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitor currently under clinical
      investigation as a topical ocular hypotensive agent. While present in most of the
      tissues, carbonic anhydrase predominates in red blood cells. Earlier studies from
      our laboratory have demonstrated that carbonic anhydrase plays an important role
      in the elimination kinetics of MK-417 and that the enzyme can be saturated when
      MK-417 exceeds the stoichiometric concentration of the enzyme. Since carbonic
      anhydrase is an intracellular enzyme in erythrocytes, conditions which may change
      the hematocrit can alter the load of MK-417 needed to saturate carbonic
      anhydrase. It is, therefore, important to determine the effects of anemic and
      polycythemic states on the pharmacokinetics of MK-417. The anemic state in rats
      was obtained by replacing whole blood with donor plasma (12-15 ml), while
      polycythemia was induced by infusion of 12 to 15 ml of whole blood. At low doses
      (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg), the pharmacokinetic parameters for MK-417 remained
      unchanged and there were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic
      parameters among the anemic, polycythemic, and normal rats. The total blood
      clearance and apparent volume of distribution were increased markedly when the
      dose exceeded 0.2 mg/kg in anemic rats and 0.5 and 1 mg/kg in normal and
      polycythemic rats, respectively. Clearly, the dose of MK-417 required to saturate
      the enzyme was different among the three groups of animals. However, the terminal
      half-life was dose independent and not influenced by hematocrit.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866377
TI  - "On-off" thermocontrol of solute transport. II. Solute release from
      thermosensitive hydrogels.
AB  - Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAAm)/polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG)
      interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were synthesized and their feasibility
      as thermosensitive hydrogels for drug release was investigated. The release of
      indomethacin incorporated into these matrices showed pulsatile patterns in
      response to temperature changes and was sensitive to a few degrees of temperature
      fluctuation. The temperature inducing on-off release deviated from the gel
      collapse temperature of unloaded gel, possibly because of solute effects on
      network properties. The lag time and release profile of indomethacin in the low
      temperature region (on process) of each temperature cycle were affected by the
      gel composition and applied temperature. The results of this study demonstrate
      that solute release can be regulated by rapid deswelling of the surface of the
      gels in response to temperature.

PMID- 1866378
TI  - Formulation and in vitro evaluation of pressurized inhalation aerosols containing
      isotropic systems of lecithin and water.
AB  - Reverse micellization of nonionic surfactants in apolar media was applied to the
      formation of solution phase, pressurized inhalation aerosols, employing soya
      lecithin (SPC) and water in chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) blends. The use of a 30/70
      mixture of trichlorofluoromethane (P11) and dichlorodifluoromethane (P12)
      resulted in the formation of stable, isotropic systems containing 0.5-2.0% (w/v)
      SPC and solubilized water; R (moles water/moles SPC), 0.9 to 4.28. In systems
      containing less than 30% P11, phase separation became apparent, particularly at
      higher water and surfactant concentrations. Dramatic changes in solution
      viscosity were noted on increasing R values and were attributed to an increase in
      asymmetry of SPC micelles. Dynamic fractionation of the output from pressurized
      aerosols using a four-stage liquid impinger showed that the respirable fraction
      (as measured by the percentage of emitted droplets with aerodynamic diameters
      less than 5.5 microns) was highly dependent on SPC concentration and R. A
      significant correlation between RF and actuator score, based on orifice diameter
      and length, was also found and confirmed that the highest RF values were achieved
      with the systems of lowest SPC and water concentrations sprayed through an
      actuator with the smallest and shortest orifice dimensions. This novel mechanism
      for the formulation of hydrophilic drugs as solutions within CFC-based
      pressurized aerosols may offer advantages over the traditional suspension
      approach to pulmonary drug delivery.

PMID- 1866379
TI  - Significance of partial and total cohesion parameters of pharmaceutical solids
      determined from dissolution calorimetric measurements.
AB  - The total and partial adhesion-derived cohesion parameters of three solid
      pharmaceutical substances (caffeine, theophylline, and phenylbutazone) were
      determined from dissolution calorimetric measurements, a new technique devised
      for this purpose. Calorimetry has the advantage of leading directly to
      enthalpies, from which the solute cohesion parameter(s) is(are) deduced. An
      equation was developed that relates partial molar enthalpies of mixing (obtained
      by subtracting enthalpies of fusion from enthalpies of dissolution) to the
      cohesion parameters of the solute and of the solvents. Solvents were selected on
      the basis of their known cohesion parameters by applying the experimental
      research methodology.

PMID- 1866380
TI  - Crystal growth kinetics of theophylline monohydrate.
AB  - The crystal growth kinetics of theophylline monohydrate from aqueous buffered
      supersaturated solutions were investigated at 10, 20, 30, and 40 degrees C.
      Crystallization experiments were carried out isothermally at pH 6. During growth
      the crystal count and size distributions were monitored in situ. The growth rate
      was evaluated from the rate of change of the size with time at a constant value
      of the size distribution. The growth rate is independent of the stirring rate and
      the activation energy for growth is higher than the value for simple diffusion,
      14.3 and 4.4 kcal/mol, respectively. This indicates that crystal growth of
      theophylline monohydrate is controlled by a surface reaction mechanism rather
      than by solute diffusion in the bulk. The growth-rate dependence on the
      supersaturation was compared with crystal growth theories. The data are described
      by the screw dislocation model and by the parabolic law, suggesting a defect
      mediated growth mechanism rather than a surface nucleation mechanism.

PMID- 1866382
TI  - Determination of allopurinol and oxypurinol in rat plasma, intestinal wash, and
      bile by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection
      (HPLC/EC) following automated solid phase extraction.

PMID- 1866381
TI  - Lipophilic peptides: synthesis of lauroyl thyrotropin-releasing hormone and its
      biological activity.
AB  - Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was derivatized by chemical attachment of
      lauric acid to the N-terminal pyroglutamyl group. The product was confirmed to be
      more lipophilic than TRH by high-performance liquid chromatography and
      measurement of partition coefficients. The central nervous system activity and
      endocrine activity of the lauroyl derivative were only slightly reduced, to 81
      and 64% of the parent TRH, respectively. Lipophilic derivatization may be
      generally applicable to transmembrane delivery of peptides.

PMID- 1866383
TI  - The cytotoxicity of p-chloro-m-xylenol in primary culture of rat hepatocytes.

PMID- 1866384
TI  - Low first-spray drug content in albuterol metered-dose inhalers.

PMID- 1866385
TI  - Influence of temperature and hydrophobic group-associated icebergs on the
      activation energy of drug decomposition and its implication in drug shelf-life
      prediction.

PMID- 1866386
TI  - Relationship between red blood cell potassium and plasma digitoxin concentrations
      in intoxicated patients.
AB  - After severe acute self-poisoning by cardiac glycosides, significant and
      persistent depletion of red blood cell K+ due to inhibition of Na+K+ ATPase is
      seen. Because of a delay between the time course of plasma digitalis
      concentrations and that of red blood cell K+ depletion, no direct relation exists
      between the two, and RBC K+ has hitherto not been considered useful as prognostic
      indicators of clinical outcome. In an effort to solve this problem, red blood
      cell K+ was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and plasma digitoxin
      concentration assayed in six patients admitted to an intensive care unit after
      digitoxin self-poisoning. Using the effect compartment model of Sheiner, a
      relationship based on a sigmoid Emax model was able to relate the digitoxin
      concentration at the action site to red blood cell K+ depletion. Thus the
      duration of red blood cell K+ depletion could be predicted from two relative
      simple in vitro assays. Since RBC K+ is a marker of the inhibition of Na+K+
      ATPase by digitoxin, this method could be of use for the management of patients
      self-poisoned with digitalis.

PMID- 1866387
TI  - Modulation of ouabain binding in beating ventricular myocardium from guinea-pigs:
      effects of lidocaine and monensin.
AB  - To further elucidate the interdependence between digitalis sensitivity and the
      cellular Na+ load, the influence of two Na+ load modifying drugs, monensin and
      lidocaine, on the concentration-dependence of ouabain binding and ouabain effects
      was studied in beating ventricular strips from guinea-pig heart. Monensin (3 x
      10(-6)M), a Na+ ionophore known to elevate Na+ influx, enhanced 3H-ouabain
      binding (by approximately 40%) as well as the ouabain effect at non-toxic ouabain
      concentrations, and it shifted the threshold for toxicity towards threefold lower
      ouabain concentrations. Lidocaine (2 x 10(-4)M), a Na+ channel blocker, lowered
      ouabain binding by about one third, and it extended the ouabain concentration
      range tolerated without toxicity by a factor of three. In the concentrations
      used, neither compound exerted any direct effect on ouabain binding studied in
      isolated cardiac membranes. The binding data obtained in the muscle strips were
      well fitted by a mathematical model which quantifies the dependence of ouabain
      binding on the underlying (Na+ +K+)-ATPase activity. These findings provide
      evidence for an indirect drug-induced modulation of ouabain binding via the
      interference with the cellular Na+ load.

PMID- 1866388
TI  - Improvement of glucose homeostasis by oral vanadyl or vanadate treatment in
      diabetic rats is accompanied by negative side effects.
AB  - Vanadate and vanadyl, two forms of vanadium, have been reported to exert insulin
      like effects in vivo and in vitro. In the present study we compared the
      effectiveness of oral sodium metavanadate (NaVO3), sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4)
      and vanadyl sulphate pentahydrate (VOSO4.5H2O) treatment in alleviating some
      signs of diabetes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Vanadium compounds
      were administered in aqueous solutions of NaCl (80 mM) at concentrations of 0.20
      mg/ml (NaVO3), 0.50 mg/ml (Na3VO4), and 1.1 mg/ml (VOSO4.5H2O) for two weeks.
      Control rats, either diabetic or non-diabetic, drank solutions of NaCl (80 mM).
      Although some signs of diabetes (hyperglycaemia, hyperphagia, polydipsia) were
      significantly ameliorated by the vanadium treatment, negative side effects were
      also observed in all of the vanadium-treated diabetic rats. Those effects
      included some deaths, decreased weight gain, and tissue vanadium accumulation,
      which are consistent with the reported toxicity of vanadium in non-diabetic rats.
      Vanadyl sulphate was the most effective compound of those tested in normalizing
      blood glucose levels. However, the results here reported suggest that chronic
      administration of vanadyl or vanadate in the drinking water is not a viable
      alternative treatment to insulin in human diabetes.

PMID- 1866389
TI  - Increased urinary calcium and magnesium excretion in rats injected with mercuric
      chloride.
AB  - Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) is a classic nephrotoxic agent. While it is well
      established that HgCl2 can induce metallothionein synthesis in the kidney and
      also cause damage to the pars recta region of the renal tubule, the urinary
      losses of essential elements like calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) probably
      related to this process, have not been described. In this study, calcium,
      magnesium, metallothionein (MT), as well as sodium (Na) and potassium (K) in
      urine, kidney cortex and liver were measured in male Wistar rats after two daily
      injections of HgCl2 (0.5 or 1.0 mg Hg/kg body weight intraperitoneally). As
      compared with controls, there was a significant 3-4-fold increase in calcium
      excretion which reached its maximum at 8-12 and 32-36 hr after treatment with 1.0
      mg Hg/kg. Urinary magnesium excretion was also increased in a similar way as the
      calcium excretion. At 12-16 hr, urinary magnesium in the 1.0 mg Hg/kg dose group
      was 3.4 times higher than that of the controls. Urinary MT level in HgCl2 treated
      rats was much higher than that in the controls, the maximum excretion was between
      24-28 and 32-36 hrs preceeded by the peak of Hg in urine. Na and K concentrations
      in urine decreased significantly in rats treated with HgCl2. The present study
      thus demonstrates that increases of urinary calcium and magnesium excretion are
      early toxic effects of HgCl2 on the kidney. It gives support to the hypotheses
      implying these ion imbalances in the mechanism of elicitation of renal toxicity
      by mercury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866391
TI  - Acute haemodynamic effects of felodipine, verapamil and hydralazine in the
      anaesthetized dog.
AB  - Felodipine, a potent dihydropyridine calcium antagonist with a pronounced
      vascular selectivity, was given intravenously (0.006-0.025 mumol kg-1) to
      anaesthetized, open-chest dogs with denervated hearts. The result was a dose
      dependent decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and total peripheral
      resistance (TPR), while heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV) and left ventricular
      end-diastolic pressure remained relatively unchanged. Cardiac tension work (TTI)
      and oxygen consumption (MVO2) were reduced, probably due to the decrease in
      afterload. The relative reduction of the coronary vascular resistance (CVR) was
      greater than that of TPR. The hypotensive effect of verapamil (0.05-0.20 mumol kg
      1) was small and MAP decreased mainly via a decrease in HR and SV. Higher doses
      of verapamil which induced vasodilatation could not be given without the
      development of complete atrio-ventricular dissociation. Hydralazine (11-45 mumol
      kg-1) decreased TPR and CVR in parallel but the decrease in MAP was partly
      counteracted by a powerful increase in HR, SV and cardiac inotropy which was
      associated with elevated catecholamine levels in plasma. When MAP and HR were
      maintained constant by means of aortic balloon inflation and atrial pacing,
      felodipine markedly increased coronary blood flow and coronary sinus oxygen
      saturation while SV, TTI, inotropy and MVO2 remained relatively unchanged. It is
      concluded that felodipine markedly dilates peripheral resistance vessels, and in
      particular those in the coronary vascular bed, without any cardiodepressant
      effects.

PMID- 1866390
TI  - Theophylline effects on phasic tension and slow inward current of isolated frog
      atrial fibres: influence on the action of isoprenaline.
AB  - The action of theophylline on phasic tension and slow inward current (Isi) was
      investigated on isolated voltaged-clamped frog atrial fibres. The action of
      theophylline was both dose- and time-dependent; the most effective dose was 2.10(
      3)M. Theophylline induced a rapid positive inotropic effect which cannot be
      attributed to a beta-adrenoceptor stimulation or to an adenosine antagonism; this
      effect was closely related to an increase in slow inward current (Isi), probably
      due to an inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity and a subsequent increase in
      cAMP content. The decline of the positive inotropic effect of theophylline was
      discussed in terms of additional effects of the drug. Theophylline, consistently
      with its phosphodiesterase inhibitory action, was shown to potentiate the effects
      of isoprenaline on phasic tension and Isi; however no potentiation was observed
      after reserpine-induced depletion of endogenous catecholamines. It might be
      thought that non-specific effects of reserpine on some steps of cardiac
      excitation-contraction coupling counteract the effects of theophylline.

PMID- 1866392
TI  - [Nocturnal respiratory and circulatory disturbances. Meeting of the work group of
      the German Society for Pneumology. Berlin, 11-12 May 1990].

PMID- 1866393
TI  - [Relationship between insomnia and arterial hypotension].
AB  - The relations between insomnia and blood pressure were investigated in 151
      patients (56 men and 95 women). It was found that 37.1% of the patients were
      normotensive, whereas 31.8% suffered from arterial hypertension and 31.1% from
      arterial hypotension. There was practically no difference between normotensives
      and hypertensives in respect of disturbed behavioral patterns of sleep, but an
      entirely different picture was presented by the arterial hypotensives.
      Characteristic features of hypotonic insomnias were (mostly in women) prolonged
      time before falling asleep, frequent awakening at night associated with
      tachycardia and long-lasting increased excitability, starting difficulties in the
      morning, depressive conditions, compulsive yawning and falling asleep during
      daytime, tiredness, lack of "drive" and reduced physical and mental efficiency.
      This pattern of signs and symptoms was enhanced by hypnotics and tranquilisers.
      During sleep blood pressures down to 50/35 Torr were measured. It is assumed that
      the low blood pressure results in hypoxic and hypoglycaemic conditions in the
      brain. Spontaneous awakening is considered to be an emergency reaction triggered
      by the deficient cerebral blood flow.

PMID- 1866394
TI  - [Evaluation of an anamnesis questionnaire for the diagnosis of sleep apnea in
      patients with chronic diseases of the respiratory organs].
AB  - In a Rehabilitation Clinic for Diseases of the Respiratory Organs we examined 497
      male patients aged 45.9 +/- 11.1 years with a relative weight of 109 +/- 16.7%
      who were suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory tract (66.2% chronic
      bronchitis, 33.8% asthma bronchiale, 49.6% obstruction of the respiratory tract).
      They were subjected to a detailed physical examination and were given an
      anamnestic questionnaire for the purpose of diagnosing sleep-related respiratory
      disturbances (Siegrist et al., 1987). In addition, whole body plethysmography was
      performed in all patients as well as a pulse-oximetric examination during night
      sleep. Using factor analysis, it was possible to extract 5 factors from the 23
      items of the anamnesis questionnaire. With these 5 factors, 60.5% of the total
      variance could be explained. These factors describe: 1. Dyspnoea (35.3%); 2.
      Vigilance (8.5%); 3. Sleep disturbances (6.3%); 4. Headache (5.8%) and 5. Snoring
      (4.7%). Different factor patterns are seen for different groups of patients. In
      patients suspected of an obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, however, it will
      always be necessary to perform further stage-wise diagnosis to safeguard the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1866395
TI  - [Ambulatory monitoring of frequency of apnea in patients with suspected sleep
      apnea syndrome. Comparative studies using a thermistor sensor].
AB  - To record and evaluate the number and duration of nocturnal apneas, and easy
      method is needed in an outpatient setting. New methods such as recording the
      tracheal sounds, heart frequency, and O2 saturation, are now available. Recording
      of thermal convection by Thermistor has not been performed on an outpatient basis
      so far. Hence, we developed a method by which a thermistor was placed on a mask
      to record the nasal and oral flow. A specially developed computer hardware
      evaluates date, time, period, number and mean values of the apneas. The
      parameters were compared with the conventional methods of recording apneas
      (thoracic and abdominal movement. O2 saturation, heart frequency and 3
      thermistors at mouth and nose). 20 patients, mean age 53.1 +/- 1.6 years, were
      examined. In 12 patients the apnea frequency was between 0 and 50 apneas per
      night, in 8 between 50 and 550. Patients with an apnea frequency of more than 50
      per night (polygraphy) could be identified with the thermistor method. Our
      results show that the method is sensitive in respect of the oral and nasal flow.
      The method seems valid to differentiate between normal persons and patients with
      increased risk of apnea syndrome.

PMID- 1866396
TI  - [Computer analysis of disturbed respiration in patients with sleep apnea].
AB  - In patients with sleep related breathing disorders parallel evaluation of
      respiration, blood gases and the EEG are indispensible. Computerized methods can
      provide a detailed analysis of the interrelation of these parameters to enlighten
      the disturbed central regulation of respiration in these patients. These methods
      also can help to achieve a better differential diagnosis in routine clinical
      work. A new method is presented here which evaluates the signals of nasal
      airflow, thoracic and abdominal movements together with oxygen saturation and
      heart rate in parallel. The new method is validated using a detailed visual
      analysis. Results prove the usefulness of the new method. To apply the method the
      relationship between length of apnea and oxygen desaturation is evaluated for
      different sleep stages separately.

PMID- 1866397
TI  - [Assessment of the MESAM and Biox 3700 early warning methods for the diagnosis of
      sleep-related respiratory disorders in young men].
AB  - We can use pulse oximetry as a method for diagnosis of the sleep apnoea syndrome,
      as well as L-EKG, MESAM II and the actigraph. In this study MESAM II and pulse
      oximetry were combined for finding out discrete sleep-related breathing
      disorders. The results were compared with polysomnography. 5 (15.1%) of 32
      patients had an index of apnoea (AI) greater than 10, whereas 4 (12.1%) patients
      showed an AI greater than 5. All of the patients with positive signs in MESAM
      II/pulse oximetry had an AI greater than 5 in polysomnography, whereas non of the
      patients with negative signs in MESAM II/pulse oximetry had an AI greater than 5
      in polysomnography.

PMID- 1866398
TI  - [SIDAS 2010: mobile 10-channel unit for the diagnosis of sleep-related
      respiratory disorders].
AB  - At the moment diagnosis of sleep related breathing disorders (SRBD) is carried
      out in specialised clinical centres with well-equipped sleep laboratories. Since
      there are only few of these in Germany, medical care in this field is not
      sufficient at all even if applied only to high-risk patients. To cope with the
      large number of patients with severe SRBD we developed a mobile 10-channel unit
      (SIDAS 2010) designed for diagnosing SRBD even outside the conventional sleep
      laboratories. In this study we investigated 108 patients who after using the 4
      channel recorder presented signs and symptoms suggesting SRBD. After evaluating
      the tracings in 53 patients a distinct obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (AI 10)
      could be diagnosed; in 55 patients the signs remained indistinguishable. In 2
      recordings with SIDAS in 74 patients, a distinct OSA was diagnosed, 34 patients
      had an AI less than 10; these patients underwent renewed polysomnographic
      recordings with EEG in addition. The polysomnographic recordings revealed 5
      patients with an AI between 5 and 10.3 with primary and secondary alveolar
      obstructive hypoventilation due to excessive snoring. The comparison of SIDAS
      recordings with recordings made by polysomnography proved SIDAS to be valuable in
      respect of diagnosing type of SRBD (obstructive/central) and amount of
      respiratory events (apneas/hypopnoeas). In this study only 13 patients with SRBD
      (14.9%) need further diagnostic procedures. We conclude that with SIDAS most of
      the SRBD can be diagnosed sufficiently even outside conventional sleep
      laboratories.

PMID- 1866399
TI  - [Assessment of cyclic and phasic oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry in the
      diagnosis of nocturnal respiratory disorders].
AB  - Nocturnal pulse oximetry is frequently used in screening studies when diagnosing
      nocturnal respiratory disorders. Short-term cyclic desaturations of oxygen can
      serve to indicate recurring apnoeas, whereas long-lasting phasic reductions of
      oxygen saturation are predominantly seen in hypoventilation. However, there are
      no uniform assessment criteria. We developed a computer programme for the
      differentiated assessment of cyclic and phasic oxygen desaturations. With this
      programme it is possible to characterise the individual phases in respect of
      gradient and duration of the decrease in oxygen saturation, of the starting,
      minimal and final values and the total duration of the desaturation phase. This
      enables determination of the rate of incidence of various forms of desaturation
      during nocturnal recording. The results of this differentiated analysis of
      nocturnal pulse oximetry in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome (n = 6) and with
      chronic obstructive airways disease with respiratory insufficiency (n = 6) and
      without respiratory insufficiency (n = 6) are demonstrated as model examples.

PMID- 1866400
TI  - [Pulmonary artery blood pressure and snoring].
AB  - Snoring is an extrathoracic inspiratory airway obstruction during sleep,
      accompanied by more or less intense noise. The inspiration volume being limited
      at the same time, this can produce additional blood gas changes. Epidemiological
      studies have shown an increased risk of myocardial infarction or cerebral
      ischaemia during night for snorers. Little is known, however, about acute effects
      of snoring on the haemodynamics of heart and circulation. The present study
      presents data of the pulmonary artery blood pressure during sleep-related upper
      airway obstruction. Pulmonary arterial pressure during sleep was examined with
      five patients via Swan-Ganz catheter. When an upper airway obstruction occurred,
      the inspiratory pulmonary arterial pressures rose in all the five patients. Two
      patients showed a clinically significant decrease in arterial oxygen saturation
      during snoring so that in these cases, a hypoxic vasoconstriction can be
      discussed as a possible cause. The other three patients did not produce
      significant decreases in oxygen saturation, so that in these cases mechanical
      factors (negative inspiratory intrathoracic pressure oscillations) should be
      regarded as the most probable cause for increases in the pulmonary arterial blood
      pressure.

PMID- 1866401
TI  - [Which factors promote chronic alveolar hypoventilation in patients with
      obstructive sleep apnea?].
AB  - The pathogenesis of obesity hypoventilation is incompletely understood. We
      investigated 505 patients with sleep apnoea in respect of determinants that
      correlate with chronic hypercapnia. 14 patients (2.8 per cent) exhibited daytime
      hypercapnia (PCO2 greater than or equal to 45 mmHg). Compared with the entire
      group of patients, these patients showed heavier overweight (p less than 0.001)
      and their nightly respiratory dysregulation defined by the apnoea index was more
      severe (p less than 0.001). If these patients were compared with 14 normocapnic
      controls matched for apnoea index, weight and age, there was no difference in
      respect of lung function data. We conclude that overweight and the severity of
      sleep apnoea are determinants that predispose to chronic alveolar
      hypoventilation.

PMID- 1866402
TI  - [Sleep-related respiratory disorders and coronary heart disease].
AB  - A review of the literature shows that more than 50% of examined patients
      suffering from coronary heart disease were also suffering from sleep-related
      apnea. We were able to diagnose a pathological sleep apnea in 9 out of 25
      patients (36%) suffering from an angiographically confirmed coronary 2-vessel and
      3-vessel disorder. Patients with this combination--this is the hypothesis derived
      from our study--are at risk due to nocturnal apnea-induced myocardial ischaemia
      and rhythmic disorders. In 15 patients with sleep apnea and coronary heart
      disease or small vessel disease, nocturnal polysomnography was conducted, in
      parallel a 6-channel ECG was recorded. The apnea index (second night) was on the
      average 33 phases/h, the maximal duration of an apnea phases being 120 seconds.
      The minimal blood gas saturation recorded during sleep was between 46 and 89%
      (median 76.0%). In 4 of the 15 patients it was possible to confirm myocardial
      ischaemia (correlated via REM and also via NREM) with a maximum duration of 60
      seconds, mainly during the phases of maximal apnea activity and blood gas
      desaturation. On comparing the ventricular arrhythmias waking/sleep, the Lown
      class did not change in 12 patients; there was deterioration in 2 patients and in
      one patient a qualitative improvement during the sleep phase. Patients suffering
      from sleep-related respiratory disorders and coronary heart disease are at
      cardiac risk, the more so since long-lasting apneas can lead to conditions of
      hypoxia at the heart in pre-existing changes in the coronary arteries, restricted
      coronary reserves and reduced tolerance to hypoxia. Such hypoxia can in turn
      induce enhanced electrical instability and a disturbance of the contractile
      function.

PMID- 1866403
TI  - [Oxygen saturation and sleep structure in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy].
AB  - It is known that patients suffering from severe cardiomyopathy may develop cyclic
      changes in breathing (Cheyne-Stokes-breathing) (2, 3). Coughing and dyspnea may
      be linked to periodic breathing. Specific detailed polysomnographic studies of
      sleep architecture and oxygen saturation have not been published. Eight patients
      suffering from dilatative cardiomyopathy (NYHA III-IV) were studied by pulse
      oximetry and polysomnography. Six of eight patients had severe breathing
      irregularities. These disturbances became manifest partially as Cheyne-Stokes
      breathing, partially as central sleep apnea. During these periods, oxygen
      saturation dropped as far as to 65 per cent of the original level.

PMID- 1866404
TI  - [Nocturnal oxygen saturation in patients with coronary heart disease--dependent
      on degree of left ventricular functional impairment].
AB  - It is assumed, that patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) more often suffer
      from sleep related disorders of breathing than healthy subjects. A relation to an
      impaired left ventricular performance is discussed. In 40 CHD-patients and 30
      cardio-respiratory healthy controls we therefore measured arterial oxygenation
      during sleep by means of pulse-oximetry. Our results show a marked increase in
      the frequency of nocturnal oxygen-desaturations along with the degree of impaired
      left ventricular function independent of a special sleep apnea risk. In case of
      cardiac insufficiency at rest cyclical oxygen-desaturations were observed ten
      times as often as in the healthy controls. A central disturbance of the
      respiratory control, which leads to periodic breathing (type Cheyne-Stokes) has
      to be discussed. Because of the general high risk of CHD-patients concerning the
      development of nocturnal complications of their disease, sleep-related
      disturbances of ventilation have to be detected early by means of routinely
      applied screening-methods.

PMID- 1866405
TI  - [Cardiopulmonary risk factors in patients with sleep apnea].
AB  - Since the interaction between disorders of the respiratory coordination and
      cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary regulation is still largely unknown the
      intention of the present investigation is to point out the coincidence of cardiac
      arrhythmias, such as premature ventricular capture (PVC) beats and conduction
      blocks, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). For the first time a group of more
      than 300 patients with suspected OSA is examined concerning risk factors and
      frequent diagnoses as obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart
      insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and daytime
      hypoxaemia. Summarizing the results of lung function test, blood gas analysis,
      strain-ECG, Holter-ECG and inductive plethysmography with oxygen partial pressure
      measurement by ambulatory work-up the following statements can be made: PVC beats
      occurring markedly during sleep give hints for OSA being the underlying cause,
      especially if the patients are young and overweight. Hypoxaemia increasing during
      the apnea episodes should be considered as one possible pathogenetic mechanism.
      Second- and third degree conduction blocks and sinus arrest coincident very often
      with OSA. They suggest to be life-limiting factors the more so since they often
      go along with CHD or heart insufficiency. Systemic arterial hypertension and
      overweight have the highest prevalence in OSA, signs for heart insufficiency and
      daytime hypoxaemia are also significantly more frequent than in non-OSA patients.
      We could find no hints for direct pathogenetic coherence between CHD and OSA or
      between COPD and OSA, nevertheless pronounced nocturnal changes in blood gases
      and intrathoracic hemodynamics have important influence on the cardiopulmonary
      and cardiovascular system, as partly illuminated in other more pathogenetic
      oriented studies by the present time.

PMID- 1866406
TI  - [Risk of accidents in patients with nocturnal respiration disorders].
AB  - Excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnoea, which
      can, especially in monotonous situations, lead to real nodding off. Since driving
      a motor vehicle can also be monotonous, patients suffering from untreated sleep
      apnoea may be a possible traffic risk. Before undergoing a polysomnographic
      examination, 123 patients filled in a questionnaire inquiring about fatigue and
      sleepiness while driving a vehicle as well as accidents during the past three
      years. Five groups were formed according to severity of sleep apnoea. Right
      through these groups, the increase in heavy fatigue during driving (median) was
      significant: from "seldom" (AI less than 5) via "sometimes" to "often" (AI
      greater than or equal to 35). Occurrences of short periods of falling asleep
      (means) were practically not reported (0.02) by the group without sleep apnoea
      but increased considerably to 3.37 times per 1000 km for the group with an AI
      greater than or equal to 35. The frequency of accidents due to sleepiness rises
      significantly in concurrence with the seriousness of sleep apnoea. Besides,
      patients with an AI greater than or equal to 5 attribute 23 out of 28 accidents
      to sleepiness, whereas patients without sleep apnoea attribute all four accidents
      to other reasons (p = .0035). These findings emphasise the importance of an early
      diagnosis and effective therapy of sleep apnoea - which is available as nasal
      continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (nCPAP). Sleep medicine can thus
      not only help patients suffering from sleep apnoea but may also reduce the health
      risk of other traffic participants and be cost-saving.

PMID- 1866407
TI  - [Drug therapy of sleep-related respiration disorders].

PMID- 1866408
TI  - [Comparative studies on the effect of nasal CPAP, theophylline and oxygen in
      patients with sleep apnea syndrome].
AB  - In patients with sleep apnea-syndrome nasal CPAP-therapy is the method of choice.
      The apnea phases are practically completely eliminated. However some patients
      with SAS don't accept CPAP-therapy. In this group Theophylline or O2-therapy
      respectively is discussed. We examined therefore 21 patients (55.8 +/- 9 years)
      with sleep-apnea syndrome and an apnea-index of 39 +/- 19.9 during 4 consecutive
      nights (diagnosis, nCPAP-therapy, O2-therapy by 21/min, by nasal prongs and
      Theophylline 375-400 mg in the evening and calculated apnea-index, the longest
      apnea and the lowest O2-saturation. On CPAP the number of apneas was practically
      reduced to 0. On Theophylline there was a relevant reduction of the apnea
      frequency. On O2-therapy only few patients with non-compliance Theophylline
      therapy can be of some benefit in patients with moderate sleep-apnea syndrome.
      However the apnea-index cannot be normalized.

PMID- 1866409
TI  - [Surgical therapy of obstructive sleep apnea syndromes: results of the Ulm
      treatment program].
AB  - The article reports on the results obtained by uvulopalatopharyngoplastic surgery
      (= UPPPS) in 31 patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (=
      OSAS) and in 9 patients with habitual or obstructive snoring. All patients were
      subjected to thorough preoperative examination including rhinometry,
      nasopharyngeal video-endoscopy, radiocephalometry and polysomnography. In 8 out
      of 9 (89%) of the habitually snoring patients and in 17 of 31 (55%) of OSAS
      patients, surgery was successful. In these patients, a postoperative respiratory
      disturbance index (RDI) of less than 10 was recorded, whereas in 4 patients (13%)
      the postoperative RDI was between 10 and 15. Ten patients did not respond
      satisfactorily to UPPPS (32%). RDI was postoperatively still above 15. Analysis
      of patient data shows that almost all habitually snoring patients and the OSAS
      patients with slight overweight and low to medium apnoea index were successfully
      treated with UPPPS. In accordance with these results a treatment concept has been
      drawn up for OSAS patients that takes stock of all the possibilities and
      limitations of available conservative and surgical treatment methods.

PMID- 1866410
TI  - [Therapy of sleep apnea with theophylline (Uniphylline) administration every
      evening].
AB  - Sleep apnoea (SA) has a prevalence of 1-10% in men. The physiological sleep is
      disturbed. SA is associated with cardiopulmonary disease (systemic arterial
      hypertension, cardiac arrhythmics, cor pulmonale) and the quality of the
      patient's life is reduced. Thirty male patients participated in a study to
      investigate the influence of an oral dose of theophylline on sleep apnoea. Under
      theophylline a significant reduction of apnoea events and of the apnoea index was
      seen.

PMID- 1866411
TI  - [Long-term follow-up of sleep apnea therapy with sustained-release theophylline
      administered every evening].
AB  - Sleep apnoea increases mortality and morbidity. The physiological sleep profile
      is disturbed and functional capacity is decreased. At present nasal CPAP
      breathing (continuous positive airway pressure) seems to be the best treatment
      method in obstructive sleep apnoea. However, this therapy is expensive, imposing
      a strain on the patient, and hence some patients will not tolerate it. Medical
      treatment of sleep apnoea with theophylline has proved effective. In 40 patients
      suffering from sleep apnoea, long-term treatment with sustained-release
      theophylline was investigated. Responders show a significant reduction of apnoeic
      phases and of apnoea index at the beginning and after long-term treatment. Using
      an individual theophylline dosage with morning theophylline concentration between
      5 and 8 micrograms/ml, only few side-effects occurred. Positive effects on
      cardiopulmonary capacity could be detected. The Broca index does not change
      significantly. Sustained-release theophylline applied in the evening showed a
      positive effect on sleep apnoea in responders.

PMID- 1866412
TI  - [Hemodynamic changes with and without CPAP-ventilation in patients with sleep
      apnea].
AB  - In 21 patients suffering from severe sleep-apnoea syndrome we measured
      continuously haemodynamic parameters, blood gases, ECG, EEG, respiratory rate and
      ultrasonic cardiogram before and under treatment with nasal CPAP-breathing. All
      patients (male, age 29 to 58 yrs) had normal blood gases, heart-minute-volumes
      pulmonary artery pressures and left ventricular end-diastolic wedge pressures,
      when they were awake. During sleep all developed a decrease of pO2 and severe
      pulmonary artery hypertension with mean pulmonary artery pressures of 64 mmHg. In
      10 patients an enlargement of the right ventricular diameter up to 13 mm
      difference could be seen. Treatment with nasal CPAP-breathing could reduce or
      even prevent changes in blood gases and in the haemodynamic system. The pulmonary
      artery pressures normalised in all patients. No right ventricular enlargement
      could be seen during nasal CPAP-breathing. Treatment with CPAP-breathing could
      normalise haemodynamic disorders in patients with severe SAS and may perhaps
      prevent development of cor pulmonale.

PMID- 1866413
TI  - [Treatment of primary and secondary therapy failure in patients with sleep apnea
      treated with nasal CPAP].
AB  - Two forms of treatment failure of nCPAP therapy should be distinguished: 1.
      Primary treatment failure: the reversal of apnoeas and hypopnoeas cannot be
      achieved due to central SA or a combination of MSA and central hypoventilation.
      In 10 patients who did not respond to nCPAP (7 patients with purely central SA
      and 3 patients with MSA who still demonstrated long phases of central
      hypoventilation during nCPAP) we performed a nasal intermittent positive pressure
      ventilation (nIPPV) during at least 3 treatment nights. In all patients a
      reversal of apnoeas and hypopnoeas could be achieved, despite a few phases of
      mask leakage. Due to possibly life threatening side effects continuous monitoring
      is required during the initial treatment phase. 8 patients who reported a
      reduction of symptoms have been successfully using the treatment at home for up
      to 22 months. 2. Secondary treatment failure: nCPAP leads to a normalisation of
      breathing pattern but patients refuse nCPAP or discontinue treatment. Besides
      patients who are poorly motivated there are four major side effects of nCPAP as a
      reason for non-compliance: a) drying out of the nasopharyngeal mucosa or
      rhinitis; b) pressure marks caused by the nose mask; c) intolerance to the high
      expiratory pressure; d) noise. Drying out of the mucosa and rhinitis are the most
      important side effects. If an increase of room temperature and humidity, nasal
      cream and small amounts of mint-oil as well as a heat-moisture exchanger (HME)
      prove inadequate, we use a heated humidifier (Drager, Aquapor).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866414
TI  - [Increase in blood pressure due to continuous obstructive snoring].
AB  - Sleep-related breathing disorders can strain the cardiovascular system. Link-ups
      with arterial hypertension have been confirmed in obstructive or mixed sleep
      apnoea which is characterised by discontinuous nocturnal snoring. On the other
      hand, it is known that arterial hypertension is very frequently seen in snorers.
      The present study deals with short-term, breathing-related blood pressure
      patterns and blood pressure changes during the snoring phase. 18 obstructive
      snoring phases were identified in 4 male patients aged 50 years (42-65), Broca
      index 136 (119-171). Polysomnographic measurements were carried out in the sleep
      laboratory and the blood pressure was continuously recorded via the a.
      brachialis. The short-term breathing-dependent blood pressure changes were
      systolic 10.8 (10-30) mmHg at the beginning and 17.5 (10-30) mmHg at the end of
      the snoring phase (P less than 0.01). Diastolically there was a difference of 9.4
      (5-15) mmHg versus 13.9 (5-25) mmHg (P less than 0.01). During the snoring phases
      the systolic blood pressure increased from 140.3 (120-190) mmHg to 170.0 (145
      235) mmHg and the diastolic pressure from 69.7 (50-110) mmHg to 93.1 (70-120)
      mmHg. The study proves that blood pressure increases occur not only in apnoeic
      snoring but also in continuous obstructive snoring. It is suspected that these
      changes are responsible for the high frequency of arterial hypertension among
      continuous snorers.

PMID- 1866415
TI  - Peripheral chemoreceptor reflex in obstructive sleep apnea patients; a
      relationship between ventilatory response to hypoxia and nocturnal bradycardia
      during apnea events.
AB  - 15 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and arterial hypertension (H
      OSAS), 25 normotensive patients with sleep apnea syndrome (N-OSAS) and 20 healthy
      age-matched controls (C) were included in this study. Ventilatory responses to
      activation (hypoxia) and inactivation (hyperoxia) of carotid chemoreceptors were
      studied in all subjects. Relationship between hypoxic ventilatory reactivity and
      nocturnal bradycardia during apnea-phases was analysed in both groups of
      patients. Results and conclusions. 1. We found an impairment of ventilatory
      response to hypoxia in H-OSAS and N-OSAS patients. However, the increase in
      ventilation in response to hypoxia was significantly greater in H-OSAS as
      compared to N-OSAS patients. 2. An augmented ventilatory response to inactivation
      of carotid chemoreceptors (the decrease in ventilation), observed in H-OSAS
      patients, indicates an increase in resting peripheral chemoreceptors drive in
      this group of patients. 3. The relationship between ventilatory response to
      hypoxia and nocturnal bradycaria in obstructive sleep apnea patients suggests,
      that hypoxic reactivity of arterial chemoreceptors might be involved in the
      origin of bradycardia during apnea events.

PMID- 1866416
TI  - Structure and possible function of Plasmodium falciparum proteins exported to the
      erythrocyte membrane.
AB  - On infecting the red blood cell, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
      induces alterations in the erythrocyte membrane. The parasite appears to
      synthesize proteins that are exported across the parasitophorous vacuole membrane
      and through a system of membraneous structures within the cytoplasm of the host
      cell to the surface membrane of the erythrocyte. There, these proteins are either
      released or remain associated with the membrane. In this review we describe the
      structure and discuss the possible functions of some of the exported proteins.

PMID- 1866417
TI  - Ultrastructural observations and radiometric assay on cercarial penetration and
      migration of the digenean Diplostomum spathaceum in the rainbow trout
      Oncorhynchus mykiss.
AB  - The entrance into host tissues by the cercaria of the digenean Diplostomum
      spathaceum and the parasite's migration to the eyes of the fish host (post
      penetration larvae) were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy
      at the ultrastructural level and by a radiometric assay in experimentally
      infected rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). It was demonstrated that cercariae
      penetrated the host surface at several sites, although the major site involved
      the gill region. This observation was verified by the measurement of
      radioactivity in different regions of fish at intervals following their exposure
      to cercariae that had been radiolabeled with selenium in vivo. The migratory
      routes of the post-penetration-labeled cercariae (diplostomulum) were followed
      along with the distribution of radioactivity, which was altered with increasing
      time after exposure in the different regions of the host. A marked increase in
      radioactivity was noted, particularly in the eyes of the host, whereas the
      radiolabel decreased elsewhere. The results support the view that the cercariae
      of D. spathaceum contact the host by chance. The finding that the parasite mainly
      penetrates the host through the gills may be connected with fish ventilation
      hydrodynamics. The total amount of radioactivity retained in the fish gradually
      decreased with time, which may suggest that only a portion of the primarily
      attached cercariae actually penetrated the fish. The majority of the penetrating
      parasites reached the eyes of the host, where they became established as
      metacercariae within 24 h, thus indicating migration directed to the eye region.
      This is facilitated by the functional morphology of the migrating stage of D.
      spathaceum.

PMID- 1866418
TI  - Improvement of liver resectional therapy by adjuvant chemotherapy in alveolar
      hydatid disease. Swiss Echinococcosis Study Group (SESG).
AB  - In human alveolar echinococcosis radical surgery is the only curative therapy.
      Local recurrences after "radical" surgery have been observed rather frequently in
      former years. Postoperative "prophylactic" chemotherapy with benzimidazole
      derivatives over two years appears to prevent local recurrences according to our
      experience. In addition five patients of our series who suffered from primarily
      non-resectable alveolar echinococcosis became radically operable after an average
      of 2 years of chemotherapy. Our experience suggests that chemotherapy improves
      resectability and curability of surgery in alveolar echinococcosis.

PMID- 1866420
TI  - Diplectanidae (Monogenea) infestations of sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.),
      from the Spanish Mediterranean area. Histopathology and population dynamics under
      culture conditions.
AB  - In the present study, Diplectanum laubieri was redescribed from material obtained
      from wild and cultured fish. The population dynamics of D. aequans and D.
      laubieri under culture conditions was studied. The prevalence and mean intensity
      (average number of worms per parasitized fish) were 80.64% and 112 for D. aequans
      and 67.74% and 59.61 for D. laubieri, respectively. Both Diplectanidae exhibited
      seasonal variations, with maximal infection levels occurring in winter,
      suggesting continuous parasites recruitment, and infection levels tended to
      increase with host age. Male hosts were more heavily infested than females. The
      apparent positive association between D. aequans and D. laubieri was not
      confirmed statistically. The Diplectanidae showed definite and different patterns
      of gill distribution. Histopathological gill damage mainly consisted of
      hyperplasia of the epithelium, fusion of branchial lamellae and the presence of
      hemorrhagic and inflammatory foci with leucocytic infiltration. The results
      demonstrated the pathological importance of both Diplectanidae for the
      cultivation of sea bass.

PMID- 1866419
TI  - Thin-layer and liquid column chromatographic analyses of the lipids of adult
      Onchocerca gibsoni.
AB  - Lipids were extracted from adult Onchocerca gibsoni with chloroform/methanol and
      the total lipid content was characterized. Glycolipids were isolated from other
      lipid classes by Florisil column chromatography and were then fractionated by
      DEAE-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography. HPTLC revealed the presence of 9
      neutral glycolipid bands and of 15 acidic glycolipid bands that stained for
      sialic acid with resorcinol. Lipids that contained no carbohydrates were analyzed
      by a combination of TLC and amino column chromatography. Triacylglycerols,
      cholesterol, cholesterol esters, and free fatty acids were found to be major
      components of the neutral lipid fraction, and diacylglycerols and
      monoacylglycerols were minor components. Phosphatidylethanolamine and
      phosphatidylcholine were the predominant phospholipids. Phosphatidylserine,
      phosphatidylinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and
      lysophosphatidylethanolamine were also present in significant amounts, whereas
      only traces of cardiolipin and phosphatidic acid were detected. Several minor
      lipids and phospholipids remained unidentified. These results indicate that adult
      O. gibsoni have a nonglycosylated lipid composition resembling that of other
      parasitic nematodes as well as a substantial repertoire of glycolipids, including
      many with the characteristics of gangliosides.

PMID- 1866421
TI  - In vivo efficacy of albendazole against Giardia duodenalis in mice.
AB  - The antigiardial effects of albendazole were demonstrated in vivo using
      experimental infections of Giardia duodenalis in mice. These results complement
      previous in vivo studies in which albendazole was shown to have more potent
      antigiardial action than the currently applied antigiardial drugs. In mice, 2-4
      doses (greater than 100 mg/kg twice daily) were required for complete inhibition
      of cyst excretion and full elimination of trophozoites from the small intestine.
      The high doses necessary in mice were not unexpected and are discussed in light
      of the possible pharmacokinetics of albendazole in the animal model used in this
      study.

PMID- 1866422
TI  - In vitro drug sensitivity of Trypanosoma congolense isolates.
AB  - The sensitivity of Trypanosoma congolense isolates to diminazene and
      isometamidium was determined using an incorporation assay based on the uptake of
      [3H]-hypoxanthine in the presence of serial drug dilutions. The bloodstream forms
      of the different isolates exhibited variation in their sensitivity to the drugs
      that correlated well with the in vivo drug response. For diminazene, the
      sensitivity of the most sensitive population was 40 times that of the least
      sensitive population. For isometamidium, the IC50 values (the drug concentrations
      that decreased radiolabel incorporation by 50%) lay in a similar range, except
      for those found for two isolates from lions, which were 10(3)-10(4) times more
      sensitive than the isolates from cattle. The sensitivity of procyclic forms
      differed markedly from that of the bloodstream stages. Therefore, it must be
      concluded that the procyclic stage does not reflect the sensitivity of the
      bloodstream forms of T. congolense and that the former should not be used for
      determinations of in vitro drug sensitivity.

PMID- 1866424
TI  - On the reaction of adult Rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus and Hyalomma truncatum
      to horizontally incidenting optical radiation of various wavelengths ranges and
      different irradiances and to optical radiation of a sun-simulating wavelength
      spectrum.
AB  - The valence of horizontally incidenting light/optical radiation for host-seeking
      inclined ixodid ticks was investigated by exposing male and female adults of
      Rhipicephalus evertsi mimeticus and Hyalomma truncatum to narrow-band
      monochromatic radiation in the wavelength range of 300-801 nm at irradiances
      corresponding to an overcast to clear sunny day, a cloudy day and a full-moon
      night as well as to optical radiation of a sun-simulating wavelength spectrum of
      190-2600 nm within a test chamber from which other stimuli were excluded. It was
      demonstrated that independent of sex, adult ticks of R. e. mimeticus and H.
      truncatum responded to a wide wavelength spectrum in the visible and UV range,
      even at irradiances corresponding to a full-moon night. Interspecific differences
      existed in the degree and extent of the response as well as in the spectral
      sensitivity. Ticks of H. truncatum consistently showed a faster and stronger
      response and reacted phototactically positively in higher percentages than adults
      of R. e. mimeticus. Independent of wavelength range and irradiance, predominantly
      only few R. e. mimeticus ticks were stimulated to positive phototaxis, whereas at
      least 33.3% (in most cases, 50%) and maximally greater than 80% of H. truncatum
      adults reacted phototactically positively. Spectral sensitivity maxima were
      demonstrated at the yellow and red light and at the UV-A waveband width for R. e.
      mimeticus and at the violet, blue, green and yellow light wavelength for H.
      truncatum. With decreasing irradiance, the spectral sensitivity shifted to the
      blue wavelength range.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866423
TI  - Pyrimethamin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum lack cross-resistance to
      methotrexate and 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted benzyl) pyrimidines.
AB  - Methotrexate resistance induced in cultured Plasmodium falciparum depends on an
      altered dihydrofolate reductase with decreased affinity for methotrexate as well
      as for pyrimethamine. In contrast, pyrimethamine-resistant field isolates of P.
      falciparum lack cross-resistance to methotrexate and 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted
      benzyl) pyrimidines. The structure of the latter class was optimized by the use
      of trimethoprim as a lead and the substitution of methoxy groups at the benzyl
      ring by 3-(4'-aminophenyl-4-sulfonylphenylamino)propoxy or by (4'-aminophenyl-4
      sulfonylphenyl)methoxy, which resulted in antimalarials of high potency. The
      efficiency of these newly designed 2,4-diamino-5-(substituted benzyl) pyrimidines
      was confirmed by their strong inhibitory effect on plasmodial dihydrofolate
      reductase as well as by in vitro screening against drug-sensitive and -resistant
      strains of P. falciparum.

PMID- 1866425
TI  - Echinococcus multilocularis: antigenic variance between different parasite
      isolates.

PMID- 1866426
TI  - Effects of anti-IgE monoclonal antibody on a primary infection of Strongyloides
      ratti in mice.

PMID- 1866427
TI  - Prevalence and distribution of Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Fasciola hepatica
      infections in cattle in Switzerland.

PMID- 1866428
TI  - Effects of Eimeria separata on eosinophilia induced by Nippostrongylus
      brasiliensis.

PMID- 1866429
TI  - Phospholipase A2 at the bilayer interface.
AB  - Interfacial catalysis is a necessary consequence for all enzymes that act on
      amphipathic substrates with a strong tendency to form aggregates in aqueous
      dispersions. In such cases the catalytic event occurs at the interface of the
      aggregated substrate, the overall turnover at the interface is processive, and it
      is influenced the molecular organization and dynamics of the interface. Such
      enzymes can access the substrate only at the interface because the concentration
      of solitary monomers of the substrate in the aqueous phase is very low. Moreover,
      the microinterface between the bound enzyme and the organized substrate not only
      facilitates formation of the enzyme-substrate complex, but a longer residence
      time of the enzyme at the substrate interface also promotes high catalytic
      processivity. Binding of the enzyme to the substrate interface as an additional
      step in the overall catalytic turnover permits adaptation of the Michaelis-Menten
      formalism as a basis to account for the kinetics of interfacial catalysis. As
      shown for the action of phospholipase A2 on bilayer vesicles, binding equilibrium
      has two extreme kinetic consequences. During catalysis in the scooting mode the
      enzyme does not leave the surface of the vesicle to which it is bound. On the
      other hand, in the hopping mode the absorption and desorption steps are a part of
      the catalytic turnover. In this minireview we elaborate on the factors that
      control binding of pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 to the bilayer interface.
      Binding of PLA2 to the interface occurs through ionic interactions and is further
      promoted by hydrophobic interactions which probably occur along a face of the
      enzyme, with a hydrophobic collar and a ring of cationic residues, through which
      the catalytic site is accessible to substrate molecules in the bilayer. An enzyme
      molecule binds to the surface occupied by about 35 lipid molecules with an
      apparent dissociation constant of less than 0.1 pM for the enzyme on anionic
      vesicles compared to 10 mM on zwitterionic vesicles. Results at hand also show
      that aggregation or acylation of the protein is not required for the high
      affinity binding or catalytic interaction at the interface.

PMID- 1866430
TI  - Hexamers of subunit II from Limulus hemocyanin (a 48-mer) have the same
      quaternary structure as whole Panulirus hemocyanin molecules.
AB  - Hemocyanins are copper-containing proteins that transport oxygen in a variety of
      invertebrates. Considerable evidence has accumulated that arthropodan hemocyanins
      are multimers of a fundamental hexameric unit. X-Ray crystallographic structure
      determination has revealed that the hemocyanin molecule from the spiny lobster
      Panulirus interruptus is a single hexamer having 32 point group symmetry. Using
      crystals of subunit II, one of 8 polypeptide types comprising the octahexameric
      hemocyanin of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus, and the molecular
      replacement method for crystallographic phase determination we show that subunit
      II forms assemblies with the same hexameric quaternary structure as the whole
      Panulirus hemocyanin molecule. Observation of the same hexameric motif in two
      widely separated species provides strong additional evidence that this quaternary
      structural unit is a universal building block of arthropodan hemocyanins.

PMID- 1866432
TI  - Energetic approach to the folding of alpha/beta barrels.
AB  - The folding of a polypeptide into a parallel (alpha/beta)8 barrel (which is also
      called a circularly permuted beta 8 alpha 8 barrel) has been investigated in
      terms of energy minimization. According to the arrangement of hydrogen bonds
      between two neighboring beta-strands of the central barrel therein, such an
      alpha/beta barrel structure can be folded into six different types: (1) left
      tilted, left-handed crossover; (2) left-tilted, right-handed crossover; (3)
      nontilted, left-handed crossover; (4) nontilted, right-handed crossover; (5)
      right-tilted, left-handed crossover; and (6) right-tilted, right-handed
      crossover. Here "tilt" refers to the orientational relation of the beta-strands
      to the axis of the central beta-barrel, and "crossover" to the beta alpha beta
      folding connection feature of the parallel beta-barrel. It has been found that
      the right-tilted, right-handed crossover alpha/beta barrel possesses much lower
      energy than the other five types of alpha/beta barrels, elucidating why the
      observed alpha/beta barrels in proteins always assume the form of right tilt and
      right-handed crossover connection. As observed, the beta-strands in the energy
      minimized right-tilted, right-handed crossover (alpha/beta)8-barrel are of strong
      right-handed twist. The value of root-mean-square fits also indicates that the
      central barrel contained in the lowest energy (alpha/beta)8 structure thus found
      coincides very well with the observed 8-stranded parallel beta-barrel in triose
      phosphate isomerase (TIM). Furthermore, an energetic analysis has been made
      demonstrating why the right-tilt, right-handed crossover barrel is the most
      stable structure. Our calculations and analysis support the principle that it is
      possible to account for the main features of frequently occurring folding
      patterns in proteins by means of conformational energy calculations even for very
      complicated structures such as (alpha/beta)8 barrels.

PMID- 1866431
TI  - Thiol protease-like active site found in the enzyme dienelactone hydrolase:
      localization using biochemical, genetic, and structural tools.
AB  - The active site of dienelactone hydrolase (DLH), a microbial enzyme of the beta
      ketoadipate pathway, has been conclusively located using a combination of
      crystallographic, biochemical, and genetic techniques. DLH hydrolyzes a
      dienelactone to maleylacetate and has esterase activity on p-nitrophenyl acetate
      and trans-cinnamoyl imidazole. The identification of Cys-123 as containing the
      essential thiol confirms the localization of the active site as suggested by the
      crystal structure of DLH, and disproves an earlier hypothesis regarding its
      location. Two mutant proteins have been engineered in which Cys-123 has been
      converted to a serine (C123S DLH) and an alanine (C123A DLH), respectively. C123S
      DLH (Km = 9900 +/- 2300 microM; Vmax = 4.4 +/- 0.8 mumol/min-mg) displays burst
      kinetics with p-nitrophenyl acetate and is 10% as active as DLH (Km = 170 +/- 7
      microM; Vmax = 21.1 +/- 0.4 mumol/min-mg). C123A DLH is inactive. The structures
      of DLH, C123S DLH, and C123A DLH have been refined at 1.8, 2.2, and 2.0 A,
      respectively. Comparison of the structures of these proteins demonstrates that
      the only differences between them are centered at residue 123. The structures of
      the active sites of DLH, papain, and subtilisin are similar and are suggestive of
      the three enzymes having evolved convergently to similar active sites with
      similar enzymic mechanisms.

PMID- 1866433
TI  - [On schizophrenic cases which present neurosis-like symptoms from early childhood
      -in relation to the prodromal signs and childhood schizophrenia].
AB  - The concept of "childhood schizophrenia" is ambiguous because of problems on the
      diagnostic level, especially in regard to symptomatology and prognosis. After
      studies which produced the description of "early infantile autism", childhood
      schizophrenia studies were even more confused. One reason for this was that there
      were not sufficient follow-up studies about the schizophrenia-like psychoses
      during occurring childhood, on the one hand, and the retrospective-anamnestic
      research was limited in the field of adult psychiatry, on the other hand. The
      author has focused on two points of view in order to discuss the problem of
      childhood schizophrenia. One is the non outbreak of childhood psychoses in
      children from 6 to 8 years old which was demonstrated by a couple of
      epidemiological research studies. The other is the concept of "Knick" (in
      Germany) which usually accompanies classical German theories of schizophrenia.
      "Knick" means that, at some point in the patient's history, there is an incident
      that is the indication of the onset of schizophrenia. The subjects were selected
      from the author's own cases. They continuously and insidiously developed
      schizophrenic symptoms during pre-puberty and puberty, presenting behavioral
      abnormalities or neurosis-like signs from early childhood. The diagnostic
      criteria for schizophrenia corresponds to DSM-III and with the German theory of
      Bleuler and Schneider. All cases have been treated for more than ten years. The
      acute onset cases, the mentally retarded cases (DSM-III .318) and the cases with
      suspected organic brain disorders were excluded because of the diagnostic
      problems. The author could differentiate these subjects into three groups based
      on the development in the infantile stage. The first was autistic group and the
      second mentally subnormal (DSM-III .317) or borderline group. Psychiatric
      problems of these two groups were already obvious in early childhood. The third
      group developed normally until they were 3-5 years old. After that they presented
      neurotic symptoms having some kind of intra-familiar problems. The author could
      confirm that these three groups manifested various kinds of neurosis-like
      symptoms, mainly obsessive-compulsive ones, from 3-5 years old. The so-called
      latent time, which is thought to be a non-outbreak time of childhood psychoses,
      may correspond to the prodromal stage of schizophrenia in these cases. This
      research is based on study of 31 children. An in-depth study has been done by the
      author of 6 of these children, 2 in each of the 3 categories described above. The
      "Knick"-points were not identifiable in these cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1866434
TI  - [Short-term and long-term prognosis of alcohol dependence: a follow-up study of
      Danshu-Kai (Alcohol Abstinence Club) members].
AB  - 595 alcohol dependent cases had been enrolled in the Mie Danshu-Shinsei-Kai (The
      Alcohol Abstinence Club in Mie) since its establishment in Jan. 1972 by Oct. 1984
      when this study started. 163 cases of them, who had been practising abstinence at
      least for 6 months when the first observation was made in Oct. 1984, were
      selected for the follow-up study. Relapses in these cases were checked twice, 2.5
      years later in 1987 and 5 years later in 1989. The results obtained were
      summarized as follows: It was observed that 64% of those who had practised
      abstinence for 2 years sustained abstinence successfully at least for the next 5
      years, and 74% of those who had kept non-drinking for 3 years continued
      abstinence for the next 5 years. Those who had practised abstinence for shorter
      than 2 years just before the first observation showed that the closer the term of
      abstinence approached to 2 years, the more sharply the following 5 year
      abstinence rate increased. It was noticed among those who had kept abstinence for
      longer than 3 years that the longer the abstinence period became, the more slowly
      the next 5 year abstinence rate increased, eventually reaching to as high as 81%.
      A turning point from sharp increase to slow increase was found in between 2 and 3
      years of abstinence. From the observation mentioned above, the period of
      abstinence can be classified into three categories in view of prognosis: shorter
      than 2 years, 2 to 3 years, and longer than 3 years, which stand for "unstable,"
      "intermediate," and "stable" period respectively. The intermediate period is
      considered to be critically important in terms of prognosis and treatment of
      alcohol dependence. It would be reasonable therefore to prospect prognosis in the
      short term or in the long term basis according to the period of abstinence. The
      object and contents of treatment might become different before and after the
      intermediate period. The major factors which affect the prognosis can be
      classified into 5 categories; 1) the degree of insight into his or her drinking,
      2) biological condition, 3) financial problems like "debt," 4) tendency toward
      multiple addiction, and 5) problems of "co-dependency." It was noticed that
      although all of these factors remained unresolved in most cases of unstable
      period, factors 1), 2) and 3) were mostly successfully resolved in a stable
      period. Factors 4) and 5) are found in not rarely even in a stable
      period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1866435
TI  - [A case of premenstrual syndrome with anovulatory menstruation after parturition
      which responded favorably to clomiphene-HCG therapy].

PMID- 1866436
TI  - Emotional profiles of families with a heart-operated patient: a pilot study.
AB  - Family interaction is a basic factor in determining the quality of life of
      patients undergoing heart surgery. The present study investigates the emotional
      attitudes in the relatives of 10 heart-operated patients. The results indicate
      that a high amount of relatives' emotional overinvolvement and warmth tends
      toward a correlation with lower anxiety and depression scores, and with a better
      12-month outcome of the illness.

PMID- 1866437
TI  - Depression and allergies: survey of a nonclinical population.
AB  - The possible association between depression and type I allergies (i.e.
      immunoglobulin E-mediated hay fever, asthma, eczema, hives) was examined in a
      nonclinical sample of 379 college students. Measures included self-reports of
      depression, tiredness, fearfulness, allergic disorders, and environmental
      allergens and irritants. Seventy-one percent of the subjects who had ever
      received a professional diagnosis of depression also indicated a history of
      allergy: those with greater self-rated current depression overall reported a
      significantly higher prevalence of asthma (p less than 0.05). Type I allergic
      (43%) and nonallergic subjects did not differ in self-rated frequency of
      depression, fatigue, or anxiety. However, type I subjects reported significantly
      worse mood after the flu than did nonallergic subjects (p less than 0.001). The
      data support the hypothesis that individuals prone to clinical depression have
      more allergies than nondepressives. Allergics may experience more postflu mood
      worsening but not current depression in comparison with nonallergics.

PMID- 1866438
TI  - Comparative neurobiological and neuropsychological deficits in adolescent and
      adult schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients.
AB  - A group of 24 adolescents and young adults were classified according to four
      measures using Research Diagnostic Criteria on the dimension of the severity of
      their schizophrenic syndrome. Independent assessments by the Gottschalk-Gleser
      Social Alienation-Personal Disorganization Scale and the Abrams-Taylor Emotional
      Blunting Scale corroborated that the definite schizophrenic group (n = 7) was
      significantly more schizophrenic than the not schizophrenic group (n = 12), but
      not more so than the probably schizophrenic group (n = 5). The Halstead-Reitan
      Category Test and Rhythm Test significantly differentiated the definite
      schizophrenic group from the not schizophrenic group with respect to cognitive
      impairment. The Gottschalk-Gleser Cognitive Impairment Scale did not indicate a
      significant difference in cognitive function between these patient groups. The
      computerized EEG revealed a significantly higher percent of EEG abnormalities
      among the definite and probably schizophrenic groups than the not schizophrenic
      group of patients. These findings are analyzed and discussed.

PMID- 1866439
TI  - Specificity revisited and updated.
AB  - Typicality is probably a better representation of Alexander, Dunbar and others'
      conclusions than specificity, which was always too absolute a term. As such it
      became a valid cause of objection by opponents. No genuine attempts to repeat the
      original studies have been made and most of the original opposition to the
      concept is now acknowledged as invalid. Typicality (specificity) in psychosomatic
      disorders appears to be conferred by coping mechanisms acquired through
      interaction with mother and early surrogates in infancy and childhood as a means
      of reducing tensions and restoration of homeostatic emotional equilibrium.
      Psychosomatic medicine patients share one such mechanism, notably
      superstability/alexythymia, but contained within it are coping mechanisms typical
      for differing disorders. Examples are listed, and also mention of typicality of
      recurrently provocative life events/situations. Until typicality is appreciated,
      taught, learned and practised, success in management of psychosomatic disorders
      will be limited. The current bio-psycho-social approach is too imprecise.

PMID- 1866440
TI  - Patterns of self-definition of asthma patients and normal persons in the Freiburg
      Personality Inventory.
AB  - The concept of the specificity of psychosomatic diseases (Alexander) is being
      differentiated at the time. In order to clarify some aspects of this problem, we
      want to investigate whether types of self-rating of normal persons differ from
      those of patients with bronchial asthma. In a second step we shall examine
      whether those types of self-rating can be found also in expert rating and third
      the differences between the two groups concerning their help-seeking behavior.
      For the purpose of this investigation the data of 135 patients with bronchial
      asthma (who had been investigated at the Heidelberg University Medical Department
      between 1979 and 1982) and of 330 persons of the Mannheim Cohort Study (who are a
      representative sample of the average urban population) have been reanalyzed. By
      means of the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPI) data cluster analyses have been
      done. Evaluated by a group of 5 (5-cluster solution) the patterns of self-rating
      of patients with bronchial asthma do not differ significantly from those of
      normal persons. They had a high correlation to the expert rating and to other
      social-medically important outer criteria. The results indicate that the
      specificity of psychosomatic patients in relation to normal persons is not very
      convincing in a pattern of self-rating on the level of the FPI. Therefore,
      further research in this field seems to be necessary.

PMID- 1866441
TI  - Psychotherapeutic treatments evaluated with two instruments: clinical
      questionnaire and semantic differential.
AB  - We evaluated about 100 psychotherapeutic treatments on the Freudian model with
      two independent instruments: a clinical questionnaire (assessed globally and
      intuitively) and a semantic differential (processed through various mathematic
      analyses). The results obtained with the two instruments were compared, and we
      also compared the semantic evolution of patients with that of normal subjects.
      Both instruments show an undeniable average improvement among patients. The
      semantic differential also shows that the various 'zones' tested by the inducive
      words are neither equally affected by neurosis nor equally modified by treatment.

PMID- 1866442
TI  - Role of the forebrain in nociception.

PMID- 1866443
TI  - Role of the forebrain in sensation and behavior. Proceedings of a symposium.
      Moffett Field, California, May 26-27, 1989.

PMID- 1866444
TI  - "Perestroika" in the basal forebrain: opening the border between neurology and
      psychiatry.

PMID- 1866445
TI  - Local circuitry of the somatosensory thalamus in the processing of sensory
      information.

PMID- 1866446
TI  - Contributions of the amygdalar complex to behavior in macaque monkeys.

PMID- 1866447
TI  - Biochemical switching in hypothalamic circuits mediating responses to stress.

PMID- 1866448
TI  - Neural mechanisms underlying corticospinal and rubrospinal control of limb
      movements.

PMID- 1866449
TI  - Forebrain nuclei involved in autonomic control.
AB  - Several key regions of the forebrain are involved in regulation of autonomic
      functions. These areas include the several areas within the hypothalamus (viz.,
      paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, lateral hypothalamic area, posterior
      periventricular area, and zona incerta), the basal forebrain (viz., central
      nucleus of the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), and the
      cerebral cortex (viz., insular and medial prefrontal cortex). All these areas
      have been implicated on anatomical grounds to be part of a central autonomic
      network involving multiple interconnecting circuits. Apart from these complex
      interconnections, most of these areas project to the lower brain stem where they
      are capable of influencing the cell groups which innervate the vagal and
      sympathetic preganglionic neurons or in some cases, like the paraventricular
      hypothalamic nucleus and the lateral hypothalamic area, provide direct
      projections to these neurons.

PMID- 1866450
TI  - [Properties of intracellular Ca store and its Ca release mechanisms in smooth
      muscle cells].

PMID- 1866451
TI  - [Cytokines as inflammatory mediator].

PMID- 1866452
TI  - [Determination of the primary structures of proteins by mass spectrometry].

PMID- 1866454
TI  - [Progress on the plan for human genome project in Japan].

PMID- 1866453
TI  - [Molecular organization of photosystem I reaction center].

PMID- 1866455
TI  - [Function of ets proteins: gene regulation coupled with signal transduction].

PMID- 1866456
TI  - A unified account of the effects of distinctiveness, inversion, and race in face
      recognition.
AB  - A framework is outlined in which individual faces are assumed to be encoded as a
      point in a multidimensional space, defined by dimensions that serve to
      discriminate faces. It is proposed that such a framework can account for the
      effects of distinctiveness, inversion, and race on recognition of faces. Two
      specific models within this framework are identified: a norm-based coding model,
      in which faces are encoded as vectors from a population norm or prototype, and a
      purely exemplar-based model. Both models make similar predictions, albeit in
      different ways, concerning the interactions between the effects of
      distinctiveness, inversion and race. These predictions were supported in five
      experiments in which photographs of faces served as stimuli. The norm-based
      coding version and the exemplar-based version of the framework cannot be
      distinguished on the basis of the experiments reported, but it is argued that a
      multidimensional space provides a useful heuristic framework to investigate
      recognition of faces. Finally, the relationship between the specific models is
      considered and an implementation in terms of parallel distributed processing is
      briefly discussed.

PMID- 1866457
TI  - The coordination of bimanual aiming movements: evidence for progressive
      desynchronization.
AB  - It is known that when simultaneous bimanual aiming movements are made to targets
      with different IDs (Index of Difficulty), Fitts' Law is violated. There is
      massive slowing of the easy target hand, but a debate has arisen over the degree
      of synchronization between the hands and whether this effect represents a
      coordinative structure or interference due to neural cross-talk. This issue was
      investigated in an experiment with 12 subjects who moved styli forward in the
      sagittal plane to pairs of targets that differed in difficulty (0.77/3.73 ID and
      0.77/5.17 ID). Reaction time, movement time, and kinematic measures of resultant
      velocity and acceleration were analysed. The results showed clear-cut timing
      differences between the hands that depended on both the ID difference between
      target pairs and elapsed time of the movement. The violation of Fitts' Law was
      confined to the easy target hand. Pronounced individual differences in both
      timing differences and left-right asymmetry were also noted. Neither the
      coordinative structure nor the neural cross-talk models can fully account for
      these data, and it is possible that the initial constraints on movement are
      moderated by visually driven corrective movements.

PMID- 1866458
TI  - A study of the effect of structural information and familiarity in form
      perception.
AB  - Two experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of structural
      information and familiarity on the processing of visual forms. Pairs of "well"
      structured and nameable and "poorly" structured and non-nameable fragmented forms
      were employed as stimuli. The effects of structure and familiarity were assessed
      by manipulating the visual hemifield of presentation and the task. In Experiment
      1 stimuli were judged as being either in the same orientation or mirror-reversed,
      a task that does not require high-level semantic information to be processed.
      Experiment 2 required physically identical forms to be matched, which may use
      either physical or name information. In Experiment 1 "same" judgements were
      equivalent for both types of stimuli, and "different" judgements were longer for
      the "poorly" structured (non-nameable) forms. In Experiment 2 there was little
      overall difference between "well" and "poorly" structured forms, though response
      times to "well" structured (nameable) forms were slowed for right-visual-field
      presentations. It is suggested that familiarity may not be sufficient to provide
      a perceptual advantage for nameable forms, as the advantage for nameable stimuli
      was confined to "same" judgements in Experiment 1 and response times were shorter
      for non-nameable stimuli in Experiment 2. Rather, performance depends upon
      factors such as the computation of global shape (due to structural properties of
      collinearity and closure) and on the use of different kinds or representations
      (physical versus name) in matching.

PMID- 1866460
TI  - Prosopagnosia: a reclassification.
AB  - We report a quantitative investigation of three patients who presented with a
      profound prosopagnosia. They were tested on a series of tests of face perception,
      face recognition, and paired associate learning using faces. A patient with
      marked perceptual difficulties but no difficulty whatever in recognizing faces
      was tested as a control. The control patient's performance was as bad or worse on
      the tests of perception of faces, and it is concluded that impaired performance
      on tests of face perception does not contribute to difficulties in recognizing
      familiar faces. The major difference between the three prosopagnosic patients was
      the evidence of covert recognition in two of these cases but not in the third. We
      use this evidence to argue that the perceptual/mnestic distinction is an
      inappropriate classification and would suggest instead that the two types may be
      described in terms either of a disconnection of the face recognition units or of
      damage to the units themselves.

PMID- 1866459
TI  - Distinguishing representation deficits and processing deficits in a case of
      acquired dysgraphia.
AB  - The same acquired disorder of spelling may be due to deficits affecting lexical
      representations of word spelling or deficits affecting the mechanisms that
      process those representations. This study sought to distinguish these
      possibilities in a dysgraphic patient. The integrity of the patient's lexical
      orthographic representations was assessed by having him decide whether or not
      pairs of words presented auditorily rhymed. Although the patient was impaired on
      a variety of spelling tasks and with all types of stimulus material, he showed a
      normal effect of spelling on the rhyme task. Like normal subjects, he was faster
      at deciding that words rhymed when they were spelled similarly (e.g. tool-cool)
      than when they were spelled dissimilarly (e.g. rule-cool) and slower at deciding
      that words did not rhyme when they were spelled similarly (e.g. toad-broad) than
      when they were spelled dissimilarly (e.g. code-broad). Therefore, as the
      patient's lexical representations of word spelling seemed to be generally intact,
      his spelling problems were probably due to difficulty in processing those
      representations.

PMID- 1866461
TI  - Object-centred inhibition of return of visual attention.
AB  - Our response to visual events can be delayed at positions we have recently
      examined attentively. Such inhibition could organize visual search through static
      scenes by suppressing those loci already searched, but this mechanism would fail
      in moving scenes as objects' locations then change during search. We cued
      attention to a moving object and found subsequent inhibition at the locus the
      object later occupied. This implies that previously examined objects are
      suppressed. Such object-centred inhibition would be highly adaptive, but would
      require a sophisticated neural implementation for a mechanism held to be sub
      cortical.

PMID- 1866462
TI  - Stage I-II squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated by iridium-192: is
      elective neck dissection indicated?
AB  - This is a retrospective analysis of 233 evaluable patients with stage I-II
      squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated by definitive branchytherapy.
      Minimum follow-up is 3 years. Treatment of neck was chosen by a multidisciplinary
      team, according to age, medical status and availability for regular follow-up.
      One hundred and ten patients (47%) underwent elective neck dissection (END); 28
      (25%) had positive nodes and received neck irradiation post-operatively. One
      hundred and twenty three patients (53%) were regularly followed up only, with
      therapeutic neck dissection (TND) reserved for cases of node relapses. In the END
      group, there were 19 neck relapses (17%): 12/60 (20%) in patients with mobile
      tongue carcinoma and 7/50 (14%) in patients with floor of the mouth carcinoma.
      Salvage treatment was successful in 9/19 (47%) cases. In the TND group, there
      were 21 neck relapses (17%): 16/82 (20%) in patients with mobile tongue carcinoma
      and 5/41 (10%) in patients with floor of the mouth carcinoma. Salvage treatment
      was successful in 13/21 (62%) cases. Ten-year survival is 37% for the END group
      and 31% for the TND group. Tumour stage and infiltration into underlying tissues
      increased the probability of neck relapse and death. Furthermore, a multivariate
      analysis showed that patients treated in the TND group had a higher probability
      of death than patients treated in the END group (p less than 0.04).

PMID- 1866463
TI  - Radiation therapy in extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma.
AB  - Fifty-one patients with carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBD) received
      radiation therapy between January 1980 and December 1988. The location of the
      tumors was: proximal third, 20 patients; middle third, 23 patients; distal third,
      3; diffuse, 5 patients. Thirty-six patients underwent surgery with complete gross
      resection in 14 (10/14 with positive margins), incomplete gross resection in 12
      and only biopsy in 10. Fifteen patients had only biliary drainage without
      laparotomy after cytologic diagnosis of malignancy in 11/15. Radiation therapy
      was done with curative intent after complete or incomplete resection (n = 26) and
      it was palliative in patients who had no resection or only biliary drainage (n =
      25). Twenty-five patients received external radiation-therapy (ERT) alone to the
      tumor and lymph nodes (mean dose 45 Gy/2 Gy per fraction for cure, 35 Gy/10
      fractions for palliation), 8 patients had only iridium-192 (192Ir) implant (50-60
      Gy at a 1 cm radius for cure, 30 Gy for palliation), 17 patients had both ERT +
      192Ir (ERT 42.5 Gy + 192Ir 10-15 Gy for cure; ERT 20 Gy/5 fractions + 192Ir 20-30
      Gy for palliation) and one intra-operative irradiation + ERT. The overall
      survival for the entire group was 55, 28.5 and 15% at 12, 24, 36 months and
      median survival 12 months. Median survival was 22 months in patients treated with
      curative intent and only 10 months after palliative treatment (p 0.03). Among
      patients who had curative treatment, median survival was 27.5 months after
      complete gross resection and 13 months after incomplete gross resection (p
      0.045).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866464
TI  - Total perturbation correction factor for PTW and NACP plane parallel chambers in
      electron beams.
AB  - The international protocols of electron dosimetry published by the Nordic
      Association of Clinical Physics and the Sociedad Espanola de Fisica Medica
      recommend the use of a total perturbation correction factor pu, pp which is
      constant for all plane parallel chambers. In this work we have compared the dose
      measured with the PTW-Markus and NACP plane parallel chambers in respect to a
      cylindrical one. The obtained results indicate that for the ionization chamber
      NACP the value of pu, pp = 1.000 +/- 0.005 is adequate while for the ionization
      chamber PTW the observed difference is explained by considering an individual
      total perturbation correction factor variable with the mean energy at depth z,
      Ez, as the fluence perturbation correction factor pf is usually given for
      cylindrical chambers.

PMID- 1866465
TI  - Preoperative irradiation for tethered rectal carcinoma.
AB  - Twenty-eight patients with resectable but tethered rectal carcinomas were treated
      with preoperative irradiation (EBRT) and surgical resection. The 5-year actuarial
      disease-free survival and local control rates of these 28 patients were 66 and
      76%, respectively. Two patients have developed local failure only, 2 patients
      concurrent local failures and distant metastases, and 4 patients distant
      metastases only. All local failures occurred in areas of tumor adherence to
      unresectable structures (sacrum, pelvic side wall). Patients with tethered rectal
      tumors are at risk for local failure despite preoperative irradiation and
      surgical resection. To improve local control in this subset of patients, an
      intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) boost is given to areas of tumor
      adherence at resection following EBRT.

PMID- 1866467
TI  - The need for prospective clinical studies in thymomas.

PMID- 1866466
TI  - LQ and time model.

PMID- 1866468
TI  - Post-operative radiotherapy in invasive thymoma.
AB  - The experience of a large Cancer Institute in treating invasive thymoma has been
      reviewed. Twenty-eight patients received radiotherapy following biopsy or
      incomplete resection of a thymoma. The overall survival was 53% at 5 years and
      44% at 10 years. Treatment was generally well tolerated but three patients (11%)
      developed significant side effects from the radiotherapy and two of these died.
      Radiotherapy appeared to be more effective in patients who had a small volume of
      residual disease after surgery. An attempt was made to identify prognostic
      factors but none reached statistical significance. The radiation dose, field size
      and the use of systemic treatment are discussed.

PMID- 1866469
TI  - A radiotherapeutic experience for localized extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma:
      prognostic factors and re-evaluation of treatment modality.
AB  - Between 1966 and 1988, 149 patients were treated with radiotherapy for localized
      extranodal lymphoma. The average total dose given was 39.8 Gy for low grade
      disease and 48.7 Gy for all other disease. Of the 149 patients, 60 also received
      adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-four had low grade lymphoma, 109 had intermediate
      grade disease, and 16 had high grade disease, histologically. The distribution of
      histological grade and T/B phenotype varied with the primary site. Low grade
      lymphomas were found mainly in the orbit, and T-cell lymphomas were found in the
      nasal cavity and nasopharynx. The 5-year survival rates according to tumor
      location were 89% for oral cavity, 86% for paranasal sinus, 83% for thyroid, 69%
      for orbit, 47% for Waldeyer's ring (WAR), 44% for testis, 23% for CNS, 21% for
      nasal cavity and 60% for other sites. Histological grade and T/B phenotype both
      had prognostic importance. Combined chemotherapy significantly improved the
      survival rate only for disease with intermediate or high grade histology. Other
      prognostic factors according to the primary site were the bulk of lymph node for
      WAR disease, the radiation dose for CNS disease, bone erosion for orbital
      disease, stridor for disease of the thyroid, and the tumor stage for disease of
      both the testis and the thyroid.

PMID- 1866470
TI  - The curability of tumours of differing size by targeted radiotherapy using 131I
      or 90Y.
AB  - A mathematical model has been used to investigate the relationship of curability
      to tumour size and cell number for spherical tumours treated with targeted 131I
      or 90Y, assuming uniform uptake of radionuclide throughout the tumour. The
      analysis shows that, for any given cumulated activity per unit mass of tumour,
      cure probability is greatest for tumours whose diameter is close to an optimum
      value which depends on the path length of the emitted beta-particle. Smaller
      tumours are less curable because of inefficient absorption of radiation energy,
      and larger tumours are less curable because of greater clonogenic cell number.
      The lesser curability of very small tumours is a feature of targeted radiotherapy
      using long-range beta-emitters which does not occur with external beam
      irradiation. The predicted inefficiency of sterilisation of microscopic tumours
      poses a problem for targeted radiotherapy which is analogous to "geographic miss"
      in conventional radiotherapy. The implication is that small micro-metastases
      could escape sterilisation by radionuclides administered at activity levels
      sufficient to eradicate larger tumours. It is suggested that single agent
      targeted radiotherapy should not be used for treatment of disseminated malignancy
      when multiple tumours of differing size, including micrometastases, may be
      present. The analysis implies that an advantage might result from the use of a
      panel of several radionuclides (including short-range emitters) or from combining
      targeted radiotherapy using long-range beta-emitters with external beam
      irradiation or some other modality to which microscopic tumours are
      preferentially vulnerable.

PMID- 1866471
TI  - Endothelin as a putative sensory neuropeptide in the guinea-pig: different
      properties in comparison with calcitonin gene-related peptide.
AB  - Both endothelin-(ET) and calcitonin gene-related peptide- (CGRP) like
      immunoreactivity (-LI) were present in a variety of organs and neuronal tissue of
      the guinea-pig as determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Neuronal tissues like
      dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contained by far the highest levels of both ET- (65 +/-
      11 pmol/g) and CGRP-LI (34 +/- 5 pmol/g). The tissue levels of ET-LI remained
      unchanged after 6-hydroxydopamine and capsaicin-pretreatment, while CGRP-LI was
      markedly reduced after capsaicin. Chromatographic characterization revealed that
      the main portion of ET-LI in the DRG, right atrium and lung corresponded to
      synthetic ET-1. Immunohistochemical studies showed the presence of ET-LI in a few
      neurons of intact DRG and many neurons in DRG cell-cultures, partly co-existing
      with CGRP-LI. In the neuronal cells of DRG cultures the ratio between the ET- and
      CGRP-LI was 1:27 compared to 2:1 in intact DRG. 24 h after ligation of the
      sciatic or vagal nerves no accumulation of ET-LI was observed above the ligation,
      while CGRP-LI was increased 4-5-fold. Transection (10 days) of the sciatic nerve
      caused a 85-95% depletion of CGRP-LI in the distal skin, gastrocnemius muscle and
      trunk below the transection site, while in the proximal portion of the nerve CGRP
      LI increased. No effects on ET-LI in these tissues were observed after sciatic
      nerve transfection. In release experiments on DRG cell cultures. Langendorff
      heart preparations or perfused guinea-pig lungs, potassium (60 mM), capsaicin or
      antidromic nerve stimulation evoked a clear-cut increase in the supernatant
      levels of CGRP-LI, suggesting release, while no effect on the ET-LI concentration
      was observed in the effluent. Furthermore, anoxia failed to influence the outflow
      of ET-LI from the heart and lung. It is concluded that ET-1-LI is present in high
      levels in spinal ganglia and ET-LI occurs in afferent cell-bodies, but in
      comparison with CGRP, ET shows remarkable inertness upon various experimental
      conditions including no evidence for axonal transport, loss after denervation or
      release. The neuronal ET-LI seems to increase under culture conditions, however.
      The possible function for the high content of ET-LI in the intact guinea-pig
      peripheral nervous system remains to be elucidated and may mainly be related to a
      non-neuronal pool considering the relatively low content of ET-LI compared to
      CGRP in cultured DRG cells.

PMID- 1866472
TI  - Increased plasma levels of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity and
      catecholamines in severe hypertension remain after treatment to normotension in
      man.
AB  - Circulating levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity (-LI),
      adrenaline and noradrenaline (NA) were analysed in 17 patients admitted to the
      emergency ward due to severe hypertension; blood pressure mean 204/127 mmHg. The
      levels of NPY-LI and NA were significantly higher (P less than 0.001) in the
      hypertensives as compared to a normotensive control group. HPLC analysis revealed
      that the plasma contained besides NPY-LI also several NPY-LI fragments of low
      hydrophobicity. Following 2 to 3 weeks treatment the blood pressure had decreased
      to a mean of 150/89 mmHg. However, circulating levels of NPY-LI (P less than
      0.001) and NA (P less than 0.01) were still significantly higher than in controls
      in spite of the marked reduction in blood pressure. Simultaneous measurements of
      adrenaline did not reveal any significant changes and these values did not differ
      compared with those in the normotensive subjects. The findings suggest that
      peripheral markers of the sympathetic system (NPY-LI and NA) in severe
      hypertension is not directly related to the blood pressure level.

PMID- 1866473
TI  - Diagnostic relevance of the amino-terminal cleavage peptide of procalcitonin (PAS
      57), calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide in medullary thyroid
      carcinoma patients.
AB  - We have identified the amino-terminal cleavage peptide of procalcitonin (PAS-57)
      in the plasma of normal human subjects and of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)
      patients together with calcitonin (CT) and CT gene-related peptide (CGRP). Major
      components on reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography had the
      retention times of synthetic PAS-57, CT and CGRP as well as of precursor
      proteins. Plasma levels of PAS-57 (290 +/- 50 pgeq/ml; mean +/- S.E.M.), CT (27
      +/- 8 pgeq/ml) and CGRP (8.4 +/- 0.8 pgeq/ml) were respectively 2.3-, 1.6- and
      1.5-fold higher in normal men (n = 10) than in women (n = 8). In response to 1
      min intravenous calcium infusions (2 mg per kilogram body weight) PAS-57 and CT
      were increased 3.5- and 2.7-fold (P less than 0.001), respectively, but CGRP
      remained unchanged. In MTC patients (n = 57) with raised levels of PAS-57 and CT,
      the molar ratio between PAS-57 and CT was 1.7-times higher than in normal
      subjects (P less than 0.01). We have found that PAS-57 is a predominant CT/CGRP
      gene derived product in the circulation of normal subjects and of MTC patients
      and a potential new MTC tumor marker.

PMID- 1866474
TI  - CCK stimulates growth of six human pancreatic cancer cell lines in serum-free
      medium.
AB  - The growth responses of six human pancreatic cancer cell lines (SW-1990, PANC-1,
      MIA PaCa-2, BxPC-3, RWP-2 and CAPAN-2) to cholecystokinin (CCK) were evaluated in
      serum-free medium (SFM). In each experiment cells were initially plated in media
      containing fetal calf serum (FCS) grown for 48-72 h, and then washed with saline.
      Cells were incubated for an additional 72 to 96 h in medium devoid of FCS in the
      absence (control) or presence of synthetic CCK analogue (Thr4,Nle7)CCK9 (10(-13)
      to 10(-9) M), or CCK8 (10(-12) to 10(-9) M), or CCK39 (10(-12) to 10(-9) M).
      Viable cell counts were performed with a hemocytometer. Growth of each cell line
      was stimulated in the presence of CCK in serum-free medium, although the
      magnitude of responses differed. The concentrations of (Thr4,Nle7)CCK9 which
      stimulated the greatest increase in cell counts as compared to controls for each
      cell line were: SW-1990, 39% (10(-12) M, P less than 0.05); PANC-1, 45% (10(-9)
      M, P less than 0.005); MIA PaCa-2, 42% (10(-12) M, P less than 0.005); BxPC-3,
      32% (10(-13) M, P less than 0.05); RWP-2, 37% (10(-11) M, P less than 0.005).
      Maximal response to CCK8 occurred at the 10(-9) M dose for each cell line: MIA
      PaCa-2, 40% (P less than 0.025); PANC-1, 85% (P less than 0.001); RWP-2, 68% (P
      less than 0.001) and CAPAN-2, 52% (P less than 0.001). The maximal increase in
      cell count with CCK39 ranged from 44-74% and occurred with either 10(-11) or 10(
      10) M. CCK8 in SFM also stimulated cell growth as well as or better than FCS
      alone in three out of four pancreatic cell lines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1866475
TI  - [Intrathecal opiate-spinal anesthesia. Clinical results of a 1-year study using
      0.0375-0.15 mg morphine].
AB  - In a prospective study, 184 patients were studied after orthopedic operations
      with regard to analgesic requirements, analgesic effectiveness, and appearance of
      postoperative complications. In four groups, 0.0375, 0.075, 0.1 or 0.15 mg
      morphine was given in combination with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine for
      perioperative analgesia. The patients' ages ranged between 13 and 90 years (means
      = 62.97). One hundred sixteen patients did not need any analgesics in the first
      24 h. The effect of the spinal opiate was found to be pleasant, especially by
      patients who received a total hip prosthesis: in this group the average duration
      of analgesia was more than 24 h in 77.9% and 14.5 h in 22.1% of patients. The
      need for additional postoperative analgesia was seen earliest in the patients who
      received a knee prosthesis of the sledge type (P less than 0.05). The overall
      consumption of the analgesic piritramid was clearly reduced and amounted to 7.7
      mg on the day of operation, 8.4 mg on the 1st day, 6.0 mg on the 2nd day, and 3.6
      mg on the 3rd day after surgery. The degree of postoperative analgesia was the
      same in all four groups (P greater than 0.05). Blood gas analyses, respiratory
      rate, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and laboratory parameters
      were also examined. The application of small doses of opiate close to the spinal
      cord produced a good and long-lasting reduction of pain with few opiate side
      effects. In the spinal anesthetics with larger doses of morphine, side effects
      were rare and hardly different from those accompanying spinal anesthesia without
      morphine addition. There were no serious complications noted during the opiate
      anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866476
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics of articaine in mandibular nerve block].
AB  - Up to now, mandibular nerve blocks have been carried out without knowing the
      exact blood concentrations resulting from the use of the local anesthetics. Due
      to the high vascularity a rapid increase in serum local anesthetic levels is to
      be expected. Due to analytical problems, the literature provides controversial
      statements about the pharmacokinetics of articaine which is generally used for
      this block. The given half-life periods following intramuscular application range
      from 39 min [8] to 31 h [6]. For this reason, mandibular nerve blocks with 2 ml
      4% articaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine were carried out in 10 awake patients and
      10 patients during intubation anesthesia. RESULTS. Blood samples from peripheral
      veins showed an average maximum concentration of 2.1 +/- 1.3 mg/l after 12.5 +/-
      2.5 min. After 8 h the value had fallen below the minimum detection limit of 0.05
      mg/l. In the present study, a half-life of approximately 20 min was determined
      for articaine after conduction anesthesia. This local anesthetic holds an
      exceptional position because as an amide-type local anesthetic it contains an
      additional ester group that is hydrolytically metabolized in the blood. The
      concentration of the resulting metabolite reaches a maximum value of 2.6 +/- 1.6
      mg/l after 40 to 50 min. CONCLUSIONS. Compared to other amide-type local
      anesthetics, whose terminal plasma half-life varies between 1 and 3.6 h [5], the
      value of 20 min found for articaine is very low. This is in part due to its
      structure, as the ester group is rapidly metabolized by plasma esterases. Because
      of its rapid breakdown articaine is very suitable for use in oral surgery. The
      HPLC method represents an uncomplicated analytical technique for the
      determination of local anesthetics levels in blood and other body fluids.

PMID- 1866477
TI  - [Subarachnoid placement of a peridural catheter with high spinal anesthesia. The
      advantage of 0.25 % bupivacaine].
AB  - A 72-year-old female patient was scheduled for abdominal surgery with epidural
      block in combination with general anesthesia. An 18 G epidural catheter was
      inserted through an 18 G Tuohy needle between T12 and L1 using the midline
      approach and the 'loss of resistance' technique. A test dose of 13 ml bupivacaine
      0.25% showed no effect and a bolus of 12 ml bupivacaine 0.25% was added 8 min
      later. Bilateral analgesia between S5 and C4 developed over the following 17 min
      but was not accompanied by any cardiovascular or respiratory depression. The
      patient became sleepy and was finally intubated after the administration of
      thiopentone 175 mg and pancuronium 6 mg. There were no objections to surgery, so
      the hemicolectomy was continued as planned. Intraoperatively the systolic blood
      pressure dropped twice, to a minimum of 105 mm Hg, coinciding with eventration of
      the intestine, but this was reversed immediately on administration of a
      vasoconstrictor. Extubation of the patient was possible 90 min later on the
      termination of surgery, when the level of anesthesia had reached T2. A spinal X
      ray with radiopaque dye showed a typical intrathecal distribution. Most
      remarkable in this case is the stability of the cardiovascular function which in
      our opinion is related to the 0.25% solution. Serious complications of an
      inadvertent dural puncture can be avoided or alleviated with this concentration
      if the epidural block is to be combined with general anesthesia.

PMID- 1866478
TI  - [Adequacy of homemaker services in Gironde according to the PAQUID program].
AB  - Allocation of home-help for the elderly is often unsatisfactory, because of the
      lack of objective assessment of the potential needs. The PAQUID project, a
      prospective study of 2,792 residents of the Gironde, aged 65 and over, can be
      used for the determination of the potential need for home-help, and its level of
      satisfaction in the area. The need is defined by two conditions: living alone and
      beeing dependent for at least one of 5 Instrumental Activities of Daily Living of
      the Lawton's scale. The coverage rate is 48.7% and the targetting rate is 45.2%.
      These rates show a high level of potential needs which are not satisfied
      especially in rural areas. This approach can be helpful in the planning of home
      services for the aged.

PMID- 1866479
TI  - [Evaluation of the socioeconomic costs of cutaneous leishmaniasis in French
      Guiana].
AB  - The socio-economic cost of leishmaniasis in French Guiana was estimated using a
      retrospective survey spreading over a period of one year: 1979-80. The financial
      cost elements taken into account were the following: dermatological
      consultations, biological tests, treatments and hospitalisation days. Other
      elements were not evaluated, such as days of military hospital stays, work days
      suspended and unavailability of service. The cost of leishmaniasis represented
      0.13% of the general budget of French Guiana and 0.43% of the global budget of
      the French Guiana Social Security.

PMID- 1866480
TI  - [Seroepidemiological study of human leptospirosis at Reunion Island].
AB  - In order to evaluate the prevalence of human leptospirosis in Reunion island and
      to identify possible risk factors, a study was realised on a representative
      population sample of 3.338 persons. The prevalence of leptospirosis, diagnosed by
      ELISA and confirmed by Micro Agglutination Test, was 1.1%. Male predominance and
      higher prevalence in rainy parts of the island, were confirmed. It has not been
      possible to display risk factors such as housing conditions or professional
      exercise. The serological repartition showed not only icterohaemorrhagiae
      serovar, but also canicola, panama and sejroe, especially in women. These
      results, compared with clinical studies (showing nearly exclusive male
      repartition, in agricultural workers, due to icterohaemorrhagiae serovar),
      confirm the double look of human leptospirosis in Reunion island: clinical
      leptospirosis, severe, concerning males, often countrymen, due to
      icterohaemorrhagiae serovar, and infraclinical leptospirosis, concerning
      principally females, which is a domestic illness, due to other serovars.

PMID- 1866481
TI  - Alcohol and breast cancer in an area with high alcohol consumption.
AB  - The association between alcohol drinking and breast cancer risk was investigated
      in 132 breast cancer cases and 499 controls with acute conditions unrelated to
      alcohol or any of the suspected risk factors for breast cancer, in an area which
      shows among the highest levels of alcohol consumption and prevalence of alcohol
      related diseases in Europe (i.e. Pordenone Province, Northeastern part of Italy).
      Compared with non-drinkers, the multivariate odds ratio (OR) for ever drinkers
      was 1.5 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.8-2.6). The risks for wine (the almost
      exclusive source of alcohol in the present investigation) were 1.2 for up to 1
      drink, 1.4 for up to two drinks, 1.9 for up to 3 and 1.6 for over 3 drinks per
      day. Time-related factors (i.e. drinking habit duration and age at start of
      drinking) did not seem to be risk indicators.

PMID- 1866482
TI  - [Consumption of tobacco, alcohol, psychotropic drugs and illegal drugs in high
      school students of the department in the Upper Pyrenees].
AB  - A study was conducted on a representative sample of high school students in
      Hautes-Pyrenees, to measure their consumption of toxics (tobacco, alcohol,
      psychotropic and illicit drugs) and to explore the role of selected explanatory
      factors. Consumption levels were high, particularly for tobacco: 45% were smoker
      and 4% smoked more than 15 cigarettes each day. Less than 5% were alcohol daily
      consumers. Technical school students are a high risk population when they are 16
      years old or less. Evening out represents a risk indicator: use of toxics is more
      frequent for students having twice evenings out each month or more. Prevention
      should be global, including the adolescents concerned and adults.

PMID- 1866483
TI  - [The value of erythrocytic protoporphyrin measurement for screening blood donors
      for iron deficiency: a decision analysis].
AB  - Blood donors are considered as a group with increased risk of iron deficiency.
      Therefore it seems particularly useful to have a simple screening test at one's
      disposal in blood centers to detect easily early iron deficiency. Erythrocyte
      protoporphyrin assay on an hematofluorometer is very easy and of a low cost. So
      we studied its diagnostic value on a sample of 285 blood donors (131 men and 154
      women). Prevalence of iron deficiency, defined by the coexistence of, at least,
      two abnormal indicators (serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, erythrocyte
      protoporphyrin, mean corpuscular volume), was 5.6% in this sample; sensitivity of
      erythrocyte protoporphyrin used alone was 75% and its specificity was 91.5%. We
      used a decision analysis to evaluate the opportunity of screening with this test,
      accompanied where indicated by iron supplements. The results, though preliminary,
      suggest that erythrocyte protoporphyrin measurement could be of interest in
      screening blood donors for iron deficiency.

PMID- 1866484
TI  - [Logistics regression in epidemiology. II].
AB  - The logistic regression is used in epidemiology to study the relationships
      between a disease in two modalities (diseased or disease free) and risk factors
      Xi which may be qualitative as quantitative variables. According to this model,
      the probability of disease knowing Xi's values is written: [formula: see text].
      The coefficients satisfy to the equation: ORi = exp(beta i) where ORi is the odds
      ratio linked to the variable Xi adjusted on the other variables of the model. The
      second part of this paper is devoted to the tests of hypothesis in the logistic
      model and to the choice of the variables to be included in the model. The way of
      using tests to decide how to code variables is explained. Analysis strategy
      (choice and selection of variables) is discussed. The rational of goodness of fit
      tests is shown. At least, we indicate how to use the logistic model in case
      controls studies and in studies with matched samples.

PMID- 1866485
TI  - [Which controls should be chosen in a case-control study? Survey of bladder
      cancer in Herault].
AB  - A case-control investigation about bladder cancer was carried out in Herault
      department with 219 incident cases from January 1987 to May 1989 and two control
      groups: 196 hospital controls randomized from hospital admission lists and 794
      population controls randomized from census data. According to the comparison for
      those two groups, there are few socio-demographic differences; but hospital
      controls are more exposed to smoking, coffee, alcohol, artificial sweetners. So,
      the odds ratios with those hospital controls are under-estimated. We can evaluate
      the resulting biais.

PMID- 1866486
TI  - [AIDS: projections to the year 2000].

PMID- 1866487
TI  - Translocation of alkaline phosphatase during the activation of B cells.
AB  - The association of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) with the cytoskeleton in
      lymphoid cells was investigated. Extracting cells with non-ionic detergents such
      as Triton, we determined that ALPase is present in the cytoskeletal fraction in
      fully differentiated B lymphocytes, X63 myeloma cells and Sp2/O hybridoma cells.
      During the course of B-lymphocyte activation, the ALPase shifted from a soluble
      to a Triton-insoluble form. Changes in the phosphorylation of Triton-insoluble
      proteins with molecular weights of 120, 100, 90, 75, 34 and 31 kDa were detected,
      coinciding with the appearance of the ALPase in this fraction. The possible role
      of ALPase in the differentiation of B cells is discussed.

PMID- 1866488
TI  - [Therapeutic effectiveness of anticoagulation in acute myocardial infarction: a
      case-control study].
AB  - The main aim was to assess the role of anticoagulant therapy (AT) in reducing the
      mortality for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A pair-matched
      case-control study was designed according to three confounding factors: gender,
      age (+/- 5 years), and hospitalization date (+/- 13 months). Cases were defined
      as patients with AMI who died during hospitalization and controls were those
      patients with AMI who survived. Excluded from the study were patients with strong
      indications or contraindications for use of AT, and also those with early death
      (less than 12 hr). The study undertaken at the National Institute of Cardiology
      "Ignacio Chavez" of Mexico City and all necessary information was obtained from
      clinical charts of patients discharged between the period from January 1, 1975 to
      December 31, 1985. Complete information was accomplished for 212 pairs of cases
      and controls. A protective odds ratio (favoring use of AT) = 12.1 (p less than
      0.0001, 95% CI 4.2-34.9) was obtained by means of a multiple logistic regression
      analysis by conditional method. Other variables that entered into the logistic
      model were: antithrombotic therapy, severity measured by Killip scale and by
      Norris index. Such findings support the favorable therapeutic role of AT in
      patients with AMI.

PMID- 1866489
TI  - [A 51-year-old female with chylous ascites, membranous glomerulonephritis and
      fever].

PMID- 1866490
TI  - [Mycosis fungoides associated with human T-cell lymphotropic virus in Yucatan].

PMID- 1866491
TI  - [Splenectomy in thrombocytopenic purpura].

PMID- 1866492
TI  - [Effects of malnutrition on infective morbidity in the surgical treatment of
      portal hypertension (prospective evaluation)].
AB  - With the aim of investigating the preoperative frequency of undernutrition and
      its impact on the infectious morbidity in patients without malignant disease, we
      studied prospectively 41 patients operated because of portal hypertension between
      1987 and 1989 at the Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion. All patients were
      evaluated through anthropometric analysis and biochemical markers one week before
      the surgical procedure. A standard scheme of antibiotic profilaxis was used
      during surgery and the preoperative complications were registered up to discharge
      from the hospital. Undernutrition was considered when the serum albumin was less
      than 3 mg/dL or the total lymphocyte count was under 900, associated with a 10%
      weight loss in six months and reduction of one or more anthropometric parameters
      below the 30th percentile of the normal value. The group consisted of 17 males
      and 24 females with a mean age of 48 +/- 14 years old. 35 were Child A, four
      Child B and two Child C. Ten patients had a distal splenorenal shunt, seven
      esophageal devascularization and 24 gastric desvascularization with splenectomy.
      Twenty eight patients were well nourished and 13 undernourished. The two groups
      were comparable in all parameters except for the nutritional status. In the first
      group seven patients developed 10 complications and in the undernourished group
      eight patients had 14 complications (p less than 0.05 chi 2). There was no
      significant difference in the mortality rate. Infections occurred more frequently
      in: urinary tract, surgical wound, lung and pleura, and esophageal fistulae was
      an additional complication. The univariate analysis of the anthropometric
      parameters did not show significant differences between both groups.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866493
TI  - Diagnostic laparotomy in fever of unknown origin.
AB  - Twenty five consecutive patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) who underwent
      diagnostic laparatomy (DL) are reviewed. There were 14 females and 11 males, with
      a mean age of 34 years. The main symptoms and signs besides fever were malaise,
      weight loss, varied abdominal complaints, peripheral lymph nodes enlargement,
      hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. The main laboratory abnormalities were: anemia,
      leukocytosis, and mild alterations in liver function tests. CT scan was performed
      in 14 patients: hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and or retroperitoneal nodes were
      found in 10 of them. During laparotomy, an extensive exploration of intra
      abdominal organs was performed, taking multiple biopsies for histopathologic and
      microbiologic analysis. Splenectomy was performed in 17 patients, prophylactic
      appendectomy in four, and cholecistectomy in one. Laparotomy was useful to
      establish a diagnosis in 64 percent of cases. The most frequently diagnosed
      pathologies were lymphoma and tuberculosis. Postoperative morbidity was 12% and
      mortality was 4%. Mean follow-up was 29 months. When preoperative data were
      analyzed, no predictive factors were found for a laparotomy with diagnostic
      success. It is concluded that DL is a useful last-step procedure in the
      diagnostic work-up for patients with FUO.

PMID- 1866494
TI  - [Risk factors of the complications of diabetes mellitus].
AB  - A total of 1,030 diabetic patients were studied in order to identify factors
      associated with various complications. A higher proportion of women was found
      (64.1%). Using regression analysis of prevalence versus the logarithm of the
      duration of diabetes, a half-life of 5.14 years was calculated. In the study of
      complications, peripheral neuropathy, amputations, renal impairment, albuminuria,
      myocardial infarction, cataract and amaurosis were strongly associated with
      duration of diabetes rather than with the age of the patient or the age at
      diagnosis; in contrast, blood pressure and impotence correlated better with the
      age of the patient. A discriminant function analysis permitted to identify
      several factors as predictors of diverse complication mainly: the duration of the
      disease, and previous use of insulin (negative correlation). Other predictors
      were glycemia, alcoholism, smoking habit and intake of legumes (beans).
      Albuminuria was assessed with a radioimmunoassay procedure and found to be
      associated with: duration of diabetes, urinary tract infection, systolic blood
      pressure and amaurosis. Some alimentary habits were also included as predictors
      of complications.

PMID- 1866495
TI  - [Capillary hemoglobin as a predictor of the response to the oral intake of iron
      in children with iron deficiency].
AB  - A study was made to determine the prevalence of anemia in apparently healthy
      children of both sexes aged 6 to 24 months attending the preventive medicine
      service in a general hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute in the
      city of Tapachula, State of Chiapas. One hundred children were studied with a
      capillary hemoglobin (Hb) determination: 91 had anemia (Hb less than or equal to
      11 g/dL). Sixty eight of the anemic children received oral iron for 3 months (3
      mg/kg/day): their Hb before and after iron therapy were compared. Considering as
      responders those with an increment in Hb greater than 1 g/dL, sixty four children
      (94%) showed a mean increment of 2.6 g/dL. Four were considered as non
      responders: in 3 the iron supplementation was stopped due to infectious diseases;
      the fourth case had a Hb increment below 1 g/dL. The use of capillary Hb as a
      criterium for treating anemic children proved to be a good predictor of response
      in a population where the prevalence of iron deficiency is high.

PMID- 1866496
TI  - [Levels of carboxyhemoglobin in smokers and non-smokers from 2 cities of the
      Mexican high plateaux].
AB  - Carboxyhemoglobin levels (COHb) were determined in residents of two Mexican
      cities (Mexico City and Toluca) at altitudes of 2200 and 2600 meters above sea
      level. The figures in non-smokers of both cities were slightly higher than those
      seen at sea level by others: 1.63% in Mexico City and 1.54% in Toluca versus 0.5
      1% at sea level. There were no intercity differences in smokers and non-smokers,
      but there were intergroup differences in both cities (p less than 0.01 in Mexico
      City, and p less than 0.05 in Toluca). Our findings suggest that the most
      important source of carbon monoxide in smokers is tobacco smoking, and that the
      COHb level may be reliable index to establish active smoking.

PMID- 1866498
TI  - Abscence of changes in the protein profile of erythrocyte membranes in Duchenne
      patients.
AB  - Numerous authors have suggested an impairement in protein synthesis as a possible
      cause for the failure in growth with degeneration of the skeletal muscles protein
      content present in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Others have supported the
      use of in vitro erythrocyte membranes as a model of the sarcolemmal changes in
      DMD. Very recently, in vitro decrease in protein synthesis of ribosomal proteins
      of skeletal muscle cells, fibroblasts and erythrocytes of DMD patients have been
      reported. We studied the protein profile of erythrocytic membranes of 5 patients
      with confirmed DMD by means of SDS-polyacrylamide discontinuous gels
      electrophoresis (method with which we detected changes in the electrophoretic
      profile of erythrocyte membrane proteins induced by myotonizing drugs) and
      compared it with the profile of 5 healthy subjects of a similar age range. No
      differences between the two groups were apparent, rising doubts about the
      appropriatness of the erythrocyte membrane as an in vivo model of molecular
      changes in DMD and about the limitations of unidimensional electrophoresis as a
      suitable method for the detection of such changes.

PMID- 1866497
TI  - [Prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and its relationship
      with other sexually transmitted diseases in a group of prostitutes from Huixtla,
      Chiapas].
AB  - We investigated the HIV prevalence rate in 106 female prostitutes residing in
      Huixtla, State of Chiapas, which is a small town in the southeastern part of
      Mexico, from February of 1989 to January of 1990. We used an immunoenzymatic
      method (Serodia). The mean age was 35 years ranging from 17 to 43. Sixty six
      women (62%) were from Central America, and the remainder had been born in Mexico.
      The HIV antibody was not detected in the women, but 39 (37%) had a sexually
      transmitted disease: the more frequent were condolomatosis, candidiasis,
      trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

PMID- 1866499
TI  - [Radiographic measurement of the total pulmonary capacity: comparison of 2
      planimetric methods].
AB  - We analyzed accuracy and reproducibility of a radiographic method for calculation
      of total lung capacity (TLC) from the sum of pulmonary area. Pulmonary area from
      a routine postero-anterior and lateral chest radiography was measured by two
      methods: using a planimeter (standard) and with a virgin radiographic plaque with
      lines separating squares of 1cm per side. Plethismographic TLC was obtained
      adding the functional residual capacity to inspiratory capacity. We studied 13
      healthy subjects (mean age of 30 years, eight males), 13 with interstitial lung
      disease (mean age of 45 years, two males) and 12 with chronic bronchitis or
      emphysema (mean age of 63 years, three males). Measured TLC varied from 1.9 to
      7.2 liters. The linear regression equation found was: TLC = 0.007 total lung area
      (cm2) 0.572, R = 0.906, P less than 0.001 which is very similar to that reported
      by Harris et al.8 Interobserver variability in the measurement was very small
      taking into account that no efforts were made to uniformize the observers. Main
      interobserver differences were in the tracing of the lung limits, and not in the
      actual measurement of the lung area. We found no differences between the two
      methods for measuring lung area except that the planimeter is faster and more
      reproducible. Radiographic method for measuring TLC is accurate and available in
      most places.

PMID- 1866500
TI  - [Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the lung].
AB  - A case of small and large cells non Hodgkin lymphoma with an unusual involvement
      of the lung is presented. The tumor was located in the inferior lower lobe of the
      right lung and coincided with hemorrhagic pleural effusion. The cytopathological
      study of the fluid was negative for neoplastic cells, so were the aspiration
      biopsy of the lung and the pleural biopsy. The transmission and scanning electron
      microscopic study of the pleural fluid demonstrated lymphoid atypical cells. The
      patient was treated by resection of the lower right lobe and pleurectomy. The
      difficulties in the differential diagnosis of this type on non Hodgkin lymphoma
      are discussed. The importance of scanning and transmission electron microscopy is
      stressed when the light cytologic studies are negative in processes suggestive of
      being neoplasms. After one year of the lobectomy and treatment with vincristine
      epirubicin-cyclophosphamide and methyl-prednisolone, the patient is in good
      condition without evidence of neoplastic activity.

PMID- 1866501
TI  - [Reticulocytopenia and neutropenia in 3 patients with idiopathic autoimmune
      hemolytic anemia].
AB  - Retyculocytopenia and neutropenia or both abnormalities are very infrequent
      findings during the evolution of patients with acquired autoimmune hemolytic
      anemia (AIHA). In this paper we describe the clinical cases of three patients
      with AIHA in whom six different periods of reticulocytopenia were identified; the
      first two patients also had neutropenia. At the moment of the diagnosis of the
      cytopenias, the patients did not have a systemic disease, a viral infection or
      received immunosuppression able to produce them. In every patient the bone marrow
      cellularity was increased mostly at the expense of normal and macroerythroblasts,
      containing significant amounts of the other hematopoietic cells. After the
      diagnosis of AIHA, the patients received supplementary treatment with folic acid
      which did not produce a remission. The remissions were related to steroids: the
      neutrophil counts increased importantly one to ten days after starting the
      steroid administration, whereas reticulocytes reappeared more slowly from 7 to 30
      days post-initiation. In patients with AIHA the occurrence of reticulocytopenia
      and neutropenia have been related to several causes. The favorable responses to
      steroids in our cases suggests a relationship of steroid with the immunological
      changes in AHA. It should be pointed out that it is necessary to prolong the
      followup as done in our three cases. Although these cytopenias may be independent
      from the hemolytic anemia, we feel our cases suggest that they could be
      manifestations of a pathologic state not yet characterized.

PMID- 1866502
TI  - [Severe pseudoachondroplasia. Presentation of a case].
AB  - A male child who has the clinic and radiologic characteristics of type IV
      pseudoachondroplasia an autosomal recessive inherited disease, is described. For
      genetic counselling purposes, the clinic features and differential diagnosis and
      its classification are discussed.

PMID- 1866503
TI  - [Idiopathic portal hypertension].
AB  - Patients with portal hypertension without a demonstrable cause have been reported
      in the literature under several different terms, such as tropical splenomegaly,
      phlebosclerosis, obliterative portal venopathy of the liver, hepatoportal
      sclerosis, noncirrhotic portal fibrosis and idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH).
      Such patients have been described worldwide, with a greater frequency in India
      and Japan. The etiology of IPH is still unknown, although some of the theories
      that have been proposed are: exposure to toxic substances or drugs, relationship
      with the hepatitis-B virus, immunologic abnormalities, systemic or intra
      abdominal infections and clotting abnormalities. The main histopathologic
      findings are periportal fibrosis, obliteration of small portal veins and
      sclerosis of the interhepatic portal system. Although these abnormalities could
      be secondary to portal hypertension, it has been proposed that the vascular
      changes are the primary event that leads to portal hypertension. The site of
      increased resistance in IPH is found at the presinusoidal level with some
      component at the sinusoidal and postsinusoidal level. The main symptoms and signs
      in IPH are upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding secondary to esophago-gastric
      varices, symptoms related to anemia, and splenomegaly. The long-term prognosis
      for patients with IPH is better than for cirrhotic patients, with a 77% survival
      at ten years. Variceal bleeding is the main cause of death, and some treatment to
      prevent bleeding or its recurrence is warranted. Although no comparative trial
      has been performed in IPH patients, the surgical management could be the first
      choice for elective treatment in these patient without liver failure, because of
      the high re-bleeding rates with chronic sclerotherapy. Pharmacologic management
      could be considered for prophylactic treatment of these patients.

PMID- 1866504
TI  - [The challenge of evaluating clinical competence].
AB  - The study is divided in two parts. The first one deals with theoretical aspects
      of evaluation. In the second part, the development of an instrument intended to
      explore clinical competence is presented. The importance of considering
      evaluation as part of a research process is emphasized in the first part. The
      diverse theoretical and action trends in the field of education are synthetized
      in two main tendencies: the active-participating and the passive-receptive. The
      influence of these two tendencies in the selection the objects for evaluation is
      also discussed. An evaluation instrument developed by us to explore clinical
      competence is placed within the active-participating tendency of education; the
      present state of this instrument is given in the second part. The instrument
      consists of multiple choice options of the true, false, don't know type. The
      instrument in its present version is the result of a long validation process. It
      explores particularly iatrogenic behaviors by omission or commission. The sample
      studied were 457 applicants for specialization courses in medicine. Of these, 127
      were foreign applicants. The instrument was applied to the whole sample in one
      single session. The results showed a low general clinical competence, with
      similar results in mexican and foreign applicants. A clear difference was found
      in commission iatrogenia which was significantly more frequent than omission
      iatrogenia. The theoretical superiority of our test in relation the others is
      discussed.

PMID- 1866505
TI  - [Ethical conflicts associated with investigation in patients with HIV infection
      with or without AIDS].

PMID- 1866506
TI  - [Ethics and research in neurosurgery].
AB  - Ethical issues related to neural grafting are numerous. Experimental research on
      animals give much hope to get in next future a treatment in favour of numerous
      neurological disorders which are incurable at present. We must follow ethical
      recommendations of the NIH human fetal tissue transplantation research panel.
      According to the rapidity of knowledge growing in this field, so as in others, it
      would not be adequate to favour any law project on this subject, which does not
      mean that we could have something to hide. On the contrary, we would like to
      favour the diffusion of the works made by all ethical committees in our country.
      This could be one of the aims of the future National Bioethical Committee.

PMID- 1866507
TI  - [Chronic asymptomatic hypereosinophilia. Apropos of a case of occupational
      toxocariasis].
AB  - The authors observed a case of asymptomatic toxocariasis in a lady aged 60,
      engaged in dog-breeding since twenty years. The various causes of
      hypereosinophilia are discussed. The epidemiology of Toxocariasis and the
      essential role of serologic tests--in particular ELISA detection of a larval
      antigen--are recalled. In this particular case, therapeutic abstention is
      justified.

PMID- 1866508
TI  - [Pain and cancer].
AB  - Pain is one of the most frequent symptoms encountered in oncology which,
      regarding its complexity and its effects on quality of life, will be better
      treated with a multidisciplinary approach, for in and out-patients. The knowledge
      of the pain syndromes associated with an accurate use of pain medicine provide a
      rapid control of the symptomatology. A coherent use of opioids, the introduction
      of new drug delivery systems, and the use of new molecules offer new horizons in
      the control of cancer pain.

PMID- 1866509
TI  - [Medical studies at the Free University of Brussels at the approach of the year
      2000].

PMID- 1866510
TI  - [What is your diagnosis? Attendant myocarditis in viral infection].

PMID- 1866511
TI  - [Long-term trans-tracheal oxygen therapy. Simple management for the patient-
      improved compliance].
AB  - Long-term oxygen therapy is an established treatment of severe hypoxemia in
      patients with chronic obstructive or other pulmonary diseases. Quality of life
      and survival time can be improved significantly. Objective patient evaluation and
      compliance are most important. The transtracheal oxygen therapy is an alternative
      method to nasal cannulas for oxygen supply. Cosmetic problems and nasal
      discomfort are avoided. The oxygen flow-rate can be reduced by up to 50%. If an
      on demand-system is used, the oxygen flow-rate can be adapted to exercise. The
      change and cleaning of the catheter is easy and is performed twice daily by the
      patient himself.

PMID- 1866512
TI  - [The clinical diagnosis of lung embolism].
AB  - The clinical classification, pathophysiology and often difficult diagnosis of
      acute pulmonary embolism are reviewed. The diagnostic power of subjective and
      objective clinical symptoms and the diagnostic procedures (electrocardiogram,
      chest X-ray, echocardiography, pulmonary arteriography, pulmonary scintigraphy,
      determination of arterial blood gases) are evaluated and an actual investigative
      plan outlined. Diagnostic problems and frequent pitfalls are discussed. The often
      non characteristic and masked course in acute and chronically recurrent pulmonary
      embolism is emphasized.

PMID- 1866513
TI  - [The drug therapy of chronic cor pulmonale].
AB  - Chronic cor pulmonale is defined as right heart hypertrophy or right ventricular
      dilatation and/or chronic right heart failure. There are many etiologies which
      largely determine mortality and drug therapy, but the common cause is increased
      right ventricular work from primary or secondary pulmonary hypertension assuming
      two prototypes, the asphyxial and the vascular obliterative type. The main focus
      of this review concentrates on the various drugs to reduce pulmonary vascular
      pressure and resistance. The value to correct hypoxaemia is mentioned with regard
      to its demonstrated important effect of asthmatic patients with cor pulmonale.
      Continuous oxygen therapy and a potential therapy by almitrine, a respiratory
      stimulant, have been suggested. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors and dopaminergic
      drugs have been used successfully to improve right cardiac function in a small
      number of patients. The use of prostacyclin has a large potential to effectively
      correct pulmonary vascular haemodynamics but its use is fairly limited by the
      need of continuous intravenous application. New oral drugs under investigation
      which stimulate endogenous prostacyclin as well as thromboxane synthetase
      inhibitors still need further evaluation but might be of potential benefit. The
      comparison of the side-effects due to vasodilators and calcium antagonists argues
      for the use of calcium channel blockade for patients with pulmonary hypertension.
      To define the role of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or the more
      recently introduced potassium channel openers for treatment of chronic cor
      pulmonale still await detailed, controlled studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1866514
TI  - [The therapy of chronic respiratory insufficiency].
AB  - The treatment of chronic respiratory failure aims to influence the underlying
      disease and to alleviate the pathophysiologic consequences. Respiratory
      stimulants, long-term oxygen-therapy as well as mechanical stabilization of the
      upper airways and ventilation at home are discussed.

PMID- 1866515
TI  - [The significance of proteinuria].

PMID- 1866516
TI  - [What should be done in case of elevated serum creatinine?].

PMID- 1866517
TI  - [Glomerulonephritis with mesangial IgA deposits--Berger's disease].

PMID- 1866518
TI  - [Approach to isolated hematuria].

PMID- 1866519
TI  - [What should be done with a patient with calculi?].

PMID- 1866520
TI  - [Intradermal tuberculin reaction].

PMID- 1866521
TI  - [Oxalosis (type 1 primary hyperoxaluria)].

PMID- 1866522
TI  - [The child and the campaign against cancer].

PMID- 1866523
TI  - [A psychiatrist among the surgeons].

PMID- 1866524
TI  - [Epidemiological approach to anxiety disorders in children].

PMID- 1866525
TI  - Sleep deprivation in the rat: XII. Effect on ambient temperature choice.
AB  - Previous studies of total sleep deprivation in the rat by the disk-over-water
      method had shown an initial rise in body temperature (Tb), a later decline to
      below baseline levels, and a progressive rise in energy expenditure (EE). To
      evaluate the role of changes in temperature setpoint in these results, the
      ambient temperature choices (Tc) of six totally sleep-deprived (TSD) rats and
      their yoked control (TSC) rats were determined by the position in a thermally
      graded alley at which they chose to fall asleep. (Rats were removed from the
      alley and returned to the deprivation apparatus 1 min after sleep onset). Sleep
      deprivation was continued until TSD rats were near death. Tb and EE results were
      like those of the earlier studies. Tc rose progressively from 26.8 degrees C
      during baseline to 49.9 degrees C near the end of the deprivation period in TSD
      rats, whereas TSC rats showed only modest, nonsignificant increases. The attempt
      by TSD rats to get warmer, in spite of an elevated Tb, indicates a raised
      setpoint for behavioral thermoregulation and suggests that the increase in EE was
      also, at least in part, an attempt to reach an elevated setpoint. The
      progressively raised Tc also indicates that the late decline in Tb was a decline
      below setpoint rather than a response to a lower setpoint. Because EE increased,
      Tb decline must have resulted from excessive heat loss. Thus, TSD in the rat
      produced two thermoregulatory deficits-increased setpoint and excessive heat
      loss.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866526
TI  - Pupillometric assessment of excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy-cataplexy.
AB  - Ten untreated patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy and age- and sex-matched normals
      between the ages of 20 and 71 years underwent pupillometric analyses immediately
      prior to each of five multiple sleep latency test sessions. Although narcoleptics
      were sleepier as indicated both by their Stanford Sleepiness Scale ratings and by
      their latencies to sleep onset, the baseline pupil diameter, pupillary light
      reflex, and pupillary orienting response did not differentiate between groups.
      Narcoleptics did, however, exhibit a significantly greater frequency of
      spontaneous oscillations in the dark-adapted state than did controls. These
      findings indicate that pupillary stability may serve as a supplementary
      diagnostic tool for narcolepsy-cataplexy. The results are discussed with the view
      that psychosensory restoration of alertness, among other extraneous variables,
      must be controlled when utilizing pupillometric techniques. A review of the
      literature indicates a variety of methodological and statistical shortcomings
      that must be amended. Suggestions are made for improving the reliability and
      validity of the pupillometric approach.

PMID- 1866527
TI  - Sleepiness/alertness on a simulated night shift following sleep at home with
      triazolam.
AB  - Physiological sleep tendency during a simulated night shift schedule was examined
      in 15 middle-aged subjects following daytime sleep after administration of
      triazolam or placebo. A double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design involving
      two tours of five laboratory nights and four daytime home sleep periods was used.
      Triazolam lengthened daytime sleep as measured by wrist actigraph and improved
      nighttime alertness as measured by the MSLT. Sleepiness was most profound during
      the early morning hours (0430 to 0630) but improved significantly across nights
      for both conditions. Repeated test of sustained wakefulness latencies and
      simulated assembly line task performance decreased slightly across the night, but
      there were no significant condition effects. Subjective data tended to support
      objective measures, although Stanford Sleepiness Scale ratings indicated that
      subjects did not perceive improved alertness at night after triazolam-aided
      daytime sleep.

PMID- 1866528
TI  - The dynamics of the first sleep cycle.
AB  - Eight subjects participated in an experiment in which sleep stages and
      electroencephalographic (EEG) power density during the first sleep cycles (and
      where such appeared, also second cycles) were studied in a design involving 8, 4,
      2 or 0 hr of progressively postponed night-time sleep. Each of these four
      manipulations was followed by a day-time sleep beginning at 1100 hr. No
      significant changes in the duration of the first sleep cycle appeared. As the
      prior sleep loss increased both SWE (slow-wave energy; accumulated EEG delta
      power density) and SWA (slow-wave activity; EEG delta power per minute) increased
      during the 1100-hr sleeps. This was observed for the entire cycles, the nonrapid
      eye movement (NREM) periods, and the SWS periods, respectively. SWS latency
      decreased and SWS duration increased, respectively, markedly with prior waking.
      Also, for the progressively postponed sleeps (started at 2300 hr, 0300 hr, 0500
      hr and 1100 hr) there were changes, but not as clear. After 28 hr of continuous
      waking there was a marked increase of SWA during SWS. Also, at this level there
      was a spill over of SWA to the second cycle. It is suggested that there might be
      a limit to the amount and intensity of SWS that can be accommodated in the first
      sleep cycle and that this limit is reached before the appearance of REM sleep.

PMID- 1866529
TI  - The effect of sleep deprivation on cerebral glucose metabolic rate in normal
      humans assessed with positron emission tomography.
AB  - This study is the first report on the effects of total sleep deprivation (about
      32 h) on regional cerebral glucose metabolism during wakefulness in man, using
      positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18 deoxyglucose (FDG). Sleep
      deprivation leads to a significant reorganization of regional cerebral metabolic
      activity, with relative decreases in the temporal lobes and increases in visual
      cortex. Absolute glucose metabolic measurements indicate a decrease in thalamus,
      basal ganglia, white matter, and cerebellum. No overall decrease in whole brain
      metabolism was noted after sleep deprivation. As expected, sleep deprivation
      significantly reduced visual vigilance as assessed by the continuous performance
      test and this decrease was correlated significantly with reduced metabolic rate
      in thalamic, basal ganglia, and limbic regions.

PMID- 1866530
TI  - Periodic movements of the legs during sleep associated with rises in systemic
      blood pressure.
AB  - We report the relationship between periodic leg movements during sleep and
      recurrent rises in systemic blood pressure in a patient with narcolepsy. The mean
      increase in systolic blood pressure following leg movements was 23%, which is of
      the same order as the rises seen in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
      Following treatment with temazepam, the swings in blood pressure were unchanged
      despite considerably less electroencephalographic evidence of cortical arousal.

PMID- 1866531
TI  - Hygroscopic condenser humidifier as a solution to nasal dryness due to nasal CPAP
      treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
AB  - We report an apparent solution to nasal dryness for patients with obstructive
      sleep apnea syndrome treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure
      (CPAP) when a hygroscopic condenser humidifier is introduced into the CPAP
      circuit. Six patients underwent a 5-h test period of nasal CPAP therapy with a
      mask containing a hygroscopic humidifier. The water vapor showed a statistically
      significant increase in both inspired and expired gases. The relative humidity of
      the inspired gases increased significantly. The levels of O2 and CO2 in the
      respired gases did not change. When patients were asked about nasal dryness at
      the end of the test, all of them reported marked improvement.

PMID- 1866532
TI  - National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement: the
      treatment of sleep disorders of older people March 26-28, 1990.

PMID- 1866534
TI  - Bibliography of recent literature in sleep research.

PMID- 1866533
TI  - Trends in the sleep literature: 1968-1988.

PMID- 1866535
TI  - Changing pattern of bone and joint infections due to Staphylococcus aureus: study
      of cases of bacteremia in Denmark, 1959-1988.
AB  - Of the 15,170 cases of bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus that occurred in
      Denmark between 1959 and 1988, we review 525 cases of acute hematogenous
      osteomyelitis and 185 cases of septic arthritis that developed subsequent to the
      bacteremia and 134 cases of contiguous osteomyelitis in which the bacteremia
      developed secondarily. The pattern of acute infections of bones and joints has
      changed over the three decades studied. The frequency of secondary bone or joint
      infections due to S. aureus bacteremia has changed, as have the phage-type
      pattern and antibiotic resistance of the infective strains. The prevalence of
      hospital-acquired cases has increased and the age distribution of patients has
      changed, as is reflected in an increasing number of older patients. The
      localization of hematogenous osteomyelitis has shifted, and the vertebral column
      is now the most common site of infection. The rate of chronic cases of
      osteomyelitis that occur following acute hematogenous osteomyelitis has been
      reduced from 34% to 6%. The mortality associated with S. aureus bacteremic
      infections of bones or joints is low compared to that associated with other cases
      of S. aureus bacteremia.

PMID- 1866536
TI  - Serologic diagnosis of human brucellosis: analysis of 214 cases by agglutination
      tests and review of the literature.
AB  - The serum agglutination test (SAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) agglutination were
      used in studies of the sera of 214 patients in whom brucellosis was suspected. On
      the basis of historical, epidemiologic, clinical, and serologic data, four groups
      were identified: group I (108 cases) had negative agglutination reactions, and
      brucellosis was considered unlikely; group II (57 cases) had positive
      agglutination reactions, and active brucellosis was diagnosed; group III (37
      cases) had positive agglutination reactions, but other factors--notably, a
      history of prior infection--made inactive brucellosis likely; and group IV (12
      cases) had positive agglutination reactions, but insufficient data were available
      for further classification. Most patients with active brucellosis had agglutinin
      titers of greater than or equal to 160; however, no single titer was always
      diagnostic. Although more sensitive tests are available, agglutination reactions
      provide data sufficient to differentiate active from inactive disease when other
      factors are considered and follow-up sera are tested. This article discusses
      individual cases and reviews the literature on the diagnosis of brucellosis.

PMID- 1866537
TI  - Splenic abscesses due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with AIDS.
AB  - Among 60 patients with AIDS seen at our institution, two had splenic abscesses
      due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis without pulmonary tuberculosis. In both cases
      splenic abscess was the first manifestation of AIDS; the patients had prolonged
      fever and had lost weight and experienced malaise; slight hepatomegaly was noted
      in both instances and peripheral lymphadenopathy in one. Chest radiography gave
      normal results in one case and showed hilar lymphadenopathy in the other.
      Ultrasonographic findings were characteristic: homogeneous hepatomegaly and
      splenomegaly, with multiple filling defects of variable size. Diagnosis required
      splenectomy in one case and biopsy of cervical lymph nodes in the other. In both
      cases Ziehl-Neelsen staining gave positive results; M. tuberculosis grew from a
      culture of splenic tissue of one patient and from a culture of lymph nodal tissue
      of the other. There was a rapid response to antituberculous therapy. Splenic
      tuberculosis seems to be a distinct extrapulmonary entity in patients with AIDS.
      Ultrasonographic images are useful for diagnosis and follow-up.

PMID- 1866538
TI  - Peritonitis due to Prototheca wickerhamii in a patient undergoing chronic
      ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - A 72-year-old man who was undergoing chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
      developed peritonitis due to Prototheca wickerhamii. Results of in vitro
      sensitivity testing revealed that the organism was sensitive to amphotericin B
      (MIC, 0.4 micrograms/mL) but resistant to fluconazole (MIC, greater than 80
      micrograms/mL). The patient was successfully treated medically with a combination
      of intravenous amphotericin B and oral doxycycline.

PMID- 1866539
TI  - Human infection caused by Exophiala pisciphila: case report and review.
AB  - One year after receiving a liver transplant and 2 months after treatment with
      high doses of steroids and monoclonal anti-CD3 for an episode of rejection, a 38
      year-old woman developed a skin papule above the left medial malleolus. The
      papule, which at first had an annular shape, evolved into a pustule, ulcerated,
      drained, and assumed a crusted verrucous appearance. Multiple satellite papules
      appeared around the lesion, which was incompletely excised and thought to
      represent squamous cell carcinoma. Review of the histologic slides revealed
      pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia with multiple epidermal and dermal abscesses,
      pigmented hyphae, and yeast-like forms. Culture of material obtained at
      reexcision yielded a dematiaceous fungus that was identified as Exophiala
      pisciphila. No evidence of dissemination was found. This represents a unique
      report of human infection with this fungus, a well-recognized pathogen of fish.
      Except for the absence of sclerotic bodies, the clinicopathologic features
      resembled those of chromoblastomycosis rather than those of the subcutaneous
      cystic form of phaeohyphomycosis often associated with species of Exophiala.

PMID- 1866540
TI  - Endocarditis due to Trichosporon beigelii: in vitro susceptibility of isolates
      and review.
AB  - Infection with Trichosporon beigelii is an uncommon cause of endocarditis. Of the
      eight cases of T. beigelii endocarditis that have been reported (one herein and
      seven previously), six involved prosthetic heart valves and two involved native
      heart valves. The clinical manifestations of this infection included embolization
      of the superficial femoral artery or of the bifurcation of the posterior tibial
      and peroneal arteries in three of these patients (two with prosthetic valve and
      one with native valve endocarditis). In seven of the eight reported cases, blood
      cultures were positive for the organism. Although clinical isolates of the
      organism are generally reported to be susceptible to amphotericin B, isolates can
      vary in their sensitivities to antifungal agents in vitro depending on the
      methodology used, and clinical response to therapy with antifungal agents in a
      regimen that includes amphotericin B is generally poor. Only two of six patients
      who were treated with antifungal agents survived endocarditis caused by T.
      beigelii and were apparently cured; one of these patients was also managed
      surgically with valve replacement. Infection with T. beigelii should be
      considered in the differential diagnosis of endocarditis in immunocompetent
      patients, particularly those who have a prosthetic heart valve. Rapid, aggressive
      therapy may be necessary to eradicate this organism.

PMID- 1866541
TI  - Bacterial infection as a complication of liver transplantation: epidemiology and
      risk factors.
AB  - A retrospective survey was undertaken to characterize the epidemiology of
      bacterial infection in 79 patients who underwent 103 operations for orthotopic
      liver transplantation. Fifty-four patients (68%) developed 115 bacterial
      infections (1.46 episodes per patient), and seven patients died as a result of
      these infections. Fifty-three percent of bacterial infections occurred within 2
      weeks after transplantation and were designated as early infections. The most
      common sites of infection were the abdomen (35 cases), the bloodstream (31
      cases), and the surgical wound (19 cases). Aerobic enteric gram-negative bacilli
      were the predominant pathogens, and other pathogenic organisms were enterococci,
      staphylococci, and Pseudomonas bacteria. Logistic regression analysis identified
      prolonged duration of surgery (greater than or equal to 8 hours) and an elevated
      bilirubin level (greater than or equal to 12 mg/dL) as risk factors for early
      bacterial infection at any site; risk factors for abdominal or wound infection
      were prolonged duration of surgery, increased operative transfusion requirement
      (greater than or equal to 2 blood volumes), and prior hepatobiliary surgery.
      Awareness of the sites, pathogens, and time of onset of bacterial infection
      provides a basis for improved prophylaxis and empiric therapy.

PMID- 1866542
TI  - Ceftazidime plus amikacin versus ceftazidime plus vancomycin as empiric therapy
      in febrile neutropenic children with cancer.
AB  - Two antibiotic regimens, ceftazidime plus amikacin and ceftazidime plus
      vancomycin, were compared in a prospective, randomized clinical trial as empiric
      therapy in febrile granulocytopenic children with cancer. The rate of response
      was similar in the two groups (66% vs. 77%). The prevalence of secondary gram
      negative bacteremia was higher--but not significantly higher--in the group
      receiving vancomycin. Adverse reactions also occurred more often in the latter
      group (35% vs. 4%). Mortality did not differ significantly in the two groups.
      Adjustment for independent predictors of response to treatment by means of
      multivariate analysis confirmed the lack of any remarkable difference between the
      responses to the two regimens. We conclude that the use of vancomycin instead of
      amikacin in combination with ceftazidime does not significantly improve the
      outcome of treatment of fever and infection in granulocytopenic children with
      cancer and that the use of vancomycin is associated with an increased frequency
      of both secondary infections due to gram-negative bacteria and adverse reactions.

PMID- 1866543
TI  - Antibiotic misuse in two clinical situations: positive blood culture and
      administration of aminoglycosides.
AB  - Antibiotic use was examined among randomly and prospectively selected cohorts of
      79 patients with a positive blood culture and 88 patients given aminoglycosides
      for a variety of reasons. Appropriateness of antibiotic use was judged daily for
      each agent according to specific criteria of misuse. For patients with a positive
      blood culture, 14.3% of antibiotic-days were judged inappropriate in some regard,
      while for patients given aminoglycosides, 10.2% of antibiotic-days were thought
      to be inappropriate. The patterns of misuse were similar for the two groups
      despite disparate selection criteria. The unnecessary use of antibiotics was the
      single most common type of misuse in both groups, but errors in dosing
      collectively accounted for nearly one-half of antibiotic misuse. These results
      suggest that a variety of factors are responsible for misuse of antibiotics.
      Although the data presented do not allow conclusions about the optimal methods
      for control of antibiotic misuse, they imply that a multifaceted approach is
      probably required.

PMID- 1866544
TI  - Listeria monocytogenes infections in patients with AIDS: report of five cases and
      review.
AB  - Five patients with AIDS and Listeria monocytogenes infection (three cases of
      bacteremia and two of meningitis) are reviewed. Four patients had prior or
      concurrent gastrointestinal illness. Two patients received corticosteroids. A 7-
      to 21-day course of ampicillin was administered with or without a 7- to 14-day
      course of gentamicin. This regimen was effective, with no evidence of relapse 7-8
      months after therapy was discontinued. The relative infrequency of infection with
      L. monocytogenes in AIDS patients is unexpected. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
      appears to be essential in the inhibition of Listeria in vivo. Elevated levels of
      TNF in AIDS patients may be protective against listeriosis and thus help explain
      the low prevalence of listerial infection in this population. Nonetheless,
      although L. monocytogenes is an uncommon cause of illness in patients infected
      with the human immunodeficiency virus, it cannot be dismissed as a cause of
      undefined meningitis or sepsis.

PMID- 1866545
TI  - Abdominal abscess due to Cardiobacterium hominis and Clostridium bifermentans.
AB  - A case of abdominal abscess and bacteremia due to Cardiobacterium hominis and
      Clostridium bifermentans was successfully treated with surgical drainage and
      ampicillin-penicillin. This case represents the rare occurrence of C. hominis
      infection without apparent endocarditis.

PMID- 1866546
TI  - Choleriform syndrome and production of labile enterotoxin (CT/LT1)-like antigen
      by species of Salmonella infantis and Salmonella haardt isolated from the same
      patient.
AB  - Isolates of Salmonella infantis from the stool and blood and an isolate of
      Salmonella haardt from the stool of a patient with choleriform diarrhea produced
      labile enterotoxin (CT/LT1)-like antigen. Genetic and molecular experiments
      indicated that the production of CT/LT1-like antigen was chromosomally encoded.

PMID- 1866547
TI  - Fatal varicella in an adult: case report and review of the gastrointestinal
      complications of chickenpox.
AB  - An unusual and fatal case of primary varicella in an adult is presented.
      Involvement of the small intestine first manifested as abdominal pain and later
      progressed to gastrointestinal bleeding with subsequent dissemination of the
      infection. Although it has previously been speculated that gastrointestinal
      bleeding can result from infection with the varicella-zoster virus, the data from
      this case include histologic and cultural evidence that supports the clinical
      observations. The literature has been reviewed, and the management of this
      patient has been critically evaluated.

PMID- 1866548
TI  - Survival and disinfectant inactivation of the human immunodeficiency virus: a
      critical review.
AB  - The possibility of contracting acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) through
      accidental or inapparent parenteral exposure to human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) has raised concerns among recipients of blood products, health-care
      professionals, and others who have contact either with HIV or with AIDS patients.
      Along with these concerns has come an increasing interest in the physical and
      chemical methods that may be used to inactivate HIV in blood products and other
      contaminated fluids as well as on contaminated objects and surfaces. This review
      critically examines the available information on the survival of HIV and the
      methods used for its inactivation, particularly those that rely on chemical
      disinfection. Although the risk of acquiring HIV from contaminated materials may
      be slight compared with that of acquiring other blood-borne pathogens, such as
      hepatitis B virus, the effectiveness of disinfectants used under clinical
      conditions may have been overestimated.

PMID- 1866549
TI  - Survival and vehicular spread of human rotaviruses: possible relation to
      seasonality of outbreaks.
AB  - In developing countries rotavirus infections account for nearly 6% of all
      diarrheal episodes and for 20% of diarrhea-associated deaths of young children.
      Even in industrialized countries rotavirus diarrhea in the young is among the
      leading causes of hospitalization. In temperate regions institutional outbreaks
      of the disease occur mainly in cold dry weather, whereas in tropical settings the
      seasonality is less well defined. Waterborne outbreaks of rotavirus
      gastroenteritis have been recorded; air, hands, fomities, and food may also act
      as vehicles for this infection. Rotaviruses can survive for weeks in potable and
      recreational waters and for at least 4 hours on human hands. In air and on
      nonporous inanimate surfaces, the survival of rotaviruses is favored by a
      relative humidity of less than or equal to 50% and viral infectivity can be
      retained for several days. Rotaviruses are relatively resistant to commonly used
      hard-surface disinfectants and hygienic hand-wash agents.

PMID- 1866551
TI  - Management of the immunocompromised patient: impact of fungal infections.
      Introduction.

PMID- 1866550
TI  - Impact of temperature elevation on immunologic defenses.
AB  - Fever is a common response to infection and to other challenges to host defense.
      Temperature elevation has been associated with effects on the recognition,
      recruitment, and effector phases of the immune response. Specific immunologic
      responses are generally enhanced in the setting of temperature elevation within
      the physiologic range but not the supraphysiologic range. In contrast, natural
      immune responses may be unchanged or adversely affected. Temperature elevation
      appears to affect primarily the phase of recognition and sensitization or
      activation of mononuclear leukocytes. T lymphocyte responses (and/or the
      interactions of T lymphocytes with monocytes-macrophages) are enhanced for
      generation of effector cells. The activities of the effector cells, once
      generated, are usually not enhanced--or may even be depressed--by temperature
      elevation, but decreases are more than offset by increased T helper function.
      Overall, the data suggest that temperature elevations of the febrile response
      constitute a beneficial component of effective host defense.

PMID- 1866552
TI  - The use of amphotericin B in nosocomial fungal infection.
AB  - The use of potent broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, the increasing number of
      immunocompromised hosts, and the use of invasive treatment modalities have
      exacerbated the problems involved in the management of nosocomial fungal
      infection. The hospital records at a tertiary-care medical center were
      retrospectively reviewed in an effort to determine the magnitude of these
      problems. A plethora of fungal species were isolated from patients. Hospital
      infection surveillance revealed between 30 and 40 nosocomial yeast infections per
      month, with 20% of nosocomial urinary tract infections caused by yeasts rather
      than by bacterial pathogens and one or two cases of fungemia per week. Although
      these figures represent a large number of nosocomial fungal infections, a
      significant increase in the number of such infections over the last several years
      could not be documented. The use of amphotericin B was found to have increased
      each year. The patterns of use of amphotericin B changed little between 1983 and
      1987, but the number of patients treated with this agent increased dramatically.

PMID- 1866553
TI  - The growing problem of mycoses in patients infected with the human
      immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - With the rapid increase in cases of AIDS over the past 10 years, certain mycoses
      have dramatically risen in frequency, particularly those contained by T cell
      mediated mechanisms of host defense. In this clinical setting mucocutaneous
      candidiasis as well as systemic cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, and
      coccidioidomycosis pose special diagnostic and/or therapeutic challenges.
      Compared with fungal infections in general, AIDS-associated mycoses are more
      likely to have nonspecific clinical manifestations; moreover, treatments
      effective in other settings seldom are curative. These problems have led to new
      vigilance regarding mycoses in the differential diagnosis of complications of
      infection due to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and have necessitated a
      redefinition of goals: the aim is now to suppress rather than cure infection in
      most cases. This change has stimulated trials of new antifungal agents and
      regimens particularly designed to facilitate long-term outpatient management of
      mycoses without interfering with treatment of either HIV infection itself or
      other concomitant complications.

PMID- 1866554
TI  - Candida and Aspergillus infections in immunocompromised patients: an overview.
AB  - Infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in granulocytopenic
      patients. With the increasing use of aggressive chemotherapy causing prolonged
      granulocytopenia in patients with cancer, the risk of disseminated fungal
      infection has increased. Although Candida and Aspergillus species are known to be
      the most common fungal pathogens responsible for disseminated infection,
      diagnosis of such infection may be difficult. The use of empiric amphotericin B
      for presumed disseminated candida infection may reduce morbidity caused by this
      fungal pathogen; moreover, amphotericin B remains the agent of choice for
      established candida infection, although fluconazole shows promise. The addition
      of flucytosine may enhance the efficacy of amphotericin B against Candida.
      Aspergillus infection is more difficult to treat. Early recognition of invasive
      aspergillosis and use of high-dose amphotericin B (1.0-1.5 mg/[kg.d]) alone or in
      combination with flucytosine may reduce associated mortality. More active, less
      toxic antifungal agents are needed to improve the efficacy of treatment and
      prophylaxis of disseminated fungal infection.

PMID- 1866555
TI  - Problems in the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases.
AB  - Invasive mycoses are escalating in frequency in contemporary medicine; most
      dramatic is the rise in the prevalence of opportunistic fungal infections among
      immunocompromised hosts. Despite increased awareness among physicians and greater
      mycologic acumen, morbidity and mortality remain substantial. In part, this
      situation is due to the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of fungal
      infections by both the clinician and the laboratorian. Some of the factors
      contributing to these difficulties include the abrogation of the immune response
      associated with improved medical technology, the impact of AIDS, the invasion of
      the immunocompromised host by fungi previously considered to be saprobic, and the
      minimal mycologic training of medical personnel. Research efforts are under way
      that may be expected to improve the diagnosis and treatment of invasive mycotic
      diseases in the near future. For the present, it is recommended that mycologic
      training be encouraged and improved for all health care professionals.

PMID- 1866556
TI  - Empiric therapy with amphotericin B in febrile granulocytopenic patients.
AB  - The early diagnosis of invasive fungal infection in granulocytopenic patients
      remains unreliable. Granulocytopenic patients who are persistently or recurrently
      febrile despite therapy with appropriate antibacterial agents are at high risk
      for the development of such infection. Two randomized clinical trials
      demonstrated that the empiric administration of amphotericin B to persistently or
      recurrently febrile granulocytopenic patients decreased the frequency, morbidity,
      and mortality of invasive fungal infection; these effects were especially marked
      in profoundly granulocytopenic patients who were not receiving antifungal
      prophylaxis. Current studies continue to indicate that prompt empiric
      administration of amphotericin B to persistently or recurrently febrile
      granulocytopenic patients ensures earlier treatment of deep mycoses. The roles of
      newer antifungal triazole compounds and of liposomal and lipid complexes of
      amphotericin B in empiric antifungal therapy must be investigated further in
      thoughtfully designed, randomized clinical trials.

PMID- 1866557
TI  - Relapsing systemic infection due to Rhodococcus equi in a drug abuser
      seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - A case of recurrent multisystemic infection due to Rhodococcus equi in a patient
      with antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but without AIDS is
      reported. This case, which occurred in a woman with a history of alcohol and drug
      abuse, is, to our knowledge, the first such case described. The infection
      involved the lungs, kidneys, brain, and bloodstream. Despite several courses of
      therapy with antibiotics to which her isolates of R. equi were susceptible in
      vitro, the patient experienced multiple relapses before her death. On the basis
      of this case and a few others reported in HIV-infected patients, we recommend an
      initial antibiotic course at least 6-8 weeks in duration, and we suggest that
      combination antibiotic treatment be considered. We also suggest that infection
      with R. equi be included in the diagnostic criteria for AIDS.

PMID- 1866558
TI  - Severe hypomagnesemia associated with pentamidine therapy.
AB  - A case of severe hypomagnesemia in a patient with AIDS that manifested as changes
      in mental status is presented. The hypomagnesemia was due to renal wasting of
      magnesium, most probably caused by pentamidine-induced renal tubular injury. This
      entity has been reported once before and should be considered in the differential
      diagnosis of altered mental status in patients with AIDS.

PMID- 1866559
TI  - An orthotopic heart transplant recipient with subacute meningitis.

PMID- 1866560
TI  - A morphogenetic study on host-pathogen interactions is needed for success in
      genetic analysis of microbial pathogenicity and the pathogenesis of infections.

PMID- 1866561
TI  - Clinical aspects of miliary tuberculosis in adults.

PMID- 1866562
TI  - Hypoprothrombinemia during therapy with cefotiam.

PMID- 1866563
TI  - Use of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor for treatment of drug
      induced agranulocytosis.

PMID- 1866564
TI  - Therapy for human brucellosis.

PMID- 1866565
TI  - Extrapulmonary infection with Pneumocystis carinii in patients receiving
      aerosolized pentamidine.

PMID- 1866566
TI  - Clostridium septicum bacteremia and diffuse spreading cellulitis of the head and
      neck in a leukemic patient.

PMID- 1866567
TI  - Rates of infectious disease consultations in hospitals of different sizes and
      types, 1986-1987.

PMID- 1866568
TI  - In memoriam: Vera La Verne Sutter.

PMID- 1866570
TI  - Binding of antibodies raised against tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) to
      blood vessels and macrophages in inflamed synovial tissue.
AB  - The distribution of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in rheumatoid
      synovium has been investigated. Ten rheumatoid synovia were compared with seven
      normal synovia and a range of other tissues, using one polyclonal and six
      monoclonal antibodies. A common staining pattern was obtained with five reagents.
      Absence of staining of tissue with the other reagents may relate to binding to
      different epitopes. Excluding cross-reactivity with smooth muscle seen with two
      reagents, results with the first five reagents were as follows. Normal tissues
      showed either no staining or faint staining of venular endothelium. In addition
      skin keratinocytes and colonic mucus showed staining. Rheumatoid synovium showed
      staining of venules and weaker staining of mononuclear cells, both as individual
      cells in the deep tissue and more uniformly in areas of the lining layer. The
      majority of cells that stained for TNF alpha double-stained for CD68
      (macrophages). These represented less than 10% of CD68-positive cells. Isolated
      cells staining for TNF alpha stained for CD3 (T-cells), forming less than 1% of
      the total T-cells. The presence of staining of venular endothelium suggests that
      the cytokine may be synthesised by endothelial cells or may be taken up after
      production by macrophages.

PMID- 1866571
TI  - Serum IgE anti-cartilage collagen antibodies in rheumatoid patients.
AB  - The presence of circulating IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to native cartilage
      collagens in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggests that an
      autoimmune response to cartilage collagens may be involved in the pathogenesis of
      RA. However, the relevance of such antibodies to the pathological process remains
      unclear, and it is likely that many humoral and cellular derived factors combined
      to trigger events leading to the chronicity of the rheumatoid lesion. Since
      histological and biochemical studies have suggested the involvement of mast cells
      in the rheumatoid joint, we have studied the frequency of IgE antibodies directed
      against the cartilage collagens type II, IX and XI in patients with active
      rheumatoid disease. Of the 91 patients' sera tested, 32 had significant levels of
      IgE anti-cartilage collagen antibodies when compared with non-arthritic controls.
      Total serum IgE levels did not correlate with the presence of IgE anti-collagen
      antibodies, nor were any patients positive for IgE antibodies to fibronectin, a
      widely distributed extracellular matrix component. These results are consistent
      with an allergic type I hypersensitivity reaction to cartilage antigens in RA
      involving mast cell and basophil degranulation.

PMID- 1866569
TI  - Diagnosis and pathogenesis of CNS lupus.
AB  - The central nervous system (CNS) is clinically involved in approximately 40% of
      all systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) patients. Minor psychiatric symptoms and
      abnormalities on neuropsychological testing are being detected with increasing
      frequency. This review summarizes current thinking concerning the diagnosis and
      pathogenesis of CNS lupus. The main symptoms of CNS lupus can be diffuse
      (generalized seizures, psychosis) or focal (stroke, peripheral neuropathies).
      Neuropsychiatric symptoms often occur in the first year of SLE, but are rarely
      the presenting symptoms of the disease. In studies on the pathology of CNS lupus,
      vasculopathy, infarcts and haemorrhages are often observed, whereas vasculitis is
      rare. Endocardial lesions and mural thrombi have also been reported in 33-50% of
      CNS lupus patients. In diagnostic imaging of the CNS, magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) scans often provide evidence for edema or small infarcts, both in focal and
      diffuse CNS lupus, whereas computerized tomography (CT) scans only show gross
      abnormalities. The first reports on position emission tomography (PET) scans in
      CNS lupus patients show decreased glucose uptake in the brain. The cerebral blood
      flow decreases during active diffuse and focal CNS lupus. The blood-brain barrier
      is somewhat more frequently impaired in diffuse CNS lupus. Intrathecal IgG and
      IgM production is observed in 25-66% of all CNS lupus patient. Various
      specificities of autoantibodies have been observed in CNS lupus. Of these,
      anticardiolipin (ACA) antibodies show a well-documented association with focal
      involvement of the CNS in SLE. These antibodies could cause thrombosis by
      interfering with the protein C pathway of fibrinolysis. In addition, they are
      associated with endocardial and valvular heart disease, which is often observed
      in SLE and which could cause embolism. The relation between ACA and diffuse CNS
      lupus is not yet clear. Low-avidity anti-DNA antibodies are also found in CNS
      lupus, possibly because of their cross-reaction with cardiolipin. Antineuronal
      antibodies and lymphocytotoxic antibodies have been associated with diffuse CNS
      lupus and abnormalities on neuropsychological testing. However, the population of
      these antibodies is rather heterogeneous and it has not been possible to assess a
      common target antigen. Therefore, it is still obscure whether there is also a
      second immune-mediated mechanism responsible for the development of the diffuse
      form of CNS lupus.

PMID- 1866572
TI  - Bone loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis--effect of steroids measured by
      low dose quantitative computed tomography.
AB  - For 2 years bone density changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were
      monitored to determine the effect of low dose corticosteroid treatment. Sixteen
      perimenopausal females were studied. Of these nine were treated with 5 to 20 mg
      prednisone per day and seven had no steroids. The differential effects on
      trabecular bone density and on cortical bone in the radius and the tibia were
      examined with high precision peripheral quantitative computed tomography (QCT).
      Steroid therapy did not influence cortical bone loss and had only a minor
      influence on trabecular bone density. Of greater importance was the influence of
      estrogen depletion. Corticosteroids and estrogen depletion, however, cannot
      explain fully the yearly loss of 5.7% in the trabecular and 4% in the cortical
      bone of the radius.

PMID- 1866573
TI  - Time sequence of coagulation data in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis
      and suspected disseminated intravascular coagulation.
AB  - In patients with liver cirrhosis, especially in the advanced stage, the
      coexistence of low clotting factor levels, hypofibrinogenemia, thrombocytopenia
      and elevated fibrin(ogen) degradation product (FDP) and D-dimer levels may
      suggest the presence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). In this
      study we evaluated, in 21 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and
      elevated FDP and D-dimer levels, the time sequence of their coagulation data
      during a follow-up period of 15 days after the first observation; our aim was to
      clarify if these patients tend to develop during this time interval a severe
      consumption coagulopathy as an expression of overt DIC. We evaluated serum
      fibrinogen, platelet count, prothrombin activity, serum FDP and plasma D-dimer
      levels at days 1, 3, 6, 10 and 15. The coagulation data were fairly stable during
      the study period in all patients, even in the two patients who had upper
      digestive tract bleeding during the study time. Only two patients affected by
      infectious diseases showed a decrease of D-dimer and FDP levels after healing.
      Our data suggest that in decompensated liver cirrhosis the detection of elevated
      FDP and D-dimer levels is seldom related to the occurrence of an overt DIC, at
      least during a short time interval; in this condition heparin therapy seems
      therefore not advisable and even potentially dangerous.

PMID- 1866574
TI  - Alloantibodies in congenital von Willebrand's disease.
AB  - In a review of the literature published in 1984 we identified (from 13 kindreds)
      15 patients with severe von Willebrand's disease (vWD) reported to have developed
      alloantibodies. In order to reexamine the problem, a questionnaire was sent in
      1989 to 141 hemophilia centers in America and Europe; 101 answers were received.
      These dealt with a total number of 1,720 patients with vWD (all types) and 231
      patients with severe (type III) vWD. Besides the 15 cases reported in 1984, 6
      additional cases of anti-vWF alloantibodies were reported, i.e., one from Spain
      (a relative of a previously reported case), two from Venezuela (brother and
      sister) and three from North Carolina (unrelated patients). All these cases and
      those previously reported share the following features: occurrence of
      alloantibodies in multitransfused patients with severe vWD, poor clinical and
      laboratory response to replacement therapy with cryoprecipitate, inhibition of
      ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation. During the survey, an unusual antibody
      to FVIII:C with no reactivity towards vWF was reported in a multitransfused girl
      (from Tennessee) with type III vWD. It seems therefore that although the
      development of alloantibodies is a rare complication of severe vWD, due to its
      negative effect on the response to treatment it needs a prompt identification.

PMID- 1866575
TI  - Liver system. IV. More on the liver micro-unit: physics and geometry of its
      action.
AB  - The geometry of liver functional micro-units is described in the light of the
      immunohistologic features of human hepatocytes stained with a retinol-binding
      protein antibody. The stained cells were distributed into two ordered sets which
      provided a provisional representation of the law regulating both the motion and
      the alternation of the rest-work phases (homopoiesis and homorhesis
      configurations, respectively) which reflect bistable liver micro-unit equilibrium
      (auto-isodiasostasis). Oscillations between the HP and HR states generate a
      relaxation cycle that can be assumed to be shared by all micro-units and to be
      regulated by feedback mechanisms. A model illustrating the compactness of the
      liver's global action as a result of the activity of each micro-unit is also
      proposed.

PMID- 1866576
TI  - Liver system. V. Activation-extinction line of cyclic hepatocyte activities.
AB  - The excitation-extintion line of hepatocytes from an inert state towards the
      stabilization of a given activity is described. Within the cell, the switching on
      of any given activity is a competitive process among different activities. The
      process is driven by the influence field created in the environment of the
      Rappaport acinus by sinusoidal blood which changes its characteristics during its
      passage from the portal zone to the central vein. Every step of the excitation
      extintion pathway follows the so-called law of autoisodiasostasis (AIS), i.e. it
      is characterized by an oscillatory motion between restoring (homopoiesis or HP)
      and working (homeorhesis or HR) states. Since the cyclical bistable equilibrium
      of AIS characterizes all conditions of hepatocyte activities, the AIS cycle can
      be defined a limit cycle.

PMID- 1866578
TI  - TV nurses: sexy, deferential--and phony.

PMID- 1866577
TI  - The functioning liver mass.
AB  - The liver function results from the interaction of anatomical, histological and
      biochemical aspects. Thus the concept of functioning liver mass must be related
      to the many biological aspects involved in the process under evaluation, and its
      measure can be viewed as a virtual parameter averaging the liver function. In the
      present review the functioning liver mass has been categorized with respect to
      the many aspects involved (biochemical transformations, membrane transports and
      passive intraluminal transports) and their interactions (intracellular,
      transcellular, transacinar and flow-dependent). Parameters reflecting the
      functioning liver mass (whether static or dynamic) have been considered with
      respect to the experimental conditions and characterized according to the type of
      estimate they provide (capacity or activity). Methods for evaluating the
      functioning liver mass have been presented and discussed, and a protocol has been
      proposed for clinical applications, based on the association of the galactose
      elimination capacity measuring the metabolic mass with the hepatic clearance of D
      sorbitol evaluating the functional hepatic plasma flow.

PMID- 1866579
TI  - Treating AIDS patients and their loved ones with understanding.

PMID- 1866580
TI  - Volunteers help nurses tend boarder babies.

PMID- 1866581
TI  - How to make care plans work for you.

PMID- 1866582
TI  - When to suspect ectopic pregnancy.

PMID- 1866583
TI  - Elevated cholesterol. A nurse's guide to drug therapy.

PMID- 1866584
TI  - Pediatric trauma. When kids get hurt.

PMID- 1866585
TI  - Relaxation therapy works.

PMID- 1866586
TI  - Helping your patients dress for success.

PMID- 1866587
TI  - Your role in informed consent.

PMID- 1866588
TI  - Surgery, stress, and metabolism.

PMID- 1866589
TI  - Gastritis associated with infection by Helicobacter pylori in humans:
      geographical differences.
AB  - Previous studies have indicated that infection rates of Helicobacter pylori are
      influenced by geographical factors. The present studies evaluate the
      characteristics of gastritis, associated with infection by H. pyrlori, and
      demonstrate relationships between different geographical locations and the extent
      of inflammatory cell accumulation in the gastric mucosa. Gastric biopsy specimens
      were obtained from patients infected with H. pylori at three clinical sites (two
      from North America and one from South America). Gastric inflammation was
      evaluated by quantitative histomorphometric techniques. Patients from South
      America had a more severe gastritis than did those from North America.
      Additionally, in South American patients the neutrophil was the predominant
      inflammatory cell type in the gastric mucosa. In contrast, the lymphocyte was the
      primary cell composing the mucosal infiltrate of infected North American
      subjects. Eosinophil infiltration into the mucosa correlated with the extent of
      mucosal atrophy; however, there were no differences between the North and South
      American patient populations in the extent of mucosal atrophy present in the
      specimens. We conclude that the characteristics (severity and cell type) of
      gastritis associated with infection by H. pylori are influenced by geographical
      factors that may be similar to those that modify infection rates for different
      geographical locations.

PMID- 1866590
TI  - Clinical trials as etiologic research tools in Helicobacter-associated gastritis.
AB  - The role of clinical trials as tools to elucidate the etiology of chronic
      gastritis is discussed. Three areas are briefly explored. The first one concerns
      the classification of chronic gastritis, a constellation of interconnected
      nosologic entities. The second refers to the histopathologic factors of chronic
      gastritis; preliminary results show that clearance of Helicobacter pylori
      decreases the inflammatory infiltrate and suggest that H. pylori alters cell
      ploidy. The third area refers to the multifactorial etiology of chronic gastritis
      and the role that clinical trials could play in its elucidation.

PMID- 1866591
TI  - Molecular techniques for studying the epidemiology of infection by Helicobacter
      pylori.
AB  - The efficacy of one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of whole-cell protein patterns for fingerprinting
      isolates of Helicobacter pylori was assessed by means of computerized numerical
      analysis. Virtually all strains were found to have unique, stable, and
      reproducible protein profiles. The application of this technique to a collection
      of isolates from eight patients showed clearly that each harboured a distinct
      strain that was present before treatment and persisted after treatment. This
      suggests that relapse was due to recrudescence of the same strain rather than re
      infection with a different strain. Minor differences in protein banding profiles
      within sets of isolates from the same patient were evident, and this was
      confirmed by means of both two-dimensional PAGE protein patterns and restriction
      endonuclease analysis of DNA on the same strains.

PMID- 1866592
TI  - Relationship between gastric inflammatory response and symptoms in patients
      infected with Helicobacter pylori.
AB  - The relationship between the histologic severity of gastritis and associated
      symptoms was examined in 19 adult patients infected with Helicobacter pylori. At
      the time of gastrointestinal endoscopy, symptoms of dyspepsia were assessed by
      means of a linear analog scale. Gastric inflammation was quantitated with
      histomorphometric techniques. Symptoms such as epigastric pain, burping/belching,
      and nausea correlated with the degree of inflammation. These positive
      correlations suggest that the severity of the histologic gastritis contributes to
      the severity of symptoms. Therefore, utilization of a linear analog scale to
      assess symptoms may be a useful technique in evaluating the outcome of
      therapeutic trials of patients with symptomatic H. pylori infection.

PMID- 1866593
TI  - Gastric spiral bacilli in captive cheetahs.
AB  - Two kinds of gastric spiral bacilli were identified in the stomachs of captive
      cheetahs with naturally occurring gastritis. One type was morphologically similar
      to 'Gastrospirillum hominis'. This organism could not be cultured in vitro. Some
      of these bacteria had superficial helical filaments, and others did not. The
      other type was morphologically, biochemically, and bacteriologically similar to
      Helicobacter pylori. This organism is most likely a new species of Helicobacter.
      One or both of these bacteria may have been responsible for the gastritis seen in
      these cheetahs.

PMID- 1866594
TI  - Genomic variation in Helicobacter pylori: application to identification of
      strains.
AB  - DNA digest analysis, ribopatterns, and plasmid profiling were used to determine
      genomic variation in 55 strains of Helicobacter pylori from patients with
      gastritis in the USA, Peru, Australia, and the U.K. HaeIII-ribopatterns and total
      DNA digest patterns showed a high degree of heterogeneity, with at least 33
      different genomic types among strains, including some sequential isolates.
      Plasmids, present in 51% of strains, were less useful as epidemiologic markers.
      Investigation of 14 multiple isolate sets showed that genotypic variants were
      present in pre- and post-treatment gastric mucosa, that relapse in some patients
      was due to reinfection by a genotypically different strain, and that the same
      strain persisted in most treatment failures. We conclude that molecular methods
      were excellent for precise identification of H. pylori, but ribopatterns had the
      advantages of reproducibility, high discrimination, and visual simplicity.

PMID- 1866595
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and progressive gastric pathology that predisposes to gastric
      cancer.
AB  - Evidence is presented suggesting that infection by Helicobacter pylori triggers
      and continuously contributes to the pathophysiology of progressive gastric
      changes that can ultimately lead to gastric cancer. In Peru, especially in
      population groups of low socioeconomic status, infection by H. pylori begins
      earlier in life and is more prevalent and persistent than in developed countries.
      The infection produces a destructive lesion of the mucinous surface epithelium
      which probably enables other aggressive luminal factors to cause further mucosal
      damage. As a consequence, active chronic gastritis appears. The gastritis is of
      the superficial type at the beginning but may progressively change to atrophic.
      Chronic atrophic gastritis is found more frequently and at a younger age in
      dyspeptic patients with low socioeconomic status--that is, in patients having
      higher prevalence of persistent infection by H. pylori since earlier in life.
      When chronic atrophic gastritis becomes severe and extensive, hypochlorhydria
      ensues. Hypochlorhydria favors the appearance of bacterial overgrowth, nitrites,
      and N-nitroso compounds in the gastric lumen. N-nitroso compounds, because of
      their mutagenic-carcinogenic properties, probably induce gastric premalignant
      lesions like intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia of the gastric mucosa. Oral
      bismuth therapy apparently reverses H. pylori-associated gastric dysplasia. It is
      proposed that future programs designed for the control of gastric cancer would be
      incomplete if they do not include further evaluation of the many effects of
      infection by H. pylori on the gastric mucosa and of cost-effective methods to
      eradicate the infection.

PMID- 1866596
TI  - Characterization of the morphologic conversion of Helicobacter pylori from
      bacillary to coccoid forms.
AB  - Growth studies of Helicobacter pylori were performed involving analysis of the
      bacterium and its microenvironment, to lend insight into the factors responsible
      for the morphologic conversion phenomenon. H. pylori converted from bacillary to
      coccoid forms in broth culture after incubation for 5 days under microaerobic
      conditions with agitation. This morphologic conversion was paralleled by a
      dramatic decrease in colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml) and a
      significant endogenous increase in the pH of the broth culture. In addition,
      removal of broth cultures from microaerobic conditions after 3 days of incubation
      resulted in a rapid increase in culture pH, a morphologic conversion, and a
      concomitant decrease of CFU/ml. These observations suggest an inhibitory effect
      of basic pH, endogenously produced, on the growth of H. pylori in vitro.
      Experiments designed to identify the reason for the endogenous increase in
      culture pH demonstrated that the urease enzyme of H. pylori is not primarily
      responsible for this phenomenon. Rather, H. pylori appears to produce a deaminase
      enzyme that is likely responsible for the generation of ammonia, which results in
      the increase in culture pH, the morphologic conversion, and the loss of
      culturability observed in vitro. Also indicated is the need for a buffering
      component (for example, bicarbonate) to maintain pH conditions favorable to the
      growth of H. pylori.

PMID- 1866597
TI  - Factors affecting gastric mucosal hydrophobicity in man.
AB  - Contact angle measurements in animal studies have demonstrated that gastric
      mucosa has a relatively hydrophobic surface. We have developed and validated a
      technique for the measurement of this property on human endoscopic biopsy
      specimens. Mean contact angle of the gastric body (70 degrees) and antrum (70
      degrees) was higher than the duodenal bulb (62 degrees; p less than 0.01) and
      distal duodenum (50 degrees; p less than 0.001). Subjects with duodenal ulcer and
      gastric ulcer had a lower contact angle than controls without ulcer (57 degrees,
      n = 49, and 59 degrees, n = 17 versus 66 degrees, n = 124, respectively).
      Helicobacter pylori infection was associated with reduced contact angle in
      subjects with gastritis (59 degrees versus 68 degrees). The contact angle was
      unchanged after treatment with ranitidine but increased to control values after
      clearance and eradication of H. pylori with bismuth and antibiotics. In
      postgastrectomy patients, the contact angle was reduced and correlated negatively
      with the bile acid content of gastric juice (r = 0.51, p less than 0.0001). We
      conclude that in man gastric mucosal hydrophobicity can be validly measured on
      endoscopic biopsy specimens and that it is high in health and reduced in bile
      reflux and in peptic ulcer disease, largely as a result of H. pylori infection.

PMID- 1866598
TI  - Helicobacter pylori stimulates pepsin secretion from isolated rabbit gastric
      glands.
AB  - In man, type-B gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori has been associated with
      both increased serum pepsinogen in the presence of hypochlorhydria and increased
      levels of gastric pepsin. We investigated the effect of H. pylori on pepsinogen
      secretion in vitro and found that a sonicated preparation of H. pylori increased
      pepsinogen secretion from isolated rabbit gastric glands. This increase was
      significant after 5 min (p = 0.001), and maximum secretion was obtained after 30
      min of incubation. The effect was additive to the secretion achieved by
      stimulation with carbachol at 10(-4) M plus 10(-4) isobutylmethylxanthine or 10(
      8) M cholecystokinin. There was no detectable stimulation of pepsinogen synthesis
      by 2 h. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was assayed as an index of cell
      damage, and no significant LDH release was noted. The secretory factor in the H.
      pylori sonicate is inhibited by boiling, unaffected by heating at 60 degrees C
      for 30 min, dialysable, and inactivated by pronase. These data suggest that H.
      pylori stimulates pepsinogen secretion by a mechanism different from that of
      other tested stimulants. H. pylori-stimulated pepsinogen release may be a factor
      in the etiology of type-B gastritis and peptic ulcers.

PMID- 1866599
TI  - Loss of HLA heavy chain and beta 2-microglobulin in HLA negative tumours.
AB  - Expression of HLA class I antigens on the cell surface requires the association
      of heavy chain, endogenous peptide and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m). We have
      studied the expression of free class I heavy chain and beta 2m in cryostatic
      sections of 51 HLA class I negative human tumours of different origin. Selective
      low expression of beta 2m was observed only on the 9 colorectal adenocarcinomas.
      In contrast, simultaneous under-expression of heavy chain and beta 2m was
      detected in the rest of the tumours studied. Our results suggest that the
      accumulation in the cytoplasm of HLA heavy chain in HLA negative colorectal
      carcinomas is a particular mechanism that cannot be applied to all HLA negative
      tumours.

PMID- 1866600
TI  - Antigen processing and presentation by small and large B cells.
AB  - We have investigated the ability of different cells from non-immunized mice of
      the BALB/c strain to present antigen to two ovalbumin-specific I-Ad-restricted T
      hybridomas. Lipopolysaccharide-activated B-cell blasts were found to be the most
      efficient antigen-presenting cells. Purified small and dense splenic B cells also
      stimulated the hybridomas, although not to the same extent as the activated
      blasts, but comparable to non-fractionated spleen cells. Glutaraldehyde-treated B
      cells failed to present antigen, whereas F(ab')2 anti-mouse IgM-treated B cells
      exhibited markedly increased ability to present antigen. Using flow cytometry, we
      further purified the resting B cells by sorting the small lymphocytes to ensure
      that the ability of these cells to activate the hybridomas was not due to
      contamination with large non-resting B cells. The sorted small B cells retained
      the ability of antigen presentation. Their resting state was confirmed by the
      fact that they did not incorporate [3H]-thymidine as shown by autoradiographic
      analysis.

PMID- 1866601
TI  - Human MHC class I antigens are associated with a 90-kDa cell surface protein.
AB  - Human MHC class I proteins are expressed on almost all nucleated cells as a heavy
      chain (about 45 kDa) non-covalently associated with beta 2-microglobulin (12
      kDa). In this report we show that MHC class I (MHC-I) proteins can also be
      associated with a 90-kDa protein in the cell membrane. Surface-radiolabelled
      cells were treated with dithiobis succinimidyl propionate (DSP) in order to
      preserve multimer protein complexes during cell lysis. The lysates were
      immunoprecipitated and analysed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography.
      Immunoprecipitation of human MHC-I proteins co-precipitated another protein of
      about 90 kDa in molecular weight-p90. p90 was coprecipitated from all the MHC-I
      expressing cells tested: U937, Raji, Molt-4 and IFN-gamma treated K562, but not
      from untreated, MHC-I negative K562. A 90-kDa protein was also co-precipitated
      with MHC-I from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Furthermore, p90
      was coprecipitated by different MoAbs to the MHC-I heavy chain or beta 2
      microglobulin, but not by control antibodies. Two additional co-precipitating
      proteins at 34 kDa and 28 kDa were seen in MHC-I precipitates from Raji cells.
      Our results suggest that MHC-I proteins and the 90-kDa protein are associated in
      the cell membrane, probably by a close but weak, non-covalent interaction. Two
      additional cell surface proteins at 34 kDa and 28 kDa seem to be MHC-I associated
      on Raji Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

PMID- 1866602
TI  - Lymphoproliferative responses to Plasmodium falciparum antigens in children with
      and without the sickle cell trait.
AB  - Blood mononuclear cells (BMNC) were isolated from sickle cell trait (HbAS)
      healthy donors and normal haemoglobin (HbAA) healthy donors resident in a P.
      falciparum endemic area of eastern Sudan. Blood samples were collected during the
      malaria season. BMNC were tested for their proliferative responses to
      phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) and to
      soluble P. falciparum antigens (SPAg). Higher responses to SPAg and PPD were
      observed in the HbAS children compared with the HbAA children, whereas no
      differences were observed among adults of the two phenotypes. Proliferative
      responses to PHA were comparable in all individuals tested. The significance of
      these findings in relation to haemoglobin phenotype, age and the possible
      immunoregulatory mechanisms operating in HbAS and HbAA children during the
      malaria season is discussed.

PMID- 1866604
TI  - [HIV transmission in hospitals and office practice. Protection of patients and
      medical personnel].
AB  - Research has brought full knowledge of the identity of the human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV) and its infective pathways. There are not enough diagnostic tools,
      however, to detect all HIV carriers in the first weeks and months after
      infection. This fact emphasizes that all patients should be assumed to be
      infectious for HIV and other bloodborne pathogens. A slight but certainly
      existent risk for all health-care workers is a reality. Information and
      recommendations concerning the protection of surgical personnel against
      acquisition of HIV while performing their duties, and protection of HIV carriers,
      were published in 1988 by the Union of Swiss Surgical Societies, Practicability
      and compliance with these infection-control precautions were checked in 1990
      after two years' operation with the aid of a questionnaire. 89 valid answers from
      110 Swiss hospitals (yielding a response rate of 81%), together with overall
      experience, allow us to evaluate the recommendations of 1988. We conclude that
      the risk of HIV infection after occupational exposure to blood and other body
      fluids, and the potential threat to the HIV carrier, can be minimized to a very
      high degree by acceptance of the recommended infection-control precautions. This
      is especially true in surgical units, emergencies and first aid.

PMID- 1866603
TI  - A novel form of CD4 (L3T4) mRNA in the murine fetal liver results in cell-surface
      expression of the L3T4 antigen.
AB  - The expression of the L3T4 antigen during ontogeny in the murine fetal liver has
      been investigated in parallel by northern blot analysis and cytofluorometry. The
      L3T4 gene is transcribed in the murine fetal liver in two polyadenylated mRNA
      species with the size of 3.5 kb and 3.7 kb. Whereas the 3.5-kb mRNA is expressed
      from days 13 to 18 of gestation, expression of the 3.7-kb mRNA is found only from
      days 16 to 18 of gestation and thus appears to be developmentally regulated.
      Immunofluorescent staining of fractionated fetal liver cells from days 12 to 18
      of gestation with the anti-L3T4 antibody (GK1.5) provides evidence that cell
      surface expression of the L3T4 antigen on a subset of lympho-haematopoietic cells
      in the murine fetal liver is the product of a novel form of L3T4 mRNA with the
      size of 3.5 kb.

PMID- 1866605
TI  - [Vascular complications associated with aortic dissection].
AB  - Aortic branch occlusion may constitute the mode of presentation or become an
      important focus of treatment in patients sustaining acute aortic dissection. The
      optimal therapeutic approach in patients with acute aortic dissection complicated
      by cerebral, visceral and peripheral vascular problems, and the implications of
      such complications, are not well established. We review the outcome in 187
      consecutive patients (149 males and 38 females, mean age 58 years) with acute
      dissection of the thoracic aorta who were admitted and operated on in our
      department over a 13-year period. We assess the incidence, consequences and
      specific management of significant stenotic and obstructive lesions of the aorta
      and its branches. Noncardiac vascular complications occurred in 59 patients
      (32%); of these complications, 38 were associated with type A dissection
      (incidence 28%) and 21 with type B dissection (incidence 48%). A trend towards
      decreasing overall surgical mortality was observed in the second part of the
      study (1983-1989) compared with the first part (1977-1982) i.e. 28% versus 12%.
      Although aortic rupture and cardiac tamponade were the strongest correlate of
      morbidity and mortality, death specifically related to vascular complication was
      more common when such malperfusion occurred in the carotid, celio-mesenteric and
      renal circulation. Proximal aortic repair at the site of the intimal tear with
      obliteration of the false lumen may have restored adequate distal circulation in
      27 patients in whom improvement of the visceral or peripheral ischemia was
      observed after the thoracic aortic repair. Additional procedures (immediately
      after the thoracic repair or later) were necessary in 15 patients to restore
      adequate perfusion in the compromised area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866606
TI  - [Early mortality in surgery of rectal carcinoma].
AB  - In a retrospective study (1984-1989) we analyzed 281 consecutive patients
      undergoing surgery for rectal cancer. We were interested in the relationship
      between operative mortality rate and type of operation as well as age and sex of
      the patient. We stress that "death within 30 days of the last operation" best
      reflects the true operative deaths. The mortality rate after different types of
      operation shows no significant differences. With increasing age and the
      associated increasing risk factors the mortality rate increases. In men a trend
      towards a higher mortality rate can be shown, but not to a significant degree. In
      our series the 30-day operative mortality was 1.4%, and the in-hospital mortality
      rate 3.9%. We recommended that death within 30 days of surgery should be the
      standard definition for operative mortality rate, since it offers the best
      yardstick for peri- and postoperative management.

PMID- 1866607
TI  - [Rhodococcus erythropolis infection in HIV-associated immunodeficiency].
AB  - We report the first case in the literature of human infection with Rhodococcus
      erythropolis in an HIV-positive patient. A 24-year-old bisexual flight attendant
      had severe HIV-associated immunodeficiency with a CD4 cell count of 0.02 G/l. He
      complained of multiple subcutaneous nodules at different sites on the
      extremities. Biopsy of one node at his left knee revealed granulomatous
      inflammation filled with acid-fast rods. These bacteria were identified as
      Rhodococcus erythropolis. The disseminated infection was restricted to the skin
      and showed a slow response to long-term therapy with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.
      No relapse has been observed more than 6 months after discontinuation of
      antibiotic therapy. The etiology of a concomitant polyarthritis remains unknown;
      a relationship with the rhodococcus infection is possible as the arthritis
      responded well to the antibiotic therapy and did not reactivate after
      discontinuation of antibiotics. Due to the difficult isolation technic, this
      pathogen may be overlooked in routine diagnostic procedures. The implications in
      clinical practice are discussed.

PMID- 1866608
TI  - [The etiopathogenesis of periodontal diseases: the role of microorganisms. A
      review].
AB  - The microbiology of periodontal diseases as well as associations between certain
      microorganisms and types/stages of periodontal diseases are discussed and the
      ecology and the composition of the subgingival plaque are included in this
      discussion, too. Furthermore, the possible role of microorganisms associated with
      periodontal diseases, their pathogenic mechanisms and their virulence factors are
      treated in the present article. Periodic upsets of the host-parasite equilibrium
      seem to be responsible for the bursts of disease progression. Several plaque
      hypotheses (specific, non-specific, opportunistic) have been proposed as likely
      models to explain the nature of periodontal infections and diseases. However,
      none of these theories is widely accepted at the moment. Therefore, we suggest
      that further investigations concerning the complex bacterial interactions and the
      manner in which the host responds to the mass and the composition of the dental
      plaque must be carried out in the future.

PMID- 1866609
TI  - [The marginal adaptation of Cerec-Dicor-MGC restorations with dentin adhesives].
AB  - Dicor MGC Cerec inlays were placed in 53 teeth clinically and in 24 extracted
      teeth. Both main groups were subdivided into the following four test subgroups:
      1. monofunctional dentin adhesive without linings. 2. bifunctional dentin
      adhesive without linings. 3. monofunctional dentin adhesive with linings. 4.
      bifunctional dentin adhesive with linings. The marginal adaptation of the
      occlusal surfaces of the restorations placed clinically was evaluated from
      replicas using the scanning electron microscope at x 200 magnification. In
      contrast, the marginal adaptation of all the restored enamel surfaces and the
      disto-cervical dentinal margins of the restorations placed in the extracted teeth
      were similarly evaluated. These margins were examined before and after
      thermomechanical stressing. The restorations were stressed 120,000 times at 300
      cycles of 5-55-5 degrees C, chemically degraded by immersion in ethanol of 75%
      for 20 h and brushed for 30 min with a toothbrush at 1,96 N load. The in-vitro
      restorations were also subjected to dye penetration tests. The percent "excellent
      margin" recorded along the enamel-composite interface of the occlusal surfaces of
      the clinically placed restorations varied between 83.6 and 88.2%. The
      corresponding scores for the in-vitro specimens were at least 95% before and 90%
      after the thermomechanical and chemical stressing. The bifunctional dentin
      adhesive "Prisma Universal Bond 2" had a 93.6% "excellent margin" along the
      dentin-composite margin before stressing which decreased to 84.4% after stress.
      These scores were not significantly different.

PMID- 1866610
TI  - [Experimental research on the finishing and polishing of amalgam fillings].
AB  - In an in-vitro study occlusal amalgam restorations were finished and polished
      with four different methods. The quality of the restorations were evaluated
      according to the surface homogeneity and marginal adaptation. Additionally, the
      loss of substance due to the finishing and polishing process was determined. The
      results can be summarized as follows: The use of carbide finishing burs in
      combination with silicon polishing instruments (method A) results in rather
      smooth surfaces with numerous defects in the marginal area. The maximum loss of
      substance was about 160 microns in the filling material and about 110 microns in
      the adjacent enamel. Diamond finishing burs (grain size 30 microns = method B;
      grain size 15 microns = method C) in combination with silicon polishing
      instruments lead to rougher surfaces. The marginal areas, however, showed less
      deficiencies compared with method A. The maximum loss of substance in the
      adjacent enamel was about 220 microns (method B) and about 200 microns (method
      C), respectively, and in the amalgam area about 200 microns (method B) and 90
      microns (method C), respectively. When finishing and polishing was done with a
      brush and a polishing paste (method D), the surface homogeneity and marginal
      adaptation of the restorations showed poor results. However, the maximum loss of
      substance was strongly decreased compared with methods A, B and C to an average
      of about 40 microns in the adjacent enamel and to about 75 microns in the
      amalgam. In conclusion, the application of the finishing and polishing methods A,
      B and C leads to a higher quality of the amalgam restoration than that, which can
      be achieved by applying method D.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866611
TI  - [The finishing of adhesive tooth-colored inlays made of composite and ceramic].
AB  - The destruction potential of 4 different finishing and polishing systems was
      evaluated using 104 occlusal direct inlays made from composite and ceramic,
      respectively. An inhomogeneous microfilled composite, a fine particle hybrid
      composite, a glass ceramic and a fine porcelain were utilized as filling
      materials. Finishing diamonds, white stones, flexible discs and silicon rubber
      polishing cups were examined as finishing and polishing instruments. Replicas
      were examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to reveal enamel,
      composite and inlay margin fractures. Results were described as percentages of
      perfect margin. The surface roughness of composite and ceramic blocks was
      measured by means of a profile meter after surface finishing and polishing with
      the instruments mentioned above. Except for the fine porcelain, the flexible disc
      finishing and polishing system provides constantly the best results with greater
      than or equal to 95% of excellent margin. Similar results were achieved by fine
      finishing diamonds only. The surface roughness was reduced significantly by the
      flexible discs and by silicon rubber polishers only. Finishing diamonds and
      flexible discs are the most suitable instruments for finishing and polishing of
      tooth-colored adhesive inlays. They are nondestructive against enamel, the inlay
      and the cement surfaces.

PMID- 1866612
TI  - [Modifications of coated anchorages. Repairs and modifications of the coated
      anchorages of partial and hybrid dentures].

PMID- 1866613
TI  - [Light-cured denture resins. A description and assessment of the Triad System
      from the prosthetic viewpoint].

PMID- 1866614
TI  - [Denture stomatitis].

PMID- 1866615
TI  - [The teaching of periodontics: difficulties and expectations].

PMID- 1866616
TI  - [The SSO--sense and purpose. Societe Suisse d'Odonto-Stomatologie].

PMID- 1866618
TI  - [Implants: the technical aspects. Crown and bridge prostheses with 2-part ITI
      implants: the impression technic, models and stump preparation. Internationales
      Team fur Implantologie].

PMID- 1866617
TI  - Episodic probing attachment loss versus pocket depth: bacterial morphotype
      associations.
AB  - Marginal periodontitis in humans is characterized by phases of clinical disease
      progression, which are interspersed between periods of quiescence. The purpose of
      the present study was to compare subgingival bacterial populations from
      periodontal sites undergoing episodic probing attachment loss with bacterial
      populations from non-progressing lesions. Probing depth and attachment levels
      were measured in 10 adult patients at baseline, and every 30 days thereafter for
      10 months. Pairs of corresponding contralateral sites were identified where one
      site had lost probing attachment within the previous month (P) and the other site
      had not (C). Subgingival bacterial samples were obtained from these sites and
      analyzed using darkfield microscopy. Motile forms, spirochetes, curved and
      straight rods, filaments, coccoid cells, fusiforms, and the total number of
      bacteria were assessed. The results showed that median pocket depth and
      attachment change were statistically significantly greater in P-sites as compared
      to C-sites. There was no significant difference in bacterial populations between
      P- and C-sites (p greater than 0.15). Motile forms, spirochetes, and total number
      of bacteria were positively correlated with pocket depth in P-sites, while in C
      sites the same was true only for curved rods. These results suggest that
      darkfield microscopy of subgingival bacteria in humans represents primarily
      pocket depth.

PMID- 1866619
TI  - [Individualized coloring of the denture base. A virtually practice-ready method
      for the staining of the external denture surface].

PMID- 1866621
TI  - ["We must be concerned for solidarity". Interview by Kurt Venner].

PMID- 1866620
TI  - [Synoptic treatment planning for implant solutions (II)].

PMID- 1866623
TI  - [The radiation protection law--dentists should and can help shape the performance
      requirements].

PMID- 1866622
TI  - [The disposal of amalgam wastes via Cendres et Metaux in Biel is on the right
      path].

PMID- 1866624
TI  - [Dentistry in Sweden. Interview by Staffan Olsson].

PMID- 1866625
TI  - ["We should pause at the point of progress" (the Eastman Dental Center).
      Interview by Michel Perrier].

PMID- 1866627
TI  - Proteinase-mediated cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis.
AB  - Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of complex etiology that results in articular
      cartilage breakdown. Current experimental evidence strongly suggests that
      proteinases may be involved in this loss of cartilage matrix. The present review
      summarizes the evidence for implicating proteinases in the etiopathogenesis of OA
      and suggests that blockade of proteinase activity may provide a rational basis
      for new therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1866626
TI  - Are cytokines involved in osteoarthritic pathophysiology?
AB  - The putative role and mechanism of action of cytokines in the progression of
      arthritic diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) has received particular attention
      because of the important interaction between articular cartilage and synovium in
      the pathophysiology of the diseased state. Maintaining matrix homeostasis in the
      normal adult cartilage phenotype requires normal turnover of matrix components,
      principally collagen and proteoglycan. Chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts are
      targeted, via specific cell-surface receptors, by cytokines like interleukin 1
      (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) to produce matrix proteases
      and to suppress the synthesis of collagen and proteoglycan. Thus, cytokines not
      only favor tissue destruction, but also inhibit tissue repair. A structurally
      heterogeneous group of factors capable of directly antagonizing cytokine action
      is described, which acts either by blocking cytokine-receptor binding, inhibiting
      local cytokine synthesis, or complexing the cytokine into an inactive form.
      Furthermore, many growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
      beta), can counteract the net effect of cytokines by stimulating the synthesis of
      matrix components or natural inhibitors of cartilage degrading enzymes.

PMID- 1866629
TI  - Classification of disease: osteoarthritis.
AB  - Criteria for the classification of osteoarthritis (OA) have been developed to
      establish uniformity in the reporting of this disease. Different criteria sets
      were developed for OA of the knee, hand, and hip that can serve different
      investigative purposes. The use of checklists facilitates the use of the criteria
      sets.

PMID- 1866628
TI  - Quantitative imaging of osteoarthritis.
AB  - Plain-film radiography currently remains the mainstay of imaging for diagnosis
      and follow-up in osteoarthritis (OA). However, recent studies have questioned
      some aspects of its use, particularly the correlation between radiographically
      evident joint-space narrowing and articular cartilage loss. The results with
      imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound suggest that
      these methods will allow accurate noninvasive definition of the structure of
      articular cartilage and other soft tissues of joints. Other modalities, including
      microfocal radiography and high-resolution computed tomography, can produce
      detailed images of trabecular structure and bony alterations in osteoarthritis.
      Improvements in image analysis and data manipulation, including three-dimensional
      reconstruction and digitized storage and measurement of images, will likely
      enable improved quantitative assessment of the abnormalities demonstrated by
      these techniques. One can hope that such developments will facilitate not only
      improved detection and definition of OA, but also better evaluation of the
      effectiveness of pharmacological and physical therapy in practice and in clinical
      trials.

PMID- 1866630
TI  - Indices of severity and disease activity for osteoarthritis.
AB  - Several indices have recently been constructed by rheumatologists for the
      assessment of clinical status in osteoarthritis of the extremities. These include
      the algofunctional indices for the hip and knee (Lequesne), the Western Ontario
      and McMasters Universities (WOMAC) index (Bellamy), patients and investigator's
      overall opinion (results of drug trials), global evaluation of change in handicap
      (self-assessment), and articular index of physical examination in nature (Doyle
      et al). Each of the above indices have been validated by their respective
      authors. Presently, we propose to further validate the disease-activity indices.

PMID- 1866631
TI  - [Compartment syndrome].

PMID- 1866632
TI  - [Compartment syndrome. Definition, etiology, pathophysiology].
AB  - A compartment syndrome is a condition in which increased pressure a confined
      fascial space causes decreased capillary blood flow and tissue function below a
      level necessary for viability. There are a variety of possible etiologies, such
      as increased compartment content (hematoma, edema, exertion, intoxication) and
      decreased compartment size (constrictive dressings and casts, closure of fascial
      defects). The pathophysiology of compartment syndrome is based on the
      arteriovenous gradient theory. The high pressure within the compartment leads to
      a decrease in the arteriovenous gradient, to a lowering of tissue PO2 and finally
      to a metabolic deficit. The tolerance of increased pressure by nerve and muscle
      is defined by the relationship of mean arterial pressure to tissue pressure and
      not by absolute tissue pressure.

PMID- 1866633
TI  - [Diagnosis of compartment syndrome].
AB  - Clinical diagnosis remains the most important factor in the diagnosis of
      compartment syndrome. Parameters such as swelling, pain result from passive
      stretching, sensory disturbances, motor weakness and pulse rate should be
      carefully analysed and recorded using a checklist. As a compartment syndrome can
      already occur after 2 h but often not until 6 days later, monitoring at short
      intervals is necessary during this time period. If the clinical diagnosis is not
      clear-cut and the possibilities of differential diagnosis have been exhausted, or
      if there is doubt concerning the extent of the increase in pressure, pressure
      should be measured to help establish the diagnosis.

PMID- 1866634
TI  - [Pathophysiology and pressure measurement in compartment syndrome].
AB  - Traumatic or ischemic damage of the musculature and soft tissue may cause
      compartment syndrome. In trauma, mechanical influences provoke humeral disorders
      and liberation of vasoactive substances with early onset of compartment syndrome,
      but isolated total ischemia of more than 6 h is commonly followed after
      revascularization by compartment syndrome caused by post-ischemic dilation of
      vessels. An understanding of the pathophysiology in compartment syndrome provides
      a better possibility of predicting this severe complication in trauma and
      vascular surgery patients. Several techniques are described for
      intracompartmental pressure monitoring. In normotensive patients, an
      intracompartmental pressure of more than 40 mmHg indicates "apparent" compartment
      syndrome, while pressures between 30 mmHg and 40 mmHg are interpreted as
      "imminent" compartment syndrome. In these cases therapeutic/prophylactic
      dermatofasciotomy is necessary. In hypotensive patients the lower limit for
      conducting a dermatofasciotomy must be reduced. According to the pathophysiology,
      an intracompartmental pressure of about 30 mmHg for more than 6 h duration must
      be treated by dermatofasciotomy.

PMID- 1866635
TI  - [Compartment syndrome. Principles of therapy].
AB  - Compartment syndrome can be classed as imminent, with moderate disturbances of
      muscular perfusion, no neurological symptoms and increasing tissue pressure, and
      manifest, with compromised circulation and loss of tissue function in the space
      and pathologic tissue pressure. When compartment syndrome is suspected, the most
      important immediate measure is wide splitting of any constricting dressings that
      have been applied. For decompression, the only adequate therapy, in imminent
      compartment syndrome, subcutaneous fasciotomy is required. The skin incision can
      be closed. Manifest compartment syndrome necessitates therapeutic fasciotomy,
      which means long incisions of skin and fascia, splitting of retinacula, excision
      of necrotic tissues, evacuation of hematoma and, if possible, rigid fixation of
      fractures. Skin closure is not permitted because of postoperative swelling, which
      can produce a rebound compartment syndrome. After 4-8 days edema decreases and
      the wound is closed by delayed sutures or a mesh graft. In the same session a
      second look operation for re-debridement of the tissues is done. Special problems
      arise in complex lesions of the foot, because of the thin layer of soft tissue
      coverage and the diminished blood supply to the bones of the foot. In the foot,
      decompression requires not only that the compartments of the short pedal muscles
      be opened, but also that the skin be adequately released.

PMID- 1866636
TI  - [Results of treatment of compartment syndrome of the upper arm].
AB  - Only a small number of cases of compartment syndrome in the upper arm has been
      reported in the literature. The authors have reviewed 14 patients with 14 cases
      of compartment syndrome treated at their institution from 1980 to 1988. In the
      majority of cases in this series, compartment syndrome was caused by blunt, high
      energy trauma. There were 9 patients with multiple trauma, 7 of whom were motor
      cyclists, and fracture of the upper arm was present in most of these. In 5
      patients scapulothoracic dissociation with disruption of the neurovascular bundle
      of the upper extremity concerned was present. In this series, 2 patients died of
      their injuries and three arms had to be amputated. At final follow-up after an
      average of 45 months (range 11-91 months) the functional result was dependent
      mainly on the severity of the associated injuries. Patients with isolated
      compartment syndrome had full recovery of upper limb function.

PMID- 1866637
TI  - [Compartment syndrome of the forearm].
AB  - This paper reviews the etiology, clinical picture, treatment and follow-up in 25
      patients treated for a forearm compartment syndrome at the medical school in
      Hanover. A volar-ulnar and, when indicated, a straight dorsal incision gave
      adequate decompression in all operatively treated patients. Follow-up examination
      revealed no damage or deficit that could be related to fasciotomy. Therefore,
      these results support the concept that operative treatment is widely indicated
      for forearm compartment syndrome.

PMID- 1866638
TI  - [Compartment syndrome of the hand. Diagnosis, therapy, results, late sequelae].
AB  - Ischemic necrosis of the intrinsic muscles of the hand has been known about for
      decades, as has the resulting local ischemic contracture in the hand. As isolated
      compartment syndrome of the hand is a rare condition, this term has not yet
      become established. The etiopathology, diagnosis, therapy and results of
      treatment in 13 patients treated for compartment syndrome of the hand are
      presented. At the time of our follow-up study, 3 patients had died and 2 did not
      attend. In 1 patient the upper limb had meanwhile had to be amputated. Thus, late
      results were examined in 7 patients, but 2 of these had not recovered any hand
      function, as they had suffered a brachial plexus lesion on the affected side. In
      5 patients the range of motion was unimpaired, but a slight loss of strength
      persisted in 4 patients and 1 patient complained of moderate paresthesia at the
      palmar scar. Despite the small number of patients, we feel that these results
      emphasize the need for early and adequate decompression in the case of
      compartment syndrome of the hand.

PMID- 1866639
TI  - [Compartment syndrome of the pelvis].
AB  - In the pelvic region three major compartments (gluteus medius-minimus, gluteus
      maximus and iliopsoas) can be distinguished from the smaller compartment of the
      tensor fasciae latae muscle. Pelvic compartment syndromes are rare. A clear
      history of trauma is often lacking. Association with drug and alcohol abuse is
      common as well as an association with the widespread use of anticoagulant
      therapy. From 1982 to 1988 six acute buttock compartment syndromes were treated
      in the Trauma Department of Hannover Medical School. In five patients fasciotomy
      of the gluteal compartment was performed. Two patients with a compartment
      syndrome secondary to necrotising fasciitis died of septic multiple organ
      failure. The mean follow-up of the four other patients was 29 months (7-48
      months). Three of these four patients revealed a decrease of gluteal muscle
      volume. Ergometric tests showed a decrease in gluteal muscle strength in all
      patients.

PMID- 1866640
TI  - [Compartment syndrome of the thigh].
AB  - Compartment syndrome in the thigh is an uncommon condition. Most of the patients
      have multiple injuries. The main etiological factors are ipsilateral fractures of
      the femur and isolated severe soft-tissue injuries following blunt trauma. If the
      diagnosis is made clinically, compartment syndrome is treated by lateral incision
      of the thigh with incision of the fascia lata and the lateral intermuscular
      septum. Dermatofasciotomy does not lead to severe complications. In the follow-up
      there is no functional loss or neurological deficit. The indications for
      decompressive fasciotomy should be broad.

PMID- 1866641
TI  - [Compartment syndrome in popliteal artery injury].
AB  - Between 1973 and 1988 50 patients with injuries of the popliteal artery were
      treated at the Medical School of Hannover University. While 26 patients with
      dislocations of the knee joint had mild soft tissue injuries, most of the 24
      patients with periarticular fractures of the tibia and/or femur showed excessive
      soft tissue damage. In both groups 11 patients who were admitted with prolonged
      ischemia had to undergo amputations. Primary amputations were performed according
      to the recommendations of. The mean duration of ischemia was 5.5 h (range 2.2-9
      h) in patients with knee dislocations (n = 21); fasciotomy was performed in 14
      patients (67%). In patients with popliteal artery injuries combined with
      fractures (n = 18) the average duration of ischemia was 6.5 h (3-13.5 h); in 16
      cases in this group (89%) fasciotomy had to be performed. Fasciotomy was always
      necessary in patients with combined injuries of the popliteal vein and artery.
      Moreover, all patients with ischemia of more than 6 h duration required
      fasciotomy. It can be concluded that fasciotomy will probably be necessary in
      patients with injuries of the popliteal artery and (a) severe soft tissue damage
      of the thigh and/or lower leg with compartment pressure of more than 30 mmHg; (b)
      ischemia of more than 6 h duration; (c) combined injuries of the popliteal vein
      and artery; (d) reconstruction of severely injured extremities. In general,
      fasciotomy should always be considered after reconstruction of the popliteal
      artery.

PMID- 1866642
TI  - [Compartment syndrome of the lower leg. Long-term results].
AB  - An analysis of 134 surgically treated compartment syndromes of the lower leg was
      combined with a long-term follow-up concerning late sequelae. Direct trauma
      including simple closed as well as severely comminuted open fractures of the
      tibia and fibula were predisposing factors for the development of a compartment
      syndrome. Clinical symptoms led to the correct diagnosis, supported by
      intracompartmental pressure measurements. A unilateral parafibular
      dermatofasciotomy involving opening all four compartments was the therapy of
      choice. Fifty-nine per cent of the patients had no late sequelae at the 4.2 year
      follow-up. 12% poor results were characterized by loss of function and
      neurological deficits. This group included 8 amputations above the knee due to
      ischemic/infectious muscle necrosis. The time interval between trauma and
      operation was found to be the main contributing factor to the poor results, with
      a delay of 23 h due to secondary referral of the patients. Fasciotomy per se
      showed only minimal morbidity and is strongly recommended as an emergency
      procedure.

PMID- 1866643
TI  - [Functional rehabilitation of the upper extremity after compartment syndrome].
AB  - In established compartment syndrome discrimination between the different forms of
      flexion contracture, i.e., manifest Volkmann's contracture and intrinsic
      contracture is necessary. A combination of both is also possible. Classification
      is essential for determination of whether reconstruction is indicated and what
      procedure should be selected. Shortening osteotomies of the ulna and radius are
      now of historical interest only, as is carpalectomy. Lengthening of the flexor
      tendons is indicated only in mild and localized limited contracture of only some
      of the long fingers, but there is a danger of possible further adhesions limiting
      the range of motion. Thus, cases of stage I and II according to Tsuge with
      persisting partial flexor motor function are treated mainly by muscle sliding
      operation (Scaglietti) combined with microsurgery for internal neurolysis of the
      median and ulnar nerves. The latter is anteriorly transposed. In cases of
      solitary intrinsic contracture we prefer the Littler release procedure. The most
      useful repair in advanced compartment syndrome, however, consists in free
      microsurgical tissue transfer. The non-contractile, degenerated scarred flexor
      muscle remnants are excised and substituted orthotopic by transfer of free,
      neurovascular muscle, with salvage of flexor motor function in the forearm.

PMID- 1866644
TI  - [The use of imaging techniques in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the
      legs].

PMID- 1866645
TI  - [Current status of embolization materials].

PMID- 1866646
TI  - [Methods relevant to the determination of bone mineral content].

PMID- 1866647
TI  - [Current status of knowledge of the effects of uniform magnetic fields on
      biological systems during MRI studies].

PMID- 1866648
TI  - [Joy and a fulfilled existence--also for people with and after cancer?
      Reflections on the role of the therapist and helper].

PMID- 1866649
TI  - [Iron deficiency dyserythropoiesis in patients with chronic gastrointestinal and
      gynecologic hemorrhages. Study of 39 cases].
AB  - A defect of haemoglobin synthesis is the classically recognized mechanism
      affecting the erythron functionalism in chronic iron deficiency. The poor
      erythroblastic bone-marrow response, plus a number of dyserythropoietic nuclear
      features, have led to think of an impairment of the cell cycle of erythroblasts
      in iron-lack anaemia. The aim of the present work was to study such hypothesis,
      not proven so far. Ten subjects with normal haemopoiesis and 39 patients with
      iron-lack anaemia of different aetiologies (namely, 19 with digestive tract
      bleeding, 16 with gynaecological bleeding, and 4 with haemorrhages on other
      locations) were included in a previously reported protocol. The scheme of such
      protocol consisted of: 1) bone-marrow erythroblast quantification; 2) analysis of
      their maturation gradient; 3) erythroblast mitotic index; 4) measure of the
      mitotic time in bone-marrow culture; 5) tritiated-thymidine incorporation to
      short-term bone-marrow culture and quantification of the erythroblastic labelling
      index. To these were added the degree of nuclear dyserythropoiesis according to
      Hill and Lewis, and the reticulocyte production index. The following mean values
      were found in the control group: erythroblasts, 25.5 (+/- 3.63) %; E1-E4, 47.66
      (+/- 3.09) %; IDN, 0.67 (+/- 0.27); MI, 2.82 (+/- 0.66) %; MT, 1.05 (+/- 0.15
      hr); LI, 34.88 (+/- 5.82) %. The mean values found in iron-lack anaemias were as
      follows: erythroblasts 39.42 (+/- 9.1) %; E1-E4, 42.25 (+/- 4.11) %; IDN, 7.77
      (+/- 4.69); MT, 1.81 (+/- 0.95) hr; LI, 13.08 (+/- 6.51) %. The statistical
      analysis (Student's t) showed highly significant differences (p less than 0.001)
      in the increased IDN and decreased MI and LI in iron deficiency
      patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866650
TI  - [Molecular analysis in 23 patients with T-lymphomas].
AB  - Gene rearrangement analysis has been performed in 23 patients with T-cell
      lymphoproliferative diseases: 4 cases with T-gamma lymphocytosis, one case of a
      Sezary's syndrome, one case of T-cell angioimmunoblastic lymphoma, two cases of T
      cell lymphoepitheloid lymphoma, 11 patients with T-cell pleomorphic lymphoma, 3
      cases of large anaplastic T-cell lymphoma and one case of T-cell lymphoblastic
      lymphoma. Rearranged banding patterns have been observed for at least one of the
      T-cell receptors (TCR) in 19 of the cases, and germ line configuration of the TCR
      and Ig genes in the other four. Likewise, both Ig and TCR rearrangements have
      been observed in three cases (one case of T-cell pleomorphic lymphoma, one case
      of large anaplastic T-cell lymphoma and one case of T-cell lymphoblastic
      lymphoma). Molecular genetic techniques have been used in order to direct
      monoclonal proliferations of T cell in the tumoral tissues, to determine the T-
      or B-cell lineage of the neoplasia and also to outline the molecular
      characteristics of each group that constitutes the complex classification of T
      cell malignancies.

PMID- 1866651
TI  - [Plasma and erythrocyte changes produced after running a marathon].

PMID- 1866652
TI  - [Variant hairy-cell leukemia: immunophenotypic and ultrastructural study of a
      case].
AB  - The recent introduction of new methods to identify different lymphocytic subsets
      has made it possible to recognise a rare variant of the classic hairy cell
      leukaemia, showing intermediate features between prolymphocytic leukaemia and
      hairy cell leukaemia. A 37-year-old patient is reported who followed a mildly
      aggressive clinical course and had massive splenomegaly without lymph node
      enlargement. Moderate leucopenia with lymphocytosis was present, with frequent
      hairy cells carrying one prominent nucleole. The cytochemical pattern include
      tartrate-sensitive acid phosphatase positivity, and the immunophenotype of such
      cells was CD22++, CD11++, CD24-, CD25-, CD2-, CD5-, CD19++. No lamellar ribosomal
      complex was seen in the ultrastructural study of the hairy cells. The patient was
      diagnosed as having variant hairy cell leukaemia and achieved partial response
      after splenectomy. The clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this rare
      variant are discussed.

PMID- 1866653
TI  - [Rhino-cerebral mucormycosis and hematological neoplasia].
AB  - Mucormycosis is a rare infection that occurs in immunocompromised patients. The
      rhinocerebral form presents in diabetics as a severe necrotizing sinusitis and is
      not frequent in patients with haematologic malignancies. Diagnosis requires
      direct examination and culture of biopsy specimens. Two patients with
      rhinocerebral mucormycosis and haematologic neoplasms (Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and
      acute myeloblastic leukaemia) are described. Both patients had severe drug
      induced neutropenia when the infection appeared. One patient died in spite of
      aggressive treatment with surgery and amphotericin.

PMID- 1866654
TI  - [Importance of the determination of thrombin-antithrombin-III complexes in
      hypercoagulability states].

PMID- 1866655
TI  - [Late recurrences in Hodgkin's disease: description of a case after 14 yr of
      continuous remission].

PMID- 1866656
TI  - [IgM cryoagglutinin with biphasic hemolysin activity in a patient with AIDS].

PMID- 1866657
TI  - [Bioethics and bio-rights in specialty programs].

PMID- 1866658
TI  - [Serum ferritin as a possible indicator of regeneration in bone marrow
      transplantation].

PMID- 1866659
TI  - [Pathological rupture of the spleen in a case of chronic myelomonocytic
      leukemia].

PMID- 1866660
TI  - [Extra-osseous plasmacytoma in the breast].

PMID- 1866661
TI  - [Relationship between surface HLA-DR expression and NBT reduction in monocytes in
      patients with colorectal cancer].
AB  - The expression of HLA-DR antigens and their capacity to reduce nitroblue
      tetrazolium (NBT) have been evaluated in monocytes (Mo) from 28 patients with
      colorectal carcinoma (CCa) before antineoplastic treatment as well as in 29
      normal control (NC). Simultaneously, circulating immune complexes (CIC) levels
      were studied in both groups. The results were expressed as the media of
      percentages. They show a decrease of Mo bearing HLA-DR (p less than 0.001 vs NC)
      and increase of MO with capacity to reduce NBT (p less than 0.001 vs NC). An
      increase of CIC levels in CCa compared to the NC (p less than 0.001) was also
      observed. We can postulate that the decrease in HLA-DR expression could be caused
      by the increase of toxic oxygen intermediates whose production was induced by CIC
      or tumoral antigens adherence.

PMID- 1866662
TI  - Comparison of mastectomy and lumpectomy for medial carcinoma of the breast.
AB  - The recurrence and five year disease-free survival rates of 86 patients with
      carcinoma of the breast located in the medial quadrants who had either lumpectomy
      and radiotherapy or mastectomy were compared. Patients who had lumpectomy and
      mastectomy were comparable with respect to variables reflecting extent of the
      disease. One of 54 patients who had lumpectomy had a local recurrence and five
      had a recurrence regionally or at distant sites. In the group of 32 patients who
      had a mastectomy, one patient had a local recurrence and an additional four
      patients had a recurrence at other sites. The five year study disease-free
      survival rate was 83 per cent for the lumpectomy group and 78 per cent for the
      mastectomy group. These data suggest that, for medial quadrant lesions, there may
      be a disease-free survival advantage associated with lumpectomy and radiotherapy
      over mastectomy. Further study of this treatment modality for this subset of
      patients seems indicated.

PMID- 1866663
TI  - Early surgical management of extensive gynecologic ureteral injuries.
AB  - Early ureteral reconstruction was performed during the immediate postoperative
      period upon 12 patients who sustained ureteral injuries secondary to gynecologic
      surgical procedures. The injuries occurred postoperatively for benign disease:
      endometriosis in one patient, fibrosis in eight patients and tubo-ovarian abscess
      in one patient. In three instances, portions of the ureter were noted in the
      pathologic specimen. After unsuccessful attempts at retrograde catheterization or
      stenting, all ureteral injuries were explored within three weeks of the primary
      gynecologic operation. Ureteral reconstruction was successful in all. The
      advantages of early operative intervention versus endoscopic or delayed operative
      intervention, or both, are discussed.

PMID- 1866664
TI  - Intestinal injury after lumbar discectomy.
AB  - In a review of 5,200 lumbar discectomies performed from 1974 to 1989, two
      patients sustained a ventral perforation of the disc space followed by isolated
      small intestinal injury. Both patients underwent lumbar discectomy at the
      lumbosacral junction and presented with signs and symptoms of acute abdominal
      distress within three days after the operation. At surgical laparotomy, small
      tears were noted in the ileum, which were closed primarily. The patients had an
      uneventful recovery. The results of a review of 11 instances reported in the
      literature suggest that isolated intestinal injuries usually occur
      postoperatively at the lumbosacral junction and involve the small intestine.
      Factors, such as body habitus, surgical experience, patient positioning and types
      of instruments, as well as the use of a surgical microscope, do not appear to
      modify the risk of intestinal injury. After discectomy, patients may present with
      acute abdominal signs and symptoms or chronic wound infections. Work-up studies
      include evaluation of vascular structures and ureters either roentgenographically
      or at abdominal exploration. A high index of suspicion and adequate disc space
      visualization during discectomy may reduce the incidence of this complication.

PMID- 1866665
TI  - Selective antibiotic prophylaxis in biliary tract operations.
AB  - A prospective study of 397 patients with primary biliary operations performed for
      benign disease included a perioperative culture of the bile. Two main groups of
      patients in whom bacteria in the bile and, thus, probably increased risk
      postoperative infection was common, are patients undergoing emergency operation
      (60 per cent bacteria in the bile, as compared with 22 per cent in those with
      elective operations) and patients with a history of acute cholecystitis or
      pancreatitis, or both, or jaundice (49 per cent bacteria in the bile with a
      positive history as compared with 11 per cent without). The rate of infection was
      2.8 per cent in high-risk groups, as compared with 0.6 per cent in patients
      undergoing elective operative procedures with no history of acute cholecystitis,
      pancreatitis or jaundice. Thus, antibiotics can probably be reserved for those
      patients who had emergency surgical treatment and for those with elective
      operations and a history of acute cholecystitis, pancreatitis or jaundice. In
      addition, antibiotic prophylaxis might be indicated for all patients who are 75
      years of age or older, as bacteria in the bile seems to be common in this age
      group even without a history of the aforementioned complications.

PMID- 1866666
TI  - The use of absorbable staples for construction of a bladder tube.
AB  - Stapling instruments have been widely used in general surgery but not in the
      surgical treatment of the urinary tract. The stapler Poly CS-57 (Auto Suture, U.
      S. S. C.) with absorbable staples has been evaluated in the construction of ten
      bladder tubes for ureteral substitution in three dogs and six pigs. The dogs and
      pigs were sacrificed at two, three and six months. There was no mortality rate,
      no infections, no suture leakages and no crystal or stone formation. There were
      three instances of ureterovesical anastomotic stenosis. It appears that the
      absorbable staple can be safely used in urologic operations and that the use of
      the Poly CS 57 stapler for the construction of a bladder tube makes the procedure
      safer, simpler and faster.

PMID- 1866667
TI  - The risk of ligation of the left renal vein in resection of the abdominal aortic
      aneurysm.
AB  - The left renal vein can be ligated during aortic operation to attain better
      access to the perirenal aorta. This maneuver has been considered safe, with a low
      incidence of postoperative renal complications. This study was done to evaluate
      the risk of left renal vein ligation and its influence on renal function in
      patients with elective resection of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The records of
      332 patients undergoing elective repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms during a
      five year period were reviewed. The clinical and operative data of patients who
      had left renal vein ligation and those who did not were similar. Left renal vein
      ligation was not associated with an increased mortality rate but was strongly
      associated with an increase in serum creatinine level and a clinical diagnosis of
      postoperative azotemia. Nine of 13 patients who had left renal vein ligation had
      postoperative azotemia compared with 21 of 319 patients without left renal vein
      ligation (p less than 0.001). The mean change of preoperative and postoperative
      creatinine value was an increase of 1.92 milligrams per deciliter in patients
      with left renal vein ligation in contrast with 0.26 milligram per deciliter in
      patients without ligation (p less than 0.00075). Thus, ligation of the left renal
      vein increases the risk of postoperative renal complications and its use should
      be selective.

PMID- 1866668
TI  - An evaluation of multiple clinical variables for hypoxia during colonoscopy.
AB  - One hundred consecutive patients undergoing routine colonoscopy were evaluated
      for changes in arterial oxygen saturation levels. All of the patients were
      monitored with the Nellcor N-200 pulse oximeter (Nellcor Incorporated) by finger
      probe and received supplemental oxygen when SaO2 levels decreased below 90 per
      cent. Forty patients demonstrated a decrease in SaO2 to less than 90 per cent
      after intravenous sedation but prior to colonoscopy, 14 patients demonstrated a
      decrease in SaO2 to less than 90 per cent during colonoscopy, and 46 patients
      maintained SaO2 levels greater than 90 per cent at all times. No statistical
      differences were found when these three groups were compared for age, body
      surface area, drug dosage, smoking history and a history of pre-existing
      hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmias, angina or myocardial infarction and
      pulmonary disease. These data indicate that all patients undergoing colonoscopy
      should be placed on supplemental oxygen. We further recommend continuous cardiac
      and pulse oximetry monitoring when available.

PMID- 1866669
TI  - Intrathecal phenol rhizotomy for management of pain in recurrent unresectable
      carcinoma of the rectum.
AB  - The medical records of 11 patients with recurrent unresectable adenocarcinoma of
      the rectum who had intrathecal phenol block for the management of intractable
      pain were reviewed. There were seven patients with pelvic and four with combined
      pelvic and perineal recurrences. Five patients had sacral involvement by tumor.
      Six patients had received prior irradiation. Three patients had good, three had
      fair and five patients had poor results after phenol rhizotomy. Patients with
      good results had relief for a median of three months. The over-all survival rate
      after phenol injection was three months. Phenol rhizotomy is indicated for the
      relief of intractable pain secondary to recurrent unresectable carcinoma of the
      rectum in carefully selected patients.

PMID- 1866670
TI  - The Sugiura procedure for patients with hemorrhagic portal hypertension secondary
      to extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis.
AB  - The Sugiura procedure (SP) was performed upon 27 patients with hemorrhagic portal
      hypertension secondary to extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis (EPVT) without
      associated hepatic disease. There were 14 female and 13 male patients. The mean
      age was 28 +/- 14 years. The causes of EPVT were protein C deficiency in two;
      antithrombin III deficiency in one patient, a history of omphalitis in two
      patients, a history of pancreatitis in one patient and idiopathy in 21 patients.
      The SP was completed in two surgical stages in 14 patients and in one stage in
      nine. There was one operative death. One patient had mild postoperative
      encephalopathy, and two patients rebled at long term follow-up study. Actuarial
      survival rate was 82 per cent at five and ten years. It is concluded that the SP
      is a good alternative for the management of hemorrhagic portal hypertension
      secondary to EPVT.

PMID- 1866671
TI  - Transduodenal exploration of the common bile duct in patients with nondilated
      ducts.
AB  - Exploration of the small common bile duct can be technically difficult and is
      associated with a significant risk of ductal injury or late stricture, or both.
      Transduodenal common duct exploration after sphincteroplasty (TCDE/S) is an
      alternative method of duct exploration that avoids choledochotomy.
      Cholecystectomy followed by TCDE/S was performed upon 28 patients with nondilated
      ducts and suspected choledocholithiasis. Common duct stones were retrieved in 17
      patients. Failure to retrieve stones in the remaining 11 patients was attributed
      to either false-positive results of cholangiography, forceful passage of stones
      into the duodenum during the initial insertion of a Fogarty catheter through the
      cystic duct or a false-negative finding at duct exploration. There was no
      perioperative mortality. Two patients had asymptomatic postoperative
      hyperamylasemia. One patient had postoperative pancreatitis, hyperbilirubinemia
      and cholangitis that resolved with antibiotic therapy by the eighth postoperative
      day. Other complications included wound infection, delayed gastric emptying,
      pneumonia and otitis media. The over-all morbidity rate was 28.6 per cent. Long
      term follow-up was obtained in all 28 patients. All patients in the follow-up
      group are free of recurrent biliary tract disease. TCDE/S appears to be a safe
      and effective method of exploring the nondilated common bile duct.

PMID- 1866672
TI  - Hamartomas of the breast.
AB  - The clinical and pathologic findings of 17 hamartomas of the breast were studied.
      All neoplasms were evident as clinically and mammographically discrete masses.
      The pathologic findings were varied and included circumscribed fibrocystic
      disease, adenolipoma, fibroadenoma with fat and fibroadenoma with lobules. The
      heterologous elements identified were cartilage and smooth muscle. All lesions
      were treated by simple excision. In this study, four different microscopic
      patterns of hamartoma are described and the necessity for a close
      clinicopathologic correlation is pointed out in the diagnosis of this lesion.

PMID- 1866673
TI  - Ultrasound-guided pancreatotomy for opening the pancreatic duct.

PMID- 1866674
TI  - Reperitonealization of the lesser curve in proximal gastric vagotomy for duodenal
      ulcer.
AB  - Ninety-six consecutive patients were operated upon with proximal gastric vagotomy
      for duodenal ulcer at our department during the two year period 1976 to 1978.
      These patients were prospectively randomized into two groups, one of which (45
      patients) had reperitonealization of the lesser curve. These two groups are
      compared herein. Reperitonealization of the lesser curve was without benefit on
      long term clinical results, ulcer recurrence rate and gastric acid secretion.
      None of the patients had perforation of the lesser curve.

PMID- 1866675
TI  - Yet another use for chest tubes.
AB  - A chest tube can be used to change a tracheostomy tube just as a Seldinger wire
      is used to change a central line. A good match for size is important. The flange
      should be cut off of the chest tube and the inspired oxygen should be increased.
      Positive pressure ventilation can be performed through the chest tube by the
      addition of an endotracheal tube adaptor at the cut off end.

PMID- 1866676
TI  - Migratory failed percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

PMID- 1866677
TI  - A newer surgical approach for patent vitello-intestinal duct anomalies.
AB  - A newer, relatively quicker approach has been described for the treatment of
      patent VID. Its superior advantages over other approaches include better cosmetic
      results, is technically simpler and can be done using local anesthesia without an
      appreciable amount of blood loss.

PMID- 1866678
TI  - Bacterial translocation.
AB  - The phenomenon of bacterial translocation, the movement of viable indigenous
      microorganisms across the intestinal epithelial barrier, has been recognized for
      almost 100 years. At the present time, the precise mechanism of microbial
      transport is unknown. Active epithelial uptake and phagocyte-mediated transport
      have been proposed as likely explanations for the extraintestinal movement of
      bacteria to mesenteric lymph nodes and distant organ sites. Translocation has
      been proposed as the pivotal process associated with intestinal origin portal
      sepsis in seriously ill and immunocompromised patients. While several etiologic
      factors can be implicated in the pathogenesis of bacterial translocation, the
      present clinical implications are based almost solely on studies of dogs, rats
      and mice. Present investigations continue to suggest a causal relationship
      between intestinal mucosal integrity and infection by indigenous gastrointestinal
      bacteria.

PMID- 1866679
TI  - Entrapment of the popliteal artery.
AB  - Although entrapment of the popliteal artery is uncommon, it is an important cause
      of arterial insufficiency in younger patients. Accurate diagnosis depends on a
      high index of suspicion combined with dynamic noninvasive testing and "stress
      angiography." Although angiographic demonstration of medial deviation of the
      artery is diagnostic, absence of this finding does not exclude the diagnosis of
      entrapment of the popliteal artery. Positional angiography may be necessary in
      these instances. Surgical exploration should be performed by a posterior
      approach, since this facilitates identification of the precise anatomic variant
      while allowing easy arterial repair, if necessary. The condition of the popliteal
      popliteal artery must dictate the extent of the surgical procedure. If the
      popliteal artery is normal, then relief of the constricting lesion alone will
      suffice. If the artery appears diseased or is thrombosed, then myotomy and
      arterial reconstruction must be performed. This is best accomplished by bypass
      grafting using autogenous vein or artery. If thromboendarterectomy is used, the
      clinician can expect a higher percentage of acute postoperative thromboses.

PMID- 1866680
TI  - Compatibility of packed erythrocytes and Ringer's lactate solution.
AB  - Packed erythrocytes are frequently reconstituted with crystalloid during rapid
      infusion. Dilution of whole blood with calcium containing solutions, such as
      Ringer's lactate has been cautioned against, citing possible clot formation
      because of chelation of the citrate anticoagulant. We studied the compatibility
      of Ringer's lactate solution and citrate phosphate dextrose (CPD)-preserved
      packed erythrocytes to evaluate the safety of using Ringer's lactate solution as
      a diluent in the emergency setting. Aliquots of CPD-preserved packed erythrocytes
      were diluted with either Ringer's lactate or normal saline solutions in ratios
      between 5:1 to 1:20 (packed erythrocyte to crystalloid), incubated at room
      temperature or 37 degrees centigrade and examined for clot formation at intervals
      up to two hours. Although clotting occurred at dilutions of 1:1 (packed
      erythrocytes to Ringer's lactate solution) and beyond, no clot formation occurred
      in the clinically relevant dilutions between 5:1 and 2:1. Thirty-two additional
      units of CPD-preserved packed erythrocytes were diluted to hematocrit values of
      35, 45, 55 or 65 per cent and passed through a 170 micron filter. Flow rates of
      packed erythrocytes diluted with Ringer's lactate and normal saline solutions
      were compared. There was no difference in flow rates between packed erythrocytes
      diluted with Ringer's lactate compared with normal saline solutions. Ringer's
      lactate solution can be safely used as a packed erythrocyte diluent in patients
      requiring rapid blood transfusions.

PMID- 1866681
TI  - Misconduct and fraud in research: social and legislative issues symposium of the
      Society of University Surgeons.
AB  - The symposium was concluded with a question and answer period, which served to
      clarify and further emphasize the aforementioned issues. Many concerns of
      coauthorship responsibilities, due process, and potential sanctions were
      discussed. Moral and ethical issues reflecting the extent of punishment,
      reporting of misconduct to hospitals and specialty boards, and the almost assured
      litigation and counter-litigation were approached with considerable apprehension
      and concern. Misconduct in science will clearly be monitored more closely than in
      the past. Increasing coauthorship responsibility, conscientious senior
      investigator supervision, and institutional cooperation will provide the
      framework to discourage dishonesty in science and encourage proper educational
      development of both young and established investigators in a milieu of scientific
      integrity.

PMID- 1866682
TI  - Descending thoracic aorta-splenic artery graft for occlusive disease of the
      celiac axis.
AB  - A new procedure is presented for the restoration of normal blood flow to the
      celiac axis in cases of orifice lesions of the celiac artery. The operation
      consists of inserting a graft between the descending thoracic aorta end-to-side
      and the divided splenic artery end-to-end.

PMID- 1866683
TI  - Antiperistaltic and isoperistaltic intussusception associated with abnormal
      motility after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a case report.
AB  - Antiperistaltic and recurrent intussusceptions are extremely rare in the adult.
      We report a patient with both. The patient developed an antiperistaltic
      intussusception distal to her Roux enteroenterostomy years after a Roux-en-Y
      gastric bypass for morbid obesity. The diagnosis was made preoperatively with
      gastrointestinal contrast radiography and ultrasonography. At surgery, the
      intussusception was reduced, and 12 inches of nonviable bowel was resected, with
      a functional end-to-end anastomosis. An isoperistaltic intussusception occurred
      in the early postoperative period just distal to the anastomosis. Manometric
      evaluation of the Roux limb after the second operation showed altered
      gastrointestinal motility, consisting of orad-propagated and aboard-propagated
      migrating motor complexes, minimal phase 2 activity, and lack of conversion to
      the fed pattern with a liquid meal. Although manometry was not performed before
      the development of the intussusception, our findings are consistent with the
      hypothesis that altered intestinal motility may contribute to the development of
      intussusception.

PMID- 1866684
TI  - Transplantation of the right kidney: surgical technique revisited.
AB  - Transplantation of the right kidney with a short renal vein in a narrow pelvis
      with deep iliac vessels can be difficult and time-consuming. This technique
      requires minimal dissection, is fast and safe, and is now the author's preferred
      technique for transplantation of the right kidney.

PMID- 1866685
TI  - Vertical-banded gastroplasty in obesity.

PMID- 1866686
TI  - Endolymphatic antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1866687
TI  - Cyclosporine and liver regeneration.

PMID- 1866688
TI  - Small-bowel obstruction by bladder catheter.

PMID- 1866689
TI  - Early burn excision and systemic response to endotoxin.

PMID- 1866690
TI  - Indicators of prognosis after hepatic resection for colorectal secondaries.
AB  - From 1960 to 1988, 266 patients underwent resection of colorectal secondaries to
      the liver with curative intent. All patients were followed until April 1, 1990,
      or death, with a median follow-up time of 52 months. Nine patients with minimal
      macroscopic residual disease and 38 patients with all gross tumor removed but
      positive margins showed a poor prognosis with a median survival time of 13.3
      months, the longest being 42 months. Of the 219 patients having potentially
      curative resection, 12 patients died postoperatively (5.5%). Actuarial 5, 10 and
      20-year survival for the remaining 207 patients was 39%, 28%, and 18%,
      respectively. At April 1, 1990, 77 patients were alive with no evidence of
      disease for up to 24 years, and 12 patients had died without recurrence. The
      following factors were associated with less favorable crude survival: presence
      and extent of mesenteric lymph node involvement (p = 0.0003), grade III/IV
      primary tumor (p = 0.035), synchronous diagnosis of metastases (p = 0.017),
      satellite metastases (p = 0.0003), limited resection margins (p = 0.019), and
      nonanatomic procedures (p = 0.013). With respect to disease-free survival,
      grading of the primary (p = 0.055) and the extent of clear margins (p = 0.019)
      failed to achieve statistical significance. Two other criteria are commonly
      recommended as absolute contraindications to hepatic resection: extrahepatic
      disease and the presence of four or more independent metastases. A radical
      excision of all detectable disease may rarely be possible in these circumstances.
      Nevertheless, within the curative settings, no significant predictive value
      regarding either overall or disease-free survival was found in this series. Three
      corresponding "high risk" patients are alive without disease at 5 to 11 years
      from hepatic resection. These patients with more advanced intrahepatic or
      concomitant limited extrahepatic disease require a particularly thorough
      diagnostic work up. As no superior therapeutic alternative is currently
      available, an aggressive surgical approach may occasionally be justified, and
      may, in a small portion, result in definite tumor control.

PMID- 1866691
TI  - Can infected prosthetic grafts be salvaged with rotational muscle flaps?
AB  - The conventional approach to prosthetic graft infection, including graft removal
      and extraanatomic reconstruction, conveys a substantial risk of limb loss and
      death and mandates more innovative solutions. From January 1985 to January 1989
      eight rotational muscle flaps were performed on four men and three women with
      prosthetic graft infection who ranged in age from 42 to 79 years (mean, 67
      years). The grafts involved included aortofemoral (three patients),
      femoropopliteal (two patients), femorofemoral (one patient), and subclavian
      carotid-carotid (one patient) and were composed of Dacron (five grafts) or
      polytetrafluorethylene (two grafts). Infections were in the groin in six patients
      and in the neck in the other patient; all patients had anastomotic exposure.
      Clinical presentations included abscess/purulent drainage (four patients),
      anastomotic hemorrhage (two patients), and anastomotic false aneurysm (one
      patient) and was associated with fever and/or leukocytosis in all patients.
      Positive bacterial cultures were obtained from all patients. Rotational muscle
      flaps performed included rectus abdominis (five grafts), pectoralis major (one
      graft), gracilis (one graft), tensor fascia lata (one graft); in two patients,
      rotational muscle flaps were performed after failed local sartorius muscle
      transfer. No major complications of the RMF procedures were encountered. One
      patient died 4 months after the operation of complications of ischemic
      colitis/perforation. The other six patients were discharged with completely
      healed wounds. One patient developed recurrent infection 12 months after the
      rotational muscle flap procedure; five (83%) patients have been followed for 12
      to 51 months (mean, 27 months) without evidence of recurrent infection. These
      preliminary results suggest that rotational muscle flaps are a safe and effective
      treatment for prosthetic graft infection, even when local sartorius muscle
      coverage has failed.

PMID- 1866692
TI  - Superior vena cava and central venous reconstruction.
AB  - Partial or complete obstruction of the superior vena cava and its major
      tributaries occassionally results in incapacitating venous hypertension of the
      upper extremities and/or head and neck. Factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the
      central veins play a role in the pathogenesis. The more common causes include
      mechanically and chemically induced intimal injury with resultant fibrosis,
      sclerosis, or thrombosis and neoplastic masses with external compression or
      direct extension in the central venous structures. Medical therapy is indicated
      in the acute situation and generally allows the time necessary for development of
      collateral drainage routes. Persistent or progressive symptomatic venous
      hypertension develops in 5% to 40% of these patients, and approximately 10% of
      the patients will remain incapacitated. Presented here is a series of 10 patients
      who underwent reconstruction of the superior vena cava or central veins for
      incapacitating venous hypertension of the upper extremities and/or head and neck.
      Reconstruction was accomplished by venous transposition (three patients),
      externally reinforced ePTFE (six patients), and reversed saphenous vein graft
      (one patient). No perioperative deaths occurred; however, two late deaths
      occurred at 3 and 9 months after reconstruction from causes unrelated to the
      operative procedure. One patient experienced early postoperative graft thrombosis
      requiring thrombectomy, after which the graft remained patent. All patients had
      patent grafts and were asymptomatic with respect to their venous disease at the
      time of preparation of this manuscript, with a mean follow-up period of 30
      months. Specific details concerning these 10 cases are discussed and integrated
      with a focused review of the literature and the historic development of the
      intraoperative techniques and postoperative care that facilitate the successful
      management of patients with symptomatic central venous occlusion.

PMID- 1866693
TI  - Superficial thrombophlebitis diagnosed by duplex scanning.
AB  - Since July 1982, this noninvasive vascular laboratory has performed 12,856 lower
      extermity venous duplex examinations. All cases of acute venous thrombosis have
      been categorized and entered into a computer data base. One thousand four hundred
      twelve examinations were positive for acute venous thrombosis. This report
      analyzes the laboratory's entire experience with superficial thrombophlebitis
      (SVT). One hundred eighty-six patients were diagnosed by duplex scanning to have
      SVT. Women outnumbered men 99 to 87. They were slightly older (average age 58.4
      +/- 16.2 years) compared with the men (53.8 +/- 14.2 years). Men were more likely
      to have a complicated course of SVT (40% vs 22%; p less than 0.01). Complications
      included either radiographically documented pulmonary embolism or deep venous
      involvement. Fifty-seven (31%) patients had at least one complication of SVT. A
      series of predisposing factors was analyzed and six factors were associated with
      an increased risk of complications. They are bilateral SVT (p less than 0.01),
      age greater than 60 years (p less than 0.01), male sex (p less than 0.01),
      history of deep venous thrombosis (p less than 0.01), bed rest (p less than
      0.02), and presence of infection (p less than 0.02). Location of thrombus within
      the greater saphenous vein (35%) was most likely to be associated with
      complications. Isolated varicosities (8%) were least likely to be associated with
      complications. Duplex scanning identifies a significant number of complications
      of patients with SVT and should be obtained in cases of saphenous vein
      involvement or in the presence of associated risk factors.

PMID- 1866694
TI  - Isotopic evaluation of the metabolism of pyruvate and related substrates in
      normal adult volunteers and severely burned children: effect of dichloroacetate
      and glucose infusion.
AB  - In this study we have assessed the hypothesis that there is a postreceptor defect
      in glucose metabolism that makes the severely burned patient unable to oxidize
      glucose efficiently as an energy source. The intracellular pyruvate pool was
      labeled by the infusion of 3-13C-lactate, and expired CO2 production and isotopic
      enrichment of both pyruvate and CO2 were determined to calculate the rate of
      pyruvate production and oxidation. 6,6-d2-Glucose and 15N-alanine were infused
      simultaneously to relate pyruvate kinetics and oxidation to glucose and alanine
      kinetics. Five normal volunteers and 10 severely burned patients (mean of 80% +/-
      5% body surface burned) were studied in the basal state and during continuous
      (unlabeled) glucose infusion. Also, the effect of dichloroacetate, which normally
      stimulates pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, was assessed in both volunteers and
      patients. The burned patients had many of the classic metabolic responses to
      severe injury, including significant increases in resting energy expenditure,
      glucose production, and alanine release from protein breakdown. However, rather
      than being inhibited, the rate of pyruvate oxidation was increased approximately
      300% in burned patients. Although the patients had an elevated mean concentration
      of lactate, stemming from increased lactate production, no deficit in pyruvate
      dehydrogenase activity was evident. Rather, the high rate of lactate production
      was apparently a consequence of the high rate of glycolysis. On the other hand,
      the direct pathway for synthesis of glycogen from infused glucose appeared to be
      impaired in burned patients. In both volunteers and patients, dichloroacetate
      stimulated the percent of pyruvate directed to oxidation, thereby reducing the
      conversion of pyruvate to other fates, including lactate. However, because there
      was no deficit in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in the patients compared with
      normal volunteers before dichloroacetate treatment, no unique effect of
      dichloroacetate on glucose or protein kinetics was observed in burned patients.
      From these results we conclude that if there is a postreceptor defect in glucose
      metabolism in burned patients, it involves the pathway of direct glycogen
      synthesis and not the pathway of oxidation.

PMID- 1866695
TI  - Carcinoid tumors: the relationship between clinical presentation and the extent
      of disease.
AB  - In this study the relationship between the initial clinical presentation and the
      extent of tumor progression was determined in a group of 31 patients with
      carcinoid tumors. The proportion of patients with symptomatic tumors was similar
      to those patients with carcinoid tumors that were incidentally found (55% versus
      45%; SE = 0.089). Symptoms were caused by metastatic tumor in nine (30%) of the
      patients and by local effects of the primary tumor in eight (26%) of the
      patients. The patients with symptoms had a significantly increased frequency of
      metastatic disease, even when the symptoms were due to the primary tumor,
      compared to patients with no symptoms (76% versus 7%; p less than 0.001). Tumor
      size was related to the presence of symptoms and metastases. Symptoms were most
      common when the size of the primary tumor was greater than 1.0 cm (p less than
      0.005), although the rate of metastases increased when primary tumors were 2.0 cm
      and larger (p less than 0.01). These results indicate that the presence of
      symptoms or a primary tumor 2.0 cm or larger are associated with an increased
      risk of metastatic disease in patients with carcinoid tumors. These patients
      should be treated with wide resection of the primary tumor and its lymphatic
      drainage.

PMID- 1866697
TI  - Treatment of bilateral intrahepatic stones with high duct strictures through
      selective central hepatic resection.
AB  - Bilateral intrahepatic duct stones with strictures, more common in the Orient
      than elsewhere, are difficult to access surgically. The results of surgical
      procedures have not been generally successful and are attended by a high
      postoperative complication and recurrence rate. We report the treatment of 30
      patients with intrahepatic calculi and high duct strictures by means of selective
      central hepatic resection without dissection of the major vessels at the hilum.
      Central hepatic resection provided satisfactory access to the primary and
      secondary confluences of the intrahepatic ducts, allowed removal of residual
      stones and ascariasis, and permitted correction of multiple strictures. Twenty
      nine patients so treated were followed for a mean of 32 months after operation.
      No patients developed recurrent fever, biliary colic, or jaundice after the
      operation. The technique is therefore recommended as an effective alternative to
      extensive hepatic lobectomy in the treatment of the intrahepatic calculi with
      multiple strictures.

PMID- 1866696
TI  - Hemodynamic effects of varied graft diameters in the venous system.
AB  - Both in vivo and mathematical models of venous hypertension were used to evaluate
      the hemodynamic effects of 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm diameter cross-femoral venous
      bypass grafts (CFBs). Eighteen grafts (length 138 +/- 3.4 mm) were tested in
      paired sequential fashion (four grafts, 4 and 8 mm; five grafts, 6 and 10 mm) in
      nine greyhounds (femoral vein diameter, 7.7 +/- 0.09 mm). Bilateral hindlimb
      venous pressures and flows were measured before and after unilateral iliofemoral
      venous ligation, 30 minutes after CFB insertion, and for 5 minutes after venous
      flow augmentation induced by stimulated muscle contraction. CFBs of all sizes
      were equally effective at relieving the occlusive venous hypertension at rest.
      Muscle contraction elevated venous pressure in all ligated hindlimbs (p less than
      0.0001); however, the pressure returned to baseline by 3 minutes in dogs with 6,
      8, and 10 mm grafts but remained elevated (p less than 0.05) with the 4 mm grafts
      even after 5 minutes. Peak graft flow (first 90 seconds after contraction) was
      significantly greater through the 8 mm grafts than through the 4 mm grafts (p
      less than 0.01), although no difference was noted in flow rates between 6 and 10
      mm grafts. The pressure gradient across the graft as predicted by the mathematic
      model for 6 to 10 mm conduits was less than 5 mm Hg for flows up to 1000 ml/min,
      although the pressure gradient of the 4 mm graft exceeded 5 mm Hg at 200 ml/min
      and approached 30 mm Hg at 1000 ml/min. Therefore, data from both canine and
      mathematical models agreed that, at rates approximating human resting flow (1000
      ml/min), no adverse short-term hemodynamic consequences result from CFB conduits
      of 6 to 10 mm diameter.

PMID- 1866698
TI  - Successful 20-hour rat liver preservation with chlorpromazine in sodium
      lactobionate sucrose solution.
AB  - We investigated the effect of the addition of chlorpromazine to a new, simplified
      organ preservation solution, sodium lactobionate sucrose (SLS), for 20-hour
      hypothermic rat liver preservation. Survival beyond 7 days after orthotopic
      transplantation of the stored liver was eight of eight rats in control groups
      (immediate transplantation, less than 1-hour preservation), one of 14 rats with
      the University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, four of 14 rats with SLS, seven of
      eight rats with SLS + chlorpromazine, 1 mg/L, and seven of eight rats with SLS +
      chlorpromazine, 10 mg/L. The differences is survival between UW and SLS and
      between SLS and SLS + chlorpromazine were significant (p less than 0.05). Lactic
      dehydrogenase levels in the effluent after reflushing through the portal vein at
      the time of transplantation were 145 +/- 20 IU/L (mean +/- SEM) in the controls,
      525 +/- 78 IU/L in UW, 492 +/- 44 IU/L in SLS, 290 +/- 39 IU/L in SLS +
      chlorpromazine, 1 mg/L, 290 +/- 11 IU/L in SLS + chlorpromazine, 10 mg/L. The
      values for the SLS + chlorpromazine were significantly lower than for SLS and UW
      (p less than 0.05). The pH of the effluent was 7.10 +/- 0.10 in controls, 6.42 +/
      0.12 in UW, 6.64 +/- 0.18 in SLS, and 7.07 +/- 0.02 in SLS + chlorpromazine, 1
      mg/L and 10 mg/L. The pH drop was significantly greater in the groups without
      chlorpromazine (p less than 0.01). This study shows that superior rat liver
      preservation was achieved with a simplified lactobionate solution containing
      sodium as the principal cation, sucrose in place of raffinose, and omitting the
      colloid and several of the other UW components. The addition of low
      concentrations of chlorpromazine further enhanced the effectiveness of this
      solution, without the need for donor pretreatment.

PMID- 1866699
TI  - The surgical management of superficial infections caused by atypical
      mycobacteria.
AB  - We have recently treated four patients with atypical mycobacterial skin
      infections. Two patients were infected with Mycobacterium smegmatis after self
      injection with a veterinary-grade anabolic steroid. To our knowledge, this
      complication has not been previously described. The other patients had steroid
      dependent asthma and lower extremity infections involving M. kansasii and M.
      chelonei after minor household trauma developed. Atypical mycobacterial skin
      infections may be seen as chronic ulcerations with violaceous edges, rolled
      margins, and significant subcutaneous necrosis. An indolent course and the
      clinical appearance may aid in diagnosis. In our experience, limited incision and
      drainage or dressing changes fail to eradicate these infections, even when
      accompanied by appropriate antibiotic therapy. Successful treatment requires
      aggressive debridement of all infected subcutaneous tissues and skin. Split
      thickness skin grafting was successfully used to cover large wounds. Grafting did
      not appear to foster recurrent infection.

PMID- 1866700
TI  - Hand-foot-and-mouth disease: report of a case in Texas.
AB  - Coxsackie virus infections are highly contagious and can occur at epidemic levels
      within low socioeconomic populations. Since these diseases spread by contact,
      summer and fall occurrences increase significantly. A low grade fever and malaise
      are often related to non-specific viral infections. Hand-foot-and mouth disease
      (HFMD) is specifically caused by coxsackie virus.

PMID- 1866701
TI  - Have you given a table clinic ... lately?
AB  - This short paper will give the reader the basic understanding of what a table
      clinic is and how to present one. The material is presented in a generalized
      format that is quick and easy to read. The intent is to stimulate interest among
      members of organized dentistry to present table clinics at the local, state and
      national levels.

PMID- 1866702
TI  - Associateships: trends and opportunities.
AB  - Interest in associateship dental practice arrangements has increased rapidly in
      recent years. Surveys by the American Association of Dental School indicate most
      new graduates who go directly into private practice are now doing so as
      associates. Although the percentage of Texas graduates planning to immediately
      enter solo private practice is higher than the national average, the trend toward
      associateship preference for the Texas graduate follows the same curve as the
      national average. Associateships can be rewarding, stimulating experiences and
      dentists who already own established practices should be aware that there are
      many well-educated young graduates seeking associateships. The Texas Dental
      Association has a well organized, systematized placement service (TDA Placement
      Service). Students review the Placement Service computer printout regularly, and
      practitioners seeking an associate should consider utilizing this same free
      listing service.

PMID- 1866703
TI  - Oral hygiene for dental implant patients.
AB  - Effective home care cleaning techniques are described for patients with dental
      implants. Specific methods are described for the fixed prosthesis, the fixed
      detachable prosthesis and the removable prosthesis. While dental caries is no
      longer a problem, peri-implant gingivitis and peri-implant osteitis are concerns
      for patients who have dental implants. Techniques and the tools available enable
      dental implant patients to keep their dental implants plaque-free and
      consequently, free of peri-implant infection. This report will discuss home care
      for the fixed detachable prosthesis, the removable prosthesis, and the fixed
      prosthesis.

PMID- 1866704
TI  - Amalgam and mercury toxicity: an update.

PMID- 1866706
TI  - If you don't have an office policy manual, you don't have a policy.

PMID- 1866705
TI  - The 1990 C.T. Rowland Award. Case report.

PMID- 1866707
TI  - Improvising care for conjoined twins in India.

PMID- 1866708
TI  - The effects of warfarin on HepG2 cells suggest that prothrombin and factor X
      interact differently with the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase in the secretory
      pathway.
AB  - HepG2 cells have been shown to respond to warfarin by 1) enhanced vitamin K
      dependent carboxylase activity; 2) enhanced intracellular concentration of the
      factor X clotting factor precursor and 3) enhanced vitamin K-dependent 14C
      labelling of a 74 kDa microsomal protein which has been identified as the factor
      X precursor. There was no difference in any of these measured parameters whether
      the cells had been treated for 4 or 24 hours with warfarin. In contrast to the
      intracellular factor X concentration, the intracellular prothrombin precursor
      concentration was not affected by the drug which suggests there is a difference
      in the mechanism of processing of these two clotting factors by HepG2 cells. The
      data are consistent with the view that warfarin maintains its effect on the
      vitamin K-dependent carboxylation system in HepG2 cells for 24 hours and support
      the hypothesis that clotting factor X and prothrombin precursors interact
      differently with the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase.

PMID- 1866709
TI  - Thromboxane and cysteinyl-leukotriene formation are differentially activated in
      spontaneously clotting whole human blood in vitro.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated that clotting of whole human blood in vitro not
      only triggers the production of thromboxane (TX) B2 but is also accompanied by
      formation of 5-lipoxygenase-derived cysteinyl-leukotrienes (LT). In order to
      further characterize the mechanisms leading to activation of the cysteinyl-LT
      production, we have now investigated the effects of thrombin on cysteinyl-LT as
      well as TXB2 formation in whole human blood. Addition of exogenous human alpha
      thrombin (0.1 - 3.0 U/ml) to whole human blood incubated in vitro led to a
      concentration- and time-dependently increased release of TXB2 into the serum
      samples. The serum contents of cysteinyl-LT were, however, not significantly
      affected. Inactivation of endogenously generated thrombin by inhibitors such as
      recombinant hirudin (HBW 023, 0.43 - 1.43 microM) or the peptidyl chloromethyl
      ketone, D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2Cl (1.0 - 100 microM) concentration- and time
      dependently inhibited the release of TXB2 into the serum or plasma samples. In
      contrast, however, serum contents of cysteinyl-LT remained unchanged. The
      identity of immunoreactive material was confirmed by thin-layer chromatography of
      immunoreactive TXB2 and by reversed phase HPLC of immunoreactive cysteinyl-LT. As
      expected, washed human platelets stimulated with alpha-thrombin were identified
      as the major source of TXB2 generation but purified monocytes were also found to
      release some TXB2 upon alpha-thrombin stimulation. Release of TXB2 by isolated
      human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was negligible in the presence of this
      stimulus. None of the cells which are known to possess 5-lipoxygenase activity
      such as PMN or monocytes did release neither cysteinyl-LT nor LTB4 upon
      stimulation with human alpha-thrombin up to 10 U/ml. These data demonstrate that
      TXB2 production and cysteinyl-LT formation are differentially activated in
      spontaneously clotting whole human blood in vitro, the former being dependent on
      endogenously generated thrombin the latter being dependent on a stimulus yet to
      be identified.

PMID- 1866710
TI  - Acute carotid artery occlusive thrombosis and its pharmacological prevention in
      the rabbit.
AB  - A simple and reproducible method to induce an occlusive thrombus in rabbit
      carotid artery is reported. Rabbits were anesthetized and prepared to record
      arterial pressure, heart rate, and carotid blood flow. A critical stenosis of a
      damaged carotid artery was obtained using an external plastic cylinder. Complete
      occlusion occurred within 6 to 12 minutes, as measured by the decrease in blood
      flow. Both stenosis of the vessel and deliberate damage (clamping by surgical
      forceps) were found essential to occlusion. Occlusion was prevented by
      administration of heparin (200 IU/kg), tissue plasminogen activator (300
      micrograms/kg), iloprost (10 micrograms/kg) or the synthetic thrombin inhibitor,
      FPRCH2Cl (0.5 mg/kg), while ASA (100 mg/kg) was uneffective. The procedure
      permits an easy and rapid evaluation of thrombus formation and of anti-thrombotic
      drugs affecting the hemostatic process.

PMID- 1866711
TI  - Malignant cell attachment to endothelium of ex vivo perfused human umbilical
      vein. Modulation by platelets, plasma and fibronectin.
AB  - The success of blood-born metastatic spread depends upon a key event: the tumor
      cell arrest and attachment to the host organ vasculature. In the present study,
      we have investigated interactions between several normal and cancer cell lines
      and vascular endothelium in a model of ex vivo perfusion of human umbilical vein.
      In this system, hydrodynamic parameters are monitored and endothelial cells are
      kept in their original environment known to modulate their phenotype. Metastatic
      tumor cell adhesion to the perfused endothelium was found to be significantly
      higher than that of normal cells tested. Platelets and soluble plasma factors
      including fibronectin promoted tumor cell arrest and adhesion to endothelium.
      Altogether our results indicate that the ex vivo perfusion of human umbilical
      vein allows the study of the interactions between malignant tumor cells,
      circulating plasma or blood cells and the endothelium during blood-born
      metastatic spread.

PMID- 1866712
TI  - Interaction between prostaglandin E1 and nitric oxide (NO).
AB  - A synergistic antiplatelet effect between prostaglandin I2 (PGI2), a cAMP
      stimulator, and nitric oxide (NO), a cGMP-stimulator, has been described. Data on
      a PGE1-NO interaction, however, are lacking so far. We therefore examined the
      question in healthy volunteers, whether a similar synergism exist between PGE1
      and NO on human platelets in vitro. Each of the substances alone caused a dose
      dependent inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, PGE1 (1ng/mlPRP)
      reduced platelet aggregation by 27.8 +/- 14.6%, NO (0.3%) by 26.7 +/- 25.5%. The
      combination of these compounds caused an additive effect resulting in a reduction
      of 40.6 +/- 23.5%. The findings indicate that PGE1 (like PGI2) and NO have a
      synergistic antiplatelet action. The concomitant treatment with both compounds
      offers an interesting concept for clinical therapy.

PMID- 1866713
TI  - Effect of 13-hydroxyoctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid (13-HODE) on thrombin induced
      platelet adherence to endothelial cells in vitro.
AB  - The effect of exogenous 13-HODE on alpha-thrombin induced adherence of platelets
      to monolayers of cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells was determined using
      homologous sheep cells. In a separate series of experiments, endogenous 13-HODE
      was demonstrated in sheep endothelial cells by reverse phase high pressure liquid
      chromatography. Levels of endogenous 13-HODE were decreased by alpha-thrombin
      preincubation. Exogenous 13-HODE (10 microM) reduced the augmented platelet
      adherence produced by coincubation of alpha-thrombin with platelets and
      endothelial monolayers, and eliminated the enhancement of platelet adherence
      produced by preincubation of alpha-thrombin with endothelial monolayers. 13-HODE
      also reduced the alpha-thrombin induced adherence of platelets to monolayers
      pretreated with aspirin and to fixed monolayers indicating a direct effect of 13
      HODE as opposed to secondary effects mediated by the release of prostacyclin
      (PGI2) or endothelial derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Platelet adherence to
      subendothelial matrix was also reduced by 13-HODE. 13-HODE inhibited platelet
      aggregation initiated by 0.2 U/ml alpha-thrombin but did not affect aggregation
      initiated by 2.0 U/ml alpha-thrombin. These data provide evidence for the ability
      of exogenous 13-HODE to attenuate the interaction of thrombin activated platelets
      with endothelial cells as well as with other platelets.

PMID- 1866715
TI  - Phospholipase C mediated inhibition of factor VII requires triglyceride-rich
      lipoproteins.
AB  - The reduction of plasma factor VII (FVII) activity by phospholipase C (PLC), in
      vitro, has been proposed as a possible indication of a risk of cardiovascular
      disease. The ability of PLC to reduce FVII activity was found to require calcium
      ions and the presence of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (e.g. chylomicra and very
      low density lipoproteins) rather than high or low density lipoproteins. The PLC
      mediated reduction of FVII activity was prevented by pre-incubation of PLC with
      chylomicra, before adding FVII, and this suggests that PLC may act on
      triglyceride-rich lipoproteins already bound to FVII in order to reduce FVII
      activity. At optimal PLC concentration, the extent of the reduction in FVII
      activity was proportional to the concentration of chylomicra. The detergent,
      Tween, prevented any loss of FVII activity, in both plasma and purified systems,
      if it was present at the beginning of the incubation with PLC. Addition of Tween,
      but not EDTA, after inhibition of FVII activity had occurred, caused a partial
      restoration of FVII activity. It is concluded that PLC reduces FVII activity by
      modifying triglyceride-rich lipoproteins to a form which binds to FVII,
      independently of calcium ions, and which inhibits procoagulant activity. The
      detection of PLC-sensitive procoagulant activity. The detection of PLC-sensitive
      FVII activity may therefore have no greater significance than the measurement of
      plasma triglyceride levels in predicting a risk of cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1866714
TI  - Influence of thrombolytic agents on human platelet function.
AB  - In this study, we have evaluated the effects of four different thrombolytic
      agents, including Streptokinase from Hoechst and from Kabivitrum, Urokinase from
      Abbott and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) from Genetech, on platelet-rich
      plasma clots and platelet aggregation. At concentrations lower than 50 ugs/ml, t
      PA had no inhibitory effect on clot retraction or platelet aggregation induced by
      weak or potent agonist. At a higher concentration (greater than 100 ugs/ml), t-PA
      specifically antagonized the action of thrombin on clot formation and platelet
      aggregation. Streptokinase (Kabivitrum) potentiated the action of weak agonists
      on platelet aggregation, but the same agent from Hoechst had no negative or
      positive influence. None of the drugs tested had an adverse effect on platelet
      function at suggested therapeutic levels. None of the thrombolytic agents were
      capable of dissociating preformed clots made from platelet-rich plasma. However,
      all of them caused lysis of whole blood clots. Also, prior incubation of plasma
      alone or platelet-rich plasma with any of the agents prevented subsequent clot
      formation. The studies demonstrate that thrombolytic drugs at therapeutic
      concentrations do not affect platelet function adversely. They have a potent
      effect on whole blood clots, but not on clots from platelet-rich plasma.
      Therefore, platelets may play a critical role in determining the degree of
      reperfusion and the frequency of reocclusion following treatment with
      thrombolytic agents in vivo.

PMID- 1866716
TI  - Reference values of hemostasis related factors of healthy Japanese adults. II.
      Protein C.

PMID- 1866717
TI  - Antithrombotic activity of an unsaturated fatty acid preparation--comments.

PMID- 1866718
TI  - [What will the social service do with twice the current number of physicians?].

PMID- 1866719
TI  - [Surgery--a domain to be reshaped].

PMID- 1866720
TI  - [Nursing homes or homes for patients with senile dementia].

PMID- 1866721
TI  - [Permanent admissions to nursing homes. Admission pattern changes between 1979
      1989].
AB  - Patients admitted permanently to a somatic nursing home between 1979 and 1989
      were retrospectively studied to find out the mode of, and reasons for, admission.
      A total of 589 patients were admitted. The percentage of demented patients
      increased from 38 to 66%. The proportion of patients admitted from their own
      homes or from a hospital decreased, whereas the proportion transferred from a
      short admission to a permanent stay increased. It is concluded that, in many
      cases, the public services for elderly people living in their own homes are
      unable to cope with the problems that arise, especially in demented persons. The
      problem of "bed blockers" is no longer restricted to hospitals, but also affects
      nursing home beds allocated for short time purposes. It is necessary to develop a
      holistic approach to the tasks of caring for the elderly population, across
      existing administrative levels.

PMID- 1866722
TI  - [Endoscopic bile duct drainage--technique].
AB  - The authors describe the technique of endoscopic implantation of endoprosthesis
      in the bile duct. From 1978 to 1989 implantation of endoprosthesis was successful
      in 88.7% of 212 patients. One to three procedures per patient were required for
      primary implantation. 407 procedures were performed; primary implantation,
      replacement of endoprosthesis and implantation of additional endoprosthesis. The
      success rate increased from 55% in the first third of the period to 82.4% in the
      last third. Ten patients had been previously operated with Billroth II
      gastrectomy and one with Whipple's operation. Implantation was successful in
      seven of these patients.

PMID- 1866723
TI  - [Endoscopic bile duct drainage--results].
AB  - 212 patients were treated with endoscopic endoprosthetic drainage for bile duct
      obstruction. 137 patients had inoperable malignant obstruction, ten operable
      malignant tumor, 35 bile duct stones and 30 various benign strictures.
      Endoprosthetic stenting was successful in 188 patients (88.7%). The remaining 24
      patients were treated with percutaneous transhepatic drainage or
      biliaryintestinal anastomosis, or received no treatment. In patients with
      successful implantation of endoprostheses, jaundice was relieved in 81% of the
      cases and pain in 89.6%. Cholangitis was treated with good results in 93.5%.
      Biliocutanous fistulas closed in two patients. Patency of the endoprostheses was
      87 days on average. Replacement of endoprostheses or insertion of additional
      endoprostheses was performed 130 times. Complications occurred in 52 of 407
      procedures (12.6%). Mortality related to the endoscopic endoprosthetic treatment
      was 4.2%.

PMID- 1866724
TI  - [Patellofemoral pain. Diagnosis and treatment].
AB  - Patellofemoral pain is a frequent complaint among recreational and competitive
      athletes. Studies from Sweden and Norway among junior and senior high school
      students showed that every third to fourth student currently suffers, or has
      previously suffered, from patellofemoral pain. This paper presents current trends
      in diagnosis and treatment of patellofemoral pain. It describes the clinical
      examination, and discusses the additional information obtained from tests like
      radiography, CT and MT. Arthroscopy can establish the degree of cartilage damage
      and joint articulation, but should not be used as a general diagnostic tool.
      Treatment of patellofemoral pain should consist of patient education and a
      carefully designed rehabilitation programme emphasizing eccentric quadriceps
      exercises, primarily in close chain modes. A knee sleeve with a lateral cushion
      seems to alleviate symptoms in some patients. If the problems are not reduced by
      a well executed exercise programme over six months, surgical intervention should
      be discussed on the basis of a specific diagnosis. The article includes a review
      of recent studies on patellar shaving, spongialization, lateral release,
      proximal/distal realignment, tibial tubercle elevation and medialization, and
      patellectomy.

PMID- 1866725
TI  - [THARIES (Total Hip Articular Replacement by Internal Eccentric Shells) double
      cup prosthesis. A 10-year follow-up study].
AB  - The concept of surface replacement or cup arthroplasty has been studied
      clinically for two decades, but few long-term studies have been published as yet.
      At the county hospital of Bodo the THARIES (Total Hip Articular Replacement by
      Internal Eccentric Shells) system was employed as a routine from 1979-86. 109
      consecutively operated hips were followed up by clinical examination and
      radiological studies after three months, and after one, five and ten years. A
      loosening frequency of 21% was found after five years and 68% after ten years. At
      other centres the technique has been reserved mainly for younger patients with
      potentially solid bone stock. In this study we found 85% failures in the group of
      patients younger than 60 years at the time of arthroplasty, and 84% in males
      after ten years of observation. The results indicate that this conserving system
      is not strong enough to resume bearing weight, and does not have adequate
      resistance to fatigue to withstand years of cyclic loading, especially with a
      high level of activity.

PMID- 1866726
TI  - [Crohn disease found incidentally during cholecystectomy. Report of 3 cases with
      pronounced biliary tract problems].
AB  - Gallstones are usually present in patients with Crohn's disease involving the
      distal ileum. This may be due to disturbances of the enterohepatic circulation,
      with bile salt malabsorption and secondary precipitation of cholesterol in the
      gallbladder. The article describes three patients who were cholecystectomized for
      cholelithiasis, and where Crohn's disease was found incidentally during
      laparotomy.

PMID- 1866727
TI  - [Study and treatment of urinary incontinence in women. A case load based study by
      general practitioners and gynecologists].
AB  - 139 general practitioners and 190 gynaecologists responded to a case-history
      questionnaire about female urinary incontinence. More gynaecologists than general
      practitioners reported more frequent use of leakage provocation test,
      neurological examination, frequency-volume chart, and measurement of residual
      urine. Among the less relevant procedures, use of blood tests was reported more
      frequently by general practitioners, and use of x-rays and ultrasonography by
      gynaecologists. General practitioners preferred urine microscopy to urine
      culture. The opposite was true for the gynaecologists. 50% of the gynaecologists
      would prescribe oestrogens for the postmenopausal women, as against 25% of the
      general practitioners. Young women were instructed in pelvic floor exercises,
      incontinence pads were prescribed for elderly women.

PMID- 1866729
TI  - [Primary health care in developing countries].
AB  - The Alma-Ata declaration and global strategy of Health for All by the year 2000
      have given political and practical momentum to the delivery of primary health
      care in developing countries. WHO has provided leadership for this process, with
      support from other UN agencies and international donor organizations. Primary
      health care is based on the concept of a District Health System which provides
      comprehensive services. Community participation and intersectoral collaboration
      are the cornerstones of primary health care. Using Malawi, Uganda, India and
      Indonesia as examples, the article explores experiences of health problems and of
      health care delivery to underprivileged populations in African and Asian
      countries.

PMID- 1866728
TI  - [Drugs in developing countries. Current status, problems and possible solutions].
AB  - Based mainly on economic, administrative and drug logistics indicators, the
      article critically reviews the use of drugs in less developed countries in the
      context of the global drug scene. The lack of balance in less developed countries
      (LDCs) between indicators of need and determinants of political, economic,
      professional, educational and sociocultural nature, including product marketing
      efforts is highlighted. Special emphasis is given to the global WHO Action
      Programme on Essential Drugs, its background, strategies, implementation and
      tentative impacts. Country case examples from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya,
      Zimbabwe and the Gambia are used for illustration. Varying progress is made in
      about half the 110 LDCs which have formally adopted the WHO concepts. Delayed
      implementation, setbacks and failures are prevalent. These reflect financial and
      other resource constraints, political ambiguity, qualitative and quantitative
      deficiencies related to manpower and insufficient back-up measures of an
      educational and informative character. An orientation towards operational
      research based on competence-building according to needs and strategies is highly
      desirable. Accordingly a plea is made for multidisciplinary collaboration in
      North-South networks at university level.

PMID- 1866730
TI  - [Medical anthropology].
AB  - This article presents medical anthropology as an inter-disciplinary and multi
      disciplinary field, in which anthropologists and biomedically trained
      professionals may find fruitful cooperation. Some aspects of international health
      care are discussed with special reference to anthropological contributions in
      this area. The author also touches on various problems encountered during the
      meeting between Norwegian clinicians and immigrant patients.

PMID- 1866731
TI  - [Abbot Vision. An interesting laboratory instrument for small hospitals].
AB  - Abbott Vision is a technologically advanced chemistry analyzer developed for
      decentralized testing. About 30 different tests can be performed using disposable
      test packs containing wet reagents. The instrument was evaluated in a smaller
      hospital and (except for potassium) good results were obtained with respect to
      precision and conformity with results from a referral laboratory. The analyzer is
      considered to be of special advantage in cases of emergency and when there is no
      laboratory technician on duty. The cost per analysis is much higher, however,
      than with conventional techniques.

PMID- 1866732
TI  - [Infusor--an aid in cytostatic therapy].
AB  - Infusor is a pump controlled by an elastomeric balloon. It has been used for
      continuous infusion of morphine, heparin, antiemetics and different kinds of
      cytostatics. The article presents our experience of Infusor when used for
      intravenous infusion of fluorouracil to patients with head and neck cancer.
      Infusor had many practical advantages. It provides a new possibility for
      continuous administration of cytostatics at home. A disadvantage was a slightly
      unstable infusion velocity.

PMID- 1866733
TI  - [Treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes].

PMID- 1866735
TI  - [Administration procedures in the treatment with cytostatics].

PMID- 1866734
TI  - [Reflux esophagitis--a therapeutic problem].

PMID- 1866736
TI  - [The physician's role in dealing with patients unemployed for a long time].
AB  - When medical practitioners examine unemployed persons, important considerations
      are medical and social diagnoses, risk factors and a possible need for
      counselling. Certification of illness and applications for rehabilitation or a
      disability pension are ambiguous and difficult tasks in the Norwegian health
      insurance system. Important measures are better unemployment benefits, more
      activation of unemployed persons, better educational opportunities, more
      information on health and unemployment, and a special health maintenance
      programme for long-term unemployed.

PMID- 1866737
TI  - [A health survey of persons unemployed for a long time in Greenland].
AB  - In 1988 a random sample of 310 unemployed aged 16 to 63 years who had been
      registered for more than 12 weeks and lived in the four municipalities of
      Greenland was examined by a doctor and a nurse. Self-reported health and
      psychometric tests produced higher prevalences of disease than in a reference
      population of employed persons. On the basis of both clinical examination and the
      testing, 22% of the unemployed, were judged to be depressed, as against 2% in the
      reference group. 17% of the unemployed were scored as "morbidly anxious" and 17%
      as psychosomatically sick, as against 2% and 4% of the references. The health and
      social services which the group had received were regarded as unsatisfactory,
      both by the doctor and by the unemployed themselves. A special health maintenance
      programme is proposed for long-term unemployed.

PMID- 1866738
TI  - [The role of a drug and therapeutics committee in primary health care.
      Experiences from the 16/Furuset District, Oslo].
AB  - In 1984 a Committee on Drugs was established in the primary health care district
      of Furuset. The committee members represented pharmacists at the local pharmacy,
      nurses and general practitioners in this sector. The committee has arranged 1-3
      meetings yearly for all primary health care personnel at Furuset. A well-prepared
      topic was discussed at each meeting. Additional joint meetings have taken place
      regularly between physicians, pharmacists and representatives of the
      pharmaceutical industry. Simple equipment has been developed for communication
      between general practitioners and the pharmacy. Inquiries have been carried out
      on prescription practices and drug use.

PMID- 1866739
TI  - [Mammography--remember the false negative].

PMID- 1866740
TI  - [High and low use of social and health services].

PMID- 1866741
TI  - [Quality assurance of medical technical equipment].

PMID- 1866742
TI  - [Perinatal HIV infection].

PMID- 1866743
TI  - [An epidemic among yachtmen].

PMID- 1866744
TI  - [On reproducibility and per cents].

PMID- 1866746
TI  - Microinfarction in classic migraine? A study with magnetic resonance imaging
      findings.
AB  - By means of magnetic resonance imaging we investigated a total of 45 patients
      suffering from classic migraine; 25 patients had been treated in our department
      for classic migraine over the past 2 years (group A), and 20 other patients
      investigated between 1976 and 1984 were reexamined for this study (group B).
      Thirty-two age- and roughly sex-matched healthy volunteers underwent magnetic
      resonance imaging and served as controls (group C). There was a trend for
      patients with classic migraine to have more subcortical patchy lesions on T2
      weighted magnetic resonance imaging. In a comparison of our control subjects and
      patients with a history of greater than 20 attacks of classic migraine taken from
      groups A and B, this difference in number of lesions was significant (p = 0.02).
      The results suggest that patchy lesions in patients with classic migraine should
      be interpreted with particular caution before diagnosing a demyelinating disease
      since the lesions could be ischemic in origin.

PMID- 1866745
TI  - Immunohematologic characteristics of infection-associated cerebral infarction.
AB  - We evaluated 50 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke to assess the
      prevalence of systemic infection preceding the neurological event. We analyzed
      the immunohematologic characteristics of patients with and without signs and/or
      symptoms of a preceding infectious process. Patients were examined less than or
      equal to 7 days after cerebral infarction and evaluated for fibrinogen,
      anticardiolipin antibodies, fibrin D-dimer (a fragment of cross-linked fibrin),
      plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and protein S. Of the 50 patients, 17 had
      symptoms of infection beginning less than or equal to 1 month before the stroke
      (11 had upper respiratory tract infections, three urinary tract infections, two
      subacute bacterial endocarditis, and one pneumonia). Compared with patients
      without infection, patients with infection had significant increases in fibrin D
      dimer concentration (5.3 +/- 1.1 versus 4.7 +/- 0.9 log-transformed ng/ml, p less
      than 0.05) and cardiolipin immunoreactivity, IgG isotype (1.8 +/- 1.3 versus 1.1
      +/- 0.9 log-transformed phospholipid units, p less than 0.04), and, when studied
      less than or equal to 2 days after the stroke, increased fibrinogen levels (459
      +/- 126 versus 360 +/- 94 mg/dl, p less than 0.05). In conclusion, infection
      associated cerebral infarction is common and is associated with substantial
      immunohematologic abnormalities.

PMID- 1866747
TI  - Remote cortical dysfunction in aphasic stroke patients.
AB  - We studied the effect of deep-seated left hemispheric lesions on cortical blood
      flow in 18 right-handed aphasic stroke patients. Regional cerebral blood flow was
      measured at rest and during the performance of a functional naming test using the
      two-dimensional xenon-133 inhalation method. Compared with 10 controls, at rest
      the patients showed regional cortical hypoperfusion in the left frontoparietal
      region. In the controls, activation patterns from the rest to the test condition
      involved mainly the left hemisphere areas. In the patients, a lack of blood flow
      change was observed in several areas that were usually hypoperfused at rest.
      However, in patients with slight verbal expression disorders there were obvious
      blood flow increases in other brain regions in both hemispheres. Such cortical
      functional reorganization and the presence of a remote cortical dysfunction could
      play a role in the pathophysiology of language disorders.

PMID- 1866748
TI  - Snoring and the risk of ischemic brain infarction.
AB  - To determine if a history of snoring is a risk factor for brain infarction, I
      conducted a case-control study of risk factors for ischemic stroke using 177
      consecutive male patients aged 16-60 (mean 49) years with acute brain infarction.
      For each patient I chose an age-matched (+/- 6 years) male control. Arterial
      hypertension, coronary heart disease, snoring (habitually or often), and heavy
      drinking (greater than 300 g/wk) were risk factors in the stepwise multiple
      logistic regression analysis. The odds ratio of snoring for brain infarction was
      2.13. By McNemar's test this association increased strongly if a history of sleep
      apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, and obesity were all present with snoring
      (odds ratio 8.00). My study indicates that snoring may be a risk factor for
      ischemic stroke, possibly because of the higher prevalence of an obstructive
      sleep apnea syndrome among snorers than nonsnorers.

PMID- 1866749
TI  - Benefit of a stroke unit: a randomized controlled trial.
AB  - In a randomized controlled trial we compared the clinical outcome of acute stroke
      patients, 110 of whom were allocated to treatment in a stroke unit and 110 to
      treatment in general medical wards. No significant difference existed between
      these groups with regard to sex, age, marital status, medical history, or
      functional impairment on admission. Outcome was measured at 6 and 52 weeks after
      the stroke by the proportion of patients at home, the proportion of patients in
      an institution, the mortality, and the functional state. After 6 weeks 56.4% of
      the patients randomized to the stroke unit and 32.7% of the patients randomized
      to the general medical wards were at home (p = 0.0004), and after 52 weeks 62.7%
      and 44.6%, respectively, were at home (p = 0.002). After 6 weeks 36.3% of the
      patients from the stroke unit and 50.0% from the general medical wards were in an
      institution (p = 0.02); after 52 weeks 12.7% and 22.7%, respectively, were
      institutionalized (p = 0.016). After 6 weeks mortality was 7.3% for the stroke
      unit group and 17.3% for the general medical wards group (p = 0.027). After 52
      weeks mortality was 24.6% for the stroke unit group and 32.7% for the general
      medical wards group (difference not significant). Functional state was
      significantly better for patients treated in the stroke unit after both 6 and 52
      weeks. We conclude that care of patients with acute stroke in a stroke unit
      improves clinical outcome compared with treatment in general medical wards.

PMID- 1866750
TI  - Temporal thresholds for neocortical infarction in rats subjected to reversible
      focal cerebral ischemia.
AB  - We investigated the temporal threshold for focal cerebral infarction in the
      spontaneously hypertensive rat. The right middle cerebral artery and common
      carotid artery were occluded for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 24 hours, and all the animals
      were sacrificed 24 hours after the onset of ischemia. Cortical infarct volumes
      and edema volumes were quantified in serial frozen sections of hematoxylin and
      eosin-stained tissue using image analysis. Upon occlusion, blood flow in the core
      of the ischemic zone, measured with laser-Doppler flowmetry, fell to a mean +/-
      standard deviation of 21 +/- 7% of the preocclusion baseline value (n = 26).
      During the first hour of ischemia, blood flow in the densely ischemic zone rose
      to 27 +/- 8% of baseline (n = 25). Release of the middle cerebral artery and
      common carotid artery occlusions rapidly restored cortical blood flow to 213 +/-
      83% of baseline (n = 21). Focal ischemia of 1 hour's duration caused little or no
      infarction, while ischemic intervals of 2 and 3 hours produced successively
      larger volumes of infarcted cortex. Ischemic intervals of 3-4 hours' duration
      followed by approximately 20 hours of recirculation yielded infarct volumes that
      were not significantly different from those after 24 hours of permanent focal
      ischemia. The results indicate that 3-4 hours of focal cerebral ischemia in this
      rat model is sufficient to attain maximal infarction and suggest that
      recirculation or pharmacological interventions after this time will provide
      little benefit.

PMID- 1866751
TI  - Forebrain ischemia induces selective behavioral impairments associated with
      hippocampal injury in rats.
AB  - Two groups of rats were tested on a variety of motor and cognitive tasks after
      either 10 minutes of two-vessel occlusion forebrain ischemia (n = 8) or sham
      operative procedures (n = 6). Histological injury was absent in the sham-operated
      group. In the ischemic group, hippocampal injury was restricted to field CA1,
      while damage in the neocortex and caudoputamen was sparse. Motor tests performed
      on postoperative days 18 and 28 revealed no significant differences between the
      ischemic and sham-operated groups. Retention performance of a radial maze
      discrimination task was impaired, with a significant but transient increase in
      both working and reference memory errors. Passive avoidance acquisition and
      retention were not significantly affected, although conclusions concerning the
      utility of this task must be reserved because of variability in the behavior of
      the sham-operated rats. Morris maze spatial navigation (place learning) and open
      field activity were insensitive to treatment group. These functional results are
      consistent with the observed histological injury and what is known about
      hippocampal injury and behavior, and they provide further guidance for the
      development of neurological assays appropriate for discriminating outcome from
      forebrain ischemia in rats.

PMID- 1866752
TI  - LY178002 reduces rat brain damage after transient global forebrain ischemia.
AB  - Several feasible mechanisms have been proposed as sources of neuronal damage from
      ischemia and subsequent reperfusion. Included among these are oxidative damage
      caused by free radical production and lipid peroxidation and products derived
      from phospholipid breakdown. A series of 4-thiazolidinone compounds represented
      by LY178002 (5-[3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]methylene-4
      thiazolidinon e) have been described as inhibitors of multiple enzymes in the
      arachidonic acid cascade, including fatty acid cyclooxygenase, 5-lipoxygenase,
      and phospholipase A2. Accordingly, we evaluated LY178002 in a four-vessel
      occlusion model of global forebrain ischemia with reperfusion. A 2-hour
      pretreatment of 11 male Wistar rats with 150 mg/kg LY178002 significantly
      protected against striatal (p = 0.0007) and hippocampal CA1 (p = 0.006) damage
      after 30 minutes of global ischemia. Similar protection was observed for the
      striatum (p = 0.005) and hippocampal CA1 layer (p = 0.025) after pretreatment of
      13 rats with 50 mg/kg LY178002. We further evaluated LY178002 as a possible
      inhibitor of lipid peroxidation because part of its chemical structure
      incorporates the aromatic backbone of the known antioxidant butylated
      hydroxytoluene. We found LY178002 to be a potent inhibitor of iron-dependent
      lipid peroxidation. Few substances possessing a single pharmacological activity
      have been found to be of significant therapeutic benefit in global ischemia of 30
      minutes' duration because the mechanisms that lead to cell death in response to
      ischemia are likely to be multifactorial. Thus, the efficacy of LY178002 in this
      model may be due to its ability to inhibit multiple sources of damage.

PMID- 1866753
TI  - Platelet emboli in rat brain cross when the contralateral carotid artery is
      occluded.
AB  - The pathogenesis of embolic events ipsilateral to an occluded carotid artery is
      uncertain. To examine this question we combined occlusion of the left common
      carotid artery with embolism from the right common carotid artery in rats.
      Following ligation of the left carotid artery in 20 experimental rats, we
      irradiated the right carotid artery with a laser (632 nm, 200 mW/cm2, 12-15
      minutes) following the intravenous injection of 12.5 mg/kg of the
      photosensitizing agent Photofrin II. Controls had left carotid artery occlusion
      with (n = 13) or without (n = 6) Photofrin II. Fifteen of the 20 experimental
      rats survived to be perfused at 24 hours; cerebral infarcts were identified in 12
      rats, with bilateral infarcts in 10. There were 112 infarcts (101 small [less
      than 2.5 mm] and 11 large [greater than 2.5 mm] on the right and 103 (93 small
      and 10 large) on the left. Emboli were seen in association with some infarcts and
      were evenly distributed in the two hemispheres (37 emboli on the right and 40 on
      the left, with the midline azygous artery occluded in four animals). Left carotid
      artery occlusion did not produce infarcts or emboli in the controls. We conclude
      that cerebral infarcts in the distribution of an occluded common carotid artery
      may be caused by emboli from the contralateral carotid artery in rats.

PMID- 1866754
TI  - Stroke from other etiologies masquerading as migraine-stroke.
AB  - There has been a recent increase in the number of studies dealing with migraine
      stroke. I describe five patients in whom migraine-stroke was the clinical
      diagnosis but in whom the subsequent clinical events or autopsy showed a
      different mechanism for the cerebral infarction. Three patients had arterial
      dissection (one proven at autopsy), one had marantic endocarditis that had been
      missed on two echocardiograms (proven at autopsy), and one had generalized
      atherosclerosis and diabetes. These patients demonstrate that important and
      different etiologies may produce what seems to be the migraine-stroke syndrome.
      The result may be failure to recognize specific therapeutic measures that could
      have vitally important benefit to the patient.

PMID- 1866755
TI  - Safety and tolerance of oral dextromethorphan in patients at risk for brain
      ischemia.
AB  - Experimental ischemia models have shown the antitussive dextromethorphan to be an
      N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist with neuroprotective properties. We treated 10
      patients with a history of recent stroke or transient ischemic attack with oral
      dextromethorphan (60 mg q.i.d.) for 3 weeks in a placebo-controlled, double
      blind, crossover tolerance study. We documented no clinical evidence of toxicity
      attributable to dextromethorphan in this preliminary study.

PMID- 1866756
TI  - Review of the variability of the territories of the major cerebral arteries.
AB  - The results of recent model studies indicate that the variability in territorial
      distribution of the major cerebral arteries may be much greater than has been
      previously recognized. We review the literature on the cortical and intracerebral
      territories of the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries. Although
      most authors claim that these territories are relatively consistent, the results
      of their studies show many and considerable discrepancies. The variability
      described by Beevor has been neither excluded nor completely confirmed, yet
      somehow the concept of a relatively unchanging pattern of the peripheral cerebral
      vascularization has gradually settled into the literature. We discuss the
      considerable variability of the cerebral territories, as well as the
      discrepancies in investigation techniques, injection materials, and specimen
      conditions that could be factors producing these dissimilar results. Our study
      shows that there are no arguments in the literature to negate the variability of
      the cerebral territories.

PMID- 1866757
TI  - Defining "progressive stroke".

PMID- 1866758
TI  - Stroke and atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1866759
TI  - Procoagulant states and stroke.

PMID- 1866760
TI  - Stroke in relapsing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

PMID- 1866761
TI  - Correlation between plasma fibrinogen levels and white blood cell count after
      cerebral infarction.

PMID- 1866762
TI  - Sex difference in effect of aspirin on blood platelet aggregation may be
      artifact.

PMID- 1866763
TI  - Congenital antithrombin III abnormality and cerebral arterial thrombosis.

PMID- 1866764
TI  - A review of hemoglobin and the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm.
AB  - We believe that current experimental and clinical evidence can be most
      satisfactorily interpreted by assuming that oxyhemoglobin is the cause of
      cerebral vasospasm that follows subarachnoid hemorrhage. We review the
      pathogenetic mechanisms by which oxyhemoglobin affects cerebral arteries. The
      relative importance of each of these mechanisms in the genesis of vasospasm, the
      biochemical pathways of oxyhemoglobin-induced smooth muscle contraction, and the
      intracellular actions of oxyhemoglobin on smooth muscle and on other cells in
      arteries are still not definitely established.

PMID- 1866765
TI  - Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham
      Study.
AB  - The impact of nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation, hypertension, coronary heart
      disease, and cardiac failure on stroke incidence was examined in 5,070
      participants in the Framingham Study after 34 years of follow-up. Compared with
      subjects free of these conditions, the age-adjusted incidence of stroke was more
      than doubled in the presence of coronary heart disease (p less than 0.001) and
      more than trebled in the presence of hypertension (p less than 0.001). There was
      a more than fourfold excess of stroke in subjects with cardiac failure (p less
      than 0.001) and a near fivefold excess when atrial fibrillation was present (p
      less than 0.001). In persons with coronary heart disease or cardiac failure,
      atrial fibrillation doubled the stroke risk in men and trebled the risk in women.
      With increasing age the effects of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and
      cardiac failure on the risk of stroke became progressively weaker (p less than
      0.05). Advancing age, however, did not reduce the significant impact of atrial
      fibrillation. For persons aged 80-89 years, atrial fibrillation was the sole
      cardiovascular condition to exert an independent effect on stroke incidence (p
      less than 0.001). The attributable risk of stroke for all cardiovascular
      contributors decreased with age except for atrial fibrillation, for which the
      attributable risk increased significantly (p less than 0.01), rising from 1.5%
      for those aged 50-59 years to 23.5% for those aged 80-89 years. While these
      findings highlight the impact of each cardiovascular condition on the risk of
      stroke, the data suggest that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to stroke
      when atrial fibrillation is present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866767
TI  - An autopsy study of the incidence of lacunes in relation to age, hypertension,
      and arteriosclerosis.
AB  - We investigated selected features of lacunes in 1,086 necropsy cases. Lacunes
      were found in brains from patients above the age of 40 years and were most common
      in brains from persons in their sixties but decreased in number in brains from
      older persons. The most common site of lacunes was the frontal lobe white matter,
      followed by the putamen, pons, parietal lobe white matter, thalamus, and caudate
      nucleus in descending order of frequency. By dividing the 1,086 cases into three
      groups according to blood pressure, we found more lacunes in the hypertensive and
      borderline hypertensive groups than in the normotensive group; the average number
      of lacunes per brain in each group was 3.61, 2.77, and 1.15, respectively.
      Diastolic hypertension was more closely related to the number of lacunes than was
      systolic hypertension. The extent of arteriolosclerosis of the medullary arteries
      in the frontal lobe white matter was measured and compared with the number of
      lacunes. There was a close correlation between lacunes and arterioloslerosis in
      all age groups.

PMID- 1866766
TI  - Regression of carotid plaques during low density lipoprotein cholesterol
      elimination.
AB  - We performed serial prospective ultrasound examinations of four flat and 17 soft
      carotid plaques during an average of 17 months in seven patients with
      heterozygous hypercholesterolemia during heparin-induced extracorporeal low
      density lipoprotein elimination on precipitation from plasma. By means of a
      specially designed quantitative three-dimensional ultrasound analysis,
      significant plaque volume reduction could be evaluated in all subjects, along
      with a marked reduction of total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol and
      fibrinogen serum levels.

PMID- 1866768
TI  - Risk factors for stroke as predictors of platelet membrane fluidity in
      Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - We have previously reported that increased platelet membrane fluidity identifies
      a subgroup of patients with Alzheimer's disease who have distinct clinical
      features including an earlier age of symptomatic onset, a more rapidly
      progressive cognitive decline, and a decreased prevalence of focal
      electroencephalographic findings. In the current study, these patients also
      exhibited a decreased prevalence of risk factors for stroke compared with
      patients who had normal platelet membrane fluidity. Our findings suggest that the
      platelet membrane abnormality describes a clinical subgroup of patients with
      Alzheimer's disease who are less likely to have coexisting cerebrovascular
      disease than the remaining patients who meet clinical consensus criteria for
      probable Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1866769
TI  - Differentiation and maturation of macrophages into interdigitating cells and
      their multicellular complex formation in the fetal and postnatal rat thymus.
AB  - Three mouse anti-rat macrophage monoclonal antibodies, TRPM-1, TRPM-2, and TRPM
      3, as well as anti-rat Ia monoclonal antibody, were used to study the emergence,
      differentiation, and maturation of macrophages in the fetal and postnatal rat
      thymus immunohistochemically and immunoelectron microscopically. At 14 days of
      gestation, primitive/fetal macrophages entered the thymic primordium and showed
      Ia expression, where afterwards the epithelial cells also expressed Ia antigens
      prominently at 15 days of gestation. After 16 days of gestation, differentiation
      of a subpopulation of primitive/fetal macrophages into interdigitating cells
      (IDCs) is suggested. From 19 days of gestation, TRPM-1-positive dendritic cells
      including IDCs started forming multicellular complexes with thymocytes and the
      epithelial cells also formed similar complexes with thymocytes. One day after
      birth, TRPM-1 positive IDC-thymocyte complexes distributed throughout the thymic
      medulla. The number of TRPM-1- and Ia-positive IDCs increased by day, and
      Langerhans cells (LCs) appeared in the thymic medulla within a few days after
      birth. By two weeks after birth, the distribution pattern of Ia- and TRPM-1
      positive cells became similar to that of adult rats. In ontogeny, intimate cell
      membrane appositions were frequently observed between thymocytes and Ia-positive
      epithelial cells or IDCs in the thymic multicellular complexes. These complexes
      were discriminated into two types; epithelial cell-thymocyte complexes and IDC-
      or LC-thymocyte ones. In vitro, two types of the thymic nurse cells (TNCs) were
      identified: epithelial cells and IDCs or LCs. Besides epithelial cells, IDCs or
      macrophages formed rosettes with thymocytes. These TNCs and rosettes in vitro
      seem to correspond to the thymic multicellular complexes in vivo.

PMID- 1866770
TI  - In vitro thymopentin modulation of mitogen responsive T-cell precursor frequency.

PMID- 1866771
TI  - Effect of hydrocortisone on the axial organ of the sea star Asterias rubens.
AB  - Sea stars Asterias rubens were inoculated daily with hydrocortisone. After 3 days
      a plaque of lysis was formed in the center of the axial organ and increased in
      size if the injections were continued for 2 more days. This result is reminiscent
      of the effect of cortisone on the thymus of vertebrates and supports the
      hypothesis that the axial organ is an ancestral lymphoid tissue.

PMID- 1866772
TI  - [Mental health care and independence of the elderly--notes by a psychiatrist].

PMID- 1866773
TI  - [Problems of the elderly and themes in science].

PMID- 1866774
TI  - [A differentiated approach to aging--contribution to a discussion].

PMID- 1866775
TI  - [Future scenario's Dementia 1990-2010--various major points from the scenario
      report 'Care for mental health in the future'].
AB  - This paper describes major points of a study on the future of dementia in the
      period 1990-2010. By means of a literature review and consultation of experts in
      a Delphi-study exploratory scenarios and a target-setting scenario were
      constructed. The paper delineates the exploratory reference-scenario, which
      includes the most probable processes and developments according to the majority
      of the experts. Furthermore necessary measures and strategies are described to
      increase the quality of care to demented elderly in the next twenty years.

PMID- 1866776
TI  - [The gerontological 21st century or the 21st-century gerontology].

PMID- 1866777
TI  - [The elderly from the viewpoint of the family practitioner].

PMID- 1866778
TI  - [A meta-theoretical and meta-disciplinary viewpoint?--On geriatrics and
      gerontology in the next century].

PMID- 1866779
TI  - [Potential developments in gerontology and geriatrics from a cognitive point of
      view].

PMID- 1866780
TI  - [Do the rules of the game for research remain the same? Yes!].

PMID- 1866781
TI  - [Quality of research and interaction between disciplines. Contribution to a
      discussion].

PMID- 1866782
TI  - [Determination of sex in 7-day bovine embryos after microsurgical division].
AB  - A possibility of the cytogenetic sexing of 7-day microsurgically bisected bovine
      embryos by one of 2-4 parts with the aim of their selection by sex and
      peculiarities of the karyotype before their transplantation has been studied.
      Metaphase plates of chromosomes from halves and quarters of late morulae and
      early blastocysts for the cytogenetic analysis have been obtained.

PMID- 1866783
TI  - [Lengths of the rearranged chromosome fragments and reproductive-compensatory
      ability in families with carriers of reciprocal translocations with habitually
      unfavorable pregnancy outcomes].

PMID- 1866784
TI  - [Features of the femur periosteum and endosteum structure in rodents and hares].
AB  - General and some special histologic methods have been used to study the structure
      of periosteum and endosteum, as well as the morphological peculiarities of their
      cells in rodents and hares in the early and late postnatal ontogenesis. It is
      established that the periosteum of animals under study is represented by a two
      layer structure: the outer (protective) layer and the inner (osteogenic) one. The
      outer layer consists of fibroblast-like cells, the inner one of osteogenic cells
      (pre-osteoblasts and osteoblasts). Endosteum is represented only by osteogenic
      cells and, unlike the periosteum, possesses no independent fibrillar structure;
      therefore, it appears to be more labile than the periosteum.

PMID- 1866785
TI  - [Analysis of morphometric indices in mice for registration of induced mutations
      in germ cells].
AB  - The new-born mice of the first generation have been examined for changes in
      morphometric indices after the influence of fopurine, cyclophosphamide and
      cadmium chloride on their fathers. It is shown that fopurine and
      cyclophosphamide, the mutagens for mammals, increase the variability of
      morphometric indices. The method to calculate the morphometric indices of mice
      may be used for evaluating genetic risk of the compounds for man.

PMID- 1866786
TI  - [Effect of mutant genes db(diabetes) and m(misty) on the severity of high-dose
      streptozotocin diabetes in C57bl/KsJY mice].
AB  - It is stated that high-dose streptozotocin diabetes is more serious in gene db
      homozygous mice of mutant line C57BL/KsJY than in heterozygotes db +/+ m and mice
      M+/+m. Manifestation of spontaneous insulin-independent diabetes mellitus in
      homozygotes db decreases the level of hyperglycemic streptozotocin-induced
      reactions.

PMID- 1866787
TI  - [C-polymorphism of chromosomes in men with azoospermia].
AB  - Comparative evaluation of absolute C-segment lengths of chromosomes 1, 9, 16 and
      Y in 50 azoospermic males has revealed significant differences in chromosome 9
      between 50 normal males. These results are considered as nonrandom in pathology
      of male gametogenesis.

PMID- 1866788
TI  - [Characteristics of digital and palmar dermatoglyphics in people of different
      ages living in the territory of the Ukrainian Polesie].
AB  - Examination of dermatoglyphs in people aged 50-103 living in the territory of the
      Ukrainian Polesie has revealed age differences in some indices of
      dermatoglyphics: total crest count, palmar angle, character of the cutaneous
      pattern of fingers. It assumed that these differences have arisen as a
      consequence of selection of persons characterized by high reliability of the
      genotype functioning. The data obtained permit supposing that it is possible to
      use dermatoglyphics for determining hereditary predisposition of people to
      longevity.

PMID- 1866789
TI  - [The clinal variability of the B-chromosome system in the East Asian mouse
      Apodemus peninsulae from Buryatia and Mongolia].
AB  - Karyological investigation of 22 East-Asiatic mice from different points of the
      North Mongolia showed the availability in all the mice from 1 to 13 B
      chromosomes, including from 1 to 5 middle-sized and small two-shoulder
      chromosomes, from 0 to 11 dot-like B chromosomes, and, seldom, 1 small
      acrocentric B chromosome. Nearly every mouse is characterized by its variant of B
      chromosome system. Most frequent mice with 3, 4 and 8 B chromosomes were met. The
      comparison of the B-chromosome system variants in mice from Buryatia, Chita
      Province (USSR) and the North Mongolia, showed an increase in the number of B
      chromosomes, mainly at the expense of the number of dot-like B chromosomes, in
      the direction from Ulan-Ude to the south and to the east.

PMID- 1866790
TI  - [The dynamics of postmortem cellular changes. Ultrastructural-histochemical
      research].
AB  - Lactate dehydrogenase (LDG), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDG),
      isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDG) as well as acid phosphatase (AcPase) activities
      were assessed in the rat tracheal ciliated epithelial cells using cytophotometry,
      combined with ultrastructural AcPase demonstration within 1 to 5 hours after
      animal death. A moderate gradual reduction of LDG, G-6-PDG and AcPase, but not
      ICDG activities has been detected in the groups of initially unaffected and
      hypertensive rats. The activities of all dehydrogenases progressively decreased
      compared to the stable AcPase values in rats which died from acute renal failure.
      AcPase reaction products were found to be released from the Golgi apparatus and
      lysosomes into the adjacent cytoplasm and across the plasma membrane.
      Occasionally AcPase activity emerged in the cis- and intermediate lamellae of the
      Golgi apparatus. The perturbations in the membrane permeability evidenced by
      AcPase leakage can be considered as the most likely mechanism for the observed
      postmortem reduction of some enzymatic activities tested.

PMID- 1866791
TI  - [Electron microscopic research on cryptosporidia. III. Parasite-host relations].
AB  - A study was made of the host-parasite relationship with Cryptosporidium parvum
      (Apicomplexa, Sporozoa), which parasitizes the intestine of newborn rats
      experimentally infected with oocysts isolated from C. parvum-infected calves. The
      endogenous development of the parasite occurs extracytoplasmically in the
      microvillar compartment of the enterocytes. The formation of the extracytoplasmic
      parasitophorous vacuole (PV), like that surrounding the endogenous stages of C.
      parvum, is regarded as one of the possible and evolutionary established ways for
      the intracellular parasite to escape from the host cell lysosomal digestion.
      Special attention is paid to the attachment zone of C. parvum, where a
      multimembranous organelle is formed serving eventually as a feeder organelle. No
      other specialized cytostome, similar to the micropore of other coccidia, has been
      so far revealed in the growing stages of Cryptosporidium. The characteristic
      ultrastructural organization of the endogenous stages of C. parvum and of other
      Cryptosporidium species so far investigated, along with the peculiar structure of
      the cryptosporidia-surrounding PV, to say nothing of some other distinctive
      features--all this makes it possible to distinguish between the genus
      Cryptosporidium and other coccidian genera, and warrants the separation of the
      former into a separate family Cryptosporidiidae Leger, 1911. Unlike, the addition
      to this family, besides Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910, of another genus,
      Epieimeria Dykova, 1981, on the ground of the "epicellular" localization of both
      the genera claimed by Levine (1984), seems hardly correct, due to the totally
      different patterns of ultrastructural organization and host-parasite relationship
      recently reported for Epieimeria anguillae by Molnar and Baska (1986).

PMID- 1866792
TI  - [The structural organization of the cytoskeleton of the mammary secretory cells].
AB  - A study was made of the arrangement and specialties of distribution in the
      mammary secretory cells of albino mice of the following cytoskeleton
      ultrastructures: microtubules (MT), organization centres (MTOC), microfilaments
      (MF) and intermediate filaments (IF). During the last period of pregnancy and at
      different stages of lactation, for the alveolar epithelium the presence of a
      single material centrioles (CN) was shown in the region of the apical surface
      near dense intercellular contact. During pregnancy and especially at the
      beginning of lactation (1-2 days) the relatively large density of the MT was
      observed in both the cytoplasm of the secretory cells and the region near the CN.
      On the most hard days of lactation (10 day) the lowering of the number of all the
      observed structures was held in the majority of the cells. The MT was not
      observed near the CN. It appeared that the elimination of the MTOC activity
      during the most hard time of lactation is related to the decrease in the numbers
      of MT, MF and IF. The pattern of cytoskeleton reorganization, associated with the
      development of the functional activity of the observed cells, enables us to
      suggest a cooperative contribution of its base components in the formation of the
      secretory surface and in the carrying out of exocytosis.

PMID- 1866793
TI  - [Cytoplasmic RNA in neocortical neurons in vitro].
AB  - The investigation of the ratio of neuronal cytoplasmic RNA mono- and two-chain
      sections was performed in thin neocortical slices by means of fluorescent
      probing. Changes of the relative intensity of Acridine Orange red luminescence
      indicated a decrease in the quota of monochain sections in the common neuronal
      RNA pool. In eight hours of superfusion it was authentically less than in the
      control slices and in the slices which were incubated during four hours. Deep
      profiles of red fluorescence became plane in the process of incubation. It was
      suggested that the essential decrease in the red luminescence intensity of
      cytoplasmic RNA in vitro, observed between four and eight hours, may be
      conditioned by disintegration of polysomes to monosomes, and this, in its turn,
      may cause the decrease in ribosomal synthetic activity.

PMID- 1866794
TI  - [The inhibition of mitosis in tissue culture cells by blue light].
AB  - Blue light (wavelength 350-480 nm) irradiation of the early mitotic (prophase and
      prometaphase) tissue culture cells at the dose of 50-3000 J/cm2 delay mitosis or
      completely block it at the metaphase. Cell sensitivity to the near UV light
      (wavelength 360 nm) was few times more as compared with the sensitivity to the
      visible light (wavelength 400-480 nm). Mitotic cells irradiated with the green
      light (wavelength more than 500 nm; dose up to 7500 J/cm2) completed division
      normally. The effect of the blue light did not depend on the presence of phenol
      red in tissue culture medium. Rhodamin 123 staining did not show any changes in
      the mitochondrial system in the irradiated mitotic cells. Blue light irradiation
      with the dose enough for the induction of mitotic delay appears to be
      insufficient to affect the proliferation of interphase cells.

PMID- 1866795
TI  - [The relationship of the saturation density of multilayer cell cultures to their
      mass exchange with the medium].
AB  - Chinese hamster fibroblasts (CHF) and NIH 3T3 cells were cultured on a glass
      substrate at different distances from the porous membrane separating the cells
      from the perfusing medium. It is shown that with perfusion of medium above the
      membrane there is no movement of the medium near the cells. In both the types of
      culture, the cells grow in multilayers, however the multilayer character of
      growth in CHF is more pronounced than in NIH 3T3 cells. The saturation density of
      the cultures depends on the cell-membrane separation, and at separations of no
      more than 0.2 mm exceeds the saturation density in the monolayer by 8-10 fold.
      The dependences of the saturation density on separation are different for CHE and
      NIH 3T3 cells, indicating qualitative differences in the inhibition of cell
      growth in monolayers between these cultures. The results obtained indicate that
      the inhibition of cell growth in monolayer is due to mass exchange limitations,
      rather than to intercellular contact interactions.

PMID- 1866796
TI  - [The proliferative characteristics of cells in culture during perfusion of the
      medium].
AB  - The proliferation of Chinese hamster fibroblasts (CHF) and NIH 3T3 cells was
      studied at different flow rates immediately above the cells. It is shown that
      there is a limiting density of saturation of the perfused culture that accounts
      for 1.7 x 10(6) - 2.0 x 10(6) cells/cm2 for NIH 3T3 cells, and for 6 x 10(6) - 7
      x 10(6) cells/cm2 for CHF. The growth curves and the distribution of cells with
      respect to the phases of the cell cycle during cultivation with and without
      perfusion are presented. Based on the results obtained it is assumed that the
      limit of saturation density of perfused CHF culture is due to the mass transfer
      of the growth-inhibiting metabolites inside the multilayer structures. The
      assumption seems to hold true for NIH 3T3 cells, too, even though the multilayer
      character of growth of this culture is less pronounced than in CHF.

PMID- 1866797
TI  - [The ultrastructure of the hepatocyte contacts in inbred mice at different ages].
AB  - Correlation was revealed between the ultrastructure of hepatocyte contacts and
      force F, essential for the rupture of the junction between the cell, seized with
      a microneedle, and the tissue specimen, in mice of the highly cancerous CBA line
      and of the low cancerous C57BL line at the age of 1.7 and 15 months. The most
      considerable ultrastructural differences in the cell contacts were found in the
      above mice at the age of 1 month, when the signs of carcinogenic process cannot
      yet been seen. It is shown that the differences in force F of these mice are not
      associated with the structural changes in hepatocyte contacts which may be due to
      the differences in durability properties of the cytoskeleton.

PMID- 1866798
TI  - [A method for determining double-stranded DNA breaks in eukaryotic cells].

PMID- 1866799
TI  - [Hydatid cyst of the lung. Reflections on the importance of scanning in 47
      diagnostic errors].

PMID- 1866800
TI  - [Outcome of aortic valve diseases neglected during mitral surgery].

PMID- 1866801
TI  - [Zinc].

PMID- 1866802
TI  - [Myocardial infarction without Q wave. Clinical course characteristics and
      therapy].

PMID- 1866803
TI  - [Urinary infection at a urology service].

PMID- 1866804
TI  - [Occupational handicap and psychiatry].

PMID- 1866805
TI  - [The conditioned reflex of Pavlov or the conditioned reflex of El Jahiz].

PMID- 1866806
TI  - [Hydatid cyst in the thyroid in children. 3 cases].

PMID- 1866807
TI  - [Pituitary apoplexy. 3 cases].

PMID- 1866808
TI  - [Methemoglobinemia in infants. An acquired toxic form and a congenital recessive
      form].

PMID- 1866809
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of patients with minor head injuries].

PMID- 1866810
TI  - [Nosocomial virus infections in pediatric departments. Rotavirus and respiratory
      syncytial virus].
AB  - Rotavirus and Respiratory Syncytial virus are common causes of acute
      gastroenteritis and upper and lower respiratory diseases among infants and
      toddlers. Both viruses occur as epidemics during the winter season. The symptoms
      may be quite severe and often lead to hospitalisation in paediatric wards i.e.
      about 2,000 children per year. The viruses frequently give rise to nosocomial
      infections in the infant/toddler wards about one third of the cases being
      nosocomial. Recent studies have revealed that both viruses are spread via
      contaminated hands. The density of virus in faeces and upper respiratory
      secretions is very high less than one microgram being sufficient for spread of
      the disease. The traditional precautions (i.e. handwashing and isolation) have
      failed to reduce the numbers of nosocomial infections to an acceptable level.
      However, the routine use of gloves have been shown to reduce the spread of RS
      virus effectively. This method is suggested in paediatric wards during the winter
      since it presumably will also reduce the spread of Rotavirus.

PMID- 1866811
TI  - [Atrial fibrillation--thromboembolism and prevention].
AB  - Chronic non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation is associated with a risk of
      thromboembolic complications of about 5% per year. Previous myocardial infarction
      seems to be a significant risk factor for development of thromboembolic
      complications in chronic atrial fibrillation, whereas paroxysmal atrial
      fibrillation and isolated atrial fibrillation in younger patients may be
      associated with a lower risk of emboli. Silent cerebral infarction occurs more
      often in chronic atrial fibrillation than among controls in sinus rhythm. Three
      prospective trials of patients with atrial fibrillation found effect of warfarin
      on the occurrence of thromboembolic complications. In one study aspirin 325 mg
      daily was effective in patients below 75 years of age, but not in patients above
      this age. The other trials revealed no effect of aspirin.

PMID- 1866812
TI  - [Magnesium deficiency and development of late diabetic complications].
AB  - Diabetics have a higher prevalence of recurrent angina, myocardial infarction and
      hypertension compared with healthy individuals. This is partly due to the
      metabolic control, and partly to the development of nephropathy, but inherited
      factors also seem to contribute to their development. Another factor, to some
      extent inherited, could be magnesium-deficiency. Up to 30% of all diabetics
      suffer from magnesiumdepletion, which in other disease entities has been related
      to angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and changes in blood lipids.
      Furthermore, magnesium-deficiency might be related to the development of
      hypertension. In diabetes, magnesium-depletion has been linked with the
      development of retinopathy, and an increase in abortions and malformations in
      diabetic pregnancies. No intervention trials with magnesium, to elucidate the
      question of magnesium depletion and diabetic late complications have hitherto
      been made. No methods for assessing magnesium-status in diabetes are available as
      yet, to select patients for this type of trial.

PMID- 1866813
TI  - [Minor head injuries in a Copenhagen district. 1. Epidemiology].
AB  - The records of 1,218 males and 743 females admitted to Copenhagen County Hospital
      in Glostrup between January 1 1985 and December 31 1986 were studied. The mean
      age was 28.2 years (SD = 20.3 years). The incidence rate was 360 per 100,000
      inhabitants per year and was between 30 and 130% larger for males than females (p
      less than 0.001), the incidence rate was 26% higher in this study as compared to
      the rate in Denmark as a whole. Patients between 0 and 14 years were most
      frequently admitted between noon and the early evening hours and those between 15
      and 64 years most frequently from late in the afternoon until the early night.
      The distribution was uniform throughout the week. There was a tendency towards
      more frequent admissions in the April and July trimesters. 74% of the patients
      were admitted at hours when the staff was minimal. This category comprised 4.9%
      of all patients admitted as emergencies to the hospital. The mean hospitalization
      was 1.6 days (range 1-14 days). Females were hospitalized longer than males (p
      less than 0.001). Furthermore, hospitalization was significantly longer, the
      older the patients were (p = 0.005). Patients with minor head trauma constitute a
      considerable work load in the hospital, especially outside normal working-hours.

PMID- 1866815
TI  - [Occurrence of athletic injuries among female elite athletic gymnasts].
AB  - A questionnaire investigation was undertaken among 18 female Nordic athletic
      gymnasts in the teams from their respective countries. The median occurrence of
      injury was three injuries per 1,000 hours (variation 0-7) with uniform
      distribution between acute and overexertion injuries. The percentage regional
      localization were: Upper limbs 24%, lower limbs 65% and trunk 11%. In the age
      group 18-21 years, the frequency of injury was 46% higher than that in the 14-17
      year age group and gymnasts with the greatest duration of training had relatively
      low incidence of injuries (2.7 as compared with 5.2 injuries per 1,000 hours).
      Treatment consisted of visits to the general practitioner, casualty department
      and sport specialist or other specialist comprized 16%, 13% and 16% of all the
      therapeutic contacts. 5% of the injuries involved hospitalization and 50% were
      not treated by doctors.

PMID- 1866814
TI  - [Minor head injuries in a Copenhagen district. 2. Causes, simultaneous lesions,
      alcohol and economic aspects].
AB  - In order to elucidate causes, simultaneous lesions, alcohol intoxication and
      economic aspects of admission of patients with minor head traumas, the records of
      1,961 patients admitted in 1985 and 1986 were reviewed. 35% were admitted after
      traffic accidents, 18% after assaults and 17% because of home accidents. In the
      age group 30-39 years, 40% of the males were admitted after assaults. 7%
      sustained fractures of the extremities, 4% facial fractures and 3% and 1%
      thoracic and abdominal lesions respectively. At least 28% of all patients, more
      than 50% of the patients admitted during evening- and night hours and 51% of the
      males between 14 and 65 years were clinically alcohol intoxicated. 1,876 patients
      were admitted solely for observation, nine developed an intracranial
      complication, three were operated upon and one died. The bed day expenditure was
      2.7 mill. Dkr. (pounds 225,000), and for the entire nation 64.8 mill. Dkr (pounds
      5,400,000). The costs for diagnosing one case of intracranial lesion in Denmark
      were 925.000 Dkr. (approximately pounds 80,000) and 2.1 mill. Dkr. (pounds
      180,000) to find the cases requiring treatment (1985 level).

PMID- 1866816
TI  - [Routine check-ups of patients with breast cancer. Significance of the referral
      pattern for survival after recurrence].
AB  - The clinical course of recurrent breast cancer was compared in 117 patients with
      recurrence diagnosed at routine follow-up visits and 100 patients with recurrence
      detected in the interval between two scheduled follow-up visits. The interval
      recurrences were diagnosed after self-appointments (37 cases), after referral by
      general practitioners (31 cases) or other departments (32 cases). The two groups
      of patients were comparable with respect to age, menopausal status, initial stage
      of disease, and the type of adjuvant systemic therapy. The interval group of
      patients had a longer recurrence-free interval and also more symptoms than the
      routine group. The anatomical distribution of metastases was comparable in the
      two groups. The interval group of patients had a shorter survival after
      recurrence compared to the routine group (median 16 versus 25 months, p = 0.07).
      The survival from initial diagnosis was comparable in the two groups (48 versus
      58 months, p = 0.67). Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, the influence
      of interval as compared with routine recurrences was evaluated in relationship to
      other prognostic variables (initial stage, recurrence-free interval, presence of
      visceral metastases, number of metastatic sites). In this model, the stage of
      disease, the recurrence-free interval, and presence of visceral metastases were
      the only significant independent prognostic factors.

PMID- 1866817
TI  - [Treatment of corneal abrasion].
AB  - Forty patients with corneal epithelial defects were randomized into two groups.
      Group 1 (twenty patients) were treated with chloramphenicol ointment and an eye
      patch for six hours followed by chloramphenicol eyedrops six time a day for six
      days. Group 2 (twenty patients) were treated with chloramphenicol ointment and
      double eye patches for twenty-four hours as the only treatment. The patients were
      examined the next day, and again after a week. Two patients defected in group 1
      and two patients from group 1 were excluded from the experiment because they
      failed to improve after three and four days, respectively. Five patients from
      group 2 defected. Corneal epithelial wound healing was found to be significantly
      faster in the group treated with double eye patches and the patients' subjective
      problems in this group were significantly less. (Significant with a probability
      less than 1%).

PMID- 1866818
TI  - [Itching in the external ear--a side effect of ear plugs].
AB  - The object of this investigation was to assess the frequency of itching in the
      external auditory meatus in individuals who use hearing aid ear plugs (OP) and,
      simultaneously, to assess the cause of the itching. Seventy-six of the patients
      examined consecutively in the audiological department (ages 34-89 years) were
      questioned about itching and were submitted to an objective ear, nose and throat
      examination, audiometry and culturing from the external meatus for bacterial and
      fungal growth. In 20 patients, patch tests were made for allergic reactions from
      which the ear plugs were made (heat polymerized methyl methacrylate). None of the
      20 patients had become sensitized. Itching in the external auditory meatus was
      found to be a side effect of employment of ear plugs with an incidence of 39% as
      opposed to only seven in ears without ear plugs (p less than 0.05). The incidence
      of itching was not reduced in ears with a ventilation channel in the ear plug. In
      38% of the itching ears no objective changes were observed and, in the remaining
      cases, the changes were frequently limited. Potentially pathological bacterial
      growth was found to be significantly more in ears with ear plugs (1- greater than
      16%, p less than 0.05) and in itching ears (4- greater than 24%, p less than
      0.05). In ears with potentially pathogenic bacteria, objective changes were
      nearly always found. In the vast majority of cases, the potentially pathogenic
      bacteria were Gram-negative, corresponding to the findings in external otitis in
      the tropics and mixed infections with fungi were frequently present.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1866819
TI  - [Pericarditis with pericardial tumor-like manifestations in echocardiographic and
      magnetic resonance examinations].
AB  - A case of acute cardiac insufficiency in a 26 year old woman is described.
      Ultrasound examination of the pericardium was suspect for an pericardial tumor
      with pericardial effusion and solid masses of tumor in the fluid. Magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) gave the impression of tumor in the pericardium.
      Pericardiocentesis showed neither malignant cells nor growth of microorganisms.
      The patient recovered completely on steroid therapy and control MRI showed
      anatomic normalisation of the cardiac region. It is concluded that idiopatic
      peracarditis can mimic pericardial tumor on ultrasound and MRI investigation.

PMID- 1866821
TI  - [A proposal on the structuring of thyroid surgery and patient examination in
      Denmark].

PMID- 1866820
TI  - [Factitious disorder--an iatrogenic disease?].
AB  - The case of a woman aged 31 years with numerous contacts with the health care
      system is reported. The patient presented an extremely varied pattern of
      complaints with pain as one of the most frequently recurring reasons for
      admission. During the past 12 to 13 years, the patient was admitted to inpatient
      units on numerous occasions and was submitted to numerous examinations, most of
      which revealed normal findings. This article lists a number of possible
      background causes which might permit a career like this to develop. Measures for
      prevention of similar "case-stories" in future are discussed.

PMID- 1866822
TI  - [Iron status and iron supplementation].

PMID- 1866823
TI  - [Education in gynecologic and obstetric ultrasound diagnostics].

PMID- 1866824
TI  - [Generic prescription].
AB  - On the basis of increased interest by the Danish public, not only popularly but
      also professionally, for generic prescription, a review of the subject is
      presented. In USA, in particular, pronounced opposition to generic prescription
      exists from the medical profession and from the drug industry. It is considered
      that the incitement to develop an original product is weakened. It is feared that
      marketed "synonymous" product are not always synonymous. Investigation have been
      carried out to show that generic prescription can function to the satisfaction of
      everyone and parcticularly the consumers' satisfaction (up to 83% of the patients
      express satisfaction with arrangement in a Danish investigation). In addition,
      the system results in an immediate saving (approximately 7%), if it functions.
      However, at its best, the system functions in only half of the cases in the
      majority of places, in USA most frequently only in 10% and in England in 36%. The
      professional groups constitute the greatest obstacle. Doctors, in particular,
      show great doubts about the advisability of the system. If the system is to
      function at all, pharmacologists and doctors must be motivated to employ the
      system correctly. Education is necessary in order to avoid generic prescription
      involving considerable unpaid extra work for the pharmacist and the doctor. It is
      essential that the Danish Board of Health can guarantee that synonymous
      preparations on the market are, in fact, synonymous. Finally, decisions about the
      extent to which synonymous preparations may be dispensed must lie in the hands of
      the prescribing doctor who is responsible for the prescription.

PMID- 1866825
TI  - [Generic prescription/substitution. A 6-month project in a general practice
      concerning prescription of synonymous preparations].
AB  - During a period of six months, two general practitioners with a total of
      approximately 2,800 Danish National Health Service patients investigated the
      advantages and disadvantages of generic prescription. Only preparations from
      Group C (heart and vascular disease) and Group M (bones, joints and muscles) were
      included. A total of 1,421 prescriptions were issued and synonym preparations
      were issued for 280 of these. A total of 135 out of 140 possible patients
      received synonym preparations and 98 (72.6%) out of 135 possible patients replied
      to a questionnaire sent to them. Out of these 82 (83.7%) were so satisfied with
      the arrangement that they considered that it should continue. Out of the total of
      1,421 prescribed preparations, the savings involved were 6.4% from the Danish
      National Health Insurance, 4.5% for the communities and 8.4% for the patients.
      This corresponds to a total saving for Groups M and C of 18,628 Danish crowns
      (approximately 1,555 pounds) out of the original sum of 278,296 Danish crowns
      (approximately 23,200 pounds) which corresponds to 6.7%. In Denmark, Groups M and
      C constitute approximately 25% of all the prescriptions issued. More extensive
      investigations are recommended to illustrate this subject and before any definite
      conclusion are drawn.

PMID- 1866826
TI  - [Schonlein-Henoch syndrome].
AB  - Schonlein-Henoch's syndrome is particularly seen between the ages of two and
      eight years and is twice as frequent in boys as in girls. In up to 80%, symptoms
      in the form of skin rash, arthritis and abdominalia are observed. The
      pathognomonic symptom is the skin lesion which most often is confined to the
      region below the waist and is the first symptom in more than 50%. Incorrect
      diagnosis particularly of abdominal symptoms may result in unnecessary
      laparotomy. The etiology and pathogenesis are not yet completely elucidated but
      it is believed that SHS is caused by an IgA-mediated immune response to a variety
      of foreign antigens. The treatment and the prophylaxis, particularly concerning
      the nephropathy, of SHS is still very deficient today. Depending on the nature
      and the degree of difficulty the treatment is: salicylates, NSAID, prednisone,
      cytotoxica, plasmapheresis, substitution with factor 13-concentrate and, in
      terminal renal failure, allotransplantation renis. The course and the prognosis
      is usually good in cases without nephropathy. In mild cases, the disease lasts a
      few days, in more serious cases 4-6 weeks with subsequent exacerbations and
      remissions. Patients who have had SHS-nephritis ought to be followed for at least
      five years with an annual examination of the blood pressure and urine test for
      protein and blood. SHS ought to be considered as differential diagnosis in acute
      cases of abdominal pains, arthralgia, hematuria and CNS-symptoms even if the
      characteristic skin symptoms are missing.

PMID- 1866827
TI  - [Surfactant to premature neonates].
AB  - Surfactant is a lipoprotein complex which reduces alveolar surface tension, thus
      reducing the work of respiration. Defective secretion of surfactant in the
      premature newborn infant gives rise to the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
      Several surfactant preparations, natural (purified) and synthetic, have been
      evolved. They have been used for prophylaxis and also therapy. Several controlled
      studies have shown decreased mortality, while the effect on neonatal
      complications and late results are still uncertain.

PMID- 1866828
TI  - [Morbidity among mothers and infants after ambulatory deliveries].
AB  - Postpartum early discharge programs are reviewed. Few programs were mandatory and
      both primi- and multiparae were included. Discharge varied from two to 72 hours
      after delivery. Nearly all programs had prenatal preparation and all patients had
      postpartum follow-up at home. Approximately one per cent of the infants were
      readmitted mostly on account of hyperbilirubinemia and infections, and half as
      many mothers were readmitted mostly for hemorrhage and endometritis. Infants
      discharged very early were readmitted more frequently than others. There were no
      statistical significant difference in mortality or morbidity between mothers or
      infants in early discharge groups and control groups.

PMID- 1866829
TI  - [Coagulation disorders in traumatic brain injuries].
AB  - Exposure of subendothelial collagen and release of tissue thromboplastin render
      possible activation of both the internal and external coagulation cascades in
      traumatic lesions of the brain. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is
      well described in brain lesions and may contribute to the haemorrhagic tendency
      in brain-injured patients. DIC is also suggested as a contributory factor for the
      degree of secondary brain damage and the development of pulmonary complications
      and tardive intracranial haematomata. The literature concerning DIC and traumatic
      brain damage is, however, difficult to assess as many of the materials include
      multitraumatized patients and the diagnostic criteria for DIC vary. In addition,
      it is difficult to differentiate between normal physiological phenomena and
      genuine pathological processes. No controlled and randomized investigations
      concerning the effects of specific antithrombotic treatment of DIC in traumatic
      lesions of the brain are available. It is recommended that patients with brain
      injuries should be examined for the development of disturbances of coagulation
      and that the relevant laboratory investigations should be included in assessment
      of this patient group.

PMID- 1866830
TI  - [Diabetes screening among women who gave birth to heavy infants. The result of
      128 glucose tolerance tests during puerperium in women who gave birth to infants
      weighing 4,500 gram or more, and establishing the screening procedures in Danish
      maternity clinics].
AB  - Experience gained from glucose tolerance tests during the puerperium carried out
      during a period of two years on 129 non-diabetic mothers who had given birth to
      infants with birth weights of over 4,500 g is presented. Out of 128 completed
      investigations, only one new case of diabetes was diagnosed. Seven glucose
      tolerance tests revealed intolerance and six of these were normal on control. No
      fasting blood sugar levels were over 6.0 mmol/l. These findings correspond to the
      frequencies of reduced glucose tolerance in a previously published Danish
      article. In Denmark as a whole, approximately 60% of these women undergo glucose
      tolerance tests and further 20% are submitted to fasting blood sugar
      determinations. Glucose tolerance tests during the puerperium based on
      postprandial blood sugar measurements for two hours is not considered to be
      suitable as a screening method for diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1866831
TI  - [Consumption of milk among pregnant women and its significance for the intake of
      calcium and fats].
AB  - Out of a total of 158 pregnant women, 55 accepted participation in a dietary
      investigation for seven days with the object of assessing the consumption of milk
      by pregnant women and the significance of this for the intake of energy-providing
      dietary constituents and certain minerals. The diet in pregnant women contained
      more fat (43.2%) and the relationship between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty
      acids (P/S-relationship) (0.25) was less than that recommended. The daily dietary
      content of fibre of 20.7 g/day was lower than the recommended intake. Calcium,
      phosphate and magnesium intakes constituted 180%, 131% and 64% respectively, of
      the recommended daily intake. The average intake of milk (buttermilk, skim milk,
      low fat milk and whole milk) was 482 g/day. The calcium content of the milk
      constituted, on an average, one third of the total calcium intake. The content of
      fat and saturated fatty acids in the milk constituted 7% and 10%, respectively,
      of the total intake. Four of the pregnant women had a daily calcium consumption
      of less than the recommended intake (1,000 mg/day). The same women had the lowest
      consumption of milk and energy in the group investigated. The results suggest
      that the dietary consumption is adequate to cover the calcium requirements. Extra
      calcium supplements should only be recommended for pregnant women with limited
      consumption of milk and other milk products. Pregnant women should be advised to
      take increased quantities of magnesium and to reduce the fat intake.

PMID- 1866832
TI  - [Vaccination granuloma in the breast region--differential diagnosis].
AB  - Vaccination granulomas (VG) caused by injection of aluminum adsorbed vaccines
      have not been described previously in the breast region. We therefore present
      eight cases, all in women. None of the small tumors were diagnosed as VG before
      the operation.

PMID- 1866833
TI  - [Prognosis of patients with rectal cancer treated in a department of general
      surgery].
AB  - The results of treatment of 355 patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum
      treated during the period 1973-1982 in a department for general surgery were
      compared with the results obtained in other more specialized departments. The 5
      year survival rate, corrected for deaths from other causes than cancer of the
      rectum, was calculated retrospectively to be 35% which was comparable with
      certain departments. Some highly specialized departments had, however, better
      results. The postoperative mortality was high (14%). Highly differentiated
      tumours resulted in better prognoses than poorly differentiated tumours (p less
      than 0.001). The median age was relatively high (67 years) and relatively many of
      the patients were men (62%). Patients in whom haemorrhage was the first symptom
      had better prognoses than patients with other symptoms (p = 0.018). The prognoses
      were similar regardless of the durations of symptoms.

PMID- 1866834
TI  - [Emergency prehospitalization treatment of cardiac arrest in the municipality of
      Copenhagen].
AB  - A retrospective study was performed concerning prehospital cardiac arrest. This
      revealed that 177 consecutive patients received advanced medical resuscitation by
      an anaesthesiologist at the site of the accident during the period 01.01.1988
      31.12.1988. A total of 61 (35%) were admitted to hospital and 24 of these (14%)
      survived for more than 30 days. All 24 were discharged to their homes without
      major cerebral sequelae. After one year, 21 were still alive. Compared with the
      results of previous studies in Copenhagen, this study reveals that the overall
      survival rate may have improved and that cerebral function after cardiac arrest
      seems to have been improved by the introduction of prehospital medically staffed
      ambulances.

PMID- 1866835
TI  - [Unskilled ultrasound scanning in gynecology and obstetrics can lead to serious
      risks].
AB  - Four cases of ectopic pregnancy were incorrectly diagnosed by ultrasound
      examination as intrauterine pregnancies. The clinicians involved were biased by
      the misinterpretation and did not react to the clinical symptoms of ectopic
      pregnancy. One patient died because of intraperitoneal haemorrhage and some of
      the other patients were in serious danger. In a fifth case, a midwife examined a
      pregnant woman with a gestational age of 31 weeks and suspected twin pregnancy. A
      senior registrar with limited training in ultrasound methods performed an
      examination and found one foetus. After this examination, the patient was
      examined clinically on six occasions by midwives and obstetricians but none of
      these questioned the ultrasound diagnosis. Unfortunately, a twin pregnancy was
      present. This became apparent when the first twin was delivered and the second
      twin was in a transverse lie and delivery by Caesarean section was required. The
      second twin has since developed spastic palsy. These case reports illustrate that
      young doctors require improved training in ultrasonic diagnostic methods. In
      addition, clinicians should not rely too much on the results of ultrasound
      examinations but should also employ their clinical judgement.

PMID- 1866837
TI  - [Surgical treatment of lung cancer in Denmark].

PMID- 1866836
TI  - [Explosion accidents during work with tires and wheel rims].
AB  - The object of this work is to draw attention to injuries resulting from
      explosions caused by work with wheel rims and tyres, the extent of the problem
      and the safety rules which already exist. Seven illustrative cases are presented.
      A not inconsiderable but frequently disregarded risk for accidental explosions is
      present in connection with pumping tyres and repairs of tyres and wheel rims.
      During the explosions, pressure waves of enormous violence may frequently be
      released. In connection with four accidental explosions of this type, a total of
      seven persons were injured. Four of these sustained life-threatening injuries. On
      the basis of the serious accidents, the authors consider it important to draw
      attention to the fact that the rules, which exist already and which are aimed
      primarily at avoiding and possibly limiting the extent of the violent explosive
      energy, should be brought to the notice of all who work with tyres and wheel
      rims.

PMID- 1866838
TI  - [Risk of silicosis caused by building site dust].

PMID- 1866839
TI  - Spot-scan imaging of microcrystals of an influenza neuraminidase-antibody
      fragment complex.
AB  - Electron micrographs of two-dimensional microcrystals of a complex of an avian
      influenza virus neuraminidase and an antibody Fab fragment, termed 32/3, have
      been recorded using the spot-scan method of imaging. The crystals have a large
      unit cell (159.5 A x 159.5 A x 130.5 A) and a high solvent content (approximately
      71% by volume) and are a challenging specimen for testing the spot-scan
      methodology. Crystalline order was preserved to beyond 4 A resolution as
      demonstrated by electron diffraction, using an embedding medium of a mixture of
      glucose and neutral potassium phosphotungstate. Using a Philips C400 computer
      control system interfaced to an EM420 electron microscope, and with the inclusion
      of additional software in the system, we have been able to record micrographs at
      low temperature with a relatively narrow (1500 A diameter) moving beam. There is
      evidence that the use of such a spot-scan beam reduces the effects of beam
      induced specimen motion on the quality of micrographs. Conventional low-dose
      "flood-beam" images showed good isotropic optical diffraction in only 15% of
      cases whereas 30% of spot-scan images showed good diffraction. The best flood
      beam images gave phases to only 15 A resolution after computer processing,
      whereas the best spot-scan images gave phases to 7 A resolution. Electron
      diffraction patterns were also recorded at low temperature, and the resulting
      diffraction amplitudes combined with phases from spot-scan images to yield a
      projection map of the structure. A 7 A resolution projection map of the complex
      is presented, and is compared with the projection map of the same avian influenza
      neuraminidase complexed with a different monoclonal Fab fragment, NC41, which has
      been solved to high resolution by X-ray diffraction.

PMID- 1866840
TI  - [Medical marketing in the media].
AB  - The mass-media monopolize an important part of the lay public attention and
      intellectual energy and yet physicians do not seem very convinced that they must
      implicate themselves socially and participate in the education of the general
      public. Two reasons explain the lack of physicians' participation in the media.
      These are: the lack of interest and the lack of experience. Yet more and more
      studies underline the importance for health professionals to make more use of the
      mass-media in educating, supporting and informing the population on all aspects
      related to health matters. Thus the medical profession must collaborate more
      closely with the mass-media. Accordingly, physicians must jump at the opportunity
      to make every positive action known to the population instead of showing off in
      the media only their corporative or financial interests. They must also intervene
      each time that matters related to either health or illness are criticized or
      denounced in the media. As long as the medical profession is not conscious of the
      importance of judicious use of the media and of assuring its professional and
      social credibility, surveys will continue to put physicians in the public eye
      primarily on an individual basis and only in the last instance as a group.

PMID- 1866841
TI  - [Transitory loss of memory in middle-aged women: distinguishing between
      functional and organic disorders. An interview with Dr. Gilbert Fournier].

PMID- 1866843
TI  - [Shortage: the heart of the question. An interview with Dr. Denis Hamel,
      president of the Association of Cardiologists of Quebec].

PMID- 1866842
TI  - [Lyme Borreliosis: should we prepare for an epidemic?].
AB  - Lyme Borreliosis results from the persistent infection with a spirochete,
      Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. The
      geographic distribution of these ticks depends on specific climatic and ecologic
      conditions. Lyme borreliosis is a disease with protean manifestations whose
      distribution is world-wide. In North America, the disease usually begins between
      May and August with a characteristic rash, erythema chronicum migrans,
      accompanied by non specific or meningitis-like symptoms. Weeks or months after
      the rash, the patient may develop transient cardiac, neurologic or musculo
      skeletal manifestations, and usually more than a year later, some patients have
      chronic skin, joint, or neurologic manifestations. Antibody titers rise after
      four to eight weeks in most patients that did not receive antibiotics, and
      serologic testing then represents the most useful aid in diagnosis. Due to large
      numbers of false positives, serologic testing should be limited to those patients
      with strong clinical or epidemiological evidence of the disease. Treatment with
      appropriate antibiotics, and for adequate time, is usually curative but in later
      stages patients may need to be retreated and some may not respond.

PMID- 1866845
TI  - [Antithrombotic agents and coronary disease].

PMID- 1866844
TI  - [Role of hyperlipidemia and its treatment].

PMID- 1866847
TI  - [Heart rhythms: indications of electrophysiological studies and studies of
      delayed potentials].

PMID- 1866846
TI  - [Intervention cardiology and coronary dilatation].

PMID- 1866848
TI  - [Structure and composition of LDL in pathological obesity and diabetes].

PMID- 1866849
TI  - [Case report. A 35 year-old-man admitted for fever and diarrhea].

PMID- 1866850
TI  - Renal cell carcinoma in young and old patients. Comparison of prognostic
      pathologic variables (cell type, tumor grade and stage, and DNA ploidy pattern)
      and their impact on disease outcome.
AB  - A group of 41 young patients (age less than or equal to 40 years; mean, 35.7
      years) and a group of 34 old patients (age greater than or equal to 80 years;
      mean, 82.4 years) who underwent operation for renal cell carcinoma between 1970
      and 1986 were compared. Sex, grade, and DNA ploidy pattern distributions were
      similar between the groups. Granular cell and papillary cancers with lower stages
      at presentation were more common among the young. In patients with high-stage
      disease, 73 percent of the older group but none of the younger had DNA diploid
      tumors. Low-stage clear cell carcinoma caused cancer death only in the young.
      Stage I nondiploid clear cell carcinomas were associated with death (33%) only in
      the young. Overall, death rates seem similar for both groups but among the young
      most (63%) occurred with low-stage disease and a nondiploid pattern only; among
      the old, 88 percent occurred with high-stage disease and independent of DNA
      ploidy pattern.

PMID- 1866851
TI  - Comprehensive evaluation and treatment of 75 men referred to chronic prostatitis
      clinic.
AB  - We investigated the role of genitourinary tract infections, structural and
      psychologic abnormalities in 75 men referred to a "chronic prostatitis" clinic.
      Patients had had symptoms for an average of eighty-three months and had received
      an average of ten weeks of antimicrobial treatment during the three months prior
      to evaluation. Specific infectious diseases, structural or functional causes were
      identified in 34 (45%) of the 75 patients. Genitourinary tract pathogens were
      isolated from 26 patients and inflammation was documented in urethral or
      prostatic secretions of 24 patients. Structural or functional abnormalities that
      merited treatment were identified in 8 cases. In addition, major criteria for
      depression were documented in 9 of 17 patients who agreed to this evaluation.
      Overall, a comprehensive approach to diagnosis led to specific treatment for 37
      (49%) of the 75 men with chronic prostatitis, despite longstanding symptoms and
      failure of multiple prior courses of therapy.

PMID- 1866853
TI  - Effects of prostatectomy on sexual function.
AB  - We evaluated the effects of prostatectomy on sexual function in 210 patients,
      49.6 percent of whom underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP),
      and the remainder had suprapubic transvesical prostatectomy (SPP). Pre- and
      postoperative interviews with detailed questionnaires were utilized.
      Postoperative sexual dysfunction was reported by 18 of 152 patients (11.8%) who
      were functioning normally prior to surgery. The incidence of postoperative
      impotence was evenly distributed between the TURP and SPP groups and was age
      related; it was highest among older patients. We further observed a strong
      correlation between the presence of a permanent sexual partner and the
      preservation of potency. We conclude that the risk of postoperative impotence is
      dependent on both the patient's age and the presence of a partner, and should be
      discussed with the patient preoperatively.

PMID- 1866852
TI  - Prostate balloon dilatation monitored by transrectal ultrasound.
AB  - Transrectal prostate ultrasound is helpful as an adjunct in monitoring prostate
      balloon dilatation using the ASI system. This is a review of the important
      features of this technique.

PMID- 1866854
TI  - Mechanical complications associated with mentor inflatable penile prosthesis.
AB  - The Mentor inflatable penile prosthesis was developed in an attempt to decrease
      the mechanical failure rate of the various prostheses' components. We herein
      report on the reliability of the device in 46 men implanted with the Mentor
      device from December 1982 to June 1987. Prior to manufacturer device modification
      in 1985, mechanical failure mainly attributable to input tubing cracks occurred
      in 10 of 30 implantations. Since device improvement in April 1985, the mechanical
      failure rate has decreased to 4 percent. The Mentor inflatable penile prosthesis
      has been a mechanically reliable device since design improvement in 1985.

PMID- 1866855
TI  - Identifying risk factors in development of clinically significant post-shock-wave
      lithotripsy subcapsular hematomas.
AB  - A retrospective study of 1,012 shock-wave lithotripsy treatments was performed to
      identify and analyze the risk factors for the development of six clinically
      significant post-extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) subcapsular
      hematomas. The patients studied had clinical signs and symptoms that on
      evaluation were confirmed as originating from a subcapsular hematoma. Common
      factors identified which we believe may put patients at increased risk for the
      development of subcapsular hematoma included hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
      coronary artery disease, and obesity.

PMID- 1866857
TI  - Correlation of radionuclide urodynamometric and clinical data in 20 men with
      urinary symptoms.
AB  - Radionuclide uroflowmetry was performed in 20 patients. These data were
      correlated with other urologic data, the treatment decision, and the patient's
      clinical status five to twelve months after testing. In 19 patients the follow-up
      period confirmed the expectations of the therapeutic plan. We conclude that the
      radionuclide uroflowmetry technique provides the urologist with objective data
      which can assist in the decision to perform surgery.

PMID- 1866856
TI  - Relationship between use of diuretics and continence status in the elderly.
AB  - Although diuretics have been implicated as a cause of urinary incontinence, no
      evidence has been presented prior to this report to confirm such a relationship.
      Our epidemiologic survey of 1,956 respondents sixty years of age and older in
      Washtenaw County, Michigan, revealed 24.6 percent of men and 36.9 percent of
      women were current users of a diuretic medication. Comparisons between users and
      non-users of diuretics and continence and incontinence status revealed no
      significant difference in the prevalence of incontinence in either gender.
      However, when male respondents who had cystometric examinations were analyzed, it
      was found that diuretic users who have uninhibited detrusor contractions (UDC)
      had a significantly higher prevalence of urinary incontinence (85.7%) when
      compared with non-users with UDC (25%) (p = 0.009). Among men who did not have
      UDC, use or non-use of diuretics showed a similar relationship but did not reach
      statistical significance (p = 0.085). There were too few female respondents with
      UDC to make meaningful analysis in this group.

PMID- 1866858
TI  - Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy: capital investment decision.

PMID- 1866859
TI  - ESWL treatment with ventral shock-wave application: therapy of iliac and distal
      ureteral calculi.
AB  - Because of the interposition of bony structures, extracorporeal shock-wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL) of middle or iliac ureteral calculi is not feasible in the
      conventional supine position. By a slight modification of the patient's couch
      allowing the prone positioning of the patient, 22 patients with calculi covered
      by bony structures were thus treated. The success rate of 95 percent without
      complications is promising and renders ESWL therapy as an alternative to
      ureteroscopic extraction of mid and iliac ureteral calculi.

PMID- 1866860
TI  - Posterior urethral valves presenting as venous obstruction.
AB  - A patient with posterior urethral valves presented with unilateral lower leg
      ecchymosis and edema. He initially had significant renal function impairment. The
      ecchymosis and edema resolved after appropriate therapy, and his renal function
      returned to normal.

PMID- 1866861
TI  - Recombinant alpha interferon in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. A cooperative
      phase II study.
AB  - A total of 61 evaluable patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma have been
      treated with 3 x 10(6) IU per square meter of body surface with recombinant alpha
      2b interferon three times a week within a Cooperative Phase II Study. Toxic death
      for terminal renal failure occurred in 1 patient (1.63%), and toxicities greater
      than WHO grade 2 were present in 10 cases (16%). The overall response rate after
      six months of treatment was 13.1% (partial response 4, minor response 4). Two
      complete responses were obtained at nine and fifteen months (3.3%). Long-lasting
      stabilization of disease was 13.1 percent.

PMID- 1866862
TI  - Birch-Miller electrotest needle: aid to local anesthetic endoscopic surgery.

PMID- 1866863
TI  - Self-retaining follower for urethral strictures.

PMID- 1866864
TI  - Perirenal lipoma versus renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Pure renal and perirenal lipomas are rare. They arise from renal cortex, capsule,
      or perirenal tissue, and may be difficult to distinguish from renal
      adenocarcinomas. We report on a patient who presented with a renal mass that had
      the radiologic findings suggestive of a renal cell carcinoma, but proved to be a
      simple lipoma.

PMID- 1866865
TI  - Squamous metaplasia in hormonally treated prostatic cancer. Significance during
      follow-up.
AB  - A prospective study of 59 hormonally treated prostatic cancer cases was
      undertaken during follow-up with sequential transrectal palpation and fine-needle
      aspiration. At initiation of therapy patients' ages ranged from forty-eight to
      eighty-two years (median, 68 years). The usual follow-up interval was 6 +/- 3
      months, and follow-up periods ranged from six months to one hundred twenty months
      (median 48 months). The cytologic findings were categorized under four cytologic
      response types and palpation findings under five response grades. Four different
      degrees of squamous metaplasia (1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) were observed in smears,
      depending on semiquantitative determination of squamous metaplastic cells in
      relation to the total amount of benign and malignant epithelial cells in the
      smear. There were 341 follow-up observations in which both transrectal fine
      needle aspiration cytology and palpation were done. In 306 of these, cytologic
      findings were found to be adequate. Comparison of squamous metaplasia with
      cytologic response types revealed a highly significant difference between the
      benign state and recurrence/frank malignancy. This was also true when frequency
      of squamous metaplasia was compared with palpatory response grades. It was found
      that squamous metaplasia can be a valuable adjunct to other cytomorphologic
      changes such as shrinkage of tumor cell size and decrease in size of nucleoli or
      its disappearance, in determining response to hormonal therapy.

PMID- 1866866
TI  - Paraganglioma of urethra.
AB  - Paraganglioma of the urethra is a rare tumor; only 4 cases have been reported
      previously. We report a fifth case of urethral paraganglioma and review the
      literature.

PMID- 1866867
TI  - Extravaginal torsion of spermatic cord in adult.
AB  - A twenty-six-year-old man with no history of testicular trauma presented with
      both extra- and intravaginal torsion of the spermatic cord. This phenomenon is
      extremely rare in the adult, having been reported only twice before.

PMID- 1866868
TI  - Intrarenal pancreatic cyst.
AB  - A case report of intrarenal true cyst of the pancreas is presented. The patient
      presented with flank pain. Her diabetes and hypertension were well-controlled.
      The cause of the pain was presumed to be a cystic renal mass, which proved to be
      of pancreatic origin only after the pathologic confirmation from the nephrectomy
      specimen.

PMID- 1866869
TI  - Ciprofloxacin versus gentamicin in prophylaxis against bacteremia in transrectal
      prostate needle biopsy.
AB  - Consecutive patients with abnormal rectal examinations underwent transrectal
      needle prostate biopsy at VA Medical Center, New Orleans. Each patient was
      randomized to receive either gentamicin 1.5 mg/kg intravenously (IV) or 500 mg
      ciprofloxacin (Cipro-Miles) p.o., before and after the biopsy. Serum and prostate
      tissue levels of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin were measured by high-pressure
      liquid chromatography and by competitive binding immunoassay, respectively. Blood
      cultures were obtained, and the patients were observed for twenty-four hours
      after biopsy. After discharge the patients were followed up by telephone. The
      incidence of bacteremia and postbiopsy symptoms were less with ciprofloxacin.
      Prostate tissue levels of this drug were higher than gentamicin, while serum
      levels were roughly equivalent. Ciprofloxacin is less nephrotoxic, can be given
      orally, and has a better antimicrobial spectrum. We, therefore, recommend it as
      prophylaxis against bacteremia in transrectal prostate needle biopsy.
      Furthermore, it appears that prostatic drug levels are more important than serum
      levels in preventing bacteremia.

PMID- 1866870
TI  - Effect of radiation combined with hyperthermia on human prostatic carcinoma cell
      lines in culture.
AB  - The effect of radiation combined with heat on three human prostatic carcinoma
      cell lines growing in vitro was investigated. Cells were exposed to different
      radiation doses followed by heat treatment at 43 degrees C for one hour. Heat
      treatment, given ten minutes after radiation, significantly enhanced the
      radiation response of all the cell lines studied. The combined effect of
      radiation and heat produced greater cytotoxicity than predicted from the additive
      effects of the two individual treatment modalities alone. These results indicate
      that a combined treatment regimen of radiation plus hyperthermia (43 degrees, 1
      hr) might be an important tool in maintaining a better local control of prostatic
      cancer.

PMID- 1866871
TI  - Hormonally refractory prostate cancer.

PMID- 1866872
TI  - Absent communication between cavernous bodies: a real possibility.

PMID- 1866874
TI  - International disease surveillance. Quarterly report January to March 1991.

PMID- 1866875
TI  - B-mode real time ultrasonographic imaging of the testis and epididymis of sheep
      and goats.
AB  - Ten male goats and five rams were examined from 11 and 15 weeks of age,
      respectively, for six months to study the ultrasonic appearance of normal testes
      and epididymides before and after puberty. Five adult rams with lesions of these
      organs were also examined. A portable, B-mode, real time scanner fitted with a
      7.5 MHz, linear array transducer was used. The testis appeared as a homogeneous
      and moderately echogenic structure with a centrally located mediastinum testis
      represented by an hyperechogenic line in images taken in the longitudinal plane
      and by an almost circular spot in transverse images. The testicular capsule and
      skin were evident as a distinct hyperechogenic line encircling the testicular
      parenchyma. A thin non-echogenic layer of fluid, presumably between two layers of
      tunica vaginalis, was observed. The tail of the epididymis was more heterogeneous
      and less echogenic than the testis. The epididymal head was also less echogenic
      but homogeneous in texture, and the body of the epididymis was difficult to
      image. The pampiniform plexus was easily identified as numerous convoluted
      sonolucent tubular structures. The ultrasonic images of possible cases of
      epididymitis, spermatocele, testicular cyst and abscess and scrotal hernia are
      described.

PMID- 1866873
TI  - Appendiceal abscess and urinary retention.

PMID- 1866877
TI  - 'Clearview' rapid test compared with other methods to diagnose chlamydial
      infection.

PMID- 1866876
TI  - Development of LYNX: a computer application for disease diagnosis and health
      monitoring in wild mammals, birds and reptiles.
AB  - IBM-compatible software has been developed so that quantitative and qualitative
      haematological and biochemical reference data for over 500 species of mammals,
      birds and reptiles can be made readily accessible to veterinary surgeons. The
      LYNX software makes it possible to retrieve these data at different taxonomic
      levels (species, genera, families, orders and classes) and to select data by age
      and sex. The data for each variable may be presented in the form of a reference
      range or as a frequency histogram. Notes describing the variations in blood cell
      morphology observed in healthy individuals of each species are included in the
      database. The user's own haematological and biochemical data can also be entered,
      stored and used.

PMID- 1866878
TI  - Closure of veterinary investigation centres.

PMID- 1866879
TI  - Companion animal medicines and EC legislation.

PMID- 1866880
TI  - Identification of subclinical mastitis with a hand-held electrical conductivity
      meter.
AB  - A hand-held, commercially available instrument for measuring the electrical
      conductivity of milk (the Milk Checker) has been examined for its usefulness and
      accuracy in detecting subclinical and clinical mastitis. Foremilk from uninfected
      quarters had an electrical conductivity of 5.4 to 5.6 millisiemens (mS)/cm. Milk
      from cows with subclinical Staphylococcus aureus infections had a higher milk
      conductivity (7.1 to 7.5 mS/cm) but milk from cows with subclinical S uberis
      infections showed no increase in conductivity (5.3 to 5.6 mS/cm). However,
      experimental S uberis infections could be detected by a 50 per cent increase in
      the electrical conductivity of foremilk two milkings before visible signs of
      mastitis were apparent. The equipment could be a useful advisory/veterinary tool
      but is unlikely to be used routinely in the milking parlour.

PMID- 1866881
TI  - Head trauma in two horses.
AB  - The initial clinical signs displayed by two horses with head trauma are described
      and related to the pathology and management of the condition, to illustrate the
      diversity of signs that may result from similar events. It is suggested that
      careful repeated neurological investigations are more reliable prognostic
      indicators in cases of equine head trauma than a reliance on the initial
      assessment.

PMID- 1866882
TI  - Premature expulsion of the placenta and bovine perinatal mortality.
AB  - In one study two cases of premature expulsion of the placenta were recorded among
      60 supervised calvings (3.3 per cent); both calves died. In a second study, 47
      cases were recorded among 332 cases of perinatal mortality (14.2 per cent). The
      condition was associated with fetal malpresentation and malposture, and mortality
      either before or during parturition. There was no significant relationship
      between the occurrence of premature expulsion of the placenta and parity, calving
      difficulty, previous calving history or the sex of the calf. The condition in
      cattle is compared with placenta praevia in women.

PMID- 1866883
TI  - Canine dysautonomia: a case report.

PMID- 1866885
TI  - Control of fighting dogs.

PMID- 1866884
TI  - Serum fructosamine in ovine pregnancy toxaemia: a possible prognostic index.

PMID- 1866886
TI  - Use of animals in research.

PMID- 1866887
TI  - Euthanasia of chickens.

PMID- 1866888
TI  - Feline spongiform encephalopathy.

PMID- 1866890
TI  - Vets, cats and pain.

PMID- 1866889
TI  - Unilateral inguinal scrotal hernia in a castrated dog.

PMID- 1866891
TI  - Antibodies to iron-regulated outer membrane proteins of coliform bacteria
      isolated from bovine intramammary infections.
AB  - Expression of iron-regulated outer membrane proteins (OMP) by Escherichia coli
      and Klebsiella pneumoniae initially isolated from bovine intramammary infections
      (IMI) was investigated. Additionally, the presence of antibodies in bovine serum
      and mammary secretion directed against the iron-regulated OMP was examined. Outer
      membrane proteins were separated by sodium-dodecyl polyacrylamide
      electrophoresis. Detection of immunoglobulin G directed against OMP was by
      immunoblotting. All Gram-negative bacteria expressed iron-regulated OMP when
      grown in skim milk or trypticase soy broth plus iron chelator, alpha-alpha'
      dipyridyl. Immunoglobulin G directed against the iron-regulated OMP, as well as
      the major OMP and several other proteins, was detected in serum and milk of
      lactating cows with or without Gram-negative bacterial IMI. Antibody against the
      iron-regulated OMP was detected also in colostrum, secretion from the involuted
      gland, and in newborn calf serum 4 days after ingesting colostrum.

PMID- 1866892
TI  - In vitro effects of prepartum concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta on cell
      mediated immunity and phagocytosis by porcine leukocytes.
AB  - The in vitro effect of oestradiol-17 beta (Oe2) on cell-mediated immunity (CMI)
      and phagocytosis by leukocytes obtained from ten and eight sows, respectively,
      was studied. The concentrations of Oe2 used were 300 pmol/l and 3000 pmol/l, to
      reflect a low and a high prepartum concentration of the hormone. The CMI was
      measured by lymphocyte proliferation (LP) tests performed on whole blood and
      purified mononuclear cells (MNC) and by estimation of the production of
      interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the latter type of culture. In the whole blood LP test,
      the mitotic response to concanavalin A (Con A) was increased by 29% (P less than
      or equal to 0.05) when the Oe2 concentration was 300 pmol/l. The higher
      concentration of Oe2 (3000 pmol/l) increased the amount of IL-2 in supernatants
      from Con A-stimulated MNC by 17% (P less than or equal to 0.05). The phagocytic
      function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes was determined in a chemiluminescence
      assay. In this assay, the maximal rate of phagocytosis was reduced by 12% (P less
      than or equal to 0.01) and the area under the curve by 10% (P less than or equal
      to 0.05) at an Oe2 concentration of 3000 pmol/l. The results show that prepartum
      concentrations of Oe2 can promote CMI in vitro, but weaken phagocytosis by
      porcine leukocytes.

PMID- 1866893
TI  - Pasteurella haemolytica A1 purified capsular polysaccharide does not stimulate
      interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor release by bovine monocytes and alveolar
      macrophages.
AB  - Purified capsular polysaccharide (CPS) stimulated significant release of
      interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity from bovine blood monocytes but not alveolar
      macrophages in vitro. The ability of CPS to induce IL-1 release was resistant to
      boiling and inhibited by the addition of polymyxin beta. Thus, it is likely that
      the IL-1 release stimulated by CPS resulted from the small amount of
      contaminating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that was present (an estimated 5 pg LPS
      per microgram CPS) rather than to a direct effect of CPS. Tumor necrosis factor
      activity was not detected in the culture supernatants of bovine monocytes
      incubated with purified CPS for 1-18 h in vitro.

PMID- 1866894
TI  - Testosterone induces lymphopenia in turtles.
AB  - Owing to the possible role of sex steroids in the immune-neuroendocrine
      interactions found in lower vertebrates, we attempted to delineate the effect of
      testosterone propionate on peripheral blood (PB) and the lymphoid organs of the
      turtle Mauremys caspica. A single intraperitoneal injection of 200 micrograms/g
      body weight produced thymic involution and intense lymphopenia in the spleen and,
      less severely, in the PB compartment. It is suggested that lymphocyte
      redistribution may occur among the various compartments of the body as the main
      effect of hormone-induced lymphocyte redistribution, although the mechanism in
      reptiles and mammals is not yet understood.

PMID- 1866896
TI  - [The clinical manifestations in karakurt spider bites].

PMID- 1866895
TI  - Abnormal cutaneous response to mitogens and a contact allergen in dogs with
      atopic dermatitis.
AB  - Antigen specific and nonspecific T-lymphocyte activity was evaluated in normal
      dogs and in dogs with atopic dermatitis by measuring the increase in skin
      thickness after application of the contact allergen dinitrochlorobenzene and
      after intradermal injection of the mitogens phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin
      A. The atopic dogs had a significantly reduced response to the contact allergen
      (P less than or equal to 0.001) but a significantly increased response to the
      mitogens (P less than or equal to 0.001). The atopic and normal dogs responded
      similarly to intradermally injected histamine. The response of dogs with non
      atopic skin conditions to the cutaneous mitogen test was like that of normal
      dogs. Pre-existing dermatitis does not apparently influence cutaneous response to
      mitogens in dogs. The cutaneous response of atopics during treatment with
      corticosteroids is not different from normal controls. These results suggest a
      role for altered cell-mediated immunity in the pathogenesis of canine atopy and
      that the cutaneous mitogen test may have value as a rapid screening test for the
      disease.

PMID- 1866897
TI  - [The Stevens-Johnson syndrome].

PMID- 1866898
TI  - [Percutaneous nephrostomy as a method for the temporary supravesical diversion of
      the urine].

PMID- 1866899
TI  - [Biliary ileus].

PMID- 1866900
TI  - [The teaching of the "Vascular Diseases of the Nervous System" unit for medical
      institute students].

PMID- 1866901
TI  - [The dispensary care of cardiology patients in a rural locality based on
      selective sampling data].

PMID- 1866902
TI  - [The therapeutic problems of the heart transplant].

PMID- 1866904
TI  - [The scientific and pedagogic activities of Academician F. G. Ianovskii].

PMID- 1866903
TI  - [The organization of epidemiological surveillance over measles in Rovno
      Province].

PMID- 1866905
TI  - [The School Chronicle of prof. V. P. Krylov--a scientific literary memorial to
      pathological anatomy].

PMID- 1866906
TI  - [The pharmacodynamics of hepatic protectors from the lady's-thistle (Silybum
      marianum)].

PMID- 1866907
TI  - [The use of helium-oxygen mixtures].

PMID- 1866908
TI  - [Oxalic acid metabolic disorder in kidney diseases].

PMID- 1866909
TI  - [Diseases of the heart muscle].

PMID- 1866910
TI  - [Erythrocyte acid resistance in the drug treatment of heart failure in patients
      with ischemic heart disease].

PMID- 1866912
TI  - [Hemosorption in the combined treatment of acute 1,2-dichloroethane poisonings].
AB  - Carbon hemosorption was carried out in 41 patients suffering of 1,2-dichlorethane
      intoxication (acute). Complex methods of therapy included also methods of
      potentiation of natural processes of detoxication, enterosorption, specific
      antidote treatment with acetylcysteine and vitamin E. Use of hemosorption
      favoured essential reduction of lethality, decrease of the number of severe
      complications (exotoxic shock, hepatopathy).

PMID- 1866911
TI  - [Dynamic anti-Proteus immunity in plasma donors during plasmapheresis].
AB  - A study is presented of homeostasis in 18 volunteer donors after immunisation
      with Proteus vaccine and in the dynamics of subsequent plasmapheresis for 12
      months. It was shown that as a result of anti-Proteus immunisation there occurs
      an increase of the titer of anti-Proteus antibodies in the blood serum which was
      maintained at a high level in the course of plasmapheresis for three months.
      Indices of the peripheral blood, urine, liver function, humoral unspecific and
      cellular immunity were within normal levels. The blood of donors immunized with
      Proteus vaccine is a source of obtaining anti-Proteus plasma--an immune
      allogenous preparation for complex treatment of patients with severe forms of
      diseases of Proteus etiology.

PMID- 1866913
TI  - [The dynamics of the arterial pressure in patients with aortic coarctation before
      and after surgery].
AB  - The arterial pressure was evaluated in 841 patients before surgery and for 3-23
      years after operative correction of coarctation of the aorta. It was established
      that the level of preoperative arterial pressure depended on the degree of
      congenital aortal stenosis and secondary changes of the cardiovascular system
      which deteriorate during the adult years. It was found that in the postoperative
      period even in the absence of aortal recoarctation a certain part of patients
      develops again the hypertensive syndrome. The number of these patients increases
      with increase of observation time. The efficacy of the operation depended on the
      age of the patient and level of hypertension by the time of surgery.

PMID- 1866914
TI  - [Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in patients with chronic inflammatory
      lung diseases].
AB  - The activity of the key enzyme of the pentoso-phosphate cycle--glucoso-6
      phosphatedehydrogenase was examined in patients with chronic inflammatory
      pulmonary diseases. Results indicate that with exacerbation of the process in the
      bronchopulmonary system there occurs an increase of the activity of the mentioned
      enzyme. Examination of the activity of this enzyme may be of value for
      optimization of treatment measures in patients with inflammatory pulmonary
      diseases.

PMID- 1866915
TI  - [The results of pneumothermometry and mucociliary clearance study in pulmonary
      tuberculosis patients].
AB  - Pneumothermometry was carried out in 136 patients with different forms of
      pulmonary tuberculosis. It was found that the temperature of the alveolar air in
      pulmonary tuberculosis patients depended on the character of the specific process
      on a lesser degree than on the spread of the process. The temperature of the
      exhaled alveolar air was most reduced in patients suffering of spread pulmonary
      tuberculosis with marked fibrosis of the pulmonary tissue. Disorders of the
      drainage function of the bronchi reflected mostly the character of the specific
      lesion of the pulmonary tissue and was most pronounced in patients with fibrous
      cavernous cirrhotic tuberculosis.

PMID- 1866916
TI  - [The validation of the use of thymic preparations in tuberculous infection by
      experimental data].

PMID- 1866917
TI  - [The status of general and local humoral immunity in patients with peptic ulcer
      and chronic gastroduodenitis].
AB  - The content of secretory immunoglobulins A and serum immunoglobulins A, M, G, D
      in the blood serum and biological. fluids (saliva, gastric juice and duodenal
      contents) was examined in 108 patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer and in 68
      patients with chronic gastroduodenitis. The obtained data evidence tense states
      of the general and local humoral immunity in all patients with gastric and
      duodenal ulcer and chronic gastroduodenitis. Monotypical changes in patients with
      diseases of the gastroduodenal zone, apparently, reflect the participation of the
      immunological component of the ulcerogenic situation already at the stage of
      preulcer condition.

PMID- 1866918
TI  - [The effect of hypnotic suggestion and millimeter-range electromagnetic radiation
      on the clinical and endoscopic indices in peptic ulcer patients].
AB  - The authors studied the effect of microwave resonance therapy, hypnosuggestion
      and their combinations on the dynamics of clinico-endoscopic indices in 182
      patients with duodenal ulcer. It was established that these methods were highly
      effective allowing to control rapidly the pain syndrome, to achieve complete
      healing of the ulcer in 70-95% of cases within 14.8-16.7 days. The results were
      best when the two methods were combined.

PMID- 1866919
TI  - [Gastric and duodenal functions in patients who have undergone cholecystectomy].
AB  - The authors examined 105 patients with postcholecystectomy syndrome. It was
      established that with increase of time following cholecystectomy manifestations
      of chronic duodenal obstruction show an advance. This results in an increase of
      the incidence of patients with gastroduodenal reflux and reduced acid-forming
      function of the stomach.

PMID- 1866920
TI  - [The level of beta-endorphins in patients with chronic active hepatitis].

PMID- 1866921
TI  - [The characteristics of the clinical course of hereditary hemochromatosis].
AB  - The authors describe 32 patients with hemochromatosis observed from 1965 through
      1990 (28 men and 4 women). The diagnostic role of serum iron determination and
      liver biopsy is emphasized. The therapeutic results of bloodletting (500 ml
      weekly for several years) dyspheral (1-1.2 g intramuscularly daily for 1-2 years
      and longer). This treatment did not essentially influence the course of diabetes
      mellitus, liver cirrhosis as well as the articular and endocrine syndromes. The
      clinical effect of this treatment lasted for 6-8 years.

PMID- 1866922
TI  - [The fibrinolysis system in diabetic glomerulosclerosis].
AB  - It was found that patients with diabetic glomerulosclerosis showed an increased
      intensity of blood coagulation as well as essential diverse changes in the system
      of fibrinolysis. These changes were more pronounced in patients suffering of
      diabetes mellitus than in the diabetic patients without glomerulosclerosis. It is
      recommended to introduce into clinical practice the Lejen method with the purpose
      of determining indications to heparin therapy and dynamic control of patients
      during treatment with anticoagulants.

PMID- 1866923
TI  - [Birefringent fat bodies in the urine of patients with primary and secondary
      glomerulonephritis].
AB  - Results are presented of an investigation of birefracting fatty bodies in the
      urine of patients with primary chronic lupoid and Henoch glomerulonephritis.
      There was a close correlation between the presence of birefracting fatty bodies
      and severity of glomerulonephritis independent of the morphological picture of
      the disease and state of renal function. Reduction of the activity of the disease
      in the course of pathogenetic treatment characterized by a decrease or
      disappearance of proteinuria was accompanied by a distinct reduction of the level
      of birefracting fatty bodies or their disappearance.

PMID- 1866924
TI  - [The anatomy of human kidneys in ultrasonic study].
AB  - Ultrasonic examination of the kidneys was carried out in 1026 persons without
      renal disease. The authors describe the approaches, methods used for examination
      of the kidneys, convenient for studying the renal parenchyma, kidney pelvis,
      renal vessels. Data are reported on the possibilities of echography in studying
      the position, displacement of the kidneys, their sizes, structure and sizes of
      the renal pyramids, renal columns, calyces, kidney pelvis, renal veins and
      arteries.

PMID- 1866926
TI  - [Nonspecific active immunotherapy in the combined treatment of malignant
      neoplasms].

PMID- 1866925
TI  - [The clinical significance of the morphofunctional status of the neutrophilic
      granulocytes in the palatine tonsils of angina patients].
AB  - The morphofunctional state of neutrophils of the palatine tonsils and peripheral
      blood was studied by means of the lysosomal-cationic test (LCT) in 73 patients
      with primary streptococcal angina. It is concluded that the LCT test may be used
      for objective evaluation of the severity of angina and its treatment efficacy.

PMID- 1866927
TI  - [Circulating immune complexes and neutrophilic phagocytic function in patients
      with idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura].
AB  - The concentration of circulating immune complexes, serum immunoglobulins and
      state of phagocytic function of neutrophils was studied in patients with
      autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. The patients showed a significant increase
      of the levels of circulating immune complexes, content of Ig M and Ig G, an
      increase of the phagocytic activity of neutrophils at the stage of migration,
      adhesion and absorption of the heterogeneous. The revealed disorders of
      phagocytic function and destruction of granulocytes at the stage of digestion may
      be explained by increased load on the phagocytic neutrophils due to the main
      pathologic process.

PMID- 1866928
TI  - [The toxicity of the "C", "M" and "P" brands of polyvinyl chloride plastisols
      used for making medical articles].
AB  - It is concluded that polyvinyl plastisols of the mentioned brands should not be
      used for manufacturing medical products. Only the P brand may be employed for
      manufacturing balloons for measurement of the blood pressure and for inhalers.

PMID- 1866930
TI  - [Phototherapy and sleep deprivation as additional methods of treating bronchial
      asthma patients].
AB  - Correction of internal desynchronosis in bronchial asthma by means of
      phototherapy and partial sleep deprivation was instituted in 4 hormone-dependent
      patients with bronchial asthma for 13 months. The results were positive: the
      frequency and severity of night attacks reduced, the condition of the patients
      improved.

PMID- 1866929
TI  - [The effect of tobacco smoking on tissue oxygen balance].
AB  - Oxygen tension (pO2) in the muscles was studied in 90 healthy young males: 60
      were tobacco (cigarette) smokers and 30 were non-smokers. In the smokers pO2 in
      the muscles was higher than in the non-smokers. Functional tests revealed
      worsening of O2 to the tissues and reduced tissue metabolism intensity. The
      latter occurred against the background of quantitative and qualitative
      compensatory reactions of pO2 regulation mechanisms directed for improvement of
      O2 transport and tissue aeration indicating a negative effect of smoking on the
      capacity of tissue cells to utilize O2 in aerobic breathing.

PMID- 1866931
TI  - [The principles of phytotherapy].

PMID- 1866932
TI  - [The use of the sauna for disease prevention in the workers of enterprises with
      chemical and physical occupational hazards].
AB  - It was found that being a hygienic procedure sauna essentially improves well
      being of the workers, activates the cardiovascular system and mechanism of
      general adaptation of the body. Sauna increased excretion with sweat fluid of
      toxic substances (lead, thiuram, captax, sulphenamide C) that penetrated the body
      during work. Sauna is recommended as an effective procedure in conditions where
      chemical and physical factors are the leading professional noxae.

PMID- 1866933
TI  - [Variants in the manifestations of the generalized form of yersiniosis].
AB  - The clinical manifestations of generalized yersiniosis were studied in 61
      patients. Primary generalized form was observed in 18 patients. Predecessors were
      gastroenteritis, appendicular syndrome. Clinical manifestations were
      polymorphous. All patients revealed fever and exanthema, 5%--catarrhal phenomena,
      63.3%--lymphadenitis, 86%--arthralgia, 39.2%--gastrointestinal disorders, 114%-
      icteric syndrome. In 7.6% the course was protracted with recurrences of fever,
      exanthema, jaundice, diarrhea, formation of arthritis, Reiter's syndrome.
      Antibacterial treatment was carried out by aminoglycosides, cephalosporins.

PMID- 1866934
TI  - [The effect of acupuncture on the psychosomatic status of peptic ulcer patients].
AB  - A study of the psychosomatic effects of acupuncture treatment of ulcer diseases
      indicates that a course of acupuncture procedures provides psychological
      rehabilitation of these patients and results in significant improvement of the
      functional indices of the gastroduodenal system. It is supposed that acupuncture
      influences the general mechanisms of ulcer disease pathogenesis, normalizes the
      cortico-hypothalamo-visceral relations.

PMID- 1866935
TI  - Health access report. Single payor systems.

PMID- 1866936
TI  - Bringing politics to the bedside.

PMID- 1866937
TI  - Health access report. Universal access and health care rationing.

PMID- 1866938
TI  - JCAHO issues new nursing care standards for hospitals.

PMID- 1866940
TI  - Health access report. Managed care.

PMID- 1866939
TI  - Nursing at its best.

PMID- 1866941
TI  - [Two biotin-labeled probes of gentamicin resistance genes].
AB  - A 2.0 kb BamHI-HindIII fragment of pDG0103 from Australia containing gentamicin
      2"-o-adenylytransferase [ANT(2")] gene and a 4.9 kb PstI-EcoRI fragment of pBY102
      were recovered from low-temperature-melting agarose by the slot method. Both
      fragments were labeled with biotin-7-dATP by nick translation with a commercial
      kit. The result of colony and Southern hybridization was that: the 2.0 kb probe
      from Australia hybridized with that containing ANT(2") from America, while no
      hybridization occurred between the 2.0 kb probe and the 4.9 kb probe constructed
      in our lab. Furthermore, the above two fragments were used as probes for
      detection of 106 strains of gentamicin resistant Enterobacteriaceae. It revealed
      that there were more than one gentamicin resistance gene in the tested strains.

PMID- 1866942
TI  - [Isolation and characteristics of Borrelia burgdorferi from Ixodes persulcatus].
AB  - We reported the detailed characteristics of Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia
      burgdorferi), strain H7, isolated from Ixodes persulcatus in Heilongjiang. Cells
      of strain H7 were 9.8--26.5 microns long and 0.13--0.35 microns wide. There were
      1--11 waves with a wavelength of 1.2--3.0 microns and an amplitude of 0.59--1.13
      microns. Direction of spires was left. Seven flagella were inserted subterminally
      at each end of the cell and ends were pointed. 31 degrees C was the optimum
      cultural temperature in vitro. The major constitutional and antigenic proteins
      were 21k, 32k and 34k proteins. H7 could react on the patient sera of Xinjiang
      and Heilongjiang with IFA and western blot. These findings demonstrated that
      strain H7 belonged to species Borrelia burgdorferi, but was a new "subtype" which
      differed from the strains isolated from other areas and vectors.

PMID- 1866944
TI  - Rehabilitation medicine--adding life to years.

PMID- 1866943
TI  - [Isolation of bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria and the optimum
      conditions of enzyme production].
AB  - A bilirubin oxidase (EC 1.3.3.5) producing strain, Mv 2.1089, was isolated from
      several strains of Myrothecium verrucaria by dilution method. The optimum
      conditions of enzyme production were investigated and the results were as
      follows: the suitable medium was cultured at 25 degrees C on a rotating shaker
      glucose and peptone, at pH 6.0. The strain was cultured at 25 degrees C on a
      rotating shaker (150 r/min) for 96 h. Bilirubin oxidase with 0.5-1.5 u/ml was
      obtained in the culture medium.

PMID- 1866945
TI  - Pain centers--organization and outcome.
AB  - Pain treatment centers have evolved at a rapid rate, but they differ in their
      complexity and services provided. Patients, as well as primary care physicians,
      have difficulty in identifying the appropriate center for a specific problem.
      Guidelines for pain centers have recently been proposed by the International
      Association for the Study of Pain, along with an attempt at their accreditation.
      Outcome studies from pain centers have proliferated, with a wide range of
      treatment programs being reported. Comprehensive multidisciplinary pain centers
      using the rehabilitation medicine approach are effective in decreasing disability
      and increasing the productivity of patients with chronic, disabling pain.

PMID- 1866946
TI  - Use it or lose it--the hazards of bed rest and inactivity.
AB  - Professional experience and lay wisdom teach us the benefits of exercise and the
      hazards of idleness. Yet the myth persists that "bed rest is good for you" when
      ill or convalescing. Abundant scientific evidence in the past 50 years has
      demonstrated the specific damage done to each of the body's organ systems by
      inactivity. Both aging and inactivity lead to strikingly similar kinds of
      deterioration. I summarize the data from military and veterans' hospitals,
      rehabilitation experience, aerospace research, and gerontology and review the
      physiologic and metabolic changes of aging and inactivity, along with strategies
      to help prevent the iatrogenic complications of bed rest.

PMID- 1866947
TI  - Rehabilitation in rheumatic diseases. What's new.
AB  - In the past decade, considerable change has occurred in concepts of
      rehabilitation in patients with rheumatic diseases. This includes approaches to
      functional assessment and outcome, new concepts in exercise, and new orthotics.

PMID- 1866948
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus infection and diffuse polyneuropathy. Implications
      for rehabilitation medicine.
AB  - Patients at various stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
      require rehabilitation services. These patients present problems for each of the
      disciplines in a rehabilitation team, and all team members must confront the
      psychosocial and ethical issues involved with the disease. Patients with HIV
      infection may have polyneuropathy with multisystem involvement, including
      dysphagia, autonomic dysfunction, respiratory failure, bowel and bladder
      dysfunction, generalized weakness, a painful sensory neuropathy, and depression.
      Guidelines are presented for determining if inpatient rehabilitation or other
      settings are appropriate. Case management is a valuable strategy for the
      rehabilitation of patients with this complicated disorder.

PMID- 1866949
TI  - Low vision rehabilitation. Finding capable people behind damaged eyeballs.
AB  - Loss of vision is a common physical impairment in America today. Comprehensive
      low vision rehabilitation programs can have dramatic results in increasing the
      independence and productivity of affected persons. Rehabilitation efforts must be
      tailored to the type of vision loss and to specific functional implications.
      Every effort should be made to enhance the residual vision. Activities of daily
      living, orientation and mobility, and psychological concerns must be addressed.

PMID- 1866950
TI  - Postpolio syndrome and cardiopulmonary conditioning.
AB  - Postpolio syndrome is a group of related signs and symptoms occurring in people
      who had paralytic poliomyelitis years earlier. New weakness, fatigue, poor
      endurance, pain, reduced mobility, increased breathing difficulty, intolerance to
      cold, and sleep disturbance in various degrees and expressions make up the
      syndrome. The reported incidence is between 25% and 80%. The origins are
      multifactorial and can be associated with underexertion, overexertion, inactivity
      due to intercurrent illness or injury, hypo-oxygenation, sleep apnea,
      deconditioning, and the failure of sprouted, compensatory large motor units. The
      exercise question in postpolio syndrome is related to the experience of new
      weakness or loss of muscle function due to overuse, which is often associated
      with injudicious repeated challenges to weakened musculature. Carefully
      prescribed exercise can be used for increasing strength and endurance and
      improving cardiopulmonary conditioning.

PMID- 1866951
TI  - Rehabilitation of severely injured children.
AB  - Injury is the leading cause of death and disability in childhood. Ideal systems
      of care integrate comprehensive management of acutely injured children with
      rehabilitation. We review the nature of childhood injury, its disabling
      consequences, and the best ways to manage the care of children with serious
      injuries.

PMID- 1866952
TI  - Rehabilitation in cerebral palsy.
AB  - Cerebral palsy is the most frequent physical disability of childhood onset. Over
      the past four decades, prevalence has remained remarkably constant at 2 to 3 per
      1,000 live births in industrialized countries. In this article I concentrate on
      the rehabilitation and outcome of patients with cerebral palsy. The
      epidemiologic, pathogenetic, and diagnostic aspects are highlighted briefly as
      they pertain to the planning and implementation of the rehabilitation process.

PMID- 1866953
TI  - Rehabilitating elderly cardiac patients.
AB  - The aging cardiovascular system undergoes many anatomic and physiologic changes.
      Increased vascular resistance, myocardial "stiffness," abnormalities of
      rhythmicity of the sinoatrial node, irregular cardiac rhythms, and alterations in
      heart rate and blood pressure responses are all seen more frequently in older
      patients. These changes are likely to impair these patients' ability to make the
      rapid adjustments necessary to maintain cardiac output during exercise and
      activity. When cardiovascular disease processes are superimposed on the "normal"
      concomitants of aging, greater alterations in hemodynamic response to exercise
      activity are noted than usually occur in younger cardiac patients. Exercise
      testing of older cardiac patients is safe and is usually needed to prescribe an
      appropriate intensity of exercise activity. The choice of the exercise protocol,
      the timing of the exercise test in relation to taking prescribed cardiac
      medication, the choice of exercise equipment, and special considerations for
      devices such as pacemakers and automatic implantable cardiodefibrillators must be
      considered before the exercise test is done. Many of these factors and the
      presence of either silent or overt cardiac symptoms or untoward hemodynamic
      events will also affect the exercise prescription. Elderly patients usually show
      substantial functional improvement when participating in a cardiac rehabilitation
      program and comply well with prescribed exercise. Early educational intervention
      may be crucial to reducing disability in these patients.

PMID- 1866954
TI  - Effect of exercise on muscle function decline with aging.
AB  - As people age, changes in muscle occur that are associated with a decrease in
      strength and endurance. These changes result in decreased functional capacity and
      quality of life. A substantial portion of this decrease is the result not of
      aging but of the sedentary life-style so frequently associated with aging. In
      "healthy old" persons and in older animals in experiments, an appropriate
      exercise program can result in increased strength and endurance. This is true
      both in longitudinal and short-term studies. As physical impairment increases,
      the exercise program must be individualized, and results are not as readily
      predictable. Much work remains before we may be certain how much exercise can be
      tolerated in these more impaired persons and what the effects may be.

PMID- 1866955
TI  - Bilateral lower limb amputee rehabilitation. A retrospective review.
AB  - We retrospectively reviewed 61 cases of bilateral lower limb amputations in
      patients admitted to a regional amputee rehabilitation program. Of the 61 cases,
      41 were analyzed as to functional outcome on discharge, at 1 month, and at 3
      months; 20 were not included owing to transfers to acute care or loss to follow
      up. There were 41 men and 20 women, the average age was 61.5 years, and 47
      patients (77%) were discharged to home. There were 25 bilateral below-knee, 14
      above-knee and below-knee, 12 bilateral above-knee, 5 below-knee and partial
      foot, 3 above-knee and partial-foot, and 2 bilateral partial-foot amputations.
      The average length of stay for all levels was 24.2 days. Most of the patients at
      the time of discharge achieved a level of limited household walking with the
      exception of those with bilateral above-knee amputations. A significant
      improvement in function was noted for all patients at 3-month follow-up, with
      most patients achieving household ambulation level, but 10 remained independent
      at wheelchair level for mobility.

PMID- 1866956
TI  - Stroke rehabilitation: a model predicting return home.
AB  - We undertook this study to describe the changes in functional status for patients
      in a rehabilitation program for acute stroke and to identify the variables that
      best predict discharge home. Of 282 patients, 75% were discharged home. Increases
      in functional status were found for all 18 activities of the Functional
      Independence Measure from admission to discharge. Significant predictors of
      discharge disposition in a logistic regression model were the admission and
      discharge functional status scores, length of stay, and living arrangement before
      the stroke. The functional status at discharge was the most important predictor.
      Knowledge of these predictors can contribute to more appropriate treatment and
      discharge planning.

PMID- 1866957
TI  - Reversing disability of irreversible lung disease.
AB  - Pulmonary rehabilitation is a comprehensive multifaceted team approach for
      integrating medical management, coping skills, self-management techniques, and
      exercise reconditioning. It provides patients with chronic lung disease the
      ability to adapt and live full and nearly normal lives. These changes are
      possible because the overall disability includes significant reversible
      components: Patients have bronchospasm, infection, and cor pulmonale; they
      respond to progressively impaired lungs by progressive inactivity, leading to
      physical deconditioning. Both factors contribute to dyspnea. Because patients
      naturally fear dyspnea, they panic easily. During panic, their work of breathing
      may increase and respiratory failure may result. Pulmonary rehabilitation
      provides good medical management; provides exercises to increase strength,
      endurance, and tolerance to dyspnea; and trains patients in panic control. These
      programs have not been shown to lengthen life span or improve static lung
      function. They increase exercise performance and render patients functional,
      independent, and subject to fewer hospital admissions. Pulmonary rehabilitation
      is the only approach to chronic lung disease short of lung transplantation that
      improves the long-term outlook for these patients.

PMID- 1866958
TI  - Exercise testing and training in patients with peripheral vascular disease and
      lower extremity amputation.
AB  - Patients with peripheral vascular disease have a high risk of coronary artery
      disease. The risk is even greater when the peripheral vascular disease leads to
      lower extremity amputation. Exercise testing using lower extremity exercise has
      been the "gold standard" for screening for coronary artery disease, but many
      patients with peripheral vascular disease and those with amputations have
      difficulty doing this type of exercise. Arm exercise ergometry has been shown to
      be a safe and effective alternative for the detection of coronary artery disease
      in patients who cannot do leg exercise. This test has also been used to determine
      safe exercise levels and may be able to predict the ultimate level of prosthetic
      use in amputees. Exercise training with arm ergometry also improves
      cardiovascular efficiency and upper body strength in poorly conditioned patients.
      Studies are needed to appreciate fully the role of exercise testing and training
      in the recovery of these patients after amputation.

PMID- 1866959
TI  - Spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation adds life to years.
AB  - The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center data base contains information
      collected prospectively on 13,763 persons injured since 1973 and treated at model
      systems of care throughout the United States. These data clearly demonstrate
      improved neurologic status and independent function in activities of daily living
      following acute care and rehabilitation for most persons with spinal cord
      injuries. Decreased lengths of initial and subsequent hospital stays and
      increased survival rates are also documented. Most persons are discharged to a
      private residence in the community and remain there. Many complete their
      educations and return to gainful employment after injury. Spinal cord injury has
      only a short-term effect on marriage and divorce rates, which appears to
      dissipate within a few years after injury. Overall, these figures demonstrate the
      dramatic improvements in length and quality of life achieved by most persons with
      spinal cord injuries during the past two decades.

PMID- 1866960
TI  - Pregnancy following spinal cord injury.
AB  - Each year about 2,000 women of childbearing age in the United States have a
      spinal cord injury. Only a few mostly anecdotal reports describe pregnancy after
      such an injury. In a retrospective study of 16 women with a spinal cord injury,
      half of whom have a complete injury and about half quadriplegia, 25 pregnancies
      occurred, with 21 carried to full term. The women delayed pregnancy an average of
      6.5 years after their injury, with an average age at first pregnancy of 26.8
      years. Cesarean section was necessary in 4 patients because of inadequate
      progress of labor. In 5 deliveries an episiotomy and local anesthesia were
      required, 7 required epidural anesthesia, including all cesarean sections, and 10
      did not require anesthesia. Several complications have been identified in the
      antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods including autonomic
      hyperreflexia, premature labor, pressure sores, urinary tract infections,
      abnormal presentation, and failure to progress. Ultrasonography and amniocentesis
      were used selectively. Women with spinal cord injuries can have healthy children,
      although there are significant risks and these women have special needs.

PMID- 1866961
TI  - Walking after spinal cord injury. Goal or wish?
AB  - Less than a third of patients walk again after a spinal cord injury, whereas
      every one of them wants to try. Residual function, energy expenditure, the extent
      of orthotic support needed, and patient motivation will determine the outcome.
      Functional electrical stimulation and other new orthotic designs have not notably
      increased the number of persons able to walk after a spinal injury.
      Rehabilitation professionals can use patient education, illustrating relearning
      to walk with examples of infants' and toddlers' progress, to assist patients in
      understanding their abilities and limitations. The final decision on ambulation
      and orthotic prescriptions can be made in stages after a patient adjusts to a
      wheelchair-independent level.

PMID- 1866962
TI  - The strange death of David Rivlin.

PMID- 1866965
TI  - Taking rehab home.

PMID- 1866963
TI  - Responding to requests for ventilator removal from patients with quadriplegia.

PMID- 1866966
TI  - Rehabilitation in the Philippines.
AB  - The international community has perspective and experience that will freshen our
      approaches to rehabilitation. Martin Grabois, MD(*), editor of this special
      section, has gathered articles written by experts from other countries. The
      intention is to stimulate thought, discussion, and action-and to broaden
      horizons.

PMID- 1866968
TI  - Rehabilitation in Mexico.

PMID- 1866964
TI  - Refusing treatment during rehabilitation. A model for conflict resolution.

PMID- 1866967
TI  - Rehabilitation in China.

PMID- 1866969
TI  - Rehabilitation in Great Britain.

PMID- 1866971
TI  - [Percutaneous drainage of liver and splenic abscess].
AB  - 42 patients with solitary (n = 34) and multiple (n = 8) abscesses of the liver (n
      = 36) and the spleen (n = 6) were treated with ultrasound guided percutaneous
      interventions. 38 patients (90%) underwent a total of 97 closed abscess
      aspirations using needles of 0.9 and 1.3 mm in diameter. In 4 cases (10%)
      percutaneous catheter drainage was performed. Intravenous antibiotics were used
      in all cases. Those patients with closed abscess aspiration additionally received
      local injection of aminoglycosides into the cavity. 40 out of the 42 patients
      could be treated successfully by percutaneous methods for a cure rate of 95.2%.
      Percutaneous drainage failure occurred in 2.4%. One patient with multiple liver
      abscesses and catheter drainage died from myocardial infarction (hospital
      mortality 2.4%). Complications of ultrasound-guided interventions included two
      minor bleedings, requiring no therapy, and one pleural empyema (complication rate
      7.1%). There were no treatment related lethal complications. These results
      indicate that abscesses of the liver and the spleen up to 10 cm in diameter can
      be effectively treated by closed (repetitive) needle aspiration and antibiotic
      therapy with a relatively low rate of complications. About half of our patients
      with abscesses of more than 10 cm received percutaneous catheter drainage. On the
      basis of our experience surgical drainage of liver abscesses and splenectomy in
      splenic abscesses should be restricted to those cases with percutaneous drainage
      failure.

PMID- 1866970
TI  - [Ciprofloxacin-omeprazole combination therapy for eradication of Helicobacter
      pylori].
AB  - 20 H. pylori-positive patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer disease (n = 16,
      one with proof of gastric cancer obtained by histology) or severe non-ulcer
      dyspepsia (n = 4) were entered in a pilot study to examine the effect of a
      combination of omeprazole (40 mg) before breakfast and ciprofloxacin (2 x 500 mg)
      1 hour after meals for 1 week to treat Helicobacter pylori (Hp). The eradication
      rate was 15% (3 out of 20 patients) 4 weeks after therapy. Ulcer healing occurred
      in 2 of 3 patients having eradication and 9 of 11 control patients with positive
      H. pylori urease test and/or culture 4 weeks after treatment. Despite some good
      theoretical background, this drug combination is inefficient to eradicate H.
      pylori and cannot be recommended for routine clinical practice. No major side
      effects of the therapy-regimen were observed.

PMID- 1866972
TI  - [Arterial embolization of an arteriovenous fistula with hemobilia after blind
      liver puncture].
AB  - Five days after percutaneous liver biopsy we observed in a 42-year-old man with
      alcoholic liver cirrhosis severe hemobilia requiring transfusions of packed red
      cells. By means of super-selective arterial embolization, using gelfoam, the
      bleeding source, an av-fistula, was successfully occluded. Iatrogenic hemobilia,
      although seen after percutaneous liver biopsy only in app. 0.005% of the cases,
      is today the most important cause of biliary bleeding, mainly as a complication
      (app. 3% of the cases) of the widespread use of interventional procedures of the
      biliary tree (e.g. PTCD). Therapeutically arterial embolization should be
      considered first if possible.

PMID- 1866973
TI  - [Extracorporeal piezoelectric and intracorporeal electrohydraulic lithotripsy in
      problematic bile duct calculi].
AB  - More than 90% of all common bile duct stones are today extracted endoscopically
      after papillotomy with the Dormia basket in combination with the mechanical
      lithotripter. For patients with endoscopically unremovable stones, there are now
      new therapies as an alternative to surgical intervention. Ductal stones can
      either be fragmented by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or by peroral
      cholangioscopic guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy. The remaining fragments can
      then be easily extracted endoscopically. If the stone cannot be removed by using
      these new techniques, a palliative endoprosthesis can by implanted. We report on
      our experiences and results with the extracorporeal piezoelectric shock wave
      lithotripsy and the intracorporeal electrohydraulic therapy in 44 patients with
      complicated bile duct stones. Applying extracorporeal shock wave therapy,
      treatment was successful in 75% of the patients with common bile duct stones,
      intracorporeal electrohydraulic lithotripsy was successful in 71%. By combination
      of both techniques, the calculi could be removed in 84% of those patients where
      before one of both therapies had failed. Finally, the rate of success in the
      above mentioned 44 patients was 93%. It could be shown by this investigation that
      both therapeutic methods complete each other in the treatment of the complicated
      common bile duct stones.

PMID- 1866974
TI  - [Calculating the costs of the most frequent applications of flexible
      gastroenterologic endoscopy in ambulatory care].

PMID- 1866975
TI  - [Peritoneal lavage in acute pancreatitis: the longer, the better?].

PMID- 1866976
TI  - [Comment on the contribution: "Effect of omeprazole on serum gastrin levels:
      influence of age and sex" by Koop et al].

PMID- 1866977
TI  - 33rd annual meeting of the Hungarian Society of Gastroenterology. Balatonaliga,
      14-18 May 1991. Selected abstracts of lectures and posters.

PMID- 1866978
TI  - [Characteristics of mathematical interpretation of experimental data during
      analysis of affinity distribution of serum IgG specific for influenza virus].
AB  - The paper depicts the methods of statistic processing of the data and
      mathematical simulation for the analysis of interactions in the system of antigen
      antibody. The conditions of various models application are defined. The results
      of experimental binding curves procession enable obtaining the evidence of
      affinity-related distribution of serum antibodies which is believed to be an
      important characteristic feature of their functional activity and to make a
      quantitative description of maturation of specific immune response.

PMID- 1866979
TI  - [Immunochemical characteristics of the population structure of antibody-producing
      cells in experimental influenza].
AB  - The authors presented the results of population study of specific IgG-antibody
      forming cells (AFC) in the pool of mice splenocytes performed in the time-course
      of simulated influenza with the help of experimental mathematical approach which
      permitted making a detailed observation of the functional structure of the
      population and analysing the changes in the spectrum of the AFC subpopulations in
      the time-course of viral disease. Mathematical simulation of the main stage of
      immunopointed identification of AFC on +nitrocellulose filters (NCF) permitted
      the verification of the ratio between the characteristic features of the spots on
      the NCF and the number and affinity of cell-secreting IgG antibodies. New data
      are obtained on the formation of the population of +virus-specific IgG-AFC which
      are featured by discreteness of the AFC +affinity ++ spectrum, cyclic changes in
      their activity and shifts in the stages of the AFC subpopulation activity. The
      authors substantiated the necessity to revise the existing theoretical models of
      the formation of humoral immune response to viral infections.

PMID- 1866980
TI  - [Humoral cycle as a mechanism providing autoregulation of the processes of the
      immune system (theoretical model)].
AB  - The author presents a hypothesis on a possible mechanism of autoregulation of the
      immune response maturation in simulated influenza. A theoretical model describing
      a cyclic process of so-called "humoral cycle" which provides a directed selection
      of immunocompetent cells' clones and physiologic limitation of cytotoxic
      reactions. Possible features of humoral cycle function are considered in the
      concrete experimental examples. The author demonstrated possible mechanisms of
      immunological barrier violation in synthesis of big amounts of high affinity +
      antibodies to antigens of causative agent. Possible application of the
      theoretical model suggested in immunological studies is considered.

PMID- 1866982
TI  - [Natural killer cells and their protective role in viral infections].

PMID- 1866981
TI  - [Formation of target cells in the immunocompetent organ (spleen) of mice with
      experimental infection caused by influenza A viruses with various properties].
AB  - The article presents the data on the time-course of formation of ++virus-pecific
      target-cells in spleens of mice infected with various types of influenza caused
      by a virulent viral strain and its avirulent ts-mutation. It was demonstrated
      that these target-cells occurred in all studied patterns of infection. Their
      formation turned to be of cyclic character, dose-dependent and closely related
      with the formation of all known mechanisms of specific and nonspecific cellular
      defense. The presentation pattern of viral antigens on the surface of these
      target-cells turned to be variable in the course of the infections evidenced
      their different recognition in the reactions with the participation of +virus
      specific antibodies of effectual cells.

PMID- 1866983
TI  - [General and specific factors of protective reactions in viral infection (facts
      and hypotheses)].
AB  - The authors substantiated the assumptions of virus-induced modification of
      membranes as the central link in the pathogenesis of viral diseases. The
      defensive response of the body to viral inoculation was based on the basis of
      rapid mobilization of all existing factors of nonspecific stability and the
      following engagement of defense mechanisms which formulated de novo. The results
      obtained could be a methodological basis for the choice of strategy of viral
      diseases control.

PMID- 1866984
TI  - [Changes in the intracellular localization of viral antigens in influenza].
AB  - The authors studied intracellular location of the viral structures in the lung
      tissue in the acute period of infection (on the 3rd-6th after inoculation) and on
      the 28th day when the infectious virus failed to be detected. It was stated that
      on the 3rd and 6th day after the inoculation viral antigens were equally
      distributed between cytoplasmic and membraneous fractions. The 28th day
      demonstrated the presence of the antigens in cytoplasma and their absence in the
      cellular membranes of the lung. The results obtained could be used for
      specification of mechanisms of influenza virus persistence in the body.

PMID- 1866986
TI  - [The thioldisulfide system as one of the elements of compensatory mechanisms in
      influenza].
AB  - The paper presents the results of a comparative study of changes in a
      thioldisulfide component of the antioxidation system in cases of sublethal and
      lethal patterns of influenza. The both patterns were featured with a correlation
      between individual values of thioldisulfide equilibrium and the severity of virus
      induced pathological process. Characteristic features of SH/SS coefficient in the
      lethal pattern of the infection were evidently linked with a specific adaptation
      of the body under the effect of strong irritants. The possibility to use the
      parameters of the thioldisulfide system performance for the prognosis of the
      influenza course was discussed.

PMID- 1866985
TI  - [Study of biological equilibrium in the body in viral infection of different
      degree of severity (on the model of influenza)].
AB  - The authors made a comparative analysis of the contribution to the outcome of the
      disease by realization of information of viral genome and host responses in the
      time-course of simulated lethal and nonlethal mice influenza. They studied the
      effect of ionol, pathogenetic antioxidant, prevention and depicted absolutely new
      features of the diseases severity and outlined possible points of effective drug
      application. The suggested scheme of the time-course measurement of viral
      involvement of the host body and the formation of its responses could be
      recommended in the study of mechanisms of the viral infection development and the
      activity of antiviral agents.

PMID- 1866987
TI  - [Analysis of interactions between influenza virus and murine serum proteins in
      non-infected and infected mice].
AB  - The presence of proteins in the blood of intact mice of various lines which could
      form complexes of various stability with influenza virus and have antigen
      determinants common with mouse IgG was demonstrated. These proteins were
      different from mouse IgG and their molecular weight was 100-200 and 40-80 kD. The
      authors described quantitative changes in the studied proteins during simulated
      influenza as well as under the effect of ionol (antioxidant) administration. The
      study permitted the assumption that blood serum proteins of intact mice
      participate in the infection progression and are significant for its prognosis.

PMID- 1866988
TI  - [Post-stress disorders of resistance of mice to recurrent infection by homologous
      influenza virus].
AB  - A decrease in the mouse resistance to reinfection by influenza virus under the
      effect of immobilization stress was depicted. Violation in the formation of a
      long-term resistance to a repeated disease ran in the presence of the high levels
      of circulating anti-influenza antibodies and not ++always correlated with a post
      stress impairment of the formation of antigen-reactive clones of cells in the
      spleen of primarily infected mice. Prophylactic administration of ionol which
      prevented a post-stress aggravation of the primary influenza infection failed to
      produce a favourable effect on the immunity in case of reinfection.

PMID- 1866989
TI  - [Pathogenetic mechanisms of stress-induced aggravation of experimental influenza
      and its prevention].
AB  - It was stated that in stress-induced aggravation of infection realized in
      transformation of nonlethal patterns of infection into a lethal one there
      occurred a manifest dysfunction of hypothalamo-hypophyseal-neurosecretory
      performance (HHNS) featured by a 2-fold decrease in the blood vasopressin and an
      essential elevation of the hypothalamic one. The phenomenon is being suggestive
      of a possible blockage in the hormonal discharge into circulation and the
      limitation of its participation in the development of defensive and compensatory
      reactions. Identical HHNS dysfunction was noted in the lethal pattern of the
      infection. The authors formulated the concept of the main pathogenetic points
      underlying the damage of vegetative regulation centres. Mechanisms of viral and
      tissue metabolic damage of CNS were revealed. The authors substantiated the
      advisability and prospective use+ of antioxidants as applied to the prevention of
      severe course of influenza and its complications in extremely aggravated
      patterns.

PMID- 1866990
TI  - [The role of lipid peroxidation in post-stress aggravation of influenza and the
      corrective effect od ionol].
AB  - Activation of lipid peroxidation in the tissues of the lungs, brain and liver
      which was followed by a compensatory increment in the activity of antioxidative
      enzymes was demonstrated in experimental mice with isolated or combined effect of
      immobilizing stress or influenza infection. The usage of antioxidative drug,
      ionol, decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation, alleviated the aggravated
      course of the infection which occurred after the preliminary immobilization. The
      authors substantiated the role of activation of lipid peroxidation as a
      significant link in the disease progression in case of isolated or combined
      effect of stress or infection and considered the prospective ways of
      chemotherapeutic management of viral infections.

PMID- 1866991
TI  - [Use of various bibliometric methods in operative evaluation of research
      activities of the research institutions of medico- biological profile].
AB  - Based on the analysis of the indices accepted for the evaluation of scientific
      work in research institutes, a suggestion was proposed that the putative instead
      of realized value of the scientific product should be evaluated. This implies
      employment of such bibliometric techniques of analysis of the volume and quality
      of the used information as: total number of references in scientific works,
      reference to the most recent publications and foreign sources, and the
      interdisciplinary index rated according to the subject-relation of the cited
      works. Studies of selected indices based on the analysis of one-year scientific
      journal publications and of manuscripts sent for print, as well as of reports
      made by the Kiev Research Institute of Otorhinolaryngology of UkrSSR Ministry of
      Health and by the Research Institute of Hematology of BSSR Ministry of Health,
      paralleled with a comprehensive consideration of the reference peculiarities and
      expert evaluation of the scientific material proper, allowed for making a
      conclusion on the importance of the role played by the bibliometric data in
      making the expert formal and objective and in operative evaluation of the
      activity of scientific communities and/or trends. This is of special significance
      for information and scientific policy making. Such investigations may be carried
      out by expert information workers.

PMID- 1866992
TI  - [Functional activity of antibody-producing cells in mice with experimental
      influenza].
AB  - The paper presents the findings on the functional activity of specific antibody
      forming cells (AFC) in the time-course of the primary influenza infection in
      mice. The concept of AFC functional activity is validated. Studying of the AFC
      population in the pool of splenocytes based on the analysis of functional
      activity permitted one to make a detailed description of specific AFC, and make a
      series of conclusions of the technique of AFC identification, reveal the changes
      in the structure of the virus-specific AFC population under the influenza
      infection which are not related to their quantity. Principle difference was
      revealed in the time-course of AFC functional activity in various patterns of
      influenza. Continuous changes in the AFC structure were observed during the whole
      period of observation.

PMID- 1866993
TI  - [The contribution of genetic factors to perinatal pathology and infant
      mortality].
AB  - The authors consider the contribution made by genetic factors to perinatal and
      infant mortality on the basis of many-year studies performed in the Minsk
      Teratology Center and analysis of the data available in the literature. In 1972
      1984 there was an increase in the incidence of congenital malformations among
      deceased children. Genetic factors predispose to at least 7-8% postimplantation
      embryonal and fetal elimination. Perinatal and neonatal mortality is caused by
      congenital malformations in 19.1 and 37% of cases, respectively. A genetic
      analysis has indicated that 23.2% of them are induced by genic, chromosomal, and
      genomic mutations and 51.0% are caused multifactorially. The prevention of
      genetically determined perinatal mortality is most effective in implementing the
      screening programs for detection of heterozygous carriage along with subsequent
      prospective examination and prenatal diagnosis.

PMID- 1866994
TI  - [A program to lower perinatal morbidity and mortality in women with multiple
      pregnancies].
AB  - A total of 511 females with multiple pregnancy (486 with twins and 25 with
      triplets) were examined for the nature of fetal development, and management of
      pregnancy, labor and postpartum period. An early diagnosis was found to play a
      decisive role in the implementation of therapeutical and preventive measures. A
      classification of the prenatal development of monozygotic twins was presented. It
      was shown that the optimal management of pregnancy in multiple-pregnant females
      was effective in relation to the time of employing the basic components of the
      program. It was demonstrated that the active management of labour was important
      in multiple pregnancy; the results of clinical trials of this procedure were also
      provided. In terms of the risk for perinatal morbidity and mortality, three
      groups were identified, these may include females with multiple pregnancy.
      Implementing the proposed treatment-and-prevention measures showed that perinatal
      morbidity and mortality rates in multiple pregnancy might be substantially
      reduced.

PMID- 1866996
TI  - [Pathology of the spiral arteries of the uterus and its significance in the
      pathogenesis of disorders of the uteroplacental circulation].
AB  - The literature survey concerning the morphological aspects in the uteroplacental
      blood flow is presented. The methodological approaches applied in the
      investigation of spiral arteries are classified. Changes in uterine structures in
      normal pregnancy are characterized. A great emphasis is laid on gestational
      alterations in spiral arteries. The types of pathological processes occurring in
      the spiral arteries are described. The data available in the literature are given
      on the incidence of various types of pathology and its association with
      nephropathy, intrauterine fetal hypertrophy, and other abnormalities.

PMID- 1866995
TI  - [The immune system of the human fetus in the perinatal period of development in
      maternal health and disease].

PMID- 1866997
TI  - [Possibilities of the prenatal diagnosis of congenital developmental disorders in
      the second trimester of pregnancy using ultrasound].
AB  - Ultrasonography was used in the second pregnancy trimester as a noninvasive
      method of prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations (CM) in 1071 pregnant
      women. These were found in 1.2% of the examinees, were local and multiple with
      predominance of CNS anomalies. Key ultrasonic signs of CM are specified. It was
      noted that a fertilized egg presents valuable specific and nonspecific
      information. Ultrasonography is shown to be of high informative value in prenatal
      diagnosis of CM in the second trimester.

PMID- 1866998
TI  - [Current problems of ante- and perinatal pathology].
AB  - The paper provides strong evidence for further postmortem investigations in the
      ante- and perinatal periods, in the combination of those of the afterbirth. The
      very early antenatal abnormalities (gametopathy and blastopathy) have been less
      studied. There are predominant congenital malformations of the organs concurrent
      with placental incompetence among embryopathies. In the fetal period, the authors
      identify an abnormality in the early fetal phase when placental insufficiency,
      fetal hypoxia and intrauterine death prevail; that in the mid fetal phase
      concomitant with infectious fetal injuries and acute and chronic placental
      failures due to maternal diseases; and that in the late fetal phase that covers
      perinatal death. The time course of reasons for stillbirth and neonatal death was
      analyzed in Moscow in 1986-1989. Etiological causes of early and late abortions
      have been identified, which is a real reserve of reduction in ante- and perinatal
      mortality rates in this country.

PMID- 1867000
TI  - [Birth trauma as a problem of obstetrics, pediatrics and pathological anatomy].
AB  - Birth injury as a nosological entity involves 2 groups of pathological processes:
      1) traumatic injuries and 2) dyscirculatory disorders. Either bleeding cannot be
      classified as cranial injury without specifying its genesis and in the absence of
      traumatic injuries. Brain compression is one of the traumatic injuries,
      underestimation of its signs leads to the hyperdiagnosis of fetal asphyxia. The
      correlations found between the arrangement of periosteal congestion and tentorial
      injuries and the pattern of calvarial osteectopy help clarify the pathogenesis of
      a birth injury, but taking into account the biomechanics of labour, which is
      essential for obstetricians and pathologists.

PMID- 1866999
TI  - [Means of lowering the perinatal mortality in pregnant women with diabetes
      mellitus].
AB  - The paper gives some current approaches to the management of pregnant women with
      diabetes mellitus, in terms of perinatal medicine. These are based on a
      comprehensive detailed clinical examination of 104 patients, which involves the
      hormonal fetoplacental complex function, hypophyseo-thyroidal system,
      hemocoagulation system by using ultrasonic tools (fetal biometry and
      echocardiography, Doppler echometric studies of the fetoplacental blood flow in
      the umbilical vein, umbilical artery, and fetal aorta). A differential approach
      was proposed to the management of pregnancy and delivery of patients with
      diabetes mellitus, which allows perinatal mortality to be reduced.

PMID- 1867001
TI  - [Reserves for lowering the neonatal mortality of premature children].
AB  - A tendency for a decrease in the rate of neonatal mortality among preterm babies
      could be followed up in industrialized countries for the current decade. This
      tendency is less pronounced in the USSR. Therefore newer diagnostic and
      therapeutic approaches developed in the clinical department of the Scientific and
      Research Institute of Pediatrics, the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, could be
      regarded as reserves for the reduction of neonatal mortality in preterm children.
      They include the analysis of etiological structure of present-day pyo-septic
      diseases (monitoring of intrahospital flora, target-oriented treatment-the use of
      anti-klebsiella plasma); consideration of new aspects of pathogenesis (population
      structure and the receptor function of the blood defensive cells); metabolite
      therapy; individualization of antibacterial treatment on the basis of
      pharmacokinetic assessment; optimized breeding techniques (prolonged probe
      nutrition); background correction (perinatal encephalopathy, the syndrome of
      respiratory distress); newer socio-medical approaches (psychotherapy of nursing
      mothers, "kangaroo" method).

PMID- 1867002
TI  - [Scientific and practical tasks of medical embryology in the prevention of
      perinatal pathology].
AB  - The paper analyzes the clinical aspects of medical embryology, emphasizes the
      topical problems of progenesis, fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation,
      implantation, and histo-, organo-, and systemogenesis. The current status of the
      studies into the mother-fetus system is explored. The new organizational patterns
      of the connection between theory and practice, which enables medical embryology
      to substantially affect the health care system are also discussed.

PMID- 1867003
TI  - [Homeopathy as a therapeutic system].
AB  - A brief account of the major homeopathic principles making up a therapeutic
      system is presented. The opinions of different authors on the methodology of
      research into the area of homeopathy are also discussed. In addition,
      recommendations on the clinical trials of homeopathic methodologies are offered.

PMID- 1867004
TI  - [Scientific prediction in the management system of gerontological studies in the
      USSR].
AB  - The paper characterizes the current status of gerontological studies in the USSR,
      defines the directions in which the USSR is in the lead or behind other foreign
      countries, provides long-term predictions for developing the studies in
      gerontology in this country, outlines the measures needed for their
      implementation, and emphasizes the significance of the goal-oriented financing of
      priority research developments.

PMID- 1867005
TI  - [The role of viral agents in the induction of atherosclerosis from the point of
      view of the etiopathogenetic aspects of slow infections and the association of
      atherosclerosis with viruses].

PMID- 1867006
TI  - [Ways of reducing perinatal morbidity and mortality due to hereditary pathology].
AB  - The paper presents different ways of preventing the perinatal morbidity and
      mortality due to genetically predisposed abnormalities, such as environmental
      protection; definition of the factors having a mutagenic influence on the female;
      family planning, medico-genetic advisory. It also outlines the methods of
      perinatal diagnosis, which is now the most effective tool for birth prophylaxis
      of a baby with a hereditary abnormality.

PMID- 1867007
TI  - Correlation of amino acid residues in the M1 and M2 proteins of influenza virus
      with high yielding properties.
AB  - The ability of influenza A viruses to replicate to high titer in the allantoic
      sac of the chicken embryo has been mapped to the matrix protein gene (RNA 7).
      Because influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus grows poorly in this host but contains a
      matrix protein gene with a sequence similar to sequences from viruses that grow
      well in eggs, we derived a single gene reassortant containing only the M gene
      from A/WSN/33 (H1N1) in a background of the other 7 RNA segments from
      A/Philippines/2/82 (H3N2) (a low yielding virus, hy-). This reassortant
      replicated 10 times better than the A/WSN parent itself, indicating that the high
      yielding (hy+) phenotype of the A/WSN/33 M gene may be suppressed by one of the
      other genes of A/WSN/33. Comparison of M gene sequences between hy+ (including
      A/WSN/33) and hy- strains allowed us to correlate specific amino acid positions
      in M1 and M2 proteins with the growth properties of influenza viruses.

PMID- 1867008
TI  - Heterogeneous forms of polymerase proteins exist in influenza A virus-infected
      cells.
AB  - In influenza virus-infected cells a virus coded polymerase that consists of three
      polypeptide subunits, namely PB1, PB2 and PA, mediates both transcription and
      replication. Radioimmunoprecipitation with monospecific antisera to each of the
      polymerase proteins revealed additional forms of PB1 and PA proteins in infected
      cells. PA antiserum detected two additional proteins of 62k and 60k and PB1
      antiserum recognized two additional proteins of 85k and 70k. Further
      investigation was carried out on the 62k PA and 85k PB1 related proteins. Limited
      proteolysis peptide mapping showed that these proteins are subsets of their
      normal counter-parts. These new forms of polymerase proteins are designated as
      "b" forms (PAb and PB1b) to distinguish them from the previously recognized forms
      designated as "a" forms (PAa and PB1a). Both PAb and PB1b proteins were found in
      cells infected with all the influenza type A viruses tested indicating that they
      are evolutionarily conserved. Pulse chase experiments showed that the "b" forms
      are not derived from "a" forms. This suggested that "b" forms are translated
      independently. The "b" forms were not detected in purified virus but were found
      to be associated with intracellular RNP templates, suggesting a role for these
      proteins in intracellular virus replication events.

PMID- 1867010
TI  - Construction and characterization of expression systems for the env gene of ts1,
      a mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB.
AB  - A temperature-sensitive mutant of the Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB, ts1,
      causes hindlimb paralysis and immunodeficiency in mice. At the restrictive
      temperature, the envelope precursor polyprotein, gPr80env, is inefficiently
      processed intracellularly, and this is associated with the neurovirulence of ts1.
      To test the hypothesis that expression of the envelope proteins of ts1 alone
      without infectious virus production can induce paralysis, it is necessary to use
      either transmissible retroviral expression vectors or microinjection of
      eukaryotic gene expression plasmid to introduce the env gene of ts1 into
      germlines of mice. In this study, we have constructed three retrovirus vectors
      and three gene expression plasmids, all of which contain the env gene of ts1. By
      comparing the different expression systems, we found that one construct, pts1
      env(F) can express the envelope proteins at a level comparable to the level
      expressed in ts1-infected cells. Furthermore, the expressed envelope proteins of
      pts1-env(F)-transfected cells possess the phenotypes of the proteins expressed by
      the env gene of ts1.

PMID- 1867009
TI  - Molecular characterization of the M genomic segment of the Seoul 80-39 virus;
      nucleotide and amino acid sequence comparisons with other hantaviruses reveal the
      evolutionary pathway.
AB  - The genomic M segment of Seoul 80-39 virus was characterized by cloning and
      nucleotide sequence analysis. The virion M RNA segment is 3651 nucleotides long
      with the 3' and 5' terminal sequences inversely complementary for 20 bases. A
      single open reading frame was detected in the viral complementary-sense RNA which
      can encode a polypeptide of 1133 amino acids. The Seoul 80-39 virus M segment was
      compared with the M segments of related viruses, Hantaan 76-118, Hallnas B1 and
      Sapporo Rat (SR-11) virus. Our results demonstrate a significant similarity
      between M RNA segments of the Seoul 80-39, Hantaan 76-118, Hallnas B1 and SR-11
      viruses. The degree of conservation of both nucleic acid and protein sequences
      between these viruses reveals a close evolutionary relationship. Furthermore, it
      is evident that the serotypic profile of hantaviruses is determined by the rodent
      host species from which the virus was isolated and not by the geographical area.

PMID- 1867011
TI  - Cancer mortality in Switzerland, 1985-89.

PMID- 1867013
TI  - [Socially selective degree of achievement in community-oriented intervention-
      analysis of participation in health actions of the German Cardiovascular
      Prevention Study].
AB  - The subject of this article is an analysis of participation in campaigns of the
      German Cardio-Vascular-Prevention Study (GCP). In 1988 two representative surveys
      were carried out in the City of Bremen. Altogether, 2360 persons were questioned.
      Of these, 149 stated that they had participated in campaigns of the GCP. A
      multivariate analysis shows that the probability of participation was highest for
      people with an interest in health-related issues and for members of higher social
      classes. The discussion of these result emphasizes some problem areas in the use
      of such community-based intervention concepts.

PMID- 1867012
TI  - [Air pollutant burden and bronchial asthma in school children].
AB  - To examine the possibility of an effect of indoor and outdoor exposures on the
      prevalence of asthma in childhood we conducted a cross-sectional study in the
      area of Freiburg city and two communities in the Black Forest. The study group
      consists of 704 children aged 7 to 16 years. The children and their mothers took
      part in a standardized interview and a medical examination. Indoor exposures were
      assessed from information gathered in the interview by two different indices: (a)
      heating system and single room heating, and (b) the amount of indoor ventilation.
      The measurement of outdoor pollutants took into account weekly estimations of NO2
      and combustion particles. The presence of asthma was recorded according to a
      previous medical diagnosis. Confounders were assessed during the interview
      (passive smoking, genetic predisposition to asthma etc.) or during the medical
      examination (cutaneous sensitization with a skin prick test). For the analysis of
      the data we applied logistic regression models and estimated odds-ratios. Only
      one of the four hypothesis variables displays a significant effect on the
      prevalence of asthma: Stoves as heating device carry a 4.8-fold relative risk for
      asthma compared to other types of heating. Among the confounding variables
      controlled for in the explanatory model, cutaneous reactions showed a relative
      risk of eight.

PMID- 1867014
TI  - [Education level and participation in early cancer diagnostic studies in the
      Federal Republic of Germany].
AB  - In Germany only a few persons take part in cancer screening programs. In order to
      raise participation rates one needs to ask which subgroups of the population
      these efforts should focus on. Studies from other countries unanimously show that
      participation rates decrease with decreasing education and income. Based on this
      results it was hypothesized that in Germany participation rates also decrease
      with decreasing education. In a secondary analysis of data from a population
      survey conducted in Germany in 1987, the hypothesis could be supported only for
      employed women, whereas for men a non-significant and for not employed women a
      significant, association was found in the opposite direction.

PMID- 1867015
TI  - [Do cancer patients survive longer today than before? Survival analysis of cancer
      patients in the Saar region from 1972 to 1986].
AB  - In the Saarland there is a population-based cancer registry, which has collected
      information about cancer cases over a long period. An important task of
      population-based cancer registries is the analysis of its data in respect to
      incidence, mortality and survival of cancer patients. Not all patients who have
      been diagnosed with cancer die of that disease. In order to evaluate the survival
      of cancer patients in respect of their particular disease, survival rates are
      calculated after the determination of the influence of other causes of death. The
      so-called relative survival rates (calculated for the first five years after
      diagnosis) are also used in order to evaluate simultaneously the prognostic
      importance of variables such as sex, age and year of diagnosis. This analysis
      with data from the cancer registry of the Saarland deals with 9 tumor
      localizations: stomach, colon, rectum; breast, cervix uteri and corpus uteri;
      prostate, lung, malignant skin melanoma. In general the 5-year relative survival
      rates slightly increased when the time period 1972-1976 was compared with 1982
      1986. Cancer of the corpus uteri was one exception, in that the relative survival
      rate was constant over time, and cancer of the cervix uteri was another, in that
      a decrease of relative survival rate was found, which together with the
      decreasing incidence might be ascribed to a successful early detection program.
      There was no significant improvement in the relative survival time for lung or
      breast cancer patients.

PMID- 1867016
TI  - [Myocardial infarct and occupational reintegration in insured patients of a
      regional sickness fund].
AB  - For a region in the Federal Republic of Germany, some important indicators for
      procedures and outcomes of the care of myocardial infarction patients have been
      demonstrated. The study was restricted to patients under 65 years of age and was
      based on routine data from the health insurance fund. Length of stay in the
      hospital was more than five weeks. Half of the patients who underwent coronary
      angiography coronary bypass surgery had to wait longer than three or five months,
      respectively, for the procedure. Half of the patients who were treated in a
      rehabilitation clinic had to wait more than two weeks elapsed after discharge
      from the acute care hospital. Utilization of this type of service was about 75%
      for patients who were employed before the infarction compared to only about 15%
      for patients who had already been retired from work. Only about half of the men
      under 60 years returned to work after their infarction. Half of the patients were
      still disabled after nine months after onset of disease. The study was part of a
      project for the development of care for patients with myocardial infarction in
      that region. It turned out that routine data are effective for the description of
      the situation. Studies of this type can be repeated in other regions with
      comparable little effort.

PMID- 1867017
TI  - [Intra-operative complications in arthroscopic operations. Results of a re
      arthroscopy study].
AB  - The overall complication rate of arthroscopy and arthroscopic procedure is very
      low. Iatrogenic arthroscopic joint lesions, especially the alteration of
      articular cartilage does occur, but there is no idea of proportions and
      importance of these lesions. Persistent pain and swelling after arthroscopic
      procedure lead to repeat arthroscopy and therefore to a check of diagnosis and
      treatment. From 1. 1. 1987-30. 6. 1990 we carried out 239 second-look
      arthroscopies of knee joint, 121 after diagnostic arthroscopy and arthroscopic
      procedure. In 34% we had to revise the first diagnosis. After arthroscopic
      procedure we saw in more than 50% unsatisfactory results. The most important
      reason for persistent symptoms after arthroscopic meniscectomy were cartilage
      lesions.

PMID- 1867018
TI  - [Surgical therapy of medial femoral neck fracture].
AB  - During 1986 to 1988 64 patients with the diagnosis acute medial hip fracture have
      been operated in the University Hospital (Charite) by hip endoprosthesis.
      Patients up to the age of 75 years have been treated by total hip endoprosthesis.
      Patients older than 75 years got a femoral head prosthesis. In 92.3% of the
      patients with femoral head prosthesis no complications were observed. In our
      hospital we prefer the implantation of the femoral head prosthesis in patients
      older than 75 years.

PMID- 1867019
TI  - [Management of femoral neck fracture with an intermediate (dual head) prosthesis
      in geriatric surgery].
AB  - Between 1980 and 1989 in 195 elderly patients with fractures of the femoral neck
      a duo-cup endoprosthesis was inserted. The average age was 78 years, most of them
      were high risk patients with sometimes more than 2 preexisting diseases. The
      hospital mortality after hip replacement was 9.7%, specific complications like
      protrusio acetabuli and shaft fractures were not observed. In 2 cases immediate
      postoperative luxation required reintervention. The incidence of infection was
      significantly reduced to 2.4% after antibiotic therapy. When discharged from
      hospital, 86% had a good functional result. We regard hemiarthroplasty with duo
      cup endoprosthesis as an acceptable alternative to total hip replacement in
      elderly patients with fractures of the femoral neck.

PMID- 1867020
TI  - [Monteggia injuries. Therapy and late results in 204 cases].
AB  - A follow-up check of 204 Monteggia fracture-dislocation in two clinics showed
      that in 84% of the cases an operative treatment led to good functional late
      results. In 65% of the patients treated conservatively, the mobility of the elbow
      was evidently limited. Plate fixation has been proved to stabilize ulna
      fractures, a suture of the anular ligament was in the majority of cases not
      required.

PMID- 1867021
TI  - [Functional conservative treatment of humerus shaft fracture with the plaster
      brace].
AB  - The functional-conservative treatment of fractures of the humerus shaft is the
      most efficient method today. It is an uncomplicated and reliable method for
      outpatient therapy. In our opinion only second degree open fractures and vessel
      injuries are a contraindication. A few guidelines taken into consideration enable
      everybody to learn the handling of plaster brace in a short time period. All
      fractures we treated in this way showed an osseous fracture healing.

PMID- 1867022
TI  - ["Ledderhose" disease. Plantar fibromatosis--clinical aspects].
AB  - The Ledderhose's diseases is a relatively rare and not well known clinical
      picture. Even there are tight pathomorphological and clinical relations to the
      Dupuytren's contracture, the genesis is also here quite unknown. Because of
      inefficiency of conventional therapy the surgical treatment is the only
      alternative. On the sample of 12 operations in 7 patients from 1979 to 1989
      surgical procedure and long-term results are discussed.

PMID- 1867023
TI  - [Evaluation and objective assessment of the treatment course of burn injured
      children].
AB  - Between 1984 and 1989 70 out of 76 children, who underwent a primary inpatient
      treatment for thermal injury, had predominant second degree burns affecting 3 to
      25% of body surface. Data of them, concerning epidemiology, first aid, run of
      inpatient and following outpatient therapy, were documented and summarised. All
      patients were physical examined and we judged functional and cosmetic results at
      least half a year after the injury. A uniform score allowed us a comparison of
      two different concepts of local therapy: closed treatment with impregnated gauze
      dressings vs. application of ointment (Flammacerium). Kind of documentation and
      score are proved to be of advantage in estimating run and results of treatment.

PMID- 1867024
TI  - [Intra-tendinous ganglion].

PMID- 1867025
TI  - [The ultrastructure of plasmid-containing and plasmid-free Salmonella derby
      cells].
AB  - The comparative electron-microscopic study of S. derby plasmid-containing and
      plasmid-free cells has revealed certain differences in their structures: These
      structural differences are always accompanied by changes in the form and size of
      the cells, the form of the cell wall with the appearance of fimbria-like
      processes, depending on the presence or absence of S. derby R-plasmid in the
      cells. These differences in the morphology and ultrastructure of S. derby cells,
      associated with the R-plasmid, are of interest in the study of molecular
      mechanisms of plasmid action on the development of various forms of whole cells
      and individual bacterial structures, which play an important role in the cell
      function.

PMID- 1867026
TI  - [The isolation of Vibrio fluvialis on the territory of the USSR].
AB  - For the first time V. fluvialis strains were detected on the territory of the
      USSR. The taxonomic position of these vibrios was determined by their nucleotide
      DNA composition (the content of guanine + cytosine was 49.3-51.0 mole%) and the
      characteristic features of their phenotype. The individual features of the
      strains consisted in their capacity for agglutination with cholera antisera,
      groups 01 and Inaba, in diagnostic dilutions in the presence of differences in
      genomes and phenotypes with cholera vibrios. Molecular hybridization DNA-DNA also
      gave no confirmation of their relationship to cholera vibrios (23-26% homology).
      The comparative study of V. fluvialis strains from the USSR and other countries
      by a broader set of their phenotypical signs confirmed their identity.

PMID- 1867027
TI  - [Cellular immunity function in HIV-1-infected persons].
AB  - The data on the state of cell-mediated immunity in patients with AIDS-related
      complex are presented. The synthetic peptide of membrane protein gp120 of HIV-1
      was shown to inhibit leukocyte adhesion in persons under examination, as well as
      to have the tendency towards inhibiting the chemotaxis of migratory cells. The
      maximum effect was achieved at a peptide concentration of 10(-6) M. The data
      obtained in this investigation suggest the presence of specific cell-mediated
      sensitization to the fragment of protein gp120, detected by the adhesion
      inhibition test with the use of spectrophotometric techniques and the capillary
      evaluation of the chemotaxis of migrating cells, in patients with AIDS-related
      complex.

PMID- 1867028
TI  - [Inhibitor factors in the serum of patients with the AIDS-related complex].
AB  - The data on the presence of factors blocking the reaction of E-rosette formation
      and leukocyte chemotaxis in the blood sera of patients with AIDS-related complex
      (ARC) and HIV-positive donors are presented. Most frequently the blocking of E
      rosette formation coincided with the presence of a inhibiting effect on the
      migration capacity of leukocytes. This blocking activity was not linked with the
      presence of C-reactive protein in the circulation stream. The treatment of ARC
      patients with plasmapheresis and/or travolol was accompanied either by the
      disappearance of blocking activity or by the appearance of activity stimulating E
      rosette formation.

PMID- 1867029
TI  - [A mathematical simulation model of the AIDS pandemic].
AB  - In this work the mathematical model of the spread of AIDS pandemic over 5 regions
      of the world are presented. With the values of all parameters corresponding to
      the initial dynamics of the process the prognosis obtained with the use of this
      model is highly unfavorable. The program of mathematical modeling, developed in
      this investigation, may help in the evaluation of the effectiveness of different
      measures aimed at the liquidation of the epidemic process and in their
      correction, as well as in the choice of the optimum strategy of AIDS control.

PMID- 1867030
TI  - [Experience with the selective decontamination of the intestines].

PMID- 1867031
TI  - [The use of immunoenzyme analysis and the vibriocidal antibody reaction in the
      serological examination of persons who have had cholera and of those in contact
      with them].
AB  - The preparation of cholera toxin obtained from Vibrio cholerae strain 1310 has
      been used for producing solid-phase immunosorbent intended for the enzyme
      immunoassay (EIA). The use of EIA and the vibriocidal antibody test (VAT) in the
      serological study of former cholera patients and persons having contacts with
      them has made it possible to show the excess of the antitoxic activity of sera
      over their vibriocidal activity in all subjects covered by the dynamic study
      (from 5-14 days to 8-10 months). EIA and VAT can be used as auxiliary methods in
      epidemiological survey and analysis.

PMID- 1867032
TI  - [The determination of the dates of seasonal upsurges in morbidity by a
      computational method].

PMID- 1867033
TI  - [The modification of the cell wall proteins in group A streptococci type M 29
      under the influence of spermidine contained in the culture medium].
AB  - The addition of spermidine into growth medium used for the cultivation of group A
      streptococci, type M 29, leads to changes in the amino acid composition of cell
      walls and surface proteins isolated by the method of E. H. Beachey et al. The
      separation of surface proteins into fibrinogen-binding proteins and fibrinogen
      receptors by affinity chromatography techniques on cellulose with covalently
      bound fibrinogen indicates that the proportion of these proteins in pepsin
      extracts obtained from different strains varies. Both spermidine and avirulent
      strains have similar content of fibrinogen-binding proteins, although these
      proteins are absent in virulent strains. Different amounts of fibrinogen
      receptors are extracted from all strains. As shown in the enzyme immunoassay,
      fibrinogen receptors contain no group-specific polysaccharide A, Fc-receptors and
      interact with total antiserum to group A streptococci, type M 29 [correction of
      28]. Fibrinogen receptors isolated from the strains under study have been found
      to have similar amino acid composition. On the basis of these results we believe
      that neither receptor capacity to fibrinogen nor amino acid composition is
      indicative of the protective properties of protein M.

PMID- 1867035
TI  - [The isolation of tetanolysin and study of its protective activity].

PMID- 1867034
TI  - [The cytochemical marking of lymphocyte subpopulations in determining the
      immunoreactivity status of children vaccinated with a live measles vaccine].
AB  - In 54 children aged 1.5-2 years, immunized with the same batch of live measles
      vaccine prepared from strain, the relative and absolute numbers of different
      lymphocyte subpopulations were determined in parallel by means of two
      cytochemical reactions: for acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase and acid
      phosphatase in their dynamics. According to the data obtained in these reactions,
      the determination of lymphocyte subpopulations by two cytochemical methods in the
      same blood sample yielded similar results indicating that immunization with
      attenuated measles virus strain induced a rise in the number or zero lymphocytes
      and was accompanied by the decrease of the immunoregulatory index (T-helper/T
      suppressor ratio), most pronounced in children with a high level of antibody
      formation.

PMID- 1867036
TI  - [An immunoenzyme method for demonstrating Coxiella burnetii antigens].
AB  - Materials on the development of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system for the
      detection of the antigens of C. burnetii, the causative agent of Q rickettsiosis,
      are presented. The system is highly specific and effective with respect to both
      corpuscular antigens of phases 1 and 2 and soluble antigen (lipopolysaccharide).
      The sensitivity of this method varies within the range 5-100 ng/ml. The
      effectiveness of EIA as a quantitative (semiquantitative) control test used in
      the process of the production of Coxiella preparations has been demonstrated.

PMID- 1867037
TI  - [The effect of cytostatics and corticosteroids on the phagocytic and fungicidal
      activity of the neutrophilic granulocytes].
AB  - In vitro tests have revealed that cytostatic agents and corticosteroids,
      introduced in vivo, produce an inhibitory effect on the phagocytic activity of
      mouse neutrophil granulocytes and on their capacity for the destruction of
      Candida albicans blastospores. The action of the above-mentioned preparations may
      be an important pathogenetic factor which when introduced into the animals,
      contributes to the development of candidiasis.

PMID- 1867038
TI  - [The ultrastructure of the interaction of Rickettsia sibirica and R. slovaca with
      the cells of ixodid ticks].
AB  - The ultrastructural aspects of the interaction of R. sibirica and R. slovaca with
      cells of mites of the species Dermacentor reticulatus, D. marginatus and Ixodes
      ricinus after their parenteral infection, as well as in the organs of D.
      marginatus infected naturally in the environment, have been studied. Both
      rickettsial species have similar morphology in different organs of the vector.
      These rickettsiae not only multiply, their populations are also partly destroyed
      in phagolysosomes. The natural mixed infection of R. sibirica and orbivirus in
      cells of D. reticulatus is described. As shown in this study, both associates
      pass through the complete ontogenetic cycle of development on the level of the
      host body and also on the level of an individual cell.

PMID- 1867039
TI  - [Contacts between the cells in bacterial colonies].
AB  - The interaction of cells in microbial colonies has been studied by electron
      microscopic techniques. Two types of contacts between cells have been found to
      exist in the colonies of Gram-negative bacteria of the genera Escherichia,
      Shigella and Salmonella: close cell adhesion due to the fusion of cell-wall outer
      membranes and the formation of intersections consisting of membranous tubules. At
      the sites of close adhesion the fusion of cytoplasmic and outer membranes have
      been found to occur in Bayer's zones. In the colonies of Gram-positive bacteria
      of the genera Staphylococcus and Brevibacterium only one type of contacts has
      been revealed: the fusion of the peptidoglycan layers of the cell walls. The
      results of this study indicate that in colonies bacteria are not completely
      isolated; their interaction leads to the formation of a three-dimensional
      structure denoted as a cooperative cell system.

PMID- 1867041
TI  - [The modern interpretation of the basic categories of epidemiology].

PMID- 1867040
TI  - [The absence of differences between El Tor cholera and classical cholera].

PMID- 1867042
TI  - [Vaccines in the public health of the USSR. Their general characteristics].

PMID- 1867043
TI  - [The differentiation of intestinal Escherichia coli infections].

PMID- 1867044
TI  - [The humoral immune response of different strains of mice after
      intragastrointestinal immunization with human sperm antigens].
AB  - The inbred Balb/c and C57 mice, and the outbred Swiss Webster mice were
      intragastrointestinally immunized with human sperm antigens. The lymphocytes from
      the spleen, mesenteric lymph node (MLN), Peyer's patch (PP) and uterus or
      epididymis were isolated and cultured. The lymphocyte-secreting antisperm IgG and
      IgA and the antisperm antibodies in the gut wash and serum were determined with
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the Balb/c and Swiss Webster mice,
      the immune responses to sperm have shown to be stronger than that in C57,
      stronger in female than in male. The antigenicity of sperm membrane extracts
      seems to be higher than that of whole sperm. Antisperm antibodies secreted by
      lymphocytes from the epididymis and uterus have demonstrated to be detectable.
      For stimulation of the local immune response, the intra-PP and intralumina
      immunizations are more effective than others.

PMID- 1867045
TI  - [The in vitro induction of antibody responses of human lymphocytes and its
      application to hybridoma production].
AB  - Sources of immunized lymphocytes constitute one of the main obstacles in the
      production of human monoclonal antibodies. We tried to get them through in vitro
      immunization. Cells from excised tonsils or trauma spleens were used for the
      induction of antibody responses in vitro. Antibodies to different antigens
      including sheep red blood cells, ovalbumin, tetanus toxoid, and hepatitis B
      surface antigens were induced in 7-14 days' cultures. Taking tetanus toxoid as
      antigen, we analysed the various factors required for antibody induction with
      statistics analysis, which included cell separation method, T cell conditioned
      medium, antigen dosage, serum content, and concentration of mitogen PWM and LPS.
      The results showed: (1) The cell separation method influenced the antibody
      production significantly in comparison with other factors. It signified that
      immune cells' combination was the most influential factor. (2) Serum also
      constituted quite important influencing factor especially in the later period of
      culture. However, it did not make much differences if it attended 10% or so. The
      antigens and mitogens tended to be used at low concentration. (3) Due to the
      significant variation among individuals and among different antigens, it is
      suggested to set up the culture system with some flexibility so as to adapt to
      the variation in cells and antigens from different sources. The present culture
      system we use includes nylon wall column separation of cells, suitable range of
      antigens (three doses instead of one), and either 10% T cell conditioned medium
      or a mixture of 1 microgram PWM/ ml + 0.1 microgram LPS/ml. The human B
      lymphocytes stimulated in vitro with tetanus toxoid were used for the
      construction of human hybridomas.

PMID- 1867046
TI  - [The effect of hypocrellin A on the lipid bilayer of erythrocyte membrane].
AB  - In this paper, using human erythrocyte membrane, the effect of Hypocrellin A on
      the lipid bilayer of the membrane was studied by measuring the change of the
      fluidity of the membrane, the energy transfer of the fluorescent probes, the
      shift of the fluorescent emission peaks, and the split of band-a of Hypocrellin
      A. The results showed that in the presence of HA, the fluidity of erythrocyte
      membrane was increased, the fluorescence intensity of the probes was decreased,
      and the fluorescence peaks shifted blue. These phenomena took place more
      seriously with the increment of HA concentration. Meanwhile, the band-a of HA
      excitation spectra was splitted. It was suggested from all of the results that HA
      could significantly perturb the lipid bilayer of erythrocyte membrane, there were
      interactions existing between the Hypocrellin A and the membrane. The HA was
      mainly located in the middle range of the membrane lipid bilayer when in high
      concentration (mainly to the 12-16 positions of the long chain fatty acid).

PMID- 1867047
TI  - [A distinct centro-peripheral gradient of development in dopaminergic amacrine
      cells of cat retina].
AB  - The centro-peripheral gradient of development in dopaminergic (DA) amacrine cells
      of cat retina has been studied by TH immunocytochemical method. Type I of TH
      immunoreactive neurons is typical DA cell. They reveal a clear centro-peripheral
      gradient of differentiation and maturation in space and time course during
      postnatal development. (1) At P1 stage, the TH I cells vary in TH
      immunoreactivity, soma sizes and dendritic maturation. Responding to degree of
      development, they can be divided into I1, I2 and I3. The more differentiated I1
      cells, larger and darkly immuno-stained stellate cells mostly concentrates at
      central retina, while the less differentiated I3 cells, smaller and lightly
      immunostained irregular cells concentrate at peripheral retina. I2 cells of
      moderate differentiation distribute over all the retina. (2) During the postnatal
      development, from P1 to P13, the dense area of the TH I1 cells spreads
      peripherally in company with the increase of the total number of TH I1 cells,
      comprising the central 30% of the retina at P1, 65% at P6 and almost the whole of
      the retina by P13. After eye opening, as the TH I cells have spread at far
      peripheral region, the differences in soma diameters and dendritic maturation of
      TH I cells between central and peripheral retina decrease gradually and the
      centro-peripheral gradient of maturity of TH I cells becomes less distinct. At
      P23, no significant difference is visible in either soma diameter or dendritic
      maturation in these two areas: thus, the centro-peripheral gradient is no longer
      apparent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867048
TI  - Straining urethral reflex: description of a reflex and its clinical significance.
      Preliminary report.
AB  - The present communication describes a reflex, which I call 'straining urethral
      reflex', and discusses its clinical significance. The study was performed on 17
      healthy volunteers with a mean age of 39.6 years. The intrarectal pressure
      (representative of the intra-abdominal pressure) was measured by means of a
      balloon-tipped catheter introduced into the rectum and connected to a pressure
      transducer. A concentric needle electrode was introduced into the external
      urethral sphincter. The subject was asked to strain, and the urethral sphincter
      electromyographic activity and the intrarectal pressure were recorded. Two types
      of straining were investigated: sudden and slow. The procedure was repeated in 10
      subjects after urethral sphincter infiltration with xylocaine or saline. On
      sudden straining, the external urethral sphincter contracted. The anesthetized
      sphincter did not respond, while the saline-infiltrated sphincter responded to
      sudden straining. Slow sustained straining did not evoke the reflex response. The
      latency of the reflex was calculated. The external urethral sphincter contraction
      on sudden straining guards against the involuntary opening of the vesical neck
      and urinary leak under stress conditions of a sudden increase in the intra
      abdominal pressure. The reflex may prove significant in the diagnosis of
      micturition control disorders. It can thus be included as an investigative tool
      in urologic practice.

PMID- 1867049
TI  - Utilization of computerized tomography for the determination of the volume of the
      cranial cavity of the galgo hound.
AB  - The volumetry of the cranial cavity of 30 galgo hounds (15 males and 15 females)
      has been studied by computerized axial scanning tomography and biostatistical
      methods. The serial tomodensitometric sections of heads were 5 mm thick and 5 mm
      distant, taken in sagittal and transverse planes. Results demonstrate a sexual
      differentiation, with a security of 99.99%. The discussion turns to zootechnical
      and osteoarcheological applications.

PMID- 1867050
TI  - Ultrastructure of the rat mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus.
AB  - The subcellular morphology of the mesencephalic trigeminal (Me5) nucleus in the
      rat was studied by transmission electron microscopy. Most neurons in the thin
      rostral as well as in the major caudal part of Me5 appeared as large (40-50
      microns), round- to ovoid-shaped unipolar cells. A few neurons (estimated 5%)
      appeared to be multipolar, usually bipolar. The Me5 neurons had a large, round,
      centrally located nucleus, and their cytoplasm was characterized by a dense
      network of lamellar granular endoplasmic reticulum, an abundant Golgi apparatus,
      many mitochondria and neurofilaments suggesting very active cells with a high
      rate of synthesis and axoplasmatic transport. Numerous small spinous processes
      covered the surface of the Me5 neurons. Clustering of 2 or 3 cells was
      accomplished by maculae, i.e. zones of gap junctions and close cell appositions.
      Boutons contacting the soma of Me5 neurons and boutons contacting large and small
      dendrites were defined as axosomatic and axodendritic synapses, respectively.
      Four types of synaptic boutons were distinguished: (1) S boutons, with round
      vesicles and asymmetrical as well as symmetrical synapses, (2) F boutons, with
      pleomorphic admixture of flattened and spherical vesicles and asymmetrical
      synapses, (3) P boutons, which resembled the F-type boutons but contained
      predominantly spherical vesicles and symmetrical synapses, and (4) G boutons,
      characterized by a heterogeneous population of vesicles. This description of the
      Me5 nucleus is particularly useful for future studies that attempt to correlate
      the structure of a particular synapse with its function.

PMID- 1867051
TI  - Neuropeptide-Y-immunoreactive chief cells in the carotid body of young rats.
AB  - The immunolight- and electron-microscopic study revealed neuropeptide Y (NPY)
      immunoreactivity in the chief cells and a few nerve fibers of the carotid body of
      young rats. NPY-immunoreactive chief cells were often seen as a single cell or a
      group of a few chief cells in the carotid body of young rats. The immunoreaction
      deposits were mainly seen in the dense-cored vesicles and diffusely in the
      cytoplasm of the chief cells. These findings suggest that NPY may be stored in
      the core of granules of the chief cells of the carotid body in young rats.

PMID- 1867052
TI  - Expression of cholinesterase in the Schwann cells of peripheral nerves during
      development.
AB  - In peripheral nerves of mouse embryos Schwann cells exhibit a high activity of
      unspecific cholinesterase. At first (day 12 of embryonic development) this enzyme
      occurs in the nuclear envelope and in the granular endoplasmic reticulum. Thus,
      it is possible to differentiate between Schwann cells and fibroblasts which lack
      cholinesterase. Later on (day 16) the cholinesterase has shifted to the cell
      membrane of the Schwann cells. However, only that part of the plasmalemma which
      encircles single axons and the mesaxons exhibits an irregular deposition of the
      reaction end product. In newborns the first loops of the just formed myelin
      sheath are still stained. With maturation of the myelin sheath the enzyme
      activity disappears. The functional role of cholinesterase is unclear. Possible
      roles are discussed. The expression of cholinesterase in Schwann cells depends on
      the integrity of the axons. After a few hours, the cultivation of amputated limbs
      results in a reduction of the enzyme activity. After 1 day in culture
      cholinesterase disappears totally.

PMID- 1867053
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies against a human juxtaglomerular epithelioid granular cell
      tumour.
AB  - With the exception of the renin-angiotensin system, the molecular composition of
      juxtaglomerular epithelioid granular cells (JEG cells) is unknown. We demonstrate
      the molecular peculiarities of these modified smooth muscle cells using
      monoclonal antibodies produced against a benign human JEG-cell tumour. Six out of
      29 different clones produced antibodies that label JEG cells nearly exclusively.
      Antibodies from the other clones recognize JEG cells but also granularly or
      homogeneously distributed antigens of proximal tubule cells. This suggests
      antigenic similarity between granules of JEG cells and lysosomes of proximal
      tubule cells. Other clones produce antibodies which tag different cytoplasmic
      membranes or even mast cells. The antibodies directed exclusively against JEG
      cells promise to be useful tools to study their physiology and pathology.

PMID- 1867054
TI  - Ontogeny of cholinergic ganglionic cells which take up L-3,4
      dihydroxyphenylalanine and contain vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the mouse
      tongue.
AB  - During the prenatal development of the mouse tongue, the intralingual ganglion
      was investigated histochemically and immunohistochemically for
      acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, the capacity to take up L-3,4
      dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-like
      immunoreactivity. AChE-positive cells were first observed at gestational day 12,
      and AChE-positive neurons which take up L-DOPA were found at gestational day 14,
      while VIP-like immunoreactive neurons were not seen until gestational day 16. The
      present results suggested that the cholinergic neurons within the mouse tongue
      can take up L-DOPA from gestational day 14 and synthesize VIP from gestational
      day 16.

PMID- 1867055
TI  - A model to predict canine pelvic limb musculoskeletal geometry.
AB  - We developed a model to predict the three-dimensional canine pelvic limb muscular
      geometry (i.e., all muscle moment arms during any instant in gait). Forty-one
      muscle origins and insertions, as well as external landmarks (to obtain
      anthropometric dimensions) were marked on both pelvic limbs of five dogs and
      digitized on biplanar radiographs. Reference frames in the pelvis, femur, and
      tibia established the three-dimensional coordinates of each origin, insertion,
      and landmark. A set of dimensionless 'scaled coordinates' was created by dividing
      the actual origin and insertion coordinates by selected anthropometric dimensions
      of each animal. Combining scaled coordinates from all ten limbs produced an
      averaged 'template' of scaled coordinates. To provide limited validation of the
      scaling procedure, we measured the anthropometric dimensions between externally
      palpable landmarks of two additional pelvic limbs. The anthropometric dimensions
      were multiplied by the averaged template coordinates to calculate two new sets of
      hindlimb muscle coordinates within the three bony reference frames. The two limbs
      then were dissected, muscle endpoints were marked, and biplanar radiographs of
      each of the limb segments were digitized. The actual coordinates so obtained were
      similar to those predicted by the template and anthropometric measures.

PMID- 1867056
TI  - Microcirculation of the rat omentum studied by means of corrosion casts.
AB  - A study of the microvasculature of the omentum using corrosion casts was
      undertaken. The object was to supply information regarding the morphology of the
      three-dimensional structure of the microvasculature, information which may be
      valuable in understanding the functions of the omentum. Corrosion casts of rat
      omenta were prepared and studied. Characteristic glomerular-like capillary beds
      were identified. Some of these beds were densely and others loosely arranged. Two
      types of capillaries made up these beds, tortuous and straight capillaries. These
      beds also showed a planate surface giving the impression that they lie directly
      under the mesothelium.

PMID- 1867057
TI  - Effects of low-power gallium aluminium arsenide diode laser irradiation on the
      development of synapses in the neonatal rat hippocampus.
AB  - The effect of low-power gallium aluminium arsenide diode laser irradiation on the
      development of synapses was studied in the radiatum layer and the lacunosum
      molecular layer of field CA3 of the neonatal rat hippocampus. Neonatal rats were
      irradiated with a low-power diode laser (830 nm, 60 mW) at two points located
      above the hippocampi, for 15 s, respectively, twice per day from birth (day 1) to
      day 5. The mean body weights of the laser-irradiated animals were found to be
      lower than those of the control animals, the deficit at day 20 being 22.6%.
      Moreover, the density of synaptic junctions stained by ethanolic phosphotungstic
      acid per unit area of the radiatum layer and the lacunosum-molecular layer of the
      neonatal rat hippocampus was significantly reduced at day 20. It was suggested
      that the low-power diode laser irradiation affected the development of synapses
      in the neonatal rat brain.

PMID- 1867058
TI  - Unusual membrane-bound bodies in the basal lamina of the uriniferous tubules of
      the camel Camelus dromedarius. Freeze-fracture and ultrathin-section study.
AB  - Kidney samples of the camel Camelus dromedarius were aldehyde fixed and glycerol
      impregnated for ultrathin-section and freeze-fracture studies of the basal
      lamina. Results obtained show the presence of extracellular membrane-bound bodies
      within the thick basal lamina of the tubular portion of the nephron. The 10- to
      500-nm bodies appear isolated and are found at various levels along the width of
      a highly structural lattice basal lamina. The bodies are observed either in small
      groups or as single structures which are invariably surrounded by a clear halo of
      the basal lamina. In ultrathin sections they appear limited by a typical unit
      membrane structure, and their interior may appear empty or may exhibit material
      of variable electron opacity. Freeze-fracture replicas reveal the limiting
      membrane of the bodies which appear either as concave or convex structures.
      Intramembrane particles (IMPs) measuring between 5 and 15 nm are present in some
      of the bodies, whilst others appear devoid of IMPs. The IMPs are present in both
      concave and convex surfaces and are usually aggregated into clumps. The region of
      the basal lamina which contains the membrane-bound bodies is usually granular
      except in the area immediately surrounding the bodies which corresponds to the
      clear halo observed in thin sections. Although these basal lamina membrane-bound
      bodies appear to be similar to matrix vesicles previously described in
      mineralizing tissues, it seems unlikely that they are involved in calcification.
      It is possible that the membrane-bound bodies and the highly configurated basal
      lamina may be related to ionic transport mechanisms which are associated with the
      high osmolarity of the camel urine.

PMID- 1867059
TI  - [CCL-tensulae in the skeleton as part of a hydrodynamic skeletal system].
AB  - Previous morphological studies on human bone have demonstrated that veil-like
      structures ('tensulae') occur in highly stressed regions, i.e. the interface
      between cartilage and bone. In the present report we describe the distribution of
      tensulae within various types of human bone by means of scanning electron
      microscopy and light microscopy. Tensulae were predominately located within bone
      tissue adjacent to mineralized cartilage. The surface diameter of tensulae ranged
      from minimal 50 to maximal 400 microns. Occasionally, collagen fibers extended
      from the interface between cartilage and bone to tensulae. Frequently, the latter
      were attached to fat cells as well as bone marrow cells. An elemental analysis of
      tensula revealed high levels of calcium and phosphorus of equal concentrations.
      However, bone tissue contained higher levels of calcium compared to phosphorus.
      Additionally, a monoclonal antibody was generated by immunizing rats with bone
      marrow of mice. Within bone tissue this monoclonal antibody selectively stained
      membrane-like structures which were clearly identified as tensulae. From our
      investigations we conclude that the function of tensulae in bone may be to absorb
      stress in regions where large forces are applied.

PMID- 1867060
TI  - Morphometric evaluation of chondrocyte cavities in normal and prearthrotic human
      femoral heads.
AB  - In 25 human femoral heads, the structural changes in the chondrocyte cavities of
      prearthrotic cartilage were determined in three different layers by detailed
      morphometric evaluation. As examination parameters, the area, perimeter,
      diameter, and the form deviation from a circle (form PE) were chosen. In
      addition, we calculated the numeric cell density and the mean distance between
      two chondrocyte cavities. For intraindividual comparison, the same data were
      obtained from nondegeneratively changed cartilage areas of each femoral head. The
      main arthrotic regions were located in the weight-bearing area of the femoral
      head, particularly in the dorso- and ventrolateral quadrants. The number of
      chondrocyte cavities as well as the numeric cell density were decreasing from
      superficial to basal layers, whereas the mean distance between two chondrocyte
      cavities was increasing. Concerning these parameters, no significant differences
      were seen between the prearthrotic and control groups. We found that the
      chondrocyte cavities in the superficial layer in prearthrotic areas show a
      tendency to smaller volumes in comparison with nondegeneratively changed areas,
      whereas in the basal layer, no difference could be seen. We presume that the
      changes in the articular cartilage are not related to an insufficient supply of
      the cartilage with nutriments, but probably to the high mechanical strain applied
      to its surface.

PMID- 1867062
TI  - Muscle architecture and intramuscular distribution of nerves in the human soleus
      muscle.
AB  - On the deep anterior surface of the human soleus muscle a bipenniform part is
      found, the portio anterior, which is innervated by the ramus anterior. This part
      and the innervation pattern are morphological characteristics peculiar to man. In
      six human soleus muscles plus three anomalies, the intramuscular distribution of
      the nerves supplying these muscles was macroscopically examined. In the normal
      soleus muscles, the R. anterior supplied not only the portio anterior but also
      the portio posterior through several anastomoses with twigs of the R. posterior.
      In the soleus without the portio anterior, the R. anterior entered the muscle at
      the anterior surface and joined directly with the branches of the R. posterior.
      In the soleus with two bipenniform parts, one bipenniform part was supplied by
      the R. anterior, and the other by the R. posterior. The cross-sectional area of
      the total nerves supplying the muscle was 0.72 +/- 0.036 mm2 (n = 8). The areas
      of the R. posterior and the R. anterior were in inverse relation to each other.
      These findings suggest that the R. anterior became separated from the R.
      posterior. However, the endoperineurium fiber composition of the R. anterior
      appeared to consist of a few nerve fiber components different from those of the
      R. posterior.

PMID- 1867061
TI  - Effects of castration and sex steroids on sexually dimorphic development of the
      mouse submandibular gland.
AB  - The aims of this study were to characterize sexual dimorphism in the
      submandibular glands of young adult mice and to determine how sex differences
      arise during postnatal development. In the mouse submandibular glands, prominent
      sexual dimorphism was observed at 30 days of age, when the male gland was
      superior in both the relative occupied area (ROA) and the mitotic rate of the
      granular convoluted tubules (GCT) to those of the female. By neonatal castration,
      this sexual dimorphism was abolished, and the intraglandular structures of
      castrated males were similar to those of normal females. In castrated mice of
      both sexes, daily treatment with testosterone and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone for
      10 days from 20 days induced only the ROA of the GCT to increase to the normal
      male levels but not those of the other three regions of the glands, the acini,
      intercalated ducts and excretory striated ducts. Testosterone responsiveness of
      the glands, considering both the glandular weight gain and the mitotic rate of
      the GCT, was significantly higher in castrated males than in castrated females.
      On the other hand, 17 beta-estradiol had no effect on the glands of castrated
      mice. Therefore, the present study suggests that the testicular hormones are
      responsible for the masculine development of GCT of the glands, but not the
      ovarian hormones, and that there is a sex difference in the responsiveness of the
      glands to testosterone, which is more effective in males than in females.

PMID- 1867063
TI  - Comparative mapping of acetylcholinesterase and reduced nicotinamide adenine
      dinucleotide diaphorase in the rabbit dorsal thalamus.
AB  - The distribution of acetylcholinesterase and reduced nicotinamide adenine
      dinucleotide (NADH) diaphorase enzymatic activities was mapped histochemically in
      the dorsal thalamus of the rabbit. A comparison of the resulting patterns helped
      in the histochemical delimitation of a number of nuclei, as well as in the
      detection of some subdivisions, that showed differential expression of these
      enzymes. It was observed that AChE and NADH diaphorase tend to appear in a
      complementary fashion in many dorsal thalamic neuropiles, so that intense
      activity of the one was accompanied by low activity of the other. However,
      coincident expression of both enzymes was also obtained in a small number of
      areas. The correlation of these patterns with other chemo-architectonic and
      hodologic data does not yet disclose an explanation of these regularities, which
      however suggest some functional significance.

PMID- 1867064
TI  - Differential patterns of incorporation and remodeling among various types of bone
      grafts.
AB  - The early (3 months) and later (6 months) patterns of incorporation and bone
      formation have been evaluated histomorphometrically for different types of bone
      grafts; that is, vascularized and nonvascularized autografts with and without
      ciclosporin, and vascularized and nonvascularized dog leukocyte antigen (DLA)
      mismatched allografts with and without ciclosporin. The vascularized bones were
      superior to the nonvascularized ones in healing and remodeling their grafted
      segments. In the autograft bones, ciclosporin did not alter the incorporation
      process 3 months after transplantation but delayed and increased the remodeling
      activities in the long run (6 months). Nonvascularized allografts underwent
      vigorous resorption, and were markedly porotic. Ciclosporin administration
      significantly reduced resorption and enhanced remodeling in nonvascularized
      allografts. The remodeling of allografts was similar to that of autografts in the
      presence of ciclosporin, but stopped soon after the administration of ciclosporin
      ceased.

PMID- 1867066
TI  - Microglial cells in the central nervous system of the rabbit and rat:
      cytochemical identification using two different lectins.
AB  - Microglial cells were selectively demonstrated in the central nervous system of
      adult rabbits and rats using lectin histochemistry. Biotinylated Ricinus communis
      agglutinin-120 (RCA-1) and biotinylated Griffonia simplicifolia B4 isolectin (GSA
      I-B4) were used as histochemical markers on sections of Bouin-fixed paraffin
      embedded cerebrum and cerebellum. Results were quite similar using both lectins
      and both species. GSA I-B4 resulted in a better staining in the rat, while RCA-1
      labelling was superior in the rabbit. Neither neurons nor glial cells other than
      microglia were stained with our technique. Lectin histochemistry applied for the
      detection of microglial cells appears to be of sufficient selectivity and may be
      considered as an important tool in the morphological and neurobiological study of
      these cells.

PMID- 1867065
TI  - Orientation of adhering junctions between bovine pulmonary fibroblasts.
AB  - The ultrastructure and orientation of microfilament-attaching junctions between
      pulmonary fibroblasts (also known as myofibroblasts or contractile interstitial
      cells) of bovine lung septa were investigated by transmission electron
      microscopy. Adhering junctions similar to the fascia adherens of the intercalated
      disc, but of a macular design, link microfilament bundles of adjacent
      fibroblasts. The bundles of microfilaments joined by junctions were usually
      aligned perpendicularly to the axis of the alveolar wall. Gap junctions were
      located in close proximity to the adhering junctions, presumably to co-ordinate
      the contraction of the cells. The data indicate that fibroblasts are able to form
      multicellular contractile units within healthy, mature lung parenchyma.

PMID- 1867067
TI  - Protein-secretory patterns of normal and abnormal human placentas with special
      reference to human chorionic gonadotropin.
AB  - [35S]Methionine-labeled protein-secretory patterns resolved by two-dimensional
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in abnormal hydatidiform-mole placentas were
      compared with those in normal full-term placentas with special reference to human
      chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) by means of immunoblotting and immunoelectron
      microscopic techniques. Although basic protein-secretory patterns of both
      placentas were similar to each other, four polypeptide spots appeared and one
      spot disappeared in the hydatidiform-mole samples. Among four newly synthesized
      and secreted spots, three were immunoreacted with anti-hCG serum by an
      immunoblotting experiment. Ultrastructural localization of hCG showed that the
      labeling intensity of anti-hCG serum in hydatidiform-mole placentas was much
      heavier than that in full-terms ones. Particularly, the Golgi apparatus, middle
      sized granules and large bodies were highly immunoreactive. The present study
      reveals that hydatidiform-mole placentas have different protein-secretory
      functions especially in hCG synthesis and secretion from those of normal
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1867068
TI  - Optimal replacement of the cruciate ligaments from the functional-anatomical
      point of view.
AB  - By means of a combined technique of dissection and radiography, the function of
      cruciate ligament fibers was analyzed for motions in the sagittal plane, and
      different functional fiber bundles were reconstructed in cadaver knees. In order
      to grant permanent stability, crucial replacement must be concentrated on the
      reconstruction of the constantly taut 'guiding bundle' of each cruciate ligament.
      The femoral attachment point of each guiding bundle was found to be in a constant
      position within the femoral attachment of the respective cruciate ligament. The
      femoral attachment areas of different functional fibers are also defined
      geometrically, and the consequences of improper guiding bundle replacement are
      discussed.

PMID- 1867070
TI  - Branches of the left pulmonary artery supplying the basal segments of the lung.
AB  - The studies were carried out on 100 left lungs taken from dead human bodies of
      both sexes whose age varied from 16 to 80 years. The pulmonary artery and the
      bronchus were injected with a 65% solution of duracryl and then digested in
      sulfuric acid. The specimens obtained were then examined to determine the number
      and dimensions of the branches of the basal portion of the left pulmonary artery
      penetrating into the basal segments of the left lower pulmonary lobe. Their
      length was 60 mm at the most, and their diameter 9.8 mm. Three types of
      ramification of the basal portion of the left pulmonary artery were distinguished
      on the basis of the trunks, segmental and subsegmental branches present. In 70%
      of the cases the branches penetrating into the basal segments showed tree-like
      type, in 3% of the cases showed bushy-like type, and in 27% of the cases middle
      type.

PMID- 1867069
TI  - Postnatal effects of nicotine on first molar development in the CD-1 mouse.
AB  - Young CD-1 mice, 4 days old, exposed to 0.1% nicotine sulfate on gestational days
      6-20 were compared with untreated pups of the same age to determine its effect on
      the development of mandibular first molars. Pregnant mice were given
      intraperitoneal injections of nicotine at a dose of 1.67 mg/kg/day. Pups were
      then decapitated, their entire mandibles were excised, routinely prepared and
      embedded in paraffin, sectioned in the frontal plane and stained with hematoxylin
      and eosin for histological examination of developing lower first molars. The
      results demonstrated that the process of odontogenesis appears retarded in
      nicotine-treated animals while the molars of the control group revealed dentin
      and enamel formation. It was concluded that nicotine has a detrimental effect on
      molar development. Nicotine may interfere with cellular maturation of the tooth
      germ indicating that this effect is prenatal and extends postnatally.

PMID- 1867071
TI  - Atrioventricular and ventriculoatrial branches of the coronary arteries in human
      hearts.
AB  - Atrioventricular (AV) and ventriculoatrial (VA) branches of the coronary arteries
      are vessels which supply simultaneously atrial and ventricular walls by means of
      recurrent rami. The terminology indicates the name of the main vessel followed by
      the name of the recurrent vessel both combined in an adjective. These branches
      establish a vascular 'suture' across the coronary sulcus in front (superficially
      to) or behind (deeply to) the trunks of the right coronary artery and of the left
      coronary artery (circumflex artery). The AV and VA branches, found in 95% of 40
      human hearts, should be considered a normal characteristic of the coronary
      circulation and an important anatomical factor for the clinical interpretation of
      pathological cardiac phenomena.

PMID- 1867072
TI  - Epidemiological studies of childhood insulin dependent diabetes.

PMID- 1867073
TI  - A discordant movement in urine calcium excretion in relation to serum calcium and
      parathyroid function occurring immediately after birth.
AB  - We studied the relationship between serum calcium and urinary calcium excretion
      in association with the parathyroid function in 28 neonates at birth and at five
      days of age. At birth, the urine calcium was low in spite of high cord serum
      calcium and a low parathyroid hormone level. On the fifth day of birth, urinary
      calcium excretion increased despite the reduction in serum calcium and an
      increase in the parathyroid hormone. These results suggest that the large
      increase in renal blood flow and the consequent increase in calcium load on the
      immature renal tubule occurring after birth may be the main cause for the change
      in this serum calcium-urinary calcium relationship. This finding can in part
      explain the temporary hypocalcemia during this period.

PMID- 1867074
TI  - Neonatal sepsis in Pakistan. Presentation and pathogens.
AB  - The case records of all neonates admitted to the neonatal unit at Aga Khan
      University Hospital (Karachi) in a 30 month period (Nov. 86-April 89) were
      analysed. Of 60 neonates with confirmed sepsis, 33 (55%) had non-nosocomial
      infection (NNC) whereas 27 (45%) had nosocomial sepsis (NC). The most common
      organisms causing early-onset NNC sepsis were Klebsiella species (53%) and
      Escherichia coli (10%), whereas the organisms causing late-onset NNC sepsis
      included Salmonella parathypi (21%), Group A Streptococcus (21%), Escherichia
      coli (14%) and Pseudomonas species (14%). Klebsiella was the most common organism
      causing NC sepsis, others being Staphylococcus aureus (15%) and Serratia species
      (15%). The mortality in NC sepsis, early-onset and late onset NNC sepsis was 44%,
      26% and 43%, respectively. Risk factors associated with NNC sepsis included low
      birthweight, prematurity and prolonged and complicated deliveries. There was a
      high incidence of drug resistance to ampicillin and gentamicin among gram
      negative organisms causing sepsis (mean 67%).

PMID- 1867076
TI  - Effects of indomethacin on cerebral hemodynamics at rest and during endotracheal
      suctioning in preterm neonates.
AB  - The effect of therapeutic doses of indomethacin versus placebo (saline) on
      cerebral hemodynamics was studied in nine mechanically ventilated preterm
      infants. Recordings were made at rest and during endotracheal suctioning.
      Indomethacin at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight was infused over 5 min. Compared
      to placebo, there was a significant decrease in Doppler mean frequency in the
      anterior cerebral artery within minutes of starting the indomethacin infusion
      during the resting period after the first (p less than 0.01), second (p less than
      0.001) and third (p less than 0.025) doses. This effect has persisted during
      endotracheal suctioning. Thus, indomethacin alters cerebral hemodynamics by
      decreasing Doppler mean frequency. In view of these findings, and particularly
      because of the alteration in the resting cerebral hemodynamics, the
      recommendation of prophylactic treatment with indomethacin remains questionable.

PMID- 1867075
TI  - Intestinal colonization with Enterobacteriaceae in Pakistani and Swedish hospital
      delivered infants.
AB  - Rectal cultures from Swedish and Pakistani hospital-delivered newborn infants
      were analysed regarding the early acquisition of enterobacteria. Swedish infants
      were delivered vaginally, Pakistani infants were delivered either vaginally or by
      caesarean section. The Swedish infants were all breast-fed, whereas breastfeeding
      was incomplete and often started late among the Pakistani infants. Both groups of
      Pakistani infants were more rapidly colonized with enterobacteria than were the
      Swedish infants. Cultures from Swedish infants seldom yielded more than one kind
      of enterobacteria; E. coli and Klebsiella were most frequently isolated. E. coli
      dominated in both Pakistani groups, but especially caesarean section delivered
      infants were in addition often colonized with Proteus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter
      or Citrobacter species. Breastfeeding from the first day of life reduced
      colonization with Klebsiella/Enterobacter/Citrobacter. The results suggest that
      environmental exposure, delivery mode and early feeding habits all influence the
      early intestinal colonization with enterobacteria.

PMID- 1867077
TI  - Subcapsular hemorrhage of the liver in the very low birthweight neonate.
AB  - Between 1974 and 1989, 15 neonates were found, at autopsy, to have subcapsular
      hematoma of the liver in a retrospective clinicopathologic study of 644 neonates.
      The majority (75%) of the neonates were less than 28 weeks gestation, male
      gender, and were delivered by the vaginal route following a complicated pregnancy
      and labor including malpresentation. The clinical course included resuscitation
      at birth, ventilatory support and hypovolemic shock with death occurring within
      24 hours in 11 neonates. Other clinical events included air leak (n = 4 infants)
      and infection (n = 4). Intracranial hemorrhage was suspected in all but was found
      at autopsy in 8 neonates. The subcapsular hematoma was intact in 7 and ruptured
      in 8 neonates. Hence, subcapsular hemorrhage of the liver should be considered in
      the differential diagnosis of hypovolemic shock in very low birthweight infants.

PMID- 1867078
TI  - Circulating blood volume in appropriate and small for gestational age full term
      and preterm polycythaemic infants.
AB  - Relative circulating volume (CV) was determined in 31 polycythaemic newborn
      infants who underwent a partial plasma exchange transfusion (PPET). The infants
      were divided in four sub-groups: appropriate for gestational age (AGA) term and
      preterm infants, and small for gestational age (SGA) term and preterm infants. CV
      was calculated using a regression line between the number of exchange steps and
      central venous haematocrit values obtained before the procedure and after every
      exchange step. The median relative CV in all polycythaemic newborn infants was
      94.0 (range 69-143) ml/kg. Irrespective of gestational age and birthweight the
      median relative CV in AGA infants was 86.5 (range 69-107) ml/kg, which differed
      significantly from the value of 106 (range 85-143) ml/kg found in SGA infants. If
      a PPET is indicated we recommend to calculate the exchange volume in AGA infants
      using a relative CV of 86 ml/kg and in SGA infants using a relative CV of 106
      ml/kg.

PMID- 1867079
TI  - Hyaline membrane disease and early neonatal aldosterone metabolism in infants of
      less than 33 weeks gestation.
AB  - We studied urine excretion of free and conjugated aldosterone by 12 control
      infants and 14 infants with hyaline membrane disease (HMD) on the first and
      seventh days after birth. Both groups had a mean gestational age of 29 weeks.
      Total urine aldosterone excretion (UAE) and percent excreted as conjugate were
      similar for both groups on both study days, and did not relate to the severity of
      respiratory failure in infants with HMD. Sodium intake was higher for infants
      with HMD on both study days (p less than 0.02), but their urine sodium excretion
      was only significantly (p less than 0.01) higher on day 7. For total UAE values
      greater than 3 nmol/kg/d, there was no significant difference between estimated
      sodium-potassium exchange by control (22 +/- 5%, n = 8) and HMD (31 +/- 5%, n =
      10) groups. These data suggest that neither the magnitude of excretion of
      aldosterone in the urine, the ability to conjugate aldosterone nor the degree of
      relative distal tubular unresponsiveness to aldosterone are related to the
      severity of pulmonary immaturity in preterm infants.

PMID- 1867080
TI  - Vitamin D metabolism in pre-operative extrahepatic biliary atresia.
AB  - In order to clarify the pathogenesis of rickets in preoperative patients with
      extrahepatic biliary atresia, we evaluated baseline serum 25-OHD and 1,25(OH)2D
      levels and correlated serum 25-OHD levels with increase in age and season of
      birth in 16 preoperative patients. Further, parenteral vitamin D2 tolerance tests
      were performed in 5 cases. Serum 25-OHD and 1,25(OH)2D levels were significantly
      lower than those in 15 normal controls. There was a negative correlation between
      the serum 25-OHD levels and increase in age. The patients born during the winter
      had lower serum 25-OHD concentrations than those born in summer. The mean value
      of increased 25-OHD levels after the parenteral vitamin D2 tolerance tests did
      not differ from that of 6 controls. Since there was no impairment of vitamin D 25
      hydroxylation, the reduction in serum 25-OHD may therefore be mainly due to
      disturbed intestinal vitamin D absorption. It was also concluded that season of
      birth and increase in age are pathogenic factors in the etiology of rickets in
      preoperative patients with extrahepatic biliary atresia.

PMID- 1867081
TI  - Inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents: a somatic and psychiatric
      investigation.
AB  - Twenty consecutive patients between 9 and 18 years of age with inflammatory bowel
      disease (IBD) [ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD)] were assessed for
      the presence of psychiatric disorder. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder
      using the DSM-III-R criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 3rd ed.,
      revised), was 60% in the IBD group compared to 15% in a matched control group (p
      = 0.009). The psychiatric disturbances were mainly depressive or anxiety
      disorders. The IBD children also scored significantly higher (p = 0.0028) on the
      Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) which was completed by the mothers. This
      indicates more behavioural problems in the IBD group than in the control group.
      The present study suggests that children and adolescents with IBD comprise a
      population at high risk for developing a psychiatric disorder that may not be
      overt but nevertheless plays an important interactive role in the course of the
      disease.

PMID- 1867082
TI  - Single dose treatment of cystitis in children.
AB  - The efficacy of single dose treatment with trimethoprim compared to a 5-day
      course with the same drug was investigated in 100 children, 3-12 years, with
      isolated episodes of symptomatic non-febrile urinary tract infection. Cure,
      defined as sterile urine during the first week after treatment, was achieved in
      74% (37/50) in the single dose group compared to 86% (43/50) in the 5-day
      treatment group. The difference was not statistically significant (chi 2 = 2.25,
      p = 0.134 two-tailed). The cure rates in relation to P-fimbriation of the
      infecting E. coli strains were similar in the two groups. During the 6 month
      follow-up, six children in each treatment group had one or more reinfections.
      Extended studies are needed to conclude if single dose and conventional treatment
      courses are equally effective.

PMID- 1867083
TI  - Deficiency of IgG subclasses and IgA, and elevation of IgE in children with a
      past history of bacterial meningitis.
AB  - Of 44 children who recovered from an attack of bacterial meningitis, 3 (7%) were
      found to have IgG subclass deficiency, 5 (11%) had IgA deficiency and 22 (50%)
      had raised IgE levels. These results suggest that immunoglobulin abnormalities
      may be an important predisposing factor in some cases of bacterial meningitis.

PMID- 1867084
TI  - Immunological markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of HIV-1-infected children.
AB  - Several immunological abnormalities were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected children.
      Intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins, free light chains (FLC), IL-1 beta, IL
      6, and M-CSF were demonstrated both in asymptomatic children and children with
      subacute encephalopathy. Our findings further support the hypothesis that an
      immunopathological subclinical process within the central nervous system (CNS)
      may be an early manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
      Cytokine detection in the CSF may represent a useful diagnostic tool in
      evaluating the outcome of HIV-1-infected patients.

PMID- 1867085
TI  - Blood lipids and diet in Swedish adolescents living in Norsjo, an area with high
      incidence of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
AB  - In Norsjo in Northern Sweden a cardiovascular intervention programme, for adults
      is presently tested. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence
      of factors related to cardiovascular disease in all 15-year-old adolescents
      living in Norsjo in 1987 and 1988. The total cholesterol concentration in serum,
      as an average for the test period, was 4.2 mmol/l and 4.7 mmol/l for boys and
      girls, respectively. Fourteen per cent of the boys and 32% of the girls had a
      total cholesterol concentration exceeding 5 mmol/l. Twenty-seven per cent of the
      adolescents had high values for two or more variables related to risk of
      developing cardiovascular disease. The evaluation of the dietary registrations
      showed unsatisfactory values for fibre, P/S ratio and total fat. The dietary
      habits were better in the 15-year-olds in 1988 than in 1987 as judged by
      significantly higher average daily intake of fibre as well as a higher content of
      fibre per megajoule in the food.

PMID- 1867086
TI  - Lipoprotein alterations and plasma lipoprotein lipase reduction in familial
      hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
AB  - Serum lipid abnormalities are common in familial hemophagocytic
      lymphohistocytosis (FHL), a disorder also characterized by fever,
      hepatosplenomegaly, pancytopenia and a prominent lymphohistiocytic accumulation
      in the mononuclear phagocyte system. The lipoprotein pattern in nine children
      with FHL was studied with a quantitative method measuring cholesterol and
      triglycerides in each major class of lipoproteins. Triglycerides were markedly
      elevated during active FHL in serum, very low density lipoproteins, and low
      density lipoproteins. Cholesterol was increased in very low density lipoproteins
      whereas both triglycerides and cholesterol were extremely low in high density
      lipoproteins. These lipoprotein abnormalities, reversible on successful therapy,
      are compatible with a depressed lipolytic activity. Post-heparin levels of
      lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase in plasma were studied in four children and
      found to be markedly low during active FHL. We suggest that inflammatory
      cytokines, which may strongly suppress lipoprotein lipase activity, can be
      important mediators in the pathophysiology of FHL and that they may participate
      in the development of the lipid abnormalities.

PMID- 1867087
TI  - Quantitation of muscles and fat by ultrasonography: a useful method in the
      assessment of malnutrition in children.
AB  - We used ultrasonography to measure muscles in the arms and thighs of 16 children
      with malignant diseases. Thicknesses of transverse sections of the brachial
      biceps muscle and the femoral quadriceps muscle were measured by ultrasound at
      the midpoint of the right arm and thigh. These two measures had a linear
      correlation (r = 0.76). The ultrasound measurements did not differ from those
      obtained by the CT scan which was used as a reference standard. The
      reproducibility of the measurements was good; the coefficient of variation was
      2.4% for the midarm muscles and 2.8% for the midthigh muscles. We conclude that
      the ultrasound method combined with simple anthropometric measurements is helpful
      in the assessment of nutritional status of children with potential malnutrition.

PMID- 1867088
TI  - Respiratory tract infections in children with recurrent episodes as preschoolers.
AB  - The occurrence of respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 41 school-age children,
      who had recurrent RTIs treated with antibiotics as preschoolers, was followed
      prospectively for two years through diary reports by parents and medical
      consultations, and compared with that in 29 children of the same age and socio
      economic background, who had few or no such infections as preschoolers. During
      the two-year follow-up, a greater number of episodes of RTI and a longer mean
      duration of such episodes were reported in the diaries concerning the children
      with recurrent bacterial RTIs as preschoolers compared with the controls (p less
      than 0.01). The annual incidence of bacterial RTI from birth onwards decreased
      with age among the children with recurrent episodes as preschoolers, unlike in
      the control group, where the incidence remained consistently low, the difference
      in incidence being significant up to the age of eight years (p less than 0.01).
      Acute otitis media was the predominant bacterial RTI in preschoolers, and acute
      tonsillitis in school-age children. There was a tendency toward a greater
      incidence of other types of disease and complications/sequelae of infections
      among the RTI-afflicted group than among the controls, both as preschoolers and
      as school children. Our findings suggest that certain children constitute a group
      with high morbidity, susceptible to RTIs and other illnesses over a rather long
      period of years.

PMID- 1867089
TI  - Children with recurrent respiratory tract infections tend to belong to families
      with health problems.
AB  - Children (7-11 years of age) who had recurrent respiratory tract infections (RTI)
      treated with antibiotics as preschoolers (n = 41), and their families were
      compared with regard to medical and social factors to families with children of
      comparable age who had had no such infections as preschoolers, or only isolated
      episodes (controls; n = 29). All the children studied had attended day-care
      centres as preschoolers. The two groups of children did not differ with regard to
      socio-economic conditions or age at admission to day-care centres. There was a
      difference in the two groups with regard to signs noted at physical examination
      (p less than 0.05), eardrum changes being observed in 34% of the children with
      recurrent episodes of RTI as preschoolers and in none of the controls (p less
      than 0.001). Questionnaires answered by parents indicated diseases, particularly
      cardiovascular diseases, to be significantly more frequent in the families of the
      children with recurrent RTIs as preschoolers than in those of the controls (p
      less than 0.01). Parents of the controls were more often satisfied with their own
      health (p less than 0.05) and reported fewer symptoms of minor illness (p less
      than 0.05), as compared with parents of the children with recurrent RTIs as
      preschoolers. Thus, the results of the present study support the idea that
      children with recurrent bacterial RTIs as preschoolers tend to belong to families
      with health problems.

PMID- 1867090
TI  - Respiratory illness in children: do deprived children have worse coughs?
AB  - Parents of a stratified random sample of 234 children from 21 general practices
      in North East England were interviewed at home. All these children had been
      reported in a postal questionnaire as having had a cough between six and ten
      weeks before the interview. Interviews covered social characteristics of the
      family, the severity of the child's cough and the reactions of the parents to
      hypothetical sets of symptoms. The parents of children in materially deprived
      circumstances appeared to report worse coughs than other parents. We confirmed
      this finding by constructing a scale of perceived cough severity. However, we
      found no evidence that the inequality was due to exaggeration of the severity of
      the cough by materially deprived parents. Our conclusion that materially deprived
      children suffer worse respiratory illness is the more important because previous
      evidence suggests that the after-effects persist into adulthood.

PMID- 1867091
TI  - Oestrogen treatment of tall girls: effect decreases with age.
AB  - Fifty-nine tall girls were treated with oestrogen to reduce final height,
      starting at the ages of 9.1 to 16.2 years. We assessed the result of this
      treatment by comparison with matched controls. The epiphyseal bone age at the
      start of therapy, the final height, the Bayley-Pinneau (BP) and Roche-Wainer
      Thissen (RWT) predictions of final height, and the errors in both predictions
      were evaluated. The matched pairs were divided into three groups according to
      bone age at the start of treatment; I less than 10.5 (n = 16), II 10.5-12.0 (n =
      22) and III greater than 12.0 years (n = 21). The mean (SD) intrapair reduction
      of height for these groups was 9.7 (4.0) cm, 4.3 (4.3) cm and 3.5 (3.2) cm,
      respectively, according to BP predictions and 6.3 (4.3) cm, 3.4 (3.0) cm and 1.2
      (3.3) cm according to RWT predictions. No method of predicting height is accurate
      for tall girls and simultaneous predictions may differ greatly. Close agreement
      between the BP and RWT predictions does not indicate greater accuracy. The
      earlier therapy is started, the greater is the effect. Young girls need
      psychosocial support with therapy.

PMID- 1867092
TI  - Incidence of childhood insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Lithuania 1983
      1988.

PMID- 1867093
TI  - Home-made oral rehydration solutions: variations in composition.

PMID- 1867094
TI  - Asthma as the first presenting symptom of complex glycerol kinase deficiency.
AB  - Two patients presenting with asthma as the first clinical symptom of a mild form
      of Addison crisis were found to have complex glycerol kinase deficiency (CGKD).
      They had been treated with bronchodilators prior to the exact diagnosis. Asthma
      may appear in a mild form of Addison crisis in a patient with CGKD. Pediatricians
      should be aware of this unusual presentation of CGKD.

PMID- 1867095
TI  - Congenital agammaglobulinemia presenting with ecthyma gangrenosum.
AB  - Two males with presumed X-linked agammaglobulinemia (X-LA) presented with ecthyma
      gangrenosum. This is an unusual presentation of this syndrome. Possible causes
      are discussed.

PMID- 1867096
TI  - Radiocontrast-induced nephropathy in a pair of xiphaomphalopagus conjoined twins
      during the neonatal period.
AB  - One of the babies in a pair of xiphaomphalopagus conjoined twins developed
      oliguria, transient rise in serum creatinine and persistent nephrogram on the
      sixth day of life following injection of radiocontrast medium for computerised
      axial tomography scanning of the urinary system. The other twin was spared but
      developed hypertension and "dialysed" the oliguric twin. The renal profiles of
      both neonates subsequently remained normal until they reached adequate weight for
      surgical separation at a later date.

PMID- 1867097
TI  - Enzyme-induced aggregation and disaggregation of tumor cells via the cell surface
      glycocalyx in association with deoxyribonucleic acid.
AB  - Serine proteases cause aggregation of the rat ascites tumor cell lines AH-130, AH
      109A and YS in vitro, and the tumor cell aggregates are dissolved by treatment
      with DNase I. We previously demonstrated that these events played a critical role
      in the augmentation or reduction of experimental blood-borne metastasis of these
      cell lines. In the present study, the ultrastructural features of this protease
      dependent aggregation were analysed. Transmission and scanning electron
      microscopy revealed that after the protease treatment each tumor cell was
      surrounded by a thin membranous (sleeve-like) structure. This sleeve-like
      structure was stained with ruthenium red to an intensity similar to the cell
      surface of the control. Adjacent cells became attached to each other with
      microvilli via this fine structure. Immuno-electron microscopy revealed DNA
      antigen as dense patches on the sleeve-like structure or as faint and diffuse
      deposits on the outer surface of the cells by indirect immunoperoxidase staining
      using an anti-DNA monoclonal antibody. Both the sleeve-like structure and
      immunopositive deposits disappeared after treatment with DNase I. Neither cell
      viability nor the normal ultrastructure of their organelles was influenced by the
      enzyme treatment. These results indicate that serine protease-induced tumor cell
      aggregation is due to cellular contact via the sleeve-like structure, which
      probably originates from the cell surface glycocalyx in association with DNA
      molecules of unknown origin.

PMID- 1867098
TI  - Immunohistochemical demonstration of epidermal growth factor receptor and
      ceruloplasmin in thyroid diseases.
AB  - The expression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) and ceruloplasmin (CP)
      in thyroid diseases was investigated by immunohistochemical methods, and the
      results were compared with the expression of thyroglobulin (TG). Eighty-eight
      surgical specimens of thyroid diseases, including follicular carcinoma (7 cases),
      papillary carcinoma (20 cases), follicular adenoma (29 cases), adenomatous goiter
      (10 cases), diffuse hyperplasia (20 cases) and chronic thyroiditis (2 cases),
      were studied. All cases of follicular carcinoma and 18 cases (90%) of papillary
      carcinoma expressed the EGFR immunoreaction in the cytoplasm with a moderate to
      strong staining intensity. A weak immunoreaction for EGFR was noted in some
      benign thyroid diseases. CP showed various degrees of positivity in all cases of
      follicular carcinoma and 19 cases (95%) of papillary carcinoma. The benign
      thyroid lesions were consistently negative for this antigen, not counting one
      case of Hurthle cell adenoma. There was a positive correlation between EGFR and
      CP immunostaining intensity in thyroid carcinomas, representing higher expression
      of EGFR accompanied by a stronger staining intensity of CP. Except for two cases
      of papillary carcinoma, all cases showed immunoreaction for TG. The results
      indicate the enhanced expression of EGFR and CP in thyroid carcinomas. EGFR and
      CP thus appear to be valuable tools for differential diagnosis between benign and
      malignant thyroid neoplasms.

PMID- 1867099
TI  - Paraffin-immunohistochemical analysis of 226 non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas in
      the endemic area of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1.
AB  - A study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of paraffin-immunohistochemistry
      for histopathological classification of non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas (NHML).
      the phenotypes of lymphoma cells and other cells were examined using 11
      monoclonal and 3 polyclonal antibodies by the ABC method on paraffin-embedded
      tissue sections of 226 cases of NHML, comprising 94 B-cell lymphomas (B-ML) and
      132 T-cell lymphomas (T-ML). In 219 NHML cases (96.8%), lymphoma cells reacted
      with more than one of these antibodies. A set of MB-1, Mx-pan B, L26, LN-1, LN-2
      and anti-immunoglobulin light chain antibodies characterized each subtype of B
      MLs, categorized according to the Kiel classification. Mantle-zone lymphoma
      (MzML) was added as one subtype. L26 stained the largest number of B-MLs (82.8%).
      B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) was labeled most frequently by MB-1.
      MzML was characterized by reactivity of lymphoma cells with LN-2 and by the
      appearance of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain along the cell membrane.
      Follicle center cell lymphomas were stained by LN-1 and LN-2, although a small
      number of proliferating cells were labeled by LN-1 in B-CLL, MzML and the
      immunocytoma lymphoplasmacytic/cytoid variant. MT-1 and/or UCHL-1 showed various
      degrees of reactivity with the cell membranes of lymphoma cells in 94.8% of T
      MLs. Among the T-cell pleomorphic lymphomas of Suchi and Lennert, the adult T
      cell leukemia/lymphoma type, defined by stippled heterochromatin distribution and
      peculiar huge cells, reacted selectively (p less than 0.05) with anti
      phosphokinase C antibody. Anaplastic large cell T-ML reacted with a set of Ber
      H2, LN-2 and Leu M1. In T-zone lymphomas without hyperplastic follicles,
      angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia-type T-ML,
      lymphoepithelioid cell lymphomas and some pleomorphic lymphomas comprising clear
      large lymphoma cells, there were many intermingling B cells, and their
      constitution varied. In some lymphoblastic lymphomas of both the T cell and B
      cell type, phenotypes of T cells and B cells were expressed. Consequently, it was
      shown that paraffin immunohistochemistry was useful for the practical
      histopathological diagnosis of NHML even in the area where human T-cell leukemia
      virus type 1 is endemic.

PMID- 1867101
TI  - The heart under normal and pathological conditions: comparative and experimental
      studies.

PMID- 1867100
TI  - Peptide tyrosine tyrosine-positive ovarian carcinoid tumor arising from a dermoid
      cyst.
AB  - A case of ovarian carcinoid tumor of the trabecular type is presented. The small
      carcinoid tumor was found incidentally in a resected dermoid cyst.
      Histologically, the tumor was surrounded by a smooth muscle layer with focal
      stromal invasion. Non-carcinoid papillary mucosa and a few small glands,
      simulating the mucosa of the fallopian tube and remnant mullerian glands,
      respectively, were also present adjacent to the carcinoid tumor and enclosed by
      the same smooth muscle layer. The tumor cells revealed argyrophilia, and were
      positive for peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) in the cytoplasm and for CEA in part
      of the luminal surface. This case was considered to be a rare ovarian carcinoid
      tumor arising from a dermoid cyst, without association of struma ovarii. PYY may
      be a potential marker for determining the histogenesis of ovarian carcinoid
      tumors.

PMID- 1867102
TI  - Ultrastructural changes at the border of the ischaemic zone within one hour of
      coronary artery occlusion.
AB  - The ultrastructure was studied by electron microscopy in myocytes obtained from
      the periphery of the ischaemic zone 10, 20, 40, and 60 min after occlusion of the
      left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in open chest anaesthetized cats.
      The morphology of this zone was compared to that of the normally perfused
      myocardium in the same hearts. Samples were collected from the border of the
      ischaemic tissue as defined by in vivo injection of fluorescein and verified by
      regional blood flow measurements with radiolabelled microspheres. After 10 min of
      LAD-occlusion, we observed swelling of the mitochondria in the border zone. The
      mitochondrial swelling remained stable for the first hour after LAD-occlusion.
      There was no difference in the fractional volume of lipid droplets between the
      normal and border zones after 10 min of ischaemia. The fractional volume of lipid
      droplets, however, was significantly reduced in the normal zone after 20 min of
      coronary artery occlusion, whereas it remained unchanged in the border zone. Up
      to 60 min after LAD-occlusion the fractional volumes of cytoplasm in the border
      zone were not different from the corresponding values in the normal zone,
      indicating that there was no cytoplasmic oedema in the border zone. However, a
      reduced fractional volume of myofibrils in the border zone after 20 min of LAD
      occlusion, may indicate a slight cell swelling, probably due to the mitochondrial
      swelling. In the border zone there was a slight increase in the number of cells
      with sarcolemmal injuries after 10 min of LAD-occlusion. Cells with chromatin
      clumping and margination were found after 20 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1867103
TI  - Early restoration of cardiac function in hearts with acute regional ischaemia.
      The importance of beta-adrenergic stimulation.
AB  - The effects of acute coronary artery occlusion in anaesthetized cats has been
      studied with regard to changes in cardiac function and regional myocardial blood
      flow. Occlusion of the left anterior decending coronary artery (LAD) is followed
      by a rapid reduction of peak systolic blood pressure (LVSP) and contractility
      (dP/dt) and increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). Five
      minutes after coronary occlusion heart rate, LVSP, and (dP/dt) was reduced and
      LVEDP increased. Global cardiac function measured by these variables was
      gradually restored to preocclusion values; LVSP after 10 min., heart rate and
      dP/dt after 20 min. After 40 and 60 min these variables were stable at
      preocclusion levels. LVEDP remained permanently elevated. In hearts with regional
      ischaemia and paced heart rate global cardiac function was mainly restored 20 min
      after coronary occlusion except for increased LVEDP, both in cats pretreated with
      non-selective beta-adrenergic blockade (propranolol) and in unblocked cats. In
      general, blood flow in non-ischaemic myocardium adjacent to the ischaemic region
      increased following coronary occlusion, although not significantly in the
      endocardium. The endocardial/epicardial blood flow ratio was stable in unblocked
      hearts and was reduced in beta-blocked hearts. In normally perfused myocardium
      remote from the ischaemic region, blood flow increased following occlusion both
      in beta-blocked and unblocked cats, most pronounced in the epicardium; the
      endo/epicardial blood flow ratio decreased.

PMID- 1867104
TI  - The angina pectoris controversy during the 1920s.
AB  - This paper examines the evidence for and against the various rival theories for
      the explanation of pain in angina pectoris. It is shown that the counterarguments
      used during the 1920s against the coronary theory had not been answered a decade
      later when the coronary theory was generally accepted by the research and
      clinical community.

PMID- 1867106
TI  - Organization of connexons and gap junctions in human heart cells.

PMID- 1867105
TI  - Effects of low osmolar contrast media on cardiac function: optimal sodium
      concentration for contractility.
AB  - The effects of adding NaCl to the non-ionic contrast medium iohexol (Omnipaque)
      were investigated in the isolated rat heart. Iohexol (150 mgI/ml) with 0, 10, 20,
      30, 50, 145 mM NaCl added and the ionic dimeric compound ioxaglate (Hexabrix 160
      mgI/ml) containing approximately 75 mM NaCl were examined. Coronary flow rate
      (CFR), heart rate (HR), left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and myocardial
      high energy phosphate compounds at the end of the experiments were measured. In
      all groups examined the physiological changes following contrast media injection
      were only transient and the recovery to normal values of HR and LVDP occurred
      within 30 seconds. The contractile changes after contrast media exposure were
      dependent on the concentration of sodium added. The addition of 20 mM sodium to
      iohexol induced the least changes in LVDP. It is concluded from the present study
      that addition of sodium in the range of 20-40 mM to non-ionic contrast media, may
      reduce the immediate cardiac disturbances during coronary angiography.

PMID- 1867107
TI  - Lipid peroxidation and membrane damage of the heart.
AB  - Biological membranes separate the cells from the environment and control flow of
      molecules and information between the cell and its surroundings. In addition, the
      cellular energy supply is dependent on membrane functions. The present chapter
      deals with membrane lipid peroxidation and how this process might influence the
      physiology and pathophysiology of the myocardium.

PMID- 1867108
TI  - Lipid accumulation in the perfused rat heart after isoproterenol administration.
AB  - Isoproterenol is a potent lipolytic agent. It has also been shown to induce
      accumulation of lipid droplets in the myocardium in vivo. The isolated working
      rat heart model was applied to evaluate the effect in vitro. Twenty-four rats
      were randomly separated into four experimental groups of six rats, all receiving
      Krebs-Hensleit buffer with 11mM glucose. The control group had no supplement, the
      other groups received either 10(-5) M isoproterenol, 1.2 mM palmitate, or a
      combination of the two. Tissue levels of triglycerides and phospholipids, and the
      fractional volume of lipid droplets were determined at the end of the 30 min
      perfusion in the working heart mode. Ventricular function was monitored
      continuously and showed a marked increase in the isoproterenol treated groups.
      The level of tissue phospholipids remained unchanged in all groups. Whereas
      tissue triglycerides were significantly increased in the group receiving only
      palmitate as compared to the other groups. A corresponding increase was, however,
      not found to be significant for lipid droplet quantitation. The results are
      discussed in terms of possible mechanisms for isoproterenol-induced accumulation
      of neutral lipids in the myocardium.

PMID- 1867109
TI  - Myocardial contractile performance during acute coronary occlusion with special
      emphasis on nonoccluded regions.
AB  - Ischaemia of the left ventricle caused by coronary artery occlusion generally
      leads to less changes in overall ventricular performance than would be expected
      from the amount of ischaemic, noncontracting tissue. Ischaemic myocardium shows
      elongation of segment lengths and paradoxial movement during contraction of the
      left ventricle. Compensation for the loss of contractile tissue is most likely
      related to increased performance of the nonischaemic myocardium and the most
      likely mechanisms involved are discussed. The effect of increased preload,
      brought about by increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure following
      coronary occlusion, on nonischaemic parts appear to be the most important
      mechanism of compensation.

PMID- 1867110
TI  - The national mental health programme in the United Republic of Tanzania. A report
      from WHO and DANIDA.
AB  - This is the terminal report on the pilot implementation phase of the national
      mental health programme in the United Republic of Tanzania which was carried out
      as a cooperative venture between the Government of Tanzania, the Danish
      International Development Agency (DANIDA), and the World Health Organization
      (WHO). Although Tanzania had already achieved wide coverage of its population
      through a decentralized and easily accessible system of primary health care
      facilities providing the most essential services, its mental health services were
      poorly staffed and concentrated in a few custodial-type institutions and out
      patient departments hardly capable of ensuring even one contact per year to about
      one-fifth of the estimated 100,000 severely mentally ill adults and 37,000
      children in need of care at any given point in time. The programme design,
      developed jointly by the three parties involved, aimed to take full advantage of
      Tanzania's existing primary health care infrastructure by integrating mental
      health into the general health services of the country, including the 'grassroot'
      level of the services in the village and the district. The objectives guiding the
      new programme were: (i) to create an infrastructure for mental health care
      provision which should meet the requirements of both adequate population coverage
      and quality of service; (ii) to raise the community's awareness of mental health
      issues (including informing the community on the availability of effective means
      to deal with specific problems) and thus enlist its support and participation.
      The essential features of the adopted strategy were as follows. 1. Mental health
      care provision was conceived as a sub-system within the health care system,
      extending from rural health posts and dispensaries through rural health centres
      to district and regional hospitals. While full integration of mental health care
      within the general functions of the health workers was sought at the village and
      dispensary level (first echelon of care), relative differentiation and identity
      of mental health services were considered necessary at the district and regional
      levels (the second echelon). Tasks appropriate to each level of care were defined
      in operational terms and referral pathways were designated to enable the
      unobstructed access of the patient to more specialized diagnostic or therapeutic
      services if the problem was not within the competence of the more peripheral
      level. These pathways were also used in reverse when, following assessment or
      treatment, a patient was discharged back to the rural service with appropriate
      instructions about maintenance treatment and aftercare.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1867111
TI  - Tryptophan and its metabolite concentrations in human plasma and breast milk
      during the perinatal period.
AB  - Concentrations of tryptophan (free and protein bound) and its metabolites in
      plasma of maternal vein at delivery, umbilical vein, umbilical artery, neonatal
      vein and breast milk were determined by high performance liquid chromatography.
      The plasma levels of tryptophan and most of its metabolites in umbilical vein and
      artery were significantly higher than those in maternal vein. The concentration
      of total tryptophan in plasma of neonatal vein showed marked decrease at 24 h
      after birth in comparison with that at birth, but the total kynurenine
      concentration was not decreased in plasma of neonatal vein. The colostrum
      contained a high level of total tryptophan. There were high ratios of free to
      total tryptophan in colostrum, transitional and mature milk. In the blood, ratios
      of free to total of tryptophan and kynurenine were kept at constant level
      throughout the perinatal period.

PMID- 1867113
TI  - Clonazepam serum levels in epileptic patients determined simply and rapidly by
      high-performance liquid chromatography using a solid-phase extraction column.
AB  - We studied the use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using a
      solid phase extraction column (Bond Elut cartridge column), for the simple, rapid
      and sensitive determination of serum clonazepam levels in epileptic patients.
      Extracted aliquots were analyzed by HPLC, using a reverse phase ODS column (mu
      Bondapak C18). The analytical mean recovery of clonazepam added to the blank
      serum averaged 99.9%. The detection limit was as high as approximately 2 ng/ml in
      the serum. The reproducibilities were 2.3-8.6 CV % in the within-day assay and
      6.5 CV % in the between-day assay, indicating that the analysis method was
      effective in the determination of clonazepam serum levels. Accordingly, we
      suggest that the present method, using a solid phase extraction column, may be
      useful for the routine monitoring of clonazepam serum levels in epileptic
      patients.

PMID- 1867112
TI  - Effect of a long-acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995) on a growth hormone
      and thyroid stimulating hormone-producing pituitary tumor.
AB  - A 46-year-old woman with acromegaly and hyperthyroidism due to a pituitary
      adenoma. She had high serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and very
      high serum growth hormone (GH) levels. Transsphenoidal removal of the tumor, post
      operative irradiation, frontal craniotomy for removal of residual tumor and large
      dose bromocriptine therapy were carried out consecutively. After therapy, serum
      GH levels gradually decreased, but not to the normal range, and serum TSH levels
      remained at inappropriately normal levels. Using immunoperoxidase techniques, GH
      , TSH- and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-containing cells were demonstrated
      in the adenoma. A long-acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995, 600
      micrograms/day) suppressed the serum GH level to the normal range with a
      concomitant suppression of TSH. Furthermore, the paradoxical serum GH responses
      to TRH and LH-RH were slightly improved. No important subjective side-effects
      were noted. Therefore, SMS 201-995 appeared to be a very effective drug in this
      patient with a GH- and TSH-producing pituitary tumor.

PMID- 1867114
TI  - Examination of microvascular structures of midcortical region in sheep kidneys: a
      three dimensional approach.
AB  - Polyester-crystic cast was observed to reach the peritubular capillary plexus
      following injection in sheep kidneys. Microvascular structures in this region are
      also reported in this study. Glomeruli were found to vary in size and shape.
      Diameters of afferent arterioles were larger than those of efferent arterioles.
      The glomerulus is supplied by more than one afferent arteriole, and in some
      regions, the blood in afferent arterioles joins collateral circulation via the
      intercapillary plexus. Morphological properties at the end of the peritubular
      capillary plexus were found to be remarkably significant.

PMID- 1867115
TI  - Automated direct assay system for RU38486, an antiprogesterone-antiglucocorticoid
      agent, and its metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - An automated direct assay system using high performance liquid chromatography was
      developed for the measurement of RU38486 and its three metabolites (RU42698,
      RU42848, RU42633) in human serum. Serum concentrations of these compounds were
      measured up to 144 h following single oral administration of 200 (200 mg group, n
      = 3) or 400 mg (400 mg group, n = 3) of RU38486 to healthy female volunteers. The
      serum half-lives (200 mg group-400 mg group) of RU38486, RU42698, RU42848 and
      RU42633 were 31.8-33.1 h, 41.2-39.3 h, 33.9-36.6 h and 29.2-36.6 h, respectively.
      Our system could quantify them easily and simultaneously, and was considered to
      be valuable in studies on the relationship between the pharmacokinetics and the
      clinical effects of RU38486.

PMID- 1867116
TI  - [The clash of new information technologies].

PMID- 1867117
TI  - [The terminal patient and psychotherapeutic approach].
AB  - The end stage situation, namely AIDS and malignant diseases, patients are
      analysed by the authors from the psychiatric and psychologic standpoint. A
      multidisciplinary clinical approach is pointed out and psychotherapeutic attitude
      and action parameters are referred to achieve both the understanding of persons
      in those situations, and the correct clinical praxis towards them.

PMID- 1867118
TI  - [Prevalence of HIV1 and HIV2 infection in women living in an area of Lisboa
      City].
AB  - A seroprevalence study of HIV1 and HIV2 infection in women attending a Family
      Planning and an Antenatal Clinic was done in an area of the city of Lisbon where
      7% of the population is of African origin. The protocol of study was of non
      linked type although with the possibility of collecting a second sample of blood
      for confirmation of results. Epidemiological, social and clinical data were
      collected from 1390 women and this was followed by the collection of a blood
      sample for the seroepidemiological study of HIV1 and HIV2. The population that
      was submitted to blood tests (75%) was compared to the one that missed the test
      and it was found that no important differences were present between the two. The
      criteria for HIV1 or HIV2 positive results were the presence of a positive ELISA
      test confirmed by an Western Blot revealing antibodies against the three proteins
      env, core and gag. For a test to be considered positive results by both methods
      had to be found in a second sample collected later. The prevalences of infection
      were of 0.29% for HIV1 and 0.29% for HIV2 although the prevalence of HIV2 in the
      population of African origin was higher (1.45%). The six seropositive cases
      detected included a drug addict, one prostitute, one case of African origin and
      two cases with multiple sexual partners. The clinical, epidemiological and
      immunological features of the seropositive cases are presented and the prevalence
      found is discussed in the context of other portuguese data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867119
TI  - [Application of aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of tumor lesions in
      children].
AB  - Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) became increasingly popular for evaluating
      of both superficial and deep seated lesions, but its use in children has been
      limited. We report our recent experience with FNAC in the pediatric group. The
      study population included 34 males and 12 females and the age ranged between 11
      months to 16 years. The aspirated sites were: testis (n = 14), lymph node (n =
      12), bone (n = 9), pelvis (n = 2), retroperitoneum (n = 1), soft tissue (n = 6),
      lung (n = 1) and orbit (n = 1). The aims of FNAC were to diagnose a primary
      lesion (25 cases) and to document relapse of neoplastic disease (21 cases). Of
      the 46 aspirates, 28 were diagnosed as malignant, 4 as benign, 2 were
      inconclusive; in the remaining case the material was considered inadequate.
      Eleven out of 14 testicular cases were normal. FNAC diagnosis was confirmed
      either by histology (25 cases) or by the clinical evolution (18 cases). We
      conclude that FNAC can be considered a major diagnostic tool for the
      characterization of the tumoral lesions in childhood, both for diagnostic
      purposes and for evaluation of the progression of neoplasia. It may also provide
      useful information for guiding the therapeutical strategy.

PMID- 1867121
TI  - Behcet's disease in Portugal.
AB  - During the last decades 156 patients with Behcet's disease were diagnosed and
      studied in Portugal. Until 1966 only two cases were referred in Portugal. In 1978
      we reported 23 cases (18 males and 5 females) with multisystemic involvement, not
      different from that reported in other publications elsewhere. In 1987, 17 cases
      were reported from the Oporto region, diagnosed during a period of 5 years. In
      the region of Coimbra 15 cases were diagnosed (6 males and 9 females). In the
      Lisbon area from 1969 until 1990, 123 cases were studied altogether, 76 during
      the last decade (35 males and 41 females). All the cases studied had oral
      ulcerations and a high incidence of ocular involvement (clinical and sub
      clinical, 87%). HLA-B5 was detected in 50% of the patients. At least four cases
      were fatal, three died with neuro-Behcet. Steroids, colchicine and thalidomide
      were the main form of treatment, for the patients in the Lisbon area, but in some
      cases chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, cyclosporine-A, fibrinolytic
      therapy, plasmapheresis and isovolemic hemodilution were also used.

PMID- 1867120
TI  - [Beneficial effects of added glicazide in patients with type II diabetes mellitus
      treated with insulin].
AB  - The aim of the study was to assess, in patients with non insulin dependent
      diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), either with previous failure to sulphonylureas or
      insulin treated since the disease started, if the combination of gliclazide to
      insulin therapy might induce a reduction of daily insulin requirement. 30
      caucasian type II patients used to self-monitoring (11 female, 19 male, mean age
      55.78 +/- 8.07) with residual pancreatic function (glucagon induced C-peptide
      release = 1.01 +/- 0.70 microgram/ml) entered the study. 8 were excluded for non
      compliance or for high antiinsulin antibodies levels and 4 are still under study.
      Each patients was given, for 3 months, 240 mg of gliclazide in addition to usual
      daily dose of insulin. Data presented as mean +/- s.e.m. were analysed with
      analysis of variance (p less than 0.05). Mean initial values of main parameters
      were as follows: glycaemia 192.7 +/- 33.1 mg/100 ml, insulinaemia 9.5 +/- 4.5
      microUI/ml, daily insulin requirements 33.11 +/- 10.47 U/d, HbA1 C 7.5 +/- 1.7%.
      Total cholesterol 240.1 +/- 52.2 mg/10 ml, triglycerides 120.6 +/- 60.3 mg/100
      ml. After 3 months treatment significant reduction in mean daily insulin
      requirements (20.78 +/- 16.15 U/d) was observed. In 13 patients (72.2%) while
      keeping good metabolic control (HbA1 C 7.46 +/- 1.63), insulin therapy was
      reduced (9 patients) or even stopped (4 patients). In the other 5, insulin was
      maintained or slightly increased. The increase in glucagon induced C-peptide
      release (1.41 +/- 0.99 micrograms/ml) did not reach significance, while glycaemia
      and insulinaemia were not changed (196.0 +/- 34.1 mg/100 ml, 11.02 +/- 5.05
      microUI/ml).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867122
TI  - [Chronic hypoparathyroidism: review of 5 clinical cases].
AB  - In 5 patients with a long clinical evolution of tetany and/or convulsions and
      with documented hypocalcaemia and hyperphosphatemia, low or inappropriate values
      of parathormone were detected. Only two of the patients had a history of subtotal
      thyroidectomy and all presented with basal ganglia calcification, bilateral
      subcapsular cataracts and prolonged QTc interval in the ECG. After one month of
      oral therapy with calcium and calcitriol, the values of calcaemia and
      phosphatemia were in a near-normal range with the exception of a patient in which
      that normalization was much slower and only occurred after correction of
      magnesaemia. In this last patient statistical correlation between QTc interval in
      the ECG and the calcaemia was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). We
      conclude that the QTc interval can be a useful and accessible index in acute
      situations of symptomatic hypocalcaemia.

PMID- 1867124
TI  - [Epidermolysis bullosa and dermo-epidermic junction. Clinico-pathologic
      correlation].
AB  - Epidermolysis bullosa encompasses a group of hereditary diseases clinically and
      pathologically characteristic. In this review the grouping criteria commonly
      accepted for their classification are described. The cleavage phenomena observed
      in these diseases are analysed in accordance with the concept of a skin area
      including dermal and epidermal interrelated structures--the dermo-epidermal
      junction zone. Finally in the most expressive forms the clinical manifestations,
      diagnosis and treatment are reviewed.

PMID- 1867123
TI  - Herpes zoster and controlateral hemiplegia in an African patient infected with
      HIV-1.
AB  - One of the neurologic complications of human immunodeficiency virus infection are
      cerebrovascular accidents. In HIV infected patients, ischemic strokes have been
      reported secondary to nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis and cerebral
      arteritis. We describe an unusual cause of stroke in HIV-1 infection: Herpes
      Zoster ophtalmicus with contralateral hemiplegia.

PMID- 1867126
TI  - Pyridoxine neuropathy. A four-year electrophysiological and clinical follow-up of
      a severe case.
AB  - In a 54-year-old male a severe sensory neuropathy was observed during treatment
      for pulmonary tuberculosis with isoniazid (400 mg/day) and pyridoxine (600
      mg/day). Eight months after withdrawal from isoniazid the sensory symptomatology
      was still progressing, although muscle strength was never reduced. A sural nerve
      biopsy revealed marked loss of large myelinated fibres. Only when pyridoxine
      treatment was interrupted did a slow improvement begin. A clinical and
      electrophysiologic follow-up showed a very slow and still incomplete recovery
      after four years. The possibility of an unusual individual susceptibility to
      toxic effects of pyridoxine is considered.

PMID- 1867125
TI  - A clinical and neurophysiological trial on nootropic drugs in patients with
      mental decline.
AB  - The different expressions of mental decline in elderly people, from simple senile
      benign forgetfulness to SDAT, can be evaluated by psychometric and
      neurophysiological tests. In the present study, the effects of oxiracetam,
      piracetam and placebo were compared in a group of elderly subjects. The results
      of the trial, structured as single blind, clearly showed that nootropics
      positively effect both clinical and neurophysiological performances and that
      oxiracetam produces a more pronounced effect when compared to piracetam. In fact,
      oxiracetam was found more effective in improving psychometric scales such as GDS
      (clinical performances) as well as the amplitude and the latency of the P300
      (neurophysiological performances), which reflect a functional recovery of the
      cerebral pathways related to attention and memory.

PMID- 1867127
TI  - Archaic reflexes in normal elderly people.
AB  - The AA. have considered the incidence of some primitive reflexes in the "normal"
      old people. 120 subjects have been examined (60 M and 60 F) between the 70 to 90
      age-group. The patients have been selected on the basis of the absence of
      neurologic disorders, psychiatric and systematic or dysmetabolic diseases. All
      the subjects undergo a standard neurologic examination. Results show that the
      examined reflexes can be present in normal old people. These signs seem to be
      related to the physiological ageing of the nervous system.

PMID- 1867128
TI  - MRI findings in a patient with a familial form of motor neuron disease.
AB  - The authors report the case of a 32-year-old woman who developed symptoms and
      signs possible manifestations of a familial motor neuron disease with left sided
      pyramidal signs and marked wasting and weakness in the ipsilateral upper girdle,
      progressively extended to the contralateral upper limb. The CT-scan showed only
      frontal cortical atrophy. MRI disclosed a restricted area of increased signal
      intensity in the centrum semiovale of the subcortical white matter of the right
      prefrontal cortex. This young woman did not disclose any risk factors for
      cerebrovascular diseases nor other disorders of the CNS; therefore the authors
      are of the opinion that the white matter changes observed on MRI are not
      occasional findings, but are related to the pathologic process occurring in
      consequence of her neurodegenerative disorder (possible ALS).

PMID- 1867130
TI  - [Memory. Cognitive, anatomic and pathologic models].
AB  - This overview deals with the neuropsychology of memory. First cognitive models
      proposed for primary and secondary memory are reported, particularly the working
      memory theory and episodic/semantic distinction are discussed. Briefly the modern
      point of view about the anatomical bases of memory functions are reported with
      stressing above all the role of limbic structures. Lastly the pathology of both
      primary and secondary memory is dealt with, trying to abstract the clinical
      features of different syndromes.

PMID- 1867129
TI  - Different biological properties of paired HIV-1 isolates from peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells and cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - Seven paired HIV-1 isolates from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMCs) and
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of infected subjects at various stages of the disease
      were studied for their capacity to replicate in continuous cell lines (Molt-3 and
      U-937 cells) and to induce cytopathic effects "in vitro". Obtained results
      indicate that paired HIV-1 isolates from PMCs and CSF of the same patient can
      differ in their replicative activity "in vitro", suggesting that, at least in
      some cases, CSF isolates may represent a distinct subtype of HIV-1.

PMID- 1867131
TI  - [Predictive value of the Zung scale in geriatric depression].

PMID- 1867132
TI  - [The "Sickness Impact Profile" questionnaire (SIP): Spanish version of a measure
      of health status].
AB  - The objective of this paper is to present the results of the translation and
      adaptation into Spanish of a questionnaire (The Sickness Impact Profile --SIP--)
      for measuring the physical and psychosocial dysfunctions generated by a disease.
      For this the SIP, together with some clinical measures of physical and
      psychosocial status were administered to a series of 50 patients afflicted by
      multiple sclerosis. We found not only that the SIP could be considered a good
      instrument for measuring the physical and psychosocial impact of illness, but
      also that it is adequate to differentiate in it a physical and a psychosocial
      dimensions.

PMID- 1867133
TI  - [Co-morbidity of affective disorders and personality disorders].
AB  - The present study intends to investigate selected factors related to comorbidity
      of affective and personality disorders. The authors studied a group of in
      patients from the Psychiatric Unit of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre,
      who were hospitalized during 1985 to 1989. The factors selected were: age,
      gender, level of education, marital status, age at the beginning of the affective
      disorder, number of previous hospitalizations, suicide attempts, drug abuse and
      length of hospitalization. A non-paired case-control study was performed. The
      results of this study revealed that patients with comorbidity tended to be
      companionless, to have more suicide attempts and to show unipolar affective
      disorder. These factors yielded statistical significance. The remainder of the
      factors that were studied did not convey any statistical significance.

PMID- 1867134
TI  - [Treatment of affective disorders with clonazepam].
AB  - On the basis of the hypothetical utility of clonazepam (CLN) for the treatment of
      affective disorders, by means of previous references and etiopathogenic
      hypothesis like the Kindling phenomenon we have been developing a study in order
      to evaluate that usefulness and efficacy which, includes 32 patients with
      affective disorders; 23 of them with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (manic) the
      greatest part of the subjects had been previously treated with lithium
      antidepressants or neuroleptics, and clonazepam was introduced because of an
      inadequate response, treatment intolerance or searching for a specific effect.
      Our results suggest a prevalence of partial and good responses (85%) The same in
      the objective evaluations as in the subjective ones being the levels of response
      higher than in previous treatments. The study supports the use of CLN in the
      treatment of patients who suffer from affective disorders, particularly in
      hypomanic episodes.

PMID- 1867136
TI  - [Kinesio therapy in maxillofacial practice].
AB  - The importance taken on by Maxillo-Facial kinesitherapy and the constant increase
      of its application possibilities have led to increased mention of this new
      treatment. Its efficacy is obvious, it should no longer be ignored by physicians,
      surgeons and specialists in the oro-cervico-facial field. Hardly explored twenty
      years ago, this field today constitutes a new discipline. The patients should now
      to benefit from this therapy, in order to ensure a total recovery of their
      functions following a traumatising pathology or the onset of a TMJ syndrome.

PMID- 1867135
TI  - [Comparative analysis of a population hospitalized for alcohol "dependence" and
      "abuse" with other similar alcoholic populations: a study of 1,300 patients].
AB  - The authors refer on introduction to a former research where they describe
      results from 150 inpatients diagnosed of "Alcohol Dependence" and "Alcohol Abuse
      Syndromes" admitted during 1980-1984 at the Psychiatry Department of University
      Hospital of Valladolid. A comparison of epidemiologic, clinic, diagnostic and
      care patients patterns is made versus three other studies , where similar groups
      of alcoholic patients are studied through 47 variables. The first investigation
      reports findings from 613 alcoholic out patients demanding psychiatric care at
      University Hospital in Valladolid. The second one study 134 alcoholic patients
      (70% outpatients and 30% inpatients) at the Hospital General in Burgos. The last
      one reports finding from 403 alcoholic inpatients at the Psychiatric Service of
      "Ramon y Cajal" Hospital of Madrid. A group of 130 patients are studied as a
      whole, 1,127 males (86.89%) and 173 females (13.3%). Fifty per cent of the sample
      (n = 653) were inpatients and the remainder were outpatients; 28.30% (n = 368)
      were diagnosed by means of CIE-8a; 61.38% (n = 798) by means of CIE-9a; and 10.30
      by DSM-III diagnostic criteria. The variables evaluated were population, age,
      sex, civil state, place of birth, place of living, level of education,
      profession, work capability, economical status and current social class, working
      and marriage adaptation, place composition, first work age, emigration, family
      psychiatric problems, affective deprivation, personal background, former
      treatment for drinking problems, start of drinking average age, abuse average
      time, kind of drinking, drinking day average amount, motive of abuse increments,
      consultation motive, somatic and psychiatric diagnoses, others drugs
      consultations, TAC and EEG results, first pharmacologic treatment, inpatient
      average time, and later hospitalizations. A table, a graphic and 83 bibliographic
      quotations, part of which belong to a former work, are included.

PMID- 1867137
TI  - [Localization of the mandibular canal: experimental comparison of four types of
      radiological examination].
AB  - This investigation, involves eight dry mandibles, and compares four of
      radiological examinations to allow the measurement of the depth of the mandibular
      canal in relation to the alveolar crest. It showed that their (ability to detect
      the mandibular canal) differed significantly: coronal tomography: 64% retro
      alveolar X-ray: 83% orthopantomography: 85% coronal tomodensitometry: 100% The
      retro-alveolar X-ray appears to have the best cost/information ratio, while the
      coronal tomography must be left aside.

PMID- 1867138
TI  - [Prosthetic rehabilitation of a case of total amelogenesis imperfecta].
AB  - A young adolescent girl suffering from Amelogenesis imperfecta was examined. The
      treatment plan: teeth kept vital, preparation of provisional resin crowns and
      their replacement by definitive single crowns. Thus re-establishing aesthetics
      and function, and furthermore the possibility of giving this young patient the
      pleasure of finally being able to smile, no longer hiding her teeth.

PMID- 1867139
TI  - [Malignant melanoma of the oral mucosa].
AB  - The oral cavity is a mave "localisation" for the malignant melanoma's
      development. Surgical excision with a wide margin is the treatment of choice for
      localized oral melanoma. The prognosis is particularly poor when metastasis
      occurs. One case is reported, in a alveolar site.

PMID- 1867140
TI  - [Arsenical necrosis still exists... I have seen it].
AB  - Arsenic necroses occur after the use of arsenic anhydride for pulp removal. This
      technique was widely used until relatively recently. It is interesting to
      compare, in this regard, the evolution of concepts in this field.

PMID- 1867142
TI  - [Removable dentures for children in daily practice: for whom and why?].

PMID- 1867141
TI  - [Cranio-maxillo-facial fibrous dysplasia].
AB  - The fibrous dysplasia of the bones is a big disease, but it has to be considered
      as an expansive process with local malignancy in the cranio-maxillo-facial
      localizations. After a review of the literature, 7 cases of fibrous dysplasia are
      presented. The only curative treatment is surgical, generally mutilating, it has
      to be completed by a restoring intervention in same time. The abstention and the
      modeling surgery can be indicated exceptionally, it requires a regular X ray
      examination, and a clinical follow-up.

PMID- 1867143
TI  - Facilitating friendship formation in late life: puzzles and challenges.
AB  - Considerable evidence indicates that friendships contribute to the psychological
      well-being of older adults. Seeking ways to help lonely older adults form new
      friendships thus makes a good deal of sense, but as the disappointing results
      reported by Heller et al. (1991) indicate, translating this conceptually sound
      goal into a practical reality presents many challenges. This commentary seeks to
      build upon the authors' analysis of factors that may have undermined the success
      of their intervention by discussing the social contexts that may be most
      conducive to friendship formation in late life and by considering whether kin
      ties represent a more viable focus of intervention efforts than do peer ties.

PMID- 1867144
TI  - Conservation of resources in community intervention.
AB  - Evaluated the applications of principles of resource conservation and management
      in community interventions and compared these to a more individual, perception
      based psychological perspective. Conservation of resource theory suggests that
      promotion of well-being and prevention of disease depend on the availability and
      successful management of resources. When resources are lacking, lost, or when
      invested without consequent gain, people become vulnerable to psychological and
      physical disorder and debilitated functioning. Resources, in this context, are
      defined as those things people value or those things that may help people obtain
      that which they value. Conservation of resource theory further suggests that
      resources are to a large extent common to all people, more common within a given
      culture and time in the developmental cycle, and only to a small extent
      idiographic. Further, conservation of resource theory posits that resources
      operate within an ecological context where feedback, sharing, and exchange
      operate between the individual, social context, and environment. Given these
      principles, it is reasoned that community interventions must acknowledge the
      solid base of most problems and accept that interventions must target resources
      and be intensive enough to change the ecology in which resources operate.

PMID- 1867145
TI  - Peer telephone dyads: putting conclusions on hold.
AB  - Commentary on Heller et al.'s (1991) peer telephone intervention for elderly
      women addresses three issues: (a) the sources and kinds of information needed to
      inform decisions about the choice of intervention; (b) the criteria used to
      evaluate the process and outcomes of support interventions; (c) the social
      psychological dynamics stimulated by the intervention protocol and by the
      particular form of the intervention. The latter two issues complicate
      interpretation of the study's findings and raise additional questions about
      whether and why the intervention was unsuccessful.

PMID- 1867146
TI  - Social support interventions and the third law of ecology.
AB  - Most of what we know about the effectiveness of social support is based on field
      studies of naturalistic relationships and transactions. Social support
      interventions, particularly those that attempt to create new support providers,
      stretch the limits of our knowledge base. The article by Heller et al. (1991)
      highlights gaps in our knowledge, suggests the importance of intimacy in support
      exchanges, and identifies possible limitations in trying to compensate for
      deficiencies in family support with new friendships.

PMID- 1867147
TI  - Support interventions for older adults: confidante relationships, perceived
      family support, and meaningful role activity.
AB  - The rationale and problems encountered in implementing a peer-support telephone
      intervention are described. The research conducted by Heller, Thompson, Trueba,
      Hogg, and Vlachos-Weber (1991) was based on epidemiological literature
      documenting the moral enhancing value of confidante relationships. However, that
      literature may be insufficiently precise to form the basis for an intervention
      without prior ethnographic study of the local target population. Furthermore, the
      positive effects of peer friendships may refer to long established relationships
      rather than to newly formed social ties. It is concluded that future support
      intervention research with older adults should concentrate on reinforcing
      meaningful role activities, and that greater attention should be given to
      strengthening indigenous ties before attempting to create new ones. While prior
      process research and formative evaluation are of value, we also emphasize the
      importance of well-controlled field studies in the ultimate test of intervention
      hypotheses.

PMID- 1867148
TI  - Setting phenotypes in a mutual help organization: expanding behavior setting
      theory.
AB  - Expands Barker's theory of behavior settings by proposing an additional method of
      classifying settings based on their functional/behavioral aspects--the setting
      phenotype. Although behavior setting theory has been widely hailed as a
      revolutionary contribution to behavioral science, it has had limited impact on
      general psychology. This may be due in part to a reliance on a purely structural
      method of classifying behavior settings--the setting genotype. Behavioral data
      were collected from 510 meetings of 13 self-help groups from a mutual help
      organization for persons with problems in living. A cluster analysis was
      performed to uncover meaningful behavioral patterns among the groups. Four
      phenotypes were identified: personal, impersonal, small talk, and advising.
      Mutual help group phenotype was found to be related to a set of setting
      characteristics as well as to overall rated change of group members. The results
      are discussed in light of the significance of the phenotype construct for making
      behavior setting theory more relevant for social scientists.

PMID- 1867149
TI  - Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT): opportunities for
      community psychologists in chronic disease prevention.
AB  - Opportunities for participation in chronic disease prevention programs are
      discussed in the context of a description and analysis of the National Cancer
      Institute's Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT). COMMIT
      involves 11 matched pairs of communities with random assignment to the
      intervention condition within each pair. The 4-year intervention is guided by a
      partly standardized protocol and embodies a number of community psychology
      principles. The relative congruence of COMMIT with community psychology
      principles and methods is discussed with particular emphasis on Kelly's (1988)
      model of community research. Community psychology's participation in chronic
      disease prevention trials requires understanding of the programmatic framework of
      National Institutes of Health prevention research and recognition of the
      constraints imposed by the framework on community psychology practices.

PMID- 1867150
TI  - Assertive community treatment: correcting some misconceptions.
AB  - Discusses historical, policy, and research perspectives on assertive community
      treatment (ACT) and their relationship to 5 commentaries accompanying our recent
      article (Bond et al., 1990). Collectively, the commentaries focused on self-help
      groups, missing the point of the study. Further, the commentaries contained
      several misconceptions centering on a confusion between deliberate sampling based
      on policy-driven considerations and self-selection into voluntary organizations.
      In the time since the Stein and Test (1980) demonstration, programs based on ACT
      principles have become one of the dominant approaches to community mental health
      services, especially for consumers who do not readily use office-based treatment.
      The research foundation is robust and is rapidly evolving. Some community
      psychologists may be responding to outdated and inaccurate stereotypes of mental
      health services.

PMID- 1867152
TI  - Comments on Heller, Thompson, Trueba, Hogg, and Vlachos-Weber, "peer support
      telephone dyads for elderly women".
AB  - Comments on the support intervention study with elderly women by Heller et al.
      (1991). The study highlights the need to determine what aspects of social support
      are most effective for particular populations. I discuss what basic research on
      supportive functions suggests for this population, and what kinds of knowledge
      are needed to best translate epidemiologic findings into intervention research
      designs. Related research on the effects of family vs. peer support is discussed,
      and processes that may help or hinder family support are proposed. Finally, I
      note some implications for further research on social networks of elderly
      persons, and approaches to increasing social companionship and social
      integration.

PMID- 1867151
TI  - Peer support telephone dyads for elderly women: was this the wrong intervention?
AB  - Tested a preventive intervention in which peer telephone dyads were developed for
      low-income, community-living, elderly women with low perceived social support.
      After an initial assessment, respondents were randomly assigned to either an
      assessment-only control or received 10 weeks of friendly staff telephone contact.
      After a second assessment, participants receiving the staff contact were randomly
      assigned to continue that contact or were paired in dyads to continue phone
      contact with one another. Dependent variables were measures of perceived social
      support, morale, depression, and loneliness. All groups, particularly the staff
      contact group, showed some improvement in mental health scores over time, but
      there were no significant differences between intervention groups, or between
      intervention and assessment-only control groups. The results suggest that
      participation in the study and in personal assessment interviews at home were
      probably morale enhancing, and that additional telephone contact did not
      significantly add to that effect. Evidence also indicates that, in this sample,
      low perceived family support was significantly related to poor mental health, so
      it is possible that a program designed to increase friend support may have been
      the wrong intervention.

PMID- 1867153
TI  - Let's hang up and try again: lessons learned from a social support intervention.
AB  - A support intervention by Heller et al. (1991) sought to improve the well-being
      of elderly women by providing friendly telephone contact with staff or peers. The
      failure of this thoughtful and carefully implemented intervention serves to
      highlight the difficulty of designing support interventions. Several lessons are
      discussed regarding the complexity of the support process, the utility of
      different research strategies, the importance of specifying the targeted focal
      point in the support process, the need to state models explicitly, the choice of
      measures, and the implications of select participant samples.

PMID- 1867154
TI  - Peer support telephone dyads for elderly women: the wrong intervention or the
      wrong research?
AB  - Reaction to the intervention paper by Heller et al. (1990) places their work into
      a larger framework of social support interventions to make explicit the
      assumptions underlying the project. It is suggested that the intervention was
      constrained by the experimental design of the evaluation research and overlooked
      important features in the process of relationship development among dyads. In
      developing interventions designed to impact personal relationships, it is
      recommended that community psychologists (a) consider the context in which
      personal relationships are formed, maintained, and terminated; (b) use the power
      of their scientific inquiry to create, strengthen, or legitimize new social roles
      for people who are disenfranchised; (c) promote the use and legitimacy of
      research methods that compliment rather than dictate the nature of interventions.

PMID- 1867155
TI  - Fine-tuning theory to the needs of the world: responding to Heller et al.
AB  - Comments on the Heller et al. telephone intervention with isolated elderly women
      are presented. The importance of addressing contextual factors involved in
      assessments of social support in community samples is discussed. Comparisons are
      drawn between the assessment of social support among an elderly sample and an
      assessment of social support among a sample of chronic illness patients. Three
      key issues are discussed: (a) Is a little support better than no support and is a
      little all we really need? (b) Is family support more important than friend
      support, at least to this population? (c) Can long-term relationships be
      replaced?

PMID- 1867156
TI  - The 1990 Society for Community Research and Action Award for Distinguished
      Contributions to Community Psychology and Community Mental Health: Edward
      Seidman.

PMID- 1867157
TI  - Growing up the hard way: pathways of urban adolescents.
AB  - Presented a description and initial findings from the Adolescent Pathways Project
      (APP). There is a dearth of developmentally and ecologically anchored knowledge
      concerning adolescents, particularly poor and ethnically diverse urban
      adolescents, other than that they are at greater risk for behavioral, emotional,
      and educational problems. As a result, our ability to develop and implement
      grounded prevention programs is severely limited. The APP was intended to fill
      this knowledge gap. Using an accelerated longitudinal design, the APP examines
      the developmental trajectories of an ethnically diverse sample of 1,333 black,
      Latino, and white youth from inner-city public schools in Baltimore, Washington,
      DC, and New York. It involves four interrelated studies: Youth, Parent, School,
      and Neighborhood. The project's major aim is to identify the critical
      psychological, developmental, and ecological factors that facilitate positive as
      well as negative outcomes. This initial description of the APP presents the
      overarching ecological-developmental framework and guiding questions, as well as
      initial findings central to the tenets of community psychology.

PMID- 1867158
TI  - Means-ends problem-solving skills, life stress, and social support as mediators
      of adjustment in the normative transition to high school.
AB  - Examined the transition of adolescents from middle school to high school through
      a longitudinal research design. Consistent with other studies, results indicate
      that the transition is associated with declines in grade point average and
      attendance, and that these changes persist or worsen over the course of the
      freshman year. Life stress and social support from family, friends, and school
      personnel each showed expected relationships with some outcome variables, though
      these varied in pattern and magnitude. Furthermore, there was some indication
      that these sources could be used in multivariate analyses in assessing their
      relationship to outcomes. Finally, means-ends problem-solving skills did not
      predict levels of posttransition support. Results are seen as supporting a
      differential model of the role of individual and environmental resources in the
      high school transition, especially with regard to the negative changes in grades
      and attendance and the pattern of correlations between social support sources and
      outcomes.

PMID- 1867159
TI  - Expansion strategies of a mutual help organization.
AB  - Described a study of the expansion strategies of a successful self- and mutual
      help organization for persons with mental illness. Resource mobilization and
      behavior-setting theories were used as conceptual frameworks to guide the
      investigation. Collaborative methods and a grounded theory approach were used.
      Archives, reports of contacts outside of the organization, and naturalistic
      observations were data sources. Of particular interest are the processes used by
      the organization to mobilize internal and external resources and to start new
      mutual help groups. Results suggest that the organization mobilizes resources
      from a variety of sources, displays flexibility in securing resources and
      defining organizational roles, and creates underpopulated settings to encourage
      individual involvement. The strategies appear to avoid overtaxing resource pools,
      reduce role ambiguity, and encourage pluralistic participation. Discussion
      includes several potential explanations for the successful growth of the
      organization.

PMID- 1867160
TI  - Psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected community: a study of
      seropositive gay men and voluntary caregivers.
AB  - Addressed both the psychological frailness and strength in an AIDS-affected
      community. The gay community in Sydney, Australia, was represented by men who
      were seropositive (n = 60) and voluntary caregivers (n = 60). They were compared
      with two samples of men outside the gay community, who were ill with non-AIDS
      related medical conditions (n = 30), and well (n = 30). Their psychological
      frailness and strength were measured by content analysis scales. Both the
      seropositive men and the caregivers showed the frailness of anxiety, indirectly
      expressed anger and helplessness, but also the compensating strength of greater
      personal competence and good feeling relative to the other men. The men who were
      seropositive or had other illnesses showed the predicted frailness of anxiety and
      depression but neither indirectly expressed anger nor helplessness. The
      seropositive men and caregivers of the gay community differed from each other
      only in the high levels of depression of the former.

PMID- 1867161
TI  - An evaluation of temporomandibular joints and jaw muscles after orthodontic
      treatment involving premolar extractions.
AB  - Experimental subjects (n = 29) were patients who had undergone orthodontic
      treatment in combination with extraction of maxillary or mandibular premolar
      teeth, or both. Control subjects (n = 29) were healthy dental students with no
      orthodontic or extraction experience. Sagittal (corrected axis) tomograms of the
      TMJs were used to determine the narrowest linear distances between the anterior
      and posterior outlines of the TMJ condyle and the TMJ fossa, expressed as the
      joint space ratio. There were no significant (p greater than 0.05) differences
      between the control and experimental ratios. Bipolar surface electromyograms of
      the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles were used to determine the isometric
      contraction velocities of these muscles until 50% and 100% voluntary isometric
      contraction effort (teeth clenching) was achieved. There were no significant (p
      greater than 0.05) differences between the control and experimental subjects.
      Electromyograms were also used to determine the relative contribution of the
      masseter and anterior temporalis muscles to the bite force developed during brief
      maximum voluntary tooth clenching, expressed as the activity index. There were no
      significant (p greater than 0.05) differences between the control and
      experimental subjects.

PMID- 1867162
TI  - A radiographic study of condyle position at various depths of cut in dry skulls
      with axially corrected lateral tomograms.
AB  - Fifty dry skulls were evaluated by means of submental vertex radiographs and
      axially corrected tomograms. The condyles were classified into four groups
      according to anterior surface and shape as viewed on the submentovertex
      radiograph. Thirty condyles were classified as having a flat anterior surface, 27
      as convex, 19 as concave, and 24 as triangular. The analysis of variance for the
      depth of cut demonstrated (1) no statistically significant difference between the
      condyle/fossa relationship at the various depths of cut for the convex, flat, and
      triangular condyles and (2) a statistically significant difference between the
      condyle/fossa relationship of the concave condyles. The difference was
      significant at the p = 0.107 level for the anterior joint space (A), and at the p
      = 0.0671 level for the posterior joint space (B). The analysis of variance, in
      regard to the subject variable, demonstrated a statistically significant
      difference at the p = 0.0001 level for all condyles.

PMID- 1867163
TI  - Remodeling of canines to the shape of lateral incisors by grinding: a long-term
      clinical and radiographic evaluation.
AB  - A long-term clinical and radiographic follow-up study was performed after
      extensive remodeling of the permanent teeth of 26 adolescent patients. The
      canines were ground to the shape of lateral incisors as part of the orthodontic
      treatment, and the patients were recalled after 10 to 15 years for clinical
      examinations. Grinding had been performed either unilaterally or bilaterally on
      37 teeth. Unground canines or adjacent teeth served as control or reference
      teeth. Standardized intraoral radiographs were taken with a paralleling
      technique. Enamel surface replicas produced by epoxy resin in silicone
      impressions of the ground teeth were studied by stereomicroscopy. The long-term
      results were favorable. No significant color differences were observed in 36 of
      the 37 ground canines. Only one tooth displayed a generalized yellowish
      discoloration, probably the result of extensive pulp obliteration. There were no
      significant differences between ground and unground teeth with regard to
      mobility, reaction to percussion, or temperature sensitivity. Electric pulp
      testing revealed no statistically significant differences between test and
      control teeth. Radiographic changes were evident in two of the 37 ground canines.
      One tooth showed marked obliteration of the crown pulp, and in another tooth the
      pulp obliteration was almost complete. In the remaining 35 teeth no apparent
      differences were noted between the ground and unground teeth. In the
      stereomicroscope two of the ground labial surfaces showed evidence of scratches
      and grooves produced by the diamond instrument after more than 10 years'
      observation, but in all other instances the ground surfaces were
      indistinguishable from normal adult enamel surfaces. In conclusion, the present
      study has demonstrated that extensive cuspal, labial, lingual, and interproximal
      recontouring by the grinding of young teeth associated with orthodontic treatment
      can be performed without discomfort to the patients and with only minor or no
      long-term clinical and radiographic reactions.

PMID- 1867164
TI  - Landmarks in three dimensions: reconstruction from cephalograms versus direct
      observation.
AB  - A method for generating three-dimensional landmark locations from routine biplane
      pairs of cephalograms was previously introduced. In this article we compare the
      locations thus reconstructed to the same configurations as directly recorded
      through a redundant network of interpoint distances measured with calipers. Six
      mandibular landmarks were located by both methods on each of 10 dry skulls. With
      the caliper distances is associated a standard error that can be estimated
      without explicit remeasurement by the method of "adjustment of networks" familiar
      from surveying. These standard errors are consistent with the remeasurement error
      both of the caliper measurements and of the stereolocation from cephalograms; the
      methods appear to have the same precision, about 0.4 mm per distance. The bias
      (systematic shift) of the biplane reconstructions with respect to the points used
      for laying down the calipers may be estimated by regressions of distance
      discrepancies on the direction cosines of the separations between pairs of
      landmarks. The caliper tips placed condylion approximately 10 mm medially and a
      bit forward of where we chose to reconstruct it from biplane cephalograms. The
      caliper locations of gonion average about 1.6 mm back of their cephalometric
      position, while those at menton and lower incisal edge are forward by some 1.4
      mm. We conclude that the biplane reconstruction (the "three-dimensional
      cephalogram") is sufficiently accurate for routine clinical and surgical
      application.

PMID- 1867165
TI  - A comparative study of stability after mandibular advancement surgery.
AB  - The postsurgical stability of two groups of patients treated with different
      fixation techniques after mandibular advancement was evaluated retrospectively.
      Sixteen patients (group 1) underwent rigid osseous fixation, and another group of
      16 patients (group 2) underwent intraosseous wiring fixation. Our findings
      suggested that skeletal and dental changes occurred in both groups as a result of
      adaptation to the altered functional equilibrium. Relapse resulting in a
      percentage loss of the initial advancement occurred primarily 6 to 8 weeks
      postsurgically. No statistically significant difference was found to exist in the
      short-term and long-term rates between the two groups. For the population
      studied, relative stability after mandibular advancement surgery was affected
      more by individual variability than by the fixation technique.

PMID- 1867166
TI  - A clinical evaluation of temporomandibular joint disk plication surgery.
AB  - Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed preoperatively and an
      average of 18 1/2 months postoperatively on 33 patients who had undergone TMJ
      disk plication surgery because of significant TMJ dysfunction symptoms that had
      not been resolved by previous conservative therapy. The results indicated that
      the disk plication procedure reduced the overall frequency of symptoms by 75%.
      The frequency of TMJ intracapsular, otologic, and head and shoulder symptoms was
      reduced by more than 80% after surgery whereas dental symptoms such as bruxing
      and clenching showed only a 28% reduction in incidence. Of the sample 77% were
      either free of pain or experiencing only mild symptoms at their postoperative
      recall, with only nine joints still experiencing moderate or severe symptoms,
      compared with the 31 joints that were in this category before surgery.

PMID- 1867167
TI  - Effect of a fluoridated etching gel on enamel morphology and shear bond strength
      of orthodontic brackets.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare the enamel morphology and shear bond
      strengths of orthodontic brackets bonded to enamel etched with a fluoridated or a
      nonfluoridated phosphoric acid gel. Ten extracted third molars were used for the
      enamel morphology evaluation. The buccal surfaces were divided in two sections
      separated by an occlusogingival groove. One side was etched for 60 seconds with a
      38% phosphoric acid gel, and the other side was etched with a 60% phosphoric acid
      gel containing 0.5% sodium fluoride. The specimens were then examined with a
      scanning electron microscope. For the shear bond strength tests, 30 extracted
      third molars were used. The buccal enamel surfaces of the mesial cusp were used,
      and the teeth were randomly divided into two groups of 15 teeth each--group 1,
      38% phosphoric acid gel for 60 seconds; group 2, 60% phosphoric acid gel with
      0.5% sodium fluoride for 60 seconds. Orthodontic lingual buttons were bonded to
      the etched surfaces with a composite resin. The results showed that the overall
      morphologic etching effect was similar in both groups. The mean shear bond
      strength for group 1 was 11.8 MPa +/- 4.2, and for group 2 it was 16.5 MPa +/-
      5.1. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.01).

PMID- 1867168
TI  - Rapid maxillary expansion in the primary and mixed dentitions: a cephalometric
      evaluation.
AB  - The present study evaluated the skeletal alterations induced by rapid maxillary
      expansion procedures in 30 patients in the primary and mixed dentitions. The
      results were obtained with the use of lateral cephalometrics before and
      immediately after the active phase of expansion. The time span between these two
      cephalometric films ranged from 14 to 21 days; therefore the "growth factor" was
      not considered. Based on the differences in the cephalometric measurements
      studied on the first and second tracings, it seems that anterior displacement of
      the maxilla with significant changes in the SNA angle should not be expected,
      although point B was repositioned more posteriorly (SNB) because of the
      mandibular downward and backward rotation, with subsequent increase of the
      inclination of the mandibular plane. The alterations in the A-P position of the
      mandible was reflected in the increase of ANB and NAP angles. The maxilla always
      dislocates downward, displaying a downward and backward rotation in the palatine
      plane, significantly altering the following measurements: N-ANS, PNS-PNS', A-A',
      SN.PP. The anchoring molars also follow the downward maxillary displacement (M
      M') and, as a direct consequence of the vertical displacement of the maxilla and
      upper molars (N-ANS, A-A', ANS-Me, N-Me, PNS-PNS'), the facial heights increase.

PMID- 1867169
TI  - Adolescent suicide in orthodontics: results of a survey.
AB  - Suicide among adolescents is a psychosocial problem that confronts today's
      teenagers and society in alarming proportions. The wounds from this tragedy scar
      adolescents and their families both physically and emotionally. By virtue of a
      tradition for early treatment and the periodic nature of orthodontic care during
      critical psychologic development, the orthodontist is in a position to recognize
      early warning signs of adolescent suicide. A survey of 1000 practicing
      orthodontists and 54 department chairpersons of orthodontic postgraduate programs
      assessed the relevance of this issue to the profession, the nature of educational
      information previously and currently available in orthodontic curricula, and the
      frequency with which suicidal behavior is noted in orthodontic practice.
      Guidelines for recognition and intervention are provided. The results indicate
      that (1) adolescent suicide is of concern to orthodontists, (2) academic
      information has focused on the general aspects of psychology but not on the
      recognition and intervention, and (3) 50% of those surveyed have had at least one
      patient attempt suicide, whereas 25% have had a young patient actually commit
      suicide.

PMID- 1867170
TI  - American Board of Orthodontics case report.
AB  - A case of a Class I malocclusion with a bimaxillary protrusion and an anterior
      crossbite is presented. [This case was presented to the American Board of
      Orthodontics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the certification
      process conducted by the Board.]

PMID- 1867171
TI  - The Third International Workshop on Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibodies.
      Introduction.

PMID- 1867172
TI  - How are antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies detected?
AB  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) are present in patients with
      systemic vasculitis with or without renal involvement. These antibodies were
      first seen using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Two types of patterns are
      seen on ethanol-fixed neutrophils: the cytoplasmic and the perinuclear pattern.
      The cytoplasmic pattern is called C-ANCA (classical or cytoplasmic ANCA) and the
      perinuclear, P-ANCA. Antibodies to a serine proteinase, called proteinase 3 or
      myeloblastin, give rise to the C-ANCA pattern, while antibodies to
      myeloperoxidase give rise to the P-ANCA pattern. Proteinase 3, as well as
      myeloperoxidase, is present in the primary granules of neutrophils, and the P
      ANCA pattern is thus an artifactual staining pattern. Myeloperoxidase, which is a
      basic protein, redistributes during ethanol fixation from the primary granules to
      the negatively charged nucleus. As an alternative to the IF technique, several
      solid-phase assays have been developed using either 125I or enzyme-labeled
      secondary antibodies. Depending on the degree of purification of the antigens
      used, such assays may be used for screening or as a complement to the IF method.
      Today it is possible to directly screen for both types of ANCA using enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Simultaneous screening for antiglomerular
      basement membrane (GBM) antibodies (Goodpasture antibodies) increases the
      diagnostic yield, especially in patients with renopulmonary syndromes.

PMID- 1867173
TI  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated diseases: a pathologist's
      perspective.
AB  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) are a useful diagnostic
      serologic marker for the most common forms of necrotizing vasculitis, provide a
      means of categorizing vasculitides so that diagnostically useful shared
      pathologic and clinical characteristics can be recognized, and offer insight into
      the pathogenesis of previously idiopathic diseases. ANCA-associated vasculitides
      can be categorized into a number of distinctive clinicopathologic categories, eg,
      Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, pulmonary renal syndrome,
      microscopic polyarteritis nodosa, leukocytoclastic angiitis, and necrotizing and
      crescentic glomerulonephritis. At least the latter four syndromes can also be
      caused by other ANCA-negative immunopathogenic mechanisms, eg, immune complex
      deposition. Therefore, thorough diagnostic classification requires both an
      assessment of clinicopathologic category, as well as an assessment of
      immunopathologic category. Although different ANCA-associated vasculitic
      syndromes have distinctive clinical and pathologic features, all ANCA-associated
      vasculitides share a number of common pathologic features, ie, focal
      distribution, necrosis, and neutrophil infiltration. ANCA assays have very good
      sensitivity and specificity for ANCA-associated diseases, but the prevalence of
      these diseases in the patient population being analyzed must be taken into
      consideration when determining the predictive value of a test result. As with all
      serologic tests, ANCA results must be integrated with other clinical and
      pathologic data in order to reach the most accurate diagnostic conclusion.

PMID- 1867174
TI  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies: the nephrologist's perspective.
AB  - Serologic tests for antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) provide
      diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with nephritis and systemic
      vasculitis. Four case histories are discussed that illustrate ANCA positivity in
      patients with renal impairment caused by interstitial, rather than glomerular,
      nephritis. Renal biopsy should continue to be used to diagnose the cause of renal
      impairment in ANCA-positive patients.

PMID- 1867175
TI  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated diseases: a rheumatologist's
      perspective.
AB  - Autoantibodies against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA) produce two major
      immunofluorescence (IF) patterns on ethanol-fixed granulocytes: the "classical"
      (centrally accentuated) C-ANCA, associated with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG),
      and P-ANCA (perinuclear), which mainly occur in renal vasculitis. Rheumatic
      manifestations are an important clinical finding in systemic vasculitis, often
      preceding a fulminant course and sometimes imitating various rheumatic disorders.
      We analyzed the incidence of ANCA in rheumatic patients and looked for the
      frequency of rheumatic symptoms in systemic vasculitis. In WG (n = 186), we found
      rheumatic symptoms in 55% (myalgia, 45%; arthritis, 21%); in 90%, rheumatic
      complaints were associated with active vasculitis. In 730 patients with various
      rheumatic conditions (eg, 268 rheumatoid arthritis, 130 systemic lupus
      erythematosis [SLE], 32 sharp-S, 50 ankylosing spondylitis, 43 systemic
      sclerosis) no C-ANCA were found. On the contrary, the P-ANCA pattern was seen in
      seven of 62 giant cell arteritis, five of 27 Felty's/Still's syndrome, and four
      of 130 SLE patients in addition to renal vasculitis (21/74). We demonstrated that
      95% of C-ANCA-positive sera react with proteinase 3 (PR3 or myeloblastin). Using
      monoclonal antibodies, we showed that PR3 is expressed on the plasma membrane of
      neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes; thus, PR3 autoantigens are accessible for
      circulating antibodies. The detection of ANCA in sera from vasculitis and other
      rheumatic diseases is of immunodiagnostic value and provides new insight in the
      pathogenesis of systemic vasculitides.

PMID- 1867176
TI  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated diseases: a pulmonologist's
      perspective.
AB  - The development of the antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA) test has
      lent support to the concept of Wegener's granulomatosis as a spectrum that may
      affect one or more of the major anatomic sites: upper respiratory tract (E), lung
      (L), or kidney (K). It is C-ANCA that has high specificity for Wegener's
      granulomatosis (WG). The sensitivity is highest in the fully expressed Wegener's
      triad, or ELK, and less in local regional disease. It is possible that isolated
      manifestations such as episcleritis, subglottic stricture, or diffuse alveolar
      hemorrhage associated with C-ANCA may be considered in the Wegener's spectrum,
      although traditional histopathologic criteria are lacking. Until specific
      etiologic agents are uncovered for the various ANCA-associated entities,
      classification schemes should continue to employ previously established
      clinicopathologic syndromes such as WG using the ANCA test to better define their
      clinical spectrums.

PMID- 1867177
TI  - Diagnostic classification of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated
      vasculitides.
AB  - Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) are in the circulation of
      patients with a variety of clinically and pathologically distinctive forms of
      necrotizing vasculitis. Some patients have classic manifestations of well
      recognized clinicopathologic syndromes, such as Wegener's granulomatosis,
      microscopic polyarteritis nodosa, and Churg-Strauss syndrome, but many patients
      are difficult to assign to a diagnostic category. The Ad Hoc Nomenclature
      Committee of The Third International Workshop on ANCA is attempting to identify a
      working classification system for ANCA-associated vasculitides. This system takes
      into account the many shared clinical and pathologic features, and relies on
      prerequisite positive and negative findings for diagnostic categorization.

PMID- 1867178
TI  - Calcium and phosphorus fluxes during hemodialysis with low calcium dialysate.
AB  - We evaluated the acute effects of varying dialysate calcium concentration on
      plasma concentrations and dialyzer fluxes of calcium and phosphorus in adult
      hemodialysis patients. Seven individuals with stable end-stage renal failure were
      dialyzed 4 hours, three times weekly. The effects of dialysates containing 1.75,
      1.25, or 0.75 mmol/L (70.1, 50.1, or 30.1 mg/L) of calcium were compared. Each
      patient was studied once at each bath calcium concentration. Compared with the
      predialysis mean value of 2.27 mmol/L (9.1 mg/dL), plasma total calcium
      concentration increased, remained constant, or decreased with the 1.75-, 1.25-,
      or 0.75-mmol/L calcium dialysates, respectively. The 0.75-mmol/L calcium
      dialysate did not cause signs or symptoms of hypocalcemia (and the plasma calcium
      concentration did not fall below 1.80 mmol/L [7.2 mg/dL]). Plasma phosphorus
      concentrations decreased equally from a predialysis mean value of 2.16 mmol/L
      (6.7 mg/dL), regardless of the dialysate calcium concentration. After 4 hours of
      treatment with the three different dialysates, the cumulative calcium fluxes were
      significantly different. With 1.75 mmol/L calcium, mean bodily calcium
      accumulation was 21.9 mmol (879 mg). With 1.25 mmol/L, there was no net calcium
      flux. With 0.75 mmol/L, mean patient calcium loss was 5.8 mmol (231 mg). Mean
      phosphorus removal after 4 hours was 32.5 mmol (1,006 mg) and was unaffected by
      dialysate calcium concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867179
TI  - Randomized controlled trial of prophylactic rifampin for peritoneal dialysis
      related infections.
AB  - Staphylococcal infections are a major cause of catheter infections and
      peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients. Since catheter-related infections
      are associated with nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in this population,
      we studied the effect of intermittent rifampin, an antibiotic known to decrease S
      aureus nasal carriage, on catheter-related infections and peritonitis. We
      randomly assigned 64 patients to receive either rifampin 300 mg twice daily for 5
      days every 3 months or no treatment. The rifampin-treated patients had a
      significant delay in time to first catheter-related infection (P less than 0.015)
      and significantly fewer catheter-related infections overall (P less than 0.001).
      The catheter-related infection rate in rifampin-treated patients was .26 per
      patient-year versus .93 per patient-year in untreated patients. Multivariate
      analysis defined baseline colonization of nares or catheter exit-site and prior
      renal transplant as risk factors for catheter-related infections. There was no
      significant difference in peritonitis rates between groups, although the trend
      was for a delayed time to first episodes and fewer episodes in rifampin-treated
      patients. Adverse effects necessitated withdrawal of rifampin in four patients.
      We conclude that intermittent rifampin administration is effective in decreasing
      catheter-related infections in a peritoneal dialysis population.

PMID- 1867180
TI  - Anti-DNA idiotypes deposited in renal glomeruli of patients with lupus nephritis.
AB  - Idiotypes (Id) of human anti-DNA antibodies, designated as O-81 Id, were
      specifically detected on the immune deposits of renal glomeruli in 46% of
      patients with lupus nephritis. Id-binding to anti-Id antibodies was blocked by
      free O-81 Id and to some extent by free DNA. DNase or acid buffer treatment
      failed to reveal new Id determinants on the deposits. O-81 Id and NE-1 Id
      activity were also detected on the renal eluate-derived IgG, but not IgM from the
      autopsy cases with lupus nephritis. The incidences of O-81 Id were not associated
      with histological features in the glomeruli, but the distribution patterns were
      similar to those of IgG deposits. Our study also showed that 65% to 70% of
      patients with IgG deposits either in the subendothelium or in the subepithelial
      area of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) showed positive tests for O-81 Id.
      It was also noted that most patients with massive proteinuria had O-81 Id in
      their glomeruli. It is concluded that O-81 Id deposits are relatively specific
      for active lupus nephritis and that immunofluorescence studies using anti-Id
      antibodies may be clinically useful for specifying the renal lesions of systemic
      lupus erythematosus (SLE).

PMID- 1867181
TI  - Renal vascular lesions as a marker of poor prognosis in patients with lupus
      nephritis. Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Nefrite Lupica (GISNEL).
AB  - The frequency of renal vascular lesions (RVL) and their relevance in the
      progression of renal damage were evaluated by the Pathology Group of the "Gruppo
      Italiano per lo Studio della Nefrite Lupica" (GISNEL). Of 285 patients with lupus
      nephritis collected from 20 nephrology centers in Italy and classified according
      to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, 79 cases (27.7%) with RVL were
      identified and classified as follows: (1) lupus vasculopathy (n = 27); (2)
      hemolytic-uremic syndrome/thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (HUS/TTP) malignant
      hypertension-like lesions (n = 24); (3) vasculitis (n = 8); (4) arterio
      arteriosclerosis (n = 20). At the time of renal biopsy, patients with RVL had
      mean serum creatinine levels significantly higher than patients without RVL
      (201.8 +/- 195.9 mumol/L [2.2 +/- 2.2 mg/dL] v 108.1 +/- 108.0 mumol/L [1.2 +/-
      1.2 mg/dL]; P less than 0.01). Hypertension was more frequent in patients with
      RVL than in those without (68.4% v 30.5%; P less than 0.01). The probability of
      kidney survival assessed according to the Kaplan-Meier method at 5 and 10 years
      was, respectively, 74.3% +/- 5.9% and 58.0% +/- 8.9% in patients with RVL,
      compared with 89.6% +/- 2.7% and 85.9% +/- 3.7% in patients without RVL. However,
      the two groups did not differ significantly as regards overall survival, the
      probability of survival at 5 and 10 years being 86.5% +/- 4.5% and 78.8% +/- 6.6%
      in patients with RVL and 92.2% +/- 2.2% and 83.3% +/- 4.4% in patients without
      RVL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867182
TI  - Effectiveness of renal fellowship training for subsequent clinical practice.
AB  - To assess whether nephrologists perceive disparities between the skills learned
      during fellowship training and those necessary for clinical subspecialty
      practice, we surveyed the perception of board-certified American nephrologists
      regarding the effectiveness of their clinical training. A questionnaire was sent
      to all Diplomates of the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty
      of Nephrology who successfully passed the qualifying examination in 1974, 1980,
      and 1986, regarding the effectiveness of academic instruction within the clinical
      fellowship program as regards traditional academic subject matter, patient
      management, performance of procedures, and interpretation of laboratory data.
      Questionnaires were returned by 42.1%. Although respondents were generally
      satisfied with training in academic nephrologic subject matter, dissatisfaction
      with training in pediatric nephrology, transplant immunology, nephrolithiasis,
      nutrition, and renal function and disease in pregnancy was evident. Training was
      thought to be ineffective in theoretical and practical aspects of management of
      end-stage renal disease. In addition, respondents were dissatisfied with the
      effectiveness of their training in interpretation of radiologic tests and
      procedures such as gaining access to the circulation. More recently trained
      nephrologists were dissatisfied with training in outpatient management and
      interpretation of radiographic tests. Differences between perceptions of older
      and younger nephrologists were most marked regarding their preparation for
      gaining access to the circulation, interpretation of intravenous pyelography, and
      training for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). To prepare fellows
      in training for the exigencies of clinical practice. Nephrology training programs
      will have to emphasize the teaching of the cognitive and manual bases of
      performing procedures, and provide more outpatient experience for
      trainees.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867183
TI  - Pulmonary hemorrhage and necrotizing glomerulonephritis without glomerular immune
      deposits: report of two cases.
AB  - Two children with a syndrome of pulmonary hemorrhage and necrotizing, nonimmune
      glomerulonephritis are reported. A boy and girl, both of East Indian descent,
      developed recurrent lung infiltrates from the age of 3 months and 2 years,
      respectively. Both subsequently presented with pulmonary hemorrhage, fever,
      arthritis, hematuria, and nephrotic range proteinuria at 1.5 and 6 years of age,
      respectively. Renal biopsy in each case showed acute, severe, focal and
      segmental, necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis without immune deposits.
      Subsequent renal biopsies revealed severe glomerular and tubulointerstitial
      scarring. No vasculitis or granulomas were seen on renal, skin, or lung biopsies.
      Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) were not detected in sera taken 1.5
      years in the boy and 3.5 years in the girl after the onset of renal disease. The
      boy was treated with prednisone, azathioprine, and plasmapheresis, but developed
      progressive renal impairment and commenced dialysis within 4 years. Subsequent to
      renal transplantation, he developed an immunoblastic lymphoma and died. The girl
      was treated initially with prednisone and later with cyclophosphamide. After 4
      years, she had a normal glomerular filtration rate (GFR). While necrotizing
      nonimmune glomerulonephritis associated with pulmonary hemorrhage is rare, and
      cases are characteristically difficult to classify because of many overlapping
      features, it is possible that these children had a unique illness.

PMID- 1867184
TI  - Should intravenous immunoglobulin G be first-line treatment for acute thrombotic
      thrombocytopenic purpura? Case report and review of the literature.
AB  - Acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare and serious disease.
      Treatment with prednisone, anticoagulation, antiplatelet drugs, splenectomy,
      exchange transfusions, vincristine, and plasmapheresis may be effective in some
      patients, but the response to these therapies is inconsistent and all carry the
      potential for serious side effects. We, and others, have recently seen dramatic
      responses to intravenous (IV) immunoglobulin G (IgG) when other treatments have
      failed. Although IV IgG is expensive, its costs are low compared with those
      extended plasmapheresis regimens. Since the response to treatment can usually be
      evaluated within a few days and the side effects appear less than with other
      treatments, we believe a strong case can be made for the use of IV IgG as first
      line therapy for acute TTP. Continued multicenter studies are necessary to
      finally solve the problem of competing and confusing treatment attempts and
      synergism of treatment in acute TTP.

PMID- 1867185
TI  - Reversible changes in osmoregulation of vasopressin release due to impaired water
      excretion.
AB  - Studies of renal water handling and the effects of altered hydration and posture
      on the osmoregulation of vasopressin release were performed on a chronically
      hyponatremic patient with complete cervical spinal cord transection at the C-5
      level. Acute oral water loading studies showed marked reduction in free water
      clearance and urine diluting ability, despite appropriate suppression of plasma
      vasopressin concentrations. Orthostatic reductions in arterial blood pressure
      during head-up tilting and following the assumption of sitting posture were also
      demonstrable, and may have contributed to, but could not fully account for, the
      defect in renal water excretion, which persisted in supine posture. Hypertonic
      sodium chloride infusion studies performed before fluid restriction showed that
      low preinfusion plasma osmolality was associated with a reduced osmotic threshold
      for vasopressin release, which was subsequently corrected by a period of fluid
      restriction that restored the patient's plasma osmolality to a normal level. This
      shift in osmotic threshold can be inferred from both linear regression and log
      linear regression analysis of the data. These studies show that marked impairment
      of renal water excretion coupled with unrestricted water intake can result in
      altered osmoregulation of vasopressin release in association with persistent
      plasma hypo-osmolality, which can be corrected by fluid restriction.

PMID- 1867186
TI  - Pheochromocytoma in a long-term hemodialysis patient.
AB  - A right adrenal tumor was found incidentally by renal echography in a 25-year-old
      man, who had been on hemodialysis for 4 years. Inquiry and clinical examination
      suggested pheochromocytoma, which was confirmed by plasma catecholamine
      measurements. Subsequent adrenalectomy was uneventful. Although hypertension,
      headache, and diaphoresis are common symptoms in a dialyzed patient,
      pheochromocytoma has to be eliminated in the presence of this clinical triad.

PMID- 1867187
TI  - Acute renal failure in a case of IgA nephropathy.

PMID- 1867188
TI  - Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been reported to induce or
      worsen anemia in patients on hemodialysis.

PMID- 1867189
TI  - XY chromosome nondisjunction in man is associated with diminished recombination
      in the pseudoautosomal region.
AB  - To assess the possible association between aberrant recombination and XY
      chromosome nondisjunction, we compared pseudoautosomal region recombination rates
      in male meiosis resulting in 47,XXY offspring with those resulting in 46,XY and
      46,XX offspring. Forty-one paternally derived 47,XXYs and their parents were
      tested at six polymorphic loci spanning the pseudoautosomal region. We were able
      to detect crossing-over in only six of 39 cases informative for the telomeric
      DXYS14/DXYS20 locus. Subsequently, we used the data to generate a genetic linkage
      map of the pseudoautosomal region and found it to be significantly shorter than
      the normal male map of the region. From these analyses we conclude that most
      paternally derived 47,XXYs result from meiosis in which the X and Y chromosomes
      did not recombine.

PMID- 1867190
TI  - A multipoint linkage map of the distal short arm of the human X chromosome.
AB  - The distal portion of the short arm of the human X chromosome (Xp) exhibits many
      unique and interesting features. Distal Xp contains the pseudoautosomal region, a
      number of disease loci, and several cell-surface markers. Several genes in this
      area have also been observed to escape X-chromosomal inactivation. The
      characterization of new polymorphic loci in this region has permitted the
      construction of a refined multipoint linkage map extending 15 cM from the Xp
      telomere. This interval is known to contain the loci for the diseases X-linked
      ichthyosis, chondrodysplasia punctata, and Kallmann syndrome, as well as the cell
      surface markers Xg and 12E7. This region also contains the junction between the
      pseudoautosomal region and strictly X-linked sequences. The locus MIC2 has been
      demonstrated by linkage analysis to be indistinguishable from the pseudoautosomal
      junction. The steroid sulfatase locus has been mapped to an interval adjacent to
      the DXS278 locus and 6 cM from the pseudoautosomal junction. The polymorphic
      locus (STS) DXS278 was shown to be informative in all families studied, and
      linkage analysis reveals that the locus represents a low-copy repeat with at
      least one copy distal to the STS gene. The generation of a multipoint linkage map
      of distal Xp will be useful in the genetic dissection of many of the unique
      features of this region.

PMID- 1867191
TI  - Neuroanatomy in fragile X females: the posterior fossa.
AB  - The relative homogeneity of the neuropsychiatric phenotype in individuals with
      fragile (fra) X syndrome suggests that there are consistent central nervous
      system (CNS) abnormalities underlying the observed cognitive and behavioral
      abnormalities. In this study, the neuroanatomy of the posterior fossa and other
      selected CNS regions in 12 young fra X females were compared with those of a
      group of 12 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched females without evidence of the fra X
      syndrome. Fra X females were shown to have decreased size of the posterior
      cerebellar vermis and increased size of the fourth ventricle, findings that are
      identical to those previously reported for fra X males. When compared with fra X
      male and nonfra X control groups, the distribution of the posterior-vermis and
      fourth-ventricle variables for the fra X female group was intermediate. These
      results support the hypothesis that the fra X genetic abnormality leads to
      hypoplasia of the posterior cerebellar vermis, a neuroanatomical variation of
      potential importance to both developmental and neuropsychiatric syndromes.

PMID- 1867192
TI  - Direct detection of dystrophin gene rearrangements by analysis of dystrophin mRNA
      in peripheral blood lymphocytes.
AB  - Using 10 overlapping nested sets of primers and using peripheral blood lymphocyte
      (PBL) total RNA as template, we have developed a system, based on PCR, which
      allows the rapid production of double-stranded cDNA corresponding to the entire
      coding sequence of the dystrophin gene. The product can be visualized on native
      minigels by ethidium staining and directly sequenced after gel purification. We
      have used this system to analyze the structures of PBL dystrophin mRNA in 26
      Duchenne, Becker, or intermediate muscular dystrophy patients who have gross
      rearrangements of the dystrophin gene. In each case, the effect that the genomic
      rearrangement has on the structure of the transcript--and, by inference, on the
      dystrophin protein--has been determined, and the results confirm the frameshift
      hypothesis. The study also identifies a series of alternatively spliced
      transcripts which are specific to the rearranged genotypes and which seem
      therefore to arise following the alteration in the context of the splice signal.
      The system has been used for unambiguous identification of carrier females.
      Furthermore, the rapid production of microgram quantities of dystrophin cDNA from
      a readily accessible tissue makes point-mutation screening a practical
      proposition.

PMID- 1867193
TI  - Nonradioactive assay for new microsatellite polymorphisms at the 5' end of the
      dystrophin gene, and estimation of intragenic recombination.
AB  - Indirect tracking of mutation by DNA polymorphisms is still essential for carrier
      and prenatal diagnosis of Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy, at least in the
      families where no deletion can be detected. Because of the relatively high level
      of intragenic recombination, informative and easily testable markers at both ends
      of the gene are necessary for efficient and accurate diagnosis. We report the
      characterization of two polymorphic microsatellite sequences (TG repeats) at the
      5' end of the dystrophin gene, within 40 kb of the muscle-specific promoter. The
      most useful one (5' DYS MSA) has 10 alleles with a 57% heterozygosity and can be
      tested on small polyacrylamide gels in a nonradioactive PCR-based assay. Despite
      its large number of alleles, this microsatellite shows strong linkage
      disequilibrium with a two-allele polymorphism reported by Roberts et al., an
      indication of the stability of this type of sequences. We have used the new
      microsatellites at the 5' end, along with one we reported previously for the 3'
      end, to type the families in the CEPH (Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain)
      panel. While the number of informative families has increased by a factor of
      about two with respect to the study of Abbs et al., the estimates of the
      recombination fractions are in good agreement with this previous report,
      suggesting a 11% recombination across the gene (3% between the 5' end and the
      pERT87 region, 8% between pERT87 and the 3' end), which is about fivefold more
      than expected. However, these estimates still have wide confidence limits.

PMID- 1867194
TI  - The apolipoprotein E polymorphism: a comparison of allele frequencies and effects
      in nine populations.
AB  - Application of uniform methods for measuring the apolipoprotein (apo) E
      polymorphism and plasma cholesterol levels in nine populations (Tyrolean,
      Sudanese, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Hungarian, Icelandic, Finnish, and Malay)
      revealed significant heterogeneity among them in apo E type frequencies and mean
      cholesterol levels. The major apo E types in all populations were E3/2 (frequency
      range from 7.0% in Indians to 16.9% in Malays), E3/3 (frequency range from 39.8%
      in Sudanese to 72.1% in Japanese), and E3/4 (frequency range from 11.3% in
      Japanese to 35.9% in Sudanese). Mean cholesterol levels ranged from 144.2 mg/dl
      in the Sudanese to 228.5 mg/dl in the Icelandics. Two-way analysis of variance of
      the effect of population and apo E type on cholesterol levels showed no
      significantly interaction effect, indicating that the effects of apo E type on
      cholesterol levels do not differ significantly among the populations. The overall
      average excess for the epsilon 2 allele was -14.12 mg/dl (range -31.63 to -8.82
      mg/dl); for the epsilon 3 allele, 0.04 mg/dl (range -1.87 to 1.58 mg/dl; and for
      the epsilon 4 allele, 8.14 mg/dl (range -1.71 to 13.31 mg/dl). Despite the
      apparent heterogeneity in these values, especially for the epsilon 4 allele,
      comparison of the average excesses by a method of repeated sampling with random
      permutations revealed no significant difference in effects among populations.
      These data indicate that a given apo E allele acts in a relatively uniform manner
      in different populations despite differences in genetic background and
      environmental factors.

PMID- 1867195
TI  - Torsion dystonia genes in two populations confined to a small region on
      chromosome 9q32-34.
AB  - Idiopathic torsion dystonia (ITD) is characterized by sustained, involuntary
      muscle contractions, frequently causing twisting and repetitive movements or
      abnormal postures. Most familial forms of ITD display autosomal dominant
      inheritance with reduced penetrance. Linkage analysis has been previously used to
      localize a dystonia gene to the 9q32-34 region in a large non-Jewish family and
      in a group of Ashkenazi Jewish families. Utilizing GT repeat polymorphisms from
      this region, here we demonstrate that the gene causing dystonia in Ashkenazi Jews
      can be localized to the 11-cM interval between AK1 and D9S10. Linkage analysis in
      the non-Jewish family is also consistent with occurrence of the gene in this
      region, although positive lod scores extend over a greater than 20-cM interval in
      that family. These results set the stage for positional cloning of the dystonia
      gene. Currently there are no known candidate genes in this region.

PMID- 1867196
TI  - A genetic study of platelet adenylate cyclase activity: evidence for a single
      major locus effect in fluoride-stimulated activity.
AB  - The activity of membrane-bound platelet adenylate cyclase, when stimulated in
      vitro by several compounds (including fluoride), is significantly reduced in
      alcoholics compared with control subjects. We have begun a study of the genetics
      of this enzyme activity. Complex segregation analysis of basal (unstimulated)
      platelet adenylate cyclase activity in families reveals a mode of inheritance
      that cannot be accounted for by a simple mixed model of transmission. By
      contrast, adenylate cyclase activity stimulated by fluoride ion reveals a single
      major locus effect with a modest multifactorial background. These results suggest
      that a single factor in the second-messenger pathway may (a) account for the
      majority of individual differences in stimulation of adenylate cyclase of
      fluoride and (b) help explain the reduced activities previously observed in
      alcoholics.

PMID- 1867197
TI  - Compound heterozygosity in nonphenylketonuria hyperphenylalanemia: the
      contribution of mutations for classical phenylketonuria.
AB  - Hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) results from defective hydroxylation of phenylalanine
      in the liver, in most cases because of defective phenylalanine hydroxylase. HPA
      is highly variable, ranging from moderate elevation of plasma phenylalanine with
      no clinical consequences to a severe disease, classical phenylketonuria (PKU).
      Non-PKU HPA was found in excess of PKU in Israel, while the opposite is true in
      Europe. To study the genetic basis of non-PKU HPA, we performed haplotype
      analysis at the phenylalanine hydroxylase locus in 27 families with non-PKU HPA.
      All individuals with this condition were compound heterozygotes. In six of these
      families, in which both PKU and non-PKU HPA were segregating, haplotype analysis
      showed that non-PKU HPA resulted from compound heterozygosity for a PKU mutation
      and a second mutation, with milder effect, which is probably expressed only when
      it interacts with the severe mutation. The involvement of PKU mutations in non
      PKU HPA was further demonstrated in Jewish Yemenite families with non-PKU HPA, in
      which the individuals with this condition were carriers of the single PKU allele
      which exists in this community. In addition, two previously known PKU point
      mutations (R261Q and R408W) were found in individuals with non-PKU HPA. These
      mutations are associated, in our population, with the same haplotypes as those
      with which it is associated in Europe. Based on the above-mentioned genetic model
      for non-PKU HPA, successful prenatal diagnosis of this condition was performed in
      one family.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867198
TI  - Characterization of a COL1A1 splicing defect in a case of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
      type VII: further evidence of molecular homogeneity.
AB  - A child affected by the type VII form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS VII) was
      shown to have a heterozygous structural defect in the amino-terminus of pro-alpha
      1(I) collagen. As a result, type I procollagen trimers containing defective
      subunits are not converted to mature collagen molecules. To identify the cause of
      the protein abnormality, specifically primed cDNAs and genomic DNA were PCR
      amplified and sequenced. This analysis disclosed that the protein structural
      defect is caused by a single base substitution (A for G) at position -1 of the
      splice donor site of intron 6 of the pro-alpha 1(I) collagen gene (COL1A1). The
      affected allele produces (a) transcripts lacking exon 6 sequences and (b), in
      lesser amount, normally spliced transcripts. Furthermore, the rate of exon 6
      skipping is temperature dependent, for it appears to decrease substantially when
      the patient's fibroblasts are incubated at 31 degrees C. These findings are
      similar to those we previously reported for other unrelated EDS VII cases and,
      therefore, reemphasize the molecular homogeneity of this rare connective tissue
      disorder.

PMID- 1867199
TI  - Occurrence of a Tyr393----Asn (Y393N) mutation in the E1 alpha gene of the
      branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex in maple syrup urine disease
      patients from a Mennonite population.
AB  - Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is caused by a deficiency in the mitochondrial
      branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex. The incidence of MSUD in
      the Philadelphia Mennonites is 1/176 births resulting from consanguinity. In this
      study, we amplified cDNAs for the decarboxylase E1 alpha subunit of the branched
      chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex from a classical MSUD patient and
      from an obligatory heterozygote of a Mennonite family by the PCR. Sequencing of
      the amplified cDNAs disclosed at codon 393 of the mature E1 alpha polypeptide a
      base substitution changing a tyrosine (encoded by TAC) to an asparagine residue
      (encoded by AAC), which is designated Y393N. A segment of the E1 alpha gene
      containing the 5' portion of exon 9 was amplified. Probing of the amplified
      genomic DNA with allele-specific oligonucleotide probes showed that the mutation
      in the E1 alpha gene was homozygous in six Mennonites affected with classical
      MSUD and was present in heterozygous carriers. The identification of the MSUD
      mutation in the Philadelphia Mennonites will facilitate diagnosis and carrier
      detection for this population.

PMID- 1867200
TI  - A common Lithuanian mutation causing familial hypercholesterolemia in Ashkenazi
      Jews.
AB  - Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by
      mutations in the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. Here we characterize an
      LDL-receptor founder mutation that is associated with a distinct LDL-receptor
      haplotype and is responsible for FH in 35% of 71 Jewish-Ashkenazi FH families in
      Israel. Sixty four percent (16/25) of the Ashkenazi patients who carry this
      mutant allele were of Lithuanian origin. The mutation was not found in 47 non
      Ashkenazi FH families. This mutation was prevalent (8/10 FH cases) in the Jewish
      community in South Africa, which originated mainly from Lithuania. The mutation,
      a 3-bp in-frame deletion that would result in the elimination of Gly197, has been
      previously designated FH-Piscataway. PCR amplification of a DNA fragment that
      includes the mutation in heterozygous individuals results in the formation of a
      heteroduplex that can be demonstrated by PAGE and used for molecular diagnosis.

PMID- 1867202
TI  - Chromosome 15 uniparental disomy is not frequent in Angelman syndrome.

PMID- 1867203
TI  - The use of a new multiplex PCR assay significantly improves the rapid detection
      of deletions in the dystrophin gene.

PMID- 1867201
TI  - Are the Basques a single and a unique population?
AB  - Different analyses of genetic polymorphisms performed on the Basque population
      have suggested a possible heterogeneity of the Basques and a singularity of their
      genetic characteristics. In this paper, both aspects are analyzed by means of the
      genetic study of seven polymorphic systems--ACP, ADA, AK, ESD, PGD, GC, and HP-
      in 854 autochthonous individuals from the province of Vizcaya. The individuals
      were classified as being from the regions of Arratia, Guernica, Durango, Uribe,
      Marquina, Lea, and Bilbao, on the basis of the birthplaces of their four
      grandparents. Analyses for heterogeneity of the gene frequencies distribution
      suggest that there is a moderate genetic heterogeneity, probably produced by
      centuries of geographical and administrative isolation of these regions. The
      comparison with caucasoid populations, performed using the principal components
      analysis and Cavalli-Sforza and Edwards arc distance, indicates that the
      subpopulations of the province of Vizcaya have experienced little genetic
      exchange with other caucasoids and that the distribution of their genetic
      frequencies differentiates them from other populations.

PMID- 1867204
TI  - Estimation of an approximate confidence interval for FRAXA location by using
      linkage data from many pedigrees.

PMID- 1867206
TI  - Prenatal screening for hemoglobinopathies.

PMID- 1867205
TI  - Diabetic pregnancy: is there intrauterine selection of ADA polymorphism?

PMID- 1867207
TI  - Historical perspectives.

PMID- 1867208
TI  - Defining the gene: an evolving concept.

PMID- 1867209
TI  - ASHG/NSGC activities related to education. The doctoral degree in genetic
      counseling: attitudes of genetic counselors.
AB  - All 565 full members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors were surveyed
      in September 1989 to assess their attitudes toward a potential doctoral degree in
      genetic counseling. The usable return rate was 59.6% (337/565) of the full
      membership. One hundred eighty (54.4%) respondents indicated a need for a
      doctoral degree in genetic counseling, 101 (30.5%) were undecided as to the need,
      and 50 (15.1%) did not see a need for such a degree. One hundred forty-seven
      (44.3%) respondents indicated their individual interest in pursuing a doctorate
      in genetic counseling, 109 (32.8%) would not pursue such a degree, and 76 (22.9%)
      were undecided. Beyond the generally accepted feeling that genetic counseling
      should expand as a professional field, the reasons cited most often for seeking
      the Ph.D. in genetic counseling were professional recognition, a desire to
      specialize in a particular area, and greater depth of knowledge. The study
      revealed a strongly positive attitude, among full members of the NSGC, toward
      establishment of a doctoral degree in genetic counseling.

PMID- 1867210
TI  - Innovations in human genetics education. Medical student elective in clinical
      genetics.
AB  - The fourth-year medical student elective in clinical genetics has been enhanced
      by the addition of a problem-solving project. The assignment requires students to
      pose and answer a practical question about a professionally relevant genetic
      problem. Exemplary questions and the details of the exercise are given. Six of 10
      students choosing an elective in clinical genetics have undertaken the project.
      Their feedback suggests that the requirements of decision making, library
      research, discussion with consultants, and medical writing in a limited time
      period are beneficial additions to the standard elective.

PMID- 1867211
TI  - Teaching about the human genome project.

PMID- 1867212
TI  - Radiographic abnormalities in asbestos insulators: effects of duration from onset
      of exposure and smoking. Relationships of dyspnea with parenchymal and pleural
      fibrosis.
AB  - Chest radiographs and spirometry were evaluated in 2,907 active and retired
      asbestos insulators; most (86.8%) had greater than or equal to 30 years from
      onset of asbestos exposure. Testing was performed in 19 cities in the United
      States during 1981-1983. Complete demographic, smoking, clinical, and radiologic
      data were obtained for 2,790 workers. This is the largest single group of
      insulators that has been studied. Five hundred forty-eight (19.7%) had never
      smoked cigarettes, 942 (33.9%) were current cigarette smokers, and 1,300 (46.6%)
      were ex-smokers. Only 439 (15.7%) workers had no radiographic evidence of
      asbestos-related disease (normal chest X-ray); 668 (23.9%) had pleural fibrosis
      only, 325 (11.6%) had parenchymal fibrosis alone, and 1,358 (48.7%) had both
      parenchymal and pleural fibrosis. The prevalence of radiographic parenchymal
      changes increased significantly (p less than .001) from 38.6% (DURONSET less than
      30 years) to 70% (greater than or equal to 40 years). For pleural changes the
      comparative prevalences were 55% and 82%. Those with no history of cigarette
      smoking were more likely to have normal films than those with a history of
      smoking (19.2% versus 14.4% for current smokers and 15.2% among ex-smokers), and
      were less likely to have parenchymal fibrosis (44.5% versus 69.7% for current
      smokers and 60.2% of ex-smokers). Dyspnea, MRC grade 3 and higher, was more
      prevalent when pleural fibrosis was associated with interstitial pulmonary
      fibrosis (at all profusion levels of small opacities) than when pleural fibrosis
      was absent. Logistic regression analysis of factors contributing to such dyspnea
      showed that the presence of combined parenchymal and pleural abnormalities was a
      significant explanatory variable, in addition to age, smoking, and body mass
      (Quetelet index); the presence of parenchymal changes only or of pleural changes
      only, as factors contributing to dyspnea, did not reach the level of statistical
      significance in the regression analysis. The results of these examinations show
      that pleural fibrosis is a frequent finding in asbestos-exposed groups with long
      term follow-up and that its functional significance is not negligible. The
      contribution of cigarette smoking to prevalence and severity of interstitial
      fibrosis is an additional reason for smoking cessation among asbestos-exposed
      individuals.

PMID- 1867213
TI  - Biological monitoring of the occupational exposure to halothane (fluothane) in
      operating room personnel.
AB  - The concentration of halothane (fluothane) in the ambient atmosphere was
      determined in five operating theaters of two hospitals in Italy. The
      concentrations of halothane in the ambient air exceeded the NIOSH recommended
      time-weighted average exposure levels (median value: 10.38 mg/m3). Halothane was
      detected in the urine of 58 exposed subjects (anesthetists, surgeons, and
      nurses). A significant correlation was found between the halothane concentration
      in urine produced during the shift (Cu, micrograms/L) and halothane environmental
      concentration (CI, mg/m3) (Cu = 0.242 x CI + 3.51) (N = 58; r = 0.92; p less than
      0.0001). The results show that the urinary halothane concentration can be used as
      an appropriate biological exposure index. The biological values proposed are: 92
      micrograms/L, corresponding to a 50 ppm of environmental exposure; 6.5
      micrograms/L, corresponding to 2 ppm of environmental exposure and 3.9
      micrograms/L, corresponding to a 0.5 ppm of environmental exposure.

PMID- 1867214
TI  - Renal cell carcinoma among architects.
AB  - Data from a population-based cancer registry were analyzed according to
      occupation and industry at the time of diagnosis as part of a routine
      surveillance of the data for associations between occupation and cancer risk. A
      total of 119 cases of cancer of all sites were reported among architects between
      1972-1986. From a total of 2,059 renal cell carcinomas in the registry, the 13
      cases were observed among male architects, aged up to 64, 3.1 were expected.
      Significant elevations were not observed among other professional groups.
      Architects are exposed to several toxic and potentially carcinogenic chemicals.
      We suggest that investigators with cancer registry data coded according to
      occupation evaluate whether an association between employment as an architect and
      renal carcinoma exists in their data.

PMID- 1867215
TI  - Parental occupational exposures and risk of childhood cancer: a review.
AB  - We reviewed the literature in order to summarize the present knowledge on the
      association between parental occupational exposures to chemicals and the risk of
      childhood malignancy. The 32 studies pertaining to this topic were evaluated by
      considering various study qualities such as sample size, specificity of outcome,
      confounding, exposure specificity, and control selection. When evaluating the
      findings from any epidemiologic study, the potential sources of bias have to be
      considered. The selection of subjects, misclassification of exposure or outcome,
      and confounding from extraneous factors can contribute to a biased estimate of
      effect. Studies done to minimize these potential biases will be more valid, and
      these studies should be given the most weight when parental occupational
      exposures are evaluated as risk factors for childhood malignancy. We conclude
      that the preponderance of evidence supports the hypothesis that occupational
      exposure of parents to chemicals increases the risk of childhood malignancy. The
      parental occupational exposures implicated in childhood malignancy risk are
      exposure to chemicals including paints, petroleum products, solvents (especially
      chlorinated hydrocarbons) and pesticides, and exposure to metals. The available
      data do not allow the identification of specific etiologic agents within these
      categories of compounds. Future epidemiologic and toxicologic studies should be
      designed to pursue these leads.

PMID- 1867216
TI  - Silicon carbide pneumoconiosis: a radiographic assessment.
AB  - Interstitial lung disease and airflow limitation have been reported in silicon
      carbide workers but it is uncertain whether these recent observations reflect
      past working conditions alone (30 years ago) or both past and present conditions
      even if the latter have improved. To investigate this, we analyzed pairs of chest
      radiographs obtained in 1977 and 1984 in 128 silicon carbide plant workers. Three
      indices, related to density of small opacities, profusion of opacities, and
      presence of pleural plaques, were obtained. Student t-tests on results obtained
      in each time period showed the mean density (1.02 in 1977 and 0.56 in 1984) and
      profusion (4.27 in 1977 and 2.13 in 1984) indices to be significantly different.
      However, the pleural plaque index was not different in 1984 (0.34) as compared
      with 1977 (0.32). There was no deterioration of the radiographic image even in
      groups with density ratios equal or greater than 1/1. We concluded that the
      actual environmental working conditions did not influence the integrity of the
      lung radiographic image in these workers within a time span of 6 or 7 years.

PMID- 1867217
TI  - Inflammation of the visceral pleura, a nonspecific asbestos-related pleural
      reaction: chest radiograph and computed tomograph correlation.
AB  - Nonspecific pleuritis, i.e., inflammation of the visceral pleura, is recognized
      by the presence of pleural strands on the routine posteroanterior chest
      radiograph. The computed tomograph counterparts of these strands are seen as
      interlobular septal intrusions and lenticular or wedge-shaped subpleural
      opacities. The pleural reaction is nonspecific and may be found with asbestos
      exposure, traumatic hemorrhagic effusions, pulmonary embolism, viral pleurisy,
      malignant pleural effusions, and lupus or rheumatoid effusions. The asbestos
      related pleural changes may be found alone or in association with parietal
      pleural plaque formation or with asbestotic lung fibrosis.

PMID- 1867218
TI  - Silicosis and lung cancer in North Carolina dusty trades workers.
AB  - Since 1940, 760 cases of silicosis have been diagnosed as part of the State of
      North Carolina's (NC) pneumoconiosis surveillance program for dusty trades
      workers. Vital status was ascertained through 1983 for 714 cases that had been
      diagnosed since 1940 and death certificates were obtained for 546 of the 550
      deceased. Mortality from tuberculosis, cancer of the intestine and lung,
      pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, pneumoconiosis, and kidney disease was
      significantly increased in whites. Mortality from tuberculosis, ischemic heart
      disease, and pneumoconiosis was significantly increased in non-whites. The
      standardized mortality ratio (95% CI) for lung cancer based on U.S. rates was 2.6
      (1.8-3.6) in whites, 2.3 (1.5-3.4) in those who had no exposure to other known
      occupational carcinogens, and 2.4 (1.5-3.6) in those who had no other exposure
      and who had been diagnosed for silicosis while employed in the NC dusty trades.
      Age-adjusted lung cancer rates in silicotics who had no exposure to other known
      occupational carcinogens were 1.5 (.8-2.9) times higher than that in a referent
      group of coal miners with coalworkers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and 2.4 (1.5-3.9)
      times higher than that in a referent group of non-silicotic metal miners. Age-
      and smoking-adjusted rates in silicotics were 3.9 (2.4-6.4) times higher than
      that in metal miners. This analysis effectively controls for confounding by age,
      cigarette smoking, and exposure to other known occupational carcinogens, and it
      is unlikely that other correlates of silica exposure could explain the excess
      lung cancer mortality in the silicotics.

PMID- 1867219
TI  - First-aid reports of acute chlorine gassing among pulpmill workers as predictors
      of lung health consequences.
AB  - Workers in pulpmills can be exposed to a multitude of gases hazardous to
      respiratory function, the most common of which is chlorine gas. First-aid reports
      of acute gas overexposure incidents ("gassings") over an 8 year period were used
      to generate exposure data on a group of pulpmill workers whose respiratory
      function had been studied cross-sectionally in 1981 and 1988. Three hundred forty
      eight incidents representing 174 workers were identified, 78% of these being
      treated solely by the first-aid attendant with the administration of O2 and cough
      suppression medication. Among 316 workers tested during a 1988 respiratory health
      survey, 78 had at least one chlorine or chlorine dioxide "gassing" incident.
      There was a significant decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio (p less than .05) as well
      as increased risk for workplace associated chest symptoms in this group with at
      least one "gassing" incident. In an age- and smoking-matched analysis, among
      workers tested both in 1981 and 1988, there was a greater decline in FEV2/FVC
      ratio and MMF (p less than .05) in the "gassed" group than in the nonexposed
      group over the 7 year period of observation. These results emphasize the need for
      worker protection against accidental chlorine gas exposures.

PMID- 1867221
TI  - Brain damage caused by hydrogen sulfide: a follow-up study of six patients.
AB  - Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) poisoning involves a risk of hypoxic brain damage. Six
      patients who lost consciousness due to H2S poisoning are described. The symptoms
      varied from anosmia in the patient with the shortest but highest exposure to
      delayed neurological deterioration in the patient with the longest exposure. The
      two patients with the most serious symptoms developed pulmonary edema, which may
      have prolonged the hypoxia. The patients were reexaminated 5 years or more after
      the poisoning. The five patients who had been unconscious in H2S atmosphere for
      from 5 to 15-20 min showed persisting impairment at neurological and
      neuropsychological re-examination. Memory and motor function were most affected.
      One patient was seriously demented. Recent reports of large groups of H2S
      poisoned workers probably underestimate the risk of sequelae, due to the
      inclusion of cases with exposure of short duration and lack of follow-up.

PMID- 1867220
TI  - Mortality study of British pathologists.
AB  - Pathologists eligible for inclusion in the study were identified from the
      membership lists of the Royal College of Pathologists from 1974 to 1987,
      establishing a population of 4,512 members. Overall mortality was lower among the
      study group compared with the general population of England and Wales, although
      there were significantly more deaths due to suicide (observed 13, expected 4.9,
      SMR 265, 95% CI 141-454). Excess deaths due to cancer of the lymphatic and
      hemopoietic system were noted but they were not significantly increased. An
      excess of brain cancer death was marginally significant for male pathologists
      (observed 6, expected 2.5, SMR 240, 95% CI 88-522). Six of the 9 (66.7%) cases of
      all types of brain tumors reported in total were among hematologists, although
      this sub-specialty comprises approximately 16% of all pathologists.

PMID- 1867222
TI  - Hypertension: meeting therapeutic challenges, providing effective management.

PMID- 1867223
TI  - Hypertension: meeting therapeutic challenges, providing effective management.
      Proceedings of a symposium. October 19-21, 1990, Laguna Niguel, California.

PMID- 1867224
TI  - Epidemiologic and clinical aspects of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.
AB  - Epidemiologic studies have shown that insulin is a risk factor for coronary heart
      disease (CHD). Clinical studies have also demonstrated positive correlations
      between insulin and blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, fibrinogen,
      and plasminogen activator inhibitor. Moreover, there is an inverse correlation
      between insulin and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). These studies have provided
      evidence in support of the biologic plausibility of epidemiologic observations,
      but they have not clearly established insulin's role in the pathogenesis of human
      cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as hypertension. In fact, there is
      considerable evidence that insulin resistance (abnormal nonoxidative glucose
      disposal), not hyperinsulinemia, is the primary insulin-related abnormality in
      human hypertension, and that hyperinsulinemia occurs as a response to insulin
      resistance. Skeletal muscle appears to be the primary site of insulin resistance
      in essential hypertension, although other organs, such as the kidneys and liver-
      key sites for cell and water homeostasis and lipoprotein regulation, respectively
      -may respond normally to insulin. Adipocytes also appear to be a site of insulin
      resistance. Thus, the putative interrelationship between hyperinsulinemia and
      insulin resistance, on the one hand, and with blood pressure and lipoproteins, on
      the other, is a complex one and may involve organ-specific insulin resistance.
      Altered cation transport is one of several mechanisms by which insulin resistance
      might raise blood pressure. The Na+, K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase pumps are
      insulin sensitive. Thus, when insulin resistance is present, the activity of
      these pumps in the smooth muscle of the arterial wall might be reduced. This
      would lead to an intracellular accumulation of sodium and calcium, thereby
      sensitizing the vascular wall to pressor substances. Moreover, secondary
      hyperinsulinemia will occur, and insulin has been shown to stimulate sympathetic
      nervous system activity and to increase renal tubular absorption of sodium.
      Insulin is also a growth factor and therefore might have a trophic effect on the
      vessel wall, one that could initiate and/or sustain hypertension as well as
      atherosclerosis. Abnormal lipoprotein metabolism is yet another possible
      explanation for the accelerated atherosclerosis that has been observed in persons
      with abnormal carbohydrate tolerance and insulin resistance. Hyperinsulinemia and
      insulin resistance both play a role in the expression of elevated very-low
      density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels as well as in
      the depression of HDL levels. Coronary risk reduction has been disappointing when
      blood pressure has been lowered with treatment regimens based on thiazide
      diuretics and/or beta blockers. Thiazides and some beta blockers may further
      impair tissue insulin sensitivity and often cause blood lipoprotein
      abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1867225
TI  - Therapeutic adherence in the elderly: transdermal clonidine compared to oral
      verapamil for hypertension.
AB  - This double-blind, double-dummy, randomized clinical trial, conducted in elderly
      patients with mild hypertension, compared adherence to treatment, efficacy, side
      effects, and quality of life during treatment with transdermal clonidine versus
      oral sustained-release verapamil (verapamil-SR). Blood pressure declined
      significantly--from 148/95 mm Hg at baseline to 139/84 after titration and 135/86
      after maintenance--with transdermal clonidine (n = 29), and from 156/96 to 144/85
      and 148/88, respectively, with verapamil-SR (n = 29). Adverse event rates and
      quality-of-life questionnaire responses were similar in the two treatment groups.
      Transdermal clonidine was worn as directed during more than 96% of patient-weeks
      of treatment. Compliance with the oral verapamil regimen was less consistent:
      Verapamil-SR was taken as directed during approximately 50% of patient-weeks of
      therapy, and individual compliance, assessed by tablet counts, varied from 50
      120%. In all, 86% of subjects were satisfied or highly satisfied with the
      convenience of transdermal therapy; 87% reported that side effects were slightly
      or not bothersome; 65% indicated that transdermal patches were more convenient
      than oral therapy; and almost 60% preferred transdermal to oral therapy. In this
      study transdermal clonidine and oral verapamil were equally safe and effective. A
      substantial majority of patients preferred transdermal to oral therapy, and
      adherence to treatment was greater with transdermal therapy.

PMID- 1867226
TI  - Hypertension, cardiac disease, and compliance in minority patients.
AB  - In minorities, as in the general population, hypertension is taken seriously
      because it is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Until recently, our
      understanding of the role that hypertension plays in the heart disease seen in
      minorities has been limited by a paucity of prospective data regarding the
      prevalence, natural history, and pathophysiology of the disease process in
      minority populations. In the last few years large-scale epidemiologic studies and
      well-controlled clinical studies alike have confirmed usually high rates of
      hypertension-related morbidity and mortality in minorities, particularly blacks
      and Hispanics. The severity of end-organ damage, both cardiac and renal, that is
      seen in these patients--especially when coupled with the severe cerebrovascular
      damage that is also more common in black and Hispanic hypertensives--mandate that
      more effective public health measures be taken to reduce the incidence of
      hypertension in these patient populations. Because hypertension is usually
      without significant clinical symptoms, noncompliance with drug therapy and high
      dropout rates are common in all patient populations. They are strikingly higher
      in inner-city populations, however, where illiteracy, poverty, homelessness, and
      high rates of chemical dependency combine to exacerbate an already serious
      problem in treating hypertensive patients. Inner-city patients are, increasingly,
      black and Hispanic patients, and these patients are more likely to be
      underinsured or uninsured, to be functionally illiterate in English, to be
      disinclined to seek health care, and to be less capable of following a prescribed
      regimen than the populace as a whole. The nature of the therapeutic regimen
      itself is probably the most important determinant of compliance, and compliance
      with drug therapy will be improved if the clinic chooses a simplified drug
      regimen and avoids drugs that produce intolerable side effects. Once-a-day--or,
      with transdermal clonidine, one-a-week--single-drug therapy may not be possible
      in all patients, but multiple drug therapy and multiple daily dosing schedules
      should be avoided wherever possible.

PMID- 1867227
TI  - Improving compliance in an inner-city hypertensive patient population.
AB  - Because hypertension is a "silent" disease process, compliance with therapy is
      always a problem. In the inner city, where socioeconomic factors such as poverty,
      illiteracy, and substance abuse raise additional barriers to effective health
      care, poor compliance with antihypertensive regimens can reach epidemic
      proportions--as it did in our clinic in the early 1970s. After identifying the
      major causes of poor compliance in our patients, we instituted measures that led
      directly to greatly improved compliance and control, among them the expansion of
      clinic hours, the expediting of laboratory services, and the training of nurse
      therapists to assume many of the responsibilities of running the clinic. In
      recent years a number of new antihypertensive agents have been introduced, and
      these new drugs have afforded patients better blood pressure control through less
      complex drug regimens with fewer serious side effects. Indeed, we observed a
      strong correlation between patient compliance and the administration of agents
      with longer dosing intervals and improved side effects profiles. This observation
      led us to consider whether transdermal clonidine--which requires weekly, rather
      than daily, administration--might not be an especially effective means of
      controlling blood pressure in inner-city patients. To test this hypothesis, we
      enrolled 20 patients, all of them blacks, in a pilot study of this unique
      delivery system. Blood pressure was adequately controlled in all 18 patients who
      completed the study, and patients were uniformly enthusiastic about this
      alternative to daily dosing. As a result, compliance with this mode of therapy
      was excellent.

PMID- 1867228
TI  - Cardiovascular and metabolic characteristics of hypertension.
AB  - Hypertension is now seen as a broader condition than high blood pressure alone.
      Large-scale epidemiologic studies have established that high blood pressure is
      associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, but clinical trials
      of antihypertensive therapy have shown an inconsistent reduction in major
      cardiovascular endpoints. Importantly, the incidence of coronary disease has been
      reduced to only a small extent, suggesting that factors beyond high blood
      pressure are important in the genesis of atherosclerotic disease in hypertensive
      patients. It is evident, for example, that patients with hypertension have an
      exaggerated vulnerability to the consequences of lipid abnormalities. Moreover,
      it has recently been established that hypertension is characterized by insulin
      resistance and altered glucose tolerance. As a result, high plasma concentrations
      of insulin produce proliferative effects on vascular smooth muscle and connective
      tissue, and they may adversely affect the lipid profile. The left ventricle is
      also involved in hypertension--independent of blood pressure. There is growing
      evidence that there are increases in the muscle mass of the left ventricle and
      changes in its diastolic filling characteristics at the very early stages of
      hypertension. The arterial circulation is similarly involved, for alterations in
      structure or function, reflected by diminished arterial compliance, can be
      demonstrated prior to the appearance of clinical hypertension. Treatment designed
      to protect hypertensive patients from cardiovascular events must not only be
      based on blood pressure, but must take into account all the components of the
      hypertension syndrome.

PMID- 1867229
TI  - Hypercholesterolemia: new findings and clinical applications. Introduction.

PMID- 1867230
TI  - Hypercholesterolemia: new findings and clinical applications. Proceedings of a
      symposium. April 25, 1990, Chicago, Illinois.

PMID- 1867231
TI  - Regression of coronary atherosclerosis: an achievable goal? Review of results
      from recent clinical trials.
AB  - During the past decade, large, placebo-controlled, randomized trials have
      demonstrated that the incidence of coronary events can be reduced by treating
      hyperlipidemia. In studies with angiographic end points, marked lowering of total
      and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol with comparable increases in high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol retards the progression of coronary atherosclerosis and
      favors regression. In the Cholesterol-Lowering Atherosclerosis Study (CLAS), such
      therapy also prevented the appearance and worsening of atherosclerotic lesions in
      coronary bypass grafts. In the recently reported Familial Atherosclerosis
      Treatment Study (FATS), in which coronary lesions were measured quantitatively,
      treatment induced clear regression of coronary atherosclerosis and also markedly
      decreased coronary events. The beneficial effect on coronary lesions in these
      studies appears to be proportional to the degree of lipid lowering. In addition,
      new evidence suggests that aspirin and calcium antagonists might prevent the
      development of early coronary lesions. The identification and aggressive
      treatment of patients with high serum cholesterol levels can have a major impact
      on the development and evolution of coronary atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1867232
TI  - Expanded clinical evaluation of lovastatin (EXCEL) study results: III. Efficacy
      in modifying lipoproteins and implications for managing patients with moderate
      hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - In the multicenter, double-blind EXCEL (Expanded Clinical Evaluation of
      Lovastatin) study the efficacy of lovastatin in modifying plasma lipids and
      lipoproteins in 8,245 participants with moderate primary hypercholesterolemia was
      evaluated. Patients were randomly assigned to 48 weeks of treatment with diet and
      placebo or diet and lovastatin 20 or 40 mg once a day, or 20 or 40 mg twice a
      day. At all of these dosages, lovastatin produced substantial dose-dependent
      reductions in low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels, averaging 24% (20
      mg/day) to 40% (80 mg/day). The magnitude of the effect of this lipoprotein was
      further reflected by the percentage of patients who achieved National Cholesterol
      Education Program (NCEP) goals. In the absence of coronary artery disease (CAD)
      or two other CAD risk factors, the LDL-cholesterol goal of 4.14 mmol/L (160
      mg/dL) was attained by 22% of patients in the placebo group and between 81% (20
      mg/day) and 96% (80 mg/day) of those treated with lovastatin. For those with CAD
      or at least two other CAD risk factors, the LDL-cholesterol goal of 3.36 mmol/L
      (130 mg/dL) was attained by 4% of placebo patients and between 38% (20 mg/day)
      and 83% (80 mg/day) of those treated with lovastatin. Lovastatin also increased
      high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (7-10%) and decreased triglycerides (10-19%)
      in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, when used as an adjunct to a prudent diet,
      lovastatin produces favorable changes in the entire lipoprotein profile and is a
      highly effective agent for managing patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 1867233
TI  - Update on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
AB  - The major components of atherosclerotic plaque, ultimately responsible for
      clinical effects, are deposited lipids--mostly cholesteryl esters and
      cholesterol, derived largely from the lower-density lipoproteins of the blood-
      and proliferated, modified arterial smooth muscle cells with their synthesized
      connective tissue products. Advanced plaques vary widely in the proportion of the
      two components, but evidence indicates that lipid deposition--especially of
      lipoprotein elements--often occurs in the lesion-prone intimal areas of the
      artery prior to the buildup of smooth muscle cells. The 1980s were remarkably
      productive for investigators who study the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We
      now know of the many forms of lower-density lipoproteins, i.e., low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), some of which are more
      likely to be associated with accelerated atherosclerosis and some of which are
      more likely to be influenced by diet. Among these forms of LDL and VLDL are LDL
      1, beta-VLDL, and Lp(a). Work has been reported implicating various alterations
      of endothelial function in the permeability of the arterial endothelial barrier
      in the transport of these low-density, cholesterol-rich macromolecules. Of
      possibly greater interest is the developing evidence that such proliferation
      stimulating molecules as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) can be produced by
      a number of cells likely to be involved in the progression of atherosclerotic
      plaque. In addition to platelets, these include activated monocytes and monocyte
      derived macrophages, injured endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells, which
      can undergo an autocrine conversion to PDGF synthesis--possibly stimulated by LDL
      from hyperlipidemic serum. Leukotrienes and other endothelium-associated
      regulatory molecules may also take part in the paracrine and autocrine mechanisms
      of stimulating smooth-muscle-cell proliferation. Additional recent developments
      that have led to a better understanding of atherosclerotic pathogenesis have
      occurred. The first is evidence of the involvement of oxidized LDL and its
      apolipoprotein B in atherogenesis. Research indicates that antioxidants have a
      suppressive effect on atherogenesis when oxidized LDL has been involved in lesion
      development. The data linking the development of autoimmune reactions to these
      oxidatively altered lipoproteins are also impressive. Further, there is
      increasing evidence that atherogenesis in nonhuman primates and in people in whom
      chronic sustained circulating immune complexes are involved is likely to be
      accelerated, even when few or no classic risk factors are present. These lesions
      appear to represent a distinct microarchitectural form of concentric and
      transmural atherosclerosis that is better classified as "atheroarteritis."

PMID- 1867234
TI  - Rationale for treatment.
AB  - Based on substantial evidence, the 1984 NIH Consensus Development Conference
      concluded that the treatment of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
      cholesterol elevations with diet and, when necessary, with drugs, can reduce the
      risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Accordingly, in 1988 the National
      Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) published guidelines for defining moderate-,
      borderline-high-, and high-risk categories for CAD. Many clinical trials have
      supported the benefits of antihyperlipidemic therapy. Evidence from the Coronary
      Primary Prevention Trial gave rise to the "2:1 ratio," i.e., that a 1% reduction
      in total cholesterol level is associated with a 2% decrease in CAD events. The
      Helsinki Heart Study results indicated that additional benefit may be obtained by
      raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels. Dramatic reductions in
      LDL and total cholesterol were achieved by the Program on the Surgical Control of
      the Hyperlipidemias, which also achieved a 35% reduction in CAD events and a two
      thirds reduction in both coronary bypass operations and angioplasties. Long-term
      benefits of cholesterol lowering in terms of cardiovascular and all-cause
      mortality have been shown in the Coronary Drug Project and the Multiple Risk
      Factor Intervention Trial. Two major studies that have documented angiographic
      changes as a result of cholesterol lowering are the Cholesterol-Lowering
      Atherosclerosis Study (CLAS) and the Familial Atherosclerosis Treatment Study
      (FATS). In both CLAS and FATS, there was a decrease in the development of new
      lesions and a lowering of the rate of progression of existing lesions. In FATS,
      there was also evidence that aggressive antihyperlipidemic therapy will decrease
      existing lesions in some CAD patients.

PMID- 1867235
TI  - Alcoholism: the disease and the diagnosis.

PMID- 1867236
TI  - Alcohol abuse: comparison of two methods for assessing its prevalence and
      associated morbidity in hospitalized patients.
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate two methods for assessing the prevalence of alcohol abuse in
      hospitalized patients based upon scores on standardized alcoholism screening
      instruments compared with diagnostic discharge data, and to determine the risk
      for comorbid conditions in patients who abuse alcohol. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of
      2,534 consecutive patients admitted to five adult inpatient services of an
      academic center, 1,964 were screened for alcohol abuse using the CAGE and the
      SMAST. Their discharge diagnoses were obtained and analyzed for the presence of
      alcohol-related diagnoses and other comorbid conditions. RESULTS: A total of 1.4%
      of patients had a principal alcohol-related diagnosis (ARD), 6% had a secondary
      but no principal ARD, and 15% screened positive for alcohol abuse but had no ARD.
      The overall prevalence of alcohol abuse was 22.4%. Patients with a principal ARD
      had a higher risk for dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
      pancreatitis, sequelae of liver disease, and illegal drug abuse. Patients with a
      secondary ARD were at risk for 19 comorbid conditions, including pancreatitis,
      injury, pneumonia, COPD, and poly-drug abuse. Patients who screened positive for
      alcohol abuse but had no ARD were significantly more likely to have a diagnosis
      of hypertension, arrhythmia, breast cancer, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
      CONCLUSION: Discharge diagnoses alone markedly underestimate the prevalence of
      alcohol abuse in hospitalized patients. Patients from the three groups are at
      higher risk for comorbid conditions, and secondary prevention of alcohol abuse
      can be achieved by routinely screening every patient using recognized alcoholism
      screening instruments.

PMID- 1867237
TI  - The syndrome of alcoholic ketoacidosis.
AB  - PURPOSE: To further elucidate the clinical spectrum of alcoholic ketoacidosis
      (AKA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case series of 74 patients with AKA defined as a
      wide anion gap metabolic acidosis unexplained by any other disorder or toxin,
      including any patient with a history of chronic alcohol abuse. The setting was
      the Medical Emergency Department at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia,
      a university-affiliated inner-city hospital. RESULTS: AKA is a common disorder in
      the emergency department, more common than previously thought. The acid-base
      abnormalities are more diverse than just a wide-gap metabolic acidosis and often
      include a concomitant metabolic alkalosis, hyperchloremic acidosis, or
      respiratory alkalosis. Lactic acidosis is also common. Semiquantitative serum
      acetoacetate levels were positive in 96% of patients. Elevated blood alcohol
      levels were present in two thirds of patients in whom alcohol levels were
      determined, and levels consistent with intoxication were seen in 40% of these
      patients. Electrolyte disorders including hyponatremia, hypokalemia,
      hypophosphatemia, hyperglycemia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia were common on
      presentation. The most common symptoms were nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
      The most common physical findings were tachycardia, tachypnea, and abdominal
      tenderness. Altered mental status, fever, hypothermia, or other abnormal findings
      were uncommon and reflected other underlying processes. CONCLUSIONS: AKA is a
      common disorder in chronic malnourished alcoholic persons. The acid-base
      abnormalities reflect not only the ketoacidosis, but also associated
      extracellular fluid volume depletion, alcohol withdrawal, pain, sepsis, or severe
      liver disease. Although the pathophysiology is complex, the syndrome is rapidly
      reversible and has a low mortality.

PMID- 1867238
TI  - Pyomyositis in patients with the human immunodeficiency virus: an unusual form of
      disseminated bacterial infection.
AB  - PURPOSE AND PATIENTS: Pyomyositis, a common disease in the tropics, is rare in
      the continental United States, with approximately 83 cases described in the
      literature in the past two decades. The occurrence of pyomyositis complicating
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been reported in 10 patients
      since 1986. We report six cases of this entity in patients with advanced HIV
      disease seen in our institution over a 20-month period. A common denominator in
      all of our patients was muscle injury, induced by either exercise or trauma.
      Unlike most previous reports of HIV-associated pyomyositis, the clinical picture
      in our cases was complicated by the development of abscesses in multiple muscle
      groups, requiring prolonged antimicrobial therapy and repeated drainage
      procedures for successful management. Interestingly, one patient developed
      concomitant rhabdomyolysis--an otherwise rare event in classical pyomyositis.
      Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant infecting organism in this as well as
      all other series. Of note, we also observed and report the first case, to our
      knowledge, of gram-negative pyomyositis in an HIV-infected individual. The
      pathogenic implications of this catalase-producing gram-negative isolate are
      discussed in the context of neutrophil abnormalities in HIV disease. CONCLUSION:
      Like tropical pyomyositis, its HIV-associated counterpart appears to be
      multifactorial in origin. Its recent recognition suggests that, in addition to
      underlying abnormalities of host defense, factors relating to the prolonged
      survival of patients with late-stage disease, including myopathy, might play an
      important contributory role.

PMID- 1867239
TI  - Hepatosplenic candidiasis: successful treatment with fluconazole.
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine if fluconazole is effective treatment for hepatosplenic
      candidiasis that has not resolved with amphotericin B and flucytosine treatment.
      PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six patients (ages 3 to 44) with acute leukemia and
      hepatosplenic candidiasis who did not respond to prior antifungal therapy were
      treated with fluconazole. RESULTS: All six patients had fever and three had
      nausea and vomiting; computed tomographic (CT) scan showed lucencies in the liver
      in six, lucencies in the spleen in five, and lucencies in the kidneys in three.
      Prior therapy with 1.6 to 4 g of amphotericin B in the five adults and 526 mg of
      amphotericin B in the child (with the addition of flucytosine in four) failed to
      improve clinical symptoms or lucencies in the liver, spleen, and kidneys seen on
      CT scan. Fluconazole was given at a dose of 200 to 400 mg daily (70 to 100 mg in
      the child) for 2 to 14 months. All patients had resolution of fever and other
      symptoms in 2 to 8 weeks. Improvement of the lesions noted on CT scan was seen in
      4 to 8 weeks in all patients. Total resolution of lesions noted on CT scan
      occurred by 4 weeks in two patients, but took 4 to 5 months for three patients
      and 13 months for one patient. Three patients had relapse of their acute leukemia
      and two died, presumably cured of their candidiasis. Two patients underwent
      successful bone marrow transplantation without relapse of their candidiasis.
      CONCLUSION: Fluconazole appears to be useful in the treatment of hepatosplenic
      candidiasis that has not resolved with amphotericin B and flucytosine therapy.

PMID- 1867240
TI  - Fluconazole therapy for chronic disseminated candidiasis in patients with
      leukemia and prior amphotericin B therapy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of fluconazole against chronic disseminated
      candidiasis (hepatosplenic candidiasis) in patients with leukemia in whom
      amphotericin B treatment had failed. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients
      with chronic disseminated candidiasis treated with fluconazole on a compassionate
      investigational new drug protocol. SETTING: Multi-institutional. PATIENTS AND
      METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients received 100 to 400 mg of fluconazole per
      day for a median of 30 weeks. All had either failed to respond to treatment with
      more than 2 g of amphotericin B or had serious amphotericin B-related toxicities.
      RESULTS: Fourteen of 16 evaluable patients (88%) responded. Responses were
      observed in seven of nine patients in whom adequate doses of amphotericin B had
      failed and in all seven patients who had amphotericin B-related toxicities. In 12
      patients, cytotoxic chemotherapy was continued without flare of the infection.
      Fluconazole was well tolerated with rare side effects. Aspergillus superinfection
      developed in three patients and contributed to the death of two of them.
      CONCLUSION: Fluconazole is a safe and effective agent with significant activity
      against chronic disseminated candidiasis.

PMID- 1867241
TI  - Thiamine deficiency in patients with congestive heart failure receiving long-term
      furosemide therapy: a pilot study.
AB  - PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that long-term furosemide therapy in patients
      with congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with clinically significant
      thiamine deficiency via urinary loss. DESIGN: (1) Biochemical evaluation of
      thiamine status in hospitalized patients with CHF treated with long-term
      furosemide and in age-matched control patients. (2) Uncontrolled trial of the
      effect of intravenous thiamine on cardiac performance in a subset of six patients
      with CHF. SETTING: General medical ward of a teaching community hospital.
      PATIENTS: Twenty-three patients with chronic CHF receiving furosemide, and 16 age
      matched control patients without heart failure and not taking diuretics. Daily
      furosemide doses were 80 to 240 mg, and duration of furosemide therapy was 3 to
      14 months. Patients with identifiable causes of inadequate thiamine intake,
      absorption, or utilization or increased metabolic requirements were excluded.
      INTERVENTION: A 7-day course of intravenous thiamine, 100 mg twice daily, in six
      consenting patients with CHF. RESULTS: A high thiamine pyrophosphate effect
      (TPPE), indicating thiamine deficiency, was found in 21 of 23 furosemide-treated
      patients and in two of 16 controls (p less than 0.001). The mean (+/- SE) TPPE
      (normal: 0% to 15%) in furosemide-treated and control patients was 27.7 +/- 2.5%
      and 7.1 +/- 1.6%, respectively (p less than 0.001). Despite the high TPPE, the
      mean (+/- SE) urinary thiamine excretion in the furosemide-treated patients (n =
      18) was inappropriately high (defined as greater than 130 micrograms/g
      creatinine), 410 +/- 95 micrograms/g creatinine, even in comparison with that in
      the controls (n = 14): 236 +/- 69 micrograms/g creatinine. In six patients
      treated with intravenous thiamine, the elevated TPPE decreased to normal, from a
      mean (+/- SE) of 27.0 +/- 3.8% to 4.5 +/- 1.3% (p less than 0.001), indicating
      normal thiamine utilization capacity. Left ventricular ejection fraction
      increased in four of five of these patients studied by echocardiography.
      CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that long-term furosemide therapy
      may be associated with clinically significant thiamine deficiency due to urinary
      loss and contribute to impaired cardiac performance in patients with CHF. This
      deficit may be prevented or corrected by appropriate thiamine supplements.

PMID- 1867242
TI  - Risk factors for stroke in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation: a case
      control study.
AB  - PURPOSE: Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that anticoagulant
      therapy is very effective at preventing stroke among patients with nonrheumatic
      atrial fibrillation. However, these trials have reported too few strokes for
      powerful risk factor analysis. Observational studies may provide additional
      information. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors in a larger
      number of patients with stroke and nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation, using case
      control methodology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified all patients discharged
      from one hospital over an 8-year period who met our case definition of
      nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke (n = 134), and compared them
      with contemporaneous control subjects who were discharged with nonrheumatic
      atrial fibrillation without stroke (n = 131). RESULTS: Cases and controls were
      similar in terms of duration of atrial fibrillation; proportion with paroxysmal
      atrial fibrillation; percentage with a past medical history of angina, myocardial
      infarction, congestive heart failure, diabetes, or smoking; and mean left atrial
      size. In contrast, cases were significantly older than controls (78.5 versus 74.8
      years, p = 0.002) and more likely to have a history of hypertension (55% versus
      38%, p = 0.0093). The relative odds for stroke was 1.91 for patients with
      hypertension, 1.73 for patients older than 75 years, and 3.26 for patients with
      both factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis suggests that age and hypertension should
      be considered when deciding upon long-term anticoagulant therapy to prevent
      stroke in patients with nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1867243
TI  - Syncope and orthostatic hypotension.
AB  - PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the postural blood pressure
      response over time, the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in patients with
      syncope, and the relationship of orthostatic hypotension to recurrence of
      symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 223 patients with
      syncope in a standardized manner. Orthostatic responses were measured in a
      standardized fashion at 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 minutes or until symptoms occurred.
      Follow-up was obtained at 3-month intervals. Causes of syncope were assigned by
      predetermined criteria. RESULTS: Orthostatic hypotension (20 mm Hg or greater
      systolic blood pressure decline) was found in 69 patients (31%). The median time
      to reach minimal standing systolic blood pressure was 1 minute for all subjects.
      In patients with orthostatic hypotension (20 mm Hg or greater), mean time to
      reach minimum blood pressure was 2.4 minutes. The vast majority of patients with
      significant orthostatic hypotension had this finding within 2 minutes of
      standing. Orthostatic hypotension was common in patients for whom other probable
      causes of syncope were assigned. The recurrence of syncope was not related to the
      degree of orthostatic hypotension; however, the recurrence of dizziness and
      syncope as end-points was lower in patients with 20 mm Hg or greater systolic
      blood pressure reductions as compared with patients with lesser degrees of
      orthostatic blood pressure declines. CONCLUSION: Orthostatic hypotension is
      common in patients with syncope and is detected in the vast majority of patients
      by 2 minutes. Although symptom recurrence on follow-up was lower in patients with
      more severe orthostatic hypotension, the clinical significance of this finding
      needs to be further defined by future studies.

PMID- 1867244
TI  - Eosinophiluria in atheroembolic renal disease.
AB  - PURPOSE AND PATIENTS: Eosinophiluria has been reported in acute interstitial
      nephritis and other renal diseases, but its presence in atheroembolic renal
      disease (AERD) has not been previously established. AERD has been identified as a
      cause of acute and chronic renal failure, particularly in elderly patients with
      advanced atherosclerosis and in those patients who have undergone manipulation or
      intervention of the abdominal aorta, renal artery, or coronary artery. The
      definitive diagnosis is made by renal biopsy. However, many patients are too
      acutely ill to tolerate renal biopsy and, in recent years, peripheral
      eosinophilia, hypocomplementemia, and thrombocytopenia have been recognized in
      association with AERD. Previous studies have reported that AERD is associated
      with an inactive renal sediment and an absence of urine eosinophils. We reviewed
      our experience over a 4-year period with 24 patients with renal biopsy-proven
      AERD. RESULTS: Urine eosinophils were evaluated in nine patients to help
      determine the cause of their renal deterioration. Seven of these patients
      presented with evidence of vascular disease. Three patients had procedures
      involving manipulation of the abdominal aorta. Physical examination revealed
      findings of atheroembolism in three of nine patients. Overall, eight of nine
      patients had a positive Hansel's stain for eosinophiluria. Six of eight patients
      had more than 5% of their urinary white cell count as eosinophils. The reason for
      failure of previous studies to detect eosinophiluria in AERD is unclear but may
      have been related to the use of Wright's stain instead of Hansel's stain.
      CONCLUSION: In the evaluation of acute renal insufficiency, eosinophiluria may
      indicate AERD in addition to the other known causes for this finding.

PMID- 1867245
TI  - Sleep apnea and systemic hypertension: a causal association review.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To critically examine the causal association between sleep apnea
      syndrome and hypertension. METHODS: A retrospective systematic critique of five
      epidemiologic studies published in the English literature during 1978 to 1989
      identified on Medline and manual literature searches. The evidence was evaluated
      using the standard observational criteria for causation: strength of association,
      consistency, dose-response relationship, temporal sequence, specificity, and
      biologic plausibility. RESULTS: We found evidence to support a causal association
      between sleep apnea syndrome and hypertension in consistency and specificity and
      some evidence to suggest a dose-response relationship. Review of the data dealing
      with the mechanisms important in the pathogenesis of sleep apnea and hypertension
      allowed us to advance several theories to provide support for biologic
      plausibility. CONCLUSION: We concluded that there is a positive association-
      relative risk estimate between 1.3 and 40--for sleep apnea syndrome and
      hypertension, but the risk association is unstable. Thus, we believe that there
      is insufficient data to justify doing polysomnography as part of the routine
      diagnostic work-up for patients with hypertension.

PMID- 1867246
TI  - Congenital bronchiectasis in an adult.

PMID- 1867247
TI  - Excessive salivation as an anginal equivalent: a sequela to Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

PMID- 1867248
TI  - Pasteurella multocida: zoonotic cause of peritonitis in a patient undergoing
      peritoneal dialysis.

PMID- 1867249
TI  - Psittacosis-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.

PMID- 1867250
TI  - Effects of sulindac on renal prostaglandins and glomerular filtration rate.

PMID- 1867251
TI  - High-risk etiology as a predictor of a complicated course in community-acquired
      pneumonia.

PMID- 1867252
TI  - Unique phenotype associated with a pericentric inversion of chromosome 6 in three
      generations.
AB  - We observed a pericentric inversion of chromosome 6 in three generations of one
      family. Carriers had several phenotypic alterations including congenital
      cataracts, hearing loss, dental anomalies, ear anomalies, premature graying,
      unilateral strabismus, coloboma, and mild mental retardation. These
      manifestations may all be explained by a failure or delay in development of
      tissues derived from neural crest cells and are similar to these seen in the
      Rieger syndrome. The description of this family extends the known phenotypic
      abnormalities associated with alterations of chromosome 6.

PMID- 1867253
TI  - Holoprosencephaly in a newborn girl with 46,XX,i(18q).
AB  - We report on a newborn girl with holoprosencephaly, microcephaly, absent right
      radius, and other anomalies with an 46,XX,i(18q) chromosome constitution. This is
      the first report of an i(18q) in syndromal alobar holoprosencephaly.

PMID- 1867254
TI  - Macrostomia, ectropion, atrophic skin, hypertrichosis: another observation.
AB  - We report on a boy with bilateral ectropion, ocular hypertelorism, bulbous nose,
      macrostomia with thin lips, abnormal ears, hypertrichosis of the forehead, neck
      and back, atrophic skin with hypoplastic nipples. Cause and inheritance are
      unknown.

PMID- 1867255
TI  - Treacher Collins-Franceschetti syndrome with tracheoesophageal fistula,
      rectovaginal fistula, and anal atresia: variant, or new syndrome?

PMID- 1867256
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of hereditary amyloidosis in a Portuguese family.
AB  - Portuguese-type amyloidosis is an autosomal dominant condition caused by a point
      mutation of the prealbumin (transthyretin) gene. The mutation can be detected
      directly by the presence of a restriction site for Nsil. We report the first
      prenatal diagnosis for this condition, performed in the first trimester by
      chorionic villus sampling, polymerase chain reaction, and restriction enzyme
      digestion.

PMID- 1867257
TI  - Maternal muscle biopsy in X-linked recessive centronuclear (myotubular) myopathy.
AB  - Muscle biopsy was used to attempt determination of carrier status in mothers and
      maternal relatives of patients with severe neonatal centronuclear (myotubular)
      myopathy, an X-linked recessive disorder. We report findings from muscle biopsies
      of 3 mothers, one an obligate carrier. All biopsies showed abnormalities of
      nonspecific character. Whether such abnormalities assist in defining carrier
      status is uncertain. A more specific tissue marker for this disorder is required
      before muscle biopsy will facilitate carrier identification.

PMID- 1867258
TI  - Lethal congenital muscular dystrophy with cataracts and a minor brain anomaly:
      new entity or variant of Walker-Warburg syndrome?
AB  - A term newborn male with severe hypotonia and contractures was found to have
      dense bilateral cataracts. He died at age 3 days of respiratory failure. Amino
      acidopathies and disorders of peroxisome function were excluded, and results of
      serologic studies and placental histopathology, specifically seeking evidence of
      intrauterine infection, were normal. Autopsy showed changes in the skeletal
      muscles consistent with congenital muscular dystrophy and a small focal anomaly
      of the cerebral cortex. These findings either represent a new syndrome or raise
      further questions about broadening the spectrum of known congenital muscular
      dystrophy syndromes with associated eye and brain anomalies.

PMID- 1867259
TI  - Sirenomelia and anencephaly.
AB  - We report on a monozygotic twin with sirenomelia and anencephaly. This
      association seems to have been observed only twice before. In addition to these
      anomalies the patient had cleft palate, rachischisis, and segmentation vertebral
      anomalies affecting the cervical and the upper thoracic spine. The second twin
      was a liveborn female infant with a large cystic paraovarian teratoma, and
      duplication of internal genitalia.

PMID- 1867260
TI  - Characterization of the calcitonin/CGRP gene in Williams syndrome.
AB  - We have investigated the possibility of mutations in the calcitonin/calcitonin
      gene related peptide (CGRP) gene in children with Williams syndrome. Involvement
      of the calcitonin/CGRP gene in Williams syndrome is postulated on the basis that
      Williams syndrome children often have infantile hypercalcemia and deficient
      expression of calcitonin, a hormone that lowers serum calcium levels. To test the
      hypothesis that mutations in the calcitonin/CGRP gene might be responsible for
      the reduced calcitonin levels, we examined the calcitonin/CGRP gene structure in
      Williams syndrome children. Analysis of white blood cell DNA by Southern blot
      hybridizations in 5 individuals did not show any detectable large deletions or
      rearrangements in the calcitonin/CGRP gene locus. The possibility of small
      deletions or point mutations within the exon encoding the mature calcitonin
      hormone is unlikely based on ribonuclease protection assays with patient DNA
      amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. These findings
      suggest that the calcitonin deficiency might be due either to mutations elsewhere
      in the gene or to defects in the cellular machinery needed for calcitonin
      synthesis and/or secretion.

PMID- 1867261
TI  - Bartsocas-Papas syndrome: three familial cases from Spain.
AB  - We report on 3 Spanish sibs with the Bartsocas-Papas syndrome. This appears to be
      the seventh reported family; all but one of them are of Mediterranean origin. We
      propose that a generalized vascular disruption is the most likely pathogenetic
      mechanism for the anomalies found in this syndrome.

PMID- 1867263
TI  - Metaphyseal anadysplasia: a metaphyseal dysplasia of early onset with
      radiological regression and benign course.
AB  - We report on 4 boys (including 2 maternally related first cousins) with a
      metaphyseal dysplasia of early onset and regressive evolution. Diagnosis is
      possible in the first months. Distal metaphyses of long bones are very irregular.
      Femoral necks seem hypoplastic and the edges of the metaphyses are almost
      vertical; femoral shaft is bowed. Those anomalies disappear after 2 years. The
      main manifestations are slight shortness and a light varus deformity of the lower
      limbs. Stature is not affected. The upper tibial growth cartilage, studied in one
      case, showed wide proliferative and hypertrophic zones with an unusual appearance
      of the last hypertrophic cells and an abnormal zone of cartilage calcification
      and resorption. The name "metaphyseal anadysplasia" is suggested for this early
      and regressive disorder. We are aware of other forms of regressive metaphyseal
      dysplasia which deserve further delineation. Therefore infants whose radiological
      changes of metaphyseal dysplasia do not fall into one of the well-defined types
      should be followed and prediction of the adult height should not be made on the
      basis of the findings on the initial examination.

PMID- 1867262
TI  - Screening of male patients with autosomal recessive Duchenne dystrophy through
      dystrophin and DNA studies.
AB  - Previously we estimated that about 2.5-4% of isolated male patients diagnosed as
      Duchenne dystrophy (DMD) may have the autosomal recessive form (AR-DMD). Such
      cases can be distinguished from X-linked DMD through the analysis of dystrophin.
      Fifty DMD patients from 47 families were investigated for dystrophin and DNA
      deletions. Based on our results, we estimate that the frequency of AR-DMD may be
      about 8-12% among male patients diagnosed as DMD in whom X-linked inheritance
      could not be confirmed through pedigree data, serum enzymes in female relatives
      or DNA studies. Such an estimate must be confirmed in a larger sample; however,
      it shows the importance of assessing dystrophin in all patients diagnosed as DMD
      in whom X-linked inheritance cannot be proved, since the distinction between
      these 2 forms has implications for genetic counseling.

PMID- 1867264
TI  - 45,X/47,XYY mosaicism: clinical discrepancy between prenatally and postnatally
      diagnosed cases.
AB  - 45,X/47,XYY mosaicism is a rare chromosomal disorder with clinical information
      limited to 11 postnatal cases in the literature and with uncertainty regarding
      prenatal prediction of phenotype and prognosis. We report on 7 new cases of
      45,X/47,XYY mosaicism, three detected prenatally and 4 diagnosed postnatally. A
      clinical comparison of the cases of 45,X/47,XYY mosaicism is presented together
      with a literature review.

PMID- 1867265
TI  - CHARGE association: clinical manifestations and developmental outcome.
AB  - Mental retardation and growth failure are considered integral manifestations in
      the CHARGE association, reported to be present in as many as 90% of cases. Recent
      studies have reported a better than expected outcome in some patients; however,
      the conclusions of these studies have been confounded to some extent by their
      inclusion criteria. We report follow-up of 17 patients with CHARGE association in
      whom the diagnosis was based on clinical findings present in early infancy,
      before developmental patterns were established. Of the 7 survivors, all had motor
      delay, and 6 had feeding difficulties during infancy. Psychometric assessment at
      follow-up (age range 2 years, 10 months, to 15 years) showed that 2 were
      functioning in the normal range, 3 had specific language delay, one had moderate
      mental retardation, and one had severe mental retardation. Feeding problems
      persisted in only the 2 youngest patients. After initial failure to thrive,
      normal height was reached in 4 of 5 children older than age 3 years. The effects
      of visual and hearing deficits, their management, and the effects of physical
      illness are discussed with respect to developmental outcome. Our results suggest
      that some infants with CHARGE association who survive early infancy have a better
      prognosis for feeding difficulties, growth, and mental development than may be
      expected from early performance and better than that generally predicted from the
      current literature. The prompt management of sensory deficits is emphasized.

PMID- 1867266
TI  - Deletion of 20p 11.23----pter with normal growth hormone-releasing hormone genes.
AB  - Using a molecular analysis of the DNA from a patient with a deletion of
      chromosome 20 [46,XX,del(20)(p 11.23)], we have excluded the growth hormone
      releasing hormone (GHRH) gene from the region 20p11.23----pter. The patient had
      minor facial anomalies. Rieger eye anomaly, a congenital heart defect, severe
      failure to thrive, and a neurosecretory problem in growth hormone (GH) secretion.
      Since the GHRH gene was previously mapped to chromosome 20, we used molecular
      genetic methods to determine whether the growth abnormalities were due to the
      deletion of this gene. DNAs of the patient and 2 normal control subjects were
      analyzed by quantitative Southern blotting using a DNA probe for the GHRH gene
      and 2 reference DNA probes mapping to chromosome 21. The GHRH gene was found to
      be present in 2 copies in the patient. This indicates that the gene for GHRH maps
      to the region outside the patient's deletion, in 20p11.23----qter. Furthermore,
      our results suggest that genes other than GHRH on 20p are important for
      developmental steps leading to normal neurosecretory function of GH and may also
      be involved in generating Rieger eye anomaly. Finally, GH deficiency and Rieger
      eye anomaly should be sought in other patients with deletions of 20p.

PMID- 1867267
TI  - Three years' experience with neonatal screening for Duchenne/Becker muscular
      dystrophy: gene analysis, gene expression, and phenotype prediction.
AB  - Neonatal screening for Duchenne/Becker Muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) was begun as
      a pilot program on January 1, 1986. The aim of this program was to reduce the
      incidence of this X-linked recessive degenerative neuromuscular disease. The
      neonatal detection of a boy with DMD allows early identification of carriers and
      genetic counselling. This may avert the birth of other affected males born prior
      to clinical diagnosis of DMD in the propositus at about age 5 years. Between
      January 1, 1986, and December 31, 1988, we identified and characterized a cohort
      of 8 asymptomatic infant boys with grossly elevated levels of creatine kinase, an
      active primary dystrophic process of muscle and complete dystrophin deficiency.
      Five of 8 males have detectable DNA alterations involving the DMD/BMD locus.
      Based on current hypotheses, characterization of dystrophin expression of this
      cohort allows us to predict a DMD phenotype in all 8 boys. To date, no additional
      males with DMD have been born in these families. Prospective follow-up will allow
      us to test the validity of dystrophin testing in predicting the clinical course
      and impact of this program on reproductive decision making in these families.

PMID- 1867268
TI  - Teebi hypertelorism syndrome (brachycephalofrontonasal dysplasia) in a U.S.
      family.
AB  - Teebi (Am J Med Genet 28:581-591, 1987) described a pattern of anomalies in an
      Arab kindred involving 16 individuals in 4 generations. Although some findings
      were similar to those in craniofrontonasal dysplasia, absence of
      craniosynostosis, normal to slightly broad nasal tip, normal nails, and male to
      male transmission distinguished this as a separate entity. This paper describes a
      U.S. family with similar findings, involving 6 individuals (2 male and 4 female)
      in 4 generations, with male to male transmission.

PMID- 1867269
TI  - Biochemical and genetic analysis of a child with cystic fibrosis and cystinosis.
AB  - We have studied a child with cystic fibrosis (CF), nephropathic cystinosis, and
      manifestations of Bartter syndrome, a finding reported previously in both of
      these diseases (CF and cystinosis). The chance of an individual inheriting a
      mutant allele for both CF and cystinosis from each of his parents by independent
      segregation is very small. Therefore, other mechanisms of inheritance were
      investigated, including whether his diseases were caused by a chromosome deletion
      or rearrangement that caused defects in both genes, whether his phenotype was
      caused by a new mutation or variant of either disease, or whether both diseases
      were inherited together due to inheritance of 2 copies of the same chromosome
      from one of the parents (uniparental disomy). An investigation was made of
      whether having mutations for both CF and cystinosis resulted in a different
      phenotype for either disease and whether the child was a heterozygote rather than
      a homozygote for one of the mutations. The results suggest that neither disease
      influenced the expression of the defect in the other and that this child
      inherited a mutant allele for both diseases independently from each parent.

PMID- 1867270
TI  - Familial congenital micromelic dysplasia with dislocation of radius and distinct
      face: a new skeletal dysplasia syndrome.
AB  - Recently Maroteaux et al. [Am J Med Genet 32:371-375] described omodysplasia as a
      new distinct congenital bone disorder in 3 cases; autosomal dominant inheritance
      was suggested. In this same report, 2 other cases (patients 4 and 5) presented
      with the same facial and upper limb anomalies, but were also noted to have severe
      shortness of lower limbs. The authors considered all 5 cases to represent
      variable expressivity of the same disorder, namely, omodysplasia. Here we report
      4 patients (3 survivors), offspring of consanguineous Arabic-Moslem couples. All
      presented at birth with severe short limb dwarfism and facial and radiologic
      appearance quite distinct from the first 3 patients of Maroteaux et al. [1989]
      with so-called omodysplasia. Thus, we suggest that our 4 cases and patients 4 and
      5 of Maroteaux et al. [1989] represent a distinct, previously unpublished bone
      dysplasia.

PMID- 1867271
TI  - Sex chromosome marker: clinical significance and DNA characterization.
AB  - Two patients are described with a virtually identical marker sex chromosome that
      was so small as to defy classification by conventional cytogenetic studies. DNA
      hybridization with Y probes allows classification into Y or non-Y, and in situ
      hybridization with X centromere specific sequences, into X or non-X. One patient
      was proven to have a Y fragment, and the second, an X fragment. DNA
      characterization is important since prognosis and clinical management depends on
      proper identification of the small marker sex chromosome.

PMID- 1867272
TI  - Short rib syndrome Beemer-Langer type with polydactyly: a multiple congenital
      anomalies syndrome.
AB  - A male fetus with short rib (polydactyly) syndrome, Beemer-Langer type was
      aborted at 30 weeks' gestation because of abnormalities visualized on sonography.
      This is the first documented case with polydactyly in this recently defined
      entity. The clinical, radiological, and pathological findings, especially of the
      bones, are described. The differential diagnosis of this entity is discussed.

PMID- 1867273
TI  - Beemer-Langer syndrome with manifestations of an orofaciodigital syndrome.
AB  - We report on an infant girl with hydrops, macrocephaly, high forehead, flat face,
      hypertelorism, broad nasal bridge, median cleft lip and alveolar ridge, grooved
      palate, accessory frenula, small tongue, milia, severe rib and limb shortness,
      brachydactyly, talipes equinovarus, Dandy-Walker malformation, accessory spleen,
      unfixed mesentery, ectopic pancreas, and renal cysts. This patient resembles
      seven previously reported patients with the Beemer-Langer syndrome, a distinct
      lethal short rib syndrome characterized by hydrops, markedly short ribs and
      limbs, median cleft lip with or without cleft palate, flat face, and
      macrocephaly. Polydactyly is usually absent. Our patient's oral anomalies suggest
      an orofaciodigital syndrome, but the severe rib and limb shortness distinguish it
      from those disorders.

PMID- 1867274
TI  - Renal dysgenesis in a monozygotic twin: association with in utero exposure to
      indomethacin.
AB  - We report oligohydramnios and renal dysgenesis in one of identical twins, which
      might have resulted from in utero exposure to early, prolonged high-dose
      indomethacin. The proposita was the second of twin girls born at 36 weeks of
      gestation. Pregnancy was complicated initially by polyhydramnios in both amniotic
      sacs and premature uterine contractions. After administration of indomethacin and
      terbutaline from 16 to 30 weeks' gestation, serial prenatal ultrasound
      examinations ultimately showed oligohydramnios in twin B and resolution of
      polyhydramnios in twin A. On day 5 twin B developed hematuria, hypertension,
      renal failure, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, sodium wasting and
      severe, transient inability to excrete potassium. Renal sonography showed
      enlarged, hyperechoic kidneys with almost no corticomedullary differentiation.
      Renal biopsy revealed immature glomeruli, dilated Bowman's spaces, dilated
      tubules, and interstitial fibrosis. The liver was histologically normal.
      Indomethacin may induce oligohydramnios and transient renal insufficiency in
      humans and renal dysgenesis in fetal monkeys; it might have induced the
      abnormalities in this patient.

PMID- 1867275
TI  - Duplication of the distal part of the long arm of chromosome 1.
AB  - A case of dup(1)(q42----qter) is reported. A literature review of duplication of
      the distal third of chromosome 1 with breakpoints at various sites, 1q23, 1q25,
      1q32, and 1q42, was undertaken. Clinical similarities and differences based on
      the size of the duplicated segment and other associated deficiencies are
      summarized.

PMID- 1867276
TI  - Familial aggregation of lipids and lipoproteins in families ascertained through
      random and nonrandom probands in the Stanford Lipid Research Clinics Family
      Study.
AB  - We examined the familial aggregation of lipids [total cholesterol (CH) and
      triglyceride (TG)] and lipoproteins [high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)
      and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)] in families ascertained through
      random and nonrandom probands in the Stanford Lipid Research Clinics Family
      Study. Nonrandom probands were selected because their lipid levels at a prior
      screening visit exceeded a certain prespecified threshold. The statistical method
      is based on selection through indirect truncation on a correlated trait (in which
      the likelihood function is conditioned on the actual event that the proband's
      value is beyond the threshold). This method allows for estimation of the path
      model parameters in randomly and nonrandomly ascertained families jointly and
      separately, thus enabling tests of heterogeneity between the two types of
      samples. The results suggest that the multifactorial transmission is homogeneous
      in the random and hyperlipidemic samples for CH. However, the evidence for
      heterogeneity is moderate for LDL, marked HDL, and mixed for TG. The general
      pattern of observed results is for somewhat higher genetic heritabilities in the
      random than nonrandom samples, which is compatible with a higher prevalence in
      the random sample of certain dyslipoproteinemias associated with nonelevated
      lipids. Substantial genetic heritability is found for CH, HDL, and LDL, with
      somewhat lower estimates for TG. Cultural heritability is low but significant for
      all four traits. Little or no spouse resemblance or nontransmitted shared sibship
      effects are seen. In contrast to the findings from previous studies, little or no
      parental cultural transmission is seen.

PMID- 1867277
TI  - Using OMIM (On-line Mendelian Inheritance in Man) as an expert system in medical
      genetics.
AB  - Expert systems have been used in Medicine for many years, but they are usually
      highly sophisticated and not well integrated into day-to-day practice. On the
      other hand, bibliographic databases such as Medline and others are easily
      accessible and are widely used. We report here the use of OMIM (On-line Mendelian
      Inheritance in Man), one of these bibliographic databases, as an expert system in
      Medical Genetics. The description of 93 syndromes was used as search-key and the
      diagnoses proposed by OMIM were analyzed to determine whether the correct
      diagnosis was among them. The proposed diagnoses were automatically ranked by
      OMIM from the most probable (weight = 100) to the least probable (weight = 1).
      OMIM suggested a total of 1538 +/- 692.2 diagnoses per search. In order to deal
      with a reasonable number of proposed diagnoses, we only considered the diagnoses
      with a weight of 50 or more. With this limit, OMIM proposed a mean of 37.0 +/-
      24.6 diagnoses per case. The overall accuracy was 76%. A correct answer with a
      perfect weight of 100 was proposed in 29% of the case. The diagnostic accuracy of
      OMIM increased linearly when weights lower than 100 were considered. When the
      rank alone was analyzed, the accuracy of OMIM increased very rapidly from
      position 1 to 5 with a subsequent almost linear increase. If one only considered
      the first five proposed diagnoses, the accuracy of OMIM was just above 50%. This
      study shows that bibliographic databases are not only restricted to the provision
      of references but could also be used as expert systems and are therefore of great
      value to medical geneticists.

PMID- 1867278
TI  - Two forms of ring 13 in a child with rhabdomyosarcoma.
AB  - Mosaicism for two forms of ring 13 was found in a child with embryonal
      rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder, minor anomalies, and developmental delay. Her
      chromosome constitution was 46,XX,r(13)(p11q34)/46,XX,r del(13)(p11q14). Both
      cell lines were present in lymphocytes and fibroblasts. The cell line with the
      smaller ring chromosome predominated in both tissues. The child's manifestations
      reflect the presence of both cell lines.

PMID- 1867280
TI  - Dandy-Walker malformation (variant), cystic dysplastic kidneys, and hepatic
      fibrosis: a distinct entity or Meckel syndrome?
AB  - Dandy-Walker malformation is an unusual finding in Meckel syndrome, which
      characteristically presents with encephalocele, polydactyly, and cystic renal
      disease. We report on a family in which three nonviable brothers had Dandy-Walker
      malformations (variant) with associated enlarged cystic dysplastic kidneys and
      hepatic fibrosis. The consistent segregation of these abnormalities in all three
      sibs in the absence of polydactyly and encephalocele suggested the possibility of
      a distinct syndrome. The clinicopathological findings of the disorder are
      described and discussed in the context of the phenotypic spectrum of Meckel
      syndrome.

PMID- 1867279
TI  - Deletion mapping of a retinal cone-rod dystrophy: assignment to 18q211.
AB  - Deletion of 18q211 was observed in a mentally retarded young man with
      electrophysiologically demonstrated cone-rod dystrophy, present since childhood.
      He had hypogonadism and a central postsynaptic hearing impairment. This is the
      first case of a chromosome deletion in a patient with a cone-rod dystrophy. Three
      patients with more distal deletions on chromosome 18 did not present retinal
      dystrophies. We suggest that one of the loci for cone-rod dystrophy may be
      located on chromosome 18 at q211-213. Reports of similar findings will be
      necessary for confirmation of this assumption.

PMID- 1867281
TI  - Using log-linear models to test for associations among congenital malformations.
AB  - Log-linear models can be used to test for pairwise associations and higher order
      interactions among anatomically distinct birth defects or congenital
      malformations. A log-linear model, including terms for every possible pairwise
      association among seven severe and easily detectable congenital malformations,
      was examined using data on 16,217 infants registered in the Metropolitan Atlanta
      Congenital Defects Program between 1968 and 1986. The resulting model showed
      clear patterns of strong association between some congenital malformations and
      not others, and the presence of 3-way interaction terms where the association
      between two malformations depended on the presence of a third. Examining a more
      parsimonious log-linear model showed overlapping patterns of pairwise association
      involving anal-rectal atresia and omphalocele, anal-rectal atresia and limb
      deficiency, and anal-rectal atresia and tracheaesophageal fistula. A second
      common pattern involved a triangular cluster with a hierarchical relationship
      among the three malformations (where there was a strong association between the
      first and second malformations and between the first and third malformations, but
      the association between the second and third was only seen in the absence of the
      first). Three such overlapping triangular clusters were identified from these
      data: neural tube defects, oral clefts, and omphalocele; neural tube defects,
      oral clefts, and limb deficiency; and limb deficiency, diaphragmatic hernia, and
      neural tube defects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867283
TI  - Postmortem chorionic villus sampling: correlation of cytogenetic and ultrasound
      findings.
AB  - We performed chorionic villus samplings (CVS) in 795 cases in the first trimester
      during a 13-month period. Of these 35 were found to have a blighted ovum or
      missed abortion prior to the procedure. Nineteen women consented to have CVS.
      Ultrasonographic and cytogenetic findings in these 19 pregnancies were
      correlated. Expected gestational age was determined by last menstrual period.
      Observed gestational age was determined by crown rump length (CRL) (12
      pregnancies) or gestational sac (GS) (7 pregnancies without fetal pole). The
      differences in days between the estimated and observed gestational ages was
      determined for each pregnancy. In all 19 CVS samples cytogenetic diagnosis
      documented aneuploidy. Ten cases had chromosome abnormalities virtually always
      lethal in the embryonic period (group I). Nine pregnancies had defects with
      moderate potential for fetal viability (group II). Gestations with low viability
      potential (group I) had estimated minus observed gestational age discrepancies
      (23.4 +/- 8.3 days) significantly greater than gestations with moderate viability
      potential (group II) (8.9 +/- 4.3 days) (P less than .001). The absence of a
      fetal pole was more common in group I. CVS in pregnancies with missed abortion or
      blighted ovum is feasible and has a high likelihood of documenting aneuploidy.
      Furthermore, the more severe the anomaly the more likely there will be very early
      fetal demise or intrauterine growth retardation.

PMID- 1867282
TI  - Family with 22-derived marker chromosome and late-onset dementia of the Alzheimer
      type: I. Application of a new model for estimation of the risk of disease
      associated with the marker.
AB  - We have identified 2 sisters with probable dementia of the Alzheimer type who
      have an unusual 22-derived marker chromosome with a greatly elongated short arm
      containing 2 well-separated nucleolus organizer regions. A marker chromosome
      similar in appearance is uncommon in the general population. Eleven of 24 of
      their biological relatives were also found to have the marker. The known pedigree
      of this family encompasses 6 generations in 2 of which there is evidence of 10
      cases of dementia of the Alzheimer type. The average age-at-onset of dementia is
      65.8 +/- 5.5 years; the average age-at-death among those apparently affected is
      74.9 +/- 8.3 years. A new model for the estimation of risk was applied to the
      family data. Persons in this family with the marker were found to be 4 times more
      likely to develop dementia than those without the marker, the 95% confidence
      interval for this risk being 1-50. The probability that the association of
      dementia and the marker is due to chance alone is .05 (1 in 20).

PMID- 1867284
TI  - Molecular characterization of severe alpha-thalassemias causing hydrops fetalis
      in Taiwan.
AB  - alpha-Thalassemia hydrops fetalis is a common disorder in Taiwan. The condition
      causes perinatal death and many maternal obstetrical complications. In order to
      determine the molecular defects of this condition in Chinese, 87 unrelated
      families with this disorder were collected in the past 4 years. The molecular
      defects were studied by Southern blotting and DNA hybridization with phi zeta 1
      globin gene and LO (a 0.4 kb BamHI/EcoRI fragment in the 5' flanking region of
      the zeta 2-globin gene) probes. Eighty-one (93.1%) fetuses had homozygous
      Southeast Asian deletion (- -SEA/- -SEA). Five (5.7%) fetuses were compound
      heterozygotes for the Southeast Asian deletion and Thailand deletion (- -SEA/- 
      THAI). The remaining fetus was a compound heterozygote for the Southeast Asian
      deletion and an uncharacterized nondeletional defect (- -SEA/(alpha alpha)Th).
      The molecular defects of alpha-thalassemia hydrops fetalis in Chinese are
      heterogeneous. This fact has important implications for genetic counseling and
      prenatal diagnosis.

PMID- 1867285
TI  - Distribution of aneuploidy in human gametes: comparison between human sperm and
      oocytes.
AB  - The frequency and distribution of aneuploidy was compared in 11,615 karyotyped
      human sperm and 772 karyotyped human oocytes to determine if all chromosomes are
      equally likely to be involved in aneuploid events or if some chromosomes are
      particularly susceptible to nondisjunction. The frequency of hypohaploidy and
      hyperhaploidy was compared among different chromosome groups and individual
      chromosomes for human sperm and oocytes. In general, hypohaploid chromosome
      complements were more frequent than hyperhaploid complements, in sperm and
      oocytes. The distribution of chromosome loss in the hypohaploid complements
      indicated that significantly fewer of the large chromosomes and significantly
      more of the small chromosomes were lost, suggesting that technical loss
      predominantly affects small chromosomes. A conservative estimate of aneuploidy (2
      X hyperhaploidy) was approximately 3-4% in the human sperm and 18-19% in human
      oocytes. All chromosome groups were represented among hyperhaploid human sperm
      and oocytes. For human sperm, the observed frequency of hyperhaploidy equaled the
      expected frequency based on the assumption that the frequency of nondisjunction
      is equal for all chromosome groups, with two exceptions: group G and the sex
      chromosomes. Among individual chromosomes in human sperm, chromosomes 1 and 21
      and the sex chromosomes had a significant excess of hyperhaploidy. For human
      oocytes, there were fewer hyperhaploid oocytes than expected for chromosome
      groups C and F and more than expected for chromosome groups D and G. Among
      individual chromosomes there was a significant excess for chromosome 21. These
      results indicate that all chromosomes are susceptible to nondisjunction but that
      chromosome 21 is particularly prone to aneuploidy in both human sperm and
      oocytes. They also demonstrate that sex chromosome aneuploidy is common in human
      sperm but not in human oocytes.

PMID- 1867286
TI  - Pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome.
AB  - We have coined the term "pseudo-trisomy 13 syndrome" to designate cases of
      holoprosencephaly, severe facial anomalies, postaxial polydactyly, various other
      congenital defects, and normal chromosomes. Eleven instances are summarized. Two
      pairs of sibs and two other cases with consanguinity suggest autosomal recessive
      inheritance. Autosomal recessive inheritance is possible. Alternately, an
      undetected microdeletion and etiologic heterogeneity (some cases possibly
      representing dominant new mutations) must be considered. Further delineation is
      necessary. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a focus for further
      discussion of the problem.

PMID- 1867287
TI  - New clinical aspects of hereditary mucoepithelial dysplasia.
AB  - Hereditary mucoepithelial dysplasia (HMD) is a multiepithelial disorder. It is
      transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait (McKusick: Mendelian Inheritance in
      Man-Catalogs of Autosomal Dominant, Autosomal Recessive, and X-Linked Phenotypes,
      8th edition. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp 499, 1988). HMD is
      characterized by variable combinations of lesions of skin, hair, orificial
      mucosa, gingiva, eyes, and lungs. In some previously described patients, the
      corneal and pulmonary lesions were progressive and led to blindness, recurrent
      pneumonia, and/or premature death. On light microscopy, the lesion is
      characterized by dyskeratosis, and, on electron microscopy, by a paucity of gap
      junctions and desmosomes. Here, we describe a new 5-generation kindred in which
      affected individuals had the same histologic characteristics but a somewhat
      different clinical spectrum and a more benign course. HMD should be considered in
      the differential diagnosis of childhood alopecia, follicular hyperkeratosis,
      keratoconjunctivitis, juvenile cataracts, gingival hyperemia, restrictive lung
      disease, and esophageal stenosis or webs.

PMID- 1867288
TI  - Syndrome: le mot de jour.
AB  - Syndrome is one of the oldest terms in the medical vocabulary. It has been used
      as a designation for those disorders that were marked by etiologically
      nonspecific similar groups of manifestations up to the time of Syndenham. His
      contention that the terms syndrome and disease were in fact synonymous explains
      in part infrequent use of syndrome in the literature until the latter part of the
      19th century. Redefinition of syndrome early in the 20th century as a disorder
      characterized by the concurrence of symptoms which are causally related, and
      further refinement of the definition as a condition marked by a cluster of
      symptoms occurring together coincidentally, gradually restored the popularity of
      the term to where syndrome is now one of the most frequently used designations of
      morbid states in the literature. There are numerous definitions of syndrome
      currently in use. One which is accepted by most dysmorphologists, geneticists,
      and some clinicians states that syndrome is an etiologically defined entity of
      unknown pathogenesis. However, most writers use the term randomly to denote any
      abnormal condition, whether medical, social, or behavioral, when a more
      satisfactory designation cannot be found or created, or to emphasize special
      complexity (syndromic qualities?) of already named diseases, or merely to be
      amusing. The post-Sydenham custom of naming of syndromes after physicians gave
      way in the mid-20th century to methods wherein syndrome names incorporate
      clinical, etiological, genetic, and other significant characteristics. Other
      methods used in designating syndromes include using the names of the first
      patient known to be affected, acronyms and abbreviations, personal names of all
      kinds, and the like.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867289
TI  - Duty to disclose in medical genetics: a legal perspective.
AB  - As technical knowledge and public information in medical genetics continue to
      expand, the geneticist may expect to be held responsible for informing patients
      and clients about new developments in research and diagnosis. The long legal
      evolution of the physician's duty to disclose, and more recent findings of a
      physician's duty to recall former patients to inform them about newly discovered
      risks of treatment, indicate that medical geneticists may have a duty to disclose
      both current and future information about conditions that are or could be
      inherited. Recent case law supports findings of professional liability for both
      present and future disclosure, even in the absence of an active physician-patient
      relationship. The requirement of candid and complete disclosure will affect the
      counseling approach in testing for deleterious genes and in providing medical
      treatment for minors with hereditary diseases. Finding a duty to recall may
      impose further professional burdens on the geneticist to reach beyond the
      immediate counseling arena and to recontact patients, perhaps years after their
      initial visit to genetics clinic.

PMID- 1867290
TI  - Molecular detection of constitutional deletions in patients with retinoblastoma.
AB  - The recent cloning of the retinoblastoma (RB) gene as well as the identification
      of intragenic polymorphisms afford the necessary tools for the analysis of
      rearrangements using molecular hybridization. We searched for constitutional
      deletions by Southern blotting in 67 independent patients with normal karyotype
      comprising 15 familial and 52 sporadic cases. Among the latter, 33 were
      bilaterally and 19 unilaterally affected. We detected 6 deletions using cDNA
      probes covering almost all of the RB gene, as well as a genomic probe of the 5'
      part of the gene. With this approach, the incidence of detectable deletions was
      around 10%. No hot spots for deletion breakpoints were found. Asymptomatic
      carriers were detected in 2 families. The effectiveness of genetic counselling
      was largely improved by this approach.

PMID- 1867291
TI  - Familial translocation 5;14 resulting in an unbalanced offspring.
AB  - We report on an infant with multiple congenital anomalies possessing a derivative
      14 chromosome in excess of the normal complement, resulting from transmission of
      a familial t(5;14)(p13;q22). The proposita's phenotypically normal mother,
      mentally retarded half-brother, and fetal sib are carriers of the apparently
      balanced translocation. Previous cases of similar familial t(5;14) are reviewed.
      The proposita's phenotype is characterized by failure to thrive, developmental
      retardation, cleft palate, congenital heart anomaly, abnormal hands and feet,
      unusual face with abnormal ears, and recurrent respiratory infections. The
      proposita died at age 9 months and postmortem examination showed multiple central
      nervous system, cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, and genital malformations. Our
      proposita's phenotype is attributable to contributions from both chromosomes and
      is consistent with the consequences of both the dup(5p) and dup(14q).

PMID- 1867292
TI  - The Noonan-CFC controversy.
AB  - The Noonan syndrome and the cardio-faciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome have been
      described as phenotypically and genetically distinct entities. However, the
      resemblance between them led some authors to question the validity of this
      separation. We review available clinical evidence to support the opposite view,
      namely, that the Noonan and CFC syndromes are indeed distinct and separate
      conditions, both falling within the broad and causally heterogeneous spectrum of
      the Noonan/congenital lymphedema phenotype.

PMID- 1867293
TI  - Journal policies concerning free access to scientific materials.

PMID- 1867295
TI  - Pituitary-gonadal axis in prepubertal boys with the fragile X syndrome.

PMID- 1867294
TI  - Type II collagen and noncollagenous protein screening in the human
      chondrodysplasias.

PMID- 1867296
TI  - Antibody indications of secondary and superimposed retinal hypersensitivity in
      retinitis pigmentosa.
AB  - Antibody reactions with recognized retinopathy-inducing retinal antigens may be
      interpreted to reflect ongoing autoimmune events responsible for some forms of
      vision loss. We sought evidence of secondary and superimposed retinal
      hypersensitivity indicated by such antibody reactivity in a random group of
      patients with retinitis pigmentosa. We identified patterns of immunologic
      reactivity within members of a group of 52 patients with retinitis pigmentosa,
      which suggests some patients with retinitis pigmentosa may experience
      consequential superimposed retinal hypersensitivity. Identifying subgroups of
      patients with retinitis pigmentosa who exhibit indications of retinal
      hypersensitivity to known uveitopathogenic retinal proteins may permit the
      reduction of their rate of retinal degradation by immunomodulation.

PMID- 1867297
TI  - Randomized, double-masked study of cyclosporine compared to prednisolone in the
      treatment of endogenous uveitis.
AB  - Fifty-six patients with bilateral sight-threatening noninfectious intermediate or
      posterior uveitis participated in a randomized double-masked study of the use of
      cyclosporine vs prednisolone in their treatment. Applying the end-point
      definitions, visual acuity or vitreal haze improved in only 13 of 28 (46%)
      patients in each group. The macular edema resolved in seven of 15 patients of the
      cyclosporine-treated group, and in ten of 16 patients of the prednisolone-treated
      group (P = .376). Patients whose therapies failed both cyclosporine and
      prednisolone trials were treated with both drugs, which resulted in additional
      patient improvements. Secondary effects were observed in both therapeutic
      alternatives, the most notable being alterations in serum creatinine
      concentration and hypertension with the dosage of cyclosporine used.

PMID- 1867298
TI  - Clinical patterns and associated conditions in chronic uveitis.
AB  - We determined the relative frequencies of the different types of chronic uveitis,
      and the possible associated conditions, among 400 consecutive patients with
      chronic uveitis examined during the years 1982 through 1988. Of the 400 patients,
      183 (45.75%) had anterior uveitis, 98 (24.5%) ahd panuveitis, 61 (15.3%) had
      intermediate uveitis, and 58 (14.5%) had isolated posterior uveitis. Only four of
      the 98 patients with panuveitis (4.1%) were considered idiopathic after a
      comprehensive examination, whereas 94 of the 183 patients with anterior uveitis
      (51.4%) were similarly classified. We found an associated condition in 242 of the
      400 patients of the study group (60.5%). Of these 242 patients, 61 had Behcet's
      disease, which constituted the most frequently encountered associated condition
      in this study. Of the 61 patients with Behcet's disease, 58 had panuveitis and
      constituted 59.2% of the panuveitis group. Of the 61 patients with intermediate
      uveitis, 17 (27.9%) had a concurrent disease. An associated condition was found
      in 95% and 96.2% of patients with unilateral and bilateral panuveitis,
      respectively, but in none of the patients with unilateral intermediate uveitis.
      Environmental, cultural, or genetic factors may be accountable for the
      differences discovered between our findings and those of previously published
      studies from the United States and England with respect to relative frequencies
      of some of the associated diseases in patients with chronic uveitis.

PMID- 1867299
TI  - An updated classification of retinal detachment with proliferative
      vitreoretinopathy.
AB  - The Retinal Society classification on proliferative vitreoretinopathy of 1983 has
      been updated to accommodate major progress in understanding of this disease.
      There are three grades describing increasing severity of the disease. Posterior
      and anterior location of the proliferations have been emphasized. A more detailed
      description of posterior and anterior contractions has been made possible by
      adding contraction types such as focal, diffuse, subretinal, circumferential
      contraction, and anterior displacement. The extent of the abnormality has been
      detailed by using clock hours instead of quadrants.

PMID- 1867300
TI  - Disk drusen and angioid streaks in pseudoxanthoma elasticum.
AB  - Visual field loss secondary to optic disk drusen became evident before the
      development of angioid streaks in a patient with pseudoxanthoma elasticum. The
      incidence of optic disk drusen in cases of pseudoxanthoma elasticum is 20 to 50
      times greater than that in the healthy population. We postulate that the abnormal
      aggregation of macromolecules with a high affinity for calcium (resulting in
      abnormalities in elastin in cases of pseudoxanthoma elasticum) also develops at
      the cribriform plate, disrupting axonal flow and leading to disk drusen
      formation. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum is associated with marked cardiovascular and
      gastrointestinal morbidity. Moreover, macular hemorrhage and precipitation of
      angioid streaks have frequently been noted after trauma. Prompt diagnosis of
      pseudoxanthoma elasticum will allow necessary prophylaxis and must be considered
      in patients with optic disk drusen.

PMID- 1867301
TI  - Regional and long-term variability of fundus measurements made with computer
      image analysis.
AB  - We studied the variability of optic disk and peripapillary nerve fiber layer
      surface contour measurements made by use of computer-image analysis. Six hundred
      twenty-five measurements of surface contour were made on each eye by use of
      simultaneous stereoscopic videography. Regional differences in short-term
      measurement variability were studied in 12 eyes (six normal and six
      glaucomatous), each imaged nine times over several days. The widths of the 95%
      confidence interval for the measurements averaged 82 microns for the juxta
      papillary surface and 132 microns for the disk surface. Measurements of
      peripapillary surface contour were significantly less variable than were
      measurements of the disk surface (P = .000). The greatest variability was
      detected along large blood vessels and at steep contours. Long-term variability
      was studied in a separate group of 30 clinically stable patients with glaucoma,
      each imaged three to six times over a period of more than one year. The widths of
      the 95% confidence intervals were 132 microns for the peripapillary surface and
      217 microns for the disk surface. The long-term variability was significantly
      greater than the short-term variability (P = .000). The peripapillary nerve fiber
      layer surface, located away from the margins of large vessels, may provide the
      most dependable measurements of contour. These estimates of long-term variability
      of optic disk and peripapillary contour measurements provide clinically relevant
      confidence intervals with which to detect progressive glaucomatous nerve fiber
      damage.

PMID- 1867302
TI  - Treatment of pseudotumor cerebri by primary and secondary optic nerve sheath
      decompression.
AB  - We performed optic nerve sheath decompression in 53 patients (101 eyes) with
      pseudotumor cerebri and visual loss. Sixty-nine eyes (85 patients) with acute
      papilledema uniformly had improved visual function after optic nerve sheath
      decompression. Of 32 eyes with chronic papilledema (18 patients), only ten had
      improved visual function after optic nerve sheath decompression. This difference
      was significant (P = .0001). Thirteen eyes required secondary or tertiary optic
      nerve sheath decompression after an initial successful result. Eleven of 13 eyes
      had improved visual function after repeat optic nerve sheath decompression. We
      believe that patients with acute papilledema and visual loss should be offered
      optic nerve sheath decompression, and if symptoms recur, repeat optic nerve
      sheath decompression is a safe and effective treatment option.

PMID- 1867303
TI  - The effect of topical administration of indomethacin on symptoms in corneal scars
      and edema.
AB  - We conducted a masked randomized study of 50 patients to evaluate the effect of
      administration of topical indomethacin 1% suspension on symptoms in corneal
      scars, edema, infiltrates, and erosions. Patients with symptoms (photophobia,
      pain, itching, burning sensation, foreign-body sensation, and tearing) were
      treated with topically administered indomethacin 1% or placebo and monitored for
      eight weeks. The severity of the complaints was rated and the scores were
      evaluated (Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Of the 25 patients treated with indomethacin,
      21 (84%) had improvement in symptoms and the severity of each of the symptoms was
      significantly decreased. Of the 25 patients treated with placebo, one (4%) had
      improvement in symptoms without statistical change of the severity of the
      symptoms. However, when the placebo-treated patients received indomethacin drops,
      the symptoms were significantly decreased (P less than .002). This study suggests
      that topical administration of indomethacin 1% may reduce ocular symptoms in
      patients with corneal scars, edema, or erosions.

PMID- 1867304
TI  - Fitting of aspheric high gas-permeable rigid contact lenses to scarred corneas.
AB  - Scarring of the cornea often results in an irregular corneal surface, which
      causes scattering in light perception. Therefore, the impaired visual acuity
      cannot be adequately corrected by spectacles in most cases. In this study, high
      oxygen-transmissible aspheric rigid lenses were fitted, with computer assistance,
      in 26 scarred eyes of 23 consecutive patients. In 15 of 26 eyes (57.7%), a
      successful fitting with good vision, no complications, and a sufficiently long
      wearing time was accomplished. The main lens-related complications included
      fluorescein-staining epithelial defects in five of 26 eyes (19.2%) and epithelial
      edema in two of 26 eyes (7.7%). Computer-aided fitting was of limited value
      because keratometer readings were not measurable in 50% of the cases. The results
      of this study indicate that the application of high oxygen-transmissible aspheric
      rigid contact lenses may obviate corneal surgery.

PMID- 1867305
TI  - The effect of light intensity and dose of dilute pilocarpine eyedrops on
      pupillary constriction in healthy subjects.
AB  - The aim of this study was to investigate variables that influence the degree of
      pupillary constriction to dilute pilocarpine eyedrops in healthy control
      subjects. The pupillary response to 50 microliter of pilocarpine 0.0625% in
      darkness, dim light, and bright light was measured photographically in 15 healthy
      adults. Constriction to pilocarpine was greater in darkness and in dim light than
      in bright light, indicating that the pupillary-light reflex masked the
      constrictive effect of pilocarpine. In ten other subjects pupillary constriction
      to 50 microliters of pilocarpine 0.04%, and to 50 and 100 microliters of
      pilocarpine 0.0625%, was measured on separate occasions. Pupillary constriction
      increased in proportion to the volume and concentration of pilocarpine. Data for
      pupillary constriction to 50 microliters of pilocarpine 0.0625% in dim light were
      determined in all 25 subjects.

PMID- 1867306
TI  - Concomitant lymphangioma and arteriovenous malformation of the orbit.
AB  - An 8-year-old girl had an orbital-adnexal lymphangioma and ipsilateral orbital
      and middle cranial fossa arteriovenous malformations. High-resolution magnetic
      resonance image scanning, orbital ultrasonography, and digital subtraction
      angiography were used for diagnosis and preoperative assessment. Complications
      related to this vascular neoplasm included amblyopia, acute hemorrhage with
      proptosis, exposure keratitis, cosmetic deformity, and recurrent preseptal
      cellulitis. The girl was treated with both embolization and orbital surgery for
      recurrent hemorrhage and proptosis. We postulated that the coexistence of a
      lymphangioma and arteriovenous malformation represents an unusual and extensive
      maldevelopment of vascular embryogenesis.

PMID- 1867307
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus, herpes zoster, and the retina.

PMID- 1867308
TI  - Penicillin: 1929-1991.

PMID- 1867309
TI  - Inferior rectus muscle palsy after retrobulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery.

PMID- 1867310
TI  - Measurement of the radius of corneal curvature with the Maloney surgical
      keratometer.

PMID- 1867311
TI  - A comparison of the size of the burn produced by Rodenstock and Goldmann contact
      lenses.

PMID- 1867312
TI  - Bone erosion in nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

PMID- 1867313
TI  - Stiles-Crawford effect and color matching in Stargardt's disease.

PMID- 1867314
TI  - A physical analysis of the factors that determine the contour of the iris.

PMID- 1867315
TI  - Delayed-onset pseudophakic endophthalmitis.

PMID- 1867316
TI  - Analysis of TNF alpha-induced DNA strand breaks at the single cell level.
AB  - Treatment of L929 cells with TNF alpha initiates apoptosis and subsequent cell
      death. The authors have visualized sites of DNA damage in situ by using DNA
      polymerase to synthesize new strands from the DNA strands breaks as starting
      point. Biotin-dUTP was incorporated into the newly synthesized strand and
      visualized by immunocytochemistry. DNA strand breaks were first observed 3 to 4
      hours after contact with TNF alpha and preceded cell death. Limiting doses of TNF
      alpha caused DNA strand breaks only in a subpopulation of L929 cells. At a low
      dose, TNF alpha led to DNA damage without any subsequent loss of cell viability.
      The new assay also detects DNase-induced single strand breaks and thus is able to
      visualize apoptotic as well as non-apoptotic types of DNA damage.

PMID- 1867317
TI  - Increased macrophage colony-stimulating factor in neonatal and adult autoimmune
      MRL-lpr mice.
AB  - Abnormal macrophages in MRL-lpr mice are implicated in the pathogenesis of
      autoimmune disease. These mice die of lupus nephritis by 5 to 6 months of age.
      This study reports that MRL-lpr mice have an increased level of circulating
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) detectable as early as 1 week of
      age. Macrophage colony-stimulating factor decreased between 2 and 4 months and
      then steadily increased beginning at 4 months of age. In contrast, M-CSF was not
      detected in sera from congenic MRL-++ mice, normal C3H/FeJ mice, two other mouse
      strains with the lpr gene (B6-lpr and C3H-lpr), or another lupus model, the NZB/W
      mouse. These observations indicate that the lpr gene alone is not responsible for
      inducing this growth factor, and elevated M-CSF is not required for all forms of
      murine lupus. The entire source of serum M-CSF is not clear. The unique T cells
      regulated by the lpr gene are not responsible for the increased serum M-CSF
      levels, as no M-CSFs could be detected in supernatants from cultured lymph nodes
      from MRL-lpr mice, and the steady-state levels of M-CSF mRNA in lymph nodes and
      spleens in MRL-lpr, C3H-lpr mice and in their respective congenic strains were
      similar. The steady-state M-CSF mRNA transcripts in liver, lung, and bone marrow
      in MRL-lpr, MRL-++, and C3H/FeJ mice were also similar. Macrophage colony
      stimulating factor transcripts were clearly elevated in the kidneys of MRL-lpr
      mice, suggesting a renal source of circulating M-CSF. The increase of M-CSF might
      be responsible for the increased numbers and enhanced functions of macrophages,
      which in turn cause tissue destruction in MRL-lpr mice.

PMID- 1867318
TI  - Kinetics of Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination and evolution of disease after
      intradermal inoculation of mice.
AB  - Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination to selected target organs was examined on days
      1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 15, 21, and 30 after intradermal inoculation of 4-week-old C3H
      mice. Infection was determined by culture (blood, spleen, kidney, ear punch);
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for outer surface protein A (OSP A) DNA (ear
      punch); histology and spirochete histochemistry (spleen, kidney, skin, heart,
      joints); and OSP A DNA in situ hybridization (joints, heart). Blood or spleen of
      most mice were culture positive by day 3 and ear punch by day 10. Polymerase
      chain reaction performed on ear punches was also positive by day 10. Inflammation
      of joints and tendons began on days 4 through 7 and heart on days 7 through 10,
      which coincided with colonization of tissues with spirochetes. Spirochetes were
      multifocal in distribution, with a predilection for collagenous connective tissue
      of joints, heart, arteries, nerves, muscle, skin, and other tissues. Relative
      numbers of spirochetes peaked at 15 days, then decreased by 21 days. Gamma M
      immunoglobulin (IgM) antibody was detectable on immunoblots as early as day 4,
      with subsequent declining reactivity, and IgG antibody was detectable by day 7,
      with expanding reactivity to multiple antigens through day 30.

PMID- 1867319
TI  - Immunohistochemical analysis of neural cell adhesion molecules. Differential
      expression in small round cell tumors of childhood and adolescence.
AB  - The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) was discovered in a search for cell
      surface antigens of chicken neurons that contribute to cell adhesion and pattern
      formation during development. Homologous adhesion molecules have been identified
      in several species, including humans. In this immunohistochemical study, the
      authors examine the role of human NCAM in tumor diagnosis. The authors used a
      monoclonal antibody (MAb), 5.1H11, to examine NCAM immunoreactivity in frozen
      sections of more than 450 tumors, including more than 80 small round cell tumors
      (SRCT) of childhood and adolescence (neuroblastomas, Ewing's sarcomas [ES],
      peripheral neuroepitheliomas [PN], primitive neuroectodermal tumors [PNET],
      esthesioneuroblastomas, malignant ectomesenchymoma, medulloblastomas, small cell
      osteosarcomas, mesenchymal chondrosarcomas, embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas, and
      lymphomas). The authors show that 1) neuroblastomas and primary brain tumors are
      NCAM+; 2) ES, most PN/PNETs, and melanomas are NCAM-; 3) embryonal
      rhabdomyosarcomas and various other sarcomas are NCAM+; 4) neuroendocrine tumors
      are NCAM+; 5) subsets of carcinomas of kidney, ovary, lung and other organs are
      NCAM+; and 6) lymphoid tumors are NCAM-. Tests with normal fetal and adult
      tissues indicate that these findings reflect only in part the NCAM phenotypes of
      corresponding normal tissues. Notably the NCAM- phenotype of ES and PN/PNET is
      not explained by current histogenetic models for these tumors, which suggest a
      primitive neuroectodermal origin. Finally the authors show that NCAM expression
      among SRCT has an inverse relationship with the expression of p30/32MIC2, a cell
      surface antigen of ES and PN/PNET detected with MAb HBA71. These results suggest
      that immunohistochemical assays for NCAM and p30/32MIC2 expression may aid in the
      further characterization of SRCT of childhood and adolescence.

PMID- 1867320
TI  - Immunohistochemical analysis of Ewing's sarcoma cell surface antigen p30/32MIC2.
AB  - Monoclonal antibody (MAb) HBA71, which was raised against Ewing's sarcoma cells,
      recognizes a cell-surface glycoprotein, p30/32MIC2, that is encoded by the MIC2
      gene in the pseudoautosomal region of human chromosomes X and Y. This
      immunohistochemical study evaluates the specificity and sensitivity of MAb HBA71
      for tumor diagnosis. Frozen and paraffin-embedded tissues of more than 300 tumors
      of diverse histologic type, including more than 100 small round cell tumors of
      childhood and adolescence, were tested with this MAb by the avidin-biotin
      immunoperoxidase procedure. The authors found HBA71 immunoreactivity in 61 of 63
      Ewing's sarcomas studied and 9 of 11 primitive neuroectodermal tumors and
      peripheral neuroepitheliomas. HBA71-negative tumors included neuroblastomas (0 of
      24), melanomas (0 of 13), an esthesioneuroblastoma, small cell osteosarcomas (0
      of 2), a malignant ectomesenchymoma, desmoplastic SRCT (0 of 5), and
      medulloblastomas (0 of 5). Heterogeneous expression of HBA71 immunostaining was
      found in some embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas (3 of 14) and astrocytomas (4 of 7),
      and in a few neuroendocrine tumors (4 of 26), carcinomas (3 of 94), and lymphomas
      (6 of 30). Because Ewing's sarcomas are consistently HBA71 positive, the authors
      searched for antigen-positive normal cells that may represent precursors for
      these tumors; however, no obvious candidate for the elusive cell of origin for
      Ewing's sarcoma was identified in the normal fetal tissues tested. Their findings
      indicate that HBA71 is a highly restricted cell-surface antigen of Ewing's
      sarcomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors, and immunohistochemistry employing
      this antibody may be of value in the differential diagnosis of selected small
      round cell tumors in childhood and adolescence.

PMID- 1867321
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA and protein are present in human placental and
      uterine cells at early and late stages of gestation.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a polypeptide that regulates cellular
      growth and modulates the synthesis of various cell surface and secreted
      molecules, has been identified in the pregnant uterus. To determine which
      specific cells transcribed and translated this gene, extraembryonic fetal tissues
      (placenta and membranes) and uterine tissue from early and late stages of
      gestation were analyzed for TNF-alpha mRNA by in situ hybridization using
      biotinylated antisense and sense TNF-alpha probes, and for immunoreactive TNF
      alpha using two monoclonal antibodies. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha transcripts
      and protein were identified in both extraembryonic and maternal cells. In first
      trimester placental villi, TNF-alpha mRNA was present in syncytiotrophoblast but
      was low to absent in cytotrophoblast and villous stromal cells. Decidual and
      epithelial cells in maternal tissues contained TNF-alpha transcripts. In term
      placentas, both syncytiotrophoblast and villous stromal cells contained TNF-alpha
      mRNA, and transcripts were present in maternal cells in the decidua adjacent to
      the extraplacental membranes. In both first-trimester and term tissues,
      coincident expression of TNF-alpha mRNA and immunoreactive TNF-alpha was
      demonstrated. The results of this study show that TNF-alpha is synthesized by
      cells in both extraembryonic membranes and maternal tissues during human
      gestation and that transcription in specific types of cells is influenced by
      gestational age. These observations are consistent with a major role for TNF
      alpha in the dynamic developmental events of human pregnancy.

PMID- 1867323
TI  - Mesangial cell activation by bacterial endotoxin. Induction of rapid cytoskeletal
      reorganization and gene expression.
AB  - Cultured glomerular mesangial cells (MC) respond to low concentrations of
      bacterial endotoxin (ET) by secreting prostaglandins and interleukin-1. To
      evaluate further the nature of ET-induced mesangial cell activation, the authors
      evaluated the effects of this agent on MC morphology and cytoskeletal
      organization. Bacterial ET, in concentrations as low as I ng/ml, induced
      reversible membrane ruffling, cellular rounding, and extension of many filopodia
      and lamellopodia. Augmented fluid-phase pinocytosis occurred in parallel, as
      determined by transmission electron microscopy and tritiated sucrose uptake.
      These cellular morphologic and functional changes were associated with an
      extensive, but reversible, depolymerization of actin microfilaments. Actin gene
      expression was also modified by ET. At 4 to 6 hours after ET exposure, Northern
      blot analysis showed a twofold to fourfold increase in actin mRNA levels. In situ
      hybridizations of ET-stimulated cells at the light and electron microscopic
      levels demonstrated a markedly asymmetric distribution of actin mRNA, which was
      localized in the cellular periphery at filopodial and lamellopodial extensions,
      presumably sites of new actin protein synthesis. It is concluded that ET effects
      on MC are distinct from the nonspecific lytic or 'toxic' actions described for
      other cell types. Endotoxin induces a global activation of this cell type
      associated with major changes in membrane structure, cytoskeletal organization,
      and gene expression, which resemble in many respects the responses to peptide
      mitogens.

PMID- 1867322
TI  - Abnormal expression of histocompatibility and mitochondrial antigens by cardiac
      tissue from patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Autoantibodies against the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT), the branched
      chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKD) complex proteins, and myosin have been
      implicated in the pathogenesis of human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Cardiac
      tissue from patients with DCM and, for control purposes, cardiac tissue from
      patients with other forms of cardiomyopathy and from patients with no history of
      cardiac disease were stained with heterologous and ANT-, BCKD-, and myosin
      specific affinity-purified sera from DCM patients. Data demonstrate that although
      anti-myosin stains tissues from both patients and normal controls, the ANT- and
      BCKD-specific heterologous and affinity-purified sera from DCM patients stain
      only cardiac tissues from DCM patients. Intense staining in patchy areas of
      cardiac tissue suggests that abnormal increased expression of these putative
      autoantigens occurs in discrete areas of cardiac myocytes. The reactivity of the
      antisera was organ specific and only seen in tissues from DCM patients. The organ
      and disease specificity of these findings suggests that such expression may play
      an important role in the pathogenesis of human DCM.

PMID- 1867324
TI  - Pigeon monocyte/macrophage lysosomes during beta VLDL uptake. Induction of acid
      phosphatase activity. A model for complex arterial lysosomes.
AB  - Lysosomes have long been implicated as a factor contributing to the progression
      and complication of atherosclerosis. The authors' laboratory previously has shown
      that lysosomal ultrastructure in arterial macrophage foam cells is altered as
      primary lysosomes give rise to large pleiomorphic organelles on lipid
      accumulation during lesion progression. To further explore the subcellular
      alterations in lysosomes and associated organelles during foam cell formation,
      three-dimensional (3D) intermediate voltage electron microscopy was used to
      examine monocyte-derived macrophages (monocyte/macrophages) during early in vitro
      uptake of beta migrating very-low-density lipoproteins (beta VLDL). Lysosomes
      were identified using acid phosphatase cytochemistry, and in control cells these
      organelles constituted 3.5% of the total cytoplasmic volume. Both primary and
      secondary lysosomes were observed. Upon beta VLDL uptake, the total volume of
      acid-phosphatase-positive organelles increased threefold over 30 minutes, and the
      reaction product was found in three additional morphologically distinct
      structures: tubular lysosomes, membrane stacks, and endoplasmic reticulum with
      widened cisternae. The proportion of the cell occupied by each of the five acid
      phosphatase-positive organelles was quantitated at 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1
      hour, and 4 hours of beta VLDL incubation, and their relative abundance was
      compared with controls that were processed either with no lipoprotein challenge
      or albumin incubation for 1 hour. Secondary lysosomes compartment volume peaked
      at 30 minutes; over the ensuing 3.5 hours, however, the reaction progressively
      shifted to three new membrane-limited locations. Our observations document the
      complex 3D organization and spacial relationships among the acid-phosphatase
      positive structures induced by lipoprotein uptake. The 3D organization patterns
      for acid-phosphatase-positive lysosomes in lipoprotein-stimulated pigeon
      monocyte/macrophages were similar in several aspects to the complex lysosomes
      previously observed in the macrophages of pigeon arterial lesions.

PMID- 1867326
TI  - Cell migration and actin organization in cultured human primary, recurrent
      cutaneous and metastatic melanoma. Time-lapse and image analysis.
AB  - Random cell migration and actin organization in seven human primary, recurrent
      cutaneous, and metastatic melanoma cell lines were studied by time-lapse video
      recording and image analysis. The migration of over 800 randomly selected cells
      from the cell lines were recorded using an inverted microscope with an attached
      incubator housing. The fraction of cells with random migration rates greater than
      10 microns/hour was 8% in an established primary melanoma cell line, 2% and 34%
      in two recurrent cutaneous melanoma cell lines, and 5%, 30%, 31%, and 60% in four
      metastatic cell lines. The three metastatic cell lines with significantly higher
      mean migration rates (P less than 0.001) were derived from lymph node metastases,
      whereas the fourth metastatic cell line was derived from a visceral metastasis.
      The cellular morphology and presence of cell nests in the original tissue
      correlated with in vitro cell morphology and the formation of colonies. The
      ability of cells to organize actin into stress fibers directly correlated with
      significantly higher random migration rates and lack of colony formation.
      Characterization of random migration rates and actin organization of human
      melanoma cells that are isolated from different stages of tumor progression may
      lend insight into metastasis.

PMID- 1867325
TI  - Freshly isolated and cultured human monocytes obtained by plasmapheresis kill
      schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni.
AB  - The efficacy of human peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) in killing of
      schistosomula is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the
      schistosomulacidal activity of human monocytes isolated by two different
      techniques. Peripheral blood monocytes were obtained either by venipuncture
      (PBMv) or plasmapheresis (PBMp), purified on Ficoll-Paque, and cultured briefly.
      The cells then were incubated with schistosomula (cell parasite ratio of 10(4):1)
      for 16 to 18 hours with or without interferon-gamma IFN-gamma (600 U/ml) or sera
      from patients with schistosomiasis as a source of antischistosomal antibodies
      (HASA). Freshly isolated PBMv treated with IFN-gamma or HASA did not kill
      schistosomula. Freshly isolated PBMp alone killed 22 +/- 13% (mean +/- standard
      deviation [SD]; n = 9) of worms over background and after incubation with IFN
      gamma and HASA, 30 +/- 17%. PBMp cultured in vitro for 7 days killed 50 +/- 15%
      (mean +/- SD; n = 12) of the schistosomula. Pretreatment of the cells with IFN
      gamma and incubation with HASA did not significantly enhance the parasite killing
      beyond this level. Electron microscopy showed that freshly isolated PBMp attached
      to the worms and fused occasionally with the outer tegumental membrane. Granules
      constituted 1.4% of the cytoplasmic volume. Degranulation onto the parasite
      surface was not observed. Peripheral blood monocytes obtained by plasmapheresis
      accumulated glycogen during in vitro culture with the parasite and released
      threefold more H2O2 than PBMv after exposure to phorbol myristate acetate. Thus
      plasmapheresis increases the schistosomulacidal activity of PBM, enhances the
      generation of H2O2 and promotes the accumulation of glycogen.

PMID- 1867328
TI  - Distribution patterns of type VII collagen in normal and malignant human tissues.
AB  - The distribution of basement membrane type VII collagen was detected
      immunohistochemically and compared in normal human organs and their neoplastic
      derivatives using monoclonal antibody LH7.2. In normal tissues, type VII collagen
      was found to be restricted to the basement membrane surrounding or underlying
      combined epithelia, such as those lining breast, prostate, and bronchus, which
      are composed of a basal and luminal cell layer, and stratified epithelia, such as
      larynx, esophagus, trachea, vagina, ectocervix, and epidermis. No type VII
      collagen was found in the "simple' epithelia lining the major part of the
      gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract, such as liver, stomach, and intestine, or
      around blood vessels, muscle, and nerve fibers, which are surrounded, however, by
      a basement membrane containing type IV collagen and laminin. When tested in
      benign and malignant local tumors, antibody LH7.2 showed staining patterns partly
      similar to those observed in the corresponding normal tissues. This resulted in a
      well-circumscribed positive reaction around ducts in carcinomas in situ of the
      breast, in benign prostate tumors, in pleomorphic adenomas, and in a negative
      reaction in tumors of the GI tract. Furthermore type VII collagen was
      predominantly seen in carcinomas with a squamous differentiation, such as
      squamous carcinomas of the lung, head and neck, vulva, and vagina. These results
      indicate that the presence of type VII collagen in malignant tumors is correlated
      with (squamous) differentiation rather than with the origin of the tumor. With
      tumor progression, an increased presence of type VII collagen, as compared with
      normal urinary bladder, was found in infiltrating transitional cell carcinomas.
      Thus, although in general invasive and metastatic tumors do not express
      extensively type VII collagen, exceptions to this rule exist in bladder cancer,
      squamous carcinomas of the lung, tumors of the head and neck region, female
      genital tract tumors, and in some adenocarcinomas of the breast.

PMID- 1867327
TI  - Increased steady-state levels of mRNA coding for extracellular matrix components
      in kidneys of NZB/W F1 mice.
AB  - The present study was carried out to determine how mRNA levels of extracellular
      matrix (ECM) components including alpha 1(IV) chain, laminin A, B1 and B2 chains,
      heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG), alpha 1(I) chain, and alpha 1(III) chain are
      regulated in the kidney of NZB/W F1 mice. Messenger RNA levels for ECM genes
      except for laminin A chain increased significantly with the progression of
      nephritis in NZB/W F1 mice. In the NZW kidneys, however, the mRNA levels for
      alpha 1(IV) chain, laminin B1 and B2 chains, and HSPG declined markedly with age,
      whereas those for alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(III) chains showed little difference
      throughout the experimental period. Messenger RNA levels of beta-actin remained
      constant, and those of laminin A chain could not be detected in either control or
      diseased kidneys. Immunofluorescent microscopy showed that the intensity and
      distribution of staining of collagen IV, laminin, and HSPG in the glomeruli of
      NZB/W F1 mice increased markedly with the progression of disease. Types I and III
      collagen were not detected in the glomeruli of NZB/W F1 mice by
      immunofluorescence until 24 weeks of age, after which increased amounts of these
      collagens were found in the glomeruli and interstitium with progression of
      disease. These results suggest that increased levels of mRNA coding for ECM
      components and increased accumulation of these proteins may contribute to a
      cascade of events, leading to chronic renal injury in lupus nephritis.

PMID- 1867329
TI  - Tibial meniscal dynamics using three-dimensional reconstruction of magnetic
      resonance images.
AB  - The human knee joint represents a complex biomechanical system of which the
      menisci are an integral component. At present, little data exists describing the
      meniscal kinematics of the intact knee. Accordingly, a three-dimensional
      reconstruction magnetic resonance image model was used to explore this issue.
      Five fresh cadaveric knees were examined by magnetic resonance imaging throughout
      a full range of motion at 10 degrees intervals. Computer three-dimensional images
      of the menisci were generated and evaluated for anteroposterior excursion and
      deformation. During flexion, the posterior excursion of the medial meniscus was
      5.1 mm, while that of the lateral meniscus was 11.2 mm. The anterior horn
      segments were shown to be more mobile than the posterior horn segments
      bilaterally. Prior limitations of meniscal kinematic assessment may be overcome
      with advanced imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging and three
      dimensional reconstruction. The menisci are highly mobile and easily deformed
      structures within the intact, cadaveric knee. This imaging technique may prove
      useful in the elucidation of meniscal dynamics. In the future, similar techniques
      may be applied clinically to aid in the diagnosis of joint dysfunction.

PMID- 1867330
TI  - Tensile properties of the human femur-anterior cruciate ligament-tibia complex.
      The effects of specimen age and orientation.
AB  - The structural properties of 27 pairs of human cadaver knees were evaluated.
      Specimens were equally divided into three groups of nine pairs each based on age:
      younger (22 to 35 years), middle (40 to 50 years), and older (60 to 97 years).
      Anterior-posterior displacement tests with the intact knee at 30 degrees and 90
      degrees of flexion revealed a significant effect of knee flexion angle, but not
      of specimen age. Tensile tests of the femur-ACL-tibia complex were performed at
      30 degrees of knee flexion with the ACL aligned vertically along the direction of
      applied tensile load. One knee from each pair was oriented anatomically
      (anatomical orientation), and the contralateral knee was oriented with the tibia
      aligned vertically (tibial orientation). Structural properties of the femur-ACL
      tibia complex, as represented by the linear stiffness, ultimate load, and energy
      absorbed, were found to decrease significantly with specimen age and were also
      found to have higher values in specimens tested in the anatomical orientation. In
      the younger specimens, linear stiffness (242 +/- 28 N/mm) and ultimate load (2160
      +/- 157 N) values found when the femur-ACL-tibia complex was tested in the
      anatomical orientation were higher than those reported previously in the
      literature. These values provide new baseline data for the design and selection
      of grafts for ACL replacement in an attempt to reproduce normal knee kinematics.

PMID- 1867331
TI  - The current state of functional knee bracing research. A review of the
      literature.
AB  - This paper reviews recent research on functional knee bracing. Research is
      categorized by subject, approach, or technique. The authors conclude that, while
      there is a good deal of excellent research available, there is little data to
      assist the clinician in selecting an orthosis for a specific application. The
      authors recommend that future investigations address the physiologic aspects of
      functional knee bracing and that brace manufacturers assume more responsibility
      in the validation of both existing and future brace designs.

PMID- 1867332
TI  - Acute Grade III ulnar collateral ligament ruptures. A new surgical and
      rehabilitation protocol.
AB  - A review is presented here of 36 cases, seen since 1980, of acute Grade III
      (unstable) sports-related sprains of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint. In all
      cases, the injury involved the ulnar collateral ligament. A Stener lesion was
      present in 97% of cases. Followup was from 2.0 to 8.5 years, the average being
      3.9 years. All of the patients underwent repeat examination and radiography at
      followup. The first seven patients were treated by "traditional" pull-out suture
      and K-wire fixation, put into a cast for 4 weeks, and then gradually mobilized
      over 4 additional weeks. Thereafter, a "new method" was used. Avulsed ulnar
      collateral ligament stumps were sutured to the tendinous insertion of the
      adductor pollicis or to a soft tissue remnant using strong suture material. Large
      bony avulsions were pinned; small fragments were excised and the ligament was
      repaired. This latter method of repair was quite strong and allowed rapid
      mobilization: only 2 weeks in a cast, then a hand-mounted thumb spica orthosis
      was used while therapy progressed. Of the patients treated with the new method,
      84% had excellent results and, overall, were able to return to sports sooner than
      patients treated with the traditional method. Pain, stability, and strength were
      corrected equally between groups; however, strength was restored more rapidly in
      the new method group. Range of motion was reduced equally in both
      groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867333
TI  - The long-term followup of primary anterior cruciate ligament repair. Defining a
      rationale for augmentation.
AB  - Fifty primary ACL repairs using the Marshall multiple suture technique were
      analyzed. The average age at surgery was 23 years (range, 15 to 56), with 76%
      under the age of 30. The average followup was 61.3 months (range, 48 to 86). The
      average time from injury to surgery was 7 days (range, 1 to 18). Eighty percent
      of the injuries were sports-related with football and skiing predominating.
      Thirty-eight percent were "isolated" ACL tears, and 62% had associated injuries.
      There was a 46% incidence of meniscal tear with 59% of the meniscal tears being
      repaired. The postoperative evaluation included a multifactorial analysis
      correlating 43 variables including subjective, objective, radiographic, and KT
      1000 data. The Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Diagnostic Score, a clinical
      objective score based on the postoperative Lachman and pivot shift examination, a
      KT-1000 arthrometer data score, and an overall combined assessment score were
      determined. The results showed 59% excellent, 18% good, 14% fair, and 8% poor.
      The Lachman test was diagnostic in all cases. The quality of ACL tissue at repair
      was rated excellent or good in 62% of the cases. Four patterns of ACL tears were
      distinguished by the location of the tear. Football injury, younger age,
      increased peroperative pivot shift, midsubstance Type IV tear, and return of full
      motion correlated with poor postoperative results. Increasing age, tight
      jointedness, Type I tears, and a 5 degrees flexion contracture correlated with
      good postoperative results.

PMID- 1867334
TI  - Electromyographic analysis of the glenohumeral muscles during a baseball
      rehabilitation program.
AB  - Many exercises are used to strengthen the glenohumeral muscles, but there have
      been limited studies to evaluate the exercises. Thus, the purpose of this study
      was to decide how the muscles responsible for humeral motion can best be
      exercised in a rehabilitation program for the throwing athlete. Dynamic, fine
      wire, intramuscular electromyography was carried out in 15 normal male volunteers
      performing 17 shoulder exercises derived from a shoulder rehabilitation program
      used by professional baseball clubs. The four rotator cuff muscles were studied,
      as well as other positioners of the humerus, including the pectoralis major,
      latissimus dorsi, and three portions of the deltoid. The electromyographic
      activity was synchronized with cinematography and averaged over 30 degrees arcs
      of motion. An exercise was considered to be a significant challenge for a muscle
      if it generated at least 50% of its predetermined maximum contraction over three
      consecutive arcs (i.e., a 90 degrees range). Four exercises were consistently
      found to be among the most challenging exercises for every muscle. These shoulder
      exercises consisted of 1) elevation in the scapular plane with thumbs down, 2)
      flexion, 3) horizontal abduction with arms externally rotated, and 4) press-up.
      This study documents that the minimum for an effective and succinct
      rehabilitation protocol for the glenohumeral muscles would include these
      exercises.

PMID- 1867335
TI  - A rationale for predicting anterior cruciate graft impingement by the
      intercondylar roof. A magnetic resonance imaging study.
AB  - This study was designed to analyze how anterior tibial tunnel placement can
      result in graft impingement by the intercondylar roof. The relationship of the
      ACL to the intercondylar roof was studied using magnetic resonance scans. An
      attempt was made to predict the amount of bone that may need to be removed from
      the intercondylar roof to prevent impingement on a 10 mm thick ACL graft.
      Magnetic resonance scans of 19 normal ACLs were analyzed. The amount of bone
      removal required to correct roof impingement was determined for a graft placed
      either eccentrically or centrally within the ACL insertion, and within the bulk
      of the normal ACL fibers. An eccentric tibial tunnel placement required
      approximately 5 to 6 mm and a central placement required 2 to 3 mm of bone
      removal from the intercondylar roof to prevent impingement. Placing the graft
      within the bulk of the ACL fibers, just 3 mm posterior to the center of the ACL
      insertion, required little bone resection to prevent impingement. To prevent ACL
      graft impingement, roofplasties need to be performed in both acute and chronic
      ACL reconstructions if the presently accepted locations for positioning the
      tibial tunnel are used. A more anteriorly placed tibial tunnel requires more bone
      removal to prevent roof impingement than a more posteriorly positioned tibial
      tunnel.

PMID- 1867336
TI  - Results of knee manipulations after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions.
AB  - We analyzed the results of knee manipulations in 42 knees that had persistent
      flexion or extension deficits after intraarticular ACL reconstructions. All
      manipulations were done under a spinal or general anesthetic and, in 10 cases,
      arthroscopic debridement of adhesions also was performed. The average time from
      reconstruction to manipulation was 7 months (range, 3 to 14 months) and the
      average followup was 26 months (range, 6 to 56 months). At manipulation, average
      flexion was increased from 95 degrees to 136 degrees and average extension from
      11 degrees to 3 degrees. In no case was motion gained at the expense of joint
      stability and, at final followup, average flexion and extension were 127 degrees
      and 4 degrees, respectively. The final range of motion achieved was not affected
      by the time to manipulation, severity of premanipulation flexion deficit, or
      concomitant arthroscopic debridement of adhesions. However, knees with
      premanipulation extension deficits of greater than or equal to 15 degrees
      achieved significantly less final extension than knees with lesser
      premanipulation deficits. Overall, manipulations were a safe and effective method
      for improving both flexion and extension in 86% of the knees that had restricted
      motion after ACL reconstructions.

PMID- 1867337
TI  - Biomechanics of the golf swing in players with pathologic conditions of the
      forearm, wrist, and hand.
AB  - Golf is an activity generally stressful to the hands and wrists and particularly
      can produce increasing symptoms in players with underlying problems such as hand
      and wrist arthritis or tendinitis. The purpose of this study was to quantitate
      wrist motion and club head/ball impact force in subjects with pathologic
      conditions of the hand, wrist, or forearm, within a laboratory environment. A
      regular straight-handled golf club was compared to a new BioCurve handle design
      that has a 19 degrees ulnar bend. We measured and compared the effect of the two
      grips on wrist motion, club head velocity, ball impact force, ball impact
      location, and isometric torsional strength in 20 subjects who had a variety of
      upper extremity disorders. This data was then compared to data collected in an
      identical fashion from golfers without such conditions. The results of our study
      show that there were no differences related to club handle design on impact force
      or impact location, club head velocity, or club head path and face angle. Wrist
      kinematic differences were minimal between handle designs. The differences that
      were significant (P less than 0.05) centered around the decreased ulnar deviation
      of the left hand that resulted when subjects used the BioCurve handle design,
      which also allowed greater resistance to torque than the straight grip club. In
      addition to collecting objective data, we asked subjects for their opinions of
      the two grips. As a whole, the normal group and the group with pathologic
      conditions noted more comfort, improved grip, and less shock transmission with
      the BioCurve handle.

PMID- 1867338
TI  - Quadriceps contusions. West Point update.
AB  - A 3 year study of 117 quadriceps contusions in West Point cadets was undertaken
      to document the effectiveness of a three-phased therapy program to return these
      young athletes to full activity with a normal knee range of motion and without
      recurrence of injury. The treatment protocol of this study was modeled after the
      1973 West Point study of Jackson and Feagin with two major changes: 1) resting
      the injured leg in flexion (versus extension) and 2) emphasizing early flexion
      exercises (versus extension). Classification of contusions was based on knee
      range of motion at 12 to 24 hours after the injury (mild, greater than 90
      degrees; moderate, 45 degrees to 90 degrees; severe, less than 45 degrees). The
      average disability time was 13 days for mild, 19 days for moderate, and 21 days
      for severe contusions. Myositis ossificans developed in 9% of cadets and was
      associated with five risk factors (knee motion less than 120 degrees, injury
      occurring during football, previous quadriceps injury, delay in treatment greater
      than 3 days, and ipsilateral knee effusion.

PMID- 1867339
TI  - Dynamic joint forces during knee isokinetic exercise.
AB  - This study analyzed forces in the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints during
      isokinetic exercise using an analytical biomechanical model. The results show
      that isokinetic exercise can produce large loads on these joints, especially
      during extension exercises. The tibiofemoral compressive force (4.0 body weight)
      is approximately equal to that obtained during walking but it occurs at 55
      degrees of knee flexion. Anterior shear forces (resisting force to anterior
      drawer) exist during extension exercise at less than 40 degrees of knee flexion,
      with a maximum of 0.3 body weight. Posterior shear forces (resisting force to
      posterior drawer) exist during extension exercise at knee joint angles greater
      than 40 degrees and during the flexion portion of isokinetic exercise. The
      maximum posterior shear force is 1.7 body weight. The patellofemoral joint can
      encounter loads as high as 5.1 body weight which are 10 times higher than during
      straight leg raises. These results suggest that isokinetic exercise should be
      used cautiously in patients with knee lesions.

PMID- 1867340
TI  - Fatigue fracture of the ulna occurring in pitchers of fast-pitch softball.
AB  - We have reported three cases of fatigue fracture of the ulna in male pitchers of
      fast-pitch softball. To elucidate the etiology of injury, we first selected three
      healthy male and three healthy female pitchers from a well-trained college team
      and analyzed their forearm movement by high-speed cinematography. This showed
      slight flexion of the elbow joints during wind-up motion, dorsal flexion of the
      hand joints upon releasing the ball, and extreme pronation of the forearms during
      the follow-through. We then took 8 mm CT scanning sections of the forearms. Using
      these images, we investigated shapes and areas of cross-sections of the ulna and
      its cortical and cancellous bones from the elbow to the hand joints. Our results
      reveal that the shapes of the sections are significantly different from circles
      at around the center of the ulna, and the cross-sectional areas are smaller in
      the middle one-third of the ulna than in other parts. These observations imply
      that fatigue fractures of the ulna in pitchers of fast-pitch softball must be
      torsionally induced, tending to occur at the middle one-third of the bone.

PMID- 1867341
TI  - Traumatic subluxation of the hip resulting in aseptic necrosis and chondrolysis
      in a professional football player.

PMID- 1867342
TI  - Bilateral simultaneous rupture of the infrapatellar tendon in a recreational
      athlete. A case report.
AB  - Bilateral rupture of the infrapatellar tendons is a rare event in an otherwise
      healthy athletic individual. The event is usually quite severe and diagnosis can
      be readily made on a clinical examination. In the case presented here,
      predisposing factors consisted of an underlying patella alta and a long history
      of repetitive trauma to the knee. Prompt diagnosis and surgical repair will lead
      to a good functional result.

PMID- 1867343
TI  - Yellow fever: Victor, Victoria? Conqueror, conquest? Epidemics and research in
      the last forty years and prospects for the future.

PMID- 1867344
TI  - Ultrastructural localization of a protective 68,000 molecular weight antigen in
      Schistosoma mansoni.
AB  - Vaccination with SMW 68, an Mr 68,000 glycoprotein of Schistosoma mansoni,
      induces significant protection in mice against challenge schistosome infection.
      This resistance occurs without the use of adjuvants and without sensitizing
      animals to granuloma formation. Likewise, passive transfer of monoclonal antibody
      (MAb) 31-3B6 against SMW 68 confers partial protection against challenge
      infection. As a first step in understanding how the immune response to this
      molecule leads to resistance, SMW 68 was localized in three developmental stages
      of the parasite by immunoelectron microscopy using MAb 31-3B6 and polyclonal
      antisera raised against purified SMW 68. In cercariae and schistosomula, MAb 31
      3B6 bound electron-dense granules within the head gland and similar granules in
      the preacetabular glands. In adult worms, SMW 68 or related antigens were found
      to be widely distributed in tissues. Binding of specific antisera was most
      pronounced in the gut and tegument of male worms, but less so in subtegumental
      muscles. We conclude that SMW 68 is presented to the immune system in various
      ways during parasite development. The protective protein or epitope is excreted,
      and presented on the surface and in the cytoplasm at various stages of the life
      cycle. The relationship of the location of this protein to its role in protective
      immunity is discussed.

PMID- 1867345
TI  - Comparison of the effects of a single dose and of four six-monthly doses of
      ivermectin on adult Onchocerca volvulus.
AB  - Adult Onchocerca volvulus worms, extracted from nodules of Guatemalans by
      collagenase digestion, were examined whole and by histological techniques. One
      group of persons received a single 150 micrograms/kg dose of ivermectin; two
      other groups (one with older and one with younger nodules) received four similar
      doses of ivermectin at 6-month intervals. For each group, there were comparable
      untreated controls. All nodules were removed six months after the last dose.
      After a single dose, the only significant difference from the controls was in the
      decreased proportion of female worms producing live microfilariae. After four
      doses, there were significant increases in the proportions of moribund/dead
      female worms and of live uninseminated females, when compared with the
      corresponding controls. There were also fewer male worms present, but this
      difference was not significant. Six months after the conclusion of the 4-dose
      regimen, the proportion of female worms producing live microfilariae was
      significantly lower than in the groups that had received a single dose.

PMID- 1867346
TI  - Cellular immune response analysis of patients with leptospirosis.
AB  - Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from acute leptospirosis patients with
      and without acute renal failure were studied in order to investigate the status
      of cellular immunity in this disease. We analyzed the lymphocyte subsets of
      leptospirosis patients by immunofluorescence and their responsiveness to the
      mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Additionally, we
      investigated the effect of the patients' sera on normal PBMC proliferative
      response. We observed a decrease in the CD3+ and CD4+ cell subsets in patients
      with and without acute renal failure, or in percentage values alone in those who
      had recovered from renal failure. An increase in the number of B lymphocytes was
      observed in all patients, compared with controls. This increase in B lymphocytes
      was seen even in patients who had recovered from renal failure, when the number
      of CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocytes had already returned to normal levels. The low PHA
      response observed only with lymphocytes from patients with acute renal failure
      suggests a suppressive effect. The proliferative response to PWM was comparable
      to controls, even in the patients with acute renal failure. This latter result
      and the expansion of the B cell number could be related to leptospiral-derived
      factor(s). We also showed that sera from patients with and without acute renal
      failure exerted some inhibitory activity on normal PBMC responses to PHA and PWM.
      Although the redistribution of lymphocyte subsets and the serum suppressor
      activity were related to acute renal failure and leptospiral factor(s), we
      suggest that the cellular immune system was not irreversibly affected, which is
      compatible with the good prognosis seen in the patients studied.

PMID- 1867347
TI  - Dissemination, replication, and trans-stadial persistence of Dugbe virus
      (Nairovirus, Bunyaviridae) in the tick vector Amblyomma variegatum.
AB  - The dissemination and replication of Dugbe (DUG) virus and its tissue tropisms in
      the tick vector Amblyomma variegatum were examined by immunohistochemical
      analysis using specific antibody, in situ hybridization with a viral
      complementary riboprobe, and infectivity assays of dissected tissues. Dugbe virus
      was localized in both unfed and feeding adults inoculated as nymphs or orally
      infected by capillary feeding, and in nymphs infected by capillary feeding. In
      non-feeding ticks, the main sites of DUG virus replication were the epidermis,
      hemocytes associated with loose connective tissue, and a small number of
      phagocytic digestive cells in the gut lumen. Virus infectivity in the hemolymph
      was associated entirely with hemocytes. Dugbe viral antigen or infectivity was
      not detected in the salivary glands until after the start of feeding. Viral
      titers in the salivary glands of feeding ticks were about ten-fold higher than in
      gut, ovary, or loose connective tissue. The level of infection decreased during
      molting and increased during feeding. Viral particles and pathologic effects were
      not detected in infected ticks. The primary site of trans-stadial persistence of
      DUG virus is the hemocytes. Tick hemocytes and other motile cells may be
      important in the transmission of persistent virus infection from one cell or
      organ to another by diapedesis.

PMID- 1867348
TI  - Significance of circumsporozoite-specific antibody in the natural transmission of
      Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, and Plasmodium malariae in an aboriginal
      (Orang Asli) population of central peninsula Malaysia.
AB  - Two hundred and seventy-five Orang Asli volunteers living in nine villages in the
      Pos Legap Valley of Perak State, peninsular Malaysia, participated in a
      prospective study designed to characterize the epidemiological, parasitological,
      and entomological characteristics of Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, and P.
      malariae malaria transmission. Prevalence rates for the three plasmodial species
      at initiation of the study ranged from 56% in the 0-4-year-old age group to 0% in
      individuals over the age of 40. Entomological surveys were conducted, enabling us
      to determine mosquito salivary gland-positive rates and entomological inoculation
      rates of 1.2 infectious mosquito bites per person per month for P. falciparum,
      2.4 for P. vivax, and 0.3 for P. malariae. Cumulative incidence rates over the 16
      weeks of the study, following radical cure of all volunteers, were 22.5% for P.
      falciparum, 12.7% for P. vivax, and 1.5% for P. malariae. The median baseline
      antibody titer against the immunodominant repetitive B cell epitope of P.
      falciparum or P. vivax circumsporozoite protein was significantly higher for
      volunteers who did not become parasitemic. Volunteers were selected for further
      study if they had evidence of being challenged with P. falciparum sporozoites
      during the study, based on a two-fold or greater increase in antibody titer
      against the immunodominant repetitive B cell epitope of the circumsporozoite
      protein. Resistance to infection was seen in six of 10 individuals who had high
      (greater than 25 OD units) baseline ELISA titers, compared with only three of 24
      individuals who had low baseline ELISA titers (chi 2 P less than 0.02). A similar
      analysis for P. vivax did not show a significant correlation.

PMID- 1867349
TI  - Age-dependent acquired protection against Plasmodium falciparum in people having
      two years exposure to hyperendemic malaria.
AB  - An epidemiologic study of susceptibility to frequent and high-grade parasitemia
      by Plasmodium falciparum revealed that age-dependent acquired protection
      developed within a two-year period of exposure to hyperendemic infection
      pressure. The study was conducted in a single village in northeastern Irian Jaya,
      Indonesia, where half the residents were native to the province and the other
      half were transmigrants from areas of Java, where there is little or no malaria
      transmission. Five separate measures of susceptibility to the asexual parasitemia
      of falciparum malaria were derived from results of four months of biweekly
      surveillance of 240 volunteers. Increasing protection as a function of age among
      the Javanese was a consistent pattern among the five estimates of susceptibility.
      These age-dependent functions of protection were quantitatively parallel to those
      among life-long residents of Irian Jaya. When humoral immune responsiveness to
      ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) was measured by ELISA, a similar
      pattern emerged; the relative level of antibody to RESA increased as parallel
      functions of age among the two subpopulations. Acquired protective immunity
      against P. falciparum was not the cumulative product of many years of heavy
      exposure to antigen. Instead, the full benefit of protection appeared to develop
      quickly. The degree of protection was governed by recent exposure and age,
      independent of history of chronic heavy exposure.

PMID- 1867350
TI  - Clustering of malaria infections within an endemic population: risk of malaria
      associated with the type of housing construction.
AB  - The occurrence of malaria infections due to Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum
      was monitored in a population of 3,023 people living in six contiguous villages
      in Kataragama, an area of endemic malaria in southern Sri Lanka, over a period of
      17 months. The annual incidence of malaria in this population during the study
      period was 25.8%. Malaria attacks were clustered, occurring more frequently than
      expected in certain individuals and housing groups and less frequently than
      expected in others. In one of these villages, the distribution of cases was
      examined in relation to locality and to the type of house construction. There was
      a strong association between the malaria incidence and house construction,
      independent of location. The risk of getting malaria was greater for inhabitants
      of the poorest type of house construction (incomplete, mud, or cadjan (palm)
      walls, and cadjan thatched roofs) compared to houses with complete brick and
      plaster walls and tiled roofs. Houses that were better constructed had a
      significantly lower malaria incidence rate (10.5%) than those that were poorly
      constructed (21.2%; P less than 0.01, by Student's t-test). There was also a
      significantly higher number of indoor resting mosquitoes collected from the
      poorly constructed houses than from those better constructed; the average
      (geometric mean) of mosquito densities found in houses of better versus poor
      construction were 0.97 and 1.89 per collection in the dry season, and 1.95 and
      3.42 per collection in the wet season, respectively (P less than 0.05 in both
      seasons). This indicated that the higher malaria risk associated with poorly
      constructed houses was at least partly due to higher human-mosquito contact among
      their inhabitants.

PMID- 1867351
TI  - Neuropsychiatric side effects after the use of mefloquine.
AB  - This study describes neuropsychiatric side effects in patients after treatment
      with mefloquine. Reactions consisted mainly of seizures, acute psychoses, anxiety
      neurosis, and major disturbances of sleep-wake rhythm. Side effects occurred
      after both therapeutic and prophylactic intake and were graded from moderate to
      severe. In a risk analysis of neuropsychiatric side effects in Germany, it is
      estimated that one of 8,000 mefloquine users suffers from such reactions. The
      incidence calculation revealed that one of 215 therapeutic users had reactions,
      compared with one of 13,000 in the prophylaxis group, making the risk of
      neuropsychiatric reactions after mefloquine treatment 60 times higher than after
      prophylaxis. Therefore, certain limitations for malaria prophylaxis and treatment
      with mefloquine are recommended.

PMID- 1867352
TI  - Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma. A distinctive malformation of the skin.
AB  - Five examples of a distinctive sebaceous malformation, designated
      "folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma," form the basis of this study. Criteria are
      proposed for specific diagnosis of this hamartoma and for differentiation of it
      from sebaceous gland hyperplasia, steatocystoma, dermoid cyst of skin, and
      sebaceous trichofolliculoma.

PMID- 1867353
TI  - The development of a reproducible immunocytochemical technique for demonstrating
      colocalized cutaneous antigens.
AB  - A number of double immunocytochemical labeling techniques are available that
      allow simultaneous identification of two antigens in one tissue section. Those
      most commonly used are (a) the acid elution method, which uses acid buffer to
      remove one set of antibodies, thus allowing a second set to be applied; (b) the
      use of noncross-reacting combinations of immunoglobulin subclass and subclass
      specific antibodies; and (c) application of the diaminobenzidine (DAB) reaction
      product as an antibody-blocking reagent, preventing cross-reaction of one set of
      antibodies with those of a second labeling method. We assessed each technique,
      using a variety of immunoenzyme methods, for the ability to label antigens that
      are anatomically separate in one tissue section and those that are colocalized on
      the same cell surface. Acid elution methods increased antibody cross-reaction.
      The use of immunoglobulin subclass antibodies resulted in inferior staining. The
      DAB blocking method, using peroxidase antiperoxidase (DAB substrate) and alkaline
      phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) (fast red substrate) optimally
      labeled non colocalized antigens. The substitution of fast blue as the APAAP
      substrate proved optimal for colocalized antigens, producing brown and blue
      single-labeled and black double-labeled cells.

PMID- 1867354
TI  - Histologic evolution of basal cell carcinoma recurrence.
AB  - The biological behavior and appropriate therapy of recurrent basal cell carcinoma
      (BCCA) is controversial, with some studies suggesting that this tumor becomes
      more aggressive with each recurrence, and other studies indicating that the
      majority are aggressive from the onset. The authors studied the histologic
      evolution of BCCA by comparing 29 original tumors with their subsequent
      recurrences to determine if there were any predictable histologic changes. There
      were borderline statistically significant changes only in degree of fibrosis,
      prominence of nucleoli, and mitotic frequency. There were no statistically
      significant changes in any of the other parameters, including those that were
      shown previously to be predictive of recurrence or aggressive behavior. The
      results of this study clearly indicate that the majority of recurrent BCCAs are
      aggressive from the onset, and that in many cases this can be predicted from the
      histomorphology of the original tumor.

PMID- 1867355
TI  - Cell degeneration in alopecia areata. An ultrastructural study.
AB  - The morphology and prevalence of different forms of cell degeneration in hair
      follicles in acute alopecia areata were investigated. In addition to apoptosis
      and necrosis, a third morphological pattern of cell degeneration, dark-cell
      transformation, was evident. Fifteen patients with untreated acute alopecia
      areata and three normal adults without hair loss were studied. Electron
      microscopy revealed that although apoptosis of outer root sheath keratinocytes
      produces normal hair follicle involution (catagen), increased levels of
      apoptosis, necrosis, and dark-cell formation appear to be related to the
      pathology of alopecia areata. Although cell degeneration was generally restricted
      to keratinocytes of the lower follicle, melanocytes, Langerhans' and dermal
      papilla cells were also affected. Keratinocytic degeneration may affect layers of
      matrix cells in alopecia areata, unlike the apoptosis of scattered outer root
      sheath cells in normal catagen. The extent of cell death suggests a pathological
      rather than a physiological event in alopecia areata.

PMID- 1867356
TI  - Scanning electron microscopic features of Kaposi's sarcoma.
AB  - In order to clarify the three-dimensional structure of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) five
      cases of KS of the skin were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
      KS lesions were investigated both in vascular and spindle cell areas and were
      compared with similar areas observed by light microscopy. KS appears as a
      spongelike neoplasm consisting of irregular vascular channels lacking endothelial
      cells and well-developed basement membranes. Vascular spaces and vascular slits
      are packed with numerous red blood cells (RBCs). SEM features of KS share some
      similarities with those of hemangiopericytoma, a vascular tumor composed of
      mature endothelial cells surrounded by pericytes. These findings are consistent
      with the hypothesis according to which the proliferating cells of KS are viewed
      as immature endothelial cells with partial differentiation into pericytes.

PMID- 1867357
TI  - Morsicatio buccarum et labiorum (excessive cheek and lip biting).
AB  - In some individuals habitual cheek and lip biting becomes a fixed neurosis.
      Pieces of oral mucosa are actually torn free from the surface, producing a
      distinctive clinical appearance termed morsicatio buccarum et labiorum. Sometimes
      it may be confused with other dermatological disorders involving the oral mucosa,
      and can lead to misdiagnosis. Most patients with this condition are unaware of
      their habit and will not aid in the diagnosis. We suggest that the
      histopathological features of this condition are distinctive, if not
      pathognomonic, and that an accurate diagnosis should be rendered if a biopsy
      sample is taken. Two cases are reported herein that were originally misdiagnosed
      as pemphigus, one of which resulted in complications of improper oral
      corticosteroid use.

PMID- 1867358
TI  - Malignant hair matrix tumor ("malignant trichoepithelioma") arising in the
      setting of multiple hereditary trichoepithelioma.
AB  - An unusual adnexal tumor on the scalp of a 59-year-old woman with hereditary
      trichoepithelioma is reported. After the initial removal, the tumor recurred
      twice during a 4-year period. Mohs micrographic surgery resulted in full excision
      of the lesion. Two years later there was no evidence of recurrence. Histologic
      examination of the tumor showed it to merge with adjacent areas of classic
      trichoepithelioma. The tumor showed cytologic atypia, mitotic figures, necrosis,
      deep infiltration, and features of pilar differentiation including clear cells,
      reminiscent of cells of the follicular outer root sheath, and focal shadow-cell
      formation. The differential diagnosis of this malignant follicular neoplasm
      included pilomatrix carcinoma and basal-cell carcinoma with matrical
      differentiation. The unique clinicopathologic features, however, raised
      consideration of a "malignant trichoepithelioma."

PMID- 1867359
TI  - Systematized progradient multiple combined melanocytic and blue nevus.
AB  - A 44-year-old woman was diagnosed as having unilateral multiple progradient
      pigmented macules and papules of the upper extremity and adjacent part of the
      back. Microscopically increased amounts of melanin and melanocytes in the basal
      layer of the epidermis in the early developmental stage of macules were seen.
      Combinations of blue nevus with junctional or compound nevus or with a simple
      proliferation of melanocytes in the epidermis were present in the papules. The
      question of prognosis is discussed.

PMID- 1867361
TI  - Is dermatology a trivial specialty?

PMID- 1867360
TI  - Malignant mesothelioma presenting as Sister Joseph's nodule.
AB  - We report a rare case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in which the patient
      presented with umbilical tumor involvement. This case is also compared with other
      cases of umbilical neoplasm.

PMID- 1867362
TI  - Dermatology is a profound specialty that must not be trivialized.

PMID- 1867364
TI  - The death of Heracles. An inquest.

PMID- 1867363
TI  - The prohibition of tattooing in New York City.

PMID- 1867365
TI  - Atypical melanocytic proliferations.

PMID- 1867366
TI  - [Infectious complications due to central venous polymeric catheters].
AB  - Due to the multitude of invasive procedures of today's intensive care medicine,
      infections from central venous catheters have gained increasing attention. The
      incidence of bacteremias arising from such devices ranges from less than 0.1 to
      0.6 cases per 100 catheter-days. Factors influencing the incidence of catheter
      associated infections are related to patient characteristics as well as the
      purpose and material of the catheter. Silicone catheters seem to carry a lower
      risk of infection than common polytetrafluorethylene catheters. The most
      frequently isolated bacteria in catheter-associated infections are coagulase
      negative and coagulase-positive staphylococci, enterococci, and pseudomonas
      species. Septicemias due to Candida albicans frequently complicate the course of
      immune-compromised patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPE). Catheter
      associated bacteremias (CAB) can arise from the contaminated hub, from which
      pathogens migrate intraluminally to the blood stream. When the catheter entry
      site is infected, bacteria may reach the blood via the extraluminal route and
      cause septicemia. Endemic outbreaks of CAB often originate from contaminated
      infusion fluids. As the clinical presentation of "catheter infections" is often
      uncharacteristic and insidious, a definite diagnosis depends on bacteriological
      examination of the catheter. Quantitative and semiquantitative culture techniques
      of the catheter tip help to distinguish colonization from contamination by
      numbers of colony-forming units per milliliter culture medium. Preliminary
      results can be obtained by simple Gram or acridine-orange staining of the
      catheter tip. The most important prophylactic measures to prevent CAB are
      strictly aseptic conditions when catheters are placed and meticulous care
      thereafter, preferably by specially trained nurses or "TPE teams".(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867367
TI  - [The effect of flumazenil on alfentanyl-induced respiratory depression].
AB  - Use of the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil may inhibit the effects of
      benzodiazepines in a competitive manner. The only known partially agonistic
      effect of flumazenil is a weak anticonvulsive action at high doses. However,
      reports have claimed that flumazenil reduces the MAC of isoflurane in animal
      studies. Other reports have found that antagonizing midazolam-induced sedation or
      anesthesia by flumazenil led to an increase in respiratory depression. The aim of
      this study was to examine whether flumazenil i.v. increases fentanyl-induced
      respiratory depression. METHODS. In two separate sessions, ten healthy young
      volunteers were given either 0.0027 mg/kg fentanyl alone or 0.0027 mg/kg and 1 mg
      flumazenil i.v. over 4 min each time. The CO2 rebreathing method was used to
      determine the ventilatory response. RESULTS. Fentanyl alone brought about a
      significant reduction in CO2 response, characterized by a shift to the right and
      a decrease in the slope of the rebreathing curve (from 1.95 +/- 0.76 l.min-1.mmHg
      1 to 0.86 +/- 0.53 l.min-1.mmHg-1). The infusion of additional flumazenil caused
      similarly significant respiratory depression (from 2.21 +/- 1.0 l.min-1.mmHg-1 to
      0.77 +/- 0.38 l.min-1.mmHg-1). In both groups changes persisted for at least 120
      min. No statistically significant differences between the two groups could be
      detected. CONCLUSION. Flumazenil does not enhance fentanyl-induced respiratory
      depression. Flumazenil's weak, partially agonistic action is therefore of no
      clinical importance.

PMID- 1867368
TI  - [The prognostic value of the delayed cutaneous immune reaction following multiple
      trauma in comparison with other clinical parameters].
AB  - Infection is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality after multiple trauma.
      Although impaired immune function has been assumed to be associated with the
      development of infection and sepsis in trauma victims, its predictive role is
      still controversial. In a prospective study, the predictive value of the
      immunological in vivo response to intradermally applied recall antigens was
      compared with serial determinations of routine parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS.
      Using the commercially available Multitest device, the cutaneous delayed-type
      hypersensitivity (DTH) response to seven standardized recall antigens was
      sequentially tested at defined time intervals in 35 mechanically ventilated
      multiple-trauma patients (4 females, 31 males). Routine clinical and laboratory
      parameters (FiO2, lactate, creatinine, platelet count, absolute and differential
      white blood cell (WBC) count) were determined every day. Injury severity scores
      (ISS), infections, and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality were prospectively
      documented by the same investigator. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The overall ICU
      mortality was 23%. In survivors, the mean ISS was 29.5, in nonsurvivors 38.9 (P
      less than 0.05). Mortality significantly increased in association with sepsis.
      Interestingly, the DTH response and severity of the trauma did not show any
      interdependence. Immediately after ICU admission, DTH testing failed to correlate
      with either infection or mortality: most of the multiply traumatized patients
      were anergic on initial skin testing. In the early posttraumatic stage, the serum
      levels of creatinine or lactate, lymphocyte and promyelocyte counts, and FiO2
      proved to be more reliable predictors. In the later course, however, a good
      correlation was found between sequential skin test results and the development of
      infection. Beginning on the 4th day after trauma, DTH scores below 5 mm defined a
      population with a high incidence of developing a clinically important septic
      episode. In conclusion, lactate, FiO2, and WBC counts are early indicators of an
      impending poor outcome, whereas the skin test response is not. In the later
      course, however, the sequentially determined DTH response may substantially
      contribute to the identification of multiple-trauma patients at increased risk of
      infection.

PMID- 1867369
TI  - [Postoperative urinary retention].
AB  - In 359 patients 371 operations were performed under general or regional
      anesthesia, and these were followed up with regard to anesthesiological
      technique, postoperative course and voiding of the bladder. Patients under 15
      years of age, with severe incontinence or with a bladder catheter were excluded
      from the study. The surgical specialties were general surgery, orthopaedics,
      gynecology, ENT and ophthalmology. If any patient had not urinated by 6-10 h
      postoperatively and was found to have a full bladder on palpation, urinary
      retention was diagnosed. There were 75 patients (20%) who had urinary retention,
      significantly fewer women than men (p less than 0.025), and men under 35 years
      old had significantly less retention than older men (p less than 0.0025). The
      anesthesiological technique is an important factor in postoperative urinary
      retention: spinal anesthesia with tetracaine and adrenaline caused significantly
      more retention than spinal anesthesia with lidocaine 5% (p less than 0.005), and
      more than epidural or general anesthesia (p less than 0.005). No significant
      difference concerning urinary retention was found regarding surgical specialty,
      emergency operations, morphine or adrenaline added to tetracaine for spinal
      anesthesia, amount of local anesthetics used for epidural anesthesia or between
      spinal anesthesia with lidocaine 5% and epidural anesthesia with mepivacaine.
      Once urinary retention is diagnosed, conservative (privacy, relaxation exercises,
      getting up) or medical treatment (propyphenazone + hexahydroadiphenine
      (Spasmocibalgin), carbamoyl choline chloride) should be given. Catheterization
      should be performed only as a last resort.

PMID- 1867371
TI  - [An unnoticed dislocation of the dens axis in a patient with primary chronic
      polyarthritis undergoing intensive therapy].
AB  - Involvement of the cervical spine is seen in 40%-60% of all patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis. Consequences are instability of the upper cervical column
      with pain and neurological deficits, in some cases tetraplegia, and sudden death.
      From this reason special care has to be taken in the management of those
      patients, even when they are comatose or anesthetized, to avoid sudden spinal
      cord compression with irreversible neurological deficits. We report a 49-year-old
      female with a history of rheumatoid arthritis for more than 10 years. Because of
      an adhesive ileus complicated by septicemia, she underwent abdominal surgery
      twice followed by prolonged mechanical ventilation under high doses of sedative
      drugs. After reduction of the tranquilizer doses tetraplegia with respiratory
      insufficiency was found. Neurophysiological and X-ray examinations showed spinal
      cord compression due to dislocation of the odontoid process, a rare but typical
      complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It was not possible to
      determine the date of the dislocation, but it might have been caused by
      intubation or respositioning. Although the patient underwent immobilization and
      surgical fusion of the upper cervical spine, there was no improvement in the
      neurological status and she died 5 months later. In patients with advanced
      rheumatoid arthritis a detailed medical history, clinical examination, and
      radiography are necessary before general anesthesia or intensive care with
      intubation is considered. If an unstable cervical spine is suspected, intubation
      should be performed by fiberoptic technique under light sedation. Regional
      anesthesia should be preferred over general anesthesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1867370
TI  - [Bronchial rupture. Diagnosis and therapy of a rare complication of the use of
      double-lumen tubes].
AB  - For anesthesia during thoracic surgery, it is common to use a double-lumen
      endotracheal tube for one-lung ventilation. Double-lumen tubes protect the
      bronchial system of the healthy lung from being occluded by blood or pus coming
      from the operated lung. Therefore, in cases of lung abscess, bronchial
      hemorrhage, lung cyst, or localized lung infection the use of a double-lumen tube
      is advisable. Facilitating operation and reduced operating time are further
      advantages of intubation with a double-lumen tube for independent ventilation of
      both lungs. Due to the rigidity of these tubes, however, there are disadvantages
      such as injuries to the trachea and bronchial system. We report a case of rupture
      of the left main bronchus after insertion of a Carlens tube. The intraoperative
      symptoms of airway leakage are demonstrated, the process of locating and
      repairing the injury is described. In our case the postoperative course was not
      complicated; the patient left the hospital 10 days after operation. Causes of
      bronchial rupture, its therapy, and prophylactic measures are also discussed.

PMID- 1867372
TI  - [Malignant hyperthermia in a child with acute lymphatic leukemia].
AB  - A 5-year-old boy with acute lymphatic leukemia in remission developed signs of
      malignant hyperthermia (MH) during general anesthesia for removal of a central
      venous access port. The anesthetic procedure for implantation of the port 17
      months before had been uneventful despite use of the same triggering agents,
      halothane and succinylcholine. Meanwhile, the patient had received chemotherapy
      (COALL-03-85). The first sign of MH was masseter spasm following succinylcholine;
      then tachycardia, acidosis, myoglobinuria, and CPK elevation (8953 IU) appeared.
      There was only moderate temperature elevation to 37.8 degree C. Rapid improvement
      and complete recovery occurred after dantrolene i.v. The patient's father was
      found to have undiagnosed muscle pain and an elevated CPK level. An in vitro
      contracture test with halothane and caffeine revealed susceptibility to MH and
      supported the patient's diagnosis and genetic predisposition. Referring to
      several other cases in the literature concerning MH in patients with lymphomas
      and leukemias, a possible correlation between the two diseases is discussed. As
      the MH crisis in our patient was most probably genetic in origin, a common
      acquired cause such as a viral infection seems less probable. We do not believe
      the chemotherapy our patient received between the two anesthetics was the cause
      since about one-half of the patients in the literature had not had
      chemotherapeutic pretreatment at the time of the MH crisis. We believe that a
      common genetic predisposition is the most likely link between the two diseases.
      In any case, patients with leukemias and lymphomas should be monitored very
      carefully for symptoms of MH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867373
TI  - [Intraoperative anaphylactic shock due to a latex allergy].
AB  - Delayed hypersensitivity to rubber chemicals is well known, but there has been an
      increasing number of reports of immediate-type hypersensitivity due to latex
      causing contact urticaria, angioedema, bronchial asthma, and anaphylactic shock
      in adults. We report a 10-year-old boy who developed anaphylactic shock during
      surgery due to surgical gloves containing latex. The patient was atopic and had a
      history of neurodermatitis and localized angioedema on exposure to rubber. There
      had been two previous uneventful surgical procedures. Thirty-five minutes after
      induction of anesthesia and 5 min after laparotomy for appendectomy there was an
      acute onset of increased airway pressure, oxygen desaturation, and profound
      hypotension. The circulation and gas exchange stabilized after treatment with
      oxygen, intravenous fluids, epinephrine, H1 and H2 blockers, aminophylline, and
      methylprednisolone. A positive skin test and RAST revealed a latex allergy. Latex
      can cause life-threatening allergic reactions in patients with a history of
      rubber allergy or frequent exposure to latex products.

PMID- 1867374
TI  - Purification and characterization of three toxins and two agglutinins from Abrus
      precatorius seed by using lactamyl-Sepharose affinity chromatography.
AB  - Three toxins, abrin-I, -II, and -III, and two agglutinins, APA-I and -II, were
      purified from the seeds of Abrus precatorius by lactamyl-Sepharose affinity
      chromatography followed by gel filtration and DEAE-Sephacel column
      chromatography. Abrin-I did not bind on DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography and
      the bound abrin-II, abrin-III, APA-I, and APA-II were eluted with a sodium
      acetate gradient. The identity of each protein was established by sodium
      dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. The
      relative molecular weights are abrin-I, 64,000; abrin-II and abrin-III, 63,000
      each: APA-I, 130,000; and APA-II, 128,000. Isoelectric focusing revealed
      microheterogeneity due to the presence of isoforms in each protein. Toxicity and
      binding studies further confirmed the differences among the lectins. The time
      course of inhibition of protein synthesis in thymocytes by the toxins showed lag
      times of 78, 61, and 72 min with Ki's of 0.55, 0.99, and 0.74 ms-1 at a 0.63 nM
      concentration of each of abrin-I, -II, and -III, respectively. A Scatchard plot
      obtained from the equilibrium measurement for the lectins binding to lactamyl
      Sepharose beads showed nonlinearity, indicating a cooperative mode of binding
      which was not observed for APA-I binding to Sepharose 4B beads. Further, by the
      criterion of the isoelectric focusing profile, it was shown that the least toxic
      abrin-I and the highly toxic abrin-II isolated by lactamyl-Sepharose
      chromatography were not retained on a low-affinity Sepharose 4B matrix, which
      signifies the necessity of using a high-affinity matrix for the purification of
      the lectins.

PMID- 1867375
TI  - Functionalized membrane supports for covalent protein microsequence analysis.
AB  - Methods were developed for high yield covalent attachment of peptides and
      proteins to isothiocyanate and arylamine-derivatized poly(vinylidene difluoride)
      membranes for solid-phase sequence analysis. Solutions of protein or peptide were
      dried onto 8-mm membrane disks such that the functional groups on the surface and
      the polypeptide were brought into close proximity. In the case of the
      isothiocyanate membrane, reaction between polypeptide amino groups and the
      surface isothiocyanate moieties was promoted by application of aqueous N
      methylmorpholine. Attachment of proteins and peptides to the arylamine surface
      was achieved by application of water-soluble carbodiimide in a pH 5.0 buffer.
      Edman degradation of covalently bound polypeptides was accomplished with initial
      and repetitive sequence yields ranging from 33 to 75% and 88.5 to 98.5%,
      respectively. The yields were independent of the sample load (20 pmol to greater
      than 1 nmol) for either surface. Significant loss of material was not observed
      when attachment residues were encountered during sequence runs. Application of
      bovine beta-lactoglobulin A chain, staphylococcus protein A, or the peptide
      melittin to the isothiocyanate membrane allowed for extended N-terminal sequence
      identification (35 residues from 20 pmol of beta-lactoglobulin). A number of
      synthetic and naturally occurring peptides were sequenced to the C-terminal
      residue following attachment to the arylamine surface. In one example, 10
      micrograms of bovine alpha-casein was digested with staphylococcal protease V8
      and the peptides were separated by reverse-phase chromatography. Peptide
      fractions were then directly applied to arylamine membrane disks for covalent
      sequence analysis. From as little as 2 pmol of initial signal it was possible to
      determine substantial sequence information (greater than 10 residues).

PMID- 1867376
TI  - Stabilized procedure for the determination of urokinase fibrinolytic potency.
AB  - A stabilized procedure for the determination of urokinase (UK) fibrinolytic
      potency is described in which method response is dependent on urokinase
      concentration and independent of normal variation in assay parameters. The method
      is a selective stability-indicating procedure for UK active enzyme. It is
      suitable for evaluation of both high molecular weight as well as low molecular
      weight urokinase fractions and is calibrated against the World Health
      Organization International Reference Preparation for UK code 66/46 using a
      biological six-point parallel line log-log dose-response approach where sample
      and standard are compared under essentially identical conditions. High method
      stability and sensitivity are achieved through the use of appropriate levels of
      purified human plasminogen and human plasma (source of fibrinogen) as primary and
      secondary substrates, respectively. Method precision versus house reference
      standard (%RSD less than or equal to 2%) is suitable for research and
      pharmaceutical purposes. The absolute UK potency reference plane established in
      the calibrated procedure is equivalent to that established by other investigators
      in the fibrinolytic field.

PMID- 1867377
TI  - Trypsin inhibitor paradoxically stabilizes trypsin activity in sodium dodecyl
      sulfate, facilitating proteolytic fingerprinting.
AB  - Normally trypsin has negligible activity after being dissolved in sodium dodecyl
      sulfate (SDS), and so it has had little utility for proteolytic fingerprinting
      during gel electrophoresis. Here it is demonstrated that trypsin retained
      activity in SDS if it was first complexed to either of two soybean-derived
      protease inhibitors: trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) or trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor
      (Bowman-Birk). The inhibitors alone did not cause proteolysis. Heating or
      acidification in SDS inactivated the inhibitor-dependent tryptic activity, as did
      prior treatment with tosyl lysine chloromethyl ketone, a covalent affinity
      reagent for trypsin. Quenching of samples with acid at intervals prior to gel
      electrophoresis revealed that proteolysis did not occur in sample buffer (pH
      6.8), but only at higher pH and during gel electrophoresis. Exposure of trypsin
      to SDS prior to addition of trypsin inhibitor resulted in an irreversible loss of
      activity with a half-life of about 10 s. It is proposed that the trypsin
      inhibitors stabilize trypsin by retarding its denaturation in SDS. The substrate
      for these experiments was the alpha subunit of the Na,K-ATPase. The same pattern
      of Na,K-ATPase fragments was obtained with bovine and porcine trypsin and with
      rat and porcine Na,K-ATPases. Different fragments resulted when chymotrypsin or
      elastase were substituted for trypsin; these proteases were active in the absence
      of an inhibitor, and were not markedly stabilized by interaction with soybean
      trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor (Bowman-Birk).

PMID- 1867378
TI  - Determination of copper in urine and serum by gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A stable isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method using
      enriched 65Cu as an internal standard is described for the determination of Cu in
      urine and serum. Chelating agents N,N'-ethylenebis-(trifluoroacetylacetoneimine)
      [H2(enTFA2)] and lithium bis(trifluoroethyl)dithiocarbamate [Li(FDEDTC)] were
      used and evaluated for memory effect. H2(enTFA2) did not show any appreciable
      memory effect, whereas Li(FDEDTC) was found to have a strong memory effect.
      Overall precision of 1.6% was obtained for determining Cu isotope ratios at a 10
      ng level using H2(enTFA2). Cu concentrations in the National Institute of
      Standards and Technology (NIST) reference materials, freeze-dried urine SRM 2670,
      and human serum SRM 909 determined using the H2(enTFA2) chelating agent were in
      good agreement with the NIST-certified values. Isotope ratios determined by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry on samples with altered isotopic composition
      were in good agreement with the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
      data.

PMID- 1867380
TI  - Resolution of 16 to 20 chlorophyll-protein complexes using a low ionic strength
      native green gel system.
AB  - Conventional native "green gel" systems resolve at most 10 chlorophyll-protein
      complexes from thylakoid membranes of higher plants and green algae. Such
      analyses suggest a simplicity of the thylakoid membrane that is not supported by
      a growing body of evidence on the heterogeneity of photosystems I and II (PSI and
      PSII) and their associated antennae (LHCI and LHCII). We report here the
      development and characterization of a low ionic strength native "green gel"
      system that resolves from 16 to 20, mostly large chlorophyll-protein complexes
      from a variety of higher plant and green algal species with very little release
      of free pigment. In Chlamydomonas, this system resolves multiple PSI-LHCI
      complexes, multiple PSII-LHCII complexes, four oligomeric LHCII complexes, as
      well as several low electrophoretic mobility reaction center complexes, and a
      number of small complexes. We have obtained similar resolution with a large
      number of higher plant and green algal species. We also demonstrate how this
      system can be used as a sort of "fingerprinting" technique to distinguish
      thylakoids of different species, and for the analysis of photosynthetic mutants,
      using the chlorophyll b-less chlorina f2 mutant of barley as an example.

PMID- 1867381
TI  - Synthesis of methyl 5-O-trans-feruloyl-alpha-L-arabinofuranoside and its use as a
      substrate to assess feruloyl esterase activity.
AB  - A synthetic scheme was developed for the production of methyl 5-O-trans-feruloyl
      alpha-L-arabinofuranoside (FA-Ara) in gram quantities. This molecule accurately
      models the chemical attachment of ferulic acid to polysaccharides found in cell
      walls of plants in the Gramineae family. It is therefore a realistic substrate
      that can be used to monitor feruloyl esterase activity. Ultraviolet spectral
      analysis indicated that FA-Ara has an absorption maximum distinct from the
      hydrolytic product, ferulic acid (FA), over a wide range of solution pH values.
      The log molar extinction coefficient ranges from 4.16 to 4.36 for FA-Ara and 4.16
      to 4.33 for FA depending upon the pH of the buffered solution. Consequently a
      convenient spectrophotometric assay can be utilized to monitor esterase activity.
      Three different methods were developed for using this model substrate to assess
      esterase activity, including thin-layer chromatography, a spectrophotometric
      assay, and the use of high-performance liquid chromatography.

PMID- 1867379
TI  - A carbohydrate-directed heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent for the
      synthesis of immunoconjugates.
AB  - A novel, highly water-soluble, heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent, S-(2
      thiopyridyl)-L-cysteine hydrazide (TPCH), was synthesized which contains a
      hydrazide moiety for coupling to aldehyde groups generated in the carbohydrate
      residues of antibodies by mild periodate oxidation, and a pyridyl disulfide
      moiety for coupling to molecules with a free sulfhydryl group. Since the
      carbohydrate moieties are distal to the antigen binding region of antibodies,
      derivatization with this cross-linker minimizes impairment of the antigen binding
      function. Derivatization of the human monoclonal IgM antibody 16-88 against human
      colon carcinoma cells with as many as 16 TPCH cross-linker molecules did not
      impair its antigen binding capability. Using mild oxidation conditions for
      antibody derivatization, sialic acid residues were identified as attachment sites
      for the cross-linker molecules, since after desialylation of antibody 16-88 by
      neuraminidase virtually no cross-linker molecules could be incorporated.
      Comparison of TPCH with S-(2-thiopyridyl)mercaptopropionic acid hydrazide and S
      (2-thiopyridyl)-L-cysteine, two related cross-linking reagents, revealed that
      TPCH is most efficiently incorporated into periodate-treated antibody. Based on
      the structural differences of the cross-linkers, the more efficient incorporation
      of TPCH appears to be a function of the presence of a hydrazide moiety with an
      adjacent amino group. When three to four molecules of pyridyl disulfide
      derivatized barley toxin were coupled to TPCH-derivatized antibody 16-88, the
      antigen binding capability remained uncompromised. In addition, no significant
      impairment of toxin activity upon coupling to the antibody was observed. Based on
      these data, TPCH may be very useful for the synthesis of immuno-conjugates with
      no or only minimal impairment of the antigen binding function.

PMID- 1867382
TI  - Photochemical cis-trans isomerization of furylacryloylpeptides and their
      different kinetic behavior as substrates for carboxypeptidase Y.
AB  - Furylacryloyl substrates used in kinetic measurements of proteolytic enzymes are
      shown to cis-trans photoisomerize quickly in plain daylight. The enzymatic
      transformation of the two forms is sufficiently different to cause problems for
      such measurements without careful protection against light.

PMID- 1867383
TI  - Synthesis of a reagent for fluorescence-labeling of vitamin D and its use in
      assaying vitamin D metabolites.
AB  - The fluorogenic dienophile 1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione with a highly fluorescent
      quinoxalinone group at the 4-position (DMEQ-TAD) was synthesized and exploited as
      a reagent to assay vitamin D metabolites. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3, 1 alpha,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 24(R),25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 reacted quantitatively with
      DMEQ-TAD when the two substrates were mixed in dichloromethane at room
      temperature to yield the corresponding 6,19-cycloadduct. The reaction was very
      fast so that 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 at a concentration as low as 10(-8) M
      could be quantitatively labeled with the fluorescent reagent within 30 min at
      room temperature. With this reagent, down to 10 fmol of vitamin D metabolites
      could be quantified linearly. The detection limit of the labeled vitamin D using
      high-performance liquid chromatography was usually about 1 fmol. Thus, it was
      shown in a model system that the fluorometric method using the new reagent (DMEQ
      TAD) can be applied to the assay of the three major vitamin D metabolites in 1 ml
      of plasma. This is the first practical fluorometric method for assaying the
      active vitamin D metabolite.

PMID- 1867384
TI  - Protein secondary structure from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy: a data
      base analysis.
AB  - An infrared (ir) method to determine the secondary structure of proteins in
      solution using the amide I region of the spectrum has been devised. The method is
      based on the circular dichroism (CD) matrix method for secondary structure
      analysis given by Compton and Johnson (L. A. Compton and W. C. Johnson, 1986,
      Anal. Biochem. 155, 155-167). The infrared data matrix was constructed from the
      normalized Fourier transform infrared spectra from 1700 to 1600 cm-1 of 17
      commercially available proteins. The secondary structure matrix was constructed
      from the X-ray data of the seventeen proteins with secondary structure elements
      of helix, beta-sheet, beta-turn, and other (random). The CD and ir methods were
      compared by analyzing the proteins of the CD and ir databases as unknowns. Both
      methods produce similar results compared to structures obtained by X-ray
      crystallographic means with the CD slightly better for helix conformation, and
      the ir slightly better for beta-sheet. The relatively good ir analysis for
      concanavalin A and alpha-chymotrypsin indicate that the ir method is less
      affected by the presence of aromatic groups. The concentration of the protein and
      the cell path length need not be known for the ir analysis since the spectra can
      be normalized to the total ir intensity in the amide I region. The ir spectra for
      helix, beta-sheet, beta-turn, and other, as extracted from the data-base, agree
      with the literature band assignments. The ir data matrix and the inverse matrix
      necessary to analyze unknown proteins are presented.

PMID- 1867385
TI  - Development of the nuclei and cell migration in the medulla oblongata.
      Application of the quail-chick chimera system.
AB  - We have tried to obtain new insight into the development of the medulla oblongata
      by using the quail-to-chick chimera system. Five types of isotopic and isochronic
      grafts were carried out, between quail and chick embryos, at the 10- to 12-somite
      stage: exchanges of (I) the entire myelencephalon, (II) the dorsal half of the
      myelencephalon, (III) the ventral half of the myelencephalon, (IV) the right half
      of the myelencephalon and (V) the dorsal quarter of the myelencephalon. Before
      analyzing the chimeric embryos, we studied the ontogeny of the various nuclei in
      the medulla oblongata of normal birds. The first appearance of nuclei in quail
      embryos preceded in many cases that of their chick counterpart by 12 to 24 h. The
      adult pattern of the nuclei was established by E8 in quail and E9 in chick.
      Similarly, during early development of chimeras, the migration of quail cells
      began earlier than that of chick cells. This shows that the species specific
      temporal sequence of proliferation and migration is not significantly altered by
      transplantation into the host. The possibility of grafting selectively the
      ventral or dorsal half of the neural tube allowed us to distinguish the fate of
      the cells belonging respectively to the alar and the basal plate. The nuclei with
      a total or partial motor function, such as the nucleus nervi abducentis, the
      nucleus nervi facialis, the nucleus nervi glossopharyngei and the nucleus
      motorius dorsalis nervi vagi, have either an exclusive or predominant origin from
      the basal plate. In contrast, the nuclei with essentially or exclusively sensory
      components (i.e., nucleus angularis, nucleus laminaris, nucleus magnocellularis)
      arise from the alar plate. The reticular formation such as the nucleus
      reticularis gigantocellularis and the nucleus reticularis subtrigeminalis was
      strikingly mixed, with both alar and basal plate origin of neurons. Active
      dorsoventral migrations of cells originating migrations from the dorsal neural
      tube, the "rhombic lip", contribute the ventral nuclei (i.e., nuclei pontis
      medialis, lateralis and olivaris inferior), whose functions are essentially
      associative. This study shows different types of cell migration. Dorsoventral and
      ventrodorsal movements are essentially active from E5 to E8. In the medulla
      oblongata, the dorsoventral stream is highly predominant. From E8 to E9, cells
      belonging to the marginal stream cross the midline laterally in both directions.
      Beyond E12, longitudinal migrations occur ventrally in both rostrocaudal and
      caudorostral directions. The immunohistochemical analyses carried out on chimeras
      generated in experiment V revealed the existence of fibers in marginal zones
      prior to the onset of the migration of cell bodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1867386
TI  - Transforming growth factor-beta 1 localized within the heart of the chick embryo.
AB  - Transforming growth factor-beta 1 is a pleiotropic peptide mediator of growth,
      differentiation, and extracellular matrix synthesis. In the embryonic chick heart
      prior to the formation of the endocardial cushions, evidence from in vitro
      experiments suggests that transforming growth factor-beta 1 may be an inducer of
      the differentiation of atrioventricular endothelial cells into endocardial
      cushion mesenchyme. Further in vitro evidence suggests that the factor stimulates
      mesenchymal cell proliferation, and, thus, growth of the cushions. Using an
      antibody made against a peptide duplicating the aminoterminal 30 amino acid
      sequence of transforming growth factor-beta 1, we stained sections of stage 11,
      18, 23, 26, and 36 chick hearts by an in situ immunofluorescence technique.
      Transforming growth factor-beta 1 staining localized to the endocardial surface
      and epicardial surface of the stage 11 heart, but it decreased from these
      locations in later stages. The cardiac jelly (stage 11), endocardial cushions
      (stage 18, 23, and 26), and, subsequently, the heart valve leaflets (stage 36)
      stained intensely for the growth factor.

PMID- 1867387
TI  - Differentiation of renal intercalated cells in fetal and postnatal rats.
AB  - An ultrastructural study was conducted on the kidneys from rat fetuses and pups
      from ages ranging from birth to 8 weeks to identify the time of appearance of
      each of the two intercalated cell types. With transmission electron microscopy. A
      intercalated cells were recognized by their large apical microvilli and
      microplicae as well as by the numerous subapical vesicles. Their identification
      was confirmed by the presence of typical studs at the cytoplasmic face of the
      apical plasma membrane. By scanning electron microscopy the cells were recognized
      by their typical microplicae at the apical surface. In 19-day-old fetuses and
      newborns. A-intercalated cells were numerous in the epithelium lining the renal
      pelvis and inner medullary intercalated ducts. Two weeks after birth they
      disappeared from these regions but became numerous at the outer medullary
      collecting ducts and also at the cortical collecting ducts although to a lesser
      degree. B-intercalated cells were recognized by the scarcity of microvilli, the
      absence of microplicae, and the large number of basal infoldings. Their
      identification was confirmed by the presence of studs at the cytoplasmic face of
      the basolateral membrane. B-cells started to appear 3 weeks after birth and
      increased thereafter. We speculate that the particular stages at which the two
      cell types differentiate might be related to changes in acid-base status.

PMID- 1867388
TI  - Distribution and migration of angiogenic cells from grafted avascular
      intraembryonic mesoderm.
AB  - The hemangiogenic potencies of initially avascular intra-embryonic mesoderm were
      studied in chick and quail embryos and in chick-quail chimeras. The prechordal
      mesoderm, primitive streak and primitive node of quail embryos were
      heterospecifically grafted into limb buds of chick embryos. Hemangiopoietic quail
      cells in the host limb were detected by immunohistological staining with the
      monoclonal anti-MB-1 antibody after 3-6 days of re-incubation. The antibody is
      specifically directed against quail hemangiopoietic cells and their derivatives.
      Quail endothelial cells were found in pure quail and in chimeric vessels, inside
      as well as outside the graft. The main artery of the limb and the vessels inside
      the graft were connected by chimeric arteries. Proximal to the graft, quail
      endothelial cells were located predominantly within the lining of the main
      artery, while distally they were found mainly in the veins and the marginal
      sinus. The results show that, as early as stage 3 (according to Hamburger and
      Hamilton 1951, HH) all parts of the avascular intraembryonic mesoderm tested,
      give rise to endothelial cells. Both mechanisms, angiogenesis and vasculogenesis,
      contribute to the vascularization of the limb. Immunocytological and scanning
      electron microscopic studies indicate that centrifugal and centripetal migration
      of angiogenic cells occurs outside the vessels as well as on the inner surface of
      the endothelium.

PMID- 1867389
TI  - A scanning electron microscope study of vascular development in the dental
      papilla of prenatal rat molars.
AB  - Prenatal development of the vascular supply to the dental papilla was studied in
      the maxillary first molar teeth of rats from 18.5 to 22.0 days gestation, using
      the vascular casting/scanning electron microscope method. Five pulp horns
      developed in order, central, distal, mesial, disto-lingual and mesio-lingual with
      the development of the dental papilla. The first vessels that invaded each pulp
      horn were slightly depressed and formed an irregular network. The newly developed
      blood vessels were found to grow by sprouting and loop formation. After the
      invasion, blood vessels at the top of the horn became wider and then diminished
      in size to form a dense vascular network. The growth of the blood vessels in the
      latter stages is thought to take place mainly at the tops of the horns, and it is
      suggested that narrower capillaries arise from wide vessels. A dense and
      flattened vascular network consisting of thin blood vessels was formed when
      mesenchymal cells were beginning to differentiate into odontoblasts. The increase
      in density is thought to correlate with the differentiation of odontoblasts.

PMID- 1867391
TI  - Distribution and regulation of progesterone receptor in the urogenital tract of
      the chick embryo. An immunohistochemical study.
AB  - The early appearance, cellular distribution, and hormonal regulation of the
      progesterone receptor was studied in the urogenital tract of the chick embryo
      using antibodies to the receptor molecule. In embryos at day 5 of incubation the
      receptor is revealed in cell nuclei of the mesenchyme and the coelomic epithelium
      near the primordium of the urogenital sinus. In embryos at days 6 to 10
      immunostained cells are found in the mesenchyme surrounding the urodeal and
      proctodeal epithelia. The first difference between male and female embryos
      appears at day 8, with a higher density of progesterone receptor-containing cells
      along the urogenital sinus epithelium in females. The female type of receptor
      positive cell distribution can be induced in males by oestradiol treatment. Anti
      oestrogens applied from day 0 of incubation do not prevent or delay the
      appearance of PR, but induce a male-type distribution in female embryos. In the
      gonads, immunostained cells appear unambiguously at day 6 in the medulla. At
      later stages, the receptor is revealed mostly in the medulla, although there are
      also positive cells in the cortex of the left ovary. The immunoreactivity is not
      significantly modified by oestradiol or anti-oestrogens. The mesonephros is
      devoid of immunoreactivity, whereas most cells of the metanephric mesenchyme are
      receptor-positive. In the Mullerian ducts progesterone receptor is not detected
      in control embryos of either sex until after day 10. Between days 6 and 7
      Mullerian ducts become responsive to oestradiol, which induces progesterone
      receptor in luminal epithelial cells. In the spinal cord, receptor is detected in
      neurones of the ventral horn and the meninges, starting at day 6. The
      progesterone receptor is up-regulated by oestradiol in the mesenchymal cells.
      Mullerian ducts, and mesothelium, but not in the gonads or the spinal cord. In
      none of the tissues or organs where the receptor appears naturally during
      development could an anti-oestrogen treatment with Tamoxifen or RU39411 block or
      delay its constitutive appearance. The widespread and specific distribution of
      the progesterone receptor, its programmed appearance in various organs, and its
      precise hormonal regulation, are in favour of a morphogenetic role of
      progesterone in tissue differentiation, related or not to sexual differentiation
      of the urogenital tract.

PMID- 1867393
TI  - Rapid determination of cancellous bone mineral loss in ovariectomized rats by a
      subtraction technique.
AB  - We present a rapid technique for determining cancellous bone mineral changes in
      small experimental animals. We used the distal centimeter of the right femur from
      ovariectomized (OX) (N = 30) and shamovariectomized (ShOX) (N = 28) rats, aged 90
      days at surgery and killed at times from 125-540 days postsurgery. We used dual
      photon absorptiometry to scan the segment three times: intact, after parasagittal
      splitting, and after removing all cancellous bone. We equated the difference
      between the second and third scans to cancellous bone mineral content (Cn.BMC).
      To validate this, we compared it with histomorphometrically determined bone
      volume (BV/TV) of the proximal tibial metaphysis of the same rat. Parasagittally
      splitting the segment removed no detectable mineral. OX rats had 40% less Cn.BMC
      than ShOX rats. However, OX rats had 80% lower BV/TV than ShOX rats. The
      subtraction technique not only makes a rapid, reasonable assessment of cancellous
      bone loss in OX rats but permits a smaller sample size than histomorphometry. The
      histomorphometric technique finds a greater difference between OX and ShOX rats
      because it examines a region where cancellous bone loss is more marked than does
      the scanning technique. The current technique measures bone of not only the
      central secondary spongiosa but also the juxtacortical region and the primary
      spongiosa, where OX-related differences are less prominent. The principles of
      this subtraction technique proved workable. However, for the future, we recommend
      a two-scan technique using a dual energy X-ray scanner. It is likely to take only
      20-30 min per specimen to assess cancellous bone mineral.

PMID- 1867392
TI  - Differential expression of calbindin-D 28 kDa in rat incisor ameloblasts
      throughout enamel development.
AB  - Calbindin-D 28 kDa (CaBP 28 kDa), a vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein,
      has been associated with calcium handling by cells. We have investigated the
      expression of this protein in the rat incisor enamel organ, an epithelium
      interposed between a mineralizing matrix and connective tissue rich in blood
      vessels, by radioimmunoassay (RIA), Western blotting, and quantitative protein A
      gold immunocytochemistry with antibodies to rat kidney CaBP 28 kDa. RIA of
      cytosolic extracts showed that enamel organs contained relatively high
      concentrations of CaBP 28 kDa (compared to kidney; see review by Christakos S.,
      C. Gabrielides, and W.B. Rhoten 1989 Endocr. Rev., 10:3-25). Immunoblotting of
      proteins extracted from enamel organ strips revealed an intensely-stained band
      near 28 kDa throughout amelogenesis following ameloblast differentiation.
      Immunocytochemically, CaBP 28 kDa was localized exclusively within ameloblasts.
      The density of labelling increased from the presecretory stage to the secretory
      stage and fluctuated across the maturation stage in relation to ameloblast
      modulation. Ruffle-ended ameloblasts consistently showed the most intense
      immunoreaction. Gold particles were present throughout the cytoplasm and nuclei
      of ameloblasts but regions rich in rough endoplasmic reticulum or cell webs
      showed a higher immunolabelling. Some gold particles were also associated with
      the external face of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Multivesicular bodies in
      maturation stage ameloblasts were occasionally immunoreactive. These data suggest
      that the intracellular concentration of CaBP 28 kDa is regulated throughout
      amelogenesis reflecting a stage-specific control of calcium homeostasis in
      ameloblasts.

PMID- 1867390
TI  - The role of fibronectin and laminin in development and migration of the avian
      Wolffian duct with reference to somitogenesis.
AB  - It has been suggested that matrix molecules like fibronectin and laminin
      influence the differentiation and migration of embryonic cells. We investigated
      the role of these two glycoproteins in somitogenesis as well as in the
      differentiation and migration of the avian Wolffian (pronephric and mesonephric)
      duct. At first, we described essential steps in the development of these two
      organ anlagen by light microscopy, SEM and TEM. To localize fibronectin and
      laminin more exactly in the actual stages, we used the indirect immunoperoxidase
      reaction at the light microscopic level and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase
      technique at the ultrastructural level. Fibronectin was found at the surface of
      the unsegmented paraxial mesoderm, increasing in the cranial direction, and in
      the basal laminae of somites and Wolffian duct. The mesenchymal tip of the duct
      contains a moderate amount of fibronectin. In the two investigated organ anlagen,
      laminin was found mainly in the basal laminae. The role of fibronectin and
      laminin was investigated further by using synthetic peptides that mimic the main
      cell binding domain of either fibronectin or laminin, and that competitively
      inhibit their cell surface receptors. Thus, the pentapeptides GRGDS, YIGSR, and
      for control, SHLVE were micro-injected under the ectoderm of 2-day-old embryos.
      After treatment with GRDS, the Wolffian duct and the segmental plate are more
      compact. The rounded cells exhibit only short processes and narrow intercellular
      spaces. At the side of injection the duct shows a delay in migration. After
      treatment with YIGSR the Wolffian duct migrated laterally over the somatopleure.
      The basal laminae seem to be incomplete. SHLVE had no effect. Our results suggest
      that fibronectin is a prerequisite for the migration of the Wolffian duct, and
      that laminin probably plays a role in guiding the duct. The epithelialization
      during somitogenesis and differentiation of the duct is a more complex process
      involving also fibronectin and laminin.

PMID- 1867394
TI  - Fibronectin filaments and actin microfilaments are organized into a fibronexus in
      Dupuytren's diseased tissue.
AB  - The fibronexus is a close transmembrane association between fibronectin filaments
      and actin microfilaments. It has been found at the surfaces of fibroblasts in
      tissue culture, as well as within contracting granulation tissue. This
      specialized connection has been proposed to play an important role in the
      adhesive properties of fibroblasts. The purpose of this study is to determine
      whether the fibronexus is present in other contracting tissues besides
      granulation tissue, specifically in Dupuytren's diseased tissue. Dupuytren's
      disease is a pathologic condition in which the palmar aponeurosis becomes
      shortened leading to irreversible flexion of the digits. Shortening of the
      aponeurosis is believed to be an active cellular process. Extracellular filaments
      and actin microfilaments form close transmembrane associations at the surfaces of
      actin-rich fibroblasts in Dupuytren's disease. Extracellular filaments extend
      from the cell surface into the surrounding tissue connecting fibroblasts with
      collagen fibrils and adjacent cells. In this study we have used immunoelectron
      microscopy to demonstrate that the extracellular filaments that participate in
      these close transmembrane associations contain fibronectin. High voltage electron
      microscopy has been used to examine the three-dimensional relationships between
      the cytoskeleton and fibronectin filaments in Dupuytren's diseased tissue. We
      propose that the fibronexus is a dominant adhesive structure at the surface of
      fibroblasts in Dupuytren's diseased tissue. The fibronexus, by mediating cell-to
      cell and cell-to-matrix attachments, may serve to transmit contractile forces
      generated by actin microfilaments in these cells throughout the diseased tissue.

PMID- 1867395
TI  - Muscle spindle ultrastructure revealed by conventional and high-resolution
      scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - Muscle spindles in the tenuissimus muscle of mature golden Syrian hamsters were
      examined by conventional and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy
      (HRSEM). For conventional SEM, entire muscles were first fixed in 2.5% buffered
      glutaraldehyde. Spindles were then isolated with a dissecting microscope under
      darkfield illumination and postfixed in 1.0% OsO4. Some spindles were treated
      with 8 N HCl at 60 degrees C to clearly expose intrafusal fiber surfaces once the
      outer capsular sheath was mechanically disrupted. Preparation for HRSEM included
      aldehyde/osmium fixation and freeze-cleavage in liquid N2. The cytosol and
      certain cellular elements were also selectively extracted by immersion in 0.1%
      OsO4 for varying time intervals. In these preparations, the capsular sleeve
      showed a multilayered pattern of vesicle-laden cells with variant surface
      topography in different regions, including filopodia and small bristle-like
      surface-projections. An interlacing three-dimensional network of collagen fibrils
      intervened between the capsular lamellae. Within the spindles, sensory and
      fusimotor nerve endings closely adhered to the outer surfaces of intrafusal
      fibers. Sensory nerve terminals were enveloped by a prominent external lamina,
      and those that were cleaved open contained a plethora of elongated mitochondria
      that ran parallel with the longitudinal axis, along with vesicles, axoplasmic
      filaments, and lysosomes. Multiple adhesion sites between the sensory nerve
      membrane and the underlying sarcolemma of the intrafusal fiber were also observed
      in select regions. Fusimotor nerve endings were covered externally by processes
      of Schwann cells and their axoplasm was filled with a multitude of cellular
      organelles and synaptic vesicles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867396
TI  - Effect of tunicamycin, an inhibitor of protein glycosylation, on testicular cord
      organization in fetal mouse gonadal explants in vitro.
AB  - The effect of tunicamycin (TM) on testicular cord organization in the fetal mouse
      was examined in vitro at light and electron microscopic levels, with special
      reference to the glycoprotein functions during Sertoli cell differentiation. In
      testicular explants treated with TM, testicular cord organization was inhibited.
      TM treatment affected basal lamina formation by Sertoli cells, resulting in a
      discontinuous basal lamina or none at all in certain areas. The disorganized
      Sertoli cells were amorphous in shape, exhibited poor epithelial polarity, and
      were irregularly arranged in the testicular parenchyma. Extracellular matrix and
      collagen fibers were often observed in the intercellular spaces between the
      disorganized Sertoli cells. Lectin histochemical observation revealed that the
      number of wheat germ agglutinin binding sites on the plasma membrane and basal
      lamina of disorganized Sertoli cells was significantly decreased by TM treatment.
      However, junctions were normally observed in the plasma membrane between
      disorganized Sertoli cells. Leydig cells showed a normal differentiation in the
      testicular parenchyma in the presence of TM. These observations suggest that
      basal lamina formation of Sertoli cells and/or the expression of their cell
      surface glycoconjugates may be crucial for the establishment of Sertoli cell
      polarity and/or the Sertoli-Sertoli cell interactions required for proper
      testicular cord formation. Sertoli cell organization into testicular cords and
      Leydig cell differentiation may be controlled by different regulatory mechanisms.

PMID- 1867397
TI  - Changes in actin distribution during sperm development in the opossum,
      Monodelphis domestica.
AB  - The distribution of actin in spermatogenic cells and epididymal spermatozoa of
      the opossum, Monodelphis domestica, was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy
      to identify its potential function in the major structural events of sperm
      development. In spermatogenic cells actin was located at the site of initial
      interaction between the nucleus and acrosome and remained present through
      subsequent acrosome morphogenesis. Actin was also associated both with the
      posterior pole of the nucleus, at the site of flagellar attachment, and with the
      manchette. Thus actin may play a role in establishing the specific associations
      of spermatid organelles and in the streamlining of the cells' architecture. In
      epididymal spermatozoa two sites of actin localization are present. The first
      site is surrounding the connecting piece where it may participate in the
      characteristic 90 degrees rotation of the head. The second site was a ring of
      actin surrounding the lateral boundary of the acrosome where it may play a role
      in the sperm pairing process which also occurs in the epididymis.

PMID- 1867398
TI  - Development of esophageal epithelium in the fetal and neonatal mouse.
AB  - Development of the fetal mouse esophageal epithelium was followed using light
      microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy
      (SEM) and radioautography. At 15 days of gestation in the cervical (C),
      mediastinal (M), and abdominal (A) segments of the esophagus, the epithelium was
      two or three cells thick, and only cells located in the basal (germinal) layer
      incorporated tritiated thymidine. Ciliated cells were sparse in all three
      segments. At 17 days of gestation, longitudinal mesenchymal ridges became more
      differentiated in the distal segment. Labeling indices were lower than at
      preceding stages in each segment. Ciliated cells had increased in number and
      appeared to be evenly distributed along the whole esophagus. In periodic acid
      Schiff (PAS)-stained sections, an increasing proximodistal distribution of
      glycogen stores was observed, with greatest concentrations found in segment A. At
      18 days of gestation, labeling indices were comparable in segments C and M (11.7%
      +/- 2.9% and 12.8% +/- 1.9%, respectively) but remained higher in segment A
      (17.9% +/- 2.0%). Ciliated cells were still present. At this stage, transverse
      circular furrows and ridges started to appear. They increased in number at 4 days
      after birth and were very closely distributed in the adult. In longitudinal
      sections, these ridges corresponded to projections of stratum granulosum and of
      the overlying stratum corneum. After birth, ciliated cells desquamated rapidly
      but some patches were still present at 4 days. At 8 days, the esophageal
      epithelium was not yet keratinized.

PMID- 1867399
TI  - Colloidal gold localization of type IV collagen in the extracellular matrix of
      rat gastric mucosa: influence of alcohol and prostaglandin.
AB  - The effect of acute alcohol exposure on the gastric mucosal basal lamina, and its
      major structural protein type IV collagen, was assessed by transmission electron
      microscopy (TEM) and immunogold (IG) labeling of this collagenous material.
      Fasted rats orally received either 50% or 100% ethanol. Five or 60 minutes later
      animals were sacrificed and mucosal samples were obtained from the glandular
      epithelium for TEM or IG localization of type IV collagen. For IG studies, the
      number of gold particles/area lamina densa was quantified in interfoveolar, pit,
      and gland regions as an index of the molecular integrity of type IV collagen.
      Both ethanol concentrations induced epithelial exfoliation with pleating of the
      denuded lamina densa. Absolute ethanol, and to a lesser extent 50% ethanol,
      caused frequent rupture of a thickened, precipitated lamina densa. Immunolabeling
      of type IV collagen varied with the experimental protocol. In control tissues
      exposed to oral saline, binding was greatest in the interfoveolar zone. Low
      binding occurred with 100% ethanol in all regions when compared with controls,
      but 50% ethanol evoked significantly higher binding in interfoveolar regions, in
      a similar fashion to controls. In additional studies in which 16,16 dimethyl
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) (10 micrograms/kg) was injected subcutaneously prior to
      oral ethanol exposure, PGE2 pretreatment prevented the large decrease in IG
      binding induced by absolute ethanol, but the level still remained significantly
      less than with corresponding controls. In contrast, pretreatment with PGE2 prior
      to 50% ethanol exposure restored type IV collagen immunolabeling to control
      levels. These results indicate that ethanol induces a concentration-dependent
      lowering of IG binding to type IV collagen which also effects its reversibility
      by PGE2.

PMID- 1867400
TI  - Immunohistochemical comparison of T-cell and macrophage populations in mammary
      tissue of control and Trichinella spiralis-infected rats.
AB  - We have shown that antigen-specific T lymphocytes can mediate maternal-to
      neonatal immunity during lactation. Present studies address the dynamics of
      lymphocyte accumulation in the mammary gland during normal and disease stimulated
      conditions. Monoclonal antibodies specific for total T cells,
      suppressor/cytotoxic and helper subsets, and macrophages were used in conjunction
      with immunohistochemistry to identify and count the individual cell types. In
      unstimulated mammary tissue, following a rise in T cells to maximal numbers in
      late pregnancy, the total number of T cells/high power field (HPF) was
      significantly diminished in early lactation and continued to decline to the late
      lactation period. Both the numbers of T cells/HPF located in the mammary alveolar
      epithelium and surrounding connective tissue were significantly reduced in early
      lactation as compared to late pregnancy. This indicates the possible passage of
      cells into the milk during lactation. Prior infection of the mother with
      Trichinella spiralis and a secondary challenge 48 h. before sacrifice caused a
      significant reduction in the number of T cells in the mammary tissue in early
      lactation as compared with unstimulated controls, indicating the possibility of
      an even greater outflow of T cells into milk. In controls, the T
      suppressor/cytotoxic subtype showed a reduction in early lactation versus late
      pregnancy but showed no shifts in total cells/HPF during infection. The T-helper
      subtype in controls remained unchanged from late pregnancy to early lactation
      with a considerable decline in late lactation. However, the T-helper cells were
      significantly decreased in T. spiralis-treated animals as compared with
      noninfected controls in early lactation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867401
TI  - Freeze-fracture observations on human fetal kidney in serum-free organ culture.
AB  - The current study was undertaken to examine and characterize junctional
      complexes, through freeze-fracture, in developing human fetal kidney and in
      cultured renal explants maturing in vitro. Tissue specimens were cultured for 7
      days in Leibovitz's L-15 medium in the absence of serum or hormones. In
      uncultured explants, cells in the different nephron segments were joined by
      zonulae occludentes which consisted of ridges on the P-face and grooves on the E
      face of lateral membranes. Tight junction composition was heterogeneous and
      complexity increased from proximal to collecting tubules. Proximal tubule cells
      were also characterized by the presence of gap junctions and a brush border.
      Podocytes were joined by macular junctions, while zipper-like junctions were
      observed between collecting duct cells. Intercalated cells were decorated with
      rod-shaped intramembrane particles on lateral and apical membranes, instead of
      the usual spherical particles present in other cells. All these structures could
      be observed at various intervals during tissue culture, indicating the
      preservation of ultrastructural integrity of the explants. These observations
      extend and support previous studies made at the light and electron microscopic
      levels. Thence, the present culture model constitutes a valuable tool to study
      the direct effect of growth factors on nephrogenesis.

PMID- 1867402
TI  - Prenatal and postnatal development of the large intestine in the insectivore
      Suncus murinus, the laboratory shrew.
AB  - Development of the large intestine in the insectivore Suncus murinus (the
      laboratory shrew) was investigated from day 21 to 30 of gestation and from birth
      to 20 days of age. Two days before birth, the stratified epithelium in the large
      intestine changed into a single layer. Although neither villi nor villus-like
      structures were ever present, fissures, corresponding to openings of the crypts,
      appeared on the mucosal surface before birth. These increased in number as well
      as in width and depth, connected with each other, and gave the mucosal surface a
      ridge-like appearance by 20 days of age. An elevation containing submucosae
      appeared shortly after birth and formed a large circular fold during the neonatal
      period. Goblet cells were the predominant epithelial cell type. Individual
      epithelial cells were mature-looking a few days before birth; goblet cells
      contained numerous mucous globules and absorptive cells possessed well-developed
      organelles. However, although goblet cells increased in number and exhibited
      active mucous-releasing forms after birth, absorptive cells never showed
      morphologic evidence of active endocytosis, such as apical endocytotic complexes
      and large supranuclear vacuoles. Each epithelial cell was similar in
      ultrastructure to that of the adult shortly after birth.

PMID- 1867403
TI  - Effects of maternal bilateral ureteral ligation on the differentiation of
      glomerular anionic sites in fetal rat kidney.
AB  - Effects of maternal bilateral ureteral ligation on the differentiation of
      glomerular anionic sites in fetal kidney were studied with the colloidal iron
      method. The ligation was performed on days 17, 19, and 21 of pregnancy, and the
      animal were euthanized 1 day after each ligation. On fetal day 20, in the fetuses
      from ligated mothers, colloidal iron was concentrated in laminae rarae interna
      and externa of the glomerular basement membrane. In the fetuses from sham-ligated
      mothers, however, a different pattern of iron distribution was noted. In most
      areas of the glomerular basement membrane, colloidal iron was randomly
      distributed as in both fetuses of fetal day 18. In the remaining areas, the same
      pattern of colloidal iron distribution as was noted in the fetuses from ligated
      mothers of fetal day 20 was observed. On fetal day 22, colloidal iron was densely
      accumulated in laminae rarae interna and externa of the glomerular basement
      membrane in both groups. However, the iron-free zone was slightly thicker in the
      fetuses from the ligated mothers. These findings suggest that maternal bilateral
      ureteral ligation accelerates the differentiation of glomerular anionic sites in
      the kidney of fetal rats.

PMID- 1867404
TI  - Characteristics of end-plates formed in mouse skeletal muscles reinnervated by
      their own or by foreign nerves.
AB  - Morphological and electrophysiological techniques were used to study the
      neuromuscular junctions of soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles in normal
      mice and 6 months after reinnervation by either their original or foreign nerves.
      In muscles reinnervated by foreign nerves, there were increased incidences of
      morphological abnormalities, including ultra-terminal axonal sprouting,
      multiaxonal innervation of end-plates, and ectopic synapse formation, as compared
      with both normal muscles and muscles reinnervated by their correct nerves. In
      spite of the morphological abnormalities, however, there was no evidence that the
      effectiveness of synapses (as estimated from the mean quantal content, m, of end
      plate potentials) formed between nerves and inappropriate muscles was impaired.
      As had also been found in normally innervated muscles, the value of m was again
      higher in extensor digitorum longus than in soleus following reinnervation by
      inappropriate nerves. These results suggest that in mammals, when muscles are
      reinnervated by foreign nerves, mechanisms exist to maintain the efficacy of
      neuromuscular transmission, in contrast to the situation in amphibians (Sayers
      and Tonge, 1982: J. Physiol. (Lond.), 330:57-68). The abnormalities observed in
      this study following reinnervation may be a morphological manifestation of these
      corrective mechanisms.

PMID- 1867405
TI  - The restraining function of the cruciate ligaments on hyperextension and
      hyperflexion of the human knee joint.
AB  - Each of the cruciate ligaments contains functionally different fiber groups; one
      fiber bundle is always taut; numerous others are taut in intermediate or extreme
      positions. The bulk of the fibers of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is taut
      in maximal extension, while that of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is taut
      in the intermediate positions and in maximal flexion. Fibers taut in extreme
      positions serve as restraints: during hyperextension, the ACL restrains forward
      migration of its tibial attachment, while the PCL interacts with other structures
      to prevent posterior opening of the joint. The inverse situation occurs in
      hyperflexion. Cruciate fibers are dissimilar in length and angular arrangement so
      that, when movements are restrained, they lengthen to different extents. To
      define this phenomenon in quantitative terms, the term isokolyons was coined for
      lines from which fibers showing identical elongation in percentage on exposure to
      a force take their origin.

PMID- 1867407
TI  - Influence of age on nuclear bodies and nuclear volume in pituicytes of the rat
      neurohypophysis.
AB  - This study has analyzed age-related changes in the nuclear organization of
      pituicytes of the rat. The cytological study of the cell nucleus and the
      quantitative analysis of nuclear bodies (NBs) were performed on ultrathin
      sections. Nuclear diameter, perimeter, and area were measured on semithin
      sections, and nuclear volume was estimated from these data. The nucleolus was
      mainly composed of a few large fibrillar centers with their associated dense
      fibrillar component, whereas the granular component tended to form large masses
      at the nucleolar periphery. The most frequent configuration of NBs was a globular
      inclusion composed of a fibrillar capsule with a core that contained a few
      electron-dense granules. Intranuclear glycogen was detected on rare occasions and
      only in old rats. The proportion of nuclear sections containing NBs increased
      significantly from 1.5% in 3-month-old rats to 8.6% in 18-month-old rats. A
      significant increase in the nuclear volume was detected in older rats with
      respect to the younger ones (157 +/- 69 vs. 98 +/- 43 microns 3, mean +/- S.D.).
      Our results suggest an age-related activation of nuclear metabolism in pituicytes
      resulting in a nuclear expansion and an increase in the frequency of appearance
      of NBs. This activation might be a reactive cellular event induced by the
      degenerative changes in neurosecretory nerve endings naturally occurring in older
      animals.

PMID- 1867406
TI  - Heterogeneity among ovarian blood vessels: endogenous hepatic lipase is
      concentrated in blood vessels of rat corpora lutea.
AB  - We used indirect immunofluorescence and immunogold light microscopy to examine
      the distribution of hepatic lipase, an enzyme involved in lipoprotein metabolism,
      in ovaries of gonadotropin-treated immature rats. Antibodies utilized were rabbit
      anti-rat hepatic lipase IgG, anti-rat von Willebrand factor (VWF, an endothelial
      cell marker), and goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated to gold particles or rhodamine.
      Immunoreagents were applied to fresh frozen sections of unfixed ovary or liver
      (positive control) or were delivered to ovaries by vascular perfusion before
      fixation in situ and silver-enhancement of sections. Appropriate controls
      verified that the immunolocalizations were specific. Immunofluorescence implied
      that luteal but not stromal blood vessels of ovaries were positive for hepatic
      lipase, whereas luteal and stromal blood vessels bore VWF. The improved
      morphology gained by perfusing ovaries with antibodies allowed precise
      localization of the enzyme. Hepatic lipase was concentrated within thin-walled
      vessels of corpora lutea but not those of stroma in ovaries at the time of peak
      steroidogenic activity. Quantification of hepatic lipase-labeled vessels in
      stromal and luteal compartments confirmed our visual impression. Many images
      suggested that stromal vessels lacking hepatic lipase gained this enzyme upon
      contact with luteal tissue. Perfusion of ovaries with cationized ferritin labeled
      all ovarian vessels equally well, ruling out the possibility that the observed
      distribution of hepatic lipase was artifactual. These findings demonstrate that
      ovarian blood vessels are heterogeneous for hepatic lipase. Moreover, they imply
      that luteal tissue, perhaps luteal cells, may influence expression of hepatic
      lipase binding sites by endothelial cells.

PMID- 1867408
TI  - Adaptation of diaphyseal structure with aging and increased mechanical usage in
      the adult rat: a histomorphometrical and biomechanical study.
AB  - The experimental increase in mechanical usage or overloading of the left hindlimb
      was produced by immobilization of the contralateral hindlimb. The right hindlimb
      was placed in a flexed position against the body and was immobilized using an
      elastic bandage. Some control animals were sacrificed initially at time zero and
      increased mechanical usage and age-matched control animals were sacrificed after
      2, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of treatment. All animals received double bone
      fluorochrome labeling prior to sacrifice. Cortical bone histomorphometry and
      cross-sectional moments of inertia were determined. Marrow cavity enlargement and
      total cross-sectional area expansion represented the age-related cortical bone
      changes. Increased mechanical usage enhanced periosteal bone modeling in the
      formation mode and dampened endocortical bone remodeling and bone modeling in the
      resorption mode (resorption drift) to create a slight positive bone balance.
      These observations are in general agreement with Frost's postulate for mechanical
      effects on bone modeling and remodeling (Frost, H.M. 1987b. Bone "mass" and the
      "mechanostat." A proposal. Anat. Rec. 219: 1-9). The maximum moment of inertia
      did not change significantly in either control or overloaded tibial shafts. The
      minimum and polar moment of inertias in overloaded bones increases over those of
      controls at 18 and 26 weeks of the experiment.

PMID- 1867409
TI  - Changes of glycoconjugate contents of the zona pellucida during oocyte growth and
      development in the golden hamster: a quantitative cytochemical study.
AB  - We demonstrated here with the high resolution lectin-gold approach and
      quantitative analysis, changes of glycoconjugates in the hamster zona pellucida
      (ZP) during oocyte growth and development in the ovary and the oviduct.
      Glycoconjugates which contain N-acetyl-D-galactosamine as terminal sugar residues
      are absent in the ovary but are secreted by secretory cells in the oviduct and
      are added to the ZP of superovulated oocytes during oviductal transit.
      Glycoconjugates which carry sialic acid as terminal sugar residues appear to be
      acquired mainly from the ovary. The oviduct contributes little of this particular
      component to the ZP during the transit of oocytes in the oviduct. On the contrary
      D-galactose and N-acetylglucosamine associated glycoconjugates, added to the ZP
      in ovarian follicles, are also secreted by non-ciliated oviductal epithelial
      cells and these secretory products are transferred to the ZP in significant
      amount during passage of the oocyte through the oviduct. Lectin-gold labeling of
      the ZP of superovulated oocytes reveals homogeneous distribution of gold
      particles throughout the zona matrix. Thus, we conclude that the ZP of hamster
      superovulated oocytes consists of glycoconjugates that may derive from different
      origins. Deposition of ZP glycocomponents begins in the ovary. Similar and new
      glycoconjugates, secreted by oviductal non-ciliated secretory cells, are added to
      the ZP of oocytes during oviductal transit. At this stage the ZP is made up of a
      homogeneous matrix of glycoconjugates.

PMID- 1867411
TI  - The structural organization and adrenergic innervation of the carotid arterial
      system of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis).
AB  - The sympathetic innervation of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) carotid
      arterial system is described in this study using the sucrose-potassium phosphate
      glyoxylic acid (SPG) method. The brachiocephalic and bicarotid trunks showed a
      paucity of sympathetic innervation. Smooth muscle nests observed in the outer
      layers of the tunica media in these arteries revealed a rich network of
      sympathetic nerve fibres. The common carotid artery showed numerous sympathetic
      nerve fibres particularly in the outer muscular zone of the tunica media. The
      internal maxillary, ramus anastomoticus, and arteria anastomotica also revealed a
      rich sympathetic innervation and a deep penetration of the nerve fibres into the
      tunica media. It is suggested that the rich sympathetic innervation of the
      giraffe carotid arteries maintains a basal tonic state in the smooth muscle in
      the tunica media. This, in turn, may enable the animal to maintain a relatively
      high rate of blood flow in the carotid arteries in diastole despite the pressure
      run-off. It is further suggested that the muscular structure and dense
      sympathetic innervation of the internal maxillary and its branches to the carotid
      rete mirabile provide the animal with an array of mechanisms to modulate its
      cranial circulation particularly when it bends its head to drink.

PMID- 1867410
TI  - Correlation between blood-testis barrier development and onset of the first
      spermatogenic wave in normal and in busulfan-treated rats: a lanthanum and freeze
      fracture study.
AB  - Pregnant rats (day 13) received 10 mg/kg of Busulfan i.p. The seminiferous
      tubules of their offspring from post-natal age 1 day up to day 35 were examined
      with TEM after fixation plus intercellular tracers, and with freeze-fracture
      techniques. During this period, the inter-Sertoli tight junctions of controls
      increase both in number and in length. Between days 10 and 13 the seminiferous
      cords have numerous preleptotene and leptotene spermatocytes surrounded by
      tracer. The inter-Sertoli junctions are tortuous and predominantly perpendicular
      to the basal lamina. Between ages 13 and 20 days the seminiferous epithelium
      reaches zygotene-pachytene stages. The tracer is stopped at the inter-Sertoli
      junctions at this stage, whereas it still permeates tubules displaying
      preleptotene and leptotene spermatocytes. Freeze-fracture shows that the
      orientation of inter-Sertoli junctions has changed to parallel, both to each
      other and to the basal lamina. In the Busulfan-treated rats, the tubules continue
      having, up to post-natal day 30, only Sertoli cells and scanty spermatogonia. In
      these, lanthanum penetration goes as far as the apical Sertoli cell region; the
      inter-Sertoli junctions still show tortuous strands, and most are oriented
      perpendicular to the basal lamina. This indicates that formation of the first
      competent inter-Sertoli junctions is temporo-spatially simultaneous with the
      appearance of zygotene-pachytene spermatocytes.

PMID- 1867412
TI  - A fine morphological study of germ cells in asymmetrically developing right and
      left ovaries of the chick.
AB  - Germ cells of the chick ovary which develop asymmetrically on the right and left
      sides of the embryo were observed by electron microscopy from 7 to 17 days of
      incubation. Germ cells showed different patterns in the right and left ovaries,
      and also differences in the cortex and in the medulla. At 7 to 9 days, germ cells
      were individually present in both the right and left ovaries. They proliferated
      from 10 days onward and formed many cell aggregates. In each aggregate, germ
      cells were joined by intercellular bridges, and their cell cycles were
      synchronized. Although meiotic features of the germ cells were frequently found
      in the cortex of the left ovaries at 16 days, some germ cells exhibited these
      features at earlier days. In the meiotic germ cells, the "Balbiani body," which
      was composed of a concentration of cell organelles shifted to one pole of the
      cell, was always seen. The appearance of a meiotic nucleus and Balbiani body was
      characteristic of germ cells located in the left ovarian cortex, whereas those
      were never seen in the left medulla and in the right ovary. At 16 and 17 days,
      some germ cells were released into the lacunae of the medulla of both the right
      and left ovaries. The meaning of this phenomenon is discussed. Degenerating germ
      cells were frequently observed in the right ovary, but rarely in the left.

PMID- 1867413
TI  - Extracellular matrix of the developing heart in normal and cardiac lethal mutant
      axolotls, Ambystoma mexicanum.
AB  - As part of an ongoing study of heart development in normal and cardiac lethal
      mutant axolotls (Mexican salamanders) we examined the extracellular matrix (ECM)
      by microscopical methods. With scanning electron microscopy we are unable to
      detect ECM on the apical surface of cells of the early cardiogenic mesoderm.
      During the period of lateral plate migration, which coincides with the period of
      cardiogenic induction of mesoderm by anterior endoderm, there is little ECM,
      aside from some microfibrils, on the basal surface of the endoderm or mesoderm of
      the pharyngeal region. Later, a basal lamina (BL) is found on the endoderm and
      along portions of the developing endocardial and myocardial tubes. By the time of
      heartbeat initiation the BLs are complete and invested with striated collagen
      like fibrils that are sparsely distributed in the "cardiac jelly" of normal and
      mutant hearts. Striated fibril deposition, which increases with time, is
      generally random in orientation, with the exception of some regions where there
      is a preferred directionality. During the post-hatching period striated fibrils
      appear in the subepicardial space. In addition, branching fibers that are
      probably elastin appear in the bulbus arteriosus. In these later stages the
      density of fibrils in the cardiac lethal mutant heart is much less than normal.
      Indirect immunofluorescent microscopy reveals laminin and fibronectin in the
      basal laminae of the endocardial and myocardial tubes of both normal and cardiac
      lethal mutant hearts. In addition, punctate and fibrillar staining for
      fibronectin, and punctate staining for laminin are found in the cardiac jelly.
      These matrix proteins are not abundant at the apical (exterior) surface of the
      myocardium until the epicardium appears.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867414
TI  - Biomechanical changes in the rabbit masticatory system during postnatal
      development.
AB  - Using dissection, biometry, and two three-dimensional mechanical models, the
      postnatal changes of the rabbit masticatory muscles were studied by analyzing
      their three-dimensional orientation, their strength and fiber lengths, and
      certain functional consequences of these changes. The first mechanical model uses
      length-tension relationships of the muscles and predicts the maximum bite force
      as a function of mandibular position. It shows that young rabbits are able to
      generate large bite forces at a wider gape than adult animals and that the forces
      are directed more vertically. In spite of the postnatal changes the mechanical
      advantage of the system remains about equal. However, the muscles are reoriented
      so that they exert a larger degree of parallel action, suggesting a larger bite
      force magnitude but a smaller range of bite force directions. The second model
      predicts this range. It shows that during postnatal development a relative gain
      occurs in the possibilities for the system to exert forces directed
      rostrodorsally. In all other directions the capability to exert force decreases.
      The results suggest that during development the possibility of the system to
      generate large bite forces is increased at the cost of a restriction in the range
      of jaw excursion and that a restriction takes place in the range of possible
      force directions that can be exerted at the molars.

PMID- 1867415
TI  - Equine myenteric plexus with special reference to the pelvic flexure pacemaker.
AB  - Sellers et al. (1979, Am. J. Phys., 237: E457-E464) proposed a pelvic flexure
      pacemaker mechanism to account for the bidirectional contraction waves needed to
      both retain ingesta within the right ventral colon for cellulose digestion and
      terminal fermentation and to transport the digesta distad once the process has
      been completed. To corroborate the presence of a pelvic flexure pacemaker, we
      prepared whole mount samples of the tunica muscularis from 23 horses at ten sites
      along the large colon, cecum and jejunum. Following smooth muscle enzymatic
      digestion, somata of the myenteric plexus were stained with an RNA-specific
      agent, Cuprolinic blue. These somata were quantified at each site to establish
      any regional variations in neuronal density. Results indicated an increased
      neuronal density at the level of the pelvic flexure, especially in the region of
      the left dorsal colon. The increased neuronal density at the left dorsal colon
      compared to the other sampling sites was statistically significant (Wilcoxon
      signed rank test, P less than .01 at each sampling site). There was remarkable
      size variation (from 10-60 microns) among neurons at the individual sampling
      sites. However, no statistically significant size discrepancy existed between
      sampling sites (Friedman's rank test, P = .10). The 23 horses ranged from 6
      months to 15 years of age. No age-related differences in neuronal density was
      discovered (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA test, P greater than .05). Neuronal densities
      did not vary on the basis of sex (Wilcoxon signed pairs test, P greater than
      .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867416
TI  - Endocytotic activity of the free floating cells and epithelial cells in the
      endolymphatic sac: an electron microscopic study.
AB  - The fine structure and its functional properties of both free floating cells and
      epithelial cells in the endolymphatic sac after injections of India ink particles
      or polystyrene latex beads, 0.24 micron in diameter, into the endolymphatic
      space, were studied using light and electron microscopy. Twenty-four to 48 hours
      after injections, these foreign materials had accumulated in the lumen of the
      endolymphatic sac and a large number of them were ingested into free floating
      cells, most of which appear to be macrophages. Granular leucocytes taking up the
      foreign materials into the cytoplasm were also recognized in the sac lumen. A few
      of these leucocytes passed through the epithelium and migrated to the
      subepithelial connective tissue, while the others were degenerated and
      phagocytosed by the free floating cells in the lumen of the sac. In addition to
      the free floating cells, ink particles, latex beads, and degenerated leucocytes
      were endocytosed into some of the epithelial cells. As we reported previously,
      the epithelial cells were clearly classified into two types; type-1 epithelial
      cells (cytoorganelle-rich cells) and type-2 epithelial cells (filament-rich
      cells). The foreign materials and degenerated cells were taken up mainly into the
      type-1 epithelial cells, while the type-2 epithelial cells did not show so marked
      endocytotic activity in comparison with the type-1 epithelial cells. Thus, it
      becomes clear that the endolymphatic sac plays an important role in the
      endocytotic activity for foreign materials and waste products, and both the free
      floating cells and the type-1 epithelial cells of the sac have strong endocytotic
      activity.

PMID- 1867417
TI  - Psychomotor performance after desflurane anesthesia: a comparison with
      isoflurane.
AB  - Recovery and psychomotor performance were studied in 80 ASA physical status I-III
      adult patients undergoing outpatient surgery. Patients were divided into four
      equal groups: thiopental induction of anesthesia followed by desflurane in
      nitrous oxide and oxygen (Th-DES-N2O/O2), thiopental induction of anesthesia
      followed by isoflurane in nitrous oxide and oxygen (Th-ISO-N2O/O2), thiopental
      induction of anesthesia followed by desflurane in oxygen (Th-DES-O2), and
      desflurane inhaled induction followed by desflurane in oxygen (DES-DES-O2).
      Patients were excluded from analysis if they required opioids or antiemetics
      postoperatively. The use of desflurane was associated with more rapid awakening
      compared with isoflurane (time to eye opening 9.45 +/- 0.67 min [Th-DES-N2O/O2]
      and 13.8 +/- 1.59 min [Th-ISO-N2O/O2], P less than 0.05). Psychomotor performance
      was measured using the choice reaction time and critical flicker fusion
      threshold. At 30 min after discontinuing anesthesia, five patients in the Th-ISO
      N2O/O2 group and one patient in the Th-DES-N2O/O2 group were too sleepy to
      perform psychomotor tests. In addition, five patients who received Th-DES-O2 and
      one patient who received the inhaled induction and maintenance of anesthesia with
      desflurane in oxygen were too sleepy to perform tests at 30 min. Patients
      receiving Th-DES-N2O/O2 showed less impairment of choice reaction time than those
      receiving Th-ISO-N2O/O2. Critical flicker fusion threshold, however, showed no
      difference between groups. The use of thiopental was associated with delayed
      recovery. Compared with isoflurane, desflurane anesthesia is associated with more
      rapid initial awakening and less impairment of choice reaction time.

PMID- 1867418
TI  - Emergence airway complications in children: a comparison of tracheal extubation
      in awake and deeply anesthetized patients.
AB  - We compared the differences in oxygen saturation and airway-related complications
      after tracheal extubation in pediatric patients undergoing elective strabismus
      surgery or adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy who were awake versus anesthetized.
      Seventy otherwise healthy patients between 2 and 8 yr of age were studied.
      Anesthesia was induced with halothane or thiamylal and maintained with nitrous
      oxide and halothane. After induction of anesthesia, the patients were randomly
      assigned to group 1 (awake extubation) or group 2 (anesthetized extubation).
      Oxygen saturation was measured continuously and recorded 10 min before extubation
      and at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min after tracheal extubation.
      Supplemental oxygen was administered when oxygen saturation values were less than
      90% while breathing room air. Oxygen saturation levels were higher in group 2
      than in group 1 at 1, 2, 3, and 5 min after extubation. There were no differences
      between the two groups in the number of patients requiring supplemental oxygen.
      The incidence of airway-related complications such as laryngospasm, croup, sore
      throat, excessive coughing, and arrhythmias was not different between the two
      groups. We conclude that the anesthesiologist's preference or surgical
      requirements may dictate the choice of extubation technique in otherwise healthy
      children undergoing elective surgery.

PMID- 1867419
TI  - Is premedication with oral glycopyrrolate as effective as oral atropine in
      attenuating cardiovascular depression in infants receiving halothane for
      induction of anesthesia?
AB  - The authors conducted a double-blind study to compare premedication with oral
      glycopyrrolate and oral atropine in prevention of bradycardia and hypotension
      during induction of anesthesia with halothane-N2O in 90 outpatient infants and
      children aged 1-18 mo who were randomized into three groups to receive either an
      oral placebo, oral atropine (0.02 mg/kg), or oral glycopyrrolate (0.05 mg/kg)
      approximately 1 h before induction of anesthesia. Heart rate and mean arterial
      pressure were measured before drug administration, just before induction of
      anesthesia, and every minute until surgical stimulation occurred. Glycopyrrolate,
      at the dose used, was significantly less effective than atropine in attenuating
      bradycardia during induction; neither glycopyrrolate nor atropine altered the
      incidence or degree of hypotension. Antisialagogic activity and side effects were
      comparable, except for significantly more flushing with atropine.

PMID- 1867420
TI  - Neuromuscular effects of succinylcholine on the vocal cords and adductor pollicis
      muscles.
AB  - To quantify the effects of succinylcholine at the laryngeal adductor muscles and
      the adductor pollicis, 17 adult patients were studied during propofol-fentanyl
      anesthesia. Train-of-four stimulation was applied to the ulnar nerve at the wrist
      and the recurrent laryngeal nerve at the notch of the thyroid cartilage.
      Laryngeal response was measured as pressure changes in the cuff of the tracheal
      tube positioned between the vocal cords. The force of contraction of the
      laryngeal adductor muscles and of the adductor pollicis were compared after
      administration of 0.25 or 0.5 mg/kg of succinylcholine. With 0.25 mg/kg, maximum
      blockade of first twitch (T1) was 66% +/- 10% (mean +/- SEM) and 45% +/- 13% at
      the vocal cords and the adductor pollicis, respectively (P less than 0.01). After
      0.5 mg/kg, maximum blockade at the vocal cords (93% +/- 2%) and the adductor
      pollicis (84% +/- 6%) did not differ significantly. For both doses, time to
      maximal blockade was shorter for the vocal cords (0.9 +/- 0.1 min) than for the
      adductor pollicis (1.7 +/- 0.2 min; P less than 0.01). Time to 90% recovery of T1
      after a bolus of 0.5 mg/kg was similar at the vocal cords (4.3 +/- 0.5 min) and
      the adductor pollicis (5.2 +/- 0.8 min) (NS). The ED50 was less at the laryngeal
      adductors (0.170 mg/kg) than at the adductor pollicis (0.278 mg/kg). It is
      concluded that, in adults, succinylcholine-induced blockade is more rapid and
      more intense at the laryngeal muscles than at the adductor pollicis.

PMID- 1867421
TI  - Myocardial oxygen supply/demand relations during phenylephrine infusions in dogs.
AB  - Experiments were performed on 14 fentanyl-pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to
      assess changes in myocardial oxygen supply/demand relations during intravenous
      infusions of phenylephrine (2.8 micrograms.kg-1.min-1). Myocardial blood flow was
      measured with radioactive microspheres. Myocardial oxygen and lactate extraction
      were determined. Myocardial oxygen consumption was calculated with the Fick
      equation. In series 1, measurements were obtained during phenylephrine-induced
      pressor responses. In series 2, measurements were obtained with aortic pressure
      maintained constant with an extracorporeal reservoir during phenylephrine
      infusion, so that coronary vasomotor responses could be assessed in the absence
      of increases in ventricular afterload and perfusion pressure. In series 1, the
      phenylephrine-induced increase in mean aortic pressure (+42%) was accompanied by
      proportional (60%) increases in myocardial blood flow and myocardial oxygen
      consumption and with no change in the endocardium-to-epicardium flow ratio,
      oxygen extraction, coronary sinus oxygen tension and oxygen saturation, or
      myocardial lactate extraction. In series 2, phenylephrine infusion caused a
      transmurally uniform 15% decrease in myocardial blood flow combined with a 10%
      decrease in myocardial oxygen consumption. The coronary arteriovenous oxygen
      difference increased modestly (+5%), resulting in small decreases in coronary
      sinus oxygen tension and oxygen saturation, whereas lactate extraction was
      unaffected. The present findings suggest that phenylephrine has a direct
      vasoconstrictor effect in the coronary circulation that is weak and completely
      overridden by metabolic autoregulatory mechanisms in response to pressure-induced
      augmentations in cardiac workload. The authors conclude that the myocardium is
      not at risk when phenylephrine is used to treat hypotension in patients with
      adequate cardiac function and coronary vasodilator reserve.

PMID- 1867422
TI  - Is dantrolene safe to administer in sepsis? The effect of dantrolene after
      endotoxin administration in dogs and rats.
AB  - Hyperthermia from septic shock may be indistinguishable from malignant
      hyperthermia. Dantrolene may be given in septicemia if the diagnosis is unclear.
      To determine if dantrolene is safe to use in sepsis, two studies were performed.
      In study 1, 18 anesthetized dogs in which profound septic shock was induced with
      5 mg/kg of intravenous Escherichia coli endotoxin were randomized to receive (30
      min later) intravenous injections of 10 mg/kg of dantrolene solution, the diluent
      of dantrolene, or maintenance intravenous fluids alone. The use of dantrolene
      solution and the diluent of dantrolene resulted in similar but transient
      statistically significant increases in the cardiac filling pressures and cardiac
      outputs and decreases in the vascular resistances compared with the control dogs.
      In a second study, 185 rats were randomized into five equal groups. Groups 1, 2,
      and 3 received 15 mg/kg of intraperitoneal Escherichia coli endotoxin followed 30
      min later by 10 mg/kg of dantrolene solution, the diluent of dantrolene, or
      normal saline. Groups 4 and 5 received normal saline followed by dantrolene or
      normal saline. The survival of groups 1, 2, and 3 was less at 24 h (P less than
      0.0001) than that of either control group, but was not significantly different
      from one another. The results suggest dantrolene can be administered safely under
      clinical conditions where the cause of hyperthermia and shock cannot clearly be
      ascribed to malignant hyperthermia or septicemia.

PMID- 1867423
TI  - Subanesthetic concentrations of volatile anesthetics may enhance acquired
      avoidance training in ddN mice.
AB  - The effects of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on avoidance training were
      assessed in male ddN mice. Animals were trained to escape an aversive
      unconditioned stimulus (electric foot shock) within 3 s after being exposed to a
      conditioned stimulus (light and buzzer). Immediately after training (first
      session), the animals were exposed to halothane, enflurane, or isoflurane for 120
      min and were then tested again on the avoidance task (second session) 30 min
      after cessation of the exposure. The performance ratios [B/A] (i.e., A is the
      score in the first session, and B the score in the second) were compared between
      the anesthetic groups and their respective control groups. Performance ratios in
      the control animals ([B/A]c) did not reach 100% except for those corresponding to
      the 0.5 and 1.0 MAC (minimal alveolar anesthetic concentration) halothane groups.
      Four of the nine performance ratios in the anesthetic groups ([B/A]a) exceeded
      1.0. [B/A]a exceeded [B/A]c by 18.7% in the 0.25 MAC halothane group (P less than
      0.05), by 13.5% in the 0.31 MAC enflurane group (i.e., not significant), and by
      17.3% in the 0.29 MAC isoflurane group (P less than 0.01). [B/A]a/[B/A]c
      decreased dose-dependently for each anesthetic group. These results suggest that
      low concentrations of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane may enhance the
      performance of ddN mice in acquired avoidance training performed 30 min after
      anesthetic exposure.

PMID- 1867424
TI  - Sweating threshold during isoflurane anesthesia in humans.
AB  - Isoflurane anesthesia in humans markedly decreases the threshold temperature
      triggering peripheral thermoregulatory vasoconstriction (i.e., central
      temperature triggering vasoconstriction). However, it is not known whether the
      sweating threshold remains unchanged (e.g., near 37 degrees C), decreases along
      with the vasoconstriction threshold, or increases during anesthetic
      administration. Accordingly, the hypothesis that isoflurane anesthesia increases
      the thermoregulatory threshold for sweating was tested. Forehead sweating was
      evaluated in five healthy patients given isoflurane anesthesia. The sweating
      threshold was prospectively defined as the distal esophageal temperature at which
      significant sweating was first observed. Sweating was observed in each patient at
      a mean central temperature of 38.3 +/- 0.3 degrees C and an end-tidal isoflurane
      concentration of 1.1% +/- 0.2%. The interthreshold range (difference between
      vasoconstriction and sweating thresholds) without anesthesia is approximately 0.5
      degrees C; isoflurane anesthesia increases this range to approximately 4 degrees
      C.

PMID- 1867425
TI  - Effects of volatile anesthetics on response to norepinephrine and acetylcholine
      in guinea pig atria.
AB  - The in vitro chronotropic and inotropic effects of norepinephrine and
      acetylcholine in isolated right and left guinea pig atria were examined in the
      absence and presence of halothane, isoflurane, and enflurane (0.6 and 1.2 MAC).
      All three anesthetics elicited dose-dependent reductions in contractile force and
      spontaneous pacemaker activity. The maximal developed tension observed in the
      presence of norepinephrine was not altered by the anesthetics and corresponding
      ED50 values increased only in the presence of 1.2 MAC halothane and 1.2 MAC
      isoflurane. The anesthetics did not affect (a) the maximal positive chronotropic
      effect of norepinephrine, (b) the ED50 values for its positive chronotropic
      effect, and (c) acetylcholine-induced negative inotropic and chronotropic actions
      and did not induce arrhythmic activity even in the presence of the maximally
      effective neurotransmitter concentrations. These findings indicate that in
      isolated guinea pig atria volatile anesthetics, in concentrations up to 1.2 MAC,
      do not alter the inotropic and chronotropic effects of norepinephrine or
      acetylcholine and do not induce arrhythmogenic action in the presence of the
      neurotransmitters. These data suggest that altered atrial responsiveness to
      adrenergic or muscarinic stimulation does not contribute to the development of
      anesthetic-induced cardiac arrhythmias.

PMID- 1867426
TI  - Age affects the pharmacokinetics of inhaled anesthetics in humans.
AB  - To define the effect of aging on the pharmacokinetics of volatile anesthetics, we
      determined the end-tidal and mixed expired anesthetic concentrations of
      isoflurane, enflurane, halothane, and methoxyflurane during 30 min of
      simultaneous administration and for 5-12 days of elimination in seven healthy
      young patients (31 +/- 1.8 yr [mean +/- SEM]) and in 11 healthy aged patients
      (73.2 +/- 3.1 yr [mean +/- SEM]). A five-compartment mammillary function was fit
      to the end-tidal and mixed expired anesthetic elimination data simultaneously
      using ordinary least-squares analysis. We assumed the compartments to represent
      the following tissue groups: lungs and pulmonary capillary blood (V1), vessel
      rich tissues (i.e., liver, heart, kidneys, and brain) muscle, an unidentified
      fourth compartment, perhaps fat adjacent to well-perfused tissues, and fat
      tissues. The tissue volumes and perfusions estimated for these compartments
      approximated values from the literature. In general, the volume of the fourth and
      fifth compartments increased with age, and perfusion to the second and fifth
      compartments decreased with age. Aging delayed anesthetic elimination and
      increased the apparent volume of distribution at steady state. These observations
      are compatible with decreased tissue perfusion and an increase in the ratio of
      fat/lean body weight in the elderly. Our mammillary analysis described the
      behavior of less soluble anesthetics such as isoflurane well, but that of highly
      soluble anesthetics such as methoxyflurane less well.

PMID- 1867427
TI  - Breathing pattern and occlusion pressure waveform in humans anesthetized with
      halothane or sevoflurane.
AB  - To examine the ventilatory effects of sevoflurane, breathing pattern, airway
      occlusion pressure waveform, and the mechanical variables of the respiratory
      system were determined in seven subjects anesthetized with sevoflurane and in an
      additional seven subjects anesthetized with halothane. All patients breathed 1
      MAC of anesthetic using oxygen as the carrier gas, and the measurements were
      performed in the absence of surgical stimulation. The durations of inspiration
      and expiration were significantly longer during sevoflurane than during halothane
      administration. Tidal volumes were larger in the sevoflurane group than in the
      halothane group. Occlusion pressure waveforms were also markedly different
      between the two groups. Occlusion pressure during the initial 300-400 ms tended
      to be less in the sevoflurane-anesthetized than in the halothane-anesthetized
      subjects. There was no evidence of an active Hering-Breuer reflex with either
      anesthetic. Mechanical variables of the respiratory system were essentially
      identical between the two anesthetics. We conclude that (a) the ventilatory
      effects of halothane and sevoflurane are different, (b) the difference in the
      respiratory timing and depth of breathing originates from the action of the
      anesthetics on the central respiratory neural network, and (c) the different
      shape of the tracheal occlusion pressure may be largely due to the different
      effects of halothane and sevoflurane on the muscles of the rib cage.

PMID- 1867428
TI  - Deliberate hypotension with nicardipine or nitroprusside during total hip
      arthroplasty.
AB  - To induce deliberate hypotension during anesthesia, nicardipine was administered
      to patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and was randomly compared with
      nitroprusside. Hemodynamic measurements were performed before and 10, 20, 30, and
      60 min after starting to administer either nicardipine (n = 12) or nitroprusside
      (n = 12) (B, T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively); at the end of drug infusion (T5);
      and 10, 20, and 60 min later (T6, T7, and T8, respectively). Plasma renin
      activity and catecholamine levels were measured at B, T1, T5, T6, and T7. In
      addition, plasma nicardipine concentration was measured in five patients at T1,
      T2, T5, T7, and T8. As with nitroprusside, nicardipine administration (1-3
      micrograms.kg-1.min-1, after a titration dose of 4.7 +/- 1.5 mg) resulted in
      hypotension (up to -34% +/- 3%), a decrease in systemic vascular resistances (up
      to -49% +/- 4%), and increases in heart rate (up to +17% +/- 6%), cardiac index
      (up to +37% +/- 8%), plasma norepinephrine (up to +63% +/- 17%) and epinephrine
      (up to +232% +/- 68%) levels, and plasma renin activity (up to +336% +/- 207%).
      Ten and 20 minutes after discontinuation of the hypotensive drug, nicardipine led
      to persistent vasodilation and hypotension, which differed significantly from the
      hypertensive rebound observed after nitroprusside discontinuation, despite a
      similar increase in plasma renin activity and catecholamine levels. Our results
      indicate that after the infusion was terminated, the nicardipine-induced
      vasodilation was opposed to the vasoconstrictive effects of angiotensin II and
      catecholamines, thus avoiding hypertensive rebound.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1867429
TI  - Venous air embolism during lumbar laminectomy in the prone position: report of
      three cases.

PMID- 1867430
TI  - Lung laceration after tracheal extubation over a plastic tube changer.

PMID- 1867431
TI  - Hematoma after epidural anesthesia: relationship of skin and spinal angiomas.

PMID- 1867432
TI  - Electrical shock by dislodged spark gap in bipolar electrosurgical device.

PMID- 1867433
TI  - Is hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction exaggerated during one-lung ventilation in
      patients with patent ductus arteriosus?

PMID- 1867434
TI  - Buzz 'em or burn 'em.

PMID- 1867436
TI  - Foreign body from a Patil-Syracuse mask.

PMID- 1867435
TI  - Propofol and malignant hyperthermia.

PMID- 1867437
TI  - Do you think you could make yourself vomit?

PMID- 1867438
TI  - A method for withholding sedatives from patients before obtaining surgical
      consent.

PMID- 1867439
TI  - Triggering agents continued after masseter spasm: there is proof in this pudding!

PMID- 1867440
TI  - Pressure monitoring hose causes leak in anesthesia breathing circuit.

PMID- 1867441
TI  - Analgesic synergy between intrathecal opioids and local anesthetics.

PMID- 1867442
TI  - Addition of low-dose bupivacaine to epidural fentanyl infusion.

PMID- 1867443
TI  - Catheter spinal anesthesia and cauda equina syndrome: an alternative view.

PMID- 1867444
TI  - C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency: three presentations.
AB  - We have presented three patients representing three of the four reported forms of
      C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency. The C1INH deficiencies are in general
      distinguishable from each other and from other forms of angioedema by their
      complement patterns. The acquired C1INH deficiency must be part of the
      differential in patients without a family history of angioedema since it may
      precede the diagnosis of more serious medical conditions such as
      lymphoproliferative disorders.

PMID- 1867445
TI  - Pharmacists' substitution of slow release theophylline products. Committee on
      Drugs, American College of Allergy and Immunology.

PMID- 1867446
TI  - Effect of inhaled corticosteroid on bone density in asthmatic patients: a pilot
      study.
AB  - We investigated the effect of long-term inhaled (ICS) and oral corticosteroid
      (OCS) therapy on bone density by using single and dual photon absorptiometry. We
      studied a group of five asthmatic patients who inhaled an average of 326
      micrograms/day of beclomethasone dipropionate equivalents for 50 months (range 36
      to 62 months) and a control group of five asthmatic patients on OCS, who used
      12.5 mg of prednisone equivalents daily for an average of 57 months (range 22 to
      120 months). The ICS group's average bone densities relative to age and sex
      matched controls were 99.7%, 99.2%, and 90.0% for the radius, spine, and hip,
      respectively. The OCS group's average bone densities relative to age-matched and
      sex-matched controls were 94.4%, 85.4%, and 84.5% for the identical sites. A dose
      response relationship between the cumulative dose of ICS and the relative bone
      density was absent in the study group but demonstrable in the control group of
      asthmatics on long-term OCS therapy. These results suggest that ICS therapy,
      unlike OCS, may not induce bone loss at the doses used by our subjects. Further
      research is required to determine whether a single user of ICS with unusually low
      bone density measurements represents a biologic variant, or a subgroup of
      patients who are especially sensitive to the systemic effects of ICS.

PMID- 1867447
TI  - Lack of graft rejection in a renal transplant recipient with AIDS.
AB  - A renal transplant recipient developed evidence of human immunodeficiency virus
      (HIV) infection and severe opportunistic infection 44 months after
      transplantation. A strikingly reduced dosage of pharmacologic immunosuppression
      was required to maintain renal graft function. This may be the result of impaired
      helper T-cell function associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
      (AIDS).

PMID- 1867448
TI  - Late asthma caused by inhalation of Lepidoglyphus destructor.
AB  - We report the case of a grain worker who had immediate nasal and conjunctival
      symptoms and late-phase asthmatic reactions after handling stored grain. Allergy
      to one storage mite, Lepidoglyphus destructor, was demonstrated by skin testing,
      specific IgE, and bronchial provocation tests. Bronchial challenge with L.
      destructor provoked only a late phase asthmatic reaction without an immediate
      reaction despite the fact that immediate skin tests and specific IgE had been
      positive. Pretreatment with cromolyn sodium prevented any asthmatic reaction
      after bronchial challenge. An IgE immunologic mechanism could explain the
      clinical findings.

PMID- 1867450
TI  - Skin testing compared with in vitro testing for screening allergic patients.
AB  - A new FDA-cleared product has been introduced for screening suspected allergic
      patients using a small blood sample. The QUIDEL Allergen Screens (AS) are simple
      to use dipstick tests that measure allergen-specific IgE to ten of the most
      important regional allergens. We compared the results obtained by prick-puncture
      skin testing (ST) to those obtained with the AS on 103 patients with allergic
      symptoms. Of the 103 patients studied, there were 67 with positive skin tests,
      and 57 of those were positive by AS and ten were AS negative. Of the 36 with
      negative skin tests, 2 were positive by AS and 34 were AS negative. Compared with
      ST, the AS results gave a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 94% for
      identifying the allergic patient. Of the ten patients positive by ST but negative
      by AS, five were ST positive at the 1+ level; the other five were repeatedly
      negative by AS and confirmed negative by RAST. On an allergen basis, the ST and
      AS methods showed an 85% agreement. A subset of 24 patients from the foregoing
      group was studied for total IgE and allergen-specific IgE with products from both
      Pharmacia (P) and QUIDEL (Q). In this group of patients, skin test results gave
      seven patients negative and 18 patients positive to one or more allergens. While
      the overall Total IgE results were higher for ST patients, the Total IgE results
      alone did not effectively discriminate between ST-positive and ST-negative
      patients. The allergen-specific, however, results by both methods showed
      excellent agreement with the ST results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867449
TI  - Cumulative incidence of atopic disorders in high risk infants fed whey
      hydrolysate, soy, and conventional cow milk formulas.
AB  - A recent increase in the prevalence of atopic disorders and the enormous costs of
      management of atopic patients have prompted attempts at prevention. We have
      examined the effect of exclusive breast feeding and of feeding different infant
      formulas on incidence of atopic disease in a prospective randomized controlled
      study. Seventy-two infants were recruited into each of the following groups: cow
      milk whey hydrolysate formula (NAN/HA) conventional cow milk formula (Similac),
      soy-based formula (Isomil), and exclusive breast feeding for greater than 4
      months. The cumulative incidence of atopic eczema, recurrent wheezing, rhinitis,
      gastrointestinal symptoms, and colic were noted. Skin prick tests and
      radioallergosorbent tests for IgE antibodies to milk and soy were performed. At
      12 and 18 months of age, the incidence of atopic eczema as also that of all
      atopic symptoms was significantly lower and similar in the breast-fed and whey
      hydrolysate groups, compared with the cow milk and soy formula groups. IgE
      antibodies were detected more often in the cow milk and soy formula groups,
      especially the former. Among symptomatic infants, fewer skin positive prick tests
      were seen in the soy group compared with the cow milk group. Our observations
      show that among infants at high risk of developing atopic disease because of
      positive family history, exclusive breast feeding or whey hydrolysate formula is
      associated with a lower incidence and thus a delay in the occurrence of allergic
      disorders compared with groups fed conventional cow milk or soy formulas.

PMID- 1867451
TI  - Potentially fatal asthma: the problem of noncompliance.
AB  - In spite of available pharmacologic therapy that controls even the most severe
      cases of asthma, the mortality rate from asthma continues to rise. Patients with
      potentially fatal asthma (PFA) must be identified and then treated in a manner
      that will prevent potentially fatal episodes of asthma. Such management will not
      result in control of patients with PFA when the patient is not compliant with the
      medical regimen. We report and classify ten PFA patients according to the
      apparent psychologic abnormality that resulted in, or contributed to the
      noncompliance. Some of these psychologic abnormalities in patients with PFA such
      as adolescent noncompliance, prednisonephobia or bipolar affective disorders may
      be responsive to a combination of medical and psychiatric management. Other
      psychiatric diseases that may occur in patients with PFA, such as antisocial
      personality disorders or schizophrenia, may have a poor prognosis even with
      combined medical and psychiatric care. The managing physician should be aware of
      the grave prognosis in such cases.

PMID- 1867452
TI  - Systemic cold urticaria in a five-year-old boy.
AB  - A 5-year-old white boy had a history of generalized urticaria on total body
      exposure to a cold environment. Standard ice cube testing was negative. Plasma
      analysis revealed the presence of cryofibrinogen. Systemic cold challenge with
      serial plasma assays for complement, histamine, and prostaglandin D2 disclosed an
      elevation and peak of plasma histamine and prostaglandin D2 levels after the
      onset of generalized urticaria with no change in serum complement levels.

PMID- 1867453
TI  - Prevalence of upper and lower respiratory conditions in the US population by
      social and environmental factors: data from the second National Health and
      Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976 to 1980 (NHANES II).
AB  - Data on respiratory conditions reported by sample persons 12 to 74 years of age
      in NHANES II were examined. The prevalence of upper respiratory conditions varied
      little between whites (N = 11,260) and blacks (N = 1,482): allergic rhinitis 9.8%
      versus 8.1%; chronic rhinitis 20.4% versus 19.2%. Except for "allergic rhinitis
      only," which was increased in whites, no racial differences were found for any
      upper respiratory condition, singly or in combination. The prevalence of lower
      respiratory conditions in whites and blacks were: asthma (A) 6.9% versus 9.2% P
      less than .05, chronic bronchitis (CB) 1.3% versus 0.8% P less than .05, and
      chronic cough (CC) 1.1% versus 0.7% P greater than .05. There was no racial
      difference in the prevalence of overall lower respiratory conditions (A + CC +
      CB). All upper and lower respiratory conditions peaked in 50 to 74-year-olds
      except for allergic rhinitis only (without asthma) which peaked in 25 to 49-year
      olds. Smokers reported all upper and lower respiratory conditions more often than
      nonsmokers, except for allergic rhinitis only (without asthma), which was
      reported less often by smokers. Females reported more allergic rhinitis in any
      combination, while males reported more asthma only (without allergic rhinitis).
      Sample persons living below poverty reported increased prevalence of chronic
      rhinitis, asthma, asthma only (without allergic rhinitis), and either allergic
      rhinitis or asthma. Residents of urban areas reported increased prevalence of
      allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis only (without asthma) while residents of
      rural areas reported increased prevalence of asthma only (without allergic
      rhinitis).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867454
TI  - Dose tolerance study of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray in patients
      with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
AB  - A multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-tolerance study was conducted
      to evaluate the safety of fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray, a potent
      new corticosteroid preparation. Ninety-seven adult patients with moderate to
      severe seasonal allergic rhinitis during the fall weed season received either
      placebo or fluticasone propionate in doses of 50, 200, or 800 micrograms twice
      daily for 4 weeks. Safety evaluations included adrenal function evaluation by
      morning plasma cortisol concentration, response to ACTH stimulation, and 24-hour
      urinary free cortisol excretion. There was no evidence of effects on adrenal
      function at any dose. The severity, nature, and frequency of adverse events were
      similar across all treatment groups, including placebo. Drug-related adverse
      events were consistent with local nasal irritation. The groups receiving
      fluticasone propionate showed greater improvement in nasal symptoms (obstruction,
      rhinorrhea, sneezing, and itching) than did the placebo group. The results
      demonstrate that fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray is safe in doses up
      to 1600 micrograms per day and effective in the treatment of seasonal allergic
      rhinitis.

PMID- 1867455
TI  - Effects of inhaled and oral corticosteroids on bone.

PMID- 1867456
TI  - Anaphylactoid reactions to radiocontrast material.

PMID- 1867457
TI  - [Current data on atmospheric pollutions].
AB  - Atmospheric pollutions (AP) are very important for human health and ecological
      equilibrium. They may be natural or anthropogenic and in this later case they can
      appear outdoor or indoor. Urban air pollution is the most known form of AP. Its
      main sources are industries, individual and collective heating and now mainly
      automobile traffic in most cities. Classical AP indicators are SO2, particles,
      NOx, CO and Pb measured in networks. Important factors of AP are amounts of
      pollutants emitted and local climatic and meteorological characteristics. Health
      effects of AP peaks and of AP background levels are not well known. But
      generally, mean AP levels of SO2 and particles decreased in the last years in
      most towns as the consequence of collective actions on the three main sources of
      AP and on fuels, emission and immission levels; but more is wanted about motor
      cars. Progress are necessary for limitation of three major ecological risks:
      "acid-rain" (SO2 and NOx derivatives, ozone,...) which participates in lake and
      forest attacks; "green house" effects whose air CO2 concentration increase is the
      main responsible, and stratospheric ozone depletion mainly due to freons (CFC);
      the consequences of these two last phenomena are not well known but ecological
      and health risk exist. Besides, indoor air pollution (IAP) is very important
      because we live more than 20 h a day indoor. IAP may be occupational (a lot of
      chemical or biological agents) or not. In the later case air pollutants are very
      various: CO, NOx and particles from heating or cooking, formaldehyde from wood
      glue, plywood or urea-formol foams, radon and derivatives in some granitic
      countries, odd jobs products, cosmetics, aero-allergens of chemical or biological
      origins, microbes,... Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is also an important
      pollutant complex. Risks of IAP are real or potential: acute risk is obvious for
      CO, aero-allergens, formaldehyde, NOx,...); irritations are produced by ETS,
      formaldehyde, solvants,...; long term or potential risks are of concern for
      asbest, radon,... A complex and bad known pathology is described in a lot of
      modern buildings as the "Sick Building Syndrom". Indoor air quality is very
      dependant of the quality of ventilation and possible air treatment. It may be
      considered in all urban epidemiological studies about air pollution.

PMID- 1867458
TI  - [Consequences for public hospital of the law of December 20th 1988 (Huriet law),
      concerning the protection of persons used for biomedical researches].
AB  - Does the public hospital have the capability of harbouring this research? In any
      case, it is an important mission entrusted to it by the Huriet law. But even
      before the law has come into effect (the date of applicability was initially set
      for January 1st 1990, postponed until June 1st 1990, and then further pushed back
      to December 31st 1990 due to the lack of publication of corresponding application
      decrees), its text has prompted many questions and much debate among numerous
      health sectors. We are limited in the extent to which we may estimate, within the
      context of the public hospital, the sphere of application and the ramifications
      of the Huriet law, particularly in the matters of expenses, the responsibility
      assumed by the hospitals' pharmacy, and the arrangement for the hospitals'
      management. In effect, while waiting for the expected creation of local
      committees for the protection of public health, the ethics committees which
      already exist in many hospitals carry on with their works in the spirit of this
      new law. The result is an accelerated awareness of the difficulties foreseen in
      putting this law into effect. It is these difficulties of application that we
      have tried to analyze.

PMID- 1867459
TI  - [Analytical study of the reciprocal influence of amino acids in mixtures on their
      determination].
AB  - The behaviour of divers mixtures of amino acids in alkaline solution with copper
      II ions, determined with the help of the potential measurement taken by a copper
      electrode, was compared with that of a solution of isolated amino acids. The
      influence of the simultaneous presence of several of these compounds on the
      stoichiometry of the complexation was studied and discussed.

PMID- 1867460
TI  - [Preparation of oxime, hydrazone and dichloroacetamide derivatives. Researches of
      antiparasitic activity].
AB  - Several oximes, hydrazones and dichloroacetamides were synthesized. The
      antiparasitic properties of these compounds were evaluated in vitro against two
      Protozoaires Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis.

PMID- 1867461
TI  - [Combination of ethylene oxide with gums].
AB  - Concerning combinaisons of ethylene oxide with any gums. The combinaisons of
      ethylene oxide are determined with any gums: tragacanthe, arabic, ceratonia, guar
      and sterculia. Among the stable compounds obtained with the gums sterculia, the
      author make mention of chloro-2 ethanol and ethyleneglycol.

PMID- 1867462
TI  - [Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Apropos of 42 cases].
AB  - The authors report their experience of forty-two cases of xanthogranulomatous
      pyelonephritis. They point out the various difficulties of preoperative
      identification of such diseases by the imaging modalities. They also discuss the
      main pathogenic hypotheses proposed in the literature.

PMID- 1867463
TI  - [Genital prognosis of boys with bladder exstrophy or epispadias with
      incontinence. Apropos of 14 cases].
AB  - Bladder exstrophy and epispadias with incontinence are associated with urinary
      tract and genital anomalies. The genital and sexual aspects were studied in 14
      adolescent or adult males (12 exstrophies and 2 epispadias). The appearance of
      the penis was satisfactory in fifty percent of cases. Erections were always
      preserved but normal ejaculations were present in only one half of cases.
      Fertility potential was reduced. The improvement of surgical technique, and
      especially penile lengthening, has greatly improved sexual intercourse for these
      patients.

PMID- 1867464
TI  - [Genital prognosis of girls with bladder exstrophy or epispadias].
AB  - The authors report ten cases of women with previous exstrophy of the bladder or
      epispadias with incontinence followed up to child-bearing age. Six of the ten
      females had urinary diversion and four retained their bladder and were continent.
      Three key aspects are considered: physical appearance of the external genitalia
      which was satisfactory in all cases; preservation of sexual function, known in
      only four of the ten cases and which was reported by these patients to be
      satisfactory, and finally, the ability to bear children. Three patients became
      pregnant resulting in four normal births (one patient had twins). Cesarean
      sections were recommended in patients with pregnancies at term. Cesarean should
      be performed systematically in patients with bladder reconstruction.

PMID- 1867465
TI  - [Pain and extracorporeal lithotripsy for calculi of the upper urinary tract].
AB  - This study evaluates, 1) the pain induced by extracorporeal shock wave
      lithotripsy for renal stones using a piezo-electric shock wave lithotriptor (EDAP
      LT 01) and 2) the predictive factors for severe pain leading to an indication for
      analgesia. The relationship between extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy
      intensity and pain intensity is evaluated by a numerical scale at the beginning
      of the session (T0), after 15 min (T15) and after 30 min (T30). At the end of the
      session, patients are categorized by one of us using a three-point scale which
      integrates the pain and the maximum tolerable intensity. These two types of
      evaluation are well correlated. Successive levels of stimulation are well
      discriminated by patients. Habituation is observed during the session for
      patients with low-level pain. In 28% of the patients, the intensity of pain
      required analgesia. Pain cannot be predicted by age, anxiety state, side of the
      stones and size, diameter of the contact between patient and convergence dome. In
      contrast, three parameters are correlated with the pain level: The L1 distance of
      renal parenchyma and the L2 distance skin-stone crossed by the piezoelectric
      waves, the size of the stone. The superior caliceal, middle caliceal and pelvic
      stones are significantly the most painful. These predictive variables can be
      easily measured before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

PMID- 1867467
TI  - [Pseudo-tumoral xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Apropos of a case].
AB  - The authors report the case of a 20 year old patient in whom the clinical
      findings combined with the radiological signs, suggested the diagnosis of renal
      cancer. The histological findings after nephrectomy established the diagnosis of
      xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. This disease may rarely give the appearance
      of a renal tumor. This points out the importance of identifying this lesion in
      preoperative staging to avoid carcinologic surgery and all of its difficulties.

PMID- 1867466
TI  - [Urological surgical effect of the repair of inguinal hernia using bilateral
      subperitoneal prosthetic mesh].
AB  - In view of the increasing frequency of using subperitoneal bilateral prosthesis
      for inguinal hernia repairs, urologists should be aware of the genitourinary
      implications of this procedure: risk of infection due to potentially septic
      procedures on bladder or prostate, postoperative genitourinary complications,
      interval before subsequent trans-prosthetic surgical incision, operative tactical
      outcomes of subperitoneal pelvic fibrosis.

PMID- 1867469
TI  - [Prostatic cancer, a disease full of contrasts. Conference of 5 December 1990,
      Paris. Abstracts].

PMID- 1867468
TI  - [Multiple condylomata of the urethra and bladder disclosing HIV infection].
AB  - The authors report the case of a 26 year old man, in whom recurrent hematuria
      revealed the diagnosis of urethral condylomata with bladder extension, and HIV
      serology positive. This case reminds us that it is essential to search for
      immunodeficiency in every case of extensive or recurrent condylomata. The
      analysis of such cases in the literature allows discussion of the various
      clinical courses according to the Human Papilloma Virus types found in
      condylomatous tissues.

PMID- 1867470
TI  - Filament formation in Thermus species in the presence of some D-amino acids or
      glycine.
AB  - A number of strains of Thermus spp. changed morphology from rods of about 6 to 8
      microns long to multicellular filaments (unsheathed trichomes) up to many
      hundreds of micrometres long with the addition of glycine or certain D-amino
      acids to the growth medium. Associated with this change was the formation of
      braided trichomes and occasionally true knots. Filament formation was reversible
      by the removal of the causal agent, but only if growth was possible. Electron
      microscopy suggested that the wall structure was not changed, but only that cells
      did not separate due to the continuous nature of the outer membrane layer. The
      filaments were thus multicellular. The constituent cells were similar in length
      to the normal rod-shaped cells. Filament formation by Thermus spp. may have
      applications in industrial scale culture of these extracellular enzyme-producing
      thermophilic bacteria.

PMID- 1867471
TI  - Ultrastructure and cell wall composition in cell division cycle mutants of
      Schizosaccharomyces pombe deficient in septum formation.
AB  - A number of temperature-sensitive cdc- mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe that
      are affected in septum formation were analyzed with respect to their
      ultrastructure and the composition of their cell wall polymers. One mutant
      strain, cdc 16-116, has a cell wall composition similar to the wild type (strain
      972 h-). However two other mutants, cdc 4 and cdc 7, show a higher galactomannan
      content and a lower alpha-glucan content. In all the mutants tested, total
      glucose incorporation, protein, RNA and DNA synthesis increased similarly to wild
      type over 3 1/2 h. After 2-3 h of incubation at the non permissive temperature 
      35 degrees C-, cell numbers remained constant although, increases in optical
      densities at 600 nm were observed. According to scanning electron microscopy, the
      mutants had aberrant shapes after 5 h of incubation at 35 degrees C. Transmission
      electron microscopy showed that cdc 3 is unable to complete septum formation. cdc
      4 showed the most varied morphological shapes and aberrant depositions of cell
      wall material. cdc 8 exhibited a deranged plasma membrane and cell wall regions
      near of cell poles; an abnormal septum and several nuclei. cdc 7 showed elongated
      cells with several nuclei and with an apparently normal cell wall completely
      lacking in septum and septal material. cdc 16 showed more than one septum per
      cell.

PMID- 1867473
TI  - Cryptococcus yarrowii sp. nov., a novel yeast species from Portugal.
AB  - A novel species of the basidiomycetous genus Cryptococcus is described as Cr.
      yarrowii based on the study of an isolate from a decayed mushroom collected in
      Portugal. DNA-DNA homology with the type strain of the phenotypically similar
      species Cr. albidus was 10 +/- 2%.

PMID- 1867472
TI  - Occurrence and significance of precipitating antibodies against thermophilic
      actinomycetes in the sera of dairy herd workers, Nangali, Delhi.
AB  - The study was prompted by the lack of information on the role of thermophilic
      actinomycetes in hypersensitivity pneumonitis in India. It reports the occurrence
      of precipitating antibodies against clinically important thermophilic
      actinomycetes in the sera of a population sample of dairy herd workers, Nangali,
      Delhi. Of 112 workers investigated, 28 (25%) showed precipitins against Faenia
      rectivirgula, 4 (3.2%) against Saccharomonospora viridis, 2 against
      Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus and one each against T. vulgaris and T. sacchari.
      The results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated that IgG
      antibody activity against F. rectivirgula was significantly higher in the
      symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic group (p less than 0.05) of workers
      and the controls (p less than 0.01). Significant difference in F. rectivirgula
      IgG activity was also obtained between the precipitin-positive symptomatic group
      and the precipitin-positive asymptomatic group (p less than 0.05). In strong
      contrast, the IgG antibody activity against T. thalpophilus was found to be
      uniformly low. A limited aeromicrobiological sampling of the dairy farm revealed
      S. viridis (55.8%) to be the commonest species followed by T. vulgaris (19.2%),
      T. thalpophilus (18.5%), F. rectivirgula (5%) and T. sacchari (1.5%). On the
      basis of suggestive clinical and laboratory findings, farmer's lung disease was
      suspected in four dairy herd workers. A comprehensive clinical evaluation
      including pulmonary function studies on the dairy herd workers and their long
      term follow-up is indicated to determine the extent of respiratory morbidity
      caused by F. rectivirgula, S. viridis, T. thalpophilus, T. sacchari and T.
      vulgaris in India.

PMID- 1867474
TI  - Chitinase activity in germinating cells of Mucor rouxii.
AB  - Chitinase activity in germinating cells (4 h cultures) of Mucor rouxii was
      studied. The enzyme activity was recovered in a high speed supernatant of cell
      homogenates. No activity was detected in the mixed membrane fraction or in the
      cell walls. Maximum activity was observed at pH 7.6 and at 30-35 degrees C using
      the chromogenic assay with chitin azure. The latter was digested by GS-chitinase
      in a manner dependent on substrate concentration and time of incubation. As with
      other chitinases, GS-chitinase was much more effective against nascent than
      against preformed chitin. The main product of nascent chitin digestion was
      diacetylchitobiose, although significant amounts of the trimer were also detected
      in the hydrolyzates. Allosamidin, an insect and fungal chitinase inhibitor,
      strongly inhibited hydrolysis of nascent chitin but not of chitin azure by GS
      chitinase. The drug failed to inhibit the germination and the ensuing growth of
      the fungus. Results are discussed in terms of the possible role of GS-chitinase
      in germination.

PMID- 1867475
TI  - Fermentation of L-tartrate by a newly isolated gram-negative glycolytic
      bacterium.
AB  - Enrichments on L-tartrate from a freshwater lake sediment yielded a pure culture
      of anaerobic bacterium designated strain 16Lt1. The rod-shaped organism was
      motile, did not form spores, and had a gram-negative wall structure. No
      cytochromes were detected. The mol % G + C of the DNA was 58. The new strain was
      microaerotolerant, and grew optimally at 30 degrees C and neutral pH in
      freshwater medium. A wide range of carbohydrates was fermented, with formate,
      acetate, ethanol, lactate and succinate being the end-products detected. L
      tartrate and citrate were fermented to formate, acetate and CO2. L-tartrate was
      fermented by the dehydratase pathway, and glucose by the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas
      pathway. Fumarate was reduced, but nitrate, sulfate, sulfur and thiosulfate were
      not used as terminal electron acceptors. Glucose metabolism was constitutive,
      whereas L-tartrate-degrading activity was inducible. When glucose and L-tartrate
      were both present as substrates, growth was diauxic with glucose being
      metabolized first. The growth rate and growth yield were higher on glucose than
      on L-tartrate. Strain 16Lt1 has been deposited with the Deutsche Sammlung von
      Mikroorganismen as 'Bacteroides' sp. DSM6268.

PMID- 1867476
TI  - Mortality of marine bacterial strains in seawater.
AB  - As an approach for assessing the dynamics of bacterial population in seawater,
      the survival of five isolated marine bacteria strains was assessed by the
      disappearance of radioactivity in the cold trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-insoluble
      fraction from a previously 3H-labeled culture. Metabolic activity during survival
      experiments was assessed by the measurement of electron transport system (ETS)
      activity. Fractionated filtration was used to assess the grazing mortality. The
      particulate fraction that passed 2.0 microns and was retained in 0.2 microns was
      the main cause of mortality.

PMID- 1867477
TI  - Ultrastructural study of the skin in Sjogren-Larsson syndrome.
AB  - The ichthyosiform skin and the uninvolved skin of a 5-year-old Japanese female
      with Sjogren-Larsson syndrome were examined by light and electron microscopy to
      elucidate the keratinization disorder. Light microscopically, the epidermis of
      the ichthyosiform skin showed acanthosis, papillomatosis and hyperkeratosis. The
      horny cells had a basket-weave appearance. The granular cell layer was slightly
      thickened. Slight round cell infiltration and vascular dilatation were seen in
      the upper dermis. The uninvolved skin was histologically normal. Electron
      microscopically, in both ichthyosiform and uninvolved skin, abnormal lamellar or
      membranous inclusions were present in the cytoplasm of horny cells of the
      epidermis. These inclusions appeared to be derived from some of the lamellar
      bodies and/or abnormal membranous structures found in the cytoplasm of spinous
      and granular cells. Mitochondria in the epidermal basal cells were more numerous
      in the ichthyosiform skin than in the uninvolved skin. These findings indicate
      that, whether the skin is involved or not, the epidermis of the patient with this
      disorder may always have a structural abnormality, which may be genetically
      determined. Local environmental factors may play a role in inducing the
      acanthosis and papillomatosis of the epidermis.

PMID- 1867478
TI  - Inhibitory effect of azelaic acid on neutrophil functions: a possible cause for
      its efficacy in treating pathogenetically unrelated diseases.
AB  - It has been shown that acne, hyperpigmentation and lentigo malignant are more or
      less related pathogenetically to reactive oxygen species (ROS). It has recently
      been reported that azelaic acid is effective in treating these conditions and
      that it possesses anti-enzymatic and antimitochondrial activity, including
      cytochrome-P450 reductase and 5 alpha-reductase in microsomal preparations with
      nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). We therefore investigated
      the effects of azelaic acid on human neutrophil functions, such as chemotaxis,
      phagocytosis and ROS generation. ROS generation in a cell-free system was also
      assessed. The results revealed that neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis as
      well as ROS generated in a xanthine-xanthine-oxidase system were not
      significantly changed in the presence of azelaic acid. However, azelaic acid
      markedly decreased O2- and OH. generated by neutrophils. It may be concluded that
      the reported clinical effectiveness of azelaic acid is partly due to its
      inhibitory action on neutrophil-generated ROS, leading to a reduction both in
      oxidative tissue injury at sites of inflammation and in melanin formation.

PMID- 1867479
TI  - Lipids, proteins and corneocyte adhesion.
AB  - Three factors were examined for their relative contribution to corneocyte
      cohesion in normal adult pig ear: (1) extracellular lipids derived from membrane
      coating granules (MCG); (2) corneosomes (modified stratum corneum desmosomes);
      and (3) corneocyte covalently bound lipid envelopes. Cohesion strength of the
      outer stratum corneum was measured directly by cohesometry, then altered by
      removing MCG lipids with solvents of varying potency. Cohesion changes were
      related to degree of lipid removal and ultrastructural alterations. Trypsin was
      also used to see if proteolysis of corneosomes promoted squame shedding. Potent
      solvents increased cohesion in relation to the amount of MCG lipid extracted.
      Tighter cohesion was due to fusion of the outer leaflets from covalently bound
      lipid envelopes on adjacent corneocytes. However, lipid envelopes are unlikely to
      mediate normal stratum corneum cohesion since MCG lipids play a significant anti
      cohesive role preventing their apposition. Mild solvents partially removed MCG
      lipids causing a slight decrease in cohesion compared with untreated samples.
      This suggests a minor cohesive role for MCG lipids, consistent with maintaining
      their barrier function. We believe that corneosomes are the major determinant of
      stratum corneum cohesiveness because, in untreated skin, both cohesion and the
      number of corneosomes increased from the surface towards the granular layer.
      Furthermore, corneosome digestion with trypsin induced superficial squame
      shedding.

PMID- 1867481
TI  - Differential analysis of the human anagen hair apparatus using lectin binding
      histochemistry.
AB  - Cell differentiation in the human anagen hair apparatus was examined by lectin
      binding histochemistry using seven different lectins: Con A, WGA, RCA-I, PNA,
      SBA, DBA and UEA-I. Con A and WGA positively stained almost all the cells in the
      hair apparatus. RCA-I and PNA positively stained the outer cells of the outer
      root sheath (ORS), but they did not stain the innermost cells (IMCs) of the ORS
      in the suprabulbar region. However, in the isthmus region, the IMCs showed
      positive staining with RCA-I, and more intense staining with PNA than that of the
      outer ORS cells. The ORS cells, including the IMCs, were negative with SBA and
      DBA below the suprabulbar region, whereas the IMCs became more strongly positive
      with these two lectins than the other ORS cells in the isthmus region. UEA-I
      strongly stained the IMCs, but not the outer ORS cells in the hair bulb. The
      latter cells became positive for UEA-I above the suprabulbar region. These
      findings indicate that the surface glycoconjugate distribution of the IMCs
      differs from that of the outer ORS cells. It is concluded that the IMCs of the
      ORS may undergo an independent cell differentiation process.

PMID- 1867480
TI  - Sugars protect desmosome and corneosome glycoproteins from proteolysis.
AB  - Adhesional glycoproteins of desmosomes possess asparagine-linked, complex
      oligosaccharide side chains. We investigated the potential of these sugars to
      protect the core proteins of desmosomes and corneosomes (modified stratum corneum
      desmosomes) against proteolysis. Isolated pig ear epidermis was exposed
      sequentially to individual hydrolases, and their effect monitored
      ultrastructurally. Two major steps were employed: (1) glycosidases, to remove
      stepwise the sugars in a typical complex oligosaccharide chain; and (2)
      proteolysis using both endopeptidases and an exopeptidase. Controls were exposed
      to the same sequence of buffers, but without enzymes. Proteases alone induced no
      major changes in desmosomes or corneosomes compared with controls. Glycosidases
      alone, or proteases followed by glycosidases, caused mild fragmentation of the
      desmosomal interspace, but no widening. However, dramatic changes occurred when
      glycosidase treatment was followed by proteolysis. The interspace of both
      desmosomes and corneosomes was extensively digested, and consequently widened,
      causing loose packing of the epidermis. These findings indicate that sugars are
      potentially anti-proteolytic in both desmosomes and corneosomes. Sugars may,
      therefore, be a factor in preventing premature desquamation, by protecting
      desmosomes and corneosomes against extracellular proteases derived from membrane
      coating granules.

PMID- 1867483
TI  - Lack of demonstrable effect of cyclosporin A on human epidermal Langerhans cell
      function.
AB  - There is controversy about whether Cyclosporin A (CsA) affects antigen-presenting
      cell function. Within the skin, Langerhans cells (LC) are very potent antigen
      presenting cells. We investigated the effect of CsA on alloantigen presentation
      by human LC using the in vitro mixed skin-cell lymphocyte reaction (MSLR). MSLR
      (6 day cultures) were performed in round-bottomed microplates and lymphocyte
      proliferation was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation during the final 18 h of
      culture. When CsA was added into the wells a dose-dependent inhibition of T-cell
      proliferation occurred. Similar results were obtained when crude or LC-enriched
      epidermal cells (EC) were incubated for 2 h in the presence of CsA and
      extensively washed. The inhibition caused by CsA treatment of EC was not overcome
      by the addition of indomethacin. However, when CsA-treated EC were added to a
      fresh MSLR, T-cell proliferation was impaired. Furthermore, supernatants from CsA
      treated EC, that had been kept for 6 days in culture medium, were able to inhibit
      the T-cell proliferative assay. These supernatants were found to contain CsA by a
      radioimmunoassay. From these results, it is clear that inhibition of MSLR
      obtained after CsA pulsing of EC suspensions can be explained by a release of the
      drug into the supernatant and thus by a direct effect on T cells. These findings
      contrast with recent reports showing a direct effect of CsA on human LC function.

PMID- 1867482
TI  - Role of skin surface lipids in UV-induced epidermal cell changes.
AB  - Ultraviolet irradiation is capable of affecting skin surface lipids, especially
      squalene and cholesterol, both in vitro and in vivo, with generation of active
      lipoperoxides. The photodecomposition of the skin lipid component was carefully
      evaluated by capillary gas-chromatography. The effects of UV-induced
      lipoperoxides on human keratinocytes in culture and on guinea pig ear slices were
      compared with those of synthetic lipoperoxides, i.e. cumene hydroperoxide and 13
      hydroperoxylinoleate. A time- and dose-dependent effect on protein synthesis and
      mitotic activity was observed. In cell culture low concentrations (0.05-5
      micrograms/ml) of peroxidated squalene and synthetic lipoperoxides stimulated the
      incorporation of radiolabelled thymidine and phenylalanine, while higher
      concentrations (greater than 10 micrograms/ml), or longer periods of treatment,
      induced cellular damage. In guinea pig ear slices, the lipoperoxides (5-50
      micrograms/ml) increased aminoacid incorporation and the number of epidermal
      pigment cells; higher concentrations (greater than 100 micrograms/ml) caused a
      derangement of epidermal structure. The results suggest that UV irradiation of
      skin generates lipoperoxides from the surface lipids which, in vitro, are capable
      of producing a number of changes in epidermal cells.

PMID- 1867484
TI  - [Telesugery and its teaching and health care implications].

PMID- 1867486
TI  - [Psoas fixation of the bladder. An efficient aid in cases of repeat surgery of
      the uretero-vesical junction].
AB  - We reviewed our experience with 6 patients (5 males, 1 female) aged 3 to 10 years
      in whom psoas hitch of the bladder was performed in the course of repeated
      surgery of the vesicoureteral junction. All patients had previously undergone an
      operation on the distal ureter and presented an evident shortening of its length.
      After ureteral reimplantation in 4 patients (3 were Hendren's procedure and 1
      Cohen's reimplantation), the reflux either persisted or became worse and the
      remaining 2 patients (posterior urethral valves) underwent cutaneous distal
      ureterostomy. In all cases the psoas hitch procedure successfully resolved the
      ureteral defect, provided the bladder with a new surface for a submucosal tunnel
      of suitable length and diameter, and permitted reimplantation of the ureter
      without traction or possibility of bending. The psoas hitch procedure is a simple
      and effective alternative in the management of distal ureter length defects.
      Although it has precise indications, it can have broad applications when combined
      with other techniques (TUU). However, the approach should be one of caution in
      those cases that also require surgery of the contralateral distal ureter.

PMID- 1867485
TI  - [Closed renal trauma: 287 cases. Evaluation of treatment and long-term follow
      up].
AB  - We evaluated 287 cases of blunt renal trauma that had been treated at the Urology
      Department of the Valle de Hebron Hospital from 1974 to 1987. Data gleaned from
      patient work up, diagnosis and treatment during the acute phase are presented,
      highlighting the early and long-term results. Patient follow-up ranging from 1 to
      10 years and data from statistical analyses show that conservative treatment
      achieved better early and late results than surgical treatment of the compromised
      renal unit. Hypertension was an uncommon secuela in our series (1% incidence).
      Evaluation with radioisotopes has proved to be the most reliable diagnostic
      method in the long-term assessment of secuelae in the renal unit.

PMID- 1867487
TI  - [Primary bladder adenocarcinoma: retrospective study of 11 cases and general
      review].
AB  - Eleven cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the bladder are described herein. Eight
      had a glandular pattern, 1 was papillary and 2 were comprised of signet ring
      cells (one had areas of colloid carcinoma). One of the cases, originating from
      the urachus, also showed colloid areas and a glandular pattern. Forty-five
      percent of the cases were moderately differentiated and the remaining 55% were
      poorly differentiated. In all cases the tumor had areas of adenocarcinoma in more
      than 2/3 of its extent. All but two cases revealed muscle layer infiltration at
      the time of diagnosis. Two patients were submitted to radical cystectomy,
      lymphadenectomy and Wallace II cutaneous ureteroileostomy, 1 patient underwent
      partial cystectomy and lymphadenectomy, and 6 were submitted to transurethral
      resection. Excision of the urachal tumor was by en bloc partial cystectomy. The 5
      year survival of patients with infiltrating tumors, excluding the urachal tumor,
      was 33%, 67% died within the first year of follow-up. The only evaluable case of
      superficial adenocarcinoma is alive and tumor-free at 94 months. Primary
      adenocarcinoma of the bladder is an aggressive tumor. Although it may be
      superficial at the time of diagnosis, it soon develops into an infiltrating tumor
      if untreated. Treatment and survival depend on tumor stage. Superficial or
      minimally infiltrating tumors warrant treatment by deep transurethral resection
      up to the pericystium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867488
TI  - [Bladder adenocarcinoma. Presentation of 3 new cases].
AB  - Three additional cases of primary adenocarcinoma of the bladder, an uncommon
      tumor type, seen at our department during the past years are described. These may
      arise from urachal remnants or metaplastic changes occurring in bladders with
      cystitis cystica or glandularis. Clinically, their behaviour is not unlike the
      rest of the infiltrating urothelial tumors. Treatment is by partial cystectomy
      for urachal adenocarcinoma and radical cystectomy for those arising from other
      sites of the bladder. Radio- and chemotherapy have a very limited efficacy in
      this tumor type.

PMID- 1867489
TI  - [Leydig cell tumor: presentation of 3 new cases with a benign course].
AB  - Three cases of Leydig cell tumor are described. Patient ages were 27, 44 and 55
      years, respectively. The first two patients consulted for a testicular mass and
      the third patient presented with gynecomastia, an incidental finding during the
      ultrasound work up of a hydrocele. Hormonal evaluation revealed a marked serum
      testosterone level in one case, whereas in another case it fell within the lower
      limits of normal ranges. No evidence of dissemination was observed in all
      patients. Treatment was by radical inguinal orchiectomy in all patients. The
      pathological analysis of the surgical specimens revealed Leydig cell tumor with
      no histologic evidence of malignancy. A follow-up of 32, 14 and 10 months,
      respectively, revealed no evidence of tumor recurrence in all patients. The
      clinical and histologic features and treatment of this disease process are
      described.

PMID- 1867490
TI  - [Prognostic factors in 243 transitional carcinomas of the bladder (I): clinical
      and macroscopic parameters of the tumor].
AB  - A retrospective study was undertaken in 243 cases of transitional cell carcinoma
      of the bladder to determine the correlation of clinical parameters (sex, age,
      symptoms and duration of the disease) and tumor gross anatomic features
      (cystoscopic aspects, tumor number, size and site) with survival. The study
      comprised 148 superficial carcinomas and 95 infiltrating carcinomas of the
      bladder. The following clinical parameters were observed to influence survival of
      patients with superficial or deep tumors: patient age (worse prognosis for those
      over 60 years) and initial symptoms (better prognosis for those whose presenting
      symptom was hematuria). With regard to tumor gross anatomic features, a
      correlation was observed between the cystoscopic aspects of the tumor and type of
      infiltration in 80% of our series (1 error out of 5 cystoscopies). A worse
      prognosis was observed for multiple lesions only in those with superficial
      tumors. Tumor site and size did not influence survival in this series of 243
      transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

PMID- 1867492
TI  - [Treatment of bladder endometriosis using the Nd-Yag laser].
AB  - The good results achieved in the treatment of gynecological endometriosis via
      laser laparoscopy prompted us to perform endoscopic Nd:Yag laser photocoagulation
      in the present case of symptomatic vesical endometriosis described herein. To our
      knowledge, this is the first reported case in the world literature.

PMID- 1867491
TI  - [Prognostic factors in 243 transitional carcinomas of the bladder (II):
      microscopic parameters of the tumor and staging].
AB  - A retrospective study was undertaken in 243 cases of transitional cell carcinoma
      of the bladder to determine the correlation of tumor microscopic features
      (mitotic index, histologic grade, internal border of tumor growth, lymphocyte
      infiltration, necrotic and vascularized areas) and stage with survival. The study
      comprised 148 superficial tumors (131 papillary, and 17 non-papillary) and 95
      deep infiltrating tumors (34 papillary and 61 non-papillary or solid tumors).
      With regard to the superficial tumors, survival was influenced by the mitotic
      index (a greater number of mitoses correlated with a worse prognosis), histologic
      grade (a higher histologic grading correlated with a worse prognosis), internal
      border of tumor growth (the expansive tumor type showed a better prognosis), and
      necrosis (wide areas of necrosis correlated with a lower survival rate).
      Furthermore, a worse prognosis was observed for the non-papillary or solid
      tumors. Lymphocyte infiltration, however, was not observed to influence survival.
      As for the deep infiltrating tumors, survival was influenced by the histologic
      grade, internal border of tumor growth, lymphocyte infiltration (a greater
      lymphocyte infiltration correlated with a better prognosis), necrosis, and tumor
      type (papillary or non-papillary). The mitotic index or vascularization showed no
      influence on survival. A higher tumor stage correlated with a worse prognosis.
      The prognosis for non-papillary (solid) superficial tumors overlaps that of
      infiltrating tumors. For this reason, special attention should be focused to
      these tumors.

PMID- 1867493
TI  - [Prolonged erections after diagnostic injection of papaverine chlorhydrate].
AB  - We analyzed the incidence of prolonged erection (PE) in 495 impotent subjects
      following intracavernous papaverine chlorhydrate injection to evaluate sexual
      dysfunction. Patient course was individually assessed. The overall the incidence
      of PE was 5.05%. The etiology of sexual dysfunction was psychogenic in all cases.
      No evidence of dose- or age-related PE was observed. Fibrosis of the corpus
      cavernosum, although more prevalent in PEs greater than 6 hours, was also
      observed in PEs of a shorter duration. This suggests that a probable predisposing
      factor might previously be present in some patients. None of the different
      methods utilized to achieve penile detumescence appears to afford any significant
      advantage.

PMID- 1867494
TI  - [Cavernotomy].
AB  - Corpus cavernosal dilatation in patients undergoing implantation of a penile
      prosthesis may occasionally be impossible to achieve with the Edgart dilator
      owing to sclerosis. For this reason, we have developed the cavernotome, a
      specially designed dilator that allows for easy dilatation of the corpus
      cavernosum. Its salient edges and grooves permit cutting through the sclerotic
      areas without difficulty. It is indispensable for placement of an anatomic penile
      prosthesis in these cases.

PMID- 1867495
TI  - [The rigidometer].
AB  - Fifty patients with erectile dysfunction were evaluated with the Rigidometro
      (CUASBA) penile rigidity monitor and the data were compared with those obtained
      with the erectometer device for nocturnal monitoring with the Ambulatory Rigidity
      Tumescence Monitor (ART 1000, Surgitex) penile rigidity monitoring following
      intracavernal injection of vasoactive agents. Similar results were observed. In
      our view, the Rigidometro (CUASBA) provides reliable information comparable with
      those provided by other monitoring devices. It gives very precise data on the
      quality of erection achieved. It is inexpensive and easy to-use. All the
      foregoing make it a useful tool in the diagnosis and evaluation of erectile
      dysfunction.

PMID- 1867496
TI  - [Leydig cell tumor associated with gynecomastia].
AB  - We report a case of interstitial cell or Leydig cell tumor, an uncommon tumor
      type, that presented with evident feminizing features and acute testicular
      inflammatory process which warranted hospitalization. The literature is reviewed
      highlighting the most important aspects of this condition.

PMID- 1867497
TI  - [Rupture of the excretory tract to renal cyst, its sequestration and later
      infection, as a complication of ureteral lithiasis].
AB  - We report on a case of infected solitary renal cyst following rupture and
      communication of the excretory tract from a ureteral calculus. The etiopathogenic
      mechanisms, the diagnostic difficulties encountered in this uncommon disease
      process, and the usefulness of radiologic and ultrasound assessment are
      discussed.

PMID- 1867498
TI  - [Hypernephroma and bladder leiomyosarcoma. Report of a case].
AB  - We report on a patient with two primary and synchronous urological tumors
      (hypernephroma and leiomyosarcoma of the bladder). Patient follow-up of 14 months
      revealed no evidence of tumor recurrence. The clinical, diagnostic and
      therapeutic aspects of this rare tumor of the bladder are highlighted. We
      consider surgical treatment mandatory and radio- and chemotherapy adjunctive
      treatment modalities.

PMID- 1867499
TI  - [Acquired ichthyosis caused by bladder neoplasia. Presentation of the 1st case in
      Cuba].
AB  - Ichthyosiform dermatoses comprise a heterogeneous group of cutaneous disease
      characterized by keratin disorder that clinically manifests as dry, rough and
      scaly skin. The acquired form of ichthyosis has principally been associated with
      neoplastic disease. It has also been described in association with other
      disorders and as drug-induced cutaneous manifestations. We report on a patient
      with a bladder tumor who developed acquired ichthyosis, a complication and
      presenting feature of the underlying neoplastic condition. The clinical
      manifestations and associated conditions are described. To our knowledge, this is
      the first case of acquired ichthyosis from a bladder tumor reported in Cuba.

PMID- 1867500
TI  - The use of the Dornier MPL-9000 lithotripter in the treatment of gallbladder and
      renal stones. Early experience.
AB  - The experience of two units (Gastroenterology and Urology) of Clinica La Luz,
      Madrid, in the treatment of gallbladder and renal lithiasis using the Dornier MPL
      9000 lithotripter is reported herein. This lithotriptor has been utilized in the
      treatment of all cases of gallbladder calculi for which it is indicated and renal
      calculi localized high up (kidney), and in those cases that are difficult to
      treat with other lithotriptors such as patients with kyphoscoliosis, radiolucent
      calculi, elderly patients, children, etc.). During the first year the gallstone
      lithotripsy unit was utilized, 401 patients were referred for treatment. Of
      these, 180 met the criteria for patient selection. (Over 360 have been treated to
      date.) Sixty of these 180 patients had a single gallstone of up to 2.5 cm. These
      60 patients were selected for the study since they comprised a group where the
      best results could be expected. The aim of studying this patient group was to
      evaluate the results achieved by lithotripsy and the short and medium-term
      outcome in this ideal group of patients. Concerning renal lithiasis, these are
      the first 100 cases treated with the MPL-9000 (currently over 420 have been
      treated). Eighty cases had a single calculus (60 caliceal and 20 pyelic), 15 had
      multiple calculi, and 5 had a staghorn stone. Treatment for gallbladder and renal
      lithiasis was exclusively by shock waves; i.e., as monotherapy with no other
      auxiliary procedure. The average number of shock waves used was 2,350 with a mean
      kV of 18 for gallbladder lithiasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867501
TI  - [The professional future of Spanish urologists].

PMID- 1867502
TI  - [English and Spanish nomenclature of catheters and other urological instruments].
AB  - We analyze names given to urologic devices that are apparently similar in English
      and Spanish but with different meanings. The translation of the commonest terms
      for instruments and some problematic words are reviewed. Although some of the
      equivalents are a convention, it is interesting to know the more widely used
      nowadays.

PMID- 1867503
TI  - [Intermittent aspiration in the treatment of urinary fistulas following cutaneous
      ureteroileostomy].
AB  - Two patients who had developed a urinary fistula following cutaneous
      ureteroileostomy are described herein. The foregoing condition was successfully
      treated conservatively with intermittent aspiration via the stoma. This treatment
      modality was generally performed using regular periods of application and
      aspiration pressure. The common complications of cutaneous ureteroileostomy are
      briefly described. Attention is focussed on urinary fistula, an uncommon
      complication, and the possibility of resolving the foregoing condition in a short
      period of time by aspiration via the cutaneous stoma before resorting to
      endourologic or surgical alternatives.

PMID- 1867504
TI  - [Morphometric study of transitional carcinoma of the bladder (I): analysis of 148
      superficial tumors].
AB  - A morphometric study of the tumor cell nucleus was performed in 148 cases of
      superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Of these, 131 were
      papillary and 17 were nonpapillary tumors. Our methodology is compared with those
      described elsewhere. With regard to papillary tumors, the nuclear size of the
      internal papilla near the stroma was found to be greater than that of the
      external papilla near the bladder lumen. Tumor cells with internal papillary
      nuclear size less than or equal to 28 microns 2 appeared to have a better
      prognosis. Thus, nuclear measurements in this area must be performed in future
      studies. No conclusive data could be obtained relative to the nonpapillary
      tumors. For both papillary and nonpapillary tumors, the higher the histologic
      grade, the greater the nuclear size, the differences being statistically
      significant.

PMID- 1867505
TI  - [Morphometric study of transitional carcinoma of the bladder (II): analysis of 95
      infiltrating tumors].
AB  - The nuclear size of 95 infiltrating carcinomas of the bladder were studied
      morphometrically. There were 34 of the infiltrating papillary type and 61 pure
      infiltrating tumors. The nuclear size was found to be greater deeper into the
      tumor. Similarly, the higher the histologic grade, the larger the nuclear size.
      Grade IV tumors, however, were not greater than grade III. The foregoing finding
      prompted us to classify grade IV tumors as undifferentiated rather than as
      transitional cell tumors. A better prognosis was observed for stage T2 and T3A
      tumors with a nuclear size less than or equal to 30 microns 2.

PMID- 1867506
TI  - [Bladder tumors in patients under 40 yr of age. Our experience and review of the
      literature].
AB  - During a period spanning 11 years, 392 patients diagnosed as having tumor of the
      bladder were treated at our department. Of these, 9 were patients under age 40.
      We compared the anatomopathological features and course of the disease. The
      foregoing condition was suspected on the basis of the urographic findings. We
      emphasize the need to perform endoscopic inspection and urinary cytology before
      discarding the presence of a bladder tumor. The anatomopathologic conditions of
      anaplasia and infiltration are frequently more favourable in this younger patient
      group, indicating a better prognosis. However, the natural history of tumors with
      histopathologically similar features is not influenced by age.

PMID- 1867507
TI  - [Urinary incontinence in the elderly: clinical and urodynamic review of 195
      cases].
AB  - One hundred ninety-five male and female patients over 65 years old presenting
      with urinary incontinence were evaluated by clinical and urodynamics. Urinary
      incontinence was in the form of urgency-incontinence in 68% of the cases,
      incontinence at cough in 26%, and urinary incontinence which the patient referred
      to no specific situation in 6%. Among the different urodynamics data, bladder
      instability was the most common (73%). Urinary stress incontinence was observed
      in 35% of the cases. Bladder instability was demonstrated in 77% of the cases
      with urgency-incontinence and in 69% of the cases with incontinence not referred
      to a specific situation. All the male patients with lower urinary tract
      obstruction had urgency-incontinence. Stress incontinence was demonstrated in 60%
      of the cases with incontinence at cough. Stress incontinence was not observed in
      male patients without associated diseases. The associated neurological disorder
      was accompanied by bladder hyperreflexia in 90% of the cases. A prior
      adenomectomy or hysterectomy was associated with a greater number of cases with
      stress urinary incontinence, accounting for 62% in both males and females.

PMID- 1867508
TI  - [Long-term results of endourological treatment with and without ESWL in cystine
      lithiasis].
AB  - From 1984 to 1989, 15 patients with cystine calculi were treated by endourologic
      procedures and/or extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). During this
      period the patients required 38 hospitalizations, a total of 74 calculi were
      treated localized to 61 sites: pelvic 21, caliceal 13 and 27 were multiple. The
      diagnosis was confirmed by a 24 hour cystinuria (3.595 muMol/24 h. average) and
      analysis of the stone fragments. Stone disruption was achieved in 17 of 38 cases
      (44.7%). ESWL as monotherapy was utilized in calculi less than 15-20 mm. in
      diameter; complete removal was achieved in of 18 cases. Percutaneous surgery (PC)
      was used alone or in combination with ESWL for large calculi or when ESWL failed
      to achieve stone fragmentation. Complete stones removal was achieved in 5 of 9
      cases using PC as monotherapy and in 5 of 10 in combination with ESWL. There were
      23 recurrences during this period; 13 patients with residual stone fragments and
      10 patients that were stone-free. The present study reports our experience in the
      treatment of cystine calculi by PC and/or ESWL and the long-term results achieved
      with the respective treatment modalities.

PMID- 1867509
TI  - [Priapism secondary to phenothiazines].
AB  - We report two cases of priapism in patients previously treated with neuroleptic
      agents. None of these patients had a previous history of urological or
      hematological disorders. These two patients warranted emergency treatment by
      punction-aspiration of the corpora cavernosa and posterior cavernospongiosa
      shunt. The foregoing approach achieved penile detumescence in both cases.
      Excellent results were achieved relative to erectile function in one patient.
      Although the mechanism responsible for phenothiazine-induce priapism has as yet
      not been elucidated, it has been suggested that this might be due to adrenergic
      block which directly inhibits the sympathetic impulse of detumescence.

PMID- 1867511
TI  - [Renal abscess. Medical treatment].
AB  - We report a case of renal abscess caused by gram negative pathogens, possibly
      Proteus mirabilis, that resolved with medical treatment. The infection was
      secondary to a purulent infection in the patient's left knee.

PMID- 1867510
TI  - [Polyorchism: a case report].
AB  - A case of polyorchism is described and the literature reviewed, highlighting the
      rarity of this pathological condition. To our knowledge, only 70 cases have been
      reported in the world literature. Similarly, Nocks' embryological development
      theory is discussed herein. The present case was diagnosed intraoperatively. No
      further studies were warranted since the intraoperative findings were compatible
      with a more common pathological condition. Furthermore, the malformation was
      asymptomatic and was not associated with any other scrotal conditions, unlike
      most of the cases described in the literature. We discuss the therapeutic
      approach and underscore the need to remove the supernumerary testis encountered
      intraoperatively when the continuity of the seminal duct is uncompromised.

PMID- 1867512
TI  - [Spontaneous perirenal hematoma. Report of 2 cases].
AB  - We report on two cases of spontaneous perirenal hematoma secondary to ruptured
      angiomyolipoma in a patient with tuberous sclerosis and another patient with a
      simple renal cyst. The diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this rare disease
      entity are discussed.

PMID- 1867513
TI  - [Chilaiditi syndrome in the differential diagnosis of renal colic].
AB  - We report on a case of hepatodiaphragmatic interposition of the colon in a 45
      year-old patient who presented at the emergency department with a clinical
      picture of renal colic. When making the differential diagnosis, we should take
      into account that the clinical picture known as Chilaiditi syndrome may mimic
      renal colic.

PMID- 1867514
TI  - [Hematoma of the iliac psoas secondary to anticoagulant treatment. Urological
      implications].
AB  - We describe the urological manifestations arising from hematoma of the left iliac
      psoas that developed in the course of anticoagulant therapy in a 54-year-old
      patient with a mitral prosthesis. The onset of the clinical picture was acute and
      mimicked left reno-ureteral colic. Ultrasound and CT were decisive in making the
      diagnosis, revealing a left retroperitoneal mass in the anterolateral aspect of
      the left psoas muscle. Intravenous urography evidenced the urological
      repercussions of the disease process consisting of medialization of the left
      ureter, ureterohydronephrosis, and anterior and lateral displacement of the
      kidney. Although this condition is considered by most to be a surgical emergency,
      we opted for conservative treatment because the patient had no hemodynamic
      instability, severe obstructive uropathy or signs or crural paralysis. The
      literature on the urological repercussions of psoas hematomas due to
      anticoagulant therapy is briefly reviewed.

PMID- 1867515
TI  - [Fever and leukemoid reaction in bladder cancer: report of a case].
AB  - The authors present a unique case of bladder cancer that presented as
      paraneoplastic syndrome of fever and leukemoid reaction. Furthermore, the patient
      had a left renal tumor histologically similar to the bladder tumor. We discuss
      whether the foregoing was a metastatic or a primary tumor coexisting with a
      bladder tumor. The neoplastic syndromes affecting patients with bladder neoplasms
      are briefly discussed.

PMID- 1867516
TI  - Free fibrous pseudotumor: an exceptional appearance.
AB  - We present a case of free fibrous pseudotumor in left hydrocele in a 42-year-old
      man. The patient was submitted to a scrotomy exploration and the course of the
      disease was benign.

PMID- 1867518
TI  - Radiolabeled antibody imaging in the management of colorectal cancer. Results of
      a multicenter clinical study.
AB  - Presurgical colorectal cancer patients (n = 116) received single intravenous
      infusions of 1 mg of CYT-103 (OncoScint CR103), an immunoconjugate of monoclonal
      antibody B72.3, radiolabeled with 111In. Following gamma camera imaging, 103
      patients underwent an operative procedure: 92 had primary or recurrent colorectal
      carcinoma, 1 patient evaluated for recurrence of colorectal cancer had a second
      primary malignancy (small cell lung), and 10 patients had no demonstrable
      evidence of malignancy. 111In-CYT-103 immunoscintigraphic findings were
      consistent with the pathologic diagnoses for 70% of patients with colorectal
      cancer and 90% of disease-free patients. Antibody imaging contributed to surgical
      decision making through the detection of occult disease (12% of patients) and the
      confirmation of localized, potentially resectable disease without regional or
      metastatic spread. Seven patients (6%) experienced adverse effects, primarily
      fevers and itching, and 33% of patients developed antibodies to murine
      immunoglobulin after administration of 111In-CYT-103. The results of this study
      suggest that 111In-CYT-103 is a useful diagnostic tool for the presurgical
      evaluation of colorectal cancer patients.

PMID- 1867517
TI  - The influence of intraoperative hypotension and perioperative blood transfusion
      on disease-free survival in patients with complete resection of colorectal liver
      metastases.
AB  - An increased interest in surgical treatment of liver metastases from colorectal
      origin has evolved recently. However not all patients benefit from this approach,
      with early recurrence and death still being encountered. To evaluate clinical as
      well as perioperative factors that might significantly affect the outcome of
      patients with completely resected colorectal liver metastases, we examined 116
      patients who underwent resection between September 1987 and August 1989. Median
      follow-up time was 13.2 months (0.6 to 31.4 months). The overall survival rate
      was 91% at 1 year and 75% at 2 years. Median survival was not reached. Median
      disease-free survival time was 11.5 months, with 49.4% and 21.2% of the patients
      being free of disease at 1 and 2 years, respectively. By univariate analysis,
      site of primary colorectal cancer, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
      level, size of metastases, number of metastases, length of operation time,
      percentage mean arterial pressure, number of hypotensive episodes, duration of
      hypotensive episodes, and whole blood transfusion significantly affected
      recurrence rate following resection. However only site of primary tumor, CEA,
      number of metastases, and number of hypotensive episodes remained significant in
      the multivariate analysis. The most significant single factor that affected
      recurrence rate was the number of hypotensive episodes during the operative
      procedure. It is concluded that hypotensive episodes, even when well controlled,
      should be avoided during operation to maximize the chances of cure and prolong
      disease-free survival of patients with colorectal liver metastases.

PMID- 1867519
TI  - The prognosis of melanoma patients with metastases to two or more lymph node
      areas.
AB  - The prognosis of melanoma patients who present with metastatic involvement of two
      or more noncontiguous lymph node regions before the detection of extranodal
      metastases has not been previously reported. We identified 21 patients with
      metastatic melanoma in at least two nodal basins in a review of 175 patients with
      melanoma undergoing lymphadenectomy at the National Cancer Institute. The median
      survival time of these patients was 46 months, with 55%, 27%, and 17% of the
      patients alive 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, after the second
      lymphadenectomy. Because the prognosis of melanoma patients with metastases to
      two or more regional nodal areas appears equivalent to that of patients with
      metastatic involvement of only one regional node site, lymphadenectomy of the
      involved groups should be performed with therapeutically curative intent.

PMID- 1867520
TI  - Metabolic consequences of (regional) total pancreatectomy.
AB  - Little information has been reported on the metabolic characteristics of the
      totally pancreatectomized patient or the efficacy of medical management after
      radical pancreatic surgery. The prospective evaluation of 49 such patients, with
      31% followed for 48 or more months, forms the basis of this report. The major
      immediate postoperative challenge is control of diarrhea and weight
      stabilization. Chronically patients have an increased daily caloric requirement
      (mean +/- SE, 56 +/- 1 kcal/kg), not wholly explained by moderate steatorrhea
      (fecal fat excretion, 16% +/- 2% of unrestricted fat intake). Despite persistent
      malabsorption, deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamin, magnesium, and trace element
      serum levels can be prevented in most patients. Pancreatogenic diabetes is
      characterized by (1) absence of the major glucoregulatory hormones insulin and
      glucagon, (2) instability, and (3) frequent hypoglycemia, with the latter
      parameters improving with rigorous home glucose monitoring. No patient has
      developed clinically overt diabetic micro- or macrovascular disease. Performance
      status in long-term survivors has been reasonable. However adverse chronic
      sequelae of the operation occur and include an unusual frequency of liver
      disease, characterized by accelerated fatty infiltration, and osteopenia, with an
      18% reduction in radial bone mineral content noted in pancreatectomized patients
      studied more than 5 years after surgery.

PMID- 1867521
TI  - The complex pattern of cytokines in sepsis. Association between prostaglandins,
      cachectin, and interleukins.
AB  - Although the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and
      interleukin-6 (IL-6) are important mediators of hemodynamic, metabolic, and
      immunologic alterations in the host during sepsis, it is not known whether there
      is any association between the release of these cytokines and prostanoids during
      sepsis. Sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture in rats led to a persistent
      elevation (p less than 0.05) of plasma TNF until 10 hours, steadily increasing (p
      less than 0.05) IL-1 plasma levels, and enhanced (p less than 0.05) IL-6 plasma
      levels at all time points compared to the sham group. Prostaglandin E2 plasma
      levels were elevated (p less than 0.05) at 5 hours (153 +/- 29 pg/mL; control: 47
      +/- 11 pg/mL) and 10 hours (96 +/- 16 pg/mL; control: 21 +/- 5 pg/mL).
      Prostaglandin E2 production by splenic macrophages (sM phi) from septic animals
      was increased (p less than 0.05) at 5 hours (9.1 +/- 2.2 ng/mL) and 10 hours (5.6
      +/- 1.5 ng/mL) compared to controls (3.3 +/- 0.3 ng/mL at 5 hours; 1.3 +/- 1.3
      ng/mL at 10 hours). Incubation of sM phi from septic animals with ibuprofen
      enhanced (p less than 0.05) IL-1 and TNF synthesis, while IL-6 production was
      reduced (p less than 0.05). These results indicate that the alterations in
      prostanoid release and elevated plasma prostanoids may regulate the release and
      consequently the circulating levels of cytokines during sepsis.

PMID- 1867522
TI  - Lovastatin inhibits gallstone formation in the cholesterol-fed prairie dog.
AB  - The efficacy of lovastatin, an inhibitor of hepatic cholesterol synthesis in the
      prevention of cholesterol gallstone formation, was evaluated in the prairie dog
      model. Two groups of animals were maintained on either nonlithogenic or 1.2%
      cholesterol-enriched chow for 21 days. Seven of the animals in each group
      received lovastatin, and the remaining six received only distilled water. All of
      the cholesterol-fed/water-treated animals had crystals and 83% had gallstones,
      but none of the cholesterol-fed/lovastatin-treated animals had gallstones and
      only three had microscopic crystals. These data indicate that lovastatin inhibits
      cholesterol gallstone formation in a diet-induced model of gallstone disease.

PMID- 1867523
TI  - Dose response of fish oil versus safflower oil on graft arteriosclerosis in
      rabbit heterotopic cardiac allografts.
AB  - With the advent of cyclosporin A, accelerated coronary arteriosclerosis has
      become the major impediment to the long-term survival of heart transplant
      recipients. Due to epidemiologic reports suggesting a salutary effect of fish
      oil, the dose response of fish oil on graft coronary arteriosclerosis in a rabbit
      heterotopic cardiac allograft model was assessed using safflower oil as a caloric
      control. Seven groups of New Zealand White rabbits (n = 10/group) received
      heterotropic heart transplants from Dutch-Belted donors and were immunosuppressed
      with low-dose cyclosporin A (7.5 mg/kg/day). Group 1 animals were fed a normal
      diet and served as control. Group 2, 3, and 4 animals received a daily supplement
      of low- (0.25 mL/kg/day), medium- (0.75 mL/kg/day), and high- (1.5 mL/kg/day)
      dose fish oil (116 mg n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid/mL), respectively. Group 5,
      6, and 7 animals were supplemented with equivalent dose of safflower oil (i.e.,
      0.25, 0.75, and 1.5 mL/kg/day). Oil-supplemented rabbits were pretreated for 3
      weeks before transplantation and maintained on the same diet for 6 weeks after
      operation. The extent of graft coronary arteriosclerosis was quantified using
      computer-assisted, morphometric planimetry. When the animals were killed,
      cyclosporin A was associated with elevated plasma total cholesterol and
      triglyceride levels in the control group. While safflower oil prevented the
      increase in plasma lipids at all dosages, fish oil ameliorated the cyclosporin
      induced increase in total cholesterol only with high doses. Compared to control
      animals, there was a trend for more graft vessel disease with increasing fish oil
      dose, as assessed by mean luminal occlusion and intimal thickness. A steeper
      trend was observed for increasing doses of safflower oil; compared to the high
      dose safflower oil group, animals supplemented with low-dose safflower oil had
      less mean luminal occlusion (16.3% +/- 5.9% versus 41.4% +/- 7.6%, p less than
      0.017) and intimal thickness (7.9 +/- 1.9 microns versus 34.0 +/- 13.0 microns,
      analysis of variance: p = 0.054). Low-dose safflower oil also had a slight, but
      nonsignificant, beneficial effect on graft vessel disease when compared to
      control rabbits. The same trends were observed in the degree of histologic
      rejection (0 = none to 3 = severe) in fish oil- and safflower oil-treated
      animals. Rejection score correlated weakly but significantly (p = 0.0001) with
      mean luminal occlusion (r = 0.52) and intimal thickness (r = 0.46). Therefore
      allograft coronary disease in this model appeared to exhibit an unfavorable,
      direct-dose response to fish oil and safflower oil, independent of effects on
      plasma lipids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1867526
TI  - Intrathoracic cardiac prosthesis: is it really not clinically acceptable?

PMID- 1867525
TI  - The biology of acute transplant rejection.
AB  - An intriguing and increasingly understood facet of immune responses is the
      ability of a recipient to destroy a foreign tissue or organ graft. The phenomenon
      of acute rejection of an allograft involves a series of complex and inter-related
      cellular and humoral events, culminating in graft death. Some of the current
      thinking surrounding this phenomenon is reviewed.

PMID- 1867527
TI  - Development of a new antithrombogenic continuous ultrafiltration system.
AB  - By interfacing a polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-polyethyleneoxide (PEO) membrane with an
      ionically heparin-bound catheter, tubing, and module header, a totally
      antithrombogenic continuous ultrafiltration system (ACUS) was developed and its
      performance, persistent antithrombogenicity, and well-maintained ultrafiltration
      level were confirmed through animal experiments. Although the amount of heparin
      released and accumulated in vitro from those heparinized parts was very low and
      stable (on the order of 1 x 10(-2) U/cm2/min), partial thromboplastin time
      evaluated in vivo was not elongated during passage through the ACUS.
      Extracorporeal circulation time with the ACUS in unheparinized dog model was 458
      +/- 302 min (n = 24), whereas those of partially modified (antithrombogenic)
      system did not exceed 100 min. As compared with that in a conventional continuous
      arteriovenous hemofiltration system, an extracorporeal circulation with the ACUS
      in an unheparinized dog model revealed significantly less fluctuation of platelet
      count, and no adherent platelets were observed on the surface of the PAN-PEO
      membrane. An ACUS consisting of a PAN-PEO membrane and heparinized parts was thus
      demonstrated to have good platelet compatibility. An ACUS with a surface area of
      0.25 m2 was applied to two patients with acute renal failure. Hemofiltration
      without systemic heparinization lasted for 44 h per hemofilter, and a stable
      level of ultrafiltration was maintained. This system seems to be applicable for
      the clinical management of volume overload, especially in patients with bleeding
      tendencies or postoperative bleeding.

PMID- 1867524
TI  - Interleukin-2 induces early multisystem organ edema mediated by neutrophils.
AB  - Interleukin-2 (IL-2), an agent known to activate neutrophils (PMN) with
      thromboxane (Tx)B2 release, produces pulmonary edema within 6 hours of
      intravenous infusion. This study tests the role of PMN in mediating the edema.
      Anesthetized rats received 10(6)U recombinant human IL-2 (n = 15) or vehicle (n =
      14) as a constant intravenous infusion during a period of 1 hour. At this time
      there was leukopenia 3.63 +/- 0.43 (x10(3)/mm3) relative to vehicle-infused
      control rats 6.12 +/- 0.86 and a decline in PMN, 2.19 +/- 0.14 relative to
      control value of 3.33 +/- 0.05 (both p less than 0.05). After 6 hours edema, as
      measured by increase in the wet to dry weight (W/d) ratio, was present in the
      lungs (4.93 +/- 0.20 relative to control 4.06 +/- 0.10), heart (4.09 +/- 0.11
      versus 3.76 +/- 0.08), liver (3.50 +/- 0.10 versus 3.18 +/- 0.10), and kidney
      (4.25 +/- 0.07 versus 4.00 +/- 0.07) (all p less than 0.05). There was increased
      lung permeability demonstrated by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein
      concentration of 1970 +/- 210 micrograms/mL relative to control 460 +/- 90
      micrograms/mL (p less than 0.05). Interleukin-2 resulted in lung PMN
      sequestration of 53 +/- 7 PMN/10 high-power fields (HPF) relative to 23 +/- 2
      PMN/10 HPF in controls (p less than 0.05) and increased plasma TxB2 levels to
      1290 +/- 245 pg/mL relative to control 481 +/- 93 pg/mL (p less than 0.05).
      Pretreatment of other rats (n = 8) with selective anti-rat neutrophil antiserum
      18 hours before the experiment led to a peripheral PMN count 10% of baseline and
      prevented edema in the lungs (W/d ratio 4.20 +/- 0.16) and heart (3.67 +/- 0.07)
      (both p less than 0.05) but not liver or kidney. Protein in lung lavage was
      reduced to 760 +/- 220 micrograms/mL (p less than 0.05). The protection afforded
      by leukopenia was associated with lack of PMN sequestration and prevention of the
      increase in plasma Tx levels (484 +/- 120 pg/mL, p less than 0.05). These data
      indicate that the rapid induction of lung and heart edema with a 1-hour infusion
      of IL-2 in the rat is mediated, in large part, by activated PMNs.

PMID- 1867528
TI  - Evaluation of a filtration lymphocytapheresis (LCP) device for use in the
      treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - A practical on-line lymphocytapheresis (LCP) system using a leukapheresis filter
      (Cellsorba, Asahi Medical Co.) was evaluated in six patients with refractory
      rheumatoid arthritis. This filter consists of nonwoven fine polyester fiber wound
      around a porous cylinder. The blood was passed through the polyester fiber at a
      flow rate of 50 ml/min for 60 min. LCP was carried out once a week in the first
      month and biweekly in the next 2 months. An average of 98% of the leukocytes that
      entered the filter (1.27 x 10(10) cells) and 100% of the lymphocytes that entered
      the filter (3.66 x 10(9) cells) were removed in the first LCP. A total of 96.6%
      of the platelets and 2.7% of the erythrocytes that entered the filter were also
      removed. All of the patients showed clinical improvement in morning stiffness,
      Lansbury articular index, and functional capacity, with no adverse reaction. The
      number of circulating erythrocytes and platelets and the concentration of various
      serum components showed no significant change during the treatments. This LCP
      system required no fresh frozen plasma, albumin, or other blood transfusion. The
      number of circulating lymphocytes decreased to 65-70% of the pretreatment
      circulating lymphocyte count at the last procedure, with a decrease in the ratio
      of Leu3a positive cells to Leu2a positive cells. The proliferative response to
      phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A was improved. These data suggest that LCP
      to remove approximately 3 x 10(9) lymphocytes once a week or biweekly has an
      immunomodulatory effect.

PMID- 1867529
TI  - Bioartificial liver using hepatocytes on biosilon microcarriers: treatment of
      chemically induced acute hepatic failure in rats.
AB  - An artificial liver support procedure based on hemoperfusion via hepatocytes
      cultured on microcarriers is described. The efficiency of the system was assessed
      by the survival rate of rats treated with either lethal dosage of 7% CCl4 [30
      ml/kg body weight (b.w.)] or D-galactosamine (2.5 g/kg b.w.). In CCl4-treated
      rats, hemoperfusion via empty microcarriers (n = 16) revealed no surviving
      animals, whereas the use of the bioartificial liver (n = 11) resulted in 80% (p
      less than 0.01) and 60% (p less than 0.05) survival 48 and 168 h after
      hepatotoxin, respectively. For the same time periods, the survival rate in D
      galactosamine-intoxicated rats after hemoperfusion with hepatocytes (n = 20) was
      approximately 60% (p less than 0.05) and was only 5% in those of rats treated
      with empty microcarriers (n = 20). Sublethal dosage of 7% CCl4 (15 ml/kg b.w.)
      caused 25% mortality and prolonged (48 h) increase of activity of the liver
      enzymes and bilirubin levels in the serum of surviving animals. In these rats (n
      = 8) at the end of 3 h of hemoperfusion via hepatocytes, the bilirubin
      concentration decreased by 45% as compared with the control group (n = 6) treated
      with empty microcarriers. Moreover, by 48 h after intoxication, the use of the
      bioartificial liver resulted in more than a three-fold decrease in glutamate
      oxaloacetate transaminase and a 10-fold decrease in glutamate-pyruvate
      transaminase serum activity as well as a fivefold decline in total and a ninefold
      decline in conjugated bilirubin levels as compared with the control
      animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867530
TI  - Influence of antihypertensive drugs and steroid hormones on protein
      adsorption/desorption on polycarbonate.
AB  - To develop artificial materials for prolonged use in the vascular system, the
      complicated process of surface-induced thrombosis needs to be better understood.
      It is documented that certain antihypertensive drugs can inhibit platelet
      adhesion to an artificial surface; on the other hand, steroid drugs increase
      platelet surface attachment to variable degrees. This study demonstrates the
      changes in protein-surface binding with certain antihypertensive and antianginal
      drugs--namely, digoxin, sorbitrate, thyroxine, sembrina and hydralazine--and five
      steroid hormones--estrone, progesterone, beta-estradiol, 7(OH) progesterone, and
      testosterone--using trace labelling methods. It seems that the addition of these
      antihypertensive drugs to the polymer-protein system has increased the level of
      surface-bound albumin and reduced the fibrinogen surface concentration to
      variable degrees. A reversed pattern of protein-surface attachment has been
      evident with steroid hormones. Thus, it appears that the changes in platelet
      attachment due to various drugs may be dependent on the availability of
      fibrinogen receptors at the polymer interface, along with other possible
      biological factors. Prolonged use of antihypertensive drugs may not have any
      significant side effect for patients having an implant. However, the use of
      steroids or steroid-containing oral contraceptive agents may not be advisable for
      patients having an artificial implant in contact with blood. A better
      understanding of the mechanism of these drugs under in vivo conditions is needed
      to correlate these findings.

PMID- 1867531
TI  - Long-term respiratory assistance using a right ventricular assist device system
      and a membrane oxygenator.
AB  - A new method for long-term respiratory assistance using a right ventricular
      assist device (RVAD) system and a membrane oxygenator (MO) was designed and
      evaluated. An air-driven RVAD was implanted between the right atrium and the
      pulmonary artery in five goats and an MO was set on the outlet conduit of the
      RVAD 2 weeks postoperatively. Two types of MOs [the SciMed (Life Systems)
      silicone sheet MO and a prototype MO using a novel multilayered composite
      membrane] were used in this study. Respiratory support with this system under
      systemic heparinization could be conducted for 4-8 days without major problems
      accompanied with conventional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) such as
      surgical bleeding, destruction of the blood components, serum leakage,
      insufficient bypass flow, and fatal systemic thrombosis. This method opened the
      possibility for ECMO to be used as a bridge before lung or heart-lung
      transplantation.

PMID- 1867532
TI  - Local blood residence times in the Penn State artificial heart.
AB  - Thrombus formation associated with cardiac assist devices is a major concern in
      their application. Thrombogenesis is thought to be a function of, among other
      things, fluid shear stress and blood residence time. In the current study, a
      fiber-optic probe was developed and employed in conjunction with indicator
      dilution techniques to evaluate the local near-wall fluid residence times at a
      number of locations inside the Penn State 70 cc parallel port and 100 cc angle
      port left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). In this in vitro study, both 50%
      and 30% systolic duration regimes were investigated for each chamber. Using a
      relatively inexpensive optical arrangement, two decades of dye concentration (10(
      6)-10(-4) M of fluorescein sodium) were easily discernible. The washout process
      was characterized by an exponential decay with a time constant tau. For all
      positions and operating conditions tested, tau values were between 1-2 beats. In
      all cases tested, values of tau in the valve regions were significantly longer
      (8.9-31.6%; p less than or equal to 0.0075) than in the chamber proper. At every
      position tau was substantially lower in the 70 cc chamber than in the larger pump
      (17.8-27.4%). Systolic duration appeared to have no significant effect on tau at
      the majority of investigated sites. The results indicate that the valve regions,
      which are known to have greater shear stresses, are also in contact with a volume
      element of blood for a longer time than is the rest of the chamber. This
      combination may be detrimental to fragile blood components.

PMID- 1867534
TI  - Changes of serum bilirubin fraction in postoperative liver failure cases treated
      by plasmapheresis: an effective marker for evaluation of bilirubin removal.
AB  - Utility of a new method of bilirubin fractionation was evaluated in monitoring
      the effectiveness of plasma exchange (PE) performed in 10 postoperative cases
      with liver failure. Fractionation of serum bilirubin by high-performance liquid
      chromatography demonstrated a higher delta bilirubin (B delta) peak against lower
      conjugated bilirubin peaks [monoconjugated bilirubin (MCB) and diconjugated
      bilirubin (DCB)] in the three recovered cases. The calculated ratio of MCB/B
      delta and the ratio of B delta/(MCB + DCB + B delta) in the recovered cases
      showed statistically significant different against seven unrecovered cases (p
      less than 0.01). These results suggest that the recovered cases had a different
      quality hyperbilirubinemia and a different disease entity before PE as well as a
      different response to PE, and this novel method for serum bilirubin subfraction
      is considered a useful marker in selecting a patient responsive to PE.

PMID- 1867533
TI  - The soft-shell mushroom heart remembered.

PMID- 1867535
TI  - Quality control of hemoglobin solutions. I. The purity of hemoglobin before
      modification.
AB  - It is not yet clear whether the toxicity of hemoglobin solutions is due to
      hemoglobin per se, contaminants, or both. To elucidate the problem, it is first
      necessary to prepare "pure hemoglobin," i.e., hemoglobin completely free of (a)
      bacterial endotoxins, (b) phospholipids of the red cell membrane, and (c) other
      proteins and/or peptides. The methods found most sensitive in the determination
      of such purity are here presented. Consensus on the adoption of these methods and
      on the meaning of the term "purity" would help to achieve (a) a better
      understanding of the toxicity problem, (b) a more meaningful exchange of
      information among investigators and (c) the ultimate development of nontoxic
      solutions.

PMID- 1867537
TI  - Risk to the treating ophthalmologist when using the laser.

PMID- 1867536
TI  - Hepatic venous oxygen saturation monitoring in patients with assisted circulation
      for severe cardiac failure.
AB  - In order to assess the adequacy of hepatic perfusion, hepatic venous oxygen
      saturation (ShvO2) was monitored in five patients undergoing mechanical
      circulatory support. Two patients were with intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP),
      one was with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), and two were with
      biventricular assist devices (BVAD). The mean ShvO2 values during assistance in
      each patient ranged from 27 to 84%. One patient with IABP showed persistently low
      ShvO2 (less than 30%) in spite of higher mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2)
      and subsequently developed hepatic dysfunction and multiple organ failure. In
      another patient, ShvO2 was 22% on average during LVAD, but increased to greater
      than 50% after adding a right ventricular assist device (RVAD). Of 3 patients
      with persistently high ShvO2 (44-80%, on average), only one developed hepatic
      failure--probably from prior severe shock--and the other two did not develop
      hepatic failure. There was a significant negative correlation between ShvO2 and
      splanchnic excess lactate, the parameter of anaerobic metabolism in the
      splanchnic area. In contrast, there was no correlation between simultaneously
      measured ShvO2 and SvO2 values when analyzed in a range of SvO2 below 70%. ShvO2
      monitoring may be useful for evaluation of hepatic perfusion status in the
      management of critical patients, requiring assisted circulation.

PMID- 1867538
TI  - Posterior precortical vitreous pocket.

PMID- 1867539
TI  - Endophthalmitis vitrectomy study.

PMID- 1867540
TI  - Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous with glaucoma presenting in infancy.

PMID- 1867542
TI  - Retinal and optic nerve manifestations of autoimmune polyendocrinopathy
      candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy.

PMID- 1867541
TI  - Mycobacterium gordonae keratitis after penetrating keratoplasty.

PMID- 1867543
TI  - Choroidal folds and dural cavernous sinus fistula.

PMID- 1867544
TI  - RBRVS cuts ophthalmologists' Medicare fees by 35%.

PMID- 1867545
TI  - Calcific band keratopathy.

PMID- 1867546
TI  - The 75th anniversary of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

PMID- 1867547
TI  - Outcomes of eye care from Medicare data.

PMID- 1867548
TI  - Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis after intravenous anesthesia with propofol.
AB  - Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic agent that was approved by the US Food and
      Drug Administration in October 1989. It has gained rapid acceptance and is in
      widespread use. In June 1990, the Centers for Disease Control reported four
      clusters of postsurgical infections associated with the use of propofol. We
      describe one of those clusters, consisting of four cases of endogenous Candida
      albicans endophthalmitis. These infections occurred in nonimmunocompromised
      patients after they had undergone nonophthalmologic surgery in which propofol had
      been used as anesthesia. An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control
      concluded that the infections in these patients were due to extrinsic
      contamination of propofol during preparation for use at the hospital.
      Ophthalmologists should be aware of this new potential source of endogenous
      endophthalmitis.

PMID- 1867550
TI  - Relationship between intraocular pressure and primary open angle glaucoma among
      white and black Americans. The Baltimore Eye Survey.
AB  - A detailed ocular examination, including perimetry, was conducted on 5308 black
      and white subjects aged 40 years and older in a population-based prevalence
      survey in east Baltimore, Md. Repeated, detailed examinations were carried out on
      selected subjects. Roughly half of all subjects with optic nerve damage from
      primary open angle glaucoma, regardless of race, were unaware that they had the
      condition. The average intraocular pressure (IOP) among black patients with
      glaucoma who were receiving treatment was virtually identical to that in those
      black patients who were not receiving treatment (median IOP, 20 mm Hg); treated
      eyes of white patients had a lower IOP than those eyes of white patients who were
      not receiving treatment (mean [+/- SD] IOP, 18.69 +/- 3.23 mm Hg vs 24.15 +/-
      5.23 mm Hg; P less than .001). The risk of glaucomatous optic nerve damage
      increased with the height of the screening IOP, particularly at levels of 22 to
      29 and 30 mm Hg and above (relative rate compared with IOP of 15 mm Hg or lower,
      12.8 and 40.1 mm Hg, respectively). More than half of all glaucomatous eyes had a
      screening IOP below 21 mm Hg, whether these eyes were receiving treatment or not.
      The IOP in glaucomatous eyes tended to rise on follow-up, in contrast with
      nonglaucomatous eyes in which the IOP was as likely to rise as to fall. Results
      confirmed that IOP is an important factor in glaucoma, but did not support the
      traditional distinction between "normal" and "elevated" pressure, nor its
      corollaries, "low-tension" glaucoma and "high-tension" glaucoma.

PMID- 1867549
TI  - National outcomes of cataract extraction. Endophthalmitis following inpatient
      surgery.
AB  - We analyzed the likelihood of rehospitalization for endophthalmitis in 338,141
      Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 years who were admitted to US hospitals for
      cataract extraction in 1984. This cohort represents approximately one half of all
      persons who underwent cataract extraction under the Medicare program in 1984.
      Extracapsular extraction was performed in 195,587 (58%) of cases, intracapsular
      cataract extraction in 99,971 (30%), and phacoemulsification in 28,474 (8%). The
      risk of rehospitalization for endophthalmitis in the year following surgery was
      0.17% for intracapsular cataract extraction compared with 0.12% for extracapsular
      extraction or phacoemulsification (P less than .002). The risk of endophthalmitis
      at 1 month was higher for intracapsular cataract extraction than for
      extracapsular extraction or phacoemulsification (0.11% vs 0.085%), although the
      difference did not reach statistical significance. Cataract surgery accompanied
      by anterior vitrectomy increased the 1-month risk of rehospitalization for
      endophthalmitis to 0.41%, more than a four-fold increase over that for cataract
      surgery alone (0.09%; P less than .05). The rates of endophthalmitis at 1 year
      were 0.58% and 0.13%, respectively, for cataract surgery with anterior vitrectomy
      and cataract surgery alone (P less than .0001). No significant differences in the
      rate of rehospitalization for endophthalmitis were observed based on the use of
      an intraocular lens, age, or race. Endophthalmitis within 1 year of surgery was
      1.2 times more frequent in men than in women (0.16% vs 0.13%; P = .03). Overall,
      the likelihood of postoperative endophthalmitis from a national sample is
      consistent with case series previously reported.

PMID- 1867551
TI  - Exercise training reduces intraocular pressure among subjects suspected of having
      glaucoma.
AB  - The effect of exercise conditioning on elevated intraocular pressure has not been
      previously described among sedentary individuals. We prospectively observed
      intraocular pressure for nine sedentary subjects suspected of having glaucoma
      before and after 3 months of aerobic exercise training. Mean (+/- SEM) aerobic
      capacity, as assessed by maximal oxygen uptake, increased 6.3 +/- 1.6 mL.kg-1.min
      1 (30%) (P less than .02). Mean intraocular pressure decreased 4.6 +/- 0.4 mmHg
      (20%) (P less than .001) at the end of the conditioning period. With cessation of
      exercise and subsequent detraining, intraocular pressure returned to elevated
      preconditioning levels by 3 weeks. Regular aerobic exercise is associated with a
      reduction in elevated intraocular pressure and may represent an effective
      nonpharmacologic intervention for patients suspected of having glaucoma.

PMID- 1867552
TI  - A simple method of determining the time course of timolol's effects on aqueous
      flow in humans.
AB  - We have devised a simple method of determining the time course of the effects of
      timolol maleate on aqueous flow using changes in aqueous protein concentrations.
      Aqueous protein concentrations were measured with a laser flare-cell meter.
      First, the value of the coefficient of protein entry into the anterior chamber
      (kin) was determined in both eyes of 10 normal subjects. One week later, aqueous
      protein concentration changes were measured in both eyes of the same subjects
      before and after instillation of timolol in one eye. From these changes and the
      value of kin, changes in the aqueous flow rate were calculated using an equation
      formulating protein kinetics in the anterior chamber. Results of a separate
      experiment showed that instillation of topical timolol did not change the kin,
      justifying use of the kin as determined without considering timolol in the
      calculation. The calculated flow rate had a maximum decrease of 30% +/- 10% (mean
      +/- SEM, n = 10) 4 hours after instillation in treated eyes and of 10% +/- 6% 3
      hours after instillation in fellow, untreated eyes.

PMID- 1867553
TI  - Mizuo phenomenon in X-linked retinoschisis. Pathogenesis of the Mizuo phenomenon.
AB  - Four unrelated males with X-linked retinoschisis and a golden fundus reflex had
      Mizuo-Nakamura phenomenon, which, to our knowledge, has been described only in
      Oguchi's disease and X-linked cone dystrophy. These findings, together with
      experimental observations and data from the literature, led us to hypothesize
      that the Mizuo-Nakamura phenomenon is caused by an excess of extracellular
      potassium in the retina as a result of a decreased potassium scavenging capacity
      of retinal Muller cells.

PMID- 1867554
TI  - Retinal thickness analysis for quantitative assessment of diabetic macular edema.
AB  - Diabetic macular edema is a major cause of vision loss and is evaluated with
      qualitative or semiquantitative techniques. A new quantitative method for
      assessment of macular edema using retinal thickness analysis was applied to 19
      patients with diabetic macular edema. Foveal thickening was frequently coupled
      with poor visual acuity. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy and stereophotography detected
      80% and 78% of local areas of thickening, respectively, but failed to detect
      locations with average thicknesses of 1.5 and 1.6 times normal, respectively.
      Fluorescein leakage on angiography was generally associated with retinal
      thickening, but locations with similar degrees of leakage had widely varying
      retinal thickening. Fluorescein leakage in the posterior vitreous correlated
      poorly with the degree of foveal thickening. These results indicate that
      quantitative measurement of retinal thickness may become useful in the management
      of diabetic patients with macular edema.

PMID- 1867555
TI  - Congenital optic tract syndrome.
AB  - We describe two patients with complete homonymous hemianopia who were unaware of
      their visual field defects. The clinical impression of an optic tract syndrome
      was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging, which showed absence of the
      corresponding tract in each case. The pathogenesis of congenital absence of the
      optic tract is unclear but it could represent either a primary failure of
      development or secondary atrophy due to focal injury during the perinatal period.

PMID- 1867556
TI  - Electroretinographic monitoring of retinal function during eye surgery.
AB  - We performed a pilot study of electroretinographic monitoring of retinal function
      during eye surgery performed with local anesthesia. A contact lens with a built
      in light-emitting diode was sterilized and used as both a stimulus source and a
      recording electrode for 30-Hz flicker electroretinograms. Each recording required
      7 seconds, during which the operating light (but not the room light) was switched
      off. Electroretinograms recorded during surgery on 10 patients with minimal
      retinal abnormality were evaluated for the effects of light adaptation caused by
      regular exposure to an operating light source or operating microscope. The
      fluctuations of the amplitude and peak time were small, indicating that this
      technique can be used to monitor retinal function during eye surgery. Some
      results during retinal and vitreous surgeries are shown.

PMID- 1867557
TI  - Effect of temperature on electroretinograph readings during closed vitrectomy in
      humans.
AB  - To determine whether intraocular cooling using room-temperature irrigating
      solution can cause abnormal electroretinograph readings, we operated on six
      patients with premacular fibrosis and minimal retinal detachment, measuring the
      temperature in the vitreous cavity and using an electroretinographic monitor. The
      temperature in the vitreous cavity dropped to 27 degrees C to 28 degrees C after
      vitrectomies during which room-temperature solutions were used. This resulted in
      abnormal electroretinograph readings (markedly delayed peak times and reduced
      amplitudes). These results suggest that the routinely used room-temperature
      solution affects retinal function during vitrectomy; however, this functional
      change was reversible in patients having only minimal retinal abnormality.

PMID- 1867558
TI  - Corneal choristoma with microphthalmos.
AB  - We report two rare cases of corneal choristoma with microphthalmos. In both
      cases, the whole thickness of the cornea, as well as the anterior chamber and
      iris, was replaced by cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue. In case 1, diagnosed as
      dermoid choristoma, the cutaneous tissue contained skin appendages and
      subcutaneous fibrofatty tissue extended into the vitreous cavity. The fibrous
      mass in the cavity contained fragments of retina. In case 2, diagnosed as a
      dermislike choristoma, the cutaneous tissue lacked skin appendages. These
      choristomatous cutaneous tissues hindered normal growth of ocular structures,
      resulting in microphthalmos. Use of computed tomography was helpful in evaluating
      the extent of ocular tissue involvement and accompanying intraocular
      malformations.

PMID- 1867560
TI  - Superior oblique adjustable suture surgery. A rabbit model.
AB  - Adjustable suture techniques have played a limited role in superior oblique
      muscle surgery. In this study, one of two different adjustable suture techniques
      was performed on the superior oblique muscle of 12 rabbit eyes. One day after
      surgery, each muscle was advanced using the adjustable suture and was permanently
      secured to the eye. No significant difference was noted in the amount of force (P
      = .4603) necessary to advance the muscle with either of the procedures.
      Postmortem examinations performed several weeks after both procedures
      demonstrated that the superior oblique muscle was firmly attached to the globe in
      the same position where it was left following the adjustment. Adjustable suture
      techniques may be useful alternatives to traditional superior oblique muscle
      surgery.

PMID- 1867559
TI  - Retinal artery obstruction and atheromas associated with non-Hodgkin's large cell
      lymphoma (reticulum cell sarcoma).
AB  - A 71-year-old woman developed branch retinal artery obstruction as the presenting
      manifestation of a large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Multifocal chorioretinal
      scars were present in the same eye. She experienced progressive visual loss
      accompanied by development of multiple yellow retinal arterial wall plaques,
      extension of retinal opacification into other quadrants, and increasing vitreous
      cellular infiltration. Clinical diagnoses included branch retinal arterial
      obstruction caused by toxoplasmosis retinitis, multifocal choroiditis and
      panuveitis simulating the presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, vitiliginous
      chorioretinitis, and the acute retinal necrosis syndrome. Four months after
      onset, the right eye was blind and was enucleated. Histopathologic examination
      revealed extensive lymphomatous infiltration and necrosis of the retina and optic
      nerve. The retinal arteries were partly obstructed by lymphomatous infiltration
      and atheromas. Subsequently, the left eye and central nervous system were
      involved by lymphoma.

PMID- 1867561
TI  - Comparative efficacies of soft contact lens disinfectant solutions against
      microbial films in lens cases.
AB  - Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus
      epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Candida albicans, established in the
      wells of a polyethylene contact lens case, retained viability to certain soft
      contact lens disinfectant solutions after exposure for the manufacturer's minimum
      recommended disinfection times. The relative order of resistance of bacterial
      biofilms was as follows: S marcescens was greater than P aeruginosa, which was
      greater than S epidermidis, which was greater than S pyogenes. Air drying of
      biofilms for 10 hours increased the efficacy of the disinfectant solutions, but
      drying was not enough to decrease the incidence of recovery to 0% for all
      solutions. Hydrogen peroxide was more effective against biofilms than
      disinfectant solutions formulated with chlorhexidine gluconate or polyquaternium
      1 or polyaminopropyl biguanide. We recommend that determination of efficacy of
      contact lens disinfectant solutions should include challenges against biofilms.

PMID- 1867562
TI  - Amelanotic malignant melanoma of the eyelid.

PMID- 1867563
TI  - A simple method of conjunctival dissection for Gunderson flaps.
AB  - In this study we describe a method for simplifying the often frustrating and time
      consuming task of dissecting conjunctiva from underlying Tenon's capsule during
      Gunderson flap procedures. Using gentian violet marks as a guide, a needle and
      two pairs of scissors are used in series to separate superior bulbar conjunctiva
      from the superficial layers of Tenon's capsule along a series of semimeridians.
      The techniques provides the surgeon with important landmarks, reduces the risk of
      inadvertent buttonholing, and minimizes conjunctival retraction caused by uneven
      dissection of Tenon's capsule.

PMID- 1867564
TI  - Instrumentation for superior cortex removal.
AB  - A recently developed aspiration tip and suction distributor for use in cataract
      surgery allow two-handed aspiration of the residual cortex lentis through the two
      incisions used in two-handed phacoemulsification. The instruments also facilitate
      removal of the cortex lentis at the 12 o'clock position, which is sometimes
      difficult to aspirate with an irrigation-aspiration tip only.

PMID- 1867565
TI  - [Proceedings report 1991 of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology,Head and
      Neck Surgery. Part I. Partial resection of the larynx in neoplasms and
      otorhinolaryngologic diseases in children].

PMID- 1867566
TI  - [Allergic manifestations in the ENT area in childhood].

PMID- 1867567
TI  - [Laryngeal dissection with chordectomy and vertical laryngeal resection].

PMID- 1867568
TI  - [Conservative surgical treatment of supraglottic cancer and lymph node
      metastases].

PMID- 1867569
TI  - [Larynx and hypopharynx cancers--endoscopic surgery with laser: possibilities and
      limits].

PMID- 1867570
TI  - [The three-quarters laryngectomy--personal experience, indications, surgical
      technique, results].

PMID- 1867571
TI  - [Subtotal functional laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy].

PMID- 1867572
TI  - [Partial surgery in treatment of cancers of the piriform sinus and lateral
      epilarynx].

PMID- 1867574
TI  - [Sinusitis in childhood].

PMID- 1867573
TI  - [Secretory otitis media].

PMID- 1867575
TI  - [Snoring and sleep-related respiratory disorders in children--clinical aspects,
      differential diagnoses and indications for adenotonsillectomy].

PMID- 1867576
TI  - Uterine activity in dysfunctional labour and target uterine activity to be aimed
      with oxytocin titration.
AB  - Uterine activity was quantified using a transducer tipped intrauterine catheter
      in 75 nulliparous women with dysfunctional labour. The active contraction area
      profiles in these women were below the median levels reported for those who had
      normal progress of labour from our institution. When uterine activity was
      augmented with oxytocin, 90.7% progressed in labour and delivered vaginally. Six
      patients (8%) showed poor progress despite good uterine activity and had to be
      delivered by caesarean section (CS) for failure to progress and signs of
      cephalopelvic disproportion. The pre- and post-augmentation uterine activity were
      similar in those who delivered vaginally or by CS and was not helpful in
      identifying those who had cephalopelvic disproportion. Of the 75 women who had
      slow progress of labour, 50 had a contraction frequency of less than 1 in 3 min
      whilst 25 had a minimum frequency of 1 in 3 min or more. All except one in the
      latter group delivered vaginally when oxytocin was titrated to achieve a
      contraction frequency of 1 in 2 to 2 1/2 min which were clinically judged to be
      adequate based on a duration greater than 40 sec. Oxytocin should be titrated to
      achieve a target contraction frequency of 1 in 2 to 2 1/2 min lasting greater
      than 40 sec to achieve good obstetric outcome in those with dysfunctional labour.

PMID- 1867577
TI  - Clinicostatistical study of low potential malignancy ovarian cystadenoma
      (borderline cases).
AB  - The number of ovarian cystadenoma of low potential malignancy (abbreviation: LPM)
      was 31 (5.7%) among common epithelial tumors [benign cystadenoma = 400 (74.0%),
      carcinoma = 110 (20.3%)]. Their mean ages, bilaterlity, frequency of ascites and
      nulligravidity were situated intermediately between those of benign cystadenoma
      and carcinoma. Abdominal tumor, distention, pain and metromenorrhagia were the
      main symptoms, although gastrointestinal complaints were rare in LPM cystadenoma.
      With LPM cystadenoma, 19 (61.3%) patients were at stage I, 7 (22.6%) at stage II
      and 5 (16.1%) at stage III, but with carcinoma, 44 (40.0%) were at stage III-IV
      [33 (30.0%) at stage I, and 31 (28.2%) at stage II]. The 5-year actuarial
      survival rate was 90% for LPM cystadenoma, but 43% for carcinoma. These results
      suggest that the clinical and biological features as well as the histological
      definition of LPM cystadenoma are situated intermediately between those of benign
      cystadenoma and carcinoma.

PMID- 1867578
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of rubella infection by fetal blood sampling.
AB  - Prenatal diagnosis of rubella infection was attempted at 21 to 23 weeks of
      gestation by measuring rubella-specific IgM by ELISA in blood obtained from 16
      fetuses whose mothers had been confirmed rubella infection during pregnancy.
      Specific IgM was detected in 9 fetuses. In 1 case, the time of the appearance of
      the rash was 20 weeks of gestation and this pregnancy went to term resulting in a
      healthy baby without clinical evidence of congenital rubella. The remaining 8
      patients had their pregnancies terminated, and fetal infection was confirmed by
      blood tests after the abortion. No specific IgM was detected in the 7 other
      fetuses. However, in 2 IgM fetal blood negative cases whose mothers had had the
      rash at 17 and 20 weeks of gestation, the neonates showed positive IgM findings,
      but were apparently healthy. The reasons for the false-negative findings are
      discussed.

PMID- 1867579
TI  - Puerperal haematomas.
AB  - Forty-seven out of 31,628 patients delivered in our hospital over the past 5
      years developed puerperal genital tract haematomas. Four cases, representing
      different types of haematoma which required different managements, were presented
      to illustrate this problem. A literature review was also made.

PMID- 1867580
TI  - Immediate postoperative oral hydration after caesarean section.
AB  - A study was carried out to assess the effects of immediate postoperative oral
      rehydration in 51 unpremedicated women undergoing caesarean section under
      epidural anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: group 1 (n
      = 22)--fasting at least until 24 hours after the end of the operation, and group
      2 (n = 29)--receiving immediate oral intake of fluids (water, tea or coffee with
      sugar) without limitation of quantity. The 2 groups were compared for the
      occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, onset of peristalsis, rectal gas
      emission, first bowel movement, and possible complications. The results
      demonstrate no significant differences between the parturients who drank
      immediately postoperatively as compared to those in whom oral fluid intake was
      delayed for 24 hours or more. It is concluded that immediate postoperative oral
      rehydration had no harmful effect upon peristalsis post-caesarean section.

PMID- 1867581
TI  - The comparison of the efficacy among three different nimorazole regimens in the
      treatment of bacterial vaginosis.
AB  - The efficacy of 3 different nimorazole regimens in treating bacterial vaginosis
      in women was evaluated. The regimens consisted of: Nimorazole 2 g single dose
      (Group I), 1 g per day for 3 days (Group II), and 1 g per day for 7 days (Group
      III) orally. In a simple randomized trial of 90 cases (30 cases in each group)
      with demonstrated clinical bacterial vaginosis on the presence of 3 of 5 of the
      following signs: (1) Characteristic thin homogenous discharge; (2) vaginal pH
      greater than 4.5; (3) release of a fishy amine odor from vaginal fluid mixed with
      10% KOH; (4) presence of clue cells (usually representing at least 20% of vaginal
      epithelial cells); and (5) vaginal fluid contains few or no lactobacilli. Cure
      rates for bacterial vaginosis by nimorazole were 70.0% (21/30), 83.3% (25/30),
      and 90.0% (27/30) in Group I, II, and III, respectively. Thus nimorazole is
      another effective drug for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis.

PMID- 1867582
TI  - Low birth weight in Kuala Lumpur.
AB  - Low birth weight babies are defined as those weighing under 2,500 g. They make
      13.5% of all births at the Maternity Hospital, Kuala Lumpur but contribute to
      74.8% of all deaths. They are most likely to be Indian babies and least likely to
      be Chinese. Among all 3 communities, the primigravidae tend to produce smaller
      babies than multiparae but this is also true for the Indian of parity more than
      3. The Malay teenager is more likely to produce small babies than their older
      counterparts but not so with the Indian and Chinese. There are definite clinical
      factors associated with or causing the births of small babies and the lighter the
      baby, the more influential are these factors. Maternal hypertension, antepartum
      haemorrhage, multiple pregnancy and unexplained intrauterine death are the 4
      outstanding associations with both low birth weight and perinatal death. Although
      the spontaneous (often premature) onset of labour was the commonest preceding
      factor, it was much less important in the lowest birth weight groups of babies
      and was a less important contributor to perinatal death.

PMID- 1867583
TI  - Postmenopausal sexuality in Thai women.
AB  - We evaluate sexuality in 100 natural menopausal women as pertains to hormones,
      symptoms related to intercourse, and marital relationship with sexual desire,
      orgasm and coital frequency. The mean age was 56.8 years while menopausal age was
      50.3 years. The postmenopausal syndrome presented 55.0% occurring 1 to 7 years
      after menopause (mean 3.4 years). The common sexual problems after menopause were
      loss of libido, orgasmic dysfunction, and dyspareunia. Both sexual desire and
      activity decreased when compared with premenopausal period. Ninety percent of the
      subjects had sexual desire less than once a month. Only 14% of the subjects
      occasionally reached orgasm while the other 86% never had orgasm after menopause.
      The levels of FSH, LH, estradiol and testosterone were also reported. There was
      no correlation of hormone estradiol and testosterone, symptoms related to
      intercourse and marital relationship with sexual desire, orgasm, or coital
      frequency.

PMID- 1867584
TI  - Effect of estrogen and progesterone on the growth of human ovarian dysgerminoma
      heterotransplanted to athymic nude mice.
AB  - The effects of estrogen and progesterone on the growth of dysgerminoma of ovary
      heterotransplanted to ovariectomized athymic nude mice (OVX-NUs) were examined.
      OVX-NUs were divided into 6 groups and a subcutaneous injection of either 1
      micrograms or 10 micrograms of estradiol (E1 or E10), 0.1 mg or 1 mg of
      progesterone (P0.1 or P1), or a combination treatment of E1 and P1 (E1 + P1), or
      sesame oil as a vehicle control (oil) was given every other day for 2 weeks.
      Tumor size was recorded every day and the volume doubling time (VDT) was
      calculated. Tumor bearing OVX-NUs were killed on day 21 and tumor tissue was
      excised for retransplantation, histological examination and cytosol receptor
      assay. E10 treatment accelerated tumor growth and shortened VDT to 25 hours
      compared to 44 hours for the control group. P1 treatment delayed the tumor growth
      (VDT: 71 hrs) and E1 + P1 treatment further inhibited it (VDT: 197 hrs). E1 or
      P0.1 did not have any effect on the tumor growth. The levels of both the estrogen
      receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) of the original tumor were 5 fmol/mg
      protein, respectively. Hormone treatment had no remarkable effect, except for a
      significant increase in PR after estrogen treatment and this result seems to be
      responsible for the enhanced inhibitory effect of E + P on tumor growth. These
      effects were also observed histologically. In conclusion, the dysgerminoma used
      in this study was sex steroid hormone dependent and P alone or in combination
      with E could be a choice for the treatment of such ovarian dysgerminoma.

PMID- 1867586
TI  - Time series analysis of biologically active luteinizing hormone concentrations
      during different stages of the menstrual cycle.
AB  - The biologically active luteinizing hormone concentrations (as measured by
      testosterone production by mouse Leydig cells in response to LH) were measured in
      integrated hourly blood samples collected over 24-hour study periods during
      different stages of the menstrual cycle from a group of regularly cyclic women.
      Time series analyses were used to analyse the ultradian rhythms in each
      individual 24-hour LH profile. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) showed the presence
      of several ultradian rhythms with different periodicities (varying from 4.4 to 22
      hours) in most of the LH profiles. In some of the LH profiles several ultradian
      rhythms appeared to co-exist. The commonest significant rhythm as detected by the
      FFT had a periodicity of 7-9 hours during both the follicular phase (40% of the
      subjects) and the mid cycle (50% of the subjects) and a periodicity of 5-7 hours
      during the luteal phase (44% of the subjects).

PMID- 1867585
TI  - Plasma vitamin A and carotene in maternal and cord blood.
AB  - Mean plasma vitamin A and carotene levels in 200 pregnant women at term were 30.3
      mcg% and 43.6 mcg%. Sixty-four percent of women had vitamin A in lower limit of
      normal (less than 33 mcg%) and 26% had deficient and low levels of carotene. Mean
      values of plasma vitamin A and carotene in cord blood was 13.7 mcg% and 16.5
      mcg%, respectively, and lower than that of maternal blood at term. Women who had
      adequate levels of vitamin A (greater than 33 mcg%) in blood had significantly
      higher intake of vitamin A. Similarly the newborn babies of those mothers who had
      adequate levels of vitamin A had significantly higher levels of vitamin A than
      those of mothers who had inadequate levels (less than 33 mcg%).

PMID- 1867587
TI  - Risk determination in cases with an extra minute chromosome: prenatal diagnosis.
AB  - The interpretation of an extra minute chromosome (EMC) detected in utero presents
      both diagnostic and prognostic problems. Two EMC cases are presented and a flow
      chart guideline is proposed for the determination of developmental risk. A
      prenatally detected EMC was familially inherited through a normal phenotype
      father. The pregnancy was continued and a normal baby boy was delivered. At one
      year his development was within normal ranges. The second EMC case was a mentally
      retarded girl examined at 4 years and 7 months of age. The EMC was identified
      with a combination of various staining techniques to be an inversion duplication
      (15). The importance of differential diagnosis of EMCs by DA/DAPI staining is
      emphasized.

PMID- 1867588
TI  - Flow cytometric DNA analysis with use of normal lymph node cells as an internal
      reference standard in ovarian cancer.
AB  - Fresh frozen and paraffin-embedded tumor specimens of 21 patients with ovarian
      cancer were investigated by means of flow cytometry. In 4 patients, the fresh
      frozen tumor specimens (fresh tumor specimens) of ovarian tumors were measured
      for the DNA ploidy and index. We used the paraffin-embedded normal lymph node
      tissue specimens which were acquired from retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy as the
      internal reference standard (IS). In all 21 patients, the paraffin-embedded tumor
      specimens mixed with a lymph node specimen as an IS (tumor specimen with IS) were
      measured. In addition, all 21 paraffin-embedded tumor specimens without a lymph
      node tissue specimen (tumor specimens without IS) were measured. In 4 cases which
      were measured with the fresh tumor specimens, all 4 tumor specimens with IS had
      the same patterns of DNA ploidy as the fresh tumor specimens. Of 21 patients, 6
      patients showed different DNA ploidy patterns between the tumor specimens with
      and without IS. Furthermore, all of these 6 patients showed diploidy in the tumor
      specimens without IS while showing aneuploidy in the tumor specimens with IS.
      Fourteen (66.7%) of 21 tumor specimens with IS were aneuploidy despite aneuploidy
      of only 8 (38.1%) tumor specimens without IS. All 4 patients with stage I had
      diploidy in the tumor specimens with IS, and 13 (81.3%) of 16 patients with stage
      III or IV had aneuploidy. All 8 patients with diploidy in the tumor specimens
      with IS had survived for 1-2 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867589
TI  - Measles immunisation in Australian children.

PMID- 1867590
TI  - Life threatening infections.
AB  - The importance of the rare infections discussed in this article lies in their
      potential for causing illness and death and the need for prompt and often
      specific management. Some are associated with characteristic features; others,
      however, are non specific in presentation. Only a high index of suspicion will
      ensure correct diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1867592
TI  - Notification of disease. Worthwhile or not?
AB  - Disease notification is part of the community surveillance system for control of
      infectious diseases, but it has fallen into disuse. Understanding the goals and
      mechanisms of surveillance allows us to respond most appropriately to the needs
      of both our patients and the community.

PMID- 1867591
TI  - Update on HIV infection.
AB  - With more effective therapies and prophylaxis for HIV infection and its sequelae,
      survival is steadily improving. This article outlines some of these recent
      advances in therapy as well as the epidemiology, transmission and natural history
      of the infection. Prolonged survival and the trend towards earlier intervention
      have resulted in an increasing role for the primary physician. Clinical and
      laboratory monitoring of the 'asymptomatic' patient are discussed, with emphasis
      on selection of the most appropriate times for various medical interventions.

PMID- 1867593
TI  - Common skin infections.
AB  - A variety of skin infections is seen in general practice. Because the diagnosis
      can often be made clinically, therapy can be initiated before laboratory results
      are obtained. Some of the common skin infections are discussed in this article.

PMID- 1867594
TI  - Conjunctivitis.
AB  - Most cases of conjunctivitis are either viral in origin, which makes them
      extremely contagious and usually self-limited, or bacterial, which usually
      requires topical antibiotic therapy. Prolonged follicular conjunctivitis should
      be considered chlamydial in origin and requires systematic antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1867595
TI  - Cholesteatomatous otitis media.
AB  - Cholesteatomas are cysts or sacs of keratinising squamous epithelium found in the
      middle ear cleft. The presentation of these lesions may be similar to that of
      chronic otitis media, but because of their predisposition towards major
      complications, surgery is the treatment of choice.

PMID- 1867596
TI  - Journal clubs for general practitioners.
AB  - Journal clubs are one of the principal means by which hospital-based specialists
      keep up-to-date and engage in clinical discussion. General practitioners often
      feel isolated in their surgeries, and have limited opportunities to participate
      in discussion of journal articles, peer review or case presentation. A journal
      club run by general practitioners in their homes is described and recommended to
      all family physicians as an excellent learning experience.

PMID- 1867597
TI  - Bicipital tendinitis.

PMID- 1867598
TI  - Mastalgia.
AB  - Mastalgia (breast pain) is the commonest breast problem women present with in
      general practice. Mastalgia can be apparent, when due to referred pain or
      costochondritis, for instance; or real, when it can be localised or diffused.
      Diffused pain can be cyclical or non cyclical. An important association of
      cyclical mastalgia is benign mammary dysplasia (fibroadenosis). It is important
      to exclude malignancy and to reassure patients.

PMID- 1867599
TI  - Nerve blocks for the face.

PMID- 1867600
TI  - Patient education. Mastitis.

PMID- 1867601
TI  - Withdrawal wobblies.

PMID- 1867602
TI  - Functional status measures in general practice. WONCA Classification Committee.
AB  - The International Classification Committee of WONCA met in Sydney in July 1990 to
      further develop functional status measures for use in general practice and to
      plan revision of the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) and
      other classifications for primary care (Further reading). This paper is the first
      in a series on functional status measures and classification arising from the
      meeting. It presents an overview of the discussions and outcomes.

PMID- 1867604
TI  - The false negative mammogram.

PMID- 1867603
TI  - Some 'sort of vascular phenomenon'.

PMID- 1867605
TI  - Another headache.

PMID- 1867606
TI  - Australian Rational Recovery--a new approach to chemical dependency.

PMID- 1867607
TI  - Incidence of Q fever.

PMID- 1867608
TI  - Towards effective surgical audit.

PMID- 1867609
TI  - Developing a system for surgical audit.
AB  - A system for surgical audit, which has been developed during a 6 year period in
      an active surgical unit of a teaching hospital, is described. Following a review
      of the first 3 years of our computerized audit, major modifications to the audit
      processes and computer program were made. The key lessons for systematic
      practical surgical audit include the collection of essential data only,
      establishing audit processes within current department practices, verification of
      data by consultants, and the provision of incentives for all users. The current
      system is proving a valuable resource for quality assurance, surgical training
      and departmental management.

PMID- 1867611
TI  - General surgical manpower, Victoria, Australia.
AB  - To provide information for the planning of general surgical manpower in Victoria
      for the next 2 decades, an attempt was made to establish a statewide profile of
      surgical practices and an analysis of surgical activity to determine whether
      surgeons' and the community's needs were being met. Of 343 practising general
      surgeons, 280 furnished returns to a questionnaire--a return rate of 81.6%.
      Responses to the questionnaire reveal that the current surgeon-to-population
      ratio is optimal, although certain imbalances and concerns exist. Surgeons are
      fully occupied regardless of age, location of practice or type of practice, and
      they work long hours. Most surgeons regard themselves as not overworked and most
      are satisfied, although not all do the type of work they would prefer. Current
      surgical training programmes, however, appear inadequate for future needs.

PMID- 1867610
TI  - Experience with biliary audit.
AB  - Experience with an audit of surgery for gallstones is discussed. Three hundred
      and forty-six patients were treated in a three and a half year period. There was
      no mortality. There was a duct exploration rate of 17%, an infection rate of
      8.6%, and a re-operation rate for retained bile duct stone of 1.6%. Bile was
      cultured from 278 gall-bladders and culture was positive in 66 cases (23.7%). The
      most common organisms grown were coliforms and streptococci. Our antibiotic
      policy has changed as a result of this study. Audit is becoming increasingly
      necessary in surgical practice, not only for research purposes, but also to
      monitor performance. The design can be broad, to identify groups of patients for
      further study, or narrow, to concentrate on a particular problem. Someone must be
      responsible for checking the completed forms for accuracy before the data are
      entered into the computer. It is important that the form be as simple as
      possible. Forms which are too detailed will be filled in inaccurately or not at
      all.

PMID- 1867612
TI  - Regionalization of trauma services in western Sydney: predicted effect on
      ambulance and hospital utilization rates.
AB  - A previous study has demonstrated the effectiveness of ambulance staff in
      identifying the majority of trauma victims who warrant admission to a Level 3
      Hospital. This paper applied the results of that study in order to estimate the
      likely effect of a system of bypass whereby these identified patients are
      transported to a Level 3 hospital rather than the nearest Level 1 or 2 Hospital.
      Under the proposed plan whereby both Westmead and Liverpool Hospitals would be
      granted Level 3 status, the effect of Westmead would be negligible. However,
      Liverpool's caseload would increase (25% for total admissions, 136% for serious
      admissions) and, consequently, its level of resources would need to be upgraded
      before this plan can be put into action. Meanwhile, Level 1 and 2 hospitals would
      see little change to total patient admissions, although there would be a
      substantial drop in serious admissions (-63%). Under the proposed system, the
      effects on the Ambulance Service would also be negligible in terms of both the
      number of transports and total transport hours. However, the nature of these
      transports would change. More time would be required in bypass cases, although
      this would be compensated for by a corresponding fall off in interhospital
      transfers (28% decline in time spent on transfers). Ultimately, this means that
      patients would be getting to the hospital of definitive care much sooner. These
      results have implications for the development of trauma services in other
      sectors.

PMID- 1867613
TI  - Basal skull fractures. A prospective study of 100 consecutive admissions.
AB  - A prospective study of 100 consecutive patients with basal skull fracture
      admitted to the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur between July 1986 and October
      1988 was carried out to study its epidemiological pattern, clinical and
      radiological presentations, mechanisms of injury, time interval between accidents
      and neurosurgical referrals, complications and outcomes. Two-thirds of the
      patients were between 20 and 50 years old and 79% were male. Half of the injured
      were motorcyclists and 22% were pedestrians. Three-quarters of the patients were
      seen within an hour after injury. Thirty-two patients had intracranial
      haematomas: 14 subdural, 9 extradural and 9 intracerebral. Three patients
      developed meningitis (two after operations) and six developed epilepsy. Eighteen
      patients died, but good recovery resulted in 70 patients at follow-up of 1 to 28
      months. A small subgroup of 15 patients with severe ear and nose bleeding as a
      result of basal venous sinus tear died within a few hours despite aggressive
      resuscitation, probably due to underlying severe brain stem injury. The
      implication of the high incidence of basal skull fractures in motorcyclists,
      despite the enforcement of crash helmets is discussed, with possible mechanisms
      proposed.

PMID- 1867614
TI  - Intussusception in Newcastle in a 25 year period.
AB  - The history of intussusception in Newcastle in a quarter of a century is
      presented by analysis of patient presentation and the results of management. The
      figures for the early years are incomplete, retrieved from one hospital in the
      area. For the years 1976-1988, all cases were managed by two paediatric surgeons
      who kept individual disease indices. One hundred and sixty-five episodes of
      intussusception in 153 patients were reviewed in this study. There was one death
      in the series, whereas there had been several in the years preceding it. There
      has been an improvement in the success of hydrostatic and later pneumatic
      reduction. These changes are attributed to the development of appropriate skills
      resulting from concentration of the management of this problem in the hands of
      paediatric surgeons and radiologists with special training and interest in
      paediatrics. Enema reduction has been used more aggressively in recent years and
      has widened criteria. In the series there were 8 patients with causal lead
      points, none associated with recurrence. The overall recurrence rate within the
      series was estimated at 8%. There seems to be a high incidence of intussusception
      in doctors' families.

PMID- 1867615
TI  - Comparison of the performance of visual and verbal multiple-choice questions.
AB  - A study was carried out to determine whether multiple-choice questions based on
      visual trigger material, such as micrographs, photographs or radiographs, were
      more difficult and more discriminating than corresponding verbal questions
      testing: (i) the same information; (ii) different information in the same content
      area. Seventy-seven question triplets, each of which contained a visual (X)
      question, a verbal (Y) question testing the same information and a verbal (Z)
      question testing different information in the same content area were set in
      twelve Part 1 FRACS examinations. The questions were arranged in such a way that
      the X and Z questions in a triplet were set in the same examination, while the Y
      question was set in the corresponding examination of the previous or the
      following year. The specific outcomes studied were those on facility index and r
      biserial discriminating index. An analysis of variance on the data pertaining to
      each index did not indicate significant differences among the groups. None of the
      differences between pairs of mean facility indices among question groups X, Y and
      Z was found to be significant at P less than 0.05, nor were any of the
      differences between pairs of r biserial discriminating indices found to be
      significant at P less than 0.05. It was concluded that visual questions set in
      the Part 1 FRACS examination were not demonstrably more difficult or more
      discriminating than the corresponding verbal questions. The findings do not
      detract, however, from the obvious importance of visual recognition for future
      surgeons.

PMID- 1867617
TI  - Wound infiltration with 0.25% bupivacaine not effective for postoperative
      analgesia after cholecystectomy.
AB  - The instillation of local anaesthetic agents into surgical wounds has been
      reported to be an effective method of reducing pain and narcotic requirements,
      using both local injection and topical application techniques. We performed a
      double-blind trial to test the value of the long-acting local anaesthetic,
      bupivacaine, in this role. Eighty patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy
      were entered into the study. They were divided into 2 groups of 40 patients to
      compare a local injection technique with a topical application technique. For
      each route of application, 20 patients received a test solution containing 0.25%
      plain bupivacaine, and 20 received 0.9% NaCl as a control. Postoperative
      analgesia in the form of intramuscular pethidine (1-1.5 mg/kg) was made available
      to all patients on request. The degree of postoperative pain was assessed using
      three criteria: the time from operation to the first request for analgesia, the
      total dose of postoperative pethidine required during the first 3 postoperative
      days and the patient's rating of pain on a 10 cm linear analogue scale at 24 h
      and 72 h. There was no statistically significant difference between the degree of
      postoperative pain experienced by patients receiving bupivacaine and those
      receiving NaCl, when assessed by any criterion. There was also no significant
      difference found between patients receiving bupivacaine by local infiltration and
      those receiving the drug topically. It is concluded that the local application of
      bupivacaine to the wound is not an effective analgesic technique following
      laparotomy for cholecystectomy.

PMID- 1867618
TI  - Brachiobasilic fistula with autogenous basilic vein: surgical technique and pilot
      study.
AB  - This pilot study examined the efficacy of the brachiobasilic fistula formed by a
      loop of autogenous basilic vein in 15 consecutive patients requiring secondary
      access. The technique of its construction is also described. The fistula survival
      at 1 year was 70% and at 2 years was 50%. The major complications were late
      fistula thrombosis and stenosis. No patient developed an infected fistula or
      chronic forearm oedema. Fistula assessment monitoring was used to verify the
      patency of the fistula. This study provides preliminary evidence that this
      fistula is useful as a secondary access. A randomized prospective study of
      saphenous vein, basilic vein and polytetrafluoroethylene for secondary access
      construction would establish the relative merits of these three conduits.

PMID- 1867616
TI  - Effects of Furegrelate (Upjohn 63557A) on patency and platelet deposition after
      canine carotid endarterectomy.
AB  - Platelet deposition upon endarterectomy sites is a likely cause for early
      postoperative thrombosis, embolism and restenosis. Platelets aggregate by the
      thromboxane-prostacycline mechanism. Thromboxane synthetase inhibitors which have
      been safely administered to humans should reduce platelet deposition after
      surgical therapy and therefore reduce peri-operative mortality and the prevalence
      of stroke. A randomized prospective controlled trial was designed to determine
      vessel patency and platelet deposition associated with the use of 3 mg/kg and 30
      mg/kg of Furegrelate (Upjohn U63557A) daily in dogs, who were to have carotid
      endarterectomy. The 46 treated and 46 control dogs had total carotid patency of
      96% and 76% respectively (P less than 0.01). Fourteen dogs treated with 30 mg/kg
      Furegrelate had no occlusions, compared with a 19% prevalence in 13 controls (P
      less than 0.02). Furegrelate 10 mg/kg significantly lowered platelet aggregation.
      Platelet deposition was not significantly changed, however. The reason for this
      disparity was a probable persistence of vessel wall factors which promoted
      platelet deposition. This approach might therefore lower rates of peri-operative
      thrombosis but it would be very unlikely to alter the incidence of restenosis or
      embolism. Further research could be directed towards modifying the stimuli for
      platelet deposition upon the endarterectomy site.

PMID- 1867619
TI  - Mid-ileal stricture and spinal injury sustained by a 7 year old child restrained
      by a lap seat belt involved in a motor vehicle accident.
AB  - Lap belts are a feature of the middle seat occupant in the rear seat of most
      Australian family cars. Without the provision of a child harness, they are
      inadequate to restrain children under eight years of age. We report a motor
      vehicle accident involving a seven year old child wearing an adult lap belt which
      resulted in an ileal stricture and a potentially unstable distraction injury of
      the lumbar spine.

PMID- 1867620
TI  - An example of unusual distal venous spread in rectal cancer.
AB  - A patient with a distal venous metastasis of a carcinoma of the rectum is
      reported. This is an unusual finding and a suggested mechanism for its occurrence
      is discussed.

PMID- 1867621
TI  - Primary carcinoid tumour of the ileum associated with massive gastrointestinal
      haemorrhage.
AB  - A case of massive gastrointestinal haemorrhage due to a 3 mm primary carcinoid
      tumour of the ileum is described. Previously described instances of this problem
      have been due to larger tumours. The site of the haemorrhage was suggested by a
      technetium-labelled RBC isotope scan. The lesion was visualized by 'on-table'
      endoscopy via the colon and ileo-caecal valve. The patient did well after
      segmental resection of the lesion. This case highlights the diagnosis and current
      approach to massive lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

PMID- 1867622
TI  - Cortical neuroanatomical correlates of behavioral deficits produced by lesion of
      the basal forebrain in rats.
AB  - Morphological changes in the frontoparietal cortex were assessed in rats that
      exhibited deficits in a go/no go alternation task due to electrolytic lesion of
      the basal forebrain. Cortical area, laminar thickness, neuronal density, and soma
      area were examined in frontal, hindlimb, forelimb, and parietal areas of the
      cortex. Quantitative morphological analysis of the frontoparietal cortex in
      lesioned rats revealed a decrease in laminar thickness due to reduced soma size
      in particular cortical laminae. Neuronal density was not affected. These effects
      were present in all cortical areas examined and most pronounced in laminae II
      III. Similar morphological changes were observed in the same cortical areas
      following lesions of the basal forebrain made with ibotenic acid, allowing a
      discrimination of lesion effects from those induced by damage to fibers of
      passage or differential behavioral testing. Lesions of the basal forebrain have
      previously been shown to produce both behavioral deficits and changes in cortical
      cholinergic activity. The cortical morphological changes observed in the present
      study following basal forebrain lesion provide further evidence for the
      importance of ascending cholinergic inputs to the cortex and their role in
      learning and memory.

PMID- 1867623
TI  - Mere exposure to telereceptive cues facilitates intake of a novel flavor in
      chickens (Gallus domesticus).
AB  - This experiment investigated whether mere exposure to visual cues of a
      distinctively colored solution (water) would facilitate intake of a novel flavor
      (vinegar) of the same distinctive color. Eighty-four chicks received access to
      clear water, clear vinegar, red water, or red vinegar under conditions which
      permitted drinking or they received access to clear water or red water under
      conditions (mere exposure) which prevented drinking. All chicks were then tested
      on intake of red vinegar. Chicks which had received mere exposure or ingestional
      experience with red-colored water drank reliably more red vinegar than did chicks
      which had received prior ingestional experience with the novel taste, vinegar,
      but not with the visual cues of red. However, intake of red vinegar was reliably
      greater following ingestional experience with red water than following visual
      exposure without ingestion. Results supported the mere exposure hypothesis.

PMID- 1867624
TI  - Learning and memory of a water T-maze by rats selectively bred for low or high
      plasma catecholamine stress responses.

PMID- 1867625
TI  - Effects of post-training ethanol and group housing upon memory of an appetitive
      task in mice.
AB  - It has been shown that post-training ethanol's facilitating effects upon memory
      disappeared if the mice were kept isolated after training. Since ethanol-treated
      mice were attacked by their cagemates, it has been hypothesized that the improved
      retention induced by ethanol resulted from an interaction between ethanol and
      group housing which added aversive information to training. To investigate the
      correctness of this interpretation, ethanol effects upon memory of an appetitive
      task were studied. C57BL/6J mice (isolated the day before training) were
      individually trained to find a cheese pellet placed in a corner of an open-field.
      Mice were injected intraperitoneally immediately after training with saline, 0.5,
      1.5, or 2.0 g/kg of ethanol. They were then returned to their home cage and left
      alone, with another mouse, or with five other mice for 2 h after training. All
      mice were tested 24 h later for retention. Reductions in the number of pellet
      approaches or in the latency to eat the pellet were taken as measures of
      learning. Post-training ethanol disrupted retention of the appetitive task in a
      dose-related manner. Moreover disruption was greater in mice group housed after
      training. The results support the hypothesis that ethanol's post-training
      facilitating effects upon aversive memory may be due to added aversive
      information to the stimulus complex, rather than, or in addition, to enhanced
      storage of memory traces.

PMID- 1867626
TI  - Time-dependent sequential increases in [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake in subcortical
      and cortical structures during memory consolidation of an operant training in
      mice.
AB  - Previous results have suggested that memory processing may involve the sequential
      activation of subcortical and cortical structures. To study this phenomenon, we
      have examined the immediate (15 min) and delayed (220 min) metabolic changes
      produced in BALB/c mice by a partial training session in a bar-pressing
      appetitive task, using the [14C]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) relative glucose uptake
      method. These relative metabolic changes were compared to the ones produced in
      several control groups: untrained animals, sham-conditioned animals, overtrained
      animals, and animals forced to walk on a moving belt (immediate and delayed
      condition). Animals were given a single intrajugular injection (5 microCi) of 2
      DG either 5 min before or 3 h (delayed condition) after the second training
      session. Forty minutes after the 2-DG injection, the animals were sacrificed and
      their brains processed for autoradiography. At the 15-min delay, a large 2-DG
      labeling increase was found in partially trained animals for various subcortical
      areas (septum, diagonal band, hippocampus, thalamus, and mammillary bodies) while
      a much smaller increase was found in four cortical areas (frontal, cingulate,
      parietal, and sensory motor cortices). At the 220-min delay, we observed a large
      2-DG labeling increase in cortical (frontal, pyriform, and cingulate cortices)
      and subicular areas while a moderate 2-DG labeling increase was observed in
      entorhinal cortex and the diagonal band. These results show that, shortly after
      training, subcortical structures are preferentially activated while cortical
      structures are much less activated. Three hours later, at a time when retention
      performances have been shown to improve spontaneously in the same strain of mice
      and in the same task, cortical structures are highly activated.

PMID- 1867627
TI  - Time-dependent effects of post-trial amphetamine treatment in rats: evidence for
      enhanced storage of representational memory.
AB  - Two studies were conducted to test the ability of post-trial amphetamine
      treatment to improve later recall in a nonaversively motivated task. These
      studies utilized 8- and 12-arm radial mazes, respectively, with an 11-h retention
      interval imposed after the rat traversed half the arms of the maze (termed, the
      to-be-remembered-event, or TBRE). In Experiment 1, the rats were injected with
      amphetamine (0, .25, and .50 mg/kg) immediately after the TBRE. Because the drug
      treatment improved retention, a time dependency study was conducted in which the
      drug (0 and .33 mg/kg) was administered 0, 3, and 6 h after the TBRE. The finding
      that amphetamine injection at 0, but not 3, h post-trial improved later recall
      indicates that the benefit derived from the former treatment is not due to
      proactive influences at the time of the retention test. Drug treatment 6 h post
      trial produced a borderline improvement of recall; possible mechanisms are
      discussed. Two conclusions can be drawn from these results: (1) amphetamine
      administration can improve recall under conditions in which this effect cannot be
      attributed to alterations in information processing during either the learning or
      the retention sessions, indicating that the drug modulates memory storage
      processes; and (2) amphetamine treatment can improve working memory, thus
      excluding an alternative interpretation for the previous reports of impaired
      short-term memory in animals, all of which entailed assessments of working
      memory. The possibility remains, however, that the impairment seen in these tasks
      reflects the requirement for erasure of information from previous trials within
      each daily session, rather than the duration of the retention interval.

PMID- 1867629
TI  - Simplifying environmental cues in a Morris-type water maze improves place
      learning in old NMRI mice.
AB  - Old virgin female NMRI mice aged 17 months were compared with mice aged 3 months
      for their spatial learning abilities in two versions of the Morris water maze.
      The first one was a simplified version with a salient configuration of cues
      comparable to a black/white discrimination and the second one was the classical
      version of the Morris test with many distal cues surrounding the maze. In the
      simplified version, old mice presented a slower rate of acquisition and a
      transient poorer retention compared to young mice. However, old mice achieved a
      final level of performance statistically comparable to their young counterparts
      as assessed by latencies to escape onto the concealed platform and by the spatial
      bias measured in probe trials at intervals during testing. When subsequently
      subjected to classical Morris maze learning, the same old animals showed marked
      learning deficits and were persistently impaired in their latencies to escape
      onto the platform. They presented no spatial bias for the location of the
      platform in the different probe trials. When the goal was cued at the end of the
      experiment, the performances of old mice rapidly improved, showing that
      motivation, motor disabilities, or fatigue and ability to use proximal cues
      cannot explain the place learning deficit. Our results were discussed in terms of
      cognitive versus sensory/perceptual disabilities in aged rats and mice.

PMID- 1867628
TI  - Amnesia induced by 2-deoxygalactose in the day-old chick: lateralization of
      effects in two different one-trial learning tasks.
AB  - 2-Deoxy-D-galactose, an inhibitor of brain glycoprotein fucosylation, was
      injected intracranially (10 mumole dose in 10 microliters) into either the left
      or the right forebrain hemisphere of day-old chicks (Gallus domesticus).
      Bilateral injection of this dose of 2-deoxy-D-galactose is known to induce
      amnesia for several learning tasks including one-trial passive avoidance and
      sickness-induced learning. When a tritiated form of the drug was injected into
      one forebrain hemisphere only, a significantly large proportion of the dose
      remained in that hemisphere. Chicks were trained in two different one-trial
      learning tasks. The first was a passive avoidance task in which the chicks were
      allowed to peck at a green training stimulus (a small light-emitting diode, LED)
      coated in the bitter liquid, methylanthranilate, giving rise to a strong disgust
      response and consequent avoidance of the green stimulus. In the second paradigm
      the chicks were allowed to peck at a similarly colored dry stimulus but, 30 min
      later, were injected intraperitoneally with lithium chloride (0.1 ml of 1 M
      solution), causing a sickness-induced aversion for the green LED. 2-Deoxy-D
      galactose caused amnesia for the passive avoidance task when injected before
      training into the right hemisphere but not the left. However, unilateral
      injection of the drug before training on the sickness-induced learning task did
      not cause amnesia. The results indicate that fucosylation of brain glycoproteins
      is required in the right hemisphere for learning the passive avoidance task but
      that memory for sickness-induced learning can be retained by either hemisphere.

PMID- 1867630
TI  - Role of angiotensin II in the processes leading to ovulation.

PMID- 1867631
TI  - Antitumor activity and biochemical effects of topsentin.
AB  - Topsentin, a bis(indolyl)imidazole marine natural product, inhibited the
      proliferation of cultured human and murine tumor cells at micromolar
      concentrations (IC50 values ranged from 4 to 40 microM) and was active against in
      vivo P388 leukemia (%T/C = 137, 150 mg/kg, QD1-5) and B16 melanoma (%T/C = 144,
      37.5 mg/kg, QD1-9) tumors. Effects of 30 microM topsentin (1-hr exposures) on
      incorporation of radiolabeled precursors by P388 cells indicated inhibition of
      DNA synthesis (91%) and to a lesser extent RNA synthesis (57%), whereas synthesis
      of protein was unaffected (0%). Fluorescence spectral changes and competitive
      binding experiments with ethidium bromide indicated that topsentin interacted
      with DNA. No evidence for intercalation was observed in DNA unwinding studies,
      but competitive binding experiments with Hoechst 33342 and CC-1065 indicated that
      topsentin bound to DNA in the minor groove.

PMID- 1867633
TI  - Human ribonucleotide reductase. Activation and inhibition by analogs of ATP.
AB  - Sixteen ATP analogs were studied as activators of CDP reduction catalyzed by
      human ribonucleotide reductase. Activation constants were determined. Three
      analogs, 3-deazaATP, 5'-adenylimidodiphosphate, and 3'-dATP, activated
      approximately as efficiently as ATP. Four analogs were partial activators. These
      seven activators were also accessory activators of GDP reduction. Furthermore,
      two other analogs, adenosine-5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) and 8-bromoATP,
      selectively stimulated GDP reduction. Ten analogs, at equal molar concentrations
      with ATP, inhibited ATP-dependent activation of CDP reduction and/or accessory
      activation of GDP reduction by greater than 45%. No analog inhibited as potently
      as 2'-dATP, which had an IC50 of 30-50 microM versus the stimulation of CDP and
      GDP reduction by 2.0 mM ATP.

PMID- 1867632
TI  - The expression of human cytochrome P450IA1 in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Data from animal studies suggest that cytochrome P450IA1 catalyses the metabolic
      activation of several procarcinogenic compounds. In the present study, we have
      expressed human cytochrome P450IA1 in yeast cells. A 1.70 kb BclI/BamHI fragment
      containing a full-length human cytochrome P450IA1 cDNA was inserted into the
      BglII expression site of the yeast expression plasmid pMA91 thereby allowing the
      ATG initiation codon to be located adjacent to the PGK (phosphoglycerate kinase)
      promoter. The resulting recombinant plasmid, pCK-1, was introduced into
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains ATCC 44773 and AH22. Microsomes prepared from
      yeast transformatants of strain ATCC 44773 contained undetectable levels of
      cytochrome P450. In contrast, microsomes from strain AH22 contained cytochrome
      P450 with a specific content of 33.3 +/- 10.8 pmol/mg of microsomal protein and
      showed a reduced carbon monoxide difference spectrum with a peak at 448 nm.
      Control yeast cells transformed with pMA91 showed no cytochrome P450. Western
      blots were carried out using an antibody that reacts against rat cytochrome
      P450IA1 and an antibody that reacts against a synthetic peptide representing a
      short sequence of human cytochrome P450IA1. A band with a molecular weight of 54
      kD was observed in microsomes of yeast transformed with pCK-1, but not with
      pMA91. When microsomes from yeast transformed with pCK-1 were incubated with
      benzo(a)pyrene (10 min, 10-160 microM), an estimated Km value of 7 microM was
      obtained. The availability of yeast cells with functionally active human
      cytochrome P450IA1 will facilitate molecular structure-activity studies of
      procarcinogen and drug metabolism by this enzyme in man.

PMID- 1867634
TI  - Induction of a 31,000-dalton stress protein by prostaglandins D2 and J2 in
      porcine aortic endothelial cells.
AB  - Prostaglandin (PG) D2 and PGJ2 stimulated porcine aortic endothelial cells to
      synthesize a 31,000-dalton protein (termed p31) in a time- and concentration
      dependent manner. The induction of p31 synthesis was specific for PGD2, PGJ2 and
      PGA1 among the various PGs tested. p31 was also synthesized in response to the
      thiol-reactive agent diethylmaleate and heavy metal sodium arsenite but not to
      high temperature treatment, platelet-derived growth factor, and 12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis, p31 induced by PGJ2 had an isoelectric point of 5.4, which
      overlapped exactly with that induced by by arsenite. These results taken together
      indicate that p31 represents one of the stress proteins whose expression is
      regulated primarily by thio-active compounds but not by hyperthermia.
      Furthermore, it was induced by PGD2 and PGJ2 in rat capillary endothelial cells,
      rat skin fibroblasts, and rat hepatocytes. The data obtained from this study
      suggest that p31 induced by PGD2 and PGJ2 may play a role in the metabolic
      regulation of many mammalian cells.

PMID- 1867636
TI  - Mitochondrial effects of the guanidino group-containing cytostatic drugs, m
      iodobenzylguanidine and methylglyoxal bis (guanylhydrazone).
AB  - The involvement of mitochondrial damage in the antiproliferative effects of m
      iodobenzylguanidine [MIBG] and methylglyoxal bis (guanylhydrazone) [methylGAG]
      was studied in human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH, mouse neuroblastoma N1E115 and mouse
      lymphosarcoma S49 cells. Proliferation of SK-N-SH cells was insensitive to MIBG
      (100 microM gave 15% inhibition), but sensitive to methylGAG (IC50 = 50 microM).
      MIBG and methylGAG were approximately equitoxic to N1E115 cells (IC50 of 92 and
      87 microM, respectively). S49 cells were most sensitive to both MIBG (IC50 = 11
      microM) and methylGAG (IC50 = 5 microM). In isolated sonicated mitochondria, MIBG
      inhibited respiration a complex I of the respiratory chain (EC50 = 0.5 mM),
      whereas methylGAG was much less effective (EC50 greater than 15 mM). In intact
      cells, MIBG at 31 microM impaired mitochondrial respiration and stimulated the
      glycolytic flux. In contrast, equimolar concentrations of methylGAG had no effect
      on oxygen consumption, ATP content, glucose consumption and lactate production.
      MethylGAG significantly increased putrescine levels in N1E115 and S49 cells
      within 12 hr via inhibition of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. No such
      effects were seen in SK-N-SH cells for up to 48 hr. Equimolar concentrations of
      MIBG had no effect on the putrescine levels in the various cell lines, suggesting
      that MIBG did not inhibit S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. It is concluded
      that the antiproliferative mechanisms of the guanidino compounds are essentially
      different. MIBG inhibited mitochondrial respiration at complex I with concomitant
      stimulation of the glycolytic flux but was essentially without effect on
      polyamine levels. On the other hand, cytotoxicity of methylGAG was not associated
      with mitochondrial dysfunction.

PMID- 1867635
TI  - Comparative effects of LN 5330 and diazoxide on insulin release and 86Rb+
      permeability in perifused rat islets of Langerhans.
AB  - The benzothiadiazine derivative LN 5330 (chloro-7 trifluoromethyl-6
      benzothiadiazine-1,2,4-dioxide-1,1) has been shown to inhibit insulin secretion
      and calcium uptake. The present study was carried out to investigate the effects
      of LN 5330 on insulin release and 86Rb- efflux from perifused rat pancreatic
      islets; a comparison was made with the structural analogue diazoxide. In the
      presence of 8.3 mM glucose, LN 5330 (100 microM) accelerated 86Rb+ efflux while
      reducing insulin output from the islets. LN 5330 induced a dose-dependent
      acceleration of 86Rb+ efflux and appeared to be a more potent activator of 86Rb+
      efflux than diazoxide. The stimulatory effect of LN 5330 on 86Rb+ efflux
      persisted in the absence of extracellular calcium. In the absence of glucose,
      86Rb+ permeability also increased, LN 5330 being again significantly more
      efficient than diazoxide at an equimolar concentration. These data indicate that
      the benzothiadiazine derivative LN 5330 inhibits insulin secretion by increasing
      the potassium permeability of the plasma membrane. It is suggested that, like
      diazoxide, this drug could activate the ATP-sensitive K+ channel.

PMID- 1867637
TI  - Protein binding of indomethacin in human cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - The binding of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin to proteins
      in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), drawn during lumbar puncture from 10 patients
      affected by lumbosciatica, was measured by equilibrium dialysis and
      spectrofluorimetry. Similar binding studies on human serum albumin solutions (0.5
      and 1 g/L) were performed using the same techniques. The mean binding percentage
      of indomethacin determined by equilibrium dialysis was 40%. The results obtained
      by both techniques allowed us to conclude that the binding of indomethacin in CSF
      was essentially due to albumin.

PMID- 1867638
TI  - Effects of toluene on platelet membrane glycoprotein Ib and actin-binding
      protein.
AB  - Effects of the organic solvent toluene on the platelet membrane receptor
      glycoprotein Ib (GP Ib) and the cytoskeletal protein, actin-binding protein
      (ABP), were studied and related to the effects of the local anesthetic dibucaine.
      The glycocalicin-region of GP Ib contains the binding site for von Willebrand
      factor; intracellularly GP Ib is linked to the cytoskeleton via ABP. Both GP Ib
      and ABP are substrates for a calcium-dependent protease, calpain. Washed
      platelets were incubated with toluene or dibucaine. The toluene concentration in
      the platelet suspension was analysed by gas chromatography. Using 1.5-2.8 mmol/L
      toluene, calpain was activated, leading to degradation of ABP and release of
      glycocalicin from GP Ib. The latter phenomenon was paralleled by a reduced von
      Willebrand factor-induced platelet agglutination. At lower toluene concentrations
      (0.3-1.4 mmol/L), degradation of ABP was not detected but an initial increased
      agglutination that declined to the control level with time was observed. These
      effects of toluene on the GP Ib-ABP complex are similar to those observed with 1
      mmol/L dibucaine. The lowest toluene concentrations used correspond to those that
      have been found in blood from toluene abusers ("sniffers").

PMID- 1867639
TI  - In vitro metabolism of 5,8-dideazafolates and 5,8-dideazaisofolates by mammalian
      folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase.
AB  - The in vitro metabolism of a variety of 5,8-dideazafolate and 5,8
      dideazaisofolate analogues by pig liver folylpolyglutamate synthetase and the
      specificity of the enzyme for some polyglutamate derivatives of these analogues
      have been investigated. All 4-oxo-quinazoline analogues were metabolized to long
      chain polyglutamate derivatives, primarily the pentaglutamate, whereas 4-amino
      quinazolines were metabolized to a lesser extent, with the accumulation of di-
      and triglutamate derivatives. This pattern of metabolism was consistent with the
      large drop in Vmax/Km and Vmax values for folylpolyglutamate synthetase observed
      with diglutamate derivatives of 4-aminofolate analogues. The extent of metabolism
      of the various analogues did not correlate with the relative substrate
      effectiveness of their parent monoglutamate derivatives. The 5-chloro and 5
      methyl substitutions of quinazolines enhanced the addition of glutamate residues
      to 4-amino derivatives but markedly impaired the metabolism of 4-oxo derivatives.

PMID- 1867640
TI  - The effects of bucillamine on glutathione and glutathione-related enzymes in the
      mouse.
AB  - The effect of bucillamine (BA) on glutathione (GSH) and GSH-related enzymes was
      investigated in C57 mouse. Administration of high doses of BA (150-400 mg/kg)
      produced a dose-dependent depletion (20-44%) of hepatic GSH, which was similar in
      magnitude to that produced by equimolar doses of other sulphydryl drugs studied
      previously. GSH depletion after acute BA administration correlated well with the
      elevation of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) (6-9-fold increase above
      control). The increase in SGPT after chronic administration (7 days), although
      significantly higher than the controls, was however much less than after acute
      administration. The hepatic GSH concentrations of mice given 7 days of BA were
      similar to the controls, again correlating well with SGPT activity.
      Administration of BA (150-400 mg/kg) caused also a significant dose-dependent
      increase in the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood by 2-7-fold, as well as a
      dose-dependent increase in blood glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity (2-13
      fold). In an in vitro experiment, hepatic GST activity was activated by various
      concentrations of BA (1 microM-1mM). There was little or no effect on GSSG
      reductase and on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) after acute administration of
      BA. Chronic administration of BA had no effect on hepatic GSSG reductase and GSH
      Px, but GSSG reductase activity in blood was increased significantly by 4-fold.
      It is possible that BA may affect the redox status through auto-oxidation and
      oxidation with endogenous thiols such as glutathione, affecting GSH
      concentrations and the GSH/GSSG ratio in tissues and, thus, having both metabolic
      and toxicological consequences. Whether or not the induction of GST activity in
      vivo in blood and in vitro in liver enzyme preparations shared the same
      underlying mechanism(s) requires further investigation.

PMID- 1867641
TI  - In vitro effects of bryostatin 1 on the metabolism and cytotoxicity of 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine in human leukemia cells.
AB  - Bryostatin 1 is a macrocyclic lactone protein kinase C (PK-C) activator which has
      demonstrated promising antileukemic activity in preclinical studies. We have
      examined the effect of this agent on the metabolism and cytotoxicity of 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) in both log phase and high-density human
      promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60). Exposure of low-density cells to 12.5 nM
      bryostatin 1 for 24 hr prior to a 4-hr incubation with 1 or 10 microM ara-C
      resulted in nearly a 2-fold increase in ara-CTP formation. When cells were
      maintained under high-cell density conditions (e.g. 5 x 10(6) cells/mL) for 24 hr
      prior to ara-C exposure, a 90% reduction in ara-CTP formation and ara-C DNA
      incorporation was observed. However, coincubation of high-density cells with
      bryostatin 1 for 24 hr increased ara-CTP formation 6- to 8-fold, yielding levels
      essentially equivalent to those achieved in low-density cells. Smaller (but still
      significant) increases in ara-C DNA incorporation were also noted. Enhancement of
      ara-CTP formation by bryostatin 1 occurred over a broad ara-C concentration range
      (0.1 to 100 microM), involved a temperature-dependent process, could not be
      mimicked by addition of hematopoietic growth factors, and was not related to
      neutralization of toxic or inhibitory substances in high-density medium. Exposure
      of cells to bryostatin 1 did not lead to morphologic or functional evidence of HL
      60 cell maturation or an increase in cell viability, but did produce a decline in
      cellular proliferative activity as determined by thymidine and bromodeoxyuridine
      incorporation and cytofluorometric analysis. Bryostatin 1 did not exert its
      effects in high-density cells by inhibiting ara-C deamination or by interfering
      with ara-CTP dephosphorylation, but instead appeared to act by enhancing ara-C
      phosphorylation. Although cell-free extracts obtained from high-density cells
      exposed to bryostatin 1 exhibited levels of deoxycytidine kinase activity
      compared to controls, treated cells did display a significant decline in
      intracellular dCTP levels (e.g. 0.7 vs 1.3 pmol/10(6)), and nearly a 2-fold
      increase in ATP and UTP concentrations. Ara-CTP formation was also increased
      substantially by other PK-C activators including phorbol dibutyrate and mezerein
      (10-100 nM); this process was inhibited more than 70% by the PK-C inhibitor H-7
      (50 microM), but not by the PK-C inhibitors staurosporine, tamoxifen, and HA1004.
      Finally, coadministration of ara-C and bryostatin 1 resulted in greater than
      expected inhibitory effects toward HL-60 cell clonogenic growth.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1867642
TI  - Effects of toluene and its metabolites on cerebral reactive oxygen species
      generation.
AB  - The effects of toluene on lipid peroxidation and rates of reactive oxygen species
      (ROS) formation have been studied in isolated systems and in vivo. The induction
      of reactive oxygen species was assayed using the probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin
      diacetate (DCFH-DA). Toluene exposure (1 g/kg, 1 hr, i.p.) did not stimulate
      cortical lipid peroxidation as evaluated by measurement of conjugated dienes.
      Exposure to toluene, however, both in vivo and in vitro, caused a significant
      elevation of ROS formation within cortical crude synaptosomal fractions (P2) and
      microsomal fractions (P3). The ROS-inducing properties of toluene were blocked in
      vivo in the presence of a mixed-function oxidase inhibitor, metyrapone. This
      suggested that a metabolite of toluene may catalyze reactive oxygen formation.
      Both benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid, in vitro, were found to have free radical
      quenching properties, while benzaldehyde exhibited significant induction of ROS
      generation. It appears that benzaldehyde is the metabolite responsible for the
      effect of toluene in accelerating reactive oxygen production within the nervous
      system. Benzaldehyde may also contribute to the overall neurotoxicity of toluene.

PMID- 1867643
TI  - Relationships between ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol during diquat-induced
      redox cycling in isolated rat hepatocytes.
AB  - The effects of diquat-induced redox cycling on the levels of cellular ascorbic
      acid and alpha-tocopherol were investigated in isolated rat hepatocytes. In
      untreated hepatocytes, the metabolism of 1 or 2 mM diquat resulted in the
      depletion of cellular ascorbic acid and glutathione, but not of alpha-tocopherol,
      in association with the induction of cell death during the experimental period.
      In 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) pretreated cells, 1 mM diquat
      induced cell death accompanied by glutathione was rapid (to 9% of controls by 15
      min) and cell ascorbate was completely consumed by 2 hr of incubation. In
      contrast, cellular alpha-tocopherol levels were stable for the first 30 min, but
      were depleted in association with the onset of lipid peroxidation.
      Supplementation of 0.1 or 1.0 mM ascorbic acid in the incubation medium delayed
      the onset of diquat-induced alpha-tocopherol loss, lipid peroxidation and
      cytotoxicity. When the concentration of exogenous cellular ascorbic acid was
      consumed to below that of endogenous ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol loss and
      lipid peroxidation were initiated. The results indicate that untreated
      hepatocytes have an effective multicomponent antioxidant system against diquat
      induced oxidative stress. However, when glutathione is depleted from hepatocytes
      by treatment with BCNU and diquat, ascorbic acid plays a vital role in
      maintaining cellular alpha-tocopherol levels and survival of the cell.

PMID- 1867644
TI  - Mechanism of deiodination of 125I-human growth hormone in vivo. Relevance to the
      study of protein disposition.
AB  - Examination of the disposition of proteins employing 125I-labeled tracers can be
      complicated by the in vivo deiodination of the tracer. The purpose of this study
      was to characterize the mechanism by which 125I-labeled proteins are deiodinated
      in vivo using 125I-human growth hormone (hGH) as a model compound. Intravenous
      (i.v.) administration of 125I-hGH resulted in a biphasic plasma kinetic pattern,
      with the majority of radioactivity removed from the plasma during the first 15
      min. The level of circulating radioactivity at 2 hr was similar to that 15 min
      after administration. Radioactivity was eliminated from the animals almost
      exclusively in the urine. The chemical form of radioactivity in the plasma and
      urine was analyzed by HPLC, and precipitation of radioactivity with silver
      nitrate or trichloroacetic acid. Fifteen minutes after administration of 125I
      hGH, 30% of the circulating radioactivity was present in the form of iodide (125I
      ). By 2 hr, the majority of radioactivity in the plasma was in the form of 125I-.
      The radioactivity in the urine was present exclusively in the form of 125I-. In
      vivo deiodination of 125I-hGH was reflected by the accumulation of radioactivity
      in the thyroid glands. There was no evidence for the presence of 125I-peptide
      intermediates in the plasma or urine of treated animals. In vitro, 125I-hGH was
      degraded to 125I-peptide intermediates by thyroid gland but not liver or kidney
      homogenates. In the absence of cofactors, 125I- was not observed as an in vitro
      metabolic product. However, in the presence of dithiothreitol and NADPH as
      cofactors, the predominant metabolic product formed by thyroid gland homogenates
      was 125I-. The deiodination of 125I-hGH by thyroid gland homogenates was
      inhibited by the serine protease inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF),
      indicating that proteolysis of 125I-hGH was required for deiodination to occur.
      This was supported by the observation that 125I-labeled proteolytic fragments of
      125I-hGH, but not 125I-hGH, were deiodinated by liver or kidney homogenates in
      the presence of these cofactors. Deiodination by thyroid gland homogenates was
      inhibited by the sulfhydryl-group blocking reagent, iodoacetate, in a
      concentration-dependent manner. The characteristics of the in vitro deiodination
      reaction suggest that a form of thyronine 5'-monodeiodinase may be involved in
      the in vivo deiodination of 125I-hGH and possibly other 125I-proteins. These data
      suggest that the disposition of proteins may be determined more accurately with
      3H-, 14C- or 35S-labeled molecules which better represent the characteristics of
      the native protein.

PMID- 1867645
TI  - Thymidine and zidovudine metabolism in chronically zidovudine-exposed cells in
      vitro.
AB  - Chronic exposure of H9 cells to 25 microM zidovudine (H9-AZT cells) causes a 2-
      to 3-fold increase in thymidine kinase (TK) activity (Agarwal RP, Int J Purines
      Pyrimidine Res, in press). The present study compared thymidine (TdR) and AZT
      anabolism in H9 and H9-AZT cells. After a 3.5-hr incubation with 10 microM TdR or
      AZT, the total intracellular accumulations of AZT (48.7 microM in H9 cells and
      32.8 microM in H9-AZT cells) were 46.4% of TdR accumulation. Other major
      differences between TdR and AZT anabolism were: (i) the majority of TdR (84-87%)
      was incorporated into DNA compared to less than 1% of AZT; and (ii) whereas
      distribution of TdR in the nucleotides was TTP greater than TMP greater than TDP,
      zidovudine distributed was AZT-MP much greater than AZT-TP much greater than AZT
      DP. Because of the poor substrate activity of AZT-MP for thymidylate kinase (TMP
      kinase), most of the AZT (95-98%) remained as AZT-MP. TMP-kinase activities with
      TMP as substrate were 47.6 +/- 20.3 and 91.4 +/- 28.8 pmol/mg protein/min in H9
      and H9-AZT cells, respectively. 5'-Nucleotidase activities with TMP as substrate
      were 428.9 +/- 37.8 and 255.9 +/- 28.7 pmol/mg protein/min in H9 and H9-AZT
      cells, respectively. Activities of these enzymes with AZT-MP as a substrate were
      very low. Despite an increase in TK and TMP-kinase, and a decrease in 5'
      nucleotidase activities, the total intracellular accumulations of TdR and AZT
      were reduced significantly (P less than 0.05) to 67.5% in H9-AZT cells. Thymidine
      transport (0.66 to 0.68 pmol/sec/10(6) cells) was similar in both the cell lines.
      The severe reductions of TdR salvage caused by chronic exposure of cells to AZT,
      if it occurs in AIDS patients on AZT chemotherapy, may explain some of the long
      term clinical toxicities of the drug.

PMID- 1867646
TI  - The effects of lofepramine and desmethylimipramine on tryptophan metabolism and
      disposition in the rat.
AB  - Acute and chronic administration of lofepramine and its major metabolite
      desmethylimipramine (DMI) to rats elevates brain tryptophan concentration,
      thereby enhancing cerebral 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) synthesis, by increasing
      the availability of circulating tryptophan to the brain, secondarily to
      inhibition of liver tryptophan pyrrolase (tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase, L
      tryptophan:O2 oxidoreductase, decyclizing; EC 1.13.11.11) activity. The pyrrolase
      inhibition by lofepramine occurs independently of metabolism to DMI, because it
      can be demonstrated directly in vitro. Lofepramine also differs from DMI in its
      action profile on the above and related aspects of tryptophan metabolism and
      disposition. These results demonstrate that lofepramine influences tryptophan and
      5-HT metabolism and disposition independently of its major metabolite DMI, and
      are discussed briefly in relation to the mechanism of action of antidepressants.

PMID- 1867648
TI  - Assessment of the mouse as an experimental model for studying polymorphic
      oxidation of the sparteine/debrisoquine type.

PMID- 1867647
TI  - Effect of paracetamol on mitochondrial membrane function in rat liver slices.
AB  - The effect of paracetamol on mitochondrial function was studied using rat liver
      slices. Changes in the potential of the mitochondrial and plasma membrane were
      monitored using [3H]-triphenylmethylphosphonium (TPMP+) and [14C]thiocyanate (SCN
      ) probes, respectively. Liver slices were exposed to 10 mM paracetamol for
      various time periods (0-360 min) after loading with TPMP+. The release of TPMP+
      which correlates with a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential became
      significant after 30 min incubation with 10 mM paracetamol. The change in the
      mitochondrial membrane potential was shown to be independent of cytochrome P450
      activity. No significant change in plasma membrane potential was observed, until
      the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) had begun, 4 hr after exposure,
      reflecting the ultimate stages of cell injury by paracetamol. These results
      suggest that paracetamol elicits a direct effect on the mitochondrial function
      before cell injury develops and adds further evidence to the role of mitochondria
      in paracetamol toxicity.

PMID- 1867650
TI  - Idebenone, an agent improving cerebral metabolism, stimulates [14C]tyrosine
      uptake and [14C]catecholamine formation by cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin
      cells.

PMID- 1867649
TI  - Metabolism of T-2 toxin by rat brain homogenate.
AB  - HT-2 toxin was the sole metabolite formed when T-2 toxin was treated with
      homogenate from brain without its blood content. Homogenate from brain with its
      full blood content produced--besides HT-2 toxin--T-2 triol, neosolaniol, 4
      deacetylneosolaniol and T-2 tetraol, i.e. the same metabolites formed by
      incubation of T-2 toxin with whole rat blood.

PMID- 1867652
TI  - Comparison of the chromatographic characteristics of metabolites of tacrine
      hydrochloride in human serum and urine with those of in vitro metabolic products
      from hepatic microsomes.
AB  - There may be as many as five metabolites of THA in man, four corresponding to
      products in the rat. The study provides some evidence that one of major
      metabolites is 1-hydroxy-THA but lends no support to the putative oxidative
      deamination pathway.

PMID- 1867651
TI  - Effects of chloroquine and primaquine on rat liver cytosolic N-acetyltransferase
      activity.
AB  - Chloroquine caused only slight reductions in NAT activity when added in vitro,
      and had no detectable influence when animals were pretreated with it for 4 days.
      This would suggest that the previously reported reduced excretion of acetylated
      metabolites of INH and SDD following chloroquine pretreatment is not the result
      of inhibition of NAT. In contrast, we found that primaquine significantly (P less
      than 0.05) reduced NAT activity when added in vitro, suggesting the need for
      further study with this agent.

PMID- 1867654
TI  - Pharmacological evaluation of certain novel prolonged-acting local anaesthetics.
      In vivo rat sciatic nerve block.
AB  - Some new 2-phenoxyethyldialkylamines in previous studies had proved to be
      superior to other standard drugs in respect of local anaesthetic activity. To
      confirm their intensity and duration of action, the two outstanding compounds
      were selected for further pharmacological studies on the rat sciatic nerve
      preparation in vivo. Their activity and duration of action were determined by a
      double-blind controlled trial (at the later stage) and in two stages. The test
      compounds showed comparable rates of onset of motor analgesia (5-10 min). They
      also displayed quick recovery from complete analgesia, typically being around 10
      min after the first sign of a recovery of motor function was observed. In
      addition, no systemic or local untoward effects were noticed. Bupivacaine
      produced drowsiness in the rats.

PMID- 1867653
TI  - General pharmacology of a new potent 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist.
AB  - The potential of the investigational 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT3) antagonist,
      LY277359, to alter cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS), smooth muscle,
      and gastrointestinal functions at multiples of pharmacologically active doses,
      was examined to provide a profile of possible secondary pharmacological effects.
      In the anesthetized dog, significant cardiovascular effects were observed at
      doses 100-1000 and 4-15 times those found to be pharmacologically active at 5HT3
      receptors in vivo in rats and dogs, respectively. These effects were limited to
      decreased heart rate (approximately 20%) at intravenous doses of 1.75 and 3.5
      mg/kg and prolonged Q-Tc intervals (approximately 20 to 50%) at doses of 0.438 to
      3.5 mg/kg. At an oral dose of 135 mg/kg (representing 1500-4500 times the
      pharmacologically active dose in rats), LY277359 induced hypoactive behavior and
      reduced body temperature in mice. Seizure activity was potentiated at high oral
      doses of LY277359 (45 and 135 mg/kg). A single oral dose of 135 mg/kg increased
      hexobarbital-induced sleep time. In smooth and cardiac muscle tissue studies in
      vitro, LY277359 was essentially inactive: it did not alter contractile activity
      or receptor function of the guinea pig ileum, rat vas deferens, rat uterus, or
      guinea pig atria at concentrations of 10(-5) to 10(-10) mol/l. At a concentration
      50,000 times the 5HT3 antagonistic level in vitro (10(-4) mol/l), LY277359
      inhibited the response of the ileum to field stimulation, acetylcholine and
      angiotensin I, and suppressed the rate of the spontaneously beating guinea pig
      atria in a noncompetitive manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867655
TI  - Inhibitory effects of nisoldipine on serotonin and potassium induced contractions
      of porcine coronary and femoral arteries.
AB  - The inhibitory effect of nisoldipine (Baymycard, Syscor; CAS 63675-72-9) and
      nifedipine on the serotonin and potassium induced contractions of porcine
      coronary and femoral arteries in vitro has been investigated. Both nisoldipine
      and nifedipine inhibited preferentially the serotonin induced contraction in the
      coronary artery being less effective in the inhibition of the femoral artery. The
      coronary selectivity of nisoldipine is at least 10 times more pronounced than
      that of nifedipine. The serotonin antagonist ketanserin inhibited contractions on
      both vessels with the same potency. The potassium induced contraction was
      inhibited by the dihydropyridines in both coronary and femoral artery.
      Nisoldipine again, was more potent than nifedipine in the inhibition of coronary
      artery spasm but not in the contraction of femoral artery. Ketanserin did not
      inhibit contractions of any vessels.

PMID- 1867656
TI  - In vitro/in vivo evaluation of hydrochlorothiazide in experimental
      hydrochlorothiazide/triamterene combination tablets in beagle dogs.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare experimental formulations containing
      hydrochlorothiazide (CAS 58-93-5)/triamterene (HCT/TRI) in vitro and in vivo to a
      commercial tablet formulation (standard). The beagle dog was verified as a good
      model and was used for the in vivo studies. The commercial tablet and the
      experimental fast release formulation (FR) resulted in 100% release of HCT within
      30 min in dissolution tests, whereas, the slow release formulation (SR) released
      only 54% HCT after 4 h. Relative bioavailability of the FR and SR formulations
      were 82 and 41%, respectively, compared to the commercial tablet. The
      experimental results indicate that HCT absorption occurs throughout the small
      intestine.

PMID- 1867657
TI  - [Bioavailability and bioequivalence of organic nitrates. Isosorbide dinitrate--a
      study of sustained-release preparations].
AB  - Assessment of Bioavailability of Organic Nitrates/Comparative bioavailability
      study of sustained-release isosorbide dinitrate preparations. Relative
      bioavailabilities of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN, CAS 87-33-2) and the metabolite
      isosorbide-5-mononitrate (IS-5-MN, CAS 16051-77-7) were studied after application
      of Maycor retard 40 (sustained-release capsules, multiple unit formulation, test
      preparation) in comparison to sustained-release tablets (single unit formulation,
      reference preparation) with 16 healthy male volunteers in a two-way crossover
      design. Test and reference formulations were previously characterised in vitro by
      dissolution tests. ISDN, IS-5-MN (IS-2-MN) plasma concentrations were determined
      using a selective and sensitive GLC-method with ECD-detection. As pharmacokinetic
      parameters AUC, Cmax and half value duration (HVD) were evaluated. Bioequivalence
      was assessed by calculating 90%-confidence intervals (ANOVA, ANOVAlog, Mann
      Whitney-test) for ISDN and IS-5-MN. Bioequivalence was accepted if due to the
      inclusion rule one of the calculated intervals fulfill the requirements of 80 and
      120% (AUC) or 70 and 130% (Cmax, HVD), respectively. Relative bioavailability of
      the test formulation was calculated as 94% (ISDN) and 96% (IS-5-MN). Maximum
      plasma concentrations of ISDN (IS-5-MN) were determined for the test preparation
      as 14.3 +/- 3.1 ng/ml (265 +/- 45 45 ng/ml) and as 22.8 +/- 12.6 ng/ml (287 +/-
      59 ng/ml) for the reference product. HVD-values were for the test preparation 4.5
      +/- 1.3 h (ISDN) and 8.5 +/- 1.3 h (IS-5-MN) and for the reference formulation
      3.1 +/- 1.2 h (ISDN) and 8.1 +/- 1.4 (IS-5-MN).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867658
TI  - Activity of a novel thienodiazepine derivative as a platelet-activating factor
      antagonist in guinea pig lungs. Effects on platelet-activating factor and
      allergen induced eosinophil accumulation.
AB  - Platelet-activating factor (PAF) inhalation in guinea pigs caused a significant
      increase in the number of eosinophils recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
      (BALF). Oral administration of (S)-(+)-6-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopropanecarbonyl
      8,11- dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-8H-pyrido[4',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-f]
      [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]diazepine (E-6123), a novel PAF antagonist, at the
      dose of 100 micrograms/kg completely inhibited the PAF-induced eosinophil
      accumulation. Antigen inhalation in passively sensitized guinea pigs caused a
      significant increase in lung contents of PAF at 5 min, and accumulation of
      eosinophils in the bronchi 1 and 2 days thereafter, E-6123 inhibited the antigen
      induced eosinophil accumulation and the maximum inhibition was approximately 65%.
      On the other hand, methylprednisolone completely inhibited the antigen-induced
      eosinophil accumulation. The results suggest that PAF is a potent attractant of
      eosinophils and is involved in antigen-induced eosinophil infiltration into
      bronchi. The results also suggest that E-6123 may be of therapeutic value in the
      treatment of asthma exhibiting eosinophil recruitment in airways.

PMID- 1867660
TI  - Bioequivalence of two formulations of piroxicam.
AB  - Two separate studies were performed with 12 volunteers in order to demonstrate
      the bioequivalence of 2 piroxicam (CAS 36322-90-4) tablet and 2 piroxicam
      suppository formulations after single dose administration. A validated reversed
      phase HPLC method with UV-detection is described. Bioequivalence assessment was
      done by using the posterior probability of a mean ratio between 0.8 and 1.2, and
      by using the Two One-Sided Tests Procedure (i.e. the 90% confidence interval).
      The probability approach and the confidence interval approach were compared.

PMID- 1867659
TI  - Studies on the anti-phospholipase A2 and anti-inflammatory activities of a
      synthetic nonapeptide from uteroglobin.
AB  - The nonapeptide H-Met-Gln-Met-Lys-Lys-Val-Leu-Asp-Ser-OH (antiflammin),
      corresponding to a high amino acid similarity region of uteroglobin was prepared
      by solution and solid phase synthesis. The peptide do not inhibit pancreatic
      phospholipase A2 in vitro and the carrageenin-induced oedema in vivo.

PMID- 1867661
TI  - Possible mechanism of the gastroprotective activity elicited by some copper(II)
      complexes.
AB  - The gastroprotective activity of some copper(II) complexes has been previously
      described. Since mucus secretion may be a factor responsible for their
      gastroprotective activity, this study was designed to determine the influence of
      these compounds on mucous secretion in rat. The copper complexes assayed at a
      dose of 25 mg/kg significantly increased mucous secretion. Pre-treatment with
      indometacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, does not influence the mucostimulant
      properties of these compounds. However, the effect on mucus secretion was
      significantly decreased by pre-treatment with a depletor of endogenous thiols, n
      ethylmaleimide. These results suggest the additional role of sulfhydryl groups in
      the mucosal gastroprotective effect of copper(II) complexes.

PMID- 1867662
TI  - [Comparison of the bioequivalence of two allopurinol preparations].
AB  - Allopurinol generally is considered to be a problematic substance as to its
      bioavailability. To prove the quality, the in-vivo bioequivalence of an
      allopurinol (CAS 315-30-0) preparation (Cellidrin 300) in comparison to the
      standard preparation has been investigated. Both products were bioequivalent with
      regard to all relevant parameters such as AUC, tmax and Cmax.

PMID- 1867663
TI  - In vitro and in vivo effects of N-methyl-3,5-dichloro-benzylamine hydrochloride
      on Mycobacterium leprae.
AB  - The antimicrobial effects of a new benzylamine, ME-93 (N-methyl-3,5-dichloro
      benzylamine hydrochloride), alone and in combination with dapsone and rifampicin,
      have been evaluated in vitro in cell-free culture system and in vivo in mouse
      foot pad system. Even at 50 micrograms/ml, ME-93 did not completely inhibit the
      in vitro growth of M. leprae, and the effects were bacteriostatic. However, there
      was a synergism when ME-93 was combined with rifampicin, and the effects were
      bactericidal. Similar findings were also obtained in the mouse foot pad system.
      Thus, there is a new drug that needs further attention in the chemotherapy of
      leprosy.

PMID- 1867664
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of cefotiam in plasma, parotid saliva and mixed saliva in
      healthy adults.
AB  - Cefotiam (Spizef; CAS 61622-34-2) at a dose of 2 g was administered intravenously
      to 10 young, healthy, male volunteers. Multiple simultaneous blood, parotid
      saliva, and mixed saliva samples were collected for 7 h. The antibiotic assay was
      carried out by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Significant salivary cefotiam
      concentrations were found for 2 to 4 h, potentially inhibitory to a wide array of
      pathogens commonly isolated from the upper aerodigestive tract. Salivary cefotiam
      concentrations were correlated to plasma levels (p less than 0.01), but
      saliva/plasma ratios varied considerably. It is unlikely that passive diffusion
      is the applicable transfer mechanism for cefotiam secretion into saliva.

PMID- 1867665
TI  - Synthesis and biological screening of aminothiadiazine dioxides related to
      trimethoprim.
AB  - New derivatives of 3-amino-1,2,6-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide have been synthesized
      and their antibacterial, antifungal and DHFR inhibitory activities evaluated.
      Their chemical structures have been established by means of analytical and NMR
      spectroscopic data. Among the compounds studied, the 4,4-dibromo derivative 11
      showed fungistatic activity against C. albicans.

PMID- 1867666
TI  - Biological activity of bacterial surface components. Immunogenicity and
      immunomodulatory properties of a bacterial extract from Escherichia coli.
AB  - The immunogenic and immunomodulatory properties of a lysed fraction from selected
      E. coli strains (OM-89, Uro-Vaxom) were determined in vivo and in vitro. It could
      be demonstrated that OM-89 constitutes an active immunogen in mice. Maximum OM-89
      specific antibody titers were obtained after 4-5 i.p. immunizations; the titers
      could be further enhanced by the simultaneous injection of lipopeptide adjuvants.
      It was shown by ELISA that the antibodies obtained bound to the bacterial strains
      used for the preparation of the OM-89 extract. Immunogenicity was observed both
      after intraperitoneal and oral application of the extract. Besides being active
      as an immunogen. OM-89 was able to act in vitro as a polyclonal lymphocyte
      activator, as determined in splenocyte cultures of different inbred murine
      strains, and in cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Our results show
      that the B lymphocyte stimulating activity of the bacterial extract OM-89 was
      comparable to that of lipopeptide adjuvants. In conclusion, the bacterial extract
      both an active immunogen in vivo, and a polyclonal B cell activator in vitro.
      These findings may be of importance for the understanding of the therapeutic
      effect of OM-89.

PMID- 1867667
TI  - An outbreak of designer drug--related deaths in Pennsylvania.
AB  - 3-Methylfentanyl ("China White") is a "designer" opiate that has caused more than
      100 overdose deaths in California since 1979, but that has not been associated
      previously with deaths east of the Rocky Mountains. During 1988, 3-methylfentanyl
      was identified in 16 fatal overdose cases in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania,
      contributing to a fourfold rise in overdose mortality during October of that
      year. Morphine was detected in the blood of five persons (31%) and cocaine in the
      blood of three persons (19%) dying of 3-methylfentanyl overdoses; these were
      demographically similar to 99 other fatal overdose cases investigated by the
      county coroner from 1986 through 1988. This documents the contribution of 3
      methylfentanyl to overdose mortality in an eastern city and the use of 3
      methylfentanyl with other illegal drugs. Drug abusers in the northeastern United
      States should be considered at risk for more "designer drug" overdose outbreaks
      in the future.

PMID- 1867668
TI  - AIDS in Thailand.

PMID- 1867669
TI  - NIH Technology Assessment Conference statement on bovine somatotropin.

PMID- 1867670
TI  - EMF--cancer link still murky.

PMID- 1867671
TI  - A New Zealand code of ethics.

PMID- 1867672
TI  - The probability of obtaining compatible blood from related directed donors.

PMID- 1867674
TI  - We cannot afford an AIDS epidemic.

PMID- 1867673
TI  - Global warming and health.

PMID- 1867675
TI  - Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

PMID- 1867676
TI  - Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva in Chinese patients.

PMID- 1867677
TI  - A requiem for vagotomy.

PMID- 1867678
TI  - Jarman index.

PMID- 1867679
TI  - Naevoid hypertrichosis.

PMID- 1867680
TI  - Aneurysm formation in experimental atherosclerosis: relationship to plaque
      evolution.

PMID- 1867681
TI  - Clearing up "infection".

PMID- 1867682
TI  - Serodiagnosis of Lyme disease.

PMID- 1867683
TI  - The relationship between maternal hematocrit and pregnancy outcome.

PMID- 1867684
TI  - At the water's edge: where obstetrics and anesthesia meet.

PMID- 1867685
TI  - Draping the claustrophobic patient.

PMID- 1867686
TI  - Oxygen cylinders on anaesthesia machines.

PMID- 1867687
TI  - Changing disease patterns in AIDS.

PMID- 1867688
TI  - Health check ups in middle age.

PMID- 1867689
TI  - Postviral fatigue syndrome.

PMID- 1867690
TI  - Irreducible inguinal hernia.

PMID- 1867691
TI  - Imprecision of the stratus immunoassay system for free thyroxin.

PMID- 1867692
TI  - Seven-point checklist for melanoma.

PMID- 1867693
TI  - Antibiotic treatment for pregnant victims of Lyme disease.

PMID- 1867694
TI  - Competency based training.

PMID- 1867695
TI  - Ethics in preventive medicine.

PMID- 1867696
TI  - The NFL's drug testing policy.

PMID- 1867697
TI  - Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

PMID- 1867698
TI  - Comments on commentary by D. Billen.

PMID- 1867699
TI  - Closure of veterinary investigation centres.

PMID- 1867700
TI  - Progression of coronary stenosis.

PMID- 1867701
TI  - Hypoprothrombinemia and cephalosporins.

PMID- 1867702
TI  - PTCA-induced coronary-left ventricular fistula.

PMID- 1867703
TI  - Comments on life after residency.

PMID- 1867704
TI  - Anesthesia and funic acid-base values.

PMID- 1867705
TI  - Panty hose-pants disease.

PMID- 1867707
TI  - T-cell-rich B-cell lymphomas.

PMID- 1867706
TI  - Borderline personality diagnosis in children and adolescents.

PMID- 1867708
TI  - 'Finger-painting' and the pulse oximeter.

PMID- 1867709
TI  - Aspirin concurrently administered with ranitidine does not delay healing of
      duodenal ulcer.

PMID- 1867710
TI  - The white pulmonary resuscitator.

PMID- 1867711
TI  - Optical method.
AB  - I have traced the development of the optical method from Millikan's colorimetry
      of cat muscle myoglobin to today's high-frequency laser diode time-resolved phase
      modulation system study of hemoglobin and myoglobin in muscle and brain in adult
      humans. The path length as well as specific absorption information is obtained in
      terms of the rate of photon decay or by equivalent measurements using phase
      modulation. Localization of inhomogeneities of deoxyhemoglobin concentrations in
      stroke and head injury appears possible.

PMID- 1867712
TI  - Bacterial chemotaxis and the molecular logic of intracellular signal transduction
      networks.

PMID- 1867713
TI  - The zipper-like folding of collagen triple helices and the effects of mutations
      that disrupt the zipper.

PMID- 1867714
TI  - Calcium spiking.

PMID- 1867715
TI  - Statistical methods and insights for protein and DNA sequences.

PMID- 1867716
TI  - Beyond gene sequencing: analysis of protein structure with mass spectrometry.

PMID- 1867717
TI  - Structure and function of a lipoprotein: lipovitellin.

PMID- 1867718
TI  - High-resolution structures of photosynthetic reaction centers.

PMID- 1867719
TI  - Ultrasonic velocimetry of biological compounds.

PMID- 1867720
TI  - Time-resolved photoacoustic calorimetry: a study of myoglobin and rhodopsin.

PMID- 1867721
TI  - Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase.

PMID- 1867722
TI  - Direct observation and manipulation of single DNA molecules using fluorescence
      microscopy.

PMID- 1867723
TI  - Polymer principles in protein structure and stability.

PMID- 1867724
TI  - From femtoseconds to biology: mechanism of bacteriorhodopsin's light-driven
      proton pump.

PMID- 1867725
TI  - Defining solution conformations of small linear peptides.

PMID- 1867726
TI  - Water-protein interactions: theory and experiment.

PMID- 1867727
TI  - Biological applications of scanning probe microscopes.

PMID- 1867728
TI  - [Etiological factors in oral cancer].

PMID- 1867729
TI  - [Effectiveness and tolerance of Diclofenac vs. Nefopam in treatment of
      postoperative pain].

PMID- 1867730
TI  - [Effectiveness of chemical products as antiplaque agents].
AB  - We review the antiplaque effectiveness of distinct chemical products. We
      considered two types, depends on the "in vitro" or "in vivo" demonstrable effect.

PMID- 1867731
TI  - [Irreversible pulp pathology in young permanent teeth. A treatment approach].
AB  - Is made a remember for the two biological elements which audit on the root
      physiological formation: the dental pulp and the Hertwig's epithelial root
      sheath. Is discussed like on the practice clinic, we can find undamaged both
      elements, or we have only with the Hertwig's epithelial root sheath. We indicate
      a treatment when we have a vioble dental pulp, like different treatment if only
      we have the Hertwig's epithelial sheath. Is remembered rules which help to keep
      the health of the periodontal tissues, preventing to the same initiation and
      preventing too the immunologic reactions.

PMID- 1867732
TI  - [Nifedipine induced gingival hyperplasia].
AB  - Nowadays we have a whole of drugs, Calcium antagonists (AC), like Verapamil (VE),
      Nifedipine (NI), Diltiazem (DI), used in cardiovascular therapy. One of them,
      Nifedipine, has several side effects, out of which is gingival overgrowth. In the
      present article we present four cases, in which have been analyzed this effect
      and its resolution in one of them, after drug suppression and patient's hygienic
      habits correction.

PMID- 1867733
TI  - [Behavior patterns in the dental office].

PMID- 1867734
TI  - [Relationship between malocclusion and TMJ dysfunction. Literature review].
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to discuss some current concepts of maloclusion and
      TMJ Syndrome by reviewing the most significative literature. This analysis the
      great differences between well-knowing authors about very important subjects in
      occlusion, as the condylar position in centric relation and in TMJ Syndrome, or
      what kind of malocclusion (morphologic and functional, skeletal or dental) was
      the cause of TMJ Syndrome. The theory of emotional stress would be useful to
      explain some of the discrepancies, by reducing the occlusal disharmony to
      predisposal factors depending on the personal adaptation to stress.

PMID- 1867735
TI  - Improvement of phase III psychotropic drug trials by intensive phase II work.
AB  - Phase III drug trials are expensive, time-consuming procedures that too often are
      a disappointment, since the evidence for drug efficacy proves marginal and
      unconvincing. We believe that this can be remedied by attention to numerous
      correctable flaws during Phase II. These multiple problems require a structural
      solution. The development of expert, psychopharmacologic facilities that focus on
      deficient areas of Phase II studies so as to develop an adequate Phase III design
      should prove helpful.

PMID- 1867737
TI  - Prescribing privileges for non-physicians in the military. Accepted as a
      Consensus Statement by the ACNP Council, March 22, 1991.

PMID- 1867736
TI  - Baseline corrections in experimental and quasi-experimental clinical trials.
AB  - Three methods of correcting for baseline differences are evaluated for use with
      randomized experimental designs and nonrandomized quasi-experimental designs.
      Cases where baseline means differ significantly in spite of random assignment and
      cases where observed baseline means do not differ significantly in quasi
      experimental designs are given special attention. For comparison of treatment
      induced change in randomly constituted treatment groups, analysis of covariance
      (ANCOVA) provides appropriate type I error protection and superior power
      regardless of the apparent significance of chance baseline differences.
      Correcting for baseline differences by expressing outcome scores as percentage of
      the baseline value for each individual produces results that closely approximate
      ANCOVA under specified conditions. Tests on simple pre-post difference scores are
      nonconservative when baseline means differ significantly in spite of
      randomization. In quasi-experimental research where treatment groups represent
      samples from different predefined populations, ANCOVA and percentage change
      provide inadequate baseline corrections even when the observed baseline means do
      not differ significantly. Although no method of baseline correction is entirely
      satisfactory in the absence of random assignment, tests on simple pre-post
      difference scores are generally superior for quasi-experimental designs in which
      treatment groups represent samples from different populations.

PMID- 1867738
TI  - A simple method for determining breast and chest wall thickness.
AB  - When planning radiotherapy for primary breast cancer, it is essential to
      determine the thickness of the chest wall in mastectomized patients and of the
      intact breast in patients undergoing conservation therapy. A simple method, based
      on the use of the simulator, to determine breast and chest wall thickness is
      described.

PMID- 1867739
TI  - Surface topography for patient repositioning.
AB  - For many years, this group has been interested in the measurement of patient
      surface contours in order to prepare radiotherapy compensators. Recently, these
      surface measurements have been made using optical ranging techniques (Medical
      Physics 16:425; 1989). A laser line is projected onto the patient surface and the
      video image of the line is digitized and used to calculate the coordinates of
      each point on the line. This surface information can be used not only for the
      calculation of compensators but can also be used to verify patient position from
      simulation to treatment and from one treatment to another. Because the
      calculation of surface coordinates takes approximately 30 seconds, the technique
      has been modified to allow the comparison of setup position in real time. In the
      new system, a series of narrow fan beams is projected to intersect the patient
      surface. At simulation, the reference video image of the lines is digitized and
      stored. At treatment setup, repeat video images are digitized and compared with
      the reference in real time. Operator adjustments to patient position are
      immediately shown on the composite image, and a congruency value is calculated to
      help in this process of alignment. Uses and accuracy of the technique will be
      discussed.

PMID- 1867740
TI  - Border separation for adjacent orthogonal fields.
AB  - Field border separations for adjacent orthogonal fields can be calculated
      geometrically, given the validity of some important assumptions such as beam
      alignment and field uniformity. Thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) measurements
      were used to investigate dose uniformity across field junctions as a function of
      field separation and, in particular, to review the CCSG recommendation for the
      treatment of medulloblastoma with separate head and spine fields.

PMID- 1867741
TI  - [Does a cholera risk exist in Mexico?].

PMID- 1867742
TI  - [The quantitative analysis of thyroid hormones and thyrotropin in children
      critically ill with septicemia].
AB  - The function of the hypothalamus, hypophysis, and thyroid glands was studied in
      23 critically-ill septicemic children and 15 other healthy children used as
      controls. A comparison in the quantification of 3,3'5-triiodothyronine (T3),
      3,3',5'triiodothyronine (T3r), thyroxine (T4) and thyrotropin (TSH) from those in
      the control group with the initial values from the patients showed a notable
      decrease of T3 and T4 and a rise in T3r and TSH in the septicemic children, with
      a statistical significant difference (P less than 0.001). These biochemical
      changes which translate into a homeostatic command to avoid catabolism through
      the conservation of energy, spontaneously returned to normal in 18 of the
      surviving septicemic children once they recuperated.

PMID- 1867743
TI  - [The use of beverages and food at home during acute infantile diarrhea: an
      ethnographic study in a rural Mexican area].
AB  - A structured interview was applied through a personal interview to 142 peasant
      mothers aimed at exploring some beliefs about childhood diarrheal disease and the
      use of home-made beverages and feeding habits during the illness. The majority
      answered they used to give a herbal tea (90%) or a rice-based beverage (77%) to
      their child with diarrhea. Only 18% mentioned the use of oral rehydration
      packages. Sixty-three percent avoid certain foods while 25% withhold all food,
      usually for more than 24 hours, to a sick child. It is justified to assess the
      clinical efficacy of a rice-powder solution in the prevention of severe
      dehydration, as well as to promote an uninterrupted diet based on locally
      accepted and available foods, in the home management of a child with acute
      diarrhea.

PMID- 1867744
TI  - [Congenital hip dislocation and the seasons].
AB  - This report deals with the data gathered for a year concerning the incidence of
      luxation coxae congenita at the Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia (Gynecology
      Obstetrics Hospital) of the Unidad Medica Oblatos (Oblatos Medical Unit) of the
      Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Institute of Social Security) in
      the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The results show an inverse correlation
      between the temperature and the number of cases, both statistically significant,
      demonstrating seasonality for luxation coxae congenita.

PMID- 1867745
TI  - [A comparative study of technics for intestinal anastomosis].
AB  - Two different intestinal anastomosis techniques were compared in 10 mongrel dogs.
      The first was classical enteral anastomosis (CEA) and the second was "U" suture
      enteral anastomosis (UEA) performed with "U" separated suture and inverted
      intestinal edges in one layer. The follow-up was over 21 days average. Once the
      follow-up was finished, animals were reoperated to obtain gut with CEA and UEA
      for macroscopic measures and microscopic studies with hematoxilin-eosin stains.
      UEA was easier and faster than CEA and lesser fibrotic and inflammatory tissue
      reaction were showed as well as lesser stenosis in UEA group. Both techniques had
      similar seal in anastomosis suture line as mean similar security. We think that
      UEA gives enough trust and security to be performed for good training surgeons.

PMID- 1867746
TI  - [The Fanconi-Bickel syndrome].
AB  - This is a case of a 15-month-old child suffering from Fanconi-Bickel syndrome,
      characterized with Fanconi syndrome manifestations (glycosuria, amino aciduria
      and phosphaturia), and the build-up of glycogen in the liver in a similar manner
      as seen in cases of glycogenesis type Ia. Due to the presence of liver
      glycogenosis, the patient also has a tendency towards hypoglycemia, ketonuria,
      hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The glycogenosis seen in the
      patients with the Fanconi-Bickel syndrome, does not depend on a defect in the
      activity of the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme, but in fact is due to a defect in
      the transporter which mobilizes glucose and galactose in the liver and in the
      basolateral membrane of the proximal tubule of the kidney.

PMID- 1867747
TI  - [The Pelger-Huet anomaly. A clinical and ultrastructural study of a family from
      northeastern Mexico].
AB  - The Pelger-Huet anomaly is a benign disorder which affects the morphology of the
      granulocytes and is namely inherited as an autosomic dominant trait. The
      frequency of this anomaly varies from country to country and in Mexico this
      constitutes the sixth family reported. This is a case of a 21-month-old boy whose
      anomaly was detected during the study of his ferropenic anemia with which he
      arrived at the hospital. During the study of his nine family members, the anomaly
      was found to have also been present in his father. An electron microscopy study
      of the subject, his father's and a normal control's neutrophils was conducted.
      The patient's and his father's leucocyte granules were found to be normal but
      decreased in number. This work includes some discussion on inherited traits,
      their presentation, morphology, differential diagnosis and emphasizes the
      importance in recognizing this anomaly and the promotion of genetic counselling.

PMID- 1867748
TI  - [Cystic lymphangioma of the ileum. A case report].
AB  - Cystic lymphangioma is an uncommon tumor of the small bowel. A case in the ileum
      in a 3 years old boy is described. The clinical picture was with 10 months of
      progression with constipation, abdominal pain associated with meals and finally
      an acute abdomen suggestive of appendicitis. A conservative surgical treatment
      with segmental intestinal resection and termino-terminal anastomosis was
      curative. The anatomopathological findings are described and a revision of the
      literature is done.

PMID- 1867749
TI  - [Periodontal disease in Noonan's syndrome].
AB  - Two cases of non-related patients suffering from Noonan syndrome with
      characteristic data of the syndrome, had clinical and radiological evidence of
      very advanced periodontal disease. This disease seems to be unjustified because
      of the patients age and the lack of irritating local factors or systemic
      illnesses. A review of the literature showed no evidence of the periodontal
      disease as part of the syndrome.

PMID- 1867750
TI  - [Valproic acid in the management of Sydenham's chorea].

PMID- 1867751
TI  - [A kidney from a friend: a transplant of greater acceptance].

PMID- 1867752
TI  - Deficiencies in human neonates' color vision: photoreceptoral and neural
      explanations.
AB  - Several photoreceptoral and neural models have been proposed to account for the
      development of human vision. To further evaluate those applicable to color
      vision, the present study examined 40 neonates' (mean age = 3.2 days) chromatic
      achromatic discriminations in the mid-spectral region by using an habituation
      procedure and measures to minimize achromatic cues. Results indicated that
      newborns showed evidence of discriminating broad-band orange (lambda peak = 595
      nm) but not yellow-green (lambda peak = 565 nm) lights from achromatic lights of
      varying luminance. Collectively, these and previous results imply that although
      newborns have at least dichromatic color vision, they possess relatively poor
      chromatic-achromatic discrimination in two spectral regions - in the short
      wavelengths (including stimuli of 470-480 nm) and in the mid-wavelengths
      (including 565 nm). Although several hypotheses were considered, newborns'
      chromatic 'neutral zones' are best accounted for by models proposing that early
      color vision is limited by a general inefficiency of preneural (photoreceptoral
      and optical) mechanisms and/or by a selective immaturity of the SWS cones or the
      B/Y opponent channel.

PMID- 1867753
TI  - Physical activity effects on hippocampal and parietal cortical cholinergic
      function and spatial learning in F344 rats.
AB  - In the present investigation, the effects of physical activity on hippocampal
      cholinergic function, parietal cortical cholinergic function, and spatial memory
      were examined in F344 rats. Single bouts of physical activity elevated
      hippocampal and cortical high affinity choline uptake, whereas chronic physical
      activity significantly reduced only hippocampal high affinity choline uptake
      (HACU) and elevated muscarinic (QNB) receptor density. Three weeks prior to the
      end of the 14-week chronic treadmill running protocol, a group of chronic-run
      rats and their non-run controls were tested on a stringent version of Whishaw's
      place learning-set task. Chronic-run rats exhibited enhanced performance on the
      spatial task by significantly reduced second trial latencies and elevated first
      and second trial proximity ratio scores. Chronic-run spatial memory tested rats
      also showed enhanced hippocampal HACU and muscarinic receptor binding. These data
      indicate that chronic physical activity improves spatial learning performance.
      This improvement may be due, in part, to a chronic running-induced enhancement of
      hippocampal cholinergic functioning.

PMID- 1867754
TI  - Short light-dark cycles influence sleep stages and EEG power spectra in the rat.
AB  - To investigate the influence of light on sleep and the electroencephalogram
      (EEG), chronically implanted rats were continuously recorded during a baseline
      day under 12-h light-12-h dark (LD 12:12) conditions, and an experimental day
      with short LD (LD 1:1) cycles. The percentage of non-REM sleep (NREMS) was higher
      and the percentage of REM sleep (REMS) lower in the 1-h light [corrected]
      intervals than in the 1-h dark intervals. The maximum of NREMS induction by 1-h
      light occurred in the habitual 12-h dark period (activity period), while the
      largest enhancement of REMS by 1-h darkness occurred in the second half of the
      habitual 12-h light period (rest period). The EEG of waking, NREMS and REMS was
      subjected to spectral analysis to determine the power density of the frequency
      components in the range of 0.25-25.0 Hz. The overall 24-h time course of the EEG
      spectra in NREMS was similar under baseline and experimental conditions.
      Nevertheless, the spectra were modified by the short LD-cycle. In NREMS, the
      values in the middle and high frequencies (greater than 6 Hz in the rest period;
      greater than 11 Hz in the activity period) were lower in the 1-h light intervals
      than in the 1-h dark intervals. In contrast, activity in some frequency bands
      during waking and REMS was higher in the light than in the dark intervals. It is
      concluded that the short LD-cycle modulates the vigilance states and induces
      state-specific changes in the EEG, whereas circadian aspects of sleep are little
      affected.

PMID- 1867755
TI  - Telencephalic but not diencephalic noradrenaline depletion enhances behavioural
      but not endocrine measures of fear conditioning to contextual stimuli.
AB  - Three experiments investigated the effects of primarily cortical or hypothalamic
      noradrenaline depletion on aversive conditioning of explicit and contextual
      stimuli in rats. In Expt. 1, two groups of rats were trained to respond under a
      variable interval schedule for food reward. One group of rats subsequently
      received injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the dorsal noradrenergic bundle,
      resulting in profound depletion of cortical noradrenaline; the second group
      received vehicle injections. All rats were exposed to 5 pairings of an auditory
      stimulus (CS) and footshock (UCS) in a distinctive environment (the dark chamber
      of a place preference apparatus). During testing in a separate, neutral
      environment, DNAB-lesioned rats suppressed responding for food reward, in the
      presence of the aversive CS, to a greater degree than controls. Lesioned rats
      also showed a greater aversion to the distinctive environment in which they were
      shocked. In contrast, plasma corticosterone concentrations, measured immediately
      following each of these behavioural tests, revealed no differences between DNAB
      lesioned and control rats. Expt. 2 showed that the DNAB lesion did not affect
      habituation to the light chamber of the place preference apparatus used in Expt.
      1. Expt. 3 showed that 6-OHDA injection into the ventral noradrenergic bundle
      component of the central tegmental tract, which damages primarily the
      noradrenergic innervation of hypothalamus, had no effect on either behavioural or
      endocrine responses to conditioned aversive, explicit or contextual cues. The
      results are discussed in relation to other reports of the effects of DNAB lesions
      on simple associative learning in an aversive context.

PMID- 1867756
TI  - Chronic oral treatment with diltiazem or verapamil decreases isolation-induced
      activity impairment in elevated plus maze.
AB  - Adult male Wistar rats were either socially isolated or group-housed for 6 weeks
      and then tested in an elevated plus maze. During isolation the rats received
      either water or two concentrations of the calcium channel inhibitors, diltiazem
      or verapamil, in drinking solutions (approximately 5 and 10 mg/kg daily).
      Isolated rats showed a significantly lower total number of arm entries, a lower
      percentage of open arm entries and negligible time spent therein than did group
      housed animals. Verapamil, in the higher dose, prevented that effect of
      isolation. Treatment with diltiazem brought about a similar tendency, though the
      effect did not reach statistical significance. Chronic treatment of group-housed
      rats with either drug failed to influence their behavior in the plus maze. We
      conclude that certain calcium channel inhibitors may decrease the behavioral
      deficit in the elevated plus maze that follows chronic social isolation.

PMID- 1867757
TI  - Sex-dependent effects of aversive stimulation on holeboard and elevated plus-maze
      behavior.
AB  - The behavioral effects of exposure to inescapable shocks (IS) were studied in
      both the holeboard and the elevated plus-maze, 24 and 72 h after IS in male and
      female Wistar rats. The following effects were observed at the 24-h interval. In
      both sexes, head-dipping in the holeboard was reduced by IS, whereas general
      activity (ambulation and rearing) was reduced in males and not in females.
      Furthermore, the results of a correlation analysis indicate that previous
      exposure to IS disrupts the dissociation observed in control groups between
      exploratory activity directed at the holes (head-dipping) and general activity in
      the holeboard (ambulation and rearing). Effects of IS on plus-maze behavior could
      be observed in a clear suppression of rearing in males and not in females. IS did
      not affect time spent on the open arms. At the 72-h interval, IS affected head
      dipping in the holeboard only in males and not in females. The present findings
      show that the effect of IS on specified behavioral elements is sex-dependent,
      with stronger and longer-lasting effects in males than in females.

PMID- 1867758
TI  - The acquisition of self-stimulation of the medical prefrontal cortex following
      exposure to escapable or inescapable footshock.
AB  - The effect of acute stress on the acquisition of an instrumental action
      reinforced by electrical stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPC) was
      investigated by exposing rats to either escapable, inescapable or no footshock
      prior to daily self-stimulation training sessions. Treatment with inescapable
      footshock did not affect the number of sessions required for acquisition of MPC
      self-stimulation but did increase the rate of responding over acquisition
      sessions compared with the no-shock group. When the treatment footshock was
      escapable, however, both a facilitation in acquisition, as indexed by a reduction
      in the number of sessions to criterion, and an increase in the rate of MPC self
      stimulation was found. These data were interpreted as offering evidence for the
      operation of a dopaminergic mechanism in the acquisition of MPC self-stimulation.
      Further, they indicate, contrary to the reported effects of footshock on self
      stimulation of other brain areas, that exposure to acute stress has a
      facilitatory effect on the rate of self stimulation of the MPC.

PMID- 1867759
TI  - Subcutaneous injection of carbachol enhances brain graft-induced recovery of
      memory-function by circumventing the blood-brain barrier.
AB  - After bilateral neurotoxic hippocampectomy adult rats received bilateral fetal
      suspension grafts at the lesion sites. Functional efficacy of fetal grafted
      tissue was substantially improved by subcutaneous administration of carbachol at
      a dose of 0.01 mg/kg s.c. The drug caused an almost complete restitution of
      performance in grafted animals in a Morris water-maze test. The progress of
      behavioral recovery was studied over 3 months postoperatively. Grafts of fetal
      hippocampal neurons alone improved lesion-induced spatial learning deficits to a
      limited degree. These results suggest that peripheral administration of carbachol
      may be of use in the treatment of central lesions associated with cognitive
      impairments, allowing or enhancing the development of graft-induced amelioration
      of behavioral deficits. The data also support the view that grafts of embryonic
      neural tissue may produce a local opening of the blood-brain barrier allowing
      drugs which normally act only peripherally to exert central effects. These
      central effects are probably limited to the graft site because the rest of the
      brain has a blood-brain barrier which is still intact.

PMID- 1867760
TI  - Completing the split in the split-brain rat: transection of the optic chiasm.
AB  - We describe a stereotaxic technique to transect the optic chiasm in the rat and
      present illustrative data on the interocular transfer of visual discrimination in
      chiasm-sectioned and chiasm-plus-forebrain commissure-sectioned animals.
      Applications of the technique are discussed.

PMID- 1867761
TI  - Brown (BAT) and white (WAT) adipose tissue in high-fat junk food (HFJF) and chow
      fed rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions (DMNL rats).
AB  - Male weanling rats received dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions (DMNL) or
      sham operations and were fed for 173 postoperative days a high-fat diet and given
      a 32% sucrose solution as drinking fluid. This was supplemented with chocolate
      chip cookies, potato chips and marshmallows. Other DMNL and sham-operated
      controls were fed lab chow instead of the above high-fat junk food diet (HFJF)
      and given tap water instead of 32% sucrose solution. All animals were killed on
      postoperative day 174. Caloric intake per 100 g body weight was similar in all
      groups; however, the HFJF fed control and DMNL rats had significantly elevated
      carcass fat. Since HFJF-DMNL rats were not nearly as obese as the HFJF control
      animals, it appears that the DMNL offered some protection against the HFJF-diet
      produced obesity. When their smaller body size is considered. DMN lesions had no
      effect on brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass in chow-fed or HFJF fed rats, whereas
      BAT size was significantly enlarged in HFJF-fed control animals. This suggests
      but does not prove that HFJF-fed controls, but not DMNL rats, may be using
      dietary-induced thermogenesis (DIT) to attenuate their obesity. We hypothesize
      that the HFJF-fed DMNL may not be enhancing DIT as reflected in normal BAT size,
      because they had not attained a degree of fatness to activate this system, or the
      DMN lesions impaired its activation. Both HFJF-fed groups showed reduced linear
      growth compared to their counterparts. The reason for stunting is uncertain, but
      may be related to their low plasma insulin concentrations.

PMID- 1867762
TI  - Spatial and non-spatial spontaneous alternation and hippocampal mossy fibre
      distribution in nine inbred mouse strains.
AB  - Ten male mice from each one of nine inbred strains were tested for spontaneous
      alternation in a T-maze, which was placed in a spatially richly structured room.
      Each test consisted of two trials, the first choice to be made was forced, the
      second one free. By turning the maze 180 degrees between choices during 8 of the
      16 tests, 3 variables could be measured: total alternation, spatial alternation,
      and non-spatial alternation. After Timm's staining, the sizes of the intra- and
      infrapyramidal mossy fibre terminal fields (iip-MF) were measured. Significant
      strain differences were found for all variables, but none of the behavioural
      variables correlated with hippocampal variation. These results disagree with
      earlier experiments, where large correlations between the iip-MF and spatial
      working memory were found. Some hypotheses to explain this discrepancy are
      presented.

PMID- 1867763
TI  - Behavioural differences between artificially selected aggressive and non
      aggressive mice: response to apomorphine.
AB  - The present study reports a first attempt to unravel the neurochemical background
      that underlies the difference in behavioural profiles between aggressive and non
      aggressive male mice. For this purpose two bidirectionally selected lines for
      attack latency (SAL and LAL) were used. In pursuit of Cools'9 approach, the
      susceptibility of individuals of both selection lines to the dopamine agonist
      apomorphine was measured. The apomorphine was injected subcutaneously at dose
      levels of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg. Apomorphine is considered to stimulate the dopamine
      receptors in the telencephalon and induces stereotyped behaviour. The
      responsivity to apomorphine can be rated as a total stereotypy-score. SAL
      (aggressive) mice showed a significantly greater enhancement of stereotyped
      behaviour in response to apomorphine than LAL (non-aggressive) mice. In addition,
      it was demonstrated that this difference is of a quantitative rather than
      qualitative character. Pharmacokinetic variation between the two lines could be
      ruled out as cause of the difference. Hence, it was concluded that SAL mice are
      more sensitive to apomorphine than LAL males, which provides evidence for a
      difference in the dopaminergic system between the two selection lines. It was
      suggested that this difference underlies the difference in flexibility in
      behaviour between aggressive and non-aggressive male mice.

PMID- 1867764
TI  - The chlamydial pneumonias.

PMID- 1867765
TI  - Intraocular infections: current therapeutic approach.

PMID- 1867766
TI  - Bronchiectasis: a current view.

PMID- 1867767
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated pneumocystosis.

PMID- 1867768
TI  - Infection of burn wounds: evaluation and management.

PMID- 1867769
TI  - Colonic diverticulitis: microbiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic
      considerations.

PMID- 1867770
TI  - Echocardiography in the management of patients with suspected or proven
      endocarditis.

PMID- 1867771
TI  - Echinococcal disease.

PMID- 1867772
TI  - The epidemiology of AIDS: a decade of experience.

PMID- 1867773
TI  - Genes directly involved in the biosynthesis of beta-lactam antibiotics.
AB  - Several genes encoding enzymatic activities involved in penicillin and
      cephalosporin biosynthesis have been identified. The first two steps in the
      biosynthesis of both antibiotics are common in penicillin, cephalosporin and
      cephamycin producers: condensation of the three precursor amino acids to form the
      tripeptide delta-(L-alpha-aminoadipyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine, and oxidative
      cyclization of the tripeptide to form isopenicillin N. The genes involved in the
      two steps are pcbAB and pcbC respectively. The conversion of isopenicillin N to
      penicillin G is carried out by the enzyme isopenicillin N:6-APA acyltransferase
      encoded by the gene penDE. The biosynthesis of cephalosporin diverges from that
      of penicillin G at the isopenicillin N level. The isopenicillin N is first
      isomerized to penicillin N by an epimerase that is encoded by the gene cefD. The
      penicillin N is converted in deacetoxycephalosporin C by an expansion of the five
      membered thiazolidine ring to the six-membered dihydrothiazine ring. The
      deacetoxycephalosporin C is finally converted into cephalosporin C by a
      hydroxylation and O-acetylation. The enzymes which catalyze these last three
      steps are encoded by the genes cefE, cefF and cefG. The penicillin, cephalosporin
      and cephamycin biosynthetic genes are organized in clusters (and subclusters) of
      genes.

PMID- 1867774
TI  - Isolation and characterization of Rhizobium meliloti mutants affected in
      exopolysaccharide production.
AB  - Rhizobium meliloti mutants affected in the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS)
      were isolated after N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis. The mutants
      were classified into three phenotypic classes: (I) Exo-, rough mutants lacking
      exopolysaccharide; (II) Exos (for "small") which form tiny, compact colonies and
      synthesize reduced amounts of EPS; and (III) Exoc (for "constitutive"),
      hypermucoid mutants which overproduce EPS. Hypermucoid strains showed increased
      resistance to desiccation. All the mutants were able to nodulate, although a
      significant decrease in infectivity degree and/or competitiveness was found in
      rough and compact strains. Two mutants proved to be deficient in nitrogen
      fixation. Complementation analysis with cloned R. meliloti exo genes could not be
      applied to the study of these Fix- mutants because introduction of plasmids
      derived from cosmid vector pLAFR1 caused loss of nodulating ability. However,
      complementation of calcofluor staining and EPS production was observed.
      Complementation with certain exo genes also caused a marked increase in motility.

PMID- 1867775
TI  - [Serotypes of Salmonella enterica in sewage effluent from Zaragoza. Comparison
      with clinical isolates. 1982-1989].
AB  - Between 1982 and 1989, 560 Salmonella enterica strains belonging to 63 serovars,
      were isolated from Zaragoza urban sewage. During the same period of time there
      were 45 different serovars isolated from faeces of patients from a hospital (in
      the same city). Only a reduced number of serovars comprised the majority of the
      human and environmental isolates. An approximately rectilinear relationship is
      shown between the isolated strains number and the number of different serovars,
      in non human Salmonella strains. In clinical isolates, we have not found this
      relation. We have compared the local results with those reported in other
      different Spanish regions.

PMID- 1867776
TI  - Numerical taxonomy of moderately halophilic gram-positive cocci isolated from the
      Salar de Atacama (Chile).
AB  - A taxonomic study has been carried out on 22 strains of moderately halophilic
      motile cocci isolated from the Salar de Atacama (Chile). The 112 phenotypic tests
      were analyzed by numerical taxonomy using SSM coefficient and the unweighted pair
      group method of association (UPGMA). At the 67% similarity level, two phenons
      were obtained: phenon A included 11 strains and phenon B, 11 strains too, whereas
      the six reference strains did not cluster within these two phenons. These results
      suggest that moderately halophilic cocci with different phenotypic
      characteristics from previously described species can be isolated from the
      hypersaline habitat Salar de Atacama.

PMID- 1867777
TI  - On the role of trehalose in yeast cells subjected to hypersomotic shock.
AB  - Plate counts on both high and low water activity (aw) media were performed during
      the growth of Candida utilis in batch culture. The results revealed a marked
      discrepancy between the counts on the two media in the logarithmic phase. The
      discrepancy almost disappeared in stationary phase revealing a higher resistance
      of these cells, as compared to growing cells, to the severe dehydration imposed
      by the hyperosmotic shock upon transfer to low aw medium. Since the two types of
      cells differ in the level of endogenous trehalose the relation between plating
      discrepancy and trehalose content of the cells was investigated. Treatments that
      changed the intracellular trehalose concentration did not modify the plate counts
      on low aw medium. It was therefore concluded that the amount of trehalose into
      the cells is not the only factor conferring resistance against the hyperosmotic
      shock. Glycerol content did not correlate with resistance to the water stress
      either. Congruent with the former conclusion, other yeast species (Sporobolomyces
      salmonicolor, Schizosaccharomyces pombe) showed no correlation between changes in
      the trehalose content and susceptibility or resistance to the osmotic stress in
      low aw medium.

PMID- 1867778
TI  - [Evaluation of the Autoscan-4 System for the identification of strains of the
      genus Salmonella].
AB  - A study was performed to compare the Autoscan-4 with conventional biochemical
      methods to identify isolates of the Salmonella genus. The Autoscan-4 yielded
      correct identification of the 99% Salmonella isolates at the genus and species
      level, but failed to identify 74% Salmonella isolates of the "Arizona" group,
      making necessary to perform subspecies biochemical reactions.

PMID- 1867779
TI  - Comparison of quantitative analytical methods in evaluating acidophilic iron- and
      sulphur-oxidizing microorganisms liquid cultures.
AB  - Different quantitative methods to evaluate cell concentrations in acidophilic
      iron- and sulphur-oxidizing microorganisms liquid cultures have been compared
      with the "most probable number of viable germs" procedure. Plating and colony
      counting on recently developed solid media give good results when used with pure
      bacterial cultures, but plating efficiency decreases with natural mixed cultures.

PMID- 1867780
TI  - Pharmacotherapy in dentistry: macrolide antibiotics.

PMID- 1867781
TI  - Controlled drug release in periodontal therapy.

PMID- 1867782
TI  - Care and maintenance of dental curing lights.

PMID- 1867783
TI  - Smile designer's workshop. 3. Design theory of maxillary cuspids.

PMID- 1867784
TI  - The benefit-risk of dental implants: informed consent.

PMID- 1867785
TI  - The American dental laser: initial patient response.

PMID- 1867786
TI  - Hidden clasp partial denture.

PMID- 1867788
TI  - When to increase staff.

PMID- 1867787
TI  - Focusing on the big picture.

PMID- 1867789
TI  - Pharmacotherapy in dentistry: tetracyclines.

PMID- 1867790
TI  - The insurance game.

PMID- 1867791
TI  - Tooth-colored bonded posterior restorations: aesthetic alternatives to amalgam
      and gold.

PMID- 1867792
TI  - A new laser for endodontic and hard tissue applications.

PMID- 1867793
TI  - Devices ease endodontics.

PMID- 1867794
TI  - Comprehensive cosmetics: bridging the gap between traditional and cosmetic
      procedures.

PMID- 1867795
TI  - The twin block technique.

PMID- 1867796
TI  - The new periodontal diagnostics: commercial applications.

PMID- 1867797
TI  - Developing a comprehensive soft tissue management program.

PMID- 1867799
TI  - The major financial weaknesses of a dental practice: practical solutions.

PMID- 1867798
TI  - Marketing laser dentistry.

PMID- 1867800
TI  - Maximize your market share through effective case presentation.

PMID- 1867801
TI  - Expert systems: computers in dentistry.

PMID- 1867802
TI  - FDA panel says amalgam is safe; urges more studies to ease public fear.

PMID- 1867803
TI  - Anatomical considerations for mandibular implant surgery. 1. Specific anatomy
      introduction.

PMID- 1867804
TI  - A lingual medi-quiz.

PMID- 1867805
TI  - Broken posts: frustration or fulfillment. A new technique for removal.

PMID- 1867806
TI  - What is comprehensive soft tissue management? 2. Clinical aspects.

PMID- 1867807
TI  - Interceptive preprosthetic oral surgery envisioned for the perceptive dentist.

PMID- 1867808
TI  - Pharmacotherapy in dentistry: cephalosporin antibiotics.

PMID- 1867809
TI  - A clinical case illustrating a new implant abutment.

PMID- 1867811
TI  - OSHA update: what you need to know about an OSHA inspection.

PMID- 1867810
TI  - The future of amalgam; what can take its place?

PMID- 1867812
TI  - Smile designer's workshop. 4. Design theory of maxillary premolars.

PMID- 1867813
TI  - Indirect resin inlays: all the benefits without the disadvantages.

PMID- 1867814
TI  - Thirteen steps to a perfect impression.

PMID- 1867815
TI  - Pharmacotherapy in dentistry: quinolones.

PMID- 1867817
TI  - Anatomical considerations for mandibular implant surgery. 2. Two common post
      operative problems.

PMID- 1867816
TI  - Uses and features of intraoral video camera systems.

PMID- 1867818
TI  - Endodontic diagnosis.

PMID- 1867819
TI  - The insurance game: periodontics.

PMID- 1867820
TI  - Implants and cosmetic dentistry.

PMID- 1867821
TI  - Become more efficient with a light communication system.

PMID- 1867822
TI  - Dental team members: why they act the way they do!

PMID- 1867823
TI  - Instilling behavior management in children and parents.

PMID- 1867824
TI  - How to maintain the endosseous implant.

PMID- 1867825
TI  - The "Spider from Mars" resilient resin-bonded bridge.

PMID- 1867826
TI  - Smile designer's workshop. 5. The role of gender in smile design.

PMID- 1867827
TI  - The insurance game: removable prosthodontics.

PMID- 1867828
TI  - "Alpha" gutta-percha--is it just another phase?

PMID- 1867829
TI  - Reviewing auxiliary performance and salary.

PMID- 1867830
TI  - Applying today's technology. Monitoring and detecting progressive periodontitis.

PMID- 1867832
TI  - Hidden clasp partial is a viable option.

PMID- 1867831
TI  - Partial dentures: they still have a place in dentistry.

PMID- 1867833
TI  - Treating the emergency dental trauma patient.

PMID- 1867834
TI  - Establishing a sound financial policy: how to ask for money, collect it, and
      still feel comfortable.

PMID- 1867835
TI  - Central action of benserazide after COMT inhibition demonstrated in vivo by PET.
AB  - Positron emission tomography (PET) following intravenous administration of beta
      [11C]-L-DOPA provides a method of assessing regional cerebral uptake and
      utilization of levodopa. Cerebral levodopa kinetics in the rhesus monkey were
      investigated after the inhibition of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) with RO
      40-7592, and after coadministration of the peripheral aromatic L-amino acid
      decarboxylase (AADC) inhibitors benserazide and carbidopa. Pretreatment with RO
      40-7592 (10 mg/kg), benserazide (10 mg/kg) or carbidopa (3.5 mg/kg) did not
      change striatal k3, which mainly reflects the ability for the brain tissue to
      convert [11C]-L-DOPA to [11 C]-dopamine, although the brain's uptake of
      radioactivity increased substantially after pretreatment with the AADC
      inhibitors. When benserazide was coadministered with RO 40-7592 (10 mg/kg) a dose
      dependent decrease in striatal k3 was measured with an apparent ED50 of 3 mg/kg.
      No such effect was indicated after pretreatment with the combination of RO 40
      7592 (10 mg/kg) and carbidopa (3.5 mg/kg). The possible negative interactions of
      coadministration with COMT inhibitors and predominantly peripherally acting AADC
      inhibitors must be considered when used in the therapy of Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 1867836
TI  - Changes in cholinergic and opioid receptors in the rat spinal cord, dorsal root
      and sciatic nerve after ventral and dorsal root lesion.
AB  - Changes in the distribution of 3H-quinuclidinylbenzilate (3H-QNB), 3H
      acetylcholine (3H-ACh) and 3H-alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BTx) binding sites were
      studied with the use of quantitative in vitro autoradiography in the L4-L6
      segments of rats 7 days after ventral L4-L6-rhizotomies and 24 hours after
      ligation of the dorsal roots L4-L6. The changes in the binding sites of these
      ligands and of 3H-etorphine binding sites were also studied in the dorsal roots
      of the rats operated with dorsal root ligation and in the sciatic nerves (around
      a ligature) in the rats operated with ventral rhizotomy. After ventral rhizotomy
      3H-QNB binding sites in the ipsilateral motor neuron area were decreased by about
      25% from 100 +/- 5 to 73 +/- 5 fmol/mg wet weight. After dorsal root ligation 3H
      QNB binding sites in the ipsilateral posterior horn were reduced by about 30%
      from 91 +/- 5 to 64 +/- 7 fmol/mg wet weight. No significant changes in the
      binding of the other cholinergic ligands in the spinal cords were observed after
      the operations. In the dorsal root 3H-alpha-Btx and 3H-etorphine binding sites
      were higher on the distal side of the ligation (3.5 +/- 0.8 and 14 +/- 4 fmol/mg
      wet weight, respectively) than on the proximal side (0.7 +/- 0.5 and 2.4 +/- 1.2
      fmol/mg wet weight, respectively). The same level of 3H-ACh (total, muscarinic
      and nicotinic) binding was observed on both sides of the ligation. In the sciatic
      nerve 3H-QNB and total, muscarinic and nicotinic ACh binding sites were higher on
      the proximal side of the ligation than on the distal side.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867837
TI  - Hypothalamic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone content and serum luteinizing
      hormone levels in male rats during wallerian degeneration of sympathetic nerve
      terminals after superior cervical ganglionectomy.
AB  - The main hypothesis of this study was that sympathetic neurons located at the
      superior cervical ganglia (SCG) control luteinizing hormone (LH) releasing
      mechanisms by acting at a hypothalamic site. To test this, medial basal
      hypothalamus (MBH) luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) content and serum
      LH levels were measured in male rats subjected to superior cervical
      ganglionectomy (SCGx) or sham-operation 14 or 38 h earlier, at the time of
      degeneration of nerve endings post-SCGx. Significantly augmented MBH LHRH levels
      and decreased circulating LH were found in SCGx rats. In animals subjected to
      SCGx 14 h earlier and receiving a single injection of the alpha 1-adrenergic
      blocker prazosin, the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol or a mixture of both
      drugs 45 min before sacrifice, only the injection of prazosin prevented the
      decrease of plasma LH levels. Neither treatment prevented the increase in MBH
      LHRH content. When prazosin was given every hour starting from the 10th to the
      13th h after surgery, it was effective to prevent both the increase of MBH LHRH
      content and the decrease of serum LH found during sympathetic nerve degeneration.
      Similar repetitive injections of propranolol resulted in the greatest depression
      of serum LH, and in the greatest increase of MBH LHRH observed. Serum LH response
      to LHRH injection was similar in SCGx and sham-operated rats. The data indicate
      that SCG neurons exert, through inhibitory alpha 1-, and weaker, stimulatory beta
      adrenoceptors, a significant influence on LHRH release at a supra-hypophysial
      site.

PMID- 1867838
TI  - Urinary elimination of salsolinol enantiomers in alcoholics.
AB  - The analysis of the urine from 6 chronic alcoholics showed that (R)- and (S)
      salsolinol were detectable in 4 subjects, the R enantiomer was only found in one
      and that both enantiomers were under the limit of detection in another one. 1,2
      Dehydrosalsolinol was present in the urine of all of them. There was no
      correlation between the presence of alcohol in blood upon admission to the
      hospital and that of either salsolinol enantiomer in urine In a previous study
      (Strolin Benedetti et al., 1989 b), both salsolinol enantiomers were found in the
      urine of 3 out of 6 healthy subjects, possibly in relation with regular intake of
      alcoholic beverages. The content in (R)- and (S)-salsolinol was determined in the
      same 3 subjects after deprivation of alcohol for 24 h. Under these conditions,
      only (R)-salsolinol was detected in urine and this also after ingestion of 50 g
      of alcohol (500 ml Chianti). The possible involvement of the non-physiological
      enantiomer of salsolinol in alcohol addiction deserves further study.

PMID- 1867839
TI  - The effects of shifting sleep two hours within a fixed photoperiod.
AB  - This study examined the effects of shifting the time of sleep within a constant
      photoperiod on the circadian rhythms of body temperature and melatonin secretion.
      Subjects lived under conditions of a long scotoperiod (dim light of less than 10
      lux from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m.) for three weeks. In order to delineate dawn and
      dusk, subjects received one hour of bright light (2500 lux) before and after the
      scotoperiod (i.e., from 8 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m.). For the first week of
      the experiment they slept from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. In the second week, sleep was
      advanced two hours; that is, subjects retired at 8 p.m. and arose at 4 a.m. The
      third week was a repeat of the first, resulting in a two-hour delay of sleep from
      week two to three. The six subjects who successfully completed this protocol had
      no significant changes in the timing of the body temperature minima and onset of
      secretion of melatonin. This indicates that the timing of allowed sleep has less
      of an immediate effect on circadian rhythms than the timing of the external light
      dark cycle. The circadian effects of the timing of sleep may be due more to the
      light-dark cycle that is imposed by the sleep-wake cycle than from the timing of
      sleep itself.

PMID- 1867840
TI  - Synergistic interactions between the NMDA antagonist dizocilpine and the
      preferential dopamine autoreceptor antagonists (+)-AJ 76 and (+)-UH 232 with
      regard to locomotor stimulation in monoamine-depleted mice.
AB  - When administered to mice pretreated with the monoamine-depleter reserpine and
      the catecholamine synthesis inhibitor alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine, the
      preferential autoreceptor antagonists (+)-AJ76 and (+)-UH 232 induced weak
      locomotor stimulation. When either (+)-AJ 76 or (+)-UH 232 was combined with a
      subthreshold dose of the selective NMDA antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801), a marked
      locomotor stimulation was produced in monoamine-depleted mice. The mechanism of
      this stimulation, although reduced by dopamine antagonists, remains to be
      clarified.

PMID- 1867841
TI  - [Blood alcohol concentration and effect, traffic medicine characteristics and
      legal traffic relevance of alcohol limit values in road traffic].
AB  - Since the expert report of the Federal Health Office (FHO) in 1966 (also compare
      FHO expert report 1977) numerous papers about the influence of small doses of
      alcohol on driving ability have been published (see Blood Alcohol, Alcohol, Drugs
      and Behavior). These papers emphasise the possibility to prove an acute influence
      on the central nervous system of man with characteristic consequences for his
      readiness to perform and his general effectiveness with regard to the safe
      conduct of a vehicle above a concentration of blood alcohol from 0.2 to 0.3%
      upwards. This experimentally observed increase in knowledge which conforms with
      jurisdiction i.e. assuming the possibility of alcohol-effected reduced driving
      ability above 0.3% in individual cases, -however, does not include a regular
      capability to detect a reduced driving ability for a range in blood alcohol
      concentration of 0.3% to 1.0% (see opinion of the directors and boards in the
      German Society for Legal Medicin, 1984). From All presentations the following
      conclusions may be drawn regarding the level and traffic medicals als well as
      psychophysical relevance and the forensic importance of alcohol threshold values
      in road traffic: 1. The 0.0% would be consistent. Each trace of blood alcohol can
      influence driving ability. Such a limit would, however, be linked to an
      intolerable cover-up-level. 2. The threshold level to prove the effect of alcohol
      lies at 0.3% to 0.4% as a basic value (jurisdiction = 0.3%). This level must
      definitely be regarded as preventing traffic accidents. FREUDENBERG, 1966: At
      0.4% the relative probability to become involved a lethal traffic accident is 2.1
      times higher than the sober value. BORKENSTEIN, 1964/74: At 0.4% the relative
      probability to cause an accident is not significantly higher than the sober
      value. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.4% may be proven by an analytical
      average value of 0.5% (safety margin: 0.1%). From legal and traffic medical
      viewpoint nothing contradicts the intention to establish an abstract danger
      ceiling at 0.4 + 0.1% = 0.5% linked to unlawful behaviour and the prohibition to
      drive. 3. The danger ceiling presently in operation contains a basic value of 0.6
      to 0.7% and a safety margin of 0.15% = 0.8%. At 0.6 to 0.7% the majority of
      drivers are unable to participate in the traffic. FREUDENBERG, 1966: At 0.7% the
      relative possibility to become involved in an traffic accident is 3.7 times
      higher als compared to the sober value. BORKENSTEIN: At 0.7% the relative
      probability to cause an accident in increased 2.7 times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1867842
TI  - [Critical questions regarding standard deviation as a precision parameter of
      blood alcohol determination].
AB  - The relative absolute standard deviation, which was introduced for the control of
      the precision of blood alcohol-determinations by the BGH reveals, that according
      to technical rules the admissible standard deviation in the range of higher blood
      alcohol concentrations is exceeded despite the fact, that the width of the
      variation is still in the acceptable range. The standard deviation of 0.05%
      should therefore only be applied to the blood alcohol range up to 1.5%. As an
      alternative the coefficient of variation can be chosen for the precision control.

PMID- 1867843
TI  - [Incorrect blood specimen collection for forensic blood alcohol determination].
AB  - Blood to measure the level of bloodalcohol will be taken usually by tapping
      veins. Sometimes vessels are brought with blood diluted by other solvents. It is
      possible to determine bloodalcohol levels also in these cases.

PMID- 1867844
TI  - [Criteria for the validation of forensic breath alcohol tests (results of a
      specialty meeting of the Society against Alcohol in Road Traffic e.V.)].
AB  - According to the conception developed in the Federal Health Office a forensic
      breath-alcohol determination requires two independent measurements of ethanol
      concentration received by two measuring systems of different analytical specify
      in order to detect interfering substances. In addition to the two values of the
      breath-alcohol concentration two values of the exhaled volume, the duration of
      exhalation and the final breath temperature were obtained. According to the
      recommendations of the Organisation Internationale de Metrologie Legale (OIML)
      valid measurements require two breath alcohol values. The difference between the
      two values must not exceed prescribed limits. Furthermore the other pairs of
      measured values can be used for a judgement of the measuring procedure. Criteria
      were derived from the results of tests in practice. By application of these
      criteria the reliability of breath-alcohol determination is increased and an
      influence intentioned by the subject on measured values can be avoided.

PMID- 1867845
TI  - [Blood alcohol in relation to the presence of n-butyl acetate].
AB  - Adult female SPF rats (strain: Sprague-Dawley) were treated with 790 mg
      ethanol/kg body weight by intraperitoneal injection 30 minutes after the
      beginning of a 5-hr-inhalation of about 1,000 ppm n-butyl acetate in air via a
      tracheotomy tube (under urethane anesthesia). The elimination of the ethanol from
      blood which was increased to about 24 mmol/l (1.1%, g/v) was not delayed during
      the initial linear phase as compared to control (ethanol treatment without
      inhalation of n-butyl acetate). During inhalation approximately 24 mumol n-butyl
      acetate/l were measured in blood without ethanol treatment and approximately 52
      mumol n-butanol/l as a metabolite of n-butyl acetate. The n-butanol content in
      blood was doubled under ethanol treatment. This increase is explained by
      substrate competition of both alcohols at the alcohol dehydrogenase with ethanol
      excess.

PMID- 1867846
TI  - [Offenses in alcoholic intoxication with reference to American research].

PMID- 1867847
TI  - Oligonucleotide purification in milligram quantities.
AB  - An inexpensive and simple procedure for the purification of synthetic
      oligonucleotides is described. Hands-on time is only 30 to 40 minutes and
      multiple samples can be prepared simultaneously. One- to two-milligram quantities
      can easily be handled by a single column with no further purification required
      for the DNA to be used in a wide variety of molecular biological uses.

PMID- 1867848
TI  - Reduced chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity observed with vectors
      containing an upstream SphI recognition sequence.
AB  - Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) is the most commonly used reporter gene
      for studying the regulation of mammalian gene transcription. Some of the
      currently available CAT vectors contain the recognition sequence for the
      restriction endonuclease SphI within the multiple cloning site. This sequence
      introduces an ATG triplet that is out of frame with the initiation codon of the
      CAT gene. Transient expression of CAT fusion genes, constructed using three
      different cellular promoters, demonstrates that the presence of the upstream AUG
      triplet in the CAT transcript reduces CAT activity, presumably by interfering
      with the translation of the coding sequence. Deletion of the SphI site from each
      of the plasmids increased CAT activity between 4-fold and 5-fold. From these
      results, we conclude that upstream, out-of-frame ATG triplets must be avoided in
      order to achieve maximum expression of the reporter gene.

PMID- 1867849
TI  - S1 nuclease transcript mapping using sequenase-derived single-stranded probes.
AB  - We report here a simple method for the production of high specific activity
      single-stranded DNA probes for S1 nuclease transcript mapping. Plasmid DNA is
      used as in vitro DNA templates for probe production by primer extension using
      Sequenase. This allows the production of long single-stranded probes without the
      need to subclone restriction fragments into M13 vectors. The mapping of the 5'
      ends of the phage P1 mod gene transcripts is shown as an example.

PMID- 1867850
TI  - Temperature recording from thermocyclers used for PCR.
AB  - Using a simple electronic circuit, a thermocouple can be connected to a chart
      recorder to measure the actual temperature inside a PCR tube. This allows
      accurate inspection of the thermocycle program and comparison between
      thermoprofiles from different thermocyclers. We found that the recording of
      temperature cycling enabled us to obtain more reliable and reproducible results.

PMID- 1867851
TI  - Use of UV irradiation to reduce false positivity in polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - UV irradiation provides a simple and efficient way to minimize contamination or
      false positivity which often occurs in laboratories performing routine PCR tests.
      Here, we characterize several parameters of the effect of UV irradiation on DNA
      template, primers, deoxynucleoside triphosphate and Taq polymerase. UV
      irradiation of DNA results in the formation of pyrimidine dimers and thus
      prevents them from being effective templates in subsequent PCR. Reduction of the
      HIV DNA templates in polypropylene microcentrifuge tubes by more than 1000-fold
      can be achieved by UV irradiation. The sensitivity of the primers is sequence-
      and concentration-dependent. Oligonucleotides with neighboring thymine bases are
      more susceptible to UV than those without. Taq polymerase is highly UV sensitive,
      whereas deoxynucleotide triphosphate is relatively UV resistant.

PMID- 1867852
TI  - Subnanomole detection and quantitation of high specific activity 32P-nucleotides.
AB  - Microbore liquid chromatography utilizes conventional HPLC and ultraviolet
      detection principles to determine subnanomole mass quantities of biologically
      significant molecules. This system takes advantage of specifically designed
      microflow equipment to analyze ultraviolet absorbing species at the picomole
      range. 32P-labeled nucleotides are examples of compounds routinely used at
      picomole quantities that are extremely difficult to accurately quantify using
      standard mass measurement techniques. The procedure described in this paper has
      the capability of measuring nucleotides down to 10 pmol using commercially
      available microbore ultraviolet detection equipment. The technique can be used to
      accurately measure the specific activity of as little as 10 microCi of an aqueous
      32P-nucleotide solution.

PMID- 1867853
TI  - A centrifugation method for the isolation of plasmid DNA without the use of an
      ultracentrifuge.
AB  - This paper describes the use of a high-performance high-speed centrifuge, a
      Sorvall RC-28S, for the preparation of plasmid DNA using standard CsCl-ethidium
      bromide gradients. If the sample is layered into the bottom of the gradient, the
      plasmid DNA can be banded in 24 hours; this is comparable with the time required
      for ultracentrifuge separations. Alternatively, plasmids can be banded in a fixed
      angle rotor in 36 hours when the sample is mixed throughout the gradient
      solution.

PMID- 1867854
TI  - Subcloning with new ampicillin- and kanamycin-resistant analogs of pUC19.

PMID- 1867855
TI  - Rapid identification of specific genes in E. coli by hybridization to membranes
      containing the ordered set of phage clones.
AB  - A simplified protocol for the hybridization of labeled oligonucleotides and other
      radiolabeled DNAs to membranes is described and used for the detection of
      specific recombinant phage in the ordered miniset collection representing
      virtually the entire E. coli genome.

PMID- 1867856
TI  - Generation of high efficiency, single-stranded DNA hybridization probes by PCR.

PMID- 1867857
TI  - Rapid identification of transfected plasmid expression vectors in cells by PCR.

PMID- 1867858
TI  - "Megaprimer" method of PCR: increased template concentration improves yield.

PMID- 1867859
TI  - Non-isotopical labeling of murine heterochromatin in situ by hybridization with
      in vitro-synthesized biotinylated gamma (major) satellite DNA.
AB  - Degenerate probe DNA, homologous to part of the 234-bp repeated mouse gamma
      (major) satellite DNA, was generated by primer-directed in vitro DNA
      amplification using the polymerase chain reaction with oligonucleotide primers
      that anneal in the most conserved parts of the repeat. Probe labeling with biotin
      was performed during DNA polymerization. In situ hybridization of probe DNA with
      metaphase chromosome preparations showed exclusive binding of probe molecules to
      the centromeric region of mouse chromosomes. We applied the probe DNA for
      labeling of mouse heterochromatin in metaphase chromosomes, as well as interphase
      cell nuclei, and compared results of probe visualization using avidin tagged with
      either fluorescein or alkaline phosphatase in combination with a chromogenic
      substrate.

PMID- 1867860
TI  - Chelex 100 as a medium for simple extraction of DNA for PCR-based typing from
      forensic material.
AB  - Procedures utilizing Chelex 100 chelating resin have been developed for
      extracting DNA from forensic-type samples for use with the PCR. The procedures
      are simple, rapid, involve no organic solvents and do not require multiple tube
      transfers for most types of samples. The extraction of DNA from semen and very
      small bloodstains using Chelex 100 is as efficient or more efficient than using
      proteinase K and phenol-chloroform extraction. DNA extracted from bloodstains
      seems less prone to contain PCR inhibitors when prepared by this method. The
      Chelex method has been used with amplification and typing at the HLA DQ alpha
      locus to obtain the DQ alpha genotypes of many different types of samples,
      including whole blood, bloodstains, seminal stains, buccal swabs, hair and post
      coital samples. The results of a concordance study are presented in which the DQ
      alpha genotypes of 84 samples prepared using Chelex or using conventional phenol
      chloroform extraction are compared. The genotypes obtained using the two
      different extraction methods were identical for all samples tested.

PMID- 1867861
TI  - Automated image-based cytometry with fluorescence-stained specimens.
AB  - The combination of digitized microscopy, algorithms for object recognition and
      fluorescent labeling is a promising approach for reliable, quick, automated and
      cost-effective screening of clinical specimens. We describe two conceptually
      different algorithms for detecting objects in fluorescence microscopic images.
      One, which is partially automated, compares a mask that represents a typical
      object with every position in the image; the other, which is fully automated,
      calculates threshold intensities to segment the image into regions of objects and
      background. Applications of the algorithms in conjunction with a prototype image
      based cytometer are demonstrated for determining the DNA ploidy distribution of
      cultured human endometrial cells and determining the DNA ploidy distribution and
      the fraction of cells expressing the E6 antigen of human papilloma virus
      serotypes 16 and 18 in a PAP smear. The encouraging results from this study
      suggest that automated image-based cytometry utilizing fluorescent stains will be
      a valuable asset for clinical screening.

PMID- 1867862
TI  - A new cationic liposome reagent mediating nearly quantitative transfection of
      animal cells.
AB  - One of the most efficient systems for the expression of genes in the cytoplasm of
      animal cells utilizes a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding the bacteriophage T7
      RNA polymerase. Cells infected with this virus are transfected with plasmid DNAs
      containing the gene to be expressed under T7 promoter control. The major
      limitation of this system is the efficiency with which DNA is introduced into the
      cell. Recently, a cationic liposome-mediated transfection reagent has yielded
      transfection frequencies of greater than 80%. To determine if commercially
      available cationic lipids could form liposomes that would yield similar
      transfection efficiencies, we tested liposomes prepared with five different
      cationic lipids. When used at appropriate concentrations in liposomes that also
      contained a neutral lipid, four of the five cationic lipids were effective in the
      transfection of HeLa cells. However, liposomes formed with the neutral lipid and
      one of the cationic lipids, dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB), gave
      transfection frequencies of greater than 95% and had a broad spectrum of
      effectiveness on a variety of cell lines. Liposomes containing DDAB are an
      inexpensive, highly efficient and reproducible alternative for the transfection
      of animal cells and are well suited for use with the vaccinia virus/T7 expression
      system.

PMID- 1867863
TI  - Temperature cycler evaluation: what do you need to know?
AB  - Which of the 20 different, commercially available, temperature cyclers adequately
      fulfill all functional requirements? How can an investigator analyze instrument
      function? This report describes in detail, for the first time, the
      characteristics of Ericomp temperature cyclers. The data show that the
      temperature uniformity, accuracy and maximum overshoot is +/- 0.34 degree C, less
      than 0.5 degree C and 0.17 degree C, respectively. Cycling temperature
      reproducibility is 0.1%, and cycling time reproducibility is 0.4%. These data
      compare very favourably to published data describing other temperature cyclers.
      The techniques used to obtain these data serve as a model for evaluating
      instruments for well-to-well uniformity, temperature accuracy and within-run
      reproducibility.

PMID- 1867864
TI  - An ectopic rim sign in hepatobiliary scintigraphy.
AB  - A 59-year-old man with gangrenous cholecystitis is presented along with an
      hepatobiliary scan that demonstrated nonvisualization of the gallbladder and a
      curvilinear area of increased activity in the region of the fissure for the
      ligamentum teres or common hepatic duct. There was no "rim sign" in the
      gallbladder fossa. We propose that perforation of the gallbladder and resultant
      pockets of pus may, through edematous compression of liver parenchyma, produce an
      ectopic rim sign if inflammation comes in contact with another portion of the
      liver.

PMID- 1867865
TI  - In vivo sodium-23 MRI in brain tumors: evaluation of preliminary clinical
      experience.
AB  - In vivo sodium-23 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the head was performed in
      ten normal volunteers and six patients with brain tumors on a commercially
      available 1.5 Tesla whole-body MR system. Although sodium MR signal from the
      brain parenchyma could hardly be detected on routine spin echo (SE) pulse
      sequence, free induction decay (FID) image with echo time of 1.9 msec
      demonstrated MR signal in the normal brain tissue. On the other hand,
      extracellular sodium of cerebrospinal fluid, large venous sinus, and vitreous
      humor offered high sodium MR signal intensity due to the quantity of sodium and
      the relatively longer transverse relaxation time (50-60 msec) compared to that of
      intracellular sodium (less than a few msec). Strong signal was obtained in
      gliomas with superior contrast, though the delineation of the tumor tissue from
      edema was as difficult as when seen on proton T2 weighted SE image. Meningioma
      itself gave much less of a sodium MR signal compared to glioma. Peritumoral edema
      associated with meningioma showed a markedly high sodium MR signal which was more
      prominent adjacent to the tumor, although proton SE image revealed the
      peritumoral edema as homogeneous. Pathological tissues such as brain tumors and
      edema could be readily depicted as significantly high sodium-23 MR signal,
      apparently different from normal brain tissues. The current status of in vivo
      sodium MR imaging is discussed. The authors concluded that early clinical
      experience of in vivo sodium-23 MR imaging brought promising results in the
      evaluation of brain tumors and edema; otherwise, discrimination and
      quantification of multiple T2 components and the improvement of spatial
      resolution are desperately needed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867866
TI  - In vivo assessment of regional microvascular albumin leakage during E. coli
      septic shock in the baboon model.
AB  - Changes in regional microvascular albumin flux during septic shock were studied
      noninvasively by scintigraphy in the baboon model. Use was made of an i.v.
      injection of 99mTc-labelled baboon serum albumin. Count ratios of lung to
      cardiac, liver to cardiac, and abdominal to cardiac regions were measured every 2
      hr for 6 hr in control and septic shock baboons, and compared. Increased ratios
      obtained during shock pointed to an increase in extravascular albumin. Linear
      regression lines fitted to these count ratios provided regional albumin leak
      indices. These indices demonstrated statistically significant increases (P less
      than 0.05) during septic shock for the abdominal region during the 6-hr study,
      and for all regions, but especially the abdomen, when data were calculated over 4
      hr. Increasing ratios and leak indices correlated with postmortem data and
      changes in neutrophil and platelet behaviour previously established during shock.

PMID- 1867867
TI  - Use of indium-111-labeled transferrin to study plasma extravasation during
      endotoxin shock and the effects of the beta-2 agonist terbutaline.
AB  - Endotoxemia and sepsis are common causes of respiratory distress (ARDS), which is
      characterized by increased pulmonary vascular permeability to plasma proteins
      resulting in "noncardiac pulmonary edema." The aim of this series was to study
      the effects of the beta-2 receptor agonist, terbutaline, on plasma extravasation
      in multiple organs, in sheep exposed to endotoxin shock. A double isotope
      technique was used and the radioactivity was recorded in different organs (lungs,
      liver, spleen, kidneys, intestine) by a computerized gamma camera. Tc-99m-labeled
      erythrocytes were used as a marker for intravascular volume and In-111m-labeled
      transferrin for tracing extravascular plasma leakage. An organ-transferrin index
      (organ-TI) was calculated for each organ which corrects for changes in blood
      distribution. Fourteen sheep were anesthetized and ventilated. After
      stabilization (t = 0) all animals received E. coli endotoxin 10 micrograms/kg by
      IV infusion during 30 min. At t = 30, seven animals (group T) received IV
      infusion of terbutaline, 20 micrograms/kg/hr, during 4 h, while the other seven
      received normal saline and served as controls (group E). The endotoxin infusion
      caused an immediate and significant increase in the transferrin index in the
      lungs and in the liver in both groups. The transferrin index continued to rise in
      the control group towards the end of the experiment (t = 240), while in group T
      it reached a maximum 60 min after endotoxin. Four hours after endotoxin the
      transferrin index was significantly higher in the controls than in the
      terbutaline treated group, both in the lungs and in the liver (P less than 0.01).
      No significant changes were recorded in the kidneys or over the
      intestine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867868
TI  - Physiological considerations in imaging of lower extremity venous thrombosis.
AB  - Lower extremity venous thrombosis is a major clinical problem because of its
      potential for pulmonary embolism and local vascular compromise. We present an
      anatomical and physiological overview followed by a review of current diagnostic
      methods and their underlying rationale.

PMID- 1867869
TI  - Effect of parental smoking on wheezy bronchitis and bronchial hyperreactivity.
AB  - In the course of the follow-up of 206 previously obstructive bronchitis children,
      the effect of parental smoking upon the occurrence of respiratory diseases, the
      yearly frequency of wheezing episodes and the age until the obstructive episodes
      used to return have been investigated. Familial and maternal smoking was more
      frequent in this group compared to the control group. In spite of this, however,
      no correlation could be detected between familial smoking and frequency of
      respiratory diseases, as well as the above mentioned characteristics of
      obstructive bronchitis. The familial smoking did not seem to influence the
      bronchial hyperreactivity challenged with acetylcholine, although the prevalence
      was higher.

PMID- 1867870
TI  - Prostacyclin and thromboxane levels of children of parents suffering from early
      ischemic heart disease.
AB  - Offsprings of parents who had acute myocardial infarction before age of 45 years
      were investigated. The aim of this examination was to obtain information whether
      the variation in the balance of prostacyclin/thromboxane ratio is a common
      cardiovascular risk factor in children. In children whose parents have had early
      myocardial infarction, a significant decrease was shown in 6-keto-prostaglandin
      F1 alpha level while the thromboxane B2/6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha ratio
      increased in these children. Plasma tromboxane B2 levels hardly differed from
      those of the control in that group of children whose one parent and at least one
      of the grandparents or uncles or aunts suffered from coronary heart disease.
      Plasma thromboxane concentration was lower in another group of children whose
      "only" one parent had myocardial infarction. It may be supposed that this is a
      compensatory mechanism in the offspring of parents suffering from early coronary
      heart disease.

PMID- 1867871
TI  - Physical health and behavioral problems in two high schools in Holon, Israel.
AB  - 1320 students of two high schools were examined in Holon. Their physical and
      behavioral problems are summarized. These data serve to build the model of the
      medical profile of the adolescent in Israel, as a background to medical screening
      in school, which should be done at least every two years.

PMID- 1867872
TI  - Familial occurrence of bilateral renal agenesis.
AB  - The 58 cases of bilateral renal agenesis (Potter syndrome) registered in the
      Genetic Counselling unit of our institute in the last 12 years are reviewed. The
      only familial recurrent case which has been prenatally diagnosed is described in
      detail. A urinary bladder anomaly like that of the subsequent third child has not
      been previously reported. The authors analyze the possible inheritance patterns.
      They suggest the malformation is a genetically heterogeneous entity. They
      emphasize that nowadays the birth of a newborn with bilateral renal agenesis can
      be prevented in all cases.

PMID- 1867873
TI  - Influence of some social and maternal factors on birth weight in Hungary.
AB  - In this study, we have examined the impact of some social and maternal factors on
      birth weight in the two regions Hungary, in the capital and in one county.
      Although many of the variables were analyzed in both regions, significant
      relationships were found between LBW and smoking habits, birth order and mother's
      age. The incidence of low birth weight was higher in Budapest than in Vas.
      Smoking habits were found as a common factor of higher significance in both
      regions. Birth order and mother's age were found as other factors of higher
      significance in the Budapest sample as compared to Vas.

PMID- 1867874
TI  - Burkitt's lymphoma with 3;14 and 2;8 translocations simultaneously.
AB  - Burkitt's lymphoma of a ten-year-old boy with specific 8;14 and variant 2;8
      translocations is reported. The post mortem diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma was
      based on histological picture and the cytogenetic findings of the tumor biopsy.
      The child died four days after clinical admission. Because of the rapid
      progression of the disease immunological and serological investigations could not
      be performed. Therefore several questions remained unclarified. It is supposed
      that in the patient's B-lymphocytes multiple transformation events occurred
      leading to the development of the polyclonal lymphoma, similarly to that
      described in transplant-associated lymphoproliferations.

PMID- 1867875
TI  - Myelodysplasia in childhood.
AB  - Two simple statements can be given which reflect our helplessness with respect to
      myelodysplasia. MDS are rare in childhood, but features and course of disease
      resemble those in adults. JCMML should be considered as a pediatric subtype of
      MDS, but with a worse prognosis than CMML in adult patients.

PMID- 1867876
TI  - Postnatal development of urea- and ammonia-excretion in urine of very-low-birth
      weight infants small for gestational age.
AB  - In 12 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants with intrauterine growth retardation
      and in 14 VLBW-infants appropriate for gestational age (AGA) fed a human milk
      (HM) formula (HM enriched with 6 g freeze dried HM per 100 ml) the renal
      excretion of urea and ammonia was studied on the 10th, 21st and 42nd days of
      life. The lowest excretion of urea was found in both groups on the 10th day of
      life. Up to the 42nd day of life the excretion raised significantly more in the
      AGA- than in the small for gestational age (SGA)-infants. In contrast to the urea
      excretion the excretion of ammonia was highest on the 10th day of life in both
      groups, but the excretion was significantly higher in the SGA-infants if compared
      to the AGA-infants. In the AGA-infants excretion of ammonia decreased with
      postnatal age whereas in the SGA-infants the high excretion remained up to the
      42nd day of life. The data suggest that in VLBW-infants the urea synthesizing
      capacity is decreased and develops within the first weeks of postnatal life. The
      postnatal development is delayed in SGA-infants when compared to AGA-infants. The
      differences are more pronounced with increasing degree of intrauterine growth
      retardation.

PMID- 1867877
TI  - Transient hyperinsulinism in asphyxiated newborn infants.
AB  - Hypoglycemia in birth asphyxiated infants is attributed to glycogen depletion. We
      observed three term AGA (Appropriate for Gestational Age) infants with birth
      asphyxia, who developed hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia postnatally. All had
      inappropriately high serum insulin concentrations for their blood glucose levels,
      and needed glucose infusion rates of greater than 8 mg/kg/min for several days to
      maintain normoglycemia. All infants recovered spontaneously.

PMID- 1867878
TI  - Neonatal effects of methyldopa therapy in pregnancy hypertension.
AB  - This study has been performed to assess the effect of methyldopa (MD) therapy in
      pregnancy hypertension on the neonatal adaptation. Infants born to mothers on MD
      for several weeks prior to delivery and presenting with excessive tremor and
      irritability were evaluated according to the dose of maternal MD. Pregnancy
      hypertension and high dose MD was associated with impaired placental perfusion,
      compromised function of fetoplacental unit and more frequent surgical delivery.
      Infants of mothers on high (1.25-2.0 g/day) or low (less than 1 g/day) MD had
      gestational age, head circumference, acid-base balance, Apgar score and blood
      pressure similar to those born to healthy control mothers. The birth weight of
      infants of the high MD group, however, were significantly lower than in the low
      dose or control groups. MD therapy resulted in a dose-dependent increase in
      plasma levels of prolactin, thyrotropin and triiodthyronine indicating decreased
      dopaminergic inhibition of pituitary hormone release. Plasma thyroxine
      concentration, however, decreased significantly. Cerebrospinal fluid
      noradrenaline was found to be markedly depressed after maternal MD showing
      disturbed central nervous system monoamine metabolism. It is suggested that MD
      administration to mothers presenting with pregnancy hypertension interferes with
      cerebral monoamine metabolism of the neonate and induces alterations in some
      endocrine functions under dopaminergic control. The possible role of chronic
      fetal distress frequently associated with pregnancy hypertension should also be
      considered.

PMID- 1867879
TI  - Euthyroid sick syndrome in type I diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents.
AB  - We studied concentrations of thyroid hormones (T3, T4, FT4, rT3, TBG and TSH) in
      62 type I diabetic children and adolescents. The patients were classified into
      group A (n = 27, good control, HbA1c less than 10%), group B (n = 19, poor
      control, HbA1c greater than 10%) and group C (n = 16, diabetic ketoacidosis, pH
      less than 7.1 and HCO3 less than 15 mmol/L. All patients were treated with two
      daily injections of purified monocomponent insulins. Thirty healthy subjects of
      the same age served as control group. Patients in group B and C had significantly
      lower T3 and higher rT3 levels (p less than 0.001) compared to the matched
      controls (1.5 vs 2.2; 0.9 vs 2.2; 0.58 vs 0.3 and 0.6 vs 0.3 nmol/L). Serum TBG
      levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.01) in the group A (19.5 +/- 4.3
      mg/L), group B (20.3 +/- 3.3) and group C (18.0 +/- 3.4) compared with control
      group (24.2 +/- 3.1). There was significantly negative correlation between T3 and
      HbA1c in group B (r = 0.546; p less than 0.02). The results of this study confirm
      that euthyroid sick syndrome does exist in type I diabetic children and
      adolescents with poor metabolic control and ketoacidosis. The inverse
      relationship between T3 and HbA1c percentage (low T3 and high HbA1c) points to
      the poor diabetic control.

PMID- 1867880
TI  - Postoperative echocardiographic study of patients following valvulotomy for
      critical valvular aortic stenosis.
AB  - Authors report on long term follow up of 12 patients operated with critical
      valvular aortic stenosis. They could perform control echocardiography in 11
      patients 4-83 (mean 29) months after valvulotomy. The size and function of the
      left ventricle was found to be satisfactory, with elevated ejection fraction. The
      cause of the significant pressure gradient between the left ventricle and the
      aorta is discussed emphasizing the importance of echocardiography in determining
      the optimal time for valve replacement or homograft implantation.

PMID- 1867881
TI  - Value of brainstem acoustic evoked potentials in posterior fossa tumours in
      childhood.
AB  - Brainstem acoustic evoked potentials (BAEPs) were measured in 14 children with
      different type of posterior fossa tumours several times during the clinical
      course, in order to assess the value of this simple and non-invasive method in
      the diagnosis and follow-up of posterior fossa tumours in childhood. Eight
      children had midline medulloblastoma, three children had lateral astrocytoma,
      three had intrinsic brainstem glioma. Different BAEP patterns could be detected
      in different tumour's type: bilateral symmetrical or slightly asymmetrical I-V.
      IPL prolongation in midline medulloblastomas, unilateral or markedly asymmetrical
      I.-V. IPL prolongation or wave V. depression on the contralateral side in lateral
      astrocytomas, and severely distorted asymmetrical waveform in intrinsic brainstem
      gliomas. The BAEPs were abnormal earlier than CT scan in a case of craniospinal
      astrocytoma. BAEPs were useful in the follow-up: the effect of the preoperative
      chemotherapy or the progression of the inoperable tumours could be as well
      documented by this method, as by the CT scan. BAEPs proved effective in the
      assessment of postoperative neurological complications: bilateral symmetrical IPL
      prolongation and wave V. depression with clinical signs of increased intracranial
      pressure occurred in a case of postoperative occlusive hydrocephalus, unilateral
      IPL prolongation occurred during irradiation or chemotherapy after
      medulloblastoma removal as signs of cerebral oedema.

PMID- 1867882
TI  - [Pediatrics and pediatricians].

PMID- 1867883
TI  - The care of infants and children.
AB  - The growth and development of pediatrics took place principally in the twentieth
      century. One result has been the reduction in deaths in the first year of life
      165/1000 live births to 10/1000 live births in 1987. The birth rate was reduced
      by one-half during the same period. The challenges of the future are to consider
      the needs of American children in the context of the world's children, since
      isolation from global problems associated with logarithmic population growth in
      the developing countries and maldistribution of food is no longer possible. The
      time has come to consider the limits to application of our ever more
      sophisticated technology to support life at both ends of the spectrum of human
      life, the most immature and the most debilitated elderly. Human behavior
      continues to be unnecessarily destructive for children. Congenital AIDS and drug
      abusing parents are catastrophic for the infant. Accidents remain the leading
      cause of death of children in America. Deaths from diarrheal diseases and
      malnutrition are the main causes of death of children in developing countries.
      Nearly all of these problems are preventable with the application of current
      knowledge. How could we have let the best interests of children slip so far down
      on our national list of priorities in health care?

PMID- 1867884
TI  - Neonatal abdominal cystic masses: spontaneous regression demonstrated with
      ultrasound.
AB  - Abdominal cyst was diagnosed in 14 babies by ultrasound examination (9
      multicystic dysplastic kidneys, 4 ovarian cysts, 1 bowel duplication). The cysts
      were followed in 6 patients by ultrasound and marked reduction of multicystic
      dysplastic kidneys was observed in 2 patients, and 1 ovarian cyst fully
      disappeared. Their experience in agreement with the literature data suggest that
      conservative management with sonographic reevaluation is an acceptable
      alternative to surgical therapy in uncomplicated cases.

PMID- 1867885
TI  - The diagnosis and treatment of the nonimmune hydrops fetalis.
AB  - Fetal hydrops is associated with two distinct pathophysiologic situations. The
      isoimmune hydrops fetalis is a well understood disorder, and as the result of
      medical advances and prophylactic therapy its frequency is diminishing. The
      nonimmune hydrops fetalis is a poorly understood disease with a bad prognosis.
      The two disorders can be differentiated with the indirect Coombs test. In both
      cases the ultrasound examination plays an important role in the diagnosis,
      prognosis and management. Examination of the fetal blood sample gives recently a
      possibility to approach the disease. In NIHF the examination of fetal blood
      sample would give a relatively quick and effective diagnosis but its value for
      the treatment is limited. Although with the present technology it is impossible
      to diagnose all cases of NIHF, the early recognizing, the careful and step by
      step investigation, the active perinatologic management mostly can show the
      etiology and can help the perinatal team at the treatment of the disease.

PMID- 1867886
TI  - Examination of the fetal heart with two-dimensional echocardiography.
AB  - The methodology of the two-dimensional fetal echocardiography is described by the
      basic of the accepted international nomenclature. By their opinion it is
      necessary that on the 18-20th weeks of gestation the high risk pregnants in
      aspect congenital heart disease examined by well-trained specialists. The
      indications of the echocardiography are listed, too.

PMID- 1867887
TI  - Urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in healthy, polycythemic and
      hypoxic neonates.
AB  - The authors investigated the urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG)
      activity in the case of 101 normal healthy and 20 polycythemic newborns and
      prematures, and 50 prematures suffering from hypoxia on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 14th,
      and 28th day after birth. The obtained activities were referred to the creatinine
      concentrations of the urine samples and given as NAG index. There were no
      significant differences in the NAG indices either between fullterm and preterm
      babies or between appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational
      age (SGA) neonates of the normal group. The NAG indices on the first day of life
      were significantly higher in the case of polycythemic newborn in comparison with
      the normal group (p less than 0.01). On the 14th day, after the partial plasma
      exchange, the NAG indices returned to the normal range. The premature babies
      suffering from IRDS received an average 10.1 days oxygen supplementation. Their
      NAG indices were significantly (p less than 0.01) higher on the 1st, 2nd, 4th
      days than those of the healthy prematures of the normal group and decreased
      considerably up to the 14th day. Finally the NAG indices reached the normal value
      on the 28th day. These results support the assumption that the urinary NAG index
      is a suitable indicator of the renal tubular damage during the newborn period.

PMID- 1867888
TI  - The effect of socio-economic conditions on the time of diagnosis and compliance
      during treatment in growth hormone deficiency.
AB  - In 78 patients with idiopathic growth hormone (GH) deficiency the effect of the
      fathers' educational level on the age and the extent of growth retardation at
      diagnosis was studied. There was a tendency for an increase of the age and the
      degree of growth retardation with the decrease of the fathers' completed grades.
      The occurrence of height SD scores less than -4.5 was conversely related to the
      number of grades completed by the father (chi 2 = 19.2 p less than 0.001).
      Eighteen of the 70 patients treated with growth hormone discontinued treatment
      after 0.3 to 6 years. Compliance was closely related to the grades completed by
      the father (chi 2 = 24.7 p less than 0.001). Six out of 7 patients with a height
      SDS less than -4.5 at diagnosis and with a father of low level of education (less
      than 8 grades) became non compliant. It is concluded that the degree of growth
      retardation at diagnosis and compliance at treatment in GH deficiency is related
      to the educational level of the father.

PMID- 1867889
TI  - Decreased sensitivity of cytostatic drugs in glucocorticoid receptor-free acute
      myeloid leukaemia cells. Clinical and experimental observations.
AB  - Preliminary clinical observations have suggested that low cellular glucocorticoid
      receptor (GR) levels might have been connected with multidrug resistance in
      children with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML). To test this possibility, we
      have developed glucocorticoid resistant subclones of two recently established
      human myeloid leukaemic cell lines. The cause of glucocorticoid resistance was GR
      negativity in these subclones. GR positive parent cell lines or GR negative
      subclones were incubated for 1 h in the presence of Adriamycin, Cytosine
      arabinosid, Etoposide or Vincristine, respectively. After short-term (1 h)
      incubation in suspension cultures cells were washed and plated in clonogenic agar
      cultures. Each anticancer drug was more potent against both GR positive parent
      cell lines than against the GR negative subclones. The results of this study
      suggest that the absence of GRs is a useful marker of multidrug resistance in
      childhood AML.

PMID- 1867890
TI  - Euthyroid sick syndrome in children with acute viral hepatitis A.
AB  - According to the clinical findings, the activity of serum asparate
      aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1), alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2) and the
      level of total bilirubin, 45 children with acute viral hepatitis A were divided
      into two groups: with mild and moderately severe degree of disease. By
      determining the products of the peripheral thyroxine metabolism-T3 and rT3, as
      well as the other thyroid parameters (T4, FT4, TSH and TBG) we have found
      significantly lower T3 level and significantly higher T4 and TBG levels in both
      groups of patients in comparison with control group. At the same time, the level
      of biologically less active rT3 was increased in patients with moderately severe
      form of disease, while no differences were found in the values of TSH between the
      ill and control patients. TRH induced TSH release was normal in all patients. The
      results of this study point to the development of euthyroid sick syndrome or low
      T3 syndrome in children with viral hepatitis A.

PMID- 1867891
TI  - Pulmonary hydatidosis in childhood. Review of 21 cases.
AB  - Spain is one of the countries with a very high incidence of hydatidosis in the
      childhood. It represents 16.8% of all cases intervened for thoracic surgery for
      hydatidosis cysts in our department during the last ten years with a total of 21
      children (inferior to 14 years) operated due to hydatidosis. Cough and pain were
      the symptoms more frequently encountered. The ratio unruptured/ruptured cysts was
      3/1, higher than in the adults, with an average of 2.62 cysts per patient.
      Specific immunoglobulin E and histamine liberation test were the most useful
      tests in the laboratory. The usual surgical technique was a cystopericystectomy
      with total extirpation of the parasite of its rests. No recurrence was found in
      the follow-up of our patients.

PMID- 1867892
TI  - Carnitine content of red blood cells of human subjects treated with pivampicillin
      and carnitine.
AB  - Total- and free carnitine content of washed pooled red blood cells collected from
      five children prior to and on the last day of combined pivampicillin and equal
      molar carnitine treatment were measured. On the last day of treatment (day 7) the
      level of total carnitine decreased from 47.5 +/- 3.39 to 37.5 +/- 2.48 nmol/ml,
      mean +/- SEM (p less than 0.05) with a concomitant decrease of free carnitine
      (from 19.2 +/- 0.97 to 15.5 +/- 0.99 nmol/ml, p less than 0.05) as compared with
      the pretreatment control day (day 0). The calculated amount of acid soluble
      carnitine esters also fell (from 28.2 +/- 3.38 to 21.9 +/- 1.78 nmol/ml). The
      same effects were found when the carnitine levels were referred to haemoglobin or
      water content of samples. These results demonstrate that in pivampicillin
      treatment the carnitine pool of erythrocytes also alters. In agreement with
      previous findings the data presented here suggest, that the administered
      carnitine was not sufficient to meet the enhanced needs of the organism caused by
      the pivalate load and that the organism utilized some of its stores for
      pivaloylcarnitine production. The decreased carnitine ester level of erythrocytes
      suggest, that the red blood cells do not participate in significant extent in
      pivaloylcarnitine transport or production.

PMID- 1867893
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis by microvillar membrane enzyme analysis in
      amniotic fluid.
AB  - Prenatal diagnosis was performed in 92 pregnancies high-risk for cystic fibrosis
      during six years. Amniotic fluid samples obtained by amniocentesis were examined
      with regard to their microvillar membrane enzyme activity. Though trehalase,
      alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes and L-gamma-glutamyltransferase in the amniotic
      fluid are not specific markers of cystic fibrosis, their activity is
      significantly lower than in normal pregnancies. By measuring the three enzymes
      simultaneously, sensitivity, specificity and reliability of the method were found
      to be over 92%. It is concluded that mid-trimester amniotic fluid diagnosis is
      indispensable for some heterozygotic couples for cystic fibrosis even in the
      possession of DNA (desoxyrobonucleic acid) methods.

PMID- 1867894
TI  - Improving physicians' and nurses' clinical breast examination: a randomized
      controlled trial.
AB  - Health professionals' clinical breast examination accuracy and skills are not
      optimal. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate changes in physicians' and
      nurses' lump detection accuracy and examination skills after a training program
      emphasizing development of tactile skills and using silicone breast models
      containing lumps of varying sizes, degrees of hardness, and depth of placement.
      Sensitivity, specificity, and examination technique were measured before and four
      months after training in 43 experimental group and 46 control group participants.
      Mean sensitivity increased from 57% to 63% in the experimental group but
      decreased from 57% to 56% in the control group (P less than or equal to .05). The
      experimental group's posttest sensitivity was better for each lump
      characteristic, with statistically significant improvement for the very small
      (0.3 cm) and medium hard lumps. Duration of examination independently predicted
      sensitivity. Specificity decreased from 56% to 41% in the experimental group
      while it increased from 56% to 68% in the control group (P less than or equal to
      .05). Physicians had significantly higher mean sensitivity than nurses overall,
      as well as for the larger (1.0 cm), very small (0.3 cm), and softer lumps, but
      significantly lower mean specificity (33% versus 57%, P = .03). The experimental
      group improved significantly in five of six technique components while the
      control group improved in only one. To determine the effect of training on
      specificity in the clinical setting, we examined medical records of women seen by
      a subset of experimental and control physicians during the six months following
      training. There were no significant differences in the proportion of abnormal
      breast examinations reported or the number of mammograms ordered by experimental
      and control physicians. Our results show health professionals can be taught
      successfully to improve their clinical breast examination accuracy and skills.

PMID- 1867895
TI  - Psychosocial factors in the natural history of physical activity.
AB  - We studied the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial
      factors and change in level of physical activity in 4,025 persons who were
      interviewed in 1965 and 1974 as part of the Alameda County study. Relative
      declines in physical activity were found to be associated with education level
      (less than a college education), race (being black or non-white [women]), low
      income, blue-collar occupation, unmarried status, group non-membership, social
      isolation, depression, personal uncertainty (women), low life satisfaction, and
      health perceived less than "excellent." These results demonstrate the
      multifactorial determination of level of physical activity.

PMID- 1867896
TI  - Survey of smoking patterns, attitudes, and interest in quitting.
AB  - We conducted a survey of 875 smokers in a Minnesota Heart Health Program
      community who were nonparticipants in screening and intervention. We found
      particular levels of interest in quitting and in formal cessation topics and
      programs among these smokers. Also, we collected information on smoking history,
      social environment, and anticipated barriers to quitting. Most noteworthy was the
      finding that more than half of the respondents indicated a desire to be contacted
      by telephone to receive information on materials on, classes on and ways of
      quitting smoking. Topics of particular interest to smokers included physical
      addiction, stress reduction, and (for women) methods of avoiding weight gain
      after quitting. Only 7% of respondents reported that they definitely did not want
      to quit, and approximately one-third of those interested in quitting indicated
      that they would seek outside help in doing so. The findings support the viability
      of "reverse" helpline procedures in which smokers are contacted directly and
      offered assistance in quitting.

PMID- 1867897
TI  - Patients' expectations of the family physician in health promotion.
AB  - This study evaluated patients' perceptions of the family practice physician's
      role in providing health promotion services. We distributed a questionnaire to a
      convenience sample of 450 patients (mean age = 40.4 years, SD = 15.8); 382
      responded, yielding an 85% response rate. At least 70% of the respondents
      believed physicians should counsel all patients concerning yearly Pap smears,
      breast self-exams, and smoking cessation. A sizeable minority believed physicians
      should teach sex education to teens (41%), discuss social support systems with
      patients (41%), and discuss home-safety issues with patients (42%). The topics
      patients least wanted physicians to discuss were financial problems (32%) and
      seat-belt usage (31%). These patients thought physicians should refer them to
      other professionals for dental care (33%), marital problems (21%), and financial
      problems (20%). At least half of the respondents thought physicians should help
      in the following areas only if requested to do so by the patient: sexual problems
      (58%), sleeping difficulties (54%), and marital problems (53%). Chi-square
      analyses were conducted to examine differences in beliefs based on age, sex,
      educational level, and preventive health orientation of the respondent. We found
      significant differences based upon these demographic variables; however,
      interaction effects among the demographic variables also exist.

PMID- 1867898
TI  - Headache characteristics associated with physician consultation: a population
      based survey.
AB  - In a population-based telephone interview survey of 9,380 Washington County,
      Maryland, residents 12-29 years of age who reported a headache in the prior year,
      only 26.7% of women and 13.6% of men had ever sought a physician's advice for a
      headache problem. Women (13.9%) were more than twice as likely as men (5.6%) to
      have consulted a doctor for this condition within the previous 12 months. The
      likelihood of seeking medical care for headache increased with age among women
      but not men. Married women were more likely to have consulted with a physician
      for a headache problem than single or divorced women. Men and women consulting a
      doctor for this disorder within the previous 12 months described recent headaches
      (within the prior week) that were more severe, of longer duration (women only),
      and more likely to have migraine characteristics than recent headaches of persons
      not seeking medical attention. Compared with persons never consulting a physician
      for a headache problem, men and women who sought medical care had elevated attack
      rates of certain, probable, and possible migraine and mixed migraine-tension type
      headaches within the preceding week. Differences in attack rates for migraine and
      mixed migraine-tension headaches between those who recently and those who more
      than 12 months ago sought a physician's advice were more striking for men than
      for women.

PMID- 1867900
TI  - Review articles and disclosure of methods.

PMID- 1867899
TI  - Adolescent pregnancy in the United States: a review and recommendations for
      clinicians and research needs.
AB  - Adolescent pregnancy, often unplanned and unwanted, has a negative impact on the
      physical, emotional, educational, and economic condition of the pregnant
      teenager. Forty percent of the one million adolescents who became pregnant in
      1986 chose abortion, and, of the remainder, 61% were unmarried. Teenage mothers
      in greater numbers and at younger ages are opting to keep and raise their
      children. In 1987 over $19 billion in federal monies were expended on families
      begun when the mother was a teenager. The preferred approach to this problem is
      prevention of teenage pregnancy rather than abortion, with emphasis on sex
      education and access to family planning information and contraceptive devices for
      both females and males. Sex education in schools is presented in widely varying
      formats; in fact, prevention of pregnancy may not even be presented. Family
      planning clinics are subject to the whims and biases of the funding agencies.
      Clinicians have an important role in providing guidance for teenage patients and
      their parents, but can also influence school and community leadership to ensure
      that all teenagers receive sound sex education in school programs and that family
      planning agencies are permitted to counsel teenagers and provide contraceptive
      devices.

PMID- 1867901
TI  - Is routine mammography screening appropriate for women 40-49 years of age?
AB  - This article reviews the evidence about screening for breast cancer. Results are
      now available from four randomized trials--one quasi-experimental study and three
      case control studies. Only the oldest, the Health Insurance Plan (HIP) Trial,
      shows any evidence of mortality reduction in women from 40 to 49 years of age.
      However, the evidence from the HIP trial is weak and somewhat contradictory.
      Preliminary data from a further trial in Sweden and the National Breast Screening
      Study in Canada confirm my conclusion that the scientific evidence is
      insufficient at present to recommend mammography screening for women 40-49 years
      of age. This conclusion reinforces the decision of the U.S. Preventive Services
      Task Force, but contradicts the guidelines of the American Cancer Society and the
      National Cancer Institute.

PMID- 1867902
TI  - Health and culture in rural Garhwal.

PMID- 1867903
TI  - The effects of co-worker-delivered prompts on breast self-examination frequency.
AB  - In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of co-worker-delivered reminders to
      perform breast self-examination (BSE). Before participating in a BSE training
      workshop, subjects (n = 36) were randomly assigned in pairs (of co-workers who
      registered together) to one of two experimental conditions: contract or control.
      Subjects in the contract condition, after discussing specific prompting
      strategies as part of a "buddy system" in their workshop, contracted to prompt
      their designated peers at least once a month for six months following the
      workshop. In addition, subjects in both conditions received mailed prompts
      monthly. We assessed BSE adherence and prompting behaviors in retrospective
      interviews. Results indicated that subjects in both conditions significantly
      increased BSE frequency above pre-workshop levels. However, the magnitude of this
      increase did not differ between conditions. A process evaluation indicated that
      the control group pairs were similar to the contract group pairs in their
      prompting behavior.

PMID- 1867904
TI  - [The use of computed tomography in assessing parotid masses].
AB  - Thirty-one patients with suspected parotid masses have been studied by computed
      tomography (CT) without and with contrast to demonstrate the existence of this
      and to value possible relation between degrees of malignancy and the
      morphological characteristics of the masses.

PMID- 1867905
TI  - [The radiotherapy control of cervical adenopathies in undifferentiated epithelial
      tumors of the head and neck. The prognostic factors].
AB  - A total of 90 patients with undifferentiated carcinomas tumors the head and neck
      with clinical neck nodes who received intended radical irradiation, were studied
      by means of a multivariant analysis of 9 variables which defined cervical lymph
      node disease in oder to determine the prognostic factors for the control of the
      above mentioned adenopathy. The factors were as follows: lymph node response post
      irradiation (p = 0.0000), condition of the primary (controlled-non controlled) (p
      = 0.0208).

PMID- 1867906
TI  - [A pharyngolaryngeal cancer study in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja].
AB  - It has been studied the pharyngolaryngeal cancer in La Rioja region, Spain, about
      a population of 300,000. It has been commented on its frequency, distribution
      according to age-sex, alcohol-tobacco and evolution-recovery.

PMID- 1867907
TI  - [The prognostic value of conventional pathological anatomy in laryngeal
      epidermoid carcinoma].
AB  - The anatomopathologic study of epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx is a reason for
      many publications in the international scientific community in spite of the
      apparent histologic similarity of this type of tumor. After a careful review from
      wide material the authors make reference to the prognostic value of certain
      anatomopathologic finding.

PMID- 1867908
TI  - [Monopolar endoscopic coagulation in posterior epistaxis].
AB  - Most cases of severe nasal bleeding are treated by anterior and posterior packing
      of the nose. The permanence of the packing makes necessary an antibiotic therapy
      and sedation of restless patients. Extraction of the packs may lead to new
      bleedings from original vessel, but also from granulation tissue which may grow
      onto the nasal pack. The present paper offers an alternative treatment of severe
      nasal bleeding with the monopolar coagulation under endoscopic control, avoiding
      anterior and posterior nasal packing.

PMID- 1867909
TI  - [An immunohistochemical study of chronic otitis media].
AB  - We use immunohistochemical procedures (OKT6) to detect LCs. We have studied
      tissue samples from surgical operations in cases of chronic otitis media. The
      samples were from skin of external ear canal, both the superior wall (close to
      cholesteatoma) and the inferior wall; we took also samples from the cholesteatoma
      matrix (epidermal and subepidermal stratum). We found LCs in the skin of external
      ear canal in similar proportion if the samples were of superior or inferior wall.
      In cholesteatoma tissue (17 cases) we observed LCs in the epidermal stratum in
      greater proportion than in skin. Sometimes the LCs form aggregates or "clusters".

PMID- 1867910
TI  - [The clinical evolution of transtympanic ventilation tubes in serous otitis. A
      study of 123 cases].
AB  - A study was made to evaluate the results of 123 tubes in the treatment of
      patients with serous otitis media. The advantages of this procedure are exposed.

PMID- 1867911
TI  - [Olfactory esthesioneuroblastoma (we present 4 cases from our service)].

PMID- 1867912
TI  - [2 cases of laryngeal amyloidosis].
AB  - Two cases of amyloidosis involving larynx in a fifty-five-year-old male and a
      seventy-nine-year-old female have been presented. It is confirmed the most
      implication of the supraglottic area in the laryngeal amyloidosis. It has been
      discarded the general kind of the disease. The treatment by endoscopic remove was
      successful to improve the disease.

PMID- 1867913
TI  - [The preservation of hearing in surgery for acoustic neurinoma].
AB  - The surgical result in one patient with unilateral tumor of the cerebellopontine
      angle and internal auditory canal is presented. Total tumor removal and
      preservation of hearing was possible in spite of the size of the tumor. The
      authors make some considerations about the possibility to preserve a useful
      hearing in patients with this type of tumors.

PMID- 1867914
TI  - [Olfactory neuroblastoma. A clinical and morphological study].
AB  - A clinical and morphological study about neuroblastoma with olfactory
      differentiation are made. This study includes: TAC, vanimil mandelic acid urine
      determination, optic microscope, immunohistochemical technique, neuropeptidal, in
      situ hybridization, DNA analysis by flow cytometry and electronic microscope.

PMID- 1867915
TI  - [Acoustic emissions from the ear].
AB  - In this paper we study the phenomenon of the acoustic emissions. This study
      presents two cases with different auditif pathology and their clinics
      applications.

PMID- 1867916
TI  - [Chemodectomas of the carotid body. Apropos 2 cases].
AB  - The chemodectoma a paragangliomas of the carotid body are infrequent tumors in
      the daily medical practice, but they must be taken into account in the
      differential diagnosis of any lateral neck mass. We present two new cases,
      reconsidering the existing literature.

PMID- 1867917
TI  - [Effectiveness of maintenance treatment with cimetidine in duodenal ulcer.
      Variations depending on the risk group].
AB  - One hundred and twenty-two patients with confirmed duodenal ulcer were treated
      with cimetidine during 6 or 12 weeks. After gastroscopic confirmation of healing,
      treatment was suppressed during 3 months. Patients were randomized into two
      therapeutic regimens: intermittent according to recurrence of symptoms and
      maintenance with 400 mg cimetidine. In patients considered as having mild disease
      (healing at 6 weeks without recurrence) fared better with maintenance therapy
      than with intermittent dosage. All patients with moderate to severe disease on
      intermittent therapy had a recurrence (criterion: more than 6 weeks for healing
      the ulcer or recurrence before three months). Those on maintenance therapy had
      the following results: no recurrences 28%, one recurrence 56% and more than one
      16%. Ninety three patients were followed during one entire year. There was also a
      statistical difference in the number of severe complications among patients on
      continuous maintenance (nil) and those on intermittent therapy (8%, p less than
      0.05).

PMID- 1867918
TI  - [Effect of alloxan-induced diabetes on hepatic regeneration].
AB  - Hepatic regeneration in alloxan-induced diabetic rats that underwent a 70%
      hepatectomy was compared to that of a series of non-treated rats. In diabetic
      rats, hepatic regeneration is lower and the liver reaches only 70% of the
      original weight ten days after hepatectomy. Analytical studies in these rats show
      a diminution of insulin and glucagon. Hepatic microcirculation as shown by
      measurements of CLV-CLV and CLV area undergoes changes which evolve at a
      different rate in the central and peripheral zones of the liver. These findings
      as well as the diminished hepatic regeneration may be attributed to the
      diminution of the insulin and glucagon values. Insulin and glucagon may be
      responsible for hepatic regeneration.

PMID- 1867919
TI  - [Sixteen-year experience with gallbladder cancer. Review of 120 cases].
AB  - We reviewed retrospectively 120 patients with histologically diagnosed
      gallbladder carcinoma and collected during 16-years (1974-1989). Age and sex,
      annual distribution, predisposing factors, histological findings, clinical
      manifestations, complementary diagnostic methods, therapeutic measures and follow
      up of patients were analyzed. Our results suggest the following conclusions: a)
      the annual incidence of gallbladder carcinoma remains unchanged; b) there is a
      close association with gallstones; c) the late diagnosis is due to unspecificity
      of clinical manifestations and low diagnostic effectivity of complementary
      methods; d) computed tomography and laparoscopy are the more effective
      complementary diagnostic methods in advanced gallbladder carcinoma; e) early
      gallbladder carcinoma is only diagnosed casually in cholecystectomy pieces; f)
      only the early carcinoma (grade I or II) is curable.

PMID- 1867920
TI  - [Evaluation of transparietal hepatic cholangiography in the diagnosis of
      cholestatic syndrome].
AB  - Three hundred and thirty-two percutaneous cholangiograms were done in 313
      patients. The etiology was benign in 137 cases and malignant in 152 instances.
      The level of obstruction was correctly localized in 97.8% of cases. The total
      sensitivity was 88.5% and specificity 95.9%. Positive predictive value 95.4% and
      negative predictive value 89.6%. Major complications occurred in 3.3% of cases.
      Complications occurred more frequently when the bile ducts were dilated. They
      were not related to the number of attempts to puncture ther biliary tree or the
      experience of the physician.

PMID- 1867921
TI  - [Prospective study of the prognostic value of C reactive protein, alpha 1
      antitrypsin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in acute pancreatitis].
AB  - Early recognition of severity of acute pancreatitis is very uncertain. For this
      reason it is necessary to have objective criteria to predict with accuracy the
      course of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the value of the
      determination of the acute phase reactants: C reactive protein (CRP), alpha 1
      antitrypsin (alpha-AT) and alpha 1-glycoprotein acid (alpha-GA) as prognostic
      indicators of acute pancreatitis on admission and on the third day. We have
      studied 40 patients with acute pancreatitis and serum concentrations of CRP,
      alpha-AT and alpha-GP were related to the Ranson Index. On admission the median
      levels of CRP: 74 mg/L, alpha-AT: 208 mg% and alpha-GA: 303 mg% were
      significantly higher (p less than 0.001) in patients with Ranson Index greater
      than or equal to 3 than in those with Ranson Index less than or equal to 2 (CRP:
      166 mg/L, alpha-AT: 303 mg% and alpha-GA: 121 mg%). The values which
      differentiated patients with better and worse prognosis were: CRP 100 mg/L
      (sensitivity 100% and specificity 86%); alpha--AT 275 mg% (sensitivity 71% and
      specificity 85%); and alpha-GA 90 mg% (sensitivity 87.5% and specificity 57.9%).
      CRP, and to a lesser degree the alpha-AT and alpha-GA, were related to the
      duration of the ileus, and to the severe complications of the acute pancreatitis.

PMID- 1867922
TI  - [Peptic ulcer in the United States].
AB  - The present paper reviews the epidemiology of peptic ulcer in the United States
      based on national statistics available through the National Center for Health
      Statistics and other federal or private institutions. About 5 million people
      currently have a peptic ulcer disease. More than 95 percent ever saw a physician
      for their disease, 65 percent visited their physician during the past year and 65
      percent were currently under treatment for peptic ulcer disease. On the average,
      the ulcer led to 2.5 weeks of restricted activity per patient. About one week per
      patient was spent in bed due to the ulcer disease. The total number of physician
      visits for peptic ulcer ranged between 2 and 5 million per year. About 600,000
      persons were discharged annually from hospitals with the diagnosis of peptic
      ulcer. In half of these discharges peptic ulcer was listed as primary diagnoses
      leading to 2.2 million hospital days or one week per case. Peptic ulcer was the
      primary cause of death in 6,700 subjects per year corresponding to a death rate
      of 28 per million living population. It was mentioned as secondary diagnosis on
      the death certificate of additional 11,000 people. Almost all US statistics
      revealed a marked decline in the occurrence of peptic ulcer during the past three
      decades. The decline affected all ulcer types, both sexes, and all races. It did
      not appear to be markedly influenced by any major medical improvements achieved
      in treating peptic ulcer disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867923
TI  - [Gastroesophageal reflux and esophagitis (I). Physiopathology, diagnosis,
      surgical implications].

PMID- 1867924
TI  - [Anisakiasis as a cause of acute appendicitis and rheumatologic picture: the
      first case in medical literature].
AB  - We report a case of acute abdomen due to appendicular lumen occlusion by anisakis
      larvae. This is the first case of human anisakiasis known in Spain, and the first
      case of acute appendicitis, in the medical World literature, produced by this
      nemathode. The association of myalgias and arthralgias stands out, being in this
      aspect the second case found the in medical litterature.

PMID- 1867925
TI  - [Intestinal obstruction caused by foreign body in a patient with colon neoplasm].
AB  - A case of intestinal obstruction due to ingested "foreign body" (a patient's
      tooth) is described in an elderly man with cancer of the ascending colon, at that
      time, without clinical symptoms.

PMID- 1867926
TI  - [Gastrointestinal involvement as the first manifestation of Schoenlein-Henoch
      purpura].
AB  - A patient with Schonlein-Henoch purpura presented with gastrointestinal
      complaints as the first manifestation of the syndrome. The nature of the disease
      could be diagnosed after the late appearance of haematuria and purpura.

PMID- 1867927
TI  - [Primary segmental sclerosing cholangitis associated with Sjogren's syndrome].
AB  - We report the case of a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis associated
      with Sjogren's syndrome and Raynaud's phenomenon, an uncommon association. The
      presence of periportal lymph nodes with features similar to those described in
      autoimmune diseases suggests an immune pathogenesis of the disease. The localized
      and segmentary involvement of the common duct is also an uncommon finding. The
      pathogenetic and therapeutic aspects are discussed.

PMID- 1867928
TI  - [Gangrenous pyoderma associated with Crohn disease].

PMID- 1867929
TI  - [A new case of aortoduodenal fistula diagnosis with endoscopy].

PMID- 1867930
TI  - [Gastrojejunocolic fistula caused by recurrent ulcer].

PMID- 1867931
TI  - [Perforated jejunal diverticulitis. Diagnosis with CAT].

PMID- 1867932
TI  - Dental manpower in Florida continues to increase.

PMID- 1867933
TI  - Legible, concise and accurate records: a must!

PMID- 1867934
TI  - General rule may help to determine employee status.

PMID- 1867936
TI  - [Smoking].

PMID- 1867935
TI  - [Tramping through a large women's organization. Interview by Bjorn Arild Ostby].

PMID- 1867937
TI  - [NSF's professional groups: cooperative agreement next?].

PMID- 1867938
TI  - [Smoke-free health facilities: nicotine slaves' "environmental TERROR" soon
      over?!?. Interview by Kjell Arne Bakke].

PMID- 1867939
TI  - [Shall we refuse patients a smoke?].

PMID- 1867940
TI  - [What do I get in retirement, tell me?].

PMID- 1867941
TI  - Fatal pneumococcal septicaemia associated with asplenia and isomerism of the
      right atrial appendages.
AB  - A 22 month old male infant with isomerism of the right atrial appendages
      (associated with a complete atrioventricular septal defect, double outlet right
      ventricle, and pulmonary valve stenosis) died from pneumococcal septicaemia after
      a 36 hour illness. He had not been given penicillin prophylaxis. Asplenia was
      confirmed at necropsy. In a survey of 50 paediatric cardiologists in the United
      Kingdom, 13 (33%) of the 40 (80%) who replied did not advise any prophylactic
      measures against pneumococcal infection in patients with isomerism of the right
      atrial appendages.

PMID- 1867942
TI  - Familial aneurysms of the interventricular septum.
AB  - Congenital aneurysms of the interventricular septum were found in a 29 year old
      man and his four year old son. Both were symptom free. In both, M mode and cross
      sectional echocardiography showed an aneurysm in the mid-muscular trabecular
      portion of the ventricular septum with considerable paradoxical motion of the
      aneurysmal segment. Otherwise the chamber dimensions, intracardiac structures,
      and cardiac function were normal for age. Congenital aneurysm of the
      interventricular septum is rare and these familial cases may be unique.

PMID- 1867943
TI  - Successful operation on a coronary arteriovenous fistula in a 74 year old woman.
AB  - Coronary arteriovenous fistulas are rare and are usually diagnosed in children or
      young adults. Most are believed to be congenital. A right coronary arteriovenous
      fistula was first diagnosed in a patient of 74. Despite her age the fistula was
      successfully operated on and her symptoms were relieved.

PMID- 1867944
TI  - Early complications of interventional balloon catheterisation in infants and
      children.
AB  - Interventional balloon catheterisation is now the recommended procedure for
      several congenital heart defects. The overall complication rate in the first 160
      children (median age 3 years) to undergo balloon intervention (excluding balloon
      atrial septostomy) at the Brompton Hospital was 24% (14% excluding haemorrhage
      and including three deaths (1.9%]. Most complications were related to vascular
      problems at the site of cardiac catheterisation. Complications were more common
      in the younger patient, especially neonates, and also in procedures that were
      ultimately unsuccessful. Most complications were transient and usually had no
      long term effects. Improvements in equipment design and technical expertise may
      reduce morbidity from these procedures.

PMID- 1867945
TI  - Balloon dilatation of tricuspid stenosis caused by carcinoid heart disease.

PMID- 1867946
TI  - Diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm of the right ventricular outflow tract.

PMID- 1867947
TI  - Biomagnetometry: imaging the heart's magnetic field.

PMID- 1867948
TI  - Mechanism of shock associated with right ventricular infarction.
AB  - Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the shock sometimes associated
      with right ventricular infarction, but only small numbers of patients with
      clinical shock have been studied. The haemodynamic profiles of seven patients
      with clinical cardiogenic shock after right ventricular myocardial infarction
      were studied prospectively. They were selected because all had a stable cardiac
      rhythm and none had absolute hypovolaemia during the study period. In all of them
      the mean right atrial pressure exceeded the pulmonary artery occlusion pressure.
      After treatment with varying combinations of dopamine, dobutamine, and glyceryl
      trinitrate (titrated to achieve the optimum haemodynamic response) the mean
      systemic arterial pressure increased, as did the cardiac index. There was an
      associated increase in the left ventricular stroke work index but the right
      ventricular stroke work index was unchanged. There was no significant change in
      heart rate, mean right atrial pressure, or pulmonary artery occlusion pressure.
      This suggests that the probable mechanism of the shock associated with right
      ventricular infarction is concomitant severe left ventricular dysfunction.

PMID- 1867949
TI  - Desirability of immediate surgical standby for coronary angioplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of emergency surgical standby for percutaneous
      transluminal coronary angioplasty. DESIGN: Retrospective review of the major
      complications of coronary angioplasty in a regional cardiac centre. SETTING: All
      angioplasties were performed in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory of
      Wythenshawe Hospital with surgical standby in an adjoining operating theatre.
      PATIENTS: 1262 vessels were dilated in 1032 patients (mean age 53 years) between
      1984 and 1989. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In-hospital mortality from emergency
      surgical revascularisation after angioplasty; the rate of myocardial infarction
      and overall morbidity. RESULTS: Coronary angioplasty achieved primary success in
      90% of cases. Thirty eight (3.7%) patients (five women (mean age 55.8) and 33 men
      (mean age 53.0] were referred for urgent surgical revascularisation--36 direct to
      operation and two within 24 hours. All patients survived surgery. Five of the 38
      had had a previous angioplasty to the same vessel and one had had previous
      coronary artery grafts. Four of the 38 had an angioplasty for unstable angina.
      Eighteen had single, 13 double, and seven triple vessel coronary artery disease.
      The target vessel was the left anterior descending in 25, right coronary artery
      in nine, circumflex in three, and the left anterior descending and circumflex
      coronary arteries in one. Five required external cardiac massage on the way to
      the operating theatre; two of them had a left main stem occlusion. Four internal
      mammary artery and 60 reversed saphenous vein grafts were implanted (1.6 per
      patient). Complete revascularisation was achieved in 36 (94.7%) patients. Q wave
      myocardial infarction occurred in six (15.8%). The final outcome was: none dead,
      three patients with angina, one late death, one cerebrovascular accident, one
      late operation for a new left anterior descending lesion, two patients on
      diuretics with or without an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. One
      orthotopic transplant was performed in a patient in whom cardiogenic shock
      developed after the left anterior descending coronary artery became occluded 72
      hours after angioplasty. CONCLUSION: There was no surgical mortality and low
      morbidity among patients for whom immediate surgical cover was requested.

PMID- 1867950
TI  - Gradation of unstable angina based on a sensitive immunoassay for serum creatine
      kinase MB.
AB  - A newly developed, highly sensitive immunoassay for creatine kinase MB isoenzyme
      was evaluated in 68 patients with or without different types of ischaemic heart
      disease. Patients were classified on the basis of clinical criteria in four
      groups: no ischaemic heart disease, stable angina, unstable angina, and acute
      myocardial infarction. Enzyme concentration in patients with stable angina was
      the same (even during exercise) as seen in the patients without ischaemic heart
      disease. Patients with unstable angina, however, could be divided into two
      groups. One group showed clear evidence of severe myocardial ischaemia by serial
      changes and higher mean values of creatine kinase MB up to 40 hours after the
      onset of symptoms, whereas in the remainder values were stable and resembled
      those seen in the patients without ischaemic heart disease. The changes in
      concentration correlated with signs of repetitive ischaemic episodes deduced from
      continuous ST segment monitoring during the first 24 hours after admission. These
      findings indicate that patients with unstable angina are a heterogenous group. In
      some, severe and prolonged ischaemia can be detected by a serological assay with
      high sensitivity.

PMID- 1867951
TI  - Heart rate variability and cardiac autonomic function in men with chronic alcohol
      dependence.
AB  - Cardiac autonomic function was studied in 23 alcohol dependent men by standard
      tests of autonomic function and measurement of 24 hour heart rate variability. In
      all there was peripheral or central nervous system damage or both. Standard tests
      of autonomic function showed vagal neuropathy in seven. The remainder had normal
      autonomic function tests. Twenty four hour heart rate variability was measured as
      the standard deviation of the successive differences between RR intervals from an
      ambulatory electrocardiogram recording. Twenty four hour heart rate variability
      was significantly lower in both alcohol dependent groups than in controls, but
      the results in the two alcohol dependent groups were not significantly different
      from each other. The results of standard tests of autonomic function did not
      distinguish between the alcohol dependent men with normal autonomic function and
      controls. The differences in heart rate variability between this group and the
      controls may have been the result of the ability of this method to detect small
      changes in autonomic integrity. Cardiomyopathy may also account for some of these
      differences and such abnormalities should be excluded before results are to be
      regarded as a reflection of vagal function. Twenty four hour measurement of heart
      rate variability may be a more useful index of cardiac vagal neuropathy than
      currently available tests of autonomic function.

PMID- 1867952
TI  - Pulmonary microvascular permeability in patients with severe mitral stenosis.
AB  - Patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis often have no pulmonary oedema despite
      considerably increased pulmonary venous pressure. Pulmonary microvascular
      permeability was measured non-invasively by a previously validated method of
      double isotope scintigraphy with indium-113m and technetium-99m. This permits
      calculation of an index reflecting transferrin efflux and thus, indirectly, the
      microvascular permeability. Fifteen patients with severe mitral stenosis (defined
      as valve area less than 1.0 cm2) were compared with a control group of 11
      patients with mild coronary artery disease. The permeability index was
      significantly lower in patients with mitral stenosis than in the control group.
      Furthermore, the extent of reduction of the permeability index correlated with
      the severity of mitral stenosis as reflected by the Gorlin valve area. This
      finding may account for the relative resistance of these patients to pulmonary
      oedema despite chronic pulmonary venous hypertension.

PMID- 1867953
TI  - Doppler ultrasound and the silent ductus arteriosus.
AB  - A clinically undetectable, small ductus arteriosus was identified by Doppler
      ultrasonography in 21 individuals. Infants were excluded from the study and no
      patient had pulmonary hypertension. Persistence of the ductus arteriosus is
      likely to be more common than shown by less sensitive diagnostic methods. Some
      patients considered to have infective endocarditis with a normal heart may have a
      silent ductus arteriosus. Evidence of such an association would justify ligation
      or antibiotic cover as prophylactic measures.

PMID- 1867954
TI  - Use of an aqueous soluble tetrazolium/formazan assay for cell growth assays in
      culture.
AB  - A new tetrazolium analog of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium
      bromide (MTT) was evaluated as a substitute for MTT in the microculture screening
      assay for in vitro cell growth. This new tetrazolium compound, 3-(4,5
      dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2- (4-sulfophenyl)-2H
      tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS), in the presence of phenazine methosulfate (PMS),
      gave a water-soluble formazan product that had an absorbance maximum at 490-500
      nm in phosphate-buffered saline. The amount of colored product formed was
      proportional to the number of cells and the time of incubation of the cells with
      MTS/PMS. MTS/PMS was reactive in all the cell lines tested which included mouse
      leukemia L1210 cells, mouse Ehrlich tumor cells, mouse 3T3 fibroblasts, and human
      colon tumor cells (HT-29). HT-29 and 3T3 fibroblasts reduced MTS/PMS more
      efficiently than they reduced MTT. Comparable to the amount of product formed
      from MTT, MTS/PMS gave excellent product formation. The IC50 value for
      pyrazoloimidazole obtained using MTS/PMS was 200 microM; for 5-fluoro-2'
      deoxyuridine, the IC50 value was 0.9 nM. These values compared very favorably
      with the IC50 values obtained by direct cell counts. Further, the same IC50
      values were obtained when the absorbances of the formazan product in the 96-well
      plates were determined after different times of incubation.

PMID- 1867955
TI  - Interaction between 5-fluorouracil, [6RS]leucovorin, and recombinant human
      interferon-alpha 2a in cultured colon adenocarcinoma cells.
AB  - Recombinant human interferon-alpha 2a (rIFN-alpha 2a; 500 or 5,000 IU/mL) or
      [6RS] leucovorin ([6RS]LV; 1 microM) each potentiated the cytotoxic activity of 5
      fluorouracil (FUra) by 2.6- to 3.2-fold during 72 hr exposures in two human colon
      adenocarcinoma cell lines (GC3/c1; VRC5/c1). When all three agents were combined,
      FUra cytotoxicity was further potentiated by 3.2- to 4.3-fold (total 10- to 14
      fold). Potentiation of FUra cytotoxicity occurred at clinically achieveable
      concentrations of rIFN-alpha 2a and [6RS]LV. Effects were reversed by dThd (20
      microM), although the activity of CB3717, a quinazoline-based, specific inhibitor
      of thymidylate synthase, was not potentiated by rIFN-alpha 2a. Data suggest the
      requirement of a 5-fluoropyrimidine for biochemical modulation and interaction at
      the level of thymidylate synthase or DNA.

PMID- 1867956
TI  - Clinical pharmacology through the looking glass: reflections on the racemate vs
      enantiomer debate.

PMID- 1867957
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of codeine and its metabolites in Caucasian healthy volunteers:
      comparisons between extensive and poor hydroxylators of debrisoquine.
AB  - 1. The kinetics of codeine and seven of its metabolites codeine-6-glucuronide
      (C6G), norcodeine (NC), NC-glucuronide (NCG), morphine (M), M-3 (M3G) and 6
      glucuronides (M6G), and normorphine (NM) were investigated after a single oral
      dose of 50 mg codeine phosphate in 14 healthy Caucasian subjects including eight
      extensive (EM) and six poor (PM) hydroxylators of debrisoquine. The plasma and
      urine concentrations of codeine and the metabolites were measured by h.p.l.c. 2.
      The mean area under the curve (AUC), half-life and total plasma clearance of
      codeine were 1020 +/- 340 nmol l-1 h, 2.58 +/- 0.57 h and 2.02 +/- 0.73 l h-1 kg
      1, respectively. There were no significant differences between EM and PM in these
      aspects. 3. PM had significantly lower AUC of M3G, the active metabolites M6G, NM
      and M (P less than 0.0001), and lower partial metabolic clearance by O
      demethylation (P less than 0.0001). In contrast, the PM had higher AUC of NC (P
      less than 0.05) than the EM. There was no difference between PM and EM in the AUC
      of C6G and NCG, nor in the partial clearances by N-demethylation and
      glucuronidation. 4. Among EM, the AUC of C6G was 15 times higher than that of
      codeine, which in turn was 50 times higher than that of M. The AUCs of M6G and NM
      were about 6 and 10 times higher than that of M, respectively. The partial
      clearance by glucuronidation was about 8 and 12 times higher than those by N- and
      O-demethylations, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1867958
TI  - A comparison of the pharmacokinetics of codeine and its metabolites in healthy
      Chinese and Caucasian extensive hydroxylators of debrisoquine.
AB  - 1. The kinetics of codeine and metabolites were studied in eight unrelated
      healthy Chinese subjects following a single oral dose of 50 mg codeine phosphate.
      The data were compared with those from eight Caucasian subjects who were matched
      with the Chinese group according to their metabolic ratio (MR) of debrisoquine.
      2. Mean values of Cmax (445 nmol l-1) and AUC (1660 nmol l-1 h) of codeine in the
      Chinese were significantly higher than those in the Caucasians (292 nmol l-1 and
      1010 nmol l-1 h). Thus plasma clearance was significantly lower (P less than
      0.02) and the plasma half-life was longer (P less than 0.05) in the Chinese. 3.
      Partial clearance by glucuronidation was significantly lower (0.79 +/- 0.14 s.d.
      vs 1.42 +/- 0.48 s.d. 1 h-1 kg-1) in Chinese than in Caucasians. 4. The total
      urinary recovery of drug-related material in 48 h urine was similar in Chinese
      (82.2%) and Caucasians (84.4%). The recovery of unchanged codeine was
      significantly higher in Chinese (5.7%) than in Caucasians (3.3%). 5. The AUC
      ratios of codeine relative to its 6-glucuronide, morphine and norcodeine were
      1:9, 35:1 and 4:1, respectively in Chinese. The corresponding ratios in
      Caucasians were 1:15, 50:1 and 6:1. 6. There was no significant difference
      between Chinese and Caucasians in the renal clearances of codeine and its primary
      metabolites. 7. Large interethnic differences in the kinetics of codeine have
      been shown. The Chinese are less able to metabolise codeine mainly because of a
      lower efficiency in glucuronidation.

PMID- 1867959
TI  - A screening test for slow metabolisers of tolbutamide.
AB  - 1. Six subjects participated in a detailed pharmacokinetic study of tolbutamide
      (pilot study). Using parameters based on these data, sixty-three non-diabetic
      volunteers underwent a simple screening test designed to identify slow
      metabolisers of tolbutamide. 2. The screening test was an estimate of tolbutamide
      plasma elimination half-life from plasma concentrations at 8 and 24 h after 500
      mg tolbutamide orally, and urinary recovery of the hydroxy- and
      carboxytolbutamide metabolites over the 4-8 h post-dose period. 3. The mean
      tolbutamide half-life for 61 of the screened subjects was 7.5 +/- 1.5 h (range
      5.2-12.2 h). Two subjects had half-lives of 21.6 and 16.1 h. Their urinary
      metabolite recoveries were within the range of those in the screening test but
      lower than those in the pilot study. 4. The subject with the 21.6 h half-life was
      restudied with intensive serial sampling for 72 h post-dose. She was confirmed as
      a 'slow' metaboliser of tolbutamide since her terminal half-life was 25.9 h but
      plasma Cmax and tmax were within the range of those in the detailed study. This
      subject's 24 h urinary recoveries of both hydroxytolbutamide and
      carboxytolbutamide were clearly different from the mean values for the pilot
      study subjects implicating hydroxylation of tolbutamide as the metabolic defect.
      5. The two point plasma half-life is therefore a discriminatory screening test
      but a 4-8 h urinary recovery is not. 6. A partial family study did not provide
      conclusive evidence of the inheritance of slow tolbutamide metabolism but the
      screening test should allow simple identification of slow metabolisers for
      further study.

PMID- 1867960
TI  - Oxidation of reduced haloperidol to haloperidol: involvement of human P450IID6
      (sparteine/debrisoquine monooxygenase).
AB  - 1. The conversion of haloperidol (HAL) to reduced haloperidol (RHAL) and then
      back to HAL has been established in vivo and observed in psychiatric patients.
      The reduction of HAL to RHAL is known to be catalysed by a ketone reductase,
      while the nature of oxidation back to HAL is the subject of the present study. 2.
      We examined the in vitro oxidation of RHAL to HAL in human livers. The activity
      was microsomal and evidence is presented to suggest that the
      sparteine/debrisoquine metabolizing isoenzyme P450IID6 contributes to this
      oxidation. 3. Reciprocal inhibition studies between RHAL and sparteine, a
      specific substrate for cytochrome P450IID6, indicated that both compounds compete
      for the same binding site. Quinidine, the most specific inhibitor for this
      cytochrome P450 potently inhibited the oxidative conversion of reduced
      haloperidol to haloperidol. A significant correlation (rs = 0.62, P less than
      0.01) was found between RHAL oxidation and sparteine oxidation in a study
      involving 17 human liver samples.

PMID- 1867961
TI  - Faster and more reliable absorption of adrenaline by aerosol inhalation than by
      subcutaneous injection.
AB  - 1. The aim of the present study was to compare absorption of adrenaline given by
      aerosol spray inhalation with absorption after subcutaneous injection. 2.
      Arterial plasma adrenaline was measured in nine healthy volunteers following
      adrenaline administration by both methods. 3. Following inhalation of 20 puffs of
      adrenaline aerosol, 0.15 mg/puff, a peak arterial adrenaline concentration after
      1 min and a rapid fall to baseline from this peak occurred. 4. When given by
      subcutaneous injection absorption was slower with a peak arterial adrenaline
      concentration after 4 min. The fall in arterial adrenaline from this peak level
      was not statistically significant within 30 min after injection. 5. There was
      less intersubject variation of arterial adrenaline concentration following
      inhalation when compared with injection. 6. Heart rate, blood pressure and finger
      tremor followed the changes in arterial adrenaline concentrations. 7. These
      results indicate that absorption is more reliable when adrenaline is given by
      inhalation. The rapid fall in arterial adrenaline following inhalation, suggests
      that repeated inhalations are necessary when such adrenaline therapy is required.

PMID- 1867962
TI  - The effect of cisapride on gastro-oesophageal dysfunction in systemic sclerosis:
      a controlled manometric study.
AB  - 1. Cisapride is a novel prokinetic drug which facilitates or restores motility
      throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Its mechanism of action is thought to
      involve enhancement of acetylcholine release in the myenteric plexus of the gut.
      2. The effect of intravenous cisapride 10 mg on gastro-oesophageal dysfunction
      was investigated in 20 patients with systemic sclerosis, using a double-blind,
      randomised, cross-over, placebo-controlled manometric study design. 3. The
      increase in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure was significantly higher after
      cisapride (mean +/- s.e. mean, 8.3 +/- 2.1 cm H2O) than after placebo (mean +/-
      s.e. mean. 0.1 +/- 0.3 cm H2O) (P less than 0.001). The increase in the number of
      fundic gastric contractions during the 30 min study period was significantly
      higher after cisapride (mean +/- s.e. mean, 7.7 +/- 2.3) than after placebo (mean
      +/- s.e. mean, 0.9 +/- 0.6) (P less than 0.01). 4. No serious clinical adverse
      effects were observed. 5. The study demonstrates that intravenous cisapride
      induces a significant increase in lower oesophageal sphincter pressure and in the
      number of fundic gastric contractions, which may be beneficial in the treatment
      of scleroderma gastro-oesophageal dysfunction. Further long-term studies of the
      effect of oral cisapride in patients with systemic sclerosis are warranted.

PMID- 1867963
TI  - The activation of the biguanide antimalarial proguanil co-segregates with the
      mephenytoin oxidation polymorphism--a panel study.
AB  - The activation of the antimalarial drug proguanil (PG) to the active metabolite
      cycloguanil (CG) has been evaluated in a panel of 18 subjects. These subjects had
      previously been screened and classified as mephenytoin poor (PMm) or extensive
      metabolisers (EMm) and sparteine poor (PMs) or extensive metabolisers (EMs). Five
      subjects had the phenotype PMm/EMs, one was PMm/PMs, six subjects were EMm/PMs
      and six were EMm/EMs. The PG/CG ratio in urine (8 h) was significantly higher in
      PMm than in EMm (P = 0.0013). This study shows that the P450-isozyme involved in
      the polymorphic oxidation of mephenytoin is of critical importance in the
      activation of PG to CG and this may explain the large intersubject variability in
      CG concentrations in man. PMm make up about 3% of Caucasians, but up to about 20%
      of Orientals. From the present study, it may be anticipated that the antimalarial
      effect of PG is absent or impaired in this phenotype. The sparteine polymorphism
      appeared not to influence the activation of PG to CG significantly.

PMID- 1867964
TI  - Metabolism of verapamil in a family pedigree with deficient N-oxidation of
      trimethylamine.
AB  - The oxidative N-dealkylation of verapamil has been studied in a family of five
      members with two propositi with an inherited deficiency of trimethylamine N
      oxidation (fish-odour syndrome). The results were assessed for possible co
      segregation of the trimethylamine N-oxidation phenotype and any observed
      deficiency in oxidative N-dealkylation. The general pattern of metabolism of
      verapamil in the five subjects studied was similar to that reported in earlier
      investigations. Moreover, there were no differences between the two affected
      subjects and other family members with respect to the metabolic pattern. It is
      concluded that there is no functional segregation with respect to the mechanisms
      controlling trimethylamine N-oxidation and verapamil N-dealkylation.

PMID- 1867965
TI  - Stereoselective pharmacokinetics of disopyramide and interaction with cimetidine.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of each of the enantiomers of disopyramide were examined
      after i.v. bolus administration of 150 mg racemic drug in a randomized cross-over
      study before and after the administration of cimetidine 400 mg twice daily
      orally. Clearance and volume of distribution (Vz) of total drug were
      significantly (P less than 0.001) higher for the R-(-) enantiomer than the S-(+)
      enantiomer (7.9 vs 4.6 l h-1 and 89 vs 50 l, respectively), whereas no
      significant difference in half-life could be demonstrated. The clearance of free
      drug was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher for the S-(+) enantiomer than
      that of the R-(-) enantiomer (34.6 +/- 5.4 l h-1 vs 27.2 +/- 5.6 l h-1), whereas
      no significant enantioselective difference in unbound volumes of distribution
      (258 +/- 38 l vs 226 +/- 42 l) could be demonstrated. Coadministration of
      cimetidine did not alter the pharmacokinetics of disopyramide. A significant
      concentration- or time-related decrease in the renal clearance of each of the
      enantiomers measured with respect to total drug in serum was observed, whereas
      renal clearances of the free enantiomers were similar.

PMID- 1867966
TI  - Pentoxifylline stimulates human sperm motility both in vitro and after oral
      therapy.
AB  - Pentoxifylline is a haemorrheologic agent often used in the treatment of
      peripheral vascular disorders. In this study, we measured sperm motility with a
      trans-membrane migration method and investigated the effect of this drug in the
      treatment of male infertility. We found that pentoxifylline increased motility of
      ejaculated spermatozoa in vitro from both normal and asthenozoospermic samples.
      After giving pentoxifylline to patients with asthenozoospermia for 3 months,
      sperm motility significantly increased, but sperm concentration did not increase.
      From the above results, it can be concluded that pentoxifylline is a useful drug
      in the treatment of normogonadotropic asthenozoospermia.

PMID- 1867967
TI  - Single dose pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral oxazepam in very
      elderly institutionalised subjects.
AB  - The effect of extreme old age on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of
      orally administered oxazepam 15 mg was studied in 10 healthy elderly (age 80-94
      years) institutionalised subjects and 10 healthy young controls (age 26-42
      years). The total oxazepam clearance was 1.24 (0.91-1.80) ml min-1 kg-1 (median
      and range) and 1.44 (0.88-2.13) ml min-1 kg-1 in the elderly and young,
      respectively (NS), and the elimination half-lives were 8.1 (5.5-10.8) h and 5.7
      (4.9-6.2) h. respectively (P less than 0.01). The percent of unbound oxazepam was
      greater in the elderly; 9.8 (8.1-13.3)% as opposed to 5.1 (3.7-5.9)% in the young
      (P less than 0.0001). Clearance of unbound oxazepam was lower in the elderly,
      median values being 13.8 (7.1-21.1) ml min-1 kg-1 compared with 30.3 (18.3-41.5)
      ml min-1 kg-1 in the young (P less than 0.0001). A single 15 mg dose oxazepam
      decreased the ability of the elderly to perform a finger tapping test at 3 h but
      not 8 h after drug administration, whereas placebo had no effect at either times.
      No effect was observed in the young subjects.

PMID- 1867968
TI  - [Primary gastric lymphoma: our experience].
AB  - The authors report their experience with 10 cases of primary gastric lymphoma
      observed in 10 years. Nonspecific symptomatology and bioptic features often
      misleading to benign lesions (pseudolymphoma) explain why an early diagnosis is
      difficult to achieve. A correct surgical treatment, with careful pre- and
      intraoperative staging, associated to pre- and postoperative chemo- and
      radiotherapy, allows good results in terms of survival.

PMID- 1867969
TI  - [Bronchopulmonary carcinoids: neoplasms with attenuated malignancy or true and
      proper malignant tumors?].
AB  - The authors, in reporting their series of 6 bronchopulmonary carcinoids, dwell
      upon the criteria used to classify such neoplasms pointing out the related
      diagnostic problems. The presence of metastases and/or local recurrences as well
      as the impossibility to define the aggressiveness of the tumor brought the
      authors to consider such tumors as malignant. They conclude for a surgical
      approach which should be conservative: segmentectomy and lobectomy in elective
      procedures, whereas pneumonectomy and endoscopic resection should be reserved to
      particular cases.

PMID- 1867970
TI  - [Endometriosis of the distal ileal loop. A clinical case report].
AB  - Intestinal endometriosis is a rare lesion characterized by a difficult
      differential diagnosis with other intestinal diseases. The authors report the
      case of a woman suffering from endometriosis involving the distal ileal loop.

PMID- 1867971
TI  - [The correlation of bacteriobilia/wound infections in elective biliary surgery].
AB  - The authors report their experience concerning the cultural study of bile samples
      taken during elective biliary surgery. All the operations were carried out after
      a randomized preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Among the 138 cases examined
      the presence of surgical infections (wound infection) was taken into account. A
      lack of correlation between the germs present in the bile and those isolated from
      samples of complicated cases, was registered. However, the Authors emphasize
      that, although antibiotic prophylaxis gives a reduced percentage of postoperative
      infections, it is unable to sterilize the bile.

PMID- 1867972
TI  - [Hurthle's tumors of the thyroid: a clinical case and review of the literature].
AB  - Hurthle tumors of the thyroid gland are uncommon lesions, histologically related
      to the well differentiated types of thyroid malignancies. Lesions predominantly
      composed of Hurthle cells are difficult for pathologists to be diagnosed and,
      consequently, for surgeons to be properly treated. In this report a case of
      Hurthle cell carcinoma was firstly treated with hemithyroidectomy plus
      isthmectomy; once frozen section examination revealed signs of malignancy a total
      thyroidectomy was performed.

PMID- 1867973
TI  - [Adenocarcinoma of the distal ileal loop: a rare disease at the typical site for
      Crohn's disease].
AB  - The authors report their recent experience in the treatment of two patients
      respectively affected by Crohn's disease and adenocarcinoma of the terminal
      ileum. Although with some differences, they presented with radiological,
      pathological and gross morphological findings quite similar so that the authors
      concluded for a different clinical stage of Crohn's disease in both cases. Frozen
      section examination carried out in one of the two cases, established the correct
      diagnosis and indicated a wide resection instead of a very limited one. An
      extremely rare case of primitive adenocarcinoma of the terminal ileum is
      presented and the literature is reviewed. Features which could help the
      differential diagnosis between malignant lesions and regional enteritis are
      therefore focused.

PMID- 1867974
TI  - [An unusual case of spontaneous idiopathic hemothorax].
AB  - Spontaneous haemothorax is an extremely rare pathology. Up to date, only 3 cases
      have been described in literature. The authors report the fourth case personally
      observed.

PMID- 1867975
TI  - [Primary volvulus of the omentum: a report of 4 cases].
AB  - The authors report their experience in the diagnosis and treatment of primary
      torsion of the omentum. They emphasize the clinical findings of the cases
      observed for a better understanding of this uncommon abdominal pathology.

PMID- 1867976
TI  - [The radiotherapy of colorectal cancer].

PMID- 1867977
TI  - [Free microvascularized flaps in head and neck lesions: the technics of
      microsurgical reconstruction].
AB  - The authors report their experience of microsurgical reconstructive techniques
      using musculo-cutaneous free flaps after radical operations for head and neck
      neoplasms.

PMID- 1867978
TI  - Frequency of elevated urinary beta 2-microglobulin levels in relatives of
      patients with asymptomatic low-molecular-weight proteinuria.
AB  - We studied urinary beta 2-microglobulin levels in a total of 29 apparently
      healthy relatives (aged 0.8-70 years) of 8 male patients with asymptomatic low
      molecular-weight proteinuria in six families. The frequency of levels above the
      age- and sex-associated 95% confidence limit was 7 of 29 (24%), 4 of 12 (33%) in
      first-degree relatives, 2 of 6 (33%) fathers, and 2 of 6 (33%) mothers. These
      frequencies were significantly above those in the general population (P less than
      0.01, by a normal distribution test, a binomial distribution, and Poisson
      distribution test for the sample proportion). The increased frequency in fathers
      argues against an X-linked pattern of inheritance for this entity, suggesting
      that there is heterogeneity in the inheritance.

PMID- 1867979
TI  - Urinary protein excretion and renal function in children with IgA nephropathy.
AB  - Renal haemodynamics and the pattern of urinary protein excretion were studied in
      38 children (21 boys, 17 girls) with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy (IgAN), 0.4
      16.8 (median 5.3) years after onset of the disease. Glomerular filtration rate
      (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were evaluated by clearances of
      inulin and para-aminohippuric acid. Serum and urinary albumin, IgG and beta 2
      microglobulin (beta 2 mu) were determined and the excretion rates, clearances,
      and fractional clearances were calculated. The patients were grouped according to
      the type and the amount of proteinuria. Mean GFR and ERPF were significantly
      decreased (107 +/- 3 and 580 +/- 17 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively) versus
      controls (119 +/- 2 and 627 +/- 14 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively). Grouped
      according to albumin excretion rates, non-albuminuric patients had normal GFR,
      while mean GFR was reduced in patients with micro-albuminuria (106 +/- 3 ml/min
      per 1.73 m2) and albuminuric patients (92 +/- 7 ml/min per 1.73 m2). IgG
      excretion increased with increasing albuminuria, but the selectivity index was
      lower in albuminuric patients than in patients with micro-albuminuria.
      Albuminuric patients had also higher blood pressure than those with micro
      albuminuria. beta 2 mu excretion did not discriminate between patients with
      impaired renal function. The results suggest that childhood IgAN is not a benign
      kidney disease. After a median duration of 5 years of the disease a number of
      children had impaired renal function. Mean GFR was reduced most in the
      albuminuric patients but was also decreased in micro-albuminuric patients,
      indicating that micro-albuminuria may be a predictor of more severe disease.

PMID- 1867980
TI  - Should children with nephrotic syndrome be immunised against pneumococcal
      infection?

PMID- 1867981
TI  - Hemolytic uremic syndrome in children in northern India.
AB  - We observed 73 patients with the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 9 years (1980
      1988), comprising 34% of patients with acute renal failure treated over the same
      period. There were 53 boys and 20 girls; 59% were below the age of 2 years and
      33% between 2 and 5 years. Acute, usually severe dysentery, responding poorly to
      various antibiotics, was the prodromal illness in 80%, whereas 12% had watery
      diarrhea. Most patients had severe renal involvement with anuria in 56% and
      oliguria in 30%. A polymorphonuclear leukocytosis was present in 85% of cases,
      but had no correlation with the highest levels of blood urea. Coagulation
      abnormalities suggesting consumption coagulopathy were found in 24 of 30 cases.
      The results of stool culture showed Shigella species in 7 cases and nontyphoidal
      Salmonella in 9. Escherichia coli were isolated in 11 cases, but were not further
      characterized. Renal biopsy showed total or patchy cortical necrosis in 20 of 50
      cases. The patients were managed with supportive care, including transfusion of
      fresh blood or plasma and dialysis as required. The mortality was 60%, being
      chiefly related to the duration of renal failure and presence of renal cortical
      necrosis, whereas persistent dysentery and infections were complicating factors.
      The presence of convulsions and coagulation defects had no relation to the
      outcome. Our observations indicate that HUS in children in northern India is
      mostly related to dysentery, likely to be shigellosis, and is usually associated
      with severe renal damage and a high death rate.

PMID- 1867982
TI  - Antenatal sonography revealed bilateral moderate hydronephrosis without
      dilatation of ureters or bladder in a fetus at 16 weeks' gestation. This was
      confirmed at 32 weeks. What advice should be given to the obstetrician regarding
      intra-uterine intervention, delivery, etc?

PMID- 1867983
TI  - Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome associated with Aeromonas hydrophila enterocolitis.
AB  - Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) associated with Aeromonas hydrophila
      enterocolitis is reported in a 23-month-old female infant. The A. hydrophila
      strain isolated from the patient's stool sample produced cytotoxin against
      verocells; increasing levels of cytotoxin-neutralizing antibody in the patient's
      sera were demonstrated, suggesting a recent infection. This report indicates that
      A. hydrophila should be suspected as a possible cause of HUS, and that this
      pathogen should be looked for in cases of post-diarrhoeal HUS.

PMID- 1867984
TI  - Steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome following renal transplantation for
      congenital nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - A boy developed recurrent steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome following renal
      transplantation for congenital nephrotic syndrome. The first episode was
      associated with mild tubulointerstitial rejection on kidney biopsy. Subsequent
      episodes showed normal histology by light microscopy and epithelial foot process
      fusion on electron microscopy, consistent with minimal change nephrotic syndrome.
      Serum analysis for soluble immune response suppressor was negative pre
      nephrectomy, positive during each bout of nephrotic syndrome, and negative during
      each remission. This case represents de novo occurrence of steroid-sensitive
      minimal change nephrotic syndrome following renal transplantation for congenital
      nephrotic syndrome. We stress the need for histological examination of the renal
      allograft to diagnose rejection, recurrent disease, or de novo disease.

PMID- 1867985
TI  - Renovascular hypertension: a rare cause of neonatal salt loss.
AB  - We report a case of severe hypertension in the newborn period due to obstruction
      of the right renal artery. The baby presented with polyuria leading to
      dehydration and was found to have hyponatraemia and severe renal salt loss. When
      sudden malignant hypertension is induced in experimental conditions, a high
      pressure diuresis and increased angiotensin II production are found. These
      findings could explain the renal salt loss, notwithstanding the effects of
      secondary hyperaldosteronism and hyper-reninaemia.

PMID- 1867986
TI  - The effects of vitamin E on tissue oxidation in nephrotoxic (anti-glomerular
      basement membrane) nephritis.
AB  - The effects of vitamin E on tissue oxidation, kidney function and morphology were
      studied in rats with nephrotoxic nephritis (NTN). Thirty-six nephritic animals
      received no treatment (group 1), while 36 were treated with vitamin E (group 2).
      Twenty-four hours after the administration of anti-glomerular basement membrane
      antibody, sulfhydryl-containing renal protein was significantly lower in group 1
      than in group 2 (0.70 +/- 0.16 and 1.08 +/- 0.06 mmol/100 g kidney tissue,
      respectively), suggesting a free oxygen radical scavenging effect of vitamin E in
      group 2. The difference was similar on day 14. The creatinine clearance was
      significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 on day 1 (40 +/- 30 and 204 +/- 60
      microliter/min per 100 g body weight, respectively). The protein excretion was
      initially high in both groups, but a significant decrease was detected in group 2
      relative to group 1 on day 14 (25 +/- 18 and 92 +/- 38 mg/24 h, respectively).
      The morphological changes were less severe in group 2. Vitamin E treatment did
      not alter any of the above values significantly in healthy animals. The release
      of oxygen free radicals in NTN might play an important role in the pathogenesis,
      which can be influenced by free radical scavengers through changes in kidney
      function and morphology.

PMID- 1867987
TI  - Growth, free plasma and muscle amino-acids in uraemic rats fed various low
      protein diets.
AB  - The nutritional effects of low-protein diets are difficult to assess in humans.
      Normal and uraemic growing rats were therefore fed: a moderately low-protein
      (12%) reference diet (diet R), two 5% casein diets, one supplemented with
      essential amino acids (AA) (diet A) and the other with their keto acids (diet K),
      and a 7% casein diet isonitrogenous with diet K (diet L). Appetite and growth of
      both uraemic and control rats were identical on diets R and A and were reduced on
      diets K and L. Stunting was prominent in rats fed diet L and more severe than in
      those on diet K. Diet K induced marked anorexia in controls. This effect was
      smaller in uraemic rats, which were all anorectic, regardless of the diet. Plasma
      essential AA were similar in rats on diets R and A but low in control rats fed
      diets L and K. In particular, diet K did not improve the branched-chain AA levels
      although it produced better growth than diet L. Plasma and muscle threonine were
      surprisingly elevated in rats on the semi-synthetic diets A and K, despite
      identical or lower consumptions. Regardless of the diet, uraemia resulted in
      unchanged or increased plasma essential AA, despite reduced appetite and
      stunting. Uraemia caused a marked rise in some non-essential AA. Muscle essential
      AA, except for threonine, were essentially unaltered and did not correlate with
      growth or uraemia.

PMID- 1867988
TI  - Progressive renal insufficiency in methylmalonic acidemia.
AB  - Methylmalonic acidemia is a heterogeneous inborn error of propionate metabolism.
      Therapy frequently includes a low-protein diet to minimize precursors of
      methylmalonic acid (MMA) and reduce its concentration in body tissues. Renal
      dysfunction in these patients is increasingly recognized. Tubulointerstitial
      disease has been found in the small number of renal biopsy specimens from young
      children previously reported by others. We describe an 18-year-old patient with
      the mut- form of the disease who developed renal dysfunction despite the use of a
      low-protein diet. Tubulointerstitial injury was documented by renal biopsy. The
      patient had no risk factors associated with established causes of chronic
      tubulointerstitial nephropathy (CTIN). We postulate that methylmalonyl-CoA and/or
      its precursors (propionyl-CoA, odd-chain fatty acids), may be capable of
      producing CTIN. We speculate that prevention of renal injury may require lower
      tissue levels of MMA and its precursors than those required for prevention of
      ketoacidosis.

PMID- 1867989
TI  - Combined liver-kidney transplantation in a child with primary hyperoxaluria.
AB  - A 3.5-year-old boy presented with end-stage renal disease and bilateral
      nephrocalcinosis. Renal biopsy demonstrated marked parenchymal calcium oxalate
      deposition and a diagnosis of primary hyperoxaluria (PH) was made. Following 2
      years of hemodialysis he received two renal allografts which were lost at 7 and
      11 months, respectively, due to biopsy-proven recurrent oxalosis. Combined liver
      kidney transplantation was then performed, after which renal and hepatic function
      initially stabilized. The patient died on the 28th postoperative day, of
      infectious complications and progressive respiratory insufficiency. However,
      comparisons between the patterns of urinary oxalate excretion noted after the
      isolated renal and liver-kidney transplants indicated that, following the latter,
      successful biochemical correction of the enzyme defect responsible for type 1 PH
      had occurred.

PMID- 1867990
TI  - Prostaglandin inhibitors in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - The management of nephrotic syndrome resistant to corticosteroid and cytotoxic
      therapy is unclear. In such patients, prostaglandin inhibitors can reduce
      proteinuria. Mechanisms may include a reduction in transcapillary hydraulic
      pressure and a decrease in capillary wall permeability. The antiproteinuric
      effect of these agents is enhanced by volume depletion induced by sodium
      restriction and thiazide diuretics. Complications may include aggravation of
      edema, hemodynamic renal failure, hyperkalemia, and drug nephrotoxicity. Although
      a reduction in protein excretion may improve the clinical status of nephrotic
      patients, it is unclear whether such methods will improve renal survival.

PMID- 1867991
TI  - Surgical aspects of urolithiasis in children.
AB  - Operative management of renal calculi has changed radically in the last decade.
      New operative techniques, the use of intra-operative ultrasound and Doppler
      sonography have even made possible the removal of complete staghorn calculi in
      short and kidney-preserving procedures. The introduction of percutaneous
      nephrolithotomy and stone extraction using a specially designed ureteroscope and,
      above all, the clinical application of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy have
      made stone surgery less invasive and have provided a higher rate of preservation
      of kidney function.

PMID- 1867992
TI  - Trials and tribulations of multicenter studies. Lessons learned from the
      experiences of the Southwest Pediatric Nephrology Study Group (SPNSG).
AB  - Multicenter studies in Pediatric Nephrology have been acknowledged in recent
      years as an important mechanism for studying renal disease in children. The
      purpose of this review is to describe some of the experiences of the Southwest
      Pediatric Nephrology Study Group (SPNSG) in order to assist others in developing
      their own multicenter studies. The importance of protocol development, including
      adequate attention to study design, data management, and data analysis, is
      emphasized. Mechanisms for facilitating the frequency and productivity of study
      group meetings that are so essential for the success of multicenter studies, are
      described in some detail. The need and some of the methods for achieving ongoing
      collaboration within a climate of critical peer review are also discussed.
      Controversial issues such as authorship and the question of institutional credit
      for involvement in multicenter studies are discussed in brief. Finally, some of
      the features of the SPNSG that have permitted us to maintain a relatively high
      rate of productivity are described. The two most important of these, ongoing
      commitment to the group and willingness to collaborate across differences of
      opinion, are stressed throughout the review.

PMID- 1867993
TI  - Immunological mediators and glomerular cell function.

PMID- 1867994
TI  - The role of the pediatric nephrologist in the care of children with diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - The pediatric nephrologist has traditionally not been involved in the care of the
      diabetic child since diabetic nephropathy presents in adulthood. Recent studies
      suggest that diabetic kidney disease develops silently during childhood.
      Measurement of urinary albumin excretion (UAE) allows earlier detection of
      patients at risk of nephropathy, often in adolescence. In addition to diabetic
      nephropathy, diabetic children are at risk of urinary tract infections, renal
      papillary necrosis, and various forms of glomerulonephritis. The role of the
      pediatric nephrologist in the care of the child with diabetes might include
      advising on the administration and interpretation of screening for UAE and the
      measurement and interpretation of glomerular filtration rate, and blood pressure.
      Children with evidence of renal dysfunction should be evaluated and treated by
      the pediatric nephrologist. Frequently, renal biopsy will be necessary in these
      patients. Future research may allow the detection of diabetic kidney disease
      earlier in childhood, further expanding the role of the pediatric nephrologist.
      In particular, early renal biopsy may eventually be used to select those patients
      at risk of diabetic nephropathy for specific treatment alterations.

PMID- 1867995
TI  - Clinical quiz. Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) type 1.

PMID- 1867996
TI  - Left renal vein entrapment.

PMID- 1867997
TI  - Congenital urinary anomalies associated with neural tube defects.

PMID- 1867998
TI  - Embryonic sex hormones in birds.
AB  - Hormone activity of embryonic gonads in birds was demonstrated by grafting and
      culture experiments. Anti-Mullerian hormone responsible for the regression of the
      Mullerian ducts in the male is most probably a glycoprotein. Whether the testis
      also secretes testosterone has long been disputed, but most arguments are against
      this possibility. From early stages of development, the ovary secretes estrome
      and estradiol. However, it could not be demonstrated unambiguously whether
      estrogen is identical with the sex inducing substance in the female. The
      hypophysis seems to control ovarian estrogen secretion at 10-13 days of
      incubation in the chick embryo.

PMID- 1867999
TI  - Histone H1c decreases markedly in postreplicative stages of chicken
      spermatogenesis.
AB  - The relative proportions of four major chicken histone H1 subtypes (referred to
      as H1a, H1b, H1c and H1d) change markedly in different chicken tissues. The
      relative amount of H1c is higher in nonreplicating somatic tissues, such as
      liver, than in replicating immature testis. The proportion of H1c sharply
      decreases as spermatogenesis proceeds, being much lower in mature than in
      immature testis. It has been proposed that the relative increment of H1c
      correlates with low rates of cell division in chicken tissues. It was assumed
      that the sharp decrease in H1c observed during maturation of chicken testis was a
      consequence of the intensification of proliferative activity in spermatogonia
      (Berdnikov et al., 1976). Our results, however, clearly show that the decrease of
      H1c during maturation is due to the low levels of this protein in postreplicative
      stages of spermatogenesis, where H1c is barely detectable. These results suggest
      that the presence of the arginine-rich H1c subtype would neither be compatible
      with the relaxed structure of acetylated chromatin present in active replicating
      cells nor with the hyperacetylated chromatin characteristic of postreplicative
      late spermatids undergoing the nucleohistone nucleoprotamine transition.

PMID- 1868000
TI  - The pachytene chromomere map of the oocyte of the Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus
      brandti).
AB  - A study of the chromomere maps of the sex and twenty autosomal bivalents of
      Turkish hamster pachytene oocytes was carried out. The average total number of
      chromomeres in early/mid pachytene autosomes was 280 with 91 on the p (short arm)
      and 189 on the q (long arm). The submetacentric X1 chromosome had 20 chromomeres
      and the metacentric X2 had 27. Comparisons of the number and location of oocyte
      chromomeres are made with the pachytene spermatocyte chromomere maps of this
      species.

PMID- 1868001
TI  - Evaluation of anionic histological dyes as co-injectable cell markers in pre
      implantation mouse embryos.
AB  - The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a widely used microinjectable cell
      marker for studying cell position, lineage, and migration in many kinds of animal
      embryos. Marked cells are easily identified because they darken when exposed to a
      chromophore and an HRP substrate such as hydrogen peroxide. This assay, however,
      requires cytochemical fixation. Thus, when HRP-marked cells need to be identified
      prior to fixation, visible co-injectants such as dyes and fluorescent substances
      have been used with HRP. Fluorescent substances have limitations because their
      excitation could be harmful to the marked cells. Visible but non-fluorescent co
      injectants, however, would permit visualization of HRP-marked cells without
      inflicting such damage. We tested the compatibility of several histological dyes
      and electrolytic carriers with HRP iontophoresed as a cell marker in 2-cell mouse
      embryos. The dyes tested were Evans Blue, Cibacron Blue F3GA, Fast Green FCF, and
      Patent Blue Violet; the electrolytic carriers were KCl, K2SO4, CH3CO2K, and
      KH2PO4. The combination found most useful was Patent Blue Violet in K2SO4.
      Survival of embryos incubated to the blastocyst stage following injection with
      HRP + Patent Blue Violet in K2SO4 at the 2-cell stage was significantly greater
      than that of embryos injected with any other dye. Although the proportion of
      embryos undergoing the 8-cell-to-morula transition was somewhat decreased by this
      treatment, the proportion of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage was comparable
      to that in the uninjected (control) group. Our results indicate that Patent Blue
      Violet is a useful, HRP-co-injectable dye for short-term cell marking in
      preimplantation mouse embryos.

PMID- 1868002
TI  - The role of the polarizing zone in the pattern of experimental chondrogenesis in
      the chick embryo interdigital space.
AB  - We have previously shown that removal of the apical ectodermal ridge of the third
      interdigital space of the chick leg bud at stages 28 and 29 is followed by the
      appearance of ectopic cartilage, which in the course of development gives rise to
      extra digits. These in vivo studies suggest that the pattern of skeletal
      morphogenesis in the limb depends on the inhibitory effect of the ectoderm. In
      the present study we tested whether zone polarizing activity (ZPA) exerted an
      effect on the pattern of experimental chondrogenesis in the interdigital space of
      the leg bud in stage 29 HH chick embryos. A small fragment of tissue from the ZPA
      in chick embryos in which ZPA activity was most intense was grafted onto the
      interdigital space in which chondrogenesis had previously been experimentally
      induced. No significant changes were observed in the course of differentiation of
      the recipient interdigital spaces with ZPA grafts, leading us to conclude that
      the graft failed to modify the morphogenetic fate of interdigital tissue.

PMID- 1868003
TI  - The hatching mechanism in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus).
AB  - In general fish larvae emerge from the protective egg after secreting a hatching
      enzyme (HE) from diffusely located hatching gland cells (HGCs). This proteolytic
      enzyme is distributed over the entire inner part of the eggshell (zona radiata).
      In a marine flatfish halibut, (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), we have found a more
      specialized hatching process. A strategic location of the HGCs in a narrow belt
      on the anterior part of the yolk sac leads to restricted degradation of the
      eggshell resulting in cleavage of the eggshell into two distinct rigid parts.
      This hatching process--termed "rim-hatching"--results in an empty eggshell with a
      lid approximately 1/4 the size of the bottom shell. During the hatching process
      the yolk sac is reshaped. The posterior part of the yolk sac contracts and the
      yolk mass is squeezed forward before hatching. This mechanism ensures close
      contact between the HGCs and the eggshell during the release of the hatching
      enzyme, which is a prerequisite for restricted degradation of the eggshell.

PMID- 1868004
TI  - New developments in diagnosing HIV infections.

PMID- 1868005
TI  - Tuberculosis and HIV disease.

PMID- 1868006
TI  - Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome. Pathophysiology and therapy.

PMID- 1868007
TI  - Biologic features of HIV-2. An update.

PMID- 1868008
TI  - AIDS-associated lymphomas.

PMID- 1868009
TI  - Risk of HIV infection in health care workers.

PMID- 1868010
TI  - The clinical significance of HTLV-I and HTLV-II infection in the AIDS epidemic.
AB  - Although early reports of an etiological role of HTLV-I in AIDS are not supported
      by subsequent epidemiologic and biologic data, all AIDS specialists should be
      aware of the possible infection of AIDS risk group members with the HTLV viruses.
      In the United States, HTLV-II and HIV co-exist in high prevalence among IVDU, and
      coinfected IVDU may progress more quickly to AIDS. The health effects of solitary
      HTLV-II infection are currently unknown. In Africa and the Caribbean, where HTLV
      I is endemic, the epidemic of HIV infection will likewise produce coinfection and
      possibly faster progression to AIDS. In addition, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
      and HTLV-associated myelopathy (HAM/TSP) may occur in persons infected with HTLV
      I alone. Clinical care of HTLV infected patients is difficult because of societal
      confusion of these viruses with HIV. The full health effects of both HTLV-I and
      HTLV-II are not yet known, and even the two known disease outcomes of HTLV-I
      infection occur in only a few percent of those infected. Without prognostic
      indicators, and with the long latency from infection to disease, counseling and
      medical follow-up of patients is difficult. Further research into the clinical
      effects of HTLV-I and HTLV-II is urgently needed.

PMID- 1868011
TI  - Bacteremia in persons with HIV infection.

PMID- 1868012
TI  - Bacillary angiomatosis.

PMID- 1868013
TI  - Controversies regarding the natural history and treatment of syphilis in HIV
      disease.
AB  - Because of the immunologic dysfunction of HIV-infected patients, concomitant
      infection with T. pallidum requires that maximal doses of appropriate antibiotics
      be given, and the expected falls in nontreponemal antibody titer cannot be relied
      upon to certify a cure. Genital ulcer disease appears to increase the risk of
      acquiring HIV. Therefore, all HIV-infected persons and persons with syphilis
      should be tested for both syphilis and HIV.

PMID- 1868014
TI  - The amsacrine story: will it change the FDA policy?

PMID- 1868015
TI  - Perhaps not everyone knows that ...

PMID- 1868016
TI  - Timing of breast cancer surgery in the menstrual cycle and outcome.

PMID- 1868017
TI  - Speech is silver, silence is gold?

PMID- 1868018
TI  - Prognostic factors analysis in clinical oncology: handle with care.

PMID- 1868019
TI  - HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.

PMID- 1868020
TI  - Hematopoietins: biology, pathophysiology, and potential as therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1868021
TI  - Outdoor air pollution and lung cancer.

PMID- 1868022
TI  - Timing of breast cancer surgery within the menstrual cycle: influence on lymph
      node involvement, receptor status, postoperative metastatic spread and local
      recurrence.
AB  - Prompted by a report of Hrushesky et al. stating that women operated upon for
      breast cancer during their perimenstrual period showed a higher risk for
      developing future metastases than women operated upon during their mid-cycle, we
      examined the patients with breast carcinoma who were treated at the
      Gynaecological University Hospital Zurich between 1971 and 1988 with respect to
      the influence of menstrual cycle phase on certain factors. 104 patients underwent
      perimenstrual surgery, i.e., between days 1 and 6 or days 21 and 36 of the cycle.
      120 women had mid-cycle surgery (i.e., days 7-20 of the cycle). In contrast to
      the experience of Hrushesky et al., we found no significant differences in the
      survival curves. The same was true when the proliferative phase (days 1-14; n =
      109) was compared with the secretory phase (days 15-32; n = 108). We tested the
      different groups for homogeneity and found that 54% of the patients with
      perimenstrual surgery showed axillary lymph node involvement, whereas in the
      midcyclic group only 38% showed positive nodes. We have no plausible explanation
      for this difference. These findings indicate that there might be certain cycle
      related differences with respect to lymph node status but that they do not affect
      survival. Hence, timing surgery to the menstrual cycle is not mandatory for the
      time being.

PMID- 1868023
TI  - Disclosure of breast cancer diagnosis: patient and physician reports. GIVIO
      (Interdisciplinary Group for Cancer Care Evaluation, Italy)
AB  - Although there is considerable controversy about what information regarding the
      diagnosis of cancer is most helpful to patients in meeting their psychological
      and medical needs, little research exists on what patients who are treated in non
      specialized institutions are told about their diagnosis and treatment. We
      assessed the information that breast cancer patients received about their
      diagnosis from the perspective of both the patient and the physician, in order to
      determine whether they agree in their perceptions of communication, and whether
      the nature of patient-physician communication is associated with patient
      satisfaction. Questionnaires were completed by 1171 Italian breast cancer
      patients (representing a 81.5% response rate) and their physicians at the time of
      surgery for breast cancer. Only a minority of patients (47%) reported having been
      told that they had cancer. Satisfaction with information was highest among women
      who had been told the diagnosis. Patient and physician reports of what
      information was conveyed about the diagnosis differed for over half of patients,
      with highest satisfaction levels reported when both patient and physician stated
      that the diagnosis had been conveyed. While comparison of patient and physician
      reports should not be used to validate either source of information, the degree
      of patient-physician disagreement found in this research may alert physicians to
      potential difficulties that can arise in communicating with cancer patients.

PMID- 1868024
TI  - Prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with advanced ovarian
      carcinoma.
AB  - Twenty-one pretreatment variables were investigated for prognostic influence on
      survival in 301 previously untreated patients with ovarian carcinoma, stage IIB
      IV. Patients were randomized to sequential combination chemotherapy:
      cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, followed by cisplatin and
      hexamethylmelamine, or to the 3-drug combination alternating with the 2-drug
      combination every other month. Median overall survivals were 25 and 22 months,
      respectively, P greater than 0.4. Based on the results from a Cox multivariate
      stepwise analysis a subset of independent significant prognostic factors was
      found to include: residual tumor size, performance status, alkaline phosphatase,
      number of metastases, histological differentiation grade and type. A prognostic
      index was calculated for each patient and three prognostic categories of patients
      were determined. The 3-yr survival rates for patients with low-, intermediate-,
      and high-risk scores were 62, 31, and 7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis
      thus contributes further information about the disease, and a knowledge of the
      distribution of such factors across different trials is important when comparing
      treatment outcome.

PMID- 1868025
TI  - HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: clinical characteristics and outcome. The
      experience of the French Registry of HIV-associated tumors.
AB  - From 1/87 to 12/89, the French Registry of HIV-associated tumors recorded 131
      cases of intermediate- and high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). There were
      47 small non-cleaved Burkitt-type lymphomas (SNCL), 32 immunoblastic lymphomas
      (IL) and 52 diffuse large-cell or predominantly large-cell lymphomas (LCL). There
      were differences in the clinical patterns of the histological subtypes. Isolated
      extranodal presentation was less frequent in SNCL (2/47) than in IL (13/32) and
      LCL (17/49) (p less than 0.0001). In the latter two groups, the central nervous
      system was the principal site of extranodal involvement (16/30), 87% of SNCL,
      patients had no previous manifestations of AIDS whereas 40% of IL and LCL
      patients presented full-blown AIDS (p less than 0.01). At the time of NHL
      diagnosis, the median blood CD4 lymphocyte count was higher in SNCL (266/microL)
      than in LCL (125/microL, p less than 0.05) and IL (80/microL, p less than 0.01),
      69% of stages I/II patients, 31% of stages III/IV, and 33% of stage ie patients
      achieved complete remission (CR), p less than 0.05. Overall median survival time
      was 5 months. There was no statistical difference in CR and survival rates among
      histological types. The two-year actuarial survival rate was 25% (median 8
      months) for initially asymptomatic patients or those with persistent generalized
      lymphadenopathy (PGL) and 9% (median 3 months) for those previously with AIDS
      related complex (ARC) and AIDS patients (p less than 0.001). Response to
      treatment was the other predictor factor. The two-year survival rate was 42%
      (median 16 months) for patients who achieved CR, and 5% (median 3 months) for
      those who did not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868026
TI  - Phase II study of combining vinblastine and cyclosporin-A to circumvent multidrug
      resistance in renal cell cancer.

PMID- 1868027
TI  - High-dose DTIC in advanced soft-tissue sarcomas in the adult. A phase II study of
      the E.O.R.T.C. Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group.
AB  - Forty-four of 50 adult patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma who had
      received previous chemotherapy were evaluable for response after treatment with
      DTIC. The therapeutic schedule consisted of DTIC 1.2 g/m2 infused over 20
      minutes, and repeated every 3 weeks. There were 1 complete and 7 partial
      remissions (objective activity 18%, 95% C.I. 7%-29%), with a median duration of 8
      weeks (range 5-19), with the complete remission lasting 1 yr. Hematologic
      toxicity was dose-limiting; W.H.O. greater than or equal to 3 values were
      observed for WBC in 36%, and for platelets in 26% of patients. The non
      hematologic toxicity included nausea and vomiting (90%), a flu-like syndrome
      (49%), diarrhea (35%), pain in the infused vein (28%) and hypotensive episodes
      (4%). Intermittent high-dose DTIC is active in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma and
      should be considered for inclusion in combination regimens.

PMID- 1868028
TI  - Combination of etoposide, adriamycin and cisplatin (EAP) in gastric cancer:
      association with severe toxicity.

PMID- 1868029
TI  - Combination of etoposide, adriamycin and cisplatin (EAP) in gastric cancer:
      association with severe toxicity.

PMID- 1868030
TI  - A new growth-regulated complementary DNA with the sequence of a putative trans
      activating factor.
AB  - A new complementary DNA (cDNA) clone has been isolated by differential screening
      of a cDNA library. The cognate RNA of this clone, called SC1, is growth regulated
      in human, mouse, and hamster cell lines. Its kinetics of growth regulation (time
      of increase in mRNA levels, sensitivity to cycloheximide, behavior in G1-specific
      temperature-sensitive mutants) classify the SC1 gene as a late growth-regulated
      gene, like the histone genes and the genes coding for the proteins of the DNA
      synthesis apparatus. By run-on assay, there is a modest increase in
      transcriptional rates after serum stimulation, which is not sufficient to explain
      the sharp increase in mRNA levels. The SC1 gene localizes to human chromosome
      6p21-22. In bacteria, the SC1 cDNA clone makes a protein of Mr 39,000, in
      agreement with the putative reading frame. The amino acid sequence derived from
      the cDNA sequence indicates a previously unknown gene with a domain strongly
      suggestive of a trans-activating domain. The SC1 gene can be considered as coding
      for a possible new trans-activating factor that could play an important role in
      the transcription of genes required for the later stages of cell cycle
      progression.

PMID- 1868031
TI  - 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced regulation of protein kinase C gene
      expression during HL-60 cell differentiation.
AB  - The human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 differentiates in vitro when
      treated with various inducers. It has previously been shown that protein kinase C
      (PKC) isozymes are modulated during granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells
      induced by dimethyl sulfoxide or retinoic acid (M. Makowske, R. Ballester, Y.
      Cayre, and O.M. Rosen, J. Biol. Chem., 263: 3402-3410, 1988; K. Hashimoto, A.
      Kishimoto, H. Aihara, I. Yasuda, K. Mikawa, and Y. Nishizuka, FEBS Left., 263: 31
      34, 1990). HL-60 responds to 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) or to
      12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate by giving rise to monocytic cells. In the
      present study, we demonstrate that treatment of HL-60 cells with 1,25-(OH)2D3
      causes dramatic increases in PKC-alpha and PKC-beta protein levels detected by
      immunoblotting with PKC isoform-specific antibodies and in Ca(2+)- and
      phospholipid-dependent protein kinase activity. We also observed a transient
      increase in the steady-state levels of PKC-alpha and PKC-beta mRNA species in
      Northern blotting experiments, with maximal induction occurring 48 h after
      addition of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Analyses of 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced PKC mRNA expression by
      nuclear run-on transcription experiments suggest that the observed increases in
      PKC mRNA levels may occur by a posttranscriptional mechanism(s). In contrast to
      the transient increases in PKC mRNA levels, the increases in PKC Mr 80,000
      protein species and in PKC enzyme activity were progressive in HL-60 cells
      treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 between 1 and 5 days, thus implying the existence of a
      further up-regulation of PKC proteins occurring at the translational and/or
      posttranslational levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868032
TI  - Molecular assignment of a translocation breakpoint in acute myeloid leukemia with
      t(8;21).
AB  - An 8;21 translocation is a common chromosome abnormality associated with acute
      myeloblastic leukemia with maturation (M2 of French-American-British (FAB)
      classification). We have isolated chromosome 21 Notl linking clones; pulsed field
      gel electrophoresis analysis with one clone (LL263) detected an altered fragment
      of Notl-digested leukemic cell DNA carrying t(8;21). The altered fragment was
      shown to be produced by the 8;21 translocation. The breakpoint in chromosome 21
      was located about 13 kb to 100 kb proximal to the LL263 Notl site. Because the
      LL263 clone has a CpG island and is a short distance from the breakpoint, the
      clone itself may be considered as a candidate for part of the t(8;21) associated
      gene.

PMID- 1868033
TI  - Cytogenetic analysis of 434 consecutively ascertained specimens of non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma: correlations between recurrent aberrations, histology, and exposure to
      cytotoxic treatment.
AB  - Cytogenetic abnormalities in non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) provide a model system
      for the analysis of the role of multiple genomic aberrations in human malignancy.
      In order to define correlations with histology, tumor evolution, and the effects
      of genotoxic exposure, cytogenetic analysis was performed on 434 specimens of NHL
      derived from 423 patients consecutively ascertained over a 5-year period (1984
      1989). Six recurring translocations (RT) were observed: t(14;18)(q32;q21),
      t(8;14)(q24;q32), t(11;14)(q13;q32), t(3;22)(q27;11), t(2;5)(p23;q35), and
      t(1;6)(q21;q25). No translocation was specific to a single histologic subtype.
      Other structural chromosome abnormalities were analyzed according to break site;
      groups of related breaks were considered together for statistical analysis.
      Recurring other structural and numerical aberrations (ROA) encountered in greater
      than 10% of specimens included rearrangements with breaks at bands 1p32-36, 1q21
      23, 6q21-25, and trisomies of chromosomes 7 and 12. ROA with one of these breaks
      or numerical abnormalities were the sole abnormalities in at least two cases.
      Correlations were observed among ROA and between ROA and histologic subtypes.
      Trisomy 7, breaks at 1q21-23, 1p32-36, 6q21-25, and 7q32 were associated with
      t(14;18); trisomy 18 was associated with trisomy 3; and structural abnormalities
      of chromosome 17 were associated with breaks at 1p32-36 and 6q21-25. Trisomy 7
      and trisomy 12 were more frequent in t(14;18)-bearing intermediate to high grade
      tumors compared to low grade tumors. Trisomy 12 and breaks at band 1p22 were
      associated with large cell diffuse lymphomas. Incidence rates of reciprocal
      translocations, ROA, and measures of karyotypic complexity, including number of
      breakpoints and marker chromosomes were compared in pretreatment and
      posttreatment samples. Karyotypic complexity was greater in the posttreatment
      samples, reflecting an increased frequency of nonrecurring and low incidence
      aberrations. These results better define the association of genomic aberrations
      and tumorigenesis, histologic transformation, and tumor progression.

PMID- 1868034
TI  - Chromosome abnormalities in breast fibroadenomas.
AB  - A cytogenetic study on 25 breast fibroadenomas from 17 women is reported. Seven
      tumors in five patients showed clonal structural chromosome changes. In three
      patients the breaks involved chromosome 12, occurring in two tumors in band 12p12
      and in band 12q15 in all three tumors of one patient. The finding of an identical
      aberration, t(11;12)(q21;q15), in three adenomas from the same patient strongly
      suggests a clonal origin of multiple fibroadenomas of the breast.

PMID- 1868035
TI  - t(18;22)(q21;q11) with rearrangement of BCL2 as a possible secondary change in a
      lymphocytic lymphoma.
AB  - We report a lymphocytic lymphoma showing a combination of two characteristic
      neoplasia-associated chromosomal changes: trisomy 12, commonly observed in
      chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphocytic lymphoma, and t(18;22)(q21;q11), a
      variant form of the t(14;18)(q32;q21) found in most follicular lymphomas.
      Southern blot analysis was performed using probes for the 5' end of the BCL2 gene
      (18q21) and for the J lambda as well as C lambda immunoglobulin genes (22q11).
      With these two probes, a unique rearranged fragment was detected. Thus the
      t(18;22)(q21;q11) can be considered as a variant translocation of
      t(14;18)(q32;q21). The karyotypic analysis supports the assumption that in our
      case trisomy 12 occurred first, and t(18;22) appeared during tumor progression as
      part of the clonal evolution. This is at variance with the typical t(14;18),
      which has never been found to occur as a secondary change.

PMID- 1868036
TI  - Localization of the HST/FGFK gene with regard to 11q13 chromosomal breakpoint and
      fragile site.
AB  - The HST/FGFK gene, a member of the fibroblast growth factor gene family and a
      protooncogene, is localized on chromosomal band 11q13. Genes in this region are
      frequently involved in hematopoietic and solid tumors. Here we show that the HST
      gene lies telomeric to the BCL1 gene, the t(11;14)(q13;q32) breakpoint, and the
      FRA11A rare fragile site.

PMID- 1868037
TI  - Deletion mapping of chromosomes 8, 10, and 16 in human prostatic carcinoma.
AB  - In an allelotyping study prostatic carcinoma, we found the highest frequency of
      allelic deletions on chromosomes 8, 10, 16, and 18. In all cases with allelic
      deletions, at least one of the chromosomes 8, 10, and 16 were involved. A
      detailed deletion mapping of these chromosomes in 18 cases was carried out with
      probes that detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) on
      chromosomes 8 (6 probes), 10 (11 probes), and 16 (9 probes). The highest
      frequency of allelic deletions were found on 8p (65%), where the minimally
      deleted region was between the PLAT locus and pter. The long arm of chromosome 16
      had allelic deletions in 56% of informative cases, with three different break
      points, the most distal being located between D16S4 and D16S7. Chromosome 10
      exhibited a complex deletion pattern with terminal deletions of the p or the q
      arm (2 cases each), a deletion pattern that could be interpreted as nonreciprocal
      translocations of the q arm (2 cases), or allelic losses on all informative loci,
      suggesting monosomy (2 cases). Our data suggest that tumor suppressor genes
      involved in the oncogenesis of prostatic carcinoma may be localized between 8
      pter and the PLAT locus and that additional/alternative tumor suppressor genes
      may be localized on chromosome 10 and on the long arm of chromosome 16 distal to
      the D16S4 locus.

PMID- 1868038
TI  - Specific chromosome change associated with acquisition in vivo of tumorigenicity
      in carcinogen-induced rat urinary bladder carcinoma cells.
AB  - The correlation between chromosomal changes and tumorigenic potential of rat
      bladder epithelial cells was investigated. Seven cell lines were established from
      neoplastic urothelial cells derived from heterotopically transplanted rat
      bladders treated with topical application of one of two carcinogens, N-methyl-N
      nitrosourea (MNU) or N-hydroxy-N-glucuronosyl-2-aminofluorene. Loss of the short
      arm of chromosome 3 was demonstrated in three of four lines tumorigenic in the
      nude mouse, but in none of three nontumorigenic lines. One of the three
      nontumorigenic cell lines (D44c) was treated further in vitro with MNU. All six
      tumorigenic, but none of the four nontumorigenic, morphologically altered cell
      lines derived from D44c demonstrated loss of the short arm of chromosome 3. These
      results suggest that chromosome 3 alterations may be associated with the
      tumorigenicity of carcinogen-induced rat bladder epithelial cells.

PMID- 1868039
TI  - Trisomy 8 as the only chromosome change in an epithelioid smooth muscle tumor.
AB  - Epithelioid smooth muscle tumor is a rare low grade malignancy that usually
      occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. No chromosome studies of this tumor have
      been reported so far. We found trisomy 8 as the sole chromosome anomaly in a
      large hepatic epithelioid smooth muscle tumor.

PMID- 1868040
TI  - Common expression of melanoma tumor-associated antigens recognized by human tumor
      infiltrating lymphocytes: analysis by human lymphocyte antigen restriction.
AB  - Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens (Ag), particularly human
      lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-A2, have been shown to function as restriction elements
      in human cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition of tumor. This study was undertaken
      to determine the function of non-A2 MHC class I Ag in tumor recognition by tumor
      infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) cultured from six melanomas, and to find evidence
      for shared or unique tumor-associated Ag. Four predominantly CD8+ and two mixed
      CD4+, CD8+ population TIL cultures were tested for lysis in short-term 51Cr
      release assays against a panel of targets including 29 fresh melanomas, 2 fresh
      sarcomas, 11 cultured melanoma lines, and 14 nonmelanoma cell lines derived from
      HLA-typed patients. All six melanoma TILs lysed the autologous melanoma. Two of
      three TILs from HLA-A2+ patients lysed allogeneic melanomas matched for HLA-A2,
      giving evidence for shared tumor Ag; one of these TILs also used HLA-B44 as a
      restriction element. The third HLA-A2+ TIL lysed autologous melanoma but not
      autologous Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells nor 14 HLA-A2 matched
      allogeneic melanomas, suggesting the possibility of a unique tumor Ag in this
      system. The three HLA-A2- TILs each lysed multiple HLA-matched melanomas, using
      HLA-A24, HLA-A31, and HLA-Cw7 as restriction elements. Blocking of autologous and
      allogeneic melanoma lysis by TILs with mAb w6/32 (anti-MHC class I) and anti-CD3,
      as well as cold target inhibition assays, confirmed that specific interaction of
      the T-cell receptor with MHC class I Ag and the relevant tumor Ag on the target
      cell surface is required for tumor lysis. These data provide evidence for
      specific recognition of shared melanoma Ag by human TILs.

PMID- 1868041
TI  - A rapid in vitro cytotoxicity assay for the detection of tumor necrosis factor on
      human BT-20 cells.
AB  - This report describes a rapid, reproducible in vitro bioassay to quantitate the
      cytotoxic activity of human tumor necrosis factor-alpha using a human rather than
      murine cell line in the absence of metabolic inhibitors. The target cells are BT
      20 (breast carcinoma) cultured at 39 degrees C in the presence of recombinant
      human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rHuTNF-alpha) in 96-well microtiter plates for
      2 days. Cytotoxicity is measured by the crystal violet dye uptake of the
      remaining viable cells. This bioassay is sensitive to 1.5 ng/ml of rHuTNF-alpha,
      with an assay range to 130 ng/ml. Samples spiked into human plasma are measurable
      from 0.5 to 150 ng/ml. The specificity of this cytotoxic effect on the BT-20 cell
      line was demonstrated using rHuTNF-alpha neutralizing antibodies. A panel of
      cytokines including interferons, interleukins, and tumor necrosis factors was
      also analyzed using this assay system. Of the cytokines assayed, only recombinant
      murine tumor necrosis factor-alpha and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor
      beta demonstrated measurable cytotoxic activity when assayed independently, while
      recombinant human interferon-gamma was the only cytokine to demonstrate greater
      than additive activity in combination with rHuTNF-alpha. The simplicity and
      reproducibility of this assay on a human cell line makes it useful for the
      routine determination of the biological activity of human tumor necrosis factor
      alpha.

PMID- 1868042
TI  - A naturally occurring 6-9-kilodalton interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitor prevents IL-1
      mediated islet cytotoxicity but not IL-1-mediated suppression of insulin
      secretion.
AB  - Earlier studies have shown direct effects of interleukin-1 (IL-1) on isolated
      pancreatic islets. Coculture of isolated rat pancreatic islets with human rIL-1
      beta for 6 days resulted in dose-dependent cytotoxicity (up to 100%) and
      suppression of insulin secretion (up to 88.5%). The cytotoxic effects of rIL-1
      beta beta were blocked by the simultaneous presence of a naturally occurring 6-9
      kilodalton (kDa) inhibitor of IL-1-induced T-cell proliferation. However, the
      ability of rIL-1 beta to suppress insulin secretion was not blocked by the 6-9
      kDa inhibitor of IL-1 activity. This IL-1 inhibitor is produced by mononuclear
      cells and is resistant to pH 2, sensitive to heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min,
      has a pI of 4.5-5.6, and appears to be different from other recognized IL-1
      inhibitors in both composition and mechanism of action. Unlike this IL-1
      inhibitor, a monoclonal antibody specific for rIL-1 beta was able to neutralize
      both the islet cytotoxic and insulin modulatory effects of rIL-1 beta. These
      results demonstrate the use of an IL-1 inhibitor to prevent at least one
      mechanism of islet destruction, and suggest separate pathways for IL-1 mediated
      islet cytotoxicity and suppression of insulin secretion.

PMID- 1868043
TI  - In vitro and in vivo comparison of the activity of human lymphokine-activated
      killer (LAK) cells and adherent LAK cells.
AB  - The effectiveness of "standard" lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells,
      recovered after 6 days, and of "standard" adherent LAK (A-LAK) cells, recovered
      after 14 days of culture in the presence of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2)
      from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 21 healthy donors, was assessed through
      comparison of their proliferation, surface markers, cytotoxic activity,
      lymphokine production, and antitumor activity. In the presence of rIL-2, plastic
      adherent precursors of A-LAK cells proliferated much better than those of
      "standard LAK" cells and expanded even more than 300-fold. However, the final
      cell recovery of A-LAK was always lower because of their very few precursors, and
      the total lytic units (LUs) generated in A-LAK cultures were always lower for the
      same reason. On the other hand, the lytic activity of each A-LAK cell was always
      higher than that of a LAK cell. This was particularly evident on day 6 of
      culture. Removal of nonadherent cells after the first 24 h culture resulted in a
      significant enrichment in CD3-CD56+ and CD8+CD56+ cells in A-LAK cells, with a
      marginal number of CD4+ cells. A significant direct correlation between LUs and A
      LAK CD3-CD56+ percentage was found. In the presence of rIL-2, A-LAK cells
      produced higher amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma than
      LAK cells, while only A-LAK cells produced IL-1 beta and small amounts of IL-4.
      Neither LAK nor A-LAK produced IL-2. In the absence of injections of IL-2, LAK
      and A-LAK cells were equally able to inhibit the growth of a human T-cell
      lymphoma in immunosuppressed nude mice.

PMID- 1868044
TI  - Maintenance of tumoricidal activity and susceptibility to reactivation of
      subpopulations of rat liver macrophages.
AB  - The liver macrophage population was fractionated according to cell size into
      three subpopulations by means of elutriation centrifugation. The total liver
      macrophage population and the three subpopulations were cultured and exposed to
      the immunomodulators muramyl dipeptide (MDP), in a free or liposome-encapsulated
      form, and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The tumor cytotoxic activity thus induced
      in the populations, the preservation of this activity and the response to a
      second stimulus were studied. The in vitro induced cytolytic activity was
      determined by a radioactivity release assay, using C26 colon adenocarcinoma
      cells, labeled with [methyl-3H]thymidine, as target cells. MDP or LPS readily
      activated the total macrophage population in maintenance culture to a tumor
      cytotoxic state during the first 2 days after isolation. Four days after
      isolation, the activation induced with both MDP and LPS was strongly reduced. The
      small to intermediate-size macrophages could be activated to tumor cytotoxic
      activity with MDP for up to 3 days and with LPS for up to 4 days in culture. The
      large-size macrophages could only be activated up to day 2 in culture with MDP or
      LPS or both. The combination of MDP and LPS, however, induced all cell
      populations in a synergistic way to become cytolytic for up to 4 days in culture.
      With free MDP as an activator, the activated state decayed within 1 day to almost
      zero levels, but less rapidly in the small cells than in the large cells. With
      liposome-encapsulated MDP, the activated state was preserved considerably longer,
      except in the largest cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868045
TI  - Phase II trial of high-dose interleukin-2 and lymphokine-activated killer cells
      in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
AB  - Interleukin-2 (IL-2) plus lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell therapy has
      antineoplastic activity in renal cancer and malignant melanoma. In order to
      explore the activity of this therapy in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma, the Extramural IL-2/LAK Working Group (ILWG) treated 27 patients on two
      protocols using high-dose IL-2 and autologous LAK cells. Two of 12 patients with
      Hodgkin's disease experienced partial responses lasting 6 and 12 weeks. No
      patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma responded (p = NS). The toxicities of therapy
      were similar to those reported by the ILWG from trials of IL-2/LAK in solid
      tumors, consisting of transient hemodynamic, cardiopulmonary, renal and hepatic
      dysfunction, skin rash, fever, and flu-like symptoms. In view of the low response
      rate and the brief duration of these responses, we do not recommend the regimens
      reported here for further investigation in Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's
      lymphomas.

PMID- 1868046
TI  - Unusual gastrointestinal complications of interleukin-2 therapy.
AB  - Minor and reversible gastrointestinal side effects are common when patients
      receive interleukin-2 (IL-2) with or without lymphokine-activated killer (LAK)
      cells. We treated 42 cancer patients with IL-2 therapy and 3 patients developed
      serious gastrointestinal problems during treatment. Complications included
      sigmoid colon perforation, ischemic necrosis of the small and large intestine,
      and diffuse bowel ulceration. These were not associated with tumor implants or
      hypotension. Two patients died as a direct result of these problems despite
      aggressive surgical and medical management. The incidence of major
      gastrointestinal complications with IL-2 therapy may be greater than previously
      reported and a heightened awareness of potential gastrointestinal problems may
      circumvent considerable morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1868047
TI  - Biological thiols elicit prolactin proteolysis by glandular kallikrein and permit
      regulation by biochemical pathways linked to redox control.
AB  - Rat glandular kallikrein (GK), a trypsin-like serine protease, cleaves rat
      prolactin (PRL) in vitro to novel forms detectable in vivo and likely to be of
      physiological significance. PRL proteolysis by GK is thiol-dependent, with thiols
      acting upon PRL to refold the molecule into novel conformations that are GK
      substrates. This study compared several natural and synthetic thiols for their
      ability to elicit PRL proteolysis by GK. Rat PRL was incubated with rat GK in the
      presence of various thiols and 0.5% Triton X-100, which enhances thiol-elicited
      proteolysis. Cleavage was analyzed by gel electrophoresis under reducing and
      nonreducing conditions. In the presence of Triton X-100, all low molecular weight
      thiols elicited PRL cleavage by GK. The order of potency was dithiothreitol
      greater than mercaptoethanol greater than lipoic acid greater than cysteamine =
      glutathione (GSH) = coenzyme A greater than cysteine. In the absence of Triton,
      however, dithiothreitol, coenzyme A, and mercaptoethanol were most effective in
      eliciting GK proteolysis. Triton X-100 enhanced PRL cleavage by 4-19-fold,
      depending upon the thiol used. Folding isomers of processed PRL observed
      following cleavage included disulfide-liked homodimers, oxidized monomers,
      reduced monomers and mixed disulfides; the folding isomers generated varied
      depending upon the thiol used. GSH potency in eliciting PRL proteolysis increased
      10-fold in the presence of biochemical pathways shuttling reducing equivalents to
      GSH disulfide (GSSG). PRL cleavage by GK could be controlled by substrates,
      enzymes, and cofactors making up the reducing shuttle when GSSG was used.
      Thioredoxin (a protein disulfide oxidoreductase) potently elicited PRL
      proteolysis by GK in the presence of a reducing shuttle and Triton X
      100.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868048
TI  - Conformational studies of a peptide corresponding to a region of the C-terminus
      of ribonuclease A: implications as a potential chain-folding initiation site.
AB  - Conformational properties of the OT-16 peptide, the C-terminal 20 amino acids of
      RNase A, were examined by nonradiative energy transfer. A modified OT-16 peptide
      was prepared by solid-phase synthesis with the inclusion of diaminobutyric acid
      (DABA) at the C-terminus. The OT-16-DABA peptide was labeled with a fluorescent
      1,5-dimethylaminonaphthalene sulfonyl (dansyl, DNS) acceptor at the N-terminal
      amine and a fluorescent naphthoxyacetic acid (NAA) donor at the gamma-amine of
      the DABA located at the C-terminus of the peptide by using an orthogonal
      protection scheme. Energy transfer was monitored in DNS-OT-16-DABA-NAA by using
      both fluorescence intensity (sensitized emission) and lifetime (donor quenching)
      experiments. The lifetime data indicate that the peptide system is a dynamic,
      flexible one. A detailed analysis, based on a dynamic model that includes a
      skewed Gaussian function to model the equilibrium distribution of interprobe
      distances and a mutual diffusion coefficient between the two probes to model
      conformational dynamics in the peptide [Beechem & Haas (1989) Biophys. J. 55,
      1225.], identified the existence of a partially ordered structure (relatively
      narrow distribution of interprobe distances) at temperatures greater than or
      equal to 20 degrees C in the absence of denaturant. The width and the position of
      the average of the distributions decrease with increasing temperature, in this
      range; this suggests that the structure is stabilized by hydrophobic
      interactions. In addition, the peptide undergoes cold denaturation at around 1.5
      degrees C as indicated by broadening of the distance distribution. The addition
      of 6 M guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl) also broadens the distance distribution
      significantly, presumably by eliminating the hydrophobic interactions and
      unfolding the peptide. The results of the analysis of the distance distribution
      demonstrate that (1) nonradiative energy transfer can be used to study the
      conformational dynamics of peptides on the nanosecond time scale, (2) a partially
      ordered structure of OT-16-DABA exists in solution under typical refolding
      conditions, and (3) structural constraints (presumably hydrophobic interactions)
      necessary for the formation of a chain-folding initiation site in RNase A are
      also present in the OT-16-DABA peptide in the absence of denaturant and are
      disrupted by Gdn-HCl.

PMID- 1868049
TI  - Transient intermediates in the folding of dihydrofolate reductase as detected by
      far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectroscopy.
AB  - The kinetics of the reversible folding and unfolding of Escherichia coli
      dihydrofolate reductase have been studied by stopped-flow circular dichroism in
      the peptide region at pH 7.8 and 15 degrees C. The reactions were induced by
      concentration jumps of a denaturant, urea. The method can detect various
      intermediates transiently populated in the reactions although the equilibrium
      unfolding of the protein is apparently approximated by a two-state reaction. The
      results can be summarized as follows. (1) From transient circular dichroism
      spectra measured as soon as the refolding is started, a substantial amount of
      secondary structure is formed in the burst phase, i.e., within the dead time of
      stopped-flow mixing (18 ms). (2) The kinetics from this burst-phase intermediate
      to the native state are multiphasic, consisting of five phases designated as tau
      1, tau 2, tau 3, tau 4, and tau 5 in increasing order of the reaction rate.
      Measurements of the kinetics at various wavelengths have provided kinetic
      difference circular dichroism spectra for the individual phases. (3) The tau 5
      phase shows a kinetic difference spectrum consistent with an exciton contribution
      of two aromatic residues in the peptide CD region. The absence of the tau 5 phase
      in a mutant protein, in which Trp 74 is replaced by leucine, suggests that Trp 74
      is involved in the exciton pair and that the tau 5 phase reflects the formation
      of a hydrophobic cluster around Trp 74. From the similarity of the kinetic
      difference spectrum to the difference between the native spectra of the mutant
      and wild-type proteins, it appears that Trp 47 is the partner in the exciton pair
      and that the structure formed in the tau 5 phase persists during the later stages
      of folding. (4) The later stages of folding show kinetic difference spectra that
      can be interpreted by rearrangement of secondary structure, particularly the
      central beta sheet of the protein. The pairwise similarities in the spectrum
      between the tau 3 and tau 4 phases, and between the tau 1 and tau 2 phases, also
      suggest the presence of two parallel folding channels for refolding. (5) The
      unfolding kinetics show three to four phases and are interpreted in terms of the
      presence of multiple native species. The total ellipticity change in kinetic
      unfolding reaction, however, agrees with the ellipticity difference between the
      native and unfolding states, indicating the absence of the burst phase in
      unfolding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868050
TI  - Self-association of human and porcine relaxin as assessed by analytical
      ultracentrifugation and circular dichroism.
AB  - The self-association properties of recombinant DNA derived human relaxin, and
      porcine relaxin isolated from porcine ovaries, have been studied by sedimentation
      equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation and circular dichroism (CD). The human
      relaxin ultracentrifuge data were adequately defined by a monomer-dimer self
      association model with an association constant of approximately 6 x 10(5) M-1,
      whereas porcine relaxin was essentially monomeric in solution. An approximate 5
      fold increase in weight fraction of human relaxin monomer elicited by dilution of
      the protein resulted in no change in the far-UV CD spectrum at 220 nm. In
      contrast, after the same increase in weight fraction of monomer, the near-UV
      circular dichroism spectra for human relaxin exhibited a significant decrease in
      the amplitude for the CD bands near 277 and 284 nm. These CD bands, which may be
      assigned to the lone tyrosine in human relaxin, are superimposed on a broad
      envelope that is probably due to the three disulfide chromophores. Although both
      the human and porcine proteins contain two tryptophan residues, the near-UV CD
      spectra exhibit only a broad shoulder near 295 nm rather than the strong CD bands
      often found for tryptophan. Moreover, there is little change in this broad band
      after dilution of human relaxin to concentrations that resulted in a 4-fold
      increase in monomer weight fraction. These data suggest that dissociation of the
      human relaxin dimer to monomer is not accompanied by large overall changes in
      secondary structure or alteration in the average tryptophan environment, whereas
      there is a significant change in the tyrosine environment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868051
TI  - 1H and 15N NMR resonance assignments and preliminary structural characterization
      of Escherichia coli apocytochrome b562.
AB  - The 1H and 15N resonances of uniformly enriched apocytochrome b562 (106 residues)
      have been assigned. The assignment work began with the identification of the
      majority of HN-H alpha-H beta subspin systems in two-dimensional DQF-COSY and
      TOCSY spectra of unlabeled protein in D2O and in 95% H2O/5% D2O buffer.
      Intraresidue and interresidue NOE connectivities were then searched for in two
      dimensional homonuclear NOESY spectra recorded on unlabeled protein and in the
      three-dimensional NOESY-HMQC spectrum recorded on uniformly 15N-enriched protein.
      Those data, combined with the main-chain-directed assignment strategy (MCD), led
      to the assignment of the main-chain and many side-chain resonances of 103 of the
      106 residues. Qualitatively, the helical conformation is found to be the dominant
      secondary structure in apocytochrome b562 as it is in holocytochrome b562. The
      helical segments in apocytochrome b562 overlap extensively with the helical
      regions defined in the crystal structure of ferricytochrome b562. In addition, a
      number of tertiary NOEs have been identified which indicate that the global fold
      of the apoprotein at least partially resembles the four-helix bundle of the
      holoprotein. The results presented here, together with the evidence obtained with
      other methods [Feng and Sligar (1991) Biochemistry (submitted)], support the
      notion that the interior of the protein is fluid and may correspond to a molten
      globule state.

PMID- 1868052
TI  - Bilayer/cytoskeleton interactions in lipid-symmetric erythrocytes assessed by a
      photoactivable phospholipid analogue.
AB  - Two mechanisms have been proposed for maintenance of transbilayer phospholipid
      asymmetry in the erythrocyte plasma membrane, one involving specific interactions
      between the aminophospholipids of the inner leaflet of the bilayer and the
      cytoskeleton, particularly spectrin, and the other involving the
      aminophospholipid translocase. If the former mechanism is correct, then
      erythrocytes which have lost their asymmetric distribution of phospholipids
      should display altered bilayer/cytoskeleton interactions. To test this
      possibility, normal erythrocytes, erythrocytes from patients with chronic
      myelogenous leukemia or sickle disease, and lipid-symmetric and -asymmetric
      erythrocyte ghosts were labeled with the radioactive photoactivable analogue of
      phosphatidylethanolamine, 2-(2-azido-4-nitrobenzoyl)-1-acyl-sn-glycero-3
      phospho[14C]ethanolamine ([14C]AzPE), previously shown to label cytoskeletal
      proteins from the bilayer. The labeling pattern of cytoskeletal proteins in
      pathologic erythrocytes and lipid-asymmetric erythrocyte ghosts was
      indistinguishable from normal erythrocytes, indicating that the probe detects no
      differences in bilayer/cytoskeleton interactions in these cells. In contrast, in
      lipid-symmetric erythrocyte ghosts, labeling of bands 4.1 and 4.2 and actin, and
      to a lesser extent ankyrin, by [14C]AzPE was considerably reduced. Significantly,
      however, labeling of spectrin was unaltered in the lipid-symmetric ghosts,
      suggesting that its relationship with the bilayer is normal in these lipid
      symmetric cells. These results do not support a model in which spectrin is
      involved in the maintenance of an asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in
      erythrocytes.

PMID- 1868053
TI  - Interaction of cholesterol with sphingomyelin in bilayer membranes: evidence that
      the hydroxy group of sphingomyelin does not modulate the rate of cholesterol
      exchange between vesicles.
AB  - Cholesterol undergoes exchange between membranes containing sphingomyelin at a
      much slower rate than between membranes lacking sphingomyelin. To investigate the
      role of the hydroxy group at the 3-position of sphingomyelin in the interaction
      between sphingomyelin and cholesterol, we have measured the rates of [4
      14C]cholesterol exchange between unilamellar vesicles prepared with N
      stearoylsphingomyelin or with synthetic analogues in which the hydroxy group is
      replaced with an O-alkyl group or with hydrogen. Vesicles prepared from 3-deoxy-
      and 3-O-methyl-N-stearoylsphingomyelin had the same rate of [14C]-cholesterol
      desorption. The half-times for exchange from vesicles prepared with 3-O-methyl-
      and 3-deoxy-N-stearoylsphingomyelins and 10 mol % of cholesterol were only
      slightly faster (a factor of only 1.5) than that found from vesicles prepared
      from N-stearoylsphingomyelin and 10 mol % cholesterol. The rate of cholesterol
      desorption from vesicles could be accelerated by preparing vesicles from bulky 3
      O-alkyl analogues of sphingomyelin. Vesicles containing 3-O-ethyl-N
      stearoylsphingomyelin and 3-O-tetrahydropyranyl egg sphingomyelin gave rate
      enhancements of approximately 14 and 35, compared with the rates observed in
      vesicles made from N-stearoyl- and egg sphingomyelin, respectively. These data
      indicate that insertion of sterically bulky groups at the 3-position of
      sphingomyelin (such as ethoxy and tetrahydropyranyloxy) in place of hydroxy
      interferes markedly with the molecular packing of cholesterol and sphingomyelin
      in bilayer membranes; however, the hydroxy group of sphingomyelin is not critical
      for the strong interaction of cholesterol with sphingomyelin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868054
TI  - Structural elucidation and antigenicity of a novel phenolic glycolipid antigen
      from Mycobacterium haemophilum.
AB  - The structure of a novel antigenic glycolipid that distinguishes the
      opportunistic pathogen Mycobacterium haemophilum from all other mycobacteria was
      established by a series of degradation reactions leading to products that were
      analyzed by gas/liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The complete structure
      of the oligosaccharide unit was determined as 2,3-di-O-CH3-alpha-L-Rhap(1----2)3
      O-CH3-alpha-L-Rhap(1----4 )-2,3-di-O-CH3-alpha-L-Rhap(1----. The lipid portion of
      the phenolic glycolipid was composed of two component phenolphthiocerols
      differing by two methylene groups, as determined by analysis of their per-O
      trideuteriomethylated derivatives. The diol unit of the phenolphthiocerols has a
      threo relative configuration. The absolute stereochemistry of the asymmetric
      centers of the phenolphthiocerols is uncertain, but the centers are probably 3R,
      4S, 9R, and 11R as found for phthiocerol A from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The
      hydroxyl functions of the branched glycolic chain are esterified to a complex
      mixture of multi-methyl branched mycocerosic acids, C27, C30, C32, C34, and C37
      with molecular weights (as methyl esters) of 424, 466, 494, 522, and 564,
      respectively. The stereochemistry of the methyl branches of the mycocerosates
      have R absolute configuration. The glycolipid is highly antigenic and appears to
      be specific for M. haemophilum. There are intriguing similarities between the
      product from M. haemophilum and the well-known phenolic glycolipid I of
      Mycobacterium leprae, a matter that is discussed.

PMID- 1868055
TI  - pH dependency of the reactions catalyzed by chorismate mutase-prephenate
      dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli.
AB  - The variation with pH of the kinetic parameters associated with the mutase and
      dehydrogenase reactions catalyzed by chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase
      has been determined with the aim of elucidating the role that ionizing amino acid
      residues play in binding and catalysis. The pH dependency of log V for the
      dehydrogenase reaction shows that the enzyme possesses a single ionizing group
      with a pK value of 6.5 that must be unprotonated for catalysis. This same group
      is observed in the V/Kprephenate, as well as in the V/KNAD, profile. The
      V/Kprephenate profile exhibits a second ionizing residue with a pK value of 8.4
      that must be protonated for the binding of prephenate to the enzyme. For the
      mutase reaction, the V/Kchorismate profile indicates the presence of three
      ionizing residues at the active site. Two of these residues, with similar pK
      values of about 7, must be protonated, while the third, with a pK value of 6.3,
      must be unprotonated. It can be concluded that all three groups are concerned
      with the binding of chorismate to the enzyme since the maximum velocity of the
      mutase reaction is essentially independent of pH. This conclusion is confirmed by
      the finding that the Ki profile for the competitive inhibitor, (3-endo,8-exo)-8
      hydroxy-2-oxabicyclo[3.3]non-6-ene-3,5-dicarboxylic acid, shows the same three
      ionizing groups as observed in the V/Kchorismate profile. By contrast, the Ki
      profile for carboxyethyldihydrobenzoate shows only one residue, with a pK value
      of 7.3, that must be protonated for binding of the inhibitor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868056
TI  - Kinetic studies on chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase from Escherichia
      coli: models for the feedback inhibition of prephenate dehydrogenase by L
      tyrosine.
AB  - Kinetic studies have been undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of the allosteric
      inhibition by tyrosine of the prephenate dehydrogenase activity of the
      bifunctional dimeric enzyme chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase. The
      effect of tyrosine on the initial velocity of the reactions in the presence of
      both prephenate and the alternative substrate, 1-carboxy-4-hydroxy-2-cyclohexene
      1-propanoate, have been determined. In addition, investigations have been made of
      the effect of tyrosine on the inhibition of the reaction by the inhibitory
      analogues of prephenate, (4-hydroxyphenyl)pyruvate, and (carboxyethyl)-1,4
      dihydrobenzoate. The results of the double inhibition experiments indicate
      clearly that the enzyme possesses a distinct allosteric site for the binding of
      tyrosine. The initial velocity data obtained with both substrates have been
      fitted to the rate equations that describe a wide range of models. From a
      comparison of the results obtained from studies with the two substrates, and with
      a knowledge of the value for the dissociation constant of the tyrosine-enzyme
      complex, definitive conclusions have been reached about the mechanism of the
      allosteric inhibition. It is concluded that tyrosine combines twice at allosteric
      sites and in an antisynergistic fashion, while prephenate reacts at both active
      sites of the dimeric enzyme as well as weakly at one of the allosteric sites. It
      appears that the latter is simple competition reaction that affects neither the
      binding of prephenate at the active site nor the rate of product formation. The
      model also predicts the formation of an active tyrosine-enzyme-prephenate complex
      that yields product at a much slower rate than does the enzyme-prephenate
      complex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868057
TI  - Site-directed mutagenesis of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase: role of
      Tyr70 in the catalytic processes.
AB  - Site-directed mutagenesis of Tyr70 in the active site of Escherichia coli
      aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) followed by kinetic studies has elucidated the
      roles of the hydroxyl group and benzene ring of Tyr70. X-ray crystallographic
      analysis showed that replacement of Tyr70 by Phe did not alter the active-site
      conformation of the enzyme. Comparison of the kinetic parameters of the four half
      transamination reactions (the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate form of the enzyme with L
      aspartate or L-glutamate and the pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate form with oxalacetate
      or 2-oxoglutarate) between the wild-type and [Tyr70----Phe]AspATs showed that the
      mutation increases the energy level of the transition state by 2 kcal.mol-1 for
      all the four substrates, suggesting some contribution of the hydroxyl group of
      Tyr70 to the transition state. When Phe70 was further replaced by Ser, the energy
      level of the transition state for L-glutamate or 2-oxoglutarate, but not for L
      aspartate or oxalacetate, was further increased by 2-3 kcal.mol-1, suggesting
      that the presence of a benzene ring at position 70 is essential for recognizing
      the L-glutamate-2-oxoglutarate pair as substrates.

PMID- 1868058
TI  - Effects of point mutations in a hinge region on the stability, folding, and
      enzymatic activity of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase.
AB  - The role of a hinge region in the folding, stability, and activity of Escherichia
      coli dihydrofolate reductase was investigated with three site-directed mutants at
      valine-88, the central residue of the hinge. The three mutants, V88A and V88I and
      a valine-88 deletion, were created to perturb the packing of hydrophobic residues
      in the interior of a loose turn formed by residues 85-91. Deleting the valine-88
      residue destabilized the protein by 2.93 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol as determined by
      equilibrium unfolding transitions in urea monitored by circular dichroism at 20
      degrees C. Substitution of alanine for valine-88 stabilized the protein by -0.20
      +/- 0.02 kcal/mol, and the isoleucine substitution was mildly destabilizing by
      1.73 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol. Although there was no clear correlation between side-chain
      volume and stability, these results suggest that side-chain interactions in the
      interior of the turn influence the folding and stability of dihydrofolate
      reductase. The specific activity of the valine deletion mutant was approximately
      twice that of the wild-type protein while the specific activities of the V88A and
      V88I proteins were only slightly greater than the wild type. The full time
      courses of the reactions catalyzed by the mutants were almost identical with that
      for the wild type, indicating no major changes in the kinetic mechanism.
      Additionally, the rate constants associated with interconversion between various
      forms of the apoenzyme were identical for the mutant and wild-type enzymes. The
      rate constants for refolding transitions were examined by dilution of urea
      inactivated protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868059
TI  - Secondary conformational polymorphism of nucleic acids as a possible functional
      link between cellular parameters and DNA packaging processes.
AB  - Circular dichroism and electron microscopy studies of various in vitro DNA
      packaging systems indicate that all the factors which induce and modulate the
      secondary conformation of DNA molecules are capable of eliciting nucleic acids
      condensation processes into tight, highly ordered tertiary structures as well as
      altering the extent of order and compactness within the resulting species.
      Specifically, such factors include the ionic strength, the presence of particular
      dehydrating agents and polyamines, as well as the pH values. It is proposed that
      slight alterations of these parameters induce the formation of short non-B-DNA
      segments that propagate as a perturbation along the B-DNA double helix. The
      structural fluctuations of the dsDNA molecules that result from the
      conformational discontinuities formed at the junction sites between the B motif
      and the conformationally altered segments alter the elastic response of the
      nucleic acids and facilitate cooperative condensation processes. Moreover, the
      type and frequency of the structurally modified clusters interspersed within the
      B conformation and determined by the environmental parameters are shown to
      provide a means for continuous regulation of the extent and mode of DNA
      packaging. The ionic strength and hydrophobic environment in the close vicinity
      of the DNA molecules are controlled and modulated in vivo by DNA-binding proteins
      such as histones and protamines; similarly, pH values and polyamine
      concentrations are constantly regulated in living systems. It is suggested,
      therefore, that the secondary structural polymorphism which characterizes the DNA
      molecules might display a regulatory role by acting as a functional link between
      cellular parameters and the extent, mode, and timing of nucleic acid packaging
      processes.

PMID- 1868060
TI  - Stimulation of transcript elongation requires both the zinc finger and RNA
      polymerase II binding domains of human TFIIS.
AB  - The eukaryotic transcriptional factor TFIIS enhances transcript elongation by RNA
      polymerase II. Here we describe two functional domains in the 280 amino acid
      human TFIIS protein: residues within positions 100-230 are required for binding
      to polymerase, and residues 230-280, which form a zinc finger, are required in
      conjunction with the polymerase binding region for transcriptional stimulation.
      Interestingly, a mutant TFIIS with only the polymerase binding domain actually
      inhibits transcription, whereas a mutant in which the polymerase binding and zinc
      finger domains are separated by an octapeptide is only weakly active. The zinc
      finger itself has no effect on transcription, but in contrast to the wild-type
      protein, it binds to oligonucleotides. These findings suggest that TFIIS may
      interact with RNA polymerase II such that the normally masked zinc finger can
      specifically contact nucleotides in the transcription elongation zone at a
      position juxtaposed to the polymerization site.

PMID- 1868061
TI  - Unusual low reactivity of the water oxidase in redox state S3 toward exogenous
      reductants. Analysis of the NH2OH- and NH2NH2-induced modifications of flash
      induced oxygen evolution in isolated spinach thylakoids.
AB  - The effect of redox-active amines NH2R (R = OH or NH2) on the period-four
      oscillation pattern of oxygen evolution has been analyzed in isolated spinach
      thylakoids as a function of the redox state Si (i = 0, ..., 3) of the water
      oxidase. The following results were obtained: (a) In dark-adapted samples with a
      highly populated S1 state, NH2R leads via a dark reaction sequence to the formal
      redox state "S-1"; (b) the reaction mechanism is different between the NH2R
      species; NH2OH acts as a one-electron donor, whereas NH2NH2 mainly functions as a
      two-electron donor, regardless of the interacting redox state Si (i = 0, ..., 3).
      For NH2NH2, the modified oxygen oscillation patterns strictly depend upon the
      initial ratio [S0(0)]/[S1(0)] before the addition of the reductant; while due to
      kinetic reasons, for NH2OH this dependence largely disappears after a short
      transient period. (c) The existence of the recently postulated formal redox state
      "S-2" is confirmed not only in the presence of NH2NH2 [Renger, G., Messinger, J.,
      & Hanssum, B. (1990) in Current Research in Photosynthesis (Baltscheffsky, M.,
      Ed.) Vol. 1, pp 845-848, Kluwer, Dordrecht] but also in the presence of NH2OH.
      (d) Activation energies, EA, of 50 kJ/mol were determined for the NH2R-induced
      reduction processes that alter the oxygen oscillation pattern from dark-adapted
      thylakoids. (e) Although marked differences exist between NH2OH and NH2NH2 in
      terms of the reduction mechanism and efficiency (which is about 20-fold in favor
      of NH2OH), both NH2R species exhibit the same order of rate constants as a
      function of the redox state Si in the nonperturbed water oxidase: kNH2R(S0)
      greater than kNH2R(S1) much less than kNH2R(S2) much greater than kNH2R(S3) The
      large difference between S2 and S3 in their reactivity toward NH2R is interpreted
      to indicate that a significant change in the electronic configuration and nuclear
      geometry occurs during the S2----S3 transition that makes the S3 state much less
      susceptible to NH2R. The implications of these findings are discussed with
      special emphasis on the possibility of complexed peroxide formation in redox
      state S3 postulated previously on the basis of theoretical considerations
      [Renger, G. (1978) in Photosynthetic Water Oxidation (Metzner, H., Ed.) pp 229
      248, Academic Press, London].

PMID- 1868062
TI  - Cell-permeable fluorescent indicator for cytosolic chloride.
AB  - A major limitation of quinolinium-based fluorescent indicators for cytosolic Cl-
      has been the necessity of invasive cell loading because the positively charged
      ring nitrogen confers high polarity and membrane impermeability. A novel approach
      to mask the positive nitrogen was developed and evaluated for rapid, noninvasive
      indicator loading into living cells and effective intracellular trapping. The
      nonpolar and lipophilic compound 6-methoxy-N-ethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline (diH-MEQ)
      was Cl- insensitive but was readily oxidized to the membrane-impermeable and Cl(
      )-sensitive fluorescent indicator 6-methoxy-N-ethylquinolium chloride (MEQ), MEQ
      had 344-nm absorbance and 440-nm emission maxima, 0.70 quantum yield, and 4100 M
      1 cm-1 molar extinction coefficient. In aqueous buffers, the fluorescence of MEQ
      was quenched by Cl- by a collisional mechanism with a Stern-Volmer constant (KCl)
      of 145 M-1. MEQ fluorescence was quenched by other anions (KBr = 275 M-1, KI =
      360 M-1, KSCN = 300 M-1) but not by NO3-, SO4(2-), cations, and pH. Swiss 3T3
      fibroblasts and colonic T84 cells were loaded with MEQ by incubation at 37
      degrees C with 25-50 microM diH-MEQ for 5-10 min followed by diH-MEQ-free buffer
      for 15 min. MEQ stained cells brightly and uniformly and was nontoxic in studies
      of cell growth, cAMP and Ca2+ signaling, and electrophysiological properties. MEQ
      leaked out of cells by less than 10% in 60 min and was sensitive to cytosolic Cl-
      with KCl = 19 M-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868063
TI  - Oxygenase side reactions of acetolactate synthase and other carbanion-forming
      enzymes.
AB  - Enzymes that mediate carbanion chemistry must protect their reactants from
      solvent and undesirable electrophiles, such as molecular oxygen. A number of
      enzymes that utilize carbanionic intermediates were surveyed for O2-consuming
      side reactions. Several of these enzymes, acetolactate synthase, pyruvate
      decarboxylase, class II aldolase, and glutamate decarboxylase, catalyze
      previously undetected oxygen-consuming reactions, while others such as class I
      aldolase, [(phosphoribosyl)amino]imidazole carboxylase, 6-phosphogluconate
      dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase do not.
      Prior to this work, only ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase was known to catalyze
      an oxygenase side reaction. These new example indicate that while O2-consuming
      side reactions are a more general feature of enzyme-mediated carbanion chemistry
      than has been previously appreciated, they are not necessarily an inevitable
      consequence of this chemistry. Expression of an oxygenase activity not only
      depends on the accessibility of the carbanionic intermediate to molecular oxygen
      but also may depend on the ability of the enzyme to stabilize the initially
      formed peroxide anion either through protonation with an appropriate enzymic
      group or through metal coordination.

PMID- 1868064
TI  - Reactivity of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase toward molecular oxygen.
AB  - The free two-electron-reduced form of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is
      reoxidized by 120 microM molecular oxygen (50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.6, 2
      degrees C) with a half-time of approximately 7 s. Reoxidation yields hydrogen
      peroxide as a major product with only traces of the superoxide anion. In
      contrast, enzyme reduced with octanoyl-CoA is extremely slowly reoxidized oxygen,
      and so a series of 14 different substrate analogues have been tested to assess
      the structural factors responsible for this effect. Complexes with redox-inactive
      ligands such as 3-thia- and 2-azaoctanoyl-CoA lead to an approximately 3000-fold
      slowing of the rate of reoxidation of the free dihydroflavin form of the enzyme.
      Comparable ligands lacking the thioester carbonyl function are much less
      effective with rates some 1.3-4-fold slower than the free enzyme. The strong
      suppression of oxygen reactivity observed with certain ligands is probably not
      simply a steric effect but may reflect desolvation of the active site and
      consequent destabilization of the superoxide anion intermediate formed during
      reoxidation of the flavin. The profound differences in oxygen reactivity between
      acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and acyl-CoA oxidase and the unusual stability of certain
      flavoprotein semiquinones in air are discussed in terms of these thermodynamic
      and kinetic arguments.

PMID- 1868065
TI  - Role of the four conserved histidine residues in the amidotransferase domain of
      carbamoyl phosphate synthetase.
AB  - Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase from Escherichia coli catalyzes the formation of
      carbamoyl phosphate from ATP, bicarbonate, and glutamine. The amidotransferase
      activity of this enzyme is catalyzed by the smaller of the two subunits of the
      heterodimeric protein. The roles of four conserved histidine residues within this
      subunit were probed by site-directed mutagenesis to asparagine. The catalytic
      activities of the H272N and H341N mutants are not significantly different than
      that of the wild-type enzyme. The H353N mutant is unable to utilize glutamine as
      a nitrogen source in the synthetase reaction or the partial glutaminase reaction.
      However, binding to the glutamine active site is not impaired in the H353N enzyme
      since glutamine is found to activate the partial ATPase reaction by 40% with a Kd
      of 54 microM. The H312N mutant has a Michaelis constant for glutamine that is 2
      orders of magnitude larger than the wild-type value, but the maximal rate of
      glutamine hydrolysis is unchanged. These results are consistent with His-353
      functioning as a general acid/base catalyst for proton transfers while His-312
      serves a critical role for the binding of glutamine to the active site.

PMID- 1868066
TI  - Lyase activity of nucleoside 2-deoxyribosyltransferase: transient generation of
      ribal and its use in the synthesis of 2'-deoxynucleosides.
AB  - In the absence of acceptors nucleoside 2-deoxyribosyltransferase catalyzes the
      slow hydrolysis of 2'-deoxynucleosides. During this hydrolytic reaction, D-ribal
      (1,4-anhydro-2-deoxy-D-erythro-pent-1-enitol), a glycal of ribose hitherto
      encountered only as a reagent in organic synthesis, is generated spontaneously,
      disappearing later as 2'-deoxynucleoside hydrolysis approaches completion.
      Nucleoside 2-deoxyribosyltransferase is found to catalyze the hydration of D
      ribal in the absence of nucleic acid bases and the synthesis of
      deoxyribonucleosides from ribal in their presence, affording a new method for the
      preparation of 2'-deoxyribonucleosides. The stereochemistry of nucleoside
      formation from ribal supports the intervention of deoxyribosyl-enzyme
      intermediate. The equilibrium constant for the covalent hydration of ribal is
      found to be approximately 65.

PMID- 1868067
TI  - Linkage between proton binding and amidase activity in human alpha-thrombin:
      effect of ions and temperature.
AB  - The amidase activity of human alpha-thrombin has been studied at steady state in
      the pH range 6-10, as a function of NaCl concentration from 1 mM to 1 M and
      temperature from 10 to 40 degrees C. The Michaelis-Menten constant, Km, shows a
      bell-shaped dependence over this pH range with a minimum around pH 7.5 in the
      presence of 0.1 M NaCl at 25 degrees C. The catalytic constant, kcat, also has a
      bell-shaped pH dependence with multiple inflection points that are more evident
      at low NaCl concentrations and a maximum around pH 8.2 in the presence of 0.1 M
      NaCl at 25 degrees C. A detailed analysis of the results in terms of a general
      linkage scheme has allowed a thorough characterization of the linkage between
      proton and substrate binding and its dependence on NaCl concentration, as well as
      the relevant entropic and enthalpic contributions to binding and catalytic
      events. Formulation of detailed partition functions for each enzyme intermediate
      involved in the catalytic cycle suggests that (at least) three groups are
      responsible for the control of thrombin amidase activity as a function of pH. One
      group is to be identified with the active site His, due to its pK values in the
      free enzyme and the adduct and its enthalpy of ionization. The effect of NaCl
      concentration on amidase activity seems to be extremely specific. Comparative
      steady-state measurements carried out in the presence of NaCl, NaBr, NaI, KCl,
      and MgCl2 show that human alpha-thrombin is capable of discriminating among
      different cations and anions. This suggests that small ions participate as
      allosteric effectors in the regulation of thrombin activity. The linkage with
      NaCl is strongly pH dependent and increases with decreasing pH. The present
      results provide information on the basic aspects of human alpha-thrombin activity
      and regulation and enable a rigorous thermodynamic approach to other important
      regulatory interactions in human alpha-thrombin and its structurally perturbed
      derivatives.

PMID- 1868068
TI  - Mouse protein kinase C-delta, the major isoform expressed in mouse hemopoietic
      cells: sequence of the cDNA, expression patterns, and characterization of the
      protein.
AB  - A complementary DNA (cDNA) of 2559 bp which encode all 674 amino acids of mouse
      protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta) has been isolated from a cDNA library prepared
      from ABPL-2, a mouse myeloid tumor. The library was screened with a partial PKC
      delta cDNA clone that had been created by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      amplification of ABPL-2 RNA using primers that are conserved among all rat PKC
      isozymes. This approach proved to be a distinct improvement over screening with
      synthetic oligonucleotides. Similar sets of cDNAs prepared from other hemopoietic
      cell lines were screened with this PKC-delta cDNA and with probes for the other
      PKC isoforms. These experiments revealed that the major isoform of PKC expressed
      in hemopoietic cells is PKC-delta. PKC-delta protein was purified from ABPL-3, a
      mouse myeloid tumor which expressed principally the delta isoform of PKC. The
      protein eluted from a hydroxylapatite column in the same position as PKC-beta and
      -epsilon would elute, if present. The kinase activity of purified PKC-delta
      showed strict dependence on the presence of phospholipids, but showed no
      activation by Ca2+.

PMID- 1868069
TI  - Glycolipid changes in murine myelogenous leukemias: neutral glycolipids as
      markers for specific populations of leukemias.
AB  - We have studied the glycolipid composition of six different murine myelogenous
      leukemias as well as that of T-cell leukemias and normal spleen cells. Neutral
      and acidic lipid fractions were isolated by column chromatography on DEAE
      Sephadex and analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and
      an HPTLC overlay method. Murine myelogenous leukemias were found to contain globo
      and ganglio-series neutral glycolipids, e.g., glucosylceramide (Glc-cer),
      lactosylceramide (Lac-cer), globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), globoside (Gb4),
      Forssman glycolipid (Gb5), and asialo-GM1 (GA1). Monoblastic leukemia cells
      contained increased proportions of Gb3, Gb4, Gb5, and GA1. Monocytic and
      myelomonocytic leukemia cells contained increased proportions of Glc-cer and Lac
      cer. Especially, Glc-cer accounted for approximately 60% of the total neutral
      glycolipids in monocytic leukemia cells. Gb3 was the major neutral glycolipid in
      reticulum cell neoplasm type A, and it accounted for approximately 75% of the
      neutral glycolipids. GA1 was the major neutral glycolipid in myeloblastic and
      granulocytic leukemia cells as well as T-cell leukemias. Especially, granulocytic
      leukemia cells contained predominantly GA1, and it accounted for approximately
      80% of the total neutral glycolipids. The pattern of gangliosides in myelogenous
      leukemias was more complex when compared with that of the neutral glycolipids;
      murine myelogenous leukemias contained at least 13 gangliosides, including such
      major gangliosides as GM1, GM1b containing N-acetyl neuraminic acid and N
      glycolyl neuraminic acid, and Ga1NAc-GM1b. Alterations of glycolipid composition
      in murine myeloid leukemias may be associated with cellular differentiation and
      maturation, and therefore these characteristic glycolipid species may be regarded
      as markers for specific populations of leukemia cells.

PMID- 1868070
TI  - Extensive segregation of acidic phospholipids in membranes induced by protein
      kinase C and related proteins.
AB  - Protein kinase C and two other proteins with molecular masses of 64 and 32 kDa,
      purified from bovine brain, constitute a type of protein that binds a large
      number of calcium ions in a phospholipid-dependent manner. This study suggested
      that these proteins also induced extensive clustering of acidic phospholipids in
      the membranes. Clustering of acidic phospholipids was detected by the self
      quenching of a fluorescence probe that was attached to acidic phospholipids
      (phosphatidic acid or phosphatidylglycerol). Addition of these proteins to
      phospholipid vesicles containing 15% fluorescently labeled phosphatidic acid
      dispersed in neutral phosphatidylcholine resulted in extensive, rapid, and
      calcium-dependent quenching of the fluorescence signal. Fluorescence-quenching
      requirements coincided with protein-membrane binding characteristics. As
      expected, the addition of these proteins to phospholipid vesicles containing
      fluorescent phospholipids dispersed with large excess of acidic phospholipids
      produced only small fluorescence changes. In addition, association of these
      proteins with vesicles composed of 100% fluorescent phospholipids resulted in no
      fluorescence quenching. Protein binding to vesicles containing 5-50% fluorescent
      phospholipid showed different levels of fluorescence quenching that closely
      resemble the behavior expected for extensive segregation of the acidic
      phospholipids in the outer layer of the vesicles. Thus, the fluorescence
      quenching appeared to result from self-quenching of the fluorophores that become
      clustered upon protein-membrane binding. These results were consistent with
      protein-membrane binding that was maintained by calcium bridges between the
      proteins and acidic phospholipids in the membrane. Since each protein bound eight
      or more calcium ions in the presence of phospholipid, they may each induce
      clustering of a related number of acidic phospholipids.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1868071
TI  - Highly sequential binding of protein kinase C and related proteins to membranes.
AB  - Protein kinase C belongs to a class of proteins that displays simultaneous
      interaction with calcium and phospholipids. Other members of this class include
      two proteins (Mr 64K and 32K) isolated from bovine brain. The association of
      these proteins with membranes exhibited highly unusual properties that were not
      consistent with a simple equilibrium. Titration of protein-phospholipid binding
      as a function of calcium showed an apparently normal curve with a low degree of
      cooperativity. The binding was rapid and quickly adjusted to changes in the
      calcium concentration. Calcium was readily exchanged from the protein
      phospholipid complex. However, at each calcium concentration, membrane-bound
      protein was not in rapid equilibrium with free protein in solution; the half-time
      for dissociation exceeded 24 h. Titration of phospholipid vesicles with proteins
      showed different saturation levels of bound protein at different calcium
      concentrations. The amount of protein bound was almost entirely determined by the
      concentration of calcium and was virtually unaffected by the free protein
      concentration. These properties suggested that protein-phospholipid binding
      involved a sequence of steps that were each irreversible upon completion. These
      binding properties were consistent with high-affinity interaction between protein
      and phospholipid, high cooperativity with respect to calcium (N greater than or
      equal to 10), clustering of acidic phospholipids, and negative cooperativity with
      respect to protein density on the membrane. A major apparent problem with the
      complete titration of PKC-membrane interaction was a requirement for calcium in
      excess of intracellular levels. However, a highly sequential binding process
      showed that a number of protein-binding sites on the membrane would be saturated
      with calcium at physiological levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868072
TI  - Binding and fluorescence studies of the relationship between neurophysin-peptide
      interaction and neurophysin self-association: an allosteric system exhibiting
      minimal cooperativity.
AB  - The mechanism of peptide-enhanced neurophysin self-association was investigated
      to address questions raised by the crystal structure of a neurophysin-dipeptide
      complex. The dependence on protein concentration of the binding of a broad range
      of peptides to the principal hormone-binding site confirmed that occupancy of
      this site alone, and not a site that bridges the monomer-monomer interface, is
      the trigger for enhanced dimerization. For the binding of most peptides to the
      principal hormone-binding site on bovine neurophysin I, the affinity of each
      dimer site was at least 10 times that of monomer under the conditions used. No
      interactions between the two sites of the dimer were evident. Fluorescence
      polarization studies of pressure-induced dimer dissociation indicated that the
      volume change for this reaction was almost 4 times greater in the liganded than
      in the unliganded state, pointing to a significant alteration of the monomer
      monomer interface upon peptide binding. Novel conformational changes in the
      vicinity of the single neurophysin tyrosine, Tyr-49, induced by pressures lower
      than required for subunit dissociation, were also observed. The bovine
      neurophysin I dimer therefore appears to represent an allosteric system in which
      there is thermodynamic and functional communication between each binding site and
      the monomer-monomer interface, but no communication across the interface to the
      binding site of the other subunit. A model for the peptide-enhanced dimerization
      is proposed in which intersubunit contacts between monomers reduce the large
      unfavorable free energy associated with binding-induced intrasubunit
      conformational change. Structural origins of the lack of communication across the
      interface are suggested on the basis of the low volume change associated with
      dimerization in the unliganded state and monomer-monomer contacts in the crystal
      structure. Potential roles for the peptide alpha-amino group and position 2
      phenyl ring in triggering conformational change are discussed.

PMID- 1868073
TI  - Neutron and X-ray scattering studies on the human complement protein properdin
      provide an analysis of the thrombospondin repeat.
AB  - Properdin is a regulatory glycoprotein of the alternative pathway of the
      complement system of immune defense. It is responsible for the stabilization of
      the C3 convertase complex formed between C3b and the Bb fragment of factor B.
      Neutron and X-ray solution scattering experiments were performed on the dimeric
      and trimeric forms of properdin. These have RG values of 9.1 and 10.7 nm,
      respectively. The scattering curves were compared with Debye sphere modeling
      simulations for properdin. Good agreements were obtained for models similar to
      published electron micrographs showing that the properdin trimer has a triangular
      structure with sides of 26 nm. Such a structure also accounted for sedimentation
      coefficient data on properdin. Primary structure analyses for mouse and human
      properdin have shown that this contains six homologous motifs known as the
      thrombospondin repeat (TSR), which is the second most abundant domain type found
      in the complement proteins. Sequences for these 12 TSRs were aligned with 19
      others found in thrombospondin and the late complement components. Three distinct
      groups of TSRs were identified, namely, the TSRs found in thrombospondin and
      properdin, the TSRs mostly found at the N-terminus of the late complement
      components, and the TSRs found at the C-terminus of the late components. Averaged
      secondary structure predictions suggested that all three groups contain similar
      backbone structures with two amphipathic turn regions and one hydrophilic beta
      strand region. The mean dimensions of the TSRs of properdin in solution were
      determined to be approximately 4 nm X 1.7 nm X 1.7 nm, showing that these are
      elongated in structure.

PMID- 1868074
TI  - Solution structure of pardaxin P-2.
AB  - Pardaxin is a mucosal secretion of the Pacific sole Pardachirus pavoninus that
      exhibits unusual shark repellent and surfactant properties [Thompson, S. A.,
      Tachibana, K., Nakanishi, K., & Kubota, I. (1986) Science 233, 341-343]. This 33
      amino acid polypeptide folds into ordered structures in trifluoroethanol-water
      solution and in micelles but adopts a random-coiled structure in water solution.
      The complete proton NMR spectrum of pardaxin P-2 has been assigned in
      CF3CD2OD/H2O (1:1) solution, and the three-dimensional structure has been
      elucidated with distance restrained molecular dynamics calculations. It is
      demonstrated that peptide segments within the 7-11 and 14-26 residue stretches
      are helical while residues at the C- and N-terminus exist predominantly in
      extended conformations in solution. The dipeptide 12-13 segment connecting the
      two helices exists as a bend or a hinge allowing the two helices to be oriented
      in a L-shaped configuration. These studies establish that pardaxin P-2 adopts a
      novel amphiphilic helix (7-11)-bend (12-13)-helix (14-26) motif with Pro-13
      forming the focal point of the turn or bend between the two helices.

PMID- 1868075
TI  - Differential hydration of dA.dT base pairing and dA and dT bulges in
      deoxyoligonucleotides.
AB  - The role of water in the formation of stable duplexes of nucleic acids is being
      studied by determining the concurrent volume change, heats, and counterion uptake
      that accompany the duplexation process. The variability of the volume contraction
      that we have observed in the formation of a variety of homoduplexes suggests that
      sequence and conformation acutely affect the degree of hydration. We have used a
      combination of densimetric and calorimetric techniques to measure the change in
      volume and enthalpy resulting from the mixing of two complementary strands to
      form (a) fully paired duplexes with 10 or 11 base pairs and (b) bulged decameric
      duplexes with an extra dA or dT unmatched residue. We also monitored absorbance
      vs temperature profiles as a function of strand and salt concentration for all
      four duplexes. Relative to the decamer duplex, insertion of an extra dA.dT base
      pair to form an undecamer duplex results in a favorable enthalpy of -5.6 kcal/mol
      that is nearly compensated by an unfavorable entropy term of -5.1 kcal/mol. This
      enthalpy difference correlates with a differential uptake of water molecules,
      corresponding to an additional hydration of 16 mol of water molecules/mol of base
      pair. Relative to the fully paired duplexes, both bulged duplexes are 12-16
      degrees C less stable and exhibit marginally larger counterion uptake on forming
      the duplex. The enthalpy change is slightly lower for the T-bulge duplex and less
      still for the A-bulge duplex. The volume change results indicate that an
      unmatched residue increases the amount of coulombic and/or structural hydration.
      The combined results strongly suggest that the destabilizing forces in bulged
      duplexes are partially compensated by an increase in hydration levels.

PMID- 1868076
TI  - DNA unwinding produced by site-specific intrastrand cross-links of the antitumor
      drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II).
AB  - The DNA unwinding produced by specific adducts of the antitumor drug cis
      diamminedichloroplatinum(II) has been quantitatively determined. Synthetic DNA
      duplex oligonucleotides of varying lengths with two base pair cohesive ends were
      synthesized and characterized that contained site-specific intrastrand N7
      purine/N7-purine cross-links. Included are cis-[Pt(NH3)2[d(GpG)]], cis
      [Pt(NH3)2(d(ApG)]], and cis-[Pt(NH3)2[d(GpTpG)]] adducts, respectively referred
      to as cis-GG, cis-AG, and cis-GTG. Local DNA distortions at the site of
      platination were amplified by polymerization of these monomers and quantitatively
      evaluated by using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The extent of DNA
      unwinding was determined by systematically varying the interplatinum distance, or
      phasing, in polymers containing the adducts. The multimer that migrates most
      slowly gives the optimal phasing for cooperative bending, from which the degree
      of unwinding can be obtained. We find that the cis-GG and cis-AG adducts both
      unwind DNA by 13 degrees, while the cis-GTG adduct unwinds DNA by 23 degrees. In
      addition, experiments are presented that support previous studies revealing that
      a hinge joint forms at the sites of platination in DNA molecules containing trans
      GTG adducts. On the basis of an analysis of the present and other published
      studies of site-specifically modified DNA, we propose that local duplex unwinding
      is a major determinant in the recognition of DNA damage by the Escherichia coli
      (A)BC excinuclease. In addition, local duplex unwinding of 13 degrees and bending
      by 35 degrees are shown to correlate well with the recognition of platinated DNA
      by a previously identified damage recognition protein (DRP) in human cells.

PMID- 1868077
TI  - In vitro transcription analysis of DNA alkylation by nitrogen mustard.
AB  - A synchronized in vitro transcription assay has been used to probe the sequence
      specificity of alkylation of DNA by nitrogen mustard. Transcriptional blockages
      were detected with use of a 497-base-pair PvuII/SalI restriction fragment of a
      modified pBR322 vector when initiation of transcription was commenced after the
      DNA had been alkylated but not if the initiated transcription complex was
      subjected to alkylation before the elongation phase. The intensity of
      transcriptional blockages increased with alkylation time and was maximal after
      1.5 h at a mustard concentration of 200 microM. There was also evidence of
      alkylation of the promoter region with increasing mustard concentration. The
      transcriptional blockage pattern changed at some sites as elongation time was
      increased and three types of blockages were observed-partial transcription (one
      or two nucleotides) past an initial blockage site, delayed but normal
      transcription past some sites, and complete termination at most sites. Eight of
      the nine blockage sites detected were at G or GG sequences on the template
      strand, with an apparent specificity for 5'-CTGT sequences of the template
      strand. Seven of the nine sites were capable of inter- or intrastrand cross
      links, including three possible G-G interstrand cross-links spanning an
      intervening base-pair. In the 103-bp segment probed by this procedure,
      transcriptional blockages were detected (with one exception) only at sites
      corresponding to G on the template strand where inter- or intrastrand cross
      linking was possible but not for similar sequences on the non-template strand.

PMID- 1868078
TI  - Posttranscriptional regulation of coumarin 7-hydroxylase induction by xenobiotics
      in mouse liver: mRNA stabilization by pyrazole.
AB  - The induction mechanism by pyrazole or phenobarbital of coumarin 7-hydroxylase
      (cytochrome P450coh) was investigated in DBA/2J male mice. The P450coh mRNA in
      the pyrazole-induced mice was increased gradually to a 20-fold higher level
      within 48 h, yet transcription of the P450coh gene was not affected. The half
      life of P450coh mRNA, on the other hand, was at least 4-fold longer in the
      pyrazole-induced DBA/2J (approximately 6.0 h) than in control DBA/2J
      (approximately 1.5 h) male mice. The stabilization of P450coh mRNA, therefore, is
      the primary mechanism for the induction by pyrazole of coumarin 7-hydroxylase.
      Phenobarbital, on the other hand, regulates the induction either translationally
      or posttranslationally. This drug affected neither the P450coh mRNA nor the
      P450coh gene's transcription levels in the DBA/2J male mice, although Western
      blots showed approximately a 3-fold increase of the P450coh protein in the liver
      microsomes of the drug-treated mice. The results indicate, therefore, that both
      phenobarbital and pyrazole regulate the P450coh induction posttranscriptionally;
      the former inducer enhances the translational efficiency of P450coh mRNA or
      alters the degradation rate of P450coh aproprotein, while the latter stabilizes
      P450coh mRNA.

PMID- 1868079
TI  - Effect of cobalamin derivatives on in vitro enzymatic DNA methylation:
      methylcobalamin can act as a methyl donor.
AB  - 5-Methylcytosine synthesis in DNA involves the transfer of methyl groups from S
      adenosyl-methionine to the 5'-position of cytosine through the action of DNA
      (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase. The rate of this reaction has been found to be
      enhanced by cobalt ions. We therefore analyzed the influence of vitamin B12 and
      related compounds containing cobalt on DNA methylation. Vitamin B12,
      methylcobalamin, and coenzyme B12 were found to enhance significantly the de novo
      DNA methylation in the presence of S-adenosylmethionine for concentrations up to
      1 microM, but at higher concentrations these compounds were found to inhibit DNA
      methylation. Methylcobalamin behaves as a competitive inhibitor of the enzymatic
      methylation reaction (Ki = 15 microM), the Km for S-adenosylmethionine being 8
      microM. In addition, the use of radioactive methylcobalamin shows that it can be
      used as a methyl donor in the de novo and maintenance DNA methylation reactions.
      Thus, two DNA methylation pathways could exist: one involving methylation from S
      adenosylmethionine and a second one involving methylation from methylcobalamin.

PMID- 1868080
TI  - Oligonucleotide site directed mutagenesis of all histidine residues within the T4
      endonuclease V gene: role in enzyme-nontarget DNA binding.
AB  - In order to evaluate the contributions that histidine residues might play both in
      the catalytic activities of endonuclease V and in binding to nontarget DNA, the
      technique of oligonucleotide site directed mutagenesis was used to create
      mutations at each of the four histidine residues in the endonuclease V gene.
      Although none of the histidines were shown to be absolutely required for the
      pyrimidine dimer specific DNA glycosylase activity or the apurinic lyase
      activity, conservative amino acid changes at His16 produced enzymes with little
      or no catalytic activity. In addition, the evaluation of conservative and radical
      amino acid substitutions at positions 34, 56, and 107 is consistent with the
      interpretation that each of these histidines may be involved in nontarget DNA
      binding. The data supporting this conclusion are that histidine changes to lysine
      at positions 34 and 107 enhance the nontarget DNA binding activity of the mutant
      enzymes while neutralization of charge at His56 reduces nontarget DNA binding.

PMID- 1868081
TI  - Refolded HIV-1 tat protein protects both bulge and loop nucleotides in TAR RNA
      from ribonucleolytic cleavage.
AB  - Substantial evidence indicates that HIV-1 trans-activation by tat protein is
      mediated through the TAR RNA element. This RNA forms a stem-loop structure
      containing a three-nucleotide bulge and a six-nucleotide loop. Previous mutagenic
      analysis of TAR indicates that the bulge residues and a 4 bp segment of the stem
      constitute, in part, the tat binding site. However, there appears to be no
      sequence-specific contribution of the six-base loop. We have employed a
      ribonuclease protection technique to explore the interaction of tat with single
      stranded regions of TAR. The results indicate that tat interacts with both the
      bulge and loop regions of TAR. Treatment of TAR RNA with RNase A results in
      cleavage at U23 and U31, located in the bulge and loop regions, respectively.
      High concentrations (approximately 2 microM) of Escherichia coli derived tat
      protein, prepared by standard procedures, gave complete protection of TAR RNA
      from RNase A cleavage. However, under these conditions, truncated TAR derivatives
      in which no stem-loop structure is expected to form were also protected,
      indicating nonspecific binding. In order to obtain a tat preparation with
      enhanced specificity toward TAR RNA, methods were developed for refolding the
      recombinant protein. This treatment enhanced the affinity of tat for TAR by
      approximately 30-fold [Kd(apparent) less than 25 nM] and markedly increased its
      specificity for the TAR. Again, tat protected TAR RNA from RNase A cleavage at
      both U23 and U31. Protection was also observed with RNase T1 which cleaves TAR
      RNA at three G residues in the six-base loop.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868082
TI  - The isolated C-terminal (F2) fragment of the Escherichia coli tryptophan synthase
      beta 2-subunit folds into a stable, organized nonnative conformation.
AB  - Proteolysis of the beta 2-subunit of Escherichia coli tryptophan synthase by the
      endoproteinase Glu C from Staphylococcus aureus V8 yields a peptide, F2,
      corresponding to the C-terminal 101 residues of the beta-chain. The conformation
      and stability of isolated F2 in phosphate buffer at pH 7.8 (where native beta 2
      is stable) have been investigated. Circular dichroism spectra in the far-UV
      showed the presence of large amounts of secondary structure (19% alpha-helices,
      34% extended beta-structures). Circular dichroism spectra in the near-UV and
      sedimentation velocity studies indicated an open globular structure with the
      aromatic side chains in a symmetric (or disordered) environment. NMR spectra and
      rates of amide proton exchange showed that F2 fluctuates rapidly between several
      conformations. The thermal denaturation of F2 observed by the loss of far-UV
      circular dichroism with increasing temperature appeared noncooperative, and
      indicates a high thermal stability (Tm = 70 degrees C). Differential scanning
      microcalorimetry confirmed the absence of cooperativity and indicated a very low
      value for the calorimetric enthalpy of denaturation (delta H = 17 kJ/mol). All
      these properties were compatible with a molten globule. However, the low
      sedimentation coefficient of F2 suggested a very hydrated and/or expanded
      structure, and the secondary structure content of isolated F2 (see above)
      differed widely from that reported in the literature for F2 within the context of
      native beta 2 (49% alpha-helices and 13% extended beta-structures). Thus, neither
      the secondary nor the tertiary structure of isolated F2 resembled those of native
      F2. In this respect, isolated F2 is not a "molten globule".(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868083
TI  - Multiplicity of acidic subunit isoforms of crotoxin, the phospholipase A2
      neurotoxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, results from
      posttranslational modifications.
AB  - Crotoxin, the major toxin of the venom of the South American rattlesnake,
      Crotalus durissus terrificus, is made of two subunits: component B, a basic and
      weakly toxic phospholipase A2, and component A, an acidic and nontoxic protein
      that enhances the lethal potency of component B. Crotoxin is a mixture of
      isoforms that results from the association of several isoforms of its two
      subunits. In the present investigation, we have purified four component A
      isoforms that, when associated with the same purified component B isoform,
      produced different crotoxin isoforms, all having the same specific enzymatic
      activity and the same lethal potency. We further determined by Edman degradation
      the polypeptide sequences of these four component A isoforms. They are made of
      three disulfide-linked polypeptide chains (alpha, beta, and gamma) that
      correspond to three different regions of a phospholipase A2 precursor. We
      observed that the polypeptide sequences of the various component A isoforms all
      agree with the sequence of an unique precursor. The differences between the
      isoforms result first by differences in the length of the various chains alpha
      and beta, indicating that component A isoforms are generated from the proteolytic
      cleavage of the component A precursor at very close sites, possibly by the
      combined actions of endopeptidases and exopeptidases, and second by the possible
      cyclization of the alpha-NH2 of the N-terminal glutamine residue of chains beta
      and gamma. These observations indicate that the component A isoforms are the
      consequence of different posttranslational events occurring on an unique
      precursor, rather than the expression of different genes.

PMID- 1868084
TI  - C-terminal structure and mobility of rabbit skeletal muscle light meromyosin as
      studied by one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy and X-ray small-angle
      scattering.
AB  - Intact rabbit myosin and two different C-terminal fragments of rabbit muscle
      light meromyosin (LMM) expressed in Escherichia coli, LMM-30, and LMM-30C', were
      studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. X-ray small-angle scattering shows that at high
      ionic strength two polypeptide chains of LMM-30 (which consists of the C-terminal
      262 amino acids of myosin heavy chain) or LMM-30C' (which corresponds to LMM-30
      but lacks the last 17 residues) assemble to form an alpha-helical coiled-coil as
      it is found also in myosin. The last 12 C-terminal residues of one polypeptide
      chain of LMM-30 and the last 9 C-terminal residues of the other chain are very
      mobile. The last 8 residues of the two strands are equivalent from the NMR point
      of view and unfolded; the valine residues in position 255 in the two strands are
      not equivalent, suggesting an interaction between the two strands, Ser-252, Arg
      253, and Asp-254 are completely immobilized in one of the polypeptide strands and
      partly mobile in the other. Essentially the same pattern is observed in intact
      myosin. In spite of the large molecular weights of LMM-30 and LMM-30C', it is
      possible to resolve almost all aromatic residues and to determine the pK values
      of all the 4 tyrosine and of 9 (out of 10) histidine residues. The tyrosine
      residues in the two strands are equivalent in the two polypeptide chains and both
      have a pK of 10.5. The pK values of the histidine residues vary between 5.7 and
      7.0.

PMID- 1868085
TI  - The N-terminal domain of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases retains
      metalloproteinase inhibitory activity.
AB  - Recombinant tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) and a truncated
      version containing only the three N-terminal loops, delta 127-184TIMP, have been
      expressed in myeloma cells and purified by affinity chromatography and gel
      filtration. delta 127-184TIMP was found to exist as two main glycosylation
      variants of molecular mass 24 kD and 19.5 kDa and an unglycosylated form of 13
      kDa. All forms of the truncated inhibitor were able to inhibit and form complexes
      with active forms of the matrix metalloproteinases, indicating that the major
      structural features for specific interaction with these enzymes resides in these
      three loops. Stable binding of delta 127-184TIMP to pro 95-kDa gelatinase was not
      demonstrable under the conditions for binding of full-length TIMP-1.

PMID- 1868086
TI  - Isolation and amino acid sequence analysis of bovine adrenal 3 beta
      hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid isomerase.
AB  - 3 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid isomerase has been purified to
      homogeneity from bovine adrenal glands. A single protein of molecular weight
      42,090 +/- 40 containing both enzyme activities has been isolated. Approximately
      86% of the amino acid sequence of the bovine adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase/steroid isomerase has been obtained by sequencing peptides isolated
      from digests with trypsin and lysyl endopeptidase and by chemical cleavage with
      CNBr. The sequence obtained is identical with that of the deduced amino acid
      sequence of the bovine ovarian 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid
      isomerase [Zhao et al. (1989) FEBS Lett. 259, 153-157], with the exception that
      the N-terminal methionine residue found in the bovine ovarian sequence is not
      present in the mature bovine adrenal enzyme. On the basis of the primary
      structure and comparisons with other NAD+ binding proteins, we propose a
      structural model of the bovine adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase/steroid isomerase localizing the NAD+ binding site as well as the
      membrane-anchoring segment.

PMID- 1868087
TI  - Affinity labeling of bovine adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid
      isomerase by 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine.
AB  - Incubation of bovine adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid
      isomerase with 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]adenosine (5'-FSBA) results in the
      inactivation of the 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme activity following
      pseudo-first-order kinetics. A double-reciprocal plot of 1/kobs versus 1/[5'
      FSBA] yields a straight line with a positive y intercept, indicative of
      reversible binding of the inhibitor prior to an irreversible inactivation
      reaction. The dissociation constant (Kd) for the initial reversible enzyme
      inhibitor complex is estimated at 0.533 mM, with k2 = 0.22 min-1. The
      irreversible inactivation could be prevented by the presence of NAD+ during the
      incubation, indicating that 5'-FSBA inactivates the 3 beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase activity by reacting at the NAD+ binding site. Although the enzyme
      was inactivated by incubation with 5'-FSBA, no incorporation of the inhibitor was
      found in labeling studies using 5'-[p-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl] [14C]adenosine.
      However, the inactivation of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity caused
      by incubation with 5'-FSBA could be completely reversed by the addition of
      dithiothreitol. This indicates the presence of at least two cysteine residues at
      or in the vicinity of the NAD+ binding site, which may form a disulfide bond
      catalyzed by the presence of 5'-FSBA. The intramolecular cysteine disulfide
      bridge was found between the cysteine residues in the peptides 274EWGFCLDSR282
      and 18IICLLVEEK26, by comparing the [14C]iodoacetic acid labeling before and
      after recovering the enzyme activity upon the addition of dithiothreitol.

PMID- 1868088
TI  - Minimum requirements for protease activation of flavin pyruvate oxidase.
AB  - Previous investigations have shown that the catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) of
      pyruvate oxidase can be enhanced 450-fold by chymotryptic cleavage of a 23
      residue peptide (alpha-peptide) from the carboxy terminus of the enzyme. The
      minimum requirement for proteolytic activation has been investigated by exposing
      pyruvate oxidase to a variety of carboxypeptidases, either singly or in
      combination. The extent of carboxypeptidase hydrolysis was followed by analyzing
      the release of amino acids and by mass spectral analysis of the truncated alpha
      peptides which were derived from the carboxypeptidase-treated preparations. The
      results indicate that the removal of 7 carboxy-terminal residues does not
      activate the enzyme whereas the removal of 10 or 11 residues produces activated
      pyruvate oxidase. Activation of pyruvate oxidase by endoproteinase Glu-C confirms
      the carboxypeptidase results. Endoproteinase Glu-C specificity predicts
      hydrolytic cleavage of the peptide bond between Glu-561 and Val-562 with the
      removal of 11 residues from the carboxy terminus of the enzyme.

PMID- 1868089
TI  - Mechanism of inhibition of dopamine beta-monooxygenase by quinol and phenol
      derivatives, as determined by solvent and substrate deuterium isotope effects.
AB  - The mechanism of interaction of quinols and phenols with dopamine beta
      monooxygenase (D beta M) has been investigated. The ratio of quinone formation
      (from catechol) to oxygen consumption rises from a value of 1 in the presence of
      phenethylamine substrate to 2 in the absence of substrate. These results
      implicate quinol oxidation at both the reductant- and substrate-binding sites of
      D beta M. In the presence of saturating ascorbate, catechol and p-hydroquinol
      behave as mechanism-based inhibitors of D beta M, with partitioning ratios of
      turnover to inactivation of 21:1 and 41:1, respectively. Phenol is found to
      inactivate the enzyme in a manner similar to p-cresol, suggesting that the methyl
      group of p-cresol is not an essential component of enzyme inhibition. Solvent
      isotope effects on inactivation and turnover have been measured for various
      inactivators. Although the majority of these inhibitors, including catechol, p
      hydroquinol, aniline, phenethylenediamine, and benzylhydrazine, are characterized
      by relatively small solvent isotope effects (1.5-2.5) on the inactivation rate
      constant (ki), solvent isotope effects on ki for phenol and p-cresol are 5.7 and
      7.4, respectively. By contrast, solvent isotope effects on the turnover of p
      cresol are almost unity. Using p-cresol-d7 as substrate, we observe D(kcat) = 5.2
      and D(kcat/Km) = 3.1, while isotope effects on inactivation are D(ki) = 0.95 and
      D(ki/Ki) = 0.59. These results lead us to propose that inhibitors fall into two
      mechanistic classes, involving either one-electron oxidation to form radical
      cation intermediates (quinols) or hydrogen atom abstraction (phenols).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868090
TI  - Investigation of an octapeptide inhibitor of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide
      reductase by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy.
AB  - Several peptides contained within the C-terminal sequence of the B2 subunit of
      Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) were investigated for their
      ability to inhibit the enzyme, presumably by interfering with association of the
      B1 and B2 subunits. AcYLVGQIDSE, corresponding by sequence homology to a
      nonapeptide that inhibits herpes simplex RNR [Gaudreau et al. (1987) J. Biol.
      Chem. 262, 12413] shows no inhibition of the E. coli enzyme (IC50 greater than 3
      mM), whereas AcDDLSNFQL, the C-terminal octapeptide of the E. coli B2 subunit, is
      a noncompetitive inhibitor (Ki = 160 microM). Neither bradykinin (RPPGFSPFR) nor
      the pentapeptide AcSNFQL inhibits the E. coli enzyme. Transferred nuclear
      Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy was used to probe the conformation of
      AcDDLSNFQL when it is bound to the B1 subunit. These experiments suggest that the
      peptide adopts a turn in the region of Asn5 and Phe6 and that a hydrophobic
      cluster of the phenylalanine and leucine side chains is involved in the
      interaction surface.

PMID- 1868091
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of an inhibitor of carboxypeptidase A with a Ki value in
      the femtomolar range.
AB  - Comparative studies among a series of tripeptide phosphonate inhibitors of the
      zinc peptidase carboxypeptidase A indicate that incorporation of the phosphonic
      acid analogue of valine at the P1 position results in significantly higher
      affinity than the glycine, alanine, or phenylalanine analogues. When applied to
      the tripeptide analogue Cbz-Phe-ValP-(O)Phe [ZFVP(O)F], determination of the
      inhibition constant Ki was complicated by the very slow rate of dissociation. The
      rate of exchange of [3H]ZFVP(O)F with enzyme-bound [14C]ZFVP(O)F was followed for
      periods of 3-4 months to measure dissociation rate constants in the range of (1.7
      4.4) x 10(-9) s-1, corresponding to half-lives of 5-13 years. Although the on-
      and off-rate constants differ for different carboxypeptidase isozymes, their
      ratios, corresponding to the inhibition constants Ki, are consistently in the
      range of 10-27 fM. Both the inhibition constants and the dissociation rate
      constants appear to be the lowest values yet determined for an enzyme-small
      inhibitor interaction.

PMID- 1868092
TI  - Comparison of the structures of three carboxypeptidase A-phosphonate complexes
      determined by X-ray crystallography.
AB  - The structures of the complexes of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) with two tight
      binding phosphonate inhibitors have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The
      inhibitors, Cbz-Phe-ValP-(O)-Phe[ZFVP(O)F] and Cbz-Ala-GlyP-(O)-Phe[ZAGP(O)F],
      bind noncovalently to CPA with dissociation constants (Ki's) of 11 fM and 710 pM,
      respectively. The CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex crystallizes in the space group
      P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell parameters a = 65.3 A, b = 63.4 A, and c = 76.0 A,
      and the CPA-ZAGP(O)F complex crystallizes in the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with
      unit cell parameters a = 63.4 A, b = 65.9 A, and c = 74.4 A. Both structures were
      determined by molecular replacement to a resolution of 2.0 A. The final
      crystallographic residuals are 0.189 for the CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex and 0.191 for
      the CPA-ZAGP(O)F complex. The CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex exhibits the lowest Ki yet
      determined for an enzyme-inhibitor interaction. Comparison of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F
      structure with that of the CPA-ZAAP(O)F complex [Kim, H., & Lipscomb, W.N. (1990)
      Biochemistry 29, 5546-5555] indicates the likely important contributions of
      hydrophobic and weakly polar enzyme-inhibitor interactions to the exceptional
      stability of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F complex. Among these interactions is a network of
      four aromatic rings of CPA and ZFVP(O)F in a configuration that allows
      stabilizing aromatic-aromatic edge-to-face interactions from one ring to the
      next. A comparison of the structures of the CPA-ZFVP(O)F, CPA-ZAAP(O)F and CPA
      ZAGP(O)F complexes shows that all three phosphonates assume a similar binding
      mode in the active-site binding groove of CPA. For ZAGP(O)F, the glycyl P1
      residue does not lead to an anomalous or a partially disordered binding mode as
      seen in some previous complexes of CPA involving dipeptide analogue inhibitors
      with glycyl P1 residues. The additional enzyme-inhibitor interactions for these
      tripeptide phosphonates secure a binding mode in which a Pi portion of the
      inhibitor is clearly bound by the corresponding Si binding subsite. These three
      phosphonates have been implicated as transition-state analogues of the CPA
      catalyzed reaction. The phosphinyl groups of these phosphonates coordinate to the
      active-site zinc in a manner that has been proposed as a characteristic feature
      of the general-base (Zn-hydroxyl or Zn-water) mechanism for the CPA-catalyzed
      reaction. Further mechanistic proposals are made for Arg-127, whose probable role
      in binding substrates is apparent in these CPA-phosphonate complexes.

PMID- 1868093
TI  - Electrochemical properties of the diiron core of uteroferrin and its anion
      complexes.
AB  - The reduction potentials (Em) of the purple acid phosphatase from porcine uterus,
      uteroferrin (Uf), and its phosphate, arsenate, and molybdate complexes were
      determined by coulometric methods at various pH values. The midpoint potential of
      Uf at the pH value for optimal enzyme activity (pH 5) was found to be +367 mV
      versus a normal hydrogen electrode (NHE), while at pH 6.01 Uf exhibits a
      reduction potential of +306 mV. At pH 6.01 molybdate was found to shift the
      potential of Uf more positive by 192 mV, while phosphate and arsenate shift the
      potential of Uf more negative by 193 and 89 mV, respectively. These shifts are
      consistent with the different susceptibilities of Uf to aerobic oxidation in the
      presence of these anions. Comparison of the reduction potential of Uf at pH 7.0
      with those reported for other dinuclear non-heme iron enzymes and various (mu
      oxo)diiron model complexes suggest that the potential of Uf is too positive to be
      consistent with a mu-oxo-bridge in Ufo. The pH dependence of the reduction
      potentials of Uf (60 mV/pH unit) and the fact that the electron transfer rate
      increases with decreasing pH indicate a concomitant participation of a proton
      during the oxidation-reduction process. This process was assigned to the
      protonation of a terminally bound hydroxide ligand at the Fe(II) center upon
      reduction of Ufo. Structural implications provided by the electrochemical data
      indicate that molybdate affects the dinuclear core in a manner that differs from
      that of phosphate and arsenate. This observation is consistent with previous
      spectroscopic and biochemical studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868094
TI  - Structural dynamics and functional domains of the fur protein.
AB  - Proteolytic enzymes were used to detect metal-induced conformational changes in
      the ferric uptake regulation (Fur) protein of Escherichia coli K12. Metal binding
      results in enhanced cleavage of the N-terminal region of Fur by trypsin and
      chymotrypsin. Activation of both trypsinolysis sensitivity and DNA binding have
      similar metal ion specificity and concentration dependencies, suggesting that the
      conformational change detected is required for operator DNA binding. Isolation
      and characterization of biochemically generated fragments of Fur as well as other
      data indicate that the N-terminal region is necessary for the interaction of the
      repressor with DNA and that a C-terminal domain is sufficient for binding to
      metal ions.

PMID- 1868095
TI  - Disposition of the phenylalanine B25 side chain during insulin-receptor and
      insulin-insulin interactions.
AB  - By the semisynthesis of both full-length insulin analogues and their des
      pentapeptide-(B26-B30)-alpha-carboxamide counterparts, we have examined the
      importance of the electronic character and bulk of the position B25 side chain
      both in directing insulin interaction with its receptor on isolated canine
      hepatocytes and in determining the ability of insulin to self-associate in
      solution. Analogues include those in which PheB25 was replaced by cyclohexyl-Ala;
      Tyr; p-nitro-, p-fluoro-, p-iodo-, or p-amino-Phe; or p-amino-Phe in which the
      aromatic amino function had been acylated by the acetyl, hexanoyl, decanoyl, or 1
      adamantanoyl group. Our findings identify that (a) the beta-aromatic side chain
      at position B25 is indeed critical for high-affinity ligand-receptor
      interactions, (b) neither electron withdrawal from nor electron donation to the
      beta-aromatic ring perturbs ligand-receptor interactions in major ways, (c)
      considerable latitude is allowed the placement of linear or polycyclic apolar
      mass at the para position in p-amino-PheB25-substituted analogues with respect
      both to receptor binding affinity and to biological activity in vivo, and (d)
      para apolar mass at position B25 is readily accommodated during the self
      association of insulin monomers, as assessed by analytical tyrosine
      radioiodination and spectroscopic analysis of analogue complexes with Co2+ and
      Co3+. These findings are discussed in terms of a model for insulin-receptor
      interactions at the cell membrane in which the position B25 side chain defines
      the edge of intermolecular contact.

PMID- 1868096
TI  - Site-specific 1,N6-ethenoadenylated single-stranded oligonucleotides as
      structural probes for the T4 gene 32 protein-ssDNA complex.
AB  - Bacteriophage T4 gene 32 protein (g32P) is a DNA replication accessory protein
      that binds single-stranded (ss) nucleic acids nonspecifically, independent of
      nucleotide sequence. G32P contains 1 mol of Zn(II)/mol of protein monomer, which
      can be substituted with Co(II), with maintenance of the structure and activity of
      the molecule. The Co(II) is coordinated via approximately tetrahedral ligand
      symmetry by three Cys sulfur atoms and therefore exhibits intense S(-)----Co(II)
      ligand to metal charge-transfer (LMCT) transitions in the near ultraviolet
      [Giedroc, D. P., et al. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 8452-8456]. A
      series of fluorescent 1,N6-ethenoadenosine (epsilon A)-containing
      oligonucleotides conforming to the structure (5'----3') d[(Tp)m epsilon A(pT)l-m
      1] where 0 less than or equal to m less than or equal to l - 1 and length (l) six
      or eight nucleotides have been evaluated as dynamics probes and potential
      fluorescence energy transfer donors to Co(II) in mapping the spatial proximity of
      the (fixed) intrinsic metal ion and a variably positioned epsilon A-base in a
      series of protein-nucleic acid complexes. We provide spectroscopic evidence that
      the epsilon A-oligonucleotides bind to g32P-(A + B) with a fixed polarity of the
      phosphodiester chain. A Trp side chain(s) makes close approach to a epsilon A
      base positioned toward the 3' end of a bound l = 8 oligonucleotide. Six
      oligonucleotides of l = 8 and m = 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, or 7 were investigated as energy
      transfer donors to Co(II) at 0.1 M NaCl, pH 8.1, 25 degrees C upon binding to
      Co(II)-substituted or Zn(II) g32P-(A + B), i.e., in the presence and absence of
      an energy acceptor, respectively. Detectable quenching of the epsilon A
      fluorescence by the Co(II)-LMCT acceptors was found to occur in all epsilon A
      oligonucleotide-protein complexes, yielding energy transfer efficiencies (E) of
      0.43, 0.31, 0.26, 0.26, 0.28, and 0.41 for l = 8 and m = 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7
      epsilon A-oligonucleotides, respectively. The two-dimensional distances R (in A)
      were found to vary as follows: d[epsilon A(pT)7] (m = 0), 16.0 (15.5-16.9); d[Tp
      epsilon A(pT)6] (m = 1), 17.7 (16.9-19.1); d[(Tp)3 epsilon A(pT)4] (m = 3), 20.7
      (19.5-22.1); d[(Tp)5 epsilon A(pT)2] (m = 5), 20.5 (19.5-21.9); d[(Tp)6 epsilon
      ApT] (m = 6), 19.0 (18.0-20.4); and d[(Tp)7 epsilon A] (m = 7), 18.6 (17.8
      19.8).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868097
TI  - Cell adhesion promoting peptide GVKGDKGNPGWPGAP from the collagen type IV triple
      helix: cis/trans proline-induced multiple 1H NMR conformations and evidence for a
      KG/PG multiple turn repeat motif in the all-trans proline state.
AB  - Peptide GVKGDKGNPGWPGAPY (called peptide IV-H1), derived from the protein
      sequence of human collagen type IV, triple-helix domain residues 1263-1277,
      represents an RGD-independent, cell-specific, adhesion, spreading, and motility
      promoting domain in type IV collagen. In this study, peptide IV-H1 has been
      investigated by 1H NMR (500 MHz) spectroscopy. Cis-trans proline isomerization at
      each of the three proline residues gives rise to a number of slowly exchanging
      (500-MHz NMR time scale) conformation states. At least five such states are
      observed, for example, for the well-resolved A14 beta H3 group, and K3, which is
      six residues sequentially removed from the nearest proline, i.e., P9, shows two
      sets. The presence of more than two sets of resonances for residues sequentially
      proximal to a proline, e.g., A14-cis-P15 and A14-trans-P15, and more than one set
      for a residue sequentially well-removed from a proline, e.g., K3, indicates long
      range conformation interactions and the presence of preferred structure in this
      short linear peptide. Many resonances belonging to these multiple species have
      been assigned by using mono-proline-substituted analogues. Conformational
      (isomer) state-specific 2D 1H NMR assignments for the combination of cis and
      trans proline states have been made via analysis of COSY-type, HOHAHA, and NOESY
      spectra. Peptide IV-H1 in the all-trans proline state ttt exists in relatively
      well-defined conformation populations showing numerous short- and long-range NOEs
      and long-lived backbone amide protons and reduced backbone NH temperature
      coefficients, suggesting hydrogen-bonding, and structurally informative 3J alpha
      N coupling constants. The NMR data indicate significant beta-turn populations
      centered at K3-G4, K5-G6, P9-G10, and P12-G13, and a C-terminal gamma-turn within
      the A14-P15-Y16 sequence. These NMR data are supported by circular dichroic
      studies which indicate the presence of 52% beta-turn, 10% helix, and 38% random
      coil structural populations. Since equally spaced KG and PG residues are found on
      both sides of peptide IV-H1 in the native collagen type IV sequence, this
      multiple turn repeat motif may continue through a longer segment of the protein.
      Synthetic peptide IV-H1 overlapping sequence "walk throughs" indicate that the
      primary biological activity is localized in the GNPGWPGAP double beta-turn
      domain, which contains the backbone constraining proline residues. This proline
      domain conformation may suggest a collagen type IV receptor-specific, metastatic
      cell adhesion promoting binding domain.

PMID- 1868098
TI  - Interaction of lipid vesicles with monomolecular layers containing lung
      surfactant proteins SP-B or SP-C.
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant contains two families of hydrophobic proteins, SP-B and SP
      C. Both proteins are thought to promote the formation of the phospholipid
      monolayer at the air-fluid interface of the lung. The Wilhelmy plate method was
      used to study the involvement of SP-B and SP-C in the formation of phospholipid
      monolayers. The proteins were either present in the phospholipid vesicles which
      were injected into the subphase or included in a preformed phospholipid
      monolayer. In agreement with earlier investigators, we found that SP-B and SP-C,
      present in phospholipid vesicles, were able to induce the formation of a
      monolayer, as became apparent by an increase in surface pressure. However, when
      the proteins were present in a preformed phospholipid monolayer (20 mN/m) at
      similar lipid to protein ratios, the rate of surface pressure increase after
      injection of pure phospholipid vesicles into the subphase at similar vesicle
      concentrations was 10 times higher. The process of phospholipid insertion from
      phospholipid vesicles into the protein-containing monolayers was dependent on (1)
      the presence of (divalent) cations, (2) the phospholipid concentration in the
      subphase, (3) the size of the phospholipid vesicles, (4) the protein
      concentration in the preformed monolayer, and (5) the initial surface pressure at
      which the monolayers were formed. Both in vesicles and in preformed monolayers,
      SP-C was less active than SP-B in promoting the formation of a phospholipid
      monolayer. The use of preformed monolayers containing controlled protein
      concentrations may allow more detailed studies on the mechanism by which the
      proteins enhance phospholipid monolayer formation from vesicles.

PMID- 1868099
TI  - Localization of regions of the Torpedo californica nicotinic acetylcholine
      receptor labeled with an aryl azide derivative of phosphatidylserine.
AB  - A photoactivatable analog of phosphatidylserine, 125I-labeled 4-azidosalicylic
      acid-phosphatidylserine (125I-ASA-PS) (Blanton, M. and Wang, H.H. (1990)
      Biochemistry 29, 1186-1194) was used to label the nicotinic acetylcholine
      receptor. The photoactivatable group of 125I-ASA-PS is attached directly to the
      phospholipid head group making it an excellent probe of regions of the AchR
      structure in contact with the negatively-charged head group of
      phosphatidylserine. The 'binding domains' were localized by chemically cleaving
      the labeled receptor with cyanogen bromide (CNBr), separating the generated
      peptides by reverse-phase HPLC, and N-terminal sequence analysis of radiolabeled
      material. CNBr fragments containing flanking regions of the transmembrane
      spanning region M4 as well as within M3 were identified within HPLC separated
      radiolabeled material. The results suggest a topological arrangement of the
      transmembrane helices in which the hydrophobic faces of M3 and M4 form the
      boundary of the receptor complex in contact with the lipid bilayer.

PMID- 1868100
TI  - The influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the phase transition parameters
      of phosphatidylcholine dispersions.
AB  - The influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the thermodynamic parameters (Tm,
      delta H, and delta S) associated with the reversible main phase transition of
      aqueous dispersions prepared from saturated diacyl phosphatidylcholines was
      studied by high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry. Two series of
      saturated diacyl phosphatidylcholines, grouped according to their molecular
      weights of 678 and 706, with a total number of 25 molecular species were
      examined. The normalized acyl chain-length difference between the sn-1 and sn-2
      acyl chains for a given phospholipid molecule in the gel-state bilayer is
      expressed quantitatively by the structural parameter delta C/CL, and the values
      of delta C/CL for the two series of lipids under study vary considerably from
      0.04 to 0.67. When the value of delta C/CL is within the range of 0.09-0.40, it
      was shown that the thermodynamic parameters are, to a first approximation, a
      linear function of delta C/CL with a negative slope. In addition, the
      experimental Tm values and the predicted Tm values put forward by Huang
      (Biochemistry (1991) 30, 26-30) are in very good agreement. Beyond the point of
      delta C/CL = 0.41, the influence of acyl chain-length asymmetry on the
      thermodynamic parameters deviates significantly from a linear function. In fact,
      within the range of delta C/CL values of 0.42-0.67, the thermodynamic parameters
      in the Tm (or delta H) vs. delta C/CL plot were shown to be bell-shaped with the
      maximal Tm (or delta H) at delta C/CL = 0.57. These results are discussed in
      terms of changes in the acyl chain packing modes of various phosphatidylcholine
      molecules within the gel-state bilayer in excess water.

PMID- 1868101
TI  - Evidence for net uptake and efflux of mitochondrial coenzyme A.
AB  - Coenzyme A transport was studied by determining [14C]CoA associated with isolated
      rat heart mitochondria. HPLC analysis of a mitochondrial extract obtained
      following incubation with [14C] CoA revealed an increase in [14C] CoA. In the
      presence of pyruvate or alpha-ketoglutarate, [14C]CoA associated with
      mitochondria was converted to acetyl- or succinyl-[14C]CoA, respectively,
      demonstrating the intramitochondrial localization of transported CoA. Net uptake
      of CoA was demonstrated by the findings that the increase in mitochondrial
      content of CoA following incubation with CoA was equal to the values of CoA
      uptake obtained from experiments using [14C]CoA. Sequestration of
      intramitochondrial CoA as metabolically inert derivatives with maleate stimulated
      CoA uptake, supporting the concept of unidirectional CoA uptake rather than
      exchange. Altering the membrane electrochemical gradient with valinomycin,
      nigericin, calcium, phosphate or a combination of phosphate and calcium caused
      efflux of endogenous CoA. The largest efflux was observed with valinomycin or a
      combination of Ca2+ and Pi. The Ca2+ and Pi-induced CoA efflux was effectively
      prevented by succinate or pyruvate. The results suggest that the uptake process,
      which is dependent on the membrane electrical gradient can be reversed by
      dissipating the electrical gradient. The relevance of CoA efflux induced by Ca2+
      and Pi is discussed with respect to reperfusion injury following ischemic damage.
      Other factors regulating the maintenance of CoA within the mitochondrial matrix
      include the matrix pH and the acylation state of CoA.

PMID- 1868102
TI  - Reconstitution and partial purification of an amiloride-sensitive, cation channel
      from rabbit kidney.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to reconstitute and purify an epithelial
      potassium channel from rabbit kidney. Renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV)
      were found to contain a potassium conductance which was inhibited by amiloride, 5
      (N-methyl-N-isobutyl)amiloride (MIA) and by barium. Membrane vesicle proteins
      were solubilized and reconstituted in proteoliposomes. Channel activity was
      assayed using Acridine orange and the voltage sensitive dye, 3,3'
      diethylthiadicarbocyanine iodide (DiSC2(5)). Both methods yielded similar results
      which indicated the presence of an amiloride-sensitive, cation channel in the
      proteoliposomes. This channel was more permeable to K than to Na and its activity
      was increased in reconstituted proteoliposomes as compared to native brush border
      membranes. We conclude that rabbit BBMV possess an amiloride sensitive cation
      channel. Channel activity was successfully reconstituted in proteoliposomes and
      the protein was partially purified during reconstitution.

PMID- 1868103
TI  - The Hofmeister effect in relation to membrane lipid phase stability.
AB  - The phase behaviour of L-alpha-1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine
      (POPE) was examined in aqueous dispersions containing a range of sodium salts.
      The phase properties of the lipid exhibited a graded response to the presence of
      simple anions analogous to that of the Hofmeister series encountered in the study
      of the solution properties of proteins. Salts early in the series (such as Na2SO4
      and NaCl) gave rise to substantial decreases in the temperature (Th) of the
      transition from the lamellar liquid-crystal to inverted hexagonal phase (L alpha-
      --HII) and small increases in the temperature (Tm) of the transition from the
      lamellar gel to lamellar liquid-crystal phase (L beta----L alpha). Salts towards
      the end of this series (such as NaI and NaSCN) led to increases in Th and
      decreases in Tm. Similar effects were seen in lipid dispersions containing a
      series of non-ionic co-solutes. In both cases, the relative efficiency of
      perturbation of the lipid phase properties reflected the relative ability of the
      anion or co-solute to influence the structure of the bulk water. X-ray
      diffraction measurements indicated that these effects were probably mediated
      through the ability of the co-solutes to bring about changes in the extent of the
      lipid/water interface.

PMID- 1868104
TI  - Visualization of exocytotic secretory processes of mast cells by fluorescence
      techniques.
AB  - Secretory processes via exocytosis in rat peritoneal mast cells were visualized
      by two complementary fluorescence techniques; one staining pre-exocytotic
      granules with a basic probe and the other staining post-exocytotic granules with
      acidic probes. Granules within mast cells were selectively stained with acridine
      orange and emitted orange yellow fluorescence. Upon stimulation with compound
      48/80, release of acridine orange from granules was observed both in population
      and single cell measurements. This release was seen in some localized area of
      mast cells. Opening of pores between plasma membranes and granule membranes was
      monitored using acidic fluorescence probes such as 6-carboxyfluorescein or
      lucifer yellow CH. Not only granules located at peripheral region, but also
      granules near the core region participated in exocytosis. The existence of
      junctions between these granules was suggested. TMA-DPH, a lipophilic membrane
      probe, which was localized at plasma membrane before stimulation, diffused into
      granule membranes after stimulation. This shows that after stimulation, some
      constituents of plasma and granule membranes were mixed. Even after extensive
      degranulation, mast cells extruded acidic probes, indicating the plasma membranes
      still play a role of barrier. Activation of lateral motion of granules preceding
      to exocytosis was not observed. It was concluded that the visualization of
      secretory processes by fluorescence and image processing techniques will be
      useful for the study of molecular mechanisms underlying exocytosis.

PMID- 1868105
TI  - Net phosphate transport in phosphate-starved Candida utilis: relationships with
      pH and K+.
AB  - Phosphate transport was studied in phosphate-starved Candida utilis using 31P-NMR
      and in situ pH and K(+)-specific electrodes. A transient efflux of K+ was
      associated with the initial net influx of orthophosphate across the plasma
      membrane and decrease of both the plasma membrane pH gradient and the cytosol pH.
      Recovery of cytosol pH, and the plasma membrane pH gradient after phosphate
      uptake, was slow when extracellular K+ was depleted, but rapid when K+ was added
      to the suspension either with orthophosphate or after phosphate uptake. Net
      phosphate transport into the vacuole occurs against its concentration gradient
      and is associated with an increase of the tonoplast pH gradient. It is proposed
      that transport of orthophosphate into the vacuole is mediated by an electrical
      uniport and driven by the tonoplast membrane potential.

PMID- 1868106
TI  - Affinity-chromatographic purification of sixteen cysteine-substituted maltoporin
      variants: thiol reactivity and cross-linking in an outer membrane protein of
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - Wild-type and 16 variant maltoporins with site-directed cysteine substitutions at
      14 sites were purified by a novel one-step affinity-chromatographic procedure.
      The trimer stability of purified proteins with C22S, C38S and G103C substitutions
      was reduced compared to wild-type maltoporin. Quantitative labelling with N
      ethyl[14C]maleimide, cross-linking with bifunctional bismaleimides and disulphide
      formation was used to test the reactivity of cysteines in the folded protein. The
      maleimide reactivity of the residues was in the order: 152 approximately equal to
      153 greater than 265 greater than 30 approximately equal to 103 approximately
      equal to 120 approximately equal to 154 approximately equal to 382 greater than
      57 approximately equal to 146, with the other sites (22, 38, 97, 184) poorly
      labelled. Only cysteines at 152 or 153 permitted the formation of inter-subunit
      disulphide bonds suggesting these residues are located within 0.5-0.9 nm of each
      other in homotrimers of maltoporin. S152C and S153C as well as S154C permitted
      the formation of inter-subunit cross-links using bifunctional bismaleimides. The
      cross-linkability and the high reactivity to N-ethylmaleimide of the 150 region
      was consistent with the current model of the structure of maltoporin in the outer
      membrane; the reactivity of the other sites is also discussed within the context
      of this model.

PMID- 1868107
TI  - Studies on the anion binding selectivity of sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes by
      35Cl-NMR.
AB  - Anion binding sites on the membranes of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles can be
      characterized with the aid of 35Cl-NMR. Titration experiments with a series of
      different anions reveal that multivalent, phosphate-like anions bind much
      stronger to SR vesicles than monovalent anions like halides whereas oxalate seems
      to have an intermediate position. The binding strength decreases with decreasing
      ionic radius according to the following sequence: vanadate greater than phosphate
      greater than sulfate much greater than iodide greater than oxalate greater than
      bromide greater than chloride much greater than fluoride. This is also reflected
      by increasing dissociation constants. Although vanadate in absolute terms
      replaces much more chloride than either, phosphate or sulfate, their dissociation
      constants are very similar. This implicates a special binding mechanism for
      vanadate. Phosphate analoguous compounds like pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2'
      sulfonic acid and its 4'-nitroderivative show the strongest binding.

PMID- 1868108
TI  - Post-acute management of head injuries.
AB  - Many advances have been made in the last 15 years in the treatment of traumatic
      brain injuries. This paper reviews the advances not only in the acute management
      stage but also in the crucial rehabilitation phases, both acute and post-acute.
      Rehabilitation of the brain-injured patient has been shown to result from
      therapies rather than spontaneous improvement and take years to accomplish,
      emphasizing the need for a coordinated continuum of rehabilitation programs.
      There is now evidence that coma and vegetative states are sometimes reversible
      with a combination of treatments, among them neuropharmacology.

PMID- 1868109
TI  - First single lung transplant in Virginia.
AB  - Lung transplantation is now established as a clinical reality for patients with
      irreversible, lethal pulmonary conditions. We report the first successful
      application of this treatment modality in Virginia.

PMID- 1868110
TI  - Alcohol abuse among college freshmen in Greek societies.

PMID- 1868111
TI  - Role of colonoscopy in treatment of colorectal carcinoma.

PMID- 1868112
TI  - Conjugation of phenyl isothiocyanate derivatives of carborane to antitumor
      antibody and in vivo localization of conjugates in nude mice.
AB  - A systematic study of the conjugation of 1-(p-isothiocyanatophenyl)-1,2-dicarba
      closo-[2-3H]dodeca borane(12), 3H-1, and 7-(p-isothiocyanatophenyl)dodecahydro
      7,8-dicarba-nido -[8-3H] undecaborate(1-)ion, 3H-2, to the murine monoclonal anti
      CSAp antibody, Mu-9, was carried out to compare charged and uncharged boron cages
      in their effect upon antibody loading. Approximately one neutral cage and four of
      the anionic cages were successfully linked to antibody in two separate conjugates
      which were subsequently radioiodinated and evaluated in vivo. No significant loss
      of the antibody or its immunoreactivity was observed in either case. In nude mice
      bearing GW-39 tumor xenografts the conjugate containing the anionic carborane
      derivative showed a reduced tumor uptake although the tumor:non-tumor ratio was
      similar to that of the native antibody. The carborane cage in 2 was radiolabeled
      with 125I followed by attempts to purify and conjugate product 4 to a model goat
      IgG protein. This exploratory conjugation study was undertaken as a prelude to
      linking new conjugation reagents, which contain multiple anionic boron cages, to
      antitumor antibodies. The latter conjugates are required to maximize boron
      loading for the purpose of neutron-capture therapy.

PMID- 1868113
TI  - Radioiodinated iodobenzoyl conjugates of a monoclonal antibody Fab fragment. In
      vivo comparisons with chloramine-T-labeled Fab.
AB  - A comparative investigation of the biodistributions of radioiodinated p- and m
      iodobenzoyl conjugates of a monoclonal antibody Fab fragment, NR-LU-10 Fab, and
      the same antibody Fab fragment radioiodinated by the chloramine-T (ChT) method
      has been carried out in mice. Coinjected, dual-isotope studies in athymic mice
      with tumor xenografts have demonstrated that there are only minor differences in
      the in vivo distributions of the iodobenzoyl-labeled Fabs, except in the
      excretory organs, kidneys, and intestines, where major differences were observed.
      Similarly, coinjection of either the p-iodobenzoyl or m-iodobenzoyl conjugate of
      NR-LU-10 Fab with the Fab radioiodinated with ChT/radioiodide into BALB/c mice
      provided additional data that indicated that the two iodobenzoyl conjugates
      distributed similar in a number of selected tissues. The tissue-distribution
      differences of the regioisomeric iodobenzoyl conjugates in relation to the ChT
      radioiodinated Fab were large for the stomach and neck, consistent with previous
      studies. The most notable difference between the two iodobenzoyl conjugates was
      the kidney activity, where the m-iodobenzoyl conjugate was similar to the
      directly labeled Fab, but the p-iodobenzoyl-conjugated Fab was higher by nearly a
      factor of 2.

PMID- 1868114
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of protein and polylysine conjugates of
      sulfamethoxazole and sulfanilic acid for investigation of sulfonamide drug
      allergy.
AB  - Conjugates of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) with human serum albumin (HSA), transferrin
      (TR), and poly(L-lysine) (PL, degrees of polymerization 16 and 430) have been
      prepared. As a model, succinylSMX-glycine methyl ester was synthesized by
      carbodiimide and active ester routes. The proteins and PL were acylated with
      succinylSMX succinimido ester, affording conjugates (succinylSMX)2-21-HSA,
      (succinylSMX)17,27-TR, (succinylSMX)11-Lys16, and (succinylSMX)71-Lys430 in which
      SMX was linked by a spacer chain of four carbons. This represents substitution of
      up to 35, 46, 65, and 17% of the amino groups of HSA, TR, PL16, and PL430,
      respectively. HSA was also acylated with the succinimido esters of succinylSMX
      glycine and succinylSMX-epsilon-aminohexanoic acid, affording conjugates
      (succinylSMX-Gly)53-HSA and (succinylSMX-epsilon-NH2hex)51-HSA. In these
      conjugates SMX was linked by a spacer chain of 7 and 11 carbons, respectively,
      and almost all the amino groups of HSA were substituted. Factors apparently
      influencing the extent of conjugation to HSA were the stability of the active
      ester and the solubility of the conjugation reaction mixture. A sulfanilic acid
      (SA) conjugate, containing 12 mol of ligand/mol of HSA, was also prepared. The
      route of synthesis involved acylation of HSA with sulfanilyl fluoride. N-epsilon
      Sulfanilyl-L-lysine dihydrochloride, required for quantitation of bound SA, was
      synthesized by a new route starting from alpha-Boc-L-lysine. Conjugates
      (sulfanilyl)12-HSA and (succinylSMX)13-HSA, differing in molecular weight from
      HSA by only 2.6 and 6.5%, were distinguishable from HSA by gel-filtration HPLC,
      as were the more highly substituted conjugates from their respective
      unsubstituted materials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868115
TI  - A novel bifunctional metabolizable linker for the conjugation of antibodies with
      radionuclides.
AB  - A novel heterogeneous bifunctional reagent containing an ester bond, N-[[4-(2
      maleimidoethoxy)-succinyl]oxy]succinimide (MESS), was designed and synthesized
      for the conjugation of antibodies with the gallium-67 (67Ga) chelate of
      succinyldeferoxamine (SDF) via the ester bond. MESS was synthesized by the
      acylation of N-(2-hydroxyethyl)maleimide with succinic anhydride, followed by the
      activation of the resulting carboxylic acid to a succinimido ester. MESS
      possesses a maleimide group for protein conjugation and an active ester group for
      deferoxamine (DFO) coupling, and the two functional groups are linked via ester
      bonding. Conjugation of 67Ga-SDF with nonspecific human IgG was performed by
      reacting freshly thiolated IgG with the reaction product of MESS and DFO,
      followed by 67Ga labeling of the resulting conjugate using GaCl3 (67Ga-DFO-MESS
      IgG). For comparison, 67Ga-DFO conjugated nonspecific human IgG with a
      nonmetabolizable linkage was synthesized under the same conjugation conditions as
      those for 67Ga-DFO-MESS-IgG, using a nonmetabolizable heterogenous bifunctional
      reagent [N-[(6-maleimidocaproyl)oxy]succinimide, EMCS] instead of MESS (67Ga-DFO
      EMCS-IgG). HPLC size-exclusion chromatography of both preparations showed a
      single radioactivity and UV peak corresponding to the intact IgG. Generation of
      67Ga-SDF from the 67Ga-DFO-MESS-IgG was demonstrated by reverse-phase HPLC
      analysis and cellulose acetate electrophoresis after the incubation of 67Ga-DFO
      MESS-IgG in a buffered solution containing carboxyesterase. After injection of
      67Ga-DFO-MESS-IgG into mice, faster radioactivity clearance from the blood and
      less radioactivity accumulation in the liver, kidney, and spleen was noted than
      when 67Ga-DFO-EMCS-IgG was injected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868117
TI  - Analysis of an experimental cortical network: I). Architectonics of visual areas
      17 and 18 after neonatal injections of ibotenic acid; similarities with human
      microgyria.
AB  - Lesions of cortical areas 17 and 18 have been produced in newborn kittens by
      local injections of the excitotoxin ibotenic acid (ibo). Twenty-four hours after
      an injection on postnatal days 2 or 3, the gray matter of areas 17 and 18 near
      the center of the injection appears completely destroyed, with the exception of a
      one-to-two cell-thick layer at the bottom of layer I. Intact migrating neurons
      and radial glia can be found light- and electron-microscopically in the region
      affected. During the following weeks a several hundred micron thick cortex
      reforms. In the adult, this cortex consists of superficial layers I, II and III
      as proven by cytoarchitectonics, continuity with the corresponding layers of the
      normal cortex and cellular composition. We believe that the recovery is due to
      completion of migration by neurons spared by the ibo injection. More severe
      destruction of cerebral cortex, i.e. complete loss of the neuronal layers or
      their reduction to a few cell-thick mantles can be obtained with ibo injections
      at the end of the second or, respectively, first postnatal week. Severity of
      lesion also depends on the dose of ibo injected. There are interesting
      similarities between the ibo-injured cortex and two human neocortical displasias:
      microgyria and ulegyria.

PMID- 1868116
TI  - Trifunctional agents as a design strategy for tailoring ligand properties:
      irreversible inhibitors of A1 adenosine receptors.
AB  - The 1,3-phenylene diisothiocyanate conjugate of XAC (8-[4-[[[[(2
      aminoethyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]- oxy]phenyl]-1,3-dipropylxanthine, a potent A1
      selective adenosine antagonist) has been characterized as an irreversible
      inhibitor of A1 adenosine receptors. To further extend this work, a series of
      analogues were prepared containing a third substituent in the phenyl
      isothiocyanate ring, incorporated to modify the physiochemical or spectroscopic
      properties of the conjugate. Symmetrical trifunctional cross-linking reagents
      bearing two isothiocyanate groups were prepared as general intermediates for
      cross-linking functionalized congeners and receptors. Xanthine isothiocyanate
      derivatives containing hydrophilic, fluorescent, or reactive substituents, linked
      via an amide, thiourea, or methylene group in the 5-position, were synthesized
      and found to be irreversible inhibitors of A1 adenosine receptors. The effects of
      the 5-substituent on water solubility and on the A1/A2 selectivity ratio derived
      from binding assays in rat brain membranes were examined. Inhibition of binding
      of [3H]-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine and [3H] CGS21680 (2-[2-[4
      carboxyethyl)phenyl]ethyl]amino] adenosine-5'-N-ethylcarboxamide) at central A1
      and A2 adenosine receptors, respectively, was measured. A conjugate of XAC and
      1,3,5-triisothiocyanatobenzene was 894-fold selective for A1 receptors. Reporter
      groups, such as fluorescent dyes and a spin-label, were included as chain
      substituents in the irreversible binding analogues, which were designed for
      spectroscopic assays, histochemical characterization, and biochemical
      characterization of the receptor protein.

PMID- 1868118
TI  - Photoreceptor cell rescue at early and late RPE-cell transplantation periods
      during retinal disease in RCS dystrophic rats.
AB  - Normal retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were transplanted into retinas of
      Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) dystrophic rats at different stages of the
      retinal disease process. RPE-cell transplantation at 10, 17 and 26 days resulted
      in rescue of photoreceptor cells, such that at 4 months the outer nuclear layer
      (ONL) was 8-10 cells in thickness as shown in retinas of age-matched control
      rats. Of these transplantation times, day 17 appeared to affect the best rescue
      of photoreceptor cells. Nongrafted retinas of 4 month-old RCS dystrophic rats
      exhibited scattered PRC's, most prevalent in the peripheral retina. In addition,
      a small, but significant increase in the ONL thickness was detected in vehicle
      injected retinas (sham control) of 17 day-old RCS dystrophic rats at 2 months;
      however, at 3 months, the ONL thickness was reduced to control levels. A normal
      distribution of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase immunostain was demonstrated beneath grafted
      RPE cells in retinas of 4 month-old RCS dystrophic rats. Dense immunostaining was
      shown along rescued photoreceptor cell inner segments (IS), within the inner
      (IPL) and outer (OPL) plexiform layers and on plasmalemma of cell bodies in the
      inner nuclear layer (INL). In nongrafted retinas of age-matched RCS dystrophic
      rats, immunostaining for (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was observed only in the INL and IPL.
      Under RPE-cells transplants in retinas of 4 month-old RCS dystrophic rats, opsin
      immunostaining was detected along both rescued photoreceptor cell inner and outer
      (OS) segments and on plasmalemma of ONL cell bodies. However, immunostaining for
      opsin was restricted to a debris zone in nongrafted retinas of age-matched RCS
      dystrophic rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868119
TI  - Fetal transplant-induced restoration of spatial memory in rats with lesions of
      the nucleus basalis of Meynert.
AB  - Bilateral lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM) in rats produced
      mnemonic deficits when subjects were tested on tests of spatial memory over a
      period of 3 to 7.5 months postoperatively. The transplantation of cholinergic
      rich, fetal ventral forebrain tissue to either two or four frontoparietal
      cortical sites normalized performance on the spatial memory tasks. However, which
      transplant condition yielded recovery depended upon the nature of the task and/or
      posttransplantation interval. When assessed 8 months following transplant
      surgery, cortical choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activity
      levels in both transplant groups were comparable to those values found in sham
      operated animals. These data indicate that fetal transplants can reverse the
      mnemonic deficits and restore cortical cholinergic neurochemical activity to near
      normal levels in rats with nbM lesions.

PMID- 1868120
TI  - Continuing education.

PMID- 1868121
TI  - Enhancing self-care of the elderly client: practical teaching tips for ostomy
      care.

PMID- 1868122
TI  - A survey of patient perception of quality of care.

PMID- 1868123
TI  - Reflections upon the history and future of the IAET.

PMID- 1868124
TI  - A proposal for a new classification of skin barriers.

PMID- 1868125
TI  - Urinary incontinence.

PMID- 1868126
TI  - In vivo models in the study of osteopenias.
AB  - A better insight into bone pathophysiology is required for a full understanding
      of the mechanisms leading to bone loss in humans. Animal models of bone disease
      appear to be the most valuable for this purpose. Certain differences in bone
      metabolism exist between various species. Non-human primates are the most human
      compatible animal species, whereas dogs appear to be most appropriate among small
      laboratory animals. However, the high cost of studies on primates and dogs
      restricts the number of animals examined. The rat is the most frequently used
      animal. Many similarities have been observed in bone metabolism of humans and
      rats. Like humans, rats also lose bone with aging, and in some parts of the rat
      skeleton bone remodelling occurs. However, bone metabolism in rat is mainly
      characterized by growth and modelling, which makes the rat model completely
      appropriate for studies of juvenile osteopenias. Characteristics of animal models
      of osteopenias should be comprehensively investigated in order to render the
      study results completely, or with known exceptions, comparable to the
      corresponding processes in humans.

PMID- 1868127
TI  - Reference methods as a basis for accurate measuring systems.
AB  - Reference methods, as part of a reference system, are essential for improving the
      accuracy of routine methods. They can help to establish worldwide compatibility
      of clinical chemical measurements and they provide an objective basis for quality
      control measures. The subject of analytical errors is treated in detail, then the
      concept of reference methods is developed. This review emphasizes the fundamental
      metrological aspects of reference methods and reference measurement technology.
      An overview is given of the most important analytical principles used for
      reference methods in clinical chemistry. The particular problems of reference
      methods for the determination of the catalytic activity concentration of enzymes
      are outside the scope of this review.

PMID- 1868128
TI  - The development of reference methods in clinical chemistry. The contribution of
      the Community Bureau of Reference of the Commission of the European Communities.
AB  - The use of reference method procedures in clinical chemical analysis is advocated
      by many experts as the most reliable approach to obtaining accurate results. The
      performance of such procedures must, however, be rigorous. This contribution will
      emphasize the importance of interlaboratory studies for this purpose. Examples
      will be presented, taken from the work done under the BCR programme of the
      Commission of the European Communities. The determination of steroid hormones in
      serum by isotope dilution mass spectrometry and the measurement of enzyme
      catalytic activities, according to IFCC recommended methods, will be discussed.

PMID- 1868129
TI  - Reference materials--a main element in a coherent reference measurement system.
AB  - The analytical reliability of any measurement procedure requires a specifically
      designed, coherent reference measurement system, including interrelated
      measurement procedures and measurement standards such as reference materials. The
      latter may be characterized by three sets of characteristics. The general
      characteristics comprise origin, mode of production, physical state and phase,
      homogeneity, physical form, container, additives, storage conditions, stability,
      and dangerous properties. The specific characteristics describe molecular
      composition, analyte, purity, matrix, quantity of interest (including scale),
      assigned value, and uncertainty of measurement. The additional characteristics
      concern the way in which values for other characteristics were obtained, the
      hierarchical position of the material, certificate, instructions for use, and
      intended function. The problem areas of reference materials comprise definition
      of the appropriate analyte, purification, matrix, assignment of values, and
      nomenclature. The present ambiguous terminology is presented and a systematic
      structure of descriptive names is proposed (tab. 1).

PMID- 1868130
TI  - Reference materials.
AB  - This paper summarizes the practical experience gained in the Federal Republic of
      Germany in connection with the development and implementation of a national
      reference system. The National Reference System is set forth in: 1. the New
      Calibration Act 1986 (Neufassung des Eichgesetzes vom 22. Februar 1985.
      Bundesgesetzblatt 1985, Teil I, 410-422); 2. the New Weights and Measures
      Regulations 1988 (Eichordnung vom 12. August 1988. Bundesgesetzblatt 1988, Teil
      I, 1657-1674). 3. the Guidelines of the Federal Medical Association (1988) for
      Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories (Richtlinien der Bundesarztekammer zur
      Qualitatssicherung in medizinischen Laboratorien vom 16. Januar und 16. Oktober
      1987. Deutsches Arzteblatt 85 (11) (1988), A-699--A-712).

PMID- 1868131
TI  - IFCC reference methods for measurement of pH, gases and electrolytes in blood:
      reference materials.
AB  - The Scientific Division Committee on pH, Blood Gases and Electrolytes of the
      International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) produced recommendations to
      attempt to make the results of pH, blood gas and electrolyte analysis from
      different clinical chemistry laboratories internationally compatible. The aim of
      this lecture is to discuss the essential aspects of 1. the IFCC approved (1986)
      reference method for pH measurement in blood, 2. the IFCC approved (1988)
      reference method for tonometry of blood, 3. the provisionally proposed
      recommendations on the expression of results obtained with ion-selective
      electrodes for measuring sodium, potassium and calcium in serum, plasma or blood
      and 4. the reference method for the determination of ionized calcium in serum,
      plasma or blood. Also reference materials for quality control of pH, blood gas
      and electrolyte measurements are reviewed. Failures of several types of currently
      available quality control materials are discussed.

PMID- 1868132
TI  - Reference methods for the determination of sodium, potassium, pH and blood gases
      with ion-selective electrodes.
AB  - The determination of sodium and potassium in serum will be performed in the near
      future mainly by ion-selective electrodes. When the samples are highly diluted
      before measurement, a demonstrably accurate value of the electrolyte
      concentration in serum can be obtained. Accuracy control by using the pertinent
      reference methods of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is
      well established for this purpose. In undiluted samples a potential is measured
      by ion-selective electrodes, which is dependent on the relative molal activity of
      the electrolyte, from which free molal concentration can be estimated. Usually,
      the total molal concentration of e.g. sodium is about 1.5% higher than that of
      free sodium, as it includes portions bound to e.g. carbonate and proteins.
      Accuracy control is hampered, because reference methods for either relative molal
      activity or free molal concentration are not yet available. Reference method
      values for total molal concentration will differ systematically from an accurate
      value for free molal concentration. When ion-selective electrodes are calibrated
      by using "normal" sera, accuracy control can be based on the reference method of
      the NIST; but this is valid only for a very narrow, at best "normal",
      concentration range of proteins and lipids, assuming, of course, that binding is
      normal. The greater the variation of the concentration of macromolecules from
      normal (lower or higher), the greater the difference between the values obtained
      by the two methods. Calibration of ion-selective electrodes by using sera (this
      is the least desirable approach for calibration) requires the introduction of a
      new unit of measurement, which is not compatible with the rational system of
      quantities and units.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868133
TI  - Reference methods for total cholesterol and total glycerol.
AB  - In internal and external quality assessment of clinical chemical analyses, the
      use of reference method values is prescribed in the Federal Republic of Germany
      as a measure of accuracy control. In the field of lipid analyses, reference
      methods are available for measuring total cholesterol and total glycerol in
      control sera. The reference measurement procedures are based on the highly
      accurate analytical principle of isotope dilution mass spectrometry. A very
      detailed protocol that ensures a high level of reliability must be followed when
      reference measurement procedures are carried out. The introduction of reference
      methods as a basis for accuracy control has greatly limited the unacceptable use
      of inaccurate routine methods.

PMID- 1868134
TI  - Sex difference in whole-body androgen content in rats on fetal days 18 and 19
      without evidence that androgen passes from males to females.
AB  - The whole-body content of androgen (testosterone + 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone)
      was significantly higher on Fetal Days 18 and 19 in male than in female rats;
      androgen content was equivalent in the two sexes at other fetal ages, including
      Days 16, 17, 20, and 21, and prior to parturition on Fetal Day 22. These results
      partially corroborate previous data of Weisz and Ward (Endocrinology 1980;
      106:306-316), who measured testosterone in pooled plasma from rat fetuses and
      suggest that androgens contribute to masculine brain sexual differentiation only
      briefly during fetal life. No significant differences in whole-body androgen
      content were observed among groups of females situated in utero between 0, 1, or
      2 males on each side (contiguous male model) or among groups of females with 0,
      1, or 2 or more males located caudally (on the cervical side) in the same uterine
      horn, regardless of whether combined data from Fetal Days 17-22 or only Fetal
      Days 18 and 19 were considered. These results provide no evidence that androgens
      from males reach female fetuses in the same uterine horn.

PMID- 1868135
TI  - Postpubertal maturation of endogenous opioid regulation of luteinizing hormone
      secretion in the female sheep.
AB  - This study investigated whether the role of endogenous opioid peptides in the
      suppression of LH secretion during seasonal anestrus in the sheep changes with
      age. The experimental approach was to determine the effect of blockade of opioid
      receptors with naloxone on LH secretion at different times of year within the
      anestrous season, and to compare responses between seasonally anestrous sheep of
      different ages. Sheep, all past the normal age of puberty, were ovariectomized
      before the study and treated s.c. with estradiol implants to provide a fixed
      estradiol feedback signal. One-year-old females responded to naloxone with a
      rapid increase in LH pulse frequency in the early (April) and late (August)
      phases of their first anestrous season. This response was similar to that
      previously found in prepubertal female sheep. Only 5 of the 8 females responded
      to the same naloxone challenge in mid anestrus (June), suggesting that the
      contribution of opioid pathways to the inhibition of LH secretion at this time of
      year is not necessarily the same as that in early and late anestrus. None of the
      older anestrous sheep (greater than or equal to 2 yr) responded to naloxone in
      June, indicating age-related changes in the role of endogenous opioid mechanisms
      in the inhibition of LH secretion. Ovary-intact mature sheep did not respond to
      naloxone, in contrast to our previous observations in intact prepubertal females.
      We infer that the neural mechanisms underlying the superficially similar
      hypogonadotropic states that occur during the prepubertal period, first anestrous
      season, and later anestrous seasons are not identical.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1868136
TI  - Diurnal rhythmicity of norepinephrine activity associated with the estradiol
      stimulated luteinizing hormone surge: effect of age and long-term ovariectomy on
      hemispheric asymmetry.
AB  - The age-related decline in female reproductive capacity in rats is accompanied by
      an inability to respond positively to estradiol (E2) treatment. This age-related
      change is associated with a loss in diurnal rhythmicity of norepinephrine (NE)
      activity in brain areas important in the control of LH. Decreased exposure to
      ovarian secretions during adulthood delays certain aspects of neuroendocrine
      aging. We tested the hypothesis that long-term ovariectomy (OVX) would delay the
      age-related loss of diurnal rhythmicity in NE activity in microdissected
      hypothalamic nuclei. Intrigued by reports of lateralization of hypothalamic
      function, we also assayed NE activity in the left and right sides of the
      hypothalamus separately. Young (2-3 mo) and middle-aged (11-12 mo) rats that
      exhibited regular estrous cycles were OVX. One week later (Day 0) these short
      term OVX animals (Y-ST, MA-ST) plus a group of middle-aged (11-12 mo) rats that
      were OVX at 3 mo (MA-LT) were treated with E2. On Day 4, the rate constant of NE
      activity in microdissected hypothalamic nuclei was determined at 0900 h and 1500
      h using the alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine method. Rate constants were compared by t
      test to determine diurnal rhythmicity. Y-ST rats exhibited a diurnal rhythm in NE
      activity in the median eminence, which was absent in MA-ST rats. Long-term OVX
      spared animals this "age-related" loss in rhythmicity since MA-LT rats
      demonstrated a significant increase in NE activity from morning to
      afternoon.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868137
TI  - Calcium-dependent and calcium-independent gelatinolytic proteinase activities of
      the rat ventral prostate and its secretion: characterization and effect of
      castration and testosterone treatment.
AB  - Calcium-dependent and calcium-independent proteinase activities were detected in
      extracts of rat ventral prostate and its secretion by use of gelatin-containing
      SDS-PAGE zymography. Ca(2+)-independent proteinase activities of 22, 26, and 73
      79 kDa and Ca(2+)-dependent activities of 58, 63, and 66 kDa were found in the
      adult gland. The 26- (most intense activity of gland) and 22-kDa activities were
      present in secretion and were not expressed in the undifferentiated gland of the
      10-day-old animal. The Ca(2+)-dependent activities were also present in the
      secretion, where the 63-kDa form was more prominently expressed than the 58- and
      66-kDa bands. The Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent proteinase activities
      both responded to a broad range of pH values in the incubation media. The 73-79
      kDa Ca(2+)-independent activities were sensitive to benzamidine and the Ca(2+)
      dependent activities were inhibited by EDTA and EGTA. Both Ca(2+)-dependent and
      Ca(2+)-independent proteinase activities responded to androgenic manipulations.
      Castration was followed by the appearance of a 35-kDa Ca(2+)-independent
      proteinase (at 2 days) and a 43-kDa Ca(2+)-dependent proteinase (at 4 days). In
      the Ca(2+)-independent proteinase group, the 73-79-kDa activities were increased
      somewhat and the 22- and 26-kDa activities decreased after castration. The Ca(2+)
      dependent proteinases of 58, 63, and 66 kDa increased in activity with
      castration, but activity of the 58-kDa form decreased again at 7 days after
      castration. Treatment of animals upon castration for 4 days with hydrocortisone
      prevented these changes in proteinase activities whereas treatment with
      actinomycin D or tranexamic acid did not. Testosterone propionate replacement
      therapy of rats castrated for 16 days stimulated the activities of the 22- and 26
      kDa and 73-79-kDa Ca(2+)-independent and the 58- and 63-kDa Ca(2+)-dependent
      proteinases with 4 days of therapy. The activities of the 35-kDa Ca(2+)
      independent and the 43-kDa Ca(2+)-dependent proteinases were repressed with 8
      days of testosterone treatment. Thus, individual proteinases show differential
      changes in activity during development and in response to androgenic
      manipulation: this suggests that in addition to proteinases which are secreted,
      others may be involved in intracellular functions or in mediating tissue
      organization changes.

PMID- 1868138
TI  - Plasma patterns of prolactin, progesterone, and estradiol during early pregnancy
      in aging rats: relation to embryonic development.
AB  - Regularly cyclic, middle-aged female rats exhibit a decreased incidence of
      fertility, and those females that are fertile produce smaller litters. This
      decreased litter size is directly related to a reduced number of normal
      blastocysts available for implantation. Recent evidence indicates that embryonic
      abnormalities in middle-aged rats become apparent as early as Day 2 of pregnancy.
      Inasmuch as the semicircadian secretion of prolactin (PRL) is essential for the
      rescue of corpora lutea during early gestation and luteal production of
      progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) in sufficient quantities is obligatory for
      embryonic development and implantation, the present study examined the profiles
      of plasma PRL, P, and E2 during the first 3 days of pregnancy in both young and
      middle-aged rats and assessed the embryonic development in these same animals.
      Regularly cyclic, middle-aged (9-11 mo) and young (4-5 mo) rats were cannulated
      via the right jugular vein on Diestrus Day 2 and mated with fertile males on
      proestrus. The next morning, sperm in the vaginal lavage confirmed mating, and
      that day was designated Day 1 of pregnancy. Beginning at 1400 h on Day 1 and
      continuing to 2400 h on Day 2, serial blood samples were taken at 2-h intervals
      for PRL assay. In the first experiment, samples were also collected at 8-h
      intervals during Days 1-3 for measurement of plasma P.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1868139
TI  - Leukocyte supplementation increases the luteinizing hormone-induced ovulation
      rate in the in vitro-perfused rat ovary.
AB  - Ovaries from eCG-primed (20 IU s.c. on Day 28) rats were perfused from the
      morning of Day 30 of age in a recirculating system initially containing a
      buffered blood cell-free medium (M199 + 4% BSA) for periods of up to 21 h. The
      addition of ovine LH (0.1 micrograms/ml) at 0 h of perfusion resulted in
      ovulations in all 6 ovaries perfused (3.2 +/- 0.7 ovulations per treated ovary;
      mean +/- SEM), whereas none of the 6 control ovaries ovulated. Rat leukocytes (50
      x 10(6)), added at 7 h of perfusion significantly increased the number of LH
      induced ovulations (7.8 +/- 0.5; p less than 0.05). All ovulated oocytes showed
      resumption of meiosis as judged from the presence of germinal vesicle breakdown.
      Ovaries perfused with leukocytes but without LH did not ovulate. Histological
      examination of ovaries 14 h after leukocyte administration showed a considerable
      number of perifollicular extravasated white blood cells. These findings indicate
      that leukocytes participate in the normal ovulatory process as part of an
      inflammation-like reaction.

PMID- 1868140
TI  - Localization of sperm antigen SP-10 during the six stages of the cycle of the
      seminiferous epithelium in man.
AB  - The distribution of the sperm protein SP-10 was investigated in plastic-embedded
      samples of human testes by light and electron microscopy. An immunogold and
      silver enhancement technique, in conjunction with a monoclonal antibody (MHS-10)
      raised against SP-10, was used to localize the protein. SP-10 was detected in
      spermatids at each of the six stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium.
      Light microscopy showed immunoreactive material at the circumference of
      developing acrosomes in the early steps of spermiogenesis. As differentiation
      proceeded and cell shape changed from round to elongated, immunoreactive material
      appeared in an arc, which gradually became a V shape bordering the spermatid
      nucleus. The area of the immunoreactive material and its shape corresponded to
      that of the developing acrosome. At the electron microscopic level, gold
      particles indicative of the presence of SP-10 were detected on electron-dense
      material found within the developing acrosomal vesicle in early steps of
      spermiogenesis. As the electron density of the acrosome increased, a high
      concentration of gold particles was seen in the vesicle matrix. The gold
      particles gradually became associated with the inner and outer acrosomal
      membranes of the most mature spermatids.

PMID- 1868141
TI  - Mouse granulated metrial gland cells originate by local activation of uterine
      natural killer lymphocytes.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) lymphocytes were identified in the mouse uterus by
      immunostaining their surface membrane marker, LGL-1. The cells were present in
      large numbers from before mating through Day 14 of pregnancy. Double
      immunostaining indicated that uterine NK cells began to contain the pore-forming
      protein, perforin, on Day 6 of pregnancy in mesometrial decidua. Perforin is a
      probable mediator of cellular cytotoxicity found in lymphokine-activated NK and
      cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Activation of NK cells to produce perforin continued in
      mesometrial decidua on Days 8 and 10 of pregnancy and in the peripheral portion
      of metrial glands (MGs) on Days 12 and 14 of pregnancy, where cells at 3 stages
      of activation were simultaneously present: small cells with bright surface
      membrane staining of LGL-1 but no perforin (nonactivated), larger cells with
      intermediate staining of both markers (partially activated), and large cells with
      bright staining of perforin but no LGL-1 (fully activated). These observations
      indicate that activation of uterine NK cells involves loss of membrane LGL-1 as
      perforin accumulates in the cytoplasm, that the zone of activation shifts from
      mesometrial decidua to the MG on about Day 11 of pregnancy, and that nonactivated
      NK cells probably enter activation zones continuously during this period. Resting
      NK cells may enter activation zones by proliferation and/or migration from other
      regions of the uterus, rather than from blood, because depletion of circulating
      NK cells during pregnancy by treatment with NK-1.1 or asialo GM1 antibodies had
      no effect or only a small effect on the numbers of LGL-1-or perforin-positive
      cells seen in the uterus later in pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868142
TI  - Presence and role of c-myc proto-oncogene product in mammalian sperm cell
      function.
AB  - The presence and role of c-myc protein was investigated in mature sperm cells of
      the human, mouse, and rabbit. The monoclonal antibodies against c-myc protein (c
      myc) reacted with the acrosomal region of the sperm of these mammalian species in
      the indirect immunofluorescence technique. The c-myc monoclonal antibody (MCA)
      recognized c-myc protein of 62 and 64 kDa on Western blots of lithium
      diiodosalicylate-solubilized sperm preparations of these species. The c-myc MCA
      showed a dose-dependent inhibition of human sperm penetration of zona-free
      hamster eggs, inhibition of murine in vitro fertilization, and reduced in vivo
      fertilization in rabbits. There was no effect of the antibody on percent sperm
      motility, though the antibody significantly affected various motility
      characteristics such as mean and maximum amplitude of lateral head displacement
      and curvilinear velocity involved in hyperactivation phenomenon of human sperm
      cells. These results suggest that c-myc or c-myc-like protein is present in
      mature sperm cells and may have a role in sperm cell function especially in
      capacitation and/or acrosome reaction.

PMID- 1868143
TI  - In vitro DNA synthesis by isolated preantral to preovulatory follicles from the
      cyclic mouse.
AB  - In recent studies, we have shown that the smallest preantral follicles in the
      cyclic hamster increase DNA synthesis in the periovulatory period in response to
      surge levels of FSH. The current investigation was designed to determine whether
      the same phenomenon occurs in the cyclic mouse. Intact mouse follicles were
      isolated with watchmaker forceps (stages 4-6) or by enzymatic digestion (stages 1
      4) at 0900 h and 1500 h on each day of the 5-day estrous cycle. The isolated
      follicles were classified into 6 stages: stages 1 and 2: follicles with 1 and 2
      layers of granulosa cells; stage 3: follicles with 3 or more layers of granulosa
      cells and formation of theca; stages 4-6: incipient, small, and preovulatory
      antral follicles. The follicles at each stage were incubated for 3 h with
      [3H]thymidine. DNA content in stages 1-4 of follicles remained unchanged during
      the estrous cycle; for stages 5 and 6, DNA content was higher on the afternoon of
      proestrus than on other days of the cycle. Incorporation of [3H]thymidine for
      stages 1-3 (preantral follicles) started to increase at 1500 h of proestrus and
      peaked at 0900 h on estrus, whereas for stages 4-6, DNA synthesis peaked on
      proestrus (1500 h) and then fell by the morning of estrus. Thus, the rate of DNA
      replication in preantral and antral mouse follicles were different. Similarities
      and differences in folliculogenesis between mouse and hamster are discussed.
      These results suggest that DNA synthesis and the growth of all stages of
      follicles in the cyclic mouse may be associated with changing levels of
      periovulatory gonadotropins.

PMID- 1868144
TI  - The regulation of decidual prostaglandin biosynthesis by growth factors, phorbol
      esters, and calcium.
AB  - The production of prostaglandins by decidua may play a significant part in the
      mechanisms of human parturition. We have evaluated the regulation of
      prostaglandin production in human decidual cells in monolayer culture. Both
      epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha induced
      concentration-related increases in decidual prostaglandin production with
      significant changes occurring at concentrations of 1 to 10 ng/ml. Two active
      phorbol esters elicited concentration-related increases in decidual prostaglandin
      production whereas an inactive phorbol analogue was without effect. The calcium
      ionophores, ionomycin and A-23187, also stimulated prostaglandin production by
      human decidual cell cultures. Hence prostaglandin production by human decidua is
      regulated by hormones and agents in a manner similar to that of other cells
      including amnion and may play a significant part in the mechanism of parturition.

PMID- 1868145
TI  - Melatonin suppression of mammary growth in heifers.
AB  - The objective of this study was to determine if melatonin fed in the middle of a
      long day (16L:8D) reduces mammary parenchymal growth and reduces serum prolactin
      in prepubertal heifers, thereby mimicking the effects of a short photoperiod.
      Sixteen prepubertal Holstein heifers were maintained under natural May to August
      environmental conditions of Michigan plus supplemental lighting to provide a
      photoperiod of 16L:8D (lights-on 0600-2200 h). At the midpoint of each day, 8
      animals were individually fed melatonin (4 mg/100 kg body weight) and 8 were
      individually fed vehicle (95% ethanol) in 200 g of a grain concentrate mixture.
      Blood samples were collected at 1-h intervals for 25 h beginning on Day 67. On
      Day 70 or 72 heifers were slaughtered. No differences were found in body weight
      gain between melatonin- and vehicle-fed animals. Parenchyma of mammary glands
      from melatonin-fed heifers had a lower content (24%) and concentration (17%) of
      deoxyribonucleic acid but a greater concentration of triglyceride (24%) than that
      of controls. Mean serum prolactin concentration was 27% lower in melatonin-fed
      animals. In both groups, serum concentrations of prolactin varied throughout the
      day, with greatest values occurring between 1100 and 1800 h in positive
      association with changes in ambient temperature. We conclude that melatonin
      orally administered to prepubertal heifers reduced mammary parenchymal growth and
      concentration of prolactin in serum. The data support the hypothesis that
      melatonin mimics photoperiodic effects on mammary growth and prolactin secretion
      in cattle.

PMID- 1868146
TI  - Hormonal regulation of rat granulosa cell deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis:
      effects of estrogens.
AB  - Although it is widely accepted that estrogens exert a major trophic effect on
      follicular growth, their mechanism of action has not been established. We
      examined the effect of estrogen treatment in vivo or in vitro on DNA synthesis in
      rat granulosa cells cultured under defined conditions (DMEM:F12, collagen-coated
      plastic wells). Treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES) in vivo (silastic
      implants containing 5 mg DES) for at least 2 days was required to observe a
      significant stimulation of 3H-thymidine incorporation by insulin (1 microgram/ml)
      in culture. Rat thecal/interstitial cells (TI) were isolated from DES-treated
      rats and cultured under the same conditions as granulosa cells. Conditioned media
      from TI cells stimulated DNA synthesis in granulosa cell cultures (as much as
      twofold). This effect was markedly amplified by estradiol treatment (1
      microgram/ml) of the TI cell cultures. Addition of estradiol to granulosa cell
      cultures enhanced the effect of conditioned medium from nontreated TI cells.
      Conditioned medium from estradiol-treated TI cells stimulated DNA synthesis in
      granulosa cells from both DES-treated and nontreated rats. Estradiol had no
      effect when added directly to purified granulosa cell cultures but stimulated 3H
      thymidine incorporation in crude preparations of ovarian cells. The stimulatory
      effects of TI cell-conditioned medium and insulin were reflected in the final
      cell densities achieved after 9 days in culture. We conclude that the mitogenic
      actions of estrogens in the ovary involve sensitization of granulosa cells to
      locally present mitogens like insulin and a TI cell-derived growth factor.

PMID- 1868147
TI  - Colony-stimulating factor-1 blocks early pregnancy in mice.
AB  - To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the suspected immune-related pregnancy
      failures in humans, we established experimental systems to induce pregnancy
      blocking and abortion in mice. One system, based on the preimmunization of
      C57BL/6J females with a syngeneic regressor tumor, is described. Such females
      fail to develop normal gestations when mated to C57BL/6J x DBA/2 F-1 (B6D2F-1)
      males or DBA/2 males but sustain normal pregnancies when impregnated by CBA/J or
      C57BL/6 males. An investigation into the cause of these male-specific pregnancy
      failures led us to identify colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) as responsible
      for both pregnancy-block and resorption of embryos. Indeed, injection of very
      small amounts of CSF-1 into plugged females, for the first 5 days of pregnancy,
      was sufficient to block B6D2F-1-induced gestations but had no effect on CBA/J
      mated females. It also induced a high rate of fetal resorptions in the sensitive
      mating. These results suggest a novel mechanism underlying pregnancy failures: a
      mechanism based on cytokines and their effect on early embryonic development in
      certain mating combinations.

PMID- 1868148
TI  - Inhibition of the mouse sperm surface alpha-D-mannosidase inhibits sperm-egg
      binding in vitro.
AB  - In previous reports from this laboratory, we identified the presence of a novel
      alpha-D-mannosidase on the surface of rat, mouse, hamster, and human spermatozoa
      [J Cell Biol 1989; 109:1257-1267 and Biol Reprod 1990; 42:843-858]. Since it has
      been suggested that mannosyl residues on the egg zona pellucida may be important
      for sperm-egg binding, studies were undertaken to examine the potential role of
      the sperm alpha-D-mannosidase during fertilization. Incubation of mouse
      spermatozoa in the presence of increasing concentrations of the inhibitory
      sugars, alpha-methyl mannoside, alpha-methyl glucoside, D-mannose, or D-mannitol,
      resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in the number of spermatozoa bound per egg
      without a deleterious effect on sperm motility or on the sperm acrosome, and a
      dose-dependent inhibition of the sperm mannosidase activity. Galactose, however
      had no effect on sperm-egg binding or on sperm mannosidase activity. Two
      nucleotide sugars (UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-gal) were also tested and shown to reduce
      sperm-egg binding but with only a minimal effect on sperm mannosidase activity.
      In additional studies, spermatozoa incubated in the presence of a mannose
      containing oligosaccharide exhibited a dramatic reduction in sperm-egg binding
      that correlated with a similar inhibition of sperm mannosidase activity. The
      oligosaccharide substrate did not affect sperm motility or the sperm acrosome.
      These studies suggest that the sperm alpha-D-mannosidase may play an important
      role during fertilization.

PMID- 1868149
TI  - Production of progestin-stimulatory factor(s) by enriched populations of rat T
      and B lymphocytes.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated that a progestin-stimulatory factor(s) (PSF) is
      present in the supernate of concanavalin A-activated rat splenocytes. In the
      absence of FSH, PSF evokes dose-dependent increases in both progesterone and 20
      alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (20 alpha-OH-P) production by undifferentiated rat
      granulosa cells while basal estrogen production is unaffected. Because
      splenocytes are composed predominantly of T and B lymphocytes, we sought to
      determine if PSF production is restricted to one of these specific cell types. To
      accomplish this, dispersed splenocytes were prepared from the spleens of adult
      female rats. Macrophages were removed by standard adherence procedures, and
      highly enriched populations of T and B lymphocytes were obtained by negative
      selection panning utilizing monoclonal antibodies to T and B lymphocytes. Purity
      of the T- and B-cell populations (typically greater than 85-95%) was assessed by
      single-color flow cytometry. Enriched populations of T cells, B cells, or
      unseparated lymphocytes were then seeded into tissue culture flasks and
      stimulated with 2.5 micrograms/ml concanavalin A. Following a 48-h incubation at
      37 degrees C, cytokine-rich fractions were prepared from the conditioned medium
      of these cultures by ammonium sulfate fractionation. The presence of PSF was
      assessed by the ability of the resulting fractions to specifically stimulate
      progestin production by undifferentiated rat granulosa cells in vitro. Granulosa
      cells were treated with increasing doses (ranging from 0-30% v/v) of supernatants
      from cultures of T cells, B cells, or unseparated splenocytes for 48 h. Media
      were removed and progesterone, 20 alpha-OH-P, and estrogen levels were quantified
      by RIA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868150
TI  - Steroidogenesis-stimulating activity in the gonads: comparison of rat testicular
      fluid with bovine and human ovarian follicular fluids.
AB  - The steroidogenesis-stimulating activities of ovarian follicular fluid from
      bovine (bFF) and human (hFF) sources, were compared with those of adult rat
      testicular fluid (rTF) using an in vitro bioassay system based on stimulation of
      testosterone production by purified adult rat Leydig cells during a 20-h
      incubation. Rat TF and bFF were charcoal-treated to remove steroids prior to
      assay, and the major active fraction of hFF was collected after gel-permeation
      chromatography. All three fluid samples stimulated both basal and maximal hCG
      stimulated testosterone production, although the resulting log dose-response
      lines of bFF and the hFF extracts were not parallel with those of rTF. Both rTF
      and bFF were active over a similar dose range (5.2-150 microliters and 9.7-150
      microliters, respectively) and both had a more than additive interaction with hCG
      on testosterone production. The stimulatory activity of the hFF extract was
      considerably greater than that of either rTF or bFF in the absence of hCG, but
      hFF extract had only an additive effect with hCG in stimulating testosterone
      production. Moreover, unlike rTF activity, which was inhibited by co-incubation
      with the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, the activity of the hFF
      extract was not affected by cycloheximide. The factors responsible for activity
      in all three fluids were of a large molecular size (greater than 30 kDa), as
      determined by ultrafiltration or gel-permeation chromatography. However, in
      contrast to both rTF and bFF, hFF extract activity was removed by charcoal
      extraction. Human FF extract was inactivated by heat (100 degrees C, 30 min),
      whereas rTF activity was partially (70%) heat-labile and bFF was not affected by
      heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868151
TI  - Tension and instantaneous stiffness of single muscle fibers immersed in Ringer
      solution of decreased tonicity.
AB  - Isometric tension and instantaneous stiffness were measured in frog
      semitendinosus single muscle fibers in both isotonic and hypotonic Ringer
      solution. In 0.7 and 0.5 x normal Ringer tension increased 17 and 20%,
      respectively. There was no corresponding increase in the measured stiffness. The
      increase in tension in hypotonic Ringer could be reversed by the addition of an
      osmotic equivalent of sucrose to the bathing solution. These findings suggest
      that the potentiated tension observed in hypotonic Ringer is due to an increased
      tension per cross-bridge and not to an increase in the number of attached cross
      bridges.

PMID- 1868152
TI  - Reversible condensation of mast cell secretory products in vitro.
AB  - We have investigated the mechanisms responsible for the condensation and
      decondensation of secretory products that occur in mast cell secretion. We show
      here that the hydrated matrix of an exocytosed secretory granule can be
      recondensed to its original volume by exposure to acidic solutions containing
      histamine at concentrations that mimic those found in vivo. Recondensation by
      acidic histamine began in the range of 1-10 mM with a dose response curve that
      was accurately predicted by a Hill type equation with four highly cooperative
      binding sites and a half maximum concentration of [Hi++] = 3.9 mM. Recondensation
      by histamine showed a sigmoidal dependency on pH (critical range pH 5.5-6.5) and
      was fully reversible. These experiments suggest that histamine, possibly by
      binding to anionic sites in the protein-heparin complex of the granule matrix,
      triggers a change in the polymeric structures of the granule matrix from an
      extended coil to a collapsed globular state. This may be a useful model for
      understanding the condensation of secretory products into dense core granules and
      their subsequent decondensation upon exocytosis.

PMID- 1868153
TI  - Domains and anomalous adsorption isotherms of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine
      membranes and lipophilic ions: pentachlorophenolate, tetraphenylborate, and
      dipicrylamine.
AB  - Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles acquire negative surface charge on
      adsorption of negatively charged pentachlorophenolate (PCP-), and lipophilic ions
      tetraphenylborate (TPhB-), and dipicrylamine (DPA-). We have obtained (a) zeta
      potential isotherms from the measurements of electrophoretic mobility of DPPC
      vesicles as a function of concentration of the adsorbing ions at different
      temperatures (25-42 degrees C), and (b) studied the effect of PCP- on gel-to
      fluid phase transition by measuring the temperature dependence of zeta-potential
      at different PCP- concentrations. The zeta-potential isotherms of PCP- at 25, 32,
      and 34 degrees C correspond to adsorption to membrane in its gel phase. At 42
      degrees C the zeta-potential isotherm corresponds to membrane in its fluid phase.
      These isotherms are well described by a Langmuir-Stern-Grahame adsorption model
      proposed by McLaughlin and Harary (1977. Biochemistry. 15:1941-1948). The zeta
      potential isotherm at 37 degrees C does not follow the single-phase adsorption
      model. We have also observed anomalous adsorption isotherms for lipophilic ions
      TPhB- and DPA- at temperatures as low as 25 degrees C. These isotherms
      demonstrate a gel-to-fluid phase transition driven by ion adsorption to DPPC
      membrane during which the membrane changes from weakly to a strongly adsorbing
      state. The anomalous isotherm of PCP- and the temperature dependence of zeta
      potential can be described by a two-phase model based on the combination of (a)
      Langmuir-Stern-Grahame model for each phase, (b) the coexistence of gel and fluid
      domains, and (c) depression of gel-to-fluid phase transition temperature by PCP-.
      Within the anomalous region the magnitude of zeta-potential rapidly increases
      concentration of adsorbing species, which was characterized in terms of a Esin
      Markov coefficient. This effect can be exploited in membrane-based devices.
      Comments are also made on the possible effect of PCP, as an uncoupler, in energy
      transducing membranes.

PMID- 1868154
TI  - Dipole interactions in electrofusion. Contributions of membrane potential and
      effective dipole interaction pressures.
AB  - The contributions of pulse-induced dipole-dipole interaction to the total
      pressure acting normal to the membranes of closely positioned pronase treated
      human erythrocytes during electrofusion was calculated. The total pressure was
      modeled as the sum of pressures arising from membrane potential and dipole-dipole
      attraction opposed by interbilayer repulsion. The dipole-dipole interaction was
      derived from the experimentally obtained cell polarizability. The threshold
      electric field amplitude necessary for fusion of pronase-treated human
      erythrocytes was experimentally obtained at various combinations of pulse
      duration, frequency, and the conductivity of the external medium. The theoretical
      values of the critical electric field amplitude compared favorably to the
      experimentally obtained threshold field amplitudes. Fusion by dc pulses may be
      primarily attributed to attainment of sufficiently high membrane potentials.
      However, with decreasing external conductivity and increasing sinusoidal pulse
      frequency (100 kHz-2.5 MHz), the induced dipole-dipole interactions provide the
      principal driving force for membrane failure leading to fusion.

PMID- 1868155
TI  - Refinement of the main chain directed assignment strategy for the analysis of 1H
      NMR spectra of proteins.
AB  - The underlying basis of the main chain directed (MCD) resonance assignment
      strategy for the analysis of 1H NMR spectra of proteins is reexamined. The
      criteria used in the construction of the patterns used in the MCD method have
      been extended to increase the robustness of the approach to the presence of
      variable protein secondary structure and significant spectral degeneracy. These
      criteria have led to the development of several dozen patterns exclusively
      involving the short distance relationships between main chain amide NH-C alpha-H
      C beta H (NAB) J-coupled subspin systems of the amino acid residues. The MCD
      patterns have been examined for fidelity and frequency of occurrence in a
      database composed of the high resolution crystal structures of 39 proteins. The
      analysis has identified several extremely robust patterns, suitable for
      initiating a hierarchical construction of units of secondary structure based upon
      a systematic analysis of two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectra. A
      formal procedure, suitable for the computer assisted application of the MCD
      strategy, is developed. This procedure, termed MCDPAT, has been applied to the
      analysis of the crystal structures of human ubiquitin, T4 lysozyme, and
      ribonuclease A. It has been found that the MCDPAT procedure is conservative
      producing no significant errors and is globally successful in correctly
      identifying the appropriate units of secondary structure contained in these three
      proteins.

PMID- 1868156
TI  - Implementation of the main chain directed assignment strategy. Computer assisted
      approach.
AB  - A computer-assisted procedure has been developed to apply the main chain directed
      (MCD) assignment strategy to the analysis of 1H NMR spectra of proteins. The
      underlying mathematical foundation of this procedure, termed MCDPAT, is
      presented. MCDPAT is based upon the expanded library of MCD patterns defined
      previously (A.J. Wand and S.J. Nelson. 1991. Biophys. J. 59:1101-1112), and has
      been evaluated with both simulated and experimental data from the protein
      ubiquitin. The influence of the precision, spectral variation, and inherent
      degeneracy upon the design of the procedure is explored. Several approaches have
      been taken to overcome the uncertainty introduced by these variables. These
      include a hierarchical approach to both primary pattern recognition and
      subsequent construction of MCD-defined units of secondary structure. It is shown
      that the MCDPAT procedure, in conjunction with automated statistically based
      spectral analysis, leads to the successful MCD assignment of the protein
      ubiquitin. The implications and limitations of this approach are discussed.

PMID- 1868158
TI  - Effect of basic oligopeptides on the B-Z transition of poly(dG-dC). poly(dG-dC)
      in water-methanol solutions.
AB  - The effect of basic oligopeptides (Lys-Ala-Ala)n (n = 1-5, 10) and (Lys-Leu-Ala)n
      (n = 1-4) on the B-Z transition of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) in water-methanol
      solutions was investigated using CD and uv spectroscopy. In the absence of
      peptides, the concentration of methanol at the midpoint of the B-Z transition is
      64% at 25 degrees C. The transition is temperature dependent and the B
      conformation is preferred at higher temperatures. All peptides tested shift the
      midpoint of the B-Z transition to lower concentrations of methanol. For shorter
      peptides this effect increases with an increasing number of monomeric units,
      showing the importance of the number of positive charges in the peptide molecule.
      Al conditions of low methanol content, the trimer and tetramer of the (Lys-Leu
      Ala)n series have a greater effect on the B-Z transition than the corresponding
      oligomers of the (Lys-Ala-Ala)n series. This indicates an important influence of
      the presence of hydrophobic groups in the peptide side chains on the binding. In
      the presence of peptides, the B-Z transition is also temperature dependent and
      the B conformation is preferred at higher temperatures. The addition of peptides
      results in an increase of the transition midpoint and of the transition width.
      These parameters were used for the calculation of the transition enthalpy delta
      HB-Z in 65% methanol, which is -1.15 +/- 0.25 kcal/base pair. Since the van't
      Hoff enthalpy delta HVH calculated from the temperature dependence of the B-Z
      transition in the absence of peptides is -130 kcal/mol, the length of the
      cooperative unit is about 110 base pairs. The results suggest that the mechanism
      of Z-DNA induction is similar but not identical with that involved in the action
      of metal cations in aqueous solution.

PMID- 1868157
TI  - Restoring forces in cardiac myocytes. Insight from relaxations induced by
      photolysis of caged ATP.
AB  - Concentration jumps of intracellular ATP were produced by photolysis of P3-1-(2
      nitrophenyl)ethyl (NPE)-caged ATP and were used to investigate the passive
      relengthening properties in unloaded cardiac myocytes. Patch-clamp pipettes in
      the whole-cell mode were used to voltage-clamp the myocytes and to load the cells
      with caged ATP while optical methods were applied to record sarcomere length or
      cell length simultaneously. Cell length was varied using energy deprivation
      contractures while intracellular Ca2+ was controlled with EGTA. At sarcomere
      lengths between 1.8 and 1.4 microns cellular relengthening after photolysis of
      caged ATP was rapid (t1/2 approximately 100 ms) and could be well described by a
      simple mechanical model. However, ATP jumps made at sarcomere lengths
      approximately 1.1 microns led to slow relengthening (t1/2 approximately seconds),
      comparable to the slow reextensions observed in skinned myocytes after bulk
      solution changes. We attribute the slow and incomplete relengthening of intact
      and skinned myocytes after severe rigor shortening to deformation and alteration
      of structural elements inside the cell. Relengthening from intermediate sarcomere
      lengths in intact cells is elastic and provides information about the underlying
      relengthening forces inside the cell. The data do not support the presence of a
      significant discontinuity in elastic modulus at a sarcomere length of
      approximately 1.6 microns expected from ultrastructural features of the
      sarcomeres and from observations in skinned myocytes. Our results suggest that
      the cell length measurements usually performed in this preparation provide an
      adequate description of the force produced by the unloaded cell in the steady
      state. The results also provide a way to estimate the error arising from viscous
      forces during rapid shortening.

PMID- 1868159
TI  - Molecular dynamics simulations of small peptides: dependence on dielectric model
      and pH.
AB  - There has been much interest recently in the structure of small peptides in
      solution. A recent study by Bradley and co-workers [(1989) in Techniques of
      Protein Chemistry, Hugli, T.E., Ed., Academic Press, Orlando, FL, pp. 531-546;
      (1990) Journal of Molecular Biology, 215, pp. 607-622] describes a 17-residue
      peptide that is stable as a monomeric helix in aqueous solution at low pH, as
      determined by two-dimensional nmr and CD spectroscopy. They also have determined
      the helix content of the peptide as a function of pH using CD. We performed
      molecular dynamics simulations, with an empirical force field, of this peptide at
      low pH, with three different dielectric models: a linear distance-dependent
      dielectric function (epsilon = R); a modified form [J. Ramstein and R. Lavery
      (1988) Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, Vol. 85, pp. 7231
      7235] of the sigmoidal distance-dependent dielectric function of Hingerty and co
      workers [(1985) Biopolymers, Vol. 24, pp. 427-439]; and epsilon = 1 with the
      peptide immersed in a bath of water molecules. We found that simulations with the
      sigmoidal dielectric function and the model with explicit water molecules
      resulted in average distances for particular interactions that were consistent
      with the experimental nmr results, with the sigmoidal function best representing
      the data. However, these models exhibited very different helix-stabilizing
      interactions. We also performed simulations using the sigmoidal function at
      moderate and high pH to compare to experimental determinations of the pH
      dependence of helix content. Helix content did not decrease with increases in pH,
      as shown experimentally. We did, however, observe changes in a specific side
      chain-helix dipole interaction that was implicated in determining the pH
      dependent behavior of this peptide. Overall, the sigmoidal dielectric function
      was a reasonable alternative to adding explicit water molecules. In comparing 100
      ps molecular dynamics simulations, the sigmoidal function was much less computer
      intensive and sampled more of conformational space than the treatment using
      explicit water molecules. Sampling is especially important for this system since
      the peptide has been shown experimentally to populate both helical and nonhelical
      conformations.

PMID- 1868160
TI  - The electrostatically driven Monte Carlo method: application to conformational
      analysis of decaglycine.
AB  - The Electrostatically Driven Monte Carlo (EDMC) method was applied in a study of
      a decamer of glycine whose conformational behavior is described by the Empirical
      Conformational Energy Program for Peptides (ECEPP/2) potential energy model. When
      free neutral end groups were used, it was found that conformations that were not
      alpha-helical had significantly lower potential energies than fully alpha-helical
      ones. However, when the N- and C-termini were blocked by acetyl and methyl amide
      groups, respectively, the number of unsatisfied hydrogen-bond donors and
      acceptors at the helix termini was diminished from 8 to 6; in this case, the
      possibility of forming two additional alpha-helical hydrogen bonds was an
      important enough factor in making the alpha-helical conformation the one with the
      lowest energy. The EDMC method was used as a global energy optimizer since it
      does not often become trapped in high-energy local minima.

PMID- 1868161
TI  - 1H- and 31P-NMR studies of ditercalinium binding to a d(GCGC)2 and d(CCTATAGG)2
      minihelices: a sequence specificity study.
AB  - The structures of the complexes formed in aqueous solution between ditercalinium,
      a bis-intercalating drug, and both the self-complementary tetranucleotide
      d(GCGC)2 and octanucleotide d(CCTATAGG)2, have been investigated by 400-MHz 1H
      nmr and 162-MHz 31P-nmr. All the nonexchangeable protons, as well as the
      exchangeable imino protons and the phosphorus signals, have been assigned. Both
      oligonucleotides have been shown to adopt a right-handed B-DNA type structure.
      The addition of ditercalinium to the oligonucleotides lead to the formation of
      complexes in slow exchange at the nmr time scale with the free helices. At all
      drug-to-helix ratios studied, the ditercalinium was found in the bound form,
      whereas free and complexed oligonucleotides were in slow exchange, allowing
      resonance assignments through two-dimensional chemical exchange experiments. for
      d(GCGC)2 the strong upfield shifts induced on all aromatic protons of both the
      bases and the drug by complexation with ditercalinium suggest an interaction by
      intercalation of the two rings. However, the loss of twofold symmetry upon
      binding, as well as the chemical shift variation of the drug proton signals of
      one of the chromophores with temperature and concentration, favor a model in
      which the drug-nucleotide complexes have one ring of the drug intercalated and
      the other stacked on top of the external base pair. The intermolecular contacts
      between drug protons and nucleotide protons give a defined geometry for
      complexation that is consistent with the proposed model. In contrast, with
      d(CCTATAGG)2 several drug-nucleotide complexes were formed and a large increase
      in line broadening was observed at high drug-to-DNA ratios, precluding a detailed
      analysis of these complexes. However, the large upfield shift in the imino proton
      resonances together with the shielding of the ditercalinium ring protons favor a
      model with bis-intercalation of ditercalinium. This model is supported by the
      downfield shift of at least 4 out of 14 phosphorus signals. The results are
      compared with those obtained on ditercalinium binding to the homologous sequences
      d(CGCG)2 and d(TTCGCGAA)2, and discussed in terms of sequence specificity.

PMID- 1868162
TI  - Observation of preferred direction melting in a lattice model of poly(dA
      dC).poly(dG-dT).

PMID- 1868163
TI  - Differential scanning calorimetry studies of NaCl effect on the inverse
      temperature transition of some elastin-based polytetra-, polypenta-, and
      polynonapeptides.
AB  - Differential scanning calorimetry studies of the effect of NaCl on protein-based
      polymer self-assembly has been carried out on six elastin-based synthetic
      sequential polypeptides--i.e., the polypentapeptide (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4
      Gly5)n and its more hydrophobic analogues (L-Leu1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5)n and
      (L-Val1-L-Pro2-L-Ala3-L-Val4-Gly5)n; the polytetrapeptide (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3
      Gly4)n and its more hydrophobic analogue (L-Ile1-L-Pro2-Gly3-Gly4)n; and the
      polynonapeptide (a pentatetra hybrid), (L-Val1-L-Pro2-Gly3-L-Val4-Gly5-L-Val6-L
      Pro7-Gly8-Gly9++ +)n. Previous physical characterizations of the
      polypentapeptides have demonstrated the occurrence of an inverse temperature
      transition since increase in order of the polypentapeptide, as the temperature is
      raised from below to above that of the transition, has been repeatedly observed
      using different physical characterizations. In the present experiments, it is
      observed that the transition temperatures of the polypeptides studied are
      linearly dependent on NaCl concentration. The molar effectiveness of NaCl in
      shifting the transition temperature delta Tm/[N], is about 14 degrees C/[N], with
      the dependence on peptide hydrophobicity being fairly small. Interestingly,
      however, the delta delta Q/[N] does depend on the hydrophobicity of a
      polypeptide.

PMID- 1868164
TI  - A scanning calorimetric study of the thermally induced unfolding of various forms
      of tropomyosin.
AB  - The reversible thermally induced unfolding of various forms of tropomyosin, a two
      chain alpha-helical coiled coil, has been studied by high-sensitivity
      differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Included in the study are the reduced
      and oxidized (disulfide cross-linked) forms of alpha alpha- and beta beta
      tropomyosin, and the forms of alpha alpha-tropomyosin in which all sulfhydryl
      groups have been blocked by carboxymethylation or carboxyamidomethylation.
      Oxidation or blocking of the sulfhydryl groups of tropomyosin strongly affect the
      thermotropic behavior of the protein in unpredictable ways. The empirical results
      presented here are in qualitative agreement with those from an earlier DSC study
      of the oxidized and carboxymethylated forms of alpha alpha-tropomyosin [S.A.
      Potekhin and P.L. Privalov (1982) Journal of Molecular Biology, Vol. 159, pp. 519
      535], but we find that a different decomposition into subtransitions is possible.
      Comparison of the alpha alpha and beta beta species indicates, in agreement with
      extant CD studies, that the noncross-linked beta beta species is somewhat less
      stable than its alpha alpha counterpart, but that cross-linking enhances the
      stability of the beta beta doubly cross-linked species by a greater amount and
      does not lead to the small low-temperature transition ("pretransition") seen in
      the singly cross-linked alpha alpha species.

PMID- 1868165
TI  - Local structures in unfolded lysozyme and correlation with secondary structures
      in the native conformation: helix-forming or -breaking propensity of peptide
      segments.
AB  - CD spectra of reduced and S-3-(trimethylated amino) propylated lysozyme (TMAP
      lysozyme) have been measured in various solutions containing guanidine
      hydrochloride or trifluoroethanol (TFE). The CD spectra indicate that there
      remain residual secondary structures in protein in aqueous solution. The addition
      of TFE further promotes the formation of secondary structures. In order to
      examine whether secondary structures are evenly induced over all the polypeptide
      chain, or locally at particular segments, the limited proteolysis of TMAP
      lysozyme by trypsin has been performed, and the CD spectra of all the final and
      intermediate products have been observed in solutions containing TFE. As a
      result, the fragments vary in a helix-forming propensity. The CD spectra of
      peptide fragments T5, T7, T9T10, T12T13, T14T15T16, and T17T18 are not
      significantly affected by the addition of TFE, where T refers to the nomenclature
      of R.E. Canfield [(1963), Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 238, pp. 2691
      2697]. They are fragments of a helix-breaking propensity. On the other hand,
      fragment I2 composed of T1-T4, and fragments T6T7, T8, and T11, attain secondary
      structures with the addition of TFE. They are fragments of a helix-forming
      propensity. Further, it is found that the fragments of a helix-forming propensity
      just correspond to the helical segments in native lysozyme. We examine the
      interactions between neighboring fragments, which contribute to the stabilization
      of local structures along the polypeptide chain.

PMID- 1868166
TI  - Oligopurine.oligopyrimidine tracts do not have the same conformation as analogous
      polypurine.polypyrimidines.
AB  - The ability of tracts of synthetic oligopurine.oligopyrimidines containing both
      adenosine and guanosine residues to approach the conformation of analogous
      polypurine.polypyrimidines has been examined as a function of tract length by CD
      spectroscopy. Tracts of up to 19 contiguous, alternating dA and dG residues yield
      CD spectra that are distinctly different from that of the analogous alternating
      polymer. Thus the structural changes reflected in the unusual CD spectrum of
      poly[d(AG)].poly[d(CT)] must require even longer tract lengths. Tracts of
      contiguous adenosines flanked by guanosine residues were seen to approach the CD
      spectrum of poly[dA].poly[dT] quite slowly as a function of tract length,
      requiring more than 24 contiguous adenosines to give CD spectra similar to the
      homopolymer. These results lead us to the conclusion that oligopurine tracts in
      vivo are not well modeled by synthetic polypurine.polypyrimidines with one or two
      base pair repeating units.

PMID- 1868167
TI  - Thermodynamics of drug-DNA interactions: entropy-driven intercalation and
      enthalpy-driven outside binding in the ellipticine series.
AB  - Viscosimetric and kinetic results allow one to characterize three modes of DNA
      binding in the ellipticine series: (1) Ellipticine and its 9 methoxy derivative,
      which present maximal DNA lengthening properties and bind DNA through a single
      step mechanism, can be considered as pure intercalators. (2) Ellipticinium
      derivatives and short-chain substituted oxazolopyridocarbazoles, which present
      intermediate DNA lengthening properties, bind DNA through a two-step mechanism,
      one being intercalation. (3) Long-chain substituted oxazolopyridocarbazole
      derivatives, which display the smallest DNA lengthening properties, bind DNA
      through a single-step mechanism, probably resulting from an outside binding mode.
      The viscosimetric and kinetic results are compared with the thermodynamic results
      obtained from the temperature dependence of the binding constants. It appears
      that drugs binding on the outside of the DNA double helix tend to have large
      enthalpy and small entropy contributions, whereas pure intercalating drugs have
      contributions from both enthalpy and entropy, with entropy dominating by about
      2:1. Drugs showing two binding modes exhibit a continuum between the
      aforementioned extremes, with no breaks in behavior. From this comparison, a
      correlation between thermodynamic data and DNA binding modes is proposed.
      Possible molecular implications of both enthalpy and entropy to DNA binding free
      energy are discussed.

PMID- 1868168
TI  - Effects of proline ring conformation on theoretical pi-pi* absorption and CD
      spectra of helical poly(L-proline) forms I and II.
AB  - Absorption and CD spectra of the pi-pi* transition near 200 nm are calculated for
      helical (Pro)10 forms I and II with a variable proline ring conformation
      characterized by torsion angle chi 2 in the range -60 degrees to 60 degrees. The
      spectra for poly(Pro) I are not sufficiently sensitive to chi 2 to suggest a
      preferred ring conformation. The spectra for poly(Pro) II are more sensitive to
      chi 2, and suggest preferred ring conformations near either or both of the chi 2
      regions -50 +/- 10 degrees and 50 +/- 10 degrees.

PMID- 1868169
TI  - Dynamic light scattering from weakly bending rods: estimation of the dynamic
      bending rigidity of the M13 virus.
AB  - A theory is presented for the dynamic structure factor [S(K,t]) of weakly bending
      rods. This treatment is based on a discrete bead model for the Brownian dynamics
      in which all bead motions associated with bending are constrained to occur in a
      plane perpendicular to the end-to-end vector, thus prohibiting extension or
      contraction along that axis. Preset hydrodynamic interactions are incorporated in
      a numerically exact manner. The predicted normalized dynamic structure factor
      S(K,t)/S(K,0) should be valid for short times t such that the rms rotation of the
      end-to-end vector around any transverse axis is much less than 1.0 radian. With
      geometrical parameters appropriate for the M13 virus, the intensity
      autocorrelation function G(2) (K,t) = 1 + magnitude of S(K,t)/S(K,0)2 is
      calculated over a range of times and scattering vectors K for selected values of
      the persistence length P. The calculated G(2) (K,t) are fitted to a single
      exponential with unit baseline over the same range of times as the experimental
      photon correlation functions, and the apparent diffusion coefficients Dapp (K)
      are obtained from the best-fit relaxation times. For the sake of completeness, an
      exact expression is derived for the apparent diffusion coefficient obtained from
      the initial slope of the dynamic structure factor. However, this does not reduce
      to the known correct result in the rigid rod limit. To obtain the correct result,
      the limit of infinite bending rigidity must be taken before the limit of zero
      time. For this and other reasons, the initial slope value of Dapp (K) is not
      useful for weakly bending rods. Photon correlation functions are measured for the
      M13 virus, which is virtually identical to the often-studied fd virus. The
      experimental photon correlation functions are fitted over 8 relaxation times to a
      single-exponential plus baseline, and the Dapp (K) are calculated from the best
      fit relaxation times. Theoretical curves of Dapp (K) vs K2 for selected values of
      P are compared with the experimental data, which are satisfactorily reproduced
      when P = 22000 +/- 2000 A. This dynamic value is close to the static value, P =
      20000 +/- 2000 A, reported for the very similar fd virus. The most recent
      theories of Maeda and Fujime and their dynamic light scattering studies of fd
      virus are compared with the present results in some detail. Their optimum value
      of P is in surprisingly good agreement with the present value.

PMID- 1868170
TI  - Theoretical CD studies of polypeptide helices: examination of important
      electronic and geometric factors.
AB  - An improved model for calculating the CD of polypeptides has been developed.
      Excited state wavefunctions were derived from CNDO/S (complete neglect of
      differential overlap, spectroscopic) calculations on N-methylacetamide. Four
      discrete peptide-localized transitions were employed: pi 0 pi* (NV1), pi* + pi*
      (NV2), n pi*, and n' pi*. Inclusion of the pi + pi transition (lambda 0 = 140 nm)
      significantly improves the accuracy of the calculated CD spectra in the 180-250
      nm region. Spectra were computed for various helical structures, including right
      handed alpha-, alpha II-, omega-, pi-, 3(10-), and poly (proline) I-helices, and
      the left-handed poly (proline) II-helix. Sensitivity to changes in the peptide
      backbone geometry and chain length are examined. Electronic factors such as
      ground-state charge distribution, hybridization effects, and basis set
      deorthogonalization have been investigated. The nonconservative nature of the
      poly (Pro) I and II CD spectra is reproduced, and the helix band present in
      earlier exciton calculations on the alpha-helix has been diminished.

PMID- 1868171
TI  - Nyctohemeral rhythmicity of type II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase activity in the
      pineal gland but not in the Harderian gland of the Swiss mouse.
AB  - Type II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (5'-D) activity in both pineal and Harderian
      glands of the Swiss mouse was studied. Pineal 5'-D activity exhibited a
      nyctohemeral profile with a maximal peak value at 05.00 h, which coincides with
      that for pineal melatonin production. However, no rhythm of 5'-D activity in the
      Harderian gland could be found. In pineal gland, light at night inhibited the
      nocturnal increase in 5'-D activity, while isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic
      agonist, could not stimulate the enzyme. In the Harderian gland, neither
      darkness, nor light or night, or isoproterenol were capable of modifying basal
      values of 5'-D activity.

PMID- 1868172
TI  - Identification of a mammalian growth factor as a ribofolate peptide.
AB  - Thymocyte growth peptide (TGP) promotes DNA synthesis of immature thymocytes. TGP
      has been purified from sheep, human and calf thymus and recently characterized as
      an N-terminally blocked nonapeptide. Evidence is presented here that the blocking
      moiety consists of a formylpteroyl group bound to the N-terminal glutamyl residue
      of the nonapeptide. The pterin part of the TGP molecule has a ribityl substituent
      in analogy with riboflavin, which explains the pronounced hydrophilic property of
      TGP in contrast to unsubstituted and unconjugated folates. The compound can be
      classified as a ribofolate peptide, a novel class of growth factor. Zn2+
      counteracts degradation of the molecule and is required for full biological
      activity; mass spectrometric data confirm that native TGP contains zinc.

PMID- 1868173
TI  - L-alanine transport in isolated cells of interscapular brown adipose tissue in
      rat.
AB  - The pattern of L-alanine uptake in isolated cells of interscapular brown adipose
      tissue has been determined. The uptake can be divided into the diffusion
      component (Kd = 0.55 min-1) and a saturable Na(+)-dependent transport (KM = 0.87
      mM and Vmax = 155 nmol/min/10(6) cells). The saturable component can be
      subdivided into MeAIB-sensitive (KM = 1.63 mM and Vmax = 162 nmol/min/10(6)
      cells) and MeAIB-insensitive (KM = 3.2 mM and Vmax = 39.5 nmol/min/10(6) cells).
      This kinetic pattern could indicate the presence of transport system (s) that
      resemble the commonly described transport systems for alanine uptake in several
      tissues.

PMID- 1868174
TI  - Starvation is associated with changes in the elemental composition of the
      pancreatic beta-cell.
AB  - By using the proton microprobe technique we have investigated the elemental
      composition of both pancreatic beta-cells and exocrine pancreas from fed and 24 h
      or 48 h starved obese hyperglycemic mice. Among the 15 elements measured in the
      beta-cells both Ca and Fe increased while Mg and S decreased significantly after
      24 h of starvation, the effects being more pronounced after 48 h. When animals
      were starved for 48 h there was a decrease in the contents of Cl, Rb and Cu,
      whereas that of Al and Mn increased with 152 and 55%, respectively. There was an
      initial decrease in Na after 24 h of starvation, which was followed by an
      increase after 48 h. This is in contrast to Cd, which first increased and then
      decreased to a value lower than that obtained in the fed animal. The content of K
      showed a small decrease and that of Pb showed an increase only in the 24 h
      starved group. In the beta-cells the contents of Zn and P did not change
      subsequent to starvation. In the exocrine pancreas Na, Cl and P decreased after
      24 h of starvation and except for Na, the decrease was maintained when the
      starvation period was increased to 48 h. After 24 h there was a significant,
      though transient, increase in K, Mg and Rb. With regard to the contents of Zn, Cu
      and S there was a progressive decrease as the starvation continued. In contrast
      to the endocrine pancreas the content of Al in the exocrine pancreas did not
      change after 48 h of starvation. There was no change in islet insulin content
      subsequent to starvation. The extent to which the observed changes in beta-cell
      elemental composition is involved in the impaired insulin release associated with
      starvation, merits further investigations.

PMID- 1868175
TI  - Differences in L-alanine uptake by livers of Wistar and lean Zucker rats.
AB  - The L-alanine uptake by livers of Wistar and lean Zucker rats has been studied.
      The hepatic uptake and fractional extraction rates of alanine were estimated in
      50-55 day old rats. No significant differences in amino acid concentrations and
      blood flows in afferent and efferent liver vessels were seen in lean Zucker rats
      when compared with Wistar rats. However, the hepatic uptake (1.6 +/- 0.1 and 0.7
      +/- 0.1 mumol/min/100 g bw, p less than 0.01) and the fractional extraction (26.8
      +/- 2.1 and 15.2 +/- 3.1%, p less than 0.05) were much lower in Zucker than in
      Wistar rats. The hepatic active transport of L-alanine was determined in vitro
      using isolated plasma membrane vesicles. Vesicles isolated from livers of lean
      Zucker rats showed similar values of Km (2.5 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.0 +/- 0.5 mM for
      Wistar and Zucker respectively, N.S.), but lower values of Vmax when compared
      with Wistar rats (1.1 +/- 0.1 vs 0.6 +/- 0.005 nmol/mg prot 5 s, p less than
      0.01, for Wistar and lean Zucker rats respectively). These results indicate that,
      the liver of lean Zucker rats concentrates alanine less efficiently than the
      liver of Wistar rats. This fact correlates well with a lower capacity of the
      Na(+)-dependent L-alanine transport in liver plasma membrane vesicles from lean
      Zucker rats.

PMID- 1868176
TI  - Amino acid composition of human liver mitochondrial membranes in normal and
      pathological conditions.
AB  - The amino acid composition of proteins from liver mitochondrial membranes has
      been studied in patients with normal liver, with biliary diseases and fatty
      liver, with obstructive jaundice or liver cirrhosis. A characteristic pattern of
      the amino acid composition in patients with normal liver has been found. In the
      mitochondrial membranes of patients with fatty liver tryptophan and lysine were
      decreased while [aspartic acid plus asparagine] and [glutamic acid plus
      glutamine] were increased compared to their counterpart in the normal liver. In
      patients with obstructive jaundice of short duration (less than two months) only
      a slight decrease in methionine content was found, while in the case of liver
      cirrhosis amino acid composition was markedly changed.

PMID- 1868177
TI  - Vascular anesthesia: recognized at last.

PMID- 1868178
TI  - Humoral factors and hemodynamics during cross-clamping of the thoracic aorta.
AB  - The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that vasoactive compounds
      produced in the ischemic part of the body below an occluded aorta are responsible
      for the hemodynamic changes observed during cross-clamping of the thoracic aorta.
      The experiments were performed on 32 rabbits anesthetized with halothane that
      underwent experiments with cross-circulation; the blood from the inferior caval
      veins of rabbits A was pumped into the inferior caval veins of rabbits B.
      Simultaneously, exactly the same amount of blood was pumped from the jugular vein
      of rabbits B into the jugular vein of rabbits A. The aorta and inferior vena cava
      were exposed and then simultaneously cross-clamped directly below the diaphragm.
      The cross-clamping of the aorta and inferior vena cava in rabbits A was
      associated with a 29% to 44% increase in mean arterial pressure in rabbits B. The
      experiments support the hypothesis and suggest that endogenously produced humoral
      factors are responsible for at least one third to one half of the arterial
      hypertension that usually develops during aortic cross-clamping.

PMID- 1868179
TI  - Accidental hyperperfusion of the left carotid artery during CPB.

PMID- 1868180
TI  - Intraoperative left endobronchial tube positioning.

PMID- 1868181
TI  - Hemodynamic alterations and regional myocardial blood flow during supraceliac
      aortic occlusion in dogs with a critical coronary stenosis.
AB  - The hemodynamic consequences and myocardial blood flow alterations associated
      with cross-clamping of the thoracic aorta were studied during pentobarbital
      (control), halothane (1 MAC), and isoflurane (1 MAC) anesthesia in dogs with a
      critical stenosis of the left circumflex coronary artery. Aortic clamping at the
      level of the diaphragm resulted in significant and equivalent increases in mean
      aortic pressure and left atrial pressure during the control clamp, halothane
      clamp, and isoflurane clamp periods. Likewise, aortic clamping resulted in a
      significant and equivalent decrease in cardiac output during control-clamp,
      halothane clamp, and isoflurane clamp. Myocardial contractility as assessed by
      dP/dt was depressed during halothane and isoflurane anesthesia when compared with
      control, but no further change in contractility was associated with aortic
      clamping. No significant alterations in regional or transmural myocardial blood
      flow were found with halothane or isoflurane anesthesia, or with aortic clamping
      during halothane or isoflurane anesthesia. It is concluded that there are
      significant hemodynamic consequences associated with aortic clamping, that
      neither halothane nor isoflurane anesthesia alters these consequences when
      compared with pentobarbital anesthesia alone, and that the deterioration in
      myocardial function observed during aortic clamping with halothane and isoflurane
      anesthesia cannot be attributed to any maldistribution of myocardial blood flow.

PMID- 1868182
TI  - New applications of two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in cardiac
      surgery.
AB  - This article describes new applications of two-dimensional transesophageal
      echocardiography (2D-TEE), including (1) detection of pleural fluid (PF) and
      atelectasis (AT), and (2) evaluation of various cannulation techniques. The left
      and right pleural spaces were visualized by rotating the probe counterclockwise
      and clockwise, respectively, from the four-chamber view. PF was depicted as a
      crescent-shaped echo-free space, enclosed by the lung and posterior chest wall on
      both sides. AT was often accompanied by PF and was depicted as a less echogenic
      area in the lung parenchyma. During removal of PF, the echo-free space gradually
      decreased in size to the point of disappearing completely, while the lung
      parenchyma expanded and became more echogenic. TEE was advantageous in detecting
      PF and AT located in the most dorsal parts of the pleural space and lung
      parenchyma. The aorta acted as an acoustic window on the left side. TEE was found
      useful in evaluating the cannulae position of the intraaortic balloon pump (IABP)
      and ventricular assist device (VAD), and femoral cannulae for cardiopulmonary
      bypass (CPB). During use of the IABP, the chamber and shaft were visualized
      clearly and both malposition of the catheter tip and malfunction of the balloon
      were easily detected. For VAD, TEE readily showed the collapse of the ventricular
      cavity due to excessive drainage of blood from the left ventricle, as well as the
      favorable result of immediate reduction of flow rate. For femorofemoral
      extracorporeal bypass, TEE detected improper position of the venous cannula.
      These new applications of TEE can be performed with minimal manipulation of the
      probe, enabling early detection of the problems and initiating timely and
      appropriate therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868183
TI  - Left ventricular ejection fraction: single-plane and multiplanar transesophageal
      echocardiography versus equilibrium gated-pool scintigraphy.
AB  - The relative accuracy and precision of estimating left ventricular ejection
      fraction (EF) in dogs were assessed by two-dimensional transesophageal
      echocardiography (2D-TEE) and by three-dimensional transesophageal
      echocardiographic (3D-TEE) imaging and reconstruction. This assessment was
      accomplished by comparing each echocardiographic method to a gated equilibrium
      blood pool radionuclide (RN) standard. By using both correlation and regression
      analysis, 2D-TEE performed reasonably well in estimating RNEF (correlation
      coefficient [r] = 0.80, slope = 1.01, intercept = 6.37, standard error of the
      estimate [SEE], 8.98), but not as well as 3D-TEE (r = 0.86, slope = 0.83,
      intercept = 3.38, SEE, 5.74). Using Altman and Bland's methods of comparison
      analysis, it was found that 2D-TEE overestimated RNEF by 7% (standard deviation
      [SD], 8.8). This degree of overestimation was not consistent across the range of
      measurement. In contrast, 3D-TEE slightly underestimated RNEF by less than 3% and
      showed less variability (SD, 6.0). The accuracy of the 3D-TEE determinations was
      not dependent on the magnitude of EF. Additionally, a significantly higher
      proportion of the 2D-TEE measurements (0.30) compared with the 3D-TEE
      measurements (0.10) differed from RN values by more than 10% (P = 0.009,
      McNemar's test). At the clinically important low end of the EF range (RNEF less
      than or equal to 35%), 2D-TEE may be expected (with 95% confidence) to be within 
      15% to +28% EF of reference values, whereas 3D-TEE can be expected to be within 
      8% to +5% EF relative to RN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868184
TI  - Transcutaneous pacing in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting:
      effect of previous cardiac surgery.
AB  - Temporary transcutaneous pacing thresholds were measured in 10 patients
      undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations and 10
      patients having reoperative CABG operations 7 months to 14 years after their
      previous cardiac surgery. All surgeries were performed via median sternotomy.
      After anesthetic induction using either fentanyl or sufentanil in combination
      with enflurane, the pacing stimulation thresholds were determined. There was no
      significant difference (P less than 0.05) between the pacing thresholds of the
      reoperative group and the primary procedure group (78.2 +/- 6.2 v 79.2 +/- 4.8
      mA, respectively). Transcutaneous pacing was successful in all 20 patients.
      Therefore, transcutaneous pacing thresholds appear unaffected by previous cardiac
      surgery.

PMID- 1868185
TI  - A complete regional anesthesia technique for cardiac pacemaker insertion.
AB  - Sixteen consecutive adult patients scheduled for permanent transvenous cardiac
      pacemaker insertion received as their total anesthetic the combination of a
      cervical plexus block and blocks of the second, third, and fourth intercostal
      nerves using a combination of 1% mepivacaine and 0.2% tetracaine with
      epinephrine, 1:200,000. This technique consistently provided complete surgical
      anesthesia of the third cervical (C3) through the fourth thoracic (T4)
      dermatomes, without anesthesia of the brachial plexus. Anesthesia was adequate
      for the surgical procedure without the need for supplemental analgesia or
      anesthesia in all cases. Because fluoroscopy was used routinely for the surgical
      procedure, it was possible to document that there were no instances of
      diaphragmatic paralysis or pneumothorax. In contrast to other reports, this
      technique provides surgical anesthesia that is adequate for all of the approaches
      used for transvenous pacemaker implantation, except for placement of a battery in
      an abdominal pouch. There were no serious complications and/or side effects in
      any of the patients studied.

PMID- 1868186
TI  - Anesthetic complications during emergency noncardiac surgery in patients with
      documented cardiac contusions.

PMID- 1868187
TI  - Diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography of atrioventricular groove
      dissection after mitral valve replacement.

PMID- 1868188
TI  - Advantage of transesophageal over transthoracic echocardiography in the diagnosis
      of mitral valve endocarditis.

PMID- 1868189
TI  - Endothelium-derived relaxing factor: basic review and clinical implications.
AB  - EDRF is a potent, endogenous vasodilator that is produced and released from
      endothelial cells and subsequently causes the relaxation of VSM through the
      activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and an increase in VSM cyclic GMP.
      Structurally, EDRF is likely to be NO or a related nitrogen oxide-containing
      compound. It is synthesized in endothelial and other cell types from L-arginine
      by a calcium-calmodulin and NADPH-dependent enzyme. Its action is very similar to
      the nitrovasodilators that act directly on VSM. EDRF is present in all vascular
      beds, large and small vessels, and in a wide range of species. Its role in human
      vascular physiology and pathophysiology is just beginning to be understood. EDRF
      is a potent endogenous vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation and
      adhesion. Its activity is impaired in hypertension and atherosclerosis, and its
      absence due to endothelial damage may play a role in cerebral and coronary
      vasospasm. It is a mediator of flow-dependent vasodilation, and its inhibition by
      hypoxia may contribute to the hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstrictor response.
      Endothelial cell damage and impairment of EDRF production may also contribute to
      acute and chronic pulmonary hypertension. A further understanding of the chemical
      nature and synthetic pathways of EDRF should lead to the production of analogs
      and antagonists, which may play an important role in future treatments for
      atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina, hypertension, and other vascular
      diseases. The recent realization that EDRF serves as the second messenger for
      guanylate cyclase activation and cyclic GMP production in a variety of cell types
      outside of the cardiovascular system, including renal and respiratory epithelium,
      cerebellar neurons, macrophages, and adrenocytes, suggests even broader
      implications. The importance of EDRF to the anesthesiologist may go beyond an
      understanding of its role in cardiovascular physiological and pathophysiological
      states. Initial studies have shown that the endothelium may play a role in
      mediating the vascular actions of anesthetics, and that anesthetics can inhibit
      the production, release, or action of EDRF. How are these interactions mediated?
      Are there significant differences between anesthetics with regard to their
      effects on EDRF? Is there a clinically significant effect of anesthetics on basal
      activity of EDRF, or only in response to exogenous stimulation? Conversely, it is
      important to determine if alterations in endothelial cell function by various
      disease states such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, adult respiratory distress
      syndrome, cerebral vasospasm, and others cause changes in the vascular actions of
      anesthetics. The potential interactions of anesthetics with EDRF production and
      action in cell types other than the endothelium have not yet been
      explored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868190
TI  - Nitrous oxide is contraindicated in patients with coronary artery disease. Pro:
      nitrous oxide should not be used in patients with coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1868191
TI  - Nitrous oxide is contraindicated in patients with coronary artery disease. Con:
      nitrous oxide should be used in patients with coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1868192
TI  - Sepsis and angiotensin II.

PMID- 1868193
TI  - Simulation of cardiovascular oxygen balance.

PMID- 1868194
TI  - A practical setup for temporary pacemakers in cardiac surgery.

PMID- 1868195
TI  - A gene showing sequence similarity to pectin esterase is specifically expressed
      in developing pollen of Brassica napus. Sequences in its 5' flanking region are
      conserved in other pollen-specific promoters.
AB  - Differential screening of a Brassica napus genomic library led to the isolation
      of the clone named Bp 19 containing a gene which is highly expressed during
      microspore development. The accumulation of Bp19 mRNA starts in uninucleate
      microspores, increases during development reaching a peak in the late stages but
      declines considerably in mature pollen. The nucleotide sequence of the entire
      coding region and of extended portions of the 5' and 3' flanking regions was
      determined. Several homologous cDNA clones were also isolated and sequenced. The
      Bp 19 gene contains a single intron of 137 bp and gives origin to a mRNA of ca.
      1.9 kb which codes for a polypeptide of 584 amino acids. Bp 19 protein has an
      estimated molecular weight of 63 kilodaltons and has a highly hydrophobic amino
      terminal region which shows features of a signal peptide. The carboxy half of the
      Bp 19 protein, starting at amino acid 269, has striking sequence similarity to
      the pectin esterases of tomato and of the plant pathogen Erwinia chrysanthemi.
      Four short domains are extremely well conserved in all the three proteins and
      therefore could represent catalytic sites responsible for enzyme activity.
      Comparison of the 5' flanking region of the Bp 19 gene with the sequence of other
      pollen-specific promoters revealed the presence of several conserved regions.
      These short promoter sequences could correspond to regulatory elements
      responsible for pollen-specific gene expression.

PMID- 1868196
TI  - nodT, a positively-acting cultivar specificity determinant controlling nodulation
      of Trifolium subterraneum by Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii.
AB  - Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii strain TA1 nodulates a range of Trifolium
      plants including red, white and subterranean clovers. Nitrogen-fixing nodules are
      promptly initiated on the tap roots of these plants at the site of inoculation.
      In contrast to these associations, strain TA1 has a 'Nod-' phenotype on a
      particular cultivar of subterranean clover called Woogenellup (A.H. Gibson, Aust
      J Agric Sci 19: (1968) 907-918) where it induces rare, poorly developed, slow-to
      appear and ineffective lateral root nodules. By comparing the nodulation gene
      region of strain TA1 with that of another R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii strain
      ANU843, which is capable of efficiently nodulating cv. Woogenellup, we have shown
      that the nodT gene (B.P. Surin et al., Mol Microbiol 4: (1990) 245-252) is
      essential for nodulation on cv. Woogenellup. The nodT gene is naturally absent in
      strain TA1. A cosmid clone spanning the entire nodulation gene region of strain
      TA1 was capable of conferring nodulation ability to R.l. bv. trifolii strains
      deleted for nodulation genes, but only on cultivars of subterranean clovers
      nodulated by strain TA1. This shows that cultivar recognition events are, in
      part, determined by genes in the nodulation region of strain TA1. Complementation
      studies also indicated that strain TA1 contains negatively-acting genes located
      on the Sym plasmid and elsewhere, which specifically block nodulation of cv.
      Woogenellup.

PMID- 1868197
TI  - Structural features of the plastid ribosomal RNA operons of two red algae:
      Antithamnion sp. and Cyanidium caldarium.
AB  - The nucleotide sequences of the plastid 16S rDNA of the multicellular red alga
      Antithamnion sp. and the 16S rDNA/23S rDNA intergenic spacers of the plastid DNAs
      of the unicellular red alga Cyanidium caldarium and of Antithamnion sp. were
      determined. Sequence comparisons support the idea of a polyphyletic origin of the
      red algal and the higher-plant chloroplasts. Both spacer regions include the
      unsplit tRNA(Ile)(GAU) and tRNA(Ala)(UGC) genes and so the plastids of both algae
      form a homogeneous group with those of chromophytic algae and Cyanophora paradoxa
      characterized by 'small-sized' rDNA spacers in contrast to green algae and higher
      plants. Nevertheless, remarkable sequence differences within the rRNA and the
      tRNA genes give the plastids of Cyanidium caldarium a rather isolated position.

PMID- 1868198
TI  - Isolation, physical map and gene map of mitochondrial DNA from the cryptomonad
      Pyrenomonas salina.
AB  - Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the cryptomonad Pyrenomonas salina was isolated by
      CsCl-buoyant density centrifugation of whole-cell DNA in the presence of Hoechst
      dye 33258. mtDNA consists of circular molecules about 47 kb in size as estimated
      from restriction enzyme analysis. A physical map for six restriction enzymes (Bam
      HI, Bge I, Eco RI, Pst I, Sac I and Sal I) has been constructed. Genes coding for
      the small subunit of rRNA, cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II, and
      apocytochrome b were localized on this map using Southern blot hybridization with
      heterologous gene probes from Oenothera. Genes for 5S rRNA and NADH dehydrogenase
      subunit 5 are absent from P. salina mtDNA. The mitochondrial genome, being the
      first analysed to this extent in chromophytic algae, should be valuable for
      taxonomic and phylogenetic studies.

PMID- 1868200
TI  - Primer extension studies on alpha-amylase mRNAs in barley aleurone. I.
      Characterization and quantification of the transcripts.
AB  - Primer extension was used to characterize alpha-amylase mRNAs from aleurone
      tissue of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya) grains. Two synthetic
      oligonucleotides, specific for the low-pI and high-pI alpha-amylase groups, were
      used as primers for synthesis of cDNA from total RNA preparations. Between them,
      these two oligonucleotides appear to account for all major alpha-amylase mRNAs as
      judged by hybrid-arrested translation of alpha-amylase mRNAs in a cell-free
      system. Reconstruction experiments indicated that the levels of extended primers
      (determined by scintillation counting) were directly proportional to the level of
      input mRNA over a wide range. This indicates that the technique is suitable for
      quantification of relative levels of individual alpha-amylase from approximately
      2% to 100% of maximal levels. The nucleotide sequences of extended primers
      defined two different alpha-amylase mRNAs in each of the low-pI and high-pI
      groups, and possibly a third mRNA in the high-pI group.

PMID- 1868199
TI  - Sequence of the iaa and ipt region of different Agrobacterium tumefaciens biotype
      III octopine strains: reconstruction of octopine Ti plasmid evolution.
AB  - The TA regions of biotype III octopine/cucumopine (OC) Ti plasmids are closely
      related to the TL region of the biotype I octopine Ti plasmids pTiAch5 and
      pTi15955. Sequence analysis shows that the limited and wide host range biotype
      III OC TA regions are derived from a common ancestor structure which lacked the
      6a gene found in the biotype I octopine TL region. The TA region of the wide host
      range OC Ti plasmids has conserved most of the original TL-like structure. In
      most wide host range OC isolates the TA-iaaH gene is inactivated by the insertion
      of an IS866 element. However, the TA region of the wide host range isolate Hm1
      carries an intact TA-iaaH gene. This gene encodes a biologically active product,
      as shown by root induction tests and indole-3-acetic acid measurements. The
      limited host range OC Ti plasmids pTiAB3 and pTiAg57 have shorter TA regions
      which are derived from a wide host range TA region. The AB3 type arose by an
      IS868-mediated, internal TA region deletion which removed the iaa genes and part
      of the ipt gene and left a copy of IS868 at the position of the deleted fragment.
      The pTiAB3 iaa/ipt deletion was followed by insertion of a second IS element,
      IS869, immediately 3' of the ipt gene. pTiAg57 underwent the same iaa-ipt
      deletion as pTiAB3, but lacks the IS868 and IS869 elements. Analysis of the
      various TA region structures provides a detailed insight into the evolution of
      the biotype III OC strains.

PMID- 1868201
TI  - Primer extension studies on alpha-amylase mRNAs in barley aleurone. II. Hormonal
      regulation of expression.
AB  - Relative levels of different alpha-amylase mRNAs were assessed by primer
      extension experiments using RNA prepared from aleurone of barley (Hordeum vulgare
      L. cv. Himalaya). Three different aleurone systems were studied: protoplasts
      prepared from aleurone layers, isolated aleurone layers, and aleurone from
      germinated grain. Oligonucleotide primers specific for the low-pI and high-pI
      alpha-amylase groups allowed the levels of different alpha-amylase mRNAs to be
      assessed both within and between the two groups. In all aleurone systems the same
      set of alpha-amylase mRNAs was produced in response to either applied gibberellic
      acid (aleurone protoplasts, isolated aleurone layers) or, presumably, native
      gibberellin(s) (germinated grain). This result indicates that the same set of
      genes is being expressed in each case. Differences were observed between the
      different aleurone systems in regulation of levels of alpha-amylase mRNAs. In
      particular, the regulation of alpha-amylase mRNA levels in aleurone of germinated
      grain has unique features which are not adequately explained by the response of
      isolated aleurone layers to gibberellic acid.

PMID- 1868202
TI  - A protein in the oxygen-evolving complex in the chloroplast is associated with
      symptom expression on tobacco leaves infected with cucumber mosaic virus strain
      Y.
AB  - To elucidate the molecular basis of symptom expression in virus-infected plants,
      the changes in proteins between tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum cv. Ky57, leaves
      inoculated with cucumber mosaic virus strain Y [CMV(Y)] and strain O [CMV(O)],
      were compared by 2-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. The appearance of
      chlorotic spots in CMV(Y)-inoculated tobacco leaves accompanied an increase of 3
      polypeptides and a decrease in 6 polypeptides, as compared with those in the
      CMV(O)-inoculated tobacco which showed no clear symptoms. The decrease in the
      amounts of two polypeptides of 22 and 23 kDa was particularly significant: these
      two polypeptides were compared with a 24 kDa polypeptide, which co-migrated with
      them in 2-D gel electrophoresis but did not clearly decrease at an early stage of
      infection, as well as major other proteins of CMV(Y)-inoculated tobacco leaves.
      However, the 22, 23 and 24 kDa polypeptides showed the same peptide mapping
      pattern. Furthermore, the 12 amino acid residues at N-termini of the three
      polypeptides match those of the extrinsic 23 kDa polypeptide of an oxygen
      evolving complex from spinach. A comparative analysis of the 22, 23 and 24 kDa
      polypeptides in N. tabacum and its ancestral parents, N. sylvestris and N.
      tomentosiformis, revealed that the 22 kDa polypeptide derives from N. sylvestris
      and the 23 kDa polypeptide from N. tomentosiformis; the 24 kDa polypeptide
      derives from both ancestral Nicotiana species. The results indicate that the
      polypeptides whose amounts differentially decrease with the progress of symptom
      expression in N. tabacum inoculated with CMV(Y) are one component of the oxygen
      evolving complex in photosystem II.

PMID- 1868203
TI  - Sequence of 18S rDNA of actinorhizal Alnus glutinosa (Betulaceae).
AB  - The small subunit ribosomal DNA for a woody actinorhizal, Alnus glutinosa, was
      isolated by the PCR method. Amplification products were cloned into the
      Bluescript SK- vector. Full sequence, 1698 bp, was obtained with NS1 to NS8
      primers. Sequence alignments were made by UWGCG sequence data analysis computer
      programs. 18S rDNA sequence of A. glutinosa was compared to analogous segments of
      four other angiosperms, tomato, rice, maize and soybean. Sequence homologies are
      discussed and application for the technique is suggested.

PMID- 1868204
TI  - Sequence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens biotype III auxin genes.

PMID- 1868205
TI  - Molecular cloning of a cDNA from Lupinus polyphyllus cell cultures encoding a
      ribosomal protein (rps16).

PMID- 1868206
TI  - Isolation, structure and expression of a cDNA for acetolactate synthase from
      Brassica napus.

PMID- 1868207
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of the wheat chloroplast petB and petD genes encoding
      apocytochrome b-563 and subunit IV of the cytochrome bf complex.

PMID- 1868208
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding 23 kDa polypeptide of the oxygen
      evolving complex of photosystem II in tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L.

PMID- 1868209
TI  - The nucleotide sequence of gene 1 of the soybean chalcone synthase multigene
      family.

PMID- 1868210
TI  - Fluorescent in situ hybridization to soybean metaphase chromosomes.
AB  - Repetitive DNA sequences were detected directly on somatic metaphase chromosome
      spreads from soybean root tips using fluorescent in situ hybridization. Methods
      to spread the forty small metaphase chromosomes substantially free of cellular
      material were developed using protoplasts. The specific DNA probe was a 1.05 kb
      internal fragment of a soybean gene encoding the 18S ribosomal RNA subunit. Two
      methods of incorporating biotin residues into the probe were compared and
      detection was accomplished with fluorescein-labeled avidin. The rDNA probe
      exhibits distinct yellow fluorescent signals on only two of the forty metaphase
      chromosomes that have been counterstained with propidium iodide. This result
      agrees with our previous analyses of soybean pachytene chromosomes showing that
      only chromosome 13 is closely associated with the nucleolus organizer region.
      Fluorescent in situ hybridization with the rDNA probe was detected on three of
      the forty-one metaphase chromosomes in plants that are trisomic for chromosome
      13.

PMID- 1868211
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast 16S rRNA gene from pea (Pisum sativum L.).

PMID- 1868212
TI  - Cloning and nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding B-Peru, a regulatory protein
      of the anthocyanin pathway in maize.

PMID- 1868213
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of the petA (cytochrome f) gene from the green alga,
      Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

PMID- 1868214
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of Cab-215, a type II gene encoding a photosystem II
      chlorophyll a/b-binding protein in Pisum.

PMID- 1868215
TI  - eth1, a gene involved in ethylene synthesis in tomato.

PMID- 1868216
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA encoding a tobacco thioredoxin.

PMID- 1868217
TI  - Sequence coding for a novel proline-rich protein preferentially expressed in
      young tomato fruit.

PMID- 1868218
TI  - A quick method to estimate the T-DNA copy number in transgenic plants at an early
      stage after transformation, using inverse PCR.
AB  - Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of plants is known to result in transgenic
      plants with a variable number of integrated T-DNA copies. Our aim was to obtain
      transgenic tobacco plants containing one integrated T-DNA copy per genome.
      Therefore, a quick method was developed to estimate the T-DNA copy number of
      young transgenic plantlets within 10 weeks after transformation. Inverse
      polymerase chain reaction (IPCR) was used to amplify junction fragments, i.e.
      plant genomic DNA sequences flanking the known T-DNA sequences.

PMID- 1868219
TI  - Sequence of the 5S rRNA gene from Sinapis alba.

PMID- 1868220
TI  - Nucleotide sequence analysis of a cDNA clone encoding the coat protein gene of
      peanut stunt virus.

PMID- 1868221
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding the precursor of the 23 kDa protein of the
      photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex from wheat.

PMID- 1868222
TI  - Expression of inducible angiosperm promoters in a gymnosperm, Picea glauca (white
      spruce).
AB  - Electrical discharge particle acceleration was used to test the transient
      expression of numerous inducible angiosperm promoters in a gymnosperm Picea
      glauca (white spruce). Promoter expression was assayed in three different tissues
      capable of in vitro regeneration, zygotic embryos, seedlings and embryogenic
      callus. The promoters tested include the light-inducible Arabidopsis and soybean
      ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate small subunit promoters and a maize phosphoenolpyruvate
      carboxylase promoter; a soybean heat-shock-inducible promoter, a soybean auxin
      inducible promoter and a maize alcohol dehydrogenase promoter. Promoters were
      cloned into a promoter-less expression vector to form a promoter-beta
      glucuronidase-nopaline synthase 3' fusion. A similar construct was made using the
      cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV 35S) promoter as a control. All promoters were
      expressed in white spruce embryos, yet at levels lower than CaMV 35S. In
      addition, in the embryos the heat-shock and the alcohol dehydrogenase promoters
      showed inducible expression when given the proper induction stimulus. In
      seedlings, expression of all promoters was lower than in the embryos and
      expression was only inducible with the heat-shock promoter in the cotyledons. Of
      the tissues tested, the expression level of all promoters was lowest in
      embryogenic callus. Interestingly, the expression of the beta-glucuronidase gene
      in embryogenic callus was restricted to the proembryonal head cells regardless of
      the promoter used. These results clearly demonstrate the use of particle
      bombardment to test the transient expression of heterologous promoters in
      organized tissue and the expression of angiosperm promoters in a gymnosperm.

PMID- 1868223
TI  - Characterization of an ethylene-regulated flower senescence-related gene from
      carnation.
AB  - The programmed senescence of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) petals requires
      active gene expression and is associated with the expression of several
      senescence-related mRNAs. Expression of the mRNA represented by the cDNA clone
      pSR12 has previously been shown to be transcriptionally activated by ethylene
      specifically in senescing flowers. We report in this paper the structural
      analysis of this cDNA and its corresponding gene. One cloned genomic DNA
      fragment, SR12-B, contained the entire transcription unit in 17 exons,
      interrupted by 16 introns. A second gene, SR12-A, was highly homologous to SR12-B
      with several nucleotide substitutions and a 489 bp deletion in the 5' flanking
      DNA sequence. The SR12 transcript has an open reading frame of 2193 bp sufficient
      to encode a protein of 82.8 kDa. No significant homology at the DNA or protein
      levels was found with other known genes. We have identified a DNA-binding factor
      which specifically interacts with two upstream fragments (-149 to -337 and -688
      to -1055) of SR12-B. Both fragments apparently compete for the same binding
      factor. The DNA-binding activity was present in nuclear extracts from both
      presenescent and senescing carnation petals. The upstream DNA fragments that bind
      this factor have sequence homology with promoter sequences of other ethylene
      regulated genes.

PMID- 1868224
TI  - Production in Escherichia coli of active Sorghum phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase
      which can be phosphorylated.
AB  - Phosphoeolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC)-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli have
      been complemented with a plasmid bearing a full-length cDNA encoding the C4-type
      form of Sorghum leaf PEPC. Transformed cells grew on minimal medium. Two clones
      were selected which produce a functional and full-sized enzyme protein as
      determined by activity assays, immunochemical behavior and SDS-PAGE. In addition,
      regulatory phosphorylation of immunopurified recombinant PEPC was observed when
      the enzyme was incubated with a partially purified plant PEPC kinase. These
      results establish that E. coli cells produce a genuine, phosphate-free, higher
      plant PEPC. Application of immunoadsorbtion chromatography to bacterial extracts
      makes it possible to prepare highly pure protein available for biochemical
      studies.

PMID- 1868225
TI  - Pea lectin is correctly processed, stable and active in leaves of transgenic
      potato plants.
AB  - A gene encoding the preproprotein of the pea (Pisum sativum) lectin was expressed
      in transgenic potato plants using a cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter
      or a tobacco ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit (ssRubisco)
      promoter. Presence of the pea lectin to levels greater than 1% of total soluble
      leaf protein was detected by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The pattern of expression
      derived from the two promoters was established using both RIA and a squash-blot
      immunolocalisation technique. Western blotting demonstrated that the
      preproprotein was correctly processed, generating alpha and beta subunits that
      assembled to give an isolectin form observed in pea seeds and roots. It was also
      found that the haemagglutination activity and specificity of pea lectin
      synthesised in transgenic potato leaves was comparable to purified lectin from
      pea cotyledons.

PMID- 1868226
TI  - Isolation of the spinach nitrite reductase gene promoter which confers nitrate
      inducibility on GUS gene expression in transgenic tobacco.
AB  - Nitrite reductase is the second enzyme in the nitrate assimilatory pathway. The
      transcription of this gene is regulated by nitrate as well as a variety of other
      environmental and developmental factors. Genomic clones containing the entire
      nitrite reductase gene have been isolated from a spinach genomic library and
      sequenced. The sequence is identical in the transcribed region to a previously
      isolated spinach NiR cDNA clone (Back et al., 1988) except for the presence of
      three introns. The analysis of the genomic clones and DNA blot hybridization
      demonstrates that there is a single NiR gene per haploid genome in spinach. This
      is in contrast to what has been found for other plant species. The transcription
      initiation site has been determined by S1 mapping and the 5' upstream region has
      been used to regulate the GUS reporter gene in transgenic tobacco plants. This
      gene was found to be regulated by the addition of nitrate in the transgenic
      plants.

PMID- 1868227
TI  - Nursing care of the adult client with infection due to Pneumocystis carinii.
AB  - Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP)
      has been the most prevalent opportunistic infection diagnosed in people with
      AIDS. After a decade of care and research, significant progress has been achieved
      not only in treating PCP but also in preventing it. Concomitantly, new problems
      have surfaced, for example, nosocomial spread of mycobacterium tuberculosis and
      occupational hazards, both related to treating people living with AIDS (PWAs)
      with PCP. The author provides a comprehensive overview of infection due to
      Pneumocystis carinii, as seen in adults with HIV infection, and the related
      nursing issues.

PMID- 1868228
TI  - Clinical support groups that work.
AB  - A support group for nurses who care for patients with AIDS has been meeting at a
      major teaching hospital in New York City for the past year. The authors believe
      its success has been determined by three components: the group's ability to
      first, express feelings; second, do a needs assessment and plan programs to meet
      those needs; and third, participate in the organizational development system of
      the hospital. Management recognizes the importance of the group, endorses it, and
      supports it verbally and behaviorally.

PMID- 1868229
TI  - The view from here.

PMID- 1868230
TI  - Arguments against mandatory screening for HIV in low-prevalence areas.
AB  - With heightened awareness that healthcare professionals may be a potential source
      of infection for the human immunodeficiency virus, calls for serial, mandatory
      testing and reporting are increasing. Fear and hysteria are particularly
      noticeable in rural settings, which are only now experiencing marked increases in
      the incidence of AIDS cases. While arguments for and against the merits of serial
      mandatory testing programs can be constructed, this paper presents support to
      oppose mandatory testing. Evidence for this stance is drawn from several sources,
      including epidemiologic, economic, and clinical research; as well as medical
      ethics literature.

PMID- 1868231
TI  - Maximizing aesthetic restorations: the hygienist's role.

PMID- 1868232
TI  - Dental hygienists and dental implants.

PMID- 1868233
TI  - Use of the Nd:YAG laser for improved periodontal cosmetics.

PMID- 1868234
TI  - Combining vital and non-vital tooth whitening: a case sequence.

PMID- 1868235
TI  - The immediate placement of dental implants into fresh maxillary extraction sites.

PMID- 1868236
TI  - Aspects of aesthetic smile design.

PMID- 1868237
TI  - Recurrent deletion in the human antithrombin III gene.
AB  - Eight unrelated patients with recurrent thromboembolism, a family history of
      thrombosis, and plasma antithrombin III (ATIII) activity/antigen levels
      consistent with a diagnosis of heterozygous type I ATIII deficiency were studied
      by polymerase chain reaction/direct sequencing of ATIII gene exon-coding regions.
      Frameshift mutations of one base and two bases, respectively, were found to have
      occurred in two unrelated patients at the same GAG codon (Glu 245) within exon 4
      of the ATIII gene. A literature search showed six further hitherto unrecognized
      deletion "hotspots" in four other human genes. These deletion-prone sites
      exhibited sufficient sequence homology with each other to derive a consensus
      sequence (T G A/G A/G G A/C), suggesting that deletion in human genes may not
      only be non-random but also sequence-directed.

PMID- 1868238
TI  - Inhibition of human platelet reactivity by endothelium-derived relaxing factor
      from human umbilical vein endothelial cells in suspension: blockade of
      aggregation and secretion by an aspirin-insensitive mechanism.
AB  - To determine a role for endothelium-derived relaxing factor/nitric oxide
      (EDRF/NO) in regulation of human platelet reactivity by human endothelial cells
      (EC), we studied combined suspensions of human umbilical vein endothelial cells
      (HU-VEC, passage 2 through 3) and washed human platelets. Confluent HUVEC
      monolayers were treated with aspirin (1 mmol/L) to prevent prostacyclin (PGI2)
      formation, washed, and harvested. Aspirin-treated platelets alone (58 x 10(6))
      were fully aggregated by thrombin at 0.05 U/mL or more. In the presence of 10(6)
      HUVEC, however, platelet serotonin release and aggregation in response to
      thrombin at doses as high as 0.5 U/mL were blocked. We demonstrated for the first
      time that inhibition of aggregation and serotonin release, due to EDRF/NO,
      occurred in parallel. HUVEC-dependent inhibition of platelet responsiveness was
      enhanced by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reversed by hemoglobin. The inhibitory
      effect was also reversed by preincubation of HUVEC with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine
      (NMA) or NG-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) through competitive blockade of arginine
      metabolism. Pretreatment of platelets with methylene blue indicated that EC
      dependent inhibition of platelet reactivity occurred through activation of
      platelet soluble guanylate cyclase. When platelets and HUVEC were separated by a
      permeable membrane and both cells were stimulated by thrombin, platelets remained
      unresponsive. This indicated that inhibition was induced by a fluid-phase
      mediator, independent of direct cell-cell contact. These data demonstrate that
      EDRF/NO formation from L-arginine by human EC plays an important role as an
      aspirin-insensitive fluid-phase inhibitor of human platelet reactivity.

PMID- 1868239
TI  - Defective lymphokine-activated killer cell generation and activity in acute
      leukemia patients with active disease.
AB  - In 26 myeloid and lymphoid acute leukemia patients at presentation the capacity
      to generate interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells
      effective against the natural killer (NK)-resistant Raji cell line, as well as
      the susceptibility of the blasts to normal peripheral blood (PB) LAK cells and to
      autologous LAK effectors was analyzed. The overall PB LAK activity against Raji
      cells was significantly lower in acute leukemia patients compared with normal
      controls (mean, 1,473 +/- 971 SD LU/10(8) LAK effectors v 3,340 +/- 1,862; P less
      than .001). The sensitivity of the blasts to autologous LAK cells was also
      significantly lower than to normal LAK effectors (517 +/- 593 LU/10(8) LAK
      effectors v 1,304 +/- 1,066; P less than .01). When the data were analyzed
      independently, four patterns of behavior could be recognized. The relatively
      largest group (9 of 26) included patients in whom effective LAK cells could be
      generated against the Raji line, but in whom the blasts were resistant to
      autologous PB-LAK effectors while being susceptible to normal LAK cells
      (defective specific LAK activity). In 5 of 26 cases, an incapacity to generate
      LAK activity against both allogeneic and autologous target cells was observed
      (defective LAK generation). In six further cases, the blasts were resistant to
      both allogeneic and autologous LAK populations, though the latter were effective
      against the Raji line (resistant blasts). The same defects could also be shown
      with bone marrow-derived LAK cells. Only in six cases did the leukemic blasts
      appear susceptible to autologous and allogeneic LAK cells. In four patients the
      analysis could be repeated at remission, and in three a restoration of the LAK
      function against the primary blasts was recorded. In the 10 cases studied at
      relapse, the blasts were resistant to autologous LAK effectors in nine and to
      normal LAK in seven. These data demonstrate that in most acute leukemia patients
      with active disease, a defect of the LAK machinery, either a deficient generation
      of LAK cells or the resistance of the blasts to LAK effectors, may be documented,
      pointing therefore to a possible contributory role of the LAK system in the
      control of leukemic cell growth. In view of the frequent normalization of the
      autologous LAK activity at the time of remission, immunotherapy with IL-2/LAK
      cells should be primarily aimed to patients with minimal residual disease.

PMID- 1868240
TI  - Immunolocalization of the Bcl-2 protein within hematopoietic neoplasms.
AB  - The Bcl-2 proto-oncogene was discovered at the t(14;18) breakpoint found in most
      follicular B-cell lymphomas and some diffuse large-cell lymphomas. Bcl-2 is
      unique among proto-oncogenes, being localized to mitochondria and extending cell
      survival by blocking programmed cell death. We examined Bcl-2 protein expression
      in 82 hematologic malignancies and reactive lymphoid processes. All lymphomas
      with Bcl-2 rearrangement demonstrated high levels of Bcl-2 protein. However, most
      follicular and diffuse lymphomas without Bcl-2 rearrangement also displayed
      intense Bcl-2 staining. In these cases, mechanisms other than classic
      translocation may be deregulation Bcl-2. The pattern of Bcl-2 staining in
      follicular lymphoma is the inverse of the pattern in reactive hyperplasia,
      confirming a role for Bcl-2 immunolocalization in routine diagnosis. Small
      lymphocytic malignancies, including small lymphocytic lymphoma, mantle zone
      lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, expressed intermediate levels of Bcl
      2. Bcl-2 protein varied in plasma cell dyscrasias. Bcl-2 protein levels in T-cell
      lymphomas reflected their corresponding stage of development. No substantial Bcl
      2 was present in the Reed-Sternberg cells of nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's
      disease. Chronic myelogenous leukemia was strongly positive for Bcl-2, consistent
      with the presence of Bcl-2 in normal myeloid progenitors. Immunohistochemistry
      identified an expanded spectrum of hematopoietic neoplasms in which Bcl-2 may
      provide a cell survival advantage.

PMID- 1868241
TI  - Entire ABL gene is joined with 5'-BCR in some patients with Philadelphia-positive
      leukemia.
AB  - In four patients, the chromosome 9 breakpoint of the t(9; 22)(q34;q11) had
      occurred at different sites within an 8.25-kilobase (kb) region situated 5' of
      ABL exon 1B. Chromosome in situ hybridization and field inversion gel
      electrophoresis (FIGE) studies showed that ABL exons 1A and 1B were present on
      the Ph chromosome. Yet this large fusion gene produced an mRNA conventional for
      chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Splicing from BCR exon 3 to ABL exon 2
      crossed more than 200 kb and deleted exons 1A and 1B. This breakpoint site may
      occur in about 10% of all CML patients. Three of our patients have pronounced
      thrombocytosis, and two had been diagnosed as having Ph-positive essential
      thrombocythemia. The platelet count of the other patient was not available.

PMID- 1868242
TI  - Recombinant human MCP-1/JE induces chemotaxis, calcium flux, and the respiratory
      burst in human monocytes.
AB  - The JE gene was first described as a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
      inducible gene in mouse 3T3 cells. The human homologue of JE encodes a protein
      whose predicted amino acid sequence is identical to that of the monocyte
      chemoattractant MCP-1 (also called MCAF and SMC-CF), which belongs to a recently
      identified family of small secretory proteins with cytokine properties. We
      purified recombinant human MCP-1/JE (hMCP-1/JE) produced in COS cells and
      demonstrated that it is chemotactic for human monocytes with a specific activity
      similar to natural MCP-1. In addition, pure recombinant hMCP-1/JE stimulates
      monocytes, inducing an increase in cytosolic free calcium and the respiratory
      burst, but is completely inactive on human neutrophils. These results help to
      define functionally a well-known growth factor-inducible gene and a member of a
      new family of cytokines.

PMID- 1868243
TI  - Sex, gestational age, and weight dependancy of adult hemoglobin concentration in
      normal newborns.
AB  - We have measured by cation exchange high pressure liquid chromatography adult
      hemoglobin (HbA) concentration at birth in 6,123 unselected single newborn
      individuals. Probably because of the high precision of the analytical method
      used, we could demonstrate clear a relationship between HbA concentration and,
      respectively, gestational age and birth weight. We also demonstrated a
      significant difference in the Hb switching process between male and female
      newborns. Reference percentile distribution curves are given that could be used
      to define more precisely those children having slow or fast Hb switching.

PMID- 1868244
TI  - Correlation of occult clonogenic leukemia drug sensitivity with relapse after
      autologous bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - Despite initial complete remission rates exceeding 70%, the majority of patients
      with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia
      (ALL) eventually relapse. Improving the therapeutic results in acute leukemia
      requires detecting, and understanding the biology of, the minimal residual
      leukemia remaining after therapy and responsible for relapse. To investigate the
      biologic relevance of an in vitro assay for clonogenic leukemia (leukemia colony
      forming units [CFU-L]) as a measure of minimal residual leukemia, we studied 58
      consecutive patients with acute leukemia in complete remission undergoing
      autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with cyclophosphamide-based therapy.
      CFU-L were cultured from the pretransplant remission marrows in 45 of 58
      patients: 35 of 43 patients with AML and 10 of 15 with ALL. Clonal
      rearrangements, identical to the patients' overt leukemia when available, were
      detected in the occult CFU-L from four of the eight patients with ALL in whom
      adequate DNA for analysis could be obtained from the CFU-L. None of the
      uncultured pretransplant remission marrows from the 15 ALL patients showed clonal
      gene rearrangements. We also determined the in vitro sensitivity of the occult
      CFU-L to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4HC), and correlated these results with
      the outcome of the patients. The sensitivity of the occult CFU-L to 4HC was the
      only factor that predicted relapse following BMT. The actuarial probability of
      relapse was 18% in the 23 patients whose CFU-L were sensitive to 4HC compared
      with 77% in the 22 patients whose CFU-L were resistant (P less than .001). The
      only factor that influenced the CFU-L sensitivity to 4HC was the type of
      leukemia. The CFU-L from the AML patients were more sensitive to 4HC than the CFU
      L from the ALL patients (P = .001). Occult CFU-L genetically and functionally
      represent occult leukemia. Therefore, the CFU-L assay should provide a means for
      studying the biology of minimal residual leukemia and improving the therapeutic
      results in patients with acute leukemia.

PMID- 1868245
TI  - Fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells as a target for in utero retroviral gene
      transfer.
AB  - Retroviral-mediated gene transfer into hematopoietic precursors often results in
      only short-term gene transduction in vivo. Loss of the transduced genetic
      material over time may be caused by the limited ability of retroviral infection
      to transduce genes into early, pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. Because
      fetal liver contains actively proliferating multipotential stem cells that should
      be more susceptible to retroviral-mediated gene transfer than quiescent cells
      derived from adult bone marrow, these cells may be an ideal target for gene
      transduction. Furthermore, physiologic expansion of these cells during
      development obviates the need for marrow ablation during gene therapy in vivo. We
      performed in utero gene transfer by injecting high titer replication-defective
      retrovirus in vivo into the livers of 11, 14, 16, and 18 day gestation rats.
      After birth, the rats were analyzed for the presence of proviral integration and
      gene expression. The efficiency of gene transfer into bone marrow cells was
      greatest in rats infected at day 14 to 16 of gestation. In rats killed at 1 to 26
      weeks of age, gene transfer was detected by Southern analysis in 48% and by
      polymerase chain reaction in 86% of bone marrow samples. The provirus was also
      detected in white blood cells, the granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming unit,
      thymus, spleen, liver, and lung. The presence of the transgene in bone marrow and
      other hematopoietic tissues at 26 weeks of age suggests that early hematopoietic
      precursors present in the fetal liver are susceptible targets for gene transfer
      and that these cells become resident in the bone marrow of the adult animal. This
      model is a new technique for gene transduction into proliferating hematopoietic
      cells in vivo that avoids bone marrow transplantation and has potential
      application in the correction of genetic defects in utero.

PMID- 1868246
TI  - Graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis with methotrexate/cyclosporine in children
      with severe aplastic anemia treated with cyclophosphamide and HLA-identical
      marrow grafts.

PMID- 1868247
TI  - Administration of erythropoietin to patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia: a
      preliminary trial.

PMID- 1868248
TI  - A stop codon in a patient with severe type III von Willebrand disease.

PMID- 1868249
TI  - The spectrum of genetic defects in a panel of 40 Dutch families with symptomatic
      protein C deficiency type I: heterogeneity and founder effects.
AB  - Heterozygosity for protein C deficiency is associated with thromboembolic
      episodes, but clinical symptoms are nonrandomly distributed among protein C
      deficient families. This finding has led to the provisional definition of
      clinically dominant and clinically recessive protein C deficiency. We report here
      the molecular basis of hereditary, clinically dominant protein C deficiency in a
      panel of 40 Dutch probands from apparently independent families. All but one
      subject was a heterozygote for a point mutation in the protein C gene. These 39
      subjects shared 15 mutations, six of which occurred in more than one proband
      (between two and nine). The diversity in the 15 mutations, together with the
      observation that the most frequent Dutch mutation was also found in a Swedish
      family with clinically recessive protein C deficiency, makes it unlikely that the
      molecular basis of protein C deficiency will be different between the clinically
      dominant and recessive forms. The recurrence of one of the mutations is most
      likely due to a founder effect, which suggests that when an additional hereditary
      factor is involved in the clinical severity of protein C deficiency this factor
      may remain linked to the protein C gene over many generations.

PMID- 1868250
TI  - Progression and survival studies in early chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
AB  - To investigate the natural history of stage A chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
      we reviewed 84 such patients. Among 74 cases evaluable for disease progression,
      22 (29.6%) progressed to more advanced clinical stages (9 to stage B, 13 to stage
      C); the actuarial estimation of such an event at 4 years was 30% (95% CI: 26.3%
      to 33.6%). Despite a linear trend toward an increasing risk (r = .92), the hazard
      function analysis showed a constant pattern of progression, suggesting a lack of
      correlation of such an event with time (r = .04). Furthermore, disease
      progression when analyzed as a time-dependent variable had a clear-cut impact on
      survival (P less than .001). With the aim of identifying a subgroup of patients
      with low probability of disease progression and death, we applied to our set of
      patients four different proposals for subclassifying stage A. All methods were
      similar in terms of sample size, 5-year survival rate, and disease progression
      risk, suggesting that the choice between different proposals is somewhat
      arbitrary. Whatever the criteria are for defining "smoldering" CLL, such patients
      (accounting in the present study for 20.5% of overall series and 46.7% of stage A
      patients) should not be treated until progression occurs.

PMID- 1868251
TI  - Phase I trial of recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor in
      patients with invasive fungal infections.
AB  - A phase I dose escalation trial of recombinant human macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (rhM-CSF) in combination with conventional antifungal therapy
      was conducted in 24 marrow transplant recipients with invasive fungal infection.
      Daily doses ranged from 100 to 2,000 micrograms/m2/d. Toxicity, such as
      constitutional symptoms, directly ascribed to rhM-CSF was not observed; however,
      transient, dose-related thrombocytopenia was observed. Patients who received
      2,000 micrograms/m2/d of rhM-CSF had a mean reduction in platelet count of
      61,000/mm3 during the rhM-CSF infusion period, which was significant when
      compared with patients who received lower doses of rhM-CSF (P = .008). Fourteen
      of the 16 patients who received rhM-CSF after undergoing allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation had no change in the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
      while receiving rhM-CSF. One had an increase in the severity of GVHD and one had
      a decrease. There were no effects on neutrophil, monocyte, or lymphocyte counts.
      Six patients had resolution of their infections, 12 were not evaluable for
      response, and six did not respond. Ten patients survived 100 days after
      initiation of rhM-CSF and 14 died. Further trials with rhM-CSF to assess
      antifungal activity are indicated.

PMID- 1868252
TI  - Molecular cloning and in vivo evaluation of canine granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor.
AB  - Canine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (caGM-CSF) was cloned and
      expressed to allow further investigation of GM-CSF in a large animal model. The
      cDNA is 850 base pairs (bp) long and encodes a peptide of 144 amino acids. The
      nucleotide and amino acid sequence homology between caGM-CSF and human GM-CSF
      (hGM-CSF) is 80% and 70%, respectively. A mammalian expression vector pCMV/CAGM
      was constructed and used to transfect COS cells for expression of caGM-CSF.
      Supernatant from transfected COS cells enriched with caGM-CSF was shown to have
      significant stimulating activity in granulocyte-macrophage colony forming unit
      (CFU-GM) assays of canine marrow. caGM-CSF, expressed from bacteria, was used to
      treat seven dogs at varying doses twice daily subcutaneously (sc) for 14 to 16
      days. Circulating blood neutrophils and monocytes increased significantly. The
      increase in circulating eosinophils was variable. Thrombocytopenia developed
      during administration of caGM-CSF but corrected rapidly after cessation of
      treatment. Evaluation of survival times of 51Cr-labeled autologous platelets
      suggested increased consumption as the primary reason for thrombocytopenia. A
      species-specific GM-CSF will be a useful tool for hematologic or immunologic
      studies in dogs.

PMID- 1868253
TI  - Role for interleukin-1 (IL-1) in benzene-induced hematotoxicity: inhibition of
      conversion of pre-IL-1 alpha to mature cytokine in murine macrophages by
      hydroquinone and prevention of benzene-induced hematotoxicity in mice by IL-1
      alpha.
AB  - Chronic exposure of humans to benzene (BZ), a myelotoxin, causes aplastic anemia
      and acute leukemia. The stromal macrophage that produces interleukin-1 (IL-1), a
      cytokine essential for hematopoiesis, is a target of BZ's toxicity. Monocyte
      dysfunction and decreased IL-1 production have been shown to be involved in
      aplastic anemia in humans. Hydroquinone (HQ), a toxic bone marrow (BM) metabolite
      of BZ, causes time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of processing of the
      34-Kd pre-interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) to the 17-Kd mature cytokine in murine
      P388D1 macrophages and BM stromal macrophages, as measured by Western immunoblots
      of cell lysate proteins using a polyclonal rabbit antimurine IL-1 alpha antibody.
      HQ over a 10-fold concentration range had no effect on the lipopolysaccharide
      (LPS)-induced production of pre-IL-1 alpha precursor or on cell viability or DNA
      and protein synthesis. Stromal macrophages obtained from the femoral BM of
      C57Bl/6 mice exposed to BZ (600 or 800 mg/kg body weight) for 2 days were
      incapable of processing the 34-Kd pre-IL-1 alpha to the mature 17-Kd cytokine
      when stimulated in culture with LPS. Stromal macrophages from mice coadministered
      BZ and indomethacin, a prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) inhibitor that has been
      shown to prevent BZ-induced myelotoxic and genotoxic effects in mice when
      coadministered with benzene were able to convert the pre-IL-1 alpha to mature
      cytokine. Administration of recombinant murine IL-1 alpha (rMuIL-1 alpha) to mice
      before a dose of BZ that causes severe depression of BM cellularity completely
      prevents BM depression, most probably by bypassing the inability of the stromal
      macrophage in BZ-treated animals to process pre-IL-1 alpha to the mature
      cytokine.

PMID- 1868254
TI  - Barrier cells: stromal regulation of hematopoiesis and blood cell release in
      normal and stressed murine bone marrow.
AB  - Murine hematopoietic bone marrow is heterogenous in respect to bone-lining cells,
      hematopoiesis, and release of blood cells. In diaphyseal femoral marrow, bone
      lining cells are largely osteoblasts, indifferent endosteum, blood cells, and
      reticular cells. Hematopoiesis is sustained by rather differentiated progenitors,
      as myelocytes and polychromatophilic erythroblasts. But in sharply restricted
      loci within trabeculated bone in the distal medial femoral metaphysis, bone
      lining cells are dominated by newly discovered fibroblastic, contractile, stromal
      barrier cells; activated, multilaminar and branched, enveloping putative stem
      cells; and extending into the marrow, where they enclose hematopoietic clusters
      of rather early progenitors, as promyelocytes; and basophilic erythroblasts.
      Barrier cells may endocytize granules released individually by vicinal
      differentiating granulocytes, preventing tissue damage. Barrier cells envelope
      blood vessels and insinuate processes into their wall, augmenting blood-marrow
      barriers, preventing release of immature cells. Further, extensions of venous
      sinuses made of extraordinarily thin barrier cell processes receive released
      blood cells. With heightened hematopoiesis due to mutant hemolytic anemias or
      after administration of interleukin-1, barrier cells and their associated
      structures are greatly increased, spreading beyond normally restricted loci. But
      in microenvironment-deficient mutants, barrier cells are fewer, less activated,
      and less granulated. Barrier cells thus appear important in hematopoiesis and in
      the release of blood cells from bone marrow.

PMID- 1868255
TI  - Induction of hemoglobin synthesis by downregulation of MYB protein with an
      antisense oligodeoxynucleotide.
AB  - Reduced expression of the proto-oncogene c-myb appears necessary for erythroid
      differentiation induced by chemical agents and by the natural regulator,
      erythropoietin (Epo). Treatment of Epo-responsive Rauscher erythroleukemia cells
      with an anti-sense oligodeoxynucleotide to c-myb in the absence of other inducers
      downregulated myb protein markedly and caused hemoglobinization of the cells
      within 48 hours. Epo treatment, which downregulates c-myb in these cells, induced
      hemoglobinization to the same degree. Epo also induced the appearance of anion
      transport protein on the plasma membrane, consistent with terminal
      differentiation. In contrast, antisense c-myb did not induce this erythroid
      marker. The results are consistent with a role for myb protein in the regulation
      of hemoglobin synthesis.

PMID- 1868256
TI  - Functional characterization of an abnormal factor XII molecule (F XII Bern).
AB  - An 18-year-old healthy woman was found to have cross-reacting material (CRM)
      positive factor XII (F XII) deficiency, F XII clotting activity was less than
      0.01 U/mL, whereas F XII antigen was 0.11 U/mL. An F XII inhibitor was excluded.
      To partially characterize the molecular defect of the abnormal F XII, immunologic
      and functional studies were performed on the proposita's plasma. The abnormal F
      XII was a single chain molecule with the same molecular weight (80 Kd) and the
      same isoelectric points (pl, 5.9 to 6.8) as normal F XII. Dextran sulfate
      activation of the proposita's plasma showed no proteolytic cleavage of F XII even
      after 120 minutes, whereas F XII in pooled normal plasma, diluted 1:10 with CRM
      negative F XII-deficient plasma, was completely cleaved after 40 minutes.
      Adsorption to kaolin was identical for both abnormal and normal F XII. In the
      presence of dextran sulfate and exogenous plasma kallikrein, the abnormal F XII
      was cleaved with the same rate as normal F XII. However, kallikrein-cleaved
      abnormal F XII was not able to cleave factor XI and plasma prekallikrein, in
      contrast to activated normal F XII. Thus, these studies show that the functional
      defect of this abnormal F XII, denoted as F XII Bern, is due to the lack of
      protease activity of the kallikrein-cleaved molecule. Therefore, the structural
      defect is likely to be located in the light chain region of F XII, containing the
      enzymatic active site.

PMID- 1868257
TI  - Identification of peroxyacetic acid uroporphyrin I in the urine of patients with
      congenital erythropoietic porphyria by liquid chromatography and mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A new porphyrin, peroxyacetic acid uroporphyrin I, has been isolated from the
      urine of patients with congenital erythropoietic porphyria by reversed phase high
      performance liquid chromatography. The porphyrin was characterized by high
      resolution mass spectrometry and by typical chemical reactions of a peroxyacid.

PMID- 1868258
TI  - A new method for the determination of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase activity
      in human erythrocytes by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A new method for the determination of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT)
      activity in human erythrocytes is described. APRT activity was assayed by a non
      radiochemical method in which adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and AMP metabolites
      produced from a substrate adenine were converted to inosine by alkaline
      phosphatase and adenosine deaminase. The inosine thus produced was quantitated by
      reversed phase HPLC. This method was simple, precise, sensitive and free from
      interference with other co-existing erythrocyte enzymes. Four patients with 2,8
      dihydroxyadenine urolithiasis and others with several disorders in purine
      metabolism have been studied, showing that the present method is clinically
      useful for the diagnosis and the evaluation of the severity of some human
      diseases.

PMID- 1868259
TI  - Characterization of human progesterone receptor by high performance hydrophobic
      interaction chromatography.
AB  - High performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography has been used to separate
      progestin receptors (PRs) from human uterus and from the T47D human breast cancer
      cell line. Reproducible separations of high resolution were achieved using a TSK
      Phenyl-5PW column and a reverse salt gradient of 400 mM to 0 mM sodium sulfate in
      phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. Peaks of radioactivity exhibiting hydrophobic behaviour
      were isolated, as well as a smaller proportion of specific bound receptors
      located in the void volume fraction. No differences in retention times were
      observed between uterine and breast cell line samples. When the technique was
      used in conjunction with rapid vertical tube sucrose density gradient
      centrifugation, the 8S sedimenting PR from fresh, low-salt cytosol always eluted
      with a retention time of 24 min. The natural 4S receptor chromatographed as a
      single peak at 29 min while the 4S receptor species from high-salt cytosol
      appeared as two distinct peaks of radioactivity with retention times of 29 and 33
      min. While specific binding was shown to occur in the void volume of the column,
      the origin of these receptors were indeterminate. These results would suggest
      that under these conditions the 8S receptor occurs as a single hydrophobic class
      of protein, whereas the data provides evidence that transformed 4S receptor may
      be proportioned into two unequal entities as a function of exposure to salt.

PMID- 1868260
TI  - Simultaneous determination of gemfibrozil and its metabolites in plasma and urine
      by a fully automated high performance liquid chromatographic system.
AB  - Sensitive and specific methods for the simultaneous determination of gemfibrozil
      (Lopid), a lipid-lowering agent, and its metabolites in plasma and urine are
      described. The methods are based on a fully automated high performance liquid
      chromatographic (HPLC) system with fluorescence detection. Urine samples, diluted
      with acetonitrile, were directly analysed by HPLC using a flow and eluent
      programming method. In the case of plasma, gemfibrozil and its main metabolites
      were extracted from acidified samples and the resulting extracts injected into
      the chromatographic system. The sensitivity was approximately 100 ng/mL for
      gemfibrozil and its four metabolites using 0.5 mL plasma or urine. An acyl
      glucuronide of gemfibrozil excreted in human urine after oral administration of
      the drug was isolated and its structure and stability examined.

PMID- 1868261
TI  - Direct enantiomeric high performance liquid chromatographic separation of
      aminoglutethimide and its major metabolite on a series of Chiralcel OD and
      Chiralcel OJ columns and its application to biological fluids.
AB  - A direct, isocratic, sensitive and precise liquid chromatographic method is
      presented for the enantiomeric separation of aminoglutethimide (AG) and its
      acetylated metabolite (AcAG) using cellulose tris-3,5-dimethyl phenyl carbamate
      (Chiralcel OD) and cellulose tris(4-methylphenyl benzoate) ester (Chiralcel OJ)
      columns in series. The enantiomeric elution order is determined by separate
      chromatography of the racemate AG and racemate AcAG and of their separate
      enantiomers under similar conditions. This method has been used to determine and
      identify the enantiomers of AG and AcAG in the urine sample collected from a
      metastatic breast cancer patient after administration of AG for 24 h. Large
      amounts of (+)-R-AG are excreted unchanged in the urine together with smaller
      quantities of (+)-R-AcAG, while most of the (-)-S-AG is metabolically converted
      into (-)-S-AcAG.

PMID- 1868262
TI  - A reversed phase liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination
      of several common penicillins in human serum.
AB  - A rapid and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method is described
      for the simultaneous determination of benzylpenicillin, ampicillin,
      phenoxymethylpenicillin, cloxacillin, dicloxacillin and nafcillin in small
      samples of human serum. The chromatographic system involves the use of a
      Spherisorb ODS reversed phase column and a gradient elution with 1 mM ammonium
      acetate buffer/acetonitrile (from 90:10 to 75:25 in 15 min). Detection and
      quantification are monitored by UV absorption at 208 nm. The compounds are
      extracted with dichloromethane, using tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate
      neutralized with sodium hydroxide and buffered with borate as an ion pairing
      reagent; beta-hydroxyethyltheophylline is added as an internal standard. Our
      results show that the method is accurate and reproducible, allowing
      quantification of serum levels of assayed penicillins (0.5-50 micrograms/mL)
      without interference from other drugs commonly used in therapy. Recoveries were
      generally greater than 79.4%.

PMID- 1868263
TI  - Separation of beta- and gamma-tocopherols in serum by high performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - A simple and sensitive high performance liquid chromatographic method for the
      analysis of tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) in serum with UV detection
      is described. In normal phase mode excellent separation of positional isomers
      (beta and gamma) was achieved by adjusting the proportion of isopropanol in the
      mobile phase. Detection limits for both beta and gamma were 0.62 mg/L and 0.42
      and 1.2 mg/L for alpha and delta isomers, respectively. Measurement of all the
      tocopherol structural isomers (alpha, beta, gamma and delta) in a sample required
      only 400 microL of serum and each run was completed in less than 22 min.

PMID- 1868264
TI  - Separation of proteins by consecutive sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A procedure for the preparative separation of proteins was developed by using
      consecutively sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
      (SDS-PAGE) and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The
      proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE and afterwards extracted from the gel. The
      extracted proteins were separated from SDS and other small molecular weight
      contaminants on a Fractogel TSK HW-40 (F) column in acidic aqueous acetonitrile.
      The proteins eluted from the Fractogel column were fractionated by HPLC. The
      identity and purity of the recovered proteins was confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis.

PMID- 1868265
TI  - Inorganic supports coated with N-substituted polyacrylamides: application to
      biospecific chromatography of proteins.
AB  - Wide porous glass (WPG) chemically coated with a poly-N-(2
      hydroxyethyl)acrylamide layer is proposed as a carrier of biospecific ligands in
      affinity chromatography. The method of WPG chemical modification includes
      synthesis of the gamma-aminopropyl derivative followed by chemical adsorption of
      poly(p-nitrophenyl acrylate). Ester groups of the polyacrylate-coated WPG can be
      used for coupling the ligands bearing primary amino groups. Condensation of
      esters with ethanolamine yields a poly-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide-coated
      support with non-specific adsorption properties resembling those of Sepharose 4B.
      Human IgG immobilized on the polyacrylate support was used for isolation of the
      first complement component from human serum and for its separation into
      subcomponents C1r, C1s and C1q by a one-step method. An unbound part of serum may
      be used as the R1 reagent for determining haemolytic C1 activity. The stepwise
      elution of C1r, C1s and C1q from the column reflects the course of C1 breakdown
      after its activation on immune complex formation.

PMID- 1868266
TI  - Rapid determination by high performance liquid chromatography of di-2-ethylhexyl
      phthalate in plasma stored in plastic bags.
AB  - A rapid sensitive technique was developed for the analysis of di-2-ethylhexyl
      phthalate (DEHP) in plasma stored in plastic bags by using high performance
      liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection and a Hypersil ODS column. The
      compound was easily and efficiently extracted with a mixture of sodium hydroxide
      and acetonitrile, which allowed the deproteinization of plasma samples. The
      recovery was greater than 95% and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of
      variation were better than 6.5%. The results obtained showed that the amount of
      DEHP accumulated in plasma varied according to different parameters and depended
      on the storage conditions (time, temperature and shaking) and also on the lipid
      content of the stored plasma and the sterilization process of the PVC bags.

PMID- 1868267
TI  - Initiation and progression of mineralization of bone nodules formed in vitro: the
      role of alkaline phosphatase and organic phosphate.
AB  - Osteoid nodules form but do not mineralize in fetal rat calvaria cell cultures
      grown in alpha-minimal essential medium with 10% fetal bovine serum in the
      absence of Na beta-glycerophosphate (beta-GP). To study factors involved in the
      initiation and progression of mineralization, cultures were treated with beta-GP
      and radiolabelled with 0.1-0.2 microCi/ml 45Ca after nodules had formed (17-19
      days in medium without beta-GP). Concentrations of beta-GP from 1 to 14 mM
      induced a dose-dependent increase in 45Ca uptake. 45Ca uptake was restricted to
      nodule-containing cultures and did not occur in cultures without nodules.
      Continuous labelling over 72 h compared with 2 h pulses over the same time period
      showed that little mineralization occurred over the first 8-12 h and that the
      rate of mineralization was maximal and constant after 24 h exposure to beta-GP.
      Calcium uptake from medium was slow during the first 12 h of beta-GP exposure but
      increased rapidly thereafter until the medium calcium concentration reached a
      steady state of between 0.5 and 0.6 mM. Measurement of calcium concentration in
      the medium after mineralization had been initiated (24 h after beta-GP exposure)
      showed a linear calcium uptake into nodules (r = 0.990) over a 7 h period at a
      rate of 9.2 micrograms calcium/h/culture. Initiation of mineralization was
      prevented by 100 microM levamisole, but not by 100 microM dexamisole. When 100
      microM levamisole was added 24 h after mineralization had been initiated by the
      addition of beta-GP, the progression of mineralization was unaffected. Similarly,
      after mineralization had been initiated for 24 h by 10 mM beta-GP, mineralization
      continued independent of the presence of beta-GP. The data show that the
      initiation and progression of mineralization are separate phenomena and that
      organic phosphate and alkaline phosphatase play a crucial role in the initiation
      of mineralization but are not required for the continuation of mineralization of
      bone nodules.

PMID- 1868268
TI  - Mineralized nodule formation in rat bone marrow stromal cell culture without beta
      glycerophosphate.
AB  - Rat bone marrow stromal cells were cultured in the presence of 10 nM
      dexamethasone and various concentrations of beta-glycerophosphate. At day 12-15,
      some nodules consisting of polygonal cells were formed in all culture conditions,
      and these nodules were mineralized 2-3 days later. beta-Glycerophosphate
      significantly enhanced nodule formation at concentrations of not less than 5 mM.
      The mineralized nodules formed in the absence of beta-glycerophosphate were
      examined using phase-contrast microscopy, undemineralized and demineralized
      tissue histology, histochemistry for alkaline phosphatase, immunohistochemistry
      for type I, II, and III collagen, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, electron
      diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Mineralized
      nodules had histological characteristic similar to bone. Cells associated with
      nodules exhibited high alkaline phosphatase activity, and extracellular matrix of
      the nodules predominantly consisted of type I collagen. X-Ray microanalysis
      showed the presence of Ca and P in the mineralized area, and electron diffraction
      pattern showed the mineral to have apatite crystal structure. Moreover FT-IR
      indicated that the mineral was a mixture of hydroxyapatite and carbonateapatite.
      From these observations, it is concluded that the mineralized nodules formed in
      our culture system are truly bone-like.

PMID- 1868269
TI  - Binding of serum osteocalcin to hydroxyapatite in Paget's disease of bone.
AB  - Serum osteocalcin (serum bone Gla protein, sBGP) is elevated in diseases
      characterized by an enhanced bone turnover. However, in Paget's disease of bone
      there is a discrepancy between the low increase of sBGP and the high increase of
      bone remodelling assessed by serum alkaline phosphatase and urinary
      hydroxyproline. It is possible that the relatively low levels of sBGP reflect an
      abnormal binding of the molecule to the bone due to an alteration of the BGP
      molecule and/or of the pagetic mineral phase of bone. Another possibility would
      be a disregulation of BGP synthesis. In the present work we studied the binding
      of pagetic sBGP to an experimental model of mineral phase of bone (HPLC
      hydroxyapatite column). Serum of 14 patients with Paget's disease of bone (sBGP =
      7.8 +/- 3.5 ng/ml) and of 14 control subjects (sBGP = 3.3 +/- 0.9 ng/ml) was
      purified through a Sephadex G-50 medium column (2.6 x 100 cm, 5 mM NH4CO3H). The
      BGP peak was lyophilized and resuspended in 1 mM KH2PO4, 1 mM CaCl2, 0.02% NaN3,
      pH 8.4, and then injected into an HPLC gradient system (Waters 660), from 1 to
      300 mM KH2PO4 through a hydroxyapatite column (BioGel HPHT, Bio-Rad, 0.78 x 10
      cm). A single peak of sBGP was obtained with a retention time of 12 min in
      control and pagetic patients. From these results we conclude that BGP binding to
      hydroxyapatite is similar in pagetic patients and in control subjects, suggesting
      that an alteration in BGP molecule is not responsible for an abnormal binding to
      the bone. In order to validate our system, the binding of serum BGP from warfarin
      treated rats to the hydroxyapatite HPLC column was also studied and compared to
      binding of serum BGP from normal rats.

PMID- 1868271
TI  - [Register of the Royal Academy of Medicine and program of meetings].

PMID- 1868270
TI  - Bone densitometric and histomorphometric responses to sequential human
      parathyroid hormone (1-38) and salmon calcitonin in osteoporotic patients.
AB  - Cyclical treatments of osteoporosis utilizing a skeletal Activator of bone
      remodelling, and sequential therapy with a Depressor to selectively block the
      resulting phase of osteoclastic resorption have been dubbed 'ADFR' therapy; there
      is usually a treatment Free interval while the activated bone multicellular units
      complete the remodelling cycle before the protocol is Repeated. In this report an
      ADFR protocol was developed in which all patients received synthetic hPTH (1-38)
      for the first 14 days of a 100 day cycle. Half the patients received no other
      therapy (Group 1), but were followed closely with repeated vertebral bone mineral
      measurements over two full cycles. The remaining patients (Group 2) were randomly
      allocated to receive salmon calcitonin, at an average dose of 79 units per day
      for a 56 day depressor period immediately following each phase of activation.
      Detailed bone histomorphometry was performed on iliac biopsies obtained before
      treatment and at the end of the second cycle (Day 200). In Group 1, the serum
      alkaline phosphatase (Alk. P'ase) increased by 23 +/- 12% (P less than 0.01) and
      by 18 +/- 16% (P less than 0.03) of the baseline values following PTH treatment
      during the first and second cycles, respectively. The overall changes in serum
      Alk. P'ase across time were significantly less (P less than 0.04) in Group 2;
      however this parameter also increased by 15 +/- 15% during the first cycle and 8
      +/- 6% during the second cycle. Vertebral BMC increased by 13% in Group I (P less
      than 0.01), but forearm BMC decreased by 11% (P less than 0.05) over the two
      cycles of therapy. There were no significant changes in bone mineral measurements
      in Group 2, but the differences between the two groups were not significant.
      Eighteen paired biopsies were available for histomorphometric analysis. There
      were no significant changes in static parameters measuring total bone tissue,
      osteoclastic function or osteoid formation after two cycles of treatment.
      Individual bone formation rates (surface referent) were not significantly
      different between the two groups; the pooled data for all biopsies showed a small
      but insignificant increase from 0.030 +/- 0.018 to 0.035 +/- 0.028 mm3/mm2/day.
      However there was a significant increase in the activation frequency (the
      probability of a remodelling event occurring on queiscent cancellous surface)
      from 13 +/- 7 to 27 +/- 26/day x 10(-4) (P less than 0.05) when calculated for
      the pooled data from both groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868272
TI  - Tribute to Vivian Chang, M.D.

PMID- 1868273
TI  - Drug abuse: a national policy perspective.

PMID- 1868275
TI  - Scientific foundation of clinical practice: opiate use in pregnant women.

PMID- 1868274
TI  - Clinical implications of recent research on the fetal alcohol syndrome.

PMID- 1868277
TI  - Preventive strategies in education: history, current practices, and future trends
      regarding substance abuse and pregnancy prevention.

PMID- 1868276
TI  - Perinatal effects of cocaine and amphetamine use during pregnancy.

PMID- 1868278
TI  - Detoxification considerations in the medical management of substance abuse in
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1868279
TI  - Residential therapeutic communities for female substance abusers.
AB  - Therapeutic communities provide a unique model for the needs of chemically
      dependent mothers who are pregnant or of child bearing age. These programs have
      been treating female addicts, many of whom reflect the profile and needs of the
      current generation of addicted mothers in clinical problems, social
      disadvantages, and poor socialization. Specific issues of their recovery can be
      most efficiently addressed in a residential community that provides housing and a
      comprehensive approach including medical, social, psychological care, parental
      training, and child care. Most evident is that these women need a lifestyle
      change, an opportunity for maturation. In this regard, the therapeutic community
      offers the essential element of community as a setting for learning right living.

PMID- 1868280
TI  - Working with pregnant women at high risk for HIV infection: outreach and
      intervention.

PMID- 1868281
TI  - Planning for future actions. Workshop on public policy considerations.

PMID- 1868282
TI  - Planning for future actions. Workshop on education and outreach initiatives.

PMID- 1868283
TI  - Planning for future actions. Workshop on detoxification policies and directions.

PMID- 1868284
TI  - Planning for future actions. Workshop on residential and outpatient treatment
      modalities.

PMID- 1868285
TI  - Implications for New York State policy.

PMID- 1868286
TI  - Statement on preserving New York City's drinking water quality and protecting
      public health. Committee on Public Health.

PMID- 1868287
TI  - Regulation of residency training.

PMID- 1868288
TI  - The impact and practical aspects of the implementation of the new working
      conditions for residents in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the
      Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

PMID- 1868289
TI  - A surgical program. Director's view.
AB  - In summary, the two major facts that have emerged from a year and a half of
      experience with 405 regulations are shown in Table VI. The increased staffing
      with the monies made available has greatly enhanced patient care and decreased
      the resident workload. I want to again compliment Dr. Axelrod for the foresight
      to make these funds available despite adverse criticism. He clearly understood
      that the changes needed were quite expensive because the problems are primarily
      economic in origin. What type of paramedical personnel are needed is yet
      uncertain. I mentioned briefly earlier that the "data manager" combines an
      excellent administrative secretary and a nurse. The simple institution of
      electronic data processing can, surprisingly enough, worsen the problem rather
      than help. For example, institution of a beeper system, making it possible for
      anyone to "beep" a house officer at any time, resulted in an astonishing increase
      in "beeper frequency," a house officer receiving seven or eight such messages per
      hour, 24 hours a day, rather than communicating by other methods. Such "instant"
      communication can become a serious hazard rather than a help. Second, as
      repeatedly mentioned, the on-call time concept is crucial, permitting flexibility
      that avoids fatigue and yet maintains continuity of care. Otherwise there is a
      real danger with a rigid time-on/time-off schedule.

PMID- 1868290
TI  - The effects of residency regulation: a program director's view.

PMID- 1868291
TI  - State residency regulation: a view from out of state.

PMID- 1868292
TI  - Professional responsibility: a perspective on the Bell Commission reforms.

PMID- 1868293
TI  - The effects on residents' experience: the view of the surgical resident.

PMID- 1868294
TI  - Professionalism and residency reform.

PMID- 1868295
TI  - Institutional perspectives on residency regulation: a dean's view.

PMID- 1868296
TI  - Where do we go from here?

PMID- 1868297
TI  - Prospects for the future.

PMID- 1868298
TI  - Over my dead body: coroner's case.

PMID- 1868299
TI  - Ventouse or forceps?

PMID- 1868300
TI  - Overwhelming demand for breast screening.

PMID- 1868301
TI  - Running addiction.

PMID- 1868302
TI  - Unravelling the causes of Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1868303
TI  - Placental alkaline phosphatase in seminoma.

PMID- 1868304
TI  - POEMS syndrome: further investigations of an unusual case.

PMID- 1868305
TI  - Mitochondrial disease and mitochondrial DNA.
AB  - In the last decade there have been dramatic advances in the understanding of
      genetic, biochemical and clinical aspects of disorders of the mitochondrial
      respiratory chain. Neurological manifestations are prominent although involvement
      of other systems is increasingly recognized. This article reviews current
      understanding of mitochondrial disease and in particular its genetic basis.

PMID- 1868306
TI  - Prosthetic valve endocarditis.
AB  - Prosthetic valve endocarditis occurs in 2-4% of patients with prosthetic valves
      and carries a mortality of around 50%. A low index of suspicion should enable
      early diagnosis. The empirical use of antibiotics in patients with a prosthetic
      valve who develop an unexplained fever is inappropriate. Careful liaison between
      cardiologist, microbiologist and cardiac surgeon is essential for optimal
      management.

PMID- 1868307
TI  - Antenatal assessment of intrauterine growth retardation.
AB  - Intrauterine growth retardation is associated with considerable fetal mortality
      and morbidity. The condition often appears unexpectedly and the various clinical
      and ultrasound strategies used to screen for it in pregnancy have given
      disappointing results. Once intrauterine growth retardation is suspected, methods
      to evaluate the fetus are generally satisfactory provided they are applied
      systematically.

PMID- 1868308
TI  - Possible significance of familial aggregations of multiple sclerosis.
AB  - More than 150 years after multiple sclerosis (MS) was first described, its cause
      remains unknown. In defining the aetiology of MS the question of the relative
      importance of genetic and environmental factors in the development of the disease
      is crucial. Familial clustering of cases strongly supports the hypothesis that
      genetic factors are fundamental in determining disease susceptibility.

PMID- 1868309
TI  - Psoriasis and calcipotriol.

PMID- 1868310
TI  - Psychological treatment superior in bulimia nervosa.

PMID- 1868312
TI  - Why do GPs overprescribe antibiotics?

PMID- 1868311
TI  - Behavioural toxicity of antidepressants.

PMID- 1868313
TI  - Identification of the epidural space.

PMID- 1868314
TI  - Junior doctors and market forces.

PMID- 1868315
TI  - Resting behaviour of cattle in a slaughterhouse lairage.
AB  - One-hundred and thirty-five groups of cattle were observed in a slaughterhouse
      lairage. Groups of cattle that arrived direct from farms took longer to lie down
      and spent less time lying down than those that arrived from markets. In 72
      groups, the majority of time was spent with no animals in the group lying down.
      In only 42 groups was the majority of the time spent with greater than one-half
      of the group lying down. In 97 groups, over three-quarters of the time in the
      lairage was spent with no cattle in the group moving. The proportion of time that
      cattle spent moving and lying down was also affected by the sexual composition of
      the group and also by group size. In cattle direct from farms, moving behaviour
      was greater in groups containing cattle with horns than in similar groups that
      did not contain cattle with horns.

PMID- 1868316
TI  - Some preslaughter factors affecting the occurrence of bruising in sheep.
AB  - The preslaughter handling and behaviour, and subsequent bruising was observed in
      49 groups of sheep in a commercial slaughterhouse. A greater percentage of
      bruised carcases was found in lambs (71%) than in ewes (49%) (P less than 0.01).
      A greater percentage of severely bruised carcases was found in lambs from markets
      (20%) than in those direct from farms (12%) (P less than 0.05). Significant
      correlations were found between the occurrence of recent bruising and wool-pulls
      during unloading, riding by another sheep, and hits and squashes against
      structures at the slaughterhouse. However, even assuming that each potentially
      traumatic event observed in the slaughterhouse caused a bruise, only about one
      quarter of the bruising could have been attributed to handling problems at the
      slaughterhouse. Eight-eight per cent of all bruises were estimated to have been
      caused within about 24 h of death, indicating that most bruising probably was
      caused by handling problems during loading on the farm, during transit and
      particularly at markets.

PMID- 1868317
TI  - Pathogenicity of different species of staphylococci in caprine udder.
AB  - Aseptic foremilk samples were collected from Finnish landrace goats. Ten
      different species of staphylococci, causing subclinical infections were detected.
      Twelve goats with persistent subclinical staphylococcal infection were followed
      on a monthly basis and compared with foremilk samples of nine goats suffering
      from clinical mastitis. Parameters of inflammation based on the activity of the
      California Mastitis Test (CMT). N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) and
      antitrypsin were determined from the milk. Staphylococci were further classified
      using the API STAPH system. On the basis of elevations of activities of CMT,
      NAGase and antitrypsin, Staphylococcus aureus was the most pathogenic in clinical
      and subclinical mastitis, S. hyicus showed only marginal pathogenicity.
      Subclinical infections were persistent and the infective organism was not always
      detected from milk by culture. The biochemical reactions of subclinical
      staphylococci seemed to vary within the same gland by time. Antitrypsin was most
      effective in differentiating between subclinical and clinical infection. A teat
      cistern puncture technique was found to be suitable for the goat.

PMID- 1868318
TI  - Microscopic changes in infected bovine teats.
AB  - Two hundred and fifty-two teats from the udder quarters of 68 dairy cows were
      studied by bacteriological examination of quarter milk samples and microscopic
      examination of the teats. Of 252 quarters, 169 teats showed inflammatory changes,
      while 83 were of normal appearance. The inflammatory changes consisted of either
      neutrophil infiltrations, mononuclear cell infiltrations and fibrosis, or a
      combination of these changes. The reaction was restricted to the teat cisterns
      and/or Furstenberg's rosettes, but very rarely also in the teat canal. In 136 of
      169 cases, the inflammatory reaction was associated with bacteria in the milk,
      while in 33 cases no bacteria could be recovered from milk, in spite of
      inflammatory changes in the teat structures. Only 36 of 83 of normal teats were
      bacteriologically positive.

PMID- 1868319
TI  - Scrapie in Cyprus.
AB  - Scrapie was first recorded in Cyprus in 1985 in two flocks of sheep and
      subsequently the disease was diagnosed in dairy goats kept in mixed flocks with
      affected sheep. By 1989 scrapie had been diagnosed in 23 flocks. Epidemiological
      data presented in the present study are essentially from clinicopathological
      investigations between 1985 and 1989. A total of 356 out of 957 sheep and 10 out
      of 30 goats examined from flocks in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol districts
      showed histopathological lesions consistent with a diagnosis of scrapie.

PMID- 1868320
TI  - Diminazene aceturate residues in the tissues of healthy, Trypanosoma congolense
      and Trypanosoma brucei brucei infected dogs.
AB  - The tissue distribution and residue profile of diminazene aceturate was
      investigated in healthy dogs and in dogs infected with Trypanosoma congolense and
      Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The drug was administered at 3.5 mg/kg i.m. and tissue
      samples were taken post mortem from the animals at 48, 72, 120, 168 and 240 h
      after injection. The drug was distributed to various organs and tissues of the
      body with the highest concentrations occurring in liver and kidney. Higher drug
      levels were obtained in the tissues of healthy dogs compared with trypanosome
      infected animals except in the brain. The levels of residues in the healthy
      animals were significantly different (P less than 0.05) from those of the
      infected dogs. The drug residues were still detectable in the tissues of the
      animals 10 days after drug administration.

PMID- 1868321
TI  - Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes of west African dwarf sheep and goats: effects
      of temperature and pH.
AB  - The osmotic fragility of erythrocytes of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats and of
      WAD sheep was determined at different temperatures and pH. Erythrocytes of the
      goats were more susceptible to osmotic haemolysis than those of the sheep.
      However, the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes of both species increased with a
      decrease in temperature or pH.

PMID- 1868322
TI  - The value of progesterone, oestradiol benzoate and cloprostenol in controlling
      the timing of oestrus and ovulation in dairy cows and allowing successful fixed
      time insemination.
AB  - The relative merits of three hormone treatments of dairy cows: (1) intravaginally
      administered progesterone and oestradiol benzoate; (2) intravaginally
      administered progesterone and injected cloprostenol; and (3) injected
      cloprostenol; begun 35-75 days after calving and designed to synchronize oestrus
      and ovulation and allow successful artificial insemination (AI) at fixed times,
      have been assessed utilizing information from progesterone concentrations in
      milk. From this it was concluded that 89% of the cows had ovulated one to three
      times between calving and the beginning of treatment. Treatment (2) was more
      effective than (1) in synchronizing ovulation. This was due to the fact that when
      treatments began early in the ovulation cycle, the requirement for a rapidly
      effective luteolytic agent was provided by cloprostenol but not by oestradiol
      benzoate. Treatment (2) was also more effective than (3) in synchronizing
      ovulation. This is interpreted as meaning that progesterone treatment for 12 days
      had a beneficial effect in restoring normal cyclic ovarian function in the cows
      after calving. Whilst cloprostenol administered alone did not have this
      beneficial effect, there is no evidence that it had a detrimental effect. Based
      on all cows in treatment groups, the proportion that became pregnant to the fixed
      time AI was significantly greater after treatment (2) than after (1), but when
      based on numbers of cows with synchronized ovulation, there were no significant
      differences among treatments in the proportions becoming pregnant. The
      progesterone/cloprostenol treatment had a disadvantage in that when begun during
      the 11-22 day period of the ovulation cycle, so resulting in a long, total period
      of suppression of ovulation (mean, 32.1 days), fertility to the fixed-time AI was
      poor despite effective synchronization of ovulation. Ovulation cycles immediately
      following the failed, fixed-time AI were normal, both in length and in maximum,
      luteal-phase progesterone concentration and indicated normal corpus luteum
      function. Thus the infertility could be ascribed neither to poor timing of AI nor
      to gross degeneration of follicles prior to their synchronized ovulation
      following the prolonged suppression of ovulation. The 12-day progesterone
      treatments when given to anovulatory cows gave, within 5.5 h of their beginning,
      a concentration of progesterone in milk that was not significantly different from
      the maximum reached. This concentration declined during the 12 days of the
      treatment but remained above pretreatment level until 5.5 h after treatment
      withdrawal; the maximum reached was about half that in normal ovulation
      cycles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868323
TI  - Two hundred years of veterinary education: lessons and reminiscences from the
      history of the Royal Veterinary College.

PMID- 1868324
TI  - Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of miloxicam in the horse.
AB  - The novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) miloxicam was administered
      intravenously to six New Forest ponies at a dosage rate of 0.6 mg/kg in a two
      part cross-over study. In each part, three horses received miloxicam and three
      were given a placebo preparation. The actions of miloxicam, compared to placebo,
      were assessed in a carrageenan-sponge model of acute inflammation. The rise in
      skin temperature over the site of the acute inflammatory reaction was less in
      treated ponies, but differences were not statistically significant.
      Concentrations of the enzymes acid phosphatase (AP) and lysozyme in inflammatory
      exudates harvested at 4, 8, 12 and 24 h were not significantly different in drug
      treated animals compared with those receiving placebo. Concentrations of protein
      and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in exudate and exudate leucocyte numbers were
      significantly reduced in drug-treated horses when data for all sampling times
      were pooled. The differences were not significant, however, at each sampling
      time. Exudate concentrations of the eicosanoids, bicyclic-PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha
      and TXB2, were reduced significantly by miloxicam at most sampling times, and
      serum TXB2 was also significantly reduced at 4 and 8 h but not at 12 and 24 h
      after drug administration. These pharmacodynamic findings correlated with the
      pharmacokinetic properties of miloxicam. The plasma concentration-time curve was
      defined by a three-compartment open model in one pony and by a two-compartment
      model in five ponies. Mean values for pharmacokinetic parameters for the five
      ponies were: t1/2 alpha 0.40 h; t1/2 beta 2.70 h; Vd area 0.158 l/kg; ClB 41.87
      ml/kg/h. Exudate concentrations of miloxicam were initially similar to and
      eventually greater than concentrations in plasma, and this may explain the more
      prolonged inhibition of eicosanoid synthesis in exudate than in serum. These
      findings demonstrate the value of relating, in a single experimental study, drug
      action on a range of variables to drug fate in the body.

PMID- 1868325
TI  - Sulfhydryl reducing agents distinguish two subtypes of angiotensin II receptors
      in the rat brain.
AB  - Two angiotensin II receptor subtypes were distinguished in the rat brain using in
      vitro receptor autoradiography based on the differential effects of sulfhydryl
      reducing agents on 125I-sarcosine1,isoleucine8 angiotensin II binding in various
      brain nuclei. At several nuclei, e.g. the hypothalamus, circumventricular organs
      and the dorsal medulla, 125I-sarcosine1,isoleucine8 angiotensin II binding was
      strongly inhibited by 30 mM beta-mercaptoethanol or 5 mM dithiothreitol, whereas
      at other nuclei, e.g. the lateral septum, colliculi, locus coeruleus and medial
      amygdala, sulfhydryl reducing agents had either little effect on radioligand
      binding or enhanced the binding. The distribution of the sulfhydryl reducing
      agent inactivated subtype corresponds exactly with the distribution of DuP 753
      sensitive (designated as AII alpha) 125I-sarcosine1,isoleucine8 angiotensin II
      binding sites25. The subtype not inhibited by sulfhydryl reducing agents
      corresponds with the DuP 753 insensitive (designated as AII beta) sites in the
      brain25. The sulfhydryl reducing agent effect on brain angiotensin II receptor
      subtypes is similar to that seen in angiotensin II receptor subtypes in
      peripheral tissues. These observations indicate that many previous studies of
      brain angiotensin II receptor binding that included 5 mM dithiothreitol in the
      assay medium overlooked the sulfhydryl reducing agent inactivated (AII alpha)
      receptor subtype.

PMID- 1868326
TI  - Reversible, short-lasting, and dose-dependent effect of (+)-fenfluramine on
      neocortical serotonergic axons.
AB  - Dextrofenfluramine [+)-fenfluramine) is the dextro-optical isomer of the racemic
      compound (+/-)-fenfluramine. This compound stimulates the release of serotonin (5
      HT) and blocks its re-uptake in serotonergic nerve terminals. (+)-Fenfluramine
      and its nor metabolite which have been localized in significant amounts in the
      rat brain are useful anorectic agents in animals. In humans, (+)-fenfluramine is
      used as an anti-obesity agent when administered orally in doses of 0.25
      mg/kg/twice a day. Studies in some animal species (such as the rat and monkey,
      but not mice) using high doses of (+)-fenfluramine (administered subcutaneously)
      have shown long-term neurochemical and immunocytochemical effects in selected
      brain regions. In the present study we used the rat to determine the mechanism
      underlying the anorectic effect of orally administered (+)-fenfluramine. The rat
      was selected because long-term effects of (+)-fenfluramine have been previously
      described in this species. In addition, a variety of other aspects of orally
      administered (+)-fenfluramine have been addressed in this study. For example, how
      long does the depletion of 5-HT in the nerve terminals last following cessation
      of the drug treatment? i.e. is the effect reversible? Is this depletion of 5-HT
      and the resultant abnormal morphology of 5-HT-immunoreactive nerve terminals seen
      at high doses dose-dependent? Since some of these questions relate to
      morphological evaluation of this drug in brain 5-HT systems, we have examined
      this system as part of our ongoing effort to examine brain monoaminergic systems
      under perturbed conditions. We have used a morphological (immunocytochemical)
      approach to answer these questions. The primary function of this study was to
      evaluate the effects of short-term exposure (4 days) to varying doses of orally
      administered (+)-fenfluramine on 5-HT-immunoreactive nerve terminals in the
      frontal cortex of the rat. The frontal cortex was selected because it contains a
      homogeneous population of nerve fibers and terminals unlike other cortical
      regions, the hippocampus, striatum and the hypothalamus where a mixed population
      of coarse and fine fibers has been described. Since the previously reported
      effect of fenfluramine on 5-HT nerve terminals was the appearance of coarse
      fibers, the region of cortex selected for this study showed no coarse fibers in
      the pair-fed control. This essential feature of control regions has not been used
      in previous studies on this subject. The present study demonstrates that (+)
      fenfluramine produces a dose-dependent reduction in 5-HT immunoreactivity of 5-HT
      nerve terminals in the neocortex of adult rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868327
TI  - Modifications of tubulin heterogeneity during embryonic and postnatal stages in a
      specific region of mouse brain.
AB  - An auditory nucleus (the inferior colliculus of the mouse) was used to study the
      modifications of the heterogeneity of tubulin which occur at various stages of
      development and maturation. Both the cold-stable (CS) and cold-labile (CL)
      fractions of tubulin were analyzed by high-resolution isoelectric focusing. Our
      results suggest that tubulin heterogeneity is modified at critical stages of
      development and maturation, with specific variations of the two fractions. Stage
      E10 corresponding to the appearance of the first young neurons and axonal
      profiles is marked by the modification of the CS fraction with the emergence of
      isotypes alpha 5 to alpha 8 and beta 12 and beta 17. Stage E12 is characterized
      by the modifications of the CL fraction, particularly the beta-group; at this
      stage the first dendrites become visible. At birth, all isotypes increase in both
      the CL and CS fractions. At stages P7-P10 transient modifications of a group of
      both CS and CL fractions and of the beta group of CS fraction occur. These are
      associated with the emergence of isotypes beta 17 to beta 20 in the CL fraction.
      This period precludes the initial period of functional maturation of the auditory
      system which occurs from P10 to P20. During this period, the CL fraction (alpha
      and beta group) remains unmodified, whereas all isotypes of the CS fraction,
      except 3-4, display complex variations with an initial decrease until P12, an
      increase until P17, and a final decrease until P20.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1868328
TI  - Effects of lingual nerve and chewing cortex stimulation upon activity of the
      swallowing neurons located in the region of the hypoglossal motor nucleus.
AB  - This study focuses on motoneurons and interneurons in the region of the
      hypoglossal nucleus (XIIth) related to swallowing and chewing. In sheep
      anesthetized with halothane, we have used extracellular microelectrodes to study
      the effects of stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN), the lingual
      nerve (LN) and the chewing cortex (CCx) upon activities of the swallowing neurons
      (SNs). Ipsilateral stimulation (1-5 pulses at 500 Hz) of the peripheral afferents
      or CCx did not generally induce a short latency activation of the hypoglossal
      swallowing motoneurons (Group I SNs) since only 4 motoneurons (69 tested) were
      activated by the SLN, 4 motoneurons (56 tested) by the LN and none by the CCx. In
      contrast, the same stimulations were more effective with swallowing interneurons
      (Group II SNs) located in the reticular formation close to the XIIth motor
      nucleus since 12 neurons (30 tested) were activated with short latencies (9 +/-
      1.8 ms; mean latency +/- S.D.) by the SLN, 9 neurons (21 tested) by the LN
      (latency; 8 +/- 1.8 ms) and 5 neurons (18 tested) by the CCx (latency: 13 +/- 1.7
      ms). Seven neurons were activated by two or three modes of stimulation indicating
      the existence of convergent inputs upon some Group II SNs. During chewing
      movements induced by a prolonged stimulation (20-40 Hz) of the CCx, 10 Group I
      SNs (16 tested) versus only one Group II SN (8 tested) were found to fire in
      association with the jaw opening. Moreover, 3 motoneurons and 4 interneurons
      inactive during swallowing discharged during chewing movements.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868329
TI  - Spatial and temporal variation of microstimulation thresholds for inhibiting the
      tail-flick reflex from the rat's rostral medial medulla.
AB  - Suppression of the tail-flick reflex by microstimulation of the rostral medial
      medulla in rats lightly anesthetized with barbiturates was studied with regard to
      spatial and temporal variations in electrical threshold. Trains of constant
      current pulses with linearly descending amplitudes (called 'ramps') were passed
      through the extracellular brain microelectrode during noxious heating of the
      tail. The pulse amplitude at the time of the reflex, after allowance for
      conduction and reaction latencies, was taken as the threshold reading. This new
      method revealed a range of vertical electrode positions corresponding roughly to
      the nucleus raphe magnus, where the thresholds tended to be lowest (a mean of 4.1
      microA for 0.4-ms pulses delivered at 50 Hz). In confirmation of the technique's
      validity neither the duration of the ramp nor its starting amplitude, within
      their useful range, significantly affected the measured threshold. Pronounced
      temporal fluctuation was seen in thresholds measured every 2 min. Spatial
      variability within the low-threshold region and differences between preparations
      were statistically much smaller sources of variation. The temporal fluctuation
      appeared to have a stationary mean for at least 20 min under constant conditions
      of anesthesia. In some experiments, action potentials from single neurons were
      recorded through the stimulating electrode, and classified into those inhibited
      during the tail-flick (off-cells), those excited (on-cells), and those unaffected
      (neutral cells). The thresholds where off-cells exhibited their maximum action
      potential were on average significantly lower than corresponding thresholds for
      on-cells. Short-range (less than 0.2 mm) spatial variations in the threshold
      appeared however to be uncorrelated with the distance to an individual recorded
      off-cell or on-cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868330
TI  - Evidence for motility and pinocytosis in ramified microglia in tissue culture.
AB  - Ramified microglial cells were investigated in primary cultures of dissociated
      cerebral cortical tissue from rats. The identification of these cells was
      confirmed through immunohistochemical staining with 7 monoclonal antibodies
      selective for microglia. While there was significant variation in staining
      intensity with different antibodies, all stained the identified ramified cells;
      the antibodies OX-42 and ED1 yielded the most intense immunoreactivity. Based on
      distinctive morphological features, the microglia could be identified in living
      cultures where they were monitored using time-lapse video recording. This
      technique revealed extremely dynamic features of cellular plasticity and
      motility. Ramified microglia exhibited constant and rapid alterations in the size
      and shape of their cell body with an associated extension and retraction of
      processes; concomitantly, the cells moved about in a circumscribed area. These
      features of plasticity and motility were unique to this cell type, and correlated
      with OX-42 immunostaining. The microglia also possessed a differentially high
      level of pinocytotic activity; this too was correlated with OX-42 staining. From
      the nature of their morphological plasticity and motility, high pinocytosis, and
      cellular distribution, it is hypothesized that the ramified microglia
      specifically function as a system of fluid cleansing in normal brain tissue.

PMID- 1868331
TI  - Modulation of human short latency reflexes between standing and walking.
AB  - Inhibition of the magnitude of soleus muscle homonymous (H) reflexes occurs in
      humans when walking, compared to standing. The current study asked, (1) was the
      task modulation of Ia reflexes limited to soleus muscle, (2) was there support
      for attributing a presynaptic source to the inhibition in humans and (3) did an
      oligosynaptic short latency reflex show similar task modulation? In 3 subjects, H
      reflexes were evoked in vastus medialis and soleus, at 4 levels of contraction in
      the target muscle, with constant stimulus intensity when walking and standing.
      The reflex magnitudes in both muscles were significantly inhibited during the
      contractions for walking, compared to standing. Such inhibition also occurred in
      H reflexes of tibialis anterior muscle. An excitatory oligosynaptic reflex was
      then evoked in vastus medialis, through low intensity stimulation of the common
      peroneal nerve during walking and standing. The mean amplitudes of this reflex
      were not significantly different (P less than 0.05) between the two conditions,
      at any contraction level. The depression of quadriceps H reflexes, compared to
      the oligosynaptic reflexes through the same quadriceps motoneuronal pool in the
      same task, strongly suggested that the inhibition of H reflexes arose at other
      sites besides the motoneuronal cell body and proximal dendrites. We conclude that
      Ia H reflexes of various leg muscles of humans are inhibited when walking but
      that this does not generalize to the oligosynaptic short latency reflex between
      the anterior shank and thigh.

PMID- 1868332
TI  - Distribution of muscarinic receptors in the developing rodent cerebellum.
AB  - The distribution of muscarinic receptors in the developing rodent cerebellum was
      studied by light microscopic autoradiography of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate
      binding sites. Muscarinic receptors were not detected in the mouse cerebellar
      plate until embryonic day 16, at which time they were clustered in the
      ventromedial region of the cerebellar anlagen. At postnatal day 1, additional
      areas of higher grain density became visible in the dorsolateral medullary zone,
      internal to the newly forming granular layer. Labeling increased throughout the
      entire cerebellum between postnatal days 5 and 10, becoming markedly higher in
      the lateral hemispheres than in the vermis. This elevated density of binding
      sites in the hemispheres became reduced to that of the vermis by postnatal day 13
      in the mouse, and PD20 in the rat. In adult animals, the cortical grain density
      was highest in the granule and Purkinje cell layers, low in the molecular layer
      and absent from the white matter. Receptor labeling was, however, observed over
      many areas of white matter throughout early development; this became more
      restricted to specific tracts during the third postnatal week. At no time during
      development were binding sites observed in the external germinal layer.
      Microvessels and capillaries, structures which have been shown to contain
      [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding sites, may partially account for the observed
      ontogenic pattern.

PMID- 1868333
TI  - Learning-specific differences in Purkinje-cell dendrites of lobule HVI (Lobulus
      simplex): intracellular recording in a rabbit cerebellar slice.
AB  - The cerebellum has been directly implicated in the associative learning
      exemplified by classical conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane
      response. Lesions of cerebellar lobule HVI (Lobulus simplex) can disrupt or even
      abolish classical conditioning. Electrical stimulation of inputs that converge at
      cerebellar lobule HVI and the deep cerebellar nuclei has been shown to support
      classical conditioning of the responses elicited by such stimulation. Here we
      report that intracellular recording in a slice of rabbit cerebellar lobule HVI
      revealed a conditioning-specific increase in the excitability of Purkinje-cell
      dendrites without significant changes in dendritic membrane potential or input
      resistance. The finding of a conditioning-specific change in lobule HVI lends
      support to the theory that associative learning involves local dendritic
      modification and provides further evidence for the involvement of the cerebellar
      cortex in classical conditioning of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response.

PMID- 1868334
TI  - Transplantation of ventral forebrain cholinergic neurons to the hippocampus
      ameliorates impairment of radial-arm maze learning in rats with AF64A treatment.
AB  - Two types of cholinergic neurons were transplanted into the hippoccampus of adult
      rats chemically damaged by lateral ventricular administration of AF64A, a
      cholinergic neurotoxin, and the effects were compared with respect to their
      ability to reinnervate the hippocampus and to repair behavioral deficit. Pieces
      of brain tissue containing the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) or the
      striatum were taken for grafting from 17-day rat fetuses. About 3 months after
      transplantation, the rats with bilateral NBM grafts showed significant
      amelioration in radial-arm maze performance and habituation to a novel
      environment in an open field box, although they had not recovered to the control
      level. In rats with NBM grafts that showed a good performance, there were
      surviving grafts and many ingrowths of AChE-positive fibers in the hippocampus.
      By contrast, rats with striatal grafts showed hardly any significant improvement
      in these behavioral measures. The AChE staining revealed poor outgrowth of the
      striatal grafts into the hippocampus. These results indicate that grafting of NBM
      cholinergic neurons, which are anatomically similar to septal neurons, into the
      hippocampus produces a partial restorative effect on the cognitive impairment
      associated with hypofunction of the septohippocampal system.

PMID- 1868335
TI  - Immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopical characterization of
      cerebrovascular and senile plaque amyloid in aged dogs' brains.
AB  - Immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopical studies were carried out on
      28 aged dogs' brains. Amyloid deposits were seen in the arteries and capillaries
      in the leptomeninges and in superficial areas of the cortices in 19 (67.9%) of
      the 28 dogs (10-22 years of age). Immunohistochemically, these amyloid deposits
      were reactive for anti-beta/A4 antibody. Additionally, a variable number of
      parenchymal deposits with diffuse beta/A4-immunoreactivity (diffuse plaques) was
      also noted throughout the cerebral cortex in 24/28 dogs (85.7%). However, these
      plaque lesions were undetectable in Congo red staining. Electron microscopically,
      amyloid fibrils, measuring 10 nm in width, were located mainly in the tunica
      media of the arteries, and in less involved vessels they tended to be present
      among collagen fibres in the adventitia and smooth muscle cells in the outer
      layer of the media. The plaque lesions appeared to contain sparse aggregations of
      amyloid fibrils. In immunoelectron microscopical examinations, all amyloid
      fibrils in both blood vessels and plaques were selectively labelled by gold
      particles. These findings indicate that aged dogs can provide a useful
      experimental model for research into the beta/A4-type of cerebral amyloidosis
      commonly seen in Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1868336
TI  - Effects of circadian phase and duration of sleep deprivation on sleep and EEG
      power spectra in the cat.
AB  - The electroencephalogram (EEG) of cats was recorded under baseline conditions (LD
      12:12) and after 4 and 8 h of sleep deprivation (SD). The EEG was analyzed by
      visual scoring and by spectral analysis. Under baseline conditions the 24-h
      distribution of sleep was bimodal: the smallest amounts of sleep occurred at the
      light-dark and dark-light transitions. EEG slow-wave activity (power density in
      the delta frequency range: 0.5-4.0 Hz) in non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREMS)
      showed a small variation over the 24-h period. When recovery sleep, following 4 h
      and 8 h of SD, started at the beginning of the dark period, no significant
      rebound of NREMS and REMS occurred during the 24-h recovery period. When recovery
      sleep, after 4 h of SD, started at the fifth hour of the light period, the amount
      of NREMS was increased. In all experiments the EEG power density in NREMS was
      enhanced after SD in the entire frequency range studied (0.5-31.5 Hz), but more
      prominently in the delta and theta (4.5-7.0 Hz) frequency bands. The effects
      dissipated in the course of the recovery period. The magnitude and duration of
      the enhancements of EEG power densities were dependent on the duration of SD and
      on the circadian phase at which SD was scheduled. It is concluded that in the cat
      sleep is a function of both circadian and homeostatic processes and that
      especially the EEG power density in NREMS is highly responsive to sleep loss.

PMID- 1868337
TI  - Diazepam enhances intrasynaptosomal free calcium concentrations.
AB  - Synaptosomes prepared from brains of rats were incubated in different
      concentrations of diazepam under conditions designed to reduce the action of a
      reversed Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. In synaptosomes depolarized in the presence of added
      Ca2+, doses of diazepam ranging from 0.1 to 100 microM were found to
      significantly enhance Ca2+ levels measured with the fluorescent dye fura-2,
      compared to control incubations without drug. Furthermore, doses of diazepam as
      low as 1 microM significantly increased the concentration of Ca2+ in non
      depolarized synaptosomes without added Ca2+ in the medium. The effects of
      depolarization and diazepam treatment were synergistic in increasing the levels
      of intrasynaptosomal Ca2+.

PMID- 1868338
TI  - Cutaneous afferent activity in the median nerve during grasping in the primate.
AB  - Neural activity was recorded from the median nerve of a monkey during grasping
      and lifting, using a chronically implanted cuff electrode. At the onset of
      lifting, there was an initial dynamic response during which the intensity of the
      neural signal increased rapidly. This neural response attained its peak value
      well before the displacement, the load force or the grip force. The time course
      and peak of the rectified, integrated neurogram were best correlated with the
      rate of change of grip force. The neural activity declined exponentially to a
      steady value following the initial peak. During steady holding the mean amplitude
      of the neurogram was best correlated with the mean grip force. At the end of the
      holding phase there was a short burst of neural activity as the monkey relaxed
      the grip force and released the object. During some blocks of trials pulse
      perturbations were applied to the object. When the monkey did not increase the
      grip force in advance of the perturbation, the perturbation produced a relatively
      large displacement of the object and a burst of neural activity whose onset
      coincided with the onset of displacement. When the monkey anticipated the
      perturbation by increasing the grip force during the holding period preceding the
      perturbation, the perturbation produced a relatively small displacement and
      relatively little increase in neural activity.

PMID- 1868339
TI  - Species differences in cerebral taurine concentrations correlate with brain water
      content.
AB  - The notion that taurine (Tau) has an osmoregulatory function in the mammalian
      brain has not been established, although it has been reported that the severity
      of hyponatremic edema is proportional to cerebral [Tau]. Tau pools are not easily
      altered in vivo, but the fact that there are large differences in cerebral
      taurine levels between mice, rats and guinea pigs offers an opportunity to
      determine whether endogenous Tau affects volume regulation of the brain in
      hyposmolal conditions. This issue was investigated by injecting saline or
      distilled water intraperitoneally at 150 ml/kg in anesthetized mice, rats and
      guinea pigs. The animals were decapitated 4 h later, and blood osmolality,
      cortical specific gravity, Na+, K+ and amino acid concentrations were determined.
      In controls, blood osmolality and specific gravity of the cortex were highest in
      the mouse (304 +/- 3 mmol/kg; 1.0488 +/- 0.0003 kg/l), followed by the rat (294
      +/- 1; 1.0462 +/- 0.0002) and the guinea pig (285 +/- 2; 1.0445 +/- 0.0002).
      There was a correlation between these measures and cortical Tau levels which were
      10.31 +/- 0.36 mmol/kg in mouse cortex, 6.31 +/- 0.18 in rat cortex and 1.37 +/-
      0.06 in guinea pig cortex. Despite these differences, water-induced
      cerebrocortical swelling did not differ between the species studied. Interspecies
      variation in cortical osmolality did not relate to [Na+] and [K+], since the
      levels of these electrolytes were higher in the guinea pig cortex than in the rat
      and mouse cortex. After administration of water, the levels of Na+ and K+ were
      reduced in rat and guinea pig cortex, while only [Na+] was significantly
      decreased in mouse cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868340
TI  - Hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptor affinities are reduced in
      rats predisposed to develop amphetamine self-administration.
AB  - It has been suggested that individual predisposition to develop amphetamine self
      administration is associated with impairment in corticosteroid negative feedback
      mechanisms. Since corticosteroid receptors, particularly those in the
      hippocampus, are involved in corticosterone feedback sensitivity, we examined the
      relation between individual differences in amphetamine self-administration and
      characteristics of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. Rats were selected on
      the basis of likelihood to self-administer amphetamine and designed as: (1) High
      Responding (HR) rats, who quickly acquire the response and (2) Low Responding
      (LR), who fail to self-administer amphetamine. We found lower affinities both for
      hippocampal type I and type II corticosteroid receptors in the HR animals. These
      data suggest that modification of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors may be
      responsible for the predisposition of some animals for amphetamine self
      administration. Because HR rats also show a greater behavioral and
      endocrinological response in a novel environment, these differences in affinities
      suggest a relation among amphetamine self-administration, control of the
      corticosterone feedback loop, serum levels of corticosterone and characteristics
      of hippocampal corticosteroid receptors. The implication is that pharmacological
      manipulations of corticosteroid receptors may reveal new therapeutic strategies
      for drug abuse.

PMID- 1868341
TI  - Acute cocaine administration: effects on local cerebral blood flow and metabolic
      demand in the rat.
AB  - Local cerebral blood flow and glucose utilisation were measured in both saline (n
      = 10) and cocaine (10 mg/kg; n = 10) treated rats using [14C]iodoantipyrine and
      [14C]2-deoxyglucose quantitative autoradiography respectively. In control
      animals, the ratio of flow to metabolism was 1.40 (r = 0.92) for the 40 brain
      regions examined. Cocaine treatment altered neither the correlation (r = 0.83)
      nor the ratio (1.49). Thus, the fundamental relationship between CBF and
      metabolism remains intact following acute cocaine exposure.

PMID- 1868342
TI  - 'Anxiolytic' effect of CCK-antagonists on plus-maze behavior in mice.
AB  - The effects of systemic treatment with the CCK-B receptor antagonist L-365,260,
      its 3S-(-) enantiomer and the CCK-A receptor antagonist devazepide were assessed
      in the plus-maze procedure in mice. L-365,260 (1-1000 micrograms.kg-1 i.p.)
      produced a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of entries into, and the
      percentage of time spent in the open arms. Total arm entry was not consistently
      modified. Neither the 3S-(-) enantiomer of L-365,260 nor devazepide (both
      administered at 100-10,000 micrograms.kg-1) enhanced the exploratory behavior of
      mice. These results suggest that CCK-B, rather than CCK-A antagonists may possess
      'anxiolytic' properties in mice.

PMID- 1868343
TI  - Effects of intracerebroventricularly administered neostigmine on sympathetic
      neural activities of peripheral tissues in rats.
AB  - Sympathetic nervous activity (SNA) in the liver, heart, pancreas and
      interscapular brown adipose tissue was examined 60 min after the third
      cerebroventricular injection of neostigmine (5 x 10(-8) mol) in rats. We employed
      the technique of specific gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous
      analysis of norepinephrine (NE) and its primary neuronal metabolite, 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG) and used the ratio DHPG/NE as an index of
      SNA. Neostigmine produced significant increases in the DHPG/NE ratio in all
      tissues investigated. Co-administration of atropine with neostigmine completely
      inhibited this neostigmine-induced effect. These findings suggest that the
      central cholinergic-muscarinic activation with neostigmine stimulates SNA in the
      peripheral tissues examined.

PMID- 1868344
TI  - Calcium, magnesium, and long-term recovery from hypoxia in hippocampal tissue
      slices.
AB  - Ortho- and antidromic responses recovered and remained robust for 5 h in slices
      exposed to transient hypoxia in low calcium, while responses remained depressed
      in slices made hypoxic in normal calcium. Elevating magnesium in addition to
      reducing calcium did not improve recovery compared to reducing calcium alone.
      Spreading depression-like hypoxic depolarization occurred earlier in low calcium
      than in control fluid. We conclude that loss of function was triggered by calcium
      uptake by neurons and not by cell swelling, and that activation of NMDA receptors
      probably played no part.

PMID- 1868345
TI  - GDP beta S antagonizes whole-cell current responses to excitatory amino acids.
AB  - Guanine nucleotides have been predicted to be NMDA antagonists in tissue binding
      studies. Using the patch-clamp technique, we now show that the guanine nucleotide
      GDP beta S produces a rapidly reversible antagonism of NMDA, kainate, and, less
      potently, quisqualate whole-cell current responses. Furthermore, it does not
      appear that this antagonism is effected intracellularly. Our results suggest a
      novel extracellular role for guanine nucleotides apart from their traditional
      intracellular actions on G-proteins.

PMID- 1868346
TI  - Phospholipase C isozymes in neurons and glial cells in culture: an
      immunocytochemical and immunochemical study.
AB  - Expression of 3 brain isozymes of phospholipase (PLC-beta, PLC-gamma and PLC
      delta) was investigated in relation to cell types found in rat CNS cultures.
      Immunoreactivity of cultured neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes was
      demonstrated for all of the 3 isozymes by immunocytochemical staining and
      immunoblotting, with some differences in reaction intensity. Immunoblotting
      revealed that the level of expression was neurons greater than oligodendrocytes
      greater than astrocytes for PLC-beta and PLC-gamma, and astrocytes greater than
      oligodendrocytes greater than neurons for PLC-delta.

PMID- 1868347
TI  - The effect of estrogen on the estrogen receptor-immunoreactive cells in the rat
      medial preoptic nucleus.
AB  - The localization of estrogen receptor-immunoreactive (ER-IR) cells in the medial
      preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the effect of estrogen upon these cells were
      quantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody to
      estrogen receptor (ER) protein in rat. ER was distributed in the nucleus of MPN
      neurons and was not detected in either cytoplasm or glial cells. There were more
      ER-IR cells with higher immunoreactivities in ovariectomized (OVX) rats than in
      estradiol (E2)-treated rats. The number of ER-IR cells in E2-treated compared
      with OVX rats was reduced by 43%. In particular, the number of ER-IR cells in the
      central part of the MPN was largely decreased. Our data indicate that the central
      part of the MPN is most sensitive to estrogen.

PMID- 1868348
TI  - Intrahippocampal transplants of septal cholinergic neurons: high-affinity choline
      uptake and spatial memory function.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated that intrahippocampal cholinergic septal grafts
      can ameliorate deficits in spatial memory function and hippocampal cholinergic
      neurochemical activity in animals with disruptions of the septohippocampal
      system. However, no study has determined if the restoration of spatial memory
      function is correlated to the restoration of cholinergic activity, as measured by
      high-affinity choline uptake (HACU). The present study was designed to determine
      if such a correlation between behavioral and neurochemical restoration exists.
      Male Sprague-Dawley rats received either sham lesions (SHAM), bilateral lesions
      of the septohippocampal pathway (LES), or bilateral lesions along with
      intrahippocampal septal grafts (SG). After 8 months, rats were tested for their
      ability to perform spatial reference, spatial navigation and working memory
      tasks. Upon completion of the behavioral testing, neurochemical activity of the
      hippocampus was measured by HACU. The results indicate that animals in the SG
      group had significantly higher behavioral scores and hippocampal HACU rates than
      animals in the LES group. Regression analysis indicates that a significant
      correlation exists between performance on each behavioral task and HACU rates.
      These results demonstrate that hippocampal cholinergic activity, as measured by
      HACU, correlates significantly with performance on tests of spatial memory
      function.

PMID- 1868350
TI  - Sensitivity of lateral hypothalamic neurons to glycemic level: possible
      involvement of an indirect adrenergic mechanism.
AB  - Most of the lateral hypothalamic neurons responding to moderate changes in blood
      glucose fail to be affected by direct glucose applications. Therefore their
      sensitivity to glycemic level must be mediated by an indirect mechanism. In order
      to test whether adrenergic afferents might be involved, the activity of lateral
      hypothalamic neurons was recorded during hyperglycemia and local glucose and
      epinephrine microiontophoresis. A majority of the recorded cells sensitive to
      local epinephrine responded to this substance with a decrease in activity. While
      no consistent correspondence was found between the responses of the same cells to
      local glucose and epinephrine ejections, almost all the neurons sensitive to
      glycemic alterations responded in the same direction to hyperglycemia and
      iontophorised epinephrine. These results support the view that the activity of
      lateral hypothalamic cells can be modulated in relation to changes in glycemic
      level through adrenergic signals released by some neurons which are sensitive to
      the blood glucose. The possible localization in the solitary tract area of such
      neurons projecting to the lateral hypothalamus is discussed.

PMID- 1868349
TI  - Quiescent astroglia in long-term primary cultures re-enter the cell cycle and
      require a non-sterol isoprenoid in late G1.
AB  - Astroglia proliferate during brain growth, and can divide again later,
      particularly during astrogliosis. We investigated whether astroglia in primary
      cultures of newborn rat brain similarly achieve a state of prolonged quiescence
      which enables re-entry into the cell division cycle. In cultures after 2 months,
      cell number plateaued and there were sharp decreases in [3H]thymidine
      incorporation (70 +/- 5 vs 4 +/- 0.5 cpm/micrograms protein/h at 30 and 60 days,
      respectively) and in percentages of cell nuclei incorporating bromodeoxyuridine
      (BrDU) (from 46 +/- 6% to less than 1%). Replating at 10(4) cells/cm2 yielded
      secondary cultures which synthesized DNA actively. Forty-eight hours of serum
      deprivation at 2-3 days from subculturing, followed by addition of 10% serum
      (time 0), resulted in a return to quiescence which persisted until 12 h (G0 +
      G1). By 20 h (S phase), there were abrupt increases in DNA synthesis (5-fold) and
      in BrDU-labeled nuclei (from 19 +/- 2 to 76 +/- 8%) and the percentage of glial
      fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells declined to 14 +/- 2%. Three days
      later, GFAP-positive cells numbered around 80%. Cell cycling after prolonged
      quiescence, in a manner similar to that in early astroglial cultures, required a
      non-sterol derivative of mevalonate in late G1. These data confirm that astroglia
      in primary cultures, like their counterparts in vivo, have a flexible capacity to
      enter and depart from quiescence, and most importantly, provide a system for
      examining regulation of this process.

PMID- 1868351
TI  - Stereotaxic atlas of the brainstem of the muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus.
AB  - The muskrat is an aquatic rodent of moderate size and possesses dramatic
      respiratory and cardiovascular behaviors in response to submersion, stimulation
      of the upper respiratory tract, or environmental cues. This report provides a
      stereotaxic atlas of the muskrat's brainstem in the transverse plane to
      facilitate studies requiring an accurate localization of discrete brain
      structures. Plates are presented of brainstem sections between the obex and
      superior colliculus separated by 450 microns. Each figure shows a Nissl stained
      hemisection complemented by a line drawing. Our data shows mature muskrats have
      relatively uniform craniometric dimensions promoting their use for stereotaxic
      placements in their brains.

PMID- 1868352
TI  - Noradrenaline-like terminals in the cat nucleus ventralis posterior of the
      thalamus.
AB  - Noradrenaline-like immunoreactivity in the cat nucleus ventralis posterior of the
      thalamus was investigated using an indirect immunocytochemical technique.
      Specific antinoradrenaline antibodies, raised in rabbits, were used. It was first
      verified that these antibodies recognize noradrenaline cells bodies of the locus
      coeruleus and their ascending axons in the ascending noradrenergic tract. In the
      nucleus ventralis posterior itself, noradrenaline-like fibers were observed. They
      were either randomly distributed or grouped around nonlabeled cell bodies. These
      neurons were generally oblong and measured 60-80 microns. With electron
      microscopy, preliminary results showed immunoreactive fibers in close apposition
      to unlabeled cell bodies or dendrites. The precise nature of these profiles was
      sometimes difficult to ascertain, since experiments were done in presence of
      detergent. In some cases symmetric synapses might be observed between
      immunoreactive axon terminals and unlabeled dendrites. The specificity of the
      reaction is discussed in the light of several control experiments.

PMID- 1868353
TI  - Reduction of exploratory behavior by intraperitoneal injection of interleukin-1
      involves brain corticotropin-releasing factor.
AB  - The behavior of mice was scored in a multicompartment chamber one hour following
      intraperitoneal injection of recombinant human interleukin-1 (IL-1). Both IL-1
      alpha and IL-1 beta dose-dependently reduced the mean duration for which mice
      were in contact with novel stimuli without altering measures of locomotor
      activity, such as movements between the compartments or rears. These behavioral
      changes resemble those previously observed with prior restraint or
      intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF).
      Effective doses were in the range 0.1-10 ng for IL-1 alpha, and 1-10 ng for IL-1
      beta. The reduction in stimulus-contact times induced by 1 ng of IL-1 beta was
      reversed by prior ICV injection of the CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF9-41,
      suggesting that IL-1 causes secretion of brain CRF which in turn elicits the
      behavioral changes. These results indicate that peripheral administration of IL-1
      alpha or IL-1 beta in low doses can alter behavior. They provide additional
      evidence that IL-1 administration stimulates brain CRF secretion, and that brain
      CRF can modulate exploratory behavior, and thus reinforces the concept that IL-1
      administration can induce stress.

PMID- 1868355
TI  - Time dependent loss of tissue GABA content and immunoreactivity in hippocampal
      slices.
AB  - Immunohistochemical detection of GABA was used to evaluate changes of the GABA
      innervation in hippocampal slices maintained in vitro. In parallel experiments
      the amount of GABA, glutamate and aspartate was measured with high performance
      liquid chromatography. The results showed that while glutamate and aspartate
      levels remained fairly constant, GABAergic neurons suffered remarkable
      alterations. During 8 hours' incubation the GABA content of the tissue and the
      number of GABA containing neuronal cell bodies decreased by 79.7% and 84.6%,
      respectively. The qualitative features of the immunoreactivity of the neuropil
      did not change. In conclusion, while in hippocampal slices tissue glutamate and
      aspartate levels are only slightly affected by the in vitro maintenance, more
      than half of the tissue GABA content is lost during prolonged in vitro
      incubation. As a consequence of the GABA loss, the ratio of endogenous inhibitory
      and excitatory amino acid transmitters has been altered, which could influence
      the viability of adult hippocampal tissue in vitro conditions.

PMID- 1868356
TI  - Cholinergic actions of diazepam and atropine sulfate in soman poisoning.
AB  - The effectiveness of diazepam alone or in the presence of atropine sulfate in
      reversing soman-induced convulsions, inhibition of blood and brain cholinesterase
      (ChE) activity, and elevation of brain acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch)
      concentrations in rats was studied. Diazepam (5 mg/kg, IM) blocked the convulsive
      activity of soman (100 micrograms/kg, SC) whereas atropine sulfate (12 mg/kg, IM)
      did not. Inclusion of atropine sulfate enhanced the anticonvulsant effects of
      diazepam. Neither diazepam nor atropine sulfate alone affected ChE activity in
      the blood and brain of rats, nor did they alone, or in combination, reverse the
      ChE inhibition induced by soman. Diazepam by itself caused an increase in ACh
      concentrations in the striatum and a decrease in Ch concentrations in the cortex
      and striatum. On the other hand, atropine sulfate produced a decrease in ACh and
      an increase in Ch concentrations in these two brain regions. With combined
      treatment, diazepam reversed the effect of atropine sulfate on brain ACh and Ch
      concentrations. Diazepam attenuated the soman-induced elevation of ACh and Ch
      concentrations in most of the brain regions studied, while atropine sulfate did
      not. Only when diazepam was given concurrently with atropine sulfate did the
      elevated brain ACh or Ch concentrations induced by soman return to normal. These
      results suggest that the anticonvulsant activity of diazepam in soman poisoning
      may be partially related to its action on presynaptic cholinergic mechanism.

PMID- 1868354
TI  - Cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity in the rat spinal cord: effects of thoracic
      transection.
AB  - A study of cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity in the lumbar (L1-L5) spinal
      cord segments of rats was realised 24-48 hours after complete thoracic
      transection (T6-T8). A comparison was made with corresponding spinal cord
      segments from control and sham-operated animals. The immunocytochemical study
      with light microscopy showed cholecystokinin-like immunoreactive cell bodies in
      laminae VII and X at L1-L5, caudal to the transection. In addition, the
      immunoreactivity was greatly enhanced in bundles of the dorsolateral funiculus
      compared to sham-operated animals. Our results suggest that part of
      cholecystokinin-like cell bodies of laminae VII and X send projections to
      supraspinal sites. Some of these supraspinal projections would go through the
      dorsolateral funiculus. In the lumbar dorsal horn of operated animals, the
      immunoreactivity was greatly enhanced in lamina I, while it was slightly
      decreased in lamina II, compared to control animals. Using electron microscopy,
      in lamina I, the immunoreactivity localized in different neurites was generally
      very intense. Moreover, axon terminals showed swelling: their mean size was 0.8
      1.8 microns (0.5-1.2 in control animals). This result suggests that some
      cholecystokinin-like neurons also project to lamina I of rostral cervical
      segments. In lamina II, numerous degenerating axons were observed (24 hours after
      thoracic spinal transection). This would suggest that part of descending
      cholecystokinin-like projections terminate in lamina II.

PMID- 1868357
TI  - Neuronal activity in visual, auditory and polysensory areas in the monkey
      temporal cortex during visual fixation task.
AB  - The activity of 252 neurons in the inferotemporal visual area TEO, the superior
      temporal auditory area (AA), and the superior temporal polysensory area (STP)
      during the performance of a visual spot-fixation task and two variations, blink
      and tone tests, was examined in two behaving monkeys. A considerable number of
      not only TEO cells (45%) but also AA (29%) and STP (34%) cells were activated
      during the spot-fixation task, but unresponsive to the blanking of the spot
      during the fixation stage in the blink test. In addition, it was found that the
      activity of a third of the TEO, AA and STP cells which fired during the task
      start stage in the spot-fixation task was modulated by cross-interaction between
      spot and tone simultaneously presented in the tone test: among these, the spot
      induced activity of all TEO cells was enhanced by the tone, whereas the spot
      induced activity of all AA and STP cells was suppressed by the tone. These
      findings are discussed in relation to the process of attending selectively to a
      fixation-spot.

PMID- 1868358
TI  - The innervation of the levator veli palatini muscle by the glossopharyngeal
      nerve.
AB  - We developed a novel method which enables bloodless exposure of the levator veli
      palatini muscle in rat in order to investigate the physiological properties of
      this muscle. The levator veli palatini muscle which is innervated by a branch of
      the glossopharyngeal nerve showed rhythmic spontaneous movement in rats. Cutting
      the branch supplying LVP of the glossopharyngeal nerve caused cessation of the
      spontaneous movement of the levator veli palatini muscle. The spontaneous
      discharges of the glossopharyngeal nerve were synchronized with those of the
      phrenic nerve. A mixture of 95% oxygen and 5% room air influenced the efferent
      discharges from the branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve supplying the levator
      veli palatini muscle. These findings indicate that the motor nerve supply to the
      levator veli palatini muscle is the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the levator veli
      palatini muscle is related to the respiratory system, in particular with
      inspiration in rats.

PMID- 1868359
TI  - Quisqualate lesions of rat NBM: selective effects on working memory in a double Y
      maze.
AB  - Some authors have reported that quisqualic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis
      magnocellularis (NBM), although producing large cortical cholinergic losses, have
      little effect on memory. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the
      effects of quisqualic acid lesions of the NBM on working and reference memory in
      a double Y-maze. Each trial started with placement into one of the two end arms
      of the first Y-maze, and the correct response was to go down the stem (reference
      memory). Access was then given to the second Y-maze, the correct response being
      conditional upon the side of the first Y-maze from which that trial had begun
      (working memory). Rats were trained to an 88% correct criterion and were then
      given either bilateral quisqualic acid (60 nM, 0.5 microliters) or sham lesions
      (0.9% saline, 0.5 microliters) of the NBM. One week postsurgery, rats were tested
      on the double Y-maze task with delays of 0, 5 or 30 seconds being introduced
      prior to both the working and reference memory choice. NBM lesions produced a
      63.2 +/- 6.2% decrease of cortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) compared to
      unoperated controls. Delays affected only the working memory of the sham group.
      Rats with lesions showed a significant impairment of working memory at all
      delays, but no change in reference memory. Results indicate that quisqualic acid
      lesions of the NBM that produce significant reductions in cortical ChAT
      selectively impair working memory.

PMID- 1868360
TI  - Effects of the novel compound Hoe 065, a central enhancer of cholinergic
      activity, on voluntary alcohol consumption in rats.
AB  - Hoe 065 is a compound structurally related to the angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibitors and capable of increasing central cholinergic activity. The effects of
      this compound were studied on alcohol intake and on the reduction in alcohol
      intake produced by abutapril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. Hoe 065
      failed to alter alcohol intake or to modify the reduction in alcohol intake
      produced by abutapril. These findings suggest that enhanced cholinergic activity
      may not play a role in the control of alcohol consumption and may not be part of
      the mechanism by which the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors reduce
      alcohol intake.

PMID- 1868361
TI  - Decreased hyperthermic effect of MK-801 in selectively bred hypercholinergic
      rats.
AB  - The Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) of rats has been selectively bred to have
      increased sensitivity to cholinergic agonists. However, these rats exhibit
      altered responsiveness to a number of noncholinergic agents, such as apomorphine,
      buspirone and ethanol. This study compared the FSL and control Flinders Resistant
      Line (FRL) rats in terms of their hyperthermic response to the phencyclidine
      (PCP) receptor agonist, MK-801 (0.2 mg/kg SC) and their MK-801 binding
      characteristics. We have found that FSL rats react with a delayed hyperthermia,
      having a significantly lower hyperthermia for the first 120 min of observation.
      Thereafter the response does not differ in FSL and FRL rats. Both groups had
      similar affinities and numbers of [3H]MK-801 binding sites in the
      hippocampus/cerebral cortex. Pretreatment with scopolamine (1 mg/kg SC) failed to
      affect MK-801-induced hyperthermia in either line of rats. These findings suggest
      that selective breeding of FSL rats attenuated the secondary mechanisms involved
      in the PCP receptor-mediated hyperthermic response. However, by itself
      cholinergic supersensitivity does not appear to be a major factor in the blunted
      responsiveness of FSL rats to MK-801.

PMID- 1868362
TI  - The effects of THA on scopolamine and nucleus basalis lesion-induced EEG slowing.
AB  - The effectiveness of THA (an anticholinesterae) on scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg) and
      nucleus basalis (NB) lesion-induced change in neocortical spectral
      electroencephalography (EEG) were investigated. Scopolamine increased the
      amplitudes of all the spectral components in waking-immobility. In the movement
      related EEG spectral values, only the alpha power was increased. THA 7.5 mg/kg,
      but not THA 3 mg/kg, could reverse scopolamine-induced amplitude change. NB
      lesioning increased delta and theta amplitudes, but decreased beta amplitude.
      Delta amplitude was increased during movement recordings in NB-lesioned rats. THA
      7.5 mg/kg and pilocarpine 10 mg/kg, but not THA 3 mg/kg, could partially reverse
      the increase of delta and theta amplitudes induced by NB lesions. However, the
      beta power decrease could not be restored with cholinomimetics. This study
      demonstrates that quantitative EEG activity analysis may reflect the THA-induced
      restoration of the function of the cholinergic nucleus basalis.

PMID- 1868363
TI  - Effects of mercury and lead on rubidium uptake and efflux in cultured rat
      astrocytes.
AB  - Astrocytes readily sequester lead and mercury (8, 10, 19, 22). Accordingly,
      studies were undertaken to assess the effects of lead and mercury on homeostatic
      functions in neonatal rat brain primary astrocyte cultures. Both inorganic and
      organic mercury, but not lead, significantly inhibited the initial rate (5 min)
      of uptake of 86RbCl, used as a tracer for K+, at concentrations of 10-100 microM.
      Mercury and to a lesser extent lead also stimulated the efflux of intracellular
      86Rb+ at 10-500 microM. These observations suggest that the astrocyte plasma
      membrane may be an important target for lead and mercury, and that relatively low
      concentrations of these heavy metals should inhibit the ability of astrocytes to
      maintain a transmembrane K+ gradient.

PMID- 1868364
TI  - Photochemically induced thrombosis of the precentral cortex impairs operant
      variable-interval spatial delayed alternation performance by rats.
AB  - A variable-interval spatial delayed alternation memory task was used to quantify
      the behavioral effects of photochemically induced thrombic infarction of the
      precentral (frontal) cortex. Upon achieving criterion on the behavioral task,
      rats received thrombicischemic lesions, predominantly limited to the medial
      precentral cortex, induced by injection of the fluorescein dye Rose Bengal and
      illumination of the skull above the target area. Beginning six days after
      surgery, rats were retested on the memory task. Compared to Sham-operated
      controls (n = 5), rats with precentral cortex lesions (n = 5) demonstrated a
      retention interval-dependent accuracy deficit (impaired at the longest retention
      interval only) and slower reaction time (increased response latency). These
      effects were significant only during the first week of postoperative testing.
      Rats with lesions also demonstrated a greater probability of a choice response
      throughout the three postoperative test weeks. The results suggest that
      photochemical thrombosis in the precentral cortex produces functional, behavioral
      consequences in rats which can be reliably and objectively measured.

PMID- 1868365
TI  - Regional effects of iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) on free radical scavengers in rat
      brain.
AB  - Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)
      were measured in different regions of the brains of control and IDPN-treated
      rats. IDPN treatment resulted in significant increase of SOD activity in the
      cerebellum. Other regions, except frontal cortex, exhibited a slight decrease.
      While there was no significant difference in GSH-Px activity in all regions
      compared to controls, CAT activity was slightly increased in the cerebellum.
      These results give credence to the notion that free radical damage to certain
      areas of the brain such as isodendric core of the brainstem may play a role in
      the development of movement disorders.

PMID- 1868366
TI  - Aversiveness of motion and noise to broiler chickens.
AB  - 1. The aversiveness of motion and noise to broiler chickens was examined using a
      passive avoidance technique. Birds were initially trained to peck a key a fixed
      number of times to obtain food. After training, food could still be obtained by
      key pecking, but feeding was immediately followed by 1 min exposure to noise or
      motion. Birds could delay or avoid exposure by delaying or avoiding key pecking,
      hence foregoing food. Reduced pecking rate was therefore taken as a measure of
      aversion. 2. In experiment 1, simultaneous motion and noise, but not noise alone,
      resulted in a significant decrease in pecking rate in comparison with baseline
      rates obtained after training. 3. In experiment 2 there was no significant
      difference in the pecking rates of 4 groups of broilers during training. However,
      after exposure to 1 of 4 types of motion, strongly significant differences in
      pecking rates were found between the groups. The mean latency to peak 3 times was
      significantly greater for birds exposed to gentle vibration, with a single jolt
      after 55 s, than for birds exposed to simple harmonic motion in either the
      horizontal or vertical plane. Birds exposed to circular motion in the horizontal
      plane had a significantly greater mean pecking latency than birds exposed to
      simple harmonic motion in the vertical plane. 4. Baseline latencies to keypeck in
      experiments 1 and 2 were longer than expected. In experiment 3 a direct
      comparison of baseline pecking was made between broilers and laying hens. The
      hens had significantly shorter pecking latencies.

PMID- 1868367
TI  - Implantation of chicken embryonic tissue and cells into unfertilised eggs.
AB  - 1. Chick embryo cells and halved embryos were successfully implanted into
      unfertilised eggs. Yolks containing implants were placed in recipient eggshells,
      covered by transparent vacuum-formed plastic cones and incubated for 72 h. 2.
      Dispersed cells were obtained from eggs expelled from the uterus or from eggs
      that had been laid. Implantation of these cells often resulted in aggregation and
      epithelial growth, in several cases with axial development. 3. Growth of
      implanted halved embryos of different ages was often observed, including one 10
      somite embryo. Non-axial epithelia, sometimes with a central hole, a central
      fluid-filled cellular vesicle or a vesicle only, were also observed. 4. In
      another culture system, whole and halved embryos obtained from laid eggs were
      cultured on a vitelline membrane stretched across semi-solid egg albumen. During
      the 72 h incubation, axial development was observed only in whole embryos, while
      halved embryos grew either into epithelia containing fluid-filled cellular
      vesicles or into vesicles only. 5. It was found that daily drainage of the
      accumulating fluid from the embryo compartment encouraged axial development in
      halved embryos, and almost abolished vesicle formation. Holes were formed in half
      the embryos cultured on a vitelline membrane. 6. It appeared that physical and
      biological conditions could inflict serious malformations on the implants.

PMID- 1868368
TI  - Comparative gait analysis of two strains of turkey, Meleagris gallopavo.
AB  - 1. Economic requirements have encouraged farmers to select broad-breasted strains
      of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). These birds are very heavy (more than 30 kg),
      have pectoral hypertrophy and are frequently lame. Traditional turkeys, closer to
      wild birds, weigh 9 kg on average. 2. Gaits, which are motor pattern expressions,
      seem to be linked to species morphology. However, no significant differences are
      evident between the gaits of traditional and broad-breasted strains. 3. Yet,
      posterior views of the walk of both strains show lateral oscillations, which are
      very slight in the traditional one but very marked in the broad-breasted one. 4.
      In the latter, modification of the centre of gravity path may increase the
      energetic cost of walking and be associated with problems of lameness. 5.
      Therefore, if the genetic pool permits an increase in weight of broad-breasted
      turkeys, then extrinsic factors, such as gravity constraints, may limit this
      evolution.

PMID- 1868369
TI  - Gastrointestinal emptying in the final days of incubation of the chick embryo.
AB  - 1. The gastrointestinal (GI) emptying of the chick embryo was studied in days 19
      and 20 of incubation using radioactive (14C-PEG-4000) and coloured (Evans Blue
      dye) tracer markers. 2. Following administration by oral cannula, the percentages
      of tracer marker recovered in the yolk sac and the GI tract showed the existence
      of a GI motor pattern in both 19 d and 20 d chick embryos and suggested that the
      fluids drunk by the chick embryo during the final days of incubation could have
      reached the yolk sac from the GI tract via the vitelline diverticulum.

PMID- 1868370
TI  - Inheritance of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I and growth rate, food intake,
      food efficiency and abdominal fatness in chickens.
AB  - 1. The inheritance of, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between, plasma
      insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and 28-(28dW) and 56-d (56dW) body weight,
      28- to 56-d body weight gain (BWG), food intake (FI), food conversion ratio (FCR)
      and abdominal fatness (AF) at 56 d were determined by sib analyses in a
      population of 327 pedigreed progeny produced by matings between 18 cockerels and
      72 pullets from a broiler strain of chickens bred at random for 8 generations. 2.
      Plasma IGF-I was measured in fed (IGF-If) and fasted (IGF-I) birds at 42 d. 3.
      Heritability estimates (sire + dam) were: 28dW 0.35 +/- 0.11, 56dW 0.49 +/- 0.13,
      BWG 0.51 +/- 0.13, FI 0.55 +/- 0.13, FCR 0.73 +/- 0.14, AF 0.49 +/- 0.13, IGF-If
      0.10 +/- 0.08, IGF-Is 0.08 +/- 0.08. 4. The low heritability estimates with their
      high standard errors for the IGF-I measures precluded the calculation of
      meaningful genetic correlations between these and the performance traits. There
      were moderate to strong positive genetic correlations between 28dW, 56dW, FI and
      AF.

PMID- 1868371
TI  - Body Weight increase of indigenous pearl guinea fowl in Nigeria through cross
      breeding.
AB  - 1. The performance of the crossbreds of local unimproved Pearl (RBC) and improved
      local Pearl (SLP) with improved exotic Pearl (EP) were compared with that of the
      'purebreds' of the RBC, SLP and EP to 18 weeks of age. 2. The crossbreds of SLP
      and EP (SLEP) and RBC and EP (RBEP) had higher body weight and efficiency of food
      utilisation than the local parents. Heterosis was 5.3, 24.3, 1.6 and 1.6% at 0,
      6, 12 and 18 weeks of age, respectively, for RBEP and 3.7, 30.8, 11.5 and 8.6% at
      0, 6, 12 and 18 weeks of age, respectively, for SLEP. RBEP was 14.5, 98.8, 35.1,
      and 36.2% superior to RBC at 0, 6, 12 and 18 weeks of age, respectively. SLEP was
      also 22.0, 98.7, 41.7 and 41.1% superior to SLP at 0, 6, 12 and 18 weeks of age,
      respectively. Efficiency of food utilisation improved by 20.4% in RBEP and 24.2%
      in SLEP. The crossbreds were however inferior to EP in terms of weight gain and
      efficiency of food utilisation. 3. Evidence from this study indicated that
      crossing the local Pearl guinea fowl with the faster-growing exotic stock is
      capable of rapidly improving the body weight of the indigenous guinea fowl and
      hence its usefulness as a source of meat in Nigeria.

PMID- 1868372
TI  - Genetic variation in the time of oviposition in the laying hen.
AB  - 1. The distribution of oviposition times in modern layers is relatively narrow.
      Consequently, in management systems where hens have to compete for nestboxes,
      some eggs will be laid on the floor. 2. The purpose of this study was to
      investigate the possibility of using genetic methods to change oviposition time
      while maintaining a high production rate. 3. The mean oviposition times of 464
      hens from three selection lines were calculated using time-of-lay records for
      every egg laid until the hens reached 51 weeks of age. 4. Heritability estimates
      for mean oviposition time were high for each of the three lines: 0.38, 0.68 and
      0.78. 5. The three lines differed in terms of the genetic correlations between
      mean oviposition time and certain important production traits. It should,
      however, be possible to shift the mean oviposition time while maintaining a high
      production rate. 6. It is suggested that the spread in oviposition times be
      increased by performing divergent selection for mean oviposition time and by
      mixing the different genotypes in the same commercial flock, kept on the floor or
      in other non-cage systems.

PMID- 1868373
TI  - Response of broiler chickens and turkey poults to food restriction of varied
      severity during early life.
AB  - 1. Cobb male (7-d-old) and female (6-d-old) chicks and BUT male and female
      turkeys (7-d-old), were subjected to food restriction of varying severity for 7,
      5, 10 and 7d, respectively. 2. The energy allowance was calculated to support
      from 0% to 75% of the growth rate typical of species, strain and sex. 3. In male
      and female broilers kept up to 56 and 50 d, respectively, a high rate of weight
      gain after the restriction period (refeeding period) overcame the growth
      retardation attributable to restriction, except in the birds which had been
      subjected to the most severe regimen. In the mildest regiments, body weights
      reached slightly higher values than those of the ad libitum-fed controls. Overall
      food conversion efficiency was significantly improved in males and abdominal fat
      content was reduced in both sexes, regardless of the severity of restriction. 4.
      Body weights of male and female turkeys, aged 147 and 112 d respectively, of the
      groups subjected to the milder (75% growth) restriction, significantly exceeded
      those of the controls. Food conversion efficiency and meat yield were improved by
      early-age food restriction but carcase fat was not affected. 5. The results for
      both species of either sex suggest that a mild food restriction applied at an age
      of about 1 week and allowing for 60 to 75% of normal growth, may offer an
      economic advantage over a continuous ad libitum feeding regimen.

PMID- 1868374
TI  - Muscle protein turnover in chickens selected for increased growth rate, food
      consumption or efficiency of food utilisation: effects of genotype and
      relationship to plasma IGF-I and growth hormone.
AB  - 1. Rates of muscle protein turnover, growth, and food consumption were determined
      in 4 lines of chickens selected for either weight gain (line W), food consumption
      (line F), efficiency of food conversion (line E), or at random (line C) and in
      two Australian commercial broiler strains (S and H). These measures were related
      to body composition and the circulating concentrations of plasma growth hormone
      (GH) and IGF-I. 2. N tau-methylhistidine excretion was 10-14% higher in line F
      and 7-13% lower in line E compared to line C, showing divergence in the rate of
      muscle protein breakdown with selection. 3. There were no differences between the
      4 experimental lines (W, F, E and C) in muscle protein fractional synthesis
      rates, whether calculated from N tau-methylhistidine excretion or measured
      directly by 3H-phenylalanine incorporation. 4. No consistent differences were
      found between lines in circulating concentrations of either GH or IGF-I but
      plasma IGF-I concentrations were positively correlated over all lines with
      protein accretion rates. There was a strong inverse correlation over all lines
      between the rates of protein degradation and FCR. 5. The correlated responses in
      protein degradation rates are consistent with the notion of a positive genetic
      association between the overall efficiency of food utilisation for growth and the
      efficiency of protein metabolism.

PMID- 1868375
TI  - Supplementation of broiler drinking water with liquid ammonium polyphosphate.
AB  - 1. In each of two experiments lasting 21 days a commercially available ammonium
      polyphosphate solution was provided in the drinking water as the sole source of
      supplemental phosphorus for day-old chicks housed in batteries. 2. In both
      experiments, similar daily phosphorus intakes either from dicalcium phosphate in
      the food or from ammonium polyphosphate in the drinking water supported
      equivalent responses in body weight gains. The same was true for the tibia ash
      results in experiment 2. 3. Liquid ammonium polyphosphate, while marketed for
      addition to diets, appears to be also very effective as a waterborne source of
      phosphorus for broilers.

PMID- 1868376
TI  - Energy utilisation in germ-free and conventional chicks fed diets containing
      sorbose.
AB  - 1. In experiment 1, growing conventional (CV) chicks were fed on diets containing
      graded amounts (0, 100, 200 and 300 g/kg diet) of sorbose from 4 to 14 d.
      Protein, fat and energy deposition were determined after carcase analysis. The
      values for growth, food efficiency, metabolisable energy (ME) and fat and energy
      depositions declined as the dietary sorbose content increased. 2. In experiment
      2, the performances of germ-free (GF) and CV chicks fed on diets with (100 g
      sorbose/kg diet) or without sorbose were investigated. On both diets, body weight
      gain, food consumption and protein accumulation in GF chicks were significantly
      higher than those in CV birds. No significant differences were observed between
      the dietary treatment except for ME values, which were significantly lower for
      the sorbose diet. 3. It is suggested that dietary sorbose decreased energy
      utilisation, and that the microbial contribution to the utilisation of dietary
      sorbose was negligible in the chicken.

PMID- 1868377
TI  - Influence of dietary alpha-tocopherol on tocopherol concentrations in chick
      tissues.
AB  - 1. The effect of feeding alpha-tocopherol (5 to 180 micrograms/g diet) for 24
      days on the concentrations of alpha-tocopherol in various chicken tissues was
      investigated. 2. Tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations responded to dietary
      intake in the order: heart congruent to lung greater than liver greater than
      thigh muscle greater than brain, and in all cases the relationship between the
      concentrations of dietary and tissue alpha-tocopherol was highly significant
      (0.997 less than or equal to r less than or equal to 1). 3. Plasma alpha
      tocopherol concentration appears to be a good index (r greater than or equal to
      0.910, P less than 0.001) of alpha-tocopherol status of lung, liver and heart.

PMID- 1868378
TI  - Pharmacotoxicological aspects of nitrate and nitrite in domestic fowls.
AB  - 1. The effects of nitrates and nitrites on growth, erythrocytic count, liver and
      kidney functions, humoral and cell mediated immune responses in cockerels were
      investigated. 2. Sodium nitrate (4.2 g/kg diet) and sodium nitrite (1.7 g/kg)
      retarded growth, caused methaemoglobinaemia and changes in erythrocytic count,
      serum concentrations of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, creatinine and urea. 3.
      Cockerels given nitrate or nitrite in the food had reduced haemagglutination
      responses after injection of sheep erythrocytes and a reduced delayed
      hypersensitivity reaction to purified protein derivative tuberculin following
      sensitisation to Bacille Calmette Guerin. 4. Nitrates and nitrites are
      environmental pollutants present in food and water and they may contribute to the
      aetiology of liver and kidney diseases and problems related to failure of
      immunity in domestic fowls.

PMID- 1868379
TI  - Influence of thyroidectomy on reproductive responses of male domestic turkeys
      (Meleagris gallopavo).
AB  - 1. The influence of age at thyroidectomy on reproductive activity of male turkeys
      was investigated. 2. Thyroidectomy of 53-week-old male domestic turkeys that had
      been reproductively active for 25 weeks resulted in undetectable plasma thyroxine
      concentrations, termination of semen production and testicular regression. Daily
      light-dark treatment was 14L:10D before and after thyroidectomy. 3. Thyroidectomy
      of 28-week-old, reproductively inactive, males maintained on a daily light-dark
      cycle of 8L:16D resulted in increased semen volumes following photostimulation
      with 14L:10D at 32 weeks of age. Semen quality was not affected, while plasma
      thyroid hormone concentrations were undetectable. The moult and termination of
      semen production that occurred in response to changing the daily light-dark cycle
      from 14L:10D to 8L:16D near the end of the study were inhibited by thyroidectomy.
      4. The requirement for the thyroid glands in the reproductive processes of male
      turkeys changes either with age or after an extended period of reproductive
      activity.

PMID- 1868380
TI  - Compartment syndrome.

PMID- 1868381
TI  - Dormant metastases.

PMID- 1868382
TI  - Flow cytometry--implications for the surgeon.

PMID- 1868383
TI  - Protocol for banking bone from surgical donors.

PMID- 1868384
TI  - Nonoperative management for blunt splenic trauma.

PMID- 1868385
TI  - An unusual case of tear of spleen.

PMID- 1868386
TI  - Comparison of mild and deep hypothermia: do they provide similar protection in
      all neonatal hearts?
AB  - Despite various techniques of hypothermia it is still difficult to provide
      optimal myocardial preservation in neonatal cardiac surgery. The early effects of
      moderate and deep hypothermia were examined in neonatal pig hearts by studying
      metabolism over time and the tolerance of the hearts to global ischemia. The
      latter was measured by the time to onset of ischemic contracture, an indicator of
      irreversible ischemic damage. After control right ventricular biopsies were done,
      56, 3-day-old neonatal hearts were excised and placed in one of four temperature
      regulated baths (37 degrees C, 25 degrees C, 19 degrees C, 12 degrees C). A
      compliant left ventricular balloon measured onset time to ischemic contracture
      (TIC) (2 mm Hg increase in pressure). Biopsies were also done at 15 and 30
      minutes of ischemia. Progressive hypothermia significantly (p less than 0.001)
      prolonged TIC but resulted in an increased standard error of the mean (SEM).
      Lactate accumulation was the least in deep hypothermia (12 degrees C, 19 degrees
      C) (p less than 0.05) and intermediate with moderate hypothermia (25 degrees C),
      and all were less (p less than 0.01) than that at normothermia. The decline of
      adenosine triphosphate was slowed more by hypothermia than normothermia. These
      observations can be used to improve current methods of myocardial preservation in
      neonatal hearts.

PMID- 1868387
TI  - Tumour dormancy: initiation, maintenance and termination in animals and humans.
AB  - The authors review the natural occurrence of tumour dormancy in man and animal
      models, which show the importance of cellular defence mechanisms in inducing and
      maintaining the state of tumour dormancy. Six cases of non-small-cell lung cancer
      are described. The patients exhibited moderate to very strong delayed
      hypersensitivity reactions to soluble lung-cancer antigen after specific
      immunotherapy. Three patients had nonregional metastases at 11, 12 and 14 years.
      Two had regional recurrence after 9 years, and in one patient a small hilar-node
      metastasis was found at autopsy after 7.6 years. In each case an immunodepressive
      event or drug treatment preceded resurgent growth. The effect of renal
      transplantation in patients with a history of surgery for cancer supports the
      conclusion that cellular defence mechanisms are crucial for the maintenance of
      tumour dormancy in man.

PMID- 1868388
TI  - Cardiac transplantation: treatment for cardiogenic shock.
AB  - Eighty-six patients received orthotopic cardiac transplants at the Royal Victoria
      Hospital in Montreal between 1985 and 1989. Of these, 16 mortally ill, being
      sustained in hospital by the intravenous administration of inotropic agents (15
      patients [94%]) or intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (6 [38%]). There was one
      early death (at 7 days), for a death rate of 6.3% (versus 8.6% for the 70
      "elective" transplants). Two others died of delayed infection: one of viral
      hepatitis at 6 weeks, and one of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis 4 months after
      transplantation. The other 13 patients are alive and well 12 to 66 months
      postoperatively. Nine have returned to their preoperative work, three have
      decreased activity levels but are functioning well, and one is retired.

PMID- 1868389
TI  - Small-bowel carcinoid presenting in association with a phytobezoar.
AB  - An unusual case of a recurrent, postoperative, small-bowel obstruction is
      presented. The obstruction was due to a phytobezoar proximal to the site of a
      primary carcinoid of the small bowel. The radiologic findings of a mobile,
      intraluminal filling defect and a more distal, fixed mural mass are reviewed. The
      cause of the recurrent obstruction was likely a "ball-valve" effect of the
      phytobezoar at the site of stenosis caused by the carcinoid. This case emphasizes
      the value of small-bowel imaging in repeated small-bowel obstruction.

PMID- 1868390
TI  - The natural history of suspected scaphoid fractures.
AB  - Clinically suspected scaphoid fractures are common injuries. The authors
      prospectively followed up, by serial radiography and bone scanning, 23 patients
      who had a history of trauma to the carpus and associated localized tenderness to
      the anatomic "snuff box": in 15 patients the radiographs and bone scans were
      negative; in 5 the radiograph was equivocal and the bone scan positive. The
      authors concluded that patients with clinically suspected scaphoid fractures and
      negative radiographs can be treated symptomatically without immobilization in a
      cast. Patients with equivocal radiographs should be assumed to have a fractured
      scaphoid and treated accordingly.

PMID- 1868391
TI  - DNA flow cytometry of large-bowel biopsies showing that adenoma tissue predicts
      the ultimate nature of the lesions.
AB  - Ploidy of neoplastic large-bowel cells in lesions from which biopsies showed only
      adenoma tissue by histopathologic examination was investigated retrospectively by
      DNA flow cytometry. Biopsy and resected-specimen blocks gave interpretable ploidy
      profiles from 83 lesions. The expectation that adenomas will show diploidy in
      biopsies and that adenocarcinomas will show aneuploidy in biopsies was fulfilled
      in 80% of the lesions. In addition, four lesions with diploid biopsies were
      polyps with minimal invasion. Thus, diploidy would have correctly predicted that
      local resection was adequate treatment for 62 lesions and conversely that cancer
      resection was the appropriate treatment for 8 lesions, for an overall predictive
      success rate of 87%. In conjunction with endoscopic, radiologic and other data,
      DNA flow cytometry of biopsies from apparently benign large-bowel lesions could
      become a useful addition to therapeutic decision-making.

PMID- 1868392
TI  - [Pathologic study of Morton's neuroma].
AB  - The clinical syndrome of Morton's neuroma [correction of nephroma] was described
      over a century ago, but its etiopathology remains unknown. Recent studies suggest
      that it may be induced by compression neuropathy. Histologic changes in digital
      nerves resected for therapeutic purposes were compared with histologic findings
      of digital nerves sampled at autopsy of asymptomatic subjects. Results show that
      approximately one-third of resected "diseased" digital nerves were histologically
      normal. The authors question the therapeutic approach, which consists of
      resecting the nerves.

PMID- 1868393
TI  - Compartment syndrome after surgery in the lithotomy position.
AB  - Compartment syndrome developed in five patients after prolonged surgery in the
      lithotomy position. Four different surgeons performed the operations. Serious
      morbidity resulted from the syndrome and could have been prevented by
      consideration of the factors that predispose to its development: tight bindings;
      direct pressure on the calves; and prolonged time in the lithotomy position. The
      pathogenesis of compartment syndrome in this group of patients is discussed.

PMID- 1868394
TI  - Outpatient orthopedic surgery: a retrospective study of 1996 patients.
AB  - Outpatient surgical procedures performed at the Centre Hospitalier de
      l'Universite Laval on 1996 patients (1091 men, 905 women) were studied
      retrospectively. Lower-limb surgery accounted for 66.5% of the procedures. The
      mean age of the 1996 patients was 40.7 years. General anesthesia was used in
      91.5% of the cases. After surgery, the patients were discharged according to the
      criteria described by Wetchler and Kortilla. The unanticipated hospital admission
      rate was 6.3% and the complication rate was 1.3% with no life-threatening
      conditions. Proper selection and preparation of the patient and strict criteria
      for safe discharge after day surgery are mandatory for the patient's safety and
      satisfaction.

PMID- 1868395
TI  - Is age an independent variable in the morbidity and mortality of patients with
      colorectal cancer? A prospective study.
AB  - The authors examine prospectively the results of a single surgeon (H.S.S.), using
      a computerized database to determine the effect of age on morbidity and mortality
      in the management of colorectal cancer. Computer input was performed by a nurse
      data manager (20 minutes per patient), and data retrieval required approximately
      30 minutes of computer time. Between 1984 and 1989, 241 patients with primary
      colorectal cancer underwent operation. The average age was 67.9 years (range from
      31 to 94 years). The authors compared 108 (44.8%) patients who were older than 70
      years with 133 (55.2%) patients who were 70 years of age or younger. Rectal
      carcinoma was more common in the younger age group (41.3% v. 20.4%), but right
      sided carcinoma was more common in the older age group (36.1% v. 19.6%, p less
      than 0.001). Bleeding was more frequent in the younger patients than in the older
      ones (51.9% v. 35.2%, p less than 0.01). There was no difference between the two
      groups in tumour staging, using the modified Dukes' classification. The overall
      mortality was 2.5% and morbidity was 39.4%, with no significant differences
      between the groups. The authors conclude that age should not be a determinant in
      consideration of operation for colorectal cancer and that a personal computerized
      database facilitates simple prospective studies.

PMID- 1868396
TI  - Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms in acute pancreatitis.
AB  - The authors present a case of multiple intrahepatic pseudoaneurysms complicating
      acute gallstone pancreatitis, and they review the relevant literature. The
      complementary roles of ultrasonography, computed tomography and arteriography are
      illustrated. Although necrotizing vasculitis with resultant aneurysmal changes in
      peripancreatic vessels is a recognized complication of chronic pancreatitis,
      similar pseudoaneurysms have rarely been described in association with acute
      pancreatitis.

PMID- 1868397
TI  - Appendicular abscess presenting as neoplastic ileocecal obstruction.
AB  - Most complications after appendectomy occur within weeks of the operation. The
      authors present a case in which an appendicular abscess presented more than 18
      years after appendectomy for acute appendicitis. The abscess simulated a
      neoplastic obstructive process, and a communication was demonstrated between the
      cecum and the abscess cavity through the appendiceal stump.

PMID- 1868398
TI  - Neuroendocrine tumour of the inferior vena cava.
AB  - Malignant tumours of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are rare. Secondary involvement
      of the IVC by adjacent retroperitoneal tumours is more common than the occurrence
      of leiomyosarcomas of the IVC. The authors present a case of a secondary
      neuroendocrine tumour of the infrarenal vena cava that presented with pulmonary
      emboli. To their knowledge this presentation has not been reported previously.
      The tumour was technically resectable and reconstruction of the IVC was not
      required. No primary tumour was identified. As palliative treatment, an
      aggressive surgical approach is recommended when the primary tumour is controlled
      or is not readily identified.

PMID- 1868400
TI  - Cerebrovascular disorders in the 1990s.

PMID- 1868399
TI  - Epidemiology of and stroke-preventive strategies for atherothromboembolic brain
      infarction in the elderly.
AB  - Age is the most important risk factor for ischemic stroke. The most common cause
      of ischemic stroke in the elderly is atherosclerosis. Patients who have had a
      recent transient ischemic attack (TIA) are at high risk for subsequent stroke.
      Thus far only aspirin and ticlopidine have proven to be effective in preventing
      stroke. At present, all elderly patients who have had an atherothromboembolic TIA
      or stroke should receive therapy as well as either aspirin or ticlopidine for
      control of atherosclerotic risk factors.

PMID- 1868401
TI  - Asymptomatic carotid artery disease in the elderly. Diagnosis and management
      strategies.
AB  - Carotid atherosclerosis is commonly detected in the asymptomatic elderly and in
      patients with known vascular disease in other distributions. Although there has
      been considerable interest in carotid bruits, they are not a reliable indicator
      of asymptomatic stenosis. In patients with asymptomatic stenosis detected by
      carotid ultrasound or angiography, the annual risk of ipsilateral infarction is
      approximately 1% to 2%. If ischemic events occur, they are usually transient
      ischemic attacks. Stroke risk is higher when there is progressive stenosis,
      stenosis exceeding 75% to 80%, and, possibly, complicated plaque-morphologic
      characteristics. The treatment of asymptomatic carotid stenosis remains
      controversial. Antiplatelet agents are of unproven value in asymptomatic
      patients. The role of surgical management is disputed because of uncertainties
      regarding the natural history of asymptomatic stenosis and the efficacy and
      complication rates of endarterectomy. Pending results of several ongoing
      randomized clinical trials, it may be advisable to withhold endarterectomy from
      those asymptomatic patients with stenosis of less than 75% to 80%. Prophylactic
      carotid endarterectomy is not necessary in the patient with asymptomatic stenosis
      who will undergo another operative procedure such as coronary artery bypass.

PMID- 1868402
TI  - Cardiogenic stroke in the elderly.
AB  - Cardiogenic stroke accounts for 15-20% of all ischemic strokes and for more than
      double than number in the very elderly. In this article, available data regarding
      cardiogenic embolism, its prevention and management in the elderly are reviewed
      in addition to the epidemiology, diagnosis, and major sources of cardiac emboli,
      and nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1868403
TI  - The spectrum of lacunar infarction in the elderly.
AB  - Lacunar infarcts are small subcortical ischemic brain lesions caused by occlusion
      of a perforating arteriole. The occlusion results from thickening of the
      arteriolar wall (arteriolosclerosis), is related to aging, and is accelerated by
      arterial hypertension. The infarction is usually associated with one of several
      clinical lacunar syndromes, depending on the exact location of the lesion.
      Patient evaluation should include the documentation of infarct size and location
      with imaging studies and the search for uncommon hematologic derangements that
      predispose to thrombosis. Recovery from a single lacunar infarction is usually
      very good. Most important in prevention of lacunar infarction recurrence is
      control of hypertension. Aspirin therapy also appears to be beneficial.

PMID- 1868404
TI  - Medical management of acute cerebral ischemia in the elderly.
AB  - Stroke ranks third as a cause of death in much of the industrial world, surpassed
      only by heart disease and cancer. Thrombotic and embolic arterial occlusions are
      the leading causes of cerebral infarction. Once a major cerebral infarction has
      occurred, therapy is limited to the prevention of complications and
      rehabilitation. Identification and treatment of stroke-prone patients are now not
      a standard part of medical practice. However, the proper management of the
      patient with acute cerebral ischemic or progressing stroke is a subject of
      debate. Treatment of progressing or acute cerebral ischemia is aimed at
      prevention of infarction in areas of the brain that are still viable. A number of
      therapeutic strategies are currently being investigated in the management of
      ischemic stroke.

PMID- 1868405
TI  - Prevention and management of medical complications of the hospitalized elderly
      stroke patient.
AB  - Medical complications may account for 30% or more of the deaths resulting from
      acute ischemic stroke in the elderly. In descending order of frequency, the most
      deadly complications are bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, myocardial
      infarction, and sepsis without pneumonia (often in the setting of a urinary tract
      infection or a necrotic decubitus). Normal aging is associated with declining
      pulmonary and cardiovascular functions as well as declining immunocompetence and
      physical barriers to infection. The neurological effects of acute ischemic brain
      injury compound these susceptibilities. Accordingly, a high degree of vigilance
      is emphasized in the diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines provided for care of
      the lungs, the heart, the urinary tract, and the skin. Guidelines are also
      provided for management of blood pressure during the first hours and days
      following stroke onset. Treatment should be withheld unless specific medical
      indications are identified. When antihypertensive agents are administered, the
      appropriate dose may be lower than usually recommended (e.g. labetalol) in order
      to minimize abrupt drops in blood pressure that may result in further injury to
      potentially viable ischemic brain tissue.

PMID- 1868406
TI  - Poststroke seizures in the elderly.
AB  - Strokes are the most common cause of epilepsy in the elderly. Seizures after an
      acute stroke have been estimated to occur in 5% to 10% of cases. A distinction
      between early and late seizures should be made. Early seizures are more common,
      occur very early in the evolution of the stroke, and tend to be focal motor,
      brief, and isolated. They are likely to be the result of an acute local brain
      metabolic alteration induced by the cerebrovascular event, and once these
      derangements are reversed, seizures disappear. Epilepsy usually does not follow
      early seizures, but the risk is probably increased. Late seizures occur months to
      years after the stroke and are probably due to structural brain abnormalities
      leading to the development of an epileptic focus. The majority of these cases
      develop epilepsy. The risk of seizures is markedly increased when the
      cerebrovascular event involves the cerebral cortex. Deep-seated hemispheric or
      infratentorial lesions rarely produce seizures or epilepsy. It is possible that
      hemorrhagic stroke carries a higher incidence of seizures, but the issue remains
      controversial. It has also been suggested that embolic infarction has a higher
      incidence of seizures that does thrombotic infarction, but definitive evidence is
      lacking. The presence of seizures in an acute stroke does not seem to correlate
      with the size of the lesion, functional outcome, or mortality. Prophylactic
      treatment with antiepileptic drugs is probably not indicated in most types of
      strokes, except for subarachnoid hemorrhage after a ruptured intracranial
      aneurysm. When early seizures develop, treatment is indicated but may not be
      necessary for a prolonged period of time. If late seizures develop, chronic
      anticonvulsant therapy is recommended.

PMID- 1868407
TI  - Recognition and management of poststroke depression in the elderly.
AB  - Depression occurs in 30-50% of stroke survivors and is an important determinant
      of functional outcome in these patients. Depression after stroke has a biological
      basis and can be successfully treated. Tricyclic drugs are the first line of
      treatment therapy but their side effects need to be considered and patients
      undergoing this treatment need to be carefully monitored.

PMID- 1868408
TI  - The rehabilitation of elderly stroke patients.
AB  - Therapies for physical and cognitive impairments and functional disabilities can
      usually begin within several days of an acute stroke. The geriatric patient
      challenges the rehabilitation team's assessment and management skills because of
      the premorbid medical and psychosocial problems of many of the elderly. About 75%
      of 1-month survivors will walk and 60% will be able to care for themselves with
      supervision or independently within 3 months. We provide an overview for the
      common problems in mobility, activities of daily living, communication, nutrition
      and swallowing, behavior, continence, sexual function and social support that
      require careful analysis and specific measures to improve the quality of life of
      the disabled patient. As useful interventions are better defined through
      prospective, rigorous clinical trials, and as neuro-scientific discoveries about
      basic neural mechanisms after injury come to be applied, we will see a yet more
      complete and meaningful recovery of function following stroke.

PMID- 1868410
TI  - Diagnosis and management of intracerebral hemorrhage in elderly patients.
AB  - An analysis of the risk factors and clinical presentation of intracerebral
      hemorrhage in the elderly is provided. Specific pathogenic mechanisms that apply
      to the elderly, such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, are discussed in detail.
      General management of intracerebral hemorrhage is discussed, along with specific
      issues related to the surgical indications of the various types of intracerebral
      hemorrhage.

PMID- 1868409
TI  - Neuro-ophthalmologic vascular emergencies in the elderly.
AB  - The significance, management and prognosis of several disorders affecting either
      vision or ocular motility are discussed. Transient and persistent visual loss are
      common problems in the elderly. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is extensively
      reviewed because of the importance of recognizing forms due to giant cell
      arteritis, which require urgent treatment with steroids to prevent further visual
      loss. The various pathologic conditions that can affect the ocular motor nerves
      in the cavernous sinus are mentioned. The problem of differentiating benign
      ischemic lesions causing a third nerve palsy from ominous compressive palsies due
      to aneurysms is addressed, with emphasis on the clues provided by the pupil.

PMID- 1868411
TI  - Diagnosis and management of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in elderly
      patients.
AB  - Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a significant problem in the geriatric population. The
      most common causes of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in elderly patients
      are ruptured aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations. Aggressive therapy for
      aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is warranted in many patients whereas
      conservative treatment of arteriovenous malformations is customarily warranted in
      this age group. Less common causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage in geriatric
      patients include tumor bleeding, bleeding diathesis, and systemic illnesses. A
      number of these considerations must be kept in the differential diagnosis of any
      subarachnoid hemorrhage in a geriatric patient.

PMID- 1868412
TI  - Chronic subdural hematoma in the elderly.
AB  - Elderly individuals may develop an asymptomatic subdural hematoma as a result of
      minor trauma, anticoagulant therapy, or other factors. A membrane forms around
      the initial clot, and this membrane becomes the source for many smaller
      hemorrhages. Because of these rehemorrhages, the hematoma slowly enlarges with
      time and ultimately becomes symptomatic. The most common symptoms are headache,
      changes in mentation, and hemiparesis. Chronic subdural hematomas are accurately
      diagnosed by either CT or MRI, and the treatment consists of surgical evacuation.
      After successful management, most patients return to their premorbid level of
      functioning.

PMID- 1868413
TI  - Vascular dementias in the elderly.
AB  - In this review, challenging and controversial aspects of vascular dementias in
      the elderly are examined. Topical discussions underscore diagnostic criteria,
      epidemiology, clinical syndromes and diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The need
      for a reappraisal of dementias with a shift from broad categorization to
      identification of specific vascular mechanisms that contribute to cognitive
      impairment and the need for more basic epidemiological studies are highlighted.
      With this information, a substantial scientifically-based approach to prevention
      and treatment can be undertaken.

PMID- 1868414
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
AB  - CAA is the infiltration of leptomeningeal and penetrating cortical vessels with
      amyloid, sparing the subcortical regions and the systemic vasculature. It occurs
      with increasing frequency after the sixth decade. The major clinical
      manifestation of CAA is lobar intracerebral hemorrhage, which can be sporadic or
      hereditary. CAA has also been associated with normal aging, Alzheimer's disease,
      cerebral infarction, and periventricular demyelination. Biochemical studies have
      shown that the amyloid deposits in the brains of patients with normal aging,
      sporadic CAA-associated hemorrhage, hereditary cerebral hemorrhage, and
      Alzheimer's disease are identical. The exact mechanism by which CAA produces
      lobar hemorrhages and the role of CAA in the development of dementia are unclear.
      Biopsy of the involved cerebral cortex and leptomeninges is the only definitive
      way to diagnose CAA. Acute management of CAA-associated lobar hemorrhage consists
      of aggressive control of associated hypertension and supportive care. Surgical
      removal of the hemorrhage has not been shown to improve survival. Antiplatelet
      and anticoagulant therapy should be avoided in elderly patients with known CAA.

PMID- 1868415
TI  - Ethical issues in the management of cerebrovascular disease.
AB  - Medical ethics, as a scholarly and applied discipline, is concerned with the
      morality of behavior in medical matters. The field of cerebrovascular disease is
      a worthy paradigm of medical ethical issue. Victims, whether they be patients or
      their families, are vulnerable, and the ethical virtues of kindness,
      understanding, compassion, mercy, and justice are badly needed. A variety of
      hypothetical ethical scenarios faced by the physician are discussed in this
      article in addition to four actual patient studies with commentary.

PMID- 1868416
TI  - Mortality in a cohort of patients with schizophrenia: a record linkage study.
AB  - A retrospective study of mortality was conducted in which 3,623 patients with
      schizophrenia receiving treatment in Alberta between 1976 and 1985 were followed
      to the end of 1985. Vital status was determined by record linkage to the
      Statistics Canada Mortality Data Base. There were 301 deaths in the cohort, 97 of
      which were due to suicide. For all causes of death combined, the risk of
      mortality was approximately double that of the Alberta population; for suicide,
      risk was increased by a factor of 20. Mortality from circulatory, respiratory,
      digestive and genitourinary diseases was also greater than expected. It is
      estimated that those who suffer from schizophrenia have a life expectancy which
      is approximately 20% shorter than that of the general population. This study
      confirms earlier research demonstrating an increased risk of mortality associated
      with schizophrenia and extends those findings to specific causes of death.

PMID- 1868417
TI  - Studies of the effectiveness of day treatment programs for children.
AB  - Day treatment programs for children are based on the need for more intensive
      therapeutic treatments for children who do not respond to outpatient programs.
      Day treatment costs less than hospitalization, does not disrupt family, peer or
      community ties, and do not result in the child's dependence on them. The authors
      review studies on the effectiveness of day treatment programs. Findings are
      discussed and methodological questions are raised for future evaluative research.

PMID- 1868418
TI  - A cross-cultural study of major depression and family functioning.
AB  - Patterns of family functioning in families with a depressed member from two
      cultures (North America and Hungary) were compared. In both cultural settings,
      families with a depressed member reported poorer family functioning than the
      control families. Comparisons between the two depressed groups, however, showed
      that the response to family dysfunction by the two cultures differed. While
      depressed families in Hungary reported difficulties in setting family rules and
      boundaries, those in North America experienced impaired functioning in solving
      problems, communicating, being involved with each other, and in overall
      functioning. These results are discussed in terms of the interplay between
      culture, depression and family functioning.

PMID- 1868419
TI  - Spouse assault on mentally disordered wives.
AB  - To assess the prevalence and associated features of wife assault in psychiatric
      patients, 152 married women who had a psychiatric disorder and who were
      consecutively seen at or admitted to a psychiatric unit were assessed using a
      structured questionnaire. Forty-nine percent of the patients had been assaulted
      by their husbands. There was a significant relationship between hospital
      admission and recent assault. Parental violence and whether or not the husband
      had a criminal record were strongly related to wife assault. The wives' responses
      to the assaults were investigated.

PMID- 1868421
TI  - New uses of countertransference for the inpatient treatment of borderline
      personality disorder.
AB  - The author describes the uses of countertransference for the inpatient treatment
      of borderline personality disorder. Differences from usage in the dyadic
      outpatient situation are noted. In particular, the countertransference induced in
      staff may provide a crucial signal function reflecting the patient-ward system.
      Understanding these feelings provides information not only about the patient's
      inner world but also about general system features such as the staff's needs,
      therapeutic capacity and unresolved feelings from previous borderline patients.
      The signal function may also have diagnostic and treatment implications. A
      conceptualization of countertransference that encompasses the unique system
      aspects of inpatient psychiatry is helpful in the care of borderline patients.

PMID- 1868420
TI  - DSM-III: use of the multiaxial diagnostic system in clinical practice.
AB  - The authors report on the use of the DSM-III, several years after its
      introduction, in the clinical diagnosis of 154 subjects with first onset
      psychosis. Clinicians usually assigned Axis I diagnoses but used the remainder of
      the multiaxial system less than one time in three; if a standard recording form
      was in place, the multiaxial system was used more often. Trainees used the DSM
      III most, followed by psychiatrists affiliated with a university and community
      based clinicians. Agreement between researchers and clinicians on diagnoses was
      fair to poor. The authors discuss the implications of the acceptance of the
      complex diagnostic system in routine clinical practice.

PMID- 1868422
TI  - The dangerousness criterion for civil commitment: the problem and a possible
      solution.
AB  - The dangerousness criterion for civil commitment fails to specify which mental
      disorders justify commitment. This ambiguity is highlighted by the fact that
      there are patients with personality disorders or substance abuse who may be
      dangerous but for whom we have few effective treatments. A possible solution
      might be provided by adopting the American Psychiatric Association guidelines
      which consider severity of mental disorder and treatability in its criteria.

PMID- 1868423
TI  - Psychiatry in the Canadian Correctional Service.
AB  - This paper traces the development of psychiatric services for offenders suffering
      from mental disorders within the Correctional Service of Canada from the 19th
      century to the present day. The major milestone in the development of these
      services was the report to the Solicitor General of Canada in 1972 entitled "The
      General Programme for the Development of Psychiatric Services in Federal
      Correctional Services in Canada (Chalke Report). The report resulted in the
      development of the regional psychiatric centres, which remain the cornerstone of
      psychiatric services within the Canadian federal correctional system. Based on
      the authors' own experiences working at Corrections Canada, the paper endeavours
      to explore the psychiatric services now being offered and the difficulties
      remaining.

PMID- 1868424
TI  - Validation of the five minute speech sample in measuring expressed emotion.
AB  - The relationship of the Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) to the Camberwell Family
      Interview and its coding system were evaluated. The Camberwell Family Interview
      and the FMSS were administered to twenty-three relatives of patients diagnosed
      with schizophrenia. Overall, the results supported the utility of the FMSS and
      its coding system as a brief screening device for measuring expressed emotion.

PMID- 1868426
TI  - Loxapine and schizoaffective disorders.

PMID- 1868425
TI  - Low doses of clonazepam in the treatment of panic disorder.
AB  - In order to assess the efficacy of a high-potency benzodiazepine in the treatment
      of panic disorder, an open trial was conducted with clonazepam. Clonazepam was
      administered in relatively low doses and, after four weeks, was shown to be
      effective in reducing the number of panic attacks and associated features of the
      disorder.

PMID- 1868427
TI  - The public image of psychiatrists.

PMID- 1868428
TI  - Charles Bonnet syndrome.

PMID- 1868429
TI  - Parenteral clonazepam for catatonia.

PMID- 1868430
TI  - Controlling agitation in patients with cognitive impairment.

PMID- 1868431
TI  - The right to appoint a representative.

PMID- 1868432
TI  - Manic symptoms associated with the use of captopril.

PMID- 1868433
TI  - O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase in human normal and tumor tissue from
      brain, lung, and ovary.
AB  - The resistance of human tumor strains in culture to cell killing by alkylating
      nitrosoureas is correlated with their levels of the DNA repair activity O6
      methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase. Strains with the Mer- phenotype have no
      activity and are extremely sensitive. However, the relationship between the
      sensitivity of human tumors in vivo and transferase levels is not known, and even
      the existence of Mer- human tumors in vivo has been questioned. In this study 73
      human tumor and normal tissue samples from brain, lung, and ovary were assayed
      for transferase levels and methylpurine glycosylase activity. For each organ,
      transferase levels varied over 100-fold, and Mer- tumors were detected in each
      group. There was no correlation between transferase and glycosylase levels,
      indicating that the absence of transferase in some tumor samples was not an
      artifact due to necrosis or inactivation of enzymes in the extract.

PMID- 1868434
TI  - Evidence supporting exclusion of the DCC gene and a portion of chromosome 18q as
      the locus for susceptibility to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma in
      five kindreds.
AB  - Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) syndrome is characterized
      by early onset and multiple cancers of predominantly the proximal colon and
      occasionally other organs. The mode of transmission is compatible with autosomal
      dominant inheritance but the location and characteristics of the putative
      susceptibility gene are unknown. We performed linkage analyses with the aim of
      proving or excluding the existence of a susceptibility locus on 18q. This
      hypothesis was based on the frequent involvement of the DCC gene in colorectal
      carcinoma and on the previously reported linkage between HNPCC and the Kidd blood
      group locus (JK) also on 18q. Seven HNPCC families were tested with eight
      polymorphisms, including three from within DCC. The DCC locus could be excluded
      as the HNPCC susceptibility locus in five families in which the two point
      logarithm-of-odds scores were -3.66, -3.63, -4.12, -7.90, and -3.74 at the
      recombination fraction of 0.00. In the remaining two families linkage could be
      neither excluded nor confirmed. The added pairwise logarithm-of-odds score for
      all seven families was -22.65 at the recombination fraction of 0.00. Multipoint
      analyses of linkage in the seven families suggested exclusion of some 60 cM in
      the region DCC-D18S18-D18S22-D18S7 as the site for HNPCC susceptibility locus. In
      addition to DCC, the excluded portion comprises JK.

PMID- 1868435
TI  - Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid pharmacokinetics of 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil following the
      repeated intravenous administration of high- and intermediate-dose 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine.
AB  - We examined the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pharmacokinetics of 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (ara-U) in
      19 patients with acute leukemia in order to determine whether ara-C or ara-U
      accumulate in these fluid compartments over time. Plasma and CSF samples were
      obtained just prior to the conclusion of the first and seventh, and immediately
      before the second and eighth, 2-h, twice-daily i.v. infusions of 3 g/m2/dose of
      ara-C (n = 10), 2 g/m2/dose of ara-C (n = 3), and 0.75 g/m2/dose of ara-C (n =
      6). There was no accumulation of ara-C in the plasma or CSF, or of ara-U in the
      plasma following repeated ara-C infusions, ara-U did accumulate in the CSF; the
      end-dose 1/end-dose 7 CSF ara-U ratio was 0.35 +/- 0.12 and significantly
      different from this ratio for CSF ara-C (2.10 +/- 3.01; P = 0.004). The end-dose
      7 CSF ara-U level was greater than the end-dose 1 CSF ara-U level in all paired
      specimens. There was a significant correlation between the dose of ara-C
      administered and the end-dose plasma ara-C and the end-dose CSF ara-U levels (P
      less than 0.02). One patient who received 3 g/m2/dose of ara-C developed
      neurotoxicity; his plasma and CSF ara-C and ara-U levels were not extraordinary
      during the period of ara-C administration, but he had persistent CSF ara-U
      demonstrable 75 h after his final ara-C dose. CSF ara-U accumulation might
      underlie the pathophysiology of ara-C-induced neurotoxicity. Intermediate doses
      of ara-C given i.v. (0.75 g/m2/dose over 2 h) appeared to generate therapeutic
      CSF ara-C levels and cleared CSF leukemia in one patient.

PMID- 1868436
TI  - Urinary excretion of degradation products of prostacyclin and thromboxane is
      increased in patients with gestational choriocarcinoma.
AB  - Gestational choriocarcinoma metastasizes rapidly, in which process the vasoactive
      prostanoids may be significant. We therefore compared the urinary excretion of
      prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 (TxA2) metabolites in 19 women with gestational
      choriocarcinoma and 20 healthy age-matched women by assessing spot urine samples
      for 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and 2,3-dinor-6-keto
      prostaglandin F1 alpha (2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha) (degradation products of
      prostacyclin) as well as for thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and 2,3-dinor-TxB2
      (degradation products of TxA2) by high-pressure liquid chromatography, followed
      by radioimmunoassay; the data were related to urinary creatinine concentration.
      The urinary output of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha [29.56 +/- 7.0 versus 25.08 +/- 3.91
      ng/mmol creatinine (SE)] in patients with choriocarcinoma was normal, but that of
      2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in cancer patients was higher than in controls (24.44
      +/- 5.20 versus 14.84 +/- 1.94, P less than 0.02), as was that of TxB2 (22.72 +/-
      4.69 versus 9.69 +/- 1.52, P less than 0.001) and 2,3-dinor-TxB2 (114.21 +/-
      30.81 versus 51.81 +/- 10.40, P less than 0.01). The ratio of net prostacyclin
      output (6-keto-PGF1 alpha plus 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha) to the net TxA2
      output (TxB2 plus 2,3-dinor-TxB2) in cancer patients [0.52 +/- 0.1 (SE)] was
      lower (P less than 0.03) than in the controls (0.83 +/- 0.1), and in an inverse
      relation (r = -0.54, P less than 0.05) to the scoring index of poor prognosis for
      the disease. We conclude that the prostanoid excess in gestational trophoblastic
      disease, as evidenced for the first time in this study, may originate from
      choriocarcinoma cells, or may be a paraneoplastic phenomenon, and we conclude
      also that TxA2 excess may contribute to the tumor growth and/or formation of
      metastases.

PMID- 1868437
TI  - Elevated plasma platelet-derived growth factor B-chain levels in cancer patients.
AB  - Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is produced by a variety of normal and
      tumor cells in vitro. We have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for
      the detection of the B-chain of PDGF. This assay can reliably detect 0.1 ng/ml of
      homodimeric recombinant PDGF B-chain and does not cross-react with recombinant
      PDGF-AA, epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, or transforming
      growth factor-beta. Citrated plasma from 72 control individuals had a PDGF B
      chain (PDGF-B) level of 0.32 +/- 0.14 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) with a range of 0.10
      0.69 ng/ml. The plasma platelet factor 4 (PF4) level was 97 +/- 70 ng/ml, with a
      range of 34-363 ng/ml. Citrated plasma was obtained from 131 cancer patients, and
      plasma PDGF-B was elevated in 19 (15%) of the patients. Both PDGF-B and PF4 were
      elevated in 14 (11%) of these patients, consistent with a platelet source of PDGF
      B. In 5 patients (4%), however, PDGF-B was elevated and PF4 was not elevated
      compared to the control group. This last group of patients may have a tumor
      derived source of PDGF-B which could be important in autocrine or paracrine
      growth stimulation of the tumor cells.

PMID- 1868438
TI  - Potentiation of the cytotoxic action of mafosfamide by N-isopropyl-p
      formylbenzamide, a metabolite of procarbazine.
AB  - Several mouse aldehyde dehydrogenases catalyze the detoxification of
      aldophosphamide, the pivotal metabolite of the prodrugs cyclophosphamide,
      mafosfamide, and other oxazaphosphorines. N-Isopropyl-p-formylbenzamide, a major
      metabolite of procarbazine, was found to be an excellent substrate (Km = 0.84
      microM) for at least one of these enzymes, namely, mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase
      2. The Km for mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase-2-catalyzed detoxification of
      aldophosphamide is 16 microM. Thus, competition between N-isopropyl-p
      formylbenzamide and aldophosphamide for the catalytic site on the enzyme should
      strongly favor the former, and the rate at which aldophosphamide is detoxified
      should be markedly retarded. Mouse L1210/OAP and P388/CLA leukemia cells are
      relatively insensitive to the oxazaphosphorines because they contain large
      amounts of mouse aldehyde dehydrogenase-2. As predicted, N-isopropyl-p
      formylbenzamide markedly potentiated the cytotoxic action of mafosfamide against
      these cells. Mouse L1210/0 and P388/0 lack the enzyme. Again as expected, N
      isopropyl-p-formylbenzamide essentially did not potentiate the cytotoxic action
      of mafosfamide against these cells. Certain mouse and human hematopoietic
      progenitor cells also contain an aldehyde dehydrogenase that catalyzes the
      detoxification of aldophosphamide, but the specific identity of this enzyme
      remains to be established. N-Isopropyl-p-formylbenzamide potentiated the
      cytotoxic action of mafosfamide against these cells as well. Clinically,
      procarbazine and the oxazaphosphorines are used to treat certain neoplastic
      diseases. Frequently, they are used in combination. Our findings demonstrate the
      potential for both desirable and undesirable drug interactions when these agents
      are used concurrently. Similar drug interactions can be expected when other
      substrates for, or inhibitors of, the relevant aldehyde dehydrogenases, e.g.,
      chloramphenicol, chloral hydrate, and methyltetrazolethiol-containing
      cephalosporins, are co-administered with the oxazaphosphorines.

PMID- 1868439
TI  - Establishment and characterization of a mouse monoclonal anti-fucosylceramide
      antibody, PC47H.
AB  - A novel mouse monoclonal anti-fucosylceramide antibody was established by using
      neutral glycolipids from a human pancreas cancer tissue as the immunogen. Mice
      were immunized with the neutral glycolipids in the form of liposome-containing
      lipid A. Mouse monoclonal antibodies were screened with enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay and by thin layer chromatography-immunostaining. The latter
      technique showed that a mouse monoclonal antibody, designated PC47H, specifically
      reacts with a ceramide-monoglycoside fraction of the neutral glycolipids. The
      effects of various monosaccharides on the reactivity of PC47H with the neutral
      glycolipids were tested, and it was found that only fucose was able to inhibit
      the binding of PC47H to the neutral glycolipids. We also examined the direct
      binding activity of PC47H against galactosylceramide, glucosylceramide,
      fucosylceramide, and ceramide. This showed that the antigen specificity of PC47H
      was exclusively directed against fucosylceramide. In thin layer chromatography
      immunostaining experiments with neutral glycolipids prepared from various human
      tissues, we observed that fucosylceramide was highly expressed in human colon and
      gastric cancer tissues. PC47H recognized the human adenocarcinoma cell lines of
      colon, stomach, pancreas, and lung but did not react with other tumor cells or
      with several nontumorous human cells.

PMID- 1868440
TI  - Anthracycline immunoconjugates prepared by a site-specific linkage via an amino
      dextran intermediate carrier.
AB  - Anthracycline, either daunomycin or doxorubicin, was site specifically attached
      to the carbohydrate moiety of a monoclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen antibody
      by using amino-dextran as the intermediate carrier. The reaction resulted in an
      immunoconjugate that contains approximately 20 to 25 molecules of drug per
      molecule of immunoglobulin G. Flow-cytometric studies revealed the retention of
      the antibody-binding activity. The immunoconjugate was cytotoxic to the target
      cells, as examined by the 75selenomethionine incorporation studies, and remained
      efficient for targeting a human colonic tumor (GW-39) in the nude mouse model.
      The conjugate possessed a greater antitumor activity against the subcutaneous
      tumor than either the free drug or an irrelevant antibody conjugate, and it was
      well tolerated by the animals at a much higher dose level than was the
      unconjugated drug.

PMID- 1868441
TI  - Clinical results and characterization of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes with or
      without recombinant interleukin 2 in human metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - A Phase I trial of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) expanded in vitro and
      administered on Days 1 and 8, with or without continuous infusion recombinant
      interleukin 2 (rIL-2) in 25 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, was
      conducted. Eighteen of the 25 eligible patients were treated with TIL and
      escalating doses of rIL-2 (0.0, 3.0, 4.5 x 10(6) units/m2) on Days 1 to 5 and 8
      to 12. Dose-limiting toxicity was pulmonary, and the maximum tolerated dose of
      rIL-2 was 3.0 x 10(6) units/m2. No clinical responses were observed.
      Immunological monitoring of peripheral blood lymphocytes demonstrated significant
      increases in CD3+ and CD56+ cells, including the activated T-cell subsets.
      Phenotypic analysis of cultured TILs demonstrated significant heterogeneity and
      the presence of CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T-cells, with CD3-CD56+ and CD3+CD56+
      populations also present. The majority of cultured TILs expressed HLA-DR and
      CD45RO, with a variable number expressing CD25. The rIL-2-expanded TILs possessed
      cytotoxicity against allogeneic and autologous tumor, with cytolytic activity
      against only autologous tumor seen in one patient. Results demonstrate that in
      vitro expansion of TILs is possible, but further studies are needed to define the
      biology of TILs in renal cancer and to isolate and expand tumor-specific T-cells.

PMID- 1868442
TI  - Improved pharmacokinetics and tumor localization of immunotoxins constructed with
      the Mr 30,000 form of ricin A chain.
AB  - The two naturally occurring forms of ricin A chain, Mr 33,000 and Mr 30,000
      (RTA33 and RTA30) have been purified, and their chemical compositions,
      toxicities, and tissue distributions have been determined. As reported
      previously, the in vitro and in vivo toxicities of RTA30 and RTA33 are similar.
      However, RTA30, which contains less carbohydrate with a lower mannose content
      than RTA33, accumulated less in the liver than did RTA33. Monoconjugate
      immunotoxins (i.e., containing one RTA per monoclonal antibody molecule) were
      constructed between RTA30 or RTA33 and the antitumor monoclonal antibody 791T/36,
      which recognizes a Mr 72,000 antigen on osteosarcoma and colon carcinoma cells.
      The two immunotoxins had similar cytoxicities in vitro but differed substantially
      in their pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions in vivo in nude mice bearing
      C170 human colorectal carcinoma xenografts. The immunotoxin derived from RTA30
      (IT30) accumulated less in the liver than the immunotoxin derived from RTA33
      (IT33) and cleared more slowly from the blood; the alpha and beta half-lives for
      IT30 and IT33 were 0.50 and 20.5 versus 0.17 and 14.6 h, respectively. As a
      probable consequence, IT30 accumulated to approximately 3-fold higher levels in
      the C170 xenografts than IT33. The reduced clearance of IT30 by the
      reticuloendothelial system thus resulted in prolonged survival in the blood and
      enhanced tumor localization relative to IT33.

PMID- 1868443
TI  - Preferential expression of the dbl protooncogene in some tumors of
      neuroectodermal origin.
AB  - We have investigated the expression of the dbl protooncogene in a wide variety of
      human tumors of different embryological derivation. We found that proto-dbl mRNA
      could be detected preferentially in a few neoplastic histiotypes of
      neuroectodermal origin. The common, normal 5-kilobase size of the proto-dbl
      transcript detected indicated that the proto-dbl in these tumors was not
      rearranged. These data, in agreement with our previous reports, suggest that the
      dbl protooncogene is expressed in a highly tissue-specific manner and indicate
      that this gene may be involved in the growth and differentiation of some cells of
      neuroectodermal origin.

PMID- 1868444
TI  - Effect of starch malabsorption on fecal bile acids and neutral sterols in humans:
      possible implications for colonic carcinogenesis.
AB  - Epidemiological and experimental studies indicate a strong association between an
      elevated colon cancer risk and increased fecal excretion of secondary bile acids,
      neutral sterols, and prolonged gastrointestinal transit time. Starch
      malabsorption, on the other hand, has been reported to be a possible protective
      factor in colon carcinogenesis. To study the impact of starch malabsorption on
      these parameters, 12 healthy volunteers consumed a diet rich in starch for two 4
      week periods. During a double-blind crossover trial they received the alpha
      glucosidase inhibitor acarbose (BAY g 5421) in one of the study periods and
      placebo in the other. During acarbose treatment stool wet weight increased by
      68%, stool dry weight by 57%, and gastrointestinal mean transit time by 30%.
      Fecal concentrations (mg/g dry weight) of the neutral sterols coprostanol,
      coprostanone, campesterol, 4-cholesten-3-one, and beta-sitosterol decreased by
      36.8, 48.7, 42.1, 34.6, and 39.4%, respectively, under acarbose. Concentrations
      of the major secondary bile acids, deoxycholic and lithocholic acid, decreased by
      59.9 and 52.2%, respectively. In spite of an increased stool weight, also daily
      excretion (mg/day) of these two bile acids was lower under acarbose (47.9 and
      36.6%, respectively) compared to placebo, whereas excretion of the main primary
      bile acid, cholic acid, rose from 22.58 mg/day to 379.80 mg/day during the
      acarbose period. The changes in fecal bile acid and neutral sterol excretion
      found during acarbose treatment may explain a protective effect of starch
      malabsorption on colon cancer development.

PMID- 1868445
TI  - Natural killer target molecules associated with the transformation of the
      oncogene-transfected fibroblast.
AB  - Cell surface antigens, the expression of which is highly enhanced along with the
      transformation of cells, were analyzed. W14 and W31, EJ-ras oncogene-induced
      transformants of a WKA rat fetus-derived fibroblast WFB, strongly expressed
      several transformation-associated antigens as defined by monoclonal antibodies
      109, 061, and 081. These monoclonal antibodies recognized Mr 86,000, 62,000, and
      101,000 molecules, each composed of a single polypeptide chain. The expression of
      these transformation-associated antigens was negligible on parental WFB cells.
      Transforming growth factor-beta could enhance the expression of all of these
      transformation-associated antigens, but platelet-derived growth factor could only
      enhance the Mr 86,000 kd molecule expression. In the cytotoxicity assays, poly
      I:C-induced rat splenic NK cells were cytotoxic to W14 and W31, but not to WFB.
      The data also showed that the cytotoxicity by these NK cells against NK-sensitive
      YAC-1 cells was absorbed with the addition of W14, W31, platelet-derived growth
      factor, or transforming growth factor-beta-stimulated WFB cells. This indicates
      that NK cells may recognize common target antigens that are expressed among these
      target cells. It was also indicated that Mr 86,000 and 62,000 molecules were
      strongly involved in this cytotoxicity, possibly as the target antigens, since
      F(ab')2 fragments of monoclonal antibodies 109 and 061 strongly inhibited the
      cytotoxicity. The addition of monoclonal antibody 109, but not 061, inhibited the
      cytotoxicity even at 60 min after mixing with the effector and target cells,
      suggesting that the Mr 86,000 molecule may participate in the lethal hit phase of
      cytotoxicity by NK cells. These data may indicate that some, but not all,
      transformation-associated antigens are virtually important in the antitumor
      surveillance mechanisms by the host effector cells, such as NK cells.

PMID- 1868446
TI  - Tumor cytolysis by lymphocytes infiltrating ovarian malignant ascites.
AB  - Tumor-associated lymphocytes (TAL) were isolated from the ascitic fluid of
      patients with adenocarcinoma of the ovary. These cells proliferated and expanded
      by 100-600-fold as either CD3+ CD4+ or CD3+ CD8+ cultures in the presence of
      moderate concentrations (50-200 cetus units/ml) of recombinant interleukin 2 and
      reached high numbers (5 x 10(8)-1 x 10(9)). After expansion of 16 TAL samples
      from 15 patients, 5 of the 7 isolated ovarian cytotoxic T-lymphocyte cell lines
      of T-cell receptor (TCR) (alpha beta)+ CD3+ CD8+ CD4- phenotype exhibited
      preferential cytolytic activity against autologous tumor targets and
      significantly lower cytolytic activity against allogeneic tumor targets and the
      natural killer-sensitive cell line K562. The cytolytic activity of the CD8+ TAL
      was inhibited by operationally anti-TCR (alpha beta) monoclonal antibody and
      monoclonal antibody specific for the CD3 differentiation antigen, indicating that
      the TCR and CD3 are involved in the cytolytic process. The other TAL cultures
      demonstrated similar cytolytic activity against both autologous and allogeneic
      tumors. The phenotype of these TAL was predominantly TCR (alpha beta)+ CD3+ CD4+
      CD8-. Certain CD3+ CD8+ T-cell clones isolated from representative TAL exhibited
      preferential autologous tumor-specific cytotoxicity that may be major
      histocompatibility complex restricted. Other CD3+ CD8+ and CD3+ CD4+ clones
      exhibited nonmajor histocompatibility complex restricted cytotoxicity. These
      results demonstrate that CD3+ CD4+ and CD3+ CD8+ T-cells present in the ovarian
      malignant ascites can be propagated in large numbers and for long time intervals
      as T-cell lines in vitro. This finding may be significant for further
      investigation of ovarian tumor-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and future
      adoptive specific immunotherapy studies.

PMID- 1868447
TI  - Expression of three major protein kinase C isozymes in various types of human
      leukemic cells.
AB  - We examined the levels of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and the expressions of
      its three major isozymes, designated types I (gamma), II (beta), and III (alpha),
      in the cytosol and particulate fractions of cells from patients with acute
      myelogenous leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and chronic
      lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in an attempt to elucidate the cell type- or lineage
      specific expression of these isozymes. The levels of PKC activities in the
      cytosol and particulate fractions from AML cells were higher than those from ALL
      or CLL cells. The average PKC activities of AML cells, ALL cells, and CLL cells
      were 18.7, 12.2, and 11.3 pmol/min/10(8) cells, respectively, in the cytosol
      fractions and 4.4, 3.1, and 2.6 pmol/min/10(8) cells, respectively, in their
      particulate fractions. M1 cells (French-American-British classification) and AML
      cells with T-lymphocyte-associated surface antigens, such as CD2 and CD7, had
      significantly lower PKC activities among AML cells. Immunoblot analyses using
      monoclonal antibodies against each isozyme revealed that all three isozymes were
      broadly distributed on leukemic cells with considerable variability in the level
      of expression. All lymphoid leukemic cells expressed PKC-gamma in the cytosol
      fractions, albeit a minor component; however, this type was observed in cells
      from only half the number of AML patients. Those AML cells with cytosolic PKC
      gamma usually expressed lymphoid surface antigens, such as CD2, CD7, and CD19. On
      the other hand, cytosolic PKC-beta and PKC-alpha were commonly observed in all
      types of leukemic cells. AML cells expressed these two types at almost equal
      levels, but in lymphoid cells, expressions of PKC-beta were usually more abundant
      than those of PKC-alpha. These data suggest that AML cells with lymphoid antigens
      might have a lower PKC activity but more predominant expression of cytosolic PKC
      gamma than the usual AML cells.

PMID- 1868448
TI  - Levels of p53 protein increase with maturation in human hematopoietic cells.
AB  - Transfection of the wild-type p53 gene into malignant cell lines usually results
      in an inhibition of proliferation. However, the physiological function of the
      endogenous p53 gene product has been difficult to ascertain. In order to examine
      whether p53 is involved in the regulation of proliferation and/or differentiation
      of hematopoietic tissue, we modified a recently developed flow cytometric assay
      to assess p53 protein expression in normal human hematopoietic cells, primary
      leukemias, and selected leukemia cell lines. In normal human bone marrow, p53
      protein was not detected in the proliferative, progenitor cell populations
      identified by the cell surface antigens CD34 (progenitor cells of multiple
      lineages) or glycophorin (erythroid precursors). In contrast, low but detectable
      levels of p53 protein were observed in the nonproliferative, mature lymphoid,
      granulocytic, and monocytic cell populations. Similarly, p53 levels increased and
      DNA synthesis decreased during 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced
      differentiation of ML-1 myeloblastic leukemia cells. Both of these results
      suggest that endogenous, wild-type p53 protein may play a role in hematopoietic
      cell maturation, possibly by contributing to the inhibition of proliferation that
      occurs during terminal differentiation. Leukemia cells deviated from this pattern
      of expression: (a) in contrast to the normal, proliferative bone marrow
      progenitor cells, a significant percentage of patient leukemia samples expressed
      detectable levels of p53 protein; and (b) leukemia cell lines exhibited lineage
      specific abnormalities in p53 expression, with overexpression in lymphoid cell
      lines and lack of expression in myeloid cell lines.

PMID- 1868449
TI  - Cellular glutathione and thiol measurements from surgically resected human lung
      tumor and normal lung tissue.
AB  - Cellular glutathione (GSH) levels were measured from 27 human lung tumor
      biopsies, enzymatically disaggregated, and compared with cells isolated from
      normal lung of the same patients. GSH levels from normal lung were similar among
      patients with a mean value of 11.20 +/- 0.58 (SEM) nmol GSH/mg protein (24
      patients) with a range from 6.1 to 17.5 nmol GSH/mg protein. GSH levels varied
      considerably within and across histological tumor types with the following
      values: adenocarcinomas, 8.83 +/- 0.96 nmol/mg protein (8 patients); large cell
      carcinomas, 8.25 +/- 2.51 nmol/mg protein (3 patients); and squamous cell
      carcinomas, 23.25 +/- 5.99 nmol/mg protein (8 patients). The cyclic GSH reductase
      assay gave only average GSH values and could not distinguish possible GSH
      variation among subpopulations of cells isolated. Cell volume measurements and
      microscopic evaluation of cells isolated from both tumors and normal lung
      revealed heterogeneity with respect to cell types present. To determine the
      extent of thiol variation among tumor cell subpopulations, tumor cell suspensions
      were stained with the thiol-specific stain, monochlorobimane (MCB). The accuracy
      of MCB staining was tested by flow cytometric analysis of 12 in vitro human tumor
      cell lines and 3 rodent cell lines. A linear relationship was found between the
      bimane cellular fluorescence and the cyclic GSH reductase assay for cell lines
      having less than 80 nmol GSH/mg protein (R2 = 0.82). Above 80 nmol GSH/mg protein
      the rate of change of the bimane fluorescence intensity with respect to
      increasing GSH concentrations was much reduced. However, by labeling cells with
      MCB it was possible to distinguish between cell lines with low versus high GSH
      content. MCB staining of tumor samples revealed multiple populations of cells
      with respect to thiol levels. In particular, 2 of 8 squamous cell carcinomas had
      a proportion of cells with elevated fluorescence intensities (from 10 to 35% of
      the population) suggesting the presence of cells with greatly elevated thiol
      levels. These findings underscore the complexity of quantitating intracellular
      GSH levels from tumor biopsies. The combined use of MCB with flow cytometry and
      conventional GSH assays may help to delineate subpopulations of cells within
      tumors with different thiol levels.

PMID- 1868450
TI  - Structure and expression of the c-sis gene and its relationship to sporadic
      meningiomas.
AB  - A deletion in an Alu repetitive sequence in the fifth intron of the c-sis gene of
      meningioma patients was previously described (M. Smidt et al., J. Clin. Invest.,
      86:1151-1157, 1990). The authors analyzed the structure of this intron in DNA
      from peripheral blood leukocytes and tumor samples of 86 patients with sporadic
      meningiomas. After amplifying these DNA sequences by the polymerase chain
      amplification reaction, the authors failed to find any cases with deletions. They
      also analyzed the effects on the expression of c-sis of the fifth intron with or
      without the deletion. A c-sis expression clone with an SV40 promoter was modified
      by adding introns 4, 5, and 6, and the resulting clones were used to examine the
      expression of c-sis mRNA in A172, NIH3T3, and Cos-7 cells. Northern blots showed
      that the quantity of message was not changed when the introns were present and
      that the size of the message was not changed by the deletion in the fifth intron.
      The effect of the fifth intron Alu sequence on the c-sis promoter was also tested
      using clones with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase as a reporter gene in A172
      and Cos-7 cells. The c-sis promoter was not affected by the fifth intron Alu
      sequence with or without the deletion and in either orientation. There were also
      no effects when cells were stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or the
      regulatory gene Tax from human T-lymphotropic virus type 1. These data do not
      support a role for deletions in the fifth c-sis intron in the development of most
      sporadic meningiomas.

PMID- 1868452
TI  - K-ras mutations in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colonic tumors: effects of
      supplemental dietary calcium and vitamin D deficiency.
AB  - Recent studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that dietary supplemental
      calcium had no significant effect on the incidence of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine
      induced colonic tumors, but did decrease the number of rats with multiple tumors
      and reduced tumor size. Moreover, concomitant vitamin D deficiency appeared to
      abolish these protective effects of calcium on colonic tumors in this
      experimental model. To date, however, the mechanism(s) involved in these
      phenomena remain unclear. In order to address these important issues, 1,2
      dimethylhydrazine-induced colonic tumors from animals on control, Ca(2+)
      supplemented, vitamin D-sufficient, and Ca(2+)-supplemented, vitamin D-deficient
      diets were examined for the presence of ras oncogene mutations. DNA was extracted
      from each of these tumors. Targeted areas of K-ras and H-ras genes were amplified
      by the polymerase chain reaction and analyzed for point mutations using allele
      specific oligonucleotide hybridization and subsequent DNA sequencing. The results
      of these studies demonstrated that: (a) approximately one-third of 1,2
      dimethylhydrazine-induced colonic carcinomas in the control group had K-ras G to
      A mutations; (b) no mutations, however, were detected in the cancers of the
      calcium-supplemented group; (c) concomitant vitamin D deficiency abolished the
      antimutagenic effect of dietary calcium supplementation (e.g., approximately one
      third of cancers in this group again had detectable K-ras mutations); and (d) no
      H-ras point mutations were detected in colonic tumors from any group. These
      findings suggest that alterations in K-ras mutations may be one possible
      mechanism by which calcium and vitamin D status influence colonic carcinogenesis
      in this experimental model.

PMID- 1868451
TI  - Expression of the diphtheria toxin A-chain coding sequence under the control of
      promoters and enhancers from immunoglobulin genes as a means of directing
      toxicity to B-lymphoid cells.
AB  - Previous results have shown that cells can be killed by the expression of an
      introduced gene encoding diphtheria toxin A-fragment (DT-A) and that killing can
      be targeted using tissue-specific transcriptional regulatory elements. Here, we
      describe expression plasmids containing the DT-A gene linked with promoters and
      enhancers from immunoglobulin heavy chain or kappa-light chain genes. When these
      plasmids were transfected into cultured cells, DT-A was expressed in B-lymphoid
      cells but not detectably in HeLa cells or fibroblasts. A high specificity for B
      cells was confirmed by assaying for luciferase reporter gene expression from a
      plasmid containing an analogous combination of immunoglobulin heavy chain
      regulatory elements. A plasmid containing an immunoglobulin-kappa promoter and
      enhancer was substantially less active in expressing DT-A in a pre-B-cell line
      than in B-lymphoma cells, suggesting the possibility of targeting DT-A expression
      to mature, malignant B-cells while sparing normal B-cell progenitors. By means of
      viral delivery vehicles, the constructs described might be applied in gene
      therapy for B-cell leukemias or lymphomas.

PMID- 1868453
TI  - Chemical engineering of the monoclonal antibody A7 by polyethylene glycol for
      targeting cancer chemotherapy.
AB  - The murine monoclonal antibody A7 (Mab A7) against human colon cancer was
      chemically modified with methoxypolyethylene glycol (PEG) (Mr 5000). A high
      substitution of PEG molecules on Mab A7 produced a progressive reduction in
      antibody-binding activity. The pharmacokinetic and immunological properties of
      PEG-modified monoclonal antibody A7 (Mab A7) and the PEG-modified F(ab')2
      fragment, which retained their antibody-binding activity, were assessed and
      compared with the parent Mab A7 and the parent F(ab')2 fragment. Blood clearance
      of PEG-modified antibodies appeared to be diminished by PEG modification and was
      fitted by a two-compartment model. Low PEG-substituted Mab A7 showed less organ
      uptake in the liver and spleen and similar uptake in the lung and kidney,
      compared with the parent Mab A7. PEG-F(ab')2 showed less uptake in the liver and
      kidney. Both preparations exhibited less tissue:blood ratios in all resected
      organs as compared with parent antibodies. Tumor localization was enhanced by PEG
      modification for the F(ab')2 fragment, but not by PEG modification for the whole
      Mab A7. Multiple i.v. administration of PEG-modified antibody to rabbit did not
      appear to elicit a measurable immune response to the antibody portion of the
      conjugate. In conclusion, PEG-modified antibodies are promising reagents as drug
      carriers to the target tumor.

PMID- 1868454
TI  - Monensin in lipid emulsion for the potentiation of ricin A chain immunotoxins.
AB  - The utilization of carboxylic ionophores such as monensin for immunotoxin
      potentiation may be hampered by the poor solubility and short in vivo half-life
      of these highly lipophilic compounds. Therefore, the use of monensin formulated
      in a lipid/water emulsion was investigated for the in vitro and in vivo
      potentiation of immunotoxins. Monensin in emulsion or in buffer was equally
      effective for the in vitro potentiation of the cytotoxicity of both anti-human
      transferrin receptor and anti-carcinoembryonic antigen immunotoxins against
      target cells. In mice, buffer and lipid emulsion were compared as vehicles for
      the i.p. administration of monensin. The half-life of monensin in the peritoneal
      cavity of BALB/c x DBA/2 F1 (CD2F1) mice was increased 20-fold by inclusion in
      lipid emulsion (13 min versus 0.75 min). Treatment i.p. with anti-human
      transferrin receptor immunotoxin or anti-carcinoembryonic antigen immunotoxin and
      monensin emulsion prolonged the survival of mice with macroscopic i.p. tumor
      xenografts of H-Meso-1 mesothelioma and LS174T colorectal carcinoma (200-250%
      increased length of median survival). The in vivo antitumor effect of the cell
      specific immunotoxin plus monensin emulsion was superior to immunotoxin alone or
      to immunotoxin plus monensin in buffer (P less than 0.03; Mann-Whitney U test).
      This indicates that delivery of monensin in preformed lipid emulsion may produce
      a reservoir effect of the ionophore in the peritoneal cavity of tumor-bearing
      mice. Nonspecific control immunotoxin plus monensin emulsion produced no increase
      in survival. Long-term tumor-free survival (greater than 150 days versus a median
      survival of 25 days for controls) of mice bearing microscopic LS174T xenografts
      was obtained by treatment with anti-human transferrin receptor immunotoxin plus
      monensin emulsion. Administration of either monensin in buffer or monensin in
      emulsion without immunotoxin had no significant effect on survival. Monensin in
      this pharmacologically available form significantly improved the in vivo efficacy
      of both anti-human transferrin receptor immunotoxin and anti-carcinoembryonic
      antigen immunotoxin when used as regional therapy.

PMID- 1868455
TI  - Effects of thyroid hormone on androgen- or basic fibroblast growth factor-induced
      proliferation of Shionogi carcinoma 115 mouse mammary carcinoma cells in serum
      free culture.
AB  - DNA synthesis of SC-3 cells cloned from mouse mammary carcinoma (Shionogi
      carcinoma 115) was remarkably enhanced by androgen as well as basic fibroblast
      growth factor (bFGF) at the early phase (days 1-3) of stimulation in serum-free
      culture condition. However, bFGF-induced DNA synthesis could not be observed at
      the late phase (days 4-6) of stimulation while androgen was able to continuously
      elicit DNA synthesis. When the effect of androgen on cell yield was examined, the
      cell number was increased while bFGF could not enhance cell growth. Androgen
      induced heparin-binding growth factor partially purified from conditioned medium
      behaved like bFGF in terms of DNA synthesis and replication in SC-3 cells. SC-3
      cells were found to contain the high-affinity binding site toward
      triiodothyronine. The dissociation constant and the maximum number of the binding
      sites were 7 x 10(-10) M and 1800/cell, respectively. Triiodothyronine
      significantly blunted the testosterone-induced DNA synthesis. On the other hand,
      bFGF-enhanced DNA synthesis was not substantially inhibited by triiodothyronine.
      These results suggest that androgen, but not bFGF, has unique action site(s)
      which might be important for SC-3 cell replication and might be antagonized by
      thyroid hormone.

PMID- 1868456
TI  - A proposed common mechanism by which phorbol esters and epidermal growth factor
      delay the progression from G2 phase to mitosis of HeLa cells through phospholipid
      metabolites.
AB  - The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; also called phorbol
      myristate acetate) and epidermal growth factor both rapidly inhibit the
      transition of HeLa cells from G2 phase to mitosis in a reversible fashion with
      characteristics of a receptor-mediated response. It was proposed that an
      intracellular mediator was responsible for this inhibition. In searching for a
      common mediator elicited by the action of both ligands, the time course of
      generation of phospholipid metabolites was compared with the cell cycle response
      of the G2 cohort monitored by time lapse analysis. The time course and the degree
      of mobilization of diacylglycerols (DG) effected by TPA and by epidermal growth
      factor and that of phosphatidic acid correlated to a great extent with the onset
      and the duration of the G2 inhibition caused by both agonists. Further evidence
      for the proposed role of DGs and/or phosphatidic acid was obtained by the
      observation that membrane-penetrating 1,2-DG inhibited HeLa cells in G2 phase
      directly. The concentration of DG required correlated with that elicited by TPA
      or epidermal growth factor metabolically. This cellular response to 1,2-DG was
      also seen in cells after down-regulation of protein kinase C using TPA. The data
      indicate that cellular DG and/or phosphatidic acid may contribute to a
      restriction of cells in G2 phase possibly by changing membrane properties.

PMID- 1868457
TI  - Stimulation of apolipoprotein D secretion by steroids coincides with inhibition
      of cell proliferation in human LNCaP prostate cancer cells.
AB  - Although steroid hormones are known to play a predominant role in the regulation
      of cell growth in hormone-sensitive cancers, their mechanisms of action,
      especially their interaction with growth factors and/or growth inhibitors, is
      poorly understood. We have recently observed that the effects of androgens and
      estrogens on the expression of the major protein found in human breast gross
      cystic disease fluid, protein-24, are opposite to their respective action on cell
      proliferation in human breast cancer cell lines. Somewhat surprisingly, the
      recent elucidation of the amino acid sequence of this progesterone binding
      protein reveals that this tumor marker is apolipoprotein D (apo D), a member of a
      superfamily of lipophilic ligand carrier proteins. The present study was designed
      to determine whether apo D is secreted by human prostate cancer cells and could
      thus be a new marker of steroid action in these cancer cells, and whether the sex
      steroid-induced stimulation of apo D secretion coincides with inhibition of cell
      proliferation. We took advantage of the biphasic pattern of the effect of
      steroids on the proliferation of the human prostate cancer LNCaP cell line, which
      offers the opportunity to discriminate between positive and negative steroid
      receptor-regulated cell growth processes. A 10-day exposure to low concentrations
      of dihydrotestosterone and testosterone caused a potent stimulation of LNCaP cell
      proliferation, whereas incubation with higher concentrations of these androgens
      led to a progressive decrease in cell proliferation towards basal levels. The
      biphasic action of androgens was also observed on apo D secretion, the effects on
      apo D secretion being inversely related to their action on LNCaP cell
      proliferation. Similar opposite biphasic effects were also observed with 9 other
      steroids, thus indicating that the stimulation of secretion of this new
      biochemical marker coincides with inhibition of cell proliferation in LNCaP human
      prostatic cancer cells.

PMID- 1868458
TI  - Accumulation of m-iodobenzylguanidine by neuroblastoma cells results from
      independent uptake and storage mechanisms.
AB  - The modalities of uptake and storage of iodine-labeled m-iodobenzylguanidine
      (MIBG) by four human neuroblastoma cell lines have been studied. SK-N-BE(2)C cell
      line has been shown to possess the specific (type 1) MIBG uptake, as well as an
      efficient extravesicular storage mechanism. Conversely, LAN-5 cells, which show a
      nonsaturation kinetic of MIBG incorporation, lack only the ability to efficiently
      store the MIBG taken up by a mechanism that can be pharmacologically defined as
      uptake 1. The two other neuroblastoma cell lines tested, GI-LI-N and GI-CA-N,
      lack both uptake and storage capacity. In view of the fact that the only detailed
      study on specific MIBG uptake by a human neuroblastoma cell line has been carried
      out on SK-N-SH, a highly heterogeneous cell line, our report provides new
      insights on the molecular and cellular pharmacology of radiolabeled MIBG.

PMID- 1868459
TI  - Inhibition of growth of mouse leukemic cell lines in vitro and in vivo by a
      monoclonal antibody that recognizes an interleukin 3 receptor-associated protein.
AB  - Myeloid cell lines that have achieved leukemic transformation may also have
      acquired the ability to produce hematopoietic growth factors. In certain
      instances, neutralizing antibodies directed against the growth factor have
      inhibited growth, supporting an autocrine mechanism in their transformation. The
      effect of anti-receptor antibodies on their growth and transformed phenotype has
      not been reported. We have developed a monoclonal antibody, 4G8, directed against
      a protein that is associated with the IL-3 receptor complex; 4G8 inhibits IL-3
      binding and signal transduction in nonleukemic IL-3-dependent cell lines. In this
      study, we examined the effect of 4G8 on the growth in vitro and in vivo of
      leukemic cell lines, including WEHI-3B, which spontaneously produces IL-3, and
      NFS-60, an IL-3-dependent cell line. Our results demonstrate that the 4G8 antigen
      can be detected in both WEHI-3B and NFS-60 cells by flow cytometry and Western
      blotting; 4G8 inhibits the autonomous growth of WEHI-3B and the IL-3-dependent
      growth of both WEHI-3B and NFS-60. In addition, s.c. administration of 4G8
      prolonged the survival of syngeneic mice given s.c. injections of WEHI-3B. These
      results support the conclusion that an autocrine mechanism involving IL-3 and its
      receptor plays a critical role in the growth and transformed phenotype of WEHI-3B
      and raises the possibility that anti-IL-3 receptor antibodies may be useful in
      the treatment of some leukemias.

PMID- 1868460
TI  - Frequency of urination and its effects on metabolism, pharmacokinetics, blood
      hemoglobin adduct formation, and liver and urinary bladder DNA adduct levels in
      beagle dogs given the carcinogen 4-aminobiphenyl.
AB  - The human urinary bladder carcinogen, 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP), is known to undergo
      hepatic metabolism to an N-hydroxy arylamine and its corresponding N-glucuronide.
      It has been proposed that these metabolites are both transported through the
      blood via renal filtration to the urinary bladder lumen where acidic pH can
      facilitate the hydrolysis of the N-glucuronide and enhance the conversion of N
      hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl (N-OH-ABP) to a reactive electrophile that will form
      covalent adducts with urothelial DNA. Blood ABP-hemoglobin adducts, which have
      been used to monitor human exposure to ABP, are believed to be formed by
      reactions within the erythrocyte involving N-OH-ABP that has entered the
      circulation from the liver or from reabsorption across the urothelium. To test
      these hypotheses directly, experimental data were obtained from female beagles
      given [3H]ABP (p.o., i.v., or intraurethrally). [3H]N-OH-ABP (i.v. or
      intraurethrally), or [3H]N-OH-ABP N-glucuronide (i.v.). Analyses included
      determinations of total ABP in whole blood and plasma, ABP-hemoglobin adducts in
      blood erythrocytes, ABP and N-OH-ABP levels (free and N-glucuronide) in urine,
      urine pH, frequency of urination (controlled by urethral catheter), rates of
      reabsorption of ABP and N-OH-ABP across the urothelium, and apparent volumes of
      distribution in the blood/tissue compartment. The major ABP-DNA adduct, N-(guan-8
      yl)-4-aminobiphenyl, was also measured in urothelial and liver DNA using a
      sensitive immunochemical method. An analog/digital hybrid computer was then
      utilized to construct a multicompartmental pharmacokinetic model for ABP and its
      metabolites that separates: (a) absorption; (b) hepatic metabolism and
      distribution in blood and tissues; (c) ABP-hemoglobin adduct formation; (d)
      hydrolysis and reabsorption in the urinary bladder lumen; and (e) excretion.
      Using this model, cumulative exposure of the urothelium to free N-OH-ABP was
      simulated from the experimental data and used to predict ABP-DNA adduct formation
      in the urothelium. The results indicated that exposure to N-OH-ABP and subsequent
      ABP-DNA adduct formation are directly dependent on voiding frequency and to a
      lesser extent on urine pH. This was primarily due to the finding that, after p.o.
      dosing of ABP to dogs, the major portion of the total N-OH-ABP entering the
      bladder lumen was free N-OH-ABP (0.7% of the dose), with much lower amounts as
      the acid-labile N-glucuronide (0.3% of the dose).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1868461
TI  - Tumor subpopulation interactions affecting melphalan sensitivity in palpable
      mouse mammary tumors.
AB  - Paired mixtures of melphalan-sensitive and relatively insensitive tumor cell
      subpopulation lines, originally derived from the same mammary tumor, were
      injected s.c. into syngeneic mice. When tumors were palpable, the mice were
      treated with melphalan at doses shown to be effective against the melphalan
      sensitive subpopulations. Sensitivity was assessed by the loss of colony-forming
      ability of tumor cells harvested 1 to 14 days after treatment. When growing in
      tumors mixed with melphalan-sensitive line 4TO7 cells, line 66 (less sensitive)
      appeared much more sensitive than when it was grown alone. Line 66 tumors growing
      on the opposite sides of mice bearing line 4TO7 tumors were not more sensitive
      than when grown alone, indicating the lack of a systemic mechanism in the
      transfer of sensitivity from 4TO7 to 66. Furthermore, line 66 was not more
      sensitive when mixed with line 168TFAR (another melphalan-sensitive
      subpopulation) than when alone. The "transfer of sensitivity" from line 4TO7 to
      line 66 could be reproduced in collagen gel cultures but not in monolayer.
      Interestingly, line 4TO7, unlike line 168TFAR, is more sensitive to melphalan in
      collagen culture than in monolayer. This difference in sensitivity does not
      appear to be influenced by differences in cell density between the two culture
      systems. In collagen culture, the increased sensitivity of line 66 in the
      presence of line 4TO7 did not require cell contact and so appeared to act through
      diffusible factors(s). Collectively, these data suggest that the transfer of
      sensitivity is not dependent upon host factors or upon drug sensitivity per se
      but rather upon some mechanism requiring tumor cell-tumor cell interaction
      between specific subpopulation pairs. In additional studies, pH was ruled out as
      a factor in the transfer of sensitivity.

PMID- 1868462
TI  - Mechanism of photosensitization by microsphere-bound chlorin e6 in human bladder
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - Photodynamic therapy is an experimental method of cancer treatment in which a
      photosensitizer is administered and subsequently the tumor is irradiated with
      light. Due to problems of prolonged skin phototoxicity with hematoporphyrin
      derivative, new photosensitizers and methods of localization are being sought.
      The goal of this study was to compare the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) free
      and bound to 1-micron-diameter microspheres (MS) for phototoxicity, uptake and
      efflux characteristics, phagocytosis rates in malignant and benign cells, and
      effects of NaN3, D2O, and buthionine sulfoximine on phototoxic efficacy.
      Incubation of MGH-U1 human bladder carcinoma cells with Ce6-MS (0.43 microM Ce6
      equivalent; 18 h) and subsequent irradiation using an argon laser-pumped dye
      laser at a radiant exposure of 20 J/cm2 caused 100% cell death 24 h after
      irradiation. In contrast, MGH-U1 cells incubated with free Ce6 (0.43 microM; 18
      h) remained 100% viable 24 h after irradiation at a radiant exposure of up to 50
      J/cm2. The presence of D2O during irradiation increased the phototoxicity to MGH
      U1 cells, whereas the presence of NaN3 decreased it; these data support an
      important role for 1O2. Irradiation of MGH-U1 cells in the presence of the
      glutathione depleter buthionine sulfoximine also increased the phototoxicity,
      demonstrating a role for intracellular glutathione and possibly free radical
      intermediates. The cellular uptake of Ce6 was approximately 50 times lower than
      that of Ce6-MS at equivalent incubation concentrations. Efflux experiments showed
      that the phototoxicity of Ce6-MS was reduced by 40% for a 5-h washout time as
      compared to no washout time. In contrast, for free Ce6, the decrease was 95.3%
      under identical conditions. Because the total intracellular concentration of Ce6
      MS after an efflux time of 5 h was only slightly changed, the decreased
      phototoxicity is attributed to an altered intracellular localization. Confocal
      laser scanning fluorescence microscopy data appear consistent with this
      hypothesis although they are not conclusive. The observed patterns were different
      at 0 and 5 h. Comparison of the phagocytosis rates of Ce6-MS by carcinoma and
      benign cells showed that on average 20 MS/cell were phagocytosed by MGH-U1
      compared with 2.5 and 8.3 in the benign human fibroblasts and keratinocytes,
      respectively. After incubation with Ce6-MS (0.1 microM; 18 h) and irradiation at
      10 J/cm2 the surviving fraction of MGH-U1 cells was 76.3 +/- 0.95% (mean +/- SE)
      and 40 +/- 3.49% for fibroblasts. In contrast, for keratinocytes the surviving
      fraction was 93.5 +/- 0.83%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868463
TI  - Hereditary renal cell carcinoma in the rat associated with nonrandom loss of
      chromosomes 5 and 6.
AB  - A spontaneous form of renal cell carcinoma occurs in rats that arises as the
      result of the inheritance of a mutation in a single autosomal gene. Cytogenetic
      analysis was performed on seven cell lines and four primary tumor cell
      preparations derived from this hereditary form of renal cell carcinoma. Banded
      karyotypes prepared from these seven lines exhibited loss and/or partial deletion
      of both chromosomes 5 and 6. Translocations involving chromosome 4, resulting in
      a net loss of genetic material located near the centromere (4q11), were observed
      in three of the cell lines. Monosomy, translocation, and breakage of chromosome 5
      involving band 5q31 and monosomy and partial deletion of chromosome 6 involving
      band 6q22-q24 were independently observed in primary tumor cells from three of
      four tumors examined. Monosomy of chromosome 4 was observed in cells from a
      single tumor. The smallest region of deletion of chromosome 6 common to all the
      cell lines and tumor cells was 6q24, suggesting the presence of a tumor
      suppressor gene at this locus. These results indicate that loss of genes located
      on chromosomes 4, 5, and 6, possibly tumor suppressor gene(s), may be important
      for tumor development and/or progression in rat renal cell carcinoma and is
      consistent with the hypothesis that a gene locus on one of these chromosomes may
      be the site of the original predisposing mutation.

PMID- 1868464
TI  - Loss of heterozygosity of p53 gene and p53 protein expression in human colorectal
      carcinomas.
AB  - The p53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 17p. Deletions of
      this chromosome and point mutations of p53 have been implicated in the
      development of colonic neoplasms. We have analyzed the loss of heterozygosity of
      the human p53 tumor suppressor gene in 40 cases of colorectal carcinoma using two
      restriction fragment length polymorphisms detected by BglII and AccII restriction
      enzymes. p53 gene product expression was studied immunohistochemically in 64
      colorectal carcinomas, 18 adenomas, and 40 normal colonic mucosae using an anti
      human p53 monoclonal antibody (Pab 1801) and the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex
      technique. Twelve of the 40 patients (30%) were polymorphic for the p53 gene. In
      ten of these informative patients (83%), the tumor samples showed the loss of one
      allele when compared with normal colorectal samples of the same patient. One of
      the homozygous patients showed a loss of both p53 alleles. p53 immunostaining was
      observed in 43 of 64 carcinomas (67%) but only in two adenomas (11%). These two
      positive adenomas showed areas of carcinoma in situ. The normal mucosa was always
      negative. No relation could be found between p53 immunostaining and the degree of
      differentiation, the extension of the tumor, or the Ki-67 proliferative index.
      Mucinous carcinomas and right-side carcinomas were less p53 immunoreactive (25%
      and 52%, respectively) than the usual adenocarcinomas (73%) and distal tumors
      (72%). These findings suggest that p53 may be a target of chromosome 17 deletions
      and that this gene may play a role in the malignant transformation of adenomas.
      BglII and AccII restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the p53 gene
      may be a useful and direct technique to detect allelic loss of this gene in
      tumors.

PMID- 1868465
TI  - In vivo formation of oxidized DNA bases in tumor promoter-treated mouse skin.
AB  - There has been a paucity of evidence showing that 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13
      acetate (TPA), a potent tumor promoter, causes DNA damage in vivo. We show that
      oxidized DNA bases are formed in the epidermis of TPA-treated SENCAR mice in a
      dose- and time-dependent manner. As measured by high-performance liquid
      chromatography and acetylation of nucleosides with [3H]acetic anhydride, these
      oxidized DNA derivatives include cis-thymidine glycol, 5-hydroxymethyl-2'
      deoxyuridine, and 8-hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine. Their maximal formation induced
      by a single TPA dose occurred within 6-8 h (a 2-5-fold increase). The level of 8
      hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine was the lowest (3.2/10(5) bases) and remained almost
      unchanged for 18 h; thymidine glycol (29.1/10(4) bases) and 5-hydroxymethyl-2'
      deoxyuridine (17.3/10(4) bases) declined gradually but were still above controls
      at 24 h. Reapplication of TPA 20 h after the first dose (time of the maximal
      polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration) enhanced the net formation of 8
      hydroxyl-2'-deoxyguanosine by 3.8-fold (P less than 0.05), of cis-thymidine
      glycol by 1.9-fold (P less than 0.001), and of 5-hydroxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine by
      2.0-fold (P less than 0.01), as compared to those maximally produced by a single
      TPA dose. Thus, the infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into TPA-treated
      mouse skin, which was corroborated by histological examination and the presence
      of polymorphonuclear leukocyte-specific myeloperoxidase, might play an important
      role in TPA-induced DNA oxidation in vivo. Our findings provide proof that tumor
      promoters can induce genetic modification in vivo that is oxidative in nature.
      Hence, formation of oxidized DNA bases may be responsible for the genetic effects
      of tumor promoters in carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1868466
TI  - Expression of the GLUT1 glucose transporter increases thymidine uptake in Chinese
      hamster ovary cells at low glucose concentrations.
AB  - An increase in expression of the GLUT1 glucose transporter gene has been observed
      to be associated with an increase in glucose transport activity upon oncogenic
      transformation of the cells. Increased expression of this glucose transporter
      isoform has been also observed in fetal tissues. To investigate the consequences
      of this phenomenon on cellular metabolism and cell growth, an expression vector
      containing the GLUT1 glucose transporter complementary DNA was transfected into
      Chinese hamster ovary cells. Overexpression of this glucose transporter isoform
      resulted in an increase in not only glucose uptake and utilization but also
      thymidine uptake when cells were exposed to glucose-deficient conditions. This
      increase in glucose metabolism and DNA synthesis may play an important role on
      the growth and/or survival of cancer cells and fetal tissues.

PMID- 1868467
TI  - Characterization of intestinal alkaline phosphatase expression and the
      tumorigenic potential of gamma-irradiated HeLa x fibroblast cell hybrids.
AB  - Fusion of tumorigenic HeLa cells with human skin fibroblasts results in
      genetically stable hybrids which are nontumorigenic and no longer express the
      HeLa tumor-associated antigen, intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). Previous
      analysis of spontaneous segregants of the nontumorigenic hybrid have implicated
      the loss of one copy of human fibroblast chromosome 11 with reexpression of IAP
      and tumorigenicity. This observation suggests that a putative HeLa tumor
      suppressor gene(s) is located on chromosome 11 and that this gene may be a
      negative regulator of the IAP gene. We have isolated several gamma-ray-induced
      mutants (GIMs) of the nontumorigenic HeLa x skin fibroblast hybrid CGL1 that were
      specifically selected for reexpression of IAP to further investigate the
      potential linkage between IAP regulation and the putative tumor suppressor locus.
      The GIMs have a wide range of cell morphology and level of IAP expression (nearly
      a factor of 40). The tumorigenicity of the GIMs was examined by s.c. injection
      into nude mice and all were found to be tumorigenic. The tumor volume-doubling
      time is in the range of 4 to 8 days for all the cell lines; however, the lag time
      to reach 500 mm3 tumor volume was significantly longer when the GIM IAP activity
      was low (less than 20% relative activity), suggesting perhaps that there is a
      threshold level of IAP expression required for tumor formation and selection for
      high IAP expression in vivo. However, studies with tumor reconstitutes of the
      GIMs and transfection studies with an IAP complementary DNA expression vector
      indicate that high IAP expression alone is not sufficient to confer rapid tumor
      growth. Therefore, while the data lend strong support to the continued tight
      correlation between IAP reexpression and tumorigenicity and to our proposal that
      the tumor suppressor may negatively regulate the IAP gene, it suggests that
      selection for other gene activities may be responsible for aggressive tumor
      growth in this cell hybrid system.

PMID- 1868468
TI  - Progestin regulation of alkaline phosphatase in the human breast cancer cell line
      T47D.
AB  - In T47D breast cancer cell line, progestin (R5020) induces de novo synthesis of
      an alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Based on inhibitor profiles and antigenic
      specificity, it is apparent that this enzyme belongs to the class of membrane
      associated tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatases. Enzyme induction was uniquely
      specific to progestins and not altered by other steroid hormones or synthetic
      analogues. The progestin induction of the tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatase
      was time and dose dependent. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks
      the enzyme synthesis and tunicamycin blocks the enzyme activity, showing that the
      induction was new synthesis of protein in its complete glycosylated form and not
      activation of a preexisting enzyme. To our knowledge this is the first report of
      progesterone-induced expression of a tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatase gene
      of such magnitude (about 30- to 100-fold) in a progesterone-responsive tissue.

PMID- 1868469
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor expression by human ovarian carcinoma in vivo.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a cytokine produced by monocytes and other cells
      with selective cytolytic activity against some but not all tumor cells. Cellular
      resistance to the cytolytic effects of TNF has been reported to be associated
      with autocrine production of TNF by the target cells. The purpose of this study
      was to determine whether or not human tumors produce tumor necrosis factor in
      vivo. Ovarian carcinoma tissue from 25 patients with ovarian carcinoma was
      examined for the presence of TNF. Four of 5 ascites fluid specimens and tissue
      sections of 16 of 20 patients were positive for TNF by immunoperoxidase staining.
      The source of the immunoreactive protein was further examined by in situ
      hybridization studies. TNF mRNA was detectable in each of the ascites specimens
      and 7 of 16 tissue sections that were positive by immunoperoxidase staining.
      These findings suggest that TNF is produced by some human tumors in vivo and that
      the association between TNF production and resistance to TNF antitumor action may
      be clinically relevant.

PMID- 1868470
TI  - Intraocular tumor formation of RB reconstituted retinoblastoma cells.
AB  - It has been reported that replacement of a functional retinoblastoma (RB) gene in
      RB defective WERI-27 retinoblastoma cells results in complete loss of their
      tumorigenic potential in nude mice following s.c. injection. We have repeated the
      identical studies and found that although tumors did not develop s.c., the RB
      reconstituted cells, either soon after RB virus infection or after long term
      cultivation, consistently produced tumors when injected intraocularly. These
      tumor cells, when reestablished in culture, were found to retain a normal RB
      protein as determined by direct Western blotting and immunocytochemical staining.
      The tumors, however, occurred with a longer average latency period and with less
      frequency compared to those produced by the parental RB defective cells. Our
      results suggest that reintroduction of the RB gene into WERI-27 cells reduces but
      does not completely suppress their tumorigenic potential. Since retinoblastoma is
      an eye tumor it also provides further documentation that the use of an orthotopic
      injection site can be critical when determining the tumorigenicity of a given
      cell type.

PMID- 1868471
TI  - Ha-ras induction of the invasive phenotype results in up-regulation of epidermal
      growth factor receptors and altered responsiveness to epidermal growth factor in
      human papillary transitional cell carcinoma cells.
AB  - Recent studies have shown that orthotopic (transurethral) transplantation of
      human bladder cancer cell lines into nude mice permits tumor growth that more
      accurately reflects their clinical malignant status in the original host. We have
      previously demonstrated that transfection and overexpression of normal or mutated
      c-Ha-ras genes into a noninvasive human papillary transitional cell carcinoma
      cell line confer upon these cells an invasive phenotype in vivo with behavior
      remarkably similar to the clinical behavior of high grade bladder carcinomas.
      Since elevated expression levels of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R),
      in addition to that of c-Ha-ras, have been correlated with transitional cell
      carcinoma progression, we sought to determine whether up-regulation of the EGF-R
      had occurred in the invasive high ras expressors and if so, what functional
      significance this might have. Our results show that invasive cell lines which
      overexpress the c-Ha-ras gene also have increased epidermal EGF-R expression.
      This was found to occur at both the protein and mRNA levels, and analysis of the
      EGF-R promoter/enhancer sequences has revealed a putative AP-1 site which may
      possibly enhancer sequences has revealed a putative AP-1 site which may possibly
      serve as a ras response element. In addition, we found that the cells
      overexpressing the EGF-R had acquired a positive sensitivity to the stimulatory
      mitogenic effects of EGF. Hence, the results obtained suggest a role for either a
      normal or a mutated overexpressing Ha-ras in up-regulating the surface EGF-R,
      possibly through an AP-1 site during human bladder carcinoma progression; they
      also highlight the potential that EGF may have in cooperating with this EGF-R up
      regulation to help mediate enhanced tumor growth.

PMID- 1868472
TI  - Altered intracellular calcium regulation in human colorectal cancers and in
      "normal" adjacent mucosa.
AB  - Intracellular calcium [(Ca2+)i] was measured in human colonic epithelia derived
      from control mucosa from noncancer patients, from grossly "normal" mucosa taken
      10-30 cm proximal to primary colorectal cancers, and from colorectal cancers.
      (Ca2+)i was measured first in cells bathed by calcium-free solution and again
      after adding 1 mM calcium. Compared to control mucosa, (Ca2+)i was 27% lower in
      cancer cells in the presence of 1 mM extracellular calcium, whereas (Ca2+)i was
      elevated more than 3-fold in the adjacent "normal" mucosa from cancer patients in
      both media. These results suggest altered (Ca2+)i levels in malignant cells and
      the presence of a "field defect" in (Ca2+)i regulation in "normal" colonic mucosa
      adjacent to colorectal cancers.

PMID- 1868473
TI  - p53 gene mutations in Barrett's epithelium and esophageal cancer.
AB  - Genomic DNA was extracted from archival pathology specimens comprising 10
      squamous and 14 adenocarcinomas, including 7 with Barrett's epithelium adjacent
      to tumor, and corresponding normal esophagus from the resection margin. The
      polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify selected exons of p53 which were
      analyzed for mutations using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis.
      Mutations were localized to exon 8 for 1 adenocarcinoma and to exon 5 for 1
      squamous tumor and 4 of 7 Barrett's specimens. Sequencing confirmed mutations at
      codons 273 (CGT----CAT; adenocarcinoma) and 176 (TGC----TTC; squamous) and in
      Barrett's epithelium at codons 152 (CCG----CTG), 155 (ACC----GCC) and 175 (CGC---
      CAC). Specimens of Barrett's epithelium from separate sites had identical p53
      mutations suggesting a clonal origin. Cancers arising in mutant epithelium did
      not have mutations corresponding to those found in the Barrett's specimens
      suggesting that other events are required for tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1868474
TI  - Dietary-induced hyperlipidemia and renal function in the uremic rat.
AB  - Rats made uremic by 2-stage 5/6 nephrectomy and sham-operated control animals
      were fed either a normal laboratory chow, a high-sucrose (60%) or a high-fat (10%
      cholesterol; 20% olive oil) diet, all containing 21% protein and identical
      amounts of electrolytes, vitamins and trace elements. Serum creatinine levels
      remained unchanged in the control animals but rose in the 5/6 nephrectomised
      uremic animals by a factor of 2.7 from a mean of 0.44 +/- 0.05 mg/dl to 1.20 +/-
      0.11 mg/dl at 8 weeks, without differences between the dietary groups. During 8
      weeks of dietary regimen the high-sucrose and high-fat diets induced significant
      hypertriglyceridemia, generally similar in control and uremic rats. The uremic
      animals on a high-sucrose and high-fat diet had the most pronounced rise in serum
      triglycerides, 331.5 +/- 89.0 and 298.0 +/- 45.0 mg/dl, respectively (control:
      159.9 +/- 14.0 mg/dl). After 4 and 8 weeks, only the animals on the high-fat diet
      had significant hypercholesterolemia, most pronounced in the uremic animals (356
      +/- 56.3 mg/dl; control: 71.6 +/- 12.9 mg/dl). The animals in the latter group
      also had significant proteinuria and renal histologic abnormalities consisting of
      xanthoma-like glomerular lesions, infiltrates and fibrosis not seen in the other
      groups of animals. These data indicate that dietary-induced hyperlipidemia of
      short duration causes or aggravates renal damage in the rat with mild-moderate
      uremia, induced by ablation.

PMID- 1868475
TI  - Use of the captopril test to assess renin responsiveness in children with
      hypertension and renal disease.
AB  - The captopril test was performed on 49 children of whom 36 were hypertensive, and
      the remainder were normotensive but were at risk for developing hypertension
      because of scarred kidneys secondary to vesico-ureteral reflux. Blood pressure
      (BP) was monitored in fasting supine patients throughout the duration of the
      test. Blood was taken for measurement of plasma renin activity (PRA); then
      captopril (0.7 mg/kg of body weight) was administered orally. A second blood
      sample was taken for PRA at 90 min postcaptopril. The mean (SEM) PRA at 90 min
      was 11.90 (4.01) ng/l/s [42.84 (14.44) ng/ml/h] in 7 patients with renovascular
      disease. In 4 patients with essential hypertension corresponding values were 0.88
      (0.38) ng/l/s [3.17 (1.37) ng/ml/h]. Patients with other renal diseases showed
      variable values. Some individuals had PRA values as high as those of patients
      with renovascular disease, but the etiology of their hypertension was usually
      clinically evident. Our preliminary data would suggest that the captopril test
      may help differentiate between patients with essential hypertension and those
      with renovascular disease, or may help select patients that should be followed up
      by more definitive diagnostic procedures.

PMID- 1868476
TI  - The prognostic significance of acute neonatal renal failure.
AB  - We evaluated 38 newborns with acute renal failure (plasma creatinine (Pcr)
      concentration greater than = 1.5 mg/dl), measured between the 2nd and 5th days.
      We used renal ultrasound to exclude the possibility of congenital renal
      anomalies, obstructive pathology or vascular disorders. We calculated the
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using Schwartz' formula and the maximal
      concentrating capacity using intranasal administration of desamino-cis-1-D
      arginine-8-vasopressin (DDAVP test). Two newborns were treated with peritoneal
      dialysis and died during the first month of life. Thirty-six had a follow-up
      blood sample drawn: 24 preterm babies between 1 and 12 months, and 12 full-term
      babies between 1 and 36 months of life. From this sampling 4 babies (11.1%)
      showed defective maximal concentrating ability. Our data reveal the persistence
      of altered concentrating ability in newborns affected by renal failure and shows
      that this problem needs a longitudinal study and further diagnostic
      investigations.

PMID- 1868477
TI  - Acquired cystic kidney disease in renal insufficiency.
AB  - The frequency of acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) in adult patients with end
      stage renal failure (ESRF) varies from 8 to 95%. Systematic data are available
      neither on children with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) nor on the frequency
      of ACKD in children below 15 years undergoing dialysis. Twenty-one children with
      CRI and 28 patients with ESRF were investigated. The age of the children ranged
      from 1 month to 15.8 years. Ultrasonographic examination determined the incidence
      of ACKD; in some children computerized tomography was performed. ACKD was
      diagnosed in 2 children (9.8%) with CRI and in 6 (21.6%) with ESRF. Diagnostic
      criteria and evolution of ACKD within the observation period of 3-48 months (mean
      23.4 +/- 12.6 months) are discussed.

PMID- 1868478
TI  - Postrenal-biopsy hematoma in infants and children: evaluation by ultrasonography.
AB  - Postbiopsy hematoma was assessed using ultrasonography in 106 infants and
      children (age 1 month to 15 years) who underwent a total of 122 percutaneous
      renal biopsies. Postbiopsy hematoma occurred in 22 (21%) of 105 successful
      biopsies. However, only 2 of these were symptomatic. Renal failure, mild and
      moderate hypertension and inexperience of the operator were not found to increase
      the incidence of postbiopsy hematoma in infants and children.

PMID- 1868479
TI  - Treatment of vesicoureteric reflux: results after 3 years in a prospective study.
AB  - Between 1982 and 1986, 96 children with nonobstructive vesicoureteric reflux were
      treated in a prospective study. There were 134 refluxing ureters. Results are
      reported after a follow-up period of 3 years in 94 children with 130 refluxing
      ureters. Initially all children with reflux grade III or less had antibiotic
      treatment only. Those with reflux grade IV were randomized for antibiotic
      treatment alone versus surgery plus antibiotic treatment, while the primary
      treatment of reflux grade V was reimplantation. In 84 ureters treated by
      antibiotics alone, reflux disappeared in 52 cases and in 18 ureters the reflux
      was reduced. In 49 ureters treated by reimplantation, reflux was cured in 39
      cases and no severe ureteric obstruction was seen. Conservative management of
      reflux grade IV was less successful than surgery. The results of conservative,
      nonsurgical treatment of reflux grade I to III are satisfactory, but for grades
      IV and V reflux surgery should be the treatment of choice, provided that detrusor
      instability can be excluded.

PMID- 1868480
TI  - Age-related changes in renal reserve and renal tubular function in healthy
      humans.
AB  - To explore the age-related changes in tubular function and in the renal reserve
      (RR) a total of 98 healthy subjects were studied while on free living conditions.
      Enrolled people were divided into 3 groups: group A (n = 40, age range 5-18
      years, Na intake 80 +/- 20 mM/day, protein intake 1.30 +/- 0.76 g/kg BW); group B
      (n = 34, age range 19-60 years, Na intake 110 +/- 12 mM/day, protein intake 1.32
      +/- 0.75 g/kg BW), and group C (n = 24, age range 61-89 years, Na intake 159 +/-
      12 mM/day (p less than 0.01 vs. A and B), protein intake 1.26 +/- 0.23).
      Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (inulin), renal plasma flow (p-aminohippurate),
      the amount of filtrate and sodium delivered from the proximal tubule (lithium
      clearance), endogenous creatinine clearance, and predicted creatinine clearance
      were measured. The RR was evaluated after a meat meal (providing 2 g/kg BW of
      proteins) by subtracting baseline GFR from the peaking postprandial GFR. GFR was
      age-related and was identical in groups A and B and significantly lower in group
      C (p less than 0.0001). The drop in GFR averaged 7% per decade in the age range
      61-89 years. The RR was not statistically different in groups A and B and
      increased significantly in group C (p less than 0.0001). In groups A and B the
      filtration fraction was constant after the meat meal and significantly increased
      over baseline GFR in group C (p less than 0.01), while the percentage of
      filtration capacity utilized at rest was lower in group C (p less than
      0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868481
TI  - Seizures and transient blindness following intravenous pulse methylprednisolone
      in children with primary glomerulonephritis.
AB  - Two children, 1 with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and 1 with endo-extracapillary
      glomerulonephritis, presented an episode of seizures and transient blindness at
      different times after i.v. pulse methylprednisolone (IVPMP) treatment.
      Neurological manifestations in patient 1 could be due to hypertension secondary
      to IVPMP, while the pathogenesis of such manifestations remained difficult to
      clarify in patient 2. The severity of uremia in patient 2 could be one of the
      conditions that, in association with the abrupt changes obtained with IVPMP,
      predispose to neurological manifestations. Careful clinical and biochemical
      monitoring seems necessary in children with primary glomerulonephritis, other
      than those transplanted, after IVPMP, and factors predisposing to neurologic
      sequelae should be further defined.

PMID- 1868482
TI  - Bladder transitional cell carcinoma.
AB  - We present a case of urinary bladder carcinoma in a child aged 13 that followed a
      benign course. This confirms the idea that epithelial bladder cancer in children
      pursues, a much less aggressive behaviour than in the adult, possibly on the
      basis of its well-differentiated nature. Despite the rarity of the lesion, it
      should not be overlooked in the differential diagnosis of haematuria in children.

PMID- 1868483
TI  - Pitfalls in the treatment of congenital urologic anomalies.
AB  - Specific diagnostic and therapeutic considerations regarding urologic problems in
      the very young have encouraged the awareness that the treatment of congenital
      malformations requires special qualifications. In this paper 3 cases are
      presented to illustrate and stress our opinion that the treatment of congenital
      urologic anomalies in young children should be left to urologists who have been
      trained and work in the field of paediatric urology.

PMID- 1868484
TI  - Familial nephrotic syndrome and HLA-DR5.
AB  - Two different types of familial nephrotic syndrome were observed in two unrelated
      families. In the first family, 2 siblings, both boys without hearing impairment,
      had proteinuria which was evident after 10 years of age and were resistant to
      steroid and immunosuppressant therapy. Their renal biopsy findings were
      compatible with focal-segmental glomerulosclerosis. In the second family, an
      elder sister and a boy had minimal-change nephrotic syndrome which responded well
      to steroid and immunosuppressant therapy. All 4 patients had HLA-DR5 in common,
      suggesting that this gene locus may play an important role in the pathogenesis of
      familial nephrotic syndrome.

PMID- 1868485
TI  - Relations between hypertension and glomerulosclerosis in first-generation hybrid
      rats of the Milan strains.
AB  - In the Milan hypertensive rats (MHS) glomerulosclerosis is less evident than in
      the normotensive strain (MNS). To clarify whether this pattern is due to a
      'protective effect' of increased afferent arteriolar tone or to a different
      mechanism, we studied 12 first-generation hybrids (F1), 4 parental MHS and 4
      parental MNS rats. Four-micrometer sections were stained with hematoxylin,
      Mallory's trichrome stain and periodic acid-Schiff reaction. The blood pressure
      of the F1 rats was only slightly higher than that of the MNS so that very
      probably renal vascular resistances were similar. The F1 rats had low proteinuria
      (23.3 +/- 2.7 mg/24 h) like the MHS (25.3 +/- 4.8), and few damaged glomeruli per
      section (18.5 +/- 1.2), again like the MHS (18.7 +/- 1.1). MNS had higher
      proteinuria (363.8 +/- 111.6; p less than 0.01 vs. MHS and F1) with a greater
      number of damaged glomeruli (51.4 +/- 4.5; p less than 0.01 vs. MHS and F1). The
      difference in afferent arteriolar resistance is not implicated in
      glomerulosclerosis.

PMID- 1868486
TI  - Comparative efficacy of liposomes containing synthetic bacterial cell wall
      analogues for tumoricidal activation of monocytes and macrophages.
AB  - We examined the activation to the tumoricidal state of normal mouse peritoneal
      exudate macrophages, bone marrow macrophages, and human blood monocytes by
      liposomes containing either lipophilic muramyl tripeptide (CGP 19,835) or a new
      synthetic analogue of lipoprotein from gram-negative bacteria outer wall, CGP
      31,362, or combinations of the two. The superiority of liposomes containing the
      synthetic lipopeptide over liposomes containing lipophilic muramyl tripeptide for
      in vitro activation of monocytes and macrophages was demonstrated in several
      experiments. First, liposome-CGP-19,835 activated monocytes only in the presence
      of interferon-gamma, whereas activation with liposome-CGP 31,362 was interferon
      independent. Second, activation of both mouse macrophages and human blood
      monocytes by liposome-CGP 31,362 occurred at a lower liposomal concentration than
      that by liposome-CGP 19,835. Third, monocytes incubated with liposome-CGP 31,362
      released both tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 activities, whereas
      monocytes treated with liposome-CGP 19,835 (in the absence of interferon-gamma)
      released only TNF activity. These data suggest that liposomes containing the
      synthetic lipopeptide CGP 31,362 are superior to liposomes containing CGP 19,835
      for systemic activation of macrophages.

PMID- 1868487
TI  - Dietary restriction reduces the incidence of 3-methylcholanthrene-induced tumors
      in mice: close correlation with its potentiating effect on host T cell functions.
AB  - All mice treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC) suffered with tumor 114 days
      after treatment. However, 40% dietary restriction caused a great inhibition of
      tumor incidence. In order to understand the mechanisms by which dietary
      restriction decreased the occurrence of tumor in mice, we investigated the
      correlation between tumor incidence and host T cell immune responses. At 114 days
      after MC administration, the mice were sacrificed and their T cell immune
      responses were assessed. Flow cytometry studies demonstrated that dietary
      restriction caused a marked increase of the proportion of Thy 1.2+, L3T4+ T cells
      in MC-treated diet-restricted mice. Consistent with this result, T cell responses
      against concanavalin A and interleukin-2 were also potentiated in spleen cells
      obtained from MC-treated diet-restricted mice, while spleen cells obtained from
      MC-treated unrestricted mice showed decreased T cell responses because of their
      tumor burden. Such potentiation of T cell functions by dietary restriction was
      also observed at earlier stages of MC-induced tumorigenesis. During the course of
      carcinogenesis, spleen cells obtained from diet-restricted mice showed decreased
      natural killer activity in vivo. However, in vitro induction of cytotoxic T cells
      was markedly augmented in MC-treated diet-restricted mice compared with
      unrestricted mice. These results strongly suggest that the increase of host T
      cell immune responses might be one of the major causes for the reduction of tumor
      occurrence by dietary restriction.

PMID- 1868488
TI  - In situ activation of syngeneic tumour-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes: intra
      pinna immunization followed by restimulation in the peritoneal cavity.
AB  - Tumour-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are usually obtained after
      immunization in vivo and restimulation of immune cells in vitro. We here describe
      the generation of syngeneic tumour-specific CTL within no more than 9 days by
      priming and restimulation in vivo. This is achieved only if the correct sites are
      used both for primary immunization (ear pinna) and for restimulation (peritoneal
      cavity). The kinetics of immune T cell induction and of the secondary response in
      vivo will be reported. While a secondary CTL response could be generated in the
      peritoneal cavity, this was not possible in the spleen, no matter which routes of
      antigen restimulation were used. Upon transfer of immune spleen cells into the
      peritoneal cavity but not into the spleen, a secondary response could be
      generated upon in situ restimulation, indicating the importance of the correct
      microenvironment for this type of response. The peritoneal effector cells were
      true T cells and recognized a tumour-associated antigen in association with the
      Kd major histocompatibility (MHC class I) antigen. Finally the activated tumour
      specific peritoneal exudate cells were able to transfer protective immunity
      without exogenous interleukin-2 into normal syngeneic mice.

PMID- 1868489
TI  - Inhibition of spontaneous pulmonary metastases of Lewis lung carcinoma by oral
      treatment with Respivax and Broncho-Vaxom.
AB  - The antimetastatic activity of orally administered polybacterial vaccines,
      Broncho-Vaxom (BV) and Respivax (RV) was examined in C57BL/6 mice, bearing
      implants of Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL) in the footpad. The oral administration of
      BV or RV for 10 consecutive days before or after surgery caused significant
      reduction of the number and volume of lung metastases. In addition, the
      therapeutic potential of BV and RV was examined in combination with chemotherapy
      to determine if there is additive activity. In animals bearing pulmonary
      micrometastases, treatment with a combination of cyclophosphamide at 50-150 mg/kg
      with BV or RV was found to be more effective than each of these treatments alone.
      In immune function studies it was established that the oral administration of BV
      and RV induced an increase in the number of cells, recovered by broncho-alveolar
      lavage, and alveolar macrophages were dominant in these cell populations.
      Furthermore, oral treatment of mice with these vaccines rendered their alveolar
      macrophages tumoricidal for syngeneic metastatic 3LL cells in vitro. These
      results show that pulmonary macrophages induced by oral administration of BV and
      RV played a key role in the inhibition of metastasis in 3LL-bearing mice.

PMID- 1868490
TI  - Monocyte tumoricidal activity and tumor necrosis factor production in patients
      with malignant brain tumors.
AB  - Monocyte-mediated tumoricidal activity, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha)
      secretion and gene expression were examined in astrocytoma patients, patients
      with other types of brain tumors (primary or metastatic), and normal individuals.
      The spontaneous monocyte-mediated tumoricidal activity of either patient group
      against an astrocytoma cell line was significantly greater than normal. There was
      no difference between patient groups. When monocytes were stimulated with
      lipopolysaccharide in vitro, tumoricidal activity increased in all patient
      groups. Patient monocyte activity tested shortly (48 h) after surgery was not
      different from that before surgery. Both spontaneous and stimulated monocyte
      cytocidal activities were tumor-cell-restricted: melanoma and astrocytoma cells
      were equally susceptible but non-neoplastic glial cells were not affected.
      Examination of monocyte TNF alpha secretion and mRNA expression indicated that
      patient activity was comparable to or greater than normal. These results
      demonstrate that, despite steroid therapy, circulating monocytes in astrocytoma
      and other brain tumor patients retain intact functional activity.

PMID- 1868492
TI  - Localization of human sarcoma with radiolabeled monoclonal antibody--a follow-up
      report.
AB  - A group of 16 sarcoma patients with suspected advanced disease were studied with
      a radiolabeled anti-sarcoma monoclonal antibody (mAb 19-24) in an attempt to
      localize tumor deposits. All 16 patients received 125I-mAb 19-24 and then had
      external-probe analysis and imaging performed. Confirmation of tumor deposits was
      done at surgery or by autopsy. Tissues were studied in surgical patients when
      possible and analyzed for radioactivity, and tumor-to-blood ratios ranged from
      0.6 to 36.8. In conjunction with the patients previously studied, probe results
      had an overall sensitivity of 83.3% and an overall specificity of 100%;
      scintigraphic results showed an overall sensitivity of 78.9% and an overall
      specificity of 100%. Radiolabeled mAb 19-24 may be developed into a useful tool
      for clinical immunodetection of sarcoma deposits.

PMID- 1868491
TI  - Immunopathological features of human pulmonary tumors following low-dose
      interleukin-2.
AB  - We administered preoperative low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) to 10 patients
      undergoing thoracotomy for pulmonary tumors. The in vivo effect of IL-2 on tumor
      associated lymphocyte activity was assessed in the resected specimens by
      immunohistochemistry and compared with observations in 45 patients who did not
      receive IL-2. H & E evaluation revealed an increase in intra- and peritumoral
      lymphocyte infiltration in the IL-2-treated patients. Immunopathological
      evaluation with monoclonal antibodies revealed that this lymphocyte infiltration
      was predominantly CD5-positive T cells. The amount of intra- and peritumoral
      lymphocyte activity correlated with the dose of IL-2 administered (6000-90,000
      international units/kg every 8 h for 48 h. IL-2-treated patients showed increases
      in T-cell-associated activation markers (IL-2 alpha-receptor, transferrin
      receptor and HLA-DR) on peritumoral lymphocytes, but not on intratumoral
      lymphocytes. We previously reported that low-dose IL-2 increases the intrinsic
      natural killer cell cytotoxicity of intratumoral lymphocytes and suggest that
      this lymphocyte infiltration is further evidence that low-dose IL-2 can augment
      in vivo lymphocyte activity at the tumor site.

PMID- 1868494
TI  - Increased level of HLA-DR-expressing T lymphocytes in peripheral blood from
      patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Peripheral blood leukocytes from 14 patients with idiopathic dilated
      cardiomyopathy (IDC), 13 patients with ischemic congestive heart failure, and 12
      controls were characterized using different antibodies. The proportions of B
      lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and the different T lymphocyte subsets were
      estimated. No difference between the three groups could be found in the various T
      and B cells subpopulations. Using a two-color direct immunofluorescence
      technique, the occurrence of circulating T helper/inducer (Leu-3a) and T
      cytotoxic/suppressor cells (Leu-2a) expressing HLA-DR antigens was examined. Only
      IDC patients demonstrated increased levels of HLA-DR-positive T helper/inducer
      cells (2.8 +/- 2.4%) and T cytotoxic/suppressor cells (2.8 +/- 2.3%) as compared
      with patients with ischemic congestive heart failure (0.8 +/- 0.7 and 1.0 +/-
      1.0%, respectively) and controls (0.6 +/- 0.5 and 0.9 +/- 0.6%, respectively).
      When individual IDC patients were studied, 4 out of 12 patients had an increased
      level of HLA-DR-expressing T helper/inducer cells, and 7 out of 12 patients had
      elevated HLA-DR-positive T cytotoxic/suppressor cells. The findings suggest that
      activation of the T lymphocytes may be of importance in the pathogenesis of IDC.

PMID- 1868493
TI  - Treatment of chemically induced autochthonous rat mammary and colorectal
      carcinomas with interleukin-2.
AB  - The antineoplastic efficacy of human interleukin-2 (IL-2) in autochthonous
      methylnitrosourea-induced mammary carcinoma and in acetoxymethyl-methyl
      nitrosamine-induced colorectal carcinoma of Sprague Dawley rats has been
      investigated. Under the conditions applied, IL-2 was non-toxic. In the mammary
      carcinoma IL-2 was therapeutically inactive. In the colorectal carcinoma, 1200 U
      IL-2/day exhibited significant antitumour activity in established tumours as well
      as in tumours treated "prophylactically" before their manifestation (P less than
      0.05). The effect of IL-2 seemed to be more pronounced when given before
      manifestation of colorectal tumours (T/C = 8.7% vs 17.8% in established tumours).
      The differential sensitivity of the autochthonous mammary and colorectal
      carcinoma may be explained by differences in their proliferation rates and
      differences in volumes at the beginning of IL-2 therapy. IL-2 seems to be
      preferentially active in small tumours with a low proliferation rate, a feature
      typical of colon tumours.

PMID- 1868495
TI  - Spontaneous late recanalization of occluded saphenous vein coronary artery
      grafts.

PMID- 1868496
TI  - Hemodynamic changes during retrograde left-heart catheterization in patients with
      aortic stenosis.
AB  - Pulmonary artery pressures in patients with aortic stenosis have been related to
      postoperative prognosis and surgical risk. However, while right- and left-heart
      pressures should be measured simultaneously, a catheter lying across the stenotic
      aortic valve might alter left- and right-heart pressures. To assess this
      phenomenon, right- and left-heart pressures were recorded before and after
      retrograde crossing of the aortic valve in 51 patients (30 patients with and 21
      without aortic stenosis). In aortic stenosis, the mean pulmonary artery pressure
      increased (p less than 0.001) after transaortic valvular pressure catheter
      placement (average 4 mm Hg, peak 19 mm Hg); in the absence of aortic stenosis,
      the mean pulmonary artery pressure did not change (average 0 mm Hg; NS). A
      similar response was noted for the mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure.
      Hemodynamic changes did not correlate with the severity of aortic stenosis or
      with left ventricular performance. Right-heart pressures should be determined
      without transaortic valvular catheter in place, if accurate interpretation of the
      hemodynamic effects of aortic stenosis is to be achieved.

PMID- 1868497
TI  - Triglyceride and glucose intolerance as a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
AB  - The electrophoresis of plasma lipoproteins frequently showed midbands between
      beta- and pre-beta-lipoproteins in survivors of myocardial infarction. There were
      increases in intermediate-density-lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol and triglycerides
      with an increase in IDL cholesterol/triglycerides in the very-low-density
      lipoprotein fraction, even if the increase in cholesterol was not so significant.
      Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was also frequently found in these patients.
      Among the patients with an apparently normal glucose tolerance, the coronary
      atherosclerosis scores judged by the American Heart Association reporting system
      on coronary angiography increased as the total insulin area by 75 g oral glucose
      tolerance test increased. The correlation between the atherosclerosis score and
      the insulin area was still significant even after adjustment for body mass index
      and plasma triglyceride level. Our data suggest that hypertriglyceridemia, IGT,
      and hyperinsulinemia may become independent risk factors for atherosclerosis in
      addition to cholesterol. Another study showed that the morbidity of coronary
      heart disease increased with an elevation of plasma triglyceride levels among
      patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

PMID- 1868498
TI  - Hyperlipoproteinemia in chronic renal failure: pathophysiological and therapeutic
      aspects.
AB  - Dyslipidemia of chronic renal failure is of multifactorial origin. Decreased
      activity of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase, peripheral
      insulin resistance, hyperparathyroidism and L-carnitine deficiency are the
      contributing factors. This results in a disturbed catabolism of chylomicron,
      accumulation of very-low-density (VLDL) and intermediate-density (IDL)
      lipoproteins as well as incompletely cleared remnant particles, whereas low
      density lipoprotein (LDL) levels are diminished. There is current debate as to
      whether cardiovascular disease is accelerated and whether hyperlipidemia should
      specifically be treated. In addition, there have been few means of influencing
      these metabolic alterations. Drug incompatibility and consequently side effects
      render treatment difficult. The drugs that have been most tested for lipid
      lowering in chronic renal failure are the fibric acids. By their mode of action,
      they are the logical choice. Dose reduction overcomes major side effects such as
      myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. The second generation of fibric acid derivatives
      (gemfibrozil and beclobrate) show several advantages over formerly used
      derivatives. Treatment with lovastatin and simvastatin appears to be safe and is
      recommended in a minority of patients with predominantly elevations of LDL. HMG
      CoA reductase inhibitors also lower remnant particles effectively in hemodialysis
      (HD) patients. L-Carnitine and low-molecular-weight heparin have been shown to
      influence VLDL rich in triglycerides in a subset of patients on HD. In
      posttransplant hyperlipidemia, diet remains the first course of action in all
      patients. When this approach fails, the new lipid-lowering agents, especially
      fibric acids, appear to be safe in short-term studies in azathioprine- and
      ciclosporin-treated patients. Lovastatin has been shown to be safe in stable
      renal transplant patients. Its toxicity seems to depend mainly on high
      ciclosporin whole blood through or plasma levels.

PMID- 1868499
TI  - Drugs affecting triglycerides.
AB  - Nicotinic acid and clofibrate derivatives are the main triglyceride-metabolism
      affecting drugs. Nicotinic acid and its derivatives block adipose tissue
      lipolysis thus reducing the FFA flux of free fatty acids to the liver and the
      synthesis of very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). VLDL removal rate is also
      enhanced. Disturbing side effects (mostly flushing) limit the use of this
      compound. Clofibrate and its derivatives decrease the synthesis of VLDL and
      increase their catabolism. Lipoprotein lipase activity as well as VLDL fractional
      catabolic rate are increased by fibrates. Triglyceride synthesis is also reduced.

PMID- 1868500
TI  - Mechanisms of lipid-lowering agents.
AB  - Lipid-lowering agents are used with the purpose of ameliorating
      hyperlipoproteinemias, in order to prevent arterial disease. Lipid-lowering drugs
      can be classified into absorbable agents and into nonabsorbable compounds, acting
      within the gastrointestinal lumen. Absorbable drugs (fibric acids, nicotinic
      acid, probucol, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) reduce plasma very-low-density
      lipoproteins (VLDL) and/or low-density lipoproteins (LDL) by a variety of
      mechanisms. Fibric acids, in particular, act by stimulating the catabolism of
      VLDL and also, as a consequence, improving LDL delipidation, thus favoring
      receptor uptake. Nicotinic acid and acipimox interfere with the biosynthesis of
      LDL and can also improve the clearance of VLDL/LDL. Probucol acts by a newly
      described mechanism, i.e. accelerating reverse transport of cholesteryl esters
      from high-density lipoproteins to lower-density lipoproteins. Finally, HMG-CoA
      reductase inhibitors, interfering with the biosynthesis of cholesterol, can
      induce an increased expression of liver high-affinity lipoprotein receptors.
      Nonabsorbable agents (anion-exchange resins, neomycin, beta-sitosterol) interrupt
      the recirculation of bile acids and/or reduce the absorption of cholesterol with
      the gut. They display a selective activity on hypercholesterolemia, again by
      increasing LDL receptor expression. The choice of one or more lipid-lowering
      agents will depend upon the patient's phenotype, determining responsiveness to
      the pharmacological treatment.

PMID- 1868501
TI  - Drugs affecting HDL cholesterol.

PMID- 1868502
TI  - Comparative effects of long-term therapy with captopril and ibopamine in chronic
      congestive heart failure in old patients.
AB  - Little is known concerning the long-term drug management of chronic heart failure
      (CHF) in old patients (greater than or equal to 75 years). Accordingly, this
      double-blind, placebo-controlled trial compared the long-term (over 6 months)
      effect of captopril (37.5-75 mg/day) and of ibopamine (150-300 mg/day) on
      exercise testing, symptoms and subjective feeling of well-being, in 150 CHF
      elderly patients (mean age 75 years) under treatment with digitalis and/or
      diuretics. During an additional open follow-up of approximately 1.5 years, morbid
      events and deaths were also recorded. Captopril and ibopamine performed better (p
      less than 0.01) than placebo, improving the 6-min walking distance (captopril
      from 300 to 404 m, ibopamine from 282 to 385 m; placebo from 283 to 299 m). NYHA
      status, symptom score and patients' global assessment. The difference between the
      active study drugs was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05).
      Complicating events, including diuretic use, frequency of hospitalization,
      worsening of CHF and deaths, were grouped by patient-years. These events were
      significantly (p less than 0.01) lower (captopril: 28/75 patient-years; ibopamine
      33/74 patient-years) in the active treatment groups with respect to placebo
      (58/96 patient-years). Captopril and ibopamine showed a different safety profile.
      Creatinine increase (2 patients), symptomatic hypotension (4 patients),
      hyperkalemia (2 patients) and upper respiratory symptoms were mostly associated
      with captopril treatment. Gastrointestinal adverse events were observed in 11
      patients under ibopamine treatment. The study provides evidence of the clinical
      usefulness of both captopril or ibopamine in the long-term treatment of CHF in
      old patients. The safety profile of each drug will suggest the preferred
      therapeutic application.

PMID- 1868503
TI  - Seminars in thrombosis, thrombolysis, and vascular biology. Part 2: Coagulation
      and thrombosis.
AB  - The hemostatic mechanism is a critical component of a normally functioning
      circulatory system, preventing life-threatening hemorrhage and assisting in the
      maintenance of vascular integrity. For longer than half a century, however,
      nonphysiological intravascular coagulation and thrombosis have been recognized as
      playing central roles in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In order to
      provide a conceptual framework for the use of antithrombotic therapy, the
      pathogenetic mechanisms underlying thrombotic events must be clearly understood.
      The purpose of this review is to define these mechanisms, and discuss the use of
      anticoagulants in both the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

PMID- 1868504
TI  - Usefulness of M-mode echocardiography in the diagnosis of heart failure.
AB  - The utility of M-mode echocardiography in the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) was
      evaluated in a study of 70 patients with suspected HF (26 men and 44 women) and
      63 control persons (26 men and 37 women), all aged 45-74 years. The patients were
      classified according to the certainty of HF diagnosis using the Boston criteria:
      27 patients were defined as 'unlikely' to have HF, 19 as having 'possible' HF,
      and 24 as having 'definite' HF. In calculations of the sensitivities and
      specificities for echocardiographic variables in detecting 'definite' HF, the 95%
      confidence limits in the control group were used as cut-off point values.
      Sensitivities thus attained were 91% for mitral valve E point-septal separation
      (EPSS), 73% for left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS), and 64% for
      peak rate of increase of LV diameter (PLR), respectively, and the specificities
      were 73, 88, and 78%, respectively. When EPSS, FS and PLR were all normal, the
      likelihood of 'definite' HF was as low as 7%. We conclude that M-mode
      echocardiography is actually a useful method in the diagnostic evaluation of
      patients with suspected HF, and it is more reliable in excluding than confirming
      the presence of HF.

PMID- 1868505
TI  - Early hepatitis during intravenous amiodarone administration.
AB  - Two patients with acute changes suggesting acute hepatitis after parenteral
      amiodarone administration are described. No other explanation for liver damage
      was found in these patients. Normalization of liver function in spite of
      continuation of drug infusion was observed.

PMID- 1868506
TI  - Analysis of a selected group of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1868508
TI  - [Radioimmunoscintigraphy in experimental and clinical tumors].
AB  - Radioimmunoscintigraphy is a diagnostic method which uses labelled monoclonal
      antibodies for the visualization of tumourous foci. It is a nuclear medical
      method which is developing rapidly. The author mentions basic investigations on
      the bio-distribution of antibodies in animal models as well as review of
      contemporary clinical studies with the diagnostic use of commercial monoclonal
      antibodies.

PMID- 1868507
TI  - Sodium inhibits hormone release and stimulates calcium efflux from isolated nerve
      endings of the rat neurohypophysis.
AB  - 1. We studied the effects of extracellular sodium on the secretion of vasopressin
      (VP) and oxytocin (OT) and the efflux of 45Ca from isolated, perfused nerve
      endings of the rat neurohypophysis (neurosecretosomes). 2. Upon removal of sodium
      from the perfusing medium, basal release of VP and OT increased by 3.95 +/- 0.23-
      and 3.71 +/- 0.22-fold, respectively, followed by a decline to about double the
      levels in normal (150 mM) sodium (P less than or equal to 0.1). 3. Compared to
      neurosecretosomes perfused in normal (150 mM) sodium, omission of sodium from the
      medium augmented ionomycin-induced VP and OT secretion by 66 +/- 5- and 20 +/- 3
      fold, respectively, and A23187-induced secretion was increased 1.3 +/- 0.4- and
      1.3 +/- 0.1-fold (P less than or equal to 0.01 for both ionophores). 4. The
      inhibition of ionomycin-induced secretion by sodium was concentration dependent
      (P less than or equal to 0.01 for sodium greater than or equal to 5 mM); the IC50
      was about 10 mM sodium for both hormones, and the Hill slope was close to -1. 5.
      The rate of 45Ca efflux from neurosecretosomes showed 2.7 +/- 0.1-fold
      stimulation upon increasing sodium from 4.5 to 150 mM (P less than or equal to
      0.01). 6. Our results suggest that sodium inhibits basal and stimulated secretion
      at the nerve terminal, possibly by reducing intraterminal calcium through
      sodium/calcium exchange.

PMID- 1868509
TI  - [Are there common risk factors for the development of ischemic heart disease and
      colorectal carcinoma?].
AB  - The author evaluates accepted risks for the genesis and development of ischaemic
      heart disease in relation to their incidence in patients with confirmed
      colorectal adenoma. These risks were investigated in 194 patients with adenoma of
      the large intestine and their presence was compared with a group of 200 subjects
      not suffering from this disease. In the investigated group with colorectal
      adenoma an elevated blood pressure was recorded in 98 patients (50.5%),
      hypercholesterolaemia in 127 (65.5%), obesity in 113 (58.3%) and smoking in 104
      patients (53.6%). In the control group of 200 subjects a high blood pressure was
      recorded in 54 patients (27%), hypercholesterolaemia in 72 (36%), obesity in 70
      patients (35%) and smoking in 101 cases (50.5%). The results are discussed with
      regard to possible aimed secondary prevention, as the contemporary screening of
      colorectal cancer by means of occult haemorrhage tests is done only up to the age
      of 45 years. The risk of obesity, hypercholesterolaemia and high blood pressure
      is found in the group with colorectal adenoma significantly more frequently, as
      compared with the control group not suffering from oncological disease.

PMID- 1868510
TI  - [Psychiatric problems in the print media in the past].
AB  - The author analyzed reports on the mentally sick and psychiatry in our daily
      newspapers in 1909, 1928 and 1960. He analyzed the number, type, terminology and
      general character of the informations. In 1909 and 1928 he found a large number
      of references; their number and subjects were not very dependent on the type of
      paper nor on the year of publication. Roughly one quarter of the mentioned
      reports was information on the heteroaggressiveness of the mentally sick which
      naturally evoked negative attitudes of the public. Reports evoking positive
      attitudes, e.g. sympathy, were very rare. From the psychopathological aspect most
      frequently accounts on psychoses were found. In descriptions of the
      symptomatology the author did not detect any attempts of professional or
      pseudoprofessional accounts. In 1960 no data were found. We assume that at
      present when there is an increased interest in the press in psychiatric problems
      the historical retrospective may prove useful for the under standing of some
      unfavourable attitudes of the public to psychiatry as well as for possible
      reflections on improvement of the unsatisfactory attitude of the public to the
      discipline of psychiatry.

PMID- 1868511
TI  - [Phalloplethysmographic findings in homosexual pedophile offenders].
AB  - Using phalloplethysmographic tests comprising 20 coloured slides of four
      categories the authors examined 50 homosexual pedophil delinquents and a matched
      group of heterosexual men. The findings of the two compared groups differed
      significantly on exposure to three categories of erotic stimuli--adult
      heterosexual and homosexual objects and child homosexual objects. Only on
      projection of child heterosexual objects there were no statistically significant
      differences in the number and magnitude of positive vasomotor reactions recorded
      in the two groups. Men in the control group responded more frequently and more
      positively to adult heterosexual objects than homosexual pedophil delinquents.
      The latter responded more frequently positively to adult and child homosexual
      objects. In more than one quarter of the delinquents (13 men) a preference of
      child objects was found, i.e. a deviant pedophil orientation. In seven men the
      preference of child objects was without sexual differentiation, six men preferred
      homosexual child objects.

PMID- 1868512
TI  - [Prolipase in the treatment of dyspepsia in chronic liver diseases].
AB  - In 12 patients with chronic liver disease without detectable pancreatic
      insufficiency the authors tested in clinical trials the pancreatic enzyme
      preparation Prolipase (Cilag AG, Switzerland) in an attempt to influence the
      marked dyspeptic complaints of patients. They administered three times per day
      two capsules before meals for a period of three weeks. Half the patients
      evaluated the therapeutic effect as excellent, one quarter as very good, only one
      quarter did not observe a marked favourable effect on dyspepsia. Treatment was
      well tolerated and no undesirable side-effects were observed. Prolipase can thus
      be used in dyspepsias associated with chronic hepatic lesions.

PMID- 1868513
TI  - [Fractures of the mandibular condyle in Charles IV, a Czech king].

PMID- 1868514
TI  - [The healers Appolonia and Elizabeth in old Czech art].

PMID- 1868515
TI  - [Uniform health insurance--the current most advantageous form of health care
      financing for the population].

PMID- 1868516
TI  - [Knowledge of oncology and its importance in the physician's approach to
      neoplastic diseases].

PMID- 1868517
TI  - The efferent connections of the lateral septal nucleus in the guinea pig:
      projections to the diencephalon and brainstem.
AB  - The anterograde Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) tracing technique was
      used to determine the distribution of efferent fibers originating in the lateral
      septal nucleus of the guinea pig. For complementary detection of the chemical
      identity of the target neurons, double-labeling immunocytochemistry was performed
      with antibodies to PHA-L and to vasopressin, oxytocin, vasoactive intestinal
      polypeptide, serotonin or dopamine beta-hydroxylase, respectively. The
      hypothalamus received the majority of the PHA-L-stained septofugal fibers. Here,
      a specific topography was observed. (1) The medial and lateral preoptic area, (2)
      the anterior, lateral, dorsal, posterior hypothalamic and retrochiasmatic area,
      (3) the supraoptic, paraventricular, suprachiasmatic, dorsomedial, caudal
      ventromedial and arcuate nuclei, and (4) the tuberomammillary, medial and lateral
      supramammillary, dorsal and ventral premammillary nuclei always contained PHA-L
      labeled fibers. The rostral portion of the ventromedial nucleus and the medial
      and lateral mammillary nucleus only occasionally showed weak terminal labeling.
      In other diencephalic areas, termination of PHA-L-labeled fibers was observed in
      the epithalamus and the nuclei of the midline region of the thalamus. In the
      mesencephalon, terminal varicosities occurred in the ventral tegmental area,
      interfascicular and interpeduncular nucleus, and periaqueductal gray. In
      addition, the dorsal and medial raphe nuclei of the metencephalon, together with
      the locus coeruleus and the dorsal tegmental nucleus, received lateral septal
      efferents.

PMID- 1868518
TI  - The efferent connections of the lateral septal nucleus in the guinea pig:
      intrinsic connectivity of the septum and projections to other telencephalic
      areas.
AB  - The distribution of efferent fibers originating in the lateral septal nucleus was
      investigated in guinea pigs by means of anterograde tracing with Phaseolus
      vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L). Special emphasis was placed on the intraseptal
      fiber systems. The fibers originating from the different subnuclei of the lateral
      septal nucleus formed massive horizontal connections in the rostrocaudal axis.
      Projections to the contralateral, congruent subnuclei were also detected. In the
      medial septum/diagonal band of Broca complex the largest number of PHA-L-stained
      fibers was found after application of the tracer into the dorsal subnucleus of
      the lateral septal nucleus; the density of the efferent fibers decreased
      progressively after injection into the intermediate or ventral subnuclei. In all
      cases the diagonal band contained a much higher number of efferent fibers from
      the lateral septal nucleus than from the medial septal nucleus. In the medial
      septal nucleus, terminal labeling was generally sparse. Other telencephalic areas
      (organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, nucleus accumbens, bed nucleus of
      the stria terminalis, amygdala, hippocampal complex, and other cortical areas)
      contained varying numbers of labeled projections. In double-labeling experiments,
      a close spatial relationship between PHA-L-stained fibers and vasoactive
      intestinal polypeptide-immunoreactive perikarya was observed in several of these
      target areas.

PMID- 1868519
TI  - Muller glia endfeet, a basal lamina and the polarity of retinal layers form
      properly in vitro only in the presence of marginal pigmented epithelium.
AB  - Dissociated embryonic chicken retinal cells regenerate in rotary culture into
      cellular spheres that consist of subareas expressing all three nuclear layers in
      an inside-out sequence (rosetted vitroretinae). However, when pigmented cells
      from the eye margin (peripheral retinal pigment epithelium) are added to the
      system, the sequence of layers is identical with that of an in-situ retina
      (laminar vitroretinae). In order to elucidate further the lamina-stabilizing
      effect exerted by the retinal pigment epithelium, we have compared both systems,
      laying particular emphasis on the ultrastructure of the basal lamina and of
      Muller glia processes. Ultrastructurally, in both systems, an outer limiting
      membrane, inner segments of photoreceptors and the segregation of cell bodies
      into three cell layers develop properly. Synapses are detectable in a premature
      state, although only in the inner plexiform layer of laminar vitroretinae.
      Although present in both systems, radial processes of juvenile Muller glia cells
      are properly fixed at their endfeet only in laminar vitroretinae, since a basal
      lamina is only expressed here. Large amounts of laminin are detected
      immunohistochemically within the retinal pigment epithelium and along a basal
      stalk that reaches inside the laminar vitroretinae. We conclude that the
      peripheral retinal pigment epithelium is essential for the expression of a basal
      lamina in vitro. Moreover, the basal lamina may be responsible both for
      stabilizing the correct polarity of retinal layers and for the final
      differentiation of the Muller cells.

PMID- 1868520
TI  - The distribution of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and fibers
      throughout the chick brain (Gallus domesticus).
AB  - Nerve fibers and perikarya containing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH-like)
      immunoreactivity were investigated in the brain of the three-week-old chick.
      Gallus domesticus using the technique of immunocytochemistry. Six major groups of
      perikarya were found to include the olfactory bulb, olfactory tubercle/lobus
      parolfactorius, nucleus accumbens, septal preoptic hypothalamic region (three sub
      nuclei), lateral anterior thalamic nucleus and in and about the oculomotor
      complex. The immunostaining was unusual in the latter group, suggesting that the
      neurons may contain a GnRH-II like material. Immunoreactive fibers for GnRH were
      found throughout the entire brain extending from the olfactory bulbs to the
      caudal brainstem. Two anatomical areas, not emphasized in the past literature,
      which had distinct GnRH-like immunoreactivity, included the lateral anterior
      thalamic nucleus and the preoptic recess. The former included a group of GnRH
      perikarya that is also known to be a retino-recipient area while the latter
      contained neuronal terminals some of which appeared to be contacting the
      cerebrospinal fluid of the preoptic recess. An attempt was made to list all
      anatomical structures that contained or were juxta-positioned to sites that
      displayed immunoreactive perikarya and fibers including circumventricular organs.

PMID- 1868521
TI  - Ocular distribution of 70-kDa heat-shock protein in rats with normal and
      dystrophic retinas.
AB  - Stress proteins are thought to play an important role in cellular development and
      in survival mechanisms. We compared the immunolocalization of the 70-kDa stress
      protein (SP70) in the ocular tissue of the normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat with
      that in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat with retinal dystrophy. SP70 was
      present in the maturing ocular tissues of both rat strains. However, once retinal
      degeneration began in the RCS rat, the retinal pigment epithelium and
      photoreceptor cells showed increased immunostaining for SP70 over that observed
      in age-matched SD rats. In late stages of retinal degeneration, immunostaining
      for SP70 was considerably reduced in the RCS retina, whereas normal distribution
      of immunostaining for SP70 in the SD retina was preserved, albeit decreased,
      through postnatal day 180. The optic nerve, ciliary body, and corneal epithelium
      were also influenced by the dystrophic disease condition, although the pattern of
      changes in SP70 immunostaining differed for each tissue. These results suggest
      that the genetic defect in the RCS rat produces a state of metabolic stress in
      all ocular tissues as the degeneration progresses, but that the subsequent rise
      in ocular SP70 is insufficient to prevent progression of the disease.

PMID- 1868522
TI  - The distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor--immunoreactive neurons and
      nerve fibers in the brain of the snake, Natrix maura. Coexistence with arginine
      vasotocin and mesotocin.
AB  - The anatomical distribution of neurons and nerve fibers containing corticotropin
      releasing factor (CRF) has been studied in the brain of the snake, Natrix maura,
      by means of immunocytochemistry using an antiserum against rat CRF. To test the
      possible coexistence of CRF with the neurohypophysial peptides arginine vasotocin
      (AVT) and mesotocin (MST) adjacent sections were stained with antisera against
      the two latter peptides. CRF-immunoreactive (CRF-IR) neurons exist in the
      paraventricular nucleus (PVN). In some neurons of the PVN, coexistence of CRF
      with MST or of CRF with AVT has been shown. Numerous CRF-IR fibers run along the
      hypothalamo-hypophysial tract and end in the outer layer of the median eminence.
      In addition, some fibers reach the neural lobe of the hypophysis. CRF-IR
      perikarya have also been identified in the following locations: dorsal cortex,
      nucleus accumbens, amygdala, subfornical organ, lamina terminalis, nucleus of the
      paraventricular organ, nucleus of the oculomotor nerve, nucleus of the trigeminal
      nerve, and reticular formation. In addition to all these locations CRF-IR fibers
      were also observed in the lateral septum, supraoptic nucleus, habenula, lateral
      forebrain bundle, paraventricular organ, hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus, raphe
      and interpeduncular nuclei.

PMID- 1868523
TI  - Organoid reorganization of human tumors under in vitro conditions.
AB  - In the present study we describe a new method to cultivate human tumors, which
      allows organoid differentiation under in vitro conditions. Diverse tumors of
      different origin and various histopathology which had been heterotransplanted to
      athymic mice were dissociated into single cells and seeded at high cell density
      onto a membrane filter consisting of cellulose nitrate at the gas-medium
      interface. Within a few days, the tumor cells reorganized and differentiated into
      organoid structures which exhibited the typical histological characteristics of
      the original tissues. Due to the formation of organoid aggregates, which was also
      previously seen with normal fetal cells, this type of culture has been described
      as 'organoid culture'. In the case of adenocarcinomas of the lung and the colon
      including the rectum, glandular structures with central lumina, adjacent
      microvilli, and junctional complexes were formed. Numerous specific intercellular
      contacts such as desmosomes and tight junctions occurred as well as
      interdigitations of adjacent cell membranes. In a tumor of the rectum, a typical
      brush border differentiated at the surface of the reorganized tumor-tissue
      aggregate. Epidermoid carcinomas of the head and neck developed structures
      resembling the spinous layer of the epidermis, exhibiting numerous desmosomes and
      intracytoplasmic bundles of tonofilaments radiating into the desmosomes. Most
      tumors produced a fragmentary monolayered or multilayered basal lamina of similar
      morphological appearance as under in vivo conditions. These results illustrate
      the organoid reorganization and differentiation of human tumor cells under the
      experimentally rather simple conditions of the organoid culture systems and
      clearly demonstrate that this in vitro system comes close to the in vivo
      situation as far as certain differentiation phenomena are concerned.

PMID- 1868524
TI  - Cellular subsets of the milky spots in the human greater omentum.
AB  - The cellular composition of the human milky spots was investigated on surgically
      removed specimens of the greater omentum of three 8-month-old infants operated on
      for neuroblastoma. Monoclonal antibodies and immunohistochemical methods for
      recognition of macrophages. B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes and toluidine-blue
      staining for mast cells were used. The mean number of cells in one milky spot
      amounted to 570 +/- 33. This cell population was composed of 47.5% macrophages,
      29.1% B-lymphocytes, 11.7% T-lymphocytes and 6.1% mast cells. Since inflammation
      was absent in the material investigated, the numerical data found in the present
      paper could be regarded as representative cell levels of normal milky spots.

PMID- 1868525
TI  - Clinical factors affecting the immediate outcome of PTCA in patients with
      unstable angina and poor candidates for surgery.
AB  - Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) has been successfully
      applied in unstable angina to carefully selected patients. In this study, PTCA
      was performed in 277 consecutive patients suffering from unstable angina and for
      whom bypass surgery was not a valid alternative because either of inoperable
      conditions or of emergency, or because surgery was not the best option. All
      patients were admitted first to the intensive care unit where an attempt was made
      to control unstable angina under conventional medical therapy using at least iv
      nitroderivative, heparin, and calcium blockers. After a standardized preparation
      PTCA was performed either as an emergency procedure in medically refractory
      unstable angina (107 cases) or as an elective procedure in controlled situations
      after a 7 to 10 days symptom-free period. Three hundred fifty-three coronary
      vessels were attempted. Results of this group are compared with those of a
      control group made of 670 consecutive stable patients recruited during the same
      period, and clinical characteristics are envisaged as potential predictive
      factors. Unstable angina is undoubtedly associated with a higher overall
      complication rate, but the immediate outcome is strongly affected by the clinical
      context. As an example, respective success and mortality rates are: 93% and 0%
      when a full revascularization is attempted; 91% and 0% in elective procedures in
      patients under 60; 87% and 1.2% in elective PTCA for multiple vessel disease; 80%
      and 6.5% in emergency PTCA; 80% and 11% in the overall triple vessel disease; 84%
      and 16% in patients with deeply altered ejection fraction; and 58% and 26% in
      triple vessel disease with 2 previously occluded coronary arteries.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868526
TI  - Effects of rapid volume expansion on the right filling pressures after prosthetic
      valve surgery.
AB  - The effects of rapid intravascular volume expansion were studied in 12 patients,
      4 to 14 years after single prosthetic heart valve replacement. The data observed
      showed a statistically significant mean difference before and after volume
      expansion of right atrial mean pressure and right ventricular end diastolic and
      pulmonary capillary pressures. However, right atrial and pulmonary capillary
      pressures equilibration was not detected. The right atrial pressure form showed
      abnormal variations during inspiration. Dip and plateau right ventricular
      diastolic pressure configuration was recorded in 6 patients after expansion, was
      absent in 2 and questionable in 4. A deep Y descent with an M-shaped right atrial
      pressure form was recorded in all 12 patients. The explanation for these
      phenomena is unclear. Thus, in the absence of pressure equilibration and clinical
      evidence of constriction, the abnormalities recorded during rapid volume
      expansion should be cautiously interpreted.

PMID- 1868527
TI  - Fluoroscopic guidance in transseptal catheterization for percutaneous mitral
      balloon valvotomy.
AB  - A percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PMBV) was attempted on 190 patients with
      fluoroscopic guidance of atrial septal puncture for transseptal catheterization;
      in 3 cases, the procedure could not be performed. The left atrium was always
      reached on the first attempt, when the relationship of the Brockenbrough needle
      to the aortic catheter was previously observed in 3 fluoroscopic views:
      anteroposterior, 45 degrees right anterior oblique, and lateral. The atrial
      septal puncture site was located immediately below the aortic valve level,
      probably in the fossa ovalis, for the first 80 patients, and at mid distance
      between the aortic valve level and the diaphragm for the last 110. Hemodynamic
      data were similar in both groups. Fluoroscopic guidance for atrial septal
      puncture seemed capital for patients with scoliosis or in whom a vascular
      distortion (e.g., advanced pregnancy, right inferior vena cava absence) prevented
      a perfect parallelism between the needle curve and the needle outer index.

PMID- 1868528
TI  - Cardiac tamponade following coronary arterial rupture during coronary
      angioplasty.
AB  - We describe a patient in whom percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
      (PTCA) was complicated by rupture of the left anterior descending coronary artery
      (LAD) with pericardial tamponade. The outcome was favorable with drastic
      intervention which included: occlusion of the bleeding vessel with the PTCA
      balloon, pericardiocentesis, and ligation of the vessel without the need of
      aortocoronary bypass graft.

PMID- 1868529
TI  - Dislodgement of a vein graft thrombus by angiographic injection of native
      coronary artery.
AB  - A case of retrograde dislodgement of thrombus in a saphenous vein graft during
      injection of the native right coronary artery is presented. Attention to this
      previously undescribed complication may allow for timely treatment with emergency
      surgery or thrombolysis.

PMID- 1868530
TI  - Cor triatriatum dexter: recognition and percutaneous transluminal correction.
AB  - Cor triatriatum dexter is a rare congenital anomaly in which an obstructive
      membrane is located in the right atrium. The detection usually occurs after the
      sequelae of systemic congestion, coagulopathy, and hepatic dysfunction have set
      in, leading up to a high surgical risk. A percutaneous balloon correction of cor
      triatriatum dexter in a patient with advanced right-sided congestive symptoms and
      hepatic dysfunction is presented. This efficacious method is an alternative to
      surgical correction and could be extended to the more common cor triatriatum
      sinistra.

PMID- 1868531
TI  - Holmium laser angioplasty after failed coronary balloon dilation: use of a new
      solid-state, infrared laser system.
AB  - A new solid-state laser system was used in a case of saphenous vein graft
      occlusion untreatable by standard very low-profile balloon angioplasty. The 2100
      nm infrared pulsed thulium/holmium: YAG laser successfully recanalized an obtuse
      marginal bypass graft without complications. The holmium laser has several
      advantages over excimer systems and may prove an effective adjunct or alternative
      to coronary balloon angioplasty.

PMID- 1868532
TI  - Congenital atresia of left main coronary artery: proposed mechanism for severe
      disabling angina in a patient with non-atherosclerotic single right coronary
      artery--a case report.
AB  - A patient with progressive disabling angina was found to have a single right
      coronary artery with atresia of the left main coronary artery, and absence of any
      obstructive coronary disease. The patient required aortocoronary by-pass surgical
      reconstruction of a left main coronary artery to control her angina. Possible
      mechanisms for the development of her anginal pain are briefly discussed.

PMID- 1868533
TI  - Total occlusion of the circumflex artery with collateral supply from the conus
      artery.
AB  - The conus artery has long been recognized as an important source of collateral
      blood supply to a significantly diseased left anterior descending artery. This
      artery which arises 50% of the time from a separate orifice in the right sinus of
      Valsalva may also provide collateral circulation to a diseased right coronary
      artery. To date, there have been no reported instances of the conus artery
      supplying collateral flow to a totally occluded circumflex artery. In this report
      we describe such a case in a patient with severe three vessel disease. The
      implications of such a finding in patient management are also discussed.

PMID- 1868534
TI  - Unrecognized stenosis by angiography documented by intravascular ultrasound
      imaging.
AB  - This report documents how intravascular ultrasound imaging was used to diagnose a
      short "napkin-ring" stenosis that was missed by coronary angiography.
      Intravascular ultrasound revealed a lumen of 2.6 x 2.5 mm in diameter and 5.0 mm2
      in cross-sectional area, with a residual atheroma that occluded 63% of available
      cross-sectional area at the stenosis.

PMID- 1868535
TI  - Anomalous origin of the sinus nodal artery from left main artery.

PMID- 1868536
TI  - Angioplasty of an oversized venous bypass graft using two fixed wire systems.
AB  - Oversized saphenous vein bypass grafts may be inadequately dilated using
      currently available coronary angioplasty catheters. The hugging balloon technique
      has been previously described for lesions in large saphenous vein grafts. We
      report the initial use of the hugging balloon technique using two fixed wire
      angioplasty catheters in an oversized saphenous vein graft.

PMID- 1868537
TI  - Long-term patency of arterialized cephalic vein used as a conduit for coronary
      artery bypass grafting.

PMID- 1868538
TI  - Interpretation of cardiac pathophysiology from pressure waveform analysis: the
      left-sided V wave.
AB  - The left-sided V wave is dependent on both left atrial and ventricular
      pressure/volume filling relationship. The cardiac rhythm and timing of atrial
      systole also influences the V wave. The morphology of the V wave can reflect the
      severity of mitral regurgitation with stenosis, but valve areas in this setting
      may be better assessed by a pressure half-time method. Finally, as queried in our
      first patient example, V wave alternans is a reflection of left ventricular
      pressure alternans in a failing heart. Other signs of poor left ventricular
      function in Figure 1 also included an elevated minimal diastolic pressure and
      markedly elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressure. Hemodynamic findings
      of poor left ventricular function will be addressed in detail in a later
      "Rounds."

PMID- 1868539
TI  - Evaluation of a theoretical Doppler index to noninvasively estimate peak dP/dt
      using continuous wave Doppler ultrasound of ascending aortic flow in man.
AB  - A theoretical formula for calculation of peak dP/dt was derived using parameters
      obtained from continuous wave Doppler echocardiography signals of aortic blood
      flow. The direct proportional relationship between the main variables of this
      formula and invasively measured peak dP/dt was validated in 20 patients
      undergoing routine diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Doppler signals of aortic
      flow were obtained simultaneously to invasive pressure recordings with a 2 MHz
      continuous wave transducer via the suprasternal echocardiographic window. The
      Doppler signals were recorded on magnetic tape and measurements were made with
      digital calipers by two independent, blinded observers. The following parameters
      were measured: peak velocity (V) and time from onset of ejection to peak velocity
      (T). V2/T, the variable of the derived formula, was calculated for each of the
      observer's measured parameters and showed a very high interobserver correlation.
      The two observers' measurements of each parameter were averaged for each patient
      and the resulting mean was used in calculating the V2/T and mean acceleration. 4.
      A good correlation of V2/T with invasively measured peak dP/dt was obtained. Our
      derived index of left ventricular function showed a higher correlation with peak
      dP/dt compared to other Doppler indices of ventricular function. V2/T may provide
      a noninvasive method for estimating peak dP/dt.

PMID- 1868540
TI  - Double balloon mitral valvuloplasty via a single transseptal puncture.

PMID- 1868541
TI  - Coronary angioplasty of septal perforator arteries.

PMID- 1868542
TI  - Anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery.

PMID- 1868543
TI  - Transcriptional control--lessons from an E. coli promoter data base.

PMID- 1868544
TI  - Correction: an inhibitory domain of E12 transcription factor prevents DNA binding
      in E12 homodimers but not in E12 heterodimers.

PMID- 1868545
TI  - Correction: the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, FK506-binding protein, is not
      identical to protein kinase C inhibitor 2.

PMID- 1868546
TI  - Centromere-dependent binding of yeast minichromosomes to microtubules in vitro.
AB  - We present an in vitro assay for yeast centromere function; isolated yeast
      minichromosomes require a functional centromere to bind to bovine microtubules
      and sediment with them. Centromere-bovine microtubule complexes form at
      physiological microtubule concentrations. Two of the three centromere DNA
      elements, which are necessary for centromere function in vivo, are also necessary
      for centromeres to bind microtubules in vitro. However, purified centromere DNA
      alone does not bind to microtubules. These results suggest that microtubule
      binding must be mediated by the two centromere DNA elements and factors that
      associate with one or both of them. The percent of centromeres with microtubule
      binding activity is 7- to 10-fold higher in lysates made from nocodazole-arrested
      G2-M cells than from alpha factor G1 cells, suggesting that this centromere
      activity is regulated during the cell cycle. The potential of this assay for
      dissecting centromere assembly, function, and regulation is discussed.

PMID- 1868547
TI  - Evidence for a functional link between profilin and CAP in the yeast S.
      cerevisiae.
AB  - CAP is a component of the S. cerevisiae adenylyl cyclase complex. The N-terminal
      domain is required for cellular RAS responsiveness. Loss of the C-terminal domain
      is associated with morphological and nutritional defects. Here we report that cap
      cells bud randomly and are defective in actin distribution. The morphological
      and nutritional defects associated with loss of the CAP C-terminal domain are
      suppressed by over-expression of PFY, the gene encoding profilin, an actin- and
      polyphosphoinositide-binding protein. The phenotype of cells lacking PFY
      resembles that of cells lacking the CAP C-terminal domain. Study of mutated yeast
      profilins and profilins from Acanthamoeba suggests that the ability of profilin
      to suppress cap- cells is dependent upon a property other than, or in addition
      to, its ability to bind actin. This property may be its ability to bind
      polyphosphoinositides. We propose that CAP and profilin provide a link between
      growth signals and remodeling of the cellular cytoskeleton.

PMID- 1868548
TI  - Kinetics and efficacy of positive selection in the thymus of normal and T cell
      receptor transgenic mice.
AB  - DNA-labeling studies in alpha beta T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice show
      that the lifespan of immature CD4+8+ thymocytes is 3.5 days irrespective of
      whether they are selected for maturation or not. While nonselected cells die, the
      binding of the TCR to thymic major histocompatibility complex molecules rescues
      CD4+8+ cells from programmed cell death and induces first upregulation of the TCR
      level and then differentiation into CD4+8- or CD4-8+ cells in the absence of any
      cell division. When most CD4+8+ thymocytes express a selectable transgenic TCR
      the formation of mature cells with high TCR levels is 10-20 times as efficient as
      observed in normal mice, yet still only 20% of the CD4+8+ cells become mature.
      This is due to the limited availability of selecting 'niches': most CD4+8+
      thymocytes with a selectable transgenic TCR will undergo maturation when they
      represent only 5% or less of all CD4+8+ cells.

PMID- 1868549
TI  - A novel endopeptidase from Xenopus that recognizes alpha-helical secondary
      structure.
AB  - The magainin peptides of Xenopus laevis are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents.
      Upon discharge from the skin glands, these basic, amphipathic peptides are each
      further processed at a single Xaa-Lys bond into half-peptides by a cosecreted
      protease. We describe the characterization and purification to homogeneity of
      this endopeptidase from Xenopus skin. The enzyme is a metalloprotease 110 kd in
      size. Analyses of substrate specificity revealed that the endopeptidase
      recognizes peptides that share the ability to adopt an amphipathic, alpha-helical
      motif composed of at least 12 residues, with one face strongly hydrophobic.
      Cleavage occurs on the amino side of a specific lysine that must be precisely
      positioned relative to the hydrophobic face of the alpha helix. This enzyme,
      which we propose to call "magaininase," represents a novel class of
      endopeptidases that hydrolyzes peptides on the basis of specific secondary
      structure rather than primary amino acid sequence.

PMID- 1868550
TI  - Drug delivery to the brain using polymers.
AB  - The delivery of drugs to the brain has been a major challenge to the scientist
      developing drugs designed for central nervous system (CNS) activity. One of the
      obstacles to the progress is the transport of drug through the blood brain
      barrier (BBB). The criteria for effective drug delivery to the CNS include the
      following: (a) the drug must have access to the brain, (b) the effect of the drug
      should be localized, (c) the drug must be stable, and (d) the effective dose
      should be sustained and controlled. To meet some of the above criteria, two
      approaches have been used: systemic administration of drugs, and direct delivery
      of drugs into the brain. The systemic administration of drugs relies on passive
      diffusion of drug through the BBB, formation of lipid soluble prodrugs and the
      use of monoclonal antibodies for targeting the drug to the CNS. The other
      approach includes the use of implantable polymer systems and infusion pumps. Both
      of the approaches have some advantages and disadvantages. Because of the enormous
      amount of literature on drug delivery to the brain, the following review focuses
      on the use of polymer-based implantable systems. The review includes
      nondegradable and biodegradable polymer implants from the conceptual phase to the
      clinic.

PMID- 1868551
TI  - Chemoembolism in cancer chemotherapy.

PMID- 1868553
TI  - Arthroscopy update.

PMID- 1868552
TI  - Microencapsulation of drugs by pan and air suspension techniques.
AB  - This review examines recent advances in the commercial production of
      microencapsulated drug products. Factors influencing drug selection are
      considered with particular reference to the design of controlled drug delivery
      systems. The formulation of both aqueous and nonaqueous coating materials is
      discussed with examples of common problems encountered in applied coatings and
      ways to overcome same. Methods of core production are considered with emphasis on
      spheronization procedures. Pan and air suspension techniques, together with
      modification thereof, are discussed. Certain newer in vitro procedures such as
      scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analysis or topographical
      plots of dissolution data for complex microencapsulated systems are presented.
      Finally aspects of the stability and in vivo testing of microencapsulated
      products are considered in the context of requirements for regulatory approval.

PMID- 1868554
TI  - A technique for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament repair.
AB  - Treatment options for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears include
      rehabilitation therapy, derotation therapy, and surgical repair or
      reconstruction. This article presents an arthroscopic technique for reattaching
      the ACL that offers some advantages over other procedures. Advantages include
      avoiding exposure of the knee joint, improved cosmetic results, and reduced
      recuperation time.

PMID- 1868555
TI  - Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autografts.
AB  - Arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstruction has undergone rapid development in
      recent years. Although achievement of stability has been well-documented in open
      ACL reconstructive procedures, improved results may be obtained by reducing
      operative morbidity. Arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstruction appears to
      offer significantly diminished morbidity and thus offers more predictable
      rehabilitation, at least initially, after surgery. Improvements in
      instrumentation continue to refine the precision of this technique. Proper graft
      selection is an important issue that is paramount to the evolution of ligament
      reconstruction surgery. Although the central third patellar tendon is presently
      the operation by which all new techniques must be compared, the use of
      nonautogenous grafts may complement arthroscopic reconstruction by allowing
      further reduction in surgical morbidity. In this article we have expanded on some
      of the advantages of arthroscopic ACL reconstruction, given an overview of
      arthroscopic techniques, and described the techniques we prefer.

PMID- 1868556
TI  - Allograft reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.
AB  - This article reviews the scientific basis for the use of allografts in
      reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. The possibility and
      incidence of postsurgical rejection and disease transmission with allograft usage
      are discussed. The operative technique of the author and the rationale for his
      postoperative rehabilitation protocol is explained.

PMID- 1868557
TI  - Posterior cruciate ligament injuries.
AB  - PCL reconstruction is not often necessary. Arthroscopic techniques using
      autograft or allograft substitution for the PCL probably bear more physiologic
      and anatomic likeness to the normal ligament than to tissue transfers
      posteriorly. The arthroscopic procedure is exacting and technically demanding. It
      is advisable to supplement the PCL reconstruction with an appropriate
      capsulorrhaphy when the posterior capsule, arcuate complex, or oblique popliteal
      ligament are also injured. In combined cruciate injuries, PCL reconstruction is
      notably easier when staged before reconstruction of the ACL.

PMID- 1868558
TI  - Meniscal repair.
AB  - Over the past several decades, scientific evidence has mounted to substantiate
      the vital role of the meniscus in the function of the knee. Total meniscectomy is
      rarely indicated and the pendulum of orthopedic popular opinion has swung toward
      new ways to preserve the injured meniscus. This article reviews the anatomy,
      blood supply, and function of the meniscus and also discusses the supporting
      scientific evidence, decision-making processes, and techniques for meniscal
      repair.

PMID- 1868560
TI  - Osteochondritis dissecans.
AB  - Osteochondritis dissecans is a rare orthopaedic disorder of unknown etiology.
      Advances in CT and MRI scanning have increased our knowledge of the disorder, but
      arthroscopy remains the principle means of monitoring its progress. Arthroscopic
      surgery has displaced traditional arthrotomy in many instances and is useful in
      retrieval of loose bodies, drilling of osteochondral fragments, retrograde bone
      grafting, and abrasion arthroplasty. Arthrotomy continues to be the best method
      of pinning and bone grafting of detached lesions. Advances in transplant surgery
      now permit large craters to be patched with osteochondral allografts.

PMID- 1868559
TI  - Patellofemoral pain. An arthroscopic perspective.
AB  - Patellofemoral pain should be approached as thoroughly as any other
      musculoskeletal disease. A careful patient history and physical examination are
      mandatory. These are followed by appropriate imaging studies such as radiographs,
      bone scans, CT scans, CT arthrograms, and MRI, as each individual case demands.
      Finally, arthroscopy is employed in its proper sequence. This article has been
      developed as an attempt to define a classification scheme of anterior knee pain
      and then to narrow this down to pain localized to the patellofemoral joint. The
      authors have attempted to isolate further the clinical entities to those that can
      be diagnosed and treated arthroscopically. Arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery
      allow recognition and treatment of these disorders with minimal invasiveness and
      patient morbidity.

PMID- 1868561
TI  - Rotator cuff lesions. Acute and chronic.
AB  - The complex anatomy of the shoulder often impedes the orthopedic surgeon's
      evaluation and understanding of injuries to the shoulder joint, particularly the
      rotator cuff muscle-tendon complex. Arthroscopy, MRI, and digital data analysis
      are several techniques now at the surgeon's disposal. This article reviews the
      application of these techniques in the evaluation of rotator cuff injuries.

PMID- 1868562
TI  - Weight lifting. Risks and injuries to the shoulder.
AB  - The weight lifter's desire to achieve higher limits of performance coupled with
      the rotator cuff's unfavorable position during lifting often leads to shoulder
      injury. Proper lifting techniques and training habits could reduce the risk of
      injury. When chronic symptoms occur, however, arthroscopy can help diagnose the
      injury, and arthroscopic procedures for injuries such as rotator cuff chronic
      tendinitis and incomplete tears, and biceps tenosynovitis can be performed.

PMID- 1868563
TI  - The prone position for elbow arthroscopy.
AB  - Using the prone position for diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy improves
      intraoperative stability of the arm and allows the surgeon to approach the joint
      in a more intuitive manner. With this position, indications for elbow arthroscopy
      are increased and risks to neurovascular structures are reduced. Access to the
      posterior chamber is facilitated when the patient is in a prone position. This
      article describes both this arthroscopic technique and portal anatomy.

PMID- 1868564
TI  - Arthroscopic treatment of Panner's disease.
AB  - Panner's disease, or osteochondrosis of the capitellum, may actually be a
      continuum of disorders. In the past, such lesions were treated conservatively
      with surgery as a final option. With the advent of arthroscopy, a diagnosis can
      be made, and treatment with limited invasiveness instituted. This article reviews
      the diagnostic and therapeutic advantages of arthroscopic techniques in the
      treatment of Panner's disease.

PMID- 1868565
TI  - Lesions of the posterior compartment of the elbow.
AB  - This article examines the diagnosis and treatment of lesions of the posterior
      compartment of the elbow, along with the anatomy and biomechanics of the elbow of
      the throwing athlete. An indepth evaluation of specific lesions and a detailed
      description of elbow arthroscopy are also presented.

PMID- 1868566
TI  - Chronic and recurrent ankle sprains.
AB  - Persistent symptoms such as pain, swelling, or giving way after lateral ligament
      injuries of the ankle are not uncommon. The treating orthopedist must first
      decide whether the symptoms are related to the ankle instability. Intra-articular
      or extra-articular injury may occur concomitantly with either a stable or
      unstable ankle, and careful diagnostic evaluation must be undertaken. Arthroscopy
      of the unstable ankle in which there is significant pain without demonstrable
      intra-articular injury by bone scans, CT scans, and MRI studies is indicated, as
      intra-articular lesions do occur that may result in chronic pain after the ankle
      has been rendered stable. An arthroscopic lateral ankle capsulodesis procedure
      has been described with promising early results. Arthroscopic management of an
      intra-articular pathologic condition in the stable ankle involves removal or
      excision of offending bone and/or soft tissue. Patients' symptoms can be improved
      significantly by these approaches, after which there can be a return to a more
      normal level of function.

PMID- 1868567
TI  - Meniscoid lesions of the ankle.
AB  - The frequent use of arthroscopy has increased the orthopedic community's
      awareness of meniscoid lesions of the ankle and its ability to treat these
      lesions. This article defines the pathologic lesion and reviews the literature
      and case reports.

PMID- 1868568
TI  - Arthroscopic management of transchondral talar-dome fractures (osteochondritis
      dissecans) and anterior impingement lesions of the ankle joint.
AB  - Transchondral talar-dome fractures can be disabling conditions requiring surgical
      management. Arthroscopic surgery of the ankle offers a means of correcting these
      problems with low morbidity. A technique for performing this surgery utilizing a
      new noninvasive distraction device is reviewed in this article.

PMID- 1868569
TI  - Plasmid functions involved in the stable propagation of the pKD1 circular plasmid
      in Kluyveromyces lactis.
AB  - Plasmid factors involved in the stable propagation of pKD1-derived vectors in
      Kluyveromyces lactis transformants have been identified. Three genes (A, B and C)
      have been found to be present in pKD1: the interruption of the B and C genes led
      to high plasmid instability. Stability could be restored in trans when host cells
      contained pKD1 as the resident plasmid (pKD1+ strains). The A gene, which codes
      for a site-specific recombinase, did not affect plasmid partitioning. Vectors
      bearing only the pKD1 replication origin (or a chromosomal ARS), and no other
      pKD1 sequence, were very unstable both in the presence and absence of the
      resident plasmid in host cells. These vectors could be stabilized in pKD1+
      strains, but not in pKD1 degree strains, by the insertion of a 200 bp-long pKD1
      sequence. This sequence, called the cis-acting stability locus (CSL), together
      with the products of the B and C genes, ensured plasmid partitioning at cell
      division. Possible hairpin structures and direct repeats were regularly spaced
      within the CSL. This region, and the corresponding cis-acting stabilizing
      elements of other yeast plasmids, did not have sequence homology but shared some
      structural regularities.

PMID- 1868570
TI  - Mitochondrial genome of Saccharomyces douglasii: genes coding for components of
      the protein synthetic apparatus.
AB  - Mitochondrial genes coding for some components of the protein synthetic apparatus
      in S. douglasii have been studies in detail. A region containing stretches of
      high homology to the S. cerevisiae tRNA synthesis locus (TSL) and the tRNA(fmet)
      gene has been identified and sequenced. The organization of this region was very
      similar to that present in S. cerevisiae, including the presence of a possible
      transcription starting signal. The S. douglasii TSL gene is shorter due to
      several deletions which, however, do not involve the regions coding for RNA
      domains know to be required for the catalytic activity of mitochondrial RNAse P.
      The S. douglasii LSU rRNA gene has been shown to contain a typical group I intron
      highly homologous to its S. cerevisiae counterpart, except for the absence of the
      open reading frame which in S. cerevisiae codes for I-SceI endonuclease.

PMID- 1868571
TI  - The Chlorella H+/hexose cotransporter gene.
AB  - The complete genomic sequence of the inducible Chlorella kessleri H+/hexose
      cotransporter (HUP1) has been obtained from two overlapping clones isolated from
      a lambda gt10 library. The HUP1 gene is interrupted by 14 introns with the first
      intron being located in the 5'-untranslated part of the gene. The average intron
      length is 220 bp, yielding a very regular intron/exon pattern in the gene. The
      codon usage in this gene is strongly biased with a clear preference for C and a
      strong suppression of A. A consensus sequence for a putative algal
      polyadenylation sequence is shown and compared with other algal cDNA sequences.

PMID- 1868572
TI  - Chromosome rearrangements in improved cephalosporin C-producing strains of
      Acremonium chrysogenum.
AB  - A number of A. chrysogenum strains from a lineage improved in cephalosporin C
      production were analysed by contoured-clamped homogeneous electric field gel
      electrophoresis (CHEF). Although antibiotic titre was increased across the
      lineage, chromosome rearrangements were only observed at two points in it. In one
      member of the lineage the chromosomal changes included those which altered the
      size of the chromosome on which the isopenicillin N synthetase gene (pcbC) was
      located. It is proposed that chromosome changes are a chance event in an
      industrial strain improvement programme.

PMID- 1868573
TI  - Interactions between chromosomal omnipotent suppressors and extrachromosomal
      effectors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Chromosomal omnipotent suppressor mutations recovered in psi+ strains of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae were brought into psi- cytoplasm. SUP46, SUP138 and
      SUP139 acted as dominant omnipotent suppressors in the psi- cytoplasm though
      their suppressor activity was substantially reduced. SUP46 and SUP138 conferred
      recessive thermosensitivity and antibiotic sensitivity in psi- cytoplasm as in
      psi+ cytoplasm. On the other hand, sup111 through sup115, which acted as
      recessive omnipotent suppressors in the psi+ cytoplasm, manifested no, or very
      low, suppressor activity in the psi- cytoplasm. They, however, still enhanced the
      efficiency of the SUP29 tRNA suppressor in psi- cytoplasm. A multicopy plasmid
      carrying the wild-type SUP35 gene enhanced the efficiency of sup111 in psi-
      cytoplasm.

PMID- 1868574
TI  - Thiamine in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: dephosphorylation, intracellular pool,
      biosynthesis and transport.
AB  - We have investigated the thiamine metabolism in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and
      shown that: (1) Thiamine-repressible acid phosphate, coded for by the gene pho4,
      dephosphorylates thiamine phosphates indicating that the enzyme acts as a
      thiamine phosphate phosphatase. (2) In vivo synthesized thiamine is present
      intracellularly mainly as thiamine diphosphate. Starving cells for glucose
      decreases the intracellular thiamine pool. (3) The genes thi2, thi3 and thi4
      control thiamine biosynthesis and probably code for thiamine biosynthetic
      enzymes. Thi3, which is involved in the synthesis of the pyrimidine moiety of the
      thiamine molecule, is allelic to the thiamine repressible gene nmt1. (4) Thiamine
      uptake is a thiamine regulated process, probably occurs by active transport and
      is controlled by the gene ptr1.

PMID- 1868576
TI  - Genetic analysis of Aspergillus niger mutants defective in benzoate-4-hydroxylase
      function.
AB  - This study was prompted by the observation that an Aspergillus niger transformant
      with a multicopy bphA (benzoate-4-hydroxylase gene) insert did not grow on
      benzoate, whereas a transformant with only one extra copy could grow. Therefore,
      an extensive survey has been made for other genes involved in the conversion of
      benzoate into 4-hydroxy-benzoate. A transformant with two copies of the bphA gene
      was used in part of the mutation experiments in order to avoid the isolation of
      many bphA mutants. Filtration enrichment was used to isolate mutants defective in
      the conversion of benzoate. The Bph mutants that have been isolated belong to six
      complementation groups. Mutants with a defected structural gene (bphA) were again
      predominantly found but, in addition, five other groups of mutants that could not
      grow on benzoate were isolated. Genetic analysis of the mutants showed that the
      six genes were localized in different parts of the genome. This was used as an
      additional proof that some mutants involved different genes. Diploids with seven
      copies of the bphA gene and heterozygous for one of the other bph genes were
      constructed. No indication has been obtained that any one of the mutant classes
      is responsible for the growth-limiting factor in bphA multicopy transformants.
      This study shows that the p-hydroxylation of benzoate is very complex, although
      the metabolic pathway is straight forward.

PMID- 1868575
TI  - Sequence analysis of the ARG7 gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe coding for
      argininosuccinate lyase. Expression of the gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The complete nucleotide sequence of the ARG7 gene, coding for argininosuccinate
      lyase (EC 4.3.2.1), in the fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) has been
      determined. It consists of an open reading frame of 461 codons. The deduced
      protein has a molecular weight of 51,200 Da. The gene is devoid of introns which
      is confirmed by the fact that it is expressed in Escherichia coli after
      spontaneous insertion of a bacterial sequence probably bearing a prokaryotic
      promoter. A perfect "TATA" box is found at -72 and the major transcription
      initiation site in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is located at -11 as shown by primer
      extension experiments. Comparison of the S. pombe lyase with related proteins
      from other organisms reveals an important degree of conservation except in the
      carboxyterminal part of the polypeptide. Additionally, a deletion removing 66
      amino acids of the carboxy terminus yields an enzyme exhibiting some biological
      activity. A unique 1,500 b transcript was found in S. cerevisiae when the intact
      gene was present, but the deleted version of the gene gave rise to at least three
      transcripts of 1,800, 2,800 and 3,900 b.

PMID- 1868577
TI  - Characterization of a cDNA encoding a PSII-associated chlorophyll a/b-binding
      protein (CAB) from Chlamydomonas moewusii fitting into neither type I nor type
      II.
AB  - A full-length 1010-bp cDNA clone from Chlamydomonas moewusii coding for the
      precursor of a chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB) was characterized. Northern
      analysis shows hybridization to a single 1150-base light-stimulated mRNA.
      Complementary hybrid-selected mRNAs were translated in vitro; SDS-PAGE indicates
      the synthesis of three polypeptides of 25, 27 and 28 kDa. Comparison of the
      deduced polypeptide sequence with other published CABs reveals greater similarity
      with PSII-associated proteins but, as with other algal CABs, our sequence does
      not meet established criteria for inclusion into either type I or type II, so
      branching of CABs into two types seems to have occurred after the divergence
      between algae and land plants.

PMID- 1868579
TI  - Mismatch-stimulated plasmid integration in yeast.
AB  - A single base pair mismatch (G:T or A:C) in the CYC1 gene of the integrative
      plasmid pAB218 stimulates up to a five-fold integration into the yeast
      chromosome. Analysis of chromosomal sites of plasmid integration suggests that
      the mismatch-stimulated integration is not targeted as would be expected if
      crossovers, localised in the region of the mismatch, were a necessary step in
      mismatch repair. Instead, the observed mismatch-stimulated plasmid integration
      could be due to potentially recombinogenic structures formed during mismatch
      repair, such as single-stranded gaps or denatured DNA regions extending around
      the plasmid molecule.

PMID- 1868578
TI  - Unusual organization of a ribosomal protein operon in the plastid genome of
      Cryptomonas phi: evolutionary considerations.
AB  - The region of the plastid genome containing the genes for ribosomal proteins S12
      and S7 and the elongation factor Tu (corresponding to three of the four str
      operon genes of Escherichia coli) was investigated in the unicellular marine alga
      Cryptomonas. Sequence analysis shows the gene organization to be rps12-60 bp
      spacer-rps7-68 bp spacer-tufA. No introns are present in any of the genes.
      Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence of these genes with homologues
      from other organisms show rps12 to be very highly conserved, except at the amino
      terminus, and rps7 and tufA to be less well-conserved. Transcript analysis
      suggests that these genes are co-transcribed along with several up and/or down
      stream genes. The evolutionary significance of this unique gene organization is
      discussed.

PMID- 1868580
TI  - Trends in gonorrhea in Canada: 1980-1989.

PMID- 1868581
TI  - Outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with drinking well water--British
      Columbia.

PMID- 1868582
TI  - Food and waterborne viral outbreaks in Canada and the United States.

PMID- 1868583
TI  - [Activity of the community general practice physician].
AB  - The author investigated the primary therapeutic and preventive care of the
      population provided by the health community doctor, focused on subjects above 60
      years of age. A time study of the basic activities during the patient's visit in
      the surgery of the health community doctor was made. It was found that most care
      is provided by the health community doctor to subjects under 44 years and those
      aged 60-74 years. Most time is needed for care of women of advanced age.

PMID- 1868584
TI  - [The character of Dr.Vilem Hons. Facts and thoughts on the occasion of a 100 year
      anniversary].
AB  - In the history of the Medical Faculty of the Comenius University in Bratislava
      there are two personalities with great merits as regards the foundation and
      development of the Physiology department, both pupils of professor Mares--prof.
      MUDr. A. Hanak and prof. MUDr. V. Hons. Professor Hons to whom this article is
      devoted worked in Bratislava from 1930 to 1939. He influenced in an important way
      the development of the Institute of Physiology in the second decade of its
      existence and made significant advances in the field of teaching and research. As
      dean of the medical faculty in 1936-37 and assistant dean in 1937-38 he helped
      the Faculty to resolve some complicated problems; he opposed the pressure of the
      undemocratic forces and established and reinforced his relations with students in
      particular their most important organization--The Society of Czechoslovak Medical
      Students.

PMID- 1868585
TI  - [Long-term evaluation of the relation of demographic and health indicators to
      drug utilization].
AB  - Indicators of demographic and medical statistics display different relationships
      at the level of drug consumption and from these relationships different potential
      influences may be derived. The relationship is expressed exactly and because it
      develops with time its developmental trends are analyzed on a nation-wide scale
      in the course of 17 years. The period of analysis permits to formulate some
      conclusions on the stability of this relationship with regard to individual
      essential factors.

PMID- 1868586
TI  - [Education in social medicine].
AB  - During the elaboration and definition of new concepts of medicine and the health
      services at a time of decisive social changes attention is also paid to social
      medicine. Its contents reflected during the past 40 years the influence of
      political and ideological structures and this had an adverse effect on its
      development, activities and prestige. Because of its importance and greater
      impact at present it must find its firm place also in the sphere of training at
      medical faculties. The author uses as a basis the present position and seeks
      solution in a greater integration of its components which must include also
      social oecology. Its coordinating activity must be mentioned more systematically
      also in clinical subjects. All this is to serve its more marked identity in the
      teaching process at medical faculties.

PMID- 1868587
TI  - [The microcomputer in the office of the community pediatrician].
AB  - The material submitted is a draft model system for the use of a microcomputer in
      the daily working activity of the community paediatrician. His work comprises
      preventive and therapeutic care of children and he has specific tasks and
      specific orientation on different age groups and the ensuing administrative work.
      The introduction of the information system in the surgery gives an idea of its
      asset for the user.

PMID- 1868588
TI  - [Realistic possibilities of utilization of a personal computer in the office of a
      general practitioner].
AB  - In May 1990 work on the programme "Computer system of the health community doctor
      Mic DOKI was" completed which resolves more than 70 basic tasks pertaining to the
      keeping of health documentation by health community doctors; it resolves
      automatically the entire administrative work in the health community, makes it
      possible to evaluate the activity of doctors and nurses it will facilitate the
      work of control organs of future health insurance companies and contribute to
      investigations of the health status of the population. Despite some problems
      ensuing from the contemporary economic situation of the country, the validity of
      contemporary health regulations and minimal training of our health personnel in
      the use of personal computers computerization of the health community system can
      be considered an asset to the reform of the health services which is under way.

PMID- 1868589
TI  - [Do we need predictions for health care expenditures?].
AB  - The unfavourable health status of our population is generally known, its
      improvement being one of the basic prerequisites for the further development of
      our society. To a certain extent improvement may be promoted by high standard
      health services. The standard of these services depends, in addition to effective
      use of available financial means, on the increase of the total volume of
      financial resources for the health services. For a qualified decision on the
      actual volume of financial resources it will be necessary to have a well
      elaborated prognosis of expenditure on health services which among others will
      justify the financial demands of the branch. The prognosis of expenditure on
      health services will be a socio-economic prognosis which may be started in the
      near future, if suitable conditions will be created.

PMID- 1868590
TI  - Motivation for developing optical sensors for blood electrolyte measurements.

PMID- 1868591
TI  - Amniotic fluid phospholipid "analysis"?

PMID- 1868592
TI  - Serum profiles of steroid hormones in patients with Cushing's syndrome determined
      by a new HPLC/RIA method.
AB  - We developed a method for simultaneously measuring steroid hormones in very small
      volumes of serum, using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) and radioimmunoassay (RIA). By this method, aldosterone, cortisol, 11
      deoxycortisol, estrone, estradiol, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone,
      deoxycorticosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and
      progesterone could be determined in a single 100-microL aliquot of serum from
      normal adults and patients with Cushing's syndrome. The steroid profile
      associated with Cushing's syndrome caused by adrenal adenoma was quite distinct
      from that associated with the syndrome caused by adrenal hyperplasia. Serum
      concentrations of androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, estrone, estradiol, 17
      hydroxyprogesterone, pregnenolone, and testosterone were significantly higher in
      patients with adrenal hyperplasia than in those with an adenoma. We compared the
      results of this HPLC/RIA method with those of 125I RIAs. The use of a HPLC/RIA
      system to obtain an accurate and sensitive profile of a range of serum steroids,
      as described here, obviates the need for large volumes of blood.

PMID- 1868593
TI  - Predictive, error-compensating kinetic method for enzymatic quantification of
      creatinine in serum.
AB  - Here we describe an error-compensating kinetic-based method for the enzymatic
      quantification of creatinine in serum. The method, which has a large linear range
      and very low dependency on experimental variables that influence enzyme activity,
      is based on the use of creatinine amidohydrolase in a four-step coupled reaction
      sequence to generate a product that is monitored photometrically. We collected
      data for absorbance vs time during two to four half-lives of each reaction and
      fit a first-order model to the data to compute the total absorbance change that
      would be measured if the reaction were monitored to completion. Computed values
      of absorbance change agreed well with measured values and varied linearly with
      creatinine concentration in the sample throughout the range examined: 44 to 1326
      mumol/L. A twofold change in enzyme activity in the final reaction mixture (3.3
      to 6.6 kU/L) produced changes of only 12% and 4% for creatinine concentrations of
      44 and 353 mumol/L, respectively. Results (y) for 39 serum samples that contained
      creatinine concentrations between 20 and 1800 mumol/L agreed well with liquid
      chromatographic results (x), yielding linear least-squares statistics of y =
      (1.03 +/- 0.01) x + (5 +/- 5) mumol/L (r = 0.995, Sy.x = 37 mumol/L). We conclude
      that the predictive kinetic approach is a robust method for the quantification of
      creatinine in serum.

PMID- 1868594
TI  - Characterization of sodium-selective optode membranes based on neutral ionophores
      and assay of sodium in plasma.
AB  - Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes that incorporate a highly lipophilic
      sodium-selective neutral ionophore (ETH 4120) and novel H(+)-selective chromo
      ionophores, lipophilic isologs of Nile Blue, are used in the competitive binding
      of Na+ and H+ for a reversible, optical determination of sodium activities in
      buffered solutions at different selected pH values. These optode membranes are
      used to assay total sodium concentrations in pH-buffered human blood plasma.

PMID- 1868595
TI  - Carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in cerebrospinal fluid in
      childhood and in children with leukemia undergoing intrathecal treatment.
AB  - We determined the reference interval for the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I
      procollagen (PICP), an indicator of the synthesis of type I collagen, in
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by studying 32 infants and children, ages less than or
      equal to 15 years. The concentration of PICP is age dependent, with particularly
      high concentrations occurring in children younger than 1.5 years. In older
      children the concentration is stable (reference interval 20-92 micrograms/L). We
      also investigated the possibility that PICP in CSF could reflect local
      fibroproliferative changes in the arachnoid in a cohort of 42 children with acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia who were monitored by repeated sampling in connection with
      intrathecal therapy. Initially, there was no difference in PICP between the
      children with newly diagnosed leukemia and the controls. PICP concentrations were
      significantly higher (P less than 0.01) during intrathecal methotrexate therapy,
      with median values above the reference interval. Continuous corticosteroid
      treatment was associated with a significant decrease in PICP (P less than 0.02
      and P less than 0.01, respectively, in two groups treated according to different
      protocols), close to the lower limit of the reference interval. Intrathecally
      administered methotrexate and systemic corticosteroid treatment are known to be
      associated with the development of arachnoiditis and with general repression of
      collagen synthesis, respectively. We conclude that PICP in CSF is a sensitive
      indicator of local fibroproliferation and ongoing collagen synthesis.

PMID- 1868596
TI  - Measurement of the ratio of lecithin to sphingomyelin in amniotic fluid by fast
      atom bombardment mass spectrometry.
AB  - We describe a fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric method to determine the
      ratio of lecithin to sphingomyelin in amniotic fluid. Between m/z 400 and 1000,
      amniotic fluid extracts showed clear peaks for only sphingomyelin and lecithin.
      The molecular species of fatty acid in the phospholipids were analyzed
      quantitatively and quickly in a small volume of the extracts. The
      dipalmitoyllecithin/palmitoylsphingomelin ratio, determined by the proposed
      method, showed a reasonable correlation to the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio
      measured by thin-layer chromatography. This method allows rapid and sensitive
      measurement of these phospholipids.

PMID- 1868597
TI  - Analysis of ion behavior and potentials in a Na+ ion-selective membrane
      containing methyl monensin.
AB  - Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) are widely used in clinical examinations. The
      mechanisms of ISEs have been studied to develop a disposable ISE for "dry
      chemistry" analyses. The behavior of Na+ and Ag+ in an ion-selective polymer
      liquid membrane (ISM) containing methyl monensin (MMO), which is selective for
      Na+, has been clarified by x-ray microanalysis and measurement of electrical
      potential. The results indicate that Na+ is not transported across the membrane
      because of a stability of the Na(+)-MMO complex, whereas Ag+ (from the Ag/AgCl
      electrode) is transported with Cl- across the membrane by diffusion. The
      difference in potential, which follows a Nernst gradient, is generated by the
      formation of a double layer of electrons at the interface between the ISM and the
      electrolyte solution. These results are explainable by the stability of the trap
      in the polymer liquid membrane. MMO acts as a stable trap of Na+ and as a
      metastable site of Ag+ for movement.

PMID- 1868598
TI  - Cancer antigen 125 in serum and ascitic fluid of patients with liver diseases.
AB  - Serum concentrations of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) were determined for 373
      patients with various liver diseases: 57 with acute hepatitis, 57 with chronic
      hepatitis, 244 with liver cirrhosis (86 compensated and 158 decompensated), and
      15 with primary liver cancer. The antigen was measured simultaneously in the
      serum and ascitic fluid of 46 of the patients with liver cirrhosis and
      sequentially in the serum and ascitic fluid of another 25 cirrhotics treated with
      paracentesis and (or) diuretics. Abnormal results for CA 125 were detected in
      sera from 4% of the patients with acute or chronic hepatitis, 60% of the patients
      with liver cirrhosis, and 67% of the patients with primary liver cancer. The main
      factor associated with abnormal serum concentrations of this antigen was the
      presence of ascites, with pathological CA 125 values in 94% of patients with
      ascites without jaundice (mean 566 +/- 528 arb. units/mL), compared with only 40%
      of patients with jaundice and without ascites (mean 40.1 +/- 28.5 arb. units/mL)
      (P less than 0.001). High concentrations of CA 125 were mainly associated with
      spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. The serum concentration of CA 125 decreased
      after treatment with paracentesis, but increased in patients treated with
      diuretics rather than paracentesis. The release of this antigen in liver
      cirrhosis appears to be independent of the liver disorder and, rather, results
      from peritoneal synthesis of this antigen.

PMID- 1868599
TI  - Role of the clinical laboratory in evaluation of argininosuccinate lyase
      deficiency.

PMID- 1868600
TI  - Influence of intermediate-density lipoproteins on the accuracy of the Friedewald
      formula.
AB  - Values of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (C) according to the
      Friedewald formula (Clin Chem 1972;18:499-502) were compared with those obtained
      by lipoprotein fractionation in 98 healthy subjects (control group), 135
      specimens from patients with peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular disease
      (atherosclerotic group), and 45 with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis (CRF
      group). All had concentrations of total cholesterol between 3.23 and 7.76 mmol/L
      (1.25-3.00 g/L) and triglycerides less than 3.39 mmol/L (less than 3.00 g/L). The
      percentage error of calculated LDL-C was 4% in controls with a
      cholesterol/triglycerides (C/TG) ratio for very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) of
      0.20, but greater than 60% in those with a (C/TG)VLDL ratio of 0.40. The
      percentage of error in sera of patients with atherosclerosis and chronic renal
      failure was higher than in controls with a similar mean (C/TG)VLDL ratio. The
      percentage of error of calculated LDL-C increases progressively with the increase
      in the C/TG intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) ratio, both in controls and in
      the atherosclerotic and CRF groups. Similar findings are observed when the mean
      percentage of error of measured LDL-C is evaluated. The percentage of error from
      calculated LDL-C in the atherosclerotic and CRF groups is significantly lower
      than that obtained by comparison of LDL-C separated by ultracentrifugation when
      the "broad cut" LDL (IDL plus LDL, both by ultracentrifugation) was used. The
      high percentage of errors found in the groups of patients studied underlines the
      need for caution when assessing the reliability of the Friedewald formula,
      particularly in cases in which disturbances in IDL composition are suspected.

PMID- 1868601
TI  - Interference in thyroid-function tests in postpartum thyroiditis.
AB  - Three women are described from a study of patients with postpartum thyroiditis
      whose sera gave spuriously increased concentrations of free thyroid hormone
      because of antibody binding of radiolabeled thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine
      (T3) analogs. All of the women showed increased serum concentrations of thyroid
      autoantibodies. The antibody binding of radiolabeled analogs and its effect on
      free T4 and free T3 assays disappeared by 48 weeks postpartum. Postpartum women
      who develop thyroid autoantibodies have approximately 2% prevalence of increased
      binding of radiolabeled analogs, which can result in an interference in thyroid
      hormone assays involving T4 and T3 analogs.

PMID- 1868602
TI  - S-troponin T in suspected ischemic myocardial injury compared with mass and
      catalytic concentrations of S-creatine kinase isoenzyme MB.
AB  - In a multicenter study we compared three tests for ischemic myocardial injury
      (IMI): a new, automated enzyme immunoassay for S-troponin T (S-TNT; Boehringer
      Mannheim) and two S-creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB assays (mass and catalytic
      concentrations). For critical evaluation of clinical sensitivity, we studied 243
      cases with an IMI prevalence of 43% and an 18% prevalence of cases with unstable
      angina. Relative peak values of S-TNT and S-CK-MB (mass) after onset of pain were
      four- to fivefold higher than S-CK-MB (catalytic) results. Increases of S-TNT and
      S-CK-MB (mass), even though still within their reference ranges, indicated minor
      myocardial damage in about one-third of the cases primarily classified as
      unstable angina. The diagnostic window for S-TNT ranged from hours to weeks after
      the acute episode. The time courses were frequently biphasic, with the initial S
      TNT peak closely paralleling that of the mass concentrations of S-CK-MB. With a
      biological half-life for S-TNT of 2 h, the prolonged increases in S-TNT indicate
      a continuous release of S-TNT from necrotizing cells. Clinical specificities of S
      TNT and S-CK-MB (mass) were greater than that of S-CK-MB (catalytic), even in the
      presence of 30% to 40% severe skeletal muscle injuries. The combination of S-TNT
      and S-CK-MB (mass) is excellent for detection of acute IMI, including minor
      myocardial damage.

PMID- 1868603
TI  - Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in
      plasma.
AB  - We describe a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TR-IFMA) for human 17 beta
      hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17HSD) in which antibody-coated microtiter strip
      wells and europium chelate-labeled polyclonal antibodies are used. In preparing
      the label, a polyclonal antibody is affinity-purified and derivatized with
      diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid. With this derivative, five to eight europium
      ions can be combined with one antibody molecule without decreasing the antibody's
      immunoreactivity. The minimum detectable concentration of 17HSD is 0.13
      microgram/L; the intra- and interassay CVs are less than 8% and less than 15%,
      respectively, for concentrations between 0.3 and 100 micrograms/L. There is no
      difference between the concentrations of 17HSD in plasma specimens taken during
      the proliferative and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle, the measured mean
      concentration being 0.22 microgram/L. We found no correlation between plasma
      17HSD and progesterone concentrations. The plasma concentrations of 17HSD
      increase during pregnancy, the mean concentrations being 1.5, 4.4, and 12.5
      micrograms/L, during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy,
      respectively. In the specimens from 18 men, the mean concentration was 0.18
      microgram/L. In six plasma specimens from patients with endometrial
      adenocarcinoma, the mean concentration was 0.20 micrograms/L. Pre-analytical
      aspects are important in the assay of 17HSD because of the lability of the enzyme
      protein. Preferably, blood should be sampled into EDTA-containing tubes, plasma
      should be separated within 15 min, and glycerol must be added without delay to a
      final volume of 200 mL/L.

PMID- 1868604
TI  - Computerized approach to monitoring aminoglycosides.
AB  - Aminoglycosides are still used extensively in the treatment of nosocomial
      infections with Gram-negative bacteria. However, the treatment is associated with
      several adverse effects. Aminoglycosides monitoring is therefore essential to
      prevent toxic accumulations and to reach therapeutic concentrations. A computer
      program, PHARMONITOR, has been developed to optimize aminoglycosides monitoring,
      responding to the demands of most clinical daily situations. This program, based
      on a one-compartment open pharmacokinetics model, is developed for IBM PC
      compatible computers, using D-Base III+. It can calculate t1/2, Vd, Cldrug,
      Cpmax, and the theoretical optimal dose and interval and also evaluates the
      creatinine clearance. The program has been conceived to allow maximal speed,
      flexibility, and reliability by the use of (e.g.) a linear least-squares
      analysis, the possible reference to previous protocols, the extensive use of
      keywords to classify and recall patients according to their pathologies, the
      development of messages recommending maximal dose or minimal dosing interval, and
      increasing the safety of the analysis. We consider the program a valuable tool
      for adjusting aminoglycoside dosage in individuals.

PMID- 1868606
TI  - Prevalence of familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia in serum samples received
      for thyroid testing.
AB  - The prevalence of familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia (FDH), a condition
      sometimes mistaken for hyperthyroidism, has not been clearly established. I
      present a study of the prevalence of FDH in serum samples received for thyroid
      function tests in a reference laboratory. A prospective study of 15,674 serum
      samples was carried out over 24 months, of which 13,232 cases were from women
      (84.42%) and 2442 were from men (15.58%). FDH was diagnosed in 26 cases, 22 in
      women and four in men. Therefore, the prevalence of FDH in the total number of
      samples from both sexes was 0.17%, 0.17% in women, and 0.16% in men, which is
      consistent with a dominant autosomal type of familial transmission. These
      findings demonstrate that cases of FDH occur frequently; therefore, every
      laboratory must be prepared to recognize them and thus avoid an incorrect
      diagnosis of the patient's thyroid function.

PMID- 1868605
TI  - Free and bound malondialdehyde measured as thiobarbituric acid adduct by HPLC in
      serum and plasma.
AB  - Assay of free and total malondialdehyde (MDA) in human serum and plasma from
      healthy subjects and from patients with high risk of lipoperoxidation was
      performed as follows: (a) acidic (HClO4, pH 1, at 20 degrees C) or basic (NaOH,
      pH 13, at 60 degrees C) treatments for 30 min; (b) reaction of the protein-free
      extract (obtained by acid precipitation) with thiobarbituric acid (TBA); (c) HPLC
      separation on C18 columns with an eluting solution of methanol/phosphate buffer,
      10 mmol/L, pH 5.8 (40/60, by vol), at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Free MDA
      averaged 0.042 (SEM 0.008) and 0.043 (SEM 0.007) mumol/L, respectively, in serum
      and plasma from healthy subjects. Free (+/- SEM) MDA increased significantly in
      the plasma from cancer patients (0.270 +/- 0.047 mumol/L) and from hemodialyzed
      patients (0.214 +/- 0.035 mumol/L). In serum of hemodialyzed patients, analyses
      for total MDA were unsuitable because of interfering peaks. MDA bound to NH2
      groups constituted 83.2% and 83.5% of total MDA in serum and plasma of healthy
      subjects, respectively, and only 58% in plasma of hemodialyzed patients.

PMID- 1868607
TI  - What can be achieved in an external quality-assessment scheme with a small number
      of participants: four years of experience with thyroid-related tests in Israel.
AB  - The Israel External Quality-Assessment scheme (EQAS) provided service from 1985
      to 1989, primarily to laboratories in Israel. Participation was voluntary and
      confidential, and involved 30-35 laboratories performing thyroid-related function
      tests. Scheme design included 36 human serum specimens distributed to the
      participants at the beginning of each year. For 12 months, three specimens were
      analyzed each month and the results were reported to EQAS on pre-agreed dates.
      Monthly reports sent by EQAS to participants after analysis of the results
      included the overall consensus mean used as target value, between-laboratory
      agreement, individual laboratory bias, and recovery data. The overall consensus
      mean calculated as all-laboratory trimmed mean was validated by reproducibility
      and recovery studies. Samples with undetectable concentrations of thyrotropin
      (TSH), obtained from patients proven thyrotoxic, were used to validate
      measurement of very low TSH concentrations. During the scheme, liquid serum was
      found superior to lyophilized specimens for distribution to the participants. The
      scheme helped stimulate major improvements in between-laboratory agreement,
      especially for low TSH concentrations, with CVs decreasing from 180% in the first
      year to 20% in the fourth year. Each laboratory's performance also improved as
      judged by the median bias and variability of bias and by the considerable
      decrease in the number of laboratories with unacceptable performance for all
      tests. Method-related differences in performance were observed despite the small
      number of participants. Better methods, e.g., a radioimmunometric method for TSH,
      were detected and adopted by the participants, with concomitant improvement in
      performance. Transfer to analog procedures for free thyroxin, in addition to, but
      mostly instead of, thyroxin, was also documented, with no gain in analytical
      performance. Despite this being a small scheme, most of the goals achievable with
      a large scheme were realized.

PMID- 1868608
TI  - Simple, sensitive measurement of carbon monoxide in plasma.
AB  - A simple, sensitive method for estimating carbon monoxide in plasma is described.
      In this method, the carbon monoxide in plasma is trapped with hemoglobin and
      subsequently estimated by dithionite reduction. The method has an intra- and
      interassay precision (CV) of 10.7% and 12.8%, respectively, at a concentration of
      1.12 mg of carbon monoxide per liter and has a detection limit of 0.1 mg/L. The
      reference interval for carbon monoxide in plasma from 17 men and eight women
      ranged from 0.14 to 0.60 mg/L (mean 0.36 mg/L).

PMID- 1868610
TI  - Benign inherited hyperphosphatasemia of intestinal origin: report of two cases
      and a brief review of the literature.
AB  - Two families with benign hyperphosphatasemia of intestinal origin were studied
      and compared with six other cases reported in the literature. No evidence of
      clinical abnormalities or explanations for the unusual enzyme concentrations were
      found. Agarose gel electrophoresis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP, EC 3.1.3.1)
      isoenzymes in serum demonstrated markedly increased intestinal isoforms (the
      "soluble" and the "hydrophobic" forms), which accounted for approximately 60% of
      total ALP activity. The description of these families demonstrated patterns
      suggesting autosomal-dominant inheritance, even if the precise genetic background
      of the abnormality affecting the enzyme production or the control mechanisms for
      its entry into the circulation could not be determined. Exact recognition of this
      benign biochemical abnormality should help to avoid unnecessary investigation.

PMID- 1868609
TI  - Above-normal urinary excretion of retinol-binding protein and albumin in Albustix
      negative hypertensive patients.

PMID- 1868611
TI  - 2,3-Butanediol in plasma from an alcoholic mistakenly identified as ethylene
      glycol by gas-chromatographic analysis.
AB  - 2,3-Butanediol was mistakenly identified as ethylene glycol in plasma specimens
      from two alcoholic patients. The cyclic phenylboronate ester derivatives of 2,3
      butanediol and ethylene glycol had the same retention time when OV-17 was used as
      the stationary phase for gas chromatography. This led to incorrect diagnosis of
      ethylene glycol poisoning and unnecessary invasive therapy. Plasma from two
      chronic alcoholics contained 2,3-butanediol at 3.5 and 3.4 mmol/L. The
      elimination half-life of 2,3-butanediol was 3.9 days when ethanol was
      administered during therapy for suspected ethylene glycol poisoning. Low
      concentrations of 2,3-butanediol might be present in blood of chronic alcoholics
      as a result of a novel pathway of intermediary metabolism associated with some
      forms of alcoholism. However, a more likely explanation for fairly high
      concentrations of 2,3-butanediol is enzymatic production from 2-butanone. This
      ketone occurs in denatured alcohol preparations often consumed by alcoholics in
      Sweden.

PMID- 1868612
TI  - Detection of two abnormal hemoglobins, Hb Manitoba and Hb G-Coushatta, during
      analysis of glycohemoglobin (A1c) by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - This report concerns the detection of two abnormal hemoglobins (Hb), Hb Manitoba
      and Hb G Coushatta, during analysis for glycohemoglobin (Hb A1c). Blood samples
      from two diabetic patients, analyzed for Hb A1c by HPLC, were found to contain
      additional Hb peaks. The presence of an abnormal Hb was confirmed in both
      instances by hemoglobinopathy studies. Structural studies determined the two Hb
      variants to be Hb Manitoba (alpha 2 102 Ser----Arg beta 2) and Hb G-Coushatta
      (alpha 2 beta 2 22 Glu----Ala). The significance of the presence of an abnormal
      Hb in Hb A1c analysis is discussed.

PMID- 1868613
TI  - Assay interference caused by powder from prepowdered latex gloves.

PMID- 1868614
TI  - More on interference of bilirubin in creatinine determination by Hitachi
      analyzers.

PMID- 1868615
TI  - Interdependence of non-sex-hormone-binding globulin-bound testosterone and
      cortisol.

PMID- 1868616
TI  - Influence of the enzymatic kinetic model on selection of reaction conditions for
      extending the linear range of kinetic methods.

PMID- 1868617
TI  - Use of chemical denaturation for centrifugal analyzer determination of lactate
      dehydrogenase 1.

PMID- 1868618
TI  - Pitfalls in measuring choriogonadotropin and its free subunits in decomplemented
      sera.

PMID- 1868619
TI  - Effect of polypropylene centrifuge tubes on extraction of desipramine from blood.

PMID- 1868620
TI  - Oxygen radicals: their role in selected gastrointestinal disorders.
AB  - In this article, the evidence for the involvement of free radicals in some of the
      gastrointestinal disorders is reviewed. Oxygen radicals are partially reduced
      oxygen species that include superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals, and hypophthalous
      acids. Most cells possess numerous antioxidant enzymes and scavengers to protect
      themselves from these injurious agents; the rate of production of reactive oxygen
      metabolites may exceed the capacity of the antioxidant defenses thus resulting in
      tissue damage. The gastrointestinal tract is particularly well endowed with the
      enzymatic machinery necessary to form large amounts of oxygen radicals. Sources
      of radicals in the gastrointestinal tract include mucosal xanthine oxidase and
      NADPH oxidase found in the resident phagocytotic leukocytes (macrophages,
      neutrophils, eosinophils) of the lamina propria. Other sources of oxygen radicals
      in the gastrointestinal tract involve ischemia and reperfusion, drug ingestion,
      diet and radiation therapy. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of
      oxygen radicals following active episodes of small-intestinal ischemia,
      ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis and gastric ulcer. In contrast to cell
      antioxidants, control of tissue free radical levels is now pharmacologically
      feasible and perhaps justified for specific diseases. However, carefully designed
      and controlled clinical trials are needed.

PMID- 1868621
TI  - Advances in the comprehension of the pathophysiology of bile secretion.

PMID- 1868622
TI  - APACHE II scoring in surgical upper gastrointestinal emergencies.

PMID- 1868623
TI  - Severe acute pancreatitis: newer insights in diagnosis and management.

PMID- 1868624
TI  - Kinase activity and genetic characterization of a growth related antigen of
      Drosophila.
AB  - The Drosophila developmental antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody F7D6
      is expressed in dividing embryonic and imaginal cells but is lost from all
      differentiating tissues except electrogenic cells of the nervous system and
      spontaneously contracting muscles. The 63 kDa antigen is associated with the
      inner surface of plasma membranes and is expressed in several classes of tumorous
      mutants of Drosophila. The monoclonal antibody was used for immunoprecipitating
      the antigen for biochemical characterization and for screening expression vector
      cDNA libraries. Here we report that this oncodevelopmental antigen is a
      phosphoprotein and a serine-threonine specific protein kinase. A 1.6 kb cDNA
      isolated by immunological screening of an ovarian library hybridized to a single
      band on polytene chromosomes, localizing the gene to 72F on the left arm of the
      third chromosome. Immunofluorescence assays of deficiency stocks in the region
      confirmed the location of the gene and identity of the cDNA clone, and mapped the
      gene between the left breakpoints of Df(3L) st100.62 and Df(3L) stj7, i.e.,
      between 72F3-7 and 73A1-2. The biochemical and genetic properties indicate that
      this is a novel growth-related kinase of Drosophila.

PMID- 1868625
TI  - Regulatory elements near the Drosophila hsp 22 gene required for ecdysterone and
      heat shock induction.
AB  - A transient expression assay was used to localize cis-acting DNA regulatory
      elements near the Drosophila heat shock protein (hsp) 22 gene, that are involved
      in heat shock expression and in ecdysterone-induced expression. The results
      identify a region between positions -320 and -232 that is essential for
      ecdysterone control, but not for heat-induced expression, and a sequence between 
      199 and -156, which, when deleted, leads to the loss of heat shock induction. To
      investigate the function of these DNA sequences, transfection-competition
      experiments were carried out. The evidence suggests that the DNA regulatory
      sequences identified by transient expression studies contain binding sites for
      transacting transcription factors.

PMID- 1868626
TI  - Facilitation by partial hepatectomy of tumor growth within the rat liver
      following intraportal injection of syngeneic tumor cells.
AB  - The effects of both mechanical trauma and regeneration on the growth of
      intraportally injected tumor in the rat liver were investigated using two-thirds
      partial hepatectomy (PH). Tumor grew at the excision scar when PH was performed
      less than 2 days before tumor injection (34/34 animals). However, when the PH was
      performed 4-7 days before injection, tumor developed within the regenerating
      lobe, but not at the scar (50/51). Injecting the same cell dose into rats with
      intact livers caused few tumors to develop in 12/30 animals. Intraportally
      injected 51Cr-labelled tumor cells distributed uniformly in the liver
      irrespective of the time after PH. Patterns of tumor take seen at different times
      after PH were not due to selective trapping of the injected cells. Liver extracts
      showed that epidermal growth factor-like activity was unaltered by PH, while
      heparin-binding growth factor activity peaked at 2 days post-PH, before the
      incidence of tumor growth in the parenchyma increased. We observed two peaks of
      DNA synthesis at days 1 and 4 post-PH by pulse labeling with [125I]deoxyuridine
      and bromodeoxyuridine. Bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry showed the first
      peak to be confined to hepatocytes. The second peak involved non-hepatocytes and
      coincided with the beginning of enhanced tumor take in the regenerating lobe.

PMID- 1868627
TI  - Colonization characteristics of a murine mammary tumor cell line that
      metastasizes frequently to the heart.
AB  - Metastasis by mouse mammary tumor cells is usually confined to lung. This paper
      describes the metastatic behavior of an established mouse mammary tumor cell
      line, 4526, that in addition to lung and liver metastasis, shows a high rate of
      heart metastases. The tumor cells were inoculated into the fourth mammary fat pad
      of syngeneic mice and their pattern of distant colonization was analysed
      qualitatively as well as quantitatively. We found that the cell line produced
      100, 70 and 40% metastases to the lung, liver and heart, respectively. While the
      lung metastases appeared primarily as nodular masses, the liver metastases
      occurred both as nodular and diffuse masses. In addition, we observed that the
      metastatic load of each of the different lung lobes of individual mice was
      proportional directly to its relative size, and there seemed to be an inverse
      relationship between the occurrence of lung and liver metastases in individual
      mice. As compared to lung and liver metastases, heart metastases were found to be
      localized internally, usually in the cavity and wall of the ventricle.
      Furthermore, hearts with metastases revealed destruction of cardiac tissue and
      blockage of the cavity space. Our results show that 4526 cells are phenotypically
      stable, since the metastatic behavior of several clonal derivatives of the cell
      line obtained from lung, liver and heart colonies were found to be identical to
      that of the parental cell line. Thus this cell line, because of its unparalleled
      metastatic characteristics, offers a model for investigations into the biology of
      mammary tumor cell metastasis, especially heart metastasis.

PMID- 1868628
TI  - Development of lymph node and pulmonary metastases after local irradiation and
      hyperthermia of footpad melanomas.
AB  - C57BL/6 mice with syngeneic B16-F10 melanomas were treated 7 days after tumor
      inoculation into the footpad with local hyperthermia (HT) of 43.5 degrees C for
      90 min. A combination of local 30 Gy X-irradiation (XRT) given 2, 4 or 12 h after
      HT cured the primary tumor in 34/35 mice, with irreversible damage to normal foot
      tissues in most of the animals. When 7.5, 10 or 15 Gy XRT were delivered 4, 18 or
      24 h after HT, there were only a small number of cures and also a much smaller
      incidence of irreversible normal tissue damage. HT alone resulted in a
      significant (P less than 0.001) increase in metastases to regional lymph nodes
      (RLN) and the lungs. The 'curative' doses of combined XRT and HT resulted in a
      significant (P less than 0.001) decrease in metastasis to RLN and to the lungs.
      Conversely, subcurative doses of combined therapy resulted in an increase in RLN
      and lung metastasis (P less than 0.001). Abdominal lymph node metastasis, not
      usually seen in control mice, is markedly increased after HT alone or in
      combination with subcurative XRT (P less than 0.001). The overall survival of
      mice treated with HT alone is decreased (P less than 0.0028). The survival of
      mice treated with HT followed 4, 18 or 24 h later with 10 Gy XRT is further
      decreased (P less than 0.0025). These data show that subcurative HT, or XRT plus
      HT, increases the incidence of spontaneous metastasis in this syngeneic mouse
      melanoma model. Curative doses prevent this effect on metastasis, but there is an
      unacceptable incidence of irreversible damage to the tumor-bearing foot. The
      cause(s) of this phenomenon are not known.

PMID- 1868629
TI  - Drug sensitivity and metastatic ability in B16 melanoma cells.
AB  - We have previously reported that highly metastatic cell lines derived from KHT
      fibrosarcoma (KHT 35L1) and B16 melanoma (B16F10) are more resistant to N
      phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA) and methotrexate (MTX) than the parental cell
      lines. This correlation between drug resistance and metastatic ability suggested
      the possibility that both phenotypes might have arisen in parallel as a result of
      a similar mechanism. In this study, we examined this possibility by reproducing
      the selection procedure for B16F10 cells (by serial passage of B16F1 cells as
      lung nodules) and testing the cells at each passage for changes in resistance to
      PALA and MTX. The results confirm that serial passage of B16F1 cells as lung
      nodules (LP) selects for cells with increasing metastatic ability (100-fold after
      seven passages), but these cells did not develop increased resistance to PALA and
      became more sensitive to MTX. For comparison B16F1 cells were also serially
      passaged (six passages) as leg tumors (LT). These cells became slightly more
      metastatic (3-fold) than B16F1 cells maintained in tissue culture, and
      demonstrated a small increase in sensitivity to MTX, as in the LP lines. There
      was also an apparent increase in resistance to PALA. In no instance was there a
      parallel increase in drug resistance and metastatic ability indicating that these
      two phenotypes do not necessarily arise in parallel in this cell line.

PMID- 1868630
TI  - Resistance of the embryonic notochord to invasion by malignant neurogenic tumor
      cells in vitro.
AB  - Very few tissues in vivo are resistant to invasion by malignant cells. In this
      paper, confrontation cultures consisting of chick embryonic notochord fragments
      and cell aggregates from three malignant neurogenic cell lines showed a
      resistance of the embryonic organ to malignant invasion by tumor cells. The
      mechanism of resistance remains unclear.

PMID- 1868631
TI  - Attachment and invasion of high- and low-metastatic clones of RCT sarcoma in a
      three-dimensional culture system.
AB  - High- and low-metastatic clones established from poorly differentiated murine
      sarcoma (RCT sarcoma) spontaneously developed in C3H/He mice were used in this
      study. Attachment and invasion, which are factors likely related to metastatic
      ability, of these clones were investigated in a three-dimensional culture system
      using embryonic chick heart fragments and tumor cell aggregates. The effects of
      Nocodazole, which interferes with the function of microtubules, and cytochalasin
      B, which affects the actin assembly in cytoplasmic extensions, on these factors
      were also examined. Metastatic ability was correlated with attachment and
      invasiveness of RCT sarcoma. Invasiveness of tumor cells was suppressed by the
      addition of Nocodazole to the culture medium. Since the disappearance of cell
      polarity, resulting from the inhibition of tubulin assembly, was found to
      coincide with the suppression of invasion, directional migration is considered to
      be involved in the invasion of tumor cells. Cytochalasin B caused a marked
      decrease in the ratio of attachment of tumor aggregates to embryonic chick heart
      fragments. The increased ability of invasion and attachment of RCT(+) cells
      compared with RCT(-) cells seems to contribute to their propensity to
      metastasize.

PMID- 1868632
TI  - Fetal drug therapy: principles and issues.
AB  - The 1990s may revolutionize the care of the fetus and create new options in gene
      control, immunotherapy, and drug therapy not only to identify susceptible
      populations but to treat selectively that population without increasing the risk
      to the mother. Fetal therapy is a notable goal, even now somewhat within our
      grasp. No longer is the womb an isolated, forbidding environment, but it is
      accessible with such tools as magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, CVS,
      Doppler, and sound clinical judgement. Current limitations in our understanding
      of the pharmacokinetics associated with these chemical temper our enthusiasm. The
      development of biomarkers for appropriate fetal drug therapy is to be encouraged,
      but also the development of fetal and maternal biomarkers that will assist the
      physician in actively avoiding inappropriate fetal drug therapy is necessary,
      whether dose or chemical dependent.

PMID- 1868633
TI  - Low-dose aspirin to improve perinatal outcome.
AB  - The list of clinical conditions for which aspirin may produce abatement or
      reversal of pathologic processes continues to be expanded. There are, however,
      definite risks reported from the use of aspirin during pregnancy, even though
      some of the findings have been contradictory. Some of the potential adverse
      effects on the infant also remain unclear. Potential benefits from the use of low
      doses of aspirin during pregnancy (although promising) are still experimental.
      Large clinical trials in the United States and overseas are currently assessing
      the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin in preventing preeclampsia and fetal growth
      retardation. A review of the world's literature to date describes over 300
      pregnancies in which low-dose aspirin has been used with no evidence of major
      adverse effects. Until more conclusive evidence emerges, however, caution against
      the indiscriminate use of aspirin in any dose during pregnancy is urged.
      Clinicians who decide to manage complicated or potentially complicated patients
      with chronic administration of aspirin must continue to study these mothers,
      fetuses, and neonates intensively and to document their results. Because of the
      fear of teratogenic effects in the first trimester, initiation of aspirin therapy
      should be withheld until the 13th week of gestation. However, current data
      indicates it can be continued until delivery without complication. Monitoring of
      these patients should include: warning signs and symptoms of bleeding, serial
      ultrasonography for fetal growth and fluid, serial fetal echocardiography, and
      neonatal evaluation for bleeding complications. Such clinical experience will add
      immensely to our understanding of the safety and efficacy of aspirin during
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1868634
TI  - Calcium, magnesium, and zinc supplementation and perinatal outcome.
AB  - The overall importance of nutrition to favorable perinatal outcome is only
      beginning to be fully appreciated. Although nutritional status can be linked to
      such things as socioeconomic class and education, it is nutrition directly that
      exerts a biologic effect. This review has attempted to look at three elements and
      their relationship to maternal and fetal outcome. At the present time, there does
      not seem to be a role for routine magnesium supplementation during pregnancy.
      Magnesium deficiency, as an isolated nutritional deficiency, is rare, and the
      evidence is, at best, weak that magnesium supplementation reduces the risk of
      poor perinatal outcome. Zinc deficiency is also a very rare isolated nutritional
      finding. Our ability to measure zinc accurately, be it in leukocytes or serum, is
      improving, but the routine use of zinc supplements during pregnancy cannot be
      recommended at this time. It may be that zinc will be a useful diagnostic marker,
      rather than a therapeutic intervention. There is substantial evidence that the
      average American diet does not contain sufficient calcium. An expansive
      literature continues to grow in the areas of calcium and colon cancer, calcium
      and breast cancer, calcium and hypertension, and calcium and osteoporosis. Is it
      possible that our susceptibilities to these problems begin in utero? Obviously,
      the answer is unknown. What is known is that supplemental calcium to some degree
      is needed in the diets of most Americans and in about two thirds of pregnant
      women. Calcium supplementation seems to affect blood pressure favorably and,
      pending confirmation with larger trials, may significantly reduce prematurity and
      preeclampsia risk, thus improving perinatal outcome for a large number of our
      high-risk patients.

PMID- 1868635
TI  - In utero treatment of fetal metabolic disorders.

PMID- 1868636
TI  - Maternal insulin to lower the risk of fetal macrosomia in diabetic pregnancy.
AB  - Fetal macrosomia is a well-recognized adverse outcome associated with gestational
      diabetes. Weekly measurement of fasting and postprandial glucose should identify
      those with fasting (greater than or equal to 100 or 105 mg/dl) or postprandial
      (greater than or equal to 120 mg/dl 2 hours after a meal) hyperglycemia who are
      at increased risk for perinatal mortality. If the prevention of macrosomia is
      desired, the use of prophylactic insulin, initiated as early as possible, but at
      the latest before 36 weeks' gestation, without regard to glycemia is effective.
      Alternatively, glucose self-monitoring (four to six times daily with institution
      of insulin treatment when fasting glucose exceeds some arbitrary threshold such
      as 90 mg/dl or postprandial values exceed a threshold such as 100 mg/dl) is
      likely to be equally effective with fewer patients requiring insulin injections.

PMID- 1868637
TI  - Pharmacologic therapy for fetal arrhythmias.
AB  - Although great strides have been made in diagnosing fetal cardiac anatomic and
      functional abnormalities, in utero cardiac therapy is limited to the treatment of
      significant arrhythmias. The fetal prognosis may change if the dysrhythmia
      persists or if the condition results in intrauterine heart failure. When either
      complication is evident, intrauterine drug therapy may be indicated if the fetus
      is considered too immature for delivery. Information from case reports has shown
      several drugs to be useful to cardiovert the fetus, with digitalis being the
      pharmacologic agent used most often. At present, treatment consists mainly of
      transplacental administration of antiarrhythmic agents with the object of
      normalizing FHR and rhythm and abolishing, or preventing, fetal cardiac failure.
      Various agents have been used with variable success. More direct fetal therapy by
      intramuscular injection or umbilical vein infusion may replace unsuccessful
      indirect maternal therapy. It is unclear why some fetuses respond (or appear to
      respond) and others have hydrops and die in the absence of congenital heart
      disease or documented infection. With proper therapy, many fetuses survive and
      have a satisfactory prognosis, depending on the form of arrhythmia and the nature
      of any cardiac structural defects.

PMID- 1868638
TI  - Indomethacin therapy in the treatment of symptomatic polyhydramnios.
AB  - It appears that maternal indomethacin therapy may be a useful adjunct in selected
      cases of polyhydramnios. Initial evaluation should include glucose tolerance
      testing and a thorough search for fetal abnormalities by ultrasonography. In the
      patient with symptoms such as premature labor or respiratory compromise, an
      initial amniocentesis should be considered for decompression and fetal karotype.
      Oral indomethacin therapy can then be started. Although the optimal dose is
      unknown, a 25-mg oral dose every 6 hours appears adequate. Ultrasound assessment
      of amniotic fluid volume should be done once or twice weekly. If oligohydramnios
      develops, the indomethacin should be discontinued, and the amniotic fluid volume
      serially monitored. Fetal echocardiography should be considered in the first 24
      hours after therapy has been initiated and weekly thereafter. Evidence of severe
      constriction of the ductus arteriosus or tricuspid regurgitation warrants
      discontinuation of the indomethacin; lesser degrees of ductal constriction can be
      treated by decreasing the dose of the medication.

PMID- 1868640
TI  - Antenatal therapy to minimize neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage.
AB  - Periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage is an important problem, resulting in
      significant mortality and morbidity. Attempts to reduce this complication require
      an understanding of its pathogenesis. In this chapter a model was proposed,
      consisting of a series of events resulting in rapid changes of cerebral blood
      flow and intracranial pressure and leading to rupture of the unique fragile
      vessels of the germinal matrix and intraventricular regions. Understanding the
      beneficial physiologic changes induced by such agents such as phenobarbital and
      vitamin K and that such pharmacologic therapy must be started during the
      antenatal period has resulted in significant reductions of severe grades of IVH.
      Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results using these two
      drugs alone and in combination. Other potentially beneficial drugs such as
      indomethacin should be investigated. Although the benefits of such therapy may
      improve perinatal outcome, the emphasis in our discipline should be the continued
      attempt to prevent the delivery of these VLBW infants.

PMID- 1868639
TI  - Pharmacologic induction of fetal lung maturity.
AB  - The consequences of a preterm birth are usually not secondary to a developmental
      abnormality but rather due to the immaturity of one or more organ systems.
      Because neonatal RDS is the most common and the most severe complication of a
      preterm delivery, a major emphasis has been placed on its prevention and/or
      treatment. Despite intensive research efforts directed at preventing or
      inhibiting preterm labor, to date there is no universally effective method that
      can be used in most patients. As a result, preterm birth will continue to occur
      and continue to challenge the health care provider. Several medications and
      hormones have been shown to stimulate endogenous surfactant production in the
      fetus. Their administration to women at risk of delivering preterm can decrease
      both the incidence and severity of neonatal RDS. The primary limiting factor with
      most agents is the need to delay birth for 48 to 72 hours to achieve maximum
      therapeutic effect. This mandates the obstetric health care provider not only
      identify parturients who will deliver preterm but also manage their intrapartum
      course to achieve maximum value from these pharmacologic agents. Lastly, in those
      patients in whom labor can be neither inhibited nor safely delayed, exogenous
      surfactant therapy offers real hope particularly to the very low birth weight
      baby. To obtain maximum benefit in the very premature infant, i.e., less than 30
      weeks' gestation, therapy ideally should begin immediately after birth and before
      the first breath. However, to offer such therapy, patients need to be identified
      during the intrapartum period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868641
TI  - Preventing fetal damage from sexually transmitted diseases.
AB  - The STDs threaten the reproductive health of women in many ways, ranging from
      premature births through congenital infections and death. An understanding of the
      natural history of these diseases permits timely interventions which can mitigate
      the perinatal damage caused by these infections substantially. Ideally, primary
      prevention or safer sex will be adopted by sexually active women, thereby
      reducing the morbidity not only for their offspring but for themselves as well.
      Antiviral therapy is not yet available for minimizing any hazard of fetal
      exposure to HPV, HSV, HIV, and hepatitis B viral infections. Early antibiotic
      therapy should reduce the risk of congenital syphilis and any perinatal hazards
      associated with chlamydial and gonococcal infections.

PMID- 1868642
TI  - Intrapartum antibiotic therapy for suspected intraamniotic infection: impact on
      the fetus and neonate.
AB  - Acute chorioamnionitis occurs relatively frequently in pregnancy and may result
      in significant fetal and neonatal morbidity. Although there is no unanimity of
      opinion regarding the most efficacious antibiotic regimen for the treatment of
      this complication, there is a consensus, at least among obstetricians, that
      maternal treatment may have an impact on neonatal outcome. It appears that the
      fetus and neonate benefit from "intrauterine" treatment. Virtually all
      antibiotics cross the placenta, and fortunately most are relatively safe for use
      during pregnancy.

PMID- 1868643
TI  - Research involving fetal drug therapy: ethical, legal, and practical
      considerations.
AB  - Fetal drug therapies have emerged as a promising avenue for the prevention or
      correction of disease during fetal or immediate postnatal life. Despite slow
      progress, several medications have been developed for in utero therapy of
      disorders which relate to fetal and neonatal pulmonary, cardiac, neurologic, and
      growth disorders. However, ethical and regulatory constraints require protection
      of the mother and fetus while causing no more than necessary additional risk.
      Appreciating these constraints will lead to the identification of pragmatic
      questions which should be answered before evaluating the efficacy and safety of a
      particular treatment or research proposal.

PMID- 1868644
TI  - Ovarian masses: serologic markers.

PMID- 1868645
TI  - Transabdominal and transvaginal sonography of ovarian masses.
AB  - This chapter outlined the sonographic appearances of most ovarian tumors using
      both transabdominal and transvaginal sonography. The use of transabdominal and
      transvaginal sonography for the early detection of ovarian carcinoma seems
      promising and should be pursued in several institutions as clinical trials.

PMID- 1868646
TI  - Imaging of ovarian masses: magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 1868647
TI  - Comparison of scintigraphic renal differentials using radiolabeled
      orthoiodohippurate and glucoheptonate.
AB  - Differential renal blood flow and parenchymal mass were compared in 50 pairs of
      scintigraphic studies performed on 44 patients. Background corrected total kidney
      counts were determined between 1 to 2 minutes following injection of I-123 or I
      131 orthoiodohippurate (OIH), and at 1 to 2.5 hours after injection of Tc-99m
      glucoheptonate (GHA). The OIH and GHA differentials agreed within 5% in 36
      studies (72%). When the OIH differentials were symmetric (45% to 55% in each
      kidney), agreement with the GHA results was complete (17 out of 17). By
      comparison, 42% (14 out of 33) of studies with asymmetric OIH differentials had a
      greater than 5% disparity from the GHA split function. Serum creatinine was
      elevated at the time of 9 out of 14 studies (64%) with OIH/GHA disagreement and
      18 out of 36 studies (50%) with OIH/GHA agreement. Of the 14 studies with
      disparate OIH/GHA differentials, the GHA differential was more symmetric in 10
      (71%). When different scinitigraphic measures of differential renal flow and
      parenchymal mass disagree, this is most likely due to the effects of asymmetric
      renal impairment rather than to those of global renal dysfunction.

PMID- 1868648
TI  - Assessment of renal allograft pathology by scintigraphic and ultrasound index
      markers.
AB  - The efficacies of two scintigraphic and two sonographic techniques and resultant
      index values, as markers of renal allograft pathology, were assessed. Index
      values of 183 combined scintigraphic and sonographic examinations in 47 graft
      recipients were compared to the pathological diagnosis of transplant biopsies and
      subsequent clinical outcome. All recipients were studied with baseline imaging
      techniques postoperatively, again when indicated by predefined clinical criteria,
      and prior to graft biopsy. The scintigraphic technique involved the calculation
      of indices of thrombotic activity and cortical graft perfusion. Ultrasound
      involved determination of the Doppler resistance index of Pourcelot and
      estimations of graft volume from real time images. A decreased cortical perfusion
      index was, overall, the most sensitive index of acute or chronic graft pathology,
      but it lacked specificity. Increased thrombotic and resistance indices were 96%
      and 86% sensitive for acute vascular rejection and were 82% and 76% specific.
      Jointly increased thrombotic and resistance indices improved the specificity for
      acute vascular rejection to 98%. An increase in graft volume of more than 50%
      over stable values was 100% sensitive and 92% specific for acute interstitial
      rejection, and 95% specific when paired with a normal thrombotic index. A marked
      increase in the thrombotic index was 100% sensitive for cyclosporine-induced
      thrombotic microangiopathy, but only 49% specific. The specificity of a markedly
      increased thrombotic index for thrombotic microangiopathy improved to 93% when
      the Doppler resistance index remained normal or was only marginally elevated.
      None of the scintigraphic or ultrasound indices were helpful for the diagnosis of
      acute tubular necrosis, chronic rejection, recurrent glomerulopathy, or graft
      infection.

PMID- 1868649
TI  - Inaccuracies in quantitative radionuclide renal imaging due to patient position
      or diverging collimation.
AB  - Radionuclide renal studies with quantitative measurements in patients confined to
      intensive care units usually require the use of a 10-inch field-of-view mobile
      gamma camera and a diverging collimator to image both kidneys simultaneously. The
      patient must frequently be in the lateral decubitus position so imaging can be
      performed in the posterior projection. Due to spatial distortion caused by the
      diverging collimator, variations in detector angulation and kidney depth produce
      different detection efficiencies for each kidney. Counts in regions of interest
      over the kidneys were compared as a function of detector angulation and patient
      position (prone and lateral decubitus). Substantial variations were observed
      comparing the diverging collimator data to 15-inch field-of view parallel hole
      acquisitions. Significant variation can also be obtained with parallel hole
      collimators when the patient's position is changed.

PMID- 1868650
TI  - Morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy in acute cholecystitis. A satisfactory
      alternative to delayed imaging.
AB  - The utility of morphine-augmented cholescintigraphy was reviewed in 32 patients
      with suspected acute cholecystitis. All patients were administered 2 mg morphine
      sulfate intravenously when the gallbladder failed to visualize 30 minutes into
      the study, and imaging continued for up to 60 minutes. Sensitivity for detection
      of acute cholecystitis was 93% (13 out of 14). Specificity was 78% (14 out of
      18). Three of four false-positives occurred in the setting of prolonged fasting
      and chronic cholecystitis. Cumulative experience suggests that the technique is
      diagnostically equivalent to imaging for up to 4 hours and that specificity
      remains incomplete in the setting of prolonged fasting, chronic cholecystitis and
      other conditions known to affect conventional cholescintigraphy.

PMID- 1868651
TI  - Scintigraphic diagnosis of right ventricular ischemia.
AB  - We present a patient with exercise induced right ventricular ischemia
      demonstrated on stress TI-201 myocardial scintiscan. The patient underwent
      cardiac catheterization, and subtotal occlusion was found at the proximal right
      coronary artery. Repeat stress TI-201 scan became normal following the successful
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

PMID- 1868652
TI  - Use of Tc-99m MAA in determining the etiology of increasing cyanosis following
      SVC-PA anastomosis for the hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
AB  - The hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which characteristically presents in the
      first few hours of life with cardiovascular collapse, is treated by
      reconstructive surgery (Norwood's procedure) beginning in the neonatal period. If
      untreated, more than 95% of infants with this malformation die within the first
      month of life. The case described involves the development of increasing cyanosis
      7 weeks following bilateral superior vena caval-pulmonary artery (SVC-PA)
      anastomosis in an infant born with a hypoplastic left heart (including aortic and
      mitral valve stenosis) and an anatomic variant of bilateral superior vena cavae.
      The use of Tc-99m MAA proved efficacious in quantitating the differential
      perfusion to each lung, establishing the site of a postoperative stenosis in an
      anastomotic channel, and documenting systemic perfusion, thus confirming the
      right-to-left shunt from the superior vena cava to the systemic circulation that
      resulted in increasing cyanosis.

PMID- 1868653
TI  - Normalization of left ventricular ejection fraction following resection of
      pheochromocytoma in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy associated with pheochromocytoma is a well
      recognized but rare entity. Both hypertrophic and dilated variants have been
      described. We report a case of dilated cardiomyopathy associated with a benign
      pheochromocytoma that showed complete normalization of left ventricular systolic
      function following removal of the tumor. Serum noradrenaline and dopamine were
      significantly elevated without elevation in serum adrenaline levels. This may be
      the first report in which radionuclide ventriculography was used to document the
      time course of normalization in LVEF following removal of a pheochromocytoma.

PMID- 1868654
TI  - Comparison of dipyridamole-echocardiography with dipyridamole-thallium
      scintigraphy for the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia.
AB  - After an intravenous infusion of dipyridamole (0.56 mg/kg), we performed both
      echocardiography and thallium scintigraphy in 63 patients who were referred for
      known or suspected coronary artery disease. Of those patients, 25 returned for
      coronary arteriography within 1 month after the tests, thus forming the study
      group for this report. Sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease, when
      analyzed region-by-region, was 80% for thallium scintigraphy and 57% for
      echocardiography, whereas specificity was 85% and 98%, respectively. When
      evaluating individual patients for the presence or absence of ischemia, we found
      a sensitivity of 95% for scintigraphy and 58% for echocardiography; corresponding
      specificities were 50% and 100%. By using arteriography as the gold standard for
      comparison, it appears that thallium scintigraphy has a significantly higher
      sensitivity but lower specificity for the detection of coronary artery disease
      than does echocardiography. Echocardiography may, however, be a useful adjunct to
      thallium scintigraphy in the evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1868655
TI  - Intense muscle uptake of Ga-67 citrate and Tc-99m MDP in a patient with aplastic
      anemia.
AB  - An unusual distribution of Tc-99m MDP and Ga-67 citrate in several muscle groups
      is described in a 14-year-old boy with aplastic anemia and normal renal function
      at the time of imaging. Although the patient did not develop musculo-skeletal
      signs or symptoms, a subsequent autopsy revealed widespread muscle calcification.

PMID- 1868656
TI  - Tl-201 thyroid imaging in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules.
AB  - To evaluate the value of Tl-201 thyroid imaging in differentiating benign from
      malignant thyroid nodules, 58 patients with histologically proven thyroid masses
      were studied. The nature of the thyroid tumor was initially assessed by Tc-99m
      scans. Early and delayed Tl-201 thyroid imaging were performed in all patients,
      and thallium uptake and clearance in the cold nodules were assessed visually. Of
      the 20 patients with histologically proven malignant nodules, 19 showed increased
      Tl-201 activity in both the early and delayed images, indicating a sensitivity of
      95%. On the other hand, 35 out of the 38 patients with benign nodules showed no
      increased thallium activity in the nodules on the delayed images, indicating a
      specificity of 92%. When early thallium images were analyzed separately, the
      sensitivity was 100% but the specificity was only 37%. By combining early and
      delayed Tl-201 images, differentiation between benign and malignant cold nodules
      is feasible. False-positive and false-negative cases will be discussed.

PMID- 1868657
TI  - Intracranial extramedullary hematopoiesis. CT and bone marrow scan findings.
AB  - This case concerns a patient with intracranial extramedullary hematopoiesis (EH)
      suspected on a CT scan and subsequently confirmed with In-111 chloride and Tc-99m
      SC bone marrow scans. The bone marrow scans also provided additional information
      by demonstrating other sites of EH in the paravertebral tissues and bone marrow
      expansion into the distal extremities.

PMID- 1868658
TI  - Whole body retention of Tc-99m phosphate in Paget's disease of bone.
AB  - The effectiveness of the 24-hour whole body retention of Tc-99m MDP in monitoring
      disease activity was evaluated in 58 patients with Paget's disease of bone.
      Patients had baseline 24-hour retention studies, bone scans, radionuclide bone
      blood-flow studies, and alkaline phosphatase and OH-Proline level measurements.
      Increased retention of Tc-99m MDP was present in 88% (51/58) of individuals while
      alkaline phosphatase and OH-Proline were respectively elevated in 100% (58/58)
      and 64% (35/55) of patients. Forty-seven examinations were further obtained to
      evaluate changes in retention with therapy. Retention correctly reflected
      response to treatment in 89.3% of follow-ups versus 85.1% with alkaline
      phosphatase (n = 47). It was accurate in 90.9% of patients versus 75% for OH
      Proline (n = 44). We conclude that the retention study, while not absolutely
      correlative with Pagetic activity, still is useful in grading the condition. It
      is a simple additional step that monitors the global severity of lesions
      localized on bone scans.

PMID- 1868659
TI  - Incidental finding of crossed renal ectopia diagnosed on bone scan.

PMID- 1868661
TI  - The serendipitous diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm by the three-phase bone scan.

PMID- 1868660
TI  - Bone marrow scintigraphy and MRI in a patient with osteopetrosis.

PMID- 1868662
TI  - Focal fatty infiltration of the liver. Evaluation by planar and SPECT images.

PMID- 1868663
TI  - Prominent cisterna magna. Tc-99m HMPAO and MRI correlation.

PMID- 1868664
TI  - Unusual pelvic activity found on bone scan.

PMID- 1868665
TI  - Tc-99m HMPAO leukocyte uptake in articular gout.

PMID- 1868666
TI  - Role of bone scanning in pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis. Report of two cases.

PMID- 1868667
TI  - Pathology of the temporo-mandibular joint and its treatment in the first half of
      the 19th century. 1.

PMID- 1868668
TI  - The birth of the specialty of orthodontics. 1.

PMID- 1868669
TI  - Queen Victoria and the dentists.

PMID- 1868670
TI  - Geographical variations in dental disease.

PMID- 1868671
TI  - The value and effects of implementing an essential drugs list in the Lagos
      University Teaching Hospital.

PMID- 1868672
TI  - An indicator-based program for improving medication use in acute care hospitals.

PMID- 1868673
TI  - Effect of the requirement for triplicate prescriptions for benzodiazepines in New
      York State.

PMID- 1868674
TI  - Age-related differences in hepatic drug clearance in children: studies with
      lorazepam and antipyrine.
AB  - The disposition of intravenous antipyrine and lorazepam, administered as model
      substrates for hepatic oxidative metabolism and conjugation, was evaluated in 50
      children (mean age, 7.8 years; range, 2.3 to 17.8 years) with acute lymphocytic
      leukemia in complete remission and compared with a group of ten healthy adults.
      Antipyrine clearance normalized to body weight was significantly greater in
      children than in adults (0.91 versus 0.59 ml/min/kg; p = 0.012), but was not
      different when normalized to body surface area. In contrast, lorazepam total
      clearance (CL) and unbound clearance (CLu) normalized to body weight were not
      significantly different between children and adults but were smaller in children
      when normalized to body surface area (CL = 31.9 versus 40.6 ml/min/m2, p = 0.036;
      CLu = 352 versus 485 ml/min/m2, p = 0.010). The mean lorazepam fraction unbound
      in children was 0.087, which was not different from adult volunteers (0.084).
      This study has identified significant differences between children and adults in
      the disposition of these two compounds, with higher milliliter per minute per
      kilogram clearance for antipyrine but not lorazepam.

PMID- 1868675
TI  - Multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of ganglioside GM1 after intravenous and
      intramuscular administration to healthy volunteers.
AB  - Ganglioside GM1 multiple-dose pharmacokinetics were investigated in five healthy
      male volunteers. Doses of 100 mg were administered either intravenously or
      intramuscularly for 21 days, and the washout was followed-up for a further 21
      days. The highly specific binding of the beta-subunit of cholera toxin was used
      to quantify ganglioside GM1 levels in plasma, urine, and feces. This dose regime
      increased the ganglioside GM1 steady-state plasma levels two to three orders of
      magnitude above the endogenous levels of 0.132 mg/L (coefficient of variation,
      8.9%). Large and variable amounts of ganglioside GM1 were found in feces before
      and during treatment without relation to the dosage. No ganglioside GM1 could be
      detected in urine at any time. Plasma kinetics were linear with a biexponential
      disposition. Exogenously administered ganglioside GM1 was confined mainly to the
      blood volume as indicated by a steady-state volume of distribution of 6.98 +/-
      3.57 L and appears to be excreted mainly in the form of metabolites. The total
      clearance was very slow at 1.61 +/- 0.37 ml/min. Absorption after intramuscular
      administration was slow (time to reach maximum concentration greater than 12
      hours) and yielded steady-state concentrations somewhat lower compared with the
      intravenous infusion.

PMID- 1868676
TI  - Increased suppression of exercise-induced increase in renin by propranolol in
      Chinese subjects.
AB  - Sensitivity to the hypotensive effect of propranolol differs between Chinese
      subjects and white subjects. To explore the pharmacodynamic explanation for this
      difference, eight Chinese subjects (age range, 25 to 42 years) and eight white
      subjects (age range, 22 to 36 years) were given single doses of 10, 20, 40, and
      80 mg propranolol on separate occasions at least 3 days apart. Heart rate, mean
      blood pressure, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and plasma renin activity were
      measured at the end of treadmill exercise 2 hours after medication was
      administered. Propranolol produced a concentration-dependent reduction in mean
      blood pressure and heart rate in both groups. Concentration-response curves were
      shifted significantly to the left in Chinese subjects, confirming the increased
      sensitivity to propranolol of the Chinese. The baseline exercise plasma renin
      activity was twofold higher (p less than 0.05) in Chinese than in white subjects.
      The sensitivity to beta-blockade-induced suppression of plasma renin activity was
      increased in the Chinese, which resulted in a sevenfold higher concentration
      being required in white subjects than in Chinese to produce the same 50%
      suppression of exercise plasma renin activity (84.8 +/- 23.2 versus 12.7 +/- 7.4
      ng/ml, p less than 0.05). The reduction in exercise heart rate and mean blood
      pressure produced by propranolol were well correlated to the reduction in
      exercise plasma renin activity in both populations. There was no significant
      effect of either race or propranolol on plasma catecholamine concentration after
      exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868677
TI  - Effects of caffeine on tobacco withdrawal.
AB  - Smoking cessation increases caffeine blood levels, and this has been hypothesized
      to cause some of the symptoms of tobacco withdrawal (e.g., anxiety and insomnia).
      To test this hypothesis, 10 coffee drinkers who smoked cigarettes were entered
      into a completely within-subjects experimental design in which the effects of
      caffeine dose (0, 50, and 100 mg/coffee serving) and smoking status (smoking
      versus abstinence) were examined over a 4-day period. Self-reported and observed
      measures of tobacco withdrawal, caffeine withdrawal, and intoxication, as well as
      psychomotor tasks and vital signs, were completed daily; blood was drawn at the
      end of each period. Temporary abstinence produced typical withdrawal symptoms but
      did not significantly increase caffeine blood levels. Caffeine did not increase
      the severity of symptoms but did decrease the severity of withdrawal-induced
      hunger. These findings suggest that, in the absence of increased blood levels,
      caffeine does not increase the severity of tobacco withdrawal.

PMID- 1868678
TI  - Comparison of the effect of temafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, or placebo on cerebral
      blood flow, glucose, and oxygen metabolism in healthy subjects by means of
      positron emission tomography.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of the central nervous system effect of
      the fluorinated quinolones temafloxacin and ciprofloxacin by measuring cerebral
      blood flow and metabolism by use of positron emission tomography. DESIGN: This
      was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. PATIENTS:
      The patients were 13 healthy, nonsmoking volunteers whose ages ranged from 18 to
      40 years. RESULTS: We measured brain blood flow and metabolism by use of positron
      emission tomography before and after a five-dose course of 750 mg ciprofloxacin,
      600 mg temafloxacin, or placebo given every 12 hours. Quinolone administration
      produced no significant effect on visual (qualitative) reading of the positron
      emission tomography scans. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that short-term
      administration of temafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, or placebo does not significantly
      alter cerebral glucose or oxygen metabolism. Subjects treated with ciprofloxacin
      demonstrated a significant decrease in brain blood flow compared with baseline
      and with temafloxacin- or placebo-treated subjects.

PMID- 1868679
TI  - A comparison of the sensitivities of adaptive tracking, eye movement analysis and
      visual analog lines to the effects of incremental doses of temazepam in healthy
      volunteers.
AB  - The effects of single oral doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg temazepam were evaluated
      with the adaptive tracking test, analysis of smooth-pursuit and saccadic eye
      movements, and visual analog lines in a placebo-controlled, double-blind,
      crossover experiment with 12 healthy volunteers. Pharmacodynamic testing was
      performed until 10 hours and pharmacokinetics were evaluated until 24 hours.
      Temazepam, 20 mg, caused effects in all tests, with peak effects occurring at 30
      minutes. The 10 mg dose caused effects on saccadic eye movements and subjective
      scores of alertness, whereas 5 mg temazepam was detected only by analysis of
      saccadic eye movements. Linear relationships between plasma concentrations and
      effects were found in nine subjects for saccadic peak velocity and eight subjects
      for subjective scores of alertness. The results of this study demonstrate
      manifest differences in the sensitivities of performance tests and stress the
      importance of validation of methods when effects of drugs on human performance
      are studied.

PMID- 1868680
TI  - Measuring compliance in methadone maintenance patients: use of a pharmacologic
      indicator to "estimate" methadone plasma levels.
AB  - A quantitative indicator of compliance is not available for methadone--the drug
      of choice for the treatment of opioid addiction. We successfully used low-dose
      phenobarbital (a valid pharmacologic indicator) to measure compliance by
      incorporating the drug into the methadone medication of patients attending an
      addiction unit. Plasma phenobarbital and methadone concentrations were measured
      in 20 (11 clinic-based and 9 community-based) patients receiving long-term
      treatment with the phenobarbital level-to-dose ratio, together with interviews,
      to validate methadone measurements and to monitor compliance. Patients attending
      the unit on a daily basis and who consumed their medication in the clinic were
      substantially more compliant than community-based patients. Laboratory
      measurements of phenobarbital and methadone helped to identify the use of illicit
      methadone, as well as incorrect self-administration, such as the consumption of
      several days' dosage at one time.

PMID- 1868682
TI  - Evolution in molecular structure and adaptive variance in metabolism.
AB  - 1. A hypothesis is advanced to the effect that all metabolites, even minor ones,
      are expressed as a result of stimuli and are directed against or support actions
      on receptor systems. 2. In particular the hypothesis emphasizes the dynamic
      character of the secondary metabolite pattern as a function of physiological or
      environmental conditions and that the variations observed reflect the evolution
      of receptors. 3. Predictions based on this principle are experimentally
      verifiable. 4. The hypothesis has major implications in the entire area of life
      sciences.

PMID- 1868681
TI  - Antibiotic use after cefuroxime prophylaxis in hip and knee joint replacement.
AB  - The amount of additional antibiotics measured by defined daily dose (DDD) methods
      after 2651 hip and 362 knee replacements was assessed after prophylaxis with one
      or three doses (1502/1511 patients) of cefuroxime. No differences were observed
      between the two regimens with respect to total amount, type, indication, and
      duration of additional antibiotics. The incidence of joint sepsis did not differ
      significantly between the two trial arms, but the sample was too small for
      definite conclusions. There were 11.4 DDD/100 bed days of additional antibiotics
      used in 21% of patients after hip replacement and 15.7 DDD/100 bed days in 31%
      after knee replacement. For wound problems, 3.8 and 6.9 DDD/100 bed days were
      given in the hip- and knee-replacement groups. For distant infection, 6.5 DDD/100
      bed days was administered in both groups. Duration of therapy varied only in
      relation to indication. Prescribed were penicillins (43% to 50%), sulfonamides
      (18%), cephalosporins (10% to 16%), and nitrofurantoin (8% to 13%); drug use was
      related to the type of infection.

PMID- 1868683
TI  - Malaria and Leishmania parasites share the knob-associated histidine-rich protein
      gene sequences.
AB  - 1. The main coding region of the knob-associated histidine-rich protein (KAHRP)
      gene of Plasmodium falciparum hydridized with genomic DNA of Leishmania donovani.
      2. A total of five EcoRI fragments of various sizes (7.5, 5.5, 3.2, 0.75 and 0.56
      Kb) were recognized by this probe, under lower stringent conditions. However,
      under a higher stringency of washing, two of the smallest fragments were washed
      away. 3. Out of these EcoRI fragments, the 5.5 Kb band showed a maximum homology
      with the probe which contains the histidine-rich coding sequences, whereas the
      3.2 Kb band showed none. Thus there is a possibility that the Leishmania parasite
      also contains a KAHRP-like gene.

PMID- 1868684
TI  - Whey proteins of the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula): isolation,
      characterization and changes in concentration in milk during lactation of
      transferrin, alpha-lactalbumin and serum albumin.
AB  - 1. Transferrin and serum albumin were purified from both whey and serum and alpha
      lactalbumin was purified from whey from the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus
      vulpecula). 2. The N-terminal amino acid sequences for transferrin and serum
      albumin were identical for the proteins from both whey and serum and showed
      homologies with transferrin or serum albumin from other species. 3. N- and C
      terminal regions of possum alpha-lactalbumin were also sequenced and have been
      compared with wallaby alpha-lactalbumin and several eutherian alpha-lactalbumins.
      4. Antisera raised to each of the three proteins were species specific and
      Western blots further confirmed the identity of the serum and whey transferrins
      and serum and whey serum albumins. 5. The concentration of transferrin increased
      ten-fold between days 110 and 130 of lactation, whereas no significant changes in
      the concentration of alpha-lactalbumin could be detected after day 60.

PMID- 1868685
TI  - The isolation and characterization of the major glutathione S-transferase from
      the squid Loligo vulgaris.
AB  - 1. The major glutathione S-transferase (GST) from the common squid Loligo
      vulgaris has been purified and shown to be a homodimer of subunit molecular mass
      24,000 and pI 6.8. 2. It has high activity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, p
      nitrobenzyl chloride, 4-hydroxynon-2-enal and linoleic acid hydroperoxide, low
      activity with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene and no activity with ethacrynic acid,
      trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one and 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane. 3. The L.
      vulgaris GST did not cross-react with any of the available polyclonal antibodies
      raised against mammalian GSTs. 4. Forty amino acids of its N-terminal sequence
      have been determined. 5. Its activities and primary structure are compared with
      related proteins from other species.

PMID- 1868686
TI  - Donkey and horse alpha 1 B-glycoprotein: partial characterization and new
      alleles.
AB  - 1. The donkey postalbumin protein has been shown to be the equivalent of human
      alpha 1 B-glycoprotein by protein immunoblotting and N-terminal amino acid
      sequence. 2. The horse A1B system (already identified as the homologue of human
      alpha 1 B-glycoprotein) and the donkey alpha 1 B-glycoprotein were characterized
      further for terminal sialic acid content, isoelectric point, amino acid
      composition and affinity for the dye-ligand, Cibacron Blue F3GA (known to bind
      human alpha 1 B-glycoprotein). 3. Two new alleles in the horse A1B system were
      found, bringing the total number of alleles to five. No polymorphism was found in
      the donkey alpha 1 B system. 4. As expected the first 20 N-terminal residues of
      the donkey and horse proteins are highly conserved with only two differences
      being found. 5. The polymorphism of the horse alpha 1 B-glycoproteins may be due
      in part to differing numbers of terminal sialic acid residues and the higher
      electrophoretic mobility of the donkey alpha 1 B-glycoprotein may be due in part
      to increased sialylation. 6. The horse and donkey alpha 1 B-glycoproteins
      exhibited differences in affinity for the dye-ligand, Cibacron Blue F3GA, with
      the donkey alpha 1 B-glycoprotein not being bound.

PMID- 1868687
TI  - Hybrid formation of rabbit and rat hepatic glutathione S-transferases.
AB  - 1. A reconstitution experiment resulted in the formation of new proteins between
      limited combinations of rat and rabbit hepatic glutathione S-transferases:
      AA(subunit composition: YcYc) and R3b(Y3Y3), Lig(YaYa) and R3b(Y3Y3), and
      A(Yb1Yb1) and R2(Y2Y2). 2. It was demonstrated that the new protein formed
      between R2 and A had the subunit composition of Y2Yb1, suggesting a hybrid of
      rabbit (R2) and rat isozyme (A). 3. This hybrid protein showed intermediate spec.
      acts between those of R2 and A when either 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) or
      1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB) was employed as the substrate.

PMID- 1868688
TI  - Serum high-density lipoproteins in the crab, Cancer antennarius--III. Density
      gradient profiles and lipid composition of subclasses.
AB  - 1. Prestaining the serum total lipoprotein (LP) fraction and density-gradient
      ultracentrifugation revealed up to five LPs, all in the high-density class (HDL;
      1.187 greater than d greater than 1.080 g/ml). These are group-designated as
      HDL1, HDL2 and HDL3, lowest to highest buoyant density, respectively. The number
      and precise density of the LPs varied with individual crab and were not gender
      specific. 2. The percentage of total mass due to triacylglycerides was
      progressively higher from HDL1 and HDL3, whereas that of phospholipids,
      cholesterol and combined fat was progressively lower. The percentage mass of
      combined fat was higher in females than males. 3. As in hemolymph, the LP of eggs
      was entirely HDL; instances of each HDL subclass were seen, but HDL3 was
      predominant. Compared with serum HDL, egg HDL was strikingly low in
      triacyglyceride mass and relatively high in protein. 4. Hemolymph HDL titers of
      individual females varied independently with egg size through most of the year,
      but was positively correlated with the egg size in October to December when 2-3
      fold increases in HDL titer occur in the female population.

PMID- 1868689
TI  - The effect of cold exposure on rat liver mitochondrial respiratory capacity.
AB  - 1. The effect of cold exposure on the respiratory capacity of rat liver
      mitochondria has been studied using succinate as the substrate. 2. The
      mitochondria obtained in this study were well coupled, as shown by the RCR and
      ADP/O ratios. 3. In addition, durohydroquinone was used to eliminate the
      regulation of substrate supply. Likewise, we measured uncoupled respiration to
      evaluate the maximal electron flow through the respiratory chain. 4. We found
      that oxygen consumption using succinate or durohydroquinone + FCCP as substrates,
      as well as ATP production were not affected by cold exposure. 5. Our results also
      show that, when succinate is used, the maximal capacity of the respiratory chain
      is measured. 6. The data obtained do not support a role of the electron transport
      chain as a target of cold action.

PMID- 1868690
TI  - Gastrin in fetal and neonatal pigs.
AB  - 1. The concentration and molecular profile of gastrin were examined in plasma and
      tissue extracts of fetal and neonatal pigs from 93 days gestation up to 12 weeks
      of age and also in the fetal gastric contents. 2. Gastrin was present in the
      gastrointestinal tract and plasma of fetal pigs at 93 days gestation. The
      concentration in both plasma and antral extracts increased progressively up to
      birth and continued to rise postnatally, reaching a peak at about 3 weeks of age
      in plasma and 6 weeks in the antrum. 3. In blood the major molecular form of
      gastrin was G34 (up to 80%), while in the antrum the major form was G17 (66-91%).
      The percentage of G34 in the antrum was highest in later gestation (21%), and
      reached adult proportion by 8 weeks of age (4%). 4. A considerable amount of
      gastrin, chiefly G17, was detected in the fetal gastric contents. Synthetic human
      G17 was stable in fetal gastric contents when incubated at 37 degrees C for 60
      min, although, when incubated with gastric contents from a sow, it disappeared
      within 5 min. 5. It is suggested that the presence of gastrin in fetal gastric
      contents may be important in stimulation of fetal gut development.

PMID- 1868691
TI  - Kinetics of the multi-step catalytic degradation of a polymer to its constituent
      subunits.
AB  - The stepwise catalytic degradation of a polymer to its constituent subunits
      results in many molecules of polymers of shorter chain length. Using the Law of
      Mass Action, ordinary differential equations for each species can be obtained
      from the set of elementary reactions and these can be integrated to obtain
      species concentrations as a function of time. A special case of catalytic
      degradation of polymers, in which one subunit is released at each step, is
      examined. A mathematical dissertation on the kinetics of the series of reactions
      involved is presented. The solution of the set of differential equations involve
      tedious computations and cannot be easily adapted to the analysis of experimental
      data. Two additional methods of analysis are described. The first one makes use
      of the property that for any intermediary polymer whose initial and final
      concentrations are zero, the integral of its concentration with respect to time
      is inversely proportional to the degradation rate constant. Stepwise calculation
      of the rate constants can thus be obtained by determining the area under the
      concentration-time trajectories while the degradation rate constant of the first
      polymer is known. The second method makes use of the property that the maximum
      concentration attained by any individual intermediary polymer is inversely
      proportional to its degradation constant. These methods have the advantage of
      being simple since the degradation constants can be obtained stepwise from
      experimental data.

PMID- 1868692
TI  - A syntactic analysis method for sinusoidal tracking eye movements.
AB  - A syntactic method for the recognition of sinusoidal eye movements is presented.
      The method is based on a piecewise transformation of an eye movement signal to
      strings of a formal language and use of a formal grammar which generates the
      formal language. Gain and phase parameters of sinusoidal eye movements between a
      stimulus and its response are computed after the recognition of eye movements and
      after removing corrective saccades from the transformed signal. The method is
      used at an otoneurological laboratory.

PMID- 1868693
TI  - Parallelizing genetic linkage analysis: a case study for applying parallel
      computation in molecular biology.
AB  - Parallel computers offer a solution to improve the lengthy computation time of
      many conventional, sequential programs used in molecular biology. On a parallel
      computer, different pieces of the computation are performed simultaneously on
      different processors. LINKMAP is a sequential program widely used by scientists
      to perform genetic linkage analysis. We have converted LINKMAP to run on a
      parallel computer, using the machine-independent parallel programming language,
      Linda. Using the parallelization of LINKMAP as a case study, the paper outlines
      an approach to converting existing highly iterative programs to a parallel form.
      The paper describes the steps involved in converting the sequential program to a
      parallel program. It presents performance benchmarks comparing the sequential
      version of LINKMAP with the parallel version running on different parallel
      machines. The paper also discusses alternative approaches to the problem of "load
      balancing," making sure the computational load is shared as evenly as possible
      among the available processors.

PMID- 1868694
TI  - Methodology for generating continuous prediction equations for pulmonary function
      measures.
AB  - A mathematical procedure is described for fitting piecewise linear equations
      constrained to join at estimable multiple junctions or breakpoints. The model
      parameters, a combination of both linear and nonlinear, are estimated using a
      "Separable Least Squares" algorithm. In this algorithm the linear parameters,
      estimated using the General Linear Model, are nested within the iterations of a
      nonlinear optimization routine. This formulation allows additional covariates to
      be included in the model and can be easily expanded to include any number of line
      segments, both linear and nonlinear. The procedure is demonstrated by estimating
      continuous lung function reference equations for healthy normal subjects.
      Comparison of these reference equations with previously published equations
      derived for the same subjects, illustrates the advantages of having continuous
      equations throughout the age range of the data.

PMID- 1868695
TI  - Heuristic determination of quantitative data for knowledge acquisition in
      medicine.
AB  - Knowledge acquisition for medical knowledge bases can be aided by programs that
      suggest possible values for portions of the data. The paper presents an
      experiment which was used in designing a heuristic to help the process of
      knowledge acquisition. The heuristic helps to determine numerical data from
      stylized literature excerpts in the context of knowledge acquisition for the QMR
      medical knowledge base. Quantitative suggestions from the heuristics are shown to
      agree substantially with the data incorporated in the final version of the
      knowledge base. The experiment shows the potential of knowledge base specific
      heuristics in simplifying the task of knowledge base creation.

PMID- 1868696
TI  - Automated detection of breast tumors using the asymmetry approach.
AB  - A method for automated detection of breast tumors in mammograms is presented. The
      method uses the asymmetry principle: Strong structural asymmetries between
      corresponding regions in the left and right breast are taken as evidence for the
      possible presence of a tumor in that region. Asymmetry detection is achieved in
      two steps. First, mammograms are aligned, compensating for possible differences
      in size and shape between the two breasts. Second, asymmetry between
      corresponding positions is determined using a combination of several asymmetry
      measures, each responding to different types of asymmetries. Results obtained
      with a set of mammograms indicate that this method can improve the sensitivity
      and reliability of systems for automated detection of breast tumors.

PMID- 1868697
TI  - A new method for fetal ECG detection.
AB  - Presented in this work is the theoretical basis of a new method we propose for
      the analysis of fetal ECG (FECG). This method is intended to detect the fetal HR
      from a weak FECG signal, and to supply us with an average FECG complex. The FECG
      signals studied in this work were recorded from the maternal abdominal wall. The
      core of our method is the computation of a triple parametric transform, using
      analyzing functions which have a greater correlation with the ECG signal than the
      correlation of the standard sine and cosine functions used in a Fourier
      transform. The functions used are trains of square waves characterized by the
      width of the square wave, their periodicity, and some initial phase value. This
      method, applied here to a medical problem, can be more generally applied to
      handle weak quasiperiodic sharp signals of any origin.

PMID- 1868698
TI  - Lymphocyte transformation and thiuram sensitization.
AB  - The use of a lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) to confirm allergic contact
      dermatitis from thiurams has been investigated. The responses of peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMC) from thiuram-sensitive and non-sensitive individuals
      following culture with dimethylcarbamoyl-protein (human serum albumin; HSA) and
      dimethylthiocarbamoyl-HSA conjugates has been compared. Only PBMC from those
      patients who were patch-test-positive with thiuram-mix and sensitized to
      tetramethylthiuram monosulphide (TMTM) or TMTM and tetramethylthiuram disulphide
      (TMTD) exhibited significant proliferative responses to these conjugates. Thiuram
      patch-test-negative patients and control donors with no history of allergic
      contact dermatitis failed to mount a significant response to any concentration of
      either conjugate. Two of the thiuram-sensitive patients were also nickel-patch
      test-positive, and PBMC isolated from these donors, but not from nickel-patch
      test-negative patients, proved positive in a nickel LTT. The data reveal that
      relevant hapten-protein conjugates are capable of provoking specific human
      lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro, and that, using this technique, the
      LTT can, in principle, be used for the investigation and/or diagnosis of skin
      sensitization to lipophilic contact allergens.

PMID- 1868699
TI  - Quantification of allergic and irritant patch test reactions using laser-Doppler
      flowmetry and erythema index.
AB  - The laser-Doppler blood flow and erythema index were assessed in 16 patch test
      reactions caused by irritants (1% aq. sodium lauryl sulphate and 1% aq.
      benzalkonium chloride) and in 13 varied allergic reactions, at 2 or 4 days. Both
      irritant and allergic responses produced statistically significant increases in
      laser-Doppler flow index and erythema index compared to control sites (p less
      than 0.05 or less, using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test). A disproportionately
      greater increase in erythema index than in laser-Doppler flow was seen in mild
      irritant reactions, compared to allergic, though the two could not be reliably
      distinguished by these tests. 2 non-allergic nickel sulphate sites produced an
      increase in both blood flow and erythema without any clinical change. Petrolatum
      alone produced no significant change in either measurement. The laser-Doppler
      flow showed an overall correlation with the erythema index (product moment
      method; r = 0.55, p less than 0.001), but there was little correlation between
      these indices and patch test reactivity as judged clinically by conventional
      scoring. Generally, allergic and irritant patch test reactions could not be
      differentiated on the basis of laser-Doppler flow or erythema index. However, the
      disproportionate increase in erythema index over laser-Doppler flow index for
      mild irritant responses warrants further study in other irritant models.

PMID- 1868700
TI  - A probable role for vaccines containing thimerosal in thimerosal
      hypersensitivity.
AB  - We patch tested 141 patients with 0.05% aq. thimerosal and 222 patients with
      0.05% aq. mercuric chloride, including 63 children. The frequency of positive
      patch test reactions to thimerosal was 16.3%. There was a marked preponderance in
      the young age groups after vaccination, while none of 36 infants (aged 3-48
      months) reacted to thimerosal. Positive reactions to mercuric chloride were found
      in 23 (10.4%) of 222 patients. We also sensitized guinea pigs with diphtheria
      pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine containing 0.01% thimerosal and succeeded in
      inducing hypersensitivity to thimerosal. From patch testing in humans and animal
      experiments, it is suggested that 0.01% thimerosal in vaccines can sensitize
      children, and that hypersensitivity to thimerosal is due to the thiosalicylic
      part of the molecule and correlates with photosensitivity to piroxicam.

PMID- 1868701
TI  - The loss of contact sensitization in man.
AB  - Little is yet known about the duration of contact sensitivity, but frequent
      exposure of a target to allergen seems to reduce skin reactivity. The aim of this
      study was to study the persistence of a specific contact sensitivity in 66
      patients with alopecia areata, previously sensitized to DNCB (31 patients) and
      SADBE (35 patients) between 1978-1985. Patch tests were performed with 0.020 ml
      of different concentrations of DNCB or SADBE in acetone (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.20%,
      1%). The results were read in a standardized manner. Of 66 patients, 47 (71%) had
      positive reactions and 19 (29%) negative. 8 of the 19 negative patients had been
      treated with DNCB, 11 with SADBE. Approximately 1/3 of the patients previously
      sensitized had lost their original sensitivity, and this did not seem to be time
      dependent. This phenomenon seemed to be clinically correlated because the
      majority of the patients were from the "low responders" group. We think that
      acquired unresponsiveness to topical antigen in man is a possible phenomenon, but
      that it occurs more rarely than in mice and guinea pigs.

PMID- 1868702
TI  - Sensitivity to thimerosal and photosensitivity to piroxicam.
AB  - 17 patients allergic to thimerosal, with no previous history of photosensitivity
      or piroxicam ingestion, 2 patients with piroxicam-induced photosensitivity, and
      10 controls were patch or photopatch tested, with 1 or more of the following:
      thimerosal, thiosalicylic acid, irradiated and non-irradiated solutions of
      piroxicam alone, L-cysteine alone and piroxicam plus L-cysteine, and piroxicam in
      petrolatum., The results of the tests supported the hypothesis that there are
      cross-reactions between thiosalicylic acid and prioxicam, a photosensitizer. The
      mechanism of the cross-reactions may involve photoproducts of piroxicam and L
      cysteine, as patients allergic to thiosalicylic acid, who have positive
      photopatch tests to piroxicam, also had positive patch tests to the irradiated
      solution of piroxicam plus L-cysteine.

PMID- 1868703
TI  - Tussockosis: an outbreak of dermatitis caused by tussock moths in Singapore.
AB  - An outbreak of acute pruritic rash occurred in March 1990 among 141 residents of
      a high-rise public housing estate in Bukit Panjang, Singapore. The typical rash
      consisted of urticarial lesions distributed over the limbs and trunk. The
      outbreak was associated with a transient increase in tussock moths in the
      residential estate following an unusual, short dry spell. The aetiology was
      established when patch tests with crude moth material produced similar eruptions
      in 5 out of 7 adult volunteers between 40 min and 12 h. Pharmacological
      experiments with an aqueous extract of moth hairs in isolated guinea pig ileum
      elicited a response similar to that induced by histamine.

PMID- 1868704
TI  - Contact sensitivity (allergic contact dermatitis) to bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide in
      mice.
AB  - Contact sensitivity (allergic contact dermatitis) to bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide
      (TBTO) was demonstrated in the mouse. TBTO (in an acetone:olive olive oil
      vehicle) or acetone:olive oil alone (as a control) were applied to the shaved
      flank under an occlusive patch and animals were challenged on the dorsum of the
      ear 6 days later. Ear swelling was then measured using an engineer's micrometer,
      2, 24, 48 or 72 h thereafter. Significant differences in ear swelling between
      control and TBTO-sensitized animals were found 24 h after challenge: thereafter
      the elicitation reaction declined rapidly whilst irritant swelling in control
      animals increased. Maximal elicitation of TBTO sensitivity could only be elicited
      by concentrations of TBTO that caused irritation. In a separate experiment, a
      single application of TBTO to the ears of naive animals provoked increase in
      auricular lymph node weight, cell yield and proliferation of lymph node cells
      during overnight culture. These data support the conclusion that TBTO is a
      contact sensitizer and illustrate the potential usefulness of the quantitative
      methods of contact sensitivity assessment which have been developed in the mouse.

PMID- 1868705
TI  - Ultrasound B scanning with image analysis for assessment of allergic patch test
      reactions.
AB  - Assessment of patch test results has been performed visually and using ultrasound
      in the B mode. A positive test site has a typical ultrasonographic appearance,
      presenting a uniform hypoechogenic area in the dermis. In this zone, the mean
      amplitude of ultrasound reflection peaks decreases, and the extension of this
      area increases, together with the intensity of the eczematous reaction. A close
      correlation has been shown between visual scoring, amplitude decrease and surface
      increase of the hypoechogenic area. This technique seems to provide a
      reproducible system for the evaluation of patch tests.

PMID- 1868706
TI  - Contact dermatitis from eugenol in mouthwash.

PMID- 1868707
TI  - Contact dermatitis from oak moss.

PMID- 1868708
TI  - Allergic contact conjunctivitis without eyelid involvement.

PMID- 1868709
TI  - Pigmented photoallergic contact dermatitis from musk ambrette.

PMID- 1868710
TI  - Allergic contact dermatitis from Codivilla's spring.

PMID- 1868711
TI  - Contact dermatitis from nickel and cobalt in a contact lens cleaning solution.

PMID- 1868712
TI  - Hydrangenol, a strong contact sensitizer found in hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.;
      Hydrangeaceae).

PMID- 1868713
TI  - Quantification of irritant contact dermatitis in vivo: comparison of the
      Dermatest system with the evaporimeter.

PMID- 1868714
TI  - Patch testing with fragrance-mix and its constituents: discrepancies are largely
      due to the presence or absence of sorbitan sesquioleate.

PMID- 1868715
TI  - Patch testing with amalgam at various concentrations.
AB  - 27 patients with positive D3 reactions on patch testing to 3 mercury screening
      allergens were patch tested with 13 mercury patch test preparations, 6 inorganic
      and 7 organic, and amalgam 20% pet. The 13 patients (all women) showing positive
      reactions to 20% amalgam were then patch tested to reducing concentrations. 2
      patients reacted down to 1%, 4 down to 2%, 4 down to 5%, 2 down to 10% and 1 only
      to 20%, a total of 10 of the 13 patients therefore reacting to the 5%
      concentration of amalgam. The appropriate patch test concentration of amalgam is
      discussed and the clinical significance and female preponderance of amalgam
      reactivity suggested as being worthy of further investigation.

PMID- 1868716
TI  - Patch test responses to rockwool of different diameters evaluated by cutaneous
      blood flow measurement.
AB  - Rockwool is a man-made mineral fiber used mainly for insulation, which can cause
      mechanical skin irritation. This study was performed to evaluate the irritant
      potential of rockwools of different diameters and to compare the change of blood
      flow, measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, at different patch test occlusion
      times with rockwools. Rockwool A (mean diameter 4.20 +/- 1.96 mu) was more
      irritating than rockwool B (mean diameter 3.20 +/- 1.5 mu). The difference was
      more clearly observed in a 48-h patch test than in an 8-h or 24-h test. We
      concluded that laser Doppler blood flow measurement was a useful experimental
      tool for the evaluation of irritant patch test responses to mechanical irritants
      like rockwool, and that 48 h or more of occlusion time was necessary to produce
      irritant patch test responses to certain types of rockwool.

PMID- 1868717
TI  - alpha-Peroxyachifolid and other new sensitizing sesquiterpene lactones from
      yarrow (Achillea millefolium L., Compositae).
AB  - Yarrow, Achillea millefolium L., is one of the commonest weeds of the Compositae
      family. Cases of allergic contact dermatitis have been described since 1899.
      Although 10 sesquiterpene lactones (SL) and 3 polyines have previously been
      identified, the sensitizers of yarrow have escaped detection. A reinvestigation
      of short ether extracts of yarrow revealed the presence of 5 unsaturated hitherto
      unknown guaianolides of peroxide character. The main SL, identified as a strong
      sensitizer in guinea pig sensitization experiments, was named alpha
      peroxyachifolid. The minor SL also contribute marginally to the sensitizing
      capacity, while other known yarrow constituents like dehydromatricaria ester and
      pontica epoxide appear to play no role. A 5-year follow-up (1985-1990) of
      Compositae-sensitive patients showed that more than 50% reacted when tested with
      a short ether extract of yarrow. Exacerbation of the patch test sites by
      irradiation with UV light was never observed.

PMID- 1868719
TI  - Allergic contact dermatitis from non-diglycidyl-ether-of-bisphenol-A epoxy
      resins.
AB  - In addition to previously presented patients with allergic contact dermatitis
      from cycloaliphatic epoxy resins (ERs), during 1974-1990, we have seen 4 patients
      with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by products containing uncured non
      diglycidyl-ether-of-bisphenol-A ER. The patients were negative on patch testing
      with the standard ER based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA-ER). The
      following non-DGEBA-ERs were included in the causative agents: heterocyclic
      dimethylhydantoin ER, phenol novolak ER, and brominated ER. We were unable to
      specify the type of ER in an epoxy primer used by the 4th patient. Apart from the
      ACD caused by the brominated ER, 1 of the patients also had IgE-mediated
      occupational rhinitis caused by methyl hexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA), an
      epoxy hardener. The diagnosis was verified by positive prick tests and specific
      IgE determinations with MHHPA. Intense rhinitis evoked by a bronchial challenge
      with MHHPA confirmed the diagnosis. We stress the importance of performing patch
      testing with the relevant epoxy resins to which the patient has been exposed, in
      addition to patch testing with the standard ER.

PMID- 1868718
TI  - Allergic contact dermatitis from para-tertiary-butylphenol-formaldehyde resin
      (PTBP-FR) in athletic tape and leather adhesive.
AB  - 4 girls with severe allergic contact dermatitis from a brand of athletic tape and
      a cobbler with allergic contact dermatitis from leather adhesive are presented.
      Alkylphenol resin with unknown chemical structure had been compounded in both
      products. One of the girls developed foot dermatitis later from the adhesive used
      on the inside of new sneakers. By patch testing and chemical analysis of
      alkylphenol resin and the products, the 5 patients were given a specific
      diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis from PTBP-FR.

PMID- 1868720
TI  - Contact dermatitis from geraniol in Bulgarian rose oil.

PMID- 1868721
TI  - Imidazolidinyl urea (Germall 115) should be patch tested in water.

PMID- 1868722
TI  - Bone-setter's herbs dermatitis in Hong Kong.

PMID- 1868723
TI  - Formaldehyde-induced anaphylaxis after dental treatment?

PMID- 1868724
TI  - Generalized dermatitis due to an osteosynthesis screw.

PMID- 1868725
TI  - Contact depigmentation by adhesive material of bindi.

PMID- 1868726
TI  - Allergic contact cheilitis from toothpastes.

PMID- 1868727
TI  - Contact dermatitis due to incense.

PMID- 1868728
TI  - Allergic reaction of the oral mucosa in a patient with a synthetic denture.

PMID- 1868729
TI  - Contact allergy to oil of turpentine: a 10-year retrospective view. Contact
      Dermatitis Research Group in Comecon Countries.

PMID- 1868730
TI  - Compositae dermatitis aggravated by eating lettuce.

PMID- 1868731
TI  - Oral contraceptives and neoplasia: an introduction.

PMID- 1868732
TI  - Oral contraceptives and neoplasia of the ovary.
AB  - Epidemiologic literature on oral contraceptives in relation to primary ovarian
      cancer is reviewed. Compared to women who have never used oral contraceptives,
      women who have ever taken oral contraceptives have about a 30% reduction in risk
      for epithelial ovarian cancer, and five or more years of use is associated with a
      50% reduction in risk. The protective effect of oral contraceptives persists for
      ten or more years after use is discontinued, and becomes apparent several years
      after beginning use. Effects of oral contraceptives are similar for malignant and
      borderline malignant epithelial ovarian cancer. Reduced risks among oral
      contraceptive users have been observed for all major histologic subtypes of
      epithelial ovarian cancer, and for women from developed and developing countries.
      Risk estimates for epithelial ovarian cancer in relation to oral contraceptive
      use stratified by age at diagnosis or parity are not uniform across studies. No
      consistent protective effect is apparent for non-epithelial ovarian tumors or
      benign ovarian tumors, including teratomas and cystadenomas, although limited
      data are available on the relationship between oral contraceptives and these
      neoplasms. Several areas for future research are described.

PMID- 1868733
TI  - Oral contraceptives and neoplasia of the uterine corpus.
AB  - Effects of oral contraception on neoplasia of the uterine corpus are reviewed on
      the basis of epidemiologic studies reported to date. A duration-related
      protective effect against endometrial cancer occurs from use of combined oral
      contraceptives, those in which each active pill contains both estrogen and
      progestogen. The risk before age 60 years is reduced by about 38% with two years
      of use; use of combined OCs for 4, 8, and 12 years, respectively, confers an
      estimated 51%, 64%, and 70% reduction in endometrial cancer risk. The protective
      effect appears not to be diminished by discontinued use, even 15 or more years
      after stopping. Whether protection continues throughout the entire postmenopausal
      period, even in the presence of long-term hormone replacement therapy, remains to
      be seen. Use of combined OCs may protect against uterine leiomyomas ("fibroids"),
      but the evidence is not conclusive. The few findings about effects of oral
      contraception on the risk of adenomatous hyperplasia are of uncertain validity.
      Only one study, with few patients, has considered oral contraception in relation
      to uterine sarcomas.

PMID- 1868734
TI  - Oral contraceptives and cervical neoplasia.
AB  - Although initial studies examining the relationship of oral contraceptives to
      risk of cervical neoplasia were reassuring, more recent studies provide some
      evidence of a positive relationship, particularly for long-term usage. Results,
      however, are difficult to interpret, because of a variety of methodologic
      complexities, including potential sources of confounding and bias. Sexual
      behavior and Pap smear screening have been identified as important confounders,
      but in several well-controlled studies residual excess risks of nearly 2-fold
      persist for users of 5 or more years. A possible promotional effect of oral
      contraceptives is suggested by higher risks associated with recent usage. There
      also is some suggestion of a stronger effect for adenocarcinomas than for
      squamous cell tumors. A relationship is biologically possible, given findings of
      hormone receptors in cervical tissue and the fact that oral contraceptives have
      been found to induce cervical hyperplasia. In addition, oral contraceptives may
      induce proliferation of the human papillomaviruses, the leading suspect agent for
      cervical cancer. Although a number of lines of evidence support a relationship of
      oral contraceptives to cervical cancer risk, firm conclusions await the results
      of additional studies that specifically address some of the methodologic
      shortcomings of previous investigations. In particular, additional follow-up
      studies are needed to define the effect of oral contraceptives on the natural
      history of cervical lesions.

PMID- 1868735
TI  - Oral contraceptives and breast cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature.
AB  - Oral contraceptives have caused little or no overall increase in risk of breast
      cancer in women in developed countries, even in long-term users or after more
      than two decades since initial exposure. Limited evidence suggests a possible
      small increase in risk in users of oral contraceptives in developing countries,
      and further studies of breast cancer and oral contraceptives in low risk
      populations are warranted. Oral contraceptives may enhance risk of breast cancer
      in young women with a history of benign breast disease, and this possibility
      should also be investigated further. Multiple investigations have fairly
      consistently shown risk of breast cancer in women under age 45 years to be
      increased slightly in long-term users of oral contraceptives. Further studies
      should be conducted to elucidate the mechanism of this apparent phenomenon.

PMID- 1868736
TI  - Oral contraceptives and skin neoplasia.
AB  - A possible association between oral contraception and the development of
      cutaneous melanoma has been raised largely because of the hyperpigmentation of
      pregnancy and the effect pregnancy may have on the outcome of established
      disease. Present evidence suggests there is no causal link between oral
      contraceptive (OC) use and melanoma (or with benign melanocytic nevi), nor has a
      specific subgroup of women or subtype of melanoma been consistently implicated as
      being at increased risk of this disease due to use of OCs.

PMID- 1868737
TI  - The association of oral contraception with kidney cancer, colon cancer,
      gallbladder cancer (including extrahepatic bile duct cancer) and pituitary
      tumours.
AB  - This paper reviews the evidence for a relationship between oral contraceptive use
      and certain neoplasms: cancers of the kidney, colon and gallbladder (including
      the extrahepatic bile ducts) and tumours (benign or malignant) of the pituitary.
      Special reference is made to controlled epidemiological studies, both case
      control and cohort. There is no convincing evidence that oral contraceptive use
      is causally related, either negatively or positively, to any of the tumours
      studied.

PMID- 1868738
TI  - The WHO Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid Contraceptives: the
      influence of combined oral contraceptives on risk of neoplasms in developing and
      developed countries.
AB  - A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in eight developing and three
      developed countries to determine whether use of combined oral contraceptives
      alters risks of various cancers. An observed trend of increasing risk of invasive
      cervical cancer with duration of use may not represent a causal relationship and
      is the subject of further study. Decreased risks of ovarian and endometrial
      carcinomas in users likely indicate a protective effect of oral contraceptives,
      the degree of which was similar in developing and developed countries. A small
      increase in risk of breast cancer in recent and current users was found to be
      somewhat greater in developing than developed countries. Both causal and non
      causal interpretations of this finding have been offered. No associations were
      found between oral contraceptives and in situ cervical, hepatocellular,
      cholangio, or gallbladder carcinomas, or uterine sarcomas; but the power of this
      study to detect alterations in risks of these neoplasms in long-term users was
      low.

PMID- 1868739
TI  - Stress erosive gastritis.
AB  - Bleeding from stress erosive gastritis continues to be a potential problem in
      critically ill and injured patients, but fortunately its incidence has decreased
      dramatically over the last decade. The explanation for this circumstance is
      probably multifactorial, but clearly relates to our increased knowledge of its
      pathophysiology. This understanding has led to the routine use of measures to
      reduce intragastric acidity (luminal acid being a prerequisite for stress ulcer
      to occur), coupled with improved techniques for the treatment of shock and the
      accompanying gastric mucosal hypoperfusion (another prerequisite for the
      formation of stress ulcers). A number of measures have been used to lower
      intragastric acidity with H2 receptor blockers emerging as the agents of choice
      to accomplish this goal. In the unlikely event that bleeding occurs despite these
      prophylactic measures, aggressive medical management will result in cessation of
      hemorrhage in over 80% of patients. In those few individuals requiring surgery to
      control bleeding, no operation has emerged as the recognized procedure of choice.
      Thus, we believe that a conservative operative approach is indicated in this
      setting and recommend vagotomy and pyloroplasty with oversewing of the bleeding
      erosions as appropriate therapy for most patients requiring surgical
      intervention.

PMID- 1868740
TI  - Safety of epichlorhydrin-treated cornstarch powder for surgical gloves: relevance
      to epoxy-resin-sensitized persons.

PMID- 1868741
TI  - A dermatologic diary. Portrait of a practice.

PMID- 1868742
TI  - Lice infestation.

PMID- 1868743
TI  - Oral acyclovir for chickenpox.
AB  - We report on our experience with acyclovir (Zovirax) capsules for the symptomatic
      treatment of chickenpox in two children and an adult.

PMID- 1868744
TI  - Proliferating trichilemmal cyst in an organoid nevus.
AB  - An unusual tumor mass of the scalp found in an elderly woman is presented. This
      lesion had many features simulating a verrucous squamous cell carcinoma of the
      scalp. Pathologic findings eventually revealed the tumor mass to be a
      proliferating trichilemmal cyst. Differentiation between a benign and malignant
      process in these lesions can sometimes be difficult. Clinical as well as
      histopathologic evaluation is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.

PMID- 1868745
TI  - Congenital giant pigmented nevus presenting in one identical twin.
AB  - A case of congenital giant pigmented nevus in only one of identical twins
      confirmed by results of DNA print marker testing is discussed. The benign lesion
      was removed by serial excision over a five-year period, with excellent results.
      Current concepts in pathogenesis and genetics are reviewed. We conclude that
      there is evidence for both genetic and nongenetic causes of congenital giant
      pigmented nevi.

PMID- 1868746
TI  - Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia: a case report.
AB  - A case of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia occurring in a thirty
      nine-year-old woman is described. Examination of an excisional biopsy specimen
      showed typical changes of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia.
      Dermatologists should be aware of this benign vascular disorder, since it
      resembles a low-grade angiosarcoma.

PMID- 1868747
TI  - White forelock in Marfan's syndrome: an unusual association, with review of the
      literature.
AB  - The cutaneous expression of Marfan's syndrome is generally limited to striae
      distensae and a number of uncommon associations with other dermatologic
      disorders. To date, there have been no reported cases of hair or nail
      abnormalities accompanying this disorder. We describe a patient with Marfan's
      syndrome who presented with an acquired white forelock and we review the
      literature on the association of poliosis with various entities.

PMID- 1868748
TI  - Naftifine gel in the treatment of tinea pedis: two double-blind, multicenter
      studies. Naftifine Gel Study Group.
AB  - Three hundred and sixteen patients with a diagnosis of tinea pedis were evaluated
      in two multicenter, double-blind randomized studies. One hundred and fifty-nine
      patients applied naftifine gel 1 percent and 157 applied gel vehicle to affected
      areas twice daily for four weeks. At the end of treatment, the naftifine-treated
      groups had higher mycologic cure rates (66 percent and 63 percent) than the
      respective vehicle-treated groups (34 percent and 27 percent, p is less than 0.01
      and p is less than 0.001). The rate of global improvement in patients' conditions
      and the reduction in the incidence and severity of most signs and symptoms was
      greater for naftifine-treated patients in both studies. The results of these
      studies indicate that twice-daily use of naftifine gel 1 percent is safe and
      significantly more effective than vehicle in the treatment of tinea pedis.

PMID- 1868749
TI  - Effects of aluminium salts on bone marrow chromosomes in rats in vivo.
AB  - Oral administration of aluminium sulphate to laboratory bred Rattus norvegicus
      for prolonged period induced dose dependent inhibition of dividing cells and an
      increase in chromosomal aberrations. The effect was not influenced by the
      duration of exposure. The toxicity of the two salts, aluminium sulphate and
      potassium aluminium sulphate, did not differ significantly at doses in which the
      metal contents were kept constant.

PMID- 1868750
TI  - Alpha/beta inversion of the Euplotes and Oxytricha tubulins.
AB  - Immunoblotting studies, using a polyclonal antibody specific for the alpha
      tubulin of ciliates and an anti-beta-tubulin monoclonal antibody, demonstrated
      that the tubulins of the ciliates Euplotes and Oxytricha show alpha/beta
      inversion although less accentuated than that observed in Paramecium and
      Tetrahymena. Results suggest that (a) the alpha/beta inversion may be a common
      characteristic within the Phylum Ciliophora; and (b) the electrophoretic
      behaviour of the alpha-tubulin may be useful for establishing evolutionary
      relatedness between the ciliates.

PMID- 1868751
TI  - Pulmonary clearance of 99mTc-DTPA. An index of alveolar epithelial permeability.

PMID- 1868752
TI  - Prophylaxis of postoperative thromboembolism.

PMID- 1868753
TI  - Prostaglandins in adipose tissue--with special reference to triglyceride
      metabolism.

PMID- 1868754
TI  - Insulin receptor binding and action in human adipocytes. A critical approach to
      methods, correlations with receptor binding to other cell types, and relations
      between insulin binding and action.
AB  - Since the beginning of the seventies, studies of the cellular mechanisms behind
      insulin resistance in man have included studies of insulin receptor binding and
      insulin action in isolated cells. In the first studies, only measurements of
      insulin binding to circulating blood cells (mononuclear cells and erythrocytes)
      were possible. In these studies it was thus necessary to anticipate that insulin
      binding to these cells was representative for binding to target cells for insulin
      (adipocytes, hepatocytes, muscle cells). Later, studies of the human adipocyte
      became available. In the isolated human adipocyte it was possible to measure both
      insulin binding and the action of insulin on glucose transport and on the
      intracellular glucose processing. Immediately, it was observed that receptor
      binding to the different cell types was not always comparable. Moreover, the
      relationship between fat cell insulin binding and action was not always
      straightforward. Because fat tissue is only responsible for a small fraction of
      total glucose uptake, it is not possible to know whether changes in insulin
      binding and action in this tissue is representative for changes in the total
      organism. In the present review these problems have been elucidated by studies of
      patients with insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In
      chapter one, the methods used in the clinical studies are reviewed. The precision
      (intraassay variability) and reproducibility (intraperson variability) has been
      measured for all insulin receptor assays. It was found that the earlier used
      assay for mononuclear cells was improved by using a pure monocyte assay, because
      precision as well as reproducibility was improved. On the other hand, these
      values were considerably poorer than those found for the other cell types. The
      precision was 0.09, 0.04, and 0.04 for monocytes, erythrocytes and adipocytes,
      respectively. The reproducibility was 0.19, 0.06 and 0.11. In order to be able to
      measure comparability between insulin binding to the above mentioned cell types
      and hepatocytes, methods for measurement of insulin binding to these cell types
      from swine have been developed. These studies showed that insulin binding to
      swine cells have many similarities to that of human cells whereas several
      dissimilarities were seen between insulin binding to rat and human cells. Thus,
      it is surmised that swine cells are more suitable than rat cells concerning
      insulin receptor binding and action studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868755
TI  - Calbindin-D of human small intestine and kidney. Purification, molecular
      properties and clinical significance.

PMID- 1868756
TI  - Ankylosing spondylitis--education, employment and invalidity.
AB  - Two hundred forty-eight patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
      completed a questionnaire about the social impact of the disease. Of the 84% who
      replied to the questions about employment status, 118 patients were employed full
      time. The ability to manage full-time employment was reduced in 41 patients.
      Eighty-five patients indicated that they had changed occupation or educational
      status as a cause of AS; 46 of these later experienced a more progressive course,
      which reduced their working capacity, and 31 retired as invalids. Despite the
      long-term morbidity with gradual loss of functional capacity, 85% were still able
      to work after more than 20 years of illness. If we pay more attention to initial
      symptoms related to AS, delay in the diagnosis of AS could be decreased and
      social instability avoided by guidance in education and light occupations.

PMID- 1868757
TI  - Fusidic acid for Behcet's colitis: a novel approach to T-cell specific
      immunosuppressive therapy.
AB  - A 33-year-old patient suffered from recurring Beh,cet's colitis despite treatment
      with corticosteroids and later cyclosporin. The patient was then successfully
      shifted from cyclosporin, a T-cell specific immunosuppressant, to fusidic acid
      treatment (500 mg t.i.d.). During fusidic acid treatment, he went into complete
      remission, and his prednisolone dose could be reduced from 30 to 5 mg/day. The
      case report substantiates recent in vitro data indicating that fusidic acid has a
      similar effect on T-cell function as cyclosporin. It is suggested that the effect
      of fusidic acid in other chronic immunoinflammatory diseases should be examined.

PMID- 1868758
TI  - Anxiety in voluntary HIV-antibody testing in pregnancy and its implications for
      preventive strategies.
AB  - During a three-month period in 1989, 820 pregnant women attending the antenatal
      clinic of the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, were offered a HIV-antibody
      test and asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about attitudes to HIV
      antibody testing; 779 (95.0%) agreed to do so. One hundred and fifty-six women
      (20.0% of the participants) had been tested on a previous occasion, and 629
      (80.7%) accepted the present offer to be tested. The most prevalent reasons to
      decline testing were indifference to the epidemic (45.3% of those declining),
      refusal of (further) blood testing (34.7%) and fear of being infected (16.7%).
      Women who consented to be tested most often expressed fear of being infected
      (21.8%). Fear of registration worried less than 5% of study group members; only
      1% declined to be tested because of such worry. The pattern of worries expressed
      by the pregnant women is interpreted as one of anxiety and, in part at least,
      perplexity as concerns how to take rational consequences of public messages about
      the HIV epidemic. It is suggested that future surveillance be based primarily on
      voluntary testing and, whenever needed and possible, supplied with anonymous
      unlinked testing of existing blood samples from groups and persons declining to
      be tested. Such surveillance strategies should be supported in individual patient
      contacts and public health educational campaigns underscoring the risk of
      heterosexual transmission of HIV and the need for repeated HIV-antibody testing
      of selected groups and individuals.

PMID- 1868759
TI  - [Altered monoamine metabolism in children with epilepsy].
AB  - Tryptophan (Trp), 5-HTP, 5-HT, 5-HIAA, HVA, and MHPG in CSF and total Trp(T-Trp),
      free Trp(F-Trp) and serotonin in serum were determined in 80 children with
      epilepsy and also in a control group. It was found that Trp, 5-HT, 5-HIAA in CSF
      and F-Trp in blood decreased in children with epilepsy. But the decrease of F-Trp
      was not the main cause of decreased 5-HT metabolism, because the no positive
      correlations among the four substances were found. Each of them returned to
      normal levels after the treatment with phenytoin or valproate. 5-HT concentration
      was negatively correlated with the frequency of the epilepsy episodes. 5-HIAA and
      HVA levels were relatively higher in the epileptics with brain damage as with
      compared with those who had no brain damage. The MHPG level was higher in the
      patients simple partial seizures. Complex partial epileptics and those patients
      receiving antiepileptic drugs had a lower serum T-Trp level. T-Trp was negatively
      correlated with the serum valproate concentration. Both T-Trp and F-Trp levels
      decreased in the patients treated with phenytoin.

PMID- 1868760
TI  - [Appropriate dosage for maintaining effective serum level at night after taking
      one dose of magnesium valproate with separate measurements of serum Mg++
      concentration].
AB  - Gas chromatography was used for monitoring the serum valproate (VPA) levels in 33
      epileptic adults. They were divided into 3 groups treated with Mg-VPA in dosage
      of 800 mg, 600 mg and 400mg respectively at 7 pm in an attempt to find out an
      appropriate dosage with which the effective serum level could be maintained in
      the night time for those patients with only nocturnal seizures. It was shown that
      from the beginning of the treatment with a dosing regimen of 800 mg as well as
      one week after the treatment with a dosing regimen of 600 mg at 7 pm each day,
      the serum VPA levels of more than 50 micrograms/ml throughout the night could be
      procurred. The serum Mg++ concentrations of 20 normal and 24 epileptic adults
      were measured with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The serum Mg++
      concentrations were found to be within normal values (2.0-3.0 mg%). The
      differences of the data obtained from these measurements between the normal and
      epileptic adults as well as those before and after the treatment were
      statistically insignificant.

PMID- 1868761
TI  - [Comparison of three kinds of diagnostic criteria for neurosis].
AB  - In order to compare utilizable value of three kinds of neurotic criteria, we made
      of diagnosis study of 139 neurotics by criteria of neurotic epidemiological
      investigation. The diagnostic criteria of Chinese expert Xu Youxin' for several
      types of neurosis and diagnosis criteria of the Chinese medical association for
      neurosis respectively. The result showed that consistent rate of diagnosis used
      three kinds of diagnostic criteria was 73.38 per cent. It suggested that criteria
      studied was acceptive, especially for neurosis diagnosis of the Chinese medical
      association. A further study is needed which is useful to improve its sensitivity
      and specifity for diagnosis of neurosis.

PMID- 1868763
TI  - [Clinical features and imaging findings of posterior cerebral artery infarction].
AB  - The clinical features and imaging findings of posterior cerebral artery
      infarction (PCAI) in 18 cases verified by CT scan and/or MRI, DSA, SPECT were
      reported, and their interrelation were analyzed. It was found that the main
      clinical feature of PCAI was visual defect with amnesia syndrome, the lesion was
      predominant in the right hemisphere. In examining the structure and function of
      brain and vessels, each of CT, MRI, ECT and DSA had its own advantage and might
      complement the others, CT and MRI were better in displaying the structure of
      cerebral parenchyma than ECT and DSA, whereas, MRI was superior in distinguishing
      the lesions in deep white matter and subtentorial region. DSA was better than MRI
      and CT in displaying vascular structure, but was inferior in disclosing the
      occlusion of deep perforating branches or cortical arterioles. ECT, besides its
      ability to show the morphological changes of brain, was mainly used to disclose
      the functional changes of cerebral parenchyma, being a method to make early
      diagnosis for CVD. However, ECT was inferior than MRI and CT, in displaying
      lacunar infarction and lesions of brain-stem.

PMID- 1868762
TI  - [Effect of chronic antiplatelet treatment on platelet activating factor-induced
      platelet activity in stroke].
AB  - The effect of chronic antiplatelet treatment on PAF--induced platelet
      aggregation, ATP--release, and cytoplasmic ionized calcium was studied in 20
      acute ischemic stroke patients. Chronic antiplatelet treatment failed to suppress
      these PAF--induced platelet responses. We speculate that selective PAF
      antagonists may be useful in suppressing PAF--induced platelet activation, and
      thereby possibly improve the treatment of stroke.

PMID- 1868764
TI  - [Deleterious effects of calcium on the pathogenesis of ischemic brain damage].
AB  - Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, we measured the regional distribution of
      tissue Ca++ contents of 24 rabbit brains sampled at 2,4,24 and 48 hours after the
      occlusion of Middle Cerebral Artery (MCAo) with accompanying histopathological
      examinations with 10 controls. At 2 hours after MCAo, brain tissue Ca++
      concentration increased significantly (P less than 0.005) in the ischemic
      territory and increased further with times, far preceding the detectable
      pathological findings termed necrosis, which appeared at 12 hours after MCAo. It
      seems most probable that the deleterious effects of calcium play an important
      role in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain damage.

PMID- 1868765
TI  - [An analysis of regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) in 120 patients with
      cerebrovascular disease].
AB  - The rCBF in a group of 120 patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) diagnosed
      clinically as well as with CT scans and a group of 120 healthy subjects as
      controls was measured with the 133Xenon inhalation method. The result showed that
      the rCBF of the CVD group was significantly lower than that of the control group
      (P less than 0.01). The tally rate between the rCBF reduction areas and the
      lesion sites was 85 per cent. The areas of rCBF reduction measured with 133Xenon
      inhalation were larger than the extents of the lesions shown by CT scans in 47
      cases of cerebral infarction. The rCBF reductions of bilateral cerebral
      hemispheres were found in 16 cases of cerebral infarction. The average
      hemispheric rCBF obviously decreased in 12 cases of multiple cerebral infarction
      with dementia, but showed no decrease of rCBF in 18 cases of small focal cerebral
      infarction.

PMID- 1868766
TI  - [Genetic factor in arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction].
AB  - The family information from a group of patients with arteriosclerotic cerebral
      infarction and their matched controls is reported. The prevalence rate for
      arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction in the first-degree relatives of the cases
      was higher than that in the first-degree relatives of the controls. The
      heritability was estimated as 41 +/- 7%. No significant difference of
      heritability between males and females was found. The subgroup of less than 65
      years of age was most closely associated with genetic factor in the three
      subgroups. These results suggest that genetic factor plays an important role in
      the etiology of arteriosclerotic cerebral infarction, especially in those with
      middle ages of onset.

PMID- 1868767
TI  - [Clinical significance of the changes in interpeak latency of brainstem auditory
      evoked potentials in patients with cerebellopontine angle tumors].
AB  - Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were recorded and studied in 21 cases
      of cerebellopontine angle tumors (CPATs) identified with CT/operations. 111
      healthy volunteers with 207 normal hearing ears served as controls. In the main
      the results indicated that there was an average significant increase of the III-V
      IPL in comparison with the III-V/I-III IPL on contralateral side. This finding
      suggested that as a result of its displacement of the brainstem to the opposite
      side, stem from the contralateral bony structure, when CPAT was suspected. Since
      individual variations exist especially in aged persons, interpretation in
      clinical practice had still to be individualized.

PMID- 1868768
TI  - [Crow-Fukase syndrome. A report of 2 cases].
AB  - Two cases of crow-fukase syndrome were reported. Both cases showed the
      characteristic polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinologic disturbances and skin
      involvement. There was no evident response to cortico--steroid therapy.

PMID- 1868769
TI  - [Topographic electroencephalography and its clinical application].

PMID- 1868770
TI  - [Brain SPECT, CT and EEG in 45 cases of epilepsy during the intermission].
AB  - The regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) in 45 cases of epilepsy during the
      interictal period were determined with brain SPECT. The results were compared
      those obtained with CT scans and EEG. 48.89% of the SPECT were found to be
      abnormal while 8.98% were suspected to be abnormal; the 35.71% of the CT scans
      were found to be abnormal; 16 cases (39.02%) were found to show focal
      abnormalities in the EEG while 9 cases (21.95%) had epileptic form discharge.
      SPECT seemed to show more significance in discovering the abnormalities in the
      epileptics during the interictal period than CT or EEG. However, the combined use
      of these three methods of examinations would be of greater help for identifying
      the focal abnormalities in epilepsy. Two of the 22 cases with abnormal SPECT had
      increased rCBF, whereas the other 20 cases had decreased rCBF. Among the 22 cases
      of abnormal SPECT and 4 cases of suspected abnormalities, the locations of the
      lesions as indicated with SPECT in 3 cases were not consistent with those as with
      CT. There were 5 cases in which the SPECT findings were not consistent with those
      in EEG.

PMID- 1868771
TI  - Hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
AB  - Hypersensitivity pneumonitis or extrinsic allergic alveolitis is an
      immunologically mediated lung disease caused by repeated inhalations of organic
      antigens. The basic histologic lesion consists of a diffuse mononuclear cell
      infiltration of alveolar wall, alveoli, terminal bronchioles, and neighboring
      interstitium. The inflammation is often followed by granulomas, which then may
      progress to fibrosis. Although there is no single radiologic, physiologic, or
      immunologic test specific for hypersensitivity pneumonitis, the diagnosis can
      often be suspected on the basis of a compatible temporal relationship of
      pulmonary symptoms to the history of environmental or occupational exposure. Once
      the diagnosis is suspected, the presence of serum precipitating antibodies (IgG),
      suppressor cytotoxic lymphocytosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and
      granulomatous alveolitis in lung biopsy specimens are extremely helpful in
      confirming the diagnosis. In patients where the diagnosis is confirmed, avoidance
      of the causative antigen is the best therapy, although corticosteroids are used
      to suppress inflammation. Once the fibrosis is set in, the patient may gradually
      slide into respiratory failure, cor pulmonale, and death.

PMID- 1868772
TI  - [The possible participation of brain peptidases in regulating the memory function
      during aging].

PMID- 1868773
TI  - [Reactive changes in the dendrites of cortical neurons].

PMID- 1868774
TI  - [The specific effect of subthreshold concentrations of the smell of a
      cardiotropic substance].

PMID- 1868775
TI  - Drug disposition in the mammalian eye and brain: a comparison of mechanisms.

PMID- 1868776
TI  - Metabolism of nicotine.

PMID- 1868777
TI  - Effect of microcirculatory heterogeneity on the determination of pharmacokinetic
      parameters: implications for risk assessment.

PMID- 1868778
TI  - Drug metabolism and liver disease in India.

PMID- 1868779
TI  - Mechanisms of metal transport across liver cell plasma membranes.
AB  - The liver's pivotal role in the homeostasis of essential trace metals and
      detoxification of exogenous metals is attributed to its ability to efficiently
      extract metals from plasma, metabolize, store, and redistribute them in various
      forms either into bile or back into the bloodstream. Bidirectional transport
      across the sinusoidal plasma membrane allows the liver to control plasma
      concentrations and therefore availability to other tissues. In contrast,
      transport across the canalicular membrane is largely, but not exclusively,
      unidirectional and is a major excretory pathway. Although each metal has
      relatively distinct hepatic transport characteristics, some generalizations can
      be made. First, movement of metals from plasma to bile follows primarily a
      transcellular route. The roles of the paracellular pathway and of ductular
      secretion appear minimal. Second, intracellular binding proteins and in
      particular metallothionein play only indirect roles in transmembrane flux. The
      amounts of metallothionein normally secreted into plasma and bile are quite small
      and cannot account for total metal efflux. Third, metals traverse liver cell
      plasma membranes largely by facilitated diffusion, and by fluid-phase,
      adsorptive, and receptor-mediated endocytosis/exocytosis. There is currently no
      evidence for primary active transport. Because of the high rate of hepatocellular
      membrane turnover, metal transport via endocytic vesicles probably makes a larger
      contribution than previously recognized. Finally, there is significant overlap in
      substrate specificity on the putative membrane carriers for the essential trace
      metals. For example, zinc and copper share many transport characteristics and
      apparently compete for at least one common transport pathway. Similarly,
      canalicular transport of five of the metals discussed in this overview (Cu, Zn,
      Cd, Hg, and Pb) is linked to biliary GSH excretion. These metals may be
      transported as GSH complexes by the canalicular glutathione transport system(s).
      Unfortunately, none of the putative membrane carrier proteins have been studied
      at the subcellular or molecular level. Our knowledge of their biochemical
      properties is rudimentary and rests almost entirely on indirect evidence obtained
      in vivo or in intact cell systems. The challenge for the future is to isolate and
      characterize these putative metal carriers, and to determine how they are
      functionally regulated.

PMID- 1868780
TI  - Analysis of organotin uptake in Escherichia coli K-12.
AB  - The effect of tributyltin chloride (TBT) was potentiated by the presence of Tris
      ions in the growth medium compared with phosphate ions. The growth of Escherichia
      coli in the presence of Tris ions was inhibited completely at a concentration of
      25 microM TBT whereas 79% growth was recorded in the presence of phosphate ions.
      Tris ions caused more protein to be released into the medium than phosphate ions.
      However, apart from protein release the rate of organotin uptake was less in Tris
      than in phosphate ions. Phosphate ions may play a positive role in the active
      accumulation of organotin into E. coli cells by providing cellular energy.

PMID- 1868781
TI  - Laboratory toxicity of potential blackfly larvicides on some African fish species
      in the Onchocerciasis Control Programme area.
AB  - The Onchocerciasis Control Programme of the World Health Organization uses
      larvicides to fight against the aquatic stages of the vector Simulium damnosum
      s.l., and thereby interrupt transmission of the disease. Since the appearance of
      resistance to Abate and chlorphoxim in certain cytotypes of the vector, the
      efficacy of many possible replacement insecticides has been tested and the impact
      of the best of them (permethrin, cyphenothrin, pyraclofos, and carbosulfan) on
      the aquatic fauna evaluated.

PMID- 1868782
TI  - A comparative study of genotype sensitivity to acute toxic stress using clones of
      Daphnia magna straus.
AB  - The genetic typing of laboratory strains of Daphnia magna revealed that although
      there are genetic differences between different testing laboratory strains, most
      laboratories culture single genotypes as clones. A comparative study was made of
      the performance of five of the more common clones in terms of neonate mortality
      under acute exposure to nine toxic chemicals. The range in clonal EC50 response
      was from less than one to more than two orders of magnitude in terms of
      concentration. Surprisingly, there was little pattern in rank order of response
      of clones exposed to different toxicants, thus suggesting that genotype
      environment interactions were predominating. Nevertheless, it was suggested that
      specifying the genotype used in D. magna toxicity tests will result in increased
      test repeatability. Evidence indicating that culture environment may also
      significantly affect the performance of neonates in acute toxicity tests was also
      presented.

PMID- 1868783
TI  - Piperonyl butoxide as a tool in aquatic toxicological research with
      organophosphate insecticides.
AB  - Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of piperonyl butoxide, a
      synthetic methylenedioxyphenyl inhibitor of cytochrome(s) P450, on the toxicity
      of organophosphate insecticides to three cladoceran test species: Ceriodaphnia
      dubia. Daphnia magna, and Daphnia pulex. Coadministration of piperonyl butoxide
      effectively reduced the acute toxicity of four metabolically activated
      organophosphates (parathion, methyl parathion, diazinon, and malathion) and did
      not affect the toxicity of three organophosphates not requiring metabolic
      activation (dichlorvos, chlorfenvinphos, and mevinphos). These results indicate
      that piperonyl butoxide may be an effective tool in toxicological research
      focused upon identifying specific compounds responsible for toxicity in complex
      aqueous mixtures.

PMID- 1868784
TI  - Stress protein synthesis, a potential toxicity marker in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Various chemicals were tested in Escherichia coli for the ability to modify the
      cellular growth rate and to induce the synthesis of heat shock and stress
      proteins. The toxicity of chemicals as observed by modification of the growth
      rate depended on concentration and duration of treatment, except for thiram. In
      this last case, no modification was observed up to a concentration of 10
      micrograms.ml-1. In contrast, all toxicants tested enhanced the synthesis of heat
      shock and stress proteins. The stress response was similar but not identical.
      Heat shock proteins and stress proteins appear to be a more sensitive toxicity
      marker than growth inhibition. Suggestions for the use of stress proteins as a
      practical bioassay are made.

PMID- 1868785
TI  - A comparative study of blood changes and brain acetylcholinesterase inhibition by
      monocrotophos and its analogues in rats.
AB  - The effects of monocrotophos and its newly synthesized analogues, RPR-II and RPR
      V, on hematology and blood chemistry 24 hr post-treatment were studied in rats
      given doses of 0.96, 1.23, and 3.0 mg/kg po, respectively. It was found that
      monocrotophos caused a significant increase in the mean WBC count. RPR-V, a
      significant decrease in hematocrit and RBC count, whereas RPR-II did not alter
      any hematological parameter. The activities of membrane-bound enzymes in serum
      were not significantly changed by all three compounds except for a statistically
      significant increase of 38% in SGOT activity by RPR-II. Only monocrotophos caused
      a significant inhibition of the brain acetylcholinesterase activity. In vitro
      studies with partially purified preparations of rat brain cholinesterase revealed
      that monocrotophos was the most potent anticholinesterase agent, followed by RPR
      II and RPR-V. All three compounds caused inhibition of rat brain cholinesterase
      by decreasing the Vmax and increasing the Km values, indicating a mixed type of
      inhibition. The two analogues appeared to be less neurotoxic than monocrotophos.

PMID- 1868786
TI  - Biodegradation potential of some micromycetes for pentachlorophenol.
AB  - A first screening was performed upon 100 strains of micromycetes cultivated on
      solid media (malt extract medium and mineral medium) with pentachlorophenol (PCP)
      (0.5 g/liter). Under these conditions, 50 strains gave a light blurring around
      the inoculation spot, indicating some PCP degradation. Later, 50 selected strains
      were cultivated in liquid synthetic medium with PCP (1 g/liter). After 6 days of
      cultivation, photodegradation occurred for 25%. On the whole, the consumption of
      PCP was 25% for Zygomycetes, 3% for yeasts, and 10-15% for Deuteromycetes, except
      7% for Tuberculariales. It was shown that glucose repressed the PCP consumption.
      Among degrading fungi, some could grow with PCP when cultures were initiated with
      spores, others could not. A more detailed study was done with Phoma glomerata
      cultivated in liquid synthetic medium (PCP 100 mg/liter) in darkness or with
      light. Photodegradation increased up to 25% but abiotic degradation occurred also
      in darkness (8%). Consumption of PCP by Ph. glomerata was 27% after 2 days with
      light and was lower in darkness (19%).

PMID- 1868787
TI  - Acute toxicity tests using rotifers. IV. Effects of cyst age, temperature, and
      salinity on the sensitivity of Brachionus calyciflorus.
AB  - Several aspects of the response to toxicants using a standardized toxicity test
      with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus are described. Test animals
      are obtained by hatching cysts which produce animals of similar age and
      physiological condition. The acute toxicity of 28 compounds is described with 24
      hr LC50's. The LC50's span five orders of magnitude, from silver at 0.008
      mg.liter-1 to benzene at more than 1000 mg.liter-1. Control mortality in 84 tests
      averaged 2% with a standard deviation of 3%, indicating very consistent test
      sensitivity. Only once in 84 trials did a test fail because of excessive control
      mortality, yielding a failure rate of 1.2%. Cyst age from 0 to 18 months had no
      effect on the sensitivity of neonates to reference toxicants. Both high and low
      temperatures increased rotifer sensitivity to reference toxicants. Copper
      sensitivity was greater at 10, 25, and 30 degrees C compared with results at 20
      degrees C. Likewise, sodium pentachlorophenol toxicity was greater at 10 and 30
      degrees C compared with results at 20 degrees C. Survivorship curves at 25
      degrees C of neonates under control conditions indicated that mortality begins at
      about 30 hr. This places a practical limit on toxicant exposure for the assay of
      24 hr. B. calyciflorus cysts hatch at salinities up to 5 ppt and acute toxicity
      tests using pentachlorophenol at this salinity yielded LC50's about one-half
      those of standard freshwater. B. calyciflorus is preferred over Brachionus
      plicatilis for toxicity tests in salinities up to 5 ppt because it is
      consistently more sensitive.

PMID- 1868788
TI  - Altered performance of white sucker populations in the Manitouwadge chain of
      lakes is associated with changes in benthic macroinvertebrate communities as a
      result of copper and zinc contamination.
AB  - White sucker (Catostomus commersoni) collected from the Manitouwadge chain of
      lakes show a lower growth rate and fecundity in lakes contaminated with copper
      and zinc from a mixed metal mine. This study evaluated whether the changes in
      performance of the fish were related to direct impacts of the metals or indirect
      impacts associated with changes in food availability. Concentrations of metals in
      the water and sediment of lakes in the Manitouwadge chain were elevated, relative
      to reference sites. The concentrations of Cu and Zn in the digesta of white
      sucker were significantly higher, as were the levels of both Cu and Zn in liver,
      kidney, and gill tissue. Muscle and spleen levels of Cu and Zn were significantly
      lower or not different from controls. Tissue levels were within the homeostatic
      range for Cu and Zn. However, the total density of invertebrates varied from
      greater than 25,000 m-2 at control sites to less than 13,000 m-2 at contaminated
      sites, and the number of genera recorded was more than 50% lower in shallow water
      samples. There was almost a complete absence of several invertebrate taxa at
      contaminated sites, including Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Trichoptera,
      Amphipoda, and Unionidae. Diptera accounted for 78 to 96% of the total numbers of
      individuals at metal-contaminated sites as compared with 40 to 75% at the control
      sites. An analysis of white sucker stomach contents showed that the contents
      closely reflected the benthic composition observed in the natural substrate.
      Changes in food availability and feeding activity were correlated with previous
      changes documented in the growth, fecundity, and lipid levels of white sucker.

PMID- 1868789
TI  - In vitro cytotoxicity studies with the fish hepatoma cell line, PLHC-1
      (Poeciliopsis lucida).
AB  - The PLHC-1 fish hepatoma cell line (Poeciliopsis lucida) was used in the neutral
      red assay to evaluate the acute cytotoxicities of direct-acting (alkylbenzenes,
      phthalate diesters, and pesticides) and metabolism-mediated (benzo[a]pyrene)
      toxicants. The sequence of cytotoxic potencies for the alkylbenzenes and
      phthalate diesters appeared to be a direct function of their hydrophobicity (as
      described by logarithmic octanol/water partition coefficients). The
      organochlorine pesticides (alachlor and p,p'-methoxychlor) were more cytotoxic
      than the organophosphorus pesticides (EPN, diazinon, and malathion). The PLHC-1
      cell line apparently maintained sufficient xenobiotic-metabolizing capacity, as
      the hepatoma cells were able to metabolize benzo[a]pyrene to cytotoxic
      intermediates. Xenobiotic-metabolizing capacity was temperature dependent, with
      enzymatic activity increasing as the temperature was increased from 28 to 34 to
      37 degrees C, was inducible by Aroclor 1254 (a chemical inducer of cytochrome
      P450-dependent monooxygenase activity), and was reduced by EPN (an inhibitor of
      P450 activity).

PMID- 1868790
TI  - Flow cytometric DNA analysis of ducks accumulating 137Cs on a reactor reservoir.
AB  - The objective of this study was to detect red blood cell (rbc) DNA abnormalities
      in male, game-farm mallard ducks as they ranged freely and accumulated 137Cs
      (radiocesium) from an abandoned nuclear reactor cooling reservoir. Prior to
      release, the ducks were tamed to enable recapture at will. Flow cytometric
      measurements conducted at intervals during the first year of exposure yielded
      cell cycle percentages of DNA (G0/G1, S, G2 + M phases) of rbc, as well as
      coefficients of variation (CV) in the G0/G1 phase. DNA histograms of exposed
      ducks were compared with two sets of controls which were maintained 30 and 150
      miles from the study site. 137Cs live wholebody burdens were also measured in
      these animals in a parallel kinetics study, and an approximate steady-state
      equilibrium was attained after about 8 months. DNA histograms from 2 of the 14
      contaminated ducks revealed DNA aneuploid-like patterns after 9 months exposure.
      These two ducks were removed from the experiment at this time, and when sampled
      again 1 month later, one continued to exhibit DNA aneuploidy. None of the control
      DNA histograms demonstrated DNA aneuploid-like patterns. There were no
      significant differences in cell cycle percentages at any time point between
      control and exposed animals. A significant increase in CV was observed at 9
      months exposure, but after removal of the two ducks with DNA aneuploidy, no
      significant difference was detected in the group monitored after 12 months
      exposure. An increased variation in the DNA and DNA aneuploidy could, therefore,
      be detected in duck rbc using flow cytometric analysis, with the onset of these
      effects being related to the attainment of maximal levels of 137Cs body burdens
      in the exposed animals.

PMID- 1868791
TI  - Mercury and selenium interaction: a review.
AB  - This paper reviews studies on mercury and selenium interaction. It includes the
      effects of selenium on mercury toxicity on the organism, organ/tissue, and
      subcellular levels. The paper also touches on possible mechanisms for the
      "protective action" of selenium against mercury toxicity and deals briefly with
      the synergism between the two elements.

PMID- 1868792
TI  - [The job market in health care: theoretical, conceptual and methodological
      aspects].

PMID- 1868793
TI  - [The process of producing health services].

PMID- 1868794
TI  - [The sociology of professions: a new approach].

PMID- 1868795
TI  - [The work force in the health sector: theoretical elements and empirical
      findings].

PMID- 1868796
TI  - [Medical education in the 1990's: optimism is not enough].

PMID- 1868797
TI  - [The medical profession: representation, work and change].

PMID- 1868798
TI  - [Education in public health in Brazil].

PMID- 1868799
TI  - [Exchange and interinstitutional cooperation in the development of education and
      research in collective health: account of the Brazilian experience].

PMID- 1868800
TI  - [Center for training and methodological development in the area of health
      (CEFYDEM)].

PMID- 1868801
TI  - Prevalence of epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota: 1940-1980.
AB  - The prevalence of epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota has been determined for a
      specific date in each of 5 decennial census years. Individuals with a diagnosis
      of epilepsy (recurrent unprovoked seizures) who were known to have experienced a
      seizure or who had received antiepileptic medication in the preceding 5 years
      were considered active prevalence cases. By this definition, the age-adjusted
      prevalence per 1,000 population, increased steadily from 2.7 in 1940 to 6.8 in
      1980. At each of five prevalence dates, for all prevalence cases, 60% had
      epilepsy manifest by partial seizures, and 75% had no known etiology. Prevalence
      was higher for males than females for all except the last prevalence day. After
      1950, prevalence tended to increase with advancing age and was highest in the
      oldest age groups. On the average, the 1980 prevalence cases had epilepsy less
      than 10 years and greater than 50% had their first diagnosis in the first 20
      years of life.

PMID- 1868803
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of intractable complex partial seizures: pathologic
      and electroencephalographic correlation.
AB  - Prior studies indicate variable usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in
      the evaluation of patients with complex partial seizures (CPS), but sensitivities
      as low as 12% have been reported. We analyzed the MRI examinations of 20 patients
      with medically refractory CPS who later underwent resection of the seizure focus
      proven by electroencephalography (EEG). MRI studies were correlated with surgical
      pathology in all patients. Eleven of the 20 CPS patients had mesial temporal
      sclerosis (MTS). Seven of the 11 (64%) exhibited an MRI abnormality at the site
      of the EEG-demonstrated histopathologic focus. MRI abnormalities included
      temporal lobe hypoplasia or atrophy (four patients), and increased signal
      intensity on long repetition time (TR) sequences (three patients). Four patients
      had no MRI abnormalities corresponding to the histopathologic focus. Nine of the
      20 CPS patients had other abnormalities responsible for the seizures, including
      astrocytoma, cryptic vascular malformation, hamartoma, polymicrogyria, tuberous
      sclerosis (forme fruste), arachnoid cyst, and congenital hemiatrophy. No patient
      had normal MRI studies. Our single most useful MRI sequence was the coronal long
      TR/dual echo sequence, using cardiac gating and first-order gradient moment
      nulling to diminish flow-related artifacts that could hinder evaluation of medial
      temporal lobe structures.

PMID- 1868802
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging and 31P spectroscopy of an interictal cortical spike
      focus in the rat.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to be an effective noninvasive
      technique for identifying lesions in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. It has
      also been suggested that MRI may be sensitive to transient functional or
      metabolic changes in brain tissue. Increased brain electrical activity as
      monitored by electroencephalography causes changes in cerebral metabolism that
      may be responsible for focal or regional alterations in signal in the MRI of some
      patients. To test this hypotheses, experimental interictal cortical foci were
      produced in rats by topical application of penicillin to one hemisphere of the
      brain. In vivo MRI and phosphorous-31 (31P) spectroscopy of the focal and
      contralateral hemifield were performed in a 30-cm bore 1.89-T Bruker MSL system.
      31P spectroscopy revealed no quantifiable differences in pH or in
      phosphocreatinine and ATP levels between the focal area and the contralateral
      hemisphere or between experimental and saline-treated control animals. There were
      also no differences in proton MRI. Similar areas of prolonged T2 were found near
      the cortex and in the deeper parenchyma in 55% of the experimental animals and
      50% of the controls. These results suggest that the electrical activity from an
      interictal cortical spike focus is not severe enough to perturb cerebral
      metabolism sufficiently to be detectable by 31P spectroscopy or proton imaging
      techniques.

PMID- 1868804
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of focal computed tomography abnormality in
      epilepsy.
AB  - Sixty-seven patients with epilepsy and isolated enhancing computed tomography
      (CT) scan lesion were studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fifty-six
      patients (83.5%) had partial seizures and 11 (16.4%) had generalized seizures.
      Four distinct groups were identified by MRI: nonspecific 16 cases (23.8%),
      tuberculoma 38 cases (56.7%), cysticercosis 12 cases (17.9%), and abscess 1 case
      (1.4%). Patients in the non-specific group had lesions that were hyperintense on
      T2 images and hypointense or isointense on T1 images. Such lesions resolved
      completely in 5 months with serial MRIs while the patients were receiving
      antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Virologic studies, including cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) serology, are suggested for patients with such MRI lesions.

PMID- 1868805
TI  - Seizures of fronto-orbital origin: a proven case.
AB  - Distinguishing characteristics of seizures of frontal origin have not been
      clearly delineated. We describe a case of seizures of proven fronto-orbital
      origin to provide further definition of characteristics of seizures arising in
      that lobe. A 36-year-old man had medically intractable seizures since age 8
      years. Clinically the seizures were stereotyped, with cessation of activity
      followed by turning of head and body to the right and then by struggling,
      kicking, and vocalizations indicating fear. Total seizure duration was
      approximately 30 s, with an apparent abrupt return of consciousness. The
      interictal scalp EEGs were similar to those of primary generalized epilepsy, with
      bisynchronous though asymmetric epileptiform activity anteriorly. Ictal scalp
      recordings were not localizing. Recordings from bilateral frontal and temporal
      subdural electrodes showed an electrical focus in the right fronto-orbital region
      which was confirmed by electrocorticography (ECoG) at the time of craniotomy. The
      right fronto-orbital cortex was resected and on pathologic examination showed
      gliotic tissue and intracytoplasmic neuronal inclusions of periodic acid-Schiff
      (PAS)-positive granules consistent with lipofuscinosis. The patient has remained
      seizure-free for 6 years after operation.

PMID- 1868806
TI  - Paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis with abnormal electroencephalogram during
      attacks.
AB  - An 18-year-old man with paroxysmal kinesigenic choreoathetosis (PKC) showed
      rhythmic electroencephalographic (EEG) discharges of 5-Hz spikes over the entire
      scalp during episodes. The EEG findings in this case suggest that PKC may have an
      epileptogenic basis.

PMID- 1868807
TI  - Seizures in series: similarities between seizures of the west and Lennox-Gastaut
      syndromes.
AB  - We observed seizures resembling infantile spasms in patients with Lennox-Gastaut
      syndrome (LGS). Infantile spasms, the type of seizures that occurs in patients
      who have West syndrome, have been well characterized by video-EEG studies and
      typically occur as a series of sudden generalized flexor or extensor jerks. The
      seizure types that occur in LGS have not been as clearly delineated. Some
      patients with West syndrome (WS) in early infancy later develop LGS. Using
      intensive video-EEG monitoring, we evaluated 14 LGS patients who had seizures
      that occurred in series. Clinically, the seizures greatly resembled infantile
      spasms, and the ictal EEG changes were identical to those that occur with
      infantile spasms. These findings expand the number of features known to be shared
      by these two syndromes and strengthen the hypothesis that the two syndromes
      represent age-related manifestations of similar epileptogenic processes.

PMID- 1868808
TI  - Risk factors for febrile seizures in the People's Republic of China: a case
      control study.
AB  - A case control study was conducted to investigate the association of family
      history of febrile seizures (FS) and history of maternal, pregnancy and delivery,
      and postnatal factors with FS. Information was gathered by door-to-door survey in
      six major cities in the People's Republic of China. Factors present before the
      date of onset of FS were assessed in 182 subjects and in an equal number of
      controls matched for age, sex, and geographic area. The odds ratio for risk of FS
      in children with a family history of FS in a first-degree relative was 10.0
      (confidence interval 2.7-58.6), confirming other observations that familial
      factors are an important predisposing characteristic for FS. Maternal acute
      respiratory infection during the first trimester of pregnancy was slightly more
      frequent in children with FS (odds ratio, 1.9 confidence interval 1.0-3.9). None
      of the other examined pregnancy or delivery factors was associated with an
      increased risk, suggesting that birth history is not an important factor
      predisposing to FS.

PMID- 1868809
TI  - A contribution to the genetics of febrile seizures: waking and sleep EEG in
      siblings.
AB  - Waking and sleep EEGs were recorded in 67 siblings of 52 patients with febrile
      seizures (FS). Epileptic activity was noted in at least 1 sibling for 28 of the
      52 patients (53.8%). Epileptic discharges were noted in 33 (49.2%) of the 67
      siblings. Thirty-two siblings had 3-4 Hz spike wave complexes, and 1 sibling had
      independent centrotemporal spike foci (rolandic foci). Epileptic activity was
      noted exclusively in the waking state in only 3%, in waking and sleep in 31.3%,
      and only in sleep in 14.9%. The greatest number of epileptic discharges occurred
      in waking during hyperventatilation (32.8%) and during stage C sleep (38.8%). In
      5 photosensitive siblings, additional epileptic discharges were noted in sleep in
      1 and in waking and sleep in 4. At least 1 sibling in 5 (55.6%) of 9 patients
      with complicated febrile seizures, in 23 (53.5%) of 43 patients with simple FS,
      and in 4 of 9 patients (44.4%) with later onset epileptic seizures had seizure
      discharges. At least 1 sibling in 24 of 43 patients (55.8%) with exclusively FS
      in 13 of 30 (43.3%) male patients and in 15 of 22 (68.2%) female patients had
      seizure discharges. Siblings aged 6-10 years had (66.7%) the highest rates of
      activation. Epileptic discharges were noted in 83.3% of siblings with seizures,
      but in only 45.9% of siblings without seizures. Seizure activity was recorded in
      68.2% of siblings who had occipital 3-4-Hz theta-delta-activity but in only 13.0%
      of siblings without this pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868810
TI  - Familial aggregation and severity of epilepsy.
AB  - Genetic models for complex diseases frequently assume that genetic factors play a
      greater role in severe forms than in mild forms of disease. This study examined
      familial aggregation of epilepsy in relation to two measures of severity:
      duration and remission. The study population comprised 358 offspring born in
      Rochester, MN, U.S.A., to parents with epilepsy who were diagnosed in Rochester
      between 1935 and 1979 and followed for greater than or equal to 5 years after the
      first seizure. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to examine the effects
      of duration of the parent's epilepsy (less than 5 vs. greater than or equal to 5
      years) and remission of the parent's epilepsy (greater than or equal to 5 years
      seizure-free) on risk of unprovoked seizures in offspring. The univariate rate
      ratio (RR) for parent's duration (long vs. short) was 1.1 (95% confidence
      interval 0.32-3.57). The RR for parent's remission was 2.5 (0.55-11.41),
      reflecting a higher risk for offspring of remitting parents, which was not
      statistically significant. Multivariate analysis was used to control for three
      other parental attributes associated with offspring seizure risk: sex, age at
      onset of seizures (less than 20 vs. greater than or equal to 20 years), and
      seizure type (absence vs. other). The RR for duration was not substantially
      changed in this analysis (1.2; 0.37-4.16). However, the RR for remission dropped
      to 1.2 (0.25-5.97), suggesting that the higher risk in offspring of remitting
      parents was largely explained by confounding with other factors that influence
      offspring seizure risk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868811
TI  - Open, double-blind and long-term study of vigabatrin in chronic epilepsy.
AB  - We performed an open, double-blind, and long-term study of vigabatrin (gamma
      vinyl-GABA, GVG) in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy who were receiving
      only one or at most two standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The novel design
      included a parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase that minimized the
      number of patients receiving placebo and allowed determination of the optimum
      dose of GVG for each patient before initiation of the double-blind phase. The
      study was divided into four phases. The first phase was a 6-week period of
      baseline observation. In the second phase, GVG was added openly to previous AEDs
      for 8 weeks. During the first 2 weeks of this phase, the dose of GVG was
      increased weekly and then, in the absence of adverse effects, was held constant
      for the next 6 weeks. At the end of this open phase, seizure frequency during the
      6 weeks of constant treatment was compared with the baseline seizure frequency
      for each patient. Patients who experienced reduction greater than 50% in the
      frequency of any seizure type during the open phase were defined as responders.
      These responders were then entered into the third and double-blind phase, in
      which they were randomly allocated wither to continue active GVG treatment or
      placebo for 8 weeks. Thirty-three patients entered the study; 31 of 33 patients
      completed the initial open phase. Twenty patients achieved a reduction greater
      than or equal to 50% in the frequency of one or more seizure types and were
      eligible for the double-blind phase; 10 were randomized to continue GVG and 10
      were randomized to placebo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868812
TI  - Phenytoin-induced elevation of serum estradiol and reproductive dysfunction in
      men with epilepsy.
AB  - Reproductive and sexual dysfunction in men with epilepsy has been attributed to
      androgen deficiency. Low serum free testosterone (FT) levels occur in both
      hypogonadotropic and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)
      have been implicated. Proposed mechanisms include induction of increased sex
      hormone binding globulin (SHBG) resulting in decreased FT, as well as dysfunction
      or premature aging of the hypothalamopituitary-gonadal axis. In an investigation
      comparing serum reproductive steroid levels among 20 men receiving phenytoin
      (PHT) monotherapy for complex partial seizures, 21 untreated men with complex
      partial seizures, and 20 age-matched normal controls, total estradiol levels were
      significantly higher in the PHT group (56.3 +/- 29.4 pg/ml, mean +/- SD) than in
      the untreated (32.4 +/- 27.4 pg/ml, p less than 0.01) and normal control (34.3 +/
      12.7 pg/ml, p less than 0.05) groups. The physiologically active non-SHBG-bound
      serum estradiol levels were also significantly higher in the medicated group
      (45.1 +/- 21.7 pg/ml) than in the untreated (29.9 +/- 17.2 pg/ml, p less than
      0.01) and normal control (31.1 +/- 11.4 pg/ml, p = 0.05) groups. These findings
      suggest that PHT may lower FT by induction of aromatase, enhancing FT conversion
      to estradiol, as well as SHBG synthetase. Estradiol exerts a potent inhibitory
      influence on luteinizing hormone secretion and has been suggested to play a major
      role in negative feedback in men as well as women. Suppression of LH secretion
      results in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Chronically low FT leads to testicular
      failure and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Finally, estradiol has been shown to
      produce premature aging of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, which secretes
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

PMID- 1868813
TI  - Ralitoline: a reevaluation of anticonvulsant profile and determination of
      "active" plasma concentrations in comparison with prototype antiepileptic drugs
      in mice.
AB  - Ralitoline (RLT) is a new thiazolidinone derivative with potent anticonvulsant
      activity in different seizure models. During Phase I studies, RLT was well
      tolerated in human volunteers and showed linear pharmacokinetics in the dose
      range tested (up to 150 mg). Since RLT will soon be entering clinical Phase II
      studies, we were interested in obtaining predictive data for effective plasma
      concentrations in patients. For this purpose, the anticonvulsant potency of RLT
      was determined in four seizure models in mice, and plasma levels were measured at
      time of peak drug effect. The four models were the threshold for maximal (tonic
      extension) electroshock seizures (MES), the threshold for clonic seizures
      determined by i.v. infusion of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), the traditional MES test
      with supramaximal (50 mA) stimulation, and generalized clonic seizures induced by
      s.c. administration of PTZ. Furthermore, median minimal "neurotoxic" doses
      (TD50s) were determined by the rotorod and chimney test for calculation of
      protective indices. All data obtained for RLT were compared with data obtained
      with standard antiepileptic drugs: phenobarbital, phenytoin, valproate, and
      diazepam. The onset of anticonvulsant action after i.p. injection of RLT was very
      rapid, and the peak drug effect was already obtained after 2 min. In the MES
      models, RLT was the most potent compound. "Active" plasma levels ranged from
      approximately 300 ng/ml in the MES threshold test to approximately 1,300 ng/ml in
      the MES test. RLT was also capable of increasing the PTZ threshold, whereas,
      possibly because of its short duration of action in mice, it was not very active
      in the s.c. PTZ seizure test.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868814
TI  - Effects of single- and multiday ozone exposures on respiratory function in active
      normal children.
AB  - Ventilatory function was measured twice daily on 46 healthy children aged 8-14
      years on at least 7 days for each child during a 4-week period at a northwestern
      New Jersey residential summer camp in 1988. The highest 1-hr O3 concentration was
      150 ppb, while the highest 12-hr H+ concentration (as H2SO4) was 18.6
      micrograms/m3. The highest temperature-humidity index was 81 degrees F. The
      regressions of FVC, FEV1, FEF25-75, and PEFR on O3 in the hour preceding the
      afternoon function measurements yielded slopes essentially the same as those
      measured on other children at the same camp in 1984. Regressions of the changes
      in function between the late morning and late afternoon function measurements on
      average O3 concentration between them produced significant, but somewhat smaller
      effects, while regressions of morning function on O3 during the previous day
      indicated small but still significant effects. There were no significant
      correlations with other measured environmental variables including H+. Based on
      the results of this study and similar previous studies, we conclude that O3
      exposures in ambient air produce greater lung function deficits in active young
      people in natural settings then does pure O3 in controlled chamber exposure
      studies because of: (1) longer exposures; (2) potentiation by other factors in
      the ambient exposures; (3) the persistence of effects from prior day's exposures;
      and (4) the persistence of a transient response associated with the daily peak of
      exposure. It follows that projections of likely effects in the real world from
      controlled chamber exposure studies should either have a large margin of safety,
      or the judgment of the extent of effects likely to occur among populations should
      be based directly on the effects observed in field studies.

PMID- 1868815
TI  - Reproductive performance in population exposed to pesticides in cotton fields in
      India.
AB  - Data on reproductive histories were collected from 1016 couples in which the
      males were directly exposed to pesticides. For comparison data were collected
      from 1020 couples who were not exposed to pesticides and belong to the same
      socioeconomic group and age range. Statistical analysis revealed a significant
      decrease in fertile males and a significant increase in abortions among the wives
      of these exposed males when compared to the control group. The frequency of live
      births decreased significantly and still births, neonatal deaths, and congenital
      defects showed a significant increase in the offspring of exposed males when
      compared to the offspring of control group. Smokers exposed to pesticides showed
      a higher effect than nonsmokers exposed to pesticides. Eighty percent males in
      the exposed group showed ill health effects such as severe giddiness, nervous,
      skin, and eye disorders.

PMID- 1868816
TI  - Lead and cadmium at very low doses affect in vitro immune response of human
      lymphocytes.
AB  - The effect of lead chloride and cadmium chloride on in vitro immunoglobulin (Ig)
      production by human lymphocytes was investigated. After 7 days in culture, lead
      added in the range of human exposure (207-1035 micrograms/liter) significantly
      enhanced Ig production either when cells were activated by pokeweed mitogen (PWM)
      or not. The effect was dose-dependent and was related to the Pb we measured in
      the extracellular medium and in the cells. Independently of the mitogen addition,
      about 2% of the Pb added was accumulated in the cells, most being associated with
      the nuclear fraction. Those findings suggest that the Pb effects could depend on
      its uptake and distribution in the cells. Cadmium added in the 50-500 nM range
      exhibited a dose-independent mitogenic activity in unstimulated cells, whereas
      the Ig secretion was not significantly affected by Cd when cells were PWM
      activated. A considerable intraindividual variability, however, was observed when
      blood donors were separately examined, with both an increase, a decrease, or no
      variation on Ig production. Furthermore, higher percentages of Cd were
      accumulated in the nuclear fraction, and lower in the cytosol and precipitate, in
      PWM-activated compared to resting lymphocytes. Genetic factors could be of
      importance for the observed variability of the immune response to cadmium, and we
      support the hypothesis that differences in the metallothionein (MT) inducibility
      could play a role.

PMID- 1868817
TI  - Mutagenic activity of photoreaction products formed from chlorinated ethenes and
      nitrogen dioxide.
AB  - The mutagenicity in Salmonella, strain TA 100, of photoreaction products from
      chlorinated alkenes and nitrogen dioxide, was studied after a mean reaction time
      of 40 min with UV-irradiation and an exposure time of 20 hr. Only vinyl chloride
      (monochloroethene) gave rise to significantly mutagenic photoreaction products.
      Of the other chloroethenes, 1,1-dichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, but not 1,2
      dichloro- or trichloroethene, formed slightly mutagenic products. Bacteriotoxic
      effects occurred at low doses, especially with tri- and tetrachloroethene.

PMID- 1868818
TI  - An evaluation of experimental practices for abatement of residential lead-based
      paint: report on a pilot project.
AB  - In this pilot study, we prospectively evaluated experimental practices for
      abating lead-based paint in six dwellings. These experimental abatements were
      based upon a new approach to abatement which reflects current understanding of
      low-level lead toxicity in children and the role of lead-contaminated dust as an
      important contributor to children's total body burden. Our previous study of
      traditional abatement practices in Baltimore showed them to be inadequate for
      reducing lead in both house dust and children's blood. Our experimental
      abatements resulted in significant reductions in house dust-lead levels (PbD)
      which persisted during 6-9 months of followup. Geometric mean PbD at floors,
      window sills, and window wells were respectively 5.6, 49.6, and 316.7 mg/m2 at
      preabatement, and respectively 0.6, 4.4, and 10.8 mg/m2 at 6-9 months.
      Experimental abatements involved (1) treatment of lead-painted surfaces above and
      below 4 ft from the floor, including interior and exterior components of windows;
      (2) sealing or covering of wooden floors; (3) procedures for containment of dust
      during abatement; and (4) a final cleanup using a high-efficiency particle air
      (HEPA) vacuum. We recommend that more research be done to further evaluate and
      compare the long-term efficacy of these and other abatement methodologies.

PMID- 1868819
TI  - Monoamine turnover in the brain of mice during development of tolerance to the
      anticonvulsant effect of clonazepam.
AB  - Mice were treated for 14 days with clonazepam, 0.5 mg/kg i.p. twice daily, during
      which time partial tolerance to the anticonvulsant effect against pentetrazole
      developed. The development of tolerance was paralleled by a reduced turnover of
      noradrenaline in the whole brain, and of dopamine in the midbrain. The turnover
      of 5-HT was increased during the first week of treatment, but decreased
      thereafter. These changes in monoamine turnover, which are thought to be GABA
      mediated, are consistent with an increased seizure susceptibility, and may
      contribute to the development of tolerance to the anticonvulsant effect of
      benzodiazepines.

PMID- 1868820
TI  - Effects of seizures and carbamazepine on interictal spiking in amygdala kindled
      cats.
AB  - We examined the influence of seizures and carbamazepine (CBZ) on spiking rates in
      kindled cats. In the first experiment, spiking rates were measured before and
      after seizures, with and without CBZ. CBZ was administered immediately after
      seizures in order not to affect them. Spiking rates were measured over 9 h during
      the different sleep stages. In a second experiment, CBZ was administered before
      and after seizures so as to affect seizure strength and thus measure its effect
      on spiking. Results confirmed earlier findings of a large increase in spiking
      following a stage 6 seizure in fully kindled animals. We also established that:
      (1) repeated daily seizures caused a further increase in spiking until a ceiling
      was reached; (2) increased spiking was not a direct effect of postictal
      alterations in sleep stages; (3) CBZ, despite its effectiveness as an
      anticonvulsant, did not reduce spiking but rather increased it; (4) postictal
      increases in spiking were related to seizure 'strength'. These findings support
      the hypothesis that spiking rates are primarily influenced by seizure occurrence,
      as was found in patients with temporal lobe seizures, and that anticonvulsants
      act differently on seizures and spikes. This emphasizes the possibility of
      distinct pathophysiological mechanisms for interictal spikes and seizures.

PMID- 1868821
TI  - Effects of chronic treatment with haloperidol and methamphetamine on hippocampal
      kindled seizures in the cat.
AB  - We assessed the effects of chronic treatment with haloperidol (0.5-2 mg/kg/day,
      p.o., 17 days) and methamphetamine (1-2 mg/kg/day, p.o., 17 days; 4 mg/kg/day,
      p.o. 9 days) on hippocampal kindled seizures using a kindling procedure with low
      frequency (about 3 Hz) electrical stimulation in cats. The number of stimulating
      pulses required to trigger epileptic afterdischarge (pulse-number threshold, PNT)
      was considered an indicator of seizure threshold. Haloperidol, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg,
      reduced the duration of epileptic afterdischarge (afterdischarge duration, ADD)
      without affecting PNT, and 2.0 mg/kg strongly reduced PNT and ADD.
      Methamphetamine, 2.0 mg/kg, reduced PNT and ADD, and 4.0 mg/kg preferentially
      reduced PNT. The effects of the two drugs on hippocampal kindled seizures were
      found to be partially opposite to those on amygdala kindled seizures, suggesting
      the different response of these limbic structures to dopamine receptor
      manipulation.

PMID- 1868822
TI  - Comparison of gabapentin with other antiepileptic and GABAergic drugs.
AB  - The effect of the experimental antiepileptic drug gabapentin (1-(aminomethyl)
      cyclohexane acetic acid; GPT) on the feline trigeminal complex was compared with
      the effect of established antiepileptic drugs and with the effect of GABAA and
      GABAB agonists and antagonists. Intravenous injection of 10-60 mg/kg GPT
      depressed the descending periventricular facilitation of trigeminal nucleus
      neurons, as well as segmental excitatory mechanisms. On the other hand, GPT
      usually facilitated, but sometimes depressed, both segmental and periventricular
      inhibitory mechanisms. GPT thus resembled carbamazepine and phenytoin in its
      action on excitatory mechanisms and on segmental inhibition, but differed in its
      effect on inhibitory pathways descending from the reticular formation. In
      agreement with our observations, GPT has been found to be effective against
      partial and generalized tonic-clonic seizures, similar to the spectrum of
      activity of carbamazepine and phenytoin. The action of GPT in our model also
      resembled that of the GABAB agonist baclofen in its facilitation of reticular and
      segmental inhibitory mechanisms and its depression of segmental excitatory
      mechanisms, but differed in its effect on excitatory mechanisms descending from
      the reticular formation. GPT has also been reported to mimic GABAB receptor
      activation in other experiments but appeared to act by a GABA-receptor
      independent mechanism.

PMID- 1868823
TI  - Plasma uric acid in patients receiving anticonvulsant monotherapy.
AB  - In newly diagnosed adult patients with epilepsy followed prospectively on
      monotherapy, carbamazepine and phenytoin were associated with a fall in plasma
      uric acid, but sodium valproate and phenobarbitone were associated with a rise in
      plasma uric acid. The mechanisms and significance of these findings are
      discussed.

PMID- 1868824
TI  - The development of a seizure severity scale as an outcome measure in epilepsy.
AB  - In controlled trials of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) seizure frequency is often the
      only variable considered. With little prospect of improving assessment of AEDs,
      using seizure counts as the only end-point, there is a need for the development
      of new outcome measures. Clinical experience indicates that seizure severity is
      equally important to the patient and, by preventing seizure spread, AEDs can
      influence seizure severity without necessarily reducing seizure frequency. A
      scale capable of measuring seizure severity and change of severity attributable
      to treatment could be a useful additional outcome measure. Such a scale should
      exhibit the basic properties of validity and reliability. An easily administrable
      16-point scale, containing 2 subscales--perception of control and ictal/post
      ictal effects--has been developed. This scale has been tested on a patient
      population (n = 159) representative of that seen in trials of novel AEDs. Using
      standardised statistical methods, the scale has been shown to be both reliable
      and valid.

PMID- 1868825
TI  - A comprehensive community epilepsy programme: the Nakuru project.
AB  - The methodology of a programme of investigation of epilepsy carried out at a
      community health level in Nakuru district, Kenya, East Africa, and the
      characteristics of patients with tonic-clonic epilepsy in this community, are
      presented. The study identified a group of 302 patients with untreated
      generalised tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other seizure types) from the
      general population. Case finding was carried out using the key informant method
      over a 12-month period. The clinical characteristics of this cohort of patients,
      the majority of whom had never had previous contact with a formal medical system,
      is described. Most were young, living in a rural area, with a mean age of seizure
      onset of 14 years and a mean duration of seizures of 7 years. Thirty-eight per
      cent had a clinically evident focal disturbance associated with the tonic-clonic
      seizures. In 77% of the cases, no aetiology was established. Most cases had had a
      substantial number of seizures during the course of their condition and only
      about a third of the patients had less than 1 seizure a month in the previous
      year. Only 26% had ever had previous anti-epileptic drug treatment. In addition
      to the medical inquiry, psychological and sociological studies were also
      conducted and a prospective treatment programme was carried out. Throughout the
      study, strict definitions and standardised instruments were used, and the study
      was the result of a collaboration between local investigators, an international
      neurological team, the Kenyan Government agencies and the pharmaceutical
      industry. We consider this a model for community-based investigations for the
      management of epilepsy in developing countries.

PMID- 1868826
TI  - The refined 2.15 A X-ray crystal structure of human liver cathepsin B: the
      structural basis for its specificity.
AB  - From the lysosomal cysteine proteinase cathepsin B, isolated from human liver in
      its two-chain form, monoclinic crystals were obtained which contain two molecules
      per asymmetric unit. The molecular structure was solved by a combination of
      Patterson search and heavy atom replacement methods (simultaneously with rat
      cathepsin B) and refined to a crystallographic R value of 0.164 using X-ray data
      to 2.15 A resolution. The overall folding pattern of cathepsin B and the
      arrangement of the active site residues are similar to the related cysteine
      proteinases papain, actinidin and calotropin DI. 166 alpha-carbon atoms out of
      248 defined cathepsin B residues are topologically equivalent (with an r.m.s.
      deviation of 1.04 A) with alpha-carbon atoms of papain. However, several large
      insertion loops are accommodated on the molecular surface and modify its
      properties. The disulphide connectivities recently determined for bovine
      cathepsin B by chemical means were shown to be correct. Some of the primed
      subsites are occluded by a novel insertion loop, which seems to favour binding of
      peptide substrates with two residues carboxy-terminal to the scissile peptide
      bond; two histidine residues (His110 and His111) in this "occluding loop' provide
      positively charged anchors for the C-terminal carboxylate group of such
      polypeptide substrates. These structural features explain the well-known
      dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B. The other subsites adjacent
      to the reactive site Cys29 are relatively similar to papain; Glu245 in the S2
      subsite favours basic P2-side chains. The above mentioned histidine residues, but
      also the buried Glu171 might represent the group with a pKa of approximately 5.5
      near the active site, which governs endo- and exopeptidase activity. The
      "occluding loop' does not allow cystatin-like protein inhibitors to bind to
      cathepsin B as they do to papain, consistent with the reduced affinity of these
      protein inhibitors for cathepsin B compared with the related plant enzymes.

PMID- 1868827
TI  - Chromophore motion during the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle: polarized absorption
      spectroscopy of bacteriorhodopsin and its M-state in bacteriorhodopsin crystals.
AB  - The three-dimensional crystallization of bacteriorhodopsin was systematically
      investigated and the needle-shaped crystal form analysed. In these crystals the M
      intermediate forms 10 times faster and decays 15 times more slowly than in purple
      membranes. Polarized absorption spectra of the crystals were measured in the dark
      and light adapted states. A slight decrease in the angle between the transition
      moment and the membrane plane was detected during dark adaptation. The
      crystallization of a mutated bacteriorhodopsin, in which the aspartic acid at
      residue 96 was replaced by asparagine, provided crystals with a long lived M
      intermediate. This allowed polarized absorption measurements of the M
      chromophore. The change in the polarization ratio upon formation of the M
      intermediate indicates an increase in the angle between the main transition
      dipole and the membrane plane by 2.2 degrees +/- 0.5, corresponding to a 0.5 A
      displacement of one end of the chromophore out of the membrane plane of the
      bacteriorhodopsin molecule.

PMID- 1868828
TI  - Two conserved domains in the NGF propeptide are necessary and sufficient for the
      biosynthesis of correctly processed and biologically active NGF.
AB  - The three members of the neurotrophin family (NGF, BDNF and NT-3) are synthesized
      as large precursor proteins which undergo proteolytic processing to yield
      biologically active, mature neurotrophic factors. We have used in vitro
      mutagenesis to examine the pro-region in the NGF precursor protein as a first
      step towards a general understanding of the role of propeptides in the
      biosynthesis of neurotrophins. Our results demonstrate that only two small
      domains within the NGF propeptide are required for the expression and secretion
      of properly processed and biologically active, recombinant mouse NGF in COS-7
      cells. Domain I plays an important role in the expression of active NGF while
      domain II is involved in proteolytic processing. Both domains are partially
      conserved between the propeptides of NGF proteins isolated from different species
      as well as BDNF and NT-3.

PMID- 1868829
TI  - Functional adult acetylcholine receptor develops independently of motor
      innervation in Sol 8 mouse muscle cell line.
AB  - We have defined culture conditions, using a feeder layer of cells from the
      embryonic mesenchymal cell line, 10T1/2 and a serum-free medium, which allow
      cells from the mouse myogenic cell line Sol 8 to form contracting myotubes for
      two weeks. Under these culture conditions, Sol 8 myotubes undergo a maturation
      process characterized by a sequential expression of two phenotypes. An early
      phenotype is typified by the expression of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
      (AChR) gamma-subunit transcripts and the presence of low conductance ACh
      activated channels, typical of embryonic AChR. A late phenotype is characterized
      by the expression of AChR epsilon-subunit transcripts, the decreased accumulation
      of gamma-subunit transcripts and the appearance of high conductance ACh-activated
      channels, typical of adult AChR. These results indicate that the expression of
      functional adult type AChR does not require the presence of the motor nerve and
      therefore represents an intrinsic feature of the Sol 8 muscle cells. Chronic
      exposure of the cells to the voltage-sensitive Na+ channel blocking agent
      tetrodotoxin does not affect the appearance of the AChR epsilon-subunit
      transcripts but prevents the reduction of the steady-state level of the AChR
      gamma-subunit transcripts and yields a reduced proportion of the adult type
      channels. Thus, activity seems to facilitate the switch from the embryonic to the
      adult phenotype of the AChR protein. The Sol 8 cell system might be useful to
      analyse further the genetic and epigenetic regulation of muscle fibre maturation
      in mammals.

PMID- 1868830
TI  - Axonal transport of neuropeptide encoding mRNAs within the hypothalamo
      hypophyseal tract of rats.
AB  - Hypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin transcripts have been detected in the
      posterior pituitary suggesting either transcription of the respective genes in
      pituicytes or axonal mRNA transport from the hypothalamus to the nerve terminals
      of the posterior pituitary. The concept of axonal mRNA transport is supported
      firstly, by Northern blot and in situ hybridization analysis indicating that
      vasopressin and oxytocin mRNAs are also present in the neural stalk; secondly, by
      intron analysis and transcription run on experiments demonstrating the absence of
      primary vasopressin and oxytocin transcripts in non-neuronal cells of the
      posterior pituitary; thirdly, by embryonic developmental studies showing that
      appearance of vasopressin transcripts in the hypothalamus and the pituitary
      anlage is correlated. Furthermore, during axonal transport the respective mRNAs
      are subject to specific modification at the poly(A) tails.

PMID- 1868831
TI  - Mechanisms of tandem duplication in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene include
      both homologous and nonhomologous intrachromosomal recombination.
AB  - Three tandem duplications were previously identified in patients with Duchenne
      muscular dystrophy and were shown in each case to have a subset of dystrophin
      gene exons duplicated. The origin of these duplications was traced to the single
      X chromosome of the maternal grandfathers, suggesting that an intrachromosomal
      event (unequal sister chromatid exchange) was involved in the formation of these
      duplications. In the present study, a DNA segment containing the duplication
      junction and the normal DNA that corresponds to both ends of the duplicated
      region have been cloned. Subsequent mapping studies confirmed the tandem
      arrangement (head to tail) of these duplications and revealed their sizes to be
      130 kb, approximately 300 kb, and 35-80 kb, respectively. Sequence analysis of
      the duplication junctions showed that one duplication was due to homologous
      recombination between two repetitive elements (Alu sequences) and the other two
      were due to recombination between unrelated nonhomologous sequences. In the
      latter cases, the preferred cleavage sites of the eukaryotic type I and II DNA
      topoisomerases were found at the junctions of these duplications, suggesting a
      possible role of these enzymes in the chromatid exchange events. This study
      provides the first insight into the molecular basis of gene duplications formed
      through unequal sister chromatid exchange in humans.

PMID- 1868833
TI  - Genomic targets of the serendipity beta and delta zinc finger proteins and their
      respective DNA recognition sites.
AB  - The closely related Drosophila serendipity (sry) beta (beta) and delta (delta)
      Cys2-His2 zinc finger proteins show partly overlapping in vitro DNA binding
      specificities and distinct patterns of binding sites on polytene chromosomes.
      Using a newly developed procedure, we identified genomic DNA targets for these
      two proteins. Both the sry beta and delta proteins protect an 18-22 base region
      from DNase I digestion within each analysed genomic binding site, that includes a
      13 bp consensus sequence. The consensus recognition sites sry beta 5'
      YCAGAGATGCGCA-3' and sry delta 5'-YTAGAGATGGRAA-3' thus differ by nucleotides at
      four out of 13 positions. They are determinant for specific binding of the sry
      beta and delta proteins, respectively, produced in Escherichia coli or present in
      Drosophila embryos. We further show that sry beta is the major (if not exclusive)
      Drosophila nuclear protein that specifically binds the 5'-CAGAGTGCGC-3' sequence.
      The identified sry beta genomic targets are all contained within single-copy DNA
      in euchromatic regions of the genome. Two out of the five characterized in detail
      map at cytological positions coincident with binding sites of the native sry beta
      protein on polytene chromosomes.

PMID- 1868832
TI  - Protein kinase C activation potently down-regulates the expression of its major
      substrate, 80K, in Swiss 3T3 cells.
AB  - The amino acid sequence of 80K, the major acidic protein kinase C (PKC) substrate
      of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, was deduced from a cDNA nucleotide sequence. Overall,
      25% of the predicted amino acid sequence is supported by direct protein sequence
      data. Southern blot analysis suggests that the mouse genome contains a single
      copy of this gene. Two 80K mRNA species, a major band of 2.25 kb and a minor band
      of 3.9 kb, were detected by Northern blot analysis. Stimulation of PKC by
      biologically active phorbol esters, including phorbol-12, 13-dibutyrate (PDB),
      reduced the steady state level of 80K mRNA to 8.8% of control within 5-7 h. This
      effect was dose-dependent, and was abolished by prior depletion of PKC. The PDB
      induced down-regulation of 80K mRNA levels was transient, and recovery coincided
      with the disappearance of PKC activity. A similar transient decrease in 80K mRNA
      levels was also demonstrated in tertiary cultures of mouse embryo fibroblasts.
      The down-regulation of 80K mRNA levels was completely abolished by actinomycin D,
      cycloheximide or anisomycin if added up to 30 min after PDB addition. Since the
      rate of transcription of the 80K gene was unaltered by PDB treatment, we
      concluded that the PKC-induced down-regulation of 80K mRNA is mediated by a post
      transcriptional mechanism. In addition, PDB transiently decreased the level of
      80K protein within 14-18 h, thus reflecting the effects of this phorbol ester on
      mRNA expression.

PMID- 1868834
TI  - Flexibility of the DNA enhances promoter affinity of Escherichia coli RNA
      polymerase.
AB  - Two types of mechanisms are discussed for the formation of active protein-DNA
      complexes: contacts with specific bases and interaction via specific DNA
      structures within the cognate DNA. We have studied the effect of a single
      nucleoside deletion on the interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with a
      strong promoter. This study reveals three patterns of interaction which can be
      attributed to different sites of the promoter, (i) direct base contact with the
      template strand in the '-35 region' (the 'recognition domain'), (ii) a DNA
      structure dependent interaction in the '-10 region' (the 'melting domain'), and
      (iii) an interaction which is based on a defined spatial relationship between the
      two domains of a promoter, namely the 'recognition domain' and the 'melting
      domain'.

PMID- 1868835
TI  - Identification of transcription factors required for the expression of mammalian
      U6 genes in vitro.
AB  - Transcription factors, required for the basal expression of the mouse U6 gene
      were identified in extracts from HeLa cells. This gene is transcribed at least
      four times more efficiently than its human counterpart in extracts from mouse or
      HeLa cells and hence provides an excellent in vitro system for the identification
      of transcription factors involved in the basal expression of mammalian U6 genes.
      At least four separate protein components were found to be required in addition
      to RNA polymerase III for correct synthesis of U6 RNA in vitro. These correspond
      to: (i) TFIIIB; (ii) a heat labile activity contained in a protein fraction
      enriched in TFIID; (iii) an, as yet, uncharacterized component contained in the
      flow-through upon rechromatography on phosphocellulose, and finally; (iv) a
      protein specifically binding to the mouse U6 gene promoter and transactivating
      its expression. Transcription factors IIIA and IIIC are not involved in mammalian
      U6 transcription in vitro. The U6-specific transcription factor has a molecular
      mass of approximately 90 +/- 10 kDa. It specifically binds to the U6 gene from bp
      -42 to -78 on the coding and from bp -37 to -79 on the non-coding strand thereby
      centrally encompassing the PSE motif of the mouse U6 promoter. The binding
      activity of this protein is correlated with the efficiency with which the U6 gene
      is transcribed in vitro, thereby indicating a crucial role of the PSE-binding
      protein for U6 transcription.

PMID- 1868836
TI  - Short leader sequences may be transferred from small RNAs to pre-mature mRNAs by
      trans-splicing in Euglena.
AB  - Very closely related short sequences are present at the 5' end of cytoplasmic
      mRNAs in Euglena as evidenced by comparison of cDNA sequences and hybrid-arrested
      translation experiments. By cloning Euglena gracilis nuclear DNA and isolating
      the rbcS gene (encoding the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate
      carboxylase/oxygenase), we have shown that the short leader sequence does not
      flank the nuclear gene sequence. The leader sequences were found to constitute
      the 5' extremities of a family of small RNAs. Sequencing six members of this
      family revealed a striking similarity to vertebrate U snRNAs. We propose that a
      trans-splicing mechanism transfers the spliced leader (SL) sequence from these
      small RNAs (SL RNAs) to pre-mature mRNAs. Transfer of leader sequences to mRNAs
      by trans-splicing has been shown only in trypanosomes where cis-splicing is
      unknown, and in nematodes where not more than 10% of the mRNAs have leader
      sequences. Our results strongly suggest that Euglena is a unique organism in
      which both a widespread trans-splicing and a cis-splicing mechanism co-exist.

PMID- 1868837
TI  - Different effects of intron nucleotide composition and secondary structure on pre
      mRNA splicing in monocot and dicot plants.
AB  - We have found previously that the sequences important for recognition of pre-mRNA
      introns in dicot plants differ from those in the introns of vertebrates and
      yeast. Neither a conserved branch point nor a polypyrimidine tract, found in
      yeast and vertebrate introns respectively, are required. Instead, AU-rich
      sequences, a characteristic feature of dicot plant introns, are essential. Here
      we show that splicing in protoplasts of maize, a monocot, differs significantly
      from splicing in a dicot, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. As in the case of dicots, a
      conserved branch point and a polypyrimidine tract are not required for intron
      processing in maize. However, unlike in dicots, AU-rich sequences are not
      essential, although their presence facilitates splicing if the splice site
      sequences are not optimal. The lack of an absolute requirement for AU-rich
      stretches in monocot introns in reflected in the occurrence of GC-rich introns in
      monocots but not in dicots. We also show that maize protoplasts are able to
      process a mammalian intron and short introns containing stem--loops, neither of
      which are spliced in N.plumbaginifolia protoplasts. The ability of maize, but not
      of N.plumbaginifolia to process stem--loop-containing or GC-rich introns suggests
      that one of the functions of AU-rich sequences during splicing of dicot plant pre
      mRNAs may be to minimize secondary structure within the intron.

PMID- 1868838
TI  - Activation of the nimA protein kinase plays a unique role during mitosis that
      cannot be bypassed by absence of the bimE checkpoint.
AB  - Mutation of nimA reversibly arrests cells in late G2 and nimA overexpression
      promotes premature mitosis. Here we demonstrate that the product of nimA
      (designated NIMA) has protein kinase activity that can phosphorylate beta-casein
      but not histone proteins. NIMA kinase activity is cell cycle regulated being 20
      fold higher at mitosis when compared to S-phase arrested cells. NIMA activation
      is normally required in G2 to initiate chromosome condensation, to nucleate
      spindle pole body microtubules, and to allow an MPM-2 specific mitotic
      phosphorylation. All three of these mitotic events can occur in the absence of
      activated NIMA when the bimE gene is mutated (bimE7). However, the bimE7 mutation
      cannot completely bypass the requirement for nimA during mitosis as entry into
      mitosis in the absence of NIMA activation results in major mitotic defects that
      affect both the organization of the nuclear envelope and mitotic spindle. Thus,
      although nimA plays an essential but limited role during mitosis, mutation of
      nimA arrests all of mitosis. We therefore propose that mutation of nimA prevents
      mitotic initiation due to a checkpoint arrest that is negatively mediated by
      bimE. The checkpoint ensures that mitosis is not initiated until NIMA is
      mitotically activated.

PMID- 1868839
TI  - Activation of recA protein: the pitch of the helical complex with single-stranded
      DNA.
AB  - The complex of recA protein with single-stranded DNA in the presence of ATP is
      the active species in the three enzymatic activities of recA: the initiation of
      strand exchange, the hydrolysis of ATP and the cleavage of repressors. Here we
      find by cryo-electron microscopy of unstained and unfixed samples that the
      helical structure of the protein coat in this complex differs slightly but
      significantly from the structure in the complex with double-stranded DNA. We
      discuss how the larger pitch of the complex with single strands (100 +/- 2 A
      compared with 95 +/- 2 A with double strands) could contribute to its higher
      enzymatic activity.

PMID- 1868840
TI  - The replication termination signal terB of the Escherichia coli chromosome is a
      deletion hot spot.
AB  - Hybrids composed of phage M13, plasmid pBR322 and the termination signal of
      Escherichia coli chromosome replication terB were used to show that arrest of DNA
      synthesis creates a very efficient deletion hot spot. Up to 80% of deletions
      occurring in these hybrids had one deletion end-point at terB provided that (i)
      terB was oriented to arrest M13 and pBR322 leading strand synthesis; and (ii) the
      host cells contained the Tus protein necessary for arresting DNA synthesis at
      terB. The position of terB and the flanking sequences had little effect on
      deletion hot spot activity. About 90% of the deletions at terB ended 5-6
      nucleotides in front of the major replication arrest site. We propose two models
      to account for deletion formation and speculate that many genome rearrangements
      may be due to the pausing of DNA replication.

PMID- 1868841
TI  - Molecular aspects of plastid envelope biochemistry.

PMID- 1868842
TI  - Glucose repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is directly associated with hexose
      phosphorylation by hexokinases PI and PII.
AB  - Genetic and biochemical analyses showed that hexokinase PII is mainly responsible
      for glucose repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, indicating a regulatory
      domain mediating glucose repression. Hexokinase PI/PII hybrids were constructed
      to identify the supposed regulatory domain and the repression behavior was
      observed in the respective transformants. The hybrid constructs allowed the
      identification of a domain (amino acid residues 102-246) associated with the
      fructose/glucose phosphorylation ratio. This ratio is characteristic of each
      isoenzyme, therefore this domain probably corresponds to the catalytic domain of
      hexokinases PI and PII. Glucose repression was associated with the C-terminal
      part of hexokinase PII, but only these constructs had high catalytic activity
      whereas opposite constructs were less active. Reduction of hexokinase PII
      activity by promoter deletion was inversely followed by a decrease in the glucose
      repression of invertase and maltase. These results did not support the hypothesis
      that a specific regulatory domain of hexokinase PII exists which is independent
      of the hexokinase PII catalytic domain. Gene disruptions of hexokinases further
      decreased repression when hexokinase PI was removed in addition to hexokinase
      PII. This proved that hexokinase PI also has some function in glucose repression.
      Stable hexokinase PI overproducers were nearly as effective for glucose
      repression as hexokinase PII. This showed that hexokinase PI is also capable of
      mediating glucose repression. All these results demonstrated that catalytically
      active hexokinases are indispensable for glucose repression. To rule out any
      further glycolytic reactions necessary for glucose repression,
      phosphoglucoisomerase activity was gradually reduced. Cells with residual
      phosphoglucoisomerase activities of less than 10% showed reduced growth on
      glucose. Even 1% residual activity was sufficient for normal glucose repression,
      which proved that additional glycolytic reactions are not necessary for glucose
      repression. To verify the role of hexokinases in glucose repression, the third
      glucose-phosphorylating enzyme, glucokinase, was stably overexpressed in a
      hexokinase PI/PII double-null mutant. No strong effect on glucose repression was
      observed, even in strains with 2.6 U/mg glucose-phosphorylating activity, which
      is threefold increased compared to wild-type cells. This result indicated that
      glucose repression is only associated with the activity of hexokinases PI and PII
      and not with that of glucokinase.

PMID- 1868843
TI  - Action of trypsin on glycinin. Mixed-type proteolysis and its kinetics; molecular
      mass of glycinin-T.
AB  - The formation of a relatively stable high-molecular-mass product on trypsin
      hydrolysis of glycinin (glycinin-T) is interpreted to be a result of 'zipper'
      proteolysis. Evidence of parallel one-by-one degradation of glycinin occurring
      after the formation of glycinin-T is presented. At a relatively low concentration
      of the substrate, the one-by-one proteolysis proceeds as a first-order reaction.
      A method of determination of the changes in the molecular mass of a protein
      during the mixed-type proteolysis and some other parameters of this process is
      developed on the basis of the analysis of the proteolysis kinetics. The value of
      the molecular mass of glycinin-T calculated by means of this method makes up 70%
      of the initial molecular mass and coincides with the result of direct
      determination by gradient gel electrophoresis.

PMID- 1868844
TI  - Differential interactions of estrogens and antiestrogens at the 17 beta-hydroxy
      or counterpart function with the estrogen receptor.
AB  - The action of diethylpyrocarbonate on lamb uterine estrogen receptor produced an
      homogeneous population of the receptor (approximately 55%) which still bound
      triarylethylene antiestrogens such as 4-hydroxytamoxifen with a high affinity but
      bound classical potent estrogens such as estradiol or diethylstilbestrol with a
      very low affinity. To specify the structural features of the ligands involved in
      the decrease of ligand affinity upon modification of the estrogen receptor, we
      determined the relative affinity constants of 17 steroidal estrogens or
      antiestrogens (deriving from estradiol by a 7 alpha- or 11 beta-substitution) and
      14 nonsteroidal estrogens or antiestrogens (all including the 1,2-trans
      diphenylethylene structure of diethylstilbestrol) for native and
      diethylpyrocarbonate-modified estrogen receptors. Then the ratio of the relative
      affinity constant for the native receptor to that for the modified receptor (rho)
      was calculated for each ligand, to compare the variation in the affinity of the
      ligand upon modification of the receptor to that of 4-hydroxytamoxifen (rho = 1).
      The results showed that the strong decrease of ligand affinity upon modification
      of the receptor displayed by classical estrogens (rho greater than or equal to
      200) is strictly dependent on the presence of the 17 beta-hydroxyl group in
      steroidal compounds or its alpha-4- and beta-4-counterparts in diethylstilbestrol
      related compounds. However, for the 7 alpha- or 11 beta-derivatives of estradiol
      displaying potent antiestrogenic properties, the relative decrease in affinity
      was much more limited (rho less than or equal to 19). For 11 beta-derivatives
      displaying a relative estrogenic activity weaker than that of estradiol itself,
      an average decrease in affinity was observed (23 less than or equal to rho less
      than or equal to 62). With the diethylstilbestrol-related compounds, bearing or
      not the alpha-4-hydroxyl and/or the beta-4-hydroxy functions and showing either
      weak relative estrogenic or antiestrogenic properties, the relative variation in
      affinity was weak (0.6 less than or equal to rho less than or equal to 24). These
      results indicate that the interaction of 7 alpha- or 11 beta-substituted
      steroidal antiestrogens and of 1,2-trans-diphenylethylene or triphenylethylene
      derivatives, displaying either weak relative estrogenic or antiestrogenic
      properties with the receptor, differs at the 17 beta-hydroxy or at the alpha-4
      /beta-4-hydroxy functions from that of potent estrogens. They suggest that the
      strong decrease in the relative affinity of ligands upon receptor modification
      may reflect the high efficiency of the ligands to activate the receptor
      properly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868845
TI  - Assignment of the five disulfide bridges in an alpha-amylase inhibitor from wheat
      kernel by fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry and Edman degradation.
AB  - The assignment of the five disulfide bridges in an alpha-amylase monomeric
      inhibitor from wheat kernel (coded 0.28) was achieved by combining fast-atom
      bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and automatic sequencing based on Edman
      degradation. Direct FAB-MS analysis of the native and reduced enzymatic digests
      of the protein allowed the assignment of three disulfide bridges out of five,
      including those involving two adjacent cysteine residues. The remaining two
      disulfide bridges were assigned by sequencing automatically the peptide clusters
      purified from the tryptic digest of the native protein.

PMID- 1868846
TI  - Two-dimensional 1H-NMR studies of phospholipase-A2-inhibitor complexes bound to a
      micellar lipid-water interface.
AB  - One- and two-dimensional NMR studies were performed on the complexes of porcine
      pancreatic phospholipase A2 with substrate analogs bound to a micellar lipid
      water interface of fully deuterated dodecylphosphocholine. The interactions
      between the inhibitor and the enzyme were localized by comparison of the two
      dimensional NOE spectra recorded for the enzyme-inhibitor complex using both
      protonated and selectively deuterated inhibitors. These experiments led us to the
      following conclusions for the phospholipase-A2-micelle complex: (i) the 38-kDa
      phospholipase A2 complex gives NMR spectra with relatively narrow lines, which is
      indicative of high mobility of the enzyme; (ii) the residues Ala1, Trp3, Phe63
      and Tyr69 located in the interface recognition site, as well as Phe22, Tyr75,
      Phe106 and Tyr111 are involved in the micelle-binding process; (iii) when present
      on the micelle, phospholipase A2 is stereospecific for the inhibitor binding;
      (iv) the inhibitor, (R)-dodecyl-2-aminohexanol-1-phosphoglycol, binds
      stoichiometrically to phospholipase A2 with high affinity (Kd less than or equal
      to 10 microM); (v) the inhibitor binds in the active site of the enzyme, which is
      evidenced by large chemical-shift differences for Phe5, Ile9, Phe22, His48, Tyr52
      and Phe106; (vi) the acyl chain of the inhibitor makes hydrophobic contacts (less
      than 0.4 nm) near Phe5, Ile9, Phe22 and Phe106. Comparison of our results on the
      enzyme-inhibitor-micelle ternary complex with the crystal structure of the enzyme
      inhibitor complex [Thunnissen, M. M. G. M., AB, E., Kalk, K. H., Drenth, J.,
      Dijkstra, B. W., Kuipers, O. P., Dijkman, R., de Haas, G. H. & Verheij, H. M.
      (1990) Nature 347, 689-691] shows that the mode of inhibitor binding is similar.

PMID- 1868847
TI  - On the importance of the support material for enzymatic synthesis in organic
      media. Support effects at controlled water activity.
AB  - Enzymes were deposited on different porous support materials and these
      preparations were used to catalyze reactions in organic media. Reactions were
      carried out at specific water activities, achieved by equilibrating both the
      enzyme preparation and the substrate solution at the desired water activity
      before mixing them and thereby starting the reactions. The reaction rates
      obtained at the same water activity with different supports differed greatly,
      indicating a direct influence of the support on the enzyme. For horse liver
      alcohol dehydrogenase, Celite was the best support, and the reaction rate
      increased with increasing water activity. In the alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed
      alcoholysis of N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine ethyl ester with 1-butanol, high rates
      were again obtained with Celite, but with this support only about one third of
      the ethyl ester was converted to butyl ester, the rest was hydrolyzed. With the
      polyamide support, Accurel PA6, alcoholysis was the dominating reaction, and by
      using a low water activity (0.33), hydrolysis was completely suppressed while
      still maintaining a high alcoholysis activity. Controlled pore glass (CPG),
      derivatized with either hexyl or glucosyl groups, had quite different properties
      as enzyme supports. For horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, glucose-CPG was a much
      better support than hexyl-CPG, and in the alpha-chymotrypsin-catalyzed reactions,
      glucose-CPG favored hydrolysis, and hexyl-CPG alcoholysis, at water activities
      exceeding 0.8. The results are discussed considering the absorption of water on
      the enzymes, on the supports and the solubility of water in the reaction media;
      all these parameters were measured separately.

PMID- 1868849
TI  - Peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F cannot release
      glycans with fucose attached alpha 1----3 to the asparagine-linked N
      acetylglucosamine residue.
AB  - The ability of peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F
      (PNGase F) from Flavobacterium meningosepticum and PNGase A from sweet almonds to
      deglycosylate N-glycopeptides and N-glycoproteins from plants was compared.
      Bromelain glycopeptide and horseradish peroxidase-C glycoprotein, which contain
      xylose linked beta 1----2 to beta-mannose and fucose linked alpha 1----3 to the
      innermost N-acetylglucosamine, were used as substrates. In contrast to PNGase A,
      the enzyme from F. meningosepticum did not act upon these substrates even at
      concentrations 100-fold higher than required for complete deglycosylation of
      commonly used standard substrates. After removal of alpha 1----3-linked fucose
      from the plant glycopeptide and glycoprotein by mild acid hydrolysis, they were
      readily degraded by PNGase F at moderate enzyme concentrations. Hence we conclude
      that alpha 1----3 fucosylation of the inner N-acetylglucosamine impedes the
      enzymatic action of PNGase F. Knowledge of this limitation of the deglycosylation
      potential of PNGase F may turn it from a pitfall into a useful experimental tool.

PMID- 1868848
TI  - The specificity of chymotrypsin. A statistical analysis of hydrolysis data.
AB  - From the literature we collected all available quantitative data on the
      chymotrypsin-catalyzed hydrolysis of series of amino acid and peptide substrates.
      Utilizing this data base, we performed calculations on their quantitative
      structure/activity relationship (QSAR). The substrates were considered to be
      composed of fragments; log(kcat/Km) values for the substrates resulted from
      additive contributions of their fragments. Despite the fact that the kinetic
      constants in the data base were determined by different authors under various
      reaction conditions, the data are well described by the simple additivity model.
      Obviously, the intrinsic specificity of chymotrypsin dominates the influence of
      varying reaction conditions.

PMID- 1868850
TI  - Selective 13C-labelling of cyclosporin A.
AB  - Cyclosporin A is biosynthetically labelled with 13C by growing an overproducing
      strain of Tolypocladium inflatum on minimal media containing either [1-13C]-, [2
      13C]-, [3-13C]- or [6-13C]glucose as the only carbon source. NMR analysis of the
      13C-labelled peptide showed a labelling pattern in which 13C occurs at specific
      sites. These can be predicted by consideration of the relevant biosynthetic
      pathways. Quantitation of the site-specific enrichments revealed that the 13C
      label incorporation is efficient and selective. Metabolic fluxes through
      alternative pathways can also be estimated from these results. Isotopically
      labelled peptides will be a very useful tool for the study of molecular
      interactions with their receptors.

PMID- 1868851
TI  - Acid-base properties of nucleosides and nucleotides as a function of
      concentration. Comparison of the proton affinity of the nucleic base residues in
      the monomeric and self-associated, oligomeric 5'-triphosphates of inosine (ITP),
      guanosine (GTP), and adenosine (ATP).
AB  - The acid-base properties of the nucleic base residues of ITP, GTP, and ATP, and
      for comparison also as far as possible of the corresponding nucleosides, were
      studied in dependence on their concentration, i.e. on the effect of self
      association. From the dependence between the 1H-NMR chemical shifts of H-2 (where
      applicable), H-8, and H-1', and the pD of the solutions, the acidity constants
      for the deprotonation of the D+(N-7) site in D2(ITP)2-, D2(GTP)2-, D(Ino)+, and
      D(Guo)+, and of the D+(N-1) site in D2(ATP)2- and D(Ado)+ were calculated.
      Chemical shift/pD profiles for a whole series of varying concentrations of the
      nucleic base derivatives (= N) were constructed, including those for infinite
      dilution (delta o), which give the acidity constant for the monomeric N, and for
      infinitely concentrated solutions (delta infinity), which give the acidity
      constant of an N in an infinitely long stack. The acidity constants determined
      from the delta o/pD plots are in excellent agreement with the pKa values measured
      by potentiometric pH titrations of highly diluted solutions of N. The effects of
      self-association are striking; e.g. the pKa value of the D+(N-7) site in D2(GTP)2
      is lowered by about 1 (as calculated from the delta o/pD and delta infinity/pD
      profiles), while the pKa value of the D+(N-1) site in D2(ATP)2- is increased by
      approximately 0.3; i.e. in the first case deprotonation is facilitated and in the
      second it is inhibited. The increasing inhibition of the H+(N-1) deprotonation
      with an increasing ATP concentration is due to the high stability of the dimeric
      [H2(ATP)]2(4-) stack for which the intermolecular H+(N-1)/gamma-P(OH)(O)2- ion
      pairs between the two ATP molecules are crucial. In those cases where no other
      significant interaction but aromatic-ring stacking in the self-association
      process occurs, the release of protons from protonated nitrogen-ring sites is
      facilitated with increasing stacking; this holds not only for D2(GTP)2- as
      indicated above, but also for D2(ITP)2-, D(Ino)+, and D(Ado)+. The latter example
      especially suggests that the situation for the D2(ATP)2- system is exceptional.
      Some consequences of the considered acid-base properties for biological systems
      are indicated.

PMID- 1868852
TI  - Characterization and purification of the fusicoccin-binding complex from plasma
      membranes of Commelina communis.
AB  - The fungal phytotoxin fusicoccin binds with high affinity to plasma membranes of
      the monocotyledonous plant, Commelina communis L. The sites bind the toxin with
      an apparent Kd of 5.2 nM and a pH optimum of 6.0. They occur at a level of
      approximately 6-8 pmol/mg plasma membrane protein. Photoaffinity labeling with
      the biologically active fusicoccin derivative 9'-nor-8'-(4-azido[3,5-3H]benzoyl)
      diaminoethylfusicoccin identified a polypeptide of 31.5 kDa on SDS/PAGE which was
      strongly labeled. A second 32.5-kDa band was also consistently labeled, although
      not to the same extent. The binding sites were solubilized in functional form and
      a purification scheme was developed based on affinity and ion-exchange
      procedures. The purified fraction contains two polypeptides of apparent molecular
      masses of 30.5 kDa and 31.6 kDa. A detailed molecular analysis of the fusicoccin
      binding complex is now possible.

PMID- 1868853
TI  - Characterization of a cDNA clone encoding molluscan insulin-related peptide II of
      Lymnaea stagnalis.
AB  - A cDNA clone encoding molluscan insulin-related peptide (MIP) II was isolated
      from a cDNA library of the central nervous system (CNS) of the freshwater snail,
      Lymnaea stagnalis, using a heterologous screening with a previously identified
      MIP cDNA (renamed MIP-I cDNA). The MIP-II cDNA encodes a preprohormone resembling
      the organization of preproinsulin, with a putative signal sequence, and A and B
      chains; however, in this case connected by two distinct C peptides, C alpha and C
      beta, instead of a single C peptide, a phenomenon which represents a new
      development in the prohormone organization of peptides belonging to the insulin
      superfamily. The A and B chains of MIP II and I differ remarkably in primary
      structure; in contrast, the C alpha peptide domains are fully identical. MIP II
      has only limited sequence similarity with insulins and related peptides. Both MIP
      II and I exhibit structural features, which make them a unique class of the
      insulin superfamily. The MIP I and II genes are expressed in a single type of
      neuron: the growth-controlling neuroendocrine light green cells of the Lymnaea
      CNS.

PMID- 1868854
TI  - On the role of polysialoglycosphingolipids as tetanus toxin receptors. A study
      with lipid monolayers.
AB  - Lipid monolayers of different compositions were used to study the interaction of
      tetanus toxin with membrane lipids and to evaluate the role of
      polysialoglycosphingolipids as membrane receptors. At neutral pH, the toxin binds
      to dioleoylglycerophosphocholine monolayers and inserts into the phospholipid
      layer. This effect is potentiated by acidic phospholipids without an apparent
      preference for a single class of phospholipids. Polysialoglycosphingolipids
      further increase the fixation and penetration of tetanus toxin in lipid
      monolayers, but no specific requirement for a particular ganglioside was
      identified. The ganglioside effect is abolished in the presence of other nervous
      tissue lipids: cerebrosides and glycosphingolipid sulfates are partially
      responsible for this effect. The penetration of tetanus toxin in the lipid
      monolayer is pH dependent. It increases with lowering pH, it is facilitated by
      acidic phospholipids and by glycosphingolipid sulfates and it is mediated both by
      hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions as deduced from an analysis of the
      effect of ionic strength. Fragment B of tetanus toxin the low-pH-driven lipid
      interaction of the toxin. On the basis of the present findings, the possible role
      of polysialoglycosphingolipids in the neurospecific binding of tetanus toxin is
      discussed.

PMID- 1868855
TI  - Regulation of smooth-muscle myosin-light-chain kinase. Steady-state kinetic
      studies of the reaction mechanism.
AB  - The kinetic mechanism of turkey gizzard smooth muscle myosin-light-chain kinase
      was investigated using the isolated 20-kDa light chain of myosin as substrate.
      The kinetic and product inhibition patterns of the forward reaction indicated an
      ordered sequential mechanism in which MgATP bound first, ADP was released last.
      The order of substrate binding and product release was confirmed independently by
      competitive, dead-end inhibition patterns obtained using the non-hydrolizable ATP
      analog adenosine 5'-[beta,gamma-imido]triphosphate. The mechanism was also
      characterized by a relatively strong product inhibition by ADP and a weak one by
      phosphorylated 20-kDa light-chain myosin, in addition to a significant inhibition
      by the latter product via a formation of a dead-end complex. [gamma-32P]ATP in
      equilibrium with [32P]phosphorylated light chain isotope-exchange data were
      consistent with the deduced mechanism and with the presence of the latter dead
      end complex.

PMID- 1868856
TI  - GDP-fucose: beta-N-acetylglucosamine (Fuc to (Fuc alpha 1----6GlcNAc)-Asn
      peptide)alpha 1----3-fucosyltransferase activity in honeybee (Apis mellifica)
      venom glands. The difucosylation of asparagine-bound N-acetylglucosamine.
AB  - Incubation of honeybee (Apis mellifica) venom-gland extracts with GDP-[14C]fucose
      and GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha 1----6(GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha 1----3)Man
      beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----4(Fuc alpha 1----6)GlcNAc beta 1----N-Asn
      peptide(NAc) gave a labeled product in 40% yield. Analysis by 500-MHz 1H-NMR
      spectroscopy indicated the transferred fucose-(Fuc) residue to be alpha 1----3
      linked to the Asn-bound GlcNAc. Further proof was provided by one-dimensional and
      two-dimensional 1H-NMR analysis of the incubation mixture, after incubation with
      beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase. The established carbohydrate structure (formula; see
      text) proves the existence of a novel alpha 1----3-fucosyltransferase with the
      ability to effect difucosylation of the Asn-bound GlcNAc in N-glycans.

PMID- 1868857
TI  - Beta-2-microglobulin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid: their value as a disease
      marker. A review of the recent literature.
AB  - The usefulness of measuring beta 2-microglobulin levels in the cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) in neurological diseases is discussed and the relevant literature is
      reviewed in this article. An elevation of this protein in the CSF is particularly
      indicative of disease activity in multiple sclerosis, neuro-Behcet's disease,
      sarcoidosis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-dementia complex and meningeal
      metastasis of malignant tumors, especially the meningeal dissemination of acute
      leukemia and malignant lymphoma.

PMID- 1868858
TI  - Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy due to dural cavernous sinus fistula.
AB  - Two patients with a dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistula presented with
      unilateral oculomotor nerve palsies without signs of ocular congestion or
      proptosis. According to this, dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistula should be
      included in the differential diagnosis of any case of painful ophthalmoplegia,
      even in the absence of other ocular signs.

PMID- 1868859
TI  - Long-term EEG monitoring in uremic children on chronic dialysis treatment.
AB  - Even in the absence of clinically apparent seizures, patients undergoing chronic
      dialysis often exhibit abnormal EEG activity, which is usually attributed to the
      type of dialysis or to the dysequilibrium syndrome. To find out whether these
      abnormalities occurred only during dialysis sessions, 10 children with end-stage
      renal failure undergoing chronic dialysis were continuously monitored for 52 h
      during dialysis and between two sessions. The EEG tracing was abnormal in 5
      children. Two had paroxysmal aspecific slow waves towards the end of the
      sessions, with a fall in blood pressure, malaise and fainting. In 3 children EEG
      abnormalities - also present in the interdialytic period - were not clinically
      apparent. Long-term EEG monitoring in these cases distinguished between the
      electrical events that were related to dialysis and those that were not. It also
      suggested that, rather than being dialysis-dependent, these events frequently
      reflect a basic neurological disorder.

PMID- 1868860
TI  - Low doses of insulin as a treatment of tardive dyskinesia: conjuncture or
      conjecture?
AB  - Tardive dyskinesia (TD) induced by antipsychotic drugs represents a great concern
      for patients and psychiatrists. Considering its pathophysiological mechanisms,
      there exists a convergence towards the development of postsynaptic dopaminergic
      hypersensitivity as a possible cause of TD. Hypersensitivity following receptor
      blockade is the consequence of an increased number of receptors and such a
      synthesis is energy-dependent. In the brain, under normal conditions, energy is
      almost exclusively provided by glucose utilization. We thus hypothesized that, if
      glucose availability were reduced, the metabolically hyperactive structures
      should represent the best functional target of a reduction in fuel availability.
      Twenty chronic schizophrenic outpatients (13 males, 7 females), aged 20-67 (mean:
      38.3), accepted to participate in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
      They were randomly assigned to either the insulin treatment group (10 patients)
      or to the insulin-placebo group (10 patients). They received a subcutaneous
      injection of 10 units of standard insulin or placebo at 10 a.m. From day 1 to day
      15, injections were performed daily and, thereafter, every other week for 5 weeks
      totalizing 20 injections in 90 days. At day 7, the insulin treatment group showed
      a sharp decrease in the intensity of TD symptoms which persisted throughout the
      duration of the study. By contrast, no change in TD symptomatology was observed
      in the insulin-placebo-treated group. Although a direct effect on DA neurones, or
      at least the participation of such an effect, cannot be excluded, our data favor
      a role of decreased glucose availability in reversing receptor hypersensitivity.

PMID- 1868861
TI  - Mixed transcortical aphasia: clinical features and neuroanatomical correlates. A
      possible role of the right hemisphere.
AB  - This paper reports the clinical features of 2 patients affected by mixed
      transcortical aphasia. Both of them had extensive damage of the left hemisphere.
      Cerebral blood flow measurement showed a marked decrease in left-hemisphere flow.
      In particular, speech areas were found to be morphologically and functionally
      damaged. The present findings, together with a critical review of the literature,
      served as a starting point for a discussion of linguistic features, diagnostic
      criteria and classical neuroanatomical interpretation of mixed transcortical
      aphasia. The possible contribution of the right hemisphere in determining this
      aphasic syndrome is suggested.

PMID- 1868862
TI  - Partial complex epileptic seizures with ictal urogenital manifestation in a
      child.
AB  - Ictal sexual manifestations, like somatosensory genital phenomena, sexual
      emotions or sexual automatisms during a partial complex seizure, are very rare.
      So far the literature has above all described cases in adulthood. We report on a
      6-year-old boy with partial complex epileptic seizures which led to confusion,
      oral and genital automatisms and the urge to urinate. During one epileptic
      seizure with these urogenital manifestations the EEG showed an epileptic rhythmic
      discharge over the left temporal region.

PMID- 1868864
TI  - Mapping of event-related potentials to auditory and visual odd-ball paradigms in
      controls.
AB  - The paper reports the results of recordings and maps of event-related potentials
      (ERPs) obtained in normal subjects. ERPs were recorded from 19 scalp electrode
      derivations using both visual and acoustic paradigms. In normal subjects,
      topographical distribution of all ERP components is described in detail. Our
      findings in normals suggest that the early modulation of stimulus-related
      potentials could be located in primary associative areas, and that N2, P3a, P3b,
      and SW have different distributions.

PMID- 1868863
TI  - Slow progressive bilateral posterior artery infarction presenting as agitated
      delirium, complicated with Anton's syndrome.
AB  - Three patients presented with an acute agitated delirium as the earliest sign of
      bilateral posterior cerebral artery infarction. All patients showed a unique slow
      progressive deterioration with a remarkably long interval between the first
      neuropsychological and subsequent visual and neurological symptoms, ranging from
      3 to 30 days. Repeated CT scans demonstrated hypodensities in the posterior
      artery territory only after a long interval of 9-12 days, in case 3, and between
      33 and 48 days in case 2. In the latter case MRI was still negative 33 days after
      onset. In 2 patients the cortical blindness was complicated with anosognosia for
      blindness. Clinical condition worsened progressively in all patients, leading to
      death, probably due to brainstem infarction. In all 3, the combination of
      clinical and radiological findings indicated a 'top of the basilar' distribution,
      which could be confirmed in two by autopsy.

PMID- 1868865
TI  - Neurocysticercosis: neurologic, pathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.
AB  - Worldwide neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic infection of the human
      brain and meninges. Clinical features of the illness vary with the stage of ova
      infection, but most problems arise when the mature cyst degenerates. Seizures,
      increased intracranial pressure, and focal neurologic signs then often develop.
      Computed tomography and magnetic resonance usually demonstrate Cysticercus
      cellulosae cysts in the brain. A new immunoblot test for antibodies to the
      cysticercus seems both sensitive and specific. Treatment with praziquantel or
      albendazole has hastened the disappearance of the cysts on computed tomography
      and improved clinical symptoms.

PMID- 1868866
TI  - Risks and benefits of therapy with flumazenil (Anexate) in mixed drug
      intoxications.
AB  - Flumazenil, the first specific benzodiazepine (BZD) antagonist, is one of the
      most innovative drugs to become available within the last few years. Flumazenil
      is indicated for the reversal of the centrally depressant effects of BZDs, in BZD
      induced anaesthesia, in BZD sedation in intensive care and in patients comatose
      after drug overdoses including BZDs. A conference of experts experienced in the
      treatment of mixed drug overdoses by various means, including flumazenil, was
      held in order to try to reach a consensus regarding the safe use of flumazenil in
      this indication. From the knowledge and experience gained to date, it was
      concluded that flumazenil may be useful and safe in the treatment of suspected
      BZD and mixed drug overdoses, provided that the appropriate precautions are
      observed.

PMID- 1868867
TI  - Stroke in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia: a study of 372 cases.
AB  - Epidemiological studies have shown a consistent downward trend in the incidence
      and mortality of stroke in industrialized communities. There are however no
      reports on the pattern of stroke in Saudi nationals and expatriates in Saudi
      Arabia. The types and etiologies in 372 subjects (262 Saudis, 110 non-Saudis) are
      described. Males outnumbered females in the ratios of 2.2:1 and 8.2:1 for Saudis
      and non-Saudis, respectively. The frequency of stroke increased steadily with age
      until the 7th decade in Saudis but dropped sharply after the 6th in expatriates.
      The frequency of stroke types in Saudis was ischemic (61%), hemorrhagic (17%) and
      unspecified (22%) as against 46, 47, and 7% respectively in non-Saudis.
      Intracerebral hemorrhage was more frequent than subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and
      was encountered more often in Saudis than in non-Saudis; SAH was 3 times more
      common in expatriates than in Saudis. The major predisposing factors for stroke
      were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiac disorders. Abnormal
      hemoglobinopathies, especially sickle cell anemia, were rare. The differences
      observed in the age and sex distribution and in the stroke pattern between Saudi
      nationals and expatriates most likely reflect the demographic structure existing
      in Saudi Arabia.

PMID- 1868868
TI  - Monochorea caused by a striatal lesion.
AB  - A 76-year-old man developed choreic movement restricted to the arm. Computed
      tomography suggested an old infarction mainly involving the head of the right
      caudate nucleus. Monochorea may indicate a striatal lesion and suggests the
      somatotopic localization.

PMID- 1868869
TI  - Mapping of event-related potentials to auditory and visual odd-ball paradigms in
      patients affected by different forms of dementia.
AB  - The paper reports the results of recordings and maps of event-related potentials
      (ERPs) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy
      (PSP) and in subjects affected by dementia in multiple sclerosis (MS). ERPs were
      recorded from 19 scalp electrode derivations using both visual and acoustic
      paradigms. In 43% of AD patients, ERPs were normal; in 20%, although present, ERP
      components were delayed, while in the other 37% none of the N2 and P3 peaks could
      be recorded, because of abnormal topography of potentials on the scalp. In
      patients with PSP, the normal ERP sequence was not identified. In patients with
      MS delayed ERPs (50%), abnormal topography of ERPs (30%) and absence of ERPs
      (20%) were observed. The follow-up of AD patients showed a progressive alteration
      of ERPs. ERP topography alterations were observed in AD, PSP and MS patients with
      poorest cognitive performances.

PMID- 1868870
TI  - Recurrent Fisher's syndrome with immunological abnormalities and replicated
      laterality.
AB  - A case of Fisher's syndrome which recurred 10 years apart was reported.
      Laterality of cranial nerve findings in the initial episode was replicated in the
      recurrence. Some kind of localized immune sensitization is supposed to play a
      role in replicating such a laterality. Increased CD4/CD8 ratio and elevated IgE
      were noted, which suggests immunological behavior in Fisher's syndrome similar to
      that in Guillain-Barre syndrome.

PMID- 1868871
TI  - A monoclonal antibody blocking the Schistosoma mansoni 28-kDa glutathione S
      transferase activity reduces female worm fecundity and egg viability.
AB  - The protective effects of two different monoclonal antibodies (mAb) raised
      against the Schistosoma mansoni 28-kDa glutathione S-transferase (Sm 28 GST) were
      investigated. Two mAb of the same isotype (IgM) have been selected according to
      the blocking effect on Sm 28 GST enzymatic activity (S13) or the lack of blockade
      (H12). When passively transferred into Fischer rats, both S13 and H12
      significantly reduced the worm burden. In BALB/c mice clear effects on female
      worm fecundity and egg viability were observed when the S13 mAb was transferred;
      these effects included significantly reduced loads of intestinal eggs, reduced
      egg hatching rates and an increased proportion of non-living eggs. No effect on
      egg production and egg hatching was observed in H12-treated mice. In addition,
      worm pairs recovered from S13-but not H12-treated mice laid significantly fewer
      eggs in vitro, and normal worm pairs incubated in vitro with the S13 mAb produced
      significantly fewer eggs than those incubated with H12 mAb. The impairment of egg
      hatching ability was also reproduced in vitro by the S13 mAb. These data suggest
      the existence of two different effector mechanisms induced by immunization with
      Sm 28 GST. The effect on the schistosome worm burden appears to be independent of
      GST activity whereas the effect on S. mansoni female fecundity and egg viability
      seems to be significantly linked to the inactivation of the enzymatic site.

PMID- 1868872
TI  - Preferential development of pre-B lymphomas with drastically down-regulated N-myc
      in the E mu-ret transgenic mice.
AB  - We established one transgenic mouse line which developed pre-B leukemic lymphomas
      by introducing ret cDNA driven by the SV40 promoter and the mouse immunoglobulin
      (Ig) enhancer. Lymphomas developed not only in the lymph nodes and the spleen but
      also in the thymus between the ages of 7 and 21 weeks. Analyses of cell surface
      phenotypes and Ig gene rearrangement revealed that these tumors were surface IgM
      B220+ pre-B lymphomas. The rearrangement pattern of the Ig heavy chain locus
      indicated that the tumor cells were mono- or oligoclonal. Northern blot analysis
      showed that the ret transgene was expressed at a high level not only in the
      tumors but also in the prelymphomatous lymphoid tissues. We found that the
      expression of N-myc was dramatically down-regulated in the tumor cells, while the
      expression of c-myc was rather stable. Further experiments demonstrated that ret
      gene product did not directly down-regulate the expression of N-myc in
      transformed pre-B cell lines by in vitro transfection assay. From these results,
      we conclude that under the control of Ig enhancer, the ret transgene affected B
      lymphocytes at the early maturation stage as a prerequisite for transformation,
      preferentially generating a unique maturation stage of pre-B lymphomas whose N
      myc expression was developmentally down-regulated.

PMID- 1868873
TI  - Isolation of normal human follicular dendritic cells and CD4-independent in vitro
      infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1).
AB  - Immunohistological and electron microscopy studies of lymph nodes from patients
      infected with the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) demonstrated that
      follicular dendritic cells (FDC), the antigen-presenting cells of the B cell
      system, contain and may produce the virus. To elucidate the mode of infection of
      FDC with HIV-1 in vitro we developed an improved method for the preparation of
      single-cell suspensions of viable FDC with high purity (greater than 90% FDC).
      These isolated FDC were subjected to human T cell leukemia virus IIIB infection,
      which was monitored after 4 days in culture using the polymerase chain reaction.
      We were able to demonstrate that normal human FDC are highly susceptible to
      infection by HIV-1. Inhibition experiments with the monoclonal antibody OKT4a
      demonstrate that this infection is independent of the CD4 molecule.

PMID- 1868874
TI  - Isolation and molecular characterization of the B cells producing the paraprotein
      in a case of benign monoclonal gammapathy in C57BL mice.
AB  - Benign monoclonal gammapathy (BMG) is defined as a benign monoclonal B cell
      proliferative disorder characterized by the presence of a persisting component of
      homogenous immunoglobulins (H-Ig) in the serum. A possible role of antigenic
      stimulation in the development of BMG has been suggested. From a C57BL mouse, a
      murine model for BMG, we have isolated clonally related B cells in order to
      investigate the occurrence of somatic mutations in the variable heavy chain (VH)
      region of the genes of H-Ig-producing B cell clones. Therefore, B cells were
      immortalized by hybridoma technology. The hybridomas were screened for
      resemblance of the serum H-Ig component by Wieme agar electrophoresis, followed
      by immunoblotting and isoelectrofocusing. Clonal relationship was investigated by
      Southern blot analysis using a JH probe. In this way we isolated five hybridomas
      producing an IgG2a, kappa that was identical to the original serum H-Ig component
      according to testing with anti-idiotypic antisera. mRNA sequencing of four
      hybridomas showed only one base pair difference in the VH genes. This particular
      gene belonged to the J558 VH gene family. When compared to the most closely
      related known VH sequence, three base pair differences were found. The almost
      complete absence of base pair differences in the VH genes of the four sequenced
      hybridomas, compared with an independently derived hybridoma, suggests that the
      same germ-line VH gene has been used and that somatic mutations were infrequent
      in our BMG clone.

PMID- 1868875
TI  - Germinal center cells express bcl-2 protein after activation by signals which
      prevent their entry into apoptosis.
AB  - B cells undergo selection within germinal centers on the basis of their capacity
      to be activated by antigen held on follicular dendritic cells. Isolated germinal
      center B cells in culture kill themselves by apoptosis but this is prevented if
      their receptors for antigen are cross-linked. In this study it is confirmed that
      almost all germinal center B cells, unlike other B cells, do not express the 25
      kDa protein encoded by the bcl-2 oncogene. Cross-linking the surface Ig of
      isolated germinal center cells causes them to express bcl-2 protein. Two other
      stimuli which inhibit the entry of germinal center cells to apoptosis result in
      the expression of bcl-2 protein. These stimuli are: (a) CD40 antibody and (b)
      recombinant 25-kDa fragment of the CD23 protein plus recombinant interleukin 1
      alpha. Respectively, these induce germinal center cells to differentiate to
      resting B cells or plasmablasts. Dual-fluorescence studies on small lymphocytes
      confirm the presence of bcl-2 protein in mitochondria but show that this is also
      present in other extra-nuclear areas. Burkitt lymphoma cells have a phenotype
      which indicates that they are neoplastic cells of germinal center origin. The
      expression of bcl-2 protein by Burkitt lymphoma lines was also studied. Burkitt
      lines which retain the phenotype of fresh Burkitt lymphoma cells can be induced
      to enter apoptosis on culture with the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin. These cells were
      found not to express bcl-2 protein. By contrast, Burkitt lines which have drifted
      towards a lymphoblastoid cell line phenotype and are resistant to the induction
      of apoptosis express high levels of the bcl-2 protein. The findings support the
      concept that the susceptibility of germinal center cells to entering apoptosis is
      associated with their lack of expression of bcl-2 protein. Aberrant expression of
      bcl-2 protein by some neoplastic germinal center cells may allow survival in
      situations where their normal counterparts die.

PMID- 1868876
TI  - Regulation of interleukin 2 production, interleukin 2 mRNA expression and
      intracellular glutathione levels in ex vivo derived T lymphocytes by lactate.
AB  - The concentration of L-lactate in the blood plasma of higher vertebrates is about
      1 mM but can be as high as 30 mM under certain physiological and pathological
      conditions or in the vicinity of glycolytically active cells including
      macrophages. Here we report that high but physiologically relevant concentrations
      of lactate increase the expression of interleukin 2 (IL 2)-specific mRNA and the
      production of IL 2 activity in cultures of mitogenically stimulated T cells.
      Lactate supports IL 2 production most effectively if added 0-8 h after T cell
      stimulation and only in cultures of CD4+ but not of CD8+ T cells. In contrast to
      the DNA synthesis activity in these cell cultures, IL 2 production is not
      augmented but rather inhibited by exogenous glutathione (GSH). Lactate causes a
      reduction of intracellular GSH levels, and lactate-containing cultures require
      accordingly higher extracellular cysteine concentrations than control cultures to
      achieve similar intracellular GSH levels. In view of the strong variations of
      extracellular lactate concentrations in vivo, our experiments suggest that
      lactate may be part of a previously unknown mechanism by which the metabolic
      microenvironment modulates gene expression in T cells.

PMID- 1868877
TI  - Apoptosis is associated with the extensive B cell death in the sheep ileal
      Peyer's patch and the chicken bursa of Fabricius: a possible role in B cell
      selection.
AB  - The ileal Peyer's patch (PP) and the bursa of Fabricius have major roles in
      populating the B cell system in sheep and chickens, respectively. These tissues
      contain greater than 90% B cells and possess a massive proliferation index with
      greater than 5% of B cells entering mitosis per hour. Paradoxically, almost all
      of the B cells produced in these sites rapidly die in situ. Here we show that the
      extensive B cell death occurring in the ileal PP and bursa is associated with
      apoptosis. Gel electrophoresis of ileal PP cell DNA from 7-14 week-old lambs and
      bursal cell DNA from 4-week-old chickens demonstrated a laddering of DNA in
      multiples of approximately 200 bp, a pattern indicative of apoptosis. In sheep,
      the intensity of the laddering pattern seen after agarose gel electrophoresis was
      always greater with ileal PP cell DNA compared with thymocyte DNA, and usually
      greater than jejunal PP cell DNA. Likewise, DNA isolated from chicken bursal
      cells and mouse PP cells always exhibited a more intense laddering pattern than
      chicken or mouse thymocytes, respectively. When placed in culture ileal PP cells
      died rapidly less than 40% viable cells were recovered after 24 h. Within 6 h of
      culture many ileal PP cells exhibited an apoptotic appearance in that they
      contained condensed chromatin and fragmented nuclei. Moreover, greater than 55%
      of total cellular DNA was fragmented. Compared with thymocytes, ileal PP cells
      underwent DNA fragmentation to a much greater extent and with a faster time
      course in short-term culture. We propose that cell death by apoptosis may make an
      important contribution to B cell development in the lamb ileal PP and the chicken
      bursa. Apoptosis may provide a mechanism for the diversification of the B cell
      immune repertoire and/or the selection of non-self reactive B cells.

PMID- 1868878
TI  - Effects of trimebutine on cytosolic Ca2+ and force transitions in intestinal
      smooth muscle.
AB  - The effects of trimebutine maleate on cytosolic free Ca2+ and force transitions
      in the guinea-pig taenia cecum were studied by fura-2 fluorometry and tension
      recording. The addition of 80 mM K+ induced a transient increase in cytosolic
      free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and tension, followed by a sustained increase.
      Trimebutine (10 microM) suppressed both [Ca2+]i elevation and tension
      development. The tonic responses were more potently inhibited than the phasic
      responses. Phasic components gradually increased as the added K+ increased (10-40
      mM). The relationship between the peak increases in [Ca2+]i and tension was not
      affected by trimebutine (10 microM). This means that trimebutine does not affect
      the Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile elements. In a high K+ and Ca(2+)-free
      medium, carbachol (10 microM) or caffeine (30 mM) caused transient [Ca2+]i
      elevation and tension development in the smooth muscle. Trimebutine (10 microM)
      decreased the amplitude of both responses. Trimebutine (10 microM) inhibited the
      spontaneous fluctuations in [Ca2+]i and motility of taenia cecum in the presence
      of tetrodotoxin (TTX; 0.3 microM). These results suggest that trimebutine has two
      types of inhibitory actions on intestinal smooth muscle; one, the inhibition of
      Ca2+ influx through voltage-dependent calcium channels, and the other, the
      inhibition of Ca2+ release from intracellular storage sites.

PMID- 1868879
TI  - Neuropharmacology of the muscarinic antagonist telenzepine in myenteric ganglia
      of the guinea-pig small intestine.
AB  - Intracellular recording methods were used to investigate the actions of the
      putative M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist telenzepine on the electrical and
      synaptic behavior of myenteric neurons. Telenzepine had no effect on resting
      membrane potential, input resistance, excitability and antidromic potentials in
      both AH/type 2 and S/type 1 neurons, when applied in concentrations of 0.1-2000
      nM, although higher concentrations (10-100 microM) did have a significant non
      specific effect on the postsynaptic membrane. Micromolar concentrations of
      telenpzepine (1-2 microM) had no effect on excitatory responses to substance P,
      vasoactive intestinal peptide, the nicotinic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4
      phenylpiperazinium or the nicotinic action of acetylcholine. Nicotinic fast
      excitatory postsynaptic potentials were also unaffected by 2 microM telenzepine.
      In contrast, at submicromolar concentrations (100 nM), telenzepine abolished
      responses to either muscarine or the muscarinic component of the acetylcholine
      response. The excitatory effect of muscarine at postsynaptic M1 receptors was
      dose dependently inhibited by telenzepine (0.1-1000 nM) at concentrations which
      had no effect on the electrical properties of the cells. This effect was slowly
      reversible, usually requiring more than 60 min for significant recovery. The
      threshold dose of telenzepine as an antagonist of the muscarinic depolarization
      in AH/type 2 neurons was in the range of 0.1-1 nM. The IC50 concentration of
      telenzepine needed to abolish the response was 8.5 nM. A small proportion of
      stimulus-evoked slow excitatory postsynaptic potentials in both AH/type 2 and
      S/type 1 cells were abolished by 1 microM telenzepine, while the majority of them
      remained unaffected, indicating that some slow excitatory postsynaptic potentials
      are mediated by the muscarinic action of released acetylcholine.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868880
TI  - Effects and aftereffects of ibogaine on morphine self-administration in rats.
AB  - Ibogaine, a naturally occurring alkaloid, has been claimed to be effective in
      treating addition to opiate and stimulant drugs. As a preclinical test of this
      claim, the present study sought to determine if ibogaine would reduce the
      intravenous self-administration of morphine in rats. Ibogaine dose dependently
      (2.5-80 mg/kg) decreased morphine intake in the hour after ibogaine treatment
      (acute effect) and, to a lesser extent, a day later (aftereffect); while the
      acute effect could be attributed to abnormal motor behavior (whole body tremors),
      the aftereffect occurred at a time when ibogaine should have been entirely
      eliminated from the body and when there was no obvious indication of ibogaine
      exposure. In some rats, there was a persistent decrease in morphine intake for
      several days or weeks after a single injection of ibogaine; other rats began to
      show such persistent changes only after two or three weekly injections whereas a
      few rats were apparently resistant to prolonged aftereffects. Aftereffects could
      not be attributed to a conditioned aversion. Although ibogaine also depressed
      responding acutely in rats trained to bar-press for water, there was no evidence
      of any aftereffect a day or more later; the interaction between ibogaine and
      morphine reinforcement was therefore somewhat specific. Further studies are
      needed to characterize the nature of the ibogaine-morphine interaction as well as
      to determine if ibogaine also affects the self-administration of other drugs.

PMID- 1868881
TI  - Nocloprost, a unique prostaglandin E2 analog with local gastroprotective and
      ulcer-healing activity.
AB  - Nocloprost (9 beta-chloro-16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)) was examined
      for gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activity and compared to 16,16-dimethyl
      PGE2 (dmPGE) in rats. Nocloprost given intragastrically (i.g.) at various doses
      (0.01-10 micrograms/kg) 30 min before 100% ethanol, acidified aspirin (ASA),
      acidified taurocholate, water immersion, or restraint stress dose dependently
      prevented the formation of gastric lesions, the ID50 values being 0.25, 0.58,
      0.06 and 0.12 micrograms/kg, respectively. The gastroprotection provided by
      nocloprost given i.g. was somewhat enhanced by the presence of acid in the
      stomach and was reduced by inhibition of gastric acid secretion. Nocloprost given
      s.c. also showed protective activity against ethanol damage but was ineffective
      when applied intraduodenally. The protective effect of nocloprost lasted about 8
      h whereas that induced by dmPGE lasted 6 h. Nocloprost (0.01-100 micrograms/kg)
      given i.g. failed to affect gastric acid secretion or intestinal secretion
      (enteropooling) but prevented the increased gastroduodenal alkaline secretion.
      Nocloprost alone caused only a transient increase in the mucosal blood flow but
      prevented the fall in blood flow caused by 100% ethanol. [3H]Nocloprost was
      absorbed from the small intestine but was then taken up and metabolized by the
      liver and excreted into the bile so that very little reached the systemic
      circulation in an unchanged form. Nocloprost, unlike dmPGE, accelerated the
      healing of chronic gastric ulcerations and enhanced mucosal growth. We conclude
      that nocloprost is a locally active PGE2 analog with high cytoprotective and
      ulcer-healing efficacy.

PMID- 1868882
TI  - Differential effects of neuropeptide Y and opioids on neurogenic responses of the
      perfused rat mesentery.
AB  - In perfused rat mesentery transmural nerve stimulation activates both adrenergic
      and capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves. When adrenergic nerves were blocked with
      guanethidine and smooth muscle tone was increased, transmural nerve stimulation
      caused a dilator response which was attenuated by tetrodotoxin and abolished by
      capsaicin. Indomethacin increased the vasodilator response to transmural nerve
      stimulation, but did not affect the dilation to calcitonin gene-related peptide.
      Neuropeptide Y (NPY) potentiated vasoconstrictor responses to transmural nerve
      stimulation, but suppressed capsaicin-sensitive vasodilation, an effect which was
      unaltered by indomethacin. Opioid agonists selective for mu, delta or kappa
      receptors, DAMGO ([D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin), DPDPE ([D-Pen2,D
      Pen5]enkephalin) and ethylketocyclazocine, had no effect on the vasoconstrictor
      response to transmural nerve stimulation. DAMGO and DPDPE significantly inhibited
      vasodilator responses to transmural nerve stimulation, but ethylketocyclazocine
      was without effect. After treatment with indomethacin, DAMGO still inhibited the
      vasodilator response, but DPDPE was no longer effective. Prejunctional control of
      transmitter release by NPY or opioids is dependent on the specific nerve type as
      well as, in some cases, the participation of endogenous prostaglandins.

PMID- 1868884
TI  - Analysis of carbohydrates in human lens epithelium by high performance liquid
      chromatography of nitrobenzoate derivatives.

PMID- 1868883
TI  - Effects of cyproheptadine and pizotifen on central muscarinic receptors.
AB  - The affinities of cyproheptadine, pizotifen and (+/-)-quinuclidinyl xanthane-9
      carboxylate hemioxylate (QNX) were determined at muscarinic autoreceptors and
      postsynaptic (IP1 formation) receptors in rat hippocampal slices. The affinity
      values for QNX were 8.2 and 8.5 respectively. Cyproheptadine and pizotifen were
      less potent than QNX. Pizotifen was slightly (2-fold) less active at antagonizing
      IP1 formation than blocking the autoreceptors whereas cyproheptadine was equally
      active at antagonizing the two hippocampal muscarinic receptors.

PMID- 1868885
TI  - Characterization of the major matrix degrading metalloproteinase of human corneal
      stroma. Evidence for an enzyme/inhibitor complex.
AB  - The human cornea is an avascular, highly organized tissue with the unique
      property of transparency. While the extracellular matrices of this tissue are
      composed of a variety of collagen types, proteoglycans and glycoproteins, little
      is known of the normal degradation and remodeling of these components. We
      examined the capacity of organ cultured human ocular tissues to produce and
      secrete metalloproteinases, a family of related enzymes capable of digesting a
      variety of extracellular matrices. We demonstrated that while enzymatic
      activities similar to type I collagenase and stromelysin are produced, the
      predominant activities of the corneal stroma and keratocyte cultures are a 68-kDa
      gelatinase. In our hands, this enzyme does not appear to be induced significantly
      by phorbol esters in vitro. In addition, this enzyme appears to be secreted as a
      complex with a 21-kDa protein that functions as an enzymatic inhibitor. Moreover,
      the keratocytes also produce a 28-kDa inhibitor which has similar properties to
      tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP).

PMID- 1868886
TI  - Requirement of insulin or IGF-1 for the maintenance of retinyl ester synthetase
      activity by cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells.
AB  - Previous work from these laboratories showed that the retention of retinyl ester
      synthetase activity by cultured human retinal pigment epithelium is up to tenfold
      greater with PM medium (Medium 199 plus insulin, other added defined components,
      1% serum and 1% retina extract) than with conventional culture media. The present
      work shows that insulin is the component of PM medium required for maintenance of
      ester synthetase activity and that insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) also
      is effective at maintaining ester synthesis. In addition, insulin can maintain
      ester synthetase activity in cultured rat RPE. Preliminary dose-response
      measurements provide additional support for these findings and strongly suggest
      that both insulin and IGF-1 are maximally effective at physiological
      concentrations (1-10 ng ml-1).

PMID- 1868887
TI  - Proteoglycans in the mouse interphotoreceptor matrix. IV. Retinal synthesis of
      chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan.
AB  - To determine whether the mouse retina contributes chondroitin sulfate
      proteoglycan (CS-PG) to the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM), 35SO4(2-) was used
      as a tracer for newly synthesized proteoglycan by retinas maintained in vitro in
      the absence of pigment epithelium. Following incubation with the tracer for 3 hr,
      the 35S-labeled proteoglycans present in the incubation medium and associated
      with isolated photoreceptor outer segments were analyzed separately. Proteoglycan
      was extracted with 4 M guanidine, and then separated on a G-25 column followed by
      DEAE ion exchange chromatography in the presence of 8 M urea. The proteoglycan
      fraction was eluted with a linear NaCl gradient of 0.15-1.0 M. Eluted 35S-labeled
      macromolecules were susceptible to chondroitinase AC and ABC degradation,
      indicating that virtually all the 35S-labeled proteoglycan synthesized by the
      mouse retina and secreted into the incubation media is of the chondroitin sulfate
      type. In parallel autoradiographic analysis of retinas following 35SO4(2-)
      incubation, silver grains were present over all retinal compartments, with 41-48%
      associated with the photoreceptor layer. Quantitative autoradiography of retinas
      following chondroitinase AC digestion of fixed retinas revealed significant (P
      less than 0.025) reduction in silver grains associated with the photoreceptor
      outer segment layer as compared to controls. These combined biochemical and
      autoradiographic studies indicate that the retina, possibly the photoreceptors,
      synthesize at least a portion of the CS-PG present in the IPM of the mouse.

PMID- 1868888
TI  - Mannose-sensitive HRP endocytosis by the retinal pigment epithelium.
AB  - Mannose-sensitive endocytosis by rat retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) explants
      was characterized using the mannose-rich glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase
      (HRP). The number of HRP-containing endosomes in the RPE was morphologically
      quantitated by light microscopy while the amount of HRP ingested was
      biochemically quantitated by enzyme assay. HRP internalized via a mannose
      sensitive receptor was differentiated from fluid-phase uptake in competitive
      inhibition studies using D-mannose. Morphological results showed that most HRP
      containing endosomes formed within the first 15 min of incubation and showed
      little increase in number during 4 hr of continued incubation with HRP. In
      contrast, the biochemical assay showed a steady increase in the amount of HRP in
      RPE endosomes measured over time. The addition of 10 mM D-mannose to the
      incubation medium was associated with a significant decrease in both the number
      of HRP-containing endosomes and the amount of HRP ingested by RPE explants.
      Values indicate that half of the total uptake of HRP is mediated by a mannose
      sensitive receptor while the balance is ingested via non-specific fluid-phase
      endocytosis.

PMID- 1868890
TI  - The blueness of stem cells.

PMID- 1868889
TI  - Diamide induces reversible changes in morphology, cytoskeleton and cell-cell
      coupling in lens epithelial cells.
AB  - The isolated frog lens epithelium can be maintained with its cell shape,
      cytoskeletal organization and membrane electrophysiological characteristics
      intact for more than 24 hr. Perifusion with the permeant oxidant diamide (1 mM)
      led to drastic, but reversible, changes in all the above parameters. After a 20
      min exposure to diamide, the regular polygonal arrangement of the epithelial
      cells become increasingly disrupted as the cells reorganized and a 'rosette'
      pattern formed. The cells at the edges of the rosette pulled apart from one
      another while those in the centre maintained a relatively normal appearance.
      Blebs formed on the apical surface of all of the cells on prolonged exposure and
      the internal structure was also found to be severely disrupted. The cytoplasm
      became granular, vacuolated and the nucleus had a banded, non-homogeneous
      appearance. Phalloidin staining of F-actin microfilaments revealed that there was
      a general disruption of organization, with actin losing its association with the
      membrane. The microtubule array, organized around the centrosome, was also
      severely disrupted although microtubules were still discernible in most cells.
      During exposure to diamide the membrane potential depolarized and both electrical
      and dye coupling, which are normally extremely efficient in these cells, were
      disturbed. If the epithelium was exposed to 1 mM diamide for more than 45 min
      then all of the above changes were irreversible and cell death followed. If
      exposure was restricted to less than 30 min, then all of the above changes
      occurred and, in fact, progressed for over 1 hr; but if the epithelium was
      perifused for a further 20 hr in control medium, then most of the changes were
      reversible.

PMID- 1868891
TI  - In vitro studies on the radiosensitivity of multipotent hemopoietic progenitors
      in canine bone marrow.
AB  - The in vitro radiation response to 280-kV x-rays (does rate 72 cGy/min) of
      multipotent hemopoietic progenitor cells, mixed colony-forming units (CFU-mix),
      from canine bone marrow was assayed and compared to the radiation response
      characteristics of early erythroid progenitors, erythroid burst-forming units
      (BFU-E). To improve the colony-forming efficiency, the effect of various bone
      marrow cell separation techniques on colony formation of both progenitors was
      examined. The separation of bone marrow aspirates by discontinuous buoyant
      gradient centrifugation using the lymphocyte separation medium Lymphoprep with a
      density of 1.070 g/ml allowed the establishment of reproducible survival curves.
      The survival curves for both progenitors were strictly exponential, and CFU-mix
      were found to be more radiosensitive (D0 = 12 +/- 2 cGy) than BFU-E (D0 = 16 +/-
      2 cGy).

PMID- 1868892
TI  - Platelet factor 4 mRNA expression in human erythroleukemic cells: regulation by
      phorbol esters and certain cytokines.
AB  - Developing megakaryocytes are distinguished from progenitor cells by the
      appearance of platelet proteins such as platelet factor 4 (PF 4). The human
      erythroleukemic cell line HEL can also be induced to produce PF 4 by incubation
      in phorbol esters. HEL cells were used here as a model system in which to study
      the phenomenon of inducible PF 4 production at both the mRNA and protein levels.
      The cytokines interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 6
      (IL-6), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), erythropoietin
      (EPO), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were also evaluated for
      their effects on PF 4 mRNA induction in HEL cells.

PMID- 1868893
TI  - Plasma membrane properties regulating the sensitivity of leukemia, lymphoma, and
      solid tumor cells to merocyanine 540-sensitized photoirradiation.
AB  - Merocyanine 540 (MC 540) is a photosensitizing dye that has been used in a phase
      I clinical trial for the purging of leukemia and lymphoma cells from autologous
      bone marrow grafts. In this paper we examine the role of plasma membrane negative
      charge, plasma membrane fluidity, and plasma membrane hydrophobicity in the
      regulation of a cell's susceptibility to MC 540-sensitized photoirradiation.
      Among solid tumor cells, we found an inverse correlation between surface
      electronegativity, affinity for dye molecules, and susceptibility to MC 540
      sensitized photoinactivation. That is, the least electronegative cells bound the
      highest amount of dye and were the most susceptible to dye-sensitized
      photoirradiation. By contrast, no such correlations were found among
      leukemia/lymphoma cells. This suggested that dye binding and susceptibility to MC
      540-mediated photodynamic damages are regulated differently in
      hematopoietic/lymphopoietic and solid tumor cells.

PMID- 1868894
TI  - Erythroid progenitors in tumor-bearing mice: erythroid inhibitory factors
      produced by adenocarcinoma-755.
AB  - Adenocarcinoma-755-bearing C57BL/6 mice developed anemia with the growth of the
      tumors. The numbers of granuloid and monocytoid progenitors (colony-forming unit
      in culture, CFU-C) of the bone marrow and spleen and the peripheral blood WBC
      counts increased in tumor-bearing mice. The erythroid progenitors (erythroid
      colony-forming units, CFU-E; erythroid burst-forming units, BFU-E) of the bone
      marrow showed a marked decrease, overcoming their increase in the spleen in tumor
      bearing mice. Fractionation of conditioned medium of tumor cells led to the
      isolation of a protein of 80-kd molecular weight that stimulated murine CFU-C
      growth and inhibited the CFU-E and BFU-E growth in a dose-dependent manner. These
      results indicate that erythroid inhibitory factors produced by tumors exist in
      tumor-bearing mice. Erythroid inhibitory factors might also exist in non
      hematological malignancies of humans, and they might be one of the mechanisms of
      anemia.

PMID- 1868895
TI  - Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor promotes
      megakaryocyte maturation in nonhuman primates.
AB  - Megakaryocytes are responsive to several nonlineage-specific cytokines in vitro.
      In this study, we examined the in vivo effects of recombinant human granulocyte
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rh GM-CSF) on late stages of
      megakaryocytopoiesis in the rhesus monkey. Four rhesus monkeys were given 10
      micrograms/kg body weight/day of rh GM-CSF s.c. in two divided doses daily for 8
      days. Megakaryocyte maturation was evaluated serially by measuring nuclear ploidy
      and cytoplasmic size. GM-CSF-treated monkeys developed significant shifts in
      ploidy distribution from days 3 through 15 (p less than or equal to 0.001), with
      increased frequencies of 64N and 128N megakaryocytes. Mean megakaryocyte size
      increased 92.5% on day 9, paralleling the increase in DNA content, although
      megakaryocyte size within ploidy groups did not increase. Megakaryocyte number
      remained unchanged following rh GM-CSF treatment. The platelet count responses
      were variable, and mean platelet volume did not change. The present study
      demonstrates that therapeutic doses of rh GM-CSF stimulate megakaryocyte
      endomitosis and increase mean size. The data indicate that GM-CSF is effective in
      promoting the maturation stage of megakaryocyte development but does not result
      in a consistent thrombopoietic response.

PMID- 1868896
TI  - Quantitation of human erythroid-specific porphobilinogen deaminase mRNA by the
      polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - Porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D), the third enzyme in the heme synthetic
      pathway, possesses two isoforms encoded by distinct mRNAs that are the result of
      transcription of a single gene from two promoters through differential splicing.
      During erythroid differentiation, only the expression of the erythroid-specific
      isoform (E-PBGD) was increased. A system was developed to evaluate genetic
      expression of E-PBGD in samples limited in cell number and/or mRNA copy. Total
      RNA from human cells was reverse-transcribed and amplified by the polymerase
      chain reaction in the same tube with an internal standard that is an in vitro
      transcript of a cDNA differing from its sample counterpart by a few restriction
      sites and 24 bp (10%) in the target region. The primers spanned through regions
      where sample and standard templates were identical in sequence. Amplified
      templates were resolved by restriction enzyme digestion and gel electrophoresis
      and quantified by densitometer tracing of corresponding bands on autoradiograms.
      When an appropriate amount of internal standard is present in the reaction
      mixture, the ratio of amplified sample versus standard template is proportional
      to the amount of sample RNA and it is therefore possible to calculate the number
      of specific mRNA molecules in the original sample.

PMID- 1868897
TI  - Response of CFU-GM to increasing doses of rhGM-CSF in patients with aplastic
      anemia.
AB  - The aim of this study was to test whether large amounts of recombinant human
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) are capable of
      promoting the growth of hemopoietic progenitors from patients with marrow
      failure. For this purpose 0.1, 100, 1000, 10,000 and 20,000 ng/ml of rhGM-CSF
      were added to 10(5) light-density (adherent cell-depleted) bone marrow cells from
      9 normal controls and from 52 patients with aplastic anemia, 25 cases of which
      were transfusion-dependent (Tx-D) aplastic anemia (AA) and 27 of which were
      transfusion-independent (Tx-I) aplastic anemia (AA). A dose-dependent increase of
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) was observed in healthy
      donors, from 81 to 247 colonies at 0.1 and 1000 ng/ml of rhGM-CSF, with a plateau
      thereafter. Tx-I AA patients showed the best increase of CFU-GM in response to
      colony-stimulating factor, from 0.1 to 32.7 mean colonies at 0.1 and 20,000 ng/ml
      of rhGM-CSF, and the increment was greater when compared to controls. The ratio
      of CFU-GM grown from these patients and controls was 1:810 at 0.1 ng/ml of rhGM
      CSF and 1:7.9 at 20,000 ng/ml. Eleven patients were studied at diagnosis; there
      was no in vitro response to rhGM-CSF (0 and 1.8 mean colonies/10(5) cells at 0.1
      and 10,000 ng/ml). Overall, Tx-D AA patients showed minimal increments of CFU-GM
      growth at very high doses of rhGM-CSF. Two suggestions come from this study: 1)
      maturation of CFU-GM from recovering AA patients appears to require larger doses
      of GM-CSF than normal controls, and 2) very high doses of rhGM-CSF have little or
      no effect on CFU-GM growth in AA patients. This may be relevant for clinical
      studies designed to improve hemopoiesis in patients with marrow failure.

PMID- 1868898
TI  - Hemotoxic effects on mice of combined administration of azidothymidine and
      acyclovir.
AB  - This study reports the effects of a combination of azidothymidine (AZT) plus
      acyclovir (ACV) on both pluripotent (spleen colony-forming units, CFU-S) and
      committed (granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units, CFU-GM; erythroid burst
      forming units, BFU-E) murine hemopoietic progenitors. Administration of AZT alone
      was associated with severe hemotoxicity, as shown by the marked decrease of all
      the hemopoietic progenitor populations tested, that is, CFU-S, CFU-GM, and BFU-E.
      This, however, was followed by a prompt recovery of hemopoiesis. Administration
      of ACV alone did not modify the hematological parameters studied, whereas the
      combined administration of AZT and ACV led to changes in peripheral blood cells
      and bone marrow hemopoietic progenitors that were, on the whole, not
      significantly different from those observed with AZT alone. Only the decrease in
      CFU-S was significantly more severe, but their recovery was as rapid as that of
      the committed progenitors. Thus, in this experimental setting, the addition of
      ACV to AZT does not appear to increase the hemotoxicity of the latter.

PMID- 1868899
TI  - Erythropoietin: evolving clinical applications.

PMID- 1868900
TI  - What we can say from in vitro culture work: limitation of interpretation.

PMID- 1868902
TI  - Effect of video feedback on the performance of a weight shifting controlled
      tracking task in subjects with parkinsonism and neurologically intact
      individuals.
AB  - This study compared the performance of a visual motor task, accomplished by
      standing weight shifting, of 34 people with Parkinson's disease (P.D.) and 34
      neurologically intact (N.I.) subjects. Twenty of the P.D. subjects were in Stage
      1 and 14 were in Stage 2. The performance of ten, 10-s trials was each examined
      under two feedback (FB) conditions: continuous video display of performance and
      end of trial position. Visual FB was composed of displaying a target and cursor
      on a video monitor, with the cursor controlled by the subject through weight
      shifting on a platform interfaced with a microprocessor. Once the cursor was
      centered, the computer then transferred the target to the upper right quadrant of
      the monitor, and the subject was required, through weight shifting, to relocate
      the cursor inside the target. ANOVA with repeated measures was used for data
      analysis. The visual motor performance of P.D. subjects was significantly worse
      than that of N.I. (P less than 0.01), as well as between FB conditions (P less
      than 0.01). The interaction of the FB condition by trial segment was significant
      (P less than 0.01), as was the interaction of group membership by the trial
      segment (P less than 0.01). FB condition and group membership did not
      significantly interact, confirming that performance was worse under end of trial
      position FB, regardless of group membership (P less than 0.01). Post hoc analysis
      yielded significant differences (P less than 0.05) in task performance between
      N.I. and P.D. subjects after the first second of the trials regardless of FB
      condition. In either group, significant differences between continuous visual FB
      and end of trial position FB (P less than 0.05) were verified after the fourth
      second. Performance between N.I., Stage 1, and Stage 2 P.D. subjects revealed
      significant differences (P less than 0.01) among all three groups, regardless of
      FB condition. One of the revealing aspects of this investigation was the
      establishment of significant differences in visual motor performance of
      individuals in the early stages of the disease compared to previous reports of
      extremity deficits in the later stages.

PMID- 1868901
TI  - Beta-nerve growth factor (beta-NGF) mRNA expression in the parkinsonian adrenal
      gland.
AB  - The adrenal gland is a well-demonstrated source for different neurotrophic
      factors. The presence of the beta-nerve growth factor (beta-NGF) mRNA in the
      adrenal tissue used for grafting in a Parkinsonian patient is reported here.
      Adrenal samples were obtained on the day of implantation, and a specific cDNA was
      synthesized after the extraction of total RNA using a synthetic oligonucleotide
      as a reverse transcription primer. A 168-bp portion of the cDNA was amplified
      using two other oligonucleotides as Taq polymerase primers in a polymerase chain
      reaction. Thirty-two cycles of amplification were performed. The amplification
      products were identified by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern blot
      analysis as a single DNA band hybridizing with a third beta-NGF specific
      oligonucleotide. The identity of the fragment was confirmed by DNA sequencing.
      Quantitative analysis demonstrated a beta-NGF mRNA concentration exceeding 5
      fg/micrograms of total adrenal RNA. These findings add NGF to the other
      neurotrophic factors produced by the gland (i.e., basic fibroblast growth factor)
      and demonstrate the retained functional capacity of the Parkinsonian adrenal to
      express the beta-NGF mRNA. All these data may assume relevant meaning for
      neurotransplantation research.

PMID- 1868903
TI  - Vergence control of central and peripheral disparities.
AB  - The results of previous studies using either small or large target configurations
      suggest that open-loop (OL) vergence response dynamics may depend on the
      peripheral extent of the target. To investigate systemically the effect of
      peripheral target extent on dynamic vergence control, OL vergence responses to
      central, peripheral, and central-plus-peripheral targets were recorded. Open-loop
      disparity stimuli included steps, ramps, and sinusoids. It was found that the OL
      step and ramp responses to the central target were more rapid and exhibited
      significantly more step and multiple-step movements than those for either the
      peripheral or the central-plus-peripheral targets. During OL ramp stimulation,
      the maximum disparity for which tracking could be maintained was largest for the
      peripheral target. Sinusoidal responses showed the greatest gain for the central
      target. For all three types of stimuli, responses to the central-plus-peripheral
      target showed characteristics that were somewhat between those for the central
      and the peripheral targets. These results resolve some previously conflicting
      findings about open-loop vergence dynamics and suggest that large peripheral
      disparity stimulation initiates slow fusion of a visual scene, whereas small
      central disparity stimulation produces more rapid movements for precise binocular
      tracking of targets moving in depth.

PMID- 1868904
TI  - Branching patterns of the rat phrenic nerve during development and reinnervation.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that the phrenic motor nucleus in the rat projects
      onto the diaphragm muscle, forming an orderly topographic map. Moreover, this
      topography is partially restored upon reinnervation. This orderly map is
      expressed prior to birth, suggesting that early contacts between nerve and muscle
      are topographically appropriate. The phrenic divides during embryonic development
      into rostral and caudal branches, and motor axons preferentially enter the
      appropriate branch. In an effort to understand the mechanisms that underlie the
      choices growing phrenic neurons make in selecting their appropriate muscle
      targets, we examined the patterns of branching displayed by the phrenic nerve
      during development and reinnervation. In all muscles studied the phrenic nerve
      splits into three primary branches, rostral, caudal, and crural. At a coarse
      level the pattern of branching of the phrenic is remarkably consistent from
      animal to animal and at all ages of development. At a finer level of resolution,
      however, there is an asymmetry between right and left hemidiaphragms. Moreover,
      the precise emergence of any particular branch is unpredictable, resulting in an
      overall incongruence in branching architecture from animal to animal. The
      hemidiaphragm muscle grows unevenly, particularly on the right side, resulting in
      greater muscle fiber elongation medially. Upon reinnervation, the same coarse
      pattern of branching is reestablished, but the higher order pattern is much
      simpler and muscle growth is slower than in controls. These results suggest that
      very early in development primary branches of the phrenic funnel axons into three
      well-defined zones in the muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868905
TI  - Induction of demyelination by intraneural injection of antibodies against
      sulfoglucuronyl paragloboside.
AB  - Sulfoglucuronyl glycolipids (SGGLs) carry the glucuronyl 3-sulfate (HNK-1)
      epitope which is recognized by monoclonal IgM paraproteins from patients with
      demyelinating polyneuropathy. We report that intraneural injections of rat anti
      SGGL antibodies induce demyelination in rat sciatic nerve, along with mild to
      moderate clinical symptoms. Morphologically, vesiculation and loosening of the
      myelin sheath were observed 3 h postinjection, followed by extensive
      demyelination and macrophage infiltration after 4 days. Since the anti-SGGL
      antibodies showed no cross-reactivity with other components in rat sciatic nerve,
      these results indicate that SGGLs alone can serve as the target antigens in
      demyelinating neuropathy.

PMID- 1868906
TI  - Differential and sex-specific effects of kainic acid and domoic acid lesions in
      the lateral septal area of rats on immune function and body weight regulation.
AB  - The lateral septal area (LSA) has been implicated in the control of various
      psychoneuroendocrine processes in the rat. Interactions between the endocrine and
      immune systems and sex differences in immunity reflect the interdependence of the
      immune and neuroendocrine systems. Kainic acid (KA) lesions in the lateral septal
      area not only modify neuroendocrine processes, but also produce a suppression of
      humoral immunity in female rats. Presently, we have evaluated the effects of
      neurotoxic lesions in the LSA on the humoral immune response and body weight
      regulation of male and female rats. Bilateral lesions in the LSA of adult male
      and female rats were produced by stereotaxically infusing either 0.25 microliters
      of kainic acid (1.5 micrograms/microliters) or 0.5 microliters of domoic acid
      (DA; 0.3 micrograms/microliters) into the LSA. In an additional study, LSA
      lesions using 0.25 microliters of DA (0.6 micrograms/microliters) were produced
      in female rats only. Sham operations consisted of bilateral injections of 0.9%
      saline into the LSA. The effects of these lesions on antibody production,
      following immunization with 100 micrograms ovalbumin in complete Freund's
      adjuvant, were examined. Blood samples were collected on Days 7 and 14 following
      immunization. The anti-ovalbumin IgM and IgG antibody titers were measured by an
      enzyme amplified ELISA assay. As found previously, KA-induced LSA lesions in
      adult female rats produced an increase in body weight and a suppression of the
      humoral immune response. However, LSA lesions produced with the neurotoxin DA had
      a similar effect on body weight but had no effect on humoral immunity. In male
      rats, neither body weight regulation nor the humoral immune response was affected
      by KA or DA lesions in the LSA. These results indicate that the effects of
      neurotoxic LSA lesions on body weight regulation and the humoral immune response
      are sex specific and further demonstrate that two closely related kainate
      neurotoxins have differential effects on the humoral immune response, but have
      similar effects on body weight regulation. Thus, neurons in the LSA of female
      rats that are involved in the inhibitory control of body weight are susceptible
      to both KA and DA, whereas neurons in the LSA associated with immunoregulation
      are differentially affected by KA and DA. Of further interest, a sex difference
      in DA susceptibility was noted, with male rats showing greater cell loss in the
      LSA following DA infusions, as compared to female rats.

PMID- 1868907
TI  - Adult rat barrel cortex plasticity occurs at 1 week but not at 1 day after
      vibrissectomy as demonstrated by the 2-deoxyglucose method.
AB  - Stimulation of a single facial vibrissa in rats receiving [14C]2-deoxyglucose
      leads to increased local cerebral glucose utilization in the corresponding
      contralateral barrel of lamina IV of the first somatosensory cortex (SmI). In the
      adult rat, the metabolic representation of such a barrel enlarges 2 months after
      removal of all other vibrissal follicles but enlargement is prevented by prior
      removal of SmI norepinephrine. Here, the early time course of such enlargement
      and how this was affected by cortical norepinephrine manipulations were examined
      in adult rats. One day after total vibrissal follicle removal with sparing of the
      central (C3) vibrissa, neither the areal extent nor absolute glucose utilization
      in the stimulated, spared C3 cortical barrel were changed. However, 7 days after
      follicle removal, the spared C3 barrel was enlarged by 41%, although absolute
      glucose utilization remained constant. This delayed onset of enlargement is
      compatible with either a structural or neurochemical change in barrel circuitry
      following vibrissal deafferentation. With ipsilateral locus coeruleus lesions but
      intact vibrissae, there was progressive enlargement of stimulated C3 barrel areas
      with increasing cortical norepinephrine depletion (r = 0.864) suggesting a
      suppressive effect of norepinephrine on activity spread in barrels with intact
      vibrissal afferents. Previously shown blockade of chronic (2 month) vibrissectomy
      induced barrel enlargement by norephinephrine depletion suggested an additional
      effect on plasticity. Even though acute (1 day) follicle removal here produced no
      change in spared C3 barrel area, addition of norepinephrine depletion produced a
      surprising 40% decrease in barrel area. Thus, barrel plasticity assessed by 2
      deoxyglucose reflects a complex interaction between barrel metabolic activity and
      the extent of vibrissal and noradrenergic afferent input.

PMID- 1868908
TI  - Effects of applied currents on epileptiform bursts in vitro.
AB  - In this study, results show that applied electric currents can be effective to
      control the neuronal bursting that characterizes epileptic activity. Recordings
      from the CA1 region of rat hippocampus treated with penicillin show that local
      inhibition of epileptiform bursts is possible by short anodic current pulses (50
      ms duration) applied extracellularly. Inhibition was evidenced by a large
      reduction (greater than 90%) in the amplitude of field potential. Data collected
      from 20 slices with moderate field potentials (50-80% of maximum) showed that
      current needed for complete inhibition was on the order of 42 +/- 3 microA.
      Intracellular recordings in CA1 cells (n = 13) showed that the decrease in field
      potential amplitude was accompanied by suppression of intracellular neuronal
      firing caused by somatic hyperpolarization as measured by transmembrane
      potentials. The resulting hyperpolarization was on the order of 13 mv below
      resting potential for weakly epileptiform responses (less than 50% of maximum
      response), and 50 mv below resting potential for strongly epileptiform activity
      (greater than 50% of maximum response). These results reveal the existence of a
      stimulation window within which inhibition of neuronal elements can be achieved
      without simultaneous excitation.

PMID- 1868909
TI  - Loss of AChE- and NGFr-labeling precedes neuronal death of axotomized septal
      diagonal band neurons: reversal by intraventricular NGF infusion.
AB  - The time course of cellular changes in the medial septum (MS) and vertical limb
      of the diagonal band area (VDB) after a complete unilateral fimbria-fornix (FF)
      transection has been studied using prelabeling of the septohippocampal neurons by
      bilateral hippocampal injections of the fluorescent retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold
      (FG), in combination with acetylcholine esterase (AChE) histochemistry and nerve
      growth factor receptor (NGFr) immunocytochemistry. The results show that the long
      term disappearance of AChE-positive and NGFr-positive cells represents a
      combination of down-regulation of the marker proteins, cell shrinkage, and an
      actual cell loss. By 4 weeks after lesion the loss of FG-prelabeled cells
      amounted to 50% in MS and 30% in VDB. A further 25-30% of the MS neurons survived
      (as indicated by the presence of FG label), but were undetectable by the AChE and
      NGFr markers. Down-regulation of the marker proteins and cell shrinkage preceded
      the cell loss by more than a week: while shrinkage and reduced numbers of
      AChE/NGFr positive cells was evident already by 4-7 days, an actual cell loss
      (i.e., loss of FG-prelabeled cells) became evident only at 4 weeks after lesion.
      Continuous intraventricular NGF infusion (0.15 micrograms/day) was capable of
      counteracting all three types of changes. Infusion over 2 weeks reversed both
      atrophy and loss of AChE/NGFr staining, whereas infusion over 4 weeks completely
      prevented the later occurring cell loss. In addition, the NGF infusions induced
      significant hypertrophy in the undamaged cholinergic neurons in both nucleus
      basalis and striatum. It is concluded that down-regulation of marker proteins,
      such as AChE and NGFr, and cellular atrophy precede cell death in the axotomized
      septohippocampal system and that about 1/3 of the axotomized septal cholinergic
      neurons may survive for a long time in a down-regulated atrophic state. Exogenous
      NGF can prevent both the atrophic and the degenerative processes.

PMID- 1868910
TI  - Congenital haemolytic anaemia in a low birth weight infant due to congenital
      stomatocytosis.
AB  - A baby girl born at 31 weeks gestation showed severe haemolytic anaemia and
      hyperbilirubinaemia which led to exchange transfusion within the first 12 hours
      of life. There was no blood group incompatibility between mother and child but
      there was a marked stomatocytosis of the baby's red blood cells. Family history
      revealed a congenital stomatocytosis in the mother. Biochemical characterization
      of the defect was performed. Phospholipid analysis of the erythrocyte membrane of
      mother and child showed an increase in phosphatidylserine with a compensatory
      decrease in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. SDS-electrophoresis
      showed multiple modifications of the protein pattern with a decrease in band 6,
      an increased content of band 4.1b, a slight decrease in band 7 and a clear change
      in the shape of the protein band 3 pattern. The results suggest that the basis of
      the observed abnormalities is a common defect in protein posttranslational
      modification, rather than multiple genetic defects in the synthesis of several
      proteins. Haematologic, biochemical and clinical course of the disease in this
      preterm infant are discussed.

PMID- 1868911
TI  - Serum cobalamins in the elderly: a longitudinal study of a representative
      population sample from age 70 to 81.
AB  - In a representative population sample (n = 973) born 1901-1902 and examined at
      the ages of 70, 75, 79, and 81, the change in serum cobalamins with increasing
      age was studied by trend analysis using values obtained in single individuals at
      all four examinations. In subsamples without definable disorders, the mean annual
      decline was: among men 3.4 pmol/l (p less than 0.05), among women 3.2 pmol/l
      (n.s.). The decline was possibly more pronounced among individuals with low and
      intermediate concentrations. The health-related lower reference limits (the 2.5
      percentile values of subsamples without definable disorders) did not differ
      significantly between sexes and age groups, but low concentrations or ongoing
      cobalamin medication became more common with advancing age. The results indicate
      a slight fall in serum cobalamins between age 70 and 81 but do not call for age
      related lower reference limits.

PMID- 1868912
TI  - Cytogenetics of secondary myelodysplasia (sMDS) and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia
      (sANLL).
AB  - 76 cases of secondary myelodysplasia (sMDS) and acute non-lymphocytic leukemia
      (sANLL) were cytogenetically analyzed. Among the 36 sMDS patients, 13 (36%) had
      only normal karyotypes whereas 23 (64%) displayed clonal chromosomal
      abnormalities. The most common aberrations were -7, 5q-, -5, and +8. In 10
      patients (43% of the cytogenetically aberrant cases), clones with only one
      anomaly, mostly 5q- or -7, were found. Of the 40 sANLL patients, normal
      karyotypes were detected in 10 (25%). Among the 30 (75%) abnormal cases, the most
      frequent aberrations were -7, -5, +8, 7q-, -17, and +21. 12 patients (40%) had
      clones with single abnormalities, most often -7. In 4 sANLL patients
      cytogenetically unrelated clones were detected. A survey of all previously
      published secondary hematologic neoplasias reveals that the most frequent
      abnormalities in sMDS are -7 (41%), 5q- (28%), and -5 (11%), followed by
      der(21q), +8, 7q-, der(12p), t(1;7), -12, -17, der(17p), der(3p), der(6p), and 
      18. Clones with single aberrations have been found in 45% of the cases and
      cytogenetically unrelated clones have been described in 6%. The most common
      abnormalities in sANLL are -7 (38%), 5q- (17%), -5 (15%), +8 (13%), and -17
      (11%), followed by der(3q), der(11q), der(12p), -21, 7q-, -18, der(3p), der(17p),
      +21, der(21q), der(6p), and -16. 38% of the sANLL patients have had clones with
      only one aberration and 3% have had unrelated clones. The frequencies of these
      nonrandom abnormalities in sMDS and sANLL are thus remarkably similar - the only
      exception appears to be 5q-, which is more common in sMDS. Also the mean number
      of abnormalities per case is similar - 5.3 in sMDS and 5.6 in sANLL. When the
      incidences of characteristic cytogenetic abnormalities were correlated with the
      type of previous therapy, -7 was found to be more frequent in sMDS and sANLL
      patients who had been exposed to chemotherapy whereas 5q- was associated with
      previous exposure to ionizing radiation in sMDS patients.

PMID- 1868913
TI  - Occurrence and characteristics of hereditary spherocytosis in Algeria.
AB  - In a survey of more than 12,000 persons referred to a hematological outpatient
      clinic in Algiers, we estimated that the incidence of hereditary spherocytosis
      (HS) is 1/1000. Another 9 cases were found in nine of the corresponding families.
      Anemia was present in a total of 44 subjects (81%). The transmission was dominant
      in five of eight informative families (63%). No firm conclusion could be reached
      concerning the amount of spectrin and ankyrin in nine families; however two
      dimensional peptide maps ruled out any alphaII domain abnormality in these
      families. We estimate that HS has roughly the same incidence and features among
      Algerians as in Europeans or people of European descent.

PMID- 1868915
TI  - Vitamin B-12 abnormalities in HIV-infected patients.
AB  - A prospective study of 60 consecutively admitted patients with HIV infection was
      performed to document the prevalence, etiology and manifestations of low serum
      vitamin B-12 in such patients. Low serum B-12 levels were found in 10 patients
      (16.7%). In 6, vitamin B-12 absorption was impaired and hog intrinsic factor
      addition did not improve it. Patients with low vitamin B-12 levels showed lower
      hemoglobin, leukocytes, lymphocytes, CD4 lymphocytes and CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio
      than HIV patients with physiological serum vitamin B-12 levels. However, bone
      marrow megaloblastosis was found in only 3 low vitamin B-12 patients and the
      deoxyuridine suppression test was pathological in only 1 case. In 7 patients,
      parenteral treatment was begun with variable response despite serum vitamin B-12
      correction. In conclusion, low serum vitamin B-12 is often found in HIV-infected
      patients and it could be related to malabsorption, but clear megaloblastic
      abnormalities and treatment response could not be demonstrated. A decreased
      concentration of the serum binders due to disturbances in the leukocytes and
      related immunocompetent cell may play an additional role.

PMID- 1868914
TI  - Inhibition of hexose monophosphate shunt in young erythrocytes by pyrimidine
      nucleotides in hereditary pyrimidine 5' nucleotidase deficiency.
AB  - Recent reports have suggested that haemolytic anaemia in pyrimidine 5'
      nucleotidase (P5'N) deficiency might be due to impaired erythrocyte hexose
      monophosphate shunt (HMS). To investigate the relationship between pyrimidine
      accumulation, HMS impairment and shortened red-cell survival, we tested glucose 6
      phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD), HMS, P5'N activities and the UV spectrum in
      whole red cells and in red cells of different age from 2 P5'N-deficient patients
      with different degrees of haemolytic anaemia. In whole red cells we found a
      reduction of both G-6PD and stimulated HMS activity in the presence of a variable
      amount of pyrimidine nucleotides (37.79 and 17.88 mumol/gHb respectively). A
      drastic inhibition of stimulated HMS activity was already present in the lightest
      red-cell fractions from patient 1, who presented a more severe haemolytic
      anaemia. The variable degree of pyrimidines found among red cell fractions, with
      a minor accumulation in the older red cells, supports the hypothesis that
      pyrimidine accumulation and HMS impairment occur in the younger erythrocytes of
      P5'N-deficient patients.

PMID- 1868916
TI  - Growth response to cytokines of circulating myeloid progenitors from
      myelodysplastic patients at diagnosis and more than 600 days after diagnosis.
AB  - Myeloid colony growth from the peripheral blood of myelodysplastic (MDS) patients
      was assessed for abnormal in vitro response to haemopoietic growth factors
      (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating
      factor (M-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF),
      interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-3 (IL-3)). Abnormal colony growth, increased or
      reduced, was observed with each of the factors. No specific growth pattern was
      related to any of the French-American-British classification (FAB) types of
      disease. MDS patients who had survived greater than 600 days after diagnosis (n =
      34) showed significantly fewer abnormalities than patients assayed at the time of
      diagnosis (n = 37), the major difference being less frequent stimulation of
      colony growth. These findings indicate that the time of sampling relative to
      diagnosis needs to be considered when interpreting the in vitro response to
      growth factors of myeloid colonies from MDS patients.

PMID- 1868917
TI  - Human neutrophil migration into skin chambers is associated with production of
      NAP-1/IL8 and C5a.
AB  - Respiratory burst activity initiated by the chemoattractants fMLP, rC5a and rNAP
      1/IL8 was investigated in human exudated and peripheral blood neutrophils.
      Exudated cells were isolated after migration into a skin chamber and the
      respiratory burst activity was measured as chemiluminescence amplified by luminol
      and horseradish peroxidase. The response to fMLP (5 x 10(-8) mol/l) was
      significantly enhanced (p less than 0.01) in the exudated cells but was
      significantly decreased after stimulation (5 x 10(-8) mol/l) with rC5a and rNAP
      1/IL8 (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Analysis revealed
      that, in the chamber fluid, the activated complement C5a was generated during
      exudation (p less than 0.01). Determinations of NAP-1/IL8 showed that this
      substance was also produced and released into the chamber fluid (p less than
      0.01). No correlation was found between the number of exudated cells and the
      amount of C5a or NAP-1/IL8 in the exudation fluid, thus indicating that, in vivo,
      the exudation process is controlled by multiple factors and not by the quantity
      of a single chemoattractant. The present study shows that NAP-1/IL8 and C5a are
      produced in humans during an aseptic inflammation, and that this occurs in
      parallel to the migration of neutrophils into the skin chambers. The significant
      desensitization of the exudated cells to NAP-1/IL8 and C5a reflects a previous
      exposure to these attractants. These results suggest that the novel tissue
      derived cytokine NAP-1/IL8 plays a role in human neutrophil exudation in vivo.

PMID- 1868918
TI  - Effect of tranexamic acid on platelet function in normal volunteers.

PMID- 1868919
TI  - [Measurement of urinary epidermal growth factor by radioimmunoassay and its
      application].
AB  - Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a polypeptide hormone originally discovered in the
      mouse submaxillary gland, stimulates growth in a variety of tissues in several
      species. This hormone has recently been identified in human urine. Herein,
      radioimmunoassay (RIA) for human EGF (hEGF) has been developed, using human
      recombinant EGF as reference standard and radioiodinated tracer and antibodies
      raised against hEGF. Its sensitivity was somewhat higher than that of RIAs
      reported formerly. This method had no cross reactivity with high molecular weight
      EGF. Urinary concentrations of hEGF in normal males and females were 30.2 +/-
      13.0 ng/mg creatinine and 46.4 +/- 17.4 ng/mg creatinine, respectively. Urinary
      concentration of hEGF in patients with renal cancer was somewhat low. The
      patients with bladder cancer had lower urinary excretion of hEGF than normal
      adults (p less than 0.05). However, the role of hEGF in health and disease
      remains to be determined.

PMID- 1868920
TI  - [GH-secretion capacity in Turner syndrome and its relations to clinical
      characteristics and effect of GH treatment--a comparison with pituitary dwarfism.
      The Committee for hGH treatment in Turner syndrome].
AB  - The relations of GH secretion capacity by stimulation tests to clinical
      characteristics and the effect of GH treatment were studied in 151 girls with
      Turner syndrome and were compared with those in 128 patients with pituitary
      dwarfism. GH secretion capacity expressed by mean peak GH was not associated with
      clinical characteristics related to growth such as height SDS and growth velocity
      SDS in Turner syndrome and was influenced by % overweight, whereas it was
      associated with growth-related clinical characteristics in pituitary dwarfism.
      Because GH secretion capacity does not affect growth in Turner syndrome, it is
      not reasonable to diagnose low peak GH in stimulation tests as GH deficiency in
      Turner syndrome. GH treatment increased the growth velocity and growth velocity
      SD score in Turner syndrome in a dose-dependent manner. In pituitary dwarfism,
      the effect of GH treatment expressed by the increase in growth velocity SD score
      had a negative correlation with growth velocity SD score before GH treatment and
      GH secretion capacity, which indicated that GH treatment was replacement therapy.
      In Turner syndrome, the effect of GH treatment had a negative correlation with
      growth velocity and growth velocity SD score before GH treatment, but had no
      relation to GH secretion capacity, which suggested that GH treatment did not
      provide replacement GH but had another pharmacological effect.

PMID- 1868921
TI  - [Studies on the renal handling of urea nitrogen, creatinine, water and
      electrolytes in hyperthyroid patients with Graves' disease].
AB  - To delineate the pathophysiological basis for increased blood urea nitrogen
      (BUN), decreased serum creatinine (SCr) and increased BUN/SCr ratio in patients
      with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease, systematic evaluation on renal
      handling of solutes and water was carried out before and during treatment of the
      disease. First, BUN, SCr, serum sodium (Na), serum potassium (K), serum chloride
      (Cl), creatine kinase (CK), serum triiodothyronine (T3) and serum thyroxine (T4)
      were consecutively measured in 16 patients (aged 18-62 yrs, 4 males and 12
      females) with Graves' disease before and during antithyroid drug therapy, and 16
      healthy subjects (aged 22-64 yrs, 4 males and 12 females) served as controls. BUN
      (14.8 +/- 2.9 mg/100ml) was significantly higher (p less than 0.01), and SCr
      (0.62 +/- 0.16 mg/100ml) and CK (41.7 +/- 23.6 U/l) were significantly lower (p
      less than 0.01) in untreated patients compared to respective values in the
      control group (BUN, 13.2 +/- 2.9 mg/100ml; SCr, 0.87 +/- 0.16 mg/100ml; CK, 99.3
      +/- 49.5 U/l). Consequently, BUN/SCr ratio was significantly elevated (p less
      than 0.01) in the patients. As T4 and T3 returned to normal, BUN, SCr, BUN/SCr
      ratio and CK of the patients also normalized. Serum electrolytes were not
      significantly different in the patients compared to the controls. Second, renal
      clearance of para-aminohippurate (CPAH), inulin (CIn), creatinine (CCr), free
      water (CH2O) and chloride (CCl) was evaluated in 7 untreated patients (aged 17-44
      yrs, 4 males and 3 females) and in 7 controls (aged 24-39 yrs, 5 males and 2
      females). In patients with untreated Graves' disease, CPAH, CCr and Curea were
      significantly greater than in the controls (847 +/- 367 vs 442 +/- 124 ml/min, p
      less than 0.05, 132.7 +/- 14.7 vs 76.6 +/- 14.4 ml/min, p less than 0.01, and
      86.9 +/- 16.0 ml/min vs 52.1 +/- 12.6 ml/min, p less than 0.05, respectively).
      CIn was slightly but insignificantly increased in the patients (95.3 +/- 20.8
      ml/min) compared to the controls (76.7 +/- 13.3 ml/min). As a result, CCr/CIn and
      Curea/CIn were significantly greater in the patients than in the controls (142.7
      +/- 32.0 vs 100.7 +/- 7.1%, p less than 0.01, 92.4 +/- 18.7 vs 68.4 +/- 14.4%, p
      less than 0.05, respectively). The difference between CCr and CIn indicates that
      40% of urinary creatinine is of tubular origin. Renal excretion of urea and
      creatinine was increased by 117% and decreased by 77%, respectively in the
      patients, but the differences were not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1868922
TI  - [The effects on the thyroid gland of soybeans administered experimentally in
      healthy subjects].
AB  - To elucidate whether soybeans would suppress the thyroid function in healthy
      adults, we selected 37 subjects who had never had goiters or serum antithyroid
      antibodies. They were given 30g of soybeans everyday and were divided into 3
      groups subject to age and duration of soybean administration. In group 1, 20
      subjects were given soybeans for 1 month. Groups 2 and 3 were composed of 7
      younger subjects (mean 29 y.o.) and 10 elder subjects (mean 61 y.o.)
      respectively, and the subjects belonging to these groups received soybeans for 3
      months. The Wilcoxon-test and t-test were used in the statistical analyses. In
      all groups, the various parameters of serum thyroid hormones remained unchanged
      by taking soybeans, however TSH levels rose significantly although they stayed
      within normal ranges. The TSH response after TRH stimulation in group 3 revealed
      a more significant increase than that in group 2, although inorganic iodide
      levels were lowered during the administration of the soybeans. We have not
      obtained any significant correlation between serum inorganic iodide and TSH.
      Hypometabolic symptoms (malaise, constipation, sleepiness) and goiters appeared
      in half the subjects in groups 2 and 3 after taking soybeans for 3 months, but
      they disappeared 1 month after the cessation of soybean ingestion. These findings
      suggested that excessive soybean ingestion for a certain duration might suppress
      thyroid function and cause goiters in healthy people, especially elderly
      subjects.

PMID- 1868924
TI  - [Dependency of estramustine binding protein (EMBP) from rat prostate to
      endogenous androgen].
AB  - In this study, we investigated the dependency of estramustine binding protein
      (EMBP) from rat prostate on endogenous androgen. The EMBP content of the
      dorsolateral prostate markedly decreased 14 days after castration and increased
      again after the cessation of the weekly subcutaneous administration of 2 mg of
      Estradiol-17 beta valerate, in accordance with the recovery of prostate weight
      and serum testosterone concentration. This result clearly demonstrated that EMBP,
      which was present in very small quantities in the dorsolateral prostate, had a
      dependency on endogenous androgen as well as on the ventral prostate EMBP. We
      investigated the changes in prostate weights, EMBP concentration and serum
      testosterone level throughout life. The ventral prostate weight began to increase
      rapidly at 7 weeks of age and showed a broad peak from 11 to 14 weeks of age and
      then gradually decreased. On the other hand, the dorsolateral prostate weight
      began to increase rapidly at 7 weeks of age and continued to increase very
      gradually even after 10 weeks of age. There was a remarkable difference in the
      changes in EMBP concentration between the ventral prostate and the dorsolateral
      prostate. In the ventral prostate, EMBP concentration increased markedly from 4
      to 9 week of age. Thereafter it continued to increase very gradually. On the
      other hand, in the case of the dorsolateral prostate, EMBP demonstrated higher
      and fluctuating concentration from 4 to 15 weeks of age. After 16 weeks of age,
      EMBP showed lower and stable concentration, although the weight of dorsolateral
      prostate showed gradual increase. These results suggested that there exist,
      beside androgens, some factors that participated in the regulation of growth and
      functional metabolism in the dorsolateral prostate after 16 weeks of age.

PMID- 1868923
TI  - [The effect of maternal IGF-I on fetal and placental growth in mice].
AB  - Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a polypeptide that mediates growth
      promoting actions of GH and has insulin-like activity. Increase in the levels of
      IGF-I in the maternal and fetal circulation during pregnancy and the
      identification of the specific receptors for IGF-I in a variety of fetal tissues
      suggest that IGF-I may play a significant role in the regulation of fetal growth.
      The present study was undertaken to determine the significance of maternal IGF-I
      on fetal and placental growth by administering the specific antiserum for IGF-I
      to pregnant mice. The antiserum was produced by repeatedly injecting recombinant
      IGF-I into rabbits. The antiserum obtained showed 30% binding to 125I-IGF-I at a
      dilution of 1:240,000, and crossreactivity with IGF-II was 0.012%. In the first
      set of experiments, pregnant mice were given a daily dose of 50 microliters of
      the original antiserum (E-1) or normal rabbit serum (C-1) into the peritoneal
      cavity between Day 3 and 10. In the second set of experiments, antiserum (E-2) or
      normal rabbit serum (C-2) was administered between Day 11 and 18. On Day 18, all
      mice were killed, blood was collected for measurement of levels of IGF-I by RIA,
      and the weights of fetuses and placentas in individual mice were recorded. The
      maternal levels of IGF-I in group E-1 and E-2 were extremely low compared to
      those in group C-1 and C-2. The number of fetuses and rate of abortion among each
      group were not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868925
TI  - Safety evaluation of substances consumed as technical ingredients (food
      additives).
AB  - The different types of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) are described as used by
      the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the EEC Scientific
      Committee for Food (SCF). The allocation is discussed of a full ADI or a
      temporary ADI, and examples are given for the establishment (or withdrawal) of
      these ADIs. The flavours cinnamyl anthranillate and the solvent 2-nitropropane
      (both withdrawn), the sweeteners cyclamate and saccharin and the antioxidant BHA
      (all three changed) but not abolished. For BHA and saccharin the ADI was retained
      by both committees in spite of some evidence of carcinogenicity to experimental
      animals. ADI--'not specified' is specially discussed and it is recommended that
      numerical ADIs are used whenever possible. With an ADI--'not specified' it should
      be stated which use (and intake) levels are toxicologically acceptable. Some
      compounds evaluated by the two committees are discussed, e.g. the colours: Allura
      red AC, erythrosine, canthaxanthin and the caramels; three anti-oxidants: BHA,
      BHT and the gallates; the sweeteners: polyols, aspartame, saccharin and
      cyclamates. Four recommendations are made: (1) a numerical basis be given for the
      levels allocated an ADI--'not specified' or 'acceptable'; (2) lowering of the
      conventional safety factor be considered when the effects found are trivial-
      higher safety factors be considered when the toxic effects are serious or even
      irreversible; (3) ADIs should, whenever possible, be based on a combination of
      human and animal data; (4) ADIs might be allocated to compounds indicating animal
      carcinogenicity, if the compound is non-genotoxic, the mechanism clearly
      secondary and/or species-specific.

PMID- 1868926
TI  - Safety factors and establishment of acceptable daily intakes.
AB  - The acceptable daily intake (ADI) of food additives and other foreign compounds
      is derived usually by the application of a 100-fold safety factor to the 'no
      observable adverse effect' level in animal experiments. This safety factor is
      recognized as comprising two 10-fold factors to allow for possible differences
      between animals and humans, and for possible differences between individual
      humans. This paper reviews the adequacy of these safety factors in relation to
      published data on inter-species and inter-individual differences in both the
      kinetics and dynamics of foreign compounds. Although the 100-fold factor is
      reasonable, situations can be envisaged where the scientific data base indicates
      that considerably higher or lower factors would be more appropriate. A scheme is
      proposed that would allow structured flexibility to be available in the choice of
      safety factor to be used in the regulation of foreign compounds.

PMID- 1868927
TI  - The concept of the acceptable daily intake: an historical review.
AB  - In the first section the sequence of events is outlined which leads to the
      author's proposal to consider the concept of acceptable daily intake (ADI) for
      pesticide residues. He developed his theory referring to specific aspects during
      meetings with experts on the toxicological evaluation of chemical agents which
      become introduced into foodstuffs intentionally or unintentionally. These
      meetings were organized periodically by the European Council or Joint FAO/WHO
      Expert Committees on food additives (JECFA) or pesticide residues (JMPR). The
      general principles of the ADI evaluation are briefly described as being based on
      the determination (after extended absorption) of a no-effect dose level in an
      appropriate animal species; followed by the application, for the extrapolation of
      the results in animals to humans, of safety factors taking into account the
      interspecies sensitivity variations and individual sensitivity variations in the
      groups of essentially heterogeneous human consumers. It is pointed out that the
      ADI value, which depends on a series of factors, is not a constant, but a guide
      serving to calculate the admissible limits of diverse chemical agents
      incorporated in foodstuffs. It must take into account the usual normalities
      between medium terms of consumption varying a lot with the countries and the
      various consumer groups. It is clearly noted that, because of the fluctuations in
      the type and the quantities of absorbed diets, the ADI is in reality an
      integrated value with regard to the time, a notion that is often forgotten. Other
      ideas are developed, in particular on the adoption of a temporary ADI and on the
      concept of a non-specified ADI.

PMID- 1868928
TI  - Contents of Fusarium toxins in Finnish and imported grains and feeds.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels of trichothecenes in
      representative samples of Finnish and imported cereals and feeds from the 1987
      and 1988 crops. Trichothecene concentrations were determined in samples as
      trimethylsilylether derivatives by a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass
      selective detector (GC-MSD) using selected ion monitoring (SIM) which proved to
      be a reliable and sufficiently sensitive technique. Representative samples of
      Finnish and imported oats, wheat, barley, rye, maize gluten, soy granules,
      rapeseed, turnip rapeseed, fish meal, poultry feed and pig feed were analysed
      employing 19-nortestosterone as an internal standard. Almost all grain and feed
      samples contained deoxynivalenol (DON) from 7 to 300 micrograms/kg and smaller
      amounts (13-120 micrograms/kg) of 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON). The most
      toxic trichothecenes, T-2, HT-2 toxins and nivalenol (NIV) and also zeralenone
      (ZEN) were found at low concentrations in some samples. Six lots of oats
      containing 1.3-2.6 mg/kg of DON and 0.2-0.6 mg/kg of 3-AcDON were found in the
      Finnish grain samples. Silo samples of almost all imported grains contained DON
      but at levels below 50 micrograms/kg. Imported grains contained no other
      trichothecenes. DON, 3-AcDON and ZEN were found in imported feedstuffs at low
      concentrations.

PMID- 1868929
TI  - Plasma ochratoxin A levels in three Swedish populations surveyed using an ion
      pair HPLC technique.
AB  - A new HPLC method for the analysis of ochratoxin A in plasma samples is
      described. The analysis is performed at an alkaline pH using an ion-pair
      technique, fluorescence detection at an excitation wavelength 380 nm, and an
      emission wavelength 420 nm. The detection and quantification limits are 0.02 ng
      and 0.05 ng ochratoxin A/ml plasma, respectively. The method was used to
      determine the ochratoxin A content of human plasma samples, collected in three
      districts of Sweden. The Visby district had a significantly higher proportion of
      ochratoxin A positive samples and higher levels than the other two districts-
      Uppsala and Ostersund. The calculated daily intake of ochratoxin A in the Visby
      district (0.35 ng/kg body weight), exceeds the lower tolerable daily intake (TDI)
      value suggested by Kuiper-Goodman and Scott (1989). The calculated daily intake
      by the population on the mainland of Sweden (0.04 ng/kg body weight) is below the
      proposed TDIs.

PMID- 1868930
TI  - Preliminary studies on the bioavailability and disposition of bioincurred carrot
      residues of [14C] linuron and [14C]3,4-dichloroaniline in rats.
AB  - Carrots grown from seed in soils spiked with [14C = O]linuron or [14C-ring]3,4
      dichloroaniline (DCA), were found to contain radioactivity equivalent to 0.73 ppm
      linuron or 0.60 ppm DCA. After exhaustive extraction with methanol these tubers
      still retained 35% and 67% of the original 14C-bioincurred residues, for linuron
      and DCA respectively. To examine the bioavailability of these residues, rats were
      dosed by gavage (water vehicle) with unextracted tubers and extracted tubers. For
      comparison purposes 14C-spiked carrot tubers and [14C] standards were also
      administered. Animals were maintained for 3 days in metabolism cages; urine,
      faeces, expired gases and several tissues were collected for radioassay. The
      following relative amounts of radioactivity (expressed as a percentage of the
      applied dose) were excreted (faeces/urine) for linuron or DCA dosing
      respectively: unextracted carrots, 28/31, 51/10; extracted carrots, 51/0, 73/3;
      spiked carrots, 11/43, 63/20; and linuron and DCA standards, 11/46, 26/81. The
      data demonstrated that approximately 31% and 10% of bioincurred 14C-residues
      (from linuron and DCA respectively) in unextracted carrot tubers were
      bioavailable to rats. 14C-Bound residues (extracted tubers) were much less
      bioavailable (0% and 3% respectively). The disposition of radioactivity in
      tissues, blood and expired gases was very low (less than or equal to 1.3% per
      sample) for any dose studied.

PMID- 1868931
TI  - Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in meat, liver and kidney of Swedish pigs and
      cattle in 1984-88.
AB  - During the period 1984-88 several hundred samples of meat, liver and kidney from
      Swedish pigs and cattle were analysed for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury.
      Analysis was performed by AAS and extensive quality assurance was carried out.
      The mean lead levels in pig meat, liver and kidney were less than 0.005, 0.019
      and 0.016 mg/kg, respectively: the mean levels in the corresponding bovine
      tissues were less than 0.005, 0.047 and 0.097 mg/kg. The mean cadmium levels in
      pig meat, liver and kidney were 0.001, 0.019 and 0.11 mg/kg, whilst those in the
      corresponding bovine tissues were 0.001, 0.070 and 0.39 mg/kg. The mean arsenic
      levels in pig meat, liver and kidney were 0.024, 0.023 and 0.019, respectively
      and those in the corresponding bovine tissues were lower, none exceeding 0.015
      mg/kg. The mean mercury levels in pig meat, liver and kidney were 0.009, 0.015
      and 0.019 mg/kg respectively, while those in the corresponding bovine tissues
      were 0.005, 0.006 and 0.010 mg/kg. A decrease in the levels of both arsenic and
      mercury in pig tissues was found during the period studied, which may be due to a
      decrease in the use of fish meal in pig feed.

PMID- 1868933
TI  - Introduction of methods in epidemiologic studies with reference of cataract.

PMID- 1868932
TI  - Rationales for the establishment of limits and regulations for mycotoxins.
AB  - Although 50 countries have enacted or proposed regulations for control of
      alfatoxins in food or feed, and 15 of these countries also have regulations for
      permitted levels of contamination by other mycotoxins, very few countries have
      formally presented the rationale for the need to regulate, or for the selection
      of a particular maximum tolerated level. After several successive inquiries,
      information concerning the rationale for regulation was obtained from 21
      countries. Most of the responses concerned limits for aflatoxin in food, and most
      of these were based on a vague, unsupported statement of the carcinogenic risk
      for humans. There was a general consensus that exposure to a potential human
      carcinogen that could not be totally avoided should be limited to the lowest
      practical level; the definition of practicality depended on whether the country
      was an importer or producer of the potentially contaminated commodity. A claim to
      a hazard evaluation was made by six countries (Canada, Belgium, India, United
      Kingdom, United States, Switzerland) without providing specifics; and one
      country, South Africa, referred to a risk determination. The most comprehensive
      rationale for any mycotoxin regulation was provided by the United States in
      support of limits for aflatoxin in specific animal feedstuffs. The responses
      provided no rationale for setting limits for other mycotoxins; but scholarly risk
      assessments for zearalenone and ochratoxin A have been published by Canadian
      government scientists, and a symposium presentation provides the information that
      in Norway patulin is regulated for quality control purposes only. It is apparent
      that, in most countries, either the scientific basis for regulation of mycotoxins
      is nonexistent, or the science has not been fully utilized.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868934
TI  - Practical cataract classification for epidemiological studies.

PMID- 1868935
TI  - Interview form applied to a cataract epidemiologic study. Japanese Cooperative
      Cataract Epidemiology Study Group.

PMID- 1868936
TI  - Contribution to the improvement of epidemiological cataract classification.

PMID- 1868937
TI  - Evaluation of risk factors in human cataractogenesis.

PMID- 1868938
TI  - Discrepancy between onset of early lens changes and onset of senile cataract: the
      case for cellular defense systems in the human eye lens.

PMID- 1868939
TI  - Lipid analysis in defined bovine lens slices.

PMID- 1868940
TI  - Protein profiles after UV-B irradiation and bendazac lysine (bendalina)
      treatment.

PMID- 1868942
TI  - Oxygen and light as risk factors in senile cataract development: experimental
      studies.

PMID- 1868941
TI  - Singlet oxygen chemiluminescence quenching in the NaClO + H2O2 reaction in the
      presence of anticataract drugs.

PMID- 1868943
TI  - Current cataract epidemiology studies in Japan.

PMID- 1868944
TI  - Epidemiology of cataract in outpatient clinics.

PMID- 1868945
TI  - Epidemiological study on cataract in Bulgaria.

PMID- 1868946
TI  - Prevalence of age-related cataract in Ganzi and in Qinpu. The Epidemiological
      Study Group.

PMID- 1868947
TI  - Epidemiological study for cataract in a northern area of Japan. Cataract and its
      subjective symptom.

PMID- 1868948
TI  - A retrospective study of cataract among Arabs residing in Kuwait.

PMID- 1868949
TI  - Prevalence of lens opacities in a population-based survey in Sofia District: a
      preliminary report.

PMID- 1868951
TI  - Risk factors in cataract development: a review.

PMID- 1868950
TI  - The control and prevention of cataract in West Sumatra, Indonesia: the pattern of
      some types of cataract in coastal and suburban areas.

PMID- 1868952
TI  - Common risk factors in the development of cataract among Arabs residing in
      Kuwait.

PMID- 1868953
TI  - Risk factor diabetes: long-term follow-up Scheimpflug slit image analysis of lens
      transparency of diabetic patients.

PMID- 1868954
TI  - Risk factor analysis in a cataract epidemiological survey in West Sumatra,
      Indonesia.

PMID- 1868955
TI  - The risk factors of developing cataract in patients with uveitis.

PMID- 1868956
TI  - Investigation of cataract risk factors with retro-illumination photography II.

PMID- 1868957
TI  - Cataract classification systems in epidemiological studies.

PMID- 1868958
TI  - [A multifactorial etiologic approach to diabetic dyschromatopsia. Study of 100
      diabetics].
AB  - Diabetic dyschromatopsia is frequent and is a true complication of diabetes
      mellitus. Causative factors other than retinopathy have been suggested, but they
      remain unclear. We have explored the color vision of 100 diabetics aged 16 to 65
      (88 insulin-dependent, 12 non-insulin dependent) with Lanthony's D15 desatured
      panel. Degenerative complications were looked for, especially by fundoscopy and
      electrophysiological exploration of peripheral nerves using specific scoring. 73%
      of the diabetics had dyschromatopsia. Dyschromatopsia was significatively more
      frequent when retinopathy was present (26 out of 30 diabetics with retinopathy
      versus 47/70 without). We explain the absence of a strict parallelism between
      dyschromatopsia and retinopathy by the intervention of other factors. Whereas the
      equilibration of the diabetes was not different between the groups with or
      without dyschromatopsia, patient age, microalbuminuria, blood pressure and
      alcohol intake were higher in patients with dyschromatopsia. The greater
      prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with dyschromatopsia, confirmed
      by electrophysiology, and independently from the existence of retinopathy, is an
      indicator of the existence of neuronal disease, whose level remains to be
      determined. Our results are the indispensible preliminary step to a study of the
      respective importance of these pathogenic factors.

PMID- 1868959
TI  - Lipoprotein lipase in experimental diabetic rats: beneficial effect of vanadate
      treatment.
AB  - Elevated values of circulating triglycerides were observed in streptozotocin
      hyperglycemic rat while cholesterol concentrations did not differ from controls.
      Daily oral administration of sodium metavanadate to these diabetic animals
      normalized blood glucose values without raising the reduced levels of insulin.
      Concomitant with the normalization of the glycemia, the elevated triglyceride
      values found in diabetic rats were also corrected. Lipoprotein lipase activity in
      adipose and cardiac tissues was significantly decreased in the streptozotocin
      diabetic animals. Similarly, the hepatic lipase activity was also depressed.
      After vanadate treatment, lipoprotein lipase as well as hepatic lipase activities
      were corrected towards normal values. Thus, vanadate treatment of streptozotocin
      diabetic animals induces normalization of blood glucose and triglycerides levels,
      while maintaining low amounts of circulating insulin. It also restores the
      depressed activities of adipose and cardiac lipoprotein lipase and hepatic
      lipase.

PMID- 1868960
TI  - Premixed insulin at ratio 3/7 and regular + isophane insulins at mixing ratios
      from 2/8 to 4/6 achieve the same metabolic control.
AB  - The insulin regimen with two daily injections is still that more frequently used.
      Often regular and NPH insulins are mixed at different ratios according to the
      patient's need; however, the mixture preparation can involve several errors.
      Efficacy, safety and compliance were evaluated comparing a premixture 3/7
      (Actraphane HM) with extemporary mixtures of regular + NPH at mixing ratios
      ranging from 2/8 to 4/6, in a cross-over study of 8 weeks involving 20 insulin
      dependent diabetics. Metabolic control, hypoglycaemic episodes, insulin dose and
      proportions were similar with both treatments while a higher compliance was
      achieved with the premixture. In conclusion, premixture 3/7 and extemporary
      mixture (from 2/8 to 4/6) obtain the same efficacy and safety but the former
      shows a higher acceptability.

PMID- 1868961
TI  - Effects of counterregulatory hormones on insulin-induced glucose utilization by
      individual tissues in rats.
AB  - The effect of counterregulatory hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine and
      glucocorticoids) on insulin-induced glucose utilization in individual tissues of
      normal rats was investigated in vivo. This was done in normoglycaemic conditions,
      using the euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp combined with an injection of 2-[1
      3H]-deoxyglucose. The main effect of these hormones was to reduce insulin-induced
      glucose utilization in skeletal muscles and particularly in the oxidative one. No
      changes were observed in heart diaphragm and adipose tissues. These results
      emphazise the role of counterregulatory hormones on glucose utilization and
      demonstrate that muscles are their major site of action. They support the notion
      that the increase in plasma concentrations of these hormones could play a role in
      states of insulin resistance like obesity and diabetes.

PMID- 1868962
TI  - [Impact of diabetes mellitus on driving safety].
AB  - Driving ability is controlled by specific regulations. Therefore disabled
      individuals or those with certain chronic diseases may be affected by these
      regulations. These latter are based on assumption that the existence and the
      nature of certain diseases may cause particular hazard; and this could be
      prevented by introducing certain driving regulations. This hypothesis has not
      been tested properly, considering the proposed and suspected risk factors.
      Diabetes mellitus is a good example of the interested medical condition in this
      field. Review of the literature do not provide adequate information to allow us
      to conclude whether the insulin treated diabetic person is at higher risk to
      develop traffic accident, compared with non diabetic individual; and there is no
      definite explanation whether hypoglycaemia play a causative role in the etiology
      of traffic accident among insulin treated diabetics. Perhaps the lack of
      knowledge in this field is due to use of non-standardized methodologies and small
      sample size studies which make the comparisons difficult. The existing
      regulations in different countries are based on empirical knowledge and common
      sense. This often leads to conflictual situations and apparently discriminatory
      decisions regarding diabetics. Further comparative and prospective studies are
      needed.

PMID- 1868963
TI  - Decreased insulin response to glucose in sickle cell trait.

PMID- 1868964
TI  - Sialic acid content in the erythrocyte membrane of diabetics.

PMID- 1868965
TI  - Relaxant effects of oxytocin and 8-l-lysine-vasopressin on guinea pig and human
      gallbladder strips in vitro contracted by histamine.
AB  - Both human and guinea pig gallbladder strips were tonically contracted by
      supramaximal concentrations of histamine in vitro. Guinea pig gallbladder strips
      were also tonically contracted by potassium, with no spontaneous relaxation after
      5 min. The amplitude of the contractions caused by histamine decreased
      spontaneously only by 34 +/- (SD) 10% after 5 min in guinea pig strips and by 25
      +/- 7% after 5 min in human strips. Both oxytocin and 8-l-lysine-vasopressin dose
      dependently relaxed almost completely contractions caused by histamine and
      potassium in guinea pigs. In humans, only 8-l-lysine-vasopressin decreased the
      amplitude of histamine contractions. In both species, neither oxytocin nor 8-l
      lysine-vasopressin affected the basal tone of strips.

PMID- 1868966
TI  - Changes in gastric mucosal content of adenosine, xanthine and hypoxanthine
      induced by restrained water immersion stress: antiulcer effects of
      tetraprenylacetone.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to clarify the involvement of adenine nucleotide
      metabolism and substrates of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system as the source
      of oxygen free radicals in a rat model of restrained water immersion stress
      ulceration. The gastric mucosal concentrations of adenine-5'-triphosphate (ATP),
      adenine-5'-diphosphate (ADP), adenine-5'-monophosphate (AMP) and thiobarbituric
      acid (TBA)-reactant substances were measured after 4, 8 and 12 h restrained water
      immersion stress. The gastric mucosal concentrations of the nucleoside adenosine,
      the purine bases xanthine and hypoxanthine, and the final metabolic product uric
      acid, were measured after 4 h of restrained water immersion stress. The
      concentrations of ATP diminished significantly after 4, 8 and 12 h of restrained
      water immersion stress. However, the observed stress-induced changes in ADP were
      not significant. AMP concentrations increased significantly after 4, 8 and 12 h
      of stress. The adenylate pool (ATP + ADP + AMP) dropped significantly from the
      prestress value after 4, 8 and 12 h of stress, and the concomitant energy charge
      (EC = ATP + 0.5 ADP/ATP + ADP + AMP) decreased significantly after 4 and 8 h of
      stress compared with the prestress value. Gastric mucosal concentrations of TBA
      reactant substances displayed a significant increase after 4 h of stress, and
      remained unchanged after 8 and 12 h of stress from the level after 4 h. Four
      hours of restrained water immersion stress induced an increase in adenosine and
      uric acid concentrations and a decrease in the hypoxanthine concentration of the
      gastric mucosa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1868967
TI  - Influence of the M1-receptor antagonists telenzepine and pirenzepine on
      pancreatic secretory response to intraduodenal tryptophan in dogs.
AB  - In conscious dogs with gastric and pancreatic fistulas, we compared the action of
      different doses of telenzepine (ranging from 9 to 243 nmol kg-1 h-1 i.v.) and
      pirenzepine (ranging from 43 to 1,170 nmol kg-1 h-1 i.v.) on the pancreatic
      secretory response to graded loads of intraduodenal infusions of tryptophan,
      given with a secretin background. Both, telenzepine and pirenzepine caused an
      overall significant inhibition of the cumulative incremental pancreatic protein
      output by 65.8 and 66.8%, respectively. The pancreatic bicarbonate output was
      also reduced by 38.3 and 40.5%, respectively, but the effect did not reach
      statistical significance. The inhibitory potency of the effective doses of
      telenzepine or pirenzepine did not differ significantly. Only the highest doses
      of telenzepine (243 nmol kg-1 h-1 i.v.) and of pirenzepine (1,170 nmol kg-1 h-1
      i.v.) significantly increased heart rate from 59.9 +/- 3.4 to 63.1 +/- 4.5 bpm,
      respectively. These findings indicate that (1) in the intact animal, the M1
      receptor antagonists telenzepine and pirenzepine are capable of inhibiting
      pancreatic bicarbonate and protein output in response to intraduodenal tryptophan
      with secretin background, and (2) telenzepine is 4.7 times more potent than
      pirenzepine.

PMID- 1868968
TI  - Idiopathic oligofecorrhea: a clinicopathologic entity--pathogenesis and
      treatment.
AB  - Oligofecorrhea is the term applied for infrequent defecation (2 or less stools
      per week). 146 patients with oligofecorrhea were studied. Investigations
      comprised radiologic, endoscopic, intestinal transit and rectal pressure studies.
      EMG for levator and sphincteric muscles as well as internal sphincter biopsy were
      done. The 146 patients could be categorized into 3 stages according to clinical
      and investigative results. However, the 3 stages share major abnormal findings
      which comprise high resting rectal neck pressure, reduced or absent recto
      inhibitory reflex, internal sphincter hypertrophy and degeneration of the nerve
      plexus of the internal sphincter. A new theory of pathogenesis of oligofecorrhea
      is put forward. It is believed that innervation abnormalities of the internal
      sphincter interferes with the recto-inhibitory reflex action with a resulting
      failure of the internal sphincter to relax upon rectal distension. It seems that
      the degenerative changes of the nerve plexus affect mainly the parasympathetic
      supply leading to sympathetic overactivity. The latter leads to abnormal internal
      sphincter contraction which eventually results in muscle hypertrophy. Internal
      sphincter myotomy showed a mean improvement of 90.4% in all the cases. The stool
      frequency and rectal neck pressure were normalized.

PMID- 1868969
TI  - Intravenous omeprazole in upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage in critically ill
      patients.

PMID- 1868971
TI  - Measurement of anal cross-sectional area and pressure during anal distension in
      healthy volunteers.
AB  - A probe for simultaneous measurement of cross-sectional area and pressure was
      used to elucidate biomechanical wall properties during anal distension.
      Measurements in distal sphincter regions demonstrated a high resistance to
      stretch and a large hysteresis compared to proximal sphincter regions. Resistance
      to stretch decreased during anal distension indicating an active relaxation
      mechanism at all recording levels. The zone with high resistance to stretch was
      located more distal than the high-pressure zone measured by anal-pressure
      profilometry. In conclusion, biomechanical wall properties of the anal canal
      cannot be described by classic viscoelastic theories but rather by a loss of
      sphincter tone caused by reflex mechanism during anal distension.

PMID- 1868970
TI  - Neutrophil motility in Crohn's disease.
AB  - Neutrophil motility in normal subjects and Crohn's disease patients was assessed
      using both double and single filter assay systems with n
      formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (FMLP) as the attractant, and in a single
      filter assay with Candida albicans in 10% serum as the attractant. Assays were
      performed in triplicate and included controls to eliminate the effect of random
      (non-stimulated) locomotion. After incubation at 37 degrees C, filters were fixed
      and stained and the numbers of neutrophils per filter field counted under the
      microscope. Stimulated migration was calculated by subtracting random from total
      migration. Compared to normal neutrophils, 56% more Crohn's disease neutrophils
      migrated towards FMLP in the double filter system (p = 0.01). With the single
      filter technique using FMLP as the attractant 58% more Crohn's disease
      neutrophils migrated (p = 0.002). With the single filter technique using C.
      albicans as the attractant 47% more Crohn's disease neutrophils migrated (p =
      0.02). Neutrophil motility in patients with Crohn's disease is enhanced and
      results were not related to disease activity.

PMID- 1868972
TI  - Effect of hyperventilation on distal colonic motility and rectal sensitivity in
      irritable bowel syndrome.
AB  - Hyperventilation is associated with some symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel
      syndrome and has been implicated in provoking excessive oesophageal
      contractility. Sixteen patients with irritable bowel syndrome were therefore
      studied in order to assess the effect of hyperventilation on distal colonic
      motility and rectal sensitivity. No significant change in either the amplitude or
      frequency of colonic contractile activity was noted following hyperventilation,
      nor was any alteration in rectal sensitivity observed. This study shows that
      acute hyperventilation does not affect colonic motor activity or visceral
      sensitivity and suggests that hyperventilation and irritable bowel syndrome are
      not causally related.

PMID- 1868973
TI  - Effect of intravenous omeprazole on twenty-four-hour intragastric pH in patients
      with a history of peptic ulcer. Comparison of two four-dosage regimens.
AB  - To study the effect of intravenously given omeprazole on the 24-hour gastric
      secretion, 9 male patients with previously endoscopic proven duodenal ulcer
      disease were studied. Two four-dose regimens only differing in loading doses were
      compared. The study showed that 40 mg omeprazole, administered intravenously 4
      times a day, is able to keep the gastric pH above 4 in 85% of the 24-hour study
      period and in 65% of the time pH was above 6. The corresponding values from the
      baseline period were 10 and 6%. There was no additional effect by a larger
      loading dose.

PMID- 1868974
TI  - Concordance of indirect methods for the detection of lactose malabsorption in
      diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.
AB  - In order to collect data on (1) the prevalence of lactose malabsorption and (2)
      the value of indirect diagnostic methods for hypolactasia in diabetics, we
      compared lactose tolerance tests using serum glucose, serum galactose (after oral
      ethanol intake) and breath hydrogen excretion as diagnostic cutoff in 144
      nondiabetic and 46 diabetic subjects. A good rate of concordance was found for
      the hydrogen breath test and galactose-dependent lactose tolerance test. The
      glucose-dependent lactose tolerance test was found to be of satisfactory
      diagnostic value in nondiabetic subjects and was useless for diagnostic purposes
      in diabetics. Lactose malabsorption was no more frequent in diabetics than in
      controls and lactose intolerance was found to be less frequent in the diabetic
      group. A distinction between hypolactasia and other gastrointestinal disorders in
      diabetics is possible by ambulatory indirect tests.

PMID- 1868976
TI  - Scientific fraud and the Public Health Service Act: a critical analysis.

PMID- 1868975
TI  - CCK receptor antagonist loxiglumide alters uptake of CCK in perfused liver and
      pancreatic acini of the rat.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of the specific
      cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor antagonist loxiglumide on hepatic and pancreatic
      processing of CCK-8 and the CCK analogue cerulein. Rat liver perfusion was
      performed in a non-recirculating system. CCK concentrations were measured by
      radioimmunoassay in perfusates from the inflow cannula (portal vein) and the
      outflow cannula (hepatic vein). In rat pancreatic acini, the effect of
      loxiglumide on internalization and surface-binding of radiolabelled CCK-8 was
      determined. Cerulein (20 nM, 2 nM) was extracted in a single pass through the
      liver by 29.7 and 25.4%, respectively. The hepatic uptake of CCK-8 (50 pM, 2 nM)
      was more than 90 and 89.9%, respectively. Loxiglumide drastically inhibited
      hepatic extraction of both peptides and reduced internalization of 125I-CCK-8 in
      pancreatic acini dose dependently by 39-93%. These results demonstrate that the
      potent CCK receptor antagonist loxiglumide significantly decreased CCK uptake by
      the liver and pancreas.

PMID- 1868977
TI  - Molecular manipulations of the multidrug transporter: a new role for transgenic
      mice.
AB  - Multidrug resistance in human cancer is associated with overexpression of the
      MDR1 gene which encodes a 170,000 molecular weight membrane glycoprotein that
      transports cytotoxic drugs out of cancer cells. The MDR1 gene is normally
      expressed in intestine, kidney, liver, and adrenal glands, and in tumors derived
      from these tissues, but it is not expressed in normal bone marrow. Transgenic
      mice that express the MDR1 gene in their bone marrow have been developed, and
      because of this expression these mice are resistant to the bone marrow
      suppressive effects of daunomycin, doxorubicin, taxol, and several other
      anticancer drugs. These mice can be used in several different ways to develop new
      types of drugs to treat human cancer.--Pastan, I.; Willingham, M. C.; Gottesman,
      M. Molecular manipulations of the multidrug transporter: a new role for
      transgenic mice.

PMID- 1868978
TI  - Inflammation in the course of early myocardial ischemia.
AB  - Experimental models of acute ischemic myocardial injury indicate that the
      inflammatory response after the ischemic event contributes to tissue damage. This
      is especially apparent with reperfusion of the ischemic tissue. In such models
      some therapeutic strategies designed to reduce neutrophil accumulation or
      function have resulted in apparently beneficial effects. Although such findings
      are encouraging, interventions into these pathological processes using specific
      molecular targets will require greater understanding of specific mechanisms.
      Current evidence indicates that potential sites of therapeutic intervention will
      be found in pathways leading to complement activation, generation of lipid
      derived mediators, adhesion of neutrophils to endothelial cells and cardiac
      myocytes, and activation of neutrophil secretory processes releasing, for
      example, proteolytic enzymes and reactive oxygen. Understanding the dynamic
      interplay between the mediators, adhesion pathways, and secretory processes that
      results in myocardial damage will allow a rational approach to controlling the
      detrimental inflammatory consequences of ischemia and reperfusion.

PMID- 1868979
TI  - Electron transfer in proteins: in search of preferential pathways.
AB  - Electron migration between and within proteins is one of the most prevalent forms
      of biological energy conversion processes. Electron transfer reactions take place
      between active centers such as transition metal ions or organic cofactors over
      considerable distances at fast rates and with remarkable specificity. The
      electron transfer is attained through weak electronic interaction between the
      active sites, so that considerable research efforts are centered on resolving the
      factors that control the rates of long-distance electron transfer reactions in
      proteins. These factors include (in addition to the distance and nature of the
      microenvironment separating the reactants) thermodynamic driving force and the
      configurational changes required upon reaction. Several of these aspects are
      addressed in this review, which is based primarily on recent work performed by
      the authors on model systems of blue copper-containing proteins. These proteins
      serve almost exclusively in electron transfer reactions, and as it turns out,
      their metal coordination sites are endowed with properties uniquely optimized for
      their function.

PMID- 1868980
TI  - Tolerance and suppressor mechanisms in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis:
      implications for immunotherapy of human autoimmune diseases.
AB  - Recent advances in understanding antigen recognition at the level of the
      trimolecular complex have provided new approaches for selective immunotherapy.
      Many of these approaches have been applied successfully to the animal model
      experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and some are being tested in the human
      disease multiple sclerosis. In addition, new approaches utilizing nonspecific
      modulation of immune function are being explored in animals and humans.
      Immunospecific therapy in autoimmune diseases will ultimately be based on
      understanding how the normal immune system maintains unresponsiveness to self and
      how this state of self-tolerance is broken. Strategies for specific immune
      intervention in human diseases based on components of the trimolecular complex
      will have to take into account the polymorphism of the major histocompatibility
      complex in humans and the degree of heterogeneity among autoimmune T cells that
      react with an autoantigen.

PMID- 1868981
TI  - Soluble cytokine receptors: their role in immunoregulation.
AB  - A number of cytokine receptors exist in soluble form in the biological fluids of
      both animals and humans, a phenomenon that might have immunoregulatory
      implications in vivo. Although these soluble receptors specifically inhibit
      binding and activity of their respective cytokines in vitro, their actual
      function in vivo as cytokine inhibitors or as carrier proteins is unclear.
      Abnormalities in the production of these substances might contribute to the
      pathophysiology of immune and neoplastic diseases. Besides their role in
      regulating cytokine activity in vivo, soluble cytokine receptors hold significant
      potential for therapeutic use as very specific anticytokine agents and as
      indicators in diagnosis and assessment of immune parameters, prognosis, disease
      progression, response to treatment, etc., in a variety of autoimmune and
      malignant diseases.

PMID- 1868982
TI  - Pathologic concentrations of interleukin 6 inhibit T cell responses via induction
      of activation of TGF-beta.
AB  - Interleukin 6 levels are increased in a variety of clinical conditions including
      bacterial and viral infections, HIV infection, autoimmune diseases, certain
      neoplasias, and traumatic injury. In general, all these conditions are
      characterized by suppression of one or more manifestations of the immune
      response. Concentrations of IL 6 comparable to those found in the sera of
      immunosuppressed, thermally injured patients selectively inhibit T cell
      proliferative responses. This suppression is independent of IL 2-mediated
      responses, is dependent on macrophage activity, and is reversed by antisera
      specific for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta).

PMID- 1868983
TI  - Depolarization decreases the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of myosin light-chain kinase in
      arterial smooth muscle: comparison of aequorin and fura 2 [Ca2+]i estimates.
AB  - Histamine stimulation of swine arterial smooth muscle is associated with a high
      [Ca2+]i sensitivity for increases in myosin light-chain phosphorylation. In
      contrast, KCl depolarization produces a relatively lower [Ca2+]i sensitivity
      (i.e., similar increases in [Ca2+]i induce less myosin phosphorylation). We
      evaluated whether 1) artifacts in the methodology for measuring [Ca2+]i or 2)
      true alterations in the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of myosin light-chain kinase were
      responsible for these apparent changes in the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of
      phosphorylation. The [Ca2+]i sensitivity of phosphorylation was higher with
      histamine stimulation regardless of whether the [Ca2+]i indicator was aequorin
      (which was loaded intracellularly by reversible hyperpermeabilization) or Fura 2
      (which was loaded intracellularly by incubation of the tissues in Fura 2 AM).
      Aequorin and Fura 2 appeared to detect qualitatively similar stimulus-induced
      changes in [Ca2+]i with the exception that the initial response to histamine
      stimulation was different (histamine initially induced a large aequorin light
      transient and a relatively smaller increase in Fura 2 fluorescence). The [Ca2+]i
      sensitivity of myosin light-chain kinase extracted from KCl depolarized tissues
      was lower than the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of myosin light-chain kinase extracted
      from unstimulated or histamine stimulated tissues. These results suggest that
      depolarization specifically modifies myosin light-chain kinase to decrease its
      [Ca2+]i sensitivity. Changes in the [Ca2+]i sensitivity of myosin light-chain
      phosphorylation are not an artifact of the [Ca2+]i measurement technique.

PMID- 1868984
TI  - Mechanism of peroxide-induced cellular injury in cultured adult cardiac myocytes.
AB  - Reactive oxygen species contribute to the tissue injury seen after reperfusion of
      ischemic myocardium. We propose that toxicity originates from the effect that
      mitochondrial peroxide metabolism has on substrate entry into oxidative pathways.
      To support our contention, cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes were incubated with
      physiological concentrations of peroxide. The cellular extract and incubation
      medium were analyzed for adenine nucleotides and purines by reverse-phase high
      pressure liquid chromatography. Cellular glutathione efflux was determined by
      enzymatic analysis of the incubation medium. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)
      activity was determined in the cultured myocytes as well as in freshly isolated
      cardiac mitochondria using [1-C14]pyruvate. Extracellular glutathione rose 3.3
      fold in response to small doses of peroxide (approximately 108 nmol/mg protein).
      Likewise, small quantities of peroxide reduced total cellular adenine nucleotides
      to 50-60% of control values with only a modest (0.95-0.91) reduction in energy
      charge [ATP + 1/2 ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP]. Peroxide-treated myocytes selectively
      release inosine and adenosine, as only these two purine degradation products were
      detected in the incubation medium. The most dramatic response was a peroxide dose
      dependent inhibition of PDH activity in cultured myocytes as well as freshly
      isolated mitochondria; just 65 and 30 nmol peroxide/mg protein induced a 50%
      reduction in cellular and mitochondrial PDH activity, respectively. In
      conclusion, physiological quantities of peroxide potently inhibit PDH in cultured
      cardiomyocytes and isolated cardiac mitochondria. PDH inhibition blocks the
      aerobic oxidation of glucose and inhibits the oxidative phosphorylation of ADP,
      which in turn leads to cellular adenine nucleotide degradation.

PMID- 1868987
TI  - The choline-deficient diet.

PMID- 1868986
TI  - Interpreting citations.

PMID- 1868985
TI  - A rational approach in the search for potent inhibitors against HIV proteinase.
AB  - Synthetic peptides described as dog renin inhibitors were found to effectively
      inhibit the aspartyl protease of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The
      selection of oligopeptides for the HIV protease inhibition study was based on 1)
      the current strategy of inhibiting aspartyl proteases with transition state
      analogs, and 2) our previous observations regarding optimal structural
      differentiation at the P2 position among human, dog, and rat renin inhibitors. In
      an in vitro assay system consisting of recombinant HIV protease and a synthetic
      decapeptide substrate (at pH 5.5), results show that HIV protease was unaffected
      by statine-containing analogs carrying histidine at the P2 position whereas
      analogs containing valine at the same position yielded anti-protease IC50 values
      ranging from 50 to 500 nM. As anticipated, some analogs were also shown to
      inhibit processing of recombinant polyprotein substrate by HIV protease in vitro.
      The anti-viral activity of three inhibitors was studied in HIV-infected CEM and
      MT-2 cells. Results showed that one compound, Ac-Naphthylalanyl-Pro-Phe-Val
      Statine-Leu-Phe-NH2 (antiprotease IC50 value = 0.4 microM), protected the
      infected cells effectively with IC50 values (0.73 microM for CEM cells and 0.88
      microM for MT-2 cells). This antiviral effect is comparable to those obtained
      with AZT and ddC in parallel studies of MT-2 cells.

PMID- 1868988
TI  - [The aging of the heart: weight and structural changes in the left ventricle with
      age].
AB  - Structural alterations of the cardiovascular system with aging are difficult to
      differentiate from superimposed pathologic processes. To determine whether aging
      "per se" affects the dimension of the heart, the weight of the heart, and the
      left ventricle and their rations to body weight, left ventricle wall thickness,
      the number of myocyte nuclei in the ventricle and the myocyte cell volume per
      nucleus were measured in 67 autopsies of subjects, 45 males and 22 females, who
      died from causes independent of cardiovascular diseases, from 17 to 90 years old.
      With aging, total heart weight increased slightly, while left ventricular and
      interventricular septum weights after dissection of the subepicardial fat
      decreased significantly (r = 0.44; p less than 0.001). Although left ventricular
      wall thickness remained constant with time, left ventricular weight to body
      weight ratio decreased progressively. At the structural level the number of
      myocyte nuclei within the left ventricle decreased (r = 0.45; p less than 0.001),
      whereas myocyte cell volume per nucleus increased (r = 0.30; p greater than 0.05)
      with age. Thus, the aging process of the heart is associated with a reduction in
      volume of the myocardial mass resulting from myocyte cell loss and reactive
      hypertrophy of the spared myocytes.

PMID- 1868989
TI  - [The mobile coronary unit of Florence: an evaluation of 10 years of prehospital
      cardiac care].
AB  - In order to reduce the high mortality from ischemic heart disease, a mobile
      coronary care unit manned by a cardiologist has been operating in Florence since
      1979. From 1980 to 1989 there were 13,029 interventions, 8,718 (66.9%) of which
      were cardiac emergencies. 1,718 (19.7%) patients showed acute myocardial
      infarction while in 2,274 angina was diagnosed (26.1%). Acute pulmonary edema and
      paroxysmal supraventricular tachyarrhythmias accounted, respectively, for 6.2%
      and 18.3% of total cardiac emergencies; moreover there were 753 (5.8%) attempted
      resuscitations in sudden cardiorespiratory arrest from cardiac causes. In acute
      myocardial infarction, the median time between the onset of symptoms and mobile
      coronary care unit arrival was 85 minutes, and 69.9% of patients were reached
      within 3 hours from the onset of symptoms. Ventricular fibrillation, ventricular
      tachycardia and asystole were observed respectively in 80 (4.6%), 42 (2.4%) and
      50 (2.9%) patients. Success rate of emergency treatment was 81.3% for ventricular
      fibrillation, 88.1% for ventricular tachycardia and 18% for asystole. Prehospital
      mortality was 4.06%. The ECG picture of the 753 patients found in cardiac arrest
      showed sustained ventricular tachycardia in 12 (1.6%), ventricular fibrillation
      in 198 (26.3%), bradyarrhythmia in 28 (3.7%), and asystole in 431 (57.2%).
      Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was successfully performed in 230 patients (30.5%).
      Finally, more than 50% of the patients with angina, 20% of the patients with
      acute pulmonary edema, and 70% of the patients with paroxysmal supraventricular
      tachyarrhythmia were adequately treated at home and needed no hospitalization.
      The ten years experience of Florence Mobile Coronary Care Unit suggests that a
      community wide emergency cardiac care system can significantly reduce the pre
      hospital mortality and the time delays preceding thrombolysis and intensive care
      in acute myocardial infarction. Moreover, the cardiac "sudden death" can often be
      successfully treated. Most other cardiac emergencies may be adequately treated at
      home and unnecessary hospitalizations can be avoided.

PMID- 1868990
TI  - [Left ventricular filling studied by echo-Doppler in hypertensive and
      normotensive subjects].
AB  - Purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of different clinical and
      echocardiographic parameters on left ventricular diastolic filling in a group of
      66 mild to moderate hypertensive subjects (mean age = 45.9 +/- 13.9 yrs) and in
      49 normotensive controls (mean age = 44.2 +/- 15.9 yrs). All subjects underwent
      an echocardiographic study with pulsed Doppler evaluation of left ventricular
      filling. In the hypertensives, a noninvasive 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
      was performed. The ratio of early to atrial peak diastolic filling velocity
      (VmaxE/VmaxA) and the ratio between the respective velocity flow integral
      (Earea/Aarea) were significantly lower in the hypertensives compared to the
      normotensives (p less than 0.001). As within the hypertensives, office systolic
      blood pressure, average 24-hour mean blood pressure (24MBP), left atrial
      dimensions, and left ventricular mass index (MAXIND) were related both to age and
      diastolic filling. To study the relation between these parameters and diastolic
      filling a partial correlation test was used. The only variable related to
      diastolic filling, independently of age, was 24MBP (VmaxE/VmaxA vs 24MBP: r = 
      0.307, p less than 0.05, Earea/Aarea vs 24MBP: r = -0.261, p less than 0.05).
      Linear multivariate analysis using the method of stepwise regression established
      that age, 24MBP and heart rate were responsible for 75% of the VmaxE/VmaxA
      variance in the hypertensive group. To evaluate if the difference between the
      indexes of diastolic filling in the normotensives and the hypertensives varied
      according to age, we divided each group into two classes of subjects older and
      younger than 40 yrs. Under the age of 40 only VmaxE/VmaxA was significantly
      different in the two groups (p less than 0.05), while in the subjects older than
      40 yrs both VmaxE/VmaxA and Earea/Aarea differed to a great level of statistical
      significance (p less than 0.001). The results of the present study allow the
      following conclusions: 1) age has the greatest influence on diastolic filling in
      both hypertensive and normotensive individuals. Diastolic filling is impaired in
      mild to moderate hypertension, when systolic function is still normal; 2) the
      worsening of diastolic filling determined by hypertension is more evident in the
      subjects greater than 40 yrs; 3) the only clinical variable that influences
      diastolic filling, independently of age, is 24MBP, while office blood pressure,
      MAXIND and left ventricular ejection fraction do not seem to be related to this
      clinical entity.

PMID- 1868991
TI  - [Standard contraction curves of the left ventricle for the objective
      quantification of segmental kinetics].
AB  - Two left ventricle angiographically-standard contraction curves are proposed: one
      for the 30-degree right anterior oblique (RAO) projection, and the other for the
      60-degree left anterior oblique (LAO) projection. These curves are obtained by a
      calculation which uses the end-diastolic and end-systolic silhouettes along with
      the longitudinal axes. The best calculation method, which is different in the two
      projections, has been identified by computer testing of a number of hypothesis
      over a "normal" population of 18 pairs of RAO and 7 pairs of LAO silhouettes. The
      working hypothesis was selected by minimizing the standard deviation. In both
      projections the percent reduction of 20 areas is performed. The 20 RAO areas are
      defined by 10 equidistant orthogonal coordinates which intersect the longitudinal
      axis; moreover, the longitudinal axis "angiographic shortening", becomes divided
      into "cavity real shortening" and "apical parietal effacement'. The 20 LAO areas
      are defined by radial axes spaced by 15 degree intervals. The proposed standard
      curves show a low standard deviation of the calculated points: mean 7.8% +/- 3.68
      (SD) for the RAO curve, and mean 9.8% +/- 3.68 for the LAO curve. These curves
      achieve the goal of a standard reference for the objective evaluation of the left
      ventricle segmentary contraction analysis.

PMID- 1868992
TI  - [The bicuspid aortic valve: a "minor" congenital cardiopathy at risk of serious
      complications].

PMID- 1868993
TI  - [The prevention of sudden death: lights and shadows].

PMID- 1868994
TI  - [Informed consent: a utopia?].

PMID- 1868995
TI  - [Late potentials: promises not kept or excessive expectations?].

PMID- 1868996
TI  - [The classification of unstable angina].

PMID- 1868997
TI  - [Unstable angina again].

PMID- 1868998
TI  - [Three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnosis in gynecology and obstetrics].
AB  - Three-dimensional reconstruction of an organ requires a coordinated sequence of
      cross-sectional scans. In ultrasound this can be solved by rotating the scan
      plane horizontally or vertically. Two scan heads have been built, one to rotate
      the plane around a horizontal, the second around a vertical axis. There are two
      ways to reconstruct the scans taken by ultrasound into a three-dimensional image:
      --to contour the surface of the organ in each scan and to reconstruct these
      contours to a ring-shaped structure. This procedure needs a lot of time;
      moreover, contouring must be performed via cursor on the screen. --calculate a
      transparent image of the organ. To obtain the best spatial image by the
      "transparent method", the image must be moved on the screen. Both methods of
      reconstruction are shown and compared in this paper. First experiences show that
      they can be applied in tumour diagnostic and in the diagnosis of malformations in
      early pregnancy. Further clinical studies will have to prove this.

PMID- 1868999
TI  - [Semiquantitative determination of the amniotic fluid volume in normal
      pregnancies].
AB  - The amount of amniotic fluid was determined semiquantitatively in 600 pregnancies
      between the 12th and 41st week of gestation. Pregnancies at risk were excluded.
      The largest amniotic fluid area was measured sonographically in two dimensions.
      The mean plus/minus standard deviations are correlated with gestational age. A
      diagram has been prepared. Our results show good correlation with values from
      invasive quantitative examinations of amniotic fluid amount. However, our
      procedure is easy to perform and without hazard for the pregnancy, since it is
      non-invasive.

PMID- 1869000
TI  - [Effect of pregnancy and perinatal parameters--including mode of delivery--on
      survival rate of "low birth weight premature infants" (less than 1,500 g)].
AB  - A retrospective analysis of 225 very low birth weight infants (less than 1500 g)
      was made, to assess the influence of the mode of delivery on the survival rate.
      In 186 preterm deliveries which could not be prevented by therapeutic measures,
      we included additionally certain gestational and perinatological parameters.
      Generally, an average survival rate of 72% was found in this study. In addition
      to the well-known negative influence of birth weight less than 1000 g and
      gestational age of less than 28 weeks, such parameters as antenatal pre
      pathological CTG findings, haemorrhages at the time of hospitalisation, and
      ineffectuousness of tocolytic drugs, were associated with a reduced survival
      rate. In contrast, the presence of anamnestic risk factors of preterm delivery
      and prolongation of gestation by one day and more improved the survival rate.
      Additional consideration of foetal presentation showed, that abdominal delivery
      was fundamentally safer in cases with breech and transverse presentation. Whether
      a higher survival rate can be achieved by vaginal delivery in cases of breech
      presentation with premature rupture of membranes or a gestational age greater or
      equal to 28 weeks, remains to be proved. A gestational age of less than 28 weeks
      or antenatal prepathological cardiotocographic findings will facilitate in future
      the decision to perform Cesarean section in cases of inevitable premature
      deliveries with cephalic presentation.

PMID- 1869001
TI  - [Intrauterine fetal death--analysis of incidence and causes in an unselected
      group of 199 twin pregnancies 1985-1989].
AB  - Intrauterine death of one twin is an important factor, apart from prematurity in
      the high perinatal mortality rate in twin pregnancy. In 8 cases (4%) of a total
      of 199 twin pregnancies (2%), one foetus died antenatally. We examined
      retrospectively by single-case analysis the clinical and pathologico-anatomical
      features, which probably caused the intrauterine death of one twin. Placental
      insufficiency, associated with consecutive intrauterine growth retardation of
      either twin, was the leading reason in the relevant cases. In 23.3% of all twin
      pregnancies birth weight differences between both twins were 400 g and plus; in
      5.1%, the differences were 700 g and plus. These data suggests, that in the
      monitoring or care of multiple pregnancies, intrauterine growth retardation of
      one foetus needs close observation as well as regular ultrasound examinations and
      cardiotocography.

PMID- 1869002
TI  - [Obstetric and ethical-legal problems in a twin pregnancy with anencephalus and
      polyhydramnios of the leading twin beyond the 28th week of pregnancy].
AB  - Malformations are found twice as often in twins than in singletons. In the
      following case, we report on a twin pregnancy with anencephaly and polyhydramnion
      of the leading twin I, which was first diagnosed after 28 weeks of pregnancy. The
      foetal disease of twin I led to an appreciable dyspnoea of the mother that
      exacerbated to an incipient respiratory failure by the thirty-second week of
      pregnancy. The projected termination of pregnancy by Caesarean section based on a
      maternal indication was not performed, but instead a selective foetocide of the
      diseased twin. The live twin was delivered spontaneously without complications
      after thirty-eight weeks of pregnancy. The obstetric and legal ethical problems
      are discussed.

PMID- 1869003
TI  - [Comparison of perineal sonography and abdominal ultrasound examination in
      placenta praevia].
AB  - This study describes a comparison between two different ultrasound methods used
      to localize a low-lying placenta or a placenta previa. The methods implemented
      were the abdominal ultrasound and the so-called "perineal scan", an ultrasound
      examination of the female urogenital tract, which is performed by using the
      perineum as an acoustic window. Between 1985 and 1988, 84 patients, suspected of
      having a low-lying placenta, were examined by perineal scanning. In all these
      cases it was possible to compare the results with those of abdominal ultrasound
      examinations documented in the patient's records. The "perineal scan"
      examinations were performed "blind", i.e., without knowledge of the results of
      prior abdominal ultrasound. Abdominal sonography was performed by a different
      examiner using the full-bladder-technique. Perineal scanning was done a short
      time after voiding. The results showed considerable and significant (p less than
      0.001) discrepancies between the two methods; perineal scanning more often
      demonstrated higher grade diagnoses (27 patients, 32%) than vice versa (9
      patients, 11%). These differences may be at least partially explained by the
      influence of bladder distension. Probably a full bladder produces false negative
      results more often than previously suspected. An analysis of pregnancy outcome
      yielded positive predictive values of 78% (abdominal ultrasound) and 86%
      (perineal scanning). Perineal scanning therefore seems to provide an
      uncomplicated and reliable means to verify an abdominal placenta localisation.

PMID- 1869004
TI  - [Pethidine or nalbuphine for obstetric analgesia?].
AB  - Because of the risk of ventilatory depression, agonistic and partially
      agonistic/antagonistic opiates are well suited for providing pain relief in
      obstetrics. We compared two groups of 20 women each with pregnancy on term who
      received equipotent doses of nalbuphin (0.1 mg/kg) and pethidin (0.8 mg/kg)
      intramuscularly. We found a significantly longer (6h) and better analgesic effect
      in the nalbuphin group but also a significantly more pronounced sedation. Other
      side effects were fewer in this last-named group. There were no differences in
      the behaviour of the babies between both groups. We consider that because of the
      "ceiling effect" of ventilatory depression, nalbuphin may allow better analgesia
      without the risk of ventilatory depression of both mother and newborn.

PMID- 1869005
TI  - [Ferritin level in newborn infants after prepartal iron medication].
AB  - Aim of the study was to find out the influence of iron medication of pregnant
      women on the iron levels of their newborn. In a prospective randomised study the
      iron-substituted group (n = 57) was treated with 2 x 1 Aktiferrin comp. Kps.
      (Merckle) during pregnancy, starting from the 22nd week. The control group (n =
      46) had no medication during pregnancy. The substituted group had statistically
      significantly higher serum ferritin levels in the 30th week of pregnancy (p less
      than 0.048), higher levels measured in the cord blood at birth (p less than
      0.001), and also the newborn of this group had statistically significant higher
      serum ferritin levels than the newborn of the control group (p less than 0.001).
      Our conclusion is that prepartal iron medication leads to increased iron stores
      in the newborn.

PMID- 1869006
TI  - [Cytogenetic analysis of sperm chromosomes in couples with habitual abortion].
AB  - Genetic factors, especially numerical chromosome anomalies, play an important
      role in embryonic loss. Since somatic cell analysis cannot assess the risk of
      errors arising de novo during germ cell maturation, we investigated, whether the
      male gametes from couples with habitual abortion (group HA) carry a higher rate
      of anomalies, than those from donors without reproductive dysfunction (group K).
      Chromosomes were demonstrated after fusion of sperm with zona-free golden hamster
      ova. Our results indicate no significant difference between the two groups for
      the total rates of aneuploidy (HA: 3.6%, K: 2.0%) and structural anomalies (HA:
      15.3%, K: 7.0%). However, the levels of chromosome breaks and acentric fragments
      were significantly higher in the abortion group (5.8% and 8.1%, respectively, vs.
      2.4% each in group K). The implications of this fact remain to be investigated.

PMID- 1869007
TI  - [Melanoma of the vulva. Report of 12 cases].
AB  - The present retrospective study includes 12 patients with melanoma of the vulva
      who underwent vulvectomy between 1977 and 1987. Six patients were less than 55
      and 6 other patients more than 69 years old. Three women of the younger age group
      survived (31, 44 and 116 months, respectively), whereas three of them died of the
      tumour. In the patient group of over 69 years of age 4 patients died of the
      tumour, one patient did not appear for follow-up and one further patient died in
      the meantime. Nine patients suffered from deeply infiltrating tumours (Clark
      levels IV and V), 2 patients had a Clark level II tumour, and in one case the
      Clark level was unknown. Depth of infiltration correlated with the prognosis of
      disease, i.e. only one patient with deep tumour infiltration, but both patients
      with Clark level II tumours survived. Therefore, the importance of early
      diagnosis of melanoma of the vulva should be emphasized, and accurate inspection
      of the vulva should be indispensable in the course of routine gynaecological
      examination also in younger women.

PMID- 1869008
TI  - [Therapeutic results and toxic side effects of the cytostasan, adriamycin and
      vincristine combination as second line therapy in metastatic breast cancer].
AB  - Remission rates of 30-50% can be obtained using different cytostatic combinations
      in second line therapy of metastatic breast cancer. The combination of adriamycin
      and vincristin with cytostasan revealed a remission rate of 50% in 62 CMF
      pretreated patients. Considerable toxic side effects led to a dose reduction of
      cytostasan and adriamycine in 43 patients without clinical efficacy loss. The
      long remission periods of the total responders (8-23 months) were remarkable.
      Both, 3 patients with bone +/- soft tissue metastasis and 4 patients with
      visceral metastasis benefited from a clinical total remission. The remission
      rates indicated no significant differences between the group of patients with
      soft tissue +/- bone metastasis (47.3%) and that with a predominantly visceral
      metastasis (50%). The CyAV-combination with a low dosage provides an effective
      therapeutical scheme with acceptable side effects for CMF-pretreated patients
      with breast cancer.

PMID- 1869009
TI  - [Effect of various factors on survival after recurrent and/or metastatic breast
      cancer].
AB  - 145 women (22.2%) out of 652 patients with primary breast cancer, who were
      operated on between January 1980 and September 1988, developed tumour relapse
      until May 1990. The aim of our retrospective analysis in these 145 patients with
      local and/or distant tumour relapse was to evaluate the prognostic importance for
      further survival of the following factors: menopausal status, stage of disease,
      number of involved axillary lymph nodes, tumour grading, ER and PgR content,
      postoperative irradiation, adjuvant treatment, localisation of tumor relapse and
      relapse-free interval. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis of all these
      factors identified the number of positive axillary lymph nodes (0-3 versus 4+)
      with a relative risk (RR) of 2.49 and localisation of tumour relapse (local
      versus visceral metastasis RR = 2.08 and local versus bone metastases RR = 2.08)
      as the only two significant prognostic factors for further survival. Therefore,
      these two factors should be stratification criterias for prospectively randomized
      phase III studies in patients with tumour relapse after primary breast cancer.

PMID- 1869010
TI  - [Slit drainage versus Redon drainage in a clinical comparison--initial
      experiences with a new kind of wound drainage system].
AB  - In a prospective, randomised study we compared the clinical properties of the
      established Redon drain with a new type of drain called "slit drain". Both types
      of drains were examined regarding the amount of drained fluid, the time elapsing
      until removal of the drain, the frequency of occlusion of the lumen as well as
      the patient's pain and the required force at extraction of the drain. The
      statistical analysis showed both drains to have equal abilities in draining of
      fluid if they were used under vacuum conditions. If used as nonsuction drains,
      the new device was able to drain more fluid than the established type of drain (p
      less than 0.05). Statistically relevant advantages of the slit drain were seen in
      a lower rate of obstruction of the lumen, a higher amount of drained fluid (as
      non-suction device) as well as an easier and less painful extraction.

PMID- 1869011
TI  - [Adjuvant chemotherapy in dysgerminoma].
AB  - This is a report on a young patient with dysgerminoma of the right ovary. Right
      side adnexectomy and hysterectomy were performed initially. Due to the clearly
      elevated tumour marker levels, indicating an involvement of other germ cell
      elements, we opted for postoperative chemotherapy instead of radiotherapy. The
      follow-up included regular monitoring of the tumour markers. To date, there has
      been no indication towards tumour recurrence.

PMID- 1869012
TI  - [Vascular malformations of the uterus].
AB  - Arteriovenous fistulae of the uterus are rare. We report on a patient with a
      vascular malformation of the uterus complicated by hypermenorrhea. Symptoms,
      possible complications and therapy are discussed.

PMID- 1869013
TI  - [Twin pregnancy in uterus didelphys].
AB  - A case of twin pregnancy in uterus didelphys is reported. This rare event is
      discussed from obstetric aspects as well as that of dizygotic twins.

PMID- 1869014
TI  - [Sharing aseptic surgical units with the gynecologist?].

PMID- 1869015
TI  - [Comment on the contribution by B. Warkentin: "On the question of the relation
      between psycho-physical acceleration and modern obstetrics"].

PMID- 1869016
TI  - [Can midwifery be integrated into clinics?].

PMID- 1869017
TI  - Reserpine non-selectively inhibits rat uterus contraction in vitro.
AB  - 1. Reserpine produced a direct in vitro non-selective inhibitory effect on smooth
      muscle contraction of endometrium-free rat uterus. 2. Reserpine uptake into
      uterine muscle and its antagonistic effect on contraction had a similar time
      course. 3. Reserpine had a relaxing effect similar to that of trifluoperazine and
      different from that of verapamil or papaverine, and also failed to exert any
      inhibitory effect on 45Ca uptake rate. 4. Both reserpine and trifluoperazine but
      not verapamil inhibited the acetylcholine-induced contraction when present during
      the Ca-release from intracellular stores. 5. It is hypothesized that reserpine
      exerts its inhibitory action intracellularly on the activation of smooth muscle
      contraction by sarcoplasmic Ca2+.

PMID- 1869018
TI  - Effects of NA0344, a new smooth muscle relaxant, on the actin-myosin-ATP
      interaction and myosin light chain phosphorylation in vitro.
AB  - 1. Effects of antibiotic NA0344, a smooth muscle relaxant, on phosphorylation of
      myosin light chain (MLC, 20 kDa) were compared with those on actin-myosin-ATP
      interaction using native actomyosin preparation containing MLC kinase activity.
      2. MLC kinase was shown to be the site of action of NA0344. 3. NA0344 inhibited
      the interaction and phosphorylation with IC50 = 7.5 x 10(-6) and 1.6 x 10(-5) M,
      respectively. 4. The discrepancy between the inhibitory effects is explained that
      myosin is in an active form when myosin is fully phosphorylated. 5. However, the
      inhibitory effects of NA0359 and NA0362, analogs of NA0344, on the
      phosphorylation were similar to or more effective than those on the interaction,
      which cannot be explained by the active form hypothesis. 6. Plausible
      explanations for the discrepancies are discussed.

PMID- 1869019
TI  - The effect of prazosin pretreatment on hyperthermia produced by noradrenaline in
      rabbits.
AB  - 1. Hyperthermia produced by noradrenaline (NA) was accompanied by increased
      metabolic rate and vasoconstriction of ear skin vessels and a fall in evaporation
      heat loss. 2. Prazosin (PRA), administered as a single injection, decreased of
      hyperthermia elicited by NA mainly of attenuation the processes concerned with
      the heat production and increased of heat loss from respiratory tract and ear
      skin surface. 3. PRA administered in a 3 hr infusion did not only produce an
      abolishment of NA-induced hyperthermia but also exerted a hypothermizing effect.
      4. PRA introduced intracerebroventricularly also induced a decline in core
      temperature, inhibiting the metabolic rate stimulated by this amine. 5. These
      results seem to suggest that NA-caused hyperthermia may be controlled through
      central adrenergic structures, which are effectively blocked by PRA. Besides, we
      have presented one more proof concerning the antihyperthermizing activity of PRA
      and its central point of activity catch.

PMID- 1869020
TI  - D-Ala-2-Me-Phe-4-Met-(O)-ol-enkephalin in the nucleus tractus solitarius of the
      rat produces cardiorespiratory depression.
AB  - 1. The synthetic Met-enkephalin, D-Ala-2-Me-Phe-4-Met-(O)-ol-enkephalin (FK 33
      824). 1 or 2 micrograms, after its injection into the nucleus tractus solitarius
      (NTS) of Wistar rats, anesthetized with pentobarbital and breathing
      spontaneously, produced a transient increase in blood pressure followed by
      sustained and significant (P less than 0.05) hypotension and bradycardia. This
      occurred in a dose dependent manner. 2. FK 33-824 in the NTS, 1 or 2 micrograms,
      also produced a marked respiratory depression. 3. In anesthetized rats, in which
      hypoventilation was prevented by mechanical ventilation, there was a definite
      reduction in blood pressure and heart rate that was considerably and
      significantly (P less than 0.05) less than that observed in spontaneously
      breathing rats. 4. Blood pressure fluctuations occurred after NTS injection that
      were more marked in spontaneously breathing animals but still occurred in animals
      that were ventilated mechanically. 5. FK 33-824, 1 and 2 micrograms in the NTS
      was fatal within 100 min for all animals but was prevented by mechanical
      ventilation. Higher doses of FK 33-824, 10 micrograms in the NTS, however,
      induced fatal ventricular arrhythmias even in the mechanically ventilated rat. 6.
      Thus, FK 33-824 in the NTS decreases blood pressure and heat rate in
      spontaneously breathing as well as mechanically ventilated rats, but much of the
      effect on blood pressure and heart rate is due to the profound respiratory
      depression in the spontaneously breathing rat.

PMID- 1869021
TI  - Human erythrocyte as a model for investigating muscarinic agonists and
      antagonists.
AB  - 1. Human erythrocyte muscarinic receptor is further classified as M1 subtype by
      its binding of [3H]pirenzepine (a specific M1 antagonist). Conversely, binding of
      [3H]piperidinyl AF-DX116 (a specific M2 antagonist) is not detected. 2. There are
      high correlations between the binding efficacies of 25 known or putative
      cholinergic agents using either human erythrocyte membrane or mouse caudate
      homogenate. Also the in vitro data corresponds satisfactorily with in vivo data
      measuring the protective effect of these compounds against organophosphate
      poisoning. 3. The human erythrocyte membrane is an efficient model for
      investigating cholinergic agonists and antagonists.

PMID- 1869022
TI  - Estriol binding in uterine corpus cancer and in normal uterine tissues.
AB  - 1. The specific bindings of estriol (E3) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) to their
      specific receptors were investigated in endometrial carcinoma from 7 patients and
      normal tissues from their respective organs or from other patients. 2. In both
      cytosolic and KCl-extracted fractions from them, specific binding sites for E3
      and E2 were detected, demonstrating the presence of their separate receptors in
      human uterus-associated tissues. 3. In certain cases (6 cases) of well
      differentiated adenocarcinoma, the ratio of concentration of E3 receptor to that
      of E2 receptor was almost equal to or higher than in other normal tissues. 4.
      These findings of unique localization of E3 receptor distribution may offer new
      insight into identification of endometrial carcinoma more likely to respond to
      hormonal influence or therapy.

PMID- 1869023
TI  - Pharmacological modulation of the antioxidant enzymes activities and the
      concentration of peroxidation products in fibroblasts stimulated with elastin
      peptides.
AB  - 1. Elastin peptides (kappa-elastin) prepared by alcoholic potassium hydroxide
      degradation of insoluble elastin were shown to increase the activities of
      antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) and the lipid peroxide concentration
      within fibroblasts. 2. The preincubation of cells with nifedipine (calcium
      channel antagonist) and trifluoperazine (calmodulin antagonist) caused the
      decrease in the activities of studied enzymes and the concentration of TBA
      reactive products in fibroblasts stimulated with kappa-elastin. 3. The
      preincubation with ketotifen (antiallergic drug) has no effect on the activities
      of SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and the lipid peroxide concentration in stimulated cells. 4.
      These data suggest the possibilities of pharmacological modulation of the
      biological effects induced by elastin-derived peptides.

PMID- 1869024
TI  - Rationale for frequency and dose of administration in gestrinone therapy for
      pelvic endometriosis in the experimental model of rabbit uterus.
AB  - 1. Gestrinone has been used for treatment of pelvic endometriosis, in doses of
      2.5 mg twice a week. This study is designed to clarify it from the dynamics of
      sex steroid receptors in rabbit uterus. 2. Four different regimens were
      scheduled, namely daily 1 microgram estradiol-17 beta (E2, consistent with
      endogenous level of women) for 3 days, and together with either 30, 60
      (consistent with 2.5 microgram of clinical dose) or 120 microgram(s) gestrinone,
      in single dose or with 20 microgram(s) gestrinone daily (divided dose in single
      60 microgram(s) gestrinone administration) for 3 days. Receptors for estrogen
      (ER, type I and II) or progestin (PR) were determined by charcoal adsorption in
      cytosol and KCl extract, or sedimentation in non-KCl extractable fraction, using
      [3H]E2 or [3H]promegestone respectively. 3. Gestrinone decreased total ER (type I
      and II) levels, dose-dependently, except the case of 20 micrograms gestrinone
      daily in ER type II. Total ER type I level did not return to the pre-level until
      3 days only after 120 microgram(s) gestrinone administration. Total ER type II
      level was decreasing in 3 days after 30, 60 or 120 micrograms gestrinone therapy.
      Total PR level was decreased in the order of strength: 120 micrograms gestrinone
      greater than 60 micrograms gestrinone greater than 30 microgram gestrinone
      greater than 20 micrograms gestrinone in group, and the recovery was not obtained
      until 72 hr only after 120 micrograms gestrinone therapy. The uterine weight was
      decreasing with the same strength in 3 days of the therapy independently upon the
      regimen. 4. In conclusion, gestrinone dose of 60 micrograms (2.5 mg of clinical
      dose) every 3 days is considered to be effective for anti-steroid action in sex
      steroid receptor dynamics in the rabbit uterus, contributing to the rationale for
      gestrinone treatment of pelvic endometriosis.

PMID- 1869025
TI  - Effect of alpha-glucosidase inhibition on the nonenzymatic glycation of
      glomerular basement membrane.
AB  - 1. The effect of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor Acarbose on integrated glycemic
      control and on nonenzymatic glycation of glomerular basement membrane was
      examined in streptozotocin diabetic rats. 2. Treatment with Acarbose for 8 weeks
      after induction of diabetes significantly reduced the level of HbA1c and of
      glomerular basement membrane glycation. 3. Acarbose exerts a significant
      antihyperglycemic effect and has a salutary influence on the nephropathic process
      in experimental diabetes.

PMID- 1869026
TI  - The effect of Panax ginseng on the development of tolerance to the
      pharmacological actions of morphine in the rat.
AB  - 1. The effect of intraperitoneal administration of Panax ginseng on the
      development of tolerance to the analgesic and hyperthermic actions of morphine
      was determined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were rendered tolerant to
      morphine to different degrees by the subcutaneous implantation of either four
      pellets of morphine over a 3-day period or six pellets over a 7-day period. Each
      pellet contained 75 mg of morphine free base. Rats serving as controls were
      implanted with placebo pellets. 2. Daily administration of ginseng extract (6.25
      50.0 mg/kg) for 3 days inhibited the development of tolerance to the analgesic
      effect but not to the hyperthermic effect of morphine in the four pellet
      schedule. 3. In six pellet schedule, daily administration of ginseng extract (25
      and 50 mg/kg) for 7 days also inhibited the development of tolerance to the
      analgesic effect of morphine, but the 100 mg/kg dose had no effect. On the other
      hand, in six pellet schedule, the administration of ginseng extract (50 and 100
      mg/kg) once daily for 7 days inhibited the development of tolerance to the
      hyperthermic effect of morphine. 4. It is concluded that in appropriate doses,
      ginseng extract has inhibitory activity on the development of tolerance to the
      pharmacological actions of morphine.

PMID- 1869027
TI  - Stimulatory effect of angiotensin II on electrolyte transport in canine tracheal
      epithelium.
AB  - 1. The present study examines the effect of angiotensin11 (A11) on Cl- and Na+
      transport in canine tracheal epithelium. 2. A concentration-dependent increase in
      the potential difference and in short-circuit current of the trachea was found.
      3. Frusemide reduced values of Cl- dependent electrical parameters; net Cl- flux
      from serosa to mucosa accounted for 72% of total short-circuit current. 4.
      Frusemide, indomethacin and chlorpromazine blocked the stimulatory effect of A11.
      5. These reactions show that A11 stimulates ion transport across the canine
      tracheal epithelium and suggest that two mechanisms may be proposed to explain
      the action of A11 on Cl- flux: (1) Ca(2+)-dependent increase in intracellular
      cAMP and (2) increase in Na(+)-2Cl2-K+ Cotransport activity.

PMID- 1869028
TI  - A model to check the arrhythmogenic activity of antiarrhythmic drugs.
AB  - 1. In order to evaluate a condition which allows to check arrhythmogenic
      properties of antiarrhythmic drugs first experiences with the following model are
      presented. 2. Papillary muscles of guinea pig hearts were exposed to subthreshold
      concentration of aconitine (8 x 10(-8) M) for 30 min. 3. During the last 10 min
      of this period a lack of oxygen and glucose was additionally imposed on the
      muscle. 4. After this priming period, reoxygenation with glucose containing
      Tyrode solution was introduced and aconitine removed from the organ bath. 5.
      Restoring the normal conditions, the contractile force and the membrane potential
      completely recovered. Also the amplitude of the action pontial regained the
      control value. 6. Only the action potential duration displayed a prolongation of
      the late repolarization phase which can be described as a hump at a potential of
      about -55 mV. 7. 30 Minutes after the end of the priming period the muscles were
      exposed to antiarrhythmic drugs. 8. Quinidine, propafenone and gallopamil (at
      concentrations reducing the contractile force by 50%) induced a further
      prolongation of the action potential duration and provoked early after
      depolarizations thus acting arrhythmogenic. 9. In contrast, lidocaine and
      phenytoin did not prolong the action potential duration under this condition and
      were devoid of any arrhythmogenic activity. 10. The proposed model might offer a
      possibility to differentiate antiarrhythmic drugs with respect to their unwanted
      arrhythmogenic activity.

PMID- 1869029
TI  - Oxygen consumption stimulated by increases in permeability of Na+ of mouse
      diaphragm muscle in vitro.
AB  - 1. The effects on oxygen consumption of agents that modify Na(+)-permeability
      were examined in mouse diaphragm muscle perfused with a bathing solution that
      contained (+)-tubocurarine in a flow-through mode. Twitch tension and levels of
      Na+ and K+ in the muscle were also measured. 2. Unstimulated preparations
      decreased the concentration of oxygen in the bathing solution, indicating a basal
      level of oxygen consumption. Electrical stimulation of the muscle further
      decreased the concentration of oxygen. Potassium cyanide eliminated both the
      basal and the stimulated consumption of oxygen. 3. Veratridine facilitated the
      effect of stimulation at 0.1 Hz on both the consumption of oxygen and the twitch
      tension. Ouabain antagonized those effects. 4. Twitch contractions were blocked
      in the presence of dantrolene sodium or by pretreatment with ethylene glycol.
      Electrical stimulation of such preparations still caused a residual but
      considerably decreased consumption of oxygen. Ouabain and tetrodotoxin reduced
      the residual consumption of oxygen. 5. Ouabain significantly increased the levels
      of Na+ in the tissue, while veratridine alone did not. The effect of ouabain was
      further potentiated by the simultaneous presence of veratridine. 6. These results
      indicate that the enhancement of the sarcolemmal permeability to Na+ increases
      the rate oxygen consumption. This concept supports the hypothesis that Na+
      homeostasis depends on energy consumption.

PMID- 1869030
TI  - Effect of sex steroids on cocaine lethality in male and female mice.
AB  - 1. Endogenous sex steroid levels were altered in mice via gonadectomy, via
      physiological or supraphysiological doses of testosterone and/or estradiol, and
      via tamoxifen dosing to antagonize estrogens. 2. The role of sex hormones in
      susceptibility to cocaine lethality was examined via the response of mice after
      endocrine alterations to an intraperitoneal (i.p.) cocaine HCl (75 mg/kg).
      Incidence of deaths was significantly decreased only in sham-operated males
      receiving estradiol or tamoxifen and in ovariectomized or sham-operated females
      receiving doses of estradiol. 3. The levels of estradiol in both sexes appeared
      to be more influential than were levels of testosterone as a determinant of
      susceptibility to cocaine.

PMID- 1869031
TI  - Recognition and reporting of child abuse: a survey of dentists.

PMID- 1869032
TI  - Odontogenic keratocyst involving impacted mandibular third molars.

PMID- 1869033
TI  - Application of glass ionomer cement to cervical root lesions with a vacuum-formed
      template.

PMID- 1869034
TI  - Patient exposure reduction in panoramic radiography.

PMID- 1869035
TI  - Trigeminal neuralgia.

PMID- 1869036
TI  - Evaluation of the Cariescreen SM method for enumeration of salivary mutans
      streptococci.

PMID- 1869037
TI  - The Canadian health care systems: lessons for American dentists.

PMID- 1869038
TI  - Heat-softened gutta-percha: an update.

PMID- 1869039
TI  - Transitional immediate complete dentures.

PMID- 1869040
TI  - Custom denture impression trays from existing dentures.

PMID- 1869041
TI  - Respiration and heat in contracting and non-contracting dissipative muscle.
AB  - The oxygen consumption-heat relationship is analyzed using a scheme of reactions
      underlying muscle aerobic metabolism. The enzymatic chemical reactions of the
      scheme are considered near equilibrium during a contraction, and far from
      equilibrium during energy dissipation in a non-contracting state. Implications
      show that for two different metabolic rates, the proportionality between oxygen
      consumption and heat is a very specific case, because of restricting necessary
      conditions.

PMID- 1869042
TI  - Effect of ultrasound on the functional state of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
      in molluscan neurons.
AB  - The effect of ultrasound (2.64 MHz, 0.5 W/cm2) on acetylcholine-induced (ACh
      induced) current and surface distribution of ACh receptors (AChRs) were studied
      in neurons of the mollusc Helix pomatia. Upon switching on the ultrasound a
      negligibly small transient two-phase transmembrane current appeared; prolonged (5
      25 min) action of beamed ultrasound waves significantly depressed the ACh-induced
      chloride current and caused the disappearance of functional nicotinic AChRs on
      parts of the neuronal soma distant from the axon. Pharmacological studies showed
      that the disappeared AChRs were responsible for changes in membrane permeability
      for chloride ions (AChRsCl). The results obtained in the present study indicate
      that ultrasound may be used as a selective inhibitor of AChRsCl in molluscan
      neurons.

PMID- 1869043
TI  - Mutual backbone phosphate group interactions promote DNA double helix bending at
      high salt concentrations in solution.
AB  - Results of free energy calculations connected with the backbone phosphate group
      interactions upon local bending and helical twist modifications of A-, B- or Z
      DNA at high salt concentrations have been reported recently (Jursa and Kypr
      1990). Here we calculate energies necessary for DNA bending, using three models
      based on experimentally determined persistence length values. A comparison of
      energies following from the two quite different approaches suggests that high
      salt concentrations induce A- and mainly B-DNA bending into the double helix
      minor groove at least up to 10 degrees.

PMID- 1869044
TI  - A novel effect of vanadium ions: inhibition of succinyl-CoA synthetase.
AB  - Effect of vanadate and vanadyl ions on the ATP-dependent succinyl-CoA synthetase
      (A-SCS) solubilized by Lubrol-PX from the rat brain mitochondria was tested.
      Vanadate added to the assay medium at 10(-5) mol.l-1 and 10(-4) mol.l-1
      concentrations inhibited the enzyme activity by about 50% and 94%, respectively.
      When the enzyme was solubilized from the mitochondria preincubated with 10(-4)
      mol.l-1 and 10(-3) mol.l-1 vanadate, the residual inhibitions were 55% and 100%
      respectively. The vanadyl cation also induced inhibition of the A-SCS activity
      but the effect was less expressed. At 10(-4) mol.l-1 concentration only 20%
      inhibition was achieved. The A-SCS solubilized from the mitochondrial
      subfractions (perikaryal, light and heavy synaptosomal) differed neither in the
      activity of A-SCS nor in the susceptibility toward action of vanadium ions. A
      strong dependence of the vanadate inhibition on the concentration of succinate
      was observed. The above effect (50% inhibition) could be demonstrated only at
      saturating concentration of succinate (50 mmol.l-1). The mechanism of vanadium
      ions action as well as differences between vanadate and vanadyl ions effects are
      discussed.

PMID- 1869045
TI  - 31P NMR study of postmortem metabolism in porcine and bovine muscles.
AB  - 31P NMR spectroscopy was used to evaluate interspecies differences in muscle
      fibre types and related postmortem metabolism. M. longissimus thoracis (MLT) and
      m. pectoralis superficialis (MPS) of bulls and MLT of pigs were investigated. In
      perchloric acid extracts NMR resonances for sugar phosphates (SP), inorganic
      phosphate (Pi), glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC), phosphocreatine (PCr), adenosine
      triposphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) as well as for NAD+/NADH could be
      distinguished. Also, glycogen and lactate contents and pH were determined. The
      relative contents of phosphorus compounds in bovine muscles of similar
      participation of muscle fibre are similar. Bovine muscles contain a relatively
      large proportion of PCr (48% of all phosphates 15 minutes post-mortem in MPS)
      whereas porcine MLT show lower PCr content (11% 15 minutes post-mortem). On the
      other hand, the ATP content is relatively higher in porcine MLT when compared
      with bovine muscles in the early phases of the postmortem processes. No NMR
      detectable levels of GPC were measured in porcine MLT in contrast to bovine
      muscles. This suggests that the GPC content does not depend solely on the fibre
      participation but is also animal species determined. The 24 hour postmortem
      metabolism patterns of bovine and porcine muscles have many common traits. CP
      disappeared first followed by ATP. Simultaneously, the Pi concentrations
      increased. However, the content of SP remained relatively constant in porcine,
      but not in bovine muscles where it increased only gradually. The significantly
      higher concentrations of SP and lactate as well as the lower values of glycogen
      and pH measured for porcine as compared with bovine muscles suggest an enhanced
      glycolysis during the early phases of postmortem processes in porcine muscles.

PMID- 1869046
TI  - T-lymphocyte development in scid mice is arrested shortly after the initiation of
      T-cell receptor delta gene recombination.
AB  - Scid mice lack functional lymphocytes because they carry a mutation that impairs
      rearrangement of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes. Rearrangement of
      TCR delta, but not gamma and beta genes, was routinely observed in DNA of scid
      thymocytes and thymocyte hybridomas. TCR delta gene rearrangements appeared to
      involve D delta 1, D delta 2, and J delta 1 elements only; rearrangement of
      elements upstream of D delta 1 (e.g., V delta 1) was not observed, and
      transcripts corresponding to fully assembled TCR delta genes (VDJ delta or VDDJ
      delta) were not detected in RNA from scid thymocytes. These findings suggest that
      D delta 1, D delta 2, and J delta 1 may be among the first TCR gene elements to
      undergo recombination and that scid T-lineage cells are developmentally arrested
      during or shortly after this stage of differentiation. One class of TCR delta
      recombination fragments (D delta 2-J delta 1) was amplified by the polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR) and cloned, and the recombination junctions were sequenced.
      Most fragments showed normal coding joints. Interestingly, five of seven coding
      joints that lacked N insertions showed evidence of recombination between short
      stretches (2-3 bp) of homologous sequence. As discussed, the general absence of V
      delta-, J gamma-, and J beta-associated rearrangements, despite the occurrence of
      normal D delta 2-J delta 1 rearrangements, raises the possibility that the scid
      mutation may cause premature cessation of TCR gene recombination and thereby
      arrest early T-cell development.

PMID- 1869047
TI  - Multiple trans-splicing events are required to produce a mature nad1 transcript
      in a plant mitochondrion.
AB  - The mitochondrial gene encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) in Petunia
      hybrida is split into five exons, a, b, c, d, and e. With the use of a complete
      restriction map of the 443-kb Petunia mitochondrial genome, we have cloned these
      exons and mapped their location. Exon a is located 130 kb away from and in the
      opposite orientation from exons b and c. Exon d maps 95 kb away and in the
      opposite orientation from exons b and c. Exons d and e are separated by 190 kb.
      By performing the polymerase chain reaction on Petunia cDNAs, we have shown that
      transcripts from these five exons are joined via a series of cis- and trans
      splicing events to create a mature nad1 transcript. In addition, we have found 23
      C----U RNA edit sites in Petunia nad1. RNA editing changes 19 of the amino acids
      predicted by the genomic sequence.

PMID- 1869048
TI  - Alternative splicing in the neural cell adhesion molecule pre-mRNA: regulation of
      exon 18 skipping depends on the 5'-splice site.
AB  - Two isoforms of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), termed NCAM-180 and
      NCAM-140, derive from a single gene via inclusion or exclusion of the penultimate
      exon 18 (E18). This alternative splicing event is tissue-specific and regulated
      during differentiation. To explore its structural basis, we have analyzed the
      pattern of spliced mRNA generated from transiently transfected minigenes
      construct containing this exon and portions of the adjacent introns and exons
      faithfully reproduces the differentiation state-dependent alternative splicing of
      the endogenous pre-mRNA. By systematic deletion and replacement analysis, we
      scanned the minigene for the presence of functionally important cis-elements. We
      identified two sequences that affected differentiation state-dependent
      regulation. One, the central part of E18, does not seem to contain a specific cis
      element essential for proper splice site choice, because extending the deletion
      restored correctly regulated expression of the splicing products. In contrast,
      the 5'-splice site is an important element for regulation. Replacing it with a
      corresponding sequence from the alpha-globin gene resulted in constitutive use of
      the optional exon. When placed in the alpha-globin gene it did not promote
      alternative splicing. Instead, we observed a strongly decreased efficiency of
      splicing of the downstream intron in undifferentiated cells. This block of
      splicing was partially relieved after differentiation. The results are consistent
      with a model in which skipping of E18 is controlled in part at the associated 5'
      splice site by trans-acting factors that undergo quantitative or qualitative
      changes during differentiation of N2a cells.

PMID- 1869049
TI  - Cooperativity at a distance promoted by the combined action of two replication
      initiator proteins and a DNA bending protein at the replication origin of pSC101.
AB  - We have investigated the interaction of the host-encoded DNA bending protein IHF,
      the host-encoded initiator DnaA, and the plasmid-encoded initiator RepA with the
      replication origin of pSC101. We have discovered that DNA bending induced by IHF
      in vitro promoted the interaction of DnaA protein with two physically separated
      binding sites called dnaAs and dnaAw. This cooperative interaction at a distance,
      most probably, caused looping out of the ihf site. We have also discovered that
      RepA protein binding to its cognate sites promoted enhanced binding of DnaA
      protein to the physically distant dnaAs site, probably also by DNA looping. The
      addition of RepA to a binding reaction containing IHF and DnaA further enhanced
      the binding of DnaA protein to the dnaAs site. Thus, the three DNA-binding
      proteins interacted with the origin, generating a higher order structure in
      vitro. On the basis of the results of the known requirement of all three proteins
      for replication initiation, we have proposed a model for the structure of a
      preinitiation complex at the replication origin.

PMID- 1869050
TI  - The cloned RNA polymerase II transcription factor IID selects RNA polymerase III
      to transcribe the human U6 gene in vitro.
AB  - Although the human U2 and U6 snRNA genes are transcribed by different RNA
      polymerases (i.e., RNA polymerases II and III, respectively), their promoters are
      very similar in structure. Both contain a proximal sequence element (PSE) and an
      octamer motif-containing enhancer, and these elements are interchangeable between
      the two promoters. The RNA polymerase III specificity of the U6 promoter is
      conferred by a single A/T-rich element located around position -25. Mutation of
      the A/T-rich region converts the U6 promoter into an RNA polymerase II promoter,
      whereas insertion of the A/T-rich region into the U2 promoter converts that
      promoter into an RNA polymerase III promoter. We show that this A/T-rich element
      can be replaced by a number of TATA boxes derived from mRNA promoters transcribed
      by RNA polymerase II with little effect on RNA polymerase III transcription.
      Furthermore, the cloned RNA polymerase II transcription factor TFIID both binds
      to the U6 A/T-rich region and directs accurate RNA polymerase III transcription
      in vitro. Mutations in the U6 A/T-rich region that convert the U6 promoter into
      an RNA polymerase II promoter also abolish TFIID binding. Together, these
      observations suggest that in the human snRNA promoters, unlike in mRNA promoters,
      binding of TFIID directs the assembly of RNA polymerase III transcription
      complexes, whereas the lack of TFIID binding results in the assembly of RNA
      polymerase II snRNA transcription complexes.

PMID- 1869051
TI  - The pituitary-specific regulatory gene GHF1 contains a minimal cell type-specific
      promoter centered around its TATA box.
AB  - GHF-1 is a pituitary-specific transcription factor responsible for activation of
      the growth hormone (GH) gene. The GHF1 gene is expressed exclusively in cells of
      the somatotrophic lineage, and its transcription is extinguished in somatic cell
      hybrids. The minimal sequences required for differential transcription of GHF1 in
      GH-expressing and -nonexpressing cell lines and somatic cell hybrids were
      localized to a 15-bp region surrounding and including its TATA box. This 15-bp
      fragment acts as a cell type-specific promoter element and is recognized by a
      transcription factor present in GH-expressing cell lines. Hence, in addition to
      enhancers and upstream promoter elements, the TATA element (TATA box plus
      surrounding sequences) can be, in certain cases, an important determinant of cell
      type-specific transcription.

PMID- 1869052
TI  - A new anatomical representation of the human visual pathways.
AB  - A three-dimensional, computer-aided reconstruction of the intracranial parts of
      the visual system, optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tract, lateral geniculate
      body, optic radiation and striate area on the basis of anatomical serial cuts is
      presented in this paper. The computer-graphic representation simulates the
      illumination of a three-dimensional reconstruction. This study depicts for the
      first time a detailed anatomical reconstruction and illustrative representation
      of the striate area. An interactive investigation of the structure on the screen
      as well as a demonstration of the intracranial relationships between different
      neuroanatomical structures and comparisons with magnetic resonance, computed
      tomographic, and positron emission tomographic images is possible, providing that
      the neuroimaging uses the identical Cartesian coordinate system [22].

PMID- 1869054
TI  - Evaluation of Keeler Pulsair non-contact tonometry: reliability and
      reproducibility.
AB  - Intraocular pressure was evaluated in 414 eyes using Keeler Pulsair tonometry in
      comparison with values obtained by Goldmann tonometry. No statistically
      significant differences were found between the two techniques. Landis K
      statistical analysis was used to evaluate the measurements obtained by two
      operators in 125 eyes, with the results indicating good reproducibility. In 20
      eyes, a statistically significant difference was found between values obtained
      with patients in the seated vs supine positions, whereas measurements made with
      subjects' heads in a supported or unsupported position yielded no statistically
      different values.

PMID- 1869053
TI  - Primary orbital malignant lymphoma: a clinicopathology study of 17 cases.
AB  - We investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics of 17 patients (13 men and
      4 women) with primary orbital malignant lymphoma using the Working Formulation.
      Most of the cases belonged to the low-grade malignancy group, and more women than
      men were in the histologically high-grade malignancy group. The phenotype of the
      tumor cells was investigated immunohistochemically. All cases showed the
      monoclonal feature of a B-cell lineage. All patients received chemotherapy with
      or without radiotherapy. Of 16 subjects, 15 achieved a complete remission; none
      of these patients has had a recurrence since the completion of the initial
      therapy (range of follow-up from 16 months to 10 years). One patient died.

PMID- 1869055
TI  - Threshold Amsler grid testing in diabetic retinopathy.
AB  - The Amsler grid is a suprathreshold target used to assess the central 10 degrees
      of the visual field; thus, it may fail to detect relative central scotomas. Low
      luminance conditions can be created by viewing the white grid on a black
      background through two cross-polarizing filters that vary light transmission and
      change the procedure to a threshold Amsler grid (TAG) test, thereby increasing
      its sensitivity. A total of 26 patients with diabetic retinopathy were tested by
      standard Amsler grid, TAG, and tangent screen. Four scotomas were detected by
      Amsler grid testing; each of these scotomas expanded in size on retesting with
      the TAG. TAG testing revealed 22 scotomas more than five times the number seen
      with conventional Amsler grid testing; tangent-screen examination confirmed 9 of
      these defects. In many cases, fundus photography and fluorescein angiography
      revealed pathology that correlated with the scotomas detected only by TAG
      testing. It thus appears that the TAG test is a rapid, high-yield, and sensitive
      means of assessing the central visual field in patients with diabetic
      retinopathy.

PMID- 1869056
TI  - The effects of weighting the "mean defect" visual field index according to
      threshold variability in the central and midperipheral visual field.
AB  - Two visual field indices, the mean defect (MD) of Flammer and the mean deviation
      (MD) of Heijl, have found wide acceptance among perimetrists. We compared these
      indices in 169 visual fields from normal- and high-tension glaucomatous eyes.
      Visual field damage in these eyes varied from slight to severe. In computations
      of the mean deviation index, the threshold values are weighted by the threshold
      deviations obtained from normal eyes as a function of eccentricity. However, the
      present study shows that the differences between the two indices in the
      population studied are negligible. Thus, subsequent interpretation is not
      affected by the choice of index, and the two MD indices may be considered to be
      interchangeable for the types of visual fields used in this study and for program
      G1 examinations carried out using Octopus automated perimeters. Since we found
      smaller increases in local intersubjective fluctuations as a function of
      eccentricity in 274 normal visual fields as compared with results published by
      others, caution is indicated for interpretation of the visual field using
      probability weighting.

PMID- 1869057
TI  - Tuberculin skin-test-induced uveitis in the absence of tuberculosis.
AB  - A 16-year-old Caucasian girl who showed no evidence of tuberculosis or other
      systemic disease developed acute panuveitis progressing to bilateral serous
      retinal detachments following purified protein derivative (PPD) skin testing on
      two separate occasions separated by an interval of 8 years. Both episodes
      responded rapidly to steroid therapy. Uveal hypersensitivity to PPD skin testing
      has been described in the presence of ocular or systemic tuberculosis, Eales'
      disease, and the Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKH). Our case, however, suggests
      that profound uveitis may be precipitated by routine PPD skin testing alone.

PMID- 1869058
TI  - Analysis of electro-oculographic artifact during vertical saccadic eye movements.
AB  - The analysis of vertical saccades by electrooculography (EOG) is limited by the
      presence of waveform artifacts that occur with both upward and downward saccades.
      The artifacts have been shown to increase the calculated velocities of upward
      saccades. For better evaluation of the nature of these artifacts, voluntary
      vertical saccades were recorded by EOG and magnetic search coil in five normal
      subjects and by EOG only in two patients who had previously undergone
      enucleation. All subjects demonstrated peaked EOG artifacts during vertical
      saccades. The amplitude of these artifacts was decreased but not completely
      eliminated by eyelid or eyeball fixation during the attempted saccade. Peak
      saccadic velocities were also decreased by eyelid fixation, but EOG measurements
      were generally less accurate than those obtained by search coil. There is
      evidence that these artifacts may be the result of a combination of eyelid
      electrical activity and resistance effects.

PMID- 1869059
TI  - Long-term follow-up of diabetic retinopathy for up to 71 months after combined
      renal and pancreatic transplantation.
AB  - This study reports the course of diabetic retinopathy in 25 patients (41 eyes, 9
      one-eyed patients) who had undergone successful renal and pancreatic
      transplantation. The mean duration of follow-up was 38 months (range, 15-71
      months). Visual acuity improved in 13 eyes (32%), remained stable in 19 (46%) and
      deteriorated in 9 (22%); only 2 of the latter 9 eyes (5%) sustained severe visual
      loss according to the definition of the Diabetic Retinopathy Study Group. The
      frequency and severity of vitreous hemorrhage improved in 19 eyes (46%), remained
      unchanged in 18 (44%) and worsened in 4 (10%). In comparison with other modes of
      treatment such as intensified conventional insulin therapy and artificial insulin
      delivery systems, the combined renal and pancreatic transplantation seems to have
      advantages concerning the course of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PMID- 1869060
TI  - Light-sense, flicker and resolution perimetry in glaucoma: a comparative study.
AB  - A total of 106 eyes of 106 patients with different types of glaucoma were
      examined by automated light-sense, flicker and resolution perimetry (Humphrey
      Field Analyzer, program 30-2; flicker perimeter as described by Lachenmayr [16,
      18]; resolution perimeter as devised by Frisen [4, 6, 8-11]). The fields were
      classified in a masked fashion as being normal or as having purely diffuse loss,
      purely localized loss or diffuse as well as localized loss. As compared with
      light-sense perimetry, resolution perimetry had a markedly lower sensitivity in
      the detection of glaucomatous damage (77%) but a high specificity (93%); the
      comparison of resolution perimetry with flicker perimetry showed similar results
      (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 85%). When flicker perimetry was compared with
      light-sense perimetry and vice versa, the sensitivity was high (95% and 94%,
      respectively), but the specificity was low (57% and 62%, respectively). The
      prevalence of detection of diffuse loss by both light-sense and resolution
      perimetry was related to visual acuity, whereas flicker perimetry did not show
      such a relationship.

PMID- 1869061
TI  - Intraocular pressure response to the replacement of pilocarpine or carbachol with
      echothiophate.
AB  - In 20 patients with open-angle glaucoma in aphakia or pseudophakia whose
      intraocular pressure had remained uncontrolled on their current medical therapy,
      the medication was changed from pilocarpine or carbachol to echothiophate iodide.
      In all, 12 patients (60%) showed a statistically significant improvement in
      pressure control, 7 (35%) showed no change, and 1 had higher pressure. One-third
      of the patients with improved intraocular-pressure control eventually required
      laser or incisional surgery after a mean of 23 months, whereas the remaining
      subjects were controlled for the duration of the follow-up, which averaged 26
      months. Side effects encountered during echothiophate iodide treatment included
      ocular irritation, decreased vision, and one retinal detachment.

PMID- 1869062
TI  - Endothelial barrier function after phacoemulsification: a comparison between
      diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
AB  - In all, 21 diabetic and 23 non-diabetic patients underwent endothelial
      fluorophotometry before and at 4 days, 3 weeks and 6 weeks after
      phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL: PMMA)
      implantation. After topical fluorescein instillation, fluorophotometry was
      performed using an automated computerized fluorophotometer. The aim of this study
      was to assess early postoperative endothelial damage quantitatively and to detect
      possible differences between diabetic and non-diabetic patients in that regard.
      Preoperatively, the endothelial permeability of diabetic patients did not differ
      from that of non-diabetic individuals (P = 0.5). At 4 days after
      phacoemulsification with posterior chamber IOL implantation, endothelial
      permeability was significantly increased in both groups (P less than 0.001), but
      significantly more so in diabetic patients (P less than 0.001). The endothelial
      barrier function had fully recovered 3 weeks after surgery in non-diabetic
      subjects and 6 weeks after surgery in diabetic patients as well.

PMID- 1869063
TI  - A 3-month comparison of 1% and 2% carteolol and 0.5% timolol in open-angle
      glaucoma.
AB  - Carteolol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist with intrinsic
      sympathomimetic activity, was compared in 1% and 2% topical solutions with 0.5%
      timolol in 105 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. In this double-masked,
      randomized 3-month trial, all three preparations significantly lowered
      intraocular pressure throughout the study, with no significant differences being
      observed. There were also no significant differences among the three preparations
      with regard to ocular or systemic adverse reactions, including heart rate and
      blood pressure.

PMID- 1869064
TI  - Spatial-frequency-dependent changes in the human pattern electroretinogram after
      acute acetyl-L-carnitine administration.
AB  - Acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC) is a neuroactive compound that is thought to be involved
      in cholinergic transmission. The effects of acute intravenous LAC administration
      (30 mg/kg) on pattern-evoked electroretinograms (P-ERGs) were evaluated in nine
      healthy volunteers ranging in age between 21 and 27 years. Nine age-matched,
      normal subjects treated with a placebo served as controls. Steady-state (8 Hz) P
      ERGs recorded in response to counterphased sinusoidal gratings of variable
      spatial frequency (0.6-4.8 cycles/degree) were obtained before and at 20, 50 and
      80 min after LAC or placebo administration. The amplitude and phase of the
      Fourier-analysed P-ERG second harmonic were measured. As compared with placebo
      treated controls, LAC-treated subjects showed a selective P-ERG amplitude
      increase (Mann-Whitney rank test: P less than 0.05), which was found 80 min
      posttreatment at a spatial frequency of 4.8 cycles/degree. For the same stimulus
      a significant (P less than 0.05) P-ERG phase shortening (at 50 min after drug
      administration) was also found. The spatial frequencies of other stimuli did not
      show a significant difference between the LAC- and placebo-treated groups. These
      results indicate that acute LAC administration induces a spatial-frequency
      dependent enhancement of the human P-ERG. This is compatible with a cholinergic
      excitatory effect and suggests a therapeutic role for this compound in retinal
      dysfunctions with selective vulnerability to medium-high spatial frequencies.

PMID- 1869065
TI  - Diffuse and localized glaucomatous field loss in light-sense, flicker and
      resolution perimetry.
AB  - A total of 75 eyes in 75 patients with different types of glaucoma (21 eyes with
      low-tension glaucoma, 49 with primary open-angle glaucoma and 5 with pigmentary
      glaucoma) were examined by automated light-sense, flicker and resolution
      perimetry. All fields were classified in a masked fashion as being "normal" (N)
      or as having "diffuse loss" (D), "localized loss" (L) or "diffuse plus localized
      loss" (DL). The frequency distributions for the various field loss categories
      were plotted against the highest intraocular pressure ever reported in the
      patients' records. The frequency distribution for the purely localized defects
      showed a peak at 20 mmHg and were markedly skewed to low pressure values, whereas
      those for both diffuse plus localized damage and purely diffuse loss peaked at
      about 30 mmHg. The data suggest that diffuse field loss may be an indicator of
      pressure-induced damage.

PMID- 1869066
TI  - The effect of trabeculectomy on the aqueous humor flow of the unoperated fellow
      eye.
AB  - Computerized anterior-chamber fluorophotometry was used to investigate the effect
      of unilateral antiglaucomatous trabeculectomy on the dynamics of aqueous humor in
      the unoperated fellow eye. In 14 patients with bilateral primary open-angle
      glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma or exfoliation glaucoma, antiglaucomatous
      trabeculectomy was performed in one eye in which medical management of glaucoma
      had failed. The fellow eye in all patients had a well-defined history of glaucoma
      and had been treated with different sorts of medication. The medical management
      of the unoperated fellow eyes was continued throughout the study. Aqueous humor
      flow was measured in these eyes prior to surgery and on the 5th day after
      trabeculectomy. Systemic medication was discontinued from 48 h prior to surgery
      until second fluorophotometry. The average postoperative flow in the fellow eyes
      increased from 2.56 to 2.92 microliters/min (P less than 0.05%, paired t-test).
      The increase in flow in the fellow eyes was independent of topical antiglaucoma
      medication and of the diurnal rhythm of aqueous humor dynamics. The results of
      the study indicate that filtration surgery in one eye triggers a CNS-mediated,
      reflective increase in aqueous flow to maintain physiological stability in the
      anterior chamber of the surgically treated eye. Since this CNS reflex on aqueous
      humor dynamics affects both eyes, the clinical observation of intraocular
      pressure (IOP) dysregulation in the unoperated fellow eye following unilateral
      trabeculectomy is now understandable.

PMID- 1869067
TI  - Glaucoma and Peters' anomaly. A clinicopathologic case report.
AB  - A 26-year-old black woman with Peters' anomaly who had been followed since early
      childhood developed an open-angle form of glaucoma, which required filtering
      surgery. Light and electron microscope studies of the trabeculectomy specimen,
      which was obtained by en bloc resection of the trabecular meshwork and iridectomy
      specimen, revealed that the structures of the anterior-chamber angle were grossly
      normal aside from evidence of premature aging on the basis of abundant broad
      banded collagen fibers in the trabecular lamellae.

PMID- 1869068
TI  - Inhibitory effects of ovomacroglobulin on bacterial keratitis in rabbits.
AB  - We studied the inhibitory effects of chicken egg-white ovomacroglobulin (ovoM) on
      keratitis induced by 56,000-Da protease (56 KP) of Serratia marcescens and by
      elastase (PE) and alkaline protease (PAP) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The effects
      of ovoM on the serratial and pseudomonal keratitis in rabbits were also
      elucidated. In one model, four drops of 56 KP, PE, or PAP (1 mg/ml) were applied
      to wounded corneas of eight eyes. Thereafter, 80 microliters ovoM (10 mg/ml) was
      dropped into four eyes and 0.01 M phosphate-buffed 0.15 M saline (pH 7.4) into
      the other eyes as a control. The other in vivo test system involved intrastromal
      injection of S. marcescens or P. aeruginosa, by which each sample (10(5)-10(7)
      colony-forming units) mixed with ovoM was injected into one cornea and the other
      cornea received organisms without ovoM. OvoM completely inhibited the activity of
      these bacterial proteases in vitro and reduced corneal destruction in
      experimental keratitis in rabbits. In addition, greatly accelerated wound healing
      was observed.

PMID- 1869069
TI  - Responses to oxygen deprivation: variations among human corneas.
AB  - The cornea's interface with the atmosphere makes it uniquely accessible among
      avascular tissue for the study of local oxygen demand and proximal reservoir
      dynamics. Corneal oxygen-uptake rates obtained under normoxic vs hypoxic
      conditions are not predictive of each other. Proximal tissue reservoirs appear to
      play a role in moderating oxygen demands following periods of hypoxic stress: as
      the ratio of epithelia/stromal thickness rises, so does oxygen demand (r =
      +0.932, P = 0.01). The thickness of the stroma was most closely related to the
      oxygen uptake rates associated with the normal, open eye (r = +0.773, P = 0.07),
      whereas the thickness of the epithelium was more closely related to rates
      obtained after the cornea had been deprived of oxygen (r = +0.783, P = 0.07).

PMID- 1869070
TI  - The increasing sclerosis of the human lens with age and its relevance to
      accommodation and presbyopia.
AB  - By means of a fine conical probe and a miniature dynamometer, the resistance to
      penetration of different lens layers was measured. In clear human lenses the
      power of resistance of the lens nucleus increases with age, mostly due to the
      "hardening" of the nucleus. A distinct hardening of the nucleus as opposed to the
      cortex has been found to occur in lenses as young as 20 years of age. This
      "firmness" of the lens nucleus, occurring between the ages of 20 and 60 years,
      coincides with the decrease in accommodation range and the onset of presbyopia.

PMID- 1869071
TI  - Ultrastructure of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV)

PMID- 1869072
TI  - Vasoconstrictive effect of topical timolol on human retinal arteries.

PMID- 1869073
TI  - [Industrialization of the modern world and its impact on health].

PMID- 1869074
TI  - [Vibration-acoustic characteristics of pneumatic portable perforators and
      prognosis of vibration pathology in mine workers in the Far North].

PMID- 1869075
TI  - [Screening-diagnosis of occupational hearing disorders].
AB  - Hypoacusis is of leading prevalence in the structure of occupational morbidity in
      the USSR. Preventive medical examinations are considered a major prophylaxis
      measure which can be further improved with automatized screening diagnostic
      systems. Supplementary devices to the "ASKORS" automatized system are proposed to
      diagnose the pronosological forms of noise-induced health disorders.

PMID- 1869076
TI  - [Comparative analysis of oncological morbidity in the population of an industrial
      city and workers of a metallurgical plant].
AB  - Analytical epidemiology techniques were used to study the malignant neoplasms
      prevalence in the population of Magnitogorsk (400,000), and among the workers
      engaged in the Magnitogorsk metallurgical plant (64,000 workers). Revealed was
      that the malignant neoplasms related morbidity rate was 1.6 higher in men and 3.2
      higher in women among the plant workers as compared with the city population in
      general. The cancer risk factors were predominantly occupational ones, e. i. the
      major industrial carcinogens--benzopyrene in tars and carbon-black; benzol,
      chromium and nickel in the dust; the carcinogenesis modifying substances-
      nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, phenols, iron oxides, lead and its non-organic
      compounds, high temperatures. The data received can be used in further studies
      and elaboration of primary preventive measures.

PMID- 1869077
TI  - [Hygienic assessment of manual labor during vegetable growing in hot houses].
AB  - The article provides an assessment of the physical load labour conditions among
      hot-house female workers in major agrotechnical operations. The study was based
      on the evaluation of physical power inputs by means of indirect calorimetry. The
      average physical power inputs indices were evaluated at 280 kcal/hour. The labour
      conditions were ascribed to Group 3, which necessitated mechanization of major
      agrotechnical operations and optimal labour and leisure regimen.

PMID- 1869078
TI  - [Assessment of the functional status of the engineering-technical staff at a
      machine-building plant].
AB  - For early detection of functional disorders and risk-factors among the
      engineering staff at a machine-building plant, a set of highly informative,
      physiologically grounded and accessible techniques were used. To improve the
      patterns of out-patient screening of the staff, the contributors used physiologic
      and psychologic testing techniques, ECG monitoring registration in dynamics in
      the real occupational conditions, and riskometry, which facilitated the
      substantiation procedures for individual medical recommendations.

PMID- 1869079
TI  - [Substantiation and assessment of the effectiveness of hygienic recommendations
      for healthier work conditions of operators at seismic-acoustic stations].
AB  - The labour conditions of seismic operators were studied as a sample of similar
      professions engaged in acoustic control services. Depending on the number of the
      sectors under control and the seismic activity in the area, the enthropy of the
      sounds controlled and the information volume were assessed within 2.2-2.62 and
      1.29-1.81 bit/symbol, respectively. The physiological functions' analysis in
      dynamics for a shift and a week revealed the peculiar features of overstrain
      characteristic of the working hours in a shift, particularly towards the 3rd and
      6th day of the week. The recommendations proposed were designed to reduce
      overstrain and improve the operators' functional state at work.

PMID- 1869080
TI  - [Significance of morphofunctional assessment of tissue basophil reactions in
      prognostication of harmful effects of chemical substances].
AB  - The article contains a comparative analysis of experimental data on the
      assessment of the general toxicological, gonadotrophic effects and
      morphofunctional reactions of tissue basophils under the influence of 4-bromine-o
      xylene, carbon disulfide and pyracryl. Established was the gonadotrophic action
      of pyracryl against the growing activity of tissue basophils manifested through
      increased infiltration and high-level degranulation in female rats' reproductive
      organs. Demonstrated was that, under the influence of low-intensity chemical
      factors, tissue basophils morphofunctional reactions were those of organ-related
      nature. The quantitative assessment of tissue basophils was proposed as an
      informative model for studies of selective (gonadotrophic) actions of low
      intensity chemical substances.

PMID- 1869081
TI  - [Prognostication of physical work capacity under the effect of carbon monoxide
      and raised air temperature and decreased oxygen contents].
AB  - Experimental studies performed on volunteers resulted in formulating an equation
      which characterized degrees of physical working capacity decrease depending on
      the carbon monoxide concentration levels and duration of its influence at high
      temperature levels (+50 degrees C) of the air and lowered barometric pressure
      (560 mm). A nomogram was charted to forecast degrees of physical working capacity
      decrease in man at the carbon monoxide concentration levels from 500 to 2000
      mg/m3 at time intervals ranging from 0 to 30 min.

PMID- 1869082
TI  - [Integral-probability assessment of development of occupational diseases using
      Bayes' formula in building-land improvement and car repair industry].
AB  - Integral probability technique used for the assessment of occupational diseases
      facilitated the evaluation of variability in the parameters of unfavorable
      industrial factors, as well as their complex action, the occupational pathologic
      developments "probability and risk groups identification. The technique proved
      valuable in charting the priority list of hygienic and health improvement
      measures to prevent the hazardous factors" influence depending on their
      probability indices.

PMID- 1869083
TI  - [Substantiation of maximum permissible concentration of nutrient yeasts obtained
      during utilization of waste products in cellulose-paper industry].
AB  - The contributors used the sensibilization threshold to establish MACs for the
      dust of the fodder yeast produced as a result of pulp and paper waste products'
      recycling. The product belongs to the group of substances with low toxicity. It
      does not produce local irritation and exhibits sensibilization properties in case
      of both epi- and intracutaneous introduction. The sensibilization threshold in
      repeated introductions of protein-containing dusts was registered at 4.1 mg/m3.
      In industrial conditions, the fodder yeast concentrations at the level of about 4
      mg/m3 caused increased morbidity with temporary disability.

PMID- 1869084
TI  - [Approaches to development of diagnostic allergens for observation of workers
      engaged in the production of microbial fodder biomass and population of
      development zones and regions of microbiological plants (review)].

PMID- 1869085
TI  - [Syndrome of "unhealthy" accommodations as a hygienic problem (review of foreign
      literature)].
AB  - The article provides an analysis of medical literature data referred to the
      epidemiology and hygienic value of 'the syndrome of unhealthy shelter' (SUS).
      Issues related to architectural and design properties, various industrial and non
      industrial factors, personal characteristics of the staff in relation to the SUS
      genesis are discussed in detail, as well as the SUS general and specific
      symptoms' dependence on the intensity of all these factors. Methodologies for
      hygienic analysis of SUS are also proposed.

PMID- 1869086
TI  - [Psychological characteristics of the personality of the sanitary service
      physician and his job satisfaction].
AB  - The contributors propose the results of a psychological study in the personal
      peculiarities of sanitary service physicians depending on their qualification and
      duration of work. The study was based on testing 65 persons attending
      postgraduate courses on occupational, communal and radiation hygiene. Particular
      attention was focused on the communicative skills of high qualified physicians.
      The proposed technique provides valuable information which would facilitate
      physicians' professional skills, and provide guidance in teaching them. The
      technique can also be used in charting systems of professional incentives for
      this group of medical staff.

PMID- 1869087
TI  - [Effects of fiber bronchoscopy on partial pressure of oxygen in the skin of
      miners with diseases of respiratory organs].
AB  - Influence of fiber bronchoscopy (FBS) on the partial tension of oxygen (pO2) in
      the skin was studied in 17 respiratory disorders affected miners, with no stable
      FBS-caused gas exchange disorders established. The patients affected with
      atrophic endobronchitis actually did not exhibit pO2 changes in response to FBS.
      In the catarrhal and hypertrophic endobronchitis cases, FBS-related pO2 content
      decrease was registered with subsequent increase to the initial level 24 hours
      later, which was explained by bronchial permeability improvements after the FBS
      procedures.

PMID- 1869088
TI  - [Occupational morbidity of miners engaged in the capital building of iron ore
      mines].
AB  - The article contains data on the 1961-1985 occupational morbidity rates in the
      workers engaged in the Krivbass iron-ore mines, and narrates on the morbidity
      rates, structure and dynamics for different professions, age-groups and duration
      of work. An analysis is given of the concomitant somatic diseases, along with
      proposals for investigating ways and means of improving technologies in non
      blasting iron-ore mines.

PMID- 1869089
TI  - [Morbidity and prevention of allergic diseases in a tire plant].

PMID- 1869090
TI  - [Labor hygiene and health status of operators engaged in irrigation using stock
      sewage].

PMID- 1869091
TI  - [Triadimefon metabolism in the body of white rats].

PMID- 1869092
TI  - [Assessment of probability of vibration disease caused by local vibration taking
      into consideration concomitant factors].
AB  - The article sets forth a theoretical basis for the evaluation of the probability
      of vibration disease caused by local vibration, with due account of the
      concomitant factors and with recommendations with regard to the assessment of the
      aggravating and normalizing factors. Basing on the original data and medical
      literature information, the contributors provided formulae and charts for the
      assessment of vibration disease, risks caused by noise, cold microclimate,
      physical overload, and cigarette smoking as an individual factor. A concept was
      proposed with regard to the risk-free dosage. The concept was viewed as a new
      hygienic and occupational category, which facilitated evaluating the real
      occupational risk levels for any profession and their consequent minimizing.

PMID- 1869093
TI  - The accuracy of frozen section diagnosis of ovarian tumors.
AB  - We compared all frozen section examinations of ovarian tumors during a 6-year
      period in our institute with the final diagnosis from paraffin sections. In this
      period, 946 ovarian tumor specimens were removed for histologic assessment; 176
      (18.6%) had frozen section examination. Final histological diagnosis was divided
      into benign (55.1%), borderline malignant (10.3%), and malignant (34.6%).
      Sensitivity of the frozen section method for malignant or borderline disease was
      83.5% and specificity for a benign lesion, 92.8%. Predictive values and 95%
      confidence intervals were computed: 100% (93-100%) for malignancy, 62% (32-86%)
      for borderline malignancy, and 92% (85-96%) for a benign disease. Diagnostic
      problems occurred in large borderline tumors of mucinous cell type. Analysis of
      the 12 false negative diagnoses revealed that a sampling error was involved in 11
      cases. A judgment error was made in the only false positive and in 1 out of 12
      false negative frozen section diagnoses. It is concluded that when surgeons and
      pathologists are aware of the limitations of frozen section diagnosis of ovarian
      tumors, peroperative histologic examination can be worthwhile and prevent under-
      and overtreatment of gynecologic patients.

PMID- 1869094
TI  - Expression of carcinoembryonic antigen and ferritin in normal, hyperplastic, and
      neoplastic endometrium.
AB  - The distribution of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and ferritin was demonstrated
      by immunohistochemical method in 95 patients with normal, hyperplastic, and
      neoplastic endometrium in order to distinguish among these conditions. Fifteen
      patients with normal endometrium (NE), 28 with hyperplasia (AH), 12 with atypical
      hyperplasia (AAH), and 40 with endometrial carcinoma (CA) were studied. Paraffin
      section tissues were subjected to immunostaining according to the avidin-biotin
      complex method. CEA was found in 33% of NE cases, 46% of AH, 75% of AAH, and 83%
      of CA (P less than 0.01). Ferritin was not detected in any case of NE; however,
      it was detected in one case (4%) of AH, in one case (8%) of AAH, and in 88% of
      CAs (P less than 0.001). Both tumor markers exhibited a heterogeneous staining
      pattern, and for a given histologic hyperplastic or malignant lesion,
      corresponded to several phenotypes. There was no significant correlation between
      clinical stage or tumor grade and CEA or ferritin expression. In conclusion,
      ferritin seems to be a better biological marker than CEA in distinguishing
      between hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrial lesions and it is also more
      reliable than CEA for endometrial malignancy since it was absent in normal and
      hyperplastic endometria.

PMID- 1869095
TI  - Early stage I adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: treatment results in patients
      with tumors less than or equal to 4 cm in diameter.
AB  - Between 1965 and 1985, 160 patients had initial treatment at the M. D. Anderson
      Cancer Center for Stage I adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix less than or equal
      to 4 cm in diameter. Of these patients, 84 were treated with radiation therapy
      (RT) alone, 20 were treated with external and intracavitary radiation followed by
      total hysterectomy (R + S), and 56 were treated with radical hysterectomy (RH).
      Survival rate was strongly correlated with tumor volume (P = 0.0008),
      lymphangiogram findings (P = 0.01), and tumor grade (P = 0.0018). Patients with a
      normal-appearing cervix or a small visible or palpable tumor that did not expand
      the cervix more than 3 cm had survival and pelvic-control rates of more than 90%
      after treatment with RH or RT. However, after 5 years, 45% of patients treated
      with RH for tumors 3-4 cm in diameter had disease recurrence in the pelvis,
      compared with 11% of patients treated with either RT or R + S (P = 0.025). For
      patients treated with RH, recurrence was also strongly correlated with findings
      of lymph/vascular space invasion (P = 0.0004) and poorly differentiated tumor (P
      = 0.018). Major complication rates were comparable for the three treatment
      groups. The high rate of pelvic recurrence following treatment with radical
      hysterectomy alone for patients with tumors greater than 3 cm in diameter,
      particularly in the presence of lymph/vascular space invasion, poorly
      differentiated features, and/or positive nodes, should be considered in planning
      the primary management of patients with Stage I adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

PMID- 1869096
TI  - Whole abdomen radiation therapy after a short chemotherapy course and second-look
      laparotomy in advanced ovarian cancer.
AB  - From April 1983 through December 1989, 42 consecutive patients with diagnosis of
      epithelial ovarian carcinoma were initially managed by aggressive surgery and
      three courses of endoperitoneal cis-platinum-based chemotherapy followed by an
      alternating combination chemotherapy and second-look laparotomy. Patients with
      residual tumor less than or equal to 2 cm subsequently received whole abdominal
      radiation therapy (WAR). Twenty-eight patients (42% with no residual disease, 21%
      with microscopic disease, and 36% with residual disease less than 2 cm) were
      eligible for WAR. WAR was delivered using an open-field technique up to 22 Gy in
      20 fractions followed by a pelvic boost of 18 Gy in 10 fractions. The kidneys
      were shielded posteriorly at 1100 cGy; hepatic shields were not added. One
      patient did not complete WAR for lung metastases after 5 radiotherapy fractions.
      The complete treatment program lasted 8 months (range, 6.8-11). The median follow
      up of the 28 patients entered into the study was 50 months. Eight patients are
      alive and disease-free at 5 years. The overall and disease-free survival rates at
      5 years are 45 and 30%, respectively. All but 2 patients relapsed within the
      abdominopelvic cavity and 3 developed brain metastases. Toxic effects, during
      WAR, required treatment interruption in all but 4 patients: 3 developed a small
      bowel obstruction requiring surgery and 1 died of surgical complications in
      complete remission. The poor disease-free survival and the severe toxicity
      encountered have been valid indications that WAR should be discontinued as a
      treatment modality in advanced ovarian cancer at our department.

PMID- 1869097
TI  - Late effects of cisplatin-based chemotherapy on renal function in patients with
      ovarian carcinoma.
AB  - While the acute toxicity of cisplatin on renal function is well described, the
      long-term effects have received little attention in the medical literature. In an
      effort to examine this important issue, we evaluated the renal function of a
      group of 60 women with ovarian cancer who received a second-line cisplatin-based
      chemotherapy program at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center longer than 6
      months following the completion of their initial cisplatin-based chemotherapeutic
      regimen. These patients had not received any cisplatin for a median of 19 months
      (range, 6-57 months) prior to beginning the second-line program. Only 4 patients
      (7%) had a serum creatinine value greater than 1.3 mg/dl (upper limit of normal
      in our laboratory) at the time of initiation of the second-line program. In each
      case, the serum creatinine was less than or equal to 1.6 mg/dl. An additional 6
      patients (10%) had a greater than 50% increase in serum creatinine above the
      initial baseline value prior to any treatment, but were still within the normal
      range. Following second-line cisplatin therapy, only 1 of the 60 patients (2%)
      experienced a serum creatinine rise to greater than 2.0 mg/dl. We conclude that a
      limited number of patients with ovarian cancer who are long-term survivors
      following cisplatin-based chemotherapy exhibit evidence of a mild persistent
      compromise of renal function and, in general, second-line cisplatin can be
      administered to previously treated patients without the development of serious
      renal dysfunction.

PMID- 1869098
TI  - Cytoreduction of diaphragmatic metastases using the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical
      Aspirator.
AB  - The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator was used to reduce the volume of
      diaphragmatic metastases in 33 patients. Thirty patients had epithelial carcinoma
      of the ovary and one each had tubal adenocarcinoma, papillary peritoneal tumor,
      and mesothelioma. Twenty-seven patients had Stage IIIC disease, and six had Stage
      IV. Initially, 13 patients had diaphragmatic disease greater than 15 mm diameter
      (of any single nodule), and 2 had disease 6-15 mm diameter. After cytoreduction
      using standard means, 11 patients had disease greater than 15 mm diameter and 2
      patients had disease from 6 to 15 mm in greatest diameter. After using the
      Cavitron, 1 patient had no gross diaphragmatic residual disease, and 30 patients
      had disease 1-5 mm diameter. No complication resulted from the cytoreduction of
      diaphragm disease using the Cavitron. The Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator
      is invaluable to obtain minimal residual disease of diaphragmatic metastases.

PMID- 1869099
TI  - The accuracy of cervicovaginal cytology in the detection of recurrent cervical
      carcinoma following radiotherapy.
AB  - The accuracy of cervicovaginal cytology testing in the detection of recurrent
      cervical carcinoma was investigated by correlating clinical and histology records
      with cytology smear results for two groups of patients. All patients had been
      treated with radiotherapy, with or without pelvic surgery, for carcinoma of the
      uterine cervix. Abnormal cervicovaginal smear results were present for 45.7%
      (32/70) of patients with histologically diagnosed recurrent cervical carcinoma
      including a correct prediction of recurrent cervical carcinoma in 32.8% (23/70)
      of cases. A cytologic diagnosis of recurrent carcinoma was present for 48.9%
      (23/47) of cases with local recurrence. The positive predictive value for a
      histologic diagnosis of recurrent cervical carcinoma after a positive cytology
      report for a group of 61 patients was estimated to be 98.4%. A cytologic
      diagnosis of locally recurrent cervical carcinoma preceded clinical signs in
      15/61 (24.6%) of cases. These results indicate that although cervicovaginal
      cytology after radiotherapy for cervical cancer does not have high sensitivity it
      is a reliable test for the diagnosis of local recurrence. Cytologic examination
      of the vaginal vault or cervix after treatment may thus provide an early
      diagnosis of tumor recurrence or persistence, in some cases prior to the onset of
      clinical signs.

PMID- 1869100
TI  - Stage III ovarian tumors of low malignant potential treated with cisplatin
      combination therapy (a Gynecologic Oncology Group study).
AB  - By serendipity we have had the opportunity to evaluate cis-platin-based
      chemotherapy in ovarian tumors of low malignant potential (LMP). Optimal (less
      than 1 cm residual disease) FIGO stage III ovarian carcinomas were randomly
      assigned to treatment with cisplatin plus cyclophosphamide with or without
      doxorubicin on a prospective Gynecologic Oncology Group Study. On review by the
      Gynecologic Oncology Group Pathology Committee, 32 of these cases were determined
      to represent low malignant potential tumors. Mean age of patients with these
      lesions was 48 years (range, 25-75 years). After initial cytoreduction, 19
      patients had residual disease less than 1 cm and 13 had no residual. Twenty
      (62.5%) received cisplatin plus cyclophosphamide and 12 cisplatin,
      cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin chemotherapy; 75% of patients received six or
      more courses. Second-look surgery was done in 15 cases; only six were negative.
      However, with a median follow-up of 31.7 months (range, 1-75), only 1 patient has
      died; no cancer was found at autopsy. The remaining patients are alive without
      clinical evidence of disease at a median of 30 months. The need for adjunctive
      therapy in patients with advanced LMP tumors remains speculative.

PMID- 1869101
TI  - Evidence for a spatiotemporal cluster of ovarian cancer cases.
AB  - Personal and lifestyle factors, rather than environmental factors, have been
      associated with the occurrence of ovarian cancer. An apparent spatiotemporal
      cluster of ovarian cancer cases was evaluated by comparing the observed and
      expected number of cases (1978-1988), examining morphologic data, reviewing
      medical records, and conducting an environmental survey of the study area. A
      statistically significant excess of ovarian cancer cases was noted (8 cases
      observed, 3.4 cases expected; P less than 0.025). Seven of the eight cases
      resided within 0.75 miles of each other at time of diagnosis; six cases were
      diagnosed within a 5-year interval. A morphologic review, medical record review,
      and environmental survey did not provide any possible reasons for this excess. It
      is hoped that this initial report will stimulate reports of similar observations
      by clinicians and health researchers in an effort to further elucidate etiologic
      factors in the development of ovarian cancer.

PMID- 1869102
TI  - The role of partial sigmoid colectomy for debulking epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
AB  - Forty women underwent partial sigmoid colectomy during cytoreductive surgery for
      advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Twenty-one (53%) and nineteen (47%)
      received this as part of primary or secondary debulking procedures, respectively.
      Fifty-four percent had postoperative residual disease less than 1 cm in largest
      diameter. Even though multiple surgical procedures were performed in conjunction
      with sigmoid colectomy, 75% of the patients had no significant postoperative
      morbidity. Postoperative mortality was 2.5%. Seventy-eight percent avoided
      permanent colostomy. Despite the above morbidity rate and aggressive
      postoperative therapy, the median survival for the entire group was only 14.5
      months, with no significant differences between groups of patients who were
      categorized by primary or secondary debulking, histologic grade, amount of
      preoperative disease, ascites, or extent of postoperative residual disease.
      Although a partial sigmoid colectomy can be performed with a reasonable morbidity
      rate as part of debulking for ovarian cancer, and probably provides significant
      palliation of symptoms from large pelvic tumors, it must be used judiciously in
      selected patients.

PMID- 1869103
TI  - Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the vulva.
AB  - Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the vulva is an uncommon low-grade sarcoma of
      dermal origin. Although wide local excision is the treatment of choice,
      microscopic tumor projections beyond the central tumor nodule explain the tumors'
      propensity for local recurrence. Frozen sections of margins may be useful to
      ensure complete resection. The following report contributes two additional
      patients with this uncommon neoplasm. Notably, one of these two had a
      fibrosarcomatous area within the dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. This is the
      second reported case of a fibrosarcoma arising in a dermatofibrosarcoma
      protuberans of the vulva.

PMID- 1869104
TI  - Diffuse pulmonary carcinomatous embolization: a rare and fatal manifestation of
      ovarian cancer.
AB  - A 44-year-old female presented with dyspnea and lethal respiratory failure
      secondary to pulmonary embolic carcinomatosis as a manifestation of ovarian
      serous cystadenocarcinoma. Diffuse involvement of pulmonary arterioles and
      muscular arteries ranging from 30 to 950 microns in diameter was observed in
      conjunction with slight dilatation of pulmonary arteries. Vascular intraluminal
      changes included the presence of free clusters of malignant cells, superimposed
      thrombosis, varying degrees of eccentric fibromyxoid intimal proliferation with
      entrapped malignant cells, and luminal obliteration with neovascularization. The
      pathobiological aspects of this unique manifestation of ovarian neoplasia are
      discussed.

PMID- 1869105
TI  - Rapidly progressive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix coexisting with human
      immunodeficiency virus infection: clinical opinion.
AB  - The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been characterized by
      aggressive malignancies and infections with unusual presentations. There is a
      well-documented association between cervical dysplasia and the development of
      cervical carcinoma, and more recent evidence of an association between cervical
      dysplasia and HIV infection. The course of coexistent HIV infection and cervical
      cancer has not been well described. We report a patient with HIV infection and a
      stage IIIB squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix who, despite adequate treatment,
      had rapid disease progression as well as metastasis to an unusual iliopsoas
      muscle site in association with an abscess. As HIV becomes more prevalent in the
      female population, an increased frequency of rapidly progressive cervical
      carcinoma may be forthcoming. Improved life expectancy of HIV-infected patients
      due to modern medication is anticipated, causing a cervical neoplasm to have a
      more prominent effect on prognosis. Close surveillance with frequent Pap smears
      and colposcopies as well as aggressive management of cervical dysplasia and
      carcinoma in HIV-infected patients is suggested as is thorough patient
      counseling.

PMID- 1869106
TI  - Tamoxifen-associated endometrial carcinoma in postmenopausal breast cancer
      patients.

PMID- 1869107
TI  - [Polydactyly of the hands. Recommendation for expanded classification].
AB  - The few anatomical findings summarized in the literature have now been expanded
      by our own anatomical dissections on four hands of still-born infants with
      postaxial polydactyly, and by intra-operative microsurgical investigations of 25
      polydactylous hands. New experimentally-based knowledge of embryology helps
      interpret the morphogenesis and specific anatomy of polydactyly. It can be
      postulated that both the location and definite form of polydactyly are a function
      of the location and extent of initial excessive cell proliferation and
      disturbance of cell necrosis in the hand blastema. The conclusive discussion of
      special findings regarding anatomical structures shows regular pattern formations
      which lend themselves to a broader classification. The classification of
      malformations of the hand by Temtamy and McKusick was used as a framework for the
      classification of polydactyly, whether it was existing as an isolated form or as
      part of a syndrome. The osteological types I to VI found by Wassel in thumb
      duplication are confirmed by our anatomical findings. Special coding of
      anatomical findings enabled us to identify four variants and three forms,
      depending on the development of the digital palmar arteries and nerves. For the
      triphalangeal pre-axial fingers and the post-axial fifth finger, the five
      osteological types described by Muller and those described by Duhamel are
      increased to ten. Comparison with our anatomical findings shows four variants of
      these osteological types. For post-axial polydactyly, types XI through XIV,
      existing in three variants, have been defined.

PMID- 1869108
TI  - [Ischemic contracture of the forearm and hand. Staging and indications for
      surgical treatment].
AB  - Results of long-term follow up of 66 patients with ischemic contracture of the
      forearm and hand, all surgically treated in the "Unfallkrankenhaus Hamburg))
      between 1961 and 1982, are presented. Whereas ischemic contracture of the forearm
      flexors resulted mainly from fractures, ischemic contracture of the intrinsic
      muscles of the hand was most often seen after pressure injuries. All patients in
      this study presented to us with fully established ischemic contractures. Muscle
      and nerve damage was retrospectively evaluated according to operative notes, and
      the degree of damage could be classified into four groups. Most frequently,
      neurolysis, scar excision and muscle-sliding operations were performed;
      furthermore, tendon lengthening, tendon transpositions, wrist arthrodesis and
      nerve grafting were indicated. Results were judged according to twelve separately
      measured functions, each measurement giving a possible score of three to six
      points. Muscle-sliding operations result in an improved score regardless of
      ischemic contracture stage. For a stage 2 contracture, a 20 point improvement can
      be expected. In stage 1 contracture--presenting with extension deficiency of four
      or more points--, complete recovery can be expected following a muscle-sliding
      operation. For isolated muscle injuries, tendon lengthening is recommended. For
      stage 2 contracture, the transposition of superficial to deep flexor tendons
      results in the same score as a muscle-sliding operation; however, the
      transposition procedure should be reserved for special indications. In stage 3
      contracture, the muscle-sliding operation is the treatment of choice, with
      secondary procedures such as tendon transpositions and nerve grafts often being
      necessary. In stage 4 ischemic contracture, muscle-sliding operations may improve
      extension deficiency; however, wrist arthrodesis, especially in combination with
      extensor tendon transpositions, may be beneficial. No experience with free muscle
      transplantation was made during the study period.

PMID- 1869109
TI  - [Frostbite in children].

PMID- 1869110
TI  - [Vascularized periosteal transplant. A review of a new therapeutic possibility].
AB  - The idea of using vascularized periosteal flaps in reconstructing bone defects is
      more than one hundred years old. Up to now, experimental and clinical results
      regarding their osteogenic capacity have been a subject of debate. Experimental
      and clinical studies over the last ten years were able to demonstrate osteogenic
      capability of such vascularized periosteal flaps, provided the periosteum is well
      vascularized. To insure intact microcirculation, vascularized periosteal flaps
      must be freed up by sharp dissection. Small pieces of bone may be removed with
      the periosteum, whereas the periosteum must remain uninjured. There are many
      known donor sites in man: the iliac crest, the distal femur, the distal humerus
      and the tenth rib. There are no reports concerning donor site morbidity. Besides
      its osteogenic capacity, the periosteal flaps have "shape giving" and "space
      limiting" functions. The given volume within a periosteal flap rolled into a tube
      is the basis for the "Concept of the Given Space": the space within the tube
      defines where bone formation will occur, there being no loss of bone into the
      surrounding soft tissue. Because of the vascularized periosteal flap's fragility
      and the good results of other reconstructive procedures for segmental bone
      defects, there are few indications for extremity reconstruction using periosteal
      flaps: pseudarthrosis in the upper extremity is one example. In the lower
      extremity, a combination of vascularized periosteum with conventional and mainly
      vascularized bone grafts offers interesting possibilities for reconstruction.

PMID- 1869111
TI  - [Rupture of the tendon of the m. flexor pollicis longus--a rare complication
      after surgery on the scaphoid bone].
AB  - Tendon ruptures in the hand without previous direct trauma are rare. Two cases
      are reported on with attrition of the flexor pollicis longus tendon. The first
      tendon rupture was along a dislocated cortico-cancellous bone graft following a
      Matti-Russe procedure; the second was by attrition over the screw of an AO-plate
      following internal fixation in scaphoid nonunion. Immediate tendon repair by
      interposition of a short tendon graft or by transposition of the superficialis
      flexor tendon of the ring finger is the treatment of choice. Further tendon
      ruptures can arise if surgical intervention is delayed.

PMID- 1869112
TI  - Replantation after partial amputation of the hand--two case reports.
AB  - This is a report on two cases of replantation following partial hand amputation.
      In both cases, the ratio of anastomosed arteries to veins was 3:2. There were no
      postoperative complications, including thrombosis. Follow-up was two years ten
      months and two years.

PMID- 1869113
TI  - [CT-stereotactic determination of targets for thalamotomy for movement
      disorders].
AB  - The methodology of determining an invisible target by CT-stereotaxy, such as the
      ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, is described. This approach obviates the
      need for traditional ventriculographic determination of the third ventricle
      commissures and allows accurate measurement of third ventricular width. Morbidity
      and length of hospitalization are thereby reduced.

PMID- 1869114
TI  - [Hospitalization survey of rural family practice].
AB  - Data on hospital admissions were recorded in 3 village clinics in central Israel
      during the period 1977-1986. This period coincided with the introduction of
      regionalization of hospitals, as well as with the growth of board-certified
      family practice in Israel. The age-adjusted rate of admission from these 3
      villages was 74/1000/year, considerably lower than the national rate of
      124/1000/year. There was an abrupt decrease in admission rate in 1983, the year
      of the doctors' strike, followed by a compensatory rise the following year,
      mainly for surgical procedures. During the years of the survey hospital stay
      decreased progressively, but the average of the survey population for the whole
      period (8.3 days) was greater than that of the national population (5.8 days).
      Hospital stay was longer in the tertiary hospital center than in regional
      hospitals. Relatively low admission rates but with relatively long
      hospitalization may be characteristic of higher quality community care. There
      were marked demographic differences between the 3 villages. The different age
      structures and ethnic origins of the populations affected hospitalization trends.
      However, differences in economic status had no detectable effect. Community-based
      hospitalization surveys over long periods may be useful in demonstrating changes
      in morbidity patterns over the years, as well as the effects of changes in the
      health care system.

PMID- 1869115
TI  - [Treatment of hemoptysis by bronchial artery embolization].
AB  - Major hemoptysis carries with it significant mortality, particularly if major
      surgery has to be performed during active bleeding. Some patients may not be
      surgical candidates due to chronic disability or may have diseases that, except
      for the bleeding, would not require surgical intervention. Bronchial artery
      embolization is becoming recognized as carrying a lower risk than surgery. It
      allows immediate hemostasis and long-term control of bleeding in a high
      proportion of cases.

PMID- 1869116
TI  - [Munchausen syndrome: need for centralized administrative health-care
      management].
AB  - The clinical picture of Munchausen syndrome is that of feigned or self-induced
      illness with the aim of being hospitalized and/or receiving unnecessary medical
      interventions, peregrination from 1 hospital to another, and disruptive behavior
      when hospitalized. These patients are a danger to themselves and heavily burden
      inpatient facilities that care for them. We present a case that illustrates the
      problems of diagnosing and managing such patients. We stress the need for
      adequate centralization and distribution of the relevant information concerning
      these patients.

PMID- 1869117
TI  - [Black widow spider bite in the Negev].
AB  - In the 4 years, 1985-88, 9 adults bitten by black widow spiders (Latrodectus
      inactopus) were hospitalized. The syndrome of lactrodectism, not as yet described
      from the Negev, was mainly characterized in these patients by restlessness,
      profuse perspiration, severe abdominal pain and rigidity, and muscular twitching.
      In addition, in 2 cases there was gastrointestinal involvement, with ileus and
      gastric dilatation. These unique findings, not as yet reported, may be attributed
      to the particular type of a venom of the black widow spider in the Negev. All
      victims recovered with symptomatic treatment.

PMID- 1869119
TI  - [Heterotopic pancreas and pyloric atresia].
AB  - A 2.5 kg female neonate, born after a normal 39-week pregnancy to Arab parents
      (1st degree cousins), developed unremitting vomiting of gastric contents, not
      bile-stained. Barium study demonstrated a grossly distended stomach with complete
      obstruction of the outlet. At laparotomy, pyloric atresia and a heterotopic
      pancreas located subserosally on the antrum of the stomach were diagnosed. A 3-cm
      gap was measured between the occluded antrum and the duodenum. Transmesocolic
      gastrojejunostomy was performed, and oral feeding was started 5 days later.
      Pyloric atresia and heterotopic pancreas are both rare congenital malformations.
      To the best of our knowledge, the combination of pyloric atresia and heterotopic
      pancreas has not previously been reported.

PMID- 1869118
TI  - [Neurologic complications of primary Sjogren's syndrome].
AB  - Primary Sjogren's syndrome has a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from an
      exocrinopathy to a systemic process and even extending to B-lymphocyte neoplasia.
      We describe a patient with this syndrome who developed central nervous system
      involvement manifested by involuntary dystonic movements of the mouth and larynx.
      We believe that the neurological involvement in this patient is part of his basic
      disease. Further studies are required to define more accurately the frequency,
      severity and spectrum of the neurological manifestations associated with primary
      Sjogren's syndrome.

PMID- 1869120
TI  - [Pneumothorax in cystic fibrosis: intrapleural instillation of Atabrine].
AB  - Intrapleural instillation of quinacrine HC1 (Atabrine) was used to treat
      spontaneous pneumothorax in 2 young men, aged 26 and 36 years, respectively, with
      advanced pulmonary disease due to cystic fibrosis. Pneumothorax did not recur
      until 1 year later in 1 case and 2 years later in the other. This mode of therapy
      for pneumothorax provides a valuable alternative to surgery for the patient with
      cystic fibrosis, severe lung disease and marginal pulmonary reserve. Quinacrine
      sclerosis should be considered for management of pneumothorax in cystic fibrosis
      because of the high rate of recurrence. However, caution should be exercised
      since heart-lung transplantation cannot be performed after pleural sclerosis.

PMID- 1869121
TI  - [Appropriate diagnostic steps for proper clinical evaluation of breast lesions in
      the community].

PMID- 1869122
TI  - [Rate-responsive pacemakers].

PMID- 1869123
TI  - [Lymphoma of the colon].

PMID- 1869124
TI  - [Indications for bone-mass measurements].

PMID- 1869125
TI  - [Mustard gas injuries of the eyes].

PMID- 1869126
TI  - [Influence of violence in television programs of viewers' violence--a critical
      review].

PMID- 1869127
TI  - [The Jewish attitude towards the aged].

PMID- 1869128
TI  - [Vincent Van Gogh--portrait of a disease].

PMID- 1869129
TI  - [Palpitation].

PMID- 1869130
TI  - [Violence, suicide and the media].

PMID- 1869131
TI  - [Apgar score after delivery: is it adequate?].

PMID- 1869132
TI  - [Evaluation of patients with syncope].

PMID- 1869133
TI  - [Whither medicine?].

PMID- 1869134
TI  - [Injuries of the middle face. Proceedings of the 40th annual meeting of the
      German Society for Mouth, Jaw and Facial Surgery. Innsbruck, 1990].

PMID- 1869136
TI  - [Treatment concept and results of zygomatic impression fractures on the Cologne
      and Strassbourg hospitals from 1975-1988].

PMID- 1869135
TI  - [Formal address on the 40th annual meeting of the German Society for Mouth, Jaw
      and Facial Surgery].

PMID- 1869137
TI  - [Facial asymmetry following zygomatic fractures with special reference to various
      treatment methods].

PMID- 1869138
TI  - [Methods and results of the surgical management of lateral midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869139
TI  - [Technique and results of the surgical treatment of 400 lateral midfacial
      fractures].

PMID- 1869140
TI  - [Mechanism of injury in midfacial fractures in traffic].

PMID- 1869141
TI  - [Therapy of isolated zygomatic fractures].

PMID- 1869142
TI  - [Differential therapy considerations of the value of various repositioning and
      fixation methods in massive fractures of the cheek bone].

PMID- 1869143
TI  - [Long-term results following use of tissue bank bone in the treatment of
      zygomatic comminuted fractures].

PMID- 1869144
TI  - [Primary reconstruction of the nose in central midfacial comminuted fractures].

PMID- 1869146
TI  - [Nasal bone repositioning in the framework of initial management of central
      midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869145
TI  - [Primary management of the traumatized telecanthus].

PMID- 1869147
TI  - [Frontobasal involvement in midfacial fractures. Problems in diagnosis and
      therapy].

PMID- 1869148
TI  - [Fronto-naso-orbital trauma as a joint neurosurgical and orofacial surgical
      challenge].

PMID- 1869149
TI  - [Personal therapy concept in the treatment of craniomaxillary fractures].

PMID- 1869150
TI  - [Frontobasal fractures--treatment concept and incidence of late complications].

PMID- 1869151
TI  - [Diagnosis of cerebrospinal fluid fistula in frontobasal fractures using iotrolan
      CT-cisternography].

PMID- 1869152
TI  - [Therapy of cerebrospinal fluid fistula in midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869153
TI  - [Changes in the maxillary sinus following midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869154
TI  - [Complications in the maxillary sinus area following midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869155
TI  - [Late radiological and clinical findings in the paranasal sinuses following
      midfacial fractures treated with osteosynthesis].

PMID- 1869156
TI  - [Dento-alveolar injuries of the upper jaw].

PMID- 1869157
TI  - [Complications in the treatment of midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869158
TI  - [Midfacial fractures in trauma patients of the Innsbruck Department for Mouth,
      Jaw and Facial Surgery from 1982-1988 with special reference to winter sports
      injuries].

PMID- 1869159
TI  - [Amaurosis following surgical management of orbital floor fractures--an
      unforeseeable complication?].

PMID- 1869160
TI  - [Blindness as a complication following surgical orbital floor revision.
      Consequences for the surgical procedures].

PMID- 1869161
TI  - [Neurological and ophthalmological late sequelae following fractures of the
      zygoma-orbital area].

PMID- 1869162
TI  - [Acuminate orbit syndrome--complications of upper midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869163
TI  - [Flash-evoked visual potentials in patients with craniofacial fractures].

PMID- 1869164
TI  - [Therapy of optic nerve lesions in midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869165
TI  - [Results of surgical intervention in traumatic orbital syndromes].

PMID- 1869166
TI  - [Somatosensory evoked potentials in the diagnosis and expert assessment of
      traumatically-induced lesions of the infraorbital nerve].

PMID- 1869167
TI  - [Traumatic carotid artery-cavernous sinus fistula].

PMID- 1869168
TI  - [Disarrangement of the profile following midfacial fractures. Cephalometric
      analysis and sequelae for therapy].

PMID- 1869169
TI  - [Occlusal disorders as possible sequelae of midfacial plate osteosynthesis].

PMID- 1869170
TI  - [Trauma-induced acute inflammation of the orbit].

PMID- 1869171
TI  - [Conventional roentgen diagnosis in midfacial trauma].

PMID- 1869172
TI  - [Mucocele formation as a late complication following trauma in the paranasal
      sinuses area].

PMID- 1869173
TI  - [Therapy of orbital floor fractures].

PMID- 1869174
TI  - [Ophthalmologists' contribution to fractures of the orbital walls].

PMID- 1869175
TI  - [Orbital floor fracture. Diagnosis, differential indication and technique of
      surgical management].

PMID- 1869176
TI  - [Localization and extent of orbital floor fracture and indication for covering of
      the defect].

PMID- 1869177
TI  - [Orbital floor reconstruction using implants of compact hydroxyapatite ceramic in
      midfacial injuries].

PMID- 1869178
TI  - [Salzburger maxillary sinus endoprosthesis].

PMID- 1869179
TI  - [Temporary infra-orbital resection in the treatment of orbital floor fractures].

PMID- 1869180
TI  - [Primary reconstruction of the orbital walls].

PMID- 1869182
TI  - [Basic and graduated procedures in the roentgen diagnosis of midfacial trauma in
      relation to degree of severity and localization].

PMID- 1869181
TI  - [Revision of the orbital floor in the framework of midfacial traumatology.
      Results of a prospective, interdisciplinary study].

PMID- 1869183
TI  - [Long-term results following orbital floor reconstruction with homologous bone
      cartilage implants in midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869184
TI  - [Long-term results following management of comminuted and tissue defect fractures
      of the orbital floor using maxillary sinus tamponade].

PMID- 1869185
TI  - [The surgical management of orbital roof lesions].

PMID- 1869186
TI  - [Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects in medial orbital fractures].

PMID- 1869187
TI  - [Eye movement disorders prior to and following orbital fractures].

PMID- 1869188
TI  - [Blow-in fractures--comparison of surgical and conservative therapy].

PMID- 1869189
TI  - [Blow-in fractures of the orbit--an indication for emergency surgery].

PMID- 1869190
TI  - [In-vivo and in-vitro osteo-induction and cartilage formation by bone
      morphogenetic protein].

PMID- 1869191
TI  - [Autologous tissue substitute from in-vitro cultivated fibroblasts].

PMID- 1869193
TI  - [Growth disorders of the facial skeleton following blow-out fractures of the
      orbital floor and zygomatic fractures in childhood].

PMID- 1869192
TI  - [Injuries of the midface in childhood].

PMID- 1869194
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of lacrimal apparatus injuries in the framework of
      midfacial trauma].

PMID- 1869195
TI  - [Modified intubation technique in the reconstruction of disarranged lacrimal
      ducts].

PMID- 1869196
TI  - [Unusual indications for osteosynthesis plates in midfacial trauma].

PMID- 1869197
TI  - [Midfacial osteosynthesis--pretapped screws versus self-tapping screws].

PMID- 1869198
TI  - [Bridging-over of 2-walled orbital defects using biological absorbable plastic
      foil. An animal study].

PMID- 1869199
TI  - [Lymphoscintigraphic studies in midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869200
TI  - [The effect of surgical fracture management on midfacial growth. A cephalometric
      and histological study in young rats].

PMID- 1869201
TI  - [Endoscopic findings of the maxillary sinus in recent midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869202
TI  - [Plate osteosynthesis in traumatology of the midface--an improvement?].

PMID- 1869203
TI  - [Reconstruction of form and function of the midface complex].

PMID- 1869204
TI  - [Treatment of pan-facial fractures].

PMID- 1869205
TI  - [Timing of definitive management of severe orbital and midfacial injuries].

PMID- 1869206
TI  - [Timing of surgery and lowering of intracranial pressure in patients with severe
      craniomaxillofacial accidental injuries].

PMID- 1869207
TI  - [Rescue and prehospital care of alpine emergency patients].

PMID- 1869208
TI  - [Emergency measures in acute hemorrhages due to midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869209
TI  - [Blood loss and tracheotomy in complicated midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869210
TI  - [Therapeutic concept in midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869211
TI  - [Treatment concept of severe midfacial fractures in dentulous and edentulous
      patients].

PMID- 1869212
TI  - [Results of combination neurosurgical and orofacial surgery of fronto-maxillary
      fractures].

PMID- 1869213
TI  - [Anatomical and functional results in midfacial fractures following miniplate
      osteosynthesis. Prospective study with the aid of an electronic computer-assisted
      registration system].

PMID- 1869214
TI  - [Treatment of midfacial fractures in changing times--a look back and in the
      future].

PMID- 1869215
TI  - [Results of the treatment of midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869216
TI  - [Indications for the use of various osteosynthesis materials in the treatment of
      midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869217
TI  - [Studies on the therapy of central midfacial fractures with craniofacial wire
      suspension or miniplate osteosynthesis].

PMID- 1869218
TI  - [Miniplate osteosynthesis versus lag screw osteosynthesis in the management of
      midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869219
TI  - [Management of midfacial comminuted fractures using the Wurzburg titanium
      miniplate system].

PMID- 1869220
TI  - [Results following internal and external fixation of central and centrolateral
      midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869221
TI  - [Absorbable materials for osteosynthesis in craniofacial surgery].

PMID- 1869222
TI  - [Delayed primary management of midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869223
TI  - [Significance of calvaria transplants for reconstructive traumatology of the
      midface].

PMID- 1869224
TI  - [Reconstruction of partial and total midfacial defects following gunshot
      injuries].

PMID- 1869225
TI  - [Timing of the surgical management of zygomatic fractures].

PMID- 1869226
TI  - [The role of conservative-surgical therapy of fractures of the lateral midface].

PMID- 1869227
TI  - [Positioning and stabilization of dislocated zygomatic fractures].

PMID- 1869228
TI  - [Is there a change in the etiology of craniofacial fractures?].

PMID- 1869229
TI  - [Intraoperative determination of the position of the zygoma in the surgical
      treatment of midfacial fractures].

PMID- 1869230
TI  - [Miniplate fixation for the stabilization of zygomatic fractures. A report of 220
      cases].

PMID- 1869231
TI  - [Strohmeyer/Wassmund method of repositioning versus Gillies' elevation. Results
      of various fracture management concepts of the zygoma].

PMID- 1869232
TI  - [Old age and illness--destroying the intolerable?].
AB  - The spectacular criminal case of a nurse who because of killing seven old
      patients in an intensive care ward had been sentenced to jail for 11 years is
      shown as example of radical thinking in the face of intolerability of serious
      illness and age. The deficit model of age is on the one hand justly criticized
      and called invalid, on the other hand negative aspects of age may not be
      concealed in the face of hedonistic principles of the present epoch. There is no
      doubt about the monstrosity of the case of the guilty nurse but it may be
      exemplary for a frequent defensive behaviour against the phenomena of age. If
      this is right this singular case may be characteristic of common thinking on the
      unbearable presumption of age. Self defense turning into aggressivity because of
      foreseeing the own fate of hopeless illness in moribund aged would then have to
      be seen as a socially significant attitude.

PMID- 1869234
TI  - [Codeine and dihydrocodeine as substitute and alternative drugs].
AB  - There has been an increasing tendency in West Germany since the beginning of the
      60s to abuse codeine and dihydrocodeine-containing drugs as substitutes and
      alternative drugs. This paper will firstly look at this situation from an
      epidemiological point of view and summarize the chemical and pharmacological
      effects, the side effects and toxicology of both kinds of substances. On the
      basis of own case reports the importance of codeine and dihydrocodeine during the
      development of an addiction of polydrug addicts and opiate addicts has been
      revealed, analysed and discussed, also with a view to the legal aspects in
      connection with the issue of treatment by substitution of drug dependents.

PMID- 1869233
TI  - [Health and psychosocial effects of miscarriage].
AB  - The importance of psychosocial consequences of spontaneous abortion is
      increasingly pointed out. Different studies showed grief responses in about 50
      80% of the women and consequences on occupation, martial relation and family
      life. The most observed long-term consequences are chronical depressive
      disorders. Unresolved grief in connection with pregnancy loss is to be considered
      an important risk factor. Immunological studies demonstrated a reduction of T
      lymphocyte function in grief and depression as a probable cause of a higher
      disease risk. Further study is required for more precise definitions of long-term
      effects. Moreover psychosocial help and counseling for the couples after the
      pregnancy loss could help to prevent serious chronical disorders.

PMID- 1869235
TI  - ["If one knows the name, one still knows nothing". Comments on a conspicuous and
      unexplained psychopathologic manifestation].
AB  - In this casuistic contribution a female patient is discussed for whom an adequate
      psychopathological and diagnostic assessment is very difficult to obtain. With
      the help of Freud's psychoanalysis, Janzarik's Strukturdynamik and the research
      into altered states of consciousness by Dittrich different interpretations of the
      cases are provided.

PMID- 1869236
TI  - [Immunotherapy of chronic Guillain-Barre syndrome with high dose IgG and
      cyclosporin A. Case report, review of the literature and perspectives].
AB  - We report about the three-year treatment of a patient with chronic relapsing
      Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), who, simultaneously, suffered from benign
      gammopathy. A casual relationship between the two diseases could not be proven,
      since specific antimyeline antibodies could not be found. Five severe bouts of
      the disease occurred during the observation period, only the first two relapses,
      however, showed improvement with cortisone treatment, while the latter did not
      so. High dosages of 7S-immunoglobuline, by contrast, led to a rapid improvement
      during each of the subsequent relapses. The additional therapy with ciclosporine
      A kept the patient free from neurological deficits for more than six months now.
      The mechanisms of various immunological therapeutic approaches are discussed,
      particularly as an alternative to plasmapheresis. Our observation, as well as
      theoretical considerations, suggest the aforementioned immunological treatment
      being promising in chronic GBS.

PMID- 1869238
TI  - Prescriptive authority.

PMID- 1869237
TI  - [Kleine-Levin syndrome].
AB  - The Kleine-Levin syndrome is generally considered to be a benign functional
      disorder of hypothalamic structures. Its onset is usually in adolescence. The
      most characteristic symptoms are periodic hypersomnia, excessive eating,
      hypersexuality, irritability and apathy. Associated features are depressive and
      schizophrenic symptoms. A biological relationship between the Klein-Levin
      syndrome and endogenous psychoses is discussed.

PMID- 1869239
TI  - Couriers work at the Safe House in Hazard.

PMID- 1869240
TI  - My experiences as a literacy tutor in Leslie County.

PMID- 1869241
TI  - Anti-BLA.36 monoclonal antibody shows reactivity with Hodgkin's cells and B
      lymphocytes in frozen and paraffin-embedded tissues.
AB  - A newly developed monoclonal antibody, anti-BLA.36, raised against a Hodgkin cell
      line, was shown to have reactivity with Reed-Sternberg cells and activated B
      lymphocytes and appears to be distinct from other antibodies which identify
      antigens of hematopoietic cells. Anti-BLA.36 was evaluated in B5-fixed paraffin
      embedded tissue from 16 cases of Hodgkin's disease of various types and 35 cases
      of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas representative of the different major subtypes. The
      specificity of anti-BLA.36 was compared with other antibodies that have been used
      to mark Hodgkin's cells and B lymphocytes: namely, L26, LN-1, Leu-M1 and Ber-H2,
      as well as UCHL-1, a pan-T lymphocyte marker. In addition, a subset of the cases
      was evaluated using frozen tissue in order to validate the staining
      characteristics of anti-BLA.36 as observed in fixed paraffin sections. Anti
      BLA.36 was found to react with Hodgkin's cells more consistently than the other
      antibodies used in this panel. The antibody reacted with an antigen on Reed
      Sternberg cells and their variants (Hodgkin's cells) in all four subtypes of
      Hodgkin's disease, and with a subset of reactive and malignant B lymphocytes, but
      not with T lymphocytes. It may, therefore, be useful in the evaluation of non
      Hodgkin's lymphomas. Finally, this is the first antibody raised to a Hodgkin's
      cell line which also consistently marks reactive and malignant B cells, but not T
      cells. The implications of this observation are discussed in relation to the
      cellular origin of the Reed-Sternberg cell and the overall nature of Hodgkin's
      disease.

PMID- 1869242
TI  - Prognostic value of serum beta 2 microglobulin in primary gastric lymphoma.
AB  - Sixty-eight previously untreated patients with primary gastric non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma (NHL) available for analysis, were entered in a study in which the
      prognostic significance of serum beta 2 microglobulin levels were evaluated. The
      serum beta 2 microglobulin was the most significant prognostic factor. Patients
      with high levels (greater than 3.5 micrograms/mL) had a relapse-free survival
      (RFS) of 36 months, while the median RFS has not been reached in patients with
      normal levels (p less than 0.001). The 5-year survival was 80 per cent for
      patients with normal levels, statistically significant when compared to patients
      with high levels: 38 per cent (p less than 0.001). Serum beta 2 microglobulin
      should be included in the initial staging of patients with primary extranodal NHL
      and patients with high levels should be treated more aggressively.

PMID- 1869243
TI  - Chromosomal abnormalities in adult non-endemic Burkitt's lymphoma and leukemia:
      22 new reports and a review of 148 cases from the literature.
AB  - Tumour cell karyotypes from patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) or Burkitt's type
      leukemia (ALL3) were studied for correlation with survival, bone marrow and
      cerebral spinal fluid involvement (CSF), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      serology, and for recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities. The records of 22 patients
      with BL from our institution and of 148 cases of BL and ALL3 reported in the
      literature with karyotypes were evaluated for clinical and cytological features.
      Overall survival was only 28 per cent and 88 per cent of deaths occurred within
      the first nine months after diagnosis. Those who survived at least 18 months were
      unlikely to relapse. Age and gender did not significantly affect survival.
      Patients presenting with advanced Ann Arbor stage, bone marrow or CSF involvement
      had lower survival rates. The association of translocations involving chromosome
      band 8q24 with this disease is confirmed. Sixty-two per cent of karyotypes had
      t(8;14)(q24;q32) translocations; the recognized variant translocations
      t(8;22)(q24;q11) and t(2;8)(p12;q24) affected 12 per cent and 9 per cent
      respectively. Seventeen per cent had abnormal karyotypes but no classic
      translocation. Patients with variant translocations had the poorest survival
      rates, and those with the classic t(8;14)(q24;q32) did the best. Despite a small
      sample size, the variant translocation t(8;22)(q24;q11) appeared to occur at an
      increased frequency in the patients with AIDS. In the entire group, recurrent
      involvement of chromosome regions 1q2, 6q11-14 and 17p1 suggests that alteration
      of genes at these loci, B Cell Growth Factor (BCGF) at 1q2 and p53 on 17p, may
      contribute to the development and progression of this tumour. Similarly, the
      frequent trisomies of chromosomes 7, 8, 12 and 18 may indicate an effect on
      tumour cell growth due to increased gene dosage. Trisomy 12 was found in eight
      tumours, five from patients with AIDS, suggesting that chromosome 12 has a site
      or gene whose allelic dosage is selected for in AIDS related lymphoma cells.
      Cytogenetic studies of adult Burkitt lymphoma and leukemia suggest several likely
      loci for gene alterations that in conjunction with myc translocations can lead to
      tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1869244
TI  - In vitro synergistic activity of PDN-IFN alpha and NM + IFN alpha combinations on
      fresh bone-marrow samples from multiple myeloma patients.
AB  - The differential staining cytotoxicity (DiSC) assay was used to evaluate the in
      vitro sensitivity of tumour and normal bone-marrow cells from 21 multiple myeloma
      (MM) patients to antitumour agents methylprednisolone (PDN), nitrogen mustard
      (NM) and recombinant interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha) tested singly and in the
      combinations PDN + IFN alpha and NM + IFN alpha. Both the PDN-IFN alpha and NM
      IFN alpha associations were more efficacious than any agents used singly in
      reducing the percentage of myeloma cell survival. However, whereas NM, alone and
      in combination with IFN alpha, provoked a severe reduction in normal bone-marrow
      population, PDN and PDN + IFN alpha induced an increase percentage survival of
      normal bone-marrow cells. These findings indicate that, at least in vitro, the
      PDN-IFN alpha combination exerts a great antitumor effect which is not associated
      with a relevant cytotoxic activity on normal myeloid cells.

PMID- 1869245
TI  - Etoposide, 6-thioguanine and idarubicin, an oral combination regimen (ETI) for
      the induction treatment of acute leukemia.
AB  - Twenty patients with advanced acute leukemia (16 acute myeloid leukemia (AML),
      three myeloid blast crisis (BC) of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), one acute
      lymphatic leukemia) were treated with a peroral regimen consisting of etoposide
      80 mg/m2 and 6-thioguanine 100 mg/m2 twice daily for 5 days, and idarubicin 15
      mg/m2 once daily for 3 days (ETI). Two AML patients were in first relapse. All
      the other patients with acute leukemia had a later relapse or were refractory to
      primary or salvage treatment. One to six ETI cycles were given. Four AML patients
      achieved remission and one patient with BC of CML entered the second chronic
      phase. Clearing of the blood of leukemic cells was seen in seven additional
      patients. Infection was the most common complication, gastrointestinal toxicity
      was not a major problem. In conclusion, peroral ETI treatment has a marked
      antileukemic effect even in an advanced disease, and the toxicity is moderate and
      well acceptable.

PMID- 1869246
TI  - A commitment to leadership in a time of change. Interview by Mary A. Grayson.

PMID- 1869247
TI  - Has HCFA "broken faith" with its new physician fee schedule?
AB  - Physician groups are upset over the proposed new Medicare fee schedule. The RBRVS
      was to be budget-neutral and equitable; however, MD groups are charging that its
      implementation will be neither.

PMID- 1869248
TI  - Two strategies for preventing wrongful termination suits.

PMID- 1869249
TI  - CFOs: cost-shift pressures will spur health care policy reform.
AB  - Hospitals are "on the verge of self-destruction" because they are finding it more
      difficult to shift costs to those few payers who pay full charges, say CFOs. In
      fact, the inability to continue shifting costs will lead to national health care
      reform, say members of a panel of CFOs hosted by Hospitals.

PMID- 1869250
TI  - State managed care initiatives spur Medicaid policy debate.

PMID- 1869251
TI  - Contract management. Managing for teamwork in clinical contracting.

PMID- 1869252
TI  - Is regional incineration the answer for waste?

PMID- 1869253
TI  - Hospital HRIS: finding a system that works.

PMID- 1869254
TI  - Ten tips for working with retained search firms.

PMID- 1869255
TI  - Card format deals this annual report a winning hand.

PMID- 1869256
TI  - Hospitals devise ways to collect outpatient bills.

PMID- 1869257
TI  - House calls drive aging issues home for MD trainees.

PMID- 1869258
TI  - High-tech health care: how much can we afford?

PMID- 1869259
TI  - An appreciation of Robert E. Scully, MD, and an introduction to a symposium in
      his honor on recent advances in gynecologic pathology.

PMID- 1869260
TI  - Symposium in honor of Robert E. Scully, MD: Recent advances in gynecologic
      pathology--part 1.

PMID- 1869261
TI  - Robert E. Scully, MD: a pathologist's perspective.

PMID- 1869262
TI  - Robert E. Scully, MD: a clinician's perspective.

PMID- 1869263
TI  - Ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumors.

PMID- 1869264
TI  - Synoptic surgical pathology reporting.

PMID- 1869265
TI  - Idiopathic myelopathies with white matter vacuolation in non-acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome patients.
AB  - Postmortem examination of 21 patients showed a vacuolar myelopathy resembling
      that associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Underlying diseases
      included six cases of leukemia or lymphoma, five of carcinoma, three of systemic
      lupus erythematosus, two of chronic lung disease, and one each of cadaveric renal
      transplant, cirrhosis, diabetes, hemophagocytic syndrome, and viral encephalitis.
      Fourteen patients were on long-term steroid therapy and 10 of these also had
      immunosuppressive chemotherapy. No patient had the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome, although one received blood transfusions in 1978. Signs and symptoms
      consistent with myelopathy included paraparesis in seven patients, ataxia in one,
      and bilateral extensor plantar reflexes in one. Microscopic examination showed
      vacuolation in spinal cord white matter primarily located in posterior and
      lateral columns. Lipid-laden macrophages and axonal changes were proportional to
      the severity of the vacuolation, which was severe in five patients, moderate in
      10, and mild in six. Eight patients had coexistent viral diseases elsewhere in
      the central nervous system, but viral-associated antigens or genomic material was
      not found in regions of vacuolated spinal cord white matter. Although the
      etiology of these myelopathies is unknown, their association with immune
      suppression and coexistent viral infection of the central nervous system suggests
      that an opportunistic viral infection may be important.

PMID- 1869266
TI  - Familial lobular glomerulopathy.
AB  - A family with an unusual lobular glomerulopathy is described. Renal tissue from
      three males and one female in two successive generations was available for
      review. The glomerulopathy was characterized by a marked lobular accentuation
      with only a modest increase in mesangial cellularity. Immunofluorescence in two
      patients showed focal or diffuse staining with immunoglobulins G, A, M, and C3 in
      the mesangium and along the glomerular capillary basement membranes.
      Ultrastructural study showed amorphous granular subendothelial material
      distending capillary loops and mesangial regions. This material accounted for the
      pronounced lobular accentuation. The patients in this family presented with
      proteinuria, hematuria, and hypertension. Three of the four patients have
      sustained cerebral vascular accidents and two have died. This family is compared
      with a previously reported family that showed similar glomerular pathology.

PMID- 1869267
TI  - Nine Japanese patients with immotile-dyskinetic cilia syndrome: an
      ultrastructural study using tannic acid-containing fixation.
AB  - Respiratory cilia and sperm flagella of nine Japanese patients with immotile
      dyskinetic cilia syndrome were studied ultrastructurally by using a tannic acid
      containing fixative. Respiratory cilia from two female patients with Kartagener's
      syndrome and one male patient with situs inversus and sinobronchitis were
      completely immotile and lacked both dynein arms. However, approximately 30% of
      the spermatozoa from the male patient were weakly motile. In four patients with
      immotile cilia syndrome without Kartagener's triad, immotile respiratory cilia
      generally lacked the inner dynein arms. Two clinically unusual cases, an 11-year
      old boy and a 29-year-old woman with prolonged saccharin test, recurrent
      bronchitis, and bronchiectasia, possessed motile respiratory cilia.
      Ultrastructurally, both dynein arms were normal, but numerous defective central
      pairs (more than 50% and 70%, respectively) were seen, and the defect in the
      second case was similar to the transposition of microtubules reported by Sturgess
      et al (N Engl J Med 303:318-322, 1980). However, defects in the first case were
      unique and may be congenital. We propose a new type of dyskinetic cilia syndrome
      with defective central pairs. Additionally, nasal cilia from a 35-year-old man
      with immotile cilia syndrome contained excess large singlets within ciliary
      axonemes consisting of 17 protofilaments.

PMID- 1869268
TI  - Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia of the tongue: report of a case and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia has been described mainly in the
      dermis and subcutaneous tissues of the head and neck, and only occasionally in
      the oral cavity. A case of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia of the
      tongue in an 82-year-old man with typical morphologic features is presented. The
      diagnosis criteria and treatment of this lesion reported in the English
      literature are also reviewed.

PMID- 1869270
TI  - Postmortem examination of the brain in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
      patients.

PMID- 1869269
TI  - Colon perforation due to cholesterol embolism.
AB  - Embolization to the gastrointestinal tract is a common complication of systemic
      atheroembolism, but is rarely catastrophic. This study describes perforation of
      the colon with fatal peritonitis in a 65-year-old patient following cholesterol
      embolization to the intestinal tract.

PMID- 1869271
TI  - Inguinal lymph node infection with paragonimiasis.

PMID- 1869272
TI  - Histopathologic and clinical criteria for definition of dysplastic nevi.

PMID- 1869273
TI  - Role of imaging in the evaluation of pelvic cancer.
AB  - The last 15 years have witnessed dramatic advances in the detection, assessment,
      and management of cancer. Progress is due to increased knowledge of the basic
      biology of cancer, oncogenes, and immunologic mechanisms controlling cancer; a
      better understanding of the disease and its diagnosis and management; and
      improved imaging technology. Diagnostic imaging has been revolutionized by the
      development of microcomputers and television instrumentation, and by
      technological advances producing better ultrasound transducers, x-ray detectors,
      and more homogeneous magnetic fields, as well as more precise magnetic coils and
      better software. At the time that we have come to understand more about cancer
      prognostic variables, imaging has developed to offer a unique display of a number
      of morphologic factors such as tumor size, location, depth of invasion, lymph
      node status, presence of metastases, and overall stage of disease. Just as
      accurate knowledge of prognostic variables is essential for designing optimal
      treatment protocols, it is fundamental in rendering a useful radiology report.
      Because "the first treatment should be the best possible since it has the
      greatest chance for curing the patient," an assessment of the full extent of
      cancer prior to the initiation of treatment is mandatory. Two elements in the
      clinical setting contribute to the ability to capitalize on these advances and
      breakthroughs: continuing education about progress in the field of oncology, and
      a motivated team of treatment specialists. This combination of application of new
      knowledge and technological advances and team work will promote the necessary
      environment for the conquest for cancer.

PMID- 1869274
TI  - High-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow support for breast cancer.

PMID- 1869275
TI  - Three-dimensional conformal treatment: a new frontier in radiation therapy.

PMID- 1869276
TI  - Treatment of patients with cancer of unknown primary site.
AB  - Advances in the management and treatment of the large, heterogeneous population
      of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site have been achieved by
      recognizing treatable subsets within this group. Each of these subsets has been
      thoroughly discussed; Table 10-9 summarizes the treatable subsets and the
      evaluations necessary for their identification. Even within treatable subsets,
      treatment data remain limited, and optimal therapy is still evolving. Despite
      these advances, a large group of patients with relatively insensitive tumors
      remains. Improved therapy for these patients will probably await therapy
      breakthroughs in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer,
      and the various other GI malignancies, since these tumors represent the majority
      of occult primary sites.

PMID- 1869277
TI  - Chemotherapy and the management of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of
      the head and neck: role in larynx preservation.

PMID- 1869278
TI  - Progress in decreasing cigarette smoking.

PMID- 1869280
TI  - Clinical Alert: a poor idea prematurely used.

PMID- 1869279
TI  - Is a mechanism such as the NCI's Clinical Alert ever an appropriate alternative
      to journal peer review?
AB  - Responsibly handled, a mechanism such as a Clinical Alert can provide physicians
      with enough information to deal with the early release of data to the public. The
      journal peer review system was established primarily as an academic tool to allow
      publication of scientific work for the purpose of communicating information among
      scientists and physicians. Since both the number of papers published by an
      investigator and the quality of the journal publishing them are important to
      academic advancement, bypassing this system naturally threatens many physicians
      and scientists. The Clinical Alert, however, served its purpose and was well
      received by the majority of practicing physicians and the public. In fact, a
      second Alert was issued by NCI in October 1989 when data became available on the
      effectiveness of a new adjuvant drug therapy for a common stage of colon cancer
      (Appendix B) and, at a workshop convened by the National Cancer Advisory Board,
      where the mechanism of the Clinical Alerts was discussed, it was apparent that
      most participants felt that maintaining this process was important. In light of
      the current revolution in biology, the public's interest in receiving the
      benefits of its financial support of the national research enterprise, and access
      by the press to both scientific literature and meetings, it seems appropriate for
      public officials, especially when mandated by Congress, to take the
      responsibility of releasing some types of data to the public before traditional
      peer review. Some visible public decision-making process must, however, be used
      where the pros and cons of early release of a particular data set can be
      discussed, as was done with the original NCI Clinical Alert.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869281
TI  - Genetic predisposition to cancer.

PMID- 1869282
TI  - Potential innovations in scheduling of cancer chemotherapy.

PMID- 1869283
TI  - Cellular and molecular aspects of human tumor radioresistance.

PMID- 1869284
TI  - Metastasis suppressor genes.

PMID- 1869285
TI  - Active immunization with EPF suppresses the formation of immune ascites in BALB/c
      mice.
AB  - The production of early pregnancy factor (EPF) is not confined to pregnancy--EPF
      has been detected as a product of tumour and transformed cells in vivo and in
      vitro. In this study, EPF (or an EPF-like substance) was detected also in the
      serum of BALB/c mice, 7 days after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the
      mineral oil pristane. Furthermore, EPF was present in serum from mineral oil
      induced plasmacytoma-susceptible mice throughout the latent period potentially
      leading to tumour development, peaking around the time neoplastic cells were
      identified in ascites. Since mineral oil-induced granuloma is essential to
      development of immune ascites, involvement of EPF in this process was
      investigated. Active immunization of BALB/c mice with EPF was shown to suppress
      the production of immune ascites, induced by multiple i.p. injections of antigen
      in complete Freund's adjuvant. Of the mice immunized with EPF (n = 19), only 47%
      produced ascites, compared with 94% of mice receiving saline or human chorionic
      gonadotrophin and 100% of mice receiving keyhole limpet haemocyanin. Further
      investigations revealed that ascites was only produced in mice that maintained
      free-circulating EPF. These mice displayed the classic mineral oil-induced
      granuloma covering the tissues of the peritoneum. In contrast, the serum of mice
      that did not produce ascites tested negative for EPF and the peritonea of these
      mice were devoid of the oil granuloma. These studies suggest that EPF is involved
      in the initiation and maintenance of the inflammatory response of the peritoneum
      to mineral oil.

PMID- 1869287
TI  - Effect of high ligand concentration on West Nile virus-specific T cell
      proliferation.
AB  - In this paper the phenomenon of suppression of proliferation in vitro of 14 day
      primed, West Nile Virus (WNV)-specific, murine CD4+ T cells by large numbers of
      antigen-presenting macrophages and B cells has been investigated. Suppression was
      apparently not mediated by prostaglandins, as the use of indomethacin in cultures
      at four times the usual concentration did not reverse suppression. Experiments
      were designed to evaluate the contribution of major histocompatibility complex
      (MHC) Class II and nominal WNV antigens in causing suppression of T cell
      proliferation. Listeria- or thioglycollate-induced macrophages from CBA/H (H-2k)
      mice, when treated with heat-killed Listeria in vitro for 1 h to maintain or
      increase, respectively, MHC Class II levels before the addition of alloreactive
      Iak-specific T cells caused inverse dose-responses; the highest T cell
      proliferation occurred at a stimulator to responder (S : R) ratio of 0.25 and
      profound suppression at a S : R ratio of 1 or 2. In contrast, untreated
      thioglycollate-induced macrophages, which express low MHC Class II levels, gave a
      direct dose-response with increasing T cell proliferation as antigen-presenting
      cell (APC) numbers increased. Addition of anti-Ia antibodies (or their Fab
      fragments) to cultures caused a significant reversal of suppression of anti-WNV T
      cells imposed by high numbers of Listeria-induced macrophages or 14 day WNV
      primed B cell APC. Suppression was also reversed by reducing the concentration of
      WNV antigen. These observations support the notion that the suppression of T cell
      proliferation observed at high S : R ratios was due to high concentrations of
      ligand (WNV-derived peptide complexed with Class II MHC) on APC.

PMID- 1869286
TI  - Serum factors affecting the specificity of anticardiolipin antibodies.
AB  - The effects were investigated of two pretreatments of human serum and plasma test
      samples on their subsequent reactivity in the anticardiolipin antibody enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ACA-ELISA). The first treatment involved heat
      inactivation of test samples at 56 degrees C for 30 min, a process sometimes used
      to inactivate samples from suspected human immunodeficiency virus positive
      individuals. Such treatment significantly increased the IgG ACA unit/mL values of
      normal sera, but when this effect was examined further, it was found that the
      increase in binding occurred on both cardiolipin-coated and uncoated wells and
      was therefore non-specific. Heat inactivation of sera prior to ACA testing should
      therefore be avoided. The second treatment involved diluting immunoglobulin (Ig)G
      and IgM ACA-positive sera in normal human serum (NHS) or newborn calf serum
      (NCS); sera diluted in NHS showed a significant increase in titre, particularly
      IgM ACA-positive sera. This phenomenon was found to be due to a serum cardiolipin
      binding cofactor which enhances antibody recognition. The cofactor is heat stable
      and is present in normal sera (male and female) and also in IgG ACA-positive
      sera. The binding of a human IgM monoclonal antibody to cardiolipin was not
      affected by the cofactor. The cardiolipin/cofactor complex may represent the
      optimal autoantigen/autoimmunogen and a re-appraisal, therefore, of the clinical
      relevance of antibodies to cardiolipin and other negatively charged molecules is
      warranted.

PMID- 1869288
TI  - Arachidonic acid metabolites in normal and autoimmune mice do not influence
      lymphocyte-high endothelial venule interactions.
AB  - In peripheral lymphoid organs the number of lymphocytes and the proportion of
      functional lymphocyte subsets are regulated by multiple factors including the
      control of lymphocyte migration by selective lymphocyte-high endothelial venule
      (HEV) interactions. In this study, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels from normal and
      autoimmune mouse lymph node cells were measured. The contribution of eicosanoids
      to lymphocyte-HEV interactions in normal (CBA/T6) and autoimmune (MRL/n) mice was
      examined. There was no association between PGE2 production in normal or
      autoimmune mice and the age of onset of disease activity in the latter strains.
      Arachidonic acid metabolites, in particular PGE2 and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), did
      not have any effects on lymphocyte-HEV binding. Likewise, lymphocytes treated in
      vivo and/or in vitro with arachidonic acid metabolite inhibitors (acetyl
      salicylic acid, indomethacin, BW755C) did not alter lymphocyte-HEV binding
      interactions in both normal and autoimmune mice. No clinical significance could
      be attributed to lymph node PGE2 production and the age of onset of autoimmune
      disease. In summary, these findings cast doubt on the role of arachidonic acid
      metabolites in lymphocyte-HEV binding interactions.

PMID- 1869289
TI  - Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA for ovine granulocyte-macrophage colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF).
AB  - Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) are not only regulators of haemopoiesis but can
      also enhance the function of mature myeloid cells, and are therefore potential
      immune adjuvants. By use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers
      based on the bovine granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) sequence, we have
      amplified the cDNA for ovine GM-CSF, produced from crude mRNA extracted from
      alveolar macrophages. The PCR product was cloned into pUC119, and electroporated
      into Escherichia coli. The complete nucleotide sequence of two clones, and the
      partial sequence of eight others, was determined. At the nucleotide and amino
      acid levels, the ovine and bovine GM-CSF sequences are 91% and 81% homologous,
      respectively.

PMID- 1869290
TI  - Comparative adjuvant action of gamma insulin and alum.

PMID- 1869291
TI  - In vitro maturation and fertilization of goat oocytes.
AB  - Goat oocytes were isolated from 3-5 mm diam. follicles. The oocytes with compact
      cumulus mass were matured and fertilized in vitro. Three different media, viz.
      modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate, Dulbecco's and Ham's F-12 with three different
      additives (bovine serum albumin, BSA; follicle stimulating hormone, FSH and fetal
      calf serum, FCS) were tested. The three basal media gave almost similar results
      with Ham's F-12 being slightly better. Addition of BSA (10 mg/ml) increased the
      rates of maturation and penetration. FSH + BSA (2.5 micrograms/ml + 10 mg/ml)
      further enhanced the rates while FCS (10%) proved to be even more effective. In
      modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate and Dulbecco media with additives FCS + BSA,
      around 60% oocytes matured to metaphase II of which 53% were penetrated by
      capacitated goat spermatozoa while in F-12 medium 70% reached metaphase II and
      63% were penetrated. Ham's F-12 medium with additives FCS + BSA was slightly
      better for maturation and penetration of goat oocytes in comparison to two other
      media tested.

PMID- 1869292
TI  - Adjuvant activity of some nonpyrogenic hydrophobic analogues of muramyl dipeptide
      in enhancing the primary humoral and cell mediated immune responses in guinea pig
      model.
AB  - Five muramyl dipeptide analogues synthesized by derivatization of gamma-carboxyl
      of D-isoglutamine residue of MDP into alkyl amides or incorporation of lysine
      residue at the site via epsilon-NH2 function were evaluated for immuno-adjuvant
      activity. Derivatization of gamma-carboxyl of D-isoglutamine into butyl, octyl
      and dibutyl residues stimulated delayed type of hypersensitivity (DTH) response,
      the maximum stimulation being observed with octyl amide. Introduction of lauryl
      amide residue abolished DTH response. The antibody response was impaired with all
      the alkyl amide analogues except for the lysyl amide derivative with which the
      response was higher than MDP. Correlation was observed between DTH response and
      macrophage migration.

PMID- 1869293
TI  - Protein profile and stimulation potential of partially purified lectins from two
      varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris L.
AB  - Phytohaemagglutinin obtained from P. vulgaris is a commonly used mitogen in
      lymphocyte cultures. The mitogenic potential of different cultivars of P.
      vulgaris vary. The present investigation encompasses the characterization of
      partially purified lectins from two varieties of P. vulgaris on the basis of
      their protein profile, lymphocyte transformation test by light and scanning
      electron microscopy and incorporation of radioactive thymidine.

PMID- 1869294
TI  - A rapid method for evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity in
      rats.
AB  - Carrageenin (2%) was used to produce edema and hyperalgesia; indomethacin,
      phenylbutazone, aspirin, ibuprofen, analgin, paracetamol and phenacetin were
      tested at different doses for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in the
      same rats as the peak for the edema reached at the end of 3rd hr and for the
      hyperalgesia at the end of 4th hr. Indomethacin, phenylbutazone and ibuprofen
      reduced edema and increased the pain threshold. Analgin and aspirin increased the
      pain threshold relatively at a low dose. Paracetamol and phenacetin were inactive
      in the doses tested. Carrageenin (2%) was observed to possess both phlogistic and
      allogenic properties.

PMID- 1869295
TI  - Effect of antiepileptic drugs valproic acid, carbamazepine and ethosuccimide on
      exploratory behaviour in mice.
AB  - Valproic acid in 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses produced a significant dose
      dependent decrease in exploratory behaviour, tested as number of head dips on the
      hole board. In the open field test, control mice entered less number of
      peripheral squares and more number of central squares on day 4 as compared to day
      1 of the test. In the lower doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) valproic acid increased
      central square entries on day 1 with significant decrease by all doses on
      subsequent days indicating inhibition of exploratory behaviour. However, in
      peripheral square entry they followed the same pattern as control mice. Neither
      carbamazepine (10 and 20 mg/kg) nor ethosuccimide (100 and 200 mg/kg) affected
      exploratory behaviour in either the hole board or open field test.

PMID- 1869296
TI  - Thermic response of selective muscarinic agonists and antagonists in rat.
AB  - Effect of some selective agonists and antagonists of cholinergic M receptor
      subtypes on rectal temperature was investigated in rats at an ambient temperature
      of 25 degrees +/- 2 degrees C. Centrally administered acetylcholine (ACh) induced
      transient hypothermia, whereas the muscarinic M1 receptor agonists, arecholine
      (ip) and McN-A-343 (McN) (icv), induced sustained and dose-related hypothermia.
      However, the nonspecific muscarinic receptor agonist, oxotremorine, and
      physostigmine, induced hypothermia at a lower dose and hyperthermia, accompanied
      by tremors, at higher doses. The muscarinic M2 receptor agonist, carbachol (icv)
      also produced a dose-related dual effect, hyperthermia and hypothermia being
      induced by the lower and higher doses, respectively. The M1 receptor antagonists,
      scopolamine (ip) and pirenzepine (icv), induced hyperthermia, whereas the M2
      receptor antagonists, gallamine (icv) and AF-DX 116 (AFDX) (ip), produced
      hypothermia. The hypothermic effects of ACh. arecholine, McN, physostigmine,
      oxotremorine and carbachol were attenuated by scopolamine and pirenzepine.
      However, although scopolamine also inhibited the hyperthermic and tremorogenic
      effects of the higher dose of oxotremorine, it had a synergistic effect with the
      hyperthermia-inducing higher dose of physostigmine. AFDX attenuated the
      hyperthermic effect of the lower dose of carbachol, indicating that it was M2
      receptor-mediated. Hemicholinium, an ACh synthesis inhibitor, had a transient
      hypothermic effect followed by slight hyperthermia. However, it markedly
      antagonized the hypothermic effects of gallamine and AFDX, indicating that their
      effects were dependent upon the availability of neuronal ACh. The results
      indicate that cholinergic hypothermia is a function of central muscarinic M1
      receptors, with the M2 receptors serving as automodulators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869297
TI  - Effect of selective muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists on active
      avoidance learning acquisition in rats.
AB  - Effect of some selective muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists was
      investigated on learning acquisition in an active-avoidance paradigm in rats
      which records an anticipatory conditioned avoidance apart from the classical
      conditioned avoidance response. The muscarinic M1 agonists, arecholine,
      pilocarpine and McN-A-343, facilitated learning acquisition, which was attenuated
      by the selective M1 antagonist, pirenzepine. On the other hand, M2 receptor
      agonist, carbachol, and physostigmine, induced a dose-related dual response, with
      lower doses retarding and higher doses facilitating the learning acquisition. The
      former effect was attenuated by gallamine, a muscarinic M2 antagonist, while the
      latter response was inhibited by pirenzepine, indicating that these putative M2
      receptor agonist lose their receptor specificity on dose increment. The selective
      M2 receptor antagonists, gallamine and AF-DX 116, facilitated learning
      acquisition, which was inhibited by pirenzepine and the acetylcholine synthesis
      inhibitor hemicholinium. The results support the cholinergic hypothesis of
      learning and memory and indicate that M1 receptor agonists and M2 receptor
      antagonists are likely to prove beneficial in memory deficits. The data also
      indicates that the clinical dose of some drugs, like physostigmine, needs to be
      carefully established for optimum therapeutic benefit.

PMID- 1869298
TI  - Individual and combined toxicity of common pesticides to teleost Puntius
      conchonius Hamilton.
AB  - Individual and combined toxicity of three pesticides, endosulfan, phosphamidon,
      and aldicarb was evaluated in P. conchonius. The 48 hr LC50 was 21.36 and 446.5
      ppm respectively for endosulfan and phosphamidon. When tested jointly, 48 hr LC50
      for different ratios of these pesticides were 0.332 (IE:3P), 0.224 (IE:1P), and
      0.178 ppm (3E:1P). The cotoxicity coefficients for these combinations were 1793,
      3986, and 10009, respectively. An equitoxic mixture of endosulfan, phosphamidon,
      and aldicarb yielded a 48 hr LC50 of 130.5 ppm. An enhanced toxic impact is
      indicated when the pesticides are present together rather than as individual
      compounds.

PMID- 1869299
TI  - A simple method to quantify maturation of wound collagen.
AB  - While investigating the effect of NSAIDs and Zn(II) (NSAIDs)2 complexes on
      healing of dead space wounds we found that both NSAIDs and Zn(II) (NSAIDs)2
      reduced collagen content to a comparable extent yet only NSAIDs reduced breaking
      strength (BS) of wounds. Since collagen content and maturation are the two
      important determinants of BS it was obvious that only NSAIDs reduced maturation.
      A simple method to assess the extent of maturation in available collagen is being
      reported in the present study. While all NSAIDs significantly reduced the
      maturation of collagen, Zn(II) (NSAIDs)2 complexes per se did not affect the
      maturation of collagen of 10-day old. Though, chronologically, granulation
      tissues obtained from both the treated groups were 10-day old, maturation-wise
      the age of NSAIDs and Zn(II) (NSAIDs)2 treated granulation was 6 and 12 days
      respectively.

PMID- 1869300
TI  - Osteoinductive property of fluoride impregnated decalcified allogeneic bone
      matrix.
AB  - Present study was carried out in order to explore the ability of a bone graft
      decalcified as well as fluoridated to form new bone when put in the rectus
      abdominis muscle of rabbit. A total of 66 implants placed inside the pouches
      created in rectus abdominis muscle of rabbits were followed for 2 to 20 weeks.
      Radiologically decal implants formed bone in 74% cases and fluoridated implants
      in 68%; whereas histologically 86% of decalcified and 80% of fluoride impregnated
      decal bone matrix showed evidence of bone induction. It is concluded that
      fluoride impregnation does not enhance the osteogenic potential of a decal bone
      matrix.

PMID- 1869301
TI  - Effect of garlic supplementation to cholesterol-rich diet on development of
      atherosclerosis in rabbits.
AB  - Feeding of cholesterol-rich diet in male rabbits resulted in increased levels of
      cholesterol in plasma, aorta and liver and total lipids, phospholipids, free
      fatty acids in aorta and liver. Garlic supplementation to this diet suppressed
      these effects but their levels were still higher as compared to control rabbits.
      The plasma fibrinolytic activity which was decreased on cholesterol feeding was
      considerably increased when this diet was supplemented with garlic. There was
      increase in the activity of phospholipase in the cell-free supernatant of aorta
      and liver and decrease in the activity of cell-free supernatant NADH
      dehydrogenase of aorta when atherogenic diet was supplemented with garlic.
      Histopathological studies of aorta, liver and heart supported biochemical studies
      and indicated retardative effect of garlic on the development of atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1869303
TI  - Effect of fluvalinate, a synthetic pyrethroid on learning and memory traces in
      rats.

PMID- 1869302
TI  - Effect of dimethoate and fenvalerate on conditioned avoidance and passive
      avoidance responses.
AB  - Dimethoate at 24.75 and 49.5 mg/kg (i.e., 1/10 and 1/5th LD50 respectively)
      impaired the learning process and retrieval of memory in rats while it did not
      affect permanent memory. Fenvalerate / 10.12 and 20 mg/kg (i.e., 1/20 and 1/10th
      LD50 respectively) had no effect on learning process, retrieval of memory and
      permanent memory traces.

PMID- 1869304
TI  - Variations in the cytoplasmic region account for the heterogeneity of the chicken
      MHC class I (B-F) molecules.
AB  - Molecular variation among major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I (B-F)
      proteins from B-homozygous chickens is apparently caused by C-terminal variation.
      Analysis of the total B-F protein pool revealed substantial heterogeneity with
      two or three molecular mass constituents, each being comprised by several
      isoelectric focusing variants. This heterogeneity could not be reduced by
      enzymatic deglycosylation. By contrast, proteolytic removal of a small (Mr 1000
      4000) fragment from the alpha chain resulted in the generation of a Mr 36,000
      fragment, common to all the molecular mass variants. Unlike the parent proteins,
      the Mr 36,000 fragment derived from isolated variants yielded identical, simple
      patterns in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identical finger prints in
      peptide mapping. This, together with N-terminal amino acid sequencing, as well as
      comparison of hydrophobicity properties of fragments obtained by gradual
      proteolytic digestion, indicated that the small peptide responsible for the major
      B-F heterogeneity was situated in the intracellular, C-terminal part.

PMID- 1869306
TI  - A distinctive change in odortype determined by H-2D/L mutation.

PMID- 1869305
TI  - Interaction of CD4 with HLA class II antigens and HIV gp120.
AB  - We have developed a cellular adhesion assay in which B lymphocytes expressing HLA
      class II antigens form rosettes with COS cells expressing high levels of cell
      surface CD4 upon transient transfection with a CDM8-CD4 plasmid construct. The
      assay is specific, quantitative, and overcomes the difficulties encountered with
      a previously described system using an SV40 viral vector. Rosette formation was
      inhibited by a series of CD4- and HLA-DR-specific antibodies, as well as by human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) gp 120, and a synthetic peptide derived from part of
      its binding site for CD4 (amino acid residues 414-434), but not by a variety of
      other effectors, including several soluble CD4 derivatives. The comparison of
      this pattern of inhibition with those observed in other systems further
      emphasizes the great similarity, but incomplete identity, in the CD4 binding
      sites for HLA class II antigens and HIV gp120, and supports a model in which CD4
      is considered as an allosteric servomodulator of T-cell adhesion and function
      which probably is induced to interact with HLA class II antigens when associated
      with the Tcr/CD3 complex.

PMID- 1869307
TI  - Genetic mapping of a male germ cell-expressed gene Tpx-2 to mouse chromosome 17.

PMID- 1869308
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone of the horse (Equus caballus) DRA gene.

PMID- 1869310
TI  - [Endodontic retreatment. Following a clinical case].

PMID- 1869311
TI  - [Ethnic oro-labial mutilation].

PMID- 1869312
TI  - [Pedodontics in Bouche-du-Rhone. Results of a study of dental care for an urban
      child population].

PMID- 1869309
TI  - The nucleotide sequence and evolution of ovine MHC class II B genes: DQB and DRB.
AB  - The nucleotide sequences of one Ovar-DQB gene, excluding exon 1 and parts of the
      introns, and one Ovar-DRB pseudogene are presented. The structure of the Ovar-DQB
      gene is typical of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II B gene and
      demonstrates considerable sequence similarity with that of humans including such
      characteristics as the less common polyadenylation signal, ATTAAA. The ovine
      sequence has a typical 5' acceptor splice signal for exon 5, thus potentially
      encoding a full length cytoplasmic tail. The Ovar-DRB gene identified in this
      study was found to be a pseudogene, lacking a defined exon 2 and containing
      premature termination codons in both exons 3 and 4. The 3' donor splice site of
      exon 3 is also atypical. A purine-pyrimidine microsatellite repeat, (dC.dA)15, in
      the 3' region of the pseudogene may be a hotspot for recombination within the
      ovine DR subregion.

PMID- 1869313
TI  - [Ligamentary laxity and intracapsular dysfunction of the TMJ. Early diagnosis
      after orthodontic treatment].

PMID- 1869314
TI  - Male infertility due to asthenozoospermia and flagellar anomaly: detection in
      routine semen analysis.
AB  - Major monomorphous teratozoospermia, due to sperm tail structural anomalies, were
      detected in 42 out of 4231 infertile patients during routine semen analysis. The
      flagella were very short or absent in 16 cases, shortened with thickness
      irregularity in 18 cases, and of normal length with diameter anomalies in eight
      cases. These syndromes were always associated with poor forward motility, while
      mobility and penetration into human cervical mucus were sometimes impaired only
      partially. With good sperm smears and an experienced observer, the diagnosis
      could be made without the need for electron microscopic analysis. All the
      affected patients were sterile and several syndromes could have been transmitted
      genetically.

PMID- 1869315
TI  - The effect of A23187 concentration and exposure time on the outcome of the
      hamster egg penetration test.
AB  - We investigated the conditions required to enhance the performance of human sperm
      in the hamster egg penetration test with the free acid form of A23187. The best
      performance was observed after stimulation with 2 microM A23187 for 1 h when the
      median penetration rate with sperm from fertile donors was 100% of eggs with 5.8
      decondensed sperm heads/egg. Extending the stimulation period with 2 microM
      A23187 to 2 or 3 h, resulted in a progressive decrease in the penetration rate.
      In the absence of A23187, the penetration rate was lower (0.7 decondensed sperm
      heads/egg after 1 h) but increased with stimulation time. A similar picture was
      observed with sperm from patients taken for an IVF programme. For a pool of
      cryopreserved semen, the coefficient of variation of the penetration rate after
      stimulation with 2 microM A23187 for 1 h, expressed as decondensed sperm
      heads/egg, was 11% within and 20% between assays. There was no correlation
      between the outcome of the hamster egg penetration test and the percentage
      motility, velocity or lateral head displacement of the sperm measured after the
      same stimulation regime. However, in IVF patients the initial velocity and
      lateral head displacement of the sperm (zero time) were correlated with the best
      result from the hamster egg penetration test (r = 0.62 and 0.57 respectively). No
      motility changes characteristic of capacitation were detected. We conclude that
      stimulation with 2 microM A23187 (free acid) for 1 h prior to the addition of the
      zona free hamster eggs can produce a high penetration rate with fertile samples
      and provides a convenient and robust protocol for the assay. However, when
      carried out in this way the test does not assess the ability of the sperm to
      capacitate.

PMID- 1869317
TI  - Sperm count and motility influence the results of human fertilization in vitro.
AB  - In order to select sperm characteristics that can predict the outcome of in-vitro
      fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), semen samples delivered in conjunction
      with this treatment were studied carefully. We have analysed these data
      retrospectively in relation to the outcome of treatment. Ninety-one couples were
      treated for tubal infertility by IVF-ET. Fifteen women became pregnant. Sperm
      were isolated from semen using a swim-up technique and in most cases 40-80 x
      10(3) (range 20-120 x 10(3)) motile sperm per ovum were used for insemination.
      The couples were divided into three groups: group A who achieved pregnancies,
      group B who achieved cleaved ova but no pregnancies, and group C who achieved no
      ova that were cleaved 48 h after oocyte recovery. Comparisons between these
      groups showed that some characteristics of the native semen samples and the swim
      up preparations were significantly different: the sperm concentration (P = 0.001)
      and total sperm count (P = 0.003) in the native sample, the number of sperm
      recovered during 30 min of swim-up (P = 0.001), and the specific progressive
      motility of sperm in the swim-up preparation, both at the time of insemination
      and on each day, up to 5 days thereafter (P = 0.002-0.028). No pregnancy was
      achieved with a sperm concentration below 26 x 10(6) ml-1 in the native sample.
      Some of the sperm characteristics studied in this paper may be of value in the
      pretreatment evaluation for IVF treatment.

PMID- 1869316
TI  - Testicular steroidogenesis in X/X sex-reversed mice.
AB  - The sex-reversed X/X Sxr mouse is phenotypically male but lacks germ cells. This
      provides the opportunity to examine Leydig cell function in the absence of a
      normal germinal epithelium and without experimental manipulation of the testis.
      Serum testosterone was lower in Sxr males compared to normal (X/Y) males but
      there was no significant difference in intratesticular testosterone levels. Serum
      immunoactive and bioactive luteinizing hormone levels were not significantly
      different between the two groups. Injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin
      (hCG) increased intratesticular testosterone in Sxr males more than in normal
      males although there was no difference in serum testosterone levels. These
      differences in circulating and intratesticular testosterone levels may be related
      to reduced blood flow through the Sxr testis. Both basal and hCG-stimulated
      androgen production by whole testes in vitro were not significantly different
      between normal and Sxr males. Androgen production per Leydig cell, however, was
      significantly reduced in cells from Sxr males; this difference was apparent under
      basal conditions and following stimulation with hCG, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, 22R
      hydroxycholesterol or pregnenolone. Results show that in the absence of a normal
      germinal epithelium there is a decrease in the steroidogenic capacity of the
      Leydig cells although steroidogenesis by the whole testis is not impaired
      significantly.

PMID- 1869318
TI  - Successful treatment of infertility due to retrograde ejaculation by instillation
      of serum-containing medium into the bladder. A case report.
AB  - The treatment of infertility caused by retrograde ejaculation has often been
      ineffective. The unphysiological composition of the urine is the main reason
      complicating the recovery of motile sperm. We describe a case of retrograde
      ejaculation caused by a congenital defect of the internal sphinchter muscle of
      the urinary bladder. In this case, motile sperm were only recovered if the
      bladder had been filled previously with artificial culture medium (Ham's F-10)
      supplemented with the patient's own serum. Two pregnancies followed intrauterine
      insemination with sperm recovered in this way.

PMID- 1869319
TI  - Origin of the human seminal plasma motility inhibitor within the reproductive
      tract.
AB  - The origin of a human seminal-plasma sperm-motility inhibitor was investigated.
      Seminal vesicle and prostatic fluids, testes, epididymides, prostate and seminal
      vesicles were collected from young cadavers. The motility inhibitor, as measured
      by its capacity to block the motility of demembranated-reactivated sperm was
      present in significant amounts only in seminal vesicle fluid. The level of
      biological activity in this fluid was 13.6-fold higher than in seminal plasma.
      However, the concentration of motility inhibitor, as measured by ELISA, using an
      antibody generated against the motility inhibitor purified from human seminal
      plasma, was only 1.54-fold higher than in seminal plasma. The data suggest that
      the seminal plasma motility inhibitor originates from seminal vesicle fluid and
      that it is processed into a nine-fold less biologically active form when seminal
      vesicle fluid is mixed with other accessory gland secretions at ejaculation.

PMID- 1869320
TI  - Variation of semen quality in normal men.
AB  - To examine the amount of variability in semen analysis results and whether there
      is any effect of season, 673 specimens provided by seven normal, healthy men (61
      205 specimens/subject) over 72-324 weeks were assessed for sperm concentration,
      ejaculate volume, motility and motility index. Noticeable sample to sample
      variations were found. The largest proportion of the overall variance was due to
      within-subject differences, e.g., sperm concentration (54%), ejaculate volume
      (59%), percentage motility (96%) and motility index (74%). Although changes in
      semen-analysis results occurred over the year, no consistent trend was seen. No
      evidence was found to suggest that the differences were due to modifications of
      the methods employed by the laboratory, or to the change of season.

PMID- 1869321
TI  - Consequences of restenosis after coronary angioplasty.
AB  - The consequences of restenosis after angioplasty were evaluated in 466 patients
      who had coronary angiography 3 to 12 months after successful coronary angioplasty
      and were followed long term. The 236 subjects with restenosis resembled the 230
      without restenosis with respect to age, sex, presence of multivessel disease,
      mean ejection fraction, prior myocardial infarction, prior coronary artery bypass
      grafting, and completeness of revascularization. The 5-year relative risk of
      revascularization for patients with restenosis markedly exceeded that for
      patients without restenosis. The relative risk of repeat angioplasty in the
      former group was 4.26 times that in the latter group (95% confidence interval,
      2.80 to 6.51), and the risk of coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with
      restenosis was 3.68 (95% confidence interval, 2.16 to 6.28). There was no
      difference between the 2 groups in the relative risk of myocardial infarction or
      death. When the completeness of revascularization was considered, patients with
      incomplete revascularization and restenosis had the worst outcomes, with 50%
      needing coronary artery bypass grafting within 5 years. Early restenosis markedly
      increases the probability of revascularization, but it has little effect on
      infarction or mortality. Even when early restenosis is absent, further
      revascularization procedures are still frequent. A solution to the problem of
      restenosis might reduce by half the need for revascularization during the
      subsequent 5 years.

PMID- 1869322
TI  - The continuity equation tested in a bileaflet aortic prosthesis.
AB  - The continuity equation is valid for a population of aortic valves, but its
      accuracy in individual valves is uncertain. In bileaflet prostheses, obstruction
      to forward flow is small and individual variability in opening behaviour is
      minimal. In these valves, the area of the effective orifice should be close to
      that measured by the manufacturer. A total of 57 patients aged 58 +/- 11 years
      were studied at a mean of 3.6 months after implantation with a CarboMedics aortic
      prosthesis. Nine had additional implants in the mitral position and all
      prostheses were clinically normal. Peak subaortic and transaortic velocities were
      averaged over 5 beats. The area of the effective orifice was significantly
      different between the four diameters (P less than 0.00001), and the correlation
      between the effective and measured area of the orifice was moderate (rs = 0.73, P
      less than 0.00003). The 95% range for the differences between individual pairs of
      values, however, was 0.16 +/- 0.61 cm2. Discrepancies probably arose in the
      estimation of subaortic cross-sectional area and subaortic velocity. Thus, the
      continuity equation may be inaccurate in an individual prosthetic valve when
      functioning normally.

PMID- 1869323
TI  - Profile of coronary arterial disease in diabetic patients undergoing coronary
      arterial bypass grafting.
AB  - Diabetics are believed to have more extensive and diffuse lesions of the coronary
      arteries in presence of coronary arterial disease. We studied prospectively 52
      diabetics with coronary arterial disease who underwent coronary arterial bypass
      grafting and evaluated their pre-operative symptomatology, angiographic
      appearance of coronary arteries, coronary arterial dimensions as assessed at
      surgery, and the post-operative complications. These were compared to 52 age and
      sex matched non-diabetic controls undergoing surgery during the same period.
      There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of pre
      operative symptomatology or frequency of myocardial infarction in the two groups.
      Left ventricular angiographic findings were also comparable, as was the
      observation on the extent and severity of coronary arterial disease as assessed
      by angiography and at surgery. Hence, we recommend coronary arterial bypass
      grafting to diabetics with the same criteria as are applied to non-diabetics,
      confident that there will be no added morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1869325
TI  - Transoesophageal echocardiographic assessment of primum, secundum and sinus
      venosus atrial septal defects.
AB  - We compared the ability of transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography to
      determine the presence and site of an atrial septal defect and associated
      anomalous pulmonary venous connexions in 13 school age children (aged 5 to 15
      years) and 12 adults (aged 25 to 68 years). Transthoracic echocardiography
      detected atrial septal defects in 12 children and 6 adults. Transoesophageal
      echocardiography confirmed the position of 16 (13 secundum, 3 primum) of these 18
      defects but altered the diagnosis from a secundum defect to a sinus venosus
      defect in one and from a sinus venosus defect to a high secundum defect in
      another. In addition to these 18, transoesophageal echocardiography diagnosed a
      defect in 5 adults (3 secundum and 2 sinus venosus defects) and 1 child (secundum
      defect). In an adult with inconclusive transthoracic findings, transoesophageal
      echocardiography enabled clear visualisation of the atrial septum and excluded an
      atrial septal defect. Transoesophageal echocardiography showed anomalous
      attachment of a pulmonary vein into the region of a sinus venosus defect (n = 3)
      but did not show anomalous connexions to the superior caval vein (n = 3) or the
      inferior caval vein (n = 1). Transoesophageal echocardiography provides a
      reliable method of diagnosing or excluding an atrial septal defect in patients
      with inconclusive transthoracic findings and is of particular diagnostic value in
      sinus venosus defects.

PMID- 1869324
TI  - Long-term outcome for children with acute renal failure following cardiac
      surgery.
AB  - Acute renal failure requiring dialysis occurred in 34 children (2.9%) following
      cardiac surgery over a five year period. 17 children (50%) recovered renal
      function with 11 (32%) long-term survivors. The long-term outcome for the
      survivors, in terms of renal function, was studied from 1 to 5 years after their
      episodes of acute renal failure. Three children had significant abnormalities of
      renal function despite normal urinalysis. Detailed assessment of renal function
      is advocated for children who survive acute renal failure following cardiac
      surgery.

PMID- 1869326
TI  - Cerebral arteriovenous malformations in the neonate: clinical presentation,
      diagnosis and outcome.
AB  - We reviewed the diagnostic features and clinical outcome of 7 consecutive
      neonates who were diagnosed to have cerebral arteriovenous malformations. All
      presented with cardiac failure, and a cranial bruit was heard in 6/7 patients.
      There was electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial ischemia in 6 patients. The
      diagnosis was established at cardiac catheterization, or by cardiac and cranial
      ultrasound. Three patients died of heart failure before definitive treatment.
      Despite early intervention, three of the remaining four patients died either
      during or immediately after embolization or ligation of the fistula. A cerebral
      arteriovenous malformation is a rare cause of neonatal heart failure. Despite
      prompt recognition and aggressive treatment, the outlook for symptomatic neonates
      is poor.

PMID- 1869327
TI  - Paucity of risk factors in women with angina and normal coronary angiograms.
AB  - A significant proportion of women who undergo coronary arteriography for
      investigation of angina have normal coronary angiograms. We wanted to test the
      hypothesis that screening women with risk factors for coronary arterial disease
      would reduce the need for subjecting them to this invasive procedure. Comparisons
      were made between 100 women with normal coronary angiograms and 100 women with
      angiographic evidence of coronary arterial disease. Both groups had presented
      with angina and had undergone coronary angiography in 1985 or 1986. Women with
      angina and normal coronary angiograms had fewer risk factors than those with
      coronary arterial disease. They were younger (mean 49.0 and 55.9 years,
      respectively), had less severe angina on presentation (atypical or mild angina:
      35% vs 16%), were less likely to have a family history of myocardial infarction
      (12% vs 53%), were more likely to have never smoked cigarettes (64% vs 13%), and
      fewer of them had a serum cholesterol in excess of 6 mmol/l (36% vs 64%). Five
      independent predictors of coronary arterial disease were identified; family
      history, myocardial infarction, age, hypertension and smoking habit. No women
      with angina and abnormal coronary angiograms were found to be free of risk
      factors, whereas 42% of women with angina and normal coronary angiogram were free
      of risk factors. The data suggests that coronary angiography will probably be
      normal in women with angina who are free of risk factors.

PMID- 1869328
TI  - The use of associated propafenone in patients with amiodarone-resistant
      ventricular tachycardia.
AB  - To clarify the risk-benefit ratio involved in association of antiarrhythmic
      drugs, a combined therapy of amiodarone and propafenone was tested by means of
      continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, analysis of levels of the drug in the
      plasma and programmed electrical stimulation in a selected group of 10 patients
      who had left ventricular dysfunction and spontaneous relapses of sustained
      ventricular tachycardia despite treatment with amiodarone. Induction of sustained
      ventricular tachycardia, possible in each case during treatment with amiodarone,
      was suppressed after addition of propafenone in 2 patients (responders), who had
      the best ejection fractions of the entire group (greater than 45%). Worsening of
      spontaneous tachycardias developed in 4 cases during the combined therapy. These
      ventricular arrhythmias, although generally at a low rate, sometimes had the
      potential to degenerate into ventricular fibrillation and disappeared after both
      discontinuation of propafenone or increase of its dosage (1 patient). Of the six
      cases undergoing chronic combined treatment, only the responders to premature
      electrical stimulation were completely protected from recurrences of arrhythmia.
      Three cases, on the other hand, needed permanent endocardial pacing for
      symptomatic bradyarrhythmias. The combination of treatment with amiodarone and
      propafenone, although potentially useful in limiting dosages of and toxicity from
      amiodarone, is frequently associated with undesirable, and occasionally has
      severe, side-effects. The best candidates for this pharmacological association
      seem to be patients without severely depressed left ventricular function who have
      a greater probability of not presenting the inducibility of ventricular
      tachycardia after the addition of propafenone to the regimen for treatment.

PMID- 1869329
TI  - Levels of IgE in the serum of patients with coronary arterial disease.
AB  - Because previous studies have shown that mast cells can be activated by IgE
      mediated mechanisms to release potent mediators which affect coronary blood flow,
      we measured serum IgE levels in 156 patients with coronary arterial disease and
      in 53 healthy controls (27 men, 26 women, mean 54 years). Patients were
      classified into 3 groups according to well established criteria as having stable
      angina pectoris (28 men, 15 women, mean 58 years), unstable angina pectoris (37
      men, 15 women, mean 57 years), and acute myocardial infarction (52 men, 9 women,
      mean 58 years). In every subject, serum IgE measurement, eosinophil count, and
      stool examination for parasites were performed. Every subject was interviewed
      concerning history of allergy, smoking habits and the other risk factors for
      coronary arterial disease. In a model including the factors that may affect the
      serum levels of IgE (namely, age, sex, cigarette smoking, parasites, and family
      and personal history of allergy), IgE levels were found to be significantly
      higher in the patients with unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction
      compared to the patients with stable angina pectoris and controls. These data
      indicate that IgE may play a role in the pathogenesis of unstable angina pectoris
      and acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1869330
TI  - Prognostic significance of right ventricular ejection fraction following inferior
      myocardial infarction.
AB  - The prognostic significance of right ventricular ejection fraction, measured by
      radionuclide ventriculography, was assessed in 168 consecutive patients with
      inferior myocardial infarction. Right ventricular ejection fraction was 0.40 or
      less in 35 patients. Over a follow-up period of 40 months, there were 15 deaths
      in the total group of 168 patients, eight (23%) in the 35 with right ventricular
      ejection fraction of 0.40 or less, and seven (5%) in the remainder of the group.
      The one year survival of patients with right ventricular impairment (84 +/- 6%)
      was significantly worse (P less than 0.01) than those with a right ventricular
      ejection fraction over 0.40 (95 +/- 2%). A multivariate Cox model analysis showed
      age (P less than 0.001), left ventricular ejection fraction (P less than 0.01),
      and right ventricular ejection fraction (P less than 0.03) to be independent
      predictors of survival. Impaired right ventricular function is an adverse
      prognostic factor in patients with inferior infarction, particularly in those
      with impaired left ventricular function.

PMID- 1869331
TI  - Does Fourier phase shift correlate with conduction delay in bundle branch block?
AB  - Fourier analysis of radionuclide ventriculography is adept at qualitatively
      demonstrating interventricular conduction delay in bundle branch block. In this
      study of eighteen patients, there is a considerable individual variation when the
      phase delay is expressed as an absolute conduction delay (milliseconds). Much of
      this variability persists after curve representation by the Fourier function has
      been optimized. It is suggested that this variability is due to differences in
      the shape of the right and left ventricular time-activity curves, reflecting
      differences in contraction and relaxation in the two ventricles. Such differences
      may be more pronounced in some subjects than others. These results suggest that
      absolute conduction delay cannot be reliably achieved by this method.

PMID- 1869332
TI  - Value and limitations of transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring during
      percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy.
AB  - To determine the utility of transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring during
      percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy, we analyzed data from 40 consecutive
      patients who had been randomly assigned to undergo balloon mitral valvotomy under
      transesophageal echocardiographic guidance or without echo. All procedures were
      carried out under general anaesthesia. The completion rate (100% vs 73%), the
      procedure time (108 +/- 28 min vs 65 +/- 18 min), the X-ray exposure time (62 +/-
      13 vs 33 +/- 12 min), resulted significantly (P less than 0.001) more favorable
      in the echo-monitored patients. Moreover, a lower rate of major complications
      (cardiac tamponade, large residual atrial shunting, and severe mitral
      regurgitation) was noted in the echo-monitored patients. The achieved final area
      of the mitral valve did not differ significantly between the two groups. From an
      evaluation of results as a whole, 96% of the echo-monitored procedures were
      successful, whereas only 40% of the procedures conducted without
      echocardiographic control achieved a satisfactory final result in absence of
      major complications. We conclude that transesophageal echocardiography is a safe,
      effective, and valuable tool to monitor each step of balloon mitral valvotomy in
      order to shorten the time of the procedure, and to improve the results of this
      complex interventional catheterization technique.

PMID- 1869334
TI  - Myocardial infarction with ventricular aneurysm in a newborn with normal coronary
      arteries.
AB  - Myocardial infarction is very rare in a neonate with structurally normal coronary
      arteries. We report a case in which myocardial infarction was complicated by a
      left ventricular aneurysm in the setting of normal coronary arteries. There was
      an associated muscular ventricular septal defect. All defects were diagnosed by
      cross-sectional echocardiography, angiography and myocardial scintigraphy.

PMID- 1869333
TI  - The effect of acute hypoxia on right ventricular function in healthy adults.
AB  - Right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular volumes were derived in
      12 healthy male subjects using krypton-81m equilibrium radionuclide
      ventriculography whilst subjects breathed 30% (high inspired oxygen) and then 8
      12% oxygen in nitrogen mixture (hypoxia). 'Physiological' tricuspid valve
      regurgitation was identified in 7 of the subjects by Doppler echocardiography,
      and right ventricular peak systolic pressure was estimated during high inspired
      oxygen and during hypoxia. Mean right ventricular peak systolic pressure was 24.1
      +/- 3.3 mmHg during high inspired oxygen and increased to 41.3 +/- 8.4 mmHg
      during hypoxia (P less than 0.01). Mean right ventricular ejection fraction was
      0.612 +/- 0.075 during high inspired oxygen and was unchanged at 0.590 +/- 0.073
      during hypoxia. There was no significant change in right ventricular end
      diastolic volume or stroke volume in response to hypoxia. The systolic
      performance of the normal right ventricle is well-maintained during an acute rise
      in afterload induced by hypoxia.

PMID- 1869335
TI  - Aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva causing severe mitral regurgitation.
AB  - A 24-year-old male presented with exertional dyspnoea of one year's duration.
      Echocardiography revealed an unruptured aneurysm of the left sinus of Valsalva
      distorting the mitral valvar apparatus and producing severe regurgitation in the
      absence of myocardial ischemia or infarction. We propose an alternate mechanism
      for the mitral regurgitation.

PMID- 1869336
TI  - Mediastinal haematoma in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
AB  - A patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome presented acutely with clinical and
      radiological features suggestive of aortic dissection. Further investigations
      including computerised tomography and aortography showed mediastinal haematoma
      with no evidence of aortic dissection. He was treated conservatively with no
      complications. The typical clinical and radiological features are reviewed and an
      emphasis is made on accurate diagnosis to allow prompt, appropriate management.

PMID- 1869337
TI  - Aortopulmonary window with aortic origin of the right pulmonary artery.
AB  - Cross-sectional Doppler echocardiographic diagnosis of an aortopulmonary window
      with type B interrupted aortic arch, and anomalous origin of the right pulmonary
      artery from the ascending aorta was made in a 15-day-old neonate. This is the
      first known reported case of surgical repair for this rare association based on
      prospective echocardiographic diagnosis alone.

PMID- 1869338
TI  - Endocarditis due to Salmonella Dublinae.
AB  - We describe, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case of
      endocarditis due to Salmonella Dublinae, which occurred in a patient with
      surgically corrected congenital heart disease. The diagnosis was established from
      positive blood cultures and echocardiography, and the patient was treated by
      intravenous antibiotic therapy with clinical success at six months follow up. The
      diagnosis and its implications for management are discussed, together with a
      review of previously reported cases of endocarditis caused by the Salmonella
      group of organisms.

PMID- 1869339
TI  - Simultaneous occurrence of the MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase and macro creatine
      kinase type 1 in a patient with acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - When the immunoinhibition method is used for differentiation of isoenzymes of
      creatine kinase, the simultaneous occurrence of the MB isoenzyme and variants of
      macro creatine kinase may lead to misinterpretation in the diagnosis of acute
      myocardial infarction. We describe the case of an elderly woman in whom the MB
      isoenzyme and the type 1 variant of macro creatine kinase were found
      simultaneously in her serum after acute myocardial infarction. It proved possible
      to identify the MB isoenzyme rapidly using a fast enzymeimmunoassay.

PMID- 1869340
TI  - Intra-myocardial haemorrhage following recanalisation of a venous coronary
      arterial bypass by balloon angioplasty.
AB  - We report the case of a patient presenting an intra-myocardial hematoma after
      recanalisation of a saphenous aorto-right coronary arterial bypass graft
      implanted 10 years previously after posterior myocardial infarction. The intra
      myocardial hematoma occurred immediately after recanalisation of the graft and
      was complicated by transient complete atrio-ventricular block. An acute increase
      of coronary capillary perfusion pressure may cause intramyocardial bleeding when
      capillary permeability is altered by prolonged ischemia or necrosis. In this case
      the resulting hematoma was limited to the segment of left ventricular wall
      affected by the previous necrosis and there was no further myocardial damage.

PMID- 1869341
TI  - An unusual form of horseshoe lung with hypoplasia of the right pulmonary artery.
AB  - The occurrence of horseshoe malformation of the lungs is very rare, especially in
      association with anomalies of the pulmonary arteries such as a pulmonary sling.
      We describe a case which, as far as we know, is the first example of this
      association.

PMID- 1869342
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of oral cefatrizine in patients with impaired renal function.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of cefatrizine was studied in 15 patients with various
      degrees of renal impairment, after single oral administration of 500 mg.
      Cefatrizine elimination was reduced in parallel to renal function, as indicated
      by the significant correlations between apparent clearance (Cl/F) and creatinine
      clearance (Clcr), and between renal clearance (Clr) and creatinine clearance
      (Clcr). In patients with totally impaired renal function, the residual clearance
      (Cl/F) was 63 ml.min-1 per 1.73 m2. Comparisons with previously published data
      indicate that the apparent volume of distribution (V/F) of cefatrizine was lower
      in patients with impaired renal function than in young healthy volunteers,
      leading to increased peak concentrations (Cmax), but there was no relationship
      between V/F and Clcr. In patients with totally impaired renal function, the upper
      limit of cefatrizine elimination half-life was estimated to 5.5 h. The clinical
      significance of pharmacokinetic modifications observed in renal disease patients
      may only be realized through integration of pharmacodynamic characteristics of
      cefatrizine. The observed increase in Cmax and the lengthening of t1/2 could
      suggest a reduction of dosing frequency in patients with severe renal impairment.

PMID- 1869343
TI  - Antitussive effects of diphenhydramine on the citric acid aerosol-induced cough
      response in humans.
AB  - This controlled crossover study in twenty healthy volunteer subjects utilized the
      citric acid aerosol-induced cough response as a means to demonstrate the
      effectiveness of 25 mg of diphenhydramine as an antitussive. Entry was limited to
      only those subjects who manifested a consistent, quantitatively definable
      response to a 5% citric acid challenge. Subjects were initially dosed with either
      a placebo vehicle or 25 mg diphenhydramine in a 10 ml formulation. Following drug
      ingestion, subjects were challenged at 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 240 minutes.
      Three days later, subjects were administered the alternate treatment and
      rechallenged at the same time points. Diphenhydramine was effective at the
      earliest time point assessed, 15 minutes, and continued to be as effective over
      the entire 4-hour duration of the test period. For the placebo vehicle, the mean
      cough counts did not change significantly from baseline. Neither the putative
      soothing effect of a liquid formulation nor accommodation to the citric acid
      spray can account for all the early and consistently significant activity of
      diphenhydramine in suppressing the cough response. The early onset of activity of
      diphenhydramine may be due to its local anesthetic properties or may indicate
      that the dose of diphenhydramine required for effective antitussive activity is
      lower than that required for effective antihistaminic activity. These results
      require further corroboration in direct comparisons of various doses of
      diphenhydramine with positive controls in both this model and clinical cough
      counting models employing pathologic cough indices. A 25 mg dose of
      diphenhydramine appears to be effective as an antitussive agent.

PMID- 1869344
TI  - The influence of choline ascorbate on the blood levels of ascorbic acid in
      humans.
AB  - Our study has clearly shown that the oral administration of choline ascorbate,
      which contains approximately 500 mg of ascorbic acid to the volunteers causes an
      increase in the blood levels of ascorbic acid. This increase is statistically
      significant (p less than 0.01) compared with the basal level each time. In the
      control group, vitamin C tablet also causes an increase in the blood level of
      ascorbic acid. However, this increase is less than that of the test group. Our
      results indicate that ascorbic acid, as a part of choline ascorbate molecule,
      reaches the blood circulation without losing its activity.

PMID- 1869345
TI  - The importance of pharmacokinetic data on sulpiride: results of a bioequivalence
      study of two sulpiride 200 mg preparations following oral administration.
AB  - In a within-subject comparative trial in 16 healthy volunteers, the
      bioequivalence of two sulpiride 200 mg preparations was tested using a model-free
      method of calculation as well as assuming 2- and 3-compartment models. As to AUC
      act., AUC inf. and Cmax, the test preparation was shown to be significantly
      superior. Some other differences were found depending on which calculation method
      was used. The Cmax of the test preparation showed therapeutically relevant plasma
      concentrations of greater than 400 ng/ml, compared with about 300 ng/ml for the
      reference preparation. Based upon the raw data obtained, it was the aim of this
      study to gain further knowledge about other kinetic parameters on which only few
      data is available. T1/2 beta, clearance, volume of distribution and MRT were
      calculated using 2- and 3-compartment models. Comparisons with literature data
      were made and it resulted that a better description of the sulpiride kinetics was
      obtained when a 3-compartment model was used. Finally, the course of the plasma
      level was calculated by computer extrapolation assuming a thrice daily
      administration of sulpiride 200 mg. As a result, steady-state is reached after 3
      4 days showing plasma concentrations around 650 ng (reference preparation) and
      850 ng (test preparation).

PMID- 1869346
TI  - Blood binding of selezen (imidazole salicylate) in man.
AB  - The interactions of selezen (imidazole salicylate) with human blood components
      were studied by equilibrium dialysis. These interactions were limited to the
      binding of salicylate to human serum albumin (HSA). The binding was saturable and
      involved several classes of binding sites with different association constants. A
      competition study indicated that salicylic acid at high concentration was able to
      displace warfarin and digitoxin but not glibenclamide from their HSA sites. On
      the other hand, selezen serum binding was decreased in renal impaired patients
      and this result was probably linked to the decreases in HSA concentration. So the
      use of small dosage regimens of selezen to these patients can be proposed. The
      same recommendation may be done for cirrhotic patients, where the decrease of
      selezen binding percentage was observed and due to both hypoalbuminemia and
      hyperbilirubinemia.

PMID- 1869348
TI  - The Bancroft-Mackerras Medal of the Australian Society for Parasitology.

PMID- 1869347
TI  - Points in question. Genetic diversity in Echinococcus granulosus--a reply to
      McManus.

PMID- 1869349
TI  - Towards a synthetic Babesia vaccine.

PMID- 1869350
TI  - Parasitic zoonoses in perspective.

PMID- 1869351
TI  - Immunodiagnosis of angiostrongyliasis with monoclonal antibodies recognizing a
      circulating antigen of mol. wt 91,000 from Angiostrongylus cantonensis.
AB  - In the analysis of excretory-secretory (ES) antigens from infective third-stage
      larvae (L3) of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, one major component of mol.wt 91,000
      was not precipitated by pooled sera of patients with eosinophilic
      meningoencephalitis. Monoclonal antibodies (Mc Ab) secreted from two hybridoma
      cell lines, established against somatic antigens of L3, recognized this molecule
      but with different epitope specificities indicated by an additivity index (A.I.)
      of 83%. The 2 Mc Ab (TD2 and 3A5) belonged to IgG2a and IgM classes,
      respectively. Combinations of TD2 and 3A5 were used in a sensitive enzyme-linked
      fluorescent assay (ELFA) for the immunodiagnosis of human angiostrongyliasis. The
      double-antibody sandwich ELFA method was applied firstly to sera from
      experimentally infected rats using either TD2 or 3A5 to coat the assay plates.
      Two fluorescence unit (F.U.) peaks appeared in sera from infected rats collected
      18 and 44 days after infection. Specimens from 35 patients were tested, all
      cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) and most sera (88%) showed positive reactions and the
      average F.U. of CSF was greater than that of serum.

PMID- 1869352
TI  - The use of electroblotted antigens of Trichostrongylus colubriformis to induce
      proliferative responses in sensitized lymphocytes from sheep.
AB  - Merino sheep were immunized against the intestinal nematode, T. colubriformis, by
      repeated infections, and proliferative responses of their peripheral blood
      lymphocytes (PBL) against parasite extracts and excretory-secretory (ES) antigens
      were monitored over 130 days. Maximal responses occurred 7-14 days after
      challenge. The ability of soluble proteins and parasite antigens to induce
      proliferation was compared with that of antigen-bearing particles obtained after
      antigen was adsorbed onto nitrocellulose. Blank particles increased c.p.m. two-
      to three-fold above that obtained in medium alone, and to elicit proliferative
      responses of comparable magnitude between 10 and 100 times more antigen was
      required when antigen-bearing particles were used instead of soluble extracts or
      defined proteins. Blood leucocytes as well as T-cell lines established by
      stimulation with parasite antigens in vitro reacted to moieties of from 5000 to
      38,000 mol. wt in ES antigens on nitrocellulose particles. Direct comparisons of
      T-lymphocyte responses with antibody responses as assessed by immunoblots
      revealed different profiles of immunogenicity among ES proteins within individual
      sheep, but the 10,000, 30,000 and 75,000-90,000 mol. wt proteins were
      immunodominant. These proteins were also those consistently recognized by T
      lymphocytes and sera from sheep immunized with ES proteins in adjuvant. Thus,
      this technique can be applied to identify parasite material which is immunogenic
      for T-lymphocytes, but the sensitivity of the procedure in sheep is less than
      reported in human studies.

PMID- 1869353
TI  - Host-parasite interface of the urinary bladder-inhabiting nematode Trichosomoides
      crassicauda: changes induced in the urothelium of infected rats.
AB  - The urinary bladders of rats infected with Trichosomoides crassicauda were
      studied by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The bladder
      epithelium of infected rats showed a diffuse, mild, flat hyperplasia, four to six
      cells thick. The anterior parts of adult female worms were embedded in tunnels
      within the hyperplastic epithelium with the posterior portions of the parasites
      lying free in the bladder lumen. The hyperplastic epithelial cells forming the
      inner layer of the tunnel wall, adjacent to the parasite, showed degenerative
      changes. These cells contained single or multiple pycnotic nuclei. Their
      cytoplasm was fibro-granular in appearance, with few distinct organelles, and the
      luminal surfaces of the cells were not limited by plasma membranes. Small numbers
      of granular cells, similar in appearance to mast cells, were seen in, and
      possibly crossing, the epithelium. There was no infection-related increase in the
      number or type of inflammatory cells in the lamina propria. Questions of interest
      emerging from this study relate to the nutrition of an adult nematode occupying
      an intra-epithelial location, and the absence of a significant chronic
      inflammatory response to the mature worm. It is suggested that the avascular
      hyperplastic epithelium of the bladder is an immunologically 'protected site' for
      the mature female T. crassicauda.

PMID- 1869354
TI  - Genetic evidence for three species within Pseudoterranova decipiens (Nematoda,
      Ascaridida, Ascaridoidea) in the North Atlantic and Norwegian and Barents Seas.
AB  - Genetic variation of 1017 specimens of codworm, Pseudoterranova decipiens,
      collected from fish and seals at 23 sampling locations in the North Atlantic and
      Norwegian and Barents Seas, was analysed on the basis of 16 enzyme loci. Three
      reproductively isolated species, provisionally designated P. decipiens A, B and
      C, were detected, showing distinct alleles at the following loci: Mdh-1, 6Pgdh,
      Np, Pgm, Est-2 (between species A and B); Mdh-3, 6Pgdh, Np, Sod-1, Adk, Pgm, Est
      2, Mpi (between A and C); Mdh-1, Mdh-3, Sod-1, Adk, Pgm, Est-2, Mpi (between B
      and C). One F1 hybrid was observed between P. decipiens A and B, but this
      apparently does not lead to any gene exchange between the two species, which do
      not show any evidence of introgression. No hybrids or introgressed individuals
      were observed between P. decipiens C and either A or B. Genetic distances among
      conspecific populations were low (average Nei's D 0.001-0.005), even though they
      were collected thousands of kilometres apart, indicating high levels of gene flow
      within each of the three species. The values of Nei's index D were 0.44 between
      P. decipiens A and B, 0.57 between B and C, and 0.79 between A and C. Estimated
      evolutionary divergence times, using Nei's formula, range from 2 to 4 million
      years. Differences between P. decipiens A, B and C were also found with respect
      to genetic variability, morphology, geographical distribution and hosts. Mean
      heterozygosity values of 0.08, 0.05 and 0.02 were obtained for P. decipiens A, B
      and C, respectively. Preliminary morphological examination of adult males,
      previously identified by multilocus electrophoresis, revealed differences in the
      relative size and pattern of caudal papillae. P. decipiens B is widespread in the
      study area, whereas P. decipiens A was found only in the North-East Atlantic and
      Norwegian Sea. In this area P. decipiens A is most common in the grey seal,
      Halichoerus grypus, while the common seal, Phoca vitulina, is the main host for
      P. decipiens B. In Canadian Atlantic waters, where P. decipiens A is apparently
      absent, P. decipiens B infects both grey and common seals; a few specimens were
      also found in the hooded seal, Cystophora cristata. The only definitive host so
      far identified for P. decipiens C is the bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus; P.
      decipiens C appears to be widespread, occurring in both the North-West Atlantic
      and Barents Sea.

PMID- 1869355
TI  - Lack of correlation between red cell invasion by merozoites and anti-heat shock
      protein-70 antibody levels in malaria patients' sera.
AB  - A total of 172 sera samples were collected from individuals who were living in
      Piyawli-Jaitwarpur village in Ghaziabad district (U.P.), India. They had suffered
      from falciparum malaria attack, and were cured with antimalarial drugs 1-2 weeks
      prior to sample collection. These samples were divided into nine groups according
      to their age. The pooled sera from each group were tested for the presence of
      anti-schizont and anti-heat shock protein (hsp)-70 antibodies, as well as for
      parasite growth inhibition in vitro. All sera samples showed significant levels
      of antibodies against schizont antigens and these levels increased with age. The
      sera also contained anti-hsp-70 antibodies but at lower levels and did not follow
      the same age-related pattern as seen with schizont antibodies. The sera from each
      group significantly inhibited merozoite invasion in vitro. However the same was
      not true for other blood stage parasites; the 2-15 years age group sera did not
      show significant growth inhibition of rings, trophozoites and schizonts. No
      correlation was observed between anti-hsp-70 antibody levels and inhibition of
      merozoite invasion. It is therefore concluded that the antibodies preventing the
      merozoite invasion could be other than anti-hsp-70 antibodies. The candidature of
      hsp-70 for P. falciparum malaria vaccine thus needs to be re-evaluated.

PMID- 1869356
TI  - Identification of a putative eggshell precursor protein of the female Schistosoma
      japonicum.
AB  - In adult worms of Schistosoma japonicum, a prominent radiolabelled female
      specific protein (34 kDa) was demonstrated on fluorography of SDS gels with the
      pulse incorporation of 14C-tyrosine in vitro, though it was difficult to detect
      major female-specific proteins by direct staining methods. This female-specific
      protein was demonstrated to localize exclusively in the vitelline cells by
      indirect immunofluorescence using the rabbit anti-34 kDa female protein
      antiserum. It was shown that 14C-tyrosine was selectively incorporated into the
      vitelline cells by the pulse labelled autoradiographs. Two days after the
      exposure of worms to radio-tyrosine, the shells of eggs in the uterus were
      demonstrated to have become radioactive, indicating that 14C-tyrosine-labelled
      protein was used as a material for the eggshell. In the fluorograph of proteins
      extracted from newly laid eggs in vitro, the prominent band was not found at the
      34 kDa region, but a lot of radioactivity appeared at higher than 100 kDa. The
      results suggested that a 34 kDa female protein was a precursor of the eggshell
      and became a much larger protein molecule as a result of cross-linking during
      eggshell hardening.

PMID- 1869357
TI  - An established cell line of larval Echinococcus multilocularis.
AB  - A cell line of larval Echinococcus multilocularis has been established from an
      echinococcal cyst excised surgically from a patient with alveolar hydatid
      disease. A standardized procedure established for the preparation and
      continuation of primary cultures was applied to isolate the E. multilocularis
      cells from the tissue fragments. Trypsin was used for the enzymatic release of
      the monodispersed cells from the tissue fragments and for dispersing monolayers.
      The culture medium was RPMI 1640 with 10% fetal calf serum. Cell supports were
      collagen-coated plastic dishes and flasks. The morphological features of the
      cultured cells showed spindle-like cells during the first few subcultures, and
      then polygonal or star-like cells. Population doubling time at passage 34 was
      approximately 23 h and plating efficiency at the same passage was 15%. Chromosome
      numbers obtained from 70 metaphase plates at passage 40 ranged between 14 and 104
      and cells with 91-100 chromosomes were clearly predominant. The chromosomes could
      be morphologically classified into telocentric, subtelocentric, and metacentric
      types. Over 90% of the chromosomes were of the telocentric type. Cells collected
      at passage 57 were intraperitoneally inoculated into two cotton rats (Sigmodon
      hispidus) at a cell concentration of 10(7) and the rats were sacrificed 100 days
      later. It was found that the two rats had echinococcal cyst masses in the
      peritoneal cavity. This result indicates that our isolated cells are germinal
      cells with ability to differentiate into cystic structures in vivo.

PMID- 1869358
TI  - Hymenolepis nana: immunity against oncosphere challenge in mice previously given
      viable or non-viable oncospheres of H. nana, H. diminuta, H. microstoma and
      Taenia taeniaeformis.
AB  - When mice, previously given oral inoculation with viable oncospheres of the
      heterologous cestode species (Hymenolepis diminuta, H. microstoma, Taenia
      taeniaeformis) and the homologous one (H. nana), were challenged with oncospheres
      of H. nana 4 days after the primary inoculation, they showed strong and complete
      resistance to H. nana challenge, respectively. However, the resistance was not
      evoked in mice given either infective eggs of Toxocara canis or non-viable
      oncospheres of all cestode species examined. Congenitally athymic nude mice given
      viable oncospheres did not show any resistance to H. nana either. Eosinophil
      infiltration around cysticercoids of H. nana in the intestinal villi appeared to
      be more prominent in mice previously given viable oncospheres of H. diminuta than
      in mice given non-viable oncospheres or PBS only. Some of the eosinophils in the
      villus harboring cysticercoid(s) of H. nana invaded the epithelia in the former,
      whereas all eosinophils remained in the lamina propria in the latter. There was
      almost no eosinophil infiltration in nude mice. Microscopic observations revealed
      that oncospheres of H. diminuta, which require beetles as the intermediate host
      like H. microstoma, could invade the mouse intestinal tissue. Therefore, it is
      strongly suggested that the strong cross resistance to H. nana in mice, induced
      by oncospheres of all heterologous cestode species, is thymus-dependent and due
      to oncospheral invasion into the intestinal tissue of mice.

PMID- 1869359
TI  - The distribution of lice (Phthiraptera) on poultry (Gallus domesticus).
AB  - The distribution of three amblyceran (Menacanthus stramineus, Menacanthus
      cornutus, Menopon gallinae) and five ischnoceran species (Lipeurus lawrensis
      tropicalis, Lipeurus caponis. Goniocotes gallinae, Goniodes gigas, Goniodes
      dissimilis) on poultry was determined. The preferred sites of these species on
      the host body were recorded.

PMID- 1869360
TI  - Antibody responses against natural Taenia hydatigena infection in dogs in Kenya.
AB  - Antibody responses (IgG) against Taenia hydatigena infection in dogs in Kenya
      were analysed in ELISA using excretory/secretory products of T. hydatigena
      scoleces derived from goat cysticercus cysts. Helminth infections of individual
      dogs were confirmed at autopsy. T. hydatigena worms were found in 89.5% of 143
      dogs, and positive anti-T. hydatigena antibody levels were detected in 58.7% of
      infected dogs. Positive antiscolex antibody levels were detected in 40.0% of
      Turkana dogs uninfected with T. hydatigena, suggesting previous infection.
      Antibody was not detected in 34.4% of infected dogs. There was no relationship
      between individual T. hydatigena worm burdens and absorbance values for sera in
      ELISA. It was not possible to distinguish between sera from T. hydatigena
      infected and uninfected dogs.

PMID- 1869361
TI  - The expulsion of Echinostoma trivolvis and retention of Echinostoma caproni in
      the ICR mouse: pathological effects.
AB  - The infectivity and distribution of Echinostoma trivolvis were studied in female
      ICR mice each infected with 25 metacercarial cysts. At 7 and 10 days post
      exposure worm recoveries were 58.8 and 58.4%, respectively. Worm recovery
      declined to 38.2% by day 14, to 6.4% by day 21, and 0% by day 28. The
      distribution of the parasites demonstrated an anteriad shift over time.
      Comparative histopathological studies were carried out on E. trivolvis and
      Echinostoma caproni in the mouse. Compared to control and E. trivolvis-infected
      intestine, mouse intestine infected with E. caproni showed marked dilation and
      villous atrophy. E. trivolvis-infected intestine showed a nearly two-fold
      increase in goblet cells compared to control intestine, whereas the intestine of
      E. caproni-infected mice showed almost complete goblet cell loss. Additionally,
      there was a marked increase in collagen in the intestinal musculature of the mice
      infected with E. trivolvis compared to control and E. caproni-infected mice.

PMID- 1869363
TI  - Tick resistance in mast cell-deficient mice: histological studies.
AB  - Mast cell-deficient W/Wv mice and their mast cell-sufficient +/+ genetic controls
      were allowed to undergo three successive infestations with Dermacentor variabilis
      larvae. Histological examination of the skin of infected mice revealed large
      dermal accumulations of eosinophils and smaller numbers of neutrophils. The
      numbers of both eosinophils and neutrophils increased significantly in W/Wv and
      +/+ mice during secondary and tertiary infestations. Mast cell numbers were also
      found to increase in the skin of +/+ mice during tertiary infestations.
      Resistance, as measured by decreased larval engorged weights on day 5 of each
      infestation, was acquired by both strains of mice.

PMID- 1869362
TI  - The life cycle of Echinochasmus bagulai (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae).
AB  - The life history of Echinochasmus bagulai, an echinostomatid trematode in birds,
      is reported and stages in the life cycle are described. Natural infections with
      cercariae, which are of the gymnocephalous type, were found in the thiarid snail
      Thiara tuberculata. Metacercarial cysts were found in the gills of Aplocheilus
      panchax, Oryzias melastigma, Gambusia affinis and Channa punctata. Adults were
      obtained in the small intestine of Ardeola grayi. In laboratory experiements
      development of cercariae into infective metacercariae took 10 days in the gills
      of A. panchax. Mature flukes were recovered in 10 days in the small intestine of
      experimentally infected 1-day-old leghorn chicks. The eggs collected from the
      faeces of these infected chicks were incubated at 39 degrees C. The free-swimming
      miracidia were found on the fifth day of incubation.

PMID- 1869364
TI  - Poor efficacy of albendazole for the treatment of human taeniasis.
AB  - In order to evaluate the efficacy of albendazole for the treatment of taeniasis,
      regimens of 400 mg x 1 day, 800 mg x 2 days, 800 mg x 3 days, 1200 mg x 2 days,
      and 1200 mg x 3 days were compared. Of 66 cases treated and investigated 7-14
      days after treatment, 52 were still expelling proglottids. Three months
      posttreatment, these cases were re-treated with atabrine at 1.2 g per case for
      males and 1.0 g per case for females. Fifty-seven patients expelled worms or
      parts of tapeworms. The nine negatives may represent the number cured by the
      treatment with albendazole. The cure rates with albendazole for various regimens
      were up to 50% for 800 mg x 3 days, 1200 mg x 2 days or 1200 mg x 3 days, 14.3%
      for 800 mg x 2 days, and 0% for 400 mg x 1 day or 800 mg x 1 day. This study
      shows that albendazole is not very effective in the treatment for taeniasis.

PMID- 1869365
TI  - Relationships between clinical protection and antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum
      RESA (ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen) peptides.
AB  - A longitudinal study involving 76 individuals living in Dafinso and Vallee du Kou
      (near Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, West Africa) was performed in June 1987
      (beginning of the transmission period), August-September 1987 (during) and
      January 1988 (after). The serological antibody (Ab) responses against synthetic
      peptides representing repeat amino acid sequences of the P. falciparum Ring
      Infected Erythrocyte Surface Antigen (RESA): (EENV)5, (EENVEHDA)4, (DDEHVEEPTVA)2
      were evaluated by ELISA. The clinical longitudinal study during the transmission
      period allowed us to define three different groups in terms of age and occurrence
      of clinical malarial attack (greater than 5000 parasites mm-3 of blood and
      axillary fever greater than 37.7 degrees C). Levels (A620) of Ab to (EENVEHDA)4
      and (DDEHVEEPTVA)2 were correlated with age. The adult group (III) had the
      highest prevalences of Ab to RESA peptides. No significant difference was found
      between groups of children with or without malaria attack. Nevertheless, at the
      beginning of the transmission period, children who had at least one malaria
      attack during the study presented the lowest level of antibodies to RESA
      peptides.

PMID- 1869366
TI  - Characteristics of a leucine aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase from
      Tritrichomonas augusta.
AB  - This study has investigated the characteristics of a leucine aminoacyl transfer
      RNA synthetase enzyme from Tritrichomonas augusta. Differential centrifugation
      and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography were used for partial enzyme
      purification. The column purification increased the synthetase activity 125-fold
      over the unfractionated cell extract. The conditions for maximum [3H] leucine
      charging were 37 degrees C for 20 min, with protein at 180 micrograms ml-1 using
      yeast leucine tRNA as an acceptor. The optimal reaction conditions were 14 mM-Mg
      acetate, 3 mM-ATP, 3 mM-spermidine and 5.5 mM-putrescine. Acceptor activity with
      T. augusta transfer RNA was 8-fold higher than with yeast transfer RNA and 25
      fold higher than with Escherichia coli transfer RNA. The partially purified
      enzyme fraction had comparable changing activities for both leucine and valine.

PMID- 1869367
TI  - Glyco-tuftsin derivatives modulate interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor
      production.
AB  - Six Thr1 (O-glyco)-derivatives of the "phagocytosis stimulating peptide" tuftsin,
      H-Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-OH and the N-glycosylated undecapeptide H-Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Glu
      Gln-Gln-Tyr-Asn(beta-D-GlcNAc)-Ser-Thr-OH, which correspond to the "tuftsin
      region" at the Fc-domain of immunoglobulin G (amino acid residues 289-299), were
      evaluated in comparison with tuftsin and rigin, H-Gly-Gln-Pro-Arg-OH, for their
      capacity to evoke the release of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor from
      mouse peritoneal macrophages and from human monocytes. Several glycosylated
      tuftsin derivatives were found to modulate, in a rather dose-dependent manner,
      the release of the two cytokines from both cell types.

PMID- 1869368
TI  - Structure and conformation of peptides containing the sulphonamide junction. III.
      Synthesis, crystal and molecular structure of a taurine containing peptidic oxa
      cyclol.
AB  - The insertion of the (S)-lactyl residue into the cyclodipeptide cyclo (-Tau-Pro-)
      3 leads in good yields to the first example of a stable tetrahedral adduct (oxa
      cyclol) 5 containing the sulphonamide junction. Compound 5 does not show a
      significant tendency towards tautomeric equilibria and possesses an unexpected
      syn-orientation involving the hydroxyl group and the Pro-H alpha. The crystal
      structure and molecular conformation of 5 has been determined. Crystals are
      orthorhombic, s.g. P2(1)2(1)2(1), with a = 6.607, b = 12.297, c = 16.622 A. The
      cisoidal conformation around the S-N bond is very similar to that found in the
      previously studied linear and cyclic peptides containing a sulphonamide junction.
      The taurine nitrogen is practically planar whereas the proline nitrogen, bound to
      the SO2 group, is highly pyramidal. In the tricyclic system of 5 the seven
      membered ring adopts a twist-chair conformation while the pyrrolidine and
      oxazolidinone rings show an envelope conformation. The crystal packing is
      characterized by three hydrogen bonds all formed by means of a water molecule.

PMID- 1869369
TI  - Solution conformation of endothelin-1 by 1H NMR, CD, and molecular modeling.
AB  - The solution conformation of Endothelin-1, a recently discovered bicyclic, 21
      amino acid peptide, has been examined by 1H NMR in deuterated dimethylsulphoxide
      and circular dichroism in aqueous and organic solvents. A total of 158 NOEs were
      detected, which were used as distance constraints in the distance geometry
      program DISGEO. Two families of structures were obtained, both characterized by a
      helix-like region extending from Lys9 to Cys15, but with opposite "handedness".
      Circular dichroism studies of the peptide in both aqueous and trifluoroethanol
      solutions show a negative shoulder at 224 nm, characteristic of right-handed
      helices. Molecular dynamics and energy minimization yielded a solution structure
      for this new peptide compatible with all experimental observations.

PMID- 1869370
TI  - Conformational mimicry. II. An obligatory cis amide bond in a small linear
      peptide.
AB  - The structure of Z-Pro psi [CN4]-Ala-OBzl has been determined by X-ray
      crystallographic techniques. The structure crystallizes in space group P2(1) with
      cell constants a = 22.176(3) A, b = 6.141(1)A, c = 8.275(1) A, beta = 98.31(1),
      and Z = 2. The structure has been refined to a residual of 0.038 for 2538
      independent data. The amide bond between the prolyl and alanyl residues is cis, a
      result of the presence of the tetrazole ring system, as is the urethane bond
      linking the benzyloxycarbonyl and the prolyl groups. A comparison of the
      structures in this study to other structures containing cis amide bonds shows
      that the tetrazole ring system, when incorporated into peptides, mimics a cis
      amide bond. Changes in the distance between the alpha-carbons adjacent to the
      tetrazole rings in the linear peptide as compared with the bicyclic
      diketopiperazine required a reassessment of the conformational mimicry with the
      cis amide bond.

PMID- 1869371
TI  - Biologically active conformations of thymopentin. Studies with conformationally
      restricted analogs.
AB  - Four cyclic analogs of thymopentin were synthesized and evaluated for biological
      activity on the human T cell line CEM. Three of these conformationally restricted
      analogs were biologically active. The one analog which most closely mimicked the
      conformation predicted from NMR and theoretical energy minimization calculations
      proved to be inactive. These studies establish that the biologically active
      conformations of thymopentin differ from the most probable conformation predicted
      from solution NMR and theoretical energy minimization studies.

PMID- 1869372
TI  - Conformational change that accompanies pepsinogen activation observed in real
      time by fluorescence energy transfer.
AB  - Pig pepsinogen has been reacted with N-carboxymethylisatoic anhydride to form N
      carboxymethyl-anthraniloyl-(CMA-) pepsinogen, derivatized at Lysp18, Lysp23,
      Lysp27, Lysp30, and Lys320. Conformational change associated with activation was
      detected by following energy transfer from tryptophan residues of the pepsin
      moiety, excited at 295 nm, to CMA groups, monitored by emission above 415 nm.
      Efficiency of this energy transfer is a measure of conformational change. For
      this zymogen derivative the change in efficiency occurs with a first order rate
      constant of 0.041 s-1 at pH 2.4, 22 degrees, which equals the rate at which,
      following acidification, alkali-stable potential activity becomes alkali-labile.
      For the native zymogen the rate of this conversion had been shown to be identical
      to the rate of cleavage of the scissile bond of pepsinogen. Therefore, the
      correspondence in this derivative of the rates of conversion to alkali lability
      and change in energy transfer demonstrates that a conformational change
      accompanies the peptide bond cleavage of activation.

PMID- 1869373
TI  - What is an 'otitis-prone' child?
AB  - The present report concerns a random sample of 2512 children monitored for acute
      otitis media up to the age of two years. The criteria given by previous surveys
      classified from 1.8 to 41.2% of the population as 'otitis-prone', at a mean age
      varying between 13.4 and 18.8 months. A criterion of at least 4 episodes of acute
      otitis media during the next 9 months with a 30-day borderline between two
      distinct episodes yielded 273 children (10.8% of the population) with an
      acceptable mean age of 15 months. Early onset of acute otitis media was only a
      weak predictor of susceptibility in either the individual child or the whole
      population, the sensitivity levels and predictive values being too low for
      accurate prediction.

PMID- 1869374
TI  - Radial versus circumferential incision in myringotomy and tube placement.
AB  - Pressure equalization tubes are a well-recognized treatment for persistent otitis
      media with effusion and recurrent acute otitis media. Ideally, the tube should
      remain in place until the Eustachian tube function returns. Efforts to improve
      the functional life expectancy of tubes have concentrated on tube design with
      little attention directed at modification of the surgical technique. Some authors
      have noted that a radial incision offers theoretical advantages over a
      circumferential incision. A randomized study comparing radial and circumferential
      incisions in myringotomy with tube placement was conducted. Two hundred and
      twenty-eight patients had a circumferential incision performed in one ear and a
      radial incision in the opposite ear. On follow-up examinations the tube position
      and time to extrusion were noted. Using the sign test, there was no statistical
      difference in extrusion rates between the two groups. This study does not support
      the theoretical advantages espoused in the literature.

PMID- 1869375
TI  - Surgery for congenital stapes ankylosis with an associated congenital ossicular
      chain anomaly.
AB  - The surgical findings and results are presented on 32 ears with congenital stapes
      ankylosis with an associated congenital anomaly of the ossicular chain. One third
      of the patients had a syndromal diagnosis. In 26 ears, stapedectomy could be
      performed. In 2 other ears, stapes ankylosis to the bony facial canal was
      mobilized successfully. In the 4 remaining ears, surgical intervention had to be
      limited to an exploratory tympanotomy for various reasons. The average hearing
      gain was 23 dB for the 28 ears on which stapes surgery had been performed. A
      substantial hearing gain of at least 15 dB was achieved in 19 of these 28 ears
      (68%). The end result was limited to a small extent by an average preoperative
      sensorineural component of 16 dB in the hearing loss. A review of the findings
      and results from other larger series in the literature are presented.

PMID- 1869376
TI  - Tympanoplasty surgery at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital 1986
      1988.
AB  - Results of tympanoplasty surgery over a 3 year period in 96 children aged 2-12
      years were analysed to better define indications for surgery and prognostic
      factors. Nineteen percent had a hearing loss associated with a dry perforation-
      grafts were successful in 84% and 71% improved hearing to less than 20 dB. Forty
      two percent had a hearing loss but also troublesome recurrent infection--grafts
      were successful in 88% but only 65% improved hearing to less than 20 dB. Thirteen
      percent had troublesome recurrent infection--grafts were successful in 79%.
      Twenty-two percent had uncontrolled infection, a cortical mastoidectomy together
      with myringoplasty produced a 75% take rate. Graft take was not affected by age,
      type of surgery, infection status or perforation size. Poor nutritional status
      and postoperative infection both had negative tendencies. In this small series
      there was a 10% re-perforation rate.

PMID- 1869377
TI  - Evoked otoacoustic emissions in infant hearing screening.
AB  - The main application of the ILO88 otodynamic otoacoustic analyser is clearly in
      detecting whether the peripheral auditory system is normal or pathological. The
      evoked otoacoustic emission technique in normal and hearing-impaired children for
      which audiometric data were known (n = 422 ears) was first performed. The
      correlation was excellent. The actual experimental group (n = 258 ears) consisted
      of children who are difficult to test with the conventional screening methods in
      school health services. The use of evoked otoacoustic emissions as screening
      instrument is new, and therefore several minimal practical criteria, advantages
      and limitations were defined. The evoked otoacoustic emission test tool is
      especially applicable in difficult to test children using conventional screening
      methods.

PMID- 1869378
TI  - Branchial anomaly in a newborn presenting as stridor.
AB  - A male patient presented at day 3 of life with a small anterior neck mass and
      mild intermittent upper airway obstruction. Despite intravenous antibiotics, the
      patient rapidly progressed to impending airway obstruction requiring surgical
      intervention. The clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings of this
      extremely rare case of a third branchial anomaly will be presented. The
      embryologic basis for the connection to the aerodigestive tract and the access
      provided to gram negative enteric organisms in newborns will be discussed.

PMID- 1869379
TI  - Acyclovir in the treatment of laryngeal papillomatosis.
AB  - We report the results obtained in a study of 3 young patients with laryngeal
      papillomatosis, who were treated with acyclovir after tumor excision using
      forceps was performed under microlaryngoscopy. No recurrence of the
      papillomatosis occurred between 18 and 42 months post-therapy. Laryngeal
      papillomatosis is the most common proliferative laryngeal lesion in children.
      Different non-surgical therapies have been used to prevent its recurrence but
      with poor results. Acyclovir is a drug with proved efficacy in DNA viral
      diseases. Since papillomata of the larynx is most likely a viral disease which is
      imputed to have a DNA virus etiology, acyclovir may be effective to control it.

PMID- 1869380
TI  - Airway compromise from nasal obstruction in neonates and infants.

PMID- 1869381
TI  - 10 cases of subperiosteal orbital abscess diagnosed by CT scan.

PMID- 1869382
TI  - Suction lipectomy preceding pregnancy and postpartum results.
AB  - A retrospective case-control study was undertaken to determine if women who have
      undergone suction lipectomy of the abdomen, flanks and lower extremities suffer
      any reversal of the beneficial results of the procedure as a result of a
      subsequent term pregnancy and parturition. Cases with two women subjects who
      became pregnant and experienced full-term pregnancies and healthy childbirth
      shortly following suction lipectomy of the torso and lower extremities are
      reviewed. Bodily measurements about significant planes were recorded prior to
      suction lipectomy, between suction lipectomy and pregnancy, and 32 weeks
      postpartum. Controls included three women patients who did not become pregnant
      following the surgery, for whom similar measurements were available pre-suction
      lipectomy and post-suction lipectomy at short-term and long-term follow-up. The
      hiatus between follow-ups allowed for a potential gestational period to match the
      two cases. Results showed insignificant, if any, change between measurements
      before and after pregnancy in cases; in controls, excellent agreement was also
      achieved between measurements taken post-surgically at short-term and at long
      term follow-up. Assuming normal gravid weight gain and maintenance of proper diet
      following pregnancy, measurements achieved by suction lipectomy are unaffected by
      pregnancy and parturition.

PMID- 1869383
TI  - Emergency obstetric hysterectomy in eastern Nigeria.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of morbidity and mortality
      of emergency obstetric hysterectomy at the University of Nigeria Teaching
      Hospital, Enugu, and also the modalities for reducing these complications. Of the
      84 cases of emergency obstetric hysterectomy carried out at the Teaching Hospital
      between January 1979 and December 1988, 43 had antenatal care at the Teaching
      Hospital while the remaining 41 were referred cases. Sixty patients were operated
      upon for ruptured uterus while the remaining 24 were as a result of post partum
      causes such as uterine atony, adherent placenta, lacerated cervix and sepsis. The
      leading post-operative complications were fever, haemorrhagic shock and sepsis. A
      maternal mortality rate of 29.8% was recorded, with the referred patients
      contributing 68% of the mortality. Better supervision of antenatal care in the
      community studied, improved blood transfusion facilities in the Teaching Hospital
      and adequate prophylaxis with antibiotics are recommended to reduce morbidity and
      mortality in operated cases.

PMID- 1869384
TI  - Arterial microanastomosis technique by using only one stitch.
AB  - The starting point of this work is the description of a microsurgical technique
      designed to carry out termino-terminal arterial anastomosis in rats. The
      technique is based on the intussusception of the afferent vessel of the
      anastomosis in the efferent vessel, both of which are fixed by a horizontal U
      shaped stitch. Of the twelve cases which make up this series, haemorrhage
      appeared in two, and a postanastomotic aneurysm developed in one. The lack of
      complications both before and after operating, even in the long term, in the
      balance of the cases (75%), together with the simple and quick procedure of this
      kind of anastomosis, makes this technique a possible alternative to the classical
      techniques of vascular microanastomosis in experimental surgery.

PMID- 1869385
TI  - Management of abdominal contusion in polytraumatized children.
AB  - Management of abdominal contusion in polytraumatized children is based on the
      conservative treatment of spleen and liver lesions when it is possible.
      Ultrasonography and CTScan can give a good evaluation of splenic, liver, pancreas
      or kidney lesions. In some cases, if the haemodynamic conditions are good, a non
      operative treatment may be proposed. We report our experience of conservative
      management of intra abdominal lesions in children, about 91 cases in ten years.

PMID- 1869386
TI  - Colonic involvement in pancreatitis. Six cases more.
AB  - Lesions of the colon are generally considered to be sequelae of pancreatitis.
      They include: localized paralytic ileus (colon cutoff sign), necrosis, fistulae,
      stenosis and varices. On the basis of an extensive review of the literature (332
      cases), it is suggested that the real incidence of these lesions is significant.
      The anatomic relationship of the large bowel to the pancreas is an important
      factor in the genesis and localization of the lesions. Enzymatic-inflammatory and
      ischemic processes are involved in the most highly supported theories. Each
      complication shows different diagnostic and clinical patterns. In this paper, six
      cases of such lesions are presented, including 2 cases of necrosis, 2 of
      stenosis, 1 of fistula and 1 case of localized paralytic ileus.

PMID- 1869387
TI  - Prophylactic use of a single dose of tobramycin in elective colorectal surgery.
AB  - The aim of this prospective study is to acquire clinical experience with a single
      high dose of tobramycin in prophylactic use. Sixty three patients undergoing
      elective colorectal surgery, were assigned to receive antibiotic prophylaxis (24
      hours perioperatively) in the form of a single high dose of tobramycin and a
      classically recommended thrice-a-day (TID) administration of clindamycin. The
      planned dose for tobramycin was 3.3 mg/kg/day. Adjustment was made in case of
      impaired renal function. Serum levels of the drug were monitored. The results
      showed well predictable levels. Six out of fifty five evaluable patients (10.9%)
      presented postoperative infectious complications within the follow up period. No
      renal nor otovestibular toxicity was recorded.

PMID- 1869389
TI  - The fatal inevitability of groin hernias recurrences.

PMID- 1869388
TI  - Antibiotic prophylaxis for biliary tract surgery: selection of patient and agent.
AB  - One hundred and three patients undergoing biliary surgery have been entered in a
      randomized prospective trial for antibiotic prophylaxis. Fifty six received
      piperacillin (2 gr) and 47 tobramycin (100 mg). Cultures were taken from bile at
      operation and a clinical and microbiological assessment for infection was carried
      out postoperatively. Overall infection rate was significantly lower in the
      piperacillin group (P less than 0.05). The positive bile culture and wound
      infection rates were also lower in the piperacillin group, though this did not
      reach statistical significance. Anaerobic bacteria (three patients) and
      Streptococcus faecalis (one patient) were isolated in the tobramycin group.
      Overall postoperative infection rate was similar in patients with risk factors
      for infection and in those without. In conclusion, piperacillin did not
      significantly improve bile and wound infection rates compared to tobramycin.
      However piperacillin showed a more appropriate spectrum of activity. Antibiotic
      prophylaxis is suggested for all patients undergoing biliary surgery.

PMID- 1869390
TI  - Arterial reperfusion in human orthotopic liver transplantation by anastomosis of
      the celiac trunk to the right or left hepatic artery of the recipient.
AB  - Fifteen orthotopic liver transplants were performed from 23 April 1986 to June
      1987 in 14 patients (age range 3-56 years). In 12 transplants, extracorporeal
      bypass was used. The installation was effected by suprahepatic and infrahepatic
      cava-caval and portaportal anastomoses. Arterial anastomosis was realized after
      reperfusing the graft through the vena porta. In 13 transplants the donor celiac
      trunk was anastomosed to the receptor's right hepatic artery. In one ten year-old
      girl, the donor celiac trunk was anastomosed to the left hepatic artery. In one
      patient who underwent retransplantation for rejection, the donor organ had two
      separate hepatic arteries and the right and left hepatic arteries were
      respectively anastomosed to the right and primitive hepatic arteries of the
      receptor. All patients were followed up periodically by Doppler echography and
      trimethyl-Br IDA 99 mTc scan, which, consistently confirmed the permeability of
      the anastomosis and dependent vessels, and the good perfusion and function of the
      grafts, which were free of infarcted areas. Three patients died at 30 and 31 days
      and postmortem studies demonstrated vascular permeability. Angiography was
      performed in one patient, evidencing a good vascular caliber in the hepatic
      arteriography.

PMID- 1869391
TI  - Endoscopic papillotomy under ultra-sonographic control.
AB  - A new endoscopic method for performing endoscopic sphincterotomy is described.
      Only after correct positioning of the papillotomy device has been ascertained can
      papillotomy be carried out. We have used ultra-sonographic examination to confirm
      the correct placement of the papillotomy device. This technique was first
      employed on a pregnant patient in 6-13-1988. After that we performed this
      procedure in another twelve patients. We believe it is an easy procedure and
      perhaps may be used for all patients with common bile duct stones of less than
      1.2 cm of diameter without other bilio-pancreatic pathological condition.

PMID- 1869393
TI  - Amoebic liver abscess. Review of 220 cases.
AB  - Two hundred and twenty cases of amoebic liver abscess were seen between 1981
      1986. The majority were young or middle aged males belonging to the lower socio
      economic group and 85% gave a history of drinking toddy (fermented palm juice).
      The highest incidence of the disease occurred during the peak toddy season (April
      to July). Toddy drinkers become susceptible perhaps because of the large dose of
      Entamoeba histolytica and bacteria ingested with the drink, associated
      malnutrition, poor hygiene, hepatic dysfunction and possible suppression of
      amoebistatic substance. Useful investigations consisted of skiagram and
      ultrasonography, the later being sometimes used to guide the aspiration needle to
      abscesses situated at unconventional sites. Over 88 per cent responded well to
      conservative treatment with aspiration(s). Laparotomy was required in slightly
      over 10% of cases and in these the mortality was 12% as compared to 2% with
      conservative treatment. Although a large amount of liver tissue appears to be
      destroyed, the residual liver damage is clinically, biochemically,
      macroscopically and microscopically minimal.

PMID- 1869392
TI  - Wound infection following biliary surgery. A prospective surgery.
AB  - Biliary surgery in general, with cholecystectomy in particular, is probably the
      commonest major elective abdominal operation worldwide. A prospective study has
      been completed on 141 biliary operations in which intra-operative bile swabs were
      taken, and other risk factors for wound infection sought. Patients'
      characteristics were: males 51, females 90 (1:1.8); mean age 42.4 +/- 16 years;
      mean Quetelet index for adults was 32 +/- 5. The operations were: emergencies 10,
      simple-cholecystectomies 112, and choledochotomies (including other concomitant
      procedures) 29. The observed wound infection rates were: overall 7.8%, simple
      cholecystectomy 3.6% and choledochotomies 24.1%, figures which agree closely with
      the national and international literature. The infected patients consumed, on
      average, 7 days more in hospital than the uninfected ones. We found three major
      risk factors for wound infection: patients aged 40 years or older (over 4-fold),
      choledochotomy (over 6-fold), and microbiologically proven wound co-ntamination
      (9-fold). We conclude that, given the consistently low (less than 4%), incidence
      of wound infection following simple cholecystectomy, routine antibiotic
      prophylaxis in this subset is probably unjustified.

PMID- 1869394
TI  - Subdiaphragmatic abscesses: myths and realities. A report on sixty-two cases.
AB  - The main cause (60.8%) of subdiaphragmatic abscesses in a series of 62 patients
      (of which 46 were males), was found to be hepatobiliary in nature. Radiology
      proved to be helpful in correct diagnosis (61%), as did ultrasonography (60%).
      Right sided subdiaphragmatic abscesses were (55/62) 88.7% of the total. Mean
      abscess volume was 500 ml while culturing efforts were in vain in 32% of the
      abscess cases (able to be cultured). The incidence of morbidity was (12/62) 19.4%
      and mortality (3/62) 4.8% in this series, where the treatment was solely through
      surgical drainage. Though closed drainage using ultrasonic guidance has been
      popular in the past decade, it has its drawbacks. Open surgical drainage
      therefore, as a well established mode of treatment, is recommended.

PMID- 1869395
TI  - Interposition of the first jejunal loop for reconstruction after total
      gastrectomy.
AB  - A new technique of reconstruction after total gastrectomy by interposing the
      first jejunal loop between the esophagus and the duodenum, is described. Vascular
      and neural integrity of the interposed intestinal segment is "guaranteed",
      resulting in acceptable muscular activity on intestinal contents and partial
      digestive function, with limited post-operative complications. The interposed
      jejunal loop assumes reservoir function and permits almost normal eating habits.
      Application of this technique to 18 patients undergoing total gastrectomy has
      resulted in a more than satisfactory post-operative functional and nutritional
      status over a one to 14 year follow-up period.

PMID- 1869396
TI  - Surgical treatment of bronchial carcinoid tumours. Radical surgery-prognosis.
AB  - 111 patients (59 male and 52 female) operated on for bronchial carcinoid are
      reviewed. Their average age was 48 years. 21 bronchoplastic procedures and 16
      wedge-resections were performed. All of these patients are alive and no
      recurrences have been observed. In our experience the usual oncological criteria
      fail to give unanimous information for prognosis. Conservative resections such as
      bronchoplastic procedures and wedge- or segmental resections are to be encouraged
      under strict conditions because of excellent results. The 5-year survival of 52
      resected patients amounted to 94.2%.

PMID- 1869397
TI  - [Hyperlipidemias].

PMID- 1869398
TI  - [Active and passive prevention of viral hepatitis].

PMID- 1869399
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of fulminant liver failure].

PMID- 1869400
TI  - [Severe liver complications in protoporphyria].

PMID- 1869401
TI  - [Gallbladder calculi: internal medicine and surgical alternatives of therapy].

PMID- 1869402
TI  - Intraocular pressure-dependent and -independent phases of growth of the embryonic
      chick eye and cornea.
AB  - The pattern and relative rates of diametric growth of the avian eye and cornea
      are described throughout embryonic development. The effect of reduced intraocular
      pressure on eye and corneal diametric growth also was investigated. Between
      embryonic day 4 (E4) and 1 day posthatching, the eye undergoes two distinct
      phases of linear growth. The first phase (E4-10) is very rapid (1.193 mm/day).
      The second phase, after E10, is significantly slower (0.346 mm/day). By contrast,
      over the same developmental period, the cornea undergoes three distinct and
      sequential phases of linear growth. The second phase of corneal growth (E7-10) is
      the most rapid (0.429 mm/day) and separates two periods of slow growth (0.211
      mm/day during E4-7 and 0.128 mm/day after E10). After the sustained release of
      intraocular pressure by intubation on E4, growth of both the eye and cornea is
      reduced significantly. Operated eyes grow at a rate of 0.356 mm/day (E4-10) and
      0.155 mm/day (E10-16). Intubation reduces corneal growth to a single phase of
      0.125 mm/day (E7-16). Thus, from E4-10 both the eye and cornea possess intrinsic
      growth potentials that are elevated significantly by intraocular pressure. After
      E10, the rate of growth of both the eye and the cornea is independent of
      intraocular pressure. Because both control and intubated eyes change their growth
      rate on E10, this transition also is independent of intraocular pressure. This
      contrasts with the cornea which, after intubation, shows no detectable variation
      in growth rate. Correlation of eye with corneal growth demonstrates an
      exponential relationship in the presence of intraocular pressure and an almost
      linear relationship after intubation.

PMID- 1869403
TI  - Infrared laser sclerostomies.
AB  - Four solid-state lasers with three fiberoptic delivery systems were used to
      perform laser sclerostomies in an acute-injury rabbit model and in fresh human
      globes. The lasers used were continuous-wave neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet
      (YAG, 1.06 microns) and pulsed holmium:yttrium scandium galliam garnet (YSGG)
      (2.10 microns), erbium:YSGG (2.79 microns), and erbium:YAG (2.94 microns).
      Thermal damage to tissue and total laser energy required to produce sclerostomies
      decreased with increasing wavelength. In human tissue using a 600-microns fused
      silica fiberoptic, maximum thermal damage (greater than or equal to 100 microns)
      was noted at 1.06 microns with a total energy of 21 J at a power density of 2.5
      kW/cm2. In addition, focal damage to the iris and ciliary body was noted at this
      wavelength. The least amount of thermal damage (15-20 microns) and lowest total
      energies needed were found at 2.94 microns. A 250-microseconds pulse length and
      pulse radiant exposures of 3.6 J/cm2 and 14.3 J/cm2 were used for the low
      hydroxyl-fused silica (500 microns) and zirconium fluoride (250 microns)
      fiberoptics, respectively. Although zirconium fluoride fibers have high through
      put efficiencies that facilitate study of laser tissue interactions at 2.94
      microns, problems encountered with fragility and solubility of the bare tip in
      aqueous media limit its usefulness. A high attenuation rate with the low hydroxyl
      fused silica fiber limited its usable length to 35 cm at 2.94 microns. Tissue
      damage during sclerostomy formation was minimized at 2.94 microns, reaching a
      maximum at 1.06 microns. Minimizing tissue damage theoretically could decrease
      subconjunctival scarring and filtration failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869404
TI  - The nocturnal suppression of aqueous humor flow in humans is not blocked by
      bright light.
AB  - Normal human subjects were studied hourly by fluorophotometry to measure the
      normal circadian rhythm of aqueous humor flow. On a separate day, the subjects
      slept for approximately 1 hr after lunch; this short nap was not found to have
      any effect on aqueous flow. On a separate night, the subjects slept under a
      bright light of 2500 lux; the light was not found to have any effect on flow in
      the sleeping subjects. Because bright light blocks melatonin release in humans,
      nocturnal suppression of aqueous flow in humans may not be driven by systemic
      melatonin release.

PMID- 1869405
TI  - Effect of chronic epinephrine on aqueous humor flow during the day and during
      sleep in normal healthy subjects.
AB  - Epinephrine 2% drops were administered to one eye and a placebo to the fellow eye
      twice a day for 2 weeks in 18 normal human volunteers. The circadian rhythm of
      aqueous humor flow was measured by fluorophotometry. Epinephrine (compared with
      placebo) had no measurable effect on the rate of aqueous flow or the circadian
      rhythm of aqueous humor flow. These results suggest either that topical
      application of epinephrine cannot achieve a sustained effect on the mechanism of
      aqueous formation compared with endogenous epinephrine or that circulating
      epinephrine is not the sole or principal hormonal messenger that mediates the
      circadian rhythm of aqueous flow in humans. An experiment in which epinephrine
      was administered systemically might clarify this ambiguity.

PMID- 1869406
TI  - Effects of hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage on outflow facility and
      washout in pig eyes.
AB  - Previous studies show that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is present in the aqueous
      humor of many species and is capable of affecting outflow facility in animal
      model experiments. To study the hypothesis that oxidative damage to the outflow
      pathway may play a role in the pathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma, 3 mM
      H2O2 with 20 mM 3-aminotriazole and 1 mM carmustine (BCNU) in Dulbecco's
      phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) was perfused into enucleated pig eyes at
      constant pressure. Baseline and experimental perfusions were done at two
      different pressures (7.5 and 30 mm Hg) to study the effect of pressure on the
      response to oxidative damage. Outflow facility in the baseline experiments (with
      DPBS only) was observed to increase nonlinearly with time during the perfusions,
      but could be linearized if plotted as a function of the volume perfused. Thus, a
      term "volumetric washout" (W) was introduced and defined as the fractional rate
      of change of outflow facility with respect to the volume perfused. This quantity
      was found to be independent of pressure in the baseline studies. Perfusion of
      H2O2 and inhibitors increased W at 7.5 mm Hg but decreased W at 30 mm Hg. These
      results indicate that oxidative damage increases outflow facility at normal
      pressure but decreases it at elevated pressure, suggesting that elevated pressure
      may increase the susceptibility of the outflow pathway to this form of insult.

PMID- 1869407
TI  - High-pass resolution perimetry in optic neuritis.
AB  - The topography of visual field defects resulting from optic neuritis as measured
      by spatial resolution perimetry is not known. Using high-pass resolution
      perimetry, the number and severity of visual field defects in the central visual
      field was determined in 18 patients with resolved optic neuritis and 18 age
      matched controls. Comparisons were made between three groups of eyes: (1) the
      involved eyes of the patients, (2) the uninvolved eyes of the patients, and (3)
      the eyes of the controls. Concentric zone analysis showed the involved eyes to
      have depression of the visual field in all zones with slightly more loss
      centrally. The "uninvolved" eyes showed a mild equal depression in all zones.
      Spatial resolution acuity measurements (which correlate directly with the spatial
      separation of retinal ganglion cell receptive field centers) indicated that the
      percentage of functioning retinocortical channels for normal eyes, uninvolved
      eyes, and involved eyes were 112%, 94%, and 58% of the reference normal values,
      respectively. These differences were all statistically significant. Resolution
      perimetry of the central visual field of eyes with resolved optic neuritis
      involves the cecocentral and Bjerrum areas. The loss was often patchy and a
      combination of cecocentral and arcuate defects. There was also a mild generalized
      depression of the uninvolved eye.

PMID- 1869408
TI  - Cone electroretinographic change during light adaptation in retinitis pigmentosa.
AB  - Cone electroretinograms (ERGs) to 30-Hz full-field white light were recorded
      after dark adaptation from 33 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and 8 normal
      subjects over a period averaging 8.5 min. Most patients and all normal subjects
      showed increases in amplitude that approached or reached maximum by the end of
      the recording. Regression analyses revealed that patients with smaller baseline
      amplitudes tended to show larger and faster increases in relative amplitude than
      patients with larger baseline amplitudes, whose amplitude changes over time were
      comparable to those seen in normal subjects. These findings suggest that both the
      magnitude and kinetics of cone ERG amplitude change to a light-adapting,
      flickering stimulus are related directly to the level of cone malfunction in
      retinitis pigmentosa.

PMID- 1869409
TI  - Taurine uptake in apical membrane vesicles from the bovine retinal pigment
      epithelium.
AB  - Characteristics of taurine uptake were investigated in apical membrane vesicles
      isolated from bovine retinal pigment epithelium. Uptake of taurine into these
      vesicles was stimulated markedly by the presence of an inwardly directed NaCl
      gradient across the membrane. The time course of the NaCl gradient-dependent
      uptake showed an overshoot, indicating a transient accumulation of taurine in the
      vesicles against a concentration gradient. Monovalent cations other than Na+ did
      not support taurine uptake. There was also an anion requirement for the uptake
      system, and Cl- was the most potent among several monovalent anions tested. The
      NaCl-dependent taurine uptake was stimulated by inside-negative, K+, and H+
      diffusion potentials, demonstrating the electrogenic nature of the system.
      Stoichiometric analysis revealed that two Na+ and one Cl- ions were involved in
      the translocation of one taurine molecule. The system had an apparent
      dissociation constant (Kt) of 96 +/- 17 microM and a maximal velocity of 267 +/-
      24 pmol/mg of protein over 15 sec. Uptake of radiolabeled taurine was inhibited
      by excess amounts of unlabeled taurine, hypotaurine, beta-alanine, and gamma
      aminobutyric acid. The relative potencies of the amino acids to inhibit taurine
      uptake were compared in three tissues, the bovine retinal pigment epithelium, the
      rat kidney, and the human placenta. In the apical membrane vesicles of the
      pigment epithelium, gamma-aminobutyric acid was many times more potent than
      taurine itself in inhibiting radiolabeled taurine uptake. However, in the brush
      border membrane vesicles of the kidney and the placenta, taurine was many times
      more potent than gamma-aminobutyric acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869410
TI  - Analysis of normal flicker sensitivity and its variability in the visuogram test.
AB  - Flicker sensitivity was measured in groups of younger and older adult observers
      to assess its mean values and the test-retest variability both between sessions
      and in a single session. Test-retest sensitivities differed by less than 15% but
      tended to decrease slightly in a session and increase slightly between sessions.
      Optical blur had little effect on the measured sensitivities, implying that they
      were not mediated by the edge information in the display. There were no
      significant differences between eyes other than those attributable to testing
      order. Within eyes, inherent variations in human flicker sensitivity accounted
      for about half of the variance, and within-session variability accounted for most
      of the remainder.

PMID- 1869411
TI  - The lifetime cumulative incidence of acute anterior uveitis in a normal
      population and its relation to ankylosing spondylitis and histocompatibility
      antigen HLA-B27.
AB  - The lifetime cumulative incidence of acute anterior uveitis (AAU) was determined
      in a sample of a large population (n = 10,500). Nine hundred seventeen subjects,
      who answered the question "Have you ever had a red eye" in the affirmative in
      1977, were asked to participate in a follow-up study 10 years later. From the 917
      respondents, 539 were studied completely. A questionnaire was used to collect
      historic data, and confirmation of these data was obtained from the treating
      ophthalmologists and physicians. From these data, subjects were selected for an
      ophthalmologic examination. The respondents also underwent a rheumatologic
      examination. The results revealed that the lifetime cumulative incidence of
      definite AAU is approximately 0.2% in the general population and 1% in the
      histocompatibility antigen HLA-B27-positive population. In one third of the
      definite AAU patients, the cause of the disease was known. The lifetime
      cumulative incidence of definite AAU of unknown cause was 0.15% in the general
      population. When possible and probable AAU are included, the lifetime cumulative
      incidence of AAU in the general population is about 0.4%. The observed frequency
      of the concurrence of AAU and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was 0.4% in the HLA-B27
      positive population and 0.02% in the HLA-B27-negative population. Comparison with
      the expected frequency of the concurrence of AAU and AS revealed that AAU and AS
      probably are related diseases irrespective of the association of both diseases
      with HLA-B27.

PMID- 1869412
TI  - Relative contributions of epithelial cells and fibers to rabbit lens ATP content
      and glycolysis.
AB  - The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content was measured independently in separated
      capsule-epithelium and fibers from whole rabbit lenses, both fresh and after
      incubation under various combinations of glucose and oxygen deprivation. Lactate
      production was also measured during aerobic and anaerobic incubations of whole
      lenses and of monolayers of cultured epithelial cells. The fresh capsule
      epithelium contained 3.3 nmoles ATP, whereas the decapsulated lens contained 410
      nmoles ATP, a value that was indistinguishable from that of the whole, intact
      lens. In the presence of glucose, the fibers and epithelium each maintained their
      respective ATP content under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In the absence of
      glucose, the ATP content in each fraction declined with time, but only in the
      epithelium was the rate of decline of ATP significantly faster in nitrogen than
      in oxygen. In whole lens, the rates of anaerobic and aerobic lactate production
      were similar, whereas in the cultured epithelial monolayers, the anaerobic rate
      was two-fold greater than in oxygen. From this it is concluded that approximately
      50% of the ATP of the epithelial cells is derived from oxidative metabolism. A
      Pasteur response shown here for the first time with the cultured epithelium
      allows these cells to compensate for the loss of ATP production when
      mitochondrial oxidation is curtailed. The epithelium does not contribute to the
      ATP content of the lens fibers under aerobic or anaerobic conditions.

PMID- 1869413
TI  - Influence of culture conditions on the androgen control of secretory component
      production by acinar cells from the rat lacrimal gland.
AB  - Research has shown that androgens regulate the production of secretory component
      (SC), the IgA antibody receptor, by lacrimal gland acinar cells in vivo. This
      study was designed to establish an optimal culture system to permit analysis of
      this endocrine-acinar cell interrelationship in vitro. Acinar cells were isolated
      from male rat lacrimal glands and cultured on Matrigel (Collaborative Research,
      Bedford, MA) in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM)/Ham's F12
      media that contained a variety of supplements. Under these conditions, acinar
      cells responded to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) exposure with a significant increase
      in SC output. Replacement of the DMEM/Ham's F12 media base with either Modified
      Eagle's Medium (MEM) or low-calcium MEM inhibited this hormone response and
      dramatically reduced cell recovery after 4 days of culture. Similarly, decreased
      concentrations or deletions of selected media supplements, including insulin,
      which binds to acinar cells, and dexamethasone, led to a significant diminution
      in the extent of androgen action, as well as to a decline in cell maintenance. In
      contrast, removal of high-density lipoprotein from culture media or the addition
      of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or cholera toxin significantly enhanced basal and DHT
      associated SC production by acinar cells. With regard to extracellular matrices,
      Matrigel proved to be superior to collagen type I, laminin, fibronectin, or the
      Primaria (Falcon, Oxnard, CA) plastic surface in providing support for acinar
      cell association or hormone-related function. In summary, our results show that
      the media formulation, supplement profile, and extracellular matrix composition
      are important for maximal expression of androgen-induced effects by lacrimal
      gland acinar cells in vitro.

PMID- 1869414
TI  - The prenatal development of the optic fissure in colobomatous microphthalmia.
AB  - The coloboma in the cinnamon mouse homozygous for the microphthalmia gene is
      caused when optic fissure closure, which normally occurs between the 11th and the
      13th gestational day, does not occur. This study sought to determine the cause of
      this fusion failure, and to identify any foci of fusion that occur later in
      gestation. Microphthalmic fetuses from the 11th-20th gestational day were
      obtained by datemating cinnamon mice heterozygous for the microphthalmia gene.
      Coronal serial sections of the eyes were examined at light and electron
      microscopy. Initially, the fissure margins became apposed only in the posterior
      aspects of the eye. A failure of basement membrane disintegration at the fissure
      margins prevented fusion at the 12th and 13th days. On the 14th day, small foci
      of basement membrane disintegration were identified in the area of the developing
      optic disc. Although the fusion zone enlarged later in gestation, it was limited
      to the area of the optic disc and showed that the two retinal layers did not
      separate. This study has shown that abnormal growth and invagination lead to
      delayed apposition of the optic fissure margins. These features together with a
      failure of basement membrane disintegration appear to be the main factors
      involved in coloboma formation. It is suggested that the excessive number of
      outer-layer cells that are inverted into the fissure, as well as abnormal or
      reduced numbers of phagocytic cells, may affect the persistence of the basement
      membrane. Alternatively, a primary defect of the pigment epithelial cell may lead
      to the development of the hypercellular and nonpigmented outer layer associated
      with the lack of basement membrane disintegration and nonfusion in this mutant.

PMID- 1869415
TI  - Tissue distribution of type VIII collagen in human adult and fetal eyes.
AB  - The type VIII collagen tissue distribution in human adult (32-78 yr of age) and
      fetal (16-27 weeks of gestation) eyes was studied immunohistochemically using a
      monoclonal antibody to type VIII collagen. Type VIII collagen was distributed in
      a linear or fibrous fashion in adult eyes in Descemet's membrane of the cornea,
      the trabecular meshwork, the walls of Schlemm's canal, Bruch's membrane, the
      choroidal stroma, the sclera, the cribriform plates of the optic nerve, and the
      intima of the central retinal artery. The staining in the central retinal artery
      was similar to that of type IV collagen. No distinct positive staining was seen
      in other blood vessels. When fetal eyes were examined, significant differences in
      positive staining were found between adults and fetuses in the sclera. In fetal
      eyes, the posterior sclera was strongly stained; however, the positive staining
      gradually decreased, and in the equatorial area it disappeared. The cribriform
      plates of the lamina cribrosa and the presumptive Bruch's membrane in fetal eyes
      did not react with the antibody. The trabecular meshwork and Descemet's membrane,
      but no other part of anterior section of fetal eyes, reacted with the antibody.

PMID- 1869416
TI  - The time course of interocular suppression in normal and amblyopic subjects.
AB  - The authors measured the time course of interocular suppression of five normal
      subjects and eleven patients with amblyopia (strabismic and/or anisometropic).
      Orthogonal gratings were presented dichoptically for durations that ranged from
      10-6000 msec. All normal observers reported fusion or superimposition of the
      orthogonal gratings for short stimuli and reported binocular rivalry for stimuli
      longer than 150 msec. At long presentation times, all amblyopes constantly
      suppressed the pattern that was presented to their amblyopic eye. Six amblyopes
      showed superimposition of the two patterns at short presentation times. Of these,
      three had time courses similar to those of normal observers; the other three had
      a much shorter onset of suppression (about 80 msec). The remaining five amblyopes
      perceived only the pattern of the dominant eye at short stimulus durations; at
      intermediate durations, they reported partial superimposition of the stimuli,
      whereas at the longest stimulus durations, again only the stimulus of the
      dominant eye was perceived. The results suggest that binocular rivalry in normal
      observers and strabismic suppression in amblyopes are mediated by different
      mechanisms. The heterogeneity of the time courses of suppression in amblyopes
      might result from differences in the disturbances of early visual development
      (age at onset of strabismus and/or anisometropia, origin, and therapy).

PMID- 1869417
TI  - Analysis of eye lens-specific genes in congenital hereditary cataracts and
      microphthalmia of the miniature schnauzer dog.
AB  - The congenital hereditary cataracts and microphthalmia in the miniature schnauzer
      dog are inherited by an autosomal recessive mode. To understand the genetic basis
      of these diseases, the authors purified and analyzed leukocyte deoxyribonucleic
      acid (DNA) from affected and normal animals using a candidate gene approach.
      Because the genes that encode the lens-specific proteins, specifically, alpha,
      beta, and gamma crystallins and the membrane protein (MP26), are known to
      maintain the structure and function of the lens, the authors used complimentary
      DNA (cDNA) fragments that corresponded to the above genes to search for the
      mutations at their loci in the affected animals. They found no evidence of the
      gene deletion and rearrangement in any of the five loci. In addition, the
      hybridizable sequences of the dog DNA to the specific probes for the human
      chromosome 4 and 18 loci, which are reported to be involved in the abnormality of
      the human eye, seem to be unaffected. These data support the notion that the
      hereditary cataracts and microphthalmia in the dog may be associated with genes
      other than those reported for several animal systems.

PMID- 1869418
TI  - Radiographic interpretation of tonsiliths.

PMID- 1869419
TI  - What's new in dermatology? New topical agents.

PMID- 1869420
TI  - What's new in dermatology? Management of congenital melanocytic nevi.

PMID- 1869421
TI  - What's new in dermatology? Outpatient treatment of severe psoriasis.

PMID- 1869422
TI  - What's new in dermatology? Pulsed dye laser treatment for port wine stain
      birthmarks.

PMID- 1869423
TI  - What's new in dermatology? Sweating problems.

PMID- 1869424
TI  - What's new in dermatology? Cutaneous lymphoma.

PMID- 1869425
TI  - Skin cancer: diagnosis and management.
AB  - Patients should be encouraged to adopt sun protective habits and have new or
      changing skin lesions evaluated promptly. Physicians should thoroughly examine
      all of the skin and be prepared to assess individual risks for skin cancer. When
      the issue is in doubt, skin biopsy or a more detailed examination by a skin
      specialist is recommended. Educational campaigns directed toward prevention and
      early detection of skin cancer can greatly reduce the morbidity and mortality of
      this very common disease.

PMID- 1869426
TI  - Lyme disease: the picture in Iowa.
AB  - Lyme disease in Iowa increased sharply in 1989 and 1990, creating concern in
      Iowans who spend considerable time out-of-doors. The authors review the history
      of Lyme disease and its symptoms and present an update on the status of Lyme
      disease and its tick vector in Iowa.

PMID- 1869428
TI  - Screening and prevention of skin cancer.

PMID- 1869427
TI  - Infective endocarditis in Iowa.
AB  - This review of 43 cases of infective endocarditis (IE) treated at a large Iowa
      community hospital reveals an incidence of 9 cases per 22,000 annual admission.
      IE is most likely to occur in an elderly male with non-specific symptoms and
      signs and involvement of the mitral valve infected with streptococci.

PMID- 1869429
TI  - Uniformity of results reporting in head and neck cancer.

PMID- 1869430
TI  - Time to recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
AB  - A personal series of 3,215 patients with proven squamous cell carcinoma of the
      mucosal surfaces of the upper aerodigestive tract is presented. Of these
      patients, 515 suffered a recurrence of their primary tumor after a course of
      radiotherapy. The time from the end of radiotherapy to diagnosis of a primary
      recurrence was not related to any known host factors, nor to tumor factors except
      site. However, it was the most significant predictor of survival, both from
      initial presentation and from the date of recurrence. The time to recurrence did
      not relate to the size of the tumor at recurrence, suggesting that large
      recurrences are multicentric. The time to recurrence also predicted response and
      survival of 67 patients with end-stage disease treated by chemotherapy. The
      response and survival were better in tumors with a time to recurrence longer than
      the median; the increased survival was not significant, but the increased
      response was.

PMID- 1869431
TI  - Prognostic value of paranasopharyngeal extension of nasopharyngeal carcinoma on
      local control and short-term survival.
AB  - The local tumor control of 262 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at
      median follow-up of 27 months was studied with reference to the
      paranasopharyngeal and other aspects of extranasopharyngeal extension of tumor,
      as well as to other possible prognostic factors. Only cranial nerve palsy,
      oropharyngeal involvement, and paranasopharyngeal extension of tumor were found
      to be significant in a multivariate analysis using Cox model for factors
      influencing local tumor control. Other factors and other parameters of
      extranasopharyngeal extension of tumor, namely, erosion of the base of skull,
      intracranial extension, and involvement of nasal fossa, were found not be
      significant. The degree of paranasopharyngeal extension in each side was
      correlated with scales measuring extranasopharyngeal extension of tumor in other
      directions (p = 0.001). Although the T stage and the paranasopharyngeal extension
      were individually found to be well correlated with local tumor control, the
      prognostic value of paranasopharyngeal extension remained significant among
      subgroups of patients with T3 and T4 disease (p = 0.1044 and 0.0010,
      respectively).

PMID- 1869432
TI  - Antibiotic prophylaxis in cranial base surgery.
AB  - The role of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis was investigated in 95 patients
      undergoing 100 clean-contaminated cranial base surgeries. A variety of antibiotic
      regimens were employed. Potential risk factors for local infection were analyzed.
      Seven patients (7%) developed infections at the surgical site (meningitis,
      intracranial abscess, cellulitis/abscess, and osteomyelitis). Antibiotic
      prophylaxis for 24 hours or less was associated with a significantly increased
      risk of infection (p less than 0.04). Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis (greater
      than 48 hours) was not more efficacious than prophylaxis for 48 hours. The
      surgical approach, type of reconstruction, duration of surgery, and use of drains
      were not significantly correlated with wound infection. The risk of intracranial
      infection following cranial base surgery is low despite the presence of bacterial
      contamination intraoperatively. Broad-spectrum coverage of gram-positive and gram
      negative organisms for at least 48 hours is recommended. Attention to surgical
      technique is important in preventing infectious complications.

PMID- 1869433
TI  - Laryngeal flap for hypopharynx reconstruction.
AB  - Hypopharynx repair following resection of a pyriform sinus carcinoma may be
      accomplished primarily or involve a more extensive procedure, such as a free
      intestinal graft. Described herein is a laryngeal flap which may be used to
      repair a hypopharyngeal defect when a strip of mucosa, too narrow for a primary
      repair, is left. This method has been used successfully in 4 patients and has
      saved these patients from more extensive repairs.

PMID- 1869434
TI  - Esthesioneuroblastoma: is there a role for elective neck treatment?
AB  - A retrospective review of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience
      (MSKCC) with esthesioneuroblastoma was performed. From 1975 to 1985 14 cases were
      identified. Overall 5- and 10-year survival was 86% and 70%, respectively. Four
      local failures were observed and 4 neck failures were observed. A review of the
      literature since 1966 revealed an unexpectedly high incidence of neck failure,
      and of the 21 of 110 patients with neck failures that were identified through the
      literature, there were 6 subsequent deaths.

PMID- 1869435
TI  - Fundamentals of expanded tissue.
AB  - The relatively recent advent of tissue expansion for medical purposes precludes
      the availability of extensive knowledge concerning the physiologic and histologic
      changes that occur during controlled expansion of the skin. This paper reviews
      the basic science and clinical research that has been conducted to investigate
      the changes and summarizes the findings. It can be concluded that flaps harvested
      from skin previously expanded have an improved survival rate compared to similar
      flaps developed in nonexpanded skin. Increased vascularity to either the skin,
      the capsule that forms around the expander, or both probably in some way accounts
      for the improved survival. Controlled expansion of the skin results in the
      creation of additional new skin at the expense of thinning the dermis and
      subcutis. This thinning is associated with an overall decrease in tensile
      strength of the expanded skin. The increase in surface area gained from skin
      expansion probably varies according to the type of skin expanded and the
      underlying tissues that serve as a foundation for the expander.

PMID- 1869436
TI  - Speech patterns following partial glossectomy for small tumors of the tongue.
AB  - To determine the type and extent of speech impairment to be expected following
      partial glossectomy, pre- and postoperative speech evaluations were performed on
      10 patients undergoing surgery for carcinomas of the mobile tongue less than 3 cm
      in size. In addition, audiotapes of standardized speech samples were made at each
      evaluation. Preoperative speech evaluation revealed normal rates of verbal
      diadochokinesis without distortion in all 10 patients. Phonologic analysis was
      also normal in 9 of these patients. Postoperative evaluation revealed normal
      rates of verbal diadochokinesis in 6 patients and mild lingual distortion in 4.
      At 3 weeks postoperatively 1 patient had sibilant distortion and 1 patient
      overall slurring of speech. Evaluation of both of these patients at 6 months
      revealed that speech had returned to normal. Blinded comparison of the pre- and
      postoperative audiotapes revealed no change in 8 patients. In 2 patients the
      early postoperative tape was thought to "sound different" but the final
      postoperative tapes in all patients were judged to be normal. This study
      demonstrates that partial glossectomy for early carcinomas of the tongue can be
      performed with minimal, if any, permanent speech impairment.

PMID- 1869437
TI  - Labeling index in squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.
AB  - Two cell kinetic parameters, the 3H-thymidine labeling index (TLI) and the
      mitotic index (MI), were studied in vitro on fragments of squamous cell carcinoma
      tissue of the larynx. They were evaluated to identify those elements able to
      characterize the growth of these solid tumors. The values of these parameters
      were analyzed as a function of the clinical stage and the involvement of the
      regional lymph nodes. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the
      TLI from stage T1 to T3. No statistically significant differences in the TLI
      values were observed between the patients with positive and negative lymph nodes.

PMID- 1869438
TI  - Temporal bone involvement by prostatic adenocarcinoma: report of two cases and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Although axial bone and cranial metastases are common in patients with prostatic
      carcinoma, temporal bone involvement is rare. We report 2 cases of prostatic
      adenocarcinoma with temporal bone metastasis and review the relevant literature.
      One case had a 3-year history of a prostatic carcinoma, whereas in the second
      case the temporal bone metastasis was the initial presentation. Awareness of the
      possibility of temporal bone involvement by prostate carcinoma and application of
      immunohistochemical studies will help to arrive at the correct diagnosis.

PMID- 1869439
TI  - Lymphoma of the maxillary sinus in a patient infected with human immunodeficiency
      virus type 1.
AB  - A 27-year-old woman with a history of intravenous drug abuse presented with a
      stage IE, diffuse, large cell lymphoma of the right maxillary sinus. A test for
      antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus was positive. The patient was
      treated with systemic chemotherapy and local maxillary sinus irradiation which
      resulted in complete regression of the disease. Therapy was complicated by
      mucositis, neutropenia, and opportunistic infections. This is the first case
      report to discuss the presentation and treatment of acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome (AIDS)-related lymphoma of the maxillary sinus.

PMID- 1869440
TI  - Increased intracranial pressure as a complication of unilateral radical neck
      dissection in a patient with congenital absence of the transverse sinus.
AB  - We report a patient with increased intracranial pressure occurring after
      unilateral neck dissection. Subsequent vascular studies reveal a hypoplastic
      contralateral transverse sinus drainage and occlusion of the ipsilateral jugular
      bulb. We review the literature on the etiology of this vascular malformation and
      conclude that vascular anomalies of the venous drainage of the head be considered
      whenever postoperative signs of increased intracranial pressure occur after
      unilateral radical neck dissection.

PMID- 1869441
TI  - Obstructing laryngeal carcinoma with a simultaneous lung lesion.
AB  - The consultants all agree to treat this patient who has a seemingly poor
      prognosis. However, they disagree as to the method and order of treatment. A
      patient's nutritional status is taken seriously by all 3 experts, although no one
      would delay surgery to correct a patient's weight loss. Drs. Komisar and Miller
      consider a weight loss of 10% significant and prefer to assess a patient with
      lymphocyte counts, serum albumin and transferrin levels, and creatinine/height
      index. Dr. Osguthorope follows serum hemoglobin, transferrin, prealbumin, and
      albumin levels. All the experts prefer an enteral route for weight gain. With
      regard to diagnosis, the experts agree that endoscopy plays an important role in
      tumor staging. Drs. Komisar and Osguthorpe believe that a tracheotomy should be
      performed prior to endoscopy. Dr. Miller would prefer intubation with an
      endotracheal tube but if there were any question of safety, he would proceed with
      a tracheotomy under local anesthesia. Confirming the histology of the pulmonary
      lesion is important. Dr. Komisar would proceed with flexible bronchoscopy and if
      tissue could not be obtained with this method he would obtain a fine-needle
      biopsy. He believes that if the histology matches that of the larynx, the
      pulmonary lesion is a metastasis. Dr. Osguthorpe would also obtain a needle
      biopsy of the lung lesion. If no other lesions are seen on the CT, he would
      consider this a second primary. Dr. Miller states that unless the histologies are
      different, the question of primary vs metastatic disease is
      unanswerable.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869442
TI  - Modeling organizational determinants of hospital mortality.
AB  - This study examines hospital characteristics that affect the differential in
      hospital mortality. Death rates for 1984 Medicare inpatients in acute care
      hospitals, released by the Health Care Financing Administration in 1986, were
      analyzed. A confirmatory statistical approach to organizational determinants of
      hospital mortality was formulated and validated through an empirical examination
      of 239 hospitals. The findings suggest that the effect of hospital size and
      specialization on mortality was a spurious one when the effects of other
      variables were simultaneously controlled. A positive association existed between
      service intensity and hospital mortality: the more hospital services consumed,
      the higher the mortality rate. Community attributes accounted for more variance
      in hospital mortality rates than did organizational attributes. The
      organizational and community factors studied explained 27 percent of the total
      variance in hospital mortality.

PMID- 1869443
TI  - The cesarean birth rate: influence of hospital teaching status.
AB  - Knowledge of how cesarean birth rates vary by hospital characteristics may aid in
      understanding and perhaps modifying some of the structural and process components
      of newborn delivery services to decrease the necessity of birth by cesarean
      procedure. To examine the influence of select hospital characteristics, data on
      hospital newborn deliveries in Illinois for 1986 among women 10-50 years of age
      inclusive (N = 130,249) were obtained from computerized hospital discharge
      abstract files. Characteristics of the hospitals were obtained from the annual
      American Hospital Association survey. Adjusting for mother's age at delivery;
      presence of pregnancy, labor, and delivery complications; expected primary payer;
      and size of hospital, women delivering in hospitals with teaching status were
      less likely (odds ratio = 0.76, p less than .001, 95 percent CL: 0.73, 0.79) to
      have a primary cesarean birth than women delivering in hospitals without this
      designation. A significantly lower cesarean birth rate in teaching hospitals was
      also observed in women of all age groups, in Medicaid and non-Medicaid women, and
      for most categories of delivery complications. These data suggest the need to
      identify the programmatic, technologic, and manpower functions associated with
      hospital teaching status that could decrease the likelihood of a primary cesarean
      delivery. The study also suggests that changes aimed at the manner of diagnosis,
      monitoring, and/or management of pregnancy/delivery complications may reduce the
      cesarean birth rate because of large differences in the primary cesarean birth
      rate found between teaching and other hospitals for most categories of newborn
      delivery complications.

PMID- 1869444
TI  - Waiting for placement: an exploratory analysis of determinants of delayed
      discharges of elderly hospital patients.
AB  - This article examines the causes of delayed hospital discharge for 3,111 patients
      waiting for alternative placement in 80 North Carolina acute care general
      hospitals during May 1989. Almost all of the patients were elderly: their average
      age was 77. Delay is defined as the period between the day a patient was judged
      medically ready for discharge by a discharge planner and the day the patient was
      discharged (or May 31 if unplaced). The average delay was 16.7 days. The policy
      relevant patient characteristics associated with delay are requirement for heavy
      care, race, source of reimbursement, and whether or not there was a financial
      problem in arranging discharge. The patient's age and whether or not a problem
      with behavior or family cooperativeness was noted also were predictors. Along
      with patient characteristics, hospital features such as bed size, occupancy rate,
      and total revenues were correlated with delay. Local nursing and rest home
      (domiciliary) bed supply were insignificant predictors, possibly because of their
      limited variance: the number of nursing home beds in all North Carolina counties
      is below the national mean; the number of rest home beds exceeds it. The
      conclusion reached is that the delay problem warrants more intensive analysis,
      particularly regarding financial problems encountered at discharge, and race.
      Guidelines for such an endeavor are provided. Further, there is a need to
      recognize the increasing preponderance of a new type of heavy care patient via
      more appropriate reimbursement levels and "transitional care" services.

PMID- 1869445
TI  - Physician participation in hospital strategic decision making: the effect of
      hospital strategy and decision content.
AB  - An exploratory study examined variation in the participation of physicians in
      hospital strategic decision making as a function of (1) strategic decision
      content or (2) hospital strategy, or both. The findings revealed that who
      participates is a function of decision content while how physicians participate
      is a function of decision content and the interaction of decision content and
      hospital strategy.

PMID- 1869446
TI  - A method for enzyme- and immunohistochemical staining of large frozen specimens.
AB  - A method for large specimen cryosectioning is described. Specimens of pig heart
      ventricles were lightly fixed by microwave irradiation, embedded in 10% gelatin,
      frozen in hexan chilled with dry ice, and sectioned using an LKB 2250 PMW
      cryomicrotome. The sections were collected on transparent film and transferred
      onto glass slides. Standard histological, enzyme- and immuno-histochemical
      staining techniques were used. The present method allowed cryosectioning with
      sections of good quality which could be used for enzyme- and immuno-staining. For
      studies of experimental myocardial infarction, staining for phosphorylase and
      Periodic Acid Schiff outlined the ischemic area and antibodies against plasma
      fibronectin and fibrinogen delineated the infarcted myocardium.

PMID- 1869447
TI  - Immunoreactive calbindin-D9K in bone matrix vesicle.
AB  - This electron microscope study describes the subcellular occurrence and
      distribution of immunoreactive calbindin-D9K in the trabecular metaphyseal and
      compact cortical bone of normal rats, rachitic vitamin-D-deficient rats, and
      rachitic rats given 1,25-(OH)2D3. Undecalcified bones were embedded in Lowicryl
      K4M and calbindin-D9K antigenicity was detected by the protein A-gold method.
      Immunoreactive calbindin-D9K was localized in the cytoplasm and cell processes of
      osteoblasts and osteocytes. Immunoreactive calbindin-D9K was also found within
      matrix vesicles and calcifying matrix vesicles, where it lay over the needle
      shaped crystallites, at the apparent site of initial crystal formation, but not
      along the whole crystallites. In fully mineralized bone it occurred at the same
      site, over the crystallites. Calibindin-D9K was vitamin-D-dependent in the
      osteoblasts and matrix vesicles, where its presence was correlated with the
      reappearance of crystallites in 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated vitamin-D-deficient rats.
      This suggests that immunoreactive calbindin-D9K is involved in mineral deposition
      in bone matrix vesicles. Abnormal intracellular calcification associated with
      calbindin-D9K antigenicity in the osteoblasts of 1,25-(OH)2D3-treated vitamin-D
      deficient rats indicates that immunoreactive calbindin-D9K may also play a part
      in abnormal intracellular mineral deposition.

PMID- 1869448
TI  - Epidermal growth factor in the rat lung.
AB  - Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in pharmacological doses is able to induce
      precoccious lung maturation in rabbits and sheeps. As EGF is probably acting in a
      para- or autocrine way, we have searched for EGF in the lungs. We report EGF
      immunoreactivity to be present in the type II pneumocytes of the rat from a
      couple of days prior to birth and throughout life. Further, we report EGF
      immunoreactivity to be present in cells in the bronchi and the bronchioles from
      day 20-21 of gestation and throughout life. G-200 gelchromatography of lung
      extracts indicates that the EGF-reactive material is a high molecular weight form
      of EGF. Since previous studies have shown that EGF in pharmacological doses is
      able to promote lung maturation, our results may imply a physiological role for
      EGF in the lungs.

PMID- 1869449
TI  - Ultrastructural detection of DNA-incorporated bromodeoxyuridine in resin embedded
      brain tissue.
AB  - We describe a protocol for the ultrastructural detection of DNA-incorporated
      bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) in resin embedded tissue by means of post-embedding
      immunogold labeling. The paraventricular zone of rat embryos brains was
      dissected, fixed either in paraformaldehyde or glutaraldehyde, and embedded in LR
      White. BUdR gold labeling was only found when thin sections were pretreated with
      4 N HCl. Other DNA denaturing agents, such as Na ethoxide, formamide, formic
      acid, heat or HCl at lower concentrations were ineffective. Very little
      difference in the degree of labeling was found depending on the fixation. This
      method can be applied to investigate the fine structure of replicating cells in
      other in vivo conditions, such as human tumors.

PMID- 1869450
TI  - A diurnal variation of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) mRNA under a daily
      light-dark cycle in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus.
AB  - We detected a diurnal change of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) messenger RNA
      (mRNA) in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) using the in situ hybridization
      technique combined with computed image analysis. The amount of VIP mRNA was
      greatest at 02.00 h, the next largest level was seen at 20.00 h during the dark
      phase and smallest at 14.00 h during the light phase. We also confirmed that the
      onset of the fluctuation of mRNA occurred 2-6 h prior to the diurnal variation of
      the content of VIP-like immunoreactivity by semiquantitative immunocytochemistry.
      These findings suggest that light stimulus from the retina is a primarily
      influence on the transcription of VIP mRNA and induces a diurnal variation of VIP
      synthesis.

PMID- 1869451
TI  - Paneth cell degranulation and lysozyme secretion during acute equine alimentary
      laminitis.
AB  - The equine Paneth cell response to a shift in the microbial balance of the
      intestinal tract was studied by inducing an acute episode of alimentary laminitis
      in 6 mature ponies. The normal bacterial population of the gut was modified by
      administration of a carbohydrate-rich ration. During acute laminitis a dramatic
      degranulation of the Paneth cells occurred in the intestinal glands throughout
      the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Bacteriocidal lysozyme, which was
      immunohistochemically identified as a component of the Paneth cell secretory
      granule, was evident in the glandular lumina and in degranulated Paneth cells.
      These results indicate that lysozyme is secreted by the equine Paneth cell in an
      apparent attempt to regulate the changing microbial population induced by
      carbohydrate overload of the gut. From these observations, it is suggested that
      the Paneth cell plays a role in the mucosal defense system of the equine
      intestinal tract.

PMID- 1869452
TI  - The effect of local control on metastatic dissemination in carcinoma of the
      prostate: long-term results in patients treated with 125I implantation.
AB  - The study evaluates the effect of the locally recurring tumor on the incidence of
      metastatic disease in early stage carcinoma of the prostate. The probability of
      distant metastases was studied in 679 patients with Stage B-C/N0 carcinoma of the
      prostate treated at MSKCC between 1970 and 1985 (median follow-up of 97 months).
      Patients were staged with pelvic lymph node dissection and treated with
      retropubic 125I implantation. The actuarial distant metastases free survival
      (DMFS) for patients at risk at 15 years after initial therapy was 37%. Cox
      proportional hazard regression analysis of covariates affecting the metastatic
      outcome showed that local failure, used in the model as a time dependent
      variable, was the most significant covariate, although stage, grade, and implant
      volume were also found to be independent variables. The relative risk of
      metastatic spread subsequent to local failure was 4-fold increased compared to
      the risk without evidence of local relapse. The 15-year actuarial DMFS in 351
      patients with local control was 77% compared to 24% in 328 patients who developed
      local relapses (p less than 0.00001). The relation of distant spread to the local
      outcome was observed regardless of stage, grade, or implant dose. Even stage
      B1/N0-Grade I patient with local control showed a 15-year actuarial DMFS of 82%,
      compared to 22% in patients with local relapse; p less than 0.00001). The median
      local relapse-free survival (LRFS) in the 268 patients with local recurrences who
      did not receive hormonal therapy before distant metastases were detected was 51
      months, compared to a median of 71 months for DMFS in the same patients (p less
      than 0.001), consistent with the possibility that distant dissemination may
      develop secondary to local failure. Furthermore, distant metastases in patients
      with local control, apparently already existing as micrometastases before
      treatment, were detected earlier (median DMFS of 37 months) than in patients with
      local relapse (median DMFS of 54 months; p = 0.009). These data suggest that the
      existence and re-growth of local residual disease in localized prostatic
      carcinoma promotes an enhanced spread of metastatic disease, and that early and
      complete eradication of the primary tumor is required if a long term cure is to
      be achieved, although the clinical expression of secondary metastases may not
      become apparent for 6.5 years or more in one-half of the patients.

PMID- 1869453
TI  - The effect of local-regional control on distant metastatic dissemination in
      carcinoma of the head and neck: results of an analysis from the RTOG head and
      neck database.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of the effect of local control on the development of
      distant metastases was performed in 2648 patients with carcinoma of the head and
      neck selected from the RTOG database. The 5-year time-adjusted incidence of
      distant metastases was 21% for patients who were in local-regional control at 6
      months after the start of treatment, compared to 38% for local-regional failure
      patients (p less than 0.001). The incidence of distant metastases detected
      between the interval of 6 months to 2.5 years after treatment was significantly
      increased in patients with tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, supraglottic
      larynx, and glottis who developed local-regional failure within this time period,
      compared to those who remained locally controlled (19% distant metastases for
      local-regional failure vs 7% for local-regional control (p less than 0.001)). In
      contrast, there as no difference in the incidence of distant metastases in
      patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx or hypopharynx regardless of the local
      regional disease status. A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis
      demonstrated that local-regional control was the most significant variable
      affecting the development of distant metastases, followed by tumor site, N-stage,
      and T-stage. For all tumor sites, except for the hypopharynx and nasopharynx,
      improvements in local-regional control are likely to improve survival. Tumors of
      the hypopharynx and nasopharynx have a higher probability of micro-metastatic
      dissemination at the time of initial diagnosis, and until effective methods to
      treat disseminated disease are developed, the effect of local control on survival
      will not be readily discerned.

PMID- 1869454
TI  - Prospective randomized trial comparing hyperfractionated versus conventional
      radiotherapy in stages III and IV oropharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - From April 1986 to May 1989, 112 patients seen at a single institution with
      previously untreated squamous cell oropharynx carcinoma, Stages III and IV, were
      randomly assigned to 66 Gy in 33 fractions of 2 Gy each (conventional RT) versus
      70.4 Gy in 64 fractions of 1.1 Gy given twice a day with a minimal interfraction
      interval of 6 hours (hyperfractionated RT). The overall time for both arms was 6
      1/2 weeks. Patients were stratified by site (base of the tongue vs others), T
      stage (T1/T2 vs T3 vs T4), N stage (N0/N1 vs N2 vs N3), and lymphnode size (less
      than 6 cm vs greater than 6 cm). As of January 1990, an analysis was performed in
      98 patients (8 patients in the conventional arm and 6 in the hyperfractionation
      not included). The groups were balanced by age, performance status, stage, and
      site of the primary disease. The median follow-up time was 25 months. The
      probability of complete loco-regional response was 62% in the hyperfractionation
      arm and 52% for the conventional fractionation (p = 0.28). There was no
      difference in the control of lymphnodal disease (hyperfractionated = 55%,
      conventional = 57%; p = 0.92), but the disease control in the oropharynx only was
      significantly improved in the hyperfractionation arm (84% vs 64%, p = 0.02).
      Overall survival rate at 42 months was 27% for the hyperfractionation arm and 8%
      for the conventional (p = 0.03). Survival rates for hyperfractionated versus
      conventional RT were 40% versus 18% (p = 0.06), respectively, for Stage III
      patients and 16% versus 0% (p = 0.15), respectively, for Stage IV. There was
      significant improvement in survival in favor of the hyperfractionation arm in
      patients with lesions outside the base of the tongue (31% vs 15%, p = 0.02), for
      those with a 50-70% Karnofsky status (19% vs 0%, p = 0.006) and for patients with
      N0/N1 disease (38% vs 15%, p = 0.03). Acute toxicities were of similar magnitude,
      although both skin and mucosal reactions appeared earlier on the
      hyperfractionation scheme. To date, no differences in late toxicity have been
      observed. We conclude that in a subset group of patients with locally advanced
      carcinoma of the oropharynx, hyperfractionated radiotherapy appears to provide
      improved survival without adding to increased toxicity.

PMID- 1869455
TI  - Accelerated superfractionated irradiation for advanced carcinoma of the head and
      neck: concomitant boost technique.
AB  - Between 1980 and 1988, 94 patients with AJCC Stage III and IV squamous cell
      carcinoma of all sites of the upper aero-digestive tract were treated with
      radiotherapy. We report here on 62 patients who are followed for a minimum of 2
      years. Of these, 30 patients were treated with conventional once-a-day
      radiotherapy and 32 patients were irradiated using an accelerated
      superfractionation regimen during part of the treatment course. The altered
      fractionation schedule employed a concomitant boost technique with clinically
      demonstrable disease being irradiated twice-a-day during the first or second half
      of the treatment course. Daily radiation fractions were 1.8 Gy and the boost
      field was treated with 1.6 Gy after a 4- to 6-hr interval. No significant
      differences in acute treatment toxicity were observed in the two treatment
      groups. Patients treated with conventional and accelerated fractionation regimens
      experienced 36 months actuarial local tumor control rates of 40% and 67% (p =
      0.03), respectively, which translated into an actuarial disease-free survival of
      40% and 64% (p = 0.04). The increased locoregional control rates in patients
      treated with accelerated fractionation were associated with an adjusted and
      overall survival advantage at the p = 0.05 level. We conclude that our regimen of
      accelerated superfractionated irradiation with shortening of the treatment course
      resulted in improved control and survival rates at conventional doses of 68.4 to
      73.8 Gy.

PMID- 1869456
TI  - The influence of extent of neck treatment upon control of cervical
      lymphadenopathy in cancers of the oral tongue.
AB  - This is a retrospective analysis of the management of the neck in 84 patients
      with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue treated with curative intent
      between 1968 and 1985. Patients with a clinically negative neck were treated to
      the neck only if the patient was thought to have a reasonable probability of
      occult neck metastases. This policy resulted in a 3-year adjusted neck control
      rate for N0 patients treated with limited (no, bilateral-partial, or ipsilateral)
      neck therapy of 38% compared with 95% for patients treated with bilateral, whole
      neck irradiation (p less than .001). None of the relapses in the patients with
      limited irradiation were in the treatment portal. Attempted salvage with a neck
      dissection resulted in cure in only 30%. The 3-year adjusted neck control rate
      for the N1 and N2 patients treated with total neck irradiation and surgery was
      75% and 63%, respectively. The location of recurrence in these patients was in
      the field of irradiation, but contralateral to the side of the neck dissection.

PMID- 1869457
TI  - Second neoplasms in patients with carcinomas of the vocal cord: incidence and
      implications for survival.
AB  - A retrospective analysis was performed for 218 patients who were managed for
      carcinomas of the glottic larynx from 1975 to 1988. With a median follow-up of 51
      months (range: 24 to 120 months), 41 patients developed a second malignant
      neoplasm. Six patients had synchronous and 35 had metachronous second malignant
      neoplasms. The median interval between the diagnosis of glottic carcinoma and a
      second malignant neoplasm was 31 months. This median interval increased to 43
      months when only the metachronous tumors were analyzed. The average annual risk
      of developing a second malignant neoplasm (SMN) in a 10-year period was 3.1%.
      Seventy-one percent of them occurred in the upper aerodigestive tract or lungs.
      When analyzed according to the initial stage of the glottic carcinoma, 23 of 145
      (16%) patients with T1 or T2 glottic carcinomas developed a second malignant
      neoplasm, whereas 18 of 73 (25%) patients T3 or T4 lesions did so. For the T1/T2
      group, the average annual risk was 2.5%, as compared to 4.8% for the T3/T4 group
      (p = 0.023). The development of a second malignant neoplasm adversely affected
      survival. The 10-year actuarial survival for these patients who did not develop a
      second malignant neoplasm was 45%, as compared to 19% for those who did develop a
      second malignant neoplasm (p = 0.008). Although second malignant neoplasms
      occurred in only 19% of the total patient population, their impact on the
      survival rate of the overall population was equal to that of glottic carcinomas.
      The median survival after the diagnosis of a SMN was 6 months. The high incidence
      of second malignant neoplasms in patients with glottic carcinomas warrants
      careful follow-up and clinical investigation of the use of chemopreventive
      agents.

PMID- 1869458
TI  - Cobalt60 plaques in recurrent retinoblastoma.
AB  - Cobalt60 plaque irradiation is one treatment option for patients with recurrent
      retinoblastoma following conventional external beam irradiation (ERT).
      Tumorocidal doses can be delivered without excessive risk of normal tissue
      injury. In patients not considered candidates for xenon arc or cryotherapy, 60Co
      is an alternative to enucleation. Between 1968 and 1987, 85 patients were treated
      with 60Co plaques, 72 of whom had failed prior ERT. Age at diagnosis ranged from
      1 week to 4 years. There are 37 males and 35 females. Seventy-one patients had
      bilateral disease and one had unilateral. Three patients had both eyes plaqued.
      Prior ERT ranged from 30 to 70 Gy (mean 4200 Gy). Time from initial therapy to
      failure ranged from 13 to 60 months. Cobalt plaques of 10 mm, 15 mm, or 10 x 15
      mm were used depending on tumor size and location. Dose prescribed to the apex of
      the tumor ranged from 30 to 50 Gy (median 40 Gy) given over 3 to 8 days. Twelve
      patients had two plaque applications; three patients had three plaque
      applications. All patients were followed with routine ophthalmoscopic
      examinations. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 22 years (mean 8.7). Seven patients died
      of metastatic disease; 10 patients developed non-ocular second tumors. Thirty
      patients required enucleation. Twenty-two patients had clear tumor progression,
      two patients had radiation complications, and six patients had a combination of
      tumor growth and complications. Cobalt60 can salvage eyes in retinoblastoma
      patients failing ERT. Currently, we are using I125 in an attempt to spare normal
      ocular tissue and reduce subsequent complications.

PMID- 1869459
TI  - Pancoast tumor: radiation therapy alone versus preoperative radiation therapy and
      surgery.
AB  - This is a retrospective analysis of 73 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of
      the lung presenting as a Pancoast tumor. All patients were treated with curative
      intent between October 1964 and September 1987 (minimum follow-up 2 years). The
      treatment plan consisted of preoperative radiation therapy (usually 3000 cGy in 2
      weeks or 4500 cGy in 5 weeks) in 41 patients and radiation therapy alone (usually
      6500-7000 cGy in 6.5-8.0 weeks) in 32 patients. In general, radiation therapy
      alone was reserved for poor-prognosis patients (extensive disease or medical
      inoperability). Although 41 patients were initially scheduled to receive
      preoperative radiation therapy and surgery, the surgery was not performed in 12
      cases (29%) because of patient refusal (4 patients), poor response to radiation
      therapy (4 patients), distant metastasis (2 patients), or debilitation (2
      patients). Separate calculations were carried out for the patients who completed
      the surgery as planned (preoperative radiation therapy and surgery) and the
      entire group originally scheduled for combined-modality therapy. There was no
      significant difference in the absolute or cause-specific survival rates between
      treatment groups, but severe complications were significantly more common in
      patients receiving combined therapy.

PMID- 1869460
TI  - Estimation of clonogenic cell fraction in primary cultures derived from human
      squamous cell carcinomas.
AB  - Tumor clonogenic cell content is believed to play an important role in the
      outcome of radiotherapy. However, there is no proven method to assess the number
      of clonogens in human tumors accurately. All currently available assays employ in
      vitro plating efficiency or in vivo TD50 (the average number of cells needed to
      induce tumors in 50% of injected mice) to estimate the tumor clonogenic ability.
      In this study, a monolayer mass primary culture system was used to estimate the
      clonogenic cell fraction in human tumors. For this purpose, 25 growth curves were
      performed for 25 tumor specimens derived from 21 head and neck and 4 cervical
      squamous cell carcinomas. The exponential portion of each growth curve was
      extrapolated through the ordinate (day 0) to estimate the clonogenic cell
      fraction; this method is only an estimate because it assumes no lag phase before
      exponential growth of clonogenic cells. The mean clonogenic cell fraction,
      expressed as clonogens/tumor cells inoculated, was relatively low (mean: 0.71%,
      range: 0.11-9.28), and the variation was wide (coefficient of variation = 148%).
      On the other hand, the doubling time of the growing population was 1.46 days and
      exhibited a very narrow range (0.98-2.24, coefficient of variation = 24%). The
      mean and range of clonogenic cell fraction were found to be in agreement with
      published values of soft agar colony forming efficiencies in both murine and
      human tumors. However, further investigation is necessary to determine how
      accurately this method measures the relative clonogenic cell content in human
      tumors. Clinical correlations between clonogenic cell fraction values and the
      response to radiotherapy are still too early to determine.

PMID- 1869462
TI  - Should tumors be clamped in radiobiological fractionation experiments?
AB  - In radiobiological fractionation experiments tumors are often clamped during
      irradiation. This is done not only to facilitate the interpretation of the data
      by eliminating the influence of reoxygenation but also to avoid uncontrolled
      changes in the hypoxic fraction that are caused by anesthesia or stress from
      physical restraint. In this study it is shown that clamping of tumors during
      irradiation also affects repair, repopulation, and redistribution. From these
      results it is concluded that clamping of tumors during fractionated irradiation
      treatment does not appear to be an adequate measure to elucidate the mechanisms
      that determine tumor response to radiotherapy. Even some of the fundamental
      concepts of tumor radiobiology might contain some uncertainties, since they are
      often based on data resulting from clamped tumors.

PMID- 1869461
TI  - Tumors growing in irradiated tissue: oxygenation, metabolic state, and pH.
AB  - Experimental tumors growing in irradiated tissue have been used to study the
      biological differences characteristic of locally recurrent tumors. Animal tumors
      were early generation isotransplants of a spontaneous fibrosarcoma in a C3Hf/Sed
      mouse, designated FSa-II. Since the hypoxic cell fraction of tumors growing in
      irradiated tissue is increased, these tumors are assumed to be metabolically
      deprived with hypoperfusion and acidosis. In this study we directly measured the
      oxygen partial pressure (pO2) distribution, metabolic state, and pH of tumors
      growing in an irradiated tumor bed using oxygen sensitive electrodes and 31P-NMR.
      The results confirmed a three-fold increase in the number of pO2 readings less
      than or equal to 2.5 mmHg and also showed increased acidosis with a 0.17 unit
      decrease in pHNMR. When tumors growing in pre-irradiated tissue reached
      approximately 100 mm3 in volume, a high frequency of gross and microscopic
      necrosis and hemorrhage was already observed. Consistent with these observations,
      the phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi) and nucleoside
      triphosphate/inorganic phosphate (NTP/Pi) ratios were significantly lower in the
      tumors in a pre-irradiated bed compared to tumors in a non-irradiated bed
      (PCr/Pi: 0.51 vs 0.79, p less than 0.05; and NTP/Pi: 0.64 vs 0.93, p less than
      0.05). The longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of Pi was numerically shorter in
      control tumors (consistent with the better tissue oxygenation), but this did not
      reach statistical significance (2.09 +/- .11 sec vs 2.25 +/- .16 sec).

PMID- 1869463
TI  - Dose in bone and tissue near bone-tissue interface from electron beam.
AB  - This work has quantitatively studied the variation of dose both within bone and
      in unit density tissue near bone-tissue interfaces. Dose upstream of a bone
      tissue interface is increased because of an increase in the backscattered
      electrons from the bone. The magnitude of this effect was measured using a thin
      parallel-plate ionization chamber upstream of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
      hard bone interface. The electron backscatter factor (EBF) increased rapidly with
      bone thickness until a full EBF was achieved. This occurred at approximately 3.5
      mm at 2 MeV and 6 mm at 13.1 MeV. The full EBF at the interface ranged from
      approximately 1.018 at 13.1 MeV to 1.05 at 2 MeV. It was also observed that the
      EBF had a dependence on the energy spectrum at the interface. The penetration of
      the backscattered electrons in the upstream direction of PMMA was also measured.
      The dose penetration fell off rapidly in the upstream direction of the interface.
      Dose enhancement to unit density tissue in bone was measured for an electron beam
      by placing thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) in a PMMA-bone-PMMA phantom. The
      maximum dose enhancement in bone was approximately 7% of the maximum dose in
      water. However, the pencil-beam algorithm of Hogstrom et al. predicted an
      increase of only 1%, primarily owing to the inverse-square correction. Film was
      also used to measure the dose enhancement in bone. The film plane was aligned
      either perpendicular or parallel to the central axis of the beam. The film data
      indicated that the maximum dose enhancement in bone was approximately 8% for the
      former film alignment (which was similarly predicted by the TLD measurements) and
      13% for the latter film alignment. These results confirm that the X ray film is
      not suitable to be irritated "edge on" in an inhomogeneous phantom without making
      perturbation corrections resulting from the film acting as a long narrow
      inhomogeneous cavity within the bone. In addition, the results give the
      radiotherapist a basis for clinical judgment when electron beams are used to
      treat lesions behind bone or near bony structures. We feel these data enhance the
      ability to recognize the shortcomings of the current dose calculation algorithm
      used clinically.

PMID- 1869464
TI  - Concomitant chemotherapy-radiation therapy followed by hyperfractionated
      radiation therapy for advanced unresectable head and neck cancer.
AB  - In January 1988, we initiated a prospective study evaluating a new treatment
      approach with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for unresectable head and neck
      cancer. Weeks 1-4 were the initial debulking phase. Radiotherapy was delivered
      using 1.8 Gy/day to large portals including gross disease and all areas at risk.
      Cisplatinum, 100mg/m2, was given concomitant with radiotherapy on days 1 and 22.
      Weeks 5 and 6 were the boosting phase. This involved twice-a-day irradiation. The
      AM fraction of 1.8 Gy was given to the entire area at risk, whereas the PM dose
      of 1.6 Gy was limited to the gross disease alone. Thus a total of 70 Gy/6 weeks
      was delivered. A total of 24 patients were treated, 22 of whom have completed
      this protocol and are evaluable. All patients had massive disease, with 15 having
      gross involvement of brain, orbit, skull base, or carotid artery. Follow-up
      ranged from 3-22 months (median 12 months). Major responses were achieved in 96%,
      with 64% complete responses and 32% partial responses. Two patients with PR were
      able to undergo complete surgical resection, making the overall rate of complete
      response, including surgery, 73%. At 1 year, actuarial survival was 69%, and
      local progression-free survival was 56%. Distant metastases developed in 5 (23%).
      This approach appears both safe and effective in producing excellent regression
      and local control for far advanced head and neck cancer. More time is needed to
      see if these results are sustained. Efforts to build upon this experience appear
      warranted.

PMID- 1869465
TI  - Sensori-neural hearing loss in patients treated with irradiation for
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - The present investigation has been carried out to evaluate the sensitivity of the
      inner ear to irradiation. Cochlear function was tested in a cohort of 22 patients
      before and 7-84 months after receiving external irradiation for nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma. The pre-irradiation sensori-neural hearing threshold at 500, 1000,
      2000, and 4000 Hz was used as a baseline for the individual patient, and the
      observed sensori-neural hearing loss (SNHL) was calculated as the difference
      between pre- and post-irradiation values. The pre-irradiation hearing level or
      patient age was not correlated with the actual SNHL. In contrast, there was a
      significant correlation between the total radiation dose to the inner ear and the
      observed hearing impairment. SNHL was most pronounced in the high frequencies,
      with values up to 35 dB (4000 Hz) and 25 dB (2000 Hz) in some patients. The
      latent period for the complication appeared to be 12 months or more. The
      deleterious effect of irradiation on the hearing should be kept in mind both in
      treatment planning and in the follow-up after radiotherapy.

PMID- 1869466
TI  - Radiotherapy for large symptomatic hemangiomas.
AB  - Between 1974 and 1988, 13 patients presented with large (3 to greater than 20 cm)
      symptomatic unresectable or partially resected hemangiomas. Tumor sites were
      extremities (five cases), vertebral bodies (three cases), face (two cases),
      pituitary fossa (one case), pelvic bones (one case), and bladder (one case).
      Symptoms included severe pain in eight patients, inability to use an extremity in
      five, vision problems in three, weakness in two, and hematuria with decreased
      urinary stream in one. Many patients had more than one symptom. Two of the cases
      were associated with life-threatening consumptive coagulopathies (Kasabach
      Merritt syndrome). Therapy was delivered with both orthovoltage and megavoltage
      photons. Doses ranged from 6.25 to 40.0 Gy in 1.6- to 2.5-Gy fractions. Follow-up
      ranged from 2 to 15 years (median, 13 years). Tumor shrinkage was noted in 9
      (82%) of the 11 cases in which tumor size data were collected before and after
      therapy. Complete response of tumor mass occurred in 4 (36%) of 11, partial
      response occurred in 5 (45%), and no response occurred in 2 (18%). No tumor grew
      after radiotherapy. Some relief in symptoms occurred in all 13 patients; 10 (77%)
      had complete resolution of symptoms. In both patients with life-threatening
      cytopenias, hematologic values returned to normal after treatment. Because the
      majority of the patients responded to all dose levels administered, no firm dose
      response relationship was evident. However, objective (measurable) complete
      responses occurred in two (50%) of the four patients receiving doses of 30 Gy or
      greater compared with only two (29%) of the seven patients who received lesser
      doses. No long-term morbidity occurred. Radiotherapy of large unresectable and
      partially resected hemangiomas yields long-term relief of symptoms and tumor
      shrinkage in the majority of patients treated.

PMID- 1869467
TI  - Quality assurance in stereotactic radiosurgery using a standard linear
      accelerator.
AB  - Methods have recently been developed for using standard linear accelerators to
      perform stereotactic radiosurgery. The accuracy necessary to perform this
      procedure requires an intensive quality assurance program to encompass all
      aspects of dose calibration and mechanical integrity of the treatment unit, the
      treatment planning process, and treatment delivery. The programs developed at the
      Joint Center for Radiation Therapy (JCRT) include testing of the linear
      accelerator and the stereotactic system, cross checking of the treatment planning
      process, and a quality assurance check list of the treatment delivery procedure.
      This report outlines in detail the quality assurance program currently in use at
      the JCRT.

PMID- 1869468
TI  - Fractionated radiotherapy of small inoperable lesions of the brain using a non
      invasive stereotactic frame.
AB  - Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and benign or low grade, small malignant
      tumors can be treated by stereotactic radiotherapy in a single fraction. This
      report describes a technique for stereotactic treatment of small lesions using
      conventional, fractionated, photon beam irradiation. The Laitinen's
      stereoadapter, non-invasive head frame was used. This device was tested for
      accuracy by serial mountings and found to be accurate within 1 mm. The accuracy
      of the dose delivered was within 2%. Adaptation of this device to the linear
      accelerator required the design of secondary circular collimators which decreased
      the penumbra from 3-4 mm to 2-3 mm. The dose fall off outside the target volume
      is steep enough when using two non-coplanar arcs (90 to 10% within 1 cm).
      Thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) in a humanoid phantom showed good correlation
      with the calculated dose. This system permits delivery of fractionated radiation
      therapy to small volumes, easily and accurately, under stereotactic conditions.

PMID- 1869470
TI  - Prediction of Saturne II+ 10 MV and 23 MV photon beam output factors.
AB  - A two-variable, three-parameter formula for modified, virtual equivalent square
      sides has been worked out which, when incorporated into empirical output-square
      field size function, generates output values of rectangular fields taking into
      account the asymmetry of the collimating system of the Saturne II+ accelerator
      generating 10 MV and 23 MV photon beams.

PMID- 1869469
TI  - A comparison of postoperative techniques for carcinomas of the larynx and
      hypopharynx using 3-D dose distributions.
AB  - If a head and neck cancer originates low in the neck with a primary site below
      the shoulders, a technical challenge to the radiation oncologist exists in that
      the entire neck needs treatment while avoiding overlap of multiple fields on the
      spinal cord. No standard solution to this problem exists. We have developed a 3-D
      treatment planning tool that can be used to develop and compare 3-D treatment
      plans and dose distributions. Using this tool, we have studied the following
      techniques for the postoperative treatment of carcinomas of the larynx and
      hypopharynx, tumors that often embody the problems discussed above: (a) the mini
      mantle technique used at the Massachussetts General Hospital, (b) a 3-field
      technique used at the University of Florida at Gainesville (UF 3-field), (c) a 3
      field technique used at our institution and at many others (standard 3-field),
      and (d) the kicked out lateral technique used at our institution and at others.
      The 3-D dose distributions from these plans are compared. With 100% delivered
      just anterior to the vertebral body at mid-neck, the mini-mantle technique
      results in large 120% hot spots laterally and anteriorly in the neck. Near the
      mastoid tips, however, the dose falls to 100%. The upper neck nodes may be
      underdosed since this is 20% cooler than the lateral-anterior neck dose (where a
      large 120% hot spot exists). The spinal cord is adequately blocked. The two 3
      field techniques result in small hot spots at the junction of the lateral and
      anterior fields. Because different methods are used to prevent overlap at the
      spinal cord, these hot spots occur anteriorly in the standard 3-field technique
      and laterally in the UF 3-field technique. The spinal cord block results in
      untreated neck tissue which can be supplemented with electrons in the standard 3
      field technique, but is left untreated in the UF 3-field technique. Both
      techniques result in a generous length of spinal cord which does not receive full
      dose. The kicked out lateral technique treats the entire neck and reconstructed
      pharynx without matching fields at midneck. The upper mid mediastinum is
      underdosed 10-20% despite being within the posterior inferior portion of the
      beam. This could be minimized by using a tissue compensator. Unless there is
      significant subglottic extension or significant risk of disease in the upper
      mediastinum, we favor treating these malignancies with the kicked out lateral
      technique, which avoids the problem of junctioning lateral and anterior fields
      and provides a fairly homogeneous dose distribution.

PMID- 1869471
TI  - The biological basis for conformal three-dimensional radiation therapy.
AB  - The recent introduction of new computer technology for treatment planning and
      computer-driven treatment delivery systems, such as multi-leaf collimators and on
      line verification systems, has accelerated the development of 3-dimensional (3-D)
      radiation therapy as a modality for curative cancer treatment. The goal of 3-D
      treatment planning is to conform the spatial distribution of the high radiation
      dose to the shape of the tumor contour while concomitantly decreasing the volume
      of the surrounding normal tissues receiving high radiation doses. The improved
      precision of tumor coverage and the exclusion of normal tissues should permit
      tumor dose escalation and may enhance local tumor control. It has been suggested
      that any survival gains derived from improvements in local control may be offset
      by the subsequent appearance of distant metastases arising from micrometastases
      already present at the time of initial diagnosis. However, clinical and
      laboratory studies indicate that failure to control the primary tumor at the time
      of initial treatment significantly increases the incidence of metastatic
      dissemination. This phenomenon is consistent with the hypothesis that the
      enhanced mitotic activity associated with the re-growth process of locally
      recurring primary tumors promotes the multi-step transformation of non-metastatic
      tumor cells into clonogens with metastatic potential, leading to increased
      overall rates of metastatic disease. These biologic considerations provide
      support for the need to focus attention on the identification of more effective
      therapeutic strategies designed to eradicate the primary local tumor completely
      at the time of initial therapy and serve as the rationale for clinical studies
      using 3-D conformal radiation therapy.

PMID- 1869472
TI  - Fractionated regimens for stereotactic radiotherapy of recurrent tumors in the
      brain.
AB  - Radiosurgery (single-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy) was initially developed
      to treat non-malignant arteriovenous malformations, but there is growing interest
      in its use for the treatment of recurrent brain tumors. We suggest that there are
      sound reasons to expect improved results for tumor radiotherapy, in terms of late
      effects, if a fractionated regimen is used. At present, no published guidelines
      are available for choosing appropriate doses for fractionated regimens. We
      present two sets of guidelines, based on experimentally derived radiobiological
      parameters: first, we estimate gamma-ray doses which, if delivered in various
      numbers of fractions, should produce equivalent early effects to 70 Gy of 125I X
      rays delivered at low dose rate; this latter regimen is currently used in RTOG
      interstitial brachytherapy trials. Second, we estimate doses for multi-fractioned
      stereotactic radiotherapy which may be advantageous alternatives to particular
      doses of single-fractioned radiosurgical therapy. As the appropriate hardware is
      available, the use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy deserves serious
      consideration for the treatment of recurrent tumors in the brain.

PMID- 1869473
TI  - Development of scanned focussed ultrasound hyperthermia: clinical response
      evaluation.
AB  - Selective heating of irregularly shaped tumors at depth can now be accomplished
      through focussing and controlled scanning of energy deposition patterns by
      ultrasound. A scanned focussed ultrasound (SFUS) hyperthermia system developed at
      the University of Arizona has been used to deliver 220 treatments to 87 tumors in
      71 patients with extracranial malignancies between October 1986 and May 1990.
      Patients received an average of three SFUS hyperthermia treatments, spaced
      weekly, during ongoing fractionated radiotherapy. The most common anatomic sites
      treated were the pelvis (22 patients), chest wall or breast (14), neck (8), and
      axilla (7), while the most common histologies were adenocarcinoma (36), squamous
      cell carcinoma (11), and melanoma (10). Concurrent radiotherapy was delivered
      (range 1000-7640 cGy, mean 4320 cGy) to 67 SFUS hyperthermia patients; 4 received
      concomitant chemotherapy. Tumor volumes ranged from 1-2100 cubic centimeters
      (mean 325 cc), and 75% were located at depths greater than 3 cm from skin. A 62%
      overall response rate was observed, with 22% of treated tumors demonstrating a
      complete response (defined as complete disappearance of treated tumor), and 40%
      exhibiting a partial response (defined as greater than or equal to 50% reduction
      in tumor volume). Dramatic local pain reduction was achieved in 42% of the tumors
      treated. The acute tolerance of SFUS hyperthermia was quite good, and chronic
      toxicities (persistent skin blisters/burns) were identified in two patients. The
      versatility of the SFUS system is discussed, as well as its future potential for
      improving control of advanced loco-regional malignancies treated with curative
      intent.

PMID- 1869474
TI  - CNS imaging of neoplasms.

PMID- 1869475
TI  - Current applications of imaging procedures in the patient with lung cancer.
AB  - The primary role of imaging procedures in the patient with lung cancer should be
      focused on staging and follow-up challenges. The role of imaging procedures in
      the detection of the patient at risk for primary lung cancer remains limited and
      cannot be recommended at present. There is no significant difference between the
      yield of CT and MR in this patient group, with the possible exception of a more
      specific role for MR when questions are raised concerning hilar lymph node
      involvement and mediastinal compartmental invasion. The main role of cross
      sectional imaging techniques should be in the avoidance of unnecessary surgical
      procedures, identifying the unresectable patient prior to exploratory
      thoracotomy. It should be emphasized that all radiographic abnormalities are non
      specific and must be histologically verified before presuming that an abnormal
      lymph node or large adrenal gland contains metastatic lung cancer.

PMID- 1869476
TI  - Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy: a testable hypothesis.

PMID- 1869477
TI  - Interstitial therapy in the management of early stage carcinomas of oral cavity.

PMID- 1869478
TI  - Choosing a maximum spinal cord dose.

PMID- 1869479
TI  - 192 iridium implantation of base of tongue carcinoma.

PMID- 1869480
TI  - Response to Goffinet, Harrison, Puthawala, and Syed.

PMID- 1869482
TI  - Bovine cell lines for collaborative gene mapping studies.

PMID- 1869481
TI  - Glucocorticoids increase myoblast proliferation rates by inhibiting death of
      cycling cells.

PMID- 1869483
TI  - Sequence of rat keratinocyte growth factor (heparin-binding growth factor type 7)

PMID- 1869484
TI  - Identification of bovine serum albumins that support salmonid cell proliferation
      in the absence of serum.

PMID- 1869485
TI  - Growth of neonatal rat uterine luminal epithelium on extracellular matrix.
AB  - We have developed a tissue culture system using an extract of basement membrane
      (extracellular matrix) which promotes the in vitro growth and development of
      uterine luminal epithelium from the 5-day-old rat. Uterine luminal epithelium,
      free of stroma, was obtained as short tubes by trypsinization of uterine segments
      followed by mechanical separation. Epithelial segments were grown in a serum-free
      medium on culture dishes coated with an extracellular matrix. After 2 days, rapid
      cell growth resulted in monolayer cultures, which subsequently formed organoid
      structures similar to differentiated uterine glands present in uterine tissue
      taken from older rats. Electron microscopy of cultures revealed columnar cells
      with basally located nuclei, apical microvilli, lateral membranes with
      interdigitations, desmosomes, and secretory Golgi complexes, all features found
      in functioning uterine epithelium in vivo. This model will allow the in vitro
      investigation of the development of uterine epithelium-specific functions free of
      the influence of stromal cell factors.

PMID- 1869486
TI  - Fibroblastlike primary cells from human colon adenocarcinoma explants: collagen
      biosynthesis.
AB  - Fibroblastlike primary cells have been obtained from human colon adenocarcinoma
      explants. Such cells disappear during cell culture and thus have not been
      previously studied. These cells have a number of altered phenotypic
      characteristics: a) morphology; b) growth behavior and adherence to culture
      substrate (they required 3 h for 90% attachment and only presented a flattened
      morphology 40 h after platting); and c) collagen metabolism. Increased protein
      biosynthesis (about double than control colon-derived fibroblasts) and maintained
      ability for collagen biosynthesis have been observed for the tumor-associated
      fibroblastlike cells. Thus, the collagen to noncollagenous proteins ratio was
      decreased for these cells. They exhibited an altered type I:type III collagen
      (5:1 instead of 3:1 in colon fibroblasts) and procollagen (2:1 against 5:1 in
      colon fibroblasts) ratios as well as a decreased secretion of collagen with an
      abnormal deposition of procollagens in the cell layer. These studies show a
      permanent phenotypic alteration in the tumor-associated fibroblast-like cells.

PMID- 1869487
TI  - Proliferation and differentiation of prepubertal mouse vaginal epithelial cells
      in vitro and the specificity of estrogen-induced growth retardation.
AB  - Mouse vaginal epithelial cells were isolated from intact 21-day-old BALB/cCrgl
      mice and cultured in a serum-free medium (SF20: basal medium supplemented with
      insulin, epidermal growth factor, transferrin, and bovine serum albumin--fraction
      V) to examine the proliferation, differentiation, and specificity of estrogen
      induced growth retardation in vitro. Histologic and ultrastructural studies
      showed that vaginal epithelial cells undergo differentiative changes in vitro in
      the absence of estrogen, and that these changes are similar to those induced in
      vivo by estrogen. Addition of 17 beta-estradiol inhibited cellular proliferation
      in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas other estrane derivatives (17 alpha-estradiol
      and estriol) also significantly retarded cellular proliferation, cholesterol,
      testosterone, and progesterone had no effect. Keoxifene, an antiestrogen,
      significantly reversed estrogen-induced growth inhibition, resulting in
      proliferation of estrogen-treated cells equivalent to that of the untreated
      control. The results suggest that both proliferation and differentiation of
      prepubertal mouse vaginal epithelial cells in vitro are estrogen-independent, and
      that the growth inhibition is a specific estrogen-induced response.

PMID- 1869488
TI  - Replacement of vertebrate serum with lipids and other factors in the culture of
      invertebrate cells, tissues, parasites, and pathogens.
AB  - Culture medium supplementation with vertebrate serum results in the selection of
      fibroblastoid insect cell lines and a general decline during continuous
      subculturing of both morphologic and functional differentiation of the surviving
      cells. Essential lipid mixtures can substitute for vertebrate serum in the
      culture of insect and some vertebrate cells, tissues, parasites, and pathogens.
      The provision of sterols and essential (with nonessential) polyunsaturated fatty
      acids as phospholipids in oxidation-protected peptoliposomes or proteoliposomes
      allows cells in culture to duplicate in vivo specific membranes more accurately.
      Such lipid-corrected membranes allow cultured cells to communicate with
      neighboring cells through the extracellular matrix, effectively transmit hormonal
      signals directly and via receptor control, and respond with various tissue
      specific functions and differentiation states as directed.

PMID- 1869489
TI  - Insect tissue culture systems: models for study of hormonal control of
      development.
AB  - The regulation of growth and development of insects is under endocrine control
      and involves both juvenile hormones and ecdysteroids. Neuropeptides are master
      regulators which control the secretion of these hormones. Most experiments in
      insect endocrinology have been conducted in vivo, but tissue culture methodology
      is playing an increasing role due to the great interest in simpler model systems
      for the study of complex processes that occur in vivo. The availability of
      appropriate media has allowed the culture of a variety of insect organs and cell
      lines of defined origin which have kept certain properties of the parent tissues.
      Tissue culture approaches have been useful for studying hormonal control of
      morphogenetic processes. Cell lines are particularly suited to the study of
      hormonally regulated mechanisms of macromolecular biosynthesis and gene
      expression. Thus, the value of in vitro analysis in studies of regulation of
      hormone production is now recognized. Results obtained from tissue culture allow
      more precise definition of the hormonal requirements of insect cells and tissues
      for growth and differentiation and might make possible the discovery of new
      growth regulators.

PMID- 1869490
TI  - Growth factors in invertebrate in vitro culture.
AB  - An increasing number of polypeptide growth factors have been identified that have
      proven essential in the development of defined cell culture media for mammalian
      cell culture. The development of defined mammalian cell culture media, in turn,
      has provided an environment for studying cell lines in an experimentally
      manageable unit for studying the action of cellular regulators and genes that
      determine the properties of cells. Evidence that vertebrate growth factors may be
      present in insects is based on DNA sequences that encode epidermal growth factor
      and transforming growth factor-beta. However, research on the influence of
      commercially available vertebrate growth factors is very limited. Although the
      majority of insect growth-promoting substances studied were isolated directly
      from insect hemolymph, few of these have been purified to the extent that they
      could be tested in insect cell, tissue, and endoparasite cultures. Research is
      needed in both of these areas to aid in developing defined insect culture
      systems, and to understand better the regulation of postembryonic growth and
      development in insects.

PMID- 1869491
TI  - Hormonal effects on insects and other endoparasites in vitro.
AB  - Metamorphic and reproductive events in vertebrates and invertebrates are under
      endocrine control and are often correlated with developmental, behavioral, or
      reproductive changes in the parasites living in or on these hosts. This paper
      reviews selected examples of a) host hormone mediated influences on endoparasites
      in vivo, b) host hormone effects in vitro on protozoan, helminth, and insect
      endoparasites, and c) identifies possible relationships in hormone effects across
      parasite taxa. The significance of studies on endoparasites in vitro in relation
      to the impact of host hormones, antihelminthic, and prophylactic drugs on
      parasite growth and proliferation will also be addressed. A review of the
      literature indicates only limited studies have been done in vitro in an attempt
      to elucidate the bases of reported host hormone influences on endoparasites in
      vivo. Steroid hormones of hosts seem to stimulate growth, molting or encystment
      or both of helminth, insect, and protozoan parasites. Vertebrate steroids such as
      estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone had primarily reproduction- or growth
      promoting effects or both on protozoan and nematode parasites. Insect
      ecdysteroids such as ecdysone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and makisterone were the most
      widely studied steroids in vitro and induced growth or molting or both of
      cestode, nematode, and insect parasite larvae. Although juvenile hormone (JH III)
      stimulated growth in the protozoan and nematode parasites tested, the analogue
      methoprene and JH precursors, farnesal, farnesol, and farnesol methyl ether had
      various effects. Biogenic amines also varied in their effects on the nematode
      parasites tested, while the peptide hormone, insulin, stimulated growth in the
      protozoans tested. The evidence for in vitro effects of host hormones on their
      natural endoparasites is patchy at best. Additional studies are needed to
      identify the biochemical bases for the numerous host hormone mediated effects on
      parasites.

PMID- 1869492
TI  - Physiologic studies of snail-schistosome interactions and potential for
      improvement of in vitro culture of schistosomes.
AB  - Despite extensive efforts to develop suitable media for rearing the
      intramolluscan stages of schistosomes, successful in vitro culture of these
      parasites remains elusive. Recent 31P NMR studies demonstrated that the levels of
      free phospholipids, particularly phosphatidylcholine, in the digestive gland of
      the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, were dramatically reduced when the host was
      infected with Schistosoma mansoni. It was speculated that absorption of host
      phosphatides may be an important source of membrane phospholipid precursors and
      fatty acids for developing sporocysts and cercariae. During the present
      investigations, B. glabrata was maintained on a high fat diet of egg yolk, and
      the lipid composition of control uninfected and infected snails examined by 31P
      and 13C NMR. In addition, the levels of host hemolymph metabolites, including
      glucose and urea, considered as indicators of parasite nutrient uptake, were
      monitored. The lipid level of snails fed egg yolk was greatly increased, and
      hosts developed patient infections in approximately half the time of infected
      snails maintained on lettuce. The composition of the free phospholipids
      accumulated in the tissues of B. glabrata fed egg yolk were the same as those
      previously reported in the cercarial stage of S. mansoni. Moreover, the fatty
      acids of S. mansoni and those reported here in the neutral lipids and free
      phosphatides in the host tissues were similar. Uninfected snails maintained on
      lettuce had higher hemolymph levels of glucose than those reared on egg yolk, and
      infected hosts on egg yolk had significantly lower levels of hemolymph urea. Beta
      hydroxybutyrate was the principal hemolymph metabolite in snails fed egg yolk,
      but was not detected in snails maintained on lettuce.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1869493
TI  - Perspectives on the in vitro culture of filariae.
AB  - A primary constraint in the culture of human filariae is in obtaining starting
      material--either microfilariae (mfs), which infect invertebrates, or third stage
      larvae (L3s), which are infective to humans. Cryopreservation methods which
      partially overcome this difficulty have been developed for both mfs and L3s.
      Complete development of mfs to L3s outside an intact host was obtained recently
      when mosquito thoraces infected by Brugia malayi (24 h after the bloodmeal) were
      maintained in vitro. In another recent study in which no host tissues were
      present, a semidefined culture medium was used to investigate the properties of
      reduced glutathione (GSH) that stimulate early development of Onchocerca lienalis
      mfs. An extended cysteinyl backbone and a free sulfhydryl were identified as the
      key structural elements provided by GSH. Stimulation also required the presence
      of low and high molecular weight components of serum as well as oxygen. Molting
      of Onchocerca spp. L3s to the fourth stage at the rate of 50 to 70% has been
      reported by several researchers. Key factors identified in those successes have
      been temperature and serum lot. Improved long-term viability occurred with
      cellular co-culture. Beneficial effects of co-culture were shown to be due both
      to cellular conditioning of the medium as well as to lowered dissolved oxygen
      levels as a result of cellular metabolism. With the use of cell-conditioned
      medium and decreased incubator oxygen levels, long-term viability of Onchocerca
      larvae in culture exceeded that previously reported. Recently, Brugia malayi
      adults of both sexes were cultured from L3s using a semidefined medium
      supplemented with human serum. Many of these sexually matured adults mated and
      produced viable microfilariae.

PMID- 1869494
TI  - Elimination of mycoplasmas from cell cultures by a novel soft agar technique.
AB  - Mycoplasmal infection of cell cultures remains a significant threat to diagnostic
      and research procedures. In certain defined situations, curing of mycoplasmal
      infected cultures is a reasonable exercise. Four methods of curing were compared:
      treatment with BM-cycline, 5 bromouracil, use of specific antisera and treatment
      of infected cells suspended in soft agar with antibiotics. Antisera treatments
      were of low efficiency of curing: 50%. None of nine infected cell lines treated
      with 5-bromouracil were consistently cured of mycoplasmas. The use of BM-cycline
      was effective for some, but not all lines and required long periods of treatment,
      12-21 days. 35 naturally or deliberately infected cultures were treated in soft
      agar a total of 119 times. This procedure which consisted of suspending infected
      cultures in soft agar containing appropriate antibiotics resulted in successful
      mycoplasmal elimination 118/119 times. This soft agar technique took 1-3 days. In
      separate studies, it was shown that certain Mycoplasma fermentans strains were
      resisted to this and other curing methods. This may be due to their intracellular
      location. Such strains may be more amenable to antibiotics that penetrate
      mammalian cells. It is concluded that the soft agar technique is a rapid,
      efficient and reliable method to eliminate cell culture mycoplasmas.

PMID- 1869495
TI  - Bright light augmentation in antidepressant nonresponders.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This study was designed to examine the potential benefit of the
      addition of bright lights to antidepressant treatment in depressed subjects.
      METHOD: Ten patients who presented during the winter months with major depression
      and who had failed an adequate trial of antidepressants or who had relapsed
      following a successful course of antidepressants underwent a 2-week course of
      bright light therapy. RESULTS: Augmentation with bright lights resulted in
      substantial improvement in 7 of the 10 patients. CONCLUSION: Bright light
      augmentation may provide a useful treatment alternative for patients with
      treatment-resistant depression.

PMID- 1869496
TI  - Is doxepin a safer tricyclic for the heart?
AB  - BACKGROUND: Many clinicians believe that doxepin is the safest tricyclic with
      respect to cardiovascular effects. This belief has persisted for two decades
      despite the absence of rigorous prospective evaluation. METHOD: To address this
      issue, the authors studied the cardiovascular effects of doxepin in 32 depressed
      patients with preexisting left ventricular impairment, ventricular arrhythmias,
      and/or conduction disease. RESULTS: Doxepin (1) did not have a robust effect on
      heart rate, (2) did not adversely affect left ventricular function, (3) did have
      a significant antiarrhythmic effect, (4) slowed cardiac conduction, and (5)
      caused a significant increase in orthostatic hypotension. Five (16%) of the 32
      patients dropped out due to cardiovascular side effects. The overall dropout rate
      was 41%. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular effects of doxepin in depressed patients
      with heart disease are comparable to those documented for imipramine and
      nortriptyline. Doxepin afforded no greater margin of cardiovascular safety; in
      fact, the drug was poorly tolerated by this patient population.

PMID- 1869498
TI  - Phototherapeutic response variability in seasonal affective disorder.

PMID- 1869497
TI  - Comparison of withdrawal of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs: a case
      study.
AB  - Haloperidol and clozapine were rapidly withdrawn from a schizophrenic patient on
      separate occasions several months apart. Mental status changes and fluctuations
      in involuntary movements were carefully observed under both conditions. Although
      little change in either mental status or involuntary movements was observed
      within the 3 weeks following the withdrawal of haloperidol, marked deterioration
      in mental status and involuntary movements occurred within 1 week of withdrawal
      of clozapine. Implications of this differential response to withdrawal of
      antipsychotic medications are discussed.

PMID- 1869499
TI  - Prolonged cocaine psychosis implies underlying major psychopathology.

PMID- 1869500
TI  - More on the effects of monosodium glutamate.

PMID- 1869501
TI  - Is the tendency to weep one of the most useful indicators for depressed mood?

PMID- 1869502
TI  - Cerebral infarct presenting as mania.

PMID- 1869503
TI  - 9-(Dicyanovinyl)julolidine binding to bovine brain calmodulin.
AB  - A molecular rotor, 9-(dicyanovinyl)julolidine (DCVJ), is a fluorescent dye whose
      intramolecular rotation determines its fluorescence yield [Kung, C.E. & Reed,
      J.K. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 6678-6686]. DCVJ binds to bovine brain calmodulin
      and emits strong fluorescence. In fluorescence titration experiments, the
      dissociation constant and the number of binding sites were determined to be 20 +/
      10 microM and 0.7 +/- 0.5 in the presence of Ca2+, and 22 +/- 10 microM and 0.6
      +/- 0.5 in the absence of Ca2+, respectively. The fluorescence intensity of bound
      DCVJ increased 10-fold in the presence of Ca2+ compared to that in the absence of
      Ca2+. The fluorescence titration curve of DCVJ-calmodulin showed a transition at
      pCa 6.5. Over the same Ca2+ range, a decrease in molecular ellipticity at 222 nm
      and an increase in tyrosine fluorescence of calmodulin were observed. These
      results mean that the conformational change of calmodulin due to the Ca2+ binding
      induces the microenvironmental change of the DCVJ binding site from the flexible
      to the rigid state, resulting in inhibition of the intramolecular rotation of
      DCVJ and an increase in its fluorescence.

PMID- 1869504
TI  - A micro method involving micro high-performance liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry for the structural characterization of neutral glycosphingolipids
      and monosialogangliosides.
AB  - A micro method involving high-performance liquid chromatography-fast atom
      bombardment mass spectrometry (HPLC/FAB/MS) has been developed for the sensitive
      structural characterization of neutral glycosphingolipids and
      monosialogangliosides. The method involves a micro silica gel column (0.3 mm i.d.
      x 100 mm) and a micro HPLC apparatus working at a flow rate of 6 microliters/min.
      All injected materials can be structurally characterized by mass spectrometry
      without the splitting or wasting of materials, which was not possible with our
      previous method [M. Suzuki et al. (1990) J. Biochem. 108, 92-98]. A mixture
      containing 160 ng each of five neutral glycosphingolipids (GlcCer, LacCer,
      Gb3Cer, Gb4Cer, and IV3 alpha GalNAc-Gb4Cer) and a mixture containing 160 ng each
      of three monosialogangliosides [GM3(NeuAc), GM2(NeuAc), and GM1(NeuAc)] were
      injected into the micro HPLC with programmed elution with isopropanol-n-hexane
      water with or without ammonium hydroxide. Each glycosphingolipid was separated by
      mass chromatography and the obtained mass spectra were suitable for structural
      characterization. Thus, the characterization of glycosphingolipids was achieved
      with small amounts of materials, 160 ng each, and in mixtures.

PMID- 1869505
TI  - Characterization of beta-D-xyloside-induced glycosaminoglycans and
      oligosaccharides in cultured human skin fibroblasts.
AB  - Human skin fibroblasts were incubated in the presence of a fluorogenic xyloside,
      4-methylumbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside. Three fluorogenic components were isolated
      and purified from the culture medium by gel permeation high-performance liquid
      chromatography. Their structures were then characterized by enzymatic digestion,
      fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography, and
      electrophoresis on cellulose acetate membrane. The results showed that one of the
      components was a mixture of dermatan sulfate (70%) and chondroitin sulfate (30%),
      bearing the 4-methylumbelliferone at the reducing termini, and having an average
      molecular weight of 9,200. The others had the structures galactosyl-galactosyl
      xylosyl-4-methylumbelliferone and galactosyl-xylosyl-4-methylumbelliferone,
      respectively, representing the linkage region between the glycosaminoglycan
      chains and core protein, except that 4-methylumbelliferone replaced the amino
      acid. Moreover, it was demonstrated that these oligosaccharides were
      intermediates of glycosaminoglycan synthesis, not depolymerized products.

PMID- 1869506
TI  - Heavy meromyosin induces sliding movements between antiparallel actin filaments.
AB  - Suzuki et al. [Biochemistry 28, 6513-6518 (1989)] have shown that, when F-actin
      is mixed with inert high polymer, a large number of actin filaments closely align
      in parallel with overlaps to form a long and thick bundle. The bundle may be
      designated non-polar, as the constituent filaments are random in polarity (Suzuki
      et al. 1989). I prepared non-polar bundles of F-actin using methylcellulose (MC)
      as the high polymer, exposed them to heavy meromyosin (HMM) in the presence of
      ATP under a light microscope, and followed their morphological changes in the
      continuous presence of MC. It was found that bundles several tens of micrometers
      long contracted to about one-third the initial length, while becoming thicker, in
      half a minute after exposure to HMM. Subsequently, each bundle was split
      longitudinally into several bundles in a stepwise manner, while the newly formed
      ones remained associated together at one of the two ends. The product, an aster
      like assembly of actin bundles, was morphologically quiescent; that is,
      individual bundles never contracted upon second exposure to HMM and ATP, although
      they were still longer than the F-actin used. Bundles in this state consisted of
      filaments with parallel polarity as examined by electron microscopy. This implies
      that non-polar bundles were transformed into assemblies of polar bundles with ATP
      hydrolysis by HMM. Importantly, myosin subfragment-1 caused neither contraction
      nor transformation. These results are interpreted as follows. In the presence of
      ATP, the two-headed HMM molecule was able to cross-bridge antiparallel actin
      filaments, as well as parallel ones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869507
TI  - Microtubule-disrupting drugs blocked delivery of endocytosed transferrin to the
      cytocenter, but did not affect return of transferrin to plasma membrane.
AB  - The fluorescence of FL cells after endocytosis of rhodamine-labeled transferrin
      initially appeared as a dispersed punctate pattern over the whole cell and then
      accumulated in the cytocenter on further incubation. In nocodazole-treated cells,
      the punctate fluorescence appeared along the cell edges, and stayed there on
      further incubation but did not accumulate in the cytocenter. The localization of
      transferrin was examined at the electron microscopic level with horseradish
      peroxidase (HRP)-labeled transferrin. Nocodazole did not affect endosome
      formation but affected the distribution of the endosomes. Several types of
      endosomes (tubular, small spherical, and microvesicular endosomes) were observed
      in nocodazole-treated cells, as in control cells. The endosomes were in the Golgi
      area of the cytocenter and also in peripheral cytoplasm in control cells. In
      contrast, the endosomes were only in the periplasm, along the cell edges, in
      nocodazole-treated cells. The uptake and release of HRP-transferrin and the
      release of ferric ion into the cytoplasm in nocodazole-treated cells followed in
      the same time-course as those in control cells. The release of transferrin was
      the exponential with a half-time of 12 min. The activation energy of a rate
      limiting step in the recycling was 5.5 kcal.mol-1 at around 37 degrees C and
      increased to 29 kcal.mol-1 below 25 degrees C. These results indicated that
      microtubule-dependent endosome transport was faster than the overall recycling
      process and was independent of the return event of transferrin to the plasma
      membrane.

PMID- 1869508
TI  - Dynamics of the bilayer-water interface of phospholipid vesicles and the effect
      of cholesterol: a picosecond fluorescence anisotropy study.
AB  - The motion of the head group of phospholipid molecules in the bilayer structure
      was investigated by a picosecond fluorescence anisotropy technique using a newly
      synthesized fluorescent phospholipid, dipalmitoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidyl-(3-p
      methoxyphenyl)umbelliferone (DPPU). In this phospholipid, a coumarin derivative
      is attached covalently to the phosphate moiety. The motion of the acyl chain of
      the phospholipid was also investigated by the same method using 1-palmitoyl-2-(3
      diphenylhexatrienyl)-propanoyl-L-alpha-phospha tid ylcholine (DPHpPC). From
      fluorescence anisotropy decay the wobbling diffusion rate (Dw) of DPPU and DPHpPC
      in DPPC vesicles at 45 degrees C was calculated to be 2.7 x 10(9) s-1 and 5.1 x
      10(7) s-1 using the wobbling-in-cone-model. The range of the motion was
      calculated as the cone angle (theta c), which is half of the angle of the cone in
      which the fluorophore can diffuse. The cone angle of the coumarin skeleton of
      DPPU in DPPC vesicles at 45 degrees C was 64 degrees, which was larger than that
      of the DPH skeleton of DPHpPC, 40 degrees. These results indicate that the motion
      of the head group is much faster and wider than that of the acyl chain. When
      cholesterol was added to the DPPC vesicles, the range of motion of the acyl chain
      decreased, but that of the head group increased. These facts show that
      cholesterol restricts the motion of the acyl chain but enhances that of the head
      group in the phospholipid bilayer.

PMID- 1869509
TI  - Subsite structure of Saccharomycopsis alpha-amylase secreted from Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - The kinetic parameters (kcat/Km) and the cleaved-bond distributions for the
      hydrolysis of linear maltooligosaccharides Gn (3 less than or equal to n less
      than or equal to 9) by Saccharomycopsis alpha-amylase (Sfamy) secreted from
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae were determined at pH 5.25 and 25 degrees C. The subsite
      affinities of Sfamy were also evaluated from these data. The subsite structure of
      Sfamy is characteristic of the active site of an endo-cleavage type enzyme,
      consisting of internal repulsive sites with the catalytic residues and external
      attractive sites. Moreover, the pKa values of the catalytic residues were
      calculated from the pH dependence plot of the kinetic parameter (kcat/Km). The
      amino acid residues which contribute to the subsite affinities and the catalytic
      activity of Sfamy are proposed and compared with those of Taka-amylase A.

PMID- 1869510
TI  - Tyr225 in aspartate aminotransferase: contribution of the hydrogen bond between
      Tyr225 and coenzyme to the catalytic reaction.
AB  - Tyr225 in the active site of Escherichia coli aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT)
      was replaced by phenylalanine or arginine by site-directed mutagenesis. X-ray
      crystallographic analysis of Y225F AspAT showed that the benzene ring of Phe225
      was situated at the same position as the phenol ring of Tyr225 in wild-type
      AspAT. The mutations resulted in a great decrease in the rate of the
      transamination reaction, suggesting that Tyr225 is important for efficient
      catalysis. The kinetic analysis of half-transamination reactions of Y225F AspAT
      with four substrates (aspartate, glutamate, oxalacetate, and 2-oxoglutarate) and
      some analogues (2-methylaspartate, succinate, and glutarate) revealed a
      considerable increase in the affinities for all these compounds. In contrast,
      affinity for the amino acid substrates was decreased by mutation to arginine, but
      affinities for the keto acid substrates and the two dicarboxylates (succinate and
      glutarate) were increased. The electrostatic interaction between O(3') of the
      coenzyme [pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)] and the residue at position 225 affected
      the pKa value of the Schiff base, which is formed between the epsilon-amino group
      of Lys258 and the aldehyde group of PLP; based on the spectrophotometric
      titration the pKa values were determined to be 6.8 for wild-type AspAT, 8.5 for
      Y225F AspAT, and 6.1 for Y225R AspAT in the absence of substrate. The absorption
      spectra of the three AspATs were almost identical in the acidic pH region, but
      the spectrum of Y225F AspAT differed from that of wild-type or Y225R AspAT in the
      alkaline pH region.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869511
TI  - 3-keto-5 alpha-steroid-delta 4-dehydrogenase from Nocardia corallina:
      purification and characterization.
AB  - The inducible 3-keto-5 alpha-steroid-delta 4-dehydrogenase of Nocardia corallina
      was purified to homogeneity using affinity chromatography on 19-nortestosterone
      17-acetoxyaminoethyl Sepharose 4B. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, gel
      filtration and spectral analysis of flavin suggest that the purified
      dehydrogenase is a monomeric protein of Mr 60,000 containing one flavin. It has a
      typical absorption spectrum of flavoprotein with maxima at 457, 375, and 277 nm.
      The values shifted to 470 and 395 nm on binding of 19-nortestosterone. The enzyme
      catalyzed the dehydrogenation of 3-keto-5 alpha-steroid at the 4- and 5-position,
      e.g. the conversion of 5 alpha-androst-1-ene-3,17-dione to 1,4-androstadiene-3,17
      dione with the reduction of phenazine methosulfate. The substrate 3-ketosteroid
      has essentially the 5 alpha-configuration. The enzyme did not reduce potassium
      ferricyanide but did reduce cytochrome c at a moderate rate, and exhibited only a
      weak steroid oxidase activity. Stereochemical study demonstrated that the enzyme
      abstracts the 4 beta, 5 alpha-hydrogens of the substrate as a hydrogen ion
      through a protein-based reaction and as a hydride ion by transfer to FAD,
      respectively. The enzyme oxidizes a wide variety of 3-keto-5 alpha-steroids but
      not 3 beta-hydroxysteroid. The dehydrogenase also catalyzed steroid
      transhydrogenation between 3-keto-5 alpha-steroid and 3-keto-1,4-diene-steroid.
      The properties of this enzyme are compared with those of 3-keto-steroid-delta 1
      dehydrogenase.

PMID- 1869512
TI  - Protein rotation study of cytochrome P-450 in submitochondrial particles: effect
      of KCl and intermolecular interactions with redox partners.
AB  - The rotational diffusion of cytochrome P-450 in submitochondrial particles (SMP)
      of bovine adrenocortical mitochondria was measured by detecting the decay of
      absorption anisotropy, r(t), after photolysis of the heme.CO complex by a
      vertically polarized laser flash. Analysis of r(t) was based on a "rotation-about
      membrane normal" model. The measurements were used to investigate the effect of
      KCl on intermolecular interactions involving cytochrome P-450 and to investigate
      the interactions of cytochrome P-450 with other redox partners. The rotational
      diffusion of cytochrome P-450 was significantly dependent on KCl concentration.
      When the KCl concentration was increased from 0 to 1,000 mM, the mobile
      population of cytochrome P-450 was increased from 33 to 82%. After removing the
      KCl, the mobile population of cytochrome P-450 returned to the original 33%.
      These results suggest that nonspecific protein aggregates are dissociated by the
      presence of KCl, possibly due to the change in electrostatic interactions,
      resulting in mobilization of cytochrome P-450. SMP were observed to be nearly
      free from adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase. The addition of adrenodoxin to
      SMP increased the mobile population of cytochrome P-450 from 35 to 54%. Further
      addition of adrenodoxin reductase to SMP containing adrenodoxin immobilized
      cytochrome P-450 by 6%. The addition of only adrenodoxin reductase to SMP,
      however, did not immobilize cytochrome P-450. The present results are consistent
      with our previous observations [Ohta, Y., Mitani, F., Ishimura, Y., Yanagibashi,
      K., Kawamura, M., & Kawato, S. (1990) J. Biochem. 107, 97-104] that cholesterol
      bearing P-450SCC forms a transient ternary association with adrenodoxin and
      adrenodoxin reductase.

PMID- 1869513
TI  - Determination of lectin-sugar binding constants by microequilibrium dialysis
      coupled with high performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - We used high performance liquid chromatography to determine the concentrations of
      free ligands after equilibrium dialysis to examine lectin-sugar interactions. The
      binding of p-nitrophenyl 1-thio-alpha-mannoside, p-nitrophenyl N-acetyl-1-thio
      beta-glucosaminide, and the pyridylamino derivative of Man6GlcNAc2 to
      concanavalin A and Triticum vulgaris lectin was examined. The binding constant,
      Ka, and the concentration of total binding sites, [L]t, were calculated from the
      trace amounts of sugars and lectins using the equation, [S]/[LS] = 1/Ka[L]t +
      [S]/[L]t, where [S] is the concentration of free ligand and [LS] the
      concentration of bound ligand.

PMID- 1869514
TI  - Conformational change of the foot protein of sarcoplasmic reticulum as an initial
      event of calcium release.
AB  - Heavy sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were labeled with the thiol-reacting
      fluorescent probe N-(7-dimethylamino-4-methyl-4-coumarinyl)maleimide (DACM), and
      the DACM-labeled foot protein moiety was purified. The fluorescence intensity of
      the DACM attached to the foot protein decreased by the addition of low
      (activating) concentrations of ryanodine, while it increased at higher
      (inhibitory) concentrations, suggesting that the lower fluorescence represents
      the active state of the foot protein, while the higher fluorescence, its inactive
      state. Under conditions that induce Ca2+ release from SR (Ca2+ jump, addition of
      Ca2+ release inducing reagents such as caffeine and polylysine), the fluorescence
      intensity of the protein-attached DACM decreased rapidly (e.g. k congruent to 70
      s-1 under optimum conditions). The initial rate of Ca2+ release from the DACM
      labeled SR showed a close correlation with the amplitude of the fluorescence
      change of the foot protein-attached DACM under variety of conditions; e.g. in the
      presence of Ca2+, polylysine, ATP, and ruthenium red, etc. The fluorescence
      change of the foot protein was much faster than Ca2+ release from SR under a
      variety of conditions of Ca2+ release. We propose that the binding of release
      triggering reagents to the foot protein induces a rapid conformational change,
      which in turn regulates Ca2+ release.

PMID- 1869515
TI  - Evidence for the presence of a specific ganglioside GM1/valinomycin complex in
      mixed monolayers.
AB  - The effect of a negatively charged mono-sialoglyco-sphingolipid (GM1-ganglioside)
      on the molecular organization and on physiochemical properties of lipid/peptide
      (valinomycin) systems was investigated in monolayers at the air/water interface.
      At a high molar fraction of GM1, the surface pressure/area isotherms of the two
      component films of the system GM1/valinomycin and the isotherm of the pure
      ganglioside monolayer are identical concerning the space requirement of the
      molecules and thereby the packing of the monolayer. Using space-filling molecular
      models, a simple calculation gives the theoretical amount of 4.5 ganglioside
      molecules associated with one molecule of the depsipeptide valinomycin. The
      average surface potential indicates, that valinomycin, interacting with the polar
      head group of GM1, becomes partly embedded within the lipid interface. For
      GM1/eicosanol and valinomycin/eicosanol mixtures, the agreement between theory
      and experimental data strongly supports the model of ideal mixing without any
      molecular interactions between the different components. The results suggest the
      formation of a ganglioside/valinomycin complex with simultaneous alteration of
      the surface potential and molecular structure of the single components.

PMID- 1869516
TI  - Effect of acetylpolyamines on in vitro protein synthesis and on the growth of a
      polyamine-requiring mutant of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The functions of acetylpolyamines were examined with respect to stimulation of
      protein synthesis and cell growth. Unlike polyamines, acetylpolyamines could not
      lower the optimal Mg2+ concentration of protein synthesis, and the degree of
      stimulation of protein synthesis by acetylpolyamines was small. The addition of
      N1-acetylspermine did not stimulate cell growth of a polyamine-requiring mutant
      of Escherichia coli MA261, although acetylspermine was accumulated in the cells.
      Acetylspermine did not interfere with polyamine stimulation of protein synthesis
      and cell growth of E. coli MA261. The binding of acetylpolyamines to RNA was very
      weak, and the binding of polyamines to RNA was not disturbed significantly by the
      presence of acetylpolyamines. When the growth of E. coli MA261 was stimulated by
      addition of polyamines, significant amounts of acetylpolyamines were also formed
      in the cells. These results suggest that acetylation of polyamines, together with
      polyamine excretion, may regulate the intracellular level of the parent
      polyamines when excess amounts of polyamines accumulate intracellularly.

PMID- 1869517
TI  - Expression of cDNA for batroxobin, a thrombin-like snake venom enzyme.
AB  - The cloned cDNA for batroxobin has been expressed in E. coli. Batroxobin could
      only be obtained as intracellular aggregates of fusion proteins, fused with a
      small peptide. To obtain the mature batroxobin, the recognition sequence for
      thrombin was inserted between the peptide and the mature batroxobin. This fusion
      protein accumulated in an insoluble form and could easily be purified. After site
      specific cleavage of the fusion protein with thrombin, recombinant batroxobin was
      isolated by preparative electrophoresis. Batroxobin with enzymatic activity was
      obtained by the refolding of recombinant batroxobin.

PMID- 1869518
TI  - Effects of individual mutations in the P-450(C21) pseudogene on the P-450(C21)
      activity and their distribution in the patient genomes of congenital steroid 21
      hydroxylase deficiency.
AB  - Recent observations have suggested that the pathological mutations in human P
      450(C21) deficiency are generated through gene conversion-like events between the
      functional gene [P-450(21)B] and the pseudogene [P-450(C21)A]. To address this
      point more extensively, we investigated the effects of the base changes in the A
      pseudogene on the P-450(21) activity by using the COS cell expression system. In
      addition to the defective mutations found previously in the pseudogene, four
      single base changes with amino acid substitutions of Pro(30), Ile(172), Val(282),
      or Arg(356) were further identified as causing complete [Arg(356)] or partial
      [Pro(30), Ile(172), and Val(282)] inactivation of P-450(C21). Blot hybridization
      analysis of patient DNAs using oligonucleotide probes specific for these
      mutations revealed that the splicing mutation in the 2nd intron was distributed
      most frequently in both simple-virilizing and salt-wasting forms. The mutation
      Ile(172) seemed to be frequent in patients with the less severe simple-virilizing
      form, whereas the mutation Arg(356), together with other most serious mutations
      reported previously, was preferentially associated with salt-wasting, the most
      severe form of the disease. In combination with the present results of the
      effects of various mutations on the P-50(C21) activity, a survey of the
      distribution of the various mutations in the patient genomes so far reported
      suggests that the heterogeneous clinical symptoms of this genetic disease are
      somehow related to the degree of attenuation of the activities of the mutated
      gene products.

PMID- 1869519
TI  - Degradation of L-djenkolate catalyzed by S-alkylcysteine alpha,beta-lyase from
      Pseudomonas putida.
AB  - S-Alkylcysteine alpha, beta-lyase [EC 4.4.1.6] of Pseudomonas putida catalyzes
      alpha,beta-elimination of L-djenkolate [3,3'-methylenedithiobis(2-aminopropionic
      acid)] to produce pyruvate, ammonia, and S-(mercaptomethyl)cysteine initially.
      Secondly, S-(mercaptomethyl)-cysteine, which was identified in the form of S
      (mercaptomethyl)cysteine thiolactone and S-(2-thia-3-carboxypropyl)cysteine in
      the absence and presence of iodoacetic acid, respectively, is decomposed
      enzymatically to pyruvate, ammonia, and bis(mercapto)methane, or spontaneously to
      cysteine, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide. Balance studies showed that 1.3 mol
      each of pyruvate and ammonia and 0.2 mol each of formaldehyde and cysteine were
      produced with consumption of 1 mol of L-djenkolate. 1,2,4,5-Tetrathiane, 1,2,4
      trithiolane, 1,2,4,6-tetrathiepane, and 1,2,3,5,6-pentathiepane, which are
      derivatives of bis(mercapto)methane, were also produced during the alpha,beta
      elimination of L-djenkolate. In addition, a polymer with the general formula of 
      (CH2S)n- was produced as a white precipitate. When the alpha,beta-elimination of
      L-djenkolate was carried out in the presence of 20 mM iodoacetic acid, neither
      formaldehyde, cysteine, hydrogen sulfide, or the polymer were formed. Instead,
      the S-carboxymethyl derivatives of bis(mercapto)methane and S
      (mercaptomethyl)cysteine were produced in addition to pyruvate and ammonia.

PMID- 1869520
TI  - The primary structures of two types of the Ulex europeus seed lectin.
AB  - The complete amino acid sequences of the Ulex europeus anti-H(O) lectins I and II
      were determined by using a protein sequencer. After digestion with
      endoproteinases Lys-C and Asp-N of the lectins reduced with 2-mercaptoethanol and
      modified with iodoacetamide, the resulting peptides were purified by reversed
      phase high-performance liquid chromatography and subjected to sequence analysis.
      The complete primary structures of these two Ulex lectins I and II were compared
      with those of nine lectins already determined, including that of Lotus
      tetragonolobus anti-H(O) lectin which we have determined. Extensive homologies
      were found among them.

PMID- 1869521
TI  - B lymphocyte activation is accompanied by phosphorylation of a 72-kDa protein
      tyrosine kinase.
AB  - The cross-linking of membrane IgM on the surface of splenic B lymphocytes or WEHI
      231 cells leads to the rapid phosphorylation on tyrosine of a 72-kDa protein as
      detected in Western blotting experiments using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies.
      The 72-kDa phosphoprotein detected in this manner comigrates, in both one- and
      two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis systems, with PTK72, a 72-kDa
      protein-tyrosine kinase characterized previously in this laboratory (Zioncheck,
      T. F., Harrison, M. L., Isaacson, C. C., and Geahlen, R. L. (1988) J. Biol. Chem.
      263, 19195-19202). Anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies and anti-PTK72 antibodies
      immunoprecipitate the same protein-tyrosine kinase from extracts of anti-IgM
      activated cells as determined by immune complex kinase assays and one-dimensional
      phosphopeptide mapping. These results indicate that the tyrosine phosphorylation
      of a 72-kDa protein-tyrosine kinase is an early event in the activation of B
      lymphocytes via the antigen receptor.

PMID- 1869522
TI  - Molecular cloning and expression of human Ca(2+)-sensitive cytosolic
      phospholipase A2.
AB  - Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) play a key role in inflammatory processes through
      production of precursors of eicosanoids and platelet-activating factor. Recently,
      we described the purification of a novel approximately 100-kDa cytosolic PLA2
      (cPLA2) from human monoblast U937 cells that is activated by physiological
      (intracellular) concentrations of Ca2+ (Kramer, R. M., Roberts, E. F., Manetta,
      J., and Putnam, J. E. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 5268-5272). Here we report the
      isolation of the complementary DNA encoding human cPLA2 and confirm its identity
      by expression in bacteria and in hamster cells. The predicted 749-amino acid
      cPLA2 protein has no similarity to the well known secretory PLA2s, but contains a
      structural element homologous to the C2 region of protein kinase C. The molecular
      cloning of cPLA2 will allow further studies defining the structure, function, and
      regulation of this novel PLA2.

PMID- 1869524
TI  - Biotin derivatives of methotrexate and folate. Synthesis and utilization for
      affinity purification of two membrane-associated folate transporters from L1210
      cells.
AB  - Biotin derivatives of methotrexate and folate (2-(biotinamido)ethyl-1,3'
      dithiopropionyldiaminopentyl methotrexate and/or folate), in which carboxyl
      groups of the functional components are joined by a disulfide-containing spacer,
      have been synthesized, purified by DEAE-Trisacryl chromatography, and
      characterized by high pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. These
      bifunctional, dissociable probes were utilized for the single-step purification
      to homogeneity of two folate transport proteins (43 and 39 kDa) from L1210 cells.
      Treatment of the 39-kDa protein with peptide N-glycosidase F produced a smaller
      component (32 kDa); the 43-kDa protein, conversely, was unchanged by this
      procedure. When the 39-kDa transporter in intact cells was labeled with a
      fluorescein derivative of folate and then treated with phosphoinositol-specific
      phospholipase C, complete loss of fluorescence was observed. Alternatively, there
      was no change in fluorescence when the 43-kDa transporter was labeled with a
      fluorescein derivative of methotrexate and treated with the enzyme. These results
      indicate that the 43-kDa transporter is a nonglycosylated, integral membrane
      protein, whereas the 39-kDa counterpart is heavily glycosylated and anchored
      exofacially to the membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol component.

PMID- 1869523
TI  - Feedback regulation of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity
      by dietary cholesterol is not due to altered mRNA levels.
AB  - Feeding rats diets containing 2% cholesterol markedly reduced hepatic 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase activity but had little effect on mRNA levels.
      Addition of mevalonolactone to the diet further decreased reductase activity
      independent of a change in mRNA levels. In contrast, farnesyl pyrophosphate
      synthetase mRNA levels and enzyme activity were decreased to similar degrees in
      response to dietary cholesterol. Addition of mevalonolactone to the diet did not
      further decrease farnesyl pyrophosphate synthetase activity. Dietary cholesterol
      and mevalonolactone had no effect on mRNA levels for "cellular nucleic acid
      binding protein" which has been demonstrated to bind the sterol regulatory
      elements in the HMG-CoA reductase and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthetase
      promoters. Dietary cholesterol increased cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase mRNA
      levels as expected. These results suggest that cholesterol-mediated feed-back
      regulation of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase gene expression does not occur at the
      level of transcription.

PMID- 1869525
TI  - Identification of transferrin as a progression factor for ML-1 human myeloblastic
      leukemia cell differentiation.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated (Guan X.-P., Hromchak, R. A., and Bloch, A.
      (1989) Cancer Commun. 1, 111-115) that ML-1 human myeloblastic leukemia cells
      differentiate to monocyte/macrophage-like cells by the sequential action of
      competence and progression factors. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming
      growth factor-beta, and the phorbol ester tetradecanoylphorbol acetate were found
      to induce competence, whereas a 77-kDa glycoprotein (DF77) isolated from mitogen
      stimulated human leukocyte-conditioned medium initiated progression. In this
      communication we show DF77 to be an isoform of human transferrin. Hemin or
      soluble iron complexes did not induce differentiation progression, suggesting
      that the participation of transferrin in ML-1 cell differentiation may not be
      related to its iron-carrying capacity.

PMID- 1869526
TI  - Existence of cytosolic phospholipase D. Identification and comparison with
      membrane-bound enzyme.
AB  - In a wide variety of cells, phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis in response to diverse
      agents is catalyzed by phospholipase D (PLD) activities that are believed to be
      membrane-bound. Indeed, PLD has been detected in membrane fractions of several
      tissues and cells. We now demonstrate in various bovine tissue including lung,
      brain, spleen, heart, kidney, thymus, and liver as well as rat lung that a great
      majority of the detectable PLD activity is cytosolic. This cytosolic PLD activity
      differs from a less abundant membrane-bound isozyme by chromatographic mobilities
      on anion exchange and gel filtration columns, by substrate specificity, by
      substrate concentration dependence, and by divalent cation and detergent effects.
      Fractionation of the cytosol by anion exchange chromatography enhances PLD
      activity up to 20-fold, suggesting the presence in the cytosol of PLD inhibitory
      factor(s). We conclude that mammalian PLD exists in multiple forms and that
      appropriate selection of assay conditions is critical for observing PLD activity
      in the cytosol.

PMID- 1869527
TI  - Function of the N-terminal calcium-binding sites in cardiac/slow troponin C
      assessed in fast skeletal muscle fibers.
AB  - Fast skeletal troponin C (sTnC) has two low affinity Ca(2+)-binding sites (sites
      I and II), whereas in cardiac troponin C (cTnC) site I is inactive. By modifying
      the Ca2+ binding properties of sites I and II in cTnC it was demonstrated that
      binding of Ca2+ to an activated site I alone is not sufficient for triggering
      contraction in slow skeletal muscle fibers (Sweeney, H.L., Brito, R. M.M.,
      Rosevear, P.R., and Putkey, J.A. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 9538
      9542). However, a similar study using sTnC showed that Ca2+ binding to site I
      alone could partially activate force production in fast skeletal muscle fibers
      (Sheng, Z., Strauss, W.L., Francois, J.M., and Potter, J.D. (1990) J. Biol. Chem.
      265, 21554-21560). The purpose of the current study was to examine the functional
      characteristics of modified cTnC derivatives in fast skeletal muscle fibers to
      assess whether or not either low affinity site can mediate force production when
      coupled to fast skeletal isoforms of troponin (Tn) I and TnT. Normal cTnC and
      sTnC were compared with engineered derivatives of cTnC having either both sites I
      and II active, or only site I active. In contrast to what is seen in slow muscle,
      binding of Ca2+ to site I alone recovered about 15-20% of the normal calcium
      activated force and ATPase activity in skinned fast skeletal muscle fibers and
      myofibrils, respectively. This is most likely due to structural differences
      between TnI and/or TnT isoforms that allow for partial recognition and
      translation of the signal represented by binding Ca2+ to site I of TnC when
      associated with fast skeletal but not slow skeletal muscle.

PMID- 1869528
TI  - A major substrate of maturation promoting factor identified as elongation factor
      1 beta gamma delta in Xenopus laevis.
AB  - Protein synthesis is believed to be under control of the cell cycle during
      meiosis and mitosis. Any relationship between substrates for cdc2 kinase and
      components of the protein synthetic apparatus would therefore be of prime
      importance. During meiosis of Xenopus laevis oocytes one of the substrates for
      this kinase is a p47 protein, which is complexed to two other proteins, P36 and
      P30. Judged from partial amino acid sequence data on P47 and P30, the P30 and P47
      proteins were reported to resemble the protein synthetic elongation factors (EF)
      1 beta and 1 gamma from Artemia salina (Belle, R., Derancourt, J., Poulhe, R.,
      Capony, J.P., Ozon, R., and Mulner-Lorillon, O. (1989) FEBS Lett. 255, 101-104).
      This paper shows that the complex composed of P30, P47, and P36 from Xenopus is
      identical to the complex of EF-1 beta, EF-1 gamma, and EF-1 delta from Artemia
      according to two criteria. 1) Both stimulate elongation factor 1 alpha-mediated
      transfer RNA binding to ribosomes and exchange of guanine nucleotides on
      elongation factor 1 alpha to a comparable degree. 2) Each of the three subunits
      of the protein complex P30.P47.P36 from Xenopus shows a structural homology with
      one of the corresponding subunits of EF-1 beta gamma delta from Artemia.
      Presumably the phosphorylation of EF-1 gamma, which associates with tubulin at
      least in vitro, is important in processes following the onset of meiosis which is
      accompanied by a rise of protein synthesis.

PMID- 1869529
TI  - Platelet-activating factor- and thrombin-induced stimulation of p34cdc2-cyclin
      histone H1 kinase activity in platelets.
AB  - Numerous studies of cell cycle control in dividing cells have pointed to the
      central role of a 34-kDa histone H1 kinase (p34cdc2) complexed with regulatory
      subunits known as cyclins. We now report that p34cdc2-cyclin may also participate
      in signal transduction in nonproliferating, terminally differentiated cells, in
      this instance during sheep platelet activation. Immunological evidence for the
      presence of a p34cdc2 cognant in sheep platelet cytosol was obtained with
      antipeptide antibodies raised against peptide sequences in the conserved PSTAIRE
      and C-terminus regions of murine cdc2. The immunoreactive 32-kDa protein was
      adsorbed onto p13suc1-Sepharose, which selectively binds p34cdc2. A 58-kDa
      protein that also bound to p13suc1-Sepharose was identified as cyclin A on the
      basis of its size and immunoreactivity with two different anticyclin peptide
      antibodies. The p34cdc2-cyclin A complex was regulated during platelet
      activation. Its histone H1 phosphorylating activity was stimulated 2-fold in
      p13suc1-Sepharose extracts from platelets that had been exposed to platelet
      activating factor or thrombin for 1 min prior to harvesting. Our findings imply
      that the p34cdc2-cyclin complex may serve alternative functions besides control
      of cell division.

PMID- 1869530
TI  - Ca(2+)-insensitive modulation of a K+ conductance by inositol polyphosphates.
AB  - Macrophages derived from phorbol ester-induced human leukemic (HL-60) cells
      exhibit a voltage-activated inward rectifying potassium conductance which was
      modulated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (Wieland, S. J., Chou, R. H.,
      and Gong, Q. H. (1990) J. Cell. Physiol. 142, 643-651). Roles of intracellular
      messengers in this regulatory mechanism were investigated. Intracellular dialysis
      with inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4) or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate
      during tight-seal whole cell recording produced a rapid increase in the inward
      rectifying conductance. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ levels alone did not
      reproduce the stimulatory effect of these modulators. Intracellular dialysis with
      guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) resulted in profound inhibition
      of this conductance. These data suggest a novel cellular function for inositol
      polyphosphates, particularly IP4, and show antagonistic modulation with GTP gamma
      S on a human macrophage inward rectifier.

PMID- 1869531
TI  - Cysteinyl peptides of pig heart NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase that are
      modified upon inactivation by N-ethylmaleimide.
AB  - Pig heart NADP-specific isocitrate dehydrogenase is inactivated by N
      ethylmaleimide (NEM) (Colman, R. F., and Chu, R. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 601
      607), and is completely protected against inactivation, but not against the
      incorporation of NEM, by isocitrate plus Mn2+. We have now treated the enzyme
      with [3H]NEM in the absence and presence of isocitrate plus Mn2+, digested it
      with trypsin, and isolated and sequenced the labeled Cys peptides. In the
      inactive enzyme, two major peptides, SSGGFVWACK and DLAGCIHGLSNVK, and two minor
      peptides, CATITPDEAR and EPIICK, were labeled at Cys. Upon reaction with [3H]NEM
      in the presence of isocitrate plus Mn2+, full catalytic activity was retained and
      only DLAGCIHGLSNVK was labeled; the Cys of this peptide is therefore not
      essential for catalysis. The modification of SSGGFVWACK appears to be the major
      cause of inactivation by NEM. The Cys in SSGGFVWACK may have a catalytic role,
      most likely in the strengthened binding of Mn2+ in the presence of isocitrate.
      Isocitrate dehydrogenase was carboxymethylated under denaturing conditions with
      [14C]iodoacetate and digested with trypsin; 6 unique labeled Cys peptides,
      containing 6 unique Cys residues, were purified and sequenced. Six corresponding
      peptides were isolated from enzyme treated under denaturing conditions with
      [3H]NEM. These results eliminate the previous uncertainty regarding the number of
      Cys residues in the enzyme. A comparison of the sequences of the NH2-terminal 30
      residues and the 6 Cys peptides of the pig heart NADP-dependent isocitrate
      dehydrogenase with the Escherichia coli NADP enzyme provides evidence for great
      dissimilarity between the two enzymes.

PMID- 1869532
TI  - Ribosomes pause at specific sites during synthesis of membrane-bound chloroplast
      reaction center protein D1.
AB  - Photosynthetic reaction center protein D1 contains five membrane-spanning alpha
      helices which form binding sites for pheophytin, chlorophyll, carotenoids,
      quinone, Fe2+, and probably Mn2+. D1 translation intermediates of 15 to 28 kD
      were detected when isolated chloroplasts were pulse-labeled with [35S]methionine.
      The D1 translation intermediates were associated with membrane polysomes and can
      be chased into full length D1. The sites of translation pausing were determined
      by mapping the distribution of ribosomes on D1 mRNA using toeprint analysis.
      Clusters of toeprint signals were generated by D1 mRNA associated with membranes
      but not by D1 mRNA in nonpolysomal fractions of the soluble phase or phenol
      extracted mRNA. The distribution of ribosomes on D1 mRNA determined by toeprint
      analysis was consistent with D1 translation intermediates observed with pulse
      labeling. Ribosome pausing may facilitate co-translational binding of co-factors
      such as chlorophyll to D1 and aid the integration of D1 into thylakoid membranes.

PMID- 1869533
TI  - Cloning, expression, and chromosomal localization of beta-adrenergic receptor
      kinase 2. A new member of the receptor kinase family.
AB  - The beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (beta ARK) specifically phosphorylates the
      agonist-occupied form of the beta-adrenergic and related G protein-coupled
      receptors. Structural features of this enzyme have been elucidated recently by
      the isolation of a cDNA that encodes bovine beta ARK. Utilizing a catalytic
      domain fragment of the beta ARK cDNA to screen a bovine brain cDNA library we
      have isolated a clone encoding a beta ARK-related enzyme which we have termed
      beta ARK2. Overall, this enzyme has 85% amino acid identity with beta ARK, with
      the protein kinase catalytic domain having 95% identity. The ability of beta ARK2
      to phosphorylate various substrates was studied after expression in COS 7 cells.
      Although beta ARK2 is essentially equiactive with beta ARK in phosphorylating an
      acid-rich synthetic model peptide it was only approximately 50% as active when
      the substrate was the agonist-occupied beta 2-adrenergic receptor and only
      approximately 20% as active toward light-bleached rhodopsin. As with beta ARK,
      phosphorylation of the receptor substrates by beta ARK2 was completely stimulus
      dependent. RNA blot analysis with selected bovine tissues reveals an mRNA of 8
      kilobases with a distribution similar to that of beta ARK. More detailed RNA
      analysis using a ribonuclease protection assay in various rat tissues suggests
      that the beta ARK2 message is present at much lower levels (typically 10-20%)
      than the beta ARK message. In the rat the beta ARK2 mRNA is localized
      predominantly in neuronal tissues although low levels are also observed in
      various peripheral tissues. The beta ARK2 gene has been localized to a region of
      mouse chromosome 5 whereas the beta ARK gene is localized on mouse chromosome 19.
      These data suggest the existence of a "family" of receptor kinases which may
      serve broadly to regulate receptor function.

PMID- 1869534
TI  - Erythropoietin induces Raf-1 activation and Raf-1 is required for erythropoietin
      mediated proliferation.
AB  - Erythropoietin mediates the rapid phosphorylation of Raf-1 in the murine cell
      lines HCD-57 and FDC-P1/ER, which proliferate in response to this cytokine.
      Phosphorylation occurs at both serine and tyrosine residues and as such is
      similar to the Raf-1 phosphorylation seen after interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin-2 stimulation in other
      murine cell lines. Such data suggest that these growth factors may share a common
      mechanism(s) of Raf-1 phosphorylation. Furthermore, in association with Raf-1
      phosphorylation, erythropoietin induces a 2-3-fold increase in Raf-1 kinase
      activity as measured in immune complex kinase assays in vitro. Finally, a c-raf
      antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide, which specifically decreases intracellular
      Raf-1 levels, also substantially inhibits both erythropoietin and IL-3-directed
      DNA synthesis. Together, these results provide evidence that activated Raf-1 is a
      necessary component of erythropoietin and IL-3 growth signaling pathways.

PMID- 1869535
TI  - Ca(2+)-dependent structural transitions of the platelet glycoprotein IIb-IIIa
      complex. Preparation of stable glycoprotein IIb and IIIa monomers.
AB  - The platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex is the receptor for
      adhesive proteins on activated platelets that mediates platelet aggregation. In
      the present study, factors affecting the structural stability of the purified GP
      IIb-IIIa complex and the dissociated subunits were investigated. Purified GP IIb
      IIIa was incubated in various Ca2+ concentrations, and the percentage of
      dissociated subunits was quantitated by sucrose gradient sedimentation. Two
      Ca(2+)-dependent transitions were observed, one at about 60 microM Ca2+, where
      half of the complexes became dissociated, and the other at 0.1 microM Ca2+, where
      half of the dissociated subunits became incapable of reforming heterodimer
      complexes when higher Ca2+ concentrations were readded. This loss in ability to
      reform heterodimer complexes was caused primarily by a Ca(2+)-dependent
      transition in GP IIIa, leading to an apparent unfolding of this subunit, followed
      by the formation of high molecular weight aggregates. The formation of these
      aggregates was time- and temperature-dependent and could not be reversed by added
      Ca2+. Although Mg2+ prevented dissociation of GP IIb-IIIa, it failed to promote
      reassociation of the dissociated subunits. Based on these findings, conditions
      were developed for the preparation of dissociated GP IIb and GP IIIa such that
      70% of the subunits remained functional in that they retained the ability to
      reform heterodimer complexes.

PMID- 1869536
TI  - Biosynthesis of the trichothecene 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol. Identification of the
      oxygenation steps after isotrichodermin.
AB  - Upon feeding an excess of the substrate isotrichodermin, five tricyclic
      metabolites accumulated in Fusarium culmorum cultures. These compounds were also
      identified as transient intermediates of trichothecene biosynthesis by kinetic
      pulse labeling. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic techniques
      (1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2H NMR, and nuclear Overhauser effect difference experiments)
      as: 1, 15-deacylcalonectrin; 2, calonectrin; 3, 7-hydroxyisotrichodermin; 4, 8
      hydroxyisotrichodermin; and 5, 7, hydroxycalonectrin. Four of these metabolites
      (1-4) were rigorously proven to be biosynthetic precursors to 3
      acetyldeoxynivalenol. Indeed, their deuteriated derivatives were shown to be
      incorporated very efficiently into 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol by 2H-NMR. In addition,
      our experimental data suggests that the first oxygenation step after
      isotrichodermin is at C-15, producing 15-deacylcalonectrin.

PMID- 1869537
TI  - NMR study of the active site of resting state and cyanide-inhibited lignin
      peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Comparison with horseradish
      peroxidase.
AB  - One- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy has been used to probe the active
      site of the high spin ferric resting state and the low spin, cyanide-inhibited
      derivative of isozyme H2 of the lignin peroxidase, LiP, from Phanerochaete
      chrysosporium strain BKM 1767. One-dimensional NMR revealed a resting state LiP
      that is five coordinate at 25 degrees C with an electronic structure similar to
      that of horseradish peroxidase, HRP. Differential paramagnetic relaxivity was
      used to identify the C beta H signals of the axial His177. A combination of bond
      correlation spectroscopy and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy of cyanide
      inhibited LiP (LiP-CN) has allowed the assignment of all resolved heme resonances
      without recourse to isotope labeling, as well as those of the proximal His177 and
      the distal His48. The surprising effectiveness of the two dimensional NMR methods
      on such a large and paramagnetic protein indicates that such two dimensional
      experiments can be expected to have major impact on solution structure
      determination of diverse classes of heme peroxidases. The two dimensional NMR
      data of LiP-CN reveal a heme contact shift pattern that reflects a close
      similarity to that of HRP-CN, including the unusual in-plane trans and cis
      orientation of the 2- and 4-vinyls. The axial His177 also exhibits the same
      orientation relative to the heme as in HRP-CN. The proximal His177 contact
      shifted resonances of both the low spin LiP-CN and high spin LiP are shown to
      reflect significantly reduced hydrogen bond donation by, or imidazolate character
      for, the axial histidine in LiP relative to HRP, which may explain the higher
      redox potential of LiP. The signals are identified for a distal residue that
      originates from the protonated His48 with disposition relative to the heme
      similar to that found for the distal His42 in HRP-CN. In contrast, the absence of
      any resolved signals attributable to an Arg44 in LiP-CN suggest that this distal
      residue has an altered orientation relative to the heme compared with that of the
      conserved Arg38 in HRP-CN (Thanabal, V., de Ropp, J. S., and La Mar, G. N. (1987)
      J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109, 7516-7525).

PMID- 1869538
TI  - Only multimers of a synthetic peptide of human apolipoprotein E are biologically
      active.
AB  - Plasma apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a ligand for the cellular uptake of cholesterol
      rich plasma lipoproteins. ApoE also inhibits mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte
      proliferation and gonadotropin-stimulated ovarian theca/interstitial cell
      androgen production. To address the mechanism(s) by which apoE is active and to
      understand its interaction with the target cells, we prepared and examined the
      inhibitory activity of a series of apoE synthetic peptides. ApoE peptides
      representing amino acid residues 93-112, 141-155, 161-171, 172-182, and 174-193
      were not active in either bioassay. However, specific inhibition of both
      lymphocyte proliferation and ovarian androgen production was observed with a self
      conjugate of peptide-(141-155). Furthermore, a synthesized dimeric peptide
      representing two repeats of sequence-(141-155) (i.e. (141-155)-(141-155] was
      active as well. In both bioassays, the inhibition observed was not a result of
      direct cell killing. Furthermore, these apoE peptides exhibited activities with
      characteristics that were shared with those of native apoE. The results indicate
      that amino acid residues 141-155 of apoE are responsible for the biological
      activity of apoE. Furthermore, the results suggest that dimers or multimers of
      native apoE may be a biologically important species.

PMID- 1869539
TI  - Effects of a leucine analog on growth hormone processing and secretion by
      cultured cells.
AB  - Bovine and rat growth hormones (bGH and rGH, respectively) possess signal
      peptides that direct the hormone to the secretory pathway and are proteolytically
      cleaved prior to secretion. Previous in vitro translation studies indicated that
      incorporation of the polar leucine analog beta-hydroxyleucine into de novo
      synthesized polypeptides inhibits signal peptide function. To test the effects of
      this analog on GH secretion by cultured animal cells, transfections of mouse L
      cells with a bGH expression plasmid or metabolic labeling of endogenous rGH in
      anterior pituitary cells was performed in the absence or presence of beta
      hydroxyleucine. Transient expression of bGH in mouse L-cells or endogenous
      expression of rGH in anterior pituitary cells resulted in an accumulation of GH
      in the culture medium. Treatment with beta-hydroxyleucine resulted in a block in
      secretion as evidenced by an accumulation of GHs within these cells. Amino
      terminal sequencing of the intracellular form of the analog-substituted GHs
      demonstrated accurate signal peptide cleavage. In contrast, in vitro translations
      of bGH RNA performed in the presence of beta-hydroxyleucine and microsomal
      membranes resulted in the inhibition of signal peptide cleavage. The results
      suggest that beta-hydroxyleucine can uncouple signal peptide processing and
      protein secretion in cultured cells.

PMID- 1869540
TI  - Squid low molecular weight neurofilament proteins are a novel class of
      neurofilament protein. A nuclear lamin-like core and multiple distinct proteins
      formed by alternative RNA processing.
AB  - The primary structure of the major 60-kDa squid low molecular mass neurofilament
      protein (NF60) and a related 70-kDa neurofilament protein have been determined
      from cDNA clones isolated from a squid brain cDNA library. Structural analysis
      suggests that the squid NF60 and NF70 neurofilament genes and proteins are
      remarkably distinct from vertebrate neuronal intermediate filaments characterized
      previously. Both proteins are encoded on mRNAs generated by alternative RNA
      processing of the primary transcript of a single gene. Among the known
      intermediate filament proteins, NF60 and NF70 neurofilament proteins show highest
      similarity to an epithelial intermediate filament protein from Helix pomatia, a
      gastropod mollusk, and are less similar to vertebrate neurofilaments. The length
      of the alpha-helical rod domain in the NF60 and NF70 proteins was reminiscent of
      the vertebrate nuclear lamins, 6 heptads longer than is found in all known
      vertebrate cytoplasmic intermediate filaments, in particular the vertebrate
      neurofilaments. These distinct structural properties suggest that the vertebrate
      and invertebrate low molecular weight neurofilaments evolved independently from
      primordial intermediate filament proteins.

PMID- 1869541
TI  - Phosphatidylinositol-linked glycans and phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins of
      Tetrahymena mimbres.
AB  - The insoluble residue from Tetrahymena mimbres cells that had been preincubated
      in vivo for 2 h with [3H]myristic acid and then exhaustively delipidated with
      organic solvents retained radioactivity, principally in material which migrated
      on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an apparent
      molecular mass of 10-14 kDa. This material was extractable from the delipidated
      cell residue with organic solvents known to solubilize phosphatidylinositol
      glycans (PI glycans). The same material could also be labeled with [3H]inositol,
      [14C]glucosamine, and [3H] ethanolamine. When the delipidated residue of cells
      labeled for 2 h with [3H]myristate was treated with phosphatidylinositol-specific
      phospholipase C or nitrous acid, much of the associated radioactivity was
      released. A similar release was obtained using the putative PI glycan fraction
      extracted from the cell residue. After further purification by thin layer
      chromatography, this latter material was hydrolyzed with HCl and shown to contain
      fatty acids, alkylglyceryl ethers, phosphate, inositol, glucosamine, mannose, and
      ethanolamine. The findings indicate that T. mimbres contains PI glycans
      resembling in structure those recently characterized in trypanosomes and
      mammalian cells. As the time of incubation with the radiotracers enumerated above
      was increased to 6-24 h, increasing amounts of radioactivity appeared in the 22
      27-kDa region of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels.
      This higher molecular weight material is shown in the companion paper (Pak, Y.,
      Ryals, P.E., and Thompson, G.A., Jr. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 15054-15059) to
      be released by in vivo phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C treatment.
      Thus T. mimbres contains a pool of free PI glycans and at least one
      phosphatidylinositol-anchored protein.

PMID- 1869542
TI  - The minimal essential sequence for a major cell type-specific adhesion site (CS1)
      within the alternatively spliced type III connecting segment domain of
      fibronectin is leucine-aspartic acid-valine.
AB  - Fibronectin contains at least two major domains that support cell adhesion. One
      is the central cell-binding domain that is recognized by a variety of cell types
      via the integrin alpha 5 beta 1. The second, originally identified by its ability
      to support melanoma cell adhesion, is located in the alternatively spliced type
      III connecting segment (IIICS). A dominant cell type-specific adhesion site
      within the IIICS has been localized to a peptide designated as CS1 comprising its
      amino-terminal 25 residues. The receptor for CS1 is the integrin alpha 4 beta 1.
      We have synthesized a variety of peptides with overlapping sequences in order to
      identify the minimum active amino acid sequence of this major cell adhesion site.
      A peptide comprising the carboxyl-terminal 8 amino acids of CS1, EILDVPST, was
      found to support melanoma cell spreading, while all peptides without this
      sequence had little or no activity. Two smaller overlapping pentapeptides, EILDV
      and LDVPS, were also active, whereas EILEV, containing a conservative
      substitution of Glu for Asp, was inactive. These data suggested that the minimum
      sequence for cell adhesion activity is Leu-Asp-Val, the tripeptide sequence
      common to both active peptides. This prediction was confirmed by the observed
      ability of the Leu-Asp-Val peptide itself to block spreading on fibronectin,
      whereas Leu-Glu-Val was inactive. Interspecies amino acid sequence comparison
      also supports the importance of the LDV sequence, since it is completely
      conserved in the IIICS regions of human, rat, bovine, and avian fibronectins.

PMID- 1869543
TI  - Characterization of cDNA clones encoding a novel calcium-activated neutral
      proteinase from Schistosoma mansoni.
AB  - To identify and characterize Schistosoma mansoni proteins that are recognized by
      infected hosts, we have used a pool of sera from infected humans to screen cDNA
      libraries constructed from poly(A)+ mRNA of adult S. mansoni. The deduced amino
      acid sequences of the three isolated clones showed a high degree of similarity to
      the large subunit of calcium-activated neutral proteinase (CANP) from humans and
      chicken. These overlapping clones, which include a nearly full-length clone with
      an open reading frame of 758 amino acid residues, together encode the entire
      large subunit of CANP. The deduced sequence of this S. mansoni protein can be
      divided into four domains (I-IV) that include the two domains characteristic of
      other large subunits of CANP: a thiol-protease domain (II) and a calcium-binding
      domain (IV) containing EF hand motifs. However, the schistosome protein is unique
      in having only three EF hand motifs in the calcium-binding domain and in having
      an additional EF hand motif that is shared between domains II and III. We have
      shown that these EF hand motifs are capable of binding 45Ca2+. Furthermore, the
      large subunit is S. mansoni contains an NH2-terminal sequence of 28 residues that
      is absent from the mammalian CANPs and has a high degree of similarity to the
      presumed receptor binding sequence of colicin Ia and Ib.

PMID- 1869544
TI  - Perhydroxyl radical (HOO.) initiated lipid peroxidation. The role of fatty acid
      hydroperoxides.
AB  - It is demonstrated that the perhydroxyl radical (HOO., the conjugate acid of
      superoxide (O2-], initiates fatty acid peroxidation (a model for biological lipid
      peroxidation) by two parallel pathways: fatty acid hydroperoxide (LOOH)
      independent and LOOH-dependent. Previous workers (Gebicki, J. M., and Bielski, B.
      H. J. (1981) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 7020-7025) demonstrated that HOO., generated
      by pulse radiolysis, initiates peroxidation in ethanol/water fatty acid
      dispersions by abstraction of the bis-allylic hydrogen atom from a
      polyunsaturated fatty acid. Addition of O2 to the fatty acid radicals forms
      peroxyl radicals (LOO.s), the chain-propagating species of lipid peroxidation. In
      this work it is demonstrated that HOO., generated either chemically (KO2) or
      enzymatically (xanthine oxidase), is a good initiator of fatty acid peroxidation
      in linoleic acid ethanol/water dispersions; O2- serves only as the source of
      HOO., and HOO. initiation can be observed at physiologically relevant pH values.
      In contrast to the previous results, the initiating effectiveness of HOO. is
      related directly to the initial concentrations of LOOHs in the lipids to be
      peroxidized. This defines a LOOH-dependent mechanism for fatty acid peroxidation
      initiation by HOO., which parallels the previously established LOOH-independent
      pathway. Since the LOOH-dependent pathway is much more facile than the LOOH
      independent pathway, LOOH is the kinetically preferred site of HOO. attack in
      these systems. Experiments comparing HOO./LOOH-dependent fatty acid peroxidation
      with transition metal- and peroxyl radical-initiated peroxidation rule out the
      participation of the latter two species as initiators, which defines the
      HOO./LOOH initiation system as mechanistically unique. LOOH product studies are
      consistent with either a direct or indirect hydrogen atom transfer between LOOH
      and HOO. to yield LOO.s, which propagate peroxidation. The LOOH-dependent pathway
      of HOO.-initiated fatty acid peroxidation may be relevant to mechanisms of lipid
      peroxidation initiation in vivo.

PMID- 1869545
TI  - Kinetics and compartmentation of energy metabolism in intact skeletal muscle
      determined from 18O labeling of metabolite phosphoryls.
AB  - Analyses of isolated intact diaphragm muscle show that at rest only about 30% of
      the total cellular Pi is metabolically reactive as indicated by 18O incorporation
      from [18O]water, whereas up to 90% becomes metabolically active incrementally
      with contractile frequency. Kinetics of [gamma-18O]ATP appearance show that about
      90% of the cellular ATP is metabolically active and suggest slowly and rapidly
      metabolizing compartments of ATP in resting muscle and only rapidly metabolizing
      compartments in contracting muscle. Rates of [18O]creatine phosphate [( 18O]CrP)
      appearance are consistent with creatine kinase-catalyzed phosphoryl exchange
      functioning in an obligatory phosphoryl shuttle system. In noncontracting muscle,
      ATP turnover rate was 83 nmol.mg protein-1.min-1, and the P/O ratio was
      determined to be 3.2. ATP utilization increases in direct proportion to
      contractile frequency with each contracture consuming the equivalent of 0.96 nmol
      of ATP.mg protein-1 or 2.5-3.5 molecules of ATP/myosin active site. Basal
      concentrations of nucleotide polyphosphates are not altered when ATP utilization
      rates increase during contraction. At high contractile frequencies, decreases in
      CrP concentration occur, but this accounts for less than 4% of total high energy
      phosphoryls consumed. If metabolic intermediates are free in the aqueous cellular
      cytosol, each twitch contracture would result in a decrease in ATP concentration
      of no more than 2% and increases in ADP and AMP concentrations of less than 20
      and 7%, respectively. Thus, changes in metabolite concentration must be highly
      localized or metabolic regulation can be accomplished by a nonallosteric
      mechanism.

PMID- 1869546
TI  - Effects of transformation with the v-src oncogene on inositol phosphate
      metabolism in rat-1 fibroblasts. D-myo-inositol 1,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate is
      increased in v-src-transformed rat-1 fibroblasts and can be synthesized from D
      myo-inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate in cytosolic extracts.
AB  - Rat-1 fibroblasts transformed with the v-src oncogene show a 6-fold increase in
      the apparent amount of an inositol polyphosphate which has a high performance
      liquid chromatography (HPLC) elution characteristic of the D/L-myo-inositol
      1,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate enantiomeric pair (Johnson, R.M., Wasilenko, W.J.,
      Mattingly, R.R., Weber, M.J., and Garrison, J.C. (1989) Science 246, 121-124). By
      chemical and enzymatic analysis, the structure of this compound produced in both
      normal and v-src-transformed rat-1 fibroblasts has been determined to be
      principally D-myoinositol 1,4,5,6-tetrakisphosphate (D-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4). Chronic
      stimulation with endothelin-1 in the presence of Li+ significantly increased the
      amount of D/L-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 only in the v-src-transformed rat-1 cells,
      suggesting that production of this compound may be remotely coupled to long term
      agonist-induced phosphatidylinositol turnover. Further evidence for such a link
      is provided by the progressive loss of D-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 from the normal cells
      deprived of serum stimulation. To define a possible synthetic pathway for D
      Ins(1,4,5,6)P4, cytosolic extracts of normal and v-src-transformed cells were
      incubated with [3H]inositol polyphosphates, and the reaction products were
      identified by HPLC elution and chemical analysis. Although inositol 1,3,4
      trisphosphate 6-kinase activity was prominent in extracts of both normal and
      transformed cells, only the cytosol from v-src-transformed cells ultimately
      formed measurable amounts of D-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 from [3H]inositol 1,3,4
      trisphosphate. Approximately 6% of 0.1 microM inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate was
      converted to D-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 during a 2-h incubation at 37 degrees C. Inositol
      pentakisphosphate was identified as a likely intermediate in this conversion, and
      extracts of both normal and transformed cells converted [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5,6
      pentakisphosphate to D-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4. The synthetic pathway described is
      consistent with the long term regulation of D/L-Ins(1,4,5,6)P4 levels in rat-1
      fibroblasts seen in response to src transformation, serum withdrawal, and chronic
      endothelin treatment, and identifies several new potential interactions between
      the pathways of inositol polyphosphate metabolism and those of src
      transformation.

PMID- 1869547
TI  - Stacking energies in DNA.
AB  - Variations in base mono- and dipoles result in variations in stacking energies
      for the 10 unique neighbor pairs in DNA. Stacking energies for pair M on N,
      expressed as TMN, were derived by matrix decomposition of a large set of linear
      algebraic expressions relating the measured Tm for subtransitions emanating from
      large polymeric DNAs, and the fractional neighbor frequencies, fMN, for the
      domains responsible for the transitions, Tm = sigma fMNTMN. Tm were determined
      for subtransitions that dissociate in approximately all-or-none fashion in high
      resolution melting profiles of partially deleted and recombinant forms of pBR322
      DNA. Three different analytical maneuvers were undertaken to resolve
      subtransitions: site-specific cleavage of domains; deletion of domains; and
      addition of domains. Three dozen domains of widely divergent, quasi-random
      neighbor frequencies were identified and assigned, resulting in a unique set of
      values for TMN with standard deviation, sigma = +/- 0.23 degree C. The average
      difference between calculated and experimental Tm for domains is only +/- 0.17
      degree C, indicating that the thermodynamic properties of these domains are not
      in any way unusual. Assuming delta S to be constant for all pairs, the
      corresponding delta HMN are found to have a precision of +/- 10 calories.mol-1
      and an accuracy of +/- 606 calories.mol-1. TMN used to calculate melting curves
      by statistical mechanical analysis of sequences of the different plasmid
      specimens in this study were in quantitative agreement with observed curves for
      most sequences. These TMN differ significantly from those determined previously
      and also correlate poorly with values determined by quantum chemical analysis.
      Stabilities of neighbor pairs, expressed as the difference in free energy between
      that for a given pair (MN) and that for the average of like pairs (M, N), depend
      on the relationship of stacked purines and pyrimidines as follows. delta delta
      Gpu-py(-466 cal) greater than delta delta Gpu-pu(+52 cal) greater than delta
      delta Gpy-pu(+335 cal) Differences between experimental Tm and Tm calculated with
      TMN for the isolated neighbor pairs in the B-conformation are useful in the
      identification of altered structures and unusual modes of dissociation of
      helixes. A significantly higher Tm is observed for the highly biased repeated
      sequence synthetic helixes dA.dT, d(AGC).d(GCT), and d(GAT).d(ATC), reflecting
      auxiliary sources of stability such as bifurcated hydrogen bonds and/or altered
      structures for these helixes.

PMID- 1869548
TI  - Parinaric acids as probes of binding domains in neutrophil elastase.
AB  - Human neutrophil elastase has an extended hydrophobic substrate binding site
      which serves as a target for a number of hydrophobic inhibitors. We show here
      that the parinaric acids, fluorescent-conjugated tetraenoic fatty acids of plant
      origin, are inhibitors of neutrophil elastase. cis-Parinaric acid (cis-PA)
      interacts with the enzyme in two inhibitory modes. The high affinity interaction
      (Ki = 55 +/- 6 nM) results in partial noncompetitive inhibition of amidolytic
      activity, with 82% residual activity. A lower affinity interaction with cis-PA
      (Ki = 4 +/- 1 microM) results in competitive inhibition. trans-PA also acts as a
      high affinity partial noncompetitive inhibitor of elastase with a Ki equal to
      that for cis-PA but has no low affinity competitive inhibitory action. The
      endogenous fluorescence from the 3 tryptophan residues in elastase is partially
      quenched on binding cis- or trans-PA. Dependence of quenching of tryptophan
      fluorescence on PA concentration is consistent with binding to a single site with
      an apparent Kd of 26 +/- 3 nM, which may be equivalent to the high affinity
      partial noncompetitive inhibitory binding mode. Analysis of quenching according
      to the modified Forster theory of energy transfer developed by Snyder and Freire
      (Snyder, B., and Freire, E. (1982) Biophys. J. 40, 137-148) leads to an estimate
      of apparent closest indole-PA distance of 13 +/- 3 A. Fluorescence of either cis-
      or trans-PA is apparently unperturbed upon binding in the high affinity mode to
      elastase, but at micromolar cis-PA concentrations, binding to elastase results in
      a blue shift and 20% increase in intensity of PA emission, suggesting that the
      lower affinity competitive inhibitory binding mode of binding to elastase
      provides a hydrophobic environment for cis-PA.

PMID- 1869549
TI  - Expression of rat serum amyloid A1 gene involves both C/EBP-like and NF kappa B
      like transcription factors.
AB  - Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute-phase protein synthesized and secreted
      mainly by the liver. During inflammation, its expression is increased by 1000
      fold as the result of greatly increased gene transcription. In this study, we
      analyzed the cis-acting regulatory elements and trans-acting factors important
      for the expression of the rat SAA1 gene. A DNA fragment containing 304 base pairs
      (bp) of 5'-flanking sequences of the SAA1 gene was fused to a reporter gene,
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), and the resulting construct, pSAA1/CAT (
      304), was used to assess the function of the 5'-flanking sequences by transient
      transfection assay. pSAA1/CAT (-304) was not expressed or expressed at very low
      levels in both the liver- and nonliver-derived cells. However, when stimulated
      with conditioned medium prepared from mixed lymphocyte cultures, recombinant
      interleukin 1, or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, expression of the
      pSAA1/CAT (-304) hybrid gene was induced 15-20-fold, but only in liver-derived
      cells. Further functional analysis demonstrated that a 66-bp DNA fragment
      conferred cytokine responsiveness onto a heterologous thymidine kinase promoter
      both in liver and nonliver cells. Footprint analysis with the Hep3B nuclear
      proteins revealed four protected regions in the 5'-flanking region of the SAA1
      gene. The pattern of protection was identical with nuclear extracts prepared from
      either unstimulated or conditioned medium-treated Hep3B cells. Two of these
      footprint regions were identified as binding sites for C/EBP or C/EBP-related
      proteins, with the distal region having about 10-fold higher binding affinity
      than the proximal region. One additional cis-element formed a specific protein
      DNA complex only with the nuclear proteins from TPA- or conditioned medium
      treated Hep3B cells. This cis-element shares sequence identity with nuclear
      factor NF kappa B binding sites. The finding of a NF kappa B binding site within
      the 66-bp cytokine-responsive fragment further suggests its functional importance
      in the regulation of SAA1 gene expression. Our results suggest that C/EBP- and NF
      kappa B-related proteins may be important regulatory factors that contribute both
      to tissue specificity and to the high rate of SAA transcription in response to
      inflammatory mediators.

PMID- 1869550
TI  - Structural requirements for transformation of substrates by the (S)-adenosyl-L
      methionine:delta 24(25)-sterol methyl transferase.
AB  - The membrane-bound enzyme of microsomes obtained from sunflower embryos that
      catalyzes the bi-substrate transfer reaction whereby the methyl group of (S)
      adenosyl-L-methionine is transferred to C-24 of the sterol side chain has been
      investigated. Optimal incubation conditions for assay of the microsomal (S)
      adenosyl-L-methionine:sterol delta 24-methyl transferase (SMT) have been
      established for the first time. The microsomal preparation was found to catalyze
      the formation of a delta 24(28)-sterol and to be free of contaminating methyl
      transferase enzymes, e.g. those which form delta 23-24 methyl sterols
      (cyclosadol) and delta 25-24 beta-methyl sterols (cyclolaudenol) and other
      sterolic enzymes which might transform the acceptor molecule to metabolites which
      could compete in the assay with the test substrate. From a series of incubations
      with 27 sterol and sterol-like (triterpenoids) substrates of which 23 compounds
      possessed a 24,25-double bond, we observed a marked dependence on precise
      structural features and three-dimensional shape of the acceptor molecule in its
      ability to be transformed by the SMT. In contrast to the yeast SMT where
      cycloartenol fails to bind to the SMT and zymosterol is the best substrate for
      methylation, the sunflower SMT studied here utilizes cycloartenol preferentially
      to zymosterol and the other substrates. Of the chemical groups which
      distinguishes cycloartenol, a free 3 beta-OH,9 beta,19-cyclopropyl group,
      trimethylated saturated nucleus, and delta 24-double bond, only the nucleophilic
      centers at C-3 and C-24 were obligatory for substrate binding and methylation. Of
      the bent or flat conformations which cycloartenol may orient in the enzyme
      substrate complex, our results indicate a selection for acceptor molecules which
      possess the shape that closely resembles the crystal state and solution
      orientation of cycloartenol which is now known to be flat rather than bent (Nes,
      W. D., Benson, M., Lundin, R. E., and Le, P. H. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
      U.S.A. 85, 5759-5763).

PMID- 1869551
TI  - Calcium influx in a rat mast cell (RBL-2H3) line. Use of multivalent metal ions
      to define its characteristics and role in exocytosis.
AB  - An increase in concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) is associated with an
      accelerated influx of 45Ca2+ when cultured RBL-2H3 cells are stimulated with
      either antigen or analogs of adenosine although these agents act via different
      receptors and coupling proteins (Ali, H., Cunha-Melo, J.R., Saul, W.F., and
      Beaven, M.A. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 745-753). The same mechanism probably
      operates for basal Ca2+ influx in unstimulated cells and for the accelerated
      influx in stimulated cells. This influx had the following characteristics. 1) It
      was decreased when cells were depolarized with high external K+; 2) it was
      blocked by other cations (La3+ greater than Zn2+ greater than Cd2+ greater than
      Mn2 = Co2+ greater than Ba2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Sr2+) either by
      competing with Ca2+ at external sites (e.g. La3+ or Zn2+) or by co-passage into
      the cell (e.g. Mn2+ or Sr2+); and 3) the inhibition of influx by K+ and the metal
      ions had exactly the same characteristics whether cells were stimulated or
      unstimulated even though influx rates were different. The dependence of various
      cellular responses on influx of Ca2+ was demonstrated as follows. The stimulated
      influx of Ca2+, rise in [Ca2+]i, and secretion, could be blocked in a
      concentration-dependent manner by increasing the concentration of La3+, but
      concentrations of La3+ (greater than 20 microM) that suppressed influx to below
      basal rates of influx markedly suppressed the hydrolysis of inositol
      phospholipids (levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate were unaffected). Some
      metal ions, e.g. Mn2+ and Sr2+, however, supported the stimulated hydrolysis of
      inositol phospholipid and some secretion in the absence of Ca2+. Thus a basal
      rate of influx of Ca2+ was required for the full activation of inositol
      phospholipid hydrolysis, but in addition an accelerated influx was necessary for
      exocytosis.

PMID- 1869552
TI  - Identification of sequence segments forming the alpha-bungarotoxin binding sites
      on two nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunits from the avian brain.
AB  - The relationship between neuronal alpha-bungarotoxin binding proteins (alpha
      BGTBPs) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function in the brain of higher
      vertebrates has remained controversial for over a decade. Recently, the cDNAs for
      two homologous putative ligand binding subunits, designated alpha BGTBP alpha 1
      and alpha BGTBP alpha 2, have been isolated on the basis of their homology to the
      N terminus of an alpha BGTBP purified from chick brain. In the present study, a
      panel of overlapping synthetic peptides corresponding to the complete chick brain
      alpha BGTBP alpha 1 subunit and residues 166-215 of the alpha BGTBP alpha 2
      subunits were tested for their ability to bind 125I-alpha BGT. The sequence
      segments corresponding to alpha BGTBP alpha 1-(181-200) and alpha BGTBP alpha 2
      (181-200) were found to consistently and specifically bind 125I-alpha BGT. The
      ability of these peptides to bind alpha BGT was significantly decreased by
      reduction and alkylation of the Cys residues at positions 190/191, whereas
      oxidation had little effect on alpha BGT binding activity. The relative
      affinities for alpha BGT of the peptide sequences alpha BGTBP alpha 1-(181-200)
      and alpha BGTBP alpha 2-(181-200) were compared with those of peptides
      corresponding to the sequence segments Torpedo alpha 1-(181-200) and chick muscle
      alpha 1-(179-198). In competition assays, the IC50 for alpha BGTBP alpha 1-(181
      200) was 20-fold higher than that obtained for the other peptides (approximately
      2 versus 40 microM). These results indicate that alpha BGTBP alpha 1 and alpha
      BGTBP alpha 2 are ligand binding subunits able to bind alpha BGT at sites
      homologous with nAChR alpha subunits and that these subunits may confer
      differential ligand binding properties on the two alpha BGTBP subtypes of which
      they are components.

PMID- 1869553
TI  - Structure of the tetragonal surface virulence array protein and gene of Aeromonas
      salmonicida.
AB  - The paracrystalline surface protein array of the pathogenic bacterium Aeromonas
      salmonicida is a primary virulence factor with novel binding capabilities. The
      species-specific structural gene (vapA) for this array protein (A-protein) was
      cloned into lambda gt11 but was unstable when expressed in Escherichia coli,
      undergoing an 816-base pair deletion due to a 21-base pair direct repeat within
      the gene. However, the gene was stable in cosmid pLA2917 as long as expression
      was poor. A-protein was located in the cytoplasmic, inner membrane and
      periplasmic fractions in E. coli. The DNA sequence revealed a 1,506-base pair
      open reading frame encoding a protein consisting of a 21-amino acid signal
      peptide, and a 481-residue 50,778 molecular weight protein containing
      considerable secondary structure. When assembled into a paracrystalline protein
      array on Aeromonas the cell surface A-protein was totally refractile to cleavage
      by trypsin, but became trypsin sensitive when disassembled. Trypsin cleavage of
      the isolated protein provided evidence that both the NH2- and COOH-terminal
      regions form distinct structural domains, consistent with three-dimensional
      ultrastructural evidence. The NH2-terminal 274-residue domain remained refractile
      to trypsin activity. This segment connects by a trypsin and CNBr-sensitive 78
      residue linker region to a COOH-terminal 129-residue fragment which could
      apparently refold into a partially trypsin-resistant structure after cleavage at
      residue 323.

PMID- 1869554
TI  - RPC19, the gene for a subunit common to yeast RNA polymerases A (I) and C (III).
AB  - Yeast RNA polymerases A (I) and C (III) share a subunit called AC19. The gene
      encoding AC19 has been isolated from yeast genomic DNA using oligonucleotide
      probes deduced from peptide sequences of the isolated subunit. This gene (RPC19)
      contains an intron-free open reading frame of 143 amino acid residues. RPC19 is a
      single copy gene that maps on chromosome II and is essential for cell viability.
      The amino acid sequence contains a sequence motif common to the Escherichia coli
      RNA polymerase alpha subunit, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae AC40 and B44.5
      subunits, the human hRPB33 product, and the CnjC conjugation-specific gene
      product of Tetrahymena. The 5'-upstream region contains a sequence element, the
      PAC box, that has been conserved in at least 10 genes encoding subunits of RNA
      polymerases A and C.

PMID- 1869555
TI  - Glomerular basement membrane. Identification of dimeric subunits of the
      noncollagenous domain (hexamer) of collagen IV and the Goodpasture antigen.
AB  - The noncollagenous (NC1) domain hexamer of glomerular basement membrane (GBM)
      collagen is composed of a multiplicity of monomeric and dimeric subunits, and
      specific subunits are the targets for anti-GBM autoantibodies of patients with
      Goodpasture (GP) syndrome. The identity of GBM monomers has been established and
      the alpha 3(IV)NC1 monomer identified as the one that binds GP antibodies
      (Gunwar, S., Saus, J., Noelken, M. E., and Hudson, B. G. (1990) J. Biol. Chem.
      265, 5466-5469). In the present study, the chain origin of 25 dimeric components
      and the identity of those that bound the anti-GBM antibodies from two GP patients
      were determined. This was accomplished by NH2-terminal sequence analysis and
      immunoblotting analysis of dimeric components that were resolved by two
      dimensional electrophoresis in combination with high pressure liquid
      chromatography. The results revealed that (a) the components are mainly
      homodimers of the NC1 domains of alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, and probably
      alpha 5 chains of collagen IV, reflecting a specificity of promoter-promoter
      association and (b) each homodimer had several size and charge isoforms. The GP
      antibodies bound exclusively to both alpha 3(IV)NC1 monomers and dimers and not
      to other basement membrane constituents. These findings provided new insights
      about the structure of GBM collagen and together with our previous findings
      firmly established the alpha 3(IV) chain as the target for the anti-GBM
      antibodies that mediate glomerulonephritis and pulmonary hemorrhage in patients
      with Goodpasture syndrome.

PMID- 1869556
TI  - Secretion of N-glycosylated interleukin-1 beta in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using
      a leader peptide from Candida albicans. Effect of N-linked glycosylation on
      biological activity.
AB  - Human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is expressed in activated monocytes as a 31
      kDa precursor protein which is processed and secreted as a mature, unglycosylated
      17-kDa carboxyl-terminal fragment, despite the fact that it contains a potential
      N-linked glycosylation site near the NH2 terminus (-Asn7-Cys8-Thr9-). cDNA coding
      for authentic mature IL-1 beta was fused to the signal sequence from the Candida
      albicans glucoamylase gene, two amino acids downstream from the signal processing
      site. Upon expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, approximately equimolar
      amounts of N-glycosylated (22 kDa) and unglycosylated (17 kDa) IL-1 beta protein
      were secreted. The N-glycosylated yeast recombinant IL-1 beta exhibited a 5-7
      fold lower specific activity compared to the unglycosylated species. The
      mechanism responsible for inefficient glycosylation was also studied. We found no
      differences in secretion kinetics or processing between the two extracellular
      forms of IL-1 beta. The 17-kDa protein, which was found to lack core sugars, does
      not result from deglycosylation of the 22-kDa protein in vivo and does not result
      from saturation of the glycosylation enzymatic machinery through overexpression.
      Alteration of the uncommon Cys8 residue in the -Asn-X-Ser/Thr-glycosylation site
      to Ser also had no effect. However, increasing the distance between Asn7 and the
      signal processing site increased the extent of core N-linked glycosylation,
      suggesting a reduction in glycosylation efficiency near the NH2 terminus.

PMID- 1869557
TI  - Heparin strongly decreases the rate of inhibition of neutrophil elastase by alpha
      1-proteinase inhibitor.
AB  - Heparin depresses the second-order rate constant ka for the inhibition of
      neutrophil elastase by alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. High molecular mass heparin
      decreases ka from 1.3 x 10(7) M-1 s-1 to a limit of 4.6 x 10(4) M-1 s-1. Low
      molecular mass heparin is about 7-fold less effective. Dermatan sulfate and
      chondroitin sulfate are less efficient. Heparin preparations used in clinical
      care also strongly depress ka when tested at concentrations corresponding to
      their clinical efficacy. Heparin also decreases the ka for the elastase/eglin c
      and the cathepsin G/alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor systems but not that for the
      alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor/pancreatic elastase or trypsin pairs. These results,
      together with Sepharose-heparin binding studies, indicate that the ka-depressing
      effect of the polymer is related to its ability to form a tight complex with
      elastase but not with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. One mol of high molecular
      mass heparin binds 3 mol of neutrophil elastase with a Kd of 3.3 nM. Low
      molecular mass heparin binds elastase with a 1:1 stoichiometry and a Kd of 89 nM.
      For both heparins ka is lowest when elastase is fully saturated with heparin.
      From this we conclude that heparin decreases ka, because the heparin-elastase
      complex is able to slowly react with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor and not because
      the inhibitor slowly dissociates the heparin-elastase complex. These findings may
      have important pathophysiological bearing.

PMID- 1869558
TI  - A novel regulatory element of the human alpha-globin gene responsible for its
      constitutive expression.
AB  - The alpha-globin gene is expressed at a constitutively high level upon gene
      transfer into both erythroid and nonerythroid cells. The beta-globin gene, on the
      other hand, is dependent on the presence of a linked viral enhancer for its
      efficient expression upon transfer into heterologous cells. In this report, we
      describe a novel regulatory element within the structural alpha-globin gene which
      can activate its own promoter to result in a high level of expression in both
      erythroid and non-erythroid cells. This regulatory element does not appear to
      have the properties of a classical enhancer. While this element exerts a positive
      effect on its own promoter, we have demonstrated in a previous study that the
      same element exerts a negative effect on heterologous genes such as the beta- and
      gamma-globin genes. In this study, we localize this element to a 259 nucleotide
      fragment immediately downstream from the translation initiation codon which is
      partially overlapped by a DNase I hypersensitive domain only in erythroid cells.
      We propose that this element may activate the alpha-globin gene promoter in all
      cell types in vivo as it does in vitro. The specificity of erythroid expression
      of the alpha-globin gene in vivo is probably determined by a "permissive"
      chromatin configuration in erythroid cells and a "nonpermissive" configuration in
      non-erythroid cells.

PMID- 1869559
TI  - Direct effects of platelet-activating factor on isolated rat osteoclasts. Rapid
      elevation of intracellular free calcium and transient retraction of pseudopods.
AB  - Platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-(2R)-acetylglycero-3-phosphocholine)
      is a potent inflammatory mediator whose actions on bone cells have not been
      investigated previously. In this study, we examined effects of PAF on osteoclast
      morphology and intracellular free calcium. Osteoclasts, the large multinucleated
      cells responsible for bone resorption, were isolated from neonatal rat long
      bones, and the cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) of individual fura
      2-loaded cells was monitored by microspectrofluorimetry. In one series of
      experiments, PAF was applied focally to single, isolated osteoclasts (1 nM to 1
      microM racemic mixture, in an application micropipette). Within 10 s of PAF
      application, [Ca2+]i increased from basal levels of 74 +/- 6 nM to peak levels of
      209 +/- 28 nM (mean +/- S.E. of 24 cells responding). These results indicate that
      PAF acted directly on osteoclasts. In more than 75% of cells tested, PAF, at
      concentrations greater than or equal to 10 pM (final concentration, in the bath),
      induced biphasic elevation of [Ca2+]i. This response was highly specific for PAF,
      in that vehicle, lyso-PAF (the biologically inactive precursor/metabolite of
      PAF), and (S)-PAF (the inactive enantiomer of PAF) all failed to change [Ca2+]i.
      Moreover, [Ca2+]i elevation was blocked by the specific PAF antagonist CV-3988.
      To determine the source of Ca2+, cells were bathed in Ca(2+)-free medium, where
      PAF still caused an increase in [Ca2+]i, establishing that the response to PAF
      arose, at least in part, by release of Ca2+ from internal stores. In addition to
      changes in [Ca2+]i, PAF caused retraction followed by respreading of peripheral
      pseudopods. These findings indicate that rat osteoclasts respond to PAF by
      release of internal calcium and alterations in cell morphology and suggest that
      PAF may regulate resorption in inflammatory bone diseases.

PMID- 1869560
TI  - Sulfated glycolipids are the platelet autoantigens for human platelet-binding
      monoclonal anti-DNA autoantibodies.
AB  - The human monoclonal autoantibody HF2-1/17, produced by a human-human hybridoma
      derived from lymphocytes of a lupus patient with thrombocytopenia, reacts with
      single stranded DNA and platelets. To determine the chemical nature of the
      autoantigen against which this antibody is directed on platelets, this platelet
      antigen was purified by the lipid extraction of sonicated platelets, DEAE
      Sephadex chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography. The purified
      glycolipids, a trace component in platelets, demonstrated high reactivity with
      the HF2-1/17 antibody using a competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      system or immunostaining of thin layer chromatograms. The purified glycolipids co
      migrated with bovine sulfatides by thin layer chromatography. The purified
      glycolipids contain sulfate and galactose but not sialic acid or phosphate. Fast
      atom bombardment-mass spectrometry revealed these sulfatides to be sulfated
      monohexyl ceramides. The dominant species has a molecular weight of 794 while a
      minor form has a molecular weight of 812 due to an extra hydroxyl group and loss
      of a double bond. These results indicate that the platelet autoantigen against
      which the human monoclonal anti-DNA antibody is directed represents a family of
      novel monogalactosyl sulfatides.

PMID- 1869561
TI  - The interfaces of actin and Acanthamoeba actobindin. Identification of a new
      actin-binding motif.
AB  - Actobindin is an 88-amino acid polypeptide, containing two almost identical
      repeated domains of 33 and 34 residues. Depending on the molar ratios in which
      they are mixed, actobindin binds either one or two actin molecules. We cross
      linked actobindin and actin in the 1:1 complex, using the zero-length cross
      linker 1-ethyl-3(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide. The cross-linked peptides
      were purified after consecutive CNBr cleavage and trypsin and Staphylococcus
      protease V8 digestions, and the cross-linked side chains were identified by amino
      acid sequencing. Isopeptide linkages were formed between residues Glu-100 of
      actin and Lys-16 of actobindin. In addition, we found a connection between one or
      more of the acidic residues 1,2, or 3 of actin and Lys-16 and Lys-52 of
      actobindin. The cross-linked regions in actobindin contain Leu-Lys-His-Ala-Glu
      Thr motifs, similar to sequences observed in several other actin-binding
      proteins.

PMID- 1869562
TI  - A Dictyostelium discoideum cellulase is a member of a spore germination-specific
      gene family.
AB  - A member of the 270 spore germination-specific gene family in Dictyostelium
      discoideum is shown to encode a cellulase (endo-(1,4)-beta-D-glucanase, EC
      3.2.1.4) activity. The 270-6 deduced protein shows 38% identity and 58%
      similarity to an avocado (Persea americana) cellulase. During spore germination
      in Dictyostelium extracellular cellulase activity starts to accumulate coincident
      with the appearance of the 270-6 gene transcript. Amoebae transformed by a vector
      containing the 270-6 mRNA sequence express an extracellular cellulase during
      vegetative growth when there would otherwise be no cellulase activity. In
      addition, the expression of a truncated 270-6 polypeptide lacking the 270 gene
      family-defining tetrapeptide repeat and the C-terminal region, in suitably
      transformed amoebae, also produces an extracellular cellulase activity. Several
      differently sized cellulase activities are shown to accumulate during spore
      germination, and it is possible that the 270 gene family represents a
      coordinately expressed family of cellulases.

PMID- 1869563
TI  - Procathepsins L and D are membrane-bound in acidic microsomal vesicles.
AB  - Procathepsins L and D, the proenzyme forms of two lysosomal proteases, are shown
      to bind to mouse fibroblast microsomal membranes at acidic pH. The propeptide of
      procathepsin L is necessary for membrane association because the mature forms of
      this lysosomal protein did not bind to the membranes. Both proenzymes were eluted
      from the membranes by increasing either the pH or the ionic strength of the
      buffer, so they are peripheral proteins that interact ionically with the
      membranes. The proenzymes were not eluted from the membranes with 50 mM mannose
      or 10 mM mannose 6-phosphate, which suggests that carbohydrate does not mediate
      membrane binding. Membrane binding is probably a specific, protein-mediated
      interaction since treatment of the microsomes with trypsin reduced by half the
      amount of procathepsin L which bound to the membranes, and binding of
      procathepsin L to the membranes was saturable. One or more "lysosomal proenzyme
      receptors" capable of binding to lysosomal proenzymes at acidic pH could
      complement the mannose 6-phosphate receptor system in prelysosomes and sort
      certain lysosomal proenzymes to lysosomes.

PMID- 1869564
TI  - Mitochondrial import and processing of rat liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase
      II defines the amino terminus of the mature protein. Possibility of differential
      modification of the rat and human isoforms.
AB  - [35S]Methionine-labeled porcine heart citrate synthase (used here as a positive
      control) and rat liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) were generated
      by in vitro transcription and translation of their cDNA constructs in appropriate
      Bluescript plasmids. Each product was imported into rat liver mitochondria in an
      energy-dependent manner to yield an immunoprecipitable protein of smaller size
      that comigrated with the corresponding purified enzyme. The size shift occurring
      with citrate synthase was consistent with the removal of the postulated 27-amino
      acid leader peptide. To determine the amino terminus of mature CPT II,
      [35S]methionine- or [3H]leucine-labeled material (after import and processing)
      was subjected to Edman degradation, followed by counting of the radioactivity
      released on each cycle. The results established that the precursor targeting
      peptide was cleaved between leucine 25 and serine 26 in the previously deduced
      amino acid sequence. Taken in conjunction with the recent report of Finocchiaro
      et al. (Finocchiaro, G., Taroni, F., Rocchi, M., Martin, A. L., Colombo, I.,
      Tarelli, G. T., and DiDonato, S. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 661
      665), the present results establish three key points concerning the rat and human
      forms of CPT II. First, it appears that in both species the initial translation
      product contains 658 amino acids and, upon mitochondrial import, is reduced in
      length by 25 residues through cleavage at an identical site. Second, the
      difference in electrophoretic mobility between the two mature proteins
      (documented earlier) presumably reflects either anomalous behavior of one of them
      on polyacrylamide gels or differential covalent modification. Finally, the recent
      suggestion by Brady et al. (Brady, P. S., Liu, J. S., Park, E. A., Hanson, R. W.,
      and Brady, L. J. (1991) FASEB J. 5, A817) that our CPT II cDNA construct is
      incomplete in the 5'-coding region is refuted.

PMID- 1869565
TI  - The upstream stimulatory factor binds to and activates the promoter of the rat
      class I alcohol dehydrogenase gene.
AB  - The gene encoding rat class I alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is expressed primarily
      in the liver. Recent studies in our laboratories indicate that multiple cellular
      factors present in the rat liver interact with various regions of the promoter of
      this gene. One of the regions contains the sequence 5'-CACATG-3' that has an "E
      box" homology to which a number of transcription factors containing the basic
      helix-loop-helix motif bind. We now demonstrate that the human transcription
      factor, upstream stimulatory factor (USF), a basic helix-loop-helix-containing
      protein, binds to and activates the promoter of the rat class I ADH gene.
      Electrophoretic mobility shift assays of labeled oligonucleotide containing the
      5'-CACATG-3' sequence within the ADH promoter revealed the formation of multiple
      DNA-protein complexes when nuclear extracts obtained from adult rat liver were
      used. The binding of proteins to the DNA could be competed away with an
      oligonucleotide specifying a sequence within the adenovirus major late promoter
      (MLP) that had previously been shown to bind USF. Similar complexes were observed
      when electrophoretic mobility shift assays of labeled MLP oligonucleotide were
      performed with rat liver nuclear extracts. Conversely, nuclear extracts isolated
      from HeLa cells, cells known to have abundant USF, contain factors that interact
      with the sequence present in the ADH promoter. This interaction could be competed
      efficiently by the MLP oligonucleotide. USF synthesized in an in vitro
      transcription and translation system also binds to the ADH promoter as well as to
      the MLP. In addition, antiserum directed against USF recognizes factors present
      in the rat liver nuclear extracts that interact with the ADH promoter.
      Furthermore, transcription directed from both the ADH and the adenovirus major
      late promoters was inhibited by an oligonucleotide representing the USF-binding
      site within the ADH promoter in a cell-free in vitro transcription system.
      Lastly, an ADH promoter-reporter gene construct was transactivated by an
      eukaryotic expression vector containing USF in HepG2 cells co-transfected with
      the two constructs. These experiments demonstrate that USF is present in the rat
      liver and that it binds to and activates the promoter of the rat class I ADH gene
      in a sequence-specific manner.

PMID- 1869566
TI  - Proteoglycan synthesis and metabolism by mouse uterine stroma cultured in vitro.
AB  - Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and hyaluronate have been identified as
      the predominant glycoconjugates synthesized and secreted by mouse uterine stromal
      cells (USC) cultured in vitro. CSPGs in both the cell-associated and secreted
      fractions have identical characteristics with regard to anion exchange
      chromatographic behavior, sensitivity of the intact molecules and constituent
      glycosaminoglycans to a variety of chemical and enzymatic digestions, lack of
      interaction with hydrophobic affinity resins, and density (greater than 1.46
      g/ml). Chase labeling studies indicated a metabolic half-life of cell-associated,
      [35S]sulfate-labeled macromolecules of 5-6 h. Once secreted, CSPGs did not appear
      to be degraded or endocytosed to a significant extent. In contrast, a large
      fraction (50%) of the cell-associated CSPGs were degraded to low Mr (less than
      3000) products via a chloroquine-sensitive pathway. Studies of the kinetics of
      intracellular transport indicated that approximately 30 min were required for
      CSPG core proteins to move from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi
      apparatus and 15-20 min to move from the Golgi to the cell surface, i.e. protease
      accessible compartment. There was no significant lag period between the time
      CSPGs first arrived at the cell surface and the time at which they were first
      detectable in the medium. Examination of CSPG expression during USC
      differentiation in utero or in vitro demonstrated that these molecules were
      produced with similar efficiency by USC under both conditions. Collectively,
      these studies provide the first comprehensive description of proteoglycan
      production and metabolism in USC, a uterine cell type intimately involved with
      embryo implantation processes. Potential functions for CSPGs and hyaluronate as
      modulators of embryo invasive processes and uterine expansion are proposed.

PMID- 1869567
TI  - Purification and partial sequencing of saxiphilin, a saxitoxin-binding protein
      from the bullfrog, reveals homology to transferrin.
AB  - Plasma from the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, contains a soluble component of
      unknown function that specifically binds the neurotoxin, [3H]saxitoxin, with a Kd
      of approximately 0.2 nM. Saxiphilin, the protein responsible for this activity,
      was purified approximately 440-fold from bullfrog plasma by column chromatography
      on heparin-Sepharose followed by chromatofocusing. The purified saxiphilin
      preparation exhibits a binding capacity of 9.6 nmol/mg protein and a Kd of 0.32
      nM for [3H]saxitoxin. Analysis of the preparation by sodium dodecyl sulfate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows a predominant band migrating with an
      apparent Mr of approximately 89,000 which is similar to the expected size of
      saxiphilin previously estimated by nondenaturing size exclusion chromatography.
      Amino-terminal sequencing of the approximately 89-kDa protein and sequencing of
      four different tryptic peptide fragments revealed that each of the partial
      saxiphilin sequences can be aligned by homology with members of the transferrin
      protein family with sequence identity as high as 69%. The available sequence
      corresponding to conserved residues that comprise part of the two Fe3+ binding
      sites in lacto-transferrin show several substitutions in saxiphilin, suggesting
      that saxiphilin is not an Fe(3+)-binding protein. Saxiphilin appears to be a
      monomeric approximately 89-kDa protein that is evolutionarily related to
      transferrin but which binds saxitoxin instead of Fe3+.

PMID- 1869568
TI  - Crystal structure of Escherichia coli CheY refined at 1.7-A resolution.
AB  - The three-dimensional structure of wild-type CheY from Escherichia coli has been
      refined by stereochemically restrained least squares minimization to a
      crystallographic R-factor of 15.1% at 1.7-A resolution. The structure contains
      1165 atoms, including all atoms of the protein, 147 water molecules, and three
      sulfate ions. The final model has root mean square deviations of 0.018 and 0.049
      A from idealized bond lengths and angle distances, respectively. Seven amino acid
      side chains have been modeled in dual conformations. CheY folds as a compact
      (beta/alpha)5 globular protein, with the phosphorylation region contained in a
      cavity on one face of the molecule. This active site area is bordered by the
      carboxyl termini of the three central beta-strands, by alpha 1, and by the loop
      connecting beta 5 to alpha 5. The Lys-109 side chain of this loop extends into
      the active site by virtue of its cis peptide bond conformation preceding Pro-110.
      The epsilon-amino group of Lys-109 is in close bonding contact with the carboxyl
      group of Asp-57, the residue that is phosphorylated in the activation process of
      CheY. The details of the hydrogen bonding network in the phosphorylation region
      indicate that structural rearrangements must accompany the phosphorylation of Asp
      57.

PMID- 1869569
TI  - Purification of retinol dehydrogenase from bovine retinal rod outer segments.
AB  - We purified retinol dehydrogenase from bovine rod outer segments using
      polyethylene glycol precipitation and hydroxylapatite, concanavalin A-Sepharose
      CL-4B, and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography in the presence of NADP. We
      obtained 13-fold purification of retinol dehydrogenase with specific activity of
      61.8 nmol/min/mg and 3.8% recovery. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis revealed that retinol dehydrogenase had a molecular mass of
      37,000 daltons. The Km values of purified retinol dehydrogenase for all-trans
      retinol and all-trans retinal were 6.6 mM and 0.085 mM, respectively. The
      purified enzyme reacted with the all-trans retinal but not with 13-, 11-, and 9
      cis compounds. In addition, we prepared antibody to retinol dehydrogenase using
      rat. The anti-retinol dehydrogenase antibody precipitated retinol dehydrogenase
      activity and was confirmed to bind to 37-kDa protein by Western blotting. We also
      found that anti-retinol dehydrogenase antibody bound to bovine rod outer segments
      specifically by immunohistochemical technique. The molar ratio of retinol
      dehydrogenase to opsin in rod outer segments estimated by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay was 1:140.

PMID- 1869570
TI  - The transmembrane topology of the amino terminus of the alpha subunit of the
      nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - We have investigated the transmembrane topology of the amino-terminal domain of
      the alpha subunit of the mouse muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
      synthesized in vitro and in vivo. Using oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis we
      introduced new glycosylation consensus sequences at alpha 154 and at alpha 200.
      For each novel site, additional constructs were made in which the original site
      at alpha N141 was eliminated. Glycosylation at the new sites, as exhibited in a
      rabbit reticulocyte cell-free translation system supplemented with canine
      pancreatic microsomes and in a transient transfection system with COS cells, was
      taken as evidence of the transmembrane translocation of the new site. Each of the
      new sites was glycosylated in both systems. In separate experiments we found that
      an alpha subunit fragment terminating at alpha M207 could be extracted from
      microsomal membranes with sodium carbonate after in vitro translation, indicating
      that this fragment is not an integral membrane protein. Our results, taken
      together with previous experiments, indicate that the amino terminus of the alpha
      subunit up to at least residue alpha 207 is translocated across the membrane of
      the endoplasmic reticulum. This topology probably represents the orientation of
      the amino terminus of the alpha subunit in the assembled receptor.

PMID- 1869571
TI  - Promoter DNA contacts made by the vaccinia virus early transcription factor.
AB  - Vaccinia virus RNA polymerase requires the heterodimeric protein, vaccinia early
      transcription factor (VETF), for transcription of early gene templates in vitro.
      We have analyzed the vaccinia growth factor promoter sequences interacting with
      VETF at the nucleotide level and provide evidence that the factor contacts the
      DNA at two separate sites. DNase I protection analysis showed that VETF was found
      to nucleotides -12 to -29 relative to the transcription initiation site, and also
      to nucleotides +8 to +10 downstream of the initiation site. The importance of
      both binding sites for stable complex formation was supported by methylation
      interference analysis. Using synthetic oligonucleotides encoding different parts
      of the vaccinia growth factor promoter, it was shown that nucleotides down-stream
      of the transcription initiation site are required for stable complex formation.
      Competition binding experiments demonstrated that only the upstream binding site
      contributes significantly to binding specificity. Binding to two separated DNA
      sequences results in a bend in the promoter DNA as demonstrated by
      electrophoretic mobility shift analysis of permuted DNA fragments. These findings
      suggest that VETF activates transcription by sequence specific binding and
      structural alteration of the promoter DNA helix.

PMID- 1869572
TI  - A role for ATP hydrolysis in vaccinia virus early gene transcription.
      Dissociation of the early transcription factor-promoter complex.
AB  - Vaccinia virus RNA polymerase requires the vaccinia early transcription factor,
      VETF, for the in vitro initiation of transcription at early gene promoters in a
      reaction requiring ATP hydrolysis. VETF binds specifically to early gene
      promoters and has an associated DNA-dependent ATPase activity. The effect of ATP
      on the interaction of VETF with the promoter for the vaccinia growth factor gene
      promoter has been examined. ATP had no marked effect on the steady-state level of
      promoter binding but dramatically affected the kinetics of dissociation of VETF
      from the promoter. The half-life of the VETF-promoter complex was greatly reduced
      in the presence of ATP. The destabilization of the complex was specific for ATP
      and dATP, consistent with the substrate specificity of the VETF-associated
      ATPase. ADP or the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog adenylyl-imidodiphosphate did not
      destabilize the complex suggesting that ATP hydrolysis is obligatory for
      dissociation. These findings provide a link between the promoter binding and
      ATPase activities associated with VETF and suggest that the ATP-dependent
      dissociation of the VETF-promoter complex is an important event in the
      transcription of vaccinia virus early genes.

PMID- 1869573
TI  - Cloning and characterization of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding a new
      member of the ubiquitin-conjugating protein family.
AB  - Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s), which participate in the post-translational
      conjugation of ubiquitin to proteins, are encoded by a multigene family in the
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. E2s function in a variety of cellular activities
      including intracellular proteolysis, DNA repair, sporulation, and cell cycle
      traverse. Here, we report the cloning and characterization of a new member of the
      yeast UBC gene family, UBC8. UBC8 encodes a 206-amino acid protein containing a
      highly acidic carboxyl terminus. The primary structure of the protein is similar
      to that of all other known E2s, with the highest homology being to the E2 (23
      kDa) of wheat germ. Haploid strains in which the UBC8 gene is disrupted are
      viable, and the disruption does not produce any obvious phenotype. The UBC8
      protein, produced in Escherichia coli, forms thiol ester adducts with ubiquitin
      and, apparently, diubiquitin, but does not transfer ubiquitin to histones.

PMID- 1869575
TI  - Preparation of thermo-responsive membranes. II.
AB  - Two types of liquid crystal (LC)-immobilized membranes were prepared by a soaking
      method and sandwich method to control the permeation of indomethacin, as a model
      drug, in response to local and systemic fever. Monooxyethylene trimethylolpropane
      tristearate (MTTS) was used as a model LC because it has a gel-liquid crystal
      phase transition temperature near the body temperature, 39-40 degrees C in
      phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4). Two porous polypropylene (PP) membranes were
      soaked into 20% MTTS chloroform solution in the soaking method, and two PP
      membranes were poured with the melted MTTS and pressed in the sandwich method.
      Thermo-response efficacy of the soaked membrane was dependent upon the content of
      MTTS in MTTS membrane, and the MTTS content above the void volume of PP membrane
      (38%) was needed for high efficacy. On the other hand, the sandwich membrane
      exhibited higher thermo-response efficacy than the soaked membrane, because more
      LC was embedded in the pores of sandwich membrane than that of the soaked
      membrane. The sandwich membrane permeation of indomethacin was sharply controlled
      by temperature changes between 32 and 38 degrees C.

PMID- 1869574
TI  - Negative cilia concept for thromboresistance: synergistic effect of PEO and
      sulfonate groups grafted onto polyurethanes.
AB  - In order to investigate the interaction between various sulfonated polyurethanes
      (PUs) and blood, a commercial PU surface was chemically modified by poly(ethylene
      oxide) (PEO), dodecanediol(DDO), and propane sultone to give hydrophilic,
      hydrophobic, and negative sulfonated surfaces, respectively. The blood
      compatibility of modified PUs was evaluated by an in vitro platelet adhesion
      test, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and prothrombin time (PT)
      measurements as well as an ex vivo rabbit A-A shunt method. In the platelet
      adhesion test, the hydrophilic PEO grafted PUs showed less platelet adhesion than
      untreated PU and hydrophobic DDO grafted PU. Sulfonated PU-PEO exhibited a lower
      degree of adhesion and shape change of platelet. The APTT and PT, especially
      APTT, of the sulfonated PUs were extended, whereas those of PU-PEO and PU-DDO did
      not show any significant change compared with untreated PU. Meanwhile, in the ex
      vivo experiment, hydrophilic PEO grafted PUs showed longer occlusion times than
      untreated PU or hydrophobic DDO grafted PU. In addition, the incorporation of SO3
      groups at the end of PU-DDO and PU-PEO, particularly PU-PEO-SO3, exhibited an
      enormous prolongation in occlusion time, indicating a synergistic effect of the
      hydrophilic PEO and the negative SO3 groups on thromboresistance. These occlusion
      times corresponded well to in vitro evaluation results: the less adhesion and
      shape change of platelet and the longer APTT and PT, the more extended the ex
      vivo occlusion time.

PMID- 1869576
TI  - A study of the fatigue properties of small diameter wires used in intramuscular
      electrodes.
AB  - Single and multi-strand stainless steel and cobalt-nickel alloy wires, with
      strand diameters from 26 to 46 microns, were fatigue tested using a modified
      rotating bending test to determine what factors are most important in controlling
      fatigue life. The relation between cyclic strain and cyclic life was determined
      for each material by cyclically straining test specimens at various strain ranges
      and recording the number of cycles to failure. The results show that (a) the
      fatigue curves of the 316LVM, MP35N, DBS, and Syntacoben wires are very similar
      and have many of the same fatigue characteristics of specimens of large cross
      section. (b) Multi-stranded wires have the same average fatigue life as their
      individual constituent strands, but the variance of that life is smaller. (c)
      Deformities in the wire, which are created during the manufacturing, appear to
      have the effect of shortening the fatigue life of these small section wires. (d)
      Observation of wire fracture surfaces show a relatively small crack propagation
      zone and a large fast fracture zone suggesting that most of the fatigue life of
      these small wires is in the original crack formation, which creates a large
      stress concentration and quickly leads to wire failure. (e) The size of the wire
      cross sectional area is of secondary importance compared to the amplitude of the
      maximum cyclic strain of the individual strands in determining fatigue life of
      the cable. To maximize the fatigue life of electrodes in vivo, the highest
      fatigue life for a given bending radius of curvature is desired. This suggests
      wire strands should be manufactured at the smallest diameter possible (without
      introducing structural flaws) to maximize service life.

PMID- 1869577
TI  - Use of a phosphophoryn-Ca(+2)-collagen composition that mimics a mineralization
      front in unicortical defects in long bones.
AB  - The present study was designed to ascertain if dynamic ionic matrices that mimic
      the mineralization front could be used as active scaffolds for bone repair.
      Dentinal phosphophoryn calcium salts were extracted from unerupted bovine dentine
      using chatopic buffers and EDTA. The phosphophoryns were subsequently isolated
      following precipitation with CaCl2. The phosphophoryn-Ca+2 salts were then mixed
      with pepsin solubilized bovine skin collagen and lyophilized into hardened
      sponges. Three groups of 4 beagle dogs were employed such that one leg served as
      an experimental test site for a mechanical wound, while the contralateral leg
      served as a control. Animals were sacrificed at 1,3, and 6 month intervals. The
      test specimens were harvested, fixed, and processed for routine histology,
      examined with image histomorphometric analysis, and scored. Tabulation of these
      data indicated that phosphophoryn-Ca(+2)-collagen enhances the repair of
      mechanically formed osseous defects in the distal femur of beagle dogs. This
      enhanced rate of bone repair was manifest by earlier filling of bony voids with
      osteoid and trabecular bone. Eventually, this process was followed by
      recortification of the surface defects. These data suggest that components
      derived from a mineralization front may influence bone formation in unicortical
      defects within long bones.

PMID- 1869578
TI  - Immunomodulating effects of serum-material interactions.
AB  - The objective of this study is to evaluate an in vitro model to assess the
      effects of serum-material interactions on complement activation, macromolecular
      adsorption, and lymphocyte response. Minifilters of clinically available
      materials (PVA, EVAL-4A, and EVAL-D) used in extracorporeal therapies were
      evaluated. The test circuit consisted of a pump, sterile tubing, collection
      vessels, and the minifilter. A sham circuit similar to the test circuit was
      constructed, but without the filter. Serum flow rates and volumes processed were
      scaled down to those of clinical use. Post PVA serum showed the highest degree of
      complement activation, macromolecular solute adsorption, and lymphocyte
      suppressive response when incubated with Con-A, PHA, PWM, and Candida. Post EVAL
      4A sera enhanced the response of lymphocytes to Con-A and PHA, while Post EVAL-D
      sera showed a slight suppression to these mitogens. Blood-material interactions
      have been shown to cause blood cellular changes. The in vitro model employed is
      simple to apply and does not require an animal or patient. The membrane modules
      used are a mini-type of clinically available extracorporeal filters, and there is
      a greater direct relevancy to clinical applications than there would be using
      specially formulated materials. This system would provide useful preclinical
      information in evaluating the effect of serum-material interactions.

PMID- 1869579
TI  - Macrophage activation induced by different carbon fiber-epoxy resin composites.
AB  - The activation of cells by interaction with solid surfaces is important in many
      settings, including the response of tissue to implanted materials. However, few
      comprehensive studies of both cell migration and activation have been performed
      so that the connection between these events and immunological activation against
      foreign material is not well understood. In the present study, synthesis and
      expression of Ia antigens by peritoneal exudate macrophages after implantation of
      different carbon fiber composites in the rat peritoneal cavity have been
      investigated in order to determine whether the type of material implanted
      affected the composition of Ia-bearing cells of the exudate. The results have
      confirmed the low level of expression of Ia on resident peritoneal macrophages;
      while we have found that macrophages, harvested after implantation, express a
      different amount of Ia related to the different cure cycles of the composite
      material used.

PMID- 1869580
TI  - In vitro tendon cell growth rates on a synthetic fiber scaffold material and on
      standard culture plates.
AB  - Growth rates of rat tendon fibroblasts cultured in a three-dimensional carbon
      fiber matrix were compared with those of cells cultured on standard flat culture
      plates. The carbon fiber has been used as a tissue scaffold for tendon and
      ligament repair in animal and clinical studies. While cell growth on the culture
      plates appears to follow a growth curve containing a lag phase, a log phase, and
      plateau phase of growth, cell growth in the fiber matrix was characterized by a
      suppressed log phase of growth. SEM and cytotoxicity studies indicated that this
      effect was not caused by growth-inhibiting or cytotoxic substances from the
      carbon fiber. While we cannot rule out the possibility that cell growth was
      influenced by the surface chemistry of the carbon substrate, evidence from this
      and other studies suggests that the observed effect was caused by a lack of
      readily available surface area for cell attachment and growth on the small
      fibers. Because cell colonies growing on individual fibers are limited (at least
      in theory) to growing in two directions only, they enjoy limited opportunities
      for cell migration and growth--in contrast with cell colonies on flat culture
      plates. These results suggest fundamental differences in the mechanisms
      controlling cell growth on planar vs. three-dimensional fiber substrates.

PMID- 1869581
TI  - A physicochemical study of the morphology of progesterone-loaded microspheres
      fabricated from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide).
AB  - Progesterone-loaded microspheres are fabricated by a solvent evaporation process
      from a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (85/15 PLG) and from alpha-progesterone.
      Methylene chloride is used as solvent and polyvinyl alcohol and methylcellulose
      are used as surfactants. The microspheres are characterized by scanning electron
      microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and x-ray powder diagrams. Our
      study shows that the morphology and the thermal behavior of PLG microspheres can
      vary significantly with progesterone loading and sample thermal history. Below
      and at 16.5% loading the microspheres exhibit a smooth outer surface. Above 23%
      loading, the surface becomes rough, embedded by copolymer particles or well
      defined crystals. Pores and cracks can also be observed. Below 35% the
      progesterone is molecularly dispersed. At 35% and above crystal domains of the
      steroid appear and two crystalline forms are found: alpha- and beta-progesterone.
      The physical state of progesterone and the nature of its crystal domains
      dispersed in the PLG matrix can change during storage. Also a progressive
      development of an endothermic peak at the Tg event of the copolymer is observed
      during storage. No well defined relationship of peak size to progesterone loading
      can be shown.

PMID- 1869582
TI  - Effects of fibroblasts and basic fibroblast growth factor on facilitation of
      dermal wound healing by type I collagen matrices.
AB  - Healing of large open dermal wounds is associated with decreased values of the
      tensile strength even up to 6 months post-wounding. Results of previous studies
      have shown that healing is facilitated in the presence of a type I collagen
      sponge by promoting deposition of newly synthesized large-diameter collagen
      fibers parallel to the fibers of the sponge. In this study healing is evaluated
      in dermal wounds treated with a collagen sponge seeded with fibroblasts or coated
      with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Experimental results indicate that
      the presence of a collagen sponge results in increased wound tensile strength and
      increased collagen fiber diameters in the upper dermis 15 days post-wounding in
      an excisional guinea pig dermal wound model. In comparison, dermal wounds treated
      with collagen sponges seeded with fibroblasts or coated with bFGF showed
      increased tensile strengths 15 days postimplantation and increased degree of
      reepithelialization. These results indicate that fibroblast seeding and bFGF
      coating in conjunction with a type I collagen sponge matrix facilitate early
      dermal and epidermal wound healing.

PMID- 1869583
TI  - Characterization of YDJ1: a yeast homologue of the bacterial dnaJ protein.
AB  - The YDJ1 (yeast dnaJ) gene was isolated from a yeast expression library using
      antisera made against a yeast nuclear sub-fraction termed the matrix lamina pore
      complex. The predicted open reading frame displays a 32% identity with the
      sequence of the Escherichia coli heat shock protein dnaJ. Localization of YDJ1
      protein (YDJ1p) by indirect immunofluorescence reveals it to be concentrated in a
      perinuclear ring as well as in the cytoplasm. YDJ1p cofractionates with nuclei
      and also microsomes, suggesting that its perinuclear localization reflects
      association with the ER. YDJ1p is required for normal growth and disruption of
      its gene results in very slow growing cells that have pleiotropic morphological
      defects. Haploid cells carrying the disrupted YDJ1 gene are inviable for growth
      in liquid media. We further show that a related yeast protein, SIS1, is a
      multicopy suppressor of YDJ1.

PMID- 1869584
TI  - Ribosome binding to the endoplasmic reticulum: a 180-kD protein identified by
      crosslinking to membrane-bound ribosomes is not required for ribosome binding
      activity.
AB  - We have used the membrane-impermeable, thiol-cleavable, crosslinker 3,3'-dithio
      bis (sulfosuccinimidylpropionate) to identify proteins that are in the vicinity
      of membrane-bound ribosomes of the RER. A specific subset of RER proteins was
      reproducibly crosslinked to the ribosome. Immunoblot analysis of the crosslinked
      products with antibodies raised against signal recognition particle receptor,
      ribophorin I, and the 35-kD subunit of the signal sequence receptor demonstrated
      that these translocation components had been crosslinked to the ribosome, but
      each to a different extent. The most prominent polypeptide among the crosslinked
      products was a 180-kD protein that has recently been proposed to be a ribosome
      receptor (Savitz, A.J., and D.I. Meyer, 1990. Nature (Lond.). 346: 540-544). RER
      membrane proteins were reconstituted into liposomes and assayed with radiolabeled
      ribosomes to determine whether ribosome binding activity could be ascribed to the
      180-kD protein. Differential detergent extraction was used to prepare soluble
      extracts of microsomal membrane vesicles that either contained or lacked the 180
      kD protein. Liposomes reconstituted from both extracts bound ribosomes with
      essentially identical affinity. Additional fractionation experiments demonstrated
      that the bulk of the ribosome binding activity present in detergent extracts of
      microsomal membranes could be readily resolved from the 180-kD protein by size
      exclusion chromatography. Taken together, we conclude that the 180-kD protein is
      in the vicinity of membrane bound ribosomes, yet does not correspond to the
      ribosome receptor.

PMID- 1869585
TI  - Determinants for cleavage of the chlorophyll a/b binding protein precursor: a
      requirement for a basic residue that is not universal for chloroplast imported
      proteins.
AB  - We demonstrate that the precursor of the major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b
      binding protein (LHCP of Photosystem II), encoded by a Type I gene, contains
      distinct determinants for processing at two sites during in vitro import into the
      chloroplast. Using precursors from both pea and wheat, it is shown that primary
      site processing, and release of a approximately 26-kD peptide, depends on an
      amino-proximal basic residue. Substitution of an arginine at position -4 resulted
      in an 80% reduction in processing, with the concomitant accumulation of a high
      molecular weight intermediate. Cleavage occurred normally when arginine was
      changed to lysine. The hypothesis that a basic residue is a general requirement
      for transit peptide removal was tested. We find that the precursors for the small
      subunit of Rubisco and Rubisco activase do not require a basic residue within
      seven amino acids of the cleavage site for maturation. In the wheat LHCP
      precursor, determinants for efficient cleavage at a secondary site were
      identified carboxy to the primary site, beyond what is traditionally called the
      transit peptide, within the sequence ala-lys-ala-lys (residues 38-41).
      Introduction of this sequence into the pea precursor, which has the residues thr
      thr-lys-lys in the corresponding position, converted it to a substrate with an
      efficiently recognized secondary site. Our results indicate that two different
      forms of LHCP can be produced with distinct NH2-termini by selective cleavage of
      a single precursor polypeptide.

PMID- 1869587
TI  - MPS1 and MPS2: novel yeast genes defining distinct steps of spindle pole body
      duplication.
AB  - It is crucial to the eucaryotic cell cycle that the centrosome undergo precise
      duplication to generate the two poles of the mitotic spindle. In the budding
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, centrosomal functions are provided by the spindle
      pole body (SPB), which is duplicated at the time of bud emergence in G1 of the
      cell cycle. Genetic control of this process has previously been revealed by the
      characterization of mutants in CDC31 and KAR1, which prevent SPB duplication and
      lead to formation of a monopolar spindle. Newly isolated mutations described here
      (mps1 and mps2, for monopolar spindle) similarly cause monopolar mitosis but
      their underlying effects on SPB duplication are unique. The MPS1 gene is found by
      electron microscopy to be essential for proper formation of the site at which the
      new SPB normally arises adjacent to the existing one. By contrast, a mutation in
      MPS2 permits duplication to proceed, but the newly formed SPB is structurally
      defective and unable to serve as a functional spindle pole. Distinct temporal
      requirements for the CDC31, MPS1, and MPS2 gene functions during the SPB
      duplication cycle further demonstrate the individual roles of these genes in the
      morphogenetic pathway.

PMID- 1869586
TI  - Three-dimensional structure of myosin subfragment-1 from electron microscopy of
      sectioned crystals.
AB  - Image analysis of electron micrographs of thin-sectioned myosin subfragment-1
      (S1) crystals has been used to determine the structure of the myosin head at
      approximately 25-A resolution. Previous work established that the unit cell of
      type I crystals of myosin S1 contains eight molecules arranged with orthorhombic
      space group symmetry P212121 and provided preliminary information on the size and
      shape of the myosin head (Winkelmann, D. A., H. Mekeel, and I. Rayment. 1985. J.
      Mol. Biol. 181:487-501). We have applied a systematic method of data collection
      by electron microscopy to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the
      S1 crystal lattice. Electron micrographs of thin sections were recorded at angles
      of up to 50 degrees by tilting the sections about the two orthogonal unit cell
      axes in sections cut perpendicular to the three major crystallographic axes. The
      data from six separate tilt series were merged to form a complete data set for 3D
      reconstruction. This approach has yielded an electron density map of the unit
      cell of the S1 crystals of sufficient detail. to delineate the molecular envelope
      of the myosin head. Myosin S1 has a tadpole-shaped molecular envelope that is
      very similar in appearance to the pear-shaped myosin heads observed by electron
      microscopy of rotary-shadowed and negatively stained myosin. The molecule is
      divided into essentially three morphological domains: a large domain on one end
      of the molecule corresponding to approximately 60% of the total molecular volume,
      a smaller central domain of approximately 30% of the volume that is separated
      from the larger domain by a cleft on one side of the molecule, and the smallest
      domain corresponding to a thin tail-like region containing approximately 10% of
      the volume. This molecular organization supports models of force generation by
      myosin which invoke conformational mobility at interdomain junctions within the
      head.

PMID- 1869588
TI  - Assembly of the mammalian muscle acetylcholine receptor in transfected COS cells.
AB  - We have investigated the mechanisms of assembly and transport to the cell surface
      of the mouse muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in transiently
      transfected COS cells. In cells transfected with all four subunit cDNAs, AChR was
      expressed on the surface with properties resembling those seen in mouse muscle
      cells (Gu, Y., A. F. Franco, Jr., P.D. Gardner, J. B. Lansman, J. R. Forsayeth,
      and Z. W. Hall. 1990. Neuron. 5:147-157). When incomplete combinations of AChR
      subunits were expressed, surface binding of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin was not
      detected except in the case of alpha beta gamma which expressed less than 15% of
      that seen with all four subunits. Immunoprecipitation and sucrose gradient
      sedimentation experiments showed that in cells expressing pairs of subunits,
      alpha delta and alpha gamma heterodimers were formed, but alpha beta was not.
      When three subunits were expressed, alpha delta beta and alpha gamma beta
      complexes were formed. Variation of the ratios of the four subunit cDNAs used in
      the transfection mixture showed that surface AChR expression was decreased by
      high concentrations of delta or gamma cDNAs in a mutually competitive manner.
      High expression of delta or gamma subunits also each inhibited formation of a
      heterodimer with alpha and the other subunit. These results are consistent with a
      defined pathway for AChR assembly in which alpha delta and alpha gamma
      heterodimers are formed first, followed by association with the beta subunit and
      with each other to form the complete AChR.

PMID- 1869589
TI  - Identification and analysis of discrete functional domains in the pro region of
      pre-pro-transforming growth factor beta 1.
AB  - A series of site-specific insertion and deletion mutants was prepared in the pro
      domain of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) encoded by simian TGF
      beta 1 cDNA. These mutants were transiently expressed in COS-1 cells and the
      ability of each to be properly processed, folded correctly, and secreted was
      determined by immunoblot analysis of cells and culture supernatants. Insertions
      in regions corresponding to amino acid residues 50, 154, and 170 blocked
      secretion; culture supernatants from COS-1 cells showed no immunologically
      reactive proteins, whereas intact cells contained high levels of the mutant
      polypeptides. Insertions in the middle portion of the pro domain at residues 81,
      85, and 144 affected disulfide maturation of the mature TGF beta 1. An insertion
      at residue 110, on the other hand, appeared to destabilize the mature TGF beta 1
      polypeptide, resulting in degraded growth factor. Relatively small (10 amino
      acids) to large (125 amino acids) deletion mutations in the pro domain of TGF
      beta 1, when expressed as the full-length pre-pro-TGF beta 1, appeared to block
      secretion. By contrast, if the pro domain (designated beta 1-latency-associated
      peptide [beta 1-LAP]) was expressed independently, deletion mutants in the region
      40-110 were readily secreted by the COS-1 cells, whereas deletions in residues
      110-210 either destabilized the structure of the protein or blocked its
      intracellular transport. Cross-linking assays employing radioiodinated TGF beta 1
      and biological assays indicate that residues 50-85 of beta 1-LAP are required for
      association with mature TGF beta 1.

PMID- 1869590
TI  - Substratum-growth factor collaborations are required for the mitogenic activities
      of activin and FGF on embryonal carcinoma cells.
AB  - When P19 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells are grown in a serum-free N2 medium on
      surfaces of tissue culture plastic, they die within two days. The death of these
      P19 cells is prevented by activin A and basic FGF (bFGF). The cells do not divide
      under these conditions. However, when P19 cells are cultured on substrata of
      extracellular matrix proteins such as laminin and fibronectin, activin A and bFGF
      are potent mitogens. These data show that the substratum to which cells are
      exposed can regulate their mitogenic response to growth factors.

PMID- 1869592
TI  - Clinical research by pharmacists.

PMID- 1869593
TI  - Economics applied to the art of prescription pricing.

PMID- 1869591
TI  - Differential distribution and modulation of expression of alpha 1/beta 1 integrin
      on human endothelial cells.
AB  - In this paper we report that the integrin complex alpha 1/beta 1, a
      laminin/collagen receptor, is expressed on cultured foreskin microvascular
      endothelium, but is absent on endothelial cells from large vessels such as the
      aorta and umbilical and femoral veins. The restricted expression of integrin
      alpha 1/beta 1 to microvascular endothelium was also demonstrated in vivo, by
      immunohistochemical staining of human tissue sections. Alpha 1 specific
      antibodies reacted strongly with endothelial cells of small blood vessels and
      capillaries in several tissues, but not with endothelium of vein and arteries of
      umbilical cord. Expression of integrin alpha 1 can be induced in cultured
      umbilical vein endothelial cells by treatment with 5 ng/ml tumor necrosis factor
      alpha (TNF alpha). Induction of alpha 1 subunit expression also occurred after
      treatment of umbilical vein endothelium with 10(-5) M retinoic acid or with 10 nM
      PMA; Maximal induction of alpha 1 integrin was reached after 48 h of treatment
      and costimulation with TNF alpha and PMA resulted in a synergistic effect. The
      induction of alpha 1 integrin changed the adhesive properties of umbilical vein
      endothelial cells, by increasing the adhesiveness to collagen, laminin, and
      laminin fragment P1, while adhesion to fibronectin and laminin fragment E8
      remained constant. The alpha 1 integrin is thus a marker of a specific population
      of endothelial cells and its expression confers distinctive properties of
      interaction with the underlying basal membrane.

PMID- 1869594
TI  - Pathophysiology of hypertension in diabetes mellitus--implications for
      management.
AB  - A variety of mechanisms may lead to the initiation and progression of
      hypertension in patients with diabetes mellitus; an understanding of their nature
      may provide a rational basis for the choice of management. Nevertheless, a
      decision on the management of an individual patient remains a matter of clinical
      skill and judgement.

PMID- 1869595
TI  - A comparison of the metabolic effects of flosequinan and propranolol in patients
      with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - The effects of steady-state flosequinan, a new peripheral vasodilator, and
      propranolol on glucose tolerance and plasma lipids in 22 non-insulin-dependent
      diabetics were investigated in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled,
      three-way crossover trial. Flosequinan produced no impairment of glucose
      tolerance compared with placebo. Propranolol produced significant increases in
      fasting plasma glucose (P less than 0.01) and increases in the area under the
      glucose tolerance curve (P less than 0.05) compared to placebo. No significant
      effects on cholesterol levels were seen on either treatment but triglyceride
      levels were significantly elevated on propranolol compared with placebo (P less
      than 0.01). These data suggest that flosequinan, used in therapeutic dosage, has
      no adverse metabolic effects on the non-insulin-dependent diabetic and this may
      be an advantage for a drug used in the treatment of hypertension or congestive
      heart failure.

PMID- 1869596
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of tobramycin in pregnant women. Safety and efficacy of a once
      daily dose regimen.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of tobramycin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, was
      investigated after a short intravenous infusion and once-daily dose regimen in
      two groups of nine pregnant women during the second (Group 1) and the third
      (Group 2) trimester of pregnancy. During these periods, the risk of infectious
      diseases is increased. Plasma concentrations of tobramycin were measured by
      fluorescence polarization immunoassay. The decrease in clearance (21%), at 28
      weeks and more of gestation leads to an increase in half-life and the mean
      residence time (MRT) in the second group (33 and 29% respectively). The volume of
      distribution was unchanged in the two groups. No accumulation of the drug was
      observed in pregnant women. Pharmacokinetic disorders are correlated with the
      term and moreover with the weight deviation of women, i.e. the growth of the
      fetus. These findings suggest accumulation of the aminoglycoside antibiotic in
      the fetus. Moreover, the efficacy and the safety of this therapeutic regimen were
      excellent. To limit the potential nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity of tobramycin
      for the mother and the fetus, a once-daily dose regimen seems to be acceptable
      for the treatment of non-neutropenic pregnant women.

PMID- 1869597
TI  - An assessment of population-based and Bayesian methods to individualize digoxin
      doses shortly after the start of therapy for atrial fibrillation.
AB  - The accuracy of population-based methods and of Bayesian analysis to predict
      individual digoxin pharmacokinetic variables have been evaluated by their ability
      to predict a measured peak and trough serum digoxin concentration. We studied 13
      digitalized patients (three women) whose mean (range) age and weight was 65.8 (60
      78) years and 76.6 (68-101.6) kg and who had stable renal function. The
      population-based methods (using a clearance of 48.87 + 0.87 x creatinine
      clearance in ml/h/kg and volume of distribution, in litres, of either 7.3 x
      weight (kg) or 269 + 3.12 x creatinine clearance) were more than adequate for
      clinical purposes. The mean prediction errors of a measured steady-state peak
      concentration from these two population methods were -0.074 and 0.013 microgram/l
      respectively, whilst those of a measured trough concentration were -0.058 and
      0.005 microgram/l. Bayesian analysis, using a sample drawn 11 h after the dose on
      day five of therapy, gave overall the least biased and most precise of the
      revised estimates. The mean prediction errors of peak and trough values using
      this sample were 0.069 and -0.005 microgram/l respectively. As expected, the
      closer the sample was drawn to the time of the trough concentration the more
      precise were the Bayesian-derived predictions. The value of the Bayesian
      technique to individualize digoxin doses could not be validated because it was
      not possible to distinguish between this and the population methods.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869598
TI  - Plasma concentrations of morphine in children with chronic pain--comparison of
      controlled release and regular morphine sulphate tablets.
AB  - Comparative plasma concentrations of morphine in two children with chronic pain
      who received controlled-release and regular morphine sulphate tablets are
      described. The controlled-release tablets were given every 12 h and regular
      tablets every 4 h. At steady-state, the maximum morphine plasma concentration
      (Cmax) was 24.1 ng/ml at 45 mg and 18.7 ng/ml at 30 mg of controlled-release
      morphine sulphate tablets. The Cmax was 17.6 ng/ml at 15 mg and 31.4 ng/ml at 20
      mg dose of the regular tablets. The maximum concentration occurred at 2.0 and 2.5
      h after controlled-release and 0.25 and 1.5 h after regular tablets. The minimum
      morphine plasma concentrations and the area under the plasma concentration-time
      curve normalized for dose were comparable for the controlled-release and regular
      tablets. These data indicate that controlled-release morphine sulphate may be
      well absorbed in relation to the regular tablets. If these results are confirmed
      in a large group of patients, the controlled-release morphine sulphate tablets
      may offer a convenient (less frequent) dosing compared with regular tablets in
      children suffering from chronic pain due to malignancy.

PMID- 1869599
TI  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for phenylmercuric nitrate in the
      presence of zinc ions and its application to an assessment of the stability of
      phenylmercuric nitrate in zinc sulphate and zinc sulphate and adrenaline eye
      drops.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for phenylmercuric nitrate in the
      presence of zinc ions has been developed. Application of the assay to zinc
      sulphate and zinc sulphate and adrenaline drops before and after autoclaving
      demonstrates that the phenylmercuric nitrate is chemically degraded in the zinc
      sulphate and adrenaline drops.

PMID- 1869600
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of intravenous midazolam during epidural anaesthesia.
AB  - Midazolam concentration curves versus time were analysed in 10 otherwise healthy
      patients (ASA I-II) with inferior limb pathologies. The benzodiazepine was used
      as an adjuvant agent to epidural anaesthesia in view of its lower residual effect
      compared with other intravenous benzodiazepines.  Midazolam pharmacokinetics in
      these patients fitted an open two-compartment model. The plasma levels versus
      time corresponded to a biexponential process with a very rapid distribution phase
      (t1/2a = 5.7 +/- 2.4 min) and an elimination phase (t1/2 beta = 66 +/- 37 min).
      Mean values for distribution volumes in the central compartment and extrapolated
      values were Vc = 0.12 +/- 0.04 l/kg and V beta = 1.28 +/- 0.92 l/kg. This kinetic
      behaviour explains the rapid but short duration of midazolam action. The
      induction time, estimated from the start of hypnosis (eye closure), was from 60
      to 120 s with i.v. injection. The duration of action for the dose administered
      was from 15 to 60 min, with plasma levels below 90 ng/ml upon eye opening.

PMID- 1869601
TI  - Evaluation of a communications skills workshop for hospital pharmacists.
AB  - The ability to communicate is an essential requirement for effective practice.
      Until recently, however, pharmacy students received no training in this area. The
      resultant inadequacy was carried forward into practice. Only now has the omission
      been recognized and attempts made to improve the situation among practising
      pharmacists. We designed an 8-h workshop on communication skills. It covered the
      basic principles of communication (Workbook A--preparatory work before the
      workshop) and their application (Workbook B + case studies, exercises and role
      playing--during the workshop). The workshop was presented to a group of hospital
      pharmacists in the Western Cape. At the end of the workshop participants
      completed a questionnaire on its usefulness, applicability and presentation on a
      five-point scale. Responses were counted, averaged and analysed by sex and age.
      Although the ratings were uniformly high (average 4.3 out of a possible 5.0)
      there were differences between men and women and between older and younger
      pharmacists. The possible reasons for and implications of these differences are
      discussed.

PMID- 1869602
TI  - One child, two homes, two cultures.

PMID- 1869603
TI  - Erectile dysfunction in diabetes.

PMID- 1869605
TI  - Acute bacterial bronchitis--nonexistent.

PMID- 1869604
TI  - Tubes.

PMID- 1869606
TI  - Chronic sinusitis--"a fresh look".

PMID- 1869607
TI  - Incorrect treatment held common.

PMID- 1869608
TI  - Extremely rapid ventricular rate in atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1869609
TI  - Cocaine exposure in a newborn.

PMID- 1869610
TI  - Botulinum toxin A therapy in dystonia.
AB  - Local injections can decrease posturing and pain in 70% to 90% of patients for up
      to eight months. Responses can be extended with further injections.

PMID- 1869611
TI  - Mitral valve surgery: replacement vs reconstruction.
AB  - In comparative series, valve repair has been effective, with few of the problems-
      notably, thromboemboli--associated with replacement procedures. Although many
      patients are elderly and have coronary artery disease, reparative surgery not
      only is low-risk but also allows earlier intervention, before irreversible left
      ventricular damage occurs.

PMID- 1869612
TI  - Energetics and the failing heart.
AB  - The likelihood of an imbalance between energy production and energy utilization
      in the failing heart has important implications for patient management.
      Vasodilators and negative inotropic agents might prolong survival by improving
      the balance. One vasodilator class--angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors--has
      had a remarkable effect on prognosis.

PMID- 1869613
TI  - The long pause. The discovery and rediscovery of penicillin.

PMID- 1869614
TI  - An automated method for the determination of diclofenac sodium in human plasma.
AB  - An automated method utilizing laboratory robotics has been developed for
      quantifying diclofenac sodium concentrations in human plasma. The robotic system
      aliquots the biological sample, adds the internal standard (CGP 4287), extracts
      the compounds from the acidified biological matrix (pH less than 2) into an
      organic phase (hexane-isopropyl alcohol), and concentrates the extracts for
      reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. The
      laboratory robot is directly interfaced to the HPLC system, and the data are
      automatically collected and results calculated. Separation is achieved on a 3
      microns ODS (6.2-mm x 8.0-cm) column with ultraviolet (UV) detection of the drug
      and internal standard at 280 nm. Recovery and reproducibility assessments
      indicate good accuracy (overall mean relative recovery of 99.8%) and precision
      (coefficient of variation from 0.5 to 11.1%) over the diclofenac sodium
      concentration range of 5.0-1000 ng/mL, with a quantification limit of 5.0 ng/mL.
      The method has been successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in which
      normal volunteers received 150 mg of a prototype controlled-release formulation
      of diclofenac sodium.

PMID- 1869615
TI  - Changes in cytosolic calcium, bleb formation, and cell death in neural crest
      cells treated with isotretinoin and 4-oxo-isotretinoin.
AB  - Information regarding the cytopathologic mechanism of action of the retinoids
      [isotretinoin (IR) and 4-oxo-isotretinoin (4-OIR)] on neural crest cells (NCCs)
      in culture was sought. Those pathophysiologic alterations in cell metabolism
      studied were: cell blebbing (xieosis), free radical formation, cell viability,
      and cellular calcium homeostasis. Cells were treated with IR or 4-OIR in the
      presence of high (1.4 mM) and low (5.0 microM) levels of extracellular calcium
      ions. Recently developed techniques utilizing fluorescent molecular probes for
      calcium analyses, i.e., Fura 2AM, were used to study the effects of these drugs
      on the cytosolic calcium concentration of NCCs. The effects of IR and 4-OIR on
      NCC viability, [Ca++]int, were contrasted with the effects of certain sulfhydryl
      drugs (HgCl2, NEM, PCMBS) and calcium ionophores (ionomycin, A23187), agents
      known to perturb cell membranes, increase cytosolic calcium loads, and induce
      cell injury and subsequent cell death. Both retinoids were shown to induce an
      increase in the generation of superoxide radicals (SO) and increase the influx of
      calcium ions by the NCCs, thus increasing [Ca++]int by several hundred percent
      within 5 to 10 min. The liberation of SO was calcium dependent. These early
      effects were accompanied by an increase in cell blebbing activity. Also, a
      significant decrease in NCC viability was seen as early as 10 min after the
      addition of IR or 4-OIR to the incubation medium. 4-OIR proved to be the more
      potent of the two retinoids tested. The severity of these effects on NCC
      metabolism was dependent on medium calcium concentration with all changes being
      increased in the presence of the higher extracellular calcium levels. From the
      data presented it appears as though the retinoids cause a rapid elevation in
      cytosolic [Ca++]int possibly by purturbing the integrity of the cell membrane,
      denaturing membrane Ca-ATPase activity, or both. Retinoid-induced changes in
      membrane activity are evidenced by increased surface blebbing and superoxide
      formation. The prolonged elevation of intracellular [Ca++] may be directly
      related to depressed NCC viability and thus explain the known teratogenic effects
      of these drugs and their relationship to ectomesenchymal cell hypoplasia and
      craniofacial dysmorphogenesis.

PMID- 1869616
TI  - Picasso and the art of distortion and dislocation: the artist as researcher and
      experimentalist.
AB  - This paper is divided into four parts. In the first part, some general ideas
      about Picasso are set forth including: his association with multiple artistic
      innovations; his use of many different media; his notions of beauty and the
      relationship between art and nature; his ideas about the placement of body parts,
      symmetry, and color; and his relish in producing paintings with shock value.
      Emphasis is placed on the relationship between art and science and on Picasso's
      role as a researcher and experimentalist. In the second part, works of art during
      the cubist and postcubist years are discussed with emphasis on the development of
      simultaneity--the coexistence of different views of an object in the same
      picture. Topics included are: facial grafting; facial accommodation;
      multifacialism; profile insertion; snout formation, elevation, and rotation;
      concurrent faces; and more comprehensive simultaneity. In the third part, other
      influences on Picasso are presented including: the effects of action, motion, and
      activity; Surrealism and sexual symbolism; and Picasso's artistic treatment of
      women. In the fourth part, a comparison is made between Picasso's experiments and
      nature's experiments.

PMID- 1869617
TI  - Inner enamel epithelia synthesize and secrete enamel proteins during mouse molar
      occlusal "enamel-free area" development.
AB  - Mesenchyme-derived instructions for odontogenic epithelial differentiation into
      ameloblasts and the production of enamel matrix has been well established.
      However, it is not known how position-specific differences within the enamel
      organ of rodent molar tooth organs regulate the enamel-forming vs. the enamel
      free areas in the developing cusp. Light microscopy, transmission electron
      microscopy, and immunocytochemistry using a rabbit anti-mouse amelogenin
      antibody, were used to map the position-specific patterns within the enamel
      organ. In the enamel-forming area, ameloblasts were associated with stratum
      intermedium. In the enamel-free area, another cell type was interposed between
      inner enamel epithelia (IEE) and stratum intermedium. IEE in the enamel-free area
      did not have Tomes' processes and secreted enamel matrix not only toward dentin
      but also between IEE cells. IEE became confluent with stellate reticulum; at this
      position stratum intermedium cells were no longer detected. The thickness and
      orientation of dentin matrix collagen fibers in the enamel-free area were
      different from the fibers in the enamel-forming area. These results suggest that
      the patterns of epithelial cell-cell and cell-matrix associations during position
      specific enamel organ epithelial differentiation may regulate ameloblast matrix
      synthesis and/or the matrix secretion pathway.

PMID- 1869618
TI  - Temperament and family characteristics as predictors of children's reactions to
      hospitalization.
AB  - Findings from a study of 47 children 4 to 12 years old who received
      tonsillectomies at a children's hospital indicated that adjustment before
      hospitalization was the strongest predictor of postsurgical adjustment. However,
      certain temperamental and mother-child relationship factors also were strongly
      related to and predictive of posthospitalization outcomes. Children who displayed
      the most positive reactions were temperamentally more rhythmical (i.e., had
      regular, predictable behavior), more approaching to new experiences and people,
      more adaptable to change and positive in mood, and more responsive. Although
      family adaptability and cohesion were not significantly associated with
      children's reactions to hospitalization, maternal trait anxiety and maternal
      overprotection, rejection, and overindulgence of the child were correlated with
      poorer adjustment. The findings have practical implications to helping children
      adjust more effectively to surgery and hospitalization, and they contribute to
      our understanding of resiliency and vulnerability in children.

PMID- 1869619
TI  - Physicians' prognoses about the quality of life for infants with intraventricular
      hemorrhage.
AB  - There is an absence of definitive information concerning the long-term outcome of
      children born with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Physicians, however, are
      called on to prognosticate about the future quality of life of these children.
      Our study examined pediatricians' and neonatologists' prognoses for infants with
      grade I- and grade-IV IVH and the impact of those prognoses on recommendations
      for treatment. A national random survey of 289 pediatricians and 283
      neonatologists found that both groups expected infants with grade-I IVH to have
      slight impairments to future development, whereas infants with grade-IV IVH were
      expected to have severe impairments. Physicians prognosticated that infants with
      grade-IV IVH would function at a moderate to severe level of mental retardation,
      incapable of any employment, and residing in an institution. Furthermore,
      physicians would encourage parents to seek medical treatment of respiratory
      distress for the infant with grade-I IVH but were neutral or would discourage
      parents from seeking treatment for the infant with grade-IV IVH. Lastly,
      physicians' prognoses were significantly related to their recommendations for
      treatment. Several differences in physicians' prognoses and recommendations were
      found to be related to their discipline and training.

PMID- 1869620
TI  - Apparent life-threatening events during infancy: a follow-up study of subsequent
      growth and development.
AB  - This research was an exploratory follow-up study of 51 infants who had
      experienced an "apparent life-threatening event" (ALTE) characterized by apnea
      and subsequent home cardiorespiratory monitoring. The purpose was to (1) describe
      relationships among perinatal characteristics, birth status, recurrent apnea, and
      ratings of the home environment, and (2) relate these measures to infant growth
      and developmental outcomes. The method included home visits and assessments of
      infant outcomes at 10 to 14 months, followed by retrospective review of obstetric
      and infant medical records. Perinatal characteristics, birth status, and
      recurrent apnea were interrelated correlates of both growth and developmental
      outcomes. The ratings of the home environment (HOME [Home Observation for
      Measurement of the Environment] Scale) were related to developmental outcomes and
      to a lesser extent to physical growth status. Hierarchical regression analysis
      entering gestational age, obstetric and postnatal complications, apnea, and HOME
      subscale 4 (provision of appropriate play materials) significantly enhanced the
      predictability of mental and psychomotor development. Future longitudinal
      research is necessary to explore whether the association between apnea and
      specific infant outcomes attenuates over time and whether the relationship is
      direct or mediated by parental perception of infant vulnerability and altered
      caregiving style.

PMID- 1869622
TI  - Prevalence of behavioral symptoms and the relationship of child, parent, and
      family variables in 4- and 5-year-olds: results from the Ontario Child Health
      Study.
AB  - This study presents the frequency of behavioral symptoms in 4- and 5-year-old
      children as reported by parents in the Ontario Child Health Study. It also
      examines the relationship of the presence of child, parent, and family variables
      with parent-reported total scale scores. Eight of the 135 items were reported to
      be present by the parents of 50% or more of the 437 children in the sample. For
      18 items, the prevalence rates for boys were significantly higher than for girls.
      Multiple regression analysis resulted in slightly different child, parent, and
      family variables influencing scores when total scores and scores on severe items
      only were used as dependent variables. Two variables appeared in both models:
      general health of the child and family status. Some of the child, parent, and
      family variables found to be associated with behavior disorder in older children
      do not appear to have as strong an association with disorder in 4- and 5-year
      olds.

PMID- 1869621
TI  - Blood pressure reactivity to exercise: stability, determinants, family
      aggregation, and prediction.
AB  - Previous studies have shown blood pressure reactivity to exercise predicts future
      resting blood pressure. Subjects in this study were 206 healthy Mexican-American
      and Anglo-American families with fifth or sixth grade children. A total of 539
      children (mean age = 12 years) and parents (mean age = 37 years) had complete
      data at baseline, and 79% were remeasured 48 months later. Blood pressure was
      measured during a submaximal cycle ergometer fitness test. Reactivity measures
      included systolic blood pressure at 70% of maximal heart rate (SBP70) and slope
      of the blood pressure-heart rate association during exercise (SLOPE). Stability
      of reactivity measures over 24 months varied from .22 to .63 (all p less than
      0.001). Correlates of blood pressure reactivity in parents included resting heart
      rate, gender, age, and sodium intake. Correlates of reactivity in children
      included resting heart rate, body mass index, and age. Modest but significant
      levels of family aggregation of blood pressure reactivity were observed. In
      stepwise multiple regression analyses, SBP70 at baseline predicted resting blood
      pressure 48 months later in parents but not in children. The present results
      confirm previous studies indicating systolic blood pressure reactivity to
      exercise is a significant predictor of later resting blood pressure.

PMID- 1869623
TI  - The development of scales to measure knowledge and preference for diet and
      physical activity behavior in 4- to 8-year-old children.
AB  - Although there is a sizable literature on determinants of health-related habits
      in adults, relatively little attention has been paid to influences on health
      habits in children. The purpose of this study was to (a) develop practical,
      reliable, and valid measures of knowledge of and preference for cardiovascular
      disease-related diet and exercise behaviors in children, and (b) assess parental
      influences on children's knowledge and preference. Eighty-one 4- to 8-year-old
      children from diverse ethnic backgrounds and their parent or legal guardian
      participated. Children were presented with 15 attractive photo-pairs of foods.
      One photograph was of a "healthful" food or activity, and the other was
      "unhealthful." They were asked to identify which food/activity of the pair they
      preferred, and which one they thought was more healthy. Children were retested
      after 1 week to determine test-retest reliability. Validity of the preference
      tests was determined by giving the child actual choices of the same activity and
      food pairs. Validity of knowledge tests was determined by testing children after
      an educational intervention session. The alpha coefficients, test-retest
      reliabilities, and validity data generally indicated that food preference and
      knowledge tests had adequate psychometric properties, but the physical activity
      scales did not. Very few parental influences on health-related behavior were
      detected.

PMID- 1869624
TI  - Bulimia nervosa in adolescence.
AB  - Investigations of bulimia nervosa have focused primarily on adult samples,
      although bulimia nervosa commonly has its onset in adolescence. Pediatricians are
      often questioned about its etiology, course, and treatment. In an attempt to
      provide pediatricians with answers, we integrate findings from recent
      epidemiological and treatment studies with a clinical report of 18 women who
      developed bulimia nervosa during their teens and sought treatment at our eating
      disorders clinic.

PMID- 1869625
TI  - Who cares for the young adult with mental retardation?

PMID- 1869626
TI  - Educare: new product, new future.
AB  - On September 2, 1990, something very informative about the evolution of early
      childhood programs in the minds of people appeared in The New York Times. Perhaps
      only another historian of trivia would have noticed it, but it was significant.
      The Sunday crossword puzzle had the following cue for 4 down: "Places for day
      care" (spelled, with the purist's uncertainty, with a hyphen). Even such a
      cautious horizontal-vertical weaver as I am did not have to wait very long before
      filling in the correct 10 letters: "preschools." Preschools = day-cares; day
      cares = preschools. I am told that actors and authors and scientists know that
      they have it made when their names are required as solutions in a Times crossword
      puzzle. If so, perhaps we now have tangible proof that those of us have at last
      been heard who have urged acceptance of the concept that early childhood
      education (or preschool education) and child care (or day care) are really one
      and the same essential service operated for different lengths of time. Day care,
      the illegitimate child of the scientific field that gave birth to the early
      childhood movement, has turned out to be the only offspring sufficiently well
      endowed and robust to make it in the modern world. It is the only one possessing
      the characteristics that will enable it to take the family enterprise into the
      future. At this juncture, near the close of the century during which programs for
      young children multiplied to the point where they cannot be ignored as
      significant factors in family and public life, we are on the threshold of a new
      era.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869627
TI  - Anxiety among hospitalized latency-age children.

PMID- 1869628
TI  - Issues and traits that influence dentists' professional satisfaction and economic
      success.

PMID- 1869629
TI  - The AIDS "epidemic" is ending and dentists have never really been at risk.

PMID- 1869630
TI  - Growth cones and axon trajectories of a sensory pathway in the amphibian spinal
      cord.
AB  - Central axons of sensory ganglion (SG) neurons of the Xenopus tail enter the
      spinal cord via the ventral roots and travel dorsally and rostrally following a
      diagonal course within the lateral marginal zone (LMZ) to reach the dorsolateral
      fasciculus (DLF) (Nordlander et al.: Brain Res., 440:391-395, 1988). Axons are
      dispersed as they cross the cord. At the DLF they turn and travel together
      rostrally, sharing the fascicle with axons of primary sensory neurons (Rohon
      Beard cells) already present in the tract. In this paper we analyze the growth
      patterns of the central projections of SG axons in the tail by using HRP applied
      to proximal branches of tail spinal nerves. Growth cones of the diagonal route
      are variable in configuration, often bearing processes that spread within the
      LMZ. Once the DLF, growth cones change shape, becoming distinctly linear. While
      growth cones navigating the diagonal part of the route never contact or
      fasciculate with other diagonal SG axons, SG growth cones and axons of the DLF
      are more closely associated with their fellows. Measurements of the slopes of SG
      axons in the diagonal route indicated a limited range with a mean of 23 degrees
      with respect to the cord axis. On the basis of these observations, we conclude
      that 1) navigational patterns for growth cones of this pathway differ for the
      diagonal versus the DLF part of its course, and 2) fasciculation is not a
      mechanism used by SG axons to reach the DLF, but that instead, each axon is able
      to find its way independently.

PMID- 1869631
TI  - Connectivity of glycine immunoreactive amacrine cells in the cat retina.
AB  - The synaptic relationships of glycine immunoreactive amacrine cells in the cat
      retina were studied through the use of postembedding immunogold techniques.
      Glycine immunoreactive amacrine cells were found to synapse extensively with
      other amacrines and ganglion cells, particularly in strata 1-3 of the inner
      plexiform layer. This contrasts with GABA immunoreactive amacrine cells which
      provide major input to bipolar cells in strata 3-5. Glycine containing amacrine
      terminals exhibited diversity with respect to the morphology of their synaptic
      vesicles. The three types of terminals which could be distinguished were
      characterized by small pleomorphic (32-35 nm), medium-sized flattened (38-45 nm),
      or larger rounded (48-55 nm) vesicles. Comparison of retinal sections processed
      for glycine immunoreactivity with adjacent sections stained for GABA reactivity
      revealed a colocalization of glycine and GABA in 3% of the cells in the amacrine
      layer and approximately 40% of the cells in the ganglion cell layer. The amacrine
      terminals in which glycine and GABA were colocalized typically contained the
      small pleomorphic type of vesicles.

PMID- 1869632
TI  - Primate supplementary eye field. II. Comparative aspects of connections with the
      thalamus, corpus striatum, and related forebrain nuclei.
AB  - The supplementary eye field (SEF) was defined electrophysiologically in behaving
      monkeys to study its connections with the diencephalon and corpus striatum. The
      specificity of SEF pathways was determined with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)
      histochemistry to compare its connections with those of the arcuate frontal eye
      field (FEF), contiguous dorsocaudal area 6 (6DC), and primary motor cortex (M1,
      arm/hand region). Results indicate that patterns of SEF connectivity were similar
      to the FEF and markedly different from areas 6DC and M1. Primary reciprocal
      thalamic pathways of the SEF were with the magnocellular ventral anterior (VA)
      nucleus, medial parvicellular VA, medial area X, and paralaminar medialis
      dorsalis (multiformis and parvicellularis). FEF showed similar connections but
      its most robust pathway was with MD rather than VA. In contrast, area 6DC showed
      the most extensive reciprocal connections with lateral VApc and lateral area X
      with only sparse connections with paralaminar MD. Area 6DC also exhibited
      reciprocal connections with the ventral lateral (VL) complex and the ventral
      posterior lateral nucleus, pars oralis (VPLo). M1 showed dense bidirectional
      connections with VPLo, and to a lesser extent, with VL. M1 pathways with the
      medial dorsal nucleus were negligible. All areas exhibited connections with the
      paracentral and central lateral nuclei and only M1 lacked connections with the
      central superior lateral nucleus. SEF and FEF exhibited similar efferent
      projections to the caudate and putamen. In the caudate, terminal fields were
      restricted to a central longitudinal core while those from area 6DC were more
      widely distributed. Eye field efferents were restricted to the putamen's face
      region while 6DC projections were more exuberant. The arm/hand region of M1
      projected to the arm/hand region of the putamen. Pathways are discussed with
      respect to their significance in oculomotor control.

PMID- 1869633
TI  - GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the nematode Ascaris.
AB  - gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunoreactive neurons in the cephalic, somatic,
      and caudal regions of the Ascaris nervous system were visualized with serial
      section and whole-mount GABA immunocytochemistry. In the ventral and dorsal nerve
      cords, GABA-like immunoreactivity (GLIR) is localized to the neurites and cell
      bodies of identified inhibitory motor neurons and to two fibers, one in each
      cord, that arise from neurons in the nerve ring. GLIR is absent from identified
      excitatory motor neurons and from ventral cord interneurons. In neurons
      containing GLIR, immunoreactivity was present throughout the cell, which argues
      against an exclusive localization of GABA at conventional synapses. In whole
      mounts, ten GABA-immunoreactive neurons were present in the cephalic region.
      These include four nerve ring-associated cells (the RME-like cells), two
      bilaterally symmetrical pairs of lateral ganglia neurons (the amphid-GABA and
      deirid-GABA cells) and one bilaterally symmetrical pair of ventral ganglion cells
      (the VG-GABA cells). In sections, the RME-like cells and the VG-GABA cells were
      consistently stained through the cephalic region. However, anti-GABA staining of
      the lateral ganglia cells in sections was light, thus suggesting that they
      contain less GLIR than the other more intensely stained GABA-immunoreactive
      neurons. In the caudal region, a single GABA-immunoreactive neuron was present in
      the dorsal rectal ganglion. Our data suggest that these ten cephalic neurons, and
      a single dorsal rectal ganglion neuron, use GABA as a neurotransmitter.

PMID- 1869634
TI  - Distribution of 3H-GABA uptake sites in the nematode Ascaris.
AB  - The distribution of uptake sites for the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma
      aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the nematode Ascaris suum was examined by
      autoradiography of 3H-GABA uptake. Single neural processes in both the ventral
      and dorsal nerve cords were labeled with 3H-GABA. Serial section analysis
      identified the cells of origin of these processes as the RMEV-like and RMED-like
      neurons. These cells belong to a set of four neurons in the nerve ring, all of
      which are labeled by 3H-GABA. 3H-GABA labeling of at least two other sets of
      cephalic neurons was seen. One of these pairs consists of medium-sized lateral
      ganglia neurons, located at the level of the amphid commissure bundle. A second
      pair is located in the lateral ganglia at the level of the deirid commissure
      bundle. The position and size of these lateral ganglia cells suggest that they
      are the GABA-immunoreactive lateral ganglia cells frequently seen in whole-mount
      immunocytochemical preparations (Guastella et al., J Comp Neurol 307:584-597,
      1991). Four neuronal cell bodies located in the retrovesicular ganglion were also
      labeled with 3H-GABA. These cells, which are probably cholinergic excitatory
      motor neurons, do not contain detectable GABA-like immunoreactivity. Heavy
      labeling of muscle cells was also observed. The ventral and dorsal nerve cord
      inhibitory motor neurons, which are known to contain GABA-like immunoreactivity,
      were not labeled above background with 3H-GABA. Together with the experiments
      reported previously (Guastella et al., J Comp Neurol 307:584-597, 1991), these
      results define three classes of GABA-associated neurons in Ascaris: 1) neurons
      that contain endogenous GABA and possess a GABA uptake system; 2) neurons that
      contain endogenous GABA, but that either lack a GABA uptake system or possess a
      GABA uptake system of low activity; 3) neurons that possess a GABA uptake system,
      but that lack endogenous GABA.

PMID- 1869635
TI  - Histamine-immunoreactive neurons in the midbrain and suboesophageal ganglion of
      sphinx moth Manduca sexta.
AB  - This paper describes the distribution of histamine-like immunoreactivity in the
      midbrain and suboesophageal ganglion of the sphinx moth Manduca sexta. Intense
      immunocytochemical staining was detected in ten bilateral pairs of neurons in the
      median protocerebrum and in one pair of neurons in the suboesophageal ganglion.
      Whereas most areas of the brain and suboesophageal ganglion are innervated by one
      or more of these neurons, typically no immunoreactive fibers were found in the
      mushroom bodies, the protocerebral bridge, and the lateral horn of the
      protocerebrum. The 11 histamine-immunoreactive neurons were reconstructed from
      serial sections. Ten neurons have bilateral arborizations, often with axonal
      projections in symmetric areas of both hemispheres. One neuron, whose soma
      resides in the lateral protocerebrum, has only unilateral projections. Of the 11
      neurons, 6 occur in pairs with similar morphological features. In addition to
      these neurons, weak histamine-like immunoreactivity was detected in 7-13
      interneurons that were not reconstructed individually. The central projections of
      the ocellar nerves from the intracranial ocelli also exhibit histamine-like
      immunoreactivity. The single-cell reconstructions reveal similarities between the
      organization of histamine- and serotonin-immunoreactive neurons in the brain and
      suboesophageal ganglion of this insect.

PMID- 1869636
TI  - Immunocytochemical localization of octopamine in the central nervous system of
      Limulus polyphemus: a light and electron microscopic study.
AB  - We have determined the distribution and localization of the monoamine octopamine
      in the prosomal central nervous system of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus,
      by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Sixteen discrete clusters
      of octopamine-like immunoreactive neurons are situated bilaterally in the
      tritocerebrum and circumesophageal ring of fused thoracic ganglia. Two pairs of
      anterior clusters are located laterally in the cheliceral and first pedal
      ganglia; the remaining six pairs of clusters are located ventromedially in the
      second through fifth pedal ganglia, chilarial ganglia, and opercular ganglia. The
      immunoreactive somata range from about 40 to 100 microns in diameter and occur in
      clusters of 12-24 cells. There is extensive distribution of octopamine
      immunoreactive nerve fibers in Limulus; dense fiber tracts course
      anteroposteriorly through the central nervous system, and most neuropil regions
      are innervated by immunoreactive processes and terminals. This wide distribution
      of octopamine-like immunoreactivity provides an anatomical basis for the several
      effects of octopamine in Limulus. We determined the subcellular localization of
      octopamine by postembedding immunoelectron microscopy. The immunogold-labelled
      terminals are morphologically unique; they contain large, distinctively shaped
      dense-core granules, typically cylindrical with a prominent indentation in one
      end. These large granules are 100-150 nm in diameter and range from 150-400 nm in
      length. The dense labelling of these unusual granules with immunogold particles
      indicates that octopamine is sequestered in or associated with the granules.

PMID- 1869637
TI  - Intracerebral grafting of cultured autologous skin fibroblasts into the rat
      striatum: an assessment of graft size and ultrastructure.
AB  - To identify a suitable donor cell population for gene therapy applications to the
      central nervous system, primary fibroblasts isolated from skin biopsies and
      maintained in culture are employed as autologous cells for intracerebral grafting
      within the adult rat striatum. Results from the present investigation reveal that
      cultured primary skin fibroblasts cease to proliferate once they reach
      confluence; these cells are thus contact inhibited in vitro. Following
      implantation within the striatum, the volume of the primary fibroblast grafts,
      stained immunohistochemically for fibronectin, does not differ significantly at 3
      and 8 weeks. The graft size is dependent on the density of the cell suspension,
      but not dependent on either the number of passages the cells are taken through in
      culture prior to grafting or on the postoperative survival period.
      Ultrastructural evidence reveals that at 8 weeks the grafts are composed
      primarily of collagen and fibroblasts with rough endoplasmic reticulum and
      vesicles. Reactive astrocytic processes and phagocytic cells are also present in
      the grafts. The grafts are extensively vascularized with capillaries composed of
      nonfenestrated endothelium; intercellular junctions are evident at sites of
      apposition between endothelial cells. It is concluded that primary skin
      fibroblasts are able to survive for at least 8 weeks following intracerebral
      implantation and continue to synthesize collagen and fibronectin in vivo. Also,
      the grafts maintain a constant volume between 3 and 8 weeks, thereby indicating
      that primary skin fibroblasts do not produce tumors. Finally, dynamic host-to
      graft interactions--including phagocytic migration, astrocytic hypertrophy and
      infiltration within the grafts, and angiogenesis--are features that constitute
      the structural integration of primary skin fibroblasts grafted within the adult
      rat central nervous system.

PMID- 1869638
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor is important in systemic and cutaneous defense,
      homeostasis, and many disease states. The numerous and diverse effects of tumor
      necrosis factor are best understood when considered as concentration-dependent,
      with normal homeostasis progressing to defense followed by toxic effects.
      Understanding tumor necrosis factor is important for the dermatologist as more
      studies appear in our literature and potential clinical uses of tumor necrosis
      factor (and possible anti-tumor necrosis factor agents) are realized.

PMID- 1869639
TI  - Papular dermatitis in adults: subacute prurigo, American style?
AB  - Determining the best treatment for recurrent pruritic papular eruptions that do
      not fit well into a diagnosis (of either atopy or some other diagnosis) is
      sometimes frustrating. We have studied 12 patients with recurrent pruritic
      papular eruptions by obtaining extensive histories and by performing skin
      biopsies, immunofluorescence studies, and screening patch tests. The eruptions in
      this group are not atopic by strict criteria but have atopic features and are
      without a determinable exogenous cause. Histologic features resemble papular
      urticaria, but there is no history to suggest arthropod bites. Patients with this
      type of eruption have features similar to those with subacute prurigo, and they
      respond to variable combinations of topical or systemic corticosteroids, systemic
      antihistamines, and UVB or UVA. We suggest that the designation of subacute
      prurigo might be more appropriate for patients with these findings.

PMID- 1869640
TI  - Pityriasis rubra pilaris and HIV infection.
AB  - Many cutaneous diseases have been reported in patients with human
      immunodeficiency virus infection. We report two patients with pityriasis rubra
      pilaris and human immunodeficiency virus infection. In one patient, the onset of
      pityriasis rubra pilaris preceded the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus
      infection. In the second patient, the onset of pityriasis rubra pilaris occurred
      shortly after the patient tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus
      infection. Both patients had a severe form of pityriasis rubra pilaris, and both
      had a minimal therapeutic response to etretinate.

PMID- 1869641
TI  - Childhood epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Report of three cases and review of
      literature.
AB  - Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is an acquired subepidermal blistering disease
      with variable clinical, pathologic, and immunologic features. The disease has
      been reported infrequently in adults and only rarely in children. We describe
      three new cases of childhood epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, review three
      previously reported cases, and contrast the features of the disease in children
      with those in adults. The results suggest that both children and adults with
      epidermolysis bullosa acquisita have variable clinical and pathologic features
      that may mimic other bullous diseases. Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita is
      characterized by a chronic course, poor response to therapy, and occasional
      clinical remissions.

PMID- 1869642
TI  - Metastatic basal cell carcinoma: report of twelve cases with a review of the
      literature.
AB  - Metastatic basal cell carcinoma was found in 12 patients at the University of
      Wisconsin Mohs Surgery Clinic during the period 1936 to 1989. All patients were
      white men. The time of onset of the primary tumor ranged from childhood to 71
      years. Eleven patients had previous treatment for basal cell carcinoma; two
      patients had received x-ray radiation to the face for teenage acne. The locations
      of the primary basal cell carcinomas were the face (n = 10), back (n = 1), and
      arm (n = 1). The primary tumors ranged from 3.6 x 3.0 to 20.0 x 7.0 cm. The
      interval from onset to the first sign of metastases ranged from 7 to 34 years. In
      all cases, the primary tumor was histologically identical to the metastatic
      lesion. Perineural extension of the basal cell carcinoma in the primary lesion
      was found in five cases. Regional lymph nodes were the most frequent site of
      metastasis. Treatment consisted of a combination of surgery, radiation, and
      chemotherapy. Only two patients survived more than 5 years after surgical
      treatment. One patient has survived 25 years and is still alive.

PMID- 1869644
TI  - Intralesional interferon alfa-2b in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.
      Immunohistochemical study on cellular immune reaction leading to tumor
      regression.
AB  - Four patients with basal cell carcinomas were treated with intralesional
      injections of interferon alfa-2b (1.5 million IU per injection) three times a
      week for 2 weeks. Histopathologic examination of biopsy specimens of the lesions
      confirmed the absence of basal cell carcinoma in all cases 4 weeks after
      completion of therapy. A dense mononuclear cell infiltrate and numerous ectatic
      blood vessels were present in the dermis at the sites of previous basal cell
      carcinoma. Immunohistologic analysis of the dermal infiltrate revealed a marked
      increase of Leu-4+ T cells with a slight predominance of Leu-3+ helper/inducer T
      cells over Leu-2+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. Most of the dermal infiltrate
      expressed HLA-DR antigen. In addition, Leu-11+ natural killer cells were observed
      in the dermal infiltrate. Immunohistologic changes in the skin lesions at the
      sites of previous basal cell carcinoma suggest that intralesional interferon alfa
      2b acts on tumor cells by enhancement of local T-cell-mediated immune responses.

PMID- 1869643
TI  - Controlled release of benzoyl peroxide from a porous microsphere polymeric system
      can reduce topical irritancy.
AB  - Skin absorption of benzoyl peroxide from a topical lotion containing freely
      dispersed drug was compared with that from the same lotion in which the drug was
      entrapped in a controlled-release styrene-divinylbenzene polymer system. In an in
      vitro diffusion system, statistically significant (p = 0.01) differences were
      found in the content of benzoyl peroxide in excised human skin and in
      percutaneous absorption. In vivo, significantly (p = 0.002) less benzoyl peroxide
      was absorbed through rhesus monkey skin from the polymeric system. This
      controlled release of benzoyl peroxide to skin can alter the dose relation that
      exists between efficacy and skin irritation. Corresponding studies showed reduced
      skin irritation in cumulative irritancy studies in rabbits and human beings,
      whereas in vivo human antimicrobial efficacy studies showed that application of
      the formulations containing entrapped benzoyl peroxide significantly reduced
      counts of Propionibacterium acnes (p less than 0.001) and aerobic bacteria (p
      less than 0.001) and the free fatty acid/triglyceride ratio in skin lipids. These
      findings support the hypothesis that, at least for this drug, controlled topical
      delivery can enhance safety without sacrificing efficacy.

PMID- 1869645
TI  - Response to tumor necrosis factor in two cases of psoriasis.
AB  - A 70-year-old woman was treated for renal cell carcinoma with recombinant human
      tumor necrosis factor, 450,000 U/m2 of body surface area, daily for 5 days, once
      a month. She had had psoriasis for 25 years. After two courses of recombinant
      human tumor necrosis factor her psoriasis resolved. A 40-year-old man with severe
      psoriasis was subsequently treated with a total of seven complete and incomplete
      5-day courses of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor at doses of 50,000 to
      300,000 U/m2/day. Significant toxicity (fever, chills, hypertension, and
      hypotension) was encountered. Partial resolution of the lesions was seen. Tumor
      necrosis factor is an active agent in psoriasis.

PMID- 1869646
TI  - A double-blind, vehicle-controlled study evaluating masoprocol cream in the
      treatment of actinic keratoses on the head and neck.
AB  - This double-blind, vehicle-controlled, multicenter study evaluated the efficacy
      and safety of a new topical antineoplastic agent, masoprocol, in the treatment of
      actinic keratoses of the head and neck. Of the 113 patients who applied topical
      masoprocol twice a day for 14 to 28 days, there was a mean decrease in actinic
      keratoses from 15.0 to 5.4 and a median percent reduction from baseline actinic
      keratosis count of 71.4% at the 1-month follow-up visit. Comparable numbers for
      the vehicle-treated group were 13.4 to 11.1 actinic keratoses and 4.3% median
      percent reduction. Irritation, as manifested by erythema or flaking, occurred in
      61.5% of topical masoprocol-treated patients versus 26.7% of those treated with
      vehicle and did not correlate with clinical response. Topical masoprocol appears
      to be useful in the treatment of actinic keratoses.

PMID- 1869647
TI  - Topical photoprotection for hereditary polymorphic light eruption of American
      Indians.
AB  - We evaluated the photoprotective efficacy of a broad-spectrum sunscreen
      containing a UVA screen (butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) and a UVB screen (octyl
      dimethyl p-aminobenzoic acid) in patients with hereditary polymorphic light
      eruption. At least 18 of the 30 patients who enrolled in the study were sensitive
      to sunlight through window glass, an indication of UVA sensitivity. Of the 21
      patients who completed the clinical trial, the physician's evaluation was that 18
      (86%) obtained good to excellent results. Self-evaluation by the patients
      revealed that 16 (76%) noted more photoprotection than from previous treatments.

PMID- 1869648
TI  - Neurocutaneous melanosis: definition and review of the literature.
AB  - Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by the
      presence of large or multiple congenital melanocytic nevi and benign or malignant
      pigment cell tumors of the leptomeninges. The syndrome is thought to represent an
      error in the morphogenesis of the embryonal neuroectoderm. We review 39 reported
      cases of neurocutaneous melanosis and propose revised criteria for diagnosis.
      Most patients with neurocutaneous melanosis presented in the first 2 years of
      life with neurologic manifestations of increased intracranial pressure, mass
      lesions, or spinal cord compression. Leptomeningeal melanoma was present in 62%
      of the cases, but even in the absence of melanoma, symptomatic neurocutaneous
      melanosis had an extremely poor prognosis. Useful diagnostic procedures include
      cerebrospinal fluid cytology and magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium
      contrast. Patients may be aided by palliative measures such as shunt placement to
      reduce intracranial pressure. Dermatologists in their follow-up of patients with
      large or multiple congenital melanocytic nevi should be aware of this condition,
      to aid in prompt diagnosis and because the treatment of cutaneous lesions may be
      altered in the presence of symptomatic neurocutaneous melanosis.

PMID- 1869649
TI  - Percutaneous injury during dermatologic surgery.
AB  - An anonymous survey was conducted among 100 randomly selected fellows of the
      American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Forty-one respondents provided
      information about their experience with percutaneous injury. Causes of injury
      during 6278 invasive procedures performed during a 1-month period included suture
      needlesticks (two injuries), injection needlestick (one), needle recapping (one),
      scalpel blade (one), skin hook (one), and an injury during the transport of an
      instrument (one). Dermatologic surgeons were more likely to injure their dominant
      fingers. Attitudes of dermatologic surgeons were surveyed regarding operating on
      patients while the physician or assistant was actively infected with human
      immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, herpetic whitlow, or paronychia caused
      by Staphylococcus aureus. Dermatologic surgeons believed that they should be
      allowed to operate while infected with human immunodeficiency virus (41.5%),
      hepatitis B virus (40%), herpetic whitlow (25%), and paronychia caused by S.
      aureus (20%). Few dermatologic surgeons would disclose preoperatively to patients
      infections present in themselves or in operating team members that were due to
      human immunodeficiency virus (29.4%), hepatitis B virus (27.8%), herpetic whitlow
      (28.6%), or paronychia caused by S. aureus (33.3%).

PMID- 1869650
TI  - Ultrastructural observations on 'foam cells' and the source of their lipid in
      verruciform xanthoma.
AB  - Verruciform xanthomas occur on mucocutaneous surfaces and are characterized by
      hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and the occurrence of "foam cells" stuffed with lipid
      surrounding capillaries in the dermis between rete pegs. Ultrastructural
      examination of a lesion on the penis revealed the presence of melanocytes with
      many lipid droplets in the basal layer of the epidermis. We suggest that they are
      a major source of the lipid of the "foam cells." However, this study provides no
      information as to the nature or lineage of the "foam cells."

PMID- 1869651
TI  - A study of elastic tissue and actinic radiation in "aging," temporal arteritis,
      polymyalgia rheumatica, and atherosclerosis. The actinic storm in the modern
      world.
AB  - Solar radiation provokes a lifelong series of destructive changes in the
      supporting elastic tissues of "exposed" skin. Called actinic elastosis/lysis (or
      actinic "aging"), the sequence begins in early life as simple elastic
      hyperplasia, converts in middle life to progressive actinic elastotic
      degeneration, and, in late life, typically ends with a stage of resorption
      (elastolysis) and atrophy ("aged" skin). Superficial "exposed" arteries such as
      the temporal artery participate in the same sequence of degenerative elastotic
      changes, which, as in the skin, may provoke granulomatous responses in a few of
      the many subjects affected. In the case of the temporal artery, a contingent
      outcome may be giant cell (temporal) arteritis and its recognized systemic
      vascular expression, polymyalgia rheumatica. Actinic commotion at the surface of
      the body is often massive in degree and extent and may be expected to exert a
      deleterious autoimmune impact on the essential elastic tissues of the arterial
      system. For this reason, solar radiation should be recognized as a risk factor
      for other elastic-related vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and
      aneurysms. Man-made radiations may be exacerbating the effects of predominant
      solar radiation. Of the many radiant bands that make up the actinic
      (electromagnetic) spectrum, little is known for certain about the identity of
      those that cause these prevalent disorders of elastic tissue. Until this void is
      filled, more care should be taken with solar and the other "safe" radiations.

PMID- 1869652
TI  - Treatment of mildly to moderately photoaged skin with topical tretinoin has a
      favorable psychosocial effect: a prospective study.

PMID- 1869653
TI  - Ten cases of chronic ulcerative stomatitis with stratified epithelium-specific
      antinuclear antibody.

PMID- 1869654
TI  - Pyoderma gangrenosum coexistent with the hemophagocytic syndrome.

PMID- 1869655
TI  - Group A streptococcus-induced bullous toxic shock-like syndrome.

PMID- 1869656
TI  - Pterygium inversum unguis.

PMID- 1869657
TI  - Earring-induced localized iron tattoo.

PMID- 1869658
TI  - Nonscalp hair infection caused by Microsporum canis in patient with acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome.

PMID- 1869659
TI  - Angiosarcoma arising in Kaposi's sarcoma (pleomorphic Kaposi's sarcoma) in a
      patient with human immunodeficiency virus disease. Armed Forces Retroviral
      Research Group.

PMID- 1869660
TI  - Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus.

PMID- 1869661
TI  - The many faces and phases of borreliosis. I. Lyme disease.

PMID- 1869662
TI  - Cutaneous surgery and the pregnant patient.

PMID- 1869663
TI  - Eccrine sweat gland disorders.

PMID- 1869664
TI  - Erythema multiforme caused by lithium.

PMID- 1869665
TI  - Multiple pigmented nail bands during hydroxyurea therapy: an uncommon finding.

PMID- 1869666
TI  - Treatment of vitiligo with topical melagenine--a human placental extract.

PMID- 1869667
TI  - Digital exostosis arising on the second toe.

PMID- 1869668
TI  - Pruritus in HIV infection.

PMID- 1869669
TI  - Autoimmune bullous disease in a patient with HIV infection.

PMID- 1869670
TI  - Treatment of cytarabine acral erythema with corticosteroids.

PMID- 1869671
TI  - Cutaneous and subcutaneous neuroblastoma in children and adults: case reports and
      population study.

PMID- 1869673
TI  - The International Foundation for Dermatology.

PMID- 1869672
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with temporal arteritis treated with
      corticosteroid.

PMID- 1869674
TI  - Israel Zeligman.

PMID- 1869675
TI  - Clearing of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with cyclosporine.

PMID- 1869676
TI  - Longitudinal melanonychia striata.

PMID- 1869677
TI  - Small malignant melanomas: clinicopathologic correlation and DNA ploidy analysis.

PMID- 1869678
TI  - Nuclear segmentation anomalies of neutrophils in neutrophilic dermatosis
      associated with myelodysplastic syndrome.

PMID- 1869679
TI  - A method for the determination of UVA protection for normal skin.

PMID- 1869680
TI  - Therapeutic use of cytokines in dermatology.
AB  - Cytokines are glycoproteins produced by many different cells. Via binding to
      specific receptors on target cells they regulate the activation, differentiation,
      and proliferation of immune and nonimmune cells. After injury keratinocytes
      synthesize and release cytokines such as interleukins, colony stimulating
      factors, and growth factors. In addition, a network of interacting cytokines
      appears to be crucial to maintain proper balance. Dysregulation may contribute to
      certain diseases, particularly those of infectious and autoimmune origin.
      Therefore many of these mediators appear to be promising candidates to treat
      infectious and malignant diseases. This article briefly discusses the most
      important cytokines. Newly developed regimens with cytokines to treat cutaneous
      disorders will be reviewed.

PMID- 1869681
TI  - Quantitative nailfold capillary microscopy in cutaneous and systemic lupus
      erythematosus and localized and systemic scleroderma.
AB  - Quantitative television microscopy of nailfold capillaries of the fingers was
      performed in 12 patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (six with discoid
      type and six with disseminated type), in six patients with localized scleroderma
      (two with circumscribed type, two with linear types, and two with atrophic type),
      in 10 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and in eight patients with
      systemic scleroderma. The following features were analyzed and compared with a
      control group (n = 15) of similar age: venous plexus visibility; density of
      capillaries; avascular fields; hemorrhages; giant capillaries; diameters of the
      transitional segment, the arterial, and the venous limbs; loop width; and flow
      stop caused by local cooling test. The patient groups with cutaneous lesions only
      showed no essential differences as compared with the controls. Patients with
      systemic scleroderma differed in almost every finding from the controls and from
      patients with localized scleroderma. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
      exhibited significant differences in several findings as compared with the
      controls and the cutaneous lupus erythematosus group, but there was overlap.

PMID- 1869682
TI  - Direct immunofluorescence microscopy of 1 mol/L sodium chloride-treated patient
      skin.
AB  - Patients with bullous pemphigoid and those with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita
      often demonstrate virtually identical clinical, histologic, and immunopathologic
      features. Although some patients can be distinguished by their pattern of
      circulating IgG anti-basement membrane zone antibody binding to 1 mol/L sodium
      chloride-split human skin, approximately 20% and 50% of bullous pemphigoid and
      epidermolysis bullosa acquisita patients, respectively, do not possess such
      antibodies. Hence this study sought to determine whether these patients can be
      distinguished by mapping the distribution of basement membrane zone
      immunoreactants in patient skin split in vitro by 1 mol/L sodium chloride. All
      sodium chloride-treated samples from patients with bullous pemphigoid (n = 8),
      epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (n = 4), or other bullous skin diseases (n = 6)
      contained a lamina lucida cleavage plane bounded by bullous pemphigoid antigen
      and laminin; moreover, treatment of patient samples was performed without loss of
      tissue substrate or in situ immunoreactants. Deposits of IgG were found on the
      epidermal side of sodium chloride-treated skin from 13 of 14 bullous pemphigoid
      samples; IgG deposits in bullous pemphigoid samples were exclusively epidermal in
      eight, epidermal and dermal in five, and solely dermal in one. In contrast, IgG
      was found exclusively on the dermal side of sodium chloride-treated samples from
      patients with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Although IgG mapping distinguished
      bullous pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita patients in 94% of these
      samples, the distribution of C3 in sodium chloride-treated patient skin was more
      variable and less predictive diagnostically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869684
TI  - Amyopathic dermatomyositis (dermatomyositis sine myositis). Presentation of six
      new cases and review of the literature.
AB  - We report six patients with the classic cutaneous findings of dermatomyositis who
      did not develop clinical or laboratory evidence of muscle disease for at least 2
      years after onset of their skin manifestations. Such patients represent 11% of
      our total experience with dermatomyositis patients during a 15 year period. All
      six patients had Gottron's paules, periungual erythema/telangiectasia, and
      violaceous discoloration of the face, neck, upper chest, and back at some time
      during the course of their disease. In addition, all complained of pruritus and
      photosensitivity. None of the patients had evidence of malignancy. Each of five
      patients treated with oral corticosteroids for their cutaneous disease had marked
      improvement and did not develop myositis. These cases further emphasize that the
      cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis are pathognomonic of this disease and
      challenge the commonly held notion that muscle disease always develops within 2
      years of onset of skin disease.

PMID- 1869683
TI  - Salt-split human skin substrate for the immunofluorescent screening of serum from
      patients with cicatricial pemphigoid and a new method of immunoprecipitation with
      IgA antibodies.
AB  - In patients with cicatricial pemphigoid, immunoglobulins (usually IgG) and
      complement are deposited within the dermoepidermal junction and are detected by
      direct immunofluorescent staining of perilesional mucous membrane and/or skin
      with fluorescein-labeled antibodies to human immunoglobulins. Although rare, some
      patients also have circulating low-titer, anti-basement membrane zone
      autoantibodies. In this study, we report 11 patients with the clinical,
      histologic, and immunologic criteria for cicatricial pemphigoid who had
      circulating anti-BMZ autoantibodies as demonstrated by positive indirect staining
      of a normal human skin that had been fractured through the dermoepidermal
      junction by prolonged incubation in a cold, 1 mol/L sodium chloride solution. On
      this salt-split human skin substrate, 9 of the 11 patients (82%) had
      autoantibodies that bound to the epidermal roof, one serum stained only the
      dermal floor, and one serum stained both sides of the separation. The predominant
      class of immunoglobulin in the patients' sera that bound to the substrate was
      IgA; IgA was the single immunoglobulin in 55% and was associated with IgG in 18%.
      IgG was the only immunoglobulin detected in 27% of the cases. No specific protein
      was detected by either Western immunoblot or a new IgA immunoprecipitation
      procedure.

PMID- 1869685
TI  - Antibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens: serologic marker for Sweet's
      syndrome.
AB  - Seven patients with a clinical and histologic diagnosis of Sweet's syndrome were
      tested for the presence of circulating antibodies to neutrophil cytoplasmic
      antibodies. Six of the seven patients had detectable antibodies to neutrophil
      cytoplasmic antibodies at a serum dilution of at least 1:20. Antibodies to
      neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were not found in serum from patients with a
      range of cutaneous diseases, some known to cause clinical or histologic confusion
      with Sweet's syndrome. The detection of circulating antibodies to the neutrophil
      cytoplasm may be of possible diagnostic value in Sweet's syndrome.

PMID- 1869686
TI  - Staphylococcal sepsis in HIV antibody seropositive psoriasis patients.
AB  - The cases of three HIV-positive men with generalized psoriasis and staphylococcal
      sepsis are reported. In each case the skin appeared to be the source of
      infection. While the patients received antibiotic therapy, the psoriatic plaques
      resolved despite minimal or no topical treatment.

PMID- 1869687
TI  - Gypsy moth caterpillar dermatitis--revisited.
AB  - Gypsy moth caterpillar dermatitis is a pruritic, papular, urticarial eruption on
      exposed skin that occurs most commonly after direct contact with the first instar
      larva of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). We present two case reports to
      illustrate its clinical and histopathologic features. Both cases occurred during
      the spring of 1990 and coincided with the greatest infestation of L. dispar in
      the Northeast to date. The pathogenesis of this distinctive gypsy moth dermatitis
      most likely involves histamine release by the caterpillar and a delayed
      hypersensitivity reaction in its host.

PMID- 1869688
TI  - Cicatricial pemphigoid.
AB  - Cicatricial pemphigoid is a subepidermal blistering disease that involves the
      mucous membranes and the skin. The oral cavity and the eye are most frequently
      involved. The clinical course is of long duration, and often there is significant
      scarring that can have devastating sequelae. The majority of the patients are
      elderly. The disease is characterized by the in vivo deposition of an anti
      basement membrane zone antibody. The anti-basement membrane zone antibody cannot
      be detected in the circulation by routine laboratory techniques. The pathogenesis
      is poorly understood, and the cause is not known. Cicatricial pemphigoid may
      remain localized to the oral cavity or the eye or the skin (Brunsting-Perry
      variety), or it may be generalized. It rarely occurs in children, and it may be
      drug induced. Efforts must be made to differentiate cicatricial pemphigoid from
      bullous pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, linear IgA bullous disease,
      and other vesiculobullous disease. Early recognition and treatment can improve
      the prognosis and avoid surgical intervention. Topical therapy is beneficial and
      expedites healing. Intralesional corticosteroids are effective and can help
      reduce the dose of systemic steroids. Most patients require systemic
      corticosteroid therapy. Dapsone is also useful in treating cicatricial
      pemphigoid, especially in patients in whom systemic steroids are ineffective or
      in whom they have to be discontinued because of side effects. Immunosuppressive
      agents (azathioprine or cyclosphosphamide) are indicated in patients with
      progressive disease. Occasionally both drugs may be needed.

PMID- 1869689
TI  - Acute and chronic urticaria and angioedema.
AB  - Urticaria and angioedema are clinical manifestations of various immunologic and
      inflammatory mechanisms, or they may be idiopathic. The respiratory and
      gastrointestinal tracts as well as the cardiovascular system may be involved in
      any combination. Patients with urticaria and/or angioedema can be classified
      based on pathophysiologic mechanisms into those with IgE-dependent or complement
      mediated immunologic disorders, those with nonimmunologic disorders in which
      there is a direct effect on the mast cell or on arachidonic acid metabolism, and
      those whose condition is idiopathic. Evaluation of patients should focus on a
      thorough history. Laboratory tests provide minimal additional information. About
      one half of patients with urticaria alone and 25% with urticaria and angioedema
      or angioedema alone are free of lesions within 1 year. With urticaria,
      angioedema, or both, 20% of patients experience episodes for more than 20 years.

PMID- 1869690
TI  - Angioedema: manifestations and management.
AB  - Angioedema is characterized by localized swelling of sudden onset affecting the
      skin and/or mucous membranes. It can be classified into hereditary and acquired
      forms. Hereditary angioedema is a rare disease inherited as an autosomal dominant
      trait and caused by a deficiency of C1-esterase inhibitor. Acute attacks are life
      threatening and cannot be managed by antihistamines, corticosteroids, or
      adrenergic drugs. Prophylactic therapy is possible with danazol or stanozolol.
      Acquired angioedema includes nonhereditary C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency;
      idiopathic, allergic, and drug-induced forms; angioedema associated with lupus
      erythematosus and hypereosinophilia; and angioedema caused by physical stimuli.
      Treatment of these forms of angioedema depends on identifying and avoiding the
      cause, induction of tolerance, or symptomatic treatment with systemic
      antihistamines.

PMID- 1869691
TI  - Urticaria and angioedema: diagnosis and evaluation.
AB  - Because urticaria clears spontaneously in most patients, an extensive workup is
      not advised during the early weeks of an urticarial eruption. Whether and when to
      perform a screening workup or a more extensive workup depend on the degree of
      suspicion that the patient is ill, the urgency with which the patient presses for
      an answer, and the presence or absence of signs or symptoms that might lead the
      physician to pursue a diagnosis other than chronic idiopathic urticaria.
      Angioedema may occur with urticaria, and when it does, the prognosis is worse.
      Whereas urticaria manifests as circumscribed edema involving the superficial
      dermis, angioedema involves primarily the deep dermis or subcutaneous or deeper
      layers. Individual urticarial lesions usually disappear within 2 to 4 hours,
      whereas those of angioedema can persist for 72 hours. The workup for patients
      with chronic angioedema can be similar to that for patients with urticaria.
      However, several additional diagnostic possibilities should be pursued in
      patients with angioedema, such as hereditary angioedema caused by C1-esterase
      inhibitor deficiency, because anabolic steroids are effective in the treatment of
      these conditions.

PMID- 1869692
TI  - Mast cells and their role in urticaria.
AB  - Mast cells are the primary effector cell type in urticaria and angioedema.
      Recognition of different types of mast cells has increased the understanding of
      their cell biology and may help refine the therapy of human allergic diseases.
      Mast cells containing chymase and tryptase (MCTC) and tryptase alone (MCT) are
      two distinct types distinguished on the basis of the neutral protease composition
      of their granules. MCT cells are distributed primarily in the lung and
      gastrointestinal mucosa, whereas MCTC cells lie primarily in skin and
      gastrointestinal submucosa. The appearance of MCT cells in intestinal tissue is T
      lymphocyte dependent, whereas MCTC cells is not. The granules in unstimulated
      mature MCT cells typically contain complete scrolls, whereas those of MCTC cells
      often contain grating or lattice substructures. Major categories for the
      mediators of mast cells include performed mediators present in the secretory
      granule, newly generated lipid-derived mediators, and cytokines.

PMID- 1869693
TI  - Changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism during starvation in adult Manduca
      sexta.
AB  - Adult Manduca sexta feed very irregularly in the laboratory, and many adult males
      never feed. Feeding adults live longer and feeding females lay many more eggs;
      however, in both feeding (sugar water) and starving adults a decrease of
      metabolic reserves is observed. Carbohydrates disappear from hemolymph and from
      fat body. Fat body lipid also decreases, while hemolymph lipid concentration
      increases strongly in starving adults. The activity of fat body glycogen
      phosphorylase increases strongly in starving adult M. sexta. The activity of
      glycogen phosphorylase is correlated inversely with hemolymph sugar
      concentration. Injected trehalose inactivates glycogen phosphorylase within 2 h.
      and lowers the hemolymph lipid level within 6 h. In starving adult M. sexta,
      neither the activation of glycogen phosphorylase nor the increase of hemolymph
      lipid concentration depends on adipokinetic hormone, since cardiacectomy does not
      prevent the activation of glycogen phosphorylase nor the increase of hemolymph
      lipid level.

PMID- 1869694
TI  - Adaptation of homeostatic thermoregulation: comparison of incubating and non
      incubating bantam hens.
AB  - Incubating and non-incubating Bantam hens were exposed to identical thoracic skin
      cooling to study the difference between their physiological responses with regard
      to thermoregulatory adaptation to incubation. Under resting conditions thoracic
      skin temperature (Tths) and metabolic heat production (M) were significantly
      higher in broody than in non-broody hens, indicating a permanently increased
      conductance of the brood patch. Thoracic skin cooling from 35 to 25 degrees C
      decreased Tths less in broody than in non-broody hens. In broody hens, these
      coolings induced a large, immediate increase in M, no constriction of brood patch
      vasculature, and a decrease in colonic temperature (Tc). This decrease in Tc
      triggered no further increase in M, but induced vasoconstriction in the feet. The
      coolings induced a smaller increase in M in the non-broody hens, accompanied by
      pronounced vasoconstriction, and did not affect Tc and foot temperature, Tf. The
      effects of more severe thoracic skin cooling (between 25 and 15 degrees C)
      differed much less between non-broody and broody hens. Vasoconstriction of the
      brood patch also occurred in the latter. It is concluded that in adaptation to
      incubation the thoracic skin becomes more sensitive, and its input signal becomes
      stronger for the control of certain effector systems of thermoregulation,
      allowing a controlled heat transfer to the eggs.

PMID- 1869695
TI  - Absorption of bioactive human growth hormone after oral administration in the
      common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and its enhancement by deoxycholate.
AB  - Recombinant human growth hormone was administered orally to carp and serum levels
      of absorbed bioactive hormone were investigated using a highly sensitive Nb2 rat
      lymphoma cell bioassay and radioimmunoassay. Serum levels of bioactive hGH
      reached maximum values 30 min after oral intubation and then gradually decreased.
      Co-administration of the hormone with deoxycholate to fasted carp resulted in up
      to a 1000-fold increase in absorption compared to aqueous solutions of the
      hormone, but had no effect on the kinetics of the absorption process. Absorption
      of the hormone in starved fish was significantly greater than in fed fish. A
      linear dose-response relationship was observed for hGH in starved fish and the
      level of absorption in fed fish was influenced by the time interval from the last
      meal. The ratio of bioactive to immunoactive hGH in fasted fish indicated little
      loss of bioactivity and also that deoxycholate may be protective against hGH
      degradation. The present study demonstrates for the first time that biologically
      active hGH is absorbed in the common carp after oral intubation. Furthermore, the
      use of a biological detergent dramatically increased the extent of hGH
      absorption. Additional studies are required to establish the appropriate
      conditions (diet composition, feeding level, and frequency, etc.) in which
      polypeptide hormones could be introduced orally to fish.

PMID- 1869696
TI  - Gestational changes in electrolyte transport, electrical activity, and
      permeability of the porcine placenta.
AB  - 1. The electrolyte transport capacities of the porcine placenta and fetal
      membranes (amnion, chorion, and allantois) during gestation (47-112 days) were
      assessed in vitro and in the absence of electrochemical, osmotic, or hydrostatic
      driving forces. Net transmural transport of 22Na and 36Cl across sections of
      porcine allantochorion-endometrium (ALCE), amniochorion-endometrium (AMCE), and
      allantoamnion (AA) mounted in Ussing chambers could not be detected at any stage
      of gestation. 2. These tissues were characterised throughout gestation by low
      electrical potential difference (PD; less than 5 mV, fetal side positive with
      respect to maternal side) and short circuit current (SCC; less than 16 microA.cm
      2) which were amiloride and iodoacetate sensitive. 3. A periparturitent reversal
      in the polarity of PD to fetal side negative and a change in the direction of the
      SCC was observed in tissues obtained from sows (n = 3) at 111-112 day gestation.
      These changes were accompanied by a 73% increase in electrical resistance (R) and
      a 2-10-fold decrease in the permeability of tissues to Na and Cl. 4.
      Morphological studies revealed a decrease in the thickness of allantoamnion and a
      decrease in the height of epithelia from ALCE, AMCE, and AA during gestation,
      indicating a decrease in activity. These morphological changes only partly
      explained the pre-term electrophysiological changes in these tissues.

PMID- 1869698
TI  - [True place of simple sugars in the cause of caries].
AB  - A recent leaflet published for dental patients by the Canadian Association of
      Confectioners promotes the consumption of sweets, considering them on an equal
      basis, in regard to caries, as any other foods containing simple sugars, such as:
      fruits, vegetables, bread or pasta. This article intends to demistify such
      inference. While it is true that most foods containing simple sugars can lower
      plaque pH when considered alone, in the context of a total diet, the relationship
      between simple sugars and caries is much more complex. Also, in regard to total
      health, one can not equate all simple sugars since they differ considerably in
      terms of nutritional value.

PMID- 1869697
TI  - [Comparison of different types of cleft lip and palate in regards to dental
      anomalies and sexual incidence].
AB  - The present study addresses two questions. Does the incidence of dental anomalies
      differ among the four following types of cleft lip and palate: the isolated cleft
      palate, the unilateral cleft lip and palate, (right or left), and the bilateral
      cleft lip and palate. Furthermore is the sexual incidence comparable among the
      four above mentioned types? Radiographic records and complete family history of
      clefting of 156 patients with a complete cleft lip and palate were obtained from
      the Cleft Lip and Palate Teams of Ste-Justine Hospital. Patients in which the
      cleft was part of a syndrome were excluded from the study. According to the
      analysis of the data, the incidence of dental anomalies was relatively high,
      specifically as high as 92% for the bilateral cleft lip and palate. The sexual
      incidence differed among the four types.

PMID- 1869699
TI  - Medical College of Georgia AIDS case.

PMID- 1869700
TI  - Funding, survival and growth of postdoctoral general dentistry programs after
      federal funding ends.

PMID- 1869701
TI  - The Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at the University of Maryland
      at Baltimore.

PMID- 1869702
TI  - University of California at San Francisco: a combined GPR/AEGD model.

PMID- 1869703
TI  - The San Antonio AEGD/GPR model: historical and financial perspectives.

PMID- 1869704
TI  - North Carolina AEGD model.
AB  - The financial resource and expense management experience of the University of
      North Carolina Advanced Education in General Dentistry program has been
      presented. The program relies heavily on clinic productivity and effective
      financial management to counter challenges imposed by a diminishing state budget
      appropriation to the School of Dentistry and the lack of financial flexibility
      within the state university system. The School of Dentistry is firmly established
      and highly regarded within the university; administrative support for the program
      from within the school has been substantial and is ongoing. The program continues
      to actively pursue external funding applications; nonetheless, resource
      augmentation to date has been a largely internal matter through maximal and
      efficient use of existing means.

PMID- 1869705
TI  - Summary analysis of financial strategies for postdoctoral general dentistry
      programs.

PMID- 1869706
TI  - A postdoctoral year for the practice of dentistry: rationale and progress.

PMID- 1869707
TI  - Navigating an educational program through the treacherous 90s: dynamics of the
      health-care system.

PMID- 1869708
TI  - General practice residency programs: benefits to residents and patients.

PMID- 1869709
TI  - Postdoctoral oral and maxillofacial radiology.

PMID- 1869710
TI  - Nurses with degrees in the United Kingdom: careers and contributions and
      challenges.

PMID- 1869711
TI  - Researching needs in district nursing.
AB  - This paper describes the first stage of a research project aimed at understanding
      the needs of clients (and their carers) of district nursing services. The project
      applies a pluralistic research design, combining qualitative and quantitative
      methods. Through the use of an ethnographic approach, concepts of needs are
      generated which are related to how clients and carers perceive themselves and the
      role of the district nurse. The study attempts to formulate needs within a
      contextual framework against which an activity analysis of district nurses' work
      (stage 2) can be evaluated.

PMID- 1869712
TI  - A symbolic awareness context identified through a grounded theory study of health
      visiting.
AB  - The purpose of the study, which is not yet complete, was one of theory building
      or conceptualization. This was needed because of a lack of information about how
      health visitors identify which approach to use within any particular situation.
      An overview of the method of grounded theory explains how data were collected and
      analysed. Then, one major aspect of the emerging theory--a symbolic awareness
      context which seems to surround and influence interactions between health
      visitors and their clients--is outlined. The analysis suggests that, when the
      interaction is examined in context, any one question, purpose or topic selected
      by health visitor or client as a specific focus, forms only a relatively small
      component part of the whole. Strategies which enhance openness and consonance
      within the context are detailed. The awareness context has implications for
      health visiting practice and organization.

PMID- 1869713
TI  - Caring versus empowerment: considerations for nursing practice.
AB  - The authors argue that there is a tension between the concepts of caring and
      empowerment. This tension appears in political and managerial debates over how
      best to run a health service, and it reappears in the clinical situation in
      nursing dilemmas over the presentation of information to patients. The authors
      review the major contributions to theory from health care literature, and use
      case studies to explore some of the clinical implications of these theories for
      nursing practice.

PMID- 1869714
TI  - The size of the pressure-sore problem in a teaching hospital.
AB  - A series of three prevalence surveys were undertaken in a teaching hospital
      (where medical students are taught) in the West Midlands of England to identify
      the numbers of patients at risk of developing pressure sores and the actual
      number of patients with pressure sores, prior to the purchase of pressure
      relieving equipment. All in-patients were assessed using the Waterlow score. Full
      details of all pressure sores and any pressure-relieving equipment in use was
      recorded. There was a mean pressure sore prevalence of 7.32%, the prevalence for
      each survey being 8.77%, 5.1% and 8.1% respectively. Grades 2 and 3 were the most
      commonly reported grades and the sacrum was the most frequent position. It was
      anticipated that there would be a difference in dependency between the patient
      populations in each of the three surveys. This was not so and, when using the
      Waterlow score, the numbers of patients found to be at no risk, at risk and at
      high risk remained remarkably stable. Only those in the very high risk category
      fluctuated. It is postulated that the difference between the prevalence in the
      three surveys is related to the difference in the numbers of patients seen to be
      at very high risk. These surveys have provided a basis for selecting pressure
      relieving equipment and baseline information for monitoring the efficacy of the
      prevention programme.

PMID- 1869715
TI  - Theories of self-care: their relevance to chemotherapy-induced nausea and
      vomiting.
AB  - Nausea and vomiting are reputed to be two of the most disruptive side-effects
      associated with chemotherapy. Pharmacological and behavioural interventions are
      well described in the literature, but sparse attention appears to have been
      focused upon the role of self-care. This paper outlines the problem of
      chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The concept of self-care is described,
      including possible motivations to perform self-care, and potential relationships
      between symptom perception and self-care are noted. It concludes with suggestions
      for theoretical work and future research studies concerning self-care behaviour
      for nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy.

PMID- 1869716
TI  - Factors which influence how nurses communicate with cancer patients.
AB  - Communication is one of the most important aspects of cancer nursing. Evidence
      suggests nurses experience communication difficulties and frequently block
      patients from divulging their worries or concerns. This paper focuses on a study
      which aimed to determine: (a) the extent to which nurses facilitate or block
      patients and awareness of their verbal behaviours; (b) whether there is a
      relationship between nurses' verbal behaviours and levels of anxiety, social
      support, work support and attitude to death; and (c) nurses' difficulties in
      caring for cancer patients. The study was conducted in a specialist and non
      specialist hospital. Fifty-four registered nurses completed three audio-taped
      histories (one with a new cancer patient, a patient with a recurrence and a
      patient for pallative care), a self-administered questionnaire and a semi
      structured audio-taped interview. The data were analysed using SPSSX. The
      findings indicate an overall poor level of facilitative communication, with a
      patient's recurrence causing most difficulties. There is evidence to suggest the
      way nurses communicate may depend on the environment created by the ward sister,
      the nurses' religious beliefs and attitude to death rather than specific
      education in communication skills.

PMID- 1869717
TI  - Symptom patterns in women with premenstrual syndrome complaints: a prospective
      assessment using a marker for ovulation and screening criteria for adequate
      ovarian function.
AB  - This study examined the symtom patterns of women seeking help for Premenstrual
      Syndrome (PMS) complaints. Seven women who were less than 35 yrs, within 10% of
      ideal body weight and who had experienced a full-term pregnancy, completed a
      daily health diary during an ovulatory menstrual cycle. In the luteal phase,
      symptom summary scores of the PMS group increased (P less than 0.05) and were
      markedly higher (P less than 0.5) from baseline acyclic scores of four ovulatory
      women who denied menstrual-related distress. To examine severity changes in
      individual symptoms, a total of 399 cases representing 57 symptoms from the seven
      45-day diaries were evaluated for menstrual cycle entrainment. Of the 246
      symptoms that met the criteria for a cycle phase change (62%), the classic PMS
      pattern of low/high severity was the most common (40%). Seven different subtypes
      of the PMS pattern were identified; four of these subtypes demonstrated a
      severity score elevation at ovulation as well as during the premenstruum. For
      individual women, the majority of symptoms (65%) displayed only two pattern
      types, suggesting a common rhythmic entrainment of symptom intensity.

PMID- 1869718
TI  - Relaxation: episiotomy incisional pain and overall discomfort.
AB  - The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a simple
      relaxation technique on postpartum patients' episiotomy incisional pain and
      overall discomfort. This study was carried out through the use of a posttest-only
      experimental design. A total of 40 subjects (20 in the experimental group and 20
      in the control group) participated in the study. Only the experimental group was
      taught the relaxation technique and told to use it whenever they had pain or
      discomfort in their episiotomy incision. Within 24 hours after delivery, all
      subjects rated their episiotomy pain and overall discomfort on the scales of pain
      and discomfort. Twenty-four hours after delivery, a chart review was done on each
      subject to further measure pain by amount and frequency of analgesic use. Paired
      t-tests were used to examine the differences between the means of the
      experimental and control groups for subjects' pain as measured by amount of pain
      and amount of analgesic use, and amount of overall discomfort. Chi-square
      analysis was utilized to examine the differences between the experimental and
      control groups for subjects' amount of pain as measured by frequency of analgesic
      use. Results of the analyses demonstrated that for the subjects who used the
      relaxation technique, there was a general trend for decreased pain and
      discomfort.

PMID- 1869719
TI  - Immigrant women speak of chronic illness: the social construction of the devalued
      self.
AB  - This inquiry into the existential experience of chronic illness by immigrant
      women begins from a phenomenological perspective, and proceeds to examine the
      context in which women's experiences are embedded. It is argued that multiple
      factors influence the ability to manage illness. Not least among them are the
      emotions that are an integral part of daily existence, and the sense of self that
      is constructed during the course of a chronic illness. These emotions, and the
      definitions of self embodied within the illness experience, are produced in
      ongoing social interactions. For the immigrant woman, the difficulties in living
      with a chronic illness are exacerbated by the experience of uprooting from her
      homeland and resettling in a new country. She must deal with her marginality,
      social isolation and alienation in a foreign culture. The feeling of being
      devalued arises not only from the chronic illness experience, but also from the
      definition of self that is constructed in dealing with the migration experience.
      The implications that this research study has for the profession of nursing are
      discussed.

PMID- 1869720
TI  - In search of more complete answers to research questions. Quantitative versus
      qualitative research methods: is there a way forward?
AB  - This paper presents an overview of research methods utilized in nursing to date
      and traces the origins of the schism in nursing research which has led to the
      development of the quantitative-qualitative research-methods dichotomy. The
      philosophical and technical characteristics which distinguish these apparently
      opposing methodologies are described and critically discussed. The use of
      triangulation of different methods and types of data is suggested as an
      alternative research strategy. A study which used triangulation as a research
      approach which examined newly registered nurses' attitudes and educational
      preparation to care for patients with cancer, and developed and evaluated an
      educational intervention for nurses on cancer care, is described. This
      illustrates how the use of different research methods within a single study can
      provide a richer and deeper understanding of the area under investigation than
      would otherwise be possible. This paper also discusses the notion that nursing
      research has arrived at a watershed in which competing methodologies serve to
      divide and separate nurse researchers on the grounds of philosophical approach, a
      division which a neophyte discipline such as nursing can ill afford. Nurse
      researchers need to gain skills and understanding of different approaches to
      capitalize on the strengths and benefits of each in order to develop a more
      complete understanding of nursing practice in all its complexity.

PMID- 1869721
TI  - A participant observation study of power relations between nurses and doctors in
      a general hospital.
AB  - The problem addressed in this paper is how nurse-doctor power relations are
      manifested in a hospital setting. A review of the literature identified four
      major ideal types of interaction between nurses and doctors in decision-making
      processes. These were unproblematic subordination, informal covert decision
      making, informal overt decision making and formal overt decision making on the
      part of nurses. Each of these types was tested against empirical data gained from
      participant observation of interactions between the nurses and doctors working in
      an intensive care unit and a general medical ward. It was concluded that while
      both the unproblematic subordination and the informal covert decision-making
      types of interaction appeared superficially to be used frequently, closer
      examination revealed that, with the exception of nurse-consultant interactions,
      nurses were less dependent on these subordinate modes of interaction than much of
      the literature suggested. Formal overt decision making, despite official
      encouragement, was also infrequently utilized. However, it was noticed that
      senior nurses especially used informal overt strategies to involve themselves in
      decision-making sequences. Use of such strategies had the effect of reducing
      though not eliminating the power differential between doctors and nurses.

PMID- 1869722
TI  - Role conflict in student nurses: towards a positive approach for the 1990s.
AB  - This review paper seeks to adopt a constructive approach towards the subject of
      the role conflict experienced by student nurses. The significance of role
      conflict is explored, as are its causes and its effects on the student. Role
      conflict is then discussed from the perspectives of social psychology in general
      and nursing in particular, and the paper concludes with an emphasis on the role
      of the nurse educator in helping the students deal actively and constructively
      with the role conflict that they will inevitably experience during their careers
      in nursing.

PMID- 1869724
TI  - Power: a concept analysis.
AB  - This paper follows the Walker & Avant approach to concept analysis of the concept
      of power. For the purposes of the paper, power was defined as the actual or
      potential ability or capacity to achieve objectives through an interpersonal
      process in which the goals and means to achieve the goals are mutually
      established and worked toward. The distinction between the views of power as
      'power to' versus 'power over' are addressed in the literature review. King's
      conceptual framework was used as a guide. Defining attributes, antecedents and
      consequences of power, demonstration cases, and assumptions are presented. A
      theorem and testable hypothesis are proposed. The final product is a conceptual
      map which illustrates the contents of the concept analysis.

PMID- 1869723
TI  - What makes nursing satisfying: a comparison of college students' and registered
      nurses' views.
AB  - This paper reports a study of nurses' perceptions of the positive and negative
      features of the work environment and their contribution to satisfaction with
      nursing. The concept of a 'work space' was developed to describe nurses' mental
      images of the features of their work environment. Eighty-four final-year student
      nurses and 75 registered nurses rated questionnaire items designed to examine
      perceptions of opportunities for professional development, sources of
      satisfaction, difficulties, time constraints and problematic interactions with
      other hospital personnel. There was general agreement among nurses about the
      aspects of their work that they found satisfying, but student nurses were more
      pessimistic than registered nurses that nursing would give them opportunities for
      recognition of their worth. Students returning from practica in critical care
      wards reported more stressful interactions with other personnel than students
      returning from general ward practica. Structural equation modelling of the causal
      relations between sources of satisfaction with nursing revealed that recognition
      and self-perceptions of work as a nurse were the strongest predictors of overall
      satisfaction with nursing. Caring for patients contributed only indirectly
      through its influence on nurses' feelings about themselves. The data indicate the
      significance of personal and social implications of nursing careers.

PMID- 1869725
TI  - Restenosis after coronary angioplasty: a multivariate statistical model to relate
      lesion and procedure variables to restenosis. The M-HEART Investigators.
AB  - The Multi-Hospital Eastern Atlantic Restenosis Trial group obtained follow-up
      angiography in 510 patients with 598 successfully dilated coronary lesions who
      were enrolled in a controlled trial of the effects of a single dose of 1 g of
      methylprednisolone on restenosis after coronary angioplasty. The overall
      restenosis rate was 39.6%. The strongest univariate relations to the restenosis
      rate were found for lesion location (saphenous vein graft, 68%; left anterior
      descending artery, 45%; left circumflex artery and right coronary artery, 32%; p
      = 0.002); lesion length (less than or equal to 4.6 mm, 33%; greater than 4.6 mm,
      45%; p = 0.001); percent stenosis before angioplasty (less than or equal to 73%,
      25%; greater than 73%, 43%; p = 0.005), percent stenosis after angioplasty (less
      than or equal to 21%, 33%; greater than 21%, 46%; p = 0.017) and arterial
      diameter (less than 2.9 mm, 44%; greater than or equal to 2.9 mm, 34%; p =
      0.036). Two multivariate models to predict restenosis probability were developed
      with use of stepwise logistic regression. The preprocedural model, which included
      only variables whose values were known before angioplasty, entered lesion length,
      vein graft location, left anterior descending artery location, percent stenosis
      before angioplasty, eccentric lesion and arterial diameter. The postprocedural
      model, which also included variables whose values were known after angioplasty
      was performed, was similar to the preangioplasty model except that it also
      entered postangioplasty percent stenosis and "optimal" balloon sizing but did not
      enter eccentric lesion. These data indicate that the probability of restenosis
      after angioplasty is determined predominantly by the characteristics of the
      lesion being dilated. They are consistent with the known intimal proliferative
      mechanism of restenosis, offer a means of identifying lesions at unusually high
      or low risk of restenosis, and of predicting the likelihood that a particular
      lesion will restenose after angioplasty and provide a rationale for
      stratification by restenosis probability in the design of future studies of
      restenosis.

PMID- 1869726
TI  - Effect of age on use of thrombolytic therapy and mortality in acute myocardial
      infarction. The MITI Project Group.
AB  - The findings in 3,256 consecutive patients hospitalized for acute myocardial
      infarction were tabulated to assess the history, treatments and outcome in the
      elderly; 1,848 patients (56%) were greater than 65 years of age, including 28%
      who were aged greater than or equal to 75 years. The incidence of prior angina,
      hypertension and heart failure (only 3% of patients less than 55 years of age had
      a history of heart failure compared with 24% greater than or equal to 75 years
      old) was found to increase with age. Twenty-nine percent of patients less than 75
      years of age were treated with a systemic thrombolytic drug compared with only 5%
      of patients older than 75 years. Mortality rates increased strikingly with
      advanced age (less than 2% in patients less than or equal to 55, 4.6% in those 55
      to 64, 12.3% in those 65 to 74 and 17.8% in those greater than or equal to 75
      years). Both the incidence of complicating illness and a nondiagnostic
      electrocardiogram (ECG) increased with age. In a multivariate analysis of outcome
      in older patients (greater than or equal to 65 years), adverse events were
      related to both prior history of heart failure (odds ratio 3.9) and increasing
      age (odds ratio 1.4 per each decade of age). Outcome was not improved by
      treatment with thrombolytic drugs, but these agents were prescribed to only 12%
      of patients greater than 65 years of age, thereby reducing the power for
      detecting such an effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869727
TI  - A case for early surgery in native left-sided endocarditis complicated by heart
      failure: results in 203 patients.
AB  - From January 1982 to December 1988, 203 consecutive patients were selected for
      early valve replacement (mean 10 days from time of admission) if they had
      clinical evidence of native valve endocarditis with 1) vegetations on
      echocardiography, 2) severe valvular lesions, and 3) heart failure. Surgery was
      performed within 7 days of admission in 56% of patients and was done urgently
      because of hemodynamic deterioration in 108 (53%). All vegetations were
      identified by echocardiography and confirmed macroscopically at surgery. One
      hundred ten patients had isolated aortic valve infection, 50 had isolated mitral
      valve infection (p less than 0.05 for aortic vs. mitral) and 43 had double-valve
      infection. Mean aortic cross-clamp time was 57, 38 and 67 min, respectively.
      Sixty-four patients (32%) had extensive infection involving the anulus or
      adjacent tissues, or both; such infection more frequently involved the aortic
      than the mitral valve (p less than 0.05). Thirty-eight patients (35%) with aortic
      valve infection had abscess formation compared with 1 patient (2%) with mitral
      valve infection (p less than 0.05). Only eight patients (4%) died in the
      hospital. There were seven patients (3%) with a periprosthetic leak and five
      patients (3%) with early prosthetic valve endocarditis. Long-term follow-up,
      available in 174 hospital survivors (89%), revealed 10 deaths and two new ring
      leaks at 38 +/- 22 months. In conclusion, among patients with endocarditis who
      need surgery for heart failure, aortic valve infection is more prevalent than
      mitral valve infection and is more often associated with extensive infection,
      including abscess formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869728
TI  - Early surgery for native left-sided endocarditis.

PMID- 1869729
TI  - Irregular coronary lesion morphology after thrombolysis predicts early clinical
      instability.
AB  - After successful thrombolytic treatment for acute myocardial infarction,
      recurrent ischemia and infarction may occur with little warning. Coronary lesion
      morphology was analyzed from angiograms performed in 72 consecutive patients at 1
      to 8 days after streptokinase treatment for acute myocardial infarction and the
      data were evaluated in relation to the subsequent clinical course. All patients
      were clinically stable at the time of angiography and continued to receive
      heparin infusion for greater than or equal to 4 days after thrombolysis. The
      infarct-related artery was patent in 55 patients (76%). In the 10 days after
      angiography, 15 patients developed prolonged episodes of angina at rest; the
      condition of 4 stabilized with medical treatment, but 11 required urgent medical
      intervention (coronary angioplasty in 8 and bypass surgery in 3). There were no
      differences in age, gender, left ventricular function or extent of coronary
      artery disease between those patients who developed unstable angina and those who
      had a stable in-hospital course. However, the median plaque ulceration index of
      the infarct-related lesion was 6.7 (95% confidence limits 6.3, 10) in the 15
      patients with an unstable course versus 3.3 (2, 4.4) in those with a stable
      course (p less than 0.001). There were no differences between the two patient
      groups in the severity of stenosis, length of diseased segment,
      symmetry/eccentricity, presence of a shoulder, location at branch point or bend,
      presence of globular or linear filling defects, contrast staining or collateral
      supply. These data show that after thrombolysis, the degree of irregularity of
      the infarct-related artery is a critical determinant of early clinical
      instability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869730
TI  - Prognostic implications of lesion irregularity on coronary angiography.

PMID- 1869731
TI  - Prognostic significance of a predischarge exercise test in risk stratification
      after unstable angina pectoris.
AB  - The prognostic significance of exercise testing was compared with clinical and
      electrocardiographic (ECG) variables in a prospective study of 107 patients with
      unstable angina discharged from the hospital on medical therapy. During a follow
      up period of 12.8 +/- 1.4 months, 10 patients (9%) had a nonfatal myocardial
      infarction (n = 8) or died (n = 2) and 22 (20%) were readmitted with recurrent
      unstable angina. The relation between 20 clinical, ECG and exercise test
      variables and the risk of adverse outcome (death, nonfatal myocardial infarction
      or recurrent unstable angina) was analyzed using both univariate and multivariate
      (logistic regression) analysis. Univariate predictors of adverse outcome included
      diabetes mellitus, evolutionary T wave changes, T wave changes on the preexercise
      ECG and low maximal rate-pressure product during exercise. Independent predictors
      of adverse outcome in multivariate analysis included diabetes mellitus,
      evolutionary T wave changes after admission, rest pain during hospitalization, ST
      depression during exercise and low maximal rate-pressure product. A predictive
      model constructed using the regression equation and all independent predictors
      stratified patients into high and low risk groups (41% and 5% risk of adverse
      outcome, respectively). The result of a predischarge exercise test adds
      independent prognostic information to clinical and ECG data in medically treated
      patients with unstable angina and could be used in combination with clinical and
      ECG data to identify patients at risk of adverse events.

PMID- 1869732
TI  - Vagaries of predischarge exercise stress testing in acute myocardial ischemic
      syndromes.

PMID- 1869733
TI  - Seminar on cardiovascular manifestations of the toxic oil syndrome and related
      conditions.

PMID- 1869734
TI  - Toxic oil syndrome: a current clinical and epidemiologic summary, including
      comparisons with the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.
AB  - In the spring and summer of 1981, an epidemic of a new illness now referred to as
      the toxic oil syndrome occurred in central and northwestern Spain, resulting in
      some 20,000 cases, 12,000 hospital admissions and greater than 300 deaths in the
      1st year of the epidemic. The initial onset of illness was usually acute, and
      patients presented primarily with a respiratory syndrome involving cough, fever,
      dyspnea, hypoxemia, pulmonary infiltrates and pleural effusions. While
      approximately 50% of patients recovered from this acute phase of the illness
      without apparent sequelae, the remaining patients developed an intermediate or
      chronic phase, or both, of illness involving severe myalgia, eosinophilia,
      peripheral nerve damage, sclerodermiform skin lesions, sicca syndrome, alopecia
      and joint contractures, among other findings. Epidemiologic and analytic chemical
      studies have clearly linked the toxic oil syndrome to the ingestion of oil
      mixtures containing rapeseed oil denatured with aniline. However, the precise
      identity of the etiologic agent within this oil has never been determined.
      Aniline itself did not cause the illness, but the causal agent may be a reaction
      product of aniline with some oil component. Although many aspects of disease
      activity in the involved patients have lessened with time, the ultimate
      consequences of their disease are not clear and are the subject of ongoing study.
      The recently described eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome in the United States
      clinically resembles the toxic oil syndrome.

PMID- 1869735
TI  - Intravenous adenosine: continuous infusion and low dose bolus administration for
      determination of coronary vasodilator reserve in patients with and without
      coronary artery disease.
AB  - To assess the use of adenosine as an alternative agent for determination of
      coronary vasodilator reserve, hemodynamics and coronary blood flow velocity were
      measured at rest and during peak hyperemic responses to continuous intravenous
      adenosine infusion (50, 100 and 150 micrograms/kg per min for 3 min) and
      intracoronary papaverine (10 mg) in 34 patients (17 without [group 1] and 17 with
      [group 2] significant left coronary artery disease), and in 17 patients (11
      without and 6 with left coronary artery disease) after low dose (2.5 mg)
      intravenous bolus injection of adenosine. The maximal adenosine dose did not
      change mean arterial pressure (-10 +/- 14% and -6 +/- 12% for groups 1 and 2,
      respectively) but increased the heart rate (15 +/- 18% and 13 +/- 16,
      respectively). For continuous adenosine infusions, mean coronary flow velocity
      increased 64 +/- 104%, 122 +/- 94% and 198 +/- 59% and 15 +/- 51%, 110 +/- 95%
      and 109 +/- 86% in groups 1 and 2, respectively for each of the three doses. Mean
      coronary flow velocity increased significantly after 100 and 150 micrograms/kg of
      adenosine and 10 mg of intracoronary papaverine (48 +/- 25, 52 +/- 19 and 54 +/-
      21 cm/s, respectively; all p less than 0.05 vs. baseline) and was significantly
      higher than in group 2 (37 +/- 24, 32 +/- 16, 41 +/- 23 cm/s; all p less than
      0.05 vs. group 1). The coronary vasodilator reserve ratio (calculated as the
      ratio of hyperemic to basal mean flow velocity) for adenosine and papaverine was
      2.94 +/- 1.50 and 2.94 +/- 1.00, respectively, in group 1 and was significantly
      and similarly reduced in group 2 (2.16 +/- 0.81 and 2.38 +/- 0.78, respectively;
      both p less than 0.05 vs. group 1). Low dose bolus injection of adenosine
      increased mean velocity equivalently to that after continuous infusion of 100
      micrograms/kg, but less than after papaverine. There was a strong correlation
      between adenosine infusion and papaverine for both mean coronary flow velocity
      and coronary vasodilator reserve ratio (r2 = 0.871 and 0.325; SEE = 0.068 and
      0.189, respectively; both p less than 0.0005). No patient had significant
      arrhythmias or prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval with adenosine,
      but papaverine increased the QT (QTc) interval from 445 +/- 44 to 501 +/- 43 ms
      (p less than 0.001 vs. both maximal adenosine and baseline) and produced
      nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in one patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1869736
TI  - Tolerance and safety of pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with adenosine in
      association with thallium-201 scintigraphy in patients with suspected coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - Adenosine thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy is a promising test for coronary
      artery disease detection, but its safety has not been reported in large patient
      cohorts. Accordingly, the tolerance and safety profile of adenosine infusion were
      analyzed in 607 patients (351 men, 256 women, mean age 63 +/- 11 years)
      undergoing this test either because of suspected coronary artery disease (Group
      I, n = 482) or for risk stratification early (5.2 +/- 2.8 days) after myocardial
      infarction (Group II, n = 125). Adenosine increased the heart rate from 74.5 +/-
      14.0 to 91.8 +/- 15.9 beats/min (p less than 0.001) and decreased systolic blood
      pressure from 137.8 +/- 26.8 to 120.7 +/- 26.1 mm Hg (p less than 0.001). Side
      effects were frequent and similar in both groups. Flushing occurred in 35%, chest
      pain in 34%, headache in 21% and dyspnea in 19% of patients. Only 35.6% of Group
      I patients with chest pain during adenosine infusion had concomitant transient
      perfusion abnormalities, compared with 60.7% of Group II patients (p less than
      0.05). First- and second-degree AV block occurred in 9.6% and 3.6% of patients,
      respectively, and ischemic ST changes in 12.5% of cases. Concomitance of chest
      pain and ischemic ST depression was uncommon (6%) but, when present, predicted
      perfusion abnormalities in 73% of patients. Most side effects ceased rapidly
      after stopping the adenosine infusion. The side effects were severe in only 1.6%
      of patients and in only six patients (1%) was it necessary to discontinue the
      infusion. No serious adverse reactions such as acute myocardial infarction or
      death occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869737
TI  - Quantitative thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography during
      maximal pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with adenosine for assessing coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - The diagnostic value of maximal pharmacologic coronary vasodilation with
      intravenously administered adenosine in conjunction with thallium-201 single
      photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for detection of coronary artery
      disease was investigated in 101 consecutive patients who had concomitant coronary
      arteriography. Tomographic images were assessed visually and from computer
      quantified polar maps of the thallium-201 distribution. Significant coronary
      artery disease, defined as greater than 50% luminal diameter stenosis, was
      present in 70 patients. The sensitivity for detecting patients with coronary
      artery disease using quantitative analysis was 87% in the total group, 82% in
      patients without myocardial infarction and 96% in those with prior myocardial
      infarction; the specificity was 90%. The sensitivity for diagnosing coronary
      artery disease in patients without infarction with single-, double-and triple
      vessel disease was 76%, 86% and 90%, respectively. All individual stenoses were
      identified in 68% of patients with double-vessel disease and in 65% of those with
      triple-vessel disease. The extent of the perfusion defects, as quantified by
      polar maps, was directly related to the extent of coronary artery disease. In
      conclusion, quantitative thallium-201 SPECT during adenosine infusion has high
      sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing the presence of coronary artery
      disease, localizing the anatomic site of coronary stenosis and identifying the
      majority of affected vascular regions in patients with multivessel involvement.

PMID- 1869738
TI  - Echocardiographic demonstration of decreased left ventricular dimensions and
      vigorous myocardial contraction during syncope induced by head-up tilt.
AB  - Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed during a head-up tilt test in 11
      control subjects (group I) and 18 patients with recurrent unexplained syncope. In
      four patients (group II), the head-up tilt test was negative at baseline and
      after isoproterenol infusion. Syncope was induced during baseline head-up tilt in
      nine patients (group III) and after isoproterenol challenge in five (group IV).
      The echocardiographic variables assessed were left ventricular end-systolic and
      end-diastolic areas and percent fractional shortening. At the end of head-up
      tilt, end-systolic area decreased by 4.5 +/- 1.3 and 3.0 +/- 1.2 cm2 in groups
      III and IV, respectively, compared with 0.5 +/- 0.7 and 0.2 +/- 0.1 cm2 in groups
      I and II, respectively (p less than 0.04). Similarly, end-diastolic area
      decreased by 5.5 +/- 2.6 cm2 in group III compared with 2.7 +/- 1.9 and 1.75 +/-
      0.4 cm2 in group I and II, respectively (p less than 0.04). Additionally, at the
      end of the baseline study, fractional shortening was significantly greater in
      group III and group IV (43 +/- 5%) than in groups I and II (p less than 0.01). In
      conclusion, syncope induced by head-up tilt is associated with vigorous
      myocardial contraction and a significant decrease in left ventricular end
      systolic dimensions. This left ventricular hypercontractility may play an
      important role in the pathogenesis of syncope induced by head-up tilt.

PMID- 1869739
TI  - Importance of left ventricular systolic function in the assessment of left
      ventricular diastolic function with Doppler transmitral flow velocity recording.
AB  - To study the effect of left ventricular systolic function on the Doppler
      transmitral flow velocity pattern, Doppler echocardiographic variables were
      correlated with hemodynamic indexes in 11 control subjects and 58 patients with
      heart disease. All underwent cardiac catheterization performed with use of a
      Millar micromanometer. The time constant of left ventricular isovolumetric
      pressure decrease and left ventricular end-diastolic myocardial stiffness was
      calculated. The 58 patients were classified into two groups according to ejection
      fraction: group I (n = 30; ejection fraction greater than 55%) and group II (n =
      28; ejection fraction less than 50%). Compared with the control subjects,
      patients in group I had impairment only of left ventricular relaxation (time
      constant 47 +/- 9 vs. 38 +/- 3 ms; p less than 0.01), whereas patients in group
      II had, in addition to impaired left ventricular relaxation (time constant 52 +/-
      11 vs. 38 +/- 3 ms; p less than 0.01), increased preload, increased pulmonary
      capillary pressure (12 +/- 8 vs. 5 +/- 3 mm Hg; p less than 0.01) and increased
      myocardial stiffness (2,018 +/- 980 vs. 1,050 +/- 218 g/cm2; p less than 0.01).
      In group I, there was a significant partial correlation coefficient between the
      time constant and deceleration half-time (r = 0.54). In group II, a strong
      correlation existed between myocardial stiffness and peak atrial filling velocity
      (r = -0.71) and between myocardial stiffness and the ratio of peak atrial to peak
      rapid filling velocity (r = -0.71).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869740
TI  - Effective aortic regurgitant orifice area: description of a method based on the
      conservation of mass.
AB  - The natural history of aortic regurgitation is incompletely understood in part
      because of the lack of a simple method to estimate the defect size. A method of
      determining the effective regurgitant orifice area that combines Doppler catheter
      and Doppler echocardiographic techniques and is based on the principle of
      conservation of mass (the continuity equation) is described. To validate the
      application of the Doppler catheter system for measuring regurgitant
      supravalvular diastolic flow, an in vitro model of retrograde aortic flow was
      used. These studies indicated that measurements of supravalvular retrograde
      velocity with the Doppler catheter accurately reflect retrograde diastolic
      velocity when the aorta is less than 4.8 cm in diameter. Twenty-three patients
      undergoing cardiac catheterization were studied; 20 of these patients had aortic
      regurgitation. Retrograde supravalvular diastolic velocity was determined from a
      Doppler catheter positioned above the aortic valve. The effective regurgitant
      orifice area was calculated with use of the Doppler catheter-derived regurgitant
      volume and mean transvalvular diastolic velocity as determined by either
      catheterization or continuous wave Doppler echocardiography. The catheterization
      derived regurgitant orifice area increased with the angiographic grade of as
      follows: 1+ (0.04 to 0.10 cm2), 2+ (0.15 to 0.49 cm2), 3+ (0.29 to 1.11 cm2) and
      4+ (1.24 to 1.33 cm2). By combining Doppler catheter, echocardiographic and
      cardiac catheterization techniques, the effective aortic regurgitant orifice area
      may be estimated; this hydrodynamic area correlates with grading by supravalvular
      aortography. Calculation of this area provides a quantitative alternative to
      aortography for estimating the severity of aortic regurgitation but should be
      used with caution in patients with a markedly dilated aorta.

PMID- 1869741
TI  - Errors in pressure gradient measurement by continuous wave Doppler ultrasound:
      type, size and age effects in bioprosthetic aortic valves.
AB  - The accuracy of continuous wave Doppler ultrasound in deriving pressure gradients
      across bioprosthetic heart valves was evaluated in an in vitro pulse duplicator.
      Simultaneous pressure transducer and Doppler measurements were made in new and
      explanted aortic bioprosthetic valves of several sizes and four types: Carpentier
      Edwards, Ionescu-Shiley, Hancock standard and Hancock modified. The mean and peak
      gradients calculated by the modified Bernoulli equation from Doppler velocity
      measurements were always greater than those measured manometrically, despite
      corrections for location dependence of the manometric gradient (or pressure
      recovery). The relation between manometric and ultrasonically determined gradient
      was found to be statistically dependent on the valve type (mean gradient p less
      than 0.0001; peak gradient p = 0.0003) and size (mean gradient p = 0.0089; peak
      gradient p = 0.0107). Effects of implantation were observed, but were not shown
      to be significant. It is concluded that the continuous wave Doppler velocity data
      overestimated prosthetic valve pressure gradient in all cases, even when pressure
      recovery was taken into account. Clinicians should be wary of Doppler data when
      making major diagnostic or therapeutic decisions.

PMID- 1869742
TI  - Electrophysiologic studies during acute myocardial infarction: do they
      prognosticate?

PMID- 1869743
TI  - Time-dependent variation in the cardiac conduction system assessed in young
      healthy individuals at weeks' interval: implications for clinical trials.
AB  - The time-dependent physiologic variations of the cardiac conduction system were
      evaluated at repeated invasive studies in 10 healthy individuals. Their mean age
      was 28 years (range 22 to 34) and they volunteered to undergo two
      electrophysiologic studies at intervals of 14 to 63 days (mean 25). The
      coefficients of variation, repeatability and reproducibility, which should be the
      preferred statistics when assessing the reproducibility of continuous variables,
      were calculated. The mean sinus cycle length had a high reproducibility, with
      coefficients of variation between 2% and 6%. The mean and maximal sinus node
      recovery times, however, varied considerably. The reproducibility was very high
      for ventricular depolarization and repolarization (QRS, JT, QT), with
      coefficients of variation between 2% and 6%. The coefficients of variation were
      below the acceptable 10% value for intraatrial conduction, atrioventricular (AV)
      node conduction, His-Purkinje conduction as well as the Wenckebach point; for the
      effective refractory period of the AV node, it was 12%. Repeat invasive
      electrophysiologic testing is a safe and reproducible method for evaluating and
      comparing cardioactive drug effects in healthy subjects. The same statistical
      analyses were applied to previously published studies on continuous
      electrophysiologic variables, which allowed comparisons among different groups of
      healthy and sick persons, as well as among different electrophysiologic variables
      and procedures. Furthermore, the minimal actual treatment differences that can be
      detected with a reasonable (80%) probability at a predetermined (5%) significance
      level using a crossover design were estimated for different electrophysiologic
      variables. These data will assist in the calculation of the necessary sample size
      for clinical trials and related purposes.

PMID- 1869744
TI  - Morphologic comparison of frequency and types of acute lesions in the major
      epicardial coronary arteries in unstable angina pectoris, sudden coronary death
      and acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - The frequency and type of acute lesions in the four major (right, left main, left
      anterior descending, left circumflex) epicardial coronary arteries were examined
      at necropsy in 14 patients with unstable angina pectoris, 21 patients with sudden
      coronary death and 32 patients with a fatal first acute myocardial infarction.
      None of the 67 patients had a grossly visible left ventricular scar (healed
      myocardial infarct) and only the group with acute myocardial infarction had left
      ventricular myocardial necrosis. Although the frequency of intraluminal thrombus
      was similar in patients with unstable angina (29%) and sudden death (29%) and
      significantly lower than in those with acute infarction (69%) (p = 0.02), the
      thrombus in the patients with unstable angina and sudden death consisted almost
      entirely of platelets and was nonocclusive, whereas the thrombus in the group
      with acute infarction consisted almost entirely of fibrin and was occlusive. The
      frequency of plaque rupture was insignificantly different in the groups with
      unstable angina (36%) and sudden death (19%), and was significantly lower than in
      the group with acute infarction (75%) (p = 0.02). The frequency of plaque
      hemorrhage was insignificantly different in the groups with unstable angina (64%)
      and sudden death (38%) and was significantly lower than in the group with acute
      infarction (90%) (p = 0.04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869745
TI  - A new method for noninvasive estimation of ventricular septal defect shunt flow
      by Doppler color flow mapping: imaging of the laminar flow convergence region on
      the left septal surface.
AB  - An accurate but simple and noninvasive method for quantifying flow across a
      ventricular septal defect has yet to be implemented for routine clinical use. A
      region of flow convergence is commonly imaged by Doppler color flow mapping on
      the left septal surface of the ventricular septal defect, appearing as a narrowed
      region of laminar flow with aliased flow velocities entering the orifice. If the
      first aliasing region represents a hemispheric isovelocity boundary of a surface
      of flow convergence and all flow at this surface crosses the ventricular septal
      defect, the flow through the defect can be estimated by using the radius (R),
      measured from the first alias to the orifice, and the Nyquist limit (NL) velocity
      (the flow velocity at the first alias). Doppler color flow imaging was performed
      in 18 children with a single membranous ventricular septal defect undergoing
      cardiac catheterization at a mean age of 29.8 months (Group I). Indexes of
      maximal flow rate across the defect were developed from either the radius or the
      area, obtained by planimetry, of the first alias, based on Doppler color flow
      images. All indexes were corrected for body surface area and compared with shunt
      flow (Qp-Qs) and pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) determined at cardiac
      catheterization. Doppler color flow indexes derived from images of flow
      convergence in both the long-axis (n = 15) and oblique four-chamber (n = 10)
      views correlated closely with Qp/Qs (r = 0.71 to 0.92) and Qp - Qs (r = 0.69 to
      0.97).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869746
TI  - Doppler color mapping of the proximal flow convergence region: a new quantitative
      physiologic tool.

PMID- 1869747
TI  - A novel method to maintain ductus arteriosus patency.
AB  - Survival of patients with certain ductal-dependent congenital heart diseases
      depends on continued patency of the ductus arteriosus or the surgical creation of
      an aortopulmonary shunt. The latter may be difficult in the presence of
      hypoplastic pulmonary arteries. Long-term prostaglandin therapy may be used to
      maintain ductal patency but is not without limitation and side effects. This
      experimental study describes a novel approach to maintain ductal patency with a
      stainless steel stent. Six newborn lambs less than or equal to 48-h old had a
      ductal stent placed during right heart catheterization. Two lambs less than 36-h
      old had a stent delivered by the arterial route. The stent was delivered and
      released at the target with relative ease and no incidence of embolization.
      Continued ductal patency up to 3 months was demonstrated by repeat cardiac
      catheterization and angiography, two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography
      and postmortem examination. The experimental model provides a left to right shunt
      model in which the size may be increased as the animal grows. More important, a
      ductal stent could be used to maintain ductal blood flow in neonates and infants
      with ductal-dependent cardiac malformations, thereby avoiding a thoracotomy.

PMID- 1869748
TI  - Diastolic mitral regurgitation with atrioventricular conduction abnormalities:
      relation of mitral flow velocity to transmitral pressure gradients in conscious
      dogs.
AB  - Diastolic mitral regurgitation is a common finding that can be detected with use
      of Doppler echocardiographic techniques in patients with atrioventricular (AV)
      conduction abnormalities. With use of simultaneous hemodynamic and Doppler
      techniques, mitral flow velocity, mitral valve motion and transmitral pressure
      gradient were studied during 50 cardiac cycles each of spontaneous or atrial
      paced first- and second-degree AV block in five lightly sedated dogs. Diastolic
      mitral regurgitation was detected during atrial relaxation on all beats in which
      ventricular contraction was delayed greater than 190 ms. In all dogs the
      diastolic regurgitation was associated with a reverse transmitral pressure
      gradient (3.7 +/- 1.1 mm Hg in first-degree AV block and 3.2 +/- 1.5 mm Hg in
      second-degree AV block) that occurred primarily as the result of a decrease in
      atrial pressure with atrial relaxation. These reverse pressure gradients were as
      large as the maximal forward transmitral gradients in early diastole (2.9 +/- 0.9
      mm Hg in first-degree AV block and 3.1 +/- 0.7 mm Hg in second-degree AV block)
      and larger than the maximal forward pressure gradients at atrial contraction (1.7
      +/- 0.5 and 1.4 +/- 0.6 mm Hg, respectively, p less than 0.05). The maximal
      reverse pressure gradient during atrial relaxation was also as large as the
      reverse pressure gradient in mid-diastole (2.7 +/- 0.9 and 2.8 +/- 1.0 mm Hg,
      respectively), associated with deceleration of early diastolic mitral flow. Peak
      diastolic mitral regurgitation velocity coincided with the maximal reverse
      transmitral gradient and was usually larger than anterograde mitral flow
      velocity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869749
TI  - Dissociation of diastolic pressure-segment length and pressure-wall thickness
      relations during vasodilation in the conscious dog.
AB  - The effects of pharmacologic vasodilation and reductions in circumflex coronary
      artery pressure on the ventricular diastolic pressure-segment length and pressure
      wall thickness relations were studied in nine conscious dogs equipped with an
      inflatable cuff on the proximal circumflex artery, a micromanometer in the left
      ventricle and four sets of piezoelectric crystals to measure wall thickness and
      endocardial segment length in the left circumflex and left anterior descending
      artery territories. Adenosine infusion into the circumflex coronary artery
      increased endocardial and transmural blood flow to that territory (measured by
      microspheres) by 436% and 487%, respectively (both p less than 0.05), and shifted
      the left circumflex artery territory pressure-wall thickness curve upward (p less
      than 0.05) without affecting the circumflex pressure-segment length, the left
      anterior descending artery territory pressure-segment length or pressure-wall
      thickness curves significantly; papaverine also shifted the circumflex region
      pressure-wall thickness curve upward (p less than 0.05). Both with and without
      vasodilation, moderate reductions in circumflex artery perfusion pressure did not
      affect the position of the ventricular pressure-wall thickness or the pressure
      segment length curve (although during adenosine infusion endocardial blood flow
      decreased from 436% to approximately 100% of control values). More severe
      reductions in perfusion pressure (less than 45 mm Hg under control conditions and
      less than 30 mm Hg during adenosine infusion) decreased coronary blood flow below
      control values and caused a marked downward shift of the circumflex region
      pressure-segment length curve without affecting the position of the pressure-wall
      thickness curve.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869750
TI  - Effect of transient coronary occlusion on coronary blood flow autoregulation,
      vasodilator reserve and response to adenosine in the dog.
AB  - Myocardial ischemia of short duration (15 to 20 min) produces myocardial
      "stunning" during reperfusion. The vasoregulatory and contractile status of
      reperfused myocardium during normal and reduced perfusion pressures is of
      interest in the treatment of patients with unstable angina. In the present study
      the effects of 15 min of reversible ischemic injury on several aspects of
      coronary vasoregulation were assessed with use of pressure-flow curves in
      anesthetized open chest dogs. The left anterior descending coronary artery was
      cannulated and perfused with arterial blood with use of a servo-controlled roller
      pump. The autoregulatory gain and an adenosine dose-response curve for coronary
      flow before and after ischemia and reperfusion were obtained. The maximal
      autoregulatory gain values in the pressure range of 140 to 60 mm Hg were not
      significantly different before and after ischemia and reperfusion (0.41 +/- 0.08
      vs. 0.5 +/- 0.06, p greater than 0.1). The adenosine dose-response curve was
      significantly shifted to the right after reperfusion; however, coronary blood
      flows during maximal adenosine vasodilation over a large range of perfusion
      pressures (140 to 60 mm Hg) were significantly greater after ischemia and
      reperfusion. The pressure-dependent decrease in segment shortening
      (sonomicrometry) over the coronary pressure range of 160 to 30 mm Hg was similar
      in myocardium before and after stunning. Contractile function in the stunned
      myocardium at normal (100 mm Hg) and low (40 mm Hg) coronary perfusion pressures
      was similarly and significantly enhanced by the administration of adenosine. It
      is concluded that 1) coronary autoregulation is unchanged after brief ischemia
      and reperfusion; 2) although maximal coronary vascular conductance assessed with
      adenosine is greater after ischemia, the coronary circulation shows a decreased
      coronary sensitivity to exogenous adenosine; 3) the relation of contractile
      function to coronary pressure before and after stunning is unchanged; and 4)
      enhancement of function in stunned myocardium by vasodilation with adenosine
      occurs at low and normal perfusion pressures.

PMID- 1869752
TI  - Experimental infarct size reduction with calcium channel blockers.

PMID- 1869751
TI  - Effect of intracoronary diltiazem on infarct size and regional myocardial
      function in the ischemic reperfused canine heart.
AB  - This study was designed to investigate whether intracoronary diltiazem given
      before reperfusion could enhance myocardial salvage in the canine heart. Twenty
      five dogs were subjected to 90 min of coronary occlusion followed by 4 h of
      reperfusion. The dogs were assigned to one of three experimental groups. The
      early diltiazem group received intracoronary diltiazem into the distal coronary
      bed at the onset of coronary occlusion and for 60 min after reperfusion. The late
      diltiazem group received the same amount of drug beginning 15 min before
      reperfusion and the control group received saline solution for 90 min of
      occlusion and 60 min of reperfusion. Infarct size expressed as a percent of the
      area at risk was significantly smaller in the early and late diltiazem groups
      (15.6 +/- 3.6% and 21.2 +/- 5.1%, respectively) than in the control group (49 +/-
      4.6%) (p less than 0.05). Intracoronary diltiazem restored systolic function of
      the stunned, previously ischemic tissue to essentially normal preocclusion
      values. Segmental shortening after reperfusion averaged 21.6% in the early
      diltiazem group versus 0 +/- 1.7% and 7.3 +/- 4% for the control and late
      diltiazem groups, respectively (p less than 0.05). Low dose intracoronary
      diltiazem did not alter hemodynamic variables or myocardial blood flow but did
      improve segmental shortening 2 and 6 h after reperfusion. These data indicate
      that intracoronary diltiazem given during occlusion or just before reperfusion
      increases the salvage of myocardium compared with the salvage achieved by
      reperfusion alone. These results also suggest that intracoronary diltiazem given
      during the ischemic period enhances systolic contractile function of postischemic
      stunned myocardium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869753
TI  - Effect of coronary reocclusion after initial reperfusion on ventricular function
      and infarct size.
AB  - Reocclusion of a coronary artery after thrombolytic therapy occurs in
      approximately 12% to 33% of patients; however, there are few experimental data
      concerning reocclusion. Accordingly, to compare the effects of reocclusion versus
      sustained occlusion on the myocardium, a canine model (n = 12) of 2 h of left
      circumflex artery occlusion, 1 h of reperfusion and 1 h of reocclusion was
      studied. In a control group (n = 11), 3 h of circumflex artery occlusion was
      followed by 1 h of reperfusion. As a result, both groups had the same total
      duration of ischemia (3 h) and reperfusion (1 h). Hemodynamic measurements,
      radioactive microsphere injections and two-dimensional echocardiography were
      performed at baseline, occlusion and reperfusion for both groups and at the end
      of reocclusion for the experimental group. In vivo risk area was determined with
      Evans blue dye and infarct size with triphenyltetrazolium staining methods.
      Similar decreases in myocardial blood flow after coronary occlusion and similar
      reperfusion blood flows occurred in both groups. Despite intervening reperfusion
      in the reocclusion group, no significant difference was found in the infarct
      size/risk area ratio between the reocclusion and control groups (54.5 +/- 6.9%
      vs. 48.4 +/- 5.1%, respectively, p = NS). Two-dimensional echocardiography
      demonstrated a similar degree and extent (159 +/- 9 degrees vs. 153 +/- 12
      degrees, p = NS) of left ventricular dysfunction with both the occlusion and
      reocclusion. In addition, there were no significant differences in global or
      regional left ventricular function between the two groups. However, reocclusion
      after reperfusion did produce a further deterioration in ischemic zone wall
      thickening (9.5 +/- 2.0% to 0.7 +/- 1.8%, p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869754
TI  - Functional longitudinal dissociation versus decremental conduction in accessory
      pathways.

PMID- 1869755
TI  - Women's changing work roles: implications for the progress of the dietetic
      profession.

PMID- 1869756
TI  - Selected body composition and growth measures of junior elite gymnasts.
AB  - Selected body composition measures of female junior elite gymnasts (n = 146) were
      evaluated cross-sectionally (ie, we observed a younger and an older group at one
      point in time, not the same individuals over time). For certain comparisons, the
      gymnasts were grouped into a younger group (7- to 10-year-olds) and an older
      group (11- to 14-year-olds). Gymnasts were in the 50th percentile for
      weight:height ratio, regardless of age. However, weight:age and height:age
      percentiles progressively dropped from the 48th to the 20th as age increased.
      Body fat percentage did not differ significantly between age groups. Triceps and
      subscapular skinfolds were 63% and 56%, respectively, of the age-related standard
      for the younger group and 52% and 39%, respectively, of the age-related standard
      for the older group. Arm muscle circumference and calculated arm muscle area of
      the gymnasts were in about the 75th percentile, regardless of age grouping. In
      general, as they grew older, gymnasts became progressively smaller in weight and
      height for age but were highly muscled for size. The steady age-related drop in
      height:age and weight:age percentile may be attributable to nutritional deficits,
      a sport-specific selection favoring retention of small but powerful gymnasts, or
      a combination of these factors. We recommend that young gymnasts be carefully
      observed longitudinally by trained nutrition professionals to ensure that
      inadequate nutrient intake is not a contributing factor to poor growth or health.

PMID- 1869757
TI  - Pica practices of pregnant women.
AB  - This report summarizes current knowledge about pica practices during pregnancy
      through a systematic review of the literature for the period 1950 through 1990.
      Pica behavior was considered in terms of its prevalence, risk factors, clinical
      profile, and effect on pregnancy outcome. Data on pica practices by pregnant
      women are limited and inconclusive but reveal several interesting relationships.
      The prevalence of pica among pregnant women in high-risk groups declined between
      the 1950s and the 1970s but now remains steady, affecting about one fifth of high
      risk women. Women at high risk of pica are more likely to be black, to live in
      rural areas, and to have a positive childhood and family history of pica. The
      clinical picture of the disorder during pregnancy is not well described. The
      evidence suggests that pica during pregnancy results in anemia, but it is not
      definitive. Pica also has been associated with maternal and perinatal mortality.
      We conclude that the behavior is more prevalent than commonly believed, shows no
      sign of further decline, and may have serious effects, particularly anemia, on
      mother and infant. Dietetic practitioners who counsel pregnant women should ask
      questions about pica when they conduct nutrition assessments of their clients.

PMID- 1869758
TI  - Correlates of breast-feeding in a low-income population of whites, blacks, and
      southeast Asians.
AB  - Infant feeding was examined in 492 children in a population-based survey
      conducted in a low-income, urban county of St Paul, Minn. Of 41 Southeast Asian
      infants who were foreign born, 93% (38) had been breast-fed compared with 10%
      (12) of Southeast Asian infants born in the United States (n = 116). Among non
      Southeast Asian infants, 73% (173) of whites (n = 237), 63% (27) of blacks (n =
      43) and 65% (36) of other ethnic groups (n = 55) had been breast-fed. Among the
      non-Southeast Asian infants, the initiation of breast-feeding was associated with
      higher parental education and with being married. Ethnic group, level of poverty,
      and participation in the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
      Children during pregnancy did not appear to influence the initiation of breast
      feeding. The findings indicate a higher incidence of breast-feeding than in
      previous surveys of low-income black and white women; however, this may reflect
      the higher educational level of the non-Southeast Asian study population. In
      contrast, the sharp decline in the incidence of breast-feeding among Southeast
      Asian infants who were born in the United States compared with those who were
      foreign born indicates the need for public health approaches to strengthen
      traditional breast-feeding practices.

PMID- 1869759
TI  - Use of modified diets in nursing homes.
AB  - Randomly chosen medical charts of 212 elderly subjects in 11 nursing homes were
      reviewed to determine which characteristics of the subjects were most closely
      associated with their diet prescriptions. The chart reviews indicated that 104
      (49.0%) of the 212 subjects had some type of nutrient-modified diet prescription.
      Eight patients who were tube fed were not included in subsequent analyses. Sodium
      restriction was the most common modification (60 [29.4%] of the remaining 204
      patients) and calorie-controlled diets were also common (52 [25.5%] of the
      patients). Of the 55 patients with hypertension, 31 (56.4%) had no sodium
      restriction. Only 10% of all low-sodium diets limited sodium to 2 g per day. Of
      the 38 patients with diabetes, 7 (18.4%) had no prescription for calorie control,
      and there was no indication that increased dietary fiber was encouraged for
      diabetic patients. Only one of the 121 subjects with a diagnosis of coronary
      heart disease or atherosclerosis had a prescription for a cholesterol-lowering
      diet. Characteristics of the subjects not specifically related to diet or
      diagnosis, such as age, sex, duration of stay, and level of care, had no
      significant relationship to diet prescription. These findings suggest that the
      practitioners in our sample were not convinced of the efficacy of modified diets
      to control disease for most nursing home residents.

PMID- 1869760
TI  - Time spent in state-recommended functions by consultant dietitians in Wisconsin
      skilled nursing facilities.
AB  - In this study we determined how consultant dietitians working in Wisconsin
      skilled nursing facilities distributed their time among contracted duties. At the
      time of the study, the 400 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin employed 160
      consultant dietitians. Of these, 135 consultant dietitians were eligible to
      participate in the study. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data on
      educational background, experience, and actual time spent in state-recommended
      functions, additional resident-care functions, and additional non-resident-care
      functions. Completed, usable questionnaires were returned by 65 (48%) of the 135
      consultant dietitians. Data were analyzed statistically and presented as medians,
      means, and standard deviations. Mean time (minutes) consultant dietitians spent
      per resident admission activity was as follows: data collection, 31.3; care
      planning, 28.9; resident counseling, 18.5; medical record review, 17.7; discharge
      referral, 15.4. Mean time (minutes) consultant dietitians spent per month in
      other activities was as follows: facility evaluation, 75.3; student training,
      120; allied staff training, 38.7; foodservice staff training, 46.8; technician
      training, 128; menu planning, 76.9; diet manual review, 21.6; quality assurance
      programs, 31.8; quality assurance audits, 34; report preparation for facility
      administrator, 33.4; and policy development, 32.8. Mean times reported in this
      study may be used as time guidelines by the state of Wisconsin for evaluating how
      skilled nursing facilities contract for services of consultant dietitians. Other
      state and federal regulatory agencies could use the time guidelines for
      comparison and verification until future studies provide more data on time
      standards for state-recommended functions, additional resident-care functions,
      and additional non-resident-care functions.

PMID- 1869761
TI  - Family-oriented nutrition intervention for a lipid clinic population.
AB  - We have developed a unique, family-oriented approach to lowering plasma
      cholesterol concentrations in persons with familial hyperlipidemias. The approach
      includes individual clinic visits and group nutrition classes and uses dietary
      goals outlined in The New American Diet. A series of 13 nutrition classes is
      presented to small groups, usually composed of relatives from pedigrees with
      familial hypercholesterolemia or other familial hyperlipidemias. Dietary action
      goals, cooking demonstrations, food tasting, and finger-stick plasma cholesterol
      determinations are important components of the classes. Problem-solving
      discussion is encouraged in the group. Over the past 4 years, 143 hyperlipidemic
      individuals, along with at least 94 unaffected family members, have participated
      in 31 groups, which have met for at least six classes. Many clinic participants
      lower plasma cholesterol by 20% or more. Keys to the success of this program
      include emphasizing dietary therapy, using the family setting for nutrition
      intervention, providing hands-on experience with food and recipes, promoting
      problem solving for dietary action goals, measuring blood cholesterol during
      classes, and encouraging long-term follow-up for participants with physicians and
      dietitians.

PMID- 1869762
TI  - Drug-mineral interactions: a new responsibility for the hospital dietitian.
AB  - Recent hospital accreditation guidelines encourage hospital dietitians to monitor
      patient drug therapy and provide education regarding drug-food interactions.
      However, information concerning these interactions is lacking, even though they
      can occur frequently. Minerals in foods can complex with drugs and/or alter the
      gastrointestinal environment to affect the normal absorption processes of drugs
      and minerals. There are three types of drug-mineral interactions: (a)
      malabsorption of the mineral and/or drug; (b) mineral depletion and retention;
      and (c) drug-mineral interactions induced by simultaneous antacid ingestion. It
      is recommended that oral drugs be administered on an empty stomach 1 hour before
      or 2 hours after a meal and at least 2 hours before or after antacid use. A small
      snack of refined carbohydrates with low nutrient density can be consumed with
      drugs that cause gastric upset when given on an empty stomach.

PMID- 1869763
TI  - Nutrition components and assessment procedures of a university employee wellness
      program: a case study.
AB  - This article describes the various nutrition components and data collection tools
      developed and implemented within the Montana State University Employee Wellness
      Program. Nutrition components included a variety of classes, seminars, follow-up
      support groups, and individual consultations. Tools included surveys and
      computerized data input cards. It is important for dietetic professionals to
      initiate the development and implementation of a quality nutrition component
      within university employee wellness programs.

PMID- 1869764
TI  - Children in foster care: are they at nutritional risk?

PMID- 1869765
TI  - A clinical nutrition incentive program for dietetic technicians.

PMID- 1869766
TI  - Perspectives on nutrition during pregnancy: Part I, Weight gain; Part II,
      Nutrient supplements.

PMID- 1869767
TI  - Capsaicin and primary afferent neurons: from basic science to human therapy?

PMID- 1869768
TI  - Reflex changes in thermogenesis in the interscapular brown adipose tissue in
      response to thermal stimulation of the skin via sympathetic efferent nerves in
      anesthetized rats.
AB  - Reflex responses of both temperature in the interscapular brown adipose tissue
      (IBAT) and activity of the sympathetic efferent nerves innervating the IBAT to
      cutaneous thermal stimulation were examined in anesthetized rats. Thermal
      stimulation of the ear at 4 degrees C for 20 s produced a transient decrease in
      the temperature of the IBAT during this period, followed by a prolonged increase
      (lasting 7 min). This response was completely abolished in animals whose IBAT
      sympathetic nerves were bilaterally sectioned. Direct recording of IBAT
      sympathetic efferent activity revealed that thermal stimulation of the ear at 4
      degrees C for 20 s increased activity for 80 s after the onset of stimulation.
      The threshold temperature of the cold stimulation for eliciting increased nerve
      activity was around 22 degrees C. However, warm stimulation up to 49 degrees C
      had no significant effect on activity. In addition to stimulation of the ear,
      cold stimulation of the face and neck at 4 degrees C also increased nerve
      activity, while warm stimulation at 49 degrees C of any skin area had no
      influence. The present results demonstrate that excitation of cutaneous cold
      receptors, but not warm or heat receptors, reflexly increases thermogenesis in
      the IBAT via excitation of sympathetic nerve activity, and that cold receptor
      afferents to cranial and cervical segments effectively increase nerve activity in
      the IBAT.

PMID- 1869770
TI  - Distribution of splenic, mesenteric and renal neurons in sympathetic ganglia in
      rats.
AB  - The distribution of postganglionic neurons innervating the spleen, intestine and
      kidney in paravertebral and prevertebral sympathetic ganglia was studied in rats
      using retrograde transport of fluorescent dyes. Labelled cells were counted in
      the thoracolumbar chain ganglia T6-L4, splanchnic ganglia and the solar plexus
      (fusion of left and right coeliac ganglia and superior mesenteric ganglion). Most
      splenic neurons were located in the splanchnic ganglion (64%), mesenteric neurons
      in the solar plexus (96%) and renal neurons in the sympathetic chain ganglia
      (80%). These three groups of neurons were distributed in overlapping ganglia
      within the paravertebral chain. Innervation of the spleen and intestine from the
      chain ganglia was bilateral, whereas innervation of the kidney was almost
      entirely ipsilateral. In conclusion, the sympathetic postganglionic neurons
      controlling the spleen, intestine and kidney have their cell bodies in different
      ganglia. These three groups of neurons are candidates for innervation by
      different subgroups of preganglionic neurons.

PMID- 1869769
TI  - Sympathoadrenal excitation and inhibition by lower brainstem stimulation in cats.
AB  - Effects of stimulation of brainstem sites on hemodynamics and plasma
      catecholamine levels were assessed in cats under chloralose-urethane anesthesia.
      Pressor areas of the dorsal medulla (DM) and ventrolateral medulla (VLM) and the
      depressor area of the paramedian reticular nucleus (PRN) were stimulated
      electrically using a monopolar electrode, or chemically using sodium glutamate
      microinjection. Plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) were
      measured in caval blood above the adrenal veins. Electrical stimulation of the DM
      and VLM produced increases in blood pressure and in plasma NE and EPI levels that
      were enhanced after acute vagotomies. The NE and EPI responses were attenuated
      after acute, bilateral adrenalectomies, confirming augmented adrenomedullary
      secretion, whereas the pressor responses were intact. Injection of sodium
      glutamate into the same pressor regions of the DM or VLM also produced pressor
      responses and elevated plasma catecholamine levels, indicating that the responses
      resulted from activation of neuronal perikarya. Stimulation of the PRN attenuated
      pressor and catecholamine responses during stimulation of the DM and VLM. The
      results indicate that pressor responses during stimulation of the DM and VLM are
      due at least partly to activation of perikarya in these regions, are associated
      with but not dependent on adrenomedullary activation, and are enhanced after
      vagotomy; and that neurons of the PRN exert inhibitory modulation of the pressor
      and adrenomedullary responses during stimulation of VLM and DM.

PMID- 1869772
TI  - Responses of rostroventrolateral medulla spinal vasomotor neurones to
      chemoreceptor stimulation in rats.
AB  - The activity of spinal projecting 'vasomotor' neurones of the rostroventrolateral
      medulla (RVL) has been recorded in anaesthetised and paralysed rats. They
      responded to carotid body chemoreceptor stimulation (0.208 M NaH2PO4) with an
      increase in discharge that preceded an evoked increase in arterial blood
      pressure. This initial excitatory response was followed by a fall in discharge
      correlated to the rise in blood pressure. RVL neurones, which had equivalent
      sensitivity to baroreceptor inputs but no spinal projecting axons, failed to
      exhibit the initial excitatory response on chemoreceptor stimulation. These
      observations suggest that the pressor response to chemoreceptor stimulation is
      mediated, at least partially, by excitation of RVL-spinal 'vasomotor' neurones.

PMID- 1869771
TI  - Cardiovascular changes in response to uterine stimulation.
AB  - These experiments examined cardiovascular responses to uterine horn distension in
      anesthetized rats. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate following distension
      of the uterine horn were compared in estrous and diestrous rats. In the estrous
      rats, there was a significant decrease in both heart rate and blood pressure
      following uterine horn pressure of 150 mmHg or greater. This depressor and
      bradycardia response did not reliably occur in the diestrous rats. To determine
      the afferent limb of this uterine-cardiovascular reflex, the pelvic and
      hypogastric nerves were cut consecutively and the effect of uterine horn
      distension was tested after each nerve cut. Following hypogastric, but not pelvic
      nerve transection, the cardiovascular responses to uterine horn distension were
      eliminated or severely attenuated. The importance of hypogastric afferent nerve
      fibers was further demonstrated by recording single unit activity in these fibers
      to uterine horn distension. The units responded with a pressure-dependent
      increase in firing rate, at uterine pressure levels of 50 mmHg and higher. To
      determine the efferent limb of the reflex, the cardiovascular responses were
      measured before and after vagus nerve transection. Elimination of this
      parasympathetic neural activity did not affect the inhibitory cardiovascular
      responses to uterine horn distension, suggesting that these fibers may not be
      responsible for the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Recordings of
      multi-unit activity from sympathetic efferent fibers in the renal nerve, a
      vasoconstrictor nerve, showed a decrease to uterine horn distension. A decrease
      in renal nerve efferent activity was observed at uterine horn pressures of 150
      mmHg or greater and the time course of the renal nerve response paralleled the
      cardiovascular response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869773
TI  - Reticulospinal vasomotor neurones in decerebrate rats: effect of pentobarbitone.
AB  - The pattern of discharge of rostroventrolateral 'vasomotor' neurones has been
      studied in the decerebrate rat before and following the administration of
      pentobarbitone. Baroreflex inputs were effective in both situations, but the
      sensitivity of the reflex was heightened in the anaesthetised decerebrate
      condition even though the anaesthetic depressed neuronal discharge. The
      application of this anaesthetic failed to depress the inhibitory action of
      iontophoretically applied gamma-aminobutyric acid whose effectiveness was, if
      anything, enhanced. Arterial blood pressure was also reduced on the
      administration of the anaesthetic. These observations, taken together, suggest
      that the action of this, and potentially other anaesthetic agents, in lowering
      blood pressure may be mediated, in part, by the lowering of activity of these
      rostroventrolateral 'vasomotor' neurones.

PMID- 1869774
TI  - [Techniques, results and indications of embryonic reductions in multiple
      pregnancies. Review of the literature].
AB  - The authors report, after a review of the literature, the evolution of ideas
      concerning first-trimester terminations in multiple pregnancies. Different
      techniques are performed including transabdominal approach or transvaginal
      approach at the mean gestational age of 9 or 11 weeks of amenorrhea. Analysis of
      obstetrical results obtained after these procedures (rates of early or late
      abortions, preterm labor or in utero growth retardation) shows a high rate of
      abortions and demonstrate also that reductions are unable to prevent premature
      births. Indications are discussed: concerning pregnancies of high order (four or
      more), most part of authors agree with the procedure and also when a triplet
      pregnancy occurs on a scarred or malformed uterus. Concerning triplet
      pregnancies, the procedure remains considered by some teams as an unethical
      approach of theses gestations, specially when considering the recent advances in
      perinatal medicine. In all cases, a clear and complete information about the
      risks of these procedures should be given to couples faced with multiple
      pregnancies.

PMID- 1869775
TI  - [Children of personalized anonymous oocyte donation. Psychologic aspects].
AB  - The first children born as a result of oocyte donation are being subjected to a
      psychological study. Despite the small number of cases and the reservations
      required, it appears that the mother's denial of both infertility and filiation
      rupture is massive at the onset of pregnancy and subsequently persists. The
      harmonious psychological development of these children might be related to this
      denial.

PMID- 1869776
TI  - [Lipid composition of peritoneal and follicular ovulatory fluid from patients
      participating in an in vitro fertilization protocol].
AB  - The aim of this work is to study and compare lipid composition of peritoneal and
      ovulatory follicular fluid of women. The studied patients are involved in a FIV
      protocol. We have studied 53 peritoneal fluids and 90 follicular fluids from 33
      patients. On each sample the following parameters are estimated: cholesterol,
      triglycerides, phospholipids, non esterified fatty acids (A.G.N.E.), HDL and LDL
      cholesterol, HDL and LDL phospholipids. Lipid composition of follicular and
      peritoneal fluids differ from these of blood plasma. The two mediums studies show
      no differences with regard to their lipid composition. In both cholesterol is
      only found as HDL cholesterol. Cholesterol arising from spermatozoa membranes may
      be implicated in capacitation phenomenon. HDL Cholesterol, the only form found in
      the studied mediums, may act as a cholesterol acceptor. Theses two points
      partially explain the fact that follicular and peritoneal fluids are good mediums
      for capacitation and survival of spermatozoa.

PMID- 1869777
TI  - [Ultrasonic prenatal diagnosis of lip and palate cleft. Report of 10 cases].
AB  - Hare-lips and cleft palates are the most frequent manifestations of facial
      malformations (approximately 1 in 1,000 deliveries). The authors point out their
      technique for ultrasound assessment of the normal and pathological fetal face in
      the antenatal period. The antenatal examination gives an excellent diagnostic
      approach of the site and the nature and the extent of the abnormality. The
      screening for facial defects can be carried out routinely when studying the
      morphology in the second trimester of pregnancy or when there are other
      indications for doing this. Although the malformation is usually an isolated one,
      the management of these cases really depends mainly on any associated
      malformations than on the normality of the karyotype.

PMID- 1869778
TI  - [Prenatal diagnosis of abdomino-pelvic cystic lymphangioma as part of proteus
      syndrome].
AB  - Proteus syndrome is difficult to diagnose owing to its low incidence and to the
      late recognition of its identity, due to polymorphous border diseases and to the
      polymorphous lesions which characterize. The authors report a prenatal diagnosis
      of abdominal and pelvic cystic lymphangioma as part of proteus syndrome.

PMID- 1869779
TI  - [Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura and pregnancy: significance of fetal blood
      punction].
AB  - The authors report three cases of percutaneous fetal blood sampling at 38 weeks
      of pregnancies complicated by immunologic thrombocytopenia. In each case, the
      purity was perfect which is essential for using the examination with a view to
      the obstetrical management. The birth is programmed 24 or 48 hours later. In two
      cases, the neonatal control is in agree with the fetal blood sampling. In the
      third observation, the fetal platelet count in 142,000/mm3 and the newborn
      control 55,000/mm3: the only explanation is a very active process as usually
      state with newborns. There was no accident, and these samplings led to natural
      births. This approach seems to be the more effective for the evaluation of fetal
      platelet count and allow the choice of birth management. A cesarean section is
      decided in case of fetal thrombopenia lower than 50,000/mm3.

PMID- 1869781
TI  - [Course of metrorrhagia after biopsy curettage of the endometrium in women in
      reproductive age ].
AB  - Authors working in the department of gynaecology and obstetrics in the university
      hospital of Caen with non-pregnant, non-menopausal women who were followed-up for
      at least 2 years after curettage have been able to carry out a retrospective
      study of 102 curettage and biopsies carried out either for diagnosis or to lessen
      bleeding in cases of metrorrhagia, menorrhagia or menometrorrhagia. Histology of
      the endometrium showed 40 cases of hyperplasia, 17 cases of polyps in the cavity
      of the uterus, 19 cases of atrophy, 6 cases of endometritis, 3 cases of atypical
      hyperplasia and 17 cases of normal endometrium. Hysterectomy was carried out in
      22 cases because of recurrence of metrorrhagia. Anatomopathological examination
      of the operation specimens had shown iatrogenic atrophy of the mucosa in 13 cases
      (59%). The authors believe that this hypoplasia can be responsible for some
      recurrences and suggest that the state of the endometrium should be reassessed
      when metrorrhagia reappears in spite of well controlled treatment with
      progestagens. In the case of atrophy a cycle of oestrogens and progestagens
      should be started as it should be immediately after the curettage. The authors
      hope in this way to lessen the number of hysterectomies that have to be carried
      out because of failure of medical treatment.

PMID- 1869780
TI  - [Uterine metastasis of breast cancer. Report of 8 cases].
AB  - The authors report a retrospective clinicopathologic study of 8 cases of uterine
      metastases from breast cancer. This is the largest surgical series dealing with
      this subject to be published to date. Not autopsy case has been considered. Much
      information has come out of this analysis and out of the international literature
      review: secondary location in the uterus can occur many years after the diagnosis
      and treatment of primary cancer of the breast; infiltration of the endometrium
      appears as common as infiltration of the myometrium; the histological type is
      nearly always invasive lobular carcinoma. The later was found in seven out of
      eight cases; the evaluation of hormone receptor levels in the surgical specimens
      has shown that most breast cancers metastasizing to the uterus are hormone
      dependent.

PMID- 1869782
TI  - [Risk factors of ectopic pregnancy. A case-control study at 7 maternity units in
      the Paris area].
AB  - A case-control study was conducted in seven maternity hospitals in the Paris area
      in 1988 to evaluate the role of several risk factors in ectopic pregnancy (EP). A
      total of 279 cases and 307 controls were compared for sociodemographic
      characteristics, cigarette smoking, sexual reproductive and surgical histories
      and for the conditions under which conception occurred. Many factors were found
      to be associated with an increased risk of EP: cigarette smoking related to the
      number smoked at the time of conception (Odds Radio (OR) 1.26 to 2.72),
      appendicectomy (OR 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.56), prior tubal surgery (OR = 2.42, 95%
      CI = 1.37-4.22), prior use of intrauterine devices (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.02
      1.80), induced ovulation cycle (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.01-2.74) and prior EP (OR =
      3.90, 95% CI = 2.27-6.75). Chlamydia trachomatis seropositivity was associated
      with an increased risk of EP (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.04-2.13), but clinically
      reported pelvic inflammatory disease was not. Maternal age, parity, previous
      induced abortion and previous spontaneous abortion were not associated with EP.
      Use of an intrauterine device, progestagen micro-pill or the combined
      oestrogen/progestagen pill at the time of conception were associated with a lower
      risk of intrauterine pregnancy than of EP. These findings confirm the importance
      of several of the previously reported risk factors for EP; STD's, previous EP and
      cigarette smoking. They also identify new risk factors: appendicectomy, induced
      ovulation cycle, and showed that the combined oestrogen/progestagen pill does not
      prevent ectopic pregnancy as effectively as it prevents intrauterine pregnancy.

PMID- 1869783
TI  - [Functioning of implantable catheters of intraperitoneal chemotherapy].
AB  - Intraperitoneal chemotherapy with a totally implantable catheter was performed in
      42 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who received 178 courses of chemotherapy
      administered in 2 l of solution. Major complication was inflow obstruction due to
      fibrosis around the catheter observed in 10 patients, 23.8% of the cases. Other
      complications were: leakage 3 (7.1%), pain 3 (7.2%), infection 3 (7.1%) and
      rectal perforation 1 (2.4%). Overall, these complications occurred in 15 patients
      (35.7%) and were the cause of treatment interruption in 7 (16.7%). Outflow
      obstruction which occurred in 23 patients (54.8%), did not create discomfort and
      could not be considered as a complication. Despite the problems, intraperitoneal
      chemotherapy with a totally implantable catheter appeared feasible in at least
      80% of the patients.

PMID- 1869784
TI  - [Results of intraperitoneal chemotherapy of ovarian cancer].
AB  - We studied a series of 42 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who received
      intraperitoneal chemotherapy post second-look laparotomy. High-dose cisplatin
      (200 mg/m2) alone or in combination with cytarabine (2 g) achieved 47% response
      rate. Median overall survival from second-look laparotomy was 44 months with
      cisplatin (36 cases), 15 months with carboplatin (600 mg/m2, 5 cases) and not
      reached at 3 yrs with mitoxantrone (25 mg/m2, 8 cases). Median overall and
      progression-free survival from second-look laparotomy were 44 and 39 months
      respectively in complete responders (15 cases), 20 months and 9 months where
      residual tumor less than 2 cm (21 cases), 22 and 12 months where tumor greater
      than 2 cm (6 cases). There was a significant difference in survival (P = 0.01)
      and progression-free survival (P = 0.002) between complete responders and
      patients whose tumor was less than 2 cm. Toxicity was acceptable except for
      carboplatin with constant grade 4 leukocytes or platelets toxicity. It was not
      demonstrated that high-dose intraperitoneal chemotherapy given post second-look
      laparotomy will improve survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Further studies of
      polychemotherapy or early administration are needed.

PMID- 1869785
TI  - [Ovarian abscess. Report of 2 cases].
AB  - Ovarian abscess is very rare and is usually a complication of acute purulent
      salpingitis. It can however rarely be isolated. Wilson and Black found 28 cases
      of 75,262 women who were admitted to the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
      in Philadelphia between 1948 and 1963. There are only 120 cases in the
      literature. We report here two cases of abscess of the ovary which were operated
      in our department at an interval of one month.

PMID- 1869786
TI  - [The initiative for a risk-free motherhood: which perspectives?].
AB  - The "Safe Motherhood Initiative" started off with a first conference held in
      Nairobi in February 1987. In 1989, several conferences were organised throughout
      the world which led to a new current of opinion in favour of maternal health
      improvement. Governments, decision markers and aid agencies have been called upon
      to support such Initiative. In this paper, we review the main characteristics of
      the Safe Motherhood Initiative and analyse two main constraints which were
      insufficiently discussed during the conferences. The first one is the need to
      increase the efficiency of the existing health system. The second one is the
      problem which arises from poor acceptability by the populations of certain health
      activities promoted by the Initiative. By giving various examples, we describe
      how these factors may restrict its expected results. Proposals are made to
      increase the efficacy of the programmes and of activities promoted by the
      Initiative and to ensure its mid-range continuation. The authors suggest that
      specific attention and more resources have to be given to achieving specific
      operational researches, by taking into account the health behaviour of the
      populations, the characteristics of the existing health services and the
      resources available. Such research will lead to improved maternal health
      activities.

PMID- 1869787
TI  - [Simple locomotion and during load carrying in pregnant women].
AB  - There have been few studies of the way women walk in pregnancy, though some of
      the causes of low back ache of which they complain have only been partially
      worked out. This is why this study has been carried out on ten women between the
      third and eighth month of pregnancy. The speed at which they walk and the
      parameters of the gait as well as the localization of the centre of gravity when
      keeping upright have been measured in these pregnant women as well as in twenty
      control women of the same age. The results show that the speed at which they walk
      whether with or without carrying a weight usually is identical at the beginning
      and the end of pregnancy. When walking normally the size of the steps taken are
      no larger in pregnant women than in the control patients (p less than 0.05).
      Though the results are not statistically significant the rhythm of the steps is
      faster as well as their being a reduction in the length of the steps between the
      third and eighth month of pregnancy. When carrying a weight the length of the
      steps does not change greatly with pregnancy (p less than 0.05) and it would seem
      therefore to be a good way of assessing the changes that locomotion undergoes in
      pregnancy. The fact that women do not walk faster or slower can give evidence
      that they adapt to the change in posture that happens in pregnancy and they make
      the best possible biomechanical use of the parameters of walking in order to
      economise total energy output of the organism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869788
TI  - [Leg amputation as a result of attempted voluntary abortion].
AB  - The authors looked at the clinical situation and the possible pathogenicity which
      in this case was almost certainly traumatic. It would explain the total absence
      of one leg at the delivery of a baby who had no other psychomotor changes. They
      used this very exceptional case history of the loss of the lower limb after an
      attempt at terminating a pregnancy to study the matter from the French and
      foreign bibliography on the subject, which anyhow is very short. There was an
      attempt to terminate a pregnancy at an undisclosed duration of amenorrhoea
      (between 9 and 13 weeks) by suction evacuation followed by curettage. On the
      medico-legal side the authors analysed the reasons why there was no penal
      indictment brought at the same time as the civil action was brought prosecution,
      and also points out that the Conseil d'Etat decided, contrary to the
      Administrative Tribunal who were petitioned as to the responsibility for the
      serious handicap this child suffered to be established publically. They analysed
      the evolution of judicial and administrative jurisprudence on the matter of
      failure to terminate a pregnancy. The authors list other possibilities for
      traumatising a fetus in utero when the inside of the uterus is explored either
      when the pregnancy is a spontaneous pregnancy or an assisted reproductive
      pregnancy. The cases of pregnancy requiring a reduction in the number of embryos
      who will be born or the destruction of handicapped children whose legal status
      seems not only to be recognised at birth, but even in utero by the judges of the
      supreme administrative court.

PMID- 1869789
TI  - [Fast determination of pulmonary surfactant in amniotic fluid using fluorescent
      polarization (FLM test Abbott)].
AB  - A study of 60 amniotic fluids obtained by amniocentesis shows that the
      measurement of total surfactant phospholipids by the TDX Fetal Lung Maturity
      assay makes it possible to predict accurately fetal lung maturity. A sensitivity
      of 100% is similar to that of other tests currently used but with a higher
      specificity (93% instead of 65% for the L/S ratio and 55% for the
      phosphatidylglycerol). The phospholipid/albumin ratio is carried out
      automatically by means of a fluorescence polarization method with the TDX Abbott
      apparatus. A cut off value of 50 mg/g should be considered as a good fetal lung
      maturity indicator. The population studied was composed of women with an arterial
      hypertension (n = 6), diabetes (n = 9) preterm premature rupture of the membranes
      (n = 8), gemellary pregnancy (n = 5) or with a risk of premature outcome (n =
      10). In all cases delivery occurred within 24 hours after the amniocentesis. The
      average gestational age was 36 weeks. Seven newborns (11%) presented hyaline
      membrane disease. In conclusion, this simple and rapid test seems to be adequate
      to evaluate with accuracy the fetal lung maturity in abnormal pregnancies. It
      must however, be associated with the determination of phosphatidylglycerol, when
      the fluid is contaminated by blood or meconium.

PMID- 1869790
TI  - [Nasopharyngeal cancer and pregnancy. Review of the literature. Report of a
      case].
AB  - We present a case of a rare condition of nasopharyngeal cancer and pregnancy
      occurring together. We review the unusual epidemiological, clinical and
      prognostic features of this type of cancer. Because of the immunological changes
      that occur in pregnancy and because of the potential oncogenic role of Epstein
      Barr virus we consider that pregnancy worsens the prognosis for nasopharyngeal
      cancer. After having pointed out the risks of radiotherapy and particularly of
      chemotherapy in pregnancy, we discuss the need to carry out a therapeutic
      abortion because of the effect that pregnancy will have if it is allowed to go on
      to term.

PMID- 1869791
TI  - [Umbilical and cerebral Doppler velocimetry hypertension in pregnancy].
AB  - The authors carried out a combined study using Doppler Flow Studies of the
      umbilical and fetal anterior cerebral arteries in 26 pregnancies which were
      complicated by maternal hypertension. Using the ratio between the cerebral and
      the umbilical blood flow it may be possible to diagnose intra-uterine growth
      retardation more accurately than using classical measurements. An inversion of
      the ratio between the cerebral and the umbilical flows has a great prognostic
      value with a sensibility of 91.6%, a specificity of 87.5% and a positive
      predictive value of 84.6% with a negative predictive value of 93.13%. There may
      however quite often be a lengthy interval of time between the appearance of
      change in the ratio and the appearance of fetal distress, so that this sign can
      only be one indication for delivery of the fetus.

PMID- 1869793
TI  - [Adverse effects of nalbuphine administered during labor].

PMID- 1869792
TI  - [Newborn bacterial infection caused by materno-fetal contamination. Retrospective
      epidemiologic study at a maternity unit].
AB  - A retrospective epidemiological study of neonatal bacterial infection due to
      contamination from the mother was carried out in maternity unit. We analysed the
      results of taking bacterial swabs from the skin and GI tract in newborn children
      when there was a possibility, or even probability, from the criteria given that
      there would be infection. These results compare with different criteria. In 19
      months there were 2,622 live born children; 40.6% of those had swabs taken; the
      infection rate was 0.61% of newborns, but 16% of the newborns, had asymptomatic
      colonisation by bacteria. The high risks of finding positive swabs as shown by
      increased infection rates by colonisation occurred where the mothers had high
      temperatures. Our results led us to change the criteria for antibiotic treatment
      immediately after birth, in newborn babies.

PMID- 1869794
TI  - [Vitamin K and newborn hemorrhage].

PMID- 1869795
TI  - Lymphocytes in the intestine: role and distribution.
AB  - Once a pathogen penetrates the surface epithelium, the process of immune
      activation begins. The pathogen is transported across the intestinal epithelium
      by M cells and presented to the underlying lymphocytes in Peyer's patches by
      MHCII positive enterocytes. At the same time, intraepithelial lymphocytes are
      activated and secrete interferon tau which increases the ability of enterocytes
      to present antigen. Simultaneously, intraepithelial lymphocytes may also cytolyse
      pathogens. In Peyer's patches, T-lymphocytes in parafollicular areas interact
      with antigen presenting cells and antigenic peptides to become activated. B
      lymphocytes in follicular areas are also initially activated by the interaction
      of antigen and their surface Ig. B-lymphocyte activation is enhanced by helper T
      lymphocytes so that B-lymphocytes begin to proliferate in germinal centres. Most
      B-lymphocytes at this stage are surface IgA positive whether induced by T-switch
      cells or by isotype specific T-lymphocytes. At the same time activated T
      suppressor cells and contrasuppressors regulate the immune response to maintain
      it at an optim level. All these lymphocytes then leave Peyer's patches via blood
      vessels to mesenteric lymph nodes and the spleen where further cellular
      activation occurs. Thereafter, activated lymphocytes return to the intestine
      either directly or via the peripheral circulation. Those that reach the intestine
      directly, differentiate into effector cells and enter the lamina propria. In the
      lamina propria, plasma cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes destroy pathogens by
      secreting specific Ig and by cytotoxicity respectively. Activated helper T
      lymphocytes in the lamina propria probably help in local responses by acting on
      the few resting B-lymphocytes present there. T-suppressor lymphocytes enter the
      epithelium to become intraepithelial lymphocytes and regulate responses by
      suppressor and contrasuppressor activities. Intraepithelial lymphocytes are also
      cytotoxic for luminal pathogens. Activated lymphocytes which do not return to the
      intestine directly enter the thoracic duct and thereby the general circulation.
      In this way a local gut response is converted into a systemic one and memory
      lymphocytes are disseminated throughout the body. In addition, suppressor and
      contrasuppressor T-lymphocytes also become available for peripheral effects.
      Large number of these lymphocytes remain in circulation, while others return to
      the intestine to provide local protection. A schematic representation of
      thetraffic of lymphocytes is shown in Fig. 3.

PMID- 1869797
TI  - Prevalence of Clostridium difficile in hospitalised patients with acute diarrhoea
      in Calcutta.
AB  - During a 12-month period, Clostridium difficile was isolated from 38 (11.1%) of
      341 hospitalised patients suffering from acute diarrhoea and from five (3%) of
      172 patients as control who were admitted with illnesses other than diarrhoea. It
      was the sole bacterial pathogen in 31 cases. 87% of the isolates obtained from
      patients with diarrhoea produced neutralisable cytotoxin. None of these patients
      had any history of previous treatment using antibiotics. No age or gender
      specific high incidence was observed. Clinical presentation in these patients
      revealed no distinctive pattern. Both dysenteric and diarrhoeal presentations
      were found, the latter being more frequent. The results suggest that Clostridium
      difficile by itself may be a causal agent of acute diarrhoea.

PMID- 1869796
TI  - Study of Entamoeba histolytica isolates from Calcutta with special reference to
      their zymodeme, animal pathogenicity and erythrophagocytosis.
AB  - Entamoeba histolytica isolates, obtained mainly from asymptomatic human cyst
      passers, were tested for their in vitro erythrophagocytic activity and lesion
      forming ability in hamster liver. Simultaneous zymodeme typing of the isolates
      showed that, along with the pathogenic zymodemes, a number of isolates having
      nonpathogenic zymodemes also produced liver lesions in hamsters and engulfed
      higher numbers of RBCs. The observed positive correlation between the rate of
      erythrophagocytosis of an E. histolytica trophozoite and its degree of lesion
      producing capacity in hamster liver suggest that the erythrophagocytosis assay in
      conjunction with the hamster liver inoculation test, can be useful in the
      identification of virulent E. histolytica isolates.

PMID- 1869798
TI  - Enterotoxigenicity of human and animal isolates of Campylobacter jejuni in
      ligated rat ileal loops.
AB  - Human and animal isolates of Campylobacter jejuni were tested for
      enterotoxigenicity in ligated loop of Charles-Foster rats. Of 21 isolates, 13
      were proved to be toxin-positive in the initial experiments. However, the
      remaining 8 required one to three passages through the rat ileal loop before
      showing the capacity to produce enterotoxin. All isolates caused fluid
      accumulation comparable with the amount produced by the standard toxigenic strain
      of Vibrio cholerae 01 1naba 569B. The isolates of C. jejuni from human and animal
      sources did not show any quantitative difference in their capacity to produce
      enterotoxin.

PMID- 1869799
TI  - Aeromonas-associated diarrhoea in north India.
AB  - The incidence of Aeromonas-associated diarrhoea in patients attending the
      hospital attached to the Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, India was
      investigated during May 1984-May 1987. Microbiological examination of single
      faecal samples from 2,661 patients showed the presence of various enteropathogens
      of which details of only Aeromonas isolations are given and discussed in the
      present article. A small control sample of 105 age-matched healthy volunteers
      were also examined. Only 55 patients (2.1% of all patients) showed Aeromonas spp.
      in their stool samples on culture. Aeromonas as a single pathogen was isolated
      from 37 patients and, from 18 patients it was mixed with other enteropathogens.
      Stools of healthy controls did not contain any pathogen. Seven of 25 isolates of
      A. caviae, all 18 isolates of A. sobria and all 7 isolates of A. hydrophilla were
      shown to be enterotoxigenic by rabbit ileal loop test. There was no immunological
      cross-reaction between Aeromonas enterotoxin and Escherichia coli labile toxin
      antiserum. The Aeromonas isolates were susceptible to most of the commonly used
      antimicrobial agents except ampicillin and cephalothin.

PMID- 1869800
TI  - Failure of aspirin in symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhoea.
AB  - Aspirin-mediated prostaglandin inhibition has been suggested in symptomatic
      relief of diarrhoea. The aim of the study was to evaluate in a controlled double
      blind trial if a short-term treatment with aspirin could limit the clinical
      course of acute diarrhoea in adults. Seventy patients attending the Department of
      Infectious Diseases, General Hospital of Malmo, Sweden, with acute diarrhoea due
      to different causal agents, received either 1500 mg aspirin per day (n = 33) or
      placebo (n = 37) for two days. No difference was observed in the duration of
      diarrhoea, frequency and consistency of stools during treatment or subjective
      general discomfort. The previously reported effect of aspirin on acute diarrhoea
      could not be confirmed in this clinical study.

PMID- 1869801
TI  - A randomised, double-blind clinical trial of a maltodextrin containing oral
      rehydration solution in acute infantile diarrhoea.
AB  - We compared the efficacy of a maltodextrin containing oral rehydration salts
      (ORS) solution with that of the WHO recommended glucose-ORS solution in a double
      blind randomized study of treating 69 children (33 in experimental group; 36 in
      control group) aged 4-36 months with acute diarrhoea causing mild to moderate
      dehydration. Both the groups of children were similar in initial clinical
      characteristics and received only ORS solutions. No significant differences in
      stool output (median 88.0, range 34-320 g/kg body wt. in experiment vs 75.0, 25
      410 g/kg in control), intake of ORS solution (125.0, 58-360 ml/kg body wt. vs
      154, 130-250 ml/kg), and duration of recovery from diarrhoea (2.0 d, range 1-6 vs
      2.0 d, 1-9) were found between the groups. The haematocrit and serum electrolyte
      values in the two groups 24 hours after starting treatment were also similar. The
      results suggest that the ORS containing maltodextrin (50 g/l) in place of glucose
      has no advantage over WHO-ORS in correcting mild to moderate dehydration of
      children with acute diarrhoea.

PMID- 1869802
TI  - Record of clinicopathological conference of the International Centre for
      Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. A 30-year-old woman with fever,
      diarrhoea, and wasting. Case 1--1991.

PMID- 1869804
TI  - International health.

PMID- 1869803
TI  - Bibliography on diarrhoeal diseases.

PMID- 1869805
TI  - A historical perspective on international health.
AB  - Between about 1875 and the early twentieth century, most major disease pathogens
      were identified and their epidemiology clarified. The technical and material
      developments of the nineteenth century led to a form of practical
      internationalism that was expressed also in the health sector. The Pan American
      Health Organization was established in 1902 to coordinate health issues in the
      Western Hemisphere. The Health Office of the League of Nations, now little known,
      played an important role in the 1920s and 1930s, particularly in the control of
      epidemic diseases in Eastern Europe and later in nutrition. The general framework
      of the League Health Office became the basis of the World Health Organization,
      founded in 1946. Certain international agencies play a special role in health; of
      these, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank have a
      worldwide role. The Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP)
      and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh
      (ICDDR,B) are examples of essentially regional organizations with considerable
      influence. Private voluntary organizations, missions, and foundations have also
      had a substantial effect on health in certain circumstances.

PMID- 1869806
TI  - National and international health agencies. Profile of key players.
AB  - The major players in international health and health policy have a tremendous
      potential to contribute to the wellbeing of humankind. Multilateral
      organizations, such as WHO, have universal areas of concern. The financial
      multilateral agencies play a key role in influencing development through the
      leverage of financial resources. Bilateral agencies of donor countries influence
      health policy direction by the magnitude of their financial resources. Private
      organizations, including universities, foundations, professional associations,
      nongovernmental organizations, and US industry, play an important role in
      identifying important policy issues through research, designing and developing
      appropriate technology, and acquiring the knowledge base necessary to form sound
      international health policy decisions.

PMID- 1869808
TI  - The role of clinical epidemiology in establishing essential national health
      research capabilities in developing countries.
AB  - Health research directly relevant to the needs of the people of developing
      countries is essential for equity in development as well as for improving health
      planning and management. the international Commission on Health Research for
      Development has stressed the need to strengthen the capacity of developing
      countries, no matter how poor, to carry out essential national health research
      (ENHR). Clinical epidemiologists in developing countries can significantly
      contribute to the manpower available for ENHR. They play a major role in the
      provision and practice of appropriate health care by contributing to the critical
      assessment of priority health problems and by carrying out scientific evaluation
      of new and conventional intervention tools. In clinical epidemiology units in
      developing countries, transdisciplinary collaboration with social scientists and
      health economics has enhanced the capacity to do research that would influence
      decision-making and health policy, even as links with ministries of health and
      other ENHR-committed networks are being strengthened. The potential for carrying
      out ENHR will be multiplied as national and regional training centers for
      clinical epidemiology in selected developing countries are established.

PMID- 1869809
TI  - Applications and transfer of technology to the nations of the South.
      Biotechnology and the control of childhood enteric infections.
AB  - The optimal use of biotechnology to address the health care needs of developing
      countries entails the formation of interdisciplinary working groups linking basic
      biomedical scientists with public health workers, epidemiologists, physicians,
      and social scientists. Their mission should be congruent with and guided by the
      public health goals and primary care program of the country or region. Moreover,
      their research and development activities should lead to products that address a
      specific need and which are evaluable, cost-effective, and readily transferred to
      the public health sector. With respect to the enteric infections of childhood,
      the essential components of an integrated control effort are a field site where
      infections of this kind are common and readily studied; a local public health
      laboratory where the performance of new products can be tested and where
      technology transfer can occur; a basic science laboratory where molecular
      pathogenicity studies lead to new diagnostic tests, vaccines, and drugs; and a
      production laboratory where these products can be refined and prepared in
      sufficient amounts for field testing. This strategy is now being evaluated for
      the control of infantile diarrhea through the combined use of epidemiologic
      investigations, DNA probe and amplification techniques, and molecular
      fingerprinting. Together, these methods are yielding new information about
      microbial reservoirs and transmission systems; in turn, this information should
      lead to highly focused public health interventions.

PMID- 1869807
TI  - Public and private donor financing for health in developing countries.
AB  - Among the many variables that influence the outcome of national health status in
      both developed and developing countries, the availability and efficiency of
      financing is critical. For 148 developing countries, annual public and private
      expenditures from domestic sources (1983) were estimated to be approximately $100
      billion. For the United States alone, annual public and private costs for medical
      care are almost five times larger ($478 billion, 1988). In contrast to domestic
      expenditures, the total flow of donor assistance for health in 1986 was estimated
      to be $4 billion, approximately 5% of total current domestic expenditures by
      developing countries. Direct donor assistance for development purposes by the
      United States Government approximates 0.5% of the US federal budget (1988).
      Approximately 10% of all United States development assistance is allocated for
      health, nutrition, and population planning purposes. While the total health
      sector contribution is on the order of $500 million annually, the US contribution
      represents about 13% of health contributions by all external donors. In sub
      Saharan Africa, all donor health allocations only reach 3.4% of total development
      assistance. While available data suggest that private and voluntary organizations
      contribute approximately 20% of total global health assistance, data reporting
      methods from private agencies are not sufficiently specific to provide accurate
      global estimates. Clearly, developing countries as a whole are dependent on the
      efficient use of their own resources because external financing remains a small
      fraction of total domestic financing. Nevertheless, improvement in health sector
      performance often depends on the sharing of western experience and technology,
      services available through external donor cooperation. In this effort, the
      available supply of donor financing for health is not restricted entirely by
      donor policy, but also by the official demand for external financing as submitted
      by developing countries. In perspective, the supply of financing for health
      greatly exceeds the receipt of well-articulated and officially approved proposals
      from developing countries. The major constraints that produce this imbalance are
      unfamiliarity of ministries of health with potential donor sources; passive
      approaches to external financing; unfamiliarity with proposal preparation;
      increasing competition within developing countries by competing sectors, such as
      industry and agriculture; limited numbers of trained personnel; and absence of an
      international system which is able to support developing countries in mobilizing
      external financing. Tested solutions to these issues have been applied in one
      geographic region.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869810
TI  - Population growth. Implications and problems.
AB  - Population growth in the twentieth century is at its highest level in history,
      with the world's population now doubling in approximately 40 years. An
      unprecedented 90 million people are being added worldwide each year, with most of
      the growth taking place in the developing world. The implications of this rate of
      growth are discussed, as are some of the program efforts underway to decrease the
      rate of increase.

PMID- 1869811
TI  - Nutritional problems of developing countries.
AB  - The nutritional problems of developing countries are conditioned by poverty, near
      exclusive reliance on plant sources of nutrients, and high rates of infections.
      Common deficiency diseases include protein-energy malnutrition, nutritional
      anemias, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency, and possibly others. Population
      subgroups at particularly high risk are the children and women of poor families.
      Control of these nutritional diseases requires systematic diagnosis of the
      existing situation and appropriate intervention strategies such as targeted food
      and specific micronutrient supplementation, food fortification, nutrition
      education, and reductions in infections as well as general improvements in
      economic conditions and social equity.

PMID- 1869812
TI  - Acute respiratory infections.
AB  - During the past decade, recognition of the significance of pneumonia for
      childhood mortality has greatly increased. Etiologic studies have clarified the
      role of Streptococcus pneumoniae and H. influenzae as the pathogens most
      responsible for childhood pneumonia in developing countries. Case management
      intervention strategies using community health workers to identify cases of
      pneumonia by counting respiratory rate and observing chest indrawing have been
      shown to reduce ARI-related mortality. Although research is underway to develop
      more effective vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and non-type b H.
      influenzae, effective case management will remain the most realistic method of
      reducing mortality in the next decade. Important gaps remain in our understanding
      of the pathogenesis, etiology, and epidemiology of acute respiratory infections.
      Our understanding is complicated by the multiplicity of viral and bacterial
      agents and their interrelationships, by an abundance of interacting host risk
      factors, and by diverse social, cultural, and environmental factors. However,
      sufficient knowledge is available to support the implementation of the WHO case
      management intervention strategies, which will save the lives of the many
      children now dying because of pneumonia.

PMID- 1869813
TI  - The Nairobi STD program. An international partnership.
AB  - Since 1980, Canadian, Belgian, and American scientists have been working together
      with colleagues in Kenya to understand the epidemiology and biology of sexually
      transmitted diseases (STDs) in Africa. The rapid spread of human immunodeficiency
      virus has dramatically increased the importance of this information.
      Interventions to slow the spread of all STDs and to reduce their consequences are
      now our major priority. However, this will require continuing research, ongoing
      training of scientists, epidemiologists, and technologists, and increasing
      financial support from industrialized societies.

PMID- 1869814
TI  - Chemicals and environmentally caused diseases in developing countries.
AB  - This chapter discusses international aspects of diseases resulting from exposure
      to chemical pollutants in the environment, with an emphasis on developing
      countries. These countries share many of the same problems of air, water, and
      pesticide pollution that face the more industrialized countries. In developing
      countries, however, the problems are compounded by a number of unique situations,
      viz., economic priorities, high burden of infectious diseases, impoverishment,
      and absence of a regulatory framework for the disposal of toxic chemicals. This
      discussion emphasizes the importance of interactions among toxicants,
      malnutrition, and infectious diseases for both urban and rural populations
      insofar as these interactions contribute to disease. Toxicants not only produce
      disease directly but also exacerbate diseases with other causes. Specific
      examples from developing countries demonstrate how human health effects from
      exposures to environmental chemicals can be assessed. While they do not strictly
      fall under the rubric of "developing countries," the public health consequences
      of inadequate control of environmental pollution in the East European countries
      should demonstrate the magnitude of the problem, except that in developing
      countries the public health consequence of environmental chemicals will be
      aggravated by the widespread malnutrition and high prevalence of infectious
      diseases. Much needs to be done before we can adequately quantify the
      contribution of environmental chemicals to morbidity and mortality in developing
      countries with the level of sophistication now evident in the charting of
      infectious diseases in these countries.

PMID- 1869815
TI  - Travel medicine and travel clinics.
AB  - In response to the vast number of American travelers to the developing world, the
      discipline of Travel Medicine has become an emerging specialty. There are
      presently no formal Board or other requirements to practice Travel Medicine, but
      bona fide practitioners of this field, who also usually direct travel clinics,
      should at the least be well-trained and experienced in tropical medicine and
      medical aspects of travel, and have had considerable overseas work experience.
      The concept of travel medicine and the need for travel clinics operated by well
      qualified physicians are discussed. The areas of involvement of travel clinics in
      protecting the health of the traveler are described.

PMID- 1869816
TI  - How to set up your program in international health.
AB  - The foregoing delineation on the rationale, structure, and process for
      development of a program or institute in international health is not meant to be
      prescriptive. Flexibility, relevance, and sensitivity to the local context-the
      academic health center setting--are crucial, just as these characteristics are
      the hallmark of successful international projects. The present era offers
      significant challenges in improving the health and well-being of the world's
      population. Fortunately, there is an enlightened climate for the development of
      innovative and collaborative approaches to meet these challenges within a
      framework of social justice and overall human development. It is the unique and
      unparalleled opportunity for US academic health centers to work with
      international colleagues toward this goal.

PMID- 1869817
TI  - Alma Ata and health for all by the year 2000. The roles of academic institutions.
AB  - The title of this article raises a complex set of questions. To begin, what
      happened at Alma Ata and the goal that emanated from it-Health for All by the
      Year 2000--are themselves controversial matters. At least there are some who are
      strongly critical of those events and ideas. Even without linking academic
      institutions with Alma Ata and HFA/2000, a controversy is spawned when one asks
      about the roles of such institutions in dealing with societal problems--which
      problems should a university address, and how deeply does a university become
      engaged in them, particularly if it carries the university out of the cloister
      into the trenches of societal conflict? Linking academic institutions with Alma
      Ata and HFA/2000 deepens the controversy but also provides a framework for
      examining the basic principles on which each is based, and for testing those
      principles against the realities of real world problems of health development.
      This article draws on recent critical assessments of both sides of the equation:
      a recent Consultative Committee to the Director General of WHO that analyzes the
      successes and failures of PHC development to date, and lays out conditions for
      greater effectiveness in the future; and the Technical Discussions of WHO on the
      Roles of Universities in the Strategy for Health for All that review traditional
      and progressive arguments about the roles of universities in their societies, and
      how HFA can be seen as fitting into that debate. The thinking contained in these
      documents provides ample opportunity to examine whether or not academic
      institutions should have a role that relates to Alma Ata and Health for All, and,
      in the end, takes the position that, indeed, this is an appropriate role for
      those universities prepared to make the commitment. The point is also made that
      such involvement cannot be effective if the scale of the institutional commitment
      is marginal--it must be substantial and institution-wide. An example is given of
      the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, an institution avowedly committed
      to a community orientation and to health services development. The Network of
      Community-Oriented Educational Institutions for Health Sciences can be considered
      a movement of educational institutions in this direction. It is functioning with
      considerable creative initiative in addressing issues having to do with problem
      based teaching methods, community orientation, and partnerships with governmental
      health services.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869818
TI  - International health. Beyond the year 2000.
AB  - The Global Health Care Revolution of the Century, which began officially at Alma
      Ata in 1978, will help to achieve the Health for All goal by the year 2000. What
      will the next century usher in? Some of our achievements to date are highlighted,
      and lessons learned and yet to be learned are emphasized. Reorientation in the
      world's thinking to achieve health beyond the year 2000 is examined.

PMID- 1869819
TI  - In vitro effect of transforming growth factor-beta on progression of HIV-1
      infection in primary mononuclear phagocytes.
AB  - In vitro-differentiated monocytes can be infected with the monocytotropic isolate
      of HIV-1/ADA. The infection is characterized by formation of giant cells and
      production of virus that can be found in cell supernatants or cell-associated. In
      this study, we demonstrate that the above described parameters of infection can
      be enhanced by a factor present in acidified M phi supernatants, suggesting that
      it might be transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1). When recombinant or
      purified TGF-beta were examined, similar activities were detected. This effect
      apparently is not because of changes in the cellular phenotype that could favor
      infection. The effect of TGF-beta is exerted on cells once infection is
      established or on cells with active virus production. The activity can be also
      demonstrated using U-937 cells.

PMID- 1869820
TI  - Development of diabetogenic T cells from NOD/Lt marrow is blocked when an allo-H
      2 haplotype is expressed on cells of hemopoietic origin, but not on thymic
      epithelium.
AB  - Diabetes is a T cell-mediated process in NOD/Lt mice, with a major genetically
      recessive component of susceptibility linked to homozygous expression of the
      unique H-2g7 MHC haplotype. Heterozygous expression of the H-2nb1 haplotype
      derived from the NON/Lt strain confers diabetes resistance both in (NOD x NON)F1
      hybrids and in NOD mice congenic for the H-2nb1 haplotype. However, diabetes
      resistance is abrogated in F1 hybrids by NOD/Lt bone marrow reconstitution. To
      establish whether the generation of beta cell autoreactive T cells from NOD/Lt
      bone marrow-derived precursors required at least heterozygous expression of the H
      2g7 haplotype on thymic epithelium, adolescent thymectomized (NOD x NON)F1 mice
      were implanted with neonatal NON/Lt thymus grafts before lethal radiation and
      reconstitution with NOD/Lt bone marrow. Peripheral T cells maturing through this
      ectopic thymic implant exclusively expressed the NOD H-2g7 haplotype and were
      tolerant to H-2nb1 skin grafts. Nevertheless, diabetes developed in 32% of the
      NON/Lt thymus-grafted chimeras vs 38% of the sham-thymectomized NOD bone marrow
      chimeras. Thus, homozygous expression of the diabetes-resistant H-2nb1 haplotype
      on thymic epithelium failed to block development of a diabetogenic T cell
      repertoire. To examine if expression of H-2nb1 on hemopoietically derived APC
      could alter the diabetogenic potential of NOD/Lt marrow, diabetes-resistant
      NOD.NON-H-2nb1 congenic mice were mated with NOD/Lt mice to produce NOD-H-2g7/H
      2nb1 heterozygous recipients. These were lethally irradiated and reconstituted
      with either NOD/Lt marrow alone, NOD.H-2nb1 homozygous congenic marrow alone, or
      a 1:1 mixture of the two marrow populations. By 25 wk of age, all of the MHC
      heterozygous recipients of NOD.NON-H-2nb1 marrow remained diabetes-free whereas
      75% of the MHC heterozygous recipients of NOD/Lt marrow developed diabetes. A
      striking decrease in diabetes was observed when T cell precursors derived from
      NOD/Lt marrow interacted with H-2nb1 gene products on hemopoietically derived
      APC, inasmuch as only 7% of the MHC heterozygous recipients reconstituted with a
      1:1 mixture of NOD/Lt and NOD.NON-H-2nb1 marrow developed diabetes. Peripheral
      leukocytes in all reconstitution classes expressed the MHC phenotype(s) of the
      marrow donor(s). Skin grafting confirmed that all reconstitution classes of MHC
      heterozygous recipients were tolerant to the H-2nb1 haplotype.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869821
TI  - A tyrosine kinase physically associates with the beta-subunit of the human IL-2
      receptor.
AB  - Cell surface expression of the high affinity IL-2R regulates, in part, the
      proliferative response occurring in Ag- or mitogen-activated T cells. The
      functional high affinity IL-2R is composed of at least two distinct ligand
      binding components, IL-2R alpha (Tac, p55) and IL-2R beta (p70/75). The IL-2R
      beta polypeptide appears to be essential for growth signal transduction, whereas
      the IL-2R alpha protein participates in the regulation of receptor affinity. We
      have prepared and characterized two mAb, DU-1 and DU-2, that specifically react
      with IL-2R beta. In vitro kinase assays performed with DU-2 immunoprecipitates,
      but not anti-IL-2R alpha or control antibody immunoprecipitates, have revealed co
      precipitation of a tyrosine kinase enzymatic activity that mediates
      phosphorylation of IL-2R beta. Because both IL-2R alpha and IL-2R beta lack
      tyrosine kinase enzymatic domains, these findings strongly suggest that
      noncovalent association of a tyrosine kinase with the high affinity IL-2R
      complex. Deletion mutants of the intracellular region of IL-2R beta, lacking
      either a previously described "critical domain" between amino acids 267 and 322
      or the carboxyl-terminal 198 residues (IL-2R beta 88), lacked the ability to co
      precipitate this tyrosine kinase activity, as measured by phosphorylation of IL
      2R beta in vitro. Both of these mutants also failed to transduce growth-promoting
      signals in response to IL-2 in vivo. Analysis of the IL-2R beta 88 mutant
      receptor suggested that a second protein kinase mediating phosphorylation on
      serine and threonine residues physically interacts with the carboxyl terminus of
      IL-2R beta. This kinase may be necessary but, alone, appears to be insufficient
      to support a full IL-2-induced proliferative response. These studies highlight
      the physical association of protein kinases with the cytoplasmic domain of IL-2R
      beta and their likely role in IL-2-induced growth signaling mediated through the
      multimeric high affinity IL-2R complex.

PMID- 1869822
TI  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor promotes the proliferation of
      human alveolar macrophages in vitro.
AB  - The effects of granulocyte-macrophage (GM-CSF) or macrophage-CSF on in vitro
      proliferation of human alveolar macrophages (AM) were evaluated. AM of healthy
      volunteers incubated with recombinant human GM-CSF revealed incorporation of
      [3H]thymidine in vitro. The maximum incorporation was observed at 20 U/ml of GM
      CSF on day 3. The proportion of proliferating cells incubated with 20 U/ml of GM
      CSF from day 3 to day 4 was 8 to 11% of the total, whereas 3 to 5% of cells
      proliferated without GM-CSF. The number of cell nuclei increased 1.30- to 1.68
      fold in the initial 7 days during incubation with 20 U/ml of GM-CSF, whereas
      there was a 1.07- to 1.13-fold increase without GM-CSF. Conditioned media
      obtained by the incubation with human lung tissue exhibited similar effects as
      recombinant human GM-CSF on macrophages. The effects were completely abrogated by
      antibody against human GM-CSF. Immunohistochemically, GM-CSF was detected in lung
      cells including AM, alveolar epithelium, alveolar interstitial cells, and
      endothelial cells. In contrast, recombinant macrophage-CSF did not induce the
      proliferation of human AM, although it has been known to promote the
      proliferation of murine AM. These observations suggest that GM-CSF plays an
      important role among the regulatory factors that locally support the population
      of AM in human lungs.

PMID- 1869823
TI  - Regulation of murine mononuclear phagocyte inflammatory products by macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor. Lack of IL-1 and prostaglandin E2 production and
      generation of a specific IL-1 inhibitor.
AB  - The influence of macrophage (M)-CSF on the production of inflammatory mediators
      has been examined in murine peritoneal macrophages. Cultures of macrophages
      treated with up to 30,000 U/ml of human rM-CSF or with 10,000 U/ml of L929
      derived M-CSF did not reveal either PGE2, IL-1, or IL-6 secretion. In contrast,
      LPS, which served as a positive control, stimulated production of significant
      levels of PGE2, IL-1, and IL-6. Furthermore, Northern blot analysis of macrophage
      RNA revealed a strong induction of IL-1 alpha and IL-6 mRNA by LPS but not by M
      CSF. Conditioned medium from macrophage cultures treated with purified L929 or
      human rM-CSF in combination with LPS exhibited a significant reduction of IL-1
      bioactivity as compared with an LPS challenge alone. To investigate the mechanism
      involved in this M-CSF-dependent reduction of IL-1 bioactivity, we measured IL-1
      alpha gene expression. The addition of M-CSF to LPS-treated macrophages did not
      affect IL-1 alpha mRNA levels suggesting that M-CSF may regulate production of an
      IL-1 inhibitor. This hypothesis was shown to be valid because removal of IL-1
      alpha from conditioned medium of LPS plus M-CSF-treated cells allowed the
      detection of a nondialyzable factor that blocked IL-1-dependent thymocyte
      proliferation. The inhibitor appeared to be specific because it did not inhibit
      IL-2 and TNF bioactivities. Furthermore, this IL-1 inhibitor, which binds to
      cells and not to IL-1, competed with the binding of radioactive IL-1 alpha or
      beta to EL-4.6.1 cells. The results demonstrate that M-CSF alone does not induce
      proinflammatory mediators and PGE2 as was previously published. The data also
      suggest that M-CSF may play a role in the down-regulation of inflammatory
      responses.

PMID- 1869824
TI  - Effect of natural polymorphism at residue 86 of the HLA-DR beta chain on peptide
      binding.
AB  - Class I and class II MHC glycoproteins are highly polymorphic molecules that bind
      antigenic peptides and present them on cell surfaces for recognition by T
      lymphocytes. Even though MHC polymorphism has long been known to affect both
      peptide binding and recognition by the TCR, the role of individual amino acids of
      MHC proteins in these interactions is poorly understood. To examine the effect of
      a small number of amino acid residues on T cell stimulation, B lymphoblastoid
      cell lines homozygous for the closely related DR1 subtypes, Dw1 and Dw20, and the
      DR4 subtypes, Dw4 and Dw14, were compared for their ability to present an
      immunogenic influenza hemagglutinin peptide (HA307-319) to an Ag-specific, DR1,4
      restricted T cell clone. B cell lines expressing DR1 Dw20 and DR4 Dw14 presented
      HA307-319 much less efficiently than DR1 Dw1 and DR4 Dw4 and bound a biotinylated
      analogue of the same peptide less well. Analysis of DRB1 gene sequences suggested
      that polymorphism at residue 86 had a major effect on peptide binding.
      Differences in binding of a set of HA307-319 analogues biotinylated at each
      residue to cells expressing DR1 Dw1 and DR1 Dw20 suggested that the polymorphism
      affected the interactions of many peptide residues with the class II molecule. In
      inhibition assays, DR1 Dw1 and DR4 Dw4 were shown to differ from DR1 Dw20 and DR4
      Dw14 in their length requirements for peptide binding. Using a larger panel of
      homozygous B cell lines expressing many class II haplotypes, a Ser-309
      substituted HA307-319 analogue was shown to bind to most B cell lines expressing
      Val-86 containing alleles (including DR1 Dw20 and DR4 Dw14) but failed to bind
      most B cell lines expressing Gly-86 alleles (including DR1 Dw1 and DR4 Dw4). The
      results indicated that polymorphism at residue 86 influenced the specificity and
      affinity of peptide binding and affected the conformation of peptide-DR protein
      complexes without completely eliminating T cell recognition.

PMID- 1869825
TI  - Biosynthesis and partial amino acid sequence of the human NDA4 antigen. An
      activation antigen common to B and T cell lineages.
AB  - NDA4, a cell surface protein of molecular mass 46 kDa common to activated
      peripheral blood B and T cells, plays a unique role in the control of B and T
      cell maturation. NDA4 inhibits B and T cell activation, as mitogen-stimulated B
      and T cell blastogenic responses are decreased in the presence of mAb NDA4, the
      antibody recognizing NDA4. After mitogen-activation, however, the regulatory
      function of NDA4 changes. Addition of mAb NDA4 to cultures of Staphylococcus
      aureus Cowan strain A-activated B cells or alloreactive T cell clones stimulates
      their proliferation. NDA4 epitopes are conserved across primate species lines and
      are present on transformed cells of neuroectodermal origin. NDA4 is synthesized
      as a molecular mass 50 kDa precursor and is processed to a mature 46 kDa form
      within 30 min. The NDA4 Ag also exists as soluble forms of 40 and 42 kDa. The
      membrane and soluble forms of NDA4 have been purified to homogeneity and
      sequenced by N-terminal Edman degradation.

PMID- 1869826
TI  - Purification, biochemical composition, and biosynthesis of the Mo3 activation
      antigen expressed on the plasma membrane of human mononuclear phagocytes.
AB  - Mo3 is an activation Ag expressed on the surface of human mononuclear phagocytes
      stimulated in vitro or in vivo by various activating factors. Mo3 is obtained by
      immunoprecipitation with anti-Mo3 mAb from lysates of PMA-stimulated U-937 cells.
      The Ag is a heterogeneous glycoprotein with a molecular mass range of 42 to 66
      kDa (nonreducing conditions) containing N-linked carbohydrate chains. When the
      cells are treated with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, greater
      than 60% of total precipitable gp42-66 Ag is released in the supernatant. This
      phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-sensitive linkage to the plasma
      membrane has provided a means for the one-step purification of Mo3 by
      immunoaffinity chromatography. The eluted soluble Mo3 (sMo3) was greater than 90%
      pure as documented by the appearance of a single major protein peak on reverse
      phase HPLC and SDS-PAGE. The average yield was 12.1 micrograms/10(8) cells.
      Sufficient quantities of sMo3 have been purified to permit the determination of
      amino acid and carbohydrate composition. Complex N-linked carbohydrates make up
      nearly 50% of the glycoprotein content and contribute to its heterogeneity. An
      anti-Mo3 polyclonal antiserum generated from sMo3 was used to immunoprecipitate
      Mo3 and its precursor from biosynthetically labeled, PMA-stimulated U-937 cells
      or LPS-stimulated monocytes. These 35S-methionine "pulse-chase" experiments
      demonstrated the existence of a 40- to 42-kDa endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase
      sensitive precursor, which over a period of 4 to 5 h gave rise to an endo-beta-N
      acetylglucosaminidase-resistant, but N-glycanase-sensitive 42- to 66-kDa mature
      form.

PMID- 1869827
TI  - Association of activated properdin with complexes of properdin with C3.
AB  - An ELISA using antibody to properdin (P), followed by antibody to C3 to detect
      complexes of P with C3 (P-C3), detected low levels of P-C3 complexes in human
      serum and plasma samples. Incubating serum for 1 h at 37 degrees C increased the
      amount of P-C3 and diminished factor B hemolytic activity without altering total
      alternative pathway activity or C3 activity in serum. When P and C3 in incubated
      serum were analyzed by size exclusion HPLC, complexes of P-C3 were detected at
      retention times corresponding to molecular mass measuring in excess of 2 x 10(6)
      Da. Activation of serum with zymosan or cobra venom factor greatly increased the
      level of P-C3 and decreased alternative pathway hemolytic activity.
      Chromatography of proteins eluted from serum-treated zymosan detected a peak of P
      at 9.7 x 10(5) Da and a peak of P-C3 at 1.5 x 10(6) Da. Functional assays for
      activated properdin also revealed a peak of activity at 1.5 x 10(6) Da, congruent
      with the peak of P-C3. Native properdin was detected at 3.9 x 10(5) Da. When
      native properdin was added to properdin-depleted serum and incubated for 1 h at
      37 degrees C, activated properdin was detected at the same position in the
      chromatograph as were P-C3 complexes. We conclude that incubation of serum at 37
      degrees C produces complexes of P with C3, that exposure of serum to alternative
      pathway activators increases the amount of P-C3, and that generation of P-C3
      complexes is associated with the presence of activated P.

PMID- 1869828
TI  - Reduced immunogenicity and improved pharmacokinetics of humanized anti-Tac in
      cynomolgus monkeys.
AB  - The anti-Tac mAb has been shown to bind to the p55 chain of the IL-2R, block IL-2
      binding and inhibit T cell proliferation. A humanized form of anti-Tac (HAT) has
      been constructed that retains the binding properties of murine anti-Tac (MAT).
      These two mAb were evaluated in cynomolgus monkeys to compare relative
      immunogenicity and pharmacokinetic properties. Monkeys treated with HAT daily for
      14 days exhibited anti-HAT antibody titers which were 5- to 10-fold lower than
      their MAT-treated counterparts and these antibodies developed later than in the
      MAT-treated monkeys. Two of four monkeys receiving a single injection of MAT
      developed anti-MAT antibodies, whereas none of four monkeys developed antibodies
      after a single treatment with HAT. In monkeys injected with either HAT or MAT
      daily for 14 days, the anti-antibody titers induced were inversely related to the
      amount of anti-Tac administered. Antibodies that developed against MAT were both
      anti-isotypic and anti-idiotypic, whereas those developed against HAT appeared to
      be predominantly anti-idiotypic. The pharmacokinetic properties, that is the half
      life and area under the curve values, of HAT were also significantly different
      from those of MAT. The area under the curve values for HAT in naive monkeys were
      approximately twofold more than those for MAT, and the mean serum half-life of
      HAT was 214 h, approximately four- to fivefold more than MAT. These
      pharmacokinetic values were reduced in monkeys previously sensitized with HAT or
      MAT suggesting that the presence of anti-antibodies altered these parameters.

PMID- 1869829
TI  - The function of lymphocyte proteases. Inhibition and restoration of granule
      mediated lysis with isocoumarin serine protease inhibitors.
AB  - To kill other cells, lymphocytes can exocytose granules that contain serine
      proteases and pore-forming proteins (perforins). We report that mechanism-based
      isocoumarin inhibitors inhibited the proteases and inactivated lysis. When
      inhibited proteases were restored, lysis was also restored, indicating that the
      proteases were essential for lysis. We found three new lymphocyte protease
      activities, "Asp-ase,""Met-ase," and "Ser-ase," which in addition to ly-tryptase
      and ly-chymase, comprise five different protease activities in rat RNK-16
      granules. The general serine protease inhibitor 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI)
      inhibited all five protease activities. Essentially all protease molecules were
      inactivated by DCI before lysis was reduced, as determined from DCI's second
      order inhibition rate constants for the proteases, the DCI concentrations, and
      the times of pretreatment needed to block lysis. The pH favoring DCI inhibition
      of lysis was the pH optimum for protease activity. Isocoumarin reagents acylate,
      and may sometimes secondarily alkylate, serine protease active sites. Granule
      proteases, inhibited by DCI acylation, were deacylated with hydroxylamine,
      restoring both the protease and lytic activities. Hydroxylamine does not restore
      alkylated proteases and did not restore the lytic activities after inhibition
      with 4-chloro-7-guanidino-3-(2-phenylethoxy)-isocoumarin, a more alkylating
      mechanism-based inhibitor designed to react with tryptases. It is improbable that
      isocoumarin reagents directly inactivated pore-forming proteins because 1) these
      reagents require protease activation, 2) their nonspecific effects are
      alkylating, and 3) alkylated proteins are not restored by hydroxylamine. We
      conclude that serine proteases participate in lysis when lysis is mediated by the
      complete assembly of granule proteins.

PMID- 1869830
TI  - Aggregated bovine IgG inhibits mannose receptor expression of murine bone marrow
      derived macrophages via activation.
AB  - We previously described the presence of an inhibitory protein contained in the 20
      to 40% (NH4)2SO4 precipitable fraction of FCS that down-regulates expression of
      mannose receptors on bone marrow-derived macrophages. We now identify aggregated
      bovine IgG as the main inhibitory component. Heat-aggregated bovine IgG was
      capable of down-regulating expression of the macrophage mannose receptor in a
      dose-dependent manner without inducing changes in ligand affinity whereas neither
      F(ab')2 fragments nor nonaggregated IgG displayed any inhibitory effect.
      Depleting of IgG from heat inactivated FCS by protein G affinity chromatography
      completely removes the inhibitory activity. Moreover, readdition of the Ig eluate
      from the protein G chromatography column restored inhibition in a dose-dependent
      manner. Macrophages were able to clear exogenously added aggregated bovine IgG,
      thus leading to loss of inhibitory activity in macrophage-conditioned media as
      compared to sham-conditioned media containing aggregated IgG. These results
      indicate that aggregated IgG down-regulates mannose receptor expression by
      macrophage activation via interaction with Fc-gamma R.

PMID- 1869831
TI  - Antibodies to IL-3 and IL-4 suppress helminth-induced intestinal mastocytosis.
AB  - Rodents infected with the nematode parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb)
      develop intestinal mastocytosis, eosinophilia, and elevated serum IgE levels.
      Although IL-4 and IL-5 are necessary for stimulation of IgE synthesis and
      eosinophilia, respectively, the cytokines that regulate gut mast cell hyperplasia
      have not been identified. To address this question, 6- to 8-wk-old BALB/c mice
      were injected on day 0 and day 7 of Nb infection with a rat anti-mouse IL-4 mAb,
      and with polyclonal sheep (day 0) and rabbit (day 7) anti-mouse IL-3 IgG
      antibodies. Additional Nb-infected mice received equal doses of isotype- and
      species-matched control antibodies. Mice were sacrificed on days 12 or 13 post
      infection, and mucosal mast cells (MMC) in sections of the small intestine were
      enumerated. Nb infection induced a 25- to 40-fold increase in MMC over that
      observed in uninfected controls. Anti-IL-3 or anti-IL-4 alone suppressed the Nb
      induced MMC response by 40 to 50%, whereas both antibodies combined suppressed
      the MMC response by 85 to 90%. Anti-IL-3 alone had no effect on the serum IgE
      levels, which were essentially abrogated in the Nb-infected mice treated with
      anti-IL-4. Blood eosinophilia was not affected by treatment with anti-IL-3 and/or
      anti-IL-4. These studies demonstrate that IL-3 and IL-4 are physiologically
      important stimuli of mastocytosis in vivo, and suggest therapeutic interventions
      that may counteract adverse host responses to allergens as well as to parasites.

PMID- 1869832
TI  - Ly-49 multigene family. New members of a superfamily of type II membrane proteins
      with lectin-like domains.
AB  - Ly-49 (YE1/48, A1) is a dimer protein expressed on subpopulations of murine NK
      cells. It is a member of a superfamily of type II transmembrane proteins
      containing carbohydrate recognition domains (CRD). In the mouse genome, the
      detection of multiple restriction fragments that cross-hybridize with Ly-49 cDNA
      probes suggests the presence of related genes. In this study, we have isolated
      several genomic clones encoding portions of CRD sequences highly homologous to
      the CRD of Ly-49. By using primers based on the consensus sequences of the
      genomic clones, expression of Ly-49-related genes was detected by the polymerase
      chain reaction in various organs, including lung, kidney, liver, spleen, and
      thymus. Two full-length cDNA clones that are highly homologous to the Ly-49 gene
      were subsequently isolated from a lung cDNA library. At the nucleotide level, the
      two clones are 72% and 80% identical to Ly-49 in their translated regions, but
      their sequences are different from those of the genomic clones characterized to
      date. The two cDNA clones potentially encode type II transmembrane proteins
      containing CRD that are very similar to Ly-49. These amino acid sequences are
      also homologous to other members of the superfamily of CRD-containing type II
      transmembrane proteins, including hepatic lectins and the low affinity IgER
      (CD23). The homology is most evident in the CRD but is also significant in other
      domains. These results demonstrate the existence of several functional genes that
      are highly related to Ly-49. These genes comprise a subfamily within the
      superfamily of type II transmembrane proteins containing CRD.

PMID- 1869833
TI  - Lymphokine-activated killer cells are rejected in vivo by activated natural
      killer cells.
AB  - A 4-h in vivo cytotoxicity assay was used to study the fate of implanted IL-2
      generated, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in mice undergoing an
      activated NK cell response. 125Iododeoxyuridine-labeled LAK cells were rejected
      from selected organs of C57BL/6 mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis
      virus or treated with IL-2 or the IFN inducer poly I:C. This rejection was
      abrogated by the selective depletion of NK cells with antibodies to asialo-GM1
      and NK1.1 Ag. Similar results were noted when LAK cells were generated from the
      spleens of B and T cell-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency mice and when
      LAK cells were implanted into severe combined immunodeficiency mice. These data
      indicate that NK cells activated by virus infections or by IL-2 infusions
      directly or indirectly eliminate implanted LAK cells. Because LAK cells are used
      in the treatment of certain human cancers, the strategy of accompanying this
      therapy with IL-2 infusions should be reassessed in light of these results.

PMID- 1869834
TI  - Comparison between strains of human T lymphotropic virus type I isolated from
      inhabitants of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
AB  - Strains of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) isolated from T cell lines
      (SI-1, SI-3, and SI-5) from three individuals in separate regions of the Solomon
      Islands were compared with a variant (PNG-1) isolated from a healthy person in
      Papua New Guinea and a prototype strain from Japan (MT-2). The SI-1, SI-3, and SI
      5 cell lines were predominantly CD8+. Expression of gag- and env-encoded virus
      specific proteins was detected in SI-1, SI-3, and SI-5 and in MT-2 cells by
      immunofluorescence and Western immunoblot; gag proteins p19 and p24 were absent
      in PNG-1 cells. HTLV-1 gag and pol gene sequences were detected in DNA extracted
      from SI-1, SI-3, and SI-5 cells by polymerase chain reaction; env sequences were
      not found in SI-5 cells. Genomic Southern analysis of PstI digests of SI-1, SI-3,
      and SI-5 DNA exhibited the three moderate-sized fragments typical of prototype
      HTLV-I. By contrast, PstI digests of PNG-1 DNA yielded two larger fragments.

PMID- 1869835
TI  - Seroconversion rate, mortality, and clinical manifestations associated with the
      receipt of a human immunodeficiency virus-infected blood transfusion in Kinshasa,
      Zaire.
AB  - To evaluate the consequences of receiving human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      (HIV-1)-seropositive blood, 90 HIV-1-seronegative recipients of HIV-1
      seropositive blood (case patients) and 90 HIV-1-seronegative recipients of HIV-1
      seronegative blood, matched for age, sex, number of transfusions, diagnosis, and
      severity of illness (controls), were followed for 12 months after transfusion at
      Mama Yemo Hospital in Kinshasa, Zaire. Of case patients and controls, 72% were
      children transfused for anemia caused by malaria. Of the 46 case patients case
      patients alive 6 months after transfusion and for whom HIV-1 serologic results
      were obtained, 44 (96%) had seroconverted. Significantly more case patients (47%)
      than controls (16%) died within 1 year after transfusion (P less than .001). In
      the first 3 months after transfusion, fatigue, diarrhea, fever, cough, pruritus,
      pallor, oral candidiasis, polyadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and rhinorrhea were
      observed more often among seroconverters than controls (P less than .04). Six
      percent of case patients and no controls had developed clinical AIDS after 12
      months of follow-up. These findings underscore the urgent need for appropriate
      HIV screening facilities in transfusion centers worldwide.

PMID- 1869836
TI  - Sexually transmitted diseases in a population of intravenous drug users:
      association with seropositivity to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
AB  - The association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositivity and a
      history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), evidence of STDs on physical
      examination, and sexual and drug use practices was studied in a population of
      2921 intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in Baltimore during 1988 and 1989. Overall,
      24.1% were HIV-seropositive at baseline, and 60% reported a history of an STD. A
      significant association was found between HIV seropositivity and a history of
      syphilis (P = .04); both were more frequent among homosexual/bisexual men than
      among heterosexual IVDUs. In multivariate analysis, a history of syphilis was
      independently associated with HIV seroprevalence in homosexual/bisexual male
      IVDUs, of whom 90% reported a history of sexual intercourse with women. Cocaine
      injection was independently associated with HIV seropositivity but not a history
      of syphilis on multivariate analysis. STDs, indicative of unsafe sex practices,
      are common in this population; efforts are needed to prevent sexual transmission
      of HIV infection among IVDUs and their sex partners.

PMID- 1869837
TI  - Fertility parameters in men infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - The effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection on semen
      parameters that assess fertility was investigated in 50 semen specimens from 21
      asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic HIV-seropositive men and 3 specimens from 3
      men with AIDS. HIV was isolated from 15 (30%) of 50 specimens from asymptomatic
      or minimally symptomatic persons and from 1 of 3 specimens from patients with
      AIDS. The men with AIDS all had pyosemia and grossly abnormal sperm. In contrast,
      semen specimens from other seropositive men did not differ significantly from
      semen specimens from healthy seronegative semen donors. No abnormality in sperm
      count, morphology, numbers or types of leukocytes in semen, or other seminal
      parameters was associated with HIV shedding in semen. Zidovudine therapy did not
      affect sperm morphology or seminal characteristics. Thus, although patients with
      AIDS had abnormal semen, the laboratory parameters that assess fertility were not
      affected by shedding of HIV in semen or concomitant therapy with zidovudine.

PMID- 1869838
TI  - Streptokinases produced by pathogenic group C streptococci demonstrate species
      specific plasminogen activation.
AB  - The species specificities of plasminogen activation and binding of plasmin by
      pathogenic group C streptococci isolated from humans, horses, and pigs were
      examined. Of 56 streptococcal isolates, 52 elaborated plasminogen activator
      activity and 49 of these had specificity for plasminogen of the homologous host.
      Analysis of supernatants from 13 isolates indicated that the plasminogen
      activator activity resulted from secreted streptokinases. These 13 streptokinases
      were antigenically related and bound all three plasminogens, indicating that the
      binding recognition sites were conserved despite the observed species-specific
      activation. In addition, all group C isolates tested demonstrated surface
      receptors that bound human, equine, and porcine plasmin. Species-specific
      plasminogen activation may be an early step in events resulting in infection and
      may account for the species preference of certain streptococci.

PMID- 1869839
TI  - A streptococcal erythrogenic toxin preparation augments natural killer activity
      of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
AB  - Natural killer (NK) activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is augmented
      by products released by two different strains of streptococci. This property is
      due at least in part to an erythrogenic toxin (ET). A preparation of
      physiologically active ET from strain NY5 group A beta-hemolytic streptococci and
      streptococcal products (SP) derived from the culture supernatants of ATCC strain
      19165 group A streptococci were both potent inducers of NK activity. An anti
      serum to ET reacted with two polypeptides in SP, one of which comigrated with ET
      when analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Using an affinity column with an antiserum to ET known
      to neutralize its mitogenic properties, the NK-enhancing activity of ET and SP
      was partly absorbed and was recovered upon elution. These findings suggest that
      immunologically related ETs in different streptococcal strains play a role in the
      activation of NK cells. This novel property of streptococci may feature in the
      pathogenesis of streptococcal infections and their protean manifestations.

PMID- 1869841
TI  - Diabetes mellitus--a newly described risk factor for infection from Salmonella
      enteritidis.
AB  - Infections due to Salmonella serotype enteritidis have increased markedly in the
      northeastern United States. Due to the potential severity of these infections,
      host risk factors for infection were determined in the largest nosocomial S.
      enteritidis outbreak to have occurred in the United States. In a case-control
      study, patients in a New York City hospital who developed infection after
      exposure to an S. enteritidis-contaminated meal were more likely to be medication
      dependent diabetics than were those who did not develop infection (17/75 vs.
      7/80, Mantel-Haenszel adjusted odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval = 1.1,
      8.6). Proposed mechanisms for diabetes as a risk factor for infection include
      decreased gastric acidity in diabetic patients and an autonomic neuropathy of the
      small bowel that reduces intestinal motility and prolongs gastrointestinal
      transit time.

PMID- 1869840
TI  - Effect of prior infection with virulent Shigella flexneri 2a on the resistance of
      monkeys to subsequent infection with Shigella sonnei.
AB  - All virulent shigellae have large plasmids. Plasmid-associated genes encode the
      expression of membrane-associated proteins (MAP), some of which correlate with
      the ability to invade susceptible epithelial cells. These MAP are serologically
      related in all of the shigella serotypes and evoke an antibody response after
      infection. To determine whether the MAP have a significant role in protection, 24
      monkeys were infected with virulent Shigella flexneri 2a. After recovery, one
      group (with controls) was rechallenged with S. flexneri 2a; another group (with
      controls) was fed Shigella sonnei. The animals that were rechallenged with S.
      flexneri 2a were protected, while those that were fed S. sonnei experienced the
      same incidence of disease as controls. No differences in serum immune response to
      MAP after primary infection with S. flexneri were detected in immunoblots using
      lysates of S. flexneri or S. sonnei or in ELISA using water extracts of these
      strains.

PMID- 1869842
TI  - Absence of transplacental transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes from reservoir
      mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to their offspring.
AB  - Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi) are naturally maintained in an
      enzootic cycle mainly by vector ticks (Ixodes dammini) infesting white-footed
      mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Suggestions that mice may become infected without
      exposure to ticks prompted a study to evaluate whether mice could transmit
      spirochetes transplacentally to their offspring. Mice were live-captured in two
      Massachusetts sites where Lyme disease spirochetes are intensely enzootic.
      Pregnant females were housed separately in the laboratory through delivery, and
      mothers and their offspring were caged together until weaning. Each female and
      two offspring were then examined for evidence of infection serologically and by
      tick xenodiagnosis. All 14 mother mice examined produced infected ticks and
      exhibited serum antibodies to B. burgdorferi. However, none of 28 offspring
      tested produced infected ticks and only a few had evidence of circulating
      antibody. In a separate experiment, no young CD-1 mice, born of infected mothers,
      had IgM antibody to B. burgdorferi. It would appear that immature mice are not
      transplacentally infected with spirochetes and must be exposed to infected ticks
      before becoming infected and infective themselves.

PMID- 1869843
TI  - The role of fluconazole in the early treatment and prophylaxis of experimental
      invasive aspergillosis.
AB  - The efficacy of fluconazole against Aspergillus fumigatus was assessed in an
      immunosuppressed temporarily leukopenic rabbit model of invasive aspergillosis.
      Therapy with fluconazole at 60 or 120 mg/kg/day was begun 24 h after lethal
      challenge and compared to that with amphotericin B at 1.5 mg/kg/day. Fluconazole
      reduced mortality compared with that in untreated controls and at 120 mg/kg/day
      reduced the tissue burden of A. fumigatus 10- to 100-fold in liver, kidney, and
      lung. However, amphotericin B was more effective in sterilizing tissues. Both
      fluconazole and amphotericin B dramatically decreased or eliminated circulating
      aspergillus antigen. Prophylaxis with fluconazole, begun 48 h before sublethal
      challenge, sterilized liver and kidney tissues and significantly reduced the
      tissue burden in lung. Early treatment with fluconazole reduced mortality and
      reduced antigenemia but did not sterilize tissues. Fluconazole prophylaxis at
      these doses prevented dissemination of invasive aspergillosis. Fluconazole was
      shown to have activity in the early treatment and prophylaxis of experimental
      invasive aspergillosis.

PMID- 1869844
TI  - Association of cervical ectopy with heterosexual transmission of human
      immunodeficiency virus: results of a study of couples in Nairobi, Kenya.
AB  - To identify risk factors involved in heterosexual transmission of human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a cross-sectional study of HIV-seropositive men and
      their spouses was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya. Of 70 spouses, 40 (57%) were
      seropositive and 30 (43%) were seronegative for HIV. In univariate analysis, the
      presence of cervical ectopy (odds ratio, 4.7; P = .006) was the only
      statistically significant variable associated with HIV infection in women. After
      controlling for possible confounding variables using multivariate logistic
      regression analysis, the presence of cervical ectopy (odds ratio, 5.0; P = .007)
      remained the only independent predictor of HIV seropositivity. These findings
      suggest that cervical ectopy may be a newly identified risk factor for
      heterosexual transmission of HIV.

PMID- 1869845
TI  - Outbreak of group A streptococcal bacteremia in Sweden: an epidemiologic and
      clinical study.
AB  - The nationwide incidence of group A streptococcal bacteremia in Sweden was 1.8
      per 100,000 population in 1987. During the winter season 1988-1989, the reported
      cases rate doubled and then declined to the previous level. The peak was due to a
      type T1/M1 Streptococcus pyogenes strain associated with an increased case
      fatality rate (33% vs. 15% for other T types). The highest incidence rates were
      found in the age groups less than 12 months and greater than 70 years. Among a
      sample of 79 patients hospitalized in November or December 1988, a portal of
      entry, mainly cutaneous, was recognized in 89% of the patients and concomitant
      conditions in 67%. Among the clinical findings were signs of skin or soft tissue
      infection (41%), local or generalized pain (41%), vomiting or diarrhea (24%),
      cough (18%), and upper respiratory tract symptoms (12%). A fatal outcome was
      associated with high age, lower respiratory tract or unknown focus, leukopenia on
      admission, start of antibiotic therapy greater than 6 h after the patient's
      initial contact with a physician, and a rapid clinical course including multiple
      organ failure. Renewed awareness of the many facets of fulminant streptococcal
      infection represents one approach to minimize the case fatality rate.

PMID- 1869846
TI  - Comparison of the early dynamics of systemic prostacyclin release after
      administration of tumor necrosis factor and endotoxin to healthy humans.
AB  - Excessive production of prostaglandins may be of importance for the development
      of organ damage in generalized infection. To investigate the role of tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF) in systemic prostacyclin release in gram-negative
      septicemia, the plasma concentrations of its stable metabolite 6-keto
      prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) were sequentially measured after
      intravenous bolus injections of recombinant human TNF (50 micrograms/m2; n = 6)
      and Escherichia coli endotoxin (2 ng/kg; n = 3) in healthy men. TNF induced a
      rapid increase in plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha from 0.11 +/- 0.01 to 0.44 +/- 0.15
      ng/ml after 30 min (P less than .001). Endotoxin also elicited a rise in plasma 6
      keto-PGF1 alpha, but peak values were reached only after 90 min (from 0.07 +/-
      0.01 to 0.19 +/- 0.04 ng/ml; P less than .002). These results indicate that TNF
      may serve as an intermediate factor in systemic elaboration of prostacyclin in
      endotoxemia and gram-negative septicemia.

PMID- 1869847
TI  - Ciprofloxacin treatment of drug-resistant falciparum malaria.
AB  - A randomized, open study of high-dose ciprofloxacin (750 mg every 12 h) in
      uncomplicated falciparum malaria was conducted in Thailand. No patient completed
      the planned 1-week treatment course. Because of rising parasitemia (threefold
      higher at 36 h than on admission) and deterioration of clinical status, three
      individuals required quinine treatment 36 h after commencing ciprofloxacin; a
      fourth was given quinine at 54 h. The study was terminated early for safety
      reasons after only four ciprofloxacin and four control patients had been
      enrolled. Ciprofloxacin was well absorbed and efficiently entered erythrocytes;
      median plasma and red cell concentrations 90 min after the first dose were 4.0
      (range, 3.7-6.8) and 5.1 (3.8-6.0) micrograms/ml, respectively. However, 50%
      inhibition of parasite growth in vitro required 6.6 micrograms/ml, (5.6-9.6).
      Ciprofloxacin should not be used alone to treat chloroquine-resistant falciparum
      malaria.

PMID- 1869848
TI  - Pentoxifylline prevents murine cerebral malaria.
AB  - Pentoxifylline, a widely used methylxanthine, was tested for its capacity to
      prevent cerebral malaria (CM) in Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected CBA/Ca mice.
      Nine of 12 control mice developed neurologic signs and died from CM approximately
      2 weeks after infection. All 12 mice treated with daily intraperitoneal
      pentoxifylline (1 mg) for 10 days after infection did not develop CM. All
      surviving mice developed high parasitemia and severe anemia and died 2 weeks
      later without neurologic signs. In pentoxifylline-treated mice, serum tumor
      necrosis factor (TNF) bioactivity was nondetectable, whereas control mice had
      high TNF levels on day 6 after infection. These findings were supported by in
      vitro investigations of malaria antigen-induced TNF synthesis. Northern blot
      analysis of TNF mRNA from stimulated macrophages showed that pentoxifylline
      inhibited TNF expression at the transcription level, and TNF bioactivity in
      supernatants was strongly depressed. These findings make pentoxifylline a
      potential candidate for study as a supportive agent in human CM.

PMID- 1869849
TI  - Contribution of pyrazinamide to antituberculosis chemotherapy.

PMID- 1869850
TI  - Effect of pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine on the assay of lactate dehydrogenase
      activity.

PMID- 1869851
TI  - Entamoeba hartmanni: missing or misidentified?

PMID- 1869852
TI  - Salivary IgA antibody detection in invasive amebiasis and in asymptomatic
      infection.

PMID- 1869853
TI  - Primary human immunodeficiency virus infection mimicking syphilis.

PMID- 1869854
TI  - Unusually high level of a tumor-associated antigen in the serum of human
      immunodeficiency virus-seropositive individuals.

PMID- 1869855
TI  - Naturally acquired immunity: a means of resistance to Mediterranean spotted
      fever?

PMID- 1869856
TI  - Failure of intrathecal tetanus antitoxin in the treatment of tetanus neonatorum.

PMID- 1869857
TI  - Safety and efficacy of liposomal amphotericin B in treating AIDS-associated
      disseminated cryptococcosis.

PMID- 1869858
TI  - Development of histoplasmosis in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient
      receiving fluconazole.

PMID- 1869859
TI  - Sporobolomyces infection in an AIDS patient.

PMID- 1869860
TI  - Mefloquine-resistant malaria induced by inappropriate quinine regimens?

PMID- 1869862
TI  - [24th annual meeting of the JOA Musculoskeletal Tumor Society. Tokyo, July 19-20,
      1991. Abstracts].

PMID- 1869861
TI  - Expression of the genes of class I interferons and interleukin-6 in individual
      cells.
AB  - The use of a highly sensitive method of in situ hybridization capable of
      detecting one copy of interferon (IFN) mRNA per cell coupled with quantitative
      analysis of cytokine mRNA showed that the number of copies of mRNA per cell was
      directly proportional to the logarithm of the number of silver grains formed over
      that cell. More than 90% of both virus-induced human Namalwa and mouse C243 cells
      exhibited grain counts significantly greater than background values following in
      situ hybridization with riboprobes complementary to human IFN- alpha and mouse
      IFN- beta mRNA, respectively. Labeling was shown to be specific, as the labeled
      probe was displaced by a 200-fold excess of the specific unlabeled probe but not
      by a 200-fold excess of an unrelated probe. Although the large majority of cells
      within a population responded to induction, considerable variation was observed,
      however, in the content of IFN mRNA per cell: 24% of induced C243 cells contained
      more than 50 copies of IFN-beta mRNA per cell while 60% of the cells contained 10
      copies or less. Low levels of IFN mRNA were also detected in both uninduced C243
      cells and uninduced Namalwa cells. Five to 10% of peripheral blood mononuclear
      cells from normal donors expressed INF-alpha mRNA following induction in vitro.
      Approximately 1% of untreated peripheral blood mononuclear cells also exhibited
      low levels of IFN-alpha mRNA. Analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA showed that
      97% of TNF-induced human MG63 cells contained IL-6 mRNA, although, again, the
      amount varied considerably from cell to cell.

PMID- 1869863
TI  - Plasma levels of glucose, ketone bodies, lactate, and alanine in the vascular
      supply to and from the brain of the adult American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).
AB  - Serial, paired blood samples were collected via cannulae chronically placed in
      the common carotid artery (A) to and the internal jugular vein (V) from the brain
      of the fasted adult American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). Plasma glucose, beta
      hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, lactate, and alanine levels were measured by
      standard enzymatic procedures. Cannula failure ended sampling after 1-2 days in
      most animals. The common carotid artery plasma metabolite levels were greatest at
      the time of surgery and subsequently declined to relatively stable levels. The
      summarized data indicated glucose uptake and alanine release by the brain, but no
      significant beta-hydroxybutyrate or lactate A-V percentage changes. Initially,
      acetoacetate levels also were measured, but were discontinued in favor of
      continued beta-hydroxybutyrate determinations when no significant A-V percentage
      changes occurred. Separate analysis of the metabolite levels during the surgery
      and recovery period (less than or equal to 24 hr) and the "normal" under the
      experimental conditions period (greater than 24 hr) revealed that summarizing the
      data masked important A-V percentage changes during the two different
      physiological conditions. Glucose was the only metabolite extracted by the brain
      during the less than or equal to 24 hr period of elevated and subsequently
      declining metabolite levels. In contrast, glucose uptake did not occur during the
      greater than 24 hr period of stable levels, but there was lactate release. If the
      bullfrog brain stores substantial glycogen as do the other ectothermic
      vertebrates studied, glucose uptake when plasma levels are elevated, for example
      after feeding, may serve both to fuel the brain and to replenish endogenous
      glycogen reserves that may be mobilized to provide glucose for the brain after
      plasma glucose levels return to normal. Assuming that mammalian and bullfrog
      metabolic pathways are the same, the release of lactate and alanine by the brain,
      possibly to remove excess pyruvate and to regenerate NAD+, is consistent with
      this hypothesis. It remains to be determined for how long endogenous energy
      sources alone can support the bullfrog brain, and if plasma glucose, ketones,
      and/or other energy sources are extracted as endogenous brain fuels become
      exhausted.

PMID- 1869864
TI  - Development and DNA polymerase activities in cultured preimplantation mouse
      embryos: comparison with embryos developed in vivo.
AB  - Embryos from superovulated female mice that developed in vitro from the two-cell
      stage were compared with in vivo embryos with respect to yield of blastocytes,
      number and types of cells, morphology in histologic section, and DNA polymerase
      activities. Significantly more embryos developed into blastocytes in vitro (93%)
      than in vivo (18%). Inner cell mass (ICM) cells comprised approximately 30% of
      total cells in late morula/early blastocyst stage embryos developed either in
      vitro or in vivo. However, the in vitro embryos developed approximately half the
      number of total cells as in vivo embryos, did not develop endoderm, and did not
      develop abembryonic trophoblast cells with morphologic characteristics of late
      preimplantation in vivo embryos. DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities in in
      vitro embryos decreased in correspondence with the decrease in cell number
      resulting in per cell levels comparable to in vivo embryos. In contrast, the poly
      (A).oligo(dT)-dependent DNA polymerase activity was the same in embryos
      developing either in vitro or in vivo, indicating different regulatory mechanisms
      for the two enzyme activities. A variety of nutrients and growth factors in the
      culture medium did not increase cell numbers or DNA polymerase activities in
      embryos cultured for 3 days; extending the culture an additional 24 hours
      resulted in a loss of ICM cells and decreases in both DNA polymerase activities.
      These results show that the retarded growth of embryos in vitro is equally
      distributed between ICM and trophoblast, is not reversed by culture conditions
      that include serum growth factors, and is not due to decreased cellular levels of
      DNA polymerase activities.

PMID- 1869865
TI  - Effect of photoperiod on the rate of 3H-thymidine incorporation of epididymal
      principal cells in adult Syrian hamsters.
AB  - Photoperiod-induced cycles of gonadal regression and recrudescence in the Syrian
      hamster were used to determine if epididymal growth in adults involves mitotic
      activity of principal cells. In Experiment 1, the following groups of adult
      hamsters were examined: induced recrudescing (5L:19D [5 hr light and 19 hr dark]
      for 13 wk followed by 14L:10D for at least 3 wk), spontaneous recrudescing
      (5L:19D for 25 wk), and active gonadal state (14:10D). In Experiment 2, adult
      hamsters were divided into the following groups: induced recrudescing, active,
      and regressed (5L:19D for 16 wk). Hamsters received subcutaneous injections of
      0.5 microCi 3H-thymidine/g body weight three times/wk for 3 wk. The epididymis
      was fixed in a glutaraldehyde followed by osmium, embedded in Epon 812, and
      sectioned at 1 micron. Slides were dipped in Kodak NTB-3 emulsion, exposed for 2
      or 3 months, developed, and evaluated for isotopic labeling of principal and
      basal cell nuclei by scoring 500 to 1,000 nuclei. In Experiment 1, the
      percentages of labeled principal cell nuclei for the induced recrudescing,
      spontaneous recrudescing, and active groups were 26 +/- 2%, 23 +/- 5%, and 9 +/-
      1%, respectively. Considering the intermittent availability of 3H-thymidine
      during 21 days, this represents daily recruitment of 6.3%, 5.6%, and 2.2%,
      respectively. In Experiment 2, the percentages of labeled principal cell nuclei
      for induced recrudescing, active, and regressed groups were 12 +/- 4%, 3 +/- 1%,
      and 4 +/- 1%, respectively. There was no effect of photoperiod on labeling
      pattern of basal cells (1.5 +/- 0.6%, 1.2 +/- 0.1%, 0.4 +/- 0.1% for the three
      photoperiod groups, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869866
TI  - The present status of akathisia.
AB  - Akathisia is a common and distressing side effect of antipsychotic and some other
      psychotropic medications. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge of
      its clinical features, pathophysiology, and treatment. Restless legs syndrome and
      akathisia associated with Parkinson's disease are discussed in so far as they
      help understand drug-induced akathisia. The complexity of the disorder, and the
      difficulty in characterizing and quantifying it, may explain why researchers have
      relatively neglected akathisia for so long. The recent upsurge of research
      interest promises the hope of a better understanding of its pathophysiology so
      that effective therapy may result.

PMID- 1869867
TI  - Gender differences in the specificity of alcoholism transmission among the
      relatives of opioid addicts.
AB  - Gender differences in the specificity of drug versus alcohol transmission were
      examined among 201 opioid addicts and their 877 first-degree relatives using
      direct interviews and a structured family history method based on the Schedule
      for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Research Diagnostic Criteria. A strong
      association of parental alcoholism with alcoholism among the proband addicts was
      found, suggesting some specificity for drug versus alcohol abuse. We also found
      that among the 477 siblings, those with alcoholism alone did not have parents
      with drug abuse and those parents with drug abuse did not have children with
      alcoholism alone. Rates of parental alcoholism were higher in alcoholic female
      than in alcoholic male probands, suggesting greater female "loading" was needed
      in order to become alcoholic. This increased loading in women was also found
      among the siblings, but alcoholic parents appeared to transmit a nonspecific
      tendency for either drug or alcohol abuse to their female children. Thus, it may
      take a greater "dose" of parental transmission for a woman to become a substance
      abuser, and transmission of alcoholism may be specific in men, but not in women.

PMID- 1869868
TI  - The antisocial personality disorder diagnosis in substance abusers: problems and
      issues.
AB  - This paper examines the question of whether antisocial personality disorder (APD)
      can be considered a viable substance abuse typology. The data for APD substance
      abusers are first reviewed with respect to six properties that apply to
      establishing the validity of a clinical typology. This is followed by a brief
      description of the historical context and development of current
      conceptualizations of antisocial personality. Some possible sources of diagnostic
      unreliability and instability that could serve to limit the validity of the APD
      diagnosis are then discussed. Finally, evidence indicating considerable
      psychiatric heterogeneity within APD substance abusers is described. The findings
      indicate that although APD substance abusers satisfy many of the criteria for a
      clinical subtype, the fit is sufficiently imprecise to suggest the need for
      further refinement. We attempt to point out some of the critical questions,
      issues, and lines of research that could help to guide future efforts to clarify,
      refine, and revise the APD formulation, particularly as it applies to substance
      abusers.

PMID- 1869869
TI  - Subjective experiences related to alcohol use among schizophrenics.
AB  - Comorbid alcohol use disorders are common in schizophrenia. Although a variety of
      explanatory hypotheses involving self-medication have been proposed, few data
      available regarding schizophrenic patients' subjective experiences while using
      alcohol. We report interview data from 75 DSM-III-R schizophrenic outpatients
      regarding their subjective responses to alcohol. Over half of our sample reported
      that alcohol improved social anxiety, tension, dysphoria, apathy, anhedonia, and
      sleep difficulties. Other nonpsychotic experiences were frequently improved as
      well. In contrast, no more than 15% of subjects reported that alcohol relieved
      any specific psychotic symptom; similar proportions of subjects reported that
      alcohol aggravated psychotic symptoms. Reporting that alcohol had a positive
      effect on nonpsychotic experiences was associated with having lifetime alcohol
      use disorders. Reporting that alcohol relieved psychotic symptoms was associated
      both with having lifetime alcohol use disorders and with the number of psychotic
      symptoms reported. We discuss the implications of these findings for
      understanding alcohol abuse and dependence among schizophrenics.

PMID- 1869870
TI  - Dysphoria in male alcoholics with a history of hallucinations.
AB  - This paper examines severity of depressive symptoms, as measured by the Beck
      Depression Inventory, in chronic alcoholics with and without a history of
      hallucinations. We found a) alcoholics entering alcohol treatment who have
      experienced hallucinations during detoxification report higher levels of
      subjective depression than alcoholics who have never experienced hallucinations,
      b) the level of subjective depression in alcoholics with a history of
      hallucinations remains higher at the end of inpatient alcohol treatment than in
      alcoholics without hallucinations, and c) hallucination is the important
      variable; alcoholics with blackouts, seizures, and delirium tremens, do not
      experience higher levels of depression during detoxification. The reporting of a
      significantly higher level of depressive symptoms by alcoholics with a history of
      experiencing hallucinations during withdrawal suggests that in some alcoholics,
      there exists a vulnerability for mood abnormalities which includes a
      predisposition toward other abnormal mental phenomena such as perceptual
      distortions.

PMID- 1869873
TI  - Quality of object relations versus interpersonal functioning as predictors of
      therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy outcome.
AB  - The purpose of the study was to compare an interview measure of quality of object
      relations to questionnaire and interview measures of recent interpersonal
      functioning with respect to the prediction of therapeutic alliance and
      psychotherapy outcome. The sample consisted of 64 patients who had received
      approximately 20 sessions of short-term individual psychotherapy within a
      controlled, clinical-trial investigation. Ratings of therapeutic alliance were
      provided independently by the patient and the therapist after each session.
      Outcome measures, which were provided by three sources (patient, therapist, and
      independent assessor), covered the areas of interpersonal functioning,
      psychiatric symptomatology, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Quality of object
      relations, which characterizes the patient's lifelong pattern of relationships,
      was the best predictor. It was significantly related to patient-rated and
      therapist-rated therapeutic alliance and to patient improvement of both general
      symptomatology and specific target problems. The study also replicated previous
      studies that have reported significant relationships between therapeutic alliance
      and therapy outcome. The advantages of pretherapy predictors of therapy outcome,
      such as quality of object relations, are discussed.

PMID- 1869871
TI  - Psychiatric disorders among poor victims following a major disaster: Armero,
      Colombia.
AB  - We evaluated 102 adult victims of low socioeconomic status living in tent camps 8
      months following the Armero disaster in Colombia to ascertain the level of
      psychiatric morbidity. Ninety-one percent of the subjects identified by the
      screening instrument as being emotionally distressed met DSM-III criteria for a
      psychiatric disorder. The most frequent diagnoses were posttraumatic stress
      disorder and major depression. These findings indicate that a simple screening
      instrument can be reliably used for the detection of significant emotional
      problems among disaster victims. They also show that these victims are not merely
      distressed; rather, they present clear and treatable psychiatric disorders that
      center on anxiety and depression. Interventions for their adequate management
      need to be designed, implemented, and evaluated. In a developing country,
      however, the high prevalence of mental disorders among disaster victims far
      exceeds the specialized mental health resources. The general health sector,
      particularly the primary level of care, must participate actively in the delivery
      of mental health services to meet this need, particularly for a socioeconomically
      disadvantaged population. The narrow range of psychiatric disorders detected
      among the disaster victims makes it possible to circumscribe the training of the
      primary care worker in disaster mental health to these priority conditions.

PMID- 1869874
TI  - Carbamazepine for atypical psychosis with episodic hostility.

PMID- 1869872
TI  - Posttraumatic stress disorder among children clinically diagnosed as borderline
      personality disorder.
AB  - Using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, Revised Version
      (DICA-C-R), the authors evaluated 19 children ages 7 to 14 who had recently been
      clinically diagnosed as borderline personality disorder by DSM-III-R criteria.
      The results reveal that 78.9% of these children reported significant traumatic
      experiences, with 36.8% fitting DICA-C-R criteria for posttraumatic stress
      disorder. These findings raise the possibility that a diagnosis of borderline
      personality in childhood can often represent posttraumatic stress disorder.

PMID- 1869875
TI  - Drug-related alopecia in patients treated with tricyclic antidepressants.

PMID- 1869876
TI  - GABA-like immunoreactivity in the developing chick retina: differentiation of
      GABAergic horizontal cell and its possible contacts with photoreceptors.
AB  - The morphology of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing horizontal cells was
      examined in mature and developing chick retinas by GABA immunocytochemistry. In
      the outer plexiform layer of the mature retina, GABA-immunoreactive components
      were located in three different sublayers. In the inner (vitreal) layer most
      positively-stained fibres were laterally oriented processes from horizontal
      cells. Thick processes were found in the middle layer, and the relatively thin
      fibres in the outer (scleral) layer showed a concave curvature, suggesting their
      termination on photoreceptor terminals. By electron microscopy it was found that
      the principal cone pedicles were usually indented by immunoreactive lateral
      neurites of horizontal cells but that rod spherules faced only occasionally
      immunoreactive fibres. Accessory cones and single cones were also not usually
      indented by immunoreactive fibres. These observations may indicate that
      horizontal cells regulate the excitation of cone photoreceptors by several
      different inhibitory mechanisms. During retinal development, horizontal cells
      begin to extend lateral fibres by the ninth embryonic day, and some GABAergic
      horizontal cells also possess inwardly extending fibres until embryonic day 11.
      Between embryonic days 13 and 15, some immunoreactive cells were found among the
      bipolar cells, suggesting that they were still migrating to their final position.
      On embryonic day 17, the staining pattern was very similar to that of the mature
      retina. These results suggest that GABA immunohistochemistry may be an excellent
      tool for studying horizontal cell differentiation.

PMID- 1869877
TI  - Gracile nucleus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
AB  - This study reports ultrastructural changes in the gracile nucleus of male Wistar
      rats after streptozotocin-induced diabetes. During the acute phase (3-7 days)
      degenerating electron-dense dendrites and axon terminals were dispersed in the
      neuropil. Degenerating dendrites were characterized by an electron-dense
      cytoplasm, swollen mitochondria, dilated endoplasmic reticulum and scattered
      ribosomes. Degenerating axon terminals were characterized by an electron-dense
      cytoplasm and clustering of small spherical agranular vesicles. Degenerating axon
      terminals may form part of a synaptic glomerulus with a central electron-dense
      dendrite, or they may form the central element of a synaptic glomerulus. These
      degenerating profiles were absent in the gracile nucleus of the 3 and 7 days
      insulin-treated post-streptozotocin rats. Macrophages were present in the
      neuropil and were in the process of engulfing neuronal elements. During the
      medium phase (1-6 months), most of the degenerating dendrites and axon terminals
      had been engulfed or removed by macrophages. During the late phase (9-12 months)
      a second wave of degeneration occurred in the gracile nucleus, similar to the
      acute phase. During the medium and late phases, dystrophic axonal profiles were
      also significantly increased in the rats after streptozotocin treatment. It is
      concluded that the ultrastructural changes observed in the gracile nucleus in the
      present study were the result of streptozotocin-induced diabetes rather than a
      toxic effect of streptozotocin, even in the acute phase.

PMID- 1869878
TI  - Selectivity of kainic acid as a neurotoxin within the dorsal lateral geniculate
      nucleus of the cat: a model for transneuronal retrograde degeneration.
AB  - In situ injections of the cytotoxin kainic acid were used to make localized
      lesions of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus in the adult cat to produce a
      model for studying the effects of postsynaptic target loss. Kainic acid has been
      used extensively to produce lesions of neuronal cell bodies within the central
      nervous system. However, the selectivity of kainic acid has been questioned, as
      it may also affect afferent terminals or axons of passage. Retinal projections to
      degenerated geniculate nuclei were visualized 1 week after kainate injection
      using anterograde labelling with horseradish peroxidase and electron microscopy.
      The results demonstrate the presence of afferent terminals within regions of
      neuronal loss, and hence the selectivity of kainic acid for intrinsic geniculate
      neurons.

PMID- 1869879
TI  - Populations of rat spinal primary afferent neurons with choleragenoid binding
      compared with those labelled by markers for neurofilament and carbohydrate
      groups: a quantitative immunocytochemical study.
AB  - A quantitative comparison was made of the population of L5 dorsal root ganglion
      neurons that bind choleragenoid and the population of neurons labelled by RT97,
      an anti-neurofilament antibody, SSEA3, an antibody to a globoseries carbohydrate
      group and 1B2, an antibody to a lactoseries carbohydrate group. Neurons with
      choleragenoid binding formed a population of 37% of all the cells and 94% of
      these were also immunoreactive to RT97. The choleragenoid-and RT97-positive
      groups of cells showed the same size distribution. Two small populations of cells
      existed which were choleragenoid negative/RT97 positive and choleragenoid
      positive/RT97 negative. SSEA3 immunoreactivity was found in 8% of the dorsal root
      ganglion neurons which were of all sizes. The 1B2 immunoreactivity was found in
      32% of the dorsal root ganglion cells, the majority of which were in the small
      size range. More than half of the SSEA3-positive cells but only a few of the 1B2
      positive neurons were labelled for choleragenoid. These results demonstrate that
      choleragenoid labels the majority of the light (RT97-positive) cell population
      and that light cells unlabelled by choleragenoid are small in number and spread
      across a wide size range.

PMID- 1869880
TI  - Transplanted type-1 astrocytes facilitate repair of demyelinating lesions by host
      oligodendrocytes in adult rat spinal cord.
AB  - The ethidium bromide model of demyelination/remyelination provides a system for
      studying the interactions between demyelinated axons, host glia and transplanted
      glia. The injection of 0.1% ethidium bromide in isotonic saline into the white
      matter of the spinal cord produces a glia-free demyelinating lesion which is
      subsequently remyelinated by Schwann cells and, to a lesser extent,
      oligodendrocytes. the in vitro description of an oligodendrocyte progenitor
      isolated from the adult CNS, together with the recognized role of type-1
      astroctyes in controlling the developmental programme of perinatal O-2A
      progenitors, suggested the possibility that transplanted type-1 astrocytes may
      potentiate oligodendrocyte remyelination of the ethidium bromide lesion. Purified
      type-1 astrocyte cultures were prepared by removing cells of the oligodendrocyte
      lineage using a combination of exposure to cytosine arabinoside and complement
      mediated immunocytolysis. Following transplantation of purified type-1 astrocyte
      cultures into ethidium bromide lesions, a significant increase in the extent of
      oligodendrocyte remyelination was achieved. Because the purified type-1 astrocyte
      cultures had no demonstrable oligodendrocyte-generating potential it was
      concluded that the additional oligodendrocytes appearing in the type-1 astrocytes
      transplanted lesion were of host origin. These results indicate that type-1
      astrocytes can facilitate repair of demyelinating lesions by host
      oligodendrocytes. The possible mechanisms whereby this facilitation occurs are
      discussed.

PMID- 1869881
TI  - Clustering of dendrites in the cerebral cortex begins in the embryonic cortical
      plate.
AB  - In this study, we have asked what organizational features can be detected in the
      embryonic rat cerebral cortex. We have found evidence using light microscopy, and
      scanning and transmission electron microscopy, that soon after the first cortical
      neurons join the cortical plate, their apical dendrites form clusters. These
      clusters are characterized by the close apposition of dendritic membranes, and by
      intermediate-type junctions. Clustering occurs within 24 h of cortical plate
      formation, at a time when the cortical plate is about six cell diameters thick,
      and before the cortex has any afferent input or the cortical plate any synapses.
      Thus the clustering of apical dendrites in the cortical plate appears to be a
      very early organizational feature in the development of the cerebral cortex.

PMID- 1869882
TI  - Axonal cytoskeleton at the nodes of Ranvier.
AB  - The relationship between the degree of nodal narrowing and the changes in the
      structure of the axonal cytoskeleton was studied in 53 fibres of mouse sciatic
      nerve. Nodal narrowing increased with increasing fibre calibre to reach about 20%
      of the internodal area in the thicker fibres. The narrowing corresponded
      quantitatively to a decreased number of nodal neurofilaments. Nodal microtubule
      numbers varied greatly, and a majority of fibres had considerably (approximately
      55%) more microtubules in their nodal profile than in the internode. Nodal
      profiles of different calibre showed an increase in the number of filaments and
      of microtubules with nodal calibre, although at rates different from those in the
      internode. The degree of observed axon non-circularities had no discernible
      effect on the restructuring of the axonal cytoskeleton at the node. A transnodal
      transport of the axonal cytoskeleton can occur with: (1) accelerated transnodal
      transport of filaments, (2) stationary internodal fraction of filaments, (3)
      depolymerization of filaments proximal to the node and repolymerization distally,
      or (4) different nodal and internodal polymerization equilibria.

PMID- 1869883
TI  - Perineurium of sciatic nerve in normal and diabetic rodents: freeze-fracture
      study of intercellular junctional complexes.
AB  - A comparative study has been carried out using the freeze-fracture technique on
      the perineurium of the sciatic nerve from normal and diabetic mice (C57Bl/Ks,
      BALB/c and CD1 strains) and rats of various ages. The replicas showed that tight
      junctions connected perineurial cells both within the same cell layer (zonulae
      occludentes) and between adjacent layers (maculae occludentes). In neonates, a
      number of zonulae occludentes were characterized by short, incomplete or
      fragmented ridges at various intervals from each other; in adults, tight
      junctions appeared as 'mature' networks of interconnected, branching and/or
      anastomosing strands. Zonulae occludentes of diabetic mice also exhibited
      frequent interruption of the strands and reduction in the branching of strands.
      Gap junctions occurred in both zonulae and maculae occludentes of normal and
      diabetic rats at all ages. In the C57Bl/Ks strain such junctions occurred more
      frequently in zonulae occludentes of diabetic animals. It is suggested that
      perineurial cells are coupled by gap junctions to allow fast transfer of ions and
      small-sized molecules across the layers; under pathological conditions, such as
      diabetes, the increase in cell-to-cell signalling may be important in controlling
      the abnormal metabolic situation.

PMID- 1869884
TI  - Assessment of ultrastructure in isolated cochlear hair cells using a procedure
      for rapid freezing before freeze-fracture and deep-etching.
AB  - Separated cochlear outer hair cells and isolated strips of organ of Corti
      containing hair cells and supporting cells have been rapidly frozen before freeze
      fracture and deep-etching by immersion of samples sandwiched between two copper
      plates into liquid nitrogen-cooled propane: isopentane. Assessment of this
      procedure has shown that no significant freezing damage occurs. The
      ultrastructure of the hair cells revealed by freeze-fracture of these non
      chemically fixed preparations was generally very similar to that seen in fixed
      material. This indicates that the processing of cochlear tissue normally used for
      electron microscopy produces few obvious structural artefacts. It also
      demonstrated that procedures for isolating cochlear hair cells generally do not
      affect cell structure significantly. However, some isolated hair cells did show
      abnormalities within the membranes of the lateral cisternae. Such membrane
      alterations, which would not be identified by light microscopy, occurred to a
      variable extent but were more commonly present after prolonged periods in
      maintenance medium. Deep-etching of the preparations to examine extracellular
      features around stereocilia revealed clearly lateral cross-links between
      stereocilia. However, tip-links could not be positively identified in either
      unfixed or prefixed preparations.

PMID- 1869885
TI  - Linear arrays of homogeneous mast cells in the dura mater of the rat.
AB  - Using fluorescence histochemistry, 5-HT, histamine and heparin were colocalized
      in a large population of cells in the dura mater thereby identifying them as mast
      cells. In addition, because these cells were highly sensitive to compound 48/80
      and were densely packed with granules of a consistent density, they were
      identified specifically as 'connective tissue' mast cells. Other types of mast
      cells, i.e. 'mucosal' or 'neurolipomastocytes', were not present in the rat dura
      mater. 5-HT immunohistochemistry was the best technique for demonstrating that
      there were populations of mast cells, one associated with each of the two layers
      of dura. Although shaped differently the type of mast cell in each layer was the
      same. It was observed that mast cell shape is dependent on the contiguity,
      density and orientation of its surrounding elements, not its type. In general,
      mast cells in the outer layer were aligned parallel to the middle meningeal
      artery and those in the inner layer were parallel to trigeminal nerve branches
      that coursed obliquely across the middle meningeal artery. Examination of cross
      sections of dura revealed that most mast cells also were aligned at the interface
      between the two dural layers. The linear orientation of mast cells in two planes
      of each layer suggests a programmed lamellar seeding of these cells during
      development of the dura. This study also demonstrated that the majority of dural
      mast cells were more closely related to other connective tissue elements than to
      blood vessels and nerves. These results (1) are compatible with the suggestion
      that dural mast cells play a non-obligatory role in the neuroinflammatory
      response, (2) leave open to question the role of the dural mast cell in headache
      or the regulation of blood flow, and (3) support evidence that dural mast cells
      play an important role in connective tissue related functions, e.g. development,
      inflammatory response to injury and wound repair.

PMID- 1869886
TI  - Periaxonal ensheathment of lobster giant nerve fibres as revealed by freeze
      fracture and lanthanum penetration.
AB  - Sheath structure and permeability have been studied in the nerve fibres of
      lobster (Panulirus argus) walking limbs, in particular the individually
      ensheathed larger giant fibres, 100-150 microns in diameter, of which there are
      five or six in a peripheral bundle. They are easily distinguished and can be
      separated from neighbouring fibre bundles in which smaller giant axons (65-80
      microns diameter) and many axons of much smaller diameter (5-15 microns) are
      ensheathed together. Each of the larger giant axons is enveloped by a Schwann
      cell layer outside of which is a multilayered sheath consisting of one-cell thick
      belts of flattened cells and interleaved zones of collagen fibrils and
      extracellular matrix. The cells in each belt lack basal lamina and, after freeze
      fracture, as well as in thin sections, exhibit intercellular gap junctions and
      incomplete, fascia type, tight junctions; their most striking aspect is an
      exceedingly large number of exo-endocytic profiles. Permeability to lanthanum
      chloride in the bathing medium studied before or during fixation both in intact
      nerves and in nerves with surgically breached (slit) epineurium showed
      penetration of lanthanum tracer between the cells around the giant fibres, but
      the electron-dense tracer was excluded from the Schwann cell layer and the
      periaxonal space unless the epineurium had been slit. The extent of lanthanum
      diffusion was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy of thin sections and
      confirmed by X-ray microanalysis (EDAX) of comparable selected areas in such
      sections. The results indicate structural similarities but distinct permeability
      differences between the multilayered sheath surrounding the lobster giant axons
      and the vertebrate nerve perineurium. Other ultrastructural details provided by
      the freeze-fracture replicas concern the distribution of intramembrane particles
      in the axolemma and the Schwann and sheath cell membranes.

PMID- 1869887
TI  - Large GABA cells of chick ectostriatum: anatomical evidence suggesting a double
      GABAergic disinhibitory mechanism. An electron microscopic immunocytochemical
      study.
AB  - In an extension of our previous light microscopic observations, a type of neuron
      which shows GABA-like immunoreactivity was identified and described in the
      ectostriatal core of young domestic chicks, using pre- and postembedding electron
      microscopic immunocytochemistry. Large GABA immunopositive (GABA+) cells are
      characterized by an ovoidal or polygonal soma of 12-16 micron diameter, uniformly
      distributed nuclear chromatin, a prominent Golgi apparatus and an abundance of
      rough endoplasmic reticulum. In addition to axodendritic terminals, large GABA
      neurons receive numerous axosomatic synapses of both symmetrical and asymmetrical
      types covering a substantial part of their perikaryal surface. Axosomatic
      terminals with symmetrical junctions are usually immunoreactive to GABA whereas
      the boutons with asymmetrical synaptic specialization are immunonegative. GABA+
      boutons also synapse with dendritic spine necks presumably belonging to
      projection neurons. These terminals usually contain loosely packed synaptic
      vesicles without any marked accumulation near the synaptic cleft. Large GABA+
      terminals with densely packed vesicles were found to synapse with axon hillocks.
      Based on known descriptions of ectostriatal cytoarchitecture and synaptology, it
      is suggested that the GABA+ cells of chick ectostriatum represent inhibitory
      interneurons which may be equivalent to GABAergic non-pyramidal neuronal types of
      mammalian visual cortex. GABA+ axosomatic synapses afferent to large GABA cells
      are likely to form the structural basis for a disinhibitory mechanism in the
      avian ectostriatum.

PMID- 1869888
TI  - Trends in the pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of spasticity.
AB  - Spasticity develops after supraspinal or spinal lesions of descending motor
      systems, with obligate involvement of the corticospinal tract. Spasticity is
      characterized by an increase in muscle tone, which, in contrast to many other
      types of enhanced muscle tone, shows a marked velocity-dependent increase when
      the muscle is passively stretched. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying
      this spastic muscle tone remain obscure. Three major causes are currently
      considered possible: (1) changes in the excitability of spinal interneurones; (2)
      receptor hypersensitivity; (3) formation of new synapses by sprouting. The latter
      mechanism could account for the long time course over which spastic muscle tone
      develops in hemiplegic or paraplegic patients, but there is no experimental
      evidence for this hypothesis. The electromyographic (EMG) gait analysis of
      patients with spasticity has thrown doubt on the common belief that the velocity
      dependent increase in spastic muscle tone is evoked by stretch reflex activity
      and has led to the idea that spastic muscle tone resides in the muscle fibres
      themselves. While such a mechanism may contribute to the slowness of active
      movements in spastic patients, recent experiments on patients with spastic arm
      paresis have confirmed the classical view that the spastic muscle tone is related
      to the EMG activity evoked in the passively stretched muscle. This pathological
      EMG activity is seen during the entire range of the dynamic phase of the stretch,
      during which a normal muscle exhibits only an early, phasic burst at the highest
      stretch velocities employed. For the pharmacological treatment of spasticity,
      substances with different central or peripheral actions are available. Their
      assumed receptor actions are described, together with their main indications and
      side-effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869889
TI  - How to identify psychogenic disorders of stance and gait. A video study in 37
      patients.
AB  - Thirty-seven patients with psychogenic disorders of stance and gait were
      clinically evaluated, recorded on video, and analysed with regard to clinical
      phenomenology. Characteristic, suggestive and unspecific features were
      identified. Six characteristic features proved most valuable for diagnosis of
      psychogenesis, as they occurred alone or in combination in 97% of patients: (1)
      momentary fluctuations of stance and gait, often in response to suggestion; (2)
      excessive slowness or hesitation of locomotion incompatible with neurological
      disease; (3) "psychogenic" Romberg test with a build-up of sway amplitudes after
      a silent latency or with improvement by distraction; (4) uneconomic postures with
      wastage of muscular energy; (5) the "walking on ice" gait pattern, which is
      characterized by small cautious steps with fixed ankle joints; (6) sudden
      buckling of the knees, usually without falls. Seventy-three percent of patients
      had additional suggestive features. Classification into characteristic subtypes
      was not found useful because predominant features varied from patient to patient
      and occurred in various combinations. Factitious impairment of stance and gait
      was studied in 13 healthy drama students. Simulated gait dysfunction appeared
      less conspicuous and more difficult to diagnose than the clinical psychogenic
      disorders.

PMID- 1869890
TI  - Intrafamilial phenotype variation in Friedreich's disease: possible exceptions to
      diagnostic criteria.
AB  - Three families are described which include members with "typical" Friedreich's
      disease (FD) and others who are ataxic but do not satisfy all the diagnostic
      criteria for that disease. In family A two patients have an early-onset, rapidly
      progressive FD, while two others have a late-onset, more benign form. In families
      B and C one member has "typical" FD, and another has a similar ataxic syndrome,
      except for preservation of knee jerks. Laboratory evaluation is consistent with
      the diagnosis of FD in all cases. FD diagnosis appears justified in secondary
      cases with late onset or preserved tendon reflexes, provided that the index case
      fulfils all diagnostic criteria. Whether the diagnosis of FD is tenable in
      sporadic "atypical" cases remains to be seen. Echocardiographic and
      neurophysiological examination may be valuable in classifying such cases.

PMID- 1869891
TI  - Striatopallidonigral degeneration in Pick's disease: a clinicopathological study
      of 41 cases.
AB  - The frequency and degree of stiatopallidonigral (SPN) degeneration were examined
      in 41 autopsy cases of Pick's disease. Based on the degree of SPN degeneration,
      these cases were arranged into four groups: 1) group I (severely degenerate;
      19.5%), 2) group II (moderately degenerate; 22.0%), 3) group III (mildly
      degenerate; 36.5%), and 4) group IV (non-degenerate; 22.0%). 17 of the 41 cases
      had a definite (moderate to severe) SPN degeneration. The striatum, especially
      the caudate nucleus, was most frequently and most severely affected, while the
      internal segment of the globus pallidus was least frequently and least severely
      affected. In general, the oral portions of the SPN nuclei were more severely
      involved. In addition, in the putamen and globus pallidus the dorsomedial
      portions adjacent to the internal capsule were apt to be affected more markedly
      than the other portions. In the substantia nigra the degeneration tended to be
      more predominant in the pars reticulata than in the pars compacta, although both
      were usually involved. In addition, the medial to central portions of the
      substantia nigra were more vulnerable. In comparing the severely and moderately
      degenerate groups (groups I and II) with the mildly and non degenerate groups
      (groups III and IV), the former had more female cases, longer duration of
      illness, and more third-stage cases. In addition, the former contained more cases
      with lower brain weight and (predominant) frontal atrophy type, and more atypical
      cases without Pick bodies, or with symmetrical pyramidal tract degeneration or
      with combined traumatic lesions. It is notable that in all cases with definite
      SPN degeneration no extrapyramidal involuntary movements had been detected.

PMID- 1869893
TI  - Sarcoid neuropathy.
AB  - In a case of subacute sensory and motor polyneuropathy associated with
      sarcoidosis, multiple epineurial and endoneurial granulomas were demonstrated in
      a sural nerve. Neighbouring nerve fibres were displaced by the granulomas and
      some were undergoing axonal degeneration. Ultrastructural and teased fibre
      studies showed axonal atrophy and degeneration with secondary demyelination.
      Histochemical studies indicated the presence of HLA-DR antigen on epithelioid
      cells in the granulomas. A non-specific inflammatory process in the nerve does
      not cause significant primary demyelination.

PMID- 1869892
TI  - Somatosensory evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation after partial section
      of the corpus callosum.
AB  - Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) to electrical stimulation of the
      median nerve were studied in four patients with intractable epilepsy who had
      undergone callosotomy and in a patient with infarction in the corpus callosum in
      order to determine whether the corpus callosum was involved in the generation of
      ipsilateral frontal components. Both pre- and postoperative SEPs were recorded in
      three of four epileptic patients. There were no significant differences in the
      latencies and amplitudes of the bilateral frontal components (P20, N26) between
      pre- and postoperative recordings. Furthermore, irrespective of the extent of the
      section or lesion in the corpus callosum, the nature of the impairment and the
      existence of the disconnection syndrome, the SEP findings showed no significant
      differences compared with those of normal subjects. It thus appears unlikely that
      the ipsilateral SEP responses are transmitted from the contralateral hemisphere
      through at least the anterior portion of the corpus callosum.

PMID- 1869894
TI  - Immunohistology of temporal arteritis: phenotyping of infiltrating cells and
      deposits of complement components.
AB  - Deposition of complement factors, immunoglobulins and infiltrating cells was
      evaluated by immunohistochemical staining in 30 temporal artery biopsy specimens
      from patients suffering from temporal arteritis and/or polymyalgia rheumatica and
      in controls. In the temporal arteritis group infiltrating cells, classic
      complement, alternative complement and lytic complex activation were detected. In
      specimens from patients suffering from only polymyalgia rheumatica there was
      unexpected evidence of classic complement and lytic complex activation. We
      conclude that immuno-histochemistry provides support for the concept of temporal
      arteritis and polymyalgia being based on the same pathological process.

PMID- 1869895
TI  - The treatment of multiple intracranial tuberculous abscesses: a case report.
AB  - A Chinese female aged 2 years 8 months with tuberculous meningitis developed
      hydrocephalus requiring insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. After adequate
      anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy for 14 weeks, multiple intracranial tuberculous
      abscesses developed. The lesions increased in size and number accompanied by
      clinical deterioration. Repeated drainage operations were performed in view of
      the increased intracranial pressure. The child made a remarkable recovery after
      an initial stormy course.

PMID- 1869896
TI  - Molecular structure matching by simulated annealing. III. The incorporation of
      null correspondences into the matching problem.
AB  - This paper extends an application of the method of simulated annealing for
      molecular matching so that the best common subsets of atom positions can be
      identified. Null correspondences are introduced into the difference distance
      matrix to enable poorly matched positions to be ignored in minimizing the
      objective function. The efficiency of the algorithm in finding correct subsets is
      rigorously tested.

PMID- 1869897
TI  - Conformation of receptor-associated PGI2: an investigation by molecular modeling.
AB  - To elucidate the conformation of receptor-associated prostacyclin (PGI2), we
      first performed structure-activity correlation analysis of over 200 PGI2
      analogues and derived from this analysis several crucial features pertaining to
      structural requirements for PGI2 activity [Ah-lim Tsai and Kenneth K. Wu,
      Eicosanoids, 2 (1989) 131-143]. These structural features proved to be useful
      guidelines for selecting 'model molecules' for further investigations by
      molecular mechanics. By properly selecting four analogues with either rigid or
      uniquely oriented alpha-side chain structure for geometric fitting, we succeeded
      in maximally minimizing the degree of freedom of the carboxylate terminus of
      PGI2. We were able to define the spatial relationship among the four critical
      functional groups, i.e., C1-COOH, C6a-O, C11-OH and C15-OH. More information is
      needed, however, to define the geometry of the omega-side chain, particularly for
      the moiety beyond C15. Nevertheless, results from structure-activity correlation
      analysis and molecular modeling provide useful information regarding the
      conformation of receptor-associated PGI2, which assumes an 'elongated'
      conformation instead of the traditional 'hairpin' structure.

PMID- 1869899
TI  - Do you believe in wavefunctions?

PMID- 1869898
TI  - Development of an automatic estimation system for both the partition coefficient
      and aqueous solubility.
AB  - A computer program has been developed for estimating both the partition
      coefficient between 1-octanol and water phases and the aqueous solubility from
      the structural formula. This system is an extended version of a previously
      described program entitled CHEMICALC for the automatic estimation of the
      partition coefficient. The aqueous solubility is estimated via two pathways. The
      first is based on the linear relationship between logarithms of the aqueous
      solubilities of 497 compounds and their estimated 1-octanol/water partition
      coefficients. In the second, combined handling of two available group
      contribution methods of Irmann [Chem. Ing. Tech., 37 (1965) 789] and Wakita et
      al. [Chem. Pharm. Bull., 34 (1986) 4663] is adopted according to compound type.
      Some revisions and extensions of the methods for estimating the aqueous
      solubility have been made in both pathways, and the accuracy of the estimated
      aqueous solubilities for 497 compounds is discussed.

PMID- 1869901
TI  - CICIAMS XIV World Congress New York. Perennial ethical and moral values in a
      changing society.

PMID- 1869900
TI  - A supermolecule study of the effect of hydration on the conformational behaviour
      of leucine-enkephalin.
AB  - A theoretical conformational study was performed on leu-enkephalin in its
      zwitterionic form, both in vacuo and in the presence of a number, n, of up to 13
      water molecules saturating its first hydration shell. The intramolecular energy
      of enkephalin as well as the intermolecular enkephalin-water and water-water
      interaction energies were computed with the SIBFA procedure (Sum of Interactions
      Between Fragments Ab initio computed), which uses additive ab initio multipole
      systematics and analytical formulas grounded on ab initio SCF computations.
      Energy minimizations were performed with a polyvalent minimizer, Merlin, with
      which three distinct derivative and three distinct nonderivative minimizers can
      be activated in a sequential fashion. Eight different candidate conformations of
      enkephalin were used as starting points. These conformations are either those
      found in distinct X-ray structures, or those proposed on the basis of theoretical
      computations by other authors. In the absence of hydration, they converged
      towards distinct folded energy-minima, the best four ones being separated by an
      energy gap of 8.7 kcal/mol. In marked contrast, with up to n = 13, the
      energetical separation between the six best conformers narrowed down to congruent
      to 4 kcal/mol. They can be characterized by: (a) either a direct or a water
      mediated ammonium-carboxylate interaction; b) either a close proximity (as in
      morphine) or a large separation between the aromatic rings of Tyr and Phe
      (intercenter separations of congruent to 4.5 A and congruent to 10.5 A,
      respectively), with each of the four mutual combinations of (a) and (b) being
      represented.

PMID- 1869902
TI  - National Conference Walsingham October 1990.

PMID- 1869903
TI  - Electrophysiological evidence for a direct projection of direction-sensitive
      retinal ganglion cells to the turtle's accessory optic system.
AB  - 1. The direct retinal input pathway to the basal optic nucleus (BON), the primary
      nucleus of the turtle accessory optic system, was characterized physiologically.
      We tested the hypothesis that directional information encoded in retinal ganglion
      cells can influence the BON via a direct pathway. Using an in vitro whole-brain,
      eyes-attached preparation, we demonstrated the directness of this pathway by 1)
      antidromic activation of retinal ganglion cells from the contralateral BON and 2)
      orthodromic activation of the BON from the contralateral optic nerve. 2. Of 72
      physiologically classified retinal ganglion cells, 9 could be antidromically
      activated from the contralateral BON with low current (less than 200 micro A).
      Eight of these cells were direction-sensitive (DS). The ninth cell did not
      respond to visual stimulus movement. The antidromic latencies ranged from 2.2 to
      6.1 ms with a mean of 3.8 ms. These latencies were quite consistent for each
      cell, having an average SD of 0.08 ms. Moreover, consistent responses could
      always be recorded at stimulation rates up to 100 Hz. 3. With current stimulation
      of the contralateral optic nerve, the orthodromic conduction latency of 17 BON
      single units ranged from 2.5 to 6.6 ms with a mean of 4.6 ms. These latencies
      were more variable for an individual cell, having an average SD of 0.3 ms.
      Responses to individual current pulses could never be consistently evoked at
      stimulation rates greater than 40 Hz. 4. DS responses were recorded in BON single
      units after the removal of the dorsal midbrain, including the optic tectum and
      pretectum as well as the telencephalon. Three of these cells were activated
      orthodromically by current stimulation delivered to the contralateral optic
      nerve. Thus directional information reaches the BON via a direct projection from
      the contralateral retina. 5. Visual response properties of DS retinal ganglion
      cells were compared with those of BON cells to examine the transformations that
      take place in the brain stem. Applying a limacon model to the responses of both
      DS retinal ganglion cells and BON cells revealed that both types of cells have
      very similar direction tuning. However, the distribution of maximally responsive
      directions in the retina may differ from that of the BON. 6. Because DS retinal
      ganglion cells project directly to the BON, and because BON cells lose their
      direction sensitivity after retinal application of GABA antagonists, we conclude
      that the BON receives essential directional information directly from DS retinal
      ganglion cells. This directional information in the BON may represent a retinal
      slip error signal necessary for retinal image stabilization.

PMID- 1869904
TI  - Convergence of phrenic and cardiopulmonary spinal afferent information on
      cervical and thoracic spinothalamic tract neurons in the monkey: implications for
      referred pain from the diaphragm and heart.
AB  - 1. Spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons in the C3-T6 spinal segments were studied
      for their responses to stimulation of phrenic and cardiopulmonary spinal afferent
      fibers. A total of 142 STT neurons were studied in 44 anesthetized, paralyzed
      monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). All neurons were antidromically activated from the
      ventroposterolateral nucleus and/or medial thalamus. 2. Electrical stimulation of
      phrenic afferent fibers (PHR) excited 43/58 (74%), inhibited 2/58 (3%), and did
      not affect 13/58 (13%) of cervical STT neurons. Neurons with excitatory somatic
      fields confined to the proximal limb or encompassing the whole limb were excited
      to a significantly greater extent by electrical stimulation of PHR than were
      neurons with somatic fields confined to the distal limb. Mechanical stimulation
      of PHR by probing the exposed diaphragm excited 11/22 (50%), inhibited 3/22
      (14%), and did not affect 8/22 (36%) cervical STT neurons. 3. The technique of
      minimum afferent conduction velocity (MACV) was used to obtain information about
      the identity of the PHR that excited 35 cervical STT neurons. Evidence was
      obtained for excitation of these neurons by group II and III PHR. The mean +/- SE
      MACV for all neurons was 14 +/- 2 m/s. 4. Electrical stimulation of
      cardiopulmonary spinal afferent fibers excited 41/57 (72%), inhibited 8/57 (14%),
      and did not affect 8/57 (14%) of cervical STT neurons. Neurons with excitatory
      somatic fields confined to the proximal limb or encompassing the whole limb were
      excited to a significantly greater extent by electrical stimulation of
      cardiopulmonary spinal afferents than were neurons with somatic fields confined
      to the distal limb. 5. Excitatory convergence of PHR and cardiopulmonary spinal
      afferent input was observed for 36/57 (63%) cervical STT neurons. 6. Electrical
      stimulation of PHR excited 36/84 (43%), inhibited 25/84 (30%), and did not affect
      23/84 (27%) of thoracic STT neurons. All of these neurons received excitatory
      cardiopulmonary spinal afferent input. 7. Neurons were more likely to be excited
      by electrical stimulation of PHR if they were located in C3-C6 spinal segments.
      Furthermore, the net excitatory effect of PHR input decreased in more caudal
      segments, such that thoracic STT neurons were weakly excited relative to cervical
      STT neurons. 8. We conclude that cervical STT neurons with excitatory somatic
      fields that include or are restricted to proximal sites are excited by electrical
      or mechanical stimulation of PHR. Those effects demonstrate a physiological
      substrate for pain referred from the diaphragm to the shoulder in patients with
      pleural effusions or subphrenic abscesses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869905
TI  - Receptive properties of sacral primary afferent neurons supplying the colon.
AB  - 1. Conscious perception of noxious and innocuous distension of the colon as well
      as the reflex control of anal continence and defecation largely depend on an
      intact sacral primary afferent innervation. Here we have studied the functional
      properties of these visceral primary afferent neurons in the dorsal root S2 in 17
      cats. Single fibers projecting into the pelvic nerve were identified electrically
      and studied with innocuous and noxious mechanical stimulation of colon and anal
      canal. 2. A total of 59 units responding to one of these stimuli were
      investigated and they could be separated into two subpopulations of afferents.
      Thirty-six fibers were reproducibly excited by distension of the colon, but not
      by mechanical stimulation of the anal canal. They were thin myelinated or
      unmyelinated fibers with a median conduction velocity of 3.2 m/s. The remaining
      23 units had receptive fields in the mucosa of the anal canal and responded
      readily to an innocuous proximodistal shearing stimulus, but not to distension
      stimuli applied to the same area. All, but two of these afferents were thin
      myelinated with a median conduction velocity of 7.7 m/s, which was significantly
      different from the conduction velocity of afferent neurons responding to
      distension of the colon. 3. Units responding to distension of the colon had
      thresholds in the innocuous range of the intracolonic pressure. Receptors that
      were activated only by noxious intraluminal pressure were absent. On the basis of
      their response to supramaximal isotonic distension, colonic afferents could be
      subclassified as phasic (n = 17) or tonic (n = 19) units. Phasic afferents were
      only transiently excited during filling or emptying of the colon, whereas tonic
      afferents discharged throughout the distension. The two populations had also
      significantly different median conduction velocities of 8.0 (n = 16) and 1.7 (n =
      15) m/s, respectively. 4. Stimulation response functions were evaluated for 12
      tonic afferents. All units encoded an increase of intracolonic pressure by the
      intensity of their discharge frequency. Increases of intracolonic pressure
      produced significantly higher discharge frequencies from unmyelinated than from
      thin myelinated afferents. 5. In three animals the percentage of unmyelinated
      fibers responding to mechanical stimulation of colon and anal canal was
      determined. Out of 213 electrically identified unmyelinated units projecting into
      the pelvic nerve, only 11 (5.2%) were excited. Thus, acute innocuous and noxious
      mechanical stimuli of the large intestine do not appear to be the adequate
      stimulus for the large majority of unmyelinated pelvic afferents. 6. In
      conclusion, distension of the colon and mechanical stimulation of the anal canal
      activates distinct populations of primary afferent neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869906
TI  - Area 18 corticotectal cells: response properties and identification of sustaining
      geniculate inputs.
AB  - 1. We examined the response properties and geniculate inputs of 35 antidromically
      identified corticotectal (CT) cells within area 18 of the paralyzed, anesthetized
      cat. Twenty-three were either standard complex or hypercomplex, 11 were special
      complex, and 1 was simple. 2. The response properties of CT cells in area 18 were
      in general quite similar to those examined in a previous study of area 17 CT
      cells, including similar proportions of standard and special complex CT cells,
      virtually identical length-response functions, and similar orientation and
      direction tuning. 3. Area 18 CT cells are rapidly conducting. They are
      considerably faster than area 17 CT cells. 4. We investigated the composition of
      thalamic inputs to CT cells by reversibly inactivating a portion of layer A
      and/or the C layers of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus with injections of
      cobaltous chloride. Blocking layer A strongly attenuated the visual
      responsiveness of about half of the cells tested. Blocking the C layers alone
      generally had only moderate effects, but simultaneous blockade of layer A and the
      C layers demonstrated a substantial C-layer input to many cells. Unlike area 17
      in which there is a strong correlation between CT cell class and dependence on
      layer A, no single receptive-field parameter nor set of parameters was correlated
      with dependence on layer A. However, cells least affected by simultaneous
      blockade of layer A and the C layers were special complex, suggesting that, as in
      area 17, area 18 special complex CT cells integrate more geniculate inputs than
      standard complex CT cells. 5. We propose that the similarities of response
      properties of area 17 and area 18 CT cells results from their participation in
      similar interlaminar columnar circuits and that differences in the patterns of
      geniculate control reflect differences in the global patterns of geniculate
      inputs to these two areas.

PMID- 1869907
TI  - Organization of gustatory sensitivities in hamster superior laryngeal nerve
      fibers.
AB  - 1. Mammalian taste receptors are distributed within several distinct
      subpopulations, innervated by branches of cranial nerves VII, IX, and X. Most
      gustatory electrophysiology has focused on input from the fungiform papillae on
      the anterior portion of the tongue, carried by the chorda tympani branch of the
      VIIth nerve. However, laryngeal taste buds in the hamster are as numerous as
      those in the fungiform papillae. Gustatory fibers in the hamster's chorda tympani
      and glossopharyngeal nerves have been well characterized. In comparison with
      these taste fibers, much less is known about the chemical sensitivities of fibers
      innervating laryngeal taste buds. 2. Action potentials were recorded from 65
      individual fibers in the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) of the hamster. Stimuli
      were distilled H2O and five concentrations each of sucrose, NaCl, HCl, and
      quinine hydrochloride (QHCl). All stimuli except the NaCl series were made in
      physiological saline (0.154 M NaCl) and were delivered from the laryngeal side of
      the epiglottis via a tracheal cannula. Responses were quantified as the number of
      impulses in 10 s minus the responses in the preceding 10 s of baseline activity
      during a rinse with physiological saline. 3. Distilled H2O, HCl, and NaCl were by
      far the most excitatory stimuli, with mean responses across all cells 5-10 times
      greater than those evoked by sucrose or QHCl. The order of effectiveness of the
      strongest concentrations of the stimuli was H2O greater than 0.03 M HCl greater
      than 1.0 M NaCl much greater than 0.03 M QHCl greater than 1.0 M sucrose. 4. The
      mean concentration-response function for NaCl was U shaped, with the greatest
      number of impulses to distilled H2O and 1.0 M NaCl. The responses diminished as
      the concentrations approached physiological levels (0.154 M NaCl), where there
      was no response, and increased as NaCl concentration rose above this level.
      Increasing concentrations of HCl above 0.0003 M elicited increasing responses in
      these fibers. 5. The mean time course of the responses to distilled H2O and to
      hypotonic NaCl solutions (0.01 and 0.03 M) peaked in the first few seconds and
      then declined slowly. This was distinct from the time course of the responses to
      hypertonic NaCl concentrations (0.3 and 1.0 M), which increased gradually
      throughout the 10-s response period. Responses to HCl peaked in the initial
      second and then decayed rapidly to a slowly declining plateau. These
      distinctively different time courses suggest different receptor mechanisms for
      water, salt, and acid stimuli. 6. The across-fiber pattern of the responses to
      hypotonic NaCl solutions correlated strongly to that elicited by distilled
      H2O.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869908
TI  - Selectivity for relative motion in the monkey superior colliculus.
AB  - 1. Cells in the superficial layers of the colliculus were studied in immobilized
      monkeys anesthetized with nitrous oxide. We examined sensitivity to the relative
      motion between two stimuli: a small target in a cell's receptive field and a
      large random-dot background pattern that filled most of the visual field outside
      the receptive field. 2. Most cells were nonselective for either target direction
      or speed when the background pattern was stationary but were selective for both
      direction and speed relative to a moving background. Selectivity for relative
      motion was independent of the absolute direction and speed of both target and
      background. When both moved at the same speed in the same direction, the response
      evoked by the target was strongly suppressed. Changing the background direction
      relative to the target reduced the suppression; suppression was minimal when the
      two moved in opposite directions. Selectivity for relative direction was broad:
      the average tuning width at half-amplitude was 136 degrees. When target and
      background moved in the same direction, increasing or decreasing background speed
      relative to the target likewise reduced suppression. Average tuning width for
      relative speed was 1.4 log units. 3. Selectivity for relative motion was a global
      phenomenon. Suppression was present even when the background pattern was excluded
      from a region 10 times the receptive-field diameter. However, suppression
      gradually diminished with increasing distance between the receptive field and the
      background pattern. 4. Relative motion selectivity was most common in the deeper
      part of the superficial layers. Ninety percent of the cells below the middle of
      the stratum griseum superficiale were selective for relative direction, whereas
      above this level only 45% of the cells were. 5. Cells in the magnocellular and
      parvocellular layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus did not show selectivity
      for relative direction. 6. We suggest that the lower one-half of the superficial
      grey layer and the stratum opticum together constitute a subdivision of the
      superior colliculus that is specialized to detect strong discontinuities in
      relative motion. Descending input by way of the corticotectal tract is probably
      essential for the detection process. the projections from this tectal motion zone
      to the pulvinar, and from there to prestriate cortex, may provide a feedback
      pathway through which motion discontinuities such as occur at dynamic occlusion
      boundaries can influence local feature detection by cortical neurons.

PMID- 1869909
TI  - Spatial distribution of recurrent inhibitory synapses on spinal motoneurons in
      the cat.
AB  - 1. Intracellular staining of Renshaw cells and alpha motoneurons was used to
      determine the spatial distribution of recurrent inhibitory synapses on spinal
      motoneurons in the cat. In each experiment, a Renshaw cell and one or more
      possible target motoneurons were labeled with horseradish peroxidase after
      physiological identification. 2. Paris of labeled neurons were reconstructed and
      measured at the light microscopic level. As defined by light microscopy, presumed
      synaptic contacts between nine Renshaw cells and 10 postsynaptic motoneurons were
      observed. On average, each Renshaw cell made three synaptic contacts (range 1-9)
      on each motoneuron. 3. Electron microscopic confirmation of several presumed
      contacts provided evidence that the appositions identified by light microscopic
      criteria are genuine contacts between Renshaw cell boutons and the labeled
      motoneuron. 4. All of the identified synapses observed in these experiments were
      located on motoneuron dendrites, between 65 and 706 microns from the soma. Use of
      a simplified cable model indicated that the synapses are electrotonically close
      to the soma, the average location being approximately 0.25 length constants from
      the soma (range 0.04-0.82 lambda). 5. These observations provide direct evidence
      to support the hypothesis that Renshaw cell synapses on motoneurons are located
      on the dendrites and not on the cell body (whereas reciprocal inhibitory
      synapses, from Ia inhibitory interneurons, are predominantly located on the
      soma). The functional significance of the observed distribution of Renshaw
      inhibitory synapses is discussed. One possibility is that the recurrent
      inhibitory pathway selectively inhibits particular dendritic inputs.

PMID- 1869910
TI  - Delayed excitatory connections in the flight system of the locust.
AB  - 1. Synaptic interactions between identified neurons in the flight system of the
      locust were investigated by the use of standard intracellular recording and
      staining techniques. The intent was to determine the distribution and functional
      significance of delayed excitatory connections, which have been previously
      described. 2. For one inhibitory connection it was demonstrated that subthreshold
      depolarization of the presynaptic neuron was sufficient to cause release of
      transmitter at the synapse. This established the existence of graded interactions
      between spiking flight neurons. 3. Three inhibitory interneurons were found to
      cause delayed excitatory responses in several other neurons. Often these were
      coupled with direct inhibitory connections between the same pre- and postsynaptic
      neurons, resulting in an inhibitory/excitatory (I/E) postsynaptic potential
      (PSP). The two phases of this PSP were variable. 4. Delayed excitatory
      connections appeared powerful while the flight system was inactive. However,
      these connections were disabled during flight rhythms at the phase when the
      presynaptic neuron was depolarized and firing action potentials. This was likely
      to be due to the nature of the disynaptic disinhibitory interaction being via
      (an) intervening neuron(s) with oscillating membrane potentials and thresholds
      for release of transmitter. 5. Thus connections demonstrated when flight rhythms
      were not expressed changed their character during flight rhythms. The delayed
      excitatory connections in this system probably reflect complex circuits of
      inhibition mediated by graded interactions and have little functional
      significance as phenomena in their own right.

PMID- 1869911
TI  - Eye movement responses to linear head motion in the squirrel monkey. I. Basic
      characteristics.
AB  - 1. The purpose of this study was to quantify the response characteristics of eye
      movements produced by linear head oscillations in the dark (the linear
      vestibuloocular reflex, or LVOR). Horizontal, vertical, and torsional eye
      movements were measured in adult squirrel monkeys by the use of a dual scleral
      search-coil technique during linear oscillations (0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 Hz, 0.36 g
      peak acceleration) along the animals' interaural (IA), dorsoventral (DV), and
      nasooccipital (NO) axes. 2. Two LVOR responses, horizontal eye movements during
      IA-axis translation and vertical eye movements during DV-axis motion, were in a
      compensatory direction for head translation. Response amplitudes increased as
      frequency increased, whereas phase typically showed a lead. 3. Two other LVORs,
      torsional responses during IA-axis translation (all frequencies) and vertical
      responses during NO-axis oscillations (0.5 Hz), behaved differently. These two
      LVORs cannot be functionally compensatory for head translation because they
      degrade fixation on targets, and therefore image stability, by rotating the eyes
      off target (NO-vertical) or torting the eyes relative to the visual world (IA
      torsional). Responses to NO-axis motion at frequencies greater than 0.5 Hz
      depended on initial eye position and fixation distance and are described in the
      companion paper. 4. The effect of head orientation on the LVOR was assessed by
      testing four head positions in 90 degrees steps around the axis of head motion
      for each of the three axes of translation. This was done, first, to determine
      whether the LVORs are responses to the "swinging vector" of gravitoinertial force
      during linear head motion or to head translation; and second, to quantify
      potential effects of static head (otolith) orientation on the LVORs. Results
      showed no systematic effects of head orientation on LVOR responses in the
      frequency bandwidth studied. This indicates that the LVORs are dependent on the
      direction of linear motion relative to the head (and otolith organs) but not on
      the swinging vector of gravitoinertial force, and that the LVORs are uninfluenced
      by static orientation of the head and reloading of the otoliths.

PMID- 1869912
TI  - Eye movement responses to linear head motion in the squirrel monkey. II. Visual
      vestibular interactions and kinematic considerations.
AB  - 1. Horizontal, vertical, and torsional eye movements were recorded (search coil
      technique) from five squirrel monkeys during horizontal linear oscillations at
      0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 Hz, 0.36 g peak acceleration. Monkeys were positioned to
      produce linear motion in their nasooccipital (NO), interaural (IA), and
      dorsoventral (DV) axes. Responses of the linear vestibuloocular reflex (LVOR)
      were recorded in darkness and in the light with the subjects viewing a head-fixed
      field 22 or 9.2 cm from the eye. The latter condition provided a measure of
      "visual suppression" of the LVOR (VSLVOR). Responses were also recorded while
      monkeys viewed earth-fixed targets, which allowed visual enhancement of the LVOR
      (VLVOR). Vergence angle was recorded in two monkeys to assess directly the point
      of binocular fixation in space during linear motion. 2. Two LVOR response types,
      vertical responses during 0.5-Hz NO-axis translation (NO-vertical) and torsional
      responses at all frequencies during IA-axis oscillation (IA-torsional) could not
      be compensatory reflexes for head translation because they either move the eye
      off target (NO-vertical) or tort the eye relative to the visual world (IA
      torsional), thereby degrading visual image stability. 3. Other response types are
      considered compensatory because they help maintain ocular fixation in space
      during linear head translation. These include horizontal responses to IA-axis
      motion (IA-horizontal), vertical responses to DV-axis translation (DV-vertical),
      and both horizontal and vertical responses to NO-axis oscillation (1.5 and 5 Hz).
      Observations focus on responses to 5-Hz oscillations, in which visual inputs are
      essentially ineffective in modifying the LVOR. 4. The kinematics of perfect
      ocular compensation during head translation indicate that the ideal ocular
      response is governed by the motion of the eye relative to target position.
      Relevant variables include target distance, which is crucial for all axes of
      motion, and target eccentricity, which is important only for head motion roughly
      parallel to the target (NO-axis translation). Findings are compatible with
      predictions based on ideal kinematics. However, it is the point of binocular
      fixation in space, not actual target position, that governs LVOR behavior. 5. The
      IA-horizontal and DV-vertical LVOR is in response to head motion roughly
      orthogonal to the line of sight. Responses under all stimulus conditions (LVOR,
      VSLVOR, and VLVOR) behaved similarly at 5 Hz, and were modulated linearly with
      vergence [in meter angles (MA), the reciprocal of binocular fixation
      distance].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1869913
TI  - Physiology and topography of neurons with multipeaked tuning curves in cat
      primary auditory cortex.
AB  - 1. The physiology and topography of single neuron responses along the
      isofrequency domain of the middle- and high-frequency portions [characteristic
      frequencies (CFs) greater than 4 kHz] of the primary auditory cortex (AI) were
      investigated in the barbiturate-anesthetized cat. Single neurons were recorded at
      several locations along the extent of isofrequency contours, defined from initial
      multiple-unit mapping. For each neuron a high-resolution excitatory tuning curve
      was determined, and for some neurons high-resolution two-tone tuning curves were
      recorded to measure inhibitory/suppressive areas. 2. A physiologically distinct
      population of neurons was found in the dorsal part of cat AI. These neurons
      exhibited two or three distinct excitatory frequency ranges, whereas most neurons
      in AI responded with excitation to a single narrow frequency range. These were
      called multipeaked neurons because of the shape of their tuning curves. At
      frequencies between the excitatory regions, the multipeaked neurons were
      inhibited or unresponsive. 3. Multipeaked neurons exhibited several distinct
      threshold minima in their frequency tuning curves. Most of the multipeaked
      neurons (88%) displayed two frequency minima, whereas the rest exhibited three
      minima. 4. The frequency separation between threshold minima was less than 1
      octave in 71% of the double-peaked neurons recorded. Occasionally, the frequency
      peaks of these neurons closely corresponded to a response to second and third
      harmonics without a response to the fundamental frequency. 5. Multipeaked neurons
      exhibited a wide range of total bandwidths (highest excitatory frequency minus
      lowest excitatory frequency expressed in octaves). Bandwidths of the isolated
      peaks within the same neuron were also quite variable. 6. Response latencies to
      tones with frequencies within each peak of a multipeaked neuron could vary
      considerably. In 71% (17) of the neurons, tones corresponding to the high
      frequency peak (CFh) elicited a longer response latency (greater than 4 ms) than
      those corresponding to the low-frequency peak (CF1). 7. Inhibitory/suppressive
      bands, as demonstrated with a two-tone paradigm, were often present between the
      peaks. Typically, neurons with excitatory peaks of similar response latencies
      showed an inhibitory band located between the peaks. 8. Ninety percent of the
      topographically localized multipeaked neurons were in the dorsal part of AI
      (greater than 1 mm dorsal to the maximum in the sharpness-of-tuning map).
      Although these neurons were restricted to dorsal AI, only 35% of neurons in this
      region were multipeaked. 9. Multipeaked neurons could show decreased response
      latencies and thresholds to two-tone combinations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1869914
TI  - Cortical organization of language.
AB  - Recent data obtained by various methods of clinical investigations suggest an
      organization of language in the human brain involving compartmentalization into
      separate systems subserving different language functions. Each system includes
      multiple essential areas localized in the frontal and temporoparietal cortex of
      the dominant hemisphere, as well as widely dispersed neurons. All components of a
      system are activated in parallel, possibly by ascending thalamocortical circuits.
      The features peculiar to cerebral language organization include not only the
      lateralization of essential areas to one hemisphere, but also a substantial
      variance in the individual patterns of localization within that hemisphere, a
      variance that in part relates to individual differences in verbal skills.

PMID- 1869915
TI  - Mineralocorticoid hormones suppress serotonin-induced hyperpolarization of rat
      hippocampal CA1 neurons.
AB  - Pyramidal neurons in the rat CA1 hippocampal area contain intracellular
      mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) to which the
      adrenal hormone corticosterone can bind with differential affinity. The pyramidal
      neurons also have high amounts of 5-HT1a receptors, which mediate a membrane
      hyperpolarization. With intracellular recording in vitro, we found that selective
      occupation of MRs suppresses the 5-HT-induced hyperpolarization of CA1 pyramidal
      neurons. The suppression of 5-HT responses was observed 1-4 hr after a brief (20
      min) application of the steroids. Binding properties of the 5-HT1a receptor were
      not significantly affected by in vitro steroid application. Furthermore,
      responses to the GABAB agonist baclofen were not changed after treatment with MR
      ligands, implying that the K+ conductance to which both GABAB and 5-HT1a
      receptors are linked is also no target for the steroid action. The MR-mediated
      effect on 5-HT responsiveness potentially enhances cellular activity. Because
      activation of GRs was previously found to suppress norepinephrine-induced
      excitability in the same neurons, the data support the concept that cellular
      homeostasis in the hippocampus is under control of corticosterone via
      coordinative, antagonistic MR- and GR-mediated events.

PMID- 1869916
TI  - The Lurcher cerebellar mutant phenotype is not expressed on a staggerer mutant
      background.
AB  - The hierarchy of the various processes responsible for the development of the
      complex, elaborated Purkinje cell can be examined by taking advantage of a series
      of spontaneous mutations that affect cerebellar development in the mouse. This
      study uses double mutants containing genes for two separate hereditary cerebellar
      mutations that have been shown to act intrinsically in Purkinje cells in order to
      investigate the time course and modes of action of these mutations. Lurcher mice
      show 100% degeneration of Purkinje cells, starting during the second postnatal
      week, while staggerer mice show reduced numbers of Purkinje cells in a
      distinctive mediolateral distribution from the time of birth, with the remainder
      grossly stunted. When these mutations are combined genetically, mice shown by
      progeny tests to harbor both staggerer and Lurcher genotypes exhibit staggerer
      like behavior and overall cerebellar morphology; they also do not lose 100% of
      their Purkinje cells, as Lurcher mutants would otherwise do. Instead, they show a
      characteristic staggerer cerebellar pathology. We conclude that the intrinsic
      action of the staggerer gene in Purkinje cells occurs earlier in development than
      do effects of the Lurcher gene, and that the action of the staggerer gene
      prevents Purkinje cells from acquiring the characteristics required for the
      cytotoxic action of the Lurcher gene.

PMID- 1869917
TI  - Cloning and characterization of Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent PKCs
      expressed in Aplysia sensory cells.
AB  - We isolated cDNA clones from an Aplysia sensory-cell library encoding two
      isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC). Several isozyme-specific regions are
      conserved in the Aplysia kinases, notably the variable regions V5 in the Ca(2+)
      dependent PKC (Apl I) and V1 in the Ca(2+)-independent PKC (Apl II). Neuronal
      proteins with the properties expected of these two isoforms can be identified
      with antibodies raised against peptides synthesized from the amino acid sequences
      deduced from the clones. Sacktor and Schwartz (1990) measured the proportion of
      kinase activity that can be translocated to membrane in Aplysia sensory neurons
      and ganglia by stimuli that produce the presynaptic facilitation underlying
      behavioral sensitization. Much less Apl I and Apl II are translocated, suggesting
      that still other isoforms of PKC exist in these cells.

PMID- 1869918
TI  - Locus coeruleus involvement in the learning of classically conditioned
      bradycardia.
AB  - Opioid agonists are known to inhibit the activity of locus coeruleus (LC)
      neurons. In this study, microinjections of the mu-opioid agonist [D-Ala2, N-Me
      Phe4, Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO; 1.6 microM) bilaterally into the LC caused a
      significant impairment in the development of a heart-rate (HR) conditioned
      response (CR). The adverse effect of DAMGO on the HR CR could be reversed with
      naltrexone pretreatment. Microinjections of DAMGO into the periaqueductal gray,
      parabrachial nucleus, or fourth ventricle structures 1-2 mm away from the LC had
      no effects on the development of an HR CR. We conclude that central noradrenergic
      activity as mediated by the LC is critically involved in the learning and
      retention of conditioned cardiovascular responses.

PMID- 1869919
TI  - Chronic androgen treatment increases action potential duration in the electric
      organ of Sternopygus.
AB  - The quasi-sinusoidal electric organ discharge (EOD) of the weakly electric fish
      Sternopygus is involved in communication and orientation. Each monophasic pulse
      of the low-intensity EOD is a compound action potential (AP) from the
      simultaneously firing electrocytes of the electric organ. EOD frequency is lower
      and EOD pulse duration longer in sexually mature males than in sexually mature
      females; exogenous androgen lowers EOD frequency and increases EOD pulse
      duration. In order to determine the contribution of single electrocyte spikes to
      the entire EOD pulse, APs were induced by intracellular current injection in
      single electrocytes of isolated pieces of electric organ. Each AP looks very
      similar to the externally recorded EOD pulses, and AP duration (APD) is
      significantly correlated with EOD pulse duration (r = 0.48; p less than 0.0005).
      The APD is slightly longer when compared to the EOD pulse duration, but this
      difference is likely due to the stimulation paradigm. Fish treated with
      dihydrotestosterone showed a decrease in EOD frequency, increase in EOD pulse
      duration, and corresponding increase in APD; control fish showed random,
      insignificant changes in EOD wave form and APD. Evidence presented here shows
      that changes in the passive membrane properties are unlikely to be responsible
      for the APD increase. The possibility is discussed that androgens act directly
      upon the electric organ, ultimately altering the ionic currents that produce the
      AP.

PMID- 1869920
TI  - Chronic testosterone treatment impairs vocal learning in male zebra finches
      during a restricted period of development.
AB  - To study the effects of chronic exposure to testosterone on song behavior
      development, we administered various amounts of testosterone to juvenile male
      zebra finches during different periods of song acquisition. We report that
      testosterone exposure during development profoundly impairs song learning in
      juvenile males. The effects of the hormone do not seem to be dose related but
      vary according to the period of life during which testosterone is administered.
      Exposure to testosterone starting before day 40 and lasting until adulthood
      decreases the number of syllables in the birds' repertoire and increases the
      number of phrases per bout of singing. In addition to these changes in the
      "syntactical" features of song, acoustic abnormalities are also present in the
      song syllables of males that begin to receive testosterone during the first month
      of life. Administration of testosterone during only the first 3 weeks of life
      produces acoustic abnormalities but has no effect on repertoire size or bout
      structure. Birds receiving the hormone between 20 and 40 d of age develop both
      acoustic abnormalities and a reduced repertoire size, but their song bouts
      contain a normal number of song phrases. Exposure to testosterone starting on day
      40 produce no behavioral abnormalities. These results indicate that normal song
      development requires a period of low levels of circulating testosterone and also
      provide support for the idea that vocal learning entails a progressive sequence
      of events.

PMID- 1869921
TI  - Selective and divided attention during visual discriminations of shape, color,
      and speed: functional anatomy by positron emission tomography.
AB  - Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to identify the neural systems
      involved in discriminating the shape, color, and speed of a visual stimulus under
      conditions of selective and divided attention. Psychophysical evidence indicated
      that the sensitivity for discriminating subtle stimulus changes in a same
      different matching task was higher when subjects selectively attended to one
      attribute than when they divided attention among the attributes. PET measurements
      of brain activity indicated that modulations of extrastriate visual activity were
      primarily produced by task conditions of selective attention. Attention to speed
      activated a region in the left inferior parietal lobule. Attention to color
      activated a region in the collateral sulcus and dorsolateral occipital cortex,
      while attention to shape activated collateral sulcus (similarly to color),
      fusiform and parahippocampal gyri, and temporal cortex along the superior
      temporal sulcus. Outside the visual system, selective and divided attention
      activated nonoverlapping sets of brain regions. Selective conditions activated
      globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, posterior
      thalamus/colliculus, and insular-premotor regions, while the divided condition
      activated the anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The results
      in the visual system demonstrate that selective attention to different features
      modulates activity in distinct regions of extrastriate cortex that appear to be
      specialized for processing the selected feature. The disjoint pattern of
      activations in extravisual brain regions during selective- and divided-attention
      conditions also suggests that preceptual judgements involve different neural
      systems, depending on attentional strategies.

PMID- 1869922
TI  - Relations between intracellular ions and energy metabolism: a study with monensin
      in synaptosomes, neurons, and C6 glioma cells.
AB  - Treatment of rat brain synaptosomes with 10 microM monensin stimulated activity
      of the Na/K pump, which enhanced oxygen consumption and lactate production.
      Glycolytic flux was also increased independently of the pump activation by a fall
      in [H+]i. Under such conditions, glycolysis provided 26% of ATP for the ouabain
      sensitive ATPase, a value substantially greater than the 4% obtained in
      veratridine-treated preparations (Erecinska and Dagani, 1990). In C6 glioma
      cells, a glia-derived line endowed with high rates of aerobic lactate synthesis,
      the cytosolic and mitochondrial ATP generation contributed 50% each for the
      support of the pump in the presence of 10 microM monensin. The fraction of energy
      utilized by the pump was greater in synaptosomes than in C6 cells. Enhancement of
      ion movements was accompanied by changes in the levels of high-energy phosphate
      compounds. Measurements with ion-sensitive microelectrodes in C6 cells and
      cultured neurons showed that monensin caused an increase in pHi by 0.4-0.5 unit
      and a parallel rise in [Na+]i. The increases in [Na+]i were about twofold in both
      types of cells, but the absolute values attained were much higher in neurons (40
      50 mM) than in C6 cells (10-12 mM). Membrane potentials transiently declined by
      less than 10 mV and returned to their original values after 20 min of treatment.
      Rises in [Ca2+]i were small in neurons as well as in C6 cells. These changes
      could be explained by the known mechanism and/or consequences of monensin action.
      In contrast, in synaptosomes monensin caused an internal alkalinization of 0.1
      0.15 pH unit, a large depolarization of the plasma membrane, and massive leakage
      of potassium into the external medium. The decrease in plasma membrane potential
      was accompanied by an increase in [Ca/+]i and release of the neurotransmitter
      amino acids GABA, aspartate, and glutamate. The depolarization and loss of K+
      were unaffected by calcium withdrawal, replacement of chloride with gluconate,
      and addition of 1 mM 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilebene-2,2'-disulfonic acid
      (SITS), but was markedly attenuated by elimination of Na+. It is proposed that in
      synaptosomes monensin and/or the consequences of its action open a nonspecific
      cation channel that allows Na+ entry and K+ exit, with a consequent decrease in
      membrane potential.

PMID- 1869923
TI  - Isolation and functional characterization of Schwann cells derived from adult
      peripheral nerve.
AB  - To facilitate the development of autologous transplantation techniques with which
      to test the ability of Schwann cell (ScC) implantations to treat nervous system
      injury, we have developed a method for procuring large, essentially pure
      populations of ScCs from adult peripheral nerve. By allowing small explants of
      peripheral nerve trunk to undergo axonal and myelin breakdown in vitro, rather
      than dissociating the nerve immediately after harvest, we are able to (1) rid the
      explant of nearly all fibroblasts and (2) capitalize on the intrinsic ScC
      mitogenic response to peripheral nerve degeneration. Here, we describe a method
      that yields up to 98% pure ScC populations from adult rat sciatic nerve (based on
      cell soma and nuclear morphology, S100 staining, and behavior of dissociated
      cells on neurites) at cell yields of greater than 2 x 10(4) cells/mg of starting
      nerve weight. The purification technique was successfully applied to human
      tissue; human phrenic nerve yielded 98% pure ScC populations at cell yields of 2
      x 10(4) cells/mg of initial nerve weight. Similar to neonatally derived ScCs,
      adult rat cells can be expanded in coculture with dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
      neurons or in isolation in the presence of glial growth factor and forskolin.
      Cells expanded indefinitely on DRG neurons, or up to 10 weeks on chemical
      mitogens, return to quiescence following removal of the mitogenic stimulus.
      Expanded adult-derived rat ScCs retain functional capacity, as evidenced by their
      ability to myelinate DRG neurites and to support regeneration of processes from
      embryonic rat retinal explants.

PMID- 1869924
TI  - A unique neuronal organization in the cat pretectum revealed by antibodies to the
      calcium-binding protein calbindin-D 28K.
AB  - The pretectum is an important center for visual reflexes. However, the location,
      boundaries, and connections of individual nuclei of the pretectum are
      incompletely understood. In cat, the traditionally defined nuclear boundaries
      have been placed in doubt by recent evidence showing that the retinal input to
      the pretectum forms four continuous projection zones that do not match the
      cytoarchitectural boundaries of individual pretectal nuclei defined by previous
      studies. We now show that antibodies to the calcium-binding protein calbindin-D
      28K (CaBP) label clusters of neurons within the pretectum that match the zones of
      retinal termination. Four obvious cell clusters within the pretectum were labeled
      by CaBP antisera. Computer three-dimensional reconstruction of these cell
      clusters revealed that they form four distinct but continuous zones that run the
      rostrocaudal length of the pretectum in a medial-to-lateral direction. By
      combining anterograde HRP labeling of retinal terminals with CaBP
      immunocytochemistry, these CaBP-labeled cell clusters were found virtually to
      overlap the retinal projection zones. The CaBP-labeled neurons included both
      multipolar and fusiform morphologies, and most were medium- to large-sized cells.
      HRP retrograde transport studies showed that many CaBP-labeled neurons in the
      clusters projected to the LGN, while none projected to the inferior olive (IO).
      GABA-immunoreactive neurons were also found within the CaBP cell clusters, but
      these neurons were smaller than most CaBP-labeled neurons, and none were
      retrogradely labeled following HRP injections into the LGN or IO. Two-color
      antibody double-labeling experiments did not reveal any GABA neurons within the
      clusters that colocalized CaBP. In summary, calbindin is a precise marker of
      neuron clusters that overlap the retinal projection zones in the cat pretectum.
      Many of these CaBP neurons project to the LGN, and none contain GABA.

PMID- 1869925
TI  - Evidence for the ventral origin of oligodendrocyte precursors in the rat spinal
      cord.
AB  - The neuroepithelial cells of the mammalian neural tube are thought to give rise
      to all classes of differentiated neurons and macroglial cells in the adult CNS.
      In most cases, the regulation and timing of commitment of neuroepithelial cells
      to specific differentiative pathways are unknown. It has been proposed that in
      developing spinal cord, the macroglial cells--astrocytes and oligodendrocytes-
      arise either by the direct transformation of radial glial cells in the developing
      cord or, alternatively, by the differentiation of distinct precursor cells which
      migrate to presumptive white matter from the region of the central canal during
      development. In this study, the timing of oligodendrocyte differentiation in
      different levels of the spinal cord and the capacity of specific regions of the
      spinal cord to give rise to oligodendrocytes at various ages was tested in vitro.
      At embryonic day 14, all complete segments, as well as all ventral regions along
      the rostral-caudal axis of the spinal cord, have the capacity for
      oligodendrogenesis. By contrast, dorsal regions of the thoracic and lumbar spinal
      cord do not develop the capacity for oligodendrogenesis until later in
      development. The capacity of dorsal rat spinal cord to give rise to
      oligodendrocytes appears to be associated with the ventral-to-dorsal migration of
      oligodendrocyte precursors. These observations suggest that commitment to an
      oligodendrocyte differentiative pathway appears to occur in a distinct population
      of ventrally located glial precursors in the embryonic rat spinal cord.

PMID- 1869927
TI  - A cellular analysis of inhibition in the siphon withdrawal reflex of Aplysia.
AB  - Recent behavioral experiments examining the siphon withdrawal reflex of Aplysia
      have revealed inhibitory effects of strong tail shock, a stimulus commonly used
      as an unconditioned stimulus in studies of associative and nonassociative
      learning in Aplysia. We utilized a reduced preparation to perform a cellular
      analysis of tail shock-induced inhibition in the siphon withdrawal reflex. First,
      we carried out behavioral studies that showed that the reduced preparation
      exhibits a siphon withdrawal reflex to water jet stimuli, and that tail shock
      produces inhibitory behavioral effects comparable to those in the intact animal:
      (1) strong shock produces transient inhibition of nonhabituated responses, and
      (2) a habituated response is facilitated by weak shock, but not by strong shock,
      suggesting that increasing tail shock intensity recruits the inhibitory process
      that competes with facilitation of habituated reflexes. Next, we carried out
      cellular studies that showed that the amplitude of the complex EPSP in siphon
      motor neurons elicited by water jet stimuli to the siphon also exhibits the
      inhibitory patterns produced by tail shock: (1) the nondecremented complex EPSP
      (a neural correlate of a nonhabituated siphon withdrawal reflex) is significantly
      inhibited 90 sec after strong tail shock and recovers to preshock levels 10 min
      later, and (2) the decremented complex EPSP (a neural correlate of a habituated
      reflex) is significantly facilitated by weak shock, but is not facilitated by
      strong shock. In addition to the complex EPSP, we simultaneously examined the
      monosynaptic connection between siphon sensory neurons and siphon motor neurons.
      The monosynaptic EPSP does not show the pattern of inhibitory modulation by tail
      shock exhibited by the siphon withdrawal reflex and the complex EPSP: (1) the
      nondecremented monosynaptic EPSP is not inhibited 90 sec after strong shock, but
      tends to be above preshock levels; and (2) the decremented monosynaptic EPSP is
      facilitated by weak as well as strong tail shock. Our results suggest that an
      important component of the inhibitory process triggered by strong tail shock is
      mediated by neural elements presynaptic to the siphon motor neurons. Because
      modulation of the monosynaptic connection between identified siphon sensory and
      siphon motor neurons does not parallel the tail shock-induced inhibitory patterns
      observed in the siphon withdrawal reflex and in the complex EPSP, other synaptic
      connections are likely to play an important role in mediating tail shock-induced
      inhibition in the siphon withdrawal reflex.

PMID- 1869926
TI  - Acid-induced death in neurons and glia.
AB  - Lactic acidosis has been proposed to be one factor promoting cell death following
      cerebral ischemia. We have previously demonstrated that cultured neurons and
      glial are killed by relatively brief (10 min) exposure to acidic solutions of pH
      less than 5 (Goldman et al., 1989). In the present series of experiments, we
      investigated the relationship between changes in intracellular pH (pHi) and
      cellular viability. pHi was measured using fluorescent pH probes and was
      manipulated by changing extracellular pH (pHe). Homeostatic mechanisms regulating
      pHi in neurons and glia were quickly overwhelmed: neither neurons nor glial cells
      were able to maintain baseline pHi when incubated at pHe below 6.8. Neuronal and
      glial death was a function of both the degree and the duration of intracellular
      acidification, such that the LD50 following timed exposure to HCl increased from
      pH, 3.5 for 10-min acid incubations to pHi 5.9 for 2-hr exposures and pHi 6.5 for
      6-hr exposures. Replacement of HCl with lactic acid raised the LD50 to pHi 4.5
      for 10-min acid exposures, but did not change the LD50 for longer exposures: pHi
      measurements concurrent with extracellular acidification suggested that the
      greater cytotoxicity of lactic acid relative to that of HCl was caused by the
      more rapid intracellular acidification associated with lactic acid. The onset of
      death after exposure to moderately acidic solutions was delayed in some cells,
      such that death of the entire cell population became evident only 48 hr after
      acid exposure. During this latency period, cellular viability indices and ATP
      levels fell in parallel.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869928
TI  - Serotonin mimics tail shock in producing transient inhibition in the siphon
      withdrawal reflex of Aplysia.
AB  - Tail shock-induced modulation of the siphon withdrawal reflex of Aplysia has
      recently been shown to have a transient inhibitory component, as well as a
      facilitatory component. This transient behavioral inhibition is also seen in a
      reduced preparation in which a cellular reflection of the inhibitory process,
      tail shock-induced inhibition of complex EPSPs in siphon motor neurons, is
      observed. The biogenic amine serotonin (5-HT) is known to play a role in the
      facilitatory aspects of sensitization in Aplysia. The aim of this article was to
      examine whether 5-HT might also contribute to the inhibitory effects of tail
      shock in the siphon withdrawal reflex. To examine this question, we carried out
      two kinds of experiments. First, in the isolated abdominal ganglion, we recorded
      intracellularly from siphon motor neurons and examined the effects of 5-HT on (1)
      complex (polysynaptic) EPSPs, produced by siphon nerve stimulation, and,
      simultaneously, (2) monosynaptic EPSPs from siphon sensory neurons. We found
      that, paralleling the effects of tail shock in the reduced preparation, 5-HT
      produced transient inhibition of the complex EPSP; the monosynaptic EPSP was
      facilitated by 5-HT. Second, we examined the behavioral effects of 5-HT on siphon
      withdrawal in a reduced preparation. We found that 5-HT again paralleled tail
      shock by producing transient inhibition of the siphon withdrawal reflex. Our
      results suggest that, in addition to its well-established facilitatory role in
      reflex modulation in Aplysia, 5-HT might play an important inhibitory role, as
      well.

PMID- 1869929
TI  - Existence of different subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the rat
      habenulo-interpeduncular system.
AB  - Neuronal nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) are present in the rat medial habenula
      (MHB) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN), two brain regions connected through the
      fasciculus retroflexus (FR). The goal of the present study was to compare the
      electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics of nAChRs located at pre
      and postsynaptic sites within the MHB-IPN system. nAChRs located on the soma of
      IPN neurons were studied using patch-clamp techniques and a preparation of
      acutely isolated neurons. Whole-cell currents evoked by Ach and nicotine showed
      an intense rectification at positive membrane potentials. nAChR channels were
      relatively nonselective for cations, had a unitary conductance of 35 pS, and were
      activated by several nicotinic agonists with the following rank order: cytisine
      greater than ACh greater than nicotine greater than dimethylphenylpiperazinium
      (DMPP). They were blocked by mecamylamine, hexamethonium, curare, and dihydro
      beta-erythroidine (DHBE), but were insensitive to alpha-bungarotoxin and neuronal
      bungarotoxin. In contrast, nAChRs recorded on the soma of MHB neurons under
      equivalent experimental conditions exhibited different characteristics for single
      channel conductance and agonist and antagonist sensitivity. The pharmacological
      properties of presynaptic nAChRs in the IPN were analyzed in a rat brain slice
      preparation. Stimulation of the FR produced a presynaptic afferent volley
      recorded in the rostral subnucleus of the IPN. Nicotinic agonists decreased the
      amplitude of the afferent volley with different efficacies: nicotine greater than
      cytisine greater than ACh greater than DMPP. The action of nicotine was
      insensitive to alpha-bungarotoxin and to neuronal bungarotoxin, but was blocked
      by mecamylamine, hexamethonium, curare, and DHBE, with IC50 values different from
      those reported for IPN postsynaptic nAChRs. This study thus demonstrates the
      functional diversity of nAChRs in the rat CNS.

PMID- 1869930
TI  - Genetic hypothyroid mice: normal cerebellar morphology but altered glycerol-3
      phosphate dehydrogenase in Bergmann glia.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of thyroid deficiency
      on cerebellar development with mouse endocrine genetic models. Four types of
      mutant mice, the growth hormone- and thyroid hormone-deficient Snell dwarf mouse
      (dw/dw), the growth hormone-deficient little mouse (lit/lit), the primary
      hypothyroid mouse (hyt/hyt), and the congenital genital goiter mouse (cog/cog)
      were analyzed for expression of the glial enzyme marker glycerol-3-phosphate
      dehydrogenase (GPDH) and several other marker proteins. GPDH expression, as
      determined by enzyme activity and Northern blot analysis, was reduced by about
      50% in the cerebellum and brainstem of the three hypothyroid mutant mice. No
      reduced expression was found in any region of the brain of the growth hormone
      deficient lit/lit mutant. Visualization of GPDH by immunohistology showed that
      the immunoreactive enzyme was strikingly reduced in the Bergmann glial cells of
      dw/dw, hyt/hyt, and cog/cog mutant mice, particularly in the radial glial
      processes. To evaluate the specificity of the effect on GPDH expression, we also
      examined the expression of the glial cell-specific S-100 protein by
      immunohistology. In all mutant cerebella, both the intensity and pattern of
      staining of the Bergmann glial cells were indistinguishable from that of normal
      controls, suggesting that the Bergmann glial cells are morphologically normal in
      the hypothyroid mice. The morphology of the Purkinje cell neurons was similarly
      visualized by immunohistology using an antiserum specific for the microtubule
      associated proteins. Surprisingly, the morphology of the Purkinje cell dendritic
      arborization also appeared unaltered in the hypothyroid mice. The results suggest
      that the morphological development of the mouse cerebellum is relatively
      unaffected by hypothyroidism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1869931
TI  - Frank H. Mayfield, M.D., 1908-1991.

PMID- 1869932
TI  - Lateral parascapular extrapleural approach to the upper thoracic spine.
AB  - The upper thoracic vertebrae are difficult to approach surgically because of the
      narrowing of the thoracic inlet, the proximity of the brachial plexus, and the
      parascapular shoulder musculature. A novel lateral parascapular extrapleural
      approach to the upper thoracic vertebrae is described. The parascapular shoulder
      musculature (trapezius, levator scapulae, and rhomboid muscles) is reflected off
      the spinous processes to the scapula as a musculocutaneous flap, preserving the
      neurovascular supply. The paraspinal musculature is mobilized and retracted, and
      the upper dorsal ribs are removed with caution to avoid injury to the C-8 and T-1
      nerve roots. The rami communicantes are transected, and the sympathetic chain is
      displaced anterolaterally. The T2-4 vertebrae can be approached unobstructed. The
      T-1 nerve root obstructs posterolateral access to the T-1 vertebra, necessitating
      an inferolateral approach underneath the T-1 nerve root axilla. Four patients
      with compressive myelopathy from upper thoracic vertebral metastases underwent
      neural decompression, vertebral reconstruction, and posterior spinal fixation
      with this approach. Their postoperative neurological status was either unchanged
      or improved. Complications included radiographic pleural effusion and superficial
      wound dehiscence; one patient required posterior spinal reinstrumentation for
      progressive kyphosis. One patient developed pneumonia 7 days postoperatively
      which was unresponsive to appropriate treatment. It is believed that the
      anatomical limitations to this region have been overcome, and that excellent
      exposure of the T1-4 vertebrae for neural decompression and vertebral
      reconstruction can be performed safely. A major advantage is that posterior
      spinal fixation can be carried out simultaneously.

PMID- 1869933
TI  - Intracranial aneurysms in sickle-cell anemia: clinical features and pathogenesis.
AB  - Intracranial aneurysms are an unusual complication of sickle-cell anemia; only 15
      patients have been described in the world literature. An additional 15 patients
      with sickle-cell anemia and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from ruptured
      intracranial aneurysms are presented. There was a high incidence of multiple
      aneurysms (60%); some of which were in unusual locations. The clinical and
      pathological features of this series of patients have provided a paradigm for
      acquired aneurysm formation that may be applicable to other intracranial
      aneurysms. Thirteen patients underwent craniotomy and clip ligation; the
      perioperative management of these patients is discussed. Of these 13, eight had a
      good recovery, three were left with moderate disability, one patient died of
      surgical complications, and one died of complications related to sickle-cell
      anemia. Two of the 15 patients died of SAH. The authors propose that endothelial
      injury from the abnormal adherence of sickle erythrocytes to the endothelium is
      the initiating event in arterial wall injury. Subsequently, there is
      fragmentation of the internal elastic lamina and degeneration of the smooth
      muscle layer. Hemodynamic stress at these loci of arterial wall damage results in
      aneurysm formation. This hypothesis also explains other cerebrovascular
      manifestations of sickle-cell anemia, namely vaso-occlusive disease and
      hemorrhage without aneurysm formation. Pathological material from this series and
      data from the literature are presented to support this hypothesis.

PMID- 1869934
TI  - Surgical treatment of limbic epilepsy associated with extrahippocampal lesions:
      the problem of dual pathology.
AB  - The authors present their review of 178 patients who underwent en bloc temporal
      lobectomies as surgical treatment for intractable epilepsy. Hippocampal cell
      density was quantitatively analyzed and the histology of the anterior temporal
      lobe was reviewed. Fifty-four patients (30.3%) had evidence of extrahippocampal
      lesions in addition to neuronal cell loss within the hippocampus (the dual
      pathology group). The pattern of cell loss was analyzed in the remaining 124
      cases (69.7%) with no extrahippocampal pathology, and compared with that of the
      dual pathology group and a control group of four nonepileptic patients.
      Hippocampal cell loss was found in almost all epileptic patients compared to the
      control group. Severe cell loss greater than 30% of control values was found in
      88.7% of patients without extrahippocampal lesions, but in only 51.8% of patients
      with dual pathology. The difference between these two groups was statistically
      significant (p less than 0.001). In the dual pathology group, lesions of
      different pathology had a significant relationship with the degree of hippocampal
      cell loss: all 12 patients with glioma had mild cell loss, whereas all 13
      patients with heterotopia were associated with severe cell loss. Severity of
      hippocampal cell loss was also analyzed in relation to seizure history: a prior
      severe head injury was associated with severe cell loss. Other factors such as
      seizure duration, secondary generalization, or family history of seizures were
      not associated with hippocampal damage. Dual pathology may produce a combination
      of neocortical and temporolimbic epilepsies that warrants a precise definition of
      the true epileptogenic area prior to surgical treatment.

PMID- 1869935
TI  - Unruptured intracranial aneurysms: seizures and antiepileptic drug treatment
      following surgery.
AB  - Twenty-one patients operated on for unruptured intracranial aneurysms were
      studied retrospectively in order to identify the incidence of postoperative
      seizures, factors predictive of seizures, and the response to discontinuation of
      antiepileptic drugs. The overall risk of postoperative seizures in initially
      seizure-free patients was 15.7%. Although seizures were not uncommon,
      antiepileptic drugs were successfully tapered in most of the patients before 12
      months.

PMID- 1869936
TI  - Retrospective long-term follow-up analysis in 21 patients with chordomas of
      various sites treated at a single institution.
AB  - Twenty-one patients with chordoma were treated at the Radiation Oncology Center,
      Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, between 1949 and 1986. Thirteen patients had
      sacrococcygeal tumors, five had clival tumors, two had nasopharyngeal tumors, and
      one had a lumbar spine tumor. Nine patients were treated with surgery alone,
      eight patients with subtotal resection and postoperative irradiation, and four
      patients with radiotherapy alone after biopsy. The 5- and 10-year actuarial
      survival rates were 74% and 46%, respectively. The 10-year actuarial survival
      rate was significantly better in patients treated with surgery alone or surgery
      and irradiation than in those treated with radiotherapy alone (52%, 32%, and 0%,
      respectively, p = 0.02). Although all patients ultimately suffered a recurrence,
      those with lumbosacral tumors treated with surgery and irradiation had a longer
      mean disease-free survival period (6.6 years) than those treated with surgery
      alone (4.1 years) (p = 0.08). Disease-free survival times of patients with base
      of the skull tumors was not significantly different between the treatment groups.
      Irradiation after resection of chordomas appears to increase the time to first
      relapse in lumbosacral tumors and should be considered after subtotal resection.

PMID- 1869937
TI  - The relationship between intelligence and memory following minor or mild closed
      head injury: greater impairment in memory than intelligence.
AB  - This study investigated the performance of patients with minor or mild closed
      head injury and age/education-matched normal controls on the Wechsler Adult
      Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS
      R). The results demonstrated that the control group had significantly higher
      scores than the patients with closed head injury on all WAIS-R and WMS-R index
      scores. Further analysis revealed that the patients with closed head injury
      showed a greater impairment in delayed memory when directly compared to
      intellectual performance that was not seen in the control group. These results
      are discussed in relation to findings in patients with more severe closed head
      injury, the construction of the WAIS-R and the WMS-R, and the performance
      patterns of the two groups.

PMID- 1869938
TI  - Texas Scottish Rite Hospital rod instrumentation for thoracic and lumbar spine
      trauma.
AB  - The authors present their experience with 28 patients who had incurred unstable
      thoracic or lumbar spine fractures and who were intraoperatively stabilized with
      the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (TSRH) universal instrumentation system. These
      patients were treated over a 1-year period and reflect an evolving insight into
      the treatment of thoracic and lumbar spine trauma with universal instrumentation.
      The TSRH instrumentation system appears equivalent to the more established Cotrel
      Dubousset system in most respects. The construct design of the TSRH system
      facilitates the safe application of a rigid spinal implant. No cases of
      instability or pseudoarthrosis were observed during an average follow-up period
      of 9 months, (minimum 3 months). As the surgical treatment plan evolved, shorter
      and more compact constructs were increasingly utilized. There were no cases of
      instrumentation failure, regardless of the number of spinal levels fused or the
      number of levels instrumented. The value of using short rods when possible is
      emphasized: they may decrease the incidence of delayed instability and discomfort
      related to loosening at the hook/bone interface compared to that observed when
      long-rod systems are used in association with short spine fusions causing a
      fusion/instrumentation mismatch.

PMID- 1869939
TI  - Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm. Patterns of vascular
      compression in unsuccessfully operated patients.
AB  - To determine the causative factors of unsuccessful microvascular decompression
      for hemifacial spasm, the follow-up results in 53 patients were assessed
      retrospectively. The mean follow-up period was 36 months. There were 32 patients
      who had compression of the seventh cranial nerve ventrocaudally by an anterior
      inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) or a posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Of
      these 32 patients, 30 (94%) had excellent postoperative results. Of 14 patients
      with more severe compression by the vertebral artery, nine (64%) had excellent
      results, three (21%) had good results, and two (14%) had poor results; in this
      group, three patients with excellent results experienced transient spasm
      recurrence. There were seven patients in whom the meatal branch of the AICA
      coursed between the seventh and eighth cranial nerves and compressed the dorsal
      aspect of the seventh nerve; this was usually associated with another artery
      compressing the ventral aspect of the nerve ("sandwich-type" compression). Of
      these seven patients, five (71%) had poor results including operative failure in
      one and recurrence of spasm in four. The authors conclude that the clinical
      outcome was closely related to the patterns of vascular compression.

PMID- 1869940
TI  - Optochiasmal arachnoiditis following muslin wrapping of ruptured anterior
      communicating artery aneurysms.
AB  - Optochiasmal arachnoiditis has been reported following treatment of ruptured
      intracranial aneurysms, particularly arising from the anterior communicating
      artery. It has been suggested that the accompanying loss of vision is due to a
      muslin-induced optic neuropathy. This paper considers five cases of this
      condition; the response to steroid therapy was beneficial in three cases. A
      review of the literature is included. The arachnoiditis is considered to be due
      to an inflammatory response to muslin gauze placed close to the optic nerves and
      chiasm.

PMID- 1869941
TI  - Efficacy of dorsal longitudinal myelotomy in treating spinal spasticity: a review
      of 20 cases.
AB  - The authors report their experience using dorsal longitudinal myelotomy in
      treating spasticity in 20 patients with complete spinal cord injuries. These
      patients suffered from severe painful flexor/extensor spasms that prevented them
      from wheelchair ambulation and/or their decubitus ulcers healing. All were
      receiving large doses of various oral drugs, including baclofen, which had failed
      to control their spasticity, and all underwent a modification of a posterior T
      myelotomy as first described by Bischof. All 20 patients enjoyed immediate
      complete relief of their painful spasms, although two (10%) eventually
      experienced return of their spasms and are thus classified as long-term failures.
      Seventeen patients succeeded in markedly reducing, or being completely weaned
      from, their antispasmodic medications. In 11 of 14 patients, nonhealing decubitus
      ulcers subsequently healed with treatment. Bladder function was unchanged from
      the preoperative status in all patients. Chronic intrathecal baclofen infusion
      has recently been reported as an effective treatment of the spasticity of
      paraplegia. The results of this study, along with previous reports advocating
      dorsal longitudinal myelotomy, suggest that this approach is an efficacious
      alternative to chronic baclofen infusion in reducing spasticity for complete
      paraplegics. Considering the cost of the infusion pump, along with the fact that
      chronic intrathecal baclofen therapy necessitates long-term medical supervision,
      it appears that myelotomy is superior for this select group of patients who have
      no hope of regaining voluntary motor function.

PMID- 1869942
TI  - Treatment of chronic pain by epidural spinal cord stimulation: a 10-year
      experience.
AB  - Epidural spinal cord stimulation by means of chronically implanted electrodes was
      carried out on 121 patients with pain of varied benign organic etiology. In 116
      patients, the pain was confined to the back and lower extremities and, of these,
      56 exhibited the failed-back syndrome. Most patients were referred by a pain
      management service because of failure of conventional pain treatment modalities.
      Electrodes were implanted at varying sites, dictated by the location of pain. A
      total of 140 epidural implants were used: 76 unipolar, 46 Resume electrodes, 12
      bipolar, and six quadripolar. Patients were followed for periods ranging from 6
      months to 10 years, with a mean follow-up period of 40 months. Forty-eight
      patients (40%) were able to control their pain by neurostimulation alone. A
      further 14 patients (12%), in addition to following a regular stimulation
      program, needed occasional analgesic supplements to achieve 50% or more relief of
      the prestimulation pain. Pain secondary to arachnoiditis or perineural fibrosis
      following multiple intervertebral disc operations, when predominantly confined to
      one lower extremity, seemed to respond favorably to this treatment. Uniformly
      good results were also obtained in lower-extremity pain secondary to multiple
      sclerosis. Pain due to advanced peripheral vascular disease of the lower limbs
      was well controlled, and amputation below the knee was delayed for up to 2 years
      in some patients. Pain due to cauda equina injury, paraplegic pain, phantom-limb
      pain, pure midline back pain without radiculopathy, or pain due to primary bone
      or joint disease seemed to respond less well. Patients who responded to
      preliminary transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation generally did well with
      electrode implants. Notable complications included wound infection, electrode
      displacement or fracturing, and fibrosis at the stimulating tip of the electrode.
      Three patients in this series died due to unrelated causes. Epidural spinal cord
      stimulation has proven to be an effective and safe means of controlling pain on a
      long-term basis in selected groups of patients. The mechanism of action of
      stimulation-produced analgesia remains unclear; further studies to elucidate it
      might allow spinal cord stimulation to be exploited more effectively in disorders
      that are currently refractory to this treatment modality.

PMID- 1869943
TI  - Etiology of cerebral vasospasm in primates.
AB  - A primate model was used to determine whether oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb),
      methemoglobin (MetHb), or bilirubin is likely to be responsible for cerebral
      vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Forty cynomolgus monkeys were
      randomly assigned to one of five groups. On Day 0, each animal underwent
      angiography followed by right craniectomy and placement of an Ommaya reservoir
      with its catheter adjacent to the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). The animals
      received intrathecal injections twice a day for 6 days of one of the following
      solutions: mock cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); OxyHb; MetHb; bilirubin; or
      supernatant fluid from an incubated mixture of autologous blood and mock CSF. On
      Day 7, angiography was repeated and the animals were killed. Comparison of
      angiograms obtained on Day 0 and Day 7 of the experiment showed significant
      vasospasm of the right MCA and the right anterior cerebral and internal carotid
      arteries in the animal groups that had received OxyHb or supernatant fluid. There
      was a smaller reduction in diameter of the same vessels in the bilirubin group
      (not statistically significant), while no effects were observed in the groups
      receiving MetHb or mock CSF. Electron microscopy of the right MCA's gave results
      consistent with the angiographic findings. One monkey in the OxyHb group
      developed a delayed-onset right MCA infarction. These data suggest that OxyHb is
      the cause of cerebral vasospasm following SAH.

PMID- 1869944
TI  - Surgical manipulation of primate cerebral arteries in established vasospasm.
AB  - It is generally believed that surgery in the face of angiographic vasospasm is
      dangerous due to an increased incidence of postoperative cerebral ischemia. One
      theory is that arterial narrowing is exacerbated by surgical manipulation of
      vasospastic vessels during aneurysm dissection and clipping. This theory was
      tested in a primate model of cerebral vasospasm and the results reported. Six
      monkeys underwent baseline cerebral angiography, followed by induction of
      subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on both sides of the circle of Willis. An equal
      amount of fresh autologous blood clot was placed around each internal carotid,
      anterior cerebral, and middle cerebral artery. Six days later, angiography was
      repeated and the right craniectomy was reopened for clot evacuation and surgical
      manipulation of the right cerebral arteries, including placement of a temporary
      aneurysm clip on the right middle cerebral artery. The left cerebral arteries
      were not exposed or manipulated, and served as controls. Twenty-four hours later
      angiography was repeated, then the animals were killed. Equal and significant
      vasospasm (greater than 40% reduction in vessel caliber compared to baseline, p
      less than 0.05) was seen in the middle cerebral arteries on both sides of the
      circle of Willis in all animals 6 and 7 days after SAH. There was no significant
      change in the severity of vasospasm on Day 7 compared with Day 6 in the right
      cerebral arteries. Increased risk of postoperative cerebral ischemia for surgery
      in the peak vasospasm period may be due to mechanisms other than increased
      arterial narrowing precipitated by surgical manipulation.

PMID- 1869945
TI  - Effects of hypothermia and hyperthermia on the reactivity of rat intracerebral
      arterioles in vitro.
AB  - The effects of hypothermia and hyperthermia on the cerebral microcirculation were
      studied using isolated perfused intracerebral (parenchymal) arterioles obtained
      from rats. In a temperature-dependent manner, hypothermia (20.0 degrees to 35.0
      degrees C) dilated the spontaneous tone developed by the arterioles and also
      diminished their contractile response to potassium and prostaglandin F2 alpha. In
      contrast, hyperthermia (40.0 degrees to 45.0 degrees C) induced a biphasic
      response consisting of initial vasoconstriction and secondary vasodilation.
      Exposure of the vessels to 45.0 degrees C for 30 minutes irreversibly abolished
      the spontaneous tone and responsiveness of the arterioles when the temperature of
      the preparation was returned to 37.5 degrees C. In calcium-free solutions,
      however, the arteriolar diameter was not affected within a temperature range of
      20.0 degrees to 45 degrees C. Furthermore, arterioles that had been in a calcium
      free solution during exposure to 45 degrees C temperature recovered their
      viability at 37.5 degrees C. These results suggest that changes in ambient
      temperature alter calcium-induced contraction in arteriolar smooth muscle, and
      that the irreversible effects of hyperthermia on the arterioles are dependent
      upon extracellular calcium. These studies indicate that alterations in brain
      temperature may affect the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia by mechanisms that
      are in part independent of parenchymal metabolism.

PMID- 1869946
TI  - Electrophysiological studies of various graft lengths and lesion lengths in
      repair of nerve gaps in primates.
AB  - Electrophysiological studies were used to evaluate neurological recovery in 14
      rhesus monkeys with different nerve lesion lengths and graft lengths. After
      exposure of both sciatic nerves in each animal, baseline evoked nerve action
      potentials, muscle action potentials, and muscle strength values were determined
      for the posterior tibial nerves. Each nerve was then crushed over a measured
      distance. Three weeks later, the crushed segments were resected and the defects
      repaired with sural nerve grafts. In seven animals, 20-mm resection sites were
      repaired by 4 x 20-mm grafts in one leg and by 4 x 40-mm grafts contralaterally.
      In the other seven animals, the lengths of resection sites were 10 mm in one leg
      and 30 mm contralaterally; both nerve defects in these animals were repaired by 4
      x 30-mm grafts. Electrophysiological studies were repeated at one interval of
      either 4, 7, or 12 months after repair. Postoperative electrophysiological values
      were compared to baseline values and described by the mean values and by percent
      recovery. Muscle strength recovery was significantly better in limbs with short
      lesions. In animals with identical lesion lengths, lesions repaired with shorter
      grafts (the same length as the defect) did significantly worse than did lesions
      repaired with longer grafts. This may suggest that any degree of tension at the
      graft repair site has a deleterious effect on functional nerve regeneration.
      Nevertheless, it was generally found that nerve lesion length had the greatest
      negative effect on functional nerve regeneration.

PMID- 1869947
TI  - Induction of cytosolic free calcium elevation in rat vascular smooth-muscle cells
      by cerebrospinal fluid from patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) from patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on cytosolic free calcium
      in cultured rat vascular smooth-muscle cells using the fluorescent intracellular
      calcium indicator fura-2/AM. Samples of CSF were collected from 12 patients
      (seven with and five without vasospasm) on Days 2, 6, 11, and 16 after SAH.
      Control CSF samples were obtained from five patients 6 to 9 months after they had
      undergone successful aneurysm surgery following an SAH. All CSF samples in both
      the non-vasospasm and vasospasm groups, regardless of the day of sampling after
      the SAH, induced significantly higher transient intracellular calcium elevations
      when compared to levels induced by control CSF. Furthermore, the addition of 2 mM
      ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethylether)-N,N'-tetra-acetic acid (EGTA) caused a
      slight reduction in the peak height in the CSF-induced intracellular calcium rise
      which declined more rapidly to basal levels than those studied without EGTA. In
      the non-vasospasm group, the intracellular calcium concentration remained stable
      after SAH throughout the study period. In contrast, in the vasospasm group, this
      concentration was highest on Day 2 post-SAH, but sharply decreased on Day 6 and
      rose again on Day 11. This result correlated with the clinical signs of vasospasm
      in these patients. These findings indicated that the intracellular calcium
      elevations induced by CSF obtained after SAH were due to the combination of the
      influx of extracellular calcium and the mobilization of intracellular calcium
      from storage sites. The changes in intracellular calcium concentrations in
      vascular smooth-muscle cells induced by CSF obtained from patients on successive
      days following SAH suggest that the substances that induce this repeat calcium
      elevation on Day 11 post-SAH may be the key spasmogens for vasospasm after SAH.

PMID- 1869948
TI  - Cerebral amyloid angiopathy presenting as multiple intracranial lesions on
      magnetic resonance imaging. Case report.
AB  - Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is recognized as an important cause of spontaneous
      intracerebral hemorrhage in the elderly normotensive patient. Magnetic resonance
      (MR) imaging characteristics of this disease entity are rarely mentioned in the
      literature. The MR imaging findings of an elderly normotensive patient presenting
      with an acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to amyloid
      angiopathy are reported and a brief review of amyloidosis is presented.

PMID- 1869949
TI  - Excision of cavernous angioma with preservation of coexisting venous angioma.
      Case report.
AB  - The case of a patient presenting with dysphasic seizures due to a cavernous
      angioma coexisting with a venous malformation is reported. The cavernous angioma
      was resected with preservation of the venous malformation, as confirmed by
      postoperative studies. The patient was seizure-free following surgery.

PMID- 1869950
TI  - Anomalous rib presenting as cervical myelopathy: a previously unreported variant
      of Klippel-Feil syndrome. Case report.
AB  - A patient is reported with an anomalous rib that caused compression of the
      cervical spinal cord and presented with cervical myelopathy. This appears to be
      the first reported instance of this particular anomaly. The clinicoanatomical
      aspects of this case are discussed.

PMID- 1869951
TI  - Cerebral sparganosis caused by Spirometra mansonoides. Case report.
AB  - Cerebral sparganosis is an uncommon parasitic zoonosis caused by the migrating
      larva of the genus Spirometra mansonoides. The clinical and computerized
      tomography presentation, as well as the operative and histopathological findings,
      of the first known case in Mexico are detailed. The dead larva elicited intense
      acute inflammation resulting in focal encephalitis. Surgical removal of the larva
      yielded excellent results.

PMID- 1869952
TI  - Traumatic pericallosal aneurysm in a patient with no major trauma. Case report.
AB  - The case of a young woman who developed a traumatic distal anterior cerebral
      artery ("pericallosal") aneurysm from a roller-coaster ride is described. She
      presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) restricted to the interhemispheric
      fissure. The initial angiogram was normal but repeat angiography at 8 days
      revealed the aneurysm. After craniotomy and clipping the patient made a
      satisfactory recovery. This is the only reported case of a traumatic aneurysm
      arising under circumstances not usually considered as trauma. It raises questions
      about the pathophysiology of the formation of such aneurysms and suggests that
      traumatic pericallosal aneurysms should be considered in SAH of unknown etiology.
      This case provides further evidence that repeat angiography occasionally helps
      reveal an aneurysm when the initial study fails to do so.

PMID- 1869953
TI  - Stabilization of traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation. Case report.
AB  - Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation is most often fatal. Consequently, there
      are only scattered case reports of patients surviving this injury, and treatment
      modalities are anecdotal and varied. The case of an 18-year-old woman who
      suffered an anterior atlanto-occipital dislocation as the result of a motor
      vehicle accident is presented. Rigid posterior fixation and complete reduction of
      the dislocation were achieved using an anatomically contoured steel loop secured
      to the occiput and cervical vertebrae. The addition of cancellous bone to the
      graft afforded long-term stability. This operative treatment provided anatomical
      realignment of the dislocation and allowed early mobilization of the patient with
      the use of aggressive rehabilitation. Previously reported cases of patients
      surviving anterior atlanto-occipital dislocation are reviewed. The use of
      cervical traction, halo bracing, and operative stabilization is discussed.

PMID- 1869954
TI  - Transoral transclival clipping of anterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm
      using new rotating applier. Technical note.
AB  - A large, partly calcified aneurysm buried in the pons and arising from the
      junction of the basilar artery and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery was
      successfully occluded using a variangle aneurysm clip with a new rotating pistol
      grip applier which allowed transoral access. The authors believe that the new
      applier, used in association with the current techniques for dural closure,
      allows for safe transoral surgery for basilar aneurysms.

PMID- 1869955
TI  - Stereotactic suboccipital transcerebellar biopsy under local anesthesia using the
      Cosman-Roberts-Wells frame. Technical note.
AB  - Previously reported suboccipital transcerebellar stereotactic biopsy methods,
      performed with the patient in the prone position, have required general
      endotracheal anesthesia. A technique is described for performing such biopsies
      with the patient in the lateral decubitus position, under local anesthesia.
      Phantom planning and routine computerized tomography graphics allow the selection
      of a safe entry point and intra-axial trajectory to the lesion. The time required
      for data acquisition and the operative procedure itself compares well with that
      of more routine biopsy techniques.

PMID- 1869956
TI  - The Sterling Hall of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine.
AB  - A brief history of the Sterling Hall of Medicine at Yale University is presented;
      this building was erected and dedicated in 1925. This event signified the
      beginning of a new era for the Yale University School of Medicine, making it
      possible to attract a caliber of faculty that has enabled the School to attain
      its present place in medical education.

PMID- 1869957
TI  - Treatment for intraventricular hemorrhage.

PMID- 1869958
TI  - Interlaminar clamp for posterior fusions.

PMID- 1869960
TI  - Surgery for acoustic neurinomas.

PMID- 1869959
TI  - Valsalva maneuver: a misnomer?

PMID- 1869961
TI  - Accessory limbs and spinal dysraphism.

PMID- 1869962
TI  - Angiography following aneurysm surgery.

PMID- 1869963
TI  - Molecular medicine: from science to service.

PMID- 1869964
TI  - Single-photon emission computed tomography in human immunodeficiency virus
      encephalopathy: a preliminary report.
AB  - Depression or psychosis in a previously asymptomatic individual infected with the
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be psychogenic, related to brain
      involvement by the HIV or both. Although prognosis and treatment differ depending
      on etiology, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are
      usually unrevealing in early HIV encephalopathy and therefore cannot
      differentiate it from psychogenic conditions. Thirty of 32 patients (94%) with
      HIV encephalopathy had single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
      findings that differed from the findings in 15 patients with non-HIV psychoses
      and 6 controls. SPECT showed multifocal cortical and subcortical areas of
      hypoperfusion. In 4 cases, cognitive improvement after 6-8 weeks of zidovudine
      (AZT) therapy was reflected in amelioration of SPECT findings. CT remained
      unchanged. SPECT may be a useful technique for the evaluation of HIV
      encephalopathy.

PMID- 1869965
TI  - HIV encephalopathy: on the road to a useful diagnostic test?

PMID- 1869966
TI  - Computer-assisted superimposition of magnetic resonance and high-resolution
      technetium-99m-HMPAO and thallium-201 SPECT images of the brain.
AB  - A method for registering three-dimensional CT, MR, and PET data sets that require
      no special patient immobilization or other precise positioning measures was
      adapted to high-resolution SPECT and MRI and was applied in 14 subjects (five
      normal volunteers, four patients with dementia (Alzheimer's disease), two
      patients with recurrent glioblastoma, and three patients with focal lesions
      (stroke, arachnoid cyst and head trauma]. T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance
      images and transaxial 99mTc-HMPAO and 201Tl images acquired with an annular gamma
      camera were merged using an objective registration (translation, rotation and
      rescaling) program. In the normal subjects and patients with dementia and focal
      lesions, focal areas of high uptake corresponded to gray matter structures. Focal
      lesions observed on MRI corresponded to perfusion defects on SPECT. In the
      patients who had undergone surgical resection of glioblastoma followed by
      interstitial brachytherapy, increased 201Tl corresponding to recurrent tumor
      could be localized from the superimposed images. The method was evaluated by
      measuring the residuals in all subjects and translational errors due to
      superimposition of deep structures in the 12 subjects with normal thalamic
      anatomy and 99mTc-HMPAO uptake. This method for superimposing magnetic resonance
      and high-resolution SPECT images of the brain is a useful technique for
      correlating regional function with brain anatomy.

PMID- 1869967
TI  - Assessment of systolic thickening with thallium-201 ECG-gated single-photon
      emission computed tomography: a parameter for local left ventricular function.
AB  - We measured left ventricular (LV) systolic thickening expressed as a systolic
      thickening ratio in 28 patients, using 201Tl ECG-gated SPECT. Five normals, 15
      patients with prior myocardial infarction, 5 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,
      and 3 with dilated cardiomyopathy were studied. The systolic thickening ratio was
      calculated as [(end-systolic--end-diastolic pixel counts) divided by end
      diastolic pixel counts], using the circumferential profile technique of both end
      diastolic and end-systolic short axial images. Functional images of the systolic
      thickening ratio were also displayed with the "bull's-eye" method. The mean
      systolic thickening ratio thus calculated were as follows: normals, 0.53 +/- 0.05
      (mean +/- 1 s.d.); non-transmural prior myocardial infarction, 0.33 +/- 0.09;
      transmural prior myocardial infarction, 0.14 +/- 0.05; hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy in relatively nonhypertrophied areas, 0.56 +/- 0.11; hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy in hypertrophied areas, 0.23 +/- 0.07; and dilated cardiomyopathy,
      0.19 +/- 0.02. The systolic thickening ratio analysis by gated thallium SPECT
      offers a unique approach for assessing LV function.

PMID- 1869968
TI  - An analysis of the arterial input curve for technetium-99m-HMPAO: quantification
      of rCBF using single-photon emission computed tomography.
AB  - Arterial radioactivity content after the intravenous administration of HMPAO in
      seven human subjects was analyzed. Arterial sampling of 99mTc-HMPAO was performed
      on each subject over a 25-min period postinjection. The lipophilic fraction of
      the tracer present in the blood was rapidly extracted with octanol. An analysis
      of the time course of the extracted and nonextracted octanol fractions was
      performed in order to calculate the arterial input of the tracer available for
      brain extraction. HMPAO net regional brain clearances were then calculated and
      compared with rCBF values obtained in the same patients using 99mTc-microspheres
      injected into the left ventricle of the heart. HMPAO brain clearances were 0.41
      +/- 0.01 and 0.27 +/- 0.01 ml/min/g for grey and white matter, respectively.
      Linear regression analysis was performed and the following result was obtained:
      clearance (HMPAO) = 0.07 + 0.43 . rCBF with a high significance (p less than
      0.001). This equation can be used for the transformation of HMPAO clearances into
      rCBF values. Our study demonstrates that by using HMPAO and SPECT it is possible
      to obtain a quantitative estimate of rCBF in humans.

PMID- 1869970
TI  - Noninvasive grading of musculoskeletal tumors using PET.
AB  - Twenty-five patients with mass lesions involving the musculoskeletal system were
      studied with positron emission tomography (PET) in order to determine if a
      relationship exists between histologic grade and tumor uptake of [fluorine-18]2
      deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). There were 6 benign lesions and 19 malignant
      lesions of various grades. A high correlation (Rho = 0.83) was found between the
      normalized uptake of tracer and the NCl grade. The high-grade malignancies had
      significantly greater (p = 0.0091) uptake of FDG than the combination of benign
      lesions and low-grade malignancies. All lesions with a normalized uptake value of
      1.6 or greater were high-grade, while all lesions less than 1.6 represented
      either benign tumors or low grade malignancies. This strong relationship between
      FDG uptake and grade among neoplasms from a wide variety of cell types within a
      single organ system suggests that the technique may be useful in predicting grade
      even when the cell type is unknown.

PMID- 1869969
TI  - Toward absolute quantitation of cerebral blood flow using technetium-99m-HMPAO
      and a single scan.

PMID- 1869971
TI  - Multigated blood-pool imaging using heart sounds.
AB  - A method to trigger multigated blood-pool (MGBP) acquisition using both the first
      and second heart sound has been developed. The heart sound gating (HSG) circuitry
      identifies, individually, both the first (S1) and second (S2) heart sounds from
      their timing relationship alone, and provides two trigger points during the
      cardiac cycle. First heart sound gating may be performed to assess the systolic
      ejection portion of the cardiac cycle, with S2 gating utilized for reproduction
      of the diastolic filling portion of the cycle. Heart sound gating has been
      applied to twenty patients who underwent analysis of left ventricular function,
      and compared to conventional ECG-gated MGBP. Left ventricular ejection fractions
      calculated from MGBP studies using a first and a second heart sound trigger
      correlated well with conventional ECG gated acquisitions in patients adequately
      gated by HSG and ECG. Heart sound gating may be utilized in patients with rapidly
      changing heart rates, as S1 and S2 precisely define end-diastole and end-systole,
      respectively, and in situations when the ECG is inadequate for gating purposes.

PMID- 1869972
TI  - The effect of metabolic milieu on cardiac PET imaging using fluorine-18
      deoxyglucose and nitrogen-13-ammonia in normal volunteers.
AB  - Cardiac PET imaging using 13N-ammonia and 18FDG was performed on 17 normal
      volunteers in the glucose-loaded and fasted states. PET images (glucose-loaded
      and fasted) were subjected to qualitative visual analysis using the descriptors:
      image quality, FDG blood-pool activity, ammonia lung field activity, and clinical
      interpretability. Glucose-loaded studies had better image quality, diminished FDG
      blood-pool activity, and were more often clinically interpretable compared to
      fasted studies. Dietary state did not affect 13N-ammonia study parameters. Using
      a semi-quantitative region of interest method, 18FDG myocardial activity was
      homogeneous and significantly affected by dietary state (2.48 +/- 1.0 fold
      increase in myocardial-to-blood pool ratio in glucose-loaded versus fasted
      states). Serum glucose, insulin, and free-fatty acid concentrations responded
      physiologically to glucose loading and fasting but showed no correlation with
      myocardial 18FDG uptake. PET imaging using 13N-ammonia and 18FDG appears optimal
      in the glucose-loaded state.

PMID- 1869973
TI  - Positron tomographic assessment of 16 alpha-[18F] fluoro-17 beta-estradiol uptake
      in metastatic breast carcinoma.
AB  - The positron-emitting estrogenic steroid 16 alpha-[18F]fluoro-17 beta-estradiol
      (FES) has been shown to exhibit selective uptake in primary breast carcinomas;
      the uptake of tracer by positron emission tomography (PET) is strongly correlated
      with the tumor estrogen-receptor concentration. We have now extended the use of
      this radiopharmaceutical for imaging of metastases of breast carcinoma by PET in
      16 patients with clinical or radiographic evidence of metastatic disease.
      Increased uptake of FES was identified on PET images in 53 of 57 metastatic
      lesions (93%); only two apparent false-positive foci of FES uptake were seen. In
      seven of the patients, evaluable PET studies were obtained both before and after
      initiation of antiestrogen therapy. In all cases, there was a decrease in FES
      uptake in the tumor deposits after initiation of antiestrogen therapy, and the
      mean (+/- standard deviation) uptake decreased from 2.22 (+/- 1.23) to 0.80 (+/-
      0.42) x 10(3)+ dose/ml. These results indicate that PET with FES has high
      sensitivity and specificity for detecting metastatic breast carcinoma and provide
      additional confirmatory evidence that the tumor uptake of this ligand is a
      receptor-mediated process.

PMID- 1869974
TI  - Assessment of 21-[18F]fluoro-16 alpha-ethyl-19-norprogesterone as a positron
      emitting radiopharmaceutical for the detection of progestin receptors in human
      breast carcinomas.
AB  - We have used 21-[18F]fluoro-16 alpha-ethyl-19-norprogesterone (FENP) for imaging
      progestin receptors by PET in patients with primary carcinoma of the breast. In
      vitro binding and in vivo tissue distribution studies in rats have shown that
      FENP has high specific activity, high affinity for progestin receptors, and
      receptor-mediated uptake in target tissues. Eight patients with primary breast
      carcinoma were studied. Breast carcinoma was identified correctly in 50% of the
      patients with progestin-receptor-positive tumors; however, the FENP uptake was
      not correlated with progestin-receptor levels. We noted a low target-to
      background ratio in humans, with high relative activity in the spine, blood pool,
      and normal breast tissue. Our findings indicate that FENP is not a suitable agent
      for imaging progestin receptors in humans.

PMID- 1869975
TI  - False-negative dipyridamole-thallium-201 myocardial imaging after caffeine
      infusion.
AB  - The vasodilator effect of intravenously administered dipyridamole may be caused
      by an increase in endogenous plasma adenosine levels. We evaluated the effect of
      caffeine, an adenosine receptor antagonist, on the diagnostic results of
      dipyridamole-201Tl myocardial imaging in eight patients with coronary artery
      disease. Caffeine infusion significantly attenuated the dipyridamole-induced fall
      in blood pressure and the accompanied increase in heart rate. The infusion of
      dipyridamole alone resulted in chest pain and ST-segment depressions on the
      electrocardiogram in four patients, whereas none of these problems occurred when
      the tests were repeated after caffeine. In six of eight patients, caffeine was
      responsible for false-negative dipyridamole-201Tl tests. Semiquantitive scores of
      the dipyridamole-induced 201Tl perfusion defects were decreased by caffeine from
      9.0 +/- 0.9 to 2.0 +/- 1.1 points (p less than 0.05). Computerized analysis
      revealed a caffeine-mediated reduction in the percent reversibility of the images
      from 46% +/- 16% to 6% +/- 10% (p less than 0.05). We conclude that the use of
      caffeinated products prior to dipyridamole-201Tl testing may be responsible for
      false-negative findings.

PMID- 1869976
TI  - Correlation of technetium-99m-DISIDA hepatobiliary studies with biopsies in liver
      transplant patients.
AB  - We compared 76 99mTc-DISIDA hepatobiliary studies with corresponding liver
      biopsies in 36 liver transplant patients to determine the histopathologic
      abnormalities that corresponded to scintigraphic abnormalities in uptake and
      excretion. Uptake was judged normal if the cardiac blood pool was barely visible
      or invisible on the ten minute image. Excretion was judged normal if images
      subsequent to the 15-min image showed a subjectively normal rate of decreasing
      parenchymal intensity. Biopsies were graded subjectively for hepatocyte damage
      and for findings of cholestasis. Uptake criteria were successful in
      differentiating high from low hepatocyte damage scores (p less than 0.0001), and
      excretion criteria were successful in differentiating high from low cholestasis
      scores (p = 0.002), while uptake criteria were not capable of differentiating
      high from low cholestasis scores, nor were excretion criteria capable of
      differentiating high from low hepatocyte damage scores (p's greater than 0.05).
      These results suggest that scintigraphy can distinguish intrahepatic cholestasis
      from pure hepatocyte damage.

PMID- 1869977
TI  - Glucose uptake, perfusion, and cell proliferation in head and neck tumors:
      relation of positron emission tomography to flow cytometry.
AB  - The uptake of 18F-Deoxyglucose (FDG) was studied in vivo in relation to the
      proliferation rate of human head and neck tumors. Forty-two patients with
      histologically proven squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck and four
      patients with metastases of head and neck tumors were examined with PET and FDG
      prior to surgery. In 35 of these patients, a flow cytometric analysis of the DNA
      content and the proliferation rate was done using one-dimensional flow cytometry
      rate was done using one-dimensional flow cytometry (DAPI staining). In 17 cases,
      perfusion studies with 15O-labeled water were performed. Twenty-seven specimens
      were evaluable by flow cytometry. The analysis of the distribution of the FDG
      uptake revealed two groups, showing a high and a lower uptake pattern. In both
      groups the FDG uptake and the proliferation rate were correlated with an r-value
      of 0.64 and 0.8 respectively. However, the slope of the regression function was
      flat. No correlation was found between the perfusion and the proliferation rate.
      It is suggested that these differences in uptake in histologically identical
      tumor populations may correspond to differences at the molecular level, e.g.,
      differences in the amount of the glucose carrier, perhaps caused by oncogenic
      transformation.

PMID- 1869978
TI  - PET cancer evaluations with FDG.

PMID- 1869979
TI  - Effect of exercise supplementation on dipyridamole thallium-201 image quality.
AB  - To determine the effect of different types of exercise supplementation on
      dipyridamole thallium image quality, 78 patients were prospectively randomized to
      one of three protocols: dipyridamole infusion alone, dipyridamole supplemented
      with isometric handgrip, and dipyridamole with low-level treadmill exercise.
      Heart-to-lung, heart-to-liver, and heart-to-adjacent infradiaphragmatic activity
      ratios were generated from anterior images acquired immediately following the
      test. Additionally, heart-to-total infradiaphragmatic activity was graded
      semiquantitatively. Results showed a significantly higher ratio of heart to
      subdiaphragmatic activity in the treadmill group as compared with dipyridamole
      alone (p less than 0.001) and dipyridamole supplemented with isometric handgrip
      exercise (p less than 0.001). No significant difference was observed between
      patients receiving the dipyridamole infusion, and dipyridamole supplemented with
      isometric handgrip exercise. We conclude that low-level treadmill exercise
      supplementation of dipyridamole infusion is an effective means of improving image
      quality. Supplementation with isometric handgrip does not improve image quality
      over dipyridamole alone.

PMID- 1869980
TI  - Exercise supplementation of dipyridamole for myocardial perfusion imaging.
AB  - The substitution of intravenous dipyridamole for symptom-limited treadmill
      exercise has provided a non-invasive means to diagnose coronary artery disease
      with 201Tl scintigraphy in patients unable to adequately exercise. Limitations of
      dipyridamole/thallium imaging are primarily due to suboptimal image quality
      secondary to hepatic tracer concentration and decreased test sensitivity in
      patients who are dipyridamole "non-responders." Low-level treadmill exercise
      supplementation improves image quality, whereas handgrip has little, if any,
      benefit. The effect of low-level exercise in augmenting coronary blood flow is
      unknown and reports regarding the effect of handgrip are conflicting. The
      diagnostic benefit of these maneuvers in improving test sensitivity and
      decreasing the number of "non-responders" has not been documented. The
      combination of maximal, symptom-limited treadmill exercise and intravenous
      dipyridamole is a theoretically attractive option to improve overall test
      sensitivity, but the physiologic consequences and potential side effects should
      be more thoroughly investigated.

PMID- 1869981
TI  - Imaging of cocaine-induced global and regional myocardial ischemia.
AB  - Severe and often fatal cardiac complications have been reported in cocaine users
      with narrowed coronary arteries caused by atherosclerosis as well as in young
      adults with normal coronaries. We have found that in normal dogs cocaine induces
      severe temporary hypoperfusion of the left ventricle as indicated by a
      significantly lower 201Tl concentration compared to the baseline state. The most
      significant decrease in uptake occurred 5 min after injection and was more
      pronounced in the septal and apical segments. Following intravenous
      administration of cocaine, instead of gradual disappearance of 201Tl from the
      left ventricle, there was continuous increase in 201Tl concentration in the left
      ventricle. These imaging experiments indicate that the deleterious effects of
      cocaine on the heart are probably due to spasm of the coronaries and decreased
      myocardial perfusion. Since spasm of the large subpericardial vessels does not
      seem to explain the magnitude of the increased coronary resistance and decreased
      coronary flow after cocaine as described in the literature, it is suggested that
      microvascular spasm of smaller vessels plays a major role in the temporary
      decrease in perfusion. The data may also suggest that severe temporary myocardial
      ischemia is probably the initiating factor for the cardiac complications induced
      by cocaine.

PMID- 1869982
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of new iodine-125 radiopharmaceuticals as potential
      tracers for malignant melanoma.
AB  - The synthesis, labeling, and biodistribution of four 125I radiopharmaceuticals
      designed to localize in melanoma were tested. Uptake in tumors was demonstrated
      by autoradiography of whole-body sections and quantitated by measurement of
      radioactivity of selected tissues and tumors using melanoma-bearing mice. N-(2
      diethylaminoethyl)-4-iodobenzamide was selected for its highest melanoma uptake:
      60 min after IV injection of 6.5% and 4% ID/g, respectively for murine B16 and
      human melanotic melanoma. Tumor uptake showed the highest values of all analyzed
      tissues from 6 to 24 hr after injection. High uptake in melanotic tumor tissue
      with relatively low uptake in blood, muscle, brain, lung, and liver tissue
      resulted in high tumor/nontumor ratios (at 24 hr for B16, tumor/blood = 37,
      tumor/brain = 147, tumor/muscle = 95). This agent was compared with
      iodoamphetamine. Scintigraphic images of the tumor confirmed that external
      detection of melanoma is possible with this new radiopharmaceutical.

PMID- 1869983
TI  - Quantitation of the critically ischemic zone at risk during acute coronary
      occlusion using PET.
AB  - Critical myocardial ischemia has been defined experimentally during acute
      coronary occlusion as flow reduction of 50% or more since cellular ATP depletion
      begins to occur beyond this flow reduction threshold, placing tissue at risk of
      cellular injury. To test the hypothesis that critically ischemic fractional left
      ventricular mass can be measured noninvasively with PET, nine dogs were imaged in
      a multi-slice positron camera using the perfusion tracer 13N-ammonia, while
      radiolabeled microspheres were injected into the left atrium during acute
      coronary occlusion. Images were processed using a 50% threshold and the size of
      the resulting perfusion defect was expressed as a fraction of total left
      ventricular image volume. The critically ischemic left ventricular fraction
      determined in vitro from the microsphere perfusion data, ranged from 5% to 30% of
      the total left ventricular weight and correlated closely with that determined
      noninvasively by PET with r = 0.94 (y = 1.05X - 2.0%). We conclude that the
      fraction of left ventricular myocardium rendered critically ischemic during acute
      coronary occlusion can be measured accurately and noninvasively in vivo using
      perfusion imaging with positron emission tomography.

PMID- 1869984
TI  - PET measurements of hyperthermia-induced suppression of protein synthesis in
      tumors in relation to effects on tumor growth.
AB  - Hyperthermia-induced metabolic changes in tumor tissue have been monitored by
      PET. Uptake of L-[1-11C]tyrosine in rhabdomyosarcoma tissue of Wag/Rij rats was
      dose-dependently reduced after local hyperthermia treatment at 42, 45, or 47
      degrees C. Tumor blood flow, as measured by PET with 13NH3, appeared to be
      unchanged. The L-[1-11C]tyrosine uptake data were compared to uptake data of L-[1
      14C]tyrosine and with data on the incorporation of L-[1-14C]tyrosine into tumor
      proteins. After intravenous injection, the 14C data were obtained from dissected
      tumor tissue. Heat-induced inhibition of the incorporation of L-[1-14C]tyrosine
      into tumor proteins tallied with the L-[1-11C]tyrosine uptake data. Heat-induced
      inhibition of amino acid uptake in the tumor correlated well with regression of
      tumor growth. It is concluded that PET using L-[1-11C]tyrosine is eligible for
      monitoring the effect of hyperthermia on tumor growth.

PMID- 1869985
TI  - Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage detected by selective scintigraphic
      angiography.
AB  - Intra-arterial 99mTc colloid scintigraphy may have greater sensitivity than
      either standard intravenous scintigraphy or selective arteriography in detecting
      gastrointestinal bleeding. Ten millicuries of 99mTc colloid were administered
      directly into the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries (SMA and IMA) of
      patients who had undergone selective arterial catheterization for the evaluation
      of gastrointestinal bleeding. In one patient, 99mTc-albumin colloid was
      administered directly into the IMA and identified diverticular bleeding. The
      bleeding had been occult to prior contrast arteriography and refractory to
      selective intra-arterial Pitressin therapy. In a second patient who had undergone
      three negative provocative angiograms, selective SMA injection of 99mTc-sulfur
      colloid identified occult mesenteric varices secondary to portal hypertension.
      Selective intra-arterial scintigraphy should be valuable in detecting intestinal
      bleeding occult to conventional studies. This will help in directing further
      therapy and diagnostic evaluation.

PMID- 1869986
TI  - Diagnosis of segmental necrosis in a pancreas transplant by thallium-201
      perfusion scintigraphy.
AB  - Thallium-201 was used to image a patient with a pancreatic transplant. Incomplete
      visualization of the graft on the 201Tl scan, compared to CT, led to the
      diagnosis of segmental necrosis of the tail of the graft. Due to the low
      background and favorable target-to-non-target ratio, 201Tl pancreas scintigraphy
      may be useful in the follow-up of pancreatic transplants.

PMID- 1869987
TI  - Thallium myocardial scintigraphy in congenitally-corrected transposition of the
      great arteries.
AB  - A case of congenitally-corrected transposition of the great arteries is presented
      with the correlation of thallium scintigraphic results with catheterization data.
      The essential features of the thallium scintigrams were marked counterclockwise
      rotation of the heart with perfusion abnormalities of the inferior wall and apex.
      Since patients with congenitally-corrected transposition of the great arteries
      may present with the symptom of chest pain, the diagnosis of transposition of the
      great arteries should be considered in patients with marked counterclockwise
      rotation of the heart and segmental perfusion abnormalities on thallium
      scintigraphy.

PMID- 1869988
TI  - Inflammatory pseudotumor: a gallium-avid mobile mesenteric mass.
AB  - An 8-yr-old boy with a 1-mo history of culture-negative fever and anemia
      underwent gallium, ultrasound, and computed tomography studies as part of the
      evaluation of a fever of unknown origin. These studies revealed a mobile gallium
      avid solid abdominal mass subsequently proven to be an inflammatory pseudotumor
      of the mesentery, a rare benign mass. This report documents the gallium-avid
      nature of this rare lesion and discusses associated characteristic clinical,
      pathologic, and radiographic features.

PMID- 1869989
TI  - Severe hypoxemia secondary to acute sternal infarction in sickle cell anemia.
AB  - This article describes a 28-yr-old black man with sickle cell anemia who
      presented with severe chest pain secondary to acute infarction of the body of the
      sternum, hypoventilation, and hypoxemia with no evidence of acute chest syndrome.
      A bone scan performed 5 days after admission revealed increased uptake in the
      sternum, suggesting sternal infarction. Repeat bone scan performed 2 mo later
      demonstrated normal concentration in the sternum.

PMID- 1869990
TI  - Evolution of technetium-99m-HMPAO SPECT and brain mapping in a patient presenting
      with echolalia and palilalia.
AB  - A 78-yr-old woman presented with transient echolalia and palilalia. She had
      suffered from Parkinson's disease for 2 yr. Routine laboratory examination showed
      hypotonic hyponatremia, but was otherwise unremarkable. Brain mapping revealed a
      bifrontal delta focus, more pronounced on the right. Single photon emission
      computed tomography (SPECT) of the brain with technetium-99m labeled d,l
      hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO), performed during the acute episode
      showed relative frontoparietal hypoactivity. Brain mapping performed after
      disappearance of the echolalia and palilalia, which persisted only for 1 day, was
      normal. By contrast, SPECT findings persisted for more than 3 wk. Features of
      particular interest in the presented patient are the extensive defects seen on
      brain SPECT despite the absence of morphologic lesions, the congruent
      electrophysiologic changes and their temporal relationship with the clinical
      evolution.

PMID- 1869991
TI  - No-carrier-added carbon-11-labeled sn-1,2- and sn-1,3-diacylglycerols by
      [11C]propyl ketene method.
AB  - This article describes the preparation of sn-1,2-[11C]diacylglycerols and sn-1,3
      [11C]diacylglycerols by a no-carrier-added reaction based on a labeling method
      using [1-11C]propyl ketene, which is one of the most potent acylating agents. [1
      11C]Propyl ketene was produced by pyrolytic decomposition of [1-11C]butyric acid
      and was trapped in pyridine containing L-alpha-palmitoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine,
      producing L-alpha-palmitoyl-2-[1-11C]butyryl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine. We
      adopted an enzymatic reaction to remove the phosphorylcholine, in which L-alpha
      palmitoyl-2-[1-11C]butyryl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine was incubated with
      phospholipase C, hydrolyzing to produce 1-palmitoyl-sn-2-[1-11C]butyrylglycerol.
      Total synthesis time was about 50 minutes and the specific activity was estimated
      at 93 GBq/mumol (2.5 Ci/mumol) at end of synthesis. Radiochemical yield was 3.8%
      based on the trapped 11CO2. sn-1,3-[11C]Diacylglycerol was also synthesized by [1
      11C]propyl ketene reaction with 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol in a single procedure.
      The regional brain tissue radioactivities obtained in sn-1,2-[11C]diacylglycerol
      were higher than those of sn-1,3-[11C]diacylglycerol, and the regional values
      varied widely. In autoradiography of brain slices from conscious rats, sn-1,2
      [11C]diacylglycerol incorporation sites were discretely localized, especially in
      the amygdala, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus, suggesting that intensive
      neuronal processing occurred in these areas on the basis of phosphatidylinositol
      turnover.

PMID- 1869992
TI  - Endocrine imaging: parathyroid, adrenal cortex and medulla, and other endocrine
      tumors. Part II.

PMID- 1869993
TI  - Post-surgical follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

PMID- 1869994
TI  - Ablation dose of iodine-131 for postoperative remnant.

PMID- 1869995
TI  - A source of toxic gas leakage in a nuclear medicine department.

PMID- 1869996
TI  - Prevention of metoclopramide-induced akathisia during gastric emptying imaging.

PMID- 1869997
TI  - Serum thyroglobulin and whole-body iodine-131 scan in the management of
      differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

PMID- 1869998
TI  - Constraints on the sensitivity and specificity of "logically" merged test
      results.

PMID- 1869999
TI  - A journal's duties: reporting or shaping the news.

PMID- 1870000
TI  - Administrative prosperity: principle I, Preserving health and vitality.

PMID- 1870001
TI  - What is important to graduating seniors in selecting their first nursing
      positions?

PMID- 1870002
TI  - Variance analysis. Part I, Extending flexible budget variance analysis to acuity.
AB  - The author reviews the concepts of flexible budget variance analysis, including
      the price, quantity, and volume variances generated by that technique. He also
      introduces the concept of acuity variance and provides direction on how such a
      variance measure can be calculated. Part II in this two-part series on variance
      analysis will look at how personal computers can be useful in the variance
      analysis process.

PMID- 1870003
TI  - The art of negotiation. An everyday experience.
AB  - The art of negotiation permeates every aspect of one's professional and personal
      life. Nurse administrators who use a scientific method of negotiation to augment
      professional judgment and decision making can create a climate conductive to
      success. The author reviews the definition and purpose of negotiation, examines
      concepts associated with negotiation and communication, analyzes the steps in the
      negotiation process, relates the negotiation process to the change process, and
      describes strategies for conducting effective negotiation.

PMID- 1870004
TI  - A nurse-managed special care unit.
AB  - The authors describe the first year of operation of a nurse-managed intensive
      care unit (ICU). Concerned with the problems, costs, and inadequacies of caring
      for long-term patients in traditional ICUs, nurse administrators designed a
      special care unit that incorporates a physical design facilitating family
      involvement and rehabilitative care, registered nurse case management, and a
      shared governance management philosophy. Compared with traditional ICUs, the
      effectiveness of the special care unit is tested in terms of patient and nurse
      outcomes. Implications of this innovation for health-care delivery systems and
      the nursing profession are discussed.

PMID- 1870005
TI  - Management compensation. A reward systems approach.
AB  - Across the nation, businesses are rethinking the way performance is rewarded. We
      are witnessing the emergence of newer, more innovative compensation systems.
      Today's nurse executive is challenged to design systems for management
      compensation that reward achievement, performance, and contribution. The author
      describes a reward systems approach to compensation based on contemporary
      concepts related to pay.

PMID- 1870006
TI  - Availability of scheduling options important.

PMID- 1870007
TI  - Improving organizational performance. Administrative nurse specialist.
AB  - The Executive Nurse Council was challenged to develop strategies designed to
      empower staff nurses and nurse managers and create opportunities for professional
      growth. Implementation of these strategies resulted in broad-sweeping changes in
      roles and functions of groups and individuals at all levels of the organization.
      The authors describe a support role, administrative nurse specialist, designed to
      support staff and managers striving to actualize changes in a shared governance
      framework.

PMID- 1870008
TI  - JONA'S directory of consultants to nursing administration.

PMID- 1870009
TI  - Nurses's death from AIDS.

PMID- 1870010
TI  - Intervertebral disc degeneration.

PMID- 1870011
TI  - Respiratory cancer among mineral wool workers.

PMID- 1870012
TI  - Pregnancy outcomes in women potentially exposed to occupational solvents and
      women working in the electronics industry.
AB  - Associations of occupational solvent exposure and/or work in electronics
      production with adverse pregnancy outcomes were examined in a large cross
      sectional community-based reproductive health study of 1038 California women
      pregnant between 1980 and 1985. Occupational solvent exposure was determined by
      two different methods: Bureau of Census codes judged by experts to probably
      include solvent exposure and self-reported exposure. First trimester solvent
      exposure classified by either method (n = 52) was significantly associated with
      spontaneous abortion, adjusted odds ratio 3.34 (95% confidence interval 1.42,
      7.81). Among 29 women reporting regular and daily solvent exposure, the adjusted
      odds ratio increased to 4.44 (95% confidence interval 1.86, 10.58). Work in
      electronics assembly was significantly associated with delivering a low birth
      weight infant (adjusted odds ratio 5.38; 95% confidence interval 1.42, 20.46) but
      was not associated with spontaneous abortions. Further research using biologic
      monitoring and/or other objective measures of exposure is needed to validate
      these findings.

PMID- 1870013
TI  - Occupational physician staffing in large US corporations.
AB  - Increased provision of occupational health services outside the workplace has
      been accompanied by signs of change in the quantity and structure of in-house
      corporate services. The occupational physician:employee ratios of the 25 largest
      US corporations were compared with each other, with the probable level of hazard
      as suggested by Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, and with both gross and per
      capita measures of profitability. We infer that large corporations still employ a
      disproportionate share of available occupational health expertise. Oil and
      chemical companies employ the largest number of occupational physicians per
      capita; computer, electronics, and scientific equipment manufacturers employ the
      largest number of occupational physicians per capita relative to occupational
      illness/injury/lost workdays per capita. Tobacco companies employ the fewest
      occupational physicians by either measure. Corporate profitability explained more
      than half the variability for the one large within-sector comparison and appeared
      most related to employment practices for the most-successful and least-successful
      companies.

PMID- 1870014
TI  - A study of the hematologic effects of chronic low-level exposure to benzene.
AB  - A study of 200 persons working with benzene showed no differences in commonly
      measured hematologic outcomes when compared with 268 nonbenzene workers in the
      same plant. Exposures ranged from 0.01 ppm to a high of 1.40 ppm 8-hour time
      weighted average over a 10-year period. Several other factors (age, sex, race,
      and smoking), however, were associated with these outcomes, indicating the
      importance of considering confounding factors when comparing hematology results.
      Exposure to low levels of benzene does not appear to produce an increased level
      of abnormal hematology measures detectable in routine medical surveillance.

PMID- 1870015
TI  - Median nerve latencies in poultry processing workers: an approach to resolving
      the role of industrial "cumulative trauma" in the development of carpal tunnel
      syndrome.
AB  - Much attention has been paid recently to a claimed connection between stressful
      repetitive motion at the work site and the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
      Little of this has made its way into the widely appreciated medical literature.
      To try to discover a reasonable basis for the presence or absence of such an
      association we measured median nerve motor and sensory latencies in a random
      sample of employees in a medium industry of the kind thought to be associated
      with the emergence of carpal tunnel syndrome. A control group made up of
      applicants for positions of this sort was used. No association between employment
      experience and the development of slowing of the median motor latency was
      encountered in any group. No association was discovered for sensory latencies for
      men or for the left hands of women. A small association was discovered for the
      sensory latency in right hands of long-term female employees. This was similar in
      magnitude to the increased risk of prolongation associated with aging. Our data
      provide very little evidence for the concept of cumulative trauma as a prominent
      cause of carpal tunnel syndrome in American industry. These results are discussed
      in light of the recent Australian false epidemic of repetition strain injury.

PMID- 1870016
TI  - Mortality among workers exposed to external ionizing radiation at a nuclear
      facility in Ohio.
AB  - In a cohort mortality study of white men employed by the Mound Facility (1947
      through 1979), observed deaths did not exceed those expected based on US death
      rates for the overall cohort or for the subcohort monitored for external ionizing
      radiation. Among the radiation-monitored subcohort, mortality for workers with
      cumulative radiation doses of at least 10 mSv was not significantly increased
      when compared with mortality for coworkers with cumulative doses of less than 10
      mSv. A significant dose-response based on a Mantel-Haenszel test of trend was
      observed for all leukemias. However, when a death from chronic lymphatic
      leukemia, a type of leukemia generally not regarded as radiogenic, was removed
      from the analyses, the strength of the dose-response was reduced.

PMID- 1870017
TI  - Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a possible sequel of NO2 exposure.
AB  - Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis was diagnosed via bronchoscopy in a patient. There
      was no previous history of inhalation dust exposure. NO2 has been implicated in
      pulmonary alveolar proteinosis development in animal models. In this case, the
      diffusion capacity was a sensitive indicator of the disease process.

PMID- 1870018
TI  - Cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremity. A preventive strategy is
      needed.

PMID- 1870019
TI  - What are cumulative trauma disorders?

PMID- 1870020
TI  - Occupational eye injuries in soldiers.
AB  - Soldiers have occupational exposure to eye hazards that in many ways are
      comparable to those in civilian industry. We conducted a prospective, community
      based, case-control study at three large troop installations of an infantry
      division to characterize nonmilitary-unique, occupational eye injuries and
      associated risk factors and to assess current occupational health practice in eye
      injury prevention in the division. The findings indicate that the most important
      risk factors are youth, a history of an eye injury in the preceding two years,
      and, paradoxically, the perception that supervisors are concerned and well
      informed about eye injury prevention. Injury severities were mild resulting in an
      average of 1 day of lost employment per injury. The economic impact for the
      entire US Army Europe is estimated to approximate $1,100,000 per year.

PMID- 1870021
TI  - Drug screening in the workplace: ethical guidelines.

PMID- 1870022
TI  - Managing cholesterol in children and adolescents.
AB  - Reduction of elevated cholesterol in adults decreases risk of coronary heart
      disease. Despite evidence of atherosclerosis development at early ages and
      studies confirming cholesterol tracking from childhood into adulthood, many
      physicians are reluctant to screen for hypercholesterolemia in children and
      adolescents. Targeting screening only to children of high-risk families fails to
      identify as many as two-thirds of at-risk children. Dietary modification and
      medical therapy appears safe and effective in this age group. Recommendations for
      screening of all children by age 5 are made, with guidelines for managing
      elevated cholesterol.

PMID- 1870023
TI  - Lay midwives in Oklahoma.
AB  - Since the 1970s a trend towards home birth has sparked a strident debate among
      obstetric practices and lay midwives which concerns the most valuable member of
      our society: newborn infants. This paper focuses specifically on lay midwives.
      Their situation in the country as a whole and in Oklahoma in particular is
      discussed. The state has ignored the existence of these practitioners, forcing
      the medical establishment to deal with the consequences of unsafe deliveries.

PMID- 1870024
TI  - The new role of the nursing home medical director.

PMID- 1870025
TI  - On physicians and litigation.
AB  - Because litigation involving physicians has come to influence the practice of
      medicine in several ways, we describe many of the legal processes involved. We
      also offer specific advice in regard to steps which can be effectively taken, and
      those which should be avoided. We close with a plea for active participation by
      physicians in the judicial process and in the promulgation of appropriate
      legislation.

PMID- 1870026
TI  - Leaders in medicine. C.S. Lewis, Jr., MD.

PMID- 1870027
TI  - Telemeterized in vivo hip joint force data: a report on two patients after total
      hip surgery.
AB  - Two telemeterized femoral components were implanted in two patients as part of
      normal total hip replacement procedures. The two components were instrumented to
      measure the three force components directed along: (a) the neck axis, (b)
      transverse to the neck axis and in the plane of the prosthesis, and (c)
      transverse to the neck axis and perpendicular to the plane of the prosthesis.
      Data were collected at multiple sessions during the early postoperative period
      for a number of standard activities, including gait, stair climbing, rising from
      a chair, single leg stance, double leg stance, ipsilateral and contralateral
      straight leg lifts while supine, ipsilateral flexion and extension while
      standing, and ipsilateral abduction while standing and lying on the contralateral
      side. These data are summarized and compared with the published results from
      analytic studies and with the results from previous studies using instrumented
      femoral components. Peak loads for gait during the period of study were roughly
      2.7 body weights (BW) when the patients walked at their normal pace. Contact
      forces at the hip during stationary single leg stance approximated the peak loads
      during gait with values ranging from 2.1 to 2.8 BW. The highest forces recorded
      reached values approaching 5.5 BW and occurred during periods of instability
      while the patient engaged in stationary single leg stance. Our in vivo data
      indicate that forces generated during the above activities increase in magnitude
      quite rapidly during the early postoperative period and that during this period
      the patients have the ability to perform the activities of daily living without
      generating the high amplitude joint contact forces suggested by the results of
      dynamic studies. Joint contact forces during gait were found to depend on speed,
      but the high absolute magnitudes predicted by model studies were not supported by
      the in vivo data.

PMID- 1870028
TI  - Pattern of bone loss of the proximal femur: a radiologic, densitometric, and
      histomorphometric study.
AB  - The pattern of bone loss in the proximal femur was studied in 141 cadaveric
      femora from 36 women and 39 men ranging from 27 to 89 years of age. Bone mineral
      density (BMD) of the femoral neck, greater trochanter, Ward's triangle, and
      tensile and compressive stress regions were measured by dual photon
      absorptiometry. Radiographs were graded by Singh's method. Histomorphometry of
      tensile and compressive trabecular areas was performed on ground midsection of
      the methylmethacrylate-embedded whole proximal femur. Although Singh index had
      some correlation with BMD of the femoral neck, the various BMD measurements
      showed that all regions lost bone to the same extent; in particular, no selective
      bone loss was found at low stress regions (tensile trabeculae or Ward's
      triangle). Histomorphometry revealed that most of the trabecular bone loss of the
      proximal femur is attributable to a decrease in thickness of individual
      trabeculae.

PMID- 1870029
TI  - Mesenchymal stem cells.
AB  - Bone and cartilage formation in the embryo and repair and turnover in the adult
      involve the progeny of a small number of cells called mesenchymal stem cells.
      These cells divide, and their progeny become committed to a specific and
      distinctive phenotypic pathway, a lineage with discrete steps and, finally, end
      stage cells involved with fabrication of a unique tissue type, e.g., cartilage or
      bone. Local cuing (extrinsic factors) and the genomic potential (intrinsic
      factors) interact at each lineage step to control the rate and characteristic
      phenotype of the cells in the emerging tissue. The study of these mesenchymal
      stem cells, whether isolated from embryos or adults, provides the basis for the
      emergence of a new therapeutic technology of self-cell repair. The isolation,
      mitotic expansion, and site-directed delivery of autologous stem cells can govern
      the rapid and specific repair of skeletal tissues.

PMID- 1870030
TI  - Proteoglycan alterations during developing experimental osteoarthritis in a novel
      hip joint model.
AB  - Degenerative hip joint disease was induced in dogs by extra-articular surgery
      that created a condition that mimics hip dysplasia. Decreased acetabular coverage
      of the femoral head gave altered mechanical load, with ensuing cartilage
      degeneration. For comparison, degenerative knee joint disease was induced in
      other dogs by transection of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. The
      femoral head articular cartilage showed macroscopic signs of degeneration within
      a month. No macroscopical changes of synovitis were present. Chemical analysis of
      cartilage samples showed loss of proteoglycans. Guanidine hydrochloride extracts
      of the cartilage contained proteoglycan fragments that could be separated by
      equilibrium density gradient centrifugation in cesium chloride. The data indicate
      that proteoglycans are fragmented by proteolytic cleavage and lost from the
      cartilage. The proteoglycans remaining in the tissue are smaller and have lost
      the ability to aggregate with hyaluronic acid. Similarly, in experimental knee
      joint osteoarthritis, the proteoglycan content of the cartilage decreased. The
      structural changes of those proteoglycans remaining were of a different nature,
      with no changes in proteoglycan size or aggregation properties, possibly
      indicating that both degradation and repair took place in the knee articular
      cartilage and/or that fragments were rapidly lost from the tissue. This may
      follow from different surgical procedures, only the one used for the hip joint
      being extra-articular, or from the different anatomy and physiology of the hip
      joint and the knee joint.

PMID- 1870031
TI  - Evaluation of orthogonal mechanical properties and density of human trabecular
      bone from the major metaphyseal regions with materials testing and computed
      tomography.
AB  - We evaluated the orthogonal mechanical properties of human trabecular bone from
      the major metaphyseal regions with materials testing and quantitative computed
      tomography (CT). The proximal tibia, distal femur, proximal femur, distal radius,
      and proximal humerus from fresh cadaver specimens between the ages of 55 and 70
      years were excised and prepared for experimentation. The bones were embedded and
      scanned at 1 or 1.5 mm intervals on a Technicare HPS 1440 and GE 9800 CT scanner.
      After scanning, the bones were sectioned, producing 8-mm cubes of trabecular bone
      which were mechanically tested in uniaxial compression at a strain rate of 1%.
      The testing sequence consisted of preyield tests in two of the three orthogonal
      directions and failure in the third. After testing, the cubes were evaluated for
      apparent density and ash weight. The results of the study show that the strength
      and stiffness of trabecular bone varies significantly within metaphyseal regions
      and from metaphysis to metaphysis. The power and significance of relationships
      between density and modulus varied as a function of metaphyseal location. Both
      linear and nonlinear models were significant, suggesting that trabecular
      deformation occurs in response to both axial and bending loads. Finally, the need
      for architectural measures of trabecular bone to predict mechanical properties is
      emphasized.

PMID- 1870032
TI  - Electrokinetic behavior of intact wet bone: compartmental model.
AB  - Streaming potential experiments were performed on chemically-treated intact wet
      bone plugs equilibrated in potential-determining ion buffers. Comparison of
      calculated zeta (zeta) potentials from intact wet bone streaming potentials and
      bone particle electrophoresis indicates different values. Intact streaming
      potential experiments, where fluid is forced through the samples, represents
      flow, primarily through the vascular channel system, and contribution of the
      organically-lined channels to the electrokinetic zeta potential. Bone particle
      electrophoresis represents mainly the electrokinetic contribution of exposed
      mineralized matrix. The organic linings present in the vascular channel system
      limit potential-determining ions' access to the mineralized matrix. These linings
      may have an important role in mineral homeostasis and control of ion fluxes
      between bone compartments.

PMID- 1870033
TI  - Human carpal ligament recruitment and three-dimensional carpal motion.
AB  - In five fresh human cadaver wrist joints six carpal ligaments and seven carpal
      bones were marked with small, radio-opaque pellets. Using a
      roentgenstereophotogrammetric measuring system, the ligamentous length changes
      and the kinematics of carpal bones were determined in different flexion and
      deviation positions of the hand. The data generated by this method differ
      significantly from lengthening data predicted by current concepts on carpal
      ligament functioning. The motions of carpal bones and the lengthening of the
      carpal ligaments were related to each other. It appeared that most carpal
      ligaments lengthen only during one half of a full movement cycle. Hence,
      ligaments seem to constrain either a dorsal- or a palmar-directed motion of the
      hand, or an ulnar- or a radial-directed motion of the hand. When the hand is in
      maximal radial deviation or maximal palmar flexion, none of the ligaments has a
      greater length than in the neutral situation. The tested parts of the
      lunatotriquetrum palmar ligament do not lengthen during any movement of the hand.
      Significant lengthening relative to the neutral situation was found for the
      radiocapitate palmar ligament (6.5% in maximal ulnar deviation and 11.7% in
      maximal dorsal flexion of the hand), and for the distal string of the radiolunate
      palmar ligament (6.4% in maximal ulnar deviation). It was confirmed that the
      carpals, apart from moving in the plane in which the hand motion takes place,
      also execute considerable out-of-plane motions during hand motions. The
      combination of these experimentally and simultaneously determined data on length
      change and on the movements of carpal bones are found to be necessary in order to
      give suitable explanations for the observed separate kinematical phenomena.

PMID- 1870034
TI  - The effects of frequency and duration of controlled passive mobilization on
      tendon healing.
AB  - This study was designed to determine the effects of frequency and duration of
      controlled passive motion on the healing flexor tendon following primary repair.
      Adult mongrel dogs were divided into two groups based on frequency of controlled
      passive motion. In one group, motion was applied manually at a frequency of 12
      cycles/min for 5 min/day; in the other group, a continuous passive motion machine
      was used to apply motion at a lower frequency of 1 cycle/min for 60 min/day,
      making the number of cycles each day for both groups identical. Gliding function
      and tensile properties of repaired tendons were evaluated biomechanically at 3
      and 6 weeks postoperatively. Results showed that gliding function in both groups
      was similar, but tensile properties, as represented by linear slope, ultimate
      load, and energy absorption, were significantly improved in the higher frequency
      group. It was concluded that frequency of controlled passive motion
      rehabilitation is a significant factor in accelerating the healing response
      following tendon repair, and higher frequency-controlled passive motion has a
      beneficial effect.

PMID- 1870035
TI  - Ascorbic acid requirement for optimal flexor tendon repair in vitro.
AB  - Numerous studies from our laboratory have defined aspects of the repair process
      in a lacerated flexor tendon model, both in vivo and in vitro. Inherent in the
      development of a viable tissue or cell culture model system is the definition of
      the optimal media environment. Since our laboratory investigations of in vitro
      flexor tendon repair encompass the formation of numerous extracellular matrix
      proteins, we have defined the optimal level of ascorbic acid with which to study
      the tendon wound healing process. The ascorbic acid requirement for proline and
      lysine hydroxylase activity during collagen biosynthesis is well known, and the
      importance of this vitamin for matrix proteoglycan synthesis more recently has
      been appreciated. This report describes the effect of several levels of ascorbic
      acid on 3H-thymidine incorporation, collagen and noncollagen protein synthesis,
      and glucose utilization and lactate production. Profundus flexor tendon segments
      were obtained from young adult New Zealand white rabbits and maintained in organ
      culture for periods of 1, 2, or 3 weeks. Ascorbic acid concentrations ranged from
      50 to 300 micrograms/ml and were added fresh at each 48-h media change. Tendon
      protein synthesis, glucose metabolism, and cell permeability/viability were
      significantly correlated with the level of ascorbic acid in the culture medium.
      The results suggest that ascorbic acid levels in excess of the traditional 50
      micrograms/ml are necessary to optimally maintain flexor tendons from adult
      animals in organ culture with 48-h media and ascorbate changes. Additionally, it
      may be necessary to determine the precise ascorbic acid requirement for
      individual tissues, since the specific tissue/cell and species requirement for
      ascorbate may vary.

PMID- 1870036
TI  - Are leg electromyogram profiles symmetrical?
AB  - Electromyographic (EMG) patterns reflect function of the neuromuscular system.
      Abnormality of a given pattern may be established by comparison with that of the
      contralateral (presumably normal) limb if one ensures a difference beyond normal
      degrees of symmetry. We studied EMG patterns in six homologous knee muscles
      during freely selected, slow, and fast gaits in normal subjects. EMG signals were
      electronically conditioned to produce linear envelopes; envelopes from at least
      eight cycles from each subject at each speed were ensemble averaged. Grand
      ensemble averages for each muscle and speed were assembled from all subjects for
      right and left muscles. Transformed correlation coefficients (r') and variance
      ratios established the degree of similarity. All muscles exhibited a fair degree
      of symmetry (mean r' = 0.797-0.953), but we saw exceptions. On rare occasion,
      muscles repeatedly exhibited monophasic signals on one side and biphasic on the
      other. With increasing speed, signals generally became more repeatable, but we
      occasionally saw monophasic patterns becoming biphasic or vice versa.
      Considerable caution is essential before presuming any given pattern is abnormal.
      To ensure that a given pattern is abnormal one could establish that the pattern
      lies outside some statistical limits for normal population patterns controlled
      for speed and outside statistical limits for normal symmetry. Alternatively, one
      could determine the level of statistical differences in EMG patterns associated
      with distinct differences in level of functional performance between normal
      subjects and patients.

PMID- 1870037
TI  - Measurement reproducibility of two commercial knee test devices.
AB  - Objective evaluation of patients' knee motion using mechanical devices, whether
      for diagnostic purposes or for assessing rehabilitative procedures, requires that
      these devices be reproducible, in order to avoid errors independent of the
      patients' condition. This study prospectively evaluates the reproducibility of
      two commercial knee test systems, the KT 1000 Knee Ligament Arthrometer and the
      Genucom Knee Analysis System, by performing repeated measurements on twenty
      normal men. Average knee motion, between-subject variance, and within-subject
      variance were determined by performing repeat tests on the same day and one week
      later. No significant difference was found between measurements taken on the two
      different test days, but the within-subject variation was high. We found that
      larger applied forces or moments resulted in a larger variation in mean
      displacements. However, the percent variation about the mean (coefficient of
      variation) decreased with increasing applied loads. The coefficient of variation
      for the KT 1000 varied from 8 to 33% and for the Genucom, from 13 to 87%. On an
      individual basis, large variations were found in repeated measures for both
      devices. To minimize errors, we recommend that repeated tests be performed,
      higher forces and moments utilized, and specific flexion angles be used for each
      device and test. Even under these conditions, caution must be exercised when
      evaluating individual subjects.

PMID- 1870038
TI  - Alterations in femoral and acetabular bone strains immediately following
      cementless total hip arthroplasty: an in vitro canine study.
AB  - Alterations in strain patterns in both the femur and acetabulum of the dog, due
      to cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA), were evaluated by monitoring cortical
      bone strains before and immediately following implantation of components, using
      an accurate in vitro jig, simulating the loading of the canine hip in vivo.
      Femoral arthroplasty with straight stem, canal-filling, femoral components, made
      of titanium-based alloy, led to a statistically significant reduction of proximal
      femoral bone strains, with proximal medical compressive strains reduced, on
      average, to only 22% of intact strain magnitude (p less than 0.01), even though
      the prostheses contained collars and were not fixed with cement. Strain
      alterations on the acetabulum, following cementless THA, were more complex and
      variable. Laterally, a significant decrease (p less than 0.01) in periacetabular
      strains to between 20 and 60% of the intact state was observed, while medial wall
      strains varied inconsistently after arthroplasty. These strain alterations
      reflect major changes in mechanical loading of both the femur and acetabulum
      immediately following cementless THA, using components similar to those used
      clinically in humans. Major reductions in strains on the proximal femur occurred
      with cementless femoral components, while the change in strains on the acetabulum
      were variable, and could be a result of variations in fit and placement of
      components inherent even in well-controlled implantation techniques. The
      physiologic in vitro loading of the canine femur with the pelvis, used to obtain
      these data, can be applied to future investigations exploring stress transfer
      around uncemented components and the relationship of stress transfer to
      morphological changes of bone, in the canine model.

PMID- 1870039
TI  - An evaluation of three loading configurations for the in vitro testing of femoral
      strains in total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - Despite recent advances in total hip arthroplasty, proximal femoral resorption
      and osteopenia remain problems. To analyze the proximal strain effects of three
      different loading conditions, strains produced in intact and postarthroplasty
      femora have been compared. Ten adult cadaveric femora of similar size, shape, and
      rigidity were tested. Ten strain-gauge rosettes were positioned on each femur. To
      simulate the "single leg support" phase of gait, fixtures were developed to load
      the femora under three different configuration: the VS (vertical shaft)
      configuration, with a vertically orientated femur having rotational freedom
      proximally and distally; the ITB (iliotibial band) configuration of a femur with
      rotational freedom positioned 11 degrees from the vertical, with a strain-gauge
      adjustable metallic simulation of the lateral muscles of the thigh; and the ABD
      (abductor) configuration of a femur with rotational freedom positioned 11 degrees
      from the vertical, with a strain-gauge adjustable metallic simulation of the
      abductor muscles. Each femur was loaded less than or equal to 600 N through the
      medial point, located at one sixth of the transcondylar distance. Strain patterns
      and magnitudes produced by the three loading configurations were quite different
      in both the intact and postarthroplasty femora. Both the ITB and the ABD
      configurations resulted in greater proximal medial compression and lateral
      tension than did the VS configuration. The magnitudes of the proximal strains
      were significantly greater in the ABD configuration (p less than 0.05).
      Postarthroplasty femora showed similar proximal results. It is proposed that
      meaningful strain data for the physiologically loaded femur can be obtained only
      with simulations that include the forces produced by the iliotibial band. To
      overcome the indeterminate nature and biological variation in these forces, the
      studies have to consider a range of forces.

PMID- 1870040
TI  - The biologic effects of implant materials.
AB  - The interaction between implant materials and the surrounding biological
      environment continues to be an area of intense research and clinical interest.
      This article presents the information presented in a symposium, held during the
      36th Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, in which several
      important issues concerning the biologic effects of implant materials were
      discussed. These issues included the mechanisms by which implant materials are
      released to the surrounding tissues and the ways in which these tissues respond
      to implant materials. The problem of bone loss around cementless implants was
      discussed as a specific example of a biologic effect resulting in both bone
      remodelling and endosteal erosion.

PMID- 1870041
TI  - Hypodermoclysis in dehydrated elderly patients: local effects with and without
      hyaluronidase.
AB  - Dehydration is frequently encountered in elderly patients and hypodermoclysis is
      an alternative method of parenteral rehydration. Hyaluronidase is classically
      added to the solution infused subcutaneously. The local effects of
      hypodermoclysis with or without hyaluronidase were investigated by using a
      randomized double-blind study in 12 dehydrated elderly patients. Five hundred
      millilitres of a 5% glucose saline solution was infused subcutaneously in 2 hours
      in each thigh, (A) with and (B) without 250 U of hyaluronidase. Circumference and
      temperature of each thigh were assessed before and after the infusion. Color was
      evaluated after the infusion. The gain in thigh circumference was less in the
      presence of hyaluronidase, but the other variables did not differ. The patients
      were thoroughly questioned about pain: no difference was noted between solutions
      A and B. We conclude that hyaluronidase adds no comfort that justifies its
      systematic use in the hypodermoclysis of glucose saline solutions.

PMID- 1870042
TI  - Common symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.
AB  - The goal of this study was to identify the symptoms of patients with advanced
      cancer. One hundred consecutive patients referred to the Palliative Care Service
      at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation were studied using a standard tool that
      included questions on 38 specific symptoms. The most common symptoms were pain,
      weight loss, and anorexia. Significant findings also included that women had more
      frequent and severe gastrointestinal complaints than men. These do not appear to
      be related to specific cancer primary sites.

PMID- 1870043
TI  - Death late in the 20th century.

PMID- 1870044
TI  - Who should be the medical director of a hospice program?

PMID- 1870045
TI  - Neuropathic cancer-related pain.

PMID- 1870046
TI  - When suffering is unbearable: physicians, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

PMID- 1870047
TI  - A review of the etiology, diagnostic techniques and management of IUGR, and the
      clinical application of Doppler in the assessment of placental blood flow.

PMID- 1870048
TI  - Measurement of head compression during labor: preliminary results.
AB  - To study the pressure to which the fetal head is exposed during the second stage
      of labor, an instrument was designed to measure continuously the pressure between
      the presenting part and the birth canal on both sides of the fetal head. Pressure
      parameters during and between the uterine contractions were calculated from 42
      spontaneous vertex deliveries presenting as occiput anterior. During the second
      stage the overall average of the mean maximum head pressure during uterine
      contraction was 31.8 +/- 11.0 kPa, that of the mean head pressure measured 13.3
      +/- 4.8 kPa during uterine contraction and 5.5 +/- 3.7 kPa during the interval
      between contractions. The pressure on the fetal head was about twice as high as
      the amniotic pressure. It increased towards the end of labor. The objective
      measurement of fetal head pressure is the prerequisite in the study of the
      relationship between birth-related injuries and excessive head compression during
      parturition.

PMID- 1870049
TI  - The implication of upright posture on pregnancy.
AB  - Pregnant women spend more than half of the day in an upright position. The
      physiological effects of this posture on the mother and the fetus are evaluated.
      Changes in vascular autoregulation and anatomy lead to maternal fainting in about
      8% of women during early pregnancy. The immediate effects of such episodes on the
      fetus are unknown. There is a positive correlation of orthostatic dysregulations
      and abortions. In late pregnancy we found a significant increase in functional
      residual capacity in the upright posture. Minute volume and oxygen consumption
      were also significantly increase (p less than 0.001). Regarding the
      cardiovascular changes we detected a rhythmic change of the maternal heart rate
      with the change to upright position, which had not been published before. Change
      from the left lateral position to unsupported standing increased maternal heart
      rate by a mean of 27 beats per minute and a mean duration of 105 seconds in two
      thirds of the women. This was accompanied by a decreased cardiac output, systolic
      blood pressure and an increased oxygen consumption. The gravid uterus is
      responsible for these changes. During the upright position, the venous flow to
      the right ventricle is inhibited by the relaxed uterus. Contractions, leaning
      forward and the muscle pump improve the venous return. The phenomenon reached its
      maximum during the 38th week, where 71% of pregnant women displayed a cyclic
      change in heart rate. The fetal heart rate baseline is significantly increased in
      the upright position with a significantly reduced acceleration frequency (p less
      than 0.001). Combined with the data from epidemiologic studies, prolonged
      standing during late pregnancy may signal potential risks for the fetus such as
      low birth weight, prematurity and stillbirths because of an 'uterovascular
      syndrome'. Maternal standing possibly may be used as a physiological fetal stress
      test.

PMID- 1870050
TI  - No difference between home and clinic blood pressure measurements in pregnancy: a
      computerized telemetric study.
AB  - Many decisions in pregnancy are based on one or two casual blood pressure
      estimations made in the antenatal clinic. No previous study has challenged the
      validity of this practice or attempted to discover whether there are significant
      differences between the blood pressures of pregnant women when they are measured
      in the clinic and when they are measured in their home environment. We measured
      the blood pressures of 35 healthy pregnant women both at the antenatal clinic and
      in their own homes. All the women were at between 28 and 32 weeks gestation. At
      both locations, ten consecutive blood pressure and pulse measurements were made
      at one minute intervals using a Dinamap 1846P automated blood pressure monitor.
      The readings taken in the clinic were supervised, whilst at home the patients
      used our blood pressure telemetry system without direct supervision, the results
      being transmitted automatically to the hospital computer via the public telephone
      network. The Dinamap results were analysed in detail. Each ten minute recording
      session was summarised in terms of the first, last, highest, lowest and mean of
      the systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure, and pulse measurements
      in that session. Also, two measures of the variability within a ten measurement
      series were considered, the average change in pressure or pulse from one reading
      to the next, and the difference between the highest and lowest readings of
      pressure and pulse in the series. All descriptors of the clinic and the home
      measurements were compared using the paired Student's t-test. Clinic and home
      blood pressure measurements were not significantly different from each other in
      any respect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870051
TI  - Validity of umbilical artery blood velocimetry in the prediction of intrauterine
      growth retardation and fetal compromise.
AB  - In a prospective longitudinal investigation, the validity of umbilical artery
      velocimetry in the detection of IUGR and fetal compromise was calculated in a
      group of 105 patients. With the help of pulsed Doppler ultrasound, measurements
      were performed from a menstrual age of 15 weeks onwards till term. The
      pulsatility index was calculated. The sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio
      and post test probability were determined with regard to the ability to predict
      IUGR and fetal compromise. The sensitivity in the detection of IUGR was 44.4%,
      the post test probability was 32.4%. For the prediction of fetal distress a
      sensitivity of 77.8% and a post test probability of 40.1% was calculated. In a
      selected group of high-risk patients (IUGR or PIH) the post-test probability was
      77.6%. It seems clear that umbilical artery velocimetry is not useful as a
      screening tool for IUGR, but it has some potential to predict fetal distress.

PMID- 1870052
TI  - Doppler investigation of the fetal circulation.
AB  - Doppler ultrasound provides a non-invasive method for the study of fetal
      haemodynamics. Animal studies on effects of hypoxia have provided evidence of a
      redistribution of cardiac output to favour perfusion of the fetal heart, adrenals
      and brain, at the expense of the carcass, gut and kidneys. This paper summarises
      the changes in fetal Doppler parameters with advancing gestation. Furthermore, it
      examines the alterations in fetal haemodynamics in relation to fetal blood oxygen
      tension in samples obtained by cordocentesis from small for gestational age (SGA)
      fetuses. In SGA fetuses increased downstream impedence to flow in the umbilical
      artery, as demonstrated by the absence of end-diastolic frequencies in the flow
      velocity waveforms (FVW), is associated with fetal hypoxia. This presumably
      reflects the underlying derangement of placental structure and function. The
      impedence to flow and mean blood velocity were also measured in FVWs from the
      descending thoracic aorta and common carotid artery, obtained by pulsed Doppler
      ultrasound, and from the middle cerebral and renal arteries obtained by colour
      flow imaging. There were significant correlations between the degree of fetal
      hypoxia and alterations in Doppler parameters, which were compatible with the
      brain sparing effect. Thus, in fetal hypoxia impedence to flow in the common
      carotid and middle cerebral arteries was decreased, whereas impedence in the
      aorta and renal artery was increased. There were simultaneous alterations in the
      mean blood velocity in the opposite direction to those in impedence.

PMID- 1870053
TI  - Color Doppler flow mapping of fetal heart.
AB  - Color Doppler flow mapping of fetal heart was performed in 582 fetuses between 16
      and 38 weeks of gestation. Congenital heart diseases were excluded in 522 fetuses
      correctly. In 59 fetuses structural and/or functional cardiac abnormalities were
      diagnosed. In one fetus small multiple ventricular septal defects were missed.
      The most important additional information obtained by color Doppler flow mapping
      was: (1) Diagnosis of insufficiencies of atrioventricular valves; (2)
      Demonstration of turbulent high velocity jet in stenosis of semilunar valve; (3)
      Reverse flow in ascending aorta in atresia of aortic valves and on ductus
      arteriosus and main pulmonary artery in atresia of pulmonary valves; (4) Reverse
      perfusion of ductus arteriosus and main pulmonary artery as well as an antegrade
      turbulent high velocity jet in severe pulmonary stenosis as part of tetralogy of
      Fallot; (5) Bidirectional interventricular shunting of blood in ventricular
      septal defect. Color Doppler flow mapping allows rapid screening for flow
      abnormalities of the fetal heart. Exact localisation of sample volume by pulsed
      wave Doppler in area of abnormal flow pattern is possible, thus significantly
      reducing the Doppler examination time. The accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of
      congenital heart diseases is improved by application of color Doppler flow
      mapping, in particular in presence of complex cardiac defects.

PMID- 1870054
TI  - Critical analysis of the validity of electronic fetal monitoring.
AB  - The validity of the diagnosis fetal distress based on electronic fetal monitoring
      (EFM) is low. It can be argued that the prediction of fetal distress may be
      influenced by the obstetric intervention, and a number of false-positive (FP)
      decisions are in fact cases of successful prevention of acidosis. The false
      negative decisions (FN) may include cases in which an operative delivery was not
      performed, although the impaired fetal condition was correctly recognized. To
      estimated the magnitude of these effects, deliveries after 28 weeks of gestation,
      in which EFM was applied, were studied. The medical staff involved in these
      deliveries was asked to estimate the umbilical artery pH immediately before
      birth. After birth the pH was measured. Cases were classified as operative
      delivery for fetal distress or other. Fetal distress was supposes to be confirmed
      if the umbilical artery pH was less than or equal to 7.14. Pre-birth estimates of
      the pH were obtained in 393 cases. Of the 20 FP cases, 70% were real FP after
      considering the prebirth estimate; of the 35 FN cases, 89% were real FN. After
      correction for mistaken false results the sensitivity increased from 20.5% to
      29.5% and the predictive value from 31.0% to 51.7%. Although validity and
      predictive values improve after correcting for the mistaken false results, their
      values are still unsatisfactorily low.

PMID- 1870055
TI  - The advantages of computerized fetal heart rate analysis.
AB  - A brief account is given of the advantages of computerized analysis of human
      fetal heart rate (FHR) traces antenatally, based on clinical use over 8 years.
      Accuracy is greater. Results are presented quantitatively and consistently. The
      numerical measures of the FHR pattern are related to other objective measures of
      fetal health, e.g. initial compensated hypoxaemia or terminal acidaemia.
      Computerized analysis has shown that changes in FHR variation are a better guide
      than the presence or absence of large decelerations. Recording time is used
      better. Synoptic displays of data over 4 weeks show significant trends in fetal
      heart rate variation and movements with time. And the problems generated by the
      limitations of fetal heart rate monitors are identified to exclude spurious
      information.

PMID- 1870056
TI  - System 8000: computerized antenatal FHR analysis.
AB  - SYSTEM 8000 is a computerized system for antenatal fetal heart rate (FHR)
      analysis, with interaction online to ensure good quality recording and to
      minimize the time required to obtain the necessary information (based on fetal
      movements and tocodynamometer readings as well as FHR). The equipment consists of
      a Personal Computer with hard disk, interfaced to a fetal monitor. Software is
      written in C. An extensive definition is given on most of the functions and
      parameters as calculated by the system, e.g. record quality, uterine contraction
      peaks, basal heart rate, variation, decelerations and accelerations. System 8000
      is designed to take account of the episodic changes in FHR and fetal movements
      characteristic of sleep states. Their presence naturally affects the mean FHR
      variation calculated over, say 20-30 mins. But, as the amplitude of these
      episodes is attenuated in association with growth retardation and hypoxaemia, the
      measurements of variation decline. In practice inter- and intra-observer
      variation is greatest in assessing FHR variation. Yet a decrease in variation is
      the most reliable index of fetal deterioration. The system measures FHR variation
      accurately and reproducibly, as well as fetal movements. In the synoptic display
      these two equally important fetal variables are given their rightful prominence.
      It has been interesting to observe how rarely the basal FHR changes in fetuses
      suffering progressive respiratory insufficiency, and how extreme tachycardia (a
      basal rate greater than 170/min) tends to reflect other fetal problems such as
      infection or maternal pyrexia.

PMID- 1870057
TI  - Computer-assisted analysis of normal second trimester fetal heart rate patterns.
AB  - A software package for computer-assisted analysis of antenatal fetal heart rate
      (FHR) patterns has been commercially available from 1989. Reference ranges for
      the third trimester of pregnancy have been established. In order to obtain
      reference values for the second trimester, one hour FHR recordings were made
      between 20 and 29 weeks gestation in 77 women with uncomplicated pregnancies.
      There was a significant increase of (medium term) FHR variation and of the number
      of accelerations from 20 to 29 weeks (r = 0.48, p less than 0.01 and r = 0.34, p
      less than 0.01 respectively). The lower limit of normal FHR variation (mean--2
      SD's) increased from 18 msec at 20 weeks to 28 msec at 28 weeks. Furthermore, a
      30 minute recording appeared to be sufficient to obtain a reliable impression of
      FHR variation. Short term FHR variation, a measure of FHR variation that
      facilitates the identification of sinusoidal FHR patterns, also increased
      significantly between 20 and 29 weeks (r = 0.61, p less than 0.01). Delerations
      (greater than 20 beats/min and greater than or equal to 30 seconds) were present
      in 54% of the recordings and are a more or less common phenomenon at this age. It
      is concluded that during the second trimester FHR variation differs considerably
      from that in the third trimester. This should be taken into account in the
      interpretation of second trimester FHR records.

PMID- 1870058
TI  - The Porto system for automated cardiotocographic signal analysis.
AB  - Cardiotocography (CTG) lacks reliability and reproducibility and these problems
      are believed to be overcome by computer analysis. In this article we describe a
      system developed for routine clinical automated CTG analysis based on a low cost
      personal computer. Presently the system has processed 70 ten minute tracings.
      Fetal heart rate baseline, acceleration--deceleration detection, and long term
      variability estimation were performed in a satisfactory way.

PMID- 1870059
TI  - Longitudinal assessment of behavioural transitions in healthy human fetuses
      during the third trimester of pregnancy.
AB  - A longitudinal study was performed on 35 healthy fetuses in order to evaluate the
      developmental course of behavioural transitions during the last trimester of
      pregnancy. A progressive decrease in the duration of transitions as a function of
      gestational age was evidenced for both transitions from 1F to 2F and transitions
      from 2F to 1F. Concerning the sequence in change of behavioural variables (fetal
      heart rate, fetal eye movements and fetal gross body movements) a random
      distribution was found until 30 weeks for 1F to 2F transitions and until 34 weeks
      for 2F-1F transitions. After these gestational ages fetal heart rate and fetal
      gross body movements respectively become the first variable to change during 1F
      2F and 2F-1F transitions. Reference values for these parameters are calculated in
      order to provide a basis for the diagnosis of behavioural abnormalities in high
      risk fetuses.

PMID- 1870060
TI  - Duration, amplitude and shape of accelerations in relation to fetal body
      movements in behavioral state 2F.
AB  - The relationship between fetal movements and fetal heart rate accelerations was
      analyzed in 34 healthy near term fetuses. Periods of coincidence 2F (C2F) with a
      mean duration of 34 +/- 6 minutes per fetus were selected, with a total of 463
      accelerations. Nineteen percent of single body movements and 71% of compilations
      of movements were accompanied by an acceleration. The minimal duration of single
      movements associated with accelerations was 4-5 seconds. Movements with
      associated accelerations differed significantly in duration from movements
      without accelerations. The duration of accelerations was strongly correlated with
      the duration of movements. The amplitude of accelerations was not clearly
      correlated with the duration of movements, but depended on the type of movement.
      The shape of accelerations appeared to be dependent on the timing of the various
      fetal movements. In 77%, the number of notches in the accelerations was equal to
      the number of pauses in the movement complications. A discrepancy between notches
      in accelerations and pauses in movements could be explained in the majority of
      cases when the timing of the various movements in relation to one another was
      considered, or by the presence of fetal mouth movements.

PMID- 1870061
TI  - Continuous intrapartum transcutaneous carbon dioxide measurements during fetal
      arrhythmia.
AB  - In nine cases of fetal arrhythmias without cardiac anomalies or congestive heart
      failure a vaginal delivery was attempted. Due to these arrhythmias adequate fetal
      heart rate monitoring during labor was not possible. All cases were continuously
      monitored during labor with the transcutaneous measurement of fetal carbon
      dioxide tension (tcpCO2). Seven patients could be delivered spontaneously. In one
      of these cases the newborn was acidotic at birth (pH less than 7.20 in the
      umbilical artery) which was correctly identified (tcpCO2 greater than 60 mmHg).
      All newborns were vigorous (Apgar score after 1 minute greater than 7). In cases
      with uninterpretable fetal heart rate patterns tcpCO2 monitoring of the fetus
      during labor is an alternative method of fetal surveillance, which identifies
      fetal distress and can prevent unnecessary operative deliveries.

PMID- 1870062
TI  - The current status of intrapartum continuous fetal tissue pH measurements.
AB  - Continuous tissue pH monitoring during labor has now been possible for 15 years.
      Tissue pH is measured in the intercellular fluid, and the value differs in some
      cases from the blood pH value because of local capillary flow and local
      metabolism. The fetal scalp seems to be an area where tissue pH and capillary
      blood pH values are very close, but in acute acidosis there may be a time lag of
      10-15 min before tissue pH is equilibrated. Normal values of scalp tissue pH are
      7.38 in early labor declining by 0.016 per hour during the first stage of labor
      and by 0.12 per hour during the second stage of labor. Tissue pH values below
      7.15 are defined as pathological. The correlation coefficient to umbilical artery
      blood pH (0.71), success rate (67%) and electrode drift (below 0.04) from the
      largest study of tissue pH monitoring using glass pH electrodes (n = 337) are
      described.

PMID- 1870063
TI  - Continuous intrapartum measurement of tissue pH of the human fetus using newly
      developed techniques.
AB  - Using a fiberoptic probe with a dye indicator, pH was studied in a group of 124
      fetuses. Acidotic tissue pH was found to be a far more powerful indicator of
      fetal, neonatal and maternal problems than acidotic capillary blood pH. The
      tissue pH related more consistently to obstetric problems throughout labor. A
      comparison was made of the reliability of fetal acidotic tissue pH and acidotic
      capillary blood pH data in the identification and prediction of obstetric
      problems.

PMID- 1870064
TI  - Clinical evaluation of guided tissue regeneration in the treatment of maxillary
      class II molar furcation invasions.
AB  - This investigation assessed and compared the clinical efficacy of combined open
      flap debridement/occlusive membrane therapy versus open flap debridement therapy
      alone, in the treatment of maxillary periodontal furcation defects. Seventeen
      patients presenting with advanced adult periodontitis, including at least one
      pair of Class II maxillary furcal defects, comprised the study group. Following
      completion of a hygienic phase of treatment, measurements were made with
      calibrated periodontal probes to determine soft tissue recession, probing pocket
      depths, and attachment levels. Each pair of furcation defects was surgically
      exposed and hard tissue measurements obtained. Defects were treated with either
      open flap debridement and a polytetrafluoroethylene periodontal membrane or open
      flap debridement alone. Membranes were removed at 4 to 6 weeks. Six months
      postsurgery, soft tissue measurements were repeated and all sites were surgically
      re-entered to obtain hard tissue measurements. No statistically significant
      differences were found in recession, probing depth reductions, clinical
      attachment gains, or resorption of alveolar crest height between test and control
      groups. Results for these parameters were inconsistent and unpredictable.
      Statistically significant improvements were found, however, in horizontal open
      probing attachment (HOPA) and vertical open probing attachment (VOPA) between
      experimental and control sites. The GTR procedure as used in this study likely
      has limited application as a therapeutic modality for Class II furcations of
      maxillary molars. Modifications or improvements in the procedure may result in
      more predictable healing of these lesions.

PMID- 1870065
TI  - Treatment of periodontal furcation defects. Mandibular class III defects.
AB  - Twenty-seven mandibular class III furcation defects were treated in 27 subjects
      using a regenerative therapy that included citric acid root conditioning and
      coronally positioned flaps secured by crown-attached sutures. In addition to this
      therapy, 13 of the 27 defects received freeze-dried, decalcified allogenic bone
      grafts. The effect of these therapies was evaluated from soft tissue probing
      measurements, including furcation probings to determine soft tissue closure of
      the defects. At 6 months postsurgery, the mean vertical probing depth reduction
      and the mean probing attachment level gain in the furcation area were 2.6 mm and
      2.2 mm for the non-grafted defects and 1.9 mm and 1.5 mm for the grafted defects.
      One of the 14 non-grafted defects and 3 of 13 grafted defects were judged to show
      soft tissue clinical closure by a panel of 3 independent examiners. No
      statistically significant differences were observed between defects treated with
      or without bone grafts.

PMID- 1870066
TI  - Changes in hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation in human gingiva with
      decreasing inflammation.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine if functional changes in the human
      gingival vasculature were reversible following the resolution of gingival
      inflammation. Ten patients with 40 inflamed gingival sites were evaluated before
      and 2 weeks after the completion of treatment. We determined the hemoglobin
      concentration and the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin at each site by tissue
      reflectance spectrophotometry. With the use of treatment including motivation,
      oral hygiene instruction, and scaling, clinical parameters such as the gingival
      and plaque indices, the Periotron score, and the probing depth were altered
      toward a healthier state. With the resolution of gingival inflammation, the
      increased hemoglobin concentration and decreased oxygen saturation in the
      inflamed gingiva were restored to normal levels. These findings suggest that
      reversible changes in the local hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation
      are associated with decreasing gingival inflammation in human subjects.

PMID- 1870067
TI  - Destructive forms of periodontal disease in adolescents. A 3-year longitudinal
      study.
AB  - We studied the periodontal disease progression and the relationship between some
      forms of destructive periodontitis in a group of Brazilian adolescents with high
      prevalence of periodontal destruction, and evaluated the adequacy of reducing
      data by limiting the measurement of disease to first molars and by aggregating
      and pooling site-scores into subject-level scores. Over a period of 3 years 222
      adolescents were examined annually by bite-wing radiographs. Individuals
      displaying arc-shaped bone lesions adjacent to greater than or equal to 2 first
      molars were diagnosed as juvenile periodontitis (JP) patients, while those with
      greater than or equal to 1 first molars showing vertical lesions were regarded as
      periodontal risk subjects. Teenagers with greater than or equal to 2 first molars
      exhibiting longitudinal bone loss were defined as high-risk patients. At the ages
      of 13 and 16 years, 3 (1.3%) and 4 (1.8%) subjects had JP, while 12 (5.4%) and 28
      (12.6%) were regarded as periodontal risks; 8 (3.6%) subjects were assigned to
      the high-risk group; 4 (1.8%) 13-year olds had greater than or equal to 1 first
      molars missing; hence, no loss of posterior teeth occurred over a period of 3
      years. Analyzing the data at the site-level revealed progressive loss and little
      fluctuation in the alveolar bone height in the high-risk group, and a more
      pronounced bone loss at the mesial than at the distal surfaces. Simpler data sets
      were constructed by aggregating some of the site-scores or by pooling these into
      subject-level scores.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870068
TI  - Incidence of periodontitis recurrence in treated patients with and without
      cultivable Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, and
      Porphyromonas gingivalis: a prospective study.
AB  - A total of 98 adults previously treated for moderate to advanced periodontitis
      and on a trimonthly recall schedule were screened for the presence of critical
      levels of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella (Bacteroides)
      intermedia, and Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis. Patients with at least 2
      positive sites were placed in a positive group and patients without or with low
      levels of these bacteria in a negative group. During the 30-month study the
      incidence of disease recurrence was greater in the positive group, but did not
      reach statistical significance. Positive patients with deeper pockets tended to
      be at greater risk of developing recurrent disease than those with shallower
      pockets. In the positive group only, both A. actinomycetemcomitans recovery and
      antibody levels to A. actinomycetemcomitans strain NCTC 9710 (serotype c) were
      inversely correlated with disease recurrence. The presence of A.
      actinomycetemcomitans and P. intermedia above critical levels did not reliably
      predict future episodes of disease recurrence in this population. The sparse
      recovery of P. gingivalis did not permit us to assess its diagnostic value. With
      the exception of P. gingivalis, for which insufficient data were available, the
      results indicate that the presence or absence of the above bacterial species
      cannot of itself serve as a reliable predictor of future episodes of recurrent
      disease in a population of treated patients on a regular trimonthly recall
      schedule.

PMID- 1870069
TI  - Odontogenic myxoma. Report of a periodontally-located case.
AB  - In this article, a case of odontogenic myxoma with deceptively bland radiographic
      findings and a clinical impression of periodontal abscess is presented.

PMID- 1870070
TI  - Plasma cell gingivitis of unusual origin. A case report.
AB  - Plasma cell gingivitis is a rare benign condition of the gingiva. It is marked by
      a dense infiltrate of normal plasma cells separated into aggregates by strands of
      collagen. It is a hypersensitivity reaction to some antigen, often flavorings or
      spices. The importance of this lesion is that it may cause severe gingival
      inflammation, discomfort, and bleeding and may mimic more serious conditions.
      Plaque control and conventional periodontal therapy alone will not cure this
      disease. The etiologic agent must be identified and the substance eliminated from
      use. This report outlines a case of plasma cell gingivitis which may have been
      brought on by the use of red peppers in cooking.

PMID- 1870071
TI  - Episodic factitious gingival injury secondary to topical anesthesia. A case
      report.
AB  - The contribution of topical anesthesia to the incidence of severe factitious
      gingival injury in an adult patient is reported. A brief review of the literature
      is also presented.

PMID- 1870072
TI  - Re: Allergic contact dermatitis and latex gloves.

PMID- 1870073
TI  - Proceedings of the 21st symposium on drug metabolism and action. October 31
      November 2, 1990, Tokushima.

PMID- 1870074
TI  - Blood viscosity measurement for screening of affecting blood circulation.
AB  - An in vitro screening test for drugs that decrease blood viscosity was carried
      out on many pharmacologically active compounds such as Ca-antagonists, alpha
      antagonists, beta-antagonists, alpha, beta-antagonists, alpha-agonists, beta
      agonists, alpha, beta-agonists, autacoids and others. The results revealed that
      various types of microcirculatory-improving drugs, vasodilators, and antagonists
      decreased blood viscosity, while the agonists and autacoids had no significant
      effect. These findings suggest that this assay is useful for screening compounds
      related to hemorheology.

PMID- 1870075
TI  - Opposite effects of metoclopramide and propantheline on intestinal absorption of
      imipramine in rats.
AB  - Intraperitoneally administered metoclopramide (MCP) markedly increased the serum
      concentration of imipramine (IPM) soon after oral administration. In contrast,
      intraperitoneally administered propantheline (PPT) slightly decreased the serum
      concentration. The administration of these two drugs had no significant effect on
      the serum concentration of IPM after intravenous bolus administration. It was
      concluded from pharmacokinetic analyses and gastric emptying experiments that the
      administration of MCP markedly increased the rate of IPM absorption by
      counteracting the gastric emptying delayed by IPM, but that the administration of
      PPT slightly decreased the rate of IPM absorption by strengthening the gastric
      emptying also delayed by IPM.

PMID- 1870076
TI  - Local drug delivery systems for the treatment of periodontal disease.
AB  - Filmy local drug delivery systems (LDDSs) were administered to periodontal
      pockets in beagles with induced periodontitis, and the in vivo-in vitro
      correlation of drug release from the LDDS and changes in the clindamycin (CLDM)
      concentration in the periodontal pocket fluid were studied. The in vitro drug
      release rate from the LDDS was determined by the dissolution study, without
      agitation, using phosphate buffer as the dissolution medium at 37 degrees C, and
      the in vivo drug release rate was determined according to the decrease in the
      drug load remaining in the LDDS after administration in periodontal pockets. The
      in vivo drug release rate from LDDSs was lower than the in vitro rate determined
      by the dissolution study, but the two rates showed a correlation in LDDSs that
      released drugs by diffusion. Therefore, the in vivo drug release rate was
      considered to be estimated from the results of the in vitro dissolution study.
      Changes in the drug concentration in the periodontal pocket fluid after
      administration of LDDS were dependent on the drug release properties of the LDDS.
      Also, when CLDM was administered as an aqueous solution in periodontal pockets,
      its concentration in the periodontal pocket fluid decreased according to a pseudo
      first-order equation. Therefore, the concentration in the periodontal pocket
      fluid after administration of a LDDS is considered to be simulated by the one
      compartment model based on a pseudo first-order elimination process.

PMID- 1870077
TI  - Effect of carrier-mediated transport system on intestinal fosfomycin absorption
      in situ and in vivo.
AB  - Intestinal absorption mechanism of fosfomycin (FOM), a water-soluble and small
      molecular antibiotic, at the clinical dose level was examined by both in situ
      single-pass perfusion technique of rat small intestine and oral administration in
      rat in vivo. Analyzing the luminal concentration-dependence of FOM absorption
      rates in situ by the equation composed of two terms of carrier transport of
      Michaelis-Menten type and simple-diffusion, apparent Michaelis constant (Kt),
      maximal transport velocity (Jmax), and first-order diffusive absorption clearance
      (Kd) were 1.13 mM, 2.54 nmol/min/cm length, and 0.551 microliters/min/cm length,
      respectively. At the low FOM concentration in the lumen (0.1 mM), its absorption
      was reduced to about 60% of the control by inorganic phosphate ion at 1.0 mM in
      the same manner as the uptake in brush border membrane vesicles of rat small
      intestine (BBMVs) in vitro. Both the glycol form of FOM at 10 mM, the hydrolyzed
      metabolite of FOM in the stomach juice, and FOM itself at 10 mM reduced FOM
      absorption by about 50%, indicating the metabolite to be transported by the same
      carriers as those of FOM. At the higher FOM concentration (5 mM), its absorption
      was not reduced by any inhibitor described above. No inhibitory effect of 50 mM
      phosphate ion on FOM absorption following the oral dosing of 20 mg/kg FOM was
      found. It was concluded that FOM absorption at the clinical dose (10-20 mg/kg) is
      barely inhibited by the carrier-mediated system via phosphate transport system
      observed in the in vitro BBMVs.

PMID- 1870078
TI  - Effects of prolonged treatment with beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, carteolol on
      systemic and regional hemodynamics in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive
      rats.
AB  - The present study was designed to determine the regional hemodynamic effects of
      prolonged beta-adrenergic receptor inhibition in conscious stroke-prone
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) using a radioactive microsphere method.
      When the regional blood flow was compared between 10 and 30 weeks of age, the age
      related changes in organ blood flow were observed in several organs, i.e., the
      reduction of flow rate in kidney, adrenal gland and intestines. The reduction of
      flow rate in these organs contributes strongly to the age-related rise of total
      peripheral resistance. Carteolol, a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist, was given at a
      dose of 10 mg/kg/d from 10 to 30 weeks of age. These animals gained more weight
      than the untreated control SHRSPs, and heart rate was reduced significantly.
      Blood pressure was not affected. However, the prolonged treatment with carteolol
      prevented the age-related reduction of the blood flow rate in the kidney, adrenal
      gland and intestines. Thus, our findings indicate that carteolol had appreciable
      and beneficial effects on the maintenance of flow rates in the above organs of
      SHRSP without any change in blood pressure.

PMID- 1870079
TI  - [An olfactory memory of significance for reproductive endocrinology].

PMID- 1870080
TI  - Clinical aspects of acute rheumatic fever.
AB  - We review the epidemiology and clinical features of recent outbreaks of acute
      rheumatic fever. The history of this disorder as well as current management
      practices are also discussed.

PMID- 1870081
TI  - Death in Denmark: a reply.
AB  - This reply to Martyn Evans's support for a cardiac-centered concept of death
      attempts to meet some objections to the brainstem definition of death. Evans's
      appeal to Wittgenstein's philosophy is also criticised.

PMID- 1870082
TI  - Ethics in preventive medicine.

PMID- 1870083
TI  - Human embryos and the argument from potential.

PMID- 1870084
TI  - Ethics and embryos.
AB  - In this paper we argue that the human form should be seen to exist, in a
      longitudinal way, throughout the continuum of human growth and development. This
      entails that the moral value of that form, which we link analytically to the
      adult, interacting, social and rational being, attaches to all phases of human
      life to some extent. Having established this we discuss the consequences it has
      for the moral status of the human embryo. We then apply this argument, and the
      resulting moral status, to the area of reproductive technology. In doing this we
      show that there are certain regulations and controls which ought to apply to the
      use of these infertility treatments.

PMID- 1870085
TI  - Fetal tissue transplantation: can it be morally insulated from abortion?
AB  - Ethical controversy over transplantation of human fetal tissue has arisen because
      the source of tissue is induced abortions. Opposition to such transplants has
      been based on various arguments, including the following: rightful informed
      consent cannot be obtained for use of fetal tissue from induced abortions, and
      fetal tissue transplantation might result in an increase in the number of
      abortions. These arguments were not accepted by the National Institutes of Health
      (NIH) Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel. The majority opinion of
      the panel stated that abortion and fetal tissue use are entirely separate issues,
      and that tissue use is ethically acceptable because it can be morally insulated
      from the issue of abortion. In support of this view, panel members and others
      have replied to the arguments put forward by opponents of fetal tissue use.
      However, replies to the two arguments mentioned above have been unsatisfactory,
      and the shortcomings of those replies are identified herein. Examination of the
      arguments pro and con suggests that fetal tissue use cannot be completely
      insulated from the issue of abortion. Thus, in seeking an ethical justification
      for fetal tissue transplantation we must consider reasons other than those put
      forward by the NIH panel. In this paper it is argued that whatever wrong is
      involved in using fetal tissue from induced abortions must be balanced against
      the benefits for patients, and it is on this basis that fetal tissue
      transplantation can be ethically justified.

PMID- 1870086
TI  - Psychopathic disorder: a category mistake?
AB  - Although the concept of psychopathy retains its currency in British psychiatry,
      apparently being meaningful as well as useful to practitioners (1), it is often
      taken to refer to a purely legal category with social control functions rather
      than a medical diagnosis with treatment implications. I wish, in this brief
      article, to suggest that it is essentially, and most usefully, an ethical
      category which stands outside the diagnostic framework of present-day psychiatry.

PMID- 1870087
TI  - Psychopathic disorder: a category mistake? A legal response to Colin Holmes.
AB  - Holmes is concerned with a conflict between law and medicine about the problem of
      psychopathy, in particular as it relates to homicide. He looks for a consistent
      set of legal principles based on a variety of medical concepts and in doing so
      criticises the court for its commonsense approach, its disregard for medical
      evidence and for employing lay notions of responsibility and illness. This
      commentary explores how Holmes's notions fit into existing legal rules and
      explains how the court seeks the assistance of medical evidence when looking at
      the evidence as a whole to enable it to decide upon issues of defence, which
      involve legal and not medical concepts.

PMID- 1870088
TI  - The rules of insanity: commentary on: psychopathic disorder: a category mistake?
AB  - This paper addresses Colin Holmes's suggestion that the psychopathic disorder is
      best regarded not as a psychiatric concept, but as an ethical one. The paper
      argues that the concept of psychopathy, like many other concepts, can span both
      psychiatry and ethics, and that it is not clear what removing if from the realm
      of psychiatry would entail. Also, the question of whether the concept of
      psychopathy is useful for psychiatrists must be separated from the question of
      whether psychopaths should be exonerated from the moral and legal responsibility
      for their actions.

PMID- 1870089
TI  - A nation of people called patients.
AB  - The implications of the causal and ubiquitous use, by doctors health-workers and
      politicians, of the word 'patient' are here discussed. Given that the many
      implications of this noun do not include health or normality (rather the
      contrary), it is questionable who, if anyone, profits from its indiscriminate use
      -and its use, even, at all.

PMID- 1870090
TI  - Literature and medicine.
AB  - There are various ways in which medicine and literature interact, but this paper
      concentrates on the contribution which literature can make to 'whole person
      understanding'. Scientific understanding is concerned with seeing events and
      actions in terms of patterns or similarities. But 'whole person understanding' is
      concerned with uniqueness or with what it is for a given person to have an
      illness. Literature can in various ways develop this kind of understanding.

PMID- 1870091
TI  - Buying human kidneys: autonomy, commodity and power.
AB  - Buttle's reply to my objections to buying kidneys is helpful but unconvincing in
      two respects. Doing something freely leaves quite open the possibility that one
      is thereby making a commodity of a person; and the effects of institutionalising
      such a practice is itself a matter for concern. And while his emphasis on 'power'
      is important, the concept is hardly less problematic than 'commodification'.

PMID- 1870093
TI  - Localisation of the MRX3 gene for non-specific X linked mental retardation.
AB  - A family is described with five affected males segregating a new gene for non
      specific X linked mental retardation (MRX). Linkage analysis localised the gene
      at Xq28-qter. The maximum lod score was 2.89 with DXS52 (St14) at theta = 0.0. A
      recombinant was observed with DXS304 (U6.2) defining the proximal limit to the
      localisation. No evidence for linkage was determined using markers at several
      points along the remainder of the X chromosome, including the regions known to
      contain MRX1 and MRX2. This delineates the third gene for non-specific X linked
      mental retardation, MRX3.

PMID- 1870092
TI  - X linked mental retardation.

PMID- 1870094
TI  - Non-specific X linked mental retardation.
AB  - Non-specific X linked mental retardation (MRX) is mental retardation in persons
      of normal physical appearance who have no recognisable features apart from a
      characteristic pedigree. Review of published reports shows that there is clinical
      variability in the degree of mental retardation within families and genetic
      heterogeneity, based on gene localisation, between families. We propose a
      classification based on genetic localisation and a set of minimal clinical
      features that should be recorded in the hope of identifying possible specific
      phenotypes.

PMID- 1870095
TI  - Autosomal dominant inheritance of abnormalities of the hands and feet with short
      palpebral fissures, variable microcephaly with learning disability, and
      oesophageal/duodenal atresia.
AB  - We report two families with an autosomal dominant syndrome of abnormalities of
      the hands and feet, short palpebral fissures, and variable microcephaly with
      learning disability. Between a third and a quarter of cases are born with
      oesophageal atresia, duodenal atresia, or both. Individual patients have
      hypoplastic thumbs or congenital heart disease. The phenotype of the syndrome
      reported here is similar to that observed in 13q22-qter deletion patients.
      However, chromosome analysis has not detected any structural abnormality in our
      patients.

PMID- 1870096
TI  - On the incidence of fits and mental retardation in tuberous sclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To establish the frequency of fits and mental retardation in an
      unbiased group of tuberous sclerosis patients. METHODS: Known tuberous sclerosis
      families with more than one affected person were ascertained for a genetic
      linkage study. A number of members were born after genetic counselling had been
      given after identification of the proband. These subjects were then carefully
      examined clinically and in many cases with cranial computerised tomography, renal
      ultrasound, and skeletal survey but not echocardiography. They provide an
      unbiased group of tuberous sclerosis patients and allow affected patients with
      normal intellect to be diagnosed. PATIENTS: Thirty-seven tuberous sclerosis
      families were ascertained and 26 patients born after the family proband were
      identified. RESULTS: Sixteen of these 26 patients suffered fits (62%) and 10
      patients were mentally retarded (38%). CONCLUSIONS: A lower incidence of fits and
      mental retardation has been found in an unbiased sample of tuberous sclerosis
      patients. The lifetime risk for fits might be higher had we been able to follow
      the patients for longer. However, we believe these are more appropriate figures
      to use in genetic counselling for this disease.

PMID- 1870097
TI  - The Holt-Oram syndrome.

PMID- 1870098
TI  - Deletion of chromosome 13 in Moebius syndrome.
AB  - A girl aged 2 1/2 years with Moebius syndrome was found to have a deletion of
      band q12.2 in chromosome 13 (46,XX,del(13)(q12.2]. This is the second report
      concerning involvement of chromosome 13q and Moebius syndrome. The observation
      raises the possibility that a gene responsible for Moebius syndrome is located in
      this region of chromosome 13.

PMID- 1870099
TI  - Non-penetrance in tuberous sclerosis.
AB  - Non-penetrance has not been reported in tuberous sclerosis when modern non
      invasive investigations have been performed. We report a four generation family
      in which there was a subject with minimal expression and another with non
      penetrance between a great grandfather and his great grandson. This situation
      highlights the need for full investigation of children of tuberous sclerosis
      patients before counselling a low recurrence risk for the disease.

PMID- 1870100
TI  - A fertile male with cystic fibrosis: molecular genetic analysis.
AB  - A family study is presented in which the father of a girl with severe cystic
      fibrosis (CF) was also found to have CF but was mildly affected. He was diagnosed
      with three positive sweat tests including one after suppression with
      fludrocortisone. Genetic analysis showed that he is a compound heterozygote with
      the delta F508 CF mutation associated with haplotype B and a second CF mutation
      associated with haplotype C. In this unusual, fertile CF male, the late age of
      diagnosis (30 years) and the mild clinical picture suggest that the compound
      genotype (delta F508/other CF mutation) determines a much less severe form of the
      disease which might have gone unnoticed in the absence of a severely affected
      child. The implications of these findings for genetic counselling of families
      with CF are discussed.

PMID- 1870101
TI  - Unknown syndrome: proportionate short stature, mandibular prognathism, and short
      femoral necks.

PMID- 1870102
TI  - Cranioectodermal dysplasia in sibs.

PMID- 1870103
TI  - Partial trisomy 13q resulting from a paternal reciprocal Yq;13q translocation.

PMID- 1870104
TI  - Translocation 19;Y in a child with Bannayan-Zonana phenotype.

PMID- 1870105
TI  - Genes for intelligence on the X chromosome.

PMID- 1870106
TI  - X linked complicated spastic paraplegia, MASA syndrome, and X linked
      hydrocephalus owing to congenital stenosis of the aqueduct of Sylvius: variable
      expression of the same mutation at Xq28.

PMID- 1870107
TI  - Ultrastructural aluminium detection in amphibian tissues by electron
      spectroscopic imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy.
AB  - Aluminium causes a variety of toxic effects in living organisms but very little
      is known about its uptake, pathways and locations of deposition. We have applied
      electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS)
      to locate aluminium at the ultrastructural level in amphibian larvae from acidic
      ponds. It is found diffusely bound or precipitated in cell organelles. The
      spatial resolution of aluminium detection is high. The elemental composition of
      small areas can be demonstrated by EELS. Three different fixation procedures give
      similar results. The two- and three-window methods at the K- and L-edges are
      compared.

PMID- 1870108
TI  - Progress in electron microscopic diagnostics: semi-quantitative determination of
      precipitable calcium in different cell types of the organ of Corti in the guinea
      pig.
AB  - Potassium antimonate was used to precipitate calcium in the cochlea of the guinea
      pig. The distribution of the calcium antimonate precipitates was analysed by
      electron microscopy. The precipitate density was determined in different cell
      types in the organ of Corti by counting the number of calcium binding sites in a
      10-micron 2 area. The size of the precipitates varied considerably, and thus the
      relative amount of the precipitable calcium was estimated only semi
      quantitatively. As the prominent carbon signal is superimposed over the nearby
      small Ca(2+)-edge signals, the combined signal of the antimony M4,5-edge and the
      oxygen K-edge of the calcium antimonate salt formed was chosen for the semi
      quantitative estimation. Images of the inelastically scattered electrons of the
      precipitates at delta E = 570 eV were recorded by electron spectroscopic imaging.
      The area covered by the calcium precipitates within a given cell type was
      determined in different ultrathin sections of the same organ of Corti by an image
      processing system.

PMID- 1870109
TI  - Demonstration of calcium in dermal melanocytes of Xenopus laevis and Poecilia
      reticulata with electron energy-loss spectroscopy and electron spectroscopic
      imaging.
AB  - The subcellular distribution of calcium in dermal melanocytes of Xenopus laevis
      and Poecilia reticulata has been analysed. Using two cytochemical methods,
      phosphate precipitation and a combined oxalate-pyroantimonate technique, electron
      energy-loss spectroscopy and electron spectroscopic imaging have been applied for
      elemental analysis. Both precipitation techniques revealed a high calcium content
      in the melanosomes of both species. Calcium was also located in the vicinity of
      collagen fibrils and in the plasma membrane.

PMID- 1870110
TI  - Electron spectroscopic diffraction and imaging of the early and mature stages of
      calcium phosphate formation in the epiphyseal growth plate.
AB  - A review of different models of biomineralization in collagen-rich hard tissues
      shows that further investigations of crystal formation are necessary. The
      electron spectroscopic diffraction (ESD) mode of operation of an energy-filtering
      electron microscope offers the possibility of being able to avoid the background
      from inelastic scattering in selected-area electron diffraction patterns. First
      experiments on the different stages of mineralization in the epiphyseal growth
      plate have only indicated the presence of apatite. The ESD mode can be
      complemented by the electron spectroscopic imaging mode and by elemental mapping
      of calcium.

PMID- 1870111
TI  - Quantitative analysis of electron energy-loss spectra from ultrathin-sectioned
      biological material. I. Optimization of the background-fit with the use of Bio
      standards.
AB  - A computer program for quantitative spectral analysis is proposed for the
      elemental analysis of biological material by electron energy-loss spectroscopy in
      a conventional transmission electron microscope, the Zeiss EM902. Bio-standards
      are used to test the performance of this program. The application of a simplex
      optimization method for curve-fitting is proposed to separate the ionization edge
      from the background. Making use of Ce-, Ca- and Fe-bio-standards, this method is
      compared with Egerton's well-known two-area method.

PMID- 1870112
TI  - Contrast in the electron spectroscopic imaging mode of a TEM. IV. Thick specimens
      imaged by the most-probable energy loss.
AB  - When the zero-loss transmission falls below 10(-3) for biological sections of
      mass-thickness greater than 70 micrograms/cm2, the energy window in the electron
      spectroscopic imaging (ESI) mode of an energy-filtering electron microscope
      (EFEM) can be shifted to the most-probable energy loss of the electron energy
      loss spectrum. This enables mass-thicknesses up to 150 micrograms/cm2 or
      thicknesses of 1.5 microns to be examined. Electron energy-loss spectra of thick
      carbon films calculated by a Fourier method agree with experimental spectra.
      Measurements of the electron energy-loss spectroscopy and ESI image intensities
      with an additional platinum film confirm a scattering model for the calculation
      of the image intensity. This model considers the angular broadening at the most
      probable energy loss by introducing an effective illumination aperture of the
      order of the full-width at half-maximum of the angular distribution.

PMID- 1870113
TI  - Quantitative analysis of electron energy-loss spectra from ultrathin-sectioned
      biological material. II. The application of bio-standards for quantitative
      analysis.
AB  - Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) has been used to determine elemental
      concentrations in biological specimens, consisting of ultrathin-sectioned cells
      and tissues. Chelex100-based Ca- and Fe Bio-standards are used for elemental
      quantification to establish iron and calcium concentrations. These Bio-standards,
      as well as the biological materials, are treated in a standard EM procedure such
      that 'known' and 'unknown' sites are located in one cross-section. Uncertainties
      and variabilities present in the equations for calculating the concentration in
      the 'unknown' site (determined by comparing simplex-fitted EEL spectra from Bio
      standards with those from tissue) are outlined in two examples. Using an H+ Bio
      standard, the matrix composition of such biological cell material is analysed,
      leading to values which approach each other closely. Quantitative EELS, using
      Chelex100-based Bio-standards, is advocated.

PMID- 1870114
TI  - EELS data acquisition, processing and display for the Zeiss CEM 902 based on
      LOTUS 1-2-3: application examples from a biological system and inorganic
      transition metal compounds.
AB  - A personal computer combined with LOTUS 1-2-3 software, including the RS232
      module of LOTUS MEASURE and a 12-bit ADC, has been used for data acquisition of
      electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectra with the Zeiss CEM 902. The
      internal macro language of LOTUS 1-2-3 allows a menu-driven procedure. Macro
      programs partly combined with external FORTRAN programs can be chosen from the
      menu for background subtraction, removal of multiple scattering effects by
      deconvolution, elemental quantification and several utilities. For special
      applications or conditions the macro programs can easily be modified. Spectra
      from crystals of two inorganic transition metal compounds, ruthenium trichloride
      and vanadium disulphide, and from a biological sample are presented as examples
      of the application of this software.

PMID- 1870115
TI  - The glycosomes of trypanosomes: number and distribution as revealed by electron
      spectroscopic imaging and 3-D reconstruction.
AB  - Computer-aided 3-D reconstruction of trypanosomes from 0.35-micron-thick sections
      imaged on the Zeiss 902 electron microscope are being used to study the dynamics
      of cell organization. Segregation of glycolytic enzymes into glycosomes raises
      questions concerning the distribution and biogenesis of these organelles. Direct
      counts of glycosomes from Trypanosoma evansi indicate 30-40 per cell and for the
      closely related T. brucei, 65 per cell. These figures contrast with the estimates
      of others who have used model-based morphometric methods to obtain a value of 230
      per cell.

PMID- 1870116
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation: a new treatment approach for Mississippians.
AB  - Bone marrow transplantation makes it possible to treat patients with malignancies
      using doses of systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy that otherwise would
      result in fatal hematologic toxicity. This approach has found its widest
      application in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but it is also being
      used for aplastic anemia, severe immunodeficiency diseases, and selected solid
      tumors. The University of Mississippi will soon (October, 1991) be able to offer
      this treatment approach to Mississippians; therefore the indications, the general
      technique, and results of transplantation for a variety of diseases are reviewed
      herein.

PMID- 1870117
TI  - Cocaine intoxication in a 12 month-old.

PMID- 1870118
TI  - Diagnosis and management of amenorrhea.

PMID- 1870119
TI  - Multiple crystal forms of lipases from Geotrichum candidum.
AB  - Multiple stable crystal forms of two lipases from the fungus Geotrichum candidum
      have been obtained. The diffraction pattern extends to beyond 2.0 A resolution.
      Similarity of the cell dimensions of various forms suggested similar packing of
      molecules in different crystals. This was confirmed by rotation function results.
      Four heavy-atoms derivatives have been identified.

PMID- 1870120
TI  - Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Gc, the vitamin D-binding
      protein in serum.
AB  - The vitamin D-binding protein, Gc, was purified from human serum and crystallized
      using the hanging-drop method. The best crystals were grown from 28% polyethylene
      glycol 400 in 50 mM-sodium acetate at pH 4.8. These crystals diffract to 3.4 A
      and the observed diffraction is consistent with orthorhombic space groups P4(1)
      and P4(3). The unit cell parameters were determined to be a = b = 135.5 A and c =
      75.6 A.

PMID- 1870121
TI  - Crystals of protein S6 from the 30 S ribosomal subunit of Thermus thermophilus.
AB  - Crystals of protein S6 from the small ribosomal subunit of an extreme
      thermophile, Thermus thermophilus, have been obtained by the hanging-drop/vapor
      diffusion technique using methane pentanediol as a precipitant in the presence of
      potassium fluoride. The crystals belong to the space group C222 with cell
      parameters a = 106.7, b = 52.8, c = 41.0 A. They diffract to 2.0 A resolution.

PMID- 1870122
TI  - Purification and crystallization of recombinant Escherichia coli malate
      dehydrogenase.
AB  - Malate dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli has been crystallized with
      polyethylene glycol and citrate buffer at pH 5.7. The enzyme was obtained from an
      E. coli strain in which the chromosomal malate dehydrogenase gene was contained
      on a pBR322 vector. Two types of crystals have been observed; a monoclinic C2
      form and an orthorhombic C222(1) form, which is found infrequently. Monoclinic
      crystals were used as seeds in several rounds of crystallization until large
      crystals suitable for diffraction analysis were available. A complete X-ray data
      set to 2.0 A has been collected.

PMID- 1870123
TI  - Factor-independent activation of Escherichia coli rRNA transcription. I. Kinetic
      analysis of the roles of the upstream activator region and supercoiling on
      transcription of the rrnB P1 promoter in vitro.
AB  - The region from position -154 to position -50 upstream from the start site of
      transcription of the Escherichia coli rrnB P1 promoter, the upstream activator
      region (UAR), is required for maximal promoter activity in vivo. Maximal
      activation (20 to 30-fold) requires the binding of Fis protein in vitro and in
      vivo. However, two- to fourfold activation remains in vivo even in the absence of
      Fis. Here, we demonstrate that the presence of the UAR increases the rate of
      formation of E sigma 70-promoter complexes in vitro in the absence of added
      protein factors (factor-independent activation). The UAR increases the rate of
      the RNA polymerase concentration-dependent step in the association pathway to a
      stable complex formed in the presence of the initiating nucleotides ATP and CTP
      (RPinit). The rate of dissociation from RPinit is not affected. In addition, a
      supercoiled template of native superhelical density increases both the
      association rate for the formation of RPinit and the lifetime of complexes formed
      in the absence of nucleotides (RPo or open complex), but does not affect factor
      independent activation. The data are consistent with a model whereby the UAR
      affects only the initial recognition event (closed complex formation) without
      affecting either the rate or extent of isomerization to the locally denatured
      open complex. In the accompanying paper, a variety of chemical and enzymatic
      probes are used to characterize RPinit and RPo both with and without the UAR.

PMID- 1870124
TI  - Regulatory elements mediating transcription of the human Ha-ras gene.
AB  - In order to identify transcriptional regulatory elements controlling the
      expression of the human Ha-ras gene and to quantitatively assess the role of each
      element, we made mutations of the transcriptional regulatory region, including 5'
      and internal deletions, linker scanning and replacement mutations, and
      combinations of these mutations all fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase gene. The promoter activity of each of these mutants was
      determined by measuring the transient expression of chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase activity after transfection into human epithelial HeLa cells.
      We found that the most important regulatory region consists of two closely linked
      but functionally independent elements, the non-consensus GC-II element,
      CGGGCGGGC, centered at position -153 from the major transcription start site
      cluster and a new element, CCGGAA, centered at position -161 directly upstream
      from GC-II. In addition, there are two functional regulatory elements which make
      minor contributions to the full promoter activity; a double CCAAT NF-I binding
      site at position -88 and an unidentified upstream element between positions -199
      and -252. Aside from GC-II, the GC boxes, of which there are a total of six
      between positions -185 and +85, make little or no contribution to Ha-ras promoter
      activity when individual mutations are tested in growing HeLa cells. The three
      potential AP2 sites and a weak single NF-I binding site make no contribution. The
      basal promoter region extending to position -75 from the major start site cluster
      has no independent activity in this TATA-less gene.

PMID- 1870125
TI  - Transcriptional organization of the Escherichia coli dnaX gene.
AB  - We have determined the transcriptional organization of the Escherichia coli dnaX
      gene, the structural gene for both the gamma and tau subunits of DNA polymerase
      III holoenzyme. By S1 nuclease protection and primer extension mapping of
      transcripts encoding the dnaX products, one primary promoter of dnaX has been
      identified that initiates transcription 37 nucleotides upstream from the first
      codon. dnaX resides in an operon with two recently sequenced genes, orf12,
      encoding an unidentified product, and recR, the structural gene for a protein
      involved in the recF pathway of recombination. Under conditions of balanced
      growth, a very small amount of transcription from the upstream apt promoter (less
      than 5%) contributes to the expression of tau and gamma, too low for apt to be
      considered to be on an operon with dnaX, orf12, and recR are transcribed from an
      independent promoter as well as from the dnaX promoter, providing a mechanism for
      orf12 and recR to be regulated independent of dnaX. Transcription of the dnaX
      orf12-recR operon is terminated upstream from the previously characterized heat
      shock gene htpG. The dnaX and orf12-recR promoters, cloned into a promoter
      detection vector, efficiently direct the expression of the downstream reporter
      gene, lacZ. These results extend our knowledge of the genetic and transcriptional
      organization of this region of the E. coli chromosome. The transcriptional
      organization has been defined as follows: apt, dnaX-orf12-recR, htpG. All of
      these genes are transcribed in the clockwise direction and only dnaX, orf12 and
      recR are contained in the dnaX operon.

PMID- 1870126
TI  - Identifying potential tRNA genes in genomic DNA sequences.
AB  - We have developed an algorithm that automatically and reproducibly identifies
      potential tRNA genes in genomic DNA sequences, and we present a general strategy
      for testing the sensitivity of such algorithms. This algorithm is useful for the
      flagging and characterization of long genomic sequences that have not been
      experimentally analyzed for identification of functional regions, and for the
      scanning of nucleotide sequence databases for errors in the sequences and the
      functional assignments associated with them. In an exhaustive scan of the GenBank
      database, 97.5% of the 744 known tRNA genes were correctly identified (true
      positives), and 42 previously unidentified sequences were predicted to be tRNAs.
      A detailed analysis of these latter predictions reveals that 16 of the 42 are
      very similar to known tRNA genes, and we predict that they do, in fact, code for
      tRNA, yielding a false-positive rate for the algorithm of 0.003%. The new
      algorithm and testing strategy are a considerable improvement over any previously
      described strategies for recognizing tRNA genes, and they allow detections of
      genes (including introns) embedded in long genomic sequences.

PMID- 1870127
TI  - Three-dimensional structure of the complexes between bovine chymotrypsinogen A
      and two recombinant variants of human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor
      (Kazal-type).
AB  - Variants of the human pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) have been
      created during a protein design project to generate a high-affinity inhibitor
      with respect to some serine proteases other than trypsin. Two modified versions
      of human PSTI with high affinity for chymotrypsin were crystallized as a complex
      with chymotrypsinogen. Both crystallize isomorphously in space group P4(1)2(1)2
      with lattice constants a = 84.4 A, c = 86.7 A and diffract to 2.3 A resolution.
      The structure was solved by molecular replacement. The final R-value after
      refinement with 8.0 to 2.3 A resolution data was 19.5% for both complexes after
      inclusion of about 50 bound water molecules. The overall three-dimensional
      structure of PSTI is similar to the structure of porcine PSTI in the trypsinogen
      complex (1TGS). Small differences in the relative orientation of the binding loop
      and the core of the inhibitors indicate flexible adaptation to the proteases. The
      chymotrypsinogen part of the complex is similar to chymotrypsin. After refolding
      induced by binding of the inhibitor the root-mean-square difference of the active
      site residues A186 to A195 and A217 to A222 compared to chymotrypsin was 0.26 A.

PMID- 1870128
TI  - Structures of met and azidomet hemerythrin at 1.66 A resolution.
AB  - The crystallographic refinement of met and azidomet hemerythrin has been carried
      out at 1.66 A resolution in an attempt to characterize precisely the binuclear
      iron center in this protein. Restrained least-squares refinement has produced
      molecular models giving R-values of 18.9% for met (65,683 reflections from 10 A
      to 1.66 A) and 17.6% for azidomet hemerythrin (68,747 reflections from 10.0 A to
      1.66 A). The protein structure in each derivative is very similar to that of
      myohemerythrin. The mu-oxo bridged iron center differs between the two forms. The
      complex in met hemerythrin is asymmetric with the bridging oxygen closer to one
      of the iron atoms while the complex in azidomet hemerythrin is symmetric. After
      investigations of the effects of correlation in the refinement, we believe this
      difference between the two complexes is associated with chemical differences and
      is not a refinement artefact.

PMID- 1870129
TI  - Refined X-ray crystal structures of the reactive site modified ovomucoid
      inhibitor third domains from silver pheasant (OMSVP3*) and from Japanese quail
      (OMJPQ3*).
AB  - Tetragonal and triclinic crystals of two ovomucoid inhibitor third domains from
      silver pheasant and Japanese quail, modified at their reactive site bonds Met18
      Glu19 (OMSVP3*) and Lys18-Asp19 (OMJPQ3*), respectively, were obtained. Their
      molecular and crystal structures were solved using X-ray data to 2.5 A and 1.55 A
      by means of Patterson search methods using truncated models of the intact
      (virgin) inhibitors as search models. Both structures were crystallographically
      refined to R-values of 0.185 and 0.192, respectively, applying an energy
      restraint reciprocal space refinement procedure. Both modified inhibitors show
      large deviations from the intact derivatives only in the proteinase binding loops
      (Pro14 to Arg21) and in the amino-terminal segments (Leu1 to Val6). In the
      modified inhibitors the residues immediately adjacent to the cleavage site (in
      particular P2, P1, P1') are mobile and able to adapt to varying crystal
      environments. The charged end-groups, i.e. Met18 COO- and Glu19 NH3+ in OMSVP3*,
      and Lys18 COO- and Asp19 NH3+ in OMJPQ3*, do not form ion pairs with one another.
      The hydrogen bond connecting the side-chains of Thr17 and Glu19 (i.e. residues on
      either side of the scissile peptide bond) in OMSVP3 is broken in the modified
      form, and the hydrogen-bond interactions observed in the intact molecules between
      the Asn33 side-chain and the carbonyl groups of loop residues P2 and P1' are
      absent or weak in the modified inhibitors. The reactive site cleavage, however,
      has little effect on specific interactions within the protein scaffold such as
      the side-chain hydrogen bond between Asp27 and Tyr31 or the side-chain stacking
      of Tyr20 and Pro22. The conformational differences in the amino-terminal segment
      Leu1 to Val6 are explained by their ability to move freely, either to associate
      with segments of symmetry-related molecules under formation of a four-stranded
      beta-barrel (OMSVP3* and OMJPQ3) or to bind to surrounding molecules. Together
      with the results given in the accompanying paper, these findings probably explain
      why Khyd of small protein inhibitors of serine proteinases is generally found to
      be so small.

PMID- 1870130
TI  - Kinetic analysis of the acid and the alkaline unfolded states of staphylococcal
      nuclease.
AB  - Thermodynamic analysis by differential scanning calorimetry shows that the
      folding/unfolding transition of staphylococcal nuclease is consistent with the
      two-state process. Stopped-flow kinetic measurements, monitoring the Trp140
      fluorescence and covering five decades in time (2 ms to 300 s), indicate that the
      unfolding from pH 7.0 to 3.1 is monophasic (time constant 1.15 s) and from pH 7.0
      to 12.2 is biphasic (time constants: one less than 2 ms and the other 0.6 s).
      However, the folding, either from pH 3.1 to 7.0 or from pH 12.2 to 7.0, is
      triphasic (time constants 150 ms, 850 ms and 30 s from acid, 90 ms, 565 ms and 33
      s from alkaline). A simple sequential model, which agrees with the above
      observations for acidic folding/unfolding is, D3 in equilibrium D2 in equilibrium
      D1 in equilibrium N. The three Ds denote three sub-states of the unfolded state
      and N denotes the native state. These sub-states of D have similar enthalpy and
      tryptophan fluorescence, and their equilibrium cannot be shifted by temperature
      changes. However, they are kinetically distinctive. Data do not favor alternative
      mechanisms assuming parallel transitions of the three Ds to N, or complexity of
      the N state, or parallel transitions of sub-states of N1, N2 and N3 to D. Other
      more complex, branched or cyclic, kinetics are not considered because of the lack
      of evidence, pH dependence of the unfolding kinetics suggests that the unfolding
      is triggered by protonation of 0.8(+/- 0.3) ionizable groups, with a pKa of 3.9
      or by deprotonation of 1.6(+/- 0.4) ionizable groups with pKa values near 10.5.
      Circular dichroisms indicate that these three D states retain nonrandom chain
      conformation. Possible role of these "chain conformation" in the protein folding
      is discussed.

PMID- 1870131
TI  - Surface electrostatic interactions contribute little of stability of barnase.
AB  - Electrostatic interactions are believed to play an important role in stabilizing
      the native structure of proteins. We have quantified the contribution to
      stability of an interaction between two oppositely charged side-chains on the
      surface of barnase. Using site-directed mutagenesis, glutamate 28 and lysine 32
      were introduced onto the solvent-accessible side of the second alpha-helix in
      barnase. These two residues are separated by one turn of the helix, and so are
      ideally situated for their opposite charges to interact. Double mutant cycle
      analysis reveals that the interaction between Glu28 and Lys32 contributes only
      approximately 0.2 kcal/mol to stability of the protein. All other interactions
      between exposed charged side-chains in barnase examined so far also contribute
      little to stability. We explain this low value by their location on the surface,
      rather than in the interior, of the protein.

PMID- 1870133
TI  - Program and abstracts of the 8th G.R.R.C. meeting. Paris, France, 4-5 April 1991.

PMID- 1870132
TI  - Heterotropic interactions in Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase. Subunit
      interfaces involved in CTP inhibition and ATP activation.
AB  - In Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase, each regulatory chain is involved
      in two kinds of interfaces with the catalytic chains, one with the neighbour
      catalytic chain which belongs to the same half of the molecule (R1-C1 type of
      interaction), the other one with a catalytic chain belonging to the other half of
      the molecule (R1-C4 type of interaction). In the present work, site-directed
      mutagenesis was used to investigate the involvement of the C-terminal region of
      the regulatory chain in the process of feed-back inhibition by CTP. Removal of
      the two last C-terminal residues of the regulatory chains is sufficient to
      abolish entirely the sensitivity of the enzyme to CTP. Thus, it appears that the
      contact between this region and the 240s loop of the catalytic chain (R1-C4 type
      of interaction) is essential for the transmission of the regulatory signal which
      results from CTP binding to the regulatory site. None of the modifications made
      in the R1-C4 interface altered the sensitivity of the enzyme to the activator
      ATP, suggesting that the effect of this nucleotide rather involves the R1-C1 type
      of interface. These results are in agreement with the previously proposed
      interpretation that CTP and ATP do not simply act in inverse ways on the same
      equilibrium.

PMID- 1870134
TI  - The effects of 4-aminopyridine on neurological deficits in chronic cases of
      traumatic spinal cord injury in dogs: a phase I clinical trial.
AB  - A Phase I trial of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) was carried out in 39 dogs referred to
      the veterinary teaching hospital with naturally occurring traumatic paraplegia or
      paraparesis. The rationale for the study was provided by the observation that 4
      AP restores conduction in demyelinated nerve fibers in experimental spinal cord
      injury. Most injuries (77%) resulted from degenerative disk disease, occurring at
      or near the thoracolumbar junction, and producing chronic, complete paraplegia.
      Neurological examination of each dog was recorded on videotape before and at
      intervals after administration of 4-AP. The drug was administered systemically in
      total doses between 0.5 and 1 mg/kg body weight. Three areas of neurological
      status changed significantly at 15-45 minutes following administration of 4-AP:
      (a) striking improvements in hindlimb placing occurred in 18 animals; (b)
      increased awareness of painful stimuli to the hindlimb in 10 animals; (c) partial
      recovery of the cutaneus trunci muscle reflex of the back skin in 9 animals.
      These effects reversed within a few hours of administration. Other animals (36%)
      showed no change in neurological signs except a slight enhancement of hindlimb
      reflex tone. Significant side effects were seen in 6 dogs receiving higher
      intravenous doses, with elevation of body temperature and apparent anxiety,
      leading to mild seizures in 3 of the animals. These seizures were controlled with
      diazepam. The results indicate that conduction block may contribute significantly
      to functional deficits in closed-cord injuries and that potassium channel
      blockade may prove to be a valid, if limited approach to therapeutic intervention
      in chronic paraplegia and paraparesis.

PMID- 1870135
TI  - Evidence for a neural source of acute accumulation of serotonin in platelets in
      the injured spinal cord of rats. An experimental study using 5,6
      dihydroxytryptamine treatment.
AB  - It was found previously that large numbers of platelets showing high serotonin (5
      hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) immunoreactivity appeared in hemostatic plugs at the
      traumatized cord segment in the acute phase of a trauma. In order to determine
      the origin of 5-HT in the platelets, we investigated the 5-HT immunoreactivity of
      platelets accumulating in hemostatic plugs at the traumatized spinal cord segment
      at 5 minutes after injury. This investigation was carried out by light and
      electron microscopic immunohistochemistry in rat spinal cord pretreated with 5,6
      dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT). The hemorrhagic lesion formed at the neural 5-HT
      depleted spinal cord segment was completely 5-HT immunonegative, while platelets
      in lesions in cord segments of control animals or rostral to the injection site
      of 5,6-DHT in experimental animals where neural 5-HT was not depleted were 5-HT
      immunoreactive. The results strongly suggest that a significant amount of 5-HT is
      released from neural elements at the injury site and is transiently incorporated
      into the platelets in situ.

PMID- 1870136
TI  - Cerebrovascular changes in a rat model of moderate closed-head injury.
AB  - We have developed and tested a rat (Wistar) model of moderate concussion.
      Concussion is produced by controlled and repeatable mechanical fixed, closed-head
      injury. Moderate concussion in this model is characterized by 4 to 10 minutes of
      unconsciousness, absence of skull fractures or brain contusions, and few, if any,
      acute neurologic symptoms. By 2 hours postinjury, the subsequent trauma is
      further characterized by regional and global increases in cerebrovascular
      permeability and decreases in cerebral blood flow. Such changes are accompanied
      by brain swelling and two phases of elevated intracranial pressure; one lasting
      about 5 hours with a peak of about 10 mmHg, the other lasting more than 3 days
      postinjury with a peak of about 30 mmHg. Regional neurohistologic damage detected
      between 3 and 4 days postinjury correlates for the most part with earlier changes
      in regional permeability and blood flow. Significant morphologic changes which
      are characterized by patchy neuronal degeneration can be found in numerous
      forebrain locations, particularly in the frontal (coup) and entorhinal (contre
      coup) cortices. These observations have important parallels in human head trauma
      and suggest that this reliable physiological model may be a useful, relatively
      simple and inexpensive tool for investigating the mechanisms and therapeutics of
      head trauma.

PMID- 1870137
TI  - The fan-wise split preparation method for quantitation of peripheral nerve
      injuries.
AB  - The applicability of the fan-wise split preparation method to the analysis of
      peripheral nerve injuries was explored in an experimental compression injury of
      the mouse sciatic nerve. The preservation of myelin sheaths was sufficient to
      enumerate the damaged myelinated fibers. Because of the simplicity and relative
      ease of the technique, this method could be a useful adjunct for the assessment
      of therapeutic modalities using experimental animals.

PMID- 1870138
TI  - Naloxone and experimental spinal cord injury: effect of varying dose and
      intensity of injury.
AB  - We have reported previously that high-dose (10 mg/kg) and megadose naloxone (as
      high as 150 mg/kg) failed to promote recovery of motor function after spinal cord
      injury in rat. In view of these negative results, in comparison to some reports
      of benefit of naloxone in the literature, the present study was undertaken to
      assess lower doses, using a modified 3 x 4 factorial design, to evaluate a range
      of lower doses in relation to various intensities of cord injury. Sprague-Dawley
      rats were assigned randomly to 10 groups (n = 10) relating to two factors:
      intensity of injury and dosage of naloxone. A dynamic-load injury was induced
      with a 10-g weight dropped from a height of 2.5 cm, 5.0 cm, or 17.5 cm. Animals
      were treated with naloxone 1 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or saline (control). Tests
      of motor recovery were carried out weekly for 4 weeks postinjury.
      Histopathological morphometric analysis of the spinal cords was carried out for
      measurement of residual gray and white matter at the epicenter of the cord
      injury. In general, the behavioral data showed no improvement in recovery of
      function, with the possible exception of naloxone at a dosage of 4 mg/kg (not
      statistically significant at 4 weeks). Independent of naloxone treatment, there
      was a significant difference among the three intensities of injury.
      Pathologically, a difference could not be demonstrated in relation to dosage of
      naloxone, but as in the case of the behavioral data, a graded response occurred
      as a function of intensity of injury.

PMID- 1870139
TI  - Three-dimensional computer-assisted analysis of graded contusion lesions in the
      spinal cord of the rat.
AB  - Histological analysis of spinal cord injury in experimental animals has focused
      primarily on the microanatomy of damaged tissue. The current study presents an
      analysis of the three-dimensional structure of lesion sites in the spinal cord of
      rats contused with an injury device which produces consistent lesions. Three
      levels of injury were produced by systematically varying the cord displacement
      and the duration of the displacement during impact. The resulting groups of
      subjects exhibited mild, moderate, and severe neurological deficits. Comparisons
      of equivalent mild impacts made at thoracic versus lumbar spinal cord levels were
      also made. The results indicate that the overall shape of the lesions is
      generally biconical, with extensions in the base of the dorsal funiculus,
      irrespective of the degree of damage or the spinal level of the injury. Lower
      displacement injuries yielded shorter lesions rostrocaudally with less spread
      into the white matter. Similar impacts in the lumbar versus thoracic spinal cord
      produced shorter, more truncated lesion sites at lumbar levels with less
      involvement of the white matter than in the thoracic lesions. Three-dimensional
      analyses can can provide additional information about the lesion beyond that
      available from conventional histopathological measures. Such information could be
      useful in assessing the results of posttraumatic manipulations which are directed
      at reducing tissue damage or tissue replacement via transplantation.

PMID- 1870140
TI  - Carcinogenicity of dioxins.

PMID- 1870141
TI  - Early detection for prostate cancer?

PMID- 1870142
TI  - 1971-1991: consumerism grew as cancer became a curable disease.

PMID- 1870143
TI  - Too many breast biopsies? Watching vs. cutting.

PMID- 1870144
TI  - Differentiation therapy forces cancer cells to mature.

PMID- 1870145
TI  - Breast cancer prevention: hold the hormones, please.

PMID- 1870146
TI  - Congress will face host of NIH issues after recess.

PMID- 1870147
TI  - Photodynamic killing of human squamous cell carcinoma cells using a monoclonal
      antibody-photosensitizer conjugate.
AB  - We have developed procedures in which the photosensitizer benzoporphyrin
      derivative monoacid ring A (BPD) can be covalently linked to carrier molecules of
      modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to produce water-soluble PVA-BPD conjugates with
      a molecular mass in the range of 30 kd. These carriers can subsequently be
      covalently linked to monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) using heterobifunctional
      linking agents. We describe here such a conjugate in which the MoAb (5E8) has
      specificity for a glycoprotein detected on human squamous cell carcinomas of the
      lung. We provide evidence that the conjugates produced were covalently linked and
      retained both their photosensitizing and antigen-binding activities. We show
      further that the MoAb-PVA-BPD conjugate, in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum,
      exhibited highly enhanced phototoxic killing of the target cell line (A549) over
      that exhibited by free BPD or a control MoAb-PVA-BPD conjugate. These results
      demonstrate, therefore, both the selectivity and specificity of this MoAb
      conjugate.

PMID- 1870148
TI  - Case-control study of canine malignant lymphoma: positive association with dog
      owner's use of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicides.
AB  - A hospital-based case-control study of companion dogs examined the risk of
      developing canine malignant lymphoma associated with the use of chemicals in and
      about the home. Information from a self-administered owner questionnaire and/or a
      telephone interview of about 491 cases, 466 nontumor controls, and 479 tumor
      controls indicated that owners in households with dogs that developed malignant
      lymphoma applied 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicides to their lawn
      and/or employed commercial lawn care companies to treat their yard significantly
      more frequently than control owners (odds ratio = 1.3). In addition, the risk of
      canine malignant lymphoma rose to a twofold excess with four or more yearly owner
      applications of 2,4-D. The findings in this study are consistent with
      occupational studies in humans, which have reported modest associations between
      agricultural exposure to 2,4-D and increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the
      histology and epidemiology of which are similar to those of canine malignant
      lymphoma. The present study suggests that human health implications of 2,4-D
      exposure in the home environment should receive further investigation.

PMID- 1870149
TI  - Low-grade, latent prostate cancer volume: predictor of clinical cancer incidence?
AB  - We hypothesize that each cell in low-grade (Gleason grade 1-3) prostate cancer
      tissue is at risk of transformation into a cell which produces a high-grade
      (Gleason grade 4-5) clinical cancer after a short period of growth. As a
      consequence, the volume of low-grade, latent cancer tissue in the prostate glands
      of men at any age determines their incidence rate for high-grade, clinical cancer
      a few years later. Autopsy and incidence data for both white men and black men
      support this conclusion, with a tumor growth period of about 7 years. The
      transformation rate is similar for black men and for white men, about 0.024 high
      grade cancers per year per cm3 of low-grade, latent cancer volume. Our hypothesis
      explains the infrequent occurrence of clinical cancer despite the high prevalence
      of latent cancer, the steep rise of clinical cancer incidence with age despite
      the slow rise of latent cancer prevalence with age, and the disparities in
      clinical cancer incidence among some populations despite their similar latent
      cancer prevalence. This hypothesis suggests that low-grade cancer volume is a
      critical determinant of clinical cancer risk.

PMID- 1870150
TI  - Effect of cell wall skeleton and monophosphoryl lipid A adjuvant on the
      immunogenicity of a murine B16 melanoma vaccine.
AB  - We examined the effect of a new adjuvant consisting of purified mycobacterial
      cell wall skeleton (CWS) and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) on the immunogenicity
      of a murine melanoma vaccine. C57BL/6 mice were immunized to partially purified
      B16 melanoma vaccine given alone or together with different dose levels of
      adjuvant, or with saline or adjuvant alone. Humoral response, delayed-type
      hypersensitivity (DTH), in vitro cytotoxicity, and tumor-protective immunity to
      melanoma were measured following three biweekly immunizations. The adjuvant
      potentiated the antibody response to some, but not all, melanoma antigens in a
      dose-dependent fashion. The adjuvant also potentiated cellular immunity as
      measured by in vitro cytotoxicity assays. No potentiation of tumor-protective
      immunity was detected. In comparison to Freund's complete adjuvant, cell wall
      skeleton plus monophosphoryl lipid A (CWS:MPL) induced fewer cutaneous toxic
      effects and stronger antibody and DTH responses but resulted in no greater in
      vitro cytotoxicity or tumor-protective immunity. Thus, the adjuvant had a
      selective and dose-dependent effect on humoral responses to vaccine immunization
      but did not potentiate a tumor-protective immunity to B16 melanoma.

PMID- 1870151
TI  - Induction of delayed hypersensitivity to human tumor cells with a human
      monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody.
AB  - There is considerable interest in the development of anti-idiotypic antibodies as
      vaccines in a number of diseases, including cancer. We have developed a human
      anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibody (105AD7) which binds at or very near to the
      binding site of mouse antitumor monoclonal antibody 791T/36. The 791T/36 antibody
      binds to a tumor-associated antigen (gp72) expressed on a number of human tumors,
      including colorectal and ovarian carcinomas and osteogenic sarcoma. This study
      shows that, in rats and mice, 105AD7 induces delayed-type hypersensitivity to
      human tumor cells bearing the gp72 antigen. Local transfer of delayed
      hypersensitivity was also demonstrated using lymphocytes from mice primed with
      105AD7. These findings show that the human monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody
      105AD7 is likely to induce cellular immune responses to tumors in cancer
      patients.

PMID- 1870152
TI  - Phase II study of intravenous bolus recombinant interleukin-2 in advanced
      malignant melanoma: Southwest Oncology Group study.

PMID- 1870153
TI  - Cancer incidence in Seattle Women's Health Trial Participants by group and time
      since randomization.

PMID- 1870154
TI  - Evaluating the differential effect of diet on rat carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1870155
TI  - Fetal rat septal cells adhere to and extend processes on basement membrane,
      laminin, and a synthetic peptide from the laminin A chain sequence.
AB  - Responses of rat embryonic septal cells to reconstituted basement membrane,
      laminin, and laminin A chain-derived synthetic peptides were studied in culture.
      Dissociated fetal E16/17 septal cells were grown for three days on differently
      coated plastic substrata. Reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel), laminin,
      and a 19-amino acid synthetic peptide CSRARKQAASIKVAVSADR-NH2 (PA22-2) from the
      laminin A chain sequence mediated cell-substratum adhesion and promoted neurite
      outgrowth. In contrast, cells did not attach to or form processes on uncoated
      plastic or on plastic substrata coated with synthetic, laminin-derived control
      peptides. Polyethylenimine (PEI) supported the adhesion and survival of fetal
      septal cells; however, when laminin was added to the medium during cell plating
      or 18 hr afterward, a dose-dependent increase was observed in neurite outgrowth
      of cells attached to this substratum. Cells grown for 6 days on PEI in the
      presence of laminin showed a determined increase in the number of cholinergic
      neurons as marked by acetylcholinesterase staining. These data suggest that the
      subpopulation of cholinergic septal neurons present in the septal cells studied
      here were also responding to laminin. The results of this in vitro study suggest
      potential uses for basement membrane, laminin, or synthetic peptides, such as
      PA22-2, in fetal septal grafts to enhance regeneration in the damaged septo
      hippocampal system.

PMID- 1870156
TI  - Cytochrome P-45011 beta in rat brain.
AB  - The presence of cytochrome P-45011 beta in rat brain was studied by
      immunohistochemistry using polyclonal rabbit antibodies raised against purified
      bovine adrenocortical P-45011 beta, which is involved in the steroid 11 beta
      hydroxylation and glucocorticoid formation. The results showed that cytochrome P
      45011 beta immunoreactivity is selectively localized to the tracts of myelinated
      fibers throughout the brain. The specificity of immunohistochemical stainings
      with P-45011 beta antibodies was established by control tests including nonimmune
      rabbit immunoglobulin Gs and P-45011 beta antibodies absorbed with purified
      antigen. Western immunoblots of homogenates from different brain areas with P
      45011 beta antibodies, together with biochemical enzymatic assays for cytochrome
      P-45011 beta monooxygenase activity in these homogenates, confirmed the selective
      localization of this enzyme observed with immunohistochemistry. Cytochrome P
      45011 beta and 11 beta-hydroxylase activity were detected in a homogenate from
      the cortical white matter (brain area rich in myelinated fibers) as in that from
      the rat adrenal, but were not detectable in a homogenate from the cerebral cortex
      (brain area poor in myelinated fibers). Furthermore, quantitation of the P-45011
      beta bands on the immunoblots by the areal density revealed that the cortical
      white matter contains approximately 1.4 pmol of cytochrome P-45011 beta/mg of
      tissue protein, the value of which was about one sixth of the corresponding value
      estimated in the rat adrenal. This relatively high content of cytochrome P-45011
      beta was also reflected in a relatively high level of 11 beta-hydroxylase
      activity measured in a homogenate of this brain area by biochemical enzymatic
      assays using [4-14C]-11-deoxycorticosterone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870157
TI  - Characteristics of excitatory amino acid uptake in cultures from neurons and glia
      from the retina.
AB  - 3H-D-Aspartate uptake was biochemically characterized in cultures from chick
      retina enriched in glial (Muller) cells or neurons during progressive days in
      vitro (DIV). In the neuronal cultures a high-affinity, Na(+)-dependent system was
      found with Km = 8-13 microM and pharmacological characteristics in agreement with
      those of reuptake systems in other regions of the CNS. The uptake system in glial
      cells showed a lower affinity, with Km = 100-135 microM. In both cases, uptake
      was temperature and energy dependent. A sharp increase in the Vmax of uptake was
      observed in both neuronal and glial cultures at 5 DIV, at which time
      morphologically mature synapses have been shown to be present in retinal
      cultures. A parallel increase in the pharmacological specificity of the uptake
      system in neuronal cultures was observed, with a rise in the efficiency of D-Asp,
      L-Asp, L-Glu, and DL-asp- beta-hydroxamate for inhibiting 3H-D-Aspartate uptake.
      Results suggest the possibility of reuptake participating in the regulation of
      extracellular glutamate concentration during development.

PMID- 1870158
TI  - O-2A glial progenitors from mature brain respond to CNS neuronal cell line
      derived growth factors.
AB  - During development, myelin-forming oligodendrocytes and type 2 astrocytes are
      believed to arise from bipotential (O-2A) glial progenitors. Previously we found
      that conditioned medium (CM) from the B104 rat CNS neuronal cell line promotes
      growth of neonatal rat O-2A progenitors in serum-free culture conditions with
      subsequent increases in differentiated progeny. We now report that O-2A
      progenitors are present in mature rat brains and that this CM promotes the
      growth, motility, and bipolar morphology of these cells from 30- and 65-day-old
      rat brains, as shown by quantitative studies using double immunostaining and
      [3H]thymidine-autoradiography. In addition, the growth-promoting action of B104
      CM is not neutralized by antibodies to platelet-derived growth factor, a proposed
      progenitor mitogen. Subsequent to the proliferation of these O-2A progenitors,
      increases in oligodendrocytes and type 2 astrocytes occur. These data suggest a
      novel therapeutic strategy for some demyelinating diseases, e.g., multiple
      sclerosis, where there is a deficit in oligodendrocytes. Although it has been
      proposed by others that mature brain O-2A progenitors are less proliferative and
      thereby incapable of adequately replenishing lost oligodendrocytes in these
      diseases, we present in vitro evidence for continued response of mature brain O
      2A progenitors to this neuronal cell line-derived mitogen.

PMID- 1870159
TI  - Alpha isoform of smooth muscle actin is expressed in astrocytes in vitro and in
      vivo.
AB  - We have previously reported that astroglial cell lines derived from spontaneously
      immortalized mouse cerebellar cultures as well as primary astrocyte cultures
      express the mRNA of the alpha isoform of smooth muscle actin. In this report, we
      have used an antiserum specific for the alpha smooth muscle actin protein to
      investigate the presence and the pattern of expression of alpha smooth muscle
      actin protein at the cellular level with immunocytochemical methods. The results
      show that an anti-smooth muscle vessels alpha actin antiserum labels a typical
      actin network in the D19 astroglial cell clone and in flat astrocytes of primary
      cultures derived from various CNS regions of embryonic and postnatal mice.
      Furthermore, this antiserum labels distinct populations of astrocytes in the
      adult mouse brain, in particular in the corpus callosum and the fornix. However,
      in the corpus callosum, astrocytic processes are strongly labeled by anti-SMV
      alpha actin antibodies only in parasagittal planes. Thus, alpha smooth muscle
      actin represents a new marker for subsets of astrocytes.

PMID- 1870160
TI  - Myelin/oligodendrocyte-specific protein: a novel surface membrane protein that
      associates with microtubules.
AB  - Only a few proteins are known to be exclusively expressed in central nervous
      system (CNS) myelin. A novel surface membrane protein expressed only in CNS
      myelin and oligodendrocytes of higher vertebrates has been identified by a
      monoclonal antibody. This CNS myelin/oligodendrocyte-specific protein, MOSP, has
      a molecular weight of 48 kDa and a pI of approximately 6.7. In the presence of
      the monoclonal antibody, MOSP remains on the surface of cultured oligodendrocytes
      but becomes associated with cytoplasmic microtubules. Our results suggest that
      MOSP plays an important role in membrane/cytoskeleton interactions during the
      formation and maintenance of CNS myelin. MOSP also may play a critical role in
      the pathogenesis of diseases of CNS myelin.

PMID- 1870161
TI  - Should otolaryngology be on the endangered species list?

PMID- 1870162
TI  - Pressure, flow and resistance characteristics of the pediatric Storz-Hopkins
      bronchoscopes.
AB  - Poiseuille's law describes the relationship between pressure and the flow of a
      gas or liquid of known viscosity through a conduit of known length and radius. In
      clinical bronchoscopy, resistance varies directly with changes in viscosity of
      the inspired gas and the length of the bronchoscope. According to Poiseuille's
      law, resistance varies inversely to the fourth power of the radius of the
      bronchoscope. Flow-pressure curves were generated for commonly used pediatric
      Storz-Hopkins bronchoscopes with and without telescopes and the resistance of
      each system was calculated. Extremely high resistance is encountered with the 2.5
      x 20 cm bronchoscope with telescope in place, a fact that most pediatric
      endoscopists are well aware of. However, comparable resistance is encountered
      when the 3.5 x 30 cm bronchoscope is used with the telescope in place, a fact not
      well appreciated by most clinicians.

PMID- 1870163
TI  - Dose-dependent inner ear changes after i.v. administration of cisplatin.
AB  - The effect on the cochlear and vestibular surface structures in the inner ear of
      guinea pigs receiving different doses of cisplatin was studied in three groups of
      animals. A semi-quantitative analysis showed that cisplatin induced outer hair
      cell (OHC) damage which developed over days, was dose-dependent and that repeated
      intraperitoneal injections of a low dose of cisplatin caused OHC changes
      comparable to a single intravenous injection. The range of OHC damage varied
      generally between the three rows of OHCs, but in the most severely damaged
      cochleas the changes were equally distributed between the rows in the basal turn.
      The inner hair cells (IHCs) and sensory cells of the vestibular end organ were
      unaffected up to five days after an intravenous injection of cisplatin.

PMID- 1870164
TI  - Polyp of the external ear canal arising from the temporomandibular joint: a case
      report.
AB  - A polypoid mass of granulation tissue in the external auditory meatus was found
      to be arising from the ipsilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The origin of
      the lesion was suspected clinically and was confirmed by a CT scan study. As the
      patient showed signs of psoriatic arthritis, it seems likely that this was the
      underlying pathological process in the joint. A patent foramen of Huschke allowed
      herniation of synovial tissue from the joint into the external auditory canal.

PMID- 1870165
TI  - Translabyrinthine identification of the cochlear aqueduct: a helpful landmark
      during inferomedial temporal bone dissection.
AB  - Translabyrinthine identification of the cochlear aqueduct (CA) in 20 cadaveric
      temporal bones allowed anatomical measurements to be made between its horizontal
      portion and other inferomedial structures. Its role as a landmark during temporal
      bone surgery is discussed.

PMID- 1870166
TI  - The effect of glycerol on short-term experimental endolymphatic hydrops.
AB  - The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of one month of treatment with
      different dosages of glycerol on experimental endolymphatic hydrops produced by
      obliteration of endolymphatic sac and duct through an extradural approach. Forty
      two guinea pigs were used. The animals, divided into six groups, received 0.5-2
      gr/kg body weight of the drug per day for one month. The activity of glycerol was
      determined by statistical analysis of volumetric changes of scala media. Glycerol
      demonstrated the effect of reducing endolymphatic hydrops. The decrease in
      hydrops was influenced by the dosage suggesting a stria metabolic response.

PMID- 1870167
TI  - The safety and efficacy of Emla cream topical anesthesia for myringotomy and
      ventilation tube insertion.
AB  - Emla cream is a eutectic mixture of lignocaine and prilocaine which can be used
      to anesthetize the tympanic membrane for myringotomy and ventilation tube
      insertion. This paper describes the anesthetic method and considers the safety
      and efficacy of this technique in 37 tympanic membranes from 29 adult patients.
      All of the patients easily tolerated the procedure. Patients with experience of
      previous tympanic membrane anesthetic techniques stated a preference for the Emla
      cream technique. No patient complained postoperatively of vertigo or tinnitus.
      Pure tone audiometry was performed on all 29 patients in whom a ventilation tube
      was inserted, both before tube insertion and at review consultation (between one
      month and 12 months after tube insertion. There was no audiometric evidence of
      ototoxicity.

PMID- 1870168
TI  - Autoimmune inner ear disease: a review of basic mechanisms and clinical
      correlates.
AB  - Otolaryngologists have long sought to identify causes of sensorineural hearing
      loss that might be reversed by medical treatment. One such entity has become
      known as autoimmune inner ear disease. The potential improvement in auditory
      function in these patients subsequent to immunosuppressive therapy has created a
      desire in clinicians to better understand this disease. This paper begins by
      reviewing the basic concepts of autoimmunity. The experimental and clinical data
      concerning autoimmune inner ear disease are then described and analyzed. Finally,
      conclusions are drawn concerning our current state of understanding of this
      disease process.

PMID- 1870169
TI  - The cochlear implant: a comparison of single-channel and multichannel results.
AB  - We have performed 39 cochlear implants at St. Paul's Hospital since 1982.
      Fourteen patients received a House/3M implant and 23 patients received a total of
      25 multichannel Nucleus implants. We present a comparison of subjective and
      objective results in seven patients who first received a single channel implant
      and were subsequently implanted with a multichannel device. We also report in
      detail results obtained by a 55-year-old man who received a House/3M implant and
      subsequently received bilateral Nucleus implants. Results in this patient
      demonstrate some factors that influence successful use of an implant.

PMID- 1870170
TI  - CSF otorrhea complicating osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone.
AB  - Osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone is a well-recognized complication of
      radiotherapy for head and neck malignancy. There are two mechanisms by which this
      condition can produce damage to nearby structures and even result in death.
      Osteoradionecrosis may (1) predispose the patient to an aggressive or chronic
      infectious process, or (2) cause destruction of tissue by direct necrosis. A
      review of the literature failed to disclose a cause of CSF otorrhea complicating
      osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone. This paper describes a case of skull
      base osteoradionecrosis, including necrosis of the tympanic membrane, associated
      with CSF otorrhea. Successful control of this complication was achieved using a
      translabyrinthine approach to locate the fistula, which originated from the
      internal auditory canal and was discharging through the middle ear via the oval
      window. The leak was sealed, the resultant mastoid cavity was obliterated by
      rotation of a temporalis muscle flap, and the external auditory canal was closed
      by the Fisch technique.

PMID- 1870171
TI  - The organic composition of earwax.
AB  - Earwax is a mixture of desquamated keratinocytes and hair combined with the
      secretions of both the ceruminous and the sebaceous glands of the external ear
      canal. This study analyzed earwax using the combination analytical technique of
      gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The major organic components of earwax
      identified were long chain fatty acids, both saturated and unsaturated, alcohols,
      squalene and cholesterol. This study demonstrated that it is not currently
      possible to quantify statistically the substances which constitute earwax with
      accuracy. The presence of foreign substances within earwax was identified as a
      complicating factor in the analysis of earwax.

PMID- 1870172
TI  - Ossicular erosion by cholesteatoma: investigation by scanning electron microscopy
      utilizing a new preparation technique.
AB  - A new technique for removing the soft tissues from middle ear ossicles to prepare
      them for scanning electron microscopy is described. The technique involved use of
      a solution of hypochlorite. The bony surface of normal ossicles was studied as a
      control group after preparation by the technique and no morphological distortion
      was observed. Ossicles eroded by cholesteatoma were then studied, and we propose
      that the erosion occurs in three stages; pumicing, pitting and cavitating. The
      mucoperiosteum of normal ossicles and otosclerotic foci were also studied.

PMID- 1870173
TI  - Osteoma of the mastoid bone.

PMID- 1870174
TI  - Schliemann, Schwartze, Virchow and the unusual Christmas present.

PMID- 1870175
TI  - New method of adult transcranial Doppler.
AB  - Prior to development of better resolution duplex Doppler systems, blood flow
      velocities of the middle cerebral artery, anterior cerebral artery, and posterior
      cerebral artery were obtained in a "blind" manner, ie, the vessels were not
      imaged. We performed duplex transcranial Doppler examinations on 13 healthy
      volunteers and obtained peak velocities as well as resistive indices on all three
      arteries. The vessels were identified by their anatomic locations with respect to
      the brainstem and by the echogenic pulsating structures. This duplex transcranial
      Doppler examination holds promise for improving reproducibility and for detecting
      pathologic vascular states.

PMID- 1870176
TI  - Towards a more colorful future.

PMID- 1870177
TI  - Sonographic recognition of intraparenchymal regenerating nodules using high
      frequency transducers in patients with cirrhosis.
AB  - In 38 patients with cirrhotic liver, an ultrasound examination was carried out by
      using 3/3.5-, 5-, and 7.5-MHz transducers sequentially in order to identify
      hypoechoic intraparenchymal regenerating nodules less than or equal to 20 mm.
      Twenty healthy subjects and 35 patients with noncirrhotic chronic liver disease
      were scanned as controls. Focal lesions were disclosed in five patients: one case
      turned out to be a small hepatocellular carcinoma; regenerating nodules were
      diagnosed as such in four cases by means of surgery, laparoscopy, and fine needle
      biopsy. At a follow-up needle biopsy one year later, one of these nodules proved
      to be malignant. Use of high-frequency transducers offered little aid to the
      diagnosis of small nodules. In only one case were multiple lesions revealed with
      a 7.5-MHz probe but not with 3- and 5-MHz probes. It seems that intraparenchymal
      regenerating nodules are rarely seen with the available technology, and their
      recognition cannot be recommended as a reliable ultrasound diagnostic marker of
      liver cirrhosis.

PMID- 1870178
TI  - Emphysematous pyelonephritis: complementary role of radionuclide scans with
      ultrasound and computed tomography.

PMID- 1870179
TI  - Arteriovenous malformations. Locations and evolution in the fetal brain.
AB  - Almost all cerebral arteriovenous malformations in the fetus involve the vein of
      Galen, although occasionally they may involve the frontal area of the brain
      instead. In all reported cases arteriovenous malformations have presented some
      time after 30 weeks as a sonolucent oval lesion located in the midline behind the
      third ventricle. Previous scans have been normal. Evidence of high output failure
      such as cardiomegaly, enlarged neck veins, or hydrops predicts a poor outcome.

PMID- 1870180
TI  - Embryonic heart rate in human pregnancy.
AB  - Seventy-two women with known gestational ages underwent serial human chorionic
      gonadotropin (hCG) measurements and transvaginal ultrasound studies with
      embryonic heart rate measurements. In 53 continuing singleton pregnancies,
      embryonic pulse appeared between days 26 and 32, was 80 beat per minute (bpm) on
      day 26, and increased linearly to plateau at 160-200 bpm by day 45 (r2 = 0.72).
      The pulse was always seen with hCG greater than 21,000 mIU/mL; pulse rate was
      correlated to embryonic crown-rump length. Of the remaining 19 pregnancies, 8
      were anembryonic, 10 showed heart activity but subsequently aborted, and 1 was
      terminated. Absence of embryonic pulse by 32 days after conception or a serum hCG
      greater than 21,000 mIU/mL predicts spontaneous abortion; presence of a pulse may
      not guarantee successful continuation of the pregnancy since incidence of
      spontaneous abortion after visualization of embryonic pulse may be as high as
      16%.

PMID- 1870181
TI  - Noninvasive evaluation of vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
AB  - The diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) is a clinical challenge
      because its manifestations are subjective and difficult to quantify. We evaluate
      61 patients with the clinical diagnosis of VBI and 30 control patients with other
      medical problems. We used duplex scanning to study the extracranial carotid,
      vertebral, and subclavian arteries, and a 2-MHz transcranial Doppler (TCD) to
      examine the intracranial vertebral and basilar arteries. Extracranial lesions
      were more common in VBI patients than among controls, including stenosis of the
      subclavian artery with and without subclavian-vertebral steal and stenosis of the
      vertebral artery. Intracranial abnormalities identified in the vertebrobasilar
      circulation included stenosis and occlusion of the intracranial vertebral artery
      and basilar artery steal. Overall, significant lesions were detected in 32.8% of
      VBI patients and 3.0% of controls (P less than 0.05). Systolic artery velocity
      (cm/sec) in the extracranial vertebral artery was higher in controls (65.9 +/-
      23.3) than in VBI patients who had no evidence of vertebrobasilar steal (43.0 +/-
      17.4, P less than 0.05). Patients with a steal mechanism had an intracranial
      vertebral artery systolic velocity of 90.0 +/- 38.9, compared with 53.0 +/- 15.0
      in controls (2P less than 0.050). Intracranial vertebral artery systolic velocity
      was higher among VBI patients with significant carotid artery disease (greater
      than 50%, 76.7 +/- 28.8) than in those with less severe disease (less than 50%,
      47.3 +/- 13.8, P less than 0.05). Evaluation and quantitation of the
      vertebrobasilar circulation using both intra- and extracranial noninvasive
      studies may afford further insight as to the pathophysiology of vertebrobasilar
      insufficiency and provide a readily available, direct, and simple method of
      initial and serial assessment of VBI patients.

PMID- 1870182
TI  - Automatic measurements of fetal long bones. A feasibility study.
AB  - We investigated whether it would be possible for a computer to propose values for
      measurements commonly obtained (femur and humerus) during obstetrical sonography.
      In this preliminary study, the images were scanned and analyzed off-line using
      morphological operators. The procedure described allowed us to measure the long
      bones and has a very high coefficient of correlation with measurements obtained
      by humans. Ideally, the whole procedure could probably be part of the computer
      instructions that are built into the machine.

PMID- 1870183
TI  - Detection of retained products of conception following spontaneous abortion in
      the first trimester.
AB  - A retrospective analysis was performed to determine whether ultrasound could
      reliably rule in or out retained products of conception (POC) in women after
      first-trimester spontaneous abortions (miscarriages). Ninety-seven first
      trimester pregnancies with pathologically proven results from dilatation and
      curettage (D&C) were studied within 7 days of ultrasound examination (60% within
      2 days), either by the abdominal or a combination of abdominal and vaginal
      approaches. Cases were eliminated if there was clinical evidence of a spontaneous
      evacuation of POC during the interval between the ultrasound and the D&C. POC
      were diagnosed only if chorionic villi were evident pathologically. The pertinent
      ultrasound findings were related to the endometrium (thickness, echogenicity, a
      gestational saclike structure or a space-occupying collection). The results
      indicated that ultrasound could correctly diagnose POC in all of the cases by
      detecting a gestational sac or collection (77 cases), or a thickened endometrium
      of greater than 5 mm (6 cases). Ultrasound was less reliable in ruling out
      retained POC. When only a thin endometrial stripe of less than 2 mm was present,
      there was little likelihood of having POC (1 of 7 cases) with a moderately thick
      endometrium of 2 to 5 mm not diagnostic. Vaginal ultrasound added little new
      information and failed to change the ultrasound interpretation.

PMID- 1870184
TI  - Antenatal diagnosis of vasa previa by color-flow mapping.

PMID- 1870185
TI  - Ultrasound diagnosis of early renal papillary necrosis.

PMID- 1870186
TI  - Color-flow Doppler sonography of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous.

PMID- 1870187
TI  - Comparison of transabdominal and endovaginal sonographic approaches in the
      diagnosis of a case of cervical pregnancy successfully treated with methotrexate.

PMID- 1870188
TI  - In vivo accumulation of a turnip crinkle virus defective interfering RNA is
      affected by alterations in size and sequence.
AB  - Turnip crinkle virus is one of several single-stranded RNA plant viruses
      associated with defective interfering (DI) RNAs. A complete cDNA copy of a 344
      base DI RNA (DI RNA G) was cloned downstream from a T7 RNA polymerase promoter.
      Transcripts synthesized in vitro were infectious when inoculated with helper
      virus on turnip plants. Studies of the infectivity of DI transcripts containing
      deletions, insertions, and single-base changes suggest that (i) in general, only
      the 5' two-thirds of the molecule can tolerate mutations; (ii) between 52 and 67
      bases of terminal 5' sequence are required for infectivity; (iii) nucleotides in
      positions 68 to 138 are not specifically involved in RNA infectivity; (iv) DI RNA
      G molecules smaller than 327 bases are not amplified efficiently in plants.

PMID- 1870189
TI  - Linker insertion mutations in the adenovirus preterminal protein that affect DNA
      replication activity in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - Eighteen linker insertion mutants with mutations in the adenovirus precursor to
      terminal protein (pTP), which were originally constructed and tested in virions
      by Freimuth and Ginsberg (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83:7816-7820, 1986), were
      transferred to expression plasmids for assay of the various functions of the
      isolated pTP. Function was measured by the ability of individual pTP mutant
      proteins to participate in the initiation of replication from an adenovirus DNA
      end, by their activity in assays of DNA elongation, and by the intracellular
      distribution of pTP demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. Ten of the 11
      mutants that were active in virion formation were also functional in DNA
      replication reactions in extracts, while 1 had reduced function. Four mutants
      with mutations that were lethal to virus production were also inactive in DNA
      replication reactions. These four mutations are probably located at sites
      required for the function of pTP in DNA synthesis. Three pTP mutants with
      mutations that were lethal or partially defective with respect to virion
      formation were active in reactions requiring pTP for initiation and elongation in
      extracts. All three of these mutant pTPs targeted normally to the nucleus,
      suggesting a defect after this step in replication. Since pTP has been reported
      to bind the nuclear matrix, these pTP mutants may have mutations that define
      sites necessary for binding to this structure. Several mutants with mutations
      that lie outside the putative nuclear targeting region were aberrantly localized,
      suggesting either that additional domains are important in nuclear localization
      or that there are alterations in protein structure that affect nuclear transport
      for some pTP mutants.

PMID- 1870190
TI  - Sequence analysis, expression, and deletion of a vaccinia virus gene encoding a
      homolog of profilin, a eukaryotic actin-binding protein.
AB  - A 4,500-bp BamHI fragment, located within the HindIII A segment of the vaccinia
      virus genome, was found to contain eight potential coding regions for
      polypeptides of 78 to 346 amino acids. The open reading frames with 133, 346, and
      125 codons were homologous to profilin (an actin-binding protein), 3-beta
      hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase, respectively.
      Sequence alignments indicated that the vaccinia virus and mammalian profilins
      were more closely related to each other than to known profilins of other
      eukaryotes. The expression and possible role of the profilin homolog in the virus
      replicative cycle were therefore investigated. Antibody raised to Escherichia
      coli expressed vaccinia virus profilin was used to demonstrate the synthesis of
      the 15-kDa polypeptide at late times after vaccinia virus infection of mammalian
      cells. The protein accumulated in the cytoplasm, but only trace amounts remained
      associated with highly purified virions. The isolation of vaccinia virus mutants
      (in strains WR and IHD-J), with nearly the entire profilin gene replaced by the
      E. coli gpt gene, indicated that the protein is not essential for infectivity.
      The characteristic vaccinia virus-induced changes in actin fibers, seen by
      fluorescence microscopy, occurred in cells infected with the mutant. Moreover,
      the virus-encoded profilin homolog was not required for actin-associated events,
      including intracellular virus movement to the periphery of the cell, formation of
      specialized microvilli, or release of mature virions, as shown by electron
      microscopy and yields of infectious intra- and extracellular virus.

PMID- 1870191
TI  - Utilization of DNA recombination for the two-step replacement of growth factor
      sequences in the vaccinia virus genome.
AB  - An efficient procedure for the generation of sequence-specific alterations of the
      vaccinia virus genome was demonstrated. Homologous DNA recombination within cells
      infected with vaccinia virus was used for the deletion or replacement of promoter
      sequences of the viral growth factor gene by a procedure comparable to
      transplacement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This DNA replacement procedure can
      potentially be used to generate any sequence alteration within the vaccinia virus
      genome. Deletion of growth factor promoter sequences resulted in a dramatic
      reduction in growth factor gene transcription and protein synthesis. Replacement
      of growth factor promoter sequences with promoter sequences of the strong
      constitutive 40-kDa gene resulted in an increase in gene transcription and
      protein synthesis and an altered temporal pattern of expression. Virus containing
      mutations in the growth factor gene demonstrated different plaque morphologies on
      cell culture monolayers.

PMID- 1870193
TI  - The minute virus of mice capsid specifically recognizes the 3' hairpin structure
      of the viral replicative-form DNA: mapping of the binding site by hydroxyl
      radical footprinting.
AB  - The terminal hairpin structures of the DNA of minute virus of mice (MVM) are
      essential for viral replication. Here we show that the hairpin 3' terminus of MVM
      replicative-form DNA binds specifically to empty MVM capsids. Binding of the same
      terminal DNA sequence in its linear double-stranded (extended) conformation was
      not observed. After heat denaturation and quick cooling of 3'-terminal extended
      form fragments, not only the virion strand but also the complementary strand was
      found to bind to the capsid, presumably because each strand re-formed a similar
      hairpin structure. No binding affinity for the capsid was found to be associated
      with hairpin or extended 5' termini or with any other region of the viral DNA.
      Hydroxyl radical footprinting analyses revealed three protected nucleotide
      stretches forming a binding site at the branch point of the two 3'-terminal
      hairpin arms looping out from the DNA stem (T structure). Single base changes
      within this site did not affect the binding. In band shift experiments, specific
      binding to the T structure was demonstrated for VPI but not for VP2.

PMID- 1870192
TI  - Characterization of endogenous and recombinant proviral elements of a highly
      tumorigenic AKR cell line.
AB  - As an approach to evaluating the contribution of classes of endogenous viral
      sequences to leukemogenesis, a genomic library was prepared from the highly
      tumorigenic AKR SL12.3 cell line and screened for env-containing proviruses. An
      extensive battery of virus-derived probes and specific oligonucleotide probes
      were used to segregate 83 positive clones into related groups. The nonecotropic
      endogenous retroviruses were identified as members of the polytropic, modified
      polytropic, or xenotropic groups. At least three unique xenotropic proviruses
      were detected that differed from the published xenotropic sequence within a
      variable region of the 5' portion of env. Changes among the xenotropic proviruses
      included relative insertions and/or deletions that maintain an open reading frame
      and hence the potential to encode viable envelope gene products. Several
      recombinant viruses were also detected. Recombination was not random and
      primarily involved the formation of mink cell focus-inducing class I retroviruses
      via recombination between polytropic elements and ecotropic virus. One other
      recombinant was detected which contained ecotropic virus sequences in the 5'
      region encoding p15 of an otherwise xenotropic provirus. An interesting
      observation was the finding that certain clones contained more than one provirus
      within the average 20-kb cloned insert. This would not be expected if integration
      were totally random. The de novo recombinant proviruses identified here provide a
      series of potential candidates to be evaluated for their contribution to the
      tumorigencity of the SL12.3 cell line.

PMID- 1870194
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus integrase protein requires a subterminal position of
      its viral DNA recognition sequence for efficient cleavage.
AB  - Retroviral integration requires cis-acting sequences at the termini of linear
      double-stranded viral DNA and a product of the retroviral pol gene, the integrase
      protein (IN). IN is required and sufficient for generation of recessed 3' termini
      of the viral DNA (the first step in proviral integration) and for integration of
      the recessed DNA species in vitro. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
      IN, expressed in Escherichia coli, was purified to near homogeneity. The
      substrate sequence requirements for specific cleavage and integration of
      retroviral DNA were studied in a physical assay, using purified IN and short
      duplex oligonucleotides that correspond to the termini of HIV DNA. A few point
      mutations around the IN cleavage site substantially reduced cleavage; most other
      mutations did not have a drastic effect, suggesting that the sequence
      requirements are limited. The terminal 15 bp of the retroviral DNA were
      demonstrated to be sufficient for recognition by IN. Efficient specific cutting
      of the retroviral DNA by IN required that the cleavage site, the phosphodiester
      bond at the 3' side of a conserved CA-3' dinucleotide, be located two nucleotides
      away from the end of the viral DNA; however, low-efficiency cutting was observed
      when the cleavage site was located one, three, four, or five nucleotides away
      from the terminus of the double-stranded viral DNA. Increased cleavage by IN was
      detected when the nucleotides 3' of the CA-3' dinucleotide were present as single
      stranded DNA. IN was found to have a strong preference for promoting integration
      into double-stranded rather than single-stranded DNA.

PMID- 1870195
TI  - Genetic analysis of the DNA recognition sequence of the P2 Cox protein.
AB  - The Cox protein of temperate Escherichia coli phage P2 is involved in three
      important biological processes: (i) excision of the integrated prophage genome
      (G. Lindahl and M. Sunshine, Virology 49:180-187, 1972), (ii) transcriptional
      repression of the P2 Pc promoter, which controls the expression of the immunity
      repressor C and the integrase (S. Saha, E. Haggard-Ljungquist, and K. Nordstrom,
      EMBO J. 6:3191-3199, 1987), and (iii) transcriptional activation of the late PII
      promoter of the unrelated satellite phage P4 (S. Saha, E. Haggard-Ljungquist, and
      K. Nordstrom, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:3973-3977, 1989). A comparison of the
      DNA regions protected by Cox from DNaseI degradation has revealed a presumptive
      Cox recognition sequence (Saha et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA). The binding
      region of Cox in the P2 Pc promoter contains three presumptive recognition
      sequences, "Cox boxes," located in tandem. P2 vir3 and P2 vir24 are virulent
      deletion mutants unable to plate on Cox-producing strains, most likely because
      the deletions locate the new early promoters too close to the Cox-binding region
      (Saha et al., EMBO J.). In this report, spontaneous P2 vir3 and vir24 mutants, no
      longer sensitive to repression by the Cox protein, have been isolated. These
      mutants plate with equal efficiency on strains with or without a Cox-producing
      plasmid, and they have been named cor for cox resistance. Three types are
      recognized; the four P2 vir3 cor mutants have a 1-base deletion in the first Cox
      box, while the P2 vir24 cor mutants were of two types; four have a base
      substitution in the first Cox box, and one has a base substitution in the second
      Cox box. The effect of the Cox protein on the mutated P2 vir3 and vir24 promoters
      was analyzed in vivo by using fusions to a promoterless cat (chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase) gene. The activities of the P2 vir3 and vir24 early promoters,
      as opposed to the wild-type early Pe promoter, are drastically reduced by the Cox
      protein, and the cor mutation renders them as resistant to Cox as the wild-type
      Pe promoter. Thus, at least the first two Cox boxes are essential for binding of
      the Cox protein.

PMID- 1870196
TI  - A single point mutation activates the Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal
      repeat in embryonal stem cells.
AB  - The expression of Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV) and Mo-MuLV-derived
      vectors is restricted in undifferentiated mouse embryonal carcinoma and embryonal
      stem (ES) cells. We have previously described the isolation of retroviral mutants
      with host range properties expanded to embryonal cell lines. One of these
      mutants, the murine embryonic stem cell virus (MESV), is expressed in ES cell
      lines. Expression of MESV in these cells relies on DNA sequence motifs within the
      enhancer region of the viral long terminal repeat (LTR). Here we show that
      replacement of the Mo-MuLV enhancer region by sequences derived from the MESV LTR
      results in the activation of the Mo-MuLV LTR in ES cells. The enhancer regions of
      MESV and Mo-MuLV differ by seven point mutations. Of these, a single point
      mutation at position -166 is sufficient to activate the Mo-MuLV LTR and to confer
      enhancer-dependent expression to Mo-MuLV-derived retroviral vectors in ES cells.
      This point mutation creates a recognition site for a sequence-specific DNA
      binding factor present in nuclear extracts of ES cells. This factor was found by
      functional assays to be the murine equivalent to human Sp1.

PMID- 1870197
TI  - Identification of the hepatitis B virus factor that inhibits expression of the
      beta interferon gene.
AB  - The identity of the trans-acting factor encoded by the 1,828-bp BamHI DNA
      fragment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) that suppresses the transcription of the
      human beta interferon gene was investigated. Each complete and partial open
      reading frame (ORF) present within the 1,828-bp BamHI HBV DNA fragment was cloned
      into a simian virus 40 expression vector, and the resulting gene products were
      assayed for their ability to inhibit the activity of the regulatory DNA region
      that governs the expression of the beta interferon gene. Only the proteins
      encoded by the C ORF inhibited the activity of the beta interferon regulatory DNA
      region; putative proteins encoded by the partial X, P, and S ORFs present in the
      1,828-bp BamHI HBV DNA fragment had no effect. A plasmid encoding only the native
      HBV core antigen, but not one coding for a truncated core antigen, possessed this
      inhibitory activity. The inhibition by the core antigen was specific for the
      regulatory elements of the beta interferon gene; none of a variety of viral
      transcriptional elements was inhibited.

PMID- 1870198
TI  - Hog cholera virus: molecular composition of virions from a pestivirus.
AB  - Virions from hog cholera virus (HCV), a member of the genus Pestivirus, were
      analyzed by using specific antibodies. The nucleocapsid protein was found to be a
      14-kDa molecule (HCV p14). An equivalent protein could also be demonstrated for
      virions from another pestivirus, bovine viral diarrhea virus. The HCV envelope is
      composed of three glycoproteins, HCV gp44/48, gp33, and gp55. All three exist in
      the form of disulfide-linked dimers in virus-infected cells and in virions; HCV
      gp44/48 and gp55 each form homodimers, whereas gp55 is also found dimerized with
      gp33. Such complex covalent interactions between structural glycoproteins have
      not been described so far for any RNA virus.

PMID- 1870199
TI  - RGD-dependent entry of coxsackievirus A9 into host cells and its bypass after
      cleavage of VP1 protein by intestinal proteases.
AB  - The recently reported nucleotide sequence of coxsackievirus A9 (CAV-9) showed
      that unlike other enteroviruses, CAV-9 has an insertion of about 17 amino acids
      at the C-terminal end of VP1 (K. H. Chang, P. Auvinen, T. Hyypia, and G. Stanway,
      J. Gen. Virol. 70:3269-3280, 1989). This sequence includes the RGD (arginine
      glycine-aspartic acid) motif which is known to be important in certain protein
      protein interactions. We studied the inhibitory effect of RGD-containing peptides
      in the attachment of CAV-9 to African green monkey kidney cells. A peptide
      corresponding to the RRGDM sequence derived from the inserted segment of CAV-9
      was found to block virus attachment effectively, and the inhibition was dose
      dependent. Substitution of glutamic acid for the homologous aspartic acid
      completely abolished the inhibitory effect, indicating great specificity of the
      action. During replication in the gut, all enteroviruses are exposed to host
      proteolytic enzymes. Exposure of CAV-9 to purified trypsin or human intestinal
      fluid resulted in selective cleavage of the VP1 capsid protein. Intact and
      trypsin-cleaved VP1 proteins gave identical N-terminal sequences, indicating that
      cleavage of VP1 takes place near the C terminus. Attachment of proteolytically
      cleaved infectious CAV-9 to green monkey kidney cells was not prevented by RGD
      containing peptides, indicating that cleaved CAV-9 is able to bypass RGD
      dependent entry. The altered receptor specificity of proteolytically cleaved
      viruses may have important consequences in the pathogenesis of enteric
      infections.

PMID- 1870200
TI  - Neuropathological changes in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease are associated with
      increased expression of apolipoprotein E and cathepsin D in astrocytes.
AB  - With the rationale that the neuropathological similarities between scrapie and
      Alzheimer's disease reflect convergent pathological mechanisms involving altered
      gene expression, we set out to identify molecular events involved in both
      processes, using scrapie as a model to study the time course of these changes. We
      differentially screened a cDNA library constructed from scrapie-infected mice to
      identify mRNAs that increase or decrease during disease and discovered in this
      way two mRNAs that are increased in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease. These mRNAs
      were subsequently shown by sequence analysis to encode apolipoprotein E and
      cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5). Using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to
      define the cellular and anatomic pathology of altered gene expression, we found
      that in both diseases the increase in apolipoprotein E and cathepsin D mRNAs and
      proteins occurred in activated astrocytes. In scrapie, the increase in gene
      expression occurred soon after the amyloid-forming abnormal isoform of the prion
      protein has been shown to accumulate in astrocytes. In Alzheimer's disease, the
      increased expression of cathepsin D also occurred in association with beta
      amyloid. These studies reveal some of the molecular antecedents of
      neuropathological changes in scrapie and Alzheimer's disease and accord new
      prominence to the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative conditions.

PMID- 1870201
TI  - Spleen necrosis virus, an avian retrovirus, can infect primate cells.
AB  - Spleen necrosis virus (SNV) is an avian retrovirus that can infect some mammalian
      cells such as dog cells as well as all avian cells tested to date. We were
      interested in testing whether SNV could also infect primate cells. For these
      experiments, we used HeLa and COS-7 cells. Initially, we determined whether the
      SNV long terminal repeat promoter was functional in HeLa and COS-7 cells. In
      transient transfection assays, the SNV promoter efficiently directed
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression in both HeLa and COS-7 cells.
      Using SNV- and murine leukemia virus-derived retroviral vectors containing the
      neomycin phosphotransferase gene, we found that SNV established a provirus in
      HeLa and COS-7 cells as efficiently as did an amphotropic murine leukemia virus,
      as judged by the number of G418-resistant HeLa and COS-7 cell colonies obtained
      after infection and selection. Although SNV formed a provirus in both HeLa and
      COS-7 cells, productive infection of these cells was not obtained with use of
      replication-competent SNV. These results suggest that SNV can infect, form a
      provirus, and stably express a transduced gene in primate cells, but there is a
      posttranscriptional block to its replication in these cells.

PMID- 1870202
TI  - Recombinant CD4-selected human immunodeficiency virus type 1 variants with
      reduced gp120 affinity for CD4 and increased cell fusion capacity.
AB  - Variants of molecularly cloned human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were
      analyzed following selection for the ability to replicate after exposure to
      soluble, recombinant CD4 protein (rCD4). Two variants, 4/1 and 16/2, show 8-fold
      and 16-fold reduced sensitivity to rCD4 neutralization yet remain as sensitive as
      the parental wild-type (wt) virus to neutralization by rCD4-immunoglobulin G
      (IgG) chimeric molecules and to inhibition of cellular infection by anti-CD4
      antibody. The 4/1 variant is more cytopathic, with faster cell fusion and
      replication kinetics than the wt virus. The gp120s derived from the 4/1 and 16/2
      variants have 3-fold and 30-fold reduced binding affinities to rCD4,
      respectively. The 4/1 variant exhibits diminished shedding of virion gp120
      induced by rCD4. The binding of and neutralization by V3 loop antibodies and
      other anti-gp120 antibodies is reduced for 4/1 but not for 16/2. Sequence
      analysis revealed a codon change at amino acid residue 435 in the C4 region of
      the gp120 of 16/2. This accounts for its rCD4 insensitivity, since the insertion
      of this mutation in the wt gp120 yields the same phenotype. The 4/1 variant has a
      codon change in the V3 region of gp120 (amino acid 311), which accounts for its
      reduced sensitivity to some neutralizing antibodies but not to rCD4. The ready
      selection of rCD4-resistant variants has obvious relevance for rCD4-based
      therapeutic stratagems.

PMID- 1870203
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of chimeric particles between epizootic
      hemorrhagic disease virus and bluetongue virus: functional domains are conserved
      on the VP3 protein.
AB  - A functional assay has been developed to determine the conservative nature of the
      interacting sites of various structural proteins of orbiviruses by using
      baculovirus expression vectors. For this investigation, proteins of two
      serologically related orbiviruses, bluetongue virus (BTV) and the less studied
      epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), were used to synthesize chimeric
      particles. The results demonstrate that the inner capsid protein VP3 of EHDV-1
      can replace VP3 protein of BTV in formation of the single-shelled corelike
      particles and the double-shelled viruslike particles. Moreover, we have
      demonstrated that all three minor core proteins (VP1, VP4, and VP6) can be
      incorporated into the homologous and chimeric corelike and viruslike particles,
      indicating that the functional epitopes of the VP3 protein are conserved for the
      morphological events of the virus. This is the first evidence of assembly of
      seven structural proteins of the virus by a baculovirus expression system.
      Confirmation at the molecular level was obtained by determining the EHDV-1 L3
      gene nucleic sequence and by comparing it with sequences available for BTV. The
      analysis revealed a high degree homology between the two proteins: 20%
      difference, 50% of which is conservative. The consequences for Orbivirus
      phylogeny and the possibility of gene reassortments are discussed.

PMID- 1870204
TI  - Reversible conformational changes and fusion activity of rabies virus
      glycoprotein.
AB  - In an attempt to understand the implication of the rabies virus glycoprotein (G)
      in the first steps of the viral cycle, we studied the pH dependence of virus
      induced fusion and hemagglutination, as well as modifications of the structure
      and properties of the viral glycoprotein following pH acidification. Our results
      suggest that the G protein adopts at least three distinct configurations, each
      associated with different properties. At neutral pH, G did not fuse membranes or
      hemagglutinate erythrocytes. It was insensitive to digestion with bromelain and
      trypsin. At pH 6.4, the glycoprotein became sensitive to proteases.
      Hemagglutination was at its maximum and then sharply decreased with the pH. No
      fusion was detected. Aggregation of virus was also observed. The third
      configuration, at below pH 6.1, was associated with the appearance of fusion.
      Some neutralizing monoclonal antibodies were able to differentiate these three
      configurations. Preincubation of the virus at below pH 6 inhibited fusion, but
      this inhibition, like the structural modifications of the glycoprotein, was
      reversible when G was reincubated at neutral pH.

PMID- 1870205
TI  - Replication of an acutely lethal simian immunodeficiency virus activates and
      induces proliferation of lymphocytes.
AB  - A variant of simian immunodeficiency virus from sooty mangabey monkeys (SIVsmm),
      termed SIVsmmPBj14, was previously identified and shown to induce acute disease
      and death within 1 to 2 weeks of inoculation of pig-tailed macaques and mangabey
      monkeys (P. N. Fultz, H. M. McClure, D. C. Anderson, and W. M. Switzer, AIDS Res.
      Hum. Retroviruses 5:397-409, 1989). SIVsmmPBj14 differed from its parent virus,
      SIVsmm9, not only in pathogenicity but also in multiple in vitro properties. As a
      first approach to understanding the biological and molecular mechanisms
      responsible for the acute disease and death induced by this variant, virus-host
      cell interactions of SIVsmmPBj14 and SIVsmm9 were studied. Initial rates of
      replication of the two viruses were identical in primary peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal pig-tailed macaques and mangabey monkeys,
      but SIVsmmPBj14 infection always resulted in higher yields of virus than did
      SIVsmm9 infection, as assessed by levels of reverse transcriptase activity in
      culture supernatants. Surprisingly, despite its cytopathicity for macaque and
      mangabey CD4+ cells, replication of SIVsmmPBj14 was accompanied by up to 10-fold
      increases in number of viable cells compared with cell numbers in uninfected or
      SIVsmm9-infected cultures. Furthermore, SIVsmmPBj14 was shown to infect and
      replicate in resting PBMC just as efficiently as in mitogen-stimulated PBMC,
      irrespective of whether exogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2) or antibodies that
      neutralized IL-2 were added to culture media. Accumulation of virus in culture
      supernatants of resting PBMC preceded by several days the appearance of activated
      cells which expressed the IL-2 receptor alpha subunit (CD25), suggesting that
      activation of cells was not essential for replication. The ability to activate
      and to induce simian PBMC to proliferate appeared specific for the acutely lethal
      variant because incorporation of [3H]thymidine by PBMC from naive animals was
      observed only upon incubation with concentrated, heat-inactivated SIVsmmPBj14 and
      not with other viruses. Both CD4(+)- and CD8(+)-enriched cell populations
      proliferated in response to SIVsmmPBj14. These results are consistent with in
      vivo observations and suggest that the abilities both to replicate in resting
      cells and to induce lymphocytes to proliferate may contribute to the extreme
      virulence of SIVsmmPBj14.

PMID- 1870206
TI  - Transcriptional elongation by purified RNA polymerase II is blocked at the trans
      activation-responsive region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in vitro.
AB  - It has previously been shown that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
      trans-activation-responsive region (TAR) is contained in a stem-loop RNA
      structure. Moreover, the interaction of the RNA secondary structure with Tat, the
      trans-activator protein, seems to play a role in activation of transcription
      initiation and in preventing transcription attenuation. In this work, we have
      studied the ability of the HIV-1 TAR stem-loop to act as a specific attenuation
      signal for highly purified RNA polymerase II. We developed an in vitro system
      using dC-tailed DNA fragments of HIV-1 to study transcriptional control in the
      HIV-1 LTR. We have found that transcription in this system yields an attenuator
      RNA whose 3' end maps to the end of the TAR stem-loop, approximately 60 to 65
      nucleotides downstream of the in vivo initiation site. Furthermore, transcription
      attenuation occurs only under conditions which cause displacement of the nascent
      transcript from the template DNA strand, thus allowing the RNA to fold into
      secondary structure. Evidence is provided that the purified polymerase II indeed
      recognizes stable RNA secondary structure as an intrinsic attenuation signal. The
      existence of this signal in the TAR stem-loop suggests that in vivo an
      antiattenuation factor, probably Tat, alone or in combination with other factors,
      acts to relieve the elongation block at the HIV-1 attenuation site.

PMID- 1870207
TI  - Activation of the c-ski oncogene by overexpression.
AB  - The v-ski oncogene is a truncated version of the cellular proto-oncogene, c-ski,
      and lacks sequences coding for both the N- and C-terminal ends of the c-ski
      protein. In the region of overlap, v-ski and c-ski differ by only one amino acid.
      To determine whether these differences underlie v-ski's oncogenic activation, we
      have cloned cDNAs for several alternatively spliced c-ski mRNAs and introduced
      these cDNAs into replication-competent retroviral vectors. The biological
      activities of these c-ski constructs have been compared with those of v-ski. We
      found that all c-ski gene products, when expressed at high levels from the
      promoter in the retroviral long terminal repeat, can induce morphological
      transformation, anchorage independence, and muscle differentiation in avian
      cells. Cells that are susceptible to ski-induced transformation and myogenesis
      normally express endogenous c-ski at low levels. Thus, it appears that
      overexpression of ski is sufficient for oncogenic and myogenic activation.

PMID- 1870208
TI  - Purification and characterization of human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein with
      preferential binding capacity to the underphosphorylated form of retinoblastoma
      gene product.
AB  - Human papillomavirus type 16 E7 is considered to be a major viral oncoprotein
      playing an important role(s) in cervical cancers. E7 protein was shown to bind to
      the protein product of the retinoblastoma gene (RB), while simian virus 40 large
      T and adenovirus E1A were also shown to possess binding activity to RB protein.
      The RB protein is a cell cycle regulator that is highly phosphorylated
      specifically in S, G2, and M, whereas it is underphosphorylated in G0 and G1.
      Recently, large T was demonstrated to bind preferentially to the
      underphosphorylated RB protein, which is considered to be an active form
      restricting cell proliferation. However, it is not known whether E7 can bind to
      phosphorylated RB protein. We successfully purified large quantities of unfused
      human papillomavirus type 16 E7 protein expressed in Escherichia coli by using a
      T7 promoter-T7 RNA polymerase system. The purified E7 protein was demonstrated to
      bind preferentially to the underphosphorylated RB protein.

PMID- 1870209
TI  - Effects of changes in gp120-CD4 binding affinity on human immunodeficiency virus
      type 1 envelope glycoprotein function and soluble CD4 sensitivity.
AB  - Mutant gp120 glycoproteins exhibiting a range of affinities for CD4 were tested
      for ability to form syncytia and to complement an env-defective provirus for
      replication. Surprisingly, gp120 mutants that efficiently induced syncytia and/or
      complemented virus replication were identified that exhibited marked (up to 50
      fold) reductions in CD4-binding ability. Temperature-dependent changes in gp120,
      which result in a seven- to ninefold increase in affinity for CD4, were shown not
      to be necessary for subsequent membrane fusion or virus entry events. Mutant
      glycoproteins demonstrating even relatively small decreases in CD4-binding
      ability exhibited reduced sensitivity to soluble CD4. The considerable range of
      CD4-binding affinities tolerated by replication-competent HIV-1 variants has
      important implications for antiviral strategies directed at the gp120-CD4
      interaction.

PMID- 1870210
TI  - Identification of two distinct regions within the adenovirus minimal origin of
      replication that are required for adenovirus type 4 DNA replication in vitro.
AB  - The adenovirus type 4 origins of replication are located at each end of the
      linear, protein-linked viral DNA molecule and consist of the terminal 18 bp of
      the viral genome. The sequence of the first 8 bp of the viral genome varies among
      different adenovirus serotypes, but the sequence from bp 9 to 18 is conserved in
      all human serotypes, suggesting that it may be of critical importance to origin
      function. Using an in vitro system in which purified fractions or crude extracts
      of adenovirus type 4-infected HeLa cells can support initiation and elongation on
      linearized plasmid templates containing cloned origin sequences, we examined the
      effect of single base changes in positions 9 to 18 of the adenovirus origin on
      DNA replication in vitro. Changes in positions 12 to 16 have little effect,
      whereas alterations at positions 9, 10, 11, 17, and 18 all reduce the efficiency
      of initiation of DNA replication by between 50 and 90%. Our results show that the
      region from bp 9 to 18 contains two sets of bases essential for DNA replication
      which are separated by 5 bp in which single base changes can be accommodated. The
      likely role of the region from bp 9 to 18 as containing the recognition sequence
      for a DNA-protein interaction essential for viral DNA replication is discussed.

PMID- 1870211
TI  - Antibody enhancement of respiratory syncytial virus stimulation of leukotriene
      production by a macrophagelike cell line.
AB  - The clinical and epidemiologic features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
      infections suggest that RSV-specific antibody may sometimes contribute to the
      disease process. Recently, it has been demonstrated that virus-specific antibody
      can enhance RSV infection of macrophagelike cells in vitro. We evaluated the
      possibility that antibody might also enhance RSV stimulation of the bronchoactive
      mediator of inflammation leukotriene C-4 (LTC4)in a macrophagelike cell line,
      U937. The addition of RSV led to little increase in LTC4 production, but addition
      of RSV plus anti-RSV antibody increased production to a level similar to that
      achieved with calcium ionophore, a known stimulator of LTC4 production. The
      antibody-enhanced increase in LTC4 production occurred rapidly (within 15 min),
      peaked at 60 min, and achieved levels 1.5- to 3.0-fold above that for cells or
      cells plus virus. RSV plus anti-RSV antibodies in the form of polyclonal serum,
      monoclonal antibodies, or F(ab')2 fragments and parainfluenza virus types 1 and 3
      plus their respective antibodies all increased LTC4 levels over that for the
      virus alone. These results demonstrate that antibody plus the corresponding virus
      or protein can increase leukotriene production. This phenomenon could contribute
      to diseases, such as RSV bronchiolitis, that appear to be caused by an
      interaction between the virus (or antigen) and host immunity.

PMID- 1870212
TI  - Proteolytic conversion of hepatitis B virus e antigen precursor to end product
      occurs in a postendoplasmic reticulum compartment.
AB  - At least two proteolytic events are involved in the biogenesis of hepatitis B
      virus e antigen. The first proteolytic event removes the signal peptide and
      results in the translocation of the precursor protein, P22, into the lumen of the
      endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The second proteolytic event removes the carboxy
      terminal arginine-rich sequence of P22 and converts it to the 16-kDa hepatitis B
      virus e antigen end product. In contrast to the first proteolytic event, the
      second proteolytic event is suppressed by brefeldin A, a chemical that inhibits
      the transport of protein from the ER to the Golgi apparatus. In subcellular
      fractionation experiments, P22 was detected in both the ER and the Golgi
      fractions, but P16 was detected only in the Golgi fraction. On the basis of these
      results, we conclude that the conversion of P22 to P16 occurs ina post-ER
      compartment, mostly likely the Golgi apparatus.

PMID- 1870213
TI  - Cytopathic variants of an attenuated isolate of human immunodeficiency virus type
      2 exhibit increased affinity for CD4.
AB  - Naturally occurring isolates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been
      described which are deficient in their ability to fuse with and kill CD4+ target
      cells. Although the molecular basis for their attenuation has not yet been
      defined, several lines of evidence point toward the viral envelope gene as a key
      determinant of viral pathogenicity. In the present article, we report the
      biological characterization of two highly cytopathic variants derived by repeated
      cell-free passage of an attenuated isolate of HIV type 2 (HIV-2), termed HIV
      2/ST. Unlike the parental virus, the cytopathic variants were found to infect Sup
      T1 cells with great efficiency and to induce both cell fusion and profound
      killing in these cultures. To determine whether changes in the viral envelope
      gene were responsible for the observed phenotypic differences, we examined the
      CD4 binding affinity of these viruses using a novel assay designed to quantitate
      the binding of fluoresceinated CD4 to viral envelope in its native configuration
      on the cell surface. The results demonstrated that the affinity of parental HIV
      2/ST envelope for CD4 was 2 orders of magnitude reduced, while the cytopathic
      variants exhibited a high CD4 binding affinity, comparable to that of cytopathic
      HIV-1 and HIV-2 isolates. From these data, we conclude that the cytopathic
      potential of HIV depends, at least in part, on its receptor-binding affinity. In
      addition, our study documents strong selection pressures for viruses with
      increased CD4 affinity during propagation in immortalized T-cell lines, thus
      emphasizing the need to study HIV envelope biology in natural target cells.

PMID- 1870214
TI  - The Lang strain of reovirus serotype 1 and the Dearing strain of reovirus
      serotype 3 differ in their sensitivities to beta interferon.
AB  - Replication of the Dearing strain of reovirus serotype 3 in mouse L cells was
      decreased 17- to 100-fold when a saturating dose of beta interferon (1,000 IU/ml)
      was used. Replication of the Lang strain of reovirus serotype 1 was inhibited
      only two- to threefold under similar conditions. It therefore appears that
      closely related strains of reovirus differ in their sensitivities to beta
      interferon treatment of mouse L cells.

PMID- 1870215
TI  - Overexpression of the gag-pol precursor from human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      proviral genomes results in efficient proteolytic processing in the absence of
      virion production.
AB  - The expression of the gag-pol polyprotein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      (HIV-1) occurs via ribosomal frameshifting between the gag and pol genes. Because
      low levels of the gag-pol precursor are naturally produced in HIV-1-infected
      cells, a limited amount of information is available on the biology of this
      molecule. To further study this polyprotein, two mutant HIV-1 proviral genomes
      were created to position the gag and pol genes in the same translational reading
      frame. The mutations inserted a single thymidine nucleotide at the site of
      ribosomal frameshifting (nucleotide 1635), which results in the addition of a
      phenylalanine residue (frameshift 1 [FS1]), or a single adenine nucleotide, which
      results in the addition of a leucine residue (frameshift 2 [FS2]). Transfection
      of the mutant proviral genomes into COS-1 cells resulted in the expression of the
      p160gag-pol polyprotein precursor as well as the proteolytically processed gag
      and pol gene products. Metabolic labeling of the transfected cells with
      [3H]myristic acid revealed that the p160gag-pol and p17gag proteins expressed
      from the mutant genomes were myristylated. While the supernatants from COS-1
      cells transfected with wild-type or mutant proviral genomes contained similar
      amounts of p24 antigen, the levels of reverse transcriptase were, on the average,
      10 times greater in the supernatants from cells transfected with the FS1 and FS2
      proviral genomes. The cells transfected with the wild-type proviral genome
      released infectious viral particles, while the mutant proviral genomes released
      p24 and reverse transcriptase in the absence of detectable particle formation.
      The mutant proviral genomes were completely noninfectious as determined by
      coculture of the transfected COS-1 cells with SupT1 cells. These results
      demonstrate that the gag-pol polyprotein of HIV-1 contains the appropriate
      signals for proteolytic processing and association with intracytoplasmic
      membranes in the absence of virion formation.

PMID- 1870216
TI  - A nested set of eight RNAs is formed in macrophages infected with lactate
      dehydrogenase-elevating virus.
AB  - Total RNA was extracted from primary cultures of mouse macrophages isolated from
      10-day-old mice 6 to 12 h postinfection with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating
      virus (LDV). Poly(A)+ RNA was extracted from spleens of 18-h LDV-infected mice.
      The RNAs were analyzed by Northern (RNA) blot hybridization with a number of LDV
      specific cDNAs as probes. A cDNA representing the nucleocapsid protein (VP-1)
      gene located at the 3' terminus of the viral genome (E. K. Godeny, D. W.
      Speicher, and M. A. Brinton, Virology 177:768-771, 1990) hybridized to viral
      genomic RNA of about 13 kb plus seven subgenomic RNAs ranging in size from about
      1 to about 3.6 kb. Two other cDNA clones hybridized only to the four or five
      largest subgenomic RNAs, respectively. In contrast, two cDNAs encoding continuous
      open reading frames with replicase and zinc finger motifs hybridized only to the
      genomic RNA. The replicase motif exhibited 75% amino acid identity to that of the
      1b protein of equine arteritis virus (EAV) and 44% amino acid identity to those
      of the 1b proteins of coronaviruses and Berne virus. Combined, the results
      indicate that LDV replication involves formation of a 3'-coterminal-nested set of
      mRNAs as observed for coronaviruses and toroviruses as well as for EAV, with
      which LDV shares many other properties. Overall, LDV, like EAV, possesses a
      genome organization resembling that of the coronaviruses and toroviruses.
      However, EAV and LDV differ from the latter in the size of their genomes, virion
      size and structure, nature of the structural proteins, and symmetry of the
      nucleocapsids.

PMID- 1870218
TI  - Medical schools in Canada.

PMID- 1870217
TI  - Medical schools in the United States.

PMID- 1870219
TI  - E. Grey Dimond, MD--the 'counterculture' medical educator.

PMID- 1870220
TI  - A piece of my mind. Educational malpractice.

PMID- 1870221
TI  - Educational programs in US medical schools.
AB  - One noteworthy finding for the 1990-1991 academic year is the increasing number
      of applicants to medical school, coupled with stabilization in the credentials of
      accepted applicants. This increase appears to be reversing the downward trend of
      the 1980s. The percentages of women and total minority students in the entering
      class increased from the previous year. The prevalence of instructional formats
      such as problem-based learning and computer-assisted instruction illustrates that
      medical schools are willing to experiment with educational innovation. A number
      of schools are in the process of curriculum review, which may lead to important
      changes. The financial support offered by private foundations interested in
      curriculum innovation, for some, will be an added stimulus for change. While the
      majority of medical schools continue to require that students take the
      examinations and the subject tests of the NBME, evaluation formats that test
      clinical skills are receiving increased attention. The number of schools using
      multiple station examinations (often with standardized patients) is rising. The
      impact of the new US Medical Licensing Examination on medical school curricula
      should be analyzed in the future. Although steady increases have been reported in
      the number of medical school faculty members, especially clinical faculty, there
      is little information about how these faculty members apportion their time
      between teaching, research, and patient care. The assumption is that the
      increases are primarily driven by medical schools' need to provide clinical
      services, which are a source of income. Another explanation for faculty increases
      could relate to the need for more faculty involvement in educational innovations
      such as problem-based learning and new methods of clinical skills evaluation,
      which are relatively more faculty-intensive. Continued monitoring of the growth
      in clinical faculty will be necessary, as will more careful analysis of how
      medical school faculty spend their time. Since medical school faculty who have
      heavy involvements in teaching frequently do not receive appropriate recognition
      or reward, it will also be interesting to examine the effectiveness of diverse
      incentives used by the schools to reward teaching faculty. An appropriate reward
      system for teaching is important if undergraduate medical education is to command
      a high priority in institutions awarding the doctor of medicine degree.

PMID- 1870222
TI  - Selected characteristics of graduate medical education in the United States.
AB  - For the second year, the Department of Data Systems in the Medical Education
      Group of the American Medical Association gathered information on graduate
      medical education primarily by means of an electronic data collection system.
      Eighty-eight percent of 6622 programs surveyed responded, with 83% reporting
      detailed information on residents. Analysis of graduate medical education data
      shows that the number of residents increased by 34.9% from the academic years
      1980-1981 to 1990-1991, while the number of graduate year 1 residents decreased
      by 2%. In the same decade, the proportion of women residents increased by 7.1%.
      The number of minorities in graduate medical education has grown, but their
      proportions within the total resident population have remained largely unchanged.
      The number of graduates from schools of osteopathic medicine has increased by
      265% over the same 10-year period. Between 1989 and 1990, a 31.6% increase was
      recorded in the number of international medical graduates in graduate year 1
      residency positions; most of this increase (63.4%) occurred among noncitizens of
      the United States.

PMID- 1870223
TI  - Refocusing support and direction.

PMID- 1870224
TI  - Licensure and international medical graduates.

PMID- 1870225
TI  - Student attrition. A challenge for allied health education programs.
AB  - The Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA) attrition
      data, collected annually by the American Medical Association (AMA), are
      nationally representative and constitute the largest source of information on
      attrition and retention in allied health education. These data provide a
      cornerstone for education and manpower planning. Consistent with previous years,
      men who were enrolled in CAHEA-accredited allied health education programs for
      the 1989-1990 academic year were significantly more likely to be lost to
      attrition than were women. When compared with all other categories of race and
      ethnic origin, black students not of Hispanic origin showed a significantly
      higher attrition rate (25.4%), while students designated as Asian or Pacific
      Islander showed a significantly lower rate (13%). Congruent with attrition data
      documented in the literature, CAHEA attrition data show wide variances across 26
      allied health occupations and within the three disciplinary groupings that
      comprise approximately 75% of all CAHEA-accredited programs. Attrition rates
      measured by the type of sponsoring institution range from 7.1% (academic health
      centers and medical schools) to 24.3% (vocational and technical schools).
      Programs sponsored by for-profit institutions and federal government-owned
      institutions report substantially higher attrition rates, 25.1% and 21.1%,
      respectively.

PMID- 1870226
TI  - Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation. Assessing educational
      outcomes and assuring quality.

PMID- 1870227
TI  - Medical competence and performance assessment. A new era.

PMID- 1870228
TI  - A study in post-Flexner survival. The Medical College of the State of South
      Carolina, 1913.
AB  - The Flexner report of 1910 resulted in the closing of many marginal medical
      schools and opened a new era in medical education in the United States. Caught in
      Abraham Flexner's net were several old schools with long histories and, as he
      said, "traditions and a certain present dignity" that lacked the minimum
      resources needed to meet the standards of the Council on Medical Education of the
      American Medical Association. One example was the Medical College of the State of
      South Carolina. It was consigned to oblivion in Flexner's plan, but survived.
      Dean Robert Wilson, MD, in his efforts to save his school, turned politician,
      enlisted the aid of the state's highly controversial governor, and initiated an
      effective lobbying campaign in the state legislature. The Council on Medical
      Education became involved unofficially in the person of its secretary, Nathan P.
      Colwell, MD. His presence in South Carolina was turned to advantage by Wilson and
      others and contributed substantially to the success of their efforts.

PMID- 1870229
TI  - US medical school finances.

PMID- 1870230
TI  - Medical education and financial assistance programs sponsored by US government
      agencies.

PMID- 1870231
TI  - Partnerships in medical education.

PMID- 1870232
TI  - Hospital-wide program identifies battered women; offers assistance.

PMID- 1870233
TI  - Tools available for health care providers whose patients are at risk for domestic
      violence.

PMID- 1870234
TI  - Duluth takes firm stance against domestic violence; mandates abuser arrest,
      education.

PMID- 1870235
TI  - From the National Institutes of Health.

PMID- 1870236
TI  - From the Centers for Disease Control. Multistate outbreak of Salmonella poona
      infections--United States and Canada, 1991.

PMID- 1870237
TI  - From the Centers for Disease Control. Use of folic acid for prevention of spina
      bifida and other neural tube defects--1983-1991.

PMID- 1870238
TI  - A piece of my mind. Soliloquy.

PMID- 1870239
TI  - Do Dna: alcoholism in the Soviet Union.

PMID- 1870240
TI  - Hippocracy.

PMID- 1870241
TI  - Opinion leaders vs audit feedback to implement practice guidelines.

PMID- 1870242
TI  - The epidemiologic necropsy for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

PMID- 1870243
TI  - Pseudotumor cerebri associated with danazol withdrawal.

PMID- 1870244
TI  - Financial threats to hospital libraries.

PMID- 1870245
TI  - Measles in New York City.

PMID- 1870246
TI  - Purpura due to inhaled quinidine.

PMID- 1870247
TI  - Long-term mortality after 5-year multifactorial primary prevention of
      cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged men.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term effects of multifactorial primary
      prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). DESIGN: The 5-year randomized,
      controlled trial was performed between 1974 and 1980. The subjects and their risk
      factors were reevaluated in 1985. Posttrial mortality follow-up was continued up
      to December 31, 1989. SETTING: Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki,
      Finland, and Second Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki. PARTICIPANTS:
      In all, 3490 business executives born during 1919 through 1934 participated in
      health checkups in the late 1960s. In 1974, 1222 of these men who were clinically
      healthy, but with CVD risk factors, were entered into the primary prevention
      trial; 612 were randomized to an intervention and 610 to a control group.
      INTERVENTIONS: During the 5-year trial, the subjects of the intervention group
      visited the investigators every fourth month. They were treated with intensive
      dietetic-hygienic measures and frequently with hypolipidemic (mainly clofibrate
      and/or probucol) and antihypertensive (mainly beta-blockers and/or diuretics)
      drugs. The control group was not treated by the investigators. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Total mortality, cardiac mortality, mortality due to other causes.
      RESULTS: Total coronary heart disease risk was reduced by 46% in the intervention
      group as compared with the control group at end-trial. During 5 posttrial years,
      the risk factor and medication differences were largely leveled off between the
      groups. Between 1974 and 1989 the total number of deaths was 67 in the
      intervention group and 46 in the control group (relative risk [RR], 1.45; 95%
      confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 2.08; P = .048); there were 34 and 14 cardiac
      deaths (RR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.31 to 4.46; P = .001), two and four deaths due to
      other CVD (not significant), 13 and 21 deaths due to cancer (RR, 0.62; 95% CI,
      0.31 to 1.22; P = .15), and 13 and one deaths due to violence (RR, 13.0; 95% CI,
      1.70 to 98.7; P = .002), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis of
      treatments in the intervention group did not explain the 15-year excess cardiac
      mortality. CONCLUSION: These unexpected results may not question multifactorial
      prevention as such but do support the need for research on the selection and
      interaction(s) of methods used in the primary prevention of cardiovascular
      diseases.

PMID- 1870248
TI  - The geographic spread and temporal increase of the Lyme disease epidemic.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the temporal and geographic progression of the Lyme
      disease epidemic in New York State from 1977 through 1989. DESIGN: Communicable
      disease surveillance system. SETTING: Statewide. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The
      progression of the epidemic was examined by analyzing trends in Lyme disease
      cases reported to the state surveillance system, town and county Lyme disease
      incidence rates, Lyme disease hospital discharge rates, and the distribution of
      Ixodes dammini ticks obtained from surveillance efforts and submitted for
      identification. MAIN RESULTS: The number of confirmed Lyme disease cases in New
      York has increased with concurrent increases in the number of hospital
      discharges. The number of counties endemic for Lyme disease increased from four
      to eight between 1985 and 1989. The number of counties with documented I dammini
      ticks increased from four in 1985 to 22 in 1989. Incidence of the disease also
      increased within known endemic counties. CONCLUSIONS: Tick surveillance indicated
      that the range of I dammini has expanded annually into areas up to 384 km from
      the original known endemic areas of Long Island, NY, and Connecticut. Cumulative
      data from human surveillance resources document both temporal increases and
      geographic expansion of the Lyme disease epidemic in New York.

PMID- 1870249
TI  - Reducing HIV sexual risk behaviors among runaway adolescents.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Reductions in runaways' sexual risk behaviors were evaluated in
      response to an intensive program to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
      infection and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). DESIGN: In a
      nonrandomized control trial, sexual risk behaviors among 78 runaways at one
      residential shelter who received up to 30 HIV/AIDS intervention sessions were
      compared with 67 runaways at a nonintervention shelter with sexual behaviors
      assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months. SETTING: Runaways were recruited from
      the only two publicly funded shelters in New York, NY. PARTICIPANTS: The runaways
      were aged 11 to 18 years, 64% female, and predominantly black or Hispanic.
      INTERVENTION: The intervention addressed general knowledge about HIV/AIDS, coping
      skills, access to health care and other resources, and individual barriers to
      safer sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Consistent condom use, a high-risk pattern of
      sexual behavior, and sexual abstinence over a 3-month time frame were assessed.
      MAIN RESULTS: As the number of intervention sessions increased, runaways' reports
      of consistent condom use increased significantly (at 3 months, unique R2 = .06, P
      less than .05; at 6 months, unique R2 = .09, P less than .05), and their reports
      of engaging in a high-risk pattern of sexual behavior decreased significantly (at
      3 months, unique R2 = .03, P = .06; at 6 months, unique R2 = .04, P less than
      .05). Abstinence did not change. CONCLUSIONS: The demonstrated effectiveness of
      the intensive HIV/AIDS program highlights the importance of enlarging the scope
      of most current HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

PMID- 1870250
TI  - Role of early fluid resuscitation in pediatric septic shock.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of the volume of fluid administered at 1
      and 6 hours after presentation, with survival and the occurrence of the adult
      respiratory distress syndrome, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and persistent
      hypovolemia during the resuscitation of children with septic shock. SETTING AND
      PATIENTS: All pediatric patients with septic shock presenting to the emergency
      department over a 6-year period and having a pulmonary artery catheter inserted
      by 6 hours after presentation were identified. METHODS: Patients were analyzed
      together and in three groups based on fluid volume in the first hour: group 1,
      less than 20 mL/kg; group 2, 20 to 40 mL/kg; and group 3, more than 40 mL/kg.
      Adult respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed by the presence of alveolar
      infiltrates, hypoxemia, and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 15 mm Hg or
      less. Cardiogenic pulmonary edema was diagnosed similarly, except the pulmonary
      capillary wedge pressure was greater than 15 mm Hg. Hypovolemia was diagnosed by
      the presence of oliguria, hypotension, and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
      of 8 mm Hg or less 6 hours after presentation. RESULTS: We identified 34 patients
      (median age, 13.5 months). At 1 and 6 hours, respectively, group 1 (n = 14)
      received 11 +/- 6 and 71 +/- 29 mL/kg (mean +/- SD) of fluid; group 2 received 32
      +/- 5 and 108 +/- 54 mL/kg of fluid; and group 3 received 69 +/- 19 and 117 +/-
      29 mL/kg of fluid. Survival in group 3 (eight of nine patients) was significantly
      better than in group 1 (six of 14 patients) or group 2 (four of 11 patients).
      Adult respiratory distress syndrome developed in 11 patients (32%) and
      cardiogenic pulmonary edema developed in five patients (15%). Having adult
      respiratory distress syndrome was associated with increased mortality, but adult
      respiratory distress syndrome was not increased in any group. Similarly,
      cardiogenic pulmonary edema was not associated with the fluid volume received or
      with decreased survival. Hypovolemia occurred in six patients in group 1 and two
      patients in group 2; all eight subsequently died. CONCLUSION: Rapid fluid
      resuscitation in excess of 40 mL/kg in the first hour following emergency
      department presentation was associated with improved survival, decreased
      occurrence of persistent hypovolemia, and no increase in the risk of cardiogenic
      pulmonary edema or adult respiratory distress syndrome in this group of pediatric
      patients with septic shock.

PMID- 1870251
TI  - The National Library of Medicine. Evolution of a premier information center.
AB  - From a small collection of medical publications in the Surgeon General's Office
      in 1836, the National Library of Medicine has developed into the leading
      repository of medical information in the world. Despite strong opposition and
      impediments from certain quarters, involving considerable machinations and
      intrigue, the determination of interested medical leaders and sympathetic members
      of Congress triumphed in having this remarkable institution established on the
      campus of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. As a participant in
      many of the negotiations preceding that decision, I have happily witnessed the
      transformation of the Library, long housed in cramped, makeshift quarters, to its
      present magnificent structures in the heart of our nation's foremost medical
      research center. Its prodigious collection of print, audiovisual, and electronic
      information; its imaginative research projects; its excellent outreach program;
      and its innovative services and products are indispensable to all practicing
      health professionals, scientists, and medical educators, as well as to
      journalists, government officials, and others. The ultimate beneficiary, of
      course, is the patient.

PMID- 1870252
TI  - National medical response to mass disasters in the United States. Are we
      prepared?
AB  - Preparing for a resuscitation response to mass disasters, such as major
      earthquakes or industrial disasters, requires revisions of present local,
      regional, and national disaster plans. These should include the following: (1)
      life-supporting first aid and basic rescue capability of the lay public; (2)
      advanced trauma life support and advanced (heavy) rescue capability brought
      quickly to the scene from local and surrounding (regional) emergency medical
      services systems; and (3) trauma hospitals sending medical resuscitation teams
      to, and receiving casualties from, the disaster scene for resuscitative surgery
      and definitive care. Local and regional everyday emergency medical services
      systems would respond first. The armed forces should help, at least for transport
      and security. We propose that the National Disaster Medical System replace its
      civil defense model with an emergency medical services model, designed to
      mobilize rapid support for local emergency medical services systems from
      regional, state, and national resources. Coordination should be by one federal
      agency, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which, however, needs to
      focus more on resuscitation through physician input.

PMID- 1870253
TI  - Photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy. Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy
      Study Research Group.

PMID- 1870254
TI  - Status of a national disaster medical response.

PMID- 1870255
TI  - The latest report from Finland. A lesson in expectations.

PMID- 1870256
TI  - Lyme disease. Tracking an epidemic.

PMID- 1870257
TI  - Research funding and the media.

PMID- 1870258
TI  - The irreplaceable gift.

PMID- 1870259
TI  - [Humoral regulation of stem cell proliferation].
AB  - The central feature of hematopoiesis is life-long, stable cell renewal. This
      process is supported by hemopoietic stem cells which, in the steady state, appear
      to be dormant in cell cycling. The recruitment of the dormant stem cells into
      cell cycle may be promoted by such factors as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6,
      granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and newly discovered IL-11. The
      effects of IL-1 on stem cells may be indirect. Once the stem cells leave Go and
      begin proliferation, the subsequent process is characterized by continued
      proliferation and differentiation. Though several models of stem cell
      differentiation have been proposed, micromanipulation studies of individual
      progenitors suggest that the commitment of multipotential progenitors to single
      lineages is a stochastic process. The proliferation of early hemopoietic
      progenitors requires the presence of IL-3 and/or IL-4, and the intermediate
      process appears to be supported by granulocyte/macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF). Once the
      progenitors are committed to individual lineages, the subsequent maturation
      process appears to be supported by late-acting, lineage-specific factors such as
      erythropoietin (erythropoiesis), G-CSF (neutrophil production), and IL-5
      (eosinophilopoiesis). Thus, hemopoietic proliferation appears to be regulated by
      a cascade of factors directed at different developmental stages.

PMID- 1870260
TI  - [Chromosome rearrangements in leukemia].
AB  - Information on the presence of specific chromosomal structural abnormalities in
      certain tumors has been increasing. Although the tumor specific chromosomal
      abnormalities were deemed important, it was not until the chromosomal location of
      several oncogenes was determined that the real molecular significance became
      apparent. It now appears that many of the genes associated with animal tumors are
      located near specific translocations in human cancers. The specificity of
      chromosomal changes have not only been used diagnostically and prognostically,
      but also they present key information for the molecular analysis in determining
      the nature of the genes of human neoplasia. In recent years, great advances have
      been made in our understanding of the molecular structure of the specific
      chromosomal translocations in certain hematologic disorders. The present report
      will briefly describe chromosomal rearrangements and how oncogenes or cancer
      related genes involved can be affected.

PMID- 1870261
TI  - [Chemotherapy of malignant lymphoma, with special regard to non-Hodgkin's
      lymphomas].
AB  - Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas was considered an incurable disease 20 years ago, but it
      is now possible to administered intensive combination chemotherapy thanks to the
      development of new anticancer agents and the sophistication of their
      administration, making it possible to increase both the complete response rate
      and the 2-year survival rate to more than 80%. The outcome is that more than 50%
      of cases are now curable. One significant feature of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in
      Japan is the fact that the prevalence of T-cell lymphomas, which is unfavorable,
      is higher than in Western nations. A check of the survival time of non-Hodgkin's
      lymphomas between the five years ending in 1970 and those beginning in 1971
      indicates that it was significantly extended. In cases to which BACOP, HOP and
      other agents were concurrently administered during the initial course of
      treatment, the complete response rate increased over 70%, and the median survival
      time at 45 months, making it possible to hopes on the future development of
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 1870262
TI  - [Intimal injury and thrombus formation].
AB  - One of the most important factor of thrombosis is intimal injury. We examined the
      morphology of thrombogenesis in the large artery using the rabbit as an
      experimental animal. When the intima was injured by a balloon catheter, we
      observed the adhesion of platelets onto the denuded area of the intima with
      various degrees of aggregation. Fibrinogen, fibronectin and vWF were observed on
      the surface of the aggregated platelets. In the raised thrombi induced by a
      polyethylene tubing fibrin thread formation was observed among the aggregated
      platelets. In the injured site showing interruption of internal elastic lamina by
      polyethylene tubing or wire tubing prominent fibrin formation was observed. The
      intima showing fibrous thickening which was induced by polyethylene tubing 3
      weeks before the second injury also revealed prominent fibrin formation after the
      second injury. These thickened intima is considered to have an availability of a
      large amount of tissue factor for the activation of coagulation system than the
      normal intima.

PMID- 1870263
TI  - [Domain structure of human von Willebrand factor, and its modulators involved in
      the platelet adhesion process in vitro].
AB  - von Willebrand factor (vWF), a macromolecular glycoprotein synthesized in
      endothelial cells and megakaryocytes circulates in blood as heterogenous
      multimers and plays a critical role in the formation of platelet plugs. vWF is
      composed of an identical subunit with a molecular weight (MW) of 270 kDa, which
      is held together by disulfide bonds. Functional domains of vWF for factor VIII,
      heparin, platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib, collagen, and GP IIb/IIIa locate in this
      order from the N-to C-terminus of subunit. The GP Ib binding domain is cryptic in
      normal circulation and only becomes expressed when vWF is associated with the
      subendothelial matrix or with fibrin. In vitro, an antibiotic ristocetin or the
      snake venom botrocetin isolated from Bothrops jararaca mimics the active
      component of subendothelial matrix and causes the binding of vWF to GP Ib. To
      elucidate the mechanism of in vitro process of vWF-GPIb binding, we describe here
      the isolation and characterization of two distinct forms of botrocetin. Since
      ristocetin is a heavily glycosylated proteoid, it is hard to characterize the
      structure on the basis of amino acid analysis. The apparent MW of the one-chain
      botrocetin was 28 kDa before and 32 kDa after reduction of disulfide bonds, while
      that of the two-chain botrocetin was 27 kDa before and 15/14.5 kDa after
      reduction. Amino acid composition of the two species revealed a similar high
      content of potentially acidic residues (greater that 60 Asx and Glx
      residues/molecules) but significant differences in the content of Cys and Phe
      residues. The N-terminal sequence of the one-chain was Ile-Ile/Val-Ser-Pro-Pro
      Val-Cys-Gly-Asn-Glu-.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870264
TI  - [Clinical and genetic aspects of antithrombin III deficiency and abnormal
      antithrombin III].
AB  - Antithrombin III (AT III) has been confirmed to play an important role as a
      serine protease inhibitor in the mechanism of blood coagulation, and its
      deficiency or abnormality is found to cause thromboembolic disorders by reducing
      the anticoagulant activity. In this paper AT III gene of patient with congenital
      AT III deficiency, which was suggested to have qualitative abnormality by
      isoelectric focusing, was investigated. Analysis of the genomic structure by
      Southern blot hybridization with a cDNA probe (pAT6) revealed no detectable
      changes indicating any deletions, rearrangements and translocations. Therefore,
      we focused to analyze the sequence of exon 6 of AT III gene by polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) methods followed by direct sequencing analysis. Nucleotide
      sequencing of exon 6 of AT III gene showed a G to T transitional mutation
      resulting in the conversion of arginine-406 to methionine coexisted with normal
      allele which encodes arginine. The mutation is located near the reactive center
      of AT III molecule, which region has been proved to be highly conserved during
      the evolution of serine protease inhibitor (serpin) family. From these results,
      it is concluded that the new type of mutation at amino acid site 407, which is
      similar to AT III Utah, is important for maintaining the structural and
      biological function of this inhibitor.

PMID- 1870265
TI  - [Type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor: its role in biological reactions].
AB  - The endothelial cells (ECs) are antithrombotic in the physiological states and
      maintains the integrity of blood circulation. However, ECs turn to be thrombotic
      upon being stimulated by various physiological mediators. These functions are
      mainly achieved by changing specific protein synthesis in ECs. Type 1 plasminogen
      activator inhibitor (PAI-1) is a serine protease inhibitor synthesized by ECs and
      thought to play a crucial role in the regulation of fibrinolysis. Basic research
      as well as clinical studies support this hypothesis. PAI-1 is a physiological
      inhibitor of both tissue-type plasminogen activator and urokinase-type
      plasminogen activator, key enzymes in the initiation of fibrinolysis. Thus PAI-1
      regulates not only blood clot lysis but also a wide variety of biological
      reactions occurring in extracellular matrices such as tumor metastasis,
      neovascularization, inflammation, and cell migration. PAI-1 is a glycoprotein, of
      which molecular weight is approximately 50,000. Molecular biological analyses
      indicate that PAI-1 is synthesized as a single polypeptide composed of 402 amino
      acids containing a signal peptide. After post-translational modification, PAI-1
      is secreted from ECs as a polypeptide composed of 379 amino acids and three N
      linked carbohydrates. PAI-1 lacks Cys residues, indicating that PAI-1 may not be
      rigid and thus thermolabile. In fact, PAI-1 is unstable even at 37 degrees C
      decaying into an inactive form with a biological half life of 2-3 hours. PAI-1
      binds to a cell adhesion molecule, vitronectin. The association of PAI-1 with
      vitronectin appears to stabilize PAI-1. PAI-1 in complex with vitronectin is
      still accessible to plasminogen activators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870266
TI  - [Production and secretion of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 in a
      leukemia cell line].
AB  - Differentiation-linked expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2)
      was investigated by adding cell-differentiation promoting agents [such as phorbol
      myristate acetate (PMA), retinoic acid, dexamethasone (Dex), and recombinant
      cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth
      factor-beta, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and interleukin-6 (IL-6)]
      into the culture medium of a promyelocytic leukemia cell line PL-21. PAI activity
      both in the culture medium and in the cell lysate increased approximately 70-fold
      after exposure to PMA. Both PAI-1 and PAI-2 antigens increased, but the amounts
      of the latter in the culture medium and in the cell lysate were approximately 10
      times and 2,500 times, as much, respectively, as those of the former. Dex also
      increased the intracellular PAI activity approximately 6-fold, parallel with PAI
      2 antigen. PAI-1 antigen increased only slightly in the culture medium but not in
      the cell lysate after Dex-stimulation. As with the case of PMA, TNF-alpha and IL
      6 induced PL-21 cells to macrophage-like cells, but did not affect the PAI
      activity. Thus, the increase of the PAI-2 production by PMA may not necessarily
      depend on differentiation into macrophages. Other cytokines examined did not
      increase the PAI activity. PAI-2 antigen was demonstrated in the cell lysates of
      various leukemia cells by Western blotting technique using a monoclonal antibody
      against the PAI-2 purified from PL-21 culture medium. PAI-2 antigen was
      frequently detected in the plasmas from the patients whose peripheral leukocytes
      were more than 10,000/microliters.

PMID- 1870267
TI  - [Functional domains of von Willebrand factor].

PMID- 1870268
TI  - [Treatment of 61 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia at first relapse].
AB  - Treatment results in the 61 adult patients with AML in first relapse were
      analyzed to establish a better strategy for this group of patients. These
      patients received reinduction chemotherapy during 1979-1988. Complete remission
      (CR) was obtained in 57.4% of the cases, and the probability of survival and
      remaining in CR at five years was 11.9% and 17.9%, respectively. The longer
      duration of initial remission was favorable factor for achieving second CR. Type
      of reinduction regimens which were different from those used in the initial
      induction phase did not influence the second CR rate. The use of different
      consolidation regimen appeared to favorably affect the survival and probability
      of remaining in CR.

PMID- 1870269
TI  - [Influence of healthy human bone marrow fibroblasts on differentiation and
      proliferation of human leukemic cell line HL-60].
AB  - The influence of bone marrow fibroblasts from healthy subjects on differentiation
      and clonal proliferation of HL-60 cells was studied. Clonal proliferation of HL
      60 cells was examined by using agar culture method, DNA synthesis was done by
      counting 3H-thymidine incorporation into the cells, and differentiation of the
      cells was checked by non-specific esterase staining. The bone marrow fibroblasts
      and their conditioned-medium significantly stimulated colony formation and DNA
      synthesis of HL-60 cells, but they inhibited differentiation of the HL-60 cells.
      From these results, it was suggested that the bone marrow fibroblasts stimulated
      clonal proliferation of HL-60 cells and inhibited differentiation of the cells
      through humoral factors secreted by the fibroblasts.

PMID- 1870270
TI  - [Abnormal blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in chronic myeloproliferative
      disorders].
AB  - Thirty-six patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) were studied
      as regards blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. These studies revealed various
      mild abnormalities: activated thromboplastin time (APTT) tended to prolong and
      the level of factor V decreased significantly. In several cases, the levels of D
      dimer, thrombin-antithrombin III complex and plasmin-alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor
      complex were elevated compared to normal. These results suggest that abnormal
      coagulation system in the patients with CMPD is related to low grade disseminated
      intravascular coagulation. Many coagulation factors did not correlate with
      peripheral blood cell counts. Two patients with polycythemia vera were evaluated
      for several abnormalities of the coagulation system before and during treatment.
      Coagulation abnormalities persisted after hematologic control had been achieved.
      Our results suggest that patients with CMPD have a chronic state of abnormal
      blood coagulation system even after normalization of blood cell counts.

PMID- 1870271
TI  - [Adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia with alopecia, huge tumors of scalp and wide
      destruction of cerebral bone].
AB  - We reported rare manifestations of adult T cell lymphoma/leukemia. Patient was 41
      year-old woman who has had progressive alopecia from childhood and developed
      multiple huge tumors (largest 10 x 15 cm) of scalp and wide destruction of
      cerebral bone at age of 39. A few abnormal lymphocytes (10%) appeared in the
      peripheral smear. Surface markers of peripheral lymphocytes showed two
      populations of CD4+/CD8- and CD4+/CD8+. HTLV-1 proviral DNA was demonstrated in
      the peripheral lymphocytes. Serum anti-ATLA antibodies was positive (X80). Biopsy
      of tumor revealed diffuse and large cell type of malignant lymphoma. Magnetic
      resonance imaging of head showed that tumors lysed the bone and invaded into
      cerebral regions. She was treated with CHOP regimen and irradiation, resulting of
      decreased tumor size and population of CD4+/CD8+.

PMID- 1870272
TI  - [Successful treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with consciousness disturbance
      due to hypercalcemia by the calcium-free hemodialysis and combined chemotherapy].
AB  - A 63 year-old male, who was first diagnosed as primary macroglobulinemia (IgM
      kappa type) developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after 10 month clinical course. He
      had huge, multiple intrahepatic nodular lesions and had consciousness disturbance
      due to marked hypercalcemia. Since the treatment with gluco-corticoid and
      calcitonin was not effective for the improvement of patient's general condition,
      calcium-free hemodialysis was performed. After 2-hour dialysis, serum-Ca level
      was decreased from 15. 2mg/dl to 10.0mg/dl. Histology of the aspiration biopsy
      specimen obtained from the liver showed malignant lymphoma, diffuse, large cell
      type (B cell origin). Combined chemotherapy (CHOP) was started and was quite
      effective not only for the regression of the primary lesions but also for the
      normalization of the serum-Ca level. The existence of PTH-like substance produced
      by the tumor cell was suspected and may be related to the hypercalcemia in this
      case. Finally, our results demonstrated that calcium-free hemodialysis is safe
      and highly effective for the management of hypercalcemia caused by malignancy.

PMID- 1870273
TI  - [Chronic lymphocytic leukemia with bilateral exophthalmos and visual
      disturbance].
AB  - A 61-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of progressive bilateral
      exophthalmos and visual disturbance. He was diagnosed as chronic lymphocytic
      leukemia (CLL) with stage I of Rai system. Ophthalmologic examinations suggested
      that CLL cells might have invaded diffusely to bilateral orbits. Radiation to
      orbital lesions might result in other ophthalmologic complications such as
      cataract, therefore we tried to treat him with chemotherapy alone. As a result,
      combination chemotherapy consisting of vincristine, cyclophosphamide,
      prednisolone and doxorubicin (VEPA) and additional daily oral administration of
      cyclophosphamide were effective enough for his ophthalmologic recovery.

PMID- 1870274
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease in the elderly].
AB  - The 159 patients with Parkinson's disease with onset after the age of 50 (mean:
      62.3 years) were studied with reference to diagnosis and treatment. The results
      were as follows: 1. Other than the characteristic features, the symptoms at onset
      were depression (6% of the patients), lumbago (4%), hemiplegia-like (4%) and
      dizziness (3%), causing misdiagnoses in some of the patients. Among 159 patients
      studied, the severity most frequent was Yahr stage 3 (63%) at first examination,
      indicating the necessity of earlier diagnosis. 2. Magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) of the substantia nigra and striatum was investigated using a 1.5 Tesla
      field and T2-weighted images, which gave no specific results concerning diagnosis
      and severity. However, it was useful in differential diagnosis between this
      disease and parkinsonism caused by multiple system atrophy and cerebrovascular
      diseases. 3. With 123I-IMP SPECT, decrease in blood flow in the frontal and
      temporal lobes correlated with the severity (Yahr stage) of the disease.
      Regarding cognitive functions the scores of Hasegawa's Dementia Scale and Mini
      Mental State showed a highly significant correlation with the amount of blood
      flow in frontal and parietal lobes, suggesting that dementia might be caused by
      dysfunction of these lobes. 4. In 98 patients treated with levodopa mixed with
      dopa-economizers for more than a year, the maximum improvement was small in
      severely disabled patients of Yahr stage 5 and 4 because none improved to stage
      3A or below (3A is an arbitrary criterion meaning mild involvement in stage 3
      with 3P meaning more severe cases).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870275
TI  - [Aging and graves' disease].

PMID- 1870276
TI  - [Aging and diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1870277
TI  - [Antithrombotic therapy in geriatrics].

PMID- 1870278
TI  - [Clinical and pathological study of cerebrovascular disease in the 60-101 age
      group].
AB  - The purpose of this study is to clarify the clinical and pathological
      characteristics of cerebrovascular disease in nonagenarians and centenarians. In
      all autopsied cases from 1981 to 1986 (60-101 years old, 138 men and 157 women),
      cerebrovascular disease was observed in 32 cases (90-101 years old, 8 men and 24
      women) and 174 cases (60-89 years old, 95 men and 79 women) in our hospital. The
      incidence of cerebrovascular disease was 58.3%, 68.8%, 75.1% and 64%,
      pathologically, in their sixties (60's), seventies (70's), eighties (80's) and
      over nineties (90's) respectively. In those who had cerebrovascular disease,
      cerebral infarctions were found in 79.9% of the cases of the under-90 group and
      81.2% of cases of the over-90 group. In both groups, infarction was mainly found
      in over 2 regions, in the putamen, caudate, thalamus and in the white matter and
      cortex of the frontal lobe. In the over-90 group, the medium-sized infarctions
      decreased and small-sized infarctions increased. Cerebral hemorrhages were found
      in 16.1% of cases in the under-90 group and 12.6% of cases in the over-90 group.
      In the over-90 group, large-sized hemorrhages were found in 75%, and the
      incidence of hemorrhages was 50%, 50% in the lentiform nucleus and the subcortex
      respectively. The frequency of mental symptoms, frontal signs and oral dyskinesia
      in the over-90 group was significantly higher than in the under-90 group. The
      onset of cerebrovascular attacks was unknown in 43.8% cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870279
TI  - [Age-related changes in clinical and prognostic significance of exercise-induced
      angina].
AB  - Exercise-induced angina (EA) is an important manifestation of myocardial ischemia
      in stress testing. However, whether or not the presence of EA indicates a greater
      severity and worse prognosis of coronary artery disease is uncertain. It is well
      known that the elderly have a greater prevalence of silent myocardial infarction.
      This suggests that the incidence and significance of EA in elderly patients may
      differ from those in the younger patients. Therefore, we, at first, studied the
      age-related change in the incidence of EA by reviewing 983 consecutive treadmill
      tests. Furthermore, to evaluate the age-related change of the clinical and
      prognostic significance of EA, exercise tests, angiographic findings and 29
      months follow-up data were assessed in 142 patients without prior myocardial
      infarction who underwent treadmill test and coronary angiography (CAG) for the
      investigation of coronary artery disease. The rate of positive test results among
      983 treadmill tests exceeded 30% only in patients 60 years old or older.
      Accordingly, we divided the patients into two different age groups: middle-aged
      patients (less than or equal to 59 yr, M-patients) and elderly patients (greater
      than or equal to 60 yr, O-patients). Among 983 treadmill tests, O-patients had a
      higher rate of positive results (presence of EA or positive ECG criteria) than M
      patients (36 vs. 24%, p less than 0.001). However, incidence of EA was similar in
      the 2 groups (17 vs. 14%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870280
TI  - [Crossed cerebellar atrophy following cerebrovascular lesions].
AB  - A neuroradiological study of crossed cerebellar atrophy (CCA) was performed using
      X-ray CT in 103 patients suffering from unilateral supratentorial cerebrovascular
      diseases. CCA was demonstrated in 9 (8.7%) of 103 patients. No difference between
      the occurrence of CCA in cerebral hemorrhage and that in cerebral infarction was
      found. CCA was seen in the chronic stage of cerebrovascular disease more than 3
      years since stroke occurrence, and was found to be present more frequently and to
      a greater extent 7 years later. No correlation between the site of bleeding and
      the occurrence of CCA was found. Trans-synaptic degeneration of the
      corticopontocerebellar tract was considered in CCA following putaminal and
      combined hemorrhage involving an internal capsule lesion. However, in thalamic
      hemorrhage, retrograde degeneration within the cerebellorubrothalamic tract was
      presumed. CCA following cerebral infarction was seen in patients with massive
      lesions in the territory of the middle cerebral artery. Multivariate analysis
      showed that lesions of the parietal and frontal lobes appeared to greatly
      contribute to the development of CCA. As the degeneration and atrophy in the
      thalamus on the side of the lesion appeared early and frequently, it was
      suggested that retrograde degeneration of the cerebellorubrothalamic tract
      participated, in addition to anterograde corticopontocerebellar tract
      degeneration, in CCA following middle cerebral artery infarction. It is likely
      that CCA is caused by both transsynaptic degeneration of the
      corticopontocerebellar tract and the cerebellorubrothalamic tract.

PMID- 1870281
TI  - [Frequency of complications of mitral valve prolapse in the elderly].
AB  - To evaluate the difference in the frequency of complication of mitral valve
      prolapse (MVP) according to sex in subjects aged 60 years and older, 543 patients
      (218 men and 325 women) who were diagnosed as having MVP by echocardiography at
      the Lahey Clinic Medical Center were studied. Three hundred and fourty eight
      patients had no complication of MVP (male vs female = 129:219). Infective
      endocarditis occurred in 20 patients (male vs female = 13:7). Rupture of chordae
      tendineae occurred spontaneously in 29 patients (male vs female = 20:9) and were
      associated with infective endocarditis in 8 other patients (male vs female =
      6:2). Eighteen patients required mitral valve surgery for severe mitral
      regurgitation. The frequencies of these complications were higher in males than
      those in females. Cerebral ischemic events were encountered in 54 patients. There
      was no significant difference in the frequency between male and female. In
      conclusion, MVP in elderly men might be at for cardiac complication.

PMID- 1870282
TI  - [Daily activity evaluated from total energy consumption in the chronic stage of
      myocardial infarction and limiting factors in elder patients].
AB  - In chronic case of myocardial infarction (OMI), alternation of a daily total
      energy consumption (DTEC) between in OMI and in the pre-infarction stage was
      investigated. The limiting factors of DTEC, including functional classification
      according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) subset, Forrester's hemodynamic
      subset (FS) in the stage of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), numbers of
      significant coronary arterial stenosis (NCAG), cardiac function at rest in OMI,
      for example; cardiac index (CI), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW), left
      ventricle end-diastolic pressure (EDP) and exercise tolerance in OMI, were
      considered. Subjects, consisting of 191 OMI cases, were classified into the
      younger group less than 59 years old (79 males and 10 females) and the older
      group greater than 60 years old (102 males and 23 females). Daily physical
      activity was examined by questionnaires from these patients and DTEC was
      calculated based on daily physical activity. Results in the younger group and
      older group were investigated separately. Reduction of DTEC after myocardial
      infarction was recognized in all ages and both sexes, however, reduction of DTEC
      in the older group was less than in the younger group, especially in males.
      Concerning the limiting factors of the older group, exercise tolerance in OMI was
      related to reduction of DTEC. NYHA category, FS in the AMI stage, NCAG, CI, PCW
      and EDP had no significant relation to DTEC. In addition, the effects of social
      limiting factors, for instance retirement, and mental limiting factors were
      considered to be important.

PMID- 1870283
TI  - [Computer-aided visuospatial cognitive-performance test].
AB  - The validity of a newly developed computer-aided "Visuospatial Cognitive
      Performance Test" (VCP-Test) was examined in two populations, 68 normal elderly
      volunteers (mean age, 69.5% years) and 25 patients with dementia (mean age, 68.2
      years). None of the cases in the two groups had either motor impairment or
      ataxia. The VCP-Test was a kind of vigilance task in which a subject is required
      to tap the key corresponding to the local change-over of the image on the
      computer display as quickly as possible. After 40 trials, consecutive data of
      performance efficiency were automatically displayed on the LCD display and
      printed out. A significant negative correlation between the VCP-Test and age in
      normal elderly population was recognized. Moreover, the relationship between the
      VCP-Test and the Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS), and the Mini-Mental State (MMS)
      was also significant in patients with dementia. In conclusion, the VCP-Test was
      considered to be useful for geriatric neurobehavioral functional assessment and
      for the detection of dementia.

PMID- 1870284
TI  - [Cholesterol, atherosclerosis and cerebro-cardiovascular complications in 3,236
      elderly autopsy cases].
AB  - The effect of serum cholesterol on aortic, cerebral, coronary and femoral
      atherosclerosis as well as on the incidence of cerebral and myocardial
      infarctions were analyzed in 3,236 consecutive autopsies in the elderly. Serum
      cholesterol levels declined over the age of 80 in both genders. The cholesterol
      levels of females were significantly higher than that of males in each age group
      from the sixties through the nineties. The increase in serum cholesterol was
      correlated with the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in both genders, but
      not with cerebral or femoral atherosclerosis. Slight progression of aortic
      atherosclerosis was observed when serum cholesterol was over 160 mg/dl.
      Cholesterol induced progression of coronary atherosclerosis was found in cases
      with hypertension, but not in the normotensive group. In accordance with the
      progression of coronary atherosclerosis, the incidence of myocardial infarction
      increased with an elevation of serum cholesterol levels, and this relationship
      between myocardial infarction and cholesterol levels was found only in patients
      with hypertension. No correlation was found between the incidence of cerebral
      infarction and serum cholesterol levels. It was concluded that
      hypercholesterolemia in the elderly is a risk factor of myocardial infarction in
      cases with hypertension, but is not a risk factor of cerebral infarction.

PMID- 1870285
TI  - [Noninvasive evaluation of arteriosclerotic changes in patients with diabetes
      mellitus].
AB  - In order to evaluate atherosclerotic changes in diabetes mellitus (DM), pulse
      wave velocity (PWV), forearm blood flow (FBF: by venous occlusion strain gauge
      plethysmography), forearm vascular resistance (VR: mean arterial pressure/FBF)
      and radial artery blood velocity (RABV: by ultrasonic Doppler) were determined
      noninvasively in healthy controls (n = 15) as well as age-matched diabetic
      patients with (DMHT, n = 11) or without hypertension (DMNT, n = 21). Both in
      controls and diabetic subjects, PWV demonstrated a significant positive
      correlation with age. Diabetics tended to show higher, although not significantly
      higher, PWV in comparison with controls. In controls, but not in diabetics, FBF
      and VR respectively demonstrated a significant negative and positive relationship
      with age. Diabetics younger than 50 years had a lower FBF and a higher VR in
      comparison with age-matched controls. In the DMHT group, FBF was significantly
      attenuated. There was no difference in RABV between controls and diabetic group.
      PWV did not correlate with FBF or VR. However, FBF did show a significant
      negative correlation with VR. RABV negatively correlated with FBF in diabetics,
      indicating that FBF may reflect distensibility in forearm arteries and veins.
      These results suggest that FBF may be a better arteriosclerotic index for
      resistance vessels and DM or hypertension may accelerate arteriosclerotic
      changes.

PMID- 1870286
TI  - [The relationship between the aortic pulse wave velocity and osteoporosis in
      elderly women].
AB  - The relationship between arteriosclerosis and osteoporosis (OP) was assessed in
      20 elderly women. The aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was used as the index of
      arteriosclerosis and bone mineral content (BM) of the vertebral body, which was
      measured by quantitative computed tomography, was used as an index of OP. PWV and
      BM showed a significant correlation with aging (PWV and age: r = 0.466, p less
      than 0.05, BM and age: r = -0.487, p less than 0.05). In the group in which the
      serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was higher than 180 IU/l (n = 11), there was a
      significant inverse correlation between PWV and BM (r = -0.728, p less than
      0.02). On the other hand, there was no correlation between PWV and BM in the
      group in which ALP was lower than 180 IU/l (n = 9). These results suggest that in
      cases with OP and high levels of ALP, calcium (Ca) seems to be released from the
      bone system and transferred to the wall of the aorta. The mechanism and
      pathogenesis of this Ca transference is unknown and should be investigated.

PMID- 1870287
TI  - [Morphological changes accompanying compensatory lung growth after pneumonectomy
      in rats].
AB  - To elucidate morphological change of alveoli in compensatory lung growth, left
      pneumonectomy was performed on male 4 weeks-old rats (Fischer-344) and light
      microscopic morphometry, scanning electron microscopic study and histochemistry
      using anti-bromodeoxyuridine were made. The wet lung weight and lung volume of
      the residual lungs in the pneumonectomized rats reached the same as those of sham
      operated rats at one and two weeks after the operation, respectively. From the
      data concerning the mean linear intercept in the cardiac lobe of the
      pneumonectomized rats, alveoli of two different sizes were observed, suggesting
      that the compensatory lung growth in the alveoli may take two steps or at least
      two different sizes of alveoli may exist mixed together. The data of
      histochemistry suggest that in pneumonectomized rats the alveoli beneath the
      pleura (less than 2 mm) included an increased number of S phase cells compared
      with those of deeper areas. From these morphological changes in the lungs of the
      pneumonectomized rats it is possible to suggest a hypothesis that stretch
      stimulation is the first trigger in compensatory lung growth.

PMID- 1870288
TI  - [Changes of muscarinic cholinergic binding by human lymphocytes with normal aging
      and Alzheimer's disease].
AB  - A potent, new muscarinic cholinergic antagonist, L-[N-methyl-3H] quinuclidinyl
      benzilate methyl chloride ([3H-]-NM-QNB) was used to detect functional changes of
      muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) on human lymphocytes in relation to
      age. Using techniques developed for the study of mAChR in brain homogenate,
      direct binding to whole live lymphocytes was shown for [3H]-NM-QNB. We examined
      Group of healthy adult females (41-66 years old, N = 34) and patients with
      "probable" Alzheimer's disease (55-75 years old, N = 11). It was shown that mAChR
      on lymphocytes were divided into two subtypes; high affinity (Ms) and low
      affinity types (Mw) for a ligand, [3H]-NM-QNB. For the healthy controls (age
      range 41-66 years old, N = 31), a negative correlation (r = -0.172) was found
      between Kd (Ms) and age. Also the negative correlation between Bmax (Ms) and age
      was shown to be weak (r = -0.164). The regression equations are: Y = 11.9X +
      1306.4 (Kd(Ms); N = 31) Y = -80.6X + 8296.1 (Bmax(Ms); N = 31) where, X and Y
      designate the age of individuals and Kd (or Bmax), respectively. Hence, for
      patients with Alzheimer's disease, no significant changes with age in Kd (Ms) or
      Bmax (Ms) were obtained. Furthermore, correlations between the stage of clinical
      dementia of patients and Kd (Ms), and between the staging and Bmax (Ms) were
      shown to be strong (p less than 0.05). Significant change (p less than 0.05) in
      Bmax (Ms) was recognized in lymphocytes from patients with Alzheimer's disease (N
      = 11), compared with age-matched controls (N = 20).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1870289
TI  - [An autopsy case of progressive supranuclear palsy with central pontine
      myelinolysis].
AB  - An autopsy case of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) associated with central
      pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is reported. A 73-year-old male patient suffered from
      gait disturbance for about 5 years. The clinical features were characterized by
      gradual development of supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, tremor, bradykinesia,
      rigidity, neck dystonia, dementia and pseudobulbar palsy at the advanced stage of
      his illness. Treatment with levodopa did not improve his neurological signs and
      symptoms. PSP or multiple system atrophy was considered as a clinical diagnosis
      of the patient. He died of pneumonia, acute pancreatitis and liver dysfunction in
      November 1985. The main neuropathological findings were neuronal loss and gliosis
      with neurofibrillary tangles of globose type in the globus pallidus, subthalamic
      nucleus, substantia nigra and dentate nucleus, and at the base of the pons,
      bilateral and symmetrical demyelination was found. In addition, myelin staining
      revealed circumscribed pallor in the cerebral white matter. The histologic
      diagnosis was PSP associated with CPM. An association of PSP with CPM is rare in
      the elderly and possible etiologic factors of both diseases were discussed.

PMID- 1870290
TI  - [Gentamicin kinetics in the blood and aqueous humor of the rabbit eye after
      intramuscular and subconjunctival administration].
AB  - Investigations were performed in rabbits which were given gentamycin
      intramuscularly and subconjunctivally. After subconjunctival application
      gentamycin passes quickly into the eye and its therapeutical level persists up to
      1 hour. After intramuscular injection gentamycin is passing slower into the
      aqueous but persists there longer (the therapeutical level--up to 5.5 hours).

PMID- 1870291
TI  - [Optic nerve microcirculation. III. Lamina cribrosa].
AB  - The architecture of the lamina cribrosa was investigated on the material of 160
      optic nerves of people decreased at the age of 6 months to 80 years, free of
      pathological changes of circulation. The posterior segment of lamina cribrosa is
      supplied by arterial blood from: centripetal arterioles of the pia mater,
      ramifications from the secondary and tertiary posterior short ciliary arteries
      and from the longitudinal net of capillaries of the optic nerve. The central part
      of the lamina cribrosa is supplied by the twigs of the complete or incomplete
      vascular ring of Zinn-Haller or directly from secondary twigs of choroidal
      arteries. The anterior part of lamina cribrosa is vascularized by choroidal
      vessels and in a minor part by the vascular ring of Zinn-Haller. The circulation
      in the area of lamina cribrosa is integrally connected with the system of
      posterior short ciliary arteries and the arterioles of the internal vagina of the
      optic nerve. The central retinal artery does not give up any branches in this
      region. Similarly to other segments of the optic nerve there exists an individual
      variability in the system and course of the vessels in the lamina cribrosa. The
      vascular system of lamina cribrosa is connected anteriorly with the vessels of
      the paralaminar area of the optic disc which receive vascular branches from early
      ramifications of the central retinal artery (25 p.c. of cases).

PMID- 1870292
TI  - [Effect of noise on ocular accommodation].
AB  - The goal of investigations was the determination of connection between the level
      of noise and the extra-auditory reaction of the organism--a change of the near
      point. Changes of accommodation determined by means of a black-and-white check
      board test were monitored in the course and after 1 hour exposition to noise of
      90 dB-A, 93 dB-A, 96 dB-A or 99 dB-A of the sound level. The results show that
      the deterioration of vision is a complicated exponential function of the
      intensity and time of the exposition to noise.

PMID- 1870293
TI  - [Corneal endothelial proliferation in anterior synechiae: experimental and
      clinico-histopathological studies].
AB  - Corneal endothelial proliferation over the iris was studied on experimental
      anterior synechiae in rabbits up to 6 months. Clinico-pathologic studies of 102
      post-keratoplasty eyes revealed that only 4 out of 51 anterior synechiae were
      endothelialized. In contrast all 10 leukomatous+ adhesions found in a series of
      132 eyes removed after perforating corneal trauma were endothelialized. The above
      studies suggest that the most important factor for endothelial proliferation is
      the availability of suitable substrate. The rate of growth depends on growth
      factors present in anterior chamber.

PMID- 1870294
TI  - [Pathogenesis of secondary glaucoma in epithelial invasion].
AB  - Apart from meticulous wound closure certain amount of fibrin and fibroblastic
      activity are necessary to prevent epithelial ingrowth. Prostaglandin inhibitors
      and steroid may enhance such danger. The most frequent reason for glaucoma were
      peripheral anterior synechiae. Open angle glaucoma with stratified epithelium
      lining the trabeculum was less frequent. Glaucoma can be caused by goblet cells
      produced mucus blocking the trabeculum. Desquamated epithelial cells, pupillary
      block caused by epithelial invasion of anterior hyaloid and intense inflammatory
      reaction can also exceptionally induce secondary glaucoma.

PMID- 1870296
TI  - [Examination of the visual system in boxers].
AB  - Ophthalmological examinations were performed in 139 boxers. They showed that the
      injuries concerned most frequently the ocular adnexa and not the eye globe
      itself. Only two contestants who practiced boxing for more than 10 years
      exhibited peripheral opacities of the lens and pale foci with shifting of the
      pigment at the fundus periphery connected with a deepening of the filtration
      angle; this could be caused by a contusion of the eye. It was demonstrated that
      the introduction of safety helmets distinctly reduced the number of eye injuries
      in boxing.

PMID- 1870295
TI  - [Eye tumors in children. Histopathological aspects of differential diagnosis].
AB  - Ocular tumors in children, due to their biological characteristics, possess a
      special position in ophthalmology. Most of these tumors are today curable with
      early diagnosis and correct treatment. Therefore their differential diagnosis
      should be familiar to all pediatricians and ophthalmologists. Tumors were divided
      into three groups, concerning their localization (lid and orbit, epibulbar,
      intraocular). In each group histopathologic and clinical pictures of most
      important benign (hamartomas, choristomas and pseudotumors) and malignant
      (primary and metastatic) tumors were separately described and correlated, with
      special attention paid to differential diagnosis.

PMID- 1870297
TI  - [Problems of intraocular pressure and the early period of primary open-angle
      glaucoma].
AB  - The author presents the up-to-date opinions on the problem of "normal"
      intraocular pressure connecting it with another hydro- and haemodynamic
      parameters of the eye. Subsequently he discusses the contradictory opinions
      whether one has to distinguish two clinical conditions: intraocular hypertension
      and the initial period of open angle glaucoma. According to the author the
      initiation of the ++anti-glaucoma treatment should be considered individually in
      each particular case but before the onset of changes at the fundus and before the
      impairment of the visual field.

PMID- 1870298
TI  - [Liposomes containing dexamethasone-- ophthalmic ointment].
AB  - Presented is the method of production of the liposomal form of dexamethasone. The
      liposomes have been obtained by the method of manual shaking out. Dexamethasone
      contained in liposomes MLV was connected with a base forming a 0.05% ophthalmic
      ointment. The drug prepared in this manner was used in an experimental viral
      interstitial keratitis in rabbits.

PMID- 1870299
TI  - [10-year experience with the health resort treatment of eye diseases].
AB  - Presented are the kinds of ocular diseases which can be qualified for a health
      resort therapy and the kinds of measures the most beneficial in particular cases.
      After the cure an improvement in the condition of the eyes was found in 68 p.c.
      of cases. On the basis of results one may conclude that the rehabilitating health
      resort treatment is worth to be suggested.

PMID- 1870300
TI  - [Observation or enucleation--a still unsolved problem in patients with uveal
      melanoma].
AB  - The authors performed retrospective investigations and evaluated the influence of
      the period of time between the onset of the first symptoms of the disease and the
      enucleation on the life expectations; the groups of patients treated by
      enucleation and non-treated were compared. Various opinions on the influence of
      enucleation on the prognosis in patients with uveal melanoma were discussed.

PMID- 1870302
TI  - [Anterior chamber lenses--the Pannu and other models].
AB  - Presented was the comparison of early and late complications arising after
      implantation of the anterior chamber lenses of the type Kelman Omnifit and Pannu.
      The period of postoperative observations amounted 1-3 years. It was demonstrated
      that the Pannu lenses are giving less complications; the authors are connecting
      this fact with an easier operative technique of their implantation and their
      greater ability of autoadaptation.

PMID- 1870301
TI  - [Effect of X-ray irradiation of the orbit after enucleation in patients with
      uveal melanoma].
AB  - Retrospective investigations comprising 154 patients with an uveal melanoma
      treated in the period of 1945-1984 were performed. Evaluation of the methods
      applied showed a beneficial effect of combining enucleation with a postoperative
      irradiation of the orbit.

PMID- 1870303
TI  - [Simultaneous extracapsular cataract extraction with trabeculectomy after
      uveitis].
AB  - Simultaneous cataract extraction and anti-glaucoma operation was performed in 11
      patients (16 eyes) who suffered uveitis. In all the cases extracapsular
      extraction and double trabeculectomy were performed according to personal
      modifications. The cataract was extracted by extracapsular method and
      subsequently the trabeculectomy was executed at 11 and 1 o'clock. Normalization
      of the IOP was attained in 13 eyes, 3 eyes needed application of Timolol. The
      results encourage to further use of this procedure.

PMID- 1870304
TI  - [Anterior vitrectomy in the treatment of post-traumatic defects of the eye].
AB  - The authors analyse the results of 116 operations in which they performed
      anterior vitrectomy using the Berkeley's and Opticon vitrectomes. Operations of
      this type have been performed in cases of traumatic cataract, subluxated and
      luxated lenses. One removed also post-inflammatory membranes and the vitreous
      from the anterior chamber and from the area of the wound. The functional and
      anatomical results have to be acknowledged as satisfactory.

PMID- 1870306
TI  - [Use of Nd-YAG laser in capsulotomy].

PMID- 1870305
TI  - [Nd-YAG laser in the treatment of various forms of secondary cataract].
AB  - Described is the method of secondary cataract extraction by means of a Nd-YAG
      laser; the results obtained in 34 patients (12 adults and 22 children) are
      presented. Intraoperative complications--anterior chamber haemorrhages and rise
      of the IOP among others--had a transitory character and did not influence the
      final result of treatment.

PMID- 1870307
TI  - [Pathological changes found in the lacrimal sac during nasolacrimal duct
      surgery].
AB  - In the course of 489 external dacryocystorhinostomies one found: 19 pseudotumors
      (granulomas and inflammatory granulations), 6 true tumors (1 papilloma, 1
      congenital cyst, 1 lymphoma), 6 cases of calcium deposits and stones and 1 case
      of epithelial metaplasia. The author points to a great number of pseudotumors
      which are the effect of a long-standing process of dacryocystitis treated
      conservatively without effect. She thinks that the surgical treatment should be
      undertaken as fast as possible.

PMID- 1870308
TI  - [Ultrastructure of the lacrimal film and the "dry eye" syndrome].

PMID- 1870309
TI  - [Polish contribution to the electrophysiological studies in ophthalmology. I.
      Technology and animal studies].
AB  - The methods of investigations by means of electroretinography,
      electrooculography, electronystagmography and electromyography and the use of
      visual evoked potentials are presented. Described are experimental investigations
      and the obtained results in animals (frogs, rabbits and vietnamese pigs) by
      several Polish research workers and contained in ca. 120 works published in the
      period 1960-1986.

PMID- 1870310
TI  - [Polish contribution to the electrophysiological studies in ophthalmology. II.
      Clinical studies--early detection of disorders of the visual system].
AB  - Presented are the results of Polish investigations in various ocular diseases: in
      retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataract, in disturbances of function of the ocular
      nerves and muscles and in fundus changes in general pathological conditions.
      Investigations have been carried out at the university centres of Warsaw,
      Wroclaw, Gdansk and Szczecin.

PMID- 1870312
TI  - [Medical problems of the automated control of astronauts' health].
AB  - A typical structure of an automatic complex for dynamic medical monitoring of the
      health status of crewmembers in space is described. Algorithms of medical data
      processing and data imaging are discussed. Approaches to automatic diagnosis of
      functional states are presented. Advanced automatic systems related to medical
      support of future flights to Mars are described.

PMID- 1870311
TI  - [Status of water-electrolyte homeostasis and the systems of hormonal regulation
      during 237-day space flight].
AB  - On mission days 216-219 two crewmembers collected urine and recorded their food
      and water consumption during three days on end. The cosmonaut-physician withdrew
      blood samples from the vein and finger. In addition, he made venipuncture to
      himself and drew blood. Urine and blood samples were frozen and returned to the
      ground for analysis. In spite of individual variations of each cosmonaut, they
      all showed a trend for water and sodium retention which was provided by adequate
      hormonal rearrangement, i. e. increased production of ADH and aldosterone. No
      disorders in calcium and phosphorus metabolism were seen. Immediately postflight
      the cosmonauts displayed typical changes in fluid-electrolyte balance and renal
      function that suggested body dehydration and adjustment to Earth's gravity.

PMID- 1870313
TI  - [The main trends in the development of the equipment for physiological studies on
      the Earth and in space].
AB  - Recent advances in electronics and computers are widely used in present-day
      physiological equipment. Microprocessors are part of hardware complexes and
      nonstandard equipment. This increases significantly experimenter's capabilities
      in terms of experimental control and data processing and storage. These trends
      acquire great significance for the production of space-oriented research
      equipment in which automation of experimental control and data processing is
      highly important. Examples of experimental equipment for space physiology studies
      designed and developed through cooperative efforts of the USSR, socialist
      countries, NASA, ESA, and CERMA are considered.

PMID- 1870314
TI  - [Anthropo-ecological aspects of occupational health and various biochemical
      approaches to the problem of its evaluation in workers in high risk occupations].
AB  - This paper presents the concept of occupational health of man, interpreted as the
      process of maintenance and development of regulatory properties of the body and
      his physical, psychic and social well-being, which provide high reliability of
      his professional activities, professional longevity and maximal lifetime. The
      paper discusses the main areas of biochemical investigations to evaluate
      occupational health of the flying personnel, which include identification of
      correlates between biochemical or immune changes and pathological or premorbid
      states, that reduce tolerance to environmental effects, as well as study of
      functional specificities related to the reserves and mechanisms of implementation
      of adaptive capabilities of the human body. It gives detailed biochemical data
      derived from pilots with neurotic problems and biochemical indicators of stress
      tolerance measured during exposure to +Gz acceleration, angular acceleration,
      hyperthermia, hypoxia, and exercise.

PMID- 1870315
TI  - [The role of cholinergic regulation and stabilization of myocardial structures in
      the adaptive protection of the heart].
AB  - It was found that rat immobilization in small-size cages leb to physiological
      changes. On day 1 it was a stress-reaction that resulted in decreases of the
      fibrillation threshold and arrhythmia resistance. On day 5 it was an increase in
      the vagal tone that caused noticeable atropine-relieved bradycardia. The
      fibrillation level returned to the baseline. Heart resistance to ischemic and
      reperfusion arrhythmias increased drastically as compared to the control level.
      On day 15 the vagal effect declined to reach the baseline; in spite of this heart
      tolerance to reperfusion arrhythmias further increased. This was followed by
      enhanced resistance of isolated hearts of the adapted animals to the reperfusion
      paradox and tonic concentrations of epinephrine and Ca2+, which indicated the
      formation of the phenomenon of adaptation stabilization of cardiac structures.
      After termination of the 5-day stressogenic exposure the cholinergic stress
      limiting protection of the heart disappeared rapidly, i. e. within 12 hours. The
      protective effect of the adaptation stabilization phenomenon, which developed
      during 15 days of the stressogenic exposure, proved to be more stable and
      persisted during 15 days after its cessation. It is concluded that, based on the
      coordination of short-term central and long-term cellular mechanisms, the animal
      body develops optimal adaptation that emerges rapidly and persists for an
      adequately long period of time. The step-by-step replacement of central
      mechanisms with cellular ones provides high reliability and efficiency of the
      protection of the heart and the entire body from extended environmental effects.

PMID- 1870317
TI  - [Reaction of various components of the erythrocyte system to periodic action of
      submaximal loads].
AB  - During repeated exposures of rats to hypergravity two stages of catabolic and
      adaptive developments in red blood were distinguished. The first stage that
      lasted about a week was characterized by decrease of resistance and hemolysis of
      red blood cells, hemosiderosis in the spleen, circulation hypoxia in the liver.
      The second stage was characterized by the predominance of adaptive processes,
      viz. increased activity of red blood cells, enhanced erythropoiesis in the spleen
      pulp, and appearance of highly active hepatocytes.

PMID- 1870316
TI  - [Contractile properties of skeletal muscles of rats after flight on "Kosmos
      1887"].
AB  - Contractile properties of skeletal muscles of rats were investigated using
      glycerinated muscle preparations that were obtained from Cosmos-1887 animals
      flown for 13 days (plus 2 days on the ground) and from rats that remained
      hypokinetic for 13 days on the ground. In the flow rats, the absolute mass of
      postural muscles remained unchanged while their relative mass increased; this may
      be attributed to their enhanced hydration which developed during the first 2 days
      after landing. Strength losses of the postural muscles were less significant than
      after previous flights. Comparison of the Cosmos-1887 and hypokinesia control
      data has shown that even 2-day exposure to 1 G after 13-day flight can modify
      drastically flight-induced changes.

PMID- 1870319
TI  - [Changes in serotonin and histamine levels in human blood after 370-day anti
      orthostatic hypokinesia].
AB  - Ten healthy men took part in a 360-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia study. They
      were subdivided into two equal groups that differed in terms of time when they
      started using counter-measures: Group A began exercising on the first day of
      exposure and Group B on bed rest day 120. As compared to the baseline, the test
      subjects showed a decrease of serotonin (Ser) and histamine (HA). The only
      exception was HA increase on bed rest day 50 in the Group A subjects. The
      difference in Ser and HA concentrations in Group A and B subjects was
      insignificant on bed rest days 110 through 350. On the 60th day after the study
      Ser and HA concentrations did not yet return to norm. These observations indicate
      that changes in the serotonin- and histaminergic systems cannot be compensated
      within the above period of time.

PMID- 1870318
TI  - [Carbohydrate and lipid metabolites and blood serum enzymes in humans during
      graded exercise test in long-term anti-orthostatic hypokinesia].
AB  - Exercise tests were carried out before as well as on days 128 and 248 of a 370
      day head-down tilt study. The test subjects, who took part in the study, were
      divided into two groups that used different regimens of countermeasures (drugs
      and exercise). During exercise tests the following serum parameters were
      measured: lactate, pyruvate, glucose, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids,
      lactate dehydrogenase, alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase,
      creatine phosphokinase. Decrease or delayed increase in the concentration of
      energy substrates (nonesterified fatty acids and triglycerides) after a standard
      exercise test is a metabolic manifestation of deconditioning changes induced by
      head-down tilting. Insufficient supply of a working human body with readily
      utilizable lipid substrates causes inadequate activation of energy forming
      enzymes and excessive buildup of metabolites, i. e. lactate and pyruvate. The
      efficacy of corrective and prophylactic measures was verified by biochemical
      data.

PMID- 1870320
TI  - [Experimental device for evaluation of physical endurance of animals].

PMID- 1870321
TI  - [Dynamics of hematocrit values in humans during space flights of varying
      duration].

PMID- 1870324
TI  - 30th annual scientific meeting of the Biological Engineering Society. Durham, 18
      20 September 1990.

PMID- 1870322
TI  - [Effect of hypokinesia on food consumption and muscular atrophy of the
      extremities in rats: effect of insulin].

PMID- 1870323
TI  - [Effectiveness of laser acupuncture in the preservation of the structure of the
      skeletal muscles during long-term hypokinesia].

PMID- 1870325
TI  - Soft layered prostheses for arthritic hip joints: a study of materials
      degradation.
AB  - A great deal of interest is being shown in complaint bearing surfaces for
      artificial joints. These produce very low friction because of the fluid-film
      lubrication that they exhibit, and therefore should produce lower wear than
      current prosthetic materials as the two surfaces of the joint are completely
      separated by a film of synovial fluid. However, one problem with soft elastic
      materials in vivo is that the elastomers may degrade with time. Specimens of four
      polyurethanes were kept in Ringer's solution at 37 degrees C for about 4 months
      to investigate changes in mechanical properties and the mode of lubrication with
      time of immersion. The materials tested were a polyether-urethane (E57), a
      polyester-urethane (E58), an aromatic polyether-urethane (P1) and an aliphatic
      polyether-urethane (A1). Samples of E57 showed a decrease in hardness and elastic
      modulus of 21% and 28% respectively. This was much better than E58 which showed
      decreases of 32% and 42% respectively. Better results were achieved with A1
      (hardness change 2%) and P1 (decrease in hardness of 14% and modulus 17%). When
      tested in a hip-function simulator, A1 showed virtually no change in its very low
      coefficient of friction (0.004), P1 showed an increase of 60%, while E57 and and
      E58 both showed a doubling in friction over the course of the study. The modes of
      in vitro degradation were considered and surface effects determined to be most
      damaging. Currently the best candidate for a compliant material in hip
      replacement is the aliphatic polyether-urethane which maintains fluid-film
      lubrication.

PMID- 1870327
TI  - A laser Doppler scanner for imaging blood flow in skin.
AB  - This paper describes a novel medical instrument that produces an image of blood
      flow in the capillaries under the skin surface. A laser beam is used to detect
      blood cell motion from the Doppler broadening of the laser light scattered from
      the skin. The image is generated by scanning the laser beam in a raster. The
      design of a practical clinical instrument is outlined and some preliminary
      results are presented.

PMID- 1870326
TI  - Glimpses into measurements of the microcirculation in skin.
AB  - There are instances when chronic disease states manifest as microvascular
      disturbances of the skin. Objective assessment of these disturbances would permit
      a better understanding of the causative factors and, in certain circumstances,
      influence decisions of clinical management. Recent advances in technology that
      permit such assessment non-invasively are evaluated in this review.

PMID- 1870328
TI  - Microwave imaging of tissue blood content changes.
AB  - Active microwave imaging gives information on the dielectric properties of of the
      body, allowing the collection of data that are distinct from, but complementary
      to, those available from other imaging methods based on different radiations. Two
      types of microwave imaging systems have been developed. The first is a planar
      system that irradiates the object with a plane wave and collects scattered phase
      and amplitude data at 1024 points on a parallel plane. The data can be
      reconstructed using a back propagation technique to give an image of the object.
      The second type of system is a tomographic scanner, consisting of a multiplexed
      64-element circular array of waveguides. The waveguides are electronically
      scanned, alternately as sources and receivers, to give a complete scan of the
      object with no mechanical movement. A tomographic 'slice' of the object is
      reconstructed using spectral domain interpolation. Both systems work at 2.45 GHz
      with an incident power less than 1 mW cm-2 at the object and require a coupling
      medium (usually water) between the object and the source/receiver. Imaging
      parameters are appropriate for clinical use: a spatial resolution of 1 cm,
      measurement time of a few seconds and contrast resolution of around 1%. The
      effects of changes in perfusion on images of isolated animal organs are
      presented. Images have also been obtained, with both systems, of the internal
      dielectric structure of the forearm and of variations in dielectric properties
      due to changes of tissue blood content effected by application and release of
      tourniquets to the upper arm. Results show that these changes are well
      demonstrated by microwave imaging, and possible clinical applications are
      discussed.

PMID- 1870329
TI  - Quantitative measurement of sympathetic neuropathy in patients with diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - Vasoconstriction occurs in the skin capillary blood flow of the healthy subject
      when posture changes from supine to standing. Using frequency analysis of the
      optical photoplethysmograph signal, a statistically significant difference (P
      less than 0.01) may be demonstrated between supine and standing positions in the
      lower frequency band (0.01-0.5 Hz) in the foot of normal subjects. This allowed
      us to develop a simple index: sympathetic power band change (SPBC). Patients with
      diabetes mellitus often suffer from degeneration in the sympathetic nervous
      system. This impairs the normal vasoconstrictor response to standing. We have
      applied the SPBC 'blind' to a group of diabetic patients. Such patients may be
      divided into three groups according to their SPBC indices: normals with SPBC
      greater than 2.6 (group A), intermediates with 2.6 greater than or equal to SPBC
      greater than or equal to 0.26 (group B) and poor with SPBC less than 0.26 (group
      C). All patients with retinopathy were in group C and five out of the six
      patients with electrophysiologically confirmed peripheral neuropathy were in
      group C. Frequency analysis of the photoplethysmograph signal has produced an
      index of sympathetic tone change when subjects move from supine to standing
      position. The application of this index to patients with diabetes mellitus shows
      some patients to have sympathetic vascular tone failure.

PMID- 1870330
TI  - Application of multilayer films to molecular sensors: some examples of
      bioengineering at the molecular level.
AB  - The Langmuir-Blodgett technique is now a well established method for producing
      ultra-thin organic films on solid surfaces. These layers could find wide ranging
      uses in electronic and optoelectronic devices, or even as the basis of artificial
      biological systems. In this paper the film deposition process is briefly
      reviewed. Examples of multilayers incorporating biological molecules are
      presented and possible applications for such films in sensing structures are
      briefly discussed.

PMID- 1870331
TI  - Current capabilities of rehabilitation robots.
AB  - Predictions are often made of intelligent and independently mobile robots for the
      disabled, and researchers are continually improving laboratory systems.
      Reductions in the cost of the technology involved may lead to affordable devices
      by the end of the decade. Less ambitious goals must be adopted by those projects
      wishing to distribute robotic aids to the disabled in the next few years. A
      modest selling price dictates the use of existing components. Even with the
      advent of more advanced robots, cost considerations may still make simpler
      devices on attractive alternative. Excessive optimism of future capabilities
      should be avoided, lest unrealistic expectations of current robotic aids hamper
      their development. Progress at all levels of rehabilitation robotics is
      complementary.

PMID- 1870332
TI  - Wear of cross-linked polyethylene against itself: a material suitable for surface
      replacement of the finger joint.
AB  - Cross-linking of polyethylene (XLPE) has dramatically improved its properties in
      industrial applications, and it may also have some application in the field of
      human joint replacement. Additionally it has the advantage of permitting a lower
      molecular weight base material to be used, so that components may be injection
      moulded rather than machined. This study therefore investigates the wear
      resistance of medical grade cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), cross-linked by a
      silane-grafting process, with a molecular weight between cross links of 5430 g
      mol(-1). This first report investigates the wear resistance of XLPE against
      itself, because for certain joints, such as the metacarpo-phalangeal joint, the
      material may have a high enough wear resistance to allow both bearing surfaces to
      be made from it. Tests were carried out both on a reciprocating pin and plate
      machine with pins loaded at 10 and 40 N and also on a new finger joint simulator,
      which simulates the loads applied to and the movements of, the metacarpo
      phalangeal joint. An average wear rate of 1.8 x 10(-6) mm3 N-1 m-1 was found
      (range 0.9-2.75 x 10(-6) mm3 N-1 m-1). This is about six times greater than the
      wear rate of non-cross-linked ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
      against stainless steel, but for applications with low loading, such as the
      metacarpo-phalangeal joint, this material is shown to have adequate wear
      resistance. The coefficient of friction was 0.1, which is similar to that of
      UHMWPE on stainless steel.

PMID- 1870333
TI  - Isotope limb blood flow measurement in patients undergoing peripheral laser
      angioplasty.
AB  - A technique of isotope limb blood flow (ILBF) measurement employing Technetium
      labelled human albumin and a gamma camera, was used to assess limb perfusion in
      19 patients undergoing percutaneous laser angioplasty, both before and one month
      after treatment. Twenty-three limbs with femoro-popliteal occlusions ranging in
      length from 3-35 cm (median 8 cm) were recanalized using an Nd-YAG laser and
      sapphire tipped optical fibre. Primary angiographic success was achieved in 19
      lesions of which 6 re-occluded within the first month, and 13 remained patent
      with relief of symptoms. Clinically successful procedures were associated with a
      large increase in ILBF. However, normal blood flow was restored in only 54% of
      limbs. There was a slight decrease in limb perfusion after failed laser
      angioplasty but this was not statistically significant in this small series.
      Furthermore, there was no clinically apparent circulatory compromise, or need for
      urgent surgical bypass in failed cases. We conclude that ILBF is a useful means
      of assessing patients undergoing laser angioplasty, particularly for detecting
      small flow changes in patients who are unable to complete a standard exercise
      test. Its use can be recommended for assessing blood flow changes following other
      forms of limb revascularization.

PMID- 1870334
TI  - Validation of a quantitative radiographic technique to estimate pulsatile blood
      flow waveforms using digital subtraction angiographic data.
AB  - We have validated a new radiographic technique for determining pulsatile volume
      flow in arteries following an intraarterial injection of contrast material.
      Instantaneous blood velocities were estimated by generating a parametric image
      from dynamic angiographic images in which the image grey level represents
      contrast material concentration as a function of time and distance along a vessel
      segment. Adjacent concentration--distance profiles in the parametric image were
      shifted with respect to distance until a match occurred. A match was defined as
      the point where the sum of squares of the differences in the two profiles was a
      minimum. The distance translated per frame interval gives the instantaneous
      contrast material bolus velocity. We have validated the technique using an
      experimental phantom of blood circulation, consisting of a pump, flexible plastic
      tubing, the tubular probe of an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) and a solenoid,
      to simulate a pulsatile flow waveform, which includes reverse flow. Small boluses
      of contrast material can be injected at various positions in the circuit.
      Measurements of pulsatile velocity flow were taken at 40 ms intervals, using a
      tube of 6.6 mm internal diameter and an imaged tube length of 200 mm. The shape
      of the flow velocity waveform was faithfully reproduced but there was an
      overestimation of peak velocity of 40% at low velocities (peak velocity of 540 mm
      s-1), reducing to 19% at peak velocities of 964 mm s-1 with an underestimation of
      16% at the peak velocities of 1899 mm s-1. The validation was repeated for
      distances ranging from 130 to 230 mm between injection and measurement sites and
      for imaged tube lengths varying from 200 to 20 mm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1870335
TI  - Electro-rheological fluids: an introduction for biomedical applications.
AB  - The subject of electro-rheology is introduced to biological engineers in a
      concise manner to allow presentation of a procedure for effective quantitative
      evaluation of possible medical applications of this new technology. More detailed
      phenomena are included in the references. Characteristics of the current best
      available fluid are given in brief.

PMID- 1870336
TI  - Clinical experience in rehabilitation robotics.
AB  - A robotic workstation system for the disabled, based on a commercially available
      arm, was tested with six patients at the Spinal Injuries Unit, Odstock Hospital,
      Salisbury. A questionnaire was administered to those who used the system. Users
      evaluated the usefulness and performance of the system and commented on their
      reactions to the use of robots in rehabilitation. The users were generally
      favourable as regards the ease of use of the system using a two-switch input,
      operating a scanning menu. All users wanted the robot to be able to replay
      previously created routines, and the majority also wanted to be able to directly
      control the robot as well. The users were unsure about the potential usefulness
      of the system. Because a robot is by definition a flexible device, the context in
      which it is introduced will effect the way it is received by potential users.
      Tests in a hospital environment are useful because there is a high concentration
      of users in their own home situations will give a better idea of the usefulness
      of such devices. The system was not ideal from the point of visibility and
      layout, and was too large for use in a domestic environment. The layout was
      largely dictated by the geometry of the manipulator. Therefore a new workstation
      system has been constructed using a purpose built manipulator. This new system
      particularly aims to overcome the poor layout of the earlier workstation and
      benefits from feedback from users.

PMID- 1870337
TI  - Effect of postural change on common femoral artery volume flow, measured by
      duplex ultrasound, in normal subjects and patients with peripheral vascular
      disease.
AB  - Regulatory peripheral vasoconstriction occurs in response to adoption of the
      erect posture. Mildly ischaemic limbs are thought to exhibit near normal
      responses, but patients with rest pain show increases in blood flow on limb
      dependency. Previous methods of limb blood flow quantification (xenon clearance
      and venous occlusion plethysmography) have inherent difficulties when applied in
      these situations. We studied orthostatic responses in 12 normal subjects (aged 22
      74 years (median 52) and 16 patients (aged 21-83 (median 48) with mild and severe
      peripheral vascular disease, using a duplex flowmeter system. In the normal
      subjects changes in the 60s mean, common femoral artery volume flow values were
      as follows (ml min-1 (1 SD]: 77 (83), -78 (116) and -190 (136), for elevation,
      dependency, and standing respectively. For claudicants (n = 7) the values were 18
      (37), -112 (123) and -216 (103) respectively. In rest pain patients (n = 9) the
      responses were reversed, being -252 (124), 131 (89) and 184 (85) respectively.
      Significant differences were apparent between elevation, dependency and standing
      flows in each of the three groups (P less than 0.0001). Normal subject and
      claudicant responses on elevation and dependency differed significantly (P less
      than 0.0001 and 0.03 respectively). On standing, the responses were similarly
      significantly different. The rest pain group displayed characteristically
      different responses compared with both normal subjects and claudicants for each
      postural change (P less than 0.0001 in all cases). Duplex ultrasound volume
      flowmetry is non-invasive and offers an excellent method of quantifying
      physiological changes.

PMID- 1870338
TI  - Accuracy of colour Doppler ultrasound velocity measurements in small vessels.
AB  - Colour Doppler ultrasound offers the possibility of imaging small vessels not
      visible by B-mode alone. The colour Doppler image of velocities allows the course
      of small vessels to be imaged in the X-Y plane of the scan provided the Doppler
      frequency shift is of sufficient magnitude. This permits alignments of the
      Doppler cursor, allowing angle correction to provide true velocity measurements
      from the Doppler shift obtained. Before attempting to make velocity measurements,
      however, it is essential to be aware of the possible error in the Z plane caused
      by the thickness of the Doppler sample volume. To quantify this source of error,
      hydrophone and flow-rig measurements were performed on an Acuson 128 colour
      Doppler scanner with both 5 MHz linear-array and 3.5 MHz phased-array
      transducers. Measurements of the transmitted pulses using a point hydrophone
      showed that both probes employ approximately 3.5 MHz Doppler pulses (in both
      colour and pulsed Doppler modes). The two transducers have the same axial
      resolution. In colour Doppler mode the axial length of the sample volume
      increases automatically with depth by up to 0.5 mm. Measurements of colour and
      pulsed Doppler signal strength were obtained in a controlled flow rig. Both
      transducers produced accurate colour flow images of the phantom at their optimum
      depths; flow velocity errors due to Z-plane thickness are less than 5%. There
      was, however, substantial error outside these optimum conditions (up to 20%).

PMID- 1870339
TI  - Production of reliability proven physiological data for use in automated
      monitoring and diagnostic systems.
AB  - In recent years manufacturers of intensive care monitoring systems have
      introduced complex digital processing architectures that theoretically have
      enormous processing power. This power should allow the realization of many useful
      processing methodologies that up to now have only been research tools, e.g. the
      generation of reliable alarms, the implementation of predictive monitoring
      strategies and reliable diagnostic and treatment guidance to the clinical staff.
      However, before any of these methodologies can be successfully initiated, each
      must have accurate and reliable derived physiological data available to them,
      e.g. beat-by-beat heart rate and blood pressure. From the very nature of
      monitoring physiological quantities there will be much misinformation or 'noise'
      superimposed on the raw signal obtained from the patient. The major source of
      noise (as far as electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is concerned) is internal to
      the body and is electromyographic noise. This results from the contraction of
      skeletal muscles producing action potentials of similar magnitude and frequency
      to that of the ECG. Fortunately, nursing staff are very good at 'filtering out'
      any misinformation before recording any data (on a ward chart for instance).
      However, in completely automated systems, if this noise is not detected and
      eliminated or compensated for at an early stage in the processing chain,
      misinformation will result with potentially serious consequences. The recognition
      and elimination of such noise cannot be readily achieved using standard filtering
      techniques without serious degradation of information. This paper discusses the
      potential of modern digital system architectures developed for ECG monitoring. It
      analyses the noise that occurs on this physiological variable and demonstrates a
      novel method of eliminating such noise.

PMID- 1870340
TI  - Comparing subjective and objective assessments of the severity of vibration
      induced white finger.
AB  - The present staging of the disease severity of vibration induced white finger
      (VWF) is based on the patients' symptoms. Forty patients, with a history of VWF,
      with disease severity stage III or stage IV, on the Taylor-Pelmear scale, were
      investigated. Total, reactive hyperaemic blood flow to the hands was measured
      using an isotope limb blood flow (ILBF) technique. Skin blood flow patterns were
      assessed using a cold provocation test, followed by thermographic assessment of
      hand rewarming. Thermographic abnormalities were detected in 39 patients (97%).
      Decreased post-occlusive, reactive hyperaemic blood flow occurred in 29 patients
      (73%). There was no difference in skin blood flow patterns or in total hand blood
      flow between the stage III and stage IV groups. Reduction of postocclusive
      reactive hyperaemic blood flow may be indicative of occlusive lesions of the
      digital vessels. We conclude that the classification of the severity of VWF using
      subjective assessment, needs to be augmented by objective evidence of altered
      blood flow.

PMID- 1870341
TI  - IBEES Prize Lecture. The future of biomedical engineering.
AB  - Biomedical engineering is recognized as having developed an identity distinct
      from traditional engineering disciplines. The concepts which characterize this
      identity are outlined. The consequences of these are considered with particular
      attention to changing attitudes to professional specialization and work within
      the clinical environment.

PMID- 1870342
TI  - Altered sensitivity of digital blood flow to acute vibration in patients with
      vasospastic disease.
AB  - Fifteen patients with primary Raynaud's, 18 patients with vibration induced white
      finger (VWF) and 15 controls were exposed to sine wave vibration, with an
      amplitude of 0.15 mm and frequencies of 40, 80 and 120 Hz. Baseline digital blood
      flow was measured using venous occlusion strain gauge plethysmography. A digit
      was vibrated for 1 min and subsequent blood flow measurements were taken from
      both vibrated and non-vibrated digits. Vibration at 40 Hz causes a significant
      decrease in flow in the vibrated digits of the control group only (P less than
      0.05, Wilcoxon test). Vibration at 80 Hz shows a significant decrease in blood
      flow in the vibrated digits of both the control and the VWF groups (P less than
      0.005) and also in the non-vibrated digits of the VWF group (P less than 0.05).
      Vibration at 120 Hz significantly decreases blood flow in the vibrated digits of
      normal control, VWF and Raynauds group (P less than 0.001). The Raynaud's non
      vibrated digits also had decreased flow (P less than 0.005). These results imply
      that patients with established vasospastic disease are less sensitive to the
      direct effects of acute vibration than controls. The results also imply that
      vibration at 40, 80 and 120Hz affect digital blood flow in controls through local
      mechanism. Vibration at certain frequencies, appears to modulate blood flow in
      patients with vasospastic disease by acting through central mechanisms.

PMID- 1870343
TI  - Pasteurella multocida infection in a patient with AIDS.

PMID- 1870344
TI  - Primary testicular lymphoma with central nervous system involvement.

PMID- 1870345
TI  - Portal and superior mesenteric venous thrombosis following splenectomy.

PMID- 1870346
TI  - Upper extremity vaso-occlusive disease in a patient with giant cell arteritis.

PMID- 1870347
TI  - Ventricular septal rupture following myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1870348
TI  - The improving dental health of school children.

PMID- 1870349
TI  - Radiology case of the month. Cecal diverticulitis.

PMID- 1870350
TI  - Loss prevention case of the month. Same procedure--different standards.

PMID- 1870351
TI  - New research shows health care concerns.

PMID- 1870352
TI  - Contract law: some basic lessons.

PMID- 1870353
TI  - Clinical privileges and joint venture investments: two breaks for physicians.

PMID- 1870354
TI  - Effects of glycerol-induced acute renal failure on tissue glutathione and
      glutathione-dependent enzymes in the rat.
AB  - The activities of tissue glutathione (reduced and oxidized) and glutathione
      dependent enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GSH S-transferase),
      glutathione reductase (GSSG reductase) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were
      determined for control and uremic rats. Acute renal failure (ARF) was produced by
      glycerol-water injection. Cytosolic and microsomal GSH S-transferase activity in
      the kidney was decreased by 38% and 15%, respectively. Hepatic microsomal GSH S
      transferase was also decreased by 40% in uremic rats. GSH-Px activity was
      decreased by 51% in the cytosolic fraction and 33% in the microsomal fraction in
      the kidney, but was not affected in the liver and whole blood. GSSG reductase
      activity was also decreased by 48% in the cytosolic fraction in the kidney of
      uremic rats. In whole blood, however, GSSG reductase activity was increased by 12
      fold (0.66 +/- 0.12 mumol NADPH oxidized/min/ml blood in the control; 8.03 +/-
      3.29 mumol NADPH oxidized/min/ml blood in uremia). Although the total glutathione
      concentrations were not significantly affected, the GSSG/GSH ratio, which is an
      indication of oxidative stress, was significantly increased in the liver and
      whole blood of uremic rats. In addition to the decreases in hepatic and renal GSH
      S-transferase activities, which is important in drug disposition, ARF caused
      decreases in GSSG reductase and GSH-Px activity, which are essential for the
      protection against lipid peroxidation.

PMID- 1870355
TI  - Action of metadoxine on isolated human and rat alcohol and aldehyde
      dehydrogenases. Effect on enzymes in chronic ethanol-fed rats.
AB  - Metadoxine (pyridoxine-pyrrolidone carboxylate) has been reported to accelerate
      ethanol metabolism. In the present work we have investigated the effect of
      metadoxine on the activities of isolated alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases from
      rat and man, and on the activity of these enzymes in chronic ethanol-fed rats.
      Our results indicate that in vitro metadoxine does not activate any of the
      enzymatic forms of alcohol dehydrogenase (classes I and II) or aldehyde
      dehydrogenase (low-Km and high-Km, cytosolic and mitochondrial). At
      concentrations higher than 0.1 mM, metadoxine inhibits rat class II alcohol
      dehydrogenase, although this would probably not affect the physiological ethanol
      metabolism. Chronic ethanol intake for 5 weeks results in a 25% decrease of rat
      hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase (class I) activity as compared with the pair-fed
      controls. The simultaneous treatment with metadoxine prevents activity loss,
      suggesting that the positive effect of metadoxine on ethanol metabolism can be
      explained by the maintenance of normal levels of alcohol dehydrogenase during
      chronic ethanol intake. No specific effect of chronic exposure to ethanol or to
      metadoxine was detected on rat aldehyde dehydrogenase activity.

PMID- 1870356
TI  - Learning and memory in rats exposed pre- and postnatally to alcohol. An attempt
      at pharmacological control.
AB  - Using conditioned-reflex methods for active and passive avoidance with punishment
      reinforcement, we found pronounced memory deficits in 12-week old rats exposed
      perinatally to alcohol (FAS rats). Impairment of memory was observed not only
      with the high dose of 9 g ethanol/kg body weight (ingested with tap water in a 6%
      solution) to which dams were exposed during pregnancy and lactation, but also
      with the ten-fold lower dose of 1 g ethanol/kg body weight (0.6% ethanol). The
      nootropic drugs citicholine, piracetam and meclofenoxate administered orally for
      five days before the training session were effective in decreasing memory
      deficits; particularly pronounced was the effect of piracetam and meclofenoxate.
      The benzodiazepine tranquilizer diazepam additionally impaired learning and
      memory in FAS rats. It is suggested that nootropics could be used to decrease the
      cognitive disturbances in some humans born to alcoholic mothers.

PMID- 1870357
TI  - Mechanisms of the angiotensin II effects on exploratory behavior of rats in open
      field. III. Modulatory role of GABA.
AB  - The effects of the octapeptide angiotensin II (AT II) and its interactions with
      GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) on the exploratory behavior of male rats in open
      field were studied. AT II (0.1 and 0.5 microgram i.c.v.) increased the open field
      behavior, mainly ambulation and rearing. GABA (100 micrograms i.c.v.)
      significantly reduced the effects of AT II. This influence of GABA was
      potentiated by subconvulsive doses of bicuculline. Our results demonstrate that
      the GABAergic system exerts an inhibitory control on pathways mediating the
      stimulatory effects of AT II on exploratory behavior in open field. The data also
      suggest close interactions between GABA AT II receptors.

PMID- 1870358
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of papaverine HCl upon intravenous route of administration in
      old and young beagle dogs.
AB  - This in vivo study was designed to compare the pharmacokinetics of papaverine HCl
      in young and old Beagle dogs following intravenous (i.v.) administration of
      papaverine HCl. Blood samples were analyzed by high performance liquid
      chromatography. The pharmacokinetic parameters were first determined using a
      curve fitting program (RESID), and then evaluated by SAS statistics. The plasma
      concentration-time profiles show that papaverine HCl pharmacokinetics is best
      described by an open two-compartment model. The only age-dependent significant
      difference in pharmacokinetic behavior between young and old Beagle dogs was
      found concerning the distribution rate constants.

PMID- 1870359
TI  - The binding spectra of rat renal and hepatic microsomal cytochromes P-450 with
      cyclosporine A.
AB  - Binding difference spectra of rat renal and hepatic cytochromes P-450 with
      cyclosporine A (CsA) were measured. In both cases reversed type I spectra were
      found with the absorbance maximum at 416 nm and minimum at 378 nm. Apparent
      spectral dissociation constant Kd and maximal absorbance difference delta Amax416
      378 did not change substantially with the concentration of the CsA stock solution
      used. The results suggest that CsA might be biotransformed not only in the liver
      but also in the kidney.

PMID- 1870361
TI  - [Prevention of infection in liver transplantation].

PMID- 1870360
TI  - Improved image quality during abdominal ultrasonography by clebopride +
      simethicone.
AB  - The use of clebopride + simethicone (Flatoril) was assessed as a possible
      solution to the problem of ultrasound imaging of the pancreas area. A
      statistically significant improvement was found in head and body imaging of the
      pancreas (76%). This is due to simethicone's antiflatulence effect and the
      movement of gas towards the intestine and colon as a result of clebopride's
      gastrointestinal emptying effect.

PMID- 1870362
TI  - [Personal experience with prevention and therapy of infection after 53 liver
      transplantations].
AB  - An attempt was made to reduce the risk of infection following liver
      transplantation by means of selective bowel decontamination with tobramycin,
      polymyxin E and amphotericin B, as well as short-term systemic antibiotics with
      cephotaxim and tobramycin. After 53 consecutive orthotopic hepatic transplants
      performed in 51 patients between 1985 and 1987, a total of eight pneumonias
      occurred as the clinically most significant infection. Two pneumonias were caused
      by cytomegalovirus, one by Pneumocystis carinii, one by Candida and the remaining
      four by various bacteria. In 6 patients, bacteria were cultured from the blood,
      but only in one case was an indwelling catheter identified as the source of the
      septicemia. Taking all samples together, Streptococcus faecalis was the bacterium
      most frequently cultured, which was not covered by the prophylactic antimicrobial
      regime applied. Pseudomonas, however, and gram-negative bacteria were
      demonstrated much less frequently. Vaginal and oral Candida infections, as well
      as oral and genital herpes simplex infections, responded well to topical therapy
      with fungicide and aciclovir, respectively. Three patients developed
      cytomegalovirus (CMV) hepatitis. All five CMV infections were successfully
      treated with ganciclovir and hyperimmunoglobulin, as well as reduction of
      prophylactic immunosuppression. Out of 15 patients transplanted for posthepatitic
      cirrhosis, 7 developed a recurrence of the infection (5 hepatitis B virus) 2
      hepatitis C virus) in the graft. Two died of the cirrhosis, three are still alive
      with cirrhosis but sufficient graft function, and one patient is suffering from
      chronic active hepatitis. One patient grafted for acute hepatic failure was able
      to clear the delta virus within 1 year post-transplant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1870363
TI  - [Acute stress-induced cholecystitis].
AB  - Acute posttraumatic and postoperative cholecystitis is a serious and life
      threatening complication with mortality rates ranging from 10 to 50%. The
      pathogenesis is multifactorial: possible reasons are blood transfusions,
      dehydration, narcotics, shock and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).
      Between 1980 and 1990 12 patients underwent surgery for acute cholecystitis. Six
      of them suffered from a so-called acute acalculous cholecystitis. Two patients
      died postoperatively. The symptoms are that of a "common" cholecystitis with
      leukocytosis, fever, abdominal distension and upper right abdominal pain.
      Sonography is a good method to establish the diagnosis and helps in the decision
      for cholecystectomy. Clinicians must remember the possibility of an acute
      cholecystitis in any surgical patient developing abdominal pain or unexplained
      fever.

PMID- 1870364
TI  - [Diagnosis and management of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Retrospective
      analysis of 233 cases].
AB  - In a retrospective analysis the diagnostic procedure was evaluated in patients
      with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Bleeding sources were localized
      distally to the ligament of Treitz in 233 patients (1979-1988). Patients with
      hemorrhoidal bleeding were not included. Following exclusion of an upper
      gastrointestinal bleeding the diagnostic procedure was initiated with a recto
      /colonoscopy. Lesions were detected in 77% of the treated patients (n = 136).
      Angiography localized the bleeding in 68%, in combination with colonoscopy the
      identification of the bleeding source reached 86.5% in the treated patients.
      Following scintigraphy the bleeding source was determined in 89.7% of these
      patients. The sensitivity of colonoscopy (0.93) was superior to the angiography
      (0.78) and to the scintigraphy (0.75). Apart from neoplasms and adenomas
      angiodysplasia and Meckel's diverticula were the most common sources of the
      bleeding in patients who underwent operation. In 61 patients endoscopic therapy
      was performed, however, 6.5% of these patients had to be operated on later
      because of persistent bleeding. All together 79 patients underwent operation, 31
      for bleeding and 48 for other reasons. 12 patients died, 6 of them were operated
      on for the bleeding, the other for neoplasms.

PMID- 1870365
TI  - [Initial results of image cytometric DNA analysis in the evaluation of prognosis
      in papillary thyroid cancer].
AB  - In this study we analysed DNA-ploidy as a potential prognostic parameter in
      papillary thyroid carcinoma. Paraffin embedded histological material, obtained by
      resection from 19 patients with a papillary thyroid carcinoma, was selected for
      analysis. Tumor areas within the paraffin-embedded material were identified by HE
      stained reference sections. One 50 microns section was dewaxed, rehydrated and
      mechanically and enzymatically prepared to form a suspension of 10,000 cells/ml.
      1 ml of the suspension, which contained bare nuclei with small rests of
      cytoplasma, was centrifuged on glass slides. The fixed nuclei were air-dried and
      stained by Feulgen SITS technique, which allows for the quantitative measurement
      of DNA. The DNA analysis was carried out with a computer-controlled single-cell
      cytophotometry. In contrast to using flow cytometry, only the tumor cells were
      measured by image-cytometry. Overlapping nuclei, dirt and other artifacts as well
      as inflammatory cells were efficiently eliminated. With DNA image-cytometry, we
      could differentiate between diploid (n = 13) and aneuploid (n = 6) tumors. Best
      prognosis with a survival rate of 92% after 103 months had patients with diploid
      tumors in contrast to patients with aneuploid tumors who did not survive more
      than 72 months.

PMID- 1870366
TI  - [Etiology and consequences of postoperative wound infection].
AB  - The incidence of postoperative wound infection ranges between 4.6% and 36% after
      gastrointestinal operations respectively. To evaluate the factors which influence
      the postoperative wound infection we prospectively analyzed our patients between
      1/1989 and 1/1990. 444 patients from three general surgical units of our clinic
      entered this study. The overall wound infection rate was 6.3%. We classified the
      patients into 3 operative groups: Group I: subcutaneous operations; Group II:
      intraabdominal operations without opening the GI-tract; Group III:
      gastrointestinal operations. Wound infection rate in group I was 1.8%, in group
      II 7.3% and in group III 13.7%. The differences were highly significant. Both
      univariate (chi 2-test) as well as a multivariate (Cox-Model) analysis were done.
      We figured out that classification of patients (p = 0.000), operation time (p =
      0.009), operating room (p = 0.000), intensive care unit (p = 0.026), long-term
      antibiotic prophylaxis (p = 0.001), subcutaneous haematoma (p = 0.000) and length
      of closed drainage time (p = 0.001) are of significant value. In the Cox model
      the classification of patients into 3 groups surpassed all the other factors.
      Postoperative hospital stay was lengthened in patients with wound infection
      significantly (p = 0.0025).

PMID- 1870367
TI  - [Leiomyosarcoma of the vena cava. Case report and review of the literature].
AB  - The leiomyosarcoma of vascular origin is a very rare tumor which is rarely
      recovered before the disease has reached an advanced stage because of non
      specific and late symptoms. This is a report of 3 cases with leiomyosarcoma of
      the vena cava and a review of the literature. A high local recurrence rate and
      high frequency of distant metastases are responsible for the bad long-term
      prognosis. Early hematogenous tumor spread is favored by intraluminal tumor
      growth. Only complete surgical resection--if necessary with vascular
      reconstruction--can improve the bad long-term prognosis.

PMID- 1870368
TI  - [Breast saving therapy of breast cancer--indications and consequences--results of
      a multidisciplinary consensus conference].

PMID- 1870369
TI  - [Collagenous colitis].
AB  - Collagenous colitis is now regarded by an overwhelming majority of authors as a
      clinicopathological entity and has been taken up as a such in many text-books and
      diagnostic atlases (Morson & Dawson, 1990, Fenoglio-Preiser et al., 1989,
      Whitehead 1985, Whitehead 1989). A good, detailed review of cases of collagenous
      colitis published up to 1988 was performed by Perri et al. Collagenous colitis
      was also presented to a wider medical public through a clinicopathological
      conference case at Massachusetts General Hospital (Case 29-1988). Finally it may
      be added that collagenous colitis has been included in the new fourth edition of
      Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease (Cotran, Kumar, Robbins, 1989), where the
      possibility of an autoimmune disease is stressed.

PMID- 1870370
TI  - [Possibilities of cytodiagnosis in ascites].
AB  - The examination of ascitic fluid is an important part in the diagnosis and
      control of gastrointestinal diseases. Different etiological conditions and
      pathological ways help develop different types of ascitic fluid. Variation of
      protein content (transudates/exsudates), variation of cells lead to different
      diagnosis. The following paper describes methods, diagnosis and differential
      diagnosis and limits of the cytological ascitic fluid examination.

PMID- 1870371
TI  - [Peroral and transhepatic cholangioscopy].
AB  - Cholangioscopy is possible via the peroral or the transhepatic route.
      Cholangioscopy is of diagnostic value in tumour strictures and stenoses of the
      common bile duct. More important than diagnostic cholangioscopy is therapeutic
      cholangioscopy: with the technique of intracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy nearly
      all difficult CBD-stones may be successfully treated. 17 patients with 40 CBD
      stones were managed in mother-babytechnique in applicating intraductal shockwaves
      under direct visual control (electrohydraulic principle). Mechanical lithotripsy
      during ERCP had formerly failed in all patients. In 6 patients transhepatic
      cholangioscopy with intracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy was successfully
      performed. Patients had an operated stomach, so conventional ERCP with
      lithotripsy was not possible. 18 stones could be treated. As a total 23 patients
      with 58 CBD-Stones underwent cholangioscopy (median stone diameter 20 mm) with
      intracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. Complete stone clearance was achieved in
      all cases, no serious complication occurred.

PMID- 1870372
TI  - [Insufficiency of the pelvic floor].

PMID- 1870373
TI  - Reversal reactions in leprosy and their management.

PMID- 1870374
TI  - Association of mycobacterial-specific and Mycobacterium leprae specific antibody
      levels with clinical activity in tuberculoid leprosy: a comparative study of
      three serological enzyme-immunoassays.
AB  - The ELISAs for polyclonal antibodies against Mycobacterium leprae (ML-ELISA) and
      specific antibodies against epitopes on 35 kDa protein (SACT-ELISA) and phenolic
      glycolipid I (PG-ELISA) of M. leprae were evaluated comparatively in a group of
      88 tuberculoid leprosy patients. The overall seropositivity rate with a battery
      of 3 tests (68%) was not significantly higher than that obtained with ML-ELISA
      alone (55%) for IgG class of antibodies. Seropositivities for SACT-ELISA and PG
      ELISA were, respectively, 38% and 26%. ML-ELISA for IgM class of antibodies was
      least sensitive, showing only 8% positivity. A significant correlation was noted
      between individual values of the three assays, but the positive proportions
      overlapped maximally in the case of ML-ELISA (IgG) and SACT-ELISA. Further,
      positivity for the latter two assays, particularly SACT-ELISA, showed significant
      associations with the extent of 'active' (largely untreated) infection.
      Immunoblotting revealed that the main antibody response was directed towards M.
      leprae antigens in the molecular weight range of 20-40 kDa and the densitometry
      results of this zone correlated significantly with corresponding SACT-ELISA and
      ML-ELISA (IgG) values.

PMID- 1870375
TI  - Mycobacteria in nerve trunks of long-term treated leprosy patients.
AB  - Mycobacteria were present in 4 out of 8 mixed peripheral nerve trunks from
      patients (3 BT and 1 BL) treated with DDS and/or MDT for periods ranging from 21
      months to 8 years. Most of the bacilli appeared to be 'whole'. Nerve destruction
      with areas of granulomatous infiltration appeared more active than expected.
      Possible reasons for a continued presence of bacilli in treated nerves and its
      implications in 'relapse' are discussed.

PMID- 1870376
TI  - The significance of facial patches and type I reaction for the development of
      facial nerve damage in leprosy. A retrospective study among 1226 paucibacillary
      leprosy patients.
AB  - Charts of 1226 paucibacillary leprosy patients, registered between 1982 and 1987
      were reviewed for recent facial nerve damage, facial patches and the presence of
      Type I reaction. Twenty-six (2.1%) patients with recent lagophthalmos were
      identified. In a great majority (85%) patients with recent lagophthalmos showed
      significant patches over the malar region or around the eye, at the same side as
      the nerve damage together with clinical signs of Type I reaction. This
      combination of significant patches in certain locations and Type I reaction seems
      to be a pre-condition for facial nerve damage. The clinical implication is that a
      small group of patients may be identified, who are at risk of facial nerve
      damage. By examining these patients more carefully it will be possible to detect
      nerve damage early and to prevent permanent damage of the facial nerve by timely
      treatment with an appropriate steroid regimen.

PMID- 1870377
TI  - Treatment of recent facial nerve damage with lagophthalmos, using a
      semistandardized steroid regimen.
AB  - Twenty-seven patients with borderline leprosy and facial nerve damage of less
      than or equal to 6 months duration (36 eyes) were treated with a semistandardized
      regimen of steroids (the average starting dose was 25-30 mg, duration 5-6 months)
      on an outpatient basis. Red and raised reactive patches were usually present in
      the upper malar area or around the eye(s) in patients with recent lagophthalmos.
      The lid gap was measured in millimetres during gentle and strong closure. After
      completion of the steroid course 75% of the eyes had complete closure or only a
      slight gap of less than or equal to 2 mm on gentle closure. Steroids were found
      to be beneficial and safe, in the dosage that we prescribed.

PMID- 1870378
TI  - Patterns of erythropoiesis and anaemia in leprosy.
AB  - A total of 128 leprosy patients were investigated for the morphological type of
      anaemia, the underlying disturbances in iron metabolism and patterns of
      erythropoiesis and other cytomorphological changes in the bone marrow. The
      anaemia was a mild to moderate degree in paucibacillary (PB) leprosy, while in
      multibacillary (MB) leprosy it was of a severe degree. Iron deficiency was
      observed in only a few patients. Impaired iron utilization as observed in a
      anaemia of a chronic disorder was a common finding in MB leprosy (41.7%) and more
      so in new cases (50%). Megaloblastic erythropoiesis was also more frequent in MB
      leprosy (45.2%) as compared to PB leprosy (16%), accounting for the severe degree
      of anaemia in the former type. In 17.2% of the total patients (MB, 21.4%; PB, 9%)
      both megaloblastic erythropoiesis and features of impaired iron utilization were
      observed in bone marrow. Disturbances in iron metabolism and erythropoiesis were
      also observed but to a lesser degree in patients receiving specific antileprosy
      treatment. Irrespective of the type of disease and duration of treatment,
      increasing frequency of acid-fast bacillia (AFB) positivity and granulomas was
      observed in the bone marrow with an increasing severity of anaemia.

PMID- 1870379
TI  - Effect of dapsone on haemoglobin concentration in patients with leprosy.
AB  - Haemolysis and frank anaemia from dapsone therapy of leprosy has been long
      recognized. However, the frequency and severity of this side-effect have not been
      well documented. We report herein a retrospective analysis of the effect of daily
      dapsone (generally 100 mg/day) on the haemoglobin concentration of 100 leprosy
      patients undergoing initial chemotherapy. The average haemoglobin was found to
      fall significantly by almost 2 g/dl, from 14.25 +/- 1.27 g/dl to a nadir of 12.31
      +/- 1.61 (P less than 0.001). Eighty-three percent of patients had a fall of
      haemoglobin concentration of 1 g/dl or more, while in 16% of patients the
      haemoglobin fell greater than or equal to 3 g/dl. Increasing age was found
      associated with an increased magnitude of dapsone-related haemolysis (P less than
      or equal to 0.004). Decreasing the daily dose of dapsone was associated with an
      increased haemoglobin concentration (P less than 0.001%). We have concluded that
      dapsone commonly results in not only haemolysis but a significant decrease in
      haemoglobin concentration. This may have serious clinical implications,
      especially in endemic areas, where, owing to nutrition, malaria, and intestinal
      parasitism, the haemoglobin concentration is already compromised.

PMID- 1870380
TI  - A controlled therapeutic trial in paucibacillary leprosy comparing a single dose
      of rifampicin with a single dose of rifampicin followed by one year of daily
      dapsone. The Collaborative Study Group for the Treatment of Leprosy in Zaire.
AB  - The cure rates of two treatment regimens in PB leprosy were compared in a
      prospective randomized trial: treatment U consisting of a single dose of
      rifampicin 40 mg/K bodyweight, and treatment A of rifampicin 1500 mg in a single
      dose, followed by one year of daily dapsone 100 mg. In patients with a BI = 0,
      the cure rates evaluated on the basis of histopathology of skin biopsies, were
      identical for the two regimens but in patients with a BI = 1, cure and relapse
      rates were unacceptable. For this reason and particularly the need to separate
      patients on the basis of the BI in skin biopsies, the single dose regimen does
      not appear to be suited for wide-scale application.

PMID- 1870381
TI  - Longitudinal study on relapses of leprosy in Polynesian multibacillary patients
      on dapsone monotherapy between 1946 and 1970.
AB  - Between 1946 and 1970, 295 new leprosy patients were detected in French
      Polynesia, of whom 145 were multibacillary. Of these 145, put on dapsone
      monotherapy, 131 reached bacteriological negativity in a period of time ranging
      from 2 to 12 years (average 4.72 years) and were followed-up for a period of time
      ranging from 19 to 43 years (median follow-up period after bacteriological
      negativity; 18 years). Among the 131 patients, 36 relapses were detected, the
      first one 4 years after bacteriological negativity and the last one 26 years
      after. The crude relapse rate was 27.5%, the risk of relapse was 1.39 per 100
      patient years and the cumulative relapse probability, calculated using the
      lifetable method, reached 0.38 +/- 11 by year 31 of the study. From these
      findings one may assume that, at least in French Polynesia, one-third to one-half
      of multibacillary patients put on dapsone monotherapy would relapse if still
      present 36 years after bacteriological negativity. Such results re-emphasize the
      need for leprosy patients to be treated with multidrug therapy as recommended by
      WHO.

PMID- 1870382
TI  - A retrospective study on seven years of multiple drug treatment for
      paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy, in Bayara General Hospital, Nigeria.
AB  - In Bauchi State, Nigeria, a retrospective study was carried out among 973
      patients on multidrug therapy (MDT), multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB),
      and 118 patients on a dapsone-clofazimine therapy. These patients were registered
      between January 1983 and September 1989. Clinical results and the problem of
      defaulting were investigated. The most important conclusions drawn are: although
      relapses occur, MDT-PB can be a valuable treatment; health education, shorter
      duration of treatment and permission to come less often lower the default rate,
      but in spite of this, the distance between home and clinic remains a problem.

PMID- 1870383
TI  - The protective effects of methyl cellulose and conoid shields for lagophthalmos
      and corneal hypaesthesia in leprosy.
AB  - Lagophthalmos and corneal hypaesthesia are amongst the most frequently
      encountered lesions in leprosy and they can easily give rise to blindness. Many
      measures (such as eye drops, protective conoid shields, muscle exercises,
      surgical treatment etc.) have been used to protect the eyes under such
      circumstances and this paper examines the protective role of methyl cellulose and
      conoid shields in 41 patients. All of them had lagophthalmos (5 mm or more) and
      corneal hypaesthesia. They were divided into three groups. Group one had 15
      leprosy control patients (27 eyes) who did not use methyl cellulose or eye
      shields. Group two had 16 leprosy patients (28 eyes) and they used methyl
      cellulose and eye shields when they felt discomfort in their eyes. Group three
      had 10 leprosy patients (17 eyes) and they used methyl cellulose and eye shields
      regularly. Statistically significant improvement was seen in group three. Further
      studies on larger groups of patients including the effects of different
      concentrations of methyl cellulose, on Schirmer test and tear break up time, may
      be of value.

PMID- 1870385
TI  - Localized borderline lepromatous leprosy.
AB  - A 48-year-old soldier presented with 3 small leprosy lesions localized over the
      flexor area of the forearm. There was no nerve thickening and clinically the
      lesions looked like borderline-tuberculoid leprosy. However, these lesions
      demonstrated a bacteriological index (BI) of 4+ while no acid-fast bacilli (AFB)
      could be demonstrated from any other site of the body. A lepromin test was
      negative. Histologically evidence of borderline lepromatous leprosy was
      conspicuous. The case was diagnosed as localized borderline lepromatous-leprosy
      and treated with multidrug therapy. After 1 year of treatment, the lesions
      regressed, a lepromin test was positive (5 mm) and the BI from the lesions fell
      to 1+.

PMID- 1870384
TI  - Persistent reaction in paucibacillary leprosy: case reports.
AB  - Three patients of histopathologically confirmed borderline-tuberculoid leprosy
      showing no acid-fast bacilli and with lesions confined to the face, 2 on the
      cheek and 1 on the forehead, were given multidrug therapy as recommended by the
      WHO for paucibacillary cases. Within 3 months the lesions showed signs of
      upgrading (or reversal) reaction which was substantiated by histopathology. In 1
      patient the facial nerve was affected leading to facial palsy. The lymphocyte
      transformation test did not show a significant rise. All 3 patients were given
      oral prednisolone for periods varying between 5 and 7 months, but the response
      was poor except in 1 patient in whom the facial palsy responded favourably.
      Injections of sodium antimony gluconate tried in 1 patient after stoppage of
      steroids did not control the reaction. After 18 months of regular follow-up
      during therapy, the cutaneous reaction in the patient with facial nerve
      involvement subsided leaving significant atrophy. However, in the other 2
      patients the skin lesion persisted with clinical and histopathological evidence
      of upgrading reaction. The reasons for the unnatural persistence of reaction in
      these patients is not clear.

PMID- 1870386
TI  - Ten years of activities of the German Leprosy Relief Association in Senegal.

PMID- 1870387
TI  - Comment: Clofazimine-induced lymphoedema.

PMID- 1870389
TI  - Field detection of early neuritis in leprosy.

PMID- 1870388
TI  - Comment: The use of honey and sugar for the treatment of ulcers in leprosy.

PMID- 1870390
TI  - Wooden box for the taking, fixation and transport of slides for slit-skin smears
      in leprosy under field conditions.

PMID- 1870391
TI  - [Reflexotherapy in the postoperative period].

PMID- 1870392
TI  - [Control testing of knowledge in physiotherapy].

PMID- 1870393
TI  - [Modern anti-arrhythmia drug agents].

PMID- 1870394
TI  - [Ultrasonic diagnosis in neurology and neurosurgery].

PMID- 1870395
TI  - [Syringomyelia].

PMID- 1870396
TI  - [Facial nerve neuropathy].

PMID- 1870397
TI  - [The immunological aspects of blood transfusion].

PMID- 1870398
TI  - [The potentials of ultrasonic diagnosis in obstetrics].

PMID- 1870399
TI  - [The most important clinical manifestations of lung diseases and the care of
      patients].

PMID- 1870400
TI  - [The procedure for releasing drugs and the organization of drug storage in
      treatment and prevention institutions].

PMID- 1870401
TI  - [First aid in potassium permanganate poisoning].

PMID- 1870403
TI  - [High myopia and its treatment possibilities].

PMID- 1870402
TI  - [Spinal fractures and medical first aid].

PMID- 1870404
TI  - [Rheoencephalography as a method for studying the cerebral circulation].

PMID- 1870405
TI  - [Diet No. 15 (winter-spring)].

PMID- 1870406
TI  - [Social hygiene research on children's health].

PMID- 1870407
TI  - [Cardiac glycosides].

PMID- 1870408
TI  - [Horsetail].

PMID- 1870409
TI  - [Medical care at the family level].

PMID- 1870410
TI  - [Evaluation of the efficacy of L-acetylcarnitine and tiapride combination in
      elderly patients with behavioral disorders].
AB  - The study assessed the efficacy of the association of L-AC and tiapride in the
      treatment of behavioural and psychiatric symptoms due to cerebral decay. The
      study included 60 subjects, aged 65-80, who were subdivided into treated and
      control groups. Inclusion criteria included no previous psychiatric history and
      no general illness. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the association of the
      two drugs studied.

PMID- 1870411
TI  - [Group music therapy in the comprehensive management of psychosis].
AB  - In this paper the Authors propose the use of group music therapy as an integrated
      part of the treatment of severe mental illness: borderline and psychotic cases.
      The therapeutical techniques used and their aims are fully described. There are
      four phases of treatment in the evolution of group music therapy; these take
      place successively over time and are repeated each time a new patient enters the
      group: 1) a motor phase in which patients dance, play games with movement and do
      physical exercises; 2) a receptive phase based on listening to music; 3) an
      active phase during which they make music and sing; 4) and a predominantly verbal
      phase during which patients discuss the emotions, thoughts and fantasies
      experienced while listening to music within the group. Lastly, the paper put
      forwards and hypothesis based on the therapeutical function of listening to
      music, taking into account the clinical aspects and concepts of dynamic
      psychology.

PMID- 1870412
TI  - [Notes on a group experience in a psychiatric department].
AB  - The Author discusses some aspects of a group experience in a psychiatric
      department. The training characteristics of this activity are discussed in
      particular.

PMID- 1870413
TI  - [The evolution of a comprehensive community service system].
AB  - The evolution of psychiatric care in the United States is still strongly
      influenced by the consequences of deinstitutionalisation. In some cases the
      process has generated a sort of transinstitutionalisation: at present, there are
      more intermediate public structures than a few years ago, whereas small
      residential units, experimentally self-managed by chronic patients, are also
      being established. With regard to the State of Illinois, current efforts are
      focused on the reduction of the number of psychosocial disabilities and the
      setting up of a wider range of rehabilitative programs. A comprehensive community
      service, connecting short-term and prolonged-stay hospital wards with community
      based facilities seems to represent the most promising combination.

PMID- 1870414
TI  - [Psychoimmunology. I. Relationships between neuroendocrine and immune systems].
AB  - Recently a lot of studies have pointed to the relationships between the major
      homeostatic systems of the human body: the neuroendocrine system and the immune
      system. There is considerable evidence that they make up a psychoneuroendocrine
      immunologic network. In the present review the most interesting data concerning
      the relationships between the neuroendocrine system and the immune system are
      taken into account.

PMID- 1870415
TI  - [Psychoimmunology. II. The neuroendocrine system and the immune system in autism
      and schizophrenia].
AB  - In this paper the Authors report on the immunologic alterations in two
      psychiatric disease: schizophrenia and infantile autism. While a lot of
      researches have been concluded on the immunologic alterations in schizophrenia,
      only a few data on infantile autism are available. Based on data from
      international literature the Authors advance some hypotheses on the role possibly
      played by the immune system in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and infantile
      autism.

PMID- 1870416
TI  - [Neuroendocrine factors in postpartum blues].
AB  - A very considerable proportion of women, estimated from 50 to 80 per cent,
      experience a noticeable period of emotional distress, usually mild or transistor,
      between the third and the tenth day postpartum (postpartum blues: PPB). The onset
      of this syndrome conform to a practically immutable of timing-symptoms are almost
      never noted before the third day postpartum (latent period). After this period,
      in approximately 10 per cent of women, occurs a depression: postpartum depression
      (PPD), and last to 8 weeks. Neuro endocrine factors in the pathogenesis of
      postpartum depression is discussed: thyroid, pituitary and adrenal cortex are
      reviewed. Considerable evidence support that the late postpartum syndromes are
      associated to psychological stress of childbirth with postpartum decrease of
      placental steroids, estrogen and progesteron, with high levels of pituitary
      prolactin.

PMID- 1870417
TI  - [The prevalence of smoking in psychiatric patients. The effect of
      "institutionalization"].
AB  - The prevalence and other parameters concerning tobacco smoking were assessed in
      100 outpatients with psychiatric disorders of axis I and II, according to DSM-III
      R criteria, and compared with those of 85 male psychiatric inpatients with
      forensic problems, recruited in a psychiatric hospital. The use of tobacco
      smoking was increased in psychiatric outpatients vs. the general pupulation and
      was very heightened in schizophrenic, as reported in earlier investigations; in
      the forensic sample both schizophrenic and non schizophrenic patients showed a
      very high prevalence. Therefore, the factor "institutionalization" does not
      modify the prevalence of tobacco smoking in schizophrenic--whose "smoking
      disposition" appears independent of the different social environments--while
      increasing the use in non schizophrenic patients. The positive correlation
      between tobacco smoking and schizophrenia is largely supported by these data and
      demands further investigation of its pathophysiologic mechanisms.

PMID- 1870418
TI  - [Evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability of fluoxetine in major depression,
      Multicenter clinical study].
AB  - In an Italian multicenter study, 296 patients (115 males, 181 females) affected
      with major depression diagnosed according to the criteria of the DSM III-R, were
      treated for 8 weeks with 20 mg/die fluoxetine (Fluoxeren-Menarini s.r.l.). At the
      end of the therapy the mean scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale had improved
      considerably, going down from 27.42 to 10.05. 69.6% of the patients had improved
      by at least in the 50% in the HAM-D scores (responders). At the CGI the overall
      improvement was evaluated with a mean score of 2.05 (marked improvement), while
      the patients assessed themselves at the end of treatment as being from "improved"
      to "greatly improved". No significant differences in efficacy were found to
      depend on age, type of depression or response to previous treatment, though
      younger patients (18-40 years), and those with single or recurring episodes, with
      atypical depression and good response to other antidepressants, showed a more
      marked improvement. The tolerability of the drug was found to be good. The
      laboratory tests, ECG and body weight stayed within normal limits.

PMID- 1870419
TI  - Triiodothyronine (T3)-associated upregulation and downregulation of nuclear T3
      binding in the human fibroblast cell (MRC-5)--stimulation of malic enzyme,
      glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase by
      insulin, but not by T3.
AB  - The specific nuclear binding of triiodothyronine (T3) (NBT3) and the activity of
      malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD), and 6
      phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase (6PGD) were studied in the human fibroblast cell
      (MRC-5). The overall apparent binding affinity (Ka) was 2.7 x 10(9) L.mol-1
      estimated from kinetic studies of nuclear T3 binding, and 2.5 x 10(9) L.mol-1
      estimated from equilibrium studies. The scatchard plots were curvilinear and
      composed of a high-affinity binding site with Ka1 3.4 +/- 0.7 x 10(9) L.mol-1 and
      maximal binding capacity (MBC) MBC1 57.0 +/- 11.9 fmol/mg DNA and a low-affinity
      binding site with Ka2 2.9 +/- 1.1 x 10(8) L.mol-1 and MBC2 124.7 +/- 22.1 fmol/mg
      DNA (n = 6). Incubation of cells with 6 nmol/L T3 for 20 hours reduced NBT3 to
      62.2% +/- 15.7% (P less than .01, n = 11). The Ka estimated from kinetic studies
      was reduced to 6.7 x 10(7) L.mol-1, and the scatchard plots were linear, with Ka
      4.5 +/- 1.6 x 10(8) L.mol-1 and MBC 137.0 +/- 44.6 fmol/mg DNA (n = 3) of the
      same magnitude as the low-affinity binding site in cells incubated without T3
      (NS). The reduction in NBT3 was reversible and maximal at T3 concentrations
      saturating the high-affinity binding site and more than 58% of the total nuclear
      binding sites. The MRC-5 cell cytosol contained ME, G6PD, and 6PGD
      activities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870420
TI  - Importance of glucagon as a determinant of resting metabolic rate and glucose
      induced thermogenesis in obese women.
AB  - The long-term results of dietary treatment for obesity are often very poor. To
      predict the effect of a hypocaloric diet, it may be important to consider factors
      that could influence energy expenditure, especially those altered in obesity.
      Elevated plasma levels of glucagon are associated with obesity. In this study,
      the relationship of glucagon to resting metabolic rate (RMR) and glucose-induced
      thermogenesis (GIT) has been investigated. RMR and GIT, after ingesting 100 g
      glucose, were measured by indirect calorimetry in 25 obese premenopausal women
      (body mass index [BMI], 37.2 +/- 4.7 kg.m-2). RMR was significantly related to
      fat-free mass (FFM) (r = .50, P less than .005). A significant relation could be
      found between RMR and fasting glucagon levels (r = .36, P less than .05). Plasma
      glucose and insulin levels were not predictive for RMR. Mean GIT increased with
      increasing waist-hip circumference ratio (WHR) (r = .71, P less than 0.0001),
      confirming previous findings of our group. No relation was found between GIT and
      glucagon levels, neither in the basal state nor after glucose. The only important
      metabolic determinant was area under the curve (AUC) for glucose (r = .45, P less
      than .01), suggesting a higher GIT in obese women with impaired glucose
      intolerance. This suggests that the control of energy metabolism by the
      concentration of glucagon may be more important in the fasting state than after a
      meal. Plasma glucagon concentration should be considered in the evaluation of
      RMR.

PMID- 1870421
TI  - Urinary 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids in pathophysiology of metabolic disorders
      with dicarboxylic aciduria.
AB  - Dicarboxylic aciduria occurs during increased mobilization or inhibited beta
      oxidation of fatty acids. In these conditions, a number of 3-hydroxydicarboxylic
      acids are excreted in the urine. These 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids include 3
      hydroxyadipic (3OHDC6), 3-hydroxyoctanedioic (3OHDC8), 3-hydroxydecanedioic
      (3OHDC10), 3-hydroxydodecanedioic (3OHDC12), and a number of unsaturated
      homologues. The metabolic origin of these 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids is from the
      omega-oxidation of 3-hydroxy fatty acids. Subsequent beta-oxidation of the
      dicarboxylates yields lower-chain 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids. A new defect in
      fatty acid oxidation characterized by increased urinary ratios of 3OHDC6,
      3OHDC12, and unsaturated 3OHDC14s relative to 3OHDC10 is described. This pattern
      is consistent with a defect in long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LHAD),
      which was confirmed by enzyme assay in fibroblasts. In contrast, patients with
      medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency had lower ratios of 3OHDC6
      and 3OHDC8 to 3OHDC10, consistent with a decreased activity of MCAD. Nonketotic
      dicarboxylic aciduria, other than MCAD and LHAD deficiencies, is shown to have a
      normal 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acid profile when compared with fasting normal
      controls. Since increased excretion of 3-hydroxydicarboxylic acids was observed
      in all patients with dicarboxylic aciduria, an increased excretion of these
      compounds is not an adequate criterion to suspect a defect in 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA
      dehydrogenases. The analysis of the metabolite ratios (3OHDC6 and 3OHDC12
      relative to 3OHDC10) is a more useful indicator for defects in LHAD.

PMID- 1870422
TI  - Fuel metabolism in anorexia nervosa and simple obesity.
AB  - To examine insulin sensitivity and the relative contribution of different fuels
      to energy metabolism in anorexia nervosa and obesity, we measured oxidation
      (indirect calorimetry) of glucose, lipids, and proteins in the basal state and
      during an insulin clamp (+45 mU/m2.min) in 11 women with anorexia nervosa (age,
      25 +/- 3 years; body mass index [BMI], 13.6 +/- 0.4 kg/m2; fat mass, 15.7% +/-
      1.6%), eight obese women (age, 31 +/- 3; BMI 36.0 +/- 1.5; fat mass, 47.1% +/-
      1.9%), and eight controls (age, 26 +/- 3; BMI, 21.8 +/- 0.9; fat mass, 25.7% +/-
      3.6%). Expressed per lean body mass, (LBM), glucose disposal was equally reduced
      in anorectics (7.53 +/- 0.62 mg/kg LBM.min) and obese (6.80 +/- 1.07 mg/kg
      LBM.min) compared with controls (10.64 +/- 0.69 mg/kg LBM.min; P less than .01).
      The reduction in glucose disposal in anorectics was primarily due to a
      significant (P less than .01) reduction in glucose storage, while glucose
      oxidation was normal. In obese women, both storage and oxidation of glucose were
      reduced compared with controls (P less than .01). Basal energy expenditure was
      similar in anorectic, obese, and control subjects (20.6 +/- 1.00, 23.7 +/- 0.56,
      23.2 +/- 1.36 cal/kg LBM.min, respectively). However, the contribution of
      glucose, lipids, and proteins to basal energy expenditure differed between
      anorectic (62%, 16%, 22%), obese (26%, 58%, 16%), and control (30%, 54%, 16%)
      subjects (P less than .05 v all). In conclusion, in anorexia nervosa, insulin
      stimulates glucose oxidation more than storage. In obesity, both components of
      insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism are impaired.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1870423
TI  - Effect of theophylline on urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine in patients with
      lung disease.
AB  - Theophylline, which is commonly used for the treatment of lung disease, has been
      reported to stimulate lipolysis, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis. This study
      was initiated to investigate whether theophylline therapy also induces catabolic
      changes in protein metabolism and thus provides additional substrates for energy
      metabolism. Urinary excretion of 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) as an index of
      myofibrillar protein catabolism was measured at the end of a 7-day treatment
      period with theophylline and a 5-day basal untreated control period in eight
      patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), eight patients
      with stable asthma, and eight normal healthy volunteers. Basal urinary 3-MH
      excretion and 3-MH/creatinine ratios, and nutritional indices assessed were not
      different in the three groups. Under similar drug (except theophylline), dietary,
      and activity regimens, comparison of the two experimental periods showed that
      theophylline increased mean urinary 3-MH excretion and 3-MH/creatinine ratios in
      all three groups of subjects. These changes were significant in the COPD and
      asthmatic patients (mean 3-MH +/- SD, mumol/d: basal, 176 +/- 46 v 206 +/- 46;
      and basal, 190 +/- 27 v 216 +/- 45, respectively, P less than .05) and persisted
      when 3-MH values were normalized to creatinine excretion (15% to 38%, P less than
      .005). In contrast, the mean increment was marginal in the group of normal
      volunteers and this discrepancy of effect between groups may be attributed to
      dietary noncompliance. Furthermore, the response of the COPD group was
      significantly greater than the asthmatic and control groups (1.8x and 11.3x,
      respectively, P less than .05). In conclusion, these results suggest that
      theophylline may enhance myofibrillar protein degradation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870424
TI  - Mineral homeostasis in obesity: effects of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia.
AB  - We explored the effects of insulin on mineral homeostasis in five lean and six
      moderately obese nondiabetic premenopausal women. Serum and urine minerals were
      measured before and during the steady-state phase of a euglycemic insulin clamp.
      Each subject participated in two insulin clamp studies on separate days at
      insulin infusion rates of 10 and 40 mU/m2/min. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia was
      associated with (1) a significant increase in urinary calcium excretion when
      expressed per minute with no change in total serum calcium; (2) a decrease in
      urine and serum phosphate; (3) a decrease in serum potassium with no change in
      urine potassium; and (4) no measurable effects on urine or serum sodium. At any
      given insulin level, the obese individuals excreted significantly more calcium,
      phosphate, and potassium per minute than lean controls. While insulin
      administration had no effect on serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) or vitamin D
      levels, baseline serum 1,25(OH)2D concentration was significantly higher and
      serum ultrafilterable calcium was significantly lower in obese subjects than in
      lean controls.

PMID- 1870425
TI  - Effects of fitness level and the regional distribution of fat on carbohydrate
      metabolism and plasma lipids in middle- to older-aged men.
AB  - Many cross-sectional studies have demonstrated the influences of fitness level or
      the regional distribution of fat on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism; however,
      the relative contribution of these two variables in the same subjects has not
      been extensively examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact
      of regional adiposity on plasma lipids and carbohydrate metabolism in middle- to
      older-aged men with a wide range of fitness levels. Forty-six sedentary and
      exercise-trained men (age [mean +/- SE], 52.8 +/- 0.88 years) were included in
      this study. Fitness level was assessed by (a) time to exhaustion, and (2) maximal
      oxygen uptake achieved during an incremental treadmill test. Plasma lipid levels
      were determined in the basal, fasting state. Carbohydrate metabolism was
      evaluated by the glucose and insulin responses (total glucose and insulin areas
      under the curve, insulin sensitivity index [ISI]) to a 75-g, 2-hour oral glucose
      tolerance test (OGTT). Abdomen to hip ratio (AHR) was used as the index of
      regional adiposity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that fitness level and
      the percentage of body fat were significant predictors (approximately 56% of
      total variance) for total insulin area under the curve and the ISI. A comparison
      between the sedentary and trained subjects showed that training resulted in an
      improved ISI at an equal AHR. Fitness level was also the only significant
      multiple regression predictor for high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (25%
      of total variance) and accounted for the greatest amount of variance in
      triglyceride levels (34%), although AHR was also a significant predictor
      (6%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870426
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and anorexia--cause or effect?
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a principal cytokine that may induce
      weight loss in malignancies and certain chronic infections. Short-term caloric
      deprivation has been found to facilitate in vitro TNF-alpha production, while
      increased spontaneous production of TNF-alpha has been found in patients with
      anorexia nervosa (AN). In the present work, we studied in vitro TNF-alpha
      production in other types of chronic undernutrition and the changes in TNF-alpha
      production during the refeeding of patients with AN. Undernutrition was evaluated
      by calculating fat body mass (FBM) from skinfold measurements and lean body mass
      (LBM) by total body potassium (TBK) counting. Spontaneous and induced TNF-alpha
      production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was studied in six
      chronically malnourished patients with no intercurrent infections, seven patients
      with AN, and 16 age-matched normal healthy subjects. Spontaneous TNF-alpha
      production was in the normal range in the chronically undernourished subjects
      (4.3 +/- 1.5 v 5.0 +/- 1.9 U/mL), but significantly increased in the seven
      patients with AN (221 +/- 327 v 5.0 +/- 1.9 U/mL, P less than .0006). During
      refeeding of patients with AN, TNF-alpha production decreased to the normal range
      concomitantly with weight gain. We concluded that chronic undernutrition, in
      general, is not always associated with increased TNF-alpha production and that it
      still remains to be determined whether TNF-alpha plays a primary role in the
      pathogenesis of AN.

PMID- 1870427
TI  - Blunted growth hormone (GH) responsiveness to GH-releasing hormone in obese
      patients: influence of prolonged administration of the serotoninergic drug
      fenfluramine.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to ascertain if reduced central serotoninergic
      activity might contribute to the well-known blunted growth hormone (GH) response
      to GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) in obese patients. Thus, we studied the effect of
      prolonged stimulation of the serotoninergic system by fenfluramine (FF; 60 mg
      twice daily for 7 days) on GHRH-induced GH release in nine obese and seven normal
      subjects. In controls, GHRH (100 micrograms intravenously [IV]) injection
      increased GH levels from 2.3 +/- 1.8 (+/- SE) to 18.5 +/- 2.8 mU/L, P less than
      .002. FF administration enhanced both basal and GHRH-stimulated GH levels (peak,
      38.4 +/- 8.3 v 6.9 +/- 2.6 mU/L, P less than .002). This response was
      significantly higher (P less than .02) than in pretreatment. In obese patients,
      GH responsiveness to GHRH was slight (peak, 7.1 +/- 2.0 v 0.6 +/- 0.18 mU/L, P
      less than .01) and lower (P less than .01) than in controls. FF administration
      did not affect this response. In controls, the enhanced FF-induced GH release
      after a maximal dose of GHRH indicates that serotoninergic activation influences
      GH secretion and that the mechanism involved is independent of endogenous GHRH.
      In obese patients, we found a blunted GH responsiveness to GHRH that was not
      affected by FF, thus supporting the hypothesis that the serotoninergic control on
      GH release is impaired.

PMID- 1870428
TI  - Contributions of regional adipose tissue depots to plasma lipoprotein
      concentrations in overweight men and women: possible protective effects of thigh
      fat.
AB  - Anthropometry and dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) were used to examine
      associations of regional adiposity with plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and
      lipoprotein subfraction mass concentrations in moderately overweight men and
      women. Among 130 women, waist to thigh girth ratio (WTR) correlated with
      triglycerides (TG) (r = .33, P less than .0001) and negatively with high-density
      lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-C) (r = -.37, P less than .0001)
      concentration, as expected. While WTR did not correlate with low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-C) it correlated positively with the mass
      subfraction of small (Sfo, 0 to 7) LDL (r = .38, P less than .0001), and
      negatively with large (Sfo, 7 to 12) LDL (r = -.31, P less than .01). Among 133
      men, similar though weaker relationships were found. Thigh girth correlated
      positively with HDL and HDL2-C and mass, and with LDL particle size among women.
      Multivariate analysis suggests that association of WTR with lipoprotein values
      known to carry risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) are due at least as much to
      effects of thigh girth as to deleterious effects of waist girth. Estimates of fat
      weight in thigh and abdominal regions by DPA support thigh fat as contributing to
      these effects of thigh girth. Thigh fat may contribute to lipoprotein profiles
      that predict lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1870429
TI  - Lack of effect of salt on the glucose and insulin response to mashed potatoes,
      white rice, and lima beans.
AB  - The effect of 4.25 g of table salt on the insulin and glucose response to three
      forms of carbohydrate with varying glycemic indices was studied. There was no
      statistical difference in the peak response or area under the glucose or insulin
      curves for any of these foods in the presence of salt. It is concluded that salt
      has no effect on the absorption of starches.

PMID- 1870430
TI  - Influence of gliclazide on glucose-stimulated insulin release in man.
AB  - Although sulfonylureas (SU) are widely used in the management of patients with
      non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), there is still debate about
      their mechanism of action on the pancreatic beta cell. It is unclear whether the
      effect of SU on insulin release is additive to the effect of glucose, or whether
      SU act by increasing pancreatic beta-cell sensitivity to glucose (a shift in the
      dose-response curve of glucose-stimulated insulin release without a change in
      maximum release). To address this issue, we assessed the influence of the SU
      gliclazide on glucose-stimulated insulin release in eight healthy male
      volunteers. Sixty-minute hyperglycemic glucose clamps (blood glucose levels: 8
      mmol/L, a submaximal stimulus; and 32 mmol/L, a maximally stimulating
      concentration) were performed with and without prior oral administration of
      gliclazide (80 mg) 30 minutes before the glucose clamp. Mean plasma C-peptide
      increment at 5 minutes (first-phase secretion) obtained during the 8-mmol/L
      hyperglycemic clamp, was higher on the gliclazide study day than on the control
      day (1.07 +/- 0.10 v 0.88 +/- 0.10 mmol/L, P less than .05), whereas no
      difference in plasma C-peptide response was observed during the 32-mmol/L
      hyperglycemic clamp. Mean plasma C-peptide increment obtained at the end 60
      minutes; (second-phase secretion) of the 8-mmol/L hyperglycemic clamps was higher
      on the gliclazide study day than on the control day (1.36 +/- 0.13 v 1.09 +/-
      0.09 mmol/L, P less than .02). No difference was observed in plasma C-peptide
      response at the end of the 32-mmol/L hyperglycemic glucose clamps.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870431
TI  - Characterization of plasma lipoproteins in patients heterozygous for human plasma
      cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) deficiency: plasma CETP regulates high
      density lipoprotein concentration and composition.
AB  - To understand the role of human cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) in
      plasma lipoprotein metabolism, CETP activity and mass levels, lipoprotein and
      apolipoprotein concentrations, and the size of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
      were determined in 15 heterozygotes and compared with those of four homozygotes
      and 20 normolipidemic controls. Plasma CETP activity and mass were totally
      deficient in the four homozygotes for CETP deficiency, while heterozygotes had
      approximately half the level of normals. CETP activity positively correlated with
      CETP mass levels (r = .95, P less than .001). No significant difference was
      observed in the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol among the
      three groups. The concentration of HDL2-cholesterol in the heterozygotes was
      approximately twice as high as that in controls, while that of homozygotes was
      sixfold higher than that in controls. No significant difference in the HDL3
      cholesterol level was observed among the three groups. The HDL2-cholesterol to
      HDL3-cholesterol ratio of homozygotes was sixfold higher than that of controls,
      while heterozygotes showed intermediate values between homozygotes and controls.
      Negative correlations were found between CETP activity and HDL2-cholesterol level
      (r = -.884, P less than .001) and between CETP mass and HDL2-cholesterol level (r
      = -.829, P less than .001). Plasma apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, C-III, and E were
      markedly increased in homozygotes, but the differences between normal and
      heterozygotes were not statistically significant. The HDL size of homozygotes,
      determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), was large, whereas
      that of heterozygotes was intermediate between homozygotes and normals.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870432
TI  - Studies on the relationship between serum colloidal reactions (ZTT and TTT) and
      IgG subclasses, especially IgG1 and IgG2.
AB  - The relationship between zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZTT and thymol turbidity
      test (TTT), and IgG subclasses, especially IgG1 and IgG2, was studied. Serum
      colloidal reactions of specimens from patients with IgG-myeloma usually show
      abnormally high values in ZTT and low values in TTT. But in some cases, values in
      ZTT and TTT are both low, and in a few cases both values are abnormally high. In
      order to see the reason why IgG-myelomas are classified into these three groups
      according to serum colloidal reactions. IgG subclasses of monoclonal proteins
      (MPs) isolated by zone electrophoresis were determined by immunodiffusion with
      anti IgG-subclasses. Results revealed that IgG1-myeloma showed high ZTT and low
      TTT and IgG2-myeloma showed low ZTT and TTT. Only two out of our 29 cases with
      IgG-myeloma showed high ZTT and TTT. MP from one of them belonged to IgG1-kappa
      and that from the other to IgG2-lambda. We checked the relationship between
      turbidity tests and electrophoretic mobility of MP and also that between these
      tests and L-chains' type of MP, but did not find any relationship between them.
      These findings suggest that IgG1 innately reacts with ZTT but not with TTT, while
      IgG2 does not react with any of these tests. MP from cases showing high values in
      both ZTT and TTT may have a special idiotype.

PMID- 1870433
TI  - The presence of cis-9,10-methylene hexadecanoic acid in Yersinia enterocolitica.
AB  - The fatty acids of Yersinia enterocolitica were investigated by Abbas and Card.
      In their report, they stated that the major fatty acids were C16:0, C16:1, C17:0
      and C18:1 and branched or cyclopropane side-chain fatty acids could not be
      detected. We, however, found a moderate amount of cyclopropane side-chain fatty
      acid. We could determine that this fatty acid was cis-9, 10-methylene
      hexadecanoic acid by gas-liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry, silver-nitrate-treated TLC and PtO2 catalyzing hydrogenation
      method.

PMID- 1870434
TI  - Pattern of shedding of small, round-structured virus particles in stools of
      patients of outbreaks of food-poisoning from raw oysters.
AB  - The pattern of shedding of the small, round-structured virus (SRSV) particles in
      the stools of patients who suffered from food-poisoning due to raw oysters was
      investigated. The duration and concentration of fecal shedding of the SRSV
      particles were studied by electron microscopic examinations of stool specimens
      obtained during the course of illness to see a relation of viral shedding to day
      of illness. It was found that the fecal shedding of the SRSV particles occurred
      within five days of illness; thereafter, the concentration of the SRSV particles
      in feces rapidly decreased within a few days during the course of illness.

PMID- 1870435
TI  - Mycolic acid-containing glycolipid as a possible virulence factor of Rhodococcus
      equi for mice.
AB  - By the use of various Rhodococcus equi strains differing in the length of carbon
      chains of glycolipid, we examined whether the glycolipid, glucose monomycolate,
      was contributing to the virulence of R. equi for mice. R. equi strains with
      longer carbon chain mycolic acid showed a higher virulence as determined by
      lethality and granuloma formation in mice than those with shorter ones. When
      purified glycolipid was injected into mice, granuloma formation and liver damage
      were most prominent with the glycolipid having longer carbon chain mycolic acid.
      Only a representative strain with longer carbon chain mycolic acid persisted in
      the spleen of mice after intravenous injection, while a strain with shorter
      carbon chain mycolic acid was readily eliminated. These results suggested that
      glycolipid was at least one of the virulence factors of R. equi and that the
      carbon chain length of mycolic acid might be critical in the expression of
      virulence.

PMID- 1870436
TI  - The 106-kilobase plasmid of Salmonella braenderup and the 100-kilobase plasmid of
      Salmonella typhimurium are not necessary for the pathogenicity in experimental
      models.
AB  - Among 1.041 clinical isolates (77 serovars) of Salmonella which had been derived
      from cases with acute enterocolitis, 601 (58%) contained one or more plasmids.
      Large serovar-specific plasmids were seen in 95 of 307 isolates (31%) of
      Salmonella typhimurium, in 34 of 34 isolates (100%) of Salmonella enteritidis and
      in 36 of 38 isolates (94.7%) of Salmonella braenderup: the sizes of which were
      100, 60 and 106 kilobases (kb), respectively. In order to determine the role of
      these plasmids in pathogenicity for enterocolitis, the plasmids were eliminated
      from some strains of S. braenderup and S. typhimurium and the pathogenicity of
      the plasmid-less strains was compared with that of the parent strains by
      invasiveness to HeLa cells, fluid accumulation in the rabbit ligated ileal loop,
      lesion of mucosal tissue and the Sereny test. The virulence of all the plasmid
      less strains was as strong as that of the plasmid-bearing strains in these
      pathogenicity assay systems. We therefore concluded that the 106-kb plasmid of S.
      braenderup and the 100-kb plasmid of S. typhimurium are not necessary for their
      pathogenicity in the experimental models: invasiveness to HeLa cells, fluid
      accumulation in the rabbit ligated ileal loop, and Sereny test.

PMID- 1870438
TI  - Factors influencing the in vitro growth of Mycobacterium leprae: effect of
      sulfhydryl compounds.
AB  - In an attempt to determine the factors that influence the in vitro growth of
      Mycobacterium leprae in DH medium, the effects of sulfhydryl compounds were
      studied. Growth of M. leprae was monitored using two biochemical indicators. Only
      the sulfhydryl compounds, in reduced form, containing carboxyl group could
      support the growth of M. leprae. Higher cell yields were obtained when these
      sulfhydryl compounds were supplemented with dithiothreitol, presumable to keep
      the monothiols in reduced state during long incubation periods. Ascorbic acid
      could not replace dithiothreitol for this purpose. It is suggested that these
      carboxylated sulfhydryl compounds play a role in the metabolic activity of M.
      leprae along with maintaining low redox potential of the medium.

PMID- 1870437
TI  - Comparison of protective effects with tetra-valent glycolipid antigens and whole
      cell-inactivated vaccine in experimental infection of Leptospira.
AB  - The protective antigens (PAgs), glycolipid substance, were extracted from
      Leptospira interrogans serovars autumnalis, hebdomadis, australis and
      copenhageni, which were considered as main causal serovars of human leptospirosis
      in Japan, with chloroform-methanol-water (1:2:0.8, [vol/vol/vol]) solution. The
      tetra-valent formalin-inactivated leptospiral vaccine (Weil's disease and Akiyami
      combined vaccine) composed of the four serovars mentioned are used as vaccine to
      protect human from leptospiral infection in Japan. The protective effect,
      agglutinating antibody-inducing activity and opsonin-inducing activity of tetra
      valent PAgs were compared with those of vaccines now in use, which were supplied
      by two companies, Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., and Denka-Seiken Co., in
      Japan. The tetra-valent PAgs which contained 10 micrograms of each PAg protected
      hamsters and cyclophosphamide-treated mice from lethal infection of serovar
      copenhageni and induced agglutinating antibodies against the four serovars in the
      same degrees as vaccines. These results suggested that the tetra-valent PAgs
      might be useful as a component vaccine against leptospiral infection instead of
      formalized whole cells vaccines for human.

PMID- 1870439
TI  - Role of L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cell subsets in protective immune responses of mice
      against infection with a low or high virulent strain of Toxoplasma gondii.
AB  - In order to elucidate the role of T cell subsets in protective immunity against
      infection with high virulent and low virulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii,
      monoclonal antibodies specific for T cell subsets were injected into mice before
      immunization or challenge infection. Treatment of mice with monoclonal antibody
      to either L3T4+ or Lyt-2+ T cells before they were immunized with Toxoplasma cell
      homogenate prepared from high virulent RH strain tachyzoites markedly reduced
      survival after mice were challenged with low virulent bradyzoites of the Beverley
      strain. Thus, induction of protective immunity against bradyzoites of the
      Beverley strain requires the presence of both L3T4+ and Lyt-2+ T cells. In
      contrast, mice injected with living bradyzoites of the low virulent Beverley
      strain after immunization with Toxoplasma cell homogenate acquired protective
      immunity against high virulent tachyzoites of the RH strain. Lyt-2+ T cells alone
      appear to be final effector cells for protection against the challenge with high
      virulent RH strain tachyzoites, since treatment of the bradyzoite-immune mice
      with anti-Lyt-2 antibody, but not anti-L3T4 antibody, before challenge
      significantly increased mortality.

PMID- 1870440
TI  - Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) produced by a human T cell hybridoma
      clone.
AB  - A human T cell hybridoma clone, F5, producing high levels of macrophage migration
      inhibitory factor (MIF) was established by the emetine-actinomycin D selection
      method. This clone produced two species of MIF which were separated on a Phenyl
      Sepharose column. We purified MIF-2 (the more hydrophobic species of the two) to
      homogeneity from the conditioned medium of stimulated F5 cells by a series of
      steps that included hydrophobic chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography.
      Ricinus communis lectin affinity chromatography, and high-performance liquid
      chromatography on anion exchange and reverse-phase columns. Purified MIF was
      digested with endoproteinase Lys-C and Asp-N. The amino acid sequences of the
      generated peptides were determined. No sequence similarity with any other protein
      was found. The molecular weight of MIF-2 was estimated to be 45 kDa from sodium
      dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of immunoprecipitates
      with anti-peptide antibodies. These results show that F5MIF-2 is a novel
      cytokine.

PMID- 1870441
TI  - Detection of influenza viruses in throat swab by using polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - An assay protocol based on exploiting the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the
      direct detection of influenza virus in throat swab is described. By use of the
      mixture of H1 and H3 primers, it was possible to determine the subtype of the
      influenza A viruses simultaneously. No visible band was detected after PCR of
      influenza B or A (H2N2) viruses with a pair of H1 or H3 primers. The dilution
      experiment showed that the influenza viruses, as few as 1.3-6 plaque-forming
      units, were sufficient for detecting the HA gene by PCR. All throat swab samples
      from which influenza viruses had been isolated by conventional method were also
      positively detected by PCR method.

PMID- 1870443
TI  - [T-cells in the immune system. 1: Maturation in the thymus].

PMID- 1870442
TI  - Heat-killed Salmonella typhi induces the release of prostaglandins and
      leukotrienes from mouse macrophages.
AB  - Mouse macrophages pre-labeled with [3H]arachidonic acid (20:4) were shown to
      release metabolites generated by the lipoxygenase and cyclo-oxygenase pathways
      following in vitro addition of heat-killed Salmonella typhi. These metabolites
      were maximally released after 60-90 min of incubation and consisted of
      prostaglandins (85%), leukotriene C (6%), di-HETEs, leukotrienes D and E (4%),
      mono-HETEs (2%) and other metabolites (3%). Of the metabolites generated by the
      cyclo-oxygenase pathway (prostaglandins), 6-keto PGF1 alpha and PGE2 were
      generated at a ratio of 1.2 to 1. The significance and importance of these
      results are discussed.

PMID- 1870444
TI  - [Nutrition in disorders of lipid metabolism].

PMID- 1870445
TI  - [Is Agiolax safe in pregnancy and lactation?].

PMID- 1870446
TI  - [Which antihypertensive drugs in lithium therapy?].

PMID- 1870447
TI  - Characterization of thrombospondin binding to collagen (type I) fibres: role of
      collagen telopeptides.
AB  - We have shown that thrombospondin (tsp), like fibronectin (fn) and von Willebrand
      factor (vWf), exhibits a rapid, specific and saturable binding to collagen type I
      fibres (from bovine tendon). The level of binding at saturation is very similar
      to that of vWf. As with fn and vWf, the interaction is ionic in character and
      appears to occur by a polyvalent mechanism since there is little inhibition of
      interaction by monomeric collagen. The conformation of tsp, like that of fn and
      vWf, is important since denaturation causes reduced complexing. Furthermore,
      conformational changes in tsp due to the presence of Ca++ can modulate the amount
      of complex formed under physiological conditions. Tsp, like vWf but in contrast
      to fn, shows little affinity for denatured fibres emphasizing the importance of
      collagen conformation. Pepsin digestion suggests an important role for collagen
      telopeptides; vWf- and fn-binding sites are located more within the collagen
      triple helix. Comparison of the effect on binding after leucine aminopeptidase or
      carboxypeptidase digestion suggests involvement of the N- rather than C-terminal
      telopeptides. No evidence was found for a role for fn, the proteoglycan PG2 or
      collagen type V, which could be present in type I fibres, in mediating the
      interaction between tsp and the fibres. VWf did not inhibit the interaction of
      tsp, but fn did slightly when tested in large excess. This suggests separate
      binding sites in collagen for all three ligands since fn and vWf are also known
      to bind independently of each other.

PMID- 1870449
TI  - Fibronectin in healing flexor tendons subjected to immobilization or early
      controlled passive motion.
AB  - The medial and lateral forepaw flexor tendons of 20-adult mongrel dogs (n = 40)
      were transected and repaired with a modified Kessler suture. Post-operatively the
      dogs were subjected either to immobilization or early controlled passive digital
      motion. Sacrifices were at 3, 7, 10 and 17 days. The tendons of the contralateral
      limbs were left intact and used as controls. Urea-heparin-extracted fibronectin
      was quantitated by competitive ELISA in the tendons and sheaths at the four post
      injury/repair time periods. In both groups (controlled passive motion and
      immobilization), fibronectin concentrations were higher in the injured tissues
      than in control tissues. However, peak fibronectin concentration (7-days post
      injury/repair) was approximately twice as high in the controlled passive motion
      tissues as in the immobilized tissues. It was concluded, therefore, that,
      relative to early controlled passive motion, early immobilization depresses the
      accumulation of tissue fibronectin during the early stages of healing following
      injury.

PMID- 1870448
TI  - The synthesis of a family of structurally related proteoglycans in fibroblasts is
      differently regulated by TFG-beta.
AB  - Fibroblasts synthesize a variety of proteoglycans among which is a family of
      structurally related small proteoglycans, i.e. PG-S1 (biglycan) and PG-S2
      (decorin). Fibromodulin, which is present in some tissues as a keratan sulfate
      proteoglycan, also belongs to this family. We have used primary fibroblasts from
      fetal skin and bovine sclera in culture to study the metabolism of proteoglycans.
      In particular the regulatory effect of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
      beta), interleukin-1 (IL-1) platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and
      dexamethasone was determined by studies of mRNA levels for these structurally
      related proteoglycans. Furthermore the synthesis and secretion of these
      macromolecules was studied using radioactive precursors. TGF-beta induced a 3
      fold increase of mRNA for PG-S1, collagen I and III in both types of fibroblasts.
      mRNA for PG-S2 increased only slightly (1.7-fold) in human skin fibroblasts;
      while no effect was noticed in sclera fibroblasts. The expression of fibromodulin
      mRNA was not effected in any of the cells investigated. IL-1, PDGF and
      dexamethasone had no significant effects on the levels of proteoglycan and
      collagen mRNA, respectively. Synthesis and secretion of PG-S1, -S2 and
      fibromodulin wa studied by labeling with [3H]-leucine and [35S]-sulfate. Final
      separation of PG-S1 and -S2 was achieved by hydrophobic interaction
      chromatography. TGF-beta induced a 3- to 6-fold increase of [3H]- and [35S]
      labeled PG-S1; while PG-S2 only increased 1.3- to 1.4-fold in both types of
      fibroblasts. No effect on synthesis and secretion of immunoprecipitated
      fibromodulin was noted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870450
TI  - Effects of growth factors on mucosal scar fibroblasts in culture--a possible role
      of growth factors in scar formation.
AB  - Various growth factors are known to play important roles in wound healing,
      especially in an early inflammatory phase. However, their roles in subsequent
      scar formation phase are relatively unexplored. The aim of this study is to
      investigate the mechanisms of regulation in scar formation by these factors. Scar
      fibroblasts (SF) were obtained from immature scar tissue made at rat hard palate
      1 month after excision and normal fibroblasts (NF) were obtained from the palatal
      mucosa of untreated control animals. SF showed a longer doubling time, and
      increased level of protein synthesis when compared to NF. Platelet-derived growth
      factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulated [3H]-thymidine uptake
      less effectively in SF than in NF. In both cells, transforming growth factor-beta
      1 (TGF-beta 1) inhibited EGF-induced stimulation of [3H]-thymidine uptake, but
      had no effects when it was added alone. TGF-beta 1 increased collagen synthesis
      more effectively in SF than in NF. These data indicate that the growth factors
      may play key roles in regulating proliferation and metabolic activity of
      fibroblasts during scar formation.

PMID- 1870451
TI  - A discrete helicoid of collagenous fibrils: the cuticle of deep-sea hydrothermal
      vent worms (Riftia pachyptila).
AB  - The fibrillar organization of the collagenous cuticle of the hydrothermal vent
      worm Riftia pachyptila is described. Fibrils in the posterior part of the cuticle
      are organized in a classical orthogonal plywood consisting of successive layers
      of fibrils: in this case, fibrils are oriented in only two directions which are
      orthogonal, as for pogonophoran. Our new data on the plume of Riftia pachyptila
      show a new type of fibrillar arrangement of the cuticle: 1) three sets of fibrils
      are arranged in an hexagonal pattern; 2) fibrils in successive plies are rotated
      by 60 degrees, and the organization of the fibrillar network is interpreted as a
      discrete helicoid when compared to continuously twisted plywoods; 3) a fourth set
      of fibrils crosses the hexagonally arranged plies and is oriented perpendicular
      to the surface of the body. X-ray diffraction studies of the cuticular fibrils
      reveal a triple helix which is characteristic of collagen molecules. Results
      obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that the denaturation
      temperature of the molecule is 54.7 degrees C for Riftia; whereas it is 58.9
      degrees C for type I collagen measured under the same conditions. We discuss the
      origin of this plywood with respect to biomechanical constraints, self assembly
      processes, and compartmentation of the extracellular space. The involvement of
      the cell membrane in the fibrillogenesis of collagen is also discussed.

PMID- 1870452
TI  - Ultrastructural immunolocalization of osteopontin in metaphyseal and cortical
      bone.
AB  - The ultrastructural localization of osteopontin in bone was determined especially
      focussing on the relationship to bone forming cells, i.e. osteoblasts and
      osteocytes. Thus, rat metaphyseal and cortical bone was fixed in a mixture of low
      concentration glutar- and paraformaldehyde and embedded at low temperature in
      Lowicryl K11M. Polyclonal antibodies raised against rat osteopontin fusion
      protein were incubated on ultrathin sections and protein G coated with 5-nm
      colloidal gold was used for detection. The results demonstrate most intensive
      labeling in the mineralization front of newly formed bone; whereas lower
      concentration of label was found in the osteoid both in metaphyseal and cortical
      bone. The concentration of marker was substantially higher in newly formed bone
      near osteoblasts compared to bone constituting the osteocyte lacuna.
      Intracellularly the prevailing localization of label was to large Golgi vesicles
      in osteoblasts. Only focally local accumulation of marker was seen at the
      cell/osteoid surface. The observations suggest a function of osteopontin also in
      the mineral turnover of newly formed bone.

PMID- 1870453
TI  - Crimp morphology in the fibre-forming collagens.

PMID- 1870454
TI  - [What are the expectations for development of a vaccine against AIDS?].

PMID- 1870455
TI  - [The effect of 2 thrombocytopoietic-active polypeptides on thrombocytopenia in
      mice irradiated with ionizing radiation].
AB  - The assumption that thrombocytopoietin preparations prepared in our own
      laboratory can prevent the decrease of the number of thrombocytes in the
      peripheral blood of animals irradiated by a sublethal dose of gamma-ionizing rays
      was tested in an experiment on mice. Two preparations were tested: one, with an
      influence on stem cells, which directs them in the direction of megacariocyte
      differentiation (Smp), and the other one which is essential for the endomitosis
      and production of thrombocytes (Stp). The results undoubtedly indicated that a
      decrease in the number of thrombocytes occurred in the peripheral blood of
      animals following irradiation without the use of the preparations mentioned
      above, and was mostly emphasized after 9 days. The fact that was also
      demonstrated was that this decrease is significantly lesser if the animals are
      treated, after irradiation, with both preparations together or only with
      preparation Stp which has an influence on the directed thrombocytopoiesis cells,
      while the preparation Smp does not show such an effect. On the basis of these
      results a conclusion was made that thrombocytopenia of irradiated subjects sets
      on as a consequence of a temporary lack of one of the two poietins of
      thrombocytopoiesis, meaning Stp, which can be of importance in the treatment of
      the acute radiation syndrome in man.

PMID- 1870456
TI  - [The importance of intact parathyroid hormone determination in the evaluation of
      parathyroid gland function].
AB  - The study investigates the importance of determining the intact parathormone in
      the evaluation of parathyroid gland function in different conditions of change in
      their function and the alteration of parathormone metabolism: primary and
      secondary hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The role
      and place of intact parathormone determination in routine diagnostic schemes of
      calcium homeostasis disorders was reviewed by the simultaneous determination of
      the indicators of calcium and bone metabolism and other calcium homeostasis
      hormone regulators, as well as the C- and N-terminal parathormone fragments and
      by establishing their mutual links with the values of the intact parathormone.

PMID- 1870457
TI  - [Lactates in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with bacterial and viral
      meningitis--significance in differential diagnosis].
AB  - Lactate concentrations were determined in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients
      with purulent, tuberculous and viral meningitis. The control group consisted of
      10 patients with meningism (the presence of the meningeal syndrome with a normal
      cytobiochemical finding of the cerebrospinal fluid). The enzymatic kinetic method
      of the firm "Behringer" was used. In all the patients with purulent meningitis
      lactate values were elevated (above 6.2 mmol/l), and the highest values (above
      15.0 mmol.l) were found in the patients who also developed respiratory failure.
      The lactate values in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with purulent
      meningitis were higher in statistical significance than in all other examined
      groups of patients (p less than 0.01). The lactate values were in correlation
      with the total number of leukocytes (r = 0.78, p less than 0.01) and with the
      percent of polimorphonuclear leukocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid (r = 0.80, p
      less than 0.01). Elevated lactate values (above 2.95) were also found in all the
      patients who had tuberculous meningitis and statistically they differed
      significantly from the cerebrospinal fluid values of the patients with viral
      meningitis and meningism (p less than 0.01). There was no difference in the
      cerebrospinal fluid lactates of patients with viral meningitis and meningism (p
      greater than 0.05). Elevated lactate values were also found in 2 patients who had
      paraneoplastic meningitis and in 3 patients with cerebral cysticercosis and
      hydrocephalus, but without meningitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870458
TI  - [Fatty material in adrenal cortex cells 1 month after contamination with
      detergent].
AB  - The presence of fatty substances: neutral lipids, triglycerides, and
      phospholipids was detected in the adrenal cortex 30 days after the termination of
      detergent influence on white laboratory rats. We found that neutral lipids were
      of increased quantity in the glomerular, fascicular and reticular zone.
      Triglycerides were present in a greater extent in the entire cortex of animals
      which were subjected to the influence of detergents. Phospholipids offer an
      analogue picture: their quantity was increased in all parts of the adrenal cortex
      in the experimental animals. The described features of the adrenal cortex after
      detergent influence termination, considering the three groups of fatty
      substances, undoubtedly indicate the increased activity of the adrenal cortex.

PMID- 1870459
TI  - [Case report of unilateral congenital choanal atresia].
AB  - A case of unilateral inborn choanal atresia was described in a baby of the age of
      4 months. The anomaly was solved by the endonasal approach, which the author
      recommends as the method of choice in the treatment of choanal atresias because
      it is very simple, safe and easy to conduct. The paper also discusses other
      operative methods as well as the best time for conducting the intervention.

PMID- 1870460
TI  - [Cystic teratoma of the neck].
AB  - Teratomas of the neck are very rare, and up to now only a small number of cases
      has been described (10 in adults), while in children it is a more frequent
      finding (132 described cases). It is judged that up to 4% of all teratomas in
      children are located in the cervicothyroid region. The paper presents a case of a
      cystic teratoma of the neck in a male child of 1.5 years of age, which gradually
      increased in it's size during the course of 12 months prior to operation. The
      tumor had the dimensions 3.7 x 3.2 x 2.7 cm, it was multicystic, and clinically
      it gave the impression of a bronchial cyst. Histologically the tumor contained
      elements of all three primary embryonic germ layers.

PMID- 1870461
TI  - [Alcohol in pregnancy].
AB  - In 1978, an investigation on alcohol consumption by women, before and during
      pregnancy, was carried out at Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Medical
      Faculty in Novi Sad. This investigation studied 350 women during their stay in
      the hospital, after delivery and their newborns regarding birth weight,
      prematurity, stillbirths, operative interventions for delivery (vacuum
      extraction, Caesarean section, vaginal breech) and hormonal therapy during
      pregnancy. Ten years later, in 1988, at the same clinic, a similar investigation
      took place within the framework of the "Drugs and Pregnancy" project of the WHO
      Regional Bureau for Europe which included the study of 297 women and their
      newborns (average birth weight and Apgar-score study). Newborns whose mothers had
      been drinking before and during pregnancy had lower birth weight and length
      compared to the newborns whose mothers had never consumed alcohol, but these
      differences are not of statistical significance (X2 = 2.504; X2 = 0.922). There
      is no statistical significance either in the incidence of prematurity (X2 =
      0.461) or in the incidence of operative interventions during delivery (X2 =
      0.632). The stillbirth rate was significantly higher with a 4.3% incidence (p
      less than 0.05) in women consuming alcohol in contrast to the non-alcohol
      consumption group (0.5%). More women who had been drinking before and during
      pregnancy had been receiving hormonal therapy during pregnancy (X2 = 8.195 p less
      than 0.01). Nowadays, more women drink alcohol (60.6%) than ten years ago (48%)
      (X2 = 13.874 p less than 0.01). Also, nowadays more women drink during pregnancy
      (47.5%), than in 1978 - 27.7% (X2 = 26.979 p less than 0.01).

PMID- 1870462
TI  - [Speech behavior of preschool-age children].
AB  - The development of speech is closely related to certain psychic functions. Speech
      behavior reflects the level of cognitive, emotional and contemplative maturity
      and the linguistic development of the wider environment in which the child is
      growing up. The sounds of the language and the configuration of words are
      directly percepted and reproduced with certain principals of semantics and
      syntax. The developmental speech standards for articulation, the phonetic
      analysis of words and the acquaintance with the adjective opposite in the
      preschool age present important information for the evaluation of child maturity.

PMID- 1870463
TI  - [Steroid receptors and breast carcinoma].
AB  - The rate of response of human breast cancer to endocrine therapy depends upon the
      estrogen receptor ER levels and progesterone receptor PR levels in tumor tissue.
      About 55% to 60% of all breast cancers have positive estrogen receptors. Higher
      values of ER are observed in postmenopausal women compared to younger women, and
      about 45% to 55% of metastatic breast tumors have positive estrogen receptor
      values. Approximately 60% of ER positive tumors will respond objectively to
      endocrine therapy, and about 80% of ER positive and PR positive tumors will
      respond to hormone therapy. Absence of ER in breast tumors seems to correlate
      well with the increased response to chemotherapy of the patients. The observation
      that patients whose tumors contained higher ER values, had longer disease free
      survival than patients with ER negative tumors, led to the use of ER and PR as
      the prognostic indicators of the disease. Thus, measurement of ER and PR in tumor
      biopsies gives us important information concerning future treatment and prognosis
      of the disease.

PMID- 1870464
TI  - [Growth factors].

PMID- 1870465
TI  - [Methodology in studying laterality in developmental neuropsychiatry].
AB  - The extent of literature and research dedicated to the laterality of cerebral
      functions and it's relation towards peripheral laterality gives the impression
      that this problem is precisely determined to a greater extent. The fact that can
      be accepted by the examination of literature is that the relation behavior (in
      the sense of acting)--brain (in the sense of a material determination of behavior
      itself) cannot be accepted as precisely determined or according to definition,
      not by nature nor by the mechanism of establishing this relation. From the
      perspective of the clinical viewpoint of the meaning of left-handedness the most
      acceptable is the theory of Satz Orsini and Sopper from 1986 in which they
      consider that non-righthanded people present a heterogenous group with a few
      individual sub-types: pathological lefthanded persons; ambivalent persons, in
      other words, ambidexters and the group of lefthanded persons by nature. On the
      basis of present neuropsychological research and in accordance with the psycho
      neuro-vegetative approach to the semiotics of the developmental age of Popov et
      al., a complete battery is given which enables the neuropsychological analysis
      according to Orzbut's principals.

PMID- 1870466
TI  - [Prevention of tooth caries using mineral water].
AB  - Numerous investigations showed that fluorides play an important role in the
      prevention of teeth caries, which acts as one of the most widely spread diseases
      nowdays. Consequently, the bringing in of optimal amounts of fluorides into an
      organism is of great value for the health of teeth. One of the possible sources
      of fluorides is mineral water, which brings out the importance of learning about
      the fluoride concentration in it. Fluoride determination was carried out by the
      potentiometric method, using the fluoride-selective electrode. Fourteen samples
      of mineral water from the common market in Novi Sad, were analysed. The results
      are given in mgF-/L and mumol F-/L. The fluoride concentration above 0.5 mgF-/L
      has the preventive effect on the health of teeth. From the obtained results it
      can be concluded that some mineral waters are recommendable as a source of
      fluorides needed to prevent teeth caries.

PMID- 1870467
TI  - [Cytochemical study of the thyroid gland].
AB  - The paper presents the importance of cytochemical research in the diagnostics of
      thyroid gland diseases. It is considered that this research usefully supplements
      the standard cytodiagnostics of the thyroid, especially in clarifying functional
      and morphological changes in goiter. Given are the basic principals of
      cytochemical analyses as well as the valuing, in other words, the quantification
      of cytochemical results. The following methods are more closely described: PAS,
      alpha-naphthilacetate esterase, naphthol AS-D acetate esterase, peroxidase, beta
      glucuronidase and alkaline phosphatase.

PMID- 1870468
TI  - [Treatment strategy in malignant genital tumors in childhood and adolescence].
AB  - In the period of 1960-1987 at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics in Novi
      Sad 30,398 extensive abdominal and vaginal operations were carried out. In the
      same lapse of time 59 female patients in their childhood or adolescence were
      operated on due to an ovarian gland tumor. There were 5 female patients up to the
      age of 14, and 54 female patients from 14-18 years of age. There were 4 malignant
      tumors: 2 in childhood age, and 2 in adolescence, and 55 benign ones. By
      presenting the severeness of the diagnosis (the rarity of the tumor) and the
      complete treatment strategy, the authors state the principals which should be
      observed with operations on the genitals of children and adolescents: operation
      is the method of choice; these cases should be operated on in great medical
      centers; "ex tempore" biopsy is necessary. The extent of the operative procedure
      presents a delicate problem, because great care should be taken about the
      endocrine function of the ovary, the somatic development, menstrual and
      reproductive function, potential malignancy, and possible relapse, so the authors
      speak in favor of relaparotomy and radicalization of the first procedure rather
      than in favor of a great radicalization in the first act. Depending on the nature
      of the tumor, postoperative irradiation or chemotherapy is recommended. In
      prevention, regarding early diagnosis, the opening of school dispensaries for
      childhood and adolescent gynecology is recommended, as well as vaginoscopic
      examination and the interdisciplinary work of the gynecologist, the surgeon for
      children and the pediatrician.

PMID- 1870469
TI  - [Health aspects of air quality].
AB  - The pollution of air is one of the most pressing public service problems
      resulting from the process of urbanization, industrialization and traffic
      expansion. Air quality control is carried out continually with the aim of
      assessing the situation and proposing prophylaxis measures. Our investigations
      focussed on air sediment, soot and sulphur dioxide. With regard to engine exhaust
      gases, the paper presents the concentration data for carbon monoxide, nitrogen
      oxides and lead. Our findings point to a significant presence of all the
      parameters investigated, which is in accordance with the findings of other
      authors. The quantities of lead determined in the air give rise to special
      concern, classifying the air into the second or even, third quality class.
      Bearing the problem of chronic plumbism in mind, this pollutant is a serious
      health risk for all citizens, especially younger ones. It is present both
      directly in the air we breathe and indirectly, since lead residues were
      discovered in the plants growing along major motorways in the range of up to 200
      m. The concentrations of soot also had an increasing tendency in the heating
      season, classifying the air into the third quality class. The quantities of other
      air quality indicators, such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide
      and air sediment ranged within the limits allowed. In addition, an increasing
      tendency was observed both for acute and chronic diseases in the morbidity rate
      of adults living in Novi Sad and Vojvodina. In order to prevent air pollution and
      its detrimental effects to human health it is necessary to relocate the polluting
      facilities, analyze all the factors or urban life and the technological problems
      involved.

PMID- 1870470
TI  - [Frequency of congenital anomalies in neonates in Bosanska Krajina (1985-1988)].
AB  - The following can be stated on the basis of an incidence analysis of the results
      of birth defects in the sample of newborn infants of Bosanska krajina (1981-1985)
      and their distribution in the observed sample and infants' sex: In the analysed
      sample of newborn infants of Bosanska krajina (N = 40,450) there were 1454
      newborn infants with birth defects--1375 with one and 79 with multiple defects
      (every 28th newborn), out of which there were 1344 full-term, 98 premature and 12
      stillborn infants. The relative incidence of birth defects in the analysed sample
      of newborns of Bosanska krajina (3.57%) and its subsamples (full-term 3.53%;
      premature 14.55%; and stillborn 2.55%) coincides with the variation range
      registered in the samples of Yugoslav and world populations. Significant
      differences in the incidence of birth defects with respect to the "status" of the
      newborn occur in comparisons of subsamples of full-term and premature infants
      (0.01 greater than p greater than 0.001) and the premature and total observed
      sample of newborns of Bosanska krajina (p less than 0.001). The incidence
      analysis by newborns' sex shows significant differences in the incidence of
      defects between female and male newborns (p less than 0.001).

PMID- 1870471
TI  - [An article on alcoholism from 1827. Dr. Jovan Stejic: Inebriation].
AB  - In 1827 Dr Jovan Stejic (1803-1853) published an article under the title
      Inebriation in the Chronicle of the Serbian Registry. In the article, in a very
      picturesque manner, he gives his views on the causes and consequences of
      alcoholism, as well as the way of it's treatment.

PMID- 1870472
TI  - [Immunity against tetanus 3 years after revaccination].

PMID- 1870473
TI  - Residency training for medical physicists.

PMID- 1870474
TI  - A numerical investigation of the dependence of NMR signal from pulsatile blood
      flow in CINE pulse sequences.
AB  - The Bloch equations have been solved using numerical techniques for a uniform
      fluid undergoing periodic pulsatile flow in an NMR imaging experiment. The
      magnetization and NMR signal have been calculated for experimental parameters
      appropriate for a CINE sequence (TR = 40 ms, (TE = 14 ms) applied to the study of
      pulsatile aortic or other arterial flows. The flow velocity profile is obtained
      by Fourier superposition of different harmonics and it is shown that the steady
      state NMR signal has reduced high-frequency components. There is also a time
      delay between peak signal intensity and flow because the backflow effects that
      can be as much as 100 ms. The apparent pulsatility depends on the NMR sequence
      parameters. Some limitations of the phase contrast flow-imaging method are also
      discussed for nonuniform flow.

PMID- 1870475
TI  - Localized in vivo high-resolution NMR imaging using gradient subencoding
      technique.
AB  - A new spatial localization technique for in vivo high-resolution imaging is
      presented here. In contrast to other localization techniques that use a series of
      rf pulses to define a volume of interest, only one rf pulse is utilized in the
      proposed method for selection of a region to be imaged. Instead of rf pulses for
      region selection, subencoding gradient pulses are used for the localization
      together with a convolution process on each phase-encoding gradient by a set of
      additional gradients (e.g., y direction). Then the 2-D localization is completed
      by restricting the bandwidth in the readout direction (e.g., x direction). The
      latter is simply achieved by using a low-pass filter in the receiver system. By
      applying this technique on a human body, localized in vivo high-resolution images
      are obtained for the knee with much improved resolution. 100 x 100 microns in
      plane (x,y plane) resolution images obtained from the human knee demonstrate that
      localized in vivo high-resolution imaging for both human and animals is possible
      with an in-plane resolution of below 100 microns.

PMID- 1870477
TI  - The determination of the contrast necessary for the detection of small positive
      or negative contrasting areas in flood field images by employing ROCs.
AB  - Flood field images are acquired and inspected visually during weekly quality
      control procedures for scintillation cameras. Nonuniformities are quantified by
      parameters such as integral and differential uniformity (IU and DU). This study
      is a first step toward understanding the relation between the standard
      quantitative parameters measured in regular quality control procedures and the
      performance of clinicians in the interpretation of studies conducted with the
      same scintillation camera. This study quantified the performance of observers to
      detect nonuniformities in an ideal case. Flood field images (64 x 64) were
      simulated on a computer. One contrasting area (2 x 2) was superimposed at random
      positions on each image. Positive and negative contrast values of 10%, 8%, 6%,
      4%, 2%, and 0% were employed. The linearly scaled computer images were
      transferred to film. These films were evaluated by 11 observers to obtain
      receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The areas (A) below the average
      ROCs for every contrast value were utilized as an indication of the detectability
      of the contrasting areas superimposed on the flood images. The results indicate
      areas with positive contrasts greater than 6% and negative contrasts less than 
      8% were detected with 95% probability (A greater than or equal to 0.95). These
      contrasts correspond to optical density differences of greater than 0.051 and
      less than -0.072, respectively (assuming a gamma, G, or gradient of 2.0 for the x
      ray film characteristic curve). The contrast values and optical density
      differences obtained may serve as guide values, beyond which action must be taken
      to correct the scintillation camera nonuniformity to ensure optimum imaging.
      These results can be utilized by other institutions to predict the threshold
      contrasts of their imaging systems if G can be measured or estimated for the
      systems.

PMID- 1870476
TI  - Quantitative imaging of I-124 using positron emission tomography with
      applications to radioimmunodiagnosis and radioimmunotherapy.
AB  - Positron emission tomography (PET) is potentially useful for the quantitative
      imaging of radiolabeled antibodies, leading in turn to improved dosimetry in
      radioimmunotherapy. Iodine-124 is a positron-emitting nuclide with appropriate
      chemical properties and half-life (4.2 days) for such studies since the
      radiolabeling of antibodies with iodine is well understood and the half-life
      permits measurements over several days. Unfortunately, I-124 has a complex decay
      scheme with many high-energy gamma rays and a positron abundance of only 25%. It
      has therefore been largely ignored as a PET-imaging nuclide. However,
      measurements made with phantoms and animals under realistic conditions using a
      BGO-based PET scanner have shown that satisfactory imaging and quantitation can
      be achieved. Investigations of spatial resolution, the linearity of regional
      observed count rate versus activity in the presence of other activity, and the
      visualization and quantitation of activity in spheres with different surrounding
      background activities were carried out with phantoms up to 22 cm in diameter.
      Compared with F-18, spatial resolution was only slightly degraded (13.5 mm FWHM
      vs 12 mm FWHM) while linearity was the same over a 10:1 activity range (0.015 to
      0.15 MBq/ml for I-124). The visualization and quantitation of spheres was also
      slightly degraded when using similar imaging times. Increasing the imaging time
      for I-124 reduced the difference. To verify that the technique would work in
      vivo, measurements were made of human neuroblastoma tumors in rats which had been
      injected with I-124 labeled 3F8 antibody. Although the number of samples was
      small, good agreement was achieved between image-based measurements and direct
      measurements of excised 4-g tumors. Thus quantitative imaging of I-124 labeled
      antibodies appears to be possible under realistic conditions.

PMID- 1870478
TI  - Comparison of NaI(Tl), CdTe, and HgI2 surgical probes: physical characterization.
AB  - The physical properties of three surgical probes containing different radiation
      detectors are compared: a NaI(Tl) scintillator with a flexible, fiber-optic light
      guide, and two semiconductor detectors that operate at room temperature, CdTe and
      HgI2. Also compared are spectra, energy resolutions, and counting efficiencies
      measured at a variety of gamma-ray energies between 30 and 1000 keV. The energy
      resolution of the NaI probe is substantially poorer than that of either
      semiconductor probe due in part to light losses in coupling the scintillator to
      the fiber optics. The semiconductor probes have complex spectral response due to
      charge-carrier trapping and K x-ray escape, and not all photoelectric
      interactions in these detectors contribute to the useful part of the photopeak.
      Above 120 keV the counting efficiency for the NaI probe is an order of magnitude
      higher than for the CdTe and HgI2 probes. Both energy resolution and counting
      efficiency are slightly better for the HgI2 probe than for the CdTe probe.

PMID- 1870480
TI  - The effects of different correction techniques on absolute volume determination
      with SPECT using a threshold edge detection method.
AB  - Quantitation of planar radionuclide images is hampered by structures containing
      radioactivity which overlie or underlie the organ of interest. The introduction
      of single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) overcame this problem
      to a large extent and enhanced the contrast of the images. Attenuation of
      photons, however, degrades the resultant SPECT images and correction methods for
      photon absorption and scatter were subsequently proposed. The different
      correction methods have variable effects on the reconstructed images. If
      threshold techniques are used to quantitate organ volume, i.e., combining pixels
      with the same percentage of the maximum pixel count in the volume, the selected
      threshold values which give the most accurate volume determination, will be
      affected by the specific correction method used. In this study, the effect of
      various SPECT image correction methods on threshold was investigated. A thorax
      phantom containing volumes ranging from 30 to 1200 ml was used. Threshold values
      varying from 45.6% (210 ml without any correction) to 23.7% (1200 ml with a
      combination of scatter subtraction and attenuation correction) were used to
      produce correct quantitation when different methods were investigated. A negative
      correlation was found between threshold and volume. This reduction in threshold
      was most prominent when scatter and attenuation correction were combined. This
      study shows that correction methods for attenuation of photons influence the
      threshold value for volume quantitation and the use of a constant threshold value
      could lead to underestimation of larger volumes.

PMID- 1870479
TI  - Comparison of NaI(T1), CdTe, and HgI2 surgical probes: effect of scatter
      compensation on probe performance.
AB  - Spatial variation in the background source distribution makes tumor detection
      difficult for single-detector probes. Using a single energy window that brackets
      the photopeak helps discriminate against background events dominated by Compton
      scattering. Another approach is to use the information provided by an additional
      window in the Compton region. The performances of NaI(T1), CdTe, and HgI2
      surgical probes have been compared under realistic simulations of a tumor-staging
      procedure using optimal single-sided energy windows and a two-window scatter
      subtraction technique. Results showed that despite the differences in energy
      resolution of the detectors, the performances of the probes in a variable
      background were similar when optimal single energy windows were used. When the
      background variations were large, using information provided by a second window
      improved probe performance.

PMID- 1870481
TI  - Simultaneous reconstruction, segmentation, and edge enhancement of relatively
      piecewise continuous images with intensity-level information.
AB  - A multinomial image model is proposed which uses intensity-level information for
      reconstruction of contiguous image regions. The intensity-level information
      assumes that image intensities are relatively constant within contiguous regions
      over the image-pixel array and that intensity levels of these regions are
      determined either empirically or theoretically by information criteria. These
      conditions may be valid, for example, for cardiac blood-pool imaging, where the
      intensity levels (or radionuclide activities) of myocardium, blood-pool, and
      background regions are distinct and the activities within each region of muscle,
      blood, or background are relatively uniform. To test the model, a mathematical
      phantom over a 64 x 64 array was constructed. The phantom had three contiguous
      regions. Each region had a different intensity level. Measurements from the
      phantom were simulated using an emission-tomography geometry. Fifty projections
      were generated over 180 degrees, with 64 equally spaced parallel rays per
      projection. Projection data were randomized to contain Poisson noise. Image
      reconstructions were performed using an iterative maximum a posteriori
      probability procedure. The contiguous regions corresponding to the three
      intensity levels were automatically segmented. Simultaneously, the edges of the
      regions were sharpened. Noise in the reconstructed images was significantly
      suppressed. Convergence of the iterative procedure to the phantom was observed.
      Compared with maximum likelihood and filtered-backprojection approaches, the
      results obtained using the maximum a posteriori probability with the intensity
      level information demonstrated qualitative and quantitative improvement in
      localizing the regions of varying intensities.

PMID- 1870482
TI  - Molybdenum target x-ray spectra: a semiempirical model.
AB  - A semiempirical model for generating molybdenum target x-ray spectra is
      presented. The model is an extension of a previous model developed by the authors
      for tungsten and takes into account the depth of production for both
      bremsstrahlung and characteristic x-ray photons. As in the previous work, the
      optimal model parameters were determined using nonlinear least-squares fits to
      experimental data. Good agreement between the two was obtained. By varying target
      angle, off-axis angle, and filtration in the model in accordance with the x-ray
      tube and geometry of interest, results consistent with tabulated spectra for
      different conditions have been obtained.

PMID- 1870483
TI  - Quantitative scatter measurement in digital radiography using a photostimulable
      phosphor imaging system.
AB  - X-ray scatter fractions measured with two detectors are compared: a
      photostimulable phosphor system (PSP) and a conventional film-screen technique.
      For both detection methods, a beam-stop technique was used to estimate the
      scatter fraction in polystyrene phantoms. These scatter fraction measurements are
      compared to previously reported film-based measurements. Scatter fractions
      obtained with the PSP were in good agreement both with measurements using film as
      well as with most previously reported measurements. For the PSP measurements,
      repeatability was better than 1%. It was found that the PSP provides a precise x
      ray detector for quantitative scatter measurement in digital radiography.

PMID- 1870484
TI  - Comparison of imaging properties of a computed radiography system and screen-film
      systems.
AB  - To compare the diagnostic quality of images obtained with a computed radiography
      (CR) system based on storage phosphor technology with that obtained with
      conventional screen-film systems, a dual-image recording technique was devised.
      With this technique, a CR imaging plate is placed behind a screen-film system in
      a conventional cassette. This makes it possible to obtain two images
      simultaneously, one from each system, in a clinical examination with the same
      patient positioning, the same degree of patient motion, the same geometric
      unsharpness, and no additional exposure. The modulation transfer functions (MTFs)
      of the CR system with and without the dual-image recording technique were greater
      at low frequencies, but lower at high frequencies, that the MTFs of the screen
      film systems used. The noise Wiener spectra of the CR images at the plane of the
      imaging plate were greater than those of the screen-film systems, but were
      comparable to those of the screen-film systems at the plane of the printed film
      due to the reduction in image size. Clinical chest images obtained with the dual
      image recording technique appeared comparable, probably because of the image size
      reduction and the use of mild unsharp mask processing.

PMID- 1870485
TI  - X-ray imaging using amorphous selenium: a photoinduced discharge readout method
      for digital mammography.
AB  - A new digital image readout method for electrostatic charge images on
      photoconductive plates is described. The method can be used to read out images on
      selenium plates similar to those used in xeromammography. The readout method,
      called the air-gap photoinduced discharge method (PID), discharges the latent
      image pixel by pixel and measures the charge. The PID readout method, like
      electrometer methods, is linear. However, the PID method permits much better
      resolution than scanning electrometers while maintaining quantum limited
      performance at high radiation exposure levels. Thus the air-gap PID method
      appears to be uniquely superior for high-resolution digital imaging tasks such as
      mammography.

PMID- 1870486
TI  - Use of storage phosphor imaging plates in portal imaging and high-energy
      radiography: the intensifying effect of metallic screens on the sensitivity.
AB  - The sensitivity of storage phosphor imaging plates (SPIP) at megavolt photon
      energies (60Co, 6-, 10-, and 18-MV radiotherapy beams) is studied both
      experimentally and by Monte Carlo radiation transport calculations. In addition,
      the same techniques are used to investigate the intensifying effect of metal
      screens on the sensitivity of the SPIP. The results provide evidence that the
      sensitivity of the SPIPs is proportional to the absorbed energy in the phosphor
      layer per cGy. The spectral sensitivity is calculated for photon energies between
      10 keV and 20 MeV for various SPIP-screen combinations.

PMID- 1870487
TI  - Clinical implementation of AAPM Task Group 32 recommendations on brachytherapy
      source strength specification.
AB  - Historically the strength of sealed brachytherapy sources has been described by
      many physical quantities, including true activity, apparent activity, and
      equivalent mass of radium. Recently, the AAPM Task Group 32 recommended that
      these quantities be replaced by a single quantity, air-kerma strength, with units
      of muGy m2h-1. A set of equations has been developed for unambiguously converting
      source strength estimates and renormalizing published dose-rate tables, which
      assume traditional quantities and units, into forms consistent with air-kerma
      strength. For commonly used brachytherapy sources, multiplicative conversion
      factors for each source-strength formalism and set of units are given. To convert
      equivalent mass of radium to air-kerma strength requires a single multiplicative
      factor, 7.23 muGy m2h-1/mgRaEq, applicable to all sources. Based upon a review of
      vendor source specification practices, the factors for converting source strength
      of 198Au, 103Pd, and 125I seeds from apparent mCi to air-kerma strength are 2.06,
      1.29, and 1.27 muGy m2h-1/mCi(apparent), respectively. These factors are
      independent of source geometry but depend on the nominal exposure rate constant
      value selected by the vendor. Conversion factors applicable to mass of radium or
      true activity depend upon both source geometry and radionuclide identity. Because
      many of these conversion factors depend upon vendor choices of physical constants
      and exposure rate constants, readers are cautioned to carefully review vendor
      source strength specification practices before adopting these values clinically.
      Finally, the relationships between the various source strength quantities and
      absorbed dose rate in the medium surrounding the source are elucidated.

PMID- 1870488
TI  - Thermoluminescent dosimetry for 103Pd seeds (model 200) in solid water phantom.
AB  - Dose measurements using LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) have been
      performed for single 103Pd seeds (model 200) at the center of a solid water
      phantom. TLD cubes 1 mm on an edge were used for measurements from 1 mm to 1 cm
      at 1-mm intervals. The cubes were centered along transverse and longitudinal axes
      and along radial lines from seed center at 10 degrees increments. TLD chips of
      dimension 3.1 X 3.1 X 0.89 mm were used at distances of 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 cm at 15
      degrees angular intervals. Data are presented as the product of distance squared
      and dose rate per unit source strength, plotted versus distance and angle. At 1
      cm from seed center along the transverse axis this product was found to be 0.88
      cGy cm2 mCi-1h-1. A dose-rate table in polar coordinates has been formulated for
      use with multiseed dose distribution calculations. Comparison with data of
      Meigooni et al. [Endocuriether./Hyperthermia Oncol. 6, 107-117 (1990)] shows
      general agreement for distances of 2 cm or greater. A comparison of our
      transverse axis data with Russell's calculated values (Theragenics Internal
      Report, 4 November 1984) for an ideal point source of 103Pd shows very good
      agreement except at distances less than 0.5 cm, where differences are
      attributable to the extended source effect in the actual seed.

PMID- 1870489
TI  - A new method for characterizing beta-ray ophthalmic applicator sources.
AB  - A technique is described which enables one to obtain detailed dose
      characteristics of 90Sr beta-ray ophthalmic applicators. A radiochromic radiation
      detector which is a solid-state solution of hexahydroxyethyl pararosaniline
      cyanide in a nylon polymer (i.e., thin foil), has been used to determine the
      surface dose rate and dose distribution of these sources. The detectors are
      rugged, easily handled, have an equivalent response (optical density per unit
      absorbed dose) to photons and electrons, and produce high-resolution images. They
      have been found useful for this application due to the high surface dose rates
      [0.10-1.0 Gy (H2O)/s] and their low sensitivity (approximately 10(4) Gy for an
      optical density of 1.0). The foils have been evaluated on a He-Ne scanning laser
      densitometer with a resolution of 0.3 mum. Comparison with NIST (formerly NBS)
      extrapolation ionization chamber measurements indicates surface dose-rate
      agreement within 6%. Spectral dosimetric characteristics are presented and
      discussed.

PMID- 1870490
TI  - Calibration of 192Ir high-dose-rate afterloading systems.
AB  - A method is described for calibration of 192Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy
      afterloading systems. Since NIST does not offer calibration of ionization
      chambers with the gamma-ray spectrum of iridium-192, an interpolation procedure
      is employed, using calibrations above (137Cs, 662 keV) and below (250 kVcp, 146
      keV x rays) the exposure-weighted average 192Ir energy of 397 keV. The same total
      wall + cap thickness must be used for both calibrations, and for the 192Ir
      measurements. A wall + cap thickness of 0.3 g/cm2 is recommended to assure
      charged particle equilibrium and to exclude secondary electrons emitted from the
      source encapsulation. Procedures are described for determining the corrections
      for source-chamber distance and room scatter during the source calibration in
      inverse-square-law geometry. A new well-type ionization chamber has been designed
      specifically for convenient routine use with the HDR afterloading system. It can
      be calibrated by means of a previously calibrated 192Ir source, and offers a
      simple means for verifying the decay rate and for calibrating 192Ir replacement
      sources.

PMID- 1870491
TI  - Superposition on a multicomputer system.
AB  - Superposition (convolution using a noninvariant kernel) has been shown to be a
      highly promising technique for use in calculating dose distributions in
      radiotherapy treatment planning. However, one major difficulty that currently
      prevents use in routine planning is the computational effort required to perform
      the calculation in three dimensions. To help solve this problem the superposition
      technique has been implemented on a parallel processor multicomputer in order to
      examine the performance characteristics of such a system. Up to eight elements
      have been connected in a pipeline (linear array), and tree networks of three and
      seven processors have also been constructed (using INMOS T800 transputers). The
      significant results obtained with these networks are: (1) Both topologies provide
      near-linear speedup with increasing processor number (8 processors provide 7.81
      times the computing power of a single processor when using an optimal
      communication packet size); (2) increasing communication packet size from 1 voxel
      to an optimum of approximately 40 voxels significantly reduces communication
      overhead per processor. Overhead per processor for a 7-element linear array is
      6.9% when using 1-voxel packets, but only 1.8% when using 40-voxel packets; (3)
      the topology of the network has some effect on communication overhead: Arranging
      7 processors in a 1-2-4 binary tree reduces overhead to 80.1% of that encountered
      using a 7-element linear array (with packet size of 1 voxel).

PMID- 1870492
TI  - 3-D dose-volume compensation using nonlinear least-squares regression technique.
AB  - A method for external beam dose-volume optimization is presented. The Gauss
      Marquardt nonlinear least-squares regression technique is applied to compensator
      design and determination. The dose distribution (uniform or otherwise) desired
      throughout a volume is specified. Compensators optimized to produce the necessary
      variation of beam intensity across the surface of each beam are simultaneously
      determined for all the beams. Solutions for homogeneous dose, homogeneous target
      dose, and restricted dose to exterior target volume structures, and inhomogeneous
      target dose cases are presented. Dependence of the results on the number of
      parameters as well as the role of degree of desirability weighting is explained
      and illustrated via examples. Discussion of the significance and limitations of
      this optimization method is also presented.

PMID- 1870493
TI  - Extra lethal damage due to residual incompletely repaired sublethal damage in
      hyperfractionated and continuous radiation treatment.
AB  - In the conventional linear-quadratic model of single-dose response, the alpha and
      beta terms reflect lethal damage created during the delivery of a dose, from two
      different presumed molecular processes, one linear with dose, the other
      quadratic. With the conventional one-fraction-per-day (or less) regimens, the
      sublethal damage (SLD), presumably repairing exponentially over time, is
      essentially completely fixed by the time of the next dose of radiation. If this
      assumption is true, the effects of subsequent fractions of radiation should be
      independent, that is, there should be little, if any, reversible damage left from
      previous fractions, at the time of the next dose. For multiple daily fractions,
      or for the limiting case, continuous radiation, this simplification may overlook
      damaged cells that have had insufficient time for repair. A generalized method is
      presented for accounting for extra lethal damage (ELD) arising from such residual
      SLD for hyperfractionation and continuous irradiation schemes. It may help to
      predict differences in toxicity and tumor control, if any, obtained with
      "unconventional" treatment regimens. A key element in the present model is the
      finite size and the dynamic character of the pool of sublethal damage. Besides
      creating the usual linear and quadratic components of lethal damage, each new
      fraction converts a certain fraction of the existing SLD into ELD, and creates
      some new SLD. The expressions developed by Thames [Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 47, 319
      339 (1987)] for fractionated treatment (the IR model) and by Dale [Br. J. Radiol.
      58, 515-528 (1985); 59, 919-927 (1986)] for protracted and fractionated treatment
      are found to be similar to our results in the limiting case where the pool of SLD
      is very large (infinite).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870495
TI  - Induced effects in ionization chamber cables by photon and electron irradiation.
AB  - Photon and electron irradiation effects in cables and connectors of ionization
      chambers were investigated under different experimental conditions by means of
      measurements of the chamber response to a 90Sr standard check source and by
      measurements of radiation-induced leakage current. Correction factors for
      irradiation effects on cables and connectors were obtained as a function of the
      radiation energy, cable length, and absorbed dose dependences.

PMID- 1870494
TI  - Bremsstrahlung review: an analysis of the Schiff spectrum.
AB  - A concise approximate formula computed by Schiff for the intensity spectrum of
      bremsstrahlung photons has been a valuable starting point for many medical
      physics applications, including the Task Group 21 protocols. This paper provides
      a brief review of the literature related to determination of the bremsstrahlung
      spectrum and to the Schiff formula in particular. It describes the approximations
      Schiff made to obtain this formula, including the Born approximation, and the
      exponential nuclear screening potential, the infinite-mass nucleus approximation,
      and the "extreme relativistic" approximation. A derivation of a more exact
      formula that avoids the last of these approximations is presented. This provides
      a check on the accuracy of the Schiff spectrum for linear accelerator energies
      used clinically. Comparisons with the Schiff thin-target result are presented. A
      thick-target bremsstrahlung spectrum is calculated and compared with the forward
      spectrum obtained from Monte Carlo simulations of the x-ray production in two
      linear accelerator treatment heads.

PMID- 1870496
TI  - Measurement of accelerator bremsstrahlung spectra with a high-efficiency Ge
      detector.
AB  - A Compton spectrometer with a high-efficiency Ge detector was used to measure
      photon spectra from clinical accelerators. The response-function matrix for the
      detector system was determined using ten radioactive sources that emitted gamma
      rays of single energy ranging from 279-1525 keV. The system was tested by
      measuring the spectrum from a 60Co teletherapy machine. The energy distribution
      of tungsten target bremsstrahlung produced by 2.2, 2.5, 15, 20, and 25 MeV
      electrons in two clinical accelerators were determined. Theoretical thin-target
      calculations overestimate the number of photons in the high-energy regions of the
      spectra, as was expected. However, theoretical thick-target calculations
      underestimate the numbers of high-energy photons.

PMID- 1870497
TI  - Effect of tissue inhomogeneity on dose distribution of continuous activity of low
      energy electrons in bone marrow cavities with different topologies.
AB  - Monte Carlo calculations have previously been performed by Eckerman to evaluate
      the absorbed fractions of continuous sources of monoenergetic electrons in marrow
      cavities of human bone. The difference in scattering power of electrons in
      cortical bone (CB) and the red marrow (RM) was neglected. In the present work the
      Integrated Tiger Series and Electron-Gamma-Shower Monte Carlo codes were used to
      investigate the effect of topology of the bone and bone marrow interface on
      backscatter dose increase to the marrow. Planar, cylindrical, and spherical
      geometries were included. For the planar geometry, a maximum dose increase of 9
      +/- 1 (S.E. of the mean) % was obtained in the region within 12 mg/cm2 from the
      interface due to a semi-infinite source of electrons with energy greater than 0.5
      MeV. An increase of 7 +/- 1% was observed experimentally in the same region due
      to a semi-infinite source of 32P. This was in good agreement with Monte Carlo
      calculation. Averaged over the region of RM embedding electron sources between
      two planar CB/RM interfaces 1000 microns apart, a dose enhancement of 10 +/- 2%
      was predicted for electron energies from 1 to 1.75 MeV. For the cylindrical
      interface with 500-microns radius of curvature, the maximum dose increase
      averaged over the whole cylinder due to an isotropic distribution of
      monoenergetic electrons inside the cylinder was 12 +/- 1%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870498
TI  - Automated data collection and analysis system for MOSFET radiation detectors.
AB  - Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) have been used as
      radiation dosimeters. Because of their small detector size, minimal power
      requirements, and signal integration characteristics, they offer unique
      possibilities as real-time dose monitors in radiotherapy. An automated data
      collection and analysis system for use with MOSFET radiation dosimeters has been
      designed and built. The objective was to design a system which can acquire and
      process the MOSFET signals in real time, in any radiation field encountered in
      radiotherapy. In particular, major problems have been solved arising from the
      intrinsic drifts of the MOSFET signal during low dose rate measurements. These
      signal drifts are significant when the MOSFET detector is used in applications
      such as on-line monitoring of radiation dose delivery in brachytherapy or
      radioimmunotherapy. The data collection and analysis system includes a portable
      IBM-compatible personal computer fitted with digital-to-analog and analog-to
      digital converter boards. A single-chip programmable current supply is used to
      power the MOSFET dosimeters. Intrinsic and extrinsic drifts in signal due to ion
      diffusion and electron tunneling are corrected by deconvolution of the collected
      data in real time or after data collection. The data acquisition system and
      signal-processing methodologies are described.

PMID- 1870499
TI  - Low-contrast focal lesion detectability phantom for 1H MR imaging.
AB  - A phantom made from tissue-mimicking materials is reported for testing 1H MRI
      systems regarding their ability to detect small low-contrast focal lesions and to
      delineate the boundaries of larger lesions. Two sets of seven spherical simulated
      lesions with diameters of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.3, 7.9, and 9.5 mm have T1 and T2 values
      somewhat higher than the corresponding values in the surrounding simulated normal
      tissue. Relaxometer determinations of T1 and T2 for the simulated normal tissue
      yielded 955 and 106 ms, respectively, at 22 degrees C and 1 T. The corresponding
      values in set #1 of the simulated lesions were 1017 and 175 ms and in set #2 were
      1002 and 127 ms. These T1 and T2 values are similar to those for brain and brain
      lesions but are too high to represent soft tissue such as liver and muscle. The
      centers of the 14 lesions are coplanar, and eight alignment devices surround them
      facilitating superposition of the scan plane and the plane containing the centers
      of the lesions. Illustrative images made with a 1.5-T system are shown. All
      simulated lesions are detectable in T2-weighted head coil images. Corresponding
      T1-weighted images are also shown, the 2- and 3-mm lesions of set #2 and the 2-mm
      lesion of set #1 not being detectable. The phantoms could be useful for
      performance or acceptance testing and perhaps for quality assurance testing.

PMID- 1870500
TI  - Obtaining S values for rectangular-solid tumors inside rectangular-solid host
      organs.
AB  - A method is described for obtaining S values between a tumor and its host organ
      for use with the MIRD formalism. It applies the point-source specific absorbed
      fractions for an infinite water medium, tabulated by Berger, to a rectangular
      solid of arbitrary dimensions which contains a rectangular tumor of arbitrary
      dimensions. Contributions from pairs of source and target volume elements are
      summed for the S values between the tumor and itself, between the remaining
      healthy host organ and itself, and between the tumor and the remaining healthy
      host organ, with the reciprocity theorem assumed for the last. This method
      labeled MTUMOR, is interfaced with the widely used MIRDOSE program which
      incorporates the MIRD formalism. An example is calculated.

PMID- 1870501
TI  - Count-based monitoring of Anger-camera spectra--local energy shifts due to
      rotation.
AB  - This study reports on a spectral monitoring method in which (1) a small source
      fixed to the camera is used, (2) a narrow, offset window is set on the side of
      the photopeak, and (3) variations in count rate are measured to assess energy
      shifts in the vicinity of the source. For one camera model, the count rate drops
      from 100% to 76% over a rotation of 180 degrees, implying a local energy shift of
      1.4 keV. Also looked for are local count-rate variations with rotation for (1)
      wide-symmetric, (2) 20%-symmetric, and (3) 10%-asymmetric windows. The last is in
      limited use to partially compensate for Compton scattering. The effects of
      background and time stability are assessed.

PMID- 1870502
TI  - [Myopathy with lipid accumulation and type-II glutaric aciduria].

PMID- 1870503
TI  - [Electromyographic aspects of metabolic myopathies].

PMID- 1870504
TI  - [Kearns-Sayre and Melas syndromes].

PMID- 1870505
TI  - [Clinical aspects of hereditary peroxisomal disorders].

PMID- 1870506
TI  - [Neuroendocrine changes in adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Their relationship with
      new therapeutic strategies].

PMID- 1870507
TI  - [Diet therapy with erucic acid in patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy].

PMID- 1870508
TI  - [Diagnostic approach to peroxisomal diseases].

PMID- 1870509
TI  - [Mental retardation. The nosographic picture of mental retardation].

PMID- 1870510
TI  - [Neuropsychology of deficient development].

PMID- 1870511
TI  - [Epidemiology and classification of mild mental retardation].

PMID- 1870513
TI  - [Psycho-pedagogic aspects of mental retardation].

PMID- 1870512
TI  - [Affective processes and the development of thinking].

PMID- 1870514
TI  - [Learning in epileptic subjects].

PMID- 1870515
TI  - [Early auditory evoked potentials in neuropediatrics].

PMID- 1870516
TI  - [Early echographic diagnosis of neonatal cerebral pathology].

PMID- 1870517
TI  - [The assessment of coma in childhood].

PMID- 1870518
TI  - [Early detection of cognitive disabilities in children with idiopathic epilepsy].

PMID- 1870519
TI  - [Epilepsy, endocranial calcifications, celiac disease. An association perhaps no
      longer accidental].

PMID- 1870520
TI  - [Endocranial calcifications. Diagnostic procedure].

PMID- 1870521
TI  - [Early diagnosis of mental retardation].

PMID- 1870522
TI  - [Indicators of cerebral damage in full-term newborn infants].

PMID- 1870523
TI  - [Usefulness of a video collection in a pediatric neurology center].

PMID- 1870524
TI  - [Epilepsy and neuropsychological functions].

PMID- 1870525
TI  - [Italian Society of Neuropediatrics, 16th national congress. Muscular diseases
      and mental retardation. Genoa, October 25, 26, 27, 1990. Proceedings].

PMID- 1870526
TI  - [The clinical picture of neuromuscular diseases].

PMID- 1870527
TI  - [Identification of the dystrophin gene deletions in DMD/BMD patients. Analysis of
      the reading frame shift and germinal mosaicism].

PMID- 1870529
TI  - [Congenital myopathies].

PMID- 1870528
TI  - [Clinical,manifestations of the myopathies due to deletions/mutations of the
      dystrophin gene].

PMID- 1870530
TI  - [Metabolic myopathies].

PMID- 1870531
TI  - [The defect in muscular glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase].

PMID- 1870532
TI  - [Encephalomyopathy due to a beta oxidation deficiency. Report of a new case].

PMID- 1870533
TI  - [Glycogenosis II. The author's experience with Pompe's disease].

PMID- 1870534
TI  - [Changes in the latest RDA for childhood].

PMID- 1870535
TI  - [The usefulness of measuring fructosamine in the cord blood of the newborn
      infants of diabetic mothers].
AB  - The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of fructosamine measurement
      (Fram) in cord blood as an index of glucose metabolism in the last week of
      pregnancy in infants of diabetic mothers. In newborns and their respective
      mothers Fram values were surprisingly greater in N than in IDM and IGDM and
      neonatal and maternal values appeared to be strictly related. While intrauterine
      growth was associated with metabolic control indexes of 2nd and 3rd trimester
      gestation. Fram value appeared positively correlated to cord insulin. In
      conclusion Fram level appears as a good index of glucose metabolic control of the
      last week of pregnancy and it is associated to cord insulin level and to neonatal
      hypoglycemia.

PMID- 1870536
TI  - [A clinical and cytogenetic study of 50 women with Turner's syndrome.
      Considerations of the problem of pregnancies in these patients. Part 2].
AB  - The results of a study on 50 patients with Turner syndrome, all of them older
      than 14 years and never treated, are reported. In order to correlate karyotypes
      and clinical manifestations of the syndrome, we performed a complete physical
      examination and ultra sonographic tests of the heart, kidneys, uterus and
      ovaries. We found a better spontaneous growth and sexual maturation in mosaic
      45.X/46.XX patients than in patients with 45.X and X structural anomalies. No
      differences were found in heart and kidney congenital anomalies between groups of
      patients with different karyotypes. We conclude that the presence of an XX-line
      has an ameliorating effect on height and gonadal function of patients with Turner
      syndrome.

PMID- 1870537
TI  - [Anti-Chlamydia psittaci antibodies in a healthy pediatric population].
AB  - Psittacosis or ornithosis is a bird disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci which
      can be transmitted to man. Little is known of the epidemiology of the disease in
      this region, but occasional cases which have been brought to the authors'
      attention have prompted an epidemiological study on the subject. The preliminary
      results indicate a surprising percentage, over 8%, of antibodies in infants and
      children. This percentage varies little in relation to place of residence, rural
      or urban, or the presence of animals, but confirms the high risk in parrot-owning
      households where anti-Chlamydia antibodies are found in 37.5% of children.

PMID- 1870539
TI  - [Diagnostic considerations in "constitutional bone diseases"].
AB  - The author makes a few diagnostic comments regarding the so-called constitutional
      bone diseases, quoting the international nomenclature and a classification which
      is thought to be useful for diagnosis, based on clinical and radiological
      criteria rather than purely structural and metabolic findings.

PMID- 1870538
TI  - [Blocking antibodies during specific hyposensitization immunotherapy in
      respiratory allergies in children].
AB  - A group of 35 children affected by bronchial asthma, rhinitis and/or allergic
      conjunctivitis was examined; the children selected for the study had never
      undergone ITS before; all patients had received preventive drug and nondrug
      therapy for several months but none had succeeded in significantly reducing
      allergic clinical symptoms. Subcutaneous ITS Lofarma was prescribed for all
      patients (for various allergens) and blocking antibodies (IgG1 + IgG4) were
      assayed using a RAST system (Kit-Pharmacia) before the start of the study, and
      after 3, 9 and 12 months of therapy; 25 nonatopic children represented the
      control group. Although a certain number of allergen-specific blocking antibodies
      were present in all patients before the start of ITS, a significant increase in
      IgG1 + IgG4 specific allergens was observed after 9 months (especially for
      pollenosis). Compatible results were also obtained for blocking antibodies for
      children affected by dermatophagoides following 12 months of ITS. The aim of the
      present study was to evaluate the extent of the appearance of blocking antibodies
      in the circulation following ITS and to discover whether or not there was a
      correlation between their increased titre and improvement of the disease assessed
      by the use of clinical scores.

PMID- 1870540
TI  - [Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with hepatosplenic involvement. The importance of imaging
      diagnosis using magnetic resonance tomography].
AB  - This study evaluates the importance of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in the
      exploration of the abdomen in a case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed in a 14
      year-old boy. Results are compared with those obtained using two widely used
      diagnostic methods: CT and ultrasonography (US). US revealed a prevalent
      involvement of the spleen, whereas CT showed a marked hepatic infiltration. The
      role of MR seems important because it allowed the contemporary and careful
      evaluation of hepatolienal involvement. The main advantages and drawbacks of
      using MR in pediatrics, and in particular in the study of the metastatic
      involvement of hypochondriac organs are discussed.

PMID- 1870541
TI  - [Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. A unique familial case].
AB  - The paper reports the case of family in which the mother and sons were affected
      by hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Epidemiological, etiopathogenetic and
      diagnostic aspects of the disease are taken into account.

PMID- 1870542
TI  - [Transient alkaline hyperphosphatasemia in childhood. A report of 4 clinical
      cases and etiopathogenetic hypotheses].
AB  - The paper reports four cases of idiopathic transient alkaline hyperphosphatasemia
      during episodes of acute infection of presumable viral etiology. It is
      interesting to note that one patient present a exanthematous febrile reaction to
      an anti-measles vaccination, which seems to confirm that the measles virus may be
      one of the possible causal factors of the pathology. The assay of alkaline
      phosphatase isoenzymes showed an increase in the three hepatic, bone and
      intestinal fractions, thus excluding a sectorial pathology (bone or hepatic).
      This will avoid the need to subject the child to superfluous diagnostic tests in
      this transient and benign condition of increased enzyme levels.

PMID- 1870544
TI  - [A bacteriological study of supragingival bacterial plaque in subjects undergoing
      orthodontic therapy].
AB  - Direct contact between tooth enamel and bacteria is currently considered a sine
      qua non of tooth decay. Any condition which encourages the deposit and
      accumulation of bacterial plaque represents a risk factor for tooth decay. Dental
      therapy often entails the use of bands or brackets which house metal apparatus
      used to apply force or support mobile devices (plates, etc.). It is therefore
      possible to hypothesise that, by preventing its mechanical removal, dental
      treatment can lead to quantitative and qualitative changes in bacterial plaque.

PMID- 1870543
TI  - [Trisomy 18 or Edwards' syndrome. A report of 4 clinical cases].
AB  - The paper describes four cases of trisomy 18 or Edwards' syndrome observed in the
      Pediatric Division of SS. Annunziata Hospital, Savigliano (CN) between 1/1/79 and
      31/12/88. Following an illustrated description of the cases (3 males and 1
      female), the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the syndrome are briefly
      discussed.

PMID- 1870545
TI  - [Dentinal lesions caused by the use of endodontic posts].
AB  - An endodontic treatment has been effected on 36 extracted teeth, using drills;
      certain endodontic posts presently on the market have been successively inserted
      inside 18 teeth: Flexipost (Essential Dental System); Parapost Plus (Whaledent);
      dentatus (Dentatus). The teeth have been sectionized and watched through a
      photomicroscope to check an eventual presence of dentinal damages.

PMID- 1870546
TI  - [The cytotoxicity of nickel for chick embryo cells cultured in vitro].

PMID- 1870547
TI  - [The CT aspects of a case of chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint].
AB  - The CT picture of a case of synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular
      joint is described. The distinctive feature of the case was the presence of
      ossified loose bodies surrounding the head of the condyle. Three-dimensional
      image reconstruction was also employed to obtain better overall visualization of
      the alterations.

PMID- 1870548
TI  - [Juvenile osteomyelitis and osteopetrosis. A case report].
AB  - A case of mandibular osteomyelitis in a child affected by osteopetrosis is
      presented. Systemic antibiotic therapy was ineffective and surgery was required
      to obtain a partial control of infection.

PMID- 1870549
TI  - [The therapy of odontogenic abscesses. Pharmacological experimentation with
      lincomycin or amoxicillin].
AB  - A clinical and microbiological study was carried out to assess the therapeutic
      efficacy of two different antibiotics, lincomycin and amoxicillin, in the
      treatment of patients suffering from odontogenic abscesses. Microbiological
      analyses revealed that the majority of infections were supported by mixed aerobic
      and anaerobic bacterial flora. The assessment of clinical parameters clearly
      showed that patients receiving pharmacological treatment with lincomycin achieved
      a more rapid and efficacious recovery from disease in comparison to patients
      treated with amoxicillin.

PMID- 1870550
TI  - [Sutures and suture technics. Current trends and our method in oral surgery].
AB  - Suture techniques are a fundamental aspect of surgical practice in terms of the
      successful outcome of the operation. Even in dentistry it is important to have a
      clear idea of the method and the type of thread used. This paper lists the types
      of suture threads most commonly available today, the main techniques used and, on
      the basis of the authors' personal experience, explains a method used for oral
      surgery.

PMID- 1870551
TI  - [A method of acid attack for the microscopic observation of noble alloys].

PMID- 1870552
TI  - [The interference of miocamycin on the adhesiveness and coaggregation of the
      bacteria responsible for periodontopathies].
AB  - The authors studied the effect miocamycin has on the adherence and coaggregation
      of pathogenic bacteria in periodontopathy. The data obtained by optic microscopy,
      after treatment of the strains with doses of miocamycin equal to 1/4 and 1/8 of
      the MIC after 3 and 6 hours, shows the interference effect on the coaggregation
      and adhesivity of the antibiotic. These results have been confirmed by the
      observations obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

PMID- 1870553
TI  - [Ceftizoxime in oral surgery].
AB  - Clinical and statistical investigation on the use of ceftizoxime in the treatment
      of peri- and postoperative infections in odontostomatological and maxillofacial
      surgery. A sample of 48 patients in the Odontostomatologic Division of the
      Hospital of Asti is examined. Principles and experience of surgical antimicrobial
      prophylaxis according to its antibacterial activity, pharmacokinetic properties
      and therapeutic use are reported.

PMID- 1870554
TI  - [Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl rapid) in oral surgery].

PMID- 1870555
TI  - [Caries susceptibility and caries resistance in a sample of 8140 military
      conscripts. The clinico-epidemiological considerations].
AB  - An epidemiological study on the prevalence of dental caries and resistance in a
      group of 8,140 called-up soldiers. Possible etiopathogenetic factors or factors
      which might determine the gradual deterioration of oral health were also
      analysed.

PMID- 1870556
TI  - [The dentist, the health worker, the non-physician: an unacceptable
      discrimination].

PMID- 1870557
TI  - [The comparative evaluation of the efficacy of surgical and nonsurgical
      periodontal therapy in relation to the oral hygiene conditions and the severity
      of the lesions].
AB  - A retrospective longitudinal study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of
      surgical and nonsurgical periodontal therapy in reducing pocket depth values.
      This evaluation was made in relation to the strictness with which patients
      observed professional and domestic oral hygiene and in relation to pretreatment
      pocket depth values. Results showed that the two forms of periodontal therapy
      offer comparable results in terms of pockets reduction of either restricted or
      considerable depth, whereas the most important element in order to achieve
      therapeutic success was the observation of an effective professional and domestic
      plaque control.

PMID- 1870558
TI  - Reconstruction of severe atrophy and resorption of maxillae and mandible with
      collagen hydroxyapatite.

PMID- 1870559
TI  - Nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among HIV-infected
      persons--Florida and New York, 1988-1991.
AB  - During 1990 and 1991, outbreaks of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in
      four hospitals (one in Miami and three in New York City) were investigated by CDC
      in collaboration with the reporting hospitals and state and local health
      departments. This report summarizes preliminary findings of the investigations
      and recommendations for prevention and control of MDR-TB outbreaks.

PMID- 1870560
TI  - Opportunistic non-Hodgkin's lymphomas among severely immunocompromised HIV
      infected patients surviving for prolonged periods on antiretroviral therapy-
      United States.
AB  - Since 1982, high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) have been reported
      among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (1); in 1985, CDC
      revised the surveillance case definition for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
      (AIDS) to include certain high-grade NHLs. Recent surveillance findings indicate
      that NHLs occur among approximately 3% of all adults with AIDS reported to CDC.
      This report characterizes the occurrence of NHLs in a cohort of persons with AIDS
      or severe HIV infection who have received long-term zidovudine (AZT)-based
      therapy.

PMID- 1870561
TI  - Child passenger restraint use and motor-vehicle--related fatalities among
      children--United States, 1982-1990.
AB  - Although in recent years the increase in child safety seat use in the United
      States has saved lives of and prevented injuries to infants (children aged less
      than or equal to 1 year) and toddlers (children aged 1-4 years), the leading
      cause of death among U.S. children aged 1-4 years continues to be injuries to
      motor-vehicle occupants (1). These injuries account for the largest number of
      years of potential life lost before age 65 and the highest costs associated with
      pediatric injury (2). This report, based on data from the Fatal Accident
      Reporting System (FARS) (maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety
      Administration), summarizes overall trends from 1982 through 1990 for motor
      vehicle-related fatalities among children and lives saved by child passenger
      restraint use.

PMID- 1870562
TI  - Maternal mortality surveillance, United States, 1979-1986.
AB  - To understand further the epidemiology and causes of maternal death, the Division
      of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
      Promotion, CDC, reviewed all identified maternal deaths in the United States,
      including Puerto Rico, for the period from 1979 through 1986. The maternal
      mortality ratio for the period was 9.1 deaths/100,000 live births. The ratios
      increased with age and were higher among women of black and other minority races
      than among white women for all age groups, particularly for women ages greater
      than or equal to 40 years. Unmarried women had a higher risk of death than
      married women. Women who had received any prenatal care had a lower risk of dying
      than women who had received no care (RR = 0.19, 95% confidence limits (CL) 0.15,
      0.23). Women who received no prenatal care had a gestational age-adjusted risk of
      maternal death 5.7 times that of women receiving care defined as "adequate." The
      risk of maternal death increased with decreasing levels of education for all age
      groups, particularly among women ages greater than or equal to 35 years. The
      causes of death varied for different outcomes of pregnancy; pulmonary embolism
      was the leading cause of death following the delivery of a live birth. Future
      studies aimed at developing strategies to reduce the risk of maternal deaths in
      the United States should use enhanced surveillance and collect more information
      about each death, which would allow for better understanding of factors
      associated with maternal mortality.

PMID- 1870563
TI  - Abortion surveillance, United States, 1988.
AB  - Since 1980, the number of legal abortions reported to CDC has remained fairly
      stable, varying each year by less than 3%. In 1988, 1,371,285 abortions were
      reported--a 1.3% increase from 1987. The abortion ratio for 1988 was 352 legally
      induced abortions/1,000 live births, and the abortion rate was 24/1,000 women
      ages 15-44 years. The abortion ratio was higher for black women and women of
      other minority races and for women less than 15 years of age. However, the
      abortion ratio for women less than 15 years was lower in 1988 than in any
      previous year since 1972. Women undergoing legally induced abortions tended 1) to
      be young, white, and unmarried, 2) to live in a metropolitan area, 3) to have had
      no previous live births, and 4) to be having the procedure for the first time.
      Approximately half of all abortions were performed before the eighth week of
      gestation, and greater than 85% were performed during the first trimester of
      pregnancy (less than 13 weeks of gestation). Black women and women of other
      minority races tended to obtain abortions later in pregnancy than did white
      women; however, age was a more dominant influence than race. Younger women tended
      to obtain abortions later than older women. Educational level strongly influenced
      when an abortion was performed; better educated women had an abortion earlier in
      gestation.

PMID- 1870564
TI  - Surveillance of postneonatal mortality, United States, 1980-1987.
AB  - In the United States, one-third of all infant deaths (deaths of infants ages 0
      364 days) occurs in the postneonatal period (28-364 days). A substantial
      proportion of these deaths potentially could be prevented. To examine recent
      trends in postneonatal mortality (PNM) in the United States, the investigators
      analyzed birth and death certificate data for resident infants for the period
      from 1980 through 1987. Rates of PNM declined 11% from 3.5 to 3.1/1,000 live
      births among white infants and declined 16% from 7.3 to 6.1/1,000 live births
      among black infants. Most of the decline resulted from reduced mortality from
      infectious diseases and injuries. A decreased mortality attributable to sudden
      infant death syndrome (SIDS) among black infants additionally accounted for the
      decline. Autopsy rates for SIDS increased from 82% to 92% but did not differ for
      black infants and white infants. Birth defects-related PNM declined more among
      white infants than among black infants. The racial gap in PNM (rate ratio (RR) =
      approximately 2.0) persisted. However, the largest black/white gap occurred in
      the Northeast (RR = 2.5), the region with the lowest PNM. Black infants were 2.7
      and 2.3 times more likely to die of infections and injuries, respectively, than
      were white infants. Although PNM rates declined during the 1980s, a greater rate
      of reduction is needed to achieve the Year 2000 objectives, especially among
      black infants. Such reductions are possible through improved access to
      comprehensive pediatric care as well as education and community-oriented
      prevention programs designed to reduce deaths due to infections and injuries. A
      better understanding of the etiology of SIDS and birth defects is critical for
      preventing postneonatal deaths.

PMID- 1870565
TI  - [The effect of menatetrenone on peritoneal adhesion].
AB  - The correlation between the dose of menatetrenone and the incidence of post
      laparotomy peritoneal adhesion in Ryan's model was investigated with the use of
      rats. In the menatetrenone treated group, the menatetrenone was intramuscularly
      given in a dosage of 10 mg immediately after closure of the abdominal wound and
      every 24 hours for two days. In this group, the incidence of ceco-colonic
      adhesion was 54% (20/37), whereas the incidence in non-treated group was 26%
      (10/39) (p less than 0.012). Especially in cases with an air-drying time of 1-2
      minutes, the difference between incidences of ceco-colonic adhesion in the
      menatetrenone and that of the non-treated group was high. The former incidence
      was 61% (17/28) and that of the latter was 21% (6/29) (p less than 0.01). In
      addition, the incidence of peritoneal adhesion was proportionally dose-dependent
      to the menatetrenone. In our clinical retrospective study, the incidence of post
      gastrectomy adhesive ileus increased with menatetrenone treatment to a
      significant degree. It is concluded that prophylactic administration of a large
      dose of menatetrenone should be avoided, because the incidence of post-laparotomy
      peritoneal adhesion could be increased.

PMID- 1870566
TI  - [Clinical and fundamental study of a squamous cell carcinoma related antigen (SCC
      RA) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].
AB  - SCC-RA is one of the fractions of TA-4, extracted and purified from uterine
      cervical squamous cell carcinoma. I studied SCC-RA in order to evaluate its
      significance as a tumor marker for esophageal carcinoma. In 32 of 75 (42.7%)
      esophageal cancer patients, serum SCC-RA was positive. As compared with IAP and
      CEA, SCC-RA was the best marker to monitor esophageal cancer. SCC-RA positive
      patients tended to die earlier than negative ones, and it was considered to be
      one of the prognostic factors. In the immunohistochemical study using anti SCC-RA
      monoclonal antibody, both the normal epithelium and the carcinoma tissue reacted
      with SCC-RA. In the carcinoma tissue. SCC-RA reactivity was observed in 27 of 31
      specimens (87%). However there was no correlation among the reactivity, the serum
      level and clinical stage. Furthermore, I studied the relationship between the
      tumor growth and the serum SCC-RA levels in the nude mice bearing human
      esophageal squamous cell carcinoma xenografts. The SCC-RA levels in mice sera
      gradually increased and they correlated well to the tumor volume. In conclusion,
      SCC-RA reflected the tumor volume and clinical stage, and SCC-RA is useful for
      monitoring esophageal cancer patients.

PMID- 1870567
TI  - [DNA ploidy in submucosal cancer of the stomach and its relationship to lymph
      node metastasis].
AB  - The relationship between DNA ploidy and lymph node metastasis was determined in
      40 cases of gastric cancer confined to the submucosa (with lymph node metastasis
      20 cases and without 20 cases). The DNA ploidy patterns were classified as
      follows: Type D, Type A1 and Type A2. Of the 20 cases with lymph node metastasis,
      1 was Type D, 7 were Type A1 and 12 were Type A2. The likelihood of lymph node
      metastasis was 12.5% (1/8) for Type D, 43.8% (7/16) for Type A1 and 75.0% (12/16)
      for Type A2. It is concluded that although gastric cancer confined to the
      submucosa is classified as early one, analysis of DNA content places such tumors
      with lymph node metastasis into the advanced cancer category.

PMID- 1870568
TI  - [Long-term follow-up study after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for gastric
      ulcer].
AB  - The long-term follow-up study of pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) for benign
      gastric ulcer was described in terms of postoperative subjective symptoms related
      to gastrectomy and recurrent ulceration. Of 134 patients who underwent PPG, 5
      patients died within one month after operation, 33 patients died in the follow-up
      period and 22 patients have not been traced. Seventy-four patients were available
      for a 3-24 year follow-up (mean 16.6 years) Recurrent ulcer developed in 4
      patients, 1, 2, 9 and 11 years after surgery at the greater curvature of pre
      pyloric region in all cases. Two patients underwent reoperation. These patients
      revealed higher gastric acid secretion as compared with that of one month after
      primary operation. But gastrin hypersecretion and G-cell hyperplasia were not
      recognized in these patients. According to detailed questionnaires, no patient
      showed the symptoms of dumping syndrome. The results indicate that PPG is
      preferable for the surgical treatment of gastric ulcer.

PMID- 1870569
TI  - [Clinicopathological studies on perineural invasion of rectal cancer with special
      reference to the prognosis and nerve preserving operation].
AB  - Prospective studies on rectal cancer have been continued since 1982 in our
      department and in the present study, the significance of perineural invasion was
      investigated clinicopathologically in 432 cases of rectal cancer. (1) Perineural
      invasion in rectal cancer appeared to be closely related to the degree of
      progress of the cancer (depth of penetration, lymph node metastasis, liver
      metastasis and peritoneal dissemination), the degree of malignancy of the cancer
      (histologic type, lymphatic invasion and venous invasion) and the degree of
      inflammatory cell infiltration. (2) It was proven to be an important prognostic
      factor which influences recurrences and the survival rate. (3) If cases indicated
      for nerve preserving operation are considered to be those with no perineural
      invasion or with a low frequency of such invasion, it was assumed that such cases
      are those with well differentiated adenocarcinoma, a penetration depth of ss (a1)
      or less and no lymph node metastasis.

PMID- 1870570
TI  - [A study on the effects of preoperative radiotherapy for lymph node metastases in
      rectal cancer].
AB  - Twenty-nine patients with rectal carcinoma who were treated by surgery only and
      27 patients who received adjuvant preoperative radiation (42.6 Gy) were subjects
      of the present study. The entire pelvis was radiated with the dose of 30.6 Gy,
      and the rest 12 Gy was delivered to the primary tumor. By injecting micro
      activated carbon into the submucosa of the rectum near the tumor, the number of
      the defection of removed lymph nodes in non-radiation as well as radiation group
      was markedly improved, 48.6 and 54.2 respectively. The rates of distal lymph
      nodes metastases in irradiated patients were 25.9% (n0 74.1%, n1 14.8%, n2 11.1%,
      n3 0%), whereas it was 51.7% in patients who had surgical resection only (n0
      48.3%, n1 20.7%, n2 17.2%, n3 13.8%). The number of metastatic lymph nodes were
      fewer in irradiated patients. Histopathological study indicated that preoperative
      irradiation was effective on decreasing the quantity of metastatic lymph nodes.

PMID- 1870571
TI  - [Hematolymphoid system in the liver--restoring mechanism of hemopoiesis in the
      regenerating liver].
AB  - For the study of immunological phenomena peculiar to liver transplantation, it
      would be important to know well hematolymphoid system in the liver. In this
      paper, we report the restoring mechanism of hemopoiesis in the murine
      regenerating liver. 1) We found hemopoietic stem cells (HSC) and wheat germ
      agglutinin positive cells (WAG-PC) in both fractions of peripheral blood
      lymphocytes (PBL) and intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHL) from untreated C3H/He mice.
      The numbers of HSC and WGA-PC in each fraction gradually increased after partial
      hepatectomy. This change was remarkable in the population of IHL, associated more
      strongly with the liver. Colonies, which were generated from IHL in a fibrin clot
      culture system, are mainly composed of granulocytes, macrophages and mast cells.
      2) We found colony-stimulating activity not only in the culture supernatant of
      normal nonparenchymal liver cells but in that of normal parenchymal liver cells.
      Furthermore, we clarified that one of colony-stimulating factors in both culture
      supernatants is GM-CSF. This result suggests parenchymal liver cells also release
      cytokines such as GM-CSF. These facts show that hematolymphoid system in the
      liver is a complicated network, composed of parenchymal liver cells,
      nonparenchymal liver cells, hemopoietic stem cells, and other cell populations.

PMID- 1870572
TI  - [Post-traumatic jaundice--its mechanism from a view point of hepatic
      mitochondrial function].
AB  - It has been proposed that post-traumatic jaundice was the result of increased
      hemolysis, absorption of hematoma, effects of drugs, and so on. We considered
      that hepatic impairment in the bilirubin metabolism as a result of hepatic
      hypoperfusion might also be an important factor of the jaundice. Patients who
      developed jaundice after trauma were divided into two groups according to the
      maximum total bilirubin level; groups H (greater than 8 mg/dl) and L (less than 5
      mg/dl). Severity of shock, levels of serum hepatic enzyme, and blood ketone body
      ratio were compared between the groups. Minimum systolic pressure, H 58, L 82
      mmHg (p = 0.003); duration of shock (less than 80 mmHg), H 225, L 20 min (p less
      than 0.001); blood transfusion, H 9188, L 2914 ml (p less than 0.001);
      direct/total bilirubin, H 0.66, L 0.43 (p less than 0.001). Although no
      significant difference was noted in serum hepatic enzyme levels, blood ketone
      body ratios were significantly lower in group H throughout the first week. From
      these facts, it is considered that an impairment in the most energy requiring
      process of bilirubin metabolism, excretion of conjugated bilirubin from cytosol
      to capillary bile duct, due to post-traumatic hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction,
      followed by the reabsorption of conjugated bilirubin into the blood stream, would
      be one of factors of post-traumatic jaundice.

PMID- 1870574
TI  - [Detection of point mutation of Kirsten ras oncogene in pancreatic carcinoma by
      polymerase chain reaction].
AB  - Regarding to the pancreatic cancer, outcomes of the patients surgically treated
      have been poor. By using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), paraffin-embedded
      specimens of the pancreatic carcinoma were confined point mutation in Kirsten (K)
      ras codon 12. Then, incidence and type of point mutation of this oncogene and
      correlative studies with stage, T or N factor of pancreatic cancer were analysed.
      Extremely high incidence of K-ras gene mutation was shown in present report. The
      highest mode of point mutation of K-ras oncogene was GGT to GAT coded aspartic
      acid. Cases without point mutation in K-ras codon 12 were significantly frequent
      in papillary adenocarcinoma than in tubular type. There were not correlative
      result among mutation types, stage and T factor of pancreatic cancer. Most
      patients with pancreatic cancer who survived more than 2 years have not shown
      mutation to aspartic acid. Four cases including two cases of mucin producing
      pancreatic cancer did not have point mutation in K-ras codon 12. Pathogenesis of
      mucin producing cancer can be distinguished from typical pancreatic cancer by
      detection of point mutation in K-ras codon 12 using PCR.

PMID- 1870573
TI  - [Management of cholangitis complicated in biliary carcinoma with hilar bile duct
      stenosis].
AB  - We reviewed 60 cases of biliary carcinoma with hilar bile duct stenosis which had
      received percutaneous transhepatic cholangio-drainage (PTCD). Of the 60 cases,
      nine were complicated with acute cholangitis (AC) and three with segmental acute
      obstructive suppurative cholangitis (S-AOSC). The incidence of cholangitis was
      20%. Six patients with AC and three with S-AOSC underwent hepatic resection for
      carcinoma. As to preoperative management for cholangitis in these 9 cases,
      conservative chemotherapy was effective in only 2 cases, and additional PTCD or
      segmental introduction of the drainage catheter under PTCS were useful in 5
      cases. The remaining 2 cases with S-AOSC needed urgent hepatic resection
      including suppurative hepatic segments after various interventional treatments.
      No significant difference was found in resectability, morbidity and mortality
      between the cholangitis group and non-cholangitis group. In conclusion, it is
      emphasized that postoperative outcome of biliary carcinoma with cholangitis will
      be improved by adequate PTCD and/or urgent hepatic resection.

PMID- 1870575
TI  - [Nuclear DNA content in breast cancer in relation to postoperative recurrence].
AB  - Nuclear DNA content in breast cancer patients who underwent extended radical
      mastectomy was investigated to evaluate its possible relation to postoperative
      recurrence. The most frequent site of the first recurrence in diploid type (D
      type) cases was the bone and the frequency was significantly higher than that in
      non-diploid type (N type) cases. On the other hand, the ploidy pattern in all
      cases associated with local or local lymph node recurrence was N type and the
      lung was the next frequent site of recurrence in N type case. The frequency of
      over 4c cells was the highest in the cases of local or local lymph node
      recurrence being significantly higher than in all cases of distant recurrence or
      of the bone recurrence. The cumulative disease-free survival rate in patients
      with D type breast cancer was significantly higher than that in patients with N
      type. These results suggest that nuclear DNA content provides important
      information for deciding therapy and the schedule of postoperative follow-up
      study based on the mode of recurrence.

PMID- 1870576
TI  - [Successful rewarming technique of isolated rat hearts following a long term
      preservation--calcium increase in a step-wise fashion].
AB  - This study was designed to evaluate the successful rewarming technique of
      isolated rat hearts which was preserved for 24 hour. Isolated rat hearts
      preserved with hydroxy ethyl starch (3g/dl) solution at 15 degrees C, was
      rewarmed and calcium concentration of the perfusate was increased in a step-wise
      fashion from 0.25 to 2.5mM every 5 minutes. Other hearts were also rewarmed and
      perfused with normal calcium (2.5mM) solution, throughout the rewarming period.
      The hearts perfused with normal calcium solution contracted a few times, and then
      severely contractured. The heart lost its color and acquired a pale and mottled
      appearance. On the other hand, the hearts perfused low calcium solution started
      beating spontaneously, and their heart rate and left ventricular pressure was
      increased gradually according to the calcium increase. In addition, re
      introduction of normal calcium concentration did not change the cardiac
      parameters. This results indicated that step-wise increase of calcium
      concentration of the perfusate prevented heart contracture after rewarming and
      was a useful rewarming technique.

PMID- 1870577
TI  - [Hirschsprung's disease associated with intestinal malrotation in an adult and a
      review of literature].
AB  - A 19-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic because of abdominal distention
      and severe constipation from infancy. Barium enema revealed a grossly dilated
      descending colon in the right of the abdomen. At laparotomy, with diagnosis of
      Hirschsprung's disease associated with non-obstructing intestinal malrotation
      (non-rotation type), division of the adhesion between caecum and duodenum, and
      modified Duhamel's procedure were performed. The association of Hirschsprung's
      disease and intestinal malrotation is rare, and to date only 20 infantile case
      have been reported. The present case would be the first adult case.

PMID- 1870578
TI  - [Airway obstructive disorders in experimental lung transplantation in rats:
      preliminary report].

PMID- 1870579
TI  - [Development of 111In labeled activated carbon microspheres for analysis of
      mammary lymph flow by double isotope method: preliminary report].

PMID- 1870580
TI  - [Enhancement of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody uptake with angiotensin II and
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF): preliminary report].

PMID- 1870581
TI  - [Successful liver metastasis model with neuraminidase treated colon 26
      adenocarcinoma via portal vein: preliminary report].

PMID- 1870582
TI  - The digoxigenin:anti-digoxigenin (DIG) technology--a survey on the concept and
      realization of a novel bioanalytical indicator system.
AB  - A review is given on the novel non-radioactive digoxigenin:anti-digoxigenin (DIG)
      bioanalytical indicator system. After a general introduction on direct and
      indirect indicator systems based on previous non-radioactive indicator reactions
      as well as in vitro and in vivo amplification procedures the principle of the new
      digoxigenin:anti-digoxigenin technology is demonstrated. The novel system is
      based on the specific high-affinity interaction between the cardenolide
      digoxigenin from Digitalis plants and a digoxigenin-specific antibody coupled
      with a reporter group. A variety of methods for digoxigenin modification of
      nucleic acids, proteins and glycans are presented. In addition, various
      applications of the novel non-radioactive indicator system in a variety of direct
      or indirect detection approaches with either insoluble or soluble substrates are
      described. It is also shown that with these applications alternative reaction
      formats are used which are partly characterized by additional amplification
      steps.

PMID- 1870583
TI  - Proto-oncogene expression in cultured synovial fibroblasts of patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Total RNA was isolated from cultured synovial fibroblasts of nine patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis and two controls (cruciate ligament ruptures). RNA was dot
      blotted and hybridized with nine different, cloned cellular or viral oncogene
      probes. None of the proto-oncogenes showed a significant difference of expression
      in cultured fibroblasts from patients with rheumatoid arthritis when compared to
      the expression of control fibroblasts.

PMID- 1870584
TI  - Detection of the human immunodeficiency virus genome with a biotinylated DNA
      probe generated by polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - A non-radiolabelled DNA probe was developed for detection of the human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome using the polymerase chain reaction
      (PCR) technology. Primers amplifying a 395 base pair segment of a portion of the
      polymerase region of the HIV-1 genome were used both to amplify sample target DNA
      and to generate a biotinylated DNA probe used in Southern blot hybridization.
      This probe performed as well as one produced by nick translation using
      biotinylated nucleotides or an enzyme labelled oligonucleotide probe.

PMID- 1870585
TI  - [Epidemiological study and orthodontics].
AB  - Prevention is now playing a major role in all fields. An epidemiological survey
      of malocclusions has evaluated 6 years old children in one district in the
      Regione Veneto (Northern Italy). Some indications are provided as regards
      preventive and interceptive orthodontics (including treatment aimed to reducing
      the severity of problems) in the therapy of the most frequent malocclusions in
      this age group.

PMID- 1870586
TI  - [Operative and diagnostic set-up for dysfunctional patients].
AB  - The application of the set-up for treatment planning and prognosis can be
      extended to the stimulation of the orthodontic teeth movements in the patients
      with TMJ dysfunctions, already repositioned, and with very severe dentoalveolar
      discrepancy in order to decide the indication for extractions and selection of
      the teeth to be extracted. The limits of this simulation always remain the
      function of the masticatory system. The sequences of the procedures on the
      articulator and the different steps on the upper and lower models are described.
      A patient with TMJ disorders and dento-alveolar discrepancy is presented with the
      different procedures of treatment as for the dysfunction as for the orthodontic
      problems.

PMID- 1870587
TI  - [Influence of adenoidal vegetation on rhinopharyngeal obstruction: cephalometric
      study].
AB  - In this paper, the Authors propose a new method of cephalometric visualization of
      adhaenoids, in order to verify the amount of them as cause of an obstructive
      pathology. In this evaluation, related to a group of 100 individuals, was found
      an inversely proportional relation between adhaenoid's volume and angolar value
      of FHBoPA angle.

PMID- 1870588
TI  - [TMJ in subjects with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: functional and cephalometric
      analysis].
AB  - The Authors studied 21 patients affected by Juvenilis Rheumatoid Arthritis. The
      TMJ compromission was evaluated by un objective, clinical and radiographic
      examination. A teleradiographic with cephalometric analysis was also performed to
      all subjects. The results show a greater TMJ compromission in earlier arisen
      disease subjects.

PMID- 1870589
TI  - [Molar uprighting: biomechanical considerations].
AB  - Various biomechanical systems for the molar uprighting have been described. The
      Authors analyze the force system delivered on the molar and on the anchorage
      unit. The biomechanical considerations are emphasized in each single case.

PMID- 1870590
TI  - [Distalization of molars with magnets: biomechanical considerations].
AB  - Repelling magnets have recently been proposed to move maxillary molars distally.
      Although the technique presents some clinical indications, the biomechanics of
      tooth movement with magnets has not been clearly investigated. The results of the
      Author's experience suggest that the repelling magnets mainly generate a tipping
      movement of the crowns on the sagittal plane. The distal-tipping of the molars
      represents almost 50% of the total effect, the mesial tipping of the bicuspids
      cuspids-incisors constitutes the remaining 50%. Also, on the horizontal plane,
      the force generated by the magnets tends to rotate the crowns of the molars
      palatally.

PMID- 1870591
TI  - [Evaluation of transverse and sagittal expansion during functional therapy and
      conventional mechanical therapy].
AB  - The Authors have analyzed the transversal and the sagittal dento-alveolar
      expansion in patients treated with functional therapy using the Frankel F.R. and
      with conventional orthodontic therapy. The expansion obtained can be
      superimposable so saying that with the functional therapy it's possible to have
      more trasversal and sagittal expansion it is not verified with this study.

PMID- 1870592
TI  - [Clinical protocol for orthodontic treatment of patients with different stages of
      periodontal disease].
AB  - The Authors after a review of literature suggest a clinical approach to
      orthodontic treatment of patient with different degree of periodontal disease.
      They use this kind of clinical approach to guarantee the integrity and the
      stability of periodontal tissues.

PMID- 1870593
TI  - [Telethermography in diagnosis of craniomandibular dysfunction].
AB  - The Authors have valued by means of the teletermography, the possibility of
      evaluating skull jaw disorders. The results obtained show how the teletermography
      is a valid means of screening and diagnosis. Moreover it is a very useful method
      for the valuation of the follow-up of the treatment.

PMID- 1870594
TI  - [Predispositions of the cranial base in the Delaire analysis].
AB  - The architectural and structural cephalometric analysis described by Delaire
      gives indications on the basal and dental malocclusions. The study of the
      tendencies of the cranial base is extremely important but often not taken in
      consideration. In effect there are many factors that can predispose to alignments
      of the jaws to be considered correct even if C3 and CF1 are not in the norm. The
      Authors evaluate those factors and put them in the correct frame.

PMID- 1870595
TI  - [Bonding of "E"].
AB  - When mixed dentition therapy is indicated, the Authors suggest the banding of
      second deciduous molars to avoid the risk of demineralization of first permanent
      molars. The method suggested is supported by few clinical cases, shown in the
      figures, where heavy forces are exerted against the second deciduous molar.

PMID- 1870596
TI  - [Developmental abnormalities in humans].
AB  - Recently, tremendous advances have been made in our understanding of pre- and
      perinatal death and congenital anomaly, but many aspects of the field remain
      unknown and require the continued collaboration of workers in many clinical and
      basic science disciplines. Most of mankind dies before, not after birth, mostly
      due to chromosome abnormalities arising during pregenesis. A few trisomy 13 and
      18 cases survive till birth by virtue of placental mosaicism; even trisomy 21 is
      an 80% prenatally lethal and a postnatally sublethal syndrome. Most aneuploid
      individuals surviving postnatally have sex chromosomes abnormalities (47,XXY,
      47,XYY, 47,XXX). Until recently the term "monsters" was applied to many
      abnormalities of blastogenesis--i.e. the disruptions and malformations arising
      during the first 4 weeks of embyronic development (till the end of mesoderm
      formation). This includes not only acardia/acephaly, but also holoprosencephaly,
      sirenomelia, gross defects of cord, body wall and -stalk formation and conjoined
      twins, but also non-conjoined monozygotic twins with apparent high prenatal
      mortality and a high incidence of midline anomalies. One of the most important
      recent insights has been that associations, e.g. the VACTERAL association, and
      the relatively characteristic combination of anomalies seen in infants of
      diabetic mothers, represent disruptions of blastogenesis. The latter represent a
      particularly satisfying development in the field since it has been shown that
      control of the woman's blood sugar levels before, during and after conception
      helps to reduce the high incidence of defects of blastogenesis in infants of
      diabetic mothers. Most malformations arise during organogenesis in secondary or
      epimorphic fields and mostly represent anomalies of incomplete, less commonly of
      abnormal differentiation. An important distinction must be made between mild
      malformations (all-or-none defects of organogenesis) which are relatively
      innocuous and common in the population but never normal, and minor anomalies
      which are graded defects of phenogenogenesis (i.e. of the developmental processes
      during the fetal period (weeks 8-10 p.c.), and the most frequent anomalies in
      aneuploidy syndromes with resulting loss of family resemblance.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1870597
TI  - [Genetic counseling in prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis].
AB  - In this paper we discuss the possible results of post- and prenatal DNA-diagnosis
      in cystic fibrosis with respect to the modification of the risk of having an
      affected child, depending on how closely the affected patient is related to those
      seeking advice. For parents with an affected child post- and prenatal DNA
      diagnosis yields very reliable results and is an important factor in their
      decision process. In contrast to this, DNA-diagnosis for other relatives or
      individuals without an affected family member can lead to results which may
      intensify conflicts of decision making. This stresses the growing importance of
      genetic counseling before and after genetic diagnostic measures for cystic
      fibrosis.

PMID- 1870598
TI  - [Early detection of changes in peripheral blood vessels in children and
      adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus using Doppler ultrasound].
AB  - A clinically established method for early diagnosis of a macroangiopathy in a
      preclinical state has not been available so far. It was therefore checked whether
      vascular changes in diabetics can already be detected in childhood and
      adolescence by determination of pulse wave velocity using the Doppler ultrasound
      technique. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) was determined in 63 diabetics with a
      mean age (mean +/- s) of 16.2 +/- 3.3 years and a mean duration of diabetes (mean
      +/- s) of 8.5 +/- 4.7 years and in 45 control subjects with a mean age of 15.8 +/
      3.8 years by simultaneous recording of the pulse curves from the femoral artery
      and the posterior tibial artery. The diabetics had a very much higher PWV than
      the control group (mean +/- s: 10.9 +/- 1.6 m/s as compared to 9.9 +/- 0.8 m/s; p
      less than 0.001). In 21 out of 63 diabetics, the values were above the 2s range
      of controls. Indeed, nine of these 21 patients had values above the 3s range. In
      the diabetics, there was a significant correlation between PWV and the duration
      of diabetes and mean blood pressure. Vascular changes can already be demonstrated
      in childhood and adolescence by measurement of the PWV using the Doppler
      ultrasound method in diabetics. A longitudinal study would be necessary to
      establish whether this enables early diagnosis of macroangiopathy.

PMID- 1870599
TI  - [Rapid diagnosis of influenza virus infections from nasopharyngeal secretions].
AB  - Since virus isolation consumes a lot of work and time, and virus specific
      antibodies are not detectable before several days after the onset of illness we
      developed an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for the detection of influenza A and
      influenza B virus antigen in nasopharyngeal specimens (NPS). This test permits
      antigen detection within four hours. This ELISA was tested with 119 NPS from
      children, most of these between 1-12 years old. Virus isolation in MDCK-cells
      served as control. A total of 67 influenza A/H3N2-, 10 influenza A/H1N1, and 2
      influenza B viruses were isolated from cell cultures. 68 (88.3%) of the NPS
      reacted positive in influenza A virus antigen ELISA, 2 in influenza B virus
      antigen ELISA, and 9 reacted falsely-negative. The failure to detect antigen
      could not be solely due to low antigen concentration in the NPS because in 5
      materials high concentrations of infectious virus were shown in cell culture. The
      test allows the rapid diagnosis of influenza virus infections with high efficacy
      also for laboratories without the facility to perform tissue culture. For
      accelerating the diagnosis by isolation of viruses in cell cultures, ELISA is
      useful as cell culture confirmation test, because influenza virus antigen is
      detectable before a cytopathogenic effect appears.

PMID- 1870600
TI  - [Trauma caused by shaking the infant--a special form of child abuse].
AB  - The shaking of infants is an often underestimated cause of head-injuries in
      children. Without any external signs the diagnosis can be missed. The combination
      of subdural hematoma of typically interhemispheric site and retinal bleeding is
      pathognomonic of the shaked-baby syndrome. It is caused by acceleration
      deceleration movements of the head. We present three patients with whiplash
      shaken-injuries who were admitted to our hospital with impaired consciousness or
      in coma. With little external signs of injury more detailed investigations
      revealed other, older injuries suggesting previous abuse. The outcome was not
      favourable. Two of the children were discharged with minor or mild psychomotor
      retardation and one child was severely handicapped. As in the battered-child
      syndrome a good history, assessing child specific and familial risk-factors and
      the socioeconomic background are most important to confirm a diagnosis. This type
      of injury is usually part of the spectrum of child abuse.

PMID- 1870601
TI  - [Disorders of consciousness as an initial symptom of intestinal invagination].
AB  - Two infants with intussusception were presented with lethargy and vomiting.
      Initially, the classical abdominal manifestations of the disease were missing. In
      order to avoid a delay of the correct treatment, intussusception should be
      considered in infants with altered consciousness and ultrasonography of the
      abdomen should be included in the diagnostic work up.

PMID- 1870602
TI  - [Infant mortality in former East Germany and West Germany--what is the future?].

PMID- 1870603
TI  - [Lung function equipment for pediatric practice. Results of a comparative study].
AB  - Pulmonary function tests can be performed in general practice since small
      computerized spirometers have been developed. Pediatricians also see many
      patients with respiratory disease but measurement of lung function in children
      requires special considerations. We examined 10 commercially available
      spirometers to assess their suitability for testing pulmonary function in
      children.

PMID- 1870604
TI  - Calcium phosphates in oral biology and medicine.

PMID- 1870605
TI  - A collaborative study on the genetic toxicology of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine.

PMID- 1870606
TI  - Objectives of the collaborative study on the genetic toxicology of 2-amino-N6
      hydroxyadenine: an exercise in genetic risk assessment.

PMID- 1870607
TI  - Base-pairing models to account for the mutagenicity and specificity of the purine
      analog 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine.
AB  - Potential base-pairing mechanisms of the purine analog, 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine
      (AHA), with the natural bases of DNA are presented. Base-pairing properties of
      this analog indicate that AHA may induce transitions and transversions of base
      pairs in DNA.

PMID- 1870608
TI  - The genetic activity of N6-hydroxyadenine and 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine in
      Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - The genetic activity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine or 2-amino-N
      hydroxylaminopurine (AHA) and N6-hydroxyadenine or 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine (HAP)
      was studied in S. typhimurium, E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. AHA
      was a more potent mutagen for bacteria and a less potent mutagen for yeast than
      HAP. The mutagenic activity of analogs was not influenced by excision, mutagenic
      or double-strand DNA repair mutations. On the other hand, the uvrBdel mutation
      has a drastic effect on the mutagenicity and toxicity of both analogs in the
      Salmonella strains studied. HAP was a very potent mutagen in yeast with a low
      capability of inducing mitotic recombination contrary to common mutagens,
      possessed unique intergenic specificity and was able to induce mutations in
      diploids at rather high frequency.

PMID- 1870609
TI  - Analysis of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine-induced mutagenesis in phage M13mp2.
AB  - The mechanism of mutagenesis induced by 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) and its
      deoxyriboside (AHAdR) was studied by determining the nucleotide sequences of
      phage M13mp2 mutant DNA samples. Mutations in the lac promoter-lacZ alpha region
      of the phage were induced by addition of this agent to culture media in which the
      phage was growing inside the host bacteria. The spectrum of spontaneous mutation
      was also investigated. The induced sequence changes were mostly base transitions
      (80% with AHA and 90% with AHAdR). A few single-base deletions and additions were
      detected, but they were ascribable to spontaneous mutations. These results are
      consistent with the incorporation type mechanism proposed by Janion (this issue).
      In the Ames Salmonella assay, both AHA and AHAdR showed strong mutagenicity in
      strain TA100 but no activity in TA98.

PMID- 1870610
TI  - The genetic toxicology of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine in eukaryotic organisms:
      significance for genetic risk assessment.
AB  - A collaborative study was designed to assess the mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6
      hydroxylaminopurine (AHA) in a wide variety of eukaryotic assays systems in terms
      of potency and specificity. Earlier studies in Salmonella and Neurospora had
      shown that AHA was an extremely potent mutagen which appeared to cause
      predominantly AT to GC base-pair transitions. This discovery was viewed as an
      unusual opportunity to explore the general utility of different eukaryotic assay
      systems for genetic risk assessment. The objective was to determine whether AHA
      would show comparable potency and specificity in those eukaryotic organisms used
      to evaluate mutagenic potential of environmental chemicals for the human
      population. The data presented in this report show that AHA was mutagenic in all
      the eukaryotic assays utilized; however, the level of effect was found to be
      assay system-dependent. In addition, in assays where other base analogs were used
      as positive controls, differences in relative potency were observed from those
      obtained in the earlier studies with Salmonella and Neurospora. When alkylating
      agents were used as positive controls in the higher eukaryotic assays, AHA was
      found to have a mutagenic potency comparable to ethylnitrosourea (ENU), ethyl
      methanesulfonate (EMS) or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) for many of the assays.
      With regard to mutagenic specificity, AHA appears to induce gene/point mutations
      in eukaryotic organisms, resulting predominantly from base-pair substitutions,
      predominantly AT to GC base-pair transitions; however, there was some unexplained
      variation in the ratio of these base-pair transitions and other transitions and
      transversions as a function of assay system. In addition, studies on the
      induction of micronuclei have shown that AHA induces chromosomal damage at high
      concentrations and low levels of survival.

PMID- 1870611
TI  - Mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine at the tk locus in L5178Y strains
      differing in repair capabilities and karyotype.
AB  - The cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) were
      measured in strains of L5178Y differing in repair capabilities and karyotype.
      Strain LY-R83 is monosomic for chromosome 11 and is therefore hemizygous for the
      tk gene, while strains LY-R16 and LY-S1 are TK+/- heterozygotes. Both strain LY
      R83 and LY-R16 are sensitive to UV light and are presumed to be deficient in the
      excision of pyrimidine dimers as shown for the parental strain, LY-R (Hagen et
      al., 1988; Szumiel et al., 1988). Strain LY-S1 is sensitive to the cytotoxic
      effects of ionizing radiation and is presumed to be defective in the repair of
      radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, as shown for the parental strain, LY
      S (Evans et al., 1987a; Wlodek and Hittelman, 1987). The sensitivities of the
      three strains to the cytotoxic effects of AHA were similar. After a 4-hour
      treatment with AHA at 37 degrees C, the D37 for all three strains was
      approximately 35 ng/ml. The AHA-induced mutant frequency was similar for the
      hemizygous TK+ strain LY-R83 and the heterozygous TK +/- strain LY-R16, but was
      slightly higher for strain LY-S1 than for either LY-R strain at an AHA
      concentration of 100 ng/ml. The proportion of AHA-induced LY-S1 TK -/- mutants
      forming colonies with diameters less than 0.3 mm was much lower than following
      treatment with X radiation (24% vs. 61% for AHA and X radiation, respectively).
      These results indicate that the vast majority of AHA-induced TK -/- mutants
      harbor single gene mutations. AHA did not result in cyanide-insensitive oxygen
      uptake, and treatment with this compound did not induce a significant number of
      DNA single-strand breaks, DNA alkali labile lesions, or DNA degradation in either
      strain. However, two hours after AHA removal, DNA single-strand breaks and/or
      alkali-labile lesions, possibly due to the occurrence of DNA repair, were
      apparent in the DNA of both strain LY-R16 and strain LY-S1.

PMID- 1870612
TI  - Mutagenicity of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine to TK6 human lymphoblast cells.
AB  - TK6 human lymphoblast cells (tk +/-; hprt+) were treated with various
      concentrations of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA) for 24 h. AHA was quite toxic
      to TK6 cells in the dose range 0-0.05 micrograms/ml, but additional toxicity was
      not observed between 0.05 and 0.10 micrograms/ml. AHA induced mutations at 2
      distinct genetic loci: the autosomal thymidine kinase (tk) and the X-linked
      hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt). Significant levels of
      both tk-NG mutants (normal growth rate of 16-18 h, colonies visible after 10-11
      days incubation) and tk-SG mutants (slow growth rate of greater than 24 h,
      colonies visible after 18 days incubation) were induced. 15 hprt- mutants were
      isolated and analyzed by Southern blot. 8 of these had normal restriction
      fragment patterns after digestion with PstI, EcoRI, and HindIII, and were defined
      as 'point' mutations; the remaining 7 had partial deletions of the hprt gene. 32
      tk- mutants were also isolated. 3 of 22 normal growth mutants and 6 of 10 slow
      growth mutants had lost the active tk allele. These data suggest that both point
      mutations and larger-scale alterations are induced by AHA.

PMID- 1870613
TI  - Mutagenic properties of 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine in Salmonella and in Chinese
      hamster lung cells in culture.
AB  - The mutagenicity of the base analogue, 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine (AHA), was
      tested in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 and in Chinese hamster lung (CHL)
      cells. AHA showed very potent mutagenicity in TA100 without S9 mix, inducing
      25,000 revertants/micrograms. The mutagenicity increased about 2-fold upon
      addition of S9 mix containing 10 microliters S9. AHA was found to be one of the
      strongest mutagens for TA100. Addition of S9 mix containing 100 microliters S9
      induced no significant increase of revertants with AHA at amounts up to 50 ng per
      plate. AHA was also mutagenic for the frameshift mutant, TA98, without S9 mix,
      the mutagenicity for TA98 being about 1/1000 of that for TA100. When the
      mutagenicity of AHA was tested in CHL cells, with diphtheria toxin resistance
      (DTr) as a selective marker in the absence of S9 mix with a 3-h treatment of
      cells, DTr mutants increased dose-dependently at concentrations of 2.5-15
      micrograms/ml. When cells were incubated with AHA for 24 h, a 200-fold increase
      in the number of DTr mutants was observed; the mutagenicity was 500-fold higher
      than that of ethyl methanesulfonate. This marked increase of mutagenicity by
      prolonged incubation may indicate that AHA induces mutations mainly after
      incorporation into DNA. The addition of a small amount of S9 increased the
      mutagenicity obtained with a 3-h treatment 2-fold, but a larger amount of S9
      decreased the mutagenicity as was found with S. typhimurium TA100.

PMID- 1870614
TI  - Genotoxic and mutagenic effects of the diagnostic use of thallium-201 in nuclear
      medicine.
AB  - In order to investigate possible mutagenic effects of in vivo exposure to low
      levels of ionizing radiation used in nuclear medicine, we have examined the
      hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (hprt) mutant fraction (MF) and
      chromosome aberration (CA) frequency in 24 nuclear medicine patients before and
      after injection of thallium-201. The mean MF of the thallium-201-exposed cohort
      was 5.2 +/- 4.4 x 10(-6) before injection exposure. No significant difference in
      MF was observed 24 h later. In 11 patients who were studied on a third occasion,
      30 days after thallium-201 exposure, there was again no significant difference in
      post-exposure as compared with the pre-exposure MF. The frequency of CA in
      peripheral blood lymphocytes was not significantly different, comparing pre- and
      24 h to 1 month post-radionuclide exposure. Thus, thallium-201 exposure was not
      associated with significant elevations in MF or CA frequency in lymphocytes of
      exposed individuals.

PMID- 1870615
TI  - Evidence that methanol inhalation does not induce chromosome damage in mice.
AB  - Mice were exposed by inhalation to 800 or 4000 ppm methanol for 5 days, and
      cytogenetic effects were analyzed in blood erythrocytes, lung cells, and
      testicular germ cells. The results were uniformly negative; no increased
      frequencies of micronuclei in blood cells, of sister-chromatid exchanges,
      chromosome aberrations, or micronuclei in lung cells, or of synaptonemal complex
      damage in spermatocytes were found. From the standpoint of risk assessment, these
      experimental studies do not reveal any evidence of a cytogenetic hazard
      associated with inhalation of methanol.

PMID- 1870616
TI  - Bacterial mutagenicity of two cyclopentafused isomers of benzpyrene.
AB  - Two novel cyclopentafused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, naphtho(1,2,3
      mno)acephenanthrylene (cyclopenta benzo[e]pyrene) and naphtho(2,1,8
      hij)acephenanthrylene (cyclopenta(ij)benzo[a]pyrene) were evaluated for mutagenic
      activity in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium plate incorporation assay. Both
      compounds required S9 metabolic activation, and showed optimal activity at low S9
      concentrations (below 0.6 mg/plate). Both compounds induced frameshift and base
      pair substitution mutations, being active in strains TA98, TA100, TA1537, TA1538
      and TA104, but not in strain TA1535. Cyclopenta(ij)benzo[a]pyrene was more active
      than cyclopentabenzo[e]pyrene, and both were more potent than their parent ring
      systems, benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[e]pyrene, respectively.
      Cyclopenta(ij)benzo[a]pyrene was more active in strain TA104 than in TA100 or
      TA98 (250-470, 340 and 80-100 rev/nmole) as was benzo[a]pyrene (120, 70 and 40
      rev/nmole respectively); cyclopentabenzo[e]pyrene was more active in TA100 than
      TA104 or TA98 (70 versus 50 and 40 rev/nmole), and benzo[e]pyrene showed a
      similar pattern (4, 3.5 and 0.6 rev/nmole). The relative potencies of the four
      compounds are in accord with predictions based on perturbational molecular
      orbital calculations. The peak of activity at low S9 concentrations is consistent
      with epoxidation at the cyclopentafused ring being the major route of metabolic
      activation for both these cyclopentafused compounds.

PMID- 1870617
TI  - Genotoxic activity of potassium permanganate in acidic solutions.
AB  - Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) combined with sulfuric acid is a strongly
      oxidizing mixture which has been recommended for the destruction and the
      decontamination of various mutagens/carcinogens in the publication series of the
      International Agency for Research on Cancer. Evaluation of the genotoxicity of 4
      potassium permanganate solutions was performed using a microtechnique of the Ames
      test with the tester strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 with and without
      metabolic activation. Presence of direct-acting mutagens was detected in all the
      samples with the tester strain TA102 without S9 mix (163-357
      revertants/microliters of the solutions). Three samples containing either acetone
      or ethanol as an organic solvent also induced a mutagenic response on tester
      strain TA100 without S9 mix (167-337 revertants/microliters). In addition, DNA
      damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes was also measured for one of the
      mixtures by a new technique: the single-cell gel assay (SCGA). A sample with no
      organic solvent induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes with a dose-response
      relationship as determined by SCGA. The major mutagenic agent generated by the
      permanganate solutions was found to be manganese ion (Mn2+). Both manganese
      sulfate (MnSO4) and manganese chloride (MnCl2) gave mutagenic dose-response
      relationships on tester strain TA102 without S9 mix. The mutagenic potencies were
      2.8 and 2.4 revertant/nmole for MnSO4 and MnCl2 respectively. MnCl2 also induced
      DNA damage in human lymphocytes as determined by the SCGA. The genotoxic effects
      of KMnO4 in acidic conditions were probably mediated by the conversion of MnO4-
      to Mn2+. KMnO4 in alkaline solutions did not produce mutagenic species and may
      offer an alternative for the degradation of genotoxic compounds.

PMID- 1870618
TI  - Genotoxicity data supporting the proposed metabolic activation of ethyl carbamate
      (urethane) to a carcinogen: the problem now posed by methyl carbamate.

PMID- 1870619
TI  - Micronucleus induction in bone marrow by vinyl carbamate, a hypothetical
      metabolite of the carcinogen urethane (ethyl carbamate).

PMID- 1870620
TI  - Methyl carbamate: negative results in mouse bone-marrow micronucleus test.

PMID- 1870622
TI  - Chromosomal aberration analysis of workers in tannery industries.
AB  - A chromosomal aberration analysis was carried out on tannery workers and on
      matched controls. Workers were engaged in 2 different processing areas, the drum
      and the finishing workshop. A weak but significant increase in chromosomal
      aberration frequencies was shown in drum workers in comparison to controls, no
      difference was shown in finishers.

PMID- 1870621
TI  - Bacterial mutagenicity testing of 49 food ingredients gives very few positive
      results.
AB  - 49 substances permitted for use in food in the United States was tested for
      mutagenicity in the Ames Salmonella typhimurium assay and in Escherichia coli
      strain WP2. Four of these substances caused increases in revertant counts in S.
      typhimurium. Two of these four (papain and pepsin) were found to contain
      histidine, and therefore the results of the tests on these two substances could
      not be taken as demonstrating mutagenicity. The other two substances causing
      increases in revertant counts (hydrogen peroxide and potassium nitrite) were
      mutagenic. The results on one chemical, beta-carotene, were evaluated as
      inconclusive or questionable. The remaining 44 substances were nonmutagenic in
      the test systems used. It is concluded that, for those generally physiologically
      innocuous chemicals tested, there are very few 'false positives' in the bacterial
      test systems used.

PMID- 1870623
TI  - Micronucleus assay in biomonitoring of patients undergoing excretory urography
      with diatrizoate and ioxaglate.
AB  - In order to perform biological monitoring of exposure to radiation and contrast
      media, we evaluated the micronucleus count (MN) and the mitotic index (MI) in
      peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients undergoing excretory urography with
      diatrizoate (20 patients) and ioxaglate (20 patients). Three samples were taken
      for each patient: A (before exploration), B (immediately after exploration) and C
      (7 days later). There were no significant differences in the radiation doses
      received, nor in the dose of contrast agent, between both groups. The
      micronucleus count increased significantly in sample B in both groups, the
      increase being more statistically significant in the diatrizoate group (p less
      than 0.01) than in the ioxaglate group (p less than 0.05). One week later, the MN
      were still slightly high (p less than 0.05) in the diatrizoate group only. These
      results suggest a clastogenic effect which depends, to a great extent, on the
      nature of the contrast medium.

PMID- 1870624
TI  - Enhanced frequency of chromosome aberrations in workers occupationally exposed to
      diagnostic X-rays.
AB  - To estimate the level of radiation exposure of personnel handling diagnostic X
      ray machines, the yield of chromosomal aberrations was analysed in peripheral
      blood lymphocyte cultures. These occupationally exposed individuals showed higher
      frequencies of dicentrics as well as acentrics than normal controls. Absorbed
      radiation doses calculated by extrapolating reference in vitro dose-response
      curve for dicentrics ranged between 0.13 and 0.17 Gy. This implies exposure
      beyond the permissible limit of 0.05 Gy/year for the whole body. However, no
      obvious trend of increased aberrations as a function of either duration of
      employment or age was noticed. The increase in the aberration yields in this
      personnel underscores the need of adopting measures to avoid or minimise such
      overexposure.

PMID- 1870625
TI  - Induction of micronuclei and anaphase aberrations by cytochalasin B in human
      lymphocyte cultures.
AB  - The frequency of micronucleated cells in isolated 72-h human lymphocyte cultures
      treated with cytochalasin B (Cyt-B; 1.5-6 micrograms/ml for the last 28 h) was 9
      21 times higher (mean 14.6 times) among multinucleate than binucleate cells. At 3
      micrograms/ml, the concentration of Cyt-B originally recommended for the human
      lymphocyte micronucleus assay, the frequency of micronucleated multinucleate
      cells was 8.5%, while 0.7% of the binucleate cells had a micronucleus. Although
      no dose-dependent induction of micronuclei could be observed for either of the
      cell types, increase in the concentration of Cyt-B was associated with a decrease
      in the ratio of multinucleate to binucleate cells. Treatment with Cyt-B (1.5-12
      micrograms/ml) increased the frequency of anaphase cells with aberrations,
      especially lagging chromatids. This finding was explained by a dose-dependent
      increase in multipolar (greater than or equal to 3 poles) divisions which had a
      high frequency of anaphase aberrations (39-53%), irrespective of the
      concentration of Cyt-B. Bipolar anaphases did not show a significant increase in
      aberrant cells, although a suggestive dependence on the concentration of Cyt-B
      was observed. The findings indicate that the high frequency of micronuclei in
      multinucleate lymphocytes produced by Cyt-B is due to mitotic errors arising when
      bi- (and multi-) nuclear cells divide. To avoid possible artifactually high
      micronucleus frequencies due to inclusion of cells that have divided greater than
      or equal to 2 times in the presence of Cyt-B, it is recommended that, in the
      human lymphocyte micronucleus assay using the cytokinesis-block method, the cell
      culture time is reduced to minimize the frequency of such cells and that only
      good preparations and regularly shaped binucleates are included in the analysis.

PMID- 1870626
TI  - Isolation of the mutagenic and DNA adduct-inducing components from a commercial
      preparation of HC blue 1 using Salmonella (TA98) bioassay-directed HPLC
      fractionation.
AB  - In the present study we report the separation of the mutagenic impurities from
      the nitrophenylenediamine hair dye HC Blue 1. This was accomplished by bioassay
      directed HPLC fractionation, using Salmonella strain TA98 and reverse phase HPLC
      analysis. The mutagenic fraction eluted between 80 and 90% methanol, whereas the
      HPLC fraction containing the parent compound HC Blue 1 eluted with 30% methanol
      and was non-mutagenic. 100% of the mutagenic activity applied to the column was
      recovered in fractions that did not possess the blue color of HC Blue 1. Also,
      HPLC-purified HC Blue 1 did not form DNA adducts (32P-postlabeling) in Salmonella
      strain TA98. On the other hand, commercial HC Blue 1 and the mutagenic fraction
      derived from commercial HC Blue 1 (HPLC-isolated) gave similar DNA-adduct
      profiles that consisted of 7 adducts. DNA adduction was examined concomitantly
      with mutagenicity and toxicity studies on the HC Blue 1 samples in TA98. The data
      indicated that, in Salmonella, both the mutagenicity and DNA adduction of
      commercial HC Blue 1 are due to impurities and not the parent compound.

PMID- 1870627
TI  - Recovery of polychromatic erythrocytes and micronuclei following cellulose column
      separation of mouse bone-marrow samples.

PMID- 1870628
TI  - Mutagenicity of urine from rats after 1-nitropyrene and 2-nitrofluorene
      administration using new sensitive Salmonella typhimurium strains YG1012 and
      YG1024.
AB  - 1-Nitropyrene (1-NP) and 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF), two of the most abundant nitro
      substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAH) present in combustion
      products such as diesel engine exhaust, were administered intraperitoneally to
      rats at a dose of 5 mg per animal. Urine samples, 1-NP and 2-NF were tested in
      the Ames assay using the newly developed Salmonella typhimurium strains YG1012
      and YG1024 (overproducing O-acetyltransferase) and their parent strains TA1538
      and TA98. In urine, collected over 3 periods of 24 h after administration, most
      of the mutagens appeared during the first 24 h. The mutagenicity was found to be
      a factor 2-30 higher in the YG strains when compared to the TA strains. Addition
      of S9 mix and rat liver cytosol both with and without beta-glucuronidase
      increased the mutagenicity of urine samples from 1-NP-treated rats. Addition of
      beta-glucuronidase revealed that a considerable part of the mutagenic metabolites
      of 1-NP and 2-NF were excreted as glucuronide conjugates. The increase in
      mutagenicity of urine samples from 2-NF-treated rats after the addition of rat
      liver cytosol referred to N,O-acyl transfer as a step in activating 2-NF to
      strong mutagens. The high sensitivity of the YG tester strains indicated that
      these strains might be used to explore environments where people are exposed to
      nitro-PAH, such as work places with diesel emission sources.

PMID- 1870629
TI  - AAEM case report #3: myasthenia gravis.
AB  - Reported here are the electrodiagnostic findings in a patient with myasthenia
      gravis who had dysarthria, dysphagia, and dyspnea. The use of repetitive nerve
      stimulation and single fiber electromyography studies for the evaluation of
      patients suspected of myasthenia gravis is reviewed.

PMID- 1870630
TI  - Basal lamina and superfast myosin expression in regenerating cat jaw muscle.
AB  - We investigated the possible role of extracellular matrix in specifying the
      expression of superfast myosin during cat jaw muscle regeneration. Equal
      proportions of muscle tissue from jaw and limb were minced together after killing
      cellular elements from one source. We allowed the mince to regenerate in the bed
      of a fast limb muscle. Regenerates were analyzed immunocytochemically at 71 to
      294 days after operation. Fibers in control regenerates containing live cells
      from both sources expressed fast, superfast or slow myosins, or a mixture of
      these myosins. In regenerates containing only one type of live cells, we detected
      only myosins appropriate to the live cells. Our results suggest that during
      regeneration the original extracellular matrix of jaw-closing or limb muscle is
      unable to specify the expression of superfast or fast myosins, respectively; they
      point to the cellular elements, probably the satellite cells, as determinants of
      muscle specificity during regeneration.

PMID- 1870631
TI  - Electrophysiological improvement following decompression surgery in tarsal tunnel
      syndrome.
AB  - Plantar nerve conduction studies 14 months to 3.5 years after decompression
      surgery in 3 cases of tarsal tunnel syndrome showed an improvement in motor
      conduction as well as in sensory nerve conduction. This electrophysiological
      improvement was associated with clinical improvement. However, minor
      abnormalities still existed in sensory nerve conduction in all 3 cases.

PMID- 1870632
TI  - The extent and time course of motoneuron involvement in amyotrophic lateral
      sclerosis.
AB  - The numbers and relative sizes of motor units have been estimated in 373 muscles
      of 123 patients with ALS: 74 of the muscles were examined on more than one
      occasion. The median duration between the onset of symptoms and the initial
      examination was 12 months; by this time, approximately 90% of the tested muscles
      showed losses of motor units. The evoked motor unit potentials continued to
      enlarge in most, but not all, muscles as the disease progressed. Once a muscle
      became affected by the disease process, the average time-course was such that the
      motor unit population halved in each 6-month period of the first year and
      diminished more slowly thereafter. A small proportion of patients was encountered
      in whom the disease progressed much more slowly and there were occasional large
      fluctuations in the motor unit estimates suggestive of reversible motoneuron
      dysfunction.

PMID- 1870633
TI  - External recording of twitch time course in cat ankle muscles.
AB  - In chronic experiments concerning the activity-dependent plasticity of muscle
      properties, a simple and noninvasive method was used for monitoring changes of
      twitch speed in conscious adult cats. The animals had been provided with
      implanted electrodes for nerve stimulation, and a hand-held force transducer was
      pressed against the fully extended ankle joint while single test pulses were
      delivered to the common peroneal nerve. In the present report, this technique for
      the recording of ankle twitches is subjected to critical analysis and evaluation.
      The measurements were highly reproducible with respect to contraction time (time
      to-peak) but less so for half-relaxation time and twitch amplitude; other methods
      should be used for the long-term monitoring of contractile force. The total force
      (torque) of the ankle twitch was mainly produced by tibialis anterior (about
      45%), peroneus longus (PerL; 27%) and extensor digitorum longus (23%). The ankle
      twitch produced by PerL alone had about the same contraction time as that of all
      the muscles together. Among muscles that had become changed as a result of long
      term electrical stimulation there was, in general, a good correspondence between
      the contraction times from simple external recordings of ankle twitches and those
      separately measured for PerL under general anesthesia (force transducer then
      directly connected to PerL tendon).

PMID- 1870634
TI  - Correlation of motor units with strength and spectral characteristics in polio
      survivors and controls.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether quantitative motor unit
      analysis in postpolio individuals correlates with muscle strength, endurance,
      work capacity, or power spectral characteristics of surface EMG and to determine
      whether power spectrum differentiates postpolio from control subjects. This study
      was designed to compare these variables in 34 symptomatic postpolio, 16
      asymptomatic postpolio, and 41 control subjects. Quantitative motor unit analysis
      of the quadriceps femoris muscle was performed using a concentric needle
      electrode. Isometric knee extension peak torque, endurance (time to exhaustion)
      at 40% of maximal torque, work capacity (tension time index), and recovery of
      force through 10 minutes post-exhaustion were determined. Median frequency of the
      surface power spectrum was determined during the above testing. Power spectrum
      histograms were compared at the onset and termination of endurance exercise.
      Motor unit action potential variables did not correlate with isometric peak
      torque, tension time index, endurance time, recovery of strength, or with median
      frequency. Surface power spectrum did not differentiate postpolio from control
      subjects.

PMID- 1870635
TI  - Infantile Pompe's disease, lipid storage, and partial carnitine deficiency.
AB  - A diagnosis of infantile Pompe's disease (glycogenosis type II) was made by
      muscle biopsy on a 6-month-old infant boy seen with hypotonia, weakness, and
      developmental regression. Histochemistry and electron microscopy revealed a
      vacuolar myopathy with massive glycoge accumulation associated with increased
      neutral lipid as demonstrated on Oil Red O reactions. Pleomorphic, hypertrophic
      mitochondria with distortion of cristae and electron-dense deposits within the
      matrix were identified. Acid alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity was absent but
      associated with increased neutral maltase activity and a variable compensatory
      rise in activity of other lysosomal enzymes. Biochemical studies demonstrated low
      free carnitine, normal acylcarnitine, increased activity of carnitine palmityl
      and acyl transferases, and other enzymes of beta-oxidation with the notable
      exception of low normal beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity. The
      explanation for the lipid accumulation is uncertain but is likely related to the
      combination of low carnitine concentration in muscle, low beta-hydroxyacyl CoA
      dehydrogenase, representing a rate limiting enzyme of beta-oxidation, and
      nonspecific defective mitochondrial function.

PMID- 1870636
TI  - Dynamic F waves in neurogenic claudication.
AB  - Serial F waves were elicited before and after ambulation in 2 patients with
      neurogenic claudication. In both patients dynamic changes in F wave parameters
      consisting of either unelicitability or increased latencies occurred
      postexercise. The time course of these changes and their subsequent rapid
      reversibility over 15 minutes suggest ischemic-induced conduction block and
      slowing in proximal motor axons. These physiological changes may account for some
      of the dynamic neurological symptoms of this disorder. Moreover, F wave exercise
      testing may provide corroborative information for the diagnosis of neurogenic
      claudication.

PMID- 1870637
TI  - Assessment of locomotor function in young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
AB  - Thirty-three young boys (mean age 3.42 years) with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
      (DMD) and 21 normal control boys (mean age 3.51 years) were studied prospectively
      to determine whether it is possible to objectively assess locomotor function in
      young boys with DMD so that they can be included in treatment trials. An initial
      reproducibility study using a hand-held myometer demonstrated that this method
      was not useful. The Hammersmith Motor Ability Score demonstrated an increase in
      developmental abilities with age which was markedly different from normal. The
      locomotor quotient of the Griffiths' Scales demonstrated a deterioration of
      quotient scores and is a useful method of assessment that could be used in
      treatment trials involving young boys with DMD. Sample size planning for
      treatment trials is discussed.

PMID- 1870638
TI  - Fiber density: a fast and accurate way to estimate human muscle fiber areas.

PMID- 1870639
TI  - Electrical and magnetic stimulation of the accessory nerve at the base of the
      skull.

PMID- 1870640
TI  - Fetal fibronectin in cervical and vaginal secretions as a predictor of preterm
      delivery.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Preterm delivery is the leading cause of neonatal mortality in the
      United States, but efforts to address the problem are hampered by the inability
      to predict accurately which pregnancies are at risk. We postulated that damage to
      the fetal membranes may release fetal fibronectin into the cervix and vagina,
      giving rise to a biochemical marker for preterm delivery. METHODS: We measured
      fetal-fibronectin concentrations in cervical and vaginal secretions, amniotic
      fluid, and maternal plasma with a sensitive immunoassay using the monoclonal
      antibody FDC-6. Immunohistochemical studies were used to determine the
      distribution of fetal fibronectin in the placenta and amniochorionic membranes
      and to ascertain its cell of origin. RESULTS: Women with uncomplicated
      pregnancies (n = 163) who delivered at term rarely had cervicovaginal fetal
      fibronectin concentrations above 0.05 micrograms per milliliter between 21 and 37
      weeks of gestation (11 of 267 cervical samples [4 percent] and 9 of 267 vaginal
      samples [3 percent]. High levels of fetal fibronectin were detected in amniotic
      fluid and in the cervical or vaginal secretions of 93.8 percent of the women with
      preterm rupture of membranes (n = 65). Cervical or vaginal fetal fibronectin was
      also present in 50.4 percent of the women with preterm uterine contractions and
      intact membranes (n = 117), and its presence identified the women who delivered
      before term (n = 60) with a sensitivity of 81.7 percent and a specificity of 82.5
      percent. In the placenta and membranes, fetal fibronectin was found at points of
      contact with the uterine wall. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of cervicovaginal fetal
      fibronectin in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy identifies a subgroup
      of women who are at high risk for preterm delivery. This phenomenon may reflect
      the separation of the chorion from the decidual layer of the uterus, with the
      release of intact or degraded chorionic components of the extracellular matrix
      into the cervical and vaginal secretions.

PMID- 1870641
TI  - Long-term developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia has been associated with lowered scores on
      tests of mental and motor development in infancy. However, the long-term
      developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency is unknown, because
      developmental tests in infancy do not predict later intellectual functioning.
      METHODS: This study is a follow-up evaluation of a group of Costa Rican children
      whose iron status and treatment were documented in infancy. Eighty-five percent
      (163) of the 191 children in the original group underwent comprehensive clinical,
      nutritional, and psychoeducational assessments at five years of age. The
      developmental test battery consisted of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale
      of Intelligence, the Spanish version of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational
      Battery, the Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, the Goodenough
      Harris Draw-a-Man Test, and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency.
      RESULTS: All the children had excellent hematologic status and growth at five
      years of age. However, children who had moderately severe iron-deficiency anemia
      as infants, with hemoglobin levels less than or equal to 100 g per liter, had
      lower scores on tests of mental and motor functioning at school entry than the
      rest of the children. Although these children also came from less
      socioeconomically advantaged homes, their test scores remained significantly
      lower than those of the other children after we controlled for a comprehensive
      set of background factors. For example, the mean (+/- SD) adjusted Woodcock
      Johnson preschool cluster score for the children who had moderate anemia in
      infancy (n = 30) was 448.6 +/- 9.7, as compared with 452.9 +/- 9.2 for the rest
      of the children (n = 133) (P less than 0.01); the adjusted visual-motor
      integration score was 5.9 +/- 2.1, as compared with 6.7 +/- 2.3 (P less than
      0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children who have iron-deficiency anemia in infancy are at
      risk for long-lasting developmental disadvantage as compared with their peers
      with better iron status.

PMID- 1870642
TI  - Donor-cell leukemia after bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia.

PMID- 1870643
TI  - Preventing preterm birth.

PMID- 1870644
TI  - Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer disease.

PMID- 1870645
TI  - Cost savings due to lower utilization?

PMID- 1870646
TI  - Wasted disposable medical materials.

PMID- 1870647
TI  - Fetal protection and employment discrimination--the Johnson Controls case.

PMID- 1870648
TI  - Postmenopausal estrogen therapy and cardiovascular disease. Ten-year follow-up
      from the nurses' health study.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The effect of postmenopausal estrogen therapy on the risk of
      cardiovascular disease remains controversial. Our 1985 report in the Journal,
      based on four years of follow-up, suggested that estrogen therapy reduced the
      risk of coronary heart disease, but a report published simultaneously from the
      Framingham Study suggested that the risk was increased. In addition, studies of
      the effect of estrogens on stroke have yielded conflicting results. METHODS: We
      followed 48,470 postmenopausal women, 30 to 63 years old, who were participants
      in the Nurses' Health Study, and who did not have a history of cancer or
      cardiovascular disease at base line. During up to 10 years of follow-up (337,854
      person-years), we documented 224 strokes, 405 cases of major coronary disease
      (nonfatal myocardial infarctions or deaths from coronary causes), and 1263 deaths
      from all causes. RESULTS: After adjustment for age and other risk factors, the
      overall relative risk of major coronary disease in women currently taking
      estrogen was 0.56 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.40 to 0.80); the risk was
      significantly reduced among women with either natural or surgical menopause. We
      observed no effect of the duration of estrogen use independent of age. The
      findings were similar in analyses limited to women who had recently visited their
      physicians (relative risk, 0.45; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.31 to 0.66)
      and in a low-risk group that excluded women reporting current cigarette smoking,
      diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or a Quetelet index above the 90th
      percentile (relative risk, 0.53; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.31 to 0.91).
      The relative risk for current and former users of estrogen as compared with those
      who had never used it was 0.89 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.78 to 1.00) for
      total mortality and 0.72 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.55 to 0.95) for
      mortality from cardiovascular disease. The relative risk of stroke when current
      users were compared with those who had never used estrogen was 0.97 (95 percent
      confidence interval, 0.65 to 1.45), with no marked differences according to type
      of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Current estrogen use is associated with a reduction in
      the incidence of coronary heart disease as well as in mortality from
      cardiovascular disease, but it is not associated with any change in the risk of
      stroke.

PMID- 1870649
TI  - Chagas' heart disease in the United States.
AB  - BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Chagas' heart disease is believed to be rare in the
      United States, although many persons from countries where the disease is endemic
      reside here. We performed a retrospective case review and prospective follow-up
      of 25 patients with Chagas' heart disease and no obstructive coronary artery
      disease on angiography. RESULTS: The patients mainly presented with symptomatic
      atrioventricular block, congestive heart failure, anginal chest pain, sudden
      death averted by resuscitation, or sustained ventricular tachycardia. Of the 25
      patients, 18 had been treated for coronary artery disease or idiopathic dilated
      cardiomyopathy for up to 108 months before the diagnosis of Chagas' disease was
      considered. The electrocardiograms frequently suggested coronary artery disease.
      Six of the seven patients who had exercise thallium-perfusion scans had
      abnormalities suggesting ischemia or infarction. A left ventricular aneurysm was
      found in 14 of the 25 patients, segmental akinesia or hypokinesia in 5, and
      diffuse hypokinesia in 3. Programmed ventricular stimulation performed in 13
      patients induced sustained ventricular tachycardia in 9 and nonsustained
      ventricular tachycardia in 2. Actuarial survival (mean +/- SE) after four years
      for the entire group was 56 +/- 12 percent; it was 32 +/- 16 percent among those
      with global left ventricular dysfunction, and 78 +/- 14 percent among those
      without such dysfunction (P = 0.03). Only patients with left ventricular
      dysfunction or an aneurysm died (four-year survival, 45 +/- 14 percent, as
      compared with 100 percent for the remaining patients; P = 0.0002). Heart failure
      and left ventricular aneurysm or dysfunction were the only independent predictors
      of death. Nine patients required permanent pacemakers. CONCLUSIONS: In the United
      States, Chagas' heart disease commonly mimics coronary artery disease or
      idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The prognosis is poor for patients with heart
      failure or left ventricular aneurysm or dysfunction. The disease may be
      underdiagnosed in the United States.

PMID- 1870650
TI  - Efficacy of statewide neonatal screening for cystic fibrosis by assay of
      trypsinogen concentrations.
AB  - BACKGROUND: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of measuring immunoreactive
      trypsinogen in blood to screen for cystic fibrosis, we performed this test in
      279,399 newborns in Colorado from 1982 to 1987. METHODS: Immunoreactive
      trypsinogen was measured in dried blood spots when the infants were 1 to 4 days
      old; if the level was elevated (greater than or equal to 140 micrograms per
      liter), the measurement was repeated (mean age, 38 days); if the level was again
      elevated, sweat testing was performed (mean age, 49 days). For the second test,
      two cutoff levels (120 and 80 micrograms per liter) were evaluated. RESULTS: We
      found an incidence of cystic fibrosis of 1 in 3827 (0.26 per 1000), with 3.2
      newborns per 1000 requiring repeat measurement. When adjusted for race and
      compliance with testing, the incidence among the white infants (1 in 2521) was
      close to the expected incidence. The false positive rate with the initial cutoff
      level (92.2 percent) was similar to the rate found in neonatal screening programs
      for other diseases. False negative results occurred because of laboratory error
      or changes in procedure (three infants) and trypsinogen concentrations lower than
      the initial cutoff level (three infants) or lower than the remeasurement cutoff
      level of 120 micrograms per liter (one infant). Sweat tests were negative in 168
      infants with an elevated initial trypsinogen level but a level below 80
      micrograms per liter on remeasurement, confirming the value of 80 micrograms per
      liter as an appropriate cutoff for repeat-test results. Overall, 95.2 percent of
      the infants with cystic fibrosis (95 percent confidence interval, 85 to 99
      percent) who did not have meconium ileus could be identified with the use of a
      trypsinogen cutoff level of 140 micrograms per liter on initial testing and 80
      micrograms per liter on repeat testing. CONCLUSIONS: Statewide screening for
      cystic fibrosis based on measurements of immunoreactive trypsinogen in dried
      blood spots is feasible and can be implemented with acceptable rates of repeat
      testing and false positive and false negative results.

PMID- 1870651
TI  - A randomized trial of treatment options for alcohol-abusing workers.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Employee-assistance programs sponsored by companies or labor unions
      identify workers who abuse alcohol and refer them for care, often to inpatient
      rehabilitation programs. Yet the effectiveness of inpatient treatment, as
      compared with a variety of less intensive alternatives, has repeatedly been
      called into question. In this study, anchored in the work site, we compared the
      effectiveness of mandatory in-hospital treatment with that of required attendance
      at the meetings of a self-help group and a choice of treatment options. METHODS:
      We randomly assigned a series of 227 workers newly identified as abusing alcohol
      to one of three rehabilitation regimens: compulsory inpatient treatment,
      compulsory attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, and a choice of
      options. Inpatient backup was provided if needed. The groups were compared in
      terms of 12 job-performance variables and 12 measures of drinking and drug use
      during a two-year follow-up period. RESULTS: All three groups improved, and no
      significant differences were found among the groups in job-related outcome
      variables. On seven measures of drinking and drug use, however, we found
      significant differences at several follow-up assessments. The hospital group
      fared best and that assigned to AA the least well; those allowed to choose a
      program had intermediate outcomes. Additional inpatient treatment was required
      significantly more often (P less than 0.0001) by the AA group (63 percent) and
      the choice group (38 percent) than by subjects assigned to initial treatment in
      the hospital (23 percent). The differences among the groups were especially
      pronounced for workers who had used cocaine within six months before study entry.
      The estimated costs of inpatient treatment for the AA and choice groups averaged
      only 10 percent less than the costs for the hospital group because of their
      higher rates of additional treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Even for employed problem
      drinkers who are not abusing drugs and who have no serious medical problems, an
      initial referral to AA alone or a choice of programs, although less costly than
      inpatient care, involves more risk than compulsory inpatient treatment and should
      be accompanied by close monitoring for signs of incipient relapse.

PMID- 1870652
TI  - Group A streptococcal infections and acute rheumatic fever.

PMID- 1870653
TI  - Uncertainty about postmenopausal estrogen. Time for action, not debate.

PMID- 1870654
TI  - What drives neonatal screening programs?

PMID- 1870655
TI  - Inpatient treatment of alcoholism--new life for the Minneapolis plan.

PMID- 1870656
TI  - Another approach to the AIDS epidemic.

PMID- 1870657
TI  - Responding to the AIDS epidemic.

PMID- 1870658
TI  - Video display terminals and spontaneous abortions.

PMID- 1870659
TI  - Solid tumors in children.

PMID- 1870660
TI  - Cardiac tamponade caused by primary pericardial mesothelioma.

PMID- 1870661
TI  - Ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to ubiquinone as a coronary risk
      factor.

PMID- 1870662
TI  - The influence of the U.S. tobacco industry in foreign markets.

PMID- 1870663
TI  - The struggle over physician-payment reform.

PMID- 1870664
TI  - GABAergic control of receptivity in the female rat.
AB  - GABAergic neurotransmission has been implicated in the control of the steroid
      dependent behavior, lordosis. GABA has dual effects on lordosis: it facilitates
      lordosis through actions in the medial hypothalamus (mHYP) and it inhibits
      lordosis through actions in the preoptic area (POA). In the present study,
      gonadally intact and ovariectomized female rats were behaviorally tested with a
      sexually active male. Brains were removed from sexually receptive female either 1
      or 24 h after behavioral testing. There was a significant difference in
      endogenous GABA concentration in HYP and POA between receptive, postreceptive and
      ovariectomized nonreceptive females. Specifically, GABA levels in postreceptive
      females were higher in the HYP (20%) and lower in the POA (21%) in comparison to
      receptive females (p less than 0.05). There was also a significant change in
      binding parameters of 3H-muscimol in the HYP and POA of receptive females as
      compared to 24 h postreceptive and ovariectomized rats. Attempts to modulate 3H
      GABA release from hypothalamic tissue slices by estrogen or progesterone in
      ovariectomized rats yielded no effect on this parameter.

PMID- 1870665
TI  - The hypothalamus is not the origin of vasopressin and oxytocin in the rat pineal
      gland.
AB  - Immunoreactive levels of vasopressin (VP) and oxytocin (OT) were quantitated in
      the rat pineal gland in the middle of August, when nonapeptide levels have been
      reported to peak annually. The pineal levels of both VP and OT were found to be
      substantially elevated when sampled in August, compared to sampling in July and
      September. mRNA levels for OT and VP in hypothalamic nuclei (supraoptic,
      paraventricular, and suprachiasmatic nuclei) showed no such increases during
      August. A lesioning of the paraventricular nuclei did not suppress pineal VP and
      OT levels. Finally, the injection of colchicine into the third ventricle caused
      pineal VP and OT levels to increase substantially. Together, these results affirm
      the occurrence of a summertime rise in pineal VP and OT levels and suggest that
      such increases do not derive from sites of VP and OT cell bodies in the
      hypothalamus. Rather, they indicate that the source of these pineal nonapeptides
      may be the pineal itself.

PMID- 1870666
TI  - Regulation of vasopressin expression in cultured diencephalic neurons by
      glucocorticoids.
AB  - Glucocorticoids have long been recognized as playing a major role in the
      regulation of vasopressin synthesis. However, the factors determining cellular
      specificity and molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid action on the vasopressin
      gene are not understood. In the present investigation, we used primary cell
      cultures derived from 14-day-old fetal rat diencephalon to investigate the
      regulation of vasopressin expression under controlled conditions. The
      experimental paradigm used ensured that only magnocellular, but not parvocellular
      neurons grew in the cultures. The following criteria were used to establish this
      phenotype. (1) Cultures were derived from fetal brain well before the time
      parvocellular neurons are generated, and neuronal precursors did not proliferate
      in vitro. (2) Vasopressinergic neurons measured some 18 x 25 microns, being
      conspicuously larger than the average neuronal population in vitro, and clearly
      larger than parvocellular neurons in vivo. (3) Neurons did not express
      corticotropin releasing factor in vitro. Selective neutralization of
      glucocorticoids contained in the serum-supplemented culture medium by the drug RU
      38 486 resulted in an about 2-fold increase of numbers of vasopressinergic cells
      and about 4-fold increase in vasopressin mRNA, but did not affect numbers of
      oxytocinergic neurons or expression of general neuronal marker proteins. The
      effects of RU 38,486 were not dependent on synaptic communication between
      cultured cells, as the drug was still effective when cells were synaptically
      isolated by growth is in 14 mM Mg2+. RU was not mitogenic for vasopressinergic
      neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870667
TI  - Computed tomography of the postoperative intervertebral disc and lumbar spinal
      canal: serial long-term investigation in 19 patients after successful operation
      for lumbar disc herniation.
AB  - The first part of this work, published in 1988, included 25 patients who had
      computed tomographic (CT) scans without contrast enhancement and plain x-rays of
      the lumbar spine before, 1 week after, and 6 to 7 weeks after a successful
      operation for lumbar disc herniation. The present study extends the follow-up
      period to 3 years in 19 of the 25 original patients. Clinical examinations,
      lateral plain x-rays, and CT scans without contrast enhancement of the operated
      disc were repeated. The results indicate a decrease or even a disappearance of
      the hyperdense extradural material thought to represent fibrosis. An image
      suggestive of persistent disc herniation was still present in 5 of 8 patients
      with this finding on early postoperative CT scans. Persistent intradiscal gas was
      seen in nearly half of the patients. Total normalization of the posterior
      extraspinal structures was the rule. There was no correlation between CT
      appearance and residual complaints of the patients. CT scans without contrast
      enhancement may be sufficient to guide the surgeon in postoperative patients with
      massive signs and symptoms of recurrent root compression in whom a second
      operation is indicated on clinical grounds. In all other cases, myelography
      followed by CT scans is considered appropriate to investigate failed back surgery
      syndrome.

PMID- 1870668
TI  - Large cysts of the pineal gland: report of two cases.
AB  - Two cases of large, nontumorous cysts of the pineal gland are reported, the
      histopathology of which was confirmed using surgically resected specimens. Both
      patients were middle-aged, and the pineal cysts were found incidentally. The
      histopathological findings in the two cases were strikingly similar to each other
      and were characterized by the following points: 1) the cyst wall typically
      consisted of three layers, namely, collagenous fibers, glia-like cells, and
      normal pineal cells; 2) the cyst wall was relatively thin, approximately 100 to
      300 microns in thickness; and 3) deposits of calcification almost always existed
      on the side of the layer of collagenous fiber. Because these findings are clearly
      different from those previously reported, large benign cysts of the pineal gland,
      or at least some of them, may constitute a new pathological entity. It is
      important to consider this possible pathological diagnosis when dealing with
      pineal cysts.

PMID- 1870669
TI  - Deafness after bilateral midbrain contusion: a correlation of magnetic resonance
      imaging with auditory brain stem evoked responses.
AB  - A 46-year-old woman became deaf after a closed head injury. When a computed
      tomographic scan failed to disclose the cause, conversion disorder was suspected.
      Magnetic resonance imaging, however, showed bilateral contusions of the inferior
      colliculi, providing objective evidence for an organic cause of hearing loss.
      Auditory brain stem evoked responses and stapedial reflexes also provided
      objective evidence of brain stem injury. This case illustrates the phenomenon of
      dorsal midbrain injury after head trauma. It indicates the sensitivity of
      magnetic resonance imaging for small focal lesions after head trauma, and it
      demonstrates some difficulties in the diagnosis of "hysterical" deafness.

PMID- 1870670
TI  - Arteriovenous malformation in meningothelial meningioma: case report.
AB  - An unusual association of a meningioma and an arteriovenous malformation is
      reported. A 68-year-old man developed left homonymous hemianopsia, left
      hemiparesis, and gaze palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a right occipital
      mass lesion containing multiple signal-void areas with tubular and honeycomb
      appearance, suggesting a marked vascular component. An angiogram showed abnormal
      vasculature in the mass supplied by the posterior cerebral artery and a dural
      arteriovenous malformation on the tentorium. Neuropathological examination after
      total removal of the mass revealed a meningothelial meningioma including major
      portions of an arteriovenous malformation that extended from the dura and
      leptomeninges, through the meningioma, and into the occipital lobe, where the
      tumor was located.

PMID- 1870671
TI  - Meningioma: the role of a foreign body and irradiation in tumor formation.
AB  - A case of meningioma is reported. At the age of 18 years, the patient had
      undergone insertion of a Torkildsen shunt through a posteroparietal burr hole for
      obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a tumor of the pineal region, of which no
      biopsy had been made. After the hydrocephalus was relieved, he underwent
      irradiation of the tumor. Thirty years later, he was treated for an intracranial
      meningioma wrapped around the shunt. The tumor followed the shunt in all of its
      intracranial course. Microscopy disclosed pieces of the shunt tube within the
      meningioma. The role of a foreign body and irradiation in the induction of
      meningiomas is discussed, and a comprehensive review of the literature is
      presented.

PMID- 1870672
TI  - Ossifying fibroma in the sylvian fissure: case report.
AB  - A rare case of an ossifying fibroma that developed in the sylvian fissure is
      reported here. During surgery, branches of the middle cerebral artery were
      encased in osseous tumor. The encased branches were divided and reanastomosed
      after the mass was removed. Postoperative angiograms demonstrated patency of the
      anastomosed arteries and a postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed
      no infarction distal to the arterial anastomoses. The authors recommend division
      and anastomosis of the encased arteries rather than partial removal of tumor from
      around the encased arteries, resulting in residual tumor being left behind.

PMID- 1870673
TI  - Intracranial fibromatosis.
AB  - Fibromatoses are uncommon infiltrative lesions affecting musculoaponeurotic
      structures, most often of the limbs and trunk. Lesions involving the cranial
      cavity are rare and require the same aggressive surgical management as elsewhere
      in the body. This case illustrates their clinical and neuroradiological features
      and underscores the necessity for aggressive resection to avoid recurrence. The
      literature is reviewed.

PMID- 1870674
TI  - Malignant prolactinomas.
AB  - Six cases of malignant prolactinoma have been reported; an additional two cases
      are presented here and the literature is reviewed. Diagnosis rests upon evidence
      of metastasis rather than histological criteria per se. Cases have arisen from
      known adenomas, particularly the invasive type. Bromocriptine is a useful
      palliative. The features and treatment of malignant prolactinoma are discussed.

PMID- 1870675
TI  - Spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma: case report and review of the literature.
AB  - We report the case of a pediatric patient with a spontaneous spinal subdural
      hematoma that was not associated with a coagulation abnormality. Six cases have
      been reported previously. The patient improved after surgical drainage. The
      possible causes of this rare problem are discussed.

PMID- 1870676
TI  - Herniated L4-L5 disc after placement of Harrington instrumentation for a fracture
      of the thoracolumbar spine.
AB  - The authors report a case in which L5 radiculopathy developed acutely after
      surgery for placement of Harrington rod instrumentation for an L1 body fracture.
      Computed tomographic myelography demonstrated a large L4-L5 herniated disc that
      had not been present in preoperative studies. An emergency laminectomy was
      performed, and a large, free, subligamentous disc fragment was removed. The
      patient subsequently regained L5 sensorimotor function. The postoperative
      development of lumbar radiculopathy is an uncommon complication of Harrington rod
      instrumentation that may result from several biomechanical features of the
      instrumentation. These injuries may not be detected by intraoperative monitoring
      of somatosensory evoked potentials, and therefore, the postoperative neurological
      examination assumes a crucial role in the early diagnosis of these lesions. As
      our case demonstrates, these radicular deficits may be reversible if their cause
      is promptly recognized and treated.

PMID- 1870677
TI  - Spinal cord herniation associated with an intradural spinal arachnoid cyst
      diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Two rare cases of spinal cord herniation associated with intradural spinal
      arachnoid cyst are reported. A preoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan
      demonstrated the presence of spinal cord herniation, identified as a protrusion
      continuous with the spinal cord. Surgery upon the intradural spinal arachnoid
      cyst improved progressive neurological dysfunction. The authors postulate that
      spinal cord herniation occurred for the following reason: The pressure of the
      intradural arachnoid cyst on the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord caused thinning
      of the dura, leading to a tear and, thus, the development of an extradural
      arachnoid cyst. Along with the enlargement of intradural arachnoid cyst, the
      spinal cord herniated through the tear in the dura into the extradural arachnoid
      cyst.

PMID- 1870678
TI  - Acoustic schwannomas in children.
AB  - The clinical presentation and treatment of three cases of acoustic schwannoma
      occurring in children are described. All the tumors were detected late, when they
      had attained a large size and were extremely vascular. The use of preoperative
      tumor embolization as an adjunct to surgical excision is discussed.

PMID- 1870679
TI  - Transfalcine approach to a callosomarginal artery aneurysm.
AB  - We describe a transfalcine approach to clipping and subsequently excising an
      expanding mycotic callosomarginal aneurysm. The patient had a devastating
      dominant (left) hemispheric spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage and was
      neurologically improving at the time of surgery nearly 2 months later. To avoid
      retracting the left hemisphere, we approached this left callosomarginal aneurysm
      from the nondominant side through the falx. The approach was straight-forward,
      and the result was satisfactory.

PMID- 1870680
TI  - Internal carotid-internal jugular fistula.

PMID- 1870681
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative evaluation of cervical
      radiculopathy.

PMID- 1870682
TI  - Unusual causes of trigeminal neuralgia.

PMID- 1870683
TI  - Neurotoxicity after intracarotid 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea
      administration in the rat: hemodynamic changes studied by double-tracer
      autoradiography.
AB  - Changes in blood-brain (BBB) permeability and local cerebral blood flow after
      intracarotid administration of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) were
      examined quantitatively in rats with double-tracer autoradiography using
      [14C]alpha-amino-isobutyric acid and [18F]fluoroantipyrine. Forty-eight female
      Wistar rats were divided into four groups. The control group (Group 1) received 1
      ml of 5% dextrose. The other three groups received three different doses of BCNU
      dissolved in 5% dextrose: Group II rats received 1 mg, Group III 3 mg, and Group
      IV 10 mg. The tracer study was performed on Day 1 or Days 4 to 12 after
      intracarotid administration of BCNU. In 11 rats in Group II, there were no
      changes of BBB permeability. Transient BBB permeability changes were seen in the
      striatum or hippocampus in 3 of the 5 rats (60%) in Group III within 24 hours. In
      8 of 9 rats (89%) in the same group, late BBB permeability changes were observed
      in the hypothalamus with or without histological changes. BBB permeability
      changes were seen in all rats of Group IV. Focal increase of local cerebral blood
      flow on the infused side compared with the non-infused side of the brain was
      observed, although not at a significant level, in 5 of 25 rats examined with
      [18F]fluoroantipyrine. The results of BBB permeability and histological
      examinations and study of heterogenous distribution by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose
      indicated that the ipsilateral subcortical structures such as the hypothalamus,
      amygdala, internal capsule, and caudate putamen have the highest incidence of
      neurotoxicity, which are closely related to histopathological damage seen in
      human BCNU leucoencephalopathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870684
TI  - Computer- and robot-assisted resection of thalamic astrocytomas in children.
AB  - Six children ranging in age from 2 to 10 years who harbored deep benign
      astrocytomas were operated upon using a computer- and robot-assisted system. A
      radical excision was achieved in all cases with no significant morbidity nor any
      mortality. The system consists of an interactive, three-dimensional display of
      computed tomographic image contours and digitized cerebral angiograms taken using
      the Brown-Roberts-Wells stereotactic frame. The surgical retractor is held and
      manipulated using a PUMA 200 robot. The position and orientation of the surgical
      retractor is displayed on the three-dimensional display. Preoperative planning
      and simulation are important features of this system. Movement of the brain after
      removal of the tumor and cerebrospinal fluid is substantial, so the tumor removal
      is based on visually defined margins. Enhanced computer graphics and robotic
      devices are important adjuncts to neurosurgical procedures and will find
      increasing use in the future.

PMID- 1870685
TI  - Extramedullary hematopoiesis in cerebellar hemangioblastoma.
AB  - Extramedullary hematopoiesis and paraneoplastic erythrocytosis are uncommon in
      cerebellar hemangioblastoma, and their concomitant occurrence has not been
      reported. In a study of 26 cases of hemangioblastoma, we found extramedullary
      hematopoiesis in 4 tumors; one was associated with erythrocytosis. The
      significance of this association and the possible histogenetic origin of
      extramedullary hematopoiesis in cerebellar hemangioblastoma are discussed.

PMID- 1870686
TI  - The role of radiosurgery in the management of chordoma and chondrosarcoma of the
      cranial base.
AB  - Despite conventional multimodality treatment (surgery and fractionated radiation
      therapy), recurrence and clinical progression of cranial base chordomas and
      chondrosarcomas are common. The malignant behavior of these tumors is a result of
      their critical location, locally aggressive nature, and high recurrence rate. To
      explore the role of radiosurgery in the treatment of these skull base neoplasms,
      we assessed its use in four patients with chordoma and two with chondrosarcoma.
      In five of the patients, radiosurgery was used as adjuvant therapy for residual
      or recurrent tumors after surgical debulking, and in one patient with a chordoma,
      it was the primary treatment. No patient received fractionated external beam
      radiotherapy. All tumors were less than 30 mm in diameter and were treated with
      20 Gy to the tumor margin. Skull base computed tomography and magnetic resonance
      images were essential to define the anatomic relationships between tumor and
      adjacent basal structures. During follow-up (mean, 22 mo; range, 8-36 mo), we
      found no progression of the treated tumor volume in any patient. Neurological
      deficits before treatment improved in three patients; the other three patients
      remained in stable neurological condition. Serial follow-up imaging studies
      demonstrated that two patients showed reduction in tumor size and four patients
      had no tumor growth. In one patient, a metastatic parietal lobe chondrosarcoma
      developed and was treated by microsurgery. Another patient showed tumor
      progression outside of the radiosurgical treatment volume. Our results attest to
      the value of stereotactic radiosurgery as an adjuvant or primary treatment for
      selected patients with chordoma or chondrosarcoma and demonstrate its potential
      advantages over standard fractionated irradiation. Analysis of the long-term
      clinical and imaging effects after radiosurgery is warranted.

PMID- 1870687
TI  - Pituitary microcirculation: physiological aspects and clinical implications. A
      laser-Doppler flow study during transsphenoidal adenomectomy.
AB  - The anterior and posterior pituitary lobes (AL and PL, respectively) are assumed
      to differ in the type of vascular supply and structure of their microvascular
      networks. Animal experiments have shown that the pituitary microvascular flow
      differs between the two lobes, being extremely high in the PL and low in the AL.
      For technical reasons, it has hitherto not been possible to study pituitary
      microflow in humans. Laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is now a well-established
      method for real-time monitoring of microcirculation, applicable also in humans.
      In a prospective clinical study, the microflow in the AL and PL was measured
      during transsphenoidal microsurgery in 52 patients with adenomas of different
      size, growth characteristics, and endocrinological activity. The mean microflow
      in the PL (177.7 +/- 12.6 [flux]) was found to be about six times higher than
      that in the AL (27.4 +/- 2.7 [flux]). No difference in the laser-Doppler
      fractional volume of the lobes could be detected (0.73 +/- 0.06 [] vs. 0.77 +/-
      0.07 [], where [] designates the ratio of the alternating current output to the
      direct current output signals). Microflow within the pituitary lobes was
      influenced neither by the histological type nor the size of the adenoma.
      Additionally, LDF signal-averaging triggered by the electrocardiogram allowed
      detection of different characteristic pulsatile microvascular flow patterns in
      the AL and PL. Our findings provide strong physiological support for the idea
      that the angioarchitecture of the pituitary lobes differs. With this method, the
      AL and PL can be identified objectively during surgery. LDF might provide useful
      information concerning intraoperative surgical approach.

PMID- 1870688
TI  - Extent of mesiobasal resection determines outcome after temporal lobectomy for
      intractable complex partial seizures.
AB  - The extent of resection was assessed in 94 patients who underwent temporal
      lobectomy for medically intractable complex partial seizures originating from a
      unilateral seizure focus in the anteromesial temporal lobe. Postoperative
      magnetic resonance imaging in the coronal plane was used to quantify the extent
      of resection of lateral and mesiobasal structures according to a 20-compartment
      model of the temporal lobe. Successful seizure outcome (greater than or equal to
      90% reduction in seizure frequency) was accomplished in 83% of the patients (all
      followed up for more than 1 year; mean duration of follow-up, 25.2 months) and
      correlated significantly (P less than 0.05) with the extent of mesiobasal
      resection, regardless of the extent of resection of lateral structures.
      Successful seizure outcome was accomplished in 81% of the patients with no
      structural lesions, and also correlated significantly (P less than 0.05) with the
      extent of mesiobasal resection regardless of the extent of lateral resection. A
      successful seizure outcome was accomplished in 90% of the 21 patients with
      structural lesions documented by neuroimaging studies. Two patients who underwent
      extensive lobectomy without resection of the structural lesion had no reduction
      in seizure frequency postoperatively. We conclude that the most important factor
      in determining the outcome of temporal lobectomy in patients with unilateral
      anteromesial temporal lobe epileptogenicity is the extent of resection of
      structures in the mesiobasal temporal lobe. In patients with structural lesions,
      lesion resection may be an added contributor to successful seizure outcome.

PMID- 1870689
TI  - Complete temporal lobectomy for surgical resuscitation of patients with
      transtentorial herniation secondary to unilateral hemispheric swelling.
AB  - Transtentorial herniation is an ominous finding in the patient with head
      injuries. We report our experience with 10 patients suffering from acute
      transtentorial herniation secondary to posttraumatic unilateral hemispheric
      swelling who were treated aggressively with temporal lobectomy. Eight patients
      were men and 2 were women. Their ages ranged from 22 to 61 years, with a mean of
      37 years. Their preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale scores ranged from 3 to 6, with a
      mean of 4. All patients had both computed tomographic and clinical evidence of
      unilateral hemispheric shift and acute herniation without a significant subdural
      or epidural hematoma. Seven patients had unilateral nonreactive pupils and 3 had
      bilateral nonreactive pupils. All were taken to the operating room within 2 hours
      of clinical signs of herniation. Complete unilateral temporal lobectomies
      including the mesial structures, amygdala, and uncus were performed. In this
      series, the mortality rate was 30%, including a single patient who was
      neurologically stable but died from nonneurological injuries. Of the 7 survivors,
      4 were functionally independent and 3 required minimal assistance with the
      activities of daily living. Aggressive, early decompression via complete temporal
      lobectomy may thus significantly improve the outcome in patients with
      transtentorial herniation accompanying posttraumatic hemispheric swelling and
      midline shift.

PMID- 1870690
TI  - Civilian craniocerebral gunshot wounds.
AB  - Experience with 120 patients who incurred a gunshot wound to the head with dural
      penetration is presented. All of the patients were managed by a standard
      resuscitation protocol and assigned a clinical grade based on their level of
      consciousness both at the time of presentation and at 2 to 4 months after injury.
      Fifty patients (42%) underwent surgery. Twenty-eight patients (23%) had a good
      recovery, 19 (16%) were moderately disabled, 6 (5%) were severely disabled, and
      67 (56%) died. All patients who were alert and awake with a normal or near normal
      neurological examination at the time of admission survived with a good outcome.
      All but 4 patients who were comatose at the time of admission died. Nine
      patients, however, who were not comatose at the time of admission died from
      potentially preventable causes. In 3 of these patients, a more aggressive
      diagnostic approach (including cerebral angiography) may have altered their
      ultimate outcome. An expeditious approach to the trauma victim with a
      comprehensive management scheme after injury may have altered the course in the
      remainder of these patients.

PMID- 1870691
TI  - Clinical application of a patient-controlled apparatus for ventricular
      administration of morphine in intractable pain: report of 28 cases.
AB  - The authors developed a patient-controlled apparatus (L-224) for ventricular
      administration of pain-relieving medication and utilized it in the treatment of
      28 patients with intractable pain. The initial dose of morphine hydrochloride was
      1 mg, which afforded pain relief for an average of 170 hours. At an average dose
      of 1.8 mg, the average time of pain relief obtained was 137 hours. Therefore,
      they conclude that L-224 is a satisfactory apparatus for the ventricular
      administration of pain medication; it is patient controlled, safe, and reliable
      in clinical application.

PMID- 1870692
TI  - Monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials during surgery for middle cerebral
      artery aneurysms.
AB  - Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were monitored during 53 procedures for
      aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). "Significant" changes were
      reported to the surgeon, who took corrective action when possible. Changes in the
      SEPs were categorized as follows: Type I, no change; Type II, significant change
      with complete return to baseline; Type III, significant change with incomplete
      return to baseline; Type IV, complete loss with no return; and Type V, no
      response at baseline. Only 1 of 37 patients with a Type I SEP had a new
      neurological deficit, and this was a patient who could not be examined for
      several days after surgery because he was in a pentobarbital coma. All 4 patients
      with Type III and IV changes had new postoperative neurological deficits. Perhaps
      of greater importance, 4 of 5 patients with Type II changes had no new deficit.
      These patients all had changes in SEPs that were completely reversible by clip
      adjustment (2), prompt removal of temporary clips (1), and inducing hypertension
      after aneurysm trapping (1). These cases may, therefore, represent instances in
      which SEP monitoring allowed the clinicians to prevent a neurological deficit.
      The MCA supplies the area of the somatosensory cortex that controls the hand.
      Median nerve SEPs are, therefore, a theoretically ideal monitor during surgery
      for MCA aneurysms. This study suggests that the results of MCA aneurysm surgery
      may be accurately predicted and improved with SEP monitoring.

PMID- 1870693
TI  - Cervicocranial arterial dissection.
AB  - Dissection of the cervicocranial arteries is becoming more frequently recognized
      as a cause of neurological disorders. Typical clinical features seen with
      dissection include unilateral headache, oculosympathetic palsy, amaurosis fugax,
      and symptoms of focal brain ischemia. The diagnosis of carotid or intracranial
      dissection is usually best confirmed by angiography, although magnetic resonance
      imaging and computed tomography have been shown to visualize intimal dissection.
      The prognosis in cases of spontaneous dissection is generally benign unless the
      initial manifestation involves infarction with substantial deficit. The best
      approach to treatment appears to be the administration of the anticoagulant,
      heparin, followed by warfarin or antiplatelet therapy. Surgical intervention is
      reserved for cases of progressive or recurrent ischemic complication that occurs
      despite the administration of adequate doses of anticoagulants.

PMID- 1870694
TI  - Giant aneurysms of the horizontal segment of the anterior cerebral artery: report
      of two cases.
AB  - Two cases of giant aneurysm of the horizontal segment of the anterior cerebral
      artery (A1) are presented. The rare occurrence of a giant aneurysm in this
      location necessitates evaluation of the cross-flow through the anterior
      communicating artery when planning surgical strategy. On the basis of
      angiographic findings, trapping of the A1 on both sides of the aneurysm neck was
      performed in Case 1, and aneurysmorrhaphy utilizing an angioplastic multiple
      clipping method of A1 endarterectomy was accomplished in Case 2. The
      postoperative courses of both patients were satisfactory.

PMID- 1870695
TI  - The thalamic clock: emergent network properties.
AB  - Rhythmical oscillation of thalamic neuronal populations occurs under
      physiological conditions and in several disease states. In the present
      experiments we examined the network properties of population rhythmicity and the
      possible involvement of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the frequency
      regulation and maintenance of rhythmic thalamic bursts. Multisite recording of
      neuronal activity and local microinjections of drugs were performed on the freely
      moving rat. Rhythmic thalamic population bursts at 6 to 9 Hz and concurrent
      neocortical high voltage spike-and-wave spindles were observed during awake
      immobility, with the thalamic rhythm leading the neocortical high voltage
      spindle. Even though all individual thalamocortical neurons fired in a phase
      locked manner to the high-voltage spindle, the majority discharged at a
      significantly lower frequency than that of the population (multiunit) activity.
      In contrast, neurons in the nucleus reticularis thalami discharged at the
      frequency of the population bursts. Neurons in the extrapyramidal system and
      neocortex but not the hippocampal formation also fired in a phase-locked manner
      to the high-voltage spindle. Systemic administration or local microinjection of
      either non-competitive or competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate blockers (ketamine or
      ap-5) slowed the frequency of thalamic multiunit bursts and associated high
      voltage spindles from 8 to 2 Hz, or completely blocked rhythmicity. Unilateral
      thalamic injection of ketamine or ap-5 resulted in a suppression of the amplitude
      of high-voltage spindles in the injected hemisphere. It is concluded that
      thalamic rhythmicity is not due to the "pacemaker" properties of thalamic cells
      but is rather an emergent property of the relay thalamus-nucleus reticularis
      network. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the frequency of network oscillation is
      regulated by the interplay between two major classes of voltage-dependent
      conductances in the thalamocortical cells: low-threshold calcium channels and
      high-threshold N-methyl-D-aspartate channels.

PMID- 1870697
TI  - Effect of perforant path lesion on pattern of glutamate-like immunoreactivity in
      rat dentate gyrus.
AB  - To investigate the relation between perforant path and the pattern of glutamate
      like immunoreactivity in its target regions in the rat hippocampal formation,
      unilateral lesions of various size and location were placed to interrupt certain
      contingents of these afferent fibers. Postembedding immunohistochemistry at the
      level of light microscopy yielded the same pattern of immunoreactivity in the
      hippocampal formation contralateral to the lesion as in untreated animals. On the
      ipsilateral side, however, extensive transections of the perforant path led to a
      drastic loss of glutamate-immunoreactive terminal-like elements in the outer part
      of the dentate molecular layer. More restricted lesions induced a loss of
      punctate glutamate-like immunoreactivity in narrower bands within this zone. The
      width and the location of the affected bands appeared to depend on the extent of
      the transections and their topographical relation to the perforant path fiber
      system. These results and those obtained using a postembedding immunogold method
      at the level of electron microscopy strongly indicate that perforant path
      terminals in the dentate molecular layer of the rat contain high levels of
      glutamate and, thus, provide further support for an already well-documented role
      of this excitatory amino acid as neurotransmitter in this system.

PMID- 1870696
TI  - Thalamocortical responses of mouse somatosensory (barrel) cortex in vitro.
AB  - We have developed a novel slice preparation of the mouse somatosensory forebrain.
      This preparation is unique in including both the ventrobasal nucleus of the
      thalamus and the sensorimotor "barrel" cortex in a 400-microns-thick slice with
      the functional connectivity between them preserved, and in allowing direct
      visualization of the various components of the barrel system in unstained living
      tissue. Thalamocortical connectivity was demonstrated by recording the laminar
      profile of cortical field potentials evoked electrically from the ventrobasal
      nucleus. Current-source density analysis of this profile showed that the largest
      and earliest sinks were coextensive with the two known sites of thalamocortical
      terminals, layer IV and the junction of layers V and VI. The sink in layer IV
      could be dissociated experimentally into a small, early sink of presynaptic
      origin (most probably a presynaptic spike volley in the thalamocortical
      terminals) and a later, larger sink generated postsynaptically. By mapping the
      subcortical stimulation sites that elicited a response at different layer IV
      recording sites we concluded that the thalamus-to-cortex projection preserves the
      general dorsoventral relationship of the afferents. Intracellularly recorded
      responses elicited by thalamic stimulation included (but were not limited to)
      monosynaptic excitatory and disynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. The
      thalamus-to-cortex connections were also mapped with the axonal fluorescent
      tracer dioctadecyl-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate. The thalamo-cortical
      slice is a very suitable system for studying the physiology and pharmacology of
      the thalamocortical synapse and for exploring the synaptic circuitry of the
      somatosensory cortex.

PMID- 1870698
TI  - A long-lasting decrease in the inhibitory effect of GABA on glutamate responses
      of hippocampal pyramidal neurons induced by kindling epileptogenesis.
AB  - Experiments were carried out to test whether changes in the sensitivity of
      hippocampal pyramidal neurons to the neurotransmitters glutamate, GABA and
      noradrenaline may be associated with the establishment of an epileptogenic focus
      induced by kindling. The effects of iontophoretically applied neurotransmitters
      on the firing rate of single units were quantified in the rat hippocampal CA1
      area in kindled and control animals. Kindling was induced by electrical tetanic
      stimulation of the Schaffer collateral/commissural fibers. Firing was evoked by
      local glutamate iontophoresis while simultaneous GABA or noradrenaline
      application suppressed this response. A significant reduction of the GABAergic
      inhibitory action on the firing rate in kindled animals studied around four or
      around 42 days after the last convulsion was found. In the same neurons, the
      suppressive effect of noradrenaline was not different from controls. The neurons
      of kindled animals, investigated around four days after the last seizure, had a
      reduced sensitivity for glutamate; more glutamate ejection current was needed to
      evoke firing or to evoke the maximum firing rate. In contrast, the responsiveness
      for glutamate was significantly increased long-term after the last convulsion.
      These findings demonstrate that hippocampal Schaffer collateral kindling is
      associated with a long-lasting reduced effectiveness of the GABA-mediated
      response on glutamate-evoked firing in CA1.

PMID- 1870699
TI  - Cellular and subcellular redistribution of glutamate-, glutamine- and taurine
      like immunoreactivities during forebrain ischemia: a semiquantitative electron
      microscopic study in rat hippocampus.
AB  - The effect of 20 min of ischemia on the cellular and subcellular distribution of
      glutamate, glutamine and taurine in the rat hippocampus was studied by means of
      an immunocytochemical procedure based on antisera raised against protein
      glutaraldehyde conjugates of the respective amino acids. Forebrain ischemia was
      induced by temporary occlusion of the common carotid arteries in rats with
      permanently occluded vertebral arteries. Within 90 s after removal of the carotid
      ligatures, the rats were perfused through the heart with a mixture of
      glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde. For semiquantitative electron microscopic
      analysis, ultrathin sections were incubated in a primary antiserum followed by a
      secondary antibody coupled to colloidal gold particles. The gold particle
      densities over different tissue compartments within the CA1 field and the mossy
      fiber zone of the hippocampus were determined by means of a specially designed
      computer program, and values from normal and ischemic animals were compared. It
      was found that in the astrocytes, the level of immunoreactivity for glutamine and
      taurine is unchanged or slightly decreased after ischemia, while that for
      glutamate is increased, particularly within the mitochondria (by about 100%). In
      contrast, pyramidal cell bodies display a reduced immunolabeling for all three
      amino acids following the ischemic episode. The results show that ischemia causes
      a redistribution of glutamate from neurons to glia. The observed increase in the
      glial immunolabeling for glutamate indicates that the capacity of the glial cells
      to metabolize glutamate is exceeded during ischemia. This glial response to
      ischemia has not previously been recognized and may play a role in the chain of
      events leading to "excitotoxic" cell death during or following an ischemic
      episode. The reduction of glutamate and taurine immunolabeling in neurons points
      to a possible amino acid efflux and is compatible with previous biochemical
      studies demonstrating an elevated extracellular level of these amino acids during
      ischemia.

PMID- 1870700
TI  - Plasmalemmal appositions between cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in rat
      caudate-putamen nuclei.
AB  - We have observed that in rat caudate-putamen nuclei, neurons immunolabeled for
      choline acetyltransferase were sometimes in direct apposition to unlabeled
      perikarya and dendrites [Pickel V. M. and Chan J. (1990) J. Neurosci. Res. 25,
      263-280]. Similar juxtapositions between plasmalemmas of nerve cells each
      receiving input from one common terminal have been associated with activation of
      certain central neurons [Theodosis D. T. and Poulain D. A. (1989) Brain Res. 484,
      361-366]. Thus, we sought to determine the relative abundance and ultrastructure
      of the appositions and the frequencies of shared synapses between choline
      acetyltransferase-labeled and unlabeled neurons in the rat striatum. A monoclonal
      antibody raised against choline acetyltransferase was localized in semi-adjacent
      ultrathin sections through 24 neurons in the dorsolateral caudate-putamen nuclei.
      Five of these choline acetyltransferase-labeled perikarya showed direct somatic
      appositions with unlabeled neurons. The remaining 19 of the choline
      acetyltransferase-labeled perikarya did not show somatic appositions with
      unlabeled perikarya; however, when traced through multiple (20-100) semi-adjacent
      sections their dendrites always showed extensive plasmalemmal juxtapositions with
      one or more unlabeled perikarya. The apposed perikarya had round nuclei and other
      characteristics of medium, spiny neurons. The majority of the apposed cholinergic
      and non-cholinergic neurons were postsynaptic to at least one common unlabeled
      terminal. These terminals usually formed symmetric junctions. At sites of
      appositions, the plasmalemmas of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive soma or
      dendrites and unlabeled neurons were closely spaced without intervening
      astrocytic processes. The appositions lacked the ultrastructural features typical
      of gap-junctions, but did occasionally show parallel arrays of thin (1-2 nm)
      electron-dense bands. In both labeled and unlabeled perikarya, the nuclei were
      separated from the appositional zones by narrow (0.7-3.3 microns) rims of
      cytoplasm. This cytoplasmic rim contained subsurface cisternae and other less
      specialized smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and vesicular structures. The
      findings suggest that in the caudate-putamen nuclei (1) the tonically active
      cholinergic neurons [Wilson C. J. et al. (1990) J. Neurosci. 10, 508-519] may
      modulate or be modulated by non-cholinergic spiny neurons through non-synaptic
      somatic or dendritic appositions, and (2) that both neurons may be simultaneously
      inhibited by shared afferent input. Activation of this system could facilitate
      coordinated movements through synchronization of cholinergic interneurons and
      spiny projection neurons containing GABA or other transmitters.

PMID- 1870701
TI  - Effects of locus coeruleus lesions on parkinsonian signs, striatal dopamine and
      substantia nigra cell loss after 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in
      monkeys: a possible role for the locus coeruleus in the progression of
      Parkinson's disease.
AB  - Six pairs of female squirrel monkeys were given a daily intraperitoneal injection
      of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 9-14 days, beginning
      the same day on which they received either a bilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion
      or a sham lesion of the locus coeruleus. Sham animals developed typical
      parkinsonian signs (i.e. tremor, bradykinesia, hypokinesia and reduced blink
      rate) which largely recovered by six to nine weeks after the start of MPTP
      treatment. At nine weeks, post mortem levels of striatal dopamine in these same
      animals were partially reduced (by 45%), and this only in the putamen, compared
      to values obtained from three non-operated, normal control animals. Additionally,
      histological examination revealed a moderate loss of neuronal cell bodies in the
      substantia nigra, pars compacta. In marked contrast, the locus coeruleus-lesioned
      monkeys exhibited little or no recovery from the parkinsonian signs induced by
      MPTP. Post mortem examination of these animals revealed profound decreases in
      caudate (by 84%) and putamen (by 91%) dopamine content, and severe neuronal cell
      loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta of all animals. These neurological,
      biochemical and histological assessments indicate that lesioning of the locus
      coeruleus impairs the recovery which usually occurs from the parkinsonian
      manifestations induced by MPTP in squirrel monkeys. The results support the
      hypothesis that deficient locus coeruleus noradrenergic mechanisms underlie the
      progression of Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 1870702
TI  - Effect of harmaline on cells of the inferior olive in the absence of tremor:
      differential response of genetically dystonic and harmaline-tolerant rats.
AB  - The genetically dystonic rat is insensitive to the tremorogenic effects of
      harmaline. This behavioral deficit has been linked to a defect in the
      olivocerebellar pathway, since few Purkinje cells of dystonic rats show a normal
      increase in rhythmic complex spike activity following harmaline. In normal rats,
      the Purkinje cell response to harmaline and tremor are initiated by a rhythmic
      increase in neuronal firing in the caudal inferior olive. The present single unit
      recording study was conducted, therefore, to determine if the inferior olive of
      the dystonic rat is activated by harmaline. Olivary unit responses to harmaline
      were also examined in normal rats made tolerant to harmaline tremor. These rats
      are behaviorally insensitive to harmaline and also fail to display rhythmic
      complex spike activity but do not have the motor deficits of the mutant rats. The
      spontaneous firing rate of neurons in the caudal and rostral inferior olive of
      the dystonic rat was significantly slower than that of phenotypically normal
      littermates. Despite this, all cells recorded in the caudal portion of the medial
      accessory olive of both dystonic and normal rats showed increased rhythmic
      activity following harmaline injection. Thus, the failure of the mutants to show
      harmaline tremor is not due to a failure of the drug to activate cells in the
      olive. Rather, the data suggest a defect in the subsequent transmission of this
      information. Unlike the control and dystonic rats, harmaline-tolerant rats failed
      to show sustained rhythmic activity in the inferior olive. These findings suggest
      that chronic treatment with harmaline may interfere with harmaline tremor at the
      level of the inferior olive.

PMID- 1870703
TI  - Functional activity mapping of the rat spinal cord during formalin-induced
      noxious stimulation.
AB  - The functional activity pattern in the cervical enlargement of the spinal cord
      (as expressed by changes in local glucose utilization) was investigated by the
      semi-quantitative [14C]2-deoxyglucose technique 2 min ("early" group) or 60 min
      ("late" group) after injection of a small amount of dilute formalin (0.06-0.08
      ml, 5%) in a forepaw of unanesthetized, freely-moving rats. Control animals were
      either injected with an equivalent volume of saline or simply handled. In both
      formalin groups a tonic flexion of the injected limb was present during the
      experiments, while supraspinal-integrated behavior (such as licking the affected
      paw) was sharply reduced in the late group. A bilateral increase of metabolic
      activity indexes, more pronounced on the ipsilateral side, was found in the
      "early" formalin-injected animals. The highest increase over control values was
      found in the medial part of the superficial (laminae I-II) region of the
      ipsilateral dorsal horn. However, the [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake was found to be
      elevated over the whole extent of the dorsal horns, as well as in the gray matter
      surrounding the central canal, anterior horns and ipsilateral dorsolateral
      funiculus. In a parallel group of experiments performed in pentobarbital
      anesthetized rats metabolic increases in the early period after formalin
      injection were less pronounced; they were only found in the ipsilateral side of
      the cord. In the "late" formalin group the overall metabolic changes were less
      conspicuous. They were mainly observed in the side ipsilateral to the injection,
      the highest increase being found in the deep portion (laminae V-VI) of the dorsal
      horn. Therefore, the spatial distribution of functional activation elicited
      during prolonged noxious stimulation in the spinal cord gray matter of
      unanesthetized rats varies according to time and changes in animal behavior.

PMID- 1870704
TI  - Functional activity mapping of the rat brainstem during formalin-induced noxious
      stimulation.
AB  - Functional activity changes in 35 selected structures of the rat brainstem
      elicited by subcutaneous formalin injection in a forepaw were investigated by the
      [14C]2-deoxyglucose method in unanesthetized, freely moving animals. Experiments
      were initiated 2 min ("early" group) or 60 min ("late" group) after the
      injection. Treatment induced a significant increase of [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake
      relative to controls in 17 structures of the "early" group, including portions of
      the bulbar, pontine and mesencephalic reticular formation, nucleus raphe magnus,
      median and dorsal raphe nuclei, the ventrolateral and dorsal subdivisions of the
      periaqueductal gray matter, deep layers of the superior colliculus and the
      anterior pretectal nucleus. Most changes were bilateral, with the exception of
      the increases observed in the nucleus reticularis paragigantocellularis and the
      lateral parabrachial area, which were contralateral, and the one in the
      mesencephalic reticular formation, which was ipsilateral to the injected paw. In
      pentobarbital-anesthetized rats a significant difference in metabolic activity
      values between formalin- and saline-injected animals was only detected at the
      medullary level. In the "late" unanesthetized formalin group functional activity
      levels were higher than controls in four structures, including the lateral
      reticular and paragigantocellular nuclei, contralaterally, and nucleus
      cuneiformis and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter, bilaterally. No between
      groups difference was observed in visual or auditory structures. These results
      provide evidence for activation of several brainstem regions, which are
      conceivably involved in different sensory, motivational or motor circuits, during
      the initial phase of formalin-evoked noxious stimulation in unanesthetized
      animals. Functional changes blunted over time as did pain-related behavior
      integrated at the supraspinal level, but they persisted in some brainstem regions
      for which involvement in endogenous antinociceptive systems have been suggested.
      The mechanisms underlying these time-related changes need to be clarified.

PMID- 1870705
TI  - Influences of central gray matter stimulation on thalamic neuron responses to
      high- and low-threshold stimulation of trigeminal nerve structures.
AB  - Responses of the thalamic non-specific medial nuclei and relay ventral
      posteromedial nucleus neurons evoked by stimulation of the teeth pulp of A alpha
      and A sigma fibers of infraorbital nerve and caudal nucleus of the spinal
      trigeminal tract were studied in cats under thiopental-chloralose anesthesia.
      Three groups of neurons were revealed: low-threshold, high-threshold and
      convergent. In medial nuclei, 29% of neurons formed the low-threshold group, 12%
      made up the high-threshold group and 59% were convergent. In the ventral
      posteromedial nucleus 47% of neurons formed the low-threshold group, 4% made up
      the high-threshold group and 49% were convergent. Ninety per cent of the medial
      nuclei neurons and 79% of the ventral posteromedial nucleus neurons responded to
      stimulation of the caudal nucleus spinal trigeminal tract. The conditioning
      central gray matter stimulation could suppress responses of low-threshold, high
      threshold and convergent neuron groups. In medial nuclei 100% of responses
      induced by stimulation of teeth pulp and A sigma fibers of the infraorbital nerve
      were completely suppressed and 86% of responses induced by stimulation of the A
      alpha fibers of the infraorbital nerve stimulation were also completely
      suppressed. In the ventral posteromedial nucleus 40% of responses induced by
      stimulation of teeth pulp and A sigma fibers of the infraorbital nerve were
      completely suppressed and 26.4% of responses induced by stimulation of the A
      alpha fibers of the infraorbital nerve were completely suppressed. Conditioning
      stimulation of the central gray matter suppressed responses evoked by stimulation
      of the caudal nucleus spinal trigeminal tract and in the most part neurons of the
      medial nuclei and neuron responses of the ventral posteromedial nucleus. The
      inhibitory influence of central gray matter stimulation on neuronal responses
      evoked by stimulation of the caudal nucleus spinal trigeminal tract shows that
      the central gray matter had a direct influence on the activity of thalamic
      neurons.

PMID- 1870706
TI  - Expression of neuronal intermediate filament proteins ON1 and ON2 during goldfish
      optic nerve regeneration: effect of tectal ablation.
AB  - Goldfish retinal explants were used to study optic tectum participation in the
      regulation of intermediate filament protein synthesis in retinal ganglion cells
      during optic nerve regeneration. Retinas were explanted at various times after
      removal of the contralateral optic tectum. The synthesis of the intermediate
      filament proteins ON1 and ON2 in the cultures was quantitated by labeling with
      [35S]methionine, followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis,
      autoradiography, and densitometry. Neuritic growth from the explants was
      quantitated based on fiber length and density. In retinal explants placed in
      culture after 23 days of optic nerve regeneration, the synthesis of ON1 and ON2
      was reduced when the tectum had been ablated. In contrast, synthesis of these
      proteins in explants placed in culture at an earlier stage of regeneration was
      not affected by tectal ablation. At all time points tested, neuritic outgrowth
      from retinal explants was stimulated by tectal ablation. These findings indicate
      that the synthesis of the ON1 and ON2 intermediate filament proteins during
      regeneration is not directly regulated by axonal volume. Further, our findings
      suggest that interaction between growing axons and tectum is important for
      sustained expression of these proteins during the later stages of optic nerve
      regeneration.

PMID- 1870707
TI  - Normal cerebrovascular regulatory mechanisms are present in intracerebral
      neuronal transplants.
AB  - Local cerebral blood flow and local cerebral glucose utilization were measured
      using quantitative autoradiography in parallel groups of rats (n = 5-7) which 12
      15 weeks previously had undergone limited unilateral ibotenate-induced lesion of
      the nucleus basalis magnocellularis, followed by implantation into ipsilateral
      neocortex of primordial basal forebrain cell suspensions. Surviving transplants
      were visualized by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. Neither lesion alone nor
      the presence of a transplant produced significant side-to-side differences in
      either blood flow or glucose use in any of the 20 brain areas measured. Glucose
      use within the transplant was independent of the site of implantation. When sited
      in neocortex, glucose use in the transplant (66 +/- 4 mumol/100 g per min) was
      significantly lower than in the corresponding contralateral site (113 +/- 3
      mumol/100 g per min), whereas when sited in subcortical white matter, glucose use
      (53 +/- 3 mumol/100 g per min) was significantly higher than in the contralateral
      side (29 +/- 4 mumol/100 g per min). In the host brain as a whole, the ratio of
      blood flow to glucose use ipsilateral to the transplant (m = 1.27, r = 0.88) was
      not significantly different from that of the contralateral side (m = 1.30, r =
      0.94). This relationship was also observed within the transplanted tissue itself
      despite the fact that alkaline phosphatase histochemistry revealed a relative
      hypervascularization associated with the implantation site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870708
TI  - Selective innervation of embryonic hippocampal transplants by adult host dentate
      granule cell axons.
AB  - Fragments containing different cytoarchitectonic fields were dissected out of
      late embryonic rat hippocampal primordia and transplanted into the hippocampus or
      septum of adult syngeneic hosts. Field CA3 transplants contained clusters of
      large, angular (pyramidal) cell bodies surrounded by a radiating corona of
      dendrites. These cells stained selectively with our monoclonal antibody Py, and a
      proportion were labelled by [3H]thymidine administered on the 15th day of
      embryonic life. Field CA1 transplants contained smaller, angular, Py-negative
      cells, which formed elongated laminae rather than globular clusters. The ability
      of the host dentate granule cells to project to the transplants was examined by
      (1) the Timm stain for mossy fibres, (2) electron microscopy of Golgi-impregnated
      CA3 pyramidal neurons in the transplants, and (3) quantitative electron
      microscopic assessment of the proportions of large mossy fibre terminals in the
      synaptic population of the transplants. The Timm stain showed that CA3
      transplants received a projection from host dentate granule cells when the
      transplants were placed in direct contact with the axons in the host mossy fibre
      pathway. As in the normal host field CA3, the ingrowing mossy fibres terminated
      selectively on the juxtacellular regions of the dendritic tree and ignored the
      major part of the dendrites in the radiating corona. The electron micrographs
      showed that within this territory the host mossy fibres formed synaptic terminals
      with all the complex features typical of normal mossy fibres, and were
      presynaptic to complex spines arising from the juxtacellular region of Golgi
      impregnated donor CA3 pyramidal cells. The quantitative electron microscopic
      study demonstrated that the mossy fibre-innervated juxtacellular regions of the
      field CA3 transplants had up to 20% of the normal density of mossy fibre synapses
      found in the stratum lucidum of field CA3 in situ. CA3 transplants which were
      placed in the septum, remote from the host mossy fibres, had either trivial
      numbers of mossy fibre synapses or none. This confirmed that the abundant mossy
      fibre terminals in the intrahippocampal CA3 transplants were of host origin, and
      not due to donor dentate granule cells inadvertently included in the grafts. The
      selectivity of the host dentate projection for field CA3 transplants was
      demonstrated by the observation that CA1 transplants in the same locations
      received only slight mossy fibre projections in the Timm stain, and in electron
      micrographs their synaptic population had only insignificant numbers of large
      mossy fibre terminals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1870709
TI  - Antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of some Alzheimer's disease patients
      recognize amoeboid microglial cells in the developing rat central nervous system.
AB  - Previous investigations have demonstrated that the cerebrospinal fluid from
      Alzheimer's disease patients contains antibodies that recognize specific neuronal
      populations in the adult rat central nervous system. These findings suggest a
      pathogenic role for immunological aberrations in this disorder. In the present
      report the investigation of antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's
      disease patients was extended to developing rat central nervous system. The
      antibody in cerebrospinal fluid from Alzheimer's disease patients recognized
      entirely different types of antigens in the developing rat central nervous system
      as compared to adult rat central nervous system. One of the most remarkable
      differences was the recognition of amoeboid microglial cells. Diverse
      morphological forms of amoeboid microglial cells were observed, located mainly in
      the cavum septum pellucidum and in the corpus callosum. Electron microscopy
      revealed that the cerebrospinal fluid antibody from the Alzheimer's disease
      patients recognized specific membrane receptors in the macrophagic microglia. The
      unexpected recognition of amoeboid microglia by antibodies in Alzheimer's disease
      cerebrospinal fluid is particularly interesting since these cells proliferate in
      response to nervous system disease and also engulf debris. The results add
      further support to the concept that inflammation and similar immune mechanisms
      may contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.

PMID- 1870710
TI  - Influence of imipramine on neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity in the rat brain.
AB  - The effects of treatment with the antidepressant drug imipramine on neuropeptide
      Y immunoreactivity were studied immunocytochemically in the rat brain cortex and
      hypothalamus. It was found that the level of neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity in
      the cortex was significantly lowered three and 24 h after the last dose of
      chronic (14 days) imipramine administration as well as 3 h after acute
      administration. A tendency to decrease neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity was also
      found in the hypothalamus. The results obtained suggest an important role of the
      cortical neuropeptide Y in the action of the drug.

PMID- 1870711
TI  - Effect of intracranial pressure on cerebrospinal fluid formation in isolated
      brain ventricles.
AB  - The effect of intracranial pressure on cerebrospinal fluid formation has been
      studied in cats by ventricular perfusion with the aqueduct of Sylvius blocked
      (isolated ventricular perfusion). It has been found that intracranial pressure
      has a considerable effect on the rate of cerebrospinal fluid formation, while
      increases in pressure cause a significant and prolonged decrease in cerebrospinal
      fluid formation. The effect was observed in animals whether they were initially
      perfused under lower or under higher intracranial pressure. Cerebrospinal fluid
      absorption has been studied under the above conditions and it has been noted that
      the ventricles are capable of significant cerebrospinal fluid absorption, since
      in isolated ventricles cerebrospinal fluid formation and absorption were in
      balance at physiological intracranial pressure. In addition, cerebrospinal fluid
      formation rate within the isolated brain ventricles has been compared with the
      formation rate in the whole cerebrospinal fluid system. Since only about 30% of
      the total cerebrospinal fluid formation was observed by isolated ventricular
      perfusion, it seems that the brain ventricles are not the exclusive site of
      cerebrospinal fluid formation.

PMID- 1870712
TI  - Ontogenesis of neocortical asymmetry: a [3H]thymidine study.
AB  - Previous research has demonstrated that symmetric regions in one brain are, on
      the whole, larger than their asymmetric counterparts in another brain, and that
      side differences in the volumes of homologous architectonic areas are the result
      of a decrease in neuronal number in the smaller of the two areas. Therefore,
      understanding mechanisms by which neuronal numbers are regulated during
      development may be essential to the investigation of the ontogeny of asymmetry.
      The radial unit hypothesis of Rakic postulates four factors that determine the
      number of neurons within a neocortical region: (i) early progenitor cell
      division; (ii) late cell division; (iii) the effect of thalamocortical and
      corticocortical afferents, which govern, in part, boundary placement; and (iv)
      ontogenetic cell death. We report here on experiments that address the
      development of anatomical asymmetry in the light of this hypothesis. Pregnant
      Wistar rats were injected with [3H]thymidine on several dates during
      embryogenesis and their pups killed at several postnatal ages. An estimate of the
      total number of neurons contained within area 17 and area 18a of each hemisphere
      was determined and the percentage of those which were labeled was calculated.
      There were no side differences in this measure between either symmetric or
      asymmetric architectonic areas although there were consistent differences between
      areas 17 and 18a. This indicated that while late neuroblast division may be
      important for cytoarchitectonic differentiation, it may play little or no role in
      interhemispheric asymmetry.

PMID- 1870713
TI  - Synaptic noise in spike trains of normal and denervated electroreceptor organs.
AB  - The sequence of interspike intervals of the spontaneous activity in denervated
      electroreceptor organs of the catfish is analysed with several statistical
      techniques: visual inspection of dot displays, interval histograms, serial
      correlograms, tests for stationary and trends, and tests for renewal properties,
      based on the spectrum of intervals. The interspike interval train of primary
      afferents can usually be treated as a renewal process. Following denervation, a
      number of non-renewal properties emerge. The interval histogram of the renewal
      spike trains can be fitted well with a gamma probability density function; non
      renewal cases need a more complex approach. We propose that the stochastic
      fluctuations in interval duration arise from randomly occurring quantal
      depolarizations (Stein's model of stochastic neuronal excitations. Two important
      properties with regard to synaptic transduction are: afferent firing results from
      capture of a limited number of depolarizing quanta; and the quantal input rate
      and the threshold for firing appear to be correlated.

PMID- 1870714
TI  - The supraoptic nucleus in hypothyroid and undernourished rats: an experimental
      morphometric study.
AB  - The supraoptic nuclei of both male and female 30-day-old rats rendered
      hypothyroid by daily subcutaneous injection of propylthiouracil were studied and
      the results were compared with age- and sex-matched rats fed ad libitum (control
      rats) and with undernourished rats. Morphometric methods were used to evaluate
      the volume of the supraoptic nucleus and the areal and numerical densities of its
      neurons. These parameters allowed us to estimate the total number of neurons of
      this nucleus. In addition, the mean cross-sectioned area and mean nuclear
      diameter of the same neurons were also evaluated. The volume of the supraoptic
      nucleus was reduced both in hypothyroid and undernourished animals when compared
      with normal controls. The areal and numerical densities of neurons from the
      former groups were increased and the volume density of the neuropil was reduced.
      As a consequence, the total number of neurons was found to be identical in all
      groups studied. Furthermore, the mean nuclear diameters and cross-sectioned areas
      of the supraoptic neurons were similar in all groups. The volumetric differences
      and the increased packing found were always more marked for hypothyroid than for
      undernourished rats. Differences were not detected between male and female
      groups. The present results support the view that the increased cell packing in
      hypothyroid animals depends upon a reduction in the neuropil of the nucleus, as
      has been described under similar conditions in other central nervous system areas
      displaying identical patterns of neurogenesis. In addition, it was found that the
      effects of undernourishment cannot be discriminated from those dependent on
      neonatal hypothyroidism.

PMID- 1870715
TI  - Patterns of brain infarctions in internal carotid artery dissections.
AB  - In 15 patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) dissections, patterns of brain
      infarctions visible on CT were categorized according to a pathogenetically
      oriented classification system. This differentiated ischemic brain damage due to
      low flow from thromboembolic infarctions. Simultaneously, cerebral hemodynamic
      reserve was evaluated by means of both CO2-dependent vasomotor reactivity and
      HMPAO- and 99mTc-RBC-SPECT. Six out of 11 patients with ischemic infarctions had
      the territorial type of brain lesion, suggesting distal embolism. Five patients
      revealed the pattern of hemodynamically induced low-flow infarctions. Cerebral
      hemodynamic reserve was significantly decreased only in these latter patients. In
      ICA dissections the frequencies of hemodynamically and thromboembolically induced
      brain infarctions is approximately equal. This finding suggests that only half of
      the patients with symptoms of symptomatic dissections had brain emboli, whereas
      in the other half the dissections lead to a low-flow effect in terminal supply
      areas which is so severe that non-embolic brain infarctions occur. This
      differentiation can help decide whether antithrombotic or hemodynamic treatment
      should be given.

PMID- 1870716
TI  - Long term prognosis of symptomatic and asymptomatic cerebral aneurysms.
AB  - The authors analyze the follow-up series of 58 patients with diagnosed cerebral
      aneurysms who were either not treated surgically or, in surgically treated cases,
      in which the aneurysmal neck was not clipped. The patients are divided in three
      groups: untreated ruptured; ruptured treated by coating, vessel ligation or
      aneurysmal dome clipping; and asymptomatic cases. During the follow-up period of
      three to ten years, there were no bleedings from asymptomatic aneurysms and only
      one rebleeding from symptomatic operated aneurysms. As can be expected in the
      group of ruptured unoperated aneurysms, the rate of rebleeding was 40.9% with a
      mortality rate of 31.7%. The natural history of asymptomatic aneurysms is unclear
      regarding the risk of bleeding, and regardless of the obtained follow-up results
      in our cases, we think that all diagnosed cerebral aneurysms must be treated
      surgically. Certainly, individual cases must be evaluated.

PMID- 1870717
TI  - Kluger's "fixateur interne" for spinal instability.
AB  - Kluger's "Fixateur Interne" proved to be an excellent tool not only in spinal
      trauma for repositioning of impacted fractures and transpedicular stabilization
      of the dorsal column but also in other forms of thoracic or lumbar instability.
      After spinal tumor excision from a dorsal approach and vertebral replacement with
      methylmethacrylate additional stability through dorsal fixation was achieved with
      this device. Spondylodiscitis, symptomatic spondylolisthesis, spinal instability
      from degenerative disc disease as well as "non-union" following previous surgery
      could be cured using Kluger's internal fixation. Rare complications, i.e. from
      broken screws or rods (5%) caused no problems, but some patients required a
      second operation for readjustment of malpositioned screws which were causing pain
      or neurological deficit.

PMID- 1870718
TI  - Tumors of the lateral ventricles.
AB  - Tumors are only rarely found in the lateral ventricles. Although various
      oncotypes of these tumors differ in growth rate and invasiveness they present the
      same clinical pattern with the same diagnostic and surgical problems. Thus we can
      consider them as a group. This series comprises 51 primary tumors arising
      strictly from the structures of the lateral ventricles, the majority from the
      trigone, operated on between 1952 and 1988: 20 meningiomas, 19 ependymomas, 9
      papillomas of the choroid plexuses, and 3 subependymomas. As most of these tumors
      were benign, the response to surgical treatment was, as other authors have found,
      good with permanent cure or long survival in the majority of cases. Advances in
      neuroradiological techniques have greatly facilitated the work-up and
      differential diagnosis of these tumors. Of the various surgical approaches, the
      parieto-occipital is preferred by our department, even for tumors of the dominant
      hemisphere. Our operative mortality of 10.6% tallies with that of other workers.

PMID- 1870719
TI  - Cerebellar medulloblastomas in adults.
AB  - A retrospective analysis of 32 patients older than 16 years of age treated at
      Neurosurgical Department of Hacettepe University within the last 30 years (1959
      1988) for cerebellar medulloblastoma was considered. The clinical features,
      treatment modalities and outcome are discussed. The survival rates for 5 and 10
      years were 14% and 7% respectively. The results are compared with that of
      literature.

PMID- 1870720
TI  - CSF hydrocele--unusual complication of V-P shunt.
AB  - CSF hydrocele as a complication of migration or extrusion of the peritoneal end
      of the V-P shunt has rarely been reported. Here the case of a 6 month old infant,
      born at 28 weeks gestational age, is reported. The baby was noted to have scrotal
      swelling, exacerbated by crying, two months after insertion of
      ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The hydrocele resolved following revision of the
      shunt. Possible pathophysiological causes are discussed.

PMID- 1870721
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of deep cerebral vein thrombosis.
AB  - Three cases of deep cerebral vein thrombosis are reported. In all three cases
      focal neurological deficits and impaired consciousness occurred after a short
      period of non-specific clinical manifestations. Computed tomography revealed
      bilateral hemorrhagic infarctions of thalamus and basal ganglia. The CSF analysis
      which was performed in two cases showed pleocytosis, increased protein level,
      disturbed blood-brain barrier, and signs of necrosis and hemorrhage. In two cases
      the diagnosis was confirmed by transfemoral carotid angiography. MRI was
      performed in one case only and showed thrombosis of the internal venous system.
      All patients were treated with high-dose heparine in spite of hemorrhage. Good
      recovery was seen in all patients with almost complete improvement of
      neurological deficits. No complications were observed during treatment. Because
      of these promising therapeutic results, bilateral thalamic lesions should alert
      the physician to consider the possibility of deep cerebral vein thrombosis.

PMID- 1870722
TI  - Duplicated peritoneal catheter as a cause of shunt malfunction. Case report.
AB  - A rare example of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt malfunction is presented.
      Radiological and operative findings demonstrated a self-duplication with upward
      migration of the peritoneal catheter.

PMID- 1870723
TI  - The clinical role of PET in cerebrovascular disease.
AB  - In normal subjects cerebral oxygen metabolism and blood flow are closely coupled,
      both grey and white matter extracting about 40% of their arterial oxygen supply.
      During acute ischaemia blood flow falls and oxygen extraction rises to 100% so
      that cerebral metabolism becomes totally blood flow dependent. Once acute
      infarction has occurred both cerebral oxygen metabolism and arterial oxygen
      extraction fall to low levels, while blood flow often paradoxically rises--the
      state of luxury perfusion. Once luxury perfusion becomes established the use of
      pharmacological or surgical methods to increase cerebral blood flow is
      inappropriate. PET will measure regional cerebral metabolism and blood flow non
      invasively in man. Using PET ischaemic tissue can be distinguished from infarcted
      tissue, and the presence of luxury perfusion can be confirmed. In this way
      strokes in evolution can be detected, and the use of revascularisation procedures
      rationalised. Not only are regional cerebral metabolism and blood flow closely
      coupled, but blood volume is also coupled to blood flow. When greater than 60%
      stenosis of extracranial arteries occurs, reactive vasodilation of the distal
      circulation with an increase in rCBV results in order to reduce vascular
      resistance. By monitoring rCBV with PET, haemodynamically compromised regions of
      brain can be detected. It has been shown that patients with local areas of raised
      rCBV due to carotid artery stenosis are at a higher risk of infarction. PET will
      identify such patients and follow the haemodynamic effects of endarterectomy or
      EC-IC bypass. Finally PET can look at the distant functional effects of lacunar
      infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870724
TI  - Neuropeptides.
AB  - This review summarizes the revolutionary impact of brain peptides on our
      understanding of the nervous system and then discusses the localization,
      distribution, synthesis, receptor sites, and possible function of 32 brain
      peptides. The peptides are discussed in three subgroups: I) the opioid peptides,
      which include beta-endorphin, the enkephalins, and dynorphin; II) the pituitary
      releasing hormones, most of which are wide-spread in the brain and include
      corticotropin-releasing hormone, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone,
      somatostatin, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone; and III) a selection of 12 other
      peptides potentially important for neurological function, including vasopressin,
      oxytocin, substance P, cholecystokinin, bombesin, neurotensin, renin,
      angiotensin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, neuropeptide Y, calcitonin gene
      related peptide, and calcitonin. Within each individual peptide section, the
      possible physiological roles in anterior pituitary hormone release, blood-flow
      regulation, feeding behavior, temperature regulation, nociception, memory and
      learning, and movement are reviewed. Further, where noted, the peptide findings
      in Huntington's, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and psychiatric diseases are
      emphasized.

PMID- 1870725
TI  - [The need for "intermediate" intensive care units. Epidemiologic study in a
      metropolitan area].
AB  - 2710 patients were admitted during 1988 to 14 ICU of a crowded urban area. No
      Intermediate ICU facilities were available. We determined the need and the likely
      patient turnover of such an ICU. 29% of the admitted patients and 9% of the days
      spent in the ICU would be due of an sub-intensive ICU (only 60-30% of the
      expected turnover) and 54% of the admitted patients (70% of the intensively
      treated patients) would be feasible for the post-intensive-ICU. 82% of the case
      mix would be admitted by the intermediate ICU with a length of ICU stay 21-28% of
      the total stay. 56-68% of this time spent in intermediate ICU would be utilized
      by post-intensive patients. The increased patient turnover would allow the
      admission of 566-806 intensive patient/year that means the most urgent need in
      ICM today is to increase the number of intermediate ICU.

PMID- 1870726
TI  - [Atracurium as an alternative to succinylcholine in oro-tracheal intubation].
AB  - Intubation conditions were considered in 75 patients undergoing gynecologic
      surgery following intravenous administration of suxamethonium (1 mg/kg-1) or
      sequence atracurium (0,5 mg/kg-1)-thiopentone. A statistically significant
      difference of intubation depth of neuromuscular blockade was found between the
      groups, but the tracheal intubation was performed within 60 sec following the
      intravenous injection of the two muscle relaxants in all patients. Intubating
      conditions were scored as excellent in 67 cases, good in 5 cases and poor in 3
      cases. Cardiovascular stability was relieved.

PMID- 1870727
TI  - [Pressure changes in the middle ear during nitrous oxide anesthesia].
AB  - We studied middle ear pressure variations in 17 patients with mild upper airways
      or middle ear diseases, during nitrous oxide anaesthesia. We observed a
      significant increase in middle ear pressure during the administration of nitrous
      oxide, and a significant decrease after nitrous oxide was discontinued. Nine
      patients showed periodical reductions of the middle ear pressure during the
      inhalation of nitrous oxide, due to passive openings of the eustachian tube. In
      the remaining 8 patients (47%) this mechanism has not been effective. A
      comparison between these two groups shows significantly higher levels of middle
      ear pressure in the group of patients with abnormal function of the eustachian
      tube, both during and after the administration of nitrous oxide. Our results
      demonstrate that patients with mild upper airways or middle ear diseases are
      likely to show an impaired tubal function. Therefore, nitrous oxide should be
      used with caution in the presence of such diseases. Moreover, nitrous oxide is
      generally controindicated in middle ear surgery, as the pressure gradients
      between middle and external ear can jeopardize the success of the operation.

PMID- 1870728
TI  - [Loss of plasma protein in open-heart surgery].
AB  - The changes in the concentrations of nine serum proteins were studied in ten
      patients who underwent open-heart surgery for mitral or aortic valve replacement.
      alpha 1-glycoprotein, albumin, transferrin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, IgG, IgA, IgM,
      C3, and C4 were assessed before anesthesia induction, after sternotomy, ten
      minutes after the beginning of CPB, and ten minutes following the end of CPB;
      values were corrected for haemodilution. All the proteins, with the exception of
      alpha 1-glycoprotein, showed similar trends that were characterized by a
      significant decrease after CPB. Linear contrasts did not show any significant
      difference among the proteins expressed as per cent of the initial values. Such
      generalized decrease was probably due to the aspecific damage caused by
      oxygenators, pumps and aspirators. On the contrary, specific mechanisms, as IgM
      aggregation or complement activation, do not affect significantly the
      concentration of single proteins. Also the hypothesis of a relevant protein
      migration toward the extravascular space was rejected because of the absence of
      any significant relation between the molecular weight of the proteins and their
      decrease after CPB.

PMID- 1870729
TI  - [Continuous monitoring of mixed venous oxygen saturation during mechanical
      circulatory support of the left ventricle in heart surgery patients.
      Pathophysiologic principles and personal experience].
AB  - The clinical use of mechanical supports for cardiocirculatory function assistance
      has permitted to treat a higher number of low output syndromes insensitive to
      pharmacological therapy. One of the most important problems arising during
      mechanical circulatory assistance, is the ability to know if the performance of
      the artificial device is adequate to match metabolic tissues demands. Continuous
      monitoring of mixed venous O2 saturation (MSvO2) has been proposed as the most
      complete and reliable tool to verify this correlation. The Authors analyse the
      problems connected with this kind of monitoring during left ventricular
      assistance with centrifugal pump in cardiosurgical patients and present 6 cases
      taken from their clinical experience.

PMID- 1870730
TI  - [Effectiveness of regional anesthesia for loco-regional carotid surgery.
      Retrospective review of 147 interventions].
AB  - The Authors present a retrospective review that compares general anesthesia with
      regional anesthesia performed during carotid endarterectomy surgery. The study
      includes 147 procedures, performed on 144 patients: 76 had general anesthesia and
      71 had regional anesthesia. After emphasizing the importance of conscience
      preservation during regional anesthesia to allow a simple and secure monitoring
      of the patient's neurologic functions, the Authors point out the decrease of peri
      and postoperative accidents, whether neurologic or not, obtained with regional
      anesthesia. Another essential advantage of this technique is the possibility to
      insert the transitory shunt only when objectively necessary, ulteriorly reducing
      neurologic complications. Cervical plexus block is primarily indicated for high
      risk patients with instable neurologic simptomatology, severe stenosis of the
      contralateral carotid, coronary heart disease. The technique has proved to be of
      easy execution, safe and well accepted by the patient and the surgeon.

PMID- 1870731
TI  - [Kinetic study during amino acid infusion in catabolic patients. Comparison
      between two solutions].
AB  - The equilibrium kinetic of two different amino acid solutions was investigated in
      ten catabolic patients (Parentamin, Pierrel; HBC, Baxter). Plasma amino acid
      pattern was determined on arterial samples before TPN and several times over 48
      hours of TPN. Nitrogen balance was measured from 24 hours urine collection. Three
      different cinetic trends were found: a fast modification (diminution or
      increase), a slow adaptation, or no modification of plasmatic levels, however
      each amino acid reached a steady state plateau. The adequacy of the infusion of
      each amino acid was evaluated comparing its steady-state plasma level to the
      after lunch level in healthy man. This made possible to approximate metabolic
      needs of each of the infused amino acids and to identify the inadequacy of some
      metabolic pathways to synthetized non essential amino acids lacking in solutions.
      This made possible to identify amino acids infused in excess or in defect, and
      those infused in dose adapt to the metabolic needs of such patients.

PMID- 1870732
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of propofol-ketamine anesthesia in general surgery].
AB  - The combinations propofol-ketamine vs propofol-fentanyl in absence of N2O was
      compared in 60 patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The results show that
      ketamine and fentanyl provide a good analgesia in the absence of N2O and that
      ketamine offers better haemodynamic control.

PMID- 1870733
TI  - [Isolated persistent left superior vena cava. Detection of cause during central
      venous catheterization].
AB  - The Authors report the causal discovery of isolated persistent left superior vena
      cava (IPLSVC) during a central venous incannulation with a Groshong's catheter,
      in a patient undergoing bone marrow transplant. After a short introduction about
      the IPLSVC ontogenesis, they stress the need for fluoroscopy during the central
      venous incannulation. The Authors conclude that the possibility of
      angiocardiography has been very helpful, in this case, for diagnosis and
      prognosis.

PMID- 1870734
TI  - [Thymoma: anatomo-clinical and therapeutic aspects. Analysis of our 26 cases].
AB  - The paper reports the authors' personal experience with regard to 26 cases of
      thymoma treated surgically over the past 10 years. 96% of cases were associated
      with myasthenia gravis. Surgery was performed in all cases and 13 cases (50%)
      underwent additional RT. 92% of patients were affected by invasive thymoma (11
      stage II cases, and 13 stage III). From an histological point of view, 38.5% of
      cases were epithelial-type thymomas, 38.5% were lymphoepithelial and 23% were
      lymphocytic. Survival was influenced by the stage of disease and the radicality
      of surgery. At present, 76% of patients are still alive between 10 months and 10
      years of surgery. There was a perioperative mortality of 11.5% (3 cases), whereas
      2 patients died some 2 months later due to pulmonary embolism. The paper also
      includes a critical review of the most recent literature, and the authors compare
      their experience with that of other centres.

PMID- 1870735
TI  - [Acute thyroiditis].
AB  - Acute suppurating thyroiditis is now an uncommon pathology which is rarely found,
      although it was frequent before the introduction of antibiotics. Having observed
      a case, the Authors were prompted to study the subject in greater depth, in
      particular to assess whether the disease is easier to diagnose using modern
      techniques diagnosis, and whether there are changes in the therapy. In
      conclusion, the paper affirms that in spite of the fact that the diagnostic
      evolution has thrown further light on the clinical aspects of the disease, biopsy
      still remains the most reliable instrument of diagnosis, whereas surgery is the
      most effective form of therapy.

PMID- 1870736
TI  - [Microbiological analysis of postoperative infectious complications].
AB  - A variation among the strains responsible of nosocomial infections was noted in
      the last years with a revival of Gram + bacteria. Coagulase-negative
      staphylococci assumed a great importance, particularly those resistant to
      methicillin. Staphylococcus epidermidis is now an important infective agent,
      especially in patients with prostheses or other devices. To value the impact of
      these microbiological variations on surgical patients, we studied data related to
      1271 specimens from postoperative septic complication from 1980 to 1988. The
      incidence of Gram + strains in surgical infections was 46.8% in 1980-1983 period
      and 59.2% in 1984-1988 period with statistical significance (p less than 0.05).

PMID- 1870737
TI  - [Contact thermography in breast pathology. A critical review].
AB  - The paper reports the Authors' experience in over 12,000 patients affected by
      manifest or presumed breast pathologies examined using contact thermography and
      assess the number of correct responses. This technique proved reliable in
      patients aged under 30 with benign pathologies or palpable nodules. On the other
      hand, it was not reliable in the case of pathologies with negative objectivity,
      and therefore in the context of screening programmes for the early diagnosis of
      tumours.

PMID- 1870738
TI  - [Diagnosis of breast carcinoma. Comparison of clinical, mammographic, echographic
      and cytological aspiration diagnosis in a group of 50 patients].
AB  - The study assesses the sensitivity of clinical, mammographic, echographic and
      needle biopsy tests in a sample group of 50 women some of whom were examined and
      operated by the Surgical Division of Casalpusterlengo Hospital, whereas others
      were examined and operated at Crema Hospital. Data were compared with those from
      larger studies recently reported in the literature. Patients had a minimum age of
      42 years and a mean age of 64.3 years; all were symptomatic. Clinical
      examination, mammography and echotomography showed an increased sensitivity in
      parallel with the increased size of tumour and the patient's age. The sensitivity
      of mammography in T1 cases was higher than that of clinical examination and
      ultrasound tests. Diagnosis was made on cytological grounds alone in 2% of cases,
      but was negative in 14% (benign/inadequate sample) in spite of the presence of a
      positive clinical examination and mammography. A 90.4% sensitivity rate was
      achieved using a combined clinical examination and mammography.

PMID- 1870739
TI  - [General surgeon and breast reconstruction after mastectomy].
AB  - Breast reconstruction is widely used in patients who have undergone mastectomy
      for breast cancer. The paper underlines that reconstruction is often performed by
      the general surgeon who has become an expert in this type of plastic surgery. The
      Authors present their own clinical data, and describe the indications and
      techniques used, and the results obtained. In conclusion, it is stressed that
      ideally the same surgeon should be experienced in oncology and plastic surgery.

PMID- 1870740
TI  - [Peri-inguinal hernia: classificatory inclusion. Considerations on rarity of the
      occurrence. Personal case reports].
AB  - Peri-inguinal and Para-inguinal hernias are included in the group of lateral
      ventral hernias and must be distinguished from Spigelian and intraparietal
      ascending inguinal hernias. Peri-inguinal hernia is very unusual in its location
      and development. Non one similar case has been reported in literature.

PMID- 1870741
TI  - [Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in biliary diagnosis. Critical
      review of the literature and presentation of personal experience].

PMID- 1870742
TI  - [Pyloric stenosis caused by gallstone (Bouveret's syndrome). Presentation of a
      further case].
AB  - The Bouveret's syndrome is a rare complication of a bilio-digestive fistula,
      where a big stone occludes the pyloro-duodenal region. The clinical
      symptomatology is atypical, symptoms of the disease are acute and only in fifty
      per cent of cases it is possible to have a positive anamnesis for biliary
      lithiasis. The evolution of the occlusion is generally rapid. The clinical case
      we are in possession of, shows a particularly chronic evolution with a 15 month
      sub-occlusive symptomatology that caused a massive gastric dilatation. The
      diagnosis of Bouveret syndrome was set forth during operation, as generally
      happens in about 50% of cases. The surgical treatment is still the only one
      capable to solve the obstruction of the alimentary canal and the bilio-digestive
      fistula at the same time.

PMID- 1870743
TI  - [Endoscopic treatment of postoperative external pancreatic fistula by means of
      papillotomy and naso-pancreatic drainage].
AB  - External pancreatic fistula is a common complication after pancreatic resection.
      We report a case successfully treated by endoscopic papillotomy and a naso
      pancreatic tube.

PMID- 1870744
TI  - [Malignant schwannoma of the mesentery. Presentation of a clinical case and
      clinical and histopathological considerations].
AB  - A case of malignant schwannoma of the mesentery is described which was treated
      with radical surgery. The natural history, diagnosis and therapy of neoplasias of
      the mesentery are discussed.

PMID- 1870745
TI  - [Rokitansky-Mayer syndrome: correction of total vaginal agenesis using partial
      skin graft].
AB  - The Mayer-Rokitansky syndrome is a spectrum of mullerian anomalies, including
      vaginal agenesis with or without renal anomalies, in genotypic and phenotypic
      female subjects with normal endocrine status. We describe the management of a
      patient with this syndrome. We also propose a modified corrective method of the
      vaginal agenesis by a partial skin grafting.

PMID- 1870746
TI  - Does lead play a role in the development of chronic renal disease?
AB  - For many decades lead has been considered to be one of the causes of chronic
      renal failure. A critical analysis of the available epidemiological studies,
      however, indicates that the relationship between lead exposure and the
      development of chronic renal failure is largely circumstantial. Indeed, several
      aspects remain obscure: relative and absolute risk, risk factors, duration of
      exposure, pathology and diagnostic criteria. Moreover, methodological problems
      related to cohort selection (i.e. the 'Healthy worker effect'), study design and
      definition of renal dysfunction may limit the value of the epidemiological
      results. Although the available literature suggests that lead may play a direct
      or contributory role in the development of chronic renal failure it is concluded
      that additional detailed epidemiological studies are required.

PMID- 1870747
TI  - Glomerular epithelial cell endocytosis of immune deposits in human lupus
      nephritis.
AB  - Sixteen human renal biopsies taken from patients suffering from systemic lupus
      erythematosus nephritis were examined using an immunohistochemical method which
      allows the localisation of IgG at both light and electron-microscopical levels.
      The tissue was embedded in the hydrophilic resin lowicryl K4M and sections were
      stained using gold-labelled antibodies. On routine light microscopical
      examination the biopsies were diagnosed as: 1 case of WHO type II, 3 type III, 9
      type IV, 2 type V, and 1 type III/V. Using light microscopy, IgG was localised in
      the glomerulus using the IGSS staining method. In some cases staining was seen
      within the glomerular epithelial cell cytoplasm. At the ultrastructural level the
      presence of IgG was demonstrated within vesicles in the cytoplasm of the
      epithelial cells in 0/1 type II, 2/3 type III, 8/9 type IV, 1/2 type V, and 1/1
      type III/V cases: in some vesicles deposits of immune material were electron
      dense but in others immune material was electron-lucent. Our results suggest that
      the human glomerular epithelial cell can endocytose IgG and that this may be part
      of a clearance mechanism acting within the glomerulus.

PMID- 1870748
TI  - Effects of a two-month treatment with low oral doses of cyclosporin on renal
      function.
AB  - To test the effects of short-term therapy with low doses (LD) of cyclosporin A
      (CsA) in subjects with normal renal function, seven patients receiving CsA to
      treat psoriasis were studied. Clearances in maximal H2O diuresis were performed
      to evaluate changes in GFR (CIn), RPF (CPAH) and tubular function before starting
      CsA (BAS), after 2 days (S1) and 1 month (S2) of oral therapy with 5 mg/kg per
      day CsA. The study was repeated at the withdrawal of CsA after tapering (S3) and
      2 months after the withdrawal (S4). The studies were performed 12 h after the
      evening dose of CsA. RPF was significantly less than in BAS throughout the
      therapy and returned almost to basal values in S4. GFR was significantly less
      than in BAS both in S2 and in S3. In S4, in spite of an increase, GFR was still
      significantly less than in BAS. Both in S2 and in S3 proximal tubular fractional
      sodium reabsorption was significantly less than in BAS and, consequently, both
      sodium delivery to diluting segments and sodium reabsorption in diluting segments
      increased. Moreover, both in S2 and in S3 fractional sodium reabsorption in
      diluting segments and free-water generation were greater than in BAS. In S4
      tubular function returned almost to basal values. Our data suggest that short
      term therapy with low dose CsA impairs renal function; this impairment is not
      completely reversed after drug withdrawal.

PMID- 1870749
TI  - Advantage of early initiation of aluminum hydroxide administration for the
      prevention of experimental progressive renal disease.
AB  - Aluminium hydroxide, a phosphate binder, is regarded as a strong candidate to
      halt the progression of chronic renal disease. In order to determine the most
      effective time to start treatment, aluminium hydroxide was administered either
      immediately (ADR-0w), or at 8 weeks (ADR-8w) or 16 weeks (ADR-16w) after repeated
      injection of Adriamycin (ADR) inducing glomerular sclerosis. In the aluminium
      hydroxide-untreated group the survival rate at the end of the experiment was 50%,
      while the early initiation of aluminium hydroxide (ADR-0w) resulted in a greater
      survival rate of 90%. Serum phosphate concentration and serum calcium-phosphate
      product were significantly less in the aluminium hydroxide groups (ADR-0w, 8w,
      16w) than in the untreated group after week 20. Urinary protein excretion was
      significantly less in the ADR-0w and ADR-8w groups at week 12 or 16 compared to
      the aluminium hydroxide-untreated group. Blood urea nitrogen in the aluminium
      hydroxide groups was significantly less than that in the untreated group at week
      34. Histological examination revealed that glomerular sclerosis was less severe
      in the ADR-0w and ADR-8w groups than in the aluminium hydroxide-untreated group,
      and glomerular hypertrophy was significantly decreased in the ADR-0w group. We
      conclude that early treatment with aluminium hydroxide was effective in
      preventing renal deterioration in focal glomerular sclerosis induced by
      Adriamycin.

PMID- 1870750
TI  - The role of aluminium and parathyroid hormone in erythropoietin resistance in
      haemodialysis patients.
AB  - Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) is an effective therapy for anaemia in
      most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, there remain a
      minority of patients with ESRD who are resistant to the effects of rHuEpo. The
      present study examined the role of aluminium overload and hyperparathyroidism of
      the biological effects of rHuEpo. Twenty-two patients aged 26-74 (mean 53 +/- SD
      15.5) received rHuEpo 50-200 U/kg per week for 16.5 +/- 8.0 months (range 3-27).
      Haemoglobin was maintained at 11.5-13.0 g/dl by appropriate dose adjustment. Iron
      supplements were provided to maintain serum ferritin greater than 200 ng/ml. The
      mean time to rHuEpo response (Hb greater than 2 g/dl over baseline) was 6.1 +/-
      2.6 weeks. Mean pretreatment serum aluminium correlated with time to Hb response
      (r = 0.48; P less than 0.05) and pretreatment mean corpuscular volume (r = 0.43;
      P less than 0.05) but not with eventual rHuEpo maintenance dose. PTH did not
      correlate with either Hb response or eventual maintenance rHuEpo dose. In
      summary, elevated serum aluminium concentrations were associated with an initial
      resistance to the biological effects of rHuEpo but had no effect on long-term
      dose requirements. In contrast, no impact of PTH on either immediate or long-term
      rHuEpo dose was evident.

PMID- 1870751
TI  - Urine cytology as a screening method for transitional-cell carcinoma in dialysis
      patients with analgesic nephropathy.
AB  - The abuse of analgesic-containing drugs leads to chronic nephropathy with an
      increased risk of developing a transitional-cell carcinoma of the urinary tract.
      In our experience follow-up is often stopped or has never been started when
      patients present for dialysis. We use urine cytology as the screening method.
      Nine of the 138 patients entering dialysis between 1980 and 1990 had analgesic
      nephropathy. In three patients urine cytology led to a suspicion of malignancy.
      Cystoscopy and/or retrograde pyelography showed a carcinoma of the renal pelvis
      in two patients and a carcinoma of the bladder in one patient. The patients with
      carcinoma of the renal pelvis died of cardiovascular complications within 2 years
      of nephroureterectomy. An autopsy was performed in one of these patients and
      there were no residual tumours or metastases. In the other patient autopsy was
      not performed, but urine cytology again suggested malignancy. The patient with a
      carcinoma of the bladder is still alive. She was treated with transurethral
      resection of the tumour and etoglucide instillations. We conclude that urine
      cytology is a good screening method for the early detection of transitional-cell
      carcinomas in dialysis patients with analgesic nephropathy.

PMID- 1870752
TI  - Influence of first and long-term dialysis on uraemia-associated increased basal
      production of interleukin-1 and tumour necrosis factor alpha by circulating
      monocytes.
AB  - In a previous study we demonstrated the presence of circulating interleukin-1 (IL
      1) in long-term haemodialysis patients and of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF
      alpha) in both long-term haemodialysis and not-yet-dialysed uraemic patients. The
      present report investigates the spontaneous capacity of monocytes to produce and
      secrete these two cytokines in 35 long-term haemodialysis patients and 36 uraemic
      patients undergoing their first dialysis session. Predialytic cell-associated IL
      1 concentrations in freshly isolated monocytes were significantly increased both
      in long-term haemodialysis and first-dialysis uraemic patients compared to normal
      individuals. In both groups in comparison to normal individuals, although
      intracellular TNF alpha could not be detected in freshly isolated monocytes, both
      extracellular IL-1 and TNF alpha concentrations were greatly increased after 20 h
      of in vitro culture of monocytes in the absence of exogenous stimulation and in
      serum-free conditions. However, long-term haemodialysis patients showed higher
      values of secreted IL-1 than not-yet dialysed uraemic patients. During a single
      dialysis session a significant increase in both cell-associated and secreted IL-1
      but not TNF alpha was observed in long-term haemodialysis patients. In contrast,
      no change in the concentration of either cytokine could be detected at the end of
      the first dialysis session in uraemic patients. Our findings strongly suggest
      that factors related to uraemia could be a sufficient signal to initiate
      intracellular IL-1 protein synthesis and TNF alpha release by monocytes, but that
      greater IL-1 release could be stimulated during the periodic haemodialysis
      procedure.

PMID- 1870753
TI  - Ultrasonography of renal allografts: collecting system dilatation and its
      clinical significance.
AB  - Reports and ultrasound scans (658 studies) of 135 renal allografts, transplanted
      in the years 1987 and 1988, have been reviewed. Records of the recipients were
      also studied in order to determine the clinical status of the kidney at the time
      of each ultrasound examination and to obtain long-term follow-up of allograft
      function. Seventy-seven allografts (57%) never showed pelvicalyceal dilatation on
      342 serial examinations. Forty-two kidneys (31%) had mild dilatation reported on
      at least one scan, which did not progress. However, 11 mildly dilated allografts
      developed moderate to severe dilatation on later examinations and these, together
      with 5 allografts reported as exhibiting moderate to severe hydronephrosis on
      their first dilated scan, were classed as moderate to severe (n = 16 = 12%).
      Thirty-eight patients (90%) with mild dilatation of the collecting system had no
      evidence of obstruction. However, in allografts with moderate to severe
      dilatation and poor or deteriorating function, ten patients (70%) were found to
      have ureteric obstruction. There was no significant difference in 1-year graft
      survival (87% versus 81.8%) and the median serum creatinine at 3 and 12 months
      after transplantation between non obstructed 'dilated' and non-dilated allografts
      (149 mumol/l versus 153.7 mumol/l; 139 mumol/l versus 147.3 mumol/l). All 14
      obstructed allografts were salvaged with a graft survival of 85.7% at 1 year.
      Median serum creatine in these patients was significantly elevated at 200 mumol/l
      and 189 mumol/l at 3 and 12 months; P = 0.05 and 0.01 compared to dilated non
      obstructed allografts. Our results indicate that grafts with moderate to severe
      dilatation should be urgently investigated to minimise further allograft damage.

PMID- 1870754
TI  - The effect of conversion from cyclosporin to azathioprine on renin-containing
      cells in renal allograft biopsies.
AB  - Renal biopsies were examined from 17 renal transplant recipients before and after
      conversion from cyclosporin to azathioprine, and in 17 patients who remained on
      cyclosporin. All patients had stable renal function. We used an immunoperoxidase
      technique with an antiserum to human renin to identify renin-containing cells. We
      demonstrated hyperplasia of renin-containing cells in patients treated with
      cyclosporin. Numbers of renin-containing cells decreased after conversion to
      azathioprine. We suggest that local activation of the intrarenal renin
      angiotensin system could mediate the effects of cyclosporin on renal
      haemodynamics. This could play a role in the pathogenesis of cyclosporin
      nephrotoxicity and cyclosporin hypertension.

PMID- 1870755
TI  - Successful treatment of severe lactic acidosis by haemofiltration using a
      bicarbonate-based replacement fluid.

PMID- 1870756
TI  - Magnesium in cyclosporin-treated kidney transplant patients.

PMID- 1870757
TI  - Continuous monitoring of blood pressure of patients on a haemodialysis programme.

PMID- 1870758
TI  - Two cases of recurrent focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in renal
      allografts.

PMID- 1870759
TI  - NP unity impossible without reorganization of NANP.

PMID- 1870760
TI  - New screening guidelines for lead poisoning.

PMID- 1870761
TI  - Where's the nurturing and mentoring of new NPs?

PMID- 1870762
TI  - Assessment and prevention of osteoporosis through use of a client self-reporting
      tool.
AB  - Osteoporosis is an age-related process that affects one out of every four women
      above 65 years of age. This article focuses on the assessment of osteoporosis
      through use of an osteoporosis assessment tool that is filled out by the client.
      The tool requests information about the woman's demographic profile, chief
      complaint, related symptoms, pain profile, risk profile, past medical history,
      nutritional history, fitness profile, menopausal history and self-care practices.
      The tool also includes information for the health care provider to complete about
      the client's lab analysis. Assessment needs to be extensive in order to uncover
      the specific factors that place an individual at risk for the silent changes of
      osteoporosis. The health care provider can elicit the aid of the client in
      securing such a comprehensive assessment.

PMID- 1870763
TI  - Survivors of a family member's suicide: implications for practice.
AB  - Survivors of suicide are people who are coping with the loss of a loved one
      through an act of suicide. Primary health care providers are well-positioned to
      identify and intervene with this population, which is known to be at high risk
      for health disturbances. A research study was conducted to further clinicians'
      understanding of the experiences and needs of survivors. The major research
      question was, "What do adult survivors report about their perceived life
      experiences three to nine months after the suicide of a family member?" Data from
      audiotaped interviews with 35 adult survivors of suicide were analyzed to
      determine a description of the experiences and needs of this population. A
      recurrent theme discovered in the lives of survivors was the persistence of
      agonizing, unanswerable questions related to the death. Surviving family members
      struggled with why the suicide had occurred and worried about the impact of the
      death on themselves and others. Profound changes in the emotional, cognitive,
      physical and social functioning of survivors were also evident. Implications for
      clinical practice are discussed.

PMID- 1870765
TI  - Diagnosing rectal bleeding.

PMID- 1870764
TI  - The sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of diagnostic information: a
      guide for clinicians.
AB  - Nurse practitioners and other clinicians use laboratory studies and ancillary
      tests to confirm or rule out suspected conditions. Deciding which tests to use
      and interpreting results are essential to the practice of high-quality, cost
      effective primary care. A working knowledge of test characteristics and
      performance facilitates these decisions. This article illustrates how a
      conceptual understanding of sensitivity, specificity and predictive value applies
      to daily practice. In addition, the article explains how to evaluate the quality
      and relevance of literature that reports test performance. While discussion
      focuses on laboratory tests, the same principles may be applied to the history
      and physical examination, and to other types of diagnostic data.

PMID- 1870766
TI  - The face of an angel.

PMID- 1870767
TI  - Remembering Desert Storm.

PMID- 1870768
TI  - Choosing to say good-bye.

PMID- 1870769
TI  - Myths & facts ... about administering drugs.

PMID- 1870770
TI  - Disconnected epidural catheter.

PMID- 1870771
TI  - Getting the upper hand on lower extremity arterial disease.

PMID- 1870772
TI  - Adverse effects of chemotherapy.

PMID- 1870773
TI  - Correction for cardiac monitor.

PMID- 1870774
TI  - Alone out there.

PMID- 1870775
TI  - What you need to know about administering preoperative medications.

PMID- 1870776
TI  - A divided person, part nurse, part parent.

PMID- 1870777
TI  - Carol gave up fighting ... until her nurse stepped in.

PMID- 1870778
TI  - How to cope with under staffing.

PMID- 1870779
TI  - Performing clean, intermittent self-catheterization.

PMID- 1870780
TI  - Are you ready to use pulse oximetry?

PMID- 1870781
TI  - H.I.V. status. Mum's the word.

PMID- 1870782
TI  - Your guide to pediatric drug administration.

PMID- 1870783
TI  - Three golden hours.

PMID- 1870784
TI  - Pediatric patients. Finding the right words.

PMID- 1870785
TI  - The patient with lung cancer.

PMID- 1870786
TI  - Prevention--its time has finally come!

PMID- 1870787
TI  - ANA design criteria.

PMID- 1870788
TI  - A systems approach to the management of nursing services, Part VI: Costing
      system.

PMID- 1870789
TI  - Creating an environment to empower nurses.

PMID- 1870790
TI  - Professional governance: the missing link.

PMID- 1870791
TI  - Better communications make more compassionate hospitals.

PMID- 1870792
TI  - An epidural narcotics program for general care units.

PMID- 1870793
TI  - Nursing in space: a new frontier for nursing.

PMID- 1870794
TI  - Nurses' greatest fear: demise of the profession.

PMID- 1870795
TI  - A radical approach to current problems in nursing.

PMID- 1870796
TI  - The nature of nurturing.

PMID- 1870797
TI  - Effective peer review.

PMID- 1870798
TI  - Peer review board: one year later.

PMID- 1870799
TI  - Moving toward unity...

PMID- 1870800
TI  - Landry Guillain-Barre Strohl syndrome in pregnancy: report of three cases treated
      with plasmapheresis.
AB  - Landry Guillain-Barre Strohl syndrome complicating pregnancy is a rare
      occurrence, with only 31 cases previously reported in the obstetric literature.
      Cytomegalovirus as a potential etiologic agent has been documented in only two of
      these cases. In the past, symptomatic treatment of pregnant patients with severe
      and progressive symptoms has been associated with an unacceptably high rate of
      maternal morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have shown convincingly that
      plasmapheresis is the treatment of choice for nonpregnant patients acutely ill
      with Guillain-Barre syndrome, but data regarding its use in pregnancy are
      limited. We report three patients, two of whom had positive cytomegalovirus
      titers, in whom aggressive plasmapheresis prevented the need for ventilatory
      support and its inherent increase in maternal morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1870801
TI  - Treatment of antenatal myasthenia gravis.
AB  - Maternal myasthenia gravis has been associated with the presence of neonatal
      myasthenia and sometimes fatal congenital anomalies. As a result, antenatal
      therapy directed at fetal sequelae may be indicated. We present the case of a
      pregnant myasthenic woman whose two previous pregnancies had ended in neonatal
      deaths from fetal deformations that were presumably due to maternal myasthenia.
      Serial plasmaphereses and oral prednisone therapy were used in an attempt to
      depress maternal anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody titers. As anti
      acetylcholine receptor antibody titers fell, fetal breathing movements became
      apparent by ultrasound, and as these titers rose, no fetal breathing movements
      were apparent. Our patient delivered an infant with transient neonatal myasthenia
      but normal pulmonary development and no deformations. We suggest that the therapy
      given may have improved the outcome of this pregnancy compared with her two
      previous pregnancies.

PMID- 1870802
TI  - Idiopathic aldosteronism in pregnancy.
AB  - This is the first reported case of the idiopathic type of primary aldosteronism
      in pregnancy. The severely hypertensive patient was unresponsive to treatment
      with high doses of four antihypertensive agents administered concurrently. A
      drastic improvement in blood pressure was noted within 24 hours of beginning
      enalapril maleate, although subsequent deterioration in fetal status led to
      delivery at 26 weeks' gestation. Alternatives to standard medical therapy may be
      necessary for this rare but potentially life-threatening disease during
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1870803
TI  - Factor XII deficiency and pregnancy.
AB  - A 19-year-old primigravida with known factor XII deficiency (prepregnant factor
      XII level of 21%) presented with placental abruption and preterm labor at 26
      weeks' gestation. A healthy 925-g female infant was born by spontaneous vaginal
      delivery. The mother had no postpartum hemorrhage or further complications, and
      the infant demonstrated no intracranial or other forms of hemorrhage up to 70
      days of age. The infant's factor XII level was 34% (normal for her age). There
      are only two previous reports of factor XII deficiency in pregnancy cited in the
      English literature, and both were uncomplicated. In view of the risk of
      thromboembolic complications in nonpregnant individuals with factor XII
      deficiency, pregnant women with a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time
      and no lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibody syndrome should also be
      investigated for deficiencies of factors VIII, IX, and XII. These patients should
      be given the appropriate counseling and should be monitored for features of
      thromboembolism if factor XII deficiency is confirmed.

PMID- 1870804
TI  - Gonococcal endocarditis complicating pregnancy: a case report and literature
      review.
AB  - The incidence of gonorrhea has decreased substantially in the past decade.
      Disseminated gonorrhea is more common in women than in men, although gonococcal
      endocarditis is more common in men. Disseminated gonorrhea is most commonly
      described in women during menses or pregnancy. Only two cases of gonococcal
      endocarditis during pregnancy have been reported in the literature since 1942. We
      report a patient who experienced sudden hemodynamic decompensation at 30 weeks'
      gestation, resulting in fetal death. Aortic valve replacement was performed, but
      extensive involvement of the aortic root made complete eradication of infection
      impossible and eventually resulted in maternal death.

PMID- 1870805
TI  - Hypercalcemic crisis in pregnancy associated with excessive ingestion of calcium
      carbonate antacid (milk-alkali syndrome): successful treatment with hemodialysis.
AB  - Severe hypercalcemia, a potentially life-threatening condition, has been reported
      rarely during pregnancy. A patient with hypercalcemic crisis associated with
      excessive ingestion of absorbable calcium antacid was treated successfully with
      hemodialysis as well as other therapeutic measures, such as saline diuresis. This
      acute therapy resulted in long-term normalization of maternal calcium levels. The
      fetus, who exhibited a low biophysical score during the initial admission, was
      delivered a month later and had an uncomplicated neonatal course. Acute
      hemodialysis can be an effective, rapid, and safe method of lowering serum
      calcium levels in pregnant patients with severe hypercalcemia unresponsive to
      other medical therapies.

PMID- 1870806
TI  - Acute transient thrombocytopenia associated with cocaine abuse in pregnancy.
AB  - A case is described of cocaine-induced severe transient thrombocytopenia
      associated with a hypertensive crisis at 21 weeks' gestation. Liver function
      tests and coagulation studies were all within normal ranges. Blood pressure was
      controlled with hydralazine. This clinical presentation, similar to severe
      preeclampsia, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute
      hypertension and low platelet count, especially in early gestations when
      preeclampsia is relatively rare. Unlike severe preeclampsia, for which active
      intervention and delivery are usually selected, cocaine-related hypertension
      thrombocytopenia, especially in very premature gestations, may warrant
      conservative management.

PMID- 1870807
TI  - Cocaine and indomethacin: fetal anuria, neonatal edema, and gastrointestinal
      bleeding.
AB  - A case is reported in which exposure to cocaine and indomethacin was associated
      with development of fetal anuria, anasarca, and neonatal gastrointestinal
      hemorrhage. Cocaine and indomethacin may act synergistically to adversely affect
      renal, cardiovascular, and platelet function. It may be prudent to obtain a drug
      history and urine screen for cocaine before instituting indomethacin therapy for
      preterm labor or polyhydramnios.

PMID- 1870808
TI  - Eikenella corrodens chorioamnionitis.
AB  - Eikenella corrodens was once considered a microorganism of little clinical
      consequence. But over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the
      number of reports of serious infections caused by this organism. We present a
      case of E corrodens chorioamnionitis in a patient with intact membranes. This is
      the second known case of its kind to be reported in the medical literature. The
      true incidence of obstetric and gynecologic infections may be much higher than
      reported because of the organism's susceptibility to routine antibiotic regimens
      and the failure of some strains to exhibit characteristic colony morphology on
      solid agar.

PMID- 1870809
TI  - Preeclampsia, trisomy 13, and the placental bed.
AB  - Genetic predisposition and abnormal trophoblastic function are thought to
      contribute to the development of preeclampsia. A multipara developed severe
      preeclampsia and subsequently delivered a live growth-retarded infant with
      trisomy 13. Biopsy of the placental bed taken immediately after delivery
      demonstrated inadequate trophoblastic remodeling of the maternal uterine
      vasculature, with an absence of normal physiologic changes in the spiral
      arteries. This case suggests that fetal trisomy 13 can be associated with
      preeclampsia in multiparous women and that abnormal trophoblastic invasion may
      contribute to the pathophysiology.

PMID- 1870810
TI  - Placenta previa percreta involving the urinary bladder: a report of two cases and
      review of the literature.
AB  - The incidences of both placenta previa and placenta accreta are increased in
      patients with scarred uteri, and patients with uterine scars and placenta previa
      are at increased risk for also having placenta accreta. Two cases are presented
      of placenta previa percreta with involvement of the urinary bladder necessitating
      cesarean hysterectomy, partial cystectomy, and, in one case, bilateral ureteral
      reimplantation. Both patients had two previous cesarean deliveries. Serious
      hemorrhage is common in patients with placenta percreta. The primary goal of
      surgical management must be to control bleeding, which usually requires resection
      of all tissue involved by the infiltrating placenta. After hemorrhage is
      controlled, the surgeon must reestablish the integrity of the urinary system and
      reconstruct the pelvis as necessary.

PMID- 1870811
TI  - Placenta membranacea with placenta increta: a case report and literature review.
AB  - The pregnancy of a patient with placenta membranacea associated with placenta
      increta and a live-born infant is described, and the literature covering placenta
      membranacea is reviewed. A total of 26 cases of placenta membranacea in the
      second and third trimesters have been reported. The condition appears to have an
      incidence of 1:20,000-40,000, and there have been 14 reported live births
      associated with this rare placental anomaly. Antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage
      were reported to complicate 83 and 50% of the cases, respectively. Approximately
      30% of the cases involved some form of abnormal placental adherence.

PMID- 1870812
TI  - The sonographic diagnosis of circumvallate placenta.
AB  - Circumvallate placenta, a form of placenta extrachorialis, should be included in
      the differential diagnosis of vaginal bleeding in the second trimester with a
      normally implanted placenta. Heretofore, the diagnosis was made after delivery.
      This report presents a case of circumvallate placenta diagnosed prenatally by
      ultrasound. Key features included an infolding of the fetal membrane upon the
      fetal surface of the placenta during the middle of the second trimester. By the
      third trimester, only a bright border at the periphery of the placenta was noted.
      Antenatal diagnosis can be made and pregnancy outcome potentially altered.

PMID- 1870814
TI  - Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage treated by fetal intravascular transfusion.
AB  - Two cases of massive fetomaternal hemorrhage are presented. Both women noted a
      decrease in fetal movement and were advised to come to the hospital for fetal
      heart rate monitoring. Sinusoidal fetal heart rate patterns were observed and
      Kleihauer-Betke testing was positive for fetomaternal hemorrhage. The fetuses
      were preterm and therefore funipuncture was done, which confirmed profound anemia
      in both. Fetal intravascular transfusion was performed. Shortly after conclusion
      of the transfusion, prolonged bradycardia occurred in both fetuses and delivery
      was accomplished by cesarean. Both infants survived.

PMID- 1870813
TI  - Acute twin-twin transfusion: a possible mechanism for brain-damaged survivors
      after intrauterine death of a monochorionic twin.
AB  - Intrauterine death of one twin in monochorionic pregnancies is associated with
      increased mortality and morbidity for the survivor. This has been attributed to
      the consequences of intrauterine disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
      initiated by the dead twin. We describe a case in which the fetal cerebral and
      renal lesions typically found in survivors occurred without any derangement in
      coagulation. Instead, acute twin-twin transfusion was suggested by the presence
      of severe anemia in the surviving fetus at delivery. We suggest that the lesions
      frequently found in the survivors are often due to acute hemodynamic and ischemic
      changes resulting from acute twin-twin transfusion at the time of intrauterine
      death, rather than to late-onset DIC. This hypothesis has an important
      implication for future management: Intervention must occur before intrauterine
      death if neurologic sequelae in the survivor are to be prevented.

PMID- 1870815
TI  - Fetal supraventricular tachycardia and hydrops fetalis: combined intensive,
      direct, and transplacental therapy.
AB  - A 25-week fetus with severe hydrops fetalis secondary to supraventricular
      tachycardia was treated with fetal intramuscular injections of digoxin in
      conjunction with maternal intravenous digoxin, followed by oral digoxin and
      subsequently by oral procainamide therapy. Fetal umbilical blood sampling
      revealed poor placental transfer of digoxin, even after 2 weeks of therapeutic
      maternal levels. This case suggests that direct fetal therapy is of value in the
      treatment of some fetuses with supraventricular tachycardia, and lends further
      evidence that the role of transplacental digoxin therapy is limited in the
      compromised fetus. It also demonstrates that resolution of hydrops may require a
      prolonged period.

PMID- 1870816
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of fetal left ventricular aneurysm: a case report and review.
AB  - Fetal echocardiography in a 30-year-old black woman, gravida 4, para 3,
      demonstrated left ventricular aneurysm. This was confirmed by color flow pulsed
      Doppler techniques. After delivery, neonatal echocardiography and magnetic
      resonance imaging further confirmed the diagnosis. The infant was followed
      closely and underwent surgical correction at 8.5 months of age. Before surgery,
      cardiac catheterization demonstrated normal hemodynamic function. A review of the
      literature revealed a paucity of information. Issues of prenatal diagnosis,
      antenatal surveillance, method of delivery, and neonatal follow-up are not well
      defined in either the obstetric or pediatric cardiology literature. A rationale
      for our approach to this complex problem is presented.

PMID- 1870817
TI  - Transvaginal sonographic follow-up on the formation of fetal cephalocele at 13-19
      weeks' gestation.
AB  - An occipital meningocele was detected by transvaginal sonography in a fetus of 13
      weeks' gestation. This changed at 14 weeks to a cephalocele, which disappeared at
      15-16 weeks and was detected again at 19 weeks. It is possible that sliding
      backward and forward of the herniated brain tissue caused this sequence of
      events.

PMID- 1870818
TI  - An ectopic pregnancy in the upper retroperitoneum following in vitro
      fertilization and embryo transfer.
AB  - Thirty-seven days after successful embryo transfer, a chorionic vesicle was
      recovered from the upper abdominal retroperitoneal space in a patient presenting
      with an acute life-threatening hemorrhage. This is the first case report of a
      retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancy which, although uncommon, is a potentially
      fatal complication of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

PMID- 1870819
TI  - Recurrent abortion and the diagnosis of Wilson disease.
AB  - We describe the first patient with Wilson disease and recurrent abortion who was
      effectively treated with oral zinc for both conditions. Between the ages of 21
      26, this patient experienced seven successive unexplained abortions. At age 27,
      neurologic signs and liver function disturbances appeared. Wilson disease was
      diagnosed when Kayser-Fleischer rings were detected in the cornea. Decoppering
      therapy was instituted with zinc sulfate per os. By the age of 31, hepatic and
      neurologic signs had vanished. The patient conceived, and after an uncomplicated
      eighth pregnancy she delivered her first healthy child. Two years later, a ninth
      pregnancy was equally successful. The chance that Wilson disease may be the cause
      of recurrent abortion is small. However, because the disease is fatal if left
      untreated and because it is an underdiagnosed disease, we recommend screening for
      Wilson disease in cases of unexplained recurrent abortion when family history
      demonstrates consanguinity or neurologic, psychiatric, and/or liver disorders. A
      strategy to this end is proposed.

PMID- 1870820
TI  - Streptococcal toxic shock associated with septic abortion.
AB  - The group A streptococcus is capable of producing exotoxins that have been linked
      to a toxic shock-like syndrome. Streptococcal toxic shock is a rapidly
      progressive disease associated with injury to multiple organ systems and a 30-60%
      mortality rate. We present a case of a 40-year-old woman who developed group A
      streptococcal toxic shock following a spontaneous abortion. She required surgical
      debridement, pulmonary artery catheterization, mechanical ventilation, and
      massive transfusions. Clinicians must be aware of the presentation of this
      disease, as its incidence appears to be increasing.

PMID- 1870821
TI  - Ectopic ureter: a rare cause of purulent vaginal discharge.
AB  - We report two cases in which urologic anomalies presented with vaginal discharge
      and fever in young women, aged 9 and 18 years. Both patients were ultimately
      diagnosed as having duplicated collecting systems with ectopic upper-pole ureters
      opening into the introitus. Although congenital urologic anomalies are a rare
      cause of vaginal discharge in young women, they should be included in the
      differential diagnosis of patients presenting with these symptoms.

PMID- 1870822
TI  - Suburethral paraganglioma.
AB  - Masses presenting beneath the urethra are not uncommon. Besides ureteral
      diverticula, which account for the vast majority of these masses, a multiplicity
      of heterogeneous benign and malignant tumors have been encountered in this
      region. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of a
      neuroendocrine tumor, a paraganglioma, discovered in the anatomical compartment
      between the urethra and vagina. When evaluating a patient with a suburethral
      mass, it is important to consider paraganglioma as part of the differential
      diagnosis because unwitting surgical removal of a functional catecholamine
      secreting tumor may precipitate a severe hypotensive episode and/or death.

PMID- 1870823
TI  - Unexplained displacement of ipsilateral ovary and fallopian tube.
AB  - During routine laparoscopy, the right fallopian tube and ovary were noted to be
      displaced. Ovarian and fallopian tube tissue were found on biopsy of adjacent
      omentum. The most probable cause is asymptomatic torsion of the right adnexum;
      therefore, evaluation of the renal system with intravenous pyelogram is probably
      not necessary.

PMID- 1870824
TI  - Massive evisceration: a complication following sacrospinous vaginal vault
      fixation.
AB  - This report describes a spontaneous vaginal vault prolapse in association with
      massive evisceration following sacrospinous vaginal vault fixation. Careful
      attention to surgical technique is critical to the success of the operation. In
      particular, good apposition of the vaginal vault to the sacrospinous ligament and
      adequate repair of an enterocele should avoid this complication.

PMID- 1870825
TI  - Clinical usefulness of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen for early detection
      of squamous cell carcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma of the ovary.
AB  - Squamous cell carcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma of the ovary is rarely
      diagnosed preoperatively. We measured the pre-treatment serum levels of squamous
      cell carcinoma antigen in three stage I patients in order to evaluate its
      usefulness as a tumor marker for early detection of the disease. The serum levels
      were elevated in each case, to 26.9, 5.1, and 3.2 ng/mL, respectively, and
      rapidly dropped to within the normal range after treatment. All patients are
      recovered and show no evidence of recurrence, and the levels of serum squamous
      cell carcinoma antigen have remained within normal limits. These results suggest
      that measurement of the serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level may be useful
      in diagnosing an early-stage primary squamous cell carcinoma arising in a mature
      cystic teratoma of the ovary. An elevated preoperative serum level of squamous
      cell carcinoma antigen may indicate the need for a rapid pathologic examination
      of the tumor to look for malignant elements and may influence the surgical
      regimen.

PMID- 1870826
TI  - The concept of uterine preservation with ovarian malignancies.
AB  - A 30-year-old woman with bilateral, recurrent, borderline papillary serous
      cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary was treated with bilateral oophorocystectomy and
      omentectomy with uterine preservation. Ten years later, through induction of an
      artificial endometrial cycle and ovum donation, she conceived twins and delivered
      two healthy infants. Staging exploratory laparotomy at the time of cesarean
      delivery was negative for malignancy. This case illustrates the value of uterine
      preservation for cases in which classical teaching has indicated hysterectomy
      with bilateral salpingoophorectomy.

PMID- 1870827
TI  - Adrenal carcinoma presenting with postmenopausal vaginal bleeding.
AB  - A 63-year-old woman presented with a 3-day history of vaginal bleeding. Pelvic
      examination and ultrasound revealed bilateral atrophy of the ovaries and a uterus
      of 8.8 x 3.3 x 4.0 cm. Serum estradiol (E2) was 300 pg/mL. Cushing syndrome was
      diagnosed biochemically, and computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a 5-cm
      left adrenal mass and tumors in the liver and lung. A pathologic diagnosis of
      metastatic adrenal carcinoma was made after surgery. This case demonstrates that
      adrenal carcinoma can produce high E2 levels in a postmenopausal woman, leading
      to uterine enlargement and vaginal bleeding. Adrenal carcinoma should therefore
      be included in the differential diagnosis of postmenopausal vaginal bleeding.

PMID- 1870828
TI  - Cecal rupture after continent ileocecal urinary diversion during total pelvic
      exenteration.
AB  - Continent ureteral diversion at the time of pelvic exenteration avoids an
      external appliance and allows patients to retain "bladder" reservoir function.
      The technical difficulty of this procedure requires meticulous attention to
      operative and perioperative care, particularly after pelvic irradiation. A
      patient with recurrent stage IIIB carcinoma of the cervix underwent total pelvic
      exenteration with reconstructive procedures including low rectal anastomosis,
      neovagina formation, and ileocecal (Indiana) continent diversion. Early
      catheterization of the reservoir began 2 weeks postoperatively. One week later
      cecal rupture occurred, not related to suture line (technical) failure. Because
      of the high wall tension and reduced compliance in the irradiated cecum, we do
      not recommend catheterization of the urinary reservoir before 4-6 weeks. In order
      for continent diversion to become the standard diversion in exenteration
      patients, the major complication rate must remain comparable to that of
      noncontinent diversion.

PMID- 1870829
TI  - Ohio's new living will legislation.

PMID- 1870830
TI  - Is durable power working in Ohio?

PMID- 1870831
TI  - Legal dilemmas ahead for HIV-infected physician.

PMID- 1870832
TI  - Cincy researchers study Chernobyl victims.

PMID- 1870833
TI  - A biopsychosocial profile of the geriatric population who frequently visit the
      emergency department.
AB  - Over the last two decades the emergency department has become the primary source
      of health care for a large segment of the population. While this practice is
      discouraged by ED staff and primary care providers, it is an unfortunate reality.
      Recent literature has examined the use of the ED from many different angles.
      Areas investigated include various demographics (age, sex, race, etc.), method of
      payment, presenting complaint, and availability of primary care. Repeated
      inappropriate use of ED services by individuals (the so called "frequent fliers")
      has also attracted attention. The interest in this sub-population of patients is
      presumably due to the prevalence as well as the excessive costs of this behavior.
      In the present study a retrospective chart review was used to establish the
      biopsychosocial profiles of geriatric patients identified as being frequently
      seen in the emergency department for non-urgent conditions. Even though only 11%
      of the US population is age 65 or older, the elderly in America consume 30% of
      the health care resources, and in the next 20 years that figure is expected to
      climb to 50% (1). Demographics, ED presentation, diagnosis, and treatment as well
      as past medical history were collected. The objectives of the study were to
      identify these elderly frequent fliers and determine what could be the reasons
      behind the inappropriate use of emergency department resources by these patients.
      The average age of the sample was 74. The marital status of the sample was as
      follows: 42.4% widowed, 27.2% married, 15% divorced, and 18.5% single. Over half
      (52.6%) of those patients were brought to the ED by ambulance. The most common
      presenting complaint was chest pain (20.8%), followed by somatic complaints
      (18.9%), GI (16.1%), dyspnea (13.7%), and change in mental status (12.8%). The
      most prevalent ED diagnosis was psychiatric (18.4%) in nature. The other
      diagnoses were somatic (16.6%), GI (11.8%), and pulmonary (10.9%). 88.5% of the
      sample reported to have a primary care physician. However, 45% of the ED visits
      occurred between 9 AM and 5 PM at a time when a physician should have been
      available. The admission rate for this sample was 21.9%, which is half what has
      been found in the "normal" elderly, as reported by McDonald and Abrahams.

PMID- 1870834
TI  - Ultrastructural investigation demonstrating reduced cell adhesion on heparin
      surface-modified intraocular lenses.
AB  - A major attention is focused at present to the surface characteristics of
      intraocular lenses (IOLs), which determine the biological response to the
      prostheses. There is now an overwhelming information on the fact that some cell
      types adhere to a lesser extent onto heparin-surface-modified (HSM)
      polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) IOLs, either in vitro and in vivo. The present work
      aimed at sheding new insights by applying ultrastructural techniques of analysis.
      Our results basically confirm that human fibroblasts, platelets and monocytes are
      less in number when cultured onto HSM PMMA IOLs as compared to untreated PMMA
      IOLs. In addition: (1) the submicroscopic morphology of the cells cultured onto
      HSM PMMA IOLs appears to be normal, thus confirming the noncytotoxicity of the
      material; (2) fibroblasts grown onto PMMA IOLs are confluent and multilayered;
      they appear to be in a state of intense activity; the cytoskeletal elements are
      regularly arranged, and several points of contact at the interface are found; the
      rare cells present on HSM IOLs do not show at all any of these features; (3) the
      basic forms of resting and activated platelets are seen onto PMMA IOLs while no
      sign of activation is observed onto HSM IOLs, and (4) the ultrastructural
      morphology of monocytes does not differ significantly between the different IOLs.
      However, other studies are still in progress in order to localize and quantitate
      the specific receptors responsible for the eventual activation of these cells.

PMID- 1870835
TI  - Doxium (calcium dobesilate) reduces blood hyperviscosity and lowers elevated
      intraocular pressure in patients with diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
AB  - In a double-blind randomized clinical trial, 79 non-insulin-dependent diabetic
      subjects with early retinopathy and open-angle glaucoma received orally either
      three 500-mg capsules of Doxium (calcium dobesilate) daily for 6 months (41
      patients) or three placebo capsules daily for the same period (38 patients). At
      the end of the study statistically significant differences in the Doxium group
      compared with the placebo group were recorded: intraocular pressure, visual field
      defects, surface area of retinal hemorrhages, and whole blood and plasma
      viscosity were reduced (p less than 0.001). Coefficient of outflow facility and
      serum albumin concentration were increased (p less than 0.001 and p less than
      0.02, respectively). These results suggest that increased whole blood viscosity
      is a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy and for glaucomatous optic nerve
      damage. They further suggest that Doxium reduces blood hyperviscosity and lowers
      intraocular pressure, with a beneficial effect on retinal state and visual
      fields.

PMID- 1870836
TI  - Incidence of posttrabeculectomy cataract among Arabs in Kuwait.
AB  - Trabeculectomy was performed in 466 glaucomatous eyes of 342 patients. Of these
      eyes, 54% appeared to have lens opacities. However, 35% of these cases had the
      cataract preoperatively and in 19% the cataractous changes appeared to develop
      postoperatively. The risk of development of posttrabeculectomy cataract seemed to
      increase with patient age. In addition, our results show that 51% of the patients
      developing a postoperative cataract had hypotony with a flat anterior chamber,
      24.4% had hyphema and 20% had uveitis. Our findings suggest that the main risk
      factors involved in the posttrabeculectomy development of cataract are age,
      hypotony, hyphema, uveitis and probably minor trauma to the lens by continuous
      circulation of the aqueous humor through the surgical fistula.

PMID- 1870837
TI  - Histological differentiation in fetal organ-cultured and human cataractous eye
      lenses.
AB  - Swine fetal organ-cultured lenses were studied histoautoradiographically and
      histologically, and human cataractous lenses were examined histologically to
      investigate the continuous differentiation of epithelial cells into fiber cells
      in the lens equatorial region. Both lens groups studied presented abnormal
      differentiation: the equatorial epithelium proliferates; nucleus-containing
      cortical fibers turn into bladder cells (of Wedl), and the formation of new
      cortical fibers stops.

PMID- 1870838
TI  - Zinc in tears.
AB  - The tear and serum zinc (Zn) levels were determined simultaneously by atomic
      absorption spectrophotometry in 11 healthy subjects. The mean tear Zn level was
      found to be 1.537 +/- 0.146 (SEM) ppm while the mean serum Zn level was found to
      be 1.03 +/- 0.046 (SEM) ppm.

PMID- 1870839
TI  - Microradiographical determination of the dry mass density in the rat retina.
AB  - A method for the quantitative measurement of the dry mass density in retinal
      tissue is presented. Cryosections of rat retinas were freeze-dried and exposed to
      soft X-rays together with a reference system. The section thickness was measured
      optically. The X-ray energy absorbed by the retinal tissue was recorded
      photographically and the microradiographs were evaluated photometrically. These
      measurements were used to estimate the dry mass density for each retinal layer.
      Sources of variation were evaluated. The precision was found adequate. The
      present method allows a localized determination of the dry mass density and of
      the hydration in the retina at a microscopic resolution.

PMID- 1870840
TI  - Polymorphonuclear leukocytes and bacterial growth of the normal and mildly
      inflamed conjunctiva.
AB  - We examined 304 conjunctiva in 152 subjects by clinical, cytologic, and
      bacteriologic methods. Bacteriologic samples were evaluated after a 48-hour
      incubation. Bacterial growth was found in 8 (20.5%) of 39 patients with
      clinically normal conjunctiva and no polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and in
      8 (61.5%) of 13 subjects with clinically normal conjunctiva and evidence of PMNs.
      Bacterial growth also was observed in 4 (40.0%) of 10 patients with clinically
      mild conjunctivitis and no PMNs, in 10 (24.4%) of 41 patients with clinically
      mild conjunctivitis and a mixture of inflammatory cells or predominantly
      lymphocytes, and in 37 (75.5%) of 49 patients with clinically mild conjunctivitis
      and evidence of PMNs. The presence of PMNs was well correlated with the existence
      of rapid-growing bacteria.

PMID- 1870841
TI  - Selenium concentration in ocular tissues and fluids.
AB  - A simple, precise method for the analysis of selenium (Se) in ocular fluids and
      tissues using electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy is presented. Se
      concentrations ranged from 0.23 to 0.41 microgram/g wet weight in the cornea,
      iris, lens, and retina. The Se concentration in aqueous humor was 0.008
      microgram/ml, thus much lower than that of plasma (0.21 microgram/ml). The
      concentration of protein in aqueous humor is about 1.0% of plasma. Since in
      plasma, Se is entirely bound to proteins, it is likely that the difference in Se
      concentration between plasma and aqueous humor reflects the relative distribution
      of protein between these fluids.

PMID- 1870842
TI  - Anticataractogenic property of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester in an animal
      model of cataract.
AB  - The anticataractogenic potential of gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester was
      investigated in model cataracts induced by L-buthionine sulfoximine. Subcutaneous
      injection of the ester (0.625-2.5 mmol/kg) effectively inhibited cataractogenesis
      in suckling mice. Treatment of mice with L-buthionine sulfoximine alone resulted
      in a marked reduction of the glutathione content in the eyes. This deprivation of
      glutathione was mitigated, to a significant degree, by coadministering gamma
      glutamylcysteine ethyl ester. In an experiment with rat lens in culture, gamma
      glutamylcysteine ethyl ester was found to elevate the lenticular level of
      glutathione. These results indicate that gamma-glutamylcysteine ethyl ester is
      able to permeate across biomembranes and serves as an excellent precursor for
      glutathione biosynthesis, thereby exerting its anticataractogenic activity.

PMID- 1870843
TI  - Racial variation of optic disc size.
AB  - The optic disc size was measured in 125 volunteers without ocular disease. The
      horizontal disc diameter and the disc area were significantly smaller in whites
      and Hispanics than in non-American Indians, Orientals and blacks, and smaller in
      females than in males. There was no correlation between disc size and age. Future
      studies analyzing optic disc morphometry need to account for the influence of sex
      and race.

PMID- 1870844
TI  - Histochemical analysis of experimental granulomatous uveitis.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated the effects of various inhibitors of arachidonic
      acid metabolism on experimental lens-induced granulomatous uveitis. In the
      present study, we investigated the effect of these same inhibitors on the
      expression of lysosomal enzymes at different stages of choroidal inflammation in
      experimental lens-induced granulomatous uveitis and compared this to the
      inflammation observed at each stage examined. Lysosomal enzymes such as acid
      phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and succinate dehydrogenase are known to be
      liberated during the maturation of mononuclear phagocytes to epithelioid cell
      granulomas. Although animals treated with nordihydroguaiaretic acid showed less
      severe inflammation than did indomethacin-treated or control animals, none of
      these agents appeared to affect the expression of acid phosphatase and beta
      glucuronidase, as determined histochemically. Succinate dehydrogenase could not
      be detected in any of the eyes examined, even though sections of liver and kidney
      from these same animals were positive for this enzyme.

PMID- 1870845
TI  - Nosocomial infections of ocular conjunctiva in newborns delivered by cesarian
      section.
AB  - Colonization of the ocular conjunctiva in newborns delivered by cesarian section
      occurs usually within the first day of life. We have studied the flora of the
      ocular conjunctiva at birth, from 19 newborns delivered by cesarian section,
      coming from two different maternity hospitals. Ocular conjunctiva cultures
      yielded the main predominant flora in both maternity hospitals considered. The
      most common genus of this flora are: Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium and
      Propionibacterium acnes. Peptostreptococcus productus, Neisseria, Eubacterium and
      Clostridium perfringens are isolated occasionally. In newborns delivered by
      cesarian section, this flora principally acquired may be the consequence of the
      presence of bacteria in the ambient air, as well as differences in care provided
      by the nosocomial personnel.

PMID- 1870846
TI  - Comparison of phosphate metabolites of the ocular humors.
AB  - Ocular humors (aqueous humor and vitreous body) were obtained from porcine eyes.
      Perchloric acid extracts were prepared from aqueous and vitreous aspirates, and
      phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy 31P-NMR performed.
      Resonance signals from four high-energy phosphate groups (phosphocreatine,
      adenosine tri- and diphosphate and the dinucleotides) and nine low-energy
      phosphate groups [dihydroxyacetone phosphate, hexose-6-phosphate, alpha
      glycerophosphate, fructose-1,6-diphosphate, ethanolamine phosphate, choline
      phosphate, inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), glycerol-3-phosphorylethanolamine and
      glycerol-3-phosphorylcholine] were present in the aqueous humor and/or vitreous
      body. Vitreous body phosphates significantly elevated relative to that of the
      aqueous humor were: DHAP, Hex 6-P, alpha-GP, Fru 1,6-diP, CP, GPE, PCr, ATP, ADP,
      and the dinucleotides; only Pi was significantly lower. Six metabolic indices
      (monoesters, diesters, monoesters/diesters, monoesters/Pi, ATP/Pi, energy
      modulus) were determined; all vitreous body indices were significantly higher
      than those of the aqueous humor. In particular, the energy modulus, a measure of
      overall metabolic energy status, was higher in the vitreous body (0.121 +/-
      0.047) than in the aqueous humor (0.05 +/- 0.021).

PMID- 1870847
TI  - Endothelial cells of rabbit cornea in different storage conditions. A
      quantitative cytochemical study.
AB  - The metabolic functions of endothelial cells of the rabbit cornea in different
      storage conditions were studied using quantitative cytochemistry. The corneas
      were stored for 2 h, and 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days in dexol at 4 degrees C and in
      culture medium at 37 degrees C. It was shown that glycolysis as expressed by the
      activity of the cytosolic enzymes glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase,
      glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase is well preserved for
      1 week in dexol and for 3 days only in the culture medium. Mitochondrial enzymes
      as shown by succinate dehydrogenase and fatty acid oxidation activity show a
      similar pattern. Uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase, which plays an important
      part in proteoglycan synthesis, is markedly decreased in both media, but retains
      its activity in dexol for a slightly longer time. Keratan and chondroitin sulfate
      content show a sharp drop in the culture medium at 37 degrees C as compared to
      dexol. This study demonstrates the superiority of dexol at 4 degrees C over the
      culture medium at 37 degrees C. Quantitative cytochemistry is a useful tool for
      studying the metabolism of endothelial cells.

PMID- 1870848
TI  - [Fatigue of the respiratory muscle and respiratory insufficiency].
AB  - Recent results on respiratory muscle function are reviewed, with special regard
      to the muscle fatigue theory of respiratory failure. In this respect diagnostic
      measures and clinical symptoms are reported. Therapy is directed to reduce the
      work of respiratory muscles and temporarily rest them. Within this special role
      is given to the treatment with respirator and positive pressure breathing.

PMID- 1870849
TI  - [Follow up of extremely low birth weight infants at the age of 8-11 years (late
      prognosis of perinatal factors)].
AB  - Thirty-four long-term survivors of a five-year period (1977-1981) weighing 1000 g
      or less at birth were followed-up at 8-11 years of age. Fifty per cent of this
      population was qualified as normal. The great majority of the children (24)
      attended normal school but 7 (20.6%) with need of special help. There were only
      three children (8.8%) with severe functional impairment. The rate of survival was
      30% at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Pediatrics,
      University Medical School, Debrecen at that period of time. The authors analyze
      in detail the connections of the perinatal events and the outcome. While survival
      was influenced primarily by hemorrhagic complications beyond immaturity, the long
      term prognosis depended on birth asphyxia, recurrent apneic spells and
      requirements for oxygen therapy.

PMID- 1870850
TI  - [Localization of primary and recurrent bladder tumors].
AB  - The location distribution of the primary and recurrent bladder tumours was
      studied in 417 patients. The authors decided that the ureteral orifices, the
      lateral walls are the most common places of primary superficial bladder tumours.
      The favoured places of the primary invasive bladder tumours are the posterior
      walls. They found not so much disparity between the site of primary and recurrent
      invasive bladder tumours, but the difference between the site of the primary and
      recurrent superficial bladder tumours is remarkable. They decided, according to
      their patients material, that the recurrent superficial bladder tumours take
      places more frequently on the posterior walls, the dome and the anterior walls.
      The explanation of this phenomenon may be the tumour cells implantation during
      the TUR. The authors survived all the other processes can yield the local and
      distant recurrent bladder tumours and understanding of this processes can result
      in a better understanding of the location distribution of the recurrent bladder
      tumours on the one hand and it can help us to avoid or decrease the recurrences
      on the other hand.

PMID- 1870851
TI  - [Ultrasonic diagnosis of pathological changes of the knee].
AB  - 54 knee joints clinically suspicious of presenting a lesion were examined. The
      ultrasound examination proved to be of great value in disclosing both anatomical
      details and lesions. Our results closely correlate with the abnormalities found
      at operation. We agree with literature that ultrasound method is adequate for
      diagnosing abnormalities in the knee. This method has been recommended as first
      choice for in many cases it fields a final diagnosis.

PMID- 1870852
TI  - [Persistent trigeminal artery associated with pituitary adenoma].
AB  - The authors report of a case with a pituitary macroadenoma which was associated
      with a persistent trigeminal artery. The tumour was removed by transsphenoidal
      microsurgical approach to the sella turcica. To recognise the developmental
      anomaly is very important to avoid complications during operation.

PMID- 1870853
TI  - [Centenary of the birth of Endre Jeney].

PMID- 1870854
TI  - [Sarcastic remarks about the current practice of medical consultation --or: why
      do I dislike to participate in consultations?].

PMID- 1870855
TI  - [Speculations about the compulsory regional on duty service of pediatricians].

PMID- 1870856
TI  - [Diagnostic value of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes].
AB  - Among the serum enzymes used for diagnostic purposes the alkaline phosphatase
      (AP) is one of the oldest and the most frequently applied laboratory tests.
      Increased activity found in the serum is a consequence of certain hepato-biliary
      disorders, different bone diseases, endocrine syndromes, kidney illnesses and
      malignant tumors as well. From the study of the pattern of the isoenzymes of the
      serum-AP information of practical importance may be gained by which many
      differential-diagnostic problems can be solved. For the clinical-chemical
      laboratories methods that use electrophoretic separation on different membranes
      or gels are recommended. Patterns characteristic for different diseases may well
      be differentiated from normal constellation. AP-isoenzymes help to reveal
      cholestases at early stages, some disorders of bone metabolism and malignant
      processes as well.

PMID- 1870857
TI  - [Transabdominal chorion aspiration in the second pregnancy trimester].
AB  - The authors report their experiences with 377 transabdominal chorionic villi
      samplings performed in the second trimester of pregnancy, between 1987-1989. They
      used the double needle technique with continuous ultrasound guidance. In every
      case they could get a sufficient amount of villi from one puncture, and there was
      no unsuccessful direct chromosome-preparation. The obstetrical complications of
      the procedure were measured by the analysis of the outcome of the first 300
      pregnancies intended to continue: the abortion rate after the transabdominal
      chorionic villi sampling seems to be lower, than after amniocentesis.

PMID- 1870858
TI  - [Ambulatory cryotherapy of anal fissures].
AB  - The author reports 55 patients suffering anal fissure treated by cryosurgery. The
      method is simple, causes almost no complication, and a real outpatient way of
      treatment. 47 patients were controlled (85.5 per cent of all). There was no
      recurrence or remaining complaint. Regarding his own experience the method is
      recommended.

PMID- 1870859
TI  - [Cancer of the skin tube--late complication of the ante-thoracic substitution for
      the esophagus].
AB  - The authors report on two patients suffering from benign oesophageal stricture
      reconstructed by a skin tube. In both skin tube there are developed a malignancy
      which infiltrated the skin of the chest wall. During one session they performed
      the removal of the skin tube and the antethoracic reconstruction with ileocolon.
      The large defect on the thorax was covered in both cases with a latissimus dorsi
      myocutaneous flap. This provided satisfactory functional and cosmetic result.
      They point out the effectiveness of the cytostatic combination they administered.
      Attention should be drawn to the use of the myocutaneous flaps and the regular
      checking of patients with skin tubes.

PMID- 1870861
TI  - [Life-work of David Gruby and his role in dermatology].

PMID- 1870860
TI  - [Szechenyi and Kossuth on "apparent death"--discussed in Kelet Nepe (People of
      the East) 150 years ago].

PMID- 1870862
TI  - [Distribution of apolipoprotein A I and B in the blood according to age and
      gender, as well as their relation to blood cholesterol levels in the Hungarian
      blood donor population].
AB  - In this study we assessed the plasma CHOL, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), apoprotein A
      I, apoprotein B levels and the polymorphic isoforms of apoprotein A I in
      Hungarian blood donors (n = 202, average age: 37.5 year). The mean values are
      presented for age and sex groups, and the data are compared to the international
      measurements. The mean CHOL concentration was 5.7 +/- 1.1 mmol/l. The CHOL level
      correlated with age and no significant association was observed with sex. The
      level of HDL-C showed no correlation with the age and--in opposite to the
      international data--there were no significant sex differences (women: 1.42 +/-
      0.45, men: 1.34 +/- 0.44 mmol/l), which may be explained by the relative high HDL
      C concentration of Hungarian men. Both apo A I and apo B showed an increase with
      advancing age. The only difference between the sexes was found in apoprotein A I
      levels, i. e. it was higher in women than in men (women: 156.3 +/- 23.6, men:
      143.8 +/- 26.8 mg/dl). In contrary with the results from other countries, the
      apoprotein B concentrations in men did not differ from that measured in women
      (women: 72.1 +/- 17.4, men: 69 +/- 15.8 mg/dl). In relation to the age, in the
      fifth decade the CHOL, the HDL-C and the apo B levels were higher in women than
      in men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1870863
TI  - [Changes in interleukin-2 receptor levels in active and inactive pulmonary
      sarcoidosis].
AB  - Current concepts of the immunopathology of sarcoidosis claim a central role for
      activated pulmonary T-lymphocytes in the maintenance of inflammatory processes.
      We hypothesized that the pulmonary sarcoidosis disease activity could be
      monitored by the measurement of serum levels of sIL-2R. We evaluated the sIL-2R
      in 28 sarcoidosis patients at multiple time points before, during and after
      therapy and compared the results with the clinical activity of the disease.
      Before therapy out of 24 episodes with active disease 20 exhibited elevated
      levels of sIL-2R. Six out of 21 episodes with inactive disease after tappering
      off corticoid therapy had sIL-2R levels above the upper limit of the normal
      range. Disease activity under therapy as well segregated with the sIL-2R serum
      level. Our results demonstrate that the activity of pulmonary sarcoidosis is
      reflected accurately by the serum level of sIL-2R suggesting that phenomenons of
      T-cell activation determining the course of the disease are monitored by this
      approach.

PMID- 1870864
TI  - [Analysis of radiographic changes in the cervical spine in rheumatoid arthritis].
AB  - At the outpatient department of rheumatology 100 patients having definitive or
      classic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined and their cervical spine was
      radiographed with traditional X-ray technique. Correlation between roentgen signs
      and some parameters of the patient and of the disease was processed by regression
      analysis. The presence of the rheumatoid factor and second line drug therapy did
      not influence radiographic changes. Degenerative roentgen signs showed a linear
      correlation with the RA functional capacity and the duration of cervical
      complaints, and an exponential correlation with the duration of disease and the
      age of the patient. There was a linear correlation between osteoporosis and all
      the parameters examined. Inflammatory radiographic changes showed an exponential
      correlation with functional capacity and duration of cervical complaints, and a
      linear correlation with the duration of illness and the age of the patient.
      Symptoms of patients never treated with steroids was more severe than of those
      receiving short steroid therapy, but less serious than of those who had taken
      steroids for a long time (for longer than 10 years).

PMID- 1870865
TI  - [Prognostic value of the study of the blood flow in the fetal median cerebral
      artery].
AB  - Medial cerebral artery blood flow velocity waveforms were examined by pulsed
      Doppler ultrasound between the 28th and 41st week of pregnancy. It has been found
      that the vessel showed an increased resistance at the beginning of the third
      trimester, which significantly decreased till term. In intrauterin hypoxia the
      diastolic component of the blood flow velocity waveform of medial cerebral artery
      becomes stronger, marking the centralisation of the circulation. By their opinion
      the examination of the blood flow in the medial cerebral artery would be an
      effective additional possibility of the other intrauterine diagnostic methods
      (both the positive and the negative predictive value were higher than 90%) for
      the notifying the post-partal condition of the fetus.

PMID- 1870866
TI  - [A case of inflammatory fibroid polyp of unusual localization].
AB  - The case of an inflammatory fibroid polyp of infrequent localization is
      presented. Altogether 100 cases are reported by summarizing publications in the
      literature and only a small part of them showed duodenal localization. The
      patient whose case is presented was subjected to internal examination and later
      to operation because of acute spastic abdominal pain and loss of weight.
      Following the description of the case the authors analyse the etiology of this
      rare disease and the problems of terminology. Radical, curative operation is
      considered expedient in these cases. The presented case can be regarded as a
      special one both from the viewpoint of diagnostics and of its duodenal
      localization.

PMID- 1870867
TI  - [Comment on the article: Plastic Repair of Umbilical Hernia in Cirrhotic Patients
      by Valve Implant].

PMID- 1870868
TI  - [The use of aminoglycoside antibiotics in pediatrics. (Addendum to a methodologic
      letter)].

PMID- 1870869
TI  - Otitis media: the pathogenesis approach. Definitions and terminology.

PMID- 1870870
TI  - Otitis media: the pathogenesis approach.

PMID- 1870871
TI  - The concept of silent otitis media. Its importance and implications.
AB  - This article defines silent otitis media and describes its continuum of signs and
      symptoms and its sequelae. Chronic silent otitis media and silent otitis media in
      children are also examined, and treatment principles are provided.

PMID- 1870872
TI  - Epidemiology of otitis media.
AB  - Although otitis media (OM) incidence and prevalence estimates from around the
      world vary widely, it is clear that OM is a very common childhood disease. It is
      especially prevalent in children younger than 2 years of age. Furthermore, the
      earlier the first episode of OM, the greater the risk of subsequent recurrent OM
      and chronic otitis media with effusion. In addition, a number of other host,
      agent, and environmental factors have been associated with increased risk of
      otitis media. Environmental factors that favor the transmission of upper
      respiratory pathogens increase the risk of OM, recurrent OM, and chronic OME with
      effusion. Several factors suggest a genetic role in OM susceptibility, which
      needs further exploration.

PMID- 1870873
TI  - The concept of pronicity in otitis media.

PMID- 1870874
TI  - Update on functional anatomy and pathology of human eustachian tube related to
      otitis media with effusion.
AB  - New anatomic and histopathologic information regarding the eustachian tube and
      its surrounding structure as well as possible mechanisms of opening and closing
      function and dysfunction are discussed in this article. In the past two decades,
      much light has been shed on the relationship between anomalies of the eustachian
      tube and the pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion. Now that a technique for
      obtaining specimens for any histopathologic study that includes the temporal bone
      as well as the eustachian tube is available, it is hoped that, by harvesting and
      examining a large number of such specimens, more information will be gained about
      the relation between eustachian tube pathology and eustachian tube dysfunction,
      particularly as it relates to otitis media effusion. Only in this way can the
      clinical management of otitis media be improved.

PMID- 1870875
TI  - The significance of experimental animal studies in otitis media.
AB  - Animal models have been instrumental in investigating otitis media. Experimental
      models have allowed for focused research on how such factors as eustachian tube
      dysfunction and microbial infection contribute to the pathogenesis of otitis
      media. Antibacterial therapy and immunologic prophylaxis have been developed
      using these models. Current research is aimed at generating an objective index of
      middle ear inflammation for guiding patient management.

PMID- 1870876
TI  - Mechanisms of otitis media development. Involvement of neurogenic inflammation.
AB  - The mucosal lining of the middle ear cavity, in particular that of the tympanic
      membrane and its pars flaccida, exhibits a number of sensory nerves containing
      the neuropeptides substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
      The mucosa is not only rich in nerves and blood vessels but also contains
      numerous mast cells. It is possible that interactions between histamine
      containing mast cells and SP-containing and CGRP-containing nerves--neurogenic
      inflammation--is one of the mechanisms involved in vessel permeability changes in
      otitis media with effusion.

PMID- 1870877
TI  - Middle ear inflammatory mediators and cochlear function.
AB  - Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) has been documented in patients with otitis
      media. Despite a number of clinical and pathologic works dealing with this common
      problem, animal studies searching for possible relationships between the middle
      ear inflammation and cochlear function remain insufficient. Bacterial inoculation
      and ototoxins and inflammatory products in the middle ear cavity cause SNHL in
      rodents. Human serum albumin placed in the middle ear cavity in chinchillas also
      produces SNHL, owing to the effects of nonspecific inflammation in the middle ear
      cavity. Most of the middle ear inflammatory mediators enter the inner ear through
      the round window route, and alteration of the permeability of the round window
      membrane plays an important role in causing cochlear dysfunction. Although an
      immunologic response in the middle ear plays an important role in otitis media,
      the immunologic response in the inner ear as it relates to middle ear
      inflammatory mediators requires further study.

PMID- 1870878
TI  - Immunologic reactivity in the middle ear in otitis media with effusion.
AB  - This article reviews the immunologic reactivity in the middle ear in both the
      human disease and in animal models of otitis media. It differentiates the role of
      immune complexes in otitis media in the animal model and in the human form of
      middle ear inflammation. The effect of immunization of the gut on the mucosal
      immune system in the middle ear is briefly explored, and the source of
      lymphocytes that make their way into the middle ear mucosa from other parts of
      the mucosal immune system and systemic immune system are briefly discussed.
      Finally, work from the author's laboratory on the immune response of children
      with recurrent otitis media due to nontypable Haemophilus influenzae is
      summarized.

PMID- 1870879
TI  - Clinical and pharmacokinetic basis for the antimicrobial treatment of acute
      otitis media.
AB  - Given the astonishing frequency in childhood of acute otitis media and its
      significant morbidity, such as hearing loss and possibly speech delay, improving
      treatment of response is essential. Since bacteria are an important cause of
      otitis media, antimicrobial treatment remains the cornerstone of such treatment.
      Over the last four decades, many clinical studies have shown that antibiotics can
      relieve symptoms and prevalent complications, although a universal cure is still
      elusive. This article summarizes the most pertinent clinical and experimental
      research on treating and preventing acute otitis media, with a focus on
      intervention trials and the pharmacokinetic behavior of antimicrobial drugs.

PMID- 1870880
TI  - Audiologic evaluation of the otitis media patient.
AB  - Because of the complexity and variability in the expression of otitis media, its
      effects on auditory function are diverse. The various influences of otitis media
      on auditory function are described within this article, including acoustic
      reflex, audiometry, and tympanometry.

PMID- 1870881
TI  - Clinical approach to treatment of otitis media.
AB  - The author presents his experience of 10 years of practice with the treatment of
      otitis media. He expresses concern for the inconsistencies between articles
      written recommending treatment protocols for otitis media and actual clinical
      results from using those treatment protocols. Otitis media varies in its
      appearance from patient to patient, with its association to other continuous
      structures and other organ systems making it a challenging disease to correct and
      cure. Treatment must be tailor-made to fit the patient, and the physician needs
      to consider other professional opinions and emphasize follow-up care.

PMID- 1870882
TI  - Pediatric approach to the diagnosis and management of otitis media.
AB  - The diagnosis of otitis media is complicated by confusing terminology and a
      disease continuum with overlap between clinical entities. The patient's history
      often reveals determinants of otitis media chronicity and recurrence. Certain
      laboratory tests, including tympanocentesis for middle ear fluid culture, may be
      useful in treatment decisions. Although seven antimicrobial drugs are useful in
      treating acute otitis media, certain drugs are more useful in specific cases.
      There are several medical treatment options for chronic otitis media with
      effusion and for preventing recurrent acute otitis media.

PMID- 1870883
TI  - Otolaryngologic approach to the diagnosis and management of otitis media.
AB  - Otitis media is a common childhood disease caused by multiple factors.
      Understanding the pathogenesis of otitis media is important in the diagnosis and
      management of it. The mode of therapy should be chosen depending on the type and
      stage of the disease. Treatment options available to an otolaryngologist include
      antibiotics, tympanocentesis, myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertions,
      adenoidectomy with or without tonsillectomy, exploratory tympanotomy,
      atympanoplasty, and mastoidectomy.

PMID- 1870884
TI  - Otitis media: the pathogenesis approach. Assessment and treatment of associated
      upper respiratory tract pathology.
AB  - The communication of the middle ear with the nasopharynx via the Eustachian tube
      makes it susceptible to disease processes of the upper airway. It is therefore
      necessary for patients with otitis media to have a thorough evaluation of the
      upper airway for detection and management of any concurrent pathologic condition.
      This article reviews the various upper respiratory tract pathologic entities
      associated with otitis media.

PMID- 1870885
TI  - Otitis media: the pathogenesis approach. General surgical approach based on
      pathogenesis. An overall approach.
AB  - The authors present an overall approach and fundamental concepts based on
      pathogenesis. They advocate an open-minded approach, tailoring the treatment to
      each individual patient rather than fitting patients into preestablished
      classifications.

PMID- 1870886
TI  - Otitis media. 16 years of pathogenesis approach.
AB  - The authors describe 16 years of their approach to research in otitis media,
      their rationale, and the concepts that have evolved from their experiments and
      clinical work. The authors suggest that interest is the key to progress and not
      laboratory facilities. They extend an invitation to individuals with different
      backgrounds but common interest in otitis media to work together from the
      standpoint of pathogenesis.

PMID- 1870887
TI  - Review article: post-spinal cord injury syringomyelia.

PMID- 1870888
TI  - Intermittent urethral self-catheterisation: long term results (bacteriological
      evolution, continence, acceptance, complications).
AB  - Forty six (9%) out of 520 patients from the years 1976 to 1982 who used
      intermittent urethral self-catheterisation (IUSC) as the method of bladder
      drainage at the moment of discharge from the Swiss Paraplegic Centre of Basel
      were analysed during their rehabilitation period, on discharge, 3, 6 months later
      and again 5 years later regarding bacteriological changes and urinary tract
      infections, behaviour of some problem germs such as Proteus, Klebsiella and
      Pseudomonas, sterile versus clean catheterisation, catheterisation frequency,
      complications, continence and acceptance of this method. Only 22 patients
      continue IUSC, 5 have died, 6 use indwelling catheters and 13 are voiding their
      neurogenic bladder with other methods. Average time on IUSC was 6.6 years (0.5-13
      years) in the women's group and 4.6 years (0.5-12 years) in the men's group. Of
      the remaining 22 patients on IUSC, 23% have sterile urines, 36.5% are infected
      with E. coli and Enterococci, 4.5% with Staphylococci and the remaining 36% still
      show the problem germs Pseudomonas (4.5%), Proteus (13.5%) and Klebsiella (18%),
      but there was a reduction from 19 cases with problem germs in 1983 to 11 cases in
      1988. In 1988 5% women and 4% men changed from sterile to clean IUSC (2 out of 11
      men using the same catheter for at least 1 week and 2 out of 10 women). The
      complication rate was astonishingly low during IUSC: being only 4.3% (2 male
      patients, one with stricture of the urethra and epididymitis, one with autonomous
      dysreflexia with bladder overdistension). No anti-cholinergic or alpha
      stimulating agents were used nor continuous antibiotic-prophylaxis and only in
      one female patient was a bladder denervation procedure performed. No
      deterioration of the upper urinary tract was observed. The degree of continence
      remained stable throughout the follow-up, and the same applies to the acceptance
      of IUSC. The authors conclude that IUSC can be of great help in neuropathic
      bladder rehabilitation provided that the patients are properly selected,
      motivated and well instructed and followed throughout the years.

PMID- 1870889
TI  - Spinal cord injury surveillance in the United States: an overview.
AB  - In the United States, injuries are the leading cause of premature lost years of
      life, surpassing cancer and heart disease combined. Public health surveillance of
      injuries such as spinal cord injury (SCI) has recently begun to evolve, following
      decades of experience with similar methods for infectious and chronic disease
      conditions. In 1985, the Federal Government's Centers for Disease Control began
      to promote the development of surveillance systems for sentinel injuries at both
      the state and national level. Many states have developed, or are in the process
      of developing, statewide registries for SCI. The rationale behind the
      establishment of these registries is 4-fold: (1) to identify SCI persons in order
      to facilitate and coordinate provision of health and other services; (2) to
      gather accurate data for injury prevention efforts and planning for needed
      services; (3) to evaluate services provided, and (4) to document outcome and cost
      effectiveness of care systems. The purpose, content and scope of these registries
      are reviewed in detail.

PMID- 1870890
TI  - Systematic lower limb phlebography in acute spinal cord injury in 147 patients.
AB  - This study was concluded on paraplegic and tetraplegic patients of all
      aetiologies except neoplasic, where paralysis developed within 48 hours. All
      patients were admitted to the rehabilitation department within 90 days after the
      onset of paralysis. In a preliminary review of 328 files, there were 27 cases of
      clinical deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 10 with pulmonary embolism (PE), 6 of
      which were fatal. A prospective study was conducted, based on systematic
      detection of asymptomatic DVT with phlebography. Among the 147 patients, 20
      previously presented with DVT. The 127 others underwent phlebography which showed
      39 DVT in 29 patients. Eighty seven patients with negative phlebography underwent
      a second study a month later which showed 14 DVT in 12 patients. Only one minor
      pulmonary embolism occurred in these 147 patients. The incidence of DVT after
      acute spinal cord injury and the frequent absence of clinical manifestations were
      confirmed. Prophylactic anticoagulant therapy is useful but insufficient. This
      study demonstrates that systematic and repeated detection of DVT by phlebography
      may reduce the incidence of PE.

PMID- 1870891
TI  - An analysis of the diverse factors concerned with the development of pressure
      sores in spinal cord injured patients.
AB  - Patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI) admitted to the Institut Guttmann,
      Barcelona, from the years 1985 to 1988 with pressure sores (PS) are reviewed.
      Demographic, pathological and psychological factors are analysed in an attempt to
      identify organic and/or behavioural patterns which might imply an added risk for
      the development of pressure sores in the spinal cord injured. About 30% of 884
      SCI patients admitted during this period had one or more PS (mean 1.5), most of
      these were localised to the ischial, trochanteric and sacral regions, and about
      70% were grade 3 or 4 (Enis and Sarmiento classification). The study supports the
      generally acknowledged view that a precarious state of health and certain psycho
      social conditions are contributing factors to a higher risk in the development
      and severity of PS in SCI patients.

PMID- 1870892
TI  - Functional electrical stimulation and reciprocating gait orthosis for ambulation
      exercise in a tetraplegic patient: a case study.
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to report the cardiopulmonary stresses (as indicated
      by heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption and task cost) for a
      tetraplegic individual when walking with electrical stimulation and a gait
      orthosis as opposed to walking with a gait orthosis alone. Functional electrical
      stimulation (FES), when interfaced with a reciprocating gait orthosis (RGO),
      resulted in walking exercise for a C-7 level tetraplegic subject, who was 8 years
      post-injury. Cardiopulmonary measurements were made and task costs calculated on
      this individual during progressive velocity walking with the FES-RGO and the
      orthosis alone (without FES). Results for the tetraplegic individual indicate
      that there were no significant changes in heart rate at the various walking
      velocities with respect to the two systems. However, systolic blood pressure was
      significantly reduced at the three highest walking velocities (1.2, 1.6 and 2.0
      kph) when using the FES and orthosis system as compared to orthosis-alone walking
      (p less than .025, p less than .005 and p less than .025 respectively).
      Calculated oxygen consumption was significantly reduced and calculated task cost
      improved at the highest walking velocity (2.0 kph) when using the FES-RGO system
      as compared to using only the RGO (p less than .025). It is concluded that
      cardiopulmonary stresses are significantly less for this tetraplegic individual
      when ambulating at the higher velocities with electrical stimulation and a gait
      orthosis than when walking with a gait orthosis alone. This may result in
      improved endurance during each walking session and (consequently) an improved
      aerobic exercise effect. This might also allow some tetraplegics, who would be
      unable to walk with the RGO alone, to walk with electrical stimulation and the
      RGO.

PMID- 1870893
TI  - Ernest H. J. Bors, MD (1900-1990).

PMID- 1870894
TI  - Initial factors predicting functional performance in patients with traumatic
      tetraplegia.

PMID- 1870895
TI  - Part 1. Congenital idiopathic clubfoot.
AB  - Although not life-threatening, clubfoot, a non-traumatic deviation of the foot,
      makes a strong impact on the infant, parents, and family. Serial casting with or
      without surgical intervention make up the medical plan. Nursing care needs to
      focus on emotional support of the family and education regarding the diagnosis,
      treatment plan, and daily care of an infant in a cast.

PMID- 1870896
TI  - Part 2. Osteogenesis imperfecta.
AB  - Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), the most common genetic disorder of bone, is
      characterized by frequent, unpredictable fractures of the long bones with
      progressive skeletal deformity. Often diagnosed in the early years of life, OI
      requires a comprehensive, interdisciplinary plan of care involving patient,
      family, and community. The nurse's role as caregiver, educator, and patient
      advocate is to foster normal physical and psychosocial growth and development and
      minimize the opportunity for fracture.

PMID- 1870897
TI  - Clinical implications of the impact of autologous blood donation on functional
      recovery.
AB  - The practice of depositing units of autologous blood to prepare for elective
      surgery is steadily increasing. This article outlines the advantages and
      limitations of autologous blood donations. Secondary analysis from a study of
      functional recovery following total knee replacement compares functional outcomes
      of people who predeposited autologous units with those who did not. Clinical
      implications and suggestions are made for managing the patient's physiologic
      status during the donation process, as well as hemodynamic status during the
      postoperative transfusion period.

PMID- 1870898
TI  - Complications of lumbar spine surgery.
AB  - Lumbar spine surgery is now performed at all ages for reasons ranging from life
      threatening tumors to intractable pain. A multitude of potential complications
      demand astute nursing assessment skills. Though not all of the complications
      discussed in the following article are preventable, early recognition,
      intervention, and patient support by the well-educated orthopaedic nurse can
      significantly lessen patient morbidity and even mortality.

PMID- 1870899
TI  - Making a thoraco-lumbo-sacral orthosis.

PMID- 1870901
TI  - An exceptional teacher.

PMID- 1870900
TI  - Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents 28:08.04.

PMID- 1870902
TI  - Collagen vascular diseases of childhood.
AB  - This article is devoted to collagen vascular diseases of childhood. The
      connective tissue diseases that are discussed are lupus erythematosus,
      scleroderma, and dermatomyositis. Of the vasculitic syndromes, Henoch-Schonlein
      purpura, acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy, and polyarteritis nodosa are
      discussed. Although the collagen vascular diseases are rare in the pediatric age
      group, when they occur they can be very serious.

PMID- 1870903
TI  - Pediatric dermatology.

PMID- 1870904
TI  - Neonatal skin disorders.
AB  - Skin disorders are commonly seen in the neonatal period. A recent survey of
      neonates demonstrated that almost every neonate had some skin lesion. The most
      common skin findings are desquamation, Epstein's pearls, sebaceous hyperplasia,
      milia, toxic erythema, salmon patch, hypertrichosis, and Mongolian spot. In
      addition to these common cutaneous findings, other disorders may exist and are
      discussed in this article.

PMID- 1870905
TI  - Atopic dermatitis in infants and children.
AB  - Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease triggered by a
      variety of irritative emotional and allergic factors. Education and simple
      prevention and maintenance measures such as proper moisturizing greatly reduce
      disease. Antibiotics and topical corticosteroids are therapeutic mainstays.

PMID- 1870906
TI  - Important melanocytic lesions in childhood and adolescence.
AB  - Melanocytic nevi are common in children and adolescents, and the preponderance of
      these lesions are benign. Congenital melanocytic nevi, dysplastic nevi, and large
      numbers of common acquired nevi, however, may indicate an increased risk of
      malignant melanoma. With the exception, possibly, of giant congenital nevi,
      melanoma associated with these lesions generally occurs in adulthood.
      Nonetheless, some patients can be identified as being at increased risk for the
      development of melanoma during childhood. The poor prognosis associated with
      advanced melanoma and the curability of early lesions underscore the importance
      of prompt recognition of melanoma when it does occur in children. Furthermore,
      physicians who care for children are in a key position to decrease risk of
      melanoma throughout the lifespan by encouraging avoidance of excessive sun
      exposure during childhood.

PMID- 1870907
TI  - Hemangiomas and vascular malformations.
AB  - Vascular lesions in the neonate and infant are categorized as hemangiomas or
      malformations. Although their appearances may be similar, the pathobiology,
      natural history, and prognosis of these lesions are different. Selected important
      syndromes that are characterized as hemangiomas and vascular malformations are
      discussed, and an update on what is new in treatment, including laser therapy, is
      presented.

PMID- 1870908
TI  - All about ichthyosis.
AB  - From "alligator people" to "porcupine boys," the ichthyoses have been a
      distinctly recognizable entity for thousands of years. Recent improvements in
      biochemical and genetic research have allowed more scientific delineation of this
      class of diseases. This article covers the latest in pathophysiology, the major
      classes of ichthyoses, many of the newer minor ones, prenatal diagnosis, and
      treatment options.

PMID- 1870909
TI  - Childhood exanthems. Old and new.
AB  - Exanthems are a common cause of rashes in children. Several recent developments
      have sparked a renewed interest in this group of diseases, including the
      identification of parvovirus B19 and human herpesvirus 6 as the causative agents
      of erythema infectiosum and roseola infantum. The resurgence of measles as a
      childhood exanthem has caused a re-examination of current immunization practices.
      The most common and clinically significant exanthems are discussed, with an
      emphasis on new findings, origins, clinical manifestations, differential
      diagnosis, and management.

PMID- 1870910
TI  - Disorders of the hair and scalp in children.
AB  - A wide variety of disorders involving the scalp and hair exist that may be
      encountered in the pediatric and adolescent population. An approach to the
      differential diagnosis of many of these conditions can be considered once the
      patient is found to have either alopecia, scaling, or tumors of the scalp.
      Certainly other causes of scalp or hair disease exist but the more common
      disorders can be appropriately considered in this manner.

PMID- 1870911
TI  - Nail disorders in children.
AB  - The spectrum of nail abnormalities that may be seen in the pediatric population
      is discussed in this article. Developmental abnormalities, both hereditary and
      congenital, are discussed. Acquired nail abnormalities that may be similar to
      those seen in adults are also described.

PMID- 1870912
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of childhood scabies and pediculosis.
AB  - Human scabies infestations are still a widespread occurrence. This article
      discusses the clinical features, infections, lesions, and sites of involvement of
      different types of scabies as well as pediculosis.

PMID- 1870913
TI  - Mucocutaneous disease in pediatric human immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - Children with HIV infection may develop a wide variety of infectious and
      inflammatory diseases of the skin. These disorders are often more severe and more
      difficult to treat than in the healthy child. In some cases, disorders of the
      skin or mucous membranes may provide an early clue to the presence of pediatric
      HIV infection.

PMID- 1870914
TI  - Disorders of hypopigmentation in children.
AB  - The most common disorders of hypopigmentation in children are pityriasis alba,
      vitiligo, nevus depigmentosus, and tinea versicolor. Pityriasis alba usually
      presents as ill defined, scaly patches of hypomelanosis on the cheeks of children
      with an atopic diathesis. The face is also a favored site for vitiligo, but the
      distribution is periorificial, and the pigment loss is complete because of a
      destruction of melanocytes. Vitiligo is an acquired, progressive disorder in
      contrast to nevus depigmentosus, which is a stable, congenital leukoderma. The
      localized form of nevus depigmentosus must be distinguished from an ash leaf
      spot, the earliest cutaneous manifestation of tuberous sclerosis, whereas the
      systematized form may be confused with hypomelanosis of Ito, another
      neurocutaneous disorder. The lesions of tinea versicolor favor the upper trunk of
      adolescents, and potassium hydroxide examination of the associated scale reveals
      hyphal and yeast forms of P. orbiculare. Any inflammatory process in the skin
      such as dermatitis or psoriasis can resolve with areas of hypopigmentation.

PMID- 1870915
TI  - Intracranial tuberculosis in children: CT appearance and clinical outcome.
AB  - We retrospectively evaluated the CT studies of 9 children who presented with
      intracranial tuberculosis during 1981-1987, and compared their radiographic
      appearance with the clinical outcome. The most common radiographic findings were:
      1) ventriculomegaly (7/9) ,2) tuberculoma formation (6/9), and 3) infarction
      (4/9). Of 7 patients with ventriculomegaly, 3 required a ventricular shunt and 2
      had spontaneous resolution of ventricular dilatation. Four children with
      ventriculomegaly were moderately or severely retarded, one had cognitive
      dysfunction, and one was neurologically normal. Four of six children with
      tuberculoma also had infarction and/or ventriculomegaly; of these four children,
      three were moderately or severely retarded. Two patients with tuberculoma as the
      only intracranial abnormality had complete resolution of the granuloma with
      normal neurologic outcome following antituberculous therapy. The four children
      with large vessel infarction also had ventriculomegaly; three had poor clinical
      outcome. The presence of tuberculoma alone is not necessarily predictive of poor
      neurologic outcome; age less than 20 months, infarct, and/or ventriculomegaly are
      usually associated with sequelae.

PMID- 1870916
TI  - Height of normal pituitary gland as a function of age evaluated by magnetic
      resonance imaging in children.
AB  - MR anatomy of hypothalamo-hypophyseal axis is well established. However data
      about pituitary gland height (PGH) in children are sparse. A retrospective study
      was therefore performed in 60 children (30 boys and 30 girls) aged from 8 days to
      21 years. All these children had MR for various neurological diseases. Patients
      with hypothalamo-hypophyseal disease and intracranial hypertension were excluded.
      The PGH was measured on a strict midline sagittal T1 weighted scan 3 to 7 mm
      thick. A positive linear correlation was found in children aged from 1 year to
      puberty followed by a plateau. In the first year of life a negative linear
      correlation was found. A positive linear correlation was found between PGH and
      statural height as well.

PMID- 1870917
TI  - Sonographic abnormalities of the thyroid gland in longterm survivors of Hodgkin
      disease.
AB  - We studied the thyroid gland in 18 long term survivors of Hodgkin Disease, all of
      whom received radiation therapy (2400-4000 cGy, mean 3434). Evaluation included
      clinical examination, thyroid function tests, ultrasound, as well as selective
      use of nuclear scintigraphy. The time interval post radiation was 1-16 years
      (mean 6.4 years). Clinical evaluation and thyroid function tests were insensitive
      in detecting abnormalities and most nodules were non palpable. Ultrasound
      detected abnormalities in 16 patients (89%) including diffuse atrophy (n = 6),
      solitary nodules (n = 4), multiple nodules (n = 5) and gland heterogeneity with
      calcification in one patient. Cold nodules on nuclear scintigraphy (n = 4) were
      subjected to biopsy. Multiple foci of papillary carcinoma were found in one
      patient. There was a tendency for nodules to increase in number as the post
      radiation interval also increased. We recommend frequent sonographic evaluation
      and early suppression of thyroid stimulation in an attempt to arrest the
      development of neoplastic changes.

PMID- 1870918
TI  - Percutaneous needle aspiration of neonatal lung abscesses.
AB  - Three premature infants (mean gestational age 27 weeks) ranging in age from 3 to
      11 weeks, were treated for lung abscesses, with a combination of antibiotics and
      percutaneous needle aspiration under either ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance.
      Antibiotics, to which microorganisms cultured from aspirated pus were sensitive,
      were continued for a further period of two weeks, with no relapse in any of the
      patients. The lung abscesses resolved in all cases without the need for catheter
      drainage or surgery. In conclusion, needle aspiration under either ultrasound or
      fluoroscopic guidance is a simple and effective diagnostic and therapeutic method
      of managing neonatal lung abscesses. Its early use allows selection of the most
      appropriate antibiotics and may hasten recovery, prevent further complications
      and obviate the need for surgery. The use of a drainage catheter does not appear
      to be necessary for resolution of the abscesses. The procedure appears reasonably
      safe, since complications arising from the procedure were benign.

PMID- 1870919
TI  - The role of the accessory pancreatic duct of Santorini in pancreatic drainage in
      children (with emphasis on choledochal cyst patients).
AB  - Pancreatic drainage patterns have been studied by endoscopic retrograde
      cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in four children with choledochal cyst (CC). The
      first two had mild or chemical pancreatitis; the third had a history of recurrent
      cholangitis and was diagnosed as chronic pancreatitis. The fourth manifested with
      severe, acute pancreatitis. All children were found to have an impaired flow
      through the papilla of Vater. In the first three cases, the duct of Santorini
      (DS) seemed to play an important role in the pancreatic drainage. In the fourth
      case, however, the duct was found to be absent. ERCP findings in additional
      eleven children without CC also were reviewed, and in this group the DS did not
      seem to play any significant role in pancreatic drainage. These results indicate
      that in children with common bile duct (CBD) anomalies, the DS may relieve the
      obstruction and ameliorate the pancreatitis.

PMID- 1870920
TI  - The swallowed toothbrush: a radiographic clue of bulimia.
AB  - Swallowed toothbrushes were noted in the esophagus of one teenager and the
      stomach of two others with bulimia. The presence of a toothbrush in the lumen of
      the gastrointestinal tract should make the radiologist suspicious of
      bulimia/anorexia nervosa. A toothbrush shows a characteristic radiographic image
      with parallel rows of short metallic radiodensities due to the metallic plates
      that hold the bristles in place.

PMID- 1870921
TI  - Umbilical vein draining into the inferior vena cava via the internal iliac vein,
      bypassing the liver.
AB  - This is the third report of an anomalous umbilical vein draining ectopically in a
      left pelvic vein, probably the left internal iliac, and through the inferior vena
      cava into the right atrium. The anomaly was encountered in a newborn infant with
      nonimmune hydrops fetalis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, multiorgan failure and
      possibly Noonan Syndrome.

PMID- 1870922
TI  - "Dilatation" of the left renal vein on computed tomography in children: a normal
      variant.
AB  - Compression of the left renal vein (LRV) between the superior mesenteric artery
      and the aorta is thought to be a cause of hematuria, periureteral and gonadal
      varices, and varicocele ("Nutcracker phenomenon"). Previous investigators have
      suggested that this diagnosis can be made on computed tomography when the LRV
      ratio greater than or equal to 1.5 (the diameter of the LRV proximal to the aorto
      mesenteric angle divided by the diameter of the LRV distal to the aorto
      mesenteric angle). This study was designed to establish the normal range for the
      LRV ratio on CT in children. The LRV ratio was measured in thirty-nine
      consecutive children undergoing intravenously enhanced CT of the abdomen. None of
      the children had hematuria on urinalysis immediately before or after the CT.
      Children with any known abnormality involving the kidneys, adrenal glands, IVC,
      or renal or gonadal veins were excluded. The patients ranged in age from 3.4 to
      18.5 years (mean = 10.6 years). LRV ratio ranged from 0.78 to 2.00 (mean = 1.46;
      S.D. = 0.312). Twenty of the 39 children (51.3%) had a LRV ratio greater than or
      equal to 1.50. The conclusion is that the normal range for the LRV ration is too
      wide for it to be useful in diagnosing LRV entrapment and that a LRV ratio
      greater than or equal to 1.5 on CT is normal in children.

PMID- 1870923
TI  - Pyramidal hyperechogenicity in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease
      resembling medullary nephrocalcinosis.
AB  - Striking pyramidal hyperechogenicity resembling the sonographic appearance of
      medullary nephrocalcinosis was found in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney
      disease (ARPKD). This sonographic pattern is distinctly different from those
      described previously in ARPKD.

PMID- 1870924
TI  - Antenatal diagnosis of renal pelvic dilatation--the natural history of
      conservative management.
AB  - Seventy children with an antenatal diagnosis of unilateral renal pelvic
      dilatation underwent Tc 99 m DTPA diuretic renograms. There were 16 kidneys with
      moderate function, and 54 with good function, 31 underwent pyeloplasty, all had a
      renal pelvis greater than 12 mm diameter on ultrasound. Thirty nine children with
      good function were treated conservatively. Long term follow up has demonstrated
      that conservative management for PUJ dilatation with a good functioning kidney
      may be justified but a randomised control study is required.

PMID- 1870925
TI  - Renal obstructive dysplasia: ultrasound diagnosis and therapeutic implications.
AB  - 57 cases of renal obstructive dysplasia (defined as the abnormal development of
      nephronic and ductal structures due to in utero obstruction of the urinary tract)
      were evaluated in terms of sonographic findings, renal and other associated
      anomalies, and current status of the child. More than one-third of the cases had
      bilateral disease and although not uniformly fatal bilateral involvement was
      associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In 12 of the 33 cases with
      unilateral dysplasia there was an association with contralateral renal problems
      including uretero-pelvic junction obstruction, vesicoureteral reflux and aplasia.
      Almost one-half of the cases had congenital anomalies, these included VACTERL
      association, congenital heart disease, cranial abnormalities and gastrointestinal
      malformations. Fifteen stillborns and 12 of the patients with bilateral
      involvement and four with unilateral involvement have died. Four patients are on
      dialysis (two with bilateral involvement and two with unilateral renal
      obstructive dysplasia). Only one-quarter are otherwise normal. More serious
      problems are reported in this mixed age population of patients with obstructive
      renal dysplasia than has been identified in previous studies. Management
      decisions of the fetus and child must be based on this new age-expanded
      population.

PMID- 1870926
TI  - Urethral morphology and bladder instability.
AB  - In order to calculate the relationship between Spinning top urethra (STU) and
      bladder instability 160 voiding cystourethrogramms (VCU), performed in 102 girls,
      have been analysed retrospectively. 28 girls had STU, 16 of those had bladder
      instability as well (57%). We could not find the highly positive correlation
      between unstable bladder and STU as reported by other authors, although there was
      a statistically positive correlation between STU and bladder instability. However
      the confidence interval was very broad (38%-75%). We conclude that bladder
      instability may contribute to STU but cannot render the etiological explanation
      for all cases. STU seems to be a polyetiological sign. In our opinion only the
      combination of STU and bladder instability has a diagnostic impact, since several
      therapeutical concepts are available in cases of bladder instability. The finding
      of STU in the VCU should alert the examiner's attention to functional disorders
      of the lower urinary tract. If no instability can be found, STU should be
      considered to be a normal variant.

PMID- 1870927
TI  - MRI in distal vaginal atresia.
AB  - Magnetric resonance imaging in two young females with abdominal pain revealed
      vaginal atresia with massive hematocolpos but a normal cervix and uterine body.
      Information obtained with MRI was superior to ultrasound and CT and is suggested
      as the examination of choice prior to surgical correction.

PMID- 1870928
TI  - Testicular adrenal-like tissue (TALT) in congenital adrenal hyperplasia:
      detection by ultrasonography.
AB  - In a consecutive series of 15 male adolescents and young adults with congenital
      adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), the size, shape, firmness and echostructure of the
      testes were assessed. The latter was abnormal in 7 patients under long standing
      treatment with glucocorticoids (group I). In 8, 5 under and 3 off treatment for
      several years, ultrasonography (US) was normal (group II). On the basis of the US
      findings the patients were placed in two groups. In group I, the testes had a
      heterogeneous ultrasonographic pattern; clinically, most felt hard and irregular,
      although their volume was normal. Sperm count in 3 patients was 5.0 to 14.4 x
      10(6)/ml. Five patients have 21-hydroxylase deficiency that was diagnosed in
      early infancy and had salt-wasting; two have 11-beta-hydroxylase deficiency that
      was diagnosed late and had no salt-wasting. In group II, testicular volume,
      shape, firmness and echostructure were normal. All have 21-hydroxylase
      deficiency, no history of salt-wasting and were diagnosed late. Sperm counts in 3
      patients off treatment were 10.5 to 66.0 x 10(6)/ml. In severe cases with a
      history of salt loss, TALT with deficient spermiogenesis seems likely despite
      treatment. In mild cases, TALT is absent and spermiogenesis may be normal even
      without treatment. US is much more accurate in assessing the testes than
      palpation.

PMID- 1870929
TI  - Ultrasound in advanced pediatric osteomyelitis. A report of 5 cases.
AB  - The use and reporting of ultrasound for the evaluation of pediatric osteomyelitis
      is minimal. However, ultrasound is noninvasive and does not employ ionizing
      radiation, and it is less expensive than other methods available. Consequently,
      its application, if contributory, would be desirable in evaluating pediatric
      osteomyelitis. We examined five patients ranging from 2-weeks to ten-years-old
      with ultrasound after bony abnormalities were found on plain film. In all cases
      ultrasound was valuable in assessing the type and location of abnormality (4
      cases of osteomyelitis, 1 case of discitis), but unhelpful in determining the age
      of disease.

PMID- 1870930
TI  - MR appearances of bone marrow in children following bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - Two cases are presented of children who demonstrated complete absence of bone
      marrow signal on MR imaging of the spine following bone marrow transplantation.
      The possible causes for these appearances are discussed.

PMID- 1870931
TI  - The spondylometaphyseal dysplasias. A tentative classification.
AB  - The spondylometaphyseal dysplasias constitute a very complex group of disorders.
      In addition to the Kozlowski type, three subgroups can be distinguished by the
      appearance of the femoral neck. In the first group (A) the changes are severe
      with absent ossification of the femoral neck and coxa vara. In the second group
      (B) the changes of the femoral neck are moderate and in the third (C) mild
      metaphyseal irregularities are only visible. This classification is not
      definitive but tries to put order in this confusing section of constitutional
      bone diseases.

PMID- 1870932
TI  - Spondylometepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, Strudwick type.
AB  - A case of spondylometepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, Strudwick type is presented.
      At birth, this condition cannot be distinguished from spondyloepiphyseal
      dysplasia congenita. Features in common include delayed ossification of the
      public bones and proximal femoral epiphyses, coxa vara, odontoid hypoplasia and
      lumbar lordosis. The distinguishing radiologic feature of this condition is the
      striking irregularity of long bone metaphyses which develops during infancy.

PMID- 1870933
TI  - Pediatric yaws osteoperiostitis.

PMID- 1870934
TI  - C.T. findings in the Hajdu-Cheney syndrome.
AB  - We describe a patient with the typical features of Hajdu-Cheney Syndrome. The
      previously undescribed cranial computerised tomographic (C.T.) findings in this
      condition are discussed. In addition we describe a possible association with
      bowel malrotation.

PMID- 1870935
TI  - Detection of a radiolucent bronchial foreign body by computed tomography.

PMID- 1870936
TI  - Enteric fistula formation secondary to necrotizing enterocolitis.
AB  - We report two cases of enterocolonic fistula formation following necrotizing
      enterocolitis, and a review of the six previously published cases. Ischemic
      mechanism is the most likely cause. The fistulas were diagnosed by upper
      gastrointestinal series and contrast enema.

PMID- 1870937
TI  - Sonographic evaluation of renal artery aneurysm in childhood.
AB  - We report a child presenting with renovascular hypertension and sonographic
      evidence of a renal artery aneurysm (RAA). The diagnosis of RAA was made
      sonographically by demonstrating vascular flow in an aneurysmal segment adjacent
      to but continuous with the right renal artery and externally compressing the
      inferior vena cava. Comparison of the sonographic studies and an abdominal
      angiogram illustrate the sensitivity of sonography in diagnosing this condition.
      We suggest that with renal doppler sonography, RAA may be diagnosed less
      invasively and possibly with greater frequency yet believe that the gold standard
      of angiography is necessary prior to surgical intervention.

PMID- 1870938
TI  - Diffuse intestinal arteriovenous malformation in a child.
AB  - Mesenteric arteriovenous fistulas or arteriovenous malformations of the intestine
      are relatively rare, especially in the form of diffuse disease. We describe a
      case of diffuse intestinal arteriovenous malformation associated with congestive
      heart failure and cutaneous hemangioma.

PMID- 1870939
TI  - Sibs with a disorder resembling Blount disease (tibia vara).
AB  - Radiographic investigation of 3 Turkish sibs presenting with bowed legs disclosed
      physiological tibial bowing in the 7-month-old girl. Stage I Blount disease in
      the 26 month-old boy and Stage II Blount disease in the 45 month-old girl. The
      reported cases provide evidence for autosomal recessive inheritance. This
      observation points to genetic heterogenity, i.e. the existence of 2 genetically
      different, but radiologically indistinguishable disorders.

PMID- 1870940
TI  - Dandy-Walker malformation, cranial meningocele, ocular abnormalities, and cleft
      palate: Walker-Warburg syndrome?

PMID- 1870941
TI  - The "candlestick sign" on cerebral ultrasound.

PMID- 1870942
TI  - A new series of 2,2'-bipyridyl analogues with high activity against AIDS
      complicating micro-organisms.

PMID- 1870943
TI  - Fluconazole. Review and situation among antifungal drugs in the treatment of
      opportunistic mycoses of human immuno-deficiency virus infections.
AB  - Fluconazole is a novel triazole antifungal drug chiefly used in the treatment of
      opportunistic mycoses in immuno-compromised patients, particularly those with the
      acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In comparison with other antifungal
      drugs, fluconazole has outstanding physical and pharmacokinetic properties, such
      as an excellent aqueous solubility allowing a parenteral formulation, high
      bioavailability by the oral route, even distribution throughout the tissues,
      including the central nervous system and the cerebro-spinal fluid, a long half
      life (permitting once daily administration), and low binding to plasma proteins.
      It is excreted mainly as unchanged drug in the urine. Fluconazole is a broad
      spectrum antifungal agent, especially effective against Candida spp.,
      Cryptococcus neoformans and dermatophytes. Its antifungal efficacy was mainly
      proved by testing in animal models, since there is no relationship between in
      vitro and in vivo activities. It possesses a low toxicity and it is well
      tolerated. Fluconazole is currently marketed for the treatment of oropharyngeal
      candidiasis in immuno-compromised patients and of atrophic oral candidiasis. Its
      place in the treatment of opportunistic mycoses in human immuno-deficiency virus
      positive patients, in particular cryptococcal meningitis, is still under
      investigation but is promising.

PMID- 1870944
TI  - Antiviral drugs.
AB  - There are only a limited number of effective, non-toxic antiviral drugs for
      clinical use, whereas there is a great need for such drugs. Especially for the
      treatment of patients infected with the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) anti
      HIV drugs are required. At the same time viral infections secondary to AIDS
      cannot yet be treated effectively. An increasing problem is the development of
      virus strains resistant to the available drugs. At this moment a great effort is
      made in the research for new antiviral drugs. In this article the available
      antiviral drugs are reviewed. Their antiviral properties, mechanism of action,
      clinical use, pharmacokinetic properties and side-effects are discussed. Some
      attention is paid to the future directions in the search for new anti-HIV drugs.

PMID- 1870945
TI  - Distribution of naturally occurring quinones.
AB  - Angiosperms, fungi (including lichens), and bacteria are the main sources of
      natural quinones. Small numbers are present in algae, ferns, conifers, sponges,
      echinoderms, other marine animals, and arthropods. In angiosperms quinones have
      some chemotaxonomic value at the genus and family level but more surveys are
      required.

PMID- 1870946
TI  - Biotechnology and biosynthesis of quinones.
AB  - Nowadays, it is generally agreed that intensive investigation of biosynthetic
      pathways is a prerequisite for attaining industrial-scale production of secondary
      metabolites (e.g. quinones) by plant cell cultures. Literature data are presented
      to illustrate different aspects of today's quinone biosynthesis research.

PMID- 1870947
TI  - Evaluation of genotoxic risk of handling cytostatic drugs in clinical pharmacy
      practice.
AB  - The genotoxic risk of handling antineoplastic drugs was evaluated in fifteen
      women preparing chemotherapeutics in the Pharmacy Department of the University
      Hospital Maastricht. Twenty nurses of the same hospital, who were not exposed to
      cytostatics, acted as controls. Endogenous exposure to antineoplastic drugs was
      assessed by determination of urine mutagenicity, as well as by analysis of
      urinary methotrexate levels. As genotoxicological end-points, sister chromatid
      exchanges and hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus point
      mutations were studied in peripheral lymphocytes obtained via venous puncture. No
      differences in urine mutagenic activity, in sister chromatid exchange frequencies
      and in hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase point mutation frequencies
      between exposed and non-exposed groups were detected. Higher sister chromatid
      exchange frequency was observed in smokers as compared to non-smokers.

PMID- 1870948
TI  - Direct high pressure liquid chromatographic analysis and preliminary
      pharmacokinetics of enantiomers of oxazepam and temazepam with their
      corresponding glucuronide conjugates.
AB  - Three high pressure liquid chromatographic systems for the separation of
      oxazepam, temazepam and their glucuronides (system A), the separation of their
      R,S glucuronide diastereomers (system B) and the chiral separation of the parent
      drugs (system C) are described. Preliminary pharmacokinetics of R,S-oxazepam and
      R,S-temazepam in a human volunteer reveal that the protein binding of the
      glucuronides is lower than that of the parent drugs, but that there is no
      difference in protein binding between the R-oxazepam/temazepam and S
      oxazepam/temazepam and their corresponding glucuronides. The S-glucuronide is the
      main metabolite formed and excreted by man. The plasma ratio R/S-glucuronide is
      1:1 for both oxazepam and temazepam. The renal clearance of R-temazepam, and S
      temazepam are similar, and those of R-oxazepam and S-oxazepam tend to be
      different.

PMID- 1870949
TI  - Comparison of questionnaire information and pharmacy data on drug use.
AB  - Information on chronic drug use at any time in the past was collected with a self
      administered questionnaire as part of a prospective cohort study on diet, other
      life-style factors and cancer among subjects aged 55-69 years. The validity of
      the questionnaire information on drug use was evaluated among 207 subjects by
      comparing it to pharmacy records of dispensed drugs. The comparison could be made
      for the 2.5-year period preceding the questionnaire administration. Since the
      study subjects did not mention prescription drugs that were not dispensed by
      their pharmacy, indicating no errors of commission, the analyses were focused on
      the estimation of sensitivity of drug recall and its correlates. Questionnaire
      recall of drug use amounted overall to 61.2% of drugs prescribed to the subjects
      for at least 6 months. Drug recall decreased with increasing age and with
      increasing number of prescribed chronic use of drugs per subject. No difference
      in recall was observed between men and women. Recall tended to improve with
      increasing duration of use and varied with type of drug. When only long-term drug
      use at the time of questionnaire administration was considered, overall recall of
      drug use was 68.8%.

PMID- 1870950
TI  - Markers of adverse drug reactions in medication histories. An analysis of inhaled
      steroid utilization.
AB  - Prescription sequence analysis is based on the observation that a subset of
      adverse drug reactions are themselves indications for the prescription of another
      drug. We propose an approach to the analysis of clustering of prescriptions in
      medication histories that contain records of a presumed side-effect-causing drug
      A and a side-effect-alleviating drug B. This set of histories with records of
      both A and B is analysed in a logistic regression model that considers the start
      of B against exposure and non-exposure of A, stratified on the level of the
      individual histories. A correction is presented for the periods of B use, during
      which a new start of B cannot occur. Prescription sequence analysis is
      demonstrated with a set of histories of use of inhaled steroids (A) and topical
      oral anticandida drugs (B). A can cause oral candidiasis, B is therapy for this
      condition. An odds ratio of 1.43 was found for the association of A use and the
      initiation of therapy with B.

PMID- 1870951
TI  - [MR studies of extension and spread pattern of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
AB  - Seven patients with T2-T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma were examined by MRI on a 0.5T
      superconducting system. The obtained MRI images were reviewed focusing on the
      signal intensity (SI) of tumors, and the extension of tumors into the related
      spaces from the pharyngeal mucosal space (PMS). Consequently, the SI of tumors
      demonstrated low on T1 weighted images and high on T2 weighted images. The
      parapharyngeal space was the first space where the tumors extended from the
      pharyngeal mucosa. The parapharyngeal space was an intermediate point of
      extension to the masticator space (MS), the carotid space (CS), the
      retropharyngeal space (RPS), and the prevertebral space (PVS). The PVS
      involvement by tumors was not a direct extension from the PMS, because the
      posterior portion of pharyngobasilar fascia worked as a barrier on MR. Therefore,
      the longus capitus muscle in the prevertebral space was considered to be involved
      via the parapharyngeal space (PPS). The masticator space involvement was
      indicated by slightly high SI of pterygoid muscle on T2 weighted images, and also
      the effacement of the PPS fat and parapharyngeal venous plexus were considered as
      a sign of involvement into the masticator space. The retropharyngeal lateral
      lymph node (Rouviere) metastases were recognized by MR. These metastasized lymph
      nodes were low on T1 weighted images and high on T2 weighted images.

PMID- 1870952
TI  - [Three-dimensional CT imaging of the small lung cancer--a trial using an inflated
      fixed lung specimen].
AB  - In order to examine clinical usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) imaging of
      solitary pulmonary nodules froms serial thin-section CT images, 3D reconstruction
      of a small peripheral lung adenocarcinoma was performed using the inflated fixed
      lung specimen resected surgically. The left upper lobe was fixed and air-dried by
      Heitzman's method, and was scanned contiguously 20 times at a section thickness
      of 2 mm and a section interval of 2 mm. Bronchi, pulmonary vessels and the tumor
      presented on the CT images were input to a 3D reconstruction personal computer
      system, and then 3D images were obtained. The reconstructed 3D images included
      various tomographic images of bronchi and pulmonary vessels. It is expected that
      this method would be one of the most useful imaging techniques for the
      differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules.

PMID- 1870953
TI  - [CT appearance of small renal angiomyolipoma].
AB  - Twenty-six small renal angiomyolipomas (AML) in 21-patients, detected
      incidentally by ultrasonography, were evaluated with CT. Conventional CT findings
      of AML were classified into three types by the degree of the fatty areas in the
      mass. Type 1 is a mainly fat density mass like a lipoma observed in 7 lesions
      (26.9%). Type 2 is a fatty mass intermixed with areas of tissue density and found
      in 15 lesions (57.7%). Type 3 is a mass without fatty portion and observed in 4
      lesions (15.4%). These latter lesions were indistinguishable from renal cell
      carcinoma on CT. It is important to diagnose a small lesion of the kidney as AML
      correctly for proper treatment.

PMID- 1870954
TI  - [Magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ear and its application to cochlear
      implant candidates].
AB  - Magnetic resonance (MR) images of normal and abnormal inner ears obtained with a
      1.5T unit without the use of a surface coil were analyzed to evaluate the
      effectiveness of this method in the screening of cochlear implant candidates. In
      a series with sixteen normal adult volunteers, 22 to 45 years in age, 100% of the
      cochleae, vestibules, and lateral and posterior semicircular canals were clearly
      demonstrated in T2 weighted images. Satisfactory images were not obtained for 22%
      of the superior semicircular canals, 22% of the cochlear aqueduct, and 81% of the
      vestibular aqueduct in axial images, but coronal and sagittal reconstructed
      images by use of a three-dimensional Fourie transformation sequence provided
      better detectability of these structures. In five ear surgery patients with
      proven obliteration of the labyrinth, decreased signal intensity was observed in
      the T2 weighted images. Ten cochlear implant candidates were examined by MRI
      prior to implantation, and the results were compared with the surgical findings.
      In two ears in which the cochlea showed a decrease in signal intensity, the
      cochlea had been obliterated by inflammatory granulations. On the other hand, the
      lumens of all nine cochleae which were clearly visualized by MRI were found to be
      patent.

PMID- 1870955
TI  - [Computed tomographic evaluation of thickness of perirectal fascia in rectal
      cancer treated by preoperative radiotherapy--diagnostic value for prediction of
      local recurrence].
AB  - Perirectal fascia was examined by computed tomography before and after
      preoperative radiotherapy in thirty-six patients with rectal cancer. CT
      measurement showed that perirectal fascia tend to increase in thickness during
      preoperative radiotherapy in proportion to tumor extension into perirectal fat
      tissue. The fascial thickening more than 7 mm after preoperative radiotherapy was
      suggestive of local recurrence to develop. Preoperative or intraoperative boost
      irradiation would be recommended for such high-risk patients.

PMID- 1870956
TI  - [Clinical value of thallium-201 reinjection after delayed imaging in patient
      showing incomplete or no redistribution].
AB  - To asses clinical value of Tl-201 (Tl) reinjection after delayed imaging, 30
      patients who showed incomplete or no redistribution in stress-delayed Tl
      myocardial scintigraphy were studied. Of 76 myocardial segments with incomplete
      or no redistribution on the delayed images, 29 segments (38%) showed improvement
      of Tl uptake after Tl reinjection. Reinjection was considered effective in 24
      segments (32%) where no or little redistribution were observed on the delayed
      images but improved after reinjection. The contrast ventriculography showed less
      wall motion abnormality in the segments with improvement after reinjection than
      that without improvement after reinjection (regional wall motion score: 2.55 +/-
      0.50 vs. 0.59 +/- 0.97 p less than 0.01). History of myocardial infarction was
      also significantly less in the former (p less than 0.05). We conclude that Tl
      reinjection is useful in cases showing no or equivocal redistribution on the
      delayed images.

PMID- 1870957
TI  - Surgical and prosthetic reconstruction of severely resorbed maxillae with
      autogenous bone grafts and immediately placed dental implants.

PMID- 1870958
TI  - Extensive endodontic involvements following herpes zoster attack to facial area;
      report of a case.

PMID- 1870959
TI  - A short course on risk management: dental malpractice.

PMID- 1870960
TI  - In vivo mercury and methyl mercury levels in patients at different intervals
      after amalgam restorations.

PMID- 1870961
TI  - Dental practice productivity and the aging patient.

PMID- 1870962
TI  - How to detect decay in your dental practice.

PMID- 1870963
TI  - Compilation and alignment of DNA polymerase sequences.

PMID- 1870964
TI  - Transcript mapping reveals different expression strategies for the bicistronic
      RNAs of the geminivirus wheat dwarf virus.
AB  - We have characterised the major transcripts of the Czech isolate of wheat dwarf
      virus (WDV-CJI) which show that WDV uses two different mechanisms for expressing
      overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). Mapping of the virion sense RNAs
      identified a single polyadenylated transcript of 1.1kb spanning the overlapping
      ORFs V1 and V2 which encode cell-cell spread functions and the coat protein
      respectively. This finding distinguishes WDV from other monocot-infecting
      geminiviruses studied so far which were shown to encode two 3' co-terminal
      transcripts capable of expressing either the V1 or V2 ORF. A survey of codon
      usage at the junction between the V1 and V2 ORF has led us to propose that
      translational frame shifting analogous to that in the yeast Ty element may occur.
      Analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified complementary sense cDNA
      clones has revealed the presence of mature spliced and unspliced RNAs which could
      encode products of an intron mediated C1:C2 ORF fusion or the C1 ORF product
      alone. Mapping of the 5' and 3' extremities of the major WDV encoded transcripts
      has allowed us to identify putative transcription regulatory sequences and the
      presence of multiple overlapping transcripts may suggest temporal regulation of
      transcription.

PMID- 1870965
TI  - Isolation of estrogen receptor-binding sites in human genomic DNA.
AB  - Total genomic DNA digested by restriction enzymes was mixed with the DNA-binding
      domain of the estrogen receptor (ER-DBD) that was expressed in Escherichia coli
      and the fragments that bound to it were selected by nitrocellulose filter. These
      fragments were cloned into a plasmid vector and amplified. This selection process
      was repeated six times and five fragments ranging from 0.2 to 2 kb were isolated.
      Interestingly, each of these fragments had a perfect palindromic estrogen
      responsive element (ERE) (GGT-CANNNTGACC). More surprisingly, one of the
      fragments was found to be derived from the same locus as a fragment obtained by
      another similar but independent experiment. The results indicate that the ER-DBD
      region can bind by itself specifically to the perfect palindromic ERE with a 3
      base pair spacing but it does not bind strongly enough to the half palindromic
      EREs or to the imperfect palindromic EREs. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase
      assay has shown that some of these fragments have estrogen-dependent enhancer
      activity, suggesting the existence of a target gene near these fragments. The
      method described here may be generally applicable for screening and isolation of
      other transcription factor-binding sites in genomic DNA.

PMID- 1870966
TI  - Fluorescent-labeled oligonucleotide probes: detection of hybrid formation in
      solution by fluorescence polarization spectroscopy.
AB  - Fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotides as DNA-probes were synthesized and used to
      monitor hybrid formation, namely to detect DNA or oligonucleotide sequence in
      solution. The introduction of fluorescein to oligonucleotides was carried out by
      oxidation of a hydrogen phosphonate linkage with ethylenediamine or
      hexamethylenediamine as a tether and by a subsequent labeling of the primary
      amine moiety by FITC. Fluorescence anisotropy, r, was adopted as an index to
      monitor the behavior of F-probe in solution. An increase in the anisotropy was
      observed upon an increase in the chain-length of F-probe. When F-Probe formed a
      hybrid with its complementary oligonucleotide in solution, the r value increased
      compared to that of F-Probe itself. These observations clearly indicate that
      measurements of r in solution will readily lead to the monitoring of the presence
      of a hybrid in solution. Consequently, it is promising to detect a certain
      nucleic acid sequence in solution using fluorescent-labeled oligonucleotides.

PMID- 1870967
TI  - Bending of synthetic bacteriophage 434 operators by bacteriophage 434 proteins.
AB  - The extent of DNA bending induced by 434 repressor, its amino terminal DNA
      binding domain (R1-69), and 434 Cro was studied by gel shift assay. The results
      show that 434 repressor and R1-69 bend DNA to the same extent. 434 Cro-induced
      DNA bends are similar to those seen with the 434 repressor proteins. On
      approximately 265 base pair fragments, the cyclic AMP receptor protein of
      Escherichia coli (CRP) produces larger mobility shifts than does 434 repressor.
      This indicates that the 434 proteins bend DNA to a much smaller extent than does
      CRP. The effects of central operator sequence on intrinsic and 434 protein
      induced DNA bending was also examined by gel shift assay. Two 434 operators
      having different central sequences and affinities for 434 proteins display no
      static bending. The amount of gel shift induced by 434 repressor on these
      operators is identical, showing that the 434 repressor bends operators with
      different central sequences to the same extent. Hence, mutations in the central
      region of the operator do not influence the bent structure of the unbound or
      bound operator.

PMID- 1870968
TI  - Rapid DNA sequencing by horizontal ultrathin gel electrophoresis.
AB  - A horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis apparatus has been developed that
      decreases the time required to separate the DNA fragments produced in enzymatic
      sequencing reactions. The configuration of this apparatus and the use of
      circulating coolant directly under the glass plates result in heat exchange that
      is approximately nine times more efficient than passive thermal transfer methods
      commonly used. Bubble-free gels as thin as 25 microns can be routinely cast on
      this device. The application to these ultrathin gels of electric fields up to 250
      volts/cm permits the rapid separation of multiple DNA sequencing reactions in
      parallel. When used in conjunction with 32P-based autoradiography, the DNA bands
      appear substantially sharper than those obtained in conventional electrophoresis.
      This increased sharpness permits shorter autoradiographic exposure times and
      longer sequence reads.

PMID- 1870969
TI  - Site-directed mutagenesis of hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) binding sites in the
      mouse transthyretin (TTR) promoter reveal synergistic interactions with its
      enhancer region.
AB  - The transthyretin (TTR) gene is regulated by two DNA regions which elicit
      hepatocyte-specific expression: a proximal promoter and distal enhancer. The TTR
      promoter and enhancer are composed of at least eight DNA binding sites for three
      different hepatocyte nuclear factors (HNF), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein
      (C/EBP), and AP-1/cJun. Site directed mutations within each of the HNF binding
      sites in the TTR promoter were introduced to evaluate their contribution to
      transcriptional activity in hepatoma cells. The data indicate that the strong
      affinity HNF-3-S binding site (-106 to -94) is absolutely required for TTR
      promoter activity since several mutations in this site eliminate TTR expression
      in the context of its enhancer. Conversion of a second weak affinity HNF3-W site
      (-140 to -131) in the TTR promoter to a high affinity site resulted in higher
      levels of expression. TTR mutations that disrupted several weak affinity sites
      (HNF1, HNF3-W, and HNF4) only slightly diminished expression levels in the
      presence of the TTR enhancer. In contrast, when we deleted the TTR enhancer from
      these HNF mutant constructs, TTR expression decreased to undetectable levels.
      This result suggests cooperation between the factors binding to the TTR promoter
      and enhancer regions. These results also demonstrate that the HNF3-S site alone
      is not sufficient to activate TTR transcription, but rather requires the
      participation of three cell-specific factors to elicit minimal promoter activity.
      The complexity of this promoter design and the requirement for a minimal number
      of cell-specific factors to achieve transcription allows us to propose a model
      which may explain the maintenance of tissue-specific expression of TTR.

PMID- 1870970
TI  - Characterization of human 5S rRNA genes.
AB  - The human 5S rRNA genes are found in clusters of tandem repeated units. We have
      cloned and partially characterized six restriction fragments from two clusters of
      2.3 kb and 1.6 kb repeats, respectively. Four fragments from the cluster of 2.3
      kb repeats contain a 5S rRNA gene and one fragment contains a gene variant with
      an additional nucleotide in the internal control region. A fragment from the 1.6
      kb cluster contains a gene and is highly homologous to the 2.3 kb repeats, except
      for a large deletion in the 3'-flanking region starting 12 bp downstream of the
      gene. The number of genes and closely related gene variants is found to be 300
      400 per haploid human genome. 100-150 of these are found in 2.3 kb repeats and 5
      10 are found in 1.6 kb repeats. The total number of 5S rRNA sequences, including
      pseudogenes, is 1700-2000 per haploid genome. The genes and the gene variant are
      transcribed equally efficient in a HeLa cell extract. If 5'-flanking sequences,
      including a GC-motif in the -40 region, are removed from the genes, transcription
      is reduced with a factor 10 or more, suggesting that sequences upstream of the
      coding region are important for the level of transcription.

PMID- 1870971
TI  - The FIS protein binds and bends the origin of chromosomal DNA replication, oriC,
      of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The FIS protein (factor for inversion stimulation) is known to stimulate site
      specific recombination processes, such as the inversion of the G segment of
      bacteriophage Mu, by binding to specific enhancer sequences. It has also been
      shown to activate transcription from rRNA promoters both in vitro and in vivo. We
      have identified a specific binding site for FIS in the center of the origin of
      chromosomal DNA replication, oriC. The DNA bends upon FIS binding. Occupation of
      the FIS site and binding of DnaA, the initiator protein, to its adjacent binding
      site (R3) are mutually exclusive. A fis mutant strain can not be efficiently
      transformed with plasmids which carry and replicate from oriC, suggesting that
      FIS is required for minichromosome replication.

PMID- 1870972
TI  - Identification and sequence analysis of a methylase gene in Porphyromonas
      gingivalis.
AB  - A gene from the periodontal organism Porphyromonas gingivalis has been identified
      as encoding a DNA methylase. The gene, referred to as pgiIM, has been sequenced
      and found to contain a reading frame of 864 basepairs. The putative amino acid
      sequence of the encoded methylase was 288 amino acids, and shared 47% and 31%
      homology with the Streptococcus pneumoniae DpnII and E. coli Dam methylases,
      respectively. The activity and specificity of the pgi methylase (M.PgiI) was
      confirmed by cloning the gene into a dam- strain of E. coli (JM110) and
      performing a restriction analysis on the isolated DNA with enzymes whose
      activities depended upon the methylation state of the DNA. The data indicated
      that M.PgiI, like DpnII and Dam, methylated the adenine residue within the
      sequence 5'-GATC-3'.

PMID- 1870973
TI  - Fidelity of Thermococcus litoralis DNA polymerase (Vent) in PCR determined by
      denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.
AB  - DNA synthesis fidelities of two thermostable DNA polymerases, Thermus aquaticus
      (Taq) and Thermococcus litoralis (Tli, also known as Vent), and a non
      thermostable enzyme, a modified T7 DNA polymerase (Sequenase), were determined by
      analyzing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products using denaturing gradient gel
      electrophoresis (DGGE). The error rates were 4.4, 8.9, and 2.4 x 10(-5) errors/bp
      for modified T7, Taq, and Tli polymerase, respectively. Reducing the nucleotide
      triphosphate concentration for Tli polymerase during PCR did not alter the
      fidelity. The ability of DGGE to detect a mutant present at several percent in a
      wild type population is related to the polymerase fidelity. To examine the
      sensitivity of mutant detection, human genomic DNA containing a 1% fraction of a
      known base pair substitution mutant was PCR-amplified with the three enzymes
      using primers that flank the mutant sequence. The PCR products were analyzed by
      DGGE. The signal from the mutant present at 1% was visible in the samples
      amplified with modified T7 and Tli polymerase, but the higher error rate of Taq
      polymerase did not permit visualization of the signal in DNA amplified with Taq
      polymerase.

PMID- 1870974
TI  - Interaction of ribo- and deoxyriboanalogs of yeast tRNA(Phe) anticodon arm with
      programmed small ribosomal subunits of Escherichia coli and rabbit liver.
AB  - A synthetic ribooligonucleotide, r(CCAGACUGm-AAGAUCUGG), corresponding to the
      unmodified yeast tRNA(Phe) anticodon arm is shown to bind to poly(U) programmed
      small ribosomal subunits of both E. coli and rabbit liver with affinity two order
      less than that of a natural anticodon arm. Its deoxyriboanalogs
      d(CCAGACTGAAGATCTGG) and d(CCAGA)r(CUGm-AAGA)d(TCTGG), are used to study the
      influence of sugar-phosphate modification on the interaction of tRNA with
      programmed small ribosomal subunits. The deoxyribooligonucleotide is shown to
      adopt a hairpin structure. Nevertheless, as well as oligonucleotide with
      deoxyriboses in stem region, it is not able to bind to 30S or 40S ribosomal
      subunits in the presence of ribo-(poly(U] or deoxyribo-(poly (dT) template. The
      deoxyribooligonucleotide also has no inhibitory effect on tRNA(Phe) binding to
      30S ribosomes at 10-fold excess over tRNA. Neomycin does not influence binding of
      tRNA anticodon arm analogs used. Complete tRNA molecule and natural modifications
      of anticodon arm are considered to stabilize the arm structure needed for its
      interaction with a programmed ribosome.

PMID- 1870975
TI  - Site-specific intercalation at the triplex-duplex junction induces a
      conformational change which is detectable by hypersensitivity to
      diethylpyrocarbonate.
AB  - Using site-specific intercalation directed by intermolecular triplex formation,
      the conformation of an intercalation site in DNA was examined by footprinting
      with the purine-specific (A much greater than G) reagent diethylpyrocarbonate.
      Site specific intercalation was achieved by covalently linking an intercalator to
      the 5' end of a homopyrimidine oligodeoxynucleotide, which bound to a
      homopurinehomopyrimidine stretch in a recombinant plasmid via intermolecular
      triplex formation. This directs intercalation to a single site in 3kb of DNA at
      the 5' triplex-duplex junction. Footprinting with diethylpyrocarbonate and
      dimethylsulphate revealed strong protection from modification of adenine residues
      within the triple-helix in concordance with their Hoogsteen pairing with the
      third strand, and a strong hypersensitivity to diethylpyrocarbonate at the first
      adenine of the duplex. This result indicates that intercalation at this site
      induces a conformational change at the 5' triplex-duplex junction. Furthermore,
      the same diethlypyrocarbonate hypersensitivity was observed with an unmodified
      triple-strand forming oligonucleotide and a range of intercalating molecules
      present in solution. Thus the 5' triplex-duplex junction is a strong binding site
      for some intercalating molecules and the junction undergoes a conformational
      change which is sensitive to diethylpyrocarbonate upon insertion of the planar
      aromatic chromophore. This conformational change can be used to direct a single
      strand cut in duplex DNA to a defined site.

PMID- 1870976
TI  - A nuclear factor binds to the metal regulatory elements of the mouse gene
      encoding metallothionein-I.
AB  - The ability of vertebrate metallothionein (MT) genes to be induced by heavy
      metals is controlled by metal regulatory elements (MREs) present in the promoter
      in multiple, non-identical copies. The binding specificity of the mouse L-cell
      nuclear factor(s) that interact with the element MREd of the mouse MT-I gene was
      analyzed by in vitro footprinting, protein blotting, and UV cross-linking assays.
      In vitro footprinting analyses revealed that synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides
      (oligomers) corresponding to the metal regulatory elements MREa, MREb, MREc, MREd
      and MREe of the mouse MT-I gene, as well as the MRE4 of the human MT-IIA gene and
      the MREa of the trout MT-B gene, all competed for the nuclear protein species
      binding to the MREd region of the mouse MT-I gene, the MREe oligomer being the
      weakest competitor. In addition, protein blotting experiments revealed that a
      nuclear protein of 108 kDa, termed metal element protein-1 (MEP-1), which
      specifically binds with high affinity to mouse MREd, binds with different
      affinities to the other mouse MRE elements, mimicking their relative
      transcriptional strength in vivo: MREd greater than or equal to MREa = MREc
      greater than MREb greater than MREe greater than MREf. Similarly, human MRE4 and
      trout MREa bind to MEP-1. A protein similar in size to MEP-1 was also detected in
      HeLa-cell nuclear extracts. In UV cross-linking experiments the major protein
      species, complexed with mouse MREd oligomers, migrated on a denaturating gel with
      an apparent Mr of 115,000 and was detected using each of the mouse MRE oligomers
      tested. These results show that a mouse nuclear factor can bind to multiple MREs
      in mouse, trout, and human MT genes.

PMID- 1870977
TI  - Purification of BsuE methyltransferase and its application in genome mapping.
AB  - We have used a combination of BsuE methyltransferase (M-BsuE) and NotI
      restriction enzyme to cut genomic DNA at a subset of NotI sites. The usefulness
      of this system is shown in a re-examination of the restriction map of the human
      MHC. Combinations of methylases and restriction enzymes can be used to generate
      cuts at different frequencies in genomic DNA, such that they generate ends
      complementary to NotI ends, and can be used in conjunction with NotI linking
      clones in chromosome jumping experiments. These enzyme combinations have the
      potential to produce cutting sites in genomic DNA spaced at intervals favorable
      for extensive mapping, fragment enrichment, and cloning efforts.

PMID- 1870979
TI  - Chemical ligation of DNA: the first non-enzymatic assembly of a biologically
      active gene.
AB  - An artificial gene comprising 183 base pairs has been assembled by template
      directed condensation of 35- to 53-membered oligodeoxyribo nucleotides with
      cyanogen bromide as a condensing agent. The reaction is complete within several
      minutes at 0 degrees C in buffer. The resulting mini-gene was cloned and
      expressed in vivo and in vitro. We have also found that the polymerase inhibition
      technique (toe-printing) is a good way to ascertain that translation initiation
      complexes form in the case of single-stranded DNAs as well. Thus, along with the
      fully chemical assembly of synthetic genes, a rapid and sufficiently reliable
      method for determining their ribosome-binding properties was developed.

PMID- 1870978
TI  - Assessment of inhomogeneities in an E. coli physical map.
AB  - A statistical method based on r-fragments, sums of distances between (r + 1)
      consecutive restriction enzyme sites, is introduced for detecting nonrandomness
      in the distribution or too markers in sequence data. The technique is applicable
      whenever large numbers of markers are available and will detect clumping,
      excessive dispersion or too much evenness of spacing of the markers. It is
      particularly adapted to varying the scale on which inhomogeneities can be
      detected, from nearest neighbor interactions to more distant interactions. The r
      fragment procedure is applied primarily to the Kohara et al. (1) physical map of
      E. coli. Other applications to DAM methylation sites in E. coli and NotI sites in
      human chromosome 21 are presented. Restriction sites for the eight enzymes used
      in (1) appear to be randomly distributed, although at widely differing densities.
      These conclusions are substantially in agreement with the analysis of Churchill
      et al. (3). Extreme variability in the density of the eight restriction enzyme
      sites cannot be explained by variability in mono-, di- or trinucleotide
      frequencies.

PMID- 1870980
TI  - Detection of triple-helix related structures adopted by poly(dG)-poly(dC)
      sequences in supercoiled plasmid DNA.
AB  - Negative superhelical strain induces the poly(dG)-poly(dC) sequence to adopt two
      totally different types of triple-helices, either a dG.dG.dC triplex in the
      presence of Mg(+)+ at both neutral and acidic pHs or a protonated dC+.dG.dC
      triplex in the absence of Mg(+)+ ions at acidic pH (1). To examine whether there
      are still other types of non-B DNA structures formed by the same sequence, we
      constructed supercoiled plasmid DNAs harboring varying lengths of the poly(dG)
      tract, and the structures adopted by each supercoiled plasmid DNA were studied
      with a chemical probe, chloroacetaldehyde. The potential of a poly(dG)-poly(dC)
      sequence to adopt non-B DNA structures depends critically on the length of the
      tract. Furthermore, in the presence of Mg(+)+ and at a mildly acidic pH, in
      addition to the expected dG.dG.dC triplex detected for the poly(dG) tracts of 14
      to 30 base pairs (bp), new structures were also detected for the tracts longer
      than 35 bp. The structure formed by a poly(dG) tract of 45 bp revealed chemical
      reaction patterns consistent with a dG.dG.dC triplex and protonated dC+.dG.dC
      triple-helices fused together. This structure lacks single-stranded stretches
      typical of intramolecular triplexes.

PMID- 1870982
TI  - Simplified mammalian DNA isolation procedure.

PMID- 1870981
TI  - A full-length cDNA encoding a mitochondrial DNA-specific single-stranded DNA
      binding protein from Xenopus laevis.

PMID- 1870983
TI  - Slide PCR: DNA amplification from cell samples on microscopic glass slides.

PMID- 1870984
TI  - Drosophila AP3, a presumptive DNA repair protein, is homologous to human
      ribosomal associated protein P0.

PMID- 1870985
TI  - Codon utilisation in the pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans.

PMID- 1870986
TI  - A novel approach for establishing common or random integration loci for
      retroviral genomes.

PMID- 1870987
TI  - PCR amplification of mRNA directly from a crude cell lysate prepared by
      thermophilic protease digestion.

PMID- 1870988
TI  - Isolation of intact nuclei from hematopoietic cell types.

PMID- 1870990
TI  - A common polymorphism in the human arylsulfatase B (ARSB) gene at 5q13-q14.

PMID- 1870989
TI  - G to A polymorphism in exon 45 of the COL1A1 gene.

PMID- 1870991
TI  - Dinucleotide insertion/deletion polymorphism in intron 50 of the COL2A1 gene.

PMID- 1870992
TI  - Tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human coagulation factor XIII A
      subunit gene (F13A1).

PMID- 1870993
TI  - Trinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human met-tRNA-i gene 1 (TRMI).

PMID- 1870994
TI  - Trinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the human transcription factor IID gene.

PMID- 1870995
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the D11S534 locus.

PMID- 1870996
TI  - Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at the D14S45 locus.

PMID- 1870997
TI  - An insertion deletion polymorphism associated with C-FES.

PMID- 1870998
TI  - Detection of a length polymorphism for human GIP gene by polymerase chain
      reaction.

PMID- 1870999
TI  - Polymorphism in exon 4a of the human GLUT4/ muscle-fat facilitative glucose
      transporter gene detected by SSCP.

PMID- 1871000
TI  - A polymorphism in exon 2 of the human LDL-receptor gene (LDLR).

PMID- 1871001
TI  - A to G polymorphism in ELN gene.

PMID- 1871002
TI  - PCR detection of five restriction site dimorphisms at the type I collagen loci
      COL1A1 and COL1A2.

PMID- 1871004
TI  - The utility of fractional wash-out slope values following intravenous 133Xe.
AB  - The regional clearance of 133Xe from the lungs after intravenous administration
      as well as following rebreathing was assessed in 7 normals and 18 patients with
      various lung disorders. Each lung was divided into three zones as upper, middle
      and lower. Regional ventilation (V) and regional perfusion (P) were determined
      using the area under the first peak at the beginning of the ventilation study and
      the area under the peak after intravenous administration, respectively. Slopes
      were calculated using the first exponential of the wash-out curve. Absolute slope
      values of the wash-out curves after perfusion (Pwo) and ventilation (Vwo) were
      expressed as a percentage of the total for each lung. Correlation coefficients
      between V and Vwo, V and Pwo, P and Pwo were .695, .584 and .882 in normals and
      .610, .461 and .685 in patients, respectively. It is concluded that Pwo is
      influenced by both perfusion and ventilation; it may reflect the fractional
      contribution to the gas exchange and can be used in the prediction of residual
      lung function after lung resection.

PMID- 1871005
TI  - [Hepatic hydrothorax without ascites].
AB  - A case of hepatic hydrothorax without clinical ascites is reported. The diagnosis
      was confirmed by intraperitoneal injection of 99mTc-tin colloid: scintigraphic
      images taken between 5 min and 18 h p.i. demonstrated a one-way
      transdiaphragmatic flow into the pleural cavity. The therapy consisted of
      diuretic treatment, pleural drainage and chemical pleurodesis, and resulted in
      prompt clinical improvement.

PMID- 1871003
TI  - New nucleotide sequence data on the EMBL File Server.

PMID- 1871006
TI  - [The effect of hyper- and hypothyroidism on the energy metabolism of skeletal
      muscles--a study using 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy].
AB  - 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows non-invasive evaluation of phosphorus
      metabolism in man. The purpose of the present study was to assess the influence
      of hyper- and hypothyroidism on the metabolism of resting human skeletal muscle.
      The present data show that quantitative measurement of phosphate metabolism by
      NMR is possible as also demonstrated by other studies. Using a quantitative
      evaluation method with an external standard, significant differences in the
      levels of phosphocreatine, adenosine triphosphate, and phosphodiesters were
      found. In hypothyroid patients a TSH-dependent increase in phosphodiesters and a
      decrease in adenosine triphosphate and phosphocreatine was observed. In
      hyperthyroidism a similar decrease in adenosine triphosphate but a considerably
      higher decrease in phosphocreatine occurred. In the light of the results of other
      studies of muscle metabolism, these changes appear to be non-specific so that
      further studies are required to assess the clinical value of such measurements.

PMID- 1871007
TI  - [Tumor scintigraphy using 123I-labeled estradiol in breast cancer--receptor
      scintigraphy].
AB  - The estrogen receptor (ER) status is an important factor for prognosis and
      endocrine therapy of breast cancer. Therefore 16-alpha-123I-iodoestradiol-17-beta
      (123I-E2) as a receptor-specific radiopharmacon was used for scintigraphic tumor
      detection in 62 patients suspected of breast cancer. The studies were performed
      as a multicenter trial (5 university hospitals) to validate the method and to
      overcome methodical problems. A fast tracer elimination from the blood pool into
      the liver was seen, followed by biliary excretion allowing early imaging of the
      thorax due to low background activity but resulting in difficult imaging
      conditions of the abdomen. In 42 patients (30 carcinomas, 12 benign lesions) the
      overall sensitivity was 66% (ER status cut-off: 10 fmol/mg). Some patients with
      breast cancer showed focal or diffuse uptake in the area of primary lymph
      drainage (parasternal, axillary) without any clinical correlation, demanding
      follow-up investigations. There was only one false-positive result in a receptor
      negative primary carcinoma; thus, the non-invasive determination of the ER status
      seems to be feasible. The sensitivity of 123I-E2 in the detection of primary
      breast cancer or metastases and recurrences is low compared to mammography and
      other methods; therefore, 123I-E2 scintigraphy cannot be used as a screening
      method. Differentiation of malignant and benign tissue is even more difficult as
      both may have a positive ER status, for example in mastopathy. Nevertheless, 123I
      E2 scintigraphy is an in vivo imaging technique for the detection of breast
      cancer depending on the ER status and provides information about tumor
      localisation. It may become a specific method for the non-invasive diagnosis of
      the ER status and may be helpful in follow-up studies. As a receptor-specific
      agent 123I-E2 may give answers to questions of tumor heterogeneity and changes of
      the ER status during therapy.

PMID- 1871008
TI  - Starting young.

PMID- 1871009
TI  - A distressing procedure.

PMID- 1871010
TI  - Safe haven.

PMID- 1871011
TI  - Bitter medicine.

PMID- 1871012
TI  - Mental health--born in the USA.

PMID- 1871013
TI  - Complementary support.

PMID- 1871014
TI  - Nursing overseas. The land of the maharajas.

PMID- 1871015
TI  - Arts in action. A colourful, fresh start.

PMID- 1871016
TI  - A Delphi study on psychiatric nursing.

PMID- 1871017
TI  - Pain and depression in the population.

PMID- 1871018
TI  - Nursing education. Issues--a credit to the profession?

PMID- 1871019
TI  - Nurse education. How to organize a workshop.

PMID- 1871020
TI  - Continence--training for success.

PMID- 1871022
TI  - Continence. Marketing forces.

PMID- 1871021
TI  - Continence. Nurse, heal thyself.

PMID- 1871023
TI  - Incontinence. Comment--setting the sights.

PMID- 1871024
TI  - "Nintendonitis".

PMID- 1871025
TI  - Alternatives to rationing health care.

PMID- 1871026
TI  - Influence of bone staple design on interfragmentary compression.
AB  - Staple fixation, most commonly thought of as static, has been studied with regard
      to effecting dynamic compression. Features of staple design that relate to the
      creation of interfragmentary compression have been analyzed, and a simple
      manipulative technique to effect compression is illustrated. Compressive forces
      of bone fixation staples were measured using pressure-sensitive film. Thirteen
      staple designs were tested in a wood-block model and in cadaveric bone. Staples
      with legs splayed outward produced higher compressive forces than standard staple
      designs. Internal beveling of the staple leg tips also produced high compressive
      forces, while external beveling produced distraction. Staples with legs tapered
      over their entire length produced compression, but caused splitting in the wood
      block model. Our results show that outward splaying of the staple legs is a
      simple method to increase compression in any staple design.

PMID- 1871027
TI  - Clinical experience with automated percutaneous discectomy: the Nucleotome
      system.
AB  - The Nucleotome system was used to treat contained herniated nucleus pulposus of
      the lumbar spine over a 2-year period. The results were categorized as successful
      or unsuccessful according to patient perception and anticipated result. The
      overall success rate was 79%; 93% in private pay and 65% in workers'
      compensation. The causes of failure were three free fragments not identified in
      the preoperative scanning technique and 10 cases with significant back pain
      failing to respond to percutaneous techniques. Overall, percutaneous lumbar
      discectomy is believed to be an acceptable treatment technique for those patients
      with contained herniated nucleus pulposus.

PMID- 1871028
TI  - L plate fixation for osteotomies.
AB  - It is generally acknowledged that stable fixation of osteotomies offers certain
      benefits, including maintenance of predictable alignment, while permitting rapid
      mobilization and rehabilitation. A variety of implants are available which
      require technical proficiency and familiarity by the surgeon for successful
      implantation. The ability to customize implants before or during surgery allows
      the surgeon critical control in a variety of situations. An L plate, which is a
      pre-bent dynamic compression plate (DCP), applied as a tension band with
      interfragmentary screws serves this purpose well.

PMID- 1871029
TI  - Proximal femoral focal deficiency: evaluation and management.
AB  - Proximal femoral focal deficiency is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by
      limb malrotation, deficiency of the iliofemoral articulation, and limb length
      discrepancy. Advances in radiology, such as computed tomography and magnetic
      resonance imaging, have enhanced the assessment of pelvic-femoral instability
      prior to ossification of the femoral capital epiphysis. The histopathology of the
      fetal proximal femoral growth plate has been described, which has increased our
      knowledge about the etiology of the proximal femoral malformation. Data are now
      available regarding the long-term functional status of patients with severe
      acetabular dysplasia (Aitken Class C or Class D deformity) following nonoperative
      management of the hip. A review of the current knowledge regarding proximal
      femoral focal deficiency is presented to assist the orthopedic surgeon in
      evaluation and management.

PMID- 1871030
TI  - Compartment syndrome of the biceps brachii compartment following rupture of the
      long head of the biceps.

PMID- 1871031
TI  - Anterior interosseous nerve syndrome associated with forearm band treatment of
      lateral epicondylitis.

PMID- 1871032
TI  - Bony gamekeeper's thumb in a skeletally immature girl.

PMID- 1871033
TI  - Variation in applied force during insertion of cemented femoral prostheses.
AB  - Information is presented on forces applied to cemented prostheses during
      insertion. An instrumented femoral pusher was used to collect information during
      simulated operations on cadavers while using a laboratory test rig and during
      live surgery. Surgeons using flanged or collared prostheses tend to apply more
      force than those using collarless prostheses. There is a tendency for abrupt
      changes in applied force to occur when: 1) clearing cement; 2) easing hand
      discomfort; and 3) testing cement consistency. Tests showed that an overall
      impression of the force applied could be obtained from a laboratory simulation,
      but that clearing cement and testing cement were not modelled by this method. We
      discuss the implications of our observations in terms of prosthesis fixation and
      training of staff.

PMID- 1871034
TI  - Health care rationing: a quality of life issue.

PMID- 1871035
TI  - Radiologic case study. Sacral insufficiency fracture.

PMID- 1871036
TI  - Validation of bioanalytical methods.
AB  - Validation of bioanalytical methods used to generate data for pharmacokinetic and
      bioavailability studies is approached by a variety of techniques and is subject
      to many different methods of interpretation. This Review puts the various
      techniques into perspective and discusses pitfalls which may occur in
      interpretation of validation data. Recovery studies, standardization techniques,
      and selectivity/specificity are discussed with regard to the intrinsic value of
      various techniques that are used in validation. Models used for analytical
      calibration curves are explained in terms of their validity and limitations,
      along with a presentation of the most common ways to validate the model.
      Analytical sensitivity and detection limits are presented and discussed with
      regard to the usefulness of the various definitions. Appropriate means of testing
      precision and accuracy, the most important factors in assessing method quality,
      are presented. Stability and ruggedness testing are discussed along with a
      presentation of ways to assess data acceptability on a daily run basis.

PMID- 1871037
TI  - The effects of formulation variables on the stability of freeze-dried human
      growth hormone.
AB  - Formulation often has a dramatic effect on degradation of proteins during the
      freeze-drying process as well as impacting on the "shelf-life" stability of the
      freeze-dried product. This research presents the results of a formulation
      optimization study of the "in-process" and shelf-life stability of freeze-dried
      human growth hormone (hGH). Chemical decomposition via methionine oxidation and
      deamidation of asparagine residues as well as irreversible aggregation were
      characterized by HPLC assay methodology. In-process degradation and stability of
      low moisture freeze-dried solids were studied at 25 and 40 degrees C in a nominal
      nitrogen headspace (approximately 0.5% O2). Formulation variables included pH,
      level of salts, and the nature of the lyoprotectant. Studies of the effect of
      shear on aggregation in solutions indicated that shear comparable to that
      experienced during filtration does not induce aggregation. Irreversible changes
      in hGH during the freeze-drying process were minimal, but chemical decomposition
      via methionine oxidation and asparagine deamidation and aggregation did occur on
      storage of the freeze-dried solid. Decomposition via methionine oxidation was
      significant. A combination of mannitol and glycine, where the glycine remains
      amorphous, provided the greatest protection against decomposition and
      aggregation. It is postulated that an excipient system that remains at least
      partially amorphous is necessary for stabilization. However, the observation that
      dextran 40 formulations showed poor stability toward aggregation demonstrates
      that an amorphous excipient system is not a sufficient condition for stability.
      Stability of the solid was optimal when produced from solutions in the pH range,
      7-7.5, with severe aggregation being observed at high pH. The level of sodium
      phosphate buffer affected stability of the solid, although this relationship was
      complex. Freeze-drying in the presence of NaCl produced severe aggregation and
      precipitation during the freeze-drying process as well as acceleration of
      oxidation and/or deamidation.

PMID- 1871038
TI  - Colon-specific delivery of dexamethasone from a glucoside prodrug in the guinea
      pig.
AB  - Dexamethasone-beta-D-glucoside is a potential prodrug for colonic delivery of the
      antiinflammatory agent, dexamethasone. The ability of this prodrug to deliver
      dexamethasone selectively to the colon depends not only on its being slowly
      absorbed from the alimentary canal, but also on its having chemical and enzymatic
      stability in the stomach and small intestine. Once reaching the large bowel, it
      should be quantitatively hydrolyzed to release the active agent. The potential of
      dexamethasone-beta-D-glucoside for colon-specific delivery of dexamethasone is
      assessed by determining the rates of its hydrolysis down the alimentary canal of
      the guinea pig, an animal in which an inflammatory bowel disease model has been
      developed. The hydrolytic activity is examined in tissues and luminal contents of
      the stomach, proximal and distal segments of the small intestine, cecum, and
      colon. For the tissues, the greatest hydrolytic activity is in the proximal small
      intestine, while the stomach, cecum, and colon have only moderate activity. In
      contrast, the contents of the cecum and colon show greater activity than the
      contents of the small intestine and stomach. The luminal contents retained beta
      glucosidase activity even after repeated centrifugation and resuspension in a
      buffer. The activity was unaffected by homogenization. These observations suggest
      that hydrolytic activity is associated with enzymes located on the surface of
      luminal cells. The movement and hydrolysis of dexamethasone-beta-D-glucoside down
      the gastrointestinal tract of the guinea pig are also examined. About 20 to 30%
      of an oral dose appears to reach the cecum. Here the prodrug is rapidly
      hydrolyzed to the active drug. From intravenous administration of the prodrug and
      drug, it is apparent that dexamethasone-beta-D-glucoside is poorly absorbed in
      the gastrointestinal tract (bioavailability, less than 1%). There is a ninefold
      selective advantage for delivery of dexamethasone in cecal tissues in the guinea
      pig under the conditions of this experiment. Thus, there is a potential for a
      decrease in the usual dose and a concomitant reduction in the systemic exposure
      to dexamethasone. Because humans have much less glucosidase activity in the small
      intestine, even greater site-selective delivery to the cecum and colon is
      expected.

PMID- 1871039
TI  - Amine prodrugs which utilize hydroxy amide lactonization. II. A potential
      esterase-sensitive amide prodrug.
AB  - In an effort to develop esterase-sensitive pro-prodrugs for amines, an amide
      derivative of 3-(2'-acetoxy-4',6'-dimethylphenyl)-3,3- dimethylpropionic acid (4
      methoxyaniline amide 8) was synthesized and its stability investigated. This
      esterified hydroxy amide was found under all conditions to degrade via a two-step
      process initiated by acetyl ester hydrolysis generating the hydroxy amide
      intermediate 9a. The lactonization of this intermediate 9a in the second step
      resulted in the formation of 4-methoxyaniline (10) and 4,4,5,7-tetramethyl-3,4
      dihydrocoumarin (1a). The pro-prodrug 8 was observed to possess the following
      half-lives at 37 degrees C under various conditions: 4030 min in phosphate buffer
      (50 mM, mu = 0.15) fixed to pH 7.4, 11.9 min in the same buffer containing a
      porcine liver esterase, 53.7 min in plasma, and 475 min in plasma containing
      diisopropylfluorophosphate. These results suggest that in a biological milieu the
      ester hydrolysis will occur by the enzymic hydrolysis rather than the chemical
      hydrolysis and that the enzymic hydrolysis of 8 in plasma is due, in part, to the
      action of serine-dependent esterases.

PMID- 1871040
TI  - Molecular structure and dynamics of cis(Z)-and trans(E)-flupenthixol and
      clopenthixol.
AB  - The three-dimensional structures and molecular electrostatic potentials of the
      cis(Z) and trans(E)-isomers of flupenthixol and clopenthixol were examined by
      computer graphics and molecular mechanical and quantum mechanical calculations,
      and their internal molecular motions were studied by molecular dynamics
      simulations in vacuo and in aqueous solution. The simulations demonstrated that
      both the side chains and the tricyclic ring systems of clopenthixol and
      flupenthixol are highly flexible. The angle between the two phenyl ring planes
      varied between 105 and 171 degrees during the simulations in solution. The
      electrostatic potentials around the 2-substituent were significantly more
      negative in the trans(E)-isomers than in the cis(Z)-isomers. The stronger
      negative potentials may weaken electrostatic receptor interactions and, thereby,
      cause the trans(E)-isomers to be less active than cis(Z)-isomers. Differences
      both in three-dimensional structure and in electronic structure may cause the
      difference in pharmacological activity between cis(Z)- and trans(E)
      thioxanthenes.

PMID- 1871041
TI  - Effects of viscous hyaluronate-sodium solutions on the nasal absorption of
      vasopressin and an analogue.
AB  - The effects of viscous solutions of hyaluronate-sodium of various average
      molecular weights (MW) on the nasal absorption of vasopressin (AVP) and its
      analogue, 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (1-d-8-DAVP), were examined in rats.
      Solutions of hyaluronate with MW greater than 3 x 10(5) daltons enhanced the
      nasal absorption of AVP; solutions of MW 5.5 x 10(4) daltons were not effective.
      The enhancing effects on the nasal absorption of AVP and 1-d-8-DAVP were
      dependent on the concentration in the range of 0-1.5% (w/v) hyaluronate (MW 1.4 x
      10(6) daltons). The nasal absorption of AVP was increased with this solution at
      lower pH. Bioavailabilities after nasal administration of AVP and 1-d-8-DAVP in
      hyaluronate solutions (MW 1.4 x 10(6) and 2 x 10(6) daltons) increased more than
      2-and 1.6-fold as compared to nasal administration of AVP and 1-d-8-DAVP in
      buffer solutions (pH 7.0), respectively. Hyaluronate solution (MW 1.4 x 10(6)
      daltons) did not affect the ciliary beat frequency of rabbit nasal mucosal
      membranes in vitro. Therefore, hyaluronate solution may be useful as a vehicle
      for nasal delivery of AVP and 1-d-8-DAVP.

PMID- 1871042
TI  - In vitro evaluation of the plasma and blood compatibility of a parenteral
      formulation for ditekiren, a novel renin inhibitor pseudopeptide.
AB  - Ditekiren (U-71038; Boc-Pro-Phe-N-MeHis-Leu-psi[CHOHCH2]-Val-Ile
      (aminomethyl)pyridine ) is a potent renin inhibitor peptide and was formulated
      for clinical intravenous administration in acidified dextrose. This formulation
      of ditekiren was evaluated in vitro with human and monkey plasma as to its
      potential for forming a precipitate either of drug or of plasma proteins.
      Analysis by centrifugation showed that no drug precipitation occurred in plasma
      from either species at concentrations 25 times higher than anticipated in
      clinical studies. Results obtained by turbidimetry indicated that formulated
      ditekiren did not cause aggregation of human platelets or flocculation of
      proteins at concentrations approaching the solubility limit of the drug in
      plasma. Ditekiren or vehicle also caused no detectable lysis of red cells at
      concentrations representing 10 times the maximum clinical level. Therefore,
      ditekiren solutions as formulated are judged completely compatible with blood and
      plasma upon clinical intravenous administration.

PMID- 1871043
TI  - Inactivation kinetics of enzyme pharmaceuticals in aqueous solution.
AB  - The kinetics of enzyme inactivation in aqueous solution of neutral pH were
      studied for alpha-chymotrypsin, bromelain, and kallikrein. Inactivation of alpha
      chymotrypsin and bromelain followed simple first-order kinetics, and the rate
      constant obtained conformed to the Arrhenius relationship. Kallikrein, however,
      presented more complicated kinetics of inactivation, which could be described by
      a kinetic expression combining a reversible and an irreversible pathway.
      Nonlinear regression analysis suggested that the rate constants conform
      reasonably well to the Arrhenius relationship. The results suggest that
      inactivation of enzymes in aqueous solution can be modeled even if the profile is
      complicated and that the inactivation rates can be predicted based on the
      relationship between the parameter estimates and temperature.

PMID- 1871045
TI  - Effect of polyethylene glycol 400 on the intestinal permeability of carbamazepine
      in the rabbit.
AB  - Because of the limited solubility of carbamazepine, aqueous solutions are usually
      prepared using glycols as cosolvents. This research focuses on the effect of
      varying the composition of polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) in aqueous solutions
      in rabbit intestinal permeability of carbamazepine in the duodenojejunum and the
      ascending colon using an in situ perfusion technique. In both segments the
      intestinal permeability varied inversely with the percentage of PEG-400, when the
      concentration of carbamazepine in the perfusing solution was maintained constant.
      The decreased permeability may be explained by a reduction in the thermodynamic
      activity of carbamazepine with increased concentrations of PEG-400, as well as by
      reverse solvent drag because of the hyperosmolarity of the perfusing solutions.

PMID- 1871044
TI  - Stability of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) in aqueous solution: analytical
      methods, kinetics, products, and solution formulation implications.
AB  - The thermal stability of IL-1 beta in aqueous solution as a function of
      temperature (5-60 degrees C), pH (2-9), buffer (acetate, citrate, tris, and
      phosphate), and cyroprotectants (sugars, HSA) was investigated in this study. The
      analytical methodologies included RP-HPLC, SEC, ELISA, IEF-PAGE, SDS-PAGE, and
      bioassay. The degradation and inactivation of IL-1 beta at or above 39 degrees C
      were attributed to autoxidation of the two cysteine residues in the denatured
      protein, followed by hydrophobic/covalent aggregation and precipitation. At or
      below 30 degrees C, IEF- and SDS-PAGE results suggest a possible deamidation
      reaction. The difference in mechanism of degradation precludes the prediction of
      formulation shelf life from accelerated temperature data. Nonetheless, the good
      stability observed at 5 degrees C suggests that a solution formulation may be
      feasible for IL-1 beta.

PMID- 1871046
TI  - Effects of deoxycholate on the transepithelial transport of sucrose and
      horseradish peroxidase in filter-grown Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells.
AB  - Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells grown on microporous
      polycarbonate filters were used as a model system to investigate the mechanisms
      of enhancement by deoxycholate in the transepithelial transport of horseradish
      peroxidase (HRP) and 14C-sucrose. Deoxycholate at 0.025% had no effect on the
      transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER); a fivefold enhancement on the
      transepithelial transport of HRP, but not on that of 14C-sucrose, was observed.
      Deoxycholate at 0.05% induced a reversible decrease of TEER; a 2- and 50-fold
      enhancement on the transepithelial transport of 14C-sucrose and HRP,
      respectively, was observed. At 0.1%, deoxycholate induced an irreversible
      decrease in TEER and the epithelial barrier in the cell monolayer was completely
      eliminated. A 3.3-fold increase in cellular uptake in HRP, but not in 14C
      sucrose, was also observed in the presence of 0.025% deoxycholate. The increase
      in cellular uptake was abolished when HRP was conjugated to polylysine. These
      results suggest that deoxycholate can increase the transepithelial transport by
      at least two different mechanisms, i.e., a transcellular pathway, possibly due to
      the enhancement of cellular uptake of selective molecules, and a nonselective
      paracellular pathway, due to the loosening of tight junctions by deoxycholate at
      higher concentrations.

PMID- 1871047
TI  - Cosolvency of dimethyl isosorbide for steroid solubility.
AB  - Dimethyl isosorbide (DMI), which is currently under investigation for its
      potential use as a pharmaceutical vehicle and drug permeation enhancer, is a
      water-miscible liquid with relatively low viscosity. The solubilization behavior
      of DMI as a cosolvent for nonpolar drugs was characterized via dielectric
      constant measurements of binary solvent systems containing DMI and either water,
      propylene glycol (PG), or polyethylene glycol (PEG). Evidence from the dielectric
      constant profiles and NMR studies suggest that DMI undergoes complexation with
      water and PG, but not with PEG, through hydrogen bonding interactions. The
      solvent complexation exhibited a major effect on the solubilities of prednisone,
      dexamethasone, and prednisolone in the mixed solvent systems. Maximum solubility
      of each drug was found to occur near a DMI/water or DMI/PG concentration ratio of
      1:2. In the DMI-PEG mixed system, while there is no apparent interaction between
      DMI and PEG molecules, the solubility of prednisone was found to increase with
      decreasing dielectric constant.

PMID- 1871048
TI  - Mean residence times and distribution volumes for drugs undergoing linear
      reversible metabolism and tissue distribution and linear or nonlinear elimination
      from the central compartments.
AB  - Equations for the mean residence times in the body (MRT) and in the central
      compartment (MRTc) are derived for bolus central dosing of a drug and its
      metabolite which undergo linear tissue distribution and linear reversible
      metabolism but are eliminated either linearly or nonlinearly (Michaelis-Menten
      kinetics) from the central compartments. In addition, a new approach to calculate
      the steady-state volumes of distribution for nonlinear systems (reversible or
      nonreversible) is proposed based on disposition decomposition analysis. The
      application of these equations to a dual reversible two-compartment model is
      illustrated by computer simulations.

PMID- 1871049
TI  - Suitability of various noninfinity area under the plasma concentration-time curve
      (AUC) estimates for use in bioequivalence determinations: relationship to AUC
      from zero to time infinity (AUC0-INF).
AB  - The influence of random error and elimination rate on estimates of the area under
      the curve from zero to time infinity (AUCO-INF) was determined in a simulation
      study using noninfinity measured AUC values (i.e. AUCTM, area to a measured
      common sampling time, and AUCO-LAST, area to the last measured sampling time).
      Further, the extent of absorption of generic danazol, baclofen, and oxazepam was
      determined using measured methods of estimating area under the curve in
      bioequivalence studies. The noninfinity AUC estimates and their 90% confidence
      intervals for the difference in product means were compared for each individual
      drug. Products chosen fulfilled one of the following three criteria: (1) a high
      "apparent intrasubject variability" and a half-life greater than 8 hr (danazol);
      (2) a low apparent intrasubject variability and a half-life less than 4 hr
      (baclofen); and (3) products exhibiting a low apparent intrasubject variability
      and a half-life greater than 8 hr (oxazepam). For the simulated data, AUCTM
      performed best when subjects had similar half-lives (i.e., low variability),
      which results in AUCTM = AUCO-LAST. On the other hand, AUCO-LAST worked best with
      a high fractional standard deviation (fsd) and a short elimination half-life
      (i.e., less than 4 hr). The noninfinity 90% confidence intervals for danazol and
      oxazepam were inconsistent with those observed at AUCO-INF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871050
TI  - The preparation and evaluation of a tablet dosage form of cyclosporine in dogs.
AB  - Cyclosporine (CsA) is commercially available for oral administration as a
      solution in olive oil with alcohol and an emulsifier. To improve its variable
      absorption and low patient acceptability, several oral formulations were prepared
      and tested in vitro and in vivo in dogs. A tablet formulation prepared by direct
      compression was then selected for comparison with the commercial oil solution
      placed into soft gelatin capsules. The study involved a randomized crossover
      design in six dogs. In order to determine absolute bioavailability and to
      compensate for any time-dependent changes in clearance, an intravenous tracer
      dose of 3H-CsA was administered along with each oral test product on each of two
      occasions. Absolute bioavailability (mean +/- SD) was 46.0 +/- 11.1 and 45.4 +/-
      9.9% for the capsules and tablets, respectively. Cmax, tmax, and mean absorption
      time were not significantly different between the two products. No differences
      were observed in the pharmacokinetics of the intravenously administered CsA in
      the two experiments, which were separated by 8-13 days. We conclude that the
      proposed tablet formulation for CsA is equivalent in dogs to the commercial
      dosage form placed into soft gelatin capsules.

PMID- 1871051
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) determination of lobenzarit in
      plasma and its application to a bioavailability study in beagle dogs.
AB  - A method for the quantitative determination of lobenzarit (2-[(2
      carboxyphenyl)amino]-4-chlorobenzoic acid) in dog plasma by high-performance
      liquid chromatography with UV detection (308 nm) is described. Plasma samples
      (200 microliters) were treated with acetonitrile and centrifuged, and the clear
      supernatant injected onto a reversed-phase phenyl column. The method achieved a
      limit of quantitation of 0.5 micrograms/ml in plasma, and the response was linear
      to 100 micrograms/ml. Comparing a solution and a tablet formulation given to
      beagle dogs, the assay demonstrated that the solution formulation was slightly
      more bioavailable and yielded a more variable absorption rate. The elimination of
      lobenzarit from plasma followed a biexponential time course, with an apparent
      terminal disposition half-life of between 5.8 and 10.7 hr.

PMID- 1871052
TI  - Synthesis of poly(hydroxypropylglutamine-prazosin carbamate) and release studies.
AB  - Prazosin, an antihypertensive drug with postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenergic blocking
      activity, has been coupled to poly-N5-(3-hydroxypropyl-L-glutamine) (PHPG) via a
      carbamate linkage. PHPG was activated by p-nitrophenyl chloroformate and then
      reacted with prazosin to form p(HPG-prazosin carbamate) conjugate. Drug loading
      was 23.9% (w/w). Activated polymer and conjugates were characterized by infrared
      spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. In vitro studies proceeded in
      pH 7.4 isotonic phosphate-buffered saline solution. Prazosin was released at a
      rate of 0.92 mg/day/100 mg conjugate from p(HPG-prazosin carbamate) particles. In
      vivo studies were performed with New Zealand White rabbits. P(HPG-prazosin
      carbamate) conjugate particles (100 mg) were suspended in 2 ml saline and
      injected subcutaneously into both flanks of rabbits. P(HPG-prazosin carbamate)
      conjugates, following an initial burst, demonstrated a nearly constant plasma
      prazosin concentration profile above 2 ng/ml, which was maintained for 10 days.

PMID- 1871053
TI  - "On-off" thermocontrol of solute transport. I. Temperature dependence of swelling
      of N-isopropylacrylamide networks modified with hydrophobic components in water.
AB  - The swelling in water, as a function of temperature, of two series of N
      isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) polymer networks was studied. In the first series, n
      butylmethacrylate (BMA) was copolymerized with NIPAAm, and in the second,
      polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) was incorporated into NIPAAm network as a
      chemically independent interpenetrating network. With increasing BMA content in
      the poly(NIPAAm-co-BMA) network, the gel collapse point was lowered and the gels
      deswelled in a more gradual manner with increasing temperature. In the
      interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) system, the gel collapse point was not
      significantly changed by the amount of incorporated PTMEG. In DSC thermograms of
      swollen samples, the shape and onset temperature of the endothermic peak
      corresponded to the gel deswelling behavior and gel collapse point. The
      temperature dependence of equilibrium swelling in water was shown to be a
      function of the gel composition in both network series. The synthesized networks
      formed a dense surface layer as the temperature increased past the gel collapse
      point. This dense layer retarded water efflux and thereby resulted in water
      pockets at the membrane surface.

PMID- 1871054
TI  - In vitro binding of lorazepam and lorazepam glucuronide to cholestyramine,
      colestipol, and activated charcoal.

PMID- 1871055
TI  - Determination of the relative formation and elimination clearance of two major
      carbamazepine metabolites in humans: a comparison between traditional and pooled
      sample analysis.

PMID- 1871056
TI  - Drug metabolism and laboratory anesthetic protocols in the rat: examination of
      antipyrine pharmacokinetics.

PMID- 1871057
TI  - Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis and stability study of
      hydrocortisone 17-butyrate in cream preparations.

PMID- 1871058
TI  - Binding of drugs in milk: the role of casein in milk protein binding--comments on
      the paper by Stebler and Guentert.

PMID- 1871059
TI  - [Restless children. An exercise in epistemic confusion].
AB  - Drawing on systemic thinking (i.e. constructivist systems theory) the paper
      reviews grossly the assumptions underlying childhood's restlessness
      ("hyperactivity") both as a distinct nosological entity and as foundation for
      different treatments. The phenomenon is considered, in accordance with
      contemporary ideas, as an interactional one. Two case examples serve as a
      starting point for gathering basic elements which, if put together, allow to
      understand this phenomenon without falling into the extremes of a mainly medical
      or a socionormative approach. This permits to make use of the systemic view in a
      manner that enables the therapist to adopt an attitude of respectful acceptance
      and understanding towards his/her small clients and their relatives.

PMID- 1871060
TI  - [Obsessive phenomena in schizophrenic adolescents].
AB  - Adolescent schizophrenics show obsessive-compulsive symptoms as often as adult
      patients. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms occur generally both in premorbid and
      post-acute states, whereas they are rarely observed in acute states. A particular
      preference of any schizophrenic subgroup doesn't seem to exist. Obsessive
      compulsive phenomena are not the same as coping-techniques or (pseudo)-neurotic
      defense mechanisms, and don't allow a prediction of a distinct outcome. The
      relationship between schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive symptoms is variable,
      and doesn't follow a set pattern.

PMID- 1871061
TI  - [Systemic concepts in residential placement: considerations for pedagogics,
      counseling and organization].
AB  - The paper starts from an analysis of typical problems in residential child care,
      which can be identified on different system levels (family, family and
      residential child care unit, family and larger systems, child care as a
      profession). More recent systems concepts (such as autopoiesis, role of the
      observer, "fitting", limits of planning in human systems) are used to develop
      suggestions for everyday practice of residential child care--from intake to
      dismissal, from crisis intervention to family education, from job satisfaction to
      management issues.

PMID- 1871062
TI  - [Art therapy--an additional possibility in group psychotherapy with adolescents].
AB  - Following a discussion of fundamentals of psychoanalytically oriented art
      therapy, clinical examples are shown to illustrate its practical application
      within the field of adolescent group psychotherapy. The mutually stimulating and
      complementing possibilities of expression within the creative process, the art
      works themselves and the verbal interaction offer a concrete, yet very flexible
      opportunity for dealing with group activity, transference, individual conflicts
      and difficulties within the developmental tasks of adolescence.

PMID- 1871063
TI  - [Re-integration of children into the biological (partial) family].
AB  - The article deals with some aspects of a study about reintegration of children
      from Austrian SOS Children's Villages into their original families. The knowledge
      that children actually not always return to their original families is of
      outstanding importance. In the meantime, very often the family has substantially
      changed because family members joined or left the family. Therefore the term
      'reintegration into the original family' reflects the situation insufficiently.
      Ignoring these changes, many times lead to difficulties within family life.

PMID- 1871064
TI  - Treating the partially edentulous with the Branemark system.

PMID- 1871065
TI  - Mission critical.

PMID- 1871066
TI  - NHS plus--a formula for survival.

PMID- 1871067
TI  - The perils of 'paradise'.

PMID- 1871068
TI  - Should you buy the total solution?

PMID- 1871069
TI  - A high quality amalgam.

PMID- 1871070
TI  - Corticotrophin-releasing hormone production by the placenta and fetal membranes.
AB  - Maturation of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-axis may be an important factor in
      the stimulation of the onset of parturition. Recent studies have found that
      corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), the hypothalamic component of this axis
      is also present in the placenta and the fetal membranes. We review the evidence
      demonstrating that glucocorticoids stimulate the production of CRH by these
      tissues towards term, and this is manifest by increases in CRH concentrations in
      maternal and fetal plasma and in placental extracts, and by increased abundance
      of CRH mRNA in the placenta. We discuss how CRH secretion by the placenta and
      fetal membranes is controlled. We hypothesize that CRH may be an important signal
      in initiating of the onset and maintenance of term labour and may also be a
      factor in the etiology of premature labour, through stimulation of the fetal HPA
      axis, and through paracrine/autocrine interactions within the placenta, fetal
      membranes and decidua.

PMID- 1871071
TI  - Villous composition and membrane thickness in the human placenta at term: a
      stereological study using unbiased estimators and optimal fixation techniques.
AB  - The aim of this study was to obtain unbiased estimates of in vivo villous
      composition and membrane thickness in the human placenta at term. By taking
      biopsies of the placenta 1 min after separation during caesarean section, and at
      regular intervals thereafter, it was possible to extrapolate back to the time
      zero values. It was estimated that at term intermediate and terminal villi are
      composed of 25.3 per cent trophoblast, 36.2 per cent stromal core and 37.1 per
      cent fetal capillaries. The villous membrane, defined as the outer surface of the
      syncytiotrophoblast (excluding the microvilli) to the inner surface of the
      capillary endothelium, was estimated to have an arithmetic mean thickness of 4.53
      microns and a harmonic mean thickness of 3.65 microns. Villous composition and
      membrane thickness were found to change rapidly after delivery, despite the
      umbilical cord remaining clamped, and these changes were believed to be
      predominantly due to leakage of fetal blood or plasma from sites of damage to the
      villous tree caused at the time of delivery. These estimates do not, and indeed
      cannot, take into account the fact that the villi sampled have been removed from
      their uterine environment, and thus from the influences of the maternal and fetal
      blood pressures. However, they are free from methodological errors that have
      detracted from previous studies, and thus allow the morphometric diffusing
      capacity of the placenta at term to be calculated more accurately. They also
      provide baseline data against which measurements obtained from pathological
      pregnancies can be compared.

PMID- 1871072
TI  - The activities of thiol proteases in the rat visceral yolk sac increase during
      late gestation.
AB  - While the rat YVS has been shown to possess an active lysosomal proteolytic
      system, there are no published reports on the identity of these proteases nor on
      their changes in activity during the latter half of gestation. We have used
      specific synthetic substrates to show that cathepsins B, L and H are present in
      this organ from days 12.5 to 20.5 of gestation. Cathepsins B and L exhibit a
      marked increase in activity beginning on day 15.5 of gestation. By days 19.5
      20.5, cathepsin B activity is increased tenfold over that observed on day 12.5.
      The activity of cathepsin L may be elevated on day 12.5, decreases more than half
      by day 14.5 and then increases fourfold by day 20.5. The activity of cathepsin H
      does not change throughout this period nor do the cathepsins exhibit marked
      changes in activity in the placenta during this same period or in the PYS from
      days 12.5 to 14.5 of gestation. These results indicate a specific increase in VYS
      cathepsin B and L activities late in gestation. These enzymes may be involved in
      meeting the nutritional needs of the embryo and/or in the degenerative changes
      which may occur in the VYS and PYS prior to parturition. Studies on the
      degradation of rat serum albumin by extracts of day 19.5 VYS indicate that
      cathepsin L may be the quantitatively most important protease in late gestation.

PMID- 1871073
TI  - The killing of rat placental cells by rat and mouse granulated metrial gland
      cells in vitro.
AB  - Small round cells which migrated from explant cultures of rat metrial gland were
      identified as granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells. They contained large amounts
      of glycoprotein and displayed the leucocyte common antigen. Other cells which
      migrated from the explants were probably derived from the fibroblast-like stromal
      cells of the metrial gland. The asialo-GM1 antigen was found on rat GMG cells in
      culture and in cryostat sections of rat metrial gland. The rat GMG cells in
      culture exhibited locomotion and, when co-cultured with placental cells, made
      numerous contacts with the placental cells. A small number of these contacts
      (less than 1 per cent) were followed rapidly by the death of the placental cell.
      Mouse GMG cells which had migrated from explant cultures of mouse metrial gland
      were also co-cultured with rat placental cells. The migratory activity of the
      mouse GMG cells also involved numerous contacts being made with rat placental
      cells and a small number (less than 1 per cent) of these contacts were cytotoxic
      for the rat placental cells. The observations support previous suggestions that
      GMG cells are a type of killer cell. The cytotoxic activity of rat and mouse GMG
      cells against co-cultured rat placental cells is discussed in relation to the
      nature of the target molecule involved.

PMID- 1871074
TI  - Classics revisited: the Yale embryo. 1938.

PMID- 1871075
TI  - Effects of chorionic GNRH on intrauterine tissues and pregnancy.

PMID- 1871076
TI  - Relationships among black families' cardiovascular disease risk factors.
AB  - BACKGROUND: As participants in the District of Columbia Studies of Children's
      Activity and Nutrition (D.C. SCAN), 262 black mothers and two of each mother's
      children (3-4 and 8-10 years of age) were measured in their homes for selected
      cardiovascular disease risk factors: serum total cholesterol, systolic and
      diastolic blood pressures, height and weight for body mass index, fitness (sum of
      pulses), activity, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds. RESULTS: For each
      measure, mothers in the highest quartile were more likely to have children who
      were also in the highest quartile, and mothers in the lowest quartile were more
      likely to have children who were in the lowest quartile. For the physiological
      measures, (with the exception of systolic blood pressure), correlations tended to
      be stronger between the siblings than between the younger child and the mother,
      and older siblings' physiological measures contributed to the prediction of
      younger siblings' physiological measures after controlling for mothers'
      physiological measures. Relationships between family cardiovascular disease risk
      factor history and children's serum total cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic
      blood pressure levels tended to be gender related; i.e., family cardiovascular
      disease risk factors on the mother's side were more likely to be related to
      levels among the female but not the male children and vice versa. When personal
      characteristics were controlled for, the family's cardiovascular disease history
      was related more strongly to the younger than to the older sibling's systolic and
      diastolic blood pressure levels. CONCLUSIONS: Results tend to substantiate the
      importance of screening and counseling other family members, especially a child
      of the same gender as the parent with a cardiovascular disease or an elevated
      risk factor level.

PMID- 1871077
TI  - Prevalence and correlates of hypertension in a subarctic Indian population.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In a cross-sectional survey of 704 Cree and Ojibwa Indians ages 20-64
      in six northern Canadian communities, blood pressure was measured along with
      various anthropometric, dietary, biochemical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle
      data. METHODS: Two readings of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) pressures were
      obtained using a mercury sphygmomanometer in accordance with WHO protocol. In
      analyses where blood pressure (BP) was a continuous variable, the means of the
      two readings were used. Where "hypertension" as a dichotomous variable was used,
      a "normal" subject was one with no past history of known physician-treated
      hypertension and who currently had SBP less than or equal to 140 and DBP less
      than or equal to 90 mm Hg. All others were classified as "hypertensives."
      RESULTS: Based on these criteria, the adjusted prevalence of hypertension in the
      sample was 27%, with an increased frequency among males and those in the older
      age group. Compared with data from the Canada Health Survey, the mean SBP among
      the Indians exceeded that of Canadians in the younger age groups but was lower
      beyond age 45. For DBP, Indians had higher mean levels than Canadians
      consistently across all age groups and in both sexes. On univariate comparisons,
      significantly higher BP levels were found among men, the old, those with little
      education, nondrinkers, the physically inactive, the obese, and the diabetic.
      Hypertensives also differed from nonhypertensives in terms of total cholesterol,
      triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio,
      various indices of obesity and fat patterning, and fasting glucose levels. In a
      multiple logistic regression model, significant predictors of hypertensive status
      included male sex, age, body mass index, total cholesterol, unemployed and single
      marital status, and positive family history of hypertension.

PMID- 1871078
TI  - Nurse-assisted smoking counseling in medical settings: minimizing demands on
      physicians.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In an effort to find more practical smoking intervention models for
      primary-care settings, three physician-and-nurse team approaches to patient
      counseling were compared with brief physician advice alone. METHODS: Subjects
      were 3,161 adult smokers surveyed while waiting to see 1 of 40 primary-care
      physicians. Physicians delivered a brief stop-smoking prompt to 2,707 (86%) of
      these smokers and referred them to an on-site smoking counselor (e.g., nurse) who
      randomly provided a two-page pamphlet (advice-only control) or one of three brief
      nurse-assisted interventions: (a) self-quit training, (b) recruitment to a group
      program, or (c) a combination intervention. Smokers usually (87%) agreed to see
      the counselor. RESULTS: After 3 months, subjects in the three nurse-assisted
      conditions were more likely to report a serious quit attempt (50% vs 39%, P less
      than 0.001) than were physician-advice-only subjects. Quit rates at 3 months were
      also higher (P less than 0.001) in the nurse-assisted self-quit (12.9%),
      recruitment (14.1%), and combination (13.0%) conditions, compared with those for
      brief physician advice only (7.6%). CONCLUSION: If long-term efficacy is
      confirmed, these nurse-assisted counseling approaches will serve as practical
      smoking intervention models for most medical-care delivery settings.

PMID- 1871079
TI  - Predictors of smoking among Mexican-Americans: findings from the Hispanic HANES.
AB  - BACKGROUND: This report presents findings from the Hispanic HANES on patterns and
      predictors of smoking in the Mexican-American subsample. Data are drawn from men
      and women ages 20-74 years who were administered the Adult Sample Person
      Questionnaire (N = 3,464). METHODS: Four smoking variables (current, ever,
      former, and daily consumption) are analyzed in relation to sociodemographic
      measures, including gender, age, marital status, employment status, occupational
      prestige, income, acculturation, co-workers' smoking, and presence of others in
      the home who smoke. All analyses were conducted separately for young, middle-age,
      and older age groups and for males and females. Multiple logistic and multiple
      regression analyses were performed, controlling for sociodemographic factors, to
      identify predictors of smoking. RESULTS: The most important factors found to be
      associated with smoking were the presence of other smokers in the immediate
      social environment (home and workplace) and the degree of acculturation
      (particularly among women). Associations with age, income, and marital status
      were inconsistent across age and gender groups. With minor exceptions, education,
      employment, and occupational prestige were unrelated to smoking. CONCLUSIONS:
      These findings support interventions on the basis of age categories, differential
      acculturation, and social influence, but overall the findings are more striking
      for their similarity to predictors of smoking in the general population than for
      their differences.

PMID- 1871081
TI  - Symposium overview. American Health Foundation's 20th Anniversary International
      Symposium on Causes and Prevention of Cancer. December 11-12, 1989, New York
      City.

PMID- 1871080
TI  - Racial differences in affirmation of personal habit change to prevent HIV
      infection.
AB  - METHODS: In the context of an epidemiological investigation of AIDS-related
      knowledge, attitudes, and practices, 2,006 employees of the Tennessee Mental
      Health and Mental Retardation residential facilities were surveyed to test the
      hypothesis that blacks have been differentially sensitized to their
      disproportionate level of HIV vulnerability. RESULTS: We found that blacks were
      significantly more likely than whites to affirm personal habit changes to prevent
      HIV infection (P less than 0.00001) and significantly more likely to reject the
      notion that AIDS is not a threat to rural areas of the United States (P less than
      0.00001). CONCLUSION: These data were interpreted to be suggestive evidence that
      blacks have been effectively sensitized to the disproportionate threat of AIDS to
      the black community and may represent an increased receptivity of blacks to the
      adoption of HIV preventive practices.

PMID- 1871082
TI  - [Epidemiological situation and the objectives regarding the intensification of
      the control of tuberculosis in the Western Siberia].
AB  - Analysis of the epidemiological parameters related to tuberculosis in Western
      Siberia for the last 30 years is given. Tuberculosis still manifests itself as a
      social disease. The last decade is marked by a slowing down of morbidity
      reduction. A continuing decrease of registered morbidity is associated with
      undetected tuberculosis cases owing to a 10-20% reduction of mass population
      screening. The problem of the interconnection of human and farm animal
      tuberculosis is still actual for Western Siberia. Morbidity rate among the farm
      workers in unfavourable regions amounts to 250 per 100,000. Successful
      tuberculosis control requires joint efforts of phthisiologists, veterinarians and
      organs of power.

PMID- 1871083
TI  - [Risk factors of the development of destructive forms of pulmonary tuberculosis
      in children].
AB  - Data are presented on the follow-up of 120 children between the ages of 3 months
      and 14 years with different forms of destructive pulmonary tuberculosis. The
      factors responsible for the origination of destructive tuberculosis include the
      absence or improper conduction of BCG vaccination, contact with patients sick
      with active pulmonary tuberculosis at the moment of detection or primary
      contamination, the absence of systematic and high-quality tuberculosis diagnosis;
      childhood infectious diseases, pneumonias, bronchitis, untimely diagnosed poorly
      and well manifested forms of intrathoracic tuberculosis in children of the risk
      groups.

PMID- 1871084
TI  - [Effect of unfavorable factors on the development of tuberculosis in children].
AB  - Analysis of cases of the active forms of tuberculosis in 87 children has
      established that the first to be affected are children from the unsuccessful
      families in whom BCG vaccination was either absent or was ineffective. Children
      from the unsuccessful families aged to 1 year get sick more often. The disease in
      them runs a more acute course and has manifested clinico-roentgenological
      symptoms. In half the cases a tuberculosis process acquires a complicated course.

PMID- 1871085
TI  - [Significance of various factors in the evaluation of tuberculin allergy in
      children in the early period of primary tuberculosis].
AB  - The influence of some factors of ante-, peri- and postnatal periods of life on
      the intensity of tuberculin allergy in 198 children of pre- and primary school
      age with a conversion of tuberculin reactions was studied. As a result, 13
      indicators out of 52 appeared to be associated with the intensity of tuberculin
      allergy. This makes it possible to predict the intensity of tuberculin allergy
      well in advance before the early period of primary tuberculous infection. Keeping
      a record of the above unfavourable factors in one's case history helps to take
      differential preventive measures among the contact children.

PMID- 1871086
TI  - [Clinical course of infiltrative tuberculosis in adolescents].
AB  - The course of infiltrative tuberculosis making up 53.2% in the pattern of
      clinical forms was investigated in 64 adolescents. Infiltrative tuberculosis
      morbidity among the girls is 3 times higher. The main detection method is
      represented by a planned roentgenofluorographic examination, since in the region
      in question infiltrative tuberculosis tends to have limited symptoms in 56.2% of
      the adolescents, including 30.5% of them even with disseminated process. In 60.9%
      of the cases, infiltrative tuberculosis is observed to have a decomposition phase
      which is 4.5 times more frequently traced in patients living in contact with a
      bacillary ++carrier . In 8% of the patients, infiltrative tuberculosis was
      complicated by hemoptysis. Infiltrative tuberculosis in 32.8% of the adolescents
      manifests itself in a pulmonary form of primary tuberculosis. Due to a complex
      treatment hemodynamic indices are normalized by the end of the first month in
      addition to the removal of the intoxication signs by the third month. Cavity
      closure was achieved in 71.8% of the patients. Despite the given therapy,
      transformation into the destructive forms of tuberculosis took place.

PMID- 1871087
TI  - [Status of the bronchi in adolescents and young patients with tuberculosis of the
      respiratory organs].
AB  - A comparative analysis is presented of the results of bronchoscopy carried out in
      1976-1980 in 406 adolescents and young subjects with different forms of pulmonary
      tuberculosis and in 115 patients of the same age groups who were examined in 1987
      1989. The last decade was marked by the incidence decrease of tuberculosis of
      bronchi in patients with tuberculosis of respiratory organs from 27.8 to 17.4%
      and by more benign course. At the same time, the incidence of nonspecific
      endobronchitis significantly increased (by 3 times). Among the causes of
      development and growth of the incidence of nonspecific endobronchitis in
      pulmonary tuberculosis patients the main role is assigned to the deterioration of
      ecological situation, occupational factors and bad habits. It is considered that
      nonspecific endobronchitis is not the consequence of pulmonary tuberculosis but
      are independent diseases having a negative influence on the course of pulmonary
      tuberculosis.

PMID- 1871088
TI  - [Tuberculous meningitis in children].
AB  - Tuberculous meningitis in children is a rare disease and develops in the absence
      of the current complex of measures aimed at tuberculosis prophylaxis. In 62.7% of
      children the disease had a gradual course beginning with a prodromal period with
      infectious-toxic symptoms being predominant over meningeal and encephalitic ones.
      Basal localization of the process with cranial nerves involvement was diagnosed
      in 59% of patients. In 31.8% of children the disease took the course of diffuse
      meningoencephalitis, 9% has signs of leptomeningitis combined with
      thromboarteritis of the middle cerebral artery. In 63% of patients the course of
      meningitis proceeded as a progressive undetected and untreated tuberculosis. Five
      years later 18% of children died and 9% had nervous system affection.

PMID- 1871089
TI  - [Combined use of tuberculin and hydrocortisone in the complex treatment of
      pulmonary tuberculosis].
AB  - The paper deals with the results of treatment of 50 active pulmonary tuberculosis
      patients who at the early terms were given tuberculin in combination with
      hydrocortisone phonophoresis locally applied on the lesion. The method
      effectiveness rises in closure of destruction cavities. Tuberculin has an
      immunomodulatory action and stimulates antibody formation.

PMID- 1871090
TI  - [Therapeutic possibilities of inhalation of rifampicin with dimexide in
      phthisiopulmonology].
AB  - The efficacy of treatment with rifampicin-dimexide++ aerosols of 184 pulmonary
      tuberculosis patients and 18 chronic obstructive bronchitis patients was studied.
      The character of the residual changes following the main chemotherapeutic course
      was studied in 98 patients. Dimexide++ was proved to be a good rifampicin solvent
      and synergist enhancing its bacteriostatic action. Rifampicin used in a dose of
      150-300 mg in 3-4 ml of dimexide++ in aerosols for 1-2 months promotes bacillary
      excretion cessation and healing of destruction cavities and allows for a
      reduction of its toxic action on liver parenchyma. Rifampicin--dimexide++
      aerosols contribute to more complete tuberculosis cure and reduce the residual
      pulmonary and bronchial changes. Rifampicin with dimexide++ can be successfully
      used for treating chronic bronchitis both as an independent disease and
      concurrent disease in pulmonary tuberculosis.

PMID- 1871091
TI  - [Early operations in pulmonary tuberculosis].
AB  - Since 1987, 205 patients have undergone early surgical interventions for
      tuberculomas, and infiltrative and cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis. Comparative
      analysis of the group of patients treated by conservative and surgical methods in
      the agreed-upon terms (200 cases) revealed that the clinical efficacy of their
      management was equal. Nevertheless, the period of sick leave of those early
      operated appeared to be, on average, 91 days shorter than of those receiving
      conservative treatment. This in turn made it possible to achieve higher economic
      efficiency at 2873 roubles per early operated patient.

PMID- 1871092
TI  - [A differential method of pharmacological prevention of tuberculosis in children
      in a sanatorium].

PMID- 1871093
TI  - [Tuberculosis in adolescents with nonspecific pathology of the respiratory
      organs].

PMID- 1871094
TI  - [Pre-formed therapeutic physical factors in the clinical management of genital
      tuberculosis].

PMID- 1871095
TI  - [Diagnosis of granulomatous lung diseases].
AB  - The accumulated experience and the literature data allow for the separation of a
      group of granulomatous pulmonary diseases among pulmonary diseases of different
      etiology. Etiologically heterogeneous granulomatous diseases are united by the
      general signs: granuloma development, immunologic disturbances mainly within the
      cellular system and mediators as well as systemic vascular affection in the form
      of vasculitis. In our opinion, granulomatous diseases include disseminated
      tuberculosis, sarcoidosis of respiratory organs, exogenic and idiopathic fibrous
      alveolitis, Wegener's granulomatosis, histiocytosis X, primary hemosiderosis,
      Goodpasture's syndrome and some other rare diseases. Granulomatous diseases are
      diagnosed on the basis of the ++clinico-roentgenologic findings with an
      obligatory cytological and histological study of the bioptic specimen;
      immunologic diseases are diagnosed proceeding from the study of the immunologic
      status and detection of specific antibodies; of great significance for the
      diagnosis of pulmonary granuloma caused by infectious pathogens are microbiologic
      studies which provide for the detection of microorganisms and fungi. Study of the
      clinicoroentgenologic and laboratory data made it possible to distinguish a
      number of features typical for each disease and to unite them into diagnostic
      symptom complexes. Despite the different course of granulomatous pulmonary
      diseases they may end in recovery and granuloma resolution, development of lung
      fibrosis in a chronic course and in certain diseases in lung tissue destruction
      with cavity formation (tuberculosis, Wegener's granulomatosis). A fatal outcome
      may also ensue due to an acute or chronic course of the diseases.

PMID- 1871096
TI  - [The blood serum systems in patients with tuberculosis].
AB  - Phenotypes of haptoglobin (Hp), group-specific proteins (Gc), transferrins and
      ceruloplasmin were studied by means of polyacrylamide gel disk electrophoresis of
      serum proteins in 411 tuberculosis patients and 283 apparently healthy
      individuals living in the North-West and Extreme North. Regardless of their
      ethnic affiliation, tuberculosis patients tend to accumulate Hp 2-2, Gc 1-1
      carriers and Hp 2-2 + Gc 1-1 combinations. The persons with the above types of
      individual proteins usually have a serious clinical picture of the disease and
      lower activity of the immune T-system, as confirmed by different methods of
      multidimensional statistical analysis. Hp 2-2, Gc 1-1 carriers and Hp 2-2 and Gc
      1-1 combinations among the Extreme North's healthy aboriginal population are more
      widespread than among the healthy inhabitants of the North-West.

PMID- 1871097
TI  - [Effectiveness of tocopherol and anti-hypoxic agents in liver damage caused by
      antitubercular agents].
AB  - Two-week administration of isoniazid, rifampicin (50 mg/kg and pyrazinamide (1,5
      g/kg) to white rats brings about liver affection characterized by a higher
      activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, lipid peroxidation
      activation and bile production inhibition. With the liver affected by
      antituberculous drugs, protective action is provided by acetate tocopherol an
      antioxidant, and piracetam riboxin and pyriditol, antihypoxic agents.

PMID- 1871098
TI  - [Changes in plasma levels of corticosterone, testosterone and estradiol and their
      receptors in the lung cytosol in experimental fibrosing process in the lungs].
AB  - The content of blood plasma corticosterone, testosterone and estradiol, and
      receptors to corticosteroids, androgens and estrogens in pulmonary cytosol of
      normal male rats and those with fibrosing process in the lungs were
      experimentally studied by means of radioimmunoassay. With pulmonary fibrosis, a
      decrease in the concentration of blood plasma corticosterone and testosterone,
      and lower content of their pulmonary cytosol receptors to corticosteroids,
      androgens and estrogens are observed. As testosterone propionate was administered
      in the course of this experiment, there was a normalization of blood plasma
      corticosterone levels and those of the pulmonary cytosol receptors to androgens.
      The content of blood plasma testosterone and the pulmonary cytosol receptors to
      corticosteroids and estrogens was partially normalized. However, it was
      significantly different from the indices in the control group.

PMID- 1871099
TI  - [Current state and trends in the development of differential diagnosis of
      disseminated processes and spherical formations in the lungs based on scientific
      analysis of documented information flow].

PMID- 1871100
TI  - [Propaganda regarding prevention of lung cancer among the groups of patients
      treated at the anti-tuberculosis clinics].

PMID- 1871101
TI  - [Lung cancer in chronic tuberculosis].

PMID- 1871102
TI  - [History of tuberculosis control in the pre-Revolutionary Russia-- activities of
      F.M. Blumental in the organization of health education].

PMID- 1871103
TI  - [Complex methods of examination in the diagnosis of disseminated processes in the
      respiratory organs].
AB  - The efficiency of complex methods of examination, including that of the new
      special ones, for the diagnosis of disseminated processes in the lungs has been
      studied in 300 patients between the ages of 20 and 76 years. The following
      methods were used: microbiological (including a new nutritive medium for
      mycobacteria activation), immuno-enzymatic (detection of specific antigens),
      immuno-morphologic with determination of antigen determinants of tuberculosis
      mycobacteria and their L-forms with the help of specific antisera, cytologic,
      biochemical (the content of phospholipids and their fractions in the
      bronchoalveolar washing and blood plasma cortisol/insulin ratio), ++tracheo
      bronchoscopic and surgical methods. A possibility of the verification of the
      clinical diagnosis of various diseases was established with the help of each
      method being used. Surgical intervention (thoracoscopy with lung biopsy and open
      lung biopsy) which confirm the diagnosis in 96.4% of cases proved to be the most
      informative diagnostic method.

PMID- 1871104
TI  - The leucine zipper symmetrically positions the adjacent basic regions for
      specific DNA binding.
AB  - The bZIP structural motif present in several eukaryotic transcription factors is
      defined by the leucine zipper, a coiled-coil dimerization interface, and an
      adjacent basic region that directly interacts with DNA. To examine the functional
      importance of the highly conserved spacing between the leucine zipper and the
      basic region, we have analyzed the DNA-binding ability of yeast GCN4 proteins
      containing amino acid insertions between these two subdomains. Proteins
      containing a surprisingly wide variety of seven-amino acid insertions, but none
      containing two-, four-, or six-amino acid insertions, are functional. However,
      heterodimers between wild-type GCN4 and functional derivatives containing seven
      amino acid insertions are unable to bind DNA. These observations provide strong
      experimental support for several aspects of the scissors grip and induced fork
      models for DNA-binding by bZIP proteins. Specifically, they demonstrate that
      continuous alpha-helices symmetrically diverging from the leucine zipper
      correctly position the two basic regions for specific binding to abutting DNA
      half-sites. In addition, the results indicate that GCN4 homodimers are primarily
      responsible for transcriptional activation in yeast cells.

PMID- 1871105
TI  - Molecular cloning and expression of a human heat shock factor, HSF1.
AB  - Human cells respond to heat stress by inducing the binding of a preexisting
      transcriptional activator (heat shock factor, HSF) to DNA. We have isolated
      recombinant DNA clones for a human HSF (HSF1) by screening cDNA libraries with a
      human cDNA fragment. The human HSF1 probe was produced by the PCR with primers
      deduced from conserved amino acids in the Drosophila and yeast HSF sequences. The
      human HSF1 mRNA is constitutively expressed in HeLa cells under nonshock
      conditions and encodes a protein with four conserved leucine zipper motifs. Like
      its counterpart in Drosophila, human HSF1 produced in Escherichia coli in the
      absence of heat shock is active as a DNA binding transcription factor, suggesting
      that the intrinsic activity of HSF is under negative control in human cells.
      Surprisingly, an independently isolated human HSF clone, HSF2, is related to but
      significantly different from HSF1 [Schuetz, T. J., Gallo, G. J., Sheldon, L.,
      Tempst, P. & Kingston, R. E. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 6911-6915].

PMID- 1871106
TI  - Isolation of a cDNA for HSF2: evidence for two heat shock factor genes in humans.
AB  - The heat shock response is transcriptionally regulated by an evolutionarily
      conserved protein termed heat shock factor (HSF). We report the purification to
      homogeneity and the partial peptide sequence of HSF from HeLa cells. The peptide
      sequence was used to isolate a human cDNA with a predicted open reading frame
      that has homology to the DNA binding domains of both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
      Drosophila HSFs. The cDNA directs the synthesis of a protein that binds to the
      heat shock element with specificity identical to HeLa HSF and stimulates
      transcription from a heat shock promoter. The expressed protein cross-reacts with
      anti-HSF antibodies. Surprisingly, however, this cDNA does not encode all of the
      peptides obtained from purified HeLa HSF. These peptides are encoded by a
      distinct human cDNA, HSF1, described by Rabindran et al. [Rabindran, S. K.,
      Giorgi, G., Clos, J. & Wu, C. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 6906-6910.]
      It therefore appears that there is a human heat shock factor gene family and that
      at least two separate but related HSF proteins regulate the stress response in
      humans.

PMID- 1871107
TI  - Leucine aminopeptidase: bestatin inhibition and a model for enzyme-catalyzed
      peptide hydrolysis.
AB  - The three-dimensional structures of native bovine lens leucine aminopeptidase (EC
      3.4.11.1) and its complex with bestatin, a slow-binding inhibitor, have been
      solved and exhaustively refined. The mode of binding of bestatin to leucine
      aminopeptidase may be similar to that of a tetrahedral intermediate that is
      thought to form during peptide bond hydrolysis. Bestatin binds in the active site
      with its alpha-amino group and hydroxyl group coordinated to the zinc ion located
      in the readily exchangeable divalent cation binding site. Its phenylalanyl side
      chain is stabilized by van der Waals interactions with Met-270, Thr-359, Gly-362,
      Ala-451, and Met-454, which appear to form a terminal hydrophobic pocket. The
      leucyl side chain binds in another hydrophobic cleft lined by Asn-330, Ala-333,
      and Ile-421. Hydrogen bonds involving active site residues Lys-262, Asp-273, Gly
      360, and Leu-362 are responsible for stabilizing the backbone nitrogen and oxygen
      atoms of bestatin. The mode of bestatin inhibition of leucine aminopeptidase is
      discussed and correlated with biochemical studies of bestatin analogues. In
      addition, features of a mechanism of catalysis of peptide hydrolysis by leucine
      aminopeptidase are discussed.

PMID- 1871108
TI  - Implications of ribozyme kinetics for targeting the cleavage of specific RNA
      molecules in vivo: more isn't always better.
AB  - Kinetic and thermodynamic factors that determine specificity of RNA cleavage by
      ribozymes are illustrated with examples from recent work with a ribozyme derived
      from the group I intron of Tetrahymena thermophila pre-rRNA. The conclusions also
      apply to other ribozymes, to antisense oligonucleotide experiments, and to RNA
      and DNA cleavage agents that can recognize a single-stranded or double-stranded
      region of variable length. At first, adding bases to a ribozyme's recognition
      sequence is expected to increase cleavage of the target RNA relative to cleavage
      of other RNAs. However, adding more bases ultimately reduces this discrimination,
      as cleavage occurs essentially every time the target RNA or a mismatched RNA
      binds the ribozyme. This occurs despite the weaker binding of the mismatched RNA
      because dissociation becomes too slow (binding is too strong) to allow the
      ribozyme to "choose" between cleavage of the target RNA and a mismatched RNA. In
      summary, more (base pairing) isn't always better, because maximal discrimination
      requires equilibrium binding prior to cleavage. The maximum discrimination that
      can be obtained is expected to be greater with an A + U-rich recognition sequence
      than with a G + C-rich recognition sequence. This is because the weaker A.U base
      pairs (relative to G-C base pairs) allow recognition to be spread over a larger
      number of bases while preventing binding that is too strong. Finally, creating an
      A-rich ribozyme rather than a U-rich ribozyme avoids the loss in discrimination
      expected with U-rich ribozymes from the formation of U.G wobble pairs in addition
      to the "targeted" Watson-Crick U.A pair.

PMID- 1871109
TI  - Human type VII collagen: cDNA cloning and chromosomal mapping of the gene.
AB  - A human keratinocyte cDNA expression library in bacteriophage lambda gt11 was
      screened with the purified IgG fraction of serum from a patient with
      epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, which had a high titer of anti-type VII collagen
      antibodies. Screening of approximately 3 x 10(5) plaques identified 8 positive
      clones, the largest one (K-131) being approximately 1.9 kilobases in size.
      Dideoxynucleotide sequencing of K-131 indicated that it consisted of 1875 base
      pairs and contained an open reading frame coding for a putative N-terminal
      noncollagenous domain of 439 amino acids and a collagenous C-terminal segment of
      186 amino acids. The collagenous domain was characterized by repeating Gly-Xaa
      Yaa sequences that were interrupted in several positions by insertions or
      deletions of 1-3 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence also revealed a
      peptide segment that had a high degree of identity with a published type VII
      collagen protein sequence. Northern hybridization of the K-131 cDNA with human
      epidermal keratinocyte and skin fibroblast RNA revealed an mRNA of approximately
      8.5 kilobases. The fusion protein produced by the K-131 cDNA, when incubated with
      epidermolysis bullosa acquisita serum, bound to antibodies that reacted in
      Western blots with type VII collagen. The genomic location of the type VII
      collagen gene (COL7A1) was determined by chromosomal in situ hybridization with
      the K-131 cDNA. The results mapped the COL7A1 to the locus 3p21. The cDNA clones
      characterized in this study will be valuable for understanding the protein
      structure and gene expression of type VII collagen present in anchoring fibrils
      and its aberrations in the dystrophic forms of heritable epidermolysis bullosa.

PMID- 1871111
TI  - Transfer of genetic epilepsy by embryonic brain grafts in the chicken.
AB  - In the Fayoumi chicken, a spontaneous recessive autosomal mutation (F.Epi) is
      responsible for high susceptibility to seizures that are especially inducible by
      intermittent light stimulation. Substitution of defined areas of the encephalic
      neuroepithelium in normal chicken embryos at 2 days of incubation by their
      counterparts from homozygous F.Epi embryos generates the epileptic phenotype in
      the chimeras. It was found that grafting primordia of both prosencephalon and
      mesencephalon of homozygous F.Epi birds is necessary and sufficient for transfer
      of the full disease. When grafted alone, the homozygous F.Epi prosencephalon,
      although showing the typical epileptic interictal electroencephalogram, does not
      allow the complete epileptic seizures to occur in the hosts. Grafts of
      mesencephalon and/or rhombencephalon modify neither the behavior nor the
      electroencephalographic pattern of the recipient chickens. Cooperation of
      forebrain and midbrain activities is therefore required to yield epileptic
      seizures in this model.

PMID- 1871110
TI  - BCL2 protein is topographically restricted in tissues characterized by apoptotic
      cell death.
AB  - The BCL2 protooncogene encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that
      blocks programmed cell death. BCL2 was isolated from the chromosomal breakpoint
      of follicular B-cell lymphoma. Transgenic mice that overexpress BCL2 display
      extended survival of resting B cells. In this study we use a monospecific anti
      human BCL2 antibody to define the distribution of BCL2 protein within organized
      tissues. BCL2 is restricted within germinal centers to the follicular mantle and
      to portions of the light zone implicated in the selection and maintenance of
      plasma cells and memory B cells. BCL2 is present in the surviving T cells in the
      thymic medulla. All hematopoietic lineages that derive from a renewing stem cell
      also display BCL2. A limited number of nonlymphoid tissues demonstrate BCL2 and
      can be grouped as (i) glandular epithelium in which hormones or growth factors
      regulate hyperplasia and involution, (ii) complex differentiating epithelium such
      as skin and intestine characterized by long-lived stem cells, and (iii) long
      lived postmitotic cells such as neurons. Within these tissues that demonstrate
      apoptotic cell turnover, BCL2 is often topographically restricted to long-lived
      or proliferating cell zones. BCL2's function as an antidote to apoptosis may
      confer longevity to progenitor and effector cells in these tissues.

PMID- 1871112
TI  - Large-scale functional reorganization in adult monkey cortex after peripheral
      nerve injury.
AB  - In adult monkeys, peripheral nerve injuries induce dramatic examples of neural
      plasticity in somatosensory cortex. It has been suggested that a cortical
      distance limit exists and that the amount of plasticity that is possible after
      injury is constrained by this limit. We have investigated this possibility by
      depriving a relatively large expanse of cortex by transecting and ligating both
      the median and the ulnar nerves to the hand. Electrophysiological recording in
      cortical areas 3b and 1 in three adult squirrel monkeys no less than 2 months
      after nerve transection has revealed that cutaneous responsiveness is regained
      throughout the deprived cortex and that a roughly normal topographic order is
      reestablished for the reorganized cortex.

PMID- 1871113
TI  - Chemoselective one-step purification method for peptides synthesized by the solid
      phase technique.
AB  - The specific reaction between SH and iodoacetamide groups has been explored as
      the basis of an affinity-type purification procedure for peptides synthesized by
      the solid-phase technique. For this affinity-type purification procedure, we
      synthesized an SH precursor reagent bearing an acid-labile S-protecting group,
      pMB-SCH2CONHCH2CH2-SO2CH2CH2OCO2pNP (compound I), in which pMB is p-methoxybenzyl
      and pNP is p-nitrophenyl. Using this reagent, the procedure involves the
      following sequence of four reactions: (i) attachment of the SH function of
      compound I to the alpha-amino group of a peptide-resin through a base-labile
      sulfonylethoxycarbonyl linkage in the final step of solid-phase peptide
      synthesis, (ii) acid treatment to remove the S-pMB and side-chain-protecting
      groups employed and cleave the modified peptide from the resin, (iii)
      immobilization of the derived SH-peptide on an iodoacetamide-resin column, and
      (iv) base (5% NH4OH) treatment to release the desired peptide from the resin in
      nearly pure form. To facilitate this purification procedure, unreacted amino
      groups were acetylated in each step during solid-phase synthesis. The usefulness
      of this method was demonstrated by the purification of several peptides (18 to
      approximately 44 amino acids in length) synthesized by the 9
      fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase technique. The principle of
      this affinity-type purification procedure may also be applied to the tert
      butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-based solid-phase technique.

PMID- 1871114
TI  - Expression of RNase P RNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is controlled by an unusual
      RNA polymerase III promoter.
AB  - The RNA subunit of Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear RNase P is encoded by a
      single-copy, essential gene, RPR1. The 369-nucleotide mature form of the RNA has
      an apparent precursor with an 84-nucleotide 5' leader and approximately 33
      nucleotides of additional 3' sequence. Analysis of RPR1 transcription in a strain
      with a temperature-sensitive lesion in RNA polymerase III shows that the gene is
      transcribed in vivo by RNA polymerase III. Examination of potential promoter
      regions using both progressive upstream deletions and point mutations indicates
      that at least two sequences contained within the 5' leader region are essential
      for expression in vivo, while sequences farther upstream influence efficiency.
      The required leader elements resemble tRNA gene-like A-box and B-box internal
      promoters in sequence and spacing. As in the tRNA genes, transcription factor
      TFIIIC binds to this region in vitro and binding is severely reduced by either A
      box or B-box point mutations that impair expression in vivo. It thus appears that
      the yeast RNase P RNA gene has adopted a promoter strategy that places an RNA
      polymerase III "internal" promoter upstream of the mature structural domain to
      help drive transcription.

PMID- 1871115
TI  - Evidence that a downstream pseudoknot is required for translational read-through
      of the Moloney murine leukemia virus gag stop codon.
AB  - Approximately 5% of the ribosomes translating the gag gene of murine leukemia
      viruses read through the UAG terminator and translate the in-frame pol gene to
      produce the gag-pol fusion polyprotein, the sole source of the pol gene products.
      We show that a pseudoknot located eight nucleotides 3' of the UAG codon in the
      Moloney murine leukemia virus is required for read-through. This requirement is
      markedly different from that known to be involved in other cases of read-through
      but surprisingly similar to some stimulatory sequences known to promote ribosomal
      frameshifting.

PMID- 1871116
TI  - Functional reintroduction of human telomeres into mammalian cells.
AB  - Telomeric sequences of eukaryotes consist of short tandem repeats organized in
      arrays of variable length in which the guanine-rich strand runs 5'----3' toward
      the chromosomal end. The terminal repeats in yeast are the only elements
      necessary for telomere function in this organism. To test whether mammalian
      terminal repeats can function after reintroduction into a mammalian cell, a
      repeat-containing terminal fragment from a human chromosome was electroporated
      into a hamster-human hybrid cell line. In 6 of 27 independent transformants
      analyzed, the introduced sequences were found at the ends of chromosomes, based
      on all available criteria. Terminal restriction-fragment heterogeneity and the
      survival of these chromosomes demonstrate that these telomeres are functional.
      Cytogenetic evidence from one of these cell lines suggests that chromosome
      breakage with healing at the integration site is the mechanism responsible for
      the terminal location.

PMID- 1871117
TI  - Two genes encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase in zucchini
      (Cucurbita pepo) are clustered and similar but differentially regulated.
AB  - A 17-kilobase (kb) region of the zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) genome has been
      sequenced and contains two genes, CP-ACC1A and CP-ACC1B, encoding 1
      aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACC synthase; S-adenosyl-L-methionine
      methylthioadenosine-lyase, EC 4.4.1.14). The genes are transcribed convergently
      and are separated by a 5.7-kb intergenic region. Their coding regions are
      interrupted by four introns located in identical positions. While the DNA
      identity in their coding regions is 97%, their 5' and 3' flanking regions are
      highly divergent. Transcription of CP-ACCIA is rapidly induced by wounding in
      fruit and etiolated hypocotyls and by indoleacetic acid (IAA)/benzyladenine/LiCl
      only in fruit tissue. Conditions that induce CP-ACC1B expression have not been
      found. Protein synthesis inhibition derepresses the expression of CP-ACC1A and
      other unidentified ACC synthase genes, suggesting that they may be under negative
      control. The amino acid sequences deduced from the nucleotide sequences of the
      genes are 493 and 494 residues long with 95% identity. The most notable feature
      of the amino acid sequence is the presence of 11 of the 12 invariant amino acid
      residues involved in the binding of the substrate and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate in
      various aminotransferases. We conclude that ACC synthase is encoded by a
      multigene family of which certain members are differentially induced by auxin in
      a tissue-specific manner. Furthermore, ACC synthase, a pyridoxal-containing
      enzyme, may have an evolutionary relationship with the superfamily of
      aminotransferases.

PMID- 1871118
TI  - An approach for isolation of mutants defective in 35S ribosomal RNA synthesis in
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - We have developed a method to isolate mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that
      are primarily defective in the transcription of 35S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes by
      RNA polymerase I. The method uses a system in which the 35S rRNA gene is fused to
      the GAL7 promoter and is transcribed by RNA polymerase II under control of the
      GAL regulatory system. Chromosomal mutations affecting components specifically
      involved in synthesis of 35S rRNA by RNA polymerase I can be suppressed by this
      hybrid gene in the presence of inducer (galactose) but not in its absence. We
      looked for mutants the growth of which depended on the presence of plasmid
      expressing the hybrid gene. For this purpose, we used a red/white-colony color
      assay as the initial screen followed by a test for galactose-dependent growth. We
      have thus isolated many mutants and identified at least nine genes (RRN1-RRN9)
      involved in 35S rRNA synthesis, two of which correspond to known RNA polymerase I
      subunit genes RPA190 and RPA135.

PMID- 1871119
TI  - Static and statistical bending of DNA evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations.
AB  - To investigate the influence of thermal fluctuations on DNA curvature the
      Metropolis procedure at 300 K was applied to B-DNA decamers containing A5.T5 and
      A4.T4 blocks. Monte Carlo simulations have confirmed the DNA bending anisotropy:
      B-DNA bends most easily in a groove direction (roll). The A5.T5 block is more
      rigid than the other sequences; the pyrimidine-purine dimers are found to be the
      most flexible. For A5TCTCT, A5CTCTC, and A5GAGAG, the average bend angle per
      decamer is 20-25 degrees in a direction toward the minor groove in the center of
      the A5.T5 tract, which is consistent with both the "junction" and "wedge AA"
      models. However, in A5T5, A4T4CG, and T4A4GC, bending is directed into the
      grooves at the 5' and 3' ends of purine tracts. Thus, directionality of bending
      caused by An.Tn blocks strongly depends on their neighboring sequences. These
      calculations demonstrate that the sequence-dependent variation of the minor
      groove width mimics the observed hydroxyl radical cleavage pattern. To estimate
      the effect of fluctuations on the overall shape of curved DNA fragments, longer
      pieces of DNA (up to 200 base pairs) were generated. For sequences with strong
      curvature (A5X5 and A4T4CG), the static model and Monte Carlo ensemble give
      similar results but, for moderately and slightly curved sequences (A5T5 or
      T4A4GC), the static model predicts a much smaller degree of bending than does the
      statistical representation. Considering fluctuations is important for
      quantitative interpretation of the gel electrophoresis measurements of DNA
      curvature, where both the static and statistical bends are operative.

PMID- 1871120
TI  - Resistance of primary isolates of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 to soluble
      CD4 is independent of CD4-rgp120 binding affinity.
AB  - The infection of human cells by laboratory strains of human immunodeficiency
      virus type 1 (HIV-1) can be blocked readily in vitro by recombinant soluble CD4
      and CD4-immunoglobulin hybrid molecules. In contrast, infection by primary
      isolates of HIV-1 is much less sensitive to blocking in vitro by soluble CD4
      based molecules. To investigate the molecular basis for this difference between
      HIV-1 strains, we isolated the gp120-encoding genes from several CD4-resistant
      and CD4-sensitive HIV-1 strains and characterized the CD4-binding properties of
      their recombinant gp120 (rgp120) products. Extensive amino acid sequence
      variation was found between the gp120 genes of CD4-resistant and CD4-sensitive
      HIV-1 isolates. However, the CD4-binding affinities of rgp120 from strains with
      markedly different CD4 sensitivities were essentially the same, and only small
      differences were observed in the kinetics of CD4 binding. These results suggest
      that the lower sensitivity of primary HIV-1 isolates to neutralization by CD4
      based molecules is not due to lower binding affinity between soluble CD4 and free
      gp120.

PMID- 1871121
TI  - Limited functional equivalence of phylogenetic variation in small nuclear RNA:
      yeast U2 RNA with altered branchpoint complementarity inhibits splicing and
      produces a dominant lethal phenotype.
AB  - U2 is a highly conserved small nuclear RNA essential for pre-mRNA splicing in
      mammals and yeast and for trans-splicing in trypanosomes. To test the function of
      variant U2 RNA structures from different organisms, we conducted phylogenetic
      exchanges of U2 domains. Replacing nucleotides 1-120 of yeast U2 with the
      corresponding region of human U2 generates a U2 RNA that is correctly folded and
      functions in yeast. In contrast, replacement of the branchpoint interaction
      region of yeast U2 with the corresponding region from trypanosome is dominant
      lethal. Using a GAL-U2 promoter fusion, we show that the dominant phenotype can
      be made conditional and that the accumulation of mutant U2 is followed rapidly by
      inhibition of nuclear pre-mRNA splicing. The results suggest that U2 small
      nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles normally participate in stable complexes with
      a limiting splicing factor prior to formation of U2-intron branchpoint base
      pairs.

PMID- 1871122
TI  - Single-unit and 2-deoxyglucose studies of side inhibition in macaque striate
      cortex.
AB  - In the course of studies to map spatial frequency tuning of neurons in layers 2
      and 3 of macaque striate cortex, we found that a high proportion (70%) of cells
      in the interblob regions responded poorly to full-field gratings, compared with
      responses to single bars, edges, or delimited gratings. This was most often due
      to side inhibition, in which increasing the number of cycles of a grating placed
      within the cell's receptive field causes progressive inhibition of response.
      Quantitative receptive-field mappings showed, however, that the inhibition can
      occur within the region activated by a bar, as well as beyond it. The inhibition
      appears to be orientation-selective, in that a surround grating was more
      effective at inhibiting the response to a center grating patch if it was of
      similar orientation. 2-Deoxyglucose experiments confirmed that side inhibition is
      very widespread in the interblobs of layers 2 and 3 and suggested that it is
      reduced or lacking in layers 4A through 6. Since layers 2 and 3 of striate cortex
      are the major source of cortical projections to area V2 and beyond, the
      prevalence of side stopping in these laminae has implications for theories of
      cortical visual function. Side-stopped interblob cells may be acting as "contour
      pass filters" that filter out redundant information in textured or noisy
      surfaces, focusing subsequent form processing on contrasts corresponding to
      object boundaries.

PMID- 1871123
TI  - Oxidative modification by low levels of HOOH can transform myoglobin to an
      oxidase.
AB  - It is generally thought that the oxidative modification of hemoproteins leads to
      their inactivation. In the current study, however, a transiently activated form
      of myoglobin was shown to be formed when the prosthetic heme group became
      covalently bound to the polypeptide during the reaction of myoglobin with low
      levels of HOOH. In the presence of an enzymatic metmyoglobin reducing system
      containing diaphorase and methylene blue with excess NADH, this HOOH-altered
      myoglobin catalyzed NADH oxidation and oxygen consumption; the overall
      stoichiometry indicated a two-electron reduction of oxygen to HOOH. This reaction
      was not catalyzed by iron released from heme, as desferrioxamine had no effect on
      the activity. Stoichiometric amounts of HOOH were sufficient to produce the
      activated oxidase state of myoglobin, whereas larger amounts of HOOH lead to heme
      destruction, iron release, and inactivation of the oxidase activity. The
      alteration of myoglobin to an enzyme that can form toxic oxygen metabolites may
      have pathological importance, especially in myocardial injury caused by ischemia
      and reperfusion, where myoglobin is present in large amounts and HOOH is formed.
      Furthermore, the oxidase form may be involved in the mechanism of destruction of
      the heme seen with oxidative treatment of myoglobin.

PMID- 1871124
TI  - Repressor to activator switch by mutations in the first Zn finger of the
      glucocorticoid receptor: is direct DNA binding necessary?
AB  - Transfection of HeLa cells with cDNA vectors expressing the wild-type human
      glucocorticoid receptor (GR) enabled dexamethasone to strongly repress cytokine-
      and second messenger-induced expression of cotransfected chimeric reporter genes
      containing transcription regulatory DNA elements from the human interleukin 6 (IL
      6) promoter. Deletion of the DNA-binding domain or of the second Zn finger or a
      point mutation in the Zn catenation site in the second finger blocked the ability
      of GR to mediate repression of the IL-6 promoter. Unexpectedly, deletion of the
      first Zn finger, a point mutation in the Zn-catenation site in the first finger,
      or one in the steroid-specificity domain at the base of the first finger
      converted GR into a dexamethasone-responsive activator that enhanced basal and
      interleukin 1-induced IL-6 promoter function. These first-finger mutants of GR
      also mediated dexamethasone-responsive enhancement of expression of the
      herpesvirus thymidine kinase-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (TK-105-CAT and TK
      80-CAT) reporter genes but not of the murine mammary tumor virus long terminal
      repeat-CAT or the c-fos-CAT (pFC700) reporter genes. Wild-type GR was able to
      specifically bind to DNA fragments containing glucocorticoid response element
      sequences in both the murine mammary tumor virus and IL-6 promoters, albeit
      weakly to the latter, in a sequential DNA-binding immunoprecipitation assay. The
      first-finger mutants of GR, however, were inactive in this assay. Thus, mutations
      in the first Zn finger unmask unusual promoter-specific activation properties of
      GR that may not require direct high-affinity binding of the mutant GR to target
      DNA.

PMID- 1871125
TI  - Protection of macaques with a simian immunodeficiency virus envelope peptide
      vaccine based on conserved human immunodeficiency virus type 1 sequences.
AB  - This report describes the vaccination of rhesus macaques with peptides selected
      from regions of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) envelope that are
      hydrophilic, immunoreactive, and highly homologous with corresponding conserved
      envelope sequences of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The peptides,
      produced as beta-galactosidase fusion proteins, induced virus-neutralizing and
      peptide-specific antibodies. After challenge with virulent virus, controls became
      virus positive and developed gradually rising antibody titers to SIV over 63
      weeks. Immunized macaques developed a postchallenge anamnestic response to SIVenv
      antigens within 3-6 weeks followed by a gradual, fluctuating decline in SIV
      antibody titers and partial or total suppression of detectable SIV. Virus
      suppression correlated with prechallenge neutralizing antibody titers. Although
      the average CD4+ cell count in the blood of immunized macaques remained constant,
      the control macaques exhibited a progressive decrease developing about week 55
      after challenge. The conserved nature of the HIV and SIV peptides and the similar
      humoral immunoreactivity in the respective hosts suggest that homologous HIV
      peptides may be important components of a successful immunization strategy.

PMID- 1871126
TI  - Galactosyl ceramide or a derivative is an essential component of the neural
      receptor for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein gp120.
AB  - This report demonstrates that galactosyl ceramide (GalCer) or a molecule derived
      from it may serve as an alternative receptor for human immunodeficiency virus in
      the nervous system. Recombinant gp120, an envelope glycoprotein of human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1, specifically binds to GalCer and its derivatives.
      This specificity was studied by inhibiting binding of radioiodinated gp120 to
      GalCer with antibodies to GalCer, antibodies to gp120, and an excess of unlabeled
      gp120. Binding activity was also removed by absorbing gp120 with liposomes
      containing GalCer. In addition, studies using natural and semisynthetic lipids
      indicate that the linkage between galactose and ceramide is essential for
      binding. The significance of an alternative receptor for human immunodeficiency
      virus in the nervous system is discussed.

PMID- 1871127
TI  - The Rex regulatory protein of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I binds
      specifically to its target site within the viral RNA.
AB  - The Rex protein of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) was expressed in
      bacteria and partially purified. Rex was shown to bind in vitro specifically to
      an RNA sequence located in the 3' long terminal repeat of HTLV-I, named Rex
      responsive element (RXRE). Rex also bound in vitro to the human immunodeficiency
      virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev-responsive element (RRE), while purified HIV-1 Rev
      protein did not bind to the RXRE. The binding results obtained in vitro are
      therefore in agreement with the nonreciprocal function of Rev and Rex in vivo.
      Rex binds specifically to both RRE and RXRE and activates expression in both HIV
      1 and HTLV-I, while Rev binds to RRE and activates only HIV-1. Binding of Rex to
      RRE deletion mutants previously shown to lack either the Rev-responsive or the
      Rex-responsive portion suggested preferential binding of Rex to a distinct target
      within the RRE. These results demonstrated that Rex, like Rev, acts by binding to
      a specific RNA target.

PMID- 1871128
TI  - Identification and purification of a factor that binds to the Mlu I cell cycle
      box of yeast DNA replication genes.
AB  - In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the genes encoding at least 10 enzymes involved in
      DNA replication are periodically expressed in the late G1 and S phases of the
      cell cycle. All of these genes have one copy or more of the sequence ACGCGT,
      which conforms to the recognition site for the Mlu I restriction endonuclease.
      For the CDC21, CDC9, and POL1 genes, the Mlu I site has been shown to be
      absolutely required for periodic transcription. Using nuclear extracts
      fractionated by conventional and oligonucleotide affinity chromatography, we have
      purified a 17-kDa protein that recognizes the Mlu I motif. Synthetic
      oligonucleotides containing mutated Mlu I sites do not bind the protein. In
      contrast, synthetic oligonucleotides derived from the CDC2, CDC6, and CDC21
      genes, which are expressed with the same timing as POL1, bind purified protein
      efficiently.

PMID- 1871129
TI  - Both alpha-helices along the major histocompatibility complex binding cleft are
      required for staphylococcal enterotoxin A function.
AB  - The superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) requires interaction with
      class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules to activate T cells. We
      have previously used the synthetic peptide approach to establish one side of the
      hypothetical class II foreign-antigen binding cleft, alpha-helical region 65-85
      of the beta chain, as a binding site involved in accessory cell presentation of
      SEA to T cells. To further characterize the structural basis for MHC-SEA
      interaction we have examined the role of the alpha-helical regions of the class
      II alpha and beta chains in SEA function. Using the synthetic peptide approach,
      we have found that both alpha-helical regions are required for SEA-induced
      proliferation. Their corresponding peptides directly bound SEA. Although the beta
      chain peptides were able to inhibit SEA binding to human and mouse cells, the
      alpha-chain peptides were not. The data suggest that the alpha-helices along both
      sides of the hypothetical class II MHC molecule binding cleft are required for
      SEA-induced function, whereas the beta-chain alpha-helix is sufficient for SEA
      binding. A model of superantigen presentation is proposed wherein the MHC beta
      chain, possibly region 70-80, interacts with SEA region 1-45, whereas another
      region of SEA binds region 51-80 of the alpha chain.

PMID- 1871130
TI  - Inhibition of proteolysis protects hippocampal neurons from ischemia.
AB  - Intense proteolysis of cytoskeletal proteins occurs in brain within minutes of
      transient ischemia, possibly because of the activation of calcium-sensitive
      proteases (calpains). This proteolytic event precedes overt signs of neuronal
      degeneration, is most pronounced in regions of selective neuronal vulnerability,
      and could have significant consequences for the integrity of cellular function.
      The present studies demonstrate that (i) the early phase of enhanced proteolysis
      is a direct response to hypoxia rather than other actions of ischemia, (ii) it is
      possible to pharmacologically inhibit the in vivo proteolytic response to
      ischemia, (iii) inhibition of proteolysis is associated with a marked reduction
      in the extent of neuronal death, and (iv) protected neurons exhibit normal
      appearing electrophysiological responses and retain their capacity for expressing
      long-term potentiation, a form of physiological plasticity thought to be involved
      in memory function. These observations indicate that calcium-activated
      proteolysis is an important component of the post-ischemic neurodegenerative
      response and that targeting this response may be a viable therapeutic strategy
      for preserving both the structure and function of vulnerable neurons.

PMID- 1871131
TI  - Nonhuman primate model of alcohol abuse: effects of early experience,
      personality, and stress on alcohol consumption.
AB  - Twenty-two 50-month-old rhesus monkeys were provided concurrent free access to an
      aspartame-sweetened 7% ethanol solution and an aspartame-sweetened vehicle
      before, during, and after social separation. Subjects had been reared for their
      first 6 months of life either without access to adults but with constant access
      to age mates (peer reared), a condition producing reduced exploration and
      increased fear-related behaviors, or as controls with their mothers; thereafter,
      all subjects received identical treatment. During home-cage periods, for 1 hr
      each day, 4 days a week, when the ethanol solution and vehicle were freely
      available, peer-reared subjects consumed significantly more alcohol than mother
      reared subjects. When stress was increased via social separation, mother-reared
      animals increased their alcohol consumption to a level nearly as high as that of
      peer-reared monkeys. Average individual differences in alcohol consumption were
      markedly stable over time. In addition, there were strong positive correlations
      between alcohol consumption and distress behaviors. Biological indices of
      increased stress, such as plasma cortisol and corticotropin, were higher in peer
      reared subjects. Within the peer- and mother-reared groups, these indices were
      positively correlated with alcohol consumption. The results suggest that early
      rearing experiences that predispose monkeys to increased fear-related behaviors
      produce excessive alcohol consumption under normal living conditions.
      Furthermore, a major challenge such as social separation increases alcohol
      consumption to levels producing intoxication even in monkeys not particularly
      vulnerable to stress.

PMID- 1871132
TI  - Organization and stability of a polytopic membrane protein: deletion analysis of
      the lactose permease of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The overall topology of polytopic membrane proteins is thought to result from
      either the oriented insertion of the N-terminal alpha-helical domain followed by
      passive insertion of subsequent helices or from the function of independent
      topogenic determinants dispersed throughout the molecules. By using the lactose
      permease of Escherichia coli, a well-characterized membrane protein with 12
      transmembrane domains and the N and C termini on the cytoplasmic surface of the
      membrane, we have studied the insertion and stability of in-frame deletion
      mutants. So long as the first N-terminal and the last four C-terminal putative
      alpha-helical domains are retained, stable polypeptides are inserted into the
      membrane, even when an odd number of helical domains is deleted. Moreover, even
      when an odd number of helices is deleted, the C terminus remains on the
      cytoplasmic surface of the membrane, as judged by lacY-phoA fusion analysis. In
      addition, permease molecules devoid of even or odd numbers of putative
      transmembrane helices retain a specific pathway for downhill lactose
      translocation. The findings imply that relatively short C-terminal domains of the
      permease contain topological information sufficient for insertion in the native
      orientation regardless of the orientation of the N terminus.

PMID- 1871133
TI  - Detection of specific polymerase chain reaction product by utilizing the 5'----3'
      exonuclease activity of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase.
AB  - The 5'----3' exonuclease activity of the thermostable enzyme Thermus aquaticus
      DNA polymerase may be employed in a polymerase chain reaction product detection
      system to generate a specific detectable signal concomitantly with amplification.
      An oligonucleotide probe, nonextendable at the 3' end, labeled at the 5' end, and
      designed to hybridize within the target sequence, is introduced into the
      polymerase chain reaction assay. Annealing of probe to one of the polymerase
      chain reaction product strands during the course of amplification generates a
      substrate suitable for exonuclease activity. During amplification, the 5'----3'
      exonuclease activity of T. aquaticus DNA polymerase degrades the probe into
      smaller fragments that can be differentiated from undegraded probe. The assay is
      sensitive and specific and is a significant improvement over more cumbersome
      detection methods.

PMID- 1871134
TI  - The human enhancer-binding protein Gata3 binds to several T-cell receptor
      regulatory elements.
AB  - The tissue-specific developmental regulation of the alpha, beta, gamma and delta
      T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) genes is controlled by the corresponding distinct
      enhancers and their enhancer-binding proteins. To find a common TCR regulatory
      element, we have studied the ability of the newly described enhancer-binding
      protein Gata3 to bind to the sequence motif (A/T)GATA(G/A) shared between
      enhancer elements of all four TCR genes. Gata3 was shown in the chicken to be an
      enhancer-binding protein containing a zinc-finger domain. We have isolated a full
      length human Gata3 cDNA and characterized its role in TCR gene regulation.
      Northern blot analysis showed that the Gata3 mRNA is present in T-cell, but not B
      cell, macrophage or HeLa cell lines. The in vitro transcribed and translated
      Gata3 cDNA product bound specifically to the enhancer elements of at least three
      TCR genes containing the above consensus sequence. This binding specificity was
      consistent with the in vivo activity of the TCR enhancer-binding element in
      transient transfection assays. Hence, the Gata3 protein, together with other T
      cell-specific enhancer-binding proteins, may form the basis of tissue-specific
      expression of the TCR genes.

PMID- 1871135
TI  - Human liver glucokinase gene: cloning and sequence determination of two
      alternatively spliced cDNAs.
AB  - A human liver glucokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) cDNA
      was isolated from a liver cDNA library. This cDNA (hLGLK1) appeared to be full
      length [2548 base pairs (bp) plus additional poly(A) residues], as its size was
      consistent with a single 2.8-kilobase (kb) glucokinase mRNA on Northern blot
      analysis of liver poly(A)+ RNA. The cDNA contained an open reading frame of 1392
      bp that predicted a protein of 464 amino acids and a molecular mass of 52 kDa;
      this protein has 97% identity to rat liver glucokinase. Fourteen residues on the
      amino terminus of the predicted human liver glucokinase, however, differed
      completely from those of the predicted rat liver enzyme and could be explained by
      alternative splicing of a 124-bp cassette exon in human cDNA. A second
      glucokinase cDNA (hLGLK2), missing the 124-bp cassette exon, was isolated by PCR
      amplification of human liver cDNA. The hLGLK2 cDNA contained an open reading
      frame of 1398 bp from an ATG codon at position 164, encoding a predicted protein
      of 466 residues, 98% identical to the rat enzyme, but different from the
      predicted protein of hLGLK1 cDNA by 16 amino-terminal residues. In contrast,
      hLGLK1 cDNA contains multiple initiator codons upstream of the predicted
      initiator codon at position 294 within the cassette exon. Translation of the two
      mRNAs in vitro by a reticulocyte lysate system resulted in proteins of the
      expected size (52 kDa) for both mRNAs; yet hLGLK2 mRNA was translated four to six
      times more efficiently. These results suggested that the alternative splicing of
      a cassette exon in hLGLK1 resulted in an mRNA with an upstream initiator codon
      and reduced function. The relative biological activity of the two isoforms of
      human glucokinase and their possible developmental and/or metabolic regulation
      remain to be determined.

PMID- 1871136
TI  - Prevention of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase expression in
      Escherichia coli by a ribozyme.
AB  - Ribozymes are potentially very powerful agents for perturbing intracellular gene
      expression. However, pilot experiments in eukaryotes have met with mixed success.
      We now report that a ribozyme designed to cleave the integrase gene of the human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV), when transcribed from a plasmid in Escherichia
      coli, led to destruction of integrase RNA and complete blockage of integrase
      protein synthesis. These results indicate that ribozymes can be used to study
      intracellular gene expression in bacteria and that the HIV-1 integrase gene may
      be a useful target for therapeutic ribozymes.

PMID- 1871137
TI  - Two essential components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription factor
      TFIIIB: transcription and DNA-binding properties.
AB  - RNA polymerase III transcription factor TFIIIB from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      contains at least two polypeptides, with apparent masses of 90 and 70 kDa, that
      were previously identified by photocrosslinking to DNA. It is shown here that
      TFIIIB can be chromatographically separated into two components, each of which is
      required for efficient tRNA gene transcription. DNA-protein photocrosslinking
      experiments show these two components separately contain the 90- and 70-kDa
      TFIIIB-specific polypeptides. The 70-kDa component forms a heparin-sensitive
      complex with transcription factor TFIIIC and DNA, stabilizes TFIIIC interaction
      with the tRNA gene promoter elements, and protects against DNase I digestion in
      the 3' portion of the upstream DNA sequence that is occupied by TFIIIB. The 90
      kDa component of TFIIIB, which only detectably interacts with the TFIIIC-DNA
      complex when the 70-kDa component is also present, generates the complete DNase I
      protection pattern of TFIIIB and bestows heparin-insensitivity on the TFIIIB-DNA
      complex. The resolution of TFIIIB into two functional components further defines
      the probable steps and interactions involved in the formation of stable
      transcription complexes.

PMID- 1871138
TI  - Expression, secretion, and lipid-binding characterization of the N-terminal 17%
      of apolipoprotein B.
AB  - The N-terminal 17% of human apolipoprotein B (apoB-17) was expressed in murine
      C127 cells following transfection with a bovine papilloma virus-based expression
      vector. A permanent cell line overexpressing the expected 89-kDa protein was
      selected and characterized. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the depletion of
      intracellular apoB-17 follows an apparent first-order kinetics with t1/2 = 51
      min. Under conditions of continuous labeling, greater than 60% of the total
      synthesized apoB-17 was secreted in a soluble form, approximately 98% lipid-poor
      and approximately 2% lipid-bound. Inclusion of 1.2 mM oleate resulted in 5- and
      2.5-fold increases in the amount of labeled apoB-17 in the p less than 1.063 g/ml
      and 1.063 less than p less than 1.21 g/ml fractions, respectively, which was
      coordinated with increased secretion of radiolabeled core lipids,
      triacylglycerols, and cholesteryl esters. Thus under conditions in which lipid
      pools are enriched a greater fraction of apoB-17 may be secreted on lipoprotein
      like particles. The lipid-poor apoB-17 present in p greater than 1.21 g/ml
      readily associates with exogenously added dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC)
      multilamellar vesicles to form discoidal particles. Discs formed with DMPC/apoB
      17, 7:1 (wt/wt), are 239 +/- 43 A in diameter and 61 +/- 4 A thick and contain
      approximately 2 molecules of apoB-17 and 2250 molecules of DMPC per disc. Based
      on volume calculations we conclude that apoB-17 forms an annulus about one
      bilayer high and 10 A thick surrounding the DMPC disc. Circular dichroic spectra
      of apoB-17 on DMPC discs showed apoB-17 to contain 39% alpha-helix, 36% beta
      sheet, 9% beta-turn, and 16% random coil. To be consistent with this model
      greater than 70% of apoB-17 on DMPC discs must bind to lipid. These data suggest
      that the N-terminal 17% of apoB-100 can bind lipid and may contribute to some
      extent to the stabilization of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.

PMID- 1871140
TI  - Tension responses to rapid pressure release in glycerinated rabbit muscle fibers.
AB  - We have previously shown that the isometric tension of a fully calcium-activated
      skinned rabbit psoas muscle fiber is reversibly depressed by increased
      hydrostatic pressure. We report here the characterization of tension transients
      induced by a rapid (less than 1-ms) release of increased pressure at 12 degrees
      C. The tension transient consists of three clear phases, an initial further
      decrease of tension in phase with pressure change followed by two phases of
      tension increase back to the level recorded at ambient pressure. The mean
      reciprocal relaxation time for phase 2 (1/tau 2) was approximately 17 s-1 and
      that for phase 3 (1/tau 3) was 3 s-1. The presence of 20 mM inorganic phosphate
      markedly increased 1/tau 2 to approximately 52 s-1 and decreased 1/tau 3 to
      approximately 1.7 s-1. These observations are interpreted in terms of a pressure
      sensitive transition between two attached crossbridge states of low (or zero) and
      higher force. This is compatible with the pressure-sensitive isomerization of
      actomyosin previously observed in solution. The results presented allow us to
      propose a coupling between a specific pressure-sensitive isomerization of
      purified actomyosin, the phosphate release step of the ATPase pathway, and the
      force-generating event of the cross-bridge cycle.

PMID- 1871139
TI  - A homeodomain protein binds to gamma-globin gene regulatory sequences.
AB  - Developmental regulation of gamma-globin gene expression probably occurs through
      developmental-stage-specific trans-acting factors able to promote the interaction
      of enhancer elements located in the far upstream locus control region with
      regulatory elements in the gamma gene promoters and 3' A gamma enhancer located
      in close proximity to the genes. We have detected a nuclear protein in K562 and
      baboon fetal bone marrow nuclear extracts capable of binding to A+T-rich
      sequences in the locus control region, gamma gene promoter, and 3' A gamma
      enhancer. SDS/polyacrylamide gel analysis of the purified K562 binding activity
      revealed a single protein of 87 kDa. A K562 cDNA clone was isolated encoding a
      beta-galactosidase fusion protein with a DNA binding specificity identical to
      that of the K562/fetal bone marrow nuclear protein. The cDNA clone encodes a
      homeodomain homologous to the Drosophila antennapedia protein.

PMID- 1871141
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 regulator of virion expression, rev, forms
      nucleoprotein filaments after binding to a purine-rich "bubble" located within
      the rev-responsive region of viral mRNAs.
AB  - The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 rev protein binds with high affinity (Kd
      less than 1-3 nM) to a purine-rich "bubble" containing bulged GG and GUA residues
      on either side of a double-helical RNA stem-loop located toward the 5' end of rev
      response element RNA. High-affinity rev binding is maintained when the bubble is
      placed in heterologous stem-loop structures, but rev binding is reduced when
      either the bulged residues or flanking base pairs in the stem are altered. Rev
      binding to the purine-rich bubble nucleates assembly of long filamentous
      ribonucleoprotein structures containing polymers of rev bound to flanking RNA
      sequences. It is proposed that rev regulates human immunodeficiency virus RNA
      expression by selectively packaging viral transcripts carrying the rev-response
      element sequence into rod-like nucleoprotein complexes that block splicing of the
      packaged mRNAs.

PMID- 1871142
TI  - Design and synthesis of a specific endothelin 1 antagonist: effects on pulmonary
      vasoconstriction.
AB  - The 21-amino acid vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin (Et) contains two disulfide
      bonds. We investigated the importance of the outer disulfide bond in Et-1 by
      replacing it with an amide linkage. Bioactivity was assessed in an isolated
      guinea pig lung preparation (perfused at constant flow with Ringer's
      solution/0.5% albumin) in which pulmonary artery pressure was monitored. Et-1
      produced concentration-dependent pulmonary vasoconstriction at concentrations of
      1 x 10(-10) M and higher. [Dpr1, Asp15]Et-1 (where Dpr is diaminopropionic acid),
      in which the outer disulfide was replaced by an amide bond and the inner
      disulfide was left intact, showed no agonist activity at 1 x 10(-6) M but 1 x 10(
      7) M [Dpr1, Asp15]Et-1 inhibited Et-1-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction: effects
      of 1 x 10(-10) M 2 x 10(-10) M, and 1 x 10(-9) M Et-1 were inhibited by 98%, 75%,
      and 65%, respectively. Furthermore, this analog did not alter pulmonary
      vasoconstriction induced by thrombin, norepinephrine, or, most significantly, Et
      3. A monocyclic Et-1 analog with the same sequence but in which the amide bond
      was not formed showed weak pulmonary vasoconstrictor activity (300-500 times less
      potent than Et-1) but had no antagonist activity. In addition, both the
      monocyclic control peptide and [Dpr1, Asp15]Et-1 competed effectively with 125I
      labeled Et-1 for binding to cultured rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.
      Thus, an Et-1 structural analog produced by replacement of the outer disulfide
      bond with an amide linkage displayed potent and specific Et-1 antagonism.

PMID- 1871143
TI  - Cytoduction in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - After conjugation between Chlamydomonas gametes of opposite mating type, a
      transient dikaryon is formed. The two nuclei fuse within 4-6 hr after mating. The
      young diploid zygote differentiates into dormant zygospore competent to complete
      meiosis, or more rarely (2-10% of cases) it undergoes mitosis to produce a stable
      diploid progeny. We here bring genetical, biochemical, and cytological evidence
      that among the mitotic zygotes, a large proportion of them undergo cytokinesis
      without fusion of the nuclei-a process that has been termed "cytoduction." By
      using appropriate genetic markers, haploid cytoductants that possess the nuclear
      genotype of one parent and the chloroplast marker of the other parent can easily
      be isolated. Genetical analysis and hybridization experiments moreover show that
      many haploid cytoductants transmit the chloroplast DNA molecules of both parents
      and that, as in diploids, these DNA copies occasionally recombine. This process
      of cytoduction extends the life cycle of Chlamydomonas and provides new tools for
      its genetic analysis.

PMID- 1871145
TI  - Molecular cloning, sequence, and tissue distribution of the human ubiquitin
      activating enzyme E1.

PMID- 1871146
TI  - The role of colony-stimulating factors in host defenses.

PMID- 1871144
TI  - Surfactant protein B: lipid interactions of synthetic peptides representing the
      amino-terminal amphipathic domain.
AB  - The mechanisms by which pulmonary surfactant protein B (SP-B) affects the surface
      activity of surfactant lipids are unclear. We have studied the peptide/lipid
      interactions of the amino-terminal amphipathic domain of SP-B by comparing the
      secondary conformations and surface activities of a family of synthetic peptides
      based on the native human SP-B sequence, modified by site-specific amino acid
      substitutions. Circular dichroism measurements show an alpha-helical structure
      correlating with the ability of the peptides to interact with lipids and with the
      surface activity of peptide/lipid dispersions. Amino acid substitutions altering
      either the charge or the hydrophobicity of the residues lowered the helical
      content and reduced the association of the aminoterminal segment with lipid
      dispersions. Surface activity of peptide/lipid mixtures was maximally altered by
      reversal of charge in synthetic peptides. These observations indicate that
      electrostatic interactions and hydrophobicity are important factors in
      determining optimal structure and function of surfactant peptides in lipid
      dispersions.

PMID- 1871147
TI  - The embryotoxicity of phenytoin: an update on possible mechanisms.
AB  - PHT has multiple effects in adult humans and animals, and there is no reason to
      assume that it will not have multiple effects in embryos and fetuses. Although
      one of the first associations between anticonvulsant therapy and an adverse
      development effect in humans was noted in 1964 (104), the mechanism(s) whereby
      these adverse effects occur has thus far eluded research efforts. In this review,
      I have focused on three possible mechanisms. Overall, the evidence does not
      appear to implicate folate deficiency in PHT-induced embryotoxicity. A role for
      glucocorticoids or interaction between PHT and the glucocorticoid receptor has
      not been ruled out. However, a significant amount of work remains to be done to
      examine the involvement of the arachidonic acid cascade in PHT-induced
      embryotoxicity in vivo. The bulk of the experimental evidence would seem to favor
      a role for the generation of a reactive intermediate and its subsequent binding
      to embryonic macromolecules. This metabolite(s) has not been identified.
      Additionally, the association between covalent binding of metabolites and
      embryotoxicity remains simply an association; a causal relationship has not been
      established. Much work remains to be done to determine whether any of these
      possibilities, some other possibility, or a combination of several mechanisms
      will explain the adverse development effects of this very important,
      therapeutically useful anticonvulsant.

PMID- 1871148
TI  - Turkey and chicken prolactins stimulate the proliferation of rat Nb2 lymphoma
      cells.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to assess the actions of two avian
      prolactins (PRL) on rat Nb2 lymphoma cell proliferation. Various turkey and
      chicken PRL preparations stimulated the proliferation of rat Nb2 cells. The
      ability of avian PRL preparations to influence the behavior of rat Nb2 lymphoma
      cells provides a useful method for monitoring the PRL-like actions of native and
      recombinant avian PRL and suggests a potential role of PRL in modulating the
      avian immune system.

PMID- 1871149
TI  - Bile acid accumulation in gastric mucosal cells.
AB  - Bile acids are one of the components of the gastric contents capable of
      disrupting the mucosal barrier to diffusion. The mechanism by which bile acids
      can damage the gastric epithelium is not completely understood. Several studies
      have emphasized mucosal lipid solubilization by bile acids in the pathogenesis of
      mucosal injury. Bile acid entry into gastric mucosal cells may be a critical and
      early step in the genesis of mucosal injury, but this possibility has not yet
      been investigated. The present study was designed to explore the interaction of
      bile acids with dispersed gastric mucosal cells isolated from the rabbit and
      guinea pig stomach. Results showed that both glycocholic and deoxycholic acid
      rapidly associated with the gastric cells and reached a steady state
      concentration by 30 min. Glycocholic acid accumulated in the cells to a
      concentration approximately eight times greater than that in the surrounding
      medium. The amount of bile acid associated with the cells was greater at an
      acidic than at a neutral pH, and was a function of the concentration of both the
      cells and the bile acid. The process did not require cellular energy, was
      nonsaturable, and was not species specific. Experiments with 86Rb, a cytoplasmic
      marker, revealed that approximately one half of the cellular glycocholic acid was
      associated with the cytoplasmic compartment and the rest with the membranes.
      These findings are consistent with a combination of intracellular entrapment of
      the bile acids due to intracellular ionization and bile acid binding to cellular
      membrane components being the mechanisms by which bile acids accumulate in cells.
      Acid-driven bile acid accumulation may explain how relatively low luminal
      concentrations of bile acid can be damaging to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

PMID- 1871150
TI  - Technique for repeated collection of cerebrospinal fluid from cisterna magna of
      anesthetized strain 13 guinea pigs.
AB  - To study biochemical changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), we developed a
      reliable technique for repeated collection of CSF in anesthetized strain 13
      guinea pigs. The animal's head was mounted in a stereotaxic instrument with
      ventral tilt at 30 degrees, and cisternal puncture was made with an L-shaped, 23
      gauge needle through the shaved skin. Clear CSF was collected in a 1-ml syringe
      surrounded by crushed ice. Each collection procedure lasted for 3 min, and three
      consecutive collections produced about 0.2 ml of CSF. Sampling was repeated at 3
      hr intervals. With intravenous saline infusion (10 ml/kg.hr), a total volume of
      0.6-1.0 ml of CSF was collected over 6 to 12 hr. Animals maintained a mean blood
      pressure, heart rate, and minute volume, with few changes during CSF sampling for
      the entire collection.

PMID- 1871151
TI  - 3-phenylacetylamino-2,6-piperidinedione inhibition of rat Nb2 lymphoma cell
      mitogenesis.
AB  - 3-Phenylacetylamino-2,6-piperidinedione (A10), an amino acid analog, has been
      reported to possess antineoplastic activity against certain neoplastic tissues.
      The antimitogenic properties of A10 were studied by determining its effect on
      prolactin (PRL)- and interleukin 2 (IL-2)-stimulated mitogenic responses in the
      rat Nb2 lymphoma cell line. The addition of A10 (1-12 mM) to PRL (0.4 ng/ml)
      stimulated cells inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner. DNA synthesis
      patterns studied by thymidine incorporation demonstrated that A10 was
      significantly inhibitory (25% at 20 hr; 50% at 40 hr, P less than 0.01). IL-2
      stimulation of mitogenesis was also sensitive to A10 inhibition. The inhibition
      of PRL stimulated mitogenesis was reversible when A10 was removed after 24 hr of
      culture and A10 showed no toxicity in a chromium release assay. These data
      suggest that A10 effects may be cytostatic, rather than cytotoxic.

PMID- 1871152
TI  - Comparison of lipolytic and antilipolytic activities of lower vertebrate growth
      hormones on chicken adipose tissue in vitro.
AB  - Mammalian and avian growth hormones (GH) (pituitary derived or biosynthetic)
      exert two effects on chicken adipose tissue explants in vitro. They (i) increase
      the basal rate of glycerol release a lipolytic effect) and (ii) inhibit glucagon
      stimulated glycerol release (an antilipolytic effect). The ability of lower
      vertebrate GH preparations to exert lipolytic and antilipolytic effects was
      examined and biological activity was compared to differences in amino-acid
      residue sequences and to predicted structure. Irrespective of species origin
      (blue shark, sturgeon, bonito, yellow tail, salmon, bullfrog, sea turtle), all
      lower vertebrate GH preparations showed very weak (less than 5% the potency of
      bovine GH), if any, lipolytic activity, but retained strong antilipolytic
      activity. The present data indicate that the structural requirements for
      lipolytic and antilipolytic activities of GH differ in chicken adipose tissue.
      Despite the high sequence homology (88%) between chicken and sea turtle GH, the
      latter preparation did not stimulate lipolysis. It is suggested that Pro132,
      conserved only in lipolytically active GH species (human, bovine, and chicken),
      represents a major determinant of lipolytic activity in chicken adipose tissue.
      The structural determinants for antilipolytic activity may comprise any or all of
      residues 3, 17, 64, 108, 109, and 152.

PMID- 1871153
TI  - Characterization of transferrin receptor released by K562 erythroleukemia cells.
AB  - A soluble form of transferrin receptor has been detected in human serum and has
      been shown recently to be a truncated form of the intact membrane bound receptor.
      Mechanisms governing the release of transferrin receptor by cells are poorly
      understood and could be better defined by tissue culture. The present
      investigation was undertaken to characterize the transferrin receptor released by
      K562 erythroleukemic cells. In contrast with maturing sheep reticulocytes, which
      have been shown to release transferrin receptor in small vesicles termed
      exosomes, we demonstrated, with a monoclonal enzyme-linked immunoassay, that less
      than 30% of the transferrin receptor released by K562 cells in log phase growth
      was in a particulate form. The relative amounts of soluble and particulate
      receptor released to the supernatant did not change significantly during 48 hr of
      incubation. Soluble receptor was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. On
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, its mobility was the same (85 kDa) as that of
      the truncated monomeric form recently identified in human serum. Further evidence
      that serum and soluble receptors released by K562 cells are identical was
      provided by amino acid sequence analysis, which demonstrated that 16 of the first
      19 residues of the N-terminal sequence of soluble K562 receptor are homologous
      with the serum receptor. The remaining three were not identifiable. K562 cells
      provide a useful in vitro model for studying the production of membrane-bound and
      soluble forms of released transferrin receptor.

PMID- 1871154
TI  - Stimulation of leukocyte lysophospholipase activity by noninfectious agents.
AB  - Mouse peritoneal leukocyte lysophospholipase (LPL) activity was studied to
      determine whether or not noninfectious agents cause increased enzyme activity and
      whether neutrophils have LPL activity. In the first study, mice infected with
      Ascaris suum, a known inducer of LPL activity, were given intraperitoneal
      injections of proteose peptone, thioglycolate, bovine albumin, paraffin,
      glycogen, or A. suum whole worm extract (WWE). Cell populations collected from
      mice injected with A. suum WWE, proteose peptone, thioglycolate, or bovine
      albumin contained increased numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils. These cell
      populations had increased LPL activity when treated, in vitro, with either A.
      suum WWE, zymosan-activated complement, or with the agent they were induced with.
      However, the LPL activity of the different cell populations did not respond to
      all treatments in the same way. In a second study, A. suum-infected or
      noninfected mice were given intraperitoneal injections of paraffin,
      thioglycolate, glycogen, or A. suum WWE. Enriched cell populations containing
      either lymphocytes or macrophages, from infected or noninfected mice, did not
      have increased LPL activity following in vitro stimulation with A. suum WWE,
      zymosan-activated complement, or with the agent they were induced with. Enriched
      neutrophil populations from infected or noninfected mice had increased LPL
      activity following in vitro treatment with A. suum WWE or zymosan-activated
      complement. Results demonstrate that the LPL activity of peritoneal leukocytes
      can be induced by noninfectious agents and that neutrophils have increased LPL
      activity following in vitro stimulation.

PMID- 1871155
TI  - Purification from human pregnancy serum of a low molecular weight mitogen similar
      to placental lactogen and growth hormone.
AB  - Recently, we isolated from the serum of pregnant women a factor that induced
      rapid proliferation of a lactogen-dependent rat lymphoma cell line (Nb2). This
      mitogenic factor is reasonably specific to pregnancy, since it was present in
      serum samples from second trimester as well as term-pregnant women, but not in
      those of adult men or cycling females. It is unlikely that this mitogenic
      activity (referred to as pregnancy mitogen [PM]) is due to contamination by
      classical lactogens, since acetone fractionation of serum yielded a preparation
      devoid of placental lactogen and prolactin, as determined by radioimmunoassays.
      Further purification of acetone precipitates from term-pregnant serum by ion
      exchange chromatography and gel filtration yielded a mitogenic activity with a
      relative mol wt of approximately 10,000. PM activity in the NB2 cell bioassay was
      not affected by the presence of prolactin antiserum. However, its activity was
      immunoneutralized by coincubation with anti-placental lactogen serum and, to a
      lesser extent, anti-growth hormone serum. It appears that PM was not generated by
      our extraction procedure, since gel filtration of whole serum also yielded a
      bioactive fraction of approximately 10 kDa. PM was further purified to
      homogeneity by high-performance liquid chromatography. Examination of the
      preliminary amino acid composition of PM revealed differences from that of a
      bioactive fragment of growth hormone and a corresponding portion of placental
      lactogen, suggesting that PM could be either a molecular variant of these
      hormones or a novel protein.

PMID- 1871156
TI  - Endocrine characteristics of a miniature condition in Brahman cattle: circulating
      concentrations of some growth-related hormones.
AB  - Four miniature Brahman calves born in 1988 and 1989, along with four contemporary
      sex-matched Brahman control calves, were used in experiments to determine
      circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), growth
      hormone (GH), insulin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine, and plasma glucose
      response to insulin challenge. The effect of plane of nutrition on plasma
      concentrations of IGF-I and insulin was also determined and a clinical screen of
      blood chemistries was conducted to determine effects of calf type. Plasma IGF-I
      was six times higher in control calves compared with miniature calves (209.0 vs
      35.0 ng/ml; P = 0.001). However, miniature calves had mean plasma GH about six
      times higher (37.8 vs 6.2 ng/ml; P = 0.004) and had twice as many secretory
      episodes (9 vs 4.5; P = 0.005) over an 8-hr sampling period. Plasma
      concentrations of triiodothyronine (2.54 vs 1.80 ng/ml) and thyroxine (88.8 vs
      56.2 ng/ml) were higher in control compared with miniature calves (P = 0.001),
      but concentrations of triiodothyronine and thyroxine in both calf types were
      within normal ranges. Although miniature calves displayed similar plasma glucose
      concentrations to controls, hypoglycemic response to insulin challenge tended to
      be greater in miniature calves. Nutritional regulation of circulating IGF-I
      appeared to be intact in miniature as well as control calves, as evidenced by a
      reduction in plasma IGF-I concentration following a decrease in plane of
      nutrition, and a subsequent increase in plasma IGF-I concentration following
      realimentation. Serum urea nitrogen was lower (P = 0.02) in control compared with
      miniature calves. These data describe a miniature condition in Brahman cattle
      that is manifested by apparently normal proportioned growth but small stature,
      and that is associated most notably with abnormally low circulating
      concentrations of IGF-I in the presence of paradoxically high circulating
      concentrations of GH. This condition appears to be similar to Laron dwarfism in
      humans, in which the low IGF-I is caused by an abnormality in the GH receptor.

PMID- 1871157
TI  - A comparison of plasma prolactin levels in young female Long-Evans and Holtzman
      rats as measured by Nb2 lymphoma bioassay and radioimmunoassay.
AB  - This study was conducted to determine the plasma levels of prolactin in
      prepubertal and young, postpubertal, proestrus rats of mammary tumor-susceptible
      (Sprague-Dawley) and tumor-resistant (Long-Evans) strains using a sensitive
      bioassay-Nb2 lymphoma cell replication. Prepubertal Long-Evans rats had
      significantly higher levels of prolactin than did Holtzman Sprague-Dawley rats of
      the same age. Likewise, Long-Evans rats secreted significantly more prolactin
      into the blood on the afternoon and evening of proestrus than did Holtzman rats.
      Finally, ovariectomized Long-Evans rats released more prolactin into the blood at
      1 day, but not at 8 or 15 days, of treatment with diethylstilbestrol. Prolactin
      levels determined by conventional radioimmunoassay and by bioassay were similar
      except on the afternoon of proestrus, when, in both strains of rats, the bioassay
      to radioimmunoassay ratio increased significantly above 1.0 during the late
      evening. In addition, the ratio was significantly less than 1.0 in the early and
      late afternoon in the Holtzman rats, but not Long-Evans rats. These data indicate
      that a strain of rats that is resistant to experimentally induced mammary cancer
      has higher prolactin levels in the blood than does a strain that is susceptible
      to mammary cancer at a time when mammary gland growth is rapid. Furthermore,
      there are times during the proestrus prolactin surge when the bioassay yielded
      higher and lower values of prolactin than radioimmunoassay of the same samples,
      suggesting functional heterogeneity of prolactin that may impact on mammary gland
      or other target tissue function.

PMID- 1871158
TI  - Intestinal cadmium permeability in mature and immature rats.
AB  - To compare the intrinsic permeability properties of the small intestine in adult
      (average body wt 300 g) and 25- to 27-day-old (average body wt 50 g) male rats,
      the uptake rates of cycloleucine and of cadmium were measured in intestinal
      segments isolated in situ with their blood supply intact. Uptake rates were
      expressed on the basis of that of ethanol, a solute whose absorption depends
      primarily on the size, rather than the composition, of the available surface area
      and on the presence of unstirred layers. These layers may be concluded to affect
      movement of cycloleucine, cadmium, and ethanol to the same extent. The ratio of
      uptake rates, therefore, provides in arbitrary units a measure of the intrinsic
      permeability of the luminal surface area to cadmium and to cycloleucine. On this
      basis, no developmental change in cycloleucine permeability could be detected. In
      contrast, the rate of cadmium uptake relative to that for ethanol decreased with
      age by about 50%. Possible mechanisms are discussed for this significant change
      in the intrinsic cadmium permeability of the jejunum in post-"closure" animals.

PMID- 1871160
TI  - A computerised assessment for clinical care. An expert system for pressure sore
      management.
AB  - Computer technology can be used to provide practical guidance in the clinical
      setting. This article describes how an expert system was devised to assist nurses
      in the decision making process required in pressure sore management.

PMID- 1871159
TI  - Effect of beta agonists on protein turnover in isolated chick skeletal and atrial
      muscle.
AB  - Various beta-adrenergic agonists were found to inhibit rates of protein
      degradation and net protein breakdown in isolated chick extensor digitorum
      communis (EDC) and atrial muscles. Rates of protein synthesis were not altered by
      these compounds. The beta-agonist cimaterol inhibited rates of protein
      degradation in EDC muscles incubated with or without amino acids and insulin.
      Cimaterol also inhibited the increased proteolysis induced by injury to muscle or
      by incubating muscles at body temperature (42 degrees C) versus 37 degrees C.
      Thus, beta-agonists may help promote skeletal muscle accretion in vivo even under
      conditions of severe negative nitrogen balance by slowing muscle proteolysis.

PMID- 1871161
TI  - Breaking the barrier. Behavioural management of chronic pain.
AB  - Psychological and environmental factors can significantly affect chronic pain. A
      behavioural programme can extend sufferers' capacity for movement and activity,
      but requires a positive but forceful nursing approach.

PMID- 1871162
TI  - A structured way to fulfil ambition. How to make rational career plans.
AB  - All too often, long-term career plans are left to chance. By assessing both
      personal needs and the wide variety of options open to them, nurses can embark on
      a structured career plan.

PMID- 1871163
TI  - Coping with psoriasis.
AB  - Psoriasis can vary in severity from being a mild nuisance to a debilitating long
      term condition. Sufferers need practical help to cope with the condition and
      minimise its effects on their lives.

PMID- 1871164
TI  - Managing your psoriasis.

PMID- 1871165
TI  - Cancer self-help groups: a vital support link.

PMID- 1871166
TI  - Anorexia nervosa--a nursing challenge that can bring results.

PMID- 1871167
TI  - Motivation can prolong life expectancy. A health education programme to help
      people give up smoking.
AB  - Smoking is an acknowledged risk factor for coronary heart disease, but can seem
      impossible to give up. A health education plan can provide the necessary
      structure and motivation to help people stop smoking.

PMID- 1871168
TI  - Managing a budget at ward level.
AB  - Implementing resource management requires open communication, access to
      information and the authority to effect change. Once these have been assured,
      hospitals may develop individual and contrasting systems to meet particular ward
      needs.

PMID- 1871169
TI  - A quiet revolution in the public arena. Fulfilling nursing potential in the
      community.
AB  - Primary healthcare is undergoing a period of profound change. Community nurses
      are at the forefront of a campaign to involve people more in their own healthcare
      and to do this effectively, they need in-depth training to ensure clinical
      expertise and boost their communication skills.

PMID- 1871170
TI  - A natural setting for personal advice. Setting up a GP practice family planning
      clinic.
AB  - General practices are the most convenient setting for many people to go for
      family planning advice. With training, practice nurses can become an integral
      part of the service, offering counselling, support and advice to enable clients
      to make informed choices about appropriate planning.

PMID- 1871171
TI  - A screen test worth taking.

PMID- 1871172
TI  - Monthly prostaglandin bibliography prepared by the University of Sheffield
      Biomedical Information Service.

PMID- 1871173
TI  - The biosynthesis of the 3-series prostaglandins in rat uterus after alpha
      linolenic acid feeding: mass spectroscopy of prostaglandins E and F produced by
      rat uteri in tissue culture.
AB  - The abnormal uterine activity associated with dietary n-3 fatty acids may result
      from competitive inhibition of PG2 production. Uterine synthesis of 2- and 3
      series prostaglandins F(PGF) and E(PGE) was studied using mass spectrophotometry
      in rats fed diets containing predominantly n-3 fatty acid, n-6 fatty acid, or
      control pelleted diet. Mass spectra of PGF (Me, TMS and Me, TBDMS derivatives)
      synthesised by uteri of n-3 fed rats were characterised by 8 ions containing the
      n-3 double bond, and m.i.d. of the 651/653 ions of PGF-Me, TBDMS indicated PGF3
      alpha synthesis (44 +/- 8% and 13 +/- 2% of PGF release by uteri incubated + or 
      5 micrograms/ul calcium ionophore A23187 respectively). In uteri from the control
      diet group incubated with ionophore, PGF3 alpha ions were detected and PGF 3
      alpha represented 9.5 +/- 1.0% of PGF alpha release. Similarly, analysis of PGE
      from uteri of n-3 fed rats indicated that PGE3 (16 +/- 6% of PGE) was released in
      the presence of ionophore A23187. Synthesis of 3-series PG by rat uteri was
      detected after only 3 weeks of n-3 diet. The capacity to synthesise 3-series PG
      increased at intracellular calcium concentrations which mimicked cell calcium
      during decidual autolysis at parturition. These experiments suggest that uterine
      synthesis of 3-series PG is regulated by the specifity of enzymes incorporating
      fatty acids, rather than by the cyclooxygenase enzyme.

PMID- 1871174
TI  - Arachidonic acid as a mediator of some of the actions of phorbolmyristate
      acetate, a tumor promoter and inducer of differentiation.
AB  - Phorbolmyristate acetate or 12-O-tetradecanyl phorbol 13-acetate (PMA or TPA)
      stimulates membrane phospholipases (phospholipase C or A2) resulting in the
      formation of diacylglyceride, free arachidonic acid, and increased amounts of
      arachidonic acid metabolites. Both PMA and AA are stimulators of the respiratory
      burst in phagocytic cells, induce inflammation, cause chromosomal aberrations,
      have anti-viral activity and activate protein kinase C. The initial action of PMA
      is on the cell membrane and is concentrated largely in the lipid phase of cell
      membranes. This evidence suggests that the actions of PMA are in large part
      mediated by AA, released from the cell membrane lipid pool. Thus, it is likely
      that the ability of PMA to induce terminal differentiation in HL-60 cells and to
      suppress C-myc mRNA levels are also mediated by AA and/or its products. This may
      have relevance to the possible role of AA in the regulation of oncogenes and
      cancer.

PMID- 1871175
TI  - The effects of evening primrose oil, safflower oil and paraffin on plasma fatty
      acid levels in humans: choice of an appropriate placebo for clinical studies on
      primrose oil.
AB  - In a number of diseases, plasma levels of linoleic acid are normal or elevated
      while those of gamma-linolenic acid (18:3n-6, GLA) and further metabolites are
      below normal. Evening primrose oil (EPO), similar to safflower oil (SFO) except
      that it contains 8-9% of 18:3n-6, has been proposed as a therapeutic agent in
      these diseases, such as atopic eczema. There is argument as to whether an
      appropriate placebo for clinical studies on EPO should be an inert material such
      as paraffin, or a linoleic acid--containing oil such as SFO. We have therefore
      compared in normal humans the effects on plasma fatty acids of administering EPO,
      SFO and paraffin for 10 days. Paraffin had no effect on any fatty acid in any
      fraction. EPO raised the level of 20:3n-6 (dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, DGLA) the
      immediate metabolite of GLA but had no significant effect on arachidonic acid. In
      surprising contrast, SFO raised the levels of linoleic and of arachidonic acids,
      without raising those of DGLA. This suggests that linoleic acid may be rapidly
      converted to arachidonic acid by a tightly linked enzyme sequence: GLA, in
      contrast, may be rapidly converted to DGLA but then only slowly on to arachidonic
      acid. These results are consistent with recent in vitro observations by others on
      rat hepatocytes and human fibroblasts.

PMID- 1871176
TI  - Immunosuppression by seminal plasma from fertile and infertile men: inhibition of
      natural killer cell function correlates with seminal PG concentration.
AB  - Human seminal plasma has uniquely high concentrations of PGE and 19-hydroxy PGE
      but the function of these PGs has not been elucidated. PGs of the E series have
      been shown to be paracrine and autocrine regulators of the function of immune
      cells and high levels of PGE have been shown consistently to suppress function in
      such cells. Human seminal plasma has a potent immunosuppressive effect and
      evidence is accumulating that this is largely due to PG components. In this study
      the effects of human seminal plasma on the killing activity of natural killer
      (NK) cells as judged by 51Cr release from K562 cells have been studied in groups
      of fertile and infertile men. Although there was no significant difference in the
      PGE, 19-hydroxy PGE or the NK cell inhibitory activity in the two groups, the
      inhibition of NK cell activity was closely correlated with the PGE and the 19-OH
      PGE content of the seminal plasma in the fertile group. This finding is further
      evidence that the major contribution to the immunosuppressive properties of human
      semen is provide by the high concentration of PGs of the E series in this fluid.

PMID- 1871177
TI  - Mechanisms involved in the stimulation by cycloheximide of prostaglandin
      production in the guinea-pig uterus.
AB  - Cycloheximide produced a large increase in prostaglandin (PG) E2 output and
      smaller increases in PGF2 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha when superfused over the
      guinea-pig uterus for 20 min. This stimulation of the outputs of these 3 PGs by
      cycloheximide did not require extracellular calcium. TMB-8 (an intracellular
      calcium antagonist) had no effect on the stimulation of PGE2 output by
      cycloheximide, but it completely prevented the stimulation of PGF2 alpha and 6
      keto-PGF1 alpha outputs. W-7 (a calmodulin antagonist) had no effect on the
      stimulation of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha outputs by cycloheximide, but it partially
      reduced and delayed the stimulation of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha output. Neomycin (a
      phospholipase C inhibitor) did not prevent the increases in PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1
      alpha outputs produced by cycloheximide. However, neomycin (5 and 10 mM, but not
      1 mM) inhibited the small increases in PGF2 alpha caused by cycloheximide. On its
      own, neomycin produced a dose-dependent, transient increase in 6-keto-PGF1 alpha
      output without affecting the outputs of PGF2 alpha and PGE2. It is concluded that
      different mechanisms are involved in the processes by which cycloheximide
      stimulates the syntheses of PGE2, PGF2 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the guinea
      pig uterus.

PMID- 1871178
TI  - Monthly Prostaglandin Bibliography prepared by the University of Sheffield
      Biomedical Information Service.

PMID- 1871179
TI  - Antiulcerogenic and antiinflammatory actions of fatty acids on the
      gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1871180
TI  - The effect of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      production and leucine aminopeptidase levels in rat peritoneal macrophages.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dietary n-3 and n-6
      fatty acids on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production and macrophage
      (MO) activation state. Rats were fed diets containing 12.5% linseed oil (LO) or
      corn oil (CO) that are high in n-3 and n-6 fatty acids respectively. The LO diet
      resulted in a significant increase in basal and endotoxin (LPS)-induced levels of
      TNF-alpha from resident MO cultured in vitro. There was no difference between the
      diets in LPS-induced TNF-alpha production by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)
      elicited macrophages. Variable responses were also observed between LO and CO MO
      in response to prostaglandin E2, indomethacin (INDO), and the prostaglandin E
      receptor antagonist SC-19220. This may indicate differences in signal transducing
      secondary messengers due to different activation states, receptor expression or
      ligand binding. Fluorescence due to leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) staining was
      determined by flow cytometry. Resident LO MO had a 15% increase in LAP
      fluorescence compared to CO MO. In CFA-elicited MO, the CO MO had a 43% increase
      in fluorescence compared to LO MO. Resident LO MO increased in LAP fluorescence
      by 35% to the activated state whereas resident CO MO increased in LAP
      fluorescence by 93%. The smaller window of activation for the LO MO may explain
      some of the antiinflammatory properties of dietary n-3 fatty acids.

PMID- 1871181
TI  - Effects of PGF2 alpha on the EMG of costal and crural parts of the diaphragm of
      the newborn pig.
AB  - We investigated the effects of PGF2 alpha on the breathing patterns and electric
      activity of costal and crural parts of the diaphragm in 9 anesthetized newborn
      pigs. The change in diaphragmatic tension was evaluated as the change in
      transdiaphragmatic pressure. Because PGF2 alpha induces bronchoconstriction and
      an increase in respiratory resistances, the changes induced by prostaglandin were
      evaluated as differences between bronchoconstriction after PGF2 alpha and
      resistive load obtained by applying gradual occlusion to the inspiratory line of
      the breathing circuit. Our results show that PGF2 alpha decreased respiratory
      frequency with lengthening of expiratory time, while the resistive load increased
      both respiratory phases. The changes in breathing pattern were associated with
      different electrical activities of the diaphragm. While resistive load did not
      significantly change the EMG power spectrum, PGF2 alpha recruited new motor
      units. Furthermore, resistive load induced synchronization of the inspiratory
      time discharge of the costal and crural parts of the diaphragm, while after PGF2
      alpha infusion there was an early inspiratory discharge of the crural part.

PMID- 1871182
TI  - Vascular eicosanoid production in experimental hypertensive rats with different
      mechanisms.
AB  - This study investigated the release of prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane A2
      (TXA2) from the aortic walls of various experimental hypertensive rats, e.g.
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats,
      deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats and renovascular (2-kidney, 1
      clip (2K1C) and 1-kidney, 1-clip (1K1C] hypertensive rats. The PGI2 generation
      was increased significantly in these hypertensive models, irrespective of the
      hypertensive mechanisms, when they developed established hypertension. Dahl S
      rats, having an impaired PGI2 production on a low salt diet, restored PGI2
      generating capacity to the control level of Dahl salt-resistant rats when they
      were fed a high salt diet and developed salt-induced hypertension. On the other
      hand, the TXA2 generation in the vascular walls was enhanced particularly in rat
      models for genetic hypertension, and this system was unaltered in the models for
      secondary hypertension, e.g. DOCA-salt and renovascular hypertension. Thus, it is
      suggested that the elevation of blood pressure is associated with an increase in
      vascular PGI2 production, and that the increased vascular TXA2 production is a
      characteristic feature of genetic hypertension.

PMID- 1871183
TI  - The influence of age on renal prostaglandin synthesis in man.
AB  - The purpose of our study was to determine influence of age on renal prostaglandin
      (PG) synthesis in man. Urinary prostaglandins 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha, TxB2, PGE2 and
      PGF2 alpha were measured in 45 normotensive subjects aged from 20-95 years.
      Urinary 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha excretion, reflecting mainly renal cortical
      prostacyclin synthesis, decreased significantly with age, while urinary TxB2
      showed the opposite development. The ratio of urinary 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha/TxB2
      decreased with age. PGE2 excretion was preserved in old subjects probably because
      the age-dependent decrease in renal function concerns mainly the cortex and
      spares the medulla. PGF2 alpha synthesis was least influenced by age. This age
      dependent decrease in renal prostacyclin synthesis may play a role in the renal
      alterations of the elderly.

PMID- 1871184
TI  - Fatty acid and prostaglandin metabolism in children with diabetes mellitus. II.
      The effect of evening primrose oil supplementation on serum fatty acid and plasma
      prostaglandin levels.
AB  - Our previous study demonstrated that levels of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA)
      and arachidonic acid in serum total lipids decreased in association with
      increased plasma levels of prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) and F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) in
      patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In this study, 11 children
      with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus completed a double-blind, placebo
      controlled study to assess the effect of dietary supplementation with gamma
      linolenic acid (GLA) on serum essential fatty acid and plasma PGE2 and PGF2 alpha
      levels. GLA was given as the seed oil from the evening primrose (EPO) and all
      patients received either EPO capsules (containing 45 mg of GLA and 360 mg of
      linoleic acid) or indistinguishable placebo capsules for 8 months. Initially
      patients took 2 capsules daily for 4 months then 4 capsules daily for a further 4
      months. All patients were assessed at the start of the study, after 4 months and
      at the end of the study, by measuring serum essential fatty acid and plasma PGE2
      and PGF2 alpha levels. After administration of 4 capsules daily the DGLA levels
      increased and PGE2 levels decreased significantly (p less than 0.01) in the EPO
      compared with the placebo group. Neither fatty acid nor PGE2 and PGF2 alpha
      levels were altered by administration of 2 EPO capsules daily. This suggests that
      the altered essential fatty acid and PG metabolism in diabetes may be reversed by
      direct GLA supplementation.

PMID- 1871185
TI  - Behavioral effects of ethanol inhalation in rats.
AB  - Behavioral effects of ethanol inhalation were studied on two fixed-ratio (FR)
      liquid-reinforced schedules and a continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedule
      intracranial self-stimulation (SS) in rats using the inhalational behavioral
      chamber designed in our laboratory. In the FR-24 schedule ethanol caused a
      decrease of reinforcement rate at 161 ppm and higher concentrations. In the FR-50
      schedule decreases of the rate were observed at 102 ppm and 203 ppm. In the SS
      behavior ethanol produced a decrease in the rate of reinforcement at 603 ppm and
      higher concentrations. In rats of this schedule, blood ethanol concentrations
      were measured to be 393 micrograms/ml and 545 micrograms/ml after exposure to 600
      ppm and 1200 ppm of ethanol respectively. Acute tolerance to ethanol was observed
      in these experiments, particularly in the FR-24 schedule. Thus ethanol inhalation
      could produce adequate blood concentrations so as to produce behavioral effects.

PMID- 1871186
TI  - Behavioral effects of intracerebral administration of luteinizing hormone
      releasing hormone (LHRH) in rats.
AB  - The effects of LHRH intracerebrally infused on acquisition of conditioned
      avoidance responses (CARs) and spontaneous motility were studied in adult male
      rats. The results were the following: 1) LHRH (1 and 2.5 micrograms/rat)
      administered through a cannula stereotaxically implanted into the lateral
      ventricle induced an impairment in the acquisition of CARs along with an increase
      in global motility, rearing, head shaking and grooming behavior; 2) LHRH 1
      microgram/rat injected into the hippocampus or nucleus accumbens induced also an
      impairment in acquisition which is evident 15 min after treatment. In contrast,
      intrastriatal injection induced an immediate disruption of this behavior; and 3)
      there is a good dose-response relationship for intrastriatal LHRH between 7.8 and
      62.5 ng/rat. The results suggest that the estriatum could be the locus of the
      LHRH-induced inhibition of CARs. Then the possibility of an involvement of the
      dopamine nigrostriatal system is discussed.

PMID- 1871187
TI  - Acute morphine dependence in the hamster.
AB  - Two experiments investigated naloxone-precipitated withdrawal following a brief
      course of morphine administration in hamsters. In Experiment 1, observable
      withdrawal symptoms (e.g., wet-dog shakes) were elicited by two doses of naloxone
      (0.4 and 1.0 mg/kg) following four and eight daily injections of morphine (15
      mg/kg), a regimen that replicated previous studies in our laboratory using a
      locomotor activity paradigm. At the lower dose of naloxone, the frequency of
      withdrawal signs was greater after eight than after four morphine injections. In
      Experiment 2, observable withdrawal symptoms were elicited by the same two doses
      of naloxone, 70 min after a single morphine injection. These results suggest that
      acute dependence in the hamster, as in other species, beings to develop with the
      first morphine exposure.

PMID- 1871188
TI  - Behavioral economic analysis of smoking: money and food as alternatives.
AB  - The relative reinforcing value of smoking versus two nonpharmacological
      reinforcers, money and food, was evaluated in young female smokers in two
      experiments. In Experiment 1 eight smokers worked for access to smoking or money
      on concurrent progressive variable ratio schedules of reinforcement (VR4 to VR50)
      across two days of Smoking Deprivation or No Deprivation. During No Deprivation
      money was reliably chosen over smoking. During Deprivation subjects initially
      (VR4) chose smoking over money, but at subsequent comparisons allocated equal
      time to work for smoking or money. In Experiment 2 eight smokers were provided
      access to smoking or food across four conditions: No Deprivation, Smoking
      Deprivation, Food Deprivation and Smoking + Food Deprivation, using the same
      progressive variable ratio schedules as in Experiment 1. Results showed an
      increase in the reinforcing value of food after Food Deprivation and smoking
      after Smoking Deprivation. On the dual deprivation day, subjects initially (VR4)
      chose to work for food, showed equal preferences over the next three schedule
      comparisons (VR8-VR20), and from VR25-VR50 shifted their choice to smoking. An
      increase in percent of calories as fat was observed during all deprivation
      conditions. The results demonstrate the use of the concurrent schedule paradigm
      for assessing choice among pharmacological and nonpharmacological reinforcers,
      and shows the relative reinforcing value of smoking depends on recent
      deprivation, response demands to obtain the reinforcer and availability of
      alternative reinforcers.

PMID- 1871189
TI  - Cholinergic activity in the rat hippocampus, cortex and striatum correlates with
      locomotor activity: an in vivo microdialysis study.
AB  - The possible relationship between behavioral arousal and acetylcholine release in
      the striatum, hippocampus and frontal cortex was investigated in rats. In vivo
      microdialysate concentrations of acetylcholine and choline from these brain
      structures, and photocell beam interruptions (as a measure of behavioral
      arousal), were measured simultaneously under three conditions: after injections
      of 1) vehicle or 2) scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg), and 3) before and after the
      beginning of the rats' night cycle. Dialysate concentrations of ACh in all 3
      brain structures and locomotor activity were increased after scopolamine and the
      onset of the lights out condition. Vehicle injections transiently increased ACh
      in the hippocampus and cortex and caused short-lasting increases in locomotor
      activity. Under all conditions, the release of ACh from each of the 3 brain
      structures correlated with the level of locomotor activity.

PMID- 1871190
TI  - The circling training rat model as a behavioral teratology test.
AB  - The properties of circling training (CT) for detecting behavioral teratologic
      drug-induced effects was evaluated by prenatal administration of two behavioral
      teratogenic drugs: vitamin A (80,000 IU/kg/day) and haloperidol (2.5 mg/kg/day).
      The circling training was started at 30 days of age and performed for 8 days in
      an automated apparatus. Statistically significant differences between drug
      treated and control animals regarding the measured response (turns per minute)
      were found. Two components may affect the response measured by the CT:
      associative learning and motor performance. The incidence of these components was
      discriminated with behavioral and mathematical approaches. In the experimental
      conditions used the most affected parameter was motor performance. The results
      indicate that CT can be used as an instrumental conditioning test where the
      quantifiable endpoint is the on-going motor performance. Further applications of
      the CT for neurochemical evaluation of drug induced effects are also discussed.

PMID- 1871191
TI  - Effect of eseroline on schedule-controlled behavior in the rat.
AB  - Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to press a lever on a simple-alternation
      multiple fixed-ratio (FR) 20-response time-out (TO) schedule for water
      reinforcement. Twelve 5-min periods of FR reinforcement were each followed by a 5
      min TO in which responding had no scheduled consequence. Doses ranging from 0.25
      to 8 mg/kg of eseroline, the hydrolysis product of eserine and a potent analgesic
      agent with weak anticholinesterase activity, were administered SC immediately
      prior to a 120-min test session. Eseroline produced a dose-dependent monotonic
      decrease in the number of reinforcements, with significant effects at doses of 1,
      2, 4 and 8 mg/kg and an ED50 of 2.5 (1.6-3.4) mg/kg. This behavioral disruption
      was characterized by a rapid onset of pausing (i.e., within 5 min postdosing) and
      a gradual recovery to normal baseline levels of responding over the remaining
      session time. The duration of the rate decreasing effects was dose-related with
      the highest dose having a mean duration of more than 60 min, which was longer
      than that of previous reports on antinociception produced by eseroline (less than
      60 min). The coadministration of behaviorally inactive doses of the opiate
      antagonist naloxone (1 and 2 mg/kg, IP) with eseroline (2.5 mg/kg, ED50)
      antagonized the effects of eseroline on the operant behavior. The
      coadministration of behaviorally inactive doses of the muscarinic antagonist
      atropine with eseroline (2.5 mg/kg) did not affect eseroline's behavioral effect.
      These results suggest that the effects of eseroline on operant behavior is
      consistent with the effects of eseroline-induced antinociception, reported
      previously, and appears to be associated with the activation of opiate receptors,
      but not related to the stimulation of muscarinic receptors via its
      anticholinesterase activity.

PMID- 1871192
TI  - Effects of eltoprazine hydrochloride on exploratory behavior and social
      attraction in mice.
AB  - The effects of eltoprazine (DU 28853) on exploratory behavior and conspecific
      social attraction were examined in four experiments. Drug treatments somewhat
      enhanced three forms of exploratory behavior but decreased social attraction. The
      results indicate that eltoprazine, in sharp contrast to fluprazine, weakly
      ameliorates neophobic responses. Both eltoprazine and fluprazine seem to increase
      the aversiveness of encounters with other organisms, however. The latter effects
      may be mediated, in part at least, by some alteration in olfactory function.

PMID- 1871193
TI  - Pituitary and brain beta-endorphin in male and female rats: effects of shock and
      cues associated with shock.
AB  - The present experiment was designed to study whether or not prior exposure to
      inescapable shock is accompanied by sex-dependent changes in pituitary and
      central levels of immunoreactive beta-endorphin, which is proposed to play an
      important role in opioid analgesia induced by aversive stimulation. Further, the
      effects of brief reexposure (5 min) to the chamber where inescapable shock was
      experienced earlier, were established in both sexes. Elevated levels of beta
      endorphin were found 24 hours after inescapable shock, in the anterior pituitary
      of males and in the midbrain periaqueductal gray of both males and females.
      Reexposure to the experimental chamber only affected beta-endorphin levels if
      shock had been experienced in this chamber. Reexposure after inescapable shock
      reduced beta-endorphin content of the arcuate nucleus of males and beta-endorphin
      content of the periaqueductal gray of males and females. The present results are
      related to previous findings of sensitization and conditioning of analgesic
      reactions. The sex differences found in the present experiment are discussed with
      respect to sex-dependent behavioral consequences of inescapable shock.

PMID- 1871194
TI  - Differential role of serotonin and noradrenaline on anxiety reduction after
      ejaculation in the rat.
AB  - As previously reported, a reduction in anxiety after ejaculation was observed. In
      a previous report it was demonstrated that the GABA-benzodiazepine system is
      involved in the mediation of this reduction in anxiety. The anxiety levels were
      measured using a defensive burying model. This work was performed to elucidate
      the serotonin and noradrenaline participation in the mediation of this
      phenomenon. Two experiments were made. In the first experiment the serotonergic
      neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT, 10 micrograms/10 microliters) was
      intracerebroventricularly injected. Five days after its administration the
      behavioral tests were performed. In the second experiment, the noradrenergic
      neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4, 50 mg/kg X 2) was
      IP administered. The neurochemical data reveal a drastic reduction in various
      brain areas respective monoamine levels after these treatments. The lesion
      produced by 5,7-DHT was able to reverse the reduction in anxiety in copulating
      males, but produced no changes in noncopulating animals. This finding supports
      the idea that the serotonergic system is involved in the reduction of anxiety
      observed after ejaculation. The results of the DSP4 experiment suggest that there
      is not a direct participation of the noradrenergic system in the anxiety
      reduction observed after ejaculation.

PMID- 1871195
TI  - Cold swimming stress: effects on serum lipids, lipoproteins and LCAT activity in
      male and female rats.
AB  - Effects of consistent cold swimming stress on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism
      parameters were studied using male and female rats over a period of 60 and 20
      days respectively. At the end of treatment serum total cholesterol, high density
      lipoproteins (HDL-C) and lecithin:cholesterol acetyltransferase (LCAT) activity
      declined in both male and female rats. TC/HDL-C ratio declined in 20 days in
      females, while in males it did not change. Free fatty acids increased, while
      triglycerides remained unchanged in both sexes. %Lipoprotein distribution in male
      animals did not show any phenotype alteration except in the group of 40 days
      where %VLDL declined and %LDL-C increased. Body weights did not change, except in
      males in 60 days. Consistent cold swimming stress by lowering HDL-C and LCAT
      activity seems to influence lipoprotein metabolism.

PMID- 1871196
TI  - Morphine effects on mouse locomotor/exploratory activity: test dependency, test
      reliability, uni- and multi-variate analyses.
AB  - Drug and toxicant effects on locomotor/exploratory activity can be quite variable
      depending on the test and the schedule of exposure. In neurobehavioral toxicology
      and teratology, these interactions can affect the inferences based on the use of
      selected drugs as probes to assess which regulatory mechanisms are affected by
      one or the other treatment. The present experiments were aimed at comparing
      morphine effects in CD-1 mice under three conditions, namely, Varimex apparatus
      (VAR), toggle floor box (TOGGLE), videotape recording (VIDEO) in a home cage
      environment. Morphine HCI (0, 10, 33, or 100 mg/kg) was given IP 20 min before
      the start of a 30-min test session. The same procedure was repeated 24 h later.
      Results of VAR and TOGGLE tests were: dose 10 was largely ineffective; dose 33
      induced depression in VAR and hyperactivity in TOGGLE; dose 100 enhanced activity
      in TOGGLE. There were no differences between session 1 and 2. VIDEO: Univariate
      analysis results showed that morphine produced a dose-dependent depression of
      Rearing and Grooming, and an enhancement of Crossing, again without changes due
      to repeated exposure. Results of Principal Component Analysis supported a
      response competition model of the changes observed in the mouse behavioral
      profile. The videorecording (VIDEO) procedure is the one providing the most
      accurate picture of changes in locomotor/exploratory activity and drug effects
      thereon, also allowing a more comprehensive statistical analysis of the
      relationships between various types of response changes.

PMID- 1871197
TI  - Behavioral tolerance to flurazepam.
AB  - Rats were trained to earn 180 food pellets in daily, fixed-interval 1-min
      sessions. When performance had stabilized, a Before group was given a weekly 16
      mg/kg flurazepam injection IP for 3 weeks immediately before the sessions, while
      an After group received their weekly injections immediately after the sessions.
      Then, the After group received 3 such weekly injections before the sessions.
      Behavioral tolerance developed by the 2nd flurazepam injection for the Before
      group, but for the After group, the 3 postsession flurazepam injections resulted
      in subsequent tolerance to presession flurazepam injection for session lever
      presses, but not for the time taken to earn 180 pellets. Dispositional tolerance
      to the serum elimination rate of flurazepam did not develop over the course of 3
      injections. Behavioral suppression still evident in the initial portion of
      sessions with the 2nd and 3rd presession injection coincided with the duration of
      rising and high levels of serum flurazepam.

PMID- 1871198
TI  - Changes in blood pressure and dipsogenic responsiveness to angiotensin II during
      chronic exposure of rats to cold.
AB  - Hypertension accompanies chronic exposure of rats to cold (5-6 degrees C).
      Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures become elevated, and hypertrophy of
      the heart occurs. A previous study from this laboratory suggested that the renin
      angiotensin system may play a role. The present study was carried out to assess
      this further. Thus, in addition to measurement of systolic blood pressure at
      intervals during exposure to cold, plasma renin activity and the dipsogenic
      responsiveness to acute administration of angiotensin II were also measured to
      assess the functional status of the renin-angiotensin system. The results showed
      a significant (p less than 0.05) increase in systolic blood pressure during the
      third week of exposure to cold. In contrast, plasma renin activity (PRA)
      increased within the first week of exposure to cold, and declined thereafter to
      reach the level of the control by the third week of exposure to cold. By the
      fourth week, PRA decreased to a level significantly (p less than 0.05) below that
      of the control group. The responsiveness to acute administration of angiotensin
      II (AII), as assessed by the drinking response, increased significantly (p less
      than 0.05) by the third week of exposure to cold and remained significantly
      elevated during the fourth week. There was a significant (p less than 0.01)
      direct relationship between dipsogenic responsiveness to AII and blood pressure
      in the cold-treated (r = .57), but not the control group (r = .12). There was
      also a significant (r = -.91) indirect linear relationship between PRA and
      dipsogenic responsiveness to AII. Cold-treated rats had significant increases in
      urinary norepinephrine output and weights of heart, kidneys, adrenals, and brown
      adipose tissue characteristic of rats acclimated to cold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871199
TI  - Desensitization of central nicotinic cardiovascular effects by nicotine isomers
      and a quaternary analogue.
AB  - Nicotine produces potent cardiovascular and sympathoadrenal effects. Furthermore,
      repeated administration of nicotine is associated with development of tolerance
      for many responses. We sought to compare the effects of initial intracerebral
      administration of nicotine isomers and a quaternary analogue on cardiovascular
      and sympathoadrenal responses and to compare the desensitizing properties of
      these nicotinic compounds on subsequent responses to nicotine. Thus we examined
      the effects of (-)-nicotine, (+)-nicotine, N'-methylnicotinium iodide (N'MN), a
      quaternary analogue of (-)-nicotine, and saline vehicle, administered into a
      lateral cerebral ventricle, on heart rate (HR), systolic, diastolic and mean
      arterial blood pressure (BP), and plasma concentrations of epinephrine and
      norepinephrine in conscious, freely moving, adult, male rats. (-)-Nicotine (120
      nmol, ICV) produced decrease in HR and increases in all other parameters. (+)
      Nicotine at this dose produced only small effects on HR, BP and plasma
      catecholamines. An equimolar dose of N'MN produced similar effects on these
      parameters, quantitatively intermediate between those of the two nicotine
      isomers. Thirty min after administration of these nicotinic agonists, all
      parameters had returned to baseline. At this time, the effects of subsequent ICV
      administration of (-)-nicotine 120 nmol was studied in all animals. Prior
      administration of either (-)-nicotine or (+)-nicotine markedly attenuated the
      bradycardic response to (-)-nicotine, and N'MN was less effective in this regard.
      In contrast, neither (-)-nicotine nor N'MN inhibited the pressor response to
      subsequent (-)-nicotine, whereas (+)-nicotine did produce some attenuation of
      this pressor response. Similarly, only (+)-nicotine, was found to inhibit the
      plasma norepinephrine response to subsequent (-)-nicotine when this drug dose and
      timing of administration were used. The epinephrine response to subsequent (-)
      nicotine was not affected by this dose (120 nmol) and timing of treatment with
      any of these ligands. These data support the concept that desensitization of the
      intracerebral effects of nicotine on cardiovascular and sympathoadrenal function
      may be mediated at binding sites other than those producing nicotinic responses.

PMID- 1871200
TI  - Nicotine potentiates haloperidol-induced catalepsy and locomotor hypoactivity.
AB  - Nicotine was found to potentiate the catalepsy and reduced locomotion following
      the administration of haloperidol. The ability of various doses of nicotine (0.1,
      0.2, or 0.3 mg/kg) to potentiate the catalepsy produced by haloperidol (0.1, 0.2
      or 0.4 mg/kg) was investigated. Nicotine potentiated the cataleptic effects of
      both the 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg doses of haloperidol, but had no effect following the
      lowest (0.1 mg/kg) dose of haloperidol. The nicotine potentiation of catalepsy
      produced by the highest dose of haloperidol was independent of the dose of
      nicotine used. Nicotine alone did not produce catalepsy. A second experiment
      evaluated the ability of nicotine to potentiate the decreases in spontaneous
      locomotor activity produced by haloperidol. Animals received nicotine (0.1 mg/kg)
      alone or in conjunction with haloperidol (0.1 or 0.4 mg/kg) and were tested in
      Digiscan Animal Monitors. Haloperidol produced a dose-related decrease in
      locomotion. Nicotine significantly potentiated the hypoactivity produced by both
      doses of haloperidol. These results indicated that: 1) nicotine produces a
      significant potentiation of both the catalepsy and locomotor decreases following
      haloperidol and 2) the Digiscam Animal Activity Monitors may provide a more
      sensitive assessment of the interaction between nicotine and haloperidol than the
      catalepsy bat test. These data suggest that adjunct treatment with nicotine may
      prove useful for treating neuroleptic responsive disorders such as Tourette
      Syndrome, schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.

PMID- 1871201
TI  - Measuring anxiety in nonhuman primates: effect of lorazepam on macaque
      scratching.
AB  - Lorazepam (0.2 mg/kg IM) was given to group-living female macaques to assess the
      effect of anxiolytic treatment on scratching, a behavior pattern referred to as a
      displacement activity in the primate literature. Lorazepam selectively diminished
      scratching behavior. The drug effect was status-dependent: especially low-ranking
      animals showed a marked reduction in scratching. Lorazepam exerted a direct
      effect on scratching, that is the effect was not due to sedation or mediated by
      the influence of the drug on other behaviors. These results provide
      pharmacological validation to the ethological finding that scratching may be a
      manifestation of anxiety in monkeys. In addition, they suggest to use scratching
      as a behavioral measure in studies investigating nonhuman primate models of
      anxiety.

PMID- 1871202
TI  - Cocaine toxicity: genetic differences in cocaine-induced lethality in rats.
AB  - Cocaine produces stimulation, depression, convulsions and death, and binds at
      several receptor sites. Thus cocaine may produce toxicity through similar or
      distinct pathways from those associated with stimulation. Genetic differences in
      stimulant response to cocaine have recently been reported for four inbred rat
      strains, ACI, F344, LEW and NBR. In the present study, significant genetic
      differences were found in cocaine-induced lethality, with a two-fold difference
      in LD50 values seen between the most sensitive (NBR) and least sensitive (LEW)
      strains. Sensitivity to lethality was not correlated with sensitivity to
      stimulation, but was highly correlated with baseline activity. This lack of
      strong association between stimulant and lethal effects of cocaine may be
      important in clinical manifestations of the cocaine sudden death syndrome.

PMID- 1871203
TI  - Orally delivered cocaine functions as a positive reinforcer in C57BL/6J mice.
AB  - Cocaine serves as a reinforcer across several routes of administration and
      species. However, whether orally delivered cocaine serves as a positive
      reinforcer has not been systematically established. We determined the extent to
      which contingent access to orally delivered cocaine would maintain lever pressing
      behavior in C57BL/6J mice who had a prior history of operant ethanol-reinforced
      behavior. The findings presented in this report demonstrate that orally delivered
      cocaine can serve as a reinforcer of operant behavior. A drug substitution
      procedure where cocaine was substituted for gradually decreasing ethanol
      concentrations was successful in inducing pharmacologically significant intakes
      of cocaine under a fixed ratio (FR) schedule of drug access. When ethanol was
      removed, responding for cocaine continued. As FR size was increased,
      proportionate increases in responding occurred except at the highest FR value.
      Responding maintained by cocaine significantly exceeded responding maintained by
      vehicle, with the mice typically consuming 6-10 mg/kg cocaine per 30-min session.
      The utilization of inbred strains and the procedures followed in the present
      studies should prove useful in determining the extent of both genetic and
      environmental influences on various behavioral effects of cocaine and their
      mechanisms of action.

PMID- 1871204
TI  - Drinking behavior in the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) following putative
      dipsogenic challenges.
AB  - Male spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus) were challenged with several putative
      dipsogenic stimulus conditions: hypertonic sodium chloride (NaCl), 24-h water
      deprivation, d,l-isoproterenol HCl, angiotensin II (AII) and polyethylene glycol
      (PEG), or control conditions, in within-subjects designs. Water intake and
      drinking pattern were monitored electronically in the home cage over a 2--6-h
      test period without food present, during the light portion of the L/D cycle. In
      addition, hematocrits were measured following several treatments and mean
      arterial blood pressure was monitored in response to several doses of AII. As
      expected, both water deprivation and hypertonic NaCl led to robust drinking with
      short latencies. PEG was also an effective dipsogen; while quite variable,
      latencies were often shorter than are typically reported for the rat.
      Isoproterenol induced a modest, but significant, dose-related drinking.
      Interference by AII's prominent pressor action might account, at least in part,
      for its relative ineffectiveness as a dipsogen. Comparisons are made with other
      rodent species similarly challenged.

PMID- 1871205
TI  - Metoclopramide decreases apomorphine-induced yawning and penile erection.
AB  - Acute administration of metoclopramide, a dopamine (D2) antagonist, reduced both
      apomorphine-induced yawning and penile erections. Metoclopramide, prominent in
      clinical use as an effective antiemetic, has been shown to be associated with
      decreased erectile function in humans. Experimentally naive rats were given a
      standardized dose of apomorphine and one of a range of doses of metoclopramide.
      The study shows that metoclopramide decreases the erectile response to
      apomorphine and suggests that the erectile difficulties experienced in humans
      after metoclopramide treatment may be a result of interference with a central
      dopaminergic mechanism(s).

PMID- 1871206
TI  - Nicotine improves cognitive disturbance in rodents fed with a choline-deficient
      diet.
AB  - The effect of nicotine on learning disturbances was tested in rats. Rats were fed
      either a choline-enriched or a choline-deficient diet. Concentration of
      acetylcholine in the whole brain was significantly lower in rats fed with choline
      deficient diet than rats fed with choline-enriched diet. Passive avoidance
      learning shows that rats on a choline-deficient diet showed significantly
      impaired learning compared to rats on a choline-enriched diet. Nicotine (0.04
      mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally significantly potentiated learning in rats
      on a choline-deficient diet, as well as in rats on a choline-enriched diet. We,
      therefore, suggest that nicotine may potentiate learning in an acetylcholine
      deprived brain.

PMID- 1871207
TI  - A silicone pellet for continuous cocaine: comparison with continuous amphetamine.
AB  - An inexpensive silicone pellet is described for the continuous administration of
      cocaine for up to 5 days. Rats implanted with this pellet show minimal skin
      irritation and go through distinct behavioral stages, with an initial period of
      hyperactivity followed by motor stereotypies. Then, at 3-4 days after
      implantation, a variety of hallucinogen-like ("late-stage") behaviors appear,
      including limb flicks, sudden startle responses, and repetitive mid-air grasping
      movements. Compared to continuous d-amphetamine, continuous cocaine induces
      decreased motor stereotypies but heightened "late-stage" behaviors.

PMID- 1871208
TI  - Medical physics, in the past, today and in the future--the development of medical
      physics from the point of view of a radiologist.

PMID- 1871209
TI  - Analysis of texture in macroradiographs of osteoarthritic knees using the fractal
      signature.
AB  - Texture of regions of macroradiographs (x5) of six normal and five osteoarthritic
      knee joints, taken on a high resolution microfocal x-ray unit, are examined using
      mathematical morphology. Radiographs of bones are two-dimensional projections of
      attenuation coefficient through the three-dimensional (3D) joint structure.
      Visible texture represents the summation of the attenuation from numerous thin
      plates of bone. Where there is no organization in the trabeculae, resultant
      radiographs approximate a fractal surface. Varying structuring element size in
      mathematical morphology allows estimation of fractal dimension over a range of
      resolution. Variation of fractal dimension with resolution, the fractal
      signature, indicates how images deviate from fractal surfaces. By correct choice
      of structuring element, a texture analysis method using the fractal signature has
      been developed, tolerant to changes in image acquisition and digitization.
      Texture in regions of radiographs of normal tibia approximates a fractal surface
      with dimension 2.8 as does vertical structure in arthritic patients. In
      osteoarthritic knee joints, horizontal tibial trabeculae thicken. Horizontal
      structure in the tibia on radiographs of arthritic patients deviates from the
      fractal model. This is indicated by peaks in the fractal signature whose height
      and position match a visual assessment of the degree of arthritic change.

PMID- 1871210
TI  - Accurate Monte Carlo calculations of the combined attenuation and build-up
      factors, for energies (20-1500 keV) and distances (0-10 cm) relevant in
      brachytherapy.
AB  - The combined build-up and attenuation factor, B exp (-mu r), of point isotropic
      photon sources in a water medium has been calculated using the Monte Carlo
      method, for energies (20-1500 keV) and distances (1-10 cm) relevant in
      brachytherapy. For the transport of photons and electrons, up-to-date and self
      consistent total, partial and differential cross sections were used. The
      influence of coherent (Rayleigh) and incoherent (Compton) scattering, as well as
      the effects of the source and medium geometries on the calculations, were
      investigated in detail and it was found that these effects can lead to
      significant deviations from published data, especially at low energies and/or
      large distances from the sources. Our results can be used for any mono- or multi
      energetic photon source in the energy range 20-1500 keV with uncertainties of the
      order of 2-3%, and they may influence treatment planning especially in the case
      of organs at risk which are usually near the edge of the body.

PMID- 1871211
TI  - In vivo measurement of the optical interaction coefficients of human tumours at
      630 nm.
AB  - The light distribution within a treatment volume is determined by the source
      geometry (e.g. superficial or interstitial illumination) and the optical
      interaction coefficients of the irradiated tissue. We have measured the energy
      fluence rate at various points within tumours undergoing irradiation with 630 nm
      light for photodynamic therapy for several source geometries. The relative
      positions of source and detector fibres were determined using CT scanning
      techniques. The results of the measurements were then applied to solutions of the
      diffusion theory which allowed the determination of the absorption coefficient
      (sigma a = 30.5 +/- 16 m-1), the reduced scattering coefficient (sigma' s = 941
      +/- 735 m-1), the effective attenuation coefficient (sigma eff = 261 +/- 49 m-1)
      and the build-up coefficient which relates surface irradiance to the energy
      fluence rate at depth (k = 1.6 +/- 0.6). Knowledge of these coefficients allows
      the transmission of light through tissue to be predicted and hence the optical
      dosimetry of subsequent treatments to be planned more effectively.

PMID- 1871212
TI  - Interstitial heating: experiments in artificially perfused bovine tongues.
AB  - Isolated perfused bovine tongues were heated with a 2 x 2 hot water tube
      interstitial hyperthermia system (tube outer diameter 2.0 mm, spacing 16 mm).
      Tongue blood flow ranged between 0 and 17 ml min-1/100 g. The temperature
      distribution was mapped with 5 to 8 single thermocouples (diameter 50 microns).
      Model predictions using both the conventional bioheat transfer equation and the
      effective conductivity model were compared to the experimental results, with
      emphasis on the role of blood flow. Results indicate a better qualitative
      agreement with the k-effective model than with the heat sink model. In this set
      up a 16 mm spacing proved sufficient for adequate heating between the needles at
      normal blood flow rates, in the absence of large vessels.

PMID- 1871213
TI  - A perfusion technique for tongues to be used in bioheat transfer studies.

PMID- 1871214
TI  - Glandular excision in total glandular mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy:
      a comparison.
AB  - Total glandular mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy were compared for the
      amount of breast tissue remaining after surgery. Multiple biopsies were taken
      from the anterior chest walls of women following total glandular mastectomy (N =
      27) and modified radical mastectomy (N = 28) to try to detect any residual
      glandular tissue. Regardless of procedure performed, breast tissue was identified
      histologically in 5 percent of all biopsy specimens (159 and 161, respectively).
      One of every five operative fields was shown to have glandular elements in at
      least one of the biopsy sites; the positive biopsies did not form a discernible
      pattern. The residual breast tissue in each of these patients averaged less than
      1 gm. On the basis of this study, modified radical mastectomy and total glandular
      mastectomy appear to be equally effective in removing most of the breast.

PMID- 1871215
TI  - The effect of rigid fixation on growth of the neurocranium.
AB  - The effects on skull growth of plating the coronal suture and frontal bone were
      studied in New Zealand White rabbits. Three-dimensional coordinate landmarks were
      digitized and analyzed to determine the differences in form between operated and
      unoperated animals using Euclidian distance matrix analysis. This method compares
      sets of interlandmark distances in three dimensions and was used to demonstrate
      changes induced by plating. We interpret these changes in morphology to be the
      result of differences in growth between the operated and unoperated groups.
      Periosteal elevation alone (n = 6) resulted in a minimal local growth increase.
      Coronal suture plating (n = 8) resulted in local growth restriction with
      contralateral and adjacent size increases. Frontal bone plating (n = 6) without
      crossing a suture line also resulted in local growth restriction and adjacent
      bone size increases. The timing of intervention in relation to the completion of
      bone growth may explain the magnitude of clinically apparent effects. Changes in
      bones adjacent to those directly manipulated may be an attempt to maintain a
      normal skull volume.

PMID- 1871216
TI  - A single-stage two-flap method of total ear reconstruction.
AB  - A single-stage two-flap method of total ear reconstruction in congenital microtia
      is reported. This method was derived from the one-stage reconstruction described
      by Song and Song. Two flaps defined by vascular basis were elevated on the
      mastoid area: the superficial skin flap supplied mainly by subcutaneous pedicled
      arteriole perforators from the posterior auricular artery and the deeper axial
      pattern fascial flap including the posterior auricular artery itself. The ear
      framework, exaggeratedly carved using autologous rib cartilage, could be inserted
      easily between the two flaps, simultaneously producing the auriculocephalic angle
      and the conchal wall. Intraoperative expansion of the skin flap and postoperative
      external ear molding also were performed to create aesthetically pleasing ears.

PMID- 1871217
TI  - Growth status of children treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate.
AB  - Cephalometric distances, angles, and proportions were evaluated for 32 children 5
      to 8 years of age treated for unilateral cleft lip and palate. The children were
      age and sex matched with untreated controls with normal skeletal relationships.
      The unilateral cleft lip and palate sample was treated by the same surgeon and
      orthodontist using the same techniques and appliances. Measures of overall facial
      proportions, facial convexity, and prognathism were not significantly different
      between the two groups. The primary group differences pertain to the posterior
      aspect of the maxilla, which is vertically short in the unilateral cleft lip and
      palate sample. Horizontally, the maxilla of the unilateral cleft lip and palate
      children was significantly longer, producing a steeper palatal plane. In
      addition, the zygoma and orbits of unilateral cleft lip and palate children were
      somewhat retruded; the posterior cranial base and total mandibular length also
      were longer in the unilateral cleft lip and palate children.

PMID- 1871218
TI  - The modified buccal musculomucosal flap method for cleft palate surgery.
AB  - We have reported previously on a palatoplasty method, called the T-shaped
      musculomucosal buccal flap method, for the primary repair of a cleft palate. This
      method has been used on more than 90 patients, and satisfactory outcomes have
      resulted in terms of maxillar development, the prevention of fistulation, and
      verbal functions. However, 14.3 percent of these patients exhibited a
      velopharyngeal incompetence that showed no potential improvement through
      training. In the majority of these patients, the entire raw surface of the oral
      cavity side could not be covered with a buccal musculomucosal flap, and as a
      result, postoperative contraction of the soft palate occurred. Thus a new
      surgical method has proven effective in which both buccal musculomucosal flaps
      are used as an oral lining, the nasal mucosa having been extended by Z-plasty. We
      have performed 25 operations using this new method and have observed no
      postoperative contractions of the soft palate, notwithstanding two cases (8.0
      percent) of postoperative fistulation.

PMID- 1871219
TI  - The biomechanical effects of deep tissue support as related to brow and facelift
      procedures.
AB  - The adverse effects of increased tension across a healing wound are well known.
      However, the effect of closing a wound in layers in order to decrease tension on
      the epidermis has been a source of controversy. It is hypothesized that deep
      tissue support decreases skin tension upon wound closure. In order to clarify
      this issue, a two-part study was designed to address the immediate effects of
      deep tissue support in vitro using fresh-frozen cadavers and in vivo on patients
      undergoing scheduled surgery. Closing skin tension was measured at standard
      reference points in coronal brow lift and rhytidectomy procedures performed with
      and without galeal closure and superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS)
      procedures, respectively. Deep tissue support was found to significantly (p less
      than 0.05) decrease skin tension at the time of skin closure at standard
      reference points in coronal brow lift and rhytidectomy procedures performed on
      fresh-frozen cadavers. Similar significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in
      closing skin tension also were found in vivo in patients undergoing similar
      surgical procedures. Stress relaxation was not found to play a significant role
      in contributing to this immediate decrease in closing skin tension. It would
      appear, therefore, that deep tissue support, in the form of galeal closure and an
      SMAS procedure in coronal brow lift and rhytidectomy procedures, respectively,
      provides increased viscoelastic support, producing immediate significant
      decreases in closing skin tension in these procedures. The beneficial effects on
      wound healing, scar formation, tension-related trophic skin changes, and possible
      improved long-term results are discussed.

PMID- 1871220
TI  - Curette fat sculpture in rhytidectomy: improving the nasolabial and
      labiomandibular folds.
AB  - The nasolabial and labiomandibular folds develop with facial aging by an anterior
      caudal descent of the fat prominences of the same name. Young patients with
      minimal folding can be corrected by substances inserted in the fold; however,
      this and other techniques have failed satisfactorily to improve the folds
      naturally and permanently. Identification of the prominences and removal of the
      fat superficial to the skin by curettes have proven safe and effective and
      superior to fat suction. Complications include small hematomas and visible
      depressions in the sculpted areas. There was no nerve or skin injury. Follow-up
      of this technique (an improvement of a previous technique) is 3 1/2 years.

PMID- 1871221
TI  - Late bleeding after rhytidectomy from injury to the superficial temporal vessels.
AB  - Five healthy, normotensive women, whose mean age was 49.8 years, developed
      expanding hematomas between 8 and 10 days (average 9 days) after rhytidectomy. In
      each patient, the bleeding vessel could be identified: In two, it was the
      parietal branch of the superficial temporal artery; in two, it was the parietal
      branch of the superficial temporal vein; and in one, it was the superficial
      temporal artery immediately before its branching. Contributing factors may have
      been sudden physical exertion in four of the five patients and in another
      salicylate ingestion. Several measures can help avoid late bleeding from the
      superficial temporal vessels or their branches; not using a too potent
      vasoconstrictive agent (epinephrine) in the local anesthetic so that the vessels
      will be easier to visualize; not injecting the local anesthetic too deeply or
      incising to deeply; dividing and ligating the superficial temporal vessel and its
      major branches if injured; using bipolar coagulation on small branches; and
      instructing patients repeatedly not to engage in strenuous activity or to ingest
      salicylates for at least 2 weeks after operation.

PMID- 1871222
TI  - Surgical depilation for the treatment of pseudofolliculitis or local hirsutism of
      the face: experience in the first 40 patients.
AB  - Forty patients underwent surgical depilation for pseudofolliculitis barbae or
      local hirsutism of the face during a 15-year period. The operative method and its
      results and pitfalls are discussed. Although it is not the treatment of choice,
      this operation is very useful when other therapy has not been successful. This
      seems especially true in male-to-female transsexuals.

PMID- 1871223
TI  - Intraoral reconstruction with a microvascular peritoneal flap.
AB  - The microvascular peritoneal flap offers a new reconstructive option for closure
      of intraoral defects. The flap is easy to raise, and donor-site morbidity is low.
      Unlike fascial flaps, in which the raw surface may take weeks to "mucosalize,"
      the peritoneal surface heals primarily. Finally, the rectus muscle effectively
      covers all forms of mandibular reconstruction, and the reliable skin paddle makes
      possible the closure of substantial cutaneous defects.

PMID- 1871224
TI  - Long-term complications of polyurethane-covered breast implants.
AB  - The authors's personal experience using an earlier manufactured polyurethane
      covered gel prosthesis is presented. Very long-term follow-up did not validate
      the author's initial enthusiasm. It is to be hoped that the newer polyurethane
      covered implants will give more satisfactory long-term results.

PMID- 1871225
TI  - Biocompatibility of radiolucent breast implants.
AB  - Current implants for breast augmentation containing silicone gel, saline, or both
      are radiopaque on mammographic examination and can totally obscure
      microcalcifications and soft-tissue masses. The effect of these implants on the
      detection of early breast cancers in patients who have undergone augmentation
      mammaplasty remains unproven and controversial. Implants filled with medium-chain
      triglycerides (peanut oil) are radiolucent on mammographic examination and allow
      visualization of both soft-tissue masses and microcalcifications. To investigate
      the biocompatibility of radiolucent implants, 10 cc of sterile, nonpyrogenic
      peanut oil was injected subcutaneously into rats using silicone gel as a control.
      Twenty-one rabbits had two 125-cc silicone shell implants inserted on either side
      of the chest wall. The right-sided shell was filled with 125 cc of sterile
      saline, and the left-sided shell was filled with 125 cc of sterile, nonpyrogenic
      peanut oil. Results were determined by both histologic and radiographic
      examination. Rats injected with peanut oil equivalent to 7 percent of their body
      weight rapidly absorbed the freely injected oil without detriment. Histologic
      examination of the lungs, liver, kidneys, and tissues adjacent to the injection
      sites demonstrated no abnormalities. There was no evidence of allergic, toxic,
      inflammatory, or neoplastic response. Eighteen of 21 rabbits survived more than 3
      months. Radiographs showed the oil-filled implants to be radiolucent, whereas the
      saline-filled controls obscured the surrounding soft and bony tissues. Histologic
      examination demonstrated a fibrous capsule surrounding both types of implants.
      Histologic examination of the lungs, liver, and kidneys showed no significant
      abnormalities. These and previous studies have shown peanut oil to be
      biocompatible when freely injected either intramuscularly or subcutaneously. This
      study demonstrates that a radiolucent, peanut oil-filled implant is biocompatible
      in animals and that further long-term studies for its use in humans are merited.

PMID- 1871226
TI  - Comparative experience with smooth and polyurethane breast implants using the
      Kaplan-Meier method of survival analysis.
AB  - Smooth-walled silicone implants have been widely used in breast surgery. Capsular
      contracture, causing undesirable firmness and spherical deformity, has been a
      common problem. Recent studies suggest that polyurethane-covered breast implants
      are associated with a lower incidence of capsular contracture. The statistical
      methodology employed in some of these studies, however, may be subject to
      criticism. Between July of 1984 and June of 1990 (72 months), 427 polyurethane
      breast implants were used in 279 patients and 439 smooth prostheses were used in
      250 patients for a variety of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures. The
      occurrence of capsular contracture was carefully monitored and then analyzed
      using the Kaplan-Meier method of survival analysis. This method is particularly
      well suited to analysis of these types of clinical data because it allows for the
      fact that contractures occur at varying intervals after surgery and that follow
      up of patients is incomplete. The probability of capsular contracture with smooth
      walled prostheses was found to be significantly greater than with polyurethane
      covered implants in each group of patients studied (p less than 0.05). Other
      complications occurred at a similar rate regardless of prosthesis type. This
      study supports the belief that polyurethane breast implants have a lower
      contracture rate; furthermore, it introduces the Kaplan-Meier method for
      analyzing the outcome of alternative plastic surgical therapies.

PMID- 1871227
TI  - Mammograms of the reconstructed breast.

PMID- 1871228
TI  - Purchased medical care: a frequent illusion.

PMID- 1871229
TI  - Strawberry hemangioma of infancy: early definitive treatment with an argon laser.
AB  - This report documents the successful treatment of a hemangioma (strawberry
      hemangioma) at 5 weeks of age with the argon laser. The natural course of
      strawberry hemangioma of infancy is well known. It begins as a very small spot
      and develops very rapidly within the first few weeks of life. Many grow to a very
      large size and produce significant morbidity. It is logical to assume that if
      these were ablated early, the life cycle could be aborted. The patient of this
      case study developed two spots that appeared to be typical evolving hemangiomas.
      One was treated and disappeared. The other was not treated and evolved into a
      typical strawberry hemangioma that eventually involuted. This would indicate that
      early treatment holds some promise.

PMID- 1871230
TI  - A combined rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap and vascularized iliac bone
      graft with double vascular pedicles.
AB  - Although a free vascularized iliac bone graft has been successfully used for the
      reconstruction of large bone defects, there is a serious problem of how to repair
      in one stage patients having a large bone defect with a very wide skin defect. A
      free combined rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap and vascularized iliac bone
      graft with double vascular pedicles seems to be one of the most suitable methods
      for patients having large defects of both bone and skin. Based on our patient,
      the main advantage of this flap is the extreme width of the skin territory. The
      pedicle vessels are large and long, and the donor scar can be made in an
      unexposed area. This flap should be considered for use in one-stage
      reconstructions of large defects of both bone and skin in the leg region.

PMID- 1871231
TI  - Thumb replantation after cardiac transplantation.
AB  - Generally, severe medical illnesses, including chronic immunosuppression and
      heavy steroid use, have been deemed relative contraindications for replantation
      surgery. We report the successful replantation of an amputated thumb in a patient
      who had previously undergone heart transplantation and was on therapeutic
      immunosuppression. Despite extensive soft-tissue damage and joint involvement,
      thumb function and sensibility returned to acceptable levels. This case
      demonstrates that digital bony union, tendon repair healing, and nerve
      regeneration are not significantly altered by the standard immunosuppressive
      regimen following major organ transplant. The implications raised by this case
      for possible transplantation of allograft digits or limbs are discussed in
      detail.

PMID- 1871232
TI  - Use of stacked polyurethane-covered mammary implants in aesthetic and
      reconstructive breast surgery.
AB  - The use of stacked polyurethane-covered mammary implants has proven useful in
      improving results in the correction of deficiencies of mammary form and
      projection that can occur in certain cases of congenital and acquired breast
      deformity. The method has been used in 57 patients (102 breasts). The rate of
      significant complications, including seroma, rash, infection, hematoma, and
      capsular contracture, has been low (1 to 6 percent). Polyurethane-covered
      implants will maintain their position when used in a stacked system because of
      their unique biophysical characteristics, which include tissue bonding and a high
      friction coefficient between the implant surfaces.

PMID- 1871233
TI  - Toward a more natural breast: the interpolated thoracoepigastric pedicle in
      breast reconstruction.
AB  - A method of reconstructing the breast mound after mastectomy using a superiorly
      based thoracoepigastric pedicle is presented. The advantages of the method are
      its relative simplicity and its definition of the inframammary fold. It often
      obviates the need for inflatable expanders. The prime disadvantage is the scar
      left on the abdominal donor site.

PMID- 1871234
TI  - The "cricket bat" flap: a one-stage free forearm flap phalloplasty.
AB  - Total and subtotal penile reconstruction represents a major surgical challenge.
      We present a new method and two illustrative cases using a modified design of the
      radial forearm free-tissue transfer: the "cricket bat" flap.

PMID- 1871235
TI  - Bilateral latissimus dorsi V-Y musculocutaneous flap for closure of a large
      meningomyelocele.
AB  - Reconstruction of a large meningomyelocele defect with bilateral latissimus dorsi
      V-Y musculocutaneous flaps is reported. This procedure provides a reliable, well
      vascularized soft-tissue coverage over the neural repair with minimum donor-site
      morbidity.

PMID- 1871236
TI  - Method for preparing meshed skin grafts without using skin-graft meshers.
AB  - We have described a method of preparing meshed skin grafts without resorting to
      use of a skin mesher. The method is applicable when a mesher is not available
      during an operation.

PMID- 1871237
TI  - The rigid transparent dome protector: a new dressing for free-tissue transfers
      and skin grafts.
AB  - We have presented a transparent, inexpensive, rigid dome that allows a window to
      the wound, humidity chamber effect to continuously observe difficult skin-grafted
      wounds or free-tissue transfers allowing constant monitoring by visualization.
      The dome is inexpensive because it is simply a discarded breast implant package.

PMID- 1871238
TI  - Avianca flight No. 052 accident: a plastic surgical perspective.
AB  - The crash of Avianca Airlines flight no. 052 en route to JFK Airport on January
      25, 1990, in Cove Neck, New York, resulted in the death of 72 passengers. Eighty
      nine victims were admitted to 13 regional hospitals. Despite difficult access to
      the wooded crash site, early warning and prompt response by 37 volunteer fire and
      rescue units resulted in organized EMS triage and rapid hospital transport. This
      report reviews the specific injuries incurred, highlights the team management
      approach to a major aviation accident in a suburban area, and studies the
      likelihood of accidents of this magnitude. Thirty-eight patients triaged to two
      level I trauma centers, North Shore University Hospital-Cornell University
      Medical Center and Nassau County Medical Center, form the basis of this report.
      Seventeen patients were male; 21 were female. The average patient age was 33
      years. Eight patients were children. The average length of stay was 30.9 days
      (range 2 to greater than 90 days). Twenty-six patients (including nonsurvivors)
      (68 percent) sustained significant multiple orthopedic injuries. The majority of
      fractures were open grade II to III tibia-fibula fractures. Bilaterality was
      commonly seen. Soft-tissue coverage of open long bone fractures was required in
      10 patients (11 extremities) and included 3 microvascular muscle transfers, 7
      muscle transposition flaps, and 3 skin grafts. Seven patients required open
      reduction and fixation of complex facial fractures (two of Le Fort II to III
      type, four of complex naso-orbital-ethmoid type). Plastic surgical repair of
      complex lacerations was common. Peripheral nerve exploration was required in
      three patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871239
TI  - Blindness and surgery.

PMID- 1871240
TI  - Autologous fat injection.

PMID- 1871241
TI  - Submuscular aponeurotic system.

PMID- 1871242
TI  - Il Condottiere.

PMID- 1871243
TI  - Judicious turbinectomy.

PMID- 1871244
TI  - 585 nm for the treatment of port-wine stains.

PMID- 1871245
TI  - Does interference with mucoperiosteum and palatal bone affect maxillofacial
      surgery?

PMID- 1871246
TI  - The magnetic instrument pad as template material.

PMID- 1871247
TI  - The pulsed-dye laser for port-wine stains.

PMID- 1871248
TI  - [Psychoanalytic aspects of the poisoned childhood].
AB  - The primary assumption of the paper is that the destruction of the environment,
      in particular the physical poisoning of the human being himself, simultaneously
      produces a creeping psychological destruction of the subject's inner world,
      especially in children and youth. On the basis of Melanie Klein's theory, the
      fate of the mother as persecuting object is examined. Further, the generation
      change that can be expected through the ecological situation is worked out on the
      basis of Boszormenyi-Nagy and Spark's family theory concept of loyalty. Using
      unsystematic materials, the inner object world of the child in the face of the
      destroyed environment can be depicted, which in turn allows the fear of the
      future to be interpreted as fear of disintegration.

PMID- 1871249
TI  - [Psychosocial stresses after hospital admission--a comparison of internal
      medicine and surgical patients].
AB  - 56 patients have been interviewed about their psychosocial situation at the
      beginning of their treatment in a medical department, 62 patients in a surgical
      department of a General Hospital. The "medical" patients were severely disturbed
      by their illness and by the different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, even
      by routine investigations. The "surgical" patients, who just had been operated,
      concentrated with their feelings on the surgical operation. The clinical
      atmosphere and the relation and communication to the hospital staff had similar
      effects on both groups. Further investigations concerning the illness and the
      treatment should be specified in the different clinical disciplines, while
      disturbances by the hospital surrounding can be asked at all patients in the same
      way.

PMID- 1871250
TI  - [Stress in the hospital--stresses on nurses and physicians].
AB  - A questionnaire study was carried out with 891 physicians and nurses working in
      54 different hospitals. The objectives were to assess the main stress situations
      at work and to find out, under which conditions the stress occurs. The results
      show that the most important stress situations concern the environmental working
      conditions and the identification with the patient. Physical complaints of the
      nurses and physicians exceed the scores of a matched norm sample. The main stress
      conditions are a low level of professional experience, working hours, working in
      rotating shifts and having to care for a great proportion of terminally ill
      patients. About 16% of the nurses and 9% of the physicians have to be considered
      severely distressed. The results shall serve a basis for providing support
      programs.

PMID- 1871251
TI  - [Difficulties of psychosomatic clients in assessing personal emotions and
      motives: possible consequences for therapeutic treatment].
AB  - In this work the degree of explication accomplished in a focusing process by 33
      persons suffering psychosomatic disorder was compared with that attained by 33
      persons in a control group. On the basis of a general psychological conception of
      focusing process a therapeutical action model was developed which offers concrete
      action directives to the therapist to deal with different behaviour patterns of
      clients. It was argumented that persons who exhibit action-directing motives of
      which they are not aware or which they do not understand due to their great
      distance to internal experiencing, run a higher risk to experience massive
      stresses in their struggle with the environment frequently with
      psychophysiological dysfunctions. In the experimental part of this work it was
      shown that, as compared with the probands of the comparison group, this therapy
      method was less beneficial for persons with psychosomatic ailments both with
      respect to self-experiencing and assessment by others, in that they less
      distinctly approached the focusing goal and optimum process characteristics.

PMID- 1871252
TI  - The radiographic diagnosis of emphysema.
AB  - There are many findings of emphysema by conventional radiography, but the most
      reliable and reproducible is that of overinflation, which is best judged by the
      height and contour of the hemidiaphragm. Even in expert hands, the diagnosis of
      emphysema by conventional radiography is 65% to 80% accurate, depending to a
      large degree on the clinical population studied. Although most patients with
      severe emphysema are diagnosed correctly, only half of those patients with mild
      to-moderate levels of parenchymal destruction are detected. Emphysema is
      identified by CT as focal, unmarginated, hypodense areas unassociated with
      fibrosis. Emphysema also may be detected by computer programs selecting pixels
      with abnormally low attenuation values. By either method, CT is superior to chest
      radiography in detection of mild and moderate degrees of emphysema and has
      detection rates of more than 90% and correlation with extent and severity of
      disease in more than 80% of patients. CT may be more sensitive to the presence of
      mild emphysema than pulmonary function tests, which are global indications of
      lung function. HRCT appears to offer a small, but real, advantage over 10-mm
      collimation in identification of small areas of emphysema, but areas of emphysema
      smaller than 0.5 cm in diameter are commonly missed, even with HRCT. Wider use of
      CT for investigation of relatively asymptomatic smokers may allow early diagnosis
      of emphysema and provide more information of the natural history of this disease,
      information that is sorely lacking at this time. Assessment of potential therapy
      such as smoking cessation or antioxidants will only be possible with widespread
      use of a method that is of relatively low risk, easy to duplicate, and accurate.

PMID- 1871253
TI  - Bronchiectasis.
AB  - Bronchiectasis is important because (1) it predisposes the patient to infection;
      (2) it may be accompanied by increased bronchial blood flow and hemoptysis; (3)
      when widespread, it may be associated with significant airway obstruction; and
      (4) when focal, it may simulate neoplasms and other diseases. The widespread use
      of computed tomography (CT) for evaluation of lung diseases has revealed that
      bronchiectasis is common--even in patients who do not have clinical or plain
      radiographic suspicion of bronchiectasis. The pathology, pathogenesis, and
      radiographic findings are presented herein.

PMID- 1871254
TI  - High resolution computed tomography. Technical aspects.
AB  - High resolution computed tomography (CT) may be defined as thin section (1-2 mm
      collimation) CT optimized by using a high-spatial-frequency (bone) algorithm.
      Further improvement of the image may be obtained by targeting the scan to a small
      field of view. This article reviews the technical aspects that influence the
      quality of the CT image as well as some of the scanning protocols used in the
      assessment of patients who have diffuse lung disease.

PMID- 1871255
TI  - High resolution lung computed tomography. Normal anatomic and pathologic
      findings.
AB  - The use of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) for evaluating the lung
      parenchyma requires an understanding of normal lung anatomy and the pathologic
      alterations in anatomy that occur in the presence of disease. Most important is
      an understanding of the secondary pulmonary lobule; HRCT can show many features
      of the secondary lobule in both normal and abnormal lungs, and many lung
      diseases, particularly interstitial diseases, produce characteristic alterations
      in lobular anatomy. HRCT is capable of diagnosing interstitial abnormalities, air
      space consolidation airway diseases, and emphysema.

PMID- 1871256
TI  - Computed tomography of air-space disease.
AB  - Although computed tomography (CT) has not been used as often in air-space
      diseases as in interstitial ones, it often provides useful information. Diseases
      such as early opportunistic pneumonia may be detected by CT before becoming
      visible on plain radiographs. Also, extent and location are often better defined
      by CT than by plain radiographs. Accompanying abnormalities such as abscess,
      lymphadenopathy, and pleural effusion are often clearly demonstrated by CT. This
      article reviews the CT findings in a variety of air-space diseases, including
      pneumonia and other infections, radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis, embolism,
      eosinophilic pneumonia, alveolar proteinosis, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma,
      lipoid pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, and trauma.

PMID- 1871257
TI  - Computed tomography in chronic interstitial lung disease.
AB  - A number of studies have demonstrated that high resolution computed tomography
      (CT) is superior to the radiography in the assessment of patients who have
      chronic interstitial lung disease. CT may demonstrate extensive parenchymal
      disease when the radiograph is normal and may allow for a confident diagnosis
      when the radiographic findings are nonspecific. Although well over 100 different
      diseases may involve the pulmonary interstitium, in practice, approximately 10
      diseases account for 80% to 90% of all cases. This article reviews the CT
      manifestations of the most common chronic interstitial lung diseases.

PMID- 1871258
TI  - Scintigraphic studies of inflammation in diffuse lung disease.
AB  - 67Ga lung scintigraphy is an established means to assess alveolar inflammation in
      a wide variety of diffuse lung diseases. It can be used to monitor the extent and
      activity of the alveolitis during the course of the disease and as a follow-up
      evaluation to therapy. Although the mechanism of 67Ga localization is not
      established firmly, the isotope appears to act as a tracer for disturbed protein
      and cellular fluxes within the interstitium and alveolar spaces. The radiolabeled
      aerosol study may also be applied to the study of these fluxes as a reflection of
      inflammation and injury. Although Tc-DTPA clearance studies are highly sensitive
      to lung injury, they may be too nonspecific to separate lung injury from other
      physiologic processes effectively.

PMID- 1871259
TI  - Imaging of diffuse lung diseases. Past, present, and future.
AB  - For many years the plain chest radiograph was the only imaging modality used in
      the assessment of patients who had diffuse lung disease. Presently, high
      resolution computed tomography (CT) and lung scintigraphy play a major role in
      the assessment of these patients. Use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the
      assessment of the lung parenchyma has been limited by poor signal-to-noise ratio
      and physiologic motion. Recent improvements in technique, however, have allowed
      assessment of patients with diffuse lung disease. It is likely that MR imaging
      will play an increasing role in the assessment of these patients in the near
      future.

PMID- 1871260
TI  - Imaging of diffuse lung diseases.

PMID- 1871261
TI  - A radiographic approach to diffuse lung disease.
AB  - The chest radiograph remains the first and foremost imaging modality used in the
      assessment of patients who have diffuse lung disease. An optimal approach to the
      radiograph requires an understanding of pulmonary anatomy and pathophysiology of
      disease. The assessment of the radiograph can be based on an anatomic or a
      descriptive approach. Associated abnormalities, including pleural effusion,
      pneumothorax, lymphadenopathy, and so forth, also influence the differential
      diagnosis. This article presents a basic radiologic approach to diffuse lung
      diseases.

PMID- 1871262
TI  - Occupational lung disease.
AB  - The pneumoconioses, extrinsic allergic alveolitis, lung damage due to irritant
      gases, fumes, and smoke constitute the occupational lung diseases that affect the
      lung parenchyma. The pneumoconioses are diseases resulting from the accumulation
      of dust in the lungs. The ILO has established a standardized system for
      classification of these pneumoconioses that includes both descriptions of diffuse
      lung opacities and pleural disease. The most common of the fibrogenic
      pneumoconioses are silicosis, CWP, and asbestosis. The former two entities are
      characterized radiographically by the presence of small rounded opacities or
      nodules in the lung parenchyma. Eggshell calcification may occur in lymph nodes,
      and eventually the diseases may be complicated by the development of large
      massive areas of fibrosis in the upper lung zones. Asbestosis, on the other hand,
      demonstrates small irregular or linear opacities usually confined to the bases of
      the lungs. It is associated with significant respiratory symptoms and disability.
      High resolution CT has proved useful in characterizing the parenchymal changes
      and also in identifying early disease in all of these entities. Berylliosis is a
      systemic disorder that in its chronic form produces granulomatous disease in the
      lungs. Radiographically it is characterized by the development of either small
      rounded or occasionally irregular linear opacities usually confined to the bases.
      Chemical pneumonitis results from exposure to toxic fumes. The acute reaction may
      produce diffuse lung injury characterized by air-space disease typical of
      pulmonary edema. In the chronic form, bronchiolitis obliterans supervenes. This
      usually is associated with either a normal radiograph or evidence of
      hyperinflation. Finally, hypersensitivity pneumonitis or extrinsic allergic
      alveolitis is a response of the lung to inhalation of antigens that may be
      present in the workplace. Either acute, subacute, or chronic disease may result.
      In the chronic form, a diffuse reticulonodular pattern with or without associated
      lymphadenopathy is characteristic.

PMID- 1871263
TI  - Pulmonary edema and adult respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - The pathophysiology and radiographic appearances of hydrostatic and increased
      permeability pulmonary edema are presented. Both typical and atypical appearances
      are discussed. The ability of the plain chest radiograph to differentiate between
      different types of edema is examined.

PMID- 1871264
TI  - Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.
AB  - Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage is a syndrome consisting of hemoptysis, anemia, and
      air-space consolidation. The radiologic appearance is non-specific. Pulmonary
      hemorrhage may be due to a number of different causes. The differential diagnosis
      and the diagnostic approach are different in the immunologically intact host as
      compared with the immunocompromised host. This article reviews the main
      diagnostic considerations in diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage.

PMID- 1871265
TI  - Pulmonary angiitis and granulomatosis.
AB  - The presentation of a patient with multiple pulmonary nodules with or without
      cavitation and often with signs of a multisystemic vasculitis should suggest one
      of the pulmonary angiitis and granulomatosis syndromes. The five conditions
      traditionally considered together in the category of pulmonary angiitis and
      granulomatosis differ widely in their cause and pathogenesis and are more
      appropriately considered as variants or relatives of other processes. The
      radiologic features of this group of diseases, however, are similar, and it is
      useful to still consider them together. Table 1 summarizes the radiologic
      features of these conditions.

PMID- 1871266
TI  - Diffuse lung disease in the current spectrum of immunocompromised hosts (non
      AIDS).
AB  - Diffuse lung disease occurring in an immunocompromised patient is a nonspecific
      finding that may result from one or more of a variety of infectious and
      noninfectious causes. Patient history and clinical information are essential in
      narrowing the differential diagnosis, but in most patients, diagnostic procedures
      must be performed to determine appropriate therapy. Diagnostic possibilities
      include infection, spread of malignancy, reactions to chemotherapy or radiation,
      nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis, hemorrhage, and unrelated medical
      conditions. An understanding of the specific nature of the patient's immunologic
      defect and underlying disease allows one to predict the most likely organisms in
      cases of infection.

PMID- 1871267
TI  - Pulmonary manifestations of AIDs. CT and radiographic correlations.
AB  - To date, few reports have attempted to correlate plain radiographic findings with
      computed tomography (CT) in assessing pulmonary disease in patients who have
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This report focuses on the most common
      pulmonary manifestations, with particular emphasis placed on those entities for
      which there is a potential role for CT. This includes identification of occult
      disease, especially the early diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, as
      well as identification of unsuspected lung abscesses and cavities;
      characterization of diffuse parenchymal disease in patients who have abnormal
      radiographs; identification and characterization of mediastinal lymphadenopathy,
      especially in differentiating between neoplastic and non-neoplastic causes; and
      finally, use of CT to perform CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsies.

PMID- 1871268
TI  - From Thales to Lauterbur, or from the lodestone to MR imaging: magnetism and
      medicine.

PMID- 1871269
TI  - Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: are there pathognomonic changes in the fat surrounding
      the superior mesenteric artery?

PMID- 1871270
TI  - Some considerations for MR imaging of the liver.

PMID- 1871271
TI  - T1-weighted sequences for MR imaging of the liver: comparison of three techniques
      for single-breath, whole-volume acquisition at 1.0 and 1.5 T.
AB  - The authors compared three T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging techniques that
      acquire images encompassing the entire liver in one breath hold. Twenty healthy
      volunteers were imaged--10 at 1.0 T and 10 at 1.5 T--and the results compared
      with those of regular short repetition time/echo time spin-echo imaging. Rapid
      acquisition spin echo was resistant to artifacts and had good image quality but
      had the lowest liver signal-to-noise (S/N) and spleen-liver signal-difference-to
      noise (SD/N) values. Fast low-angle shot (FLASH) had the highest S/N and SD/N,
      very good image quality, and only mild artifacts. TurboFLASH had good S/N and
      SD/N, but reduced matrix size decreased image quality. All three sequences had
      better SD/N than regular spin echo, and FLASH and TurboFLASH had higher S/N. On
      the basis of this study, the FLASH sequence appears the most attractive for T1
      weighted breath-hold imaging.

PMID- 1871272
TI  - Normal abdominal enhancement patterns with dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR
      imaging.
AB  - The objective of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively determine
      contrast enhancement patterns of normal abdominal organs with dynamic gadolinium
      enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced, T1
      weighted, spin-echo imaging was performed during a 23-second breath hold in 38
      patients, with images acquired before, during, and at 1,2, and 5 minutes after
      bolus injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine. Enhancement patterns of normal
      liver, spleen, pancreas, adrenal gland, kidney, aorta, inferior vena cava, and
      fat were determined by visual evaluation and by performance of signal intensity
      measurements with an electronic cursor. Time-intensity curves demonstrated peak
      enhancement of all abdominal organs during or immediately after bolus injection
      of gadopentetate dimeglumine. MR enhancement patterns included visualization of
      renal cortical nephrogram and heterogeneous enhancement of the spleen during the
      bolus phase of contrast material administration. Peak enhancement of normal liver
      was 72%; spleen, 172%; pancreas, 82%; adrenal gland, 85%; and kidney, 291%. This
      study established reference data regarding abdominal organ enhancement that will
      be useful as dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging becomes clinically
      implemented.

PMID- 1871273
TI  - Experimental hepatocellular carcinoma: MR receptor imaging.
AB  - Relaxation time measurements and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were performed
      in three different animal models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After
      intravenous administration of asialoglycoprotein-directed arabinogalactan
      stabilized ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (10 mumol Fe/kg receptor
      agent), T2 of normal liver decreased from 41.6 msec +/- 1.0 to 19.4 msec +/- 1.7
      (P less than .05) in rats. T2 of HCC implanted in normal liver or liver with
      chronic hepatitis was essentially unchanged. These results were similar to those
      obtained by administration of a reticuloendothelial cell-directed conventional
      iron oxide; however, the required dose of receptor agent was lower. MR imaging in
      a woodchuck model of virally induced HCC confirmed the distribution of the
      hepatocyte-directed agent to regions of functioning and differentiated
      hepatocytes but not to malignant tumor tissue. The results suggest that MR
      receptor imaging may play a role in the differentiation between primary liver
      tumor and functional liver tissue such as that in normal liver hepatitis or
      regenerating nodules.

PMID- 1871274
TI  - Preoperative segmental localization of hepatic metastases: utility of three
      dimensional CT during arterial portography.
AB  - To evaluate the accuracy of a fast three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction
      technique in determining the segmental location of hepatic metastases, 14
      patients (40 metastases) were prospectively investigated before surgery with
      dynamic two-dimensional (2D) computed tomography during sequential arterial
      portography (CTAP). All patients underwent subsequent hepatic tumor resection
      within 4 days. After computer-generated mapping of hepatic venous structures with
      high attenuation and metastases with low attenuation, 3D reconstruction was
      performed. Thirty-six of the 40 lesions (90%) were detected with 2D and 3D CTAP.
      The accuracy in determining the segmental location of hepatic metastases was 78%
      (28 of the 36 metastases) for 2D CTAP and 94% (34 of the 36 metastases) for 3D
      CTAP. The difference in localization rates between 2D CTAP and 3D CTAP was
      statistically significant. The 3D CTAP technique provides vital data unattainable
      with other imaging modalities that improve the preoperative assessment of the
      resectability of hepatic metastases and allows planning a safer surgical
      approach.

PMID- 1871275
TI  - Root of the superior mesenteric artery in pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma:
      evaluation with CT.
AB  - To determine if changes involving the root of the superior mesenteric artery are
      specific for neoplasm, the authors retrospectively reviewed 173 computed
      tomographic (CT) examinations of patients with proved pancreatitis (103
      examinations) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (70 examinations). Streaky
      infiltration of the fat surrounding the root was seen in 27 of 56 examinations of
      acute pancreatitis, in four of 24 examinations of chronic pancreatitis, in 12 of
      23 examinations of pancreatitis complicated by abscess, and in 25 of 70
      examinations of pancreatic carcinoma. Periarterial lymph nodes were visible in 14
      with acute pancreatitis, in three with chronic pancreatitis, in six with
      pancreatic abscess, and in 11 with pancreatic carcinoma. A focal mass extended to
      within 1 cm of the root in 10 with acute pancreatitis, in two with chronic
      pancreatitis, in four with pancreatic abscess, and in 24 with pancreatic
      carcinoma; the mass obliterated the periarterial fat in seven with acute
      pancreatitis, in one with pancreatic abscess, and in 18 with pancreatic
      carcinoma. Circumferential encasement occurred in one with chronic pancreatitis,
      in four with pancreatic abscess, in 14 with pancreatic carcinoma, and in none
      with acute pancreatitis; nearly all cases of encasement revealed loss of
      periarterial fat. Thus, these indicators are not specific for neoplasm.

PMID- 1871276
TI  - Air in the portal vein: sonographic and Doppler manifestations.
AB  - Three patients with portal venous gas (one with radiographic and computed
      tomographic findings) had similar sonographic and Doppler patterns in the portal
      vein (PV). These patterns consisted of hyperechogenic foci moving within the
      lumen of the PV, producing sharp bidirectional spikes superimposed on the usual
      Doppler tracing of the PV. An injection of 0.25-0.50 cm3 of air, oxygen,
      nitrogen, and carbon dioxide into the jejunal vein of nine dogs yielded identical
      portal venous sonographic and Doppler patterns. In addition, the liver parenchyma
      of the dogs became hyperechogenic after the injection of gas. Gas in the PV is
      accompanied by the following signs: echogenic, moving foci within the lumen of
      the PV; sharp spikes on Doppler spectral display; and hyperechogenic foci within
      the liver parenchyma.

PMID- 1871277
TI  - Magnetization transfer contrast in MR imaging of the heart.
AB  - The use of magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) in short-echo-time (TE) cardiac
      magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was evaluated. For most cardiac MR imaging
      protocols, either long TE and short repetition time or exogenous intravascular
      agents are used for generating contrast between the ventricular wall and cavity
      as well as detecting pathologic conditions of the ventricular wall. The major
      problem with long-TE images is that the motion of the heart degrades the spatial
      resolution of the image during the TE period. However, MTC is generated by an off
      resonance irradiation during the interpulse delay period that is relatively
      insensitive to motion artifacts. Short-TE (5-15 msec) gradient-recalled echo
      sequences were used for imaging the heart with and without MTC. These studies
      revealed that MTC can be used to greatly improve the contrast between the
      myocardial wall and blood chamber in short-TE images and may provide useful
      parameters for tissue characterization in pathologic cardiac muscle.

PMID- 1871278
TI  - Noninvasive measurement of transmural gradients in myocardial strain with MR
      imaging.
AB  - A method is presented for performing high-resolution strain measurements by using
      magnetic resonance (MR) tagging. Multispectral radiofrequency pulses are used to
      produce tagging grids from which strain estimates are obtained with a resolution
      of 2 mm. A tag detection algorithm is presented that measures the center of a tag
      line with a precision that ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 mm over the systolic interval.
      With this method, a transmural gradient in the strain of a normal dog heart was
      detected.

PMID- 1871279
TI  - Right and left lung perfusion: in vitro and in vivo validation with oblique
      angle, velocity-encoded cine MR imaging.
AB  - Quantification of pulmonary flow is clinically important in the evaluation of
      both congenital and acquired heart disease. Velocity-encoded cine magnetic
      resonance (MR) is a promising technique for measuring velocity and volume of
      blood flow. The authors report validation of the accuracy of velocity-encoded
      cine MR for measurement of oblique-angle flow in vitro, with use of a constant
      flow phantom, and in vivo, with nine healthy volunteers in whom velocities were
      measured separately in the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries. Findings at
      MR were compared with findings at Doppler echocardiography. Velocity measurements
      in a flow phantom with cine MR correlated well with direct measurements at
      Doppler echocardiography. Velocity-encoded cine MR enabled accurate and
      reproducible measurement of absolute blood flow in healthy subjects. Oblique
      gradient flow encoding (ie, flow-encoding direction coinciding with the true
      direction of flow) was the method of choice for velocity measurements in the
      right and left pulmonary arteries.

PMID- 1871280
TI  - Transcatheter occlusion of pulmonary arterial circulation and collateral supply:
      failures, incidents, and complications.
AB  - Failures and complications were analyzed retrospectively in 45 patients treated
      with embolotherapy or occlusion of pulmonary arterial circulation. Pulmonary
      arterial branches were occluded with steel coils in 19 patients with pulmonary
      arteriovenous malformations, 17 with hemoptysis of pulmonary artery (PA) origin,
      and one with massive parenchymal shunt. Bronchial arterial supply to the lung was
      embolized with small particles in eight cases of hemoptysis and systemic to
      pulmonary arterial antegrade shunt secondary to chronic thromboembolism.
      Asymptomatic incidents included catheterization failures, vascular damage,
      partial occlusion, partial recanalization of the thrombus, ectopic deposition of
      a coil, and delayed bacterial contamination of the thrombus. A few cases of
      transient clinical and radiologic signs of pulmonary infarction were observed
      after complete occlusion of the PA and bronchial artery embolization. This
      complication was never observed after complete occlusion of main right or left
      PA, inferior right or left PA, or segmental branches. The management and
      prevention of these complications, the role of bronchial arterial collateral
      pathways, and the importance of the site of PA occlusion in the development of
      pulmonary infarction are discussed.

PMID- 1871281
TI  - Extravasation of iopamidol and iohexol during contrast-enhanced CT: report of 28
      cases.
AB  - Extravasation of intravenously injected contrast medium is a well-known
      complication of radiologic procedures. Records from a 27-month period were
      reviewed of 28 patients in whom extravasation of nonionic contrast medium
      occurred during computed tomographic (CT) scanning. Extravasated amounts ranged
      from 3 mL in an infant to 100 mL in an adult. There were seven documented major
      (50-100-mL) events and nine documented moderate (10-49-mL) events. Follow-up
      showed that none of these patients required medical or surgical intervention as a
      result of extravasation. The rate of extravasation during neurologic CT scanning
      (head, orbits, and spine) was 0.09%, while the rate for the rest of the body
      (chest, abdomen, pelvis, neck) was 0.17%; the overall rate was 0.14%. The higher
      rate for non-neurologic studies was related to the use of a power injector.
      Nonionic contrast medium seemed to cause fewer systemic reactions.

PMID- 1871282
TI  - Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney: CT, sonographic, and pathologic correlation.
AB  - The sonographic and computed tomographic findings in 12 children aged 1-6 years
      with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney were reviewed retrospectively. Tumor size,
      calcification, and internal architecture were characterized and correlated with
      the gross pathologic findings. All tumors were unilateral and large (8.5-16 cm in
      diameter). Except for one, all masses were predominantly solid, and all contained
      some well-defined portions of low attenuation or hypoechogenicity that
      represented tumor necrosis. In addition, seven tumors contained uncomplicated
      fluid-filled cysts with diameters ranging from a few millimeters to 5 cm.
      Extension into the inferior vena cava was not noted. The radiologic features of
      clear cell sarcoma of the kidney are common to all malignant renal neoplasms.
      Some cases, however, may have features that simulate those of benign conditions,
      such as multilocular cystic nephroma or segmental cystic dysplasia. No pattern
      was discerned that would permit discrimination between clear cell sarcoma of the
      kidney and the most common renal neoplasm of childhood, Wilms tumor.

PMID- 1871283
TI  - Invasive cervical carcinoma: MR imaging after preoperative chemotherapy.
AB  - To evaluate assessment of tumor regression with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging,
      the authors studied 21 consecutive patients with cervical carcinoma tumors that
      were more than 3 cm in diameter. Thirteen of the 21 also demonstrated parametrial
      invasion. In all cases, MR imaging was performed both before and after
      chemotherapy. Pathologic specimens were obtained at hysterectomy in all patients.
      Comparison of pathologic and MR imaging findings after chemotherapy showed that
      all tumors decreased in size. Size of tumor was correctly determined at MR in 17
      cases and was slightly overestimated in four cases. Five patients had residual
      parametrial invasion that was histologically confirmed. In detecting parametrial
      spread after treatment, MR imaging had an accuracy of 90.4%. Tumors had high
      signal intensity on T2-weighted images, whereas intratumoral necrosis was
      characterized by low signal intensity on the same images. Peritumoral
      inflammatory tissue found at pathologic examination in four of 21 cases was not
      specifically identified on MR images. In patients with invasive cervical
      carcinoma, MR imaging may be useful in evaluating tumor response to preoperative
      chemotherapy.

PMID- 1871284
TI  - Water intoxication: a complication of pelvic US in a patient with syndrome of
      inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.
AB  - A woman was first seen with water intoxication caused by the voluntary ingestion
      of water in an attempt to fill her bladder before undergoing pelvic ultrasound
      (US). As in two other reported cases, this woman was receiving medication that
      causes the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. A patient
      undergoing transabdominal pelvic US who is receiving these medications and whose
      bladder is not full should undergo examination by means of a transvaginal or
      endorectal route.

PMID- 1871285
TI  - Calcaneal insufficiency avulsion fractures in patients with diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Radiographs and clinical records of 61 patients with calcaneal fractures were
      studied. Twenty-one patients had diabetes mellitus, and 40 were nondiabetic. All
      diabetic patients were insulin dependent for more than 5 years and had clinically
      evident peripheral neuropathy. Eighteen of the diabetic patients had no history
      of significant trauma. Fourteen had calcaneal insufficiency avulsion (CIA)
      fractures limited to the posterior third of the calcaneus. The fracture pattern
      in this group occurred in the same plane as a fatigue-type calcaneal fracture.
      Fragments of the posterior tuberosity were usually displaced 10-30 mm and were
      frequently rotated. The mean time from diagnosis of diabetes mellitus to CIA
      fracture was 20 years. Fractures in the nondiabetic group and in the three
      diabetic patients with a history of trauma did not resemble the CIA pattern. In
      the nondiabetic group, there were no insufficiency fractures; 39 fractures
      occurred with significant force (eg, motor vehicle accident or fall from height),
      and 33 had extension to subtalar or calcaneocuboid joints.

PMID- 1871286
TI  - Lateral tibial rim (Segond) fractures: MR imaging characteristics.
AB  - The magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics of lateral tibial rim
      (Segond) fractures and their associated injuries were reviewed in 12 patients
      with radiographic evidence of this fracture. Bone marrow adjacent to the fracture
      emitted a focally abnormal MR signal, which indicated an injury of the lateral
      capsular junction. The Segond fragment, however, was seen on MR images in only
      four of 12 patients. Associated ligamentous and meniscal injuries identified with
      MR imaging and arthroscopy involved the anterior (n = 11) and medial (n = 7)
      cruciate ligaments and the lateral (n = 4) and medial (n = 1) menisci. Focal bone
      marrow edema was due to injury of the lateral capsular junction. MR imaging
      evidence of such edema should indicate the presence of a lateral capsular injury
      and fracture, if one has not already been demonstrated with conventional
      radiography. A high association of Segond fractures with tears of the anterior
      cruciate ligament was confirmed, and MR imaging signs of a Segond fracture may
      therefore be used as indirect evidence for tears of that ligament.

PMID- 1871287
TI  - Normal rotator cuff: MR imaging with conventional and fat-suppression techniques.
AB  - The signal intensity and morphologic characteristics of the rotator cuff and
      surrounding structures at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were investigated with
      five pulse sequences in 15 asymptomatic subjects. In all subjects, a focal region
      of relative increased signal intensity corresponding to the critical zone was
      observed in the supraspinatus tendon just proximal to its insertion. Soft-tissue
      signal intensity (isointense with muscle) was also located between the
      supraspinatus tendon and underlying joint capsule, interposed between the
      conjoined leaves of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons, and
      superolateral to the conjoined cuff tendon, near its insertion. These regions
      were most conspicuous and most clearly defined with fat-suppression imaging.
      Small amounts of fluid were observed within the joint space and its recesses, the
      bicipital tendon sheath, and the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa. These and other MR
      imaging findings of this study previously have been regarded as indicative of
      rotator cuff abnormalities. These results will help refine the criteria for
      diagnosis of rotator cuff disorders with MR imaging.

PMID- 1871288
TI  - Postoperative bone marrow alterations: potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of
      osteomyelitis with In-111-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy.
AB  - Scintigraphy was used after injection of technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate
      (MDP) and indium-111-labeled white blood cells (WBCs) to assess for the presence
      of osteomyelitis in 97 patients who had undergone prior surgical procedures.
      Thirty-four patients with abnormal In-111-labeled WBC patterns underwent restudy
      with Tc-99m albumin colloid (AC). Scintigraphic findings were considered positive
      for osteomyelitis whenever localization of In-111-labeled WBCs exceeded Tc-99m AC
      activity in extent or focal intensity (discordant pattern). Ten of 12 patients
      with culture-proved osteomyelitis had discordant patterns; two had false-negative
      (concordant) patterns. The cases of 20 of 22 patients without infection who were
      considered to have osteomyelitis on the basis of patterns of In-111-labeled WBCs
      and Tc-99m MDP were reclassified correctly on the basis of concordant patterns of
      In-111-labeled WBCs and Tc-99m AC. Radiocolloid images improved the overall
      scintigraphic specificity for osteomyelitis from 59% without bone marrow imaging
      to 92%; sensitivity decreased from 94% to 88%.

PMID- 1871289
TI  - Temporomandibular joint after meniscoplasty: appearance at MR imaging.
AB  - Twenty-five temporomandibular joints (TMJs) were studied in 20 patients who had
      undergone meniscoplasty. In all patients, preoperative magnetic resonance (MR)
      images showed anteriorly dislocated disks; all patients underwent a similar
      postoperative MR examination an average of 6 months after surgery. The results of
      these studies were correlated with clinical results of surgery, which were
      classified as poor, fair, good, or excellent at follow-up MR imaging. In 10 TMJs
      (eight patients [40%]) the clinical results were excellent or good; in 15 TMJs
      (12 patients [60%]), fair or poor. The position of the disk relative to its
      preoperative position was a good discriminator in determination of the clinical
      success of meniscoplasty. After surgery, in all patients with good or excellent
      results, the disks appeared to be in a normal or an improved position compared
      with that prior to surgery; in those with poor or fair results, the TMJs had
      anteriorly dislocated disks that showed no improvement.

PMID- 1871290
TI  - Simulated aggressive skull base erosion in response to benign sinonasal disease.
AB  - Benign sinonasal masses and slow-growing neoplasms tend to remodel the nasal
      vault and facial bones, and this is particularly true of nasal polyps and
      inverted papillomas. However, when such benign masses press against the floor of
      the anterior cranial fossa and the walls of the sphenoid sinuses, simulated
      aggressive bone destruction rather than bone remodeling usually occurs. This type
      of bone destruction implies to the radiologist that a carcinoma may also be
      present, and this information could dissuade a surgeon from operating with an
      attempt at cure. In fact, about 90% of the time with inverted papillomas and in
      virtually all cases of nasal polyposis, no carcinoma is present. The computed
      tomographic (CT) scans and magnetic resonance images of 14 patients are used to
      demonstrate these changes. In addition, the CT scans of three patients with
      malignancies are shown to illustrate the similarity in the bony skull base
      changes.

PMID- 1871291
TI  - Hemangioma of the nasal vault: MR and CT features.
AB  - Six patients with a history of epistaxis (five patients) or nasal obstruction
      (one patient) were found to have a capillary hemangioma of the nasal vault that
      involved one or more nasal turbinates. Four patients underwent computed
      tomographic (CT) examination; two of these also underwent magnetic resonance (MR)
      imaging. Four others underwent only MR imaging. At CT and MR, all of the lesions
      were well circumscribed and intensely enhancing, with contralateral deviation of
      the nasal septum. Remodeling of the surrounding bone was present in three
      patients. On T1-weighted MR images, the masses were intermediate in signal
      intensity. Varying degrees of T2 shortening were shown on T2-weighted MR images,
      with an appearance that suggested the presence of blood products surrounding an
      inner matrix of higher-signal-intensity tumor. Intense enhancement at CT and MR
      assisted differentiation of tumor from retained sinonasal secretions. In two
      patients, external carotid arteriography revealed small foci of pooling contrast
      material; in one of these patients, arteriovenous shunting was also present.
      Pathologic examination in all patients demonstrated capillary hemangiomas with
      varying degrees of fibrosis and hemosiderin deposition.

PMID- 1871292
TI  - Importance of daily rounds by the radiologist after interventional procedures of
      the abdomen and chest.
AB  - A prospective study was performed to evaluate the clinical utility of daily
      rounds by the radiologist for patients with indwelling catheters in the chest and
      abdomen, placed during interventional radiologic procedures. The 7-week
      evaluation included documentation of the number of patients seen, time spent with
      each per day, number of problems identified, management of these problems, and
      consultations for new cases generated by interaction with other staff. During the
      268 visits to 37 patients, 59 catheter-related problems were identified; 17 (29%)
      required further intervention in the radiology department, and 42 (71%) were
      managed at the patient's bedside. Of the patients who were followed up, 22 (59%)
      had some catheter-related problem identified during their hospital stay. Daily
      rounds by the radiologist are an essential component of patient care after
      catheter-related interventional procedures and should be made by those who
      perform and understand the procedures.

PMID- 1871294
TI  - Persistent nidus blood flow in cerebral arteriovenous malformation after
      stereotactic radiosurgery: MR imaging assessment.
AB  - Stereotactic radiosurgery has become a major force in the treatment of
      arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain. After treatment, obliteration of
      flow through the malformation occurs in 75%-85% of cases within 2 years, assuming
      the entire AVM nidus can be encompassed by the radiation field. Because the
      follow-up period is relatively long, a noninvasive means to assess residual
      transnidus blood flow is desirable. The authors report favorable findings after a
      comparative analysis of 85 posttreatment magnetic resonance images and 27 follow
      up cerebral arteriograms in 34 patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.
      The authors found that transnidus flow can be determined from apparent signal
      intensity differences between tandem two-dimensional gradient-recalled echo
      images obtained first without and then with gradient moment nulling (flow
      compensation), with empirically derived pulse parameters. This method provides a
      means to monitor the reduction in AVM matrix size and to assess the extent of
      persistent arteriovenous shunting (ie, blood flow) across the nidus.

PMID- 1871293
TI  - Pituitary adenoma: correlation of half-dose gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging with
      surgical findings in 26 patients.
AB  - Sellar magnetic resonance imaging studies obtained with half doses of
      gadopentetate dimeglumine (0.05 mmol/kg) were prospectively interpreted and
      retrospectively rated in 26 patients who subsequently underwent transsphenoidal
      sellar surgery for suspected pituitary adenoma. Studies included a sagittal scout
      view followed by a non-contrast-material-enhanced, an immediate postcontrast, and
      a delayed postcontrast T1-weighted image (obtained at 1.0 or 1.5 T). Ten of 11
      confirmed microadenomas were identified prospectively; all were identifiable in
      retrospect. Macroadenomas (12 cases) were well demonstrated. The high signal
      intensity of the posterior pituitary and of intrasellar hemorrhage was obscured
      on postcontrast studies. Delayed images proved unnecessary. This prospective
      evaluation suggests that a half-dose study is comparable to retrospective studies
      in which full-dose techniques were used for detection of micro- and
      macroadenomas. Imaging times are reasonably short, and cost of contrast material
      is potentially reduced. Confirmation with larger studies is required, and careful
      endocrinologic and clinical follow-up of nonsurgical patients is necessary.

PMID- 1871295
TI  - Membranous lipodystrophy: MR imaging appearance of the brain.
AB  - Five patients with membranous lipodystrophy (lipomembranous polycystic
      osteodysplasia with progressive dementia) underwent magnetic resonance (MR)
      imaging of the brain. T2-weighted MR images showed atrophied cerebral white
      matter with dilated ventricles; increased signal intensity of the white matter;
      and decreased signal intensity of the thalamus, putamen, caudate nucleus, and
      cerebral cortex. Although each single finding is not specific, the combination of
      the above MR findings when coupled with skeletal lesions strongly suggests this
      rare disease.

PMID- 1871296
TI  - Fetal cisterna magna septa: a normal anatomic finding.
AB  - A linear hyperechoic structure in the cisterna magna, previously described as the
      straight sinus, was investigated during routine obstetric ultrasound (US)
      examination. One hundred three fetal US examinations were performed to determine
      the prevalence and appearance of this finding. Also, US water-bath examination of
      18 fixed postmortem specimens and fetuses was performed, and results were
      correlated with those of gross and microscopic examination of the fetal brain.
      The structure was identified in 95 (92%) prenatal examinations between 15 and 38
      menstrual weeks. It was located posteriorly between the cerebellar hemispheres in
      the cisterna magna. In those 95 cases in which it was identified, it appeared as
      a single echogenic line in 31 cases (33%), as two echogenic lines in 47 (49%), or
      as three or more lines in 17 (18%). When two echogenic lines were identified,
      they appeared "cystlike" in 17 (18%) of the 95 examinations. Correlation of the
      gross and histologic findings demonstrated these lines to represent normal
      subarachnoid septa rather than the straight sinus.

PMID- 1871297
TI  - Fetal cephaloceles: diagnosis with US.
AB  - The prenatal sonograms of 15 fetuses with cephaloceles (13 occipital, one
      ethmoidal, and one frontoparietal) were retrospectively reviewed. The prognosis
      for fetuses with cephaloceles was poor: Only three of 14 with follow-up were born
      alive (21%), and all are likely to be handicapped. Karyotypes were abnormal in
      four of nine fetuses tested (44%). Associated cranial abnormalities observed in
      various numbers of fetuses included ventriculomegaly, the "lemon" sign, a flat
      basioccipital, "beaked" tectum, and bone defect. A wide variety of neural and
      nonneural anomalies were associated with cephaloceles. At least one
      sonographically observed concomitant neural or nonneural axis abnormality or an
      abnormal karyotype was present in nine of 15 fetuses (60%). Some associated
      neural malformations noted pathologically were not observed prenatally. Cranial
      meningoceles were not accurately distinguished from encephaloceles
      sonographically, and they also were associated with a poor prognosis. Comparison
      of findings in fetuses with cephaloceles with those of 15 fetuses with cystic
      hygromas revealed that the two abnormalities can usually be distinguished by the
      relationship of the mass with the neck and by other cranial findings present in
      fetuses with cephaloceles but absent in association with cystic hygromas.

PMID- 1871298
TI  - Epiphyseal marrow in infancy: MR imaging.
AB  - Hypointense epiphyseal marrow on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images often
      suggests disease. To determine whether hypointense marrow sometimes represents
      normal red marrow in a recently ossified epiphyseal center, the authors studied
      38 infants without known marrow disease. Patients with hypointense epiphyseal
      marrow on T1-weighted images were younger (3.9 months +/- 3.2) than those with
      hyperintense marrow (9.6 months +/- 3.9) (P less than .001). T1-weighted imaging
      and histologic correlation were also performed in animals. The signal was
      hypointense and the marrow was red in the epiphyseal centers of all newborn
      animals, while all 6-week-old animals had hyperintense signal and yellow marrow.
      The authors conclude that hypointense marrow on T1-weighted images represents
      normal red marrow in a recently formed ossification center in newborn rabbits and
      lambs, and the same is probably true in humans. Epiphyseal marrow becomes
      hyperintense within a few months of development of the secondary center of
      ossification.

PMID- 1871299
TI  - Epiphyseal involvement in osteosarcoma.
AB  - Plain radiography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were used to assess the
      extent of transphyseal involvement in 15 consecutive patients with long bone
      osteosarcoma and nonfused epiphyses. The findings were correlated with those from
      surgical and microscopic pathologic examinations. There were no cases of false
      positive findings with either MR imaging or plain radiography. Conventional
      radiography accurately helped predict transphyseal spread in only nine of 15
      cases (60%). Spread to the epiphysis was present in 12 of the 15 cases (80%) and
      was accurately predicted with MR imaging in all 12 cases. This finding
      contradicts the common misconception that the physis acts as a "barrier" to tumor
      spread.

PMID- 1871300
TI  - Pulmonary sequestration: diagnosis with color Doppler sonography and a new theory
      of associated hydrothorax.
AB  - The diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration has traditionally relied on angiographic
      demonstration of a systemic artery to the sequestered lung tissue. Rarely,
      extralobar sequestration can be associated with tension hydrothorax, which in the
      past has invariably led to fetal hydrops and death. The authors report the cases
      of three infants who had initially undergone color and spectral Doppler analysis;
      in two of them, extralobar sequestrations were associated with congenital
      hydrothorax. All three patients underwent surgical resection and histopathologic
      evaluation of their sequestrations. On the basis of the findings, the authors
      believe that torsion of the sequestration occludes the efferent venous and
      lymphatic channels, initiating the accumulation of pleural fluid and subsequent
      hydrops through systemic venous obstruction. Color Doppler made possible the
      identification of minute feeding vessels, obviating further diagnostic studies.

PMID- 1871301
TI  - Socioeconomic and political issues in radiology: a historical analysis.
AB  - Radiology literature indexes were searched for articles concerning socioeconomic
      and political issues published during two 21-year periods: 1920-1940 and 1970
      1990. Of 200 articles found, 96 were considered appropriate for study, 40 from
      1920-1940 and 56 from 1970-1990. All except two of the articles were from
      Radiology or the American Journal of Roentgenology. The articles were organized
      into 16 categories. By quantifying the number of times these socioeconomic and
      political issues appeared and comparing quotations from the articles, the authors
      demonstrated many common issues in the two periods, despite drastic differences
      in radiology practice. Analysis of historical literature provides perspective on
      current socioeconomic and political issues and may help formulate solutions to
      current problems. Documentation of such issues facilitates historical analysis
      and is an important function of the radiology literature.

PMID- 1871302
TI  - Usefulness of mammography and sonography in women less than 35 years of age.
AB  - Indications, clinical history, mammographic findings, and clinical outcome were
      reviewed in 1,016 women younger than 35 years who underwent mammography during an
      8-year period. The indications for mammography were a palpable mass in 454
      (44.7%), findings at routine screening in 237 (23.3%), lumpiness in 29 (14.9%),
      unilateral nipple discharge in seven (3.5%), localized breast tenderness in six
      (5.1%), adenopathy in three (1.9%), diffuse tenderness in two (2.9%), bilateral
      nipple discharge in two (1.5%), and miscellaneous in four (2.2%). In 405 women
      (39.9%), at least two-thirds of the breast tissue was radiodense; however, in 299
      (29.4%) women the breast was predominantly fatty, allowing for excellent
      mammograms. Six women had carcinomas: Mammographic findings prompted biopsy in
      one patient, indicated a benign-appearing mass (found to be solid at sonography
      or aspiration) in three patients with a palpable mass (contributing to delay in
      biopsy in two), and were negative in two. Sonography was performed in 389 women
      and was useful in preventing unnecessary biopsy of cysts but was not useful in
      differentiating benign from malignant solid masses. Younger women with persistent
      localized breast symptoms should undergo a tailored mammographic examination, but
      negative findings or findings of a benign lesion should not preclude biopsy of a
      palpable solid mass.

PMID- 1871303
TI  - Steatocystoma multiplex: appearance at mammography.
AB  - The authors present mammographic findings in a patient with steatocystoma
      multiplex. Numerous oil cysts were seen in both breasts at mammography. The
      mammographic appearance is characteristic of, if not pathognomonic for,
      steatocystoma multiplex.

PMID- 1871304
TI  - Anatomy of the major fissure: evaluation with standard and thin-section CT.
AB  - The major fissures of the right and left lungs were studied with standard
      computed tomography (CT) (10-mm-thick sections) and thin-section CT (2-mm-thick
      sections) in 50 patients. On standard CT scans, the major fissures were seen in
      90%-100% of cases at each of three selected levels. They usually appeared as
      hypoattenuating bands and less often as lines or hyperattenuating bands. Although
      in most cases the major fissure was seen as a line on thin-section CT scans, this
      appearance was more common in the upper portion of the left major fissure than in
      the upper portion of the right major fissure. A "double-fissure sign" was most
      frequently seen at the base of the left lung; however, the sign was also seen at
      higher levels, with approximately equal frequency in the right and left lungs. An
      incomplete major fissure was noted in the right lung in 32 cases (64%) and in the
      left lung in 26 cases (52%). The upper and middle portions of the left major
      fissure were less frequently incomplete than were the comparable portions of the
      right major fissure. Thin-section CT provided better delineation of the major
      interlobar fissures than did standard CT.

PMID- 1871305
TI  - Lung parenchyma: magnetic susceptibility in MR imaging.
AB  - Magnetic susceptibility effects in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of normal lung
      parenchyma occur because of magnetic-field inhomogeneities induced by the
      microscopic heterogeneity of the lung. The effects on MR imaging of the lung are
      loss of signal from intravoxel phase dispersion (measured with T2') and a shift
      in the macroscopic resonant frequency from that of water toward that of air
      (delta v). These effects of MR imaging at 1.5 T were quantitated by measuring T2'
      decay and delta v at different locations in the lungs of two adult volunteers and
      one excised inflated human lung. The average T2' was 7 msec in the excised
      inflated specimen and 6.3 msec in normal in vivo lungs. There was a gravitational
      increase in T2' from nondependent to dependent lung. T2' increased to 35 msec in
      atelectatic lung tissue and to more than 140 msec in tumor. The macroscopic
      resonant lung frequency increased to 3.6 ppm more than that of mediastinal
      muscle. These values are important for developing MR pulse sequences appropriate
      for imaging lung parenchyma.

PMID- 1871306
TI  - Small object contrast in AMBER and conventional chest radiography.
AB  - The ability of a commercially available scanning equalization system for chest
      radiography to render small object contrast in the lung-, mediastinum-, and
      subdiaphragm-equivalent regions of an acrylic chest phantom was quantitatively
      evaluated. Images from nine chest phantoms that represented a wide range of
      patient sizes and dynamic ranges of x-ray transmittance were analyzed. Subject
      contrast was measured with a photostimulable phosphor detector, and images were
      acquired in both equalized and nonequalized (conventional) imaging modes.
      Available subject contrast in the lung-equivalent region was 8%-15% lower in the
      equalized images compared with the nonequalized images in all phantoms (patient
      types); contrast in the mediastinum-, retro-cardiac-, and subdiaphragm-equivalent
      regions was 11%-63% higher in the equalized images, with the degree of
      improvement increasing as patient size and dynamic range increased. Images of
      each phantom were also acquired with the screen-film systems currently in use at
      the authors' institution, permitting an assessment of the relative performance
      (in terms of radiographic contrast) of these imagers with and without use of
      equalization.

PMID- 1871307
TI  - Radiation exposure to angiographers under different fluoroscopic imaging
      conditions.
AB  - Radiation levels near an imaging chain commonly used in angiography were measured
      with both a 100- and a 200-mm-thick scatter phantom. The scatter was measured in
      lines parallel in space to the central ray of the x-ray beam, at lateral
      distances of 300, 500, and 800 mm. The effects of fluoroscopic kilovoltage and
      image intensifier magnification mode were also measured. The results indicate
      that the highest scattered radiation levels occur near the surface of the patient
      where the x-ray beam enters. Exposure rates were measured in both anteroposterior
      (AP) and posteroanterior (PA) geometries on a U-arm system. In PA geometry, the
      highest radiation levels occur below the angiographer's waist, an area well
      protected by the lead apron. The AP geometry increases the exposure rate to the
      neck, head, and upper extremities, areas where apron shielding is less effective.

PMID- 1871308
TI  - Medulloblastoma: long-term follow-up of patients treated with electron
      irradiation of the spinal field.
AB  - Thirty-two patients with posterior fossa medulloblastoma underwent treatment with
      electron irradiation to the spinal field. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival
      rates were 57% and 50%, respectively. Late complications observed in the 15
      patients followed up for more than 5 years were short stature (six patients),
      decreased sitting-standing height ratio (four patients), scoliosis (two
      patients), poor school performance (seven patients), xerostomia (one patient),
      esophageal stricture (one patient), pituitary dysfunction (four patients),
      primary hypothyroidism (one patient), bilateral eighth-nerve deafness (one
      patient), and carcinoma of the thyroid (one patient). Complications following
      treatment with electrons to a spinal field are compared with reported
      complications following treatment with photons to the spinal field. Although
      short-term reactions were minimal, the authors found no difference in late
      complications. More sophisticated treatment planning may show such a long-term
      benefit in the future.

PMID- 1871309
TI  - James Picker (1882-1963): lest we forget!

PMID- 1871310
TI  - Paraffin block radiography following breast biopsies: use of orthogonal views.
AB  - Paraffin block radiography has been shown to be useful in helping identify
      lesions in biopsy specimens of breast tissue. Use of an orthogonal view enables
      determination of the approximate depth of a lesion within a paraffin block. This
      simple technique further guarantees histologic evaluation of the area of
      radiographic concern.

PMID- 1871311
TI  - Selective spinal panangiography: use of a 4-F braided catheter with a soft-tip
      configuration.
AB  - A 4-F braided catheter with a soft radiopaque tip was used in selective spinal
      panangiographic procedures. Results obtained with the catheter were compared with
      those obtained in procedures with conventional catheters. The catheter was used
      in the intercostal, lumbar, and sacral arteries. Advantages of using this
      catheter include excellent maneuverability, reduced patient exposure to contrast
      medium, and reduced fluoroscopy duration.

PMID- 1871312
TI  - Use of an acoustic transponder for US visualization of biopsy needles.
AB  - A 20-gauge Chiba needle with a stylet embedded with polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF), a
      polymer that acts as an acoustic-electric transducer, facilitated a variety of
      diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound (US)-guided interventions in nine patients.
      PVDF receives acoustic energy from the US scanner and transmits an electrical
      signal through the stylet and a shielded cable to the scanner, which results in
      appearance of a bright echo on the monitor at the location of the needle tip.

PMID- 1871313
TI  - Reference to dorsal intercalated segment instability in the literature.

PMID- 1871314
TI  - Value of sonography in acute encephalomalacia.

PMID- 1871315
TI  - The synthesis and structure of comovirus capsids.

PMID- 1871316
TI  - Molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of amino acid transport.

PMID- 1871317
TI  - Fractal and chaotic dynamics in nervous systems.
AB  - The chaotic aspects of brain structure and dynamics have been discussed. The
      relation of chaos to fractal processes in the brain from the neurosystems level
      down to the molecule has been explored. It is found that chaos appears to play an
      integral, though not necessarily exclusive role in function at all levels of
      organization from the neurosystems to the molecular and quantum levels. An
      interesting consequence involving the possible interface between chaotic dynamics
      and quantum physics has been discussed because of its potential significance is
      resolving several of the most intractable conceptual problems to do with
      computability, the brain and the mind (Blakemore and Greenfield, 1987; Hooper and
      Teresi, 1987; Rose, 1973; Searle, 1979; Penrose, 1986, 1989).

PMID- 1871318
TI  - The modular cerebellum.

PMID- 1871319
TI  - Nerve growth factor and the neostriatum.
AB  - 1. The present review summarizes evidence describing the expression,
      immunoreactivity, binding, transport, development, aging, and functions of NGF in
      the mammalian neostriatum. 2. Neostriatal NGF binding sites and intrinsic
      cholinergic neurons are co-localized, increase at a similar rate during ontogeny,
      and are lost to an equal extent following age- or injury-induced loss of
      neostriatal neurons. 3. Exogenously administered NGF augments ChAT activity in
      the intact caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, and following mechanical or
      excitotoxin-induced cholinergic injury. NGF antibodies lower ChAT in the intact
      caudate-putamen. 4. Neostriatal cholinergic interneurons are lost in the aged rat
      but also in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, supranuclear palsy, and
      Huntington's chorea. Future studies need to address the extent to which these
      losses result from an abbreviation of NGF production, binding, or transport and
      whether rhNGF administration may retard or reverse these cholinergic losses.

PMID- 1871320
TI  - Integrated genetic databases in the study of neuropsychiatric diseases: inborn
      errors of cerebral metabolic pathways?
AB  - 1. Genetic databases are an expanding and readily accessible repository of
      information on the mapping and sequencing of the human genome, and that of other
      model organisms. The integration and application of this information to
      neuropsychiatric disease is illustrated using neuroendocrine and
      neuropharmacologic data, computerized and other genetic databases. 2. This
      computer-assisted integrated approach to knowledge structures permits the rapid
      generation of hypotheses, the prompt identification of candidate gene loci, an
      explanation for genetic heterogeneity, and strategies for the use of potential
      linked markers. 3. Results using this integrated search strategy demonstrate that
      over 30 candidate loci for neuropsychiatric disease have currently been mapped in
      man (spread over 14 chromosomes in the human genome), and that at least 6
      homologous loci have been mapped in mouse. 4. Using a metabolic pathway approach,
      it can be shown that the best current candidate gene locus for a subtype of
      schizophrenia located on chromosome 5q11-13 (HGML10 # SCZD1 and OMIM #181510) is
      in the serotonergic pathway, i.e. a receptor for 5-hydroxytryptamine (subtype 1A;
      HGML10 #HTR1A) which also maps in the same chromosomal region. 5. Parallels are
      suggested between inborn errors of metabolic pathways in the somatic endocrine
      system (using insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as a paradigm) and the
      neurotransmitter and hormonal systems within the brain. 6. A subset of
      neuropsychiatric disorders may thus be viewed as inborn errors of cerebral
      metabolic pathways primarily affecting the biogenic amine pathways.

PMID- 1871321
TI  - New vistas on 5-HT receptors and migraine.
AB  - 1. A number of serotonergic agents have been shown to be effective in the
      treatment of migraine. At the present time, migraine drug interactions have been
      analyzed most extensively at 5-hydroxytryptamine1D (5-HT1D), 5-HT2 and 5-HT3
      receptor subtypes. 2. This review will summarize the current status of 5-HT
      receptor subtypes as they relate to anti-migraine agents. 3. The available data
      suggest that drug interactions with specific 5-HT receptor subtypes may be the
      basis for their efficacy in both the acute and prophylactic treatment of
      migraine.

PMID- 1871322
TI  - Animal models of depression reflect changing views on the essence and etiology of
      depressive disorders in humans.
AB  - 1. Since it is ethically unacceptable to use human subjects to conduct
      manipulative experimental hypothesis-testing research on major depression,
      investigators interested in the development, the substrates or the mechanisms of
      treatment of depressive disorders have turned to observational models with humans
      or to interactive models with animals. 2. One of the earliest animal models of
      depression, the infant/mother separation in monkeys, is based on the Freudian
      notion of the loss-inward directed anger-depression connection. 3. The hypothesis
      that depression is caused by stress led to the development of numerous animal
      models of depression based on the behavioral abnormalities induced in animals,
      usually rats but occasionally other species, by exposure to prolonged or intense
      stress. 4. The selective therapeutic efficacy of antidepressant drugs suggested
      the hypothesis that depression is caused by a neurochemical abnormality that is
      alleviated by chronic exposure to antidepressants. This hypothesis has been
      refined to state that depressive disorders are caused by genetically based
      neurochemical dysregulation of neural activity in the limbic system. 5. Models
      based on the limbic dysfunction hypothesis could be used to explore the specific
      neural substrates of depression. At present, the rat with limbic dysfunction
      induced by olfactory bulbectomy appears to fulfill best the requirements for a
      model of depression. The future development or discovery of a genetic strain of
      animals that shows comparable behavioral and neurovegetative deficits and similar
      selective drug responses to those seen in patients with depressive disorder,
      would make tremendous contributions to the understanding not only of depression
      but also of the neurobiology of the limbic system.

PMID- 1871323
TI  - Extensive and enantioselective presystemic metabolism of dl-threo-methylphenidate
      in humans.
AB  - 1. Two pilot studies were carried out to investigate the enantioselective
      pharmacokinetics of methylphenidate (MPH) in children with attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A more definitive study, which included
      administration of an intravenous dose, was carried out in healthy young men. 2.
      Serial plasma samples were harvested from predose to 8 hours in the first pilot
      study, predose to 12 hours in the second pilot study and predose to 16 hours in
      the definitive study. Plasma levels of the separate isomers d-MPH and 1-MPH were
      determined by an enantioselective gas chromatographic method. 3. In the first
      pilot study, 6 boys with ADHD each received his regular dose of MPH (10mg n = 5,
      5mg n = 1), which contained equal proportions of d-MPH and 1-MPH in an immediate
      release formulation (MPH-IR). No MPH was detectable in the predose plasma.
      Thereafter, plasma levels of the more active d-MPH were 4 to 10 fold higher than
      those of 1-MPH. Plasma levels of 1-MPH were so low that it was not possible to
      monitor them beyond 4 hours in some children. 4. In the second pilot study, 5
      boys and 1 girl with ADHD each received their regular dose (20mg) of a slow
      release formulation (MPH-SR). No MPH was detectable in the predose plasma.
      Thereafter, plasma levels of the more active d-MPH were 5 to 10 fold higher than
      those of 1-MPH. It was possible to monitor plasma levels of 1-MPH over the full
      12 hour period of study in 5 of the 6 children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871324
TI  - Deuterium-labelled p-tyramine challenge test and phenolsulfotransferase activity
      in depressed patients--failure to replicate decreased p-tyramine conjugation in
      depression.
AB  - 1. Depressed and normal subjects were challenged with deuterium-labelled p
      tyramine and urine was collected for 3 h. 2. Urinary excretion of conjugated p
      tyramine was not significantly different between normal, melancholic and non
      melancholic depressed subjects. 3. Platelet phenolsulfotransferase activity to p
      tyramine (p less than 0.05) and to phenol (p less than 0.005) were significantly
      lower in the depressed patients.

PMID- 1871325
TI  - Temporal segmentation of response speed in depression: neuro-electrophysiological
      approaches.
AB  - 1. Depressive psychomotor retardation, as observed by delayed reaction times
      (RT), may be related to a slowing in information processing speed. 2. Two
      separate studies compared indices of information processing speed in depressed
      patients and non-clinical controls by segmenting behavioral RT with brain event
      related potentials (ERPs) and electromyographic (EMG) responses. 3. In Study I,
      slower behavioral RTs in depression were concomitant with slower central
      processing times (CPT) but not motor execution times (MET). 4. In Study II, P165,
      a putative early cognitive ERP related to 'stimulus evaluation time', was found
      to be slower but within normal range in depressed patients.

PMID- 1871326
TI  - Preparatory brain potentials in major depressive disorder.
AB  - 1. Psychomotor slowing in depression is frequently reflected by delayed reaction
      times (RT). 2. The role of central arousal mechanisms in response slowing was
      examined by comparing scalp-recorded slow negative potentials of depressed
      patients with normal controls in two separate studies. 3. Varying fore-warned RT
      conditions elicited contingent negative variation (CNV) waveforms and the
      resultant mid-point amplitudes of these waveforms together with orienting (O
      wave), expectancy (E-wave) and post-imperative negative variation (PINV)
      component amplitudes and sensory evoked responses (N1, P2) were compared between
      groups. 4. RTs were significantly slowed in depressed patients and the patient
      group exhibited consistently larger PINV amplitudes. Depending on the RT
      condition, patients also exhibited larger mid-point CNV amplitudes and smaller N1
      and P2 amplitudes.

PMID- 1871327
TI  - The effect of methyltestosterone on the growth hormone response to the dopamine
      receptor agonist, apomorphine.
AB  - 1. There is some evidence that androgens affect dopaminergic function in animals
      and man. We investigated the effect of methyltestosterone (MT) (30 mg po) on the
      growth hormone (GH) response to the dopamine (DA) receptor agonist, apomorphine
      (Apo) HC1 (0.5 mg sc), in 9 normal men. MT was given 2 hr before Apo. 2. The peak
      plasma MT concentration was present 1 hr after administration (19.9 +/- 19.5
      ng/ml; X +/- SD); the concentration at 4 hr was 7.2 +/- 4.9 ng/ml. At the time of
      Apo administration, plasma MT varied from 6.0-24.1 ng/ml. 3. There was no
      significant effect of MT on Apo-GH secretion (interaction F(7,56) = 1.08; p =
      NS). The mean individual peak GH concentration after Apo alone was 20.2 +/- 11.9
      (X +/- SD) vs 22.2 +/- 9.9 ng/ml when MT preceded Apo (p = NS). 4. These results
      suggest that exogenous androgens do not affect DA receptor function in males with
      normal androgenic function. Lack of effect due to an insufficient dose or
      duration of administration of MT cannot be excluded.

PMID- 1871328
TI  - Haloperidol reductase activity in red blood cells from oriental patients on
      haloperidol.
AB  - 1. We measured haloperidol reductase activity in red blood cells in 87 samples
      collected from 50 Japanese psychiatric patients on HAL. HAL reductase activities
      in the patients were in a range of 7.9-26.1 pmol/hr/10(6) RBC (mean = 13.4, S.D.
      = 3.4). Interindividual variability was as large as 25.4% (CVs), while
      intraindividual CVs were small (8.9%). 2. Distribution of HAL reductase
      activities was normal but their values were slightly lower in the patients than
      those in the normal controls, though the difference between these two groups was
      not significant. 3. No significant correlations were found between HAL reductase
      activity in RBC vs dose of HAL per body weight, or plasma and RBC RHAL/HAL ratio.

PMID- 1871329
TI  - Involvement of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors of the basal forebrain in
      cholinergically mediated changes in the rat locomotion.
AB  - 1. Wistar rats were implanted with cannulae into the medial preoptic and anterior
      hypothalamic areas for intracerebral injections. 2. Unilateral intracerebral
      injections of carbachol (1 microgram) into a limited area of the basal forebrain
      decreased significantly both the distance travelled by the animals and time spent
      walking. 3. In addition to the decrease in locomotion, it was demonstrated for
      the first time that injections of carbachol also slow animal movement by
      significantly decreasing speed of forward progression. 4. All locomotor effects
      of carbachol were reversed by local pretreatment with atropine (1 microgram) but
      not by pirenzepine (2 micrograms) suggesting that these effects were mediated by
      M2 muscarinic receptors with minimal or no M1 receptor involvement.

PMID- 1871330
TI  - Metabolism of antidepressants: urinary metabolites of trimipramine in the rat.
AB  - 1. Studies on the metabolism of the tricyclic antidepressant trimipramine (TMP)
      in the rat are described. 2. Twenty metabolites of TMP were isolated from rat
      urine after enzymatic hydrolysis and their structures were determined by a gas
      chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method. 3. Twelve TMP metabolites were
      the result of alicyclic (C10 or C11) oxidation in addition to the other metabolic
      pathways.

PMID- 1871331
TI  - Localization of cholecystokinin binding sites in canine brain using quantitative
      autoradiography.
AB  - 1. CCK receptors have been characterized and localized in various mammalian
      species and significant species-specific differences in their distribution have
      been identified. In the present study, we report the first autoradiographic
      localization of CCK binding sites in the canine brain. 2. High densities of
      [125I]BH-CCK-8 binding sites were found in the cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus,
      caudate nucleus, olfactory bulb and nucleus accumbens. Moderate densities were
      present in the putamen, amygdala, and substantia gelatinosa. Low binding
      densities were observed in the globus pallidus, inferior colliculus, hypothalamus
      and thalamus. 3. Although the distribution profile of CCK binding sites in canine
      brain is similar to those previously reported in the rodent, primate and human
      brain, notable differences were observed in the hippocampus, cortex and
      cerebellum.

PMID- 1871332
TI  - Studies on the properties of some peripheral MAO inhibitors.
AB  - 1. Studies were carried out on three monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, two of
      which, debrisoquine and para- hydroxyphenelzine, are purported to be peripheral
      inhibitors and one, phenelzine, is a peripherally acting inhibitor, which has
      been included for comparitive purposes. 2. All three showed varying degrees of
      specificity towards MAO type A. 3. The action of debrisoquine was very rapid as
      was that of para- hydroxyphenelzine. 4. The inhibition caused by debrisoquine was
      competitive and reversible, while that caused by both phenelzine and para-
      hydroxyphenelzine was irreversible. 5. The inhibition caused by debrisoquine
      appeared to be unaffected by the pH of the medium.

PMID- 1871333
TI  - Enzymatic N-methylation of phenelzine catalyzed by phenylethanolamine N
      methyltransferase.
AB  - 1. Phenelzine has been found to be methylated by enzymes obtained from bovine
      adrenal and some rat tissues in the presence of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as
      methyl group donor. 2. The methylated product was chromatographically (TLC and
      HPLC) identical with chemically synthesized N-methylphenelzine. The structure of
      this methylated phenelzine has been confirmed by a GC-MS procedure. 3. The
      phenelzine methyltransferase in the bovine adrenal has a molecular weight and
      isoelectric point identical with that of bovine adrenal phenylethanolamine N
      methyl-transferase (PNMT). 4. Methylated phenelzine possesses much reduced
      inhibitory activity towards monoamine oxidase (MAO). It can, however, be
      deaminated by MAO to produce phenylacetaldehyde, and subsequently phenylacetic
      acid. 5. Other hydrazine compounds, such as hydralazine, have also been found to
      be methylated by the adrenal enzyme. 6. Our finding of enzymatic methylation of
      hydrazine compounds is novel, and it may play a role in the metabolism of
      hydrazine drugs.

PMID- 1871334
TI  - [Function of transferrin and its receptor].

PMID- 1871335
TI  - [Roles of protein kinase C substrates in signal transduction].

PMID- 1871336
TI  - [Cell cycle and cell proliferation].

PMID- 1871337
TI  - [Growth inhibitors and feedback regulation of cell proliferation].

PMID- 1871338
TI  - [Regulation of cell growth by extracellular matrix system].

PMID- 1871339
TI  - [Growth-stimulatory action of insulin].

PMID- 1871340
TI  - [Interactions of the growth factors and the extracellular matrix components].

PMID- 1871341
TI  - [Autocrine function of insulin-like growth factor-I].

PMID- 1871342
TI  - [Cloning of proliferation-related early genes in hepatocytes].

PMID- 1871343
TI  - [Production of growth factors by biotechnology and its applications].

PMID- 1871344
TI  - [CSFs and regulatory mechanisms of their expression].

PMID- 1871345
TI  - [Interleukin 2 and interleukin 2 receptors].

PMID- 1871346
TI  - [IL-3: production mechanism and the receptor].

PMID- 1871347
TI  - [The molecular mechanism of IL-4].

PMID- 1871348
TI  - [Role of IL-5 and its receptor in immune system].

PMID- 1871349
TI  - [Function of hemopoietic stem cells].

PMID- 1871350
TI  - [Neural trophic factors and neuron-glia interaction].

PMID- 1871351
TI  - [Renal growth factor; structure and roles].

PMID- 1871352
TI  - [Production and tissue distribution of growth factors].

PMID- 1871353
TI  - [Distribution of growth factor receptors in various human tissues].

PMID- 1871354
TI  - [Cellular aging and growth factor].

PMID- 1871355
TI  - [Physiological roles of growth factors in reproduction].

PMID- 1871356
TI  - [Skin disease and growth factor].

PMID- 1871357
TI  - [Structure and function of TGF-alpha].

PMID- 1871358
TI  - [Functions of heparin binding growth factor (HBGF or FGF) produced by tumor
      cells].

PMID- 1871359
TI  - [Involvement of proto-ret and activated ret in human malignancy].

PMID- 1871360
TI  - [Implication of growth factors in tumor metastasis].

PMID- 1871361
TI  - [Clinical application of growth factors--present states and future prospects].

PMID- 1871362
TI  - [Abnormalities of the insulin receptor gene and diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1871363
TI  - [Pathophysiological analysis using cytokines working on lympho-hematopoietic
      cells].

PMID- 1871364
TI  - [Inhibitors of growth factor functions, possible antineoplastic agents].

PMID- 1871366
TI  - [Cultured skin prepared by using growth factor in the treatment of burn injury].

PMID- 1871365
TI  - [Targeting therapy directed against growth factor receptor].

PMID- 1871367
TI  - [Effect of epidermal growth factor on corneal wound healing].

PMID- 1871368
TI  - [Clinical application of IL-1 beta].

PMID- 1871369
TI  - [Clinical usefulness of various CSFs].

PMID- 1871370
TI  - [Clinical application of erythropoietin].

PMID- 1871371
TI  - [Growth factors: recent advances and perspectives].

PMID- 1871372
TI  - [Altered responses of the variants with defective or low epidermal growth factor
      receptor activity].

PMID- 1871373
TI  - [Gangliosides modulate function of EGF receptor].

PMID- 1871374
TI  - [The regulatory mechanism of EGF receptor gene expression].

PMID- 1871375
TI  - Prostaglandin D2 metabolite stimulates collagen synthesis by human osteoblasts
      during calcification.
AB  - We investigated the effect of the prostaglandin D2 metabolite delta 12-PGJ2 (9
      Deoxy-delta 9, delta 12-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin 2D) on collagen synthesis in
      human osteoblasts. delta 12-PGJ2 at 10(-5) M enhanced collagen synthesis in the
      presence of 2 mM alpha-glycerophosphate-2Na. The stimulative effect appeared as
      early as 3 days after addition and continued until 22 days. The enhancement of
      type I collagen synthesis was confirmed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
      The potency was the same as 10(-8) M 1 alpha, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D3
      (1,25(OH)2D3). Northern blot analysis showed that 10(-5) M delta 12-PGJ2 and 10(
      8) M 1,25(OH)2D3 enhanced the transcription of type I procollagen (alpha 1) mRNA
      levels in osteoblasts.

PMID- 1871376
TI  - Prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene C4-induced luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone
      release from immature and adult male rat median eminences in vitro: eicosanoid
      formation and binding parameters.
AB  - The amounts of prostaglandin E2 formed in vitro by the median eminences of adult
      male rats were greater than those produced by the median eminences of immature,
      22 day-old rats. However, the amount of leukotriene C4 produced by the adult rat
      median eminences was lower than that produced by the immature rat median
      eminences. Analysis of the prostaglandin E2 binding parameters of hypothalamic P2
      membrane fractions indicates that there are two binding components, one high
      affinity (RH) and one low affinity (RL) in both adult and immature rats. The
      maximal binding capacity of RH from adult rat membranes was significantly lower
      than that of immature rat membranes, correlating with greater prostaglandin E2
      production by the adult rat median eminence. Only one leukotriene C4 binding site
      was detected in both adult and immature rat membranes. Exogenous prostaglandin E2
      and leukotriene C4 both stimulated, the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing
      hormone to the same extent from both the adult and immature median eminences.

PMID- 1871377
TI  - Mast cells in the rat gastric mucosa are not primarily responsible for PGD2
      generation.
AB  - The present study investigates the contribution of gastric mast cells on PGD2
      generation in rat gastric mucosa. Cold-restraint induced stress or i.v. carbachol
      injection methods were used for gastric mast cell degranulation. In 19 stressed,
      15 carbachol-infused and 14 control rats, gastric mast cell counts and gastric
      mucosa PGD2 assay were performed. Gastric mucosal content of PGF2 alpha was also
      determined in carbachol infused and control rats. The mean number of gastric mast
      cells was significantly lower in stressed and carbachol infused than in control
      rats. Despite these differences in gastric mast cell counts, neither PGD2 or PGF2
      alpha contents in the gastric mucosa were significantly different in mast cells
      degranulated rats than in control animals. These results suggest another source
      of PGD2 in the rat gastric mucosa other than mast cells.

PMID- 1871378
TI  - Effect of ICI 198,615, SK+F 104,353, MK-571 and CGP45715A on cysteinyl
      leukotriene-induced responses in guinea-pig heart.
AB  - Peptidoleukotrienes (LTs), LTC4 and LTD4, cause potent vasoconstriction and
      myocardial depression in a range of species including man. The recent
      availability of specific LTD4 antagonists has allowed the evaluation of LT
      involvement in disease states and the characterisation of LT receptors in the
      airways. We decided to study the actions of four LT antagonists; ICI 198,615, SK
      + F 104,353, MK-571 and CGP45715A on LTD4-, LTC4- and U46619-induced effects in
      the coronary vasculature and on cardiac contractility in the guinea-pig isolated
      heart. We found a difference in the actions of the antagonists in the GP heart
      compared with the lung. ICI 198,615 retained its selectivity towards LTD4 whereas
      SK + F 104,353 antagonised both LTD4 and LTC4. MK-571 and CGP45715A had a non
      specific action against the LTs. Our results also indicated a direct action of
      the LTs on cardiac contractility which was not associated with the constriction
      of the coronary vasculature. These studies indicate that if the leukotrienes are
      involved in cardiac disease antagonists specific for the peptidoleukotrienes may
      be of therapeutic benefit in many of the disease states of the heart.

PMID- 1871379
TI  - [Idea and reality of training analysis. A plea for reforms (II)].
AB  - Thoma pleads for a form of psychoanalytic training in which the critical
      appropriation of psychoanalytic and humanistic knowledge as well as therapeutic
      competence are the focus and in which the personal analysis (super-therapy) is no
      longer overvalued. It seems possible to limit the length of training analyses.
      Qualification for professional practice should be worked out exclusively within
      the training institute and in close collaboration with instructors.

PMID- 1871380
TI  - ["Anxiety glistens on our brows". Dream reports in literary works on the horrors
      of ghettos and concentration camps].
AB  - Dream reports occupy a special place in literature about confinement in
      concentration camps and ghettos (Robert Antelme, Charlotte Delbo, Anna Langfus,
      Andre Schwarz-Bart). They are central elements in the narrative that relate the
      anxiety of those threatened with destruction more faithfully than any realistic
      account could. They disrupt the chronological linearity and rationality and
      represent in images horror beyond memory or description.

PMID- 1871381
TI  - ["The story of my high school studies". An autobiographical fragment by Siegfried
      Bernfeld].

PMID- 1871382
TI  - [Radiology and radioprotection in dental medicine. 2: Regulations and practical
      recommendations].
AB  - The three general principles of the International Commission on Radiological
      Protection (ICRP) are first recalled: (1) justification, (2) ALARA, (3) the dose
      limits. The dose limits to be followed, at present, in Belgium are given for the
      occupational exposure, the occupational exposure of women (pregnant and not), the
      exposure of the public. The possible modification of the dose limits by the ICRP
      is a near future is discussed. The present belgian regulations are reviewed as
      far as the equipment and the buildings are concerned, as well as for the personal
      dosimeters and the medical supervision. Finally, the doses delivered to the
      patients, at different organs, during dental radiological examinations are
      recalled, e.g. the doses at the skin, the thyroid, the gonads, the eyes, the
      pituitary gland. The interest of shielding the thyroid and the abdomen is
      discussed.

PMID- 1871383
TI  - [Radiological information according to selected iconography].
AB  - Every dentist can meet peculiar radiographic images that require a further
      investigation by a specialist in buccal pathology. This one can ensure the way to
      determine for example the tumoral or systemic character of the suspected lesion.
      Other morphological radiographic appearances include a risk of misinterpretation
      and thus inopportune, inadequate or hazardous operative procedures. This limited
      review with selected examples presents some occurrences the practitioner must
      keep in mind. Finally, this review demonstrates the need of correct radiographic
      knowledges and applications.

PMID- 1871384
TI  - [Medical imagery and its perspectives. Interview by Patrick Bogaerts].

PMID- 1871385
TI  - [The value of current imagery techniques in dentistry and stomatology].
AB  - Computed tomography, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are currently
      used in stomatology and dentistry. These recent imaging modalities have
      suppressed or reduced classic examinations (by example: conventional tomography
      and sialography). Efficient, exact and fast, they improve the diagnostic
      capacities and optimize the choice of the treatments. After some technical
      considerations, their applications in various stomatology and dentistry problems
      are evoked.

PMID- 1871386
TI  - [Radiology and radiation protection in dental medicine. 1: Biological effects
      resulting from exposure to ionizing radiation].
AB  - The different types of biological effects produced by ionizing radiations are
      reviewed. Among the early effects following an acute exposure, the bone marrow
      syndrome and the intestinal syndrome are briefly described. They are unlikely to
      appear in the current conditions encountered in dental radiology. As far as skin
      exposure is concerned (e.g. fingers, hands), acute reactions (moist desquamation,
      ulceration, etc.) require high doses which are encountered only in accidental
      conditions. However, chronic dermatitis after repeated low dose exposure is one
      of the major risks in dental radiology (even without previous acute lesions), if
      the recommendations of radioprotection are not followed. The danger is ultimately
      the transformation into a radio-induced skin cancer. Among the late effects,
      after chronic exposure at low doses, cancer induction and the genetic effects are
      the most important. The risk coefficient for cancer induction is expressed by the
      number of lethal cancers induced per unit dose. In his last report (1988), the
      UNSCEAR assessed the risk coefficient between 4.5 and 7% for an absorbed dose of
      1 Gy (low-LET radiation, high dose delivered at high dose rate). A low doses and
      low dose rates (X-and gamma rays), the UNSCEAR recommends to reduce the above
      risk coefficients by a factor between 2 and 10. The risk coefficient at low doses
      is difficult to evaluate since the rate of radio-induced cancers is small
      compared to the spontaneous cancer incidence. The risk of a severe genetic effect
      is about 1/3-1/4 of the risk of lethality from radio-induced cancer. Finally, the
      characteristics of the stochastic and non-stochastic effects are described. The
      acute effects, the late radiodermatitis and the cataract are examples of non
      stochastic effects, while cancer induction and the genetic effect are stochastic
      effects. In the Appendix, the most important quantities and units, used in
      radiation protection, are presented.

PMID- 1871387
TI  - [Clinical study of peri-abutment gingiva in patients with subperiosteal
      implants].
AB  - A clinical analysis of the gingival tissues surrounding 17 subperiosteal dental
      implant posts was made. The clinical phase consisted in: Periodontal probe test
      locking for bleeding; peri-implant sulcus deep test; and the amount of bacterial
      plaque test on the subperiosteal post. The results showed clinically healthy
      tissues surrounding the subperiosteal posts. The presence of bacterial plaque is
      an important factor in the modification of the clinical inflammation parameters.

PMID- 1871388
TI  - [Anatomo-morphologic aspects of the jaws as indications for osseointegrated
      implants in the partially edentulous].
AB  - Considering the great apogee reached in the last few years by the osseointegrated
      implants used in modern odontology it makes necessary to go deeper into the
      analysis of some anatomo-morphologic mandible aspects on partial edentates.
      Actually, these make the major percentage of patients who ask or are in effect
      candidates to rehabilitation by means of this technic. So it is described on
      individual analysis for each clinical case classified according to Kennedy's
      classification, giving emphasis to determination and real evaluation of height,
      thickness and form of partial edentates' mandibles. Furthermore, there are given
      some prosthetic models to be considered in the osseointegrated implant
      indications on partial edentates.

PMID- 1871389
TI  - [Alloplastic grafts in osseous reconstruction. Clinical experience with HTR].
AB  - The present report reviews the clinical experience of the authors, with a new
      material in haloplastic grafts; the HTR; with the following purposes: Remain and
      or increase alveolar ridges. Close-up of congenital clefts.

PMID- 1871390
TI  - [Facial esthetics for the maxillo-facial surgeon].
AB  - Has been pointed out that this is the aesthetic era for current dentistry. The
      oral and maxillo facial surgeon plays an important role in this regard emfatizing
      that the facial aesthetic is part of our field and responsibility in conjunction
      with the functional goal of most of our treatments.

PMID- 1871391
TI  - [Osseointegrated implants. Clinical cases and light and electron microscope
      study].
AB  - Titanium osseointegrated implants have been placed in maxilaries of partially
      edentulous patients. After a follow-up of 5 to 6 months, a clinical and
      radiographical evaluation was made in order to determine the osseointegration
      obtained. In two of these cases, the gingival tissue in contact with the implants
      was studied under a light and transmission electron microscope. The results
      indicated a high percentage of implants were osseointegrated (99.72%), and the
      microscopical analysis showed a tissular reaction denoting biocompatibility with
      the implants.

PMID- 1871392
TI  - [Microscopic analysis of the effects of ultrasonic instrumentation on the root
      surface of molar furcations].
AB  - Twenty molars, 10 from the maxilla and 10 from the mandible with furcation areas
      type II (Staffileno) were instrumented in their inter-radicular area with P10
      instrument of Cavitron. It was established that the furcations of easier access
      instrumentation were the lingual o lower teeth and the buccal of the upper, and
      the most difficult accessibility were the distal of upper molars. The
      instrumentation can leave grooves or deformations, depending on the instrument to
      the area. It was concluded that ultrasonic instrument are useful removing
      supragingival calculus and bacterial plaque, and it must be limited to perform
      such procedures.

PMID- 1871393
TI  - [Overdentures as a solution for extensive loss of tooth structure. Clinical
      case].
AB  - Extensive anterior teeth abrasions can be rehabilitated by the use of
      overdentures. Obtaining very good physiological and esthetical results.

PMID- 1871394
TI  - [Biological success in osseointegrated implants].
AB  - Long term research results initiated by Dr. P. I. Branemark in 1965 and before,
      had widely demonstrated that with an adequate biomaterial, a phenomenon of
      biological acceptance from maxillary bone occurs, configurating a real bone
      healing, obtaining an intimate bonding between this alive tissue and the implant,
      which will last under function. Nevertheless, for this bio-physiological step
      happens and remain, there are many necessary factors named biological and
      biomechanical principles, and they command and are the responsibles of the
      osseointegration success.

PMID- 1871395
TI  - [Psychological and social evaluation].
AB  - The purpose of psychological and social assessment of health programs is the
      measurement of psychological well-being and lifestyle in targeted populations
      (i.e. pregnant women, mothers, children or teenagers) and interactive effects on
      other family members. A psychological and social evaluation should contain the
      following elements: social and/or cultural factors that facilitate participation
      in a health program, the opinion of and satisfaction with the program, the
      psychological and social consequences of the program. Three types of tools can be
      utilized to measure psychological and social indicators: standardized
      questionnaires, questionnaires designed specifically for the study in question,
      and interviews. Study protocols, data collection and analyses must be done using
      the same methods as those used in any other type of medical evaluation. The
      investigator must be particularly sensitive to the quality of the measurement
      tools, the size of the sample and the effects of confounding factors. Social and
      psychological aspects are essential in the evaluation of a health program. On the
      one hand, they allow for an understanding of how a health program is accepted and
      applied within a population. On the other hand, they enable the verification of
      whether or not there has been any change in the quality of life among individuals
      and their families.

PMID- 1871396
TI  - [Evaluation of the application of laws or regulations].
AB  - In the field of safety, accidents and injuries, laws and regulations can either
      ensure a passive protection of persons, or need their active participation. In
      the latter situation, beside the use of health indicators (rates of fatalities,
      accidents, injuries), the evaluation will also focus on changes of behaviour. In
      the case of mandatory restraint devices for young children, the evaluation of the
      laws indicates their effectiveness, but also: 1) methodological issues in
      interpretation of the results (reliability of the sources of information, choice
      of relevant denominators for the calculation of rates ...); 2) families low
      compliance, due to problems of acceptability of the laws and regulations, and to
      personal factors (demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and mainly
      psychological).

PMID- 1871397
TI  - [Epidemiological methods in evaluation].
AB  - This paper describes different epidemiological methods to evaluate the effect of
      a public health intervention. The different types of indicators as well as types
      of evaluative surveys (experimental, quasi-experimental, observational) are
      presented. Criteria for choosing one type of survey are discussed. Examples of
      surveys are described.

PMID- 1871398
TI  - [Evaluation of screening programs].
AB  - This paper discusses the specific aspects involved in the assessment of screening
      programmes, compared to the assessment of other types of public health
      interventions. Screening programmes are aimed at healthy asymptomatic
      individuals, who, in case of a positive test, will be exposed to subsequent
      investigations or treatments. This paper stresses upon the several aspects to be
      taken into consideration when assessing the potential benefits and hazards of a
      screening programme, especially in order to limit hazards linked to false
      positive results: predictive value of the test according to its diagnostic value
      and the disease prevalence, existence of effective "treatments" in case of
      positive test. It underlines the need for adequate methods to evaluate positive
      and negative health effects, and psychological and social consequences.

PMID- 1871399
TI  - [Epidemiological evaluation of 4 public health interventions].
AB  - Methods for the epidemiological evaluation of interventions in Public Health are
      divided into experimental studies with randomization of "exposed" groups and
      "controls", and experimental studies without randomization where comparisons are
      made between periods of time ("before" and "after") or groups differing in their
      localization ("here" and "elsewhere"). Four attempts to evaluate interventions in
      Public health are presented. They were designed to appraise the efficiency of
      pregnancy survey by midwives acting at the home of pregnant women for the
      prevention of prematurity, to evaluate a program of prevention of ill-treatment
      of very young children, to assess a program of prevention of sexually transmitted
      diseases and of the impact of their complications on sterility, and to determine
      the effects of a campaign to support women having decided to breast-feed their
      babies. Despite the difficulties encountered in the definition of the protocols
      and their implementation these four surveys show that it is feasible to organize
      a network of professionals of various origins and to take into account
      professional constraints, ethical issues and the necessities of scientific
      evaluation.

PMID- 1871400
TI  - [Evaluation of health education programs].
AB  - Health education may be defined as a process that seeks to achieve voluntary
      changes in behavior conducive to health. Systematic program planning, based on an
      extensive investigation of the needs of a specific population is essential if
      health education is to attain validity in the eyes of the public, health
      professionals and policy makers who assess its value. In addition, unless
      educational programs have clearly defined and measurable objectives, health
      education will continue to be an area that uses the measurement of activities,
      rather than the measurement of changes in behavior and health status, as its
      ultimate goal. The PRECEDE model, presented here, offers a quantifiable means of
      conducting an educational diagnosis in health, behavioral and cognitive,
      attitudinal and organizational terms before the development of an educational
      program. The process allows the practitioner to define objectives, which form the
      basis for subsequent analyses of the effectiveness of the program.

PMID- 1871401
TI  - [Percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass. A procedure in the process of diffusion].

PMID- 1871402
TI  - [Hypertrophic myocardiopathy (I). The clinical and echocardiographic
      characteristics of a population of 72 patients].
AB  - The results of the echocardiographic evaluation of 72 patients with hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy are presented. We have measured left ventricular wall thickness in
      8 different segments and classified our patients in 6 types according to the
      hypertrophy extent. Moreover, we have evaluated by Doppler ultrasound the
      presence and severity of mitral regurgitation and the left ventricular inflow and
      outflow. The hypertrophy cardiomyopathy pattern was symmetric in 8 patients,
      apical in five, and asymmetric in 31. According to Maron classification,
      asymmetric cardiomyopathy was I type: 4 patients, II type: 16, III type: 11, and
      IV type: 0 patients. There were left ventricular outflow obstruction (greater
      than 25 mmHg) in 26 patients (36.1%). This obstruction was more frequent in II
      and III type hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and we found significative relationship
      between septal posterior segment hypertrophy and left ventricular outflow
      obstruction. Ventricular inflow showed bad distensibility pattern in 45 patients
      (62.5%). Mitral regurgitation was mild, moderate and severe in 25, 15, and 4
      patients. Left ventricular outflow obstruction, bad distensibility pattern and
      mitral regurgitation were independent each other.

PMID- 1871403
TI  - [The atrial contribution to ventricular filling in mitral stenosis. An evaluation
      by Doppler echocardiography].
AB  - Using Doppler echocardiography, we have quantified the atrial contribution to
      ventricular filling in 22 patients with mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm without
      or with minimal mitral and/or aortic regurgitation. With continuous wave Doppler
      from apex we obtained the ventricular filling flow from which the valvular area
      was calculated. The product of the integrated ventricular filling waves
      multiplying by the valvular area was called total volume (TV). Assuming that the
      deceleration of the ventricular filling flow is linear and remain constant, we
      integrated the transmitral flow, this time without considering the atrial filling
      wave as if the patient was entering into atrial fibrillation. Multiplying this
      integration by the valvular area we obtained a second volume, atrial fibrillation
      volume (AFV). The atrial contribution was calculated by: 1) absolute value: TV
      AFV and in 2) percent value or fraction: (TV-AFV/TV) x 100. When we correlate
      absolute and percent values with mitral valve area, the results were
      statistically significant in both cases (p less than 0.001), with an excellent
      regression factor both with absolute value r = 0.90 and the percent one r = 0.72.
      In mitral stenosis the atrial contribution to ventricular filling has an inverse
      relation with the grade of severity, being very low in the more severe lesions.
      This is why it would be doubtful that its lost (atrial contribution) is the only
      cause of hemodynamic deterioration that has been observed in patients who
      suddenly present atrial fibrillation.

PMID- 1871404
TI  - [Myocardial revascularization with the gastroepiploic artery. The initial
      experience].
AB  - The internal mammary artery is widely recognized as the graft of choice for
      coronary artery bypass grafting at present. Alternative conduits have been
      investigated in order to find other adequate long-term grafts. The right
      gastroepiploic artery has been recently used as a graft to bypass distal coronary
      vessels. From November 1989 to April 1990 we have implanted this artery in 33
      cases (32 in situ and one free grafts). The pedicled grafts were implanted in 17
      patients in the main right coronary artery, in 13 we grafted the right distal
      branches, in one the left anterior descending, and the circumflex branch in one.
      The free graft was implanted in the first diagonal. Mean grafts per patient was
      of three in this series, with a mean of 2 arterial grafts per patient. One
      patient died in the early postoperative period. The remaining patients had an
      uncomplicated postoperative period. Thirteen patients underwent graft and
      coronary angiography. Direct or indirect graft patency was confirmed in all
      cases. The final important issue concerning the long-term patency of this graft
      will be solved in the future, but short-term patency rates of the right
      gastroepiploic artery can be anticipated when proper techniques are used.

PMID- 1871405
TI  - [The cardioprotective action of nifedipine during short-term transient ischemia].
AB  - To determine the therapeutic activity on regional myocardial function of
      nifedipine intravenous administration (0.16 mg/kg) during short term myocardial
      induced ischemia, we used 6 mongrel dogs anesthetized and intubated those who we
      have implanted 3 pairs of ultrasonic crystals in the subendocardial layer.
      Utilizing an open chest canine model we performed total 1 minute and partial 2
      minutes 30 seconds alternative obstructions, controlled with electromagnetic
      flowmeters in the anterior descending (AD) and circumflex (Cx) coronary arteries
      before and after drug administration. During the 70-80% obstructions we have
      shown a significant improvement in segment shortening, reduced by ischemia, in
      the ischemic and peri-ischemic zone. The ischemic markers, per cent increment of
      end diastolic length (% IEDL) and per cent increment of end systolic length (%
      IESL), have shown significant improvement during partial obstructions in the
      ischemic and peri-ischemic zone. After total obstructions the improvement on
      regional myocardial function is less marked and limited to ischemic zone.

PMID- 1871406
TI  - [Cardiovascular surgery in Spain in 1989. The Registry of Operations of the
      Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery].
AB  - The Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery has sent a questionnaire to all 36
      cardiovascular surgical groups to know the number and type of cardiovascular
      operations carried out in our country during 1989. The questionnaire was answered
      by 36 out of 36. In the year 1989, 20,912 cardiovascular patients have been
      operated upon and 9,582 interventions with extracorporeal circulation have been
      carried out: 45% in valvular disease, 34% in coronary and 13% in congenital. The
      number of operations was 5,771 for vascular disease, 4,272 for valvular, 3,296
      for coronary, 1,973 for congenital and 3,031 for pacemaker implantation.
      Comparing with other countries, and specially with the Federal Republic of
      Germany, few points in our country deserve a remarkable mention: 1) Valvular
      pathology causes more operations than coronary one; 2) There is a low number of
      cardiovascular operations per million of inhabitants; 3) The cardiovascular
      surgical groups have a low yield.

PMID- 1871407
TI  - [Valvulopathies (XIV). The role of percutaneous valvuloplasty in congenital
      valvular diseases].
AB  - The present article describes the cooperative experience Cordoba-Las Palmas since
      1983 in 123 patients with congenital right or left ventricular outflow
      obstructions who were treated by percutaneous balloon dilatation. Seventy of them
      had pulmonary stenosis (63 valvular and seven supravalvular types); two had
      pulmonary atresia, 25 valvular aortic stenosis and 27 discrete subaortic
      stenosis. In patients with valvular pulmonic stenosis the gradient and the right
      ventricular pressure decreased significantly. No significant changes were
      observed in the degree of pulmonary regurgitation. One neonate died. No other
      major complications occurred. After a mean follow up of 3 +/- 2 years, we did not
      observe significant changes in the degree of pressure relief. The mean residual
      gradient is 26 +/- 19 mmHg. In our 21 patients out of the neonatal period with
      valvular aortic stenosis the gradient and the left ventricular pressure dropped
      significantly. Progression of aortic regurgitation in more than I grade was
      observed in 4 patients (19%), although only one (5%) progressed to grade III.
      There were no major complications in this group. After a mean follow up period of
      24 +/- 17 months they persist with the obtained pressure relief and same degree
      of valvular competence. All 4 neonates with critical aortic stenosis had
      unsuccessful dilations and they died, wether after ulterior surgery or without
      it. In 27 patients with discrete subaortic stenosis the gradient and the left
      ventricular pressure decreased markedly, without significant changes in valve
      competence. There were no related major complications. After dilation, a broken
      and mobile membrane was frequently seen. At follow up (24 +/- 18 months), 6
      patients (22%) had restenosis; five of them were successfully redilated. The
      remaining 21 patients persist with a reduced residual gradient (24 +/- 7 mmHg)
      and without significant changes in valve competence.

PMID- 1871408
TI  - [The double-orifice mitral valve. An evaluation by two-dimensional
      echocardiography and color echo-Doppler].
AB  - Double-orifice mitral valve is an uncommon congenital heart defect. The isolated
      occurrence of this anomaly is exceptional and, more often, is encountered in
      association with other congenital cardiac abnormalities. Principal among these
      are the partial and complete forms of the atrioventricular canal. In this paper,
      we present two cases of double-orifice mitral valve. Our first case is associated
      with subaortic stenosis and coarctation of aorta. The second case is an isolated
      one resembling a severe mitral stenosis. As we know, the diagnosis of this rare
      anomaly by color-Doppler technique has not been previously reported. We believe
      this technique provides definite anatomical and functional information about
      double-orifice mitral valve.

PMID- 1871409
TI  - [Left ventricular perforation following percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. Its
      emergency surgical correction in situ. Apropos a case].
AB  - Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty is actually accepted as alternative to surgery
      for treatment of rheumatic mitral stenosis, although today it is not still free
      from troublesome complications like ventricular perforation. We present here a
      patient in which was performed a percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty and that
      developed a left ventricular perforation at the end of the procedure, with
      hyperacute cardiac tamponade, requiring an in situ surgical salvagement on an
      emergency basis, performing a successful repair of the ventricular rupture in the
      own catheterization laboratory.

PMID- 1871410
TI  - [Two-dimensional color-Doppler in the diagnosis of left ventricle-right atrium
      shunts].
AB  - Left ventricular to right atrial shunts, known as Gerbode's defects, are a kind
      of uncommon atrioventricular defect, the diagnostic of which had been always
      based on hemodynamic and angiographic findings. Although, at the present, this
      diagnosis can be done easily by color Doppler echocardiography, there are few
      references in the literature. We show 4 patients in whom the diagnosis was made
      by this technique, pointing out the aspects to keep in mind in order to avoid
      erroneous interpretations. The diagnostic criteria were: systolic turbulence and
      high velocity jet without pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular out flow
      stenosis.

PMID- 1871411
TI  - [A study of arteriosclerotic disease and of ischemic cardiopathy in particular
      and the associated risk factors in the Autonomous Basque Community. The Euzkadi
      project].
AB  - The aim of the Euzkadi Project was to know the prevalence rate of cardiovascular
      disease and the high risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and
      cigarette smoking) in the Basque Country to carry out an intervention trials to
      reduce these factors if we have collaboration of the Public Health Service. We
      have studied a sample of 4,800 men, 25-64 years old, randomly selected (1,600 men
      in each province), the examination was done by cardiologist using the
      cardiovascular questionnaire by Blackburn and Rose, the cholesterol was tested in
      WHO Collaborating Lipid Reference Center (Prague) and the electrocardiogram was
      studied by Minnesota Code. The rate of Atherosclerotic disease was 69%, coronary
      heart disease 49% (12% angina tipica, 9% angina atipica and 28% myocardial
      infarction), stroke 7%, and peripheral vascular disease 13%. The rate of silent
      myocardial infarction was 31%. The rate of hypertension was 24%,
      hypercholesterolemia 14% and cigarette smoking 40%.

PMID- 1871412
TI  - [Topographic diagnosis by two-dimensional echocardiography of an intramyocardial
      foreign body].
AB  - A nineteen-year-old male was diagnosed as having a foreign body in his cardiac
      muscle after a mild open thoracic injury. Diagnosis and follow-up was performed
      by two-dimensional echocardiography. He did not show any complications after a 6
      month follow-up. We emphasize the rare presentation of this entity and the
      usefulness of echocardiography to attain the foreign body's size and place. Also,
      echocardiography helps therapeutic management and diagnosis of complications.

PMID- 1871413
TI  - [Two-dimensional and color-coded Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of
      infradiaphragmatic total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (ITAPVC) to the
      portal venous system].
AB  - We have studied by means of 2D echocardiogram and pulsed, continuous and codified
      colour Doppler, 3 newborns with a total anomalous infradiaphragmatic pulmonary
      venous connection to the portal vein. In the right subcostal projection we have
      observed the abnormal venous conduit crossing the diaphragm going to an enlarged
      portal system. The codified colour and the pulsed Doppler showed the venous
      characteristics and the abnormal direction of the flow. With these techniques it
      was also possible to detect the anatomic and functional intracardiac
      abnormalities. We consider these techniques a reliable method to make a surgical
      correction without the practise of any other invasive diagnostic method.

PMID- 1871414
TI  - Accumbens lesion in female rats increases mount rejection without modifying
      lordosis.
AB  - Ovariectomized Wistar rats received bilateral electrolytic (n = 24) or sham (n =
      11) lesion of the nucleus accumbens. Following priming with estradiol benzoate
      (25 micrograms/rat) and progesterone (0.5 mg/rat) they were tested for sexual
      behavior with a stud male. Tests were carried out once prior to operation and
      twice postoperatively. Both lordosis and rejection behaviors as responses to male
      mount attempts were evaluated for each session. Proceptive patterns (hopping,
      darting and presenting) were also recorded. Females with accumbens lesion did not
      differ from control animals either with regard to lordosis or to soliciting
      behaviors. On the contrary, the lesioned group showed a statistically significant
      increase in rejection behavior in both postoperative sessions (p less than 0.05
      and p less than 0.002). In conclusion, nucleus accumbens lesion dissociated the
      normal correlation between lordosis and rejection responses to male mount
      attempts without affecting soliciting behaviors. This finding is thought to be
      related to the hyperreactivity produced by nucleus accumbens lesion.

PMID- 1871415
TI  - [Variations induced by juvenile hormone and precocene II in the metabolic rate of
      3 species of insects].
AB  - The effects of juvenile hormone and precocoene II on the metabolic rate of
      Blattela germanica L. (Blattaria, Blattellidae), Spilostethus pandurus Scop.
      (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) and Oncopeltus fasciatus Dallas (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae)
      5th instar nymphs and adults have been investigated. Direct volumetric method was
      used to determine the oxygen consumption rate. JH produced a stage and/or sex
      dependent increase in the metabolic rate according to the species considered. On
      the other hand, PII decreased oxygen consumption in Blattella germanica and S.
      pandurus fifth instar and males, whereas O. fasciatus metabolic rate was not
      affected by the treatment.

PMID- 1871416
TI  - Angiotensin II increases MAO activity in rat central nervous system.
AB  - The effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) and bilateral nephrectomy on monoamine
      oxidase (MAO) activity were studied in rat hypothalamus and medulla oblongata.
      ANG II increased MAO activity in both central nervous system (CNS) regions. The
      fall of circulating ANG II caused by 48 h bilateral nephrectomy decreased the
      activity of the enzyme in the mentioned areas. The results showed that ANG II
      stimulates catecholamine metabolism in the CNS.

PMID- 1871417
TI  - Cafeteria diet induced obesity in rats is dependent on parity of dams.

PMID- 1871418
TI  - Total serum IgE concentration in splenectomized patients after abdominal trauma.

PMID- 1871419
TI  - [The significance of intra-clinical outcome criteria in geriatric rehabilitation-
      results of an after-care project on the issue of quality assurance].
AB  - Given the need for long-term quality assurance in the rehabilitation of geriatric
      patients, it is appropriate to inquire into the relevancy of intra-clinical
      outcome criteria for the patients' everyday life. It is assumed that everyday
      life at home will differ substantially from clinic routines, and that the
      rehabilitation potential achieved in the clinic will not as a matter of course be
      transferable. The findings of a follow-up project clearly show that long-term
      maintenance of rehabilitation potential, i.e. quality assurance, may be
      endangered primarily in three dimensions--psychic, social, and organizational. An
      orientation by purely intra-clinical outcome criteria of short reach (self-care,
      ADL, etc.), therefore, is contrasted with the consideration of psychosocial
      outcome criteria of long reach (quality of life, competence) in assessing
      rehabilitation outcome.

PMID- 1871420
TI  - [Interdisciplinary cooperation in rehabilitation--problem solving following
      severe craniocerebral injury].
AB  - Therapy and rehabilitation of patients with craniocerebral trauma is particularly
      difficult to programme on account of the neuropsychological defects and
      personality changes found in this population. The Ulm rehabilitation hospital
      seeks to face up to this fact by intense interdisciplinary cooperation in the
      nursing and medical sector, the fields of logopaedics, Occupational Therapy,
      physiotherapy, immediate post-acute therapy including cerebral training, as well
      as the entire field of vocational rehabilitation. A dense time schedule has been
      established for graded introduction of the necessary therapeutic interventions in
      the sense of a therapy chain, with intense information flows among the therapists
      involved, thus ensuring a continuous process and joint adjustment of programming
      to the individual course, to new problems that may arise. The implementation of
      this concept is set out on the example of a young patient with craniocerebral
      injury, who had received treatment in various of our departments for a total of
      12 months, finally bringing him up to the conclusion of his vocational education.

PMID- 1871421
TI  - [Fitness assessment and work therapy in a Phase II facility--a case example].
AB  - A case example is used to set out the practice of vocational assessment and work
      adjustment in a medical-vocational, i.e. Phase II, facility. Formulated jointly
      by the rehabilitation team, the basic therapy objectives, by constant liaison
      with the employer, are differentiated in view of the future place of work and the
      performance required from the patient. The individual case serves to illustrate
      the effectiveness of this therapy approach intended to smoothen the transition
      from inpatient treatment to vocational reintegration.

PMID- 1871422
TI  - [Efficacy of combined relaxation exercises for children with bronchial asthma].
AB  - In the framework of a pilot study, 15 children having bronchial asthma (4 female,
      11 male; age 5-11;6) participated, over a period of 8 weeks, in two weekly
      sessions of combined relaxation, respiratory and sports exercises. The present
      article in particular focuses on the relaxation exercises, made up of Progressive
      Muscle Relaxation and Autogenic Training elements as well as of phantasy travels,
      mantras, and periodic music. Ongoing observation of the children during training,
      the findings of subsequent semi-structured interviews with them, topical
      instances of coping with impending asthma attacks by using the techniques
      learned, as well as the results of a catamnestic inquiry some three years later-
      all indicate a positive impact of the relaxation exercises. Statistical analysis
      of the data at hand revealed significant improvements in a number of pulmonary
      function parameters (airway resistance, forced expiratory volume for 1 s, forced
      vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate). Interpretation of these findings must
      however take into account the entirety of the training provided.

PMID- 1871423
TI  - Escherichia coli DNA-binding protein H-NS is localized in the nucleoid.
AB  - Electron microscope localization of the 15.4-kDa DNA-binding protein H-NS was
      carried out in Escherichia coli cells subjected to cryosubstitution followed by
      immuno-labelling with the protein A/gold technique. Three types of E. coli cells
      were used: (1) "normal" cells growing exponentially at 37 degrees C; (2) "cold
      shocked" cells two hours after the shift from 37 degrees C to 10 degrees C; and
      (3) cells in which an expression vector had been induced to overproduce H-NS. The
      results clearly indicate that in all 3 cases, the vast majority of the molecules
      reacting with anti-H-NS antibodies are localized within the nucleoid and at the
      border between the nucleoid and the ribosome-rich cytoplasm, which supports the
      premise that H-NS is implicated in the condensation of the nucleoid.

PMID- 1871424
TI  - Structure and stereochemistry of mycolic acids of Mycobacterium marinum and
      Mycobacterium ulcerans.
AB  - Mycobacterium marinum and M. ulcerans were previously shown to synthesize lipid
      compounds which are stereochemically different from the corresponding molecules
      isolated from M. tuberculosis and other species. Stereochemical and biogenetic
      studies of mycolic acids isolated from M. marinum showed that the absolute
      configurations of the chiral centres occurring in the mycolates are identical to
      those of the other mycobacterial species examined so far. Furthermore, all the
      methyl branches were found to come from methionine whatever the configuration of
      the centre. The structures of the mycolates synthesized by M. marinum and M.
      ulcerans were found to be identical, consisting of dicyclopropyl and
      monocyclopropyl monoenoic mycolates, monoenoic keto- and methoxymycolates, thus
      reinforcing the taxonomical relationship between the two species.

PMID- 1871425
TI  - Further stereochemical studies of phthiocerol and phenol phthiocerol in
      mycobacteria.
AB  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. marinum and some other pathogenic species
      elaborate waxes A, based on a long-chain beta-diol (phthiocerol and companion
      compounds) and polymethyl-branched fatty acids. The stereochemical studies
      conducted on waxes A showed that those of M. tuberculosis, M. leprae and M.
      kansasii differ from waxes A isolated from M. marinum and M. ulcerans by the
      absolute configuration of the methyl-branched chiral centres occurring in both
      the long-chain beta-diols and the fatty acyls. Furthermore, the two mycobacterial
      groups also differ in the stereochemistry of the beta-diol chiral centres.

PMID- 1871426
TI  - Multiplication and persistence of Spiroplasma melliferum strain A56 in
      experimentally infected suckling mice.
AB  - Strain A56 of the bee pathogen Spiroplasma melliferum was isolated from a
      honeybee (Apis mellifera) during ecological studies on mosquito spiroplasmas in
      Savoie (France). When inoculated intracerebrally (i.c.) into 48-h old suckling
      mice, this strain was found to replicate to very high titres and to persist in
      brain for up to 9 months in one individual. We attempted to increase the
      "neurotropism" of A56 by sequential i.c. passages. During the first two passages,
      multiplication of the organisms was observed at very high titres in suckling
      mouse brain (10(7) to 10(11) CCU/ml) generally without the appearance of
      antibody, thus mimicking the so-called "immunological tolerance" phenomenon.
      Intracerebral multiplication of A56 decreased during the third passage (10(2) to
      10(4) CCU/ml) and ceased during the fourth passage. Spiroplasma multiplication in
      brain was apparently well tolerated, since brain lesions were minimal and
      clinical symptoms were limited to a clear, but only rarely significant, delay in
      growth curves of inoculated versus non-inoculated mice. Progressive spongiform
      encephalopathy was never observed. Strain A56 S. melliferum appears as the second
      spiroplasma, after the tick-derived Spiroplasma mirum capable of multiplying in
      both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts.

PMID- 1871427
TI  - Chemical principles in the organization of lipid components in the mycobacterial
      cell envelope.

PMID- 1871428
TI  - Contributing factors of pathogenesis in the Mycobacterium avium complex.

PMID- 1871429
TI  - Mycobacterial cell wall and pathogenicity: a lipodologist's view.

PMID- 1871430
TI  - Permeability of the mycobacterial cell wall.

PMID- 1871431
TI  - Structure-to-function relationship of mycobacterial cell envelope components.

PMID- 1871432
TI  - Studies on the role of the mycobacterial cell envelope in the multiple drug
      resistance of atypical mycobacteria.

PMID- 1871433
TI  - Structure, function and biogenesis of the cell envelope of mycobacteria in
      relation to bacterial physiology, pathogenesis and drug resistance; some thoughts
      and possibilities arising from recent structural information.

PMID- 1871434
TI  - Recent observations concerning structure and function relationships in the
      mycobacterial cell envelope: elaboration of a model in terms of mycobacterial
      pathogenicity, virulence and drug-resistance.

PMID- 1871435
TI  - [Eosinophil-induced lung injury].

PMID- 1871436
TI  - [Prognosis of chronic heart failure].

PMID- 1871437
TI  - [Arterial oxygen saturation monitoring with pulse oximeter].

PMID- 1871438
TI  - [Teflon mandril method for pre-clotting a highly porous small-caliber fabric
      prosthesis].
AB  - Healing characteristics in a highly porous fabric prosthesis are better than in a
      porous low one. However, bleeding from the highly porous graft wall after
      implantation has been a very big problem for surgeons, preventing them from using
      this prosthesis. When a small-caliber graft is pre-clotted and implanted, the
      condition of the inner surface, such as smoothness, enhances patency and anti
      thrombogenicity. We developed a method for pre-clotting a highly porous small
      caliber fabric prosthesis using Teflon Mandril. Before pre-clotting, a fabric
      vascular prosthesis was held end-to-end and stretched to make the crimp shallow.
      Teflon stick, which outer diameter was 0.5 mm smaller than the graft, was used to
      pre-clot. Fresh blood was poured into the space between the stick and the
      vascular graft. After 3 to 5 minutes, when the blood coagulated, the vascular
      graft with the stick inside was squeezed with a dry towel. Care was taken not to
      peel the fibrin attached to the graft. With this method, a smooth and tight
      fibrin meshwork was obtained at the inner surface. This procedure was repeated
      five times. As a control, pre-clotting was induced according to Yate's method
      using the same fabric prosthesis. Two groups of pre-clotted grafts were examined
      macroscopically and in a perfusion model. Macroscopically, the inside of the
      graft in the developed method was smooth and without thrombus. On the other hand,
      in the control grafts, the fibrin meshwork was observed and thrombus at the crimp
      was noticed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871439
TI  - [Pathology of pulmonary embolism].
AB  - The incidence of pulmonary embolism was surveyed in 500 serial autopsy records
      (1984-1989) in Nagoya University Hospital. This disease occurred in 77 cases
      (15.4%) and acute fatal pulmonary embolism was the cause of death in 30 cases
      (6.0%). This incidence was higher than has previously been reported in Japan, and
      almost the same as the incidence reported is USA or Western Europe.
      Thromboembolism was the major cause of this phenomenon in our series. Thirty-four
      cases were thrombo-embolized. Venous thrombi in 15 cases resulted from
      intravenous catheter. Tumor emboli were observed in 18 cases, bone or soft part
      sarcomas in 6 cases, hepatocellular carcinomas in 6 and renal cell carcinomas in
      3. Fungus emboli were observed in 19 cases. Aspergillus was the major cause of
      thrombi in 14 immunocompromised patients. Six typical cases (1. post traumatic
      thromboembolism, 2. fatal thromboembolism due to catheter, 3. tumor embolism, 4.
      fungal embolism, 5. amniotic fluid embolism and 6. bone marrow embolism) were
      discussed from the viewpoint of clinicopathology.

PMID- 1871440
TI  - [Optimal pressure support ventilation as studied in a mathematical model].
AB  - To determine the optimal pressure support (PS) level in pressure support
      ventilations (PSV), we combined a mathematical model representing lung mechanics
      and alveolar gas exchange with a PS respirator model. As suggested by Fiastro et
      al. (1988), we defined the optimal PS level with regard to the work of breathing
      in such a way that the external inspiratory work of breathing equalled zero. We
      found that the optimal PS level determined as above resulted in the mean airway
      pressure calculated during an inspiratory phase being equal to zero (or a CPAP
      level). Thus we suggest that the optimal pressure support in terms of the work of
      breathing could be accomplished without a direct calculation of the work of
      breathing.

PMID- 1871441
TI  - [Influence of reperfusion therapy on left ventricular remodeling after acute
      myocardial infarction].
AB  - To determine the relation between reperfusion therapy and left ventricular
      function and remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 75 consecutive
      patients with anterior AMI were studied. The patients were divided into four
      groups according to the reperfusion outcome and time to reperfusion from onset of
      MI: 12 patients with spontaneous reperfusion, 18 patients with early (less than
      4th) successful reperfusion, 16 patients with late (greater than or equal to 4th)
      successful reperfusion and 29 patients with unsuccessful reperfusion. The right
      oblique left ventriculograms (LVG), which was performed early (n = 19) and late
      after infarction (n = 75) were analyzed to assess left ventricular (LV) volume
      and global and regional LV function. At the late examination, spontaneous early
      and late reperfused patients showed smaller LV volume (endo diastolic and endo
      systolic volume index) than unsuccessfully reperfused patients LV volume was
      similar in both early and late reperfused patients. Spontaneous and early
      reperfused patients showed higher LV ejection fraction (EF) and better regional
      wall motion (RWM) than unsuccessfully reperfused patients. Both EF and RWM was
      similar in late and unsuccessfully reperfused patients at the late examination.
      Endo-diastolic and endo-systolic volume index increased significantly with time
      in patients with unsuccessful reperfusion (n = 10), as compared with the index
      found in the early examination. In patients with late reperfusion (n = 5), end
      diastolic volume index increased with time, but end-systolic volume index was
      unchanged. RMW improved in patients with early reperfusion (n = 4), but was
      unchanged in patients with late and unsuccessful reperfusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871442
TI  - [Effects of isosorbide dinitrate on coronary and systemic circulation in
      children].
AB  - The effects of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) on the coronary and systemic
      circulation were evaluated in 8 children with angiographically normal coronary
      arteries. ISDN, 100 micrograms/kg, was given as a intracoronary injection. The
      pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left
      ventricular end diastolic pressure which are related to the pre-load were
      significantly reduced 1 min after the ISDN injection. The systolic blood pressure
      was reduced, and heart rate increased. The cardiac output, pressure-rate product
      and systemic vascular resistance showed no significant change. The systolic work
      index, however, was significantly reduced. ISDN induced a significant dilatation,
      ranging from 4.0% to 12.9%, in the diameter of the coronary vessels. There was,
      however, no change in the coronary blood flow, coronary perfusion pressure and
      coronary vascular resistance. The grade of the dilatation of the coronary vessels
      by ISDN in children was lower as compared with that in adult.

PMID- 1871443
TI  - [A case of multiple myeloma with heart failure improved remarkably by
      chemotherapy alone].
AB  - A rare case is reported, in which heart failure in a patient with multiple
      myeloma without amyloidosis was improved following chemotherapy for the myeloma.
      The patient, a 50 year-old man, came to our hospital for examination because of
      anemia and hematuria. He was diagnosed as having an IgG kappa type of myeloma
      with the relatively rare complication of renal cancer. A chest X-ray revealed
      cardiomegaly and pulmonary congestion. An echocardiogram revealed an enlarged
      left ventricle with decreased wall motion. No cardiac amyloid deposits were
      detected upon endomyocardial biopsy. Chemotherapy for the myeloma which was
      carried out before the operation for renal cancer was not only effective for
      control of the myeloma, but also decreased the pulmonary congestion and improved
      the heart function. It is suggested that the lowering of heart function in this
      patient was not due to amyloid infiltration as is relatively frequent in heart
      failure but was due to increased blood viscosity due to the multiple myeloma.

PMID- 1871444
TI  - [A case of fulminant hepatic failure secondary to congestive heart failure].
AB  - It has been generally accepted that congestive heart failure does not lead to
      fulminant hepatic failure, unless it is associated with cardiac shock or low
      cardiac output. Only three cases have been reported, in which liver congestion is
      followed by fulminant hepatic failure without a history of shock or low cardiac
      output. Here we present a case of a 48-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy
      and pulmonary infarction, who developed fulminant hepatic failure from
      congestion. When he was admitted for the control of diabetes mellitus,
      hepatomegaly of 3-finger breadth and marked cardiomegaly without pulmonary
      congestion was noted. Diabetes was controlled using insulin. But 3 weeks after
      admission, he sometimes complained of back dullness because of pulmonary
      infarction. His heart gradually increased in size, and Jugular venous dilatation
      and pretibial pitting edema also worsened. Jaundice was noted and serum GOT and
      GPT increased. A large liver of 6-finger breath below the right costal margin was
      able to be felt. But within one week, the size of the liver markedly decreased
      and the signs of hepatic failure such as jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy and
      numerous petechiae appeared. Blood pressure was maintained and no hypotension or
      cardiac shock was noted. The patient died of fulminant hepatic failure on the
      20th days after onset of the hepatic failure. The autopsy revealed liver atrophy
      with severe central lobular necrosis, and thrombus in the right main pulmonary
      artery which caused severe pulmonary infarction. The mechanism of fulminant
      hepatic failure not accompanied with low cardiac output is discussed.

PMID- 1871445
TI  - [Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with anomalous origin of the left
      coronary artery from the right sinus of valsalva].
AB  - A 47 year old Japanese male with exertional shortness of breath, cardiac murmur
      and ECG abnormalities was examined with invasive and non-invasive cardiology
      techniques that disclosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the anomalous origin
      of the left coronary artery from the right sinus of Valsalva. Although both
      situations have been known to cause sudden death especially under a state of
      strenuous physical stress, his exercise thallium scintigraphy performed with the
      symptom limited maximal test did not uncover any significant myocardial ischemia
      or exercise induced malignant arrhythmias. This is a very rare association of two
      distinctly identified clinical situations highly indicative of a likelihood of
      sudden cardiac death. Therefore, careful observation is needed.

PMID- 1871446
TI  - [Acute congestive heart failure due to malignant rheumatoid arthritis].
AB  - A 54-year-old woman with malignant rheumatoid arthritis was admitted with acute
      congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. The precipitating antibody
      to nuclear ribonucleoprotein (nRNP) was highly positive. Her hands and feet
      showed typical rheumatoid deformities and Raynaud's phenomenon. In a few days her
      feet became to necrosis due to vasculitis. "Pulse" methylprednisolone and
      prednisone therapy resulted in normalization of seropositivity, and left
      ventricular ejection fraction with symptoms of congestive heart failure, and the
      elimination of ECG abnormalities. Recognition of symptoms of left ventricular
      dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis should prompt testing for
      active arteritis and/or myocarditis, because dramatic improvement may result from
      immunosuppressive therapy.

PMID- 1871447
TI  - Cutaneous pseudo-T-cell lymphomas.

PMID- 1871448
TI  - Actinic reticuloid.
AB  - AR can be regarded as the most severe variant of the spectrum of chronic actinic
      dermatitis. The exact etiology is still unknown, but is probably multifactorial,
      involving contact allergic, photoallergenic, phototoxic, immunologic, and
      metabolic factors. A diagnosis of AR should only be made when the following
      criteria are present: (1) persistent infiltrated papules and plaques on light
      exposed skin, often with extension to covered areas or generalized infiltrated
      erythroderma; (2) photosensitivity to a broad spectrum of wavelengths, including
      UV-B, UV-A, and part of the visible spectrum; and (3) on histologic examination,
      a dermal infiltrate with presence of atypical lymphoid cells. When one or two
      criteria are lacking, the more general term chronic actinic dermatitis should be
      preferred. The presence of a lymphoid infiltrate dominated by CD8+ cells seems to
      be useful as an additional marker for a diagnosis of AR. A CD8+ predominance in
      dermal infiltrates is exceptional and has been reported in clinically
      distinguished conditions such as graft-versus-host disease, lichen planus,
      erythema multiforme, and pityriasis lichenoides acuta, as well as chronica, and,
      finally, in mycosis fungoides. In erythrodermic patients, the presence of a CD8+ 
      dominated dermal infiltrate and, especially, a reversed CD4+ to CD8+ ratio in the
      peripheral blood are highly characteristic for a definite diagnosis of AR. It is
      not known why preferentially CD8+ lymphocytes occur in AR. Exposure to UV
      radiation can induce the presence of suppressor cells. In late lesions of
      polymorphic light eruption, there is also an increase of CD8+ cells as compared
      with early lesions, perhaps contributing to local suppression of the inflammatory
      response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871449
TI  - Seminars in diagnostic pathology. Introduction.

PMID- 1871450
TI  - The morphologic spectrum of T-cell lymphomas of the skin: a proposal for a new
      classification.

PMID- 1871451
TI  - Immunohistological markers for the diagnosis of cutaneous lymphomas.

PMID- 1871452
TI  - Variants of mycosis fungoides and related cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.

PMID- 1871453
TI  - Reticulohistiocytoma of the dorsum (Crosti's disease) and other B-cell lymphomas.

PMID- 1871454
TI  - Intravascular lymphomatosis: clinicopathologic features and differential
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1871455
TI  - [Pathologic processes of lumbar primary sensory neurons produced by high doses of
      pyridoxine in rats--morphometric and electron microscopic studies].
AB  - The morphologic effects of the toxicity of high doses of pyridoxine hydrochloride
      (vitamin B6) on the lumbar primary sensory neurons in rats were studied. The test
      rats were treated with 1,200 mg/kg of pyridoxine hydrochloride by intraperitoneal
      injection once a day, and were sacrificed by perfusion at periods ranging from
      one to seven days after the injection, together with the control rats. Initial
      lesions consisted of eccentricity and crenation of the nucleus and vacuole
      formation in the cytoplasm of large dorsal root ganglion neurons, 2 days after
      the injection. These lesions were followed by segregation of the nucleolus, axon
      reaction-like changes in the cytoplasm and axonal degeneration of both peripheral
      axons in the sural nerve and central axons in the fasciculus gracilis. The
      frequency of teased myelinated fibers showing axonal degeneration during tests
      was significantly greater than in control 3 to 7 days after the injection. No
      significant difference of such frequency was found between the proximal and
      distal sural nerve during tests. The number of large myelinated fibers per nerve
      in the sural nerve, when compared with control, was preferentially decreased
      during tests. In the fasciculus gracilis, the decrease of the density of
      myelinated fibers was more pronounced in the third cervical segment than in the
      fifth thoracic segment. Because both peripheral and central axons were similarly
      affected and the initial lesions were found in the neuronal cell body, the mode
      of degeneration of axons in this study was regarded as "neuronopathy". By both
      light and electron microscopy, accumulation of mitochondria, vesicles,
      multilamellar and dense bodies were found in the nodal and distal paranodal axons
      of myelinated fibers in the sixth dorsal root ganglion on the 2nd day after the
      injection, which preceded the degeneration of both peripheral and central axons.
      Such accumulation, revealed for the first time in this study, may reflect the
      presence of a blockade of the axoplasmic transport in the proximal axon and cell
      body of the lumbar primary sensory neuron and subsequently give rise to the
      degeneration of both peripheral and central axons of the lumbar primary sensory
      neuron. The pathologic alterations at the different sites of the lumbar primary
      sensory neuron revealed in this study should be taken into consideration for the
      better understanding not only of the pathogenesis of human pyridoxine-induced
      sensory neuropathy, but also of other human and experimental neuropathies.

PMID- 1871456
TI  - Clinicopathological study of pulmonary giant cell carcinomas with reference to
      prognosis of patients.
AB  - Giant cell carcinomas of the lung have been notorious in fulminant clinical
      courses. Thus, this report describes two exceptionally favorable cases among six
      cases of giant cell carcinoma of the lung. Their histopathological features are a
      sharply-demarcated tumor of Stage I, absence of vascular permeation of the cancer
      cells, prominent lymphoid and plasma cell infiltration in the tumor tissue, and
      lymph follicle formation in the surrounding tissues. Another case with a Stage II
      tumor showed the same histopathological findings as the above two cases with the
      exception of lymphatic permeation of the cancer cells. This patient expired about
      one year after undergoing an operation. As conventional controls, the remaining
      three cases with Stage III tumors showed an alveolar extension of tumor cells and
      vascular permeation. There was a fulminant course after the operation.
      Notwithstanding similar intervals from their clinical onset to operation in the 4
      cases other than Cases 4 and 6, their stages showed considerable variations.
      Hence, each histopathological feature might have substantiated the different
      clinical courses following the operation. Electron microscopy of three of the
      cases indicated double-membrane-bound blisters with intermediate junctions in the
      bizarre giant cells, and cancer cell differentiation toward both glandular and
      squamous directions.

PMID- 1871457
TI  - Effects of hyperbaric environment on the P300 component of event-related
      potentials.
AB  - Hyperbaric chamber dives at 19 ATA with helium-oxygen were performed at the Japan
      Marine Science Technology Center, Yokosuka, from January 31 to February 2 in
      1990. During simulated underwater experiments, event-related potentials were
      recorded in 2 divers for assessment of the cognitive function. Although the P300
      amplitude of the potentials did not show any significant change, its latency was
      clearly prolongated and this prolongation continued to when the decompression
      reached to 70 m below sea level. These findings indicated that the hyperbaric
      environment corresponding to 180 m below sea level or less must cause some
      cognitive dysfunctions and that P300 is useful for early detection of those
      dysfunctions or HPNS.

PMID- 1871458
TI  - [Medical students' images of the occupational health physician--on the evaluation
      of motivation in medical education].
AB  - One of the aims of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health,
      Japan, is to educate students to become occupational health physicians. However,
      the number of students who enter the university without an understanding of this
      aim is large. Therefore, the course titled 'Introductory Lectures on Occupational
      and Environmental Health' was planned for the 2nd-year students with the purpose
      of giving them the motivation to become occupational health physicians. Surveys
      of students' images of the term "occupational health physician" before and after
      taking the course were accomplished using the method of 'Monju card', that is,
      three students, in turn, write their ideas of an occupational health physician on
      a card. Moreover, after the series of lectures, students were assigned a self
      evaluation regarding the improvement of their images. The results of these
      surveys show that favorable images increased after the course, that classes
      offering information regarding the occupational health physician had an influence
      on the improvement of the images, and that students desire more such information.
      However, as some students indicated a strong rejection to becoming occupational
      health physicians throughout the course, a different type of course, and a new
      philosophy regarding the training of medical students may be necessary.

PMID- 1871459
TI  - [Problems in brain death--comparison of Germany and Japan].

PMID- 1871460
TI  - [Post-concussion syndrome: organic lesions and/or functional brain disorders? How
      to assess this in a medicolegal context?].

PMID- 1871462
TI  - [The HELLP syndrome. Main aspects and review of cases].

PMID- 1871461
TI  - [Cardiac transplantation. Current aspects exemplified by personal experience].

PMID- 1871463
TI  - [Compliance: a health problem].

PMID- 1871464
TI  - [Current therapeutic agents 1989-1990].

PMID- 1871465
TI  - [Recurrent benign intrahepatic cholestasis].

PMID- 1871466
TI  - [Valve replacement for endocarditis due to Cardiobacterium hominis].

PMID- 1871467
TI  - [Mycotic pseudo-aneurysm].

PMID- 1871468
TI  - [Anatomo-clinical conference. Multiple pulmonary masses and Wegener's disease:
      diagnosis and treatment with anti-infective agents].

PMID- 1871469
TI  - [What is your diagnosis? B). Diphyllobothriasis. C). Feces examination for
      helminths].

PMID- 1871470
TI  - [Therapy of hypercholesterolemia--when, who, how?].

PMID- 1871471
TI  - [The oncologist and his patient].
AB  - The motifs of medical practise, in particular by the oncologist and the basic
      experience of the patient notably the cancer patient are presented. They
      represent the prerequisite for an individually taylored, solid relationship
      between physician and patient founding on mutual trust. Medical practise is
      nowadays founded on a scientific rationale. In contrast to earlier times the
      ethos of compassion pertains the private sphere. It is the physicians individual
      choice to proffer the traditional compassion as interest in the fate of an
      individual patient or not. The fundamental experience of an individual that his
      destiny lies no longer in his own hands expresses itself in a paradigmatic way by
      the perception of his illness. The cancer patient experiences--as other patients
      do--the threats but also his healing as occurrences not caused by him. He
      therefore does not identify his disease with objective impairments or pathologic
      findings. On the contrary, he perceives it as a threat to himself, his existence
      and his personality. The patient experiences his fate, to depend on circumstances
      and particularly on other individuals, their benevolence, their acceptance, their
      help. Trust is the basis for relationship between the cancer patient and his
      physician. Trust is also acceptance of dependence. Dependence is only acceptable
      if the physician is trustworthy. Trustworthiness cannot be gained by scientific
      competence alone but requires personal affection by compassion with the patients
      fate. The physician needs ethical competence to fulfill his task. Information of
      the patient gains a particular importance in this context. It, as well as the
      divergent assessment of the disease by patient and physician--the anthropologic
      difference--and the "equilibrating systems" are exposed.

PMID- 1871472
TI  - [Performing self-measurement of blood pressure: a patient survey].
AB  - In the present study the knowledge of 200 patients of our hypertension clinic
      about the technique of blood-pressure self-measurement was investigated using a
      questionnaire of 22 questions. 44-66% of the patients in different age groups
      measured their own blood-pressure, showing that self-measurement is commonly
      used, regardless of the age. 73% of the patients had bought a device on their
      own, but only 17% on the physician's advice. Possible causes for erroneous
      measurements were rarely known and underestimated by the patients. Due to lacking
      or insufficient instruction a relatively high percentage of the patients did not
      perform correct measurements. 45% did not measure the blood-pressure at the same
      time of day, 45% did not read systolic and diastolic pressures to the nearest 2
      mmHg mark of the manometer scale, 59% did not count the pulse rate and 52% did
      not document the blood-pressure values. About half of the patients adjusted their
      medication on the ground of self-measured blood-pressure determinations. 45% of
      the elderly patients felt that their compliance had improved by self-measurement
      in contrast to 17% in the younger group. Given the increasing use of blood
      pressure self-measurement we conclude that education of patients and physicians
      on possibilities and limitations of self-measurement as well as optimal training
      in the correct technique seem advisable.

PMID- 1871473
TI  - [Dimethindene maleate administered via intramuscular route in man: local and
      systemic tolerance].
AB  - Local and systemic tolerance of dimethindene maleate was studied in 10 healthy
      volunteers by the intramuscular route (4 mg in 4 ml solvent). Subjective
      perception of pain and other reported side effects were registered and objective
      signs at the injection site were assessed repeatedly. Hematologic and biochemical
      tests were performed before and after completion of the study. Two volunteers
      complained about local pain immediately and one hour after the injection. An
      other volunteer developed a small hematoma within 48 hours after injection. No
      other side effects or adverse reactions were noted. Good tolerance of
      dimethindene maleate after intramuscular application could thus be established.

PMID- 1871474
TI  - [Routine screening for Chlamydia: is it sensible during pregnancy?].
AB  - 610 pregnant patients were examined for evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis
      infection. Chlamydia trachomatis could be detected in 18 of these 610 patients.
      This results in a low prevalence rate of 3%; therefore, screening for Chlamydia
      trachomatis is not indicated in our pregnant population. Among the 18 chlamydia
      positive patients we could not discover any risk factors that were associated
      with this infection. Because of the varied and sometimes silent course in
      affected patients, this special investigation should be used liberally in a
      variety of situations.

PMID- 1871475
TI  - [Fever, swelling of testis and epididymis, poly-lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly].
AB  - An 18-year-old Turkish farmer was admitted to the hospital because of fever,
      painful scrotal swelling, generalized lymph-node enlargement and splenomegaly.
      After an incubation period of six days Brucella melitensis was isolated in blood
      culture. The diagnosis of acute brucellosis with lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly
      and epididymitis was made. He was treated with doxycycline and Rifampicin for six
      weeks and recovered completely. Three months after therapy he felt well. A
      relapse did not occur.

PMID- 1871476
TI  - [A case from practice (215). Crohn's disease with involvement of the terminal
      ileum, cecum, ascending colon and development of a peri-anal fistula with
      accompanying entero-arthritis (Bilateral sacroiliitis)].

PMID- 1871477
TI  - [What is your roentgen diagnosis?].

PMID- 1871478
TI  - [Current knowledge about the progression of chronic kidney failure].

PMID- 1871479
TI  - [Patient selection and efficacy of tumor after-care in surgically treated
      colorectal carcinoma].
AB  - Scheduled follow-up after surgically treated colorectal cancer remains
      controversial because eventually only about 5% of patients profit from it.
      Careful selection should therefore spare those patients unnecessary
      investigations who are least likely to benefit from follow-up. Only patients
      should be considered whose tumor was completely resected and who were found free
      of distant metastases. These patients should be fully informed about their
      disease and accept scheduled investigation even if asymptomatic. A questionable
      operability with regard to a second surgical intervention forbids formal entry
      into a follow-up program as well as a decreased life expectancy due to other
      disease. The family physician is most qualified to carry out or coordinate these
      investigations. For the first two postoperative years intervals of three and for
      the further three years of six months are recommended. Physical examination and
      determination of CEA titers are the essential measures; colonoscopy, sonography,
      CT scans, chest X-ray, and for rectal cancer, endoluminal sonography are
      undertaken periodically. In such a selected cohort one can expect a resectable
      recurrence in 25% of patients, of which 20% can be cured.

PMID- 1871480
TI  - [Stress fractures].
AB  - The clinical and radiologic picture of the rarely known stress fracture is
      illustrated by a case study of a calcaneus lesion. Two different aspects of the
      radiologic findings depending on localisation are demonstrated, and a third
      variant course without radiologic signs is postulated. It has to be emphasized
      that the typical stress fracture of the spongiosa has features that do not
      correspond to the common pictures of a fracture. It is, therefore, often
      overlooked in the beginning. A complete fracture can thus develop, necessitating
      a surgical stabilisation, i.e. of the head of the femur. Therefore, early
      diagnosis is essential.

PMID- 1871481
TI  - [Vegetative psychological syndrome].
AB  - The common psychoautomatic syndrome nowadays represents the most frequently
      encountered disease. Since more than 20 years I use a scale of seven for all
      single psychic and somatic autonomic symptoms. I have termed 'autonomic
      psychosyndrome' the characteristic psychopathology associated with autonomic
      dysfunctions. This entity is the most common psychosyndrome. Its autonomic
      manifestations are linked to the actually prevailing 'Zeitgeist', devoid of
      eternity, immortality, God as well as divine foresight and reason. I perceive the
      cause of autonomic dysfunction as lack of faith and trust. The gift to believe,
      to trust adequately, is disturbed. Causal therapy consists in healing of this
      faithlessness and inability to trust.

PMID- 1871482
TI  - [Osteoporosis in Turner's syndrome].
AB  - Axial and appendicular osteoporosis are common features of Turner's syndrome. The
      histology of this osteoporosis is similar in some respects to postmenopausal
      osteoporosis. Therefore, we treated a woman with Turner's syndrome who developed
      a vertebral wedge fracture, despite estrogen substitution since adolescence, with
      bone stimulating drugs. Absence of a beneficial effect on bone biological indices
      or bone mineral density, could be explained by other pathogenetic factors like a
      direct result of the chromosomal abnormality or other hormonal deficiencies.

PMID- 1871483
TI  - [Headache, hypertension].

PMID- 1871484
TI  - [What is your diagnosis? Brucellosis].

PMID- 1871485
TI  - [Is endoscopic subureteral injection therapy an alternative to conventional
      surgical therapy in vesico-ureteral reflux?].

PMID- 1871486
TI  - [Can normal peripheral bone density measurements in osteoporotic spinal fractures
      be diagnostically significant?].
AB  - In secondary osteoporosis, amazing etiologies can be found: We report on two
      cases of nonsecretory myeloma, which had been diagnosed by investigations for
      osteoporosis. In this connection the diagnostic value of bone-density evaluation
      by densitometry and high-resolution tomography is discussed and illustrated.

PMID- 1871487
TI  - [A case from practice (222). Essential hematuria].

PMID- 1871488
TI  - [Laboratory quiz No.27].

PMID- 1871489
TI  - [Bruxism in children and adolescents].
AB  - It is important to know child bruxism symptomatology and etiology. It will allow
      diagnosis by simple endo and exo oral examination, in deciduous and mixte
      denture. Early treatment of bruxism can then be established, preserving integrity
      of permanent denture.

PMID- 1871490
TI  - [Calcified stylo-hyoid ligament. Its role in the diagnosis of laterocervical
      pain].
AB  - The calcification of the stylo-hyoid ligament is very often accidentally
      discovered during a panorex examination. Sometimes it is responsible of lateral
      and cervical pain spreading to the oral cavity and the maxilla. This anatomic
      landmark results in man from the more or less complete ossification of the hyo
      branchial system due to the persistence of the Reichert cartilage. The anatomical
      environment of the ossified stylo-hyoid ligament is very rich in thick blood
      vessels and cranial nerves and can lead after compression or irritation to:
      vascular pain of the external carotid artery, recurrent syncopes by irritation of
      the carotid sinus, pain in the tonsils, phonation and swallowing troubles,
      referred pain in the temporo-mandibular joints. The standard clinical and
      radiographic examination will help to establish the differential diagnosis. The
      treatment is either non surgical, by cutaneous infiltration of local anesthetic
      or surgical, by the removal through the oral cavity of the calcified stylo-hyoid
      ligament.

PMID- 1871491
TI  - [Psychogenic oral paresthesia].
AB  - Psychogenic oral paresthesia represent a proteiform condition, more and more
      frequent. The failure to recognize it can lead to unjustified investigations
      or/and procedures. These manifestations are secondary to a psychic problem which
      varies in severity. In most cases, the establishment of a trust relationship,
      explanations to the patient and eventually a psychotherapy are sufficient to
      eliminate the symptoms. In severe cases, a psychotherapy or a psychiatric
      treatment are almost always necessary.

PMID- 1871492
TI  - [Double blind clinical study of local immunotherapy in treatment of periodontal
      diseases].
AB  - During a 3 weeks period, an immunotherapy by oral route was applied in patients
      presenting periodontal diseases (gingivitis and chronic adult periodontitis).
      This study, double blindly conducted, points out a statistically significative
      decrease of the main clinical symptoms of periodontal diseases (bleeding,
      erythema, oedema, pain, suppuration, fetidness) without any other local treatment
      and shows the interest of such a therapy in addition to the classical local
      treatments applied to patients presenting periodontal diseases.

PMID- 1871493
TI  - [Focus on post and cores].
AB  - Inspite of the new technics using composite resin, cast dowel and core is still
      used to replace lost coronal structure of endodontically treated teeth. Before
      the core preparation, an X-ray is essential. The metal used for the post and core
      must be the same as the one used later for the following full crown. Preparation
      methods must be well established. Acrylic resin or silicone may be used as
      impression technics.

PMID- 1871494
TI  - [Computer-assisted design in removable partial dentures. Expert system and
      software for framework tracing].
AB  - Stelligraph, a software program for designing the removable partial denture
      offers many possibilities in computer assisted technology. The design can be
      realized on any particular case, based on three different concepts. This software
      program can also provide on individual, manual and personalized design this
      offening complete freedom in the conception. This software program is an expert
      system in removable partial denture by providing the general practitioner with a
      rational design as well as clinical guidance for oral rehabilitation.

PMID- 1871495
TI  - [Dentistry and its remedies in the Netherlands during the 17th century].
AB  - The XVIIth century is the Golden Century of Holland, liberated from spanish
      domination, and becoming an economical and political powerful State, owing to
      maritime trade. Art, Science and literature progress and shine as never equaled.
      Our investigation is based upon writtings of professors, and those of their
      students or any other practitioner newly established in Holland, land of liberty.
      In those writings we are in search of remedies against odontology. Usual
      therapeutics is all together general and local. General, its evacuated peccant
      humors by vein section and purgation; local, it acts upon surrounding regions
      (shoulder, tempel, ear, chin), in the mouth (collutorium), on the tooth or its
      cavity.

PMID- 1871496
TI  - [From embryogenesis to female phenotype in subjects with XY karyotype].
AB  - On the basis of the findings of their investigation of the embryogenesis of the
      female genital tract, the authors advance a hypothesis concerning the origin of
      ambiguities between the genetic sex and the gonophoric sex which determine
      primary sexual characteristics observed in Morris' syndrome and in
      gonadoblastoma. According to the authors, in gonadoblastoma there is dysgenesis
      or even agenesis of the gonads, with a total absence of Sertoli cells and,
      therefore, no secretion of anti-Muller substance and this explains the
      development of the Muller canals into uterus and Fallopian tubes and the presence
      of a vagina in an XY subject. In the syndrome of the feminizing testis, XY
      subjects have testes containing Sertoli cells which have produced anti-Muller
      substance. However, the initiation of the production of this substance is delayed
      and it is this delay which has permitted the tendency towards feminization of the
      uro-genital sinus with the formation of a vagina. The authors thus refute the
      theory which holds that the Muller cells are involved in the genesis of the
      vagina.

PMID- 1871497
TI  - [Immunoradiometric determination of total and active renin in human fetal
      appendages].
AB  - The total renin and active renin in human fetal appendices were determined by an
      immunoradiographic assay. In addition, some samples of maternal plasma were
      analyzed in order to provide a reference value. The prorenin level was determined
      by subtracting the level of active renin from that of the total renin. At the end
      of this study, it was found that the mean total renin concentration was 515 +/-
      54 pg/ml in the peripheral blood of the woman who had given birth, 30,385 +/-
      2,951 pg/g in the tissue of the chorion and 3,986 +/- 822 pg/g in the amnion. The
      level within the placenta reached 1,113 +/- 155 pg/g of tissue in the chorionic
      plate, 256 +/- 53 pg/g in the villosities and 294 +/- 46 pg/g in the basal plate.
      In these various tissues, prorenin accounted for over 80% of the total renin,
      except in the chorionic villosities, where it accounted for only 72.44%. In
      general, this study showed that the highest, concentrations of immunoreactive
      renin are found in the chorionic membrane. This membrane probably plays a
      decisive role in regulating the renin-angiotensin system within the fetal
      appendices.

PMID- 1871498
TI  - [Fetal cardiopathies. Balance of 7 years of consistent screening at the maternity
      unit of the Pontarlier hospital].
AB  - The authors carry out a retrospective analysis of the cases of fetal heart
      disease reported in a maternity clinic since 1983. Sixty-nine percent of these
      cases were detected by ultrasound during pregnancy. There were no malformations
      in a fetus of the "high-risk" mother. The early care given to malformed neonates
      does not appear to have improved their vital and/or post-operative prognosis.
      Early diagnosis of serious malformations should lead to a greater number of
      voluntary terminations of pregnancy.

PMID- 1871499
TI  - [Doppler and reduction of perinatal mortality].
AB  - The authors think that perinatal mortality can be substantially reduced by
      accurate evaluation of chronic fetal distress by means of ultrasonic biometry
      routinely applied to pregnant women at each consultation and a Doppler
      examination carried out whenever retardation is detected or in any abnormal
      situations which could lead to such retardation. The authors present their
      experience in 353 women followed-up in their Service.

PMID- 1871500
TI  - [Activities of a family planning clinic incorporated to a public medical service
      over a 4-year period].
AB  - Over a period of four years, 1769 women, all of whom were married with at least 2
      children, agreed to use an intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUD), 1199 women
      (predominantly unmarried) preferred to use an oral contraceptive (in most cases,
      two- or three-phase, low-estrogen pills) and 62 a local contraceptive (spermicide
      or diaphragm). The period of use was 89.65% for the IUDs, with a single case of
      acute inflammation of the genital tract. As expected, we diagnosed a large number
      of cases of asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infections in 24% of the women
      using oral contraceptives and in 15% of the women fitted with an IUD. Symptomatic
      cases took the form of abdominal discomfort, vaginal discharge and metrorrhagia.
      In the opinion of the authors, the successful results obtained were due to the
      cooperation between the GP and the gynecologist and to a clear and firm policy
      towards the choice of the optimum method of contraception. In this article, the
      authors describe the principles behind this policy.

PMID- 1871501
TI  - [Uterine phlebography in pelvic venous stasis].
AB  - Pelvic veins opacification is very helpful in the diagnosis of vascular pelvic
      pain. First applied to intrauterine vascularisation and hypoplasia research,
      hysterophlebography allow the venous side of stasis to be obvious. 1) Normally, a
      fine intra-parietal network draining in intrauterine peripheric vein (arcuate
      network) is patterned by the contrast medium. For that 4 vessels roots are
      leaving: 2 lumbo-ovarian pedicles joining uterine venous side und tubal veins and
      extending over lumbo-ovarian pedicle; 2 uterine pedicles resulting from 2 uterine
      veins and receiving vesical veins located in the base of broad ligament. Contrast
      medium empties very quickly and almost the whole uterus emptying is lasting less
      than 10 seconds. 2) From a pathological point of view: a) in stasis, intrauterine
      veins pattern features are: intra-parenchymatous pictures of dilated venous
      network, local alterations pictures often secondary to thrombosis (9/10 on the
      left side) with intra-parenchymatous stasis and oblique anastomatic main vessels
      characterizing uterine veins thrombosis, more than 20 seconds emptying delay.
      Hysterographic and phlebographic times take advantage to be paired by visualizing
      mucous lesions (hypoplasia and polyp. endocervical and corporeal) in intra
      parenchymatous stasis phenomena. b) Extrauterine stasis signs are characterized
      by preferentially right pedicles dilatation. Standing in upright position
      enhances stasis (proclive radiographies at 70 degrees). Dilatation is
      particularly located at the base of the broad ligament and gives to uterine veins
      with wide smeets a flexuous feature with wide contasted clusters. Hence here
      emptying is slow and belayed.

PMID- 1871502
TI  - [Achondrogenesis. Ultrasonic diagnosis and clinical and anatomopathologic
      comparison].
AB  - The authors report two cases of achondrogenesis, the first of which was diagnosed
      in utero. Ultrasonographic abnormalities suggested the diagnosis, which was
      confirmed radiographically. The diagnosis of achondrogenesis in utero made it
      possible to avoid a Cesarian. It is always difficult to extract the malformed
      fetus. The histopathology findings make it possible to codify this rare type of
      congenital and lethal chondrodysplasia. Achondrogenesis is probably inherited in
      a recessive and autosomic fashion.

PMID- 1871503
TI  - [Hydranencephaly. Report of a new case].
AB  - Hydranencephaly is the total or virtually total absence of the cerebral
      hemispheres, which are reduced to a membranous sac of glial tissue, with no
      ependymal coating, in an intact skull. This is rare disorder (0.5 per thousand
      births). It is classified as a circulatory encephalopathy. Two opposing theories
      are generally advanced: the encephaloclastic or destructive theory and the theory
      of dysontogensis or malformation, due to early disruption of organogenesis. It
      has many causes (vascular, viral, parasitic, genetic, toxic, estrogenic...). It
      appears to be readily diagnosed by ultrasound, the neurological findings may be
      normal at birth, but transillumination of the skull remains a simple and reliable
      diagnostic test. Transfontanellar ultrasound, CT scanning and anatomical
      confirmation alone can establish the diagnosis. The prognosis is hopeless and
      there is no treatment.

PMID- 1871504
TI  - [Post-menopausal endometriosis developed during tamoxifen treatment].
AB  - The authors report a case of endometriosis (adenomyosis + endometrioma) which
      occurred in a female patient aged 69 years, who had undergone the menopause 15
      years previously and who had been taking Tamoxifen for 7 years as an adjuvant
      treatment for cancer of the breast. Tamoxifen, a non-steroidal anti-estrogen
      derived from diethylstilbestrol, has a variable antagonist/agonist so that
      estrogenic stimulation of the female genital tract may occur, particularly of the
      endometrial mucosa. The reactivation of the endometriosic foci which had become
      quiescent under the impact of the natural menopause, which, by iatrogenic analogy
      is included in the series of paradoxical uterine effects of tamoxifen.

PMID- 1871505
TI  - How to manage with a profit motive.

PMID- 1871506
TI  - Zest anchors cast copings.

PMID- 1871507
TI  - Dental gold casting alloys--a review.

PMID- 1871508
TI  - Overcoming the negative effects of direct reflection in thin no room porcelain
      restorations.

PMID- 1871509
TI  - Tumor markers in human renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Localization of tumor markers in human renal cell carcinomas (RCC) was studied by
      an immunohistochemical method using 12 different monoclonal antibodies (MAbs)
      recognizing carbohydrate antigens, and 2 polyclonal antibodies against S-100
      protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), respectively. 115D8, DF3 and the MAb
      to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) reacted with 9 of 13 (115D8), 6 of 13 (DF3)
      and 5 of 12 (MAb to EMA) cases of RCC, respectively. S-100 protein was also found
      in 10 of 13 cases of RCC. Further immunohistochemical studies showed that tumor
      cells of all 13 RCCs were strongly positive for NSE. Serum NSE levels of patients
      with RCC were examined by radioimmunoassay. This examination revealed that
      increased levels of NSE were detected in 11 of 17 sera of patients with RCC.
      Positive rates for patients in stages II, III and IV were 100% (10/10). On the
      other hand, increased levels of CA15-3 were detected in only 2 of 17 sera by
      enzyme immunoassay. Our results indicate that NSE may be a useful marker for
      human RCC, especially for those tumors that have broken through the renal
      capsule.

PMID- 1871510
TI  - Sublethal damage repair in two radioresistant human tumor cell lines irradiated
      as multicellular spheroids.
AB  - Melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma may be amenable for radiotherapy if it were
      possible to increase the presently used total dose. In order to investigate this,
      spheroids from two cell lines of human origin, one obtained from a BRO melanoma
      and one from an NCI-H125 lung adenocarcinoma were exposed to graded doses (3-9
      Gy) of radiation with 18-MV photons. Radiation was applied either as a single
      dose or as split doses with an interval of 6 h to determine the extent of
      sublethal damage repair. Radiation response was quantified in terms of spheroid
      cure and specific growth delay. Both cells lines have previously been shown to be
      less sensitive than a neuroblastoma and a squamous cell carcinoma cell line grown
      as spheroids. Data obtained from the growth delay analysis were used to calculate
      the extent of split-dose recovery. Repaired dose for BRO spheroids did not
      increase after 7 Gy, whereas in NCI-H125, the repaired dose showed a steady
      increase. Recovery ratios did not differ between the two cell lines, but were
      lower than reported for normal tissues. Both cell lines revealed a low repair
      capacity was expressed by the beta-value of the linear-quadratic (LQ) equation.
      However, repair capacity for sublethal damage as expressed by the dose repaired
      and the beta-value of the LQ equation was not different from values reported
      earlier by us for neuroblastoma and squamous cell carcinoma when grown as
      spheroids. This indicates that the low radiosensitivity for the cell lines used
      in this study is determined by the alpha-value of the LQ equation. Our results
      support the clinical finding that the application of increased total radiation
      doses in the treatment of melanoma and lung adenocarcinoma may be feasible if
      radiation is applied in multiple small fractions to ensure normal tissue sparing.

PMID- 1871511
TI  - A monoclonal IgM antibody to a methylcholanthrene-induced tumor. 2. A
      biologically relevant glycoprotein antigen with a molecular weight of 40-43
      kilodaltons.
AB  - We have recently described a monoclonal IgM antibody, H17, to a mouse
      methylcholanthrene-induced tumor with specificity for a common saccharide, namely
      alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine. Although recognizing a glycosidic determinant most
      likely to be part of many cell surface glycoproteins, H17 was highly specific for
      the immunizing tumor. This discriminatory ability was investigated by testing the
      antibody binding to a panel of normal and transformed mouse and human cells.
      Cross-linking studies showed that H17 reacts with a glycoprotein with a molecular
      weight of 40-43 kD, which through blockage during the process of immunization has
      an impact in vivo on tumor growth. Moreover, the uncommon sensitivity to
      complement-mediated lysis by this methylcholanthrene-induced tumor was blocked by
      the H17 monoclonal antibody.

PMID- 1871512
TI  - Cytochemical and immunocytochemical characterization of Yoshida ascites sarcoma
      cells.
AB  - Some cytochemical and immunocytochemical investigations were carried out on
      actively growing Yoshida ascites sarcoma cells. These cells displayed an intense
      granular alpha-naphthylacetate esterase (ANAE) staining while the alpha
      naphthylbutyrate esterase (ANBE) reaction was in part fluoride-sensitive and
      marked particularly in the large-size malignant cells. Acid phosphatase as well
      as peroxidase activities were not detected. The lack of immunoreactive lysozyme
      and alpha 1-antitrypsin suggested a poor differentiation of the above-mentioned
      tumor cells, but fibronectin and S-100 protein where highly expressed, as in
      tumors arising from the mononuclear phagocyte system.

PMID- 1871513
TI  - Identification and characterization of alkaline phosphatase isozymes in human
      colorectal adenocarcinomas.
AB  - Using alkaline phosphatase isozyme-specific immunocatalytical assays, the content
      of isozymes was determined in normal mucosas and adenocarcinomas from human colon
      or rectum. Tumor levels of both the tissue (liver)-unspecific and the placental
      like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP-like) were elevated compared to normal mucosas of
      the same patients. Such elevations have been reported previously, particularly in
      seminomas and ovarian tumors. In several tumors, moreover, the intestinal isozyme
      was expressed in lesser amounts than in the adjacent mucosa. The present results
      indicate that the activation of two of the phosphatase isozymes, including
      expression of the typical germ cell line phosphatase (the PLAP-like isozyme), may
      occur even in nongonadal tumors. This may reflect an induction pattern of
      phosphatase isozymes, with implications for malignant transformation also in
      other tumors.

PMID- 1871514
TI  - [Adult oligoarthritis with antinuclear factors. A new syndrome, relations with
      juvenile oligoarthritis].
AB  - We report an original form of chronic inflammatory arthritis in 14 young adults,
      mainly females: an oligoarthritis with antinuclear antibodies. A first group of
      10 patients, 9 females and one male, over 17 year-old, mean age 25, presented
      with monoarthritis or oligoarthritis of the knees, and less frequently of the
      wrist or elbow. Arthritis was chronic, recurrent, not destructive nor
      incapacitating. Rheumatoid factor was absent, and the only biologic abnormality
      was positive ANA at a significant rate. No patient was typed for HLA DR5. No
      other clinical or biological symptom appeared during a mean follow-up period of
      5.5 years (6 mo-30 yrs). The patients have been totally free of any ocular
      symptoms. The benignity of the disease and its good prognosis must be underlined.
      Another group of 4 adult women had a similar inflammatory disease, which started
      during childhood: the biological and clinical spectrum was found quite similar in
      both groups, except for uveitis which occurred only in the later. Most subsets of
      juvenile arthritis have counterpart in adulthood, except for the pauciarticular
      subset with AAN. The cases herein described could fill the gap, the only
      difference with the juvenile onset form being the absence of uveitis. Thus, even
      if our observations of oligoarthritis with ANA in young women are the equivalent
      of the pauciarticular form in young girls, ocular involvement remains specific of
      childhood.

PMID- 1871515
TI  - [Therapeutic use of a monoclonal, anti-CD4 antibody in refractory rheumatoid
      polyarthritis. Preliminary results].
AB  - Ten patients (6 women and 4 men), with a group mean age of 65 years, defined as
      severe and with a mean follow-up period of 9 years and refractory to conventional
      treatments, were treated with monoclonal anti-CD4 antibodies in an open study.
      The monoclonal antibodies, of murine origin, were administered by intravenous
      route for ten consecutive days at a dose of 10 mg (1 patient), 15 mg (2 patients)
      or 20 mg (7 patients). Local and systemic tolerability were excellent. Clinical
      improvement was rapid (pain, morning stiffness, Ritchie index, p = 0.005 between
      D0 and D15), as was the paraclinical improvement (C-reacting protein, p = 0.008),
      although without achieving complete remission. The outcome revealed that the
      effect was more prolonged in patients treated with 20 mg per day than in the
      others, suggesting a dose-effect relationship. The improvement obtained may
      persist for more than 9 months in some patients. No significant change in
      immunological parameters was found at the end of the treatment (lymphocyte
      populations, immunoglobulins, complement). Only 2 out of 10 patients developed
      anti-mouse antibodies. As a result of its excellent tolerability and rapid
      effectiveness, this antibody appears to offer fresh therapeutic prospects in
      rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1871516
TI  - [Role of collagen conformation in type II anticollagen immunity in rheumatoid
      polyarthritis].
AB  - Type II anticollagen (CII) autoimmunity is a frequently reported, but non
      specific, phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The authors show that in 88
      sera samples from patients suffering from RA, the incidence of antibodies
      targeted against endogenous human CII was the same as that found for 149 control
      blood donors (14.8% versus 11.4%). However, a significant difference was found
      for the incidence of antibodies targeted against the alpha-chains of CII (26.1%
      versus 6.0%, p less than 0.001). As a result of investigating the specificity of
      the anti-CII antibodies in greater detail by means of an immunoprinting of the
      CII peptide fragments obtained after splitting the molecule by cyanogen bromide,
      the authors have demonstrated that the largest CII peptides (CB10 and CB11) were
      better recognized than the smaller peptides (CB8, CB9.7), with no significant
      difference between PR and control plasmas. Using competitive methods, evidence
      was obtained in support of heterogeneous recognition by the anti-CII antibodies:
      some recognize conformational determinants only, whereas others are targeted
      against the primary sequences of the alpha-1 (II) chain.

PMID- 1871517
TI  - [Cytogenetic anomalies after isotope synoviorthesis in rheumatoid polyarthritis].

PMID- 1871518
TI  - [Clinical and epidemiological study of osteoarthritis of the hand. Based on 500
      cases selected from a Health Examination Center].

PMID- 1871519
TI  - [Costal osteoid osteoma. Apropos of a case. Review of the literature].

PMID- 1871520
TI  - [Heart valve lesions in rheumatoid polyarthritis. Apropos of 2 cases].

PMID- 1871521
TI  - [Immunological aspects of Behcet's disease].

PMID- 1871522
TI  - [Controlled therapeutic trial of diclofenac in meniscectomy under arthroscopy].

PMID- 1871523
TI  - [Spectacular effect of tiludronate in osteoporosis circumscripta cranii].

PMID- 1871524
TI  - [Arthropathy of the fingers in hemodialyzed patients with chronic renal failure.
      Apropos of a study of 44 patients].
AB  - Arthropathy affecting the small joints of the hand are one of the osteo-articular
      complications of chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis. Amongst the 44
      patients studied, there were 9 cases of arthropathy of the fingers. The clinical
      characteristics (age, duration of hemodialysis) and paraclinical characteristics
      (oxygenated free radical activity indicators, serum levels of aluminium and beta
      2-microglobulins) appear to be specific to this population and may help us to
      understand the pathogenesis of the joint lesions.

PMID- 1871525
TI  - [Prevalence of secondary Gougerot-Sjogren syndrome in Northern Africa].

PMID- 1871526
TI  - [Fibrous finger cushions. Possible role of barbiturates].

PMID- 1871527
TI  - [Pneumocystosis in dermatopolymyositis treated with low-dose methotrexate].

PMID- 1871528
TI  - [Exsudative synovitis and periosteal apposition. An uncommon rheumatic
      manifestation of adult chondroblastoma].

PMID- 1871529
TI  - Radix paramolaris in permanent mandibular molars: identification and morphology.
AB  - The Royal Dental College, Copenhagen, houses an extensive collection of human
      teeth which have been extracted in Denmark. The collection presently includes 203
      permanent mandibular molars with a root complex containing a facially-located
      supernumerary root. This macrostructure is named radix paramolaris (RP). By
      analyzing the large number of specimens available it was possible to establish
      uniform and precise criteria for the identification of RP on M1 inf, M2 inf, and
      M3 inf. The analyses included both separate and non-separate RP. The
      representation of the RP variants according to tooth type was mapped.
      Furthermore, the following clinically relevant variables with respect to RP were
      registered: degree of separation, divergence, apical bend, apical gracility, and
      fusion. Because of the nature of the material, the study was mostly qualitative
      and non-metric. The results are aimed primarily at clinical dentists, dental
      morphologists, and dental anthropologists.

PMID- 1871530
TI  - Morphometric analysis of occlusal groove-fossa-system in mandibular third molar.
AB  - Based on serially cut 200-microns-thick sections from 21 human mandibular third
      molars, a quantitative characterization was made of the morphology in the mesial
      and distal interlobal groove. Two parameters were used: depth of interlobal
      groove and structure angle. The interlobal groove depth varied between 0.13 and
      0.55, taken in relation to the maximum crown height. The structure angle varied
      between 2 degrees and 170 degrees. If the structure angle was less than or equal
      to 25 degrees, the interlobal groove was classified as a fissure; if the angle
      was greater than 25 degrees, the interlobal groove was classified as a groove.
      Only in 18% of the sections did the interlobal groove manifest itself as a
      fissure. The study demonstrates that it was possible unambiguously to describe
      the two-dimensional profile of interlobal grooves by groove depth and structure
      angle.

PMID- 1871531
TI  - Saliva composition and caries development in asthmatic patients treated with beta
      2-adrenoceptor agonists: a 4-year follow-up study.
AB  - In an earlier study, we found that chronic treatment with beta 2-adrenoceptor
      agonists in asthmatic subjects gave an impaired saliva secretion and a higher
      caries prevalence than in healthy controls. Twenty-one of the asthmatics and
      their matched controls were examined 4 yr later in a follow-up study. Samples of
      whole saliva stimulated by chewing and parotid saliva stimulated by citric acid
      were collected and dental caries was scored. In the asthmatic group the secretory
      rates of stimulated whole and parotid saliva decreased by 20% and 35%,
      respectively, compared to the control group. The number of lactobacilli
      increased. The asthmatic subjects had a decreased output per minute of total
      protein, amylase, hexosamine, salivary peroxidase, lysozyme, secretory IgA, a
      bacteria-aggregating glycoprotein, potassium, and calcium in stimulated parotid
      saliva. Initial and manifest caries lesions as well as the number of DFS were
      significantly increased in the asthma group. We conclude that asthmatic patients
      treated with beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists have an increased caries susceptibility
      due to an impaired saliva secretion caused by the use of beta-adrenergic
      agonists.

PMID- 1871532
TI  - Temporalis and masseter muscle activity in patients with anterior open bite and
      craniomandibular disorders.
AB  - Activity in temporalis and masseter muscles, and traits of facial morphology and
      occlusal stability were studied in 22 patients (19 women, 3 men; 15-45 yr of age)
      with anterior open bite and symptoms and signs of craniomandibular disorders.
      Facial morphology was assessed by profile radiographs, occlusal stability by
      tooth contacts, and craniomandibular function by clinical and radiological
      examination. Electromyographic activity was recorded by surface electrodes after
      primary treatment with a reflex-releasing, stabilizing splint. Maximal voluntary
      contraction was reduced compared to reference values, particularly in subjects
      with muscular affection, but maximal activity increased significantly when biting
      on the splint. Maximal voluntary contraction was positively correlated to molar
      contact and negatively to anterior face height, mandibular inclination, vertical
      jaw relation and gonial angle. Relative loading of the muscles was markedly
      increased during resting posture. It was concluded that reduced occlusal
      stability and long-face morphology were associated with weak elevator muscle
      activity with disposition overload and tenderness. The results also indicated
      that increase of occlusal stability might lead to increased muscle strength and
      possibly reduce risk of physical strain.

PMID- 1871533
TI  - Incidence of adverse effects of dental materials.
AB  - Acute and long-standing adverse effects from dental materials used in the
      treatment of 13,325 patients in 15,820 appointments were recorded by 137
      dentists. Twenty-four suspected side effects were reported by the patients and 22
      by the clinicians; 7 were classified as "probable" or "possible" acute reactions
      and 15 as long-standing effects, 13 being "verified" and 2 "probable". In another
      survey, 31 dentists representing a total of 387 years of practice recollected 113
      patients with side effects from dental materials.

PMID- 1871534
TI  - Fluoride release and uptake by glass ionomers.
AB  - The aim was to study the fluoride release 1) from 7 and 15-month-old glass
      ionomer specimens after treating them with fluoride; 2) from fresh compared with
      matured material; and 3) from specimens stored for 29 months in running water.
      Glass ionomer test specimens which had been in running water for first 7 then 15
      months were treated with a 50 ppm fluoride solution after which the specimens
      were again exposed to running water for first 24 h and then 1 wk. The fluoride
      release was measured after each of the two periods of time. The fluoride treated
      specimens released more fluoride than the nontreated ones. This effect was not
      observed with composite resin specimens which were studied for comparison.
      Fluoride release from fresh glass ionomer specimens was observed to be 3-10 fold
      compared to specimens that had matured for 3 days. The release of fluoride from
      specimens that had been in running water for 29 months was measured and the
      results were compared with those of earlier measurements. It was found that the
      release reached a constant level for all tested glass ionomers during the second
      year.

PMID- 1871535
TI  - Area ratio effects on metal ion release from amalgam in contact with gold.
AB  - The effect of area ratio, chloride concentration and brushing on amalgam in
      contact with gold was studied by measuring the amounts of elements released in
      the electrolyte. A type III gold alloy was stored for 4 months in contact with a
      conventional amalgam, area relations 6/1 and 6/3, in an electrolyte containing 85
      mM NaCl with 10 mM phosphate buffer. A specimen with area relation 6/1 was also
      stored in a 10 mM NaCl solution with 10 mM phosphate buffer. The solutions were
      renewed each month and analyzed for Cu, Zn, Sn, Hg, and Ag in an atomic
      absorption spectrophotometer. Cross-sections of the amalgams were studied in a
      scanning electron microscope. The tendency for Sn and Cu to be released from the
      amalgam was greater than for the other elements. The Sn-release probably mainly
      originated from surface corrosion and Cu-release from subsurface corrosion. A
      stronger galvanic influence enhanced only the release of Cu, and to a less extent
      Zn. The subsurface corrosion of the amalgam and increasing release of Cu was, in
      contrast to the other elements, largely dependent on a high chloride
      concentration in the electrolyte. Light brushing of the specimens had no effect
      on the amounts of elements released.

PMID- 1871536
TI  - Marginal fit of porcelain and indirect composite laminate veneers under in vitro
      conditions.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to compare the marginal adaptation of
      indirect composite and porcelain veneers in vitro using transmitted-light
      microscopy. A preparation with a marginal chamber finish for a veneer was
      performed on 10 extracted molars after which 5 composite and 5 porcelain veneers
      were made and fitted using self- and light-cured microfill composite resin. Three
      longitudinal and 3 horizontal sections were cut in each preparation with the
      light microscope. Although the absolute marginal discrepancy at the cervical
      location had the highest statistical significance in the composite veneer group,
      the composite and porcelain veneers, in general, demonstrated a similar absolute
      marginal discrepancy and thickness of luting agent with average values from 50
      microns to 195 microns for the two parameters. A considerable amount of excess of
      luting agent was furthermore observed in both groups of veneers, being most
      pronounced in the composite veneers.

PMID- 1871537
TI  - Gastro-oesophageal reflux and severity of pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis.
AB  - The correlation between oesophageal dysfunction (OD), pathologic gastro
      oesophageal reflux (GOR), and severity of pulmonary disease was studied in 12
      patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). They were interviewed about symptoms of OD
      and underwent 24-h pH recording in the oesophagus, oesophageal manometry combined
      with reflux provocation tests, the acid perfusion test, the acid clearance test,
      lung function tests, and scoring of the chest radiograph. Six of the 12 patients
      reported symptoms of OD. Abnormal GOR, as shown by 24-h pH monitoring of the
      oesophagus, was found in eight of them. Altogether 9 of the 12 participants had
      at least one pathologic oesophagus test result. Results of radiologic
      examinations of the oesophagus, performed in six patients, were pathologic. The
      four patients with the best chest radiograph scores and the best lung function
      had significantly less signs and symptoms of OD and GOR than the other eight
      patients. We conclude that OD, GOR, and pulmonary disease covariate in CF.

PMID- 1871538
TI  - A new method for evaluating gastric ulcer healing by endoscopic ultrasonography.
AB  - We observed the quantitative estimation of the transmural changes associated with
      gastric ulcer healing by using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). It was possible
      to diagnose the depth of ulcer by EUS. Forty-eight patients were divided into
      three treatment groups. Group A (n = 16) was treated with 800 mg cimetidine
      daily, group B (n = 22) with 20 mg omeprazole daily, and group C (n = 10) with
      400 mg cimetidine + 300 mg gefarnate daily. EUS was performed before and after 2,
      4, and 8 weeks of treatment. The groups were compared from the viewpoints of
      endoscopic findings and contraction rate of the length and the cross-sectional
      area of the ulcer in EUS pictures. The best healing of both the endoscopic and
      EUS findings was seen in group B. By estimating the changes inside the ulcer, EUS
      may provide useful information for choice of anti-ulcer agents.

PMID- 1871539
TI  - The endoscopic Doppler: its value in evaluating gastroduodenal ulcers after
      hemorrhage and as an instrument of control of endoscopic injection therapy.
AB  - In this prospective study of 80 patients with active bleeding from the
      gastrointestinal tract a Doppler ultrasonographic investigation of the
      gastroduodenal ulcers was performed, in addition to immediate endoscopic
      examination. Admitted to this study were ulcers with the stigmata of acute
      bleeding, such as a visible blood vessel in the ulcer floor, a blood clot, or a
      black base and Forrest III lesions. In 52 patients Doppler ultrasonography was
      able to document unequivocally a superficial blood vessel. Complete agreement of
      endoscopic and Doppler results was obtained in only 49% of the cases. When a
      blood vessel was positively identified, local injection of epinephrine and
      polidocanol was carried out. Thereupon, in the further course, the acoustic
      signal was shifted into deeper regions or disappeared entirely. In 8% of the
      cases initial sclerosing was followed by a rebleed, which was again treated by
      injection therapy. None of the patients died of their GI hemorrhage. Endoscopic
      Doppler ultrasonography is a new and effective procedure that enables
      objectification of the endoscopic findings. It identifies the indication for
      proceeding to operative endoscopy and can monitor the effectiveness of the
      latter.

PMID- 1871540
TI  - Treatment of postoperative paralytic ileus with cisapride.
AB  - The effect of cisapride on postoperative colonic motility was studied in 40
      patients undergoing cholecystectomy under randomized, double-blind conditions.
      The patients received 10 mg of cisapride or placebo by intravenous injection
      starting on the day of surgery and repeated every 12 h until the 3rd
      postoperative day. The return of propagative motility in the colon was visualized
      by means of radiopaque markers and serial abdominal radiographs. Cisapride
      induced a significantly earlier return of propulsive motility in the right colon,
      as indicated by the propagation of markers from the ascending colon to the
      transverse colon (p less than 0.05). Radiopaque markers reached the descending
      colon (p less than 0.05) and the rectosigmoid colon (p less than 0.05)
      significantly earlier in the cisapride group than in controls. The first passage
      of feces occurred significantly earlier in cisapride-treated patients than in
      controls (p less than 0.05). The first passage of gas after surgery did not
      differ significantly between the groups. Our results suggest that cisapride can
      be used to induce earlier return of propagative motility in the colon after major
      abdominal surgery.

PMID- 1871541
TI  - Failure of sucralfate in the treatment of refractory esophagitis versus high-dose
      famotidine. An endoscopic study.
AB  - Scarce data exist on the medical treatment of patients with peptic esophagitis
      who are non-responders to conventional or higher doses of H2-blocker agents, and
      no controlled trial on such patients has been published so far. We conducted a
      randomized single-blind study on the effects of 1 g sucralfate four times daily
      (n = 8), a mucosa-protective agent, versus 40 mg famotidine twice daily (n = 8),
      a new H2-blocker agent, administered for 12 weeks, in the treatment of peptic
      esophagitis (grades I to IV in accordance with Savary and Miller) refractory to a
      6-month therapy with ranitidine at a dosage of 150 or 300 mg twice daily.
      Complete healing of the esophageal lesions was observed in none of eight patients
      receiving sucralfate, as compared with five of eight taking famotidine (p less
      than 0.05, Fisher exact test). Three of eight patients treated with sucralfate
      and three of eight with famotidine had complete disappearance of symptoms,
      whereas improvement was observed in two and three of eight, respectively (p less
      than 0.05 in both cases). We conclude that anti-secretory therapy is more
      effective than mucosal protection in the treatment of refractory peptic
      esophagitis.

PMID- 1871542
TI  - The incidence of Crohn's disease is not decreasing in Sweden.
AB  - An epidemiologic study of the incidence of Crohn's disease during the 25-year
      period 1963-1987 within a geographically well defined area has been performed.
      The mean annual incidence during the 25 years was 6.1/10(5) inhabitants. During
      the first quinquennium the incidence was 4.3/10(5) inhabitants, but during the
      next four quinquennia the incidence was very stable around 6.6/10(5) inhabitants.
      The point prevalence on 31 December 1987 was 146/10(5), with a male to female
      ratio of 1:1.15. An analysis of birth cohorts could not reveal any cohort more
      prone to develop the disease. Of the 246 incidence cases 5 patients had died of
      Crohn's disease. The percentage of small-bowel disease only was very stable
      during the whole study period. The proportion of large-bowel disease decreased
      only slightly, and combined small- and large-bowel disease increased somewhat
      towards the end of the study period, probably because of better diagnostic
      methods.

PMID- 1871543
TI  - Partial deficiency of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is associated with chronic
      cryptogenic liver disease.
AB  - alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin (ACT) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) are two closely
      related antineutrophil proteinase inhibitors. Whereas AAT deficiency is clearly
      linked to liver disease, an association between liver disease and partial ACT
      deficiency has not been established. In a previous study we noted an increased
      prevalence of liver abnormalities among subjects with heterozygous ACT
      deficiency. To study a possible association between partial ACT deficiency and
      liver disease, we screened 316 consecutive patients with biopsy-verified liver
      disease for partial ACT deficiency and compared the prevalence with that of an
      unselected adult population in a case-control study. In all, 9 of 316 patients
      had partial ACT deficiency, which is more than expected (prevalence ratio (PR),
      2.46 (1.15-5.27), P less than 0.05). The prevalence of partial ACT deficiency was
      highest in the chronic active hepatitis (5 of 40; PR, 12.0 (5.33-27.0] and the
      cryptogenic cirrhosis (3 of 24; PR, 12.0 (4.38-32.9] subgroups. In the chronic
      active hepatitis subgroup two patients (PR, 8.16 (2.25-29.5] were ACT deficiency
      heterozygotes, thus partly explaining the high prevalence of partial ACT
      deficiency among patients with chronic liver disease. The majority (6 of 9) of
      the patients with partial ACT deficiency lacked autoimmune and viral markers and
      were thus cryptogenic. The present findings show that partial ACT deficiency and
      chronic cryptogenic liver disease are associated. To some extent (the true
      magnitude of which is at present unknown) partial ACT deficiency is caused by a
      rare trait, heterozygous ACT deficiency, which in parallel with heterozygous
      alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (PiMZ) also seems to be associated with chronic
      cryptogenic liver disease.

PMID- 1871544
TI  - Mechanism of ursodeoxycholic acid- and canrenoate-induced biliary bicarbonate
      secretion and the effect on glucose- and amino acid-induced cholestasis.
AB  - The mechanism of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)- and canrenoate-induced bicarbonate
      choleresis was studied before and during the administration of glucose or amino
      acids in anaesthetized pigs. Previous studies have shown that the canalicular
      secretion has, on a molar basis, a relationship among the secretion of chloride,
      bicarbonate, and bile acids of 0.9, 0.3, and 1, respectively. Ductular secretion
      is associated with the transport of 0.25 mol chloride per 1 mol bicarbonate. In
      control experiments UDCA was associated with a biliary secretion of about 1.3 mol
      chloride and 0.5 mol bicarbonate per 1 mol bile acid, and canrenoate caused the
      secretion of 1.2 mol chloride per 1 mol bicarbonate. Intravenous infusion of
      glucose or amino acids increased these relationships, and after administration of
      UDCA or canrenoate, these relationships were still increased by at least 70% on
      average when compared with the control experiments. A reduction in bile secretion
      after glucose or amino acid infusion is opposed by UDCA or canrenoate. The effect
      of UDCA or canrenoate on bile secretion is not disturbed by glucose or amino
      acids. Both substances stimulate canalicular bicarbonate secretion and could be
      of importance in improving cholestatic conditions.

PMID- 1871545
TI  - Selective inhibition of duodenal and jejunal villous cell alkaline phosphatase by
      the duodenal ulcerogen cysteamine.
AB  - We have found that cysteamine-HCl, a potent duodenal ulcerogen, after a single
      subcutaneous injection (30 mg/100 g body weight), inhibited villous cell duodenal
      and jejunal alkaline phosphatase (APase) under in vivo and under in vitro
      conditions. The duodenal and jejunal crypt-cell APase was not susceptible to
      cysteamine inhibition. Ileal APase from both the villous and the crypt cells was
      unaffected by cysteamine. Tissue-nonspecific APase from the kidney and liver was
      not affected by cysteamine either. The differences in tissue and cellular
      accumulation of cysteamine, the submolecular differences in APase molecules, and
      its anatomical localization in mucosal cells along the small intestine could
      explain the different degrees of susceptibility to cysteamine inhibition. The
      extent of duodenal APase inhibition by cysteamine was highly pH-dependent and
      varied from 5% to 85% within a pH range of 7.5-10.5. A shift in pH optimum from
      9.6 to 9.3 was found in the presence of cysteamine. The inhibition of duodenal
      villous cell APase was greatly dependent on cysteamine concentration (Ki = 2.65
      mM). At a fixed concentration of cysteamine it was not influenced by substrate
      concentration. Cysteamine did not change the Km value for duodenal APase but did
      decrease its Vmax to 46% and 15% of the controls when added in the assay or
      injected subcutaneously, respectively, indicating that the inhibition was of the
      linear, 'noncompetitive' type. Somehow cysteamine increased the requirement in
      the activation energy for substrate hydrolysis as well. The data indicate that
      macromolecular transformations could take place in the mucosal cells of duodenum
      after cysteamine administration.

PMID- 1871546
TI  - Factors influencing the release of cholecystokinin induced by gastrin-releasing
      peptide in man.
AB  - We have studied the basal release of cholecystokinin (CCK) and the CCK response
      to gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) in man. GRP infusion was followed by a
      substantial and immediate release of CCK. Pancreatico-duodenectomy or antrectomy
      with or without duodenal exclusion or antrectomy with truncal vagotomy did not
      significantly change the basal release of CCK or the GRP-induced CCK release.
      These results indicate that both basal and GRP-induced release of CCK
      predominantly originate from the small intestine below the duodenum and the upper
      part of the jejunum and is unchanged by duodenal exclusion and vagal denervation
      of the small intestine.

PMID- 1871547
TI  - Best-buy regimen of ursodeoxycholic acid for patients with gallstones.
AB  - Bedtime administration has been advocated as a strategy for reducing minimum
      effective dose, side effects, and costs of chenodeoxycholic acid treatment of
      cholesterol gallstones, but little information is available for ursodeoxycholic
      acid (UDCA). We prospectively determined the minimum effective dose of bedtime
      UDCA in 44 patients with radiolucent gallstones treated with a range of UDCA
      doses (4.6-17.0 mg/kg/day). The average minimum effective dose for reducing the
      cholesterol saturation index (SI) of gallbladder bile to a value of 0.8 was 8.4
      mg/kg/day for bedtime UDCA. The greater potency of the bedtime regimen was
      confirmed in seven individual patients by comparison with a mealtime regimen.
      Cholesterol SI was reduced from 1.25 during placebo to 0.73 during 7 mg/kg/day
      for bedtime UDCA and to 0.81 during 10 mg/kg/day for mealtime UDCA. The effect of
      the bedtime regimen was not enhanced by a repeated-release tablet formulation of
      UDCA by comparison with UDCA in 15 patients. We conclude that the bile acid dose
      is reduced during bedtime UDCA administration by comparison with mealtime UDCA in
      individual patients and that the best-buy regimen is 8.4 mg/kg/day UDCA given at
      bedtime for patients with gallstones as a group. With this dose, gallstone
      dissolution can be supported by unsaturated gallbladder bile at minimum risk of
      dose-related side effects and at minimum treatment costs.

PMID- 1871548
TI  - Side effects and complications after hepatic artery embolization in the carcinoid
      syndrome.
AB  - Twenty patients with histologically verified carcinoid liver metastases underwent
      a total of 24 liver artery embolizations by means of interventional radiologic
      techniques. There were no deaths. The postembolization syndrome, consisting of
      fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, occurred in all the patients. Severe
      complications were rare, the most serious being multiple hepatic abscesses with
      septicemia in one patient, septicemia in another, and mild acute pancreatitis in
      a third. All these three patients recovered without any sequels from the
      embolization, and none required surgical intervention. The hepatic abscesses were
      drained percutaneously, guided by ultrasound. Hepatic artery embolization seems
      justified in patients with disabling symptoms from the carcinoid syndrome, as
      long as alternative therapy with the same benefit but fewer complications is not
      available.

PMID- 1871549
TI  - The effects of atropine or benzilonium on pelvic pouch and anal sphincter
      functions.
AB  - Anticholinergic drugs are used on an empirical basis for treatment of functional
      disturbances after restorative proctocolectomy, but their mode of action on ileal
      pouch performance is mainly unknown. We studied the acute effects of atropine or
      benzilonium on pouch characteristics and anal sphincter function in 20 patients
      with a pelvic pouch. Pouch volume was increased by 27% by atropine at distension
      with 20 cm H2O (p less than 0.01). Benzilonium tended to have a similar effect,
      but the changes did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06). Pouch
      contractility, as reflected by volume fluctuations and pressure changes during
      distension, was almost abolished by both drugs. Sensory thresholds for sense of
      filling and, particularly, urge were raised. Resting anal pressure was slightly
      lowered, whereas no significant effect was found on maximal squeeze pressure. In
      conclusion, anticholinergics appear to have specific properties of action on
      small-intestinal reservoirs, constituting possible explanations for the
      empirically observed beneficial effects of anticholinergic treatment of
      functional disturbances after restorative proctocolectomy.

PMID- 1871550
TI  - High vasoactive intestinal polypeptide plasma levels in patients with Barrett's
      esophagus.
AB  - We have evaluated the correlation between vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)
      plasma concentration and severity of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with
      Barrett's esophagus and the possible differences in the VIP values of these
      patients compared with healthy volunteers. We also evaluated the relation between
      VIP plasma concentration and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure in 24
      patients with Barrett's esophagus. The mean VIP plasma concentration in 14
      patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux was 25.6 +/- 0.75 pg/ml,
      significantly higher than the mean value observed in 10 patients with moderate
      reflux (18.9 +/- 0.67 pg/ml) (p less than 0.01). The mean LES resting pressure
      was significantly lower in the group of patients with severe gastroesophageal
      reflux than that observed in patients with moderate reflux (3 +/- 0.64 and 10.3
      +/- 0.69 mm Hg, respectively; p less than 0.01). The mean VIP plasma
      concentration in 11 healthy volunteers (20.6 +/- 0.65 pg/ml) was significantly
      lower than the mean value observed in the subgroup of patients with severe
      gastroesophageal reflux (p less than 0.01). VIP values in patients with moderate
      reflux were not significantly different from those observed in our volunteers.
      There was a significant correlation between LES pressure and VIP plasma level (r
      = -0.9253; p less than 0.01). In conclusion, it is possible that the decreased
      LES resting pressure observed in patients with Barrett's esophagus and severe
      gastroesophageal reflux may be due to impairment of the VIPergic innervation,
      resulting in an increased local VIP release with possible overflow to peripheral
      plasma.

PMID- 1871551
TI  - Cytogenetic studies of prostatic cancer.
AB  - In this study we wanted to find out if the size or position of the constitutive C
      band positive heterochromatin regions of chromosomes was associated with
      variation in prostatic cancer predisposition. We found no such association when
      comparing the whole patient group with healthy controls, but younger (less than
      70 years) cancer patients had significantly higher frequencies of large C-bands
      on chromosomes 1 and 16 than older patients (greater than 70 years). This could
      indicate a possible relationship between the amount of constitutive
      heterochromatin on chromosomes 1 and 16 and susceptibility to early development
      of prostatic cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine if the number of
      AgNORs was higher in malignant than normal or hyperplastic prostatic tissue, and
      if the number of AgNORs increased with increasing grade of malignancy. More AgNOR
      dots were found in the prostatic adenocarcinomas (average 24/cell) than in the
      normal and hyperplastic prostates (average 13/cell). The poorly differentiated
      adenocarcinomas had more AgNORs than the moderately and well differentiated
      cancers. The data indicate that analysis of silver staining-positive material in
      intact interphase cells may help distinguish between benign and malignant
      prostatic tumors, and between highly malignant and low malignant carcinomas. The
      purpose was to find consistent and specific chromosome abnormalities in primary
      prostatic adenocarcinomas. Because then existing techniques for culturing human
      neoplastic prostatic tissue rarely yielded sufficiant epithelial cell growth and
      mitosis we decided to modify these techniques. Tumor samples from 82 patients
      were processed for short-term culture. Cytogenetic analysis was successful in 57
      tumors, 42 of which were cultured after September 1, 1988, when the modifications
      were implemented. Thirteen of the 15 primary tumor samples that contained clonal
      karyotypic abnormalities were processed after September 1, 1988. Loss of
      chromosomal material from 7q, 8p, and 10q, and structural aberrations of bands
      7q22 and 10q24 were the most common aberrations found. From these data it may be
      inferred that both loss of tumor suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes
      located in the breakpoint regions may be important pathogenetic events in the
      development or progression of prostatic adenocarcinoma. In this study we wanted
      to examine the clinical implications of karyotypic abnormalities. We found a
      significant difference in survival after diagnosis and surgery between patients
      whose tumors had clonal structural abnormalities (A), patients whose tumors had
      nonclonal changes (NA), and patients whose tumors had normal karyotypes only
      (N).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1871552
TI  - Prostatectomy in Denmark. Regional variation and the diffusion of medical
      technology 1977-1985.
AB  - In many countries prostatectomy is one of the most common surgical operations in
      elderly men. We used administrative data for the entire male population of
      Denmark to study temporal and regional variations in the use of prostatectomy
      from 1977 to 1985. The total annual number of prostatectomies increased by 43%
      during the period, when the transurethral procedure (TURP) gradually replaced
      traditional open surgery. TURP accounted for 56% of all operations in 1977 but
      increased its share to 92% in 1985. Substantial regional variations occurred with
      index values for prostatectomy in 72 recruitment areas ranging from 0.56 to 1.62
      (SCV x 100 = 5.3). The amount of variation decreased during the process of
      technology diffusion, but remained at a relatively high level (as in other
      countries) even after the process had been completed (SCV x 100 = 5.1).

PMID- 1871553
TI  - Prostatic cancer in Aust-Agder County, Norway. Age, stage, grade and mode of
      presentation.
AB  - Two hundred and five patients (89 per 100,000 men) with newly diagnosed prostatic
      cancer comprises all cases in the Aust-Agder County in Norway over a 5-year
      period. There were 36% stage T0 M0, 19% T1-2 M0, 16% T3-4 M0 and 29% T0-4 M1. In
      patients with well differentiated disease (G1), 8% had distant metastases on
      presentation, whereas in the moderately differentiated tumors (G2) and the poorly
      differentiated tumors (G3) distant metastases occurred in 30% and 62%,
      respectively. A statistically significantly higher proportion of well
      differentiated (G1) tumors were observed in the younger age groups (less than 70
      years). On presentation diagnosis was suspected on routine digital rectal
      examination in 9% of the patients, while 12% had symptoms on disseminated disease
      as mode of presentation. Of patients operated upon for apparently benign
      hyperplasia 13% had prostatic cancer.

PMID- 1871554
TI  - Presentation and clinical course of patients ultimately succumbing to carcinoma
      of the prostate.
AB  - Ninety-six patients who expired due to carcinoma of the prostate were identified
      within the primary treatment area of Brooke Army Medical Center between the years
      of 1981 and 1988. Although 71 patients were noted to have abnormal prostate
      examinations at the time of diagnosis, 11 had been noted to have a palpably
      normal prostate within three years of tumor diagnosis. Twenty-four patients had a
      palpably normal prostate at the time of diagnosis. Fifteen patients had been
      previously noted to have an abnormal prostate but biopsy in 11 of these had been
      benign. These data suggest that digital rectal examination of the prostate will
      not detect a number of patients who will ultimately die of carcinoma of the
      prostate.

PMID- 1871555
TI  - Blood ammonia concentrations resulting from absorption of irrigating fluid
      containing glycine and ethanol during transurethral resection of the prostate.
AB  - In 30 patients the blood ammonia concentration was measured 30 min was after
      transurethral resection of the prostate during which absorption of irrigating
      fluid containing 1.5% of glycine and 1% of ethanol had been indicated by serial
      expired breath tests. The volume of irrigating fluid that had been absorbed was
      either measured volumetrically (n = 25) or estimated from the ethanol
      concentration in the expired breath (n = 5); the median volume of irrigating
      fluid absorbed was 1.3 litres (range 0.2-4.3). There was no consistent rise in
      the blood ammonia concentration, nor was there any correlation between the blood
      ammonia concentration and the volume of irrigating fluid absorbed. No patient
      developed symptoms that could be clearly related to hyperammonaemic glycine
      toxicity, but 18 of the 30 patients developed other signs of the "TURP syndrome".
      The present results suggest that irrigating fluid containing both glycine and
      ethanol does not significantly increase blood ammonia concentration or produce
      symptoms of glycine toxicity.

PMID- 1871556
TI  - Vasopressin and cortisol levels in response to glycine infusion.
AB  - The plasma vasopressin and serum cortisol concentrations were recorded in 7
      healthy volunteers receiving an intravenous infusion of 1 l of isosmotic (2.2%)
      glycine solution during 20 min. The infusion elicited a significant increase in
      the plasma vasopressin level by a mean of 60% (SEM 13) above baseline level. The
      serum cortisol level increased only in the patient who developed signs of glycine
      toxicity. These results suggest that a glycine solution has water-retaining
      properties by stimulating the vasopressin secretion but usually not by increasing
      cortisol secretion.

PMID- 1871557
TI  - Bacteriological findings in urine specimens from women. Association with urinary
      tract symptoms and sampling methods.
AB  - Urine sampling techniques were recorded in 147 women who brought a sample of
      urine voided at home to the general practitioner's surgery. Seventy-two women had
      lower urinary tract symptoms, and 75 had no symptoms at all. Eighty-nine (61%)
      had taken a midstream specimen, 77 (52%) had cleansed the periurethral area, and
      15 (10%) had held the labia apart during micturition. Combinations of these
      techniques were used by 71 women while 40 (27%) had used no specific technique.
      The bacterial content of the urine (defined as the number of different bacterial
      strains found) was not reduced by either cleansing or by taking a midstream
      specimen, but it was significantly reduced in the women who had held the labia
      apart during voiding (p less than 0.05). Urine samples from women with symptoms
      had significantly lower bacterial content than those from patients who were free
      of symptoms (p less than 0.01). Women should be encouraged to ensure the free
      flow of urine by holding the labia apart during urine sampling.

PMID- 1871558
TI  - Prediction of T1-2 GI-II transitional cell bladder cancer; evaluation by
      histoquantitative methods.
AB  - A retrospective clinicopathological study was done including 175 T1-2 GI-II
      bladder cancer patients who all had transurethral resection or electrocoagulation
      as their initial treatment. Using interactive morphometry mean nuclear area (NA),
      mean standard deviation of nuclear area (SDNA) and the mean area of the 10
      largest nuclei (NA10) were measured in the biopsies from primary tumours. The
      volume corrected mitotic index (M/V index) was estimated in the same sections.
      The histological grading was done according to WHO and clinical staging according
      to UICC. Progression in bladder cancer was observed in 36 cases. The progression
      (T-category) was related to M/V index (p = 0.0039), non-papillar growth (p =
      0.0249), histological grade (p = 0.0736) and SDNA (p = 0.1535) in that order. In
      a separate analysis of papillary tumours NA10 showed predictive value (p =
      0.0805) in addition to M/V index (p = 0.0067). Twenty-one patients died of
      bladder cancer and NA (p = 0.0069) as well as M/V index (p = 0.0984) predicted
      survival whereas other parameters had no substantial prognostic value. In a
      separate analysis of papillary tumours NA (p = 0.0209) and M/V index (p = 0.0402)
      predicted survival. The recurrence rate or recurrence-free period could not be
      significantly related to histological parameters. The results suggest the use of
      these morphometric features in place for histological grading in prediction of T1
      T2 bladder tumours. In addition the results suggest the use of more aggressive
      therapy and more intensive follow-up programs for rapidly proliferating tumours
      as expressed by high mitotic activity.

PMID- 1871559
TI  - Bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment of 39 patients with superficial transitional
      cell carcinoma of the bladder.
AB  - The effect of intravesical Pasteur-F strain Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) on
      bladder carcinoma was studied in 39 patients. Multiple recurrent superficial
      transitional cell carcinoma was present in 36 cases, including 11 with
      concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS), and primary CIS in three. The mean age of
      the 27 men and 12 women was 72 years. A 6-week induction course was given,
      beginning usually 4-6 weeks after transurethral tumor resection (TUR) or random
      biopsies, with periodic followup cystoscopies and cytologic analyses. A second 6
      week course was given only to patients with incomplete response (positive urinary
      cytology or recurrent tumor). Three patients received maintenance intravesical
      BCG. If there was no response at the first cystoscopy after the induction course,
      no further BCG was given. Side effects were mostly local, moderate and transient,
      subsiding spontaneously or responding to symptomatic treatment. Severe systemic
      side effects occurred in three patients. Two with arthritis/arthralgia were
      managed as out-patients, while one with BCG pneumonitis/hepatitis required
      hospitalization, triple antituberculosis medication, cloxacillin and
      prednisolone. Complete response, defined as negative cystoscopy, cytology and
      histology, was obtained in 11 of 21 cases of papillary carcinoma without
      concomitant CIS. These patients were followed up for 8-47 months. Of the ten non
      responders, two died and eight underwent further TUR. Of the 11 patients with
      concomitant CIS, six showed complete and five no response. Two of the latter died
      and three had further TUR. In all three cases of primary CIS there was complete
      response.

PMID- 1871560
TI  - A classification of urinary calculi with respect to their composition and
      micromorphology.
AB  - Texture and micro-morphology of 1615 urinary calculi has been studied using
      scanning electron microscopy and X-ray micro analysis. Together with the results
      of X-ray diffractometry concerning their phase composition, a classification into
      five stone classes, 13 stone groups and 17 sub-groups could be evaluated.
      Especially the large and inhomogeneous class of the calcium-stones could be
      resolved into 13 stone types. Using this classification, the stone type is
      characterized by a three digit number containing the stone class, the stone group
      and in some cases the sub-group. Criteria for classification are typical texture
      patterns, the occurrence of special crystalline phases or both. These items are
      presented and clinical relationships discussed.

PMID- 1871561
TI  - Nd: YAG contact laser in partial nephrectomy. An experimental study in piglets.
AB  - The Nd: YAG contact laser technique with 12 W power output was used in partial
      nephrectomies in six piglets. Blood loss, total time and number of ligatures
      needed for haemostasis were compared in six partial nephrectomies performed with
      a steel scalpel. Mean blood loss was 53 g with the laser and 108 g with the steel
      scalpel (p less than 0.04). The mean time needed for haemostasis were 9.5 and
      16.2 min respectively (p = 0.2) and the average number of ligatures required 1.5
      and 8.8, respectively. The mean temperature rise at 5, 10 and 20 mm distance from
      the resection line was 5.3, 1.2 and 0.3 degrees C, respectively. The use of laser
      reduced blood loss and shortened the operation time. Further studies are needed
      concerning renal function after kidney surgery with a laser.

PMID- 1871562
TI  - Cystitis cystica treated with the neodymium-YAG laser. Case report.
AB  - We report on two patients with severe urgency and pollakisuria where further
      investigations revealed cystitis cystica (glandularis). Conservative treatment
      and TUR of the lesions had no effect on the symptoms. After treatment with
      Neodymium-YAG laser, however, both have been asymptomatic for more than 18 months
      and urethrocystoscopic examination demonstrated normalization of the bladder
      mucosa.

PMID- 1871563
TI  - Opposite renal pelvic metastasis of renal adenocarcinoma. Case report.
AB  - We report on a 72-year-old patient who was nephrectomized because of renal
      adenocarcinoma and who developed five years later a tumour in the contralateral
      renal pelvis. Histological study of the completely resected tumour revealed a
      metastase from the renal cell carcinoma. A short review of the literature
      concerning the rare cases of contralateral renal pelvic or ureteral metastases of
      renal carcinoma is made.

PMID- 1871564
TI  - [Aseptic meningitis in pediatrics].
AB  - We analyzed the 259 pediatric patients (69% males, 31% females) treated for
      aseptic meningitis at the Department of Pediatrics (Inselspital), University of
      Berne, Switzerland, during the 10-year period from 1978 to 1987. 79% were in- and
      21% outpatients. The main study purpose was the evaluation of clinical
      presentation, diagnostic workup, course and prognosis of this disease entity. The
      clinical characteristics (fever, meningitic signs, headache, nausea and vomiting,
      and usually normal consciousness) were not discriminative for differential
      diagnosis. On the other hand, pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid averaged 406 x
      10(6) cells/l (57% mononuclear cells) at first lumbar puncture, and 6 to 12 hours
      later showed both slight decrease of total cell count and clear shift to
      mononuclear cells (71%). The course of the disease was always short and benign.
      Complications, usually of a neurologic nature, occurred in only 10% and all were
      mild and reversible. Nevertheless, follow-up interview by phone identified 21% of
      patients with transient post-meningitic disorders, especially prolonged episodes
      of stress-induced headache. However, except for one case of chronic
      hydrocephalus, there were no severe or persistent sequelae. Neither complications
      nor sequelae correlated with patient age or laboratory findings. Our results
      confirm that aseptic meningitis in children is relatively benign, and underline
      the importance of rest and relaxation during convalescence. Rapid, reliable and
      cheap viral diagnostic tests in the cerebrospinal fluid could simplify the
      management of the individual patient with regard to repeated lumbar punctures (in
      36%), surveillance in the hospital (in 79%), and antibiotic therapy (in 25%).

PMID- 1871565
TI  - [Hypothyroidism and acanthocytes: diagnostic significance of blood smear].
AB  - We report on 3 cases of hypothyroidism in which the diagnoses were suspected
      after having observed acanthocytes on the blood film. The diagnostic value of
      this erythrocyte change has been neglected, although the results of studies have
      shown a test specificity of 87-99%, other diseases related to acanthocytes being
      very rare. After an analysis of the studies and case reports dealing with
      acanthocytes we conclude that hypothyroidism must be excluded in all cases where
      acanthocytes are observed on the blood film.

PMID- 1871566
TI  - [Attemoted suicide in the Bern region].
AB  - In a European multicenter study all the suicide attempts in the city and
      agglomeration of Berne which came under medical treatment during a 12-month
      period were surveyed. There were 243 females and 153 males, corresponding to a
      rate of 177.1 and 128.6 per 100,000 respectively. The investigated region can be
      regarded as representative of Switzerland. Comparison with other centers shows
      that the incidence of attempted suicide in Switzerland--unlike that of suicide-
      is approximately in line with the European average. The usual method is overdose
      of drugs, in particular benzodiazepines. Nearly all the drugs involved in the
      overdoses were obviously prescribed by physicians. The choice of drugs suggests
      that many suicidal people deliberately take anxiety-and tension-reducing agents,
      a fact which points to a relationship between anxiety states and attempted
      suicide. Both are to be regarded as the expression of acute emotional stress and
      require an appropriate therapeutic approach.

PMID- 1871567
TI  - [Spontaneous remission in histiocytosis X with lung and bone involvement].
AB  - Histiocytosis X is very rare in the adult. Since the illness is frequently
      asymptomatic it often causes diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Up to the
      present, assessment of the long-term course in the adult has required individual
      case records. A uniform therapeutic concept does not exist. According to
      prevailing opinion, asymptomatic patients do not require therapy. Our case record
      describes the spontaneous course in a young asymptomatic patient in whom
      histiocytosis X, which had affected lungs and bones, healed within 16 months.

PMID- 1871568
TI  - [Agronomy and veterinary medicine in the tension-filled sphere of development and
      transformation in Swiss agriculture].

PMID- 1871569
TI  - [The effect of the selenium status of goats on the resistance of erythrocytes to
      oxidative damage].
AB  - The effect of selenium status on the development of Heinz body anaemia was
      studied in 16 three months old Saanen goats which received a diet with a low
      selenium content. The control group (Se-, n = 8) received no supplementary
      selenium while the treated group (Se+, n = 8) received selenium by injection.
      Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase concentration was significantly higher in the
      Se+ group than in the control group (105 vs 36 U/g Hgb). The animals were
      drenched once per day with 30 mg of dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) per kg of body
      weight for 14 days and with 50 mg per kg during the following 11 days.
      Erythrocytes with Heinz bodies appeared within one week after increasing the DMDS
      dose to 50 mg/kg/day and reached a peak one week later (30% and 37% of
      erythrocytes with Heinz bodies in group Se+ and Se- respectively). Within the
      next three weeks haemoglobin levels dropped from 135 g/l to 123 g/l and 114 g/l
      in the Se+ and the Se- group respectively. Differences between the two groups
      were statistically significant for the percentage of erythrocytes with Heinz
      bodies and for haemoglobin values (p less than 0.05). The data support the
      hypothesis that selenium status influences the resistance of ruminants to
      brassica-induced Heinz body anaemia.

PMID- 1871570
TI  - [Feed additives in whole milk fattening. Effect on production and health of
      fattening calves].
AB  - In two fattening trials, each time 64 male calves of Simmental x Red Holstein
      cross breeds were used to investigate the influence of different commercial feed
      additives containing at the same time antimicrobial agents, minerals and vitamins
      on growth performance, feed intake, feed conversion and health condition. Calves
      whose milk diets were supplemented had, depending on products used, higher growth
      rates (9 to 28%) and better feed conversion rates (2 to 12%) compared to control
      calves which were fed only whole milk. This improved performance is primarily due
      to higher feed intakes. It is questionable how much the minerals and vitamins in
      addition to antimicrobial agents contributed to the improvement. The additional
      mineral supply caused after 8 weeks a statistically significant higher
      haemoglobin content, serum magnesium and glutathione peroxidase activity in
      erythrocytes compared to the exclusive whole milk feeding. Calves which were fed
      no additives refused feed intake more often as a result of disease incidence and
      required veterinary treatment more frequently.

PMID- 1871571
TI  - [Duplex ultrasound of the vertebral arteries. 1. Practical implementation,
      possibilities and limitations of the method].
AB  - Relatively few studies appeared concerning the examination of vertebral arteries
      because of their difficult visualization based on their anatomical position and
      on technical problems. The purpose of this report is to describe a technique for
      the imaging of vertebral arteries at their origins and along their extracranial
      course. The results of the examination of 54 patients are shown. By measuring the
      average diameter of the vessel, hypo- or hyperplasia of the vertebral artery can
      be defined. The problems of visualization of the vertebral origin as well as
      technical difficulties are discussed.

PMID- 1871572
TI  - [Duplex sonography of the vertebral arteries. 2. Clinical application].
AB  - The purpose of this report is to demonstrate pathological findings such as
      hypoplasia, stenosis and occlusion that were diagnosed by duplex-ultrasonography
      of vertebral arteries. Duplex scanning provides complementary to the continuous
      wave Doppler examination more accurate haemodynamical and morphological
      information for the diagnosis of hypoplasia or intracranial stenosis. In
      comparison with DSA this method may give additional information allowing to
      differentiate between vertebral aplasia and occlusion at the origin.

PMID- 1871573
TI  - [Vascular space-occupying lesions of the carotid artery--detection with color
      coded Doppler sonography. Comparison with duplex sonography and angiography].
AB  - Nine patients with a cervical tumour, diagnosed by duplex Doppler sonography were
      additionally evaluated by colour-coded Doppler sonography (CCDS). The duplex
      Doppler diagnosis of three internal carotid artery aneurysm was confirmed by CCDS
      in only one patient. In the remaining two cases CCDS identified a marked coiling
      of the internal carotid artery. Three low echogenic lesions, interpreted as
      cervical lymphomas by conventional Doppler sonography were identified as two
      internal carotid aneurysm with partial thrombosis and a carotid body tumour in
      the third patient by CCDS. Duplex-Doppler sonography and CCDS agreed in the
      diagnosis of two AV-malformations and one carotid body tumour. Angiography
      confirmed the CCDS-diagnosis in 7 patients. In the two patients with coiling of
      the ICA angiographic evaluation was not performed. Thus, CCDS was superior to
      duplex Doppler sonography in the evaluation of vascular lesions of the
      extracranial section of the carotid artery and provided additional diagnostic
      information.

PMID- 1871574
TI  - [Transcranial color-coded real-time sonography in the adult. 1: Normal findings
      and cerebrovascular ischemia].
AB  - Transcranial colour-coded real time sonography (TCCS) is a new, non-invasive
      diagnostic bedside procedure allowing two-dimensional imaging of cerebral
      parenchymatous structures and large intracranial arteries through the intact
      skull. So far we examined a population of 183 patients und 53 normal subjects,
      all above 18 years of age. 24 (10%) subjects were not suitable for examination.
      Two-dimensional imaging of telencephalic, diencephalic, mesencephalic and pontine
      structures is feasible. Intravascular blood flow phenomena may be analysed
      quantitatively by an integrated pulsed wave Doppler system. The diagnosis of
      arterial stenosis and occlusion could be established in 14 patients each by
      analysing the colour-coded B-mode image and Doppler frequency spectrum. TCCS may
      complement diagnostic tools in neurology and may improve standardisation of
      transcranial Doppler measurements.

PMID- 1871575
TI  - [Microsurgical removal of deep vascular malformations using sonar-stereometry].
AB  - The advantages of a new, dynamic sonar technology in open stereotactic
      microsurgery are demonstrated by means of three surgical procedures for deep
      seated vascular malformations that are not easy of access. With this method,
      targets can be aimed at without using rigid, obstructive pointing devices as in
      conventional stereotaxy. On the contrary, it is possible to take advantage of
      preformed anatomical spaces reaching the lesion most carefully by means of light
      weight, free-hand on-target instruments. The spatial information, correlated with
      a CT data set, is displayed in real time with an accuracy of +/- 1 mm. Additional
      image data from MR and digital angiography can be used interactively.

PMID- 1871576
TI  - [Cystic adventitia degeneration of the popliteal artery: sonographic confirmation
      of the diagnosis].
AB  - Cystic adventitial disease is a rare condition resulting in arterial occlusive
      symptoms. The characteristic clinical and angiographic findings suggest the
      diagnosis cystic adventitial disease. The presented case shows, that sonography
      can demonstrate the adventitial cyst and the resulting stenosis and confirm the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1871577
TI  - [Blunt abdominal trauma: differential diagnosis of splenic lobulation and splenic
      rupture].
AB  - In a retrospective study, we analyzed the data of 232 patients with blunt
      abdominal trauma between January 1, 1984, and December 31, 1988. In emergency
      ultrasound, we detected 4 patients with a smooth disruption of the splenic
      outline combined with free peritoneal fluid around the spleen. Because of the
      blunt abdominal trauma, a rupture of the spleen had to be excluded. In two of
      these 4 cases, we decided for laparotomy. Intraoperatively, we found a splenic
      lobulation and no splenic injury in both cases. We conclude that an emergency
      sonographic examination of the spleen, it should be kept in mind that the
      anatomical variation of a splenic lobulation might mimic a rupture of the spleen.

PMID- 1871578
TI  - Mobile tomographic (SPECT) thallium heart studies.

PMID- 1871579
TI  - GYN cytology--is the glass full or half empty?

PMID- 1871580
TI  - Memories of a small town: medicine the old fashioned way: Theodore Kammerling.

PMID- 1871581
TI  - Hyperlipoproteinemias: Part III. When to treat.
AB  - The recommended treatment goals for patients with hypercholesterolemia who do not
      have coronary heart disease or two additional risk factors, are a total
      cholesterol of less than 240 mg/dL and an LDL-cholesterol of less than 160 mg/dL.
      For patients with coronary heart or two additional risk factors, the goals are
      200 mg/dL and 130 mg/dL respectively. The step-one diet is the initial therapy
      for hypercholesterolemia, followed by the more rigid step-two diet if response
      has been inadequate. Drug treatment is indicated upon failure of adequate
      response to six months of dietary therapy, and an LDL-cholesterol of greater than
      or equal to 190 mg/dL in the patient without coronary heart disease or two
      additional risk factors, or greater than or equal to 160 mg/dL in the patient
      with coronary heart disease or two additional risk factors. The decision
      regarding when to treat patients with hypertriglyceridemia is controversial.
      Patients with levels greater than 500 mg/dL should at least be treated by diet. A
      consensus report on the management of children with hyperlipidemia is awaited.
      The approach to the elderly patient is debated.

PMID- 1871582
TI  - Hyperlipoproteinemias: part IV. Drug regimens.
AB  - The bile acid sequestrants and nicotinic acid are the agents of first choice for
      the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Experts disagree as to the drug of choice
      for hypertriglyceridemia, although both nicotinic acid and gemfibrozil are
      effective. For combined hyperlipoproteinemia, single drug choices include
      nicotinic acid, lovastatin, and gemifibrozil. Patients with hypercholesterolemia
      not responding to single drug therapy in conjunction with diet can be treated
      with a number of drug combinations.

PMID- 1871583
TI  - Confusion and misunderstanding of some of the terms and practices readily employ
      in medicine.

PMID- 1871584
TI  - Medicare physician payment policies: a cost accounting analysis of three internal
      medicine office practices in South Dakota.
AB  - Medicare financed visits comprise a higher percentage of these solo internal
      medicine practices than in solo practices of all types in South Dakota or
      practices of any type in the USA. Investment opportunity costs, not apparently
      considered in payment reform policies, in the three practices evaluated are
      greater than professional liability costs which are highlighted in reform
      systems. Medicare office visit reimbursement under the Customary, Prevailing and
      Reasonable (CPR) system did not cover economic costs in these three office
      practices. The 1991 transition year projections predict practice 1 will lose over
      $7,000. In the unlikely event that budget neutral provisions are implemented in
      1992, the three practices could experience an office revenue increase of 49%,
      still not equal to the economic incentives of non-Medicare visits. However, the
      direction taken by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) in developing
      a model Medicare Fee Schedule would permit an average increase of only 19% to the
      office charges of the three practices. Office practices 1 and 3 will not break
      even without increasing Medicare office visit volume by 37% and 57% respectively.

PMID- 1871585
TI  - Standard Reference Materials for dioxins and other environmental pollutants.
AB  - The National Institute of Standards and Technology issues approximately 1100
      Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) certified for chemical composition or
      physical properties. A number of these SRMs has been developed to assist chemists
      in analyzing environmental samples more reliably for chlorinated dioxins and
      other organic pollutants. Certification of the pollutant concentration in a
      natural matrix SRM is based on concordant analyses by the NIST Organic Analytical
      Research Division using at least two independent methods. For a calibration
      solution, such as SRM 1614, Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in Isooctane, certification is
      based on agreement of the calculated concentration based on the gravimetric
      preparation and the concentration as determined experimentally. SRM 1614 also
      includes a 13C-labeled 2,3,7,8-TCDD for use as an internal standard in methods
      based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The certified concentrations (ng g
      1) are 98.3 +/- 3.3 for the unlabeled dioxin and 95.6 +/- 1.5 for the labeled
      dioxin. The certificates for SRM 1588, Organics in Cod Liver Oil, and SRM 1589,
      Polychlorinated Biphenyls (as Aroclor 1260) in Human Serum, provide noncertified
      concentrations of dioxins. Concentrations of chlorinated dioxins in two urban
      particulate SRMs have been reported in the literature.

PMID- 1871586
TI  - Human health effects: what the data indicate.
AB  - Information about the possible human health effects of dioxin is available from
      studies of chemical plant workers, sprayers of dioxin-contaminated herbicides,
      and other exposed people. No human illness, other than the skin disease
      chloracne, which has occurred only in highly exposed people, has been
      convincingly associated with dioxin. Some epidemiologic studies have suggested
      associations between dioxin and stomach cancer, soft tissue sarcomas, and
      lymphomas, but other studies, powerful enough to detect excesses of those
      diseases, if they exist, have not done so. With the exception of one study of
      chemical plant workers that reported an excess of stomach cancer, all the
      suggested associations of increased cancer risks and dioxin exposures are from
      studies of herbicide applicators. Both direct measurements of the concentrations
      of dioxin in the body fat of chemical plant workers and the occurrence of
      chloracne in those men support the conclusion that they were exposed to far
      greater amounts of dioxin than herbicide applicators. Therefore, if the cancers
      found in herbicide users were associated with dioxin, even more of those cancers
      would be expected among the chemical plant workers; the expected increases are
      not found. In short, epidemiologic studies in which dioxin exposures are known to
      have been high, either because of the appearance of chloracne or from
      measurements of dioxin in exposed people, have failed to reveal any consistent
      excess of cancer. In those studies that have reported associations between
      exposure and disease, no chloracne was reported, and there are no measurements of
      higher-than-background levels of dioxin in the people who are classified as
      exposed.

PMID- 1871587
TI  - Natural carcinogens and dioxin.
AB  - Toxicology studies of synthetic chemicals at high doses must be viewed in the
      context of the world of natural chemicals, which make up the vast bulk of the
      chemicals to which humans are exposed. In tests at near toxic doses (e.g., the
      maximum tolerated dose), one-half of all chemicals, whether synthetic or natural,
      are carcinogens; one-third are teratogens, and about half are clastogens. Natural
      and synthetic chemicals are similar in their toxicology, and at the low doses of
      most human exposures where cell-killing does not occur, the hazards may be much
      lower than are commonly assumed and often will be zero. It is shown that the
      comparative hazards of dioxin at the levels that are causing concern appear
      insignificant.

PMID- 1871588
TI  - Atmospheric lifetimes of dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans.
AB  - The experimental and theoretical data available concerning the gas- and particle
      phase reactions of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and
      polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs) are discussed. These data lead to the expectation
      that the dominant tropospheric loss processes of gas-phase PCDDs and PCDFs will
      be photolysis and reaction with the OH radical, with the OH radical reaction
      being the most important for the less chlorinated species. The estimated
      tropospheric lifetimes of gas-phase PCDFs increase significantly more rapidly
      with the degree of chlorination than is the case for PCDDs. For particle
      associated PCDDs and PCDFs, the dominant tropospheric removal processes are
      expected to be photolysis and wet and dry deposition, with wet and dry deposition
      of the host particles being the most important. The estimated lifetimes in the
      lower troposphere range from less than 1 day for dibenzo-p-dioxin, the mono-, di-
      and trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofuran and the monochlorodibenzofurans
      present in the gas phase, to greater than or equal to 10 days for particle
      associated PCDDs and PCDFs, with a general increase in the tropospheric lifetime
      with the degree of chlorination. While long-range transport of PCDDs is expected
      to occur for those PCDDs which are totally or mainly particle associated, gas-
      and particle-phase PCDFs containing four or more chlorine atoms are also expected
      to have sufficiently long tropospheric lifetimes to undergo long-range transport.

PMID- 1871589
TI  - A model for de novo synthesis and decomposition rates of dioxins and furans in
      municipal waste incinerators.
AB  - We present a concise summary of a de novo synthesis model for the rates of
      formation of dioxins and furans in incinerators. Representative numerical results
      are used to illustrate numerical predictions and their utilization.

PMID- 1871590
TI  - Some laboratory experimental designs for obtaining dynamic property data on
      dioxins.
AB  - The presence of polychlorinated p-dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated
      dibenzofurans (hereafter PCDD/F) in municipal waste incinerator effluents has
      sparked a variety of laboratory investigations in the last few years in the hope
      of learning more about the formation and destruction mechanisms of these
      compounds. In the course of the investigations a variety of approaches have been
      employed. It is the purpose of this paper to review these designs and to comment
      on them in general as well as in specifics. Since under the conditions of
      interest the quantities of PCDD/Fs are miniscule compared with other products and
      reactants and because there are nearly 200 congeners, quantitative information is
      difficult and expensive to obtain. A second aspect concerns the reaction rates
      involved. No intrinsic kinetic studies have been conducted and no intrinsic
      values for PCDD/F rates of formation exist. Such information will be necessary,
      however. As will be shown below, there seems to exist a basic conflict between
      reaction rates as may be inferred from some laboratory experiments and rates
      seemingly required by the time/temperature histories of gases and particles in
      incinerators. The paper is divided into four major parts: homogeneous formation
      and destruction, heterogeneous formation and destruction, comments on
      discrepancies, and suggested designs.

PMID- 1871591
TI  - Toxicity equivalents and EPA's risk assessment of 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
AB  - Toxicity equivalent factors (TEFs) have proved useful in estimating the toxicity
      of complex mixtures of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans
      (CDDs/CDFs). An international consensus has formed around a specific set of TEF
      values as interim solution for addressing environmental contamination by
      CDDs/CDFs. This procedure capitalizes on the congener-specific analytical results
      that are more routinely available in recent years. The TEF approach should be
      updated as necessary and replaced by more definitive bioassay approaches as soon
      as practicable. In an independent activity, the USEPA considered a proposal to
      change (reduce) the cancer potency ascribed to 2,3,7,8-TCDD by a factor of 16.
      The recommendation was based upon an analysis of the literature and the Agency's
      earlier risk assessment. The proposal was reviewed by the Science Advisory Board,
      a group of outside scientific advisors. Subsequently, the Agency decided against
      making any changes in its assessment at this time. However, it is likely that a
      reassessment will be conducted shortly that will incorporate new data and a new
      approach to estimating of cancer risks posed by 2,3,7,8-TCDD.

PMID- 1871592
TI  - Air emissions from municipal waste combustion and their environmental effects.
AB  - This paper addresses risk-assessment estimates associated with air emissions from
      MWC facilities via the inhalation pathway. Calculations performed address
      selected chemical constituents with the potential highest human health effects.
      The calculated carcinogenic risks are small and are well below the EPA acceptable
      risk of 10(-4). Similarly, the calculated noncarcinogenic risks are well below
      the acceptable reference dose values. Calculations presented in this paper for
      selected constituents could be expanded to additional chemical constituents.

PMID- 1871593
TI  - Human exposure to dioxin.
AB  - Because 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent chemical
      carcinogen evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many
      people fear that exposure to even small amounts of TCDD could lead to serious
      health effects. Ambient measurements confirm that environmental TCDD
      contamination is widespread. The public is concerned about TCDD exposure from
      such diverse sources as municipal solid waste incinerators, pulp and paper mills,
      and contaminated fish and soil. This paper evaluates several critical issues
      including: (i) the extent of background contamination; (ii) accumulation in the
      food chain and the potential for human exposure from ingesting contaminated food
      items; (iii) the magnitude of TCDD emissions into the U.S. environment, and the
      relative contribution of various known TCDD sources to the total TCDD load; and
      (iv) setting environmental standards for TCDD.

PMID- 1871594
TI  - NIH bill to mandate ROTC program for biomedicine and data sharing.

PMID- 1871595
TI  - Tape trouble.

PMID- 1871597
TI  - Healy returns fire at Dingell hearing.

PMID- 1871596
TI  - Testing for cancer risk: tough questions ahead.

PMID- 1871598
TI  - Brain cancer near Los Alamos?

PMID- 1871599
TI  - Changes ahead for gene therapy review process?

PMID- 1871600
TI  - A novel, highly stable fold of the immunoglobulin binding domain of streptococcal
      protein G.
AB  - The high-resolution three-dimensional structure of a single immunoglobulin
      binding domain (B1, which comprises 56 residues including the NH2-terminal Met)
      of protein G from group G Streptococcus has been determined in solution by
      nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on the basis of 1058 experimental
      restraints. The average atomic root-mean-square distribution about the mean
      coordinate positions is 0.27 angstrom (A) for the backbone atoms, 0.65 A for all
      atoms, and 0.39 A for atoms excluding disordered surface side chains. The
      structure has no disulfide bridges and is composed of a four-stranded beta sheet,
      on top of which lies a long helix. The central two strands (beta 1 and beta 4),
      comprising the NH2- and COOH-termini, are parallel, and the outer two strands
      (beta 2 and beta 3) are connected by the helix in a +3x crossover. This novel
      topology (-1, +3x, -1), coupled with an extensive hydrogen-bonding network and a
      tightly packed and buried hydrophobic core, is probably responsible for the
      extreme thermal stability of this small domain (reversible melting at 87 degrees
      C).

PMID- 1871601
TI  - Genes for epilepsy mapped in the mouse.
AB  - The neurological mutant mouse strain E1 is a model for complex partial seizures
      in humans. The inheritance of epileptic seizures with seven conventional
      chromosomal markers and over 60 endogenous proviral markers was studied by means
      of back-crosses of E1 with two seizure-resistant strains, DBA/2J and ABP/LeJ. The
      major gene responsible for this epileptic phenotype (El-1) was localized to a
      region distal with respect to the centromere on chromosome 9. At least one other
      gene, El-2, linked to proviral markers on chromosome 2, also influences the
      seizure phenotype. In addition, a potential modifier of seizures was detected in
      the DBA/2J background. The location of El-1 on distal chromosome 9 may allow
      identification of an epilepsy candidate gene in humans on the basis of conserved
      synteny with human chromosome 3.

PMID- 1871602
TI  - Alteration of the phase and period of a circadian oscillator by a reversible
      transcription inhibitor.
AB  - A function for transcription in the mechanism of a circadian oscillator was
      investigated with the reversible transcription inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-
      ribobenzimidazole (DRB). Two-hour treatments with DRB shifted the phase of the
      circadian rhythm of the isolated eye of Aplysia, and continuous treatments of DRB
      lengthened the free running period of this rhythm. Camptothecin, an inhibitor of
      transcription that is structurally unrelated to DRB, had similar effects on the
      circadian rhythm. These results suggest that transcription may be part of the
      circadian oscillating mechanism.

PMID- 1871603
TI  - Counting and discounting the universe of exons.

PMID- 1871604
TI  - The quality of life of cancer patients who refuse chemotherapy.
AB  - The study compared the quality of life of 51 cancer patients who dropped out of
      chemotherapy, 19 who refused treatment and a further 70 patients who had
      completed chemotherapy. The patients were treated in five oncological institutes
      in Israel. The findings of this study indicate that the quality of life of
      patients who refuse chemotherapy is no different from that of patients who drop
      out of treatment or patients who complete treatment. The findings also show that
      the quality of life of the patients who drop out of treatment is worse than that
      of patients who complete chemotherapy.

PMID- 1871605
TI  - Culture, biomedicine and child mortality in Cameroon.
AB  - This article is based on a field study conducted by the authors in East Cameroon
      in 1987-1988 and on written sources available, including U.N. and Cameroon
      government statistics. It focuses on two major issues, namely, the relationship
      between biomedical assumptions and programs and traditional cultural tenets and
      the impact of both on child mortality in Cameroon's East Province. It contrasts
      the problems of disease and mortality in the area as reflected in official
      statistics with the actual health situation in the Province in light of resilient
      beliefs, attitudes, and practices that hinder rather than facilitate the
      effectiveness of immunization campaigns undertaken by the government to save the
      child. The study concludes by discussing policy choices and steps that both the
      government and the affected people might consider to remedy the region's
      disappointing health conditions.

PMID- 1871606
TI  - Rural health and labour supplies: empirical evidence from the World Bank Assisted
      Agricultural Development Project in the Kwara State of Nigeria.
AB  - The efforts made in this study are in two areas. First, an effort has been made
      to determine whether there are any health or labour supply differences between
      ADP and non-ADP households. Second, an effort has also been made to determine
      whether differences in health, housing and nutrition, if any, have an effect on
      labour supply. All the efforts are attempts to focus research attention on the
      Nigeria's resource endowment factor and at the same time assess the impact of
      rural infrastructure capital and thus the World Bank Assisted Agricultural
      Development Projects (ADP) on the rural Nigerian residents and their industry.
      Using 175 households, 50 from the ADP and 125 from the non-ADP areas, the
      discriptive statistic indicates strong mean significant differences for the
      descriptors of nutrition, housing and state of health among the two sample
      categories. The discriminant function strongly discriminates between the two
      sample groups while the multiple regression analysis establishes a causal
      relationship between the discriptors of rural healthy days and labour supply for
      the two sample data sets. The policy implication of the study is that the
      implementation of the ADP particularly the Ilorin, leads to the improvement of
      quality of life and greater infusion of high quality labour into the rural
      agricultural industry. Higher productivity and increased farm family income and
      enhanced rural life which results is a useful virile circle necessary for laying
      the bedrock for the rural development.

PMID- 1871607
TI  - Cree Indian healing practices and western health care: a comparative analysis.
AB  - In this article, Cree Indian methods of treating disease are compared with the
      treatment process and procedures used in the Western health Care system.
      Ethnographic data permitted the identification of the five components of Cree
      healing: the ritual, contract, treatment, didactic, and closure components. These
      components are compared with equivalent phases in the physician-patient and nurse
      patient relationship. In particular, the process of comparison permits the
      identification of incongruities that the Cree may encounter when using the
      Western system. These include the inability to identify one's own state of health
      and abnormalities; a passive, rather than a participatory role in healing; the
      incomprehensible notion of "silent" diseases and preventative treatment; the
      specialization of the caring, curing, and counselling roles of practitioners and
      the limited perspective of "holism" in health care.

PMID- 1871608
TI  - Prostitution, AIDS, and preventive health behavior.
AB  - Although considerable attention has been placed on the role of prostitutes in the
      AIDS epidemic, little attention has been directed to features of prostitutes'
      work lives which are relevant to the control of AIDS. This article reviews
      several aspects of prostitution in the United States which have implications for
      control of the epidemic. The article first reviews the epidemiology of human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among prostitutes. The legalized system of
      prostitution in Nevada serves as a basis for comparison to illegal prostitution.
      This article examines the effectiveness of mandatory testing of prostitutes for
      monitoring and controlling the epidemic. And finally, a peer education approach
      as a means to control HIV infection among prostitutes is explored.

PMID- 1871609
TI  - Response of parents to five killer diseases among children in a Yoruba community,
      Nigeria.
AB  - This paper examines the various ways through which adults' health beliefs and
      attitudes affect their responses to five major killer diseases during childhood.
      The data for the study were derived from in-depth interviews conducted between
      December 1988 and January 1989 in a Yoruba community, Nigeria. The diseases
      covered in the study include diarrhoea, measles, tetanus, pertussis and fever. It
      was observed that teething and food related causes were believed to be
      responsible for diarrhoea; the cause of measles and pertussis was generally
      unknown; tetanus was usually associated with convulsions; and fever was believed
      to be caused by roaming in the sun and by constipation. Herbal tea, modern drugs
      and prayers were the most commonly prescribed treatments for these diseases. It
      was observed that most mothers used alternative sources of health care, rather
      than hospitals, clinics and maternity centres, in their treatment of diseases
      among children. Prominent among the alternative sources were patent medicine
      stores where there were personalistic social interaction between clients and
      operators, free consultancy and flexible pricing. Parents' location at the time
      of a child's sickness, access to good advisers, the perceived seriousness of the
      sickness and religious beliefs of mothers were important determinants of their
      response. Avoidance of blame was noted to be a major motivating force in parents'
      search for potential sources of health care. The paper concludes that although
      some of the practices might have negative health implications, they could be
      usefully adapted to the goal of self-reliance in medical care as a strategy for
      attaining health for all by the year 2000.

PMID- 1871610
TI  - Informed consent: a study of experiences and opinion of utilizers of health
      services from India.
AB  - One hundred and forty-eight subjects drawn from urban and rural settings who had
      been hospitalized for any medical problem within the previous three years were
      interviewed using a semi structured interview schedule to understand their
      opinion and experiences of informed consent. Sixty medical officers providing
      primary care in both urban and rural areas were concurrently interviewed to
      gather their opinion. Results revealed that respondents were dissatisfied with
      the information they had received about the different aspects of their illness.
      Both the doctors and the patients felt the need for providing adequate
      information to utilizers of health services. The two groups identified certain
      constraints, like illiteracy, in obtaining informed consent. Doctors compared to
      patients more often thought that illiterates could not understand the
      information. Patients more often felt that information about nature of
      investigations and about prognosis need not be routinely revealed.

PMID- 1871611
TI  - Diffusion and physiological responses to the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 in
      Nigeria.
AB  - Although virologists are not in agreement on the origins of the 1918-19 influenza
      pandemic, it has long been associated with the virulent type A virus. At least 21
      million people died from the disease over a 12-month period, becoming one of the
      world's worst short-term demographic disasters. The disease was introduced into
      Nigeria by passengers and crews who arrived via ship from overseas. Thus, coastal
      ports were the primary focus of the diffusion of the disease. Its spread to the
      hinterland was facilitated by improvements in transportation technology. Neither
      maritime quarantine, nor the isolation of patients checked the spread of the
      disease. About 500,000 Nigerians, out of a population of 18 million, died in less
      than 6 months, and between 50 and 80% of the population was stricken. The over
      crowded urban centers were the hardest hit and, even though pandemic declined
      almost as suddenly as it began, morbidity, mortality, and panic adversely
      affected the productive capacity of the country. Since the 1930s, virologists
      have gained much knowledge about the agents responsible for influenza diffusion,
      but the disease remains one of the few plagues to be eradicated. This is partly
      because of the exceptional adaptability of influenza viruses, and partly because
      artificially and naturally-acquired immunity to influenza are temporary in
      duration, making reinfection possible even by the same type or subtype of
      influenza.

PMID- 1871612
TI  - Why are we weighting? A critical examination of the use of item weights in a
      health status measure.
AB  - There is currently much interest in the measurement of self reported health
      status. A number of health status measures have been designed. However, such
      questionnaires are often long and complicated, or are disease specific. The most
      famous generic British health status instrument is the Nottingham Health Profile
      (NHP) which is a short questionnaire designed for ease of completion. However,
      this paper addresses a number of related issues concerning the weights attached
      to particular items on this questionnaire. It is argued that the weighting of
      items by Thurstone's method of paired comparisons is inappropriate and can lead
      to logically inconsistent results.

PMID- 1871613
TI  - Maternal role of clerical workers: a feminist analysis.
AB  - This paper presents the qualitative findings about women's maternal role from an
      interview study of role integration and health in a U.S. sample of 87 women
      clerical workers. The data draws from clerical women's perceptions of the
      satisfactions and stresses they experience in their roles as mothers, the coping
      strategies they use, and the resources available to them. The analysis provided
      is based on participants' descriptions of their subjective experiences as mothers
      within the larger context of managing domestic responsibilities and fulltime jobs
      outside their homes. Results suggest that women in clerical jobs find many
      aspects of their maternal role satisfying, like participating in their children's
      growth, nurturing them, receiving unconditional love, and finding companionship.
      However, they identify multiple and pervasive stresses including boundless
      worries, strained relationships, overload, child care problems, and financial
      burdens. Many of their coping strategies are solitary in nature, although they
      also engage in active problem-solving, especially when they have to juggle child
      care and occupational responsibilities. Many do not view their spouses as sources
      of emotional and tangible support in childrearing. In addition to an in-depth
      discussion of qualitative findings, the authors examine implications for social
      policy, intervention, and future research about multiple roles and health.

PMID- 1871614
TI  - [Organ-sparing gastrectomy in peptic ulcer].
AB  - Experimental and clinical data show the zone of hormonal stimulation of gastric
      juice secretion and that of parietal gastric hydrolysis to have well-defined
      borders coinciding with anatomical reference points, to be characterized by
      multidirectional gradient and to be a local mechanism regulating secretory and
      motor gastric activity. The condition of the lesser curvature ++muco-epithelial
      complex is one of the factors operable in development of gastroduodenal ulcer. It
      is hold that resection of hormone--contact zone of the stomach is a preserving,
      effective and available means of surgical management of gastroduodenal ulcer.

PMID- 1871615
TI  - [Study of the status of energy metabolism in thyrotoxicosis by the insulin test].
AB  - The insulin test was carried out in 68 healthy subjects and 20 patients with
      moderate thyrotoxicosis at the stage of compensation. Blood levels of pyruvate
      and lactate, plasma and erythrocytic glucose, urinary catecholamines and gas
      exchange were measured before, 30 and 120 min after intravenous administration of
      insulin (0.15 U/kg). All the measurements evidenced hypermetabolism: oxygen
      consumption, carbonic acid production, pulmonary ventilation were enhanced;
      lactate-pyruvate index and urine catecholamines were lower versus those of
      healthy subjects. Correlation analysis demonstrated disturbed regulation of
      hyperventilation by the sympathetic-adrenal system in thyrotoxicosis.

PMID- 1871616
TI  - [Brain function before and after sleep deprivation in patients with primary
      generalized epileptic seizures].
AB  - A clinical analysis covers 11 patients with primary-generalized spastic epilepsy
      aged 15-43 (9 males and 2 females). Sleep deprivation showed EEG-recorded extreme
      stress of the brain activating structures necessitating corresponding vascular
      response. Rheography records cerebral hemodynamics and provides control of
      vascular drugs effect in relevant patients.

PMID- 1871617
TI  - [Histological and immuno-morphological characteristics of differentiated cancer
      of the thyroid gland].
AB  - Histological and immunomorphological study of the removed tumor and tissue of the
      thyroid was performed in 80 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.
      Activation of immune reactions and immunocompetent cells was reported at the
      border with blastomatous process. The latter seems a factor contributing to a
      favorable run of differentiated thyroid cancer. The capacity of papillary and
      follicular cancer for multifocal growth limits indications for preserving surgery
      in such lesions.

PMID- 1871618
TI  - [Clinical aspects, diagnosis and surgical treatment of developmental anomalies of
      the cervical spine].
AB  - The examination of 20 patients with abnormal cervical spine has identified
      Klippel-Feil disease in 12 of them, isolated vertebral synostoses of the cervical
      spine in 8. In 2 patients with Klippel-Feil anomaly neurovascular syndrome was
      reported which resulted from compression of the neurovascular bundle by extra
      cervical ribs. Indications to surgical treatment in Klippel-Feil disease are
      specified. The authors performed operations to correct the cosmetic defect and
      relieve compression of the neurovascular bundle in neurovascular syndrome.

PMID- 1871619
TI  - [Principles of pathogenetic treatment of spontaneous cyclic abdominal pain in
      women].
AB  - Available are the results of treatment of 104 females suffering from spontaneous
      cyclic abdominal pain. Clinical and paraclinical evaluation shows that
      sensibilization to certain estrogen fraction in the presence of estrogen
      progesterone++ imbalance plays the leading role in pathogenesis of cyclic (phase
      I, II and in the middle of the cycle) abdominal pain. Desensitization by
      intracutaneous introduction of relevant estrogen fraction combined with
      progesterone++ provides recovery of vegetative and estrogen-progesterone++
      balance, relief of pain and emotional stress. A complete response was achieved in
      64.4%, partial in 25%, no response in 10.6% of the patients. Follow-up lasted for
      1 to 17 years. Additional rehabilitation measures are suggested. The diagnosis
      and treatment were performedon the outpatient basis.

PMID- 1871620
TI  - [The role of the major histocompatibility complex antigens in the development of
      allergic diseases in the Korean population].
AB  - Association has been detected between incidence of HLA-antigens and allergy
      prevalence in Koreans. Antigen B8 occurs significantly more frequently whereas A3
      more rarely in Koreans with allergy. Determination of HLA-antigens distribution
      may be helpful in prognosis of allergic diseases possibility. Allergies are a
      rare finding in Koreans due to less common occurrence of antigens AI and B8 in
      them against Europeans.

PMID- 1871621
TI  - [Use of the greater omentum for reconstruction of the chest].

PMID- 1871622
TI  - [Neurological aspects of microcrystalline arthropathies].

PMID- 1871623
TI  - [Work capacity of surgeons during operations].

PMID- 1871624
TI  - [Ways to improve secondary prevention of malignant neoplasms].

PMID- 1871625
TI  - [Effect of quantum hemotherapy on blood oxygen transport in the early stages of
      myocardial infarction].

PMID- 1871626
TI  - [Heart rupture and aneurysm].

PMID- 1871627
TI  - [Analysis of errors in the management of patients with stenocardia in an urban
      polyclinic and the ways of their correction].

PMID- 1871628
TI  - [Extending the diagnostic possibilities of tetrapolar chest rheography].

PMID- 1871629
TI  - [Central, pulmonary and hepatic hemodynamics at the developmental stages of
      cardiopulmonary insufficiency].
AB  - The analysis of correlations between the time and speed parameters found out that
      in healthy subjects and patients with chronic nonspecific bronchitis (CNB) the
      blood flow in great hepatic vessels is provided by the amount of blood entering
      the aorta in the systole. When central hemodynamics is affected in the CNB
      exacerbation, this factor becomes essential also for the arterial inflow into
      middle-size and small branches of the hepatic artery. Persistent bronchial
      obstruction and labile pulmonary hypertension rise as a result of failure of
      adequate relations between systemic, pulmonary and hepatic hemodynamics. The
      condition of great arterial vessels of the liver gets dependent on lesser and
      greater circulation. The response of the middle-size and small branches of the
      hepatic artery in chronic obstructive bronchitis (functional class II) is
      independent of the vascular tone of the lesser and greater circulation. The
      conclusion is made that intrahepatic blood flow in patients with secondary
      pulmonary hypertension is regulated by vasoactive factors acting at the level of
      the organ (mainly kallikrein-kinin system and prostaglandins).

PMID- 1871630
TI  - [Effect of exercise on pulmonary circulation in chronic bronchitis].

PMID- 1871631
TI  - [Possibilities of immunotherapy in chronic pancreatitis].

PMID- 1871632
TI  - [Status of the pancreas in the group of persons participating in liquidation of
      the sequelae of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant].

PMID- 1871633
TI  - [Possibilities of phototherapy in the complex treatment of non-healing peptic
      ulcers].

PMID- 1871634
TI  - [State of immunity in wound complications after herniotomy].

PMID- 1871635
TI  - [Suppurative meningitis and meningoencephalitis in middle-aged and elderly
      patients].

PMID- 1871636
TI  - [Androgen treatment of sex disorders in men with epilepsy].

PMID- 1871637
TI  - [Treatment of prednisolone-dependent form of multiple sclerosis].

PMID- 1871638
TI  - [Results of follow-up of patients with diabetes mellitus type 1].

PMID- 1871639
TI  - [Plasma triacylglycerols in alimentary obesity].

PMID- 1871640
TI  - [Treatment of thyrotoxicosis with anaprilin and mercasolil].

PMID- 1871641
TI  - [Diagnosis of staphylococcal infection in measles].

PMID- 1871642
TI  - [Biochemical examination of the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in complicated
      forms of pneumococcal infection].

PMID- 1871643
TI  - [Breast cancer in young age].

PMID- 1871644
TI  - [The role of pancreatic polypeptide in the pathogenesis of malabsorption in
      ulcerative colitis].
AB  - Pancreatic function was evaluated in 16 22-56-year-olds with ulcerative colitis.
      The diagnosis was verified by coprogram, glycemic curves, blood and urine
      amylase, ultrasound and endoscopic findings. A basal level of pancreatic
      polypeptide (PP) was measured in blood serum under glucose tolerance test (50 g)
      using radioimmunoassay. Intracavitary pH-metry provided data on pH in the upper
      gastrointestinal tract. The results were processed according to Student's t
      criterion. The evidence demonstrated pancreatic involvement with secretory and
      endocrine insufficiency leading to homeostatic derangement of enteral medium and
      malabsorption in ulcerative colitis. The addition of pancreatic enzymes and
      antacids is advisable as pathogenetically valid.

PMID- 1871645
TI  - [Fractures of the distal segment of the humerus].

PMID- 1871646
TI  - [Treatment of ununited fractures and pseudarthroses complicated by suppurative
      infection].

PMID- 1871647
TI  - [Intestinal obstruction caused by cholelithiasis].

PMID- 1871648
TI  - [Drug embolization in pancreatic carcinoid tumor with metastases to the liver].

PMID- 1871649
TI  - [Pulmonary mask of intestinal carcinoid tumor with hypereosinophilic syndrome].

PMID- 1871650
TI  - [Exercise therapy of post-mastectomy edema].

PMID- 1871651
TI  - [Comparative effectiveness of various beta adrenergic blockaders in
      hypertension].

PMID- 1871652
TI  - [Elastoviscosimetry in maxillo-facial pathology].
AB  - In the oro-maxillo-facial pathology it may be useful to perform hematochimical
      and saliva tests which can clarify the kind of the pathology and which can be
      used in the post-surgical follow-up because of incidental modifications. Saliva
      compliance and viscosity and blood hemorrheology variations always result lower
      than in normal population. The Authors are going to value which kind of oro
      maxillo-facial pathologies shows a significant reduction of saliva
      elastoviscosity and blood hemorrheology. Yet, in a further study, they will try
      to explain that reduction and the connection with the specific pathology and the
      medical and/or surgical treatment.

PMID- 1871653
TI  - [Innervation of inflammatory periapical lesions. Histopathological aspects].
AB  - The authors through a literatures, review, shows the istopathological aspects of
      the innervation of the inflammatory periapical lesions, emphasizing the most
      important characteristic.

PMID- 1871654
TI  - [Symptomatic and surgical results after integrated CT-MR study of a central giant
      cell tumor of the maxilla].
AB  - The AA. examine the possibilities of the present imaging to the diagnostic
      definition of the extensive and destructive forms of the Central Giant cells
      Tumor of the maxilla. The CT and MR studies are compared with conventional x-Ray.
      The analysis performed evinces, besides the well-known semeiological CT
      superiority for the evidence of the osseous erosions, the ability to follow by MR
      imaging the evolution of the tumor, in the its relationships with the fascial,
      muscular, adipose and fibromucous soft tissues, when it exceeds the osseous
      barrier of the maxillofacial skeleton, enclosed therein the palatal plane.

PMID- 1871655
TI  - [Histo-ontogenetic study of the major salivary glands and Chievitz's organ].
AB  - Salivary glands development has been studied by optical microscopy in 8 fetuses
      aged from 8 to 20 weeks of fetal life. From the observation of the sections
      obtained we can assume that submandibular gland is the first gland to be
      detectable, later the parotid gland and then the sublingual gland. In tight
      connection with the parotid gland Chievitz organ has been demonstrated. It is not
      known whether this organ may or may not contribute to parotid gland.

PMID- 1871656
TI  - [Modern views on treating tooth discoloration from tetracycline].
AB  - The Authors, having widely examined literature about genesis and methods of
      treatment of the tetracycline-induced discoloration of the teeth, had clinically
      studied a new way of bleaching discolored teeth called B.V. Bleaching Vital, they
      also described the execution's technique of this method.

PMID- 1871657
TI  - [Fluoride levels in mother's milk].
AB  - Using an electrode selective for the ion fluorine, it has been determined the
      amount of fluorine in samples of human milk. In a sample of 35 nursing mothers,
      only 10 have shown the required parameters. The amount of fluorine in the water
      all 35 mothers imbibed in their daily diet has been measured. The results showed
      a small amount of fluorine in human milk and a possible connection between the
      amount of fluorine in the mothers' daily diet and the amount of fluorine in human
      milk. From the results of the research it has been determined the necessity to
      give supplements of fluoride to nursing babies.

PMID- 1871658
TI  - [Comparison of telethermography and electromyography in instrumental
      symptomologic evaluation of the anterior temporalis and the masseter].
AB  - In 10 young subjects without pain or tenderness over the masseter and anterior
      temporal muscles left and right, skin surface temperature was measured over the
      area of these muscles, these subjects then underwent to an electromyographic
      examination for masseters and temporals. The findings obtained by these two
      different diagnostic tools were compared. From these comparison it comes out that
      in a large percentage of our sample they showed the same diagnostic result.

PMID- 1871659
TI  - [Motivation for seeking periodontal care in a Palermo population].
AB  - The Authors find a disagreement between symptomatology referred by patients and
      clinical pictures of pathology observed by sanitary operators. For instance a
      large percentage of patients considers bleending less important than the presence
      of calcolus. It is necessary a better information and secondary prevention
      increased.

PMID- 1871660
TI  - [Hypnosis for sedation and ambulatory analgesia in dentistry].
AB  - The hypnosis present various applications in the therapy of different oral
      pathologies. The hypnosis is helpful whether how assistance to the local
      anesthesia in anxious patients, or in the patients with cardiovascular disease,
      or in the patients with allergic symptom to anaesthetic drugs or in other various
      conditions. The present work shows the factors that are important for a adequate
      hypnotic methodology combined with local anesthesia in oral pathology; for this
      we have execute a clinical work with forty patients treating with various
      therapeutic treatment.

PMID- 1871661
TI  - [Some histological preparation methods of dental significance].
AB  - The authors inspect some of the most usual methods used in the preparation of
      histological sections of odontological interest. Then they describe a recent
      method of preparation of histological sections invented by the Prof. K. Donath.
      It makes use of modern instruments and allows the preservation, in the specimen,
      of tissues of different nature and consistence, and of eventual materials of
      restoration and of implant, present in the teeth or in the bone.

PMID- 1871662
TI  - [Cinematography of the wrist].

PMID- 1871663
TI  - [Fibrosarcoma of the cervical spine. Differential diagnosis and treatment].

PMID- 1871664
TI  - [Bone manifestations of a systemic amyloidosis].

PMID- 1871665
TI  - [MR tomography of spondylodiscitis].

PMID- 1871666
TI  - [The suitability of the surface-dose product for the evaluation of different film
      screen systems in relation to their sensitivity in practice].

PMID- 1871667
TI  - General practice residency education in implant dentistry.

PMID- 1871668
TI  - Endoscopic treatment of gastric cancer.
AB  - We analyzed 445 cases of early gastric cancer to confirm which were associated
      with lymph-node metastases. Overall, gastric cancers less than 2 cm in size,
      without an ulcer or ulcer scar, or protuberant or mixed morphology could be
      expected to be free of lymph-node metastases. In these patients with early
      gastric cancer without lymph-node metastasis, local treatment using surgical
      endoscopy could effectively eradicate the disease. Laser irradiation was
      performed in 44 cases and mucosal resection in 18 cases. All early gastric
      cancers less than 2 cm in size, with the exception of those located in the
      prepylorus or high on the posterior wall of the body of the stomach were
      eradicated by laser irradiation. Mucosal resection was used to ablate cancers
      less than 1 cm in size and with the exception of 1 case, total clearance was
      obtained. We conclude that early gastric cancer without lymph-node metastases can
      be eradicated by surgical endoscopic treatment.

PMID- 1871669
TI  - The use of endoscopic ultrasound in determining the depth of cancer invasion in
      patients with gastric cancer.
AB  - Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed in 110 patients with gastric
      cancer to examine the depth of cancer invasion. The normal gastric wall has a
      five-layer structure on EUS. In 19 lesions, changes on EUS were limited to the
      first and/or second layers, suggesting that invasion was limited within the
      mucosa. In 91 lesions, changes were evident in the third or deeper layers.
      Alterations in the EUS appearance could be divided into two types: type A, with
      destruction of the layered structure and type B with thickening of the layers.
      The amount of interstitial tissue in cancer was classified as medullary or
      intermediate in 90% of type A, and as scirrhous in 82% of type B tumor. The EUS
      diagnosis of invasion was 95% accurate for stage M cancers, 75% for SM, 64% for
      PM, 100% for SS, 79% for SE, and 100% for SI lesions. The overall accuracy was
      81%. Accompanying fibrosis and metastatic perigastric nodes were the main reasons
      for overestimating the extent of disease.

PMID- 1871670
TI  - Endoscopic diagnosis of submucosal gastric lesions. The results after routine
      endoscopy.
AB  - The accurate diagnosis of submucosal gastric lesions is difficult. In an attempt
      to study this problem, the endoscopic records for 8 consecutive years (July 1976
      June 1984) were scanned with the help of a computer-based registration of the
      endoscopic findings. The examinations were identified in which the endoscopic
      diagnosis indicated the presence of a submucosal tumor. Fifty-four such patients
      were found in 15,104 routine examinations, giving an incidence of 0.36%. Six
      patients were lost to follow-up, so the study is based on 48 patients. The most
      common reason these patients underwent endoscopy was abdominal pain. Five patient
      groups were identified: (a) nine patients were correctly diagnosed as having
      gastric wall neoplasia at the initial endoscopy + biopsy; (b) in an additional 13
      patients, the suspected gastric wall neoplasia was verified by further
      nonoperative diagnostic procedures; (c) five patients were found to have benign
      non-neoplastic gastric disease; (d) five patients had extra-gastric disease that
      pressed against the gastric wall; (e) in 14 patients a further work-up indicated
      that the initial endoscopy was false-positive. These five groups were confirmed
      by additional diagnostic procedures (including laparotomy) and a follow-up time
      of more than 5 years or autopsy. Two patients refused further examinations and
      died shortly afterward. No autopsies were performed. Based on our data, it would
      seem that in the vast majority of patients the suspicion of a submucosal gastric
      lesion at endoscopy indicates the presence of a serious condition.

PMID- 1871671
TI  - Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal
      bleeding. A comparative study of polidocanol and thrombin.
AB  - To date several agents have been used to achieve haemostasis in patients with non
      variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding using endoscopic sclerotherapy
      techniques. Polidocanol has been widely used but local complications have been
      reported after treatment. We have compared the efficacy and safety of thrombin
      and polidocanol in 82 consecutive patients with ongoing or recent bleeding from
      duodenal, gastric, or anastomotic ulcers. Primary control of haemostasis from
      spurting vessels was achieved in 90% of cases using polidocanol and in 86.6%
      using thrombin. Definitive haemostasis was obtained in 80% of patients in both
      groups. When a non-bleeding vessel was visible, injection of polidocanol or
      thrombin effectively prevented rebleeding in 90.9% and 85.7% of cases,
      respectively. When a non-bleeding sentinel clot was present, injection of
      polidocanol or thrombin provided definitive haemostasis in 100% and 92.8% of
      cases, respectively. No statistically significant difference was evident between
      the two agents. In the polidocanol group, one local haemorrhagic complication was
      noted. No general or local complications were recorded in the thrombin group.

PMID- 1871672
TI  - Duodenal varicose veins.
AB  - Duodenal varices (DV) are rare. We present a review of published cases with
      emphasis on the management and outcome, as illustrated by our own cases, which
      reflects the experience reported in the literature. The diagnosis of DV must be
      considered in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Two-thirds of all reported
      cases have portal venous hypertension caused by hepatic cirrhosis. In the
      remaining one-third prehepatic portal hypertension as a consequence of either a
      compromised portal venous circulation (caused by perivenous tumor or
      inflammation) or a primary haematological disease is the underlying cause.
      Previously, duodenoscopy has often failed to detect and correctly interpret DV,
      and was similarly unsuccessful in our case. This case report demonstrates the
      problems and shortcomings in the management of DV and documents a hither to
      unreported cause. Treatment depends on the severity of bleeding. When
      conservative measures cannot control the haemorrhage, emergency laparotomy may be
      indicated. The type of surgery should be chosen according to the aetiology, site
      and extent of the bleeding DV. Among 112 reported cases of DV, information on
      outcome exists for only 35 patients who presented with haemorrhage. The aetiology
      was liver cirrhosis in 26 of these patients, 10 of whom had a fatal outcome, and
      prehepatic portal hypertension in the remaining 9, 1 of whom had a fatal outcome.

PMID- 1871673
TI  - Intraoperative ultrasonographic detection of occult liver metastases in
      colorectal cancer.
AB  - The efficacy of intraoperative ultrasonographic detection of colorectal cancer
      liver metastases was evaluated in 85 patients undergoing operation for primary
      colorectal tumors or liver secondaries. The results of intraoperative
      ultrasonography were compared with those of preoperative ultrasonography and
      computed tomography, as well as the intraoperative appearances of the liver.
      Additional information about the number of metastases was obtained in 12 cases
      (14.1%); 17 (24.3%) out of 70 metastases could only be detected by intraoperative
      ultrasonography. In 4 cases (4.7%) these lesions were solitary. As a result, the
      operative procedure of choice was changed in 15.3% of the patients. We conclude
      that intraoperative ultrasonography has a significantly higher ability to detect
      colorectal cancer liver metastases than preoperative methods or intraoperative
      inspection and palpation. Intraoperative ultrasonography should be performed in
      patients without preoperative evidence of liver metastases and in all patients
      with planned resection of metastases.

PMID- 1871674
TI  - Value of sonography for follow-up examination after allogenic kidney
      transplantation.
AB  - In 66 patients with renal transplants 246 sonographic examinations were
      performed. The patients were divided into two groups based on their
      immunosuppressive protocol. Group I was treated with Cyclosporin A (CsA) and
      group II with azathioprin. A compensatory hypertrophy with a volume increase of
      20% could be seen in nearly all grafts. During acute tubular necrosis only
      minimal sonographic changes could be found. In each group 16 patients developed
      an acute rejection episode. Sonographic signs of acute rejection were: (1) a
      hypoechoic enlargement of the renal pyramides; (2) an increase in cortical
      echogenicity; (3) an increase in graft volume greater than compensatory
      hypertrophy; (4) an indistinct parenchyma-pelvic border; (5) dilation of the
      pelvis with a parenchyma-pelvic index greater than 2.3:1 (in group II cases).
      Chronic rejection is characterized by graft shrinkage. No specific signs were
      evident. The increasing use of CsA diminishes the value of sonography in follow
      up of acute rejection after kidney transplantation. Nevertheless, it is of great
      value for follow-up examination concerning other complications.

PMID- 1871675
TI  - The cholecystogastric fistula.
AB  - Internal gall bladder fistulas with a hollow viscus following dislocation of a
      gallstone into the intestine represent one of the late sequelae of
      cholelithiasis. We report the case of a 78-year-old patient, who suffered from a
      cholecystogastric fistula with consecutive stone transmigration into the stomach.

PMID- 1871676
TI  - Easy, non-traumatic insertion of a transparent overtube during endoscopic
      esophageal surgery.

PMID- 1871677
TI  - Early and long-term results of pneumatic dilation in the treatment of oesophageal
      achalasia.
AB  - Between 1967 and 1989, 60 patients underwent pneumatic dilation of the cardia at
      our institution. Of these, 33 had not undergone any previous treatment (group 1),
      whereas 27 presented with recurrent dysphagia after a failure of surgical
      treatment (group 2). In this series there was no procedure-related mortality and
      a perforation occurred only in 1 patient who was treated conservatively. The mean
      follow-up was similar in both groups (44 and 49 months, respectively). The
      results of pneumatic dilation were either excellent or good in 61% of group 1
      patients, and in 76% of group 2 patients. Reflux oesophagitis requiring medical
      therapy occurred in 1 group 2 patient. We conclude that pneumatic dilation is a
      safe and relatively effective procedure in patients with achalasia. Patients with
      a failed Heller myotomy seem to respond better than patients without previous
      surgery. However, the risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux after pneumatic dilation
      should not be underestimated.

PMID- 1871678
TI  - Two dynamic modes of striatal function under dopaminergic-cholinergic control:
      simulation and analysis of a model.
AB  - A neural network model based on the anatomy and physiology of the matrix
      compartment of the striatum is described. The model consists of a network of
      neurons which are mutually inhibitory within a defined domain. A membrane
      potassium conductance (GK) under dopaminergic-cholinergic control is included in
      the model. Computer simulation results show that changes in GmaxK can modulate
      the behaviour of the network to produce either competition or coactivation among
      striatal output neurons. An analysis of a two-neuron system based on the model
      shows that the maximum steepness of the threshold function plays a decisive role
      in the dynamics, in particular with regard to the competition that exists between
      the neurons. Competitive interactions predominate at low GmaxK, while
      coactivation predominates at high GmaxK. We suggest that the former dynamic
      governs reciprocal inhibition of antagonistic muscles, while the latter governs
      cocontraction and rigidity. The model offers insights into the control of
      striatal neurodynamics by GmaxK which establish closer links between dopaminergic
      actions in the striatum and the mechanism of Parkinsonian rigidity. A prediction
      of the model is that acetylcholine should increase GKmax in striatal output
      neurons.

PMID- 1871679
TI  - GABA depolarizes neurons in the rat striatum: an in vivo study.
AB  - GABA, applied by iontophoresis to striatal neurons of the rat in an in vivo
      preparation, depolarized the membrane potential and decreased the input
      resistance in a dose-dependent manner. The null potential of the GABA
      depolarization was about -50 mV. In addition, a fading of the GABA-induced
      response was observed for prolonged and relatively high amino acid application.
      We conclude that GABA has a depolarizing effect on striatal cells. This is in
      line with recent in vitro works describing a depolarizing effect of GABA in the
      rat neostriatum.

PMID- 1871680
TI  - Age-related remodeling of glutamic-acid decarboxylase-labeled elements in
      deafferented piriform cortex of rats.
AB  - Olfactory bulb (OB) removal has been shown to result in plasticity in the
      piriform cortex (PC) that is age dependent. We are studying this phenomenon using
      immunoelectron microscopy of glutamic acid decarboxylase immunoreactivity (GAD,
      the enzymatic precursor for GABA) at selected postnatal ages and in adults with
      emphasis on short survival times of 4-7 days after OB ablation. Normally GAD
      labeled synaptic terminals form type II symmetric contacts onto unlabeled
      dendrites and GAD-labeled dendrites receive type I, asymmetric contacts from
      unlabeled terminals (Westenbroek, et al., 1988a). The OB lesion results in
      degenerating terminals with type I contacts onto unlabeled and onto GAD-labeled
      dendrites. Type I postsynaptic sites may be seen partially contacted by or
      entirely devoid of degenerating terminals and occasionally may be apposed to
      variable degrees by normal unlabeled or by GAD-positive terminals. Subsequently,
      some GAD-labeled terminals may form asymmetric type I contacts usually with
      unlabeled dendrites and rarely with GAD-labeled dendrites. The findings are most
      common in the youngest subjects and essentially absent in the adult subjects. A
      sequence of reinnervation of deafferented type I sites by GAD-labeled terminals
      is suggested for the formation of this "atypical" synapse and the sequelae of
      this reorganization are discussed.

PMID- 1871682
TI  - [Medical problems in the care of the elderly].
AB  - The number of long-lived persons is increasing dramatically. They have a high
      need for medical help and make high demands on their doctors, especially because
      of their extreme physical, psychological and social multimorbidity. It is
      difficult but important to assess the vital energy and the life expectancy of
      these persons living near death. The spectrum of vitality ranges from admirably
      well-preserved persons without any need of help to bedridden sick people wasting
      away. In this paper, there are discussed specific findings and opportunities of
      intervention, in particular the problems of admission to hospital and life
      lengthening measures.

PMID- 1871681
TI  - Differential changes in mRNAs encoding for preprotachykinin A and B after kainic
      acid-induced seizures in the rat.

PMID- 1871683
TI  - [Falls of elderly people--a systematic evaluation is necessary].
AB  - Falls of the elderly represent a real challenge for both the physician who is
      called in order to evaluate the causes and consequences of a trauma and the
      patient who is menaced in his physical and mental integrity. But falls question
      also the family who feels insecure and guilty as well as society, which sees
      itself confronted with the rising cost induced by the request of services and
      institutions. Only a systematic approach, considering factors of surroundings,
      will allow us an exhaustive evaluation of each individual patient and will, on
      the other hand, enable us to foresee, beyond the introduction of therapy,
      preventive measures. In the present article a proposal is made for a
      predominantly clinical evaluation in the perspective of general health promotion.
      In this way a fall can also become an occasion for the patient to rethink in a
      useful way the necessary reorganization of his own life, which in the course of
      years is dominated more and more by the aspiration for security.

PMID- 1871684
TI  - [Evaluating gait disorders in geriatrics].
AB  - Gait disorders in the elderly are a major cause of falls and accidents. They also
      interfere badly with the quality of life and the psychosocial well-being. The
      prevalence of these disorders is very high: 15% of the persons over 65 years and
      about 25% of those over 75 years suffer from gait disorders. The cause of gait
      disorders can be a specific disease, but in the elderly, multiple causes are much
      more frequent. In the elderly, the analysis of gait disorders consists not only
      of a diagnostic work-up, but also of a comprehensive geriatric and functional
      gait assessment. A minimal gait assessment includes a special clinical
      examination, an instrumental analysis of gait speed and a functional assessment
      of gait and balance by standard tests. In this article the relevant methods of a
      practical gait assessment are presented and some basic aspects of treatments are
      discussed.

PMID- 1871685
TI  - [Rehabilitation of over 60-year-old stroke patients].
AB  - The rehabilitation processus in over 60-year-old patients is documented. History,
      clinical findings and progress of rehabilitation in 289 patients were evaluated.
      A pre- and post-comparison and a subgroup formation on the basis of
      rehabilitation success and finally the evaluation of possible predicting factors
      for the rehabilitation success are presented. "Successful rehabilitation" was
      defined, based on the clinical outcome, and judged by the responsible physician.
      This decision was subjected to thorough analysis. The outcome was judged to be
      'very successful' in 18.3%, 'successful' in 51.2% and 'not successful' in only
      30.5%. The costs per case were 16,000 DM. Highly significant relationships could
      be found between the expression 'successful rehabilitation', the discharge
      lacation, the stage of care at the time of discharge, the Barthel index and the
      in-house hemiplegic status at discharge. The following conditions resulted as
      highly significant predictors: stage of car, general condition, the numeric value
      of the Barthel index, presence of incontinence and presence of a psychoorganic
      syndrome. Age, sex and number of strokes revealed no relationship to the
      rehabilitation success in this work. In spite of multiple morbidity and in spite
      of mobility restrictions and prolonged reconvalescence time, the geriatric
      rehabilitation carried out in a trained team is successful.

PMID- 1871686
TI  - [Diagnosis, prevention and therapy of osteoporosis].
AB  - Osteoporosis is a generalized osteopathy manifesting itself mainly in women
      beyond 60 years of age. We still lack a uniform definition of osteoporosis,
      generally defined as a decrease in bone mass in comparison with an age- and sex
      related norm with normal mineralization of the remaining bone tissue. Of great
      importance for diagnosis are, above all, radiological procedures (plain X-rays of
      the spine, photon absorptiometry, computerised tomography), besides the medical
      history (backache, fractures) and the physical examination (kyphosis, shortening
      of the trunk, decrease in height). Furthermore, analyses of clinical chemistry
      and eventually histological examinations have to be applied for differential
      diagnostics with other generalized osteopathies and for etiological
      classification. The therapy of osteoporosis is supported by two main components:
      therapy of pain and influence on bone metabolism in order to diminish the risk of
      fractures. The position of fluorides in the treatment of osteoporosis is still
      under discussion. Most recent results recognize an alternative possibility by use
      of diphosphonates. Hormone substitution, physical training and nutritional
      aspects come to the fore in the prophylaxis of osteoporosis.

PMID- 1871687
TI  - [Significance of arrhythmias in advanced age].
AB  - Tachycardiac and bradycardiac arrhythmias increase with age. Because cardiac
      arrhythmias at an advanced age are almost always caused by organic disease, one
      must face more frequently electrical complications (e.g. ventricular
      fibrillation). Owing to the decrease of arterial flow volume as well as mean
      arterial pressure, bradycardiac and tachycardiac arrhythmias result in cerebral
      symptoms more often in elderly than younger persons. The causes of this
      observation are the disturbed cerebral autoregulation of blood pressure, but also
      the insufficient capacity of adaptation of the ageing circulation. In this
      situation it is more frequently necessary in old people than in younger ones to
      treat cardiac arrhythmias by antiarrhythmic drugs. The cardiodepressant effect of
      most antiarrhythmic drugs must be taken into account in this context.

PMID- 1871688
TI  - [Decubitus ulcers in geriatrics--pathogenesis, prevention and therapy].
AB  - Magnitude and duration of interface pressure are the crucial etiological factors
      in the decubitus ulcer formation. Small amounts of interface pressure that exceed
      the average capillary pressure (range: 2.7 to 6.3 kPa) may lead to compression of
      the skin microcirculation and resultant tissue necrosis when a critical duration
      of interface pressure of more than 2 h is reached. The principles of decubitus
      ulcer prevention are derived from the pathophysiology of ulcer formation as
      noted: reduction of interface pressure below 3 kPa by bedding each at-risk
      patient on a 'super-soft' mattress and shortening the duration of interface
      pressure below 2 h. by turning of patients from the supine position to the right
      and left 30 degrees oblique back position every two hours. Decubitus ulcers
      typically show impaired wound healing. Conditions most conspicuously protracting
      normal wound healing are: tissue hypoxia, fibrin deposits, necrotic tissue, local
      infection, defective migration of keratinocytes, impaired general condition, etc.
      Based on these pathophysiological mechanisms, five therapeutical principles are
      proposed: complete relief of interface pressure, debridement of necrotic tissue,
      treatment of infection using systemical antibiotics, wet and air-permeable wound
      dressing, improvement of patient's general condition.

PMID- 1871689
TI  - [Value of surgical treatment of decubitus ulcer in geriatric patients].
AB  - Geriatric patients have a high incidence of pressure sores. Pain, chronic and
      acute infection and protein loss may impair their general condition. Pressure
      relief, local debridement, disinfection and physiologic wound dressing are the
      first steps in local treatment. The spontaneous healing time of a pressure sore
      is very slow, even if concomitant diseases as diabetes, urinary tract infection
      and pneumonia could be stabilized and the general condition of the patient be
      improved. In these selected and stable cases, surgical debridement and plastic
      pressure sore closure may be indicated. Simple skinflaps can give good results in
      superficial sores without bone involvement and have a low operative morbidity.
      Musculocutaneous flaps are technically more difficult, but resist better to
      infection and may fill bigger and deeper defects. In any operation, vascular
      territories (angiosomes) of further flaps, suitable for a recurrent or second
      decubitus closure, must be preserved. Long-term results in 30 operated patients
      over 60 are presented. Although the postoperative complication rate is very high,
      healing could be achieved in all surviving patients.

PMID- 1871690
TI  - Risk of tuberculosis in immigrant Asians: culturally acquired immunodeficiency?
AB  - Study of the 620 Asian immigrants with tuberculosis notified in the Wandsworth
      area of south London between 1973 and 1988 showed a bimodal pattern of
      tuberculosis notifications: in 1977 there was a peak among Asians from East
      Africa, and in 1981 a peak among those from the Indian subcontinent. There was a
      mean lag time of five years between clinical presentation and immigration. Logit
      analysis showed that, although overall more men had tuberculosis than women,
      glandular tuberculosis was more common among women of all groups, and pulmonary
      tuberculosis was more common among Hindu women than Hindu men. Both subgroups of
      Asians had a substantially higher incidence of tuberculosis than white people,
      particularly at extrapulmonary sites. Hindus were also at a significantly greater
      risk of tuberculosis at all sites than Muslims (Hindu:Muslim risk ratio 5.5 for
      women and 3.7 for men). The increased susceptibility to tuberculosis of Hindus,
      particularly Hindu women, may be related to a culturally acquired
      immunodeficiency caused by vegetarianism and associated vitamin deficiency.

PMID- 1871691
TI  - Corticosteroid treatment as a risk factor for invasive aspergillosis in patients
      with lung disease.
AB  - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis usually occurs in severely immunocompromised or
      neutropenic patients. Six patients with invasive aspergillosis are described
      whose only defence impairment was underlying lung disease and corticosteroid
      treatment. Cough, fever, and sputum production were the usual reasons for
      presentation and four patients developed the sepsis syndrome. Radiographic
      findings included de novo cavitation in three patients and rapid radiographic
      progression in four. Aspergillus species were isolated from respiratory
      secretions of all patients early in the course of the disease. Treatment was
      effective in only two patients and the subsequent progress of the others was
      consistent with a chronic necrotising process. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
      is uncommon in patients with respiratory diseases receiving corticosteroids, but
      should be considered when pneumonia and cavitary infiltrates occur.

PMID- 1871692
TI  - Continuous extrapleural intercostal nerve block after pleurectomy.
AB  - A randomised, double blind trial was carried out in 16 patients undergoing
      pleurectomy to assess the effect of continuous extrapleural intercostal block on
      postoperative pain and pulmonary function. Subjective pain relief was assessed on
      a linear visual analogue scale. Pulmonary function was measured on the day before
      operation and daily for five days after surgery. Eight patients received
      bupivacaine and eight placebo (saline). The mean pain scores at 4, 8, 16, and 24
      hours were 13.3, 8.5, 6.1, and 10 mm respectively in the bupivacaine group
      compared with 56.3, 41, 46.7, and 35 in the control group; in addition, the
      bupivacaine group required less papaveretum. Twenty four hours after surgery mean
      values of peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in one second, and
      forced vital capacity were reduced to 82%, 76%, and 76% of preoperative control
      values in the bupivacaine group, and to 39%, 32%, and 36% in the control group.
      The speed of recovery of pulmonary function was superior in the bupivacaine
      group. There were no complications related to the infusion. Continuous
      extrapleural intercostal nerve blockade with bupivacaine provides safe and
      effective postoperative analgesia and improves respiratory mechanics after
      pleurectomy.

PMID- 1871693
TI  - Erythropoietin concentrations in obstructive sleep apnoea.
AB  - Eight patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and a normal haemoglobin
      concentration underwent nocturnal studies during which oxyhaemoglobin saturation
      was recorded continuously with an ear oximeter and serum erythropoietin
      concentration was measured hourly by means of a radioimmunoassay. Serum
      erythropoietin concentrations remained within the normal range throughout the
      study despite falls in oxyhaemaglobin saturation in individuals to 33-78%. There
      was no relation between the degree of nocturnal hypoxaemia and serum
      erythropoietin concentrations. The brief cyclical episodes of hypoxaemia typical
      of obstructive sleep apnoea may not be a sufficient stimulus for erythropoietin
      secretion.

PMID- 1871694
TI  - Abnormal lung function associated with asbestos disease of the pleura, the lung,
      and both: a comparative analysis.
AB  - The impairment of lung function associated with different types of asbestos
      related disease was examined in 1298 men. The 310 men with circumscribed pleural
      lesions (plaques) or diffuse pleural thickening without asbestosis were compared
      with 596 men with asbestosis only and with 322 men with pleural abnormalities and
      asbestosis, as classified from chest radiographs by ILO pneumoconiosis criteria.
      Spirometric indices and total lung capacity (TLC; determined by planimetry) were
      measured and expressed as percentages of predicted values. Non-smoking men with
      pleural disease only had reduced values of mid and terminal expiratory flows
      (80.6 and 69.9% predicted) and a reduced FEV1 (89% predicted) with a forced vital
      capacity (FVC) of 94% predicted. TLC was 104% predicted. Thus they had airways
      obstruction with-out restriction. Non-smoking men with pulmonary asbestosis (ILO
      profusion of opacities mostly 1/0 and 1/1) had pulmonary function similar to that
      of men with pleural disease. FEV1 and FVC and flow rates at other lung volumes
      were lower in smokers with asbestosis (after adjustment for duration of smoking)
      than in the non-smokers with asbestosis. Airflow limitation was worse in the men
      with both pleural abnormalities and pulmonary asbestosis with lower values for
      mid expiratory flow, FEV1 and FVC (but not TLC) than those with either
      abnormality alone, in both non-smokers and current smokers. Men with diffuse
      pleural thickening that included the costophrenic angles had more airways
      obstruction and air trapping and lower FVC values than those with circumscribed
      pleural disease.

PMID- 1871695
TI  - Cysteine and glutathione concentrations in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage
      fluid after treatment with N-acetylcysteine.
AB  - N-acetylcysteine (600 mg/day) was given to patients by mouth for five days before
      bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage to determine whether N-acetylcysteine
      could increase the concentrations of the antioxidant reduced glutathione in
      plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed 1-3
      hours (group 2, n = 9) and 16-20 hours (group 3, n = 10) after the last dose of N
      acetylcysteine and the values were compared with those in a control group
      receiving no N-acetylcysteine (group 1, n = 8). N-acetylcysteine was not detected
      in plasma or lavage fluid. Plasma concentrations of cysteine, the main metabolite
      of N-acetylcysteine and a precursor of reduced glutathione, were greater in the
      groups receiving treatment (groups 2 and 3) than in group 1. Cysteine
      concentrations in lavage fluid were similar in the three groups. Concentrations
      of reduced glutathione were greater in both plasma and lavage fluid in group 2
      than in group 1. These data suggest that N-acetylcysteine given by mouth is
      rapidly deacetylated to cysteine, with resulting increases in the concentrations
      of cysteine in plasma and of reduced glutathione in plasma and the airways, which
      thus temporarily increase the antioxidant capacity of the lung.

PMID- 1871696
TI  - Cystic fibrosis. 3. Cloning the cystic fibrosis gene: implications for diagnosis
      and treatment.

PMID- 1871697
TI  - Assisted ventilation. 4. Weaning from mechanical ventilation.

PMID- 1871698
TI  - Peripheral mucoepidermoid tumour of the lung.
AB  - Mucoepidermoid tumours of the bronchial tree are uncommon neoplasms, which are
      believed to arise from terminal ducts of the proximal tracheobronchial tree. The
      first case of a peripheral mucoepidermoid tumour of the lung is reported.

PMID- 1871699
TI  - Anti-basement membrane antibody disease with severe pulmonary haemorrhage and
      normal renal function.

PMID- 1871700
TI  - Bronchography in the assessment of patients with lung collapse for endoscopic
      laser therapy.

PMID- 1871701
TI  - Value of washings and brushings at fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of
      lung cancer.

PMID- 1871702
TI  - Transcarinal needle aspiration in the diagnosis of mediastinal adenitis in a
      patient infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

PMID- 1871703
TI  - Horner's syndrome occurring as a complication of pleurectomy.

PMID- 1871704
TI  - Malignant carcinoid tumour of the oesophagus.

PMID- 1871706
TI  - Immunological detection of activated platelets in clinical disorders.

PMID- 1871705
TI  - The protective effect of a beta 2 agonist against excessive airway narrowing in
      response to bronchoconstrictor stimuli in asthma and chronic obstructive lung
      disease.
AB  - Beta 2 agonists reduce airway hypersensitivity to bronchoconstrictor stimuli
      acutely in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive lung disease. To
      determine whether these drugs also protect against excessive airway narrowing,
      the effect of inhaled salbutamol on the position and shape of the dose-response
      curves for histamine or methacholine was investigated in 12 patients with asthma
      and 11 with chronic obstructive lung disease. After pretreatment with salbutamol
      (200 or 400 micrograms) or placebo in a double blind manner dose-response curves
      for inhaled histamine and methacholine were obtained by a standard method on six
      days in random order. Airway sensitivity was defined as the concentration of
      histamine or methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20). A maximal response
      plateau on the log dose-response curve was considered to be present if two or
      more data points for FEV1 fell within a 5% response range. In the absence of a
      plateau, the test was continued until a predetermined level of severe
      bronchoconstriction was reached. Salbutamol caused an acute increase in FEV1
      (mean increase 11.5% predicted in asthma, 7.2% in chronic obstructive lung
      disease), and increase in PC20 (mean 15 fold in asthma, fivefold in chronic
      obstructive lung disease), and an increase in the slope of the dose-response
      curves in both groups. In subjects in whom a plateau of FEV1 response could be
      measured salbutamol did not change the level of the plateau. In subjects without
      a plateau salbutamol did not lead to the development of a plateau, despite
      achieving a median FEV1 of 44% predicted in asthma and 39% in chronic obstructive
      lung disease. These results show that, although beta 2 agonists acutely reduce
      the airway response to a given strength of bronchoconstrictor stimulus, they do
      not protect against excessive airflow obstruction if there is exposure to
      relatively strong stimuli. This, together with the steepening of the dose
      response curve, could be a disadvantage of beta 2 agonists in the treatment of
      moderate and severe asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease.

PMID- 1871707
TI  - No evidence of HIV-1 infection in seronegative hemophiliacs and in seronegative
      partners of seropositive hemophiliacs through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and
      anti-NEF serology.
AB  - We prospectively studied a well-characterized cohort including 60 seronegative
      hemophiliacs or von Willebrand's disease patients, 6 seronegative female sexual
      partners of seropositive hemophiliacs, 59 seropositive hemophiliacs or von
      Willebrand's disease patients and 2 seropositive partners of seropositive
      hemophiliacs (used as positive controls), and 117 seronegative low risk
      individuals (used as negative controls). PCR assay, performed in peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells using three primer pairs in the gag, pol, LTR regions, showed
      no positive results in the 60 seronegative patients, in the 6 seronegative
      partners of seropositive patients and in the 117 seronegative low risk
      individuals, while PCR was positive with at least one primer pair in 53 (87%) of
      61 seropositive patients. Anti-nef serology (Western-blot) was negative in
      seronegative patients, in seronegative partners of seropositive patients and
      positive in 58% out of the seropositive individuals. These results strongly
      suggest an absence of HIV-1 infection in individuals with a lastingly negative
      HIV serology.

PMID- 1871708
TI  - Variation in the promoter region of the beta fibrinogen gene is associated with
      plasma fibrinogen levels in smokers and non-smokers.
AB  - We investigated the association between fibrinogen levels and a HaeIII
      restriction fragment length polymorphism located at -453 bp from the start of
      transcription of the beta fibrinogen gene. 292 healthy men aged 45 to 69 years,
      recruited from general practices throughout Britain, were studied. None had a
      history of ischaemic heart disease. 41.1% (120) were smokers and fibrinogen
      levels were higher in this group. The frequency of the non-cutting allele
      (designated H2) was 0.19 and was the same in smokers and non-smokers. The H2
      allele was associated with elevated levels of fibrinogen in both smokers and non
      smokers and the effect of genotype was similar in both groups. After smoking,
      HaeIII genotype was the strongest predictor of fibrinogen levels and explained
      3.1% of the variance in fibrinogen levels. These results confirm earlier studies
      that variation at the fibrinogen locus contributes to the between-individual
      differences in plasma fibrinogen level.

PMID- 1871709
TI  - Acquired disorder of platelet function associated with autoantibodies against
      membrane glycoprotein IIb-IIIa complex--1. Glycoprotein analysis.
AB  - A patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura developed after splenectomy a
      thrombasthenia-like severe haemorrhagic diathesis characterized by a normal or
      subnormal platelet count, prolonged bleeding time, strongly reduced platelet
      adhesion to glass and defective platelet aggregation in response to ADP and
      collagen. In contrast to hereditary thrombasthenia membrane glycoproteins (GP)
      IIb and IIIa were normally present in the patient's platelets.
      Immunoelectrophoretic analysis revealed an abnormal behaviour of the patient's GP
      IIb-IIIa complex. Autoantibodies against GP IIb-IIIa were detected in Triton
      extracted washed platelets. Incubation of normal platelets with plasma from the
      patient resulted in a similar immunoelectrophoretic abnormality of the GP IIb
      IIIa complex indicating that bound autoantibodies (IgG) are responsible for the
      abnormal immunoelectrophoretic behaviour of the patient's GP IIb-IIIa complex.
      Platelet fibrinogen was severely reduced similar to classical thrombasthenia
      suggesting that the GP IIb-IIIa complex is involved in platelet fibrinogen
      storage.

PMID- 1871710
TI  - Studies on the contact system of coagulation during therapy with high doses of
      recombinant IL-2: implications for septic shock.
AB  - Patients treated with high doses of interleukin-2 (IL-2) because of cancer,
      develop hemodynamic and vasopermeability changes, that resemble those observed in
      sepsis. These patients thus provide a unique opportunity to study the early
      events in the development of septic shock. We analysed the changes that occurred
      in the contact system of coagulation in plasma from 4 patients, who together
      received seven 12-day cycles of high doses of IL-2. Levels of factor XII and
      prekallikrein during the cycles progressively fell to 50 and 30% of their initial
      levels, respectively, whereas significant increases in plasma factor XIIa- and
      kallikrein-C1-inhibitor complexes were not observed (in 3 out of 211 samples
      slightly increased levels of both complexes were found). The reductions in factor
      XII and prekallikrein were only in part due to protein leakage, since levels were
      still significantly lower, i.e., 80 and 50%, respectively, when corrected for
      albumin decreases. Levels of high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK) also
      decreased during IL-2 therapy, however, this decrease paralleled that of albumin.
      SDS-PAGE analysis of plasma HMWK did not reveal increased cleavage of this
      protein. The reduction of factor XII and prekallikrein, corrected for protein
      leakage, significantly correlated with albumin levels and inversely with daily
      cumulative weight gain in the patients. Thus, we demonstrate that factor XII and
      prekallikrein decrease during IL-2 therapy. As these decreases, already observed
      after 1 day treatment, were disproportional to that of albumin, a negative acute
      phase reactant, and correlated with signs of the vascular leak syndrome, we favor
      the explanation that they reflected activation rather than a decreased synthesis
      of the contact system proteins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871711
TI  - Benefit/risk profile of combined antiplatelet therapy with ticlopidine and
      aspirin.
AB  - Ticlopidine (T) and aspirin (ASA) are two antiplatelet drugs both capable of
      prolonging bleeding time (BT), with a different mechanism of action. A synergism
      in BT prolongation has been reported and is currently considered an argument for
      not recommending their combination. However, a profound suppression of platelet
      function might be a desirable counterpart of a marked prolongation of BT, with a
      possible use in selected clinical situations. We therefore studied ex vivo
      platelet function (aggregation by ADP 0.5-1-2.5 microM; adrenaline 0.75-2.5
      microM; collagen 1.5-150 micrograms/ml; arachidonic acid 1 mM; PAF 1 microM;
      adrenaline 0.17 microM + ADP 0.62 microM; serum thromboxane [( TX]B2 generation)
      and BT (Mielke) in 6 patients with stable coronary artery disease receiving such
      combination. Patients underwent sequential laboratory evaluations at baseline,
      after 7 days of T 250 mg b.i.d., before and after the intravenous administration
      of ASA 500 mg, respectively, and, finally, after a minimum of 7 days of sole ASA
      oral administration (50 mg/day). The experimental design, therefore, allowed a
      comparison of T and ASA effects (2nd and 4th evaluation), and an assessment of
      the combination effect (3rd evaluation). Platelet aggregation in response to all
      doses of ADP was depressed more by T than by ASA. Conversely, responses to
      adrenaline, and arachidonate were affected more by ASA than by T. For all other
      agents, differences were not significant. T + ASA combination was more effective
      (p less than 0.05) than either treatment alone in depressing responses to high
      dose collagen (% over control, mean +/- SEM: T: 95 +/- 3; ASA: 96 +/- 5; T + ASA:
      89 +/- 4).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871712
TI  - Three distinct point mutations in the factor IX gene of three Japanese CRM+
      hemophilia B patients (factor IX BMNagoya 2, factor IX Nagoya 3 and 4).
AB  - Enzymatic DNA amplification and complete sequence analysis were used to
      investigate human factor IX coding sequences in three CRM+ hemophilia B patients.
      In a patient with severe hemophilia B and a markedly prolonged ox-brain
      prothrombin time, a C to T transition in exon VI changed the codon for Arg180 to
      Trp (factor IX BMNagoya 2). This mutation would impair the cleavage by factor XIa
      required for activation of the zymogen. In a patient with mild hemophilia B, a G
      to A transition in exon VI changed the codon for Arg145 to His(factor IX Nagoya
      3). This substitution also would be predicted to preclude the cleavage of factor
      IX by factor XIa at this peptide bond (Arg145-Ala146). Furthermore, this point
      mutation creates a new NlaIII restriction site which provides a quick and
      reliable method for carrier detection in the affected family members. A patient
      with severe hemophilia B (factor IX Nagoya 4) had a G to A transition in exon II
      changing the codon for Glu21 to Lys. This novel point mutation is assumed to
      impair the function of factor IX by disrupting the calcium binding of factor IX.

PMID- 1871713
TI  - High level expression of recombinant human tissue factor in Chinese hamster ovary
      cells as a human thromboplastin.
AB  - Tissue factor (TF) is the high affinity transmembrane receptor and cofactor for
      cellular initiation of the plasma coagulation protease cascades by factor VIIa.
      We describe the synthesis of recombinant huTF by stably transfected CHO cell
      lines carrying integrated huTF DNA, and the isolation of huTF glycoprotein with
      specific functional activity equivalent to natural huTF. The expression vector
      (pCDM8), carrying the cytomegalovirus promoter to drive transcription of a
      partial cDNA construct encoding the complete huTF protein chain, was
      cotransfected with a plasmid containing the neomycin resistance gene for
      selection. These clones were further selected for level of expression of huTF
      protein. Optimal expression compatible with stability and cell growth was
      approximately 13.5 x 10(6) molecules per cell. To our knowledge, this is one of
      the highest levels of expression described for a recombinant transmembrane
      receptor in mammalian cells. Recombinant huTF protein was obtained by single-step
      immuno-affinity purification, and exhibits heterogeneity due to N-linked
      glycosylation. The protein was indistinguishable from natural huTF based on
      functional properties of the glycoprotein reconstituted in lipid vesicles, and
      expression of conformational epitopes. Large scale production of recombinant huTF
      is feasible to permit basic studies of protein structure as well as for design of
      huTF thromboplastin reagents.

PMID- 1871714
TI  - Inhibition of recombinant human blood coagulation factor VIIa amidolytic and
      proteolytic activity by zinc ions.
AB  - Although it is well established that calcium is an essential cofactor in blood
      coagulation, recent experimental evidence suggests that zinc may also play an
      important role in hemostasis. In the present study, we have examined the effect
      of zinc ions on the amidolytic and proteolytic activity of recombinant factor
      VIIa in the presence of physiological levels of calcium ions. The amidolytic
      activity of factor VIIa was inhibited half-maximally by 20 microM zinc. The
      amidolytic activity of a derivative of factor VIIa lacking the gamma
      carboxyglutamic acid domain was also inhibited half-maximally by 20 microM zinc,
      suggesting that the mechanism of zinc inhibition of factor VIIa amidolytic
      activity did not involve its gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues. The amidolytic
      activity of a complex of recombinant tissue factor and factor VIIa was inhibited
      half-maximally by 70 microM zinc. In contrast to the results obtained with factor
      VIIa, the amidolytic activities of other human vitamin K-dependent coagulation
      proteases including factor Xa, thrombin and activated protein C were not
      appreciably affected by 50-100 microM zinc. The proteolytic activation of factor
      X by a complex of factor VIIa and relipidated tissue factor apoprotein was
      inhibited half-maximally by 40 microM zinc, whereas activation of factor IX in
      this system was inhibited half-maximally by 70 microM zinc ions. Considerably
      higher levels of zinc (approximately 100 microM) were required to inhibit half
      maximally the rate of factor X activation by a complex of factor VIIa and
      functional tissue factor on the surface of either a human bladder carcinoma cell
      line, J82, or stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871715
TI  - A photometric assay for blood coagulation factor XIII.
AB  - An assay for a direct photometric determination of F XIII in untreated and
      undiluted plasma was developed. In a one-step procedure F XIII is activated by
      thrombin and Ca2+ and cross-links glycine-ethylester to a specific glutamine
      containing peptide substrate. The released ammonia is incorporated into alpha
      ketoglutarate by glutamate dehydrogenase, and the NADH consumption of this
      reaction is measured photometrically at 340 nm. NADH-consumption is directly
      proportional to the F XIII activity. Fibrin polymerization and the corresponding
      turbidity is avoided by the use of a fibrin aggregation inhibitor. The procedure
      is rapid and simple and enables to measure within the range of 0 to 150% F XIII.
      It can be performed with automated analyzers as well as with common photometric
      equipment. The normal range of F XIII activity in 167 healthy donors was
      determined to be 70 to 140%.

PMID- 1871716
TI  - Cellular localization of activated factor X by Xa-specific probes.
AB  - A probe, recombinant antistasin, that reacts specifically with the activated form
      of factor X (Xa) was used in immunohistochemical procedures to detect cellular
      sites of Xa generation within intact tissues. Factor Xa was detected on tumor
      cells in small cell carcinoma of the lung, renal cell carcinoma, and malignant
      melanoma. Tumor-associated macrophages (but not tumor cells) expressed Xa in
      adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, and Hodgkin's disease.
      Factor Xa in these locations corresponded to evidence reported previously for an
      intact coagulation pathway and thrombin formation associated with these tumor
      cells and macrophages. By contrast, only rare connective tissue cells stained for
      Xa in breast and colon cancer, tumor types shown previously to lack an
      intratumoral coagulation pathway and thrombin generation, and in normal liver,
      lung, breast, kidney, and placental tissues. Hepatocytes did not stain. These
      results suggest that such probes may be useful for studying the activation state
      of cell-associated factor X in situ within intact tissues.

PMID- 1871717
TI  - Dependence of blood clot lysis on the mode of transport of urokinase into the
      clot--a magnetic resonance imaging study in vitro.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging was employed to study the dependence of clot lysing
      patterns on two different modes of transport of urokinase into whole blood clots.
      In one group of clots (nonperfused clots, n1 = 10), access of urokinase to the
      fibrin network was possible by diffusion only, whereas in the other group
      (perfused clots, n2 = 10) bulk flow of plasma containing urokinase was instituted
      through occlusive clots by a pressure difference of 3.7 kPa (37 cm H2O) across 3
      cm long clots with a diameter of 4 mm. It was determined separately that this
      pressure difference resulted in a volume flow rate of 5.05 +/- 2.4 x 10(-2)
      ml/min through occlusive clots. Perfused clots diminished in size significantly
      in comparison to nonperfused ones already after 20 min (p less than 0.005).
      Linear regression analysis of two-dimensional clot sizes measured by MRI showed
      that the rate of lysis was more than 50-times faster in the perfused group in
      comparison to the nonperfused group. It was concluded that penetration of the
      thrombolytic agent into clots by perfusion is much more effective than by
      diffusion. Our results might have some implications for understanding the
      differences in lysis of arterial and venous thrombi.

PMID- 1871718
TI  - The effect of agonists and antagonists of platelet aggregation on von Willebrand
      factor-mediated platelet agglutination.
AB  - Ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination (RIPA) in EDTA-treated citrated
      platelet-rich plasma was reduced to 49 +/- 11% by 1.25 microM ADP, 41 +/- 14% by
      1 microM A23187, and 26 +/- 7% by 0.1 microgram/ml platelet activating factor
      (PAF). The effect of 5-110 microM epinephrine was not dose-dependent, but varied
      between donors, with RIPA from 56-100% of the control. The inhibitory effects of
      these agonists were not altered by prior treatment of platelets with aspirin.
      Prior addition of 200 microM ATP (an ADP receptor antagonist acting at both high
      and low affinity ADP receptors) prevented the inhibitory action of ADP but not
      that of A23187 or PAF, suggesting that the inhibitory actions of the latter are
      not mediated by released ADP. As 700 microM 8-bromoadenosine 5-diphosphate (an
      ADP receptor antagonist acting mainly at the high affinity receptor) did not
      prevent ADP-induced inhibition of RIPA, interaction of ADP with the low affinity
      receptor is presumably responsible for its inhibitory action. As A23187, but not
      phorbol myristate acetate (0.1 microM) inhibited RIPA, an increase in
      intracellular calcium ions rather than direct stimulation of protein kinase C
      appears to mediate agonist-induced inhibition. Cytochalasin B (10.5-21 microM),
      dibucaine (0.5-1 mM), and prostaglandin E1 (25 nM), added before or after the
      agonist, prevented or reversed ADP-, A23187-, and PAF-induced inhibition of RIPA,
      suggesting that the state of the platelet cytoskeleton affects
      inhibition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871719
TI  - Thromboxane responsiveness of dog platelets is inherited as an autosomal
      recessive trait.
AB  - Most mongrel dogs have platelets that form thromboxane A2 (TXA2) from exogenous
      arachidonate, but they fail to aggregate or secrete in response to it. In
      contrast to these TXA2 insensitive (TXA2-) platelets, some dogs have TXA2
      sensitive (TXA2+) platelets that aggregate and secrete when stirred with
      arachidonate. To evaluate the possible genetic basis for this difference, we
      carried out seven matings of mongrel dogs that yielded 48 viable offspring. Four
      matings of dogs with TXA2- platelets (presumed genotype TT) including 2 back
      crosses, produced 32 pups with TXA2- (TT) platelets and 0 pups with TXA2+
      platelets. A cross between a male with TXA2+ platelets (presumed genotype tt) and
      a female with TXA2+ (tt) platelets yielded 9 offspring with TXA2+ (tt) platelets
      and 0 with TXA2- platelets. Crossing a male presumed homozygous (TT) for TXA2-
      platelets with a female with TXA2+ (tt) platelets produced 2 pups with TXA2- (Tt)
      platelets and 0 pups with TXA2+ (tt) platelets. The same female with TXA2+
      platelets crossed with a male presumed to be heterozygous (Tt) for TXA2-
      platelets yielded 2 pups with TXA2+ (tt) platelets and 3 pups with TXA2- (Tt)
      platelets. Segregation analysis of these data supports the hypothesis that the
      ability of dog platelets to aggregate and secrete in response to TXA2 is
      inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.

PMID- 1871720
TI  - Platelets adhere to sulfatides by von Willebrand factor dependent and independent
      mechanisms.
AB  - Unstimulated human platelets from normal volunteers adhere to sulfatides
      (galactosylceramide-I3-sulfate) as single cells but do not adhere appreciably to
      other lipids including gangliosides, neutral glycolipids, phospholipids or
      cholesterol-3-SO4. Platelet adhesion to sulfatide is saturable and dose
      dependent, reaches maximal levels in 90 to 120 min, and is not divalent cation
      dependent. Because sulfatides bind von Willebrand factor (vWf) with specificity
      and high affinity and platelet adhesion to structurally related sulfated
      glycolipids is approximately proportionate to their ability to bind vWf, we
      examined whether vWf mediates platelet adhesion to sulfatides. Platelets from a
      patient with severe Type I von Willebrand's disease adhere poorly to sulfatides.
      However, adhesion to levels seen with normal platelets is restored by the
      addition of vWf. Adhesion of normal platelets can be partially inhibited by a
      monospecific antibody to vWf. Normal platelet adhesion to sulfatides, however, is
      not increased following preincubation with vWf. Both vWf binding and platelet
      adhesion to sulfatides can be inhibited by the sulfated polysaccharide dextran
      sulfate at low concentration, fucoidan at high concentrations, but not by
      heparin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, or the synthetic peptides Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser
      Pro or Gly-Arg-Gly-Glu-Ser-Pro. Thus, adhesion to sulfatides appears to be of two
      types; vWf dependent (50-75%) and vWf independent (25-50%).

PMID- 1871721
TI  - Evaluation of pulmonary accumulation of 51chromium-labelled rat platelets
      following intravenous application of ADP and collagen.
AB  - We examined the effects of ADP- and collagen-induced pulmonary platelet embolism
      in the rat. Homologous 51Chromium-labelled platelets were used to monitor
      extracorporally the distribution of platelets in the circulation. For that
      purpose, collimated iodide scintillation detectors were placed above thorax (C1)
      and abdomen (C2). A dose-dependent increase in thoracic radioactivity, paralleled
      by a decrease in the abdomen, was observed after intravenous injection of ADP and
      collagen. This resulted in a shift of C1/C2, so that the effect of collagen was
      more pronounced (maximal increase of C1/C2 = 134%) than ADP (maximal increase of
      C1/C2 = 79%). The increase in thoracic radioactivity was caused by the uptake of
      platelets in the lung as was shown after administration of collagen (6-fold
      enrichment of labelled platelets). Lung platelet sequestration resulted in a dose
      dependent thrombocytopenia. The ADP -and collagen-induced pulmonary platelet
      embolism reversibly provoked cardiovascular symptoms of shock: hypotension and
      bradycardia. Impaired gas exchange during platelet accumulation manifested itself
      in a reversible arterial hypoxaemia and hypercapnia, followed by a weak acidosis.
      We were able to inhibit ADP-dependent thoracic platelet accumulation by
      ticlopidine in a dose-related manner as well as collagen-induced thoracic
      platelet accumulation by acetylsalicylic acid. The results indicate that
      behaviour of homologous labelled rat platelets in vivo can easily be monitored,
      thus offering the opportunity to investigate the effects of antiaggregatory drugs
      on platelets in their natural environment.

PMID- 1871722
TI  - Upstream thrombus growth impairs downstream thrombogenesis in non-anticoagulated
      blood: effect of procoagulant artery subendothelium and non-procoagulant
      collagen.
AB  - In the present experiments we have investigated the influence of wall shear rate
      and axial position on platelet and fibrin deposition which results when flowing
      human non-anticoagulated blood is exposed to either non-procoagulant fibrillar
      collagen (human type III) or procoagulant subendothelium (rabbit aorta). Platelet
      adhesion, thrombus volume and fibrin deposition were morphometrically evaluated
      at axial positions of 1 and 13 mm following perfusions for 5 min at shear rates
      of 100, 650 and 2,600 s-1. An axially-dependent decrease of platelet adhesion (34
      57%, p less than 0.01-0.05) and thrombus volume (57-80%, p less than 0.05) was
      observed on collagen at all shear rates. On subendothelium, an axially-dependent
      decrease was observed for platelet adhesion only at 100 s-1 (29%; p less than
      0.01) and for thrombus volume at shear rates of 650 s-1 and above (49-58%, p less
      than 0.01). Deposition of fibrin on subendothelium was axially decreased (16-42%,
      p less than 0.05) at all shear rates, while no significant axial differences were
      seen on collagen. However, substantially more fibrin was deposited on the
      subendothelium (p less than 0.05), and the upstream platelet adhesion and
      thrombus volume were lower than on collagen (p less than 0.05) at 100 s-1 and 650
      s-1. The axially-dependent phenomena on the two surfaces are consistent with the
      concept of rapid-growing upstream thrombi which deplete the blood layer streaming
      adjacent ot the surface of platelets, leading to decreased platelet deposition
      further downstream.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871723
TI  - The use of laser-light scattering and controlled shear in platelet aggregometry.
AB  - Laser-light scattering was used to observe and quantify the dynamics of human
      blood platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Aggregation was
      performed in a controlled shear environment by placing the PRP in the annular
      space between a rotating cylindrical rod and a stationary cylindrical tube. The
      instrument was capable of very sensitive continuous semi-quantitative
      measurements of chemically-induced microaggregation. As a demonstration of the
      technique, results are presented for ADP-induced aggregation at doses of 10, 1,
      and 0.1 microM and collagen-induced aggregation at a dose of 5 micrograms/ml,
      each at shear rates of 1,000 s-1 and 500 s-1. Extensive aggregation was observed
      in response to ADP at even the low dose of 0.1 microM, indicating a high
      sensitivity to microaggregates. The sensitivity of the ultimate size of the ADP
      induced aggregates to ADP concentration was shear dependent. The formation of
      microaggregates by collagen stimulation was shown to be almost immediate, as
      contrasted with a 10-20 s typical lag when observed turbidometrically.
      Disaggregation was observed with 1 microM ADP, but this was only partial, as
      contrasted with the complete recovery of transmittance observed in the
      turbidometric technique. Electronic particle sizing and counting was employed to
      semiquantitatively verify the aggregate size distributions found from
      mathematical conversion of the laser-light scattering data.

PMID- 1871724
TI  - Baboon fibrinogen adsorption and platelet adhesion to polymeric materials.
AB  - The role of fibrinogen in mediating platelet adhesion to polymers exposed to
      blood plasma was studied by comparison of the effect of plasma dilution on
      fibrinogen adsorption and platelet adhesion, and by the use of coagulation factor
      deficient plasmas. Polyetherurethane substrates were first preadsorbed with
      dilute plasma, then contacted with washed platelets suspended in a modified,
      apyrase containing Tyrode's buffer. Platelet adhesion was studied under static
      conditions in Multiwell dishes, and also under shearing conditions using a
      parallel plate perfusion chamber. Fibrinogen adsorption and platelet adhesion
      were measured using 125I radiolabeled baboon fibrinogen and 111In radiolabeled
      baboon platelets, respectively. Surfaces were characterized by electron
      spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). When fibrinogen adsorption to Biomer
      was measured after 2 h contact with a series of dilute plasma solutions under
      static conditions, a peak in adsorption was observed from 0.26% plasma, i.e.,
      adsorption was greater from 0.26% plasma than from either more or less dilute
      plasma. A peak in subsequent platelet adhesion to the plasma preadsorbed
      surfaces, measured after 2 h static incubation with washed platelets, was also
      observed but occurred on Biomer preadsorbed with 1.0% plasma. When fibrinogen
      adsorption was measured after 5 min contact under shearing conditions, the
      fibrinogen adsorption peak occurred on surfaces that had been exposed to 1.0%
      plasma. A peak in platelet adhesion to these preadsorbed surfaces, measured after
      5 min contact with the platelet suspensions under shearing conditions, was
      observed on Biomer preadsorbed with 0.1% plasma. Shifts between the positions of
      the peaks in protein adsorption and platelet adhesion occurred on other polymers
      tested as well. Platelet adhesion was almost completely inhibited when baboon and
      human plasmas lacking fibrinogen (i.e., serum, heat defibrinogenated plasma, and
      congenitally afibrinogenemic plasma) were used. Platelet adhesion was restored to
      near normal when exogenous fibrinogen was added to fibrinogen deficient plasmas.
      Adhesion was also inhibited completely when a monoclonal antibody directed
      against the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex was added to the platelet suspension.
      Platelet adhesion to surfaces preadsorbed to von Willebrand factor deficient
      plasma was the same as to surfaces preadsorbed with normal plasma. While it
      appears that surface bound fibrinogen does mediate the initial attachment of
      platelets to Biomer, the observation that the fibrinogen adsorption and platelet
      adhesion maxima do not coincide exactly also suggests that the degree of
      subsequent platelet adhesion is dictated not only by the amount of surface bound
      fibrinogen but also by its conformation.

PMID- 1871725
TI  - Inventory of exogenous inhibitors of platelet aggregation. For the Subcommittee
      on Nomenclature of Exogenous Hemostatic Factors of the Scientific and
      Standardization Committee of the International Society on Thrombosis and
      Haemostasis.

PMID- 1871726
TI  - Inventory of exogenous prothrombin activators. For the Subcommittee on
      Nomenclature of Exogenous Hemostatic Factors of the Scientific and
      Standardization Committee of the International Society on Thrombosis and
      Haemostasis.

PMID- 1871727
TI  - Recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of neonatal autoimmune and
      alloimmune thrombocytopenia. The Working Party on Neonatal Immune
      Thrombocytopenia of the Neonatal Hemostasis Subcommittee of the Scientific and
      Standardization Committee of the ISTH.
AB  - The following recommendations of the Neonatal Hemostasis Subcommittee of the
      Scientific and Standardization Committee of the ISTH for the management of
      neonatal immune thrombocytopenia were prepared by the working party on neonatal
      immune thrombocytopenia. Evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of the mother and
      neonate with alloimmune and autoimmune thrombocytopenia are discussed and current
      recommendations provided. This document is likely to require frequent future
      revision(s).

PMID- 1871728
TI  - Monoclonal immunoglobulins in haemophiliac patients with HIV infection.

PMID- 1871729
TI  - [Longer good life for all--how do we get it?].

PMID- 1871730
TI  - [Patients demand personal protection--even in medical journals].

PMID- 1871731
TI  - [Should patients with spinal cord damage dive?].

PMID- 1871732
TI  - [Reduced ozone layer and skin cancer].

PMID- 1871733
TI  - [Risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in Norway--status and development].

PMID- 1871734
TI  - [Cardiovascular screenings in Norwegian counties. Background and implementation.
      Status of risk pattern during the period 1986-90 among persons aged 40-42 years
      in 14 counties].
AB  - Screening for cardiovascular disease risk factors was carried out in 14 of
      Norway's 19 counties in 1986-1990 as part of a prevention programme. All
      residents aged 40-42 were invited. The attendance was 73.5% for males and 82.6%
      for females. A total of 87,761 persons were examined. The screening included
      determination of serum cholesterol and triglycerides, measurement of blood
      pressure, height and weight, and filling in a questionnaire. Mean serum
      cholesterol was 5.90 mmol/l for males and 5.55 mmol/l for females, mean systolic
      blood pressure 135.3 and 126.1 mm, and prevalence of daily smoking 43.5 and
      41.8%. The risk factor levels in the 341 municipalities of the 14 counties are
      shown cartographically. For both sexes, the highest risk score was found in the
      northernmost county, the lowest in southern counties. The risk was also
      relatively high in some rural areas in southern Norway. By geographical area
      there was a strong correlation between the risk factor levels of the two sexes,
      and a less consistent but marked correlation between the means for the various
      risk factors.

PMID- 1871735
TI  - [Cardiovascular screenings in Norwegian counties. Trends in risk pattern during
      the period 1985-90 among persons aged 40-42 in 4 counties].
AB  - In 1985-90, two screenings for cardiovascular disease risk factors were carried
      out with an interval of three years in four Norwegian counties. All residents
      aged 40-42 were invited to both screening rounds, and certain subgroups from the
      first round were re-invited to the second round. Compared with the score attained
      by the first generation, the total mean risk score for myocardial infarction
      achieved by the second generation was 19% lower in males, and 15.5% lower in
      females. The main cause of this reduction was lower serum cholesterol level.
      Based on results from the subgroups, the estimated mean risk score for the total
      male cohort from the first round had decreased by 10% at the rescreening three
      years later. It is concluded that the results indicate a continued, and perhaps
      accelerated, decrease in coronary heart disease mortality, as new generations
      populate the age groups where this disease is more prevalent. The screenings were
      part of a prevention programme, and it is reasonable to assume that the efforts
      by the primary health care services contributed to the improvement.

PMID- 1871736
TI  - [Prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Rissa].
AB  - In 1986 the National Health Screening Service conducted cardiovascular risk
      factor screening of women and men aged 40-42 in Sor-Trondelag county. In one of
      the municipalities, Rissa, the level of serum cholesterol was high (7.10 mmol/l
      in men and 6.64 mmol/l in women), as was the total coronary heart disease risk
      level. The local health authorities launched a health education programme which
      included population strategy efforts and a high risk intervention programme
      conducted by the primary health services. Screening of the next generation of
      women and men aged 40-42 three years later (in 1989) revealed highly significant
      lower serum cholesterol levels in both sexes (5.83 mmol/l in men and 5.55 mmol/l
      in women), and significant lower systolic blood pressure in men. Smoking habits
      had not changed significantly from the first to the second generation. For men,
      total coronary heart disease risk level was less than one half the level three
      years earlier. The attendance rate was high, between 80 and 90%, at both
      examinations.

PMID- 1871737
TI  - [Cholesterol-lowering effect of oat].
AB  - Use of oat-supplement has been advocated to reduce serum cholesterol
      concentration. In order to study the effect of a daily dietary supplement of oats
      on lipid levels we performed three controlled clinical trials in healthy
      Norwegians and patients with hypercholesterolemia. The studies lasted 3-5 weeks,
      and oats were added to the diet in bread, breakfast cereals, porridge or
      crispbread. The serum cholesterol concentrations were reduced by 2.5-5% in four
      of the five groups with an oat-supplemented diet. No effect was found in the
      group who ate crispbread. Lipid levels remained unchanged in the three control
      groups. We conclude that oat products have a small but significant cholesterol
      lowering effect when given as a supplement to the ordinary Norwegian diet.

PMID- 1871738
TI  - [Life style, sun-bathing and tanning--what about UV-A solariums?].
AB  - This article considers the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun and UV
      A sun beds on the skin. Sun worshipping and sun therapy has been en vogue for
      centuries, but in another way than used today. A changing lifestyle has led to an
      increase of various skin diseases, including skin cancer. Short wave UV-light (UV
      B) in particular has been blamed for inducing not only erythema and pigmentation
      but also more chronic skin lesions. Long wave UV-light (UV-A) has been shown to
      be the cause of similar changes to the skin but the pigmentation is of another
      quality and affords less protection against the harmful effects of UV-B. A
      concept of sun reactive skin typing has been created. This is based on self
      reported responses to an initial exposure to sun as regards tanning ability and
      erythema reaction. These two factors have certain practical consequences, not
      only for UV-phototherapy but also for a person's risk of developing skin cancer.
      Recently, several research groups and dermatologist have discouraged extensive
      use of UV-A sun beds because of side effects of varying degrees of seriousness.
      The possible implications of these side effects for the organism are not fully
      elucidated and may be more profound than known today. The British
      Photodermatology Group has issued more stringent rules for persons who despite
      advice to the contrary, still wish to use UV-A sun beds.

PMID- 1871739
TI  - [Local sunscreening agents--why, when, how and where?].
AB  - Sunscreens are used primarily to protect against sunburn. The cosmetic benefits
      of sunscreens have been widely accepted with the recent indictment of photoaging
      as a major cause of wrinkles. It is not so well known that sunscreens also
      protect against the development of carcinomatous processes in the skin. It is
      important to protect against UV-A as well as against UV-B because UV-A has an
      additional effect and can also itself initiate cancer. We advocate use of
      sunscreens with a high sun protection factor. It is of utmost importance to
      protect children against the deleterious effects of the sun to prevent
      development of skin cancer later in life. The article includes an overview of the
      most common active sunfilter compounds. Allergy to these compounds does occur but
      is rare. Certain textiles provide good but varying protection against the sun.

PMID- 1871740
TI  - [Neurological decompression sickness].
AB  - We have examined 34 divers, mean age 30 years, after treatment for neurological
      decompression sickness. The initial symptoms often indicated mild sensory or
      motor involvement. After recompression treatment five of 19 divers with primary
      affection of the brain had slight hemiparesis or dysphasia. Nine of 14 divers
      with primary affection of the spinal cord showed signs of spinal cord dysfunction
      following treatment. Only 16 divers were recompressed within six hours after
      start of the neurological symptoms. It is concluded that neurological
      decompression sickness is a serious disorder with a high rate of residual
      findings. The condition should be treated with prompt recompression,
      administration of oxygen, and intravenous fluid.

PMID- 1871741
TI  - [Diving of patients with spinal cord injuries].
AB  - Three patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries of a level below Th 5 have
      been certified as sports divers in Norway, and an increasing number of other
      paraplegics and tetraplegics have shown an interest for diving. The article
      reviews possible complications for these patients during diving. It is concluded
      that diving is not unsuitable for patients with spinal cord injuries, even for
      tetraplegics, but these persons run greater risk of complications than healthy
      divers do. However, on the basis of present knowledge, we have prohibited diving
      to below 20 m, and patients with spinal cord injuries over Th 5 have so far been
      advised not to dive. All diving must be performed only after comprehensive
      training and adaptation.

PMID- 1871742
TI  - [Different arenas--what significance does this have for physiotherapeutic
      practice?].
AB  - What aspects of the patient's body, way of functioning and life situation fall
      within or outside the physiotherapists' field of inquiry? This is one of the main
      questions in a research project to analyse first encounters in physiotherapy
      practice, based on videotapes of the encounters and semi-structured interviews.
      The article focuses on the relation between the examination approach,
      communication, and the setting of the encounters. Data from two of the videotaped
      encounters are used as a basis for a more general presentation and discussion.
      One of the findings was that the setting of the encounters influenced the
      professional's attention in some way or other, and had a significant effect on
      the information acquired and on the relationship that developed between the two
      parties. It appears that the orientation and real practice of a professional need
      to be interpreted in the context of institutional and external factors and of the
      ongoing interaction developed in the situation.

PMID- 1871743
TI  - [Ratfish (chimaera monstrosa) sting].
AB  - A fisherman was accidentally stung on his right calf by the spine of a ratfish
      (chimaera monstrosa). Adjacent to the wound was a swelling, with a bluish skin
      colour the first day. The fisherman experienced an immediate burning pain and
      during the following days developed numbness of the calf and the back of the
      thigh. He needed crutches for three weeks, and the symptoms lasted for nine
      weeks. The treatment consists of rinsing the wound and removing foreign material,
      and submerging the afflicted limb as soon as possible in water as hot as the
      patient can tolerate for at least 30 minutes.

PMID- 1871744
TI  - [Carl Robert Henie (1850-1919) and his survey of school children's teeth in 1897.
      A pioneer work in Norway].
AB  - At the end of the 19th century dental caries had become a serious health problem
      in many countries, especially among children and young people. Filling their
      teeth was not common practice among ordinary people. Extraction was usually the
      only treatment offered. Surveys of schoolchildren's teeth were carried out in
      many countries in order to establish the extent of the problem, to find out some
      of the causes, and to stop rotting of teeth. In Norway, the doctor Carl Robert
      Henie (1850-1919) carried out such a survey in the mid-1890s at Hamar. He
      examined 660 children (347 boys and 313 girls) aged 7-17 years. Unfortunately he
      does not say how the examination was carried out, whether he had a good light for
      his work, or whether or not he used instruments. It is reasonable to assume that
      he examined the children's teeth in ordinary day-light without using a probe. In
      this case, many incidents of caries would have been overlooked, leading to no
      small degree of underreporting. This means that his results cannot be compared
      out of hand with more recent registrations. Henie, like many others of his
      contemporaries, maintained that dental caries is a disease of civilization, and
      emphasized a proper diet containing less refined and processed foods. He
      recommended coarse bread made from whole-meal flour. He also emphasized the use
      of fluorine and calcium to prevent caries. His efforts helped to draw the
      attention of the authorities to a neglected area of health work, and to the
      establishment of the first school dental clinics in the country a few years
      later.

PMID- 1871745
TI  - [Dentistry in developing countries].
AB  - The author presents different approaches to dental activities in developing
      countries. The general prevalence of dental caries and periodontitis in
      developing countries is low. The limited resources for health programmes, and for
      oral health in particular, underscore the need to make priorities in order to
      improve the health of the inhabitants. To promote oral health, it is necessary to
      focus on improving knowledge about the major oral diseases and the possibility of
      developing community-based programmes of intervention and prevention. The
      integration of oral health into general health programmes is a major goal in the
      prevention and combat of oral diseases. Knowledge and research in fields of oral
      medicine, preventive oral programmes as well as in fluoride toxicology as part of
      water programmes is important.

PMID- 1871746
TI  - [Assistance work in Romania. A multidisciplinary study of institutionalized
      children].
AB  - In October/November 1990 a health team worked in an institution for mentally
      retarded children in Rumania. The team diagnosed 154 children and encountered
      children with undernourishment, retarded growth, skin infections, injuries and
      untreated physical deformities. 11 children were in need of acute medical
      attention. Cerebral palsy and motoric, auditive and visual handicaps were not
      attended to. The children showed signs of deprivation, anxiety and behavioural
      maladjustment. They were mentally retarded, but receptive to stimulation. To
      conclude, the children suffered from physical, psychological, pedagogic and
      social neglect. The article provides information on the needs for further
      assistance to children in institutions in Rumania.

PMID- 1871747
TI  - [Diagnosis of malabsorption].

PMID- 1871749
TI  - [Between mother and child--early fetal diagnosis as a routine in antenatal care].
AB  - The development of high-resolution real-time ultrasound has created the
      opportunity to identify fetal congenital anomalies. Making this technique part of
      a screening activity must be based on the belief that early identification and
      early care will have a favourable impact on the natural history of the disease.
      This is not the case when pregnancies are screened in the second trimester to
      detect malformations. On the contrary; in Norway, this might lead to the yearly
      elimination of 300 desired fetuses. Some of these would otherwise have had a
      longer intrauterine life, some might have benefited from postnatal medical
      treatment and some might otherwise have been born as healthy children instead of
      being eliminated due to misclassification.

PMID- 1871748
TI  - [Anesthetic gases, the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect. How harmful are the
      anesthetic emissions for the global environment?].
AB  - During the last decade, world society has acknowledged the harmful effects on the
      environment of the greenhouse effect and of depletion of the ozone layer, caused
      by industrial emissions of man-made compounds. Ozone depletion is caused mainly
      by chlorine compounds or nitrogen oxides released by degradation in the
      stratosphere. The greenhouse effect is caused by increased trapping of
      terrestrial heat radiation. Degradation of the anaesthetic vapours halothane,
      enflurane and isoflurane releases chlorine, and nitrous oxide degradation
      produces reactive nitrogen oxides. Nitrous oxide in particular, but also the
      vapours, absorb terrestrial radiation. The total discharge of anaesthetic vapours
      contributes to less than 0.01% of the total atmospheric chlorine load, and the
      annual Norwegian release of approximately two tons accounts for 0.2% of the world
      total. It is estimated that the total amount of nitrous oxide released from
      anaesthetics accounts for 0.05% of the greenhouse effect, while annual Norwegian
      emissions of nitrous oxide (less than 160 tons) comprise 0.2-0.4% of world total.
      Because of their favourable clinical properties and their modest contribution to
      ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect, medical use of inhalational
      anaesthetic agents should not be banned. However, low flow anaesthetic techniques
      should be employed, in order to reduce their negative impacts on the atmosphere.

PMID- 1871750
TI  - [Infant nutrition in Norway in the light of recent research].
AB  - Broadly speaking, infant nutrition in Norway is good during the first six months.
      Fortunately breast feeding is very common. In the second half of the first year,
      however, our infant nutrition is not quite in accord with recent research. The
      iron intake is less than recommended, and in many infants the iron status at one
      year of age is not satisfactory, although serious degrees of iron deficiency
      anemia are rare. Many infants are given cow's milk from six months of age, and
      thus receive more protein and electrolytes than desirable. This represents an
      unnecessary load on metabolism, fluid balance and kidneys, with too high
      "potential renal solute load". Insulin secretion is stimulated to a higher degree
      than with breast milk, and there is also some blood loss in the stools. The
      author emphasizes the importance of essential unsaturated fatty acids,
      particularly the fatty acids in marine oils (cod liver oil), and proposes a
      simple and inexpensive adjustment of Norwegian infant nutrition.

PMID- 1871751
TI  - [The prestige of diseases and medical specialties].
AB  - Diseases and medical specialties differ as regards social prestige. Samples of
      experienced physicians, medical students at two different levels, and other
      health professions were asked to rate 38 diseases and 22 medical specialties and
      subspecialties by prestige. The measured differences in prestige were
      substantial. Among the diseases, myocardial infarction, leukemia and brain tumour
      were ranked highest, whereas fibrositis, hepatocirrhosis and depressive neurosis
      came lowest. Among the specialties, neurosurgery, cardiology and thorax surgery
      were top ranked, while geriatrics, dermatology and psychiatry had lowest
      prestige. The differences between the ratings of the doctors, medical students
      and representatives of other health professions were small. This result indicates
      that the resulting scales of prestige of diseases and specialties, besides being
      of interest in themselves, can be used for purposes of analysis, e.g. in analysis
      of the allocation of economic resources in the health services.

PMID- 1871752
TI  - [The physician's choice of a specialty].
AB  - This study included 1,416 graduates from the four medical schools in Norway,
      during the period 1978-81. The purpose was to determine which factors potentially
      influence choice of specialty. There were some differences in choice of specialty
      between physicians from different universities. Choice of specialty also varied
      with sex, age, and examination performance. Female physicians took no more time
      than their male colleagues did to become specialists. It is also concluded that
      the quality of the undergraduate teaching of the different specialties had little
      or no impact on future choice of career.

PMID- 1871754
TI  - [Responsibility and care].

PMID- 1871753
TI  - [Small hospitals--future tasks and functions].
AB  - We review the small municipal hospitals included in our study of hospitals
      serving less than 50,000 persons. We identified the following problems: These
      hospitals are resource-intensive to a greater degree than expected, measured in
      terms of beds, doctors, health services and per capita costs in the area served
      by the hospital. Moreover, their quality is questionable, due to problems of
      recruitment and lack of continuity, a weak infrastructure, and insufficient
      patients to maintain a high level of competence, especially in taking care of
      patients with complicated and acute conditions. We foresee, and recommend, a new
      and different future for small hospitals, emphasizing closer links with primary
      health care and closer collaboration with the larger county hospitals. Key words
      are: Outpatient services, including perhaps ambulatory specialist services from
      the larger hospitals, elective services in fields of special competence, possibly
      covering a larger area, rehabilitation services, municipal psychiatric services;
      and finally, the traditional acute services should be changed to a first-aid
      service, preferably as part of emergency care in the municipality.

PMID- 1871755
TI  - [Prevention of myocardial infarction by reducing serum cholesterol levels. High
      risk strategies should be limited].
AB  - Prevention of premature myocardial infarction is an important public health
      issue. Two different approaches may be used in order to prevent premature
      myocardial infarction, a high-risk strategy and a population strategy. The report
      discusses prevention of myocardial infarction in middle-aged Norwegian
      individuals by reducing total serum cholesterol and using the high risk and
      population strategies. A combination of these strategies is recommended, but with
      major emphasis on the population approach. Both trials and calculations indicate
      that the high-risk strategy should be limited to subjects with very high serum
      cholesterol (e.g. greater than or equal to 8 mmol/l in middle-aged men).

PMID- 1871756
TI  - [Nutrition or industry. Experiences with nutritional considerations in the
      agricultural policy].
AB  - The need to export health considerations to various sector policies is regarded
      as important in health promotion. Health is generally a highly appreciated
      benefit; thus many sectors seek to use health as an argument for their policy.
      This article describes the relation between nutrition and agricultural policy in
      Norway. In areas where nutrition and agriculture had mutual interests, health
      considerations were easily exported. However, when interests diverged the issue
      became more complicated. Much effort was focused upon achieving correct use of
      nutritional arguments. Before negotiating and weighing respective viewpoints it
      is essential to clarify each sector's standpoint and interest. Conflicts and
      negotiations are linked to strategies which seek explicitly to integrate health
      premisses into sectors outside the health services itself.

PMID- 1871757
TI  - [Small hospitals--future tasks and functions].

PMID- 1871758
TI  - [Smoke free environment].

PMID- 1871759
TI  - [Cancer among captains and mates on the Norwegian tankers].

PMID- 1871760
TI  - [Sterile water papulae give analgesia during labor].

PMID- 1871761
TI  - [The snake in the light of medical and religious history--medical and
      pharmaceutical symbols].

PMID- 1871762
TI  - [The spectre of dependence. Health hazards of snuff use].

PMID- 1871763
TI  - Production and characterization of human monoclonal lymphocytotoxic
      autoantibodies from a renal dialysis patient.
AB  - We have produced human monoclonal lymphocytotoxic autoantibodies from a renal
      dialysis patient by the generation of a mouse/human heterohybridoma. The
      antibodies are of the IgM class and react with the patient's autologous cells,
      the B-lymphoblastoid cell line producing the antibody, normal T and B
      lymphocytes, B cells from chronic lymphatic leukemia patients (CLL cells), and
      the autoantibody-sensitive cell line K562. Screening of the monoclonal antibodies
      (mAb) against panels of normal T and B cells and CLL cells demonstrated that
      different reactivity profiles could be generated at different dilutions of the
      mAb. These profiles were identical to those seen with autoantibodies from
      different renal patients and this suggests that these profiles do not imply
      different antibody specificities but differing target cell sensitivity.
      Reactivity profiles seen in the fluorescence binding assays suggest that the
      target cell sensitivity is dictated not by antigen density alone but also by
      antibody/antigen affinity. The results from studies of enzyme treatment of target
      cells and lectin inhibition of the molecular specificity suggest that the
      autoantibodies are polyreactive, capable of binding sialic acid-dependent
      epitopes and other negatively-charged cell surface molecules.

PMID- 1871764
TI  - The HLA-DQ beta non-Asp-57 allele: a predictor of future insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus in patients with autoimmune Addison's disease.
AB  - HLA-DR specificities in 72 Addison's (AD) patients and 808 local controls were
      compared. We confirmed earlier reports that the HLA-DR3 specificity is
      significantly increased in AD patients. In our study a relative risk of 3.4 chi 2
      = 22.5; pc = 0.01) for the disease was calculated. Analysis of HLA-DQB1 alleles
      in DR4+ Addison's patients with diabetes mellitus (N = 6) and without IDDM (14 of
      18 individuals tested) revealed that the HLA-DQw8 allele (DQB1*0302) was
      significantly increased in AD patients with IDDM (chi 2 = 13.5; p = 0.001);
      conversely, a clustering of the HLA-DQw7 allele was detected in DR4+ Addison's
      patients without IDDM. We thus conclude that particular polymorphic alleles
      corresponding to non-charged amino acids at position 57 of the HLA-DQ beta-chain
      [non-Asp-57 alleles] are associated with IDDM also in Addison's patients.

PMID- 1871765
TI  - The two major subtypes of HLA-B44 differ for a single amino acid in codon 156.

PMID- 1871766
TI  - Activated human T cells express beta 2-microglobulin-associated HLA-A,B,C
      molecules not recognized by W6/32 mAb.

PMID- 1871767
TI  - HLA (A, B, C and D) antigens in the Awa-Kwaiker Indians of Colombia.

PMID- 1871768
TI  - Toxicokinetics of permethrin in the rat.
AB  - The toxicokinetics of permethrin after single 460 mg/kg oral and 46 mg/kg
      intravenous doses were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Serial blood samples
      after oral and intravenous dosage, and brain, medulla oblongata, sciatic nerve,
      and liver samples after oral administration were collected. Plasma, hypothalamus,
      cerebellum, frontal cortex, caudate putamen, hippocampus, medulla oblongata,
      sciatic nerve, and liver concentrations of permethrin and its metabolites, m
      phenoxybenzyl alcohol and m-phenoxybenzoic acid, were determined by a high
      performance liquid chromatographic assay. The permethrin plasma profile could be
      adequately described by a two-compartment open model. For permethrin, the
      elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) and the mean residence time from plasma were
      8.67 and 11.19 hr after i.v. and 12.37 and 17.77 hr after po administration. The
      total plasma clearance was not influenced by dose concentration or route and
      reached a value of 0.058 liter/hr. After the single oral dose, permethrin was
      absorbed slowly with a Tmax of 3.52 hr. The maximum plasma concentration was
      49.46 micrograms/ml. The oral bioavailability of permethrin was found to be
      60.69%. The plasma concentration-time data for permethrin metabolites as well as
      the tissue concentration-time data for permethrin and its metabolites after an
      oral dose of permethrin were found to fit a one-compartment open model. The
      elimination half-life (t1/2el) of permethrin was greater for the hippocampus,
      medulla oblongata, frontal cortex, and sciatic nerve (23.10, 22.36, 13.86, and
      16.27 hr, respectively) than for plasma (t1/2 beta, 12.37 hr). The maximum
      amounts of permethrin in cerebellum, hippocampus, caudate putamen, frontal
      cortex, hypothalamus, and sciatic nerve were about 1.5, 2, 2, 2.7, 4.8, and 7.5
      times higher than in plasma, respectively, indicating an accumulation of
      pyrethroid by nervous tissue itself. Nervous tissue accumulation of permethrin
      was also reflected by the area under the concentration curve ratios of
      tissue/plasma (1.16, 3.71, 1.57, 4.27, 3.48, and 8.77, respectively). The
      metabolites of permethrin, m-phenoxy-benzyl alcohol and m-phenoxybenzoic acid,
      were detected in plasma and in all selected tissues for 48 hr after dosing,
      suggesting that a combination of metabolism by the tissues and diffusion into it
      from the blood may be present.

PMID- 1871769
TI  - Splenic cell targets in gallium arsenide-induced suppression of the primary
      antibody response.
AB  - In vivo exposure of female B6C3F1 mice to gallium arsenide (GaAs) was evaluated
      for its effect on the in vitro IgM antibody-forming cell (AFC) response. In vivo
      exposure to a single intratracheal dose of GaAs (2.5-200 mg/kg) resulted in a
      dose-dependent decrease in the in vitro IgM AFC response to the T-dependent
      antigen sheep red blood cells (SRBC) with a 97% decrease at 200 mg/kg when
      compared to vehicle controls. The response to the T-independent antigen DNP
      Ficoll was significantly reduced at 100 and 200 mg/kg. Spleen cellularity
      decreased in a dose-related manner with a 54% decrease at 200 mg/kg. Enumeration
      of splenic subpopulations following GaAs (200 mg/kg) indicated a 58, 61, and 30%
      decrease in the total number of Thy 1.2 (T cells), Ig (B cells), and F4/80
      (macrophages) positive cells, respectively, with no alterations in the
      percentages of these cells. Mitogenic responsiveness of splenocytes from GaAs
      exposed mice was unaltered. To identify the splenic cell populations targeted by
      GaAs, the AFC response to SRBC was evaluated following cell
      separation/reconstitution of splenocytes from GaAs- (200 mg/kg, 24-hr exposure)
      and vehicle-exposed mice. Results demonstrated AFC suppression was due to
      functional alterations in both adherent (AD; macrophages) and nonadherent, (both
      T and B lymphocytes) cell populations. Further investigation focused on
      alterations in the AD population. Separation/reconstitution experiments
      demonstrated AFC suppression to SRBC was dependent on the concentration of
      macrophages from GaAs-exposed mice. This macrophage-mediated suppression of the
      in vitro AFC response could not be attributed to the presence of suppressor
      macrophages or release of prostaglandins.

PMID- 1871770
TI  - Promotion of organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy by
      phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride.

PMID- 1871771
TI  - Effect of hepatotoxic chemicals and hypoxia on hepatic nonparenchymal cells:
      impairment of phagocytosis by Kupffer cells and disruption of the endothelium in
      rat livers perfused with colloidal carbon.
AB  - Kupffer cells play an important role in liver function and phagocytosis of
      foreign particles in the hepatic portal tract. Therefore, the purpose of this
      study was to investigate the influence of several hepatotoxic chemicals (allyl
      alcohol, ethylhexanol, and menadione) and hypoxia on phagocytic activity of
      Kupffer cells in perfused rat liver. A recently developed optical method was used
      to determine rates of phagocytosis of carbon particles by Kupffer cells in
      periportal and pericentral regions of the liver lobule based on changes in
      reflected light from the liver surface (te Koppele, J.M., and Thurman, R.G. 1990.
      Am. J. Physiol. 259, G814-G821). With all chemicals studied, a rapid (10-30 min)
      decline in the rate of phagocytosis preceded parenchymal cell death as assessed
      from release of lactate dehydrogenase. These chemicals impaired parenchymal cell
      energy status as indicated by inhibition of O2 uptake and bile flow prior to cell
      death. Livers swell when they are damaged, a process which increases perfusion
      pressure and could theoretically damage the endothelium and lead to nonspecific
      uptake of carbon. In perfusions with a hepatotoxic concentration of allyl alcohol
      (350 microM), carbon particles accumulated in swollen livers after 70 min of
      perfusion. Histological studies revealed that carbon particles were localized
      predominantly in periportal regions of the liver lobule in perfusions with all
      hepatotoxicants studied. When perfusion pressure was elevated to 20 cm H2O in the
      absence of hepatotoxicants, carbon particles detected optically accumulated in
      upstream regions of the liver lobule (periportal or pericentral regions in
      perfusions in the anterograde or retrograde directions, respectively). In
      scanning electron microscopy of nonswollen livers, the endothelium remained
      intact. In swollen livers, however, the endothelium was disrupted and carbon was
      detected bound nonspecifically to parenchymal cells. Fifteen minutes after
      addition of allyl alcohol, bile canaliculi were dilated and endothelial
      fenestrations were enlarged. After 2 hr of perfusion with allyl alcohol, hepatic
      ultrastructure was severely disrupted. Thus, it is concluded that perfusion with
      hepatotoxic chemicals or hypoxia results in a rapid decrease of particle
      phagocytosis by Kupffer cells followed by changes in endothelial cell
      ultrastructure.

PMID- 1871772
TI  - The urotoxic effects of N,N'-dimethylaminopropionitrile. 2. In vivo and in vitro
      metabolism.
AB  - The urotoxicity and metabolism of N,N'-dimethylaminopropionitrile (DMAPN) were
      investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals treated with 525 mg DMAPN/kg or
      equimolar doses of commercially available potential DMAPN metabolites showed
      varying levels of urinary retention. About 44% of the administered dose of DMAPN
      was excreted unchanged in 5 days. beta-Aminopropionitrile and cyanoacetic acid
      were identified as urinary metabolites. The urinary excretion of cyanoacetic acid
      was nonlinearly proportional to the volume of urine retained in the bladders. In
      vitro, the metabolism of DMAPN to cyanide, formaldehyde, and cyanoacetic acid was
      localized mostly in the microsomal fraction of liver, kidney, and urinary
      bladders. This reaction required NADPH and oxygen for maximal activity.
      Metabolism of DMAPN was increased in hepatic microsomes obtained from
      phenobarbital-treated rats (220% of control) and decreased following CoCl1
      treatments (73% of controls). Addition of SKF 525-A to the incubation mixtures
      inhibited the metabolism of DMAPN to formaldehyde (47-64% of controls). Addition
      of sulfhydryl compounds (glutathione and cysteine) to the incubation mixtures did
      not affect the rate of these reactions. These findings indicate that DMAPN is
      primarily metabolized via a cytochrome P450-dependent mixed-function oxidase
      system and that the urotoxic effects of DMAPN may be related to this metabolism.

PMID- 1871773
TI  - Role of metabolites in propanil-induced hemolytic anemia.
AB  - Hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia induced by exposure to certain arylamines,
      such as aniline and dapsone, are known to be mediated by their N-hydroxylamine
      metabolites. The arylamide propanil (3,4-dichloropropionanilide), a herbicide
      used extensively in rice fields, is also thought to induce methemoglobinemia
      through the action of metabolites. However, the hemolytic potential of this
      compound has not previously been reported. The present studies were undertaken to
      determine the hemolytic potential of propanil, and, if positive, the role of
      metabolites in this hemotoxicity. The survival of previously administered 51Cr
      labeled erythrocytes in rats was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by ip
      administration of both propanil and its deacylated metabolite, 3,4
      dichloroaniline (ED50 for both ca. 1.8 mmol/kg). When labeled erythrocytes were
      exposed in vitro to propanil or 3,4-dichloroaniline and then readministered to
      rats, no decrease in erythrocyte survival was observed, which indicated that
      these compounds were not direct-acting hemolytic agents. In contrast, erythrocyte
      survival was markedly reduced by ip administration or in vitro exposure to N
      hydroxy-3,4-dichloroaniline. In addition, N-hydroxy-3,4-dichloroaniline was
      detected in the blood of propanil-treated rats in amounts sufficient to account
      for the hemolytic activity of the parent compound. These data indicate that N
      hydroxy-3,4-dichloroaniline mediates propanil-induced hemolytic anemia, and that
      occupational exposure to propanil may result in an increased risk of hemolytic
      episodes.

PMID- 1871774
TI  - Comparison of three physiologically based pharmacokinetic models of benzene
      disposition.
AB  - We assess the goodness of fit of three physiologically based models of benzene
      pharmacokinetics to experimental data in Fischer-344 rats. These models were
      independently developed and published. Large differences in the quality of the
      fit are observed. In addition, the parameter values leading to acceptable fits
      are spread over the entire range of physiologically plausible values and can be
      quite different from average or standard values. On the other hand, choosing
      standard values for the parameters does not ensure good predictions of all tissue
      levels. These results emphasize the difficulty of a rigorous calibration of
      physiological models, and the need for further research in this area, including
      precise experimental determination of parameter values. Physiological models are
      powerful tools, but for risk assessment purposes simpler models, making
      equivalent use of the crucial data, are probably preferable.

PMID- 1871775
TI  - Copper-induced toxicity in macular mutant mouse: an animal model for Menkes'
      kinky-hair disease.
AB  - These studies were designed to determine if macular mutant mouse, which is a
      proposed animal model of Menkes' kinky-hair disease, is sensitive to the acute
      toxic effect of Cu as compared to normal and heterozygote mice. Single sc
      injection of Cu were administered to 6- to 8-day-old mice, and mortalities were
      recorded for 30 days. The copper treatment at high doses (12 to 25 mg Cu/kg) was
      very toxic to mutant mice as compared to normal mice, and almost all mutant mice
      died within 10 days after injection. The effect of Cu toxicity on heterozygote
      mice was intermediate. The LD50 values 3 days after injection of Cu were 29.5 mg
      Cu/kg for normal mice, 23.5 mg Cu/kg for heterozygote mice, and 15.5 mg Cu/kg for
      mutant mice. In Cu-injected mutant mice (11 and 18 mg Cu/kg), significant
      elevations in serum aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activity
      occurred as compared to Cu-injected normal and heterozygote mice. However, no
      significant elevations in serum creatinine and urea nitrogen contents in Cu
      injected mutant were observed as compared to normal and heterozygote mouse. No
      significant differences in hepatic metallothionein(MT) and MT-1 mRNA, and serum
      ceruloplasmin oxidase activity levels were observed between Cu-injected normal
      and mutant mouse. These results indicated that macular mutant mice was sensitive
      to the acute toxic or hepatotoxic effects of Cu as compared to normal and
      heterozygote mice.

PMID- 1871776
TI  - Inhibitory effect of rhodamine B on the proliferation of human lip fibroblasts in
      culture.
AB  - The effect of the cosmetic dye rhodamine B on the proliferation of human lip
      fibroblasts (KD cells) was investigated in a culture system. Rhodamine B at 25
      micrograms/ml and above significantly decreased the number of the cells after a
      72 h culture. A time course study revealed that 50 micrograms/ml of rhodamine B
      induced decrease in the cell number occurred after 48 h and longer, suggesting
      that the dye inhibited cell proliferation without a decrease in cell attachment.
      The detachment of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells from the monolayer was unaffected
      by rhodamine B at 100 micrograms/ml and below. The incorporation of [3H]thymidine
      and [14C]leucine into the acid-insoluble fraction of the cell layer was
      significantly inhibited by 50 micrograms/ml rhodamine B treatment.
      Histologically, the damage of KD cells was not marked, however, a degenerative
      change of nuclei and an irregular shape of the cells as well as a decrease in the
      cell number were caused by 50 micrograms/ml rhodamine B. Rhodamine 6G caused a
      severe damage of the cells, and rhodamine B significantly decreased the cell
      number; rhodamine 123 had no significant effect; rhodamine 116 significantly
      increased the cell number. Furthermore, rhodamine B decreased the number of both
      vascular endothelial cells from bovine aorta and vascular smooth muscle cells
      from murine aorta after a 72 h culture. It is concluded that rhodamine B inhibits
      the proliferation of human lip fibroblasts. This rhodamine B effect may be a
      warning sign for the dye toxicity.

PMID- 1871777
TI  - Preclinical toxicity studies of an adenosine agonist, N-(2,2-diphenylethyl)
      adenosine.
AB  - N-(2,2-Diphenylethyl)adenosine (DPEA) has been identified as a potential
      antipsychotic agent acting via stimulation of adenosine receptors. The projected
      human therapeutic dose, based on animal studies, is 2-3 mg/kg. DPEA has been
      tested for potential toxicity in mice, rats, dogs and monkeys. Following single
      oral doses, median lethal dose values were approximately 10-fold greater in rats
      than in mice, although similar clinical signs including reduced activity,
      prostration, and necrosis of the tail were seen in both species. DPEA was well
      tolerated at daily doses up to 40 mg/kg in rats for 2 weeks. A no observed effect
      level (NOEL) was not identified in the dog or monkey studies. Reduced activity,
      dacryorrhea, ptosis, hypothermia, necrosis of the tail, and death occurred in
      rats given 120 and 160 mg/kg. Pathologic changes consisted of pancreatitis,
      gastric erosion/ulceration, lymphocyte depletion of the thymus, and pulmonary
      congestion and hemorrhage at 80 mg/kg or greater. In dogs, sporadic emesis was
      noted at 12.5 mg/kg and greater, and significant pathologic changes consisted of
      coronary arteritis associated with myocardial lesions and lymphocyte depletion at
      25 and 50 mg/kg, pancreatic acinar necrosis at 50 mg/kg, and renal tubular
      degeneration at 12.5 mg/kg and greater. Emesis and depression were noted at 25
      and 50 mg/kg in monkeys. Renal tubular dilatation and degeneration at 25 and 50
      mg/kg were noted in the monkeys. These studies demonstrated that DPEA produced a
      range of adverse effects in common laboratory animal species.

PMID- 1871778
TI  - The effect of toluene on rat lung benzo[a]pyrene metabolism and microsomal
      membrane lipids.
AB  - Toluene (1 g/kg, i.p., 1 and 4 h) was shown to decrease total cytochrome P-450
      (P450) content in rat lung. At both timepoints, reduction in pulmonary P450
      content was associated with a decrease in aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH)
      activity, a detoxication pathway for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP). At 4 h, toluene
      increased the toxication/detoxication ratios of BaP metabolites in pulmonary
      microsomes, primarily via inhibition of hydroxy metabolite formation. The
      structurally analogous solvents p- and m-xylene have been previously shown to
      produce a similar pattern of MFO changes in rat lung; the inhibition of BaP
      metabolism was found to be related to alterations in pulmonary microsomal lipids
      following administration of p- but not m-xylene. In the present study, toluene
      induced alterations in MFO parameters were not found to be associated with
      changes in microsomal lipids. Toluene did not affect either total phospholipid or
      cholesterol content at either timepoint. Similarly, no changes in speciated
      phospholipids were observed. Membrane integrity, expressed as conjugated diene
      formation, also remained unchanged following toluene administration. Toluene did,
      however, decrease microsomal inner-core membrane fluidity at 4 h but had no
      effect on membrane leaflet fluidity at either timepoint. These data suggest that
      the fatty acid composition of microsomal lipids may play a role in the metabolic
      alterations observed in pulmonary microsomes following toluene administration.

PMID- 1871779
TI  - Influence of aromatic hydrocarbons on the metabolism of dichloromethane to carbon
      monoxide in rats.
AB  - The influence of prior or simultaneous oral administration of benzene, toluene, o
      , m-, or p-xylene on the carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level after a single dose of
      dichloromethane (DCM) was investigated in male rats. Six hours after
      administration of DCM, 6.2 mmol/kg, the mean maximum COHb level was 9.3 +/- 1.9%.
      This level was significantly enhanced by prior administration of benzene (16.9
      mmol/kg) at 12-24 h, of toluene (18.8 mmol/kg) at 20-28 h, of o- (16.6 mmol/kg)
      and m-xylene (16.3 mmol/kg) at 20-32 h, and of p-xylene (16.2 mmol/kg) at 24-32
      h. The corresponding maximum COHb levels were 20.7 +/- 1.3, 18.6 +/- 1.1, 18.9 +/
      1.1, 22.7 +/- 1.2, and 13.2 +/- 1.0%, respectively. After simultaneous
      administration of both DCM and the aromatic solvent, the COHb formation was
      inhibited: values of 1.3 +/- 0.3, 1.7 +/- 0.4, 3.6 +/- 0.2, 1.9 +/- 0.2, and 2.0
      +/- 0.2% COHb, respectively, were found. The inhibition was also evident when DCM
      was administered 12 h after toluene or m-xylene and 12, 16 or 20 h after p
      xylene. The inhibition was dose-related as seen after combined gavage of o-, m-,
      or p-xylene and DCM. The o- and m-, but not the p-methylhippuric acid (MHA)
      excretion in the urine was significantly reduced after simultaneous
      administration of equimolar doses of DCM and the corresponding xylenes. In
      conclusion, it seems that the stimulation or inhibition of the COHb formation
      after DCM caused by pretreatment with or by simultaneous administration of the
      aromatic solvents is due to the induction of cytochrome P-450 IIE1 or to
      competition between DCM and the aromatic solvent on this isozyme of cytochrome P
      450.

PMID- 1871780
TI  - Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data of steroidal vicinal ketols
      and related compounds.
AB  - Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra for 31 3 beta-hydroxy and acetoxy
      androstane derivatives bearing vicinal oxygenated functions at ring D with and
      without oxygenated functions at C-6 are reported. Relative substituent effects
      are discussed.

PMID- 1871781
TI  - Synthesis and mechanism of hydrolysis of estrogen 6-sulfates: model compounds for
      demonstrating the carcinogenesis of estrogen.
AB  - To investigate the carcinogenesis of estrogen with respect to the chemical
      behavior of estrogen 6-sulfates, two epimeric 6-sulfates, pyridinium 3
      methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-6 alpha-yl (8) and -6 beta-yl (11) sulfates, were
      synthesized as the model compounds, and their chemical reactivities were
      examined. These sulfates were shown to be highly reactive: in water, they were
      readily and quantitatively converted to a common product mixture, composed of 3
      methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-6 alpha-ol (6) and -6 beta-ol (9) in an almost
      constant product ratio, with a predominant yield of the latter. The hydrolysis of
      both sulfates 8 and 11 proceeded in first-order kinetics with half-lives of 1.1
      and 1.5 minutes, respectively. When the sulfates were hydrolyzed in 18O-water,
      the heavy-oxygen atom was shown to be incorporated quantitatively into the C-6
      position of the products. These results demonstrate that estrogen 6-sulfates
      generate a highly reactive benzylic (C-6) carbocation in an aqueous solution,
      suggesting that the sulfates can act as carcinogens.

PMID- 1871782
TI  - Regioselectivity of metabolic activation of acetylenic steroids by hepatic
      cytochrome P450 isozymes.
AB  - Liver cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450), a group of isozymes that catalyze
      the reductive cleavage of molecular oxygen, dominate hepatic metabolism of
      xenobiotic lipophilic substances. These P450 enzymes exhibit broad and
      overlapping substrate specificities, in contrast to the P450 isozymes of the
      steroid biosynthetic pathways, which are highly substrate specific. Hepatic heme
      pigments, N-alkylated porphyrins, accumulate following the self-catalyzed
      destruction of P450 by the metabolic activation of 17 alpha-ethynyl steroids.
      Acetylenic substituted steroidal aromatase inactivators, norethisterone (NET),
      and 10-(2-propynyl)estr-4-ene-3,17-dione (MDL 18,962) were administered to rats
      to determine if the acetylenic substituent was activated by hepatic P450 mixed
      function oxidases. This metabolism could result in the formation of a reactive
      species that would alkylate a pyrrole nitrogen atom of heme. Male Sprague-Dawley
      rats were treated with 0, 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg NET or MDL 18,962
      intraperitoneally. Four hours later, these animals received 40 mg/kg sodium
      pentobarbital and their sleeping times were recorded. On arousal, the rats were
      killed and their livers were taken for determination of P450 content and
      formation of N-alkylated porphyrins (green pigments). Norethisterone inhibited
      hepatic P450 isozymes, resulting in a dose-related increased sleeping time (89.2
      +/- 3.5 to 156.3 +/- 7.6 minutes) and decreased P450 levels (maximum 25% decrease
      at 100 mg/kg), and the amount of green pigments increased with doses of 10 to 100
      mg/kg. In contrast, MDL 18,962 treatment did not increase sleeping time and
      caused only a 15% decrease in hepatic P450 content at 100 mg/kg, with no
      detectable green pigments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1871783
TI  - New steroid haptens for radioimmunoassay: synthesis of steroids substituted with
      thioether or ester linkages at the 2 alpha-position.
AB  - Haptens with bridge at the 2-position have not yet been explored.
      Radioimmunoassays with antibodies directed against 2 alpha-alkyl bridged steroid
      haptens are expected to be highly specific due to greater topographical exposure
      and similarity in conformation to the native steroid. The 2 alpha-alkyl bridged
      haptens were synthesized by first adding a cyclopropane ring to 2-methylene-4-en
      3-one. Selective opening of the three-membered ring with trimethyl silyl iodide
      and transformation of the iodo group gave a carbocyclic acid, the desired analog
      for conjugation with protein.

PMID- 1871784
TI  - Regioselective reactions of 1,2-dehydroprogesterone: syntheses of pregnane
      derivatives as possible contragestational agents.
AB  - A few pregnane derivatives were synthesized from 1,2-dehydroprogesterone (1).
      Ring A of 1,2-dehydroprogesterone was aromatized without affecting C-20, and the
      resulting acetoxy compound (2) after hydrolysis yielded 1-hydroxy-4-methyl-19
      norpregna-1,3,5(10)-trien-20-one (3). Reactions of the phenol (3) with alkyl
      halides yielded the ethers 6a-6b and 7. Opening of the oxirane ring in 7 with
      secondary amines furnished the aminoalcohols 8a-8b. Friedelcraft's reaction of 3
      with maleic anhydride and chloracetyl chloride led to the formation of 9 and 10,
      respectively. Base-catalyzed ring closure of 10 yielded 1-acetyl-12a-methyl-8-oxo
      5[H]-1,2,3,3a,3b,4,8,9,10b,11,12, 12a-dodecahydrocyclopenta (7,8)-phenanthro (3,4
      b) furan (11), which reacted with aromatic aldehydes regioselectively to furnish
      12a-12b. Reaction of 1 with triethylorthoformate in the presence of boron
      trifluoride etherate involved the participation of C-21, and the carbonyl at C-3
      remained unaffected. The product 13 was identified as 21-[2-hydroxyvinyl]-21
      norpregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione. Reductive amination with sodium cyanoborohydride
      in the presence of ammonium acetate did not attack ring A and smoothly furnished
      the amine 14 which, on reaction with succinic anhydride, gave 20-succinamylpregna
      1,4-dien-3-one (15).

PMID- 1871785
TI  - Omega 1-decoupled 1H homonuclear shift-correlated nuclear magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy (COSYDEC) applied to steroids.
AB  - Problems of cross-peak overlap in two-dimensional 1H homonuclear shift-correlated
      (COSY) spectra of steroids can often be avoided by use of the omega 1-decoupled
      COSY (COSYDEC) method. The selection of experimental parameters is discussed, and
      COSYDEC spectra are illustrated for 17a-oxa-D-homoandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione
      (testololactone), testosterone, and 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. In a good case,
      a COSYDEC spectrum obtained at 250 MHz allows cross-peak recognition and
      assignment with facility comparable to that available only at 500 MHz for normal
      COSY spectra.

PMID- 1871786
TI  - Interaction of ring B unsaturated estrogens with estrogen receptors of human
      endometrium and rat uterus.
AB  - The present investigation was undertaken to compare the binding affinities (Ka)
      of the ring B unsaturated equine estrogens (equilin [Eq], equilenin [Eqn], 17
      beta-dihydroequilin [17 beta-Eq], 17 beta-dihydroequilenin [17 beta-Eqn], 17
      alpha-dihydroequilin [17 alpha-Eq], and17 alpha-dihydroequilenin [17 alpha-Eqn])
      and the classic estrogens (estrone [E1], 17 beta-estradiol [17 beta-E2], and 17
      alpha-estradiol [17 alpha-E2]) for estrogen receptors in human endometrium and
      rat uterus. In both species, the ring B unsaturated estrogens bind with cytosol
      and nuclear receptors with high affinity (Ka x 10(9) M-1). The relative binding
      affinities of these estrogens were measured by determining the amount of
      unlabeled estrogen required to reduce by 50% the specific binding of [3H]17 beta
      Eq to endometrial cytosol receptors. The order of activity found was 17 beta-Eq
      greater than 17 beta-E2 greater than 17 beta-Eqn greater than E1 greater than Eq
      greater than 17 alpha-Eq greater than 17 alpha-E2 greater than 17 alpha-Eqn
      greater than Eqn. Essentially the same order of activity was observed when the
      apparent affinity constants of these estrogens for human and rat cytosol and
      nuclear receptors were determined by a competitive (inhibition) binding assay.
      Sucrose density gradient analysis indicated that these estrogens form protein
      complexes with cytosol and nuclear preparation that sediment at approximately 8S
      and 4S, respectively. The affinity constants for 17 beta-Eq were approximately
      two- to six-fold higher than E2 in both species. In a rat uterotropic assay, all
      nine estrogens were uterotropic. These data indicate that all ring B unsaturated
      estrogens present in conjugated equine estrogen preparations are biologically
      active and they express their biologic effects in the human endometrium by
      mechanisms similar to those described for the classic estrogens.

PMID- 1871788
TI  - Transplantation. Presidential address.

PMID- 1871787
TI  - Preclinical evaluation of a new potent immunosuppressive agent, rapamycin.
AB  - Since individual immunosuppressive agents display pleiotropic arrays of
      nonimmunologic toxic complications when used at therapeutic concentrations,
      synergistic drug combinations proffer an attractive strategy. RAPA is a good
      candidate for this enterprise, because of its unique action to inhibit lymphokine
      signal transduction. Initial in vivo and in vitro studies using the rigorous
      pharmacologic tool, the median effect analysis, document a synergistic relation
      between RAPA and CsA in rodent and canine models. These preclinical findings
      compel careful Phase I trials, in order to assess the safety and synergistic
      efficacy of RAPA in combination drug regimens with other immunosuppressive
      agents.

PMID- 1871789
TI  - Chronic renal allograft rejection. Selective involvement of the glomerular
      endothelium in humoral immune reactivity and intravascular coagulation.
AB  - To study immune reactive and thrombotic mechanisms involved in chronic renal
      allograft rejection, Lewis rat kidneys were transplanted into bilaterally
      nephrectomized Brown Norway recipients tolerant of LEW erythrocyte antigens. Such
      BN rats fail to produce anti class I MHC alloantibodies after insertion of a LEW
      kidney. The LEW renal allografts experience a transient rejection episode without
      proteinuria followed by the development of chronic rejection, clinically
      characterized by glomerular proteinuria in the presence of stable renal function.
      Immunohistological studies of such chronically rejected LEW renal allografts
      showed the occurrence of glomerular and interstitial infiltration of
      predominantly monocytes and T cells. CD4-positive T cells dominated over CD8
      positive T cells in the chronically rejected LEW renal grafts. IgG deposition was
      found deposited throughout the renal vasculature--this in contrast to IgM, which
      was observed only in the glomerular vasculature. Glomerular antibodies were not
      directed to endothelial class II MHC antigens, and showed only weak complement
      fixation as demonstrated by C3 staining. Selective glomerular IgM deposition was
      associated with vascular (platelet-containing) thrombi, and focal and segmental
      fibrinoid necrosis. In contrast, acutely rejected LEW renal grafts in unmodified
      BN recipients showed IgM deposition as well as thrombus formation throughout the
      entire renal vasculature. The results demonstrate that the antibody response to
      endothelial--and, in particular, glomerular endothelial non-MHC antigens--may
      bring about chronic vascular renal allograft rejection. How the formation of
      glomerular thrombotic lesions may be assisted by endothelial reactivity to
      cytokines from local immune reactive cells is discussed.

PMID- 1871790
TI  - Toxicity of rapamycin--a comparative and combination study with cyclosporine at
      immunotherapeutic dosage in the rat.
AB  - Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 14 days with rapamycin (RAP; 1.5 mg/kg/day
      i.p.), cyclosporine (15 mg/kg/day by gavage), both drugs in combination, or
      appropriate drug vehicles. Hematological parameters and biochemical indices of
      renal and hepatic function were determined throughout the experimental period, at
      the end of which the rats were killed and tissues examined histologically. There
      was a significant reduction in weight gain in RAP- but not CsA-treated animals,
      while rats given both drugs showed a reduction in body weight over the 14-day
      experimental period. There were no significant alterations in absolute or
      differential white blood cell counts or in T or B cell numbers, except in the
      drug combination group, in which an absolute lymphopenia was detected on day 14.
      Small but significant increases in urinary flow rate (UFR) were found with either
      drug alone, and there was a marked (4-fold) increase in UFR in response to drug
      combination. Both RAP and CsA caused a small elevation in serum creatinine
      concentrations, but only with CsA was there a significant elevation in urinary
      enzyme activity and reduction in 51Cr. EDTA clearance. The drug combination
      exacerbated renal impairment, the extent of which was greater than the additive
      effect of either drug alone. Hyperbilirubinemia of similar magnitude was observed
      in rats receiving either CsA alone or in combination with RAP. In contrast to its
      effect on renal function, however, the CsA+RAP combination was without additional
      effect on liver function compared with the minor changes seen with either drug
      alone. Plasma and urinary glucose levels were elevated in all drug treatment
      groups and especially in animals given both drugs. RAP administration did not
      significantly affect whole-blood CsA concentrations, although the possibility of
      a pharmacokinetic interaction cannot be totally excluded. Histological studies
      revealed striking thymic medullary atrophy in all drug-treated animals. In
      addition, all rats given RAP showed focal myocardial necrosis of overall mild
      moderate severity. Kidneys of RAP-treated rats appeared normal, whereas mild,
      focal, acute tubular necrosis was evident in all CsA-treated animals. Pancreases
      of all drug-treated animals were normal.

PMID- 1871791
TI  - Automated large-scale isolation, in vitro function and xenotransplantation of
      porcine islets of Langerhans.
AB  - To evaluate the potential of utilizing porcine islet tissue as an alternative to
      human islet tissue for transplantation, we developed a method for the isolation
      of large amounts of highly purified porcine islets, and assessed the in vitro and
      in vivo function of the isolated islets after 1, 4, and 7 days of culture. The
      pancreatic duct of the splenic lobe was cannulated and distended by injection of
      Hanks' balanced salt solution containing 1.5 mg/ml collagenase. The pancreas was
      then processed by a modification of the automated digestion-filtration method
      developed in this laboratory, and with purification accomplished by Euro-Ficoll
      gradients (dialyzed Ficoll in Eurocollins solution), consisting of two layers of
      1.108 and 1.091 g/cm3 density, topped with a layer of HBSS. The postpurification
      yield was 5203 +/- 645 (mean +/- SEM) islets per gram of pancreas with a number
      of islet equivalents (IE) per gram pancreas (islet equivalence: 150-microns-sized
      islets) of 3551 +/- 305, and a volume of 6.27 +/- 1.7 mm3 islet tissue per gram
      of pancreas. The islet purity exceeded 90%. Overnight-cultured, perifused porcine
      islets released 53.1 +/- 8.2 pM insulin/200 IE at 3.3 mM glucose, and 114.9 +/-
      25.4 pM insulin/200 IE at 16.7 mM glucose (P less than 0.001 vs. basal output).
      When theophylline was added, insulin secretion increased to 264.2 +/- 63.2 pM/200
      IE (P less than 0.001 vs. basal secretion and P less than 0.005 vs. secretion at
      16.7 mM glucose). After 4 days of culture, the islets still responded to
      secretagogues. The functional integrity of the isolated islets was confirmed by
      reversal of diabetes in aL3T4 antibody-treated C57B/B6 diabetic mice:
      normoglycemia was promptly restored by transplanting 1000 overnight- or 7-day
      cultured (24 degrees C) islets under the kidney capsule. These results suggest
      that continued improvements of porcine islet isolation and culture could permit
      the use of porcine islets in immunoalteration and immunoisolation studies that
      may lead to eventual human transplantation.

PMID- 1871792
TI  - Immunopathology of hyperacute xenograft rejection in a swine-to-primate model.
AB  - Hyperacute rejection is the inevitable consequence of the transplantation of
      vascularized organs between phylogenetically distant species. The nature of the
      incompatibility and the pathogenetic mechanisms that lead to hyperacute xenograft
      rejection are incompletely understood. We investigated these issues by the
      immunopathological analysis of tissues from swine renal and cardiac xenografts
      placed in rhesus monkeys. Hyperacute rejection was associated with deposition of
      recipient IgM and classic but not alternative complement pathway components along
      endothelial surfaces, the formation of platelet and fibrin thrombi, and the
      infiltration of neutrophils. In animals from which natural antibody was
      temporarily depleted by organ perfusion, rejection was observed at 3 days to 5
      days posttransplant. The immunopathology of rejection in these tissues revealed
      focal vascular changes similar to those observed in hyperacute rejection. A
      xenograft functioning for a prolonged period in a recipient temporarily depleted
      of circulating natural antibody contained recipient IgM along endothelial
      surfaces but no evidence for significant deposition of complement, formation of
      platelet and fibrin thrombi, or infiltration of neutrophils. These results
      suggest that rhesus IgM contributes significantly to the development of
      hyperacute rejection in the swine to Rhesus model and that the fixation of
      complement is a critical factor in the recruitment of the coagulation cascade and
      platelet aggregation--and possibly in the adherence and infiltration of PMN.

PMID- 1871794
TI  - Sixty-minute normothermic liver ischemia in rats. Evidence that allopurinol
      improves liver cell energy metabolism during reperfusion but that timing of drug
      administration is important.
AB  - Allopurinol (ALL) improves energy metabolism in organs subjected to ischemia
      reperfusion injury. The importance of different administration schedules of ALL
      has been studied in a rat liver model exposed to 60 min of normothermic ischemia
      followed by reperfusion. ALL (100 mg/kg) that administered in two doses, one
      prior to ischemia and one prior to reperfusion, improved production of adenosine
      triphosphate in the liver as well as bile flow during reperfusion. ALL
      administered in a single dose, either prior to ischemia or prior to reperfusion,
      was less effective. The concentration of hypoxanthine during ischemia increased
      in the groups given ALL prior to induction of ischemia. Based on the present
      findings, we argue that the beneficial effect of ALL administration can be
      potentiated by different drug-administration schedules. Our data also suggest
      that the prime mechanism of action for ALL is not only related to inhibition of
      free-oxygen-radicals production but that preservation of hypoxanthine, which can
      be used for ATP resynthesis and the scavenging properties of ALL itself, may be
      equally important.

PMID- 1871793
TI  - Increase in survival of liver grafts after rinsing with warm Ringer's solution
      due to improvement of hepatic microcirculation.
AB  - Temperature increases membrane fluidity and decreases vascular resistance in
      isolated organs. Therefore, these studies were designed to determine if a rinse
      with warm buffer could increase survival time in the rat model of orthotopic
      liver transplantation by improving hepatic microcirculation. Brief periods of
      warm ischemia (3-8 min) did not damage the liver as indexed by minimal release of
      LDH. Survival of rats for 30 days was greater than 90% in this model when livers
      were stored for 1 hr in Ringer's solution; yet grafts stored for 8 hr in Euro
      Collins solution and rinsed with 20 ml of cold (0-4 degrees C) Ringer's solution
      survived postoperatively only around 3 days. However, livers stored for 8 hr in
      Euro-Collins and rinsed with 20 ml of warm (37 degrees C) Ringer's survived
      longer than 30 days (i.e., permanently). Serum transaminase levels reached peak
      values around 6000 U/L one day postoperatively in the cold-rinsed group, and
      liver injury assessed histologically was substantial. Under these conditions,
      pulmonary infiltration of inflammatory cells was observed in about 23% of lung
      tissue examined and was associated with massive bleeding. Following a warm rinse,
      however, maximal SGOT levels and injury to both liver and lung were reduced
      significantly by 80-90% 24 hr postoperatively. Moreover, the warm rinse improved
      hepatic microcirculation. It accelerated blood flow into the liver approximately
      two-fold, as indexed by the half-time of changes in hemoglobin reflectance from
      the liver surface, improved the distribution of colloidal carbon in the organ
      observed macroscopically, and decreased vascular resistance by over 50%. These
      data support the hypothesis that a brief rinse of liver grafts with warm buffer
      markedly improves the hepatic microcirculation, leading to dramatic improvement
      in graft survival. This work demonstrates clearly that a brief warm rinse may be
      useful clinically in liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871795
TI  - Evidence that LS-2616 (linomide) causes acute rejection of rat allografts
      protected by cyclosporine but not of long-term surviving allografts.
AB  - The immunomodulator LS-2616 (Linomide) induces rejection of cyclosporine
      protected rat cardiac allografts. The aim of this study was to characterize this
      rejection in the presence of CsA and to test LS-2616 in other models of permanent
      graft acceptance in the rat. PVG rat hearts were transplanted heterotopically to
      Wistar/Kyoto (Wi/Ky) rat recipients on day 0. The recipients were treated orally
      on days 0-9 with CsA (10-40 mg/kg) and/or with LS-2616 (2.5-160 mg/kg) starting
      at different times (day -7 -+5) until the day of complete rejection. The addition
      of LS-2616 (day -1--stop) to CsA (10 mg/kg) resulted in a dose-dependent
      antagonism of the immunosuppressive effect of CsA with daily doses of 2.5-160
      mg/kg. Furthermore, the results were similar, irrespective of whether LS-2616
      treatment (160 mg/kg) was started on day -7, -1, +1, +3, or +5. LS-2616 (160
      mg/kg) pretreatment of the recipient for 7 days before transplantation was
      considerably less effective. CsA (20 mg/kg) for 14 days after a PVG to DA
      transplantation resulted in permanent graft survival. This was not abrogated by
      LS-2616. Neither was rejection induced in long-term surviving grafts of RT1.C
      incompatible Lewis recipients. Our data suggest that LS-2616 activates already
      stimulated and sensitized T cells that are otherwise controlled by CsA.

PMID- 1871796
TI  - Progression of kidney disease in chronic renal transplant rejection.
AB  - The rate of progression of renal insufficiency was quantitated from reciprocal of
      serum creatinine versus time plots in patients with clinical and histologic
      evidence of chronic renal transplant rejection. The plots were evaluated by the
      breakpoint test. This method identifies breakpoints in a linear plot and compares
      the statistical significance of the fit provided by two intersecting lines with
      that of a single straight line. The breakpoint test when applied to the 22
      patients with a significant linear correlation between the reciprocal of serum
      creatinine versus time detected a change in the slope in 20 cases (90.9%)
      indicating the presence of a breakpoint. The average diastolic, systolic, and
      mean arterial pressures before the breakpoint were significantly correlated with
      the value of the serum creatinine at the time of the change of the slope (r =
      0.45, P less than 0.05; r = 0.58, P less than 0.01; r = 0.56, P less than 0.05,
      respectively) demonstrating more severe hypertension in those patients with the
      more severe renal dysfunction. The slope after the breakpoint was significantly
      correlated with the mean diastolic blood pressure values after the breakpoint (r
      = 0.48, P less than 0.05) with higher pressures being found in those patients
      with faster rates of decline in renal function. Both before and after the
      breakpoint occurred, the rate of progression of the renal disease, as estimated
      by the reciprocal of serum creatinine versus time plot, was greater when the mean
      diastolic blood pressure was higher than 90 mmHg. In conclusion, the vast
      majority of patients with proven chronic rejection progress linearly although a
      change in the rate of progression was frequent. Higher levels of blood pressure
      correlate with greater rates of progression of renal insufficiency, and a faster
      progression associates with a diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mmHg.

PMID- 1871797
TI  - Risk factor analysis for the major hazards following heart transplantation-
      rejection, infection, and coronary occlusive disease.
AB  - This study demonstrates the importance of analyzing survival by cause of death in
      order to achieve a better understanding of the prognostic indicators involved. It
      further emphasizes the need for analysis of risk factors in both univariate and
      multivariate models, and the danger of making judgements based on premature
      analysis of data on follow-up after heart transplantation. Survival following
      transplantation is characterized by the major hazards of early death due to
      infection and rejection and late graft loss due to coronary occlusive disease
      (COD). This study summarizes the first-graft survival experience for 323
      transplant patients at Papworth Hospital, and assesses a number of potential risk
      factors for (1) early mortality, (2) late mortality from COD, and (3) development
      of COD. The potential risk factors considered for all hazards are donor and
      recipient age, sex, blood group, and matching of these factors; donor cause of
      death and recipient immunosuppression; inotropic support; waiting time;
      preoperative diagnosis and previous cardiac surgery; ischemic time; and
      extubation time. In addition, for development of, and graft loss from, COD,
      perioperative rejection and cytomegalovirus infection; hypertension at discharge;
      and cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipids at two years were assessed as risk
      factors. Advances in immunosuppression were observed to have increased overall
      survival rates and decreased mortality from infection, rejection, and COD, as
      well as decreasing morbidity from COD. Fatal rejection was found to be more
      likely in female recipients, recipients over 40 years, recipients of grafts from
      donors over 30 years old, patients who were transplanted for valvular heart
      disease, and patients who waited less than three months for their transplant.
      Male recipients of female donor organs were more likely to lose their grafts as a
      result of COD. Patients older than 50 and hearts from donors older than 40
      conferred a high risk of development of and loss from COD. Patients transplanted
      for ischemic heart disease were more likely to develop COD. High cholesterol, low
      HDL, high LDL, and high triglycerides at two years after transplant showed some
      evidence of high risk for the subsequent development of COD, although these
      relationships are not statistically significant at this stage. Contrary to other
      recent studies, cytomegalovirus infection was not found to be a risk factor for
      the development of COD.

PMID- 1871798
TI  - Risk factors for second renal allografts immunosuppressed with cyclosporine.
AB  - Second renal allograft survival rates are lower than those of primary allografts.
      For recipients immunosuppressed with azathioprine, prednisone, and Minnesota ALG
      (conventional immunosuppression), risk factors associated with decreased second
      graft survival have been identified: age greater than 40, cadaver donor, less
      than 6 months between primary graft loss and retransplantation, duration of
      primary graft function (6 months or 1 year, depending on the study), high peak
      panel-reactive antibody, number of human leukocyte antigen mismatches, and
      delayed graft function. In this study, we used a multivariate analysis to
      identify risk factors associated with decreased second graft survival in patients
      who did or did not receive cyclosporine. Results were compared with primary graft
      survival rates. Risk factors for patients receiving conventional
      immunosuppression were: (a) primary graft loss caused by rejection greater than
      or equal to 6 months (P = 0.01 vs. either rejection less than 6 months or
      nonimmunologic loss); (b) cadaver donor (P = 0.005 vs. living related); and (c)
      interval between primary graft loss and retransplantation of greater than or
      equal to 6 months (P = 0.05 vs. less than 6 months). For CsA, risk factors that
      most decreased second graft survival were: (a) primary graft loss caused by
      rejection less than 6 months (P = 0.11 vs. nonimmunologic loss); (b) conventional
      immunosuppression for the primary graft (P = 0.08 vs. CsA immunosuppression); and
      (c) a peak PRA of greater than or equal to 21 (P = 0.14 vs. peak PRA of 1-20).
      For second graft recipients immunosuppressed with CsA, primary graft loss to
      either rejection greater than 6 months posttransplant or nonimmunologic causes
      was not a risk factor for second graft survival. These data extend the recent
      reports of other investigators by identifying risk factors for retransplant
      recipients treated with CsA and by demonstrating that subgroups of patients in
      the retransplant population can be retransplanted without additional risk (i.e.,
      their second graft survival rates are similar to primary graft survival rates).
      This may become more important if, in the future, organ distribution is based on
      graft survival data. If so, our data would support retransplantation in patients
      who are immunosuppressed with CsA, especially those who lost their primary graft
      to either rejection greater than or equal to 6 months posttransplant or
      nonimmunologic causes; who receive living related grafts; and who have a peak PRA
      of 1-20.

PMID- 1871799
TI  - Immunocytology of urinary sediments as a method of differentiating acute
      rejection from other causes of declining renal graft function.
AB  - We have previously reported that during acute rejection of renal allografts T
      lymphocytosis and increased HLA-DR expression on tubular epithelial cells can be
      demonstrated in urinary sediments by incubating cytospin preparations with
      monoclonal antibodies against T cells and HLA-DR antigen in an indirect alkaline
      phosphatase technique. We now tested whether immunocytological analysis of
      urinary sediments can be used to differentiate acute rejection from other causes
      of declining graft function. For this we retrospectively selected, from a series
      of urinary samples that were taken either at random or as part of a longitudinal
      study in unselected graft recipients, those specimens that were taken at the time
      of increasing creatinine levels, and compared the original immunocytological
      diagnosis, made without knowledge of clinical data, with the final clinical one.
      In 44 of 74 evaluable cases an immunocytological diagnosis of rejection was made,
      which in 37 patients was consistent with the eventual clinical diagnosis. In 28
      of 30 cases the diagnosis no rejection proved to be correct. This indicates a
      sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 80% for the immunocytological diagnosis
      of rejection. Of 38 patients who underwent a renal core biopsy, the
      immunocytological diagnosis was consistent with the histological diagnosis in 36
      cases (31 rejections, 5 no rejections). In this subgroup the sensitivity of the
      immunocytology was 97% and the specificity 83%. We conclude that
      immunocytological examination of urinary sediments in renal allograft recipients
      can be a valuable new tool in discriminating acute interstitial rejection from
      other causes of deteriorating graft function.

PMID- 1871800
TI  - Evidence that addition of azathioprine improves renal function in cyclosporine
      treated patients with allograft dysfunction.
AB  - Several approaches have been attempted to manage renal allograft dysfunction in
      cyclosporine-prednisone (CsA-Pred)-treated patients. Conversion to conventional
      therapy and perioperative triple drug have been associated with high rates of
      acute rejection episodes, infections, or neoplasms. We report our experience in
      delayed addition of azathioprine (1-2 mg/kg/day) to CsA/Pred protocol in three
      groups of patients. Group I (n = 9) had chronic renal function deterioration due
      to chronic rejection; group II (n = 10) had repeated or severe acute rejection
      episodes despite adequate CsA levels; and group III (n = 8) had CsA toxicity
      despite drug tapering. In group I, serum creatinine (SCr) had risen from 2.2 +/-
      0.9 to 2.9 +/- 0.7 mg/dl over the 6 months prior to Aza addition (P less than
      0.05), renal function declining at a rate of -0.14 +/- 0.12 Cr-1/year. In the 6
      month post-Aza, renal function improved at a rate of 0.06 +/- 0.06 Cr-1/year and
      during the entire follow-up at a rate of 0.04 +/- 0.12 Cr-1/year (P less than
      0.05) with stable CsA levels (288 +/- 167 vs. 251 +/- 172 ng/dl, NS). In group II
      response was worse, though the rate of declining renal function prior to Aza (
      0.10 +/- 0.10 Cr-1/year) was almost stopped after Aza. In group III there was
      very good response to Aza addition, as 7 out of 8 patients improved graft
      function (baseline SCr 2.5 +/- 0.7 mg/dl vs. 1.9 +/- 0.6 mg/dl at last follow-up,
      P less than 0.05), with significantly decreased CsA levels (480 +/- 97 vs. 268 +/
      120, P less than 0.05). One patient from group II died from pneumonia, and 6
      patients (1 from group I and 5 from group II) lost their grafts. Fifteen patients
      improved graft function, and 9 worsened after addition of Aza. The bad-responders
      had significantly higher SCr at baseline compared with the good-responders (3.8
      +/- 1.8 vs. 2.7 +/- 0.6 mg/dl, P less than 0.01). Amelioration of chronic graft
      dysfunction can be achieved by delayed addition of Aza to CsA-Pred in patients
      with chronic rejection or CsA toxicity. This is accompanied by low rate of acute
      rejection, good patient and graft survival, and low rate of infections. A worse
      outcome can be seen in patients with high-baseline SCr levels, suggesting the
      need for addition of Aza in the initial chronic graft dysfunction.

PMID- 1871801
TI  - Effects of diltiazem upon metabolism and immunosuppressive action of cyclosporine
      in kidney graft recipients.
AB  - It is widely believed that calcium antagonists such as diltiazem exert
      immunosuppressive effects in kidney graft recipients--however, the mechanism is
      unclear. In a randomized controlled trial, kidney graft recipients who received
      diltiazem during transplantation and for an average of 12 months thereafter
      experienced significantly fewer rejection episodes than patients treated with
      cyclosporine and steroids alone. Furthermore, 1-year (97% vs. 85%) and 4-year
      (80% vs. 70%) graft survival rates were higher in diltiazem-treated patients, but
      the difference was not statistically significant. In vitro, diltiazem had little
      immunosuppressive activity. Concentrations of diltiazem which blocked the
      proliferation of PHA-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or
      prevented activation-associated accumulation of interleukin-2 mRNA, or p50- and
      p70-IL-2 receptor mRNA exceeded pharmacological concentrations by more than 100
      fold. Both, CsA and high doses of diltiazem caused an increase of IL-6 mRNA. In
      contrast to these findings, the IL-6 plasma concentrations were comparable in
      both groups, whereas the serum concentration of soluble IL-2 receptors was
      decreased in patients treated with diltiazem. Administration of diltiazem caused
      an alteration of CsA metabolism. The whole-blood concentration of CsA metabolite
      17 was significantly increased in diltiazem-treated patients, resulting in a five
      times-higher concentration of this metabolite in the cellular blood compartment
      compared with the parent drug. Changes in metabolites 1, 8, and 18 levels were
      less pronounced. Although direct immunosuppressive properties of diltiazem are
      unlikely, diltiazem could support immunosuppression by altering CsA metabolism,
      and promoting accumulation of certain metabolites.

PMID- 1871802
TI  - Effect of anti-LFA1 (CD11a) monoclonal antibodies in acute rejection in human
      kidney transplantation.
AB  - A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody, 25-3 (Immunotech, France), directed against
      the alpha chain (CD11a) of the human LFA1 molecule was used in the treatment of 7
      histologically documented first acute rejection in first kidney transplantations
      under cyclosporine. Four patients (group I) received 20 mg/day for 2 days and 10
      mg/day for 8 days of 25-3 MoAb. One developed Quincke's edema after the first
      injection of 25-3 and was immediately withdrawn from the study. In 2 patients,
      whose serum creatinine continued to increase, 25-3 MoAb was replaced by steroids,
      followed by ALG after 3 and 4 days of treatment, respectively. In the last case,
      rejection was reversed by 25-3 MoAb alone. As the clinical response of rejection
      to 25-3 was poor, another group of 3 patients (group II) was treated with 25-3 at
      a dose of 40 mg/day for 2 days, 20 mg/day for 2 days, and 10 mg/day for 6 days,
      but 25-3 was still unsuccessful in reversing acute rejection, and rescue
      treatment was initiated between days 5 and 8 in all cases. MoAb tolerance was
      excellent in 3 patients. With the exception of the one case of Quincke's edema,
      only minor side effects were noted in the last 3 recipients. 25-3 MoAb serum
      trough levels peaked between 1.5-3.5 micrograms/ml at day 3 in group I and
      between 2-9 micrograms/L at day 2 in group II. Surprisingly, only one patient, in
      group I, exhibited a borderline IgG immune response against 25-3. These findings
      suggest that the 25-3 anti-CD11a MoAb is ineffective in controlling the course of
      acute rejection in kidney transplantation. However as already reported for
      another anti-LFA1 or with an anti-CD4 MoAb in mouse, 25-3 would be the first
      example in humans of a MoAb that does not elicit a strong immune response against
      its own determinants. This property might have important applications if 25-3 can
      prevent rejection in a prophylactic protocol or block the immune response against
      other MoAbs.

PMID- 1871803
TI  - Intraoperative estimation of endotoxin, TNF alpha, and IL-6 in orthotopic liver
      transplantation and their relation to rejection and postoperative infection.
AB  - The course of endotoxemia, TNF alpha, and IL-6 during orthotopic liver
      transplantation was studied in 28 transplantations performed in 27 patients to
      evaluate their impact on early postoperative rejection and infection. The
      preoperative levels of endotoxin, TNF alpha, and IL-6 were not different in
      patients who did or did not develop postoperative rejection and/or infection
      within the first 10 postoperative days. At the end of surgery, TNF alpha levels
      increased in patients who developed rejection (median 100 pg/ml vs. 11.5 pg/ml, P
      = 0.004). A TNF alpha level of greater than 100 pg/ml at the end of
      transplantation predicted rejection in 82% of the patients. During surgery, IL-6
      levels increased significantly in patients with subsequent postoperative
      infection, reaching significance after revascularization of the graft (median 975
      pg/ml vs. 185 pg/ml, P = 0.006). An IL-6 cutoff level of 800 pg/ml predicted
      postoperative infection in 75% of the patients. Endotoxins were elevated
      intraoperatively in patients with postoperative infection, but the difference did
      not reach significance. There was no prognostic relevance with respect to the
      intraoperative values of TNF alpha and infection or IL-6 values and rejection. An
      intraoperative elevation of TNF alpha seems to precede early postoperative
      rejection, and highly increased IL-6 may be a predictor of subsequent infection
      in human liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871804
TI  - Does histologic acute rejection in lung allografts predict the development of
      bronchiolitis obliterans?
AB  - Clinical acute lung rejection (AR) occurs in lung allografts usually within 50
      days after transplantation. While perivascular infiltrates characterize AR, with
      moderate-to-severe acute rejection small airway injury occurs. We investigated
      the significance of small airway injury in AR and its relationship to the
      development of bronchiolitis obliterans (OB) in 11 recipients of combined heart
      lung or double-lung allografts. In general, the intensity and persistence of
      early acute rejection episodes associated with injury to bronchioles correlated
      with the development of histologic bronchiolitis obliterans. Early AR may "prime"
      lymphocytes for subsequent respiratory epithelial injury and airway fibrosis late
      in the postoperative period.

PMID- 1871805
TI  - Cyclosporine-associated seizures in bone marrow transplant recipients given
      busulfan and cyclophosphamide preparative therapy.
AB  - Five of 182 recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants performed between
      2/84 and 6/90 developed seizures while receiving cyclosporine and
      methylprednisolone to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease. All received a
      radiation-free regimen of busulfan and cyclophosphamide as preparative therapy.
      Two patients received HLA-mismatched allografts; and three patients received
      marrow from HLA-identical sibling donors. Two patients had received extensive
      intrathecal therapy prior to transplantation. All patients were receiving
      standard prophylactic doses of CsA and MP at the time of onset (median 31 days
      posttransplantation) of seizures. Three patients had mild-to-moderate
      hypertension and varying degrees of morphologic evidence of microangiopathic
      hemolytic anemia. None had unusually low magnesium levels. Cyclosporine levels
      were not in the toxic range. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging and computed
      tomography (CT) showed bilateral abnormalities primarily in the posterior
      temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes. These abnormalities were shown to be
      transient on sequential MRI exams in two patients. Seizures as well as radiologic
      abnormalities resolved on stopping CsA and did not recur in 2 patients who
      subsequently received CsA in lower doses. These findings confirm and expand
      previous observations of CsA-associated seizures and demonstrate that they occur
      in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients following a radiation-free
      preparative regimen of busulfan and cyclophosphamide.

PMID- 1871806
TI  - Demonstration of local immunosuppression with methylprednisolone in the sponge
      matrix allograft model.
AB  - This study evaluated the effect of locally delivered methylprednisolone on the
      systemic and local immune response in the sponge matrix allograft model.
      Polyurethane sponges were coated with peritoneal exudate cells from DBA/2 (H-2d)
      or C57Bl/6 mice (H-2b) and placed subcutaneously in C57BL/6 recipients 24 hr
      later. Each mouse received both a syngeneic and an allogeneic sponge graft. Local
      immunosuppression was effected by placement on day 0 of cellulose/matrix pellets
      containing a preparation of increasing quantity of controlled release MP or by
      daily intrasponge injection of MP. Local immunosuppression was demonstrated by
      decreased cytotoxicity on day 12 in the allogeneic sponge receiving MP directly,
      as compared with the groups that received MP in the opposite syngeneic sponge or
      no MP. This effect was noted at a specific MP dose (0.5 mg/kg/day). Absolute
      numbers of precursor cytolytic cells and mature cytolytic cells (determined by
      limiting dilution analyses) infiltrating the allografts were also decreased in
      the sponges receiving MP directly, relative to the groups receiving MP in the
      opposite syngeneic sponge. Maintenance of systemic (in contrast to local)
      immunity was also demonstrated. Animals treated with local MP into a
      simultaneously placed syngeneic sponge or in whom no MP was delivered became
      sensitized to a synchronous DBA/2 sponge and rejected a subsequent DBA/2 skin
      graft in second-set fashion. Conversely, animals that received local MP into
      their synchronous DBA/2 sponge rejected a subsequent DBA/2 skin graft or a third
      party graft with first-set kinetics. The presence of local MP at the initial
      graft site prevented the animals from becoming sensitized to the presented
      alloantigen but did not keep the animal from developing a rejection response to a
      third-party skin graft with first-set kinetics. It appears that delivery of MP
      locally to the site of antigen is an effective method to modulate alloreactivity.
      In addition, the sponge matrix allograft appears to be a useful model for
      studying local immunosuppression.

PMID- 1871807
TI  - Immune responses to noninherited maternal RT1A antigens in inbred rats.
AB  - Humoral responses to non-inherited maternal class I antigens (class I NIMAs) were
      assessed in 3 groups of inbred rats expressing the RT1u phenotype. Group 1
      consisted of the progeny of (AO X DA)F1 X PVG matings; their haplotype was RT1u/c
      and their non-inherited maternal haplotype RT1a. Group 2 were the progeny of (AO
      X LEW)F1 X PVG matings the haplotype of which was also RT1u/c, but their non
      inherited maternal haplotype was RT1l. Group 3 comprised 8 (AO X PVG)F1 (RT1u/c)
      hybrids. All rats received 2 intravenous blood transfusions (0.5 ml) from male DA
      (RT1Aa) donors on days 0 and 7. They were bled at weekly intervals for 6 weeks
      and again at 20 weeks after the first transfusion. Alloantibody responses to
      RT1Aa were assessed by an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA)* and by a
      51Chromium-release complement-dependent red cell cytotoxicity assay. All groups
      exhibited vigorous anti-class I antibody responses to the DA transfusions. No
      significant differences were detected, however, in antibody titers between the
      groups either by IHA or CDC or in the rates of decay of antibody titers up to
      week 20. In addition no blocking activity was found in sera obtained on day 0
      from group 1 animals and tested for antiidiotypic antibody activity to cytotoxic
      anti-RT1Aa antibodies. In order to assess whether suppressor activity had been
      activated by the initial transfusions, in the animals in which class I NIMA was
      RT1Aa, all groups were rechallenged with a DA transfusion at week 20. All animals
      exhibited vigorous anamnestic responses to this challenge and no significant
      differences were detected between groups. In order to determine whether cellular
      tolerance to the noninherited maternal haplotype was present in group 1 animals,
      proliferative responses were assessed by one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures, using
      DA lymph node stimulator cells. No significant differences were detected in
      proliferative or kinetic responses between lymph node cells from rats the
      noninherited maternal haplotype of which was RT1a or from naive (AO X PVG)F1
      hybrids. Peak proliferative responses to DA cells in rats the noninherited
      maternal haplotype of which was RT1l were similar, but maximal on day 4 as
      opposed to day 3. Hence in these inbred rat strains no evidence of humoral
      tolerance to class I NIMAs was detected. In addition there was no evidence of
      cellular tolerance to the noninherited maternal MHC haplotype.

PMID- 1871808
TI  - Effects of SMS 201-995 on the pharmacokinetic profile and cellular immune and
      toxic effects of cyclosporine in male Wistar rats.
AB  - The immunosuppressant cyclosporine and the long-acting somatostatin analog SMS
      201-995 (octreotide acetate) may have to be given simultaneously in diseases such
      as pancreatic transplantation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects
      of SMS 201-995 on the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine, and to assess whether the
      addition of SMS 201-995 altered some of the cellular immune and toxic (renal,
      hepatic, glucose tolerance) effects of cyclosporine. Male Wistar rats were
      treated with cyclosporine 10 mg/kg/day, SMS 201-995 100 micrograms/kg b.i.d., a
      combination of the two drugs, or the vehicle alone. The addition of SMS 201-995
      delayed the peak plasma levels of cyclosporine without affecting the through
      levels, and did not alter the effects of cyclosporine on the mononuclear cell
      subsets. This combination caused significant increases in plasma creatinine and
      hepatic enzymes, suggesting renal and hepatic toxicity, and severe glucose
      intolerance. If present in humans, the appearance of severe glucose intolerance
      with combined administration of SMS 201-995 and cyclosporine for pancreatic
      transplantation could be misinterpreted as rejection and lead to inappropriate
      interventions.

PMID- 1871809
TI  - The immunochemical distribution of cyclophilin in normal mammalian tissues.
AB  - Cyclophilin, a 17 Kd proline cis-trans isomerase, high-affinity (Kd 10(-8) M)
      target for the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine has ubiquitous phylogenic
      distribution, but its tissue localization in mammals has not been detailed. To
      explore a potential relationship between the multiple systemic effects of CsA and
      the cellular and tissue distribution of CYP, thirty-three different normal
      porcine tissues were examined using an immunohistochemical technique. Tissue was
      obtained from farmbred pigs, immediately fixed in buffered formalin, and prepared
      as embedded 5-mu sections. Immune-specific staining was accomplished using an ABC
      immunoperoxidase method and an affinity-purified, monospecific, rabbit anti-CYP
      IgG. Cut sections served as their own blanks and controls, and all tissues were
      stained in batch to minimize the effects of variation in technique. Consistent
      with earlier reports, CYP was present in all tissues studied, however, there was
      remarkable heterogeneity in CYP distribution. Renal parenchymal cells, cardiac
      and striated muscle, pulmonary and skin demonstrated cytoplasmic immunospecific
      CYP--however, the cellular localization varied. Cytoplasmic staining of
      endothelial, neural, and glandular elements was consistently observed.
      Contrasting with previous reports, CYP localized to the nucleus as well as the
      cytoplasm of some lymphoid cells, hepatocytes, and cells of the large intestine.
      Generally, greater CYP-specific staining was noted in organs amenable to CsA
      immunosuppression (heart, liver, kidney), compared with organs deemed more
      immunologically vulnerable when allografted under CsA (pancreas, lung, small
      bowel). Similarly, CYP-immunospecific staining was abundant in tissues
      susceptible to CsA toxicities (neural tissue, smooth muscle, kidney, liver). This
      detailed immunohistological examination affords a correlation between CYP content
      and sensitivity to CsA. It also raises some new questions about tissues with
      little extractable CYP but significant histological staining.

PMID- 1871810
TI  - Age-related differences in the effects of cyclosporine on lymphocyte
      intracellular free calcium.
AB  - The effect of cyclosporine on lymphocyte intracellular free calcium [( Ca2+]i) is
      controversial, and potential age-related differences in lymphocyte CsA
      sensitivity have not been studied. We measured the mitogen-induced change in
      [Ca2+]i in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) following intravenous CsA infusion
      (5 mg/kg) in neonatal pigs and found a significantly reduced calcium response
      compared with control (P = 0.02). This was associated with an elevation in
      resting [Ca2+]i in the neonatal PBLs 24 hr following the CsA infusion (P = 0.02).
      These changes in lymphocyte [Ca2+]i were associated with suppression of cell
      proliferation. Neonatal PBLs in mixed lymphocyte cultures showed a greater PHA
      induced change in [Ca2+]i (delta[Ca2+]i) compared with mature PBLs (P = 0.0007).
      The addition of CsA (1 microgram/ml) to mitogenic- and allogeneic-stimulated
      cultures did not affect resting [Ca2+]i or delta[Ca2+]i in either neonatal or
      mature PBLs. Our results demonstrate significant differences in calcium responses
      in neonatal lymphocytes following CsA infusion and allogeneic stimulation. This
      implies that there are age-related differences in CsA effects at or proximal to
      the level of calcium release and/or sequestration in the lymphocyte signal
      transduction pathway, and that elevated resting intracellular calcium levels may
      be indicative of reduced responsiveness, possibly through feedback inhibition of
      tyrosine kinase activity.

PMID- 1871811
TI  - HLA-DP incompatibilities and severe graft-versus-host disease in unrelated bone
      marrow transplants.

PMID- 1871812
TI  - Long-term follow-up of the fate of xenogeneic transplants of chondrocytes
      implanted into joint surfaces.

PMID- 1871813
TI  - Stability of reduced glutathione in solutions for organ preservation stored in
      multilayer bags versus EVA bags.

PMID- 1871814
TI  - Proceedings of a festschrift in honor of Paul S. Russell. November 30-December 1,
      1990, Boston, Massachusetts.

PMID- 1871815
TI  - HLA peptide matching.
AB  - Thirty-eight HLA-A and -B locus specificities, for which the amino acid sequence
      is known, were cut by computer into all possible peptides composed of two to
      seven amino acids. These peptides were compared among the different
      specificities, and those that were unique were identified. For example, there
      were 375 unique tripeptides when considering both the A and B locus. The 1-year
      kidney graft survival was determined for patients who were mismatched for each of
      the tripeptides. The peptides were ranked according to the associated graft
      survival, and the sum of the ranks was used as a mismatching score. The rank sum
      score produced promising results, for some degree of correlation was noted when
      tested against another set of patients transplanted without CyA, and a third set
      of those who received grafts from related donors. We conclude that matching for
      tripeptides of the HLA-A and -B locus is associated with graft outcome, and that
      this may be a more effective way of HLA matching for transplants, particularly
      since a higher fraction of patients fall into the high-survival category.

PMID- 1871816
TI  - Organ sharing--must or myth?

PMID- 1871817
TI  - Factors affecting early diagnosis of organ allograft rejection.

PMID- 1871818
TI  - The pathogenesis of vascular rejection.

PMID- 1871819
TI  - Tolerance: past, present, and future.

PMID- 1871820
TI  - Studies in rodents on the use of polyclonal antilymphocyte serum and donor
      specific bone marrow to induce specific unresponsiveness to skin allografts.

PMID- 1871821
TI  - The impact of infection on the outcome of transplantation.
AB  - The risk of infection in the transplant patient is determined by two factors: the
      net state of immunosuppression and the environmental exposures the patient
      encounters. Those infections that do occur in the transplant patient are strongly
      modulated by the type, intensity, duration, and sequence of immunosuppressive
      agents administered. A central role in the pathogenesis of all forms of infection
      in the transplant patient is played by the immunomodulating viruses, particularly
      cytomegalovirus. Prevention of infection is far better than treatment; when
      prevention fails and clinical disease develops, patient and allograft survival
      are directly related to the speed with which diagnosis is made and specific
      therapy instituted. In order to prevent disease, both antimicrobial prophylaxis
      and preemptive therapy are being increasingly employed, particularly to blunt the
      side effects of intensive antirejection therapy.

PMID- 1871822
TI  - The present and future of kidney transplantation.

PMID- 1871823
TI  - Update on liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871824
TI  - Status report on pancreas transplantation.

PMID- 1871825
TI  - Cardiac transplantation: current indications and limitations.

PMID- 1871826
TI  - Current status of lung transplantation.
AB  - Techniques and indications for single and bilateral lung transplantation have
      evolved significantly in the past several years. Lung transplantation has entered
      a new era in which transplantation can be achieved with the same degree of
      success as that achieved with other major organ transplants. Many problems,
      common to organ transplantation remain to be solved including availability of
      suitable donor organs, improved immunosuppressive regimens, and the ability to
      properly diagnose and effectively treat organ rejection.

PMID- 1871827
TI  - An alternative view minimizing the significance of cyclosporine nephrotoxicity
      and in favor of enhanced immunosuppression for long-term kidney transplant
      recipients.

PMID- 1871828
TI  - Immunobiology of bone marrow transplantation as treatment for hematologic
      malignancies.
AB  - In conclusion, graft-versus-leukemia is important to prevent leukemia relapse
      following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. This beneficial GVL effect is
      at least partly mediated by T-lymphocytes and is greatest in transplants from HLA
      nongenotypically identical donors. GVL is associated with the presence of GVHD,
      although preliminary studies suggest it may be possible to separate these two
      processes. Improvement in treatment results requires innovative effective
      therapies to enhance the direct antineoplastic effects of the preparative regimen
      or immune-mediated antileukemia mechanisms.

PMID- 1871829
TI  - The role of immunoglobulin in bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - Bone marrow transplantation has proven its value as a therapeutic approach to a
      variety of human diseases, primarily the hematopoietic malignancies. The major
      clinical problems preventing successful outcome of marrow transplant have been
      defined and therapeutic approaches to preventing or treating these complications
      have led to increased long-term disease survival. Passively administered antibody
      given as intravenous immunoglobulin has been studied as a therapeutic modality
      following bone marrow transplantation. Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of
      immunoglobulin in reducing bacterial infections in the posttransplant period;
      reducing severe CMV infections in allogeneic marrow transplant recipients who are
      seronegative for the virus and susceptible to primary infection; reducing
      mortality from CMV pneumonia in combination with ganciclovir; and reducing acute
      graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic BMT. In many cases alternate
      therapeutic strategies offer comparable or greater efficacy (eg, selective CMV
      negative blood products for CMV seronegative allogeneic BMT recipients receiving
      bone marrow from a seronegative donor). However, it is clear that intravenous
      immunoglobulin has a place in the therapeutic armamentarium of bone marrow
      transplantation. Future controlled clinical trials are necessary to establish its
      exact role and to define which preparations and dose schedules provide the
      greatest therapeutic benefits.

PMID- 1871830
TI  - Prospects in transplantation.

PMID- 1871831
TI  - Studies of privileged sites and islet transplantation.

PMID- 1871832
TI  - Imaging and quantitation of renal transplant rejection in the rat by in vivo use
      of 111In labelled antilymphocyte and anti-class I and II major histocompatibility
      complex monoclonal antibodies.

PMID- 1871833
TI  - Innovative use of organs for liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871834
TI  - New approaches to transplantation tolerance.

PMID- 1871835
TI  - Impact of cyclosporine on organ transplantation.

PMID- 1871836
TI  - Why is the pancreas special?

PMID- 1871837
TI  - Triple therapy.

PMID- 1871838
TI  - Long-term survival after renal transplantation: observations beyond 10 years.

PMID- 1871839
TI  - Rehabilitation of recipients with a functioning renal allograft for 10 or more
      years.

PMID- 1871840
TI  - Azathioprine enhances experimental amyloidosis and attenuates colchicine
      protection against organ deposition of amyloid.

PMID- 1871841
TI  - Does immunosuppression alter the growth of metastatic liver carcinoid after
      orthotopic liver transplantation?

PMID- 1871842
TI  - The influence of immunosuppression on the prevalence of aseptic bone necrosis
      after renal transplantation.

PMID- 1871843
TI  - Beneficial effect of pretreatment with azathioprine on warm and cold ischemia of
      the swine liver.

PMID- 1871844
TI  - Problems with immunosuppression in developing countries.

PMID- 1871845
TI  - Dual vs triple immunosuppressive therapy: equally safe and effective in kidney
      transplantation?

PMID- 1871846
TI  - Preliminary results of a prospective randomized clinical trial comparing
      cyclosporine A to antithymocyte globulin immunosuppressive induction therapy in
      kidney transplantation.

PMID- 1871847
TI  - Renal transplantation with and without cyclosporine: results at 6 years in a
      Lisbon series of 516 cases.

PMID- 1871848
TI  - Long-term cyclosporine A treatment does not progressively impair renal graft
      function: a 5-year follow-up study.

PMID- 1871849
TI  - Progressive systemic sclerosis and renal transplantation: a contraindication to
      the use of cyclosporine A?

PMID- 1871850
TI  - Effects of combined therapy with prostaglandin E1 and cyclosporine A on rat heart
      allograft survival.

PMID- 1871851
TI  - Pancreas transplantation at Cambridge: more than 10 years of experience at the
      cyclosporine era.

PMID- 1871852
TI  - Survival of renal allografted dogs after limited therapy with cyclosporine and
      the PAF antagonist WEB 2170.

PMID- 1871853
TI  - Cyclosporine levels together with metabolites are more effective than
      cyclosporine parent compound levels alone in predicting hepatic toxicity after
      liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871854
TI  - Experience with triple immunosuppressive therapy in living related donor kidney
      transplantation.

PMID- 1871855
TI  - Maintenance immunosuppression without corticosteroids following combined pancreas
      and kidney transplantation.

PMID- 1871856
TI  - Sequential discontinuation of azathioprine and prednisone in renal
      transplantation.
AB  - We report the time course of rejections in 110 patients of first cadaver kidney
      grafts entered into a randomized controlled trial of induction ALG vs continuous
      IV CyA, with both groups receiving Aza for 30 days and Pred for 3 months. There
      was no difference in 1-year graft or patient survival in the two induction
      regimens. Despite a slight delay in time to first rejection, the number,
      severity, and outcome of rejections were the same in both. Fifty percent of
      patients never had a rejection, and 80% of these were on CyA monotherapy at 1
      year vs only 22% in patients with rejections. Thirty-five percent had a rejection
      in the first month, and one fourth of these had a repeat in the second month. The
      risk of graft loss was 10% with a first, 38% with a second, and 50% with a third
      rejection. First rejections occurring after 30 days rarely caused graft loss and
      rejection after 90 days proved to be unusual.

PMID- 1871857
TI  - Need for subsequent surgery in 525 kidney transplants with and without
      cyclosporine.

PMID- 1871858
TI  - Rapamycin suppresses in vitro immunoglobulin production by human lymphocytes.

PMID- 1871859
TI  - Reversal of ongoing rejection of allografts by rapamycin.

PMID- 1871860
TI  - Early immunological benefits of glutathione-supplemented UW solution in hepatic
      transplantation.

PMID- 1871861
TI  - Rapamycin in experimental renal allografts in primates.

PMID- 1871862
TI  - Tolerogenic and immunosuppressive properties of liver grafts in animals and man.

PMID- 1871863
TI  - New strategies of heparin treatment used to prolong allograft survival.

PMID- 1871864
TI  - Interaction of purified HLA class I molecules with alloreactive CTL.

PMID- 1871865
TI  - Plasma MHC class I expression in cardiac graft patients: donor-specific soluble
      antigen in a presensitised graft patient.

PMID- 1871866
TI  - Is primary nonfunction still a suitable indication for liver retransplantation?

PMID- 1871867
TI  - Intraoperative trends of oxygen consumption and blood lactate as predictors of
      primary dysfunction after liver transplantation.

PMID- 1871868
TI  - Treatment of acute rejection following liver transplantation: a comparison
      between methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone.

PMID- 1871869
TI  - Immunologic monitoring in kidney transplantation.

PMID- 1871870
TI  - Hamster to rat xenografts are not rejected primarily by rat T cells.

PMID- 1871871
TI  - Donor pretreatment prolongs survival of discordant xenografts.

PMID- 1871872
TI  - Improvement in renal transplant function after subtotal parathyroidectomy in a
      hypercalcemic kidney allograft recipient.

PMID- 1871873
TI  - Renal cell carcinoma in a liver transplant recipient.

PMID- 1871874
TI  - Protective effect of indomethacin in the development of the postreperfusion
      syndrome during liver transplantation in pigs.

PMID- 1871875
TI  - Successful treatment of acute transplant renal vein thrombosis with selective
      streptokinase infusion.

PMID- 1871876
TI  - Anemia associated with pregnancy in a cyclosporine-treated renal allograft
      recipient.

PMID- 1871877
TI  - Ten questions to ask about revolving drug funds.
AB  - For any health financing scheme, the key issue is how to raise sufficient
      resources to provide a reasonable service when poverty means that many people are
      unable to afford such a service. A revolving drug fund is a scheme where drugs
      are sold at cost-price, plus a mark-up, and the revenue is used to replenish the
      drug stocks. Probably the most difficult part of establishing an RDF is setting
      prices. There should be sufficient mark-up to cover exempt treatments, transport
      costs, inflation and currency devaluations. Adequate records must be kept. If the
      amount of money and/or drugs in the RDF appears to be declining, the reason can
      be established. RDFs should not be seen in isolation from other considerations of
      the health care system. Drugs should not be sold without an adequate check on
      prescribing habits. Care should also be taken that the money-making potential of
      drugs does not distract from preventive activities.

PMID- 1871878
TI  - Chronic diarrhoea in adults in the tropics: a practical approach to management.

PMID- 1871879
TI  - Some unusual presentations of hepatic amoebiasis in Enugu, Nigeria.
AB  - Eighty-two cases of hepatic amoebiasis were diagnosed and treated at the
      University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital during a 4-year period. Typical or
      classical features were observed in 75 (91.4%) of the cases while the remaining
      seven presented atypically or unusually. These were obstructive jaundice (three
      cases), coma (two cases) and pyrexia of unknown origin (two cases). All the cases
      had positive gel diffusion precipitation test for amoebic antibodies, and in all
      but one there was demonstration of an abscess cavity. In the three cases of
      obstructive jaundice, the abscess cavities were located close to the hilum and
      compressed the main bile duct. There was no mortality recorded especially in the
      jaundiced cases despite the grave prognosis associated with jaundice in hepatic
      amoebiasis. This study demonstrates the need to consider hepatic amoebiasis in an
      area when patients present with either obstructive jaundice, coma or pyrexia of
      unknown origin and to do ultrasonography as an initial investigation in such
      patients.

PMID- 1871880
TI  - Chronic osteomyelitis in children in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

PMID- 1871881
TI  - Design of an easy-to-read ICU-chart.

PMID- 1871882
TI  - A nasty knock on the head: reflections from a district hospital.

PMID- 1871883
TI  - Use of physiotherapy records to monitor the efficacy of a poliomyelitis
      vaccination programme in Ilorin, Nigeria 1981-1988.
AB  - During the 8 years of a poliomyelitis control programme in Ilorin Local
      Government Area, Nigeria, a maximum of 85% of children aged 12-23 months were
      estimated to have received three doses of trivalent oral polio vaccine (TOPV).
      The estimated incidence of paralytic poliomyelitis decreased by 65%, suggesting a
      low vaccine efficacy of approximately 76% for the currently used TOPV. A more
      detailed study of TOPV efficacy (eg case control or cohort study) is required,
      however, to provide a more accurate estimate. Similar low-cost efforts at
      documenting the impact of TOPV on the incidence of poliomyelitis, using
      physiotherapy clinics as independent sentinels, are needed from many other
      centres. To increase the efficacy of the primary series of TOPV in Nigeria, the
      number of doses constituting the primary series should be increased to four
      (including one at birth), as recommended by the World Health Organization.

PMID- 1871884
TI  - Balanced participation in development.

PMID- 1871885
TI  - Community participation in health care: who participates with whom?

PMID- 1871886
TI  - Malaria and asthma.

PMID- 1871887
TI  - Antivenom treatment for scorpion stings.

PMID- 1871888
TI  - Organophosphate poisoning: diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1871889
TI  - Infertility and onchocerciasis.

PMID- 1871890
TI  - A case of concomitant intra- and extra-uterine pregnancy with successful outcome.

PMID- 1871891
TI  - Diagnosis of lower respiratory infection.

PMID- 1871892
TI  - Sero-surveillance of HIV infection in the red-light areas of Sangli district.

PMID- 1871893
TI  - Peribulbar blockade for eye surgery.

PMID- 1871894
TI  - Simple methods for the removal of non-deflating balloon bladder catheters
      suitable for the developing countries.

PMID- 1871895
TI  - The Taylor pressure reducer in cataract surgery.
AB  - A retrospective study was undertaken to determine whether the use of the Taylor
      pressure reducer during routine intracapsular cataract surgery lowered the
      incidence of vitreous loss. A significant reduction in the vitreous loss rate was
      noted. The Taylor pressure reducer is a useful device for the prevention of this
      complication in the Third World.

PMID- 1871896
TI  - A simple sternum-lifting retractor for vagotomy.

PMID- 1871897
TI  - Should children with typhoid peritonitis be operated on?

PMID- 1871898
TI  - Ultrastructural study of mitochondria in oncocytes.
AB  - A number of mitochondria in oncocytes show pleomorphism by conventional electron
      microscopy. In an investigation of their stereostructure, specimens were obtained
      from 11 patients with Warthin's tumor, parts of which were used in the
      preparation of serial thin sections. It was revealed that cup-shaped and
      concentric ring forms of mitochondria resulted from invagination and that
      aberrant cristae such as the sheaflike and vesicular types were both derived from
      laminated cristae with vesicular structure.

PMID- 1871899
TI  - Ultrastructural morphology of folliculo-stellate cells in human pituitary
      adenomas.
AB  - Fifty-six pituitary adenomas were studied by electron microscopy in a search for
      the presence of folliculo-stellate cells (FSCs) with the aim of evaluating their
      prevalence and ultrastructural morphology. FSCs were scattered in two adenomas
      (one oncocytoma and one densely granulated GH cell adenoma) and were numerous in
      a sparsely granulated GH cell adenoma; their overall prevalence was 5.4%.
      Ultrastructural examination of the three neoplasms revealed that FSCs were
      hypertrophic element with abundant cytoplasm and organelles (in contrast to FSCs
      of the normal pituitary) and no obvious signs of neoplastic transformation.
      Junctional complexes between FSCs were similar to those described in the normal
      gland. Numerous follicular structures were lined by FSCs. FSCs in pituitary
      adenomas are probably nonneoplastic, reactive cells showing signs of
      hyperactivity, similar to FSCs found during pituitary hypersecretion and in
      estrogen-induced tumor.

PMID- 1871900
TI  - Malignant enterochromaffinlike cell carcinoid of the gastric stump: an
      ultrastructural study.
AB  - A metastasizing carcinoid of the gastric stump found 25 years after Billroth II
      gastric resection for duodenal ulcer is described. Electron microscopy and
      optical endocrine cell staining proved the tumor to be composed of
      enterochromaffinlike (ECL) cells. This unusual combination further shows that, at
      variance with most of these tumors, ECL cell carcinoids may develop also in a
      condition excluding a trophic effect of gastrin. This case emphasizes the
      malignant behavior of gastrin-independent ECL cell tumors.

PMID- 1871901
TI  - Nondifferentiated-type small cell sarcoma of kidney in a young woman.
AB  - A case of rapidly fatal small cell sarcoma of kidney in a young woman is
      described. Histologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies
      demonstrated some features not reported previously in the literature, such as the
      arrangement of vimentin intermediate filaments in small irregular masses and the
      presence of various types of cytoplasmic projections. These findings, together
      with the observation of rare neoplastic elements with immunophenotypic and
      subcellular aspects of histiocytic and myofibroblastic differentiation, suggest
      that this tumor should be included in a group of small cell sarcomas of kidney
      lacking features of differentiation and should be considered a new variant
      occurring in adulthood.

PMID- 1871902
TI  - An unusual malignant sarcoma of the omentum with extensive intraperitoneal
      metastases and small bowel obstruction.

PMID- 1871903
TI  - Case for the panel. Cytoplasmic structures in the cells of esophageal squamous
      cell carcinomas.

PMID- 1871904
TI  - Unusual pigmented vesical lesion in a middle-aged woman.

PMID- 1871905
TI  - Characterization of tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells in renal cell cancer:
      quantitative analysis by immunoperoxidase staining.
AB  - In order to determine whether tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells (TIM) of renal
      cell cancer (RCC) is suitable for adoptive immunotherapy, their number and
      characteristics were examined immunohistologically. TIM consisted of T cells and
      a smaller number of macrophages. Among T cells, CD8-positive cells were the
      dominant population which was reported to be more potent for the lysis of tumor
      cells. The number of T cells was variable: in 5 tumors no T cells were observed
      and in an other 5 the number of T cells were less than 2 x 10(6) cells/cm3. These
      results suggest that the TIM of RCC might be favorable for adoptive immunotherapy
      but TIM could not be available in some cases because of their small number.

PMID- 1871906
TI  - Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for small symptomatic renal calculi: is it
      effective?
AB  - Renal calculi with a diameter of less than 5 mm can pass spontaneously. However,
      some patients have small symptomatic renal calculi for more than 3 months. We
      evaluated the results of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in 38 patients
      with such stones. Patients presented with loin pain, hematuria, infection, or a
      combination of complaints. Average stone size was 18 mm2. After a wait of 3
      months for spontaneous evacuation without success, all patients were treated with
      a Siemens Lithostar. Three months after treatment, 19 patients (50%) were
      completely free of stones, but 7 still had complaints; of the 19 patients with
      residual fragments, 8 (42%) were free of complaints. Both evacuation and
      resolution of complaints were achieved in only 12 of the 38 patients (32%). We
      conclude that one should be reluctant to treat small renal calculi, because
      spontaneous evacuation occurs in about 80% and the results of treatment are
      restricted.

PMID- 1871907
TI  - Electrohydraulic and ultrasonic lithotripsy in 100 consecutive cases of primary
      ureteral stones.
AB  - We have performed, between May 1985 and December 1988, in situ lithotripsy in 100
      consecutive cases of primary ureteral stones, using electrohydraulic lithotripsy
      in 33 patients and ultrasonic lithotripsy in the remaining 67. After using
      similar instruments and surgical techniques in both groups, we have comparatively
      evaluated the complications encountered and the results obtained. With the
      electrohydraulic lithotripsy we have obtained a complication rate of 42%
      (operative and postoperative) and favorable results in 72.7% of the patients;
      using ultrasonic lithotripsy, the complication rate was 10.4%, and favorable
      results were obtained in 92.5%. We conclude that, at least in our experience,
      ultrasonic lithotripsy is less invasive and more successful than electrohydraulic
      lithotripsy in the treatment of primary stone disease.

PMID- 1871908
TI  - Static and dynamic radionuclide imaging in the diagnosis of the acute scrotum.
AB  - In the acute scrotum, diagnosis can be difficult in certain cases. In 107
      patients the value of static and dynamic radionuclide imaging was evaluated.
      Static images provide a sensitivity and reliability of over 90%. Quantitative
      measurements do not give additional information in the differential diagnosis of
      these patients. Generally, scintigraphy can only be advocated if available as an
      emergency procedure. It is not necessary in cases with clinically obvious
      diagnosis of acute testicular torsion or epididymitis, but can be very helpful
      and reliable in unclear cases, i.e. for the evaluation of testicular perfusion
      after scrotal trauma.

PMID- 1871909
TI  - Effects of hypogastric nerve and sympathetic chain stimulation on the pelvic
      nerve induced penile erection in the dog.
AB  - The effects of electrical stimulation of hypogastric nerve and sympathetic chain
      on 'electroerection' (penile erection induced by electrical stimulation of the
      pelvic nerve) were studied in dogs to clarify the physiological roles that these
      neural inputs may play in producing and/or maintaining penile erection. As an
      objective parameter of hemodynamics of the penile circulation, the pressure in
      the corpus cavernosum of the penis was measured. Hypogastric nerve
      electrostimulation was performed in 24 dogs who had received pelvic nerve
      stimulation and, therefore, had 'electroerection'. Ten dogs responded to this
      procedure with an augmentation of 'electroerection', 10 with an attenuation of
      'electroerection', and 4 with no appreciable changes. 4 out of the 10 animals who
      exhibited an attenuation response were then given an alpha 1-adrenergic blocker
      (prazosin hydrochloride) prior to the electrical stimulation to evaluate the
      specificity of the effects of the hypogastric nerve stimulation. In 3 of the 4
      dogs the attenuation effect was abolished by this treatment and instead an
      augmentation effect became evident. Sympathetic chain electrostimulation was
      performed in 6 dogs with 'electroerection'. When applied to the L4-5
      interganglionic segment, it produced a biphasic response which consisted of an
      initial increase followed by a decrease of the intracorporeal pressure. In
      contrast, stimulation of the L2-3 interganglionic segment produced a monophasic
      response consisting of only augmentation of the intracorporeal pressure. These
      data suggested that there might be two groups of fibers in the hypogastric nerve
      and sympathetic chain which are functioning antagonistically, and that the anti
      erectile neural inputs are mediated primarily by the alpha 1-adrenergic system.
      To examine the sites of penile vasculature where the innervating hypogastric
      nerve exerts its effects, electrical pelvic/hypogastric nerve stimulations were
      performed in dogs in whom the inflow blood circulation to the corpora cavernosa
      was disrupted by arterial ligation and replaced by a constant saline infusion. It
      appears that the stimulatory input via the hypogastric nerve caused an increased
      blood flow into the cavernous space due to vasodilation of the inflow blood
      vessels, and the inhibitory effect occurred mainly due to relaxation of the
      draining blood vessels with a resultant increase of the blood outflow from the
      cavernous space.

PMID- 1871910
TI  - Implantation of the urethral stent for treatment of complex urethral strictures.
      Evaluation of the functional and radiological results.
AB  - We describe the results after implantation of a urethral stent in 6 patients with
      recurrent urethral strictures. Four patients had strictures located in close
      vicinity to the external sphincter. In 3 of these 4 patients open urethroplasty
      procedures had failed. The treatment was successful in 5 of the 6 patients with a
      follow-up of 6-10 months. However, in 1 patient who had a complex stricture close
      to the sphincter, dense fibrotic strictures recurred at the proximal end of the
      stent where a short segment of the stricture was left uncovered in order to
      preserve continence. We conclude that implantation of the stent is a valuable
      treatment for complex strictures in the vicinity of the sphincter on condition
      that the stent covers the whole stricture.

PMID- 1871911
TI  - Use of testosterone ointment before hypospadias repair.
AB  - Fifteen children, aged between 2 and 9 years old, with hypospadias (4 penile; 6
      penoscrotal; 3 scrotal; 1 perineal) were administered testosterone ointment
      before one-stage urethroplasty. Temporary penile growth and skin enlargement were
      obtained in all. Side effects were negligible. The plasma testosterone level was
      measured before, during and after testosterone administration. During
      testosterone stimulation, the plasma testosterone level ranged from 30 to 190
      ng/dl, and returned to the normal range a week after administration had been
      stopped. Primary success of hypospadias repair was obtained in 10 of 15 children
      (66.7%).

PMID- 1871912
TI  - Preoperative oral and postoperative parenteral antibiotic prophylaxis of wound
      infection in total cystectomy with ileal urinary diversion.
AB  - We describe an investigation of postoperative abdominal infectious complications
      and discuss two regimens for preoperative antibiotic bowel preparation in cases
      who underwent total cystectomy with ileal urinary diversion. Ten cases (28.6%) of
      35 who had been operated developed abdominal infectious complications. Six showed
      abdominal wound infection, 2 showed intrapelvic abscess and 2 showed abdominal
      wound infection with intrapelvic abscess. Of the 19 strains of organisms isolated
      from the postoperative infections, 11 (57.9%) were anaerobic bacteria and the
      most commonly isolated bacteria was Bacteroides. A significantly lower incidence
      of postoperative infection was found in cases who had received tobramycin and
      vancomycin (0%) than in those who had received kanamycin alone (41.7%). These
      results indicate that anaerobic bacteria are the major contributors to
      postoperative infections following total cystectomy with ileal urinary diversion
      and that tobramycin-vancomycin prophylaxis greatly reduces the incidence of
      postoperative infections.

PMID- 1871913
TI  - Bursting strength of the rat aorta: comparison of suture and laser anastomoses.
AB  - The bursting strength of sutured and laser-welded vascular anastomoses were
      assessed in a rat aorta model. Postoperative investigations included postmortems,
      light and scanning electron microscopy and measurements of bursting strength at
      set intervals (30 min, 3, 14 and 28 days postoperatively, p.o.). Laser-bonded
      anastomoses consistently demonstrated lower bursting strengths than suture
      controls, with statistically significant differences at 30 min and 3 days p.o. (p
      less than 0.01). Laser anastomosis was easier and faster to perform, the foreign
      body reaction was markedly lower than in sutured controls. Formation of aneurysms
      was not observed.

PMID- 1871914
TI  - Young's syndrome: report of two Japanese cases.
AB  - Young's syndrome is characterized by azoospermia due to bilateral epididymal
      obstruction associated with chronic sinobronchial disease. We report two Japanese
      cases of Young's syndrome who were treated with microsurgical epididymovasostomy.
      The histopathology of the caput epididymis showed an obstruction at the most
      distal region of the ductuli efferentes. The incidence of Young's syndrome in
      patients with obstructive azoospermia was much lower for mongoloids than for
      Caucasians.

PMID- 1871915
TI  - Prognostic relevance of DNA ploidy and proliferative activity in urothelial
      carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter. A study on a follow-up period of 6
      years.
AB  - In 55 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis or ureter, the
      ploidy, the DNA heterogeneity and the counts of cell cycle phases in the tumor
      were examined by means of single-cell DNA cytophotometry in order to find more
      prognostic factors than those already known (stage and grade). Follow-up periods
      ranged from 1 to 6 years. At the time of first diagnosis, 42 (76%) of the
      patients had tumors of the renal pelvis, 13 (24%) of them had ureteral tumors. 23
      (42%) patients were in stage pT 1 N 0, 15 (27%) in stage pT 2 N 0, 12 (22%) in
      stage pT 3 N 0, and 5 (9%) were in stage pT 3 N+. The histological malignancy
      grade most frequently seen in the patients examined--i.e. in 51% of cases--was
      malignancy grade II. 25% of the patients had grade III tumors whereas only 24%
      had grade I tumors. With malignancy grade I, DNA cytophotometry showed DNA
      frequency peaks to be in the diploid range while tumors with malignancy grade II
      showed heterogenous DNA patterns. 71% of the patients with malignancy grade III
      showed aneuploid DNA values; 29% of them had polyploid DNA values. For malignancy
      grades II and III, the proliferation rate of the tumor cells was statistically
      significantly higher than for malignancy grade I. The determination of tumor
      heterogeneity and tumor cell proliferation by means of DNA cytophotometry gives
      valuable clues regarding prognosis.

PMID- 1871916
TI  - [The indices of cell membrane destabilization in urolithiasis patients].
AB  - The paper gives the results of a clinical and biochemical study of 165 patients
      with urolithiasis and 46 healthy persons. Their urinary samples and renal biopsy
      specimens were analysed to assess the structural and functional status of nephron
      cell membranes. In urolithiasis patients, the urine was found to contain a great
      quantities of emulsified lipids enriched in toxic phospholipid and cholesterol
      metabolism products; renal tissue cytomembranes in the patients were depleted of
      phospholipids, free cholesterol and enriched in phospholipid lysoforms and
      cholesterol esters. Lipid phase destabilization of nephron epithelial membranes
      was shown to be pathogenetically associated with concrement formation. The
      examination of emulsified urinary lipids is an objective tool of renal tissue
      crystallization activity and may be recommended for the early diagnosis of
      urolithiasis, as well as an indicator of membrane-stabilizing therapy efficiency.

PMID- 1871917
TI  - [Combinations of different types and variants of ectopia of the ureteral ostia].
AB  - Ectopias of the ostia ureteris are generally accepted to be divided into intra-
      and extravesical ones. It is expedient to divide this abnormality into lower
      (that of the ureteral ostium below and more medial than the normal site) and
      upper (that of above and more lateral than the normal site) ectopias of the ostia
      ureteris. The lower ectopia may be intra- and extravesical. The upper ectopia may
      be also intra- and extravesical. In ureteral ostial ectopia, the passage of urine
      from the kidney into the urinary bladder is impaired due to either mechanical
      ureteral obstruction or vesicoureteral reflux. The lower intravesical ectopia of
      the ostium ureteris is frequently associated with ureterocele. The study was
      undertaken to examine 242 patients with ectopia of the ostia ureteris, including
      those with extravesical (5.3%), intravesical (93.8%) and associated (0.9%)
      ectopias. Lower ectopia of the ostia ureteris was observed in 28.5%, upper, in
      64.5%, and associated ones in 7%. The authors outline 14 different combinations
      of various types and variants of ureteral ostial ectopias which were observed in
      25 patients. The diagnosis of such complicated abnormalities may be made only on
      the basis of knowledge of all the variants of lower and upper ectopias of the
      ostia ureteris. All these abnormalities require surgical correction.

PMID- 1871918
TI  - [The chemotherapy of patients with prostatic tuberculosis].
AB  - The authors examined the efficacy of various chemotherapeutic regimes in the
      management of patients with tuberculosis of the prostate. The data of
      bacteriostatic secretion activity of the prostate showed that the most effective
      regimes were as follows: 1) isoniazid and ethambutol followed by galvanization of
      the prostatic region, then rifampicin suppository containing dimexid; 2)
      isoniazid and rifampicin suppository containing dimexid; oral ethambutol. Proper
      curative measures depending on the clinicomorphological types of the tuberculous
      prostate and their duration are also given. Using the proposed regimes in 68
      patients provided 80.7-96.6% positive responses. The authors advise to carry out
      seasonal courses of chemotherapy using mainly the method of rectal administration
      of anti-tuberculous agents, dimexid and tissue electrophoresis.

PMID- 1871919
TI  - [Enteroplasty in bladder tumors].
AB  - A total of 429 patients with urinary tumors have been operated on in the past 10
      years, 80 of them have been undergone cystectomy. Intestinal plasty of the
      urinary bladder was performed in 38 patients. These one-stage operations in 15
      patients yielded a high postoperative mortality rate (33.3%). Two-stage surgeries
      in 23 patients largely reduced mortality (8.9%). The authors provide
      recommendations how to conduct the two-stage surgery and limited indications for
      one-stage interventions.

PMID- 1871920
TI  - [The dispensary care and work disability expertise of bladder cancer patients
      following cystectomy].
AB  - A question of the principles and methods of medical prophylactic survey in
      patients with bladder cancer who have undergone cystectomy with subsequent
      ureterosigmoid anastomosis and ureterocutaneostomy is not currently developed. On
      a basis of 79 follow-ups of patients with bladder cancer after cystectomy, a
      procedure of prophylactic survey in the setting of regional oncologic dispensary
      and district polyclinic was worked out. It is stressed that it is necessary to
      follow up the patients for a possible relapse and metastasis development as well
      as complications of the upper urinary tract and kidneys and metabolic shifts
      (acidosis, dyselectrolytemia). From this viewpoint we propose a scope of
      essential examinations during the medical prophylactic survey. Our results of the
      patients follow-ups after cystectomy are also given. Recommendations for the
      patients working ability estimation are proposed and it is noted that the
      estimation is to be carried out on a strictly individual basis because the
      patient's rehabilitation depends on many factors. But the main principles of such
      patients' working ability estimation are submitted in schemes of a working
      ability examination. They depend on the stage of the process and on the method of
      urine drainage after cystectomy.

PMID- 1871921
TI  - [The prevention and treatment of complications from extracorporeal lithotripsy].
AB  - Since October 1987, remote lithotripsy (RL) has been performed at the Research
      Institute of Urology, RSFSR Ministry of Health, over 3 years. "Specific"
      complications associated with RL made with a Urat-P lithotriptor are common in
      the immediate period following the procedure. The paper describes the analysis
      and outlines complications, causes of their occurrence, and prophylactic
      measures. A total of 2,300 lithotripsies conducted in 1988-1990 were analyzed.
      The incidence of the complications was 2.4%, which is similar to the values
      observed with foreign lithotriptors. The occurrence of acute pyelonephritis
      caused by RL is likely to increase when there is a baseline active inflammatory
      process in the urinary tract. The paper proposes a procedure for selecting
      patients in RL, antibacterial preoperative therapy, methods for lithoclasty with
      the use of the national lithotriptor. Involving two lithotripsy regimens. The
      authors find it necessary to drain the urinary tract within the first days of the
      appearance of signs of acute pyelonephritis by renal catheterization or
      paracentetic nephrostomy.

PMID- 1871922
TI  - [The x-ray endovascular treatment of renin-dependent arterial hypertension with
      secondary aldosteronism in patients without vasorenal involvement].
AB  - In 20% of cases, essential hypertension is of high renin pathogenesis which is
      indifferent of that of renal lesions. In these patients high blood pressure is
      closely related to high aldosterone generation due to elevated angiotensin II
      levels. Adrenal blood portalization is a possible way of abolishing secondary
      aldosteronism and hyperreninemia in this case. With this, 90-98% aldosterone and
      20-30% renin are inactivated, which served as the basis for bilateral
      electrocoagulation of adrenal central veins in 13 patients with permanent and
      malignant arterial hypertension. The renin-dependent pattern of essential
      hypertension was confirmed by a positive BP response to a tested captopril dose
      (25 mg), the vasorenal one was ruled out on the basis of the peripheral captopril
      test, captopril pharmacorenography. Bilateral electrocoagulation of adrenal
      central veins was performed during a phlebographic examination. The manipulation
      proved to be successful on 11 (85%) left and 9 (70%) right adrenals. Blood
      pressure became lower in the first day and stable on days 4-5. There was a
      significant decrease in blood pressure at a year follow-up, in increased
      aldosterone levels, plasma renin activity with unchanged adrenocorticotropic
      hormone concentrations. After the manipulation, 2 patients refused to take
      antihypertensive drugs, 11 patients received lower doses of drugs. The method for
      abolishing secondary aldosteronism is considered to be promising for further
      clinical studies. A special attention should be given to patients with diseases
      concomitant with essential hypertension who have no alternative to surgical
      treatment.

PMID- 1871923
TI  - [The treatment of severe arterial hypertension in patients with chronic kidney
      failure with captopril and beta-adrenoblockaders].
AB  - Twenty nine patients with chronic renal failure associated with severe essential
      hypertension, 10 of whom being on programmed hemodialysis, were treated with
      captopril, a converting enzyme inhibitor (n = 21) and sectral-400, a
      cardioselective beta-blocker (n = 11). Blood pressure (BP) changes and renin
      angiotensin-aldosterone system parameters were studied by radioimmunoassay. When
      given in a daily dose of 25 to 100 mg for a long time, captopril provided a good
      and satisfactory antihypertensive effect in 9 patients; a weak or no effect was
      achieved in 9 and 5 patients, respectively. BP lowered by an average of 14.7%.
      There were 72% and 17.9% increases in active and total renin levels,
      respectively, and a reduction in the proportion of inactive in total renin. With
      sectral-400, 400-1200 mg/day, good, weak or no effects were observed in 6, 3, and
      2 patients, respectively. BP decreased by an average of 13%, there were 59% and
      12% reductions in active and total renin levels, respectively, whereas the
      content of inactive renin showed a 21% increase, suggesting a diminution of renin
      synthesis and activation. The initially higher plasma aldosterone levels in most
      patients (by an average of 4.2 times) decreased significantly by 23% with the two
      drugs. Thus, in severe essential hypertension it is advisable to use blockers of
      the renin-angiotensin system in patients with chronic renal failure, captopril is
      particularly indicated in those who have a high renin activity, and the
      hyperkinetic syndrome is an additional indicator for sectral-400 use.

PMID- 1871924
TI  - [A comparative assessment of homeostasis and hemodynamics during the performance
      of bicarbonate and acetate hemodialysis].
AB  - The article deals with the comparative analysis of certain values of homeostasis
      and hemodynamics in 25 patients with chronic renal failure who were subjected to
      systematic bicarbonate and acetate hemodialysis. Comparative study of some values
      of homeostasis, hemodynamics and myocardial contractility in patients with
      chronic renal failure during hemodialysis with acetate and bicarbonate solutions
      showed the advantages of bicarbonate hemodialysis. During bicarbonate
      hemodialysis, in addition to the patients' good tolerance to the procedure, the
      correction of the disturbed homeostasis was more physiological on the one hand,
      and positive shifts occurred in the activity of the blood circulatory system on
      the other. The study showed the expediency of using bicarbonate hemodialysis in
      patients with chronic renal failure with individual intolerance to acetate
      solution, and with severe heart failure and metabolic acidosis.

PMID- 1871925
TI  - [The level of neopterin in the plasma of patients with acute kidney failure
      during treatment with continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration].
AB  - Neopterin is a biochemical marker of cellular mediated immune reactions and may
      be used in elucidating the cause of acute renal failure. 9 patients (6 males, 3
      females) aged 23 to 56 years suffering from a severe form of the disease were
      examined. A continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration was used as a treatment with
      exchanging 29.2 +/- 2.0 (14-65) kg of fluid during 24 hours. The patients' diet
      included protein and amino acids of 1.2-1.5 g/kg of body weight, 35-45 Kcal/kg of
      body weight per 24 hours with meal and parenteral infusions. 4 patients died.
      Contents of neopterin in the plasma of the healthy equaled to 6.8 +/- 03 (3.4
      11.3) nmol/l (radioimmunoassay; Henning; Berlin, GmbH). In patients with acute
      renal failure plasma neopterin contents were increased, i.e. 130.0 +/- +/- 9.6
      (48.2-200.2) nmol/l and in two thirds of the cases and correlated with creatinine
      levels (r = + 0.60 +/- 0.17; p less than 0.05; n = 23), thus showing a
      simultaneous influence of anuria and continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration on a
      neopterin pool amount at the same time, in patients with tropical malaria and
      hemotransfusion shocks (2 cases), the neopterin contents were extremely high and
      did not correlate with the creatinine level. During continuous hemofiltration at
      a rate of 21.6 +/- 1.3 (15.9-36.9) ml/min neopterine clearance was 17.2 +/- 2.1
      (6.7-36.2) ml/min. Neopterin hyperproduction after blood transfusion suggests an
      immune conflict as a possible cause of acute renal failure.

PMID- 1871926
TI  - [Interstitial nephritis in urological practice].
AB  - The presented material consists of 9 postoperative patients' investigations.
      Interstitial nephritis was diagnosed in them after histological examination.
      Seven patients had a chronic disease, 2--acute disease. The revealed possible
      predisposing factors were: a prolonged use of analgetics, contact with formalin
      and typographical dyes, systematic alcohol usage, frequent catarrhal diseases
      with long-term fever, a history of acute renal destructive process. The clinical
      picture of patients with chronic interstitial nephritis was characterized by long
      periods of temperature elevation, small changes in blood counts, weakness, pain
      in the lumbar region. In urine analyses: moderate microhematuria, leukocyturia,
      proteinuria. There were signs of early damaged renal tubular functions.
      Antiinflammatory therapy was ineffective so the patients were operated on for
      various indications. During the operations there were severe macroscopic renal
      cirrhotic deteriorations. 2 patients underwent nephrectomy, 15 intraoperative
      biopsy. Histologically there were revealed: signs of interstitial tissue various
      cirrhotic changes in hydrops and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with tubular
      compression and dystrophic changes. The following complex therapy including
      nonsteroid antiinflammatory agents, in some cases corticosteroids, desensitizing
      and antihistaminic remedy allowed one to achieve alleviation of the process.

PMID- 1871927
TI  - [The treatment of urethral strictures].
AB  - Analysis of the results of many-year treatment of 788 patients with traumatic
      urethral strictures indicated that it was advisable to perform Khol'tsov's
      operation without leaving a catheter in the urethra in short strictures of the
      anterior urethral segment, Solovov's operation was indicated for occlusive
      strictures of the posterior urethral portion, whereas endourethral interventions
      (urethrotomy, resection) were beneficial in short patent strictures.
      Vesicourethral strictures required transurethral electroresection. Stenotic
      urethral changes were seen at different levels in 3.7% of postoperative patients.
      Some recommendations were proposed by the authors for prevention of the changes.
      A classification of urethral strictures was also presented.

PMID- 1871928
TI  - [Morphological changes in the stenotic distal portion of the urethra in girls].
AB  - Morphological changes were examined in the distal urethra with its stenosis in 40
      girls aged under 10 years. Intraoperative (urethromeatotomy) biopsy specimens
      were taken via a wedge cut made in the inferior meatal wall. The specimens were
      stained with hematoxylin and eosin, as well as with picrofuxin by the van Gieson
      method. Histological investigations showed that during urethral stenosis, the
      underlying pathological process in 35 patients was chronic urethritis with
      extended leukocyte infiltration onto the mucosal and submucosal layers. Leukocyte
      infiltration was diffuse in 14 girls, whereas in 21 it was focal to form
      microabscesses in some cases. In addition, the submucosal layer of the distal
      urethra displayed vegetations of the connective tissue that had been sclerosing.
      The frequency of abundant vegetations in the connective tissue, its fibrosis and
      sclerosis increased in relation to a history of the disease, which corresponded
      to the age of children in most cases. The distal urethral stenoses were
      classified as acquired narrowings of inflammatory genesis. In 5 patients, the
      mucosal and submucosal layers underwent no inflammatory changes and their distal
      urethral stenoses were applied to congenital or hereditary ones. With
      irreversible sclerotic changes, urethromeatotomy along with disruption of the
      fibrous annulus is one of the major tools for treating distal urethral stenosis.

PMID- 1871929
TI  - [Priapism in a patient with acute glomerulonephritis].

PMID- 1871930
TI  - [The nature of the homeostatic changes in nephrolithiasis patients].
AB  - Rheorenographic findings, activities of 4 major glycolytic enzymes and 3 Krebs
      cycle ones in serum and blood, urinary fibrinolytic activity were analyzed in 117
      patients with coral nephrolithiasis (the pelvis was drained after calculus
      removal) in 114 patients with non-coral calculi (the pelvis was sutured) before
      and 7, 14 days after surgery. Rheography revealed a significant decrease in
      arterial vascular tone and blood filling and an impairment in venous return in
      the diseased kidney. In the patients with nephrolithiasis, the enzymatic activity
      showed 3.5-10.5- and 4.5-11.5-fold increase (p less than 0.001) in the Krebs
      cycle and glycolysis, respectively, suggesting activation of not only oxidative
      phosphorylation, but anaerobic glycolysis. Tubular metabolic acidosis occurred,
      which made the enzymes enter blood and urine from the epithelial cells. On days 7
      14 of postoperation, rheographic parameters, enzymatic and fibrinolytic
      activities of the urine remained virtually unchanged as compared to the values
      observed in the preoperative period. Moreover, the patients with a sutured pelvis
      showed highly accelerated glycolysis during the surgery against prior to the
      procedure. Urinary mitochondrial enzyme release increased, which reflected an
      enhancement of degenerative changes in nephron cells. Urinary fibrinolytic
      activity remained lower. In the patients with a drained pelvis, all the
      parameters in question became better.

PMID- 1871931
TI  - [Nuclear medicine examination procedures in urology. Part 1].

PMID- 1871932
TI  - [TNM-oriented therapy planning in bladder cancer].
AB  - The standard diagnostic procedures for bladder carcinoma include transurethral
      resection, bimanual palpation of the bladder under general anaesthesia,
      ultrasound examination and CT scan of the abdominal and pelvic regions. An IVP is
      additionally carried out for the detection of concomitant upper urinary tract
      tumours. Preoperative urinary cytology is also performed, as in 10% of all
      patients the degree of malignancy of bladder cancer according to the TNM system
      is revealed more exactly by cytology than by histology. New computerized
      examination techniques have been designed in attempts to improve the accuracy of
      the diagnostic process. Therapeutic modalities according to the classification of
      bladder carcinoma in the TNM system have to be based on the different efficacies
      of the diagnostic procedure: In superficial low-grade tumours the diagnostic
      efficacy is quite high, so that transurethral resection remains the treatment of
      choice. Superficial high-grade tumours are attended by reduced 5-year survival
      rates, and patients with such tumours must therefore be regarded as a high-risk
      group. In muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma reduced diagnostic efficacy and
      unsatisfactory treatment results are seen, so that in this condition cystectomy
      at an early stage is indicated.

PMID- 1871933
TI  - [Use of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of refractory carcinoma in situ].
AB  - Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new and innovative approach to the treatment of
      malignant disease. This treatment modality involves administration of a
      photosensitizer, which is retained in malignant tissue, followed by exposure of
      that tissue to light corresponding to one of the absorption bands of the drug,
      with resultant cell death. Several photosensitizers are currently under study,
      but haematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) is the drug that has been used almost
      exclusively in clinical urological trials. Both direct and indirect methods have
      been used to document the preferential concentration or retention of HPD in
      malignant urothelium. Although this drug is not a perfect tumour localization
      aid, it is perhaps the best that has thus far been studied for transitional cell
      carcinoma of the bladder. Over the past decade of investigation, PDT has become
      established to the point that it is now being tested in phase II and III trials
      against standard and approved drugs for the treatment of noninvasive transitional
      cell carcinoma of the bladder.

PMID- 1871934
TI  - [Carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder--definition and status of treatment].
AB  - Carcinoma in situ is a noninvasive intraepithelial disease without papillary
      growth. Anaplasia and a disarranged growth form of the epithelium are
      histopathological characteristics. Carcinoma in situ can appear as a secondary
      disease combined with a papillary tumour or after transurethral resection of a
      papillary tumour. On the other hand, primary carcinoma in situ is also known to
      appear without a papillary tumour. Symptoms of cystitis are often seen.
      Sometimes, however, the disease does not cause any symptoms. Urinary cytology is
      the most important noninvasive investigation, followed by biopsy of the bladder
      epithelium. Treatments commonly applied at present are intravesical immunotherapy
      with BCG and intravesical chemotherapy. Photodynamic laser therapy is presently
      being investigated. Carcinoma in situ is very significant as a prognostic factor.
      The progression rate is up to 83%, and progression signifies development of a
      poorly differentiated invasive bladder cancer. The treatment of choice for
      inefficiently treated carcinoma in situ is cystectomy. The urinary diversion
      selected in men depends on the histopathological findings in the prostatic
      urethra; an ileum neobladder, the standard diversion in men, cannot be performed
      if carcinoma in situ has been found in the prostatic urethra.

PMID- 1871935
TI  - [Molecular biology studies of bladder cancer].
AB  - The mechanisms that control the biological behaviour of urothelial cancer are
      complex, and many regulative interactions are involved. So far, few aspects of
      these control mechanisms have been recognized and characterized. A precondition
      for better understanding is knowledge the interaction of this factors. Some
      markers (e.g., chromosomal aberrations, EGFR expression) are correlated with
      progression of tumour. Whether they are the cause or the result of the aggressive
      behaviour of growth remains unknown. Only a few markers, especially in flow
      cytometry, will have any benefit in clinical routine. Whether it is possible to
      find a marker with prognostic value remains uncertain.

PMID- 1871936
TI  - [Animal experiment aspects of bladder cancer].
AB  - Many aspects of bladder cancer remain obscure under clinical conditions. The
      natural course of the illness is seldom known in human patients, in whom only the
      treated natural history is subject to investigation. Cancer research in animals
      can complement clinical investigations. The following experimental set-ups are of
      importance; chemically induced bladder cancer; transplantation of human
      urothelial carcinoma in immunodeficient nude mice (xenograft model);
      transplantation of clinically induced bladder cancer in syngenetic animals
      (syngenetic model). These models are used for tumour induction and the
      development of immunotherapy, chemotherapy and new techniques. The extrapolation
      of these experimental results to clinical situations is being discussed. Some
      experimental results are of interest for practising urologists, e.g. increased
      incidence of tumour development in dilated upper urinary tract or in the bowel
      segment after urinary diversion; new therapeutic approaches such as breakdown of
      multidrug resistance to chemotherapy or administration of photodynamic therapy;
      planning of intravesical therapy relating to aspects of cell proliferation.

PMID- 1871937
TI  - [Familial adult cystic kidneys and malignant teratomas after kidney
      transplantation with cyclosporin therapy].
AB  - We report on two brothers with adult polycystic kidney disease, malignant
      teratomas and other genital malformations. Because of the unusual accumulation of
      malformations of embryologically related organs, we postulate a connection
      between malformations of the kidneys and the genital tract, on the one hand, and
      teratomas on the other. No genetic coherence is known so far. It is unlikely that
      immunosuppression with cyclosporin after transplantation had caused these
      tumours.

PMID- 1871938
TI  - [Injuries of the pelvis and retroperitoneal organs].
AB  - About 50% of all patients with pelvic fractures present with associated injuries.
      Diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines follow the step-by-step regimen used in
      polytraumatized patients. Whereas lifesaving emergency operations are rarely
      necessary, most associated injuries are operated on after completion of the first
      diagnostic phase in order to preserve organ function. Injuries of the
      pancreaticoduodenal system and ruptures of the digestive tract are particularly
      difficult to diagnose. Stabilization of pelvic fractures will take place in the
      phase of delayed reconstruction, usually several days after the accident.

PMID- 1871939
TI  - [Percutaneous sclerosing of kidney cysts with alcohol].
AB  - Symptomatic benign renal cysts in 23 patients were obliterated by ultrasound
      guided puncture and instillation of sterile 95% ethanol. In no case did
      complications occur. In 5 cases the cysts recurred after an average of 3 months;
      the primary size (diameter) was more than 10 cm in all of these. This simple
      technique seems to be a suitable treatment option for smaller cysts up to 10 cm
      because of its low complication rate and because no hospital admission is
      required.

PMID- 1871940
TI  - [The functional, augmented rectal bladder. Initial clinical experience with 10
      patients].
AB  - From August 1988 until March 1990, 10 female patients received an augmented,
      functional rectal bladder, according to the technique first described by Kock.
      Indications were a radical cystectomy in 8 and a rediversion from a previously
      wet stoma in 2 patients. There was no perioperative mortality. Postoperative
      complications were obstructive pyelonephritis (1 case, treated with a temporary
      nephrostomy), obstruction at the ileal intussusception (1 case; operative
      revision) and slipping at the sigmoid nipple (1; no treatment). Intravenous
      pyelography 2-3 months postoperatively showed 13 normal and 5 slightly dilated
      renal units. All patients are completely continent by day, 7 are continent by
      night, 2 wear sanitary pads during sleep due to occasional spotting. Preliminary
      experience with this new technique is encouraging and warrants further clinical
      application in patients in whom the external urethral sphincter is not available
      to provide the continence mechanism.

PMID- 1871941
TI  - [Local hyperthermia in prostate cancer].
AB  - We conducted a clinical trial evaluating the effects of hyperthermia in patients
      with carcinoma of the prostate, treating 20 patients with newly diagnosed
      carcinoma of the prostate with local microwave hyperthermia (915 MHz).
      Histological examination revealed hypoeremic effects and diffuse oedema with
      interstitial lymphoplasmatic cellular infiltration. However, necrotic tumour
      cells were not found in any of specimens. A second series consisted of 10
      patients with metastasizing carcinoma of the prostate (n = 4 untreated; n = 6
      hormone-resistant). For 8 weeks, epirubicin was administered once weekly,
      followed each time by local microwave hyperthermia 1 h later. The efficacy was
      evaluated according to the EORTC criteria. In 4 patients with untreated carcinoma
      no change was found in the size of the prostate or metastases. In 3 of the 6
      patients with hormone-resistant carcinoma progressive disease was found, while
      the other 3 had stable disease. Only in 2 of the 10 patients did the grading of
      tumour regression reveal any improvement. Cytophotometric studies showed no
      change of DNA ploidy. Currently we consider hyperthermia unsuitable as
      monotherapy for carcinoma of the prostate, and the combination of epirubicin and
      hyperthermia is no more favourable than monotherapy with epirubicin alone.
      Further studies are necessary to evaluate other cytotoxic regimens and various
      patterns of application for hyperthermia.

PMID- 1871942
TI  - [Surgical correction of vesicovaginal fistulas with the Chassar Moir method].
AB  - Besides a relatively high frequency of perioperative and postoperative
      dysfunctions of micturition, urogenital fistulae are the most frequent
      complication occurring after surgical gynaecological interventions. Vesico
      vaginal fistulae are the most common communication between the efferent urinary
      passages and the genital tract. From 1967 to 1987, 42 women who had developed a
      vesico-vaginal fistula after abdominal or vaginal surgery or irradiation were
      operated on again. Upon admission, all 42 patients were subjected to surgical
      closure of the vesico-vaginal fistula according to the vaginal method of Chassar
      Moir. In 41 women (97.6%) continence was re-established by adequate closure.

PMID- 1871943
TI  - [Experience with ultrasound-guided ESWL].
AB  - The ESWL treatment of gallstones has led to the development of ultrasound-guided
      lithotripters. The interdisciplinary use of these new ESWL systems by urologists,
      general surgeons and gastroenterologists means that different requirements have
      to be met. As a result of this development, ultrasound in urology is gaining even
      more significance. While ESWL treatment of renal calculi under ultrasound
      guidance has quickly become a routine method, the in situ treatment of ureteral
      calculi is much more problematic. In our study the validity of diagnostic
      ultrasound for the localization of ureteral stones was investigated. In an
      unselected preliminary series only 30% of ureteral calculi could be located by
      ultrasound. The success rates were 39% for distal stones and 16% for proximal
      calculi. The treatment results of renal calculi are on a par with those
      previously obtained under fluoroscopic guidance. Once exact localization is
      obtained by ultrasound, disintegration rates for ureteral calculi are fully
      comparable to those performed under fluoroscopic guidance. However, 60% of
      ureteral stones can not be located by ultrasound. Therefore, retrograde
      manipulation and ureteroscopic stone disintegration gains more importance in
      interdisciplinary shock wave centers equipped with ultrasound-guided machines. A
      real alternative to second-generation lithotripters in the treatment of ureteral
      stones will thus only be obtained if an X-ray device can be added to the locating
      system if necessary. With this combination device the treatment of most ureteral
      calculi will thus be possible.

PMID- 1871944
TI  - [The "TUR catheter", a new indwelling catheter for postoperative bladder
      irrigation].
AB  - A new catheter has been developed for bladder drainage following operations on
      the prostate or bladder. Instead of having 1 to 3 large holes at the tip, as in
      common catheters, it has 32 drainage holes, each 1.5 mm in diameter. Thus,
      unhindered drainage of the bladder is guaranteed even if the majority of the
      holes is obstructed.

PMID- 1871945
TI  - [Disorders of lipid metabolism and insurance medicine practice].
AB  - The evaluation of lipometabolic disorders is presented within the framework of
      epidemiological and pathophysiological findings. Insurance medicine can base its
      risk assessment practices on the recommendations of American and European
      consensus conferences. The upper normal value for total cholesterol is in the
      vicinity of 200 mg/dl. The atherogenic risk of an elevated total cholesterol
      level can be further defined by determining the LDL and HDL cholesterol. The LDL
      cholesterol level should not exceed 160 mg/dl and the HDL level should not be
      lower than 35 mg/dl for men and 45 mg/dl for women. The quotients from the
      total/HDL cholesterol levels (normal value less than 6) and the LDL/HDL levels
      (normal value less than 4) can be used for differentiated risk assessment.
      Triglyceride levels exceeding 200 mg/dl are primarily to be taken into
      consideration as a risk indicator if there is a simultaneous reduction of HDL
      cholesterol. Additional parameters, such as nicotine abuse, hypertension, a
      family history of cardiovascular disease, impaired glucose tolerance, male sex,
      obesity and the existence of peripheral vascular disorders are also to be
      included in the risk profile. Determining additional lipometabolic substances is
      only of relevance to insurance medicine in individual cases.

PMID- 1871946
TI  - [Cardiac effects of a reducing diet].
AB  - 40 in-patients have been treated by modified fasting during 4 weeks. Routine
      ECG's and radiological controls of heart size did not show signs of myocardial
      lesions or of an impairment of the generation, propagation or dissipation of
      cardiac impulse. Slightly elevated serum levels of CK, CK-MB, alpha-HBDH, SGOT,
      and SGPT could indicate a reduction of fat-free body-mass including some elements
      of myocardium. Potassium and magnesium levels should be controlled and sometimes
      corrected by ingestion of electrolyte preparations. Under the conditions
      described and with the methods we used, we could not demonstrate an increased
      cardiac risk during a weight reduction cure by modified fasting of moderate
      duration. This should also apply to low-calorie diets with a deficit of about
      1000 cal./day, whilst total fasting and the substitution with protein
      preparations of poor nutritional value must be considered as risky procedures.

PMID- 1871948
TI  - [Surgical myocardial revascularization: indications, perioperative risk
      constellation and prognosis].
AB  - Since the inception of coronary artery bypass grafting, refinements in surgical
      technique, myocardial preservation, anesthesia and in pre- and postoperative
      care, reduced the perioperative mortality and improved the long-term results in
      patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Large-scale, multicentre
      randomized and a multitude of non-randomized clinical trials of surgical versus
      medical treatment have set therapeutic standards for quality and refined the
      indications for bypass surgery. In summary, these studies clearly indicate that
      surgery is superior to medical therapy in symptom relief, decreased antianginal
      drug use and improved exercise performance, but does not improve the likelihood
      of return to employment, non-fatal myocardial infarction prevalence or
      hospitalization rates. After surgery, survival is prolonged in those subsets of
      patients who are considered at high risk, i.e. patients with left main disease
      (greater than 70%), with two-vessel disease with severe left anterior descending
      artery stenosis or with three-vessel disease with signs of significant ischemia
      on exercise or left ventricular dysfunction present. Specific individual risk
      profiles during coronary artery surgery were evaluated by a multicentre
      retrospective analysis of 8363 patients (QuaDRA-study) documenting a
      significantly higher perioperative letality and incidence of postoperative
      complications (low output syndrome, infection, renal dysfunction, psychosyndrome)
      in the elderly (greater than 65 years).

PMID- 1871947
TI  - [Prognosis after transient ischemic attacks].
AB  - Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are reversible neurological deficits due to
      cerebral ischemia in a vascular territory lasting less than 24 hours, usually
      less than one hour. The natural course of TIAs is variable. One third of the
      patients suffer from a subsequent completed stroke with lasting disability, one
      third of the patients continues to experience TIAs and in one third no further
      symptoms are encountered. TIAs are a warning symptom of a generalized vascular
      process, myocardial infarction being the most common cause of mortality and
      ischemic brain infarction being the most common cause of morbidity. Clinical
      parameters--besides age--seem to be of minor prognostic relevance. Vascular risk
      factors should be evaluated in all TIA patients; especially, a cardiac work up
      including 2D-echocardiography and an exercise stress test should be performed.
      Duplex sonography of craniocervical vessels shows atherosclerotic lesions in a
      considerable proportion of patients with TIA; however, localization of these
      lesions does not always correspond to clinical symptomatology. Some angiographic
      features are of prognostic relevance. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) show ischemic lesions in a considerable proportion of
      patients, which connects TIAs directly to ischemic brain infarcts. The extent and
      localization of these lesions are of some prognostic relevance. Blow flow studies
      on single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and studies of brain
      metabolism on positron emission tomography (PET) are abnormal in many TIA
      patients for prolonged periods and also have some prognostic impact. TIA patients
      probably are a heterogeneous group with a common symptom. A detailed diagnostic
      work-up may have implications on a more specific and efficient therapy.

PMID- 1871949
TI  - [Incidence of sudden heart arrest in mitral valve prolapse syndrome].
AB  - Among 1500 consecutive forensic autopsy cases 4 cases of sudden cardiac death due
      to a mitral valve prolapse syndrome could be found. Postmortem diagnosis depends
      on severe macroskopic changes of the valve leaflets. According to literature
      there is no increased risk of sudden cardiac death in cases of "silent" mitral
      valve prolapse. Only in 2%-4% of all cases severe mitral regurgitation or leaflet
      thickening above 5 mm leads to an increased incidence of sudden cardiac death.
      The 4 presented cases belong to this subgroup.

PMID- 1871950
TI  - [Myocardial infarct and occupational accident].
AB  - According to our knowledge to day the cause of a heart infarction is a stenosing
      atheromatosis of the coronary vessels or an associated coronary thrombosis. Here
      are described two cases with unusual precipitating factors of a heart infarction,
      one by an anaphylactic reaction caused by smallpox vaccination, the other case
      caused by a very intensive stress situation. As the basic condition in the two
      cases was accepted a coronary heart disease but the described events were
      considered by the author as the determinating concomitant cause for the social
      accident insurance in consequence of their intensity and acuteness.

PMID- 1871951
TI  - [Athletic accident and insurance].
AB  - While working-time has been reduced, time spent for leisure is growing and sports
      also get more important. This can be remarked in media as well as in different
      domaines of economy. Risks, concluded with sports are as different as the people
      who are affected by such risks. Legal insurance cover in the domain of sports is
      just partly given, hence it is much more advisable to effect a private insurance.

PMID- 1871952
TI  - Seroepidemiology of Bivens Arm virus infections of cattle in Florida, St. Croix
      and Puerto Rico.
AB  - Bivens Arm virus (BAV) is a newly discovered rhabdovirus infecting cattle and
      water buffalo in Florida. The virus is classified as a member of the Tibrogargan
      group, members of which have hitherto been found only in Australasia. They are
      considered to be transmitted by Culicoides species. Bivens Arm virus was first
      isolated from Culicoides insignis which suggests that BAV is also transmitted by
      this genus. A serological survey of two small groups of cattle raised in St.
      Croix and Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean, established that antibody to BAV, or a
      closely related virus, exists on both island. A retrospective analysis of
      seroconversions to BAV in sentinel calves in Florida, relative to populations of
      potential Culicoides vectors, failed to demonstrate any statistically significant
      correlation.

PMID- 1871953
TI  - Susceptibility of various animals and cultured cells to exfoliative toxin
      produced by Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus.
AB  - In piglets inoculated with partially purified exfoliative toxin (pp-shET)
      produced by Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus, exfoliation was observed at 12 h
      after injection. Chickens inoculated with the same dose of pp-shET also showed
      exfoliation within 30 min of injection. However, exfoliation was not demonstrated
      in mouse, rat, guinea pig, hamster, dog or cat inoculated with pp-shET until 24 h
      after injection. In cultured cell lines, especially L-929 and Hep-2, the rounding
      effect occurred after incubation with pp-shET for 1 h. The rounding effect was
      also seen in five other cultured cells (NCTC 2544, HeLa/S3, HmLu-1, CHO and BHK
      21) 6-24 h after exposure to pp-shET. These round cells survived for 72 h after
      inoculation and formed a monolayer 24 h after changeover to a toxin-free medium.
      The rounding effect was observed in cells after the formation of the monolayer,
      but not before. It was suggested that the rounding effect was not caused by the
      increase in cyclic AMP in cells inoculated with pp-shET but by the cleavage of
      intracellular contacts.

PMID- 1871954
TI  - Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for heartwater using monoclonal
      antibodies to a Cowdria ruminantium-specific 32-kilodalton protein.
AB  - Hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to Cowdria ruminantium were
      raised. Four mAbs of the IgG isotype reacted in western blots with a 32
      kilodalton Cowdria protein (Cr32), which had previously been shown to be
      conserved and immunodominant. A fifth mAb of the IgM isotype recognized a 40-kDa
      Cowdria protein. The latter mAb was negative in an indirect fluorescent antibody
      test (IFA), whereas the other four were positive. mAb No. 4F10B4 showed the
      strongest signal in western blots using three different stocks of Cowdria. Immuno
      gold labeling of Cowdria organisms in vitro using 4F10B4 showed that Cr32 has
      surface-exposed antigenic determinants. Using mAb 4F10B4, a competitive ELISA was
      developed which detected specific Cowdria antibodies in goat, sheep and cattle
      sera. Antibodies in animal sera competed with binding of mAb 4F10B4 to a crude
      sonicated Cowdria antigen obtained from infected endothelial cell cultures. The
      competition ELISA (CELISA) detected antibodies in 55 out of 70 (79%) goats
      experimentally infected with one of eight different Cowdria stocks. Fourteen out
      of the 15 sera which were shown negative in the CELISA were also negative in the
      IFA. Nevertheless, all 15 sera recognized some epitopes of the immunodominant
      Cowdria-specific 32 kDa protein as judged from their reaction with this protein
      in western blots. Overall, there was 89% agreement between CELISA and IFA
      considering all 70 goat sera. Moreover, antibodies were detected in nine out of
      nine sheep infected with one of three different stocks of Cowdria and in sera
      from calves experimentally infected by two different strains of heartwater. There
      were no cross-reactions with Ehrlichia phagocytophila antibodies in goat sera,
      nor with Anaplasma marginale antibodies in bovine sera. Lack of cross-reactivity
      and detection of antibodies to eight geographically widely distributed stocks of
      Cowdria, makes the competition ELISA a promising test for use in heartwater
      endemic areas.

PMID- 1871955
TI  - Alcian blue and epithelial membrane antigen are useful markers in differentiating
      benign from malignant papillae in thyroid lesions.
AB  - Immunohistochemistry for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and histochemistry for
      alcianophilic substances were performed in 17 cases of papillary thyroid
      carcinoma (PTC) and 11 cases of benign thyroid lesions showing papillary changes
      (7 diffuse hyperplastic goitres-Graves' disease; 4 colloid cystic goitres). In
      all PTCs the glycocalix of the cells lining the papillary structures was strongly
      positive with anti-EMA antiserum. Alcian blue pH 2.5 stain (AB 2.5) was also
      positive in 15 of these cases. In contrast, no cases of benign thyroid lesions
      showed AB 2.5 positivity in the cells lining the papillary structures and the
      positivity with anti-EMA antiserum, present in only 5 out the 11 cases, was focal
      and very weak. These results indicate that the presence and distribution of EMA
      and alcianophilic substances may be useful in distinguishing benign from
      malignant thyroid lesions containing papillae.

PMID- 1871956
TI  - Ultrastructural lipid and glycoconjugate cytochemistry of membranous
      lipodystrophy (Nasu-Hakola disease).
AB  - In order to assess the lipid and glycoconjugate characteristics of membranous
      lipodystrophy, a 29-year-old male with this disease was studied using an
      ultrastructural cytochemical approach. The specific membranocystic lesions of the
      disease are composed of cystic spaces and the lining membranes. The membranes
      were observed to have a two-layered character: microtubular structures in the
      layer adjacent to the spaces and a central amorphous zone. Lipid staining and the
      lipase digestion test revealed triglycerides localized not only in the cystic
      spaces but also in the microtubular structures. Lectin histochemical examination
      of carbohydrate components demonstrated that Maclura pomifera agglutinin bound
      strongly to the membranes, while Griffonia simplicifolia I, G. simplicifolia II,
      Concanavalia ensiformis and Triticum vulgaris agglutinin reacted weakly. Our
      results indicate the presence of triglycerides and carbohydrates with mainly
      alpha-D-galactose residues in the distinctive membranocystic lesions, in
      particular in the microtubular structures.

PMID- 1871957
TI  - The accuracy of death certificates. Implications for health statistics.
AB  - The death certificate is an important source of data on disease incidence,
      prevalence and mortality. It should therefore be as accurate and complete as
      possible. Death certificates from 433 autopsied hospital patients were reviewed
      and matched against the results of post-mortem examinations. Significant
      discrepancies between the two documents were observed in 50% of patients. In 25%,
      the immediate cause of death was incorrectly stated on the certificate, having
      been assigned to a different organ system in the majority of those cases. In 33%,
      there was disagreement on major disease other than the immediate cause of death.
      In 9%, the death certificate was signed before the autopsy was performed. The
      extent of disagreement was largely independent of whether the certificate was
      signed before or after the autopsy. We conclude that: (1) there is a significant
      discrepancy between autopsy diagnoses and entries on death certificates; (2)
      disagreement is not due to unavailability of autopsy data at the time of
      completion of the certificate; (3) death certificates should be completed or
      amended utilizing data gained at autopsy.

PMID- 1871958
TI  - A new monoclonal antibody to human subcapsular thymic epithelial cells.
AB  - A monoclonal antibody, termed K-20, was generated against an anaplastic thymic
      carcinoma cell line, Ty-82. Subcapsular thymic epithelial cells of the thymus and
      blood vessels in various organs were shown to react with the K-20 monoclonal
      antibody by immunohistochemical staining. Immunofluorescent study revealed that
      various haematopoietic fresh cells and cell lines did not show any significant
      reactivity with K-20, except for one Epstein-Barr-virus-carrying lymphoma cell
      line (SP-50B). Western immunoblotting and affinity purification procedure
      revealed that K-20 was directed to a protein with a molecular weight of 28 kDa. K
      20 is unique in its restrictive reactivity with human subcapsular thymic
      epithelial cells.

PMID- 1871959
TI  - Alteration of the lung parenchyma associated with autoimmune hepatitis.
AB  - The clinical history, radiological and histomorphological alterations of the lung
      parenchyma associated with chronic active autoimmune hepatitis are described. A 6
      month-old female infant developed chronic active autoimmune hepatitis associated
      with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. She was treated with immunosuppressive drugs,
      including steroids, for more than 6 years and developed symptoms and radiological
      signs of interstitial pneumonitis 4 years after onset of the autoimmune
      hepatitis. Associated bronchiectasis was detected 1 year later. No abnormalities
      of lung defence mechanisms could be demonstrated. Resection of the sixth left
      segment and of the basal parts of the left lower lobe revealed honeycombing with
      changes in the lung parenchyma which included chronic interstitial pneumonitis
      with multinucleate giant cells, seen predominantly in the distal airways, marked
      diffuse interstitial mononuclear infiltrates and mild diffuse interstitial
      fibrosis as well as bronchiectasis and organizing pneumonia. Granulomatous
      lesions, angiitis and necrotic areas were absent. Immunohistochemistry for
      immunoglobulins was negative for IgA, IgG and IgM and positive for IgD in the
      multinucleate giant cells. A strong positive reaction to HLA-DR-specific
      monoclonal antibody was noted, whereas no specific sugar receptors (endogenous
      lectins) could be detected by use of biotinylated glyconeoproteins.

PMID- 1871960
TI  - Adenocarcinoma of the cervical oesophagus arising from ectopic gastric mucosa.
      The histochemical determination of its origin.
AB  - A case of adenocarcinoma of the cervical oesophagus was examined by employing a
      battery of histochemical techniques and was demonstrated to arise from ectopic
      gastric mucosa. The patient was a 66-year-old Japanese male. Endoscopy revealed
      an ulcerated tumour on the right anterior wall of the cervical oesophagus,
      approximately 16 cm from the incisor teeth. Pathological examination of
      surgically removed specimens showed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma.
      Ectopic gastric mucosa was found in the oesophageal mucosa adjoining the
      carcinoma. Histochemical stains for characterizing mucosubstances and
      immunostains for various antigens were used. In addition to this carcinoma,
      ectopic gastric mucosa in the oesophagus and normal oesophageal, cardiac,
      tracheal and bronchial mucosa were also examined. The results showed that the
      carcinoma contained mucins, which showed reactivities characteristic of the
      gastric surface mucous cell (galactose oxidase-cold thionin Schiff reactive) and
      gland mucous cell (paradoxical concanavalin A staining reactive). Ectopic gastric
      mucosa consistently contained these mucins, but other tissue sites lacked them.

PMID- 1871961
TI  - Histology and virus expression in the liver: a prognostic puzzle in chronic
      hepatitis B.
AB  - Forty chronic untreated paediatric carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection,
      with no other causes of liver disease, were biopsied on presentation, when the
      disease was in the active viral replication phase. After a period ranging from 1
      to 13 years, all patients underwent a control biopsy. At the time of the last
      biopsy, 31 of the patients were anti-HBe positive, whereas 9 persisted in the
      active replication phase. In this latter phase, necrotic and inflammatory lesions
      and the presence of nuclear HBcAg were found significantly more frequently than
      when replication had terminated. The necrotic and inflammatory lesions detected
      in the first biopsy of patients who subsequently underwent anti-HBe
      seroconversion were significantly more severe than in patients failing to reach
      seroconversion. All patients who maintained viral replication showed generalized
      nuclear reactivity for HBcAg on presentation; such reactivity was also found in
      16 of 31 (52%) patients who reached anti-HBeAg seroconversion. All these cases
      had piecemeal necrosis (PMN) in the biopsy. PMN may therefore be considered as a
      positive prognostic factor in that it identifies those patients who may
      seroconvert with significant remission of liver disease.

PMID- 1871962
TI  - A baculovirus homolog of a Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene.
AB  - A gene with greater than 50% amino acid sequence identity to eukaryotic Cu/Zn
      superoxide dismutase genes (sod) was found at 19 map units in the genome of the
      baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). This gene
      was transcribed into 1.4- and 1.5-kb RNAs late in virus infection. The two late
      RNAs have coterminal 3' ends but initiate from two different start points, both
      of which map to the central adenine of the sequence motif ATTAAG. The late gene
      product was found to be a low abundance 20-kDa polypeptide which was observed
      only upon partial purification by chloroform/ethanol extraction. Viruses with
      mutations in sod were able to replicate normally both in cell culture and in
      insect larvae. Viruses lacking an intact sod showed no evidence of a replication
      disadvantage even in the presence of paraquat, an inducer of superoxide anions. A
      viral-encoded superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was not detected although
      endogenous insect SODs appeared to be induced in insect hemolymph and in other
      tissues following virus infection. The function of sod in the baculovirus
      infection process remains unclear.

PMID- 1871963
TI  - Reovirus 1 and 3 bind and internalise at the apical surface of intestinal
      epithelial cells.
AB  - Displacement of [125I]reovirus from the surface of L cells by homologous and
      heterologous reovirus serotypes has indicated the presence of two different
      receptors. Corresponding experiments with Caco-2 cells and apical membrane
      vesicles suggest either two different receptors or different affinity of each
      reovirus serotype for the same receptor. Binding and internalisation of reovirus
      at the apical surface of Caco-2 cells and apical membrane vesicles has been
      demonstrated and the implications of this for models of reovirus infectivity in
      the intestine are discussed.

PMID- 1871964
TI  - Preliminary X-ray crystallographic investigation of human parvovirus B19.
AB  - Crystals that diffract X rays to at least 8 A resolution have been grown from
      human B19 parvovirus empty capsids. These particles consist of VP-2 derived from
      a baculovirus expression system. This is possibly the first time that a self
      assembled empty viral capsid, grown in other than normal host cells, has been
      crystallized. Partial X-ray diffraction data have been collected using
      synchrotron radiation. The space group is P2(1)3 with a = 362 A. The particle
      position in the crystal cell is given, at least roughly, from packing
      considerations.

PMID- 1871965
TI  - Parvoviral target cell specificity: acquisition of fibrotropism by a mutant of
      the lymphotropic strain of minute virus of mice involves multiple amino acid
      substitutions within the capsid.
AB  - Unlike the prototype strain of minute virus of mice, MVM(p), the lymphotropic
      strain, MVM(i), cannot form plaques on monolayers of mouse A9 fibroblasts. At
      very low frequency, mutants arise in MVM(i) stocks which are able to plaque on A9
      cells, and we report here the isolation and mapping of such a mutant, designated
      hr101. Analysis of intratypic recombinants containing regions of the hr101 genome
      substituted into the infectious clone of its parent MVM(i) shows that the ability
      to form plaques on fibroblast monolayers maps to the same small region of the
      coat protein gene which we had previously shown, by constructing intertypic
      recombinants, to contain the fibrotropic determinant of MVM(p) (Gardiner and
      Tattersall, J. Virol. 62, 2605-2613, 1988). DNA sequencing of the hr101 regions
      in virus stocks derived from these recombinants identified four single-base
      changes between the mutant coat protein gene and that of its parent. Each of
      these changes occurs in the same position as a similar change found between
      MVM(i) and MVM(p), and each of them change the amino acid encoded at that
      position. Three of the four changes substitute the same amino acid as found in
      MVM(p), and the fourth change substitutes an alanine in hr101 for a glutamic acid
      residue in MVM(i), in a position occupied by glycine in MVM(p). Analysis of the
      recombinants within this region shows that plaque formation on A9 monolayers is
      dependent upon the latter change plus one adjacent, MVM(p)-like change. This
      observation was confirmed by recreating this double mutant in the infectious
      clone of MVM(i) via site-directed mutagenesis. In addition to extending the host
      range of MVM(i) into A9 fibroblasts, the hr101 mutations have a complex effect on
      the virus' ability to grow lytically in a series of different T-lymphocyte cell
      lines.

PMID- 1871966
TI  - Synthetic peptides from the principal neutralizing domain of human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) enhance HIV-1 infection through a CD4
      dependent mechanism.
AB  - The principal neutralizing domain (PND) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1
      (HIV-1) is mapped to a 24-amino acid sequence located in the hypervariable V3
      region of the viral envelope protein. The PND of HIV-1 isolates from infected
      individuals corresponds mostly to that of the HIV-1 MN strain. We found that a
      peptide designed from the PND of HIV-1 MN virus greatly enhanced viral infection,
      while a peptide-derived PND of HTLV-IIIB virus showed at least 10-fold less
      efficient activity; no such effect was exhibited by the other peptides tested,
      including one designed from the PND of HIV-1 RF strain. The observed enhancing
      effect occurred in the early steps of viral infection and was not strain
      restricted as both MN- and IIIB-derived peptides increased heterologous virus
      expression, including that of the RF strain. The MN- and, to a lesser extent,
      IIIB-derived peptides also increased CD4 expression on the cell membrane and
      differentially inhibited CD4 down-regulation induced by the phorbol ester TPA
      and/or by the monosialoganglioside GM1; the peptides showing no viral infection
      enhancement had no such effects. These findings demonstrate that the viral
      enhancement observed took place through a CD4-dependent mechanism and suggest
      that the PND is involved in HIV-1 infection and spread.

PMID- 1871967
TI  - Evolution of the G and P genes of human respiratory syncytial virus (subgroup A)
      studied by the RNase A mismatch cleavage method.
AB  - The G and P genes of human respiratory syncytial viruses (subgroup A), isolated
      between 1961 and 1989, were analyzed by RNase A one-dimensional fingerprinting,
      using the Long strain as the reference. Total RNA extracted from cells infected
      with the different isolates was hybridized to radiolabeled antisense G or P RNA
      probes of the Long virus. The RNA:RNA heteroduplexes were digested with RNase A
      and the resistant products analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Comparative analysis
      of the cleavage patterns revealed extensive genetic heterogeneity in both genes
      among viruses isolated in different epidemics. In contrast, 13 viruses isolated
      in Montevideo during a 3-month period showed much more restricted heterogeneity;
      thus, 11 viruses represented the predominant type of this outbreak and only 2
      other viruses generated different RNA cleavage patterns distantly related to the
      major type. Statistical analysis of the results obtained indicated progressive
      accumulation of genetic changes with time along cocirculating evolutionary
      lineages within the same antigenic subgroup of RS virus. The results are
      discussed in terms of a model for RS virus evolution.

PMID- 1871968
TI  - Biochemical and biophysical characterization of the reovirus cell attachment
      protein sigma 1: evidence that it is a homotrimer.
AB  - The oligomerization state of the reovirus cell attachment protein sigma 1 (49K
      monomeric molecular weight) was determined by biochemical and biophysical means.
      Full-length (protein product designated A) and C-terminal truncated (protein
      product designated B) serotype 3 reovirus S1 mRNA transcripts synthesized in
      vitro were cotranslated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and the products were
      analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)
      under conditions which allowed for the identification of oligomeric forms of
      sigma 1. A total of four oligomeric protein bands (corresponding to A3, A2B1,
      A1B2, and B3, respectively) was consistently observed, which suggests that the
      protein is made up of three monomeric subunits. Biophysical characterization of
      purified sigma 1 using column filtration and sucrose gradient sedimentation
      analysis confirmed the highly asymmetric shape of sigma 1 and allowed us to
      determine the molecular weight of the native protein to be approximately 132K (a
      trimer). Similar biophysical analysis on the two tryptic fragments of the sigma 1
      [N-terminal fibrous tail (26K monomeric molecular weight) and the C-terminal
      globular head (23K monomeric molecular weight)] yielded molecular weights of 77K
      and 64K, respectively, both again corresponding to trimers. We therefore conclude
      that protein sigma 1 is a homotrimer and provide, with supportive experimental
      evidence, a rationale for the anomalous behavior of the oligomeric protein in SDS
      polyacrylamide gels, which, coupled with chemical cross-linking studies, has in
      part led to the previous suggestion that sigma 1 might be a higher order
      oligomer.

PMID- 1871969
TI  - Mutagenesis of conserved region I in the DNA polymerase from human adenovirus
      serotype 2.
AB  - The functional importance of the conserved region I (YGDTDSLF) found in several
      prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and viral DNA polymerases has been probed by site
      directed mutagenesis of the adenovirus DNA polymerase (Ad Pol). Three different
      adenovirus-specific assays have been used to measure the in vitro activity of
      region I mutants of Ad Pol expressed in transiently transfected CMT-4 cells. In
      general, both conservative and nonconservative changes generally showed a greater
      than 5- to 10-fold reduction in activity in three different assays for activity.
      However, several replacements at the glycine residue showed activities closer to
      wild-type levels. For example, replacements of this glycine with cysteine (found
      in bacteriophage phi 29, another protein primed replication system), with serine,
      or with methionine had little effect on the activity observed in adenovirus
      specific assays, such as initiation and elongation. These studies confirm the
      importance of this region of Ad Pol in specific initiation and elongation
      reactions on Ad DNA templates.

PMID- 1871970
TI  - Characterization of the core promoter and enhancer of duck hepatitis B virus.
AB  - The core gene promoter of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) has been localized and an
      enhancer element has been found in a region of the DHBV genome immediately
      upstream of the core promoter. This enhancer was able to activate expression from
      both the core promoter and the S promoter of DHBV, as well as from the
      heterologous thymidine kinase and simian virus 40 early promoters, but not from
      the DHBV PreS promoter, which was active both in the absence and in the presence
      of the enhancer. The activity of the enhancer showed a preference for cell
      cultures of hepatic origin, suggesting a possible tissue preference in vivo.

PMID- 1871971
TI  - Redundant elements in the adenovirus type 5 inverted terminal repeat promote
      bidirectional transcription in vitro and are important for virus growth in vivo.
AB  - The adenovirus inverted terminal repeat (ITR) contains a number of cis-acting
      elements that are involved in the initiation of viral DNA replication, as well as
      multiple binding motifs for the cellular transcription factors SP1 and ATF. In
      this study, we utilized a Hela cell transcription extract to demonstrate that the
      adenovirus type 5 ITR promotes bidirectional transcription in vitro. Primer
      extension analyses demonstrated that the ITR directed transcription at initiation
      sites both within the terminal repeat and at fixed distances outside of the ITR.
      The ITR also strongly stimulated transcription at the early region 1A (E1A)
      initiation site when it was situated immediately upstream of the E1A TATA box
      region. Deletion and point mutational analyses demonstrated that two distinct cis
      acting elements were involved in these ITR-dependent transcriptional activities
      in vitro. Cellular transcription factors SP1 and ATF were previously shown to
      bind to these two regions. Analysis of viral mutants in vivo demonstrated that
      the NFIII/OCT-1 binding site and a conserved ATF motif were important for
      efficient viral growth. Regulatory elements in the ITR flanking region were found
      to functionally substitute for these sites.

PMID- 1871972
TI  - Construction of tobacco mosaic virus subgenomic replicons that are replicated and
      spread systemically in tobacco plants.
AB  - Two tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-derived replicons, created by deletion of most of
      the 126/183-kDa open reading frame (ORF), replicated and systemically invaded
      tobacco plants when supported by wild type TMV. One RNA replicon contained an
      internal direct repeat of 476 nucleotides from the 3' end of the 30-kDa ORF.
      Although this RNA was replicated, most of the progeny were heterogeneous in size
      and smaller than the original transcript. A second TMV-derived RNA replicon,
      without any internally repeated sequences and containing a deletion of the 5'
      portion of the 30-kDa ORF as well as most of the 126/183-kDa ORF, was created and
      coinoculated with wild type TMV as helper. This RNA also was replicated
      efficiently and systemically invaded tobacco plants. An examination of the
      sequences of cDNA clones obtained after PCR amplification of the progeny
      population of this RNA replicon demonstrated that the observed size heterogeneity
      was due to deletions and insertions adjacent to the artificially created deletion
      junction. These data demonstrate that a TMV infection is capable of supporting an
      artificially created RNA replicon, similar to defective interfering RNAs or
      satellites. However, these dependent RNAs were replicated without noticeably
      interfering with wild type TMV symptoms or replication.

PMID- 1871973
TI  - A naturally occurring deletion mutant of figwort mosaic virus (caulimovirus) is
      generated by RNA splicing.
AB  - A naturally occurring deletion mutant is observed in plants infected with figwort
      mosaic virus (FMV), a caulimovirus. The encapsidated mutant genome is formed
      spontaneously in association with two different strains of FMV in four host plant
      species. The mutant also appears when cloned wild-type viral DNA is used as the
      inoculum. The deletion mutant alone is not infectious and it appears unable to
      replicate after its formation, even in the presence of wild-type virus. The gene
      for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was inserted at different positions in the
      deletion mutant genome, and subsequent transient assays showed that gene
      expression of the mutant occurs despite the deletion. Sequence analyses of the
      mutant genome revealed a deletion of 1237-bp segment encompassing a major portion
      of the coat protein gene and the 5' end of the downstream reverse transcriptase
      gene. This deletion is associated with consensus signals for RNA splicing
      including the conserved 5' and 3' splice sites plus surrounding sequences,
      putative branch point(s) for lariat formation, and an extremely high adenosine
      content (41%) of the removed fragment. This suggests that splicing of the FMV
      full-length transcript has occurred prior to reverse transcription and this
      accounts for the presence and accumulation of encapsidated DNAs with the same
      deletion.

PMID- 1871974
TI  - Mutations within the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp160 envelope
      glycoprotein alter its intracellular transport and processing.
AB  - Intracellular transport and processing of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      (HIV-1) envelope precursor polyprotein, gp160, proceeds via the endoplasmic
      reticulum (ER) and Golgi complex. We examined gp160 processing during the
      production of HIV-1 virions in transfected HeLa cells using wild-type and env
      mutant proviral molecular clones. Results from pulse-chase analyses indicated
      that a single amino acid substitution within a highly conserved domain of the env
      gene impaired gp160 export from the ER, leading to an increase in oligomeric
      forms of gp160 and a decrease in gp120 production. In contrast, gp160 which
      contained a mutated cleavage site was able to traverse the ER/Golgi complex, even
      in the absence of proteolytic processing, and become incorporated into budding
      virions. These findings indicate that export from the ER is a point in the
      intracellular trafficking of gp160 that is crucial to the production of the
      mature envelope components.

PMID- 1871975
TI  - Two bacteriophage T4 base plate genes (25 and 26) and the DNA repair gene uvsY
      belong to spatially and temporally overlapping transcription units.
AB  - The bacteriophage T4 DNA recombination-repair gene uvsY located at or near an
      origin of DNA replication and adjacent to the late base plate genes 25 and 26.
      Our present results reveal a complex transcription pattern in the region
      encompassing these genes. Most significantly, uvsY and two ORFs, downstream of
      it, all of which are transcribed from a middle promoter before the onset of DNA
      replication, are also part of a larger late transcription unit which includes the
      base plate genes 25 and 26. The late genes 25 and 26 are transcribed not only
      late, but also early from one or several early promoters further upstream.
      Translation, however, is inhibited by secondary structures which sequester the
      ribosome binding site in the early transcript. We discuss possible advantages of
      these transcriptional patterns for T4 DNA recombination, replication, and repair.
      The predicted and in vivo-expressed 23.9-kDa product of gene 26 is smaller than
      the reported size of gene 26 protein isolated from base plates, suggesting that
      nascent gp26 might be processed to a larger protein during assembly.

PMID- 1871976
TI  - The sequences of the ribonucleotide reductase genes from African swine fever
      virus show considerable homology with those of the orthopoxvirus, vaccinia virus.
AB  - Two African swine fever virus (ASFV) recombinant plasmids containing large
      inserts of DNA have been sequenced at random, and translations of the DNA
      sequence have been compared to libraries of vaccinia virus protein sequences.
      Among other genes identified by their extensive homology with vaccinia virus
      genes were the large and small subunits of ribonucleotide reductase. A 5.5-kb
      fragment from the Malawi (LIL20/1) strain of ASFV was identified as containing
      the genes for both these subunits. The fragment has been sequenced and the two
      genes have been found to be in a head-to-head orientation. The sequences are
      compared to other sequenced ribonucleotide reductase genes, and the evolutionary
      implications discussed.

PMID- 1871977
TI  - Functional domains of HIV-1 gag-polyprotein expressed in baculovirus-infected
      cells.
AB  - Seven recombinants of AcNPV harboring various forms of complete or truncated gag
      gene from HIV-1 were constructed to determine which functional domains of the gag
      polyprotein are implicated in its self-assembly and cellular localization. The p6
      carboxy-terminal portion of the p15 NCgag domain appeared to be dispensable for
      assembly, budding, and release of gag particles by insect cells. However, all the
      morphopoietic information was not entirely confined to the p9 NC domain, as N
      myristylation could compensate for p15 NC deletion in gag assembly and the
      budding process. The two consensus karyophilic signals situated in the p17 MAgag
      domain were inefficient for targeting nonmyristylated forms of gag polyprotein to
      the nucleus when the p6 NC domain was deleted. In the presence of p6, or with a
      third, baculovirus-specific, karyophilic signal added at its N-terminus, gag
      particles relocated in the nucleus. These data suggested that p6 played a
      critical role in the conformation of gag polyprotein.

PMID- 1871978
TI  - Fatty acylation of rabies virus proteins.
AB  - The fatty acylation of rabies virus (CVS strain) proteins was investigated.
      [3H]palmitic acid was found to be incorporated into the glycoprotein G and to a
      lesser extent into the membrane-associated protein M2. The fatty acid linkage on
      G was sensitive to sodium borohydride, mercaptoethanol, and hydroxylamine,
      indicating that the linkage was of the thiolester type. Bromelain digestion
      indicated that the palmitoylation site on G was located in the intracytoplasmic
      domain or in the transmembrane domain in which there is only one cysteine in
      position 461. Therefore, palmitoylation is likely to occur at this position. In
      the case of M2, the linkage was also sensitive to hydroxylamine and sodium
      borohydride and to a lesser extent to mercaptoethanol, suggesting that the
      linkage also occurred on a cysteine.

PMID- 1871979
TI  - Deacylation of the hemagglutinin of influenza A/Aichi/2/68 has no effect on
      membrane fusion properties.
AB  - The effects of deacylating the H3 influenza hemagglutinin (HA) on its membrane
      fusion activity were investigated. Chemical deacylation caused no change in the
      ability of HA to fuse liposomes in vitro. Site-specific mutagenesis of the three
      cysteine residues in the cytoplasmic tail singly, or in combination, showed that
      all three were palmitoylated. Substitution of one, two, or all three cysteines
      with serine and subsequent lack of palmitoylation at mutated sites had no effect
      on the pH of the conformational change in HA required for fusion activity or the
      extent of fusion activity.

PMID- 1871980
TI  - Structural variation of La Crosse virions under different chemical and physical
      conditions.
AB  - La Crosse (LAC) virions exposed to different pHs (7.3, 6.2, and 5.4) and
      temperatures (37 degrees, 20 degrees, and 4 degrees) were preserved in thin
      layers of vitreous ice and observed by electron cryomicroscopy. Our results
      indicate that, at lower pH, virus particles interact with each other to form
      aggregates. In some cases, particles could be interpreted to have fused together.
      At neutral pH and higher temperatures morphological changes consistent with
      deformation in some particles were observed. We suggest that low pH conditions
      are sufficient for membrane fusion events to occur with LAC virions.

PMID- 1871981
TI  - Reassortants with equine 1 (H7N7) influenza virus hemagglutinin in an avian
      influenza virus genetic background are pathogenic in chickens.
AB  - Reassortants possessing the hemagglutinin (HA) gene from A/Equine/London/1416/73
      (H7N7) [Eq/Lond] and five or more genes from A/Chicken/Pennsylvania/1370/83
      (H5N2) [Ck/Penn] were lethal in chickens. This result demonstrates that horses
      can maintain influenza viruses whose HAs are capable of promoting virulence.
      Thus, reassortment of equine and avian influenza virus genes could generate
      viruses that might be lethal in domestic poultry.

PMID- 1871982
TI  - Phylogeny of capsid proteins of rod-shaped and filamentous RNA plant viruses: two
      families with distinct patterns of sequence and probably structure conservation.
AB  - Computer-assisted comparative analysis of all available amino acid sequences of
      the capsid proteins of positive strand RNA plant viruses with helical capsids is
      described. Two distinct families of homologous proteins were delineated through
      statistically significant sequence similarities, one including the capsid
      proteins of rod-shaped viruses (tobamo-, tobra-, hordei-, and furoviruses) and
      the other those of filamentous viruses (poty-, bymo-, potex-, carla-, and
      closteroviruses). It was concluded that the capsid proteins of all rod-shaped
      viruses, on the one hand, and filamentous viruses, on the other hand, evolved
      from common ancestors. Analysis of residue conservation patterns in the capsid
      proteins of rod-shaped viruses revealed maintenance of the hydrophobic core and
      of the (putative) salt bridge between conserved Arg and Asp residues. Sequence
      comparisons within the filamentous virus family expanded the observations on the
      relationship between the capsid proteins of potex-, carla-, poty-, and
      bymoviruses. Grouping of the beet yellows closterovirus capsid protein sequence,
      recently determined in this laboratory (Agranovsky et al., J. Gen. Virol., 1991,
      72, 15-23), with those of potex- and carlaviruses was demonstrated. The coat
      protein of another closterovirus, apple chlorotic leaf spot virus, appeared to
      constitute a distinct phylogenetic lineage. Despite the lack of significant
      overall similarity, comparison of the alignments of the capsid proteins of the
      two families suggested formation of analogous salt bridges.

PMID- 1871983
TI  - Fluoride products--an update for the 1990's.

PMID- 1871984
TI  - Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the UWI Medical Alumni
      Association. Christ Church, Barbados, July 2-6, 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1871985
TI  - Infant care and wives' depressive symptoms.
AB  - Although some investigators show that division of child care between spouses is
      related to the psychological well-being of wives, little attention has been given
      to the relevance of specific dimensions of child care or to nonemployed as well
      as employed wives. In this study we differentiate basic child care tasks, i.e.,
      those that are essential for the family's physical well-being from other, more
      supplemental, or auxiliary tasks. We hypothesize that husbands' failure to
      perform auxiliary child care will be distressing for wives, regardless of
      employment status because it contributes to perceptions of marital inequity. On
      the other hand, husbands' lack of participation in the more time-consuming,
      basic, tasks will be most distressing for employed wives because it results in an
      increased overall work load. We also hypothesize that when employed mothers are
      responsible for arranging child care, and when such care entails financial
      strains, they are more likely to experience psychological distress. To evaluate
      these hypotheses we use data drawn from a mail survey of a sample of mothers of
      infants. Using multiple regression analysis, we find that husbands' involvement
      in child care and housework, especially in the time-consuming tasks, is
      relatively low and that the most consistent predictor of husbands' involvement is
      wives' relative income. In terms of the impact of husbands' involvement on wives'
      well-being, lower levels of husbands' participation in auxiliary, but not basic,
      child care are associated with increases in reported symptoms, regardless of
      wives' employment status. When child care is relatively more costly, employed
      wives report increased symptoms of depression. We discuss these results in terms
      of the role played by expectations of husbands and wives about parental
      responsibility for child care.

PMID- 1871986
TI  - AIDS education and incarcerated women: a neglected opportunity.
AB  - Attitudes and perceptions about health, AIDS, and the need for AIDS education
      were explored among inmates in a women's prison in the southeastern U.S. Forty
      short-term inmates participated in a series of focus group interviews. A separate
      sample of sixteen women completed a 103-item questionnaire. Focus group
      participants expressed concern about AIDS within prison, sexual activity between
      inmates, and the institution's policy of housing seropositive women with the
      general inmate population. Close to half (44%) of the survey respondents believe
      that they were likely to be exposed to HIV in prison; most (81%) felt that AIDS
      education programs should discuss female homosexual activity, and nearly all
      respondents (94%) felt that inmates should be given an HIV antibody test upon
      entering prison. The study's findings confirm the need for tailoring AIDS
      education and prevention activities for incarcerated women.

PMID- 1871987
TI  - The measure of health in new mothers: a factor analysis of physical and mental
      health variables.
AB  - This factor analysis study was conducted to determine the components of health in
      new mothers. The 286 participants included three groups of married women: 63
      first-time biological mothers, 104 first-time adoptive mothers, and 119 controls
      (women without children). Results for the entire participant group showed four
      health status factors--mental health, use of health services, work readiness, and
      activity--and these four factors yielded a cumulative variance of 62.8%. While
      three of the factors--mental health, use of health services, and work readiness-
      were represented in the factor structures of each of the three groups, there were
      noteworthy differences in the constituents of factors between groups. The current
      change in roles and responsibilities of new mothers calls for a careful look at
      the health of this group of women; the health factors identified in this study
      may provide useful tools for further research involving these important members
      of our society.

PMID- 1871988
TI  - Differences in the impact and management of heart disease between older women and
      men.
AB  - Findings are presented from an exploratory study of differences in the impact and
      management of heart disease between men and women aged 60 and over (N = 323). The
      sample consisted of ambulatory, non-institutionalized, cardiac patients who had
      agreed to participate in a self-management intervention study. Differences
      between men and women were found regarding symptom experience, physical
      functioning, exercise compliance, use of prescribed drugs, and physician/clinic
      visits. Differences in emotional well-being and psychosocial functioning were not
      found; however, women reported more stress and limitation in the area of
      household management. Implications for future research and practice are
      discussed.

PMID- 1871989
TI  - New Zealand Maori women's health: status and self-help action in the 1980s.
AB  - The indigenous Maori population of New Zealand has experienced improvements in
      health in recent decades but vis-a-vis the non-Maori segment of the population,
      Maori, and Maori women in particular, continue to be disadvantaged. The situation
      became the focus of attention during the 1980s. Among efforts to improve it, a
      broad-based self-help campaign initiated by Maori leaders, organizations and
      health professionals emerged as important. This paper documents the current
      status of Maori women's health and examines health-related self-help activities
      on the part of the Maori Women's Welfare League, the leading Maori women's
      organization. The League has taken a leading role in the self-help campaign,
      declared a Decade of Health for 1985-1995, and adopted a program of action that
      could help to significantly improve the status of Maori health.

PMID- 1871990
TI  - Gender differences in teenage smoking.
AB  - This study analyzes the patterns and correlates of gender differences in
      cigarette smoking in a national sample of white high school seniors in 1985. More
      females than males were smokers, because females had higher rates for the early
      stages of smoking adoption. Specifically, females were more likely to have tried
      smoking at least once and, among those who had tried smoking, females were more
      likely to have smoked more than once or twice. Gender differences in smoking
      varied, depending on the students' characteristics. For example, the female
      excess in the early stages of smoking adoption was small or absent among rural
      students or very religious students, apparently because traditional values
      inhibit smoking adoption more among females than among males. We estimated the
      contributions of gender differences in students' characteristics to gender
      differences in smoking adoption. For example, males were more involved in sports,
      and this appears to be one reason why males had lower rates of smoking adoption
      than females. On the other hand, males had more deviant behavior and attitudes,
      and this would be expected to contribute to greater smoking adoption by males.
      The findings of this study indicate important gender differences in the
      determinants of smoking adoption.

PMID- 1871991
TI  - Gender differences in the utilization of emergency department services.
AB  - Some of the suggested explanations of the well documented gender morbidity
      differences imply that these are not 'real' but the result of women's tendency to
      perceive and report more symptoms, to magnify symptom severity, and to seek help.
      To contribute to this debate, gender differences in utilization of a general
      hospital emergency department (ED), often used as a primary care service and for
      mild conditions, were studied. Data were collected from the general ED admissions
      registry for 6815 patients. In our data strikingly more men than women visited
      the ED during the period studied; generally, the same proportion of men and women
      were self-referred patients; and similar rates of both sexes were hospitalized
      regardless of type of referral. Thus, these findings suggest that, at least among
      ED patients, there is no gender differential in symptoms perception, evaluation,
      or presentation. Indications for these were somewhat found among young patients
      (aged 17-24) only. Alternatively, the findings with regard to this age group
      could reflect professional gender stereotyping at the primary care level.

PMID- 1871992
TI  - All-terrain vehicle injuries in central Wisconsin: a continuing problem.
AB  - All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have become well recognized as associated with
      injuries. This recognition has resulted in attempts at education and regulation
      to reduce the number and severity of injuries and number of deaths. The
      Marshfield Clinic and St. Joseph's Hospital surveyed all-terrain vehicle
      accidents in the Emergency Department in 1985 and again in 1988 and followed
      these patients for at least 1 year after the injury. Between the two dates,
      extensive educational and legislative activity had taken place. The actual number
      of all-terrain vehicle accidents had increased. The characteristics of victims
      who were involved in all-terrain vehicle accidents did not change. The actual
      number of accidents associated with three-wheeled ATVs did not appreciably
      decrease but the number of accidents associated with four-wheeled ATVs did
      increase. To date, it is not clear that legislative and educational activities
      are effective in reducing the number of ATV accidents or in changing the pattern
      of the accidents.

PMID- 1871993
TI  - The importance of bicycle helmets.

PMID- 1871994
TI  - Elastofibroma dorsi: report of two cases and literature review.
AB  - Two cases of elastofibroma dorsi are added to the 125 non-Asian cases reported in
      the last 31 years. Rapid growth followed by spontaneous total regression is
      reported for the first time. Confirmation of these observations by others and
      tissue confirmation are encouraged. Physician awareness of elastofibromas may
      reveal a higher incidence of occurrence and help avoid unnecessarily radical
      surgery. A comprehensive review of the literature discloses several current
      misconceptions.

PMID- 1871995
TI  - Fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules.
AB  - Between April 1982 and December 1988, we performed 611 fine needle aspiration
      (FNA) biopsies in 502 patients with solitary thyroid nodules. The biopsy results
      were classified as follows: unsatisfactory, 19%; benign, 53%; suspicious, 23%;
      and malignant, 5%. Malignant lesions were found at surgery in 24 of 25 patients
      with malignant cytology and 31 of 68 patients with suspicious cytology.
      Autonomous nodules, obviating the need for surgery, were detected in 5 of 36
      (14%) patients with cytology suspicious for follicular neoplasm. We conclude that
      FNA biopsy of the thyroid nodule is a safe and accurate diagnostic test. Thyroid
      scintigraphy remains useful in patients with cytologic results suspicious for
      follicular neoplasm. A cost-effective strategy for managing thyroid nodules is
      presented.

PMID- 1871996
TI  - Gallup poll measures Wisconsin's opinions on health care.

PMID- 1871997
TI  - Malignant melanoma: trends in Wisconsin, 1980-1989.

PMID- 1871998
TI  - Inhibitory effect of cigarette smoking on gastric emptying of a solid meal in
      patients with type I gastric ulcer.
AB  - The effect of cigarette smoking on gastric emptying (GE) of a radio-labelled
      solid meal was examined in 14 patients with type I gastric ulcer diagnosed at
      endoscopy. The patients underwent GE measurement thrice: under basal conditions
      and for two smoking sessions--without and after cimetidine pretreatment (2 x 400
      mg orally for 2 days and 400 mg orally 1.5 h before the isotopic GE examination).
      Cigarette smoking significantly delayed GE--the median GE index, Ix: 0.688 min
      1.10-2 (range 0.033-1.886) after smoking vs. 1.246 min-1.-2 (range 0.384-2.339)
      under basal conditions, p less than 0.01. The inhibitory effect of smoking on
      solid GE was blunted when smoking coincided with cimetidine pretreatment--the
      median Ix amounted to 1.069 min-1.10-2 (range 0.022-1.462) and was not
      significantly different from that under basal conditions.

PMID- 1871999
TI  - [Endosonography versus computerized tomography in preoperative staging of
      esophageal cancers].
AB  - The results of endosonography and computed tomography--using an optimized
      technique of CT--in preoperative staging of esophageal cancer are compared. In 22
      of 40 patients with esophageal tumors a complete passage by the ultrasonic
      endoscope was possible. Endosonography was superior to CT in the assessment of
      early stages of esophageal tumors (T1/T2). Out of nine tumors confined to the
      esophageal wall, eight were classified correctly by endosonography, only five by
      computed tomography. The results in T3- and T4-carcinomas (13 patients) were
      comparable for endosonography and computed tomography. Endosonography is of
      importance in the selection of patients with early stages of cancer, in whom a
      curative resectability is still possible.

PMID- 1872000
TI  - [Ultrasonic diagnosis of tumors of the cecum and ascending colon].
AB  - The results of preoperative ultrasound investigations were compared with the
      intraoperative findings in 42 patients (27 women, 15 men) operated on because of
      tumours of the cecum or colon ascendens. In 34 of 42 patients (i.e. 81%) the
      tumour could be correctly diagnosed by ultrasound. In 3 cases the investigator
      was not sure about imaging the tumour. Only in 5 cases (i.e. 12%) the tumour was
      not identified by ultrasound scanning. 4 out of these 5 patients had attended the
      hospital to be operated on because of a carcinoma of the rectum and the second
      carcinoma of the large bowel was found by chance intraoperatively. In 16 patients
      in whom the diagnosis of a large bowel carcinoma had not been established before,
      the tumour could be primarily diagnosed by ultrasound.

PMID- 1872001
TI  - [Endoscopic control of balloon dilatation of the pylorus].
AB  - After resection of a cardia carcinoma a gastric obstruction was observed. Because
      of a severe esophagitis the planned operation could not be performed. In the
      following a method of palliative treatment of pyloric dysfunction is described.
      Under fluoroscopic control a stiff balloon catheter was introduced into the
      stomach. Under endoscopic control a guide wire fitting the central lumen of the
      balloon catheter was passed into the pylorus by use of a biopsy forceps. Under
      endoscopic and fluoroscopic control the guide wire was positioned in the
      duodenum. Than the balloon catheter was passed through the pylorus both, under
      endoscopic and fluoroscopic control and inflated. No complication was observed.
      After dilatation of pylorus the patient was able to take food as usual. In the
      following weeks the esophagitis was treated and the pyloroplasty was performed
      successfully.

PMID- 1872002
TI  - [Heraclitus or the physician].

PMID- 1872003
TI  - ["Trypsinogen activation peptide"--new urine marker for early assessment of the
      severity of acute pancreatitis?].

PMID- 1872004
TI  - [Recurrent gallstone formation after successful lysis].

PMID- 1872005
TI  - [Acute vascular occlusion caused by percutaneous transluminal coronary
      angioplasty: early and late results of repeat-PTCA].
AB  - Acute vascular occlusion after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
      (PTCA) often necessitates a prompt aortocoronary bypass-operation (CABG).
      Alternatively, a re-PTCA can be attempted. In 1500 consecutive patients there was
      acute symptomatic occlusion due to PTCA 5 min to 16 h after the operation in 47
      cases (3.1%). An immediate re-PTCA was attempted in all cases. RESULTS: Reopening
      was successful in 43 of 47 cases (91%): in 15 patients (30%) within 30 min, in 36
      patients (68%) within 60 min and in 42 patients (89%) within 90 min. In eight
      patients there was early re-occlusion 30 min to 20 h after re-PTCA, necessitating
      acute CABG in four patients. In 35 patients with re-PTCA the vessel remained
      open. Re-stenosis occurred within 1 to 10 days in 10 patients, and in additional
      12 patients after 2-4 months. In most cases an additional PTCA was successful.
      COMPLICATIONS: Six patients had an emergency CABG (three with an exchange wire as
      a stent in the dissected coronary artery). Three patients died (one after CABG);
      14 patients experienced myocardial infarction (30%) (in three of these 14 the
      infarct was large). CONCLUSION: Acute vascular occlusion after PTCA can
      successfully be treated by re-PTCA in four of five cases. However a rate of re
      stenosis of about 60% is to be anticipated. Reperfusion with re-PTCA is fast and
      in these patients with transmural ischemia there are obviously less complications
      in comparison to emergency CABG after PTCA. 60% of the patients remain symptom
      free or markedly improved and without infarction or emergency CABG after 4
      months.

PMID- 1872006
TI  - [Long-term results of elective percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. A
      clinico-angiography study of 289 consecutive patients].
AB  - 289 consecutive patients (255 male, 34 female, 50 +/- 6 years) had an elective
      single-vessel-PTCA between October 1978 and March 1983. A clinical long-term
      follow-up was obtained after 4.7 (3-10) years. The PTCA success-rate was 73% with
      a non steerable balloon catheter being used in 95% of the cases. For 271/289
      patients with follow-up (94%), the 56-month-survival rate was 96%, the incidence
      of non-fatal myocardial infarctions 11%, and the need for a second intervention
      (PTCA and/or bypass surgery) was 39%. The most favorable long-term outcome was
      observed in patients without need of a second intervention (97% survival, 7% non
      fatal myocardial infarction, 83% without cardiac complaints during everyday
      life), and in patients with elective bypass surgery after an unsuccessful PTCA
      (100% survival, 5% myocardial infarction). 32/138 (23%) of patients without a
      second intervention during follow-up underwent an angiographic control after an
      average of 4.7 years. In comparison with the first follow-up angiogram 6 months
      after PTCA, the mean residual stenosis at the PTCA-site showed a slight decrease.
      It is concluded that PTCA offers good clinical and angio-graphic long-term
      results in single-vessel disease, with an excellent prognosis of patients without
      need for a second intervention.

PMID- 1872007
TI  - [Incidence of tricuspid valve prolapse].
AB  - The incidence of tricuspid valve prolapse and its association with mitral valve
      prolapse was studied in 100 patients with right- and left-ventricular
      angiography. Coronary artery disease was present in 81 patients (pts), a dilative
      cardiomyopathy in 6 pts, and a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2 pts. 11 pts were
      angiographically normal. A total of 27 pts had a tricuspid valve prolapse, and 15
      pts had a mitral valve prolapse. In 19 pts prolapse of the tricuspid valve was
      isolated, and in 8 pts it was associated with a mitral valve prolapse. The
      associated finding of a prolapse of the tricuspid and mitral valve was
      statistically significant (p less than 0.02). Patients with a tricuspid valve
      prolapse experienced a higher right-ventricular ejection fraction (58 + 10 vs 53
      +/- 10%; p less than 0.05) and smaller end-systolic right ventricular volume
      indices (39 +/- 16 vs 47 +/- 17 ml/m2; p less than 0.05) compared to those
      without tricuspid valve prolapse. There was no further difference in clinical and
      hemodynamic parameters between those with and those without tricuspid valve
      prolapse. The clinical significance of a tricuspid valve prolapse is still
      undefined.

PMID- 1872008
TI  - [Course of dilatative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].
AB  - Five patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy developed left-ventricular
      dilatation and congestive heart failure during an observation period of 16-29
      years. In one patient cardiac transplantation had to be performed. The initial
      predominant symptoms of outflow-tract obstruction and diastolic dysfunction
      developed into progressive left-ventricular systolic failure. The question of
      whether this is a well-defined subgroup of patients with hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy, or whether hypertrophic cardiomyopathy turns into a phase of left
      ventricular dilatation and failure after some years remains to be elucidated by
      long-term studies.

PMID- 1872009
TI  - [Non-invasive detection of left ventricular diastolic function in variously
      trained endurance athletes during a marathon run with pulsed Doppler sonography].
AB  - To evaluate left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in long distance runners LV
      filling parameters were assessed by Doppler echocardiography during marathon race
      in 23 male subjects. On the basis of their personal record the athletes were
      divided into two groups: 12 endurance athletes (END; 218 min over 42 km) aged 34
      years (29/37, median and 25%/75%-percentiles) and 11 ultra endurance athletes
      (ULTRA; 152 min over 42 km) aged 32 years (28/37). At rest 21 healthy untrained
      subjects (UT) aged 33 years (28/37) served as control group. In long distance
      runners the values for LV mass and LV mass index were significantly higher in END
      with 210 (168/253) g rsp. 110 (87/135) g/m2 and in ULTRA with 225 (179/267) g
      rsp. 118 (93/142) g/m2 as compared to UT with 129 (105/162) g rsp. 68 (57/79)
      g/m2 (p less than 0.001 each). Doppler-derived mitral flow was characterized by
      the early passive (E wave) and late (A wave) diastolic inflow. In particular
      atrial filling fraction (AFF) as the relative atrial contribution to LV filling
      was measured. At rest and at km 21 we saw a normal filling behaviour (AFF = 27%
      bzw. 28%) in both groups of long distance runners with an AFF of 27 (26/29)% in
      END and an AFF of 28 (26/29) in ULTRA. In END AFF rose to 42 (38/47)% at km 42 (p
      less than 0.001) and remained significantly elevated with 37 (35/42)% until 30
      min post marathon (p less than 0.05). Only 60 min post exercise AFF returned to
      baseline values with an AFF of 28 (25/39)% in END. In contrast at km 42 in ULTRA
      AFF was significantly lower and at baseline levels with 26 (25/29)% compared to
      END (p less than 0.001) and did not significantly change in the further course of
      the post running period. CONCLUSION: Long distance runners show a normal LV
      filling behaviour at rest despite significant LV hypertrophy. In contrast to top
      class athletes (ULTRA) there is a shift of LV filling from early (E wave) to late
      (A wave) diastole in less trained runners (END) during marathon. Thus, the
      results indicate an impairment of early diastolic LV filling in amateur endurance
      athletes (END) during extreme physical exercise.

PMID- 1872010
TI  - [Myocarditis caused by Toxoplasma gondii and Aspergillus fumigatus after
      orthotopic heart transplantation].
AB  - This report describes the case of a 56-year-old patient, who died 53 days after
      orthotopic heart transplantation due to myocarditis caused by infection with
      Aspergillus fumigatus and Toxoplasma gondii. Aspergillosis was diagnosed by
      transthoracic needle aspiration of a pulmonary infiltration. Endomyocardial
      biopsy showed toxoplasma pseudocysts. Autopsy revealed myocardial infection with
      both infectious agents. Despite specific therapy, myocarditis determined the
      fatal outcome in this case. The value of invasive techniques for specific
      diagnosis of infectious diseases in immunocompromised patients is discussed.

PMID- 1872011
TI  - Leprosy vaccines.
AB  - Leprosy is the clinical manifestation of chronic infection with Mycobacterium
      leprae, an intracellular parasite with a predilection for skin and nerves.
      Disabilities and mutilations associated with this disease, which are attributable
      primarily to nerve involvement, have made leprosy among the most feared and
      stigmatizing of all diseases. It is still widespread in the warmer regions of the
      globe, including southern Europe, southern USA and most of the developing
      countries. Though widespread, the distribution of the disease in endemic regions
      is sparse (a prevalence rate of 1 per 1000 is high) and predominantly rural, for
      reasons which are not understood, but which add to the difficulty of providing
      effective disease control.

PMID- 1872012
TI  - Adverse events following measles-mumps-rubella and measles vaccinations in
      college students.
AB  - We studied adverse events reported by 401 measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
      vaccinees and 391 unvaccinated controls at one college, and 133 measles (M)
      vaccinees and 352 unvaccinated controls at an adjacent college during a measles
      outbreak in Massachusetts in 1985. Rates of symptoms and signs experienced by MMR
      vaccinees, M vaccinees, and controls were essentially similar. No serious adverse
      events were detected.

PMID- 1872013
TI  - Effect of a synthetic adjuvant for inducing anti-tumour immunity.
AB  - An acylated derivative of muramyl dipeptide (MDP), 6-O-(2-tetradecyl
      hexadecanoyl)-muramyl-dipeptide (B30-MDP) is a strong adjuvant effective in
      inducing cell-mediated immunity. We used B30-MDP as an adjuvant for induction of
      anti-tumour immunity. Guinea-pigs which were injected repeatedly with a mixture
      of X-ray-treated leukaemic cells and B30-MDP dissolved in phosphate buffered
      saline resisted a challenge of leukaemia cells and showed no sign of
      leukocytosis. The immunity induced was tumour-specific and retained for more than
      100 days. These results suggest that B30-MDP is useful as a simple but potent
      immunotherapeutic tool.

PMID- 1872014
TI  - Improvement of hepatitis B vaccine by the use of a new adjuvant.
AB  - Humoral and cellular immune responses of mice and guinea-pigs to hepatitis B
      virus surface antigen when alum-precipitated or administered with Syntex Adjuvant
      Formulation (SAF) were compared. Two doses of HBsAg in SAF were sufficient to
      elicit antibody responses, and using SAF the dose of antigen could be reduced to
      one-tenth of that required to elicit antibody responses by alum-adjuvanted HBsAg.
      The use of SAF increased and made more consistent the antibody responses in young
      mice and in strains of mice with inherited low responses to HBsAg. Cellular
      responses to HBsAg were more consistently observed when SAF was used than when
      alum was used. SAF increased the formation of IgG2a antibodies in mice except in
      the B10.M strain; antibodies of this isotype activate complement and act
      synergistically with antibody-dependent effector cells more efficiently than
      antibodies of other isotypes. If SAF proves acceptable for human use it could
      improve vaccines against hepatitis B virus.

PMID- 1872015
TI  - Principles of selective inactivation of viral genome. V. Rational selection of
      conditions for inactivation of the viral suspension infectivity to a given extent
      by the action of beta-propiolactone.
AB  - The influence of the initial concentration of beta-propiolactone, the composition
      of the solution, temperature, and pH on the bacteriophage MS2 infectivity
      inactivation kinetics has been studied. Rate constants have been determined for
      the infectivity inactivation and for the change in the concentration (the
      consumption) of the reactant under inactivation conditions. These constants have
      been shown to permit a sufficiently precise description of the phage MS2 survival
      curves under the action of beta-propiolactone. These data have been used to put
      forward a kinetic approach for the rational determination of conditions for
      inactivation of the viral infectivity to a required extent with agents whose
      concentration decreases during inactivation as a result of hydrolysis and
      reactions involving the medium components.

PMID- 1872016
TI  - Changes of the immunological patterns against measles, mumps and rubella. A
      vaccination programme studied 3 to 7 years after the introduction of a two-dose
      schedule.
AB  - A two-dose vaccination programme using a combined measles, mumps and rubella
      vaccine (MMR) and administration at the ages of 18 months and 12 years was
      introduced in 1982. The 12-year-old schoolchildren were tested yearly from 1985
      to 1989 on serum samples obtained prior to and after vaccination. Each year
      between 420 and 756 children were tested. The method used for antibody testing
      was the haemolysis-in-gel (HIG) assay. For measles also the enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the neutralization titre (NT) were applied. Only
      minor variations of the prevaccination immunity to measles were seen during the
      period 3-7 years after introduction of the programme. The age groups studied had
      partly been vaccinated against measles earlier. Between 12 and 16% lacked
      prevaccination immunity. In contrast the immunity to mumps and rubella of the 12
      year-old children decreased considerably during the study period. No general
      vaccination against these diseases had been performed. Thus the susceptibility to
      mumps increased from 14% in 1985 to 39% in 1989 and to rubella from 41 to 57%.
      The seroconversion rate of children seronegative for measles was high, i.e. 100%
      in 1985 and later varied between 96 and 97%. For mumps, the seroconversion rate
      was lower and varied between 72 and 88%. All sera converted to rubella. During
      the follow-up period there was a declining incidence of measles, mumps and
      rubella. The relationship between the vaccination and reduction of disease and
      natural immunity strongly suggests that the association is causal and that this
      vaccination policy reduced the transmission of infection.

PMID- 1872017
TI  - Programmed antigenic stimulation: kinetics of the immune response to challenge
      infections of mice primed with influenza inactivated whole virus or neuraminidase
      vaccine.
AB  - Mice were immunized with either inactivated whole virus influenza A (H3N2) virus
      (WV) vaccine or with purified N2 neuraminidase (NA) vaccine then challenged with
      mouse-adapted homologous infective virus at intervals of 1-141 days later in
      order to ascertain the optimal vaccine-infection interval for induction of
      resistance to subsequent infection. Measured by serological or infection
      suppressing response, this interval was 15 days for both vaccines. Maximal
      reduction in pulmonary virus replication during initial (postvaccination)
      infection was achieved with WV vaccine, but in second infection by NA vaccine.
      This study provides further support for the concept of infection-permissive
      immunization with NA vaccines and suggests the promise of programmed antigenic
      stimulation by coupling of non-replicating and replicating antigens in the
      induction of solid immunity.

PMID- 1872018
TI  - Enhancement of in vivo and in vitro T cell response against measles virus
      haemagglutinin after its incorporation into liposomes: effect of the phospholipid
      composition.
AB  - Artificial phospholipid bilayer vesicles were tested for their capacity to
      enhance the priming and the restimulation of mouse T cells against the
      haemagglutinin (H) glycoprotein of the measles virus in vivo and in vitro. H
      glycoprotein was purified and incorporated into liposomes made of cholesterol,
      dicetylphosphate and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) or
      distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC). H in DLPC or DSPC-liposomes was found to be
      a potent in vivo stimulator of lymph node T cells harvested from mice immunized
      with measles virus, whereas H glycoprotein in free form did not elicit any
      proliferative T cell response. When used to immunize naive mice, only H in DSPC
      liposomes was able to prime T cells as evidenced by the capacity of lymph node
      cells to proliferate in the presence of H in liposomes or measles virus as
      secondary stimulating agents in vitro. H-specific T cell clones derived from
      animals immunized with H in DSPC-liposomes were able to recognize H glycoprotein
      both in free form and incorporated into liposomes in the presence of naive spleen
      cells as APC. However, compared with the liposome forms, 20-fold more H protein
      in free form was required to elicit a T cell clone response at a similar level.
      This liposome immune enhancing effect on the T cell clone recognition of H
      glycoprotein was also observed when peritoneal exudate cells were used as APC.
      These data demonstrate that the insertion of a membrane-derived antigen into
      artificial membranes may be a prerequisite for the priming and stimulation of
      specific T cells both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, the nature of the
      phospholipid used to build the liposomes appears to be a critical parameter.

PMID- 1872019
TI  - Comparative safety and immunogenicity of yeast recombinant hepatitis B vaccines
      containing S and pre-S2 + S antigens.
AB  - One hundred and four healthy, hepatitis B virus (HBV) seronegative males were
      enrolled in a single blind, randomized pilot study to compare antibody and
      clinical responses to a yeast recombinant pre-S2 + S vaccine and a yeast
      recombinant S antigen vaccine (Recombivax HBR). Participants received either a
      12, 24 or 48 micrograms dose of pre-S2 + S vaccine (with a 1:5 ratio by weight of
      pre-S2 and S antigens) or a 10 micrograms dose of Recombivax HBR by intramuscular
      injection at 0, 1 and 6 months; their serological and biochemical responses were
      measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 months, while their clinical responses were
      monitored for 5 days after each injection. The proportion of vaccines with minor
      local or systemic complaints (mainly sore arm, malaise, myalgia, fatigue) and the
      proportion developing antibody to surface antigen (anti-HBs) were similar for all
      vaccine groups. Transient elevations in alanine aminotransferase occurred
      infrequently. By 7 months almost all vaccinees developed anti-HBs, but titres
      were generally higher among recipients of pre-S2 + S vaccine. Antibody to pre-S2
      antigen developed in 70-75% by 2 months and in 91-96% by 7 months. These data
      imply that the recombinant yeast pre-S2 + S vaccine is as well tolerated and as
      immunogenic as Recombivax HBR. Further studies are being conducted to assess
      antibody responses in larger numbers of healthy adults as well as in special
      populations with sub-optimal responses to currently licensed hepatitis B
      vaccines.

PMID- 1872020
TI  - Algammulin, a new vaccine adjuvant comprising gamma inulin particles containing
      alum: preparation and in vitro properties.
AB  - Crystallization of inulin with alum forms a fine (1-2 micron) suspension of
      electron-dense ovoids; the alum is embedded in inulin particles, which are then
      converted to the immune stimulant polymorphic form, gamma inulin. This very
      stable hybrid preparation is termed Algammulin. Preferred conditions for its
      preparation are described. The alum still adsorbs protein. Gamma inulin is
      equally able to activate the alternative pathway of complement in vitro whether
      free or combined as Algammulin. Gamma inulin, either free or combined as
      Algammulin, dissolved on heating over a narrow temperature range that can be used
      to characterize the polymorphic form of the inulin.

PMID- 1872021
TI  - Virulence phenotype and genetic characteristics of the T32-ISTRATI Shigella
      flexneri 2a vaccine strain.
AB  - The T32-ISTRATI strain, which has been used as an oral attenuated Shigella
      flexneri 2a vaccine, has lost the invasive phenotype due to a spontaneous
      deletion in the shigella virulence plasmid. This deletion has eliminated three
      plasmid loci (ipaBCDA, invA and virG) that are necessary for production of a
      positive Sereny test by Shigella species. Virulence in the Sereny test was
      reconstituted in the T32-ISTRATI strain by the conjugal transfer of an intact 140
      M Da virulence plasmid from S. flexneri 5. The T32-ISTRATI vaccine is safe when
      given orally in multiple doses of 50-100 x 10(9) organisms, and both homologous
      and heterologous protection has been reported in large Romanian and Chinese field
      trials. Although the protective antigen(s) in this vaccine have not been
      identified, the potential use of non-invasive plasmid deletion mutants as living
      shigella vaccines is illustrated by the T32-ISTRATI vaccine.

PMID- 1872022
TI  - Immunogenicity achieved by the intradermal hepatitis B vaccination programme for
      US Army soldiers in Korea.
AB  - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are a significant threat to the 30,000 US Army
      soldiers stationed in South Korea. Hepatitis B surface antigen carrier rates in
      some Korean populations may run as high as 15%, and HBV incidence estimates for
      US soldiers in Korea have ranged from 0.6 to 6% per year. In response to this
      threat, on 1 October 1986 the US Army instituted a mandatory three-dose (0, 30
      60, and 60+ days), 0.1 ml per dose, intradermal (i.d.) immunization regimen for
      all soldiers bound for permanent assignments in Korea. Although shown to be
      immunogenic in experimental studies, the i.d. route had never been attempted on
      as large a scale as in this operational setting. During September 1987, an
      evaluation of programme compliance and immune response was conducted. For those
      who received three doses according to schedule, antibody response was similar to
      that reported by previous controlled trials that used the i.d. approach. The
      three-dose i.d. series appeared to provide protective antibody levels in at least
      67% of soldiers, but, consistent with previous trials, antibody levels were
      approximately one-half those obtained following intramuscular vaccination. We
      conclude that, as a cost-reduction strategy, wide-scale use of intradermal
      hepatitis B vaccine may be useful in situations characterized by short-term
      increased HBV infection risk.

PMID- 1872023
TI  - Antibody response of pregnant women to two different absorbed tetanus toxoids.
AB  - The antibody response in pregnant women vaccinated with either of two different
      adsorbed tetanus toxoids has been studied. One vaccine (A), prepared by toxoiding
      purified tetanus toxin followed by its adsorption onto calcium phosphate,
      exhibited a low titre expressed as international immunizing units, 69 IIU/0.5 ml.
      The other vaccine (B), prepared by purifying formalinized crude tetanus toxin and
      adsorbing it onto aluminium phosphate showed a high titre, 212 IIU/0.5 ml. No
      significant differences between titres of circulating antibodies were obtained
      after the first injection of either vaccine, but titres after the second
      injection were much higher for vaccine A as compared with those obtained using
      vaccine B. The results showed that the immune response in human beings is not
      correlated to titres expressed in IIU. These results confirm that other methods
      should be adopted for evaluating the potency of vaccines. A simplified technique
      based on the comparison of circulating antitoxin levels after vaccination of mice
      has recently been proposed.

PMID- 1872024
TI  - Passage of molecules through yeast cell walls: a brief essay-review.

PMID- 1872025
TI  - Inositol biosynthesis: Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes share
      common regulation.
AB  - The Candida albicans inositol biosynthetic gene and its regulation have been
      studied. The gene, CalNO1, was cloned on a multicopy vector by complementation of
      a Saccharomyces cerevisae mutant strain. Southern blot analysis established that
      the cloned DNA was C. albicans genomic DNA in origin; neither rearrangements nor
      pseudogenes were evident. Blot hybridization analysis using RNA isolated from C.
      albicans revealed that a single RNA species (1.8 kilobases) was homologous to the
      cloned DNA fragment. The steady-state levels of these transcripts were shown to
      be regulated in response to inositol in the growth media. In addition, the steady
      state levels of the RNA encoded by the cloned C. albicans DNA present in S.
      cerevisiae on a plasmid (YRpCalNO1) were regulated in response to exogenously
      provided inositol. The cloned C. albicans DNA fragment was shown to restore
      inositol-1-phosphate synthase activity to a S. cerevisiae mutant strain defective
      in this enzyme. This activity was also shown to be regulated in response to the
      presence of inositol in the growth media.

PMID- 1872026
TI  - Optimization of Bacillus alpha-amylase production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Production of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase by Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae using the multicopy plasmid pAAH5 and ways of improving the yields of
      secreted enzyme were studied. In standard non-buffered medium, alpha-amylase was
      rapidly inactivated but stabilization of the pH at 6 led to stable accumulation
      of alpha-amylase in the culture medium. Removal of 1100 bp of the upstream
      sequence of the ADH1 promoter present on pAAH5 resulted in delayed but increased
      alpha-amylase production: 29-fold in selective medium, two-fold in non-selective
      medium. With the original ADH1 promoter, accumulation of alpha-amylase in the
      medium started to level off before the cultures reached stationary phase and was
      very low when exponentially growing cells were transferred from glucose to
      ethanol. This coincided with the appearance of a mRNA larger than the alpha
      amylase messenger. With the shortened promoter, the normal-size alpha-amylase
      mRNA was detected under all growth conditions and alpha-amylase was efficiently
      secreted into the medium also late in stationary phase and after transfer to
      ethanol. Highest total yields of alpha-amylase were obtained with the short
      promoter in non-selective glucose-containing medium; this may be explained by the
      greater final cell density obtained. However, the production of alpha-amylase per
      cell mass was higher in ethanol-containing selective medium. Seventy to eighty
      per cent of the alpha-amylase activity was secreted into the medium independent
      of the total amount produced.

PMID- 1872027
TI  - DNA insertions in the 'silent' regions of the 2 microns plasmid of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae influence plasmid stability.
AB  - The 2 microns plasmid of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is in principle a
      suitable vector for expression of foreign genes, due to its high copy number and
      extreme stability. However, the cloning of genes into 2 microns often results in
      a reduced copy number and/or reduced stability. One reason for this observed
      instability could be that the inserts in general were made in one of the several
      open reading frames (ORFs) of the plasmid. Therefore we studied the effect on
      stability of insertions in the silent regions of 2 microns without interrupting
      any known essential regions or ORFs. Using the SnaBI site, a yeast-integrating
      plasmid (Yip5) was introduced into the region between the ARS and STB locus in
      two possible orientations. The resulting plasmids could be stably maintained in
      the cells without the need for complementation by the wild-type 2 microns
      plasmid. However, the stability of these plasmids in a cir. host was still one to
      two orders of magnitude lower (0.2% and 0.8% respectively) as reported for the
      wild-type 2 microns (0.01%). Removal of 2 kb of the bacterial sequences from Yip5
      did not increase stability. The stability was dependent on the orientation of the
      insert. We found that in the less stable orientation, transcription originating
      from the insert was running into the STB region. DNA inserted in the XmaIII site
      located outside the ORFs in the REP2/FLP intergenic region influenced both
      stability and copy number of the plasmid. These effects are strongly dependent on
      the size of the insert. Insertion of a 2 kb DNA fragment increased the copy
      number, probably through an effect on FLP expression.

PMID- 1872028
TI  - Induction of a heat-shock-type response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae following
      glucose limitation.
AB  - The protein pattern of yeast cells which have arrested proliferation in response
      to glucose exhaustion is drastically different from that of exponentially growing
      cells (Boucherie, 1985). In this study, we used two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis to characterize the protein events responsible for these
      alterations. We found that the induction of heat-shock proteins is one of the
      major events responsible for these changes. This induction accounts for the
      synthesis of 18 of the 35 novel polypeptides observed in glucose-limited cells.
      It was shown to occur in combination with two other protein events: the
      derepression of carbon catabolite repressed proteins, which accounts for the
      synthesis of the other novel polypeptides, and an arrest of the synthesis of
      almost all the proteins present in exponentially growing cells. The time course
      of each of these events was determined by carrying out a detailed analysis of the
      pattern of proteins synthesized at various stages of a culture exhausting its
      glucose supply, and by the measurement of the rate of synthesis of individual
      polypeptides. The results showed in particular that the synthesis of most of the
      heat-shock proteins synthesized in glucose-limited cells was induced closely
      before glucose exhaustion, and that this synthesis was transient, climaxing by
      the time glucose was exhausted. Under the culture condition investigated, the
      entry into stationary phase associated with glucose limitation began several
      hours before glucose exhaustion. It was thus concluded that the observed
      induction of heat-shock proteins is directly related to the nutritional
      limitation and is independent from the arrest of cell proliferation.

PMID- 1872029
TI  - A new glucose-repressible gene identified from the analysis of chromatin
      structure in deletion mutants of yeast SUC2 locus.
AB  - We have previously shown that some changes occur in the chromatin structure of
      the 3' flank of the yeast SUC2 gene in going from a repressed to an active state.
      In an attempt to find out the causes of these changes, we have carried out
      experiments in which mutant copies of SUC2 locus lacking either 5' or 3' flanks
      have been analysed for their transcriptional activity and chromatin structure.
      These experiments allowed us to discard any relationship between SUC2
      transcription and chromatin changes within its 3'flank. Sequencing of this flank
      and mRNA analysis, however, resulted in the location of a putative peroxisomal 3
      oxoacyl-CoA thiolase gene (POT1), which is repressible by glucose. The disruption
      of the gene produced a yeast strain unable to use oleic acid as a carbon source.
      This is the first time that chromatin structure analysis has permitted the
      identification of a new gene.

PMID- 1872030
TI  - Two genes encoding putative mitochondrial alcohol dehydrogenases are present in
      the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis.
AB  - Four structural genes encoding isozymes of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) system
      in the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis have been identified by hybridization to ADH2
      DNA probes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this paper we report on the
      isolation of KlADH4 and the complete sequencing of KlADH3 and KlADH4, two genes
      which show high homology to KlADH1, the ADH gene previously isolated in K.
      lactis, and to the ADH genes of S. cerevisiae. When compared with KlADH1, both
      KlADH3 and KlADH4 encode amino-terminal extensions which show the characteristics
      of the mitochondrial targeting sequences. These extensions are poorly conserved
      both at the nucleotide and the amino acid level. Surprisingly, the KlADH4
      extension shows a higher identity at the amino acid level to the one encoded by
      ADH3 of S. cerevisiae than to the KlADH3 presequence. KlADH3 and KlADH4, in
      contrast to the ADH3 gene of S. cerevisiae, show a strong bias in the choice of
      codons.

PMID- 1872031
TI  - Multi-functional DNA proteins in yeast: the factors GFI and GFII are identical to
      the ARS-binding factor ABFI and the centromere-binding factor CPF1 respectively.
AB  - GFI and GFII are abundant DNA-binding proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae. Binding sites for GFI conform to the sequence 5'-RTCRYNNNNNACG-3'.
      This consensus can also accommodate the recognition sequence for the ARS1-binding
      factor ABFI. Results of retardation-competition assays, limited proteolysis
      experiments, molecular weight determinations based on denaturation-renaturation
      procedures and mobility shift assays of protein-DNA complexes formed in the
      presence of a monoclonal antibody raised against ABFI suggest strongly that GFI
      and ABFI are the same protein. Similarly, GFII appears to be identical to the
      centromere-binding protein CPF1 (alias CP1), since both proteins bind to the CDEI
      motif of yeast centromeres (5'-RTCACRTG-3') and cannot be detected in a cpf1
      disruption mutant yeast strain. In addition, based on denaturation-renaturation
      studies, both factors appear to have molecular weights in the same range of 53-62
      kDa.

PMID- 1872032
TI  - The complete sequence of the unit YCR59, situated between CRY1 and MAT, reveals
      two long open reading frames, which cover 91% of the 10.1 kb segment.
AB  - We have entirely sequenced YCR59, which is a 10.1 kb segment of the right arm of
      chromosome III, and is part of the clone E5F from the Newlon collection. The
      segment contains two long open reading frames (ORFs): YCR591 which starts in the
      adjacent fragment H9G (situated towards CRY1 and the centromere), and continues
      with 1833 codons in YCR59. The second ORFYCR592 is 1226 codons long and encoded
      entirely within YCR59. The two ORFs represent 91% of the total length of the
      segment. Excellent agreement in both location and length is found between the
      ORFs YCR591 and YCR592 and the transcripts 86 and 87 respectively in the
      Yoshikawa and Isono (1990) map of chromosome III. The two ORFs correspond to new
      genes and show no significant similarity with any known genes.

PMID- 1872034
TI  - Inhibitors of human and bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin in fenugreek (Trigonella
      foenum-graecum L.) seeds. Isolation and characterization.
AB  - Three fenugreek inhibitors (TFI-A8, TFI-N2, and TFI-B2) were isolated from an
      inhibitor preparation by anion exchange chromatography and subsequent preparative
      isoelectric focusing using immobilized pH gradients and the canal technique. The
      purified inhibitors inhibited the enzymes tested differently: TFI-A8 exhibited a
      high inhibition of trypsin (8.2 mg human trypsin/mg and 8.1 mg bovine trypsin/mg)
      and a very low inhibition of chymotrypsin (0.8 mg human chymotrypsin/mg and 1.0
      mg bovine chymotrypsin/mg). TFI-N2 inhibited the four enzymes to about the same
      extent (5.0 mg/mg human and 4.1 mg/mg bovine trypsin; 4.9 mg/mg human and 3.7
      mg/mg bovine chymotrypsin). TFI-B2 displayed a high inhibition of trypsin (7.5
      mg/mg human and 5.1 mg/mg bovine) and a low inhibition of chymotrypsin (1.8 mg/mg
      human and 1.9 mg/mg bovine). On average, the human enzymes were inhibited better
      than the bovine ones by the purified inhibitors. The inhibitors contained high
      amounts of cystine (five or six disulfide bridges per molecule), aspartic acid,
      threonine, serine and proline, no valine and methionine and two of them also no
      tryptophan. Their molecular masses were about 6 kDa. Their inclusion into the
      Bowman-Birk soybean proteinase inhibitor family is discussed.

PMID- 1872033
TI  - Sequence of the CDC10 region at chromosome III of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - A 4.74 kb DNA fragment from the right arm of chromosome III of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae, adjacent to the centromere region was sequenced. Four open reading
      frames with an ATG initiation codon and larger than 200 bp were found in this
      fragment. The largest open reading frame of 966 bp was identified as the CDC10
      gene.

PMID- 1872035
TI  - [Quality and topography of head and face pain in patients with dysfunction pain
      syndrome].
AB  - 264 patients with the dysfunction-pain-syndrome (DPS) and with headache were
      examined in finding characteristic pain quality, pain intensity and pain
      locations. With the 24 adjective word list we could find 9 special adjectives for
      the Patients with the DPS. With the pain intensity test we found that 30% of the
      patients had very strong pains. Out of the pain location list the main locations
      were the area in front of the ears, the temples, the forehead, the area around
      the eyes and the upper jaw. This shows that all patients had chronic pains.

PMID- 1872036
TI  - [Biocompatibility of precious metal dental alloys].
AB  - The local toxicity of three dental gold alloys was examined by help of
      intramuscular implantation tests in rabbits. For each alloy implantation periods
      of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks were used. The local tissue reactions (foreign body
      reactions) were judged and graded by use of quantitative histomorphometry.
      Furthermore specific cellular parameters were examined with semiquantitative
      histopathologic methods to get an toxicity index for each material. The local
      tissue reactions caused by the implanted dental alloys were judged in relation to
      those, caused by biological inert materials (titanium, aluminum-oxide-ceramics)
      respectively materials with well-known toxic potential (polyvinyl-chloride with
      toxic aids), after intramuscular implantation in the same animals. Significant
      differences were found in the tissue reactions caused by the dental gold alloys;
      an gold alloy with lower noble metal content elicited stronger tissue reactions
      than both gold alloys with high noble metal content did.

PMID- 1872037
TI  - [Occlusion and dysfunction symptoms].
AB  - A sample of 81 students were examined for symptoms and signs associated with
      mandibular dysfunction. Women had a higher prevalence of these signs, which
      occurred statistically significant more frequently in subjects showing occlusal
      disturbances.

PMID- 1872038
TI  - [Marginal adaptation of SR-Isosit composite inlays. In vivo results after 12
      months].
AB  - The present in vivo study assessed the marginal behaviour of in total 43 "SR
      Isosit" composite inlays. SEM-analysis of replica models indicated a continuous
      loss of marginal adaptation within the one year period of clinical use.
      Cavomarginal degradation predominantly took place on the contact surface between
      composite resin inlay and resin luting agent by (micro-)fractures of thin and
      instable inlay margins.

PMID- 1872039
TI  - [Investigation of baker's caries in bakery and confectionary students].
AB  - If the labial surfaces of a baker's teeth are attacked by caries, this will be
      accepted to be a result of his occupation by German laws, although it is only
      based on suppositions. The results of our investigations showed, however, that
      bakers do not have more caries of this pattern than the rest of the population.
      The DMFS-score, on the other hand, is somewhat higher by bakers over 30 years of
      age.

PMID- 1872040
TI  - [Can choice of medications and adjuvants reduce risks of local anesthetic
      complications?].
AB  - Local anesthetic agents in high concentrations may cause local irritation by
      ischemia especially after the use of adrenaline whereas felypressin has no tissue
      irritating properties. Adrenaline but not felypressin increases the intravenous
      systemic toxicity. Noradrenaline has to be avoided as a vasoconstrictor. An
      aspiration test before injection will decrease the risk of inadvertent
      intravenous injection.

PMID- 1872041
TI  - [6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid level in plasma, synovial fluid and adjacent
      tissue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or gonarthroses after a 4-day
      therapy with nabumetone (Arthaxan)].
AB  - The concentration of 6-methoxy-2-naphthyl acetic acid (6-MNA) in plasma, synovial
      fluid, synovial tissue and fibrous capsule tissue was determined in an open study
      with 20 patients scheduled for knee joint surgery after oral treatment with
      nabumetone (Arthaxan) under steady state conditions. 6-MNA is the principal
      metabolite of the prodrug nabumetone arising from an extensive first-pass
      metabolism in the liver. The patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (n =
      12) or osteoarthritis stage III or IV (n = 8) received a daily dose of 1 g
      nabumetone nocte starting 4 days prior to surgery. On day 1 an additional loading
      dose of 1 g nabumetone was given in the morning. At the time of surgery (day 5)
      simultaneously blood and synovial fluid was aspirated and after medial opening of
      the knee joint biopsies of synovial tissue and fibrous capsule tissue were taken.
      The samples were analysed employing HPLC. After 4 days of treatment mean 6-MNA
      concentration in plasma was 40.76 micrograms/ml, in synovial fluid 34.79
      micrograms/ml, in synovial tissue 19.33 micrograms/g and in fibrous capsule
      tissue 11.43 micrograms/g. Under steady state conditions mean synovial fluid
      levels of 6-MNA were higher than after application of a single dose.

PMID- 1872042
TI  - [Felbinac gel for treatment of localized extra-articular rheumatic diseases--a
      multicenter, placebo controlled, randomized study].
AB  - 281 patients with extra-articular rheumatic disorders (enthesiopathy, bursitis,
      tendinosis, fibrositis) and moderate or severe localized pain during rest or
      movement in shoulder, neck, elbow or knee were randomized into groups and treated
      for 14 days in a double blind study with either 1 g Felbinac Gel 3% (biphenyl
      acetic acid) three times daily (N = 142) or with the gel formulation only (N =
      139). In 50% of the patients treated with Felbinac Gel compared to 29% of the
      placebo treated patients (p = 0.001), the investigator assessed the global
      therapeutic success to be good or very good. The magnitude of complaints judged
      on the basis of a visual analogous scale by patients and doctor showed a
      significant improvement in pain reduction during rest or activity after 14 days
      of treatment in the Felbinac group. The rheumatic complaints diminished equally
      according to patient judgement in both treatment groups and the concomitant use
      of paracetamol was low in both groups. No significant side-effects or changes in
      laboratory parameters were observed during therapy. Felbinac Gel therefore is
      suitable for a low-risk topical therapy of soft tissue rheumatic disorders.

PMID- 1872043
TI  - [Intra-articular osteoid osteoma: a rare cause of coxitis].
AB  - Osteoid-osteoma is a frequent benign tumor of the bone. In cases with peri- or
      intraarticular localisation symptoms suggestive of arthritis may occur. We report
      on a 25-year-old patient with a painful hip during exercise as well as in the
      night. Conventional radiographs were unremarkable. However, ultrasound and
      computertomography revealed joint effusion of the hip. Scintigraphic and
      tomographic findings were compatible with an osteoid osteoma. Histology of the
      surgically removed tumor confirmed this diagnosis. Moreover, a lympho-follicular
      synovitis was found.

PMID- 1872044
TI  - [New pathogenetic aspects of ankylosing spondylitis].
AB  - Ankylosing spondylitis is one of the oldest diseases in humans; however, it is
      still one of the most fascinating and mysterious in human pathology. The unusual
      combination of both fundamental pathological processes: inflammation and
      ossification (which are mostly independent in respect to time and place) is
      unique. Until 1973, ankylosing spondylitis did not attract much immunological
      research. After the detection of an association between HLA B27 and the disease,
      clinical and immunological research was stimulated. It was supposed that HLA B27
      may be a pathogenic factor. Meanwhile, it has become well known that HLA B27
      itself is not required for development of the disease; however, discovery of
      immunological cross-reactivity between HLA B27 and some Klebsiella antigens
      inspired pathogenic considerations. It is discussed that the structural
      similarities between enteric bacteria and HLA B27 induce autoantibodies, or that
      HLA B27 plays a role in antigen recognition. Possibly, HLA B27 may also act as a
      receptor for infectious agents and their products. Fascinating, but controversely
      discussed is the hypothesis that bacterial products modify the B27 molecule and,
      in this way, trigger the disease. All present theories about pathogenesis of
      ankylosing spondylitis are unsatisfactory, because many important questions
      cannot be answered. There are no explanations for the unusual affinity of
      possible pathogenic immune reactions to the spine and other organs, the induction
      of ossification, the merging of cartilage, or the development of sacroilitis.
      Especially, we do not know the important bridge (if one exists) between
      inflammation and ossification. The typical ossification of the spine is of
      dramatic consequence for the patient in respect to function and
      mobility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872045
TI  - [Morphology and growth behavior of synovial cells in monolayer culture].
AB  - Synovial fluid cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic
      arthritis, peripheral arthritis in ankylosing spondylitis, dialysis arthropathy,
      osteoarthrosis, and joint disorders due to acute trauma were grown in monolayer
      cultures and examined by light and electron microscopy at arbitrarily chosen
      times and in various subcultures. The cultivated cells from these sources were
      compared with the cells of synovial tissue (cultured under the same conditions)
      from patients with osteoarthrosis and traumatized joints. Our results are not in
      agreement with those of most other authors. In contrast to many authors, we could
      not find any differences between the cultures from synovial fluid and the
      cultures from synovial tissue: the same cell types were observed with a slight
      quantitative difference in both cultures. Furthermore, no morphological features
      (except an abundance of filopodia of rheumatoid polykaryocytes) which would be
      characteristic of the rheumatoid synovial cells could be determined. Due to our
      experiments the synovial fluid seems to be more advantageous than synovial tissue
      for cell culture studies of different types of arthritis. This may be attributed
      to the following factors: a) the easy accessibility of synovial-fluid samples by
      ambulant aspiration from affected joints; b) the possibility of repeating this
      procedure frequently without any essential danger for the patient; c) the
      maintainability of synovial fluid (when chilled to 4 degrees C) up to 2-4 days
      without cessation of the growth ability of the cells under normal culture
      conditions. Apparently, synovial fluid represents an appropriate medium for
      synovial cells to survive in vitro.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872047
TI  - [Acute muramyl dipeptide-induced arthritis in the baboon Papio cynocephalus].
AB  - Daily subcutaneous injections of muramyl dipeptide (MDP) for 14 days into yellow
      baboons (Papio cynocephalus) caused polyarthritis with a prolific fibrinous
      exudate, but slight synovial lymphocytosis. In contrast, a single injection of
      bovine serum albumin (BSA) induced only a low-grade synovitis of the ipsilateral
      knee. When the schedules were combined the histological features suggested an
      additive effect between the reactions to BSA and to MDP. Larger amounts of MDP
      diminished the severity of the synovitis but provoked visceral granulomata.

PMID- 1872046
TI  - Complement C3 cleavage product in synovial fluids detected by immunofixation.
AB  - 54 synovial fluids (SFs), 46 of them derived from various inflammatory diseases
      (30 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) SFs, 8 undefined arthritis (UA) SFs, 8 psoriatic
      arthritis (PSA) SFs) and 8 SFs from degenerative joint diseases (OA) were tested
      for C3c split product, using the immunofixation method. There were significant
      differences in the C3c product between the four groups investigated. In the OA
      group in the mean the percentage of C3c was low in comparison to the native C3
      (C3c = 2.95%). RA SFs and UA SFs showed considerably higher values (20.1% for RA
      and 23.2% for UA) which were statistically significant in comparison to the OA
      SFs. With the exception of one SF the PSA SFs exhibited a relatively low
      percentage of the cleavage product. Despite the one high value the average C3c
      content of the PSA SFs was not statistically different from the OA SFs. In
      contrast to this low percentage of the C3c split product the PSA SFs showed the
      highest C3 concentration of all groups (87.0 +/- 36.5 mg/100 ml). Immunofixation
      is a simple and effective tool to determine the C3c split product in SFs. It
      might also be helpful for establishing the differential diagnosis of PSA vs RA on
      the basis of the C3 level of the SF in those patients where an elevated level of
      C3 is present.

PMID- 1872049
TI  - [Sterilization--disinfection in the dental office].

PMID- 1872048
TI  - The role of cartilage minor collagens in inducing arthritis.
AB  - Arthritogenic properties of native types IX, XI, and II collagen were
      investigated in female Wistar rats. Immunization with native type-XI or -II
      collagen led to the arthritic reaction in 60% of investigated rats. After
      boosting, a distinct increase in anticollagen antibodies was observed followed by
      temperature rise (swelling and redness of affected joints). At the end of the
      experiment (after 7 weeks) subchondral bone destruction was detectable upon x-ray
      examination. Histological observation of the affected knee and ankle joints
      showed progressive destruction of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone
      accompanied by proliferative synovitis with extensive formation of fibrous tissue
      found in joints of rats immunized with native type-XI collagen. Immune response
      to collagen types (determined by ELISA) reached its peak between the 14th and the
      21st day. From the acute stage to the chronic stage a decrease of serum
      anticollagen antibodies was observed to remain constant. Rats immunized with
      native type IX and denatured type XI collagen did not develop arthritis.

PMID- 1872050
TI  - [Goethe and the intermaxillary bone. "I have found neither gold nor silver..."].

PMID- 1872051
TI  - [Dental treatment measurements in children using audioanalgesia].

PMID- 1872052
TI  - [Structure of proximal surfaces of amalgam restorations under the scanning
      electron microscope].

PMID- 1872053
TI  - [Alfred Kantorowicz and his work in Istanbul].

PMID- 1872054
TI  - [Orofacial manifestations of HIV-infection and AIDS].

PMID- 1872055
TI  - [Infection prevention: common advice for the office team].

PMID- 1872056
TI  - [Review of T-SCAN-systems for registration of occlusal condition].

PMID- 1872057
TI  - [Taste disorders--an overview].

PMID- 1872058
TI  - [Irreversible periodontal injury after treatment with Toxavit].

PMID- 1872059
TI  - [GTR--technique--preparations, methods and results].

PMID- 1872060
TI  - [Clinical studies of therapeutic results from ozonized water for gingivitis and
      periodontitis].

PMID- 1872061
TI  - [Treatment of emergencies in dental practice--practical guide].

PMID- 1872062
TI  - [Rehabilitation of dysgnathic patients from the patients' viewpoint].

PMID- 1872063
TI  - [Guided tissue regeneration: fundamental advance in periodontology].

PMID- 1872064
TI  - [Happy team workers--the best advertising].

PMID- 1872065
TI  - [Comparative preparation of various cutting patterns for root tip resection].

PMID- 1872066
TI  - [Virology of HIV].

PMID- 1872067
TI  - [How expensive must a treatment room be?].

PMID- 1872068
TI  - [Prevention--important preparation and accompaniments for caries-free therapy].

PMID- 1872069
TI  - [Gingival reactions to mechanical irritation].

PMID- 1872070
TI  - [Dental prosthesis--backward look and outlook].

PMID- 1872071
TI  - [HIV and the immune system].

PMID- 1872072
TI  - [Clinical experiments in filling therapy with composite inlays].

PMID- 1872073
TI  - [Psychological influences on patients in the dental office].

PMID- 1872074
TI  - [Efficacy of chlorhexidine digluconate and sanguinarine on plaque and bleeding
      index].

PMID- 1872076
TI  - [Diagnosis of HIV infection].

PMID- 1872075
TI  - [No resistance to orthodontic treatment? Empirical questioning of children and
      youth on adjustment to their orthodontic treatment].

PMID- 1872077
TI  - [Full-porcelain bridge with InCeram technique in pouring experiment].

PMID- 1872078
TI  - [Periodontal findings after gingival surgery for third molar extraction].

PMID- 1872079
TI  - [Radiography diagnosis of cementum fibroma].

PMID- 1872080
TI  - [Immediate poured prosthesis--a device for oral structure maintenance].

PMID- 1872081
TI  - [Epidemiology, therapy and prevention].

PMID- 1872082
TI  - [Dental and technical materials: trends].

PMID- 1872083
TI  - [Hormone-dependent genital carcinomas].

PMID- 1872084
TI  - [Serum and erythrocyte zinc, copper, magnesium and iron in women with normal
      pregnancies and pregnancy-at-risk (pregnancy-induced hypertension, fetal growth
      retardation and hepatosis)].
AB  - In women with normal pregnancy and with pathological pregnancy (pregnancy-induced
      hypertension, fetal growth retardation, hepatosis) trace elements concentrations
      (Fe++, Cu++, Zn++, Mg++) were determined in serum and erythrocytes. The
      concentrations were partly decreased or increased in both serum and erythrocytes,
      but these changes were not significant. Thus, the analyses of trace element
      concentrations can not be used as a marker of the investigated pathological
      events of pregnancy.

PMID- 1872085
TI  - [Decrease in premature birth rate through consequent application of diagnostic
      and therapeutic standards in pregnancy monitoring].
AB  - All pregnant women living in the district of Suhl have been observed in our
      prenatal outpatient department. All gave birth in our department for obstetrics
      and gynaecology. This observation is made on the base of a standard. From 1981
      1987 there were 5,657 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies. In this time the
      rate of premature birth was on an average of 4.7%. But, over the time there was a
      slope from 7.3 to 2.8%. Consecutively there was a decrease of 50% in perinatal
      mortality. The successful standards for observation of pregnant women used in our
      department have been discussed.

PMID- 1872086
TI  - [Beta-endorphins during childbirth under transcutaneous electric nerve
      stimulation].
AB  - Beta-endorphins are substances produced by the body to inhibit the perception of
      pain. Normally they exhibit a steep rise during birth. We have seen an impressive
      fall which also was statistically highly significant after the application of
      transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in 20 parturient women.

PMID- 1872087
TI  - Serum 18:2 (9, 11) linoleic acid in normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by
      pre-eclampsia.
AB  - Serum 18:2 (9, 11) linoleic acid concentration was measured in normal pregnancy
      and pre-eclampsia. The 18:2 (9, 11) linoleic acid in normal pregnancy increased
      progressively with advancing gestation, reaching the highest value at the end of
      pregnancy. The 18:2 (9, 11) linoleic acid concentration in pregnancy complicated
      by pre-eclampsia was significantly higher than in normal pregnancy after week 28.
      It is suggested that measurement of the 18:2 (9, 11) linoleic acid concentration
      in plasma may be useful as a predictor of the likely development of pre
      eclampsia.

PMID- 1872088
TI  - [Problems in the therapy of intrauterine fetal growth retardation].

PMID- 1872089
TI  - [IUGR--problems in diagnosis].

PMID- 1872090
TI  - [Tomicide adsorption on bacterial cells].
AB  - The capacity of the bacteriocin-like factor of tomicid being adsorbed on
      microbial cells, depending on the sensitivity of test microorganisms to the
      preparation, its form and concentration, the duration of the contact of microbial
      cells with tomicid, the temperature and pH of the incubation medium, was studied.
      The bacteriocin-like factor of tomicid was found to be capable of nonspecific
      sorption on microbial cells (in an amount of 64-128 units per mg of dried cell
      mass). The decrease of the temperature of the incubation medium to 0 degrees C
      and its pH to 4.8 and 5.4 inhibited the process of binding this bacteriocin-like
      factor by microbial cells. The presence of the substance with lysozyme properties
      in the preparation influenced the process of the adsorption of the main
      antibacterial component on microbial cells sensitive to lysozyme.

PMID- 1872091
TI  - [3 cases of viral carriage detected during screening for HIV antibodies].
AB  - The results of screening more than 23,000 serum samples from persons belonging to
      risk groups, as well as those not belonging to such groups, in Moscow, Vilnius
      and Klaipeda are presented. Screening was carried out with the use of an assay
      system manufactured by the Scientific and Industrial Amalgamation "Antigen"
      (USSR). In this screening 3 HIV carriers were detected; of these, 2 were foreign
      students from two African countries.

PMID- 1872092
TI  - [The spatial structure and hierarchy of the ecological groups in the skin
      microbiocenosis of the breasts].
AB  - In 120 nulligravidae, 175 pregnant women and 280 puerperants the skin
      microbiocenosis of mammary glands was studied. Its horizontal structure, the
      types of the distribution of different ecological groups over the surface of the
      biotope and their hierarchy, as well as the diversity of species at different
      anatomical areas, were described. The study showed that the representatives of
      resident flora were characterized by group distribution, while for transitory
      flora variations from occasional distribution in nulligravidae to group
      distribution in nursing mothers were noted. The most pronounced changes in
      hierarchy were observed in puerperants. In nursing mothers a significant increase
      in the diversity of species at different anatomical areas were also disclosed.

PMID- 1872093
TI  - [Streptococcus group B in a maternity home with a decentralized system of newborn
      infant care (of the mother-child type)].
AB  - In a maternity hospital with the decentralized system of infant care the presence
      of the group B streptococcal colonization of puerperants (13.0 +/- 4.5%), newborn
      infants (25.0 +/- 4.4%) and medical staff (16.9 +/- 3.2%) was established. The
      strains isolated in this hospital belonged to 13 different serotypes and
      antigenic combinations with type 1 a/c dominating among them (28.7 +/- 4.8%).
      Group B streptococci were found to be transmitted by the vertical way in one out
      of two colonized mother-child pairs, in all other cases the nosocomial spread of
      streptococci occurred.

PMID- 1872094
TI  - [A mathematical model of the epidemic process in anthroponotic infection with
      stable and homogeneous factors].
AB  - A very simple mathematical model of the epidemic process of human infection in
      the presence of stable and homogeneous factors has been created and analyzed. The
      theoretical possibility of describing the detailed course of the epidemic process
      by means of this model, permitting the consideration of inner parameters which
      cannot be determined in any other way, has been shown. The study has revealed
      that the approximation of the model to the real epidemic process is connected
      with the introduction of the notion of the heterogeneity of the parasite and host
      populations into the axiomatics of modeling.

PMID- 1872095
TI  - [Measures to prevent outbreaks of hospital infections].
AB  - On the basis of the analysis of 69 outbreaks of hospital infections registered in
      the USSR in 1986-1989, as well as additional observations made by the authors, a
      number of factors which determined the present state of the problems concerning
      this kind of morbidity in the USSR were established: an insufficient level (in
      cases of enteric infections) or a low level (in cases of purulent septic
      infections) of etiological diagnosis; poor efficiency of the epidemiological
      investigation of outbreaks; defects in the work on the prophylactic detection of
      potential sources of infection among medical staff, parturient women or mothers
      taking care of their infants. Some possible solutions on these aspects were
      proposed. Cases of outbreaks of hospital infections among newborns were used as
      an example demonstrating that such outbreaks were caused mainly by breaches of
      antiepidemic and sanitary rules in respective hospitals; thus, in one-third of
      the cases of outbreaks such breaches were observed in maternity clinics with
      insufficient material and technical equipment. The prevention of these breaches
      is considered to be the main road to the solution of the whole problem of the
      prevention of epidemic outbreaks in hospitals.

PMID- 1872096
TI  - [Radioimmunological analysis in studying the persistence of the plague antigen in
      the body of rodents and ectoparasites in natural foci in Siberia].
AB  - To study the persistence of Y. pestis capsular antigen, or fraction 1 (F1), in
      the body of less important plague carriers in the Mountain Altai and Transbaikal
      natural foci, as well as in experimentally infected ticks, the liquid-phase
      competitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used for the first time. In this study RIA
      showed, due to its sensitivity, doubtless advantages over traditional methods,
      such as the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test and the antibody neutralization
      (AN) test, and made it possible to detect F1 in picogram amounts. RIA revealed
      that F1 persisted in Siberian long-tailed gophers for up 14 months after the
      infection of the animals in diffusion chambers and for 7 months after their
      infection by subcutaneous injection. Experiments on Daurian pikas confirmed that,
      in comparison with the PHA and AN tests, RIA ensured fourfold effectiveness in
      the detection of antigen F1. The study of infected mites revealed that antigen F1
      could be retained in them for more than a year and detected by RIA techniques in
      10% of cases. The data obtained in this investigation indicate that the
      persistence of microorganisms should be studied mainly with the use of new
      generation tests, and RIA, being one of the most sensitive techniques, deserves
      wide approval and introduction into the practical work of institutions intended
      for plague control.

PMID- 1872097
TI  - [Changes in the humoral response to sheep erythrocytes based on data from a
      determination of the level and classes of antibodies in mice immunized with
      purified staphylococcal anatoxin].
AB  - The intensity and direction of the modulation of humoral immune response, induced
      by the action of purified staphylococcal toxoid (PST), depend on the dose of the
      preparation, the dose of the test antigen, the scheme of the experiment, the time
      of the registration of its results and the genotype of animals. PST induces the
      modulation of the synthesis of both IgM and IgG antibodies. The injection of
      small divided doses of PST enhances immune response to heterologous antigen,
      while a single inoculation of the total dose produces no such effect.

PMID- 1872098
TI  - [The immunochemistry of the antigenic fractions of Clostridium tetani toxin].
AB  - The localization of tetanospasmin and tetanolysin in C. tetani cells has been
      determined by the cytochemical method in the dynamics of the development of the
      microbial population. As shown in this investigation, tetanolysin, similarly to
      exotoxins, is released from microbial cells into the culture fluid mainly during
      the first 24 hours of cultivation, while tetanospasmin, similarly to endotoxins,
      is released only in the process of the destruction of these cells at the phase of
      the death of the microbial population.

PMID- 1872099
TI  - [The immunogenetic aspects of erysipelas infection].
AB  - The distribution of the antigens of the HLA system in 517 erysipelas patients,
      constant residents of Voroshilovgrad and the adjoining region (the Ukrainian
      SSR), has been studied. The HLA system has been found to take part in the
      formation of predisposition to erysipelas and its clinical forms. Predisposition
      to erysipelas infection has a polygenic nature and is associated with antigens
      HLA-A2, B5, B12, Bw35. The specific features of HLA-A10, Aw12, B7, B8 have,
      seemingly, a protective character. The most pronounced connection between the
      disease and histocompatibility antigens has been detected in patients with
      frequent and multiple relapses of erysipelas.

PMID- 1872100
TI  - [The use of microdot immunoenzyme analysis with visual detection for the
      determination of tularemia antibodies].
AB  - The possibility of using the micropoint enzyme immunoassay (EIA) on a
      nitrocellulose membrane with the visual evaluation of results for the detection
      of tularemia IgG antibodies in hamadryas baboons at the postvaccinal period has
      been studied. The sensitivity of this assay has been compared with that of the
      passive hemagglutination (PHA) test, the microagglutination (MA) test and EIA
      with the spectrophotometric evaluation of results in plates. As shown in this
      study, EIA in the above-mentioned modification can be successfully used for the
      detection of tularemia antibodies in the blood serum. The sensitivity of
      micropoint EIA has proved to be not inferior to that of EIA in plates, while
      exceeding the sensitivity of the PHA test 10- to 20-fold and the sensitivity of
      the MA test 10- to 1,000-fold. This method is simple, reliable, highly sensitive,
      economic and requires no special equipment, which makes it highly promising for
      the diagnosis of tularemia and the evaluation of humoral immunity at the
      postvaccinal period.

PMID- 1872102
TI  - [The production of antibody-producing hybridomas to the Lassa virus].
AB  - The work deals with obtaining hybrid cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies
      to Lassa arenavirus. To obtain preparations for the screening of hybridomas by
      indirect immunofluorescence techniques, the dynamics of the accumulation of Lassa
      virus antigen in cell cultures Vero and 4647 was studied. The maximum
      accumulation of the virus antigen in Vero cells was shown to occur on day 3 after
      inoculation with a dose of 1.0 PFU/ml. The influence of different doses of gamma
      radiation on the infectious and antigenic activity of the virus was studied. The
      expediency of using a dose of 20.0 kGy for the irradiation of the virus was
      shown. The optimum schedule for the immunization of BALB/c mice was worked out,
      which made it possible to obtain activated mouse spleen cells used for the
      construction of hybridomas. The capacity of hybrid cells, injected into syngeneic
      mice, for the generation of tumors was shown.

PMID- 1872101
TI  - [The morphological characteristics of globulin production during the vaccinal
      process induced by tularemia and brucellosis vaccines].
AB  - Significant data on the dynamics of globulin production in guinea pigs in the
      process of immunogenesis after the injection of Francisella tularensis vaccine
      strain or conjugated brucellosis vaccine have been obtained by means of
      immunofluorescence and the enzyme immunoassay. The number of globulin-producing
      cells in lymphoid organs (the spleen, regional and remote lymph nodes) differs,
      depending on the injected antigen. The relationship between the character of
      immunomorphological changes in lymphoid organs and the dynamics of the increase
      of antibody titers in the peripheral blood of the animals after their
      immunization with conjugated brucellosis vaccine and the injection of avirulent
      F. tularensis has been established.

PMID- 1872103
TI  - [New data on the chemical structure of lipopolysaccharides and the practical
      prospects].

PMID- 1872104
TI  - [Long-term results of the Collona acetabuloplasty].
AB  - The authors evaluate in their paper the long-term results of capsular
      acetabuloplasty by Colonna's method in the material of the First Orthopaedic
      Clinic, Faculty Hospital Bratislava. The mean time interval after operation was
      20 years. The results are compared with previous evaluations made by Cervenansky
      and Kalman. Very favourable results were recorded in 3% of the patients, good
      results in 24%, satisfactory results in 39% and poor results in 39% and poor
      results in 34% of the patients. A marked shift towards unsatisfactory results is
      due to incorrect indication of acetabuloplasty which in the was a certain
      compromise, and also due to the surgical technique. The authors assume that
      correct and early prevention and treatment will eliminate capsular
      acetabuloplasty from the range of standard surgical therapeutic procedures in
      L.c.c.

PMID- 1872106
TI  - [The Bosworth method of acetabular roof plasty--long-term results].
AB  - Operation of the roof of the acetabulum were performed in 1959-1979 at the First
      Orthopaedic Clinic in Brno in 110 patients. The authors checked 66 patients with
      70 roofs during a mean period of 23 years (11-31 years) after operation. The mean
      age of the patients at the time of operation was 20 years. Forty-two patients
      were operated at the age of 14-30 years. The authors recorded 25 good, 23
      satisfactory and 20 poor results. Sixteen patients were subjected to another
      operation. Poor results were observed in hip joints with marked incongruence
      (severe dysplasia, postluxation necroses), in patients with a wrong indication
      (instead of the roof osteotomy of the pelvis according to Salter or Pemberton
      should have been performed) and in cases where the wrong technique was used (roof
      too short or high-set). The best results were obtained in the age group from 14
      25 years. The authors recorded a favourable effect of the operation still 31
      years after operation. In patients with obvious secondary arthrosis after 15
      years no favourable effect was found. The authors discuss different types of
      roofs derived from the original method of Spitzy, the range of indications, as
      compared with Chiari's osteotomy and compare the results with those of other
      local authors.

PMID- 1872105
TI  - [Scintigraphy in preparation for revision alloplasty of the hip joint].
AB  - The author presents an account of the development of scintigraphic methods in the
      detection of inflammatory processes of the musculoskeletal system. The original
      method used in vitro 111In labelled separated leucocytes. It was improved by the
      possibility to label leucocytes by means of HMPAO 99mTc. In vivo leucocytes can
      be labelled by means of monoclonal antibodies. Nanocolloid offers similar
      possibilities as regards use and gives a good yield. Its use is simple and the
      preparation is available. Scintigraphy with nanocolloid must be considered
      nowadays the first scintigraphic method used when an inflammatory process is
      suspected, in particular of the extremities. Scintigraphy with nanocolloid can
      differentiate in planned revision alloplasty septic and aseptic loosening. The
      mentioned finding can be used for planning, implementation and ensuring the
      operation. The author was able, in collaboration with the department of nuclear
      medicine, to test scintigraphy with nanocolloid in five patients with complains
      after alloplasty of obscure origin. Patients' data are listed in table a and two
      cases are discussed in more details.

PMID- 1872107
TI  - [Neonatal osteomyelitis is still a reality].
AB  - The authors draw attention to the fact that it is essential to consider
      osteomyelitis of children under 1 year as a separate nosological unit with regard
      to the anatomical features of the vascular supply of epimetaphyses. The authors
      discuss the diagnostic difficulties. In addition to the basic examination they
      emphasize also the importance of whole-body scintigraphy and examination by
      ultrasound. They indicate surgery where clinical symptoms do not recede within 24
      48 hours after the onset of antibiotic treatment and where on probatory puncture
      pus is revealed and if during establishment of the diagnosis the X-ray finding is
      already positive. As to antibiotics they use Oxacillin first. The authors
      evaluate the results of treatment of 25 neonates after a 2-10-year interval
      following the onset of the disease. The process was found most frequently in the
      proximal and distal metaphysis of the femur (56%) and in the proximal metaphysis
      of the tibia (24%). They operated 18 patients in the acute stage (72%).
      Staphylococcus aureus was cultivated in 60% from pus and in 50% from
      haemocultures. The authors found a satisfactory state in 17 patients (68%) and an
      unsatisfactory one in 8 patients (32%).

PMID- 1872108
TI  - [Use of fluoroquinolone chemotherapy in orthopedics and traumatology].
AB  - In the submitted review the authors analyze hitherto published results with the
      use of new antimicrobial chemotherapeutic drugs--fluoroquinolones in the
      treatment of infections of the bones, joints, soft tissues and also in the
      peroperative prophylaxis in orthopaedics and traumatology. Quinolones are one of
      the drugs of choice which may be successful in the treatment of staphylococcal
      and gram-negative chronic osteomyelitis which are resistant to classical
      treatment and also the drug of choice in the treatment of septic arthritis and
      ostitis.

PMID- 1872109
TI  - Iatrogenic stress fractures.
AB  - The author treated since 1982 85 fractures caused by overloading, incl. 19 which
      were associated with surgical, manipulation and medicamentous treatment. These
      iatrogenic influences altered statics and had a bearing on the locomotor
      stereotype causing deterioration of mechanical properties of osseous tissue and
      as a result of external rhythmic force during manipulation. Analysis of the
      causes makes it possible to draw preventive conclusions.

PMID- 1872110
TI  - [Distribution of transverse dimensions of the patella in the adult population.
      Relation to the development of the patellar component in knee joint prosthesis].
AB  - The development and manufacture of the patellar component was associated with a
      more detailed osteometric investigation of the patella and evaluation of its
      range of sizes in our population. Evaluation of data 1042 probands (477 women,
      565 men) proved: a) there are no significant lateral differences of transversal
      dimensions of the patella and femoral condyles; b) The mutual relationship of the
      above mentioned dimensions does not correlate, and thus no conclusions can be
      drawn from the transversal breadth of the condyles on the dimensions of the
      patella; c) The range of patellar diameters in the population is very wide, and
      to meet demands, it will be necessary to manufacture patellar components in cca
      five sizes.

PMID- 1872111
TI  - [Problems of recurrence and reoperations in discogenic lumboischiadic syndromes.
      1].
AB  - During the period between Feb. 1 1982 and Dec. 31 1989 at the Neurosurgical
      Clinic in Kosice 2346 patients were operated (813 women and 1533 men) on account
      of discogenic lumboischiadic syndrome. Because of true relapses 79 patients were
      reoperated (29 women, 50 men), i.e., 3.37% of 2346 patients. These formed the
      investigated group. The youngest patient was 18 years old, the oldest 60 years,
      the mean age was 38.5 years. Check-up examinations, X-ray material and
      mathematical evaluation revealed that even marked deviations from the ideal
      weight according to Broca, balneotherapy, regular physical training and
      localization of the damaged disc did not influence the development of a true
      relapse which called for re-operation. The latter were significantly more
      frequent in subjects engaged in excessively hard physical work and those who
      developed a complication during the first operation.

PMID- 1872112
TI  - [Problems of recurrence and reoperation in discogenic lumboischiadic syndromes.
      2].
AB  - In a group of 79 patients (29 women and 50 men) reoperated at the Neurosurgical
      Clinic of the Faculty Hospital with Policlinic in Kosice between Feb. 1 1982 and
      Dec. 31, 1989 for substantiated suspicion of a true relapse of discogenic
      lumboischiadic syndrome it was revealed that neither perimyelography nor CT
      examination of the spine disclosed reliably the conditions in the spinal canal.
      The assumed disc compression of spinal roots was confirmed by the surgeon on
      reoperation only in 58.2% of the patients. Complications were encountered on
      reoperation in 26.6% patients of the group whereby in the majority an injury of
      the dura mater fixed by an epidural scar was involved. The results of
      reoperations were worse than the results of primary operations. Improvement can
      be expected from a better differential diagnosis of complaints after disc
      operations and from improvement of the surgical technique which will reduce the
      risk of preoperative complications, e.g. by using the microsurgical technique.

PMID- 1872113
TI  - [Ice skater's fracture].

PMID- 1872114
TI  - [Medial and lateral shift of the femoral head epiphysis].
AB  - The authors demonstrate a developmental anomaly of the position of the epiphysis
      of the hip joint, i.e. its medial shift. They assumed that it will be a pre
      arthrotic condition, as other known dysplasias of the hip joint. However, the
      position was reversed as if the shift of the epiphysis of the head of the femur
      in a medial direction protected the hip joint from the development of arthrotic
      changes. In case of a medial shift of the epiphysis of the head of the femur-
      caput varum prearthrosis is not involved.

PMID- 1872115
TI  - [Intra-articular injection therapy].
AB  - The author pays attention to intraarticular treatment of patients with articular
      affections in orthopaedics. He mentions briefly the pathophysiology of
      inflammatory rheumatic and degenerative articular affections, with the aim to
      draw attention to possible negative influences of intraarticular treatment. In
      two instances he describes cortisonoid arthropathy in one case the development of
      iatrogenic purulent arthritis. The author emphasizes that intraarticular
      injection therapy, in particular corticoid therapy, is therapeutical very
      effective. However, side-effects of preparations have to be considered, in
      particular the development of arthropathy and pyogenic arthritis. Intraarticular
      treatment should be administered only by a doctor familiar with the anatomy,
      physiology and pathophysiology of the joint as well as with the pharmacological
      effect of the administered preparation in order to influence the pathological
      process without or with minimal side-effects. If intraarticular treatment fails,
      if there are indications of side-effects, it is important to seek further
      possibilities of conservative and in particular surgical treatment.

PMID- 1872116
TI  - [Use of the Volkov-Oganesjan distraction-reposition apparatus in treatment of
      flexion contractures of the interphalangeal joints].
AB  - In the submitted paper the authors present their experience with the treatment of
      flexion contractures by a Volkov-Oganesjan distraction reposition apparatus. The
      principle of treatment is continuous distension of shortened ligaments. The
      Volkov-Oganesjan apparatus makes systematic rehabilitation of the joint possible
      during gradual reposition of the contracture and at the same time prevents damage
      of the articular cartilage. The group comprised six patients who were treated and
      followed up. In four a post-traumatic condition was involved, once burns caused
      by electric current, and in one patient reoperation of a flexion contracture was
      involved. The mean grade of fixation of the PP joint before operation was 70
      degrees. On average correction to 22 degrees was achieved. The mean period of
      treatment with the apparatus was 21 days. The therapeutic results was evaluated
      at least three months after removal of the apparatus. In all patients it proved
      possible to influence the flexion contracture by the method of an external
      fixation device. No complications of treatment were observed. The method and
      effect of therapy are consistent with the conclusions of work in vitro concerned
      with the role of traction in the shaping of ligaments.

PMID- 1872117
TI  - [Penetration of antibiotics into the intervertebral disk].
AB  - The role of antibiotics in the treatment and prevention of postoperative
      spondylodiscitis is still controversial. In a group of 15 patients operated on
      account of lumbar discopathy, the authors investigated the penetration of
      antibiotics into the intervertebral disc, in correlation to serum levels, when
      antibiotics were administered during operation. Despite high serum levels
      rolitetracycline was not detected in extirpated material of the disc, gentamycin
      reached 2-6% serum levels. The authors give an account of views on the role of
      antibiotics in the prophylaxis of postoperative spondylodiscitis and recommend
      their administration in particular in risk groups. They recommend antibiotics in
      case of early diagnosis of postoperative spondylodiscitis, in the later stages of
      the disease the role of antibiotics is controversial.

PMID- 1872118
TI  - Oxytocin influences preovulatory follicular development and advances ovulation in
      rats.
AB  - Oxytocin has been shown to advance gonadotropin secretion in pro-estrus rats. The
      effects that oxytocin-induced changes have on the ovary were investigated in this
      study. Oxytocin administered to rats at proestrus 09.00 h, 10.00 h and 11.00 h
      advanced follicular growth, progesterone secretion, and the time of ovulation.
      However, both treated and control groups of rats ovulated similar numbers of
      oocytes and the oocytes released were of similar fertility. Because oxytocin has
      been shown to induce early LH and FSH release the effects of oxytocin
      administration on the ovary were possibly an indirect action involving the
      pituitary. The results of this investigation indicate that exogenous oxytocin
      alters the timing but not the fertility of periovulatory events.

PMID- 1872119
TI  - Alterations in the morning plasma levels of hormones and the endocrine responses
      to bicycle exercise during prolonged strain. The significance of energy and sleep
      deprivation.
AB  - The relative significance of physical exercise, energy and sleep deprivation for
      the morning levels of hormones and the endocrine response to short-term bicycle
      exercise were investigated in 24 male cadets during a 5-day military training
      course. Significant increases in the morning levels of noradrenaline, adrenaline,
      and dopamine, and a decrease in PRL were ascribed mainly to physical strain.
      Cortisol and hGH increased, whereas insulin and glucose decreased mainly due to
      energy deficiency. Pulse rate after the bicycle test was unchanged and similar in
      all groups in spite of increased catecholamine responses. The increased
      catecholamine response was mainly due to physical strain. The cortisol response
      to the bicycle test was increased in all groups, and energy deficiency caused
      slower postexercise recovery. The incremental hGH response to the exercise test
      was unchanged in the energy-deficient subjects but abolished in the well-fed
      subjects. The results suggest that the endocrine responses during long-lasting
      exhausting strain were mainly due to physical exertion and energy deficiency,
      whereas sleep deprivation did not play any major role.

PMID- 1872120
TI  - The effect of human growth hormone therapy on GH binding protein in GH-deficient
      children.
AB  - Previous studies have described the close similarity of the GH binding protein to
      the liver membrane GH receptor. Since GH regulates its own liver receptors, we
      examined the effects of short- and long-term hGH therapy on GH binding protein in
      children with GH deficiency. Six GH-deficient children received their first hGH
      dose ever, and the pharmacodynamics of serum GH was followed for 12 h, along with
      measurements of GH binding protein activity. Over the first 6 h, serum GH and GH
      binding protein activity exhibited a parallel increase, followed by gradual
      decrease. At 8 h, some of the patients exhibited an apparent second peak in GH
      binding protein, despite the continuous decrease in serum hGH. During the period
      of hGH treatment, serum GH binding protein increased progressively over a period
      of 6 months. In a second uncontrolled group of 7 GH-deficient patients who had
      been treated with hGH for 30-36 months, GH binding protein activity was also
      significantly higher than pretreatment values. We suggest that the short-term
      pharmacodynamic changes probably represent the endogenous turnover of the GH
      receptor, whereas the elevated GH binding protein activity on hGH treatment may
      reflect up-regulation of the GH receptor.

PMID- 1872121
TI  - Increased urinary free cortisol and decreased serum corticosteroid-binding
      globulin in polycystic ovary syndrome.
AB  - The adrenal participation in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome is
      still under debate. In order to reappraise androgen and glucocorticoid secretion
      in this disease, we measured serum androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone
      sulphate, total and free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, LH, FSH,
      PRL, cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin, and urinary free cortisol in 45
      women with polycystic ovary syndrome and 27 controls, subdivided in obese and
      normal-weight subjects. Androstenedione, total and free testosterone were
      significantly increased, whereas sex hormone-binding globulin tended to be
      reduced in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome compared with controls,
      reaching a significant difference between obese patients and matched controls.
      Free testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin were significantly increased
      and reduced, respectively, in obese compared with normal-weight patients. Urinary
      free cortisol and serum corticosteroid-binding globulin were significantly
      increased (p less than 0.001) and decreased (p less than 0.005), respectively.
      Urinary free cortisol exceeded the upper limit of the normal range in 50% of our
      patients. No appreciable differences were found in PRL and cortisol levels.
      Besides confirming a hyperandrogenic state, our findings point to an overactivity
      of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with subsequent diminution of
      corticosteroid-binding globulin in polycystic ovary syndrome. They also indicate
      that urinary free cortisol is not a reliable index in differentiating polycystic
      ovary syndrome from Cushing's disease.

PMID- 1872122
TI  - Postoperative goitre recurrence rate in Turkey.
AB  - A study was conducted on the incidence of postoperative nontoxic goitre in 206
      patients. The mean period of postoperative observation was 7.8 years. The
      recurrence rate was 30.7% in the 26 patients to whom thyroxine was administered
      regularly and at doses of 0.15 mg/day or more in the postoperative period, and
      46.9% in the 32 patients who received thyroxine regularly at low doses (0.10
      mg/day). In contrast, recurrence rate was 71.4% in the 49 patients in whom use of
      thyroxine was irregular and 81.8% in the 99 patients who received no thyroxine.
      The recurrence rate was markedly reduced in the patients who used thyroxine
      regularly at doses of 0.15 mg/day or more as compared with those who used it
      irregularly or not at all. It was concluded that in Turkey, where iodine
      deficiency is a major contributory factor of the prevalence of goitre,
      postoperative administration of thyroxine is necessary in order to reduce the
      postoperative recurrence rate.

PMID- 1872123
TI  - Decreased growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone in Turner's
      syndrome: relation to body weight and adiposity.
AB  - A decreased growth hormone response to various secretagogues has been described
      in Turner's syndrome, but the mechanisms responsible for this decrease are
      unknown. Seventeen prepubertal girls with Turner's syndrome (age 6.4 to 15.7
      years; height -0.2 to -5.4 SD, bone age -3.7 to -0.3 SD; weight 93 to 169% of
      ideal body weight) underwent a stimulation test with GHRH (0.5 micrograms/kg).
      Plasma GH and prolactin were measured by radioimmunoassay from -30 to +120 min
      and insulin-like growth factor-I at time 0. These values were compared with those
      observed in lean children with constitutional short stature. Peak plasma GH after
      GHRH was 17.0 +/- 3.6 micrograms/l (mean +/- SEM), significantly lower (p less
      than 0.001) than in the short lean children (39.2 +/- 5.1 micrograms/l). In
      Turner's syndrome patients, the peak GH value was negatively correlated with the
      percentage of ideal body weight (r = -0.58, p less than 0.02) and of body fat (r
      = -0.59, p less than 0.02). Plasma prolactin levels in Turner's syndrome did not
      rise after GHRH and showed a normal circadian variation, from 8.0 +/- 1.0
      micrograms/l at 08.30 h to 5.0 +/- 0.7 micrograms/l at 11.00 h (mean +/- SEM).
      Mean (+/- SEM) baseline plasma insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations was
      0.88 +/- 0.14 kU/l, higher than in the short lean children (0.49 +/- 0.08 kU/l, p
      less than 0.05). We conclude that the decreased GH response to GHRH of girls with
      Turner's syndrome is related, at least in part, to their excess body weight and
      fat and is associated with higher IGF-I levels than in short lean children.

PMID- 1872124
TI  - Octreotide treatment in acromegaly: a comparison between pen-treated and pump
      treated patients in a cross-over study.
AB  - The effect of a schedule of three daily injections of 100 micrograms octreotide
      (pen treatment) compared with that of a continuous sc infusion of 300
      micrograms/24 h on GH and IGF-I suppression, and other GH-dependent parameters
      was studied in 10 acromegalic patients in a cross-over study. Treatment was
      administered via a specially designed pen or a pump for 4 weeks. Following a
      washout period of a further 4 weeks, patients were switched to the other mode of
      delivery. Mean GH levels decreased from 26.2 +/- 4.7 to 9.9 +/- 3.1 mU/l (p =
      0.007) during pen therapy and to 7.7 +/- 2.4 mU/l (p = 0.003) during pump
      treatment. IGF-I levels decreased from 75.6 +/- 9.5 to 42.0 +/- 9.3 nmol/l (p =
      0.003) during pen treatment and to 32.5 +/- 2.5 nmol/l (p = 0.001) during pump
      treatment. There was a significant difference in IGF-I levels between pen and
      pump treatments (p = 0.03). In 7 patients the IGF-I levels normalized during pump
      treatment compared with 3 patients in the pen treatment group. There was no
      change in the free T4 index levels, but the free T3 index significantly decreased
      during therapy, without changes in plasma TSH. This study demonstrates that
      continuous infusion with octreotide results in a better control of GH
      oversecretion than the intermittent mode of delivery.

PMID- 1872125
TI  - Biosynthetic growth hormone changes the collagen and elastin contents and
      biomechanical properties of the rat aorta.
AB  - The biomechanical and biochemical properties of aortas from female rats treated
      with biosynthetic human GH (b-hGH) for 80 days were investigated. b-hGH was
      administered at a dose of 5 mg.kg-1.d-1. Treatment with b-hGH increased the body
      weight by 75% and the diameter of the aorta by 14% compared with the control
      group. The concentration of collagen and the relative amount of collagen type I
      were increased, and the concentration of elastin was decreased. Aortas from the b
      hGH-treated group showed increased extensibility in the regions corresponding to
      physiological load values (i.e. 100-200 mmHg), and increased stiffness in regions
      with higher load values. The increased extensibility at low load values
      corresponds well with the loss of elastin, and the increased stiffness at higher
      load values with the increase of collagen and relative increase of collagen type
      I. These alterations induced by the growth hormone treatment might influence the
      elasticity and recoiling properties of the aorta.

PMID- 1872126
TI  - Thyroid hormone as a biological amplifier of differentiated trophoblast function
      in early pregnancy.
AB  - Direct effects of T3 or T4 on the trophoblast function were investigated in vitro
      using an organ culture system of human placental tissues. Explants of
      trophoblastic tissues obtained from normal early and term placentas were cultured
      with or without graded doses of T3 or T4 for 5 days in a serum-free condition.
      Addition of T3 (10(-8) mol/l) resulted in the maximum increase in daily secretion
      of progesterone, estradiol-17 beta as well as hCG alpha, hCG beta, hCG and hPL by
      cultured early placental tissues. Increases in progesterone and estradiol-17 beta
      secretion caused by the addition of T3 were further augmented in response to
      concomitant addition of pregnenolone and testosterone, respectively, suggesting
      that T3 (10(-8) mol/l) enhances 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and aromatase
      activity in the placenta. These stimulatory effects of T3 (10(-8) mol/l) on the
      trophoblast endocrine function were also found with the use of T4 (10(-7) mol/l).
      Addition of higher or lower concentrations of T3 or T4 gave attenuated effects.
      These results suggest that the optimal concentration of thyroid hormone is needed
      for it to exert its maximally stimulatory action on trophoblast endocrine
      function. Unlike early placental tissues, cultured term placental tissues did not
      respond to the addition of T3 or T4 with increased endocrine activity. Thus, the
      frequent occurrence of spontaneous abortion in early pregnancy during the state
      of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism may represent a direct consequence of
      inadequate thyroid hormone availability at the level of placental trophoblasts,
      followed by diminished expression of trophoblast endocrine function.

PMID- 1872127
TI  - Ectopic pituitary transplants restore immunocompetence in Ames dwarf mice.
AB  - This work was undertaken to study the effects of prolactin on immune function in
      Ames dwarf mice. For that purpose, adult Ames dwarf mice were implanted with
      pituitaries from normal mice under the kidney capsule. Ectopic pituitary
      transplants produced the expected increase in plasma prolactin levels in male and
      female dwarf mice as compared to sham-operated dwarf or untreated normal mice.
      Body weight was significantly increased in pituitary-grafted dwarf mice of both
      sexes, but did not reach the values found in normal (non-dwarf) animals.
      Pituitary transplants induced an increase in thymus weight and in the number of
      lymphocytes in the thymus in dwarf mice of both sexes as compared to sham
      operated dwarf controls. The weight of the thymus in grafted dwarf mice remained
      below values found in normal mice, while the number of thymic lymphocytes became
      indistinguishable from those recorded in normal mice. Effects of pituitary
      transplants on the spleen were similar to those described for the thymus;
      however, neither the weight nor the lymphocyte number in pituitary-grafted dwarfs
      reached the values found in normal animals. Natural killer activity of spleen
      lymphocytes from pituitary-grafted male and female dwarf mice was greatly
      enhanced as compared to lymphocytes from sham-operated dwarfs. This effect was
      greater in males than in females. The number of white blood cells in pituitary
      grafted male dwarf mice was increased and indistinguishable from the values found
      in normal males. Surprisingly, this effect was absent in the females. These
      findings suggest that hormones secreted by the transplants, most likely prolactin
      and growth hormone, can enhance the immune response. This action may be mediated
      by direct action of prolactin and/or growth hormone on immune cells or by
      indirect effects.

PMID- 1872128
TI  - Beneficial effects of GH replacement therapy in adults.
AB  - Growth hormone deficiency in adults is associated with psychosocial
      maladjustment, reduced muscle strength, and reduced exercise capacity. Body
      composition is significantly altered, with increased fat and decreased muscle
      volume as compared with healthy subjects. Kidney function is subnormal.
      Epidemiological data suggest premature mortality owing to cardiovascular disease
      in hypopituitary patients. Short-term GH treatment trials have shown improved
      psychosocial performance, normalization of body composition, increased muscle
      strength, improved exercise capacity, increased cardiac performance, and
      normalization of kidney function. Thus GH replacement therapy in GH-deficient
      adults exhibits potential long-term beneficial effects. A number of important
      questions have to be addressed before long-term GH replacement therapy in GH
      deficient adults can be considered on a routine basis.

PMID- 1872129
TI  - Heterogeneity of human luteinizing hormone. Hydrophobic interaction
      chromatographic fractionation of some preparations.
AB  - The heterogeneity of human luteinizing hormone was investigated with high
      performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography on a TSK phenyl-5PW column
      using an ammonium sulphate gradient. Recovery of individual subunits, expressed
      as immunochemical activity, was in the order of 90%. Recovery of the intact
      hormone was less, approximately 25%. The technique appeared to be independent of
      the charge heterogeneity of the individual subunits. Each component as obtained
      by hydrophobic interaction chromatography showed considerable charge
      heterogeneity when studied by subsequent isoelectric focusing. Nonetheless, all
      chromatography fractions derived from either subunit showed the same collection
      of isoelectric values, quantitatively only differences for the beta-subunits
      could be detected. Heterogeneity of the individual subunits was clearly
      demonstrated after incubation of the preparations at 37 or 56 degrees C. The
      heterogeneity of the beta-subunit observed after incubation at 56 degrees C was
      different to the heterogeneity after incubation at 37 degrees C. After incubation
      at 56 degrees C, an additional component, with a longer retention time, developed
      directly from the intact molecule. The component is unstable and is transformed
      to one of the components detected also after incubation at 37 degrees C. Based on
      these results the existence of two populations of intact LH molecules with
      respect to their thermal stability is hypothesized.

PMID- 1872130
TI  - Human recombinant interleukin 1 inhibits TSH-stimulated morphological changes in
      thyroid follicles cultured as semi-organs.
AB  - To study the effects of human recombinant interleukin-1 on thyrocytes, we
      cultured thyroid follicles as semi-organs, each consisting of approximately 10-20
      follicles, in the presence or absence of IL-1 alpha or beta. Semi-organ culture
      reproduces the in vivo environment well. After culture for 2 or 4 days, the
      follicles were incubated with TSH (10 U/l) for 4 h and fixed for light and
      electron microscopical examinations. Regardless of the presence or absence of IL
      1, follicular structure, polarity, and luminal colloid did not change during
      culture. In thyroid epithelial cells cultured without IL-1, TSH markedly induced
      elongation of microvilli and formation of reabsorbed colloid droplets. On the
      other hand, both IL-1 alpha and beta inhibited these TSH-stimulated changes. The
      degree of inhibition correlated with the concentration of exposure to IL-1. We
      conclude that IL-1 inhibits TSH-stimulated morphological changes in thyroid
      follicles cultured as semi-organs, depending on the concentration of IL-1.

PMID- 1872131
TI  - Endocrine and metabolic effects of life-long food restriction in rats.
AB  - The effects of chronic (40%) food restriction from 6 weeks of age were studied in
      28-month-old male Fischer-344 rats; the results were compared with ad libitum
      fed, old and young male rats at 28 and 3 months of age, respectively. Pituitary
      luteinizing hormone was similar in all old rats and was significantly lower than
      in young rats. In old ad libitum-fed, but not in food-restricted rats, serum
      levels of LH, testosterone and T4 were significantly lower than in young rats.
      Serum levels of T3 did not differ between young and old rats. Type-II 5'
      deiodinase activity in brown adipose tissue was similar in both groups of old
      animals and was significantly depressed as compared with that in young rats.
      Serum levels of triglycerides were significantly depressed in food-restricted
      rats, but were significantly increased in ad libitum-fed rats as compared with
      young rats. Both groups of old rats had significantly elevated serum levels of
      cholesterol over that in young rats, but the level was significantly lower in
      food-restricted as compared to ad libitum-fed animals. The results are consistent
      with the notion that life-long food restriction tends to preserve the activity of
      many metabolic functions.

PMID- 1872132
TI  - Topical indometacin, a prostaglandin inhibitor, in acute anterior uveitis. A
      controlled clinical trial of non-steroid versus steroid anti-inflammatory
      treatment.
AB  - Forty-nine patients were included in a controlled clinical trial comparing the
      effect of topical non-steroid versus potent steroid preparation in acute anterior
      non-granulomatous uveitis. Twenty-five patients were randomized to 1% Indometacin
      and 24 patients to 0.1% Dexametason treatment 6 times a day. There was no
      difference between the two groups initially. After 7 days of treatment we found
      significantly less inflammation in the steroid treated group, this significant
      difference disappearing on day 14. We conclude that whenever adverse reactions to
      corticosteroid eye drops are suspected or proven, Indometacin eye drops make up a
      useful alternative to even strong solutions of steroids. The study was carried
      out in the following practices: L. Ahrendt, L. Damgard-Jensen, P. Eldrup
      Jorgensen, J. Elmeros, H. Heuer, S. Jensen, M.H. Kjeldsen, P. Nellemann Sorensen,
      H. Petersen, N. Vedel-Jensen.

PMID- 1872133
TI  - High myopia with cone dysfunction.
AB  - All 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl (the probands), in a family had high myopia and
      subnormal visual acuities. The boys had high myopia in both eyes, the girl had
      high myopia in 1 eye and low myopia in the other eye. Both of the boys had a
      protanomalous colour vision defect. The colour vision testing of the high myopic
      eye of the girl was not successful, the other eye had normal colour vision. In
      the electroretinogram examination, both cone and rod responses were decreased in
      2 of the children. In the family study, results of an eye examination of 30
      relatives were available. No other cases of high myopia or subnormal visual
      acuities were found. The father of the children, 1 of the paternal relatives, and
      5 of the maternal relatives had low myopia. One maternal male cousin of the
      probands had a protanomalous colour vision defect. In the genealogical study, no
      relationship was found between the families of the father and the mother of the
      probands going back to the fifth generation. The heredity of this disorder is
      difficult to define. It could be autosomal dominant or recessive if the myopia
      only are taken into consideration. If the high myopias and cone dysfunction are
      considered to be parts of the same syndrome, the heredity could be x-chromosomal
      recessive or autosomal recessive.

PMID- 1872134
TI  - Electroretinographic studies of families with dominant retinitis pigmentosa.
AB  - Full-field electroretinograms were recorded from four different families with
      dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Two different types of the disease were
      recognizable and consistent within each pedigree, one with normal cone b-wave
      implicit times (one pedigree) and the other with prolonged cone b-wave implicit
      times (three pedigrees). The cone b-wave amplitude was found to decrease with
      age, but the implicit time did not, suggesting that the amplitude is useful for
      monitoring the progression of the disease whereas the implicit time seems more
      suitable for distinguishing different types of the disease. The progression rate
      was analyzed in a large pedigree, spanning six generations, three of which were
      examined in detail. The recently described Pro23His gene was not detected in the
      families.

PMID- 1872135
TI  - Plaques causing hemianopsia or quadrantanopsia in multiple sclerosis identified
      by MRI and VEP.
AB  - Four patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) gave evidence of
      demyelinating plaques that produced a form of visual loss atypical of MS, i.e.
      homonymous quadrantanopsia (women, 22 and 30 years), and homonymous hemianopsia
      (men, 30 and 42 years). Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified
      areas with increased signal intensity situated corresponding to the observed
      visual field defects. The results of visual evoked potentials (VEP) were in
      accordance with what should be expected from anatomical considerations.

PMID- 1872136
TI  - Ultrasonographic, three-dimensional scanning for determination of intraocular
      tumor volume.
AB  - Important prognostic information may be gained from knowing the volume of
      intraocular tumors, such as choroidal melanomas. To measure such volume, we
      developed an ultrasonographic 3-D scanning system, which operates by an axial,
      back and forth, half-turn rotation of a commercial sector scanning transducer,
      applied directly onto a closed eyelid. Control of movement, data acquisition, and
      image analysis are accomplished by means of a microcomputer and application
      specific software. The elapsed time for scanning and digitizing 11 cross
      sectional images across a human eyeball, is 4 sec. Outlines of specific
      structures are traced manually. The system was tested through repeated, in vitro
      measurements of known volumes of meat; the mean variation coefficient of these
      measurements was 2.8%. While accurate estimates were obtained on volumes between
      0.01-0.25 ml, these are linearly dependent on gain setting. A patient with a
      choroidal melanoma was scanned repetitively. The procedures of scanning and
      tracing contributed about equally to the total variance. This method of scanning
      allows repeatable, reliable, and easily generated measurements of a tumor's
      volume and, thus, has great potential for use in the diagnosis and treatment of
      malignant, intraocular tumors.

PMID- 1872137
TI  - Lens autofluorescence in healthy individuals.
AB  - We measured blue-green autofluorescence (AF, 495 nm/520 nm) of the lens in 43
      random eyes of 43 healthy volunteers aged 6-86 years, five in each decade, using
      an instrument designed by one of us (HN). The instrument generates an
      autofluorescence profile, which consists of anterior and posterior juxtacortical
      peaks and a central plateau. The height of the anterior peak was taken as a
      maximum autofluorescence value and the square root of the ratio between the
      posterior and the anterior peak was used as a lens transmission index. The
      coefficient of variation for the measurement technique was 3.9% for maximum
      autofluorescence and 2.9% for lens transmission index. Both the maximum
      autofluorescence and the transmission index were highly correlated with age.
      Statistically over 90% of the variation in maximum autofluorescence values and
      almost 70% of the variation in transmission could be attributed to age.

PMID- 1872138
TI  - Eyelid complications in trachoma: diagnosis and management.
AB  - We present our experience (at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh,
      Saudi Arabia) with the management of the trachomatous eyelid disease. Four major
      eyelid complications: cicatricial entropion, eyelid retraction, secondary
      blepharospasm and brow ptosis, are described and their management outlined. Nine
      hundred sixty patients with cicatricial entropion are presented with thorough
      discussion of the surgical procedures and results. The surgical management of
      eyelid retraction, blepharospasm and brow ptosis is geared to provide the
      ophthalmologist with a complete overview of the disease pattern.

PMID- 1872139
TI  - Senile changes of crystalline lens: effects on the delayed latency of pattern
      visually evoked potentials in phakic and pseudophakic eyes.
AB  - We recorded visually evoked cortical potentials to pattern stimuli (PVECPs) in 22
      patients who received a posterior chamber intraocular lens implant. The mean
      latency of the P100 obtained from patients was not significantly different from
      that of age-matched normal phakic subjects. Furthermore, we found that both
      groups showed a similar increased delay of the P100 latency with age. The results
      of this study indicated that the senile opacity of the crystalline lens does not
      contribute to changes of PVECPs with age. These alterations may be due to senile
      changes of the neural pathway.

PMID- 1872140
TI  - Long-term follow-up of baseline learning and fatigue effects in the automated
      perimetry of glaucoma and ocular hypertensive patients.
AB  - The detection of change in the visual field is confounded by factors associated
      with the patient response. Sixteen patients who had previously undergone a
      training regime in automated perimetry over a short time period were followed up
      to evaluate the longer term learning and fatigue effects. The patients, all
      attending a glaucoma clinic, were originally naive to automated perimetry. The
      training period had comprised examination of the right followed by that of the
      left eye with the Humphrey Field Analyser 630 on each of 3 successive days and
      again after an interval of 12 days. The follow-up study comprised two
      examinations on 2 successive days after a follow-up period of between 5 and 15
      months (mean 8.7 months). The learning effects present over the initial training
      period were not observed at the follow-up whilst the fatigue effects in the
      fellow eye were still apparent.

PMID- 1872141
TI  - Occurrence of disc haemorrhages in open-angle glaucoma treated with pilocarpine
      or timolol.
AB  - 1573 examinations were performed on 397 eyes. hh was found in 55 eyes--thromboses
      included--at 91 examinations. Part of this material qualified for use in a
      comparative study with pilocarpine in 81 eyes and timolol in 82 eyes. The
      relative frequency of hh in the treated groups and in the pretreatment group was
      not significantly different from that of the whole material. No indication of
      pressure reduction with effect on the occurrence of hh could be detected. The
      average probability of hh at an examination chosen at random was 6 per cent in
      this material of ordinary simple and capsular glaucoma cases. The occurrence of
      haemorrhages in relation to age, sex, general hypertension and diabetes are
      discussed.

PMID- 1872142
TI  - Intraocular pressure 2 1/2 years after extracapsular cataract extraction and
      sulcus implantation of posterior chamber intraocular lens.
AB  - The intraocular pressure in 50 eyes of 50 patients was measured 2 1/2 years after
      planned extracapsular cataract extraction with intended implantation of a
      posterior chamber lens in the ciliary sulcus. The results were compared to the
      preoperative values, and the pressure observed after 4 months. Although a
      significant elevation was found from the fourth month (P = 0.015), the
      intraocular pressure at 2 1/2 years was found to be significantly lower than the
      preoperative value (P = 0.002). No significant difference was found in two
      subgroups in which transillumination defects in the iris or pigment in the lower
      anterior chamber angle was present.

PMID- 1872143
TI  - Morphology and proliferation of human corneal epithelium in organ culture.
AB  - Organ cultures of central and peripheral human corneal epithelium were maintained
      for 1 and 2 weeks in Hams F10 medium supplemented with 20% foetal bovine serum,
      and in medium conditioned by conjunctival epithelial cells. Light microscopy and
      scanning electron microscopy showed no obvious differences in morphology and
      survival between central and peripheral explants, or between explants cultured in
      conditioned and non-conditioned medium. Live cells and areas with confluent
      growth were seen in all types of explants. The results demonstrate that
      differences between growth of central and peripheral corneal epithelium in vitro
      do not necessarily reflect different proliferative potential in vivo. The
      previously reported lack of survival of central corneal epithelium in culture may
      reflect an insufficient in vitro system.

PMID- 1872145
TI  - Central and peripheral corneal thickness in newborns.
AB  - Central and peripheral corneal thickness was measured in 74 newborn children. The
      mean central corneal thickness was 0.573 +/- 0.052 mm. The mean peripheral
      thickness was 0.650 +/- 0.062 mm. There was no significant difference between
      right and left eyes, sex, gestational age or type of delivery. The central and
      peripheral corneal thickness in the first 24 h of life was significantly higher
      than after 48 to 72 h. The full-term babies with 2.500 to 3.000 g of birth weight
      had peripheral corneal thickness higher than the group with 3.501 to 4.000 g.

PMID- 1872144
TI  - Residual H2O2 compromises deswelling function of in vivo rabbit cornea.
AB  - The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of H2O2 on corneal
      swelling, corneal deswelling and to determine the concentration of H2O2 in the
      aqueous humor. Four types of experiments were performed using the rabbit eye. 1.
      Central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements after instillation of H2O2 into the
      cul-de-sac and after wearing H2O2 soaked soft contact lenses (SLC) for 2 h using
      60 ppm, 100 ppm and 300 ppm H2O2. 2. Measurement of corneal deswelling induced by
      wearing SCL and closed eye for 2 h. 3. Determining the H2O2 in the aqueous humor
      one h after instillation of H2O2 into the cul-de-sac. CCT increases of 7.5% and
      10.7% were found after the instillation of 100 ppm and 300 ppm H2O2 into the cul
      de-sac. After wearing H2O2 soaked SCLs, CCT increased 4.6% and 5.8%,
      respectively. The H2O2 in the aqueous humor was 0.087 mM or a 160% increase after
      using 300 ppm H2O2. The increase in CCT and interference with the deswelling
      process is interpreted as a toxic effect on the cornea and an interference with
      the normal dehydration function of the endothelial pump.

PMID- 1872146
TI  - Central corneal thickness in premature babies.
AB  - Central corneal thickness was measured in 13 premature babies with a gestational
      age below 33 weeks. No difference was found between the thickness in the first
      and third post-natal week. At the age of 3 months the thickness had decreased
      significantly to the same level previously reported in full-term newborns. There
      was no correlation between gestational age, birth length and weight and central
      corneal thickness.

PMID- 1872147
TI  - Definition of normal macular thresholds on the Dicon AP2000 autoperimeter.
AB  - This paper presents the results of a study into the normal macular threshold
      measured by automated perimetry. The effect of age upon this parameter is
      demonstrated in a normal clinic population. A comparison is made with other age
      dependent tests of visual function and the clinical importance of the findings is
      discussed.

PMID- 1872148
TI  - A girl with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.
AB  - A young girl with ocular albinism and the Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome is described.
      Ocular albinism generally occurs in males. In this condition, the pigmentation of
      the skin and hair is nearly normal, and the melanin pigment abnormality is
      limited to the eyeballs. The chief complaints are visual disturbance, nystagmus,
      and photophobia. A 3-year-old girl was recently brought to our hospital with
      nystagmus, which she had exhibited since the age of 1 year. Funduscopy resulted
      in a diagnosis of ocular albinism. Further investigations, specifically,
      microscopy of her platelets, led us to conclude that she had Hermansky-Pudlak
      syndrome.

PMID- 1872149
TI  - Exophthalmos in myelodysplastic syndrome.
AB  - A case of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who suffered alternating proptosis was
      reported. A 57-year-old Japanese man with MDS developed acute painful left
      proptosis with eyelid edema, conjunctival injection, visual disturbance, and
      restriction of eye movements. This lasted for 3 weeks. Computerized tomography
      (CT) showed swelling of the lateral and medial rectus muscles and the optic
      nerve, as well as a retrobulbar mass. Later, a similar painful right proptosis
      with severe conjunctival chemosis developed. CT showed only bilateral mild optic
      nerve swelling. The visual acuity of the right eye decreased to null even after
      remission of the proptosis. The patient died due to myocardial infarction and
      underwent autopsy. The right optic nerve stroma was found to be increased over
      that of the left. Cellular infiltration was noted in the left optic nerve and the
      retrobulbar connective tissue. This self-limiting and relapsing proptosis was
      apparently related to MDS. This is only the second MDS case with such severe
      ophthalmological symptoms reported in the literature.

PMID- 1872151
TI  - Scleral dellen or senile hyaline plaque?

PMID- 1872150
TI  - Bilateral metastatic endophthalmitis in diabetics.
AB  - A case of bilateral metastatic endophthalmitis in a diabetic patient is
      presented. Most cases from the literature are secondary to fungal sepsis, but few
      cases of metastatic bacterial endophthalmitis have been reported. In this
      diabetic patient urine and blood cultures were negative for fungi and positive
      for Escherichia Coli. The outcome was disappointing, the enucleation of both
      globes being necessary. The aim of the report is to outline that metastatic
      endophthalmitis should be counted among the possible complications of bacterial
      sepsis, especially in diabetics because of their susceptibility to infection.

PMID- 1872152
TI  - Electrically-induced osteogenesis in external fixation treatment.
AB  - This animal model experiment is performed to evaluate how bipolar direct current
      of 20 microamp. affects osteogenesis once external fixation treatment is applied
      in different forms: stabilization, distraction, and compression. In all cases a
      secondary healing, typical of external fixation treatment, was found; but a more
      mineralized callus and an increase in osteoprogenitor cell proliferation and
      differentiation were obtained through the use of electrical stimulation
      especially in the compression group.

PMID- 1872153
TI  - Girdlestone's pseudarthrosis after removal of a total hip prosthesis; a
      retrospective study of 40 patients.
AB  - In case of irreversible failed total hip replacement, a Girdlestone operation is
      sometimes the obvious solution: excision of cement and prosthesis without
      attempting a new hip replacement. Reasons for not implanting a new prosthesis are
      severe loss of bone stock, the risk of recurrent infection, or poor general
      condition. A clinical follow-up study was performed on 40 patients who underwent
      a Girdlestone hip procedure using the following criteria: pain, walking distance
      and the use of a walking support. The mean follow-up was 4.9 years.
      Postoperatively 33 of 40 patients had less pain compared with the situation
      before the operation. Sixteen patients walked more than 500 m, 13 patients walked
      200-500 m and 11 patients walked less than 200 m, of whom 4 were wheelchair
      bound. The objective result was good in 40% of the patients, moderate in 42.5%,
      and bad in 17.5%. Subjectively 62.5% were satisfied. A Girdlestone arthroplasty
      after loosening of the hip prosthesis was a satisfying solution in most cases.

PMID- 1872154
TI  - [Considerations concerning the treatment of pseudarthrosis of the humerus].
AB  - A humeral shaft fracture results in a nonunion in less than 10% of cases,
      regardless of the technique used. The treatment of such cases must be different
      from the initial treatment. In a pseudarthrosis of the medial shaft of the
      humerus with a transverse or short oblique line, a suitable procedure is
      medullary filling with Hackethal nails or a Kuntscher nail. If the fracture line
      is long and oblique, spiral, fragmented or distant from the narrow part of the
      humeral shaft, a modified interlocking intramedullary nail is recommended.

PMID- 1872155
TI  - The incidence of rotator cuff rupture. An anatomic study.
AB  - To evaluate the incidence of rotator cuff ruptures, we examined 122 autopsy
      specimens of the shoulder and compared our results with those reported in the
      literature. The incidence of partial tears in our study was 28.7%; the incidence
      of complete rupture was 30.3%. The frequency increased with age. We found no cuff
      rupture without supraspinatus tendon involvement. Very often, the cuff tear was
      bilateral. We do not share the opinion that the rupture of the rotator cuff is
      primarily an injury of men. We found a higher incidence in female than in male
      shoulders.

PMID- 1872156
TI  - A radiographical and biomechanical study of demineralized bone matrix implanted
      into a bone defect of rat femurs with and without bone marrow.
AB  - Repair of large bone defects represents a challenge to orthopedic surgery since
      autogenous graft is not available in large amounts. Demineralized bone matrix
      (DBM) which contains bone morphogenic protein, a potent osteoinductive
      glycoprotein, and collagen, an osteoconductive matrix, may be an effective
      substitute for these graft materials. Bone marrow which contains osteoprogenitor
      cells could potentiate the osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties of
      demineralized bone matrix. This study tested the ability of demineralized bone
      matrix with and without bone marrow to bridge large segmental defects, and
      evaluated the results both radiographically and biomechanically as compared to
      autogenous (isogeneic) cancellous bone graft. Demineralized bone-matrix segments
      implanted into a plated femoral segmental defect in rats resulted in firm union
      in most animals. Bone marrow significantly enhanced bone formation of
      demineralized bone-matrix implants at an early stage but with time, differences
      between bone marrow-augmented and bone marrow-deprived demineralized bone
      implants were no longer demonstrable radiographically and biomechanically. Newly
      formed bone had about 50% of the strength of the contralateral control bones.
      Femurs implanted with cancellous bone isografts had similar evidence of absolute
      union rate, radiographic and mechanical properties as DBM-implanted femurs.

PMID- 1872157
TI  - Patellar wear patients in total knee replacements.
AB  - In revising knee replacements 3 wear patterns have been noted; severe single
      facet wear which only occurs when the patella is dislocated or severely tilted,
      mild single facet wear from contact with the trochlear groove, and double facet
      wear. Double facet wear can occur when the knee flexes to more than 105-110
      degrees, the edges of the patellar component then making contact with the edges
      of the femoral condyles across the cruciate gap. This double facet wear is
      potentially serious and may result in the patellar component wearing through.

PMID- 1872158
TI  - [Stable elastic nailing applied to diaphyseal fractures of the forearm in
      children].
AB  - Elastic stable intramedullary nailing is the ideal internal fixation in children;
      the technique is not aggressive and the physiological periosteal consolidation is
      respected. This treatment is complementary to the conservative approach. The
      authors report their experience in 20 patients, aged 4 to 17 years. Primary
      instability (16 cases) and repeated fractures (3 cases) were the main
      indications. The operative technique is described. Open reduction was necessary
      for one or both forearm bones in 9 children. There were technical problems, but
      without consequences for the consolidation, which was always complete after 2 1/2
      months, without cast immobilization. In all patients, the function was normal
      after 2 months. There were no serious complications. The fixation material should
      not be removed during the first postoperative year, in order to prevent
      refractures.

PMID- 1872159
TI  - Arthroscopy wounds: to suture or not to suture.
AB  - The arthroscopic wounds of 100 Caucasian patients were either sutured or simply
      bandaged on a random basis. The patients were reviewed after 2 and 12 weeks to
      ascertain the outcome of the two techniques. Suturing an arthroscopic wound
      resulted in an increased incidence of hematomas and superficial abscesses. A
      sutureless technique probably favors early hematoma draining, thus removing a
      potential cause of infection.

PMID- 1872160
TI  - Cartilage changes in rats induced by papain and the influence of treatment with N
      acetylglucosamine.
AB  - Cartilage damage in the knee joints of rats was induced with a single
      intraarticular injection of 10 mg papain. Such damage was indicated by a decrease
      in the content of glycosaminoglycans and histologically detectable alterations in
      the surface of patellar cartilage. Daily treatment of the rats with N
      acetylglucosamine by gavage led to an increase of the glycosaminoglycans of the
      cartilage and of incorporation of the radioactive precursor of glycosaminoglycan
      synthesis, 3H-glucosamine hydrochloride, in comparison to control animals treated
      with saline. The incidence of pathological alterations of the cartilage in
      histological samples was reduced.

PMID- 1872161
TI  - Treatment options for basicervical fractures of the femoral neck. A clinical
      follow-up.
AB  - Forty basicervical fractures of the femur were treated operatively. Local
      complications were recorded in 8 cases. In this mostly geriatric group of
      patients only 18 patients were alive after a mean follow-up of 63 months. Five of
      the 19 hips showed excellent results. Eight hips were evaluated as poor. No
      radiological signs of osteonecrosis were observed. Only one nonunion and one
      delayed union were noted. Surprisingly, the rigid nailplate (ASIF, Jewet)
      fixation appeared superior to the more up-to-date means of fixation, i.e. the
      dynamic hip screw. Although the material is limited and heterogenous owing to the
      relatively few numbers of basicervical fractures in the large entity of the
      femoral neck fractures in general, this difference was obvious and merits
      technical consideration. Due to its conical shape the dynamic hip screw is most
      obviously unstable in rotary stresses, and an additional cancellous screw would
      probably solve this problem. Some fractures of the series were treated by
      multiple pins, hemiarthroplasty or Ender nails. The number of cases so treated
      was small, but still notable for local complications. Thus it remains
      questionable whether these methods would result in a better response even with
      more common clinical use, when this special entity of femoral neck fractures is
      considered.

PMID- 1872162
TI  - Reconstruction of the metacarpophalangeal joint with a free vascularized
      metatarsal head.

PMID- 1872163
TI  - [Essential bone cysts of the calcaneum. Apropos of a case].

PMID- 1872164
TI  - Intermittent priapism in spinal stenosis.
AB  - A case of intermittent priapism with neurogenic claudication caused by spinal
      stenosis is reported. The symptoms disappeared completely after decompressive
      laminectomy.

PMID- 1872165
TI  - [Fracture-avulsion of the anterior tibial tuberosity in adolescents].
AB  - A rare case of a 14-year-old girl with an avulsion-fracture of the tibial
      tuberosity is reported (type III-A). This lesion is described mainly in boys. The
      authors explain the classification of the different types of avulsion fracture
      according to the epiphyseal development of the upper end of the tibia and the
      stage of maturation at the time of trauma.

PMID- 1872166
TI  - Proximal tibio-fibular synostosis. A rare congenital anomaly.
AB  - A case of proximal tibiofibular synostosis is presented along with a review of
      the literature. The variety of presenting complaints is discussed and the
      syndrome is compared with that of radio-ulnar synostosis. Possible modes of
      treatment are explained.

PMID- 1872167
TI  - [Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle. Apropos of a case report and
      literature review].
AB  - A new case of congenital nonunion of the clavicle is reported with a histological
      description. Medullar drilling and bone grafting "in loco" was performed during
      the surgical procedure. The etiologic hypotheses are discussed. The authors
      compare congenital nonunions between the pathologies associated with the
      necessity of medullar drilling for consolidation.

PMID- 1872168
TI  - [Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis due to ordinary germs in children with closed
      injuries. Study of a series of 44 cases].
AB  - The retrospective study of a series of 44 cases of acute hematogenous
      osteomyelitis in infants and children has shown that 16 out of the 44 patients
      (36%) have a history of previous trauma at the site of bone infection. Seven
      infants were less than one year of age. For the remaining 37 children the
      incidence of previous local trauma rose to 43% (16/37). This incidence is similar
      to that in previous studies. Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis follows blood-borne
      spread of a pathogen from a portal of entry. Why hematogenous infection selects a
      particular bone is an enigma. Trauma has been said to predispose to the
      localization of infection but the association between trauma and hematogenous
      osteomyelitis is only found in one-third of the cases in both this study and in
      previous series. However these cases with a history of local trauma raise
      questions regarding the concept of "locus minoris resistentiae" and its
      medicolegal consequences.

PMID- 1872169
TI  - Intracompartmental pressure in the lower extremity after arthroscopic surgery.
AB  - We measured the intracompartmental pressure of 53 patients in the anterior,
      lateral, and dorsal compartments of the calf after arthroscopic procedures. Prior
      to making these measurements we established normative data in 80 healthy
      volunteers in a lying, sitting, and standing position. After short procedures
      like lavage, partial meniscectomy, removal of loose joint bodies, and shaving, we
      documented nearly normal pressures. We did the same in lateral release. In time
      consuming procedures like total synovectomy or ACL-reconstruction, especially if
      dorsal portals were used, we found a significant increase in intracompartmental
      pressure. In one patient the pressure even increased up to 55 mmHg.

PMID- 1872170
TI  - The risk of X-ray examinations of the lungs in neonates.
AB  - X-ray examinations of the lungs is an important element in the evaluation of the
      neonates and their respiratory function. It is often necessary to perform a large
      number of X-ray examinations depending upon the infant's birthweight, gestational
      age and respiratory problems. To estimate the risk of X-ray examinations of the
      lungs the radiation dose to 18 infants at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,
      Hvidovre Hospital, was measured by means of a thermoluminescent dosimeter placed
      on the nipple of the infant. The radiation dose to various organs was estimated
      and the risk weighted whole body radiation dose calculated to 40 microsievert per
      examination (AP- and lateral). Using the latest increased risk factors this means
      an excess cancer mortality of 5 x 10(-5) for boys and 11 x 10(-5) for girls per
      millisievert, corresponding to 25 X-ray examinations (AP- and lateral) of the
      lungs. It is concluded, that even using the latest increased risk factors, the
      radiation risk of repeated X-ray examinations of the chest in prematures will be
      very low considering the benefit for the infant.

PMID- 1872171
TI  - Development of early and late brainstem conduction time in normal and
      intrauterine growth retarded children.
AB  - Development of early (I-III) and late (III-V) brainstem conduction time (BCT) in
      the brainstem auditory evoked responses was examined and compared in 178
      appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and 24 small-for-gestational-age (SGA)
      children from birth to 6 years of age. In AGA children, the III-V/I-III interval
      ratio increased with age from birth to 2 years and remained relatively steady.
      This indicates that the development of the early and late BCT, or probably the
      lower and upper brainstem is not synchronous during early childhood, with a
      slightly faster development of the early BCT relative to the late BCT. In SGA
      children, the I-V, I-III and III-V intervals showed similar developmental trends
      to those in AGA children. However, the III-V/I-III ratio followed a developmental
      course which differed remarkably from that in AGA children. The ratio decreased
      slightly with age up to 2 years and was consistently smaller than in normal
      children after 1 year, indicating that the relative development of early and late
      BCT deviates from normal. This finding suggests that prenatal factors responsible
      for intrauterine growth retardation could alter the late or long-term development
      of the nervous system, resulting in sub-optimal outcome.

PMID- 1872172
TI  - A prospective study of acute diarrhoea in Finnish children from birth to 2 1/2
      years of age.
AB  - To determine the incidence, clinical significance and etiology of acute diarrhoea
      in early childhood, a cohort of 336 children were followed from birth to the age
      of 24-32 (mean 26) months. More than half (55%) of the children had no diarrhoea,
      26% had one episode and 19% had two or more episodes of diarrhoea during follow
      up; altogether 248 episodes of diarrhoea were detected. Rotavirus was by far the
      most common (26%) identified pathogen; adenoviruses were detected in 4% and
      bacterial pathogens (EPEC, Salmonellae, Yersiniae) in 4% of the cases. Two thirds
      of the episodes remained etiologically unresolved. Rotavirus diarrhoea was
      significantly more severe than diarrhoea due to other causes; 75% of severe
      episodes of diarrhoea were associated with rotavirus. About two thirds of the
      infants were breast-fed over 6 months; breast-feeding for less than 6 months was
      associated with a higher incidence of rotavirus diarrhoea between 7-12 months of
      age but not thereafter. About three quarters of the children were cared for at
      home beyond 12 months of age; those at home had a lower rate of rotavirus
      diarrhoea than those at day-care centers.

PMID- 1872173
TI  - Linear growth in children with cystic fibrosis. I. Birth to 8 years of age.
AB  - The linear growth of Swedish children with cystic fibrosis (CF), is described
      using the infancy-childhood-puberty (ICP) growth model. Length/height was studied
      in 51 patients during their first 8 years of life. The median age at diagnosis
      was 0.4 years (range 0.0-6.1 years). At birth, their mean length was close to
      normal, but the gain in length over the first 0.25 years of life was
      significantly below normal, resulting in a mean length SDS of -1.3. Length
      remained subnormal up to 1.0 year of age. Thereafter, catch-up growth occurred,
      resulting in almost normal height (mean SDS-0.3) at 5.0 years of age. Between 5.0
      and 8.0 years of age growth was normal. The mean age at onset of the childhood
      component was not significantly different from the controls. Hence, the catch-up
      growth did not occur until after the onset of the childhood component. This study
      shows that the postnatal linear growth rate is retarded in children with CF
      during the first months of life. This is almost completely compensated for by a
      supranormal growth rate that starts at the end of the first year of life.

PMID- 1872174
TI  - Pseudomonas septicaemia in apparently healthy children.
AB  - Among 27 cases of Pseudomonas septicaemia in the Department of Paediatrics of
      Queen Mary Hospital from 1981 to 1988, we have identified 10 children without
      known predisposing causes before presentation and report their clinical features.
      Six were infants, of whom 4 developed shock on admission and died. Ecthyma
      gangrenosum was present in 4 patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 8
      patients. All isolates, except Ps. cepacia, were sensitive to gentamicin. One
      patient had cyclical neutropenia. Another had an appendicular abscess. Salmonella
      was cultured from the stool in one patient. Although Pseudomonas septicaemia is
      normally considered to be associated with underlying immunodeficiency, in 22% it
      occurred in previously healthy children. Mortality is high especially in infants
      who develop septicaemic shock. It is advisable to cover for Pseudomonas
      septicaemia with aminoglycosides or ceftazidime in sick septic infants.

PMID- 1872175
TI  - Urinary C-peptide excretion in obese and anorectic children.
AB  - To assess the total insulin secretion in children in different nutritional states
      we have analysed the 24 h urinary C-peptide excretion in 32 obese children (16
      boys and 16 girls) 8-15 years of age as well as in 7 girls with anorexia nervosa
      11-16 years of age. Obese children had a median urinary C-peptide excretion rate
      of 0.27 nmol/kg/24 h, which was not different from that of a group of normal
      weight children. In the group of anorectic girls, on the other hand, the median
      value 0.47 nmol/kg/24 h was significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than for
      normal-weight girls of the same age (median = 0.26 nmol/kg/24 h). These results
      indicate that in obese children insulin secretion, measured as the 24 h urinary C
      peptide excretion per kg body weight, is the same as in normal-weight children.
      Total insulin secretion is consequently increased. In anorexia nervosa, on the
      other hand, the higher C-peptide excretion per kg body weight compared with
      normal-weight children, indicates that insulin secretion is increased in relation
      to body weight.

PMID- 1872176
TI  - Utilization of primary care versus specialized care in children with and without
      chronic illness. A population-based study.
AB  - Children's utilization of curative care was studied to analyse the division of
      responsibilities between undifferentiated primary care and specialized care. All
      chronically ill (n = 510), a control group (n = 287) and the total population 0
      15 years of age (n = 6080) in a primary care district were studied using register
      data. Chronically ill children comprised 8.4% of the total child population and
      were registered for 1/10 of the primary health care visits, 1/3 of the
      specialized visits, 1/3 of the hospitalizations and 1/2 of the in-patient days of
      all children. The yearly ambulatory visits were 3.7/child in the chronically ill
      and 1.5/child in the control group, of which 1/3 and 2/3, respectively, were to
      primary care. Utilization of specialized care increased with disability.
      Chronically ill children visited primary care mainly for acute respiratory
      infections but seldom for allergic or other chronic conditions.

PMID- 1872177
TI  - Long-term pulmonary sequelae in low birthweight infants with and without
      respiratory distress syndrome.

PMID- 1872178
TI  - Outcome of rehydration of diarrhea cases by oral route.

PMID- 1872179
TI  - Changing pattern of coeliac disease in western Toscana.

PMID- 1872180
TI  - Mercury vapor poisoning associated with hyperthyroidism in a child.

PMID- 1872181
TI  - Priapism in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 1872182
TI  - Enalapril in children with congestive heart failure.

PMID- 1872183
TI  - X-linked agammaglobulinemia and isolated growth hormone deficiency.
AB  - No further reports of associated X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia and isolated
      growth hormone deficiency have appeared in the literature since the description
      of the first affected family, two brothers and two maternal uncles, by Fleisher
      et al. in 1980. We report here a 13-year-old boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia
      and isolated growth hormone deficiency, also probably inherited as an X-linked
      trait. The height of an older agammaglobulinemic brother who died at 6 years of
      age was below the third percentile.

PMID- 1872184
TI  - Diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and deafness (DIDMOAD
      syndrome). A clinical study in two Sudanese families.
AB  - Four Sudanese children with DIDMOAD syndrome (diabetes insipidus, diabetes
      mellitus, optic atrophy and deafness) are reported. They were two boys (aged 15
      and 16 years) in one family and a boy and a girl (aged 16 and 6 years,
      respectively) in another family. Diabetes mellitus was first to appear (at 3-8
      years) followed by deafness and visual failure; and the disease ended fatally in
      one patient (aged 20 years). In the other three, diabetes insipidus was confirmed
      using water deprivation test for 8 hours. The maximum urine osmolality ranged
      between 131-523 mOsm/kg, whereas the corresponding plasma osmolality ranged
      between 315-332 mOsm/kg. Slight further improvement in urine concentration was
      observed in 2 of the patients following the use of desmopressin (DDAVP, 20
      micrograms intranasally). Intravenous pyelography, voiding cystourethrography and
      ultrasound revealed severe bilateral hydronephrosis, dilated ureters and
      distended bladder without vesicoureteral reflux in the three patients. With the
      high rate of consanguinity prevalent in North Africa and the Middle East, we
      recommend examining children who present with diabetes mellitus in this region
      for features of DIDMOAD syndrome.

PMID- 1872185
TI  - Iron and infection.

PMID- 1872186
TI  - Is it time for Europe to reconsider newborn circumcision?

PMID- 1872187
TI  - Plasma amino acids in adolescents and adults with phenylketonuria on three
      different levels of protein intake.

PMID- 1872188
TI  - [HPC purity tests for caffeine, theophylline and theobromine].
AB  - After giving a survey of the literature of the HPLC methods for the determination
      of caffeine, theophylline and theobromine two methods are presented for their
      purity test, i.e. their detection in each other at the trace level. In the
      reversed-phase system the stationary phase was C18-silica and the 2:3 mixture of
      methanol and water was used as the eluent at a detection wavelength of 254 nm.
      The k' values for theobromine, theophylline and caffeine are 0,25, 0,62 and 1,12,
      respectively. This system enables the detection of 0,2% of theobromine and 0,1%
      of theophylline in caffeine and 0,2% of caffeine in theobromine or theophylline.
      In the normal phase system silica was used as the stationary phase while the
      eluent was 85:15:0,05 mixture of chloroform, dioxane and formic acid. The
      wavelength of the detection was 273 nm. The k' values of caffeine, theobromine
      and theophylline are 1,5 4,0 and 5,6, respectively. This system also enables the
      detection of 0,1% of theophylline and theobromine in caffeine or 0,2% of caffeine
      in the former. Theophyline and theobromine can be detected in each other at the
      0,1% level.

PMID- 1872189
TI  - Increasing the solubility characteristics of albendazole with dimethyl-beta
      cyclodextrin.
AB  - Albendazole is a veterinary anthelminthic drug with excellent effect. Since it is
      only slightly soluble in water, it is processed in a suspension dosage form as a
      drench. The solubility and bioavailability of the pharmacon were successfully
      increased with cyclodextrin derivatives.

PMID- 1872190
TI  - [Use of isolated myocytes and the patch clamp technic in pharmacological
      studies].
AB  - Effects of palmitylcarnitine, a toxic metabolite of ischaemia, on the
      electrophysiological properties of single ventricular myocytes of guinea pig were
      studied by means of patch clamp technique. Cells were enzymatically isolated by
      perfusing the heart with Ca-free Tyrode solution containing collagenase enzyme.
      Before experimentation, cells were allowed to recover in a regenerating solution
      for at least one hour at room temperature. An aliquot of the cell suspension was
      placed in a small (0.5 ml volume) chamber mounted on the stage of an inverted
      microscope. After a settling period of 10 minutes, the cells were superfused with
      Tyrode solution at a rate of 2 to 4 ml/min. Bath temperature was maintained at 35
      degrees C. Patch electrodes were fabricated from glass capillary tubes. The
      electrodes having resistances of 2 to 4 M were connected to a LIST EPC-7 voltage
      clamp amplifier. The passive parameters (membrane resistance, time constant,
      capacitance), and resting and action potentials of the cells were recorded in
      current clamp mode, while the ionic currents (inward calcium, outward potassium)
      were recorded in voltage clamp mode. Palmitylcarnitine at 10(-6) M concentration
      increased the membrane resistance, time constant, and depolarized the cell
      membrane which was accompanied by a marked prolongation of the action potential
      duration. Under the effect of the drug, the outward potassium current responsible
      for the repolarization was decreased, while the inward calcium current
      responsible for the plateau phase was significantly increased mainly at positive
      membrane potentials. The steady-state activation and inactivation curves were
      shifted to less negative potentials. The results indicate that the changes in the
      membrane electrical properties play an important role in the development of the
      well-known arrhythmogenic effect of palmitylcarnitine.

PMID- 1872191
TI  - [Experiences with isolated organ studies on pathological human arteries].
AB  - Pathological, muscular arteries (common and superficial femoral [FC, FS],
      anterior and posterior tibial [TA, TP] arteries) of patients suffering from
      arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO), and diabetes
      mellitus (DIA), removed during amputation of the lower limb were studied as
      isolated organs. The vessels were cut into transverse rings and contractile force
      was measured isometrically. The total number of used rings was 828. The following
      agonists were applied: KCl (80 mM), serotonin (5-HT) (10 microM), prostaglandin
      F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) (0.1 mM) or phenylephrine (PE) (10 microM). It was
      established that applying KCl, 5-HT or PGF2 alpha, the majority of arterial rings
      display a contraction, but most of the preparations (66%) give no response
      against PE. The measure of contraction depends on the diagnosis (TAO greater than
      ASO greater than DIA), on the age of patient and also the anatomical location of
      the artery in the case of TAO (TP greater than greater than TA), on the
      associated hypertension in the case of ASO (normotensive greater than
      hypertensive) and finally on the time elapsed between the operation and usage of
      preparation if the agonist is KCl. As a conclusion, despite the terminal clinical
      stage the majority of studied human arteries retained at least a part of their
      functional integrity.

PMID- 1872192
TI  - [New results of the clinicopharmacological study on Enzaprost-F (PGF2 alpha)
      cervical tablets (CHINOIN)].

PMID- 1872193
TI  - Histopathologic changes in the cornual portion of the fallopian tube following a
      single transcervical insertion of quinacrine hydrochloride pellets.
AB  - To study the sequence of histopathologic changes taking place in the cornual
      portion of the fallopian tube subsequent to exposure to quinacrine, 252 mg were
      inserted transcervically in 12 women awaiting hysterectomy for non-malignant
      conditions of the uterus. All patients who underwent surgery within ten days of
      insertion were found to have necrosis of the epithelial lining and an acute
      inflammatory reaction. Later on, the changes observed included progressive
      absorption of the inflammatory cellular exudate, progressive fibrosis, with
      partial or almost complete occlusion of the lumen, and failure of regeneration of
      the epithelial lining. Our results support other studies indicating that
      quinacrine can effectively produce tubal fibrosis and occlusion.

PMID- 1872194
TI  - Antiovulatory action of anordrin in the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis).
AB  - Anordrin (2 alpha, 17 alpha-diethynyl-A-nor-5 alpha-androstane-2 beta, 17 beta
      diol dipropionate) was studied for its antiovulatory potency in the cynomolgus
      monkey. Anordrin, administered daily on days 9-13 of the menstrual cycle in doses
      of 4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg body weight, did not inhibit luteal activity in the cycle in
      which it was given, but delayed the development of ovarian follicles for 5 to 6
      months. When a single low dose (0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg b.w.) was administered during
      the first 3 days of the menstrual cycle, follicular maturation was delayed such
      that luteal activity was not observed for an average of 26 and 39 days,
      respectively, and pregnanediol in the ensuing luteal phases was significantly
      decreased. Anordrin appears to inhibit follicular development when given during
      the stage of follicular recruitment.

PMID- 1872195
TI  - Ferritin, a faithful reflection of iron deficiency in IUD wearers with mild
      vaginal spotting.
AB  - In a group of 34 parous women, mean age 36.2 years, fitted with a copper
      releasing IUD (18 with Multiload 250 or 375, and 16 with Nova T) the following
      parameters were assessed before and 4 months after the device insertion:
      hemoglobin, hematocrit, iron and ferritin. The only complaint of all patients was
      the shortening of the menstrual cycle, from 28 +/- 1.2 to 26.8 +/- 1.9 days, and
      the longer period of days with vaginal spotting (from 3.9 +/- 1.1 to 7.1 +2- 1.0
      days). While Hb, HTC and iron remained within normal limits, there was a drastic
      fall in ferritin, from 24.2 +/- 16.4 to 9.3 +/- 8.7 ng/ml (p less than 0.01), a
      sign of iron deficiency anemia. Periodic ferritin assessment and iron treatment,
      if needed, should be the first choice. Removal of the IUD is recommended only
      when ferritin remains low after antifibrinolytic, prostaglandin synthetase
      inhibitors, and iron therapy.

PMID- 1872196
TI  - Prevention of IUD-related pelvic infection: the efficacy of prophylactic
      doxycycline at IUD insertion.
AB  - It is believed that much of the small increased risk for developing pelvic
      inflammatory disease (PID) associated with the use of an intrauterine device
      (IUD) appears to be caused by bacterial contamination of the endometrial cavity
      at the time of insertion. Previous research suggests that use of prophylactic
      antibiotics immediately prior to IUD insertion may reduce the risk of developing
      PID. This paper presents results from a randomized clinical trial of 1485 women
      in Ibadan, Nigeria evaluating the effectiveness of 200 mg of doxycycline (versus
      placebo) given orally at the time of IUD insertion in reducing the incidence of
      PID during the first three months of IUD use. Rate of PID infection in the
      doxycycline-treated group was not significantly lower than that in the placebo
      treated group. The rate of unscheduled IUD-related visits to the clinic also was
      not significantly lower among the doxycycline-treated group. However, the
      incidence of PID was low (21 cases) for both study groups. Aseptic conditions
      during IUD insertion, follow-up visits with short intervals to monitor health,
      and treatment of opportunistic infections may have reduced the potential of PID
      within this population.

PMID- 1872197
TI  - Effects of chlorhexidine-coated intrauterine device on the bacteriology of the
      uterine cavity.
AB  - Twenty-nine women, aged 31-53 years, scheduled for an abdominal hysterectomy,
      participated in this study. The patients were divided into three groups. The
      first received a Multiload MLCu250 intrauterine device (IUD); the second group
      received a chlorhexidine acetate medicated Multiload MLCu250 IUD; the third group
      acted as a control group receiving no IUD. Bacteriological cultures of the vagina
      and ectocervix were taken prior to insertion of the IUD. At hysterectomy, some 18
      hours later, specimens were taken from the cervical canal, uterine cavity, and
      the device itself, for culture of anaerobic and aerobic organisms using a
      standardized previously validated technique. In three of the nine control
      patients, organisms were cultured from the uterine cavity. There were no
      differences between the bacteriological results of the two groups with medicated
      and non-medicated devices, with regard to the cultures from the cervical canal,
      uterine cavity or the devices themselves. Nor was there any difference between
      the control and the IUD group.

PMID- 1872198
TI  - [Diabetic retinopathy].

PMID- 1872199
TI  - [Age-related changes in the rat lens: morphological and morphometrical studies].
AB  - Age-related changes in the lenses of 90 Wistar male rats, whose ages ranged from
      7 to 26 months, were studied morphologically and morphometrically. Morphological
      studies were performed using biomicroscopy, light microscopy, scanning electron
      microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Early cataract formation was
      observed biomicroscopically in rats of 19 months of age and the number of
      cataractous lenses increased with aging. Age-related morphological changes in the
      lenses were observed before cataract formation and these histological changes
      showed various forms with aging. Flat preparations of the lens epithelium were
      examined with a computer-assisted cell-analyzer. The mean cell density decreased
      and the mean cell area enlarged in both central and germinative zones of the lens
      epithelium with aging. These results suggest that age-related changes of lens
      epithelial cells do occur and may be associated with the formation of Wistar rat
      cataract.

PMID- 1872200
TI  - [Changes in cell kinetics of rat lens epithelial cells with aging].
AB  - Whole-mount preparations of developing rat lens epithelium were made and 3H
      thymidine autoradiography was performed on them. The distribution of 3H-thymidine
      labeled (DNA-synthesizing) epithelial cells was examined by the above combined
      methods. Labeled cells were evenly distributed in the epithelial cell layer (not
      the definitely germinal zone) until 1 week after birth. In 3- or 7-week-old rat
      lens, labeled cells were mainly distributed in the germinal zone, and the number
      of labeled cells localized in the anterior subcapsular epithelial cell layer
      decreased according to age of the rat. The 24-week-old rat showed localization of
      labeled cells at the germinal zone, which seemed to be similar to the human adult
      lens.

PMID- 1872201
TI  - [Study on choroidal blood flow at dark and light adaptation. II. Choroidal blood
      flow at light adaptation].
AB  - The effect of light adaptation on choroidal blood flow (CBF) was studied in
      albino rabbits. CBF was measured by the hydrogen clearance method. There was no
      significant change of CBF at light adaptation, in which CBF had been expected to
      decrease due to decreased oxygen demand of the outer retina. The results showed
      that light adaptation did not influence CBF, in spite of the close relationship
      between the outer retina and choroidal circulation. Because of the rich blood
      flow, the choroidal circulation may not need a reaction mechanism for functional
      changes of the outer retina.

PMID- 1872202
TI  - [Localization of motoneurons of the vertical yoke muscles in a brainstem of the
      cat--a double labeling study].
AB  - Motor neurons innervating the vertical yoke muscles in cats were investigated
      using fluorescent dyes by the double labeling method. In 4 cats, the right
      superior rectus muscle (SR) and left inferior oblique muscle (IO) were injected
      with 3% fast blue (FB) and 5% diamidino yellow dihydrochloride (DY),
      respectively, for observing motoneurons innervating yoke muscles involving upward
      gaze. In 4 other cats, the left inferior rectus muscle (IR) and right superior
      oblique muscle (SO) were injected with 3% FB and 5% DY, respectively, to observe
      motoneurons innervating yoke muscles involving downward gaze. After SR and SO
      injections labeled cells were found in the bilateral oculomotor nucleus and the
      bilateral trochlear nucleus, respectively, predominantly on the contralateral
      side. Following IR and IO injections labeled cells were found only in the
      ipsilateral oculomotor nucleus. No double labeled cell was observed in any
      labeled neurons, which indicates that each of the yoke muscles was innervated by
      independent individual motoneurons. According to the present observation and past
      reports on rats, cats and monkeys, motoneurons innervating SR and SO have
      developed from lower mammals such as the rat into predominantly contralateral
      innervation in the monkey, from a phylogenetic point of view. On the other hand,
      compared to contralateral innervation in lower mammals, motoneurons innervating
      IR and IO have developed into ipsilateral innervation in the monkey.

PMID- 1872203
TI  - [A double-labeling study of serotonin neurons that project to the visual cortex
      of developing rat brain].
AB  - Immunohistochemical studies of developing rat brains revealed aggregation of
      serotonin terminal fibers in the visual cortex at from 7 to 14 postnatal days.
      This aggregation is transient, disappearing 2 weeks after birth. The cells of
      origin of these serotonin terminals were investigated using double-labeling with
      retrogradely transported WGA-apoHRP-Au and serotonin immunohistochemistry. WGA
      apoHRP-Au was injected into the rat visual cortex on the 9th day after birth. The
      rats were allowed to survive for 2 days and sacrificed with perfusion. Cryostat
      sections of the brain were processed with silver-enhancement to develop the
      retrogradely transported WGA-apoHRP-Au, and then serotonin immunohistochemistry
      was performed. Double-labeled cells that were labeled with WGA-apoHRP-Au and
      serotonin-immunoreactive were found mostly in the raphe medianus and raphe
      dorsalis in rostral and caudal sections of the mesencephalon, respectively.

PMID- 1872204
TI  - [Effect of the start of glycemic control on the progression of diabetic
      retinopathy].
AB  - The effect of the start of glycemic control on retinopathy progression was
      investigated. The changes of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1) were compared between
      the retinopathy progression group (Group 1, 24 eyes) and the non-progression
      group (Group 2, 23 eyes). The follow-up period was 24 months. The grades of
      retinopathy, age, duration of diabetes mellitus (DM), sex, and manner of DM
      control in these subjects were matched between the two groups. They were
      classified into 9 strata according to the matched systemic factors. In Group 1,
      HbA1 value decreased rapidly 6 or 7 months before the retinopathy progression,
      but did not change in Group 2 during 24 months. The change rate was significantly
      different between Group 1 and Group 2. The block efficacy for 6-7 months follow
      up was also statistically significant between the two groups by analysis of
      variance (ANDVA). The estimated mean HbA1 value for the 9-10 month period in
      Group 1 was 2.46% less than that of Group 2. The higher the HbA1 value, the
      higher the relative risk (odds ratio) of retinopathy progression. The relative
      risk of retinopathy progression of the mean HbA1 value was highest for 9-10 month
      period. The relative risks of 1, 2, and 3% decrease of HbA1 for 9-10 months were
      1.7, 2.8, and 4.7, respectively.

PMID- 1872205
TI  - [A follow-up study of pupillary dynamics in patients with ocular hypertension and
      primary open angle glaucoma].
AB  - The authors previously reported light reflex abnormalities and adrenergic
      supersensitivity to topical epinephrine (DPE; dipivalyl epinephrine) of the
      pupils in patients with ocular hypertension (OH) and those with primary open
      angle glaucoma (POAG). In this investigation, we attempted to reconfirm pupillary
      light reflex abnormalities we reported previously, and to investigate the
      relationship between the normotensive effect of 0.1% DPE and the pupillary light
      reflex abnormalities in OHs and POAGs. A total of 11 OHs and 11 POAGs under good
      oculotensive control with neither mydriatics nor miotics were examined. They were
      measured by an open-loop photically stimulated infrared videopupilogram, and were
      neurologically diagnosed by comparing the simulated patterns of the light reflex
      made by topical autonomic agents. When we considered the progress of the stage of
      POAG, both OHs and POAGs showed satisfactory reproducibility of pupillary light
      reflex abnormalities. Other cases in which light reflexes altered, showed
      worsening of the visual field deficit, which was prominent when OHs developed
      into POAG. OHs with significant reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) after
      topical administration of 0.1% DPE showed various kinds of abnormal pupillary
      light reflexes. On the contrary, cases with little reduction of IOP after 0.1%
      DPE instillation showed normal pupillary light reflexes in OHs and afferent
      pupillary defect on POAGs.

PMID- 1872206
TI  - [An epidemiological study on the prevalence of the narrow chamber angle in
      Japanese].
AB  - Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) has been reported to be more prevalent in
      Orientals than in Caucasians. However, our knowledge about the epidemiology of
      narrow angle and PACG in Orientals is still extremely limited. To determine the
      prevalence of narrow angle and PACG in Japanese, we carried out gonioscopic and
      oculometric examinations as a part of the first nationwide, multicenter glaucoma
      survey in Japan. We also estimated the angle width by means of van Herick's
      method to assess the efficacy of this method in detecting narrow angle. Of 1,979
      inhabitants 40 years or older of a town in Gifu Prefecture, 585 (29.6%)
      participated in the study and underwent tonometric, gonioscopic and oculometric
      examinations. The width of the angle was estimated by van Herick's method prior
      to gonioscopy. Of the group tested, the prevalence of grade 0 to 2 angles
      (Shaffer's classification) was found in 8.0%, which was significantly more
      frequent than among Caucasians. The prevalence of grade 1 or narrower angle and
      PACG was 2.6% and 0.3%, respectively, neither of which was significantly
      different from rates reported among Caucasians. Using the gonioscopic
      determination as a gold standard, van Herick's method was noted to have a
      sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 94% in identifying eyes with the angle of
      grade 2 or narrower, while both the sensitivity and specificity of this method
      were above 90% in detecting an angle of grade 1 or narrower. It was concluded
      that van Herick's method was useful in detecting the extremely narrow angle.

PMID- 1872207
TI  - [Advancement of the anterior portion of the superior oblique tendon in case of
      traumatic bilateral trochlear palsy].
AB  - The effect of the advancement of the anterior portion of the superior oblique
      tendon on cyclovertical and horizontal deviation was studied in seven cases of
      traumatic bilateral trochlear palsy by using a synoptometer (Cuppers) and
      cyclodevinometer (Kolling). The anterior portion of the superior oblique tendon
      was disinserted and advanced laterally according to the amount of the
      cyclodeviation in primary position with 1 degree/mm. Surgery was done in 5 cases
      on both eyes, in 2 cases on one eye. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 64
      years (mean 45 years). The excyclodeviation was significantly reduced (p less
      than .01), however overcorrection was found in the upward gaze. The mean
      reduction of excyclodeviation in diagnostic positions of gaze was approximately
      10-12 degrees. The vertical deviation was significantly reduced in up and
      downward gaze (p less than .05), nevertheless overcorrection was found in the
      upward gaze. The mean reduction of the vertical deviation differed according to
      their positions of gaze. V-pattern esotropia could not be reduced significantly.
      Therefore an alternative operative approach must be found which can avoid
      overcorrection in the upward gaze and moreover correct V-pattern esotropia in the
      downward gaze.

PMID- 1872208
TI  - [A long-term follow-up of a patient with DIDMOAD (Wolfram) syndrome].
AB  - A 19-year-old Japanese woman developed diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus and
      optic atrophy. Other abnormal ocular findings included color blindness, elevated
      dark adaptation threshold and constriction of visual fields. Diabetic
      retinopathy, which is considered to be rare in this syndrome, also was found in
      the fundi of this patient. During the nine-year follow-up period, diabetic
      retinopathy deteriorated despite treatment by photocoagulation and vitrectomy,
      suggesting the importance of ophthalmological examinations in patients with
      DIDMOAD syndrome.

PMID- 1872209
TI  - [Transport of substances across the retinal pigment epithelium].

PMID- 1872210
TI  - [Is vitreous surgery for intraocular proliferative changes a combined surgery or
      a single surgery?].

PMID- 1872211
TI  - [Vitreous surgery for intraocular proliferative disorders].
AB  - Before the advent of vitreous surgery, many intraocular proliferative disorders
      were incurable. The present paper reviews the pathogenesis, classification and
      vitreous surgery treatment of these diseases. Intraocular proliferative disorders
      are classified into two categories: vascular and non-vascular, also their
      indications for vitreous surgery are reviewed. General surgical techniques for
      intraocular proliferative disorders are discussed, as are specific surgical
      techniques for "vascular" proliferative diabetic retinopathy and "non-vascular"
      proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and current assessments of the usefulness of
      vitreous surgery. Vitreous surgery for intraocular proliferative disorders
      requires extensive high-technological equipment for the integration of various
      surgical techniques such as lensectomy, vitrectomy, membrane dissection,
      intraoperative retinal reattachment, closure of retinal breaks, panretinal endo
      photocoagulation, scleral buckling, intraocular tamponade and so forth. Vitreous
      surgery for intraocular proliferative disorders is beneficial only when these
      procedures are appropriately performed.

PMID- 1872212
TI  - [Morphology of live retinal pigment epithelial cells].
AB  - We attempted to observe, by means of fluorescein angiography, the retinal pigment
      epithelial cells in pigmented rabbits. Fluorescein angiography was performed in
      31 pigmented rabbits, after intravenous injection of 14mg/kg fluorescein sodium.
      The angiograms were evaluated as prints and as negative film under a light
      microscope. Animals were sacrificed and submitted to studies by scanning electron
      microscopy and fluorescein light microscopy. On fluorescein angiograms, we
      observed mosaic pattern which consisted of numerous polygonal spots overlying
      choroidal vasculature. Each polygonal spot showed central hypofluorescent area
      surrounded by hyperfluorescent rim. They were seen in all the eyes except 4
      lightly pigmented eyes. They seemed to correspond, in size, to each retinal
      pigment epithelial cell. This pattern appeared from the early choroidal phase on,
      to become more distinct 5 to 15 minutes after dye injection. A hexagonal pattern
      was regularly seen away from the medullary rays by 3 or more disc diameters. The
      pattern became larger in the periphery than in the posterior pole. These
      angiographic findings closely matched those of retinal pigment epithelial cells
      as seen by scanning electron microscopy and fluorescein light microscopy in sizes
      and shapes. The findings indicate that it is possible to identify retinal pigment
      epithelial cells in pigmented rabbits by conventional fluorescein angiography.

PMID- 1872213
TI  - [Kinetic study of movement of fluorescein across the isolated rabbit retinal
      pigment epithelium--choroid].
AB  - Using an Ussing-type chamber, the transport of fluorescein (F) across the
      isolated retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid of the rabbit was studied. The
      outward movement (from the vitreous to the choroidal side) of F was significantly
      greater than the inward movement (from the choroidal to the vitreous side) and
      was suppressed by the application of 10(-4)M probenecid, 30mM hippurate or 5mM
      iodipamide to 41%, 45% or 39% of the control, respectively, while the inward
      movement was not affected by any of these agents. As the F concentration in the
      chamber increased, the inward movement of F also increased in a linear fashion,
      but the outward movement showed nonlinearity. The difference between the outward
      and inward movement of F was thought to represent the net flux of F across the
      RPE-Choroid and this value showed nonlinearity and saturation as the F
      concentration increased. The Lineweaver-Burk plot of the reciprocals of the net
      flux of F concentration gave the apparent Km of 4.5 x 10(-5)M and apparent Vmax
      of 2.27 nmoles/hr/cm2, which suggested that the F transport system in the rabbit
      RPE-Choroid had a greater affinity to the substrate but lower transporting
      capacity as compared with the F transport system in the rabbit iris-ciliary body
      or the ascorbate transport system in the iris-ciliary body.

PMID- 1872214
TI  - [Analysis of transport of fluorescein across the isolated retinal pigment
      epithelium-choroid using an ussing type chamber].
AB  - Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid preparations from albino rabbits were
      sealed in an Ussing type chamber under stabilized conditions for 3 hours. The
      transepithelial potential was 1.2 +/- 0.08 mV and the transepithelial resistance
      was 175.2 +/- 9.1 omega.cm2 (mean +/- SE, n = 16). The transport of fluorescein
      across the isolated rabbit RPE-choroid was studied under short circuit condition
      and outward (vitreous----choroid) and inward (choroid----vitreous) permeability
      to fluorescein were determined. The outward permeability was 1.63 +/- 0.20 x 10(
      5) cm/sec and inward permeability was 0.44 +/- 0.13 x 10(-5) cm/sec (mean +/- SE,
      n = 8). The former was 4 times greater than the latter (p less than 0.01). The
      outward permeability was decreased to 1.02 +/- 0.08 x 10(-5) cm/sec (n = 7), 0.75
      +/- 0.11 x 10(-5) cm/sec (n = 5), 0.67 +/- 0.11 x 10(-5) cm/sec (n = 6) by 10(-6)
      M of ouabain, 10(-5) M of 2,4-dinitrophenol and 10(-4) M of probenecid,
      respectively. Low temperatures (0.5-1.0 degree C) markedly decreased the outward
      permeability to 0.05 +/- 0.04 x 10(-5) cm/sec (n = 4, mean +/- SE). These results
      suggest that active transport plays a role in the outward movement of fluorescein
      across the rabbit RPE-choroid.

PMID- 1872215
TI  - [Effects of fixation and light conditions on distribution of interphotoreceptor
      matrix].
AB  - By using albino, adult rats, the effects of different light conditions during
      enucleation and fixation on the staining of the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM)
      with colloidal iron were examined. When the eyes were enucleated in the dark or
      under a fluorescent lamp, followed by immersion-fixing in the dark, the IPM
      around the photoreceptor outer segments (OS) and apical inner segments (IS) was
      uniformly stained. When the eyes were enucleated in the light, and were immersion
      fixed in the light, the staining pattern of the IPM was dependent on the light
      conditions during the fixation. By increasing the intensity and the exposure-time
      of the light, the intensity of the interstitial IPM-staining around the OS
      decreased except for the apical- and basal-regions, whereas that of the IPM
      staining around the IS increased from the basal- to the apical-region. When the
      rat was perfused with the fixative in the light, the diffuse IPM staining around
      the IS was especially remarkable. In cases in which it is only possible to apply
      immersion-fixation, it is necessary to remove the light effects during the
      fixation in order to obtain consistent results with IPM-histochemistry. For this
      purpose, it may be effective to cover the bottle for fixation with aluminum foil
      immediately after the enucleation.

PMID- 1872216
TI  - [Classification of light-evoked distribution of interphotoreceptor matrix].
AB  - Distributional patterns of the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) under several
      different light conditions were examined in adult rats using colloidal iron
      staining. In the dark, the IPM distributed uniformly throughout photoreceptor
      outer segments including apical halves of inner segments. After exposure to light
      for 1 min, the colloidal iron-bound IPM concentrated in bands at apical and basal
      regions of outer segments and at apical inner segments. After exposure to light
      for 5-30 min, the IPM distributed throughout inner segments, in addition to the
      distribution at apical and basal outer segments. In excessive light, diffuse IPM
      staining was observed throughout the photoreceptor layer. These findings suggest
      that the light response of the IPM around outer segments precedes that around
      basal inner segments. It is also remarkable that the excessive light-induced
      distributional pattern of the IPM is similar to patterns in inherited retinal
      dystrophy and light-induced retinal degenerations.

PMID- 1872217
TI  - [Retinal tissue damage and lipid peroxidation in experimental autoimmune
      uveoretinitis].
AB  - Retinal lipid peroxidation products were measured at various stages of
      experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) induced in Lewis rats by retinal S
      antigen. Histopathologic examination and measurement of myeloperoxidase, which is
      a quantitative marker of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in tissue, were also
      performed. The results showed that lipid peroxidation is closely implicated in
      the progression of uveoretinitis, and is related to the cellular infiltrate,
      which consisted primarily of PMNs, and to the retinal tissue damage. These
      findings may support the theory that oxygen-free radicals liberated from
      activated PMNs play a role in retinal tissue damage via peroxidation of membrane
      lipids. To ascertain the tissue damage caused by the lipid peroxidation products
      generated in the eye, intravitreal injection of an oxidized docosahexaenoic acid,
      a major polyunsaturated fatty acid in the photoreceptors of the retina, was
      performed and its toxicity in the retina was proved histologically.

PMID- 1872218
TI  - [Mouse corneal degeneration by bovine cornea-specific protein].
AB  - In a previous study, IgG deposits and changes were found in the corneal
      epithelial cells of BALB/c mice immunized by cornea-specific protein (CSP)
      contained in the bovine cornea. We observed the corneal changes in mice by
      immunoreaction to CSP for 6 months with slit-lamp microscopy, and found granular
      opacity under the central corneal epithelium. Histologically this opacity was
      composed of scattered deposits in the corneal substantia beneath the basal layer
      of the epithelium. The corneal epithelium in contact with the deposits became
      atrophied and flattened. The deposits were stained with PAS staining, and with
      ConA, WGA and RCA by the lectin enzyme histochemical method. Therefore, these
      results indicate that these deposits possess N-acetyl-D-glucosamine as a sugar
      residue. In the degenerated corneal epithelium, peroxidase-staining by the anti
      CSP antibody enzyme histochemical method weakened and ConA-positive cells were
      obviously decreased. This suggests that the production of CSP decreased in the
      same lesion and that disorder of sugar metabolism developed at the corneal
      epithelium.

PMID- 1872219
TI  - [Gangliosides in human senile cataractous, monkey, and rat lenses].
AB  - Our previous studies suggested that increases in certain polysialogangliosides
      are associated with the maturation of senile cataract and that these gangliosides
      possess an unknown sugar chain different from those of brain gangliosides. To
      study these gangliosides, crude ganglioside fractions from human, monkey, and rat
      lenses were isolated by solvent extraction and DEAE-Sephadex column
      chromatography, analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, and subjected to
      ganglioside mapping by high-performance liquid chromatography with DEASE
      Iatrobeads. The distribution pattern of gangliosides obtained by mapping
      demonstrated the presence of the polysialogangliosides in monkey and rat lenses.
      The ganglioside pattern of monkey lens as shown by two-dimensional thin-layer
      chromatography was similar to that of human senile cataractous lens and was
      characterized by the presence of unidentified spots. These results indicate that
      certain polysialogangliosides are unique to lens and are synthesized by an
      unidentified pathway.

PMID- 1872220
TI  - [Relation between metabolic and histological changes in the rat lens during the
      pathogenesis of galactose cataract].
AB  - A comparative study of the metabolic kinetics of organophosphate compounds,
      biochemical changes and histological changes, in the rat lens during the process
      of the generating galactose cataract. The change of alpha-glycerophosphate (alpha
      GP) with time was analogous to that of dulcitol and the decrease of alpha-GP
      depended on histological destruction. Furthermore phosphorylcholine decreased
      considerably before adenosine triphosphate (ATP) decreased, the latter commencing
      when the histological destruction of the lens progressed to all around the lens.
      In addition, inositol decreased rapidly after ingestion of galactose. It was
      concluded that the decrease of alpha-GP was caused by the flow from the lens, and
      the decrease of ATP started from the epithelium in the lens. Therefore, it was
      speculated that the decrease of inositol was caused by decrease in the active
      transport of inositol.

PMID- 1872221
TI  - [The effect of trabeculotomy on the day-time variation of intraocular pressure of
      the primary open-angle glaucoma].
AB  - We selected 34 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma cases having glaucomatous
      visual field loss, but with relatively low base-line intraocular pressure
      (average intraocular pressure at normal office hour, below 20mmHg) and with one
      or more episodes of intraocular pressure over 21mmHg in a diurnal fluctuation
      estimated at 8:30, 9:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 17:00. They were treated with
      trabeculotomy ab externo and we compared the pre- and postoperative diurnal
      fluctuation pattern of the intraocular pressure. The mean of the base-line
      intraocular pressure decreased from 18.4 to 16.3mmHg. The mean values of the
      maximal pressure of the diurnal estimation and of the diurnal difference (maximum
      minus minimum) also decreased, from 23.4 to 17.9 and from 7.4 to 3.9mmHg,
      respectively. In 31 eyes (91%) the individual maximal value did not exceed 20mmHg
      postoperatively. From these findings, it was speculated that trabeculotomy can be
      effective on primary open-angle glaucoma with relatively low intraocular
      pressure.

PMID- 1872222
TI  - [On factors related to the width of anterior chamber angle--multivariate analysis
      of biometrically determined values].
AB  - Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is associated with certain biometric ocular
      features such as shallow anterior chamber, axial hyperopia, increased thickness
      of the lens and small corneal diameter. The vast majority of previous studies on
      PAGG has shown that females are affected more frequently than males. In an
      attempt to study the relationship between the angle width and ocular dimensions,
      we carried out gonioscopic examination and biometric measurements (corneal
      diameter, corneal radius, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, relative lens
      position and axial length) in 1,169 eyes of 585 adult subjects who participated
      in the glaucoma screening in Gifu Prefecture. It was found that the angle width
      significantly correlated with each biometric value. The coefficient of
      determination calculated by multiple regression analysis was 0.41, suggesting
      that factors other than these are involved in determining the angle width. When
      the angle width of females was compared to that of males with identical
      refractive errors and biometric values, the angle width of females was
      significantly narrower than that of males. Hence, the difference in ocular
      dimensions does not adequately explain the higher incidence of narrow angle in
      females. Increased asymmetry of angle width between a pair of eyes with aging
      appeared to be related to asymmetry of lens thickness, anterior chamber depth and
      lens position.

PMID- 1872223
TI  - [Diurnal variation of intraocular pressure in low tension glaucoma].
AB  - Around-the clock intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement were performed in 104
      eyes of 52 low tension glaucoma (LTG) cases. Subjects were all hospitalized and
      IOP measurements were done every 2 hours from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM and every 3
      hours from 12:00 PM to 6:00 AM. All LTG patients met the following criteria, (1)
      glaucomatous optic nerve head change and corresponding visual field defect, (2)
      normal open angle, (3) IOP less than or equal to 21mmHg at any time of IOP
      measurement, (4) no obvious neurological or rhinological disorders that could
      affect the optic nerve, (5) no history of hemodynamic crisis or cardiovascular
      disorders except mild hypertension. Peak IOPs were most frequently observed at
      10:00 AM, but about 55% of all observed peaks were in the time period from 6:00
      PM to 8:00 AM. Most troughs were observed from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The mean IOP,
      the diurnal variation and the difference between both eyes in the same person
      averaged 14.1, 4.9, and 0.6mmHg, respectively. Assuming that the period of rhythm
      is 24 hours, the results of IOP measurements fitted a cosine curve using the
      least square method. In 44% of all eyes, significant correlation coefficient (r
      greater than or equal to 0.6, p less than 0.05) between the measured and the
      predicted IOPs was noted, and an equation, IOP = 14.3 + 1.7cos 2 pi (t/24-0.4
      radian), was obtained. Comparing the present results with former ones, we
      concluded that the IOP changes in LTG patients were similar to those in normal
      individuals.

PMID- 1872224
TI  - [Two cases of posterior keratoconus].
AB  - We studied 3 eyes from 2 patients with posterior keratoconus. One patient (a 17
      year-old female) had posterior keratoconus bilaterally and the other (a 8-year
      old male) had posterior keratoconus in one eye and Peters' anomaly in the
      contralateral eye. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy disclosed localized thinning with
      stromal haze underlying the endothelium in the central cornea. Photokeratoscopy
      revealed no abnormalities suggestive of anterior keratoconus. Wide-field specular
      microscopy showed the endothelial cells with normal cell density (approximately
      3500 cells/mm2) and morphology in both the peripheral and central corneas
      (adjacent to the hazy areas).

PMID- 1872225
TI  - Imaging of vascular complications associated with renal transplants.
AB  - Vascular complications associated with renal transplants are a significant cause
      of graft dysfunction. The most common complications are arterial and venous
      stenoses and thromboses and intrarenal and extrarenal arteriovenous fistulas and
      pseudoaneurysms. Although angiography is the imaging gold standard for the
      diagnosis of these disorders, Doppler sonography, scintigraphy, and occasionally
      CT are capable of detecting them. An awareness of the different imaging
      appearances of each complication will aid in their early detection and treatment.
      In this review, we present this information and provide a perspective on the
      relative roles of these techniques in the detection of vascular complications
      from renal transplants.

PMID- 1872226
TI  - Diffuse pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage after bone marrow transplantation:
      radiographic findings in 39 patients.
AB  - Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is a life-threatening complication after bone marrow
      transplantation. We investigated the radiographic abnormalities that occurred in
      39 transplantation patients with a diagnosis of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage and
      correlated the findings with the patients' clinical course. The initial
      radiographic abnormalities after diffuse alveolar hemorrhage developed an average
      of 11 days after bone marrow transplantation, and the radiographic abnormalities
      preceded the clinical diagnosis by an average of 3 days. Twenty-seven patients
      initially had bilateral radiographic abnormalities; 10 initially had unilateral
      abnormalities (seven in the right lung, three in the left lung). Two patients had
      normal chest radiographs throughout their clinical course. All 37 patients with
      radiographic abnormalities had abnormalities involving the central portion of the
      lung, primarily the middle and lower lung zones. The initial radiographic pattern
      was interstitial in 27 and alveolar in 10. In 24 patients, radiographic
      abnormalities were initially judged to be mild; three were severe from the onset.
      Radiographic abnormalities rapidly worsened in most patients over 6 days. In 30
      patients, diffuse bilateral radiographic abnormalities involving all lung zones
      developed. Eleven patients persisted in having only interstitial radiographic
      abnormalities; 26 had a confluent alveolar pattern. At the height of radiographic
      abnormalities, 27 cases were judged to be severe, and only one case was judged to
      be mild. The mortality rate in patients with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage was 77%.
      The radiographic abnormalities of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage are nonspecific and
      usually precede the clinical diagnosis. The clinical course after hemorrhage is
      short, often resulting in death.

PMID- 1872227
TI  - Motion artifact simulating aortic dissection on CT.
AB  - We recently imaged two patients clinically suspected of having aortic dissection
      whose contrast-enhanced CT examinations, obtained on a new scanner with a 1-sec
      scanning time, showed findings suggesting an ascending aortic dissection. The
      subsequent clinical course and evaluation implied that the CT findings were
      predominantly artifactual. We identified identical artifacts in 18% of 50
      consecutive contrast-enhanced CT examinations performed for a variety of
      indications on the same scanner. The double-lumen artifact, simulating an intimal
      flap, occurs in the proximal ascending aorta and is limited to one or two
      contiguous transaxial images. The artifact was not detected on two other CT
      units. We believe the artifact arises from motion of the aortic wall and the
      surrounding pericardial recesses during image acquisition.

PMID- 1872228
TI  - Mediastinal thymolipoma.

PMID- 1872229
TI  - Current status of mediastinal sonography in the posttreatment evaluation of
      patients with lymphoma.

PMID- 1872230
TI  - Torsion of the upper lobe of the lung after surgery: findings on pulmonary
      angiography.

PMID- 1872231
TI  - The American College of Radiology Mammography Accreditation Program.
AB  - This article discusses the background, goals, criteria, current results, impact,
      and future directions of the American College of Radiology's (ACR's) Mammography
      Accreditation Program. To date, approximately one half of the mammographic units
      in the United States have voluntarily applied for accreditation through the ACR
      program, with approximately one quarter of the units in the United States now
      accredited. Application rates have increased steadily since the start of the
      program in August 1987. The equipment performance criteria and professional
      criteria defined and employed in the ACR Mammography Accreditation Program have
      been adopted as standards for the performance of screening mammography by the ACR
      and have served as a basis for quality assurance standards in state and federal
      legislation on mammography.

PMID- 1872232
TI  - Self-referred mammography patients: analysis of patients' characteristics.
AB  - Among mammography patients, a small but growing group of highly motivated women
      refer themselves directly for screening without the suggestion of their
      physicians. We surveyed 485 patients during a 3-month period to study how self
      referred mammography patients differ from physician-referred patients. Self
      referred patients were more likely than physician-referred patients to have a
      family income of more than $30,000 per year, to be college graduates, and to
      consider their health as good or excellent. A large percentage of self-referred
      patients performed other health-promoting practices, but were not significantly
      more likely to do these than were physician-referred patients. Women who referred
      themselves were more likely to have a friend with breast cancer and to believe
      that cancer could be cured. They expressed much less worry about radiation
      exposure and were more likely to consider $50.00 an appropriate charge for a
      screening mammogram. By far, the greatest motivator for self-referred patients
      was health promotion and disease prevention. Self-referred mammography patients
      tend to be wealthier, more education, and less concerned about the cost and
      radiation dose of mammography when compared with physician-referred mammography
      patients.

PMID- 1872233
TI  - Altered gallbladder contractility after extracorporeal shock-wave
      cholecystolithotripsy.
AB  - Change in gallbladder contractility after biliary extracorporeal shock-wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL) may significantly influence the clearance of fragments after
      successful gallstone fragmentation. We assessed changes in gallbladder
      contractility in response to an oral fatty meal in 50 patients 1 month after
      biliary ESWL (all fragments were smaller than 3 mm) and also in a separate group
      of 10 patients 3 months after complete clearance of fragments. The prevalence of
      persistent lumen-obliterating contraction of the gallbladder after biliary ESWL
      also was analyzed in 325 patients. Gallbladder contractility remained unchanged
      in 30, increased in nine, and decreased in 11 of the 50 patients. The average
      reduction in the fasting gallbladder volume after lithotripsy was 28% (p less
      than .001). Gallbladder contractility remained unchanged 3 months after complete
      clearance of fragments in six of 10 patients studied separately. A decrease (n =
      2) or increase (n = 2) in contractility was seen in the remaining patients. No
      significant difference occurred in the average ejection fraction of the
      gallbladder before lithotripsy and after complete clearance of the fragments.
      Thirty-four of the 325 patients who have so far undergone biliary ESWL had a
      completely contracted gallbladder with no lumen visible on sonography. The
      gallbladder returned to a relaxed state in half of these patients within 1-9
      months. Thus, biliary ESWL did not significantly alter gallbladder contractility
      in 60% of patients. A significant reduction in the volume of the fasting
      gallbladder occurred after lithotripsy. Successful clearance of fragments did not
      improve the contractility of stonebearing gallbladders in the majority of
      patients.

PMID- 1872234
TI  - Placement of a metallic biliary endoprosthesis via cholecystostomy.

PMID- 1872235
TI  - MR demonstration of edema adjacent to a liver metastasis: pathologic correlation.

PMID- 1872236
TI  - Endorectal sonography in the evaluation of rectal and perirectal disease.
AB  - Endorectal sonography initially was developed for evaluation of the prostate and
      now has been adapted for evaluation of rectal and perirectal disease. We used
      endorectal sonography to evaluate a spectrum of diseases, including primary and
      recurrent rectal carcinoma, metastases, villous adenoma, leiomyosarcoma,
      endometriosis, sacrococcygeal teratoma, chordoma, retroperitoneal cystic
      hamartoma, pelvic lipomatosis, diverticulitis, and perirectal abscess. The
      technique has been useful in localization of perirectal abscesses and in
      sonographically guided biopsy of perirectal masses. Knowledge of normal
      sonographic anatomy of the rectum is essential in the evaluation of rectal and
      perirectal disease. In this essay, we describe the technique of endorectal
      sonography and illustrate the sonographic findings in a variety of diseases.

PMID- 1872237
TI  - Bilateral testicular infarction caused by epididymitis.

PMID- 1872238
TI  - Insertion of the Simon nitinol caval filter: value of the antecubital vein
      approach.

PMID- 1872239
TI  - Cervical paraspinal calcification in collagen vascular diseases.
AB  - Although soft-tissue calcification is common in collagen vascular disease,
      paraspinal calcification in the cervical spine has not been described before. We
      studied five women with large, lobulated, predominantly homogeneous calcific
      masses centered on synovial articulations in the neck. Changes consisting of
      either osteolysis or erosions were evident. All patients had radiculopathy, focal
      pain, or stiffness. In two patients, the presence of hydroxyapatite crystals was
      confirmed on biopsy. Symptomatic cervical paraspinal calcifications in patients
      with collagen vascular disease cause large soft-tissue masses that mimic tumoral
      calcinosis.

PMID- 1872240
TI  - Diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the foot in diabetic patients: value of 111In
      leukocyte scintigraphy.
AB  - The noninvasive diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the foot in diabetic patients with
      currently available radiologic and radionuclide imaging techniques is often
      difficult. Recently, 111In-labeled leukocyte scintigraphy has been proposed as an
      attractive alternative. Accordingly, we retrospectively reviewed 51 111In-labeled
      leukocyte scans, 49 technetium-99m bone scans, and 49 plain radiographs obtained
      in 51 adults with diabetes in whom osteomyelitis of the foot was suspected. The
      sensitivity and specificity of these techniques were evaluated in all patients,
      as well as in a subgroup of 11 patients with neuroarthropathy. Results with 111In
      labeled leukocyte scans were also examined in subsets of patients with soft
      tissue ulcers (n = 35) and those receiving antibiotics during investigation (n =
      20). Confirmation or exclusion of osteomyelitis was made surgically in 28
      patients and clinically in 23. Fourteen patients had osteomyelitis. Bone scans
      were most sensitive (93%) but least specific (43%); plain radiographs were most
      specific (83%) but least sensitive (43%). 111In-labeled leukocyte scans were both
      sensitive (79%) and specific (78%), and remained useful in patients with
      neuroarthropathy, soft-tissue ulcers, and antibiotic treatment. Poor spatial
      resolution contributed to the false-negative and false-positive 111In-labeled
      leukocyte scans, suggesting that this technique should not be interpreted
      independent of other tests. 111In-labeled leukocyte scans are a valuable
      diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of pedal osteomyelitis in diabetic patients.

PMID- 1872241
TI  - Photostimulable phosphor digital radiography of the extremities: diagnostic
      accuracy compared with conventional radiography.
AB  - A direct comparison was made between digital and conventional radiographs to
      assess the relative accuracy of a photostimulable phosphor digital imaging system
      in detecting and localizing minor trauma in the extremities. Matched sets of
      images were obtained on 103 patients who came to the emergency department for
      radiographs of the hand, wrist, foot, or ankle. One set was obtained with a
      conventional screen/film system. The other set was obtained with photostimulable
      phosphor digital cassettes. The two sets of images of each patient were
      independently interpreted by three radiologists in a blinded fashion. The
      findings of each of these three readers were compared with the consensus opinion
      of two different radiologists. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves
      were plotted for each of the three readers, areas under the curves were
      calculated, and true-positive fractions were determined at false-positive
      fractions of 0.1. Although no significant differences in the areas under the ROC
      curves for the two imaging systems were detected, conventional radiography showed
      a slight advantage. However, when true-positive fractions for fracture detection
      were compared at false-positive fractions of 0.1 a statistically significant
      difference was shown, with conventional screen/film radiography being more
      sensitive. This study raises questions about the use of currently available
      photostimulable phosphor systems for imaging trauma of the extremities and
      suggests that those systems should not be used exclusively.

PMID- 1872242
TI  - Normal length of fetal kidneys: sonographic study in 397 obstetric patients.
AB  - This study was done to measure normal lengths of fetal kidneys sonographically
      during pregnancy. Knowledge of these measurements may allow earlier diagnosis of
      a variety of abnormalities. The greatest length of each of 498 kidneys in 397
      consecutive fetuses between 18 and 41 weeks gestation was measured on sonograms.
      Gestational ages were determined by last menstrual period and biometry;
      significant discrepancies led to case exclusion. Abnormal fetuses, twins,
      offspring of diabetic mothers, and fetuses with renal pelvic dilatation of 4 mm
      or greater were excluded to avoid any questionable measurements. The results show
      that mean lengths are greater and confidence intervals are wider than previously
      reported. Renal lengths are similar to those reported in premature and full-term
      neonates. Strong correlation exists between renal length and gestational age,
      determined by biparietal diameter, femoral length, and abdominal circumference,
      and an average of the three. No significant difference was found between right
      and left renal lengths in fetuses in whom both kidneys were imaged. Average renal
      lengths are significantly different when compared across the range of gestational
      ages (p less than .001). No correlation is seen (r = .00) between parental height
      or weight and fetal renal length. Our results show that fetal renal lengths are
      longer than previously reported.

PMID- 1872243
TI  - Benign hemorrhagic adrenocortical macrocysts in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
AB  - A new pseudotumorous lesion found in the adrenal cortex of six infants with
      Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is described. These cystic masses were discovered
      either prenatally by using sonography or early in the neonatal period as palpable
      flank masses. Imaging studies, including sonography and CT, could not confidently
      exclude malignancy. After the masses were removed surgically, histologic
      examination showed them all to be benign hemorrhagic macrocysts within the
      capsule or permanent cortex (in contrast to neonatal adrenal hemorrhage, which
      usually occurs more centrally in the fetal cortex). The cysts were as large as 8
      cm in diameter, and in one case a solitary cyst was predominant. Hemihypertrophy
      was present in all cases. Four of the six lesions were right-sided, and there was
      a male-female ratio of 5:1. Benign hemorrhagic adrenocortical macrocysts are a
      cause of abdominal mass in the fetus and neonate with Beckwith-Wiedemann
      syndrome.

PMID- 1872244
TI  - Goitrous cretinism manifesting as newborn stridor: CT evaluation.

PMID- 1872245
TI  - Biological classification of soft-tissue vascular anomalies: MR correlation.

PMID- 1872246
TI  - Analysis of economics and use of MR imaging units in the United States in 1990.
AB  - Personnel from the 72 facilities with the most experience in MR imaging were
      surveyed, and 45 questionnaires were returned with data to study the economics
      and use of MR imaging facilities. The data from 1990 were compared with results
      of studies done in 1985 and 1987. The facilities studied were highly selected,
      and the data and conclusions are unlikely to be representative of all MR
      facilities currently operational in the United States. The "typical" MR unit
      operated about 66 hr per week and imaged 68 patients. Most procedures were
      examinations of the head and spine (73%), with examinations of bone and joint
      increasing in frequency (17%). Scheduling delays for both inpatients and
      outpatients have decreased since 1987, indicating that clinical demand is being
      met by MR facilities. The global (technical plus professional) charge for an
      examination was approximately $950, and the charge for IV contrast material was
      an additional $200. IV contrast material was used in approximately 40% of head
      and 20% of spine studies. The typical MR units in 1990 was used to examine more
      than 3000 patients per year at a charge of approximately $750 each for the
      technical component. Technical billings for each unit were approximately $2.3
      million, and net revenues were almost $1.9 million. We estimate the annual
      operating cost of an MR unit in 1990 was $1.3 million, so the typical MR unit had
      an annual net profit of approximately $500,000. This is a considerable
      improvement from the economic position in 1985, when each MR unit was losing
      approximately $400,000 annually. We conclude that experienced MR imaging
      facilities are now profitable owing to increased efficiency and continually
      rising charges. We suggest the economic historical pattern demonstrated by MR
      imaging (large losses initially followed by profitability within several years
      owing to increased efficiency and higher charges) is a typical pattern for many
      new technologies with the current medical payment system in the United States.

PMID- 1872247
TI  - The volume and cost of radiologic services in the United States in 1990.
AB  - Knowing the total number of radiologic services provided in the United States and
      their cost is important. This information can, for example, indicate the
      opportunities available to a radiology practice considering opening a new office
      or show whether high-technology radiology is, as is widely assumed, an important
      factor in United States health costs. However, neither the total number of
      procedures nor their cost is known. We developed two largely independent
      estimates of each total (one based principally on surveys of radiologists, the
      other on Medicare data) to cross-validate the estimates and provide an indication
      of their uncertainty. We estimate that 260-330 million radiologic procedures were
      performed in the United States in 1990 (including both diagnostic and therapeutic
      procedures and radiologic procedures performed by nonradiologists) and that
      payments for these services totaled $19 to $22 billion (including payments for
      technical components in the hospital setting). This total was approximately 3.5%
      of national spending on personal health care; high-technology radiology totaled
      less than half of this amount. The procedures numbered 1.0-1.3 per capita
      annually, an increase of some 10-40% since 1980. Of the spending total, $10 to
      $12 billion was paid to physician practices, with a substantial portion of this
      amount going ultimately to practice expenses, particularly in the office setting.
      Our results suggest that spending on high-technology radiology is too small to be
      a major explanation for the current level of health costs in the United States.

PMID- 1872248
TI  - Is plagiarism ever insignificant?

PMID- 1872249
TI  - Effective audiovisual presentation: proper citation of sources.

PMID- 1872250
TI  - Sonography for mediastinal lymphoma.

PMID- 1872251
TI  - Inappropriate use of significant figures.

PMID- 1872252
TI  - Diagnosis of hemopericardium during digital subtraction angiography.

PMID- 1872253
TI  - Choledochal cyst and biliary atresia in the neonate.

PMID- 1872254
TI  - C-arm fluoroscopy.

PMID- 1872255
TI  - Videofluoroscopy in elderly patients with aspiration.

PMID- 1872256
TI  - A rare form of metatarsal synostosis.

PMID- 1872257
TI  - Subluxation of the humeral head associated with hemarthrosis in a patient with
      hemophilia.

PMID- 1872258
TI  - Paradoxical signals (short T2, long T2) in a patient with a soft-tissue tumor.

PMID- 1872259
TI  - Lateral meniscus pseudotear or "line of Murray".

PMID- 1872260
TI  - Programs and services for the deaf. III. University and college programs for
      personnel in deafness.

PMID- 1872261
TI  - Programs and services for the deaf. IV. Programs for the deaf-blind.

PMID- 1872262
TI  - Programs and services for the deaf. V. Supportive and rehabilitative programs for
      the deaf.

PMID- 1872263
TI  - Educational management of children with cochlear implants.
AB  - During the last decade, the technology of assistive hearing devices for hearing
      impaired children has improved significantly. Improvements in hearing aids and
      the introduction of cochlear implants and wearable tactile aids for children have
      made spoken language available to more deaf children and have changed the
      techniques for teaching listening and speaking skills. In June 1990, the Food and
      Drug Administration approved the Nucleus 22 channel cochlear implant for use with
      children. As a result, it is expected that more children will be implanted and,
      consequently, that the teachers and audiologist in the schools in which they are
      enrolled will need to learn to manage the devices. Since the Nucleus 22 cochlear
      implant does not restore normal hearing, children will continue to need
      instruction in listening and speaking. Furthermore, school personnel, who will be
      responsible for caring for and monitoring the implants, will have to learn how to
      maintain the devices. This article outlines some procedures for maximizing the
      benefits that profoundly deaf children can achieve with the cochlear implant.

PMID- 1872265
TI  - Programs and services for the deaf. II. Educational programs for deaf students.

PMID- 1872264
TI  - The development of a Children's Implant Profile.
AB  - The decision to provide a child with a cochlear implant is quite complex, as it
      must include consideration not only of the implant itself but also of the
      habilitative services necessary following the surgical procedure. To provide a
      systematic means of selecting hearing-impaired children for cochlear implants, a
      team at Children's Hearing Institute, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital,
      developed the Children's Implant Profile (ChIP). There is no one profile of a
      successful implant user--at least 11 factors appear to contribute to successful
      implantation. In the ChIP, each factor is evaluated on a three-point scale: (1)
      no concern, (2) mild-to-moderate concern, and (3) great concern. A profile
      showing "no concern" on all 11 factors denotes clear acceptability of the child
      as an implant candidate. A profile including several ratings in the "mild-to
      moderate concern" category suggests a need for further study to determine if
      improvements could be made in projected outcomes before initiating surgical
      procedures. Finally, ratings of "great concern," especially on more than one
      factor, indicate a very limited probability of successful implant outcomes, at
      least at the time of evaluation. A case study is presented to demonstrate the
      relationship between the evaluated factors and to show how the profile is used to
      address and remedy areas of concern.

PMID- 1872266
TI  - Effects of diltiazem on long-term outcome after acute myocardial infarction in
      patients with and without a history of systemic hypertension. The Multicenter
      Diltiazem Postinfarction Trial Research Group.
AB  - The effect of diltiazem on long-term outcome in patients with acute myocardial
      infarction with and without a history of systemic hypertension was investigated
      in 2,466 patients using the Multicenter Diltiazem Postinfarction Trial data-base.
      The baseline variables were comparable in the diltiazem and placebo-treated
      patients within the groups with and without hypertension. The initial 60-mg dose
      of diltiazem was associated with a significant (p less than 0.001) but modest
      (3%) reduction in blood pressure and heart rate in both groups with and without
      hypertension. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a meaningful overall
      reduction in first recurrent cardiac events (cardiac death or nonfatal
      reinfarction, whichever occurred first) and cardiac death in patients with
      hypertension treated with diltiazem compared with results in those treated with
      placebo. Similar effects were not observed in patients without a history of
      hypertension. When first recurrent cardiac events were used as the end point, the
      diltiazem:placebo hazard ratio (95% confidence limits) was 0.77 (0.58, 1.01) for
      the total hypertension group, and 0.67 (0.47, 0.96) and 1.32 (0.83, 2.10) for
      patients with hypertension with and without pulmonary congestion during the acute
      infarction, respectively. Similar results were observed using cardiac death as
      the end point. Beta blockers had a negligible effect on the hypertension
      diltiazem relation. These findings suggest that diltiazem may exert a long-term
      beneficial effect in most patients with hypertension who do not have pulmonary
      congestion during an acute infarction, and a detrimental effect in the minority
      who have pulmonary congestion.

PMID- 1872267
TI  - Comparison of the predictive characteristics of heart rate variability index and
      left ventricular ejection fraction for all-cause mortality, arrhythmic events and
      sudden death after acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - Heart rate (HR) variability index and left ventricular ejection fraction (EF)
      were compared for the prediction of all-cause mortality, arrhythmic events and
      sudden death in 385 survivors of acute myocardial infarction. For arrhythmic
      events, where, for a sensitivity of 75%, HR variability index had a specificity
      of 76%, EF had a specificity of only 45%. An EF of less than or equal to 40% had
      a sensitivity of 42% and a specificity of 75% for arrhythmic events; for the same
      sensitivity an HR variability index of 20 U had a specificity of 92%. An EF less
      than or equal to 40% had a sensitivity of 40% and a specificity of 73% for sudden
      death; HR variability index had a specificity of 83% for the same sensitivity.
      For all cause mortality, where, for a sensitivity of 75%, HR variability index
      had a specificity of 52%, EF had a specificity of 40%. It is concluded that HR
      variability index appears a better predictor of important postinfarction
      arrhythmic complications than left ventricular EF, but both indexes perform
      equally well in predicting all-cause mortality.

PMID- 1872268
TI  - Age-related normal values of signal-averaged electrocardiographic variables after
      acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - The study examined standard time domain variables of a signal-averaged
      electrocardiogram (SAECG) in 328 survivors of acute myocardial infarction. The
      correlation of these variables with age and the influence of age on the
      prediction of postinfarction arrhythmic complication (sudden death [n = 12] or
      sustained ventricular tachycardia, or both [n = 14]) from the SAECG were
      investigated. Statistically highly significant correlations (p less than or equal
      to 0.00002) between age and SAECG variables were found. Compared with patients
      aged less than 60 years, the SAECG-based stratification of arrhythmic
      complications after myocardial infarction in patients greater than 60 years had
      lower sensitivity for the same values of specificity and lower specificity for
      the same values of sensitivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872269
TI  - Non-Q- and Q-wave infarction after thrombolytic therapy with intravenous
      streptokinase for chest pain and anterior ST-segment elevation.
AB  - The clinical features of patients treated with streptokinase for chest pain and
      anterior ST-segment elevation who subsequently develop non-Q-wave infarction are
      unknown. Of the 75 consecutive patients who initially presented with chest pain
      and ST-segment elevation in the anterior leads (V1-V6, I, aVL) and were treated
      with intravenous streptokinase (time from symptoms to treatment averaged less
      than 3 hours), 32 (43%) developed a non-Q-wave and 43 (57%) a Q-wave myocardial
      infarction. Twenty seven of 32 patients (84%) from the non-Q-wave group and 39 of
      43 (91%) from the Q-wave group were studied by angiography at 5.16 +/- 2.88 days
      after the onset of myocardial infarction. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
      was 13 +/- 6 vs 20 +/- 7 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), left ventricular ejection
      fraction was 60 +/- 8 vs 49 +/- 14% (p less than 0.001) and the infarct vessel
      patency rate was 85 vs 72% (p = 0.44) in patients with a non-Q versus a Q-wave
      infarction, respectively. In summary, when patients presenting with chest pain
      and ST-segment elevation are treated with streptokinase, a significant portion of
      these symptoms will evolve into a non-Q-wave infarction. Patients with a non-Q
      wave infarction will have a better preserved left ventricular function than
      patients who develop a Q-wave infarction. This suggests the need for equal
      distribution of such patients in randomized trials of thrombolytic therapy for
      acute myocardial infarction to avoid misinterpreting data between groups.

PMID- 1872270
TI  - Effects of urokinase and heparin on minimal cross-sectional area of the culprit
      narrowing in unstable angina pectoris.
AB  - The immediate and delayed effects of urokinase and heparin on minimal cross
      sectional area of a patent ischemia-producing coronary artery were prospectively
      investigated in 43 patients with unstable angina. After baseline angiography,
      patients were randomized to 3 different treatment groups: group I--urokinase
      (1,000,000 U intravenous bolus dose), followed by heparin infusion 3 hours later;
      group II--heparin (10,000 U intravenous bolus, followed by continuous infusion);
      and group III--conventional therapy only (intravenous nitroglycerin, beta
      blockers and calcium antagonists). Angiography was repeated at 1 hour and at 8
      days of treatment and minimal cross-sectional area was determined in the 35
      patients who completed the study. In group I, minimal cross-sectional area
      increased from 0.84 +/- 0.48 mm2 at baseline to 0.94 +/- 0.49 mm2 at 1 hour (p
      less than 0.05), and to 1.00 +/- 0.51 mm2 at 8 days (p less than 0.01 vs
      baseline). In group II, a significant increase in minimal cross-sectional area
      was observed only at the 8-day angiography (0.64 +/- 0.39 mm2 at baseline; 0.67
      +/- 0.37 mm2 at 1 hour [p = not significant]; and 0.79 +/- 0.48 mm2 at 8 days [p
      less than 0.01] vs baseline). In group III, no significant changes in minimal
      cross-sectional area occurred either at 1 hour or at 8 days. Thus, both urokinase
      and heparin improved lesion geometry in patients with unstable angina, although a
      large individual variation was noticed. The effect occurred earlier with
      urokinase than with heparin.

PMID- 1872271
TI  - Twenty-four-hour activity of felodipine extended release in chronic stable angina
      pectoris.
AB  - To investigate the antiischemic efficacy and duration of action of the
      dihydropyridine calcium antagonist felodipine, 15 patients with stable exertional
      angina were enrolled in a double-blind, crossover study comparing 2 doses (5 and
      10 mg) of felodipine extended release (ER) and placebo given once daily for 1
      week. Bicycle exercise tests were repeated at the end of each treatment period 4
      and 24 hours after dosing. Four hours after dosing with both felodipine doses,
      only 5 patients discontinued the exercise test because of greater than 2 mm of ST
      segment depression, whereas 10 continued until exhaustion (p less than 0.01 vs
      placebo). Compared with placebo, total exercise time was increased by 19% (p less
      than 0.001), with no difference between doses. After 24 hours, exercise duration
      was prolonged up to physical exhaustion in 6 patients taking felodipine 10 mg (p
      less than 0.05 vs both placebo and felodipine 5 mg); moreover, 11 patients taking
      10 mg and 5 taking 5 mg increased time to 1 mm of ST depression greater than or
      equal to 15% compared with exercise time during the placebo test. Mean time to 1
      mm of ST depression at 24 hours was increased by 8% with 5 mg and by 18% with 10
      mg (p less than 0.001 vs placebo; p less than 0.01 between doses). Total exercise
      time at 24 hours was increased with both doses (p less than 0.001), with greater
      efficacy with the 10-mg dose (p less than 0.05 vs 5 mg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872272
TI  - Ridogrel in the setting of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
AB  - The safety of the combination of heparin and ridogrel therapy and its
      antiplatelet efficacy was examined in the setting of percutaneous transluminal
      coronary angioplasty (PTCA). In 32 patients without known aspirin intake for 10
      days before PTCA, therapy with ridogrel (300-mg intravenous bolus) was begun just
      before PTCA and continued orally at a dose of 300 mg twice daily until discharge.
      Heparin was administered as a 10,000 IU bolus dose before PTCA and followed by an
      intravenous infusion at a rate of 1,000 IU/hour for 24 hours. Bleeding problems
      at the arterial entry site occurred in 13 patients, which required a blood
      transfusion in only 2 patients. One patient underwent emergency bypass surgery
      without specific problems of hemostasis. Ridogrel virtually eliminated
      thromboxane B2 from the serum (29,990 +/- 6,555 pg/0.1 ml before vs 63 +/- 7
      pg/0.1 ml at 2 hours after ridogrel), with a concomitant increase in serum 6-keto
      prostaglandin F1 alpha (511 +/- 34 pg/0.1 ml before vs 1,190 +/- 146 pg/0.1 ml at
      24 hours after ridogrel). There were no acute reocclusions in the ridogrel
      treated patients, whereas acute reocclusions occurred in 5.6% of the patients
      taking the standard aspirin + heparin regimen during the same period.
      Furthermore, at 6-month clinical follow-up patients treated with ridogrel
      compared favorably with those receiving standard treatment.

PMID- 1872273
TI  - Use of a morphologic classification to predict clinical outcome after dissection
      from coronary angioplasty.
AB  - To determine if morphology of procedure-associated dissections could help predict
      clinical outcome, angiograms of 691 coronary artery dissections resulting from
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty were categorized according to the
      National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute classification system. Classes of
      dissection were then correlated with clinical outcome: 543 patients with type B
      dissections had no increase in morbidity and mortality when compared with
      patients without dissection, with a similar success rate of 93.7%. Complications
      in this group were low and compared favorably with complication rates in
      procedures not associated with dissection. One hundred forty-eight procedures
      associated with dissections of types C to F had a significant increase in in
      hospital complications, including acute closure (31%), need for emergency
      coronary bypass surgery (37%), myocardial infarction (13%) and repeat angioplasty
      (24%). The overall clinical success rate for those with types C to F dissection
      was 38%. The differences in clinical success and acute complications between type
      B and types C to F dissections were statistically significant at p less than
      0.0005 for all variables studied. The angiographic morphology of a dissection
      during coronary angioplasty can predict clinical outcome, aiding in selection of
      effective therapy.

PMID- 1872274
TI  - Noninvasive identification of significant narrowing of the left main coronary
      artery by dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy.
AB  - To evaluate the usefulness of dipyridamole thallium scintigraphy with low-level
      exercise for the identification of left main (LM) coronary artery disease (CAD),
      466 consecutive patients with CAD were studied. Thirty-eight patients (8%) had LM
      stenosis (diameter narrowing greater than or equal to 50%). The LM scintigraphic
      pattern was present in 9 of 38 patients with LMCAD and 38 of 428 CAD patients
      without LMCAD (24 vs 9%; p less than 0.005). This pattern was present in 6 of 9
      patients with LMCAD without right CAD and in only 3 of 29 patients with LM and
      right CAD (67 vs 10%; p = 0.0005). Patients with LMCAD had a higher incidence of
      premature cessation of low-level exercise (53 vs 21%; p less than 0.0001), chest
      pain (68 vs 48%; p less than 0.02), blood pressure decrease of greater than or
      equal to 20 mm Hg (44 vs 16%; p less than 0.002) and greater ST depression (0.17
      +/- 0.13 vs 0.06 +/- 0.10 mV; p less than 0.001) during dipyridamole loading than
      patients without LMCAD. Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that the LM
      scintigraphic pattern and markers of ischemia during dipyridamole loading best
      identified (p less than 0.0001) patients with LMCAD without right CAD
      (sensitivity 67%, specificity 91%), but this predictability is no better than the
      LM scintigraphic pattern alone. The combination of clinical markers of ischemia
      during dipyridamole loading and scintigraphic findings of diffuse slow washout,
      extensive fixed defects and the LM pattern best identified (p less than 0.0001)
      patients with LM and right CAD (sensitivity 72%, specificity 80%).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872275
TI  - Evaluation of dipyridamole-Doppler echocardiography for detection of myocardial
      ischemia and coronary artery disease.
AB  - Doppler assessment of left ventricular filling and ejection during dipyridamole
      stress may supplement wall motion analysis for detection of myocardial ischemia
      and coronary artery disease (CAD). Thirty-four patients taking no cardioactive
      therapy were studied using intravenous dipyridamole (0.6 mg/kg) during 2
      dimensional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Twelve patients had normal
      coronary arteries (group 1) and the remainder, who had significant CAD, were
      divided into groups 2 (n = 11) and 3 (n = 11). Only subjects in group 2 developed
      myocardial ischemia manifest as reversible regional asynergy and ST-segment
      depression. Heart rate increased (16 +/- 9 beats/min, p less than 0.01) and mean
      blood pressure decreased (-5 +/- 8 mm Hg, p = not significant) uniformly across
      groups. Exaggerated hyperkinesia of normally contracting wall segments was the
      common response to dipyridamole infusion in patients with CAD. The respective
      mean percent changes in peak early diastolic velocity, peak atrial velocity,
      their ratio and ejection peak velocity, and mean acceleration for groups 1 (20,
      42, -13, 20 and 23%), 2 (22, 32, -2, 10 and 14%) and 3 (23, 33, -6, 16 and 18%)
      were similar. Comparisons between normal patients and those with CAD and between
      groups 2 and 3 revealed no significant differences in the effect of dipyridamole
      on any variable. However, a decrease in both peak velocity and mean acceleration
      of left ventricular ejection was seen in 3 of 4 group 2 patients who developed
      severe ischemia. Dipyridamole-Doppler echocardiography is insensitive for
      detection of CAD and appears unable to identify myocardial ischemia unless this
      is severe. Hemodynamic changes and compensatory wall motion induced by
      dipyridamole may explain these findings.

PMID- 1872276
TI  - Pronounced reduction of aortic flow velocity and acceleration during heavy
      isometric exercise in coronary artery disease.
AB  - Doppler-derived parameters of aortic flow were examined during heavy isometric
      exercise in 48 men with coronary artery disease (CAD) and in 48 gender- and age
      matched healthy controls. The aim was to determine which parameters best
      separated the groups and to look for a possible relation between exercise-induced
      Doppler patterns and the extent of CAD. Isometric exercise was performed with a 2
      hand bar dynamometer, and the subjects were required to perform 50% of maximal
      voluntary contraction for 2 minutes. Examination was performed with a pulsed
      Doppler transducer positioned at the suprasternal notch. Resting peak flow
      velocity, acceleration time, stroke volume index and cardiac index did not show
      significant differences between the groups. However, mean acceleration and stroke
      work were significantly lower in patients with CAD. In this group, exercise peak
      flow velocity decreased from 98 +/- 13 to 55 +/- 12 cm/s, flow velocity integral
      from 14 +/- 3 to 7 +/- 3 cm, mean acceleration from 11 +/- 0.9 to 4.7 +/- 1
      m/s/s, and stroke volume index from 41 +/- 6 to 23 +/- 4 ml/m2 (p less than 0.001
      for all). Cardiac index decreased from 2.7 +/- 0.4 to 2 +/- 0.2 liters/min/m2 (p
      less than 0.05). Acceleration time increased from 82 +/- 6 to 116 +/- 7 ms. In
      most of the indexes, the directional changes induced by isometric exercise were
      similar in patients with CAD and in normal control subjects. The differences
      compared with the rest values were significantly greater in the CAD group, and
      especially in patients presenting with 3-vessel disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872277
TI  - Usefulness of excitable gap and pattern of resetting in atrial flutter for
      determining reentry circuit location.
AB  - Clinical and experimental data show that type I atrial flutter is due to a
      reentry mechanism with an excitable gap. To define the location of the reentry
      circuit of atrial flutter, width of excitable gap, poststimulation cycle and
      pattern of reset after premature stimulus were analyzed in 18 patients during
      atrial flutter at multiple atrial sites (high, lateral, posterior and septal
      right atrium, and coronary sinus). The pattern of reset was defined as flat or
      increasing whether the return cycle remained unchanged or prolonged with
      increasing prematurity. Shorter values of the excitable gap were found at the
      coronary sinus (33 +/- 8 ms) and high right atrium (30 +/- 10 ms) than at the
      posterior (43 +/- 9 ms) or septal right atrium (45 +/- 11 ms). Intermediate
      values (36 +/- 8 ms) were measured at the lateral right atrium. Poststimulation
      cycle, corrected for atrial flutter cycle length, was shorter in the posterior (6
      +/- 7 ms) and septal right atrium (5 +/- 7 ms) than in the coronary sinus (35 +/-
      9 ms), and the high (23 +/- 10 ms) and lateral right atrium (15 +/- 9 ms). A flat
      pattern of resetting occurred more frequently at the septal (18 of 18 patients)
      and posterior right atrium (15 of 18) than at the lateral (8 of 18) and high
      right atrium (2 of 17), and was never observed at the coronary sinus. Atrial
      flutter was successfully terminated by overdrive atrial pacing in 15 of 18
      patients, and termination was more easily obtained from the septal and posterior
      right atrium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872278
TI  - Effects of exercise on heart rate, QT, QTc and QT/QS2 in the Romano-Ward
      inherited long QT syndrome.
AB  - Patients with the Romano-Ward inherited long QT syndrome have an incompletely
      defined cardiac sympathetic system abnormality, and exhibit ventricular
      arrhythmias during exercise, fear and anxiety. Treadmill and bicycle exercise
      were used to modulate cardiac autonomic activity in 27 Romano-Ward subjects and
      27 normal controls. The heart rate, and the QT, QTc and QT/QS2 (ratio of
      electrical to mechanical systole) intervals were compared. Subjects with long QT
      were compared with normals. Those with a long QT interval had the following
      results: similar resting heart rates; lower rates during moderate (151.6 vs 169.6
      beats/min, p = 0.04) and maximal (155.9 vs 182.1 beats/min, p = less than 0.001)
      exercise; an abnormal QT cycle-length relationship, with failure of the QT to
      shorten normally with increasing heart rate; an increase in QTc versus a decrease
      in normals; supine rest QT/QS2 ratio of 1.12 vs 0.93, p = 0.001; and an exercise
      QT/QS2 that increased by 30%, from 1.12 at rest to 1.45, versus 15%, in normals,
      from 0.93 to 1.07, p = 0.001. The lower heart rates and excessively prolonged
      QT/QS2 ratios during exercise further support an abnormality of, or abnormal
      cardiac response to, sympathetic activity. A QT/QS2 greater than 1.0 at rest, an
      exercise QT/QS2 ratio greater than 1.17, and an increase in QTc during moderate
      exercise may be helpful diagnostic findings in patients with borderline long QTc
      intervals at rest.

PMID- 1872279
TI  - Improved specificity of myocardial thallium-201 single-photon emission computed
      tomography in patients with left bundle branch block by dipyridamole.
AB  - Reduced septal uptake of thallium-201 during exercise is frequently observed in
      patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and normal coronary arteries. This
      may reflect normal coronary autoregulation in response to lower septal oxygen
      demand; thus, dipyridamole, which uniformly exploits flow reserve, would be more
      accurate for diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Sixteen patients with
      LBBB underwent exercise and dipyridamole thallium-201 single-photon emission
      computed tomography and coronary angiography within 3 months. Sensitivity for
      detection of left anterior descending CAD (greater than 50% stenosis) was 0.83
      for exercise and 1.00 for dipyridamole. Specificity was 0.30 (visual) or 0.20
      (quantitative analysis) for exercise and 0.80 (visual) or 0.90 (quantitative) for
      dipyridamole (p less than 0.05). Dipyridamole combined with quantitative analysis
      also improved specificity of CAD detection overall (p less than 0.01). These data
      demonstrate that pharmacologic vasodilation is more accurate than exercise when
      diagnosing CAD by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in patients with LBBB.

PMID- 1872280
TI  - Use of Valsalva maneuver to unmask left ventricular diastolic function
      abnormalities by Doppler echocardiography in patients with coronary artery
      disease or systemic hypertension.
AB  - It has been suggested that changes in left atrial pressure may mask or mimic left
      ventricular diastolic function abnormalities detected by Doppler
      echocardiography. The effect of the Valsalva maneuver on the transmitral flow
      velocity profile was therefore studied in 28 patients without evidence of
      coronary artery disease (group 1, mean age +/- standard deviation 50 +/- 8 years)
      and in 94 patients with evidence of coronary artery disease or systemic
      hypertension (group 2, mean age 54 +/- 10 years). At baseline, group 2 patients
      had higher peak late diastolic filling velocity (A), lower peak early (E) to late
      diastolic filling velocity (E/A) ratio and longer isovolumic relaxation time than
      group 1, whereas heart rate, E velocity and E deceleration time were similar in
      both groups. During Valsalva, both groups had similar increases in heart rate and
      similar decreases in E velocity but E/A ratio decreased significantly only in
      group 2 because of a lesser decrease in A velocity. The E/A ratio was greater
      than or equal to 1.0 both before and during Valsalva in all but 1 patient in
      group 1, whereas in group 2, 32 patients had E/A greater than or equal to 1.0 at
      rest and during Valsalva, 33 patients had E/A greater than or equal to 1.0 at
      rest but less than 1.0 both at rest and during Valsalva. Using group 1 as
      controls, prevalence, specificity and positive predictive value of E/A less than
      1.0 in group 2 were 31, 100 and 100% at rest and 66, 96 and 98% during
      Valsalva.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872281
TI  - Electrocardiographic correlates of reperfusion status after thrombolysis: is the
      "incomplete" or "interrupted" infarction a non-Q-wave infarction?

PMID- 1872282
TI  - Spasm and arterial injury.

PMID- 1872283
TI  - Edge detection versus videodensitometry for quantitative angiographic assessment
      of directional coronary atherectomy.

PMID- 1872284
TI  - Effects of parasympathetic blockade on ischemic threshold in patients with
      exercise-induced myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1872285
TI  - Long-term follow-up after intracoronary ethanol ablation of atrioventricular
      conduction.

PMID- 1872286
TI  - Actuarial risk of sudden death while awaiting cardiac transplantation in patients
      with atherosclerotic heart disease. DEFIBRILAT Study Group.

PMID- 1872287
TI  - Aging and left ventricular function in elderly healthy people.

PMID- 1872288
TI  - Influence of Doppler sample volume location on ventricular filling velocities.

PMID- 1872289
TI  - Independent effects of low frequency magnitude and phase distortion on the
      recorded electrocardiogram.

PMID- 1872290
TI  - Validation of a bedside method of activated partial thromboplastin time
      measurement with clinical range guidelines.

PMID- 1872291
TI  - Cardiac transplantation for giant coronary artery aneurysms complicating Kawasaki
      disease.

PMID- 1872292
TI  - Transesophageal echocardiographic findings of papillary muscle rupture.

PMID- 1872293
TI  - Should antibiotic prophylaxis be recommended for all patients with mitral valve
      prolapse?

PMID- 1872294
TI  - Angiographic progression to total coronary occlusion in hyperlipidemic patients
      after acute myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1872295
TI  - Lipid profiles after cardiac transplantation.

PMID- 1872296
TI  - Radionuclide exercise response in young asymptomatic chronic alcoholics.

PMID- 1872297
TI  - Cause of ventricular arrhythmia.

PMID- 1872298
TI  - Mitral regurgitation improves when aortic valve area increases significantly.

PMID- 1872299
TI  - Oral treatment of diabetes mellitus: the contribution of gliclazide.

PMID- 1872300
TI  - Oral treatment of diabetes mellitus: the contribution of gliclazide. Proceedings
      of a symposium, September 23, 1989, Lisbon, Portugal.

PMID- 1872301
TI  - Hepatic sensitivity to insulin: effects of sulfonylurea drugs.
AB  - Insulin regulation of hepatic glucose production (HGP) is altered in non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), resulting in increased glucose output by the
      liver; this contributes to the elevation in plasma glucose concentration observed
      both in the basal state and postprandially. Therefore, restoration of normal
      insulin action in the liver must be a goal of hypoglycemic therapy. Sulfonylureas
      have been widely used for treatment of NIDDM over the past 30 years. In addition
      to their stimulatory effect on insulin secretion, these compounds seem to possess
      extrapancreatic effects. Early in vitro studies showed that addition of
      sulfonylureas to the perfusion medium of liver preparations could exert a
      significant suppressive effect on HGP. Subsequent experience suggested that these
      compounds could act at the level of the insulin receptor as well as at various
      postreceptor sites. These studies showed that sulfonylureas may inhibit
      glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis while stimulating glycogen synthesis. Results
      obtained in vivo in NIDDM patients are in agreement with the in vitro studies.
      Long-term treatment with sulfonylureas is associated with a decline in fasting
      plasma glucose concentration and a parallel reduction in HGP. Nevertheless, the
      direct effect of sulfonylurea administration on the liver remains unclear, since
      the reduction in HGP that occurs during sulfonylurea treatment may be secondary
      to an overall improvement in insulin secretion. It is also of interest that in
      insulin-dependent diabetic patients, sulfonylurea administration in combination
      with insulin injections is not followed by a significant change in HGP. Possible
      effects of sulfonylureas on glucagon secretion and on the metabolism of free
      fatty acids (FFAs) may also contribute to improved sensitivity of the liver to
      the suppressive action of insulin, since these agents appear to reduce plasma
      glucagon and FFA concentrations. Thus, present data support an extrapancreatic
      action of sulfonylureas on the liver. However, it does appear that a certain
      degree of residual insulin secretion is required for sulfonylurea agents to
      elicit their hepatic effect.

PMID- 1872302
TI  - Current status of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type II): management
      with gliclazide.
AB  - Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a major cause of morbidity and
      mortality worldwide, with a prevalence of 3-7% in most Western countries.
      Decreased insulin secretion and diminished tissue insulin sensitivity are both
      implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease; both may be exacerbated by
      persistent hyperglycemia and improved by normalization of blood sugar levels.
      Measures to control hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are important
      in the management of NIDDM and prevention of its long-term complications. The
      effects of dietary modification, exercise, and antihypertensive and antiplatelet
      therapy, as well as of pharmacologic control of blood sugar, on the vascular and
      renal complications of NIDDM have been investigated. Gliclazide is a second
      generation sulfonylurea drug whose efficacy in the treatment of NIDDM, alone or
      in combination with insulin, has been widely demonstrated. Studies of the use of
      gliclazide, reported at recent symposia, are summarized in this review.

PMID- 1872303
TI  - Effect of 6-month gliclazide treatment on insulin release and sensitivity to
      endogenous insulin in NIDDM: role of initial continuous subcutaneous insulin
      infusion-induced normoglycemia.
AB  - In 10 obese, new-onset non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients
      (group A), continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) was used to induce
      normoglycemia during 14 days. Fasting blood glucose was 4.6 +/- 0.2 mmol/L and
      mean daily blood glucose 5.8 +/- 0.2 mmol/L at the end of the CSII period. This
      excellent glycemic control was obtained with 35 +/- 4.8 U of insulin per day,
      corresponding to 0.47 +/- 0.06 U/kg/24 hours. Endogenous insulin production was
      markedly suppressed, since urinary C-peptide was reduced from 18.5 +/- 0.12 to
      7.9 +/- 0.25 nmol/24 hours. Gliclazide was given to group A following CSII, and
      to five obese NIDDM patients (group B) in their habitual hyperglycemic state.
      Gliclazide maintained in group A, and induced in group B, excellent metabolic
      control. This was accompanied by the appearance of a small first-phase insulin
      response to intravenous glucose, and significant increases in the mean-daily
      insulin to mean-daily-blood-glucose ratio, as well as in the 24-hour urinary C
      peptide-to-glucose ratio. The gliclazide effects tended to be more pronounced in
      group A. No significant effect was seen on efficacy of endogenous insulin (slope
      of disappearance of blood glucose divided by insulin levels). During 6 months of
      gliclazide treatment, excellent glycemic control was maintained in all patients.
      This was paralleled by unchanged stimulation by gliclazide of first-phase insulin
      response to glucose, and augmented mean 48-hour insulin-to-glucose and urinary C
      peptide-to-glucose ratios. No change in the ratio of glucose disposal to
      endogenous insulin was noted. We conclude that physiologic insulin replacement
      may induce normoglycemia in NIDDM, indicating that insulin resistance is not of
      clinical significance; gliclazide has a beta-cell-stimulating action that is
      maintained quantitatively unchanged for at least 6 months; the therapeutic effect
      of gliclazide in NIDDM seems to be mainly, if not exclusively, the result of its
      beta-cytotrophic action. Initial normoglycemia, induced here by CSII, may have a
      lasting enhancing effect on the gliclazide action.

PMID- 1872304
TI  - An evaluation of long-term glycemic control in non-insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus: the relevance of glycated hemoglobin.
AB  - Thirty-six patients were admitted to an open study designed to evaluate the long
      term efficacy of gliclazide in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus.
      Results from 27 of these patients were analyzed at 36 months, 21 at 48 months,
      and 16 at 60 months of follow-up. An overall reduction in fasting and
      postprandial blood sugar was observed (p less than 0.001). Total glycated
      hemoglobin (HbA1) fell significantly (p less than 0.001), to revert to values
      within the reference range in over 80% of cases. Body weight remained stable over
      a period of observation ranging from 36 to 60 months. The incidence of subsequent
      failure of oral treatment was 2% per annum. These results show that long-term
      treatment of type II diabetes with gliclazide leads to satisfactory results, with
      practically no side effects.

PMID- 1872305
TI  - Pathophysiology of vascular disease in diabetes: effects of gliclazide.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, peripheral
      vascular disease, and cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of these
      complications is increased about two- to four-fold in people with diabetes in the
      United States, and they contribute substantially to morbidity, mortality, and
      healthcare costs. The pathogenesis of macrovascular disease in diabetes is
      multifactorial. Endothelial injury is an early event, followed by macrophage
      adherence and uptake of lipids to produce a fatty streak. Platelet adherence,
      aggregation, and release of thromboxane and platelet-derived growth factors may
      then occur. Quantitative and qualitative alterations of lipoproteins are seen,
      particularly in uncontrolled insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent
      diabetes. Hyperinsulinemia may be contributory, as may elevated plasma proinsulin
      levels. Glycation of plasma proteins and of components of the vascular wall
      occurs, and altered coagulation and/or fibrinolysis may lead to thrombosis. The
      process is accelerated by hypertension, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia.
      Gliclazide is an oral sulfonylurea agent that has been reported to have actions
      on platelet function and fibrinolysis in addition to its effects on glycemia. The
      evidence for this is reviewed, and recommendations for future studies are made.

PMID- 1872306
TI  - Development of macroangiopathy in sand rats (Psammomys obesus), an animal model
      of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: effect of gliclazide.
AB  - The risk of developing macroangiopathy associated with diabetes led us to study
      in sand rats the long-term consequences of non-insulin-dependent diabetes on the
      development of arterial lesions promoted by feeding a high-cholesterol diet.
      Gliclazide, an agent whose preventive effect has previously been suggested in
      other experimental models of atheroma, was also investigated in these diabetic
      and hypercholesterolemic animals. Sand rats were fed a natural diet (ND group), a
      standard laboratory feed (StD group), or a high-cholesterol feed (HCD group) for
      15 months. Biologic parameters were monitored throughout the period of the study,
      and histologic and histochemical examinations were conducted when the animals
      were killed (month 15). One StD group and one HCD group were treated with
      gliclazide from month 3 to month 15. The StD group developed a syndrome of
      obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and triglyceridemia. The high
      cholesterol feed further increased hypercholesterolemia. These biologic
      abnormalities were accompanied by arterial lesions (thickening of the intima,
      deposition of glycosaminoglycans). Foam cells were seen in the intima, and
      microthrombi were present in the lumen of the arteries of animals in the HCD
      group. Long-term gliclazide medication at doses that normalized serum glucose
      levels also reduced the obesity, hyperinsulinemia, lipid disorders, and it
      prevented or retarded the appearance of arterial lesions.

PMID- 1872307
TI  - Pathogenesis of diabetic microangiopathy: an overview.
AB  - Major susceptibility factors for diabetic microangiopathy include duration of
      disease and probably quality of metabolic control. The mechanism of development
      of microangiopathy is incompletely understood but appears to involve functional
      abnormalities within the microcirculation, enhanced glucose metabolism,
      hemostatic abnormality, and genetic susceptibility. This article reviews the
      factors believed to be involved in pathogenesis and attempts to draw these
      together by suggesting a sequence of pathogenic interactions that could result in
      the microvascular changes seen in susceptible target organs. Possibilities for
      therapeutic intervention based on these pathogenic mechanisms are discussed. A
      small pilot trial of an oral hypoglycemic agent, gliclazide, is reported,
      providing evidence for a specific action of this drug on thromboxane synthesis
      and platelet aggregation. This is independent of glycemic control and may in part
      be mediated by a fall in lipid peroxides.

PMID- 1872308
TI  - Diabetic retinopathy in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients: the
      role of gliclazide.
AB  - Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of human blindness between the ages
      of 30 and 67 in the industrialized world. Retinopathy has a multifactorial
      etiology. Standard treatment has aimed at correcting only disturbed glucose
      metabolism, but this may lead only to the partial amelioration of certain
      hemobiologic factors. In addition to its metabolic action, gliclazide has been
      shown to have specific hemobiologic properties; studies with gliclazide in
      animals and humans have shown significant improvements of platelet abnormalities,
      stimulation of prostaglandin I2 synthesis, and enhancement of fibrinolytic
      activity. In humans, open-label studies have shown that gliclazide treatment
      leads to stabilization of background retinopathy in non-insulin-dependent
      diabetics and, more recently, these beneficial effects have been confirmed in
      controlled studies lasting up to 37 months in which other sulfonylureas were
      used. The Japanese Diabetic Retinopathy Program studied the progression of
      retinopathy over a 5-year period, comparing gliclazide with other sulfonylureas
      and with placebo. This study showed that, with equivalent metabolic control,
      there was a trend toward a lower rate of deterioration and a significantly lower
      incidence of preproliferative retinopathy in the group receiving gliclazide
      compared with those receiving other sulfonylureas. Overall, the specific
      hemobiologic actions of gliclazide appear to offset or retard the progression of
      diabetic retinopathy and may have the advantage of lowering the incidence of
      preproliferative retinopathy.

PMID- 1872309
TI  - Rationale for the association of sulfonylurea and insulin.
AB  - Approximately 20-30% of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
      (NIDDM) started on sulfonylureas fail to respond to treatment (primary failure);
      in the remaining patients, secondary failure to sulfonylurea therapy occurs at a
      rate of 5-10% per year. On the other hand, in insulin-treated NIDDM patients a
      progressive increase in insulin requirement can occur without significant
      improvement in glucose control. In these patients the combination of oral agents
      with insulin therapy may be useful. The rationale behind this therapeutic
      approach resides in the synergistic action of the two agents on specific
      mechanisms responsible for glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia. Long-acting
      insulin, administered as a single dose at supper or bedtime, should restrain
      excessive overnight hepatic glucose production, thus allowing a significant
      reduction in fasting glucose concentrations. A lower ambient glucose level should
      favor the stimulatory effect of sulfonylureas on insulin secretion. Sulfonylurea
      treatment should increase the portal inflow of secreted insulin with a resultant
      increase in insulin levels draining into liver, thus reducing postprandial
      hepatic glucose output. Moreover, sulfonylureas might improve insulin action on
      its target tissue (i.e., muscle), thus increasing overall insulin-mediated
      glucose metabolism. The reduction in prevailing plasma glucose levels will reduce
      the toxic effect of hyperglycemia on the beta-cell and on insulin-sensitive
      tissues. On this basis, NIDDM patients with secondary failure of monotherapy may
      benefit from combined therapy. Nevertheless, the effects of combined therapy
      should be strictly monitored and intensive insulin therapy promptly started if
      poor control persists.

PMID- 1872310
TI  - Mechanisms for hyperglycemia in type II diabetes mellitus: therapeutic
      implications for sulfonylurea treatment--an update.
AB  - Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is characterized by fasting
      hyperglycemia associated with defects in the pancreatic islet, the liver, and the
      peripheral tissues, which together comprise a feedback loop responsible for
      maintenance of glucose homeostasis. This review focuses on the key role of the
      endocrine pancreas alpha and beta cells to coordinate glucose output from the
      liver with glucose utilization. The basal rate of hepatic glucose utilization.
      The basal rate of hepatic glucose production is elevated in subjects with NIDDM,
      and this is positively correlated with the degree of fasting hyperglycemia. This
      increased rate of glucose release by the liver results from impaired hepatic
      sensitivity to insulin, reduced insulin secretion, and increased glucagon
      secretion. Though basal immunoreactive insulin levels in patients with NIDDM may
      appear normal when compared with healthy individuals, islet function testing at
      matched glucose levels reveals impairments of basal, steady-state, and stimulated
      insulin secretion due to a reduction in beta-cell secretory capacity and a
      reduced ability of glucose to suppress glucagon. The degree of impaired beta-cell
      responsiveness to glucose is closely related to the degree of fasting
      hyperglycemia but in a curvilinear fashion. The efficiency of glucose uptake by
      the peripheral tissues is also impaired due to a combination of decreased insulin
      secretion and defective cellular insulin action. This impairment becomes more
      important to the hyperglycemia as the islet alpha- and beta-cell function
      declines. Therapeutic interventions, to be effective, must reduce hepatic glucose
      production either by improving islet dysfunction and raising plasma insulin
      levels, or improving the effectiveness of insulin on the liver. Both result in a
      decline in the fasting glucose levels regardless of the cause of hyperglycemia.
      We conclude that NIDDM is characterized by a steady-state re-regulation of plasma
      glucose concentration at an elevated level in which islet dysfunction plays a
      necessary role. Treatment should be based on this physiologic understanding.

PMID- 1872311
TI  - Combination of insulin and sulfonylureas: a literature review.

PMID- 1872312
TI  - Majority of RNs favor mandatory testing for AIDS.

PMID- 1872314
TI  - Faculty nurtures, too.

PMID- 1872313
TI  - The use--and abuse--of negative thinking.

PMID- 1872315
TI  - The PIC catheter: a different approach.

PMID- 1872317
TI  - Psychoneuroimmunology.

PMID- 1872316
TI  - Awakening the inner healer.

PMID- 1872318
TI  - Caring for the morbidly obese.

PMID- 1872320
TI  - Carolinas jobfocus. Careers in the Carolinas.

PMID- 1872319
TI  - Mid-Atlantic job focus. Wellness for women.

PMID- 1872321
TI  - ANA members say no to mandatory AIDS testing, vote to require BSN for
      certification by 1998.

PMID- 1872322
TI  - Our shield: competence with compassion.

PMID- 1872323
TI  - Fifty-third annual meeting of the South Atlantic Association of Obstetricians and
      Gynecologists. Hot Springs, Virginia, January 27-30, 1991.

PMID- 1872324
TI  - Characterization of in vitro chemosensitivity of perioperative human ovarian
      malignancies by adenosine triphosphate chemosensitivity assay.
AB  - We report the in vitro chemosensitivity of primary and recurrent human ovarian
      tumor samples analyzed by adenosine triphosphate chemosensitivity assay. We
      defined sensitivity as a greater than or equal to 70% decrease in intracellular
      adenosine triphosphate versus control at 20% of the reported peak plasma
      concentration per agent tested. Twenty of 21 assays (95.24%) were completed
      successfully. Single-agent and combined dose-response patterns consisting of
      decreasing viability with increasing drug concentration were observed
      consistently. Thirteen primary tumors were assayed, with 15.4% sensitive to
      cisplatin, 7.7% sensitive to 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide and 53.8% sensitive to
      their combination. Seven recurrent tumors were assayed, with 14.3% sensitive to
      cisplatin, 28.6% sensitive to 5-fluorouracil, and 42.9% sensitive to their
      combination. Dose-response characteristics and in vitro sensitivity rates
      reported in this article are consistent with reports of patient response in the
      literature. We conclude that adenosine triphosphate chemosensitivity assay is an
      efficient and reliable instrument for the in vitro chemosensitivity assessment of
      human tumors and warrants further clinical investigation.

PMID- 1872325
TI  - Single-center comparison of results of 1000 prenatal diagnoses with chorionic
      villus sampling and 1000 diagnoses with amniocentesis.
AB  - Large multicenter studies have confirmed the safety and accuracy of chorionic
      villus sampling as a prenatal genetic diagnostic procedure, but there have been
      few single-center evaluations. We report our experience with 1000 consecutive
      chorionic villus sampling procedures compared with 1000 consecutive amniocentesis
      procedures during the same period. The procedures were performed by the same
      genetic counselors, sonographers, obstetricians, and laboratory personnel.
      Indications for referral, demographic characteristics of patients, numbers of
      attempts per patient, fetal loss rates, laboratory results, and evaluation of
      accuracy are included. Analysis of all data suggests that chorionic villus
      sampling is a safe and accurate alternative to amniocentesis in our community
      based teaching hospital.

PMID- 1872326
TI  - Quantification of cervical change: relationship to preterm delivery in the
      multifetal gestation.
AB  - Prematurity is the major contributor to the very high perinatal morbidity and
      mortality associated with multifetal gestations. Antepartum cervical evaluation
      has been suggested as a way to better define the risk of preterm delivery in
      multifetal gestations. Weekly digital cervical examinations were performed in 86
      twin and 7 triplet gestations that were being monitored in a special antepartum
      clinic. A cervical score was calculated from each examination by subtracting
      cervical dilatation in centimeters from cervical length in centimeters. Cervical
      scores decline gradually with advancing gestation and are influenced by parity
      and subsequent preterm delivery. Intervals until delivery decrease significantly
      with lower cervical scores. A cervical score less than or equal to 0 on or before
      34 weeks' gestation was strongly predictive of preterm delivery (75%). Only 2 of
      78 (2.6%) with a score greater than 0 were delivered within 1 week of the
      examination. Cervical scoring is a simple, quantifiable, reproducible, and safe
      method of evaluating preterm delivery risk. An understanding of the prognostic
      significance of specific cervical scores may be of value in determining the need
      for obstetric intervention.

PMID- 1872327
TI  - Appropriateness of intrapartum fetal heart rate management and risk of cerebral
      palsy.
AB  - Cerebral palsy affects 2 in 1000 infants in the United States, and the
      intrapartum period is frequently scrutinized as the etiologic source. In a
      matched group of 49 infants with cerebral palsy at 1 year of age and 49 controls,
      no difference in the incidence of inappropriate intrapartum fetal heart rate
      pattern management was detected. This supports the conclusions of others that the
      intrapartum period is an infrequent source of cerebral palsy.

PMID- 1872328
TI  - Combined interferon alfa and doxorubicin in the treatment of advanced cervical
      cancer.
AB  - Interferon alfa and doxorubicin have been shown to have synergistic effects when
      tested in vitro with cells derived from cervical cancers. A clinical trial was
      designed, testing interferon alfa plus doxorubicin in patients with advanced or
      recurrent cervical cancers. Twenty-one patients were given interferon alfa, 10
      million units per square meter intramuscularly and 10 million units per square
      meter intravenously over a 30-minute infusion period. One hour later 20 mg/m2
      doxorubicin was given intravenously slowly over a 2-hour period. Treatments were
      repeated once weekly for 3 weeks. Initial response evaluation was done at week 5,
      and treatment was continued on an every-other-week schedule for patients showing
      favorable responses or stable disease. Bone marrow, hepatic, and renal toxicities
      were minimal. Fever and malaise were the major sources of toxicity. Of the 17
      evaluable patients, six had clinical partial responses. Two of the responders
      have enjoyed more than 5 years' survival. This regimen is well tolerated and does
      have efficacy in some patients with advanced cervical cancers.

PMID- 1872329
TI  - Primary invasive vaginal carcinoma.
AB  - A review of primary vaginal carcinoma treated at the Medical University of South
      Carolina from January 1970 through December 1989 included 76 squamous carcinomas,
      12 adenocarcinomas, and 3 undifferentiated carcinomas. Staging was done according
      to the system of the International Federal of Gynecology and Obstetrics as
      modified by Perez et al. Stages I, II, III, and IV included 25, 39, 15, and 12
      patients, respectively. Corrected 5-year survival rates were 73% for stage I, 39%
      for stage II, 38% for stage III, and 25% for stage IV. Sixteen percent of
      patients had received prior pelvic radiation. Invasive cervical cancer preceded
      vaginal cancer in 21% of patients. Detection of cancer was accomplished by
      routine cytologic testing in 17% of patients, palpation of an asymptomatic mass
      in 10% of patients, or palpation of a symptomatic mass in 72% of patients. Eighty
      seven percent of patients were treated with radiation therapy. Survival curves of
      patients grouped by stage and other potential prognostic factors were compared.
      Lower stage (p less than 0.01), younger age (p less than 0.02), and no symptoms
      at detection (p less than 0.01) were statistically significant favorable
      prognostic factors. Histologic type, extent of vaginal involvement, vaginal
      location, prior radiation therapy, prior cervical cancer, and prior hysterectomy
      are factors that did not significantly affect survival.

PMID- 1872330
TI  - Analysis of 500 obstetric and gynecologic malpractice claims: causes and
      prevention.
AB  - Five hundred obstetric and gynecologic malpractice litigation claims were
      analyzed to determine the incidence of claims that could not be defended because
      of breach of standards of care, problems with documentation, or both. Of the 500
      claims, 294 were obstetric and 206 were gynecologic. Of the obstetric claims, 79
      (27%) were indefensible because of breaches of standards of care (71%), problems
      with documentation (5%), or both (24%). Of the 206 gynecologic claims, 45 (22%)
      were indefensible because of breaches of standards of care (62%), problems with
      documentation (24%), or both (13%). The incidence of indefensible obstetric and
      gynecologic claims was 25%. Indefensible claims were analyzed to determine the
      common medical and surgical problems that instigated the malpractice suits.
      Recommendations are made that should reduce the incidence of indefensible
      malpractice suits.

PMID- 1872331
TI  - Changes in lipids and lipoproteins with long-term estrogen deficiency and hormone
      replacement therapy.
AB  - Cross-sectional data of the long-term effects of estrogens, androgens, and
      progestogens on lipids and lipoproteins were obtained in 556 postmenopausal women
      aged 24 to 85 years with follow-up for 1 to 44 years. Baseline values were
      obtained in 155 women from less than 1 year up to 30 years after menopause. Total
      cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol tended to rise during the
      early postmenopausal years while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not
      change. Triglycerides were related to weight and were significantly different
      only between untreated women of normal weight (128.3 +/- 7.80 mg/dl) and hormone
      users weighing greater than 200 pounds (252.9 +/- 9.44 mg/dl), p less than or
      equal to 0.001. Although mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower with
      both C-21 progestogens (64.5 +/- 4.16 mg/dl) and C-19 progestogens (61.9 +/- 3.84
      mg/dl), there were no statistically significant differences on comparison with
      levels in the unopposed estrogen users (67.0 +/- 3.94 mg/dl). Smoking
      significantly depressed high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both hormone
      users (p less than or equal to 0.001) and untreated women (p less than or equal
      to 0.001). Added progestogens do not adversely affect lipids and lipoproteins
      over the long term when adequate dosages of estrogens are used.

PMID- 1872332
TI  - Endometrial morphology in asymptomatic postmenopausal women.
AB  - Few data are available regarding endometrial histologic features in asymptomatic
      perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. This study encompasses endometrial
      biopsy specimens obtained from 801 such women before enrollment in a multicenter
      study of estrogen-progestin replacement. One endometrial cancer was found
      (0.13%); four additional biopsy specimens showed atypia (total 0.63%). The
      endometrium was atrophic in 373 (46.9%), proliferative in 133 (16.7%), secretory
      in 54 (6.8%), and hyperplastic in 41 (5.2%). Insufficient tissue for diagnosis
      was obtained in 195 (24.5%). We conclude that the yield for neoplasia is so low
      that screening endometrial biopsy is not justified in asymptomatic perimenopausal
      and postmenopausal women.

PMID- 1872333
TI  - Assessment of Kegel pelvic muscle exercise performance after brief verbal
      instruction.
AB  - Forty-seven women had urethral pressure profile determinations performed at rest
      and during a Kegel pelvic muscle contraction, after brief standardized verbal
      instruction. Twenty-three (49%) had an ideal Kegel effort--a significant increase
      in the force of urethral closure without an appreciable Valsalva effort. Twelve
      subjects (25%) displayed a Kegel technique that could potentially promote
      incontinence. Age, parity, weight, estrogen deprivation, prior continence surgery
      or hysterectomy, and passive urethral function did not predict a successful
      effort. We concluded that simple verbal or written instruction does not represent
      adequate preparation for a patient who is about to start a Kegel exercise
      program.

PMID- 1872334
TI  - Treatment failure of genital condylomata acuminata in women: role of the male
      sexual partner.
AB  - The male sexual partners of women with genital condylomata acuminata are thought
      to be carriers of human papillomaviruses. It is therefore often recommended that
      both sexual partners be treated. We studied 360 women with genital warts to test
      the hypothesis that when the male partners of women with condylomata acuminata
      are treated, the treatment failure rate decreases. The male sexual partners of
      180 of these women were examined and, if indicated, treated (treatment group).
      The 180 remaining male sexual partners were neither examined nor treated (control
      group). One hundred twenty-two (68%) men in the treatment group had human
      papillomavirus-associated lesions. The treatment failure rate of women was 16.7%
      in the treatment group and 18.9% in the control group. The difference is not
      statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). The results of this study do not
      support the hypothesis that the treatment failure rate of women with condylomata
      acuminata decreases if their male sexual partners are also treated.

PMID- 1872335
TI  - Partial dissection of the zona pellucida of frozen-thawed human embryos may
      enhance blastocyst hatching, implantation, and pregnancy rates.
AB  - The rate of successful implantation after replacement of frozen-thawed embryos in
      in vitro fertilization is commonly only 5% to 10% per embryo. A limiting factor
      may be inability of otherwise viable embryos to be released from the intact zonae
      pellucidae. Culture conditions and/or cryopreservation in in vitro fertilization
      may affect the zona and impair blastocyst hatching. Therefore opening of the zona
      by partial slicing by means of micromanipulation before replacement of early
      cleaved embryos may improve chances of eventual hatching (referred to as assisted
      hatching). In 65 thawed embryo replacement cycles methyl-prednisolone and
      antibiotics were given for 4 days mid cycle. Assisted hatching was performed in
      32 cycles, with 33 cycles left as controls. Patient's age, infertility, cycle
      supplementation, and number of thawed and replaced embryos did not differ
      significantly between the two groups. Rates of viable embryonic implantation were
      16% (10/63) and 9% (6/64) in the assisted hatching and control groups,
      respectively. Group sizes need approximately to double before this trend toward
      improved implantation with the use of assisted hatching reaches statistical
      significance.

PMID- 1872336
TI  - Polycystic ovary syndrome and the androgen-insulin connection.
AB  - The association of hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and polycystic ovarian
      disease is well established. The accompanying hyperinsulinemia results in
      acanthosis nigricans, an epiphenomenon of this syndrome. The knowledge that
      states of insulin resistance of diverse causes are associated with ovarian
      hyperandrogenism makes the argument for insulin-driven ovarian androgen secretion
      compelling. However, equally compelling evidence suggests that hyperandrogenism
      may contribute to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The irreconcilable
      differences between these two hypotheses have resulted in an array of
      contradictory studies. In this article a unified concept of polycystic ovary
      syndrome and its androgen-insulin connection is proposed. The hypothesis
      incorporates the role of hyperinsulinemia in the androgen excess observed (and
      vice versa); the key to this connection is the androgen-dependent change in
      regional body fat distribution and its metabolic consequence. The
      pathophysiologic features of polycystic ovary syndrome, which has important
      clinical sequelae, deserve further consideration.

PMID- 1872337
TI  - The fetal-pelvic index: a method of identifying fetal-pelvic disproportion in
      women attempting vaginal birth after previous cesarean delivery.
AB  - In 1986 the fetal-pelvic index was introduced as an accurate method of
      prospectively identifying the presence or absence of fetal-pelvic disproportion.
      The concept of the fetal-pelvic index is one in which the fetal head and
      abdominal circumferences (ultrasonographic mensuration) are compared with the
      respective maternal pelvic inlet and midpelvic circumferences (x-ray pelvimetry).
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of this index as a
      predictor of fetal-pelvic disproportion in gravid women attempting vaginal birth
      after previous cesarean delivery. Findings of the fetal-pelvic index are compared
      with those of two other means of identifying fetal-pelvic disproportion (Colcher
      Sussman x-ray pelvimetry and ultrasonographically derived estimated fetal weight
      of greater than or equal to 4000 gm). Of the 65 prospective study participants,
      18 (28%) failed to progress in labor, and a repeat cesarean delivery was
      required. Forty-seven of the 52 patients with a negative fetal-pelvic index value
      were delivered vaginally (negative predictability = 0.90). Of the five with false
      negative fetal-pelvic index values, four fetuses persisted in an
      occipitoposterior position and failed to progress in labor. All 13 patients with
      a positive fetal-pelvic index value failed to progress in labor and required a
      cesarean delivery (positive predictability = 1.00). In contrast, when used alone,
      neither x-ray pelvimetry nor ultrasonography-determined estimated fetal weight of
      greater than or equal to 4000 gm provided accurate identification of fetal-pelvic
      disproportion.

PMID- 1872338
TI  - Acute myocardial infarction associated with prostaglandin E2.
AB  - Prostaglandin E2 is rarely associated with serious maternal side effects when
      used for second-trimester pregnancy termination. Acute myocardial infarction
      complicating therapeutic pregnancy termination with prostaglandin E2 in a patient
      with chronic glomerulosclerosis and severe hypertension is reported.

PMID- 1872339
TI  - CA 125 regression: a model for epithelial ovarian cancer response.
AB  - The rate of decline of CA 125 in effectively treated epithelial ovarian cancer is
      described by the exponential regression curve CA 125 = EXP [i - s (days after
      surgery)]. In this equation i, the y-axis intercept, measures initial tumor
      burden whereas s, the slope of the regression curve, is determined by the extent
      of cytoreductive surgery and the subsequent response to chemotherapy. Departure
      from the regression curve uniformly results in progressive disease. In patients
      whose cancers had been completely removed, we calculated the mean half-life of CA
      125 to be 10.4 days (range 4 to 21). In this case s = 0.0835 and characterizes
      the ideal regression rate. The model predicts that high-dose cisplatin
      chemotherapy (s = 0.0671) is more effective than low-dose cisplatin (s = 0.0380)
      (p less than 0.03) in eliminating residual cancer. Because s can be calculated
      within 2 to 3 months of treatment and then compared with s for the ideal
      regression curve and with the values of s reported for standard chemotherapy,
      evaluation of any new treatment protocol can be facilitated with this method.

PMID- 1872340
TI  - Uterine rupture at term pregnancy with the use of intracervical prostaglandin E2
      gel for induction of labor.
AB  - Prostaglandin E2 is a powerful oxytocic agent that reliably initiates labor, even
      in the presence of an unripe cervix. The low incidence of fetomaternal
      complication contributes to its universal use. We report a rare case of uterine
      rupture after intracervical application of prostaglandin E2 gel. Thus far no
      prostaglandin compound or method of administration seems to be exempt from such a
      complication.

PMID- 1872341
TI  - External cephalic version after previous cesarean section.
AB  - Approximately 100,000 cesarean sections are performed each year in the United
      States because of breech presentation. Numerous studies have shown that external
      cephalic version can eliminate the need for many of these operations. However,
      because of the fear of uterine rupture, these studies have generally excluded
      patients who have undergone previous cesarean section. To evaluate the validity
      of this exclusion policy, we studied patients with one or more previous cesarean
      sections and breach presentations near term. Version attempts were successful in
      82% of 56 patients who had undergone a previous cesarean section. Sixty-five
      percent of the successful version patients went on to have vaginal birth after
      cesarean section. There were no serious maternal or fetal complications
      associated with the version attempts. We conclude that external cephalic version
      is a reasonable option in patients with prior low transverse cesarean section.

PMID- 1872342
TI  - One-blade rotation of a persistent posterior vertex.
AB  - Fifteen women in labor at term with no evidence of protraction or arrest disorder
      successfully underwent a single-blade rotation of the fetus from
      occipitoposterior to occipitoanterior position. There were no failures, no fetal
      injuries, and no significant maternal trauma. This method of forceps rotation
      appears to be a safe alternative to current methods of managing occipitoposterior
      positions.

PMID- 1872343
TI  - Comparative efficacy of clindamycin versus erythromycin in eradication of
      antenatal Chlamydia trachomatis.
AB  - Antenatal Chlamydia trachomatis infections are associated with both maternal and
      neonatal morbidity. Erythromycin, the only drug recommended for treatment during
      pregnancy, is often poorly tolerated, thus preventing successful cure. We have
      done a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare
      the efficacy of clindamycin with that of erythromycin base in eradication of
      antenatal chlamydia. A total of 126 patients with documented cervical infection
      were enrolled before 24 weeks' gestation to receive clindamycin (450 mg),
      erythromycin (333 mg), or placebo orally four times daily for 14 days. Partners
      received doxycycline, 100 mg, twice daily for 7 days. Both clindamycin and
      erythromycin were effective agents with cure rates of 92.7% and 83.8%,
      respectively. Erythromycin therapy was associated with significantly more
      gastrointestinal complaints than was placebo therapy (23.1% (9/39) vs. 2.4%
      (1/41), p less than 0.02) whereas clindamycin was not. Patients who experienced
      side effects were more likely to be poorly compliant (p less than 0.03) and
      patients with moderate-to-good compliance were more likely to be cured than were
      women who were poorly compliant (p less than 0.002). Results of test of cure
      cultures performed immediately on completion of therapy did not differ
      significantly from those taken 4 weeks later.

PMID- 1872344
TI  - Congenital hydronephrosis: correlation of fetal ultrasonographic findings with
      infant outcome.
AB  - Although congenital hydronephrosis is a common fetal disorder, ultrasonographic
      criteria for prenatal diagnosis remain poorly defined. In this study prenatal
      ultrasonographic findings were correlated with postnatal outcome in 63 fetuses
      with suspected hydronephrosis. Prenatal ultrasonographic measurements included
      length, anteroposterior diameter, and transverse diameter of the kidney and renal
      pelvis, as well as dorsal renal parenchymal thickness. In 45 of the 63 fetuses,
      hydronephrosis was confirmed postnatally. These infants were divided into two
      groups on the basis of renal status: (1) abnormal renal function and/or surgery
      required (n = 31) and (2) normal renal function with no surgery required (n =
      14). The anteroposterior diameter of the renal pelvis was the simplest and most
      sensitive technique for prenatal diagnosis of congenital hydronephrosis, allowing
      identification of 100% of cases. Postnatal follow-up studies are warranted if an
      anteroposterior pelvic diameter is greater than or equal to 4 mm before 33 weeks
      or greater than or equal to 7 mm after 33 weeks.

PMID- 1872345
TI  - Endomyocardial ultrastructural findings in preeclampsia.
AB  - Ultrastructural findings in endomyocardial biopsy specimens obtained during
      cardiac catheterization in a patient with severe preeclampsia are described.
      Intramyocardial vessels revealed prominent swelling of the endothelial cell
      cytoplasm. In addition, cardiac myocyte mitochondria showed swelling and clearing
      within the matrix. Endomyocardial ultrastructural injury occurs in severe
      preeclampsia.

PMID- 1872346
TI  - Psychosocial support for maternal stress during pregnancy: effect on birth
      weight.
AB  - In a previous study we showed that moderate to severe stress during pregnancy was
      inversely related to infant birth weight. Using the same criteria for stress
      (according to the Social Readjustment Rating Scale of Holmes and Rahe), we
      studied 86 white mothers with singleton pregnancies and with no known medical or
      obstetric risk factors for reduced birth weight. After strict randomization, data
      were analyzed for 43 mothers who received psychosocial support between enrollment
      at +/- 20 weeks and delivery at +/- 38 weeks and for 43 control mothers who
      received standard care at the antenatal clinic. In the supported group seven
      infants weighed less than 3000 gm at birth versus 18 control infants (p = 0.008),
      and analysis revealed that this effect was more the result of improved
      intrauterine growth than of prolongation of pregnancy. These findings are of
      little clinical relevance as far as the neonate is concerned, but they do
      indicate that psychosocial support has a significant effect on birth weight. It
      is possible that previous studies that have looked only for an effect on low- or
      very-low-birth-weight rates might have missed this clinically measurable benefit
      of counseling.

PMID- 1872347
TI  - Transvaginal removal of ovaries with endoloop sutures at the time of transvaginal
      hysterectomy.
AB  - Twenty patients were evaluated for possible oophorectomy during transvaginal
      hysterectomy. Of 40 ovaries, nine were removed with a standard clamp technique.
      Twenty-two ovaries could not be removed by the clamp technique but were
      successfully removed with endoloop sutures. Safe transvaginal removal was not
      thought to be possible for the remaining nine ovaries.

PMID- 1872348
TI  - Improving disclosure of smoking by pregnant women.
AB  - Smoking is a major modifiable risk factor in pregnancy, and low-cost
      interventions have been developed and tested in diverse populations of pregnant
      smokers. Successful intervention depends on identification, however, and
      nondisclosure can be a problem. This randomized study compared rates of
      disclosure with two response formats--multiple choice, in which the patient is
      able to describe herself as having "cut down," and the usual history question,
      "Do you smoke?," in which she is forced to answer simply "yes" or "no". Each
      format was tested in both oral and written channels with a multiethnic adult
      prenatal population (n = 1078) entering care in a multispecialty group. Study
      results indicate that the multiple choice question improved disclosure,
      regardless of channel (oral versus written), by 40%. This effect was observed
      across racial and ethnic groups. Biochemical tests of urine samples from reported
      nonsmokers indicated smoking in only 3%. Eleven percent of the "nonsmokers" in
      the experimental groups refused consent for the urine test, however, and many of
      these were probably smokers.

PMID- 1872349
TI  - Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura first seen as massive vaginal necrosis.
AB  - Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a hematologic disorder that affects the
      microcirculation. A 38-year-old woman was first seen with fever,
      thrombocytopenia, and vaginal bleeding. Pelvic examination revealed massive
      vaginal necrosis. Hematology consultation resulted in agreement with the
      diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. This is the first reported case
      of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura first seen as vaginal necrosis of which we
      are aware.

PMID- 1872350
TI  - Association of immunoreactive eosinophil major basic protein with placental septa
      and cysts.
AB  - A protein that is immunochemically indistinguishable from the major basic protein
      of the eosinophil granule is present at elevated concentrations in the plasma of
      pregnant women. Major basic protein has been localized to placental trophoblasts
      known as X cells. Because X cells are located in placental septa and septal
      cysts, we tested whether the numbers of these structures are correlated with
      plasma levels of major basic protein. Data analysis revealed strong positive
      correlations between maternal plasma major basic protein concentrations and the
      number of placental septa, septal cysts, and subchorial cysts and the presence of
      subchorial fibrin deposits. No significant correlation was found between plasma
      major basic protein levels and other variables examined, such as placental
      weight. Thus major basic protein is a specific marker for septa and cysts,
      presumably because it is an X-cell product. The study of major basic protein may
      aid in delineating the function and ontogeny of X cells, as well as their role in
      fibrin deposition and in septa and cyst formation.

PMID- 1872351
TI  - A case report of massive vulvar edema during tocolysis of preterm labor.
AB  - Bilateral vulvar edema that is not associated with preeclampsia has been reported
      only rarely during pregnancy or the puerperium. A primiparous patient in
      premature labor at 34 weeks' gestation with no history of lymphatic or venous
      obstruction underwent combination tocolysis with intravenous ritodrine and
      magnesium sulfate. On the fifth day of tocolysis, edema developed in the right
      labium majus pudendi and gradually spread to the left labia during the ensuing 24
      hours. The patient remained afebrile, normotensive, and without signs of
      localized infection or anasarca. A trial of triple intravenous antibiotics and
      local skin care proved ineffective. By the ninth hospital day, the edema and
      discomfort had progressed, thereby precluding vaginal examination without
      sedation. In spite of progressive cervical dilatation with tocolysis, cesarean
      delivery was performed. With no further treatment, the vulvar edema gradually
      resolved during the next week.

PMID- 1872352
TI  - Uterine activity after preterm premature rupture of the membranes.
AB  - Preterm premature rupture of the membranes complicates few pregnancies but is a
      major contributor to overall perinatal morbidity and mortality. Although a
      reduced incidence of preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes has been
      reported in women who had antepartum uterine activity monitoring, there are few
      data regarding uterine activity after preterm premature rupture of fetal
      membranes. Therefore daily uterine activity monitoring was performed in 101
      consecutive women with preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes between 26
      and 34 weeks' gestation. The mean gestational ages at rupture and delivery were
      31.4 +/- 2.3 and 33.7 +/- 4.5 weeks, respectively. A significant increase in
      contraction frequency was identified within 24 hours of onset of preterm labor (p
      less than 0.005). A contraction frequency of four or more per hour predicted the
      onset of labor within 24 hours with a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 90%, a
      positive predictive value of 54%, and a negative predictive value of 95%. These
      results indicate that most women with preterm premature rupture of fetal
      membranes exhibit a baseline contraction frequency that is similar to that of
      women with intact membranes and premature labor. An abrupt increase in
      contraction frequency is a warning of impending labor.

PMID- 1872353
TI  - Acute cutaneous vasculitis associated with prolonged intravenous ritodrine
      hydrochloride therapy.
AB  - A patient with twin gestation was hospitalized because of preterm labor and
      treated with intravenous ritodrine hydrochloride (Yutopar, Astra Pharmaceutical
      Products, Westborough, Mass.). After greater than 4 weeks of therapy, the patient
      had a petechial rash and prolonged bleeding time, which were diagnosed and
      confirmed by skin biopsy at cesarean section as vasculitis. This is the first
      documented case of vasculitis associated with ritodrine use.

PMID- 1872354
TI  - The three most common occupational exposures reported by pregnant women: an
      update.
AB  - Many uncertainties exist in regard to counseling women with occupational
      exposures during pregnancy. This is due to limited knowledge of the reproductive
      toxicologic effects of industrial agents, lack of safety standards aimed at
      protecting the fetus, and limitations in assessing the extent of exposure. The
      approach to this subject taken by the Motherisk Program and a review of the three
      most common occupational exposures are presented. Epidemiologic studies and
      measurements of radiation do not suggest a reproductive hazard for video display
      terminals. Exposure to organic solvents is hard to quantitate, and information is
      sparse and sometimes contradictory, and therapeutic decisions are difficult to
      reach. To date there is no convincing evidence that working with organic solvents
      within safety regulations would harm a fetus, in contradistinction to detrimental
      fetal effects of solvent abuse. The reproductive risks of lead are well
      documented, fetal exposure can be assessed, and effective treatment exists, but
      its effects on the pregnancy have not been fully established. However, new
      evidence suggests that maternal levels that are much lower than the accepted
      adult limits may be damaging to the fetus.

PMID- 1872355
TI  - Effects of vibration frequency and tissue thickness on intrauterine sound levels
      in sheep.
AB  - Pure-tone sinusoidal mechanical vibratory stimuli ranging in frequency from 4 to
      4000 Hz were applied to the ventral abdominal wall of pregnant ewes, and
      intrauterine sound pressure levels were recorded with a hydrophone 5, 10, 15, and
      20 cm from the surface. There were significant decreases in sound pressure levels
      with increasing frequencies (p less than 0.0001) and increasing depth (p = 0.01).
      There was no significant interaction between these two variables. An electronic
      artificial larynx was also activated on the abdominal wall, resulting in quite
      high sound pressure levels (mean, 119 dB) measured 5 cm from the surface, with a
      significant decrease in sound pressure levels as the thickness of the intervening
      maternal tissues increased (p = 0.005). These results suggest that the frequency
      of vibratory stimulus used and the thickness of the maternal abdominal wall could
      influence fetal response to the vibroacoustic stimulation test by affecting
      intrauterine sound pressure levels.

PMID- 1872356
TI  - The interaction of electrosurgical bipolar forceps and generators on an animal
      model of fallopian tube sterilization.
AB  - Electrosurgical tubal sterilization with bipolar forceps has shown a variable
      and, in certain studies, a high failure rate. Some physicians have questioned if
      failure rates are due to an incompatibility between bipolar forceps and bipolar
      generators of different manufacturers. This manuscript presents data on tissue
      desiccations performed on a rat uterine horn model that uses two bipolar forceps
      of quite different designs and two popular bipolar generators. The data
      demonstrate that if an appropriate amount of energy, between 100 and 117 J, is
      applied to the tissue, consistent destruction occurs, regardless of the generator
      forceps combination used. Histologic examination of the desiccated uterine horns
      displayed complete occlusion of all samples 8 weeks after the procedure. However,
      immediately and at 3 weeks after the procedure patent uterine horns were found.
      In the patent samples most samples displayed considerable electrosurgical damage.

PMID- 1872357
TI  - Fetal hypertension induced by norepinephrine infusion and umbilical artery flow
      velocity waveforms in fetal sheep.
AB  - This study was designed to examine the effects of fetal hypertension on the
      umbilical artery pulsatility index. Fetal arterial blood pressure and umbilical
      venous pressure were measured in eight sheep, 3 to 5 days after surgery.
      Umbilical blood flow was measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter around the
      common umbilical vein. Umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms were obtained
      either by an indwelling 5 MHz pulsed Doppler device (n = 4) or transcutaneously
      by a 4 MHz continuous-wave Doppler device (n = 4). Fetal blood pressure was
      raised by intravenous infusion of norepinephrine 10 micrograms/min during 5
      minutes. Norepinephrine infusion resulted in elevated arterial and umbilical
      venous pressures, accompanied by a bradycardia during the first 3 minutes.
      Umbilical blood flow, calculated placental vascular resistance, and umbilical
      artery pulsatility index did not change. After atropine administration, the
      norepinephrine-induced elevated arterial and umbilical venous pressures were
      accompanied by tachycardia, increased umbilical blood flow, and no change in
      placental vascular resistance and umbilical artery pulsatility index. It is
      concluded that fetal arterial hypertension provoked by norepinephrine infusion
      has no effect on placental vascular resistance, umbilical blood flow, and
      umbilical artery pulsatility index.

PMID- 1872358
TI  - Inhibition of oxytocin-induced uterine contractions by an oxytocin antagonist in
      the pregnant baboon.
AB  - Uterine contractions were induced with oxytocin in anesthetized pregnant baboons
      (Papio anubis) at three stages of pregnancy (days 140, 156, and 169; normal
      gestation length, 184 days). After the contractile activity was greater than two
      to three contractions every 10 minutes, beta-mercapto-beta, beta
      cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid1-[D-Trp2,Phe3,Ile4,Arg8]-oxytocin, a novel
      oxytocin antagonist produced in our laboratories, was given simultaneously with
      the oxytocin for 90 minutes. Contractile force (frequency x mean amplitude) was
      determined for 30 minutes before and for three 30-minute intervals after the
      oxytocin antagonist was administered. Animals at 140 days' gestation showed a
      significant (p less than 0.05) decrease in contractile force in the first 30
      minute interval after oxytocin antagonist infusion was initiated, whereas those
      at days 156 and 169 showed decreases (p less than 0.05) at the second 30-minute
      interval. In addition, in late gestation a higher dose of oxytocin antagonist per
      unit of oxytocin was required to prevent uterine contractions. In conclusion,
      these results suggest (1) that an oxytocin antagonist can inhibit oxytocin
      induced uterine contractions in the pregnant baboon and (2) that the interval
      from oxytocin antagonist administration to significant inhibition of uterine
      contractions appears to increase with advancing gestational age.

PMID- 1872359
TI  - Prediction of survival of infants weighing less than 800 grams at birth: errors
      in the application of multivariate statistical techniques.

PMID- 1872360
TI  - A plea for early diagnosis of fallopian tube carcinoma: can hysteroscopy be of
      use?

PMID- 1872361
TI  - Egg transport through the oviduct.

PMID- 1872362
TI  - Breast disease management in an obstetrics and gynecology department.

PMID- 1872363
TI  - Untreated luteal phase deficiency as another possible risk factor for preterm
      delivery.

PMID- 1872364
TI  - Relationship between central venous pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge
      pressure in severely toxemic patients.

PMID- 1872365
TI  - Pregnancy and Wilson's disease.

PMID- 1872366
TI  - Cellular mechanisms of fatigue in skeletal muscle.
AB  - Prolonged activation of skeletal muscle leads to a decline of force production
      known as fatigue. In this review we outline the ionic and metabolic changes that
      occur in muscle during prolonged activity and focus on how these changes might
      lead to reduced force. We discuss two distinct types of fatigue: fatigue due to
      continuous high-frequency stimulation and fatigue due to repeated tetanic
      stimulation. The causes of force decline are considered under three categories:
      1) reduced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, 2) reduced myofibrillar
      Ca2+ sensitivity, and 3) reduced maximum Ca(2+)-activated tension. Reduced Ca2+
      release can be due to impaired action potential propagation in the T tubules, and
      this is a principal cause of the tension decline with continuous tetanic
      stimulation. Another type of failing Ca2+ release, which is homogeneous across
      the fibers, is prominent with repeated tetanic stimulation; the underlying
      mechanisms of this reduction are not fully understood, although several
      possibilities emerge. Changes in intracellular metabolites, particularly
      increased concentration of Pi and reduced pH, lead to reduced Ca2+ sensitivity
      and reduced maximum tension, which make an important contribution to the force
      decline, especially with repeated tetanic stimulation.

PMID- 1872367
TI  - Inositol phosphates and [Ca2+]i signals in a differentiating exocrine cell.
AB  - Generation of inositol phosphates and changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration
      [( Ca2+]i) upon muscarinic receptor activation were studied in isolated cells
      from the nasal salt gland of Anas platyrhynchos, comparing responses in the
      poorly differentiated cells from ducks drinking only tap water (naive cells) with
      the more fully differentiated actively secreting cells from ducks drinking 1%
      NaCl solution for 48 h before the experiment (stressed cells). On stimulation,
      naive cells showed a rapid five- to sevenfold increase in inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P3], accompanied by similar changes in Ins(1,3,4,5)P4,
      whereas both values increased only twofold in stressed cells. [3H]quinuclidinyl
      benzilate binding experiments revealed that these differences in inositol
      phosphate production were correlated with differences in the numbers of
      muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Continuous recordings of [Ca2+]i revealed
      that Ca2+ release from intracellular stores upon stimulation was similar in both
      cell types, but the sustained [Ca2+]i signal (dependent on Ca2+ entry) was three
      times more pronounced in stressed cells. The results suggest that the adaptive
      differentiation of salt gland cells is associated with the increased expression
      of the receptor-mediated Ca2+ entry mechanism. In addition, the high rate of
      phosphoinositide hydrolysis in naive cells upon receptor activation may have a
      significance in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, which are
      elements of the development of the salt transport capabilities in these cells.

PMID- 1872368
TI  - Blockade by lithium ions of potassium channels in rat anterior pituitary cells.
AB  - Extracellular Li+ has been known to facilitate the basal secretion of growth
      hormone from anterior pituitary cells and of catecholamine from chromaffin cells.
      In both cases, the intracellular accumulation of Li+ seems to be the
      prerequisite, and the presence of extracellular Ca2+ is indispensable. In this
      series of experiments, we examined whether Li+ blocked K+ currents by using
      primary cultured anterior pituitary cells from male rats. K+ currents were
      measured in the whole cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique.
      Extracellular Li+ (140 mM) suppressed both the delayed rectifier K+ current (IK)
      and the transient outward K+ current to 71 and 69% of control, respectively, in a
      reversible manner. IK elicited by a voltage step to +70 mV from holding potential
      of -70 mV was suppressed by 32.5 mM internal Li+ to 28% of control. Half-maximal
      suppression of K+ conductance by internal Li+ was 16 mM. Furthermore, Ca(2+)
      channel blocker methoxyverapamil potently suppressed Li(+)-induced growth hormone
      secretion. From these results we propose that the blockade by Li+ of K+ channels
      could depolarize the cells and activate Ca2+ channels, thereby promoting the
      influx of Ca2+ and hormone secretion as a mechanism of Li(+)-induced hormone
      secretion.

PMID- 1872369
TI  - Altered binding site for Ca2+ in the ryanodine receptor of human malignant
      hyperthermia.
AB  - The binding properties of [3H]ryanodine, a specific ligand of the receptor
      complex that forms the Ca2+ release channel of sarcoplasmic reticulum, were
      studied in normal (N) and malignant hyperthermia-susceptible (MH) human skeletal
      muscle. Integrity of the solubilized ryanodine receptor was demonstrated by
      single-channel recordings in planar bilayers and by the changes produced by
      activators and inhibitors of the Ca2+ release channel on the binding properties
      of [3H]ryanodine. N and MH receptors were capable of binding [3H]ryanodine in a
      Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Scatchard analysis showed that a single binding site for
      [3H]ryanodine was present in either N or MH muscle. Binding affinity was
      approximately the same in N and MH (Kd approximately 7 nM), when the Ca2+
      concentration was greater than 30 microM. At 0.3 microM Ca2+, MH receptors
      displayed a higher affinity for [3H]ryanodine (Kd = 4.1 +/- 1.0 nM) than N
      receptors (Kd = 7.1 +/- 0.8 nM). The presence of a single Kd for [3H]ryanodine in
      MH muscle, distinct from that of N muscle, indicated that MH muscle does not have
      detectable levels of N receptors. Ca2+ dependence of [3H]ryanodine binding
      further suggested that MH receptors had a higher affinity for Ca2+ (Kd[Ca2+] =
      120 +/- 50 nM) than N receptors (Kd[Ca2+] = 250 +/- 80 nM). Caffeine increased
      [3H]ryanodine binding at submicromolar [Ca2+], and the effect was larger in MH.
      Apparent affinity constants for caffeine were 13 +/- 1.8 mM in N and 6 +/- 0.8 mM
      in MH receptors. Evidently, the ryanodine receptor of MH-susceptible human
      skeletal muscle has an unusually high sensitivity to Ca2+ which is augmented by
      caffeine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872370
TI  - Change of Ca2+ requirement for myosin phosphorylation by prostaglandin F2 alpha.
AB  - The mechanism of contraction of vascular smooth muscle by prostaglandin F2 alpha
      (PGF2 alpha) was examined by simultaneous measurement of the intracellular Ca2+
      concentration [( Ca2+]i), force, and myosin light-chain (MLC) phosphorylation in
      ferret aorta. In the presence of 2.5 mM extracellular Ca2+, PGF2 alpha (10(-5)M)
      produced a tonic contraction with a transient spike in [Ca2+]i, followed by a
      relatively small sustained increase in [Ca2+]i (from a basal level of 2.32 +/-
      0.07 x 10(-7) to 2.72 +/- 0.05 x 10(-7) M). In Ca(2+)-free bathing media, PGF2
      alpha also produced a tonic contraction with a small spike in [Ca2+]i, indicating
      a release of Ca2+ from intracellular store sites, followed by no significant
      increase in [Ca2+]i. Ca(2+)-force curves were constructed by plotting the
      calibrated steady-state aequorin light signal against the resulting steady-state
      force. The curve was significantly shifted to the left by PGF2 alpha. PGF2 alpha
      also shifted the Ca(2+)-phosphorylation curve to the left. These results suggest
      that PGF2 alpha causes contraction by both elevating [Ca2+]i and decreasing the
      Ca2+ requirement for MLC phosphorylation. The data are consistent with a
      mechanism where there is either an increase in activity of MLC kinase or a
      decrease in phosphatase activity. Additionally, there was a smaller, but
      statistically significant, effect to increase force at any one phosphorylation
      level, pointing to the possibility of regulation of contractile force separate
      from MLC phosphorylation.

PMID- 1872371
TI  - Correlates of fatigue resistance in canine skeletal muscle stimulated
      electrically for up to one year.
AB  - In response to patterns of chronic electrical stimulation that increase its
      overall level of use, mammalian skeletal muscle becomes highly resistant to
      fatigue. The metabolic basis for this adaptation is well documented in the
      rabbit, but up to now it has not been possible to identify analogous changes in
      the dog. In this study, canine latissimus dorsi muscles were stimulated in situ
      for 2, 6 and 12 mo. Marked increases in fatigue resistance were consistently
      demonstrated. Citrate synthase and succinic dehydrogenase, conventionally used as
      markers of oxidative metabolism, did not increase in activity, but enzymes
      involved in major pathways supplying substrates to the tricarboxylic acid cycle
      increased up to threefold. Stimulation elevated the volume fraction of
      mitochondria 1.5-fold and that of lipid droplets 4.5-fold. After 6 mo of
      stimulation, mean fiber diameter had decreased by 30% and the area occupied by
      nonmuscle tissue had increased by 11%; these changes showed no further
      progression at 12 mo. Thus stimulated muscle becomes stably adapted to an
      increase in use, but the metabolic strategies for achieving increased fatigue
      resistance vary between species.

PMID- 1872372
TI  - Inhibition of glycogenesis in rat muscles partially depleted of glycogen.
AB  - This study aimed to examine the extent to which repletion of glycogen in muscles
      partially depleted of glycogen may be inhibited by contractions and epinephrine.
      Four experiments were carried out on untrained male Wistar rats. 1) Animals ran
      150 min (1,200 m/h) on a treadmill set at +10 degrees incline. After 60, 90, and
      120 min of running, they were given glucose (40% solution, 1 ml/100 g) by a
      stomach tube. 2) Rats ran on a treadmill set as above for 20 min at 3,200 m/h and
      then 2 h at 800 m/h. 3) In anesthetized rats, gastrocnemius-plantaris muscle
      group was made to contract isometrically by means of stimulation of the sciatic
      nerve. The nerve was stimulated with tetanic pulses (7 V, 0.05-ms duration,
      delivered in 100-ms trains at 100 Hz): first 15 min, 2 pulses/s, then 2 h, 1
      pulse/2 s. 4) Epinephrine (0.5 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously 10 min
      before onset of stimulation of the sciatic nerve. The nerve was stimulated 15 min
      with tetanic pulses (as above), 2 pulses/s. Next, rats were rested for 2 h. Level
      of glycogen was determined in samples of white and red gastrocnemius, plantaris,
      and soleus. Initial running or stimulation resulted in pronounced glycogen
      depletion in each muscle. Thereafter, either considerable or full repletion of
      glycogen occurred in the muscles despite continued contractile activity or the
      presence of epinephrine. The degree of repletion depended both on the type of
      muscle and the type of activation of glycogenolysis (running, stimulation of the
      nerve, epinephrine).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872373
TI  - Divalent cations modulate the transient outward current in rat ventricular
      myocytes.
AB  - The modulation of the transient outward K+ current (Ito) by divalent cations was
      studied in enzymatically isolated rat ventricular myocytes with the whole cell
      patch-clamp technique. At holding potentials negative to -70 mV, 1 mM Cd2+
      suppressed Ito, whereas, at potentials positive to -50 mV, the current was
      augmented. These effects were caused by shifts in the voltage dependence of both
      activation and inactivation of Ito toward more positive potentials. Cd2+ also
      slowed the activation kinetics of Ito by shifting the voltage dependence of its
      rate of activation, but the rate of inactivation was unaffected. Other divalent
      cations produced similar shifts but at markedly different concentrations. Thus,
      in the millimolar range, a rightward shift of approximately 20 mV was produced by
      3 Co2+, 5 Ni2+, and 10 Ca2+, whereas 10 microM concentrations of Cu2+ and Zn2+
      produced equivalent shifts. Similar effects were seen in hippocampal neurons with
      micromolar concentrations of Zn2+. Thus divalent cations have marked and specific
      effects on the kinetics and voltage dependence of Ito and may serve as a
      regulatory mechanism in its activation, particularly in cells with resting
      potentials positive to -60 mV.

PMID- 1872374
TI  - Sodium transport and intracellular sodium activity in cultured human nasal
      epithelium.
AB  - Human airway epithelia are predominantly Na(+)-absorbing epithelia. To
      investigate the mechanisms for Na+ absorption across airway epithelia, the
      driving forces and paths for Na+ translocation across each membrane were examined
      with double-barreled Na(+)-selective microelectrodes in cultured human nasal
      epithelium (HNE). Under control conditions, intracellular Na+ activity (acNa) was
      23 +/- 1 mM (n = 44 preparations, 393 impalements). Amiloride (10(-4) M)
      hyperpolarized the apical membrane and increased the fractional apical membrane
      resistance but did not affect acNa. Exposure to Na(+)-free luminal solution
      induced bioelectric responses similar to amiloride but also reduced acNa to 8 +/-
      1 mM. Reduction of luminal Na+ concentration ([Na+]) in the presence of amiloride
      also reduced acNa without further changes in bioelectric parameters. Reduction of
      serosal [Na+] decreased aNac, a response blocked by bumetanide (10(-4) M).
      Ouabain (10(-4) M, serosal) led to a reduction in equivalent short-circuit
      current (Ieq) and increase in acNa. We conclude that 1) acNa is higher in HNE
      than in most mammalian epithelial cells, 2) the apical membrane expresses a
      conductive Na+ path, and 3) the basolateral membrane transports Na+ via the Na(+)
      K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase and a Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport system.

PMID- 1872375
TI  - Transcellular sodium transport in cultured cystic fibrosis human nasal
      epithelium.
AB  - Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelia exhibit raised transepithelial Na+
      transport rates, as determined by open-circuit isotope fluxes and estimates of
      the amiloride-sensitive equivalent short-circuit current (Ieq). To study the
      contribution of apical and basolateral membrane paths to raised Na+ transport in
      CF, CF nasal epithelial cultures were studied with double-barreled Na(+)
      selective microelectrodes and the Ussing chamber technique. Intracellular Na+
      activity (acNa) was 24.1 +/- 1.5 mM (n = 36), a value similar to acNa of normal
      nasal epithelial cells. Reduction of luminal [Na+] to 3 mM abolished Ieq and
      reduced acNa. Amiloride (10(-4) M) abolished Ieq but increased acNa from 20 +/- 2
      to 36 +/- 7 mM (n = 10). Amiloride-induced increase in acNa was not affected by
      serosal [Na+] reduction but was blocked by preexposure to reduced luminal [Na+].
      Amphotericin B increased Ieq during amiloride exposure, indicating that amiloride
      did not inhibit NA(+)-K(+)-ATPase. Ouabain abolished Ieq and slowly raised acNa.
      Reduction of serosal [Na+] led to a decrease in acNa that was blocked by
      bumetanide. It is concluded that 1) CF airway epithelia exhibit an increased
      apical membrane Na+ permeability, 2) acNa is regulated to a normal level in CF
      cells despite increased transcellular Na+ fluxes, 3) the abnormal increase in
      acNa in response to amiloride is dependent on luminal Na+, 4) Na+ is transported
      across the basolateral membrane by a bumetanide-sensitive cotransport mechanism,
      and 5) ouabain inhibits the basolateral Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, causing slow
      dissipation of the chemical and electrical gradients across the cell membranes.

PMID- 1872376
TI  - Viscoelastic properties of the contracting detrusor. I. Theoretical basis.
AB  - This paper presents the theoretical basis for estimating the detrusor's
      viscoelastic properties using the small-amplitude oscillatory perturbations
      technique. Three possible configurations of the simplest second-order lumped
      parameter model of the bladder were analyzed to derive equations of the
      parameters incremental resistance (R) and incremental elastance (K) in terms of
      the experimentally measurable magnitude and phase of hydrodynamic stiffness. In
      model I, single viscous, elastic, and inertial elements were assumed to to be
      connected in series. In model III the elastic and viscous elements were connected
      in series, but the inertial element was connected in parallel. With the
      assumption of a spherical geometry of the bladder, equations were also derived to
      obtain the bladder wall mechanical properties, spring incremental constant (S),
      and muscle incremental viscosity (b) as functions of bladder volume and the
      hydrodynamic properties R and K. Integration of the incremental equation
      describing the viscous component yields an expression that fits well the force
      velocity experimental data from bladder strips reported by others. This finding
      suggests that muscle viscosity measured with the small-amplitude oscillations and
      analyzed with the proper theoretical model may be related to the force-velocity
      characteristics of the muscle. The equations delivered here form the basis for
      analyzing the experimental data described in the companion paper.

PMID- 1872377
TI  - Viscoelastic properties of the contracting detrusor. II. Experimental approach.
AB  - Mechanical properties of detrusor muscle were studied with small-amplitude
      oscillatory volume perturbations in isometrically contracting bladders of
      anesthetized dogs. Contractions were studied at oscillatory frequencies (f) of 2
      and 4 Hz and at bladder volumes (Vbl) ranging from 30 to 110 ml. The magnitude of
      bladder hydrodynamic stiffness (magnitude of G) increased linearly with mean
      detrusor pressure (Pdet) while the phase angle remained relatively constant
      during contraction. The slope (mG) of magnitude of G-Pdet relations had a
      positive dependence on f and a negative dependence on Vbl. Analysis of
      oscillatory data, described in the companion paper, was performed using
      incremental lumped-parameter models consisting of a spring with incremental
      constant (S = dF/dL), a viscous element with incremental viscosity (b = dF/du),
      and a mass (m). Only the model where elastic and viscous elements were placed in
      series with each other and in parallel with mass was compatible with the
      experimental data. Both S and b increased linearly with effective force (F),
      defined as Pdet times the cross-sectional area of the intravesical cavity. Slopes
      of the S-F and b-F relationships (ms and mb) were independent of Vbl and varied
      only slightly with f. The importance of this finding stems from recognizing that
      ms and mb correspond to the exponential coefficients of nonlinear series elastic
      and internal viscosity elements. These parameters, when normalized by resting
      muscle length, represent fundamental muscle properties independent of muscle
      cross-sectional area, stretch, or level of activation and compare well with
      parameters derived from other muscle systems using techniques such as quick
      releases and isotonic contractions.

PMID- 1872378
TI  - Constrained optimization and protein structure determination.
AB  - Energy minimization is one of the main approaches to the computational
      determination of macromolecular structure. Due to the approximations in the
      empirical free-energy functions and due to the computational difficulties in
      locating their global minima, the problem is at present intractable when the only
      information available is the sequence of subunits forming the molecule. A less
      demanding problem in terms of both physics and mathematics is constrained
      optimization, which uses additional but incomplete experimental information such
      as distances between certain atoms. This paper reviews methods for generating
      molecular structure using bond lengths and angles as variables and shows how the
      structure can be fully specified in terms of local geometry. The analysis permits
      precise statements to be made about the minimum set of distances that specify a
      unique structure without recourse to energy minimization. We then discuss the
      complementary situation, i.e., structure prediction with energy minimization
      based only on sequence information. Finally, we show how distance constraints can
      be incorporated into energy minimization methods.

PMID- 1872379
TI  - Loss of abdominal fat and metabolic response to exercise training in obese women.
AB  - Numerous studies have shown that a high accumulation of abdominal fat is
      associated with metabolic complications and with an increased risk of coronary
      heart disease. The present study examined the effects of changes in body fatness
      and in the level of abdominal fat on metabolic variables in a sample of 13 obese
      premenopausal women, aged 38.8 +/- 5.3 (SD) yr. Women exercised for 90 min at
      approximately 55% of maximal aerobic power (VO2 max) four to five times a week
      for a period of 14 mo. The training program induced a significant increase in VO2
      max and a mean reduction in body fat mass of 4.6 kg (P less than 0.01), with no
      change in fat-free mass. Measurement of adipose tissue areas by computed
      tomography indicated a greater loss of abdominal fat compared with midthigh
      adipose tissue (P less than 0.05). The training program also produced significant
      reductions in the insulinogenic index measured during an oral glucose tolerance
      test and in plasma cholesterol (Chol), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-Chol, and
      apolipoprotein (apo) B levels (P less than 0.05). Training also significantly
      increased plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-apo A-I and HDL2-Chol levels and
      decreased plasma HDL3-Chol concentration (P less than 0.05). Whereas no change in
      postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity was noted, a significant decrease
      in postheparin plasma hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was observed after
      training (P less than 0.005). Metabolic responses were not correlated with
      changes in VO2 max but were significantly correlated with the reduction in body
      fat mass and/or with the loss of deep abdominal fat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1872380
TI  - Influence of fatty acids on ammonia and amino acid flux from active human muscle.
AB  - This study examined the dynamics of ammonia and amino acid exchange of human
      muscle during prolonged steady-state one-legged exercise at 80% of knee extensor
      maximal work capacity. Subjects (n = 10) performed leg extensor exercise for 1 h
      (control series), rested for 40 min while an infusion of Intralipid and heparin
      was begun, and then exercised the contralateral leg with the identical protocol
      [free fatty acid (FFA) series]. In the control series, ammonia efflux rose
      progressively, and 4.4 +/- 0.6 mmol were released in 1 h compared with 2.4 +/-
      0.5 mmol (P less than 0.05) in the FFA series. The exercise was associated with
      large effluxes of total amino acids from the active muscle over the hour (12.8 +/
      4.3 and 10.3 +/- 3.3 mmol for control and FFA, respectively). Glutamine and
      alanine accounted for 47 and 64% of the efflux for the control and FFA series,
      respectively, while comparable values for essential amino acids were 24 and 20%.
      The latter implies that a net muscle protein catabolism was occurring during the
      exercise. The FFA treatment was associated not only with a reduced muscle ammonia
      release but also with a decreased (P less than 0.05) arterial concentration of
      nine amino acids (alanine, methionine, lysine, hydroxyproline, serine, glycine,
      proline, asparagine, and ornithine). Interpretation is limited due to the
      treatment order effect, but these data are compatible with the hypothesis that
      plasma clearance was affected by FFA.

PMID- 1872381
TI  - Chemical and elemental analysis of humans in vivo using improved body composition
      models.
AB  - Six chemical compartments [water, protein, mineral (osseus and cellular),
      glycogen, and fat] consisting of 11 elements (N, C, Ca, Na, Cl, K, H, P, O, S,
      and Mg) comprise greater than or equal to 99% of body weight in living humans.
      The combination of three neutron-activation systems, whole body 40K counting, and
      3H2O dilution at Brookhaven National Laboratory now potentially makes it possible
      to quantify greater than or equal to 96% of the chemical and elemental
      determinants of body weight in vivo. The aims of the present study were 1) to
      develop 6- and 11-compartment chemical and elemental models, respectively, and 2)
      to evaluate these models in a group of 20 healthy adults. Results demonstrated
      that body weight estimated from either chemical or elemental components was
      highly correlated with (both r = 0.97, P less than 0.001) and on average differed
      by less than 4% from actual body weight. The compartmental results obtained using
      the chemical model were also evaluated by comparing calculated and actual body
      density (Db) estimated by underwater weighing. Calculated Db [1.041 +/- 0.017
      (SD) g/ml] agreed closely and was highly correlated with actual Db (1.039 +/-
      0.018 g/ml; r = 0.82; P less than 0.001). Hence a near-complete chemical and
      elemental analysis of living human subjects is now possible and, with potential
      future refinements, represents an important opportunity to quantify the effects
      of gender, aging, and ethnic status on body composition.

PMID- 1872382
TI  - Relative expansion of extracellular fluid in obese vs. nonobese women.
AB  - There is a conflict in previous studies with regard to the relation between
      adipose tissue mass and total body fluid distribution. This study tested the
      hypothesis that obesity is accompanied by an increase in the extracellular-to
      intracellular fluid ratio above that observed in nonobese subjects. Extracellular
      fluid was evaluated in obese (n = 39) and nonobese (n = 26) healthy women, using
      two different dilution volumes, 35SO4 [extracellular water (ECW)] and 24NaCl
      [exchangeable sodium (Nae)]. Intracellular water (ICW = 3H2O dilution volume-ECW)
      and total body potassium (TBK; 40K whole body counting) were assumed to represent
      intracellular fluid. Two independent markers of relative fluid distribution were
      formulated as ECW/ICW and Nae/TBK. Obese and nonobese women were of similar age
      and height but differed in body weight and TBW by 67.7 kg and 12.9 liters,
      respectively. The obese women had significantly larger absolute ECW, Nae, ICW,
      and TBK compared with the nonobese women (all P less than 0.001). The ratios
      ECW/ICW and Nae/TBK were significantly higher in obese vs. nonobese women and
      were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.54, P less than 0.001) in the
      pooled group of subjects. Fluid volumes are thus increased in obese women, and
      the expansion is relatively greater for the extracellular compartment. These
      results have implications in the study of human body composition and may also
      account in part for the fluid-overload states that often accompany severe
      obesity.

PMID- 1872383
TI  - Hormonal, metabolic, and cardiovascular responses to static exercise in humans:
      influence of epidural anesthesia.
AB  - To determine the role of reflex neural mechanisms for hormonal, metabolic, heart
      rate (HR), and blood pressure (MABP) changes during static exercise, seven health
      young males performed 10-min periods of two-legged static knee extension both
      during control and during epidural anesthesia. Comparisons were made at identical
      absolute (29 Nm) and relative [15% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC)] force.
      Afferent nerve blockade was verified by hypesthesia below T10-T12 and attenuated
      postexercise ischemic pressor response. Leg strength was reduced to 67 +/- 5% of
      control. At same relative force, increases in MABP and HR occurred more rapidly
      without than with epidural anesthesia (P less than 0.05). This difference was
      diminished during identical absolute force. Changes in plasma concentrations of
      catecholamines followed the pattern of HR and MABP responses, with differences
      between epidural and control experiments being most pronounced early in the work
      period. Plasma beta-endorphin was elevated only after control exercise. No
      response at 15% MVC was found for growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone,
      insulin, glucagon, cortisol, glycerol, free fatty acids, or glucose (P greater
      than 0.05). In conclusion, during static exercise with large muscle groups and
      moderate relative force, modest changes in plasma hormones and metabolites take
      place. Furthermore, afferent nervous feedback from contracting muscles is
      important in regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, and catecholamine
      responses during static exercise in humans.

PMID- 1872384
TI  - In vivo effects of flavonoid EMD 21388 on thyroid hormone secretion and
      metabolism in rats.
AB  - In vitro, the synthetic flavonoid EMD 21388 appears to be a potent inhibitor of
      thyroxine (T4) 5'-deiodinase and diminishes binding of T4 to transthyretin. In
      this study, in vivo effects of long-term administration of EMD 21388 on thyroid
      hormone production and metabolism were investigated. Intact male rats received
      EMD 21388 (20 mumol.kg body wt-1.rat-1.day-1) for 14 days. [125I]T4 and 3,5,3'
      [131I]triiodotyronine (T3) were infused continuously and intravenously in a
      double-isotope protocol for the last 10 and 7 days, respectively. EMD 21388
      decreased plasma thyroid hormone concentrations, but thyrotropin levels in plasma
      and pituitary did not change. Plasma clearance rates for T4 and T3 increased.
      Thyroidal T4 secretion was diminished, but T3 secretion was elevated.
      Extrathyroidal T3 production by 5'-deiodination was lower. T4 concentrations were
      markedly lower in all tissues investigated. Total tissue T3 was lower in brown
      adipose tissue, brain, cerebellum, and pituitary, tissues that express the type
      II 5'-deiodinase isozyme due to decreased local T3 production. Most tissues
      showed increased tissue/plasma ratios for T4 and T3. These results indicate that
      this flavonoid diminished T4 and increased T3 secretion by the thyroid, probably
      in analogy with other natural flavonoids, by interference with one or several
      steps between iodide uptake, organification, and hormone synthesis.

PMID- 1872385
TI  - Endurance training increases metabolic rate and norepinephrine appearance rate in
      older individuals.
AB  - We examined the effects of an 8-wk endurance training program (cycling exercise)
      on resting metabolic rate (RMR) and norepinephrine (NE) kinetics in 19 older
      persons (64 +/- 1.6 yr). Before and after training, RMR, NE kinetics, maximal O2
      consumption (VO2max), body composition, supine blood pressure, estimated energy
      intake, and fasting levels of glucose, insulin, and thyroid hormones were
      measured. RMR increased 10% after training. Resting concentrations of NE
      increased 24% after training due to a 21% increase in NE appearance rate and no
      change in NE clearance. Training increased VO2max (14%; P less than 0.01) and
      energy intake (12%; P less than 0.01), whereas no change was noted in body
      composition. Supine blood pressure and plasma glucose were lower after training,
      whereas no change was noted in fasting levels of plasma insulin. The increase in
      RMR was associated with a higher rate of NE appearance (r = 0.57; P = 0.05) and
      with increase in energy intake (r = 0.56; P = 0.05). Together these two factors
      accounted for 49% (r2) of the variation of the change in RMR. Changes in blood
      pressure were not associated with changes in NE kinetics. We conclude that
      endurance training increases total energy expenditure in older individuals by the
      direct energy cost of physical activity and by elevating RMR. This increase is
      partially mediated by an increased NE appearance rate and increased food intake
      in healthy older individuals.

PMID- 1872386
TI  - Weight reduction increases adipose but decreases cardiac LPL in reduced-obese
      Zucker rats.
AB  - Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and mRNA levels were measured in cardiac muscle
      and adipose tissue from lean, obese, and weight-stable reduced-obese Zucker rats,
      both fasted and 2 h after feeding. Fasting epididymal fat LPL activity was
      substantially higher in obese rats relative to lean rats [6.9 vs. 0.2 nmol free
      fatty acid (FFA).10(6) cells-1.min-1; P = 0.0001], and was higher still in
      reduced-obese rats (15.7 nmol FFA.10(6) cells-1.min-1; P = 0.002). Adipose tissue
      LPL increased with feeding in all three groups. In marked contrast, fasting
      cardiac muscle LPL was lower in obese rats relative to lean (28.8 vs. 38.5 nmol
      FFA.g-1.min-1; P = 0.0064) and was lower still in reduced-obese rats (14.5 nmol
      FFA.g-1.min-1; P = 0.0001). LPL mRNA levels increased in adipose tissue along
      with enzyme activity; however, the magnitude of the changes were relatively
      small, suggesting that the primary regulatory steps are posttranslational. Weight
      reduction studies were also carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats with similar
      results. These studies show that sustained weight reduction results in coordinate
      changes in tissue-specific LPL, favoring delivery of lipoprotein triglyceride
      fatty acids to adipose tissue relative to cardiac muscle and the restoration of
      energy stores.

PMID- 1872387
TI  - Postnatal changes in lambs of two pathways for thyroxine 5'-monodeiodination in
      brown adipose tissue.
AB  - We have recently shown that ovine fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) contains two
      distinct iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase (5'MDI) activities, one with a high Km
      (type I) and another with a low Km (type II). Both activities increased to
      maximum levels near term (150 days gestation). BAT plays a major role in neonatal
      temperature regulation in lambs, and available evidence suggests that BAT 5'MDI
      activity is closely linked to thermogenic capacity. To better characterize the
      changes in 5'MDI after birth, we studied both type I and type II 5'MDI in lamb
      BAT from the time of birth to 30 days of postnatal age. Type I 5'MDI activity
      [pmol 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3).mg protein-1.h-1] showed no significant
      changes during the first 11 days after birth [newborn (NB), 95 +/- 16; 1 day, 83
      +/- 20; 3-4 days, 80 +/- 11; 10-11 days, 92 +/- 28]. Activity decreased
      significantly at 30 days (24 +/- 8.9, P less than 0.05). On the other hand, the
      type II 5'MDI activity (fmol I- released.mg protein-1.h-1) increased
      significantly (P less than 0.01) during the first 4 days, (NB, 348 +/- 23; 1 day,
      679 +/- 37; 3-4 days, 785 +/- 199), decreased toward NB values (401 +/- 87) at 10
      11 days of age, and fell to 66 +/- 31 at 30 days (P less than 0.05 vs. NB).
      Kinetic analysis of BAT type II thyroxine 5'MDI revealed a rise in maximum
      velocity from NB to 1 and 3-4 days of age without a change in the enzymatic
      activity Km.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872388
TI  - Homologous amino-terminal radioimmunoassay for rat parathyroid hormone.
AB  - Existing radioimmunoassays for parathyroid hormone (PTH) in rat plasma are based
      on cross-reactivity of rat PTH (rPTH) with heterologous antisera. We used the
      synthetic NH2-terminal fragment of rPTH [rPTH-(1-34)] to develop a homologous
      radioimmunoassay for circulating PTH. An antiserum to rPTH-(1-34) was raised in a
      goat (G-813), and the same peptide was used as radioligand (125I) and standard.
      Purification of the label by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
      increased specific binding greater than twofold and sensitivity by 50-100%. With
      a final antiserum dilution of 1:70,000, maximum specific binding of 30-33%,
      nonspecific binding of 1-5%, and 50-microliters sample additions, the assay
      detection limit was 1.8-2.5 pmol/l. A midregional fragment of human PTH did not
      displace 125I-labeled rPTH-(1-34). HPLC of extracts of rat parathyroid glands and
      hyperparathyroid plasma showed only a single peak of immunoreactivity that eluted
      2 min after rPTH-(1-34). Dose dilution curves for rat parathyroid gland extracts,
      rPTH-(1-34) added to rat plasma, and endogenous rat plasma PTH all paralleled the
      standard curve. Immunoreactive PTH (irPTH) was detectable in greater than 90% of
      fasting normal rat plasma and changed appropriately in response to hyper- and
      hypocalcemia induced by low-calcium and vitamin D-deficient diets, injections of
      calcium and EDTA, and after thyroparathyroidectomy. The normal range for rat
      plasma irPTH was less than 2.0-12 pmol/l, in general agreement with bioassay
      results of others. Thus rPTH-(1-34) is an excellent immunogen for raising
      antisera to rPTH, and assays incorporating it may be of great value in studying
      rat parathyroid physiology.

PMID- 1872389
TI  - Cut set analysis of compartmental models with applications to experiment design.
AB  - Conventional compartmental analysis typically involves equations derived from
      mass-rate balance considerations for each compartment (pool), with each equation
      associated with a single pool. However, alternative mathematical descriptions,
      which effectively group pools into various other configurations, facilitate model
      analysis in certain applications, e.g., for kinetic experiment design or
      analysis. Such equivalent models are usually obtained using (often) complex
      matrix operations. An alternative approach, cut set analysis, can be applied
      directly to the graph of the compartmental model to readily generate alternative
      mathematical descriptions in which the needed equivalence transformations are
      easily performed graphically. This graphical transformation is developed here for
      linear, time-invariant multicompartmental models in which particular parameter
      values are the experimental objective. The method potentially provides greater
      flexibility in analyzing complex compartmental models in theory and practice, and
      it is exemplified here by application to the design of steady-state kinetic
      endocrine system studies in experimental animals.

PMID- 1872390
TI  - Estimation of fructose 6-phosphate-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate cycling in liver and
      fate of 3H of [6-3H]glucose.

PMID- 1872391
TI  - Can regulatory peptides be regarded as words of a biological language.
AB  - Despite the complexities of individual systems, neurocrine, endocrine, and growth
      factor-mediated signaling systems show striking similarities in the molecules
      they use for communication and in their signal-transduction mechanisms. In
      contrast to the traditional view in cell biology, which has focused on the
      regulatory aspects of neurocrine and endocrine messengers and growth factors, an
      analysis of various aspects of peptidergic cell-to-cell communication on the
      basis of information theory is suggested. According to theorems for efficient and
      error-free encoding, the differences in rate and distance of information transfer
      and in noise interference between neurocrine, endocrine, and growth factor
      mediated messages require different encoding strategies. These differences are
      reflected in the use of plurichemical transmission (to increase information
      content) or in the number and sequence of amino acids within peptide molecules
      (to protect against noise interference). In contrast to the quantitative
      information content, the qualitative information of the messages is not
      transmitted but is retrieved when the message interacts with transduction
      networks at the receiver cell. The semantic information is contained within the
      rules specifying the conditional co-occurrences of signals. The suggested
      analysis provides a framework for the understanding of various aspects of cell-to
      cell communication, such as structure-function relationship of regulatory
      peptides, multiple receptor subtypes, plurichemical transmission, and
      transduction networks. The data discussed are consistent with the role of
      regulatory peptides as signals in a universal structured code for biological
      communication.

PMID- 1872392
TI  - Glutamine and fatty acid oxidation are the main sources of energy for Kupffer and
      endothelial cells.
AB  - This study assessed and compared the rate of glucose utilization, activity of the
      hexose-monophosphate shunt (HMS), and the oxidation of glutamine, lactate, and
      palmitate in Kupffer (KC), endothelial (EC), and parenchymal liver cells (PC).
      Cells were isolated by collagenase and pronase digestion followed by centrifugal
      elutriation. The freshly isolated cells were incubated in the presence of 5 mM
      glucose, 0.5 mM glutamine, 1 mM lactate, and 0.4 mM palmitate, and the oxidation
      rate of individual substrates was determined by the measurement of 14CO2
      production. Glucose utilization was assessed by detritiation of [2-3H]glucose.
      Glucose flux through HMS was 2.6, 1.6, and 0.72 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1 in KC, EC
      and PC, respectively. The oxidation rate of palmitate in PC (3.5 nmol.h-1.mg
      protein-1) was about twofold greater than in nonparenchymal cells. Glutamine
      oxidation was 6.1, 4.2, and 2.1 nmol.h-1.mg protein-1 in KC, EC, and PC,
      respectively. In contrast, oxidation of exogenous lactate by PC (32.1 nmol.h-1.mg
      protein-1) was about seven- to eightfold greater than by KC or EC. Presence of
      prevailing lactate concentrations did not inhibit glucose oxidation in these
      cells, while it attenuated glucose utilization by PC. Our data show that in the
      presence of a physiological substrate mixture, less than 20% of the ATP generated
      from exogenous substrates is derived from glycolysis in KC or EC. Oxidation of
      glutamine and palmitate are the main sources for energy in these cells. In PC,
      however, lactate and palmitate oxidation is responsible for approximately 90% for
      the ATP production derived form the oxidation of exogenous substrates.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872394
TI  - Relation between postprandial gastric emptying and cutaneous electrogastrogram in
      primates.
AB  - The relation between the cutaneous electrogastrogram (EGG) and gastric emptying
      was investigated in six rhesus monkeys. Gastric emptying was measured using
      scintigraphy after administration of two 80-ml mixed solid liquid meals (1.5 and
      5.0 kcal/kg) tagged with 99mTc-sulfur colloid and 111In-diethylenetriamine
      pentaacetic acid. Six epigastric bipolar recordings of the EGG were concurrently
      obtained, digitized, and band-pass filtered. Portions of the signal with motion
      artifacts were automatically detected and excluded using two microwave motion
      sensors. During the early postprandial period, gastric emptying was greater after
      the 1.5-kcal/kg meal than after the 5-kcal/kg meal, and EGG amplitude increased
      significantly compared with fasting only after the 1.5-kcal/kg meal. Both
      emptying and EGG amplitude subsequently decreased after the 1.5-kcal/kg meal,
      whereas these two parameters increased after the 5-kcal/kg meal. As a result, EGG
      amplitude was significantly correlated with gastric emptying of solids in all six
      animals. In contrast, EGG frequency was not significantly different between the
      two meals and was not correlated with emptying. These results indicate that both
      the EGG and gastric emptying are modified differently by meals with different
      caloric contents and that the EGG may represent a useful, although indirect,
      index of gastric emptying.

PMID- 1872393
TI  - Effects of glycerol tripalmitate and glycerol trioleate on intestinal absorption
      of glycerol tristearate.
AB  - The goal of the present study was to determine 1) whether the poor digestion and
      absorption of glycerol tristearate (TS) that we observed previously is due to
      amount fed and 2) whether the digestion, absorption, and lymphatic transport of
      TS is affected by the presence of either a saturated fat [glycerol tripalmitate
      (TP)] or a monounsaturated fat [glycerol trioleate (TO)]. Three groups of
      intestinal lymph fistula rats were used. Group A was fed a lipid emulsion
      containing 12.5 mumol of TS (labeled as [glyceryl-1,3-14C]tristerate), 7.8 mumols
      of egg phosphatidylcholine, and 57 mumols of sodium taurocholate in 3 ml of
      phosphate-buffered saline per hour for 8 h. Group B rats were fed the same
      emulsion as group A, but with 12.5 mumols of TO added. Group C rats had 12.5
      mumols of TP instead of TO added to the group A emulsion. The lymphatic
      radioactivity and triglyceride outputs were significantly lower in group A, with
      group C next and group B having the highest outputs. Significantly more TS
      remained in the lumen of the group A rats compared with groups B and C. The
      majority of the radioactivity in the lumen was still in the TS form in all three
      groups, indicating poor lipolysis. However, once the fatty acid and monoglyceride
      were absorbed, the reesterification process was similar in all three groups. When
      we studied the ability of the three groups of animals to transport the absorbed
      lipid into lymph (lymph transport index), both groups B and C were significantly
      better than group A rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872395
TI  - Effect of Pluronic L81, a hydrophobic surfactant, on intestinal mucosal
      cholesterol homeostasis.
AB  - Addition of triglyceride and phospholipid to sodium taurocholate when chylomicron
      output was blocked by L81 did not increase lymphatic total cholesterol output or
      mucosal unesterified (UC) content more than with sodium taurocholate alone, but
      mucosal esterified cholesterol (CE) was increased slightly. In these animals with
      defective chylomicron formation, excess cholesterol accumulated in the intestinal
      mucosa mainly as CE. The mucosal cholesterol content of animals with normal
      chylomicron transport expanded during cholesterol and triglyceride absorption,
      and the expansion led to increased lymphatic secretion of CE. These animals
      accumulated significantly less CE in their mucosa than did rats treated with L81,
      but had about the same amount of mucosal UC. However, the overall uptake of
      cholesterol from the lumen, as determined by either radioactivity or mass of
      cholesterol in mucosa and lymph, was significantly less in the L81 rats. Also,
      more radioactive cholesterol remained in the lumen of the L81-treated rats.
      Finally, the data on specific activities of free and esterified cholesterol
      showed that the mucosal cholesterol derived from the lumen does not mix evenly
      with the free cholesterol pool in the enterocytes and is preferentially
      esterified for export in lymph as triglyceride-rich lipoprotein.

PMID- 1872396
TI  - Method for prolonged ambulatory monitoring of high-amplitude propagated
      contractions from colon.
AB  - This study monitored high-amplitude propagated contractions (HAPCs) in ambulating
      subjects over a 24-h period using a new ambulatory recording system. Twelve
      healthy volunteers aged 34 +/- 5.96 yr participated. Approximately 12 h after a
      Colyte bowel prep, a small catheter (OD less than 3 mm), containing three solid
      state pressure transducers spaced 5 cm apart, was positioned by flexible
      sigmoidoscope at 40-50 cm from the anal verge. A battery-operated data recorder
      sampled the pressure at each port at 1 Hz and stored the values on all ports if
      any port exceeded 75 mmHg. At the conclusion of the 24-h period, an X-ray was
      taken to confirm the location of the catheter. Fifty-four percent of all HAPCs
      preceded a bowel movement by less than or equal to 1 h. Forty-nine percent of all
      HAPCs occurred within 1 h after a high-fat meal, and 33% occurred within 1 h of
      morning awakening. Reverse propagated waves, not previously described in the
      colon, were observed in three individuals. Spontaneous high-amplitude caudally
      propagated contractions occur 6.9 +/- 1.5 times/24 h in the sigmoid colon in
      ambulating asymptomatic individuals and are temporally related to defecation and
      meals. Peristaltic activity is decreased during sleep. This recording technique
      was reliable and well tolerated in all participants.

PMID- 1872397
TI  - Developmental expression of intestinal surfactant-like particles in rats.
AB  - We have reported the appearance of surfactant-like particles enriched for
      intestinal alkaline phosphatase and phosphatidylcholine within enterocytes and in
      the lumen of adult fat-fed rat intestine. Because rat pulmonary surfactant
      decreases in abundance during the first postnatal days, we examined the
      developmental expression of these intestinal particles in suckling rats. Electron
      microscopy revealed abundant particles in 1-day-old rats within and surrounding
      the villus enterocytes, declining in frequency by day 14. Phosphatidylcholine
      content, alkaline phosphatase, sucrase-isomaltase, and lactase activity in
      particles peaked 1 day after birth, declining rapidly to adult levels by day 3 of
      life, except for sucrase, which peaked again after weaning. The postnatal
      developmental profile of the same brush-border-associated enzymes was totally
      different. Membrane fractions enriched for alkaline phosphatase and of similar
      density to rat surfactant-like particles were isolated from the small intestine
      of an amphibian (Xenopus laevis) and a fish (grass carp). Electron microscopy of
      the Xenopus membranes revealed unilamellar structures similar to the rat
      particles, but the carp membranes were of dissimilar morphology. We conclude that
      particles with surfactant-like properties in the rat intestine are ontogenically
      expressed like pulmonary surfactant; similar particles are evident only in
      animals with lungs.

PMID- 1872398
TI  - Reflex changes in intestinal tone: relationship to perception.
AB  - Using an original technique, we demonstrated a modulation of intestinal tonic
      muscular activity (intestinal tone) by intestino-intestinal reflexes. In 11
      healthy volunteers we quantitated intestinal tone variations as changes in the
      air volume within a flaccid bag (12 cm long) located in the proximal jejunum and
      maintained at a constant pressure by an electronic barostat. Validation studies
      with glucagon showed significant intestinal relaxation (117 +/- 10% delta vol; P
      less than 0.05). In six healthy volunteers, graded balloon distensions (1 min
      duration at 10-min intervals in 8-ml stepwise increments) were randomly performed
      8 cm orad, 8 cm caudad, and 20 cm caudad to the bag of the barostat. Perception
      was scored (0-6) by a questionnaire. Distensions at the three sites induced
      similar perception; at the threshold for discomfort (score greater than or equal
      to 5) distension also induced intestinal relaxatory responses (43 +/- 10%, 34 +/-
      5%, and 32 +/- 4% delta vol from orad to caudad, respectively; P less than 0.05
      for all). However, while unperceived orad distensions (13 +/- 2 ml) induced
      reflex relaxation (21 +/- 6% delta vol; P less than 0.05), 20-cm-caudad
      distensions at higher levels (16 +/- 2 ml, 2.7 +/- 0.5 perception score; P less
      than 0.05) did not (1 +/- 7% delta vol). This dissociation between perception and
      intestinal tone reflexes suggests that both responses to intestinal distension
      are mediated by specific mechanisms.

PMID- 1872399
TI  - A novel transcellular transport pathway for non-bile salt cholephilic organic
      anions.
AB  - Non-bile salt cholephilic organic anions comprise a single class of nonhomologous
      ligands having a range of hydrophobicity. Hydrophobicity enhances the hepatic
      extraction of cholephiles as well as their partitioning into secreted biliary
      lipid particles. When hydrophobicity is correlated with patterns of biliary
      excretion for studying transcellular transport, however, the more hydrophobic
      probes are unsuitable. Specifically, with the isolated perfused rat liver
      technique, the excretory times for sulfobromophthalein and rose bengal were
      significantly longer compared with that for the much more hydrophilic analogue
      phenol red (PR), which showed only a single, nearly symmetrical excretory peak at
      10 min. Colchicine affected the apparently well-defined PR pathway only at a
      saturation dose (10,000 times the tracer dose). In contrast, the effect of a
      different perturbant, monensin, was striking at a tracer dose of PR, but was less
      evident at a saturation dose. The combined administration of colchicine and
      monensin had no additive inhibitory effect on PR excretion at tracer doses. At a
      saturation dose of PR, where monensin is less inhibiting, however, a significant
      additive inhibitory effect was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872400
TI  - Vasopressin and A23187 stimulate phosphorylation of myosin light chain-1 in
      isolated rat hepatocytes.
AB  - Vasopressin (VP) and other hormones that elevate intracellular Ca2+ concentration
      also increase tight junctional permeability in the liver cell. Data derived from
      study of other tissues suggest that microfilaments are instrumental in regulating
      tight junctional permeability. By analogy to microfilament contraction in smooth
      muscles, it is likely that the transduction pathway for these hormones involves
      Ca(2+)-stimulated complex formation between calmodulin and myosin light chain
      (MLC) kinase with activation of this latter enzyme. MLC kinase then
      phosphorylates MLC, which, in the presence of actin, exerts
      adenosinetriphosphatase activity and produces microfilament contraction. This
      transduction pathway in the hepatocyte remains speculative. To demonstrate the
      likelihood of this pathway, we stimulated isolated hepatocytes with 10(-8) M VP
      and assayed MLC phosphorylation. We did this by immunoprecipitation of myosin
      from homogenates of liver cells prelabeled with [32P]-orthophosphate. We used a
      polyclonal antibody raised in rabbits against rat liver cell myosin. Our data
      demonstrate that VP is a potent stimulator of MLC phosphorylation. Maximal rises
      in intracellular Ca2+ and maximal MLC phosphorylation occur within 40 s of VP
      administration. The dose-response curve for MLC phosphorylation by VP is similar
      to that for tight junctional permeabilization in perfused liver with maximal
      effect at about 10(-8) M VP. The calcium ionophore A23187 also stimulated MLC
      phosphorylation. MLC phosphorylation, therefore, is at least coincident with, and
      probably responsible for, tight junctional permeabilization caused by elevation
      of intracellular Ca2+ in the liver cell.

PMID- 1872401
TI  - Gastric HCO3- secretion: relationship with Na+ secretion and effect of
      acetazolamide in humans.
AB  - We examined the relationship between gastric HCO3- and Na+ secretion under
      fasting and sham-fed conditions in nine healthy men and also evaluated the effect
      of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide on gastric secretion of HCO3-
      and Na+. Secretion of H+, K+, and Cl- were also measured. Gastric HCO3- secretion
      rates under fasting and sham-fed conditions closely paralleled Na+ secretion
      rates. A maximally tolerated intravenous dose (10 mg/kg) of acetazolamide
      significantly inhibited H+, Cl- and K+ secretion but did not significantly affect
      Na+ or HCO3- secretion. Thus the gastric mucosa secretes HCO3- and Na+ in
      parallel in humans both under fasting and sham-fed conditions. Relative to
      parietal secretion of HCl, nonparietal secretion of HCO3- and Na+ is resistant to
      carbonic anhydrase inhibition.

PMID- 1872402
TI  - Role of chloride ions in liver cell volume regulation.
AB  - Hypotonic swelling of liver cells is followed by regulatory volume decrease
      (RVD), which has been shown to involve facilitated release of K+. In this study,
      the role of C1- in RVD was examined by videoplanimetric analysis of cell volume
      and measurement of membrane potential (Vm) and resistance (Rm) in single isolated
      rat hepatocytes, and by measurement of 36Cl efflux in the isolated perfused liver
      preloaded with the isotope. Liver cells subjected to hypotonic stress by removal
      of 50 mM external NaCl (70% of control osmolality) swelled from an initial volume
      of 6.68 +/- 0.77 to 8.27 +/- 0.88 pl (24.3 +/- 3.4% increase) within 1 min and
      exhibited RVD at an initial rate of 0.26 +/- 0.01 pl/min. A step decrease in
      external Cl- accelerated the initial rate of RVD to 0.53 +/- 0.08 pl/min. RVD was
      abolished in cells that had been depleted of Cl-. Vm and Rm displayed biphasic
      responses to hypotonic stress. An initial (less than 15 s) hyperpolarization of
      Vm from -35.4 +/- 2.2 to -38.8 +/- 2.6 mV was followed by a gradual
      depolarization reaching -30.2 +/- 2.0 mV by 1 min. In parallel, Rm initially
      (less than 15 s) increased from 101 +/- 13 to 121 +/- 17 M omega (19 +/- 3%
      increase) and then declined to 55 +/- 4 M omega (59 +/- 4% of initial Rm) within
      1 min. These changes were reversible upon return to isotonicity.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872403
TI  - Hepatic processing of recombinant human renin: mechanisms of uptake and
      degradation.
AB  - Biologically active 125I-Bolton-Hunter-labeled recombinant human renin (BH-renin)
      was used to study hepatic processing of renin both in vivo in bile fistula rats
      and in vitro in isolated perfused rat livers. BH-renin was composed mainly (80%)
      of a form that bound to concanavalin A-agarose (CB-renin). Twenty minutes after
      femoral venous injection of CB-renin in vivo, 47% of injected radiolabel was
      present in liver. Hepatic uptake of CB-renin was inhibited in a dose-dependent
      manner by mannosylated bovine serum albumin (MBSA) and mannan, but was unaffected
      by asialofetuin and mannose 6-phosphate. MBSA also significantly inhibited the
      plasma disappearance of endogenous renin in kidney-ligated rats. Cell separation
      techniques and light microscopic autoradiography showed that CB-renin was
      preferentially cleared by hepatic nonparenchymal cells via the mannose receptor,
      but was also cleared by hepatocytes via an unidentified mechanism. Tissue
      fractionation demonstrated that after injection of CB-renin, radiolabel was
      concentrated in lysosome-enriched liver fractions. In the liver, CB-renin was
      rapidly degraded to trichloroacetic acid-soluble fragments, which accumulated in
      urine and bile. Leupeptin, an inhibitor of lysosomal proteases, decreased
      degradation of CB-renin by 60%; vinblastine and colchicine, microtubule binding
      agents, each inhibited CB-renin degradation by 40%. Our results show that the
      liver plays a major role in the regulation of plasma renin levels via clearance
      by the mannose receptor on nonparenchymal cells and subsequent degradation in
      lysosomes.

PMID- 1872404
TI  - Contraction and accommodation of guinea pig duodenum in vitro.
AB  - Because duodenal resistance to gastric emptying depends in part on duodenal
      capacity, we examined the changes of duodenal diameter, length, and luminal
      pressure that occur in response to injection of bolus volumes. Filling the
      duodenum led to a powerful, nonpropagating contraction of the duodenum. After the
      end of filling, sequential duodenal segments widened and duodenal pressure and
      length returned to baseline; i.e., there was accommodation. Accommodation was
      volume dependent and ceased at volumes greater than or equal to 1.2 ml. The
      entire duodenum unfolded almost immediately and the initial increase of pressure
      and length was abolished when the duodenal musculature was inhibited by exposure
      to tetrodotoxin or to Ca(2+)-free solution. Pressures and pressure accommodation
      were larger, occurred earlier, and lasted longer when the duodenal musculature
      was stimulated by exposure to carbachol. Filling of the duodenum from the distal
      end led to rapid distribution of the bolus through the duodenum and to
      accommodation similar to that seen with proximal filling. However, phasic
      duodenal contractions were less powerful on distal than on proximal injection.
      Spontaneous phasic contractions of the duodenum were accompanied by a similar
      sequence of changes in duodenal configuration as was observed with filling. We
      conclude that 1) the duodenum adjusts the tension of its walls at small volumes,
      and beyond this is fairly rigid; 2) filling the duodenum triggers contraction
      responses similar to those that occur with spontaneous contractions; and 3) the
      direction from which the duodenum is filled does not affect its accommodation. We
      postulate that the filling response of the duodenum may critically affect gastric
      emptying.

PMID- 1872405
TI  - Effect of UDCA on intracellular and biliary pH.

PMID- 1872406
TI  - Lung surfactant protein SP-C from human, bovine, and canine sources contains
      palmityl cysteine thioester linkages.
AB  - Lung surfactant is a complex mixture of lipids and proteins that coats the
      alveoli to reduce surface tension and prevent airspace collapse. One of the
      principal protein constituents, surfactant protein C (SP-C), has been
      characterized following isolation from human, canine, and bovine sources. In each
      species, this highly hydrophobic protein is composed of 33-35 amino acids, the
      differences being due to NH2-terminal heterogeneity. A COOH-terminal leucine is
      conserved throughout. The cysteines in each species were found by fast atom
      bombardment mass spectrometry to be present as thioesters of palmitic acid.
      Acylation of recombinant SP-C with palmityl coenzyme A, followed by
      characterization before and after release of the acyl group with 1,4
      dithiothreitol, provided corroborating evidence for the native structure.

PMID- 1872407
TI  - Neutrophil chemoattractant production by cultured serotonin-stimulated bovine and
      human endothelial cells.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated that serotonin (5-HT) is avidly taken up and
      metabolized by vascular endothelial cells (EC) and have suggested that 5-HT may
      contribute to inflammatory responses. Because EC can produce neutrophil cytokines
      among their biologically active molecules, we hypothesized that the interaction
      of 5-HT and EC might cause production of such a cytokine. Using a modified Boyden
      chamber assay, we found that cultured bovine aortic (BA), bovine pulmonary
      arterial (BPA), and human umbilical vein (HUV) EC incubated with 5-HT produced a
      neutrophil chemoattractant (NCA). The NCA was predominantly chemotactic, was not
      stored in an active form, appeared within 5 min of incubation with 5-HT, and
      required de novo protein synthesis for its appearance. The mechanism of NCA
      production was different in the three types of EC examined. Elaboration of NCA
      and BAEC and HUVEC was apparently mediated by 5-HT1 receptors and did not require
      uptake of 5-HT, whereas its elaboration from BPAEC required 5-HT uptake and was
      apparently mediated by 5-HT2 receptors. Incubation with three different
      lipoxygenase inhibitors blocked production of NCA, whereas incubation with a
      cyclooxygenase inhibitor did not. Further characterization of the NCA
      demonstrated that it was a mixture of several different chemotactic lipids and
      was distinct from other lipid or phospholipid neutrophil chemoattractants. These
      studies suggest that the interaction of the platelet-release product, 5-HT, with
      the adjacent endothelium results in the production of a chemoattractant that
      could affect neutrophil accumulation at sites of inflammation.

PMID- 1872408
TI  - Effects of intratracheal endotoxin administration on hamster lung
      glycosaminoglycans.
AB  - Incorporation of [3H]glucosamine and 35S into glycosaminoglycan (GAG) was
      measured in hamster lung explant cultures at 0, 1, 4, and 24 h after a single
      endotracheal instillation of Escherichia coli endotoxin. Lung content of GAG was
      measured in a second group of treated animals over an 8-day period. Albumin was
      detected after endotoxin treatment in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at 24 h but
      was not found in lavage fluid 7 days later or in lavage fluid of saline-treated
      animals. Over the initial 24 h, increasing amounts of radiolabeled precursor
      molecules were incorporated into all classes of GAG. Proportionally more
      radiolabel was incorporated into hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate, and
      less was incorporated into heparan sulfate. The proportion of radiolabel
      incorporated into dermatan sulfate did not change. Total lung content of
      hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate was elevated at 24 h but was returning to
      baseline by 8 days. The lung content of dermatan sulfate was increased at 8 days;
      lung content of heparan sulfate did not change over the 8-day study period.
      Elevations in the amount of explant heparan sulfate that bound to antithrombin
      III (AT III) were found at 1 h after both saline and endotoxin treatment.
      Radiosulfated heparan sulfates were found in blood from hamsters treated with
      endotoxin 1 h previously; these heparan sulfates did not bind to AT III. However,
      blood contained heparin-like activity. We conclude that endotoxin differentially
      alters the metabolism of each class of hamster lung glycosaminoglycans and that
      metabolic changes begin very rapidly after endotoxin exposure. The relation of
      pulmonary endothelial injury to the presence of heparin-like activity in blood is
      not yet clear.

PMID- 1872409
TI  - Regulation of the contractile element of airway smooth muscle.
AB  - Smooth muscle of the mammalian airways controls airway diameter and resistance to
      airflow. Smooth muscle tone is in turn controlled by a variety of external
      signals that are transduced to useful work by contractile proteins. The protein
      components of the contractile element of airway smooth muscle are similar to
      those found in other smooth muscles and include actin, myosin, tropomyosin,
      caldesmon, and calponin. There has been significant recent progress in studies of
      contractile system regulation of airway smooth muscle. Regulation of myosin light
      chain kinase, identification of the sites phosphorylated on the regulatory myosin
      light chains, and the effect of myosin phosphorylation on stress development and
      crossbridge cycling rates have all been studied in some detail. We infer from
      these studies that besides myosin phosphorylation there is an important role for
      a thin filament Ca(2+)-dependent regulatory mechanism. The potentially important
      thin filament proteins caldesmon and calponin are present in tracheal smooth
      muscle and may be phosphorylated during contraction. The use of intracellular
      Ca2+ indicators to estimate changes in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and the
      development of several skinned fiber preparations have broadened the scope of
      physiological studies with airway smooth muscle and have suggested that the
      contractile element sensitivity to Ca2+ is not fixed but might be modulated by
      undefined messengers or excitation-contraction pathways. This adds an additional
      challenge to the continuing effort to define the messengers and regulatory
      proteins that couple activation of membrane receptors to the contractile element
      in airway smooth muscle.

PMID- 1872410
TI  - Biphasic contractile response of pulmonary artery to hypoxia.
AB  - Isolated perfused lungs exposed to low O2 exhibit a hypoxic pulmonary
      vasoconstriction response that is transient in nature. The purpose of this study
      was to determine whether the isolated pulmonary artery behaves similarly in
      response to hypoxia. Rat pulmonary arterial rings were placed in tissue baths (37
      degrees C, air-5% CO2, pH = 7.4) and attached to force transducers. Maximum
      contractile responses (Po) to high K+ were elicited. After washout, arterial
      rings were submaximally contracted and made hypoxic (PO2 = 33.7 +/- 1.3, pH =
      7.38 +/- 0.01). Aortic rings were used to obtain comparative data. The isolated
      pulmonary arterial hypoxic response was biphasic, displaying an initial rapid
      contraction of short duration (phase 1) then, before complete relaxation of this
      first response, a second slow but sustained contraction occurred (phase 2).
      Aortic rings did not exhibit a biphasic response, but showed only an initial
      short contraction followed by complete relaxation. The contractile response of
      the pulmonary artery was diminished when the endothelium was rendered
      nonfunctional. However, the phase 2 response was not endothelium dependent.
      Neither inhibitors of the lipoxygenase or cyclooxygenase pathways nor scavengers
      of extracellular reactive oxygen species had any effect on the biphasic hypoxic
      response. Pulmonary arterial hypoxic contractions were blunted when glucose was
      absent and appear to be dependent on glycolytic ATP. Results of this study show
      that hypoxia causes a biphasic contractile response of pulmonary arterial muscle
      and that two different mechanisms appear to be involved, since the transient
      phase 1 response is endothelium dependent, whereas the sustained contraction of
      phase 2 is endothelium independent.

PMID- 1872411
TI  - Ontogeny of ion transport across fetal pulmonary epithelial cells in monolayer
      culture.
AB  - The transition of the fetal lung from a fluid-secreting to a fluid-absorbing
      organ is dependent on ion transport across the pulmonary epithelium. This study
      examined the ion transport characteristics of distal pulmonary epithelial cells
      isolated from rat fetuses in late gestation and maintained in differentiation
      arrested monolayer cultures. The response to inhibitors of active ion transport
      suggested the presence of apical to basolateral Na+ transport in monolayers
      derived from each gestational age. However, amiloride inhibition of short-circuit
      current (Isc) varied with gestational age, decreasing Isc by 30% in monolayers
      derived from day 18 fetuses and by 55% in monolayers from day 21 fetuses. A
      portion (10%) of the residual Isc remaining after amiloride addition to
      monolayers from day 18 fetuses could be inhibited by bumetanide, suggesting the
      induction of net Cl- transport. Ion-substitution experiments confirmed the
      presence of Na+ and inducible Cl- transport mechanisms in monolayers from day 18
      fetuses and only Na+ transport mechanisms in monolayers from day 21 fetuses. beta
      Adrenergic stimulation increased Isc but maintained the age-dependent
      characteristics of Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent ion transport. In summary,
      monolayer cultures of fetal pulmonary epithelial cells exhibit age-dependent
      differences in ion transport properties that are consistent with a transition or
      maturation of the distal pulmonary epithelium from an epithelium capable of Na+
      absorption and Cl- secretion preterm to one capable of only Na+ absorption at
      term.

PMID- 1872412
TI  - Factors affecting distribution of alveolar surfactant during resting ventilation.
AB  - Few studies have been done to establish the ventilatory factors affecting
      alveolar surfactant under resting conditions. Experiments in which ventilatory
      variables were recorded for 4 h were performed in 12 adult cats breathing
      spontaneously under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. After the animals were
      killed and bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) were performed, the resulting fluid was
      subjected to differential centrifugation and determinations of proteins,
      phospholipids (PL), and disaturated phosphatidylcholine (DSPC). Pellet P1+2 was
      obtained by two centrifugations at 140 g; the supernatant was centrifuged at
      1,000 g to obtain pellet P3 and subsequently at 60,000 g to obtain P4. Pellets P3
      and P4 had the higher contents of PL and DSPC. Bivariate and multivariate
      correlational analyses indicate that 1) total PL in BAL was not related to any of
      the ventilatory variables studied, 2) PL in P3 and P4 fractions was directly
      correlated to the physiological range of variations in the frequency of large
      spontaneous gasps (fL), and 3) PL in P1+2 fraction was inversely related to fL.
      Cats subjected to bilateral section of carotid nerves, although presenting
      reduced chemosensory drive and ventilatory chemoreflexes, did not exhibit
      significant differences in resting ventilatory variables nor in alveolar
      surfactant components. Present results indicate that the total content of
      alveolar surfactant is not modified by ventilatory variations within
      physiological range but that the spontaneous occurrence of large gasps increases
      the proportion of more active forms of alveolar surfactant. This may mediate the
      role of augmented breaths in keeping lung compliance and preventing atelectasis
      under resting ventilatory conditions.

PMID- 1872413
TI  - Method for rapid evaluation of topically applied agents to cystic fibrosis
      airways.
AB  - The proposal is to target a single maxillary sinus for treatment with agents
      designed to reverse or ameliorate the cystic fibrosis (CF) defect in airway
      mucosa, with the opposite sinus serving as a control. Selected CF patients have
      undergone maxillary antrostomy and antibiotic lavage to help relieve severe
      pulmonary disease and chronically impacted and infected sinuses. After treatment,
      the mucosa in the maxillary sinuses of these patients are accessible and can be
      bathed with fluids introduced via the stomas with procedures that restrict the
      fluid to a single sinus. The ability of an agent to reverse mucosal pathology can
      therefore be determined easily with the mucosa of the contralateral sinus serving
      as a control. Electrophysiological properties, amounts and composition of fluid
      and mucus, immune functions, and bacterial colonization can be measured
      accurately and repeatedly. The consistent observation that sinus involvement in
      CF is near universal and bilaterally symmetric offers a unique opportunity for a
      simultaneous within-subject, double-blinded control paradigm. This approach
      should speed evaluation of any agent designed to improve airway mucosal function.

PMID- 1872414
TI  - Control of type I collagen formation in the lung.
AB  - Type I collagen is a major structural protein in the lung, the accumulation of
      which is stimulated during certain inflammatory reactions in the lung.
      Accumulating evidence suggests that type I collagen formation parallels changes
      in steady-state mRNA levels. Specific inflammatory substances modulate
      transcription of collagen genes and stabilization of collagen mRNA in vitro.
      However, the precise role for any particular mediator during fibrotic processes
      is difficult to identify because of the complex nature of the inflammatory
      reaction and potential interaction among mediators. The signal transduction
      mechanisms that regulate collagen accumulation remain to be defined. This review
      focuses on the regulation of collagen accumulation in the lung by specific
      inflammatory substances.

PMID- 1872416
TI  - Mechanism underlying ozone-induced in vitro hyperresponsiveness in canine
      bronchi.
AB  - The effects of ozone inhalation on the contractility of canine bronchi and the
      mechanisms underlying any changes observed were investigated. Ozone inhalation
      caused acetylcholine airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo. Isolated segments of
      bronchi (3rd to 5th order) from dogs previously exposed to ozone (or normal air)
      were mounted in organ baths. Contractile responses to electrical field
      stimulation (FS) in all tissues decreased in magnitude over time (measured at 10,
      120, 210, and 300 min after mounting tissues in the organ baths); responses to
      150 mM KCl did not show such a progressive decrease. Ozone inhalation produced a
      dramatic enhancement of FS responses, a smaller enhancement of responses to
      carbachol (10(-8)-10(-4) M), and no change in responses to KCl (150 mM). In the
      presence of 10(-5) M indomethacin, all responses were enhanced and tended to
      increase in magnitude over time; indomethacin also abolished the differences in
      responsiveness between the control and ozone-exposed tissues. In the presence of
      the thromboxane receptor antagonist L-670,596 (10(-8) M), the magnitudes of all
      FS responses showed a progressive decrease over time while KCl responses did not;
      again, the differences in FS responses between control and ozone-exposed tissues
      were decreased or made insignificant. In conclusion, ozone produced airway
      hyperresponsiveness in vivo and hyperresponsiveness in canine bronchi in vitro
      via decreased prejunctional and postjunctional inhibition (likely mediated by
      prostaglandin E2) and increased prejunctional excitation mediated by thromboxane
      A2. However, direct measurements of mediator release should be carried out to
      reach a firm conclusion.

PMID- 1872415
TI  - Cigarette smoking induces an elastolytic cysteine proteinase in macrophages
      distinct from cathepsin L.
AB  - Degradation of the interstitium of the lung by elastolytic enzymes is thought to
      be a critical component of the pathogenesis of emphysema. Alveolar macrophages
      are increased in numbers in cigarette smokers and contain the elastolytic
      cysteine proteinase cathepsin L. We sought to determine if cigarette smoking
      induces a change in cathepsin L levels in alveolar macrophages which would, in
      turn, alter the expression of elastolytic activity. Lysates of smokers'
      macrophages, assayed at pH 5.50, degraded more than seven times as much
      [3H]elastin as did lysates from nonsmokers' macrophages (44 +/- 20.8 vs. 6 +/-
      1.6 micrograms.10(6) cells-1.24 h-1). Little or no activity was demonstrable at
      neutral pH. Immunoblots of macrophage lysates demonstrated that smokers' cells
      contain 3.7 +/- 1.1 times as much 25-kDa cathepsin L antigen as nonsmokers'
      cells. However, as judged by active site labeling, levels of active cathepsin L
      in smokers and nonsmokers are indistinguishable, suggesting that most of the 25
      kDa antigen found in smokers' macrophages is inactive. Inhibitors of cathepsin L
      had little effect on lysate elastolytic activity, confirming that an enzyme other
      than cathepsin L is responsible for the increased elastolytic activity seen in
      smokers' macrophages. Further experiments demonstrated that this second enzyme(s)
      has a profile of inhibition indicating that it is a cysteine proteinase with
      optimal activity at pH 5.50. It is this second elastolytic cysteine proteinase(s)
      that is induced by exposure to cigarette smoke and is responsible for the
      sevenfold increase in elastolytic activity found in smokers' macrophage lysates.

PMID- 1872417
TI  - Expression of SV40 T antigen under control of rabbit uteroglobin promoter in
      transgenic mice.
AB  - The rabbit uteroglobin gene is expressed in the lungs and reproductive tracts of
      male and female rabbits. To examine whether the promoter region of the
      uteroglobin gene could be used to target a heterologous gene to the lungs of
      transgenic mice, a fusion gene consisting of 3.3 kb of the 5'-flanking region of
      the rabbit uteroglobin gene and the large T antigen gene of the SV40 virus was
      constructed and microinjected into the pronuclei of one-cell mouse embryos.
      Eleven founder transgenic mice (5 female and 6 male) were generated. Seven of
      these mice developed bronchioalveolar neoplasms. Four of the founder males also
      developed primitive undifferentiated urogenital tract tumors. One founder female
      and one female offspring of a founder male developed glandular paraovarian
      tumors. Northern analysis revealed that the predominant site of expression of the
      transgene was the lung. Immunohistochemical staining showed T antigen
      predominantly in epithelial cells lining the bronchioles, the submucosal glands
      of the trachea, and the neoplasms. There appeared to be a high level of mosaicism
      for the transgene in the founder mice, with poor transmission of the transgene to
      subsequent generations. This suggests that, under the control of the uteroglobin
      promoter, the T antigen gene may be lethal to the fetus.

PMID- 1872418
TI  - Structural and functional changes of surfactant protein A induced by ozone.
AB  - The major surfactant protein SP-A is thought to play an important role in the
      regulation of the structure and the metabolism of pulmonary surfactant. We
      investigated whether this protein may be a target in ozone toxicity. Several
      properties were studied that are probably relevant to the physiological functions
      of SP-A. In vitro exposure of human and canine SP-A to ozone led to decreases in
      1) self-association of SP-A, 2) SP-A-mediated lipid aggregation, and 3) binding
      of SP-A to immobilized mannose. SP-A was neither degraded nor cross-linked by
      ozone exposure. Exposure of canine SP-A to ozone led to an increase in the
      apparent molecular weight of monomeric SP-A. Human SP-A did not show this change.
      Oxidation of methionine and tryptophan residues in canine SP-A was detected
      following ozone exposure. Reactions of ozone with other amino acid residues were
      not observed. The impairments of structure and properties of SP-A may contribute
      to the toxic action of ozone in the lungs.

PMID- 1872419
TI  - Hydrogen peroxide production by alveolar type II cells, alveolar macrophages, and
      endothelial cells.
AB  - Extracellular H2O2 release and intracellular H2O2 production were determined in
      rat lung alveolar macrophages, rat alveolar type II cells, and cultured bovine
      aortic endothelial cells. Isolated macrophages (5 h ex vivo) released 3.1 +/-
      0.09 nmol H2O2.min-1.mg cell protein-1, freshly isolated (5 h ex vivo) type II
      cells released 0.7 +/- 0.07 nmol H2O2.min-1.mg protein-1, and cultured
      endothelial cells released 0.06 +/- 0.005 nmol H2O2.min-1.mg protein-1. The rate
      of extracellular H2O2 release decreased rapidly over time in both fresh
      macrophages and freshly isolated type II cells. When the measurements were
      repeated at different times ex vivo, the decrease was greater than 20%/h, and
      H2O2 release was almost undetectable 12 h ex vivo. The decrease occurred while
      lactate dehydrogenase release, catalase activity, and intracellular H2O2
      production remained unchanged. Catalase activity was 59.3 +/- 4.9 nmol O2
      produced.min-1.mg protein-1 in type II cells, 13.2 +/- 1.8 in macrophages, and
      11.4 +/- 2.7 in endothelial cells. Aminotriazole is a compound that inhibits
      catalase in the presence of H2O2 at a rate that is proportional to the rate of
      intracellular H2O2 production in or near peroxisomes. Incubation of the cells
      with aminotriazole led to a rapid inhibition of catalase. In 15 min the reduction
      of catalase activity was 69% in type II cells, 53% in macrophages, and 37% in
      endothelial cells. When freshly isolated type II cells were exposed to hyperoxia
      (95% O2) for 30 min, no changes in the rate of either intracellular H2O2
      production or extracellular H2O2 release were seen.

PMID- 1872420
TI  - Composition changes in human tracheal cartilage in growth and aging, including
      changes in proteoglycan structure.
AB  - High-buoyant-density proteoglycans were extracted and purified from tracheal
      cartilage obtained from nine individuals aged 1-58 yr. Cartilage from young
      individuals contained one major species of extractable aggregating proteoglycan
      and very little link protein. Link protein concentration relative to proteoglycan
      was observed to increase during the first 14 years of life, consistent with the
      increased formation of proteoglycan aggregates that are stabilized by link
      protein, as the process of tracheal cartilage growth and airway lumen widening
      ends. With increasing age after maturity, two further populations of
      proteoglycans became more abundant; these were characterized by higher mobility
      in composite agarose-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The ability of the
      proteoglycans to associate with hyaluronan decreased with increasing age,
      although members of each of the three proteoglycan species contained functional
      hyaluronan-binding domains. Link proteins showed evidence of increasing
      proteolysis with age. Hydroxyproline content of the cartilage decreased with age;
      total tissue glycosaminoglycan and water contents showed no significant changes.
      Altered proteoglycan charge density, proteoglycan size, and aggregation
      properties, as well as changes in distribution of proteoglycans, may contribute
      to the changes in cartilage biomechanics that are associated with age-dependent
      changes in human lung function.

PMID- 1872421
TI  - The anaesthetic management of congenital tracheal stenosis.
AB  - Congenital tracheal stenosis is a rare and potentially lethal condition. Two case
      reports are presented which demonstrate the problems encountered in the
      anaesthetic management of this condition.

PMID- 1872422
TI  - Acute mercury poisoning.
AB  - A case of deliberate self poisoning with approximately 7 g mercuric chloride (the
      lethal dose is about 1 g) is described. The patient died after 6 days despite the
      use of chelating agents, plasma exchange and intensive supportive therapy. The
      management of acute mercury toxicity is discussed.

PMID- 1872423
TI  - Williams syndrome: masseter spasm during anaesthesia.
AB  - A 4-year-old boy with Williams syndrome developed masseter spasm after halothane
      and suxamethonium. He did not develop malignant hyperthermia; the surgery was
      accomplished with a nontriggering anaesthetic and no further problems.

PMID- 1872424
TI  - Epidural blood patch for treatment of subarachnoid fistula in children.
AB  - A subarachnoid-cutaneous fistula developed in two children after the placement of
      a catheter in the subarachnoid space for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid. The
      management of this iatrogenic complication with epidural blood patch is
      described.

PMID- 1872425
TI  - Acute airway obstruction, hypertension and kyphoscoliosis.
AB  - An elderly woman developed acute respiratory obstruction after choking on a bolus
      of food. On rigid bronchoscopy no foreign body, or anatomical obstruction was
      seen, but airway obstruction recurred during emergence from general anaesthesia,
      and was thought to be functional in nature. A recurring airway obstruction
      followed, relieved by induction of anaesthesia and by sedation. This was
      subsequently demonstrated to be caused by a tortuous aorta which impinged
      intermittently on the anterior tracheal wall, as a result of kyphoscoliosis of
      the thoracic spine. We attribute the relief of airway obstruction by general
      anaesthesia to a reduction in arterial blood pressure.

PMID- 1872426
TI  - Accidental injection of ether into the epidural space.
AB  - Five ml diethyl ether was accidentally injected into the epidural space via an
      epidural catheter at the end of a Caesarean section. Immediately the patient felt
      a hot and burning pain in her legs that led to paraparesis, with a sensory level
      to T8. The patient showed bilateral recovery of both motor and sensory functions
      4 hours after the accident.

PMID- 1872427
TI  - Anaesthesia for Proteus syndrome.
AB  - A 14-year-old boy with Proteus syndrome presented for orthopaedic surgery to his
      legs. No report in the literature exists on anaesthesia for this condition. Our
      patients posed airway problems that were managed by tracheal intubation under
      sedation using a fibreoptic bronchoscope. Anaesthesia was induced with
      thiopentone and maintained with nitrous oxide and isoflurane in oxygen. His lungs
      were ventilated mechanically throughout surgery, which was uneventful.

PMID- 1872428
TI  - Oxygen delivery systems--a comparison of two devices.
AB  - Two low-volume, variable performance oxygen delivery systems were compared in
      conscious spontaneously breathing volunteers. Oropharyngeal oxygen concentrations
      were measured during periods of nose and mouth breathing. The systems were
      studied at oxygen flow rates of 2 or 4 litres/minute. The performance of both
      systems was similar under the test conditions but the nasal catheter is
      preferable in terms of cost.

PMID- 1872429
TI  - Postoperative analgesia after triple nerve block for fractured neck of femur.
AB  - Fifty patients with fractured neck of femur that required surgical correction
      with either a compression screw or pin and plate device were randomly allocated
      to receive one of two anaesthetic techniques, general anaesthesia combined with
      either opioid supplementation or triple nerve block (three in one block) with
      subcostal nerve block. The nerve blocks significantly reduced the quantity of
      opioid administered after operation; 48% of these patients required no additional
      analgesia in the first 24 hours. Plasma prilocaine levels in these patients were
      well below the toxic threshold, and peak absorption occurred 20 minutes after the
      injection. No untoward sequelae were associated with the nerve blocks.

PMID- 1872430
TI  - Rhabdomyolysis and operating position.
AB  - Rhabdomyolysis during routine surgery was studied in three groups of patients who
      had surgery, with limited trauma to muscle, in the lateral and supine positions,
      and prone on the spinal frame. A range of blood tests was performed (before
      surgery, and on the first, third and seventh day after operation). These showed
      that a creatine kinase increase in the 24 hours and the early appearance of
      myoglobin in the serum were the best indicators. Rhabdomyolysis was associated
      with the lateral position and long lasting surgery. No blood test before surgery
      was of any predictive value.

PMID- 1872431
TI  - A district-wide anaesthetic audit.
AB  - A district-wide anaesthetic audit has been implemented by the Derby anaesthetic
      department. Data for every anaesthetic are collected on a specially designed
      audit form which is read into a computerised database using an optical mark
      reader. The implementation of the audit, problems encountered and some benefits
      realised are described.

PMID- 1872432
TI  - Anaesthesia for cataract surgery--time for change.

PMID- 1872433
TI  - A critical incident with the Ohmeda Excel 410 machine.

PMID- 1872434
TI  - Atropine or glycopyrronium?--a dangerous dilemma.

PMID- 1872435
TI  - Anaesthetists and trauma.

PMID- 1872436
TI  - A level vaporizer.

PMID- 1872437
TI  - Hazard with a Boyle vaporizer.

PMID- 1872438
TI  - Fixation of tracheal tubes.

PMID- 1872440
TI  - Incorrectly filled cylinders.

PMID- 1872439
TI  - Labelling on oxygen analysers.

PMID- 1872441
TI  - Potential hazard of central venous cannulation.

PMID- 1872442
TI  - Intravenous propofol anaesthesia using a computerised infusion system.

PMID- 1872443
TI  - Awareness during caesarean section.

PMID- 1872444
TI  - The Engstrom Elsa anaesthetic machine.

PMID- 1872445
TI  - Scavenging in the operating theatre.

PMID- 1872446
TI  - Defective spinal needle.

PMID- 1872447
TI  - Diagnostic fibreoptic bronchoscopy using the laryngeal mask.

PMID- 1872448
TI  - Amorous behaviour and sexual fantasy after anaesthesia or sedation.

PMID- 1872449
TI  - Elohes administration following an anaphylactoid reaction to Haemaccel.

PMID- 1872450
TI  - Epidural analgesia and hypotension.

PMID- 1872451
TI  - Use of the laryngeal mask airway in primary care.

PMID- 1872452
TI  - Visual disturbances after transurethral resection of the prostate.

PMID- 1872453
TI  - 'Bow-ties' in ITU.

PMID- 1872454
TI  - Foreign body in a laryngeal mask airway.

PMID- 1872455
TI  - The future development of chronic pain relief.

PMID- 1872456
TI  - Intra-operative patient-controlled sedation.
AB  - Patient-controlled sedation using propofol is described in 23 ASA 1 patients
      undergoing surgical extraction of third molars. Cardiovascular and respiratory
      stability was maintained and sedation was no deeper than full eyelid closure with
      prompt response to verbal command. Amnesia for the extractions was common (70%),
      but there was no significant amnesia for recovery room events. Intra-operative
      patient cooperation was good, postoperative patient satisfaction high and all
      patients stated they liked the self-administration and would use the same
      technique again. Propofol dose was correlated with both procedure length (r =
      0.587; p = 0.003) and surgical difficulty (rs = 0.550; p = 0.010).

PMID- 1872457
TI  - Incremental spinal anaesthesia using a 32-gauge catheter.
AB  - Incremental spinal anaesthesia using a 32-gauge intrathecal catheter was studied
      in 13 males scheduled for transurethral resection of the prostate or repair of
      inguinal hernia. The spinal technique failed in four patients. Dose-response
      curves were obtained in the remaining nine patients using increments of 0.5%
      plain bupivacaine. The spinal block was extended safely and reliably without
      cardiovascular instability. No patient had any postoperative headache and all
      catheters were removed intact.

PMID- 1872458
TI  - Evaluation of local anaesthetic blockade of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.
AB  - An assessment of local anaesthetic blockade of the lateral femoral cutaneous
      nerve using a standard technique was made. The rate of successful blockade was
      high, but the area of sensory loss was inconsistent between patients and was more
      anterior and distal than described in textbooks of anatomy.

PMID- 1872459
TI  - Depth of extradural space and dural puncture.
AB  - The records of 3011 obstetric extradural blocks were examined to determine the
      depth of the extradural space and the relative risk of dural puncture. The
      overall incidence of dural puncture was 0.7%. A disproportionate number of
      punctures occurred when the space was superficial (1.45%), with a risk factor
      three times greater than that associated with normal depth spaces (0.48%).
      Caution is advised when infiltrating with local anaesthetics before extradural
      procedures, and when initially introducing the extradural needle.

PMID- 1872460
TI  - Echocardiographic assessment of the haemodynamic effects of propofol: a
      comparison with etomidate and thiopentone.
AB  - The haemodynamic effects of propofol (2 mg/kg), etomidate (0.2 mg/kg) and
      thiopentone (4 mg/kg) were studied in 30 ASA 1 and 2 patients in whom anaesthesia
      had been induced with midazolam 0.1 mg/kg, fentanyl 5 micrograms/kg, vecuronium
      0.1 mg/kg and atropine 10 micrograms/kg, and maintained with nitrous oxide in
      oxygen. Arterial pressure was measured directly and left ventricular diameters
      were determined by transoesophageal echocardiography. Systolic blood pressure
      after propofol and thiopentone and the end-systolic quotient (systolic
      pressure/end-systolic diameter), a measure of inotropy, decreased. Fractional
      shortening (end-diastolic-end-systolic diameter/end-diastolic diameter) decreased
      only in the thiopentone group. Diastolic blood pressure and end-diastolic
      diameter (a measure of preload) did not change in any of the groups, and the
      etomidate group showed no changes in the haemodynamic variables measured.
      Propofol shows simultaneous negative inotropy and afterload reduction, while
      thiopentone is exclusively negatively inotropic.

PMID- 1872461
TI  - Venous and aortic porcine endothelial cells cultured under standardized
      conditions synthesize heparan sulfate chains which differ in charge.
AB  - The identification of a specific required carbohydrate structure for the
      antithrombin III binding site on heparin suggests that there may be specific
      structures in glycosaminoglycan chains which are necessary for other vascular
      functions of these carbohydrates. Determining that such differences exist
      requires a mechanism to isolate heparan sulfates from endothelial cells of
      specific vascular beds. The present report indicates that cultured venous and
      aortic endothelial cells synthesize heparan sulfate chains differing in charge
      density. There are two important conclusions from this work. (i) Endothelial
      cells from different blood vessels (i.e., vena cava and thoracic aorta)
      synthesize heparan sulfates which differ in negative charge and sulfation
      pattern. Specifically, aortic endothelial heparan sulfates have a higher negative
      charge than venous heparan sulfates. Differences are also observed in the nitrous
      acid degradation products of the heparan sulfates. (ii) Endothelial cells in
      culture retain the ability to synthesize different heparan sulfates in vitro
      after months of subculture under defined conditions. These results indicate that
      it is feasible to characterize heparan sulfates using cultured endothelial cells
      from a variety of vascular beds.

PMID- 1872462
TI  - A microprocessor-regulated constant voltage, current, wattage, and temperature
      electrophoresis power supply.
AB  - The analog control circuitry typically found in commercial electrophoresis power
      supplies was replaced by a digital microcomputer. Analog to digital converters
      were used to monitor the voltage applied to and current passed through an
      electrophoresis cell. Microcomputer programming was employed to compare converter
      input values with preselected operating parameters and then calculate a required
      output voltage. Timing sequences were generated through programming utilizing
      clocks located on the interface boards. A digital to analog converter was
      employed to apply a control voltage to a constant voltage power supply. This
      process was completed at least 20 times each second. BASIC programming
      subroutines were written to maintain constant voltage, current, power (wattage),
      and temperature. To these operating procedures, other techniques such as
      automated endpoint detection of isoelectric focusing and pulsed waveform outputs
      were easily added. This power supply containing a microcomputer system as the
      feedback element was shown to have a greater stability and versatility than
      conventional supplies.

PMID- 1872463
TI  - Mass spectrometric signature of S-prenylated cysteine peptides.
AB  - The fast atom bombardment mass spectra of peptides containing S-prenylated
      cysteine display signature fragmentations characteristic of this modified amino
      acid. The fragmentation is independent of the nature of the cysteine carbonyl
      substituent, easily differentiates prenyl from nonprenyl alkylation, and readily
      identifies the oligomer count of the prenyl. This screening method, which
      requires little time, effort, or material (compared with previous analysis
      methods based on chemical degradation), greatly facilitates the identification of
      these prenylated proteins.

PMID- 1872464
TI  - Proteosynthetic activity of immobilized Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease:
      application in the semisynthesis of molecular variants of alpha-globin.
AB  - The proteosynthetic activity of Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease (endoproteinase
      Glu-C) immobilized onto cross-linked agarose beads by reductive alkylation
      procedure has been investigated. The overall substrate specificity of the enzyme,
      as judged by peptide mapping of performic acid oxidized RNase A, as well as the
      high propensity of the protease to slice selectively the alpha-chain of
      hemoglobin (Hb) A at the Glu(30)-Arg(31) peptide bond at pH 4.0 and 37 degrees C
      was essentially unperturbed by the immobilization process. This high
      susceptibility of Glu(30) of the alpha-chain for proteolysis appears to be a
      consequence of the conformational aspects of the polypeptide in this region. The
      proteolysis of two mutant forms of alpha-chain, namely, those of Hb I (K16E) and
      Hb Sealy (D47H) by immobilized V8 protease at the Glu(30)-Arg(31) peptide bond
      proceeds with the same selectivity. The immobilized protease also retained the
      proteosynthetic activity, i.e., the ability to ligate the unprotected alpha
      globin fragments at the Glu(30)-Arg(31) peptide bond in the presence of 30% 1
      propanol. The use of the insoluble enzyme simplifies the procedures for the
      construction of new semisynthetic, molecular variants of alpha-globin. The
      general applicability of the immobilized enzyme for protein semisynthesis has
      been demonstrated by the construction of a doubly mutated alpha-globin. The
      complementary fragments from two natural mutant forms of alpha-globin, viz.,
      alpha 1-30 (K16E) from Hb I and alpha 31-141 (D47H) from Hb Sealy, are readily
      ligated to form the double mutant alpha 1-141 (K16E;D47H).

PMID- 1872465
TI  - Peptide mapping in sodium dodecyl sulfate-containing buffers: control of
      proteolytic cleavage by organic solvent.
AB  - Dimethylformamide (DMF) was found to enhance proteolysis in sodium dodecyl
      sulfate (SDS)-containing buffers. This effect was seen with both denatured and
      reduced proteins, which are insoluble in the absence of SDS, and with native
      proteins. The use of DMF and SDS to control proteolysis and solubility of
      proteins will be useful in amino acid sequence studies.

PMID- 1872466
TI  - [1-14C]oleate-labeled autoclaved yeast: a membranous substrate for measuring
      phospholipase A2 activity in vitro.
AB  - Radiolabeled, autoclaved yeast were tested as a substrate for mammalian
      phospholipase A2 activity because the only other membranous substrate used for
      this purpose, autoclaved Escherichia coli, totally lacks a major mammalian
      phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine. Candida albicans were grown in the presence of
      [1-14C]oleate and then autoclaved. Sixty three percent of the incorporated label
      was in yeast phospholipid, and more than 95% of that was in the 2-acyl position.
      The distribution of label in the yeast phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine and 
      ethanolamine, -serine + -inositol, and phosphatidic acid corresponded closely to
      the chemical distribution of phosphorus in those phospholipids. Snake venom (Naja
      naja) and human synovial fluid phospholipase A2 hydrolyzed yeast phospholipid
      exclusively to release 14C-labeled fatty acid. When 50-60% of the yeast
      phospholipid was hydrolyzed, the radioactive fatty acids as determined by gas
      liquid chromatographic analysis were predominantly oleate (45%) and linoleate
      (greater than 54%). Hydrolysis of yeast phospholipid by both enzymes was near
      linear with protein and time under conditions of optimal pH (neutral-alkaline)
      and Ca2- (1-5 mM) previously reported for optimal hydrolysis of autoclaved E.
      coli phospholipid. N. naja phospholipase A2 showed less preference for
      phosphatidylethanolamine than -choline as liposomes or yeast phospholipid as
      compared to human synovial fluid phospholipase A2 which clearly preferred
      phosphatidylethanolamine to -choline as a liposome or yeast phospholipid. These
      results illustrate that radiolabeled phospholipids of autoclaved yeast, enriched
      in phosphatidylcholine, are readily hydrolyzed by snake venom and human
      nonpancreatic phospholipases A2 and may, therefore, be useful in the measurement
      of in vitro enzymatic activity.

PMID- 1872467
TI  - A method for mini-immunoblots that allows screening of large numbers of samples.
AB  - A method that allows the use of immunoblots as a screening test for large numbers
      of samples is described. Preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis is run to a separation distance of 2 cm and the samples are
      blotted onto nitrocellulose. One-millimeter-wide strips are cut and immobilized
      on double-sided tape. Adjacent strips are separated by plastic rods. After
      incubation with the first antibody, whole slides are processed together as in
      histology. The method has been successfully applied to the primary screening of
      hybridoma supernatants and is generally applicable in situations where large
      numbers of samples must be tested in a short time.

PMID- 1872468
TI  - A colorimetric assay for a pyridoxal phosphate-dependent beta-replacement
      reaction with L-cysteine: application to studies of wild-type and mutant
      tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2 complexes.
AB  - We present an improved and simple direct assay for formation of inorganic sulfide
      from L-cysteine in a beta-replacement reaction catalyzed by tryptophan synthase.
      This method provides a useful enzymatic assay for pyridoxal phosphate-dependent
      beta-replacement reactions in which the amino acid substrate is L-cysteine and
      the cosubstrate is 2-mercaptoethanol. The assay should be applicable to similar
      reactions with L-cysteine and other cosubstrates. The method has several
      advantages over other methods which have been used to assay similar beta
      replacement reactions. The assay is highly reproducible and sensitive and is
      conveniently carried out in disposable 1.5-ml centrifuge tubes. The color remains
      stable for several hours. The thiol compounds L-cysteine and 2-mercaptoethanol do
      not interfere at the concentrations used. The method has useful applications to
      studies of the rates and reaction specificities of several other pyridoxal
      phosphate enzymes which catalyze beta-replacement reactions. We demonstrate the
      use of the method to study the effects of site-directed mutagenesis on the
      reaction specificity and mechanism of the tryptophan synthase alpha 2 beta 2
      complex.

PMID- 1872469
TI  - Iodometric measurement of lipid hydroperoxides in human plasma.
AB  - Many assay techniques have been used to measure lipid hydroperoxides in plasma,
      including absorbance of conjugated dienes and reactivity with thiobarbituric
      acid. Because these measurements are not specific for lipid hydroperoxides, we
      modified an exisiting iodometric method to correct for interfering phenomena and
      to provide a more specific measurement of the lipid hydroperoxide content of
      plasma. To ensure reproducible extraction of hydroperoxides from the many
      possible forms in plasma, the plasma was treated to hydrolyze enzymatically
      cholesterol ester, triglycerides, and phospholipids, and the nonesterified fatty
      acid peroxides were then extracted with ethyl acetate. Extracted lipids were
      reacted with potassium iodide in acetic acid and methylene chloride, and the
      resulting triiodide ion (I3-) was measured spectrophotometrically. Correction for
      nonoxidizing chromophores was made after back-titration of the triiodide ion to
      iodide with sodium thiosulfate and other non-peroxide oxidants were estimated by
      their resistance to reduction with glutathione peroxidase. Recovery of added
      hydroperoxide standards provided routine validations of the procedure's
      efficiency. The method indicated that insignificant amounts of hydroperoxide may
      be in the less polar lipids, but the total amount of lipid hydroperoxide
      esterfied in the plasma lipids of apparently healthy humans may be as much as 4.0
      +/- 1.7 microM.

PMID- 1872470
TI  - Characterization of N-linked glycans by supercritical fluid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - N-Linked glycans have been characterized by supercritical fluid chromatography
      (SFC) and SFC-MS using positive- and negative-ion chemical ionization. Four
      common oligosaccharide derivatives have been prepared and their chromatographic
      properties assessed on three SFC columns of varying polarity. Carbon dioxide has
      been used as the SFC mobile phase, with ammonia or CO2 added to the ion source
      for positive- and negative-ion chemical ionization, respectively. Direct SFC-MS
      interfacing allows the analytical manipulations of single-ion monitoring, total
      ion plots, background subtraction, library searches, and spectral reconstruction
      algorithms. Positive ammonia chemical ionization yields abundant molecular-weight
      information, (MH)+, and (MNH4)+ with little or no fragmentation. To capitalize on
      sensitivity, samples were prepared with the pentafluorobenzyl aminobenzoate
      reagent, acetylated, and analyzed by SFC-NICI-MS. This modification improves
      column efficiency and resolution and greatly enhances detecting sensitivity.
      These "soft" ionization conditions provide abundant molecular-weight-related
      anions for collision-induced dissociation and subpicogram detection.

PMID- 1872471
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatography assay for 3 beta-hydroxy-delta 5-C27
      steroid oxidoreductase activity in rat liver microsomes.
AB  - A quantitative HPLC method has been developed for measuring 3 beta-hydroxy-delta
      5-C27-steroid oxidoreductase activity in rat liver microsomes. Apparent Km values
      of 23 and 27 microM were estimated for 5-cholestene-3 beta,7 alpha-diol and NAD+,
      respectively. A temperature optimum of 45 degrees C was estimated using standard
      assay conditions. It was observed that feeding cholesterol (2%) or cholestyramine
      (5%) to rats increased (twofold) specific activity. This method should prove
      useful in studies of the regulation of bile acid synthesis and complement the
      HPLC assay technique recently developed for measuring cholesterol 7 alpha
      hydroxylase activity.

PMID- 1872472
TI  - Evaluation of assays for detecting alpha-1-protease inhibitor during purification
      from rat serum.
AB  - We purified the R1 alpha-1-protease inhibitor from rat serum and developed a
      convenient assay for its detection during purification procedures. Purification
      was accomplished by desalting, DEAE-Sephacel, zinc chelate, and reactive green
      agarose columns. The resultant antiprotease had a molecular weight of 54,000 and
      inhibited elastase, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. By isoelectric focusing, five
      bands were produced with pI values from 4.3 to 4.7. Functional assays utilizing
      protease substrates imbedded in agarose plates were evaluated for the ability to
      distinguish the R1 alpha-1-protease inhibitor from the other serum antiproteases
      eluted in column chromatography fractions. This technique of screening for anti
      protease activity was compared to conventional spectrophotometric methods and was
      found to correlate well when quantifying inhibition of elastase and chymotrypsin,
      but not trypsin. The presence of alpha-1-protease inhibitor was most reliably
      detected by testing for anti-elastase activity. Technician time and expense were
      saved by employing protease substrate plates to test chromatogrpahy fractions.
      This technique may facilitate purification of other protease inhibitors.

PMID- 1872473
TI  - Assay of HIV-1 proteinase: a colorimetric method using small peptide substrates.
AB  - A colorimetric assay for HIV proteinase using small protected peptide substrates
      is described. Substrates are cleaved to release N-terminal prolyl peptides which
      react with isatin to form a blue product which is measured
      spectrophotometrically. The assay is suitable for use with pure enzyme or crude
      extracts derived from genetically engineered Escherichia coli.

PMID- 1872474
TI  - Radiochemical assay of adenylosuccinase: demonstration of parallel loss of
      activity toward both adenylosuccinate and succinylaminoimidazole carboxamide
      ribotide in liver of patients with the enzyme defect.
AB  - A radiochemical assay for adenylosuccinase, an enzyme which intervenes twice in
      the biosynthesis of adenine nucleotides, has been developed. The two substrates
      of the enzyme, succinylaminoimidazole carboxamide ribotide (SAICAR) and
      adenylosuccinate (S-AMP), were synthesized in radioactive form by incubating [2,3
      14C]fumarate and, respectively, AICAR and AMP with partially purified
      adenylosuccinase from yeast. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring the
      release of labeled fumarate after its separation from the substrate by
      chromatography on polyethyleneimine thin-layer plates. The ratio of the activity
      of adenylosuccinase measured with SAICAR compared to that with S-AMP was about 1
      in crude extracts of rat liver and muscle and around 0.5 in human liver. In rat
      and human liver, but not in rat muscle, 20 to 40% of both activities of
      adenylosuccinase were lost after freezing at -80 degrees C followed by thawing.
      In the liver of patients with adenylosuccinase deficiency, in whom the deficiency
      had hitherto been measured only with S-AMP, the activity of the enzyme toward S
      AMP and SAICAR was found to be lost in parallel. This is in accordance with the
      finding that both SAICA-riboside and succinyladenosine accumulate in
      adenylosuccinase-deficient patients.

PMID- 1872475
TI  - On-sequencer pyridylethylation of cysteine residues after protection of amino
      groups by reaction with phenylisothiocyanate.
AB  - Cysteine residues in polypeptides are not easily identified during automated N
      terminal sequence analysis. Reaction of cysteine side chains with 4-vinylpyridine
      and identification as the pyridylethylated phenylthiohydantion derivative (PE-PTH
      Cys) were proposed. However, after this reaction a desalting step is necessary.
      If limited sample amounts do not allow this desalting step, on-sequencer
      pyridylethylation is an alternative, although preview of the consecutive amino
      acid is usually observed in this case. We describe an on-sequencer procedure that
      avoids such preview formation by derivatizing the peptide with
      phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) prior to reaction with 4-vinylpyridine. The
      pyridylethylation is performed in the cartridge of the sequencer after
      immobilization of the protein or peptide on a polybrene-coated glass fiber filter
      and thiocarbamylation with PITC. Preview caused by N-alkylation is not observed
      and PE-PTH-Cys is detected in much higher yields than usual. The procedure
      reported here is significantly shortened, optimized to reduce side products, and
      avoids losses during sample handling. It can easily be adapted to any automated
      version of the sequencers.

PMID- 1872476
TI  - Radiolabeling of the hydrophobic components of lung surfactant with 3
      (trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine.
AB  - Studies of the metabolism and distribution of lung surfactant are aided by use of
      radiolabeled surfactant or surfactant components. These studies have often made
      use of [3H]- or [14C]phosphatidylcholine. Analysis of the lung content of
      surfactant containing these beta-emitting labels usually requires tissue
      digestion, use of scintillation fluids, and significant correction for quenching
      of photon production. Because use of a gamma-emitting isotope would obviate these
      requirements, we have investigated the use of 3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m
      [125I]iodophenyl)diazirine ([125I]TID), a lipophilic photoactivatable compound,
      to radiolabel pulmonary surfactant. Our results indicate that, during
      photoactivation, products of [125I]TID are produced that result in radiolabeling
      of both the lipid and protein components of extracted porcine surfactant.
      Separation of radiolabeled surfactant from hydrophobic nonlabelling photolysis
      products was accomplished by gel chromatography. Exposure of surfactant (34
      mumol/ml) to [125I]TID under labeling conditions resulted in incorporation of
      45.3 +/- 5.1% of the radiolabel. Incorporation of radiolabel in the various
      phospholipids of lung surfactant was approximately equivalent. Lipophilic
      surfactant apoproteins were also radiolabeled. Finally, both in vitro and in vivo
      testing of radiolabeled surfactant (0.1 microCi/mg) revealed full retention of
      surface tension lowering ability.

PMID- 1872477
TI  - Direct determination of phospholipid structures in microorganisms by fast atom
      bombardment triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.
AB  - When phospholipids ionized by fast atom bombardment undergo collisionally induced
      dissociation (CID), they cleave at specific bonds between the functional groups
      contained on the lipid. These cleavages are common to all classes of
      phospholipids. By taking advantage of this fact, a general scheme has been
      developed that uses a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer to rapidly characterize
      the phospholipid content and structures present in crude lipid extracts. This
      scheme is based on fast atom bombardment ionization of a crude lipid extract and
      on the combination of positive-ion neutral-loss and parent scans and negative-ion
      daughter scans. Neutral-loss and parent scans provide independent diagnostic mass
      spectra for each of many specific phospholipid classes, while daughter scans
      provide the emperical formulas and positions of the fatty acyl constituents on
      each phospholipid. An automated tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) instrument can
      perform an extensive phospholipid screening on a single sample. A useful mass
      profile of the phosphatidylethanolamine species present in a 1-pg sample of mixed
      phospholipids (equivalent to ten Escherichia coli cells) has been obtained. The
      spectra are reproducible and proportional to concentration over at least the five
      logarithm range of cell concentrations studied. A rapid extraction procedure
      combined with the automated instrument control program produces profiles of the
      phospholipid classes, along with fatty acyl empirical formulas and position
      information, on selected phospholipid species, in a few minutes, from a single
      sample.

PMID- 1872478
TI  - Scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy in the characterization
      of activated graphite electrodes.

PMID- 1872479
TI  - Electronic noses.

PMID- 1872480
TI  - Clinical chemistry.

PMID- 1872481
TI  - Water analysis.

PMID- 1872482
TI  - 1991-1992 Labguide. Scientific instruments, products, & services.

PMID- 1872483
TI  - Determination of urea in serum by using naturally immobilized urease in a flow
      injection conductimetric system.
AB  - A flow injection method was developed, aimed at the determination of urea in
      human serum. The system makes use of the naturally immobilized urease present in
      Canavalia ensiformis DC (jack bean). A column is filled with small pieces of this
      bean, and the sample (50 microliters) containing urea passes through it carried
      by a 1% NaCl solution. On leaving the column the stream is merged with an
      alkaline reagent (0.5 mol dm-3 NaOH; 0.5% disodium dihydrogen
      ethylenediaminetetraacetate). The ammonium ions, arising from the enzymatic
      reaction that occurs inside the column, are changed into the molecular form,
      which permeates a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane and is received in a de
      ionized water acceptor stream. The ammonia ionizes causing an increase in the
      conductance, which is proportional to the urea content of the sample. About 40
      samples can be processed in 1 h with negligible carry-over and with a relative
      standard deviation of 1% or less. The results are in agreement with those
      obtained by a standard spectrophotometric method.

PMID- 1872484
TI  - Simultaneous determination of acetylsalicylic and salicylic acids in human serum
      and aspirin formulations by second-derivative synchronous fluorescence
      spectrometry.
AB  - A second-derivative synchronous scanning spectrofluorimetric method for the
      simultaneous determination of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and salicylic acid (SA)
      is described. The method is based on the native fluorescence of both acids in a
      1% acetic acid-chloroform solution. Both ASA and SA can be determined within the
      concentration ranges 0.2-70 and 0.03-10 micrograms ml-1, respectively. The effect
      of each acid on the signal of the other has been studied in detail. Empirical
      equations have been used to overcome this effect, thus allowing the accurate
      determination of both acids in binary mixtures, without a separation step. The
      method has been applied to the determination of ASA and SA in blood serum and to
      the determination of SA impurities in aspirin formulations. Recoveries from sera
      spiked with both ASA (2.5-50 micrograms ml-1) and SA (100-160 micrograms ml-1)
      varied from 99.5 to 106.7% (mean = 102.6%) and from 93.0 to 98.0% (mean = 95.8%),
      respectively. Recoveries of SA from spiked aspirin solutions (0.25-1.5 mg g-1 of
      aspirin) varied from 98.0 to 102.0% (mean = 100.3%).

PMID- 1872485
TI  - Utility of certain pi-acceptors for the spectrophotometric determination of some
      penicillins.
AB  - Two simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods are described for the
      determination of six penicillin derivatives. The methods are based on the
      reaction of these drugs as n-electron donors with either 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano
      p-benzoquinone (DDQ) or 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) as pi-acceptors,
      to give a highly coloured radical anion. The coloured products are quantified
      spectrophotometrically at 460 and 842 nm for DDQ and TCNQ, respectively. The
      optimization of the different experimental conditions is described. The
      interference from streptomycin sulphate and common degradation products was also
      studied. The proposed methods were applied successfully to the determination of
      the different penicillins investigated, either in pure or dosage forms, with good
      accuracy and precision. The results were compared with those given by the
      official United States Pharmacopeial XXI method.

PMID- 1872486
TI  - Spectrophotometric method for the determination of paraquat in water, grain and
      plant materials.
AB  - A sensitive spectrophotometric method for the determination of paraquat using
      ascorbic acid (an easily available reducing agent) is described. Paraquat is
      reduced with ascorbic acid in alkaline solution to give a blue radical ion with
      an absorbance maximum at 600 nm. Beer's law is obeyed in the range 12-96
      micrograms of paraquat in 10 ml of the final solution (1.2-9.6 ppm). The
      important analytical parameters and the optimum reaction conditions were
      evaluated. The method was applied successfully to the determination of paraquat
      in water, grain and plant materials.

PMID- 1872487
TI  - Determination of nitrovin in medicated animal feeds by high-performance liquid
      chromatography. Analytical Methods Committee.
AB  - Nitrovin is extracted from a medicated feed by means of a solvent mixture
      consisting of dichloromethane, methanol and ammonia solution and then the
      nitrovin is determined in the extract by high-performance liquid chromatography
      using a cyano-column.

PMID- 1872488
TI  - Determination of vitamin E in animal feedingstuffs by high-performance liquid
      chromatography. Analytical Methods Committee.
AB  - A method is given for the determination of vitamin E in animal feeds and pet
      foods. The sample is saponified with ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution and
      the vitamin E extracted into light petroleum (boiling range 40-60 degrees C).
      This solution is evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure and the residue
      dissolved in hexane. The concentration of vitamin E in this solution is
      determined by high-performance liquid chromatography using a silica column and an
      isooctane-propan-2-ol mixture as the mobile phase. An alternative method using
      hexane-1,4-dioxane as the mobile phase is also given.

PMID- 1872489
TI  - Summaries of lectures presented at the 4th Literature Review Course for ABAI
      Examination. April 18-20, 1991, Chicago.

PMID- 1872490
TI  - Protruding atheromas in the thoracic aorta and systemic embolization.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether protruding atheromas in the thoracic aorta are a
      risk factor for systemic embolization. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: A
      referral hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 122 patients with a history of stroke,
      transient ischemic attack, or peripheral emboli and an equal number of age- and
      sex-matched control patients. MEASUREMENTS: Evaluation using transesophageal
      echocardiography was done in case patients to detect protruding atheromas in the
      thoracic aorta and in control patients for cardiac indications other than emboli.
      MAIN RESULTS: Matched logistic regression showed that the presence of protruding
      atheromas was strongly related to the occurrence of embolic symptoms (odds ratio,
      3.2; 95% Cl, 1.6 to 6.5; P less than 0.001). Furthermore, atheromas with mobile
      components were present only in case patients. When known risk factors for stroke
      (hypertension and diabetes) were added to the model, the presence of protruding
      atheromas remained an independent risk factor for embolic symptoms (odds ratio,
      3.8). Hypertension was also independently associated with embolic symptoms (odds
      ratio, 2.7), but diabetes was not (odds ratio, 1.0). CONCLUSION: Protruding
      atheromas in the thoracic aorta can be detected by transesophageal
      echocardiography and should be considered as a cause of strokes, transient
      ischemic attacks, and peripheral emboli.

PMID- 1872491
TI  - Predicting death in patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To validate a previously reported discriminant rule for predicting
      mortality in adult patients with primary community-acquired pneumonia and to
      determine which factors available at hospital admission predict a fatal outcome
      among such patients. DESIGN: Historical cohort study. SETTING: University
      hospital. PATIENTS: Adults admitted to the hospital for community-acquired
      pneumonia. MEASUREMENTS: Using stepwise logistic regression, we analyzed
      prognostic factors (data available at admission and recorded in the medical
      record) that showed a univariate association with mortality. The predictive
      values of three discriminant rules were measured to validate the results of a
      previous study. MAIN RESULTS: Of 245 patients, 20 (8.2%) died. Of 42 prognostic
      factors identified in previous studies, 8 were associated with mortality, but
      only a respiratory rate of 30/min or more, a diastolic blood pressure of 60 mm Hg
      or less, and a blood urea nitrogen of more than 7 mmol/L remained predictive in
      the multivariate analysis. A discriminant rule composed of these three variables
      was 70% sensitive and 84% specific in predicting mortality, yielding an overall
      accuracy of 82%. CONCLUSION: Tachypnea, diastolic hypotension, and an elevated
      blood urea nitrogen were independently associated with death from pneumonia in
      our study, confirming the value of a previously reported discriminant rule from
      the British Thoracic Society. This rule may be useful in triage decisions because
      it identifies high-risk patients who may benefit from special medical attention.

PMID- 1872492
TI  - Pulse oximetry monitoring outside the intensive care unit: progress or problem?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of continuous pulse oximetry monitoring in general
      care units. DESIGN: Hemoglobin oxygen saturation data collected prospectively by
      use of pulse oximetry with concurrent review of the medical record. SETTING:
      General medical-surgical nursing units in a large, tertiary care university
      hospital. PATIENTS: Forty patients on two nursing units monitored with
      continuous, bedside pulse oximetry at the request of their primary physicians.
      MEASUREMENTS: All patients had continuous pulse oximetry monitoring. A research
      associate visited the bedside two or three times daily and recorded saturation
      compared with time data from the previous 8.75 hours. Patients were studied for
      36 hours or until pulse oximetry monitoring was discontinued. Episodes of
      desaturation were counted. Patient charts were reviewed for documentation of
      desaturation in either nursing or physician notes. Orders adjusting oxygen
      therapy or other respiratory therapy within 12 hours of any desaturation episode
      were also recorded. MAIN RESULTS: Thirty of the 40 patients (75%) had at least
      one episode of desaturation to less than 90%; 23 (58%) had at least one episode
      to less than 85%. Desaturation episodes were documented in nursing notes for only
      33% of those patients who desaturated to less than 90% and in physician notes in
      only 7% of cases. Changes in respiratory therapy were ordered in 20% of patients
      who desaturated to less than 90% and in only 26% who desaturated to less than
      85%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite their repeated occurrence, episodes of hypoxemia were
      rarely documented in either nursing or physician notes. Further, even in patients
      who had episodic desaturation, pulse oximetry monitoring had little effect on
      changes in physician-directed respiratory care.

PMID- 1872493
TI  - Postmenopausal estrogen and prevention bias.

PMID- 1872494
TI  - The pathogenesis of sepsis.
AB  - Sepsis and its sequelae (sepsis syndrome and septic shock) are increasingly
      common and are still potentially lethal diagnoses. Many mediators of the
      pathogenesis of sepsis have recently been described. These include tumor necrosis
      factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukins, platelet activating factor, leukotrienes,
      thromboxane A2, and activators of the complement cascade. Neutrophil and platelet
      activation may also play a role. Other agents that may participate in the sepsis
      cascade include adhesion molecules, kinins, thrombin, myocardial depressant
      substance, beta-endorphin, and heat shock proteins. Endothelium-derived relaxing
      factor and endothelin-1 are released from the endothelium and seem to exert a
      regulatory effect, counterbalancing each other. A central mediator of sepsis does
      not seem to exist, although TNF alpha has been commonly proposed for this role.
      Animal studies are difficult to extrapolate to the clinical setting because of
      cross-species differences and variations in experimental design. Rather than
      being caused by any single pathogenic mechanism, it is more likely that sepsis is
      related to the state of activation of the target cell, the nearby presence of
      other mediators, and the ability of the target cell to release other mediators.
      Also important is the downregulation or negative feedback of these mediators or
      the generation of natural inflammation inhibitors, such as interleukin-4 and
      interleukin-8. Endothelial damage in sepsis probably results from persistent and
      repetitive inflammatory insults. Eventually, these insults produce sufficient
      damage that downregulation can no longer occur; this leads to a state of
      metabolic anarchy in which the body can no longer control its own inflammatory
      response.

PMID- 1872495
TI  - The patient's story: integrating the patient- and physician-centered approaches
      to interviewing.
AB  - Patients produce biopsychosocial stories that integrate material from the medical
      and personal aspects of their lives. Capturing the personal aspect of the story
      requires that a patient-centered approach to clinical interviewing complement the
      equally important physician-centered approach. Patient-centered interviewing
      actively involves the patient and ensures that his or her perceptions, needs, and
      concerns are articulated during the physician-patient interaction. In our
      article, we define patient-centered interviewing and provide a rationale for
      using it. We also describe how patient-centered interviewing is done, how it is
      integrated with the physician-centered approach, and how to understand the
      product of this complementary approach to clinical interviewing, the patient's
      biopsychosocial story.

PMID- 1872496
TI  - Quality of care: do we care?
AB  - The quality of U.S. health care must improve. Practicing physicians need to
      become involved in generating new knowledge about what does and does not work in
      medical practice. Physicians might, for example, participate in building national
      databases on chronic and acute conditions using data from their patients or might
      help to enroll patients in cohort studies or experimental trials. Furthermore,
      our knowledge is now sufficient to support a substantial investment of funds in
      improving what physicians now do in medical practice and in developing publicly
      available standards of medical practice. Such standards or guidelines could be
      used by both physicians and patients as part of an explicit process to assess the
      medical appropriateness of expensive or dangerous procedures before they are
      done. In addition, the competence with which care is delivered also needs to be
      measured. Both of these assessments should be used prospectively by physicians to
      help patients choose the referral source that will maximize their preferences.

PMID- 1872497
TI  - Management of septic shock: present and future.

PMID- 1872498
TI  - Medicare payment reform: what are the prospects for internal medicine?

PMID- 1872499
TI  - Mycobacterium kansasii infection.

PMID- 1872500
TI  - Clinical trials and the elderly.

PMID- 1872501
TI  - Pentamidine prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

PMID- 1872502
TI  - Transplants from the same donor.

PMID- 1872503
TI  - Walking reduces blood pressure.

PMID- 1872504
TI  - Effects of coffee in alcoholics.

PMID- 1872505
TI  - Extrapulmonary pneumocystosis.

PMID- 1872506
TI  - Akinetic mutism after baclofen.

PMID- 1872508
TI  - Lime disease.

PMID- 1872507
TI  - Case records and the classification of disease.

PMID- 1872510
TI  - Chlamydia trachomatis in the etiology of acute otitis media.
AB  - In an effort to show that Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) may be involved in the
      causation of acute otitis media (AOM), we performed three experiments. In the
      first, we inoculated the tympanic bullae of 6 chinchillas with CT. Five of the 6
      inoculated animals developed CT AOM. In the second experiment, we sprayed the
      nasopharynx of 10 chinchillas with CT. Of these, 8 developed both pharyngitis and
      AOM, and in 6, live CT was cultured from the middle ear and pharynx. In the third
      experiment, 5 chinchillas had their conjunctiva inoculated with CT. Three
      developed CT conjunctivitis. Of these, 2 developed CT pharyngitis and 1 developed
      CT AOM. We concluded that CT will cause AOM in the chinchilla by direct
      inoculation into the middle ear as well as indirectly by infection of the
      nasopharynx and conjunctiva.

PMID- 1872509
TI  - Stapes surgery: complications and airway infection.
AB  - From a group of 1,111 patients who had stapedectomy or stapedotomy performed in a
      10-year period, a thorough investigation was made of 11 patients who had a total
      hearing loss and 8 patients who developed a partial sensorineural hearing loss
      after operation. The data obtained indicate that postoperative infection with
      influenza virus may be responsible for unexpected complications following
      stapedectomy. A close relation was found between the appearance of complications
      and periods of epidemics of influenza.

PMID- 1872511
TI  - Familial sensorineural hearing loss: a correlative study of audiologic,
      radiographic, and vestibular findings.
AB  - A multidisciplinary approach to the study of a family with autosomal dominant
      sensorineural hearing loss is presented. The affected family members underwent
      extensive clinical and laboratory evaluation. They were found to have various
      degrees of bilateral congenital inner ear anomalies as imaged by computed
      tomography. The degree of structural abnormalities in the inner ears correlated
      with the severity of hearing impairment. Vestibular testing revealed nonspecific
      abnormalities generally correlating with audiologic and radiographic findings.
      This report presents a unique form of sensorineural hearing loss not previously
      described and is the first in-depth clinical study of nonsyndromal "Mondini
      dysplasia" occurring in a family.

PMID- 1872512
TI  - Tetanic response of the cricothyroid muscle.
AB  - Tetanic response of canine cricothyroid muscle tissue was investigated through a
      series of experiments conducted in vitro. Two separate portions of the
      cricothyroid muscle, namely the pars recta and pars oblique, were studied.
      Samples of the muscle were dissected from dog larynges excised a few minutes
      before death and kept in Krebs-Ringer solution at a temperature of 37 degrees +/-
      1 degrees C and a pH of 7.4 +/- 0.05. Tetanic contraction of the muscle samples
      was obtained by field stimulation to the muscle through a pair of parallel-plate
      platinum electrodes and with a train of square pulses of 0.1-millisecond duration
      and 85-V amplitude. Isometric force responses of the pars recta and pars oblique
      muscles were obtained electronically with a dual servo system (ergometer). The
      effect of tissue elongation on the active and passive responses was quantified by
      stimulation of the sample during cyclic elongation. Both active and passive
      responses as a function of elongation were obtained on the same sample.

PMID- 1872513
TI  - Distribution of immunocompetent cells in normal nasal mucosa: comparisons among
      germ-free, specific pathogen-free, and conventional mice.
AB  - To better understand the role of immunocompetent cells in the defense mechanism
      of the upper respiratory tract against microbial invasions, the distribution
      patterns of those cells were investigated in nasal mucosa of mice maintained in
      three different conditions: germ-free (GF), specific pathogen-free (SPF), and
      conventional (CV) conditions. Immunostaining by the indirect peroxidase method
      and toluidine blue staining were employed for the detection of immunocompetent
      cells and mast cells. For immunostaining, anti-IgG, -IgA, and -IgM polyclonal
      antibodies and anti-Lyt-1, -Lyt-2, and -Mac-1 monoclonal antibodies were used as
      primary antibodies. In nasal mucosa of CV mice, Mac-1+ cells, mast cells, and all
      cell types of lymphocyte subsets were present. In nasal mucosa of SPF mice, all
      cell types were also positive, but fewer in number than those of CV mice. In
      nasal mucosa of GF mice, IgG+, IgA+, and Lyt-2+ cells were rare, although IgM+
      and Lyt-1+ cells were present in small numbers. An electron microscopic study
      revealed that follicle-like lymphocyte aggregates with high endothelial venules
      were present in nasal mucosa close to the mucosal epithelia. These findings
      suggest that lymphocytes are mobilized to nasal mucosa, responding to continuous
      antigenic stimuli, and play an important role in the local defense mechanism of
      the upper respiratory tract.

PMID- 1872514
TI  - Apron tracheostome.
AB  - Stenosis of the tracheostome following total laryngectomy is not an infrequent
      complication, either immediately postoperatively or years later, and it poses a
      common problem for head and neck surgeons. The opening becomes inadequate and the
      patient is uncomfortable and panicky. A secondary plastic operation is necessary
      in order to improve the airway, or a laryngectomy tube must be worn constantly. I
      have developed a satisfactory technique for tailoring the tracheostome during
      total laryngectomy so as to minimize postoperative stenosis even in irradiated
      cases and allow the patient to dispense with the laryngectomy tube. It may render
      the posterosuperior wall of the tracheostome more suitable for a
      tracheoesophageal puncture tract for voice restoration after total laryngectomy.
      These goals are achieved by interdigitating a small skin-thick superiorly based
      apron flap, raised from the lower midline of the front of the neck, into a
      similar recipient area at the upper posterior tracheal wall after removal of an
      equal mucosal apron.

PMID- 1872515
TI  - Zinc in the management of tinnitus. Placebo-controlled trial.
AB  - To assess any possible beneficial effect from zinc on tinnitus we performed a
      placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind investigation. Forty-eight patients
      with tinnitus were randomized to either placebo or the administration of zinc
      sulfate as sustained-release tablets of 22 mg Zn++ (Zinklet). The tablets were
      administered three times daily for 8 weeks. Every week the patients stated the
      severity of tinnitus on a number scale from 0 to 10. The levels of zinc and
      albumin in serum were determined both before and after treatment. Of 48 patients
      with tinnitus, hypozincemia was found in only one patient. The zinc level
      increased significantly in the patients treated with zinc. We could not
      demonstrate any beneficial effect from zinc on tinnitus. One of the essential
      reasons for this finding could be that the zinc levels in serum were in the
      normal range previous to treatment.

PMID- 1872516
TI  - Ultrastructure of cat superior vestibular commissural neurons.
AB  - The ultrastructure of the feline superior vestibular commissural neurons (CNs)
      was studied after labeling by contralateral injection of horseradish peroxidase.
      These small spindle-shaped cells are found in clusters oriented in a
      rostrocaudal, dorsoventral or lateromedial direction. The CNs have a cleft
      nucleus, with the majority of nerve terminals contacting the CN near the
      emergence of polar dendrites. Polarization of the afferent synaptic profiles
      suggests a bidirectional nature of inputs to CNs by the vestibular nerve,
      contralateral CNs, and/or cerebellar systems. One type of labeled cell does not
      conform to this pattern, instead resembling a vestibulo-ocular neuron. Hence, it
      may function as a commissural and a vestibulo-ocular neuron. Characterization of
      different types of synapses, based on the size and eccentricity of their synaptic
      vesicles, indicates a continuum rather than separate populations. Volume fraction
      of intracellular organelles showed a larger volume fraction percent of
      polyribosomes in larger cells. Since this organelle is involved with protein
      synthesis, this finding may indicate that larger CNs have a more extensive
      dendritic tree.

PMID- 1872517
TI  - Pressure chamber tympanometry in diving candidates.
AB  - The currently recommended examination for diving fitness ascertains middle ear
      autoinflation ability only under surface pressure conditions. The purpose of our
      study was to document and quantify middle ear pressure equalization failure
      during simulated dives among diving candidates who had otherwise met the otologic
      criteria for diving fitness. Forty-two candidates for regular naval diving
      activity were included in the study. Tympanograms of both ears at 1 and 1.1
      absolute atmospheres (ATA) were taken inside a pressure chamber with the subjects
      in two positions: seated and supine. At a pressure of 1 ATA, type A tympanograms
      were found in all 84 ears examined. At a pressure of 1.1 ATA, with subjects in
      the upright position, 19 (22.9%) of the ears had type C and 2 (2.4%) type B
      tympanograms, while with subjects recumbent during descent, 6 of the ears (7.2%)
      had type C and 7 (8.4%) type B. Our results suggest that successful autoinflation
      at surface ambient pressure does not necessarily reflect middle ear pressure
      equalization ability during descent in a dive.

PMID- 1872518
TI  - Choanal atresia and lymphedema.
AB  - The coexistence of bilateral bony choanal atresia and lower-extremity lymphedema
      was observed in a family with several consanguineous marriages. The combination
      of these two rare anomalies, in a hereditary form, has not been described before.

PMID- 1872519
TI  - Regulation of phonatory efficiency by vocal fold tension and glottic width in the
      excised canine larynx.
AB  - An excised canine larynx was used to assess the effects of glottic width and
      vocal fold tension on acoustic power, aerodynamic power, and vocal efficiency.
      Multiple regression analysis of the data obtained from 10 larynges revealed that
      with increased vocal fold tension there is a logarithmic decline in radiated
      acoustic power, while aerodynamic power remains constant (p less than .05). Vocal
      efficiency has a similar logarithmic decrease with increased tension (p less than
      .05). With narrowing of the glottis, the acoustic power increases more than the
      aerodynamic power delivered to the larynx, and the efficiency increases. The
      inverse relationships glottic width has with acoustic power and vocal efficiency
      are best described by a reciprocal model (p less than .01). There is a negative
      linear relationship between glottic width and aerodynamic power. These results
      suggest that within the larynx the energy conversion is regulated by glottic
      aperture and longitudinal vocal fold tension. The optimal width for efficiency
      appears to be the narrowest width that produces phonation within the modal
      register, whereas increased tension decreases the efficiency of the glottis.

PMID- 1872520
TI  - Endoscopic and videofluoroscopic evaluations of swallowing and aspiration.
AB  - A new procedure for evaluating oropharyngeal dysphagia utilizing fiberoptic
      laryngoscopy was compared to the videofluoroscopy procedure. Twenty-one subjects
      were given both examinations within a 48-hour period. Results of the fiberoptic
      endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and videofluoroscopy examinations were
      compared for presence or absence of abnormal events. Good agreement was found,
      especially for the finding of aspiration (90% agreement). The FEES was then
      measured against the videofluoroscopy study for sensitivity, specificity,
      positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Sensitivity was 0.88 or
      greater for three of the four parameters measured. Specificity was lower overall,
      but was still 0.92 for detection of aspiration. It was concluded that the FEES is
      a valid and valuable tool for evaluating oropharyngeal dysphagia. Some specific
      patients and conditions that lend themselves to this procedure are discussed.

PMID- 1872521
TI  - Septic jugular thrombosis with abscess formation.

PMID- 1872522
TI  - Basaloid monomorphic adenomas.
AB  - Monomorphic adenomas can be divided into basaloid and nonbasaloid type. With the
      exception of the canalicular adenoma, the basaloid monomorphic adenomas are
      preponderantly tumors of the major salivary glands, most often the parotid gland.
      The dermal analogue monomorphic adenomas, so named because of their histologic
      similarity to eccrine tumors of the skin, are a unique subset of the basaloid
      adenomas. They are often multifocal, recur frequently, may undergo malignant
      change, and can be part of a salivary-cutaneous tumor diathesis.

PMID- 1872523
TI  - [Childhood accidents caused by farming machines in France. Epidemiology,
      consequences, prevention].
AB  - As part of the actions led by the French Center for Information and Encounters
      for the Prevention of Childhood Injuries, a recent meeting on childhood injuries
      caused by farming machinery was held recently. These injuries are not exceptional
      in view of the steadily diminishing number of children living on farms. They are
      often severe, with several deaths each year in France and devastating sequelae in
      other cases. Prevention requires improved safety of these machines to which
      farmers' children are exposed in their everyday life, as well as information
      efforts targeted to the highest risk populations, i.e., boys in specific age
      groups and specific regions. Such a program can be implemented only with the
      cooperation of involved industries, insurance companies and official agencies, as
      part of a long-term, decentralized policy.

PMID- 1872524
TI  - [Emergency medical care and severe home accidents in children. Study of 630 cases
      over 5 years. Their significance in traumatic accidents].
AB  - Among calls put through to the Mobile Emergency Unit of a Paris urban area
      district for a pediatric problem over a five-year period (n = 630), 19% were for
      a household injury (with or without physical injury) and 22% (n = 712) were for a
      physical injury outside the home. Thus, injuries were the reason for over 40% of
      pediatric calls and half these injuries occurred in the child's home. Household
      injuries were serious, with a prehospital mortality rate of nearly 5% and
      intensive care treatment in one-third of cases. Fifty-five per cent (60% in boys)
      of household injuries occurred in preschool-age children. Half these injuries
      (burns excluded) were physical injuries (66% in boys). Forty per cent of
      household injuries (n = 251) were caused by a fall, from over one meter in half
      the cases. Most of these injuries occurred around mealtimes (3/4 of cases). As
      compared with out-of-home childhood injuries, prehospital mortality rate was
      significantly higher (p less than 0.001) and single injuries significantly more
      prevalent (p less than 0,001) in household physical injuries. Prevalences of
      lesions of the face, head and neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis were comparable
      for out-of-home and at-home physical injuries; conversely, lesions of the upper
      limbs were more common in household injuries (p less than 0,01), whereas lesions
      of the lower limbs were more prevalent in out-of-home trauma. Lastly, household
      physical injuries occurred mainly in children under five, whereas out-of-home
      childhood injuries were more common after five years of age (p less than
      0,001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872525
TI  - [Reactive arthritis caused by Yersinia in children. Report of 4 cases].
AB  - Among a group of children hospitalized for "joint pain", four of the cases of
      reactive arthritis were due to Yersinia infection. These four cases are
      described. Some patients had suggestive clinical symptoms but serologic studies
      were needed to establish the diagnosis. Tissue group studies showed that two
      children were HLA B27 and one was HLA B7. Reactive arthritis due to Yersinia in a
      form of "enteral arthritis". The prevalence of Yersinia arthritis has not been
      documented. Serologic tests are essential to outrule the main differential
      diagnosis, i.e. chronic juvenile arthritis (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). Short
      term resolution of symptoms is seen in every case. The long-term outcome is less
      well documented, especially with regard to the risk of recurrence and to
      relationships with peripheral joint disease and spondylarthropathies of early
      adulthood. HLA B27 positivity may be a risk factor. The pathogenesis of Yersinia
      induced reactive arthritis is unclear; current studies are focusing on
      immunologic factors. The uncertainties concerning long-term outcome justifies
      renewed interest in childhood reactive arthritis.

PMID- 1872526
TI  - [Morbidity and psychomotor development at 2 years of age in children born in Puy
      de-Dome in 1983. Study of children groups defined by perinatal risk].
AB  - All infants born in the Puy-de-Dome area in 1983 and referred to a neonatal care
      unit were studied prospectively. Children were seen at their homes at 9 months
      and at 2 years of age and results were compared with those found in controls.
      High risk groups were defined on the basis of neonatal variables including
      prematurity, neurologic anomalies, respiratory distress, assisted ventilation,
      and growth retardation. At birth, prematurity was associated with an increased
      risk of respiratory distress and infections were more common in small-for-dates
      infants. Evaluations at 9 months and at 2 years of age showed increased
      prevalences of growth retardation and strabismus in the high-risk infants, and
      neurodevelopmental tests disclosed lower performances in these children.
      Conversely, infectious diseases and readmissions between birth and two years of
      age were not increased in the high risk groups, as compared with the control
      group.

PMID- 1872527
TI  - [Behavior of Clostridium perfringens in the intestine of newborn infants born by
      cesarean section].
AB  - Colonization of the digestive tract by C. perfringens was studied in infants born
      by cesarean section. Correlations between the level of colonization and the
      environment, type of feeding, and presence of other anaerobic bacteria were
      looked for. Colonization by C. perfringens was found as early as the second day
      of life in one of the maternity wards studied, suggesting presence of the
      microorganism in the environment. By the 14th day of life, colonization with C.
      perfringens was demonstrated in all the bottle-fed or breast and bottle-fed
      infants. In strictly breast-fed infants, findings suggested antagonism between
      Bifidobacterium and C. perfringens. Bacteroides and Clostridium species other
      than C. perfringens were not found prior to colonization by C. perfringens.

PMID- 1872528
TI  - [Varicocele in children and adolescents. Review of a series of 58 cases].
AB  - 5 to 25% of male adolescents present with a varicocele; only those cases inducing
      serious discomfort or affecting the development of the testis require surgical
      treatment. Nevertheless, the results of surgery are disappointing, with a high
      recurrence rate. Based on a better knowledge of testicular venous drainage, it
      appears that conventional high ligation of the spermatic vein (s) might not be
      sufficient to cure varicocele. Fifty-eight patients were operated upon using four
      different procedures. Only complete, proximal ligation of all of the visibly
      dilated veins seems to prevent recurrences with a follow-up of at least one year.
      However, out of eleven cases treated with this original procedure, one patient,
      already operated upon twice without success, developed secondary atrophy.

PMID- 1872529
TI  - [Renal agenesis, bicornuate uterus and cyst of the Gartner's duct].
AB  - A cyst of Gartner's duct with a bicornuate, unicervical uterus and ipsilateral
      renal agenesis were seen in a 13-month-old girl. Left renal agenesis had been
      suggested by antenatal ultrasound findings. After birth, there were no symptoms
      but ultrasonography demonstrated a multicystic mass in the pelvis. Diagnosis was
      confirmed by histological study of the mass which had been completely removed
      during surgery. This infrequent genitourinary malformation is due to a
      developmental abnormality of the wolffian duct early in fetal life. This case is
      the eighth report in the literature. Course can be complicated by abscess
      formation and malignant transformation but most patients remain symptom-free.
      Treatment is discussed.

PMID- 1872530
TI  - [Recurrent multifocal periostosis in children. Report of a familial form].
AB  - Recurrent multifocal periostosis of childhood is an infrequent disease. All cases
      reported to date have been sporadic. A familial form affecting three siblings is
      reported herein. Clinical and biologic features were similar to those described
      in the previously reported cases. This case is of particular interest for two
      reasons: 1) the pattern of familial clustering suggests autosomal recessive
      transmission; 2) repeated CT scans were performed in these patients (but not in
      previously reported cases) and demonstrated early involvement of the three bone
      layers, suggesting panostosis rather than periostosis.

PMID- 1872531
TI  - [4p trisomy secondary to paternal translocation t(4p-;15q+)].
AB  - A new case of trisomy 4p is reported. The patient was a boy with dysmorphism,
      growth failure and developmental retardation. Craniofacial features included
      microcephaly with a flat forehead, a prominent glabella, hyperteleorism, a broad,
      concave nasal bridge, a bulb-shaped nose, a wide mouth with a prominent upper lip
      and a short philtrum, low-set ears, a low hairline, micrognathia, and a short
      neck. Abdominal muscles were normal. Cryptorchidism with a hypoplastic scrotum
      and a micropenis were found, as well as forced flexion of the fingers and talipes
      equinus. The intravenous urogram disclosed ptosis of the right kidney.
      Developmental retardation was severe with an IQ under 50. RHG banding techniques
      on peripheral lymphocytes disclosed 4p14 pter duplication. The karyotype was
      46,XY inv dup(4-p) (p14----pter). The mother's karyotype was normal. The father
      had a translocation between the short arm of chromosome 4 and the long arm of
      chromosome 15; his karyotype was 46,XY, t(4;15) (p14;q26). Thus, the child had
      trisomy for a segment of the short arm of chromosome 4 (p14----pter) and monosomy
      for the terminal band of the long arm of chromosome 15 (15q26). The first case of
      trisomy 4p was reported in 1970 by Wilson et al. Since then, there have been 46
      additional reports in the medical literature. Although children with trisomy 4p
      share a number of features, the phenotypic manifestations of this chromosomal
      abnormality are variable and nonspecific, making clinical diagnosis difficult.

PMID- 1872532
TI  - [A case of esophageal duplication discovered in a newborn].
AB  - A case of esophageal duplication discovered in the neonatal period is reported
      and discussed. This infrequent malformation (9% of all childhood mediastinal
      tumors) is an entoblastic duplication of the digestive tract and is often
      accompanied with spinal malformations. The duplication may be either cystic or
      tubular; the latter form usually opens into the normal esophagus. The most common
      clinical manifestations are respiratory symptoms caused by compression. The
      diagnosis, suggested by the findings on the plain chest film and osephageal
      opacification, is confirmed by the ultrasound examination and, above all, the CT
      scan. The treatment of this malformation is surgical. Reconstruction may be
      difficult but overall results and prognosis are excellent.

PMID- 1872533
TI  - [Hemiballism. Description of a clinical case in childhood].
AB  - Biballism is an infrequent hyperkinetic disorder characterized by involuntary,
      intermittent, violent, uncontrollable contractions of the proximal muscles of the
      limbs. Biballism is classically ascribed to a lesion in the controlateral
      subthalamic nucleus or its connections but other causes have been reported. These
      include infections (bacterial, viral parasitic), cerebrovascular lesions, tumors,
      toxics, and systemic disease (systemic lupus erythematosus). Although poorly
      understood, the pathophysiology of hemiballism is widely believed to involve
      hyperactivity of the dopaminergic system. The prognosis of these abnormal
      movements, formerly poor, has been improved by the use of neuroleptics and drugs
      acting on the different neurotransmitter systems. A unique case of biballism at
      resolution of a febrile coma in a 4 1/2 year old is reported. The EEG showed
      diffuse slow waves. A hyperdense lesion was visible in the right thalamic region
      on the cerebral CT scan. The magnitude of the abnormal movements decreased under
      haloperidol. The etiology of this case of biballism is discussed.

PMID- 1872534
TI  - Team approach to total auricular reconstruction.
AB  - The surgery of microtia is a procedure that demands surgical and artistic skills,
      as well as precise planning of interventions. In cases where a functioning inner
      ear is present, functional and esthetic reconstruction is performed jointly with
      ear, nose, and throat surgeons. The middle ear plasty is performed through a
      transmastoidial approach at the time of the second stage of the outer ear
      reconstruction. We demonstrate the special requirements of this team approach and
      also pay a tribute to Burt Brent, who has set the standards of modern ear
      reconstruction.

PMID- 1872535
TI  - The sensory tensor fasciae latae flap: a 9-year follow-up.
AB  - From January 1979 to April 1989, 19 neurosensory tensor fasciae latae flaps were
      used to cover ischial pressure sores in paraplegic patients. This flap provides
      protective sensation and improves the sensory control of the filling status of
      the rectum and the sitting control in a wheelchair. Patients were reexamined
      between 12 and 110 months; no recurrence or new pressure sores were seen.
      Indications, early and late complications, and evolution of the sensation are
      discussed.

PMID- 1872536
TI  - Why the denervated gastrocnemius muscle flap should be encouraged.
AB  - The superiorly based, denervated gastrocnemius muscle flap is able to perform an
      aesthetically excellent and functionally good cover for defects of the upper one
      third of the calf, including the knee, and the lower one-third of the thigh. A
      consecutive series of 41 muscle and musculocutaneous gastrocnemius flaps was
      analyzed. Thirty-six patients (88% of the patients who underwent surgery) could
      be reexamined. The mean follow-up time was 36 months, with a minimum time of 12
      months. At the time of examination, all skin defects as well as the incidental
      concomitant osteomyelitis had completely healed; however, 40% of the patients
      have required secondary operations. One-half of the patients have a functional
      deficiency, and 20% showed areas with loss of sensation. After surgery with
      musculocutaneous flaps, all patients complained about the sensory loss of the
      saphenous nerve, and peripheral edema was seen more often than after surgery with
      a simple muscle flap. Muscle flaps with residual innervation showed more
      secondary wound breakdown and more contraction pain, due to spasms. The best
      results concerning function and aesthetics are achieved with denervated muscle
      flaps covered by a split-thickness skin graft. In this variation, the flap showed
      good and stable coverage without bulk, as well as minimal donor-site deformity;
      therefore, primary denervation must be considered. The anatomy of the motor
      nerves to the gastrocnemius muscle is shown.

PMID- 1872537
TI  - Sensibility and cutaneous reinnervation after breast reconstruction with
      musculocutaneous flaps.
AB  - Sensibility and sensory reinnervation were investigated in 19 patients who
      underwent, after mastectomy, a breast reconstruction using myocutaneous flaps. A
      comparative study in reinnervation of the flaps has been performed either after
      surgery with a latissimus dorsi flap with prosthesis or after surgery with a
      simple or double pedicle transverse rectus abdominal flap. Ten patients with
      latissimus dorsi flaps and 9 patients with transverse rectus abdominal flaps were
      tested. The tests included stimulation with touch, pressure, pin prick, and
      temperature. The patients were also interviewed regarding their impressions, a
      subjective sensibility. These results show that the recovery of sensibility by
      patients who underwent surgery with the transverse rectus abdominal flap
      technique is superior, objectively and subjectively.

PMID- 1872538
TI  - Evaluation of long-term results in breast reconstruction using the latissimus
      dorsi flap.
AB  - To evaluate the early and long-term results of the latissimus dorsi
      musculocutaneous flap for breast reconstruction, a series of 92 women who
      underwent surgery at my department from 1979 to 1989 was critically reviewed.
      Special attention was directed to the late foreign body reactions leading to
      deformation, asymmetry, and induration of the reconstructed breast. Guidelines
      regarding prevention of capsular contraction are discussed and some essential
      surgical refinements outlined.

PMID- 1872539
TI  - Microsurgical free toe pulp transfer for digital reconstruction.
AB  - Posttraumatic fingertip reconstruction with a free toe pulp neurovascular flap,
      first described in 1979, has not been frequently reported. We present our results
      with 8 free transfers of the toe pulp and demonstrate the successful restoration
      of a well-padded and sensitive fingertip. All patients, studied with a follow-up
      of up to 20 months, recovered a discriminative sensibility of the thumb and main
      fingers, with a stationary two-point discrimination test between 5 and 12 mm and
      a moving two-point discrimination test between 4 and 8 mm. In spite of the good
      results obtained, we believe this procedure must be chosen only in certain
      circumstances. We present the indications and the contraindications for this
      digital reconstruction.

PMID- 1872540
TI  - Aesthetic units in skin grafting of the face.
AB  - In patients with difficult facial reconstructions, one of the most important
      requirements is to plan well, before beginning treatment. It is known that it is
      important to consider the aesthetic unit of the face. Each cutaneous area is to
      be reconstructed by a single, separate graft or flap. We present 4 patients
      illustrating difficult situations. Special attention has been drawn to the
      choices for each separate graft or flap. This study was made possible with the
      aid of a medical illustrator who prepared a real dissection of our final
      reconstruction. In fact, after these difficult operations, we often forget
      exactly what was previously done and we believe that a good catamnesis of our
      surgical adventure can be useful to share with other surgeons who deal with the
      same difficult procedures.

PMID- 1872541
TI  - Extrinsic eyelid ectropion.
AB  - Extrinsic ectropion is caused by loss of skin around the orbital margins. Every
      patient with cicatricial ectropion should be assessed thoroughly to determine if
      the cause is intrinsic, extrinsic, or both. This assessment is extremely
      important when dealing with severe deformities after burns, cancer, or noma, for
      example. The assessment allows a proper planning of surgery. As a rule, the
      original size and location of the missing tissues should be recreated and the
      defect replaced by homologous tissues.

PMID- 1872542
TI  - Total anterior tenoarthrolysis to treat inveterate flexion contraction of the
      fingers: a series of 16 patients.
AB  - Total anterior tenoarthrolysis was originally described by Saffar to treat
      flexion contractions of the fingers. This procedure consists of releasing the
      entire flexor apparatus and the interphalangeal volar plates through a lateral
      incision and a volar subperiosteal dissection. The anterior flap slides
      proximally in relation to the bone, leaving a pulpar defect. To maintain the
      digital pulp intact, we proposed advancing the volar flap and transposing the
      defect at the base of the finger. A series of 16 patients who underwent total
      anterior tenoarthrolysis are presented; 6 patients underwent surgery according to
      our modification. Postoperative range of motion was improved in 11 of 16 patients
      and correlated with subjective patient appreciation. Fingers that had a
      preoperative interphalangel total active motion greater than 55 degrees were
      significantly improved. No improvement was seen among patients with stiff,
      crooked fingers. The average total extension deficit decreased from 33 degrees at
      the proximal interphalangeal joint level and 6 degrees at the distal
      interphalangeal joint level. Total anterior tenoarthrolysis is considered a
      salvage procedure to treat flexion contractures of the fingers with articular
      cartilages that are in good condition and tendons that are still working.

PMID- 1872543
TI  - Histomorphometric studies in patients with facial palsy treated by functional
      muscle transplantation: new aspects for the surgical concept.
AB  - Whenever it was possible, muscle and nerve biopsies were performed in patients
      with irreversible, unilateral facial palsy treated by cross-face nerve grafting
      and free gracilis muscle transplantation with microneurovascular anastomoses.
      Planimetric analyses of cross-sections showed the following, to some extent,
      surprising, results: (1) Independent of the final functional result,
      approximately the same number of regenerated, thin nerve fibers (100-200) were
      found in the distal end of the cross-face nerve graft at the time of muscle
      transplantation. These are approximately 20% of the nerve fibers counted in the
      branches of the facial nerve at the healthy side used for reinnervation. (2)
      There is no correlation between the number or diameter of the nerve fibers in the
      distal end of the cross-face nerve graft and the functional recovery of the
      transplanted muscle, but there is good correlation between the morphology of the
      fibers of the muscle graft and the functional result. (3) Different portions of
      slow-contracting and fast-contracting muscle fibers in the reinnervated muscle
      grafts showed the strong influence of the quality of the nerve used for the
      crossover innervation. If a facial nerve branch innervating the slow buccinator
      muscle was used, the originally fast gracilis muscle was transformed to a slow
      muscle by this kind of reinnervation. These important findings are the basis of a
      new view of surgery in the treatment of irreversible facial palsy by functional
      free-muscle transplantation.

PMID- 1872544
TI  - Tissue expanders in reconstruction of burn sequelae.
AB  - In 20 patients with burn scars and 1 patient with a fresh burn, 33 tissue
      expanders were implanted. In 16 patients, the expansion fulfilled the goal set
      with the help of 27 expanders. The results are very satisfactory, but the effort
      of treatment and the trouble are substantial. Thirteen patients encountered no
      complications. In terms of expanders, there were 6 major and 11 minor
      complications. They were infection (three), wound dehiscence (two), insufficient
      expansion with hematoma (one), leakage (six), superficial skin damage (three),
      and intercurrent hematoma formation (two). There was no flap necrosis, and thus,
      apart from superfluous surgery, no real damage. Retrospectively, the major
      complications could have been avoided by more careful observance of indications.
      Unfortunately, this seems to be a process that every surgeon must learn by
      experience and not by theory alone. Here, infection was managed by removal of the
      expanders. Hematomas should be evacuated early (we drained most expanders), and
      incidences of leakage can be diminished by using larger valves. Small incisions
      in healthy tissue for expander insertion may lead to faster onset of expansion,
      thus, shortening the procedure. Late widening of scars was found only once,
      perhaps due to a rather long duration of expansion, averaging 13 weeks.

PMID- 1872545
TI  - Lipoplasty of the abdomen and lateral thighs.
AB  - Liposuction, today, has become a routine technique for plastic surgeons and is
      frequently also used by nonspecialists. To obtain the best results, it is
      necessary to follow more rigorous standards of patient selection with a technique
      that is safely performed in the best possible way. The patients' expectations
      must be realistic and carefully considered. I try to demonstrate with
      illustrations that, by respecting these norms, the preoperative objectives set by
      the surgeon and the patient can be regularly reached.

PMID- 1872546
TI  - Spontaneous regression of metastatic melanoma.
AB  - Spontaneous regression of malignant melanoma is a well-known but rare event. It
      seems to be caused by immunological enhancement similar to the regression
      observed after intralesional injection of Bacille Calmette-Guerin into cutaneous
      melanoma metastases. A patient is presented in whom an incisional biopsy of a
      metastatic melanoma in an inguinal lymph node was followed by complete
      disappearance of the metastasis. Reviewing the literature, several similar
      patients were found in whom spontaneous regression of a metastatic melanoma
      occurred after an incomplete excision or biopsy of the tumor. It appears that in
      rare instances, an unspecific mechanical stimulus may trigger an increase in
      immunocompetence, although laboratory evidence for this has only rarely been
      produced. A plea is made for serial immunological studies in consecutive patients
      with melanoma, to further elucidate these puzzling phenomena.

PMID- 1872547
TI  - Otoplasty without a conformer dressing.
AB  - Since 1969, all our constructive, reconstructive, and aesthetic otoplasties have
      been managed without a conformer dressing. U-sutures, loosely tied over coated
      cotton rolls up until 1975, when thin and elastic silicone tubes began to be
      used, maintain the tissues in their new position. Experience and results of 193
      ear operations are reported.

PMID- 1872548
TI  - Microsurgical reconstruction: experience with free fascia flaps.
AB  - Microsurgical reconstruction can often benefit from the thin, pliable, and
      vascular characteristics of free fascia flaps. Investigation to identify donor
      sites and to maximize reliability of these flaps continues. Microfil injections
      of the thoracodorsal artery confirm the ability to use the fascia overlying the
      serratus anterior muscle as a free flap based on this vessel. We have used this
      flap in distal extremity wounds in 4 patients with one failure (venous
      thrombosis). Free fascia flaps from other donor sites have been used in 9
      patients in a variety of locations (head and neck, hand, and extremity) with
      excellent results. We conclude that when thin, well-vascularized tissue is
      required for reconstructive purposes, the skin-grafted free fascial flap provides
      excellent durable coverage with minimal donor site complications.

PMID- 1872549
TI  - Recontouring of the lateral forehead using the temporalis muscle.
AB  - Contour deformities of the lateral forehead are not uncommon after direct
      injuries or extirpative procedures, or as a sequela to iatrogenic maneuvers for
      juxtaposed craniomaxillofacial endeavors. Transposition of noncutaneous local
      vascularized autogenous tissues for augmentation of these defects has minimal
      inherent risks and little donor site morbidity. Although the temporoparietal
      fascia has previously been described as a first choice in this regard, if
      unavailable due to concomitant injury or absence of the superficial temporal
      vessels, the temporalis muscle itself provides an excellent second option that
      deserves consideration.

PMID- 1872550
TI  - Nineteen years' experience with polyurethane foam-covered mammary prosthesis: a
      preliminary report.
AB  - Long-term reviews of patients undergoing augmentation mammaplasty seem to be
      rare. Recently, a long-term study of patients who had undergone augmentation with
      polyurethane foam-covered prostheses was undertaken. However, at the time that
      study was published, the longest follow-up was just over 4 years. We have been
      using the polyurethane-coated prosthesis almost exclusively for nearly 20 years.
      The procedure is performed by one surgeon using a consistent technique, and all
      implantations were retroglandular. In reviewing this series, a follow-up rate of
      nearly 60% was achieved in patients augmented for periods of 1 to 19 years. The
      length of this study, together with a high follow-up compliance rate, makes this
      an unusual contribution to the literature on augmentation mammaplasty.

PMID- 1872551
TI  - Effects of hyperbaric oxygen preservation on rat limb replantation: a preliminary
      report.
AB  - The effect of hyperbaric oxygen, administered during storage, on the survival of
      replanted limbs was evaluated in rats. The right hindlimbs of male Sprague-Dawley
      rats were severed and were replanted by microvascular anastomoses after storage
      in either room air or hyperbaric oxygen (100% oxygen at 2.9 atm absolute) at 23
      degrees C for 5 hours. The administration of hyperbaric oxygen during storage
      improved limb survival from 50% in the room-air, control rats to 100% (p less
      than 0.05). The gastrocnemius muscle of limbs treated with hyperbaric oxygen
      demonstrated a higher level of energy reserves (creatine phosphate, adenosine
      triphosphate, glycogen, and glucose) than the same muscle in room-air, control
      rats. The mechanisms of the beneficial effect of hyperbaric oxygen on limb
      survival appears to be related to preservation of high-energy phosphates and
      glycogen.

PMID- 1872552
TI  - Microfixation techniques in pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery.
AB  - Microfixation represents a technical advance that has been developed for the
      specific needs of the infantile and pediatric craniomaxillofacial skeleton. The
      microplates provide significant skeletal stability despite their size and are
      relatively easy to apply and adjust after placement. The advantages and the
      technical aspects of microfixation use versus those of minifixation in smaller
      skeletal structures are presented. The range of applications in pediatric
      craniofacial surgery is demonstrated and reviewed in our series of 65 children,
      with a greater than 1-year follow-up.

PMID- 1872553
TI  - The great auricular nerve revisited: pertinent anatomy for SMAS-platysma
      rhytidectomy.
AB  - Aesthetic platysma surgery during rhytidectomy has gained popularity for contour
      restoration of the jaw line, cervicomental angle, as well as anterior neck
      defects. The superficial musculoaponeurotic system-platysma flap is elevated and
      suspended in a cephaloposterior direction by suturing to the investing fascia
      overlying the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid bone. This procedure is
      usually performed without total visualization of the great auricular nerve,
      possibly placing this nerve at risk during suspension. Anatomical dissections of
      the great auricular nerve were performed bilaterally on 10 cadavers to delineate
      its course in the superior neck and identify anatomy pertinent to the elevation
      of flaps and placement of sutures during superficial musculoaponeurotic system
      platysma suspension.

PMID- 1872554
TI  - Soft-tissue blood flow after segmental osteotomy of the canine tibia.
AB  - The response of soft-tissue blood flow to a segmental osteotomy of the canine
      tibial diaphysis was investigated. Forty-three dogs underwent unilateral tibial
      osteotomies to create a 2.5-cm avascular diaphyseal segment, which was then
      rigidly stabilized with a plate. Blood flow measurements of the limbs that
      underwent surgery and control limbs were made using cerium 141 microspheres. One
      month after surgery, blood flow to the caudal musculature was increased 1.4-fold
      and at 2 and 3 months was twofold the value of the control side. The cranial
      musculature blood flow was 2.4-fold the control value at 1 month and 1.4-fold the
      control value at 2 and 3 months. Skin blood flow was significantly elevated at 1
      month after surgery (p less than 0.0277), but by 2 and 3 months, skin flow had
      decreased to 1.4-fold and 1.3-fold of control values (p = 0.22). Bone marrow and
      cortical blood flows were still significantly elevated at 3 months after surgery.
      Muscle blood flow remains markedly elevated 3 months after surgery. This study
      demonstrates the importance of soft-tissue blood flow to the process of
      revascularization, remodeling, and incorporation of avascular cortical bone.

PMID- 1872555
TI  - The Krukenberg procedure in the bilateral amputee after electrical burn.
AB  - Nine Krukenberg procedures were performed in 5 bilateral amputee patients
      suffering severe electrical injuries of both hands and wrists. The surgical
      procedure yielded functioning pincers in 7 of 9 operations. The patients could
      perform their daily activities very well and showed pronounced improvement in
      their self-confidence, self-reliance, and quality of life. The postoperative
      rehabilitation of these patients was not difficult. The Krukenberg procedure
      should be considered a substitute for prosthesis, especially in developing
      countries.

PMID- 1872556
TI  - Salvage of successful mandibular advancement for obstructive sleep apnea using a
      bipedicle osteocutaneous scapular free flap.
AB  - An interesting case is presented of a woman with obstructive sleep apnea due to
      mandibular hypoplasia who was successfully treated with mandibular advancement.
      After a postoperative complication, the correction was salvaged by using a
      previously undescribed bipedicled osteocutaneous scapular free flap.

PMID- 1872557
TI  - Sequential multiple free flap transfers for reconstruction of devastating hand
      injuries.
AB  - Restoring function to a severely damaged hand can require complex reconstructions
      using multiple tissue transfers to replace skeletal, soft tissue, and nerve
      components. We present 2 patients with severe hand trauma treated with serial
      multiple flap transfers, an operative sequence not previously reported in detail.
      One patient underwent five flap transfers in three operations, whereas the second
      patient underwent four flap transfers in two operations. All the flaps survived.
      Total anesthesia time for these patients was 43.5 and 34.5 hours, respectively.
      Both patients obtained measurable functional restoration, and suffered no
      significant perioperative morbidity. These patients illustrate the clinical
      feasibility of serial multiple microvascular transplantations for complicated
      reconstructions.

PMID- 1872558
TI  - Atypical mycobacterium soft-tissue infection of the dorsal radial wrist: a
      possible complication of steroid injection for de Quervain's disease.
AB  - Corticosteroid injection into the first dorsal compartment for acute de
      Quervain's tenosynovitis is an accepted form of therapy. Potential side effects
      include soft-tissue atrophy, tendon attrition, postinjection neuritis of the
      superficial radial nerve, systemic reactions, and infection. We present a patient
      with a Mycobacterium chelonei infection localized to the soft tissue overlying
      the first dorsal compartment, occurring 3 years after a triamcinolone injection
      into this area. Histological examination with the polarizing microscope revealed
      persistent steroid granules in the involved tissue. Successful treatment
      consisted of complete excision of the involved skin and subcutaneous tissue
      followed by delayed closure. Systemic antibiotics were not used.

PMID- 1872559
TI  - Survival of an upper lip aesthetic complex using arterial reanastomosis only.
AB  - Venous congestion after microvascular replantation remains a formidable problem
      even under ideal circumstances. The patient reported is a young woman with a
      traumatically avulsed upper lip aesthetic complex. Blood flow was reestablished
      using microanastomosis of the labial artery, however, no veins of adequate size
      could be recovered. With systemic administration of heparin, allowing the flap to
      bleed freely in addition to the use of medicinal leeches, we were able to salvage
      an avulsed upper lip aesthetic complex with the use of a single arterial
      microanastomosis. This patient report exemplifies alternative methods used in
      dealing with venous inadequacy in a composite replant.

PMID- 1872560
TI  - Restoration of facial contour with deepithelized pectoralis major
      musculocutaneous flap.

PMID- 1872561
TI  - Functioning free latissimus dorsi muscle transplantation: anterogradely
      positioned usage in reconstruction of extensive forearm defect.
AB  - We present a patient with successful functional recovery of a severely injured
      upper extremity after a microneurovascular free latissimus dorsi muscle and
      combined composite skin were transplanted with an anterograde position. In our
      patient, the anterogradely positioned usage of the lastissimus muscle offered two
      major advantages; one advantage was the direct anastomosis of a more proximal
      healthy uninjured recipient nerve without interpositional nerve graft, and the
      other, one-stage coverage including the elbow wound with combined scapular skin
      flap. From our result, we deduce that a neurovascular free latissimus dorsi
      muscle transplantation with an anterograde position is selectively indicated in
      functional recovery of an extensively injured forearm.

PMID- 1872562
TI  - Transaxillary subpectoral placement of textured breast prostheses.
AB  - Textured breast implants are difficult to introduce through a small incision. We
      have developed two new retractors and a new positioning regimen that enables us
      to use the transaxillary subglandular or subpectoral approach for breast
      augmentation. These retractors enable us to bluntly dissect the plane beneath the
      gland or the pectoralis muscle and then adduct the arm so that the relaxed
      pectoralis or subglandular space can be retracted to allow atmospheric pressure,
      gravity, and the surgeon's finger to work in unison.

PMID- 1872563
TI  - The importance of imprecision.

PMID- 1872564
TI  - Alcohol and the laboratory in the United Kingdom.
AB  - Reliable and rapid assays for the measurement of ethanol in breath and body
      fluids are now widely available. In view of the importance of alcohol abuse as a
      cause of a wide variety of both acute and chronic clinical conditions, hospital
      laboratories should be prepared to perform these assays for clinical purposes,
      although many will choose not to become involved in the assay of medico-legal
      samples.

PMID- 1872565
TI  - Primary hyperaldosteronism in England and Wales: a review of the use of a
      Supraregional Assay Service laboratory for the measurement of aldosterone and
      plasma renin activity.
AB  - To ascertain the use being made of a Supraregional Assay Service laboratory in
      the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism, follow-up data were obtained on 60
      patients in whom the diagnosis was suggested by the biochemical results. In 36
      patients an adrenal adenoma had been removed; 14 patients had evidence of an
      adenoma on CT scan; 10 patients were presumed to have bilateral adrenal
      hyperplasia. The data used to make the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism
      and to assess the likelihood of the presence of an adenoma indicate that patients
      studied at 40 centres in the UK show results very similar to those of North
      American series where large numbers of patients have been described but all have
      been studied in the same centre. The majority of patients in our series were
      treated at the hospital at which the diagnosis was made, thus avoiding referral
      to a centre distant from the patient's home and indicating that the service was
      being used as originally intended when the Supraregional Assay Service was set
      up.

PMID- 1872566
TI  - Pseudohyperphosphataemia in multiple myeloma.
AB  - Two cases of spurious hyperphosphataemia in patients with multiple myeloma are
      presented. An unreduced phosphomolybdate method without dialysis was used and the
      falsely raised values are shown to be due to the formation of a proteinaceous
      suspension in the reaction mixture. Such interference may be more prevalent than
      is generally recognized, and care should be taken to identify the problem in
      patients with myeloma.

PMID- 1872567
TI  - Hypercalcaemia due to calcium binding by a polymeric IgA kappa-paraprotein.
AB  - Total serum calcium concentration was raised in a 63-year-old lady with multiple
      myeloma and markedly elevated serum IgA kappa-paraprotein concentration. Symptoms
      of hypercalcaemia were absent, and serum ionized calcium was normal, suggesting
      calcium binding by the abnormal protein. This was demonstrated directly after
      isolation of the paraprotein and characterization of the calcium/protein
      interaction. After reduction of the paraprotein with mercaptoethanol, sodium
      dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis revealed two bands
      corresponding to light and heavy chains, but under non-reducing conditions the
      isolated paraprotein migrated in a series of bands, possibly representing
      polymeric forms of the basic immunoglobulin moiety.

PMID- 1872568
TI  - Effects of ionic strength on ionized calcium measured using reference electrode
      liquid junctions of varying design and composition.
AB  - Five commercial analysers were used to measure ionized calcium in aqueous and
      protein solutions which contained the same amount of calcium but had sodium
      chloride concentrations ranging from 100 to 150 mmol/L. In aqueous solutions
      measured activity fell significantly with increasing ionic strength while in
      protein solutions it increased. When isotonic sodium chloride was substituted for
      the hypertonic potassium chloride reference electrode liquid junction of an
      analyser with an open junction, there was a marked positive change in the effect
      of ionic strength in both aqueous and protein solutions. In contrast, when either
      isotonic sodium chloride or potassium chloride was substituted for the hypertonic
      potassium chloride of an instrument with a membrane-restricted junction, there
      was no effect on the change of measured values with ionic strength. Increasing
      the protein concentration by ultrafiltration did not change ionized calcium
      values when isotonic reference solutions were used with either open or membrane
      restricted junctions. Because membrane-restricted isotonic junctions respond like
      hypertonic junctions to changes in sample ionic strength but do not exhibit
      protein interference, they may prove to have advantages over both open isotonic
      junctions and all configurations of hypertonic junction for measurements in
      patients.

PMID- 1872569
TI  - In vitro evaluation of a heparinized blood sampler for ionized calcium
      measurement.
AB  - When ionized calcium measurements are needed urgently blood has to be sampled
      with an anticoagulant to allow rapid specimen processing. Heparinate salts cause
      a decrease in ionized calcium by binding which is clinically significant when the
      concentration exceeds 15 IU/mL of whole blood. The use of an anticoagulant in an
      aqueous state induces 'solution-dilution' errors. To avoid these two types of
      error the use of calcium-titrated sodium heparinate in a dry state has been
      proposed. However, in this situation the actual calcium concentration could be
      modified if its value were different from the titration level. This possibility
      has been studied using a commercially available sampler (Radiometer B-129). When
      the sampler was used as recommended, errors were non-significant around 1.25
      mmol/L. There was a +3% increase for low (0.75 mmol/L) values and a -2% decrease
      for high (2.50 mmol/L) values. Incomplete syringe filling increased these errors.

PMID- 1872570
TI  - Different effects on oestrogen binding sites and anti-oestrogenic action of
      danazol and progesterone.
AB  - Rabbit uterus contains type I and II oestrogen binding sites in the cytosol, and
      nuclear fractions. Oestrogen-stimulated increase in uterine weight was inhibited
      by concurrent treatment with progesterone or danazol. Oestrogen-induced type I
      binding sites were decreased by progesterone and to a lesser extent by danazol,
      while oestrogen-induced type II sites were decreased almost equally in the two
      groups. Neither progesterone nor danazol alone caused any detectable changes in
      uterine weight. These findings may suggest that the anti-oestrogenic effect on
      uterine weight is more correlated with the change in type II binding sites of
      oestrogen than that in type I sites. Thus, danazol may exert anti-oestrogenic
      actions through a pathway independent from that of progesterone.

PMID- 1872571
TI  - Overestimation of monoclonal immunoglobulin by immunochemical methods.
AB  - A comparison of paraprotein estimation by scanning densitometry with
      corresponding immunoglobulin concentration measured by rate immunonephelometry,
      fixed-time immunonephelometry and kinetic immunoturbidimetry using a large number
      of sera has indicated overestimation of the immunoglobulin by liquid phase
      immunoassays in the presence of a monoclonal component. The effect was seen with
      all three major immunoglobulin isotypes but was most marked with IgM paraproteins
      when measured by kinetic nephelometry. The overestimations could not be explained
      by presence of rheumatoid factors or immune complexes in the serum samples, or by
      non-parallelism, over a range of dilutions, of the reaction of sample and
      calibrant with the antiserum. The source and species of antiserum used was a
      major contributory factor.

PMID- 1872572
TI  - Nasal secretions from patients with polyps and healthy individuals, collected
      with a new aspiration system: evaluation of total protein and immunoglobulin
      concentrations.
AB  - This study was designed, first, to test a new system for aspiration of human
      nasal secretions and, secondly, to evaluate protein and immunoglobulin
      concentrations in these secretions at different levels of secretory activity. The
      direct aspiration system combines the advantages of minimal irritation of the
      nasal mucosa with the facility to determine concentrations per gram of secretion.
      The total protein and immunoglobulin concentrations were inversely related to the
      amount of secretion obtained. Variations in fluid secretion throughout the day
      may be responsible for this relationship. The inverse relationship was much more
      significant in patients with nasal polyps, in which much higher concentrations
      were found, than in healthy subjects. Ratios of immunoglobulin to total protein
      were independent of the amount of secretion obtained. Compared to the controls,
      the ratios of IgM and IgG to protein in the secretions of the patients were
      significantly increased. The secretory immunoglobulin A to total protein ratios
      were only slightly higher in the patients' secretions.

PMID- 1872573
TI  - Immunoreactive endothelin in human kidney.
AB  - Using a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for endothelin, we examined
      immunoreactive endothelin in human kidney tissue obtained from three necropsy and
      three nephrectomy cases. Immunoreactive endothelin was present in high
      concentrations in human kidney inner medulla (necropsy cases: 1.08 +/- 0.47 pg/mg
      wet weight:mean +/- SE)(nephrectomy cases: 2.77 +/- 0.46). Characterization by
      reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography indicated that the only
      immunoreactive endothelin in human kidney inner medulla is endothelin-1, although
      immunoreactive endothelin in rat and pig kidney inner medulla comprises both
      isopeptides endothelin-1 and -3, suggesting that the genetic expression of
      endothelin differs according to species.

PMID- 1872574
TI  - A comparison of analytical goals for haemoglobin A1c assays derived using
      different strategies.
AB  - Analytical goals for the performance characteristics of assays of haemoglobin A1c
      (HbA1c) have been investigated using different assumptions for generation of
      estimates, these being based on strategies using data on biological variation and
      on the clinical use of results. The derived goals are highly dependent on the
      assumptions made. In general, in monitoring of patients (using results from the
      same laboratory), the analytical imprecision is the most demanding, whereas bias
      (inaccuracy) is the most important characteristic when strategies for several
      centres (laboratories) to achieve similar results are invoked. Goals for
      analytical quality should be given in a form in which both analytical imprecision
      and bias (or systematic error) are specified. When several goals are to be
      considered (for different relevant assumptions), the most demanding should be
      used.

PMID- 1872575
TI  - Fructosamine in diabetes screening of the elderly.
AB  - The use of serum fructosamine in diabetes detection was investigated during a
      diabetes survey performed with a modified oral glucose tolerance test (MOGTT) on
      742 residents of the Melton Mowbray area aged between 65 and 85 years. Subjects
      were tested in the morning and remained at rest. MOGTT results were classified by
      WHO criteria. The fructosamine concentration was measured in a random sub-group
      of 264 normal subjects and had a Gaussian distribution (mean = 1.67 mmol/L, SD =
      0.126 mmol/L). In the survey as a whole 25 new diabetics were found of which 23
      had fructosamine measured; 17 had values above the 95th percentile and four more
      had values above the 90th percentile. We have found fructosamine concentration to
      be a useful screen for diabetes but this may be dependent upon the standardized
      sampling procedure used, and the population studied.

PMID- 1872576
TI  - A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for beta 2-glycoprotein I.
AB  - A solid-phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for determining beta 2
      glycoprotein I in urine has been developed. It has a working concentration range
      of 5-40 micrograms/L and a detection limit of approximately 1.4 micrograms/L. The
      within-plate coefficient of variation (CV) falls between 1.4% and 2.1%, and the
      between-batch CV ranges from 5.2 to 6.0%. Recovery of beta 2-glycoprotein I added
      to urine varies between 96 and 110%. The assay can also be used for determining
      beta 2-glycoprotein I in serum.

PMID- 1872577
TI  - Enzymatic determination of bilirubin in serum of newborns--any advantage over
      previous methods?
AB  - Using a Hitachi 705 Selective Analyzer at 25 degrees C, precision and accuracy of
      the enzymatic determination of total bilirubin (DRI-STAT) in serum of newborns
      was studied. Imprecision (day-to-day) was unacceptably high using daily
      calibration, but could be reduced by using a fixed factor. Accuracy was checked
      by analysis of 70 newborn sera with the 'Candidate Reference Method' and DRI
      STAT. It could be improved using calibrators with reference method values.
      Haemoglobin interference was studied by addition of different derivatives of
      fetal haemoglobin (oxihaemoglobin, desoxihaemoglobin, haemiglobin) to pools of
      newborn sera and control samples. DRI-STAT is more susceptible to interference by
      oxihaemoglobin than other routine methods. No difference was found in the
      influence of oxhihaemoglobin and desoxihaemoglobin; haemiglobin interferes
      significantly less.

PMID- 1872578
TI  - Reference ranges for free catecholamine/creatinine ratios in random urines from
      normal children aged 5 to 16 years.

PMID- 1872579
TI  - False positive reactions in total IgE analysis of amniotic and cerebrospinal
      fluids.

PMID- 1872580
TI  - Monitoring of renal transplant graft function by regular postal capillary blood
      sampling.

PMID- 1872581
TI  - Observed changes in serum potassium concentration following repeat centrifugation
      of Sarstedt Serum Gel Safety Monovettes after storage.

PMID- 1872582
TI  - Interference of fluorescein with creatinine assays.

PMID- 1872583
TI  - Fluorescein interference in digoxin assay: an isolated case?

PMID- 1872584
TI  - The relationship between serum cholesterol and serum thyrotropin in women with
      peripheral arterial disease.

PMID- 1872585
TI  - The evolving demographics of graduate dental education.
AB  - A review is provided of the changing gender, racial and ethic distribution of
      enrollees in advanced dental education programs.

PMID- 1872586
TI  - Retromolar foramen: a mandibular variant important to dentistry.
AB  - The retromolar foramen (RMF) was found to occur in eighteen of 234 adult human
      mandibles studied (7.7%). No statistically significant difference was found
      between left and right sides or between sexes. A statistical correlation was made
      between the occurrence of the RMF and accessory mandibular foramina, accessory
      mental foramina, mandibular third molars, and three-rooted mandibular first
      molars. Only the accessory mandibular foramen showed a significant positive
      correlation with RMF regarding same-side occurrence. Three-rooted first molars
      were not found in any of the mandibles studied. Due to the relatively frequent
      occurrence of RMF, it is important for the dental practitioner to be aware of
      this variant and the possible complications which may occur during the
      administration of anesthesia and surgical procedures in the region.

PMID- 1872587
TI  - An uncommon case of parotid sialolithiasis.
AB  - A vivid example of parotid sialolithiasis diagnosed with an anterior-posterior
      radiograph and subsequently followed with a superficial parotidectomy is
      presented. The case presentation is preceded and followed by a discussion of the
      pathogenesis and treatment of such an abnormality.

PMID- 1872588
TI  - Amniotic band syndrome (ABS): report of a case.
AB  - Amniotic band syndrome (ABS) is a rare collection of malformations associated
      with thread-like strands connecting the amnion and any part of the fetus. A case
      is reported where the constriction rings and amputation of fingers and the cleft
      lip/cleft palate constituted the main features of this syndrome.

PMID- 1872589
TI  - True malignant mixed tumor (carcinosarcoma) of palatal minor salivary gland
      origin.
AB  - True malignant mixed tumor (carcinosarcoma) of salivary gland origin is
      exceedingly rare and is distinguishable from the more frequently occurring
      carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma. This paper reports a case of true malignant
      mixed tumor originating from a palatal minor salivary gland of a 55-year-old
      male. Histologically, nests of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were
      scattered in a sarcomatous background which partially showed an unequivocal
      chondrosarcoma. Clinical course of the present patient suggested that a pre
      existing benign minor salivary gland lesion developed to a carcinosarcoma.

PMID- 1872590
TI  - The relationship between mercury from dental amalgam and oral cavity health.

PMID- 1872591
TI  - The New York Academy of Dentistry Merit Award in the Humanities.

PMID- 1872592
TI  - Failures of endocarditis prophylaxis: selective review of the literature and a
      case report.
AB  - Patients at risk for developing infective endocarditis require antibiotic
      prophylaxis before bloody dental procedures. However, despite prophylactic
      measures, some patients still develop the infection. A selective review of the
      literature is given and a case report of prophylactic failure in a high risk
      patient is presented.

PMID- 1872593
TI  - Therapeutic value of barley in the management of diabetes.
AB  - The alleged beneficial properties of barley in the treatment of diabetes were
      investigated. Rates of growth, water and food (digestible energy) intakes, and
      blood glucose concentrations were measured before and after the induction of
      diabetes in rats fed diets containing either barley or wheat. No differences were
      found in healthy animals, but in the diabetic state the blood glucose
      concentration, water consumption and weight loss was significantly lower in the
      rats fed barley. It is suggested that a factor other than the fibre content of
      the cereals may be responsible for the difference in response.

PMID- 1872594
TI  - Role of chromium in barley in modulating the symptoms of diabetes.
AB  - In adult diabetic rats, a diet containing barley had a modulating effect on the
      symptoms of diabetes (blood glucose concentration and water consumption) when
      compared with a starch or sucrose-based diet. It was postulated that the
      beneficial effect of barley might be explained by its very high content of
      chromium (5.69 micrograms/g). Supplementation of the sucrose-based diet with an
      amount of trivalent inorganic chromium calculated to be equivalent to the
      available chromium in the barley-based diet abolished the differences in response
      to the diabetic state.

PMID- 1872595
TI  - Effectiveness of education-screening on cholesterol levels of students.
AB  - Increases of cholesterol levels from the age of 16 years have been demonstrated
      in community-based studies. Cholesterol education to students aged 15-17 years in
      5 high schools was presented prior to cholesterol screening with the Reflotron.
      First screening took place in March 1987. An identical program was repeated 11
      months later, again followed by screening in March 1988. Of the 5 schools, 2 were
      assigned to involve teachers. There was a significant cholesterol reduction in
      these 2 schools, i.e., -17 and -19 mg/dl (p less than 0.05). The effectiveness of
      the physicians' education and the compliance of the students with the teachers'
      recommendations certainly must have been enhanced by a different family
      environment with a higher socioeconomic stratum prevailing in these 2 high
      schools. However, these factors did not influence the baseline in all 5 schools.
      In the 3 remaining schools no increases in cholesterol levels expected for this
      age were observed.

PMID- 1872596
TI  - Effect of supplementation with water-soluble vitamins on erythrocyte alanine
      aminotransferase activity of healthy adolescents.
AB  - The erythrocyte alanine aminotransferase (E-ALAT) activity with and without in
      vitro stimulation by pyridoxal phosphate of 60 healthy adolescents was measured
      before and after 6 weeks of supplementation with different water-soluble
      vitamins. The subjects who were divided into six groups received placebo (lactose
      tablets), pyridoxine, pyridoxine + ascorbic acid, pyridoxine + iron, pyridoxine +
      riboflavin and multivitamin supplements, respectively. Presupplementation E-ALAT
      activity increased significantly (p less than 0.05) for all supplemented subjects
      after 6 weeks. Deficient subjects (E-ALAT) index less than 1.16) however failed
      to respond to a combination of pyridoxine + ascorbic acid or multivitamins. It is
      suggested that pyridoxine in multivitamin preparations must exceed 1 mg to
      produce any useful improvement in vitamin B6 status of adolescents on suboptimal
      vitamin B6 intakes.

PMID- 1872597
TI  - Effect of protein malnutrition on glycoprotein, protein and lipid synthesis in
      the rat cerebellum during the period of brain growth spurt.
AB  - Female Wistar rats were fed a normal-protein diet (25% casein) or a low-protein
      diet (8% casein) during pregnancy and lactation. The two diets were isocaloric
      and contained appropriate amounts of mineral salts and vitamins. Pups from dams
      submitted to the low-protein diet had a lower body weight than normally fed
      controls as early as on the day of birth, but a difference in cerebellar weight
      between the two groups was observed only on the 15th postnatal day. Malnutrition
      had no effect on cerebellar protein concentration, which increased with age in
      both groups. The cerebellar DNA concentration was higher at 7 and 15 days of age
      in normally fed rats than in malnourished rats, whereas at 21 days of age it was
      higher in the malnourished animals. [U-14C]Leucine and [2-3H]mannose
      incorporation into proteins and lipid synthesis from acetyl coenzyme A (CoA)
      derived from [U-14C]leucine markedly decreased with age in the cerebellum of rats
      fed both diets. [2-3H]Mannose incorporation into cerebellar glycoproteins was
      greater in malnourished rats during the period of brain growth spurt than in
      normally fed rats at all ages studied. Prenatal and postnatal protein
      malnutrition had no effect on [U-14C]leucine incorporation into cerebellar
      proteins or on cerebellar lipid synthesis from acetyl-CoA derived from [U
      14C]leucine during the period of brain growth spurt.

PMID- 1872598
TI  - Effect of changes of water and electrolytes on the validity of conventional
      methods of measuring fat-free mass.
AB  - Fat-free mass was measured by hydrodensitometry, electrical impedance and total
      body potassium before and after water and electrolyte loss induced by (a) the
      administration of the diuretic frusemide, and (b) sweat loss. All methods of
      measuring fat-free mass were shown by pilot experiments to have procedural
      reliability. The diuretic caused a reduction in apparent fat-free mass of 2.63 kg
      by the impedance method, of 2.33 kg by hydrodensitometry and of 1.8 kg by total
      body potassium. Water and electrolyte loss from sweating caused a fat-free loss
      of 2.3 kg, 2.7 kg and 1.3 kg by the same three procedures. Urinary potassium
      accounted for about one fifth of the observed 40K fat-free mass loss. Each method
      was thus clearly sensitive to the induced water loss. These data suggest that in
      evaluating the composition of weight loss, existing methods of measuring body
      composition do not distinguish between water and other more critical components
      of fat-free mass. It is thus essential that stable hydration levels are
      established for any longitudinal comparison of weight loss by these methods.

PMID- 1872599
TI  - Performance characterization of a model bioreactor for the biodegradation of
      trichloroethylene by Pseudomonas cepacia G4.
AB  - Pseudomonas cepacia G4 grown in chemostats with phenol demonstrated constant
      specific degradation rates for both phenol and trichloroethylene (TCE) over a
      range of dilution rates. Washout of cells from chemostats was evident at a
      dilution rate of 0.2 h-1 at 28 degrees C. Increased phenol concentrations in the
      nutrient feed led to increased biomass production with constant specific
      degradation rates for both phenol and TCE. The addition of lactate to the phenol
      feed led to increased biomass production but lowered specific phenol and TCE
      degradation rates. The maximum potential for TCE degradation was about 1.1 g per
      day per g of cell protein. Cell growth and degradation kinetic parameters were
      used in the design of a recirculating bioreactor for TCE degradation. In this
      reactor, the total amount of TCE degraded increased as either reaction time or
      biomass was increased. TCE degradation was observed up to 300 microM TCE with no
      significant decreases in rates. On the average, this reactor was able to degrade
      0.7 g of TCE per day per g of cell protein. These results demonstrate the
      feasibility of TCE bioremediation through the use of bioreactors.

PMID- 1872600
TI  - Anaerobic biodegradation of cyanide under methanogenic conditions.
AB  - Upflow, anaerobic, fixed-bed, activated charcoal biotreatment columns capable of
      operating at free cyanide concentrations of greater than 100 mg liter-1 with a
      hydraulic retention time of less than 48 h were developed. Methanogenesis was
      maintained under a variety of feed medium conditions which included ethanol,
      phenol, or methanol as the primary reduced carbon source. Under optimal
      conditions, greater than 70% of the inflow free cyanide was removed in the first
      30% of the column height. Strongly complexed cyanides were resistant to removal.
      Ammonia was the nitrogen end product of cyanide transformation. In cell material
      removed from the charcoal columns, [14C]bicarbonate was the major carbon end
      product of [14C]cyanide transformation.

PMID- 1872601
TI  - Role of sodium in the growth of a ruminal selenomonad.
AB  - The ruminal selenomonad strain H18 grew rapidly (mu = 0.50 h-1) in a defined
      medium containing glucose, ammonia, purified amino acids, and sodium (95 mM);
      little if any ammonia was utilized as a nitrogen source. When the sodium salts
      were replaced by potassium salts (0.13 mM sodium), there was a small reduction in
      growth rate (mu = 0.34 h-1), and under these conditions greater than 95% of the
      cell nitrogen was derived from ammonia. No growth was observed when the medium
      lacked sodium (less than 0.35 mM) and amino acids were the only nitrogen source.
      At least six amino acid transport systems (aspartate, glutamine, lysine,
      phenylalanine, serine, and valine) were sodium dependent, and these systems could
      be driven by an electrical potential (delta psi) or a chemical gradient of
      sodium. H18 utilized lactate as an energy source for growth, but only when sodium
      and aspartate were added to the medium. Malate or fumarate was able to replace
      aspartate, and when these acids were added, sodium was no longer required.
      Glucose-grown cells accumulated large amounts of polysaccharide (64% of dry
      weight), and when the exogenous glucose was depleted, this material was converted
      to acetate and propionate as long as sodium was present. When the cells were
      incubated in buffers lacking sodium, succinate accumulated and exogenous
      succinate could not be decarboxylated. Because sodium had little effect on the
      transmembrane pH gradient at pH 6.7 to 4.5, it did not appear that sodium was
      required for intracellular pH regulation.

PMID- 1872602
TI  - Anaerobic degradation of m-cresol in anoxic aquifer slurries: carboxylation
      reactions in a sulfate-reducing bacterial enrichment.
AB  - The anaerobic biodegradation of m-cresol was observed in anoxic aquifer slurries
      kept under both sulfate-reducing and nitrate-reducing but not methanogenic
      conditions. More than 85% of the parent substrate (300 microM) was consumed in
      less than 6 days in slurries kept under the former two conditions. No appreciable
      loss of the compound from the corresponding autoclaved controls was measurable. A
      bacterial consortium was enriched from the slurries for its ability to metabolize
      m-cresol under sulfate-reducing conditions. Metabolism in this enrichment culture
      was inhibited in the presence of oxygen or molybdate (500 microM) and in the
      absence of sulfate but was unaffected by bromoethanesulfonic acid. The consortium
      consumed 3.63 mol of sulfate per mol of m-cresol degraded. This stoichiometry is
      about 87% of that theoretically expected and suggests that m-cresol was largely
      mineralized. Resting-cell experiments demonstrated that the degradation of m
      cresol proceeded only in the presence of bicarbonate. 4-Hydroxy-2-methylbenzoic
      acid and acetate were detected as transient intermediates. Thus, the parent
      substrate was initially carboxylated as the primary degradative event. The
      sulfate-reducing consortium could also decarboxylate p- but not m-hydroxybenzoate
      to near stoichiometric amounts of phenol, but this reaction was not sulfate
      dependent. The presence of p-hydroxybenzoate in the medium temporarily inhibited
      m-cresol metabolism such that the former compound was metabolized prior to the
      latter and phenol was degraded in a sequential manner. These findings help
      clarify the fate of a common groundwater contaminant under sulfate-reducing
      conditions.

PMID- 1872603
TI  - In vivo metabolism of 2,2'-diaminopimelic acid from gram-positive and gram
      negative bacterial cells by ruminal microorganisms and ruminants and its use as a
      marker of bacterial biomass.
AB  - Cells of Bacillus megaterium GW1 and Escherichia coli W7-M5 were specifically
      radiolabeled with 2,2'-diamino[G-3H]pimelic acid ([3H]DAP) as models of gram
      positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Two experiments were conducted
      to study the in vivo metabolism of 2,2'-diaminopimelic acid (DAP) in sheep. In
      experiment 1, cells of [3H]DAP-labeled B. megaterium GW1 were infused into the
      rumen of one sheep and the radiolabel was traced within microbial samples,
      digesta, and the whole animal. Bacterially bound [3H]DAP was extensively
      metabolized, primarily (up to 70% after 8 h) via decarboxylation to [3H]lysine by
      both ruminal protozoa and ruminal bacteria. Recovery of infused radiolabel in
      urine and feces was low (42% after 96 h) and perhaps indicative of further
      metabolism by the host animal. In experiment 2, [3H]DAP-labeled B. megaterium GW1
      was infused into the rumens of three sheep and [3H]DAP-labeled E. coli W7-M5 was
      infused into the rumen of another sheep. The radioactivity contents of these
      mutant bacteria were insufficient to use as tracers, but the metabolism of DAP
      was monitored in the total, free, and peptidyl forms. Free DAP, as a proportion
      of total DAP in duodenal digesta, varied from 0 to 9.5%, whereas peptidyl DAP
      accounted for 8.3 to 99.2%. These data reflect the extensive metabolism of
      bacterially bound DAP within the gastrointestinal tracts of ruminant animals and
      serve as a serious caution to the uncritical use of DAP as a marker of bacterial
      biomass in the digesta of these animals.

PMID- 1872604
TI  - Methylated sulfur compounds in microbial mats: in situ concentrations and
      metabolism by a colorless sulfur bacterium.
AB  - The concentrations of the volatile organic sulfur compounds methanethiol,
      dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and the viable population capable
      of DMS utilization in laminated microbial ecosystems were evaluated. Significant
      levels of DMS and dimethyl disulfide (maximum concentrations of 220 and 24 nmol
      cm3 of sediment-1, respectively) could be detected only at the top 20 mm of the
      microbial mat, whereas methanethiol was found only at depth horizons from 20 to
      50 mm (maximum concentration of 42 nmol cm3 of sediment-1). DMS concentrations in
      the surface layer doubled after cold hydrolysis of its precursor,
      dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Most-probable-number counts revealed 2.2 x 10(5)
      cells cm3 of sediment-1, in the 0- to 5-mm depth horizon, capable of growth on
      DMS as the sole source of energy. An obligately chemolithoautotrophic bacillus
      designated strain T5 was isolated from the top layer of the marine sediment.
      Continuous culture studies in which DMS was the growth-limiting substrate
      revealed a maximum specific growth rate of 0.10 h-1 and a saturation constant of
      90 mumol liter-1 for aerobic growth on this substrate.

PMID- 1872605
TI  - Effect of propionate toxicity on methanogen-enriched sludge, Methanobrevibacter
      smithii, and Methanospirillum hungatii at different pH values.
AB  - The effect of propionate toxicity at different pH values (6.5, 7.0, and 8.0) on
      methanogen-enriched sludge. Methanobrevibacter smithii, and Methanospirillum
      hungatii was studied. Organisms were grown in Balch medium 3 in Hungate tubes,
      and toxicity was characterized by a decrease in production of methane and in
      bacterial numbers. Propionate inhibited bacterial growth and cumulative methane
      production at concentrations as low as 20 mM. In the absence of propionate, the
      methanogen-enriched sludge and M. smithii showed better cumulative methane
      production at pH 6.5 and 7.0 than at pH 8.0. However, in the presence of
      propionate, these organisms showed better cumulative methane production at pH
      8.0. M. hungatii differed in its behavior; the best values of cumulative methane
      production for this organism occurred at pH 7.0. Bacterial numbers reflected the
      microbial response to the presence of propionate. The highest counts of
      methanogenic bacteria were observed at pH 6.5 and 8.0. The numbers of methanogens
      were affected by the presence of propionate even at concentrations as low as 20
      or 30 mM; at propionate concentrations above 80 mM, the methanogen count was
      affected by at least 2 orders of magnitude. Upon comparison of the responses of
      the pure cultures and the methanogen-enriched sludge to increasing propionate
      concentrations, it was found that the sensitivity of the pure cultures was
      similar to that of the methanogens in the sludge.

PMID- 1872606
TI  - Survival of Aeromonas salmonicida in lake water.
AB  - The survival of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida in lake water was
      investigated by using a variety of techniques. They included acridine orange
      epifluorescence, respiration, cell culture, cell revival, flow cytometry, plasmid
      maintenance, and membrane fatty acid analysis. During a 21-day study, A.
      salmonicida became nonculturable in sterile lake water samples. Flow cytometry
      and direct microscopy indicated that cells were present. Although the
      nonculturable cells could not be revived, the recovery method did indicate that
      the presence of low numbers of culturable cells within samples could produce
      misleading results. Plasmid DNA, genomic DNA, and RNA were maintained in the
      nonculturable cells; in addition, changes in the fatty acid profiles were also
      detected. Although viability could not be proven, it was shown that the
      morphological integrity of nonculturable cells was maintained.

PMID- 1872607
TI  - Novel cyanide-hydrolyzing enzyme from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans subsp.
      denitrificans.
AB  - A cyanide-metabolizing bacterium, strain DF3, isolated from soil was identified
      as Alcaligenes xylosoxidans subsp. denitrificans. Whole cells and cell extracts
      of strain DF3 catalyzed hydrolysis of cyanide to formate and ammonia (HCN + 2H2O-
      --HCOOH + NH3) without forming formamide as a free intermediate. The cyanide
      hydrolyzing activity was inducibly produced in cells during growth in cyanide
      containing media. Cyanate (OCN-) and a wide range of aliphatic and aromatic
      nitriles were not hydrolyzed by intact cells of A. xylosoxidans subsp.
      denitrificans DF3. Strain DF3 hydrolyzed cyanide with great efficacy. Thus, by
      using resting induced cells at a concentration of 11.3 mg (dry weight) per ml,
      the cyanide concentration could be reduced from 0.97 M (approximately 25,220 ppm)
      to less than 77 nM (approximately 0.002 ppm) in 55 h. Enzyme purification
      established that cyanide hydrolysis by A. xylosoxidans subsp. denitrificans DF3
      was due to a single intracellular enzyme. The soluble enzyme was purified
      approximately 160-fold, and the first 25 NH2-terminal amino acids were determined
      by automated Edman degradation. The molecular mass of the active enzyme (purity,
      greater than 97% as determined by amino acid sequencing) was estimated to be
      greater than 300,000 Da. The cyanide-hydrolyzing enzyme of A. xylosoxidans subsp.
      denitrificans DF3 was tentatively named cyanidase to distinguish it from known
      nitrilases (EC 3.5.5.1) which act on organic nitriles.

PMID- 1872608
TI  - Assay for detection and enumeration of genetically engineered microorganisms
      which is based on the activity of a deregulated 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate
      monooxygenase.
AB  - An assay system was developed for the enumeration of genetically engineered
      microorganisms expressing a deregulated 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (TFD)
      monooxygenase, which converts phenoxyacetate (PAA) to phenol. In PAA-amended
      cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1C(pRO103) and Pseudomonas putida
      PPO301(pRO103), strains which express a deregulated TFD monooxygenase, phenol
      production was proportional to cell number. Phenol was reacted, under specific
      conditions, with a 4-aminoantipyrine dye to form an intensely colored dye-phenol
      complex (AAPPC), which when measured spectrophotometrically could detect as few
      as 10(3) cells per ml. This assay was corroborated by monitoring the
      disappearance of PAA and the accumulation of phenol by high-performance liquid
      chromatography and gas chromatography. The AAPPC assay was modified for use with
      plate cultures and clearly distinguished colonies of PPO301(pRO103) and
      PAO1C(pRO103) from a strain expressing a regulated TFD monooxygenase. Colonies of
      P. putida PPO301(pRO101) remained cream colored, while colonies of PPO301(pRO103)
      and PAO1C(pRO103) turned a distinct red.

PMID- 1872609
TI  - Detection of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in dried skimmed milk: use of
      the polymerase chain reaction for amplification and detection of staphylococcal
      enterotoxin genes entB and entC1 and the thermonuclease gene nuc.
AB  - The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the staphylococcal enterotoxin
      B and C genes (entB and entC1) and the staphylococcal nuclease gene (nuc). Two
      sets of primers ("nested primers") were found to be necessary for the detection
      of low copy numbers of purified DNA in diluent. These allowed detection of ca. 1
      fg of purified target DNA, while 100 pg was required before detection of entB,
      entC1, and nuc with single primer pairs was possible. With nested primers,
      enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus cells could be detected in artificially
      contaminated dried skimmed milk samples at levels of ca. 10(5) CFU ml-1 within 8
      h. No cross-reaction was observed between the highly homologous entB and entC1
      genes. The method showed total specificity for entC1 when tested against a wide
      variety of other bacteria.

PMID- 1872610
TI  - Effect of sublethal concentrations of four chemicals on susceptibility of
      juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to saprolegniosis.
AB  - The effects of sublethal concentrations of a variety of chemicals on the
      susceptibility of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) juveniles to Saprolegnia
      parasitica infection was examined. Sublethal concentrations of un-ionized ammonia
      (0.05 mg/liter) and nitrite (0.12 mg/liter) increased fish susceptibility after
      10 days of exposure to the toxin, this increase being higher for ammonia (75% and
      20% morbidity) than for nitrite (20% and 0% morbidity, respectively) with
      inoculum doses of 1.4 x 10(6) and 9.5 x 10(5) zoospores per liter, respectively.
      Sublethal concentrations of copper (0.05 mg/liter) or cyanide (0.05 mg/liter) did
      not show enhancement of infection by S. parasitica, even though the toxin
      exposure was for 21 days and the inoculum doses were higher than those for the
      experiments with the nitrogen compounds (4 x 10(6) and 3.2 x 10(6) zoospores per
      liter. However, infections began to appear in control animals.

PMID- 1872611
TI  - Purification and amino acid sequence of lactocin S, a bacteriocin produced by
      Lactobacillus sake L45.
AB  - Lactocin S, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sake L45, has been purified
      to homogeneity by ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction and reverse-phase
      chromatography, and gel filtration. The purification resulted in approximately a
      40,000-fold increase in the specific activity of lactocin S and enabled the
      determination of a major part of the amino acid sequence. Judging from the amino
      acid composition, lactocin S contained approximately 33 amino acid residues, of
      which about 50% were the nonpolar amino acids alanine, valine, and leucine. Amino
      acids were not detected upon direct N-terminal sequencing, indicating that the N
      terminal amino acid was blocked. By cyanogen bromide cleavage at an internal
      methionine, the sequence of the 25 amino acids (including the methionine at the
      cleavage site) in the C-terminal part of the molecule was determined. The
      sequence was Met-Glu-Leu-Leu-Pro-Thr-Ala-Ala-Val-Leu-Tyr-Xaa-Asp-Val-Ala-Gly-Xaa
      Phe- Lys-Tyr-Xaa-Ala-Lys-His-His, where Xaa represents unidentified residues. It
      is likely that the unidentified residues are modified forms of cysteine or amino
      acids associated with cysteine, since two cysteic acids per lactocin S molecule
      were found upon performic acid oxidation of lactocin S. The sequence was unique
      when compared to the SWISS-PROT data bank.

PMID- 1872612
TI  - Dye to use with virus challenge for testing barrier materials.
AB  - Can FD&C Blue no. 1 dye photoinactivate bacteriophages phi X174, T7, PRD1, and
      phi 6 under laboratory lighting conditions? At high levels of light, the dye (500
      microM) photoinactivated only phi 6. Thus, this dye can be used at concentrations
      up to 500 microM with bacteriophages phi X174, T7, and PRD1 to test barrier
      material integrity.

PMID- 1872613
TI  - Production of beta-carotene in Zymomonas mobilis and Agrobacterium tumefaciens by
      introduction of the biosynthesis genes from Erwinia uredovora.
AB  - The Erwinia uredovora crtB, crtE, crtI, and crtY genes required for beta-carotene
      biosynthesis were introduced by conjugal transfer into an ethanol-producing
      bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, and a phytopathogenic bacterium, Agrobacterium
      tumefaciens, in which no carotenoid is synthesized. The transconjugants of Z.
      mobilis and A. tumefaciens carrying these genes appeared as yellow colonies and
      produced 220 and 350 micrograms of beta-carotene per g of dry weight,
      respectively, in the stationary phase in liquid culture.

PMID- 1872614
TI  - Establishment of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species in germfree mice and
      their influence on some microflora-associated characteristics.
AB  - Germfree mice were inoculated with both Lactobacillus acidophilus A10 and
      Bifidobacterium bifidum B11. Both strains were established and present in more
      than 10(8) cells per g of cecum and colon contents. Furthermore, L. acidophilus
      A10 was established in high numbers in stomach and small intestine. Contents from
      different parts of the intestine were investigated with regard to the following
      microflora-associated characteristics: degradation of mucin, beta-aspartylglycine
      and tryptic activity, conversion of cholesterol to coprostanol and bilirubin to
      urobilinogen, deconjugation of bilirubin glucuronides, and reduction of the cecum
      size. In spite of being established, the microbes were not able to mediate any
      alterations of the parameters investigated. All animals retained values as found
      in their germfree counterparts.

PMID- 1872615
TI  - Involvement of a large plasmid in the degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane by
      Xanthobacter autotrophicus.
AB  - Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 is a bacterium that can degrade short-chain
      halogenated aliphatic compounds such as 1,2-dichloroethane. A 200-kb plasmid,
      pXAU1, was isolated from this strain and shown to contain the dhlA gene, which
      codes for haloalkane dehalogenase, the first enzyme in the degradation pathway of
      1,2-dichloroethane by GJ10. Loss of pXAU1 resulted in loss of haloalkane
      dehalogenase activity, significantly decreased chloroacetaldehyde dehydrogenase
      activity, and loss of resistance to mercuric chloride but did not affect the
      activity level of haloalkanoate dehalogenase, the second dehalogenase in the
      degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane.

PMID- 1872616
TI  - Low-molecular-weight xylanase from Trichoderma viride.
AB  - An endo-1,4-beta-xylanase (1,4-beta-D-xylan xylanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.8) has been
      isolated from a commercial preparation of Trichoderma viride. The molecular
      weight was 22,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,
      and the pI value was 9.3. The xylanase was a true xylanase without cellulase
      activity. When the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first 50 residues was
      compared with that of a xylanase from Schizophyllum commune, strong evidence for
      homology was found, with more than 50% amino acid identity. T. viride xylanase
      also possessed extensive identity with a proposed amino-terminal consensus
      sequence of xylanases from bacteria.

PMID- 1872617
TI  - Cloning of alginate lyase gene (alxM) and expression in Escherichia coli.
AB  - The alxM gene encoding a D-mannuronan-specific alginate lyase has been cloned
      from a marine bacterium isolated as an epiphyte on the brown alga, Sargassum
      fluitans. Expression of this gene in Escherichia coli provides a source of this
      enzyme for probing alginate structure and modifying the mannuronan-rich alginate
      polymers produced by bacterial pathogens.

PMID- 1872618
TI  - [Cancer therapy by using bispecific antibody].
AB  - This paper reviewed recent researches and clinical trials using bispecific
      antibodies. Antibodies with two distinct binding specificities have great
      potential for a wide range of clinical applications as targeting agents for in
      vitro and in vivo immunotherapy. They have shown great promise for targeting
      cytotoxic effector cells, cytotoxic drugs, delivering radionuclides or toxins to
      tumor cells. We introduced potential applications of bispecific antibodies, and
      discussed the theoretical basis and problems associated with their production and
      purification, cell fusion and chemical conjugation techniques, and proposed a new
      manufacturing strategy by genetic engineering. This approach will enable the wide
      clinical application of bispecific antibodies for cancer immunotherapy.

PMID- 1872619
TI  - [Tissue levels of pirarubicin (THP) in dogs following intra-arterial infusion].
AB  - The blood and tissue levels of pirarubicin (THP) were studied in dogs by HPLC
      analysis. The THP (1.5 mg/kg) was infused from the bifurcation of internal iliac
      artery. We measured the concentration of THP after 1 or 2 hours of intra-arterial
      infusion (IA) and compared with the concentration of THP administered
      intravenously (IV). The plasma levels of THP following IA rapidly disappeared the
      same as for IV. The blood cell level of THP following both IA and IV was
      significantly higher than the plasma level. The bladder mucosa and muscle levels
      of THP following IA were about 8 times as high as that of IV. The bladder muscle
      level of THP 2 hours after IA was about twice as high as after 1 hour and the
      same as the bladder mucosa level of THP after both 1 and 2 hours. It is
      considered that THP by the present method may have the transition from the mucosa
      to the muscle in the bladder. In the other intrapelvic tissues (perivesical
      adipose tissue, pelvic lymph node and prostate), IA also had higher
      concentrations compared with IV. However, the extrapelvic tissues (heart, liver
      and kidney) levels of THP following IA were the same as those for IV. It was
      concluded that THP was a reasonable agent for IA chemotherapy for bladder cancer.

PMID- 1872620
TI  - [Clinicopathological estimation of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy of
      locally advanced breast cancer].
AB  - The effect of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with adriamycin as a
      preoperating procedure was analyzed clinicopathologically in 30 cases with
      locally advanced breast cancer. A clinical response rate of 53.3% was obtained by
      the treatment and remarkable degenerative changes of tumor cells were noted
      histologically in the primary lesions. But there was no relationship between
      histological therapeutic effect and regression rate in tumors. A recurrence rate
      showed a higher correlation with histological therapeutic effect in comparison
      with clinical therapeutic effect. Especially, non-necrosis type that tumor cells
      were still alive mainly in the vessels showed significantly a higher recurrence
      rate in comparison with a central necrosis type or focal necrosis with fibrosis
      and hyalinization type. The local regional recurrence rate of patients receiving
      intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was lower than that of patients, as the
      historical controls, receiving no therapy before operation. But prognostically,
      there was no significant difference in a survival rate between both groups. So,
      after operation, other alternative or multidisciplinary adjuvant chemo-endocrine
      therapy seems to be necessary for improving the survival rate.

PMID- 1872621
TI  - [Reservoir system implantation technique via the inferior epigastric artery].
AB  - A reverse application technique of the radiofocus guidewire, as a guide for
      arterial cut down approach, was employed for the implantation of the reservoir
      system via inferior epigastric artery. Twenty five of the 26 patients succeeded
      in the implantation of reservoir system with this method, including two patients
      who were implanted two systems simultaneously. The advantages of this technique
      are as follows. Under the fluoroscopic examination, it is easy and safe to insert
      the catheter. There is no observation of the catheter dislocation, because the
      catheter does not get through the inguinal ligament. Two reservoir systems can be
      implanted simultaneously. This technique can be carried out immediately after the
      conventional angiography. With this technique, a high selective insertion rate
      (96%) of the catheter was achieved without no complication. This technique is
      feasible in implanting the reservoir system, but it is advisable for further
      studies to be made in order to clarify indications and further complications.

PMID- 1872622
TI  - [Hepatic arterial infusion of high dose 5-FU in weekly schedule for liver
      metastases from colorectal cancer employing a newly developed pump "Koken
      Infusor"].
AB  - Seventeen patients with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer were
      treated with 5 hour infusion of 1,000 mg/m2 of 5-FU in weekly schedule, employing
      a newly developed portable pump "Koken-Infusor". This pump is operated by
      batteries. It is small, light and easy to use. And five hundred cycles of
      treatments were performed, but the pump induced no major complications. The
      response evaluated by a CT-scan was 73% (11/15) without major toxicities. In
      conclusion "Koken-Infusor" is very useful for this treatment, especially for out
      patients. It appears that this therapy is one of the effective treatments for
      liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

PMID- 1872623
TI  - [Combination chemotherapy with orally administered UFT and leucovorin (LV)].
AB  - We evaluated the efficacy of the combination therapy of UFT with Leucovorin (LV)
      against mouse colon adenocarcinomas and human colon adenocarcinoma. In vitro
      studies, it was shown that LV potentiated the cytotoxicity of FUra against 7 out
      of 9 cell lines used in this experiment. In vivo studies, the antitumor activity
      of UFT against mice bearing colon 38 adenocarcinoma was increased following
      administration of LV either before, after or at the time of treatment with UFT.
      Further studies were performed on the combination effect of UFT and LV against
      mouse colon 26 adenocarcinoma and human colon adenocarcinoma KM20C. Consequently,
      the combined treatment of UFT with LV was more effective than UFT alone against
      two cell lines. Our studies suggest that combination chemotherapy of UFT with LV
      is a promising approach for the treatment of a human colon cancer in clinical
      practice.

PMID- 1872624
TI  - [A late phase II study of CPT-11 on uterine cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
      Research Groups of CPT-11 in Gynecologic Cancers].
AB  - A late phase II study of CPT-11, a new derivative of camptothecin, in uterine
      cervical cancer and ovarian cancer was carried out by a cooperative study group
      at 26 institutions. Out of 144 patients enrolled, total cases were 110, involving
      55 uterine cervical cancers and 55 ovarian cancers. In uterine cervical cancer, 5
      cases of complete response (CR) and 8 cases of partial response (PR) were
      observed, with a response rate of 23.6% and a CR rate of 9.1%. In ovarian cancer,
      13 cases of PR were observed, response rate was 23.6%. Both in uterine cervical
      cancer and ovarian cancer, the 95% confidence interval of response rate was 12.4
      34.8%. In cases having undergone previous chemotherapy including platinum,
      derivatives, the response rate in ovarian cancer was 23.1% (12/52). In cases of
      uterine cervical cancer having previous radiotherapy, the response rate was 26.8%
      (11/41). In ovarian cancer of various histological types, a response was observed
      for not only serous cystadenocarcinoma but also mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, etc.
      A response was observed in distant metastatic lesions such as lung metastasis as
      well as primary lesion in uterine cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. Major
      adverse reactions were leukopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and anorexia,
      and these incidences (grade 2 or more) were 87.3, 60.3, 44.0 and 67.2%,
      respectively. Since some patients experienced severe adverse reactions, caution
      should be taken in treatment with CPT-11. Besides these reactions, alopecia was
      observed (33.1%), but severe adverse reactions such as nephropathy were not
      found. No significant difference in the efficacy and adverse reactions were
      observed between administration methods; A, 100 mg/m2 once weekly and B, 150
      mg/m2 once every 2 weeks. Both were thought to be clinically useful. These
      results suggest that CPT-11 is clinically effective against uterine cervical
      cancer and ovarian cancer.

PMID- 1872625
TI  - [Experience of oral hormone-chemotherapy in prostatic cancer].
AB  - Two oral anticancer agents, cyclophosphamide and UFT (mixture of futraful and
      uracil), were combined with hormone therapy for 42 patients with prostatic
      cancer. Although UFT could be taken for long periods, cyclophosphamide arose many
      problems such as the bone marrow suppression and gastrointestinal disturbances.
      The median length of the days they could take cyclophosphamide was sixty days.
      The survival rate of patients who were newly diagnosed and treated with this
      regimen was better than patients received hormone therapy only, and it suggests
      the possibility of the combined chemotherapy to inhibit the progression
      frequently observed after conventional hormone therapy.

PMID- 1872626
TI  - [A case of peritonitis carcinomatosa due to advanced gastric cancer effectively
      treated by intraperitoneal injection of carboplatin].
AB  - The patient was a 72-year-old woman who had advanced carcinoma of the stomach.
      She presented massive ascites due to peritonitis carcinomatosa. The cytology of
      ascites was class V and the CEA level of ascites was elevated. Since renal
      function was low, we injected 300 mg of carboplatin intraperitoneally 2 times in
      8 weeks. The amount of ascites was significantly diminished and the CEA level of
      ascites was decreased. The result suggested the effectiveness of intraperitoneal
      injection of carboplatin for the therapy of peritoneal metastasis of gastric
      cancer.

PMID- 1872628
TI  - [Complete response provided by new antitumor agent, MST-16 (sobuzoxane), in a
      breast cancer with multiple cutaneous metastases].
AB  - A case of recurrent breast carcinoma was successfully treated with MST-16 in an
      early phase II study. A 60-year-old woman developed skin metastases on the
      forehead, neck, abdomen and back 8 months after receiving standard radical
      mastectomy for right breast carcinoma. MST-16 was given p.o. at the dose of 1,200
      mg/body/day initially, and the dosage was modified thereafter depending on the
      grade of leukopenia. All metastatic lesions disappeared completely 38 weeks after
      the initiation of the treatment. The CR thus obtained has continued for 8 months
      up to the present. Although leukopenia was observed during the administration of
      MST-16, it could be well managed by dose modification. Further trials with this
      drug for breast carcinoma should be conducted, since complete responses are
      expected with few adverse effects as in the case under study.

PMID- 1872627
TI  - [Seven cases of eye involvement in adult with acute leukemia].
AB  - Seven acute leukemia cases with oculomotor paralysis and/or optic nerve paralysis
      were reported. Five cases were lymphoblastic and two were myelogenous leukemia.
      The average age was 30.7 years old and male to female ratio was 5:2. The eye
      involvement developed during hematological complete remission stage in 4 cases,
      and during relapsing stage in 2 cases. For the remaining case, eye symptom was an
      initial symptom of the disease. The computed tomography of ocular region showed
      tumorous involvement in 3 cases and no abnormality in other 4 cases. The white
      blood cell count on admission was over 30,000/microliters and leukemic cells
      occupied over 59% of bone marrow nucleated cells in 5 cases. Intrathecal
      administration, a whole brain irradiation and intra-arterial injection of
      Nimustin as well as standard systemic chemotherapy were performed against
      oculomotor and optic nerve involvement. Leucoencephalopathy occurred in 2 of 7
      cases after intrathecal administration and irradiation. Since 1980, continuous
      treatment for prophylaxis of central nervous system leukemia have been done and
      this protocol was effective for meningeal involvement but not for ocular
      involvement.

PMID- 1872629
TI  - [Activation of tegafur by cultured rat hepatocytes].

PMID- 1872631
TI  - Nursing's agenda for health care reform.

PMID- 1872630
TI  - [Tumor markers--personal experience. A case report of primary lung cancer with
      interesting production of tumor markers].
AB  - Three interesting cases of primary lung cancer from the standpoint of tumor
      marker production were reported. The first was a case of double cancers, one of
      which was sigmoid cancer without CEA production and the other a large cell lung
      cancer with CEA production. The evidence of elevated serum CEA level initially
      led to a wrong diagnosis as sigmoid cancer with lung metastasis. The second was a
      case which showed a relapse of monotonous cancer without CEA production after
      surgical removal of lung cancer tissue containing heterogeneous cancer cells.
      Elevated serum CEA levels were never observed after the operation, although the
      preoperative serum test was positive for CEA. The last was a case of squamous
      cell lung cancer which showed trophoblastic differentiation accompanied with
      massive hCG production. Very rapid tumor cell growth was seen after the early
      relapse following the operation. Positivity for hCG staining varied among primary
      and metastatic tumor tissues.

PMID- 1872632
TI  - ANNA's long-range strategic plan--year 2.

PMID- 1872633
TI  - Bridging the gap between competence and excellence.
AB  - As practicing nurses, as specialists, you find yourselves in two environments:
      (1) the inner world of your clinical practice and (2) the outer world of social,
      political, and economic influences. Your theme for this symposium has reminded
      you of the necessity of Bridging the Gap Between Competence and Excellence in
      Quest of Quality Care. To bridge that gap, you must operate effectively in both
      the inner and outer environment for caring. Through such means as I have
      mentioned, you can span the two worlds and emerge strong from the currents
      carrying us to the 21st century. You can stand upon the threshold of the future
      as a Renaissance nurse contributing to a reformed and revitalized profession. I
      salute you as you stand poised for action at the open door.

PMID- 1872634
TI  - The peritoneal equilibration test: a nursing discussion.
AB  - The peritoneal equilibration test is used to assess peritoneal membrane
      permeability. Results provide a reliable estimate of peritoneal clearances and
      ultrafiltration rates. This information can be used to make decisions about the
      preferred dialysis prescription. Repeat tests may be used to evaluate clinical
      changes. The first part of this two-article series will discuss the clinical
      interpretation of findings and three case studies. The second article will
      describe the procedure.

PMID- 1872635
TI  - How to do a peritoneal equilibration test.
AB  - This article, part 2 of a 2-part series, describes the process and procedures
      used to perform a peritoneal equilibration test. Data from the test may be used
      to assess the peritoneal membrane permeability. Knowledge of peritoneal membrane
      permeability may be useful in selecting a treatment regimen and in determining
      the appropriate dialysis prescription.

PMID- 1872636
TI  - Vascular access thrombosis in epoetin alfa therapy.
AB  - Correcting anemia in hemodialysis patients may cause an increased incidence of
      vascular access clotting. Therefore, the incidence of clotting in patients before
      and during therapy with epoetin alfa was investigated. The records of 45
      hemodialysis patients were accessed by computer for data concerning thrombectomy
      procedures and administration of epoetin alfa during two 13-week periods. Before
      therapy, 2 out of 45 patients had clotted accesses for a rate of .18 thrombectomy
      procedures per patient year. During therapy, 7 out of 45 patients had 11 clotted
      accesses for a rate of 1 thrombectomy procedure per patient year. Clotting
      incidence was shown to be increased during the epoetin alfa therapy period. The
      consequences of delaying a dialysis treatment due to a clotted access may be
      significant and even life-threatening. Both physicians and nurses must have a
      good understanding of the possible role of epoetin alfa in access thrombosis for
      patient management.

PMID- 1872637
TI  - Functional capacity and activity level before and after renal transplantation.
AB  - Functional capacity and activity level were measured among 9 renal transplant
      recipients prior to transplantation (T1), 6 weeks (T2), and 16 weeks (T3) after
      transplantation. Functional capacity was measured by a symptom-limited treadmill
      test. The Human Activity Profile was used to obtain self-reported activity level.
      A 24% improvement in functional capacity was found from T1 to T2 with only a 5%
      improvement from T2 to T3 (p less than .001). In contrast, significant
      improvement in activity level was not present until after T2. Although activity
      level increased from T1 to T3 (p less than .01), it continued to be low in
      comparison with age/gender matched normative data.

PMID- 1872638
TI  - Reflections of a citizen soldier.
AB  - This article describes the author's experiences, impressions, and reflections on
      her 8 months of activation as an Army nurse in support of Operation Desert Shield
      and Operation Desert Storm. She was the chief nurse of the 3271st USAH based in
      Charleston that was sent to Winn Army Community Hospital in Fort Stewart, GA.
      This experience is contrasted with her previous experience as an active duty Navy
      nurse during the Vietnam era.

PMID- 1872639
TI  - ANNA Educational Resource List 1991.

PMID- 1872640
TI  - Teaching during dialysis.

PMID- 1872641
TI  - Case management of the anemic patient. Epoetin alfa: focus on self
      administration.
AB  - As of July 1, 1991, HCFA will reimburse for Epoetin alfa self-administered by
      home-based dialysis patients. Implications of this change, including the impact
      on patients and the changes that will be required to assure effective nursing
      assessment and optimal patient management, are reviewed.

PMID- 1872642
TI  - Contact between two compounds should be avoided.

PMID- 1872643
TI  - Practices of health care team towards blacks in organ donation must be targeted.

PMID- 1872644
TI  - Case study. ESRD after living-related donation.
AB  - The patient met three of the four expected outcomes. He has in the past and is
      currently making informed decisions. reguarding his health care. Momentarily, he
      is demonstrating effective, positive coping strategies and problem-solving
      techniques. However, the fourth, and probably most critical outcome, is not being
      met. A.J. has not remained free of complications secondary to his kidney
      donation. It is estimated that he is facing ESRD, and all related medical and
      nursing regimens in less than 1 year. Additionally related to his elective
      nephrectomy, he will experience the loss of his 12-year military career and
      associated benefits. Although the nursing interventions were instrumental in
      assisting A.J. and his wife to cope with his acute situation, they now face the
      fears and anxieties of lifetime chronic illness. Theoretically, this patient may
      have experienced chronic renal failure at some point in his life, but the nursing
      intervention could have been approached as a pre-ESRD patient, in lieu of his
      status as a postliving related donor patient.

PMID- 1872645
TI  - Back to the basics in iron management for the patient receiving epoetin therapy.

PMID- 1872646
TI  - alpha-Glucosidase, sperm ATP concentrations, and epididymal function.
AB  - It has been suggested that alpha-glucosidase may be a marker of epididymal
      patency and function. Spermatozoal ATP concentrations decrease during passage
      through the epididymis, indicating efficient maturation. We correlated sperm
      motility with seminal plasma alpha-glucosidase activity and spermatozoal ATP. The
      sperm motility correlation with alpha-glucosidase activity was significantly
      positive, and the sperm motility correlation with spermatozoal ATP was
      significantly negative. It appears that high-alpha-glucosidase activity and low
      spermatozoal ATP were present in semen with good sperm motility and could
      possibly indicate efficient epididymal function.

PMID- 1872647
TI  - Morphological and histochemical effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p dioxin
      (TCDD) on marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) testes.
AB  - The testes of marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), which had been treated with a
      single dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (0.3 microgram to 10
      micrograms/l kg body weight (BW)) were studied after 7 days using morphological
      and histochemical techniques. Light microscopic and electron microscopic
      examination revealed decreased intercellular contact in the germinal epithelium,
      as indicated first by enlarged intercellular spaces between the Sertoli's cells
      and between the Sertoli's cells and neighboring germ cells (i.e., spermatogonia
      and preleptotene spermatocytes), particularly in the basic compartment of the
      germinal epithelium. Second, decreased intercellular contact was indicated by the
      accumulation of premature spermatids and spermatocytes in the tubular lumen after
      TCDD treatment. The Sertoli's cells exhibited an increased amount of lipids,
      phagolysosomes, and vacuoles in their cytoplasm. Spermatids were frequently
      affected by TCDD, particularly during early spermiogenesis. These alterations
      included vacuolization of the cytoplasm and the development of additional
      germinal vesicles. This special effect on spermiogenesis became even more evident
      quantitatively by determination and counting of tubular stages in semithin
      sections. Tubular determination on the basis of the appearance of spermatids
      revealed that the ratio of tubular stages I to III became lower and that of
      stages V to VII became higher, dose dependently, indicating a maturation stop at
      the beginning of spermiogenesis caused by TCDD treatment. After TCDD treatment,
      Leydig's cells were morphologically unaffected, but histochemical investigations
      revealed decreased activity of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSD).
      The sensitivity of the applied methods was different in view of the level of
      unaffection. The effect of Leydig's cells, as indicated by the decreased activity
      of 3 beta-HSD, had already been found at a dose of 1 microgram/kg BW TCDD,
      whereas clear-cut morphological and morphometrical effects were seen at 3
      micrograms/kg BW for the first time. Moreover, with the special effect on
      spermiogenesis in marmoset monkeys, the findings demonstrate that the toxicity of
      TCDD on testicular morphology is species specific.

PMID- 1872648
TI  - Influence of sperm processing on the fertilizing capacity and recovery of motile
      sperm from thawed human semen.
AB  - Artificial insemination programs now rely almost exclusively on frozen semen
      preparations as their source of sperm. Unfortunately, several reports indicate
      that conception rates using frozen-thawed semen are inferior to freshly
      ejaculated specimens. The present study was designed to investigate the
      fertilizing capacity of sperm and the recovery of motile sperm from thawed semen
      following different sperm processing methods. Washed resuspended pellets
      contained sperm with at least the same fertilizing potential as sperm from swim
      up techniques. However, the recovery of motile sperm from the pellets was more
      than 3 times greater than from the swim-up techniques. Percentage motility,
      progressive velocity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement were generally
      higher in the sperm from swim-up techniques than in the sperm from the pellets,
      despite equivalent fertilizing potentials. It can be argued from these results
      that washed resuspended sperm preparations provide a significantly greater number
      of motile sperm without a loss in fertility when compared to sperm from swim-up
      techniques. Accordingly, this study raises questions about the use of the sperm
      swim-up as a procedure for processing thawed semen for use in intrauterine
      insemination in which maximal numbers of motile sperm are required. It also
      demonstrates the need to identify new methods for processing frozen-thawed
      specimens for assisted reproductive procedures.

PMID- 1872649
TI  - Statistical analysis in andrology.
AB  - The authors began a statistical study on a file group of 9384 records of semen
      analyses and anamnestic data (P-1). From this file, they selected a group of 5191
      patients having undergone analysis at least one time (P-2) and a file of 850
      patients having undergone analysis at least three times (P-3). Finally a new
      group, derived from P-3, of 203 patients followed by their medical team was
      created (P-4). Two control groups-composed of 20 sperm-bank donors (DON) and 740
      prevasectomy subjects (VAS)-were also created. Frequency distributions and
      cluster analyses were carried out. The multivariate statistical analysis allows a
      distinction to be made between fertile and infertile subjects regarding a
      patient's clinical condition. The most discriminating parameters appear to be
      sperm concentration and, above all, forward motility and sperm morphology.

PMID- 1872650
TI  - Semen parameters in men with and without proven chronic prostatitis.
AB  - In patients with complaints of chronic prostatitis, analysis of prostatic
      secretions for leukocytes and the use of the four-specimen technique allow a
      distinct classification of chronic bacterial (CBP), nonbacterial prostatitis
      (NBP), and prostatodynia (Pd). In this study, 32 men with CBP, 102 men with NBP,
      142 men with Pd, and 42 volunteers, classified as mentioned above, underwent a
      two-fold ejaculate analysis using WHO criteria. Sperm count, progressive
      motility, range of abnormal spermatozoa, increased numbers of common bacteria,
      and peroxidase-positive leukocytes were analyzed. Additionally, antibody-coated
      bacteria (ACB), numbers of ureaplasmas in semen, and urethral colonization by
      chlamydia were investigated. Mean values of sperm density, motility, and
      morphology revealed no differences between the groups. Significant
      bacteriospermia (greater than or equal to 10(3) bacterial/ml) was evident in only
      47% of the CBP group versus 6.8% (NBP), 16% (Pd), and 4.2% (controls). ACB was
      positive in 31 of 32 men with CBP versus 3 of 102 with NBP, 9 of 142 with Pd, and
      none of the controls. Increased numbers of leukocytes were evident in CBP and NBP
      patients compared to the controls (p less than or equal to 0.001) but were also
      present in patients of the NBP and Pd groups with chlamydial infections.

PMID- 1872651
TI  - Depressed semen quality in Swedish men from barren couples: a study over three
      decades.
AB  - The semen quality of men who participated in an infertility investigation in 1956
      was compared with that from men from similar populations in the years 1966, 1976,
      and 1986. The sperm parameters studied included total sperm count and sperm
      morphology. A significant reduction over this 30-year period was observed for
      both parameters. The total sperm count decreased from 467 million in 1956 to 305
      million in 1986 (mean, p less than 0.0001) and the percentage of sperm with
      normal morphology diminished from 53% to 37% (mean, p less than 0.0001) during
      the same period. This Swedish study, like studies in other industrialized
      countries, indicates a decline in semen quality over the past few decades.

PMID- 1872652
TI  - Hypo-osmotic sperm swelling test does not assess fertilizing capacity of human
      spermatozoa.
AB  - The hypo-osmotic sperm swelling (HOSS) test was performed on semen samples of
      five normospermic men from couples with prolonged infertility. Previously, the
      men had negative results of the zona-free hamster oocyte (ZFHO) test on two
      different ejaculates and the wives subsequently had become pregnant by donor
      insemination. A high swelling percentage (at least 60%) was found in all five
      men. It would appear that the HOSS test does not assess fertilizing capacity.

PMID- 1872653
TI  - Effects of varying the abstinence period in the same individuals on sperm
      quality.
AB  - Fourteen men each provided semen samples after 3, 6, and 10 days abstinence in a
      sequence decided by the individual and over a period of approximately 6 weeks.
      The proportion of sperm displaying progressive motility remained relatively
      constant up to 6 days but declined after a further 4 days of abstinence. This
      decrease was not associated with any major changes in sperm morphology or
      vitality. The total number of sperm with progressive movement in the ejaculate
      increased after 6 days and remained high after 10 days of abstinence. In subjects
      with asthenozoospermia, the greatest increase in the total number of sperm in the
      ejaculate occurred between 6 and 10 days. For men with reduced sperm quality
      participating in assisted fertilization programs, it may be advantageous to
      advise longer periods of abstinence, up to 10 days, prior to semen collection.

PMID- 1872654
TI  - New Mexicare.
AB  - An inexpensive plan is offered that provides access to basic, outpatient,
      primary, and preventive health care for all uninsured citizens of the State of
      New Mexico. New Mexicare rewards hospitals and hospital-affiliated specialists
      for inpatient care that is now unreimbursed. The establishment of a Health Care
      Trust Fund would create a mechanism that could influence the allocation of scarce
      and expensive resources to areas of need. New Mexicare would be set up within the
      State Medicaid Division and would be predicated on a mandate that all employers
      must provide health insurance with reasonable cost sharing by higher paid
      employees. It would not have great fiscal impact on small businesses, require
      complicated new tax rules, or impact current state revenues. New Mexicare solves
      the problem of the uninsured in incremental fashion and does not create an
      enormous administrative or budgetary burden to the state. It may be a suitable
      model for other states that share New Mexico's demography. New Mexicare could
      easily and rapidly be dissolved in the event that the federal government finally
      acts and provides universal access with some type of national plan.

PMID- 1872655
TI  - Pertussis in adults. What physicians need to know.
AB  - Although there is increased awareness among physicians regarding their role in
      protecting adults against vaccine-preventable diseases, many physicians are
      unaware that adults develop pertussis. Studies of adults with prolonged cough
      have found that 20% to 25% have serologic evidence of recent pertussis infection.
      Investigations of outbreaks have documented that adults develop infection with
      Bordetella pertussis and transmit the organism to susceptible children. Adults
      are the major reservoir of infection for children who may develop severe illness.
      Pediatric health care workers and patients infected with the human
      immunodeficiency virus might be at higher risk than the general population.
      Because most adults are susceptible to pertussis, physicians must consider
      pertussis in the differential diagnosis of patients with prolonged cough.
      Physicians who care for adults should be active in the diagnosis and treatment of
      pertussis, supportive of studies of the epidemiology of pertussis in adults, and
      interested in the development and testing of new diagnostic and preventive
      measures.

PMID- 1872656
TI  - Major infectious diseases causing excess morbidity in the Hispanic population.
AB  - Current data indicate that there are a number of infectious diseases, ie,
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus infections,
      cysticercosis, hepatitis A, syphilis, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever, among
      others that cause disproportionately increased morbidity in Hispanics. The
      greater rate of poverty with its associated socioenvironmental problems,
      increased barriers to health care, and importation of infectious diseases endemic
      in the mother country are some of the major reasons that probably account for
      this disparity in disease burden in Hispanics. This formidable health problem can
      be addressed by targeting efforts at improving health education of family units
      and communities, environmental improvements, elimination or reduction of barriers
      to health care management and disease prevention, and appropriate screening
      programs. A comprehensive and uniform assessment of the impact of infectious
      diseases on Hispanics (and other minorities) in this country remains elusive, but
      is of paramount importance in establishing priorities and effective/efficient
      strategies to address this issue.

PMID- 1872657
TI  - Quality of life before and after orthotopic hepatic transplantation.
AB  - Fifty-three nonalcoholic patients were evaluated prior to liver transplantation
      and again approximately 3 years after surgery using the Sickness Impact Profile
      and Social Behavior Adjustment Schedule. Test-retest scores reflected significant
      improvement across all health and psychosocial scales of the Sickness Impact
      Profile. On the Social Behavior Adjustment Schedule, significant improvement was
      observed on scales measuring disturbed behavior, social role performance, and
      burden. Comparisons between groups indicated that the liver transplant patients
      were still impaired on eight of the Sickness Impact Profile scales after
      transplant; however, the severity of disturbance was not considered to be
      clinically significant. No between-group differences were noted on the Social
      Behavior Adjustment Schedule. These results indicate that liver transplantation
      is associated with substantial improvement in life quality, although as a group,
      the patients undergoing this surgery do not recover to the level of functioning
      demonstrated by normal individuals.

PMID- 1872658
TI  - Changes in physician attitudes toward limiting care of critically ill patients.
AB  - To determine whether physician attitudes toward decision making in the care of
      critically ill patients have changed, a survey of physicians was conducted in
      1981 and repeated in 1988. Physicians in 1988 were more comfortable discussing
      "do-not-resuscitate" options with patients and were more likely to allow a
      critically ill patient to die if the patient so requested. Most physicians in
      both surveys believe that treatment costs should not play a role in medical
      decisions. Trainees in 1988 were more aggressive in their management of case
      studies than were faculty in 1988 or trainees in 1981. While in both years the
      most important factors in the decision to treat aggressively were a patient's
      expressed desire to live or die and the amount of patient suffering, physicians
      in 1988 ranked malpractice concerns as a more important determinant in their
      decision process compared with physicians in 1981. Significant changes in
      physician attitudes toward the care of critically ill patients have occurred
      during this decade.

PMID- 1872659
TI  - Septic metastatic lesions of pyogenic liver abscess. Their association with
      Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia in diabetic patients.
AB  - Septic metastatic endophthalmitis from Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess, first
      reported in seven cases treated at the Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan,
      between 1981 and 1985, was seen in six similar cases at the same hospital in the
      subsequent 2 years. We conducted a retrospective search for factors that might be
      associated with these complications of pyogenic liver abscess. A total of 23
      cases with septic metastatic lesions from pyogenic liver abscess were found
      between 1981 and 1987, and 164 cases of pyogenic liver abscess without septic
      metastatic lesions were identified as a comparison group. Klebsiella pneumoniae
      liver abscess, bacteremia, and the underlying diabetes mellitus were
      significantly more common in the study group than in the comparison group. Of the
      23 patients with septic metastatic lesions, there were 14 cases (60.8%) of
      endophthalmitis or uveitis, 10 cases (43.4%) of pulmonary abscess and/or emboli,
      six cases (26.0%) of brain abscess and/or purulent meningitis, five cases (21.7%)
      of bacteriuria and/or prostate abscess, two cases (8.6%) of osteomyelitis and/or
      pyogenic arthritis, and one case (4.3%) of psoas abscess.

PMID- 1872660
TI  - The adverse effects of hospitalization on drug regimens.
AB  - To determine the effect of hospitalization on errors in patients' drug regimens,
      157 consecutive patients discharged on regimens of four or more drugs were
      identified, of whom 94 were eligible for study. Thirty-four (79%) of 43 local
      patients were interviewed within 1 month after discharge, and 28 (55%) of 51
      patients who were mailed a questionnaire responded. Regimen errors were detected
      in 50% of both groups. Overall, 20 (32%) of 62 patients had incorrectly added or
      deleted a drug, and 11 (18%) were taking the correct drugs but had errors in
      dosing. Twelve potentially serious errors were detected. Patients with regimen
      errors had been discharged taking more drugs (6.1 vs 5.10) and tended to have
      more drug changes during hospitalization (2.7 vs 1.90). Particular attention
      should be paid to drug regimens during hospitalization and in subsequent follow
      up visits.

PMID- 1872661
TI  - Long-term treatment of 189 acromegalic patients with the somatostatin analog
      octreotide. Results of the International Multicenter Acromegaly Study Group.
AB  - BACKGROUND: We wanted to determine the clinical and biochemical effects of long
      term therapy with the somatostatin analog octreotide in 189 acromegalic patients.
      METHODS: Patients were treated at 23 medical centers for 6 days to 231 weeks
      (median, 24.2 weeks) with varying octreotide dosages (100 to 1500 micrograms/d;
      median, 300 micrograms/d). Serum growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I
      (IGF-I) concentrations before and at the end of the study were compared, and
      correlations between the response to treatment with total daily dosage and
      duration of treatment were sought. RESULTS: The clinical response rate was 88%,
      irrespective of dosage or treatment duration. Serum growth hormone levels
      decreased in 172 (94%) of 182 patients and IGF-I levels decreased in 91 (92%) of
      99. The mean pretreatment growth hormone level was 39.4 +/- 4.4 micrograms/L and
      decreased to 12.2 +/- 1.5 micrograms/L. Growth hormone levels decreased to less
      than 5 micrograms/L in 82 (45%) of 182 patients. The pretreatment IGF-I level was
      5.62 +/- 0.41 U/mL and decreased to 2.64 +/- 0.19 U/mL; suppression to 2 U/mL or
      lower occurred in 46 (46%) of 99 patients. The degree of growth hormone
      suppression was associated with longer treatment duration but not with the total
      octreotide dosage per day. In 34 patients studied prospectively, pituitary tumor
      size decreased by greater than 20% in 15 (44%). Side effects occurred in 37% of
      patients and were most commonly transient loose alcoholic stools, pain at the
      injection site, and abdominal discomfort; severity was mild to moderate. Glucose
      tolerance was unchanged or improved in 52% and declined in 48% of 25 patients
      evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Octreotide is an effective treatment for acromegaly that
      may be used as primary therapy or after surgery and/or pituitary irradiation.

PMID- 1872662
TI  - The value of roentgenographic and fiberbronchoscopic findings in predicting
      outcome of adults with lower lung field tuberculosis.
AB  - Proper antituberculosis chemotherapy may not prevent occurrence or progression of
      endobronchial involvement in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. We previously
      reported a higher incidence of endobronchial involvement in adults with lower
      lung field tuberculosis (LLFTB). We evaluated the value of roentgenographic and
      fiberbronchoscopic findings in predicting the outcome of adults with LLFTB after
      9 months of antituberculosis chemotherapy. The most common change on chest
      roentgenograms among 101 patients with LLFTB was consolidation, followed by
      cavitary lesion, lung collapse, and solitary mass. Intrathoracic lymphadenopathy
      (hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy) was found in 12 cases. Sputum smear
      for acid-fast bacilli was positive in 64 patients, and sputum culture for
      tuberculous bacilli was positive in 37 of 50 patients. Endobronchial involvement
      was found in 45 of 63 patients who underwent fiberbronchoscopic examination. Of
      these 45, 18 had ulcerative granuloma, 12 had fibrostenosis, eight had submucosal
      infiltration, and seven had mucosal redness and swelling. A higher incidence of
      endobronchial involvement was found in the patients with LLFTB when they
      presented with roentgenographic findings of pulmonary consolidation, lung
      collapse, or associated intrathoracic lymphadenopathy. The outcome seemed
      unfavorable in the patients with LLFTB who presented with roentgenographic
      findings of lung collapse or pulmonary consolidation, or in those who presented
      with fiberbronchoscopic findings of fibrostenosis or ulcerative granuloma. Our
      results show that roentgenographic and fiberbronchoscopic findings are of value
      in predicting outcome of patients with LLFTB. With proper antituberculosis
      chemotherapy and close follow-up, fiberbronchoscopy may be clinically indicated
      in patients with LLFTB to assess the presence and severity of endobronchial
      involvement. Early surgical intervention can be considered in those with severe
      endobronchial involvement before serious sequelae occur.

PMID- 1872663
TI  - Use of random urine samples to estimate total urinary calcium and phosphate
      excretion.
AB  - Calcium-to-creatinine and phosphate-to-creatinine ratios in random single-voided
      urine specimens were compared with 24-hour calcium and phosphate excretions,
      respectively, in 67 subjects who were selected prospectively to represent a wide
      range of renal and parathyroid function as well as urinary calcium and phosphate
      loss. Simple linear regression analysis revealed significant correlation between
      the spot urine calcium-to-creatinine ratio and 24-hour total calcium excretion
      and between the spot urine phosphate-to-creatinine ratio and 24-hour phosphate
      excretion. Calculating these simple ratios permits easy, rapid, correct, and
      inexpensive estimation of the daily urinary calcium and phosphate excretion.

PMID- 1872665
TI  - Hemochromatosis, iron and septicemia caused by Vibrio vulnificus.
AB  - Vibrio vulnificus is killed by normal human blood but grows rapidly in blood from
      patients with hemochromatosis. It also grows in normal blood if the saturation of
      the transferrin is increased or if hematin, which contains iron, is added. It is
      suggested that the increased availability of iron in the blood of patients with
      chronic iron overload is responsible for their enhanced susceptibility to
      infection with V vulnificus.

PMID- 1872664
TI  - Hypocholesterolemic effects of different bulk-forming hydrophilic fibers as
      adjuncts to dietary therapy in mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - Hypercholesterolemia is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease, and
      the hypocholesterolemic effects of psyllium are well established. This placebo
      controlled, parallel study compared psyllium with methylcellulose, calcium
      polycarbophil, and placebo as dietary adjuncts in treating mild to moderate
      hypercholesterolemia. Of 163 men and women recruited with serum cholesterol
      levels above 5.17 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), 105 completed 8 weeks of an American Heart
      Association step I diet and then augmented the diet with one of the fiber
      supplements for 8 additional weeks. Incremental differences from placebo for low
      density lipoprotein cholesterol were -8.8% for psyllium, -3.2% for
      methylcellulose (not significant), and +8.7% for calcium polycarbophil; and for
      total cholesterol the differences were -4.3% for psyllium (not significant), 
      1.4% for methylcellulose (not significant), and +5.9% for calcium polycarbophil.
      Compliance was 94% to 96%, and only mild gastrointestinal side effects were
      observed. In managing mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia, methylcellulose and
      calcium polycarbophil provide little or no additional benefit, while psyllium
      significantly enhances the American Heart Association diet effects.

PMID- 1872666
TI  - Comparison of the lipid profiles of Cubans and other Hispanics with non
      Hispanics.
AB  - We compared the plasma lipid profiles of Cuban Americans and other Hispanic
      American subgroups with those of non-Hispanics. High-density lipoprotein
      cholesterol levels were lower and triglyceride levels were higher when Hispanic
      women were compared with non-Hispanic women, and this pattern was also apparent
      for men. The lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglyceride
      levels were consistent for both Cuban and non-Cuban Hispanics. There were higher
      waist-hip ratios and insulin levels in both Hispanic men and women. When
      allowances were made for these attributes in covariance analyses, the lipid
      differences were markedly diminished. These data suggest the lower high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol and higher triglyceride levels are consistent across
      Hispanic subgroups and that this lipid pattern may be attributable at least in
      part to increased insulin resistance in Hispanics.

PMID- 1872667
TI  - Clinical significance of a dizziness history in medical patients with syncope.
AB  - To determine the implications of dizziness as a symptom in patients with syncope,
      we analyzed responses to a standardized battery of questions about dizziness in
      121 consecutive patients referred for evaluation of syncope. Associations were
      sought between final diagnosis (dependent variable) and clinical predictor
      variables. Dizziness was found in 70% of the patients with syncope. Dizzy
      patients were younger (mean ages, 47 vs 56 years, respectively), more often
      female (75% vs 42%), and more likely to be assigned a psychiatric diagnosis.
      Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified young age and rotatory
      dizziness (vertigo) to be associated with a psychiatric diagnosis. Dizziness and
      syncope frequently coexist and in many cases may represent the same
      pathophysiologic process. A careful dizziness history may guide the initial
      evaluation of syncope patients in clinical practice.

PMID- 1872668
TI  - Use of centrally acting sympatholytic agents in the management of hypertension.
AB  - Considerable evidence suggests that hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous
      system is implicated not only in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension but
      also in several blood pressure-independent complications of essential
      hypertension. Even with the advent of newer antihypertensive agents, including
      angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium antagonists, the centrally
      acting sympatholytics (alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists) remain a valuable group of
      medications for the management of hypertension of all grades of severity. Their
      advantages include efficacy; rarity of contraindication; absence of most
      metabolic and serious side effects; favorable effects on systemic hemodynamics;
      lack of true tolerance and infrequency of volume expansion-related
      pseudotolerance; suitability in the elderly, in isolated systolic hypertension,
      and in patients with various concomitant conditions, such as diabetes mellitus;
      ability to reverse left ventricular hypertrophy; and relative low cost. The long
      duration of action of guanfacine hydrochloride, the most recently marketed agent,
      and of the transdermal formulation of clonidine is an especially commendable
      feature. The principal disadvantages of this class of medications are an overlap
      between the therapeutic dosage and that producing sedation and dry mouth and the
      potential to cause the discontinuation syndrome and sexual dysfunction.

PMID- 1872669
TI  - National adverse drug reaction reporting. 1984-1989.
AB  - Surveillance of adverse reactions due to pharmaceuticals is important because the
      drug approval process cannot totally assure safety and because new knowledge is
      bound to accrue after drugs enter usual medical practice. Reporting of reactions
      to the Food and Drug Administration increased markedly between 1985 and 1989 and
      totaled 261,515 reports for this period. A large part of this increase was due to
      new legal requirements, which ensure that manufacturers report reactions to the
      Food and Drug Administration. Most reaction reports originated with practicing
      physicians who contacted drug manufacturers. High proportions of the reports
      involved new drugs and serious reactions. Reaction surveillance leads to 50 to
      100 important safety investigations annually and to numerous changes in product
      information. Health care providers must continue to report suspect adverse
      reactions to the Food and Drug Administration and manufacturers if pharmaceutical
      use and safety are to improve.

PMID- 1872670
TI  - Treatment of Wegener's granulomatosis with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim.
AB  - Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim may be an alternative or adjunctive treatment for
      Wegener's granulomatosis, as suggested by our experience with six patients. Two
      had limited Wegener's granulomatosis; one of these achieved remission with
      sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim alone, and the second achieved remission with
      sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and prednisone. Four patients presented with sinus,
      pulmonary, and renal involvement. One patient initially treated with
      sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim developed worsening renal function requiring
      cytotoxic therapy. Two patients initially treated with cytotoxic agents achieved
      remission coincident with the addition of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim for
      persistent sinus symptoms. One patient had relapse of pulmonary symptoms after
      achieving and maintaining a remission during treatment with sulfamethoxazole
      trimethoprim alone. This experience suggests that sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim
      may be an effective treatment for some patients with Wegener's granulomatosis and
      may be the only agent required. Patients require careful follow-up and still may
      need cytotoxic therapy.

PMID- 1872671
TI  - Lung abscess with group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus. Case report and review.
AB  - Invasive infections with group A beta-hemolytic streptococci became less common
      in the early 20th century prior to the widespread use of antibiotics. From the
      early 1960s until the mid-1980s, reports of invasive infections continued to
      decline. In the past 5 years, there has been a resurgence of invasive infections
      and, possibly, also of postinfectious sequelae from this organism. We describe a
      patient with lung abscess from group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus. Lung abscess
      from hemolytic streptococci was not uncommon in Osler's day, but it was not
      reported in the English-language literature for 20 years until recently.
      Clinicians should be aware of the broad and growing spectrum of infections with
      this pathogen.

PMID- 1872672
TI  - Angle closure glaucoma precipitated by aerosolized atropine.
AB  - Angle closure glaucoma is an infrequent form of glaucoma occurring when the
      filtration mechanism for the aqueous humor is obstructed by apposition of the
      peripheral iris to the trabecular meshwork. Anatomic features associated with
      acute-angle closure include congenitally small anterior segments, increased lens
      thickness, and shallow anterior chamber depth. We present two patients who
      developed signs and symptoms of angle closure glaucoma after receiving
      aerosolized atropine for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We
      recommend that before instituting therapy with an inhaled anticholinergic agent,
      the patient should be questioned concerning prior history of angle closure
      glaucoma symptoms and signs and the anterior chamber depth should be examined
      using iris illumination. Patients having shallow anterior chambers, or possible
      prior angle closure glaucoma attacks, should be examined by an ophthalmologist
      before inhalant anticholinergic therapy.

PMID- 1872673
TI  - Can vitamin D deficiency produce an unusual pain syndrome?
AB  - An unusual pain occurred in five patients in the presence of compromised vitamin
      D status and resolved 5 to 7 days after supplementation with vitamin D in the
      form of ergocalciferol. The pain had a hyperesthetic quality and did not respond
      to the use of analgesics, including opiate derivatives. Treatment with
      therapeutic levels of a tricyclic antidepressant did not bring relief of
      symptoms. In one case, months after treatment and subsequent improvement of
      vitamin D status and pain, the vitamin D status again declined and the pain
      recurred. The pain again resolved with vitamin D replacement and improvement of
      levels. There may be a pain syndrome associated with vitamin D depletion that
      appears as hyperesthesia worsened by light, superficial pressure or even small
      increments of movement. This pain restricts mobility and function and may lead to
      further complications, such as pressure sores.

PMID- 1872674
TI  - Lovastatin-induced lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Two patients, a 64-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, developed a lupuslike
      syndrome due to lovastatin therapy, confirmed by signs, symptoms, and positive
      fluorescent antinuclear antibodies are herein published. The lovastatin-induced
      lupus was completely reversible on withdrawal of the agent.

PMID- 1872675
TI  - Sleep and nasal disease.

PMID- 1872676
TI  - Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) in congestive heart failure.

PMID- 1872677
TI  - All ACE Inhibitors are not alike.

PMID- 1872678
TI  - Disseminated infection with Pneumocystis carinii related to administration of
      pentamidine aerosol.

PMID- 1872679
TI  - Helicobacter pylori in Seventh-Day Adventists?

PMID- 1872680
TI  - The experience of house officers.

PMID- 1872681
TI  - J-curve during hypertension control: rationale for not lowering the diastolic
      pressure below 85 mm Hg.

PMID- 1872682
TI  - Accuracy of cholesterol measurements.

PMID- 1872683
TI  - The interstitial nucleus of Cajal of the cat. I. Neurons activity related to
      vertical eye movements.
AB  - Interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) neurons activity was studied during vertical
      optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and after-nystagmus (OKAN) in awake cats lying on
      their right side. The activity of one hundred neurons was recorded in the left
      INC and analysed in relation with the vertical component of OKN and OKAN. The
      activity of 27 neurons was correlated either to eye position or to both eye
      velocity and eye position; 18 of these neurons were recorded in their on
      direction and their off-direction. The analysis of the 18 neurons showed that the
      activity of 8 of them was correlated to eye position in the on-direction and in
      the off-direction and the correlation to eye position was higher than to eye
      velocity; these neurons are considered as position neurons. Seven other neurons
      had a higher correlation to eye position that to eye velocity in the on-direction
      and this relation reversed in the off-direction, these neurons are considered as
      position-velocity neurons. Thirty two burst-neurons were activated only during
      quick phases of OKN and OKAN and they were silent during slow phases and periods
      of fixation. Nine burst neurons had an upward on-direction and 23 neurons a
      downward on-direction. The eye velocity-average burst frequency (ABF) and quick
      phase duration-burst duration relationships had low correlations and suggested
      that INC burst neurons were excitatory premotor neurons. Statistical analysis
      showed that downward on-direction burst neurons had a higher ABF that upward on
      direction burst neurons. Moreover, during OKN and OKAN, the velocity sensitivity
      of INC burst neurons was the same. The activity of the remaining neurons (41
      neurons) was not quantitatively correlated to vertical and horizontal eye
      movements; they were classified as irregular tonic neurons. This study shows that
      INC neurons carry an eye position signal which was never reported before. This
      supports the results of INC lesion studies which showed that INC is involved in
      the vertical velocity to position integration. Moreover, there is an up versus
      down asymmetry in the frequency of INC burst neurons.

PMID- 1872684
TI  - The interstitial nucleus of Cajal of the cat. II. Effects of kainic acid lesion
      on vertical optokinetic nystagmus and after-nystagmus.
AB  - The effects of bilateral lesions of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal (INC) by
      kainic acid on vertical optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and after-nystagmus (OKAN)
      were studied in four cats: in three cats, in the acute stage from 1 to 60 days
      after the lesions; in the fourth cat, they were studied 3 years after the lesions
      were made. Histological control of lesions showed that the whole INC was
      bilaterally destroyed in two cats of the acute group and only the upper part of
      INC in the third cat. In the chronic cat, the density of cell bodies in both INC
      was lower than normal. In the acute group, the cats exhibited a spontaneous
      downward eye drift in light and in darkness. During an upward optokinetic
      stimulation, the effect of INC lesions was dramatic: upward slow phases and
      downward quick phases of OKN were abolished. Sixty days post lesions, small
      upward slow eye movements were again observed. During a downward optokinetic
      stimulation, the defect was much less; in particular, after a slight impairment
      of downward slow phases, during the first days post lesions, they recovered
      quickly. The secondary optokinetic after nystagmus (OKAN II) ensuing a downward
      OKN was cancelled and did not reappear 60 days post lesions. In the chronic
      stage, three years after the lesions, during an upward optokinetic stimulation,
      the cat showed upward slow phases with velocities close to normal. However,
      upward slow phases were curved: the velocity at the end of the slow phases was
      lower than at the beginning. After an upward OKN (the direction of slow phases
      gives the direction of the OKN and OKAN), the ensuing OKAN was present but
      abnormal.

PMID- 1872685
TI  - Instrumental conditioning of skin potential responses in curarized cats: non
      specific effects of a punishment procedure.
AB  - This study evaluates the effects of a punishment paradigm upon electrodermal
      activity (EDA) in curarized cats. In ten experimental subjects, any skin
      potential response (SPR) exceeding threshold value was punished by an electric
      shock. Ten control subjects received an electric shock or an electric stimulation
      of the mesencephalic reticular formation unrelated to the EDA. The results show
      that: a) No significant modifications of EDA occurred in subjects characterized
      by low initial activity; b) The frequency of SPR significantly decreased in high
      activity subjects used both for the experiments and the controls. Therefore, this
      diminution, in experimental subjects, cannot be due to a learning process.
      Neither can it be related to level of curarization or to rate of artificial
      ventilation. It is suggested that this effect results from a non-specific
      cortical inhibitory mechanism acting on the reticular activating system. The
      results obtained in three decorticated cats submitted to a punishment procedure
      are in accordance with such an hypothesis. Consequently the existence of operant
      autonomic learning remains unproven.

PMID- 1872686
TI  - Effects of Chinese herbal drug, dai-saiko-to on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and
      liver lipid contents in guinea pig.
AB  - Effects of Chinese herbal drug, Dai-saiko-to, on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and
      liver lipid contents were investigated in guinea pig with/without cholesterol
      feeding. Guinea pigs were divided into 4 groups (Group 1: normal chow (N) diet,
      Group 2: N + 1% Dai-saiko-to (D) diet, Group 3: 1% cholesterol (C) diet, Group 4:
      1% C+ 1% D diet), and were treated for 5 weeks. Significant body weight
      reductions were observed in Groups 3 and 4 compared to Groups 1 and 2.
      Significant reductions of plasma triglyceride (TG) and very low and low density
      lipoproteins [(V) LDL]-TG were found in Group 3 compared to Groups 1, 2, and 4.
      (HDL)-TG significantly decreased in Groups 3 and 4 compared to Groups 1 and 2,
      but no significant difference was noted between Groups 1 and 2, and Groups 3 and
      4. Liver lipid contents analysis showed no significant changes between Groups 1
      and 2, and Groups 3 and 4, respectively, but the distribution of lipid droplets
      as pathologically determined using a computer program showed Group 4 had less
      lipid deposition compared to Group 3. These data suggest that Dai-saiko-to acts
      on triglyceride metabolism in hypercholesterolemic guinea pigs.

PMID- 1872687
TI  - [Morphometric characteristics of tissue basophils in cancerous and precancerous
      diseases of the skin].
AB  - Skin of 60 patients with squamous cell non-keratinizing carcinoma, basaliomas,
      Bowen carcinoma, hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis and chronic inflammation was
      studied using routine histological and histochemical methods. The number of
      basophils was calculated; the index of their heparin saturation, degree of
      granulation was determined by division of a number of highly granulated
      labrocytes by a number of the least granulated labrocytes and multiplying the
      result by 100. The results may serve as a criterion in the evaluation of the
      degree of skin carcinoma cataplasia.

PMID- 1872688
TI  - [Morphometric features of breast cancer cells in the evaluation of the degree of
      tumor differentiation].
AB  - Morphometric study of the cell and nucleus surface as well as nucleus
      cytoplasmatic ratio are performed in 80 patients with mammary carcinoma using a
      Soviet cytoanalyzer "Integral-2MT". Highly differentiated carcinomas are
      characterized by a domination (61.3%) of small nuclei (up to 120 microns 2).
      Moderately differentiated carcinomas are polymorphic by their composition: 43.3%
      nuclei up to 120 microns 2, 39.3% from 120 to 160 microns 2, remaining nuclei are
      of a large size. Poorly differentiated carcinomas are even more polymorphic due
      to high percentage of large nuclei--from 140 to 200 microns 2 and larger
      representing 46.5% cells. The analysis of nuclear size distribution allows
      estimation of the degree of cell differentiation in the tumour.

PMID- 1872689
TI  - [Alveolar macrophages in lung physiology and pathology].
AB  - Alveolar macrophages (AM) represent a lung border system bringing about the
      protection of the organ from the environmental hazards, regulating cell and
      humoral response in the lungs, and eliminating endogenous toxic substances.
      However, in some situations AM are involved in the pathologic processes and even
      may serve as an initiating factor in the development of lung pathology. They
      realize their pathogenic effect in the bronchial asthma, acute respiratory
      distress-syndrome, pneumoconiosis releasing various biologically active compounds
      which take part in the formation of bronchial hyperreactivity, chemotaxis
      disturbances, haemostasis pathology. Particularly interesting is the possibility
      of lung tissue damage by AM when they interact with endotoxin-positive
      granulocytes.

PMID- 1872690
TI  - [Hyperplastic changes in the mucosa in colon cancer].
AB  - 67 segments of rectum and sigmoid removed surgically because of carcinoma were
      examined: the surface of intestinal mucosa stained with methylene-blue was
      studied in order to determine the number and localization of focal changes in the
      macroscopically unchanged areas. Colon microscopy was performed clinically in 24
      patients with carcinoma of the rectum and in 24 control individuals. 28
      hyperplastic polyps and 1037 microscopic hyperplastic foci were found in
      operative material. An active metabolism is established by means of electron
      autoradiography in the cells of hyperplastic focus. Areas of dysplastic
      epithelium were rarely found in big hyperplastic polyps. Areas of diffuse
      hyperplasia (transitional mucosa) with crypt deepening and presence of a high
      number of goblet cells were found near tumour. A certain role of hyperplastic
      processes in carcinogenesis is forwarded. Numerous microscopic changes in the
      mucosa epithelium may testify against the carcinoma development de novo.

PMID- 1872691
TI  - [Ultrastructure of human epidermis during autolysis based on data from
      cryofractographic and electron microscopic studies].
AB  - The character of the cell membrane component destruction of the human epidermis
      when kept in a humid camera at 4 degrees or 37 degrees C was studied electron
      microscopically and by a freezing-chopping method. Intermembranous proteins
      undergo considerable changes and are more labile than a lipid membranous
      component.

PMID- 1872692
TI  - [Effect of a single overheating on kidney ultrastructure].
AB  - Large human populations have to live and work under conditions of heat in the
      arid zones or in industry. It is shown in the experiment, that a single
      overheating of animals of various duration results in a considerable damage of
      glomeruli and tubules the clinical manifestation of which is the development of
      acute renal failure.

PMID- 1872693
TI  - [Primary nodular lymphosarcoma of the breast].
AB  - A case of primary breast lymphosarcoma with axillary lymph node involvement and a
      local relapse after radical mastectomy has been described. The patient was a 43
      year-old woman. Histologically, the primary tumour showed nodular (follicular)
      growth of prolymphocytes (centrocytes) and lymphoblasts (centroblasts) whereas
      the lymph node involved and relapsed tumour were characterized by diffuse
      proliferation of lymphoblasts (centroblasts). Immunocytochemistry revealed B
      lymphocytic nature of the tumour cells. There were some difficulties in
      histological interpretation of this tumour due to both artificial structures and
      so-called lymphoepithelial lesions--remnants of ductal and lobular structures in
      the tumour tissue. The follicular type of growth of the primary breast
      lymphosarcoma is not in concordance with the current concept of histogenesis of
      the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas.

PMID- 1872694
TI  - [Giant teratoma of the placenta (acardius amorphus)].
AB  - This was either giant teratoma of placenta or malformed twin foetus. A premature
      separation of placenta took place this resulting in an antenatal asphyxia of the
      second foetus. The mechanical pressure of the tumour could play a role in the
      development of asphyxia.

PMID- 1872695
TI  - [Case study of congenital heart defects].
AB  - A rare case is presented: at the autopsy in a 54-year-old female patient a
      congenital heart defect was found in the form of the valve remnants of the
      embryonal venous sinus (Chiari network and enlarged Eustachian valve). The right
      atrium thrombosis in the region of Chiari network resulted in the thromboembolism
      of the left pulmonary artery this being an immediate cause of death.

PMID- 1872696
TI  - [Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].
AB  - Two genetically associated observations of the familial cardiomyopathy in a 34
      year-old father and 2-day-old son are described. Verification of the lesions is
      performed by means of macro-and microscopic analysis including the post-mortem
      contrast cardioventriculography and histotopographic investigation. Specific
      changes in the interventricular septum and left ventricle are found in both cases
      as well as asymmetric hypertrophy and elimination of the cavity of the left
      ventricle in both father and son.

PMID- 1872697
TI  - [Pathologic diagnosis].

PMID- 1872698
TI  - [Pathologic diagnosis].

PMID- 1872699
TI  - [From diagnosis--to the problem of development of a pathology service (concerning
      the article by D. S. Sarkisov "Diagnosis")].

PMID- 1872700
TI  - [Ksav'e Bisha and the science of the New Age].

PMID- 1872701
TI  - [The 50th anniversary of the pathology chair of the N. A. Semashko Moscow
      Stomatologic Institute].

PMID- 1872702
TI  - [Liver sinusoidal cells: nature, functional characteristics, and cooperative
      relationships].
AB  - Morphological and functional features as well as cooperative relations of
      Kupffer's cells, endotheliocytes, lipocytes and pit-cells under normal and
      pathological conditions delineated in the literature are reviewed. It is shown
      that liver sinusoid cells protect the parenchyma, control hepatocyte
      regeneration, take part in the antitumor immunity, participate in the metabolism
      of lipids, lipoproteins, proteins, biogenic amines and collagen while the
      cooperative interaction between them and hepatocytes determines an interhepatic
      homeostasis.

PMID- 1872703
TI  - [Immunohistochemical study of meconial antigens in neoplasms and mucosa of the
      colon and rectum].
AB  - The expression of 4 meconial antigens--beta-1-MA, beta-2-MA, MMA, gamma-MA in
      neoplastic and preneoplastic colonic mucosa was studied. Meconial antigens were
      revealed in small amount in adult normal colonic epithelium. The mucosa adjacent
      to tumours was rich in these antigens. Cellular localization of meconial antigens
      in these parts of colonic mucosa was similar to that of embryonal alimentary
      tract. beta-1-MA was found in 96%, beta-2-MA--73.6%, MMA--82.8%, gamma-MA--31.8%
      of colonic carcinomas.

PMID- 1872704
TI  - [Hearts with double inlet ventricle. Morphological aspects in 20 cases].
AB  - PURPOSE: The authors intended to verify the most common anatomical presentations
      of hearts with double inlet ventricle (DIV) and the associated lesions, in order
      to provide information regarding surgical palliation/correction. MATERIAL AND
      METHODS: Twenty hearts presenting DIV, from pathological collections. The
      sequential segmental analysis was applied. RESULTS: Fourteen cases showed usual
      atrial arrangement, and six isomeric atria (4 with right isomerism and 2 with
      left isomerism). "Situs solitus" showed two atrioventricular (AV) valves, and the
      others a single valve. The main ventricle was morphologically left in 13 cases,
      right in one and of indeterminate morphology in six. The ventriculoarterial
      connexion was discordant in 10 cases, concordant in two, of double outlet type in
      eight (6 from an indeterminate ventricle, one from the main chamber and one from
      the rudimentary ventricle). Pulmonary obstructive lesions were common in the
      group with atrial isomerism (67%). AV valve stenosis was present in 4 cases, two
      of the left valve and two of the right one. Straddling of one AV valve was
      observed in 5 cases and aortic coarctation in three. The ventricular septal
      defect was restrictive in two cases, both with double inlet to a dominant left
      ventricle and a concordant AV connexion (Holmes'heart). CONCLUSION: In those with
      atrial isomerism, the obstructive pulmonary lesions are the dominant feature and
      require early attention. For the other group, the atriopulmonary anastomosis
      procedures should take into account peculiarities such as AV valve dysfunctions
      and aortic coarctation.

PMID- 1872705
TI  - [Endocavitary fulguration of accessory pathways in the treatment of Wolff
      Parkinson-White syndrome].
AB  - PURPOSE: To show our first experiments with the treatment of Wolff-Parkinson
      White syndrome through endocavitary fulguration of accessory pathway. PATIENTS
      AND METHODS: Fourteen endocavitary fulguration sessions applied in 9 patients
      with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Five were men and the average age was 35
      years. RESULTS: We obtained complete interruption of the conduction by the
      anomalous pathway in 7 cases: 4 of them needed only one session and the remaining
      3, two sessions. Three fulguration sessions were carried out with the remaining
      patient (actually the first to be submitted to the treatment), and the procedure
      in that case proved to be unable to interrupt the conduction by the anomalous
      pathway. This patient was submitted to surgical ablation. In all cases it was not
      observed any cardiologic complications due to the application of this technique.
      CONCLUSION: The endocavitary fulguration of the accessory pathway is a safe and
      efficient method and must be considered as a first option when the ablation of
      the anomalous pathways is indicated.

PMID- 1872706
TI  - [Cardiac manifestations of hyperthyroidism in the elderly].
AB  - PURPOSE: To evaluate the cardiocirculatory abnormalities of hyperthyroidism in
      the elderly. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four hyperthyroid patients, 18 women
      and six men, aged 60 to 87 (average 73.5) years were studied. Seventeen (70.9%)
      patients had associated cardiocirculatory diseases. The evaluation was made on
      clinical grounds complemented by electrocardiographic, radiologic,
      phonomechanocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations. RESULTS:
      Cardiocirculatory symptoms were observed in 17 (70.9%) patients and congestive
      heart failure in nine (37.5%) of them. The electrocardiogram was abnormal in 20
      (83.3%) patients and the tachyarrhythmias were the commonest abnormality (62.5%).
      Eight (33.3%) patients had chronic atrial fibrillation and five (20.8%) had sinus
      tachycardia. There was no significant statistical difference on the
      electrocardiograms of patients with and without cardiocirculatory abnormalities.
      Cardiomegaly was significantly more prevalent in hyperthyroid patients, with
      (64.7%) or without (57.1%) cardiocirculatory abnormalities, than in normal
      elderly (23.9%). Left ventricular performance was studied in 14 patients through
      the systolic quotient and was found normal or high in 12 (85.7%). The percentage
      of fractional shortening (delta D%) was higher than 30 in all patients. None of
      the patients was found to have symmetric or asymmetric hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy and mitral valve prolapse on echocardiogram. CONCLUSION:
      Hyperthyroidism in the elderly patient determines frequently cardiocirculatory
      abnormalities that may be misdiagnosed with those caused by the ageing process or
      by associated cardiopathies. This diagnosis should be suspected in all elderly
      patients having tachyarrhythmias and/or cardiac failure resistant to usual
      therapy, mainly in patients without clear cardiocirculatory pathology.

PMID- 1872707
TI  - [Orthostatic hypotension in elderly inpatients].
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in elderly
      inpatients, to identify known risk factors as well as to investigate quality of
      care given to these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred elderly
      inpatients aged 60 and over (mean age: 69.2 years), 66 women and 34 men were
      investigated. We measured supine (after resting for 30 minutes) and one, two,
      three, four and five minutes standing blood pressures. Orthostatic hypotension
      was defined as a decrease in systolic pressure of 20 mmHg or more with or without
      symptoms. The case notes of these subjects were reviewed and the presence of risk
      factors (diseases and medications associated with OH) was recorded as well as the
      short of treatment given to these patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of OH was 30%
      (30 patients); 1/3 had symptoms, one or more known risk factors were found in
      every patient. Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension was found in 5 patients (5 out
      of 30 patients). Only one patient with OH was diagnosed (1-30 patients).
      CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of OH in elderly inpatients and its
      association with various known risk factors. Most patients are not diagnosed and
      therefore not managed properly.

PMID- 1872708
TI  - [The circulatory system from Galeno to Rigatto].

PMID- 1872709
TI  - [Chagas' disease and tachycardiomyopathy].

PMID- 1872710
TI  - [Surgical treatment of dysphagia lusoria].
AB  - Two cases of this anomaly, in women (26 and 49 years old), with symptoms of short
      duration (4 and 3 months) of dysphagia, regurgitation and esophagitis, without
      loss of weight, are presented. In both, the final diagnosis was made by mean of
      thoracic aortogram. Esophagoscopy realized only in the first patient,
      demonstrated the pulsatile esophageal compression. The first patient was operated
      on through a right cervical incision, made in the anterior border of the
      sternomastoid muscle. In the second, a partial sternotomy, combined with a right
      supraclavicular prolongation, was used. In both, the anomalous artery was taken
      from the aorta and behind the esophagus, and anastomosed to the right common
      carotid artery. The dysphagia disappeared in the second case, but persisted
      attenuated, in the first one. Manometric studies realized in the 3rd and 18th
      months postoperatively demonstrated an aperistaltic segment of the esophagus
      (between 4 and 7 cm from the superior sphincter).

PMID- 1872711
TI  - [Congenital left sinus of Valsalva aneurysm].
AB  - Two cases of left sinus of Valsalva congenital aneurysm (SVCA), incidentally
      found are described. The authors call attention on rarity of them, and present
      new concepts about their morphogenesis and incidence. They also suggested a
      higher incidence of asymptomatic and undiagnosed cases of SVCA should be
      considered.

PMID- 1872712
TI  - [Cardiac rhabdomyomas].
AB  - Case report of cardiac rhabdomyoma in one two days old infant with important
      cyanosis and respiratory insufficiency with evolution to death in few hours. The
      radiologic feature was a great enlargement of the heart and the
      electrocardiographic study showed left branch block. The two-dimensional
      echocardiography study showed multiple intracavitary tumours in both ventricles
      and in the right atrium. These features were confirmed in the post-mortem study.
      The microscopic study of the tumors showed proliferation of the spider cells, and
      vacuolation with the presence glycogen. The diagnosis of cardiac rhabdomyoma was
      confirmed. The brain and the kidney were not studied for the diagnosis of
      tuberous sclerosis or kidney tumors. It is very important the early diagnosis by
      echocardiography, due to the possibility of surgical resection of the
      intracavitary tumors that cause severe obstruction to the blood flow.

PMID- 1872713
TI  - [Congenital absence of left pericardium simulating tumor of the anterior
      mediastinum].
AB  - The authors report a case of a patient presenting atypical dyspnea symptom. The
      physical examination, the chest roentgenogram and EKG were abnormal; the
      echocardiogram showed an abnormal mass compressing the outflow tract of the right
      ventricle (RV). These data were confirmed by a computerized tomography. The
      cardiac catheterization showed a heart deviation to the left and a RV outflow
      tract gradient of 10 mmHg. Consequently a surgery was necessary. The surgical
      findings presented an absence of the left pericardium and no tumor was found.
      This is a rare entity that may be misdiagnosed as other heart diseases but this
      is the first case in which a tumor of the anterior mediastinum was suspected.

PMID- 1872714
TI  - [Case 1/91 (Instituto do Coracao do Hospital das Clinicas--FMUSP].

PMID- 1872715
TI  - [Syncope: diagnostic possibility and evaluation].

PMID- 1872716
TI  - [The future of univentricular hearts].

PMID- 1872717
TI  - [Catheter ablation for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias. Fulguration of
      accessory pathways].

PMID- 1872718
TI  - [Catheter ablation of accessory pathways].

PMID- 1872719
TI  - [The elderly patient: attention for orthostatic hypotension].

PMID- 1872720
TI  - [Nitrate tolerance. Characteristics, determinant factors and preventive
      procedures].

PMID- 1872721
TI  - [Metabolic aspects to consider in essential arterial hypertension].

PMID- 1872722
TI  - [Current complications of heart catheterization. Analysis of 100 cases].
AB  - PURPOSE: To analyse the impact of the new cardiac catheterization techniques on
      the complication profile of these procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One thousand
      consecutive patients who underwent cardiac catheterization from August through
      December, 1989 (739 diagnostic and 201 therapeutic procedures), who were followed
      up until hospital discharge. Complications were classified accordingly to their
      type and severity, and were related to the procedure employed and to the left
      ventricular ejection fraction. RESULTS: There were no complications in 77.7% of
      the population studied. In the remaining 236 patients the incidence of mild,
      moderate and severe complications were, respectively: 11.2%, 7.3% and 3.8%.
      Severe vascular complications occurred in 0.5%, cardiac perforation requiring
      emergency surgical repair in 0.1%, severe arrhythmias in 1.4%, acute myocardial
      infarction in 0.4%, acute pulmonary edema in 0.3% and fatal events in 0.5%
      patients. CONCLUSION: Despite the increasing application of interventional
      techniques and the greater number of acutely ill patients referred to cardiac
      catheterization, these procedures have proved to be safe with a low complication
      rate.

PMID- 1872723
TI  - [Nyctohemeral recording of blood pressure and heart rate. Preliminary study].
AB  - PURPOSE: A preliminary report is presented of the 24 hour monitoring of blood
      pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten normotensive
      persons, 5 of each sex with age between 30 and 65 (mean age 41.4) years. The
      recorder model TM 2420 made by A & D Co. of Japan was used. It has a blood
      pressure cuff and a recorder that utilized the Korotkoff sounds. It is possible
      to register the BP with intervals of 1 up to 60 minutes with a circadian division
      of up to 4 separate periods. A compact analyzer-computer with a printer
      processing unit prints each recording of PB and HR, the mean value and standard
      deviation of each period and of the total period of 24 hours. RESULTS: During day
      time the systolic BP ranged from 96 to 140 mmHg (mean 118.7 +/- 11 mmHg) and the
      diastolic BP ranged from 67 to 90 mmHg (mean 75.2 +/- mmHg). In the period from 0
      to 6 hours AM the systolic BP ranged from 81 to 115 mmHg (mean 102 +/- 13.7 mmHg)
      and the diastolic BP ranged from 63 to 86 mmHg (mean 67.2 +/- 9.3 mmHg). The mean
      HR ranged from 75 to 94 beats per minute (mean 84.3 +/- 31). CONCLUSION: This
      lowering of BP during the night correlates with the variations of plasma nor
      epinephrine. The main advantages of the circadian monitoring of blood pressure
      are: 1) to identify the false diagnosis of hypertension based on casual readings;
      2) the significant correlation found between prognosis, end-organ-lesion and the
      pressure load (proportion of BP above normally) or the mean value of BP, while
      end-organ-lesion and prognosis correlates poorly with casual blood pressure.

PMID- 1872724
TI  - [Acute reduction of blood pressure: comparative study of nifedipine and
      clonidine].
AB  - PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of clonidine and nifedipine in rapidly reducing
      blood pressure (BP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with arterial
      hypertension of any cause were selected and randomly divided in three groups: P
      group, consisting of 9 patients who received placebo; N group, consisting of 17
      patients, 8 males, mean age of 47 years who received 10 mg of sublingual
      nifedipine; C group, consisting of 18 patients, 6 males, with mean age of 47
      years who received 0.2 mg of clonidine per os. The BP were measured on admission
      and every 15 minutes for 1 hour. The final goal of treatment was to lower
      diastolic pressure in 20 mmHg or more. RESULTS: At the end of 60 minutes the
      nifedipine as well as clonidine were equally effective in lowering BP. The
      earliest manifestation of drug activity occurred at 25 minutes after
      administration. Side effects were noted only with clonidine in 23% of the cases,
      but without any clinical significance. CONCLUSION: Nifedipine as well as
      clonidine are equally effective in rapidly lowering BP with minimal side effects.

PMID- 1872725
TI  - [Mitral valve prolapse and panic disorder].
AB  - PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), using
      echocardiographic and auscultatory criteria, in cases of panic disorder
      (complicated or not with agoraphobia). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients
      (37 women) with panic disorder and without known cardiac disease, mean age 39.8
      years (range 19-67) were studied. MVP was diagnosed when there was a typical
      auscultatory click or when the echocardiographic study (echo) registered one
      mitral lacinea 2 mm behind the C-D line at the "M" study or a systolic billowing
      of mitral leaflets in two views to the two-dimensional study. RESULTS: MVP was
      found in 29 (44.6%) of the patients, 12 (42.7) men and 17 (49.5%) women. A click
      was found in 19 (24%) of the cases and the Echo was positive in 24 (39.6%) of the
      patients. Click and a positive Echo finding were identified in 14 patients.
      CONCLUSION: MVP was found in panic cases, in incidence greater than in the
      general population.

PMID- 1872726
TI  - [Primary hyperaldosteronism with angina and arrhythmia].
AB  - Case report of primary hyperaldosteronism in a 43 year-old man, with 2 years
      history of hypertension and cardiovascular involvement manifested by "angina
      pectoris", ventricular arrhythmia and hypokalemia. The CT scan showed a left
      adrenal gland adenoma. The patient underwent a surgery for tumor removal, and
      became asymptomatic during a follow-up period of 11 months.

PMID- 1872727
TI  - [Apical and inferior mammillary aneurysm in chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy].
AB  - A 66 year-old woman with chronic Chagas's heart disease, presented palpitations,
      dizziness and chest pain. The His bundle electrograms revealed sick sinus
      syndrome. The left cineventriculography showed apical and inferior aneurysms of
      mammillary morphological aspect.

PMID- 1872728
TI  - [Aneurysm of left ventricle associated with post-infarction interventricular
      communication].
AB  - The authors report two cases of left ventricular aneurysm associated with post
      infarction ventricular septal rupture. This rare association, usually aggravated
      by high mortality, received successful surgical treatment.

PMID- 1872729
TI  - [Bayesian analysis of ergometry test].

PMID- 1872730
TI  - Inhibition of bovine gingival laminin receptor by bacterial lipopolysaccharide.
AB  - A laminin receptor was isolated from bovine gingival epithelial-cell membrane.
      After solubilization with octylglucoside, the receptor was subjected to affinity
      chromatography on laminin-coupled Sepharose and eluted with cation-free EDTA
      buffer yielding on SDS-PAGE a 67 kDa protein band. After radioiodination, the
      protein was incorporated into liposomes which displayed specific affinity towards
      laminin-coated surfaces, as well as to tooth cementum. The binding of receptor
      protein to cementum was inhibited by lipopolysaccharide from Bacteroides
      gingivalis. Preincubation of cementum with the lipopolysaccharide decreased the
      binding of the liposomal laminin-receptor preparation by 35.8%, while a 59.2%
      decrease in binding occurred when the lipopolysaccharide was preincubated with
      the receptor, suggesting that the lipopolysaccharide interfered with the laminin
      binding site on the receptor. The results demonstrate the existence of a specific
      gingival cell-surface laminin receptor, show that it is capable of binding to
      cementum, and provide evidence for the disruption of this process by bacterial
      lipopolysaccharide. This mechanism may account for the loss of gingival
      attachment in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.

PMID- 1872731
TI  - Immunochemistry and immunogenicity of low molecular weight human salivary mucin.
AB  - The purposes of this study were to examine the immunogenicity of the low
      molecular weight human salivary mucin (MG2) and determine its distribution within
      major and minor human salivary glands. Anti-MG2 sera were produced in Balb/c mice
      by a variety of immunization schedules. Chromatographically or
      electrophoretically purified MG2 and partially purified mucin chromatographic
      fractions exposed to mild denaturing conditions were not immunogenic. Only MG2
      without prior exposure to urea or guanidine was able to elicit an immune
      response. A murine anti-MG2 monoclonal antibody (clone 1/F9) was produced and its
      monospecificity confirmed by immuno-dot blotting and SDS-PAGE Western transfer.
      Clone 1/F9 (IgG1; kappa) was of moderate affinity and was directed to a Pronase-
      and TPCK trypsin-sensitive but periodate-resistant epitope which was not blood
      group- or sialic acid-specific. Immunocytochemical studies of frozen tissue
      sections with clone 1/F9 using both indirect and direct methods revealed that MG2
      was more heterogeneously distributed within submandibular than labial glands and
      was not found in parotid or palatine glands. The use of a polyclonal rabbit anti
      MG2 reagent in either frozen or paraffin-embedded tissues gave the same
      immunocytochemical results as those obtained with the monoclonal antibody.

PMID- 1872732
TI  - The effect of airborne lead on lead levels of blood, incisors and alveolar bone
      of rats.
AB  - Groups of 20 inbred rats were exposed to: (1) "clean air" (0.05 micrograms Pb/m3)
      for 70 days; (2) 77 micrograms Pb/m3 for 70 days; (3) 249 micrograms Pb/m3 for 28
      days; and (4) 1546 micrograms Pb/m3 for 50 days. Half the rats in each group were
      then killed and the other half kept in "clean air" until the blood lead of groups
      1-3 had returned to normal. That half of the incisors which had been completely
      renewed during the experimental period, as well as the alveolar bone of each rat,
      were analysed for lead by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the rats killed
      immediately after exposure, the lead levels by atomic absorption alveolar bone
      showed significant differences (p less than 0.05) among all four groups, except
      between groups 2 and 3, indicating the importance of the combined effect of
      airborne lead concentration and length of exposure. For blood, significant
      differences (p less than 0.05) were found among all groups. For the post-exposure
      rats, the incisors and blood showed no significant differences (p greater than
      0.05) among groups 1, 2, and 3. For alveolar bone, significant differences were
      not found (p greater than 0.05) between groups 2 and 3. It can be concluded that
      during lead exposure the alveolar bone transformation was the highest and that of
      incisor tissue just lower, and that blood lead became supplemented through the
      process of remobilization from alveolar bone, as reported for other bones.

PMID- 1872733
TI  - The effect of lead acetate on dentine formation in the rat.
AB  - The intravenous injection of lead acetate produces a response in dentine by
      formation of the so-called lead line. This is associated with a rapid but
      temporary rise in serum calcium and phosphorus. Previous studies have suggested
      that lead replaces calcium and phosphorus in the apatite lattice. In this study
      the lead line was investigated in the scanning electron microscope using
      backscattered electron imaging and was shown to consist of continuous
      hypomineralized interglobular spaces within the dentine. Dentine formation was
      disrupted for at least a week after injection of lead ions. With energy
      dispersive analysis by X-rays, no localized concentration of lead was detectable
      within the 'lead line'. It is suggested that the lead line results from a direct
      effect of lead on the odontoblasts and other hard tissue-forming cells producing
      a rapid loss of intracellular calcium temporarily displaced by lead ions and a
      subsequent disturbance of local calcium metabolism.

PMID- 1872734
TI  - Distribution of fluoride in sound and periodontally diseased human cementum.
AB  - Fluoride distribution was investigated by an abrasive micro-sampling technique.
      The fluoride concentration increased with age in both sound and diseased
      cementum. In sound teeth, the fluoride profiles (distribution of fluoride from
      the surface to interior) of the middle and apical cementum were similar. In the
      diseased cementum the profile of the middle region tended to be more variable
      than that of the apical cementum, suggesting a possible effect of the oral
      environment on the fluoride profile at this site.

PMID- 1872735
TI  - Quality assurance education: towards the year 2000.

PMID- 1872736
TI  - Report on seminar: 'designing care'.
AB  - The seminar was held under the auspices of the National Demonstration Project,
      which is a combined effort of the Juran Institute and the Harvard Community
      Health Plan (HCHP). About 60 delegates attended the conference. Most were from
      the United States, the rest were from Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom
      and Australia. The seminar was aimed at introducing those attending to the topic
      of clinical algorithms. The algorithms were presented as part of a total quality
      management process concerned with clinical decisions. Algorithms are designed as
      a pattern, or a map, of a clinical process. It is the aim of an algorithm to
      ensure stability in a clinical process and to enhance the quality of care given
      by the process. The seminar was a combination of general sessions and workshop
      sessions. The general sessions were managed by presenters who had considerable
      experience in the development of algorithms, and the same presenters then chaired
      the separate workshop sessions on a group basis. The workshop sessions
      concentrated on the simulation of algorithm development at the institutions of
      the attendees.

PMID- 1872737
TI  - The asthma clinical score and oxygen saturation.
AB  - A clinical estimate of asthma severity using a clinical score and oxygen
      saturation measurements by pulse oximetry was carried out on a group of 41
      children aged 3 years or older. The measurements were performed at the time of
      each child's admission to hospital with an acute asthma attack. The correlation
      coefficient (r) between the asthma score and the oxygen saturation was -0.76. For
      children older than 3 years, clinical scoring methods may have a place in the
      assessment of those with acute asthma, especially when they are receiving high
      flow oxygen treatment.

PMID- 1872738
TI  - Quality assurance.
AB  - Modern health care is changing--we have more chronic disease, increasing demands
      for documentation from government and legal bodies, and greater emphasis on
      disease screening and prevention. Quality assurance is important in developing
      health care services to meet these changing needs because it provides standards
      by which we can measure the activities involved in the delivery of health care,
      and quality assurance programmes are more likely to ensure that the predefined
      standards of health care are being met. This paper provides: (i) an acceptable
      definition of quality assurance (QA); (ii) an explanation of why we need it;
      (iii) evidence that the medical decision-making process is failing under the
      modern technological advances; and (iv) guidelines for meeting future health care
      standards by using the modern technological tools of computers and computer
      software to support the beleaguered clinical decision-making process.

PMID- 1872739
TI  - Quality and health care: future directions for health care quality management.

PMID- 1872740
TI  - Parent satisfaction survey: paediatric physiotherapy services.
AB  - The aims of the survey were: to obtain data on children being seen in the
      department in order to determine whether the needs of parents and children are
      being met; to discover parents' attitudes to 'parent-based' treatment; and to
      establish whether physiotherapists' expectations of what parents can do at home
      are realistic. A parent satisfaction survey was developed and sent to outpatients
      who had attended the physiotherapy department in the previous 6 months. Results
      were collated and analysed in the areas of: referral source; appointments;
      treatment; and general opinion. The results are reported in detail and discussed.
      Results are generally positive and indicate that the physiotherapists are
      catering for the needs of parents and children, and have appropriate ideas of
      what can be achieved at home. Several areas of potential improvement are
      identified and discussed.

PMID- 1872741
TI  - Commentary on a national invitational seminar on quality assurance in health
      services.
AB  - This paper is a slightly modified version of a paper presented at a quality
      assurance seminar at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney on 7 December 1990. The
      paper uses the seminar given by Professor Avedis Donabedian in Sydney 13-17
      August 1990, to emphasize two issues. First, while there are claims from many
      hospitals that they are conducting quality assurance, such activity demands the
      use of explicit criteria in one form or another and, in the author's view, few if
      any hospitals are, in fact, using this technology. What, then, of their claims to
      be conducting quality assurance? The second point is that Australian efforts at
      quality assurance have been focused on projects, ignoring the need for a program
      or system in the hospital, and a program or system is essential if efforts at
      ensuring effective quality assurance are to succeed.

PMID- 1872742
TI  - Quality assurance and general practice in Australia.
AB  - The initiation of a Quality Assurance (QA) Programme for general practitioners in
      Australia was initiated in 1987. It has had to meet the challenges of a diverse
      and independent group, but participation has been good after the first three
      years. The theoretical basis for the types of QA activity undertaken is
      discussed, as well as the political climate under which general practice QA is
      being established in Australia and abroad.

PMID- 1872743
TI  - Peri-operative care for oesophagectomy patients.
AB  - The aim of this study was to evaluate factors relevant to morbidity and mortality
      in 54 patients undergoing oesophagectomy at Royal Newcastle Hospital between 1985
      and March 1989. There was a high incidence of concurrent medical problems.
      Significant anaesthetic complications occurred in 6 patients. There were 16
      serious general medical complications and 10 surgical complications. Respiratory
      complications included basal collapse (19), sputum retention (6), pulmonary
      oedema (2), pleural effusion/haemothorax (5), and severe aspiration syndrome (5).
      Seven patients required mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days. Two deaths
      occurred postoperatively. As a result of this audit, changes have occurred in
      patient selection, management of chylothorax, epidural analgesia and timing of
      tracheal extubation.

PMID- 1872744
TI  - St Vincent's Hospital: a case study. Quality improvement programme in the
      Division of Corporate Services.

PMID- 1872745
TI  - The evolution of quality assurance in clinical chemistry: a personal view.

PMID- 1872746
TI  - OsteoPPPorosis--prevention, prevention and prevention.

PMID- 1872747
TI  - Emergency coronary artery bypass surgery following coronary angioplasty-
      favourable medium term outcome after eight years' experience.
AB  - The clinical characteristics, perioperative complications and medium term outcome
      were analysed for patients undergoing emergency coronary artery bypass surgery
      (CABG) following failed coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Seven hundred and twenty
      PTCAs were performed from June 1981 to June 1989, of which 30 (4.2%) resulted in
      CABG within four hours of PTCA. The perioperative course and follow-up were
      compared to 30 patients undergoing elective CABG, matched retrospectively for
      age, sex, month of operation and number of grafts. The emergency group had a
      tendency to more post operative bleeding, but no increased incidence of early
      reoperation for bleeding, and had a high incidence of periprocedural Q wave
      infarction (20% vs 3%, p less than 0.05). The emergency group had shorter bypass
      time and decreased use of the internal mammary artery (7% vs 50%, p less than
      0.05). There was one in-hospital death in the emergency group. At medium term
      follow-up (3.4 +/- 2.4 years, range two months to eight years) there was one late
      death in each group, and seven patients in each group had return of angina or
      congestive heart failure. Twenty-one patients in the emergency group and 22
      patients in the elective group were asymptomatic on no cardiac medications. We
      conclude that patients with failed PTCA requiring emergency CABG are more likely
      than an elective group to have post operative bleeding but no increased risk of
      early reoperation, and have a higher incidence of perioperative Q wave
      infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872748
TI  - Home oxygen therapy: an audit of survival.
AB  - A retrospective audit of the medical records and respiratory function data of 186
      subjects placed on long term continuous home oxygen therapy between 1979 and 1988
      was undertaken. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed for subjects with
      Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COAD) and Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).
      There was an almost twofold greater mortality rate for COAD subjects at 12 months
      when compared to the Medical Research Council Working Party (MRC) and the
      Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy multicentre clinical trials (NOTT). However, the mean
      values of the baseline physiological parameters were similar to these major
      studies of long term oxygen therapy. Survival of ILD patients was significantly
      less than COAD patients (p less than 0.001). Within both disease categories,
      females survived significantly longer than males. Within the COAD category the
      observed sex difference was not abolished when the data was controlled for age,
      Pco2, Po2 and pack-years (as an estimate of total cigarette consumption).
      However, prior smoking history appeared to modify the male-female difference in
      COAD survival. These are the first Australian survivorship data for patients on
      long term oxygen therapy. The more adverse survival figures compared with the
      overseas studies may reflect the co-existence of other diseases.

PMID- 1872749
TI  - Wheat dust-associated respiratory disease in a farming community.
AB  - Sixty-six volunteers who considered themselves to have wheat dust-related
      respiratory disease, were reviewed from a farming community. A spectrum of
      disease was described ranging from a mild allergic rhinitis limited to periods of
      wheat dust exposure through to perennial asthma in which wheat dust was but one
      of several precipitating factors. Approximately half of those with asthma had
      symptoms limited to times of wheat dust exposure. Results of a limited survey of
      farmers showed patterns of symptoms similar to those in the volunteer group. Most
      subjects were atopic with elevated IgE levels, and had positive skin prick tests
      to environmental allergens. All but one of 65 subjects tested had a positive RAST
      test to wheat dust antigen. It is concluded that wheat dust associated
      respiratory tract disease is a significant problem in Australian farming
      communities, that a particular pattern of asthma can be described, and that IgE
      mediated reactions contribute to this disease pattern.

PMID- 1872750
TI  - Monoclonal immunoglobulin bands in the cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - Isoelectric focusing and immunofixation allow the detection of abnormal
      immunoglobulin bands in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In normal subjects, the
      immunoglobulins in the CSF are derived from serum. In inflammatory disorders of
      the nervous system, there may be intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis usually
      seen as oligoclonal bands confined to the CSF. Monoclonal immunoglobulin bands in
      the CSF are not common. We surveyed 1490 CSF samples, and found that a total of
      nine had a monoclonal immunoglobulin band and that in three this was not present
      in the serum. Of these three, one patient had chronic inflammatory demyelinating
      polyneuropathy and the antibody may have been secreted by lymphocytes which had
      infiltrated the nervous system. The other patients had either lymphoma or
      lymphomatoid granulomatosis within or adjacent to the nervous system and the
      monoclonal immunoglobulin was probably secreted by B lymphocytes within those
      lesions.

PMID- 1872751
TI  - Long-term nasal CPAP does not ameliorate obstructive sleep apnoea.
AB  - Fifty-seven patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) were treated for at
      least six months with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). At follow
      up, sleep studies were performed in which CPAP was not used for the first half of
      the night. We compared the severity of OSA at follow-up without CPAP to the
      severity of OSA during the patient's initial diagnostic study. Apnoea and
      hypopnoea index (AHI) fell from 41.4 +/- 7.5 (mean +/- 95% CI) to 34.8 +/- 7.9 (p
      = 0.06 by Wilcoxon test) and minimum oxygen saturation rose from 71.6 +/- 3.2 to
      78.5 +/- 2.6 (p less than 0.001). Some of this change may have been due to
      reduced REM sleep in the follow-up study (10.5 +/- 2.1% Total Sleep Time vs 7.4
      +/- 2.4% TST, p less than 0.05). Long-term nasal CPAP was not associated with any
      reduction of obesity (BMI before CPAP 31.9 +/- 1.0, after CPAP 31.7 +/- 1.0 (p =
      0.39). Systolic arterial pressure fell (before CPAP 143.0 +/- 4.5 mmHg, after
      CPAP 136.3 +/- 4.6, p less than 0.05) but diastolic pressure did not (before CPAP
      88.5 +/- 3.0 mmHg, after CPAP 85.6 +/- 2.9 mmHg, p = 0.11). We concluded that the
      effect of CPAP treatment for six or more months was a small fall in AHI and a
      small rise in minimum SaO2, but that this would be of marginal clinical
      significance, and may be artefactual.

PMID- 1872752
TI  - Permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia misdiagnosed as 'cardiomyopathy'.
AB  - In a nine-year-old female, cardiac failure was erroneously attributed to
      idiopathic cardiomyopathy and cardiac transplantation was planned. The actual
      cause of cardiac failure was permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia
      (PJRT), a rare form of supraventricular tachycardia. The diagnostic error was
      discovered before transplantation was performed and the arrhythmia was treated
      surgically. This resulted in return of near normal cardiac function.

PMID- 1872753
TI  - XY female athlete with Olympic potential.
AB  - We report a 16-year-old phenotypic female with XY pure gonadal dysgenesis. A
      dysgerminoma was found in one of the dysgenetic gonads stressing the importance
      of prophylactic gonadectomy. Her case presents a difficult problem because as a
      member of a national junior training squad, she had the potential for competing
      at international level where her genetic sex could be a profound liability.

PMID- 1872754
TI  - Complete response of a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis to
      leucovorin/5 fluorouracil chemotherapy.
AB  - A 56-year-old female underwent treatment with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil for
      extensive metastatic moderately differentiated transitional cell carcinoma (TCC)
      of the renal pelvis. This resulted in a complete response for 20+ months. This
      combination has not been reported before in TCCs of the urinary tract and
      requires further exploration.

PMID- 1872755
TI  - Salmonella empyema in a patient with lymphoma.
AB  - Salmonella empyema occurred in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was
      successfully managed with a combination of antibiotics and surgery.

PMID- 1872756
TI  - Optic disc oedema and diabetes mellitus: a case report with review.
AB  - Optic disc oedema is a neurological complication of diabetes mellitus. Typically,
      the patient is a young diabetic with minimal symptomatology but severe bilateral
      optic disc oedema discovered on routine eye examination. It is a relatively
      benign condition which on occasion can result in a residual visual deficit, but
      requires no specific intervention and represents a subgroup of anterior ischaemic
      optic neuropathy (AION). We present a patient with insulin dependent diabetes and
      asymptomatic bilateral optic disc oedema, with a brief review of the syndrome and
      its pathogenesis.

PMID- 1872757
TI  - Diclofenac hepatitis.
AB  - We report five cases of biopsy-proven hepatitis developing between six and 20
      weeks after administration of diclofenac. In one patient jaundice had previously
      developed following use of ibuprofen. In another the clinical, biochemical and
      histopathological features were those of chronic active hepatitis and treatment
      with corticosteroids was required. All patients recovered from their liver injury
      without sequelae. Resolution of symptoms occurred between three and 12 weeks
      following cessation of the drug, while liver function tests returned to normal
      between seven and 16 weeks after drug withdrawal, except in the patient with
      chronic active hepatitis who remained biochemically abnormal for eight months.
      Three of the five patients developed transient circulating autoantibodies,
      suggesting immune mechanisms may be important in the pathogenesis of this injury.
      The incidence of severe hepatic dysfunction related to the use of diclofenac
      appears low and is probably in the order of one case per 50-100,000
      prescriptions.

PMID- 1872758
TI  - Pregnancy-induced hypertension: pathogenesis and management.

PMID- 1872760
TI  - The Lambie-Dew oration.

PMID- 1872759
TI  - Osteoporosis and calcium.

PMID- 1872761
TI  - Problems with nasal CPAP machines.

PMID- 1872762
TI  - Ischaemic ... or hypoxic hepatitis.

PMID- 1872763
TI  - Cyclosporin associated remission in severe aplastic anaemia.

PMID- 1872764
TI  - Urinary oestriol assay for monitoring fetoplacental function.
AB  - During the years 1971-1984 urinary oestriol excretion was tested in 51,427
      patients (group 1). One or more low oestriol value was found in 10.7% of
      patients; in this group the stillbirth rate was 6.8 times higher, the neonatal
      death rate 3.8 times higher, and fetal growth retardation rate 3.5 times higher
      than in patients with normal oestriol values (all p less than 0.00001). During
      the years 1985-1989 a further 20,635 patients were tested (group 2) and 7.6% had
      one or more low oestriol value. The perinatal mortality rate in patients with
      normal oestriol excretion fell from 0.8% in group 1 to 0.5% in group 2 (p less
      than 0.005), and in patients with low oestriol excretion from 4.2% in group 1 to
      2.4% in group 2 (p less than 0.002). However, patients in group 2 with low
      oestriol values still had significantly unfavourable results, compared to those
      with normal oestriol values--stillbirth rate 3.3 times higher, neonatal death
      rate 4.6 times higher, and fetal growth retardation rate 3.2 times higher (all p
      less than 0.00001). Intravenous dextrose and aminoacid infusions were given to
      967 patients who had persistently low oestriol values in spite of rest in
      hospital, in an attempt to correct fetoplacental function; the perinatal
      mortality rate was 0.9% in the 660 (68.3%) who responded favourably, and 9.8% in
      the 307 (31.7%) who did not respond (p less than 0.0001).

PMID- 1872765
TI  - Ponderal index: a better definition of the 'at risk' group with intrauterine
      growth problems than birth-weight for gestational age in term infants.
AB  - A study was undertaken at Nepean Hospital, Penrith to compare the outcome of
      pregnancies with growth retarded infants; 2,508 consecutive births were analyzed
      between August 1, 1989 and April 30, 1990. A comparison of outcome was made
      between infants whose birth-weight for gestational age was below the tenth
      percentile and infants who had a low ponderal index from 37 weeks' gestation. The
      Caesarean section delivery and fetal distress rates were significantly higher for
      infants with a low ponderal index than for infants with a low birth-weight.
      Ponderal index appears to be a better measure of infants with intrauterine growth
      problems than birth-weight percentiles.

PMID- 1872766
TI  - HELLP syndrome: an often unrecognized complication of preeclampsia.
AB  - We describe a case of preeclampsia with the HELLP (Haemolysis, Elevated Liver
      enzymes, Low Platelets) syndrome and highlight the delayed diagnosis due to its
      nonspecific presentation. This syndrome is associated with significant maternal
      and perinatal mortality and morbidity and we discuss the importance of early
      recognition of the condition, aggressive management and a multidisciplinary
      approach.

PMID- 1872767
TI  - Transabdominal chorion villus sampling: a safe and reliable procedure.
AB  - A complete follow-up of the first 578 patients undergoing transabdominal chorion
      villus sampling (TACVS) in our combined practices was undertaken to determine the
      pregnancy loss rate. Factors contributing to losses and the problems incurred in
      achieving a clinically relevant result were also examined. It was found that
      increasing experience led to fewer procedural difficulties but that there
      persisted a higher problem rate in those women with a retroverted uterus. In
      98.1% of patients an adequate volume of tissue was obtained and in 95.5% a
      clinically relevant result was achieved. This second figure rose to 96.3% in the
      latter part of the study. There was a total fetal loss rate of 2%, with only 0.5%
      (3 patients) having a missed abortion within 4 weeks of the procedure. It is
      concluded that TACVS is a reliable procedure with a high level of safety.

PMID- 1872768
TI  - Evaluation of plasma fructosamine as a screening test for gestational diabetes.

PMID- 1872769
TI  - Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis in postdate pregnancies.
AB  - This study examines the efficiency of Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis in
      the evaluation of the postdate pregnancy. Seventy women whose pregnancies were at
      or beyond 41 weeks' gestation were assessed by calculating the systolic/diastolic
      ratios from umbilical and uteroplacental arteries. Waveform ratios from
      pregnancies associated with fetal compromise and abnormal neonatal outcome were
      similar to those from pregnancies in which the outcome was normal. These findings
      indicate that the pathophysiology of placental insufficiency in postdate
      pregnancies differs from that observed in cases of fetal growth retardation at
      earlier gestational ages. Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis is unlikely to
      be of benefit in the routine assessment of the postdate pregnancy.

PMID- 1872770
TI  - The second stage of labour: durational dilemmas.
AB  - The optimal management of prolonged second stage of labour remains a confused
      area of thought and action. This confusion is particularly evident when epidural
      analgesia is also being used. A review of the literature indicates that prolonged
      duration of the second stage, i.e. from full dilation of the cervix until
      delivery, with or without epidural analgesia, has little adverse effect on
      perinatal outcome. More attention should be paid to the expulsive phase of the
      second stage and greater efforts made to reduce unnecessary interventions.

PMID- 1872771
TI  - Rupture of the pregnant uterus--a 21-year review.
AB  - Uterine rupture is still a common problem in developing countries although even
      here the incidence varies from urban to rural settings. This article is a review
      of uterine rupture in an urban referral hospital in Malaysia. It examines
      aetiology, clinical presentation, complications and management of the problem.
      Meticulous screening of patients together with optimal antenatal and intrapartum
      care will markedly reduce the incidence of uterine rupture. Early diagnosis and
      prompt treatment will further help reduce morbidity and mortality to both mother
      and fetus.

PMID- 1872772
TI  - The impact of multiple induced abortions on the outcome of subsequent pregnancy.
AB  - The obstetric outcome of 285 women with a history of previous multiple induced
      abortions is compared to that of 285 age matched primigravidas. In the study
      group, 219 women had 2 previous induced abortions and 66 had 3 or more, the
      maximum number being 8. There was a higher incidence of unmarried women and
      smokers in this group but a lower incidence of uneducated women. There was no
      difference in the incidence of antenatal complications between the 2 groups. The
      mean gestation at delivery, duration of labour and mode of delivery were
      comparable. There was an increased incidence (p less than 0.01) of retained
      placenta in the subgroup of women with 3 or more previous induced abortions.
      There were no maternal or perinatal deaths. The mean birth-weight was comparable
      and there were no infants weighing less than 1,500 g in either group. We conclude
      that multiple previous induced abortions appear to have minimal impact on the
      obstetric outcome of subsequent pregnancy in this population, and in the absence
      of other risk factors there is no need to alter standard obstetric management in
      this group of women.

PMID- 1872773
TI  - The use of 16.16-dimethyl-PGE1-delta-methyl ester (Cervagem) vaginal pessaries
      for cervical dilatation prior to evacuation for second trimester termination.
AB  - The results of a study of 101 consecutive second trimester terminations by
      Dilatation and Evacuation (D & E) under ultrasound control is presented. All had
      a Cervagem pessary inserted into the vagina prior to the procedure. The PGE1
      analogue was assessed as 'effective' in 97% of patients. Concomitant ultrasound
      resulted in no patient leaving the operating table with retained products. The
      high efficacy of the single pessary associated with a low incidence of side
      effects makes this combination the method of choice for nearly all second
      trimester terminations.

PMID- 1872774
TI  - Second trimester abortion by extra-amniotic PGF2 alpha infusion: experience of
      178 cases.
AB  - There is a continuing need for second trimester induced abortions, most recently
      due to the increase in the use of antenatal diagnostic procedures, amniocentesis,
      high resolution ultrasound and cordocentesis. To evaluate the efficacy and safety
      of extraamniotic infusion of PGF2 alpha for this purpose a retrospective review
      of 178 procedures was undertaken. There were 4 failures of the technique and the
      major complication rate was 5.6%. This rate was independent of gestational age.
      The mean induction to abortion interval was 29.6 (+/- 16.3) hours. The conclusion
      reached after comparison with other published data is that extraamniotic PGF2
      alpha infusion is a slow and painful but safe and effective technique, but that
      at gestational ages less than 17 weeks, a comparative trial of Dilatation and
      Evacuation versus extraamniotic PGF2 alpha infusion would be justified.

PMID- 1872775
TI  - Obstetric training for rural general practice.
AB  - In the current debate on the problems faced by rural doctors, lack of training in
      procedural disciplines such as obstetrics has emerged as a priority issue. With
      specialist obstetric services concentrated in metropolitan and major provincial
      cities, general practitioners will continue to provide rural communities with
      obstetric care. Postgraduate obstetric training programmes for general
      practitioners must provide procedural skills training for intending rural
      practitioners or risk being regarded as irrelevant to the needs of rural
      communities.

PMID- 1872776
TI  - The embryo comes of age: the first decade of the Fertility Society of Australia.
AB  - The Fertility Society of Australia was conceived in 1980 and born in 1982. After
      10 years its history and achievements are reviewed.

PMID- 1872777
TI  - Can ultrasonography reliably predict the occurrence of multiple pregnancies in
      gonadotrophin ovulation induction?
AB  - A retrospective study of 78 patients with 106 stimulated conception cycles after
      successful gonadotrophin ovulation induction was made to analyze the relationship
      between the sizes and numbers of ovarian follicles seen on ultrasound and the
      eventual number of conceptions that resulted in each cycle. Fifteen cycles
      (14.2%) resulted in spontaneous abortions. There were 58 singleton pregnancies
      (54.8%), 26 sets of twins (24.5%), 6 sets of triplets (5.6%) and 1 set of
      quadruplets (0.9%). In 86 cycles with the last scans performed shortly before the
      ovulating dose of HCG, 3 or more mature follicles were found in 50 (58%). These
      cycles resulted in 31 (62%) singletons, 16 (32%) twin pregnancies and 3 (6%)
      triplet pregnancies. Pregnancies resulted even when there were no 'mature'
      follicles seen on scan. No statistical correlation was found between plurality of
      pregnancy and size or number of follicles, or oestradiol excretion on the day the
      ovulating dose of HCG was given, although high-order multiple pregnancies were
      more likely if the oestrogen excretion was more than 200 ug/24 hours (p = 0.001).
      The dosage of HCG correlated inversely with the occurrence of multiple
      pregnancies (p = 0.02). In conclusion, neither oestrogens nor ultrasonography
      could accurately predict multiple conceptions in gonadotrophin stimulated cycles.

PMID- 1872778
TI  - Randomized trial of 2 hormonal and 2 prostaglandin-inhibiting agents in women
      with a complaint of menorrhagia.
AB  - A series of 45 ovulatory women with a complaint of menorrhagia were randomized
      into 3 treatment groups, before receiving therapy with mefenamic acid in 2 cycles
      and 1 of 3 other agents in 2 cycles: naproxen (group 1; n = 14), a low dose
      monophasic combined oral contraceptive (group 2; n = 12) or low dose danazol
      (group 3; n = 12). Menstrual blood loss was measured in 2-4 control cycles and
      during therapy. Mefenamic acid reduced measured blood loss by 20%; 38%; and 39%
      in groups 1-3 respectively. Naproxen reduced blood loss by 12%; the oral
      contraceptive by 43%; and danazol by 49%. There was no statistically significant
      difference in blood loss reduction (mean of 2 cycles) between any of the
      treatments, although women on danazol experienced a dramatic and highly
      significant further reduction in blood loss after the first treatment cycle (p
      less than 0.003). These were all effective therapies in a majority of women, but
      some 'non-responders' were seen in each group. The 'non-responders' had a
      significantly lower pretreatment blood loss than responders. Several women in
      group 1 showed anomalous responses to prostaglandin inhibitors with consistent
      and substantial exacerbation of menorrhagia during therapy. A number of
      reasonable therapies exist for the medical treatment of menorrhagia, but because
      none is suitable for everyone management needs to be individualized for each
      patient.

PMID- 1872779
TI  - Intrauterine surgery--a new era.

PMID- 1872780
TI  - Presacral neurectomy--a reappraisal.
AB  - Between April 1984 and April 1990, 20 patients with a mean age of 27.9 years
      underwent presacral neurectomy at The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne,
      Australia. Overall, 11 of the 19 patients (58%) assessable for follow-up were
      totally cured of pain and 8 (42%) were partially cured. The most common
      indication for presacral neurectomy was secondary dysmenorrhoea, usually in
      association with endometriosis or pelvic adhesions. In 4 patients with uterine
      dysmenorrhoea not associated with pelvic pathology the operation produced a
      complete cure. The general consensus of gynaecological opinion is that presacral
      neurectomy should still be reserved for a limited number of carefully selected
      patients in whom other methods of treatment have been exhausted. It is imperative
      that a prior psychological assessment should be undertaken whenever a functional
      component is suspected. Whilst pain of uterine origin may be cured by presacral
      neurectomy, lateral pelvic pain of adnexal origin requires ovarian sympathectomy.

PMID- 1872781
TI  - Determinants of maternal mortality in the developing world.
AB  - Maternal mortality is the culmination of a series of detrimental events in a
      woman's life, pregnancy being the last one. The underlying pathology is the lack
      of education, sanitation, accessible health care, as well as poor nutrition and
      poverty. These affect women during pregnancy and childbirth when they are more
      vulnerable. This 10-year review of literature from the developing world focuses
      on, and discusses the determinants of maternal mortality. Methods of reducing
      maternal mortality through policy addressing health care needs are touched on.

PMID- 1872782
TI  - Was that hysterectomy really necessary? Audit of operative justification at the
      Aga Khan University Medical Centre, Karachi.
AB  - Hysterectomy in Pakistan, like in other parts of the world is considered to be
      overused in a number of cases. As a part of a quality assurance process at the
      Aga Khan University Medical Centre, Karachi, 376 hysterectomies performed between
      January, 1987 and December, 1989 were retrospectively analysed and the results
      are presented. In 250 (66.5%) cases, where pathology was expected to be found,
      the hysterectomy was considered justified if the preoperative diagnosis was
      verified by the pathology report of if significant alternate pathology was
      present. In 126 (33.5%) cases, where no pathology was expected to be found
      'validation criteria' were used to ascertain justification of the procedure. The
      results showed justification rates of 83% for recurrent uterine bleeding, 85% for
      adenomyosis, 90% for adnexal masses and endometrial carcinoma, 95% for fibroids,
      97% for pelvic relaxation and 100% each for pregnancy catastrophe, endometriosis,
      chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and premalignant disease of uterus and
      cervix. In general 92.0% of all hysterectomies in this series were justified.

PMID- 1872783
TI  - Complications and bilaterality of mature ovarian teratomas (clinicopathological
      evaluation of 286 cases).
AB  - Bilaterality, complications and associated pathology were reevaluated in 286
      cases of mature teratoma of the ovary, treated in the last 25 years. Torsion was
      the most frequent complication, occurring in 22 (7.7%) patients. Rupture,
      infection and secondary malignant change were uncommon complications, occurring
      in 11 (3.8%), 7 (2.4%) and 1 (0.3%) patients, respectively. Both ovaries were
      evaluated histologically in 226 patients, 31 (13.7%) of whom were shown to have
      bilateral tumours, including 2 patients with tumour in the normally appearing
      ovary, contralateral to the gross tumour.

PMID- 1872784
TI  - Primary adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: changing clinical profile.

PMID- 1872785
TI  - Pelvic lymph node metastases in early invasive carcinoma of the cervix-
      histopathological 'risk' factors.
AB  - Histopathological features in 89 cases of Stage 1B and early 2A invasive
      carcinoma of the cervix who underwent Wertheim radical hysterectomy and pelvic
      lymphadenectomy were studied. Depth of tumour invasion and lymphatic/vascular
      space permeation by tumour cells were significantly associated with lymph node
      metastases. The other features such as tumour type, and stromal leucocytic
      reaction showed no significant relationship to the presence of lymph node
      metastases.

PMID- 1872786
TI  - Rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm in pregnancy.

PMID- 1872787
TI  - Malignant hyperpyrexia and sudden infant death.

PMID- 1872788
TI  - Caudal analgesia by the obstetrician.

PMID- 1872789
TI  - Aerospace Medical Association. Directory issue.

PMID- 1872790
TI  - [Possibilities and limits of immunodiagnosis of strongyle infections in horses].
AB  - In an investigation period over 8 months the natural course of infection was
      studied by means of coproscopic and serological methods in 27 mares and 29 foals.
      The examination of the stool showed in mares, before the beginning of the grazing
      season, an infection rate of 100% with small and a rate of 7.4% with large
      strongyles (Str. vulgaris). Serologically the ELISA showed in foals only a
      distinct increase of antibody activity with the somatic antigen. The mares
      retained the high IgG-values of activity, which were already found at the
      beginning of the investigations. Even though the agglutination test can be
      applied for control of the effectiveness of therapy in a horse population,
      individual diagnostic possibilities remain limited. This is due to the reduced
      sensitivity and specificity of the IgG(T)-concentration under natural conditions
      of infection. The double-antibody-sandwich-ELISA technique has shown to be
      basically feasible as a test for antigens from small strongyles. Somatic antigen
      could most sensitively be demonstrated by antibodies to ES-antigen, ES-antigen,
      however, by antibodies against somatic antigens.

PMID- 1872791
TI  - [Parasite fauna of red foxes in Berlin (West)].
AB  - The infestation with ecto- and endoparasites of red foxes in Berlin (West) was
      investigated. As shown by post mortems of 100 animals (47 males and 53 females),
      none of them was found to be free of parasites. With regard to ectoparasites, 3
      species of ixodes ticks, 7 flea species, one species of biting lice and mite
      species were demonstrated. The sarcoptic mange is often inducing the death of the
      foxes and is considered to be a limiting factor of the population increment.
      Concerning endoparasites, cestodes (6 species), trematodes (7 species), nematodes
      (10 species) and 3 coccidian species were found. The infestation rate with
      different species of hook worms, ascarids and mesocestoides was remarkably high.
      However, none of the foxes were infected with Trichinella spiralis or
      Echinococcus multilocularis. As shown by ELISA, in 15% of foxes antibodies
      against Borrelia burgdorferi were found. Therefore, the red fox must be
      considered as a reservoir host for Lyme-borreliosis.

PMID- 1872792
TI  - [Salmonella enteritidis in chicken eggs].
AB  - After an outbreak caused by salmonella enteritidis (SE) of which home-made
      mayonnaise and remoulade sauce were found to be the cause, SE was detected in ten
      of the remaining eggs. Subsequently 409 eggs of the next shipment from the same
      outlet were examined bacteriologically. Of 70 of the eggs examined, SE was found
      in 5 egg yolk samples and in 3 egg white samples as well as in 2 of 7 pooled
      shell samples. Five out of 35 pooled whole egg samples comprising a total of 349
      eggs were likewise positive for SE. The isolates belonged to the phage types 4
      and 7 carried the virulence plasmid pRQ29.

PMID- 1872793
TI  - [Possibilities of clinico-cytological diagnosis in contagious equine metritis
      (CEM)].
AB  - Clinical, bacteriological and serological examinations on a 6 years old pony mare
      were performed. Cytological alterations in the genital tract were also recorded.
      A cellular reaction was seen after infection with T. equigenitalis. This reaction
      is an evidence for infection but it is not specific for this organism.
      Cytological studies should be performed on mares especially in cases of latent
      infections to complete bacteriological examination and to prevent false positive
      or negative results.

PMID- 1872794
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies specific for the C-terminus of the laminin B2 subunit.
      Evidence for glycosylation differences between murine and human laminin.
AB  - We have raised a panel of monoclonal antibodies against a beta-galactosidase
      fusion protein (XLB2.1) containing the C-terminal 153 amino acids of the murine
      laminin B2 subunit. Five of the nine antibodies characterized recognize human
      placental laminin as well as murine Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS)-tumour laminin.
      Only two of the antibodies recognize both rat parietal-yolk-sac laminin and
      murine EHS-tumour laminin. Two antibodies recognize an epitope on the human
      laminin B2 subunit which is masked by N-linked oligosaccharide in murine EHS
      tumour laminin. These antibodies also fail to bind to laminin from adult-mouse
      tissues. These results demonstrate a species-specific difference in the
      glycosylation of the laminin B2 subunit.

PMID- 1872795
TI  - Modulation of maximal glycogenolysis in perfused rat liver by adenosine and ATP.
AB  - Rat livers perfused at constant flow via the portal vein with dibutyryl cyclic
      AMP produced glucose equivalents at a steady maximal rate (6 mumol/min per g of
      liver). Addition of adenosine (150 microM) caused a biphasic effect. (i) First,
      the glycogenolytic rate rose transiently, to a mean peak of 150% of control
      levels after 2 min. This glycogenolytic burst was reproduced by two P1-receptor
      agonists, but not by ATP, and was blocked by a P1-antagonist (8
      phenyltheophylline), as well as by inhibitors of eicosanoid synthesis
      (indomethacin, ibuprofen or aspirin). It did not occur in phosphorylase-kinase
      deficient livers. The adenosine-induced glycogenolytic burst coincided with
      moderate and transient changes in portal pressure (+6 cmH2O) and O2 consumption (
      20%), but it could not be explained by an increase in cytosolic Pi, since the
      n.m.r. signal fell precipitously. (ii) Subsequently, the rate of glycogenolysis
      decreased to one-third of the preadenosine value, in spite of persistent maximal
      activation of phosphorylase. The decrease could be linked to the decline in
      cytosolic Pi: both changes were prevented by the adenosine kinase inhibitor 5
      iodotubercidin, whereas they were not affected by ibuprofen or 8
      phenyltheophylline, and were not reproduced by non-metabolized adenosine
      analogues. In comparison with adenosine, ATP caused a slower decrease of Pi and
      of glycogenolysis. The fate of the cytosolic Pi was unclear, especially with
      administered ATP, which did not increase the n.m.r.-detectable intracellular ATP.

PMID- 1872796
TI  - ADP-ribosylation of core histones and their acetylated subspecies.
AB  - ADP-ribosylation of core histones was investigated in isolated nuclei of Physarum
      polycephalum. Core histone species differed in the mode of modification. Whereas
      ADP-ribosylation of H2A and H2B is sensitive to inhibition by 3-methoxybenzamide,
      as with most other nuclear acceptor proteins, the modification of H3 and H4 is
      not inhibited. Cleavage experiments with hydroxylamine indicate a carboxylate
      ester type ADP-ribose-protein bond for H2A and H2B and arginine-linked ADP-ribose
      residues for H3 and H4. ADP-ribosylation preferentially occurs on acetylated
      histone subspecies, as shown for H4. These data are substantiated by the use of n
      butyrate, which induces hyperacetylation of core histones; the butyrate-induced
      shift towards more acetylated H4 subspecies is accompanied by an increase of ADP
      ribose incorporation into highly acetylated H4 subspecies.

PMID- 1872797
TI  - A study of properties and abundance of the components of liver carnitine
      palmitoyltransferases in mitochondrial inner and outer membranes. Effects of
      hypothyroidism, fasting and a ketotic diabetic state.
AB  - 1. Liver mitochondrial outer and inner membranes were isolated from normal, 48 h
      fasted, streptozotocin-diabetic and hypothyroid rats. 2. Relative to membrane
      protein, fasting and diabetes substantially increased the activity of carnitine
      palmitoyltransferase (CPT) in outer membranes. Inner-membrane CPT specific
      activity was only slightly altered, being increased in diabetes and decreased in
      hypothyroidism. Abundance of an inner-membrane Mr-68,000 polypeptide that cross
      reacted with an anti-CPT serum was significantly increased in diabetes and
      hypothyroidism. Relative to inner-membrane CPT activity, this cross-reactivity
      was increased by 37% in diabetes and by 400% in hypothyroidism, suggesting
      modification of the intrinsic activity of the CPT in these states. 3. CPT in
      outer membranes was inhibitable by malonyl-CoA, whereas inner-membrane CPT was
      insensitive to malonyl-CoA. Fasting and diabetes increased the IC50
      (concentration of malonyl-CoA causing 50% inhibition) for outer-membrane CPT,
      whereas the IC50 was decreased in hypothyroidism. 4. Binding of [14C]malonyl-CoA
      was observed with both outer and inner membranes and was fitted to two-site
      models in each case. Fasting, diabetes and hypothyroidism changed the KD for
      binding at the higher-affinity site in outer membranes in a manner that
      correlated closely with changes in IC50 for inhibition of outer-membrane CPT by
      malonyl-CoA. Fasting and diabetes increased the abundance of this outer-membrane
      high-affinity malonyl-CoA-binding site, whereas hypothyroidism decreased its
      abundance.

PMID- 1872798
TI  - Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase from human osteoclastomas is translated as a
      single polypeptide.
AB  - Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatases have been isolated from a number of sources.
      These enzymes consist of one subunit (Mr 30,000-40,000) or two dissimilar
      subunits (Mr 15,000-20,000). Previously we isolated the enzyme from human
      osteoclastomas, as a two-subunit protein. By Northern blotting and hybridization
      with radiolabelled oligonucleotides corresponding to the N-terminal sequences of
      the two subunits, we demonstrate here that the enzyme is transcribed as one mRNA
      which is translated in vitro to produce a single polypeptide of approx. Mr
      33,000. Transcription as a single mRNA species is also the case in other tissues.
      These results suggest that the osteoclastoma enzyme undergoes post-translational
      modification in the form of cleavage of a single peptide bond to give a
      disulphide-bonded two-subunit protein.

PMID- 1872800
TI  - Effect of magnesium ions on the inhibition of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase
      from Escherichia coli by [2-(amino-oxy)ethyl](5'-deoxyadenosin-5'
      yl)(methyl)sulphonium .
AB  - [2-(Amino-oxy)ethyl](5'-deoxyadenosin-5'-yl)(methyl)sulphonium+ ++, the amino-oxy
      analogue of decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine, is a potent irreversible
      inhibitor of Escherichia coli S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase [Khomutov,
      Zavalova, Syrku, Artamonova & Khomutov (1983) Bioorg. Khim. 9, 130-131;
      Artamonova, Zavalova, Khomutov & Khomutov (1986) Bioorg. Khim. 12, 206-212]. We
      have shown that Mg2+ ions are required for the irreversible inhibition of the
      decarboxylase, and that S-adenosylmethionine protects against this inhibition.

PMID- 1872799
TI  - Phosphorylation of the small heat-shock protein is regulated by interleukin 1,
      tumour necrosis factor, growth factors, bradykinin and ATP.
AB  - Interleukin 1 (IL1) increased phosphorylation of the small heat-shock protein
      (hsp 27) in MRC5 fibroblasts. The increase was maintained for at least 30 min,
      but levels had returned to pre-stimulation values by 2 h. When hsp 27 was
      metabolically labelled with [3H]leucine, about 15% was phosphorylated in resting
      confluent cells; this rose to 90% upon stimulation by IL1. Peptide maps of the
      three differently charged phosphorylated forms were consistent with their arising
      by phosphorylation of increasing numbers of serine residues. IL1 had the same
      effect on hsp 27 in pig articular chondrocytes, endothelial cells from human
      umbilical vein and an epidermoid carcinoma cell line (KB). Certain other agents
      were found selectively to increase phosphorylation of hsp 27 in MRC5 cells
      besides IL1 [and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)]. Platelet-derived growth factor
      had a similar effect to that of IL1; bradykinin, acid fibroblast growth factor
      and ATP caused an intermediate effect; phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and 1
      oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol had smaller effects. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP and forskolin
      had no effects on hsp 27 phosphorylation. When cells had been depleted of protein
      kinase C (PKC) by prolonged treatment with PMA, stimulation by IL1, TNF or
      bradykinin still increased hsp 27 phosphorylation. The stimulation by all three
      agents was also unaffected by the PKC inhibitor staurosporine. IL1, TNF and
      bradykinin each caused hsp 27 phosphorylation by a pathway independent of PKC.
      The results are consistent with IL1 activating a serine kinase which remains to
      be identified.

PMID- 1872801
TI  - Structural and functional studies on the human hepatic interleukin-6 receptor.
      Molecular cloning and overexpression in HepG2 cells.
AB  - cDNAs coding for the human hepatic interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6-R) have been
      isolated from a library made from poly(A) RNA of dexamethasone-treated human
      hepatoma cells (HepG2). We found the hepatic IL-6-R to be identical to the one
      expressed by leucocytes. A polyclonal antiserum was raised in rabbits against the
      IL-6-R protein expressed in Escherichia coli. Although the entire IL-6-R protein
      was used for immunization, only antibodies to the cytoplasmic domain of the IL-6
      R were obtained. It is demonstrated by affinity cross-linking and subsequent
      immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the ligand as well as against the
      receptor that the cloned cDNA codes for the functional IL-6-R on HepG2 cells.
      When the hepatic IL-6-R cDNA was overexpressed in HepG2 cells, these cells became
      more sensitive to low concentrations of IL-6 with respect to the induction of
      gamma-fibrinogen mRNA.

PMID- 1872802
TI  - Identification of residues in ornithine decarboxylase essential for enzymic
      activity and for rapid protein turnover.
AB  - The importance of certain amino acid residues in mammalian ornithine
      decarboxylase activity and degradation was studied by site-specific mutagenesis.
      Changes were made to the mouse ornithine decarboxylase cDNA in a plasmid
      containing a T7 RNA polymerase promoter. The plasmid was then used for the
      synthesis of RNA, which was translated in a reticulocyte lysate system. The
      activity of the ornithine decarboxylase formed and the stability of the protein
      to degradation in a reticulocyte lysate system were determined. Changes of lysine
      169 or of histidine-197 to alanine completely abolished enzyme activity,
      indicating that these residues are essential for enzyme activity. The removal of
      the C-terminal 36 residues, the mutation of lysine-349 to alanine, of lysine-298
      to alanine or the double change of serine-303 and glutamic acid-308 to alanine
      residues still resulted in an active enzyme. The last-mentioned finding indicates
      that the phosphorylation of serine-303 does not play an essential role in the
      catalytic activity of ornithine decarboxylase. The control ornithine
      decarboxylase protein was degraded rapidly in a reticulocyte lysate provided that
      ATP was added. The truncated protein missing the 36 residues from the C-terminus
      was much more stable in this system, and the protein containing the double change
      of serine-303 and glutamic acid-308 to alanine residues was slightly more stable
      than control ornithine decarboxylase protein. These results indicate that the
      altered residues may play a role in interaction with factors responsible for the
      rapid turnover of ornithine decarboxylase.

PMID- 1872803
TI  - Deletion of two growth-factor repeats from the low-density-lipoprotein receptor
      accelerates its degradation.
AB  - The region of the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor showing sequence
      similarity to the epidermal-growth-factor (EGF) precursor is required for LDL
      binding and the acid-induced dissociation of ligand and receptor. We describe
      here a naturally occurring mutant LDL receptor, found in a patient with
      homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia, which lacks the first two growth
      factor-like repeats of the EGF-precursor-like ('homology') domain. The mutation
      in the receptor gene is a 2.5 kb deletion including exons 7 and 8. The molecular
      mass of the mutant receptor (145 kDa) was approx. 15 kDa smaller than the normal
      LDL receptor. The mutant receptors were derived from precursors (105 kDa) that
      apparently underwent normal processing. Fibroblasts from the patient had high
      affinity binding sites for the the apolipoprotein E-containing ligand, beta VLDL,
      but did not bind LDL. In the presence of beta VLDL, receptors were rapidly
      degraded. The mutant receptors also displayed an abnormally rapid turnover, about
      four times faster than that of normal receptors, in the absence of ligand; this
      accelerated degradation accounted for the low level of expression of mutant
      receptors in up-regulated cells. These data support a role for the growth-factor
      like repeats in the binding of LDL (but not beta VLDL) and in receptor recycling,
      and indicate that a normal rate of turnover of unoccupied receptors is dependent
      on the integrity of these segments of the protein.

PMID- 1872804
TI  - cis-recognition and degradation of ornithine decarboxylase subunits in
      reticulocyte lysate.
AB  - One of the most interesting characteristics of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is
      its extremely short half-life. In a recent study we have demonstrated that
      deletion of a C-terminal segment converts ODC into a stable protein. In the
      present study we have extended this observation by testing the degradation of an
      ODC heterodimer composed of one rapidly degraded wild-type subunit and one stable
      mutant subunit. Our study was motivated by the possibility of trans-recognition
      of stable subunits due to their association with labile subunits. Our results
      demonstrate that such an association did not confer lability upon the stable
      subunits, not did it stabilize the short-lived subunits.

PMID- 1872805
TI  - Hyperammonaemia depresses glucose consumption throughout the brain.
AB  - Recent studies showed that hyperammonaemia caused many of the metabolic changes
      in portacaval-shunted rats, a model of hepatic encephalopathy. These changes
      included a depression in the cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRGlc), an
      indication of decreased brain function. 2. The purpose of the present experiments
      was to determine whether the depression of CMRGlc caused by ammonia is confined
      to certain brain structures, or whether the depression is an overall decrease in
      all structures, such as occurs in portacaval-shunted rats. To accomplish this
      objective, rats were made hyperammonaemic by giving them intraperitoneal
      injections of 40 units of urease/kg body wt. every 12 h; control rats received
      0.154 m-NaCl. CMRGlc was measured 48 h after the first injection, by using
      quantitative autoradiography with [6-14C]glucose as a tracer. 3. The experimental
      rats had high plasma ammonia concentrations (control 70 nmol/ml, experimental 610
      nmol/ml) and brain glutamine levels (control 5.4 mumol/ml). Hyperammonaemia
      decreased CMRGlc throughout the brain by an average of 19%. CMRGlc showed an
      inverse correlation with plasma ammonia, but a stronger correlation with the
      brain glutamine content. 4. Hyperammonaemia led to a decrease in CMRGlc
      throughout the brain that was indistinguishable from the pattern seen in
      portacaval-shunted rats. This is taken as further evidence that the cerebral
      depression found in portacaval-shunted rats is a consequence of hyperammonaemia.
      The observation that depression of CMRGlc correlated more closely with brain
      glutamine content than with plasma ammonia suggests that metabolism of ammonia is
      an important step in the pathological sequence.

PMID- 1872807
TI  - Differential expression of the mouse U1a and U1b SnRNA genes is not dependent on
      sequence differences in the octamer motif.
AB  - The mouse U1b SnRNA gene is expressed in only a limited range of cell types,
      whereas the U1a SnRNA gene is expressed in all cells. These two genes differ in
      the sequence of the octamer motif, which plays a critical role in SnRNA gene
      regulation. We show that the U1b octamer binds the octamer-binding protein Oct-1
      with higher affinity than does the U1a octamer in both U1b-expressing and -non
      expressing cell lines and tissues. Moreover, the U1b octamer can direct a higher
      level of gene expression than the U1a octamer when linked to a heterologous
      promoter and introduced into a non-U1b-expressing cell line. Hence the tissue
      specific expression of the U1b gene is not determined by the failure of its
      octamer motif to bind Oct-1 or the weak affinity of this binding.

PMID- 1872806
TI  - Hyperammonaemia does not impair brain function in the absence of net glutamine
      synthesis.
AB  - 1. It has been established that chronic hyperammonaemia, whether caused by
      portacaval shunting or other means, leads to a variety of metabolic changes,
      including a depression in the cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRGlc)
      increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier to neutral amino acids, and an
      increase in the brain content of aromatic amino acids. The preceding paper
      [Jessy, DeJoseph & Hawkins (1991) Biochem. J. 277, 693-696] showed that the
      depression in CMRGlc caused by hyperammonaemia correlated more closely with
      glutamine, a metabolite of ammonia, than with ammonia itself. This suggested that
      ammonia (NH3 and NH4+) was without effect. The present experiments address the
      question whether ammonia, in the absence of net glutamine synthesis, induces any
      of the metabolic symptoms of cerebral dysfunction associated with
      hyperammonaemia. 2. Small doses of methionine sulphoximine, an inhibitor of
      glutamine synthetase, were used to raise the plasma ammonia levels of normal rats
      without increasing the brain glutamine content. These hyperammonaemic rats, with
      plasma and brain ammonia levels equivalent to those known to depress brain
      function, behaved normally over 48 h. There was no depression of cerebral energy
      metabolism (i.e. the rate of glucose consumption). Contents of key intermediary
      metabolites and high-energy phosphates were normal. Neutral amino acid transport
      (tryptophan and leucine) and the brain contents of aromatic amino acids were
      unchanged. 3. The data suggest that ammonia is without effect at concentrations
      less than 1 mumol/ml if it is not converted into glutamine. The deleterious
      effect of chronic hyperammonaemia seems to begin with the synthesis of glutamine.

PMID- 1872808
TI  - Biosynthesis and secretion of triacylglycerol in rat liver after partial
      hepatectomy.
AB  - Partially hepatectomized rats were used to investigate the mechanism of fatty
      liver development in the regenerating rat liver. After partial hepatectomy the
      amount of hepatic triacylglycerol increased by almost 4-fold compared with sham
      operated rats. The activities of both cytosolic and microsomal phosphatidate
      phosphohydrolase were enhanced at 12 h after surgery. The activity of
      diacylglycerol acyltransferase was increased at a later stage of regeneration.
      Analysis of plasma lipoproteins showed a significant decrease of lipids
      associated with very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). Relative to control, the
      rate of hepatic triacylglycerol synthesis from [3H]glycerol in vivo was
      stimulated at 22 h after partial liver resection. However, secretion of glycerol
      labelled triacylglycerol in VLDL was the same in control and hepatectomized rats.
      In cultures of hepatocytes from hepatectomized donor rats, the concentration of
      triacylglycerol and the biosynthesis of this lipid from [3H]glycerol or from
      [3H]oleate were enhanced. The secretion of total triacylglycerol into the medium
      was not affected, resulting in a net accumulation of intracellular
      triacylglycerol. The rate of secretion of leucine-labelled apolipoproteins B and
      E associated with VLDL was similar in cell cultures from hepatectomized and sham
      operated rats. The results of this study show that the enhancement of the
      biosynthesis of triacylglycerol in hepatectomized livers is not accompanied by an
      increase of the secretion of VLDL.

PMID- 1872809
TI  - Angiotensin receptors from rat liver, brain and pituitary gland. Expression of
      two subtypes in Xenopus oocytes.
AB  - Xenopus laevis oocytes were used to express angiotensin receptors encoded by
      mRNAs extracted from rat liver, adenohypophysis and brain. Groups of ten mRNA
      injected oocytes were loaded with 45Ca2+ and the responsiveness to angiotensin II
      (A II) and related molecules tested by monitoring 45Ca2+ outflux. A II and
      angiotensin III (A III) induced a marked and transient increase in 45Ca2+ outflux
      from mRNA, but not from control, water-injected, oocytes. The increase over basal
      value of 45Ca2+ outflux during a 5 min application period of A II or A III was
      used as a response index. Observed responses were of high magnitude, reproducible
      and dose-dependent. For these reasons, mRNA-injected oocytes constitute a
      valuable system for investigating the pharmacological properties of angiotensin
      receptors from tissues of different origin under experimental conditions which
      eliminate tissue-specific interference which might be encountered in classical
      binding studies on acellular preparations. We demonstrate a fairly good
      parallelism between the relative potencies of A I, A II and A III in eliciting an
      increase in 45Ca2+ outflux from liver and adenohypophyseal mRNA-injected oocytes
      and the relative affinities of these peptides for binding to liver or
      adenohypophyseal membranes (A II greater than A III much greater than A I). The
      predominant receptor subtype expressed by brain mRNA discriminated very poorly
      between A II and A III, whereas angiotensin receptors expressed by liver or
      adenohypophyseal mRNA discriminated between AII and AIII very efficiently.

PMID- 1872810
TI  - Nitrogenase of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Reversibility of the reductant-independent
      MgATP-cleavage reaction is shown by MgADP-catalysed phosphate/water oxygen
      exchange.
AB  - The steady-state kinetics of reductant-independent ATP hydrolysis by Klebsiella
      pneumoniae nitrogenase at 23 degrees C at pH 7.4 were determined as a function of
      component protein ratio (optimal at an oxidized Fe protein/MoFe protein ratio of
      3:1) and MgATP concentration (Km 400 microM). Competitive inhibition was observed
      for MgADP (Ki 145 microM), [beta gamma-methylene]ATP (Mgp[CH2]ppA) (Ki 115
      microM), [beta gamma-monofluoromethylene]ATP (Mgp[CHF]ppA) (Ki 53 microM) and
      [beta gamma-difluoromethylene]ATP (Mgp[CF2]ppA) (Ki 160 microM). The tighter
      binding of MgADP to free oxidized Fe protein (KD less than 10 microM) than to the
      oxidized Fe protein-MoFe protein complex (Ki 145 microM) is proposed as the
      driving force that induces rate-limiting protein dissociation in the catalytic
      cycle of nitrogenase. The reversible nature of the reductant-independent MgATP
      cleavage reaction was demonstrated by an MgADP-induced enhancement of the rate of
      the phosphate/water oxygen exchange reaction with 18O-labelled phosphate ion.
      This enhancement, like the reductant-independent ATPase reaction, only occurred
      with the complex formed by oxidized Fe protein and MoFe protein and not with the
      individual proteins. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism of ATP
      hydrolysis by nitrogenase and other systems involving protein-protein
      interactions.

PMID- 1872811
TI  - The substrate-specificity of human lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase in relation to
      genetic alpha-mannosidosis.
AB  - The specificity of human liver lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24) towards
      a series of oligosaccharide substrates derived from high-mannose, complex and
      hybrid asparagine-linked glycans and from the storage products in alpha
      mannosidosis was investigated. The enzyme hydrolyses all alpha(1-2)-, alpha(1-3)-
      and alpha(1-6)-mannosidic linkages in these glycans without a requirement for
      added Zn2+, albeit at different rates. A major finding of this study is that all
      the substrates are hydrolysed by non-random pathways. These pathways were
      established by determining the structures of intermediates in the digestion
      mixtures by a combination of h.p.t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. before and after acetolysis.
      The catabolic pathway for a particular substrate appears to be determined by its
      structure, raising the possibility that degradation occurs by an uninterrupted
      sequence of steps within one active site. The structures of the digestion
      intermediates are compared with the published structures of the storage products
      in mannosidosis and of intact asparagine-linked glycans. Most but not all of the
      digestion intermediates derived from high-mannose glycans have structures found
      in intact asparagine-linked glycans of human glycoproteins or among the storage
      products in the urine of patients with mannosidosis. However, the relative
      abundances of these structures suggests that the catabolic pathway is not the
      same as the processing pathway. In contrast, the intermediates formed from the
      digestion of oligosaccharides derived from hybrid and complex N-glycans are
      completely different from any processing intermediates and also from the
      oligosaccharides of composition Man2-4GlcNAc that account for 80-90% of the
      storage products in alpha-mannosidosis. It is postulated that the structures of
      these major storage products arise from the action of an exo/endo-alpha(1-6)
      mannosidase on the partially catabolized oligomannosides that accumulate in the
      absence of the main lysosomal alpha-mannosidase.

PMID- 1872812
TI  - The effect of the carbohydrate moiety upon the size and conformation of human
      plasma galactoglycoprotein as judged by electron microscopy and circular
      dichroism. Structural studies of a glycoprotein after stepwise enzymic
      carbohydrate removal.
AB  - Galactoglycoprotein is a unique human plasma protein [76% carbohydrate (23% N
      acetylneuraminic acid, 20% galactose, 3% mannose, 1% fucose and 29% N
      acetylgalactosamine plus N-acetylglucosamine) and 24% polypeptide, a single
      polypeptide chain of about 200 amino acid residues that is high in serine and
      threonine content] [Schmid, Mao, Kimura, Hayashi & Binette (1980) J. Biol. Chem.
      255, 3221-3226]. Highly purified exoglycosidases with well-defined specificities
      were used to prepare five derivatives of galactoglycoprotein in which sequential
      residues of N-acetylneuraminic acid, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, a second
      galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine were removed with 83% of the total
      carbohydrate cleaved. C.d. shows that native galactoglycoprotein and all
      derivatives in aqueous buffer are predominantly random coil, suggesting that
      removal of a large number of electrostatic net charges, as well as the major
      portion of the carbohydrate moiety, does not alter the secondary structure of the
      polypeptide chain. Examination of the size and conformation of tungsten-shadowed
      galactoglycoprotein and asialo and agalacto derivatives by electron microscopy
      shows the size and conformation of all three preparations to be similar, with
      only minor differences in particle length and width.

PMID- 1872813
TI  - Purification of a protease in red blood cells that degrades oxidatively damaged
      haemoglobin.
AB  - Haemoglobin damaged by exposure of red blood cells to oxidants is rapidly
      degraded by a proteolytic pathway which does not require ATP [Fagan, Waxman &
      Goldberg (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 5705-5713]. By fractionating erythrocyte
      lysates, we have purified two proteases which hydrolyse oxidatively damaged
      haemoglobin (Ox-Hb). One protease hydrolysed small fluorogenic substrates in
      addition to Ox-Hb. Its molecular mass was approximately 700 kDa and it consisted
      of several subunits ranging in size from 22 to 30 kDa. This enzyme may be related
      to the high-molecular-mass multicatalytic proteinase previously isolated from a
      variety of tissue and cell types. The other Ox-Hb-degrading activity had an
      apparent molecular mass of 400 kDa on gel filtration, a subunit size of 110 kDa
      and an isoelectric point between 4.5 and 5.0. This protease also hydrolysed the
      small polypeptides insulin and glucagon, as well as other large proteins such as
      lysozyme. Insulin blocked the degradation of Ox-Hb and Ox-Hb blocked the
      hydrolysis of insulin by the purified protease. Thiol reagents and metal
      chelators strongly inhibited the hydrolysis of both Ox-Hb and insulin, whereas
      inhibitors of serine, aspartic and thiol proteases had little effect. These
      properties suggest that the Ox-Hb-degrading activity purified from rabbit
      erythrocytes is the cytosolic insulin-degrading enzyme that is believed to play a
      role in the metabolism of insulin in several tissues. We propose that this enzyme
      may also function as a key component in a cytoplasmic degradative pathway
      responsible for removing proteins damaged by oxidants.

PMID- 1872814
TI  - Heterogeneity of rat liver cytosol casein kinase 2. Association between the
      alpha/alpha' -subunits of casein kinase 2 and the phosphorylatable protein pp49.
AB  - Casein kinase 2 activity could be resolved into three peaks by chromatography on
      DEAE-Sepharose. The peak eluted at high salt concentrations (casein kinase 2b)
      showed molecular and kinetic properties typical of the heterotetramer composed of
      alpha-(or alpha'-) and beta-subunits. In contrast, the peak that was eluted at
      low salt concentrations (casein kinase 2a) contained no beta-subunit but a
      phosphorylatable protein of 49 kDa (pp49), in addition to the alpha/alpha'
      subunits. The presence of alpha/alpha'/alpha"-subunits in preparations of casein
      kinases 2a and 2b was confirmed by immunological assays. Casein kinase 2a had low
      specific activity and a very high apparent Km for beta-casein. The peak eluted at
      intermediate ionic strength contained the alpha/alpha'-subunits and variable
      amounts of beta-subunit and pp49, and had kinetic properties intermediate between
      those of casein kinases 2a and 2b. Experiments based on heat inactivation,
      inhibition by low concentrations of heparin and ability to use GTP as substrate
      suggested that phosphorylation of pp49 was catalysed by the alpha/alpha'-subunits
      of casein kinase 2. No similarities were observed in the phosphopeptide maps of
      pp49 and beta-subunit. These results show that the alpha/alpha'-subunits of rat
      liver cytosol casein kinase 2 can form complexes not only with the beta-subunit
      but also with pp49, and that the complexes containing pp49 have a reduced
      affinity for the exogenous protein substrate beta-casein.

PMID- 1872815
TI  - Subcellular fractionation to junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum and biochemical
      characterization of 170 kDa Ca(2+)- and low-density-lipoprotein-binding protein
      in rabbit skeletal muscle.
AB  - Skeletal-muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) comprises two distinct domains,
      corresponding to the free membrane of longitudinal SR (LSR) and the junctional
      membrane region of the terminal cisternae (TC), respectively. The junctional
      membrane contains the ryanodine receptor (RyR)/Ca(2+)-release channel and
      additional minor protein components that still require biochemical investigation,
      in relation to excitation-contraction coupling. Recent findings suggested the
      involvement in this process of a 170 kDa protein [Kim, Caswell, Talvenheimo &
      Brandt (1990) Biochemistry 29, 9281-9289], also characterized as a phosphoprotein
      in junctional TC in independent studies [Chu, Submilla, Inesi, Jay & Campbell
      (1990) Biochemistry 29, 5899-5905]. We show that this protein is a specific
      substrate of exogenous cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, that it is exposed to
      the outer surface of intact TC vesicles, and that it co-localizes with the RyR to
      the junctional membrane. Comparative analysis of LSR and TC subfractions for the
      160 kDa glycoprotein sarcalumenin, using Western-blot techniques and specific
      monoclonal antibodies or concanavalin A as a ligand, revealed that the
      distribution of this protein within the SR corresponds inversely to both that of
      the RyR and of the 170 kDa protein. The 170 kDa protein, like sarcalumenin,
      stains blue with the cationic dye Stains-All and binds 45Ca2+ on blots, but it is
      uniquely distinguished by its ability to bind 125I-labelled low-density
      lipoprotein. The similarity of these properties, as well as the pI and solubility
      properties, to those described for the SR protein, recently purified and cloned
      and named histidine-rich Ca(2+)-binding protein [HCP; Hofmann, Brown, Lee,
      Pathak, Anderson & Goldstein (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 8260-8270], makes it very
      likely that our protein and HCP may indeed be identical. The protein described in
      the present study differs from sarcalumenin because its migration in SDS/PAGE is
      accelerated in the presence of Ca2+, a previously reported property of other
      Ca(2+)-binding proteins [leMaire, Lund, Viel, Champeil & Moller (1989) J. Biol.
      Chem. 265, 1111-1123], arguing for Ca(2+)-induced protein-conformational changes.
      Kinase-dependent phosphorylation of our protein is another distinguishing
      feature, which, although not previously reported for HCP, is consistent with the
      presence of potential serine/threonine phosphorylation sites in the middle
      portion of the cloned HCP molecule. The finding that HCP, contrary to early
      views, selectively binds to the cytoplasmic side of the junctional membrane,
      together with its newly characterized properties, seem to provide new clues as to
      a possible role in electromechanical coupling and/or Ca2+ release.

PMID- 1872816
TI  - Stimulation of cell proliferation in skeletal tissues of the rat by defined
      parathyroid hormone fragments.
AB  - We have found, in previous studies in vitro using skeletal derived cell cultures,
      that mid-region fragments of human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) stimulate
      [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and increase the specific activity of the
      brain-type isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK). These changes occurred without an
      increase in cyclic AMP formation which is linked to bone resorption. In this
      study, we found that the mid-region fragment hPTH-(28-48) stimulated CK activity
      in diaphysis, epiphysis and kidney in a time- and dose-dependent manner, parallel
      to the effects of the whole molecule bovine (b)PTH-(1-84) and the fully active
      fragment hPTH-(1-34). The increase caused by hPTH-(28-48) at a dose of 1.25
      micrograms/rat was not less than the 2-fold increase caused by a roughly
      equimolar concentration bPTH-(1-84). A significant increase was reached at 1 h
      after intraperitoneal injection in all cases. All three sequences of PTH caused
      an increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA in diaphysis and epiphysis,
      but not in kidney, 24 h after injection. A fragment further towards the C
      terminal, hPTH-(34-47), was inactive compared with an equimolar concentration of
      the fragment hPTH-(25-39), which stimulated both CK activity and DNA synthesis.
      These results in vivo are in line with previous findings in vitro; they provide
      further support for the suggestion that mid-region fragments of the PTH molecule
      could be used to induce bone formation without incurring the deleterious effect
      of bone resorption.

PMID- 1872817
TI  - Identification of inducible damage-recognition proteins that are overexpressed in
      HeLa cells resistant to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II).
AB  - Two cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (cisplatin)-inducible proteins [b 130
      (approximately 130 kDa) and b95 (approximately 95 kDa]) in HeLa cells that
      recognize both the cisplatin-modified and u.v.-modified DNA were identified in
      this study. These damage-recognition proteins were overexpressed in cisplatin
      resistant HeLa cells. The results suggest that the damage-recognition proteins
      are regulated in the cells in response to DNA damage, and they may be important
      for DNA repair and probably the emergence of cisplatin resistance.

PMID- 1872818
TI  - Electroporation can cause artefacts due to solubilization of cations from the
      electrode plates. Aluminum ions enhance conversion of inositol 1,3,4,5
      tetrakisphosphate into inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in electroporated L1210
      cells.
AB  - 1. In electroporated L1210 cells, Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 causes Ca2+ release, owing to
      its conversion into Ins(1,4,5)P3, but this does not happen in cells permeabilized
      by digitonin treatment [Cullen, Irvine, Drobak & Dawson (1989) Biochem. J. 259,
      931-933]. 2. If the assay medium is subjected to electroporation by using a
      commercially available electroporation apparatus and then the cells are added and
      permeabilized with digitonin, the cells behave as if they had been
      electroporated. 3. Electroporation causes the release of high concentrations of
      Al3+ into the experimental medium, and addition of these concentrations of Al3+
      into the experimental medium mimics the effect of electroporation on the
      conversion of Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 into Ins(1,4,5)P3. 4. It is concluded that the
      difference between electroporated and digitonin-permeabilized L1210 cells in this
      experimental system can be attributed to dissolution of Al3+ from the
      electroporation cuvette. Al3+ contamination may thus be a serious problem when
      using this apparatus.

PMID- 1872819
TI  - Thermostable cellobiohydrolase from the thermophilic eubacterium Thermotoga sp.
      strain FjSS3-B.1. Purification and properties.
AB  - Exo-1,4-beta-cellobiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.91) was isolated from the culture
      supernatant of Thermotoga sp. strain FjSS3-B.1, an extremely thermophilic
      eubacterium that grows optimally at 80 degrees C. The enzyme was purified to
      homogeneity as determined by SDS/PAGE and has an Mr of 36,000. The enzyme is the
      most thermostable cellulase reported to date, with a half-life at 108 degrees C
      of 70 min in buffer. In a 40 min assay, maximal activity was recorded at 105
      degrees C. Cellobiohydrolase from strain FjSS3-B.1 is active against amorphous
      cellulose and CM-cellulose but only effects limited hydrolysis of filter paper or
      Sigmacell 20. The only product identified by h.p.l.c. is the disaccharide
      cellobiose. The enzyme has a pH optimum around neutral and is stabilized by the
      presence of 0.8 M-NaCl.

PMID- 1872820
TI  - A heat-inducible nuclear factor that binds to the heat-shock element of the human
      haem oxygenase gene.
AB  - Haem oxygenase is a heat-shock protein in several rat tissues, as well as in
      certain human cells such as Hep3B hepatoma cells. In common with other heat-shock
      protein genes, both the human and the rat haem oxygenase genes contain a heat
      shock element (HSE) in their promoter regions. In the present study we have
      identified a factor in nuclear extracts of human Hep3B cells which binds
      specifically to the HSE of the human haem oxygenase gene. The factor in Hep3B
      cells was significantly induced within 1 h after heat-shock treatment, and the
      induction was blocked by treatment of cells with actinomycin D or cycloheximide.
      The factor was not detected in human HepG2 hepatoma cells, which exhibit the heat
      mediated induction of heat-shock protein 70 mRNA, but not that of haem oxygenase
      mRNA. These findings suggest that the heat-inducible nuclear factor is increased
      at the level of transcription and that it may activate the human haem oxygenase
      gene via the HSE after heat treatment.

PMID- 1872821
TI  - High frequency force generation in outer hair cells from the mammalian ear.
AB  - Mammalian outer hair cells generate mechanical forces at acoustic frequencies and
      can thus amplify the sound stimulus within the inner ear. The mechanism of force
      generation depends upon the plasma membrane potential but not upon either calcium
      or ATP. Forces are generated in the lateral cortex along the full length of the
      cell. The cortex includes a two-dimensional cytoskeletal lattice composed of
      circumferential filaments 6-7 nm thick that are cross-linked by filaments 3-4 nm
      thick and 40-60 nm long. The two filament types may, respectively, be actin and
      some form of spectrin. The lattice reinforces the cylindrical shape of the cell
      and permits limited changes in length. Beneath it lie the lateral cisternae, a
      regular system of multi-layered membranes. Force-generation may depend upon
      voltage-dependent shape changes in proteins that lie either in the plasma
      membrane or in the cytoskeletal lattice.

PMID- 1872823
TI  - Stem cells and the elixir of life.

PMID- 1872822
TI  - A role for interferons in early pregnancy.
AB  - In order to survive, the developing conceptus must interrupt the normal ovarian
      cycle of the mother and extend the production of progesterone by the corpus
      luteum. An unusual Type 1 interferon (IFN), related structurally to the IFN-alpha
      molecule and produced in massive amounts for only a few days by the first
      epithelium (trophectoderm) of the preimplantation conceptus, has been implicated
      as the antiluteolytic agent in sheep and cattle. IFN-alpha therapy during this
      critical period can also improve pregnancy success in sheep. It remains unclear,
      however, whether the trophoblast IFN have specialized biological properties or
      whether they are unique merely in the timing, magnitude and site of their
      expression.

PMID- 1872824
TI  - Identifying genes within the genome: new ways for finding the needle in a
      haystack.

PMID- 1872825
TI  - A common structural motif in nuclear pore proteins (nucleoporins)

PMID- 1872826
TI  - Effect of synthesized constituents in the L-tryptophan product on the
      differentiation of eosinophils and the induction of IL-6: a possible cause of
      eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.
AB  - While the pathogenesis of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) remains obscure,
      the ingestion of L-trypophan (LT) and possibly certain constituents in the LT
      product might be associated. We investigated the effect of chemically synthesized
      substances, 1,1'-ethylidene bis[tryptophan] (EBT) and its decomposition product,
      1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCA) recently
      identified in the implicated LT, on the eosinophil differentiation and the
      induction of IL-1 and IL-6. EBT and MTCA alone did not support colony formation.
      However, EBT or MTCA in conjunction with IL-2 induced colony-forming activity
      containing a small number of eosinophils. In addition, these LT constituents
      induced a significant level of IL-6 but not IL-1 beta in the mononuclear cells
      from normal volunteers and a patient with hypereosinophilic syndrome. These
      results suggest that certain constituents of LT product are associated with the
      pathogenesis of EMS through the induction of colony-stimulating factors and IL-6,
      hence giving rise to eosinophilia and inflammation.

PMID- 1872827
TI  - Differential genomic susceptibility in malignancy correlates with changes in
      ATATAT DNA-binding proteins.
AB  - Accesibility to DNA in the nucleus is important for the regulation of gene
      expression and for the effect of DNA-modifying drugs. We have now studied
      differential genome susceptibility in normal melanocytes and the corresponding
      malignant melanoma. DNA hypersensitivity assays revealed a markedly lesser
      degradation in melanoma nuclei compared to that in melanocytes. Cross-linking of
      DNA to nuclear proteins by ultraviolet light showed a cell-type dependent inverse
      correlation of genomic susceptibility with binding of (dA.dT) (dA.dT) sequences,
      compared to that shown with (dG.dC) (dG.dC), regardless of methylation in
      cytosines. Exposure to cholera toxin partly reversed genomic susceptibility and
      increased DNA/protein cross-linking in melanocytes. In contrast, melanoma cells
      showed decreased DNA/protein interactions and greater genome susceptibility after
      exposure to cholera toxin or okadaic acid. Our data suggest that a molecular
      mechanism for differential genome exposure in cancer cells involves a modified
      expression of sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins.

PMID- 1872828
TI  - Degradation of azo compounds by ligninase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium:
      involvement of veratryl alcohol.
AB  - Phanerochaete chrysosporium decolorized several polyaromatic azo dyes in
      ligninolytic culture. The oxidation rates of individual dyes depended on their
      structures. Veratryl alcohol stimulated azo dye oxidation by pure lignin
      peroxidase (ligninase, LiP) in vitro. Accumulation of compound II of lignin
      peroxidase, an oxidized form of the enzyme, was observed after short incubations
      with these azo substrates. When veratryl alcohol was also present, only the
      native form of lignin peroxidase was observed. Azo dyes acted as inhibitors of
      veratryl alcohol oxidation. After an azo dye had been degraded, the oxidation
      rates of veratryl alcohol recovered, confirming that these two compounds competed
      for ligninase during the catalytic cycle. Veratryl alcohol acts as a third
      substrate (with H2O2 and the azo dye) in the lignin peroxidase cycle during
      oxidations of azo dyes.

PMID- 1872829
TI  - Different substrate specificities of lanosterol 14a-demethylase (P-45014DM) of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae and rat liver for 24-methylene-24,25-dihydrolanosterol
      and 24,25-dihydrolanosterol.
AB  - The purified lanosterol 14a-demethylase (P-45014DM) of S. cerevisiae catalyzed
      the 14a-demethylation of 24-methylene-24,25-dihydrolanosterol (24-methylenelanost
      8-en-3 beta-ol, 24-methylene-DHL), the natural substrate of the demethylase of
      filamentous fungi, as well as its natural substrate, lanosterol. Lanosterol 14a
      demethylase of rat liver microsomes also catalyzed the 14a-demethylation of 24
      methylene-DHL, but the activity was considerably lower than that for lanosterol.
      The activity of the rat liver enzyme for 24-methylene-DHL was also lower than
      that for 24,25-dihydrolanosterol (DHL), while the activity of yeast P-45014DM for
      24-methylene-DHL was considerably higher than that for DHL. Since 24-substituted
      sterols are not found in mammals and DHL is not an intermediate of ergosterol
      biosynthesis by yeast, above-mentioned different substrate specificities between
      the yeast and the mammalian 14a-demethylases may reflect certain evolutional
      alteration in their active sites in relation to the difference in their sterol
      biosynthetic pathways.

PMID- 1872830
TI  - Partial structure of the human H-protein gene.
AB  - In a span of approximately 13 kb, two genomic fragments showing an obvious
      overlap encoded the 1,192 base pair (bp) cDNA sequence for human H-protein.
      Because of the close similarity in the genomic organization comprised of five
      exons to that for the chicken H-protein gene, this region was assigned to the
      true H-protein gene in human. Primer extension analysis suggested and S1
      protection analysis confirmed that at least one additional exon for the 74 bases
      long 5' untranslated region in H-protein mRNA exists as the presumable first
      exon. None of the 5.0- and 5.5-kb SacI and the 5.2-kb EcoRI fragments which were
      undetectable in the genomes of patients with nonketotic hyperglycinemia was
      included in the true H-protein gene.

PMID- 1872831
TI  - Localization of the gene encoding steroid hydroxylase cytochrome P-450 from
      Rhizopus nigricans inside a HindIII fragment of genomic DNA.
AB  - The gene encoding steroid inducible cytochrome P450 of Rhizopus nigricans ATCC
      6227b has been found inside a HindIII fragment of the genomic DNA by
      hybridization with a partial length cDNA probe. The latter was isolated by
      immunoscreening a cDNA library prepared in the lambda gt11 expression system and
      identified on the basis of inducibility and sequence analysis. The nucleotide
      sequence of the cDNA probe revealed a coding sequence for the heme binding
      segment characteristic of the P450 gene family.

PMID- 1872832
TI  - Oxidative degradation of high molecular weight chlorolignin by manganese
      peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
AB  - Phanerochaete chrysosporium was able to degrade high molecular weight
      chlorolignins (Mr greater than 30,000) from bleach plant effluents, although a
      direct contact between ligninolytic enzymes and chlorolignin was prevented by a
      dialysis tubing. In the absence of the enzymes, Mn3+ depolymerized chlorolignin
      when complexed with lactate causing the color, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and
      dry weight to decrease by 80%, 60% and 40%, respectively. Manganese peroxidase
      effectively catalyzed the depolymerization of chlorolignin in the presence of
      Mn2+ and H2O2. It can be concluded from these results that manganese peroxidase
      plays the major role in the initial breakdown and decolorization of high
      molecular weight chlorolignin in bleach plant effluents by P. chrysosporium in
      vivo.

PMID- 1872833
TI  - Enhancing effects of human macrophage colony-stimulating factor on the secretion
      of human chorionic gonadotropin by human chorionic villous cells and tPA30-1
      cells.
AB  - Human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hM-CSF) concentration-dependently
      enhanced the secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) by primary cultured
      human cytotrophoblastic cells and a human placental cell line, 3A-SubE (tPA30-1).
      Since this effect appeared 12 hours after the addition of hM-CSF and disappeared
      when protein synthesis was inhibited, it was surmised that hCG synthesis was
      enhanced by hM-CSF. When anti fms (hM-CSF receptor) antibody was added, hCG
      secretion by cultured human cytotrophoblasts in early pregnancy markedly
      decreased. These findings demonstrate that hM-CSF acts on the chorionic villous
      cells and promotes hCG synthesis by these cells.

PMID- 1872834
TI  - Substrate effects on the enzymatic activity of alpha-chymotrypsin in reverse
      micelles.
AB  - Six different substrates have been used for measuring the activity of alpha
      chymotrypsin in reverse micelles formed by sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)
      sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane. The substrates were glutaryl-Phe p
      nitroanilide, succinyl-Phe p-nitroanilide, acetyl-Phe p-nitroanilide, succinyl
      Ala-Ala-Phe p-nitroanilide, succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe p-nitroanilide and acetyl
      Trp methyl ester. It has been shown that the dependence of the kinetic constants
      (kcat and Km) on the water content of the system, on wo (= [H2O]/[AOT]), is
      different for the different substrates. This indicates that activity-wo profiles
      for alpha-chymotrypsin in reverse micelles not only reflect an intrinsic feature
      of the enzyme alone. For the p-nitroanilides it was found that the lower kcat
      (and the higher Km) in aqueous solution, the higher kcat as well as Km in reverse
      micelles. "Superactivity" of alpha-chymotrypsin could only be found with the
      ester substrate and with relatively "poor" p-nitroanilides. The presence of a
      negative charge in the substrate molecule is not a prerequisite for alpha
      chymotrypsin to show "superactivity".

PMID- 1872835
TI  - NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (NMA) restores arterial blood pressure but reduces
      cardiac output in a canine model of endotoxic shock.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested that NMA or similar inhibitors of nitric oxide
      synthesis from L-arginine reverses or prevents the hypotension associated with
      endotoxin administration. We wanted to determine if vascular and cardiac
      responses to NMA support the idea that inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis might
      be useful in the treatment of septic shock. Pentobarbital-anesthetized beagle
      dogs were administered endotoxin for 2 hours at a dose of 250 ng/kg/min. This
      resulted in reductions in systemic vascular resistance (34% decrease) and mean
      arterial pressure (25% decrease). Administration of NMA (30 mg/kg, IV) caused
      large and sustained increases in mean arterial pressure and systemic vascular
      resistance, and a large decrease in cardiac output and femoral arterial blood
      flow. Although NMA restored arterial pressure, the large and sustained fall in
      cardiac output suggests that the cardiovascular action of NMA is detrimental to
      dogs treated with endotoxin.

PMID- 1872836
TI  - Melibiose permease of Escherichia coli: mutation of aspartic acid 55 in putative
      helix II abolishes activation of sugar binding by Na+ ions.
AB  - An aspartic residue (Asp55) located in the putative transmembrane alpha-helix II
      of the melibiose(mel) permease of Escherichia coli was replaced by Cys using
      oligonucleotide-directed, site-specific mutagenesis. Although D55C permease is
      expressed at 0.7 times the level of wild type permease, the mutated mel permease
      loses the ability to catalyse Na+ or H+ coupled melibiose transport against a
      concentration gradient. (3H) p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-galactoside (NPG) binding
      studies demonstrated that D55C permease binds the sugar co-substrate but Na+ (or
      Li+) ions do no longer enhance the affinity of D55C permease for the co
      transported sugar. In addition sugar binding on D55C permease but not on wild
      type permease is inactivated by sulfhydryl reagents and the inhibition protected
      by an excess of melibiose. These observations suggest 1) that the negatively
      charged Asp55 residue, expected to be within the membrane embedded domain near
      the NH2 extremity of mel permease, is in or near the Na(+)-binding site and 2)
      that the cation and sugar binding sites may be overlapping.

PMID- 1872837
TI  - Measuring the balance between insulin synthesis and insulin release.
AB  - The absolute rates of hormone synthesis and release were determined in purified
      pancreatic B cells. Newly synthesized proteins were labeled with L-[3,5
      3H]tyrosine or L-[2,5-3H]histidine. When medium glucose was less than or equal to
      10 mM, the production of insulin exceeded or equaled its release. Raising the
      glucose levels above 10 mM did not further increase the rate of insulin synthesis
      (67 +/- 10 fmol/10(3) cells/2 hour) but elevated that of insulin release up to 3
      fold the production rates (181 +/- 10 fmol/10(3) cells/2 hour). In the presence
      of glucagon or of the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate the
      cells also released 3-fold more hormone that they synthesized; release was
      however reduced to 25% of the rate of production in the presence of epinephrine.
      It is concluded that glucose as well as hormonal regulators of islet B cells can
      influence, bi-directionally, the balance between the rates of insulin synthesis
      and release.

PMID- 1872838
TI  - Individual alpha and beta subunits of bacterial luciferase exhibit
      bioluminescence activity.
AB  - The alpha subunit of luciferase, encoded by the luxA gene, and the beta subunit,
      encoded by the luxB gene, have been expressed independently in Escherichia coli.
      We have found that the individual subunits of the heterodimeric (alpha beta)
      enzyme have bioluminescence activity. Overexpression of the individual subunits
      in Escherichia coli at 37 degrees resulted in accumulation of large amounts of
      the specific subunit in the insoluble fraction, while expression at lower
      temperatures (20 degrees-26 degrees) resulted in accumulation of high levels of
      the individual subunits in the soluble fraction of the cell lysates. We were
      surprised to find that addition of n-decanal to extracts of cells carrying either
      the luxA gene or the luxB gene followed by injection of FMNH2, conditions of the
      standard luciferase assay, resulted in emission of significant bioluminescence.
      The occurrence of the activity in lysates of E. coli cells carrying the gene for
      only one subunit showed that the activity of the isolated subunits is not due to
      contamination of one subunit with trace amounts of the other. The observed
      bioluminescence activity is the result of reactions catalyzed by the alpha
      subunit in the absence of beta subunit and also by the beta subunit in the
      absence of the alpha subunit.

PMID- 1872839
TI  - The Drosophila glutathione S-transferase 1-1 is encoded by an intronless gene at
      87B.
AB  - The Drosophila glutathione S-transferase 1-1 is a dimer of a 209 amino acid
      subunit, designated DmGST1. DmGST1 is encoded by a member of a multigene family.
      Sequence analysis of a genomic clone for GST1 revealed that it is encoded by an
      intronless gene. We designate this gene and its other family members the GST D
      genes in the glutathione S-transferase gene superfamily. The Drosophila GST D
      genes are mapped by in situ hybridization to chromosome 3R at 87B of the polytene
      chromosome, which is flanked by the two clusters of hsp70 genes at 87A7 and 87C1.
      Cytogenetic data in the literature indicated that a puff occurred in this region
      under heat shock. We report that the glutathione S-transferase activity in Kco
      cells as determined by conjugation with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene is elevated
      slightly to two-fold under heat shock. The implication of this finding is
      discussed.

PMID- 1872840
TI  - The primary structure of rat ribosomal protein S18.
AB  - The amino acid sequence of the rat 40S ribosomal subunit protein S18 was deduced
      from the sequence of nucleotides in a recombinant cDNA. S18 has 152 amino acids
      and has a molecular weight of 17,707. Hybridization of the cDNA to digests of
      nuclear DNA suggests that there are 10-13 copies of the S18 gene. The mRNA for
      the protein is about 600 nucleotides in length. Rat S18 is identical to mouse S18
      (also referred to as KE3) and is related to Escherichia coli S13 and to other S13
      like ribosomal proteins from Bacillus subtilis, from Bacillus stearothermophilus,
      and from plant mitochondria (Nicotiana tabacum and Zea mays).

PMID- 1872841
TI  - Entactin forms a complex with fibronectin and co-localizes in the extracellular
      matrix of the embryonal carcinoma-derived 4CQ cell line.
AB  - A novel extracellular matrix that consists of a complex of fibronectin and
      entactin was synthesized by the embryonal carcinoma-derived cell line 4CQ. The
      matrix was devoid of laminin. High steady state levels of the messenger RNAs for
      fibronectin, entactin, and the B2 chain of laminin were detected in these cells.
      Laminin B1 message was several fold lower while laminin A chain message was
      undetectable. In contrast, in the sister embryonal carcinoma-derived cell M1536
      B3 there were high levels of message for all three chains of laminin and for
      entactin but very little for fibronectin. The data suggest that the synthesis and
      deposition of laminin and fibronectin are inversely related. The direct binding
      of entactin and fibronectin was also demonstrated by affinity column
      chromatography and solid phase assay.

PMID- 1872842
TI  - Functional conversion from HIV-1 Rev to HTLV-1 Rex by mutation.
AB  - A nucleolar localizing rev gene mutant M10 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1
      (HIV-1) lost a Rev function completely, instead, gained a Rex activity of human T
      cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). The obtained compatibility between Rev M10
      and Rex with their own nucleolar targeting signal (NOS) suggests a common
      molecular mechanism of their post-transcriptional regulation, despite no sequence
      similarities of both proteins and their responsive RNA elements, respectively.

PMID- 1872843
TI  - Deduced primary structure of a Xenopus proteasome subunit XC3 and expression of
      its mRNA during early development.
AB  - Proteasome is a non-lysosomal proteinase complex ubiquitously distributed in
      eukaryotic cells. We isolated here the cDNA clone for one of the proteasome
      subunits (XC3) from Xenopus ovary cDNA libraries using rat RC3 cDNA as a prove.
      The cDNA is 885 bp long and encodes 234 amino acids. The deduced amino acid
      sequence is highly homologous (95.3%) to those of rat RC3 and human HC3 subunits.
      The mRNA for XC3 is one of the maternal mRNAs and detected at all the embryonic
      stages investigated, but its level changes in a characteristic way especially at
      the gastrula stage. We suggest that the highly conserved XC3 subunit plays an
      essential role in proteasome function and also that during Xenopus embryogenesis
      mRNA for XC3 subunit is replaced from maternal to newly-synthesized one probably
      around the gastrula stage.

PMID- 1872844
TI  - Transfer RNA lacking its 3' terminus is required for spermidine-dependent
      ribonuclease 65 activity in mouse FM3A cell extracts.
AB  - A spermidine-dependent endoribonuclease (designated as RNase 65) activity
      requires both RNA and protein components (Nashimoto et al. (1991) Biochem.
      Biophs. Res. Comm. 176:1163-1169). In this study, we fractionated RNAs from mouse
      FM3A cell extracts and showed that an RNA fraction containing two major RNAs and
      two minor ones restored the micrococcal nuclease-inhibited RNase 65 activity.
      Partial sequences of these four RNA species were determined by chemical RNA
      sequencing. A sequence homology search revealed that the two major RNAs were
      glutamine tRNA lacking its 3' terminus, and that the two minor RNAs were
      initiator methionine tRNA and glycine tRNA lacking their 3' termini.

PMID- 1872845
TI  - Carbohydrate analysis of human von Willebrand factor with horseradish peroxidase
      conjugated lectins.
AB  - Human von Willebrand factor (vWF) immobilized on a polyvinylidene difluoride
      membrane was subjected to binding assay with a series of horseradish peroxidase
      conjugated lectins. The protein was reactive with concanavalin A, Ricinus
      communis agglutinin 120, wheat germ agglutinin and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I
      (UEA-I) but not with peanut agglutinin before sialidase treatment. These
      reactivities were consistent with the major oligosaccharide structure reported
      except for UEA-I. The reactivity with UEA-I was greatly decreased after digestion
      of the protein with either alpha-L-fucosidase or peptide-N-glycosidase F, but no
      significant decrease was observed after mild alkaline treatment or delipidation.
      vWF and UEA-I have been independently used as a good marker for human endothelial
      cells. Our results indicate that vWF itself contains UEA-I reactive sugar chains
      in its Asn-linked oligosaccharides.

PMID- 1872846
TI  - Identification of the peroxidation product hydroxystearic acid in Lewis lung
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - Whole cell lipids were extracted from the Lewis lung carcinoma in vitro line
      C108. The fatty acids were derivatized to methylesters in order to identify
      endogenous oxidized derivatives by gasmass spectroscopy. The presence of 9
      hydroxystearic acid and 10-hydroxystearic acid was thus evidenced for the first
      time in cultured mammalian cells. Moreover a linear correlation was found between
      the concentration of these products expressed as percentage of total fatty acid
      methylesters and the cell density in tissue culture flasks. This finding suggests
      an involvement of hydroxystearic acid in cellular functions related to the cell
      density in monolayer cultures.

PMID- 1872847
TI  - Photoisomerization of retinal at 13-ene is important for phototaxis of
      Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: simultaneous measurements of phototactic and
      photophobic responses.
AB  - A real-time automated method was developed for simultaneous measurements of
      phototactic orientation (phototaxis) and step-up photophobic response of
      flagellated microorganisms. Addition of all-trans retinal restored both
      photoresponses in a carotenoid-deficient mutant strain of Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii in a dose-dependent manner. The phototactic orientation was biphasic
      with respect to both the light intensity and the concentration of retinal. All
      trans retinal was more effective than 11-cis retinal to regenerate both
      photobehavioral responses. Analogs having locked 11-cis configurations and a
      phenyl ring in the side chain also induced photoresponses, although at
      concentrations more than two orders of magnitude higher than all-trans retinal.
      According to the present assay method, the responses were hardly detectable in
      cells incubated with retinal analogs in which the 13-ene was locked in either its
      trans or cis configuration. The results strongly suggest that the isomerization
      of the 13-14 double bond is important for photobehavioral signal transduction and
      that a single retinal-dependent photoreceptor controls both phototactic and
      photophobic responses.

PMID- 1872848
TI  - Scanning tunnelling microscopy of 16S ribosomal RNA in water.
AB  - The scanning tunnelling microscope has been used to image 16S ribosomal RNA
      molecules in water electrophoretically deposited on graphite surface. Two kinds
      of images have been obtained: images showing aggregates of 16S ribosomal RNA
      molecules similar to those obtained from DNA solutions and others showing
      individual 16S ribosomal RNA molecules. An interesting characteristic of these
      images, recorded in constant current mode, is that the 16S ribosomal RNA
      molecules appear to be located below the graphite surface. The morphology and
      several structural parameters of the molecules were consistent with the data
      obtained from electron microscopy.

PMID- 1872849
TI  - Sequence analysis of the ryanodine receptor: possible association with a 12K,
      FK506-binding immunophilin/protein kinase C inhibitor.
AB  - A computer-assisted sequence analysis of the ryanodine receptor pointed to a 15
      residue peptide, "KC7", reported to have been purified from a proteolytic digest
      of the 565 kDa rabbit skeletal muscle protein. Sequence comparisons, however,
      showed that this peptide probably originated from a much smaller protein which
      copurified with the ryanodine receptor. Peptide KC7 (excluding its unknown N
      terminal residue) was identical to the N-terminus of a 12 kDa immunophilin
      (immunosupressant-binding protein), human T-cell FK506- binding protein (FKBP),
      which has recently been identified as an inhibitor of protein kinase C. There was
      no other sequence similarity between FKBP and the ryanodine receptor. It is
      suggested that in vivo interaction of the ryanodine receptor and FKBP may play a
      role in the modulation of calcium release in muscle.

PMID- 1872850
TI  - Type II phospholipase A2 recombinant overexpression enhances stimulated
      arachidonic acid release.
AB  - The coding sequence of type II phospholipase A2 from human placenta was cloned in
      a bovine papilloma virus-derived eukaryotic expression vector under the control
      of the metallothionein promoter. Stably transfected C127 mouse fibroblast lines
      were obtained with this vector. These transfected cells overexpressed a
      functional 14 kDa phospholipase A2, which was bulky secreted. However, a
      significant phospholipase A2 activity was measured in cell homogenates. The
      involvement of this 14 kDa phospholipase A2 in mechanisms related to stimulated
      arachidonic acid release was investigated. We could parallel the overexpression
      of phospholipase A2 with an increase in phorbol ester and fluoroaluminate
      stimulated arachidonic acid release. Pertussis toxin inhibited this stimulation.
      These results suggest that the 14 kDa type II phospholipase A2 might contribute
      to stimulation of arachidonic acid release, and therefore to eicosanoid
      production.

PMID- 1872851
TI  - Halo enol lactone inhibitors of chymotrypsin: burst kinetics and
      enantioselectivity of inactivation.
AB  - Burst kinetics in the inactivation of alpha-chymotrypsin by halo enol lactones 1
      and 2 was observed. These results are consistent with a kinetic scheme that
      includes partitioning of the first acyl enzyme between transient inhibition and
      permanent inactivation. Partition ratios were estimated from the measured rates
      of the irreversible inactivation and the rates of deacylation of the second acyl
      enzyme. Halo enol lactones with a large burst resulted in small partition ratios,
      indicating a high potency of inactivation. We also observed enantioselectivity in
      the burst of inactivation such that the R enantiomer of lactone 1 showed a large
      burst, while the S enantiomer showed a little burst. This suggests that it is the
      R enantiomer whose binding is better suited for the covalent derivatization of
      the enzyme, or whose reactive halomethyl group is in an unfavorable position for
      the hydrolysis by water.

PMID- 1872852
TI  - The presence of N-glycosylated proteins in cell nuclei.
AB  - The protein-DNA crosslinking capability of cis-dichloro diammineplatinum has been
      exploited to check the intranuclear location of N-glycosylated proteins. When
      intact liver cells were treated with this reagent, a number of glycoproteins,
      recognized by Concanavalin A, have been shown to become crosslinked to DNA; many
      of them have been recognized as nuclear matrix components. The recognition by
      this lectin was abolished by treatment with N-glycosidase F, showing the presence
      of N-glycosidic bonds between the sugar moiety and the protein. Most of the
      glycoproteins appeared to have high mannose oligosaccharide chains, but sialic
      acid containing oligosaccharides were also identified.

PMID- 1872853
TI  - Human liver class III alcohol and glutathione dependent formaldehyde
      dehydrogenase are the same enzyme.
AB  - Human liver class III alcohol dehydrogenase (chi chi-ADH) and glutathione
      dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase are the same enzyme. The enzyme, chi chi
      ADH, exhibits a kcat of 200 min-1 and a km of 4 microM for the oxidation of
      formaldehyde, but only in the presence of GSH. In the absence of GSH the enzyme
      is essentially inactive toward formaldehyde but very active toward long chain
      alcohols. Thus, as in the rat (Koivusalo, M., Baumann, M., and Uotila, L. (1989)
      FEBS Letters 257, 105-109), the class III alcohol dehydrogenase and the GSH
      dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase are identical enzymes. S-Hydroxymethyl
      derivatives of 8-thiooctanoate and lipoate are also very active substrates. The
      activity is specific for class III alcohol dehydrogenase; neither the class I and
      II nor the horse EE, ES, and SS isozymes oxidize hemithiolacetals. o
      Phenanthroline competitively inhibits both activities and the two substrate types
      compete with each other.

PMID- 1872854
TI  - Lysophosphatidylcholine as a possible second messenger synergistic to
      diacylglycerol and calcium ion for T-lymphocyte activation.
AB  - An immediate reaction product of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis catalyzed by
      phospholipase A2, lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), synergizes with a membrane
      permeable diacylglycerol, 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol, and ionomycin to activate
      resting T-lymphocytes as measured by interleukin-2 alpha-receptor expression. It
      is suggestive that both phospholipase C and phospholipase A2 are directly
      involved in signal transduction in a synergistic fashion and that lysoPC acts as
      an additional second messenger for cellular regulation, probably for long-term
      responses such as cell proliferation and differentiation.

PMID- 1872855
TI  - Initial characterization of the carbohydrate structure of MCP-1.
AB  - MCP-1 is the principle monocyte chemoattractant produced by tumor cells in vitro.
      We previously identified different isoforms of MCP-1. Here we report that two
      predominant isoforms of MCP-1 (13 kD and 9 kD) can be distinguished by lectin
      binding. The results indicate that the disaccharide galactose-beta 1-3D-N-acetyl
      galactosamine is present on the 13 kD MCP-1 isoform but not the 9 kD isoform.
      Glycosylation of the 13 kD MCP-1 isoform does not appear to significantly change
      its antigenic properties and also does not affect its capacity to induce monocyte
      migration.

PMID- 1872856
TI  - Bio-elimination and organ retention profile of benzanthrone in scorbutic and non
      scorbutic guinea pigs.
AB  - The retention and bio-elimination of benzanthrone (BA) in scorbutic and non
      scorbutic guinea pigs was investigated to understand the protective role of
      ascorbic acid. Oral intubation of 14C-BA to scorbutic and non-scorbutic guinea
      pigs showed a total recovery of around 91% radioactivity through urine, faeces
      and tissues. Recovery of radiolabelled BA through urine (28%) and faeces (22%) up
      to 96 hrs averaged 50%, whereas residual radioactivity in liver and testis
      experienced a recovery of 29% in scorbutic animals. In non-scorbutic animals
      there was an increased recovery of radioactivity through urine (37%) and faeces
      (31%) with a decrease in retention (10%) in liver and testis. These results
      suggest that ascorbic acid facilitates the mobilization and bio-elimination of BA
      and thereby can decrease the toxicity of the compound.

PMID- 1872857
TI  - Characterization of N- and C-terminal deletion mutants of the rat serotonin HT2
      receptor in Xenopus laevis oocytes.
AB  - Deletion mutants of the serotonin HT2 receptor have been constructed in which the
      N- and C-terminal sequences have been gradually removed. The mutant constructs
      were assayed for their biological activity by electrophysiological measurements
      in Xenopus oocytes previously injected with the respective in vitro synthesized
      cRNAs. No significant loss of biological activity was observed when either the
      extracellular N-terminal sequence, including all potential glycosylation sites,
      up to the beginning of the first transmembrane domain or the C-terminal sequence
      up to cystein residue 397, which is conserved in most G-protein coupled receptor
      known so far, was deleted from the serotonin HT2 receptor constructs.

PMID- 1872858
TI  - Study of O-glycan sialylation in C6 cultured glioma cells: evidence for post
      translational regulation of a beta-galactoside alpha 2,3 sialyltransferase
      activity by N-glycosylation.
AB  - We have studied the Gal beta 1-3GalNAc-R alpha 2,3 sialyltransferase from C6
      glioma cells transferring Neu5Ac from CMP-Neu5Ac onto O-glycans of glycoproteins.
      Using synchronized C6 glioma cells, we showed that the alpha 2,3
      sialyltransferase activity was inhibited by tunicamycin to a greater extend than
      DNA and protein biosynthesis suggesting inhibition of N-glycosylation of this
      enzyme. Additional demonstration of N-glycosylation of the alpha 2,3
      sialytransferase was provided through ConA-Sepharose binding. Treatment of
      partially purified alpha 2,3 sialytransferase by peptide-N-glycosidase F showed a
      significative inhibition demonstrating that N-glycan moiety is required for
      complete activity of the C6 glioma cell alpha 2,3 sialyltransferase.

PMID- 1872860
TI  - An endonuclease activity in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils that removes 8
      hydroxyguanine residues from DNA+.
AB  - An endonuclease that specifically removes 8-hydroxyguanine (oh8Gua) from DNA has
      been isolated from Escherichia coli. As the amount of oh8Gua produced in DNA of X
      ray-irradiated mice is known to decrease with time after irradiation, an attempt
      was made to find a similar activity in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs)
      using a synthetic dsDNA containing oh8Gua as a substrate. The PMN enzyme was
      isolated free of other DNases, and found to cleave the substrate DNA
      simultaneously at 2 sites, the phosphodiester bonds 5' and 3' to oh8Gua,
      producing free hydroxyl and phosphate groups, respectively. The enzyme showed
      almost no activity on DNAs containing other kinds of modified base tested or
      mismatched DNA. Thus human cells also contain an endonuclease that specifically
      removes oh8Gua residues from DNA.

PMID- 1872859
TI  - Stimulation of autocrine platelet--derived growth factor AA-homodimer and
      transforming growth factor beta in vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - We have investigated the interrelationship between growth factors and
      vasoconstrictor peptides in terms of their possible paracrine/autocrine
      regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation/proliferation.
      Responses of quiescent cells from spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto
      rats to stimulation with a selected number of growth factors- and vasoconstrictor
      peptides were established (induction of mRNA as well as secretion of
      immunoreactive peptides). A single exposure of quiescent vascular smooth muscle
      cells to the vasoconstrictor peptides Angiotensin II and Endothelin-1 (10(-8) M
      each) resulted in a prolonged induction of platelet- derived growth factor A
      chain and transforming growth factor beta transcripts (maximal at 5-6 hrs
      poststimulatory). The interrelationship between platelet- derived growth factor
      AA and transforming growth factor beta was investigated in experiments using the
      pure peptides individually for stimulation of mRNA and peptide secretion. Both
      growth factors enhanced their own and one anothers transcript expression. The
      results demonstrated that in spontaneously hypertensive rats, an established
      animal model of hypertension, the steady state balance of this set of growth
      factors may be disturbed. Defects involved may be attributable to alterations in
      the secretory machinery and/or amount of autocrine growth factor produced.

PMID- 1872861
TI  - Detection of 14-kDa group II phospholipase A2 in human seminal plasma.
AB  - About 90% of phospholipase A2 activity detected in human seminal plasma reacted
      with monoclonal antibodies raised against human synovial fluid phospholipase A2.
      The crude seminal plasma yielded a pure immuno-cross-reactive phospholipase A2
      preparation in a single purification step using immuno-affinity chromatography.
      The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal 20 residues of this seminal enzyme was
      determined and found to be identical with that of human synovial phospholipase
      A2. Thus, it is suggested that human seminal plasma contains phospholipase A2,
      belonging to the 14-kDa group II enzyme family, as the major isoenzyme.

PMID- 1872862
TI  - Interaction of human protein Z with thrombin: evaluation of the species
      difference in the interaction between bovine and human protein Z and thrombin.
AB  - Protein Z is a vitamin K-dependent protein of unknown function present in normal
      human and bovine plasma. Binding and kinetic studies showed that bovine protein Z
      interacts with bovine thrombin with a dissociation constant of 0.11 microM in a
      Ca(2+)-independent fashion and that thrombin becomes associated with phospholipid
      vesicles in the presence of protein Z but not in its absence (Hogg, P. J. and
      Stenflo, J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem., in press). In the present study the
      interaction of human protein Z with human thrombin and the influence of human
      protein Z on the association of thrombin with phospholipid vesicles was
      evaluated. In contrast to bovine protein Z, human protein Z bound human DIP
      thrombin with a 20-fold weaker affinity at 1.5 mM Ca2+ and in a Ca(2+)-dependent
      fashion. Human protein Z was also less effective than bovine protein Z in
      promoting the association of thrombin with phospholipid vesicles. Also, bovine
      protein Z cleaved by thrombin at Arg-365 bound DIP-thrombin with a 10-fold weaker
      affinity than did native bovine protein Z. The data suggest that the species
      difference in the interaction between protein Z and thrombin can be explained by
      a difference in the COOH-terminal region of bovine protein Z versus human protein
      Z.

PMID- 1872863
TI  - Spermidine regulation of ornithine decarboxylase synthesis by a GC-rich sequence
      of the 5'-untranslated region.
AB  - The nucleotides in the 70-170 region upstream from the initiator AUG have been
      shown to be important in the strong stimulation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC)
      synthesis by low spermidine concentrations and in the inhibition of ODC synthesis
      at high spermidine concentrations [Ito, K., et al. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265,
      13036-13041]. In this region, a GC-rich sequence as well as a small open reading
      frame (MGQASQATVL) existed. In order to clarify which of these was of greater
      importance for the spermidine regulation of ODC synthesis, the synthesis was
      performed with various ODC mRNAs, possessing different sizes and nucleotide
      sequences in the 5'-untranslated region. The results show that a GC-rich
      sequence, but not a small potential leader peptide, plays an important role in
      the spermidine regulation of ODC synthesis.

PMID- 1872864
TI  - Conclusive evidence that very-long-chain fatty acids are oxidized exclusively in
      peroxisomes in human skin fibroblasts.
AB  - We have investigated the contribution of peroxisomes and mitochondria to the beta
      oxidation of palmitate (C16:0) and cerotate (C26:0) in intact human skin
      fibroblasts. The oxidation of both fatty acids was found to be inhibited by
      rotenone plus antimycin and cyanide, respectively, although to a different
      extent. When 2-[5-(4-chlorophenyl)pentyl]-oxirane-2-carboxylate (POCA) was used
      to specifically block carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, it was found that
      palmitate beta-oxidation was inhibited almost completely whereas cerotate beta
      oxidation was not affected. Since carnitine palmitoyltransferase is essential for
      the oxidation of fatty acids in mitochondria this result provides conclusive
      evidence that oxidation of very-long-chain fatty acids is initiated in
      peroxisomes and not in mitochondria.

PMID- 1872865
TI  - Identification of a soluble enzyme from C3H/10T1/2 cells which is inhibited by
      the Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor.
AB  - The anticarcinogenic Bowman-Birk proteinase inhibitor (BBI) inhibits a 70-kDa
      serine proteinase in C3H/10T1/2 transformed fibroblasts. Two serine proteinases,
      the proline endopeptidase and a novel neutral proteolytic activity, both having a
      mass of approximately 70-kDa, were isolated from the cytoplasm of C3H/10T1/2
      cells. BBI did not inhibit diisopropylfluorophosphate binding to the proline
      endopeptidase or its ability to hydrolyze peptides. However, BBI blocked the
      binding of diisopropylfluorophosphate and inhibited the cleavage of peptides by
      the novel cytoplasmic enzyme. Thus BBI does not inhibit the proline endopeptidase
      but another soluble 70-kDa serine proteinase from C3H/10T1/2 cells.

PMID- 1872866
TI  - Effect of coherence time of the applied magnetic field on ornithine decarboxylase
      activity.
AB  - Skepticism over the possibility of weak electromagnetic fields affecting cell
      function exists because endogenous thermal noise fields are larger than those
      reported to cause effects. Four-hour exposure to a 55- or 65-Hz field
      approximately doubles the specific activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in
      L929 cells. To test the idea that the cell discriminates against this thermal
      noise because it is incoherent, partial incoherence was introduced into the
      applied field by shifting the frequency between 55- to 65-Hz at intervals of tau
      coh--delta tau where tau coh is a predetermined time interval and delta tau much
      less than tau coh varies randomly from one frequency shift to the next. To obtain
      the full ODC enhancement, coherence of the impressed signal must be maintained
      for a minimum of about 10s. For tau coh = 5.0s a partial enhancement is elicited,
      and at 1.0s there is no response. Unfortunately coherence times of this duration
      are too short to solve the thermal noise puzzle.

PMID- 1872867
TI  - Effect of 17 beta-estradiol on the proliferation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells
      via human monocytes.
AB  - Effects of human monocyte-conditioned medium on the proliferation of osteoblastic
      MC3T3-E1 cells were investigated in serum-free cultured condition. Monocyte
      conditioned medium significantly stimulated osteoblast proliferation at the
      concentration between 10 and 30%, compared to that in the absence of monocytes.
      17 beta-estradiol directly stimulated osteoblast proliferation at the
      concentrations of 10(-8) and 10(-10)M. On the contrary, the conditioned medium
      prepared by monocytes cultured in the presence of 17 beta-estradiol at the
      concentrations of 10(-8) and 10(-10)M significantly inhibited osteoblast
      proliferation. Present data indicate that in addition to direct effect on
      osteoblasts, 17 beta-estradiol affected osteoblast proliferation presumably
      through modulating the release of several local regulators of bone turnover from
      monocytes. The effect on osteoblastic activity via monocytes might be linked to
      the coupling of osteoclast and osteoblast actions.

PMID- 1872868
TI  - The rate of phosphate transport during recovery from muscular exercise depends on
      cytosolic [H+]. A 31P-MR spectroscopy study in humans.
AB  - 31-Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to study in vivo the
      effect of cytosolic [H+] on the kinetics of initial post-exercise recovery of
      inorganic phosphate (Pi) in human gastrocnemius muscle. Linear correlations were
      found between the rate of initial phosphate recovery and: a) the minimum value of
      cytosolic pH reached during recovery, and b) the minimum percentage of divalent
      anion present. These linear relationships are consistent with the current
      knowledge of Pi transport, and represent new invariant parameters for the study
      of muscle pathologies that may involve Pi and/or H+ transport.

PMID- 1872869
TI  - Different translocation of three distinct PKC isoforms with tumor-promoting
      phorbol ester in human platelets.
AB  - Protein kinase C (PKC), a family of related but distinct enzymes whose cellular
      functions are poorly understood, acts in synergy with Ca2+ mobilization for the
      activation of platelets. Using specific antibodies for the different isoforms,
      immunoblot analysis revealed the presence in human platelets of three different
      PKC subtypes which specifically react with alpha, beta and zeta-PKC antibodies.
      Whereas the subcellular distribution of the alpha PKC remained unaffected,
      incubation of platelets with 1 microM PMA for 2 min resulted in a significant
      subcellular distribution from cytosol to membrane of beta-PKC (25%) and zeta
      (15%). The beta-PKC isoform is more sensitive than alpha and zeta-PKC to PMA,
      since 100 nM PMA resulted in a translocation of 85%, 64% and 66% respectively of
      a maximum translocation observed with 1 microM PMA.

PMID- 1872870
TI  - Inhibition by L-arginine of the endothelin-mediated increase in cytosolic calcium
      in human neutrophils.
AB  - The effect of endothelin (ET) on the cytosolic-free calcium [(Ca2+]i) changes in
      polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from normal humans and Wistar rats was
      investigated. ET induced a dose-related [Ca2+]i peak. This [Ca2+]i transient was
      blunted by TMB-8 (10(-5)M) and by Ca(2+)-free EGTA medium, therefore suggesting a
      role of both intracellular Ca2+ release and Ca2+ influx in the generation of the
      [Ca2+]i peak. Preincubation of PMN with the nitric oxide (NO)-donor L-arginine (L
      Arg) markedly blocked the ET-induced [Ca2+]i transient in an enantiomerically
      specific manner. A similar blunting effect of L-Arg on the fMLP (10(-7)M)-induced
      [Ca2+]i transient was detected. The L-Arg antagonist, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L
      NMMA), reverted the L-Arg blocking effect on both ET- and fMLP-induced [Ca2+]i
      transients. These data suggest that ET has a potential role in activating Ca2+
      mobilization in PMN, an effect that can be inhibited by L-Arg.

PMID- 1872871
TI  - Cleavage of phosphorylase kinase and calcium-free calmodulin by HIV-1 protease.
AB  - Phosphorylase kinase and calcium-free calmodulin are digested by human
      immunodeficiency virus-1 protease. In phosphorylase kinase, the alpha subunit is
      preferentially hydrolyzed at arg748-val749. The beta subunit is cleaved only
      slowly at leu678-pro679, and calmodulin, the integral delta subunit of
      phosphorylase kinase, is not cleaved at all. However, free calmodulin in the
      calcium-depleted form showed to be a good substrate for the protease. Here the
      cleavage occurs at phe65-pro66 and met71-met72. This fast hydrolysis of free
      calmodulin can be blocked by micromolar concentrations of Ca2+ or millimolar
      concentrations of Mg2+.

PMID- 1872872
TI  - Conversion of big endothelin-1 to endothelin-1 by two-types of metalloproteinases
      of cultured porcine vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - Incubation of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1, 1-39) with the membrane fraction
      obtained from cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) resulted in an
      increase in immunoreactive-ET (IR-ET), which was inhibited by EDTA but not by
      phosphoramidon, a metalloproteinase inhibitor. When the incubation was performed
      in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), the generation of IR-ET was markedly
      augmented and this augmentation was abolished by phosphoramidon. The pH profile
      for IR-ET generation in the presence of NEM was apparently distinct from that
      observed in the absence of NEM. Reverse-phase HPLC of the incubation mixture with
      or without NEM revealed one major IR-ET component corresponding to the elution
      position of synthetic ET-1 (1-21). When the cultured VSMCs were incubated with
      big ET-1, a conversion to the mature ET-1 was observed. This ET-1 generation from
      exogenously applied big ET-1 was markedly inhibited by the addition of
      phosphoramidon, although the inhibitor did not influence the basal secretion of
      ET-1-like materials. These results suggest the presence of two types of
      metalloproteinases, which can generate ET-1, in VSMCs. The possibility that ET-1
      functions in an autocrine manner to control the cardiovascular system warrants
      further attention.

PMID- 1872873
TI  - End-filling of an oligonucleotide duplex containing an MDBP site in the human
      HSP70 promoter inhibits protein-DNA complex formation.
AB  - A site from the promoter region of the human hsp70 gene binds with a high
      affinity to the ubiquitous mammalian protein called methylated DNA-binding
      protein (MDBP) when it is present in a CpG-methylated oligonucleotide duplex with
      only 14 base-pairs. Binding to this site is dependent upon CpG methylation.
      Surprisingly, when the same methylated sequence is present in a duplex that has
      22 or more base-pairs, binding to this protein is greatly inhibited. Such a
      requirement for a short duplex region is seen only in certain of the cytosine
      methylation-dependent binding sites for this protein and is proposed to reflect
      differences in the conformation of the duplex due to small differences in the
      nucleotide sequence.

PMID- 1872874
TI  - Evidence for isoleucine as a positive effector of the ilvBN operon in Salmonella
      typhimurium.
AB  - Concerted efforts were directed towards understanding the control of acetohydroxy
      acid synthase (AHAS) in the gyrB mutant hisU1820 of Salmonella typhimurium. A
      media shift from valine to valine plus isoleucine causes a dramatic 4 to 5 fold
      burst of AHAS valine sensitive activity which appears to be dependent on
      translation. DJ19, an isolated valine sensitive derivative of the gyrB mutant,
      maintains a dramatic increase in AHAS valine sensitive activity upon the addition
      of isoleucine to valine supplemented cultures, suggesting that the isoleucine
      effect is specific for valine sensitive AHAS. Evidence supports isoleucine as a
      positive effector on valine sensitive AHAS expression and that the gyrB mutation
      accentuates the isoleucine effect.

PMID- 1872875
TI  - Direct inhibitory effect of amino-terminal parathyroid hormone fragment [PTH(1
      34)] on PTH secretion from bovine parathyroid primary cultured cells in vitro.
AB  - We have examined the possibility of direct inhibitory effect of PTH(1-34) on PTH
      secretion in bovine parathyroid cells. As low as 10(-12) M PTH(1-34) completely
      inhibited low calcium (0.5 mM Ca2+)-stimulated PTH secretion by these cells. In
      the presence of 1.25 mM Ca2+, 10(-12) M PTH(1-34) inhibited PTH secretion by
      about 14.3% of the basal value, while 10(-11) M or higher concentration of PTH(1
      34) showed potent inhibitory effects equivalent to the inhibitory action of high
      calcium concentration (2.5 mM Ca2+) on PTH secretion. At 2.5 mM Ca2+, as much as
      10(-9) M PTH(1-34) failed to inhibit PTH secretion further. These results suggest
      that PTH(1-34) might directly, not via calcium concentration, inhibit PTH
      secretion by parathyroid cells and that a cooperative mechanism could exist
      between calcium and PTH(1-34) to inhibit PTH secretion.

PMID- 1872876
TI  - Deregulation of alternative processing of Calcitonin/CGRP-I pre-mRNA by a single
      point mutation.
AB  - The Calcitonin/CGRP-I (CALC-I) gene was one of the first examples of a cellular
      gene exhibiting alternative, tissue-specific processing of its primary
      transcript. Calcitonin (CT) mRNA is the predominant product in thyroid C-cells,
      whereas CGRP-I (Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide-I) mRNA is the main product in
      neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Investigating the
      molecular mechanism underlying the alternative processing events, we have
      demonstrated that the CT-specific splice acceptor site is an intrinsical weak
      site due to usage of a uridine branch acceptor. The data presented in this report
      show that a single point mutation changing the uridine branch acceptor into a
      commonly preferred adenosine residue results in the predominant production of CT
      mRNA in otherwise CGRP-I mRNA-producing F9 cells. The results of the experiments
      implicate that the low efficiency of CT splicing, caused by usage of a uridine
      branch acceptor, allows the production of CGRP-I mRNA in neural cells.

PMID- 1872877
TI  - Effect of the interferone inducer, polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic acid on rat
      liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy.
AB  - The administration of the interferone inducer, polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic
      acid, inhibited the rise of activities of thymidylate synthase and thymidine
      kinase as well as DNA content in 24 h-regenerating rat liver in a dose dependent
      manner. The immunoblotting assay showed that the decrease of thymidylate synthase
      activity was due to inhibition of the induction of the enzyme. Co-administration
      of putrescine did not affect the inhibitory effect of
      polyriboinosinic.polyribocytidylic acid. Polyriboinosinic acid did not affect DNA
      synthesis in rat liver regeneration.

PMID- 1872878
TI  - Perturbations in carbohydrate metabolism during cypermethrin toxicity in fish,
      Tilapia mossambica.
AB  - Sublethal concentrations (0.04 ppm) of cypermethrin induced significant metabolic
      changes in brain, liver and gill tissues of fish, T. mossambica. While
      cypermethrin caused depletion in glycogen and pyruvate levels lactate content was
      elevated in all the tissues. While phosphorylase 'a' and aldolase activity
      increased, phosphorylase 'b' activity registered a decrease in the present study.
      A decrease in lactate dehydrogenase activity with increase in lactate levels
      suggests reduced mobilization of pyruvate into citric acid cycle. Glucose-6
      phosphate dehydrogenase activity was also elevated indicating enhanced oxidation
      through HMP pathway during cypermethrin toxicity. Inhibition of succinate, malate
      and isocitrate dehydrogenases and cytochrome c oxidase activity indicates
      impaired oxidation of carbohydrates through citric acid cycle.

PMID- 1872879
TI  - Cypermethrin induced changes in nitrogen metabolism of fish, Tilapia mossambica.
AB  - At sublethal concentrations, cypermethrin caused a decrease in total proteins and
      an increase in free amino acids, protease, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate
      aminotransferase in liver, brain and gill tissues of Tilapia mossambica. Nitrogen
      metabolic profiles like ammonia, urea and glutamine were also elevated in all the
      tissues as a consequence of cypermethrin toxicity. Glutamate dehydrogenase, AMP
      deaminase and adenosine deaminase activity was also increased in the present
      study.

PMID- 1872880
TI  - Gene cloning and nucleotide sequence of SM22 alpha from the chicken gizzard
      smooth muscle.
AB  - A full length of cDNA encoding SM22 alpha from chicken gizzard smooth muscle was
      cloned and sequenced. Cloned cDNA had a total length of 1214bp and contained a
      single open reading frame which encodes 200 amino acids with a calculated
      molecular weight 22214. The predicted amino acid sequence was in complete
      agreement with the sequence determined by Pearlstone et al. using Edman
      degradation method (J. Biol. Chem. 262:5985, 1987) except for two additional
      residues, isoleucine and serine at the C-terminus.

PMID- 1872881
TI  - A new latent arginine esteropeptidase from human submaxillary gland.
AB  - One of the arginine esteropeptidases in human submaxillary gland was purified
      from microsomal membranes. The enzyme is inactive in membranes and requires
      trypsin treatment for its full activation. The trypsin-activated enzyme was
      purified to homogeneity. Its molecular weight was determined to be 94,000 by SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Among various substrates examined, the
      obtained enzyme exhibited high specific activities toward Tos-Arg-OMe
      (esterolysis) and D-Ile-Pro-Arg-pNA (amidolysis). The enzyme was inhibited by
      some serine proteinase inhibitors, whereas inhibitors of other types of
      proteinases did not affect or only scarcely affected it. The enzyme appears to be
      distinct from other arginine esteropeptidases previously described.

PMID- 1872882
TI  - Molecular cloning of the yeast proteasome PRS2 gene identical to the suppressor
      gene scl1+.
AB  - The YC7-alpha gene encoding a subunit of yeast proteasomes named PRS2 has been
      isolated and sequenced. Southern blot analysis after electrophoretic separation
      of yeast chromosomal DNAs showed that the PRS2 gene is located in chromosome VII,
      unlike the PRS1 gene for subunit YC1, is located on chromosome XV. Surprisingly,
      the overall structure of the PRS2 gene was found to be identical to that of the
      suppressor scl1+ gene restoring the SCL1-1 mutation that suppresses crl3
      cycloheximide-resistant, temperature-sensitive lethality. The identity of these
      two genes indicates that the suppressive role of the scl1+ gene product on crl3
      mutation could be attributed to proteasomal function.

PMID- 1872883
TI  - Isolation of a yeast mutant deficient in pyruvate carboxylase activity.
AB  - To improve our understanding of the catalytic mechanism and regulatory properties
      of pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), an important biotin-dependent enzyme, we
      have sought to isolate mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae which are defective in
      pyruvate carboxylase activity. One mutant was isolated which was unable to grow
      on glucose minimal medium unless supplemented with aspartate. Although the enzyme
      had only 25% of the wild type pyruvate carboxylase activity, Western analysis and
      RNase protection analysis demonstrated that the mutant gene was expressed at
      approximately 70% of the wild type level. On the basis of genetic crosses and
      complementation tests, we have attributed the defect to mutations in the PYC gene
      encoding pyruvate carboxylase.

PMID- 1872884
TI  - Differential solubility behaviour in poly(ethylene glycol) solutions of glucose 6
      phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases from bone marrow, reticulocytes
      and erythrocytes.
AB  - Precipitation of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase by poly(ethylene glycol)
      depends on both pH and the source of haemolysate. An increase in pH from 5 to 7
      leads to an increase in the polymer concentration required for precipitation. At
      any pH, polymer concentration needed to precipitate the enzyme increases in the
      order bone marrow less than reticulocytes less than erythrocytes. This
      differential behaviour seems to be due to variations on the effect of pH on the
      state of aggregation and/or differences in the intrinsic solubility of the enzyme
      present in the three haemolysates. In contrast, precipitation profile of 6
      phosphogluconate dehydrogenase only slightly moves towards higher concentrations
      of PEG when raising the pH from 5 to 7, being similar at each single pH in the
      three haemolysates.

PMID- 1872885
TI  - Ubiquinol prevents alpha-tocopherol consumption during liposome peroxidation.
AB  - In this study we investigated whether alpha-tocopherol can be spared by ubiquinol
      3 during autoxidation of multilamellar liposome. A lipophilic azocompound, 2,2'
      azobis-(2,4-dimethyl-valeronitrile), was chosen to initiate liposome
      autoxidation. The effect of either alpha-tocopherol, ubiquinol-3, or a mixture of
      them was compared. Rates of conjugated diene formation and concomitant
      disappearance of the two antioxidants was measured. Since the inhibition rate
      constant for the scavenging of peroxyl radical for alpha-tocopherol was higher
      than that for quinol-3, it was concluded that alpha-tocopherol is regenerated by
      ubiquinol-3.

PMID- 1872886
TI  - Comparison of changes in uptake and mucosal processing of iron in short and long
      term iron depletion.
AB  - Thirty minutes following an intragastric dose of [59]Fe, rats subjected to short
      term and long-term iron depletion showed a similar increase in [59]Fe in plasma
      and a similar decrease in the retention of [59]Fe in mucosal cytosol compared to
      controls. With both low-iron groups, a two-fold increase in [59]Fe uptake by
      brush-border membrane vesicles and a six-fold reduction in the [59]Fe
      incorporated into the ferritin of the mucosal cytosol were observed. These
      studies indicate that short-term exposure to a low-iron diet triggers changes in
      both the uptake of iron by the brush-border membrane and the processing of iron
      within the mucosal cell prior to major changes in body iron status.

PMID- 1872887
TI  - The effect of maternal diabetes on glycogen metabolism in the embryonic rat.
AB  - This study examined the effect of maternal hyperglycemia during pregnancy due to
      streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the synthesis of glycogen in the brain and
      liver of embryonic and newborn rats. Maternal hyperglycemia (serum glucose 25.3
      +/- 0.9 mM) during gestation had no effect compared to controls (5.7 +/- 0.2 mM)
      on embryonic and newborn glycogen content in liver. In contrast, embryos
      experiencing hyperglycemia in utero had a two-fold higher brain glycogen content
      than controls at term; 1.6 mg/g vs. 0.84 mg/g, respectively. Interestingly there
      was a significant delay in the mobilization of brain glycogen during the
      immediate postnatal period in the offspring of diabetic mothers and control
      animals. These results suggest that uncontrolled maternal diabetes during
      pregnancy may significantly increase the availability of a potentially important
      local fuel source for the newborn brain: glycogen.

PMID- 1872888
TI  - Hybridization of rabbit cardiac tropomyosin with nonpolymerizable tropomyosin
      species.
AB  - Rabbit cardiac tropomyosin was hybridized with its nonpolymerizable form,
      produced by treatment with carboxypeptidase A, and with a naturally occurring
      nonpolymerizable tropomyosin from horse platelets. Hybridization was achieved by
      heating equimolar mixtures to 60 degrees C in the presence of 10 mM
      dithiothreitol, followed by recooling. Samples of intact and carboxypeptidase
      truncated tropomyosins treated in this way show lower viscosities at low ionic
      strength than predicted assuming random reformation of the coiled coils,
      suggesting that hybrids formed with one intact COOH-terminus are unable to
      polymerize normally. Hybridization of cardiac and platelet tropomyosins was
      detected by observation of the fluorescence of pyrene groups attached to cysteine
      residues on platelet tropomyosin.

PMID- 1872889
TI  - N-acetyltransferase polymorphism. Comparison of phenotype and genotype in humans.
AB  - N-Acetyltransferase (NAT) isoenzymes are encoded at two loci. One locus encodes
      an NAT which is expressed widely in tissues, does not vary amongst human
      individuals and is termed monomorphic NAT (mNAT). The second locus encodes an NAT
      which is termed polymorphic NAT (pNAT), has a distinct tissue distribution and is
      responsible for the difference in ability between individuals in acetylating
      certain arylamine (e.g. sulphamethazine) and hydrazine (e.g. isoniazid) drugs
      which are polymorphic substrates. We describe a simple DNA based method for
      genotyping individuals for pNAT. The 'fast' NAT allele (F1) and the three 'slow'
      alleles (S1, S2 and S3) can be distinguished by using PCR with oligonucleotide
      primers specific for pNAT followed by restriction enzyme digestion of the
      amplified product. Heterozygotes are easily identified. The genotype of
      individual Caucasians compares well with the extent of acetylation of
      sulphamethazine. The allele distribution of the Caucasian population described
      here differs from that reported after Southern blot analysis of a Japanese
      population (Deguchi et al., J Biol Chem 265: 12757-12760, 1990). The most
      frequent allele at the polymorphic nat locus in Caucasians, S1, is absent in the
      Japanese population. This difference between the two populations is likely to be
      the basis of the known interethnic variation in acetylator phenotype frequencies.

PMID- 1872890
TI  - Effect of chronic hypoxia on acetaminophen metabolism in the rat.
AB  - The effect of chronic hypoxia (10.5% O2 for 8-9 days) on acetaminophen metabolism
      was studied in vivo or in isolated cell or microsomal systems. Results from in
      vivo studies with oral administration of acetaminophen showed that in hypoxic
      rats, the plasma appearance of the drug was delayed and the plasma half-life was
      increased. Analyses of the area under the curve (AUCoral) showed that this value
      was higher in hypoxic rats, whereas the rate constants for elimination (kelim)
      and absorption (kabs) were lower in these animals. Formation of the glucuronide
      and sulfate conjugates was decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) in hypoxic
      animals. The calculated volume of distribution (Vd) after an intravenous dose was
      not different in either group but total clearance (CL) was 35% lower in hypoxic
      rats. Studies with isolated hepatocytes from both groups revealed that
      glucuronidation and sulfation were inhibited markedly at low O2 concentrations.
      The O2 concentrations required for half-maximal production (P50 values) of
      glucuronide (2.3 microM O2) and sulfate (1.8 microM O2) conjugates in cells from
      hypoxic animals were lower than for control cells (5.3 microM and 3.9 microM O2
      for glucuronide and sulfate conjugates, respectively). Maximal rates of
      conjugation in cells from hypoxic rats were 60-70% of control rates. Similar
      decreases in microsomal UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and cytosolic
      sulfotransferase activities were found in livers of animals exposed to chronic
      hypoxia. These lower P50 values are consistent with a lower P50 for oxidation of
      mitochondrial cytochromes in hypoxic cells. In comparison, the P50 for
      glutathione conjugation (4.1 microM O2) was not statistically different from
      control (4.6 microM O2), but the maximal rate was 65% higher. The results show
      that chronic hypoxia causes a change of absorptive processes and decreased
      glucuronidation and sulfation reactions which affects the disposition of
      acetaminophen and potentially the disposition of a variety of other exogenous and
      endogenous compounds.

PMID- 1872891
TI  - Regulation by 1,4-diamines of the ornithine decarboxylase activity induced by
      ornithine in perifused tumor cells.
AB  - Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity of Ehrlich carcinoma cells was increased
      more than 36-fold after being maintained for 3.5 hr in vitro in a special chamber
      which allowed continuous perifusion with 0.5 mM ornithine; if incubated in vitro
      without perifusion the ODC activity was, of course, only 9-fold by the same
      concentration of ornithine. Ornithine withdrawal from the perifusion medium
      resulted in a decay of enzyme activity observed after 90 min; this decay was
      prevented by addition of 55 microM pyridoxal to the medium. The 1,4-diamines
      putrescine, spermidine, spermine, agmatine, histamine, serotonin, tryptamine,
      chlorpheniramine and harmaline at 55 microM strongly suppressed ODC induction by
      0.5 mM ornithine in perifused Ehrlich ascites cells. Methyl derivatives also
      behave as strong inhibitors of ODC induction. On the contrary, N-acetylation
      paralleled with a decrease in the inhibition capacity: 55 microM N-acetyl
      putrescine, N-acetyl serotonin or N-omega-acetylhistamine suppressed ODC
      induction by ornithine in 66, 64 and 19%, respectively. The addition to the
      perifusion medium of the same concentrations of 1,3-diamines (1,3-diaminopropane,
      1,3-diamino-2-propanol or the alkaloid gramine) as well as 1,5-diamines (1,5
      diaminopentane and the antihistamic doxylamine or cimetidine) failed to suppress
      the induction of ODC activity by ornithine. Interestingly, 1,4-benzenediamine,
      which strongly inhibits ODC activity when the induced enzyme is assayed in its
      presence, did not suppress the induction of the enzyme when both 0.5 mM ornithine
      and 55 microM 1,4-benzenediamine were present in the perifusion medium. The
      inhibitory capacity in down-regulating ODC is not due to differences in the
      diamine uptake by the cells. The results suggest that the N-N distance (6A) and
      the charge of one amino group are important chemical characteristics for
      regulatory effects.

PMID- 1872892
TI  - Effects of RP 52028 and phenobarbital on mRNA levels of inducible and
      constitutive sex-specific cytochrome P450 isozymes in rat liver.
AB  - Sex-related differences in basal levels of mRNA coding for various cytochrome
      P450 isozymes and their inducibility by 1-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-(1
      methylpropyl)-3- isoquinoline carboxamide (RP 52028) in comparison to
      phenobarbital (PB) were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. We observed that the
      inducible isozymes, namely cytochromes P450IIB1/2 and P450IIIA1/2 were barely
      detectable in non-induced animal livers. On the contrary, mRNAs coding for two
      constitutive forms of cytochrome, P450IIC7 and IIC11, were expressed at a high
      level in untreated rats in a sex-dependent manner. Cytochrome P450IIC11 mRNA was
      present in male rats only whereas P450IIC7 was expressed in both sexes but at a
      higher level in female rats. RP 52028 had a dose-dependent inducing effect on the
      P450IIB1/2 and IIIA1/2 isoforms in both sexes. After administration of a high
      dose (500 mg/kg), this molecule exhibited a pattern of induction similar to that
      of PB. Increases in the accumulation of these IIB1/2 and IIIA1/2 messengers were
      correlated with protein data, suggesting that RP 52028, like PB, induces these
      isozymes mainly through a pretranslational regulatory mechanism. On the other
      hand, PB and RP 52028 caused only a slight increase, less pronounced than in
      Wistar rats, in the mRNA level of the constitutive female-predominant P450IIC7,
      indicating a strain-related difference in inducibility of this isozyme. RP 52028
      had no effect on P450IIC11 mRNA level in male rat liver, in contrast to the
      decreasing effect obtained with PB. Furthermore, the non-correlated changes in
      P450IIC11 mRNA level and microsomal testosterone 2 alpha-hydroxylase activity
      after treatment with RP suggests that this molecule modulates the expression of
      P450IIC11 at a posttranscriptional level only.

PMID- 1872893
TI  - Involvement of the microtubular system in the endothelin-1 secretion from porcine
      aortic endothelial cells.
AB  - The effects of certain microtubule-disrupting agents on endothelin-1 (ET-1)
      secretion from porcine aortic endothelial cells were studied. When endothelial
      cells were treated with thrombin (1 unit/mL), a significant increase in ET-1
      secretion was detected in the incubation medium, while ET-1 secretion in the
      medium was diminished when the cells were treated simultaneously with either
      colchicine or vinblastine (10(-8)-10(-6) M). In such cases, however, the ET-1
      content detected in the cells increased dose-dependently in accordance with the
      concentrations of the microtubule-disrupting agents. The intracellular
      accumulation of ET-1 was observed both in mitochondrial and microsomal fractions.
      On the other hand, thrombin produced a significant increase in polymerized
      tubulin content without affecting the total tubulin content. A thrombin-induced
      increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of endothelial cells was
      inhibited by treatment with either colchicine or vinblastine. These results seem
      to indicate that the microtubular system may play an important role in ET-1
      secretion from endothelial cells.

PMID- 1872894
TI  - Modulation of rat hepatic cytochromes P450 by chronic methapyrilene treatment.
AB  - The antihistaminic compound methapyrilene (MP) when chronically administered has
      been shown to be a rat-specific hepatocarcinogen. To examine the effects of
      chronic MP treatment on the hepatic microsomal cytochromes P450. Fischer 344 rats
      were gavaged for 10 weeks (5 days on, 2 days off) with either vehicle or 50, 100,
      or 150 mg MP/kg body weight. Chronic MP treatment was found to have a significant
      effect on several microsomal enzymatic activities. Small (17-28%) but significant
      (P less than 0.05) decreases were observed for total P450 levels and the
      activities of erythromycin N-demethylase (catalyzed by P450IIIA), N
      nitrosodimethylamine demethylase (catalyzed by P450IIE1) and pentoxyresorufin O
      dealkylase (catalyzed by P450IIB1). In addition, a relatively large decrease
      (approximately 80%) was observed for the activity of benzphetamine N-demethylase
      (representative of P450IIC11) and an induction of about 40% was observed for
      ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (catalyzed by P450IA). The metabolism of
      testosterone by microsomes isolated from the rats chronically treated with MP
      indicated that several reactions were compromized. Specifically, testosterone 2
      alpha-hydroxylase, indicative of P450IIC11, was reduced greatly (86%), whereas
      testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase, reflecting P450IIIA, and testosterone 7 alpha
      hydroxylase, indicative of P450IIIA1, were affected only slightly by MP treatment
      (approximately 25%). Immunoblot analyses of the various microsomal samples were
      performed to determine if chronic MP treatment had direct effects on the level of
      expression of the cytochromes P450. Decreases in the levels of P450IIIA, IIE1,
      and IIC11, determined by immunoblot analyses, closely paralleled those observed
      for their marker catalytic activities. Further studies will be required to
      determine the mechanism by which MP affects the levels of the cytochromes P450
      (i.e. increased degradation or decreased synthesis).

PMID- 1872895
TI  - Regulation of 5-HT2 receptors in rat cortex. Studies with a putative selective
      agonist and an antagonist.
AB  - The phenylisopropylamine derivative 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodo-phenyl)-2
      aminopropane (DOI) has been suggested recently as a selective serotonin2 (5-HT2)
      receptor agonist. Because of the potential importance of such a tool for
      investigations of 5-HT2 receptor regulation, receptor binding studies were
      performed in rats after acute and chronic treatment with DOI, the selective 5-HT2
      antagonist ketanserin, or vehicle. Single injections of 5 or 10 mg/kg DOI reduced
      the Bmax of cortical sites labeled with [3H]1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromo-phenyl)-2
      aminopropane and [3H]ketanserin (9-32 or 32-46%, respectively). Chronic daily
      treatment with DOI (3-9 mg/kg) further down-regulated 5-HT2 sites in cortex
      identified with either [3H]ketanserin (-60%) or with [3H]DOB (-75%), without
      altering Kd values or affecting 5-HT1 sites. In vitro addition to the
      [3H]ketanserin or [3H]DOB binding assay of 10 nM to 1 microM DOI resulted in
      competitive inhibition, suggesting that down-regulation found in vivo was not
      secondary to residual drug. Chronic treatment with ketanserin (10 mg/kg) also
      down-regulated both [3H]ketanserin (-38%) and [3H]DOB (-58%) sites in cortex
      without charges in 5-HT1 sites. In naive cortex, competition experiments revealed
      a Ki (nM) for ( +/- )-DOI of 1.7 +/- 0.02 at sites labeled by [3H]DOB, and a KH
      and KL of 4.8 +/- 1.5 and 53 +/- 2 nM at sites labeled by [3H]ketanserin. These
      data indicate that in chronic treatment, DOI, like ketanserin, is highly
      selective for 5-HT2 vs 5-HT1 sites at behaviorally useful doses. However, a
      representative putative 5-HT2 selective agonist and antagonist have similar
      effects on 5-HT2 receptors labeled by agonist or antagonist radioligands.

PMID- 1872896
TI  - Regulation by angiotensin II of phosphate transport in cardiac myocytes.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that angiotensin II (ang II)
      affects the transport of inorganic phosphate in adult ventricular myocytes.
      Ventricular myocytes were isolated from Dahl rats and allowed to take up 32P
      inorganic phosphate (32P-Pi). The intracellular 32P concentration increased
      rapidly and reached a peak at 5 min. Ang II, 10(-10) to 10(-5) M, produced a
      significant (P less than 0.05) and concentration-dependent reduction in 32P-Pi
      uptake that plateaued at 0.1 to 1.0 microM. Ang II at 1 microM produced a 30%
      reduction in Vmax and a slightly greater reduction in the Km of 32P-Pi uptake,
      compared to myocytes that were not exposed to ang II. The ang II receptor
      antagonist saralasin (Sar1-Val5-Ala8-angiotensin II), significantly (P less than
      0.05) antagonized the action of ang II on 32P-Pi uptake. TPA (12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) also produced a significant (P less than 0.05)
      reduction of 32P-Pi uptake, suggesting that protein kinase C is involved in the
      transduction of ang II effects on intracellular Pi. 32P Efflux from myocytes,
      pulsed with 32P-Pi and chased with Pi-free medium, was accentuated markedly by
      ang II; this effect was blunted by saralasin. These data suggest that ang II is
      capable of regulating total intracellular Pi in the heart via two actions: (i) by
      inhibiting uptake of Pi into the myocyte, and (ii) by increasing the efflux of
      phosphates out of the cell.

PMID- 1872897
TI  - Endotoxin-inducible cytotoxicity in liver cell cultures--I.
AB  - It is known that rodents challenged with a combination of galactosamine and
      endotoxin develop a fulminant hepatitis within several hours. Until now, no in
      vitro correlate for this organ-specific lesion has been described. Here, in-vitro
      conditions have been developed which allow examination of lipopolysaccharide
      (endotoxin)-inducible cell injury to hepatocytes. Under these in-vitro conditions
      (RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% calf serum, 40% oxygen tension) which require
      the presence of functionally intact Kupffer cells, a concentration-dependent
      lactate dehydrogenase release is inducible by different lipopolysaccharides in
      hepatocyte cultures from Fischer rats. It can be abrogated by polymyxin B. These
      co-cultures secreted tumor necrosis factor-alpha into the medium upon a
      lipopolysaccharide stimulus. The presence of a tumor necrosis factor-alpha
      antiserum reduced the major part of the endotoxin-inducible cytotoxicity.
      Similarities in vitro and in vivo of the cytotoxic potency of various endotoxin
      species and the different responsiveness of hepatocytes from two different rat
      strains support that this co-culture system might be useful for studying
      endotoxin-inducible lesions in vitro.

PMID- 1872898
TI  - Comparative cytotoxic effects of acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol), a non
      hepatotoxic regioisomer acetyl-m-aminophenol and their postulated reactive
      hydroquinone and quinone metabolites in monolayer cultures of mouse hepatocytes.
AB  - Toxic effects of acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) in
      monolayer cultures of mouse hepatocytes developed over a period of 18 hr. N
      Acetyl-m-aminophenol (AMAP) was approximately 10-fold less toxic than APAP,
      despite the fact that it bound covalently to a greater extent to hepatocyte
      macromolecules. AMAP did not deplete glutathione to as great an extent as APAP,
      indicating that their reactive metabolites may bind to different proteins or that
      oxidative damage in addition to arylation of proteins may be involved in the
      development of cell death. The toxicity of 3-methoxy-acetyl-p-aminophenol was
      similar to that of APAP, whereas the other hydroquinone and quinone metabolites
      were 8-10 times more cytotoxic than APAP. The potencies of these analogs were in
      the order: acetyl-m-aminophenol-p-benzoquinoneimine greater than or equal to 2,5
      dihydroxyacetanilide greater than or equal to 3-methoxy-p-benzoquinone greater
      than or equal to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) greater than or equal to
      acetyl-m-aminophenol-o-benzoquinone greater than or equal to 3-hydroxy-acetyl-p
      aminophenol. The relative toxic potencies of the hydroquinone and quinone
      metabolites of AMAP were comparable to that of NAPQI, and do not readily explain
      the marked difference between the cytotoxic effects of AMAP and APAP.

PMID- 1872899
TI  - Increased microsomal irreversible binding of phenytoin by valproic acid.
AB  - Phenytoin is known to be metabolized to form p-hydroxyphenyl-phenyl-hydantoin,
      possibly via the arene oxide intermediate. The reactive arene oxide may bind to
      macromolecules irreversibly and cause toxicity. In this study, valproic acid was
      found to increase the irreversible binding of phenytoin to rat liver microsomes
      at high concentrations. The effect was similar to that of TCPO and could be
      reversed by adding glutathione. Valproic acid may increase the hepatotoxicity of
      phenytoin.

PMID- 1872900
TI  - Reactivity of flavone acetic acid and its acyl glucuronide.

PMID- 1872901
TI  - Effect of ethanol feeding on fatty acid ethyl ester synthase activity in the
      liver and pancreas of rats fed a nutritionally adequate diet or a low protein
      diet.

PMID- 1872902
TI  - Broad-spectrum anti-DNA virus and anti-retrovirus activity of
      phosphonylmethoxyalkylpurines and -pyrimidines.

PMID- 1872903
TI  - Electrically-evoked catecholamine release from cat adrenals. Role of cholinergic
      receptors.
AB  - Catecholamine (CA) release from perfused cat adrenal glands was continuously
      monitored using an on-line system coupled to an electrochemical detector. This
      highly sensitive procedure allowed the detection of small changes in the rate of
      secretion, even using short trains of electrical stimulation or brief
      acetylcholine (ACh) pulses. CA release was linear with increasing strength of
      ACh, transmural or splanchnic nerve stimulation. By using specific blockers, the
      contribution of nicotinic or muscarinic receptors to the overall secretory
      response to various stimuli could be established. That nicotinic receptors play a
      major role in mediating the secretory response to all stimuli is shown by the
      clear inhibition of the response with mecamylamine (10 microM). In contrast,
      atropine (1 microM) halved secretion evoked by ACh or nerve stimulation but had
      little effect on the response to trains of transmural electrical stimulation.
      When transmural electrical stimulation was applied continuously (instead of in
      trains), increasing the frequency in a step-wise manner, a bell-shaped curve was
      obtained; secretion reached a peak at 8 Hz and then declined sharply at 16 and 32
      Hz. With this stimulation pattern, atropine decreased by 50% the secretion
      response at the higher frequencies (4-32 Hz). Very few studies are available
      which define the role of receptors and ionic channels in mediating electrically
      evoked CA release. These stimulation patterns have not been used previously and
      are likely to mimic more closely than those used in earlier studies the
      physiologic firing pattern of splanchnic nerves innervating adrenomedullary
      cells.

PMID- 1872904
TI  - The effects of assay temperature on the complex kinetics of acetaldehyde
      oxidation by aldehyde dehydrogenase from human erythrocytes.
AB  - Several studies have shown preparations of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase
      (EC 1.2.1.3) from sheep and human liver and from human erythrocytes to exhibit
      complex kinetic behaviour in which the dependence of the initial velocity on the
      concentration of acetaldehyde gives rise to downwardly curving double-reciprocal
      plots. This behaviour has often been analysed in terms of a sharp discontinuity
      in the double-reciprocal plots and its possible implications for the oxidation of
      acetaldehyde and other pharmacologically important aldehydes has been a subject
      of speculation. In the present work, it is shown that the purified, apparently
      homogeneous, enzyme from human erythrocytes exhibits such complex kinetic
      behaviour when initial rates are determined at 25 degrees, although the double
      reciprocal plots describe a smooth curve with no sharp discontinuity. However,
      when the assays were performed at 37 degrees there was no significant deviation
      from Michaelis-Menten kinetics over a wide range of acetaldehyde concentrations
      (0.2-30 mM). At higher concentrations of acetaldehyde inhibition occurred which
      was competitive with respect to NAD+. These results, which indicate that the
      complex kinetic behaviour of aldehyde dehydrogenase is not important at
      physiological temperature, are interpreted in terms of the mechanisms that have
      been advanced to explain the phenomena.

PMID- 1872905
TI  - Inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw edema by superoxide dismutase that binds to
      heparan sulfates on vascular endothelial cells.
AB  - The effect of heparin-binding superoxide dismutase (HB-SOD), a fusion gene
      product consisting of human Cu/Zn-SOD and a C-terminal basic domain with high
      affinity for heparin-like proteoglycans, was examined on carrageenan-induced paw
      edema in mice and rats. When injected intravenously to mice just before
      carrageenan, HB-SOD suppressed significantly paw edema. ED30 of HB-SOD (1000
      units/kg) was markedly lower than that of SOD (bovine free Cu/Zn-SOD, 7000
      units/kg). When HB-SOD was administered with heparin (500-2000 units/kg), edema
      was suppressed more markedly than by HB-SOD alone. In contrast, the suppressive
      action of SOD was decreased by heparin. HB-SOD also suppressed carrageenan paw
      edema in rats with an ED30 of 2500 units/kg which was also obtained by SOD.
      Heparin prolonged significantly the duration of HB-SOD suppression of edema. The
      inhibitory effect of HB-SOD alone disappeared within 5 hr of injection, while
      more than 80% of the effect remained at this time when HB-SOD has been injected
      with 1000 units/kg of heparin. Heparin failed to enhance the anti-inflammatory
      effect of SOD under any of the conditions tested and heparin alone showed no
      suppression up to 5 hr after injection. HB-SOD might permit studies on
      pathophysiological events in and around vascular endothelial cells where reactive
      oxygen species play critical roles.

PMID- 1872906
TI  - The association of lipoprotein and hepatic lipase activities with high density
      lipoprotein subclass levels in men with myocardial infarction at a young age.
AB  - The relations between postheparin plasma lipase activities and concentrations of
      lipoproteins, in particular plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses
      determined by gradient gel electrophoresis, were examined in 39 men who had
      survived a first myocardial infarction before the age of 45 years and in 20 age
      matched control men. Reduced lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL)
      activities were found in the patients due to low LPL activity in patients with
      hypertriglyceridaemia, and low HL activity in those with a normal lipoprotein
      pattern or hypercholesterolaemia. Considerably lower plasma HDL2b and HDL2a
      protein concentrations and higher plasma HDL3b and HDL3c protein levels were
      found in the patients compared with the healthy control subjects. The subgroup of
      patients with hypertriglyceridaemia accounted for the major proportion of the
      case control differences for the HDL subspecies. However, significantly lower
      HDL2b and HDL2a concentrations were seen also among the normotriglyceridaemic
      patients. Analysis of the correlations between concentrations of HDL subclasses
      and lipase activities revealed positive associations between LPL and HDL2b and
      negative associations between HL and HDL2b. For LPL, this relationship was
      confined to hypertriglyceridaemic and for HL to normotriglyceridaemic subjects.
      HL was indicated to be positively connected with HDL3b levels, irrespective of
      lipoprotein pattern, whereas LPL seemed to be unassociated with HDL3b. It is
      concluded that low LPL and HL activities partly account for the change in HDL
      subclass distribution observed in patients with myocardial infarction at a young
      age.

PMID- 1872908
TI  - Arterial lipid biochemistry in the spontaneously hyperlipidemic Zucker rat and
      its similarity to early atherogenesis.
AB  - In the present studies, arterial lipid metabolism was evaluated in the
      spontaneously hyperlipidemic obese Zucker rat (fa/fa), the lean Zucker rat (Fa/
      ), and the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat. Mean serum cholesterol levels in the obese
      Zucker, lean Zucker and SD rats were 216 +/- 18 mg/dl, 145 +/- 14 mg/dl and 84 +/
      5 mg/dl, respectively. Arterial cholesterol content was in the same rank order
      as plasma cholesterol and ranged from a mean of 2.23 +/- 0.10 mg/gm wet wt. in
      the obese rats to 1.36 +/- 0.04 mg/gm wet wt. in the SD rats. The increased
      arterial sterol in the obese rats was associated with increased lipid metabolism
      activity. The in vitro incorporation of [14C]oleate into arterial cholesteryl
      esters was increased 3-4-fold (P less than 0.01) and incorporation into
      phospholipids and triglycerides was also elevated (P less than 0.001 and P less
      than 0.01, respectively). The arterial sterol content and arterial lipid
      metabolism pattern observed in obese Zucker rat aortas are similar to those found
      in vessels of other species undergoing atherogenic change.

PMID- 1872907
TI  - Active cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured aortic smooth muscle cells: evolution
      during the life-span of the culture.
AB  - Cultured aortic smooth muscle cells from rabbit, in synthetic and contractile
      state, are considered good models for studying pathological and normal cells,
      respectively, during the atherosclerotic process. Cholesterogenic activity was
      compared in cells which were obtained in both states of the same subculture and
      incubated with labeled sodium acetate. This activity (expressed as the percentage
      of total cell radioactivity uptake transformed into cholesterol) was very high in
      synthetic cells and comparable to that of cancer cells. Cholesterol synthesis was
      lower in contractile cells and similar to that observed in a nonpathological
      cultured cell. During the cell life-span (studied in two cultures)
      cholesterogenic activity initially increased and then slowly decreased, in the
      two phenotypic states. Near the end of the culture life, cholesterol production
      drastically decreased, but this was due to a blocking of the last steps,
      lanosterol demethylation and C27 sterol transformation into cholesterol, rather
      than to a sharp decrease in the first steps of the cholesterogenic process. Cells
      in the synthetic and contractile states released newly synthesized lipids which
      were essentially late precursors of cholesterol, but accumulation of oxy-sterols
      was not observed. The excretion of metabolites increased with culture aging.

PMID- 1872909
TI  - Magnitude of dietary effects on plasma cholesterol concentration: role of sex and
      apolipoprotein E phenotype.
AB  - The effects of fat-controlled, low-cholesterol and high-fat, high-cholesterol
      diets pursued for 4 weeks on plasma lipids and lipoproteins were studied in 44
      healthy middle-aged subjects (22 women and 22 men). All the calories were
      supplied from the hospital kitchen. When the subjects were switched from the fat
      controlled, low-cholesterol diet to the high-fat, high-cholesterol diet the
      average increase in total cholesterol was 1.2 mmol/l (28%), ranging from 0.2 to
      2.7 mmol/l (4-56%). At the same time the average increase in LDL cholesterol was
      1.0 mmol/l (39%), ranging from 0.1 to 2.4 mmol/l (3-90%). Interestingly, the men
      responded to the dietary changes more sensitively than the women. The increase in
      total cholesterol from the low-fat to the high-fat diet was 31% for the men and
      25% for the women (P less than 0.05), the corresponding increases in LDL
      cholesterol being 42% and 37%, respectively (P less than 0.05). A marked increase
      in HDL cholesterol was observed when the subjects were switched from the low-fat
      to the high-fat diet, the increase being 30% for the men and 20% for the women.
      The absolute and percentage lipid changes on the two diets were equal in the
      subjects with the common apolipoprotein E phenotype 3/3 and in those homozygous
      and heterozygous for the epsilon 4 allele (E4/4 and E4/3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1872910
TI  - Desialylated low density lipoprotein--naturally occurring modified lipoprotein
      with atherogenic potency.
AB  - We have recently established that low density lipoprotein (LDL) of most patients
      with coronary atherosclerosis differs from the LDL of most healthy subjects by
      its ability to cause primary atherosclerotic changes, i.e. the accumulation of
      intracellular cholesterol in the cells of smooth muscle origin cultured from
      unaffected intima of human aorta. Patients' LDL has a 2.5-5-fold lower content of
      sialic acid as compared with the LDL of healthy subjects. On the other hand,
      desialylation of native LDL with neuraminidase makes it capable of causing
      accumulation of intracellular cholesterol similar to patients' LDL. In the
      present study we showed that LDL of patients and healthy donors did not differ in
      the content and composition of protein and lipids. Thus, the difference in the
      content of sialic acid is the only difference observed between atherogenic LDL of
      patients and nonatherogenic LDL of healthy donors. A low content of sialic acid
      is characteristic of both protein and lipid moiety of LDL particle. Sialic acid
      content was determined in individual LDL preparations obtained from patients and
      healthy donors. The sialic acid of LDL preparations of 25 out of 27 patients was
      below 18 micrograms/mg protein. LDL from 2 patients with higher sialic acid
      content proved to be normal. The ability of patients' LDL and LDL desialylated
      with neuraminidase in vitro to cause the accumulation of intracellular lipids
      correlated with the degree of lipoprotein desialylation. Apparently, the ability
      of patients' LDL to stimulate the cellular lipid accumulation may be explained by
      a deficiency of sialic acid in the lipoprotein particle.

PMID- 1872911
TI  - Plasma factor VII is activated by postprandial triglyceridaemia, irrespective of
      dietary fat composition.
AB  - Nine adults took two 7-day diets of standardised energy and total fat content,
      but with a dietary polyunsaturated/saturated fat ratio of less than 0.3 and
      greater than 3.0 respectively, while adhering to their daily routine. Blood was
      drawn on 6 occasions between 09.00 and 22.45 h on the final day of each dietary
      period for factor VII activity (VIIc), factor VII antigen (VIIag) and lipoprotein
      lipid concentrations. Diurnal variation was described for each variable in terms
      of its deviation from the individual's daily mean value at each time point across
      the day. Plasma triglyceride remained low until after the midday meal, whereafter
      a marked rise was sustained into the later evening. Plasma VIIc declined until
      early afternoon, but showed a marked rise in the late afternoon. Plasma VIIag
      showed no significant diurnal variation. Changes in plasma triglyceride
      concentration during the day were related positively to changes in VIIc about 160
      min later, but not to VIIc at other time points. This effect of postprandial
      triglyceridaemia on VIIc persisted after allowance for the effect of VIIag on
      VIIc. Dietary fat composition did not influence VIIc or VIIag. The results
      suggested an acute but evanescent effect of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins on the
      reactivity of factor VII, irrespective of their lipid core composition.

PMID- 1872912
TI  - Effect of simvastatin treatment on the dyslipoproteinemia in CAPD patients.
AB  - HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors have been proven effective in decreasing the plasma
      cholesterol levels in patients affected with various forms of
      hypercholesterolemia, familial dysbetalipoproteinemia, familial combined
      hyperlipidemia and in nephrotic and diabetic dyslipidemia. The purpose of this
      study was to monitor and evaluate the efficiency and safety of the therapy with
      simvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in a group of patients treated by
      continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with severe
      hypercholesterolemia. Monitoring of the changes occurring in the various lipids
      and apolipoproteins in these patients included the measurements of the plasma
      lipids and apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II, A-IV and Lp(a). Lipoproteins were
      separated by gel filtration, on a Superose 6HR column, before and after 24 weeks
      of treatment. The patterns were compared to those observed in a group of primary
      hyperlipidemic patients treated with Lovastatin, a compound of the same class.
      The drug was well tolerated by the CAPD patients and no adverse reaction was
      observed. In addition to the decrease of the total and LDL cholesterol, similar
      to that reported in other groups of patients, we further observed a decrease of
      the apo E concentration in both the CAPD and the hyperlipidemic patients. This
      decrease was especially pronounced in the HDLE fraction and could involve an
      upregulation of the apo B-E and/or apo E receptor. These results should provide
      information about the mechanism of action of this drug in patients with end-stage
      renal disease.

PMID- 1872913
TI  - Failure to detect homocysteine in the acid-hydrolysed plasmas of recent
      myocardial infarct patients.
AB  - We have sought the very high levels of homocysteine-containing compounds in the
      plasma hydrolysates of myocardial infarct patients reported by Olszewski and
      Szostak (Atherosclerosis, 69 (1988) 109-113). We studied 6 adult males with
      recent myocardial infarcts and 6 healthy adult males. We found that after
      hydrolysis of their plasmas for 5 h in 4 mol/l HCl at 110 degrees C, the amino
      acid chromatographs contained several small peaks in addition to the expected
      substantial peaks of the protein-constituent amino acids. However, the small
      peaks which eluted at the same times as homocysteine, homocystine and the mixed
      disulphide of homocysteine and cysteine, were in each case shown not to represent
      these compounds. Furthermore no homocysteine thiolactone was found in the
      chromatographs. We found no significant differences in the size of the small
      peaks between the patients and the controls. Prolonged hydrolysis resulted in
      decreased size of all but one of the small peaks suggesting that they were
      hydrolytic intermediates in the breakdown of plasma proteins. Electrophoresis at
      pH 10.39 of the unhydrolysed plasmas showed that the proteins were not
      significantly more homocysteinylated in patients than in controls. Thus we have
      been unable to substantiate some key observations made by Olszewski and Szostak.

PMID- 1872914
TI  - Psychosocial and biobehavioral characteristics of hypertensive men with elevated
      atherogenic lipids.
AB  - Epidemiologic studies demonstrated an excess risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD)
      among individuals who simultaneously exhibit hypertension and elevated
      atherogenic lipids (coronary high risk (CHR)-status). Yet, relatively little is
      known about factors which contribute to the development of CHR-status during
      early and middle adulthood. The present study explores the role of selected
      biobehavioral and psychosocial factors in explaining CHR-status using data from a
      prospective 6.5 years investigation of a cohort of 416 middle-aged (40.8 +/- 9.6
      years) male blue-collar workers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows
      that overweight (odds ratio (o.r.) 4.14), smoking (o.r. 2.19), low promotion
      prospects at work (o.r. 2.71), competitiveness at work (o.r. 2.79) and feelings
      of sustained anger (o.r. 5.41) independently contribute to the explanation of CHR
      status. Furthermore, the operational definition of CHR-status is validated by
      estimating its power in predicting IHD incidence in the study cohort. In
      conclusion, co-manifestation of hypertension and elevated lipids is more likely
      to exist among those blue-collar men who exhibit distinct work-related
      characteristics in addition to established biobehavioral risks such as overweight
      and smoking. In view of the high prevalence of CHR-status and of IHD among men in
      the lower socio-economic strata this finding is also of interest for health
      policy.

PMID- 1872915
TI  - Secretion of a potent new migration factor for smooth muscle cells (SMC) by
      cultured SMC.
AB  - Migration of smooth muscle cells (SMC) in the arterial wall is important in the
      formation of intimal thickening. In this work, cultured SMC from the rat and
      rabbit aortic media at 2nd to 12th passages were found to secrete a potent
      migration factor for SMC which was named SMC-derived migration factor (SDMF).
      This factor stimulated the migration of SMC dose-dependently and its maximum
      activity was 2-8 times that of PDGF. Checker board analysis showed that SDMF was
      chemotactic, but not chemokinetic. In further studies, SDMF was found to be
      inactivated at 100 degrees C for 10 min or by trypsinization, but not inactivated
      by mercaptoethanol. This factor was not dialyzable. Molecular weight was
      approximately 500 kDa by a gel filtration. The activity was not inhibited by an
      anti-PDGF antibody or a fibronectin antiserum. These data suggest that SDMF is a
      potent migration factor for SMC and that SDMF is distinct from PDGF, fibronectin
      or other known migration factors. This autocrine system of secretion of SDMF by
      SMC and its induction of SMC migration may contribute to intimal thickening of
      the arterial wall in atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1872916
TI  - A standardised method of culturing aortic explants, suitable for the study of
      factors affecting the phenotypic modulation, migration and proliferation of
      aortic smooth muscle cells.
AB  - The study of factors affecting phenotypic change and growth of aortic smooth
      muscle cells (SMC) typically involves either the isolation of SMC by enzymatic
      dissociation or observation of outgrowth of cells from primary explants of
      vascular tissue. Explants provide a system in which the growth of cells can be
      investigated without dissociating them totally from their normal environment and
      avoids some of the problems of variability associated with enzymatic digestion.
      We describe here a standardised method for the preparation of medial explants of
      arterial tissue using a McIlwain tissue chopper, which is both fast and
      reproducible. Measurement was made of the percentage of explants showing
      outgrowth and of the distance migrated by cells at various times after plating
      explants singly into wells of a 96-well plate. Using this method, by 12 days
      after explanting, more than 95% of explants from normal rabbit aorta had shown
      outgrowth, in contrast to only 50% of explants prepared using a scalpel blade.
      Explants from atherosclerotic rabbit aorta showed a shorter lag phase before
      outgrowth commenced than explants from normal rabbit aorta of a similar age, but
      the subsequent rate of growth was the same. In contrast, when explants of normal
      rabbit aorta were grown in hyperlipidic rabbit serum, the lag phase was the same
      as for normal serum, but the subsequent rate of growth was greater. Explants from
      normal rabbit aorta treated with heparin showed an increased lag phase but
      reduced rate of growth. Treatment with heparinase decreased the lag phase and
      increased the rate of growth as did elastase.

PMID- 1872917
TI  - Molecular basis of lipoprotein lipase deficiency in two Austrian families with
      type I hyperlipoproteinemia.
AB  - To determine the molecular basis for type I hyperlipoproteinemia in two Austrian
      families, the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene of two patients exhibiting LPL
      deficiency was analyzed by Southern blotting and by direct genomic sequencing of
      DNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All exons of the LPL gene
      except part of the noncoding region of exon 10, all splice donor and acceptor
      sites, as well as 430 basepairs of the 5'-region including the promotor were
      sequenced. A homozygous substitution of adenine for guanine in the fifth exon at
      cDNA position 818 of the LPL gene was found in both patients. Our sequencing
      strategy largely ruled out a linkage disequilibrium of the identified nucleotide
      change with another defect potentially causing the clinical phenotype. The base
      change described abolishes a normally present AvaII restriction site allowing the
      identification of carriers of the mutant allele by AvaII digestion of PCR
      fragments of exon 5; three members of the two families were homozygous for this
      mutation and ten members were heterozygous. The activity of LPL in postheparin
      plasma was almost completely absent in homozygotes and about half normal in
      heterozygotes. The loss of activity was related to LPL protein structure. This
      mutation alters the amino acid sequence at residue 188 from Gly to Glu. The
      conformational preferences of the protein chain around position 188 were
      calculated with the use of a knowledge-based computerized method. The most
      probable conformation is a beta-turn formed by residues 189-192. The mutation
      seems to destabilize the beta-turn and/or a yet larger domain critical for
      substrate alignment.

PMID- 1872918
TI  - Body fat distribution in relation to serum lipids and blood pressure in 38-year
      old European men: the European fat distribution study.
AB  - A study on 512 38-year-old European men selected from 6 different towns was
      conducted. There were significant differences between the centers in averages of
      anthropometric variables (except for thigh circumference), serum lipids (except
      for LDL-cholesterol), and blood pressure. In the pooled material, body mass index
      (BMI) as well as waist circumference, waist/hip ratio and waist/thigh ratio and
      subscapular skinfold were positively correlated to serum triglycerides, total
      cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and blood pressure and negatively with HDL
      cholesterol. After adjustment for BMI, waist, waist/hip, and waist/thigh were all
      still significantly correlated with serum triglycerides (P less than 0.001). In
      addition, waist/hip and waist/thigh ratio showed significant partial correlations
      with total cholesterol (r = 0.16, P less than 0.001, r = 0.10, P less than 0.05
      respectively), and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.10, P less than 0.05, r =
      0.09, P less than 0.05 respectively). In addition, waist/hip was, independently
      of BMI, correlated to LDL-cholesterol (r = 0.12, P less than 0.01), and
      waist/thigh ratio with HDL-cholesterol (r = -0.12, P less than 0.01). The partial
      association between waist/thigh with HDL cholesterol became insignificant after
      adjustment for smoking habits and physical activity. Adjustment for differences
      in anthropometric measurements did not explain the differences in serum lipids
      and blood pressure between the centers. The authors conclude that indicators of
      body fat distribution are associated with unfavorable risk profiles for
      cardiovascular disease in European men covering a large geographical and cultural
      variety and a wide range of body measurements and cardiovascular risk factors.

PMID- 1872919
TI  - Inhibition of IL-1 beta expression in THP-1 cells by probucol and tocopherol.
AB  - The cytokine interleukin-1, IL-1, likely plays an important role in the early
      stages of atherogenesis. The possible action of probucol and tocopherol on the
      expression and secretion of IL-1 beta was investigated using the human monocytic
      leukemia cell line, THP-1. Both probucol and D-alpha-tocopherol inhibit the
      phorbol ester-induced release of IL-1 beta without altering differentiation.
      Analysis of IL-1 beta mRNA levels revealed that probucol and tocopherol had an
      inhibitory effect on the activation of expression of the IL-1 beta gene. The data
      suggest that the beneficial effects of probucol may be related to inhibition of
      IL-1 at an early phase of atherosclerotic plaque formation.

PMID- 1872920
TI  - Dietary fat and hormonal influences on lipoprotein fluidity and composition in
      premenopausal women.
AB  - LDL and HDL became more fluid when health, free-living, premenopausal women were
      fed reduced fat diets with higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
      Lipoproteins were isolated from plasma of 31 female subjects fed one of two sets
      of diets from typical U.S.A. foods with P/S ratios of 0.3 or 1.0. All subjects
      were fed high-fat diets (40% of energy) for the duration of four menstrual cycles
      followed by low-fat diets (20% of energy) for the next four cycles. Blood samples
      were collected during mid-follicular and mid-luteal phases of the fourth
      menstrual cycle of each diet period to assess interactive dietary and hormonal
      control of lipoprotein fluidity. LDL was significantly more fluid, as determined
      by DPH fluorescence, upon reducing fat consumption from 40 to 20% of energy for
      subjects eating foods with P/S = 1.0 or 0.3. Generally LDL was more fluid during
      the follicular phase than the luteal phase of the cycles, thus indicating
      hormonal influences on LDL fluidity. HDL results were similar but not as
      pronounced as with LDL. Lipoprotein phospholipid (PL) and cholesteryl ester (CE)
      fatty acyl compositions were also subject to dietary and hormonal influences.
      Effects were noted in several fatty acids depending upon diet and hormonal state;
      however, generally diet fat reduction resulted in reduced linoleate and increased
      oleate contents. Regression analyses showed that fluidity was more dependent upon
      the lipoprotein cholesterol content than upon fatty acyl composition.

PMID- 1872921
TI  - Lifestyle determinants of HDL2- and HDL3-cholesterol levels in a
      hypercholesterolemic male population.
AB  - In this cross-sectional study we investigated the role of lifestyle and other
      factors in determining serum HDL2- and HDL3-cholesterol levels among 82
      dyslipidemic (total cholesterol minus HDL-cholesterol greater than or equal to
      5.2 mmol/l) middle-aged participants of the Helsinki Heart Study. Alcohol
      consumption correlated positively with both subfractions of HDL-cholesterol,
      while leisure time physical activity had a significant correlation with the HDL3
      subfraction only. HDL levels were lower in smokers than in non-smokers but the
      differences were not statistically significant. Using the multiple linear
      regression model, alcohol consumption emerged as the only significant factor
      influencing both HDL cholesterol subfraction levels. Leisure time physical
      activity had an independent contribution to HDL3-level, but lifestyle variables
      other than alcohol consumption did not contribute significantly to HDL2
      cholesterol level. The model incorporating alcohol consumption, physical
      activity, smoking and relative body weight explained 13.4% of the variation in
      HDL2 and 17.5% in HDL3-cholesterol.

PMID- 1872922
TI  - Serum lipids and apolipoproteins in patients with essential hypertension.
AB  - Fifty hypertensive untreated outpatients (34 women, 16 men), with stage I and II
      essential hypertension, were studied in comparison to 50 age- and sex-matched
      controls with similar life-styles. Total cholesterol triglycerides, LDL
      cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol were measured by enzymatic
      methods, and apolipoproteins AI, AII, B, CII, CIII and E by RID. The results
      showed significant differences between hypertensives and controls respectively in
      triglycerides (135.2 +/- 73.9 versus 90.2 +/- 33.8, P less than 0.01) and VLDL
      cholesterol (26.7 +/- 14.8 versus 17.7 +/- 6.6, P less than 0.01) while no
      significant differences were observed in total, LDL and HDL cholesterol.
      Significant differences between the two groups were also observed in
      apolipoproteins, particularly in apo AI (130.0 +/- 28.2 versus 144.9 +/- 27.9, P
      less than 0.05), apo AII (32.9 +/- 10.2 versus 39.6 +/- 11.4, P less than 0.01),
      apo CII (4.0 +/- 2.6 versus 5.4 +/- 2.9, P less than 0.05) and apo E (5.0 +/- 1.8
      versus 4.3 +/- 1.8, P less than 0.05), while no significant differences were
      observed in apo B and CIII values. The results suggest that in untreated
      hypertensive patients alterations in the apolipoproteins profile are present
      which, in part, may be responsible for the elevated incidence of cardiovascular
      disease, independently from the blood pressure values.

PMID- 1872923
TI  - Intermediate density lipoprotein levels are strong predictors of the extent of
      aortic atherosclerosis in the St. Thomas's Hospital rabbit strain.
AB  - This study assessed nonfasting cholesterol and triglyceride in plasma and in
      lipoproteins as predictors of the extent of aortic atherosclerosis in 2 similar
      groups of rabbits from the St. Thomas's Hospital strain; the lipoprotein classes
      studied in the 2 groups were very low (VLDL), intermediate (IDL), low (LDL), and
      high density lipoprotein (HDL), and Sf greater than 60 lipoprotein, Sf 12-60
      lipoprotein, LDL and HDL, respectively. These rabbits exhibit elevated plasma
      levels of VLDL, IDL, and LDL, with plasma cholesterol and triglyceride of up to
      23 mmol/l and 7 mmol/l, respectively, and with up to 100% of the aortic intima
      bearing atherosclerosis-like lesions. In group 1 rabbits (n = 25), univariate
      linear regression showed that cholesterol in plasma, LDL, IDL and in VLDL each
      were positively associated with the extent of aortic atherosclerosis. In group 2
      rabbits (n = 20), cholesterol in plasma, LDL and Sf 12-60, but not in Sf greater
      than 60 lipoprotein, was consistently positively associated with the extent of
      aortic atherosclerosis. Neither plasma triglyceride, triglyceride in lipoprotein
      fractions nor HDL cholesterol was associated consistently with the extent of
      atherosclerosis. Using step-up multiple linear regression among lipoprotein
      lipids, IDL and Sf 12-60 lipoprotein cholesterol were the most powerful
      independent predictors of the extent of aortic atherosclerosis in the 2 groups of
      rabbits. LDL cholesterol was the only other independent predictor. The results
      suggest that remnant lipoproteins, whether defined as IDL or Sf 12-60
      lipoprotein, play an important causal role in atherosclerosis under conditions
      where plasma levels of these lipoproteins are elevated.

PMID- 1872924
TI  - Effect of cigarette smoking on the levels of platelet-activating factor-like
      lipid(s) in plasma lipoproteins.
AB  - The effect of cigarette smoking on the levels of platelet-activating factor-like
      lipid(s) (PAF-LL) in plasma lipoproteins was studied. The subjects were 10
      healthy male non-smokers (24 +/- 1.4 years old) and 13 healthy male habitual
      smokers (23 +/- 1.3 years old). Fasting venous blood was obtained and basal
      levels of PAF-LL in plasma lipoproteins were estimated. The acute effect of
      cigarette smoking was also studied in smokers. Plasma lipoproteins were separated
      by ultracentrifugation. Lipids were extracted and separated by thin-layer
      chromatography. The fraction with the same migration as authentic PAF was
      recovered and was shown to cause aggregation of human polymorphonuclear
      neutrophils. This activity was identified as PAF-LL because it was inactivated by
      phospholipase A2 and was blocked by CV-3988, an antagonist of the PAF receptor.
      PAF-LL was detected in LDL and HDL, but not in VLDL or in lipoprotein-deficient
      plasma. The levels of PAF-LL in LDL in non-smokers, and in smokers before and
      after smoking were 13 +/- 7.5, 16 +/- 14.9 and 190 +/- 179.0 pg/ml, and those in
      HDL were 12 +/- 5.2, 40 +/- 40.0 and 235 +/- 205.1 pg/ml, respectively. The
      values in both LDL and HDL in smokers increased significantly after smoking (P
      less than 0.05). After 30 min, the levels had returned almost to the pre-smoking
      levels. We conclude that cigarette smoking induces an increase in the levels of
      PAF or closely related lipid(s) in LDL and HDL, which may be related to smoking
      induced atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1872925
TI  - A controlled study on the effects of n-3 fatty acids on lipid and glucose
      metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients.
AB  - Eight male non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients participated in a double-blind
      randomized cross-over study (2 weeks for each period) evaluating the effects of
      10 g/day fish oil dietary supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism.
      Fasting serum triglyceride concentrations were decreased by fish oil because of a
      reduction in VLDL (1.4 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.9 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, P less than 0.025). LDL
      cholesterol concentration was instead increased (3.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 2.8 +/- 0.3
      mmol/l, P less than 0.025) and net changes in VLDL triglyceride and in LDL
      cholesterol were inversely correlated (r = -0.86, P less than 0.01). Plasma free
      fatty acids concentrations and turnover rate [( 3H]palmitate method) were similar
      after fish oil and placebo. Fish oil supplement did not induce significant
      changes in fasting blood glucose (8.1 +/- 1.1 vs. 8.5 +/- 1.2 mmol/l) and average
      daily blood glucose (BG) (9.4 +/- 3.2 vs. 9.3 +/- 3.5 mmol/l). Glucose stimulated
      plasma insulin response during a hyperglycemic clamp was not significantly
      influenced by fish oil both in the early phase and during steady state. Insulin
      sensitivity (M/I index) was also unchanged. In conclusion, this study shows that
      a dietary supplement of fish oil decreases plasma triglyceride levels in non
      insulin-dependent diabetic patients, an increased conversion rate of VLDL to LDL
      playing a role in this change. With this dosage of fish oil no relevant
      variations in glycemic control, insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity
      occurred.

PMID- 1872927
TI  - Home infusion pumps.

PMID- 1872926
TI  - Atherosclerotic plaque caps are locally weakened when macrophages density is
      increased.
AB  - The density of macrophages, identified by the antibody EBMII, in human aortic
      plaque caps was counted. A contiguous strip of cap tissue was tested
      mechanically. Aortic plaque caps which had undergone rupture (ulceration) at one
      end (n = 18) were compared with caps of intact plaques (n = 22). The caps of
      ruptured plaques showed a significant increase in macrophage density, an
      increased extensibility and decreased maximum stress (force per unit area) at
      fracture when compared with caps from intact plaques.

PMID- 1872928
TI  - The great debates. Where, how, and what to teach deaf children.

PMID- 1872929
TI  - [Functional deficits of caudal cranial nerves after surgery of tumors in the
      foramen jugulare. A long-term follow-up study].
AB  - Jugular foramen tumors involve a critical area of the skull base. Usually they
      are characterized by palsy of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh cranial nerves.
      Depending on the extent of the tumor there are various approaches to the skull
      base and various surgical strategies to preserve the cranial nerves. The study is
      based on 31 patients who were operated on between 1982 and 1989 at the University
      ENT and Neurosurgery Departments in Freiburg and Mainz. The neurological findings
      were analyzed on admission, on discharge, and in the follow-up. While there was
      partial or complete dysfunction of the lower cranial nerves on discharge, long
      term compensation was excellent. All patients were able to breath normally and
      maintain their weight by oral diet. Rerouting of the facial nerve endangers its
      postoperative function. Nevertheless, the long-term follow-up demonstrated
      excellent recovery and good functional and cosmetic results.

PMID- 1872930
TI  - [Computerized tomography as routine examination procedure in the diagnosis of
      paranasal sinus diseases from the otorhinolaryngologist's viewpoint. Results].
AB  - The renaissance of endonasal microsurgery is not only based on a deeper knowledge
      of the mucociliar clearance and better operation instruments but depends as well
      as on the improved radiological diagnosis provided by computed tomography. Since
      1986, high-resolution computed tomography in two plains has been part of the
      authors' preoperative routine diagnostic program for paranasal sinus diseases at
      their clinic. One hundred and fifty-eight computed tomograms of patients with
      chronic rhinosinusitis, complicated acute rhinosinusitis, and polyposis nasi were
      reexamined. The involvement of the paranasal sinuses and abnormalities of the
      lateral nasal wall were analyzed. The anterior ethmoid is the most frequently
      affected area in all of the diseases. The computed tomogram is most important for
      the rhinosurgeon. The ethmoid cell system can be visualized without superimposing
      structures. Therefore even circumscript pathologic mucosa alterations and the
      extent of the disease can be defined. All this enables the surgeon to put forward
      an exact diagnosis and to plan a safe operation as regards important
      physiological structures of the nose and paranasal sinuses.

PMID- 1872931
TI  - [Diagnostic approach in diseases of the parapharyngeal space].
AB  - Diseases of the parapharyngeal space (p.s.) are quite rare. Nevertheless, the
      clinical and therapeutic approach to this anatomical site is not easy in many
      cases. Possibly some of the patients suffering from lesions in the p.s. could be
      cured, if the disease were detected in an earlier stage. In the present paper the
      authors introduce the diagnostic evaluation of this region. Clinical and
      radiological procedures are demonstrated in selected patients with characteristic
      lesions of the p.s. in order to find out about reasonable and sufficient
      diagnostic approaches to this hidden area. While the clinical examination is
      limited mainly to inspection and palpation, diagnostic imaging--and particularly
      modern techniques like CT, MRI and 3-D-reconstruction--enables us to receive a
      better approach to the p.s.. Advantages and disadvantages of the different
      methods are discussed according to their diagnostic value for the various kinds
      of lesions in the p.s.

PMID- 1872932
TI  - [Malignant melanoma of the mucous membranes of the upper aerodigestive tract.
      Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics].
AB  - Malignant melanomas of the mucous membranes are rare tumors. They make up about
      10% of all malignant melanomas of the head and neck; 15 of the authors' cases are
      reviewed in this article. Six of these had neck lymph node metastasis when first
      diagnosed. The tumors were surgically removed in all patients. Thirteen patients
      developed at least one tumor recurrence, ten patients distant metastasis. Eight
      patients died of the tumor condition; the mean survival time of all patients was
      33.4 months. While the tumors could be classified histologically into four types,
      this had no bearing on the course of the disease. In many cases, primary tumor
      and metastasis or recurrent tumor differed histologically. Melanin pigment was
      found in 13 tumors. Mucosal melanomas can be regarded as a discrete tumor entity
      because their biological behavior differs from that of malignant melanomas of the
      skin. However there are no morphological differences between the two tumor
      entities. Ophthalmological and dermatological examinations must be performed in
      all patients with mucosal melanoma to exclude metastasis of the skin or choroid
      melanoma.

PMID- 1872933
TI  - [Treatment results after supraglottic partial resection of the larynx in
      carcinoma of the laryngeal entrance, the base of the tongue and hypopharynx. 2.
      Radiotherapy and late results after combined surgical-radiological treatment].
AB  - 110 Patients were followed-up after supraglottic laryngectomy: The 3-year
      survival rate was 74%. The overall 5-year survival rate was 49%. For the cases of
      T3-tumours from these of the entrance of the larynx the 5-year survival rate was
      about 73%. For the T4-tumours the 5-year survival rate was only about 22%. Better
      results are not possible at the present even if other kinds of therapy are used.

PMID- 1872934
TI  - [Drug therapy of progressive hearing disorders in children].
AB  - In 1987 and 1988 Nickisch et al. discussed the effect of infusions of
      prednisolone, pentoxifylline and, partially, piracetam in Ringer lactate solvent
      on progressive sensorineural hearing loss in childhood and adolescence. Time of
      observations was 4 years. Unfortunately long-term investigations could not
      confirm the initially good therapeutic results of 1987/88. In 35% were found
      permanently and in 12.5% temporarily better auditory thresholds after infusion.
      The loss of progressive sensorineural hearing in childhood usually takes a
      fateful course that can hardly be influenced. As is the case with adults, good
      therapeutic results can most probably be achieved by infusions starting close to
      the event, i.e. within 48 hours.

PMID- 1872935
TI  - [Hearing ability after dissection of the vertebral nerve. A long-term study].
AB  - To prove the influence of the vertebral nerve on hearing in rabbits, the
      vertebral artery, together with its sympathetic plexus (n. vertebralis Frank),
      was unilaterally cut at the height of the first vertebral body, the atlas. Both
      preoperatively and several times after dissection, auditory and vestibular
      functions were investigated using BERA and electronystagmography. The hearing
      threshold was not influenced, neither in the first days after the operation nor
      as much as six months later. The latencies between wave I and V did not change.
      Similar results were to be found for the vestibular system. There was no
      imbalance clinically and it was not possible to detect any electronystagmographic
      difference between the two vestibular organs. These results indicate, that there
      is still no experimental proof of hearing loss, as a result of disturbance of the
      sympathetic vertebral nerve.

PMID- 1872936
TI  - [Cervical tinnitus after cervical vertebrae treatment].
AB  - There is a wide variety in the discussions on cervical tinnitus as a possibility
      of hearing disorders. Hearing loss at low frequencies and low frequent tinnitus
      are typical signs in this context. It is important to remember that these
      complaints occur not only with pathological changes in the cervical spine, but
      possibly also after treatment in this region. The patients presented here
      suffered from tinnitus or hearing loss after treatment of the cervical region. In
      all cases the cervical spine is clearly indicated as having triggered the signs.
      When diagnosing and treating patients with complaints of the cervical area, there
      should be close cooperation between the physician, the patient and the
      physiotherapist.

PMID- 1872937
TI  - [Course of early vestibular compensation after acute labyrinthine lesions. A
      clinical-experimental longitudinal study].
AB  - This study discusses early vestibular compensation in man. Fifty-five patients
      suffering from acute vestibular lesions were clinically followed up over six
      months. More than 450 examinations were carried out, using several subtests such
      as observation of spontaneous, position, and positional nystagmus with Frenzel's
      glasses, and registrations of pendular rotation test and bilateral bithermal
      calories using electrooculography. The results were calculated and recorded on
      graphs to permit estimation of the influence of vestibular compensation on the
      features examined. In 71%, i.e., in 39 of the 55 patients, the side of
      hypoexcitability, the direction of spontaneous nystagmus, direction of
      preponderance, and deviation in Unterberger's stepping test changed from left to
      right and vice versa during compensation. It was not possible to discover a
      homogeneous time-course of compensation. The results have to be considered with
      respect to the evaluation of vestibular findings, especially in preoperative
      examinations to locate vestibular disturbances. The article proposes a graduated
      time schedule for follow-up examinations.

PMID- 1872938
TI  - [Pseudotumor of the hypopharynx and other primary diseases in the head and neck
      region in HIV infections. A case report and review of the literature].
AB  - The present article describes a pseudotumor of the hypopharynx, and deteriorating
      breathing and swallowing in a 72-year-old man. The pseudotumor was due to
      advanced HIV-infection and is the first such case to be described. Additionally,
      the article reviews the literature concerning otorhinolaryngeal diseases as
      primary manifestations of HIV infection.

PMID- 1872939
TI  - [Comparative studies of the filtration behavior of bacteria and organic particles
      in porous ground water pipes. II. Hydraulic, hydrochemical and sedimentation
      system properties which control the filter factor].

PMID- 1872940
TI  - [Effect of the reflection of UV rays in the disinfection of drinking water].
AB  - The disinfection of drinking water by means of UV-rays represents an interesting
      alternative to chemical disinfection. However, several questions still remain to
      be answered, making the disinfection of drinking water by means of UV-radiation
      appear unsafe. The regulations concerning the disinfection performance of UV
      systems are still presenting difficulties. Within the course of comparative
      experiments in the laboratory and using a flow-through reactor on the
      disinfection effectiveness of UV-radiation, it has been shown that the reflection
      of UV-rays can have a considerable influence on the disinfection effectiveness.
      In order to be able to make reliable statements on the dose-effect relation it is
      necessary, therefore, to record exactly the radiation applied, including the
      reflected proportion.

PMID- 1872941
TI  - [Seroepidemiologic studies of human toxocariasis].
AB  - People of Southern Germany as well as European and non European asylum applicants
      were examined for Toxocara-infection by means of an ELISA with
      excretory/secretory antigen of Toxocara canis-larvae; in default of a reference
      method the cut off was defined statistically. In the Stuttgart area, the average
      seroprevalence of healthy blood donors was 4.8%; children aged 1-7 years showed a
      seroprevalence of 2.1%. However the low percentage in children sera is probably
      not the effect of a lower risk of infection, but may result from the fact that
      most of the tested children live in city areas. Non-Europeans and Eastern
      Europeans showed a significantly higher seroprevalence (13.7% or 17.7%
      respectively) in comparison to the blood donors from Southern Germany. This
      indicates a higher risk of infection in these countries. It was possible to
      determine the different risk factors for a Toxocara canis-infection with some of
      the test-participants in Southern Germany. Compared to the low-risk-group
      (seroprevalence 1.9%), the test groups with risk factors showed a significant
      increase in seroprevalence: dog-owners 5.6%, owners of domestic cattle 9.4%, cat
      owners 10.9%, farmers 22.6%. In the presence of several risk factors an additive
      effect on the seroprevalence could be found: In the test group with one risk
      factor the seroprevalence (9.2%) was lower than in the test groups with two
      (10.8%) or three risk factors (18.6%). Considering the high prevalences found in
      this study and the possible dangerous complications of Toxocara canis-infections,
      medical and hygienic measures seem to be advisable.

PMID- 1872942
TI  - [Acanthamoeba, Naegleria and invertebrates in wet areas of physiotherapy
      equipment in hospitals].
AB  - In the course of investigations on the occurrence of primary free-living amoebae
      in different aquatic habitats, especially Naegleria and Acanthamoeba, we now
      investigated the moist areas in physiotherapeutic departments of 10 hospitals. As
      a result 61% of the swabs taken in those areas were positive with one or several
      species of amoebae cultivated on NN-agar according to Page. Among many other
      species observed during this study we were able to isolate 47 strains of
      Acanthamoeba and only two strains of Naegleria. The Naegleria-strains did not
      appear to be thermophilic. Therefore they are part of the N. gruberi-complex,
      which is considered to include only non pathogenic strains. Six from 47 strains
      of Acanthamoebae isolated revealed pathogenic characters as demonstrated in the
      MIT (Mice inoculation test). As a remarkable result four of these 6 strains with
      proven pathogenicity were not thermophilic at + 40 degrees C. Eventually all
      strains even not being thermophilic should in future be tested on pathogenicity.
      Additionally, nematodes and rotifers were isolated from several samples.

PMID- 1872943
TI  - [MUG-lauryl sulfate bouillon--an optimal medium for the detection of total
      coliforms and fecal coliform bacteria in relation to hygienic evaluation of
      bathing waters according to the European Community Guideline 76/160 EWG].
AB  - In the monitoring of bathing waters according to the EC-guideline, total coliform
      and faecal coliform bacteria were obtained from 97 samples of river waters by the
      comparison of two fluorogenic assays using MUG-Lauryl Sulfate Broth and MUG-BRILA
      Broth with an usual method with MacConkey Broth, Tryptophane Broth and BRILA
      Broth. MUG-BRILA Broth had the lowest average counts and proved to be not an
      appropriate medium. Compared with the usual method, however, MUG-Lauryl Sulfate
      Broth yielded similar high counts, reduced the investigation period from four to
      two days and diminished the expenditure of work by one third. In addition, the
      indole test for the confirmation of presumptive faecal coliforms might be
      abolished. Therefore, the examination with MUG-Lauryl Sulfate Broth can be
      recommended.

PMID- 1872944
TI  - [UV radiation of waste water from a purification plant for the improvement of
      bathing water quality according to European Community Guidelines].
AB  - During the course of one year, 162 sewage samples were taken from the outlet of a
      sewage purification plant before and after u.v. - irradiation and examined for
      bathing water quality according to EC guidelines. Roughly half of the u.v. -
      irradiated samples were lower than the bathing water limit.

PMID- 1872945
TI  - Influence of aglycone modifications on the binding of anthracycline drugs to DNA:
      the molecular structure of idarubicin and 4-O-demethyl-11-deoxydoxorubicin
      complexed to d(CGATCG).
AB  - X-ray diffraction analyses of the complexes between two anthracycline antitumor
      compounds, idarubicin (IDR) and 4-O-demethyl-11-deoxydoxorubicin (ddDOX), with
      the DNA hexamer d(CGATCG) provided the detailed three-dimensional molecular
      structures at 1.7 A and 1.8 A resolution, respectively. Their structures have
      been refined with the constrained refinement procedure to final R-factors of
      0.188 (1724 reflections for IDR) and 0.179 (1247 reflections for ddDOX). The
      overall structures of both complexes are similar to those of the previously
      studied DAU- and DOX-DNA complexes. In both complexes, two IDR (and ddDOX)
      molecules bind to the DNA hexamer double helix with the elongated aglycone
      chromophore intercalated between the CpG steps at both ends of the helix. The
      aglycone chromophore spans the GC Watson-Crick base pairs with its amino sugar
      lying in the minor groove where little structural difference is seen, compared
      with the daunorubicin-d(CGATCG) and doxorubicin-d(CGATCG) complexes. In contrast,
      the missing C4 methoxy of IDR and the missing methyl group at the O4 position of
      ddDOX result in a different binding surface in the major groove. The O4 hydroxyl
      group is capable of receiving and/or donating a hydrogen bond to proteins that
      bind to the drug-DNA complex. The missing O11 hydroxyl group in ring B creates an
      empty space in the intercalation cavity between the two GC base pairs, which
      appears to affect the stacking interactions between the aglycone and the DNA base
      pairs. Those structural changes in the major groove of the drug-DNA complexes due
      to the modifications of the aglycone chromophore may be responsible in part for
      the difference in their biological activities.

PMID- 1872947
TI  - Synthesis and anti-tumour activity of the spatially-separated mustard bis-N,N'-[3
      (N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl)amino-5-[N,N-dimethylamino)methy l)-aminophenyl]-1,4
      benzenedicarboxamide, which alkylates DNA exclusively at adenines in the minor
      groove.
AB  - The mustard derivative, bis-N,N'-[3-(N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl)amino-5- [N,N
      dimethylamino)methyl)aminophenyl]-1,4-benzenedicarboxamide has been synthesized
      from 3-acetamido-5-nitrobenzoic acid in a 6-step procedure. This compound
      alkylates exclusively in the minor groove of DNA, at the N3 site of adenines
      occurring in sequences of runs of adenines and (to a small extent) at 5'-TA and
      5'-AT sites. Gel electrophoresis studies and in vitro cytotoxicity assays against
      repair-deficient AA8 mutant cell lines show it has a high degree of DNA
      interstrand cross-linking ability.

PMID- 1872946
TI  - Aziridinyl nitropyrroles and nitropyrazoles as hypoxia-selective cytotoxins and
      radiosensitizers.
AB  - A series of 1- and 2-substituted 4- and 5-nitropyrroles and 3- and 4
      nitropyrazoles has been prepared and evaluated in vitro as radiosensitizers of
      hypoxic cells and as bioreductively-activated cytotoxins. Both the nitropyrroles
      and the nitropyrazoles were considerably less effective, based upon the
      differential between hypoxic and aerobic toxicity, than were similar 2
      nitroimidazoles bearing alkylating moieties. The trends in radiosensitizing
      efficiency observed for both classes of drugs corresponded with their one
      electron reduction potentials (E1(7] as measured by pulse radiolysis, although
      they were generally more effective than predicted from previous correlations of
      E1(7] with sensitizing efficacy and reactivities. Furthermore, the enhancement of
      sensitizing efficiency by the incorporation of alkylating groups is considerably
      greater than has been observed for nitroimidazoles. alpha-[(1-Aziridinyl)methyl]
      3-nitropyrazole- 1-ethanol (10, E1(7) = -456 mV) and methyl 5-nitro-1
      (cyclopropylcarbonyl)pyrrole-2-carboxylate (25, E1(7) = -326 mV) were the most
      effective radiosensitizers in vitro. Only 3-[cis-2,3-dimethyl-1-aziridinyl)
      methyl)-1-oxo-3,4-dihydro-6-nitro-1-H-pyrrolo [2,1-c] oxazine (22) and methyl 5
      nitro-1-(cyclopropylcarbonyl)pyrrole-2-carboxylate (25) showed significant
      bioreductively-activated cytotoxicity, with differentials of 3.5. Although these
      differential toxicities were coupled with significantly lower aerobic toxicity
      compared with similar 2-nitroimidazoles, this series was not deemed effective
      enough to warrant further evaluation. The electron affinity and
      radiosensitization could be manipulated by chemical design but hypoxia
      selectivity was not clearly related to these properties.

PMID- 1872948
TI  - Selective toxicity of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) to pigmented
      melanoma cells in vitro.

PMID- 1872949
TI  - The genetic changes in cancer.

PMID- 1872950
TI  - Elevation of glucose transporter, c-myc, and transin RNA levels by Ha-rasT24 is
      independent of its effect on the cell cycle.
AB  - Elevation of the steady-state mRNA levels of glucose transporter and c-myc are
      among the earliest changes in gene expression observed after Ha-rasT24
      stimulation of Rat-1 fibroblasts to enter the cell cycle. Since the expression of
      these genes may be the result of either increased cell proliferation or a
      specific response to rasT24, we evaluated the expression of glucose transporter
      and c-myc and their induction during the cell cycle in both parental Rat-1 cells
      and cell lines bearing a metallothionein rasT24 fusion gene (MTrasT24). We showed
      that, although levels of glucose transporter and c-myc mRNAs in Rat-1 cells
      underwent a transient increase within hours of the addition of serum, epidermal
      growth factor, or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate to quiescent (G0) cells,
      the levels of glucose transporter and c-myc mRNA otherwise remained constant
      throughout the normal cell cycle. In cells carrying MTrasT24 (MR5 cells),
      induction of rasT24 expression by ZnSO4 led to a rapid induction of glucose
      transporter and c-myc mRNA expression in both quiescent (density-arrested) and
      G1/S-synchronized (aphidicolin-blocked) cells. These increases exceeded the
      constitutive levels expressed in rapidly proliferating Rat-1 cells, indicating
      that the ras oncogene has an effect on these genes that is independent of growth
      status. In addition, the transin gene, which is not expressed in proliferating
      Rat-1 cells in the continuous presence of serum growth factors, was also induced
      after increased expression of the mutant ras gene. These results suggest that the
      induction of glucose transporter, c-myc, and transin is the direct result of
      rasT24-mediated alterations in cellular gene expression and is distinct from
      normal cell-cycle events.

PMID- 1872952
TI  - Eleventh annual meeting of the American Society for the Immunology of
      Reproduction. Charlottesville, Virginia, June 23-27, 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1872951
TI  - A monoclonal antibody to rat liver cytochrome P450 IIC11 strongly and
      regiospecifically inhibits constitutive benzo[a]pyrene metabolism and DNA
      binding.
AB  - The monoclonal antibody MAb 1-68-11, prepared to constitutive cytochrome P450
      IIC11 (2c/RLM5) from male Sprague-Dawley rat liver, was used to study the
      contribution of the class of cytochrome P450s epitopically related to P450 IIC11
      to the regiospecific metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and its binding to DNA.
      The effect of MAb 1-68-11 was determined on the conversion of BP to BP-9,10
      dihydrodiol, BP-7,8-dihydrodiol, BP-4,5-dihydrodiol, BP phenols, and BP quinones,
      and on the P450-dependent DNA binding catalyzed by P450 in microsomes from
      uninduced male and female Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rat livers, as well as 3
      methylcholanthrene- and phenobarbital (PB)-induced male Wistar rat livers. In
      liver microsomes from untreated male rats, MAb 1-68-11 inhibited BP-9,10
      dihydrodiol formation by 80%; in liver microsomes from untreated female rats, the
      inhibition was 100%. BP-7,8-dihydrodiol formation was inhibited from 38 to 77% in
      microsomes from males and 50% in those from females. In microsomes from PB
      induced rats, inhibition of the 9,10-dihydrodiol and the 7,8-dihydrodiol was 90%
      and 73%, respectively, whereas BP-4,5-dihydrodiol formation was enhanced 80%. In
      microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats, no inhibition of MAb 1-68-11
      was observed on either the metabolism of BP or its binding to DNA. In contrast,
      the binding of BP to DNA was completely inhibited by MAb 1-68-11 in microsomes
      from uninduced male Wistar rats and 70% in PB-induced microsomes. 32P
      postlabeling analysis showed that formation of the major stable adduct, BP diol
      epoxide bound at C-10 to the 2-amino of deoxyguanosine, was strongly inhibited in
      uninduced and PB-induced microsomes. Formation of the major labile BP-DNA adduct
      7-(benzo[a]pyren-6-yl) guanine (BP-N7Gua) was inhibited about 60% in microsomes
      from untreated male Wistar rats. These results show that MAb 1-68-11
      regiospecifically inhibits cytochrome P450 IIC11 and epitopically related P450s
      that metabolize BP at the 7,8 and 9,10 positions. MAb 1-68-11 also inhibits
      enzyme-catalyzed binding of BP to DNA in the specific formation of BP-N7Gua and
      adducts detected by the 32P-postlabeling technique.

PMID- 1872953
TI  - Long-term follow-up of children born to women immunized with tetanus toxoid
      during pregnancy.
AB  - Ten years after transplacental immunization with tetanus toxoid, the antibody
      responses of the immunized children to a booster immunization with 5 Lf tetanus
      toxoid did not differ from those of the control children. The tetanus toxoid
      stimulated lymphocyte proliferative responses showed that there was no tolerance
      to tetanus toxoid induced by transplacental immunization, and the stimulation
      indices suggested that there may be some long-term memory for tetanus toxoid
      among the T lymphocytes in children who had been transplacentally immunized by
      maternal immunization with a standard dose of tetanus toxoid.

PMID- 1872954
TI  - Role of granulated metrial gland cells in the immunology of pregnancy.

PMID- 1872955
TI  - Effect of sperm-antibodies on acrosome reaction of human sperm used for the
      hamster egg penetration assay.
AB  - The effect of anti-sperm antibodies (ASA) on the rate of acrosome reactions (AR)
      during "in vitro" capacitation of human sperm used for the hamster egg
      penetration assay (HEPA) was assessed. Motile sperm suspensions from donors were
      exposed to several sera and seminal plasma with sperm head-directed ASA, then
      they were washed and capacitated "in vitro." After capacitation, the proportion
      of acrosome-reacted viable sperm was assessed by staining with Fluoresceinated
      Pisum Sativum Agglutinin and supravital stain Hoechst 33258. ASA of any
      immunoglobulin class did not significantly affect either the AR rate, or the
      hamster egg penetration rate. In conclusion, interference of ASA on spontaneous
      AR rate during "in vitro" capacitation can not be advocated as an explanation of
      the impairment of the interaction of human sperm with egg or its vestments, which
      have been reported in several studies.

PMID- 1872956
TI  - Investigations concerning the relationship of ovarian eosinophilia to ovulation
      and luteal function in the sheep.
AB  - Eosinophilic leukocytes are attracted into the preovulatory follicle and
      regressing corpus luteum of sheep. Eosinophils produce a wide array of potent
      bioactive substances that could play a role in ovarian function. Circulatory
      eosinophils were depleted by treatment of ewes with prednisolone, thereby
      producing ovarian eosinopenia. Ovulation occurred in these animals. However,
      circulatory concentrations of progesterone during the ensuing luteal phase were
      less than normal. This insufficiency was attributed in part to a suppressed
      angiogenic response in the formative corpus luteum. Regression of the corpus
      luteum induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha was not affected by administration of
      prednisolone. Thus, an obligatory role of eosinophils in the mechanics of
      ovulation and luteal regression in the sheep is unlikely.

PMID- 1872957
TI  - Detection of sperm antibodies on unwashed spermatozoa with the immunobead test: a
      comparison of results with the routine method and seminal plasma TAT titers and
      SCMC test.
AB  - This study investigated whether the immunobead test (IBT) could, for the purposes
      of simplicity and saving time, be applied directly on an unwashed semen sample
      instead of washed spermatozoa. These two methods were performed simultaneously on
      the semen samples of 15 men with a positive MAR test and 10 men with a negative
      MAR test. A possible association was found between the unwashed samples, showing
      positive IB binding (greater than 20%) on the tail and/or head and the seminal
      plasma TAT titers (P less than .00001, Fisher's exact test). In all cases with IB
      binding of greater than or equal to 20% on unwashed spermatozoa, positive seminal
      plasma TAT titers (greater than or equal to 32) and SCMC tests (greater than or
      equal to 50%) were found. In all cases where the binding of the beads was mainly
      located on the tailtips of the washed or unwashed spermatozoa, negative seminal
      plasma TAT titers and SCMC tests were found. Coating of the head and/or upper
      tail regions in both methods was always associated with high TAT titers and a
      strong-positive SCMC test. It is concluded that the IBT for IgA, but not for IgG,
      can be performed directly on unwashed semen and that the position of IB binding
      on the spermatozoa is of prognostic importance with regard to the expected
      outcome of the SCMC test and seminal plasma TAT titers.

PMID- 1872958
TI  - [Fluorescent determination of magnolol by surfaceactive emulsifier].
AB  - Fluorescent determination of magnolol has been effected employing the sensitivity
      and stability-enhancing action of the non-ionic surfaceactive emulsifier OP. As
      a result the accuracy of determination is raised by 2 orders of magnitude as
      compared to that of ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

PMID- 1872959
TI  - [Quantitative analysis of bergenin in herba Ardisia japonica Bl by TLC
      densitometric method].
AB  - A method for the determination of bergenin content in Herba Ardisia japonica was
      established by the use of TLC-densitometry. The method is sensitive, simple and
      convenient, with a recovery of 101.2%.

PMID- 1872960
TI  - [Pharmacological action of cultured calculus bovis].
AB  - By means of comparative pharmacological study, the main pharmacodynamics and
      toxicity of cultured calculus bovis and natural calculus bovis were compared
      under the same conditions. The results show that both drugs possess sedative,
      antispasmodic, antipyretic, antiinflammatory, cardiotonic and hypotensive
      effects, the strength of effect and toxicity being similar.

PMID- 1872961
TI  - [Anti-cholinesterase activity of fordine].
AB  - The inhibitory effect of fordine on human true cholinesterase (ChE) was found to
      be 55386 times larger than on pseudo ChE in vitro. There was a marked difference
      in the inhibition of fordine on pseudo ChE of different species. The order of the
      decrease of potency of fordine on true ChE of different species was man, dog,
      rabbit, cat, rat and mouse. The order of the decrease of potency on pseudo ChE
      was rabbit, rat, dog, cat, mouse and man. In vivo, it was shown that ChE in blood
      and brain was strongly inhibited by fordine, and the duration of the inhibitory
      action was comparatively long. The ChE activity inhibited by fordine may recover
      spontaneously.

PMID- 1872963
TI  - [Advances in the pharmacological researches on the commonly-used prescriptions in
      Chinese traditional medicine during past 5 years].

PMID- 1872962
TI  - [Review of experimental researches on the compatibility of drugs in a
      prescription].

PMID- 1872964
TI  - [Some herbal textual comments on tianmingjing (Carpesium abrotanoides L.)].
AB  - This paper deals with the Bencaological records of the traditional Chinese drug
      Tianmingjing and the reason for its different names in use today. The traditional
      Chinese drug Heshi should be the fruit of Artemisia cina, rather than that of
      Carpesium abrotanoides. The present application of Tianmingjing in China is also
      discussed.

PMID- 1872965
TI  - [Identification of Schisardra by TLC-densitometry].
AB  - This paper deals with the determination of the lignins in 10 species of
      Schisandra crude drugs by TLC-densitometry. The result shows that all the 10
      species are unidentical in the lignin constituents; the same species vary in the
      contents with habitats; and the TLC chromatograms of the 10 species differ
      distinctly from each other.

PMID- 1872966
TI  - [Pharmacognostical study on the Chinese drug nanshashen].
AB  - The Chinese drug nanshashen is taken from a variety of plants. In this paper, 11
      kinds of nanshashen derived from 11 plants of Adenophora have been studied in
      their pharmacognostical characters and microproperties. A key has been compiled
      based on the experimental results.

PMID- 1872967
TI  - [The preservation capacity of water and fertility of soilless cultivation
      substrate for Panax quinquefolium L.)].
AB  - The preservation capacity of water and fertility of several soilless cultivation
      substrates for Panax quinquefolium was compared in a large area. The data
      indicate that vermiculite mixed with sand (volume 1:1) is the most suitable
      soilless substrate for P. quinquefolium, for it is loose and features good
      preservation of fertility, water retaining, drainage, and air permeability.
      Timely analysis of nutrient contents in the substrates during cultivating period
      may serve as a guideline for correct application of fertilizer.

PMID- 1872968
TI  - [Analytical studies on amino acids and trace elements in donkey-hide gelatin].
AB  - This paper reports the contents of amino acids in donkey-hide gelatin made in
      different pharmaceutical factories before and after processing. An analytical
      comparison of trace elements in the gelatin is also presented.

PMID- 1872969
TI  - [Trace elements in the aqueous extract of twenty Chinese drugs before and after
      charring].
AB  - Our study on the variation of trace element contents in the aqueous extract of 20
      Chinese drugs before and after charring has shown that after charring Ca ions
      increase noticeably in the extract of 6 drugs, increase slightly in another 6 and
      decrease in varying degrees in the remaining 8. In all the charred drugs no rise
      has been observed in the contents of trace elements, but instead, in most of them
      the contents tend to drop.

PMID- 1872970
TI  - [Content of astraglin A in zhongfeng naomai tong oral liquid].
AB  - Using HPTLC-scanning method, the contents of astraglin A in four kinds of
      zhongfeng naomai tong oral liquid have been determined to be 0.0018-0.0022%.
      Simple and easy to use the method is recommended for the quality control of
      compound preparations containing huangqi.

PMID- 1872971
TI  - [Experimental study on usage and dosage of gypsum].
AB  - The content of calcium ion Ca2+ in gypsum decoction has been determined with
      coordination titration. Observation and comparison have been conducted of the
      relationship between the dosage, comminution degree, decocting time and decocted
      contents. The results show that the dosage of gypsum should be 10-20 grams,
      preferably ground to at least 60 mesh powder, the fine powder over 60 mesh is not
      to be pre-decocted, but the coarse powder of 40 mesh needs pre-decocting.

PMID- 1872972
TI  - [Chemical constituents of the pericarp of Trichosanthes rosthornii Harms].
AB  - Nine compounds were isolated from the pericarp of T. rosthornii and identified on
      the basis of spectral data to be palmitic acid, lignoceric acid, cerotic acid,
      montanic acid, melissic acid, L-(-)-alpha-monopalmitin, delta 7-stigmastenol,
      delta 7-stigmastenone-3 and delta 7-stigmatenol-3-beta-D-glucopyranoside. All but
      the last one are obtained from this species for the first time.

PMID- 1872973
TI  - [Chemical constituents of Osbeckia chinensis L].
AB  - Five constituents, 2-furoic acid, succinic acid, ursolic acid, quercetin and
      daucosterol were isolated and identified from Osbeckia chinensis. All of them are
      reported to have been found from this plant for the first time.

PMID- 1872974
TI  - The efficacy of six heel pressure reducing devices.
AB  - Twenty to 90 percent of pressure ulcers are located on the heel. The purpose of
      this study was to evaluate the pressure exerted on the heel when the foot in both
      the supine and the 30 degree elevated position was placed in various heel
      pressure reducing devices. Interface pressures of six heel devices were measured
      to determine their performance. Other factors, such as body weight, height shoe
      size, shoe width, as well as whether the device provided leg support were
      examined.

PMID- 1872975
TI  - Incidence and prediction of pressure ulcers in five patient care settings.
AB  - Pressure ulcers (PU), one example of an alteration in skin integrity, remain a
      prominent healthcare concern in all patient care settings. Incidence refers to
      the number of "new cases occurring over a given time period" (NPUAP, 1989, p.
      26). Adult patients (n = 190) in five patient care settings who were assessed to
      be free of PUs on admission were followed over a specified period of time to
      assess the incidence of pressure ulcer development for each setting. Subjects
      each had a skin assessment, along with a risk assessment utilizing the Braden
      Scale. A demographic data form was also completed on each subject. Pressure
      ulcers developed post-admission in 18 (9%) patients, 11 of whom were acute care
      patients and eight of whom were patients in skilled care. No patients developed
      pressure ulcers in the rehabilitation, home care, or hospice settings. Incidence
      for acute care was 15% and 28% in skilled care. Braden predictor scores were also
      recommended for each setting and factors associated with pressure ulcer
      development were discussed.

PMID- 1872976
TI  - Healthcare reform.

PMID- 1872977
TI  - Evaluation of an alginate dressing for pressure ulcers.
AB  - Pressure ulcers that secrete moderate to large amounts of fluid often cause
      leakage from under dressings, odor, staining of clothing, denuding of the skin,
      and pain. Two highly absorbent dressings derived from seaweed have been
      introduced into the U.S. market for use in the management of exuding wounds.
      Severely debilitated patients with full-thickness pressure ulcers were treated
      for one week to three months with one of these alginate dressings (Kaltostat).
      The handling and performance characteristics of the dressing are discussed.

PMID- 1872978
TI  - Anemia is a factor of great significance in determining whether or not cellular
      hypoxia and necrosis.

PMID- 1872979
TI  - ['An enormous award'--Muntendam Prize for nurse Els Koldewijn. Interview by Toine
      de Graaf].

PMID- 1872980
TI  - [The law on disposal of the dead and the nurse].

PMID- 1872981
TI  - [Hospital Rijnstate Arnhem. Creatively made-to-measure].

PMID- 1872982
TI  - [Mentally handicapped, sexuality and relations (2). Viewpoint and policy in
      residential facilities].

PMID- 1872983
TI  - [Environment--from the district nursing practice].

PMID- 1872984
TI  - [Does home care require differentiation and specialization in district nursing?].

PMID- 1872985
TI  - Morphine increases intake of beer among rats.
AB  - Rats were maintained on a daily regimen of 22 h of water deprivation followed by
      a 2-h opportunity to take water and sweetened alcoholic beverage containing 12%
      ethanol. After 30 days, the alcoholic beverage was changed to beer containing
      either 3% or 6% ethanol. After 20 daily sessions with beer, they received, before
      the next session, an injection of saline. On the next day, they received a 1.0
      mg/kg injection of morphine before the session. Morphine reliably increased rats'
      mean intake of both kinds of beer. Subsequently, the concentration of ethanol in
      each groups' beer was changed. The 3% group's beer was switched to 6%, and the 6%
      group's to 3%. Both groups altered their mean intake of beer in an apparent
      attempt to maintain intakes of nearly the same amount of ethanol, but
      presentation of 6% beer resulted in greater intakes of ethanol.

PMID- 1872986
TI  - Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on postnatal renal function and structure in
      the rat.
AB  - Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on postnatal renal function and structure in
      the rat. Renal function and morphology were studied in 90-day-old offspring of
      ethanol-fed (E) rats and were compared to pair-fed control (C) animals. Compared
      to C rats, E rats were smaller at birth, had higher fractional sodium excretion
      (p less than 0.01) and lower fractional potassium excretion (p less than 0.01).
      In E rats, sodium (Na) restriction resulted in a significant increase in urine
      flow and Na wastage, whereas C rats remained in Na balance. E rats developed
      hyperkalemia, when potassium (K) intake was increased from 2.8 to 14 mEq/day.
      Baseline creatinine clearance, urine and blood osmolalities and pH, plasma
      electrolytes and aldosterone concentrations were similar in both groups. There
      was no significant difference in wet or dry kidney weight, renal water content,
      or renal tissue concentrations of Na or K between the two groups. No difference
      was found in gross morphology or light microscopic appearances of the kidneys
      between E and C rats. Thus rats exposed to ethanol during fetal life have a
      defect in urine concentration and Na conservation when fed a low Na diet and a
      defect in K excretion when given a K load without evidence of any gross or light
      microscopic renal structural abnormalities at 90 days of age.

PMID- 1872987
TI  - The effects of chronic alcohol consumption or thiamin deficiency on radial-arm
      maze performance in the rat.
AB  - Experiment 1 tested the hypothesis that chronic consumption of ethanol, in the
      presence of good nutrition, is associated with impairments in memory. Rats were
      fed a vitamin-fortified ethanol-Sustagen diet with 35% ethanol-derived calories
      for 150 days. Two control groups were used. The first was pair fed a Sustagen mix
      in which sucrose had been substituted for ethanol. The second control group
      received ad lib access to standard laboratory chow and water. All animals were
      then placed on the chow and water diet for six weeks prior to testing in an eight
      arm radial maze. There was a significant, but modest, difference between groups
      in the number of trials to reach a criterion level of seven correct from the
      first eight choices and all eight correct in ten choices. However, there were no
      differences between the groups when delays (0, 5, 20, 60, 120 and 240 minutes)
      were imposed between the 4th and 5th choices. In Experiment 2, a thiamin
      deficient group was compared with pair-fed and ad lib control groups on the same
      task. The thiamin-deficient group took more trials to reach criterion but the
      groups did not differ in the delay testing phase. The results are discussed in
      the context of reference/working memory distinctions, and the literature on
      remediation of cognitive deficits associated with alcoholism.

PMID- 1872988
TI  - Vitamin E reduction of lipid peroxidation products in rats fed cod liver oil and
      ethanol.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E
      supplementation on ethanol- and cod liver oil-induced lipid peroxidation. Adult
      male rats received diets containing ethanol, cod liver oil and supplemented with
      vitamin E for 28 days. Following treatment, hepatic conjugated dienes, lipid
      fluorescence, and exhalation of ethane were measured as indices of lipid
      peroxidation. Ethane expiration over a 3-hour period was reduced by 96% in rats
      fed ethanol supplemented with vitamin E. Exhalation of ethane was increased by
      CLO feeding but was reduced 89% in the CLO-fed rats supplemented with vitamin E.
      In addition, ethane production was elevated in rats fed ethanol plus CLO compared
      to rats fed diets containing CLO supplemented with vitamin E. Supplementation of
      the CLO diet with vitamin E also significantly decreased hepatic conjugated fatty
      acid dienes levels. Levels of hepatic conjugated fatty acid dienes from rats fed
      ethanol plus vitamin E were reduced 91% compared to rats fed ethanol diets.
      Additionally, hepatic lipid fluorescence expressed as per mg of hepatic
      phospholipid basis was also significantly increased in rat groups fed vitamin E,
      ethanol, and cod liver oil diets. Where vitamin E was added to these same diets a
      significant decrease of hepatic lipid peroxidation products occurred. The
      observed reduction in lipid peroxidation by vitamin E may be useful to retard
      lipid peroxides derived materials involved in the development of alcoholic liver
      diseases.

PMID- 1872989
TI  - Effect of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole on the hypothermic effect of ethanol and on
      ethanol tolerance development.
AB  - The effect of aminotriazole (AT), inhibitor of catalase activity, on hypothermia
      and narcosis induced by ethanol and on the acquisition of tolerance to the
      ethanol hypothermic and narcotic effect was studied. Rats were pretreated with AT
      (1 g/kg IP) 1 hour before the test dose of ethanol (2.76 g/kg IP) and narcosis
      time, hypothermia and ethanol blood levels evaluated (first test). For studies on
      tolerance to ethanol, rats of the first test received daily (for 7 days) a dose
      of AT (1 g/kg IP) 1 hour before ethanol (2.76 g/kg) given by gavage, and the same
      parameters evaluated (8th day test). Results were compared to similar groups of
      rats without AT pretreatment (controls, 1st and 8th day test). Rats pretreated
      with AT exhibited a shorter narcosis time induced by ethanol but this treatment
      did not alter the hypothermic effect of ethanol nor ethanol disposal rate.
      Chronic ethanol treatment induced tolerance to the narcotic and hypothermic
      effect of ethanol as well as a metabolic tolerance. AT administered daily before
      the dose of ethanol produced a partial blockade of the development of tolerance
      to the narcotic effect of ethanol, but did not alter the development of
      hypothermic or metabolic tolerance. The brain catalase system seems to play a
      role in narcosis and on the development of tolerance to this effect of ethanol,
      but not in the hypothermic effect or in the development of tolerance to this
      ethanol effect. Since the inhibition of liver catalase activity by AT treatment
      was not correlated with changes in ethanol disposal rate, the liver catalase
      system appears not to play a role in the metabolic tolerance.

PMID- 1872990
TI  - Putative type II alcoholism characteristics in female third DUI offenders in
      Massachusetts: a pilot study.
AB  - Women who come to the attention of the courts may exhibit heritable Type II
      alcoholism. Accumulating evidence indicates that more women report having
      alcoholic parents, that onset of women's alcohol problems before age 25 predicts
      greater severity of alcohol problems, that women most frequently acknowledge
      driving while intoxicated (DUI) as an alcohol-related problem, and that the
      percent of female arrests for DUI has increased. Alcoholic men have been
      classified as Type I (onset after age 25 and environmentally influenced) or Type
      II (onset before age 25 with impulsivity and criminal activity) alcoholics.
      Alcoholism in daughters of Type I fathers is said to occur after age 25 and to be
      shaped by environmental conditions, but it has been argued that daughters of Type
      II alcoholic fathers express their family histories in somatization. We report
      results from a pilot study that found putative Type II alcoholism
      characteristics, including early age of onset and inability to curtail drinking,
      in a sample of 12 incarcerated female third DUI offenders.

PMID- 1872991
TI  - Role of the sympathetic nervous system in ethanol-induced hypertension in rats.
AB  - The present study investigated the role of the sympathetic nervous system in the
      development of ethanol-induced hypertension (EIH) in the rat. Sympathetic nerve
      activity (SNA) as an index of central sympathetic tone was measured directly from
      the preganglionic fibers of the greater splanchnic nerve. Four weeks after
      starting ethanol feeding, and prior to the development of hypertension, SNA of
      the ethanol-fed rats was significantly greater than that of controls. The
      increase in SNA was also evident at the early stages of EIH, at 8 weeks, and in
      fully developed EIH, after 12 weeks of ethanol consumption. Baroreceptor reflex
      control of heart rate (HR) but not SNA was impaired prior to the development of
      EIH at 4 weeks. However, at 8 and 12 weeks, baroreflex control of HR and SNA was
      normal or slightly greater than that of control rats. Because arterial pressure
      of ethanol-fed rats was significantly higher than that of controls at 8 and 12
      weeks, the data suggest that ethanol feeding caused baroreceptor resetting.
      Pressor responsiveness to phenylephrine was depressed before the development of
      EIH but was similar to that of control rats following the development of EIH. The
      data also shows that blood and plasma volumes of ethanol-fed rats at the times
      that coincided with the pre- and posthypertensive states were similar to those of
      control rats which suggests that the development of EIH does not involve an
      increase in plasma volume. It is concluded that an increase in SNA contributes to
      the development of EIH and that baroreceptor resetting evoked by ethanol feeding
      plays a permissive role in maintaining an elevated blood pressure in ethanol-fed
      rats.

PMID- 1872992
TI  - Fat-preferring rats consume more alcohol than carbohydrate-preferring rats.
AB  - Rats with a genetic preference for alcohol (ETOH) have been found to consume more
      dietary fat then ETOH nonpreferring rats. We therefore hypothesized that rats
      selected on the basis of fat and carbohydrate (CHO) preferences would differ in
      ETOH intake. Patterns of macronutrient self-selection were determined by allowing
      rats to select diets from separate sources of CHO, fat and protein. Subsequently,
      CHO- and fat-preferring groups were formed. All rats were then returned to a lab
      chow diet and trained to drink ETOH (4-12%) during one hour of access per day.
      Food restriction was used only in the first three weeks of the procedure. On the
      final drinking sessions, water and ETOH were alternated on a daily basis. Fat
      preferring rats consumed significantly more ETOH than water; CHO-preferring rats
      consumed approximately equal amounts of ETOH and water. Furthermore, fat
      preferring rats consumed more ETOH than CHO-preferring rats. This study suggests
      that there may be a common mechanism underlying diet preference and oral intake
      of ETOH.

PMID- 1872993
TI  - Tetrahydropapaveroline and the blood-brain barrier in rats.
AB  - The blood-brain barrier penetration of tetrahydropapaveroline (THP) was studied
      in male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain. THP was not found in brains of
      untreated animals. However, THP was observed in the brains of animals that
      received THP.HBr by intraperitoneal (IP) injection 30 minutes before
      decapitation. Animals that received IP injections of 0.10, 1.0, 5.0, or 10 mg
      THP.HBr/kg exhibited brain levels of 3.1, 25, 95 or 126 pmoles THP per gram
      brain, respectively. Another group of rats received THP.HBr (5.0 mg/kg) IP 30
      minutes before decapitation. The brain of each animal was dissected into nine
      regions and each region assayed for THP. All brain regions assayed had measurable
      levels of THP. The highest concentration of THP (132 pmoles/g) was observed in
      the olfactory lobes-frontal cortex while the lowest concentration of THP (27.3
      pmol/g) was in the striatum. These results demonstrate that THP penetrates the
      blood-brain barrier in rats. They also suggest that if THP is formed in the
      periphery, it may penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and be localized in discrete
      brain regions.

PMID- 1872994
TI  - Event-related potentials in alcoholic fathers and their sons.
AB  - ERPs were recorded during a simple color discrimination and a more difficult
      visual continuous performance task (CPT) from three father-son (n = 15) pair
      groups: recovering alcoholics with a family history of alcoholism and their sons
      (A+), nonalcoholics with a family history of alcoholism and their sons (NA+), and
      nonalcoholics with no family history of alcoholism and their sons (NA-). The
      sons, aged 8 to 12, had not begun drinking or using other drugs. Groups were
      matched on age, education and socioeconomic status. There were two principal
      findings. Compared to nonalcoholic groups, both A+ sons and fathers exhibited
      increased latency and decreased amplitude of P3 for the difficult task, but not
      for the easy task. This result helps to explain previous inconsistencies in the
      literature, and strengthens the suggestion that one indication of a vulnerability
      to develop alcoholism is an abnormal P3, when elicited by an appropriate task.
      Additionally, A+ fathers had more negative amplitudes for a late slow wave in
      both tasks, suggesting electrophysiological consequences of long-term alcohol
      abuse.

PMID- 1872995
TI  - Synthesis and properties of (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-1-CoA. (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-5
      CoA, an erroneous product of glutaconate CoA-transferase.
AB  - 1) (R)-2-Hydroxyglutaryl-1-CoA was synthesised starting from (R)-5
      oxotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acid (gamma-lactone of (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate)
      which was converted to the acylchloride and condensed with N-capryloylcysteamine.
      The lactone ring of the resulting thiolester was opened by acid hydrolysis and
      the CoA derivative was obtained by transesterification. 2) Pure glutaconate CoA
      transferase from Acidaminococcus fermentans catalysed the formation of the 1- and
      the 5-isomer of (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-CoA from acetyl-CoA and (R)-2
      hydroxyglutarate. The isomers were separated by HPLC and characterised by their
      reaction with acetate under the catalysis of the CoA-transferase. V/Km for the 1
      isomer was 80 times higher than that for the 5-isomer. 3) Studies with cell-free
      extracts from A. fermentans showed that only (R)-2-hydroxyglutaryl-1-CoA but not
      its 5-isomer was dehydrated to glutaconyl-1-CoA. The data indicate that (R)-2
      hydroxyglutaryl-5-CoA is an erroneous product of glutaconate CoA-transferase
      which only occurs in vitro.

PMID- 1872996
TI  - Novel metabolite structures from biotransformation of a sesquiterpenoid ketone by
      selected fungal strains.
AB  - The sesquiterpenoid ketone, 1,4,4-trimethyltricyclo[5.4.0.0(3.5)]undec-7-en-9-one
      (1), was subjected to microbial transformation by six fungal strains: Aspergillus
      niger ATCC 9142, Aspergillus ochraceus DSM 824, Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159,
      Cunninghamella echinulata ATCC 9244, Rhizopus arrhizus ATCC 11.145, and Absidia
      blakesleeana ATCC 10.148. Four main metabolites were formed from 1: 10(R)- and
      10(S)-hydroxy-1,4,4-trimethyltricyclo-[5.4.0.0(3.5)]undec-7- en- 9-one (2 and 3,
      respectively), besides 4(R)- and 4(S)-(hydroxymethyl)-1,4
      dimethyltricyclo[5.4.0.0(3.5)]undec -7-en-9-one (4 and 5, respectively).
      Compounds 2-5 were isolated with varying percentages from the respective
      transformations, and their structures established unequivocally by a combination
      of spectroscopic methods. Metabolites 2 and 3 are products of hydroxylation at C
      10, in either R- or S-position; in 4 and 5, one geminal CH3 group each on the
      cyclopropane ring has been transformed into a CH2OH function.

PMID- 1872997
TI  - Effect of vanadate on the metabolism of bile acids in diabetic rats.
AB  - The effect of treatment with vanadate on the metabolism of bile acids was studied
      in normal and diabetic rats. In the normal rats, the composition of biliary bile
      acids was not changed by drinking an aqueous solution of 0.2 g/l NaVO3-5 g/l NaCl
      ad libitum for two weeks. By contrast, the increased proportion of cholic acid,
      accounting for 88% of the total biliary bile acids, in the diabetic rats
      decreased to 46% by the treatment with vanadate without any elevation of serum
      insulin level. These results indicate that vanadate with an insulin-like effect
      on glucose metabolism in diabetic rats has such an effect also on bile acid
      metabolism in an insulin-deficient state.

PMID- 1872998
TI  - Microsequencing of proteins and peptides in the Knauer sequencer with and without
      covalent attachment to polyvinylidene difluoride membranes by the wet-phase
      degradation technique.
AB  - Proteins and large peptides were degraded with phenylisothiocyanate (PITC) in the
      horizontal flow-through-reactor of the Modular Knauer Sequencer (Fischer, S.,
      Reimann, F. & Wittmann-Liebold, B. (1989) in Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis
      (Wittmann-Liebold, B., ed.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 98-107) by the wet-phase
      filter technique (Wittmann-Liebold, B. (1988) J. Prot. Chem. 7, 224-225)
      employing polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes without polybrene. In order
      to prevent losses of small peptides during solvent washes at the degradation, 1.4
      phenylene diisothiocyanate (DITC) derivatized PVDF support (MilliGen, Burlington,
      MA) was used to covalently attach the peptide via its lysine groups in situ
      within the cross-flow reaction chamber onto this membrane (Herfurth, E., Pilling,
      U. & Wittmann-Liebold, B. (1990) J. Prot. Chem. 9, 267). We found these membranes
      very suitable for peptide degradations in the Knauer sequencer. In almost all
      cases we were able to identify the amino-acid residues of the peptide up to its
      last covalent fixation point to the membrane.

PMID- 1872999
TI  - Structure and function of L-lactate dehydrogenases from thermophilic and
      mesophilic bacteria, XI. Engineering thermostability and activity of lactate
      dehydrogenases from bacilli.
AB  - An extensive comparative structural analysis of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
      sequences from thermophilic, mesophilic and psychrophilic bacilli revealed
      characteristic primary structural differences. These specific amino-acid
      substitutions were found in the entire LDH molecule. However, in certain regions
      of the LDH an accumulation of these exchanges could be detected. These regions
      seem to be particularly important for the temperature adaptation of the enzyme.
      The influence of one of such regions at the N-terminus on stability and activity
      of LDHs was analysed by the construction of hybrid mutants between LDH sequences
      from thermophilic, mesophilic and psychrophilic bacilli and also by site-directed
      mutagenesis experiments at five different positions. The substitutions of Thr-29
      or Ser-39 to Ala residues in the LDH from the mesophilic B. megaterium increased
      the thermostability of the enzyme drastically (15 degrees C). An increase of 20
      degrees C could be observed when both amino-acid substitutions were introduced.
      These amino-acid substitutions resulted in an increase of Km for pyruvate and led
      to a three-fold reduction of the activity (kcat/Km) at 40 degrees C compared with
      the wild type enzyme. The influence of these amino-acid substitutions was also
      investigated in the LDHs from thermophilic and psychrophilic bacilli. The high
      heat resistance of the LDH from the thermophilic B. stearothermophilus was not
      altered by the Ala to Thr and Ser substitutions at positions 29 and 39,
      respectively. This indicates a cooperatively stabilized conformation of this LDH.
      However, in this mutant of the B. stearothermophilus LDH the activity (kcat/Km)
      was increased two-fold.

PMID- 1873000
TI  - Immunohistochemical analysis of the ontogeny of calcitonin gene-related peptide
      like immunoreactivity in the rat central nervous system.
AB  - The ontogeny of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI)
      in the rat central nervous system was examined using the indirect
      immunofluorescence technique. Caudally located neurons displayed CGRP-LI
      relatively early in development. For instance, CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRP-IR)
      cells were first visualized in the hypoglossal nucleus and dorsal nucleus of the
      lateral lemniscus at day 19 of gestation, while by day 1 postnatal the facial and
      ambiguus nuclei possessed their full complement of immunoreactive neurons
      relative to that observed in the adult. By contrast, CGRP-IR somata in more
      rostral regions such as the lateral septal nucleus were not visualized until much
      later in development, i.e. day 12 postnatal. By day 15 postnatal, however, CGRP
      LI was at a maximum in almost all areas scrutinized. This pattern of
      immunostaining persisted up to the oldest age studied (day 28 postnatal), except
      in the lateral septal and parabrachial nuclei, along the dorsal border of the
      medial lemniscus, and in the inferior olive, where many of the previously
      immunopositive cells could no longer be detected. In summary, CGRP-IR somata in
      the rat central nervous system appear in a principally caudal to rostal
      direction, beginning in late gestation. In some regions, CGRP is present only
      ephemerally. The ontogeny of CGRP during maturation of the rat brain is
      consistent with its suggested neurotrophic and neurotransmitter roles.

PMID- 1873001
TI  - Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-positive nerves in normal and transplanted pancreatic
      tissue in the anterior eye-chamber of rats.
AB  - Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase(DBH)-positive nerves were demonstrated in normal and in
      pancreatic tissue fragments transplanted for 22 and 32 days into the anterior eye
      chamber of rats using immunohistochemical techniques. Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase
      immunopositive neurons of different shapes could be observed in normal pancreas.
      The neurons had either spindle or oval shapes. In the transplanted tissue, DBH
      positive neuronal profiles were found in the stroma. In some cases DBH
      immunopositive cells appeared as a cluster of cells around pancreatic ducts and
      blood vessels or as solitary cells. The wall of pancreatic ducts in the
      transplants also contained DBH-immunopositive nerve profiles.

PMID- 1873002
TI  - Effects of a sodium-potassium ion-exchanging seaweed preparation in mild
      hypertension.
AB  - A nonpharmacological approach in the treatment of mild hypertension is often
      advocated. In an attempt to decrease sodium and increase potassium intake, sixty
      two middle-aged patients with mild hypertension were given a potassium loaded ion
      exchanging sodium-adsorbing potassium-releasing seaweed preparation (seaweed
      fiber, SF). The mean blood pressure (MBP), evaluated in a double-blind crossover
      manner with four weeks familiarization and wash-out periods, showed a significant
      decrease after four weeks on 12 and 24 g/day SF but not on 6 g/day or placebo
      treatment. Systolic blood pressure during submaximal exercise decreased on all
      three SF doses. The decrease in MBP appeared to be significantly higher in sodium
      sensitive (11.2 mm Hg, P less than .001) than in sodium-insensitive (5.7 mm Hg, P
      less than .05) patients and was in salt-sensitive patients significantly
      correlated to the increase in plasma renin activity (PRA). The urinary sodium
      excretion decreased, the urinary potassium increased and the sodium/potassium
      urinary excretion ratio decreased, indicating that the decrease of MBP was
      dependent on the decreased intestinal absorption of sodium and increased
      absorption of potassium released from the seaweed preparation. A sodium-potassium
      ion-exchanging seaweed preparation is an effective means of decreasing sodium and
      increasing potassium intake, and may be used for antihypertensive treatment in
      mild hypertension.

PMID- 1873003
TI  - Double-blind comparison of perindopril and captopril in hypertension. Effects on
      left ventricular morphology and function.
AB  - Using digitized M-mode echocardiograms, we compared, in a double-blind study, the
      effects of 4 to 8 mg perindopril given once daily and 25 to 50 mg captopril given
      twice daily on the left ventricle (LV) in 20 hypertensive patients. Both
      treatments significantly (P less than .001) lowered blood pressure, reducing
      systemic vascular resistances. After 3 months both drugs induced a comparable
      percentage of reduction in LV mass, with an increase in the peak rate of LV
      relaxation and no changes in the peak rate of LV contraction. Our results
      demonstrate that perindopril once daily is an effective antihypertensive agent;
      it is also able, like captopril, to induce regression of LV hypertrophy, with
      improvement in diastolic performance and no deterioration in ventricular systolic
      function.

PMID- 1873004
TI  - Ambulatory blood pressure variation is related to plasma renin activity in
      borderline hypertensive men.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the variability
      of awake ambulatory blood pressure and the level of plasma renin activity (PRA)
      in age-matched samples of untreated hypertensive white men. The ambulatory
      pressures of 376 men (145 under 45 years of age, 231 over 45) were compared
      across three levels of PRA: less than 1.0 ng/mL/h, 1.0 to 4.0 ng/mL/h and 4.0
      ng/mL/h or greater. The results showed that the average diastolic pressure
      declined with PRA, particularly in men under 45 (95 to 89; P less than .05), but
      that among the men 45 and older there was a strong, positive relationship between
      awake diastolic pressure variability and the level of PRA (p less than .001).
      These results may have important clinical implications since both higher PRA and
      greater blood pressure variability have been associated with a greater
      cardiovascular disease risk.

PMID- 1873005
TI  - Association between plasma viscosity and blood pressure. Results from the MONICA
      project Augsburg.
AB  - The relationship between determinants of blood viscosity and blood pressure (BP)
      variables was studied in a large sample of a population aged 25 to 64 years.
      Plasma viscosity, hemoglobin, and total serum protein were examined. Systolic and
      diastolic BP and the prevalence of hypertension showed a crude positive
      association with plasma viscosity levels in both sexes. Age, body mass index, and
      total serum protein appeared to have a confounding effect on this relationship,
      whereas hemoglobin, smoking behavior, and alcohol consumption did not. A crude
      positive association was also found between total serum protein levels and the
      prevalence of hypertension in men and women; however, since total serum protein
      was treated as a covariable, no further analyses were carried out. In contrast to
      findings reported in the literature, hemoglobin levels were not correlated with
      BP variables in either sex. After adjusting for all confounders, a significant
      main effect of plasma viscosity still was found. However, the magnitude of the
      effect was not as large as for body mass index, a well-established risk variable
      for hypertension. These results indicate that BP is positively associated with
      plasma viscosity. Whether increased plasma viscosity in hypertension constitutes
      a primary or a secondary phenomenon remains to be answered. Since plasma
      viscosity is significantly associated with hypertension but any BP variable,
      increased levels of plasma proteins (particularly fibrinogen as the main
      determinant of plasma viscosity) may represent the cause for elevated plasma
      viscosity. This might contribute to persistently increased resistance to blood
      flow on the microcirculatory level in arterial hypertension.

PMID- 1873006
TI  - Insulin attenuation of vasoconstrictor responses to phenylephrine in Zucker lean
      and obese rats.
AB  - Recent data from this laboratory indicate that insulin resistant obese Zucker
      rats exhibit hypertension associated with exaggerated in vitro vascular
      reactivity to phenylephrine, serotonin, and KCl, and we have found insulin to
      attenuate vascular reactivity responses to these agonists. Accordingly, in the
      present study we evaluated the possibility that exaggerated vascular reactivity
      responses in obese Zucker rats may result from insulin resistance and a
      consequent failure of insulin to attenuate vasoactive responses. Thoracic aortae
      were isolated from male 16 week old lean and obese Zucker rats, and replicate
      helical strips from each animal were suspended in a muscle bath under a resting
      tension of 1.4 g in the presence or absence of insulin (0.1 mU/mL) for 1 h. The
      insulin was then washed out, and vascular reactivity responses to phenylephrine
      were determined. The obese rats exhibited greater reactivity to phenylephrine
      (ED50:1.10 +/- 90 X 10(-8) v 7.57 +/- 0.88 X 10(-10) mol/L in lean and obese
      rats, respectively, P less than .025). Insulin caused a significant attenuation
      of the contractile response in both the lean and obese aortae. However, lean rats
      exhibited a markedly greater attenuation than the obese rats (46.0 +/- 17.0 v
      17.8 +/- 7.5% attenuation in the lean and obese rats, respectively, P less than
      .01). These data suggest that increased vascular reactivity responses in obese
      Zucker rats may result from their insulin resistant state and, consequently, a
      diminished ability of insulin to attenuate vasoconstrictor responses.

PMID- 1873007
TI  - Human platelet calcium measurements. Methodological considerations and
      comparisons with calcium mobilization in vascular smooth muscle cells.
AB  - Platelets are used as models for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in
      evaluating intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) metabolism in humans. This study was
      designed to determine if agonist-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in platelets occur
      via release from intracellular stores as previously demonstrated for VSMC.
      Incubation of purified platelets loaded with fura-2-AM in media containing 1.5
      mmol/L Ca2+ resulted in higher basal [Ca2+]i than platelets incubated in Ca(2+)
      free media. In addition, vasopressin-induced platelet [Ca2+]i transients were
      almost completely blocked by Ca2+ channel blockers. Thus, in contrast to VSMC,
      the transmembranous flux of extracellular Ca2+ is the major mechanism in
      vasopressin-induced increases in platelet [Ca2+]i, while mobilization of
      intracellular Ca2+ stores is only minimally involved.

PMID- 1873008
TI  - Duplex ultrasound in the assessment of vascular disease in clinical hypertension.
AB  - Duplex ultrasound combines B-mode imaging and pulsed Doppler flow analysis and is
      rapidly becoming the most useful and widely applied method for the evaluation of
      atherosclerotic arterial disease. Recent technical improvements including color
      flow Doppler allow its application to practically all vascular beds in the body.
      Duplex is noninvasive and in many areas its accuracy in the detection of arterial
      stenosis and occlusion rivals angiography. Duplex ultrasound has become the
      preferred method of evaluation of patients with cerebrovascular disease. It
      provides information about the degree of stenosis, location of disease, and
      plaque characterization, and in many cases replaces standard cerebral
      arteriography. Duplex ultrasound has been used to detect renal artery stenosis in
      patients suspected of having renovascular hypertension with an accuracy of 93% in
      the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant stenosis. It also has important
      applications in the assessment of mesenteric artery stenosis, peripheral vascular
      disease, and venous disease. Because it is accurate, reasonably inexpensive, and
      noninvasive, duplex ultrasound can be used to follow the progression of untreated
      atherosclerotic lesions throughout the body. Used in this fashion, it provides
      important information about the natural history of atherosclerotic lesions, their
      clinical prognosis, and the effect of interventions, either medical or surgical,
      on lesions.

PMID- 1873009
TI  - Calcium metabolism and dietary calcium in salt sensitive hypertension.
AB  - Evidence has accumulated over the past decade that suggests a relationship
      between low calcium intake, abnormalities in cation metabolism and hypertension
      in certain segments of the essential hypertension population. This evidence has
      been developed from epidemiological data, calcium intervention trials and
      observations related to biochemical alterations suggestive of a calcium
      deficiency in certain patients with hypertension and in animal models of
      essential hypertension. It is becoming increasingly evident that salt sensitive
      individuals are especially likely to be characterized by abnormalities of calcium
      metabolism and blood pressure responses to dietary calcium. In this review the
      role of calcium in the regulation of blood pressure is examined with an emphasis
      on epidemiological, biochemical, hemodynamic and dietary intervention data in the
      salt sensitive hypertensive patient.

PMID- 1873010
TI  - Normal serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in mild to moderate
      essential hypertension.
AB  - Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a highly potent vasodilator, is expressed
      from the calcitonin-gene and has been localized to nerve fibers of the
      cardiovascular system, suggesting involvement in the physiologic regulation of
      vascular tone. In this investigation serum concentrations of CGRP were measured
      in patients with untreated mild to moderate essential hypertension (WHO I-II) and
      compared with concentrations in sex- and age-matched normal controls to assess a
      possible relationship between changes in concentrations of CGRP and this
      condition. The study showed no significant difference in concentrations of CGRP
      between patients and the normotensive controls. However, a weak but significant
      positive correlation was found between systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean
      blood pressures (MBP), and circulating concentrations of CGRP when calculated for
      all individuals included in the study. No correlation was found between heart
      rates (HR) and concentrations of CGRP. In the normotensive control group, but not
      in patients with hypertension, a significant positive correlation was present
      between body weights and concentrations of CGRP. These findings do not support
      the hypothesis that low expression of CGRP plays a causal role in essential
      hypertension, but the results do not exclude a potential receptor defect for CGRP
      to be involved in the disease.

PMID- 1873011
TI  - Blunted renal sodium excretion during acute saline loading in normotensive men
      with positive family histories of hypertension.
AB  - The natriuretic and intra-arterial blood pressure response to an acute saline
      load (1000 mL 0.9% NaCl), was studied in normotensive young men with positive (n
      = 11) and negative (n = 21) family histories of hypertension. The age-matched (36
      +/- 5 years) control group with negative family histories of hypertension was
      subdivided into two groups, one matched for body mass index (BMI) to the subjects
      with positive family histories of hypertension (n = 10), and another lean control
      group (n = 11). Baseline blood pressure was significantly higher in subjects with
      positive family histories of hypertension and in controls matched for BMI as
      compared with lean controls. Sodium excretion increased in all three groups
      during the saline infusion, while subjects with positive family histories of
      hypertension disclosed a diminished natriuretic response as compared with the two
      control groups. Systolic blood pressure increased significantly during the saline
      load in subjects with positive family histories of hypertension, while in
      subjects with negative family histories of hypertension, no significant change in
      blood pressure was observed. Plasma renin activity, angiotensin II, serum
      aldosterone, plasma noradrenaline, blood volume, and ouabain-sensitive
      erythrocyte sodium efflux rate constant did not differ between the three groups
      at baseline. A significant negative correlation was found between baseline sodium
      excretion and sodium efflux rate constant in subjects with positive family
      histories of hypertension. We conclude that the subjects with positive family
      histories of hypertension exhibit a blunted natriuretic and an exaggerated blood
      pressure response to an acute saline load as compared with the two control groups
      with negative family histories of hypertension. This could be of neuronal and/or
      hormonal origin.

PMID- 1873012
TI  - Left ventricular mass index and diastolic filling. Relation to blood pressure and
      demographic variables in a healthy biracial sample.
AB  - The relationships of left ventricular (LV) structure and diastolic filling to
      ambulatory blood pressure, race, age, and gender were studied in 104 young,
      generally healthy, untreated subjects with normal or marginally elevated blood
      pressure. Average daytime systolic blood pressure (r = 0.41, P less than .001),
      diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.38, P less than .001), male gender (r = 0.49, P
      less than .001), and age (r = 0.32, P less than .001) were univariate correlates
      of LV mass index as measured by M-mode echocardiography. In a stepwise multiple
      regression model, male gender, age, and systolic blood pressure were independent
      predictors of LV mass index. LV filling rate normalized to mitral stroke volume,
      a Doppler-derived index of diastolic filling, was inversely related to age (r = 
      0.47, P less than .001), heart rate (r = -0.27, P less than .01), LV mass index
      (r = -0.32, P less than .001), and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.20, P less
      than .05). Age, heart rate, and LV mass index were predictors of normalized peak
      filling in a stepwise regression model. Race was not significantly related to
      either LV mass index or diastolic filling. Our results confirm the importance of
      demographic variables as well as blood pressure in determining LV mass and
      filling characteristics in humans prior to the development of sustained essential
      hypertension. These variables contribute to ventricular mass and diastolic
      function in varying degrees. Gender is strongly correlated with LV mass, but not
      with filling indices.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873013
TI  - Hypertensives' pressor response to norepinephrine. Analysis by infusion rate and
      plasma levels.
AB  - After 5 days of a 10 mEq sodium diet or 4 days of a 200 mEq sodium diet, 15
      hypertensives and 11 normotensive control subjects received pressor doses of
      intravenous norepinephrine (NE). Analysis of pressor responses to the rate of NE
      infusion showed that the high salt diet sensitized subjects so that they needed
      less NE to raise systolic blood pressure (SBP) 20 mm Hg (P = .005). There was a
      complex interaction of salt intake, black race, and hypertension on NE pressor
      sensitivity (P = .03). Hypertensives attained lower plasma NE levels during the
      stepwise NE infusion, so we reanalyzed NE sensitivity in terms of the changes in
      plasma NE levels. This analysis also showed that during the high salt diet,
      subjects initiated a pressor response at lower plasma NE levels (P = .017) and
      raised SBP 20 mm Hg at lower NE levels (P = .007). The reanalysis showed that
      hypertensives initiated a pressor response at lower plasma NE levels (P = .03)
      and raised SBP 20 mm Hg at lower NE levels (P = .002). Plasma NE levels should
      provide a better guide to the concentration of NE at cardiovascular receptors
      than the rate of NE infusion. Analysis of pressor responses to plasma NE levels
      demonstrated that the hypertensives had an exaggerated pressor response to NE.

PMID- 1873014
TI  - Effects of dietary calcium on blood pressure, vascular reactivity and vascular
      smooth muscle calcium efflux rate in Zucker rats.
AB  - Previous data from this laboratory indicate that hypertension in insulin
      resistant Zucker obese rats is accompanied by an impairment in vascular smooth
      muscle Ca2+ efflux. Since insulin resistant states are also generally salt
      sensitive and dietary Ca2+ reduces blood pressure in some salt-sensitive states,
      we evaluated the effects of dietary Ca2+ on blood pressure and vascular
      reactivity and examined whether these effects are due to increased vascular
      smooth muscle Ca2+ efflux. We assigned 16 obese and 16 lean rats to a normal
      (0.5%) or high (1.5%) Ca2+ diet for 28 days, following which intraarterial blood
      pressure and in vitro vascular smooth muscle 45Ca efflux and vascular reactivity
      responses to phenylephrine and serotonin were measured. Blood pressure was
      elevated in the obese rats on both diets (P less than 0.2), and the high calcium
      diet lowered both systolic and diastolic pressure in both the lean and obese rats
      (P less than 0.5). Vascular reactivity was higher in the obese rats (P less than
      0.2), but dietary Ca2+ exerted opposite effects on vascular reactivity to the
      agonists. High Ca2+ reduced sensitivity to serotonin in the obese rats by 54% (P
      less than .05) without affecting sensitivity in the lean rats. In contrast, the
      high Ca2+ diet increased sensitivity to phenylephrine by 31% in both groups (P
      less than .01). 45Ca efflux was lower in the obese rats compared to the lean rats
      (P less than .05), and the high Ca2+ diet increased this rate by 23% in the lean,
      but not the obese, rats (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873015
TI  - Nonparallel effects of renin inhibitor treatment on plasma renin activity and
      angiotensins I and II in hypertensive subjects. An assay-related artifact.
AB  - Nonparallel effects of renin inhibitor treatment on plasma renin activity (PRA)
      and the plasma levels of angiotensins (ANG), as well as on blood pressure, have
      been observed in subjects with hypertension. This study addresses the possibility
      that renin inhibitors may show a high degree of plasma protein binding in vivo
      and that displacement of protein-bound inhibitor during the assay of PRA in vitro
      may lead to overestimation of renin inhibition. Indeed, with the ultrafiltration
      technique it was found that 96% of the novel renin inhibitor Ro 42-5892, when
      added to EDTA plasma, was bound to protein. The angiotensinase inhibitors
      phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and 8-hydroxy-quinoline sulfate (8-OHQ),
      which are currently used in PRA assays, caused a displacement of protein-bound
      inhibitor, thereby increasing its free concentration. This displacement was
      sufficient to explain the reduction in IC 50 of Ro 42-5892, which was seen in the
      PRA assay when PMSF and 8-OHQ were added to plasma. Such reductions in IC 50 were
      also seen with the renin inhibitors CGP 29-287, CGP 38-560A, and SR 43-845. When
      Ro 42-5892 was given, 1 mg/kg intravenously in 10 min, to subjects with
      hypertension, it appeared that plasma ANG I and II returned to baseline after 6-8
      h, whereas PRA measured in the presence of PMSF and 8-OHQ was still suppressed.
      However, when PRA was measured without these angiotensinase inhibitors, the
      inhibition of PRA was parallel to the suppression of ANG I and II.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873016
TI  - Sugar-induced hypertension in Sprague-Dawley rats.
AB  - Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either conventional rat chow, or a diet in
      which vegetable starch was replaced with either glucose or sucrose for two weeks.
      At the end of this period, measurements were made of weight, blood pressure, and
      plasma glucose, insulin, and triglyceride concentrations. The average weight gain
      over the dietary period was approximately 75 g, and did not vary between the
      three groups. Mean (+/- SEM) blood pressure remained stable in the rats fed
      conventional chow (124 +/- 2 to 127 +/- 3 mm Hg), but increased significantly in
      rats fed the glucose-enriched diet (122 +/- 1 to 134 +/- 2 mm Hg, P less than
      .02, compared to chow-fed rats). The increase in blood pressure was even greater
      in rats fed the sucrose-enriched diet (122 +/- 2 to 144 +/- 2), and was
      significantly greater (P less than .005) than in rats fed either conventional
      chow or the glucose-enriched diet. Plasma glucose concentrations did not change
      in any of the groups, but plasma insulin concentration approximately doubled in
      rats fed either the glucose-enriched or sucrose-enriched diets. Finally, plasma
      triglyceride concentrations also were significantly higher (P less than .002) in
      both glucose-fed and sucrose-fed rats than in the control group. However, the
      increase was greatest in the sucrose-fed rats, and was significantly higher than
      in rats fed the glucose-enriched diet (P less than .002).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873017
TI  - Importance of chloride in the development of salt-induced angiotensin II
      hypertension in rats.
AB  - This study attempted to evaluate the effect of anion associated with sodium
      loading on the development of angiotensin II (AII)-induced hypertension in rats.
      Hypertension was induced by intraperitoneal infusion of AII(125 ng/min) for 12
      days via miniosmotic pump (systolic blood pressure on day 12, 143 +/- 3 mm Hg).
      High dietary intake of sodium chloride significantly augmented the AII-induced
      hypertension (systolic blood pressure on day 12, 166 +/- 4 mm Hg), but equimolar
      sodium loading provided as sodium citrate failed to enhance AII hypertension
      (systolic blood pressure on day 12, 136 +/- 8 mm Hg). Thus, the data suggest that
      the full expression of salt (NaCl) sensitivity in AII hypertension depends on
      high dietary intake of both sodium and chloride.

PMID- 1873018
TI  - Plasma renin activity in renal transplant patients with hypertension.
AB  - Chronic renal allograft rejection (CR) is the major cause of graft loss after 1
      year following transplantation. Hypertension (HTN) and proteinuria (Up) are the
      hallmarks of this immunologic allograft response. Over 1 year, 23 patients
      posttransplantation and with HTN (diastolic greater than 95 mm Hg) were examined.
      Serial serum creatinine (Scr), Up, urine creatinine (Ucr), and resting and
      enalapril challenged (EC) plasma renin activity (PRA) were all determined. Renal
      artery stenosis was excluded by noninvasive imaging. Of the 23 patients, eight
      eventually lost their renal allografts, while 15 maintained satisfactory renal
      function (Scr less than 2.5). Results of this study show that: 1) worsening renal
      function (RF) increases EC reactivity; 2) the presence of proteinuria is not
      itself related to increase in EC activity; 3) renin before and after EC was
      higher (P = .06) in the allograft loss group. In this study, patients with high
      PRA represent the highest EC responses. Therefore, they display not macrovascular
      lesions, but microvascular intrarenal disease; this defect is most likely
      secondary to chronic immunologic insult.

PMID- 1873019
TI  - Response to the cold pressor test in normotensive and hypertensive patients.
AB  - The response to the cold pressor test (CPT) was studied in 49 normotensive (NT)
      and 73 patients with essential sustained hypertension (HT). Patients were
      classified as responders when they increased their systolic pressure (SBP) by at
      least 16 mm Hg or their diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by at least 12 mm Hg.
      Forty-seven out of seventy-three (64%) increased their mean blood pressure (MBP)
      by 18.6 +/- 1.4 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) in response to CPT. In NT subjects 23 out of
      49 (47%) were responders (MBP = 16.3 +/- 1.3 mm Hg). In NT, but not in HT,
      patients, a negative relationship was observed between MBP changes during CPT and
      age (P less than .001) or basal DBP (P less than .01). There was no relationship
      between blood pressure response and the presence of a family history of
      hypertension. A positive correlation was found in HT patients between basal
      levels of active renin (AR) in the upright position and MBP changes during CPT (P
      less than .001). Mean plasma AR was 24.2 +/- 3.5 pg/mL in nonresponders v 37.5 +/
      2.9 pg/mL in responders (P less than .001). In HT, but not in NT, patients,
      blood pressure changes were associated with a simultaneous increase in HR (P less
      than .01 between delta MBP and delta HR). These results suggest that blood
      pressure elevation during CPT is a very common reaction in young normotensive
      subjects especially in those that have the lowest mean blood pressure. Therefore
      it is unlikely that CPT may be used as a predictor test of future hypertension in
      this population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873020
TI  - Stability of ethnic differences in children's pressor responses during three
      annual examinations.
AB  - In this study, 395 healthy children had blood pressure and heart rate measured
      both at rest and during a stressful video game. Identical measurement procedures
      were used for three annual examinations. Consistently, black children
      demonstrated significantly greater pressor responses than white children. In view
      of the greater prevalence of hypertension among black adults than white adults,
      these data suggest that blacks exhibit hemodynamic irregularities well before the
      onset or diagnosis of hypertension.

PMID- 1873021
TI  - Association between disturbances in the immune system and hypertension.
AB  - For many decades evidence has been accumulating which implicates the immune
      system in the etiology and pathogenesis of hypertension. There appears to be a
      strong association between hypertension and immunologic dysfunction in humans and
      in rats. Patients with severe hypertension have significantly higher levels of
      serum IgG in comparison with normotensive controls. A positive correlation has
      been found between serum IgG levels and blood pressure in untreated essential
      hypertensive patients. In some studies it has been demonstrated that autoantibody
      levels are higher in both untreated and treated hypertensive patients than in
      normotensive control subjects. Furthermore, in the spontaneously hypertensive rat
      (SHR), several indices of immune system function have been shown to be depressed.
      There is also a significant correlation between immune intervention and
      antihypertensive effects. Short term administration of anti-rat thymocyte serum
      results in a significant decrease in the arterial pressure of the SHR. Chronic
      cyclophosphamide treatment prevents the progression of hypertension and
      significantly reduces its final level in the adult SHR. Neonatal thymic implants
      from normotensive donor rats delay the development of hypertension and
      significantly attenuate the level of the hypertensive state in the SHR. Also,
      thymectomy at an age of 4 weeks delays the development of hypertension in the
      SHR. The differences in the antihypertensive effectiveness of a variety of
      immunological manipulations in the SHR may be the result of their different
      levels of improvement on the severity of the autoimmune process in these rats.

PMID- 1873022
TI  - Reply to Vardan et al's "Importance of intraarterial blood pressure measurement
      in the evaluation of a new antihypertensive agent and the need to define
      hypertension also by this method".

PMID- 1873023
TI  - [Pharmacologic activity of 5-[(dialkylamino)alkyl]-8-chloro-3,5-dihydro-2
      methyl/phenyl-4H-pyrido[ 2,3-b][1,4]-diazepine-4-ones].
AB  - Some 5-[(dialkylamino)alkyl]-8-chloro-3,5-dihydro-2-methyl/phenyl-4H- pyrido[2,3
      b] [1,4]-diazepin-4-ones previously prepared, were subjected to pharmacological
      experimentation in order to verify variation in biological activity induced by
      introduction of chlorine on the pyridine nucleus and by replacement of pyridinic
      with a benzenic ring. The effect upon mice with regard to exploratory activity,
      motor coordination, spontaneous activity, analgesic activity was tested and their
      anti-stricnine, anti-cardiazole, anti-amphetamine and anti-reserpine activities
      were also evaluated. The activities of the texted compounds were compared with
      those already showed by the analogues unchlorinated derivatives (B) and by
      isosters benzodiazepinones (D).

PMID- 1873024
TI  - The in vivo distribution of the 99mTc-labelled albumin and gelatin microspheres
      of a tuberculostatic agent, rifampicin.
AB  - The preparation of albumin and gelatin microspheres with a tuberculostatic agent,
      rifampicin, was studied, and its in vivo distribution was investigated by
      providing its accumulation in the target organ lungs. The purpose of the study is
      to improve the effectiveness by injecting the microspheres intravenously with
      much smaller doses than normally required with generalized systemic
      administration, whilst reducing the systemic side effects. The emulsion
      polymerization method is applied in microsphere preparation, and glutaraldehyde
      is employed for albumin and formaldehyde for gelatin microspheres as the cross
      linking agents. Biodistribution was determined by intravenous administration of
      particles of 25 to 27 microns 99mTc-labelled microspheres to Swiss albino mice.
      The radioactivity of the lungs was compared with the radioactivity of the liver,
      spleen, kidney, stomach and heart at 10, 30 and 60 min, and 6 and 24 h post
      injection. The percentage accumulated was higher in the lungs than in the other
      organs for both albumin and gelatin microspheres, whereas free rifampicin
      accumulated mainly in the liver. To support the data of the in vivo distribution
      studies, the microspheres were histopathologically investigated after the
      intravenous injection to Swiss albino mice. After the microscopic determination
      of the lungs and liver, the spherical microspheres were observed after 10,30 and
      60 min, and 6 and 24 h post-injection.

PMID- 1873025
TI  - Mechanisms for diversity in gene expression patterns.
AB  - Despite the relatively low number of transcriptional regulatory proteins, the
      number of possible combinations that act in particular cell types at specific
      times and in response to appropriate extracellular stimuli is enormous. In
      considering the regulatory patterns of a particular gene, the critical
      determinants of diversity are the specific promoter sequences that govern the
      potential DNA-binding proteins which function either directly or indirectly in
      association with other proteins; constellations of proteins in the nucleus and
      their transcriptional activities; and synergistic or antagonistic protein-protein
      interactions. Although some of these regulatory principles operate in
      prokaryotes, the combinatorial nature of the transcriptional activation process,
      the existence of multiprotein families, and the prevalence of heteromeric protein
      complexes are characteristic of eukaryotic cells and are essential for the
      extraordinary complexity of gene expression patterns in multicellular organisms.

PMID- 1873026
TI  - Mechanisms of complex transcriptional regulation: implications for brain
      development.
AB  - The large number of transcription factors, their diverse sequence-specific
      interactions with DNA sites and with other transcription factors, and their
      ability to be modified in response to a variety of environmental cues and
      intracellular signals provide combinatorial codes for highly complex and yet
      highly organized patterns of gene expression likely to underlie the determination
      of diversity of neuronal phenotypes. Subtle differences in the combinations of
      transcription factors are likely to have profound consequences for cell
      phenotype, similar to the mechanism involved in the specification of cell types
      in yeast (reviewed in Herskowitz, 1989). Although our current understanding of
      transcriptional regulation in the brain comes largely from phenomenological
      studies, recent technical progress on two fronts promises a bright future.
      Homologous recombination technology in embryonic stem cells (reviewed in
      Capecchi, 1989; Rossant, 1990) allows the disruption of particular genes in
      transgenic mice and definition of the roles of identified transcription factors
      in mammalian neurogenesis. A second technological advance, targeted
      tumorigenesis, has provided neuronal model cell lines (Mellon et al., 1990;
      reviewed in Cepko, 1988; McKay et al., 1988) that mimic certain neuronal
      differentiation pathways. These combined genetic, cell biological, and
      biochemical approaches will greatly facilitate the study of neural development
      and function.

PMID- 1873027
TI  - DM-GRASP, a novel immunoglobulin superfamily axonal surface protein that supports
      neurite extension.
AB  - We have identified a 95 kd cell surface protein, DM-GRASP, that is expressed on a
      restricted population of axons. Its expression begins early in chick
      embryogenesis, and within the spinal cord it is localized to axons in the dorsal
      funiculus, midline floorplate cells, and motoneurons. Antibodies to DM-GRASP
      impair neurite extension on axons, and purified DM-GRASP supports neurite
      extension from chick sensory neurons. We have cloned and sequenced the cDNA
      corresponding to this protein and find that it is a new member of the
      immunoglobulin superfamily of adhesion molecules. Consequently we have named this
      protein DM-GRASP, since it is an immunoglobulin-like restricted axonal surface
      protein that is expressed in the dorsal funiculus and ventral midline of the
      chick spinal cord.

PMID- 1873028
TI  - Thrombospondin and a 140 kd fragment promote adhesion and neurite outgrowth from
      embryonic central and peripheral neurons and from PC12 cells.
AB  - The ability of thrombospondin (TSP), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, and
      two proteolytic fragments to support adhesion and neurite outgrowth from
      embryonic dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord neurons, and PC12 cells was examined.
      Anti-TSP antibodies or a synthetic peptide (GRGDS) containing an RGD cell-binding
      region was also added to cells plated on TSP. TSP and its 140 kd fragment were
      more efficient than laminin controls in supporting adhesion. Neurites formed on
      laminin, on varying concentrations of TSP, and particularly the 140 kd fragment.
      The amino-terminal heparin-binding domain supported little adhesion and
      outgrowth. Both adhesion and process outgrowth on TSP were inhibited by addition
      of anti-TSP antibodies, but not GRGDS.

PMID- 1873029
TI  - Ca(2+)-activated K+ currents underlying the afterhyperpolarization in guinea pig
      vagal neurons: a role for Ca(2+)-activated Ca2+ release.
AB  - We examined the possibility that Ca2+ released from intracellular stores could
      activate K+ currents underlying the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) in neurons. In
      neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, the current underlying the AHP
      had two components: a rapidly decaying component that was maximal following the
      action potential (GkCa,1) and a slower component that had a distinct rising phase
      (GkCa,2). Both components required influx of extracellular Ca2+ for their
      activation, and neither was blocked by extracellular TEA (10 mM). GkCa,1 was
      selectively blocked by apamin, whereas GkCa,2 was selectively reduced by
      noradrenaline. The time course of GkCa,2 was markedly temperature sensitive.
      GkCa,2 was selectively blocked by application of ryanodine or sodium dantrolene,
      or by loading cells with ruthenium red. These results suggest that influx of Ca2+
      directly gates one class of K+ channels and leads to release of Ca2+ from
      intracellular stores, which activates a different class of K+ channel.

PMID- 1873030
TI  - Detection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-like activity in fibroblasts and
      Schwann cells: inhibition by antibodies to NGF.
AB  - mRNA coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been detected in
      cultured L929 fibroblasts, rat dermal fibroblasts, and sciatic nerve Schwann
      cells, as well as in rat skin. Medium conditioned by cultured fibroblasts and
      Schwann cells also stimulates neurite growth from retinal explants and promotes
      the survival in culture of BDNF-responsive sensory neurons; biological activity
      is abolished by antibodies raised against NGF. These results suggest that
      molecules with BDNF-like activity may be produced by cells in the peripheral
      nervous system and that the BDNF-like activity in fibroblasts and Schwann cells
      is derived from molecules immunologically related to NGF. In support of this
      concept, antibodies against NGF have been found to reduce the biological activity
      of recombinant BDNF in culture and to cross-react with BDNF on Western blots.

PMID- 1873031
TI  - Elimination of a brain tract increases errors in pathfinding by follower growth
      cones in the zebrafish embryo.
AB  - The early zebrafish brain contains a simple axon scaffold of longitudinal tracts
      connected by commissures. Neurons in the nucleus of the posterior commissure (nuc
      PC) project growth cones along a specific route in this axonal scaffold, raising
      the possibility that specific axons in the early scaffold guide nuc PC growth
      cones. We tested this possibility by analyzing the behavior of nuc PC growth
      cones in embryos in which a portion of the scaffold, normally traversed by nuc PC
      growth cones, was surgically prevented from forming. Under these conditions nuc
      PC growth cones extended along both normal and aberrant pathways. This suggests
      that specific axons do provide guidance cues, since their removal leads to
      errors. However, these cues are not obligatory, since some growth cones still
      followed normal pathways.

PMID- 1873032
TI  - Hydrophobic substitution mutations in the S4 sequence alter voltage-dependent
      gating in Shaker K+ channels.
AB  - Voltage-activated Na+, Ca2+, and K+ channels contain a common motif, the S4
      sequence, characterized by a basic residue at every third position interspersed
      mainly with hydrophobic residues. The S4 sequence is proposed to function as the
      voltage sensor and to move in response to membrane depolarization, triggering
      conformational changes that open the channel. This hypothesis has been tested in
      previous studies which revealed that mutations of the S4 basic residues often
      shift the curve of voltage dependence of activation along the voltage axis. We
      find that comparable or larger shifts are caused by conservative substitutions of
      hydrophobic residues in the S4 sequence of the Shaker K+ channel. We suggest that
      the S4 structure plays an essential role in determining the relative stabilities
      of the closed and open states of the channel.

PMID- 1873033
TI  - The growth inhibitory factor that is deficient in the Alzheimer's disease brain
      is a 68 amino acid metallothionein-like protein.
AB  - We have purified and characterized the growth inhibitory factor (GIF) that is
      abundant in the normal human brain, but greatly reduced in the Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) brain. GIF inhibited survival and neurite formation of cortical
      neurons in vitro. Purified GIF is a 68 amino acid small protein, and its amino
      acid sequence is 70% identical to that of human metallothionein II with a 1 amino
      acid insert and a unique 6 amino acid insert in the NH2-terminal and the COOH
      terminal portions, respectively. The antibodies to the unique sequence of GIF
      revealed a distinct subset of astrocytes in the gray matter that appears to be
      closely associated with neuronal perikarya and dendrites. In the AD cortex, the
      number of GIF-positive astrocytes was drastically reduced, suggesting that GIF is
      down-regulated in the subset of astrocytes during AD.

PMID- 1873034
TI  - One stage repair of aortic arch anomalies and intracardiac defects.
AB  - Between August 1985 and May 1990, 27 neonates and infants underwent combined
      correction of intracardiac and aortic arch anomalies through a median sternotomy.
      Coarctation (CoA) was combined with VSD (6), AVSD (2), Taussig-Bing (TB) heart
      (5), transposition of the great arteries (TGA) (1), TGA + VSD (2), congenitally
      corrected TGA + VSD (1) and VSD + myxoid stenotic outlet valves (1). Interrupted
      aortic arch (IAA) was combined with VSD (10) and TB heart (1). Two patients had
      IAA type B as well as CoA. Age at operation varied from 2 to 243 days with a mean
      age of 51 days. Twenty patients (70%) were younger than 30 days. One TGA + VSD
      and all TB hearts had maligned outlet septum and right ventricular outflow tract
      obstruction (RVOTO). Posterior outlet septum deviation and left ventricular
      outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) occurred in 8 patients with malalignment VSD
      and IAA (7) or CoA (1). Aortic arch reconstruction was performed using extended
      end-to-end anastomoses. In 3 patients, arch hypoplasia necessitated patch
      implantation. VSDs were closed through the right atrium unless the anatomy
      dictated otherwise. One TB heart was reconstructed with a Kawashima procedure.
      All other TB hearts and all TGAs were corrected with arterial switch operation.
      Obstructing outlet septum was resected whenever necessary. Follow-up was complete
      and included echo-Doppler control. Eleven patients had postoperative heart
      catheterisation. Early mortality was 18.5% (5 patients). Persisting LVOTO or
      RVOTO was responsible. There was no late mortality. Five patients were reoperated
      upon: 3 for stenotic anastomoses and 2 for a subaortic membranous stenosis.
      Successful balloon dilatation of recoarctation was performed four times.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873035
TI  - Optimal exposure of the mitral valve through an extended vertical transeptal
      approach.
AB  - The mitral valve was approached through a vertical transeptal incision extended
      into the roof of the left atrium in 111 patients. Good exposure was invariably
      provided even in unfavorable situations such as a small left atrium combined with
      right ventricular hypertrophy or a previously implanted aortic prosthesis. The
      only hospital death in the entire series was not related to this approach to the
      mitral valve. Due to breakage of the suture in the roof of the left atrium and to
      incomplete reconstruction of the atrial septum resulting in a large left-to-right
      shunt, 2 patients required reinstitution of cardiopulmonary bypass. Both had a
      smooth postoperative course. Other intra- or postoperative complications related
      to the incision did not occur. Duration of cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic
      occlusion was not significantly different from that of patients operated upon
      through the conventional left atrial approach in the year preceding the
      experience embraced by this study. Only 3 of 52 patients who were preoperatively
      in sinus rhythm were discharged in atrial fibrillation. Enhanced atrial
      vulnerability was demonstrated preoperatively in all 3. These data support a wide
      application of the extended vertical transeptal approach in mitral valve surgery.

PMID- 1873036
TI  - Coumarin anticoagulation during pregnancy in patients with mechanical valve
      prostheses.
AB  - Between January 1987 and December 1989, 20 female patients with one mechanical
      valve prosthesis (MVP) for at least 1 year postoperatively were studied while on
      coumarin therapy for the full length of pregnancy. In each case, caesarean
      section was scheduled for the 38th week. Patients were selected according to the
      following criteria: (1) prothrombin ratios remaining within the therapeutic range
      for more than 85% of their total estimations in the previous 12 months with mean
      daily doses of warfarin less than 5 mg; (2) stable cardiac status; (3) no
      previous obstetric diseases and (4) full acceptance of the risks involved in the
      protocol. The patients were in NYHA functional class I or II. Their ages ranged
      from 23 to 31 years (mean 26 +/- 3). Ten patients had a mitral prosthesis and 10
      an aortic prosthesis. Among the 20 mechanical valve prostheses, 10 were Sorin, 6
      Starr-Edwards, 2 Bjork-Shiley, and 2 Lillehei-Kaster. Eighteen patients were in
      sinus rythm, 1 in chronic atrial fibrillation, and 1 had a permanent endocardial
      pacemaker. Nineteen were delivered by caesarean section: warfarin was withdrawn
      48 h before surgery and resumed 24 h thereafter. One patient had premature
      spontaneous delivery at 36 weeks. The mean prothrombin ratio measured weekly in
      the 20 patients was 2.06 +/- 0.45 INR, using a mean daily warfarin dose of 4.1 mg
      +/- 1.63. The mean value of the prothrombin ratio during caesarean section for
      the 19 patients was 1.23 +/- 0.38 INR. In the 20 live births, the mean birth
      weight was 2.9 kg +/- 0.40.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873037
TI  - Right ventricular dynamic cardiomyoplasty: an experimental model.
AB  - The effectiveness of dynamic cardiomyoplasty as a means of haemodynamic support
      in heart failure remains controversial. We have undertaken a study of right
      ventricular dynamic cardiomyoplasty in sheep using intravenous propranolol to
      provoke heart failure. Muscle conditioning was performed with
      cardiomyostimulators following a previously established protocol. We performed
      multiple invasive measurements of haemodynamic parameters including arterial
      blood pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary artery capillary wedge pressure, right
      ventricular dp/dt and end diastolic pressures. These were performed before
      induction of heart failure, after induction of heart failure, and with pacing of
      the cardiomyoplasty flap in established heart failure. Our results confirm that
      we were able to establish significant heart failure and that subsequent pacing of
      the conditioned muscle flap was able to return cardiac output and right
      ventricular function to their pre-failure control levels.

PMID- 1873038
TI  - Implantable cardioverter/defibrillators (ICD): a new lead-system using
      transvenous-subcutaneous approach in patients with prior cardiac surgery.
AB  - The current approach in cardioverter-defibrillator implantation requires
      placement of epicardial leads which may lead to pericardial and/or pleural
      effusion and pneumonia during the perioperative period. Although ICD implantation
      is less invasive than other surgical techniques for the treatment of rhythm
      disturbances, the perioperative mortality must be considered. Minimizing the
      operative procedure could lead to a reduction in perioperative mortality.
      Therefore, we investigated an approach without the need for thoracotomy using a
      transvenous/subcutaneous lead system. In nine patients with prior cardiac
      surgery, defibrillator implantation was performed by a transvenous/subcutaneous
      approach. There was no perioperative mortality. In all patients, a sufficient
      defibrillation threshold was achieved. The defibrillation pulses were delivered
      as two sequential pulses between a right ventricular electrode (cathode) and a
      coronary sinus or superior caval vein electrode (anode 1) and a subcutaneous
      patch electrode (anode 2). Intubation of the coronary sinus was necessary in 4
      patients in order to obtain satisfactory defibrillation thresholds. These data
      demonstrate that a transvenous/subcutaneous approach is feasible in patients with
      prior cardiac surgery obviating the need for thoracotomy. Sensing function of the
      RV-electrode, intubation of the coronary sinus and the intraoperative use of an
      epicutaneous patch electrode are current problems of this new technique.

PMID- 1873039
TI  - Actuarial survival and other events following valve surgery in octogenarians:
      comparison with an age-, sex-, and race-matched population.
AB  - From January 1973 to December 1989, 54 patients over 80 years of age underwent an
      intracardiac repair which included a cardiac valve operation. There were 21 males
      and 33 females. Mean age at operation was 82 years, range 80-89 years. Fifty-two
      patients (96%) were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV
      preoperatively. Six patients had undergone previous valve surgery (11%). There
      were eight hospital deaths (14.8%). Risk factors for hospital death included
      older age at repair (p = 0.008), increased total cardiopulmonary bypass time (p =
      0.06), and, possibly, smaller aortic valve prosthesis (p = 0.10). All 46 hospital
      survivors were followed up at a mean of 28.8 months after hospital discharge.
      There were 11 late deaths (23.9%), occurring at a mean of 32.3 months
      postoperatively. Survival analysis indicated that increased age (p = 0.06) and
      increased pulmonary artery diastolic pressure preoperatively (p less than 0.07)
      were multivariate risk factors for overall mortality. Actuarial survival at 5
      years was 44%, with no difference from survival in an age-, sex-, and race
      matched population. We conclude that octogenarians in the modern era have good
      chance for survival following valvular surgery. As hazards for full
      anticoagulation were low in this series, if valve repair is not feasible, we
      presently recommend the use of mechanical valves in the elderly to reduce the
      requirement for late reoperation due to bioprosthesis degeneration.

PMID- 1873040
TI  - PTCA of the left main stem following protective coronary artery bypass grafting.
AB  - Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed in 14
      patients with significant left main stem stenosis following protective coronary
      artery bypass grafting (CABG). The procedure was successful in 13/14 patients
      (93%), achieving a decrease in mean diameter stenosis from 74% +/- 7% to 31% +/-
      12% (P less than 0.01). Accordingly, the absolute stenosis diameter increased
      from 0.9 mm +/- 0.3 mm to 2.4 mm +/- 0.5 mm (P less than 0.01). Dissection of the
      left main stem artery and a transient significant fall of blood pressure each
      occurred in one patient. No other serious complications were noted. Eight of 13
      patients (62%) with successful PTCA underwent control angiography. Restenosis had
      occurred in 3 of 8 patients (38%) with total occlusion of the left main stem in 1
      patient. All bypass grafts were found to be patent at follow-up. Clinical
      evaluation in all 14 patients revealed no serious events (death, myocardial
      infarction, repeat revascularization procedure) during a mean follow-up period of
      27 months (range 6-39 months). PTCA of the left main stem following CABG can be
      considered a relatively safe and effective procedure with a marked restenosis
      rate but beyond that, an uncomplicated long-term follow-up.

PMID- 1873041
TI  - Mechanical left ventricular support as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in
      childhood.
AB  - The mechanical extrathoracic "Berlin Heart" cardiac assist device was used for
      left ventricular support in an 8-year-old child of 27 kg body weight. Terminal
      left ventricular failure and life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias in
      this child were sequelae of coarctation of the aorta, aortic stenosis and
      resultant severe left ventricular dilatation, hypokinesia and fibrosis. With the
      assist device, cardiogenic shock could be reversed. The child was extubated and
      mobilized during an 8-day waiting period for orthotopic heart transplantation.
      This case illustrates that the use of ventricular assist devices can be
      successfully extended to children and may be advantageous compared to other
      techniques of mechanical circulatory support, such as balloon pumping or
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

PMID- 1873042
TI  - Simultaneous pneumonectomy and esophagectomy for bronchial carcinoma.
AB  - Two cases of bronchial carcinoma with oesophageal involvement are presented. Both
      were treated by simultaneous pneumonectomy and oesophagectomy. The postoperative
      course of each patient was complicated by secondary infection of the
      pneumonectomy space. One patient expired from a recurrent intratracheal tumour on
      the 83rd postoperative day and the other remains tumour free 3 years after
      treatment. As few therapeutic alternatives exist for non small cell bronchial
      carcinoma, primary radical surgical treatment should be considered, even in
      advanced cases where the tumour invades the oesophagus.

PMID- 1873043
TI  - [Anticoagulation and valvular heart disease].

PMID- 1873044
TI  - [Epidemiology and clinical evolutionary aspects of multiple sclerosis in
      Navarra].
AB  - In the present study 84 patients with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis were
      identified as living in Navarra on the date of prevalence (December 31, 1986).
      The raw yearly incidence rate was 0.49/100000, which is similar to that in
      Mediterranean countries. A significant increase of this rate was found between
      1951 and 1986, which was interpreted as a consequence of higher economic status
      and/or progressive industrialization. The raw prevalence rate was 16.4/100000 and
      age-specific prevalence was 26.5. Therefore, Navarra is a medium risk area for
      MS. Mean age at onset was 29.3 years, with a significant female predominance. In
      addition, MS presented earlier in females. The relationship between MS and
      latitude of the residence area was confirmed. The most common presenting symptoms
      were motor (paresia) and sensory (paresthesia). Cerebrospinal fluid was abnormal
      in 86.5% of patients, evoked potentials (mostly visual) in 85.9%, and magnetic
      resonance in 100%. Demyelinizing signs were detected with CT in 29.4% of
      patients. The diagnostic criteria of the Boston University Workshop were highly
      reliable. The most common evolutive pattern was the pure remitting one. The mean
      degree of disability was 3.6 in Kurtzke's scale. The evolutive form and the
      duration of the disease were identified as predictive of disability. 43.5% of
      benign forms and 13.1% of late onset forms were identified.

PMID- 1873045
TI  - [Cellular transplants for Parkinson's disease].
AB  - In rats with a lesion of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway induced by 6
      hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), the histologic and functional viability of the striatal
      implant of fetal mesencephalic substantia nigra has been demonstrated. In the
      same model, the implant of adrenal medulla is also effective but less lasting. In
      monkeys with parkinsonism induced by MPTP there are suggestions of effectiveness
      of the fetal mesencephalic implant and also of other tissues such as placenta and
      sympathetic ganglion or sural nerve. Now the possibility of a better functional
      recovery by acting on the neuronal growth factors is being evaluated. In patients
      with Parkinson's disease, the accumulated experience indicates that 32% are
      improved with adrenal medulla implant, but the best candidates are those who also
      benefit from the available drug therapy without the risks of surgery. The implant
      of fetal tissue has been carried out in about 90 patients, with very variable
      results. In the most thoroughly investigated patients the improvement has been
      moderate. The future research points to the identification of the factors that
      control and regulate striatal reinnervation and the use of genetically determined
      cells. That would permit a more precise reposition of the biochemical deficiency
      in Parkinson's disease, without the ethical and practical problems derived from
      the use of fetal tissue.

PMID- 1873046
TI  - [The centenary of lumbar puncture].

PMID- 1873047
TI  - [Dysphagia as the sole manifestation of Arnold-Chiari malformation in adults].

PMID- 1873048
TI  - [Internuclear ophthalmoplegia in giant cell arteritis].

PMID- 1873049
TI  - [Ante mortem diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignani disease. Chronic demyelinating
      form].

PMID- 1873050
TI  - [Mortality patterns of children with epilepsies in a children's medical center].
AB  - Two hundred and thirty-seven children have died who were seen in the Division of
      Neurology, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center from 1975 to 1989. They
      corresponded to about 11% of the total death in the hospital. A total of 128
      cases of 237 deaths (54.0%) were suffering from epilepsies, most of whom were
      also complicated with other CNS disorders. The causes of death were pneumonia,
      respiratory failure and suffocation in 60%, whereas status epilepticus or
      convulsions only in 14%. About 40% of victims died at home or in an emergency
      room without effective resuscitation. Mortality was considered high in infantile
      spasms (16 out of 146, 11%) and in severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (4 out of
      8, 50%). It was note worthy that 3 cases of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy
      died of status epilepticus and 2 died at home. Sixteen cases whose chief problems
      were partial epilepsies and severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy, died of status
      epilepticus in 10 cases, convulsions after tonsillectomy, etc. Causes of death of
      these 16 cases were related to convulsions except in two cases whose causes were
      pneumonia in one and unknown in the other. About a half of them (7 cases) died at
      home. Adequate managements appeared necessary to prevent accidental deaths of
      children with epilepsies.

PMID- 1873051
TI  - [Myelination in very low birth weight infants--evaluation by MRI].
AB  - The prognostic significance of cerebral myelination was evaluated with magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) in very low birth weight infants. Myelination was graded
      in two specified sites, optic radiation and corpus callosum, based on the stages
      of normal term babies and healthy premature infants. The subjects were 30 preterm
      infants weighing less than 1,500 gm at birth. MRI was performed at 4 to 7 months
      (corrected age). The normal myelination stage was seen in 18 cases, while a
      delayed stage was noticed in 12 cases. In the normal myelination group, only 1
      case (6%) had handicaps. In the delayed myelination group, 8 cases (67%) had
      handicaps. Our results showed that delayed myelination was closely related to a
      poor prognosis. We believe that MRI would be a very good imaging modality for
      predicting the outcome of very low birth weight infants, particularly in terms of
      evaluation of myelination.

PMID- 1873052
TI  - [The comparison of motor developmental processes between spastic diplegic
      children and athetotic children who have been treated since infancy].
AB  - We studied the correlation between motor developmental processes and prognosis of
      locomotion at the age of 4 years, among 15 spastic diplegic children (S) and 21
      athetotic children (A), who started treatment under 1 year of age. The children
      of each type were divided into two groups according to the ability of locomotion
      at the age of 4 years; S- I: 6 walkers, S- II: 9 crawler, A- I: 11 walkers and A-
      II: 10 crawler. We compared the average corrected ages when the subjects attained
      the abilities to roll over, creep, sit with hands, crawl, sit up, cruise with
      support, stand up, and walk alone, and made a statistical analysis by t test
      among 4 groups. Also we compared the cumulative frequency percentages for the
      ages about the locomotion mentioned above. The S- I group attained all of the
      abilities of locomotion significantly earlier than the S- II group. The A- I
      group could crawl and sit up significantly earlier than the S- II group. The A- I
      group could crawl and sit up significantly earlier than the A- II group. The S- I
      group began to creep and sit with hands significantly earlier than the A- I
      group. We found no significant differences between the S- II group and the A- II
      group in motor developmental processes. These studies revealed that it would be
      possible to expect the prognosis of ambulation at the age of 4 years according to
      the early motor developmental processes among the spastic diplegic
      children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873053
TI  - [The relation between one-sided occipital flattening and laterality of rolling
      over].
AB  - The rolling-over of the body is one of the developmental mile-stones. Several
      infants have the laterality of rolling-over in early state and the dominant side
      in later state. The abilateral occipital flattening is thought to be caused by
      head positioning in the neonatal period and early infancy. Asymmetrical
      development of rolling-over was studied in relation with head positioning,
      relating skull occipital flattening. We examined 2919 infants aged 7 months with
      the questionnaire about the side of skull occipital flattening and the initial
      turning side of rolling-over. 1975 infants had the dominant side of rolling-over;
      the left side 45.4%, and the right side 47.7%. 761 infants had one-sided
      occipital flattening; left-side 41.3%, and right-side 54.8%, 520 infants had
      dominant-sided rolling-over accompanied with one-sided occipital flattening. The
      positive relationship between the side of rolling-over and the side of occipital
      flattening could not be proved by chi-square statistical analysis. These findings
      suggest that laterality of rolling-over, one of asymmetrical motor developments
      is not related to the head positioning in early infancy.

PMID- 1873054
TI  - [Sequential MRI in two cases with periventricular leukomalacia].
AB  - We investigated two children with cystic periventricular leukomalacia, which we
      had detected by ultrasonography (US) during the neonatal period, with magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain at 4, 9, and 15 or 19 corrected months of
      age. Both inversion-recovery (IR) and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) sequences were
      used for this study. We observed cysts involving the periventricular white matter
      at the region adjacent to bilateral frontal horns in case 1 and adjacent to the
      posterior horns of the lateral ventricles in case 2. MRI at 4 months showed the
      irregularity of the ventricular wall and delayed myelination, compared to that of
      an age-matched control. The T2-weighted SE and IR imaging at 9 months
      demonstrated abnormally increased signal in the white matter. These findings were
      more evident at the 3rd MRI examination. The location of end-stage
      periventricular leukomalacia lesions were consistent with the distribution of
      cystic lesions seen on US. MRI at sagittal sections was useful for the detection
      of main periventricular leukomalacia lesions. A possibility exists that MRI might
      be useful in detecting subtle lesions of periventricular leukomalacia in which we
      cannot find by US.

PMID- 1873055
TI  - [Four cases of Cockayne syndrome].
AB  - The evaluation of four patients with Cockayne syndrome (CS) by computed
      tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is reported. All patients
      had characteristic clinical manifestations of CS. In a special respect, we found
      hyperopia in two patients and previous habitual abortions in two maternal
      histories. Extrapyramidal signs were seen in one patient. Three patients are type
      1 CS (case 1, 3, 4) and one patient (case 2) is type 2 CS (congenital form). The
      cranial CT in two patients (case 1, 2) revealed prominent calcifications in basal
      ganglia, dentate nucleus and hemispheric white matter. While CT showed vagal
      calcifications in basal ganglia in other two patients (case 3, 4), T2-weighted
      MRI revealed obvious low intensity area in putamen and caudate nucleus, and high
      intensity area in the white matter. Sagittal section revealed atrophic changes of
      cerebellar vermis and brain stem. Thus it seems that MRI may be useful diagnostic
      adjunct in CS patients.

PMID- 1873056
TI  - [A two-year-old clinically manifesting carrier of Duchenne muscular dystrophy].
AB  - A two-year-old symptomatic carrier of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) confirmed
      by dystrophin immunohistochemical study was reported. She had mild proximal
      muscular weakness and elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) level. There were no
      family members of DMD. CT examination revealed low density areas in the muscles
      similar to that seen in the early stage of DMD. Biopsied specimen of muscle
      showed myopathic changes with necrotic and regenerating fibers. The
      immunohistochemical study using an antiserum against dystrophin showed the mosaic
      expression of the surface membrane, with positive and negative patches.
      Accordingly, she was strongly suggested to be a DMD carrier. This case shows that
      dystrophin immunohistochemistry is useful for diagnosis of a DMD carrier without
      affected family members.

PMID- 1873057
TI  - [Hypothalamic GH Deficiency and gelastic seizures in a 10-year-old girl with
      MELAS].
AB  - A case of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like
      episodes, in which a pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion deficiency of
      hypothalamic origin was revealed through neuro-endocrinological examinations, was
      described. The case was a 10-year-old girl, who had been suffering from
      generalized tonic seizures since age 5, four episodes of alternating hemiplegia
      since age 6, stunted growth since age 7, and simple partial motor seizures as
      well as gelastic seizures since age 8. Marked elevation of lactate and pyruvate
      in both serum and CSF, abundant ragged red fibers in biopsied muscle, and low
      density areas in the left occipital lobe and bilateral globus pallidus in
      addition to diffuse brain atrophy on CT scan and MRI of the head were
      demonstrated, although the activities of muscle enzymes complex I-IV were within
      normal ranges. Pituitary GH secretion was deficient under the loadings with
      insulin, L-DOPA, sleep, and a single growth hormone releasing factor (GRF)
      administration, but normal GH response was registered under the repetitive
      stimulation with GRF. Activities of other hormonal axes were normal. It is likely
      that short stature commonly observed in MELAS patients is due to hypothalamic
      dysfunction, which might be brought out by chronic ischemia and energy deficiency
      of the diencephalon based upon mitochondrial abnormality of that region. It is
      likely that gelastic seizure in this case is due to hypothalamic dysfunction.

PMID- 1873058
TI  - [Diagnosis of abortive form of Sturge-Weber syndrome by Gd-DTPA MRI].

PMID- 1873059
TI  - [Onset period and prognosis of epilepsy in patients with perinatal or early
      infantile brain damage].

PMID- 1873060
TI  - [Adrenoleukodystrophy with high signal intensity areas in the pyramidal tract
      from internal capsule to the brain stem and spinal cord in MRI (long TR)].

PMID- 1873061
TI  - [Efficacy and problem in performing PET study using 15O2 steady state
      inhalational technique in children].

PMID- 1873062
TI  - Total etch--the rational dentin bonding protocol.
AB  - Phosphoric acid etching of dentin is critically reexamined in view of current
      adhesive resin development. Research and clinical experience both suggest that
      "total etch," the simultaneous etching of dentin and enamel, is a rational
      protocol with many modern adhesive resins.

PMID- 1873063
TI  - Evaluation of a 4-META porcelain repair system.
AB  - A recently introduced porcelain repair system utilizing 4-META (Etch-Free Primer
      with C & B-Metabond) was evaluated for bond strength to porcelain. This system
      purportedly eliminates hydrofluoric acid-etching and silane pretreatment. Forty
      porcelain specimens were prepared and treated with the 4-META repair system. A
      resin cylinder was bonded to the treated porcelain surface. Twenty of the
      specimens were tested after 24 hours while the other 20 were tested after
      thermocycling (800 cycles at 6 degrees C to 60 degrees C). The mean bond
      strengths were: 24 hours 17.4 MPa (+/- 4.8), thermocycled 19.1 MPa (+/- 7).
      Cohesive failure of the porcelain occurred in all of the specimens, both the 24
      hour and the thermocycled. These bond strengths compare favorably with or exceed
      those of other porcelain repair systems tested in other studies.

PMID- 1873064
TI  - Abfractions: a new classification of hard tissue lesions of teeth.
AB  - Due to the stresses resulting from biomechanical loading forces exerted on the
      teeth (static, as in swallowing and clenching or cyclic, as in chewing), both
      enamel and dentin can chip or break away. This loss of tooth substance, which
      shall be termed Abfraction, is dependent on the magnitude, duration, direction,
      frequency, and location of the forces. These abfractive lesions are caused by
      flexure and ultimate material fatigue of susceptible teeth at locations away from
      the point of loading. Clinical observation of a variety of enamel and dentin
      lesions due to the shapes, sizes, loci, and frequency warrants a new and distinct
      classification.

PMID- 1873065
TI  - Effect of two cavity designs on root surface marginal microleakage.
AB  - Current methods for bonding composite resins rely upon the etching of enamel to
      attain a bond that is strong enough to resist polymerization shrinkage and
      decrease the amount of marginal microleakage. Previously, modification of cavity
      designs have been evaluated that have enhanced retention. However, all these
      cavity designs have utilized methods to increase the surface area of enamel to
      bond thus resulting in a stronger enamel bond. This in vitro study evaluated the
      effect of one cavity design modification when the restoration is placed entirely
      on cemental surfaces and relied on only cementum and dentin.

PMID- 1873066
TI  - Clinical technique for an in-office porcelain modification.
AB  - All porcelain restorations, especially intra- and extracoronal restorations, have
      become an accepted treatment modality for the esthetic restoration of posterior
      teeth. One problem with these restorations is the limited ability to modify the
      porcelain when a proximal contact is not present or there is an open margin.
      Using a low-fusing porcelain in a glazing oven, practitioners can easily
      accomplish such modifications during the try-in and cementation appointment for
      porcelain inlays. This technique eliminates the need for returning the porcelain
      inlay to the laboratory for modification and a second patient visit to complete
      the restoration. This paper describes an in-office procedure for modifying
      porcelain restorations and a scanning electron micrographic evaluation of the
      etched porcelain surface after using this modification technique.

PMID- 1873067
TI  - Creating the appearance of white enamel dysmineralization with bonded resins.
AB  - In special cases, white enamel discoloration can be stimulated using bonded resin
      materials. This paper describes a method of using bright white visible light
      polymerized resin sealant material as an enamel bonding agent, which is overlayed
      with composite resin to enhance wear resistance of the restoration.

PMID- 1873068
TI  - Esthetic improvement of "white spot" enamel stains.

PMID- 1873069
TI  - Smooth surface glass ionomer restoration for primary teeth.
AB  - Glass ionomer restorative cement offers the clinician an alternative to bonded
      composite resin for restoration of certain lesions in primary teeth. This article
      details a step-by-step procedure for restoration of a smooth surface carious
      lesion in a primary incisor using an encapsulated glass ionomer restorative
      material and reviews advantages and limitations of the cement. A light-hardened
      glass ionomer liner/base that has proven useful as an enamel and dentin
      restorative is also described.

PMID- 1873070
TI  - Evaluation of a 4-META adhesive cement.
AB  - This study investigated the shear bond strength of a new 4-META adhesive cement
      (C & B-Metabond) to dentin and Ni-Cr-Be alloy (Rexillium III). Fifteen human
      molar teeth had dentin bonding sites prepared by grinding away the enamel on a
      water-cooled abrasive wheel to a 600 grit. Fifteen metal alloy specimens were
      cast, ground to a 600 grit, and air abraded with 50 micron alumina. The 4-META
      cement was applied to the dentin and metal in accordance with the manufacturer's
      instructions. After 24 hours in water at 37 degrees C, the shear bond strengths
      were recorded. The mean bond strength to dentin and the metal alloy was 20.1
      megapascals.

PMID- 1873071
TI  - Ultrastructural characteristics of lymphokine-activated killer cells of the rat
      in comparison with natural killer cells.
AB  - Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells with a broad spectrum of tumor cell
      killing have been reported to be related to natural killer (NK) cells
      morphologically and phenotypically. We here examine the ultrastructural
      characteristics of LAK cells of the rat, comparing them to those of normal and OK
      432-activated NK cells. Results show that, five days after the culturing of
      spleen lymphocytes with human recombinant interleukin-2, there were induced LAK
      cells, which were large granular lymphocytes and had a cytotoxic capacity against
      NK-resistant P-815 tumor cells. They were larger in size than NK cells and richer
      in cell organelles such as ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum, a Golgi
      apparatus, granules and vesicles. The granules of LAK cells were shown to be
      related to multivesicular bodies as those of NK cells; they included
      multivesicular bodies, fully dense granules and intermediate forms between them.
      The average numbers and sizes of the granules and the proportion of
      multivesicular bodies and intermediate forms among the total granules were
      greater in LAK cells than in NK cells. The density of the small vesicles packed
      in multivesicular bodies and intermediate forms was much higher in LAK cells. At
      the contacting surface of the LAK cells bound to the target cells, exocytosis of
      multivesicular bodies was shown to occur. We recognized here two populations of
      LAK cells with different types of vesicles, one containing rod-cored vesicles and
      the other a new type of vesicles termed "demilune-cored vesicles". The latter
      vesicles were the same in size as the rod-cored ones and contained a dense core
      located eccentrically. Between these two populations of LAK cells, there was no
      difference concerning the profile of the dense granules. The present study
      indicates that, although LAK and NK cells share several ultrastructural features,
      the former show markedly enriched cell organelles, which indicate an accelerated
      metabolism of the cell for continuous proliferation.

PMID- 1873072
TI  - Three-dimensional organization of the collagen fibrillar framework in the rat
      adrenal gland.
AB  - The three-dimensional organization of the collagen fibrillar framework in the rat
      adrenal gland was studied using an alkali-water maceration method and scanning
      electron microscopy. The structure thus obtained was a continuum of collagen
      fibril plexuses extending through the adrenal capsule, cortex and medulla. The
      capsule consisted of finely meshed collagen fibril sheaths and layered, coarsely
      meshed plexuses of bundles of collagen fibrils. In the cortex, the channels of
      cortical capillaries were surrounded by thin sheaths of collagen fibrils. Many
      slender bundles of collagen fibrils extended from these sheaths into
      intercellular spaces and interconnected adjacent pericapillary sheaths. The
      collagen fibril sheath tubes precisely reflected the cortical blood vascular
      architecture; thus the three cortical zones--zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata
      and zona reticularis--were also clearly remarked. In the medulla, collagen
      fibrils were interwoven into more tightly meshed sheaths around the peripheral
      radicles and venous tributaries of the central veins. Basket-like collagen fibril
      sheaths divided the spaces among these tree-like perivascular collagen fibril
      sheath tubes into round compartments which, in intact tissues, contained
      chromaffin cell nodules and nervous elements. Small tube-like spaces for housing
      the medullary capillaries were located in the interstices of contiguous collagen
      fibril baskets. Besides supporting the organization of the gland, the collagen
      fibrillar framework in the adrenal gland is believed to play important roles in
      providing three-dimensionally elaborated extravascular spaces for the diffusion
      of metabolites and physiological messengers, including hormones.

PMID- 1873073
TI  - The ultrastructure of human cumulus-corona cells at the time of fertilization and
      early embryogenesis. A scanning and transmission electron microscopic study in an
      in vitro fertilization program.
AB  - We observed the ultrastructure of the cumulus-corona cells (CC cells)
      surrounding: 1) human preovulatory oocytes unfertilized after in vitro
      insemination and 2) in vitro-fertilized polypronuclear ova (PO) at the pronuclear
      stage (3 pronuclei) and during early cleavage, at the 3-8 cell stage (cleaving
      PO). All the samples were obtained from women who underwent pharmacological
      hormonal stimulation during in vitro-fertilization procedures. Both cell groups
      were composed of irregularly rounded CC cells, showing an oval nucleus with one
      or more reticular nucleoli. Spermatozoa in close contact with CC cells were also
      seen. Linear and annular gap junctions between neighbouring cells were present,
      particularly in Group 1. Lipid droplets were present in both groups, appearing
      slightly more numerous and electron-dense in Group 2. In Group 1, mitochondria
      were numerous, polymorphic, and provided with cristae varying from lamellar to
      tubular. In Group 2, mitochondria also showed polymorphism, with bacilliform
      organelles with tubular cristae being predominant. In both groups cisternae and
      associated vacuoles and vesicles belonging to the Golgi complex were scattered in
      the cytoplasm of CC cells. Similarly, tubular and vesicular profiles of smooth
      endoplasmic reticulum were abundant and uniformly distributed throughout the
      cytoplasm of CC cells of both groups. In contrast, the abundant rough endoplasmic
      reticulum in Group 1 was formed by parallel stacks of flattened cisternae,
      whereas it was less plentiful and not arranged in stacks in Group 2. The CC-cell
      surface appeared covered by numerous membrane expansions in both groups. The
      expansions in Group 1 were mainly composed of blebs of various sizes and a few
      short microvilli, whereas in Group 2 numerous microvilli covered the cell
      surface. These observations demonstrate that a gradual establishment and
      maintainance of a steroidosynthetic capability (luteinization) takes place in CC
      cells, particularly during and shortly after fertilization, as occurs
      contemporaneously in the granulosa cells of the postovulatory follicle. Our
      results may be considered as ultrastructural confirmation of the capability of
      the CC cells to produce small amounts of steroids (estrogens and mainly
      progesterone). These hormones, alone or together with other substances (proteins,
      nutrients, growth factors?), might--around the fertilization time--act positively
      upon the early embryo itself, as well as on the microenvironment in which the
      embryo develops, both in vivo and in vitro conditions.

PMID- 1873074
TI  - The ultrastructure of cartilage formation from neonatal skeletal muscle in vitro.
AB  - Histological changes in cultured neonatal skeletal muscle tissue at the early
      stage of cartilage induction by syngeneic insoluble bone matrix gelatin (BMG)
      containing bone morphogenetic protein were examined by light and electron
      microscopy. Minced skeletal muscle was cultured on hemicylindrical pieces of BMG
      for 14 days. Chondroblasts first appeared in the crevices of the BMG on Day 7 of
      the culture, and cartilage tissue was seen to fill the crevices completely by Day
      10. The main findings in this work are as follows: 1) the activation of satellite
      cells and necrosis of myonuclei; 2) the migration of satellite cells from the
      basement membrane; 3) fibroblasts with increased numbers of organelles between
      degenerated muscle fibers closely resembling the migratory satellite cells; 4)
      the migration of the spindle-shaped cells into the crevices of the BMG; and 5)
      change of the spindle-shaped cells to chondroblasts. These findings suggest that
      neonatal skeletal muscles, which appear more mature than embryonic muscles, also
      have a chondrogenetic potential when grown on BMG, and that chondroblasts
      originate from the spindle-shaped cells which are thought to result from
      migratory satellite cells as well as fibroblasts.

PMID- 1873075
TI  - Localization of pyroantimonate-precipitable calcium in the vestibular organs of
      the rat and guinea pig.
AB  - Localization of pyroantimonate-precipitable calcium (Ca) was examined in the
      vestibular organs of the rat and the guinea pig. Precipitates were observed
      around the otoconia and in the otolithic membranes of the macula sacculi and
      macula utriculi. Although the deposition was heavier in the rat than in the
      guinea pig, the distribution of the Ca-pyroantimonate was similar in both
      species. Most otoconia in the dark cell area had precipitates around and inside
      the otoconia. Furthermore, there was some precipitation in the cupulae of the
      semicircular canals in both animals. The presence of Ca in the precipitates was
      confirmed by X-ray microanalysis and extraction with EGTA. Localization of the Ca
      pyroantimonate around the otoconia in these animals agrees with localization of
      precipitates of endolymphatic crystals in the tree frog, which are known to grow
      mainly by accretion. Thus, the otoconia of the rat, and probably also of the
      guinea pig, can be assumed to grow mainly by accretion.

PMID- 1873076
TI  - GABAergic neurons in the mouse superficial dorsal horn with special emphasis on
      their relation to primary afferent central terminals.
AB  - Immunocytochemical studies were carried out on the morphological relation between
      primary afferent central terminals (C-terminals) and GABAergic neurons in the
      mouse superficial dorsal horn. The superficial dorsal horn is composed of many
      synaptic glomeruli comprising two types: Type I with centrally located CI
      terminals surrounded by several dendrites and few axonal endings, and Type II
      with centrally located CII-terminals surrounded by several dendrites and a few
      axonal endings. The CI-terminals are sinuous or scalloped with densely packed
      agranular synaptic vesicles, a few granular synaptic vesicles and mitochondria,
      and show an electron dense axoplasm, whereas the CII-terminals are large and
      round or rectangular with evenly distributed agranular synaptic vesicles, a
      number of granular synaptic vesicles and mitochondria, and show an electron
      opaque axoplasm. The immunoreaction of GABA was remarkable in the superficial
      laminae of the dorsal horn. Many interneuronal somata in the substantia
      gelatinosa showed GABAergic immunoreactivity. The immunoreaction was seen in the
      entire GABAergic neuroplasm, but not in the nucleus and its envelope. Most
      GABAergic features appeared as dendrites making postsynaptic contact with CI- or
      CII-terminals; i.e., numerous C-terminals made presynaptic contact with GABAergic
      dendrites. GABA immunoreactivity was seen over round synaptic vesicles and
      mitochondrial membranes. A few CII-terminals made presynaptic contact with
      GABAergic interneuronal somata. Previous physiological and anatomical studies
      have suggested that not only the cutaneous nociceptive primary afferent C
      terminals but also mechanoreceptive primary afferent C-terminals make presynaptic
      contact with the GABAergic dendrites, boutons and soma. The presynaptic relation
      of these primary afferents with GABAergic neurons seems to provide morphological
      support for the essential feature of the gate control theory: primary afferent
      fibers may play a part in the modulation of nociceptive information via GABAergic
      neurons in the superficial dorsal horn. Small GABAergic terminals were found to
      make contact with blood capillaries suggesting the release of GABA into
      circulation.

PMID- 1873077
TI  - Histogenesis of the mucosa of the descending colon in mouse fetuses.
AB  - The present study clarify intraepithelial events occurring during the formation
      of intestinal crypts in the descending colon. In early stage, the mucosa is lined
      with a simple columnar epithelium consisting of undifferentiated cells which are
      mutually joined by the junctional complex surrounding the intestinal lumen. The
      epithelium becomes thickened and stratified, and secondary junctional complexes
      are formed in the abluminal part of the epithelium. An intracellular cavity opens
      to the focal tight junction of the secondary junctional complex to form an
      intraepithelial (intercellular) cavity surrounded by the tight junction. The
      intraepithelial cavity grows by the fusion of intracellular cavities and vesicles
      as well as by the division of surrounding cells. Intraepithelial cavities fuse
      with each other and with the main intestinal lumen. This, together with
      mesenchymal invasion, results in the formation of intestinal crypts lined with a
      simple columnar epithelium, where various cell types begin to differentiate.
      These processes seem essentially similar to those occurring in the developing
      small intestine except that villi, not crypts, are formed in the small intestine.
      It is suggested that the formation site and elongation of the tight junction
      provide for the location and fusion of intraepithelial cavities and eventually
      result in the formation of villi or crypts, alternatively.

PMID- 1873078
TI  - The quest for an AIDS vaccine: the state of the art and current challenges.
AB  - Despite intense efforts worldwide, using state-of-the-art methods and techniques
      and despite ever-increasing knowledge about the molecular and structural make-up
      of HIV, a practical vaccine against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has
      yet to be developed. The increasing use of recombinant DNA techniques and
      synthetic peptide technology has allowed many groups to identify at the epitope
      level the regions of HIV proteins which act as targets for (and stimulate) the
      immune response. Epitopes which stimulate and bind neutralizing antibodies have
      been examined in detail and an ever-increasing number of antibody-dependent
      cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes are being
      defined, as are potentially harmful (immunosuppressive or enhancing) domains. It
      still is not clear which of the different immune responses (or combinations
      thereof) it will be necessary to stimulate in order to protect from infection.
      Infected humans develop neutralizing antibodies, ADCC-inducing antibodies and CTL
      responses against a variety of viral proteins but it is not known which of these
      can control or prevent infection in vivo. The extensive knowledge of HIV and the
      immune response it elicits is being used to design and produce a wide variety of
      putative vaccines, ranging from whole inactivated virus, through recombinant
      organisms/proteins, to synthetic peptides although each has its inherent
      advantages and disadvantages. The very nature of HIV makes vaccine development
      difficult at best. However, recent successes using whole inactivated virus or
      virus-infected cells in the macaque simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) model
      system at least show that protection against lethal lentivirus infection can be
      achieved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873079
TI  - Seroepidemiology of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I/II in Benin (West
      Africa).
AB  - In 1988-1989, a national survey was conducted in Benin to determine the
      distribution of HTLV-I infection in a representative sample of adult individuals.
      This study comprised 2625 healthy subjects recruited in the six provinces of
      Benin and 1300 blood donors from Cotonou and from the other five provinces. Sera
      were screened for HTLV-I antibody by both immunofluorescence (IF) and enzyme
      immunoassay (EIA). Sera positive or doubtful by at least one technique were
      further analyzed by Western blot and radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) when
      indeterminate. Samples were considered as positive if they reacted with two gene
      products. No blood donor was positive. Over the 2625 subjects, 39 (1.5%) were
      positive. We observed a statistical difference between male and female (1%, 2%, p
      less than 0.05). A difference was also observed according to the areas studied:
      the HTLV-I antibody rate increased from coastal (0.3%) to northern (5.4%)
      provinces. HTLV-I seroprevalence increased significantly with age. This survey
      shows that HTLV-I infection exists in Benin but varies according to regions.

PMID- 1873080
TI  - Identification of a recombinant HTLV-II envelope protein for serological
      detection of HTLV-II carriers.
AB  - To understand the pathogenic potential and the true extent of human T-cell
      leukemia virus type II (HTLV-II) infection, it is important to develop a specific
      HTLV-II antigen-based serological test. Plasmid pIIB was constructed and induced
      in Escherichia coli to express a recombinant protein (RP) containing 140 amino
      acids (amino acid residues 96 to 235) from the middle region of the HTLV-II
      exterior envelope glycoprotein gp52. Serum samples from polymerase chain reaction
      confirmed HTLV-II-infected people, HTLV-I carriers, and adult T-cell leukemia
      (ATL) patients were tested for antibody reactivity to RP-IIB by Western blot
      assay. The results showed all 27 HTLV-II carriers, 10 of 20 HTLV-I carriers, and
      4 of 17 (23.5%) ATL patients had antibody reactivities to RP-IIB. The difference
      in rates of seropositivity to RP-IIB between HTLV-II carriers (100%) and HTLV-I
      infected people (carriers plus ATL patients) (37.8%) is statistically significant
      (Fisher's exact test, p = 4.30E-08).

PMID- 1873081
TI  - Infection of human monocytes with HIV-1Ba-L. Effect on accessory cell function
      for T-cell proliferation in vitro.
AB  - Major laboratory manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
      and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) include altered levels of
      circulating CD4+ lymphocytes and decreased in vitro T-cell mitogenic responses.
      Since T-cell proliferation is regulated by monocytes (M phi), studies were
      undertaken to determine whether defective M phi function contributes to these
      poor mitogenic responses. M phi were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear
      cells (PBMC) of normal donors by adherence to plastic. After 5 days in culture,
      the adherent cells were inoculated with the HIV-1 M phi-tropic strain, Ba-L.
      Under these conditions HIV infection in M phi can be detected 5-7 days after
      inoculation. Ten to fourteen days postinoculation, the adherent cells were
      harvested with lidocaine and cocultured with fresh autologous T cells and T-cell
      mitogens in a 3-day assay. We found decreased proliferative anti-CD3 responses to
      Leu4 and OKT3 and variable responses to concanavalin A (Con A) by T cells
      cultured with HIV-infected monocytes compared with T cells cultured with
      uninfected M phi. Supernatants from HIV-infected M phi cultures decreased
      proliferative responses of normal PBMC to anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies. Heat
      activated supernatants had the same effect. Inhibitors of HIV binding did not
      restore proliferative responses of HIV-infected cultures to normal levels. These
      results indicate that HIV infection of M phi causes the release of soluble
      factor(s) that suppress anti-CD3-induced T-cell proliferative responses.

PMID- 1873082
TI  - Maturation of human immunodeficiency virus particles assembled from the gag
      precursor protein requires in situ processing by gag-pol protease.
AB  - The vaccinia virus expression system was used to determine the role of human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease in viral morphogenesis and
      maturation. The unprocessed p55 gag precursor polyprotein alone was assembled to
      form HIV-1 particles which budded from cells. The particles were spherical and
      immature, containing an electron-dense shell in the particle submembrane; there
      was no evidence of core formation. Expression of both gag and pol proteins from a
      recombinant containing the complete gag-pol coding sequences resulted in
      intracellular processing of gag-pol proteins and the production of mature
      particles with electron-dense cores characteristic of wild-type HIV virions. To
      ascertain the role of protein processing in particle maturation, the pol ORF in
      the gag-pol recombinant was truncated to limit expression of the pol gene to the
      protease domain. With this recombinant expressing p55 gag and protease,
      intracellular processing was observed. Some of the resultant particles were
      partially mature and contained processed gag protein subunits. In contrast,
      particle maturation was not observed when the HIV-1 protease and p55 gag were
      coexpressed from separate recombinants, despite evidence of intracellular gag
      processing. These findings suggest that HIV-1 protease must be an integral
      component of the full-length gag-pol precursor for optimal processing and virion
      maturation.

PMID- 1873083
TI  - [Molecule--hippocampus--memory. Part II: Hippocampus as a memory control
      apparatus].

PMID- 1873084
TI  - [Transplantation of the sympathetic ganglion into the brain--induction of axonal
      outgrowth from the graft].

PMID- 1873085
TI  - [Pathophysiological study of corona radiata infarcts by clinically available
      diagnostic methods].
AB  - The authors evaluated 18 patients who presented with corona radiata infarction,
      one of the 'water-shed infarctions', on CT and/or MRI to determine its etiology
      and pathophysiology using cerebral angiography, single-photon emission computed
      tomography (SPECT), and tests of hemostatic function including hematocrit,
      platelet aggregation and adhesiveness. On angiography, 8 of these 18 patients had
      ulcerative lesions in the common carotid artery bifurcation with or without
      minimal stenosis and exhibited no or a minimal area of hypoperfusion localized to
      the corona radiata on SPECT. In these, microembolism from the lesions at the
      common carotid bifurcation seemed play an important role in the genesis of corona
      radiata infarction. In 7 of the remaining 10 patients, cerebral angiography
      showed occlusive lesions of the internal carotid artery around its origin in 3,
      more than 90% stenosis of the internal carotid artery in 1, severe stenosis of
      the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery in 2, and M1 occlusion in 1. In 5 of
      these 7, SPECT demonstrated a larger area of hypoperfusion than the corona
      radiata in the involved hemisphere. In the remaining 2, SPECT demonstrated a
      hypoperfusion area localized to the corona radiata. In all 7, the hematocrit was
      elevated. A collateral blood supply was visualized in 5 of 7 on cerebral
      angiography. In these 7 patients, hemodynamic disturbance was considered to
      contribute to the pathogenesis of infarction in the corona radiata. In the final
      three patients, cerebral angiography showed significant occlusive lesions in the
      main trunk of the cerebral arteries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873086
TI  - [Somatosensory evoked potentials by mechanical stimulation of tooth in humans].
AB  - We examined topographical analysis of the PM-SEP (periodontal mechanoreceptor
      sensory evoked potential) inducing by mechanical stimulation of the tooth in
      eight subjects. Sensory evoked potential were recorded from various regions of
      the scalp by the mechanical stimulation of the normal tooth. Eleven electrodes
      were placed according to the International 10-20 system (T3, T4, C3, C4, T5, T6,
      F7, F8, Fz, Cz, Oz). The mechanical stimulation was applied to the right upper
      first incisor tooth. PM-SEPs were averaged 100 times following the mechanical
      stimulation of the tooth produced six waves of SEP at the ipsilateral temporal
      area (T4), but did not evoked any potential from the other regions. PM-SEP
      included I, II, III, IV, V and VI. The earliest latency (I wave) was
      approximately 11ms and latest latency (VI wave) was approximately 40 ms. These PM
      SEP observed by intensity with 3 times of the threshold. In addition, the all
      components were abolished after local anesthesia of the periodontal ligament.
      These data suggests that the six waves of the PM -SEP were evoked the ipsilateral
      temporal region following mechanical stimulation of the tooth, and these regions
      were projected by afferent impulse from the periodontal mechanoreceptor.

PMID- 1873087
TI  - [A case of divergence palsy associated with bilateral chronic subdural hematoma].
AB  - A surgical case of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma presenting with divergence
      palsy is reported. A 75-year-old female was admitted to hospital for
      investigation of 2-week history of diplopia. The initial neurological examination
      demonstrated no abnormal findings except Hess chart suggesting bilateral
      concomitant strabismus or paresis of lateral rectus on both eyes. Because of the
      homonymous diplopia disappeared when the object of fixation in brought closer and
      the patient showed no impairment of gaze movements and following movements, the
      patient was diagnosed as divergence palsy and referred to the Neurosurgical
      Service. The physical examination revealed a 75-year-old, alert, fully oriented
      with diplopia at distant gaze. A computerized tomographic (CT) scan showed
      bilateral subdural hematoma. Emergency burrhole evacuation was performed and
      total amount bilateral hematoma was 220ml. Diplopia disappeared postoperatively.
      Hess chart examined two months after the operation shows no impairment of
      divergence function. This is the first reported case of divergence palsy
      associated with bilateral chronic subdural hematoma in CT era.

PMID- 1873088
TI  - [A case of pseudo-TSH.PRL-producing pituitary adenoma with secondary
      hypothyroidism].
AB  - A 24-year-old housewife presented with weight gain of about 30 kg, constipation
      and pitting edema of extremity nine years after having a thyroidectomy. Hormonal
      examination revealed low levels of serum T3 and T4 and high levels of serum TSH
      and PRL. She also had enlarged pituitary gland (pituitary hyperplasia) with
      suprasellar extension on CT and MRI image. Thyroid replacement therapy and follow
      up by MRI were performed without resort to surgery, because she had no visual
      disturbance. Within about 1 month after thyroid replacement therapy, serum TSH
      and PRL were normalized. And also thyroid function was normalized by thyronine
      (T3). Following this results, pituitary hyperplasia regression was seen on MRI
      image. About 1 year after thyroid replacement therapy, pituitary hyperplasia
      regression was more seen on MRI image. Prolonged hypothyroidism can result in
      hypertrophy of the pituitary thyrotropin-secreting cells and prolactin secreting
      cells. So, it can increase pituitary weight (pituitary hyperplasia). Radiological
      examination, abnormal sellar x-ray films suggesting intrasellar tumor are common
      in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Suprasellar extension of pituitary mass
      (pituitary hyperplasia) due to hypothyroidism was reported by radiological
      examination (PEG, CT and MRI image), and regression of pituitary hyperplasia was
      revealed by radiological examination after thyroid replacement therapy. The first
      choice of this type of pituitary hyperplasia is thyroid replacement therapy
      unless the patient has a visual disturbance. However, if this replacement therapy
      is not effective for diminution of the tumor, surgical removal of the tumor
      should be considered.

PMID- 1873089
TI  - AIDS--a two-way risk.

PMID- 1873090
TI  - 'A 7-year review of maxillofacial trauma in a central London hospital'.

PMID- 1873091
TI  - AIDS testing for heath care workers.

PMID- 1873092
TI  - 'A denture of a lifetime'.

PMID- 1873093
TI  - 'A comparison of two splints in the treatment of TMJ pain dysfunction syndrome'.

PMID- 1873094
TI  - A comparative assessment of the strengths of porcelain veneers for incisor teeth
      dependent on their design characteristics.
AB  - An in vitro study, using dynamic stress analysis and two dimensional photo
      elasticity, carried out to relate the strength of porcelain veneers fabricated to
      three different designs, demonstrated that the 'window' type of preparation was
      the strongest compared with 'overlapped' and 'feathered' designs. It also
      confirmed that the strength of the veneer was not proportional to its thickness.
      It can be concluded that where strength is an important prerequisite, the most
      conservative type of veneer, namely the 'window' preparation, is the design of
      choice.

PMID- 1873095
TI  - The efficacy of comprehensive dental care for children under general anesthesia.
AB  - A review of 80 children treated under general anesthesia for comprehensive dental
      treatment between 1984 and 1987 inclusive was carried out to assess the
      effectiveness of this type of care. A minimum 2-year follow-up period was used.
      This approach allowed the dentition to be restored in one visit. Preventive care
      and 'behaviour shaping' could then begin at subsequent visits to the dental
      clinic. It was found that 80% of the children needing further treatment at a
      later date accepted local anaesthesia and treatment in the normal way. Full
      coverage stainless steel crowns were significantly more successful (3% failure
      rate) than amalgam or composite restorations (29% failure rate). Vital
      pulpotomies also showed only a 2% failure rate.

PMID- 1873096
TI  - Oral presentation of the Laugier-Hunziker syndrome.
AB  - Laugier-Hunziker syndrome is an extremely rare disorder but is of some interest
      to dental practitioners. The importance of the condition relates to it being
      included in the differential diagnosis of pigmentary disorders of the oral mucosa
      with associated nail involvement. Two cases of the syndrome are described.

PMID- 1873097
TI  - Oro-antral fistula: an unusual complication of HIV-associated periodontal
      disease.
AB  - Oral lesions have been reported frequently in patients seropositive for human
      immunodeficiency virus. A case is reported of HIV-associated periodontitis
      complicated by necrotising stomatitis and the development of an oro-antral
      fistula; the role of extractions in the management of this condition is
      highlighted.

PMID- 1873098
TI  - Why free sugars consumption should be below 15 kg per person per year in
      industrialised countries: the dental evidence.
AB  - The World Health Organization and COMA have recommended that free or non-milk
      extrinsic sugars intake should be below 10% of total energy intake and the COMA
      report on dietary sugars and human disease has strongly implicated sugars as the
      main causative factor in dental caries. The scientific basis for the conclusions
      of these important policy documents has been challenged by the sugar and
      confectionery industries. Dental evidence is presented to substantiate the WHO
      recommendation. The dose-response curve for sugar and caries is approximately
      sigmoid (S-shaped). At levels of sugar consumption below 10 kg/person/year the
      incidence of caries is acceptably low. Beyond 15 kg the incidence increases more
      rapidly. Fluoride increases the resistance of teeth to sugar--it moves the dose
      response curve to the right. Thus, when fluoride is widely available, the
      acceptable level of non-milk extrinsic sugars increases to about 15
      kg/person/year.

PMID- 1873099
TI  - In harm's way.

PMID- 1873100
TI  - Classification of nursing interventions for care of the integument.
AB  - The Classification of Nursing Interventions research team at The University of
      Iowa, College of Nursing is building a taxonomy of nursing interventions that
      will include all of the direct care treatment activities that nurses perform on
      behalf of patients. This report describes the study in which 12 nursing
      interventions and their associated activities for care of the integument were
      extracted from a large database and validated through a two-round Delphi survey.
      Using an adaptation of Fehring's model for determining diagnostic content
      validity of nursing diagnoses, a definition, critical activities, and supporting
      activities were developed for each of the following interventions: Bathing,
      Bedrest Care, Hair Care, Nail Care, Oral Health Maintenance, Oral Health
      Promotion, Oral Health Restoration, Positioning, Pressure Management, Skin Care-
      Topical Treatments, Skin Surveillance, and Wound Care. Further research is needed
      to validate supporting activities and to continue classifying interventions and
      activities that nurses use in treating impaired skin integrity (potential and
      actual) and altered oral mucous membrane integrity (potential and actual).

PMID- 1873101
TI  - Multinational validation of anxiety, hopelessness, and ineffective airway
      clearance.
AB  - The effective use of nursing diagnosis internationally depends in part on
      incorporating language and cultural difference into the common language of
      nursing. International validation studies can provide a basis for this effort.
      This study tested three diagnoses--anxiety, hopelessness, and ineffective airway
      clearance--through multinational validation. The Diagnostic Content Validity
      (DCV) model was used to collect data from critical care nurses in six countries.
      Defining characteristics rated as critical (greater than .80) by the total sample
      were dyspnea for ineffective airway clearance and panic and nervousness for
      anxiety. No critical defining characteristics for hopelessness were identified.
      DCV ratios for all defining characteristics are compared by country.

PMID- 1873102
TI  - Dyspnea: a case for nursing diagnosis status.
AB  - Dyspnea, the unpleasant subjective sensation of difficult breathing, is one of
      the most common symptoms experienced by patients with pulmonary and cardiac
      disorders. This article reviews the research concerning dyspnea and proposes it
      for consideration as a nursing diagnosis. The etiologies are categorized
      according to the neurosensory, neurochemical, cognitive, and affective
      mechanisms. The defining characteristics include the subjective words describing
      dyspnea, such as shortness of breath, suffocation, and tightness. The most
      supported objective sign of dyspnea in the literature is an increased use of
      accessory muscles of respiration. Nursing interventions for dyspnea relief are
      geared toward reducing the afferent activity from receptors in the respiratory
      muscles and dealing with the affective component of dyspnea. These interventions
      include pacing activities, breathing techniques, and inducing the relaxation
      response. Because most research for interventions to reduce dyspnea have focused
      on patients with obstructive lung disorders who have chronic dyspnea,
      recommendations for further research include using acutely ill patients and those
      with a variety of medical conditions.

PMID- 1873103
TI  - Clinical nurses' characterizations of patient coping problems.
AB  - The author reports the findings from a qualitative study of diagnostic data
      obtained and interpreted by hospital nurses on the coping of adult patients and
      their families. Clinical data taken from taped interviews were transcribed and
      analyzed using grounded theory and analytic induction techniques. The data were
      then compared with diagnoses accepted for testing by NANDA. The phenomena
      described by the research did not match the NANDA constructs for individual and
      family coping problems. Nurses' assessments of coping response, however, fit
      within transactional theory. The use of the term "ineffective" to qualify coping
      was generally avoided. Ineffective coping, suggesting an outcome or product of
      coping, was not often considered applicable to the coping responses nurses found
      appropriate at specific times in specific situations.

PMID- 1873104
TI  - Name that nursing diagnosis: a gaming-simulation.

PMID- 1873105
TI  - [Prognostic factors in craniocerebral trauma without primary surgically
      correctable space occupying lesion].
AB  - By means of a retrospective study involving 154 patients with diffuse brain
      injury, we could show, that simple factors, like coexisting injuries, pupil
      abnormalities and the Glasgow coma scale, allow us to assess the prognosis of
      patients outcome a short time after trauma. This prognosis is further modified by
      cerebral perfusion pressure and secondary pupil abnormalities. The prognostic
      value of an EEG and a SEP is the same for both methods and was found to be
      correct in about 2/3 of all cases.

PMID- 1873106
TI  - [Surgical treatment of Achilles tendon rupture].
AB  - Ruptures of the Achilles tendon are rare, but their incidence seems to become
      higher due to changes of life style and to increasing sports activities.
      Concerning the optimal therapy--conservative or surgical--there still exist
      diverging opinions. In our clinic, we have always preferred surgical therapy. We
      present a survey of the results of surgical treatment in 139 patients. Based on
      our own experience and on a literature review we recommend surgical therapy for
      rupture of the Achilles tendon, mainly in view of the high incidence of
      reruptures after conservative treatment and the existing functional results.

PMID- 1873107
TI  - [Soft tissue pain and psychiatric evaluation].
AB  - Attention is drawn to the special position of the psychiatric assessor. In his
      evaluation, the assessor takes into consideration psychic and somatic findings
      and also social factors. Precisely in connection with the assessment of soft
      tissue pain there is a growing recognition that the Ancient Greek dualism of
      "psyche and soma" is already obsolete. Psychic and somatic factors are mutually
      dependent, and psychosomatic illness has a multifactorial origin involving
      predisposition, the development of the personality in early childhood and later,
      and finally the development of environmental influences in the individual sphere
      and in the social sphere in general. A subject of special discussion are
      personality factors which are correlated with a developmental impairment of
      aggressive motivation. The inhibition of aggression seems to play a decisive role
      in determining the symptoms. The loss of constructive aggressivity is presented
      as a trigger for soft-tissue pain.

PMID- 1873108
TI  - [Medical evaluation of work capacity].

PMID- 1873109
TI  - [Management of war injuries from the anesthesiologic point of view: a report of
      experiences from the IKRK hospital in Kabul, September 1990].
AB  - We report the medical experience during a 3 week stay in the ICRC hospital of
      Kabul as anaesthesist. 170 war wounded patients had been treated following clear
      and simple rools of war surgery. The anaesthetic management and the important
      role of Ketamin is explained.

PMID- 1873110
TI  - [The "severity" of "whiplash injury of the cervical spine"].
AB  - The severity of the so called "whiplash injury of the neck" ("soft tissue neck
      injury") and the condition thereafter depends on the chosen angle of view: impact
      dynamics, biomechanics, pathological-anatomical considerations, clinical and
      apparative findings, medicolegal aspects and subjective assessment. The impact
      itself may not serve as a diagnosis, which latter has to be founded on the
      results of the medical examination. These findings seem to be appropriate for the
      resolution of questions in the course of litigation. At present, a universal
      severity may not be defined.

PMID- 1873111
TI  - NMR, CD and MCD studies of vanadate-nucleoside complexes.
AB  - Complex formation between tetraoxovanadate(V) and each of the nucleosides
      adenosine, guanosine, cytidine and uridine has been studied in a constant salt
      medium at pH 7. 13C- and 51V NMR studies show that only complexes with the
      formula V2L2 (V = vanadate, L = nucleoside) are formed, and their formation
      constants have been determined. They have 51V NMR resonances around -523 ppm
      relative to VOCl3 and they exhibit no CD in the spectral region of the charge
      transfer transitions. MCD spectra were also measured, and all experiments are in
      accord with a molecular structure composed by two edge-sharing VO6 octahedra
      forming an O4V(mu-O)2VO4 skeleton with each of the nucleoside ligands bridging
      the two vanadium centres through the ribose 2',3'-oxygens, which are the oxygens
      outside the V2O6 plane. Admixture of imidazole-HCl buffer at pH 7 gives rise to
      additional complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry. They have been characterized by 51V
      NMR and CD, and their formation constants are reported. Vanadate(V) and the
      deoxynucleosides deoxyadenosine, deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine and thymidine form
      very weak complexes which cannot be detected by 51V NMR or CD under conditions
      for which vanadate and the nucleosides form complexes.

PMID- 1873112
TI  - Weaning from long-term mechanical ventilation.

PMID- 1873113
TI  - Respiratory pharmacology and the weaning patient: implications for critical care
      nursing.
AB  - The process of weaning patients from mechanical ventilation may be facilitated by
      the appropriate selection and use of bronchodilators, mucolytics, steroids, and
      sedatives. This article discusses implications for the critical care nurse,
      focusing on the indications, applications, and evaluations of the drugs most
      commonly administered to patients prior to or during weaning from mechanical
      ventilation.

PMID- 1873114
TI  - Weaning from mechanical ventilation: a method for assessment and planning.
AB  - Weaning patients from mechanical ventilator assistance is difficult and often
      requires the input of experts. Though researchers have identified numerous
      factors that impede weaning and continue to develop criteria to determine ability
      to wean, no single factor or set of criteria have yet emerged to guide
      clinicians. In an effort to design a tool that assists critical care nurses in
      forwarding the wean process, the authors developed a comprehensive, integrated,
      computerized ventilator weaning program that stimulates the thinking and care
      planning strategies of experts. The Burns Wean Assessment Program also teaches
      complex concepts and tracks the progress of the weaning patient.

PMID- 1873115
TI  - Auto-PEEP: an impediment to weaning in the chronically ventilated patient.
AB  - Auto-positive end expiratory pressure (auto-PEEP) is a physiologic event that is
      a recently recognized phenomenon common to mechanically ventilated patients. Auto
      PEEP occurs when forces exist that limit expiration and the subsequent
      elimination of positive pressure from the lungs. If positive pressure is
      retained, a potential reduction in cardiac output and increase in complications
      from barotrauma arise. Because of possible physiologic problems associated with
      it, auto-PEEP can potentially interfere with weaning from mechanical ventilation.
      Nursing measures that can reduce the effect of auto-PEEP during weaning are
      centered on improving the inspiratory/expiratory flow patterns. These efforts
      include manipulating mechanical ventilator settings and reducing causes of
      increased respiratory rates (e.g., pain and anxiety). Since auto-PEEP was only
      recently identified as a potential impediment to weaning from mechanical
      ventilation, the nurse must be aware of the need to assess for the presence of
      auto-PEEP in these patients.

PMID- 1873116
TI  - Standardizing the weaning process.
AB  - The goal among critical care staff of discontinuing mechanical support in a
      prudent and expeditious manner emerges immediately after intubation. This goal,
      known as the weaning process, contains the three phases of optimizing the
      patient's condition, assessing and evaluating the patient's progress, and
      diagnostic testing. As a diagnostic test, the wean trial needs to be standardized
      for efficiency and safety. To maximize safe and efficient delivery of the trial,
      the primary nurse and respiratory therapist should be the responsible
      professional monitors. The standardized trial enhances staff confidence for safe
      extubation. A successful standardized weaning protocol eases the transition from
      mechanical ventilation to spontaneous breathing for the patient and improves the
      professional performance and confidence of critical care staff.

PMID- 1873117
TI  - Respiratory muscle conditioning and the work of breathing: a critical balance in
      the weaning patient.
AB  - Normal ventilatory function depends on a balance between ventilatory demand and
      ventilatory capacity. The respiratory muscles play a critical role in achieving
      this balance. For patients experiencing ventilatory dysfunction, interventions
      that improve respiratory muscle function and therefore increase ventilatory
      capacity may be one way of restoring the balance and promoting ventilatory
      function. Respiratory muscle conditioning, or training the muscles to improve
      their strength and endurance, may be a useful clinical intervention in the
      weaning patient. Results of research show that muscle training may increase the
      ability of some patients to resume spontaneous ventilation. Continued research is
      needed to identify the appropriate training protocols for patients experiencing
      an acute imbalance between ventilatory demand and capacity.

PMID- 1873118
TI  - Chronic hypoventilation syndrome: treatment with non-invasive mechanical
      ventilation.
AB  - Chronic hypoventilation syndrome can be caused by many disease states, although
      it is more commonly seen in neuromuscular disorders. Assessment of
      hypoventilation includes measurement of carbon dioxide level, respiratory muscle
      strength, pulmonary function testing, and any other system involved, such as
      cardiac dysfunction or sleep abnormalities. Often, chronic hypoventilation is
      initially diagnosed during an episode of acute respiratory failure. The use of
      noninvasive ventilation with positive pressure, negative pressure, or
      gravitational devices can be an effective treatment option for some patients,
      thus obviating the need for a tracheostomy. Noninvasive ventilatory equipment
      such as the nasal or oral masks, mouthpieces, bi-level positive airway pressure,
      chest cuirasses, ponchos, or the iron lung, and the rocking bed or pneumobelt can
      each ventilate a certain type of patient adequately. Each has specific
      indications, advantages, and disadvantages and must be individualized to the
      patient's needs.

PMID- 1873119
TI  - Psychosocial concerns of the ventilator-dependent child in the pediatric
      intensive care unit.
AB  - An increasing number of infants and children suffer from respiratory and
      neuromuscular diseases that render them ventilator-dependent. These patients
      spend months in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) until they are either
      extubated or are stable enough to tolerate home ventilation. The critical nature
      of the PICU and its emphasis on meeting short-term goals is not readily
      compatible with the long-term and dynamic needs of developing children. In order
      to prevent the delays in growth and development that often occur during prolonged
      hospitalizations, this article addresses the impediments to normal growth and
      development in the PICU and offers specific suggestions on how the environment
      and nursing care can be changed to support the development of ventilator
      dependent children and their families.

PMID- 1873120
TI  - Chest physiotherapy in neonates: a review.
AB  - Chest physiotherapy (CPT) is performed on neonates with actual or potential
      pulmonary problems. The focus of this review is on research related to the
      effectiveness of or the physiologic alterations related to CPT. Findings from
      this review indicate that CPT in neonates: 1) did not significantly improve
      oxygenation or secretion removal in the first 24 hours of life in premature
      infants with respiratory distress syndrome, 2) increased oxygen consumption, and
      3) prevented post-extubation atelectasis. Nursing considerations when performing
      this procedure, contra-indications, and documented side effects are included in
      this review.

PMID- 1873121
TI  - Dyspnea in the weaning patient: assessment and intervention.
AB  - Dyspnea, the subjective sensation of uncomfortable breathing, is frequently
      experienced by patients during weaning from mechanical ventilation. As the
      clinical manifestation of increased work of breathing, dyspnea can be a valuable
      predictor and indicator of changes in patient respiratory status during the
      weaning process. The importance of measuring dyspnea is emphasized and the
      numerical rating and visual analog scales as direct measures of dyspnea are
      described. The most reliable physiologic variables that can be used to indirectly
      estimate dyspnea are discussed. Strategies such as positioning, coaching,
      "bagging," inspiratory muscle training, pressure support ventilation, oxygen, and
      relaxation/biofeedback techniques that can be used by the critical care nurse to
      decrease dyspnea are suggested.

PMID- 1873122
TI  - Cardiac assist devices.

PMID- 1873123
TI  - Mechanical support beyond the intra-aortic balloon pump.
AB  - The ventricular assist device (VAD) is one of the latest tools available to help
      the clinician contend with severe heart failure. This article presents a
      historical overview of the development of the VAD and discusses the incidence and
      etiology of heart failure. The investigational device research process, nursing
      involvement, and future trends are discussed.

PMID- 1873124
TI  - Current perspectives on the use of circulatory assist devices.
AB  - An overview of currently available circulatory assist devices (CADs) is presented
      with discussion of each system's optimal use and limitations. Successful
      application of CAD technology for bridge to transplant or pending recovery of the
      natural heart requires understanding issues involving team readiness, patient
      selection, device limitations, patient management, and complications. Currently,
      many of these devices are in clinical trials with the Food and Drug
      Administration (FDA). The FDA and the National Institutes of Health play major
      roles in the ongoing development of this technology. In the near future the
      learning curve continues as totally implantable systems are used. The ultimate
      goal is to maintain patients with heart failure on implantable devices with a
      good quality of life at a reasonable cost.

PMID- 1873125
TI  - Nursing considerations for patients requiring cardiopulmonary support.
AB  - The number of patients receiving cardiopulmonary support (CPS) is increasing,
      requiring critical care nurses to be better prepared to care for these complex
      patients. Background information on CPS along with considerations for nursing
      management are presented. A case study of a patient requiring CPS and a suggested
      nursing care plan are included to assist in providing quality nursing care.

PMID- 1873126
TI  - Centrifugal ventricular assist devices.
AB  - A centrifugal ventricular assist device (VAD) uses centrifugal force to propel
      blood through nonocclusive pumpheads. Blood is diverted from either the right
      atrium or left atrium to a disposable pumphead. Then kinetic energy is added to
      blood contained within the VAD by rotating it at high speed. Centrifugal force
      generates energy which causes the blood to rise from the pumphead's base, thus
      forcing a return flow direction. Centrifugal VAD design has been used to sustain
      myocardial function when patients could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass
      and as a bridge to transplantation. Interaction between centrifugal VAD and human
      hosts are complicated and multisystemic. Therefore a multidisciplinary VAD
      support team is most efficacious. A case study, nursing diagnoses, and care plan
      provide a comprehensive overview of nursing management for this patient
      population.

PMID- 1873127
TI  - The Thoratec ventricular assist device: nursing guidelines.
AB  - The Thoratec ventricular assist device (VAD) offers a final hope for survival in
      patients with severe cardiogenic shock unresponsive to conventional therapy. In
      select patients, these pneumatically activated prosthetic ventricles maintain
      organ perfusion pending recovery of the native heart or cardiac transplant. A
      detailed review of Thoratec VAD operation, its impact on the circulatory pathway
      and hemodynamic monitoring, and troubleshooting guidelines specific to these
      patients are presented. A nursing diagnosis framework assists with the
      identification and management of problems such as impaired cardiac output and gas
      exchange, as well as altered mobility, nutrition, and coping. Current information
      regarding the etiology and management of complications such as bleeding,
      infection, and end-organ failure are reviewed. A case study presentation offers
      guidelines for weaning patients from the VAD and includes a comprehensive nursing
      care plan for these challenging patients.

PMID- 1873128
TI  - Thermo cardiosystems left ventricular assist device as a bridge to cardiac
      transplant.
AB  - In 1986, clinical trials were initiated with a left ventricular assist device
      capable of supporting individuals in end-stage heart disease for extended periods
      of time (longer than 14 days). While supported by this device, patients were
      hemodynamically stabilized for future transplant and were afforded an opportunity
      to improve their overall health status. At initiation of support these patients
      were in New York Heart Association class IV, and within approximately 2 weeks,
      improved to class I. Their nutritional status improved, they were able to
      exercise regularly, and they became the "healthiest" candidates for cardiac
      transplant. Nursing care of a patient requiring the HeartMate provides the
      critical care nurse with new challenges.

PMID- 1873129
TI  - The ABIOMED BVS 5000 system.
AB  - The ABIOMED BVS 5000 system is an investigational pulsatile biventricular assist
      device. Positioned externally, pneumatically driven two-chambered blood pumps can
      support one or both sides of the heart. A single console automatically adjusts
      beat rate and systolic/diastolic ratio based on compressed air flow into and out
      of the external system. Transthoracic cannulae connect the external system with
      the patient. Two patient groups are currently approved for BVS investigational
      use: post-cardiotomy ventricular dysfunction and post-acute myocardial infarction
      with cardiogenic shock. Established research protocols are followed with regard
      to data collection. Potential adverse effects fall into three categories: patient
      related, device related, and cause unknown. Weaning is initiated during cardiac
      recovery, and if it is successful, the pump is removed. Nursing care is based on
      standards of care for cardiac surgery coupled with the ABIOMED BVS 5000 nursing
      protocol.

PMID- 1873130
TI  - The Hemopump temporary cardiac assist system.
AB  - The Hemopump temporary cardiac assist system is currently in clinical trials at
      several centers across the United States and abroad. Patients with postcardiotomy
      low cardiac output or patients with cardiogenic shock secondary to acute
      myocardial infarction may greatly benefit from this device. Theory of pump
      operation, patient selection, and nursing management is discussed. Presentation
      of a case study demonstrating the effect of Hemopump support will be provided. A
      detailed nursing care plan as well as application of research findings to
      clinical practice will be outlined. As cardiovascular technology progresses, the
      critical care nurse must continue to be involved in all aspects of patient care.
      The Hemopump may prove to be a highly beneficial mode of ventricular assistance
      for patients with inadequate cardiac function.

PMID- 1873131
TI  - Novacor left ventricular assist system.
AB  - Clinical investigation of the Novacor ventricular assist system has been ongoing
      since 1984. Major successes have been achieved using the device as a bridge to
      heart transplant. This system uses an electrically driven, pulsatile pump
      implanted in the left upper abdominal quadrant. The system has demonstrated the
      ability to provide long-term patient support, a feature that allows patients to
      become mobile and active once recovered from their initial heart failure. By the
      time of transplant, nutrition is restored, activity tolerance is improved, and
      most patients require no inotropic support. The system allows patients to recover
      from cardiogenic shock by providing total systemic circulatory support.

PMID- 1873132
TI  - The total artificial heart.
AB  - In the early 1800s, an awareness of potential ventricular failure stimulated
      interest in artificial heart replacement. In 1937 the first total artificial
      heart (TAH) was implanted into the chest of a dog by Russian physicians. The
      primary driving force for mechanical cardiac assistance developed from the
      necessity for circulatory assistance in order to perform corrective cardiac
      surgery. In 1953 the first successful closure of an atrial septal defect using
      extracorporeal circulation was performed. During the following decade the concept
      of using mechanical devices to assist the failing heart was aggressively pursued.
      This culminated in the first implant of a TAH in a human in 1969 as a bridge to
      transplant. Clinical implant of the TAH as a permanent device was performed in
      1982 by researchers at the University of Utah. This patient lived for 112 days.
      Three successive permanent implants were performed in Louisville, Kentucky, with
      one patient surviving for 620 days. All of these permanent TAH patients suffered
      from device-related complications including bleeding, infection, and
      thromboembolic events. It became apparent that the present configuration of the
      TAH with its external drive lines and large air console was not ideal for long
      term support. In 1985 the first implant of the Symbion J-7-100 TAH (Jarvik-7) as
      a bridge to transplant was performed. This patient was supported by the device
      for 9 days and was successfully transplanted and discharged home. Since 1985 more
      than 170 patients have been bridged using the Symbion J-7 TAH with more than 70%
      of these patients being successfully transplanted. The incidence of
      thromboembolic events has dramatically reduced with better understanding of
      anticoagulation requirements. Infection continues to be the greatest potential
      complication with these patients. In spite of this, the pneumatic TAH has proved
      to be an adequate bridge to transplant device.

PMID- 1873133
TI  - Cardiac assist devices as a bridge to cardiac transplant.
AB  - The number of heart transplants being performed in the United States over the
      last decade has increased significantly. The supply of human donor hearts has not
      kept up with the demand. This situation has led to the development of means to
      support patient's cardiac function until a human donor heart can be obtained.
      Methods to support the patient include use of ventricular assist devices and the
      total artificial heart. Integration of caring and technology in patients
      receiving cardiac assist devices (CADs) provides a challenge for critical care
      nurses. Nursing care of the patient with a CAD involves identification and
      prevention of complications, familiarization with new technology, and development
      of a caring environment.

PMID- 1873134
TI  - HIV/AIDS education in a prenatal clinic: an assessment.
AB  - An HIV/AIDS education and counseling program was integrated into the routine
      medical care of women attending the prenatal clinic of a major urban, inner-city,
      teaching hospital that serves mostly indigent minority women in an area hard hit
      by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires were
      administered to a consecutive historical Control Group (n = 98) who did not
      receive the HIV/AIDS information and an Intervention Group (n = 515) who received
      all information. The data support our hypothesis that an HIV/AIDS education
      program would increase the level of general knowledge, but fail to support our
      hypothesis of a positive effect on attitudes around HIV-antibody testing and an
      increase in desire for voluntary testing. Our hypothesis that women reporting
      more risk behaviors would be more likely to agree to HIV-antibody testing was
      only partially supported.

PMID- 1873135
TI  - Incorporating HIV education and counseling into routine prenatal care: a program
      model.
AB  - This article reports how a prenatal clinic in a major urban teaching hospital has
      developed and integrated an HIV education and counseling program into routine
      prenatal care. The patient population served are predominantly minority women
      living in an inner-city community that has been disproportionately affected by
      the AIDS epidemic. Implementation of the patient program has required training
      and support for all professional staff. Staff training served as a foundation for
      this comprehensive patient program, which has reached all prenatal patients
      regardless of risk behavior. The program has succeeded in involving a large
      population of women in an educational program, has identified HIV-1 seropositive
      pregnant women through voluntary testing, and has provided them with the
      necessary medical and social work services. Principles of program development are
      identified for use in other settings.

PMID- 1873136
TI  - Medical student attitudes toward the treatment of HIV-infected patients.
AB  - The intention to treat HIV-infected persons and correlates of those intentions
      were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 1st- and 2nd-year medical students
      (n = 201). An anonymous questionnaire measured knowledge of HIV transmission,
      intention to provide medical care to HIV-infected persons, comfort in performing
      a physical examination on patients from subgroups with high HIV prevalence, level
      of homophobia, professional altruism, and personal perceived risk of HIV
      infection. Intention to provide medical care was considered as the dependent
      variable. All variables except perceived personal risk were found to be
      significantly related to the intention to provide medical care although knowledge
      showed the weakest relationship (Odds Ratio = 2.14). The presence of professional
      altruism and the presence of homophobia were associated with a significant
      increase in the effect of knowledge on increasing the intention to treat. Results
      of this report support other studies that showed that factors other than
      knowledge play a role in clinical decision making regarding patients with AIDS.

PMID- 1873137
TI  - The impact of religion and cultural values on AIDS education programs in Malaysia
      and the Philippines.
AB  - This paper examines the impact of cultural values and government policies on the
      content of AIDS educational literature prepared by public health agencies in
      Malaysia and the Philippines. The literature from these countries, which has been
      distributed to the public and is intended to inform them of the danger of AIDS,
      how the HIV is and is not transmitted, and how to avoid infection, is analyzed
      and evaluated for effectiveness and congruence with the dominant religious tenets
      and cultural practices in each country, and attitudes to sexual behavior. The
      paper also describes the response of these countries to the AIDS pandemic, and
      concludes with suggestions about how this form of AIDS education can be improved.

PMID- 1873138
TI  - AIDS prevention and education: reframing the message. Citizens Commission on AIDS
      for New York City and Northern New Jersey.

PMID- 1873139
TI  - Social/sexual norms and AIDS in the South. Ethics and the politics of aids:
      lessons for small cities and rural areas throughout the U.S.
AB  - No one denies that the face of AIDS (the "AIDS profile") is changing, and it is
      clear that we are entering a new phase in our understanding of this disease. As
      the AIDS profile changes, however, we are seeing a change in attitudes about
      prevention. In this stage of the epidemic there seems to be a move toward
      adopting more coercive strategies for breaking the chain of transmission. One
      concern, obviously, is that newly HIV-infected persons will find that they have
      little capacity to demand recognition of their rights to consent, to be treated,
      to confidentiality, to move about freely in society, to work, and so on.
      Unfortunately, this bodes ill for newly infected persons in previously low
      incidence areas. Two very recent studies suggest that rates of high-risk sexual
      behavior among homosexual/bisexual men in smaller cities and rural areas in the
      South are much higher than rates now reported for gay men in large city
      epicenters. This paper attempts to examine the implications of differences in
      social and sexual behavior norms in the South for the spread of AIDS/HIV and to
      suggest morally appropriate primary prevention strategies for working within
      them.

PMID- 1873140
TI  - AIDS knowledge and risk behaviors among culturally diverse women.
AB  - This article reports results from a survey of women at risk for HIV infection.
      The sample (n = 620) included black (50.6%), white (28.7%), Hispanic (13.4%), and
      Haitian (5.0%) adult women from south Florida. Data concerning their AIDS
      knowledge, prevalence of risk behaviors, and perceived vulnerability are
      presented. Results indicate differences in certain knowledge areas and risk
      behaviors by race/ethnicity and a consistent incidence of unprotected sex with
      their main partners across all racial/ethnic groups.

PMID- 1873141
TI  - Development of AIDS education and prevention materials for women by health
      department staff and community focus groups.
AB  - The New York City Department of Health (NYCDOH) has developed a comprehensive,
      empowering, and educational booklet for women in response to (1) the rapid
      increase in AIDS among women; (2) the lack of woman-specific, current, language
      appropriate literature; and (3) the need to address the multitude of direct and
      indirect effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on women. Drafts of the booklet were
      developed during a 12-week series of consensus-driven meetings attended by a core
      group of women from various professional and personal backgrounds. Following
      NYCDOH approval, community focus groups reviewed the booklet to ensure that it
      met the needs of targeted women, community HIV/AIDS educators and other health
      and social service providers. This paper describes the issues encountered when
      designing materials for women of diverse cultures and roles (e.g., pregnant
      women, IV drug users, lesbians), as well as the dynamics of the development
      process and its benefits and difficulties. Criteria and guidelines for this
      development process are outlined.

PMID- 1873142
TI  - [Current views and controversies about reconstruction after esophagectomy].
AB  - The Authors examine the reconstructive procedures following total or partial
      esophagectomy, reporting advantages and disadvantages related to stomach, colon
      or jejunum transposition. The stomach is certainly the organ most widely employed
      for its adaptability and excellent vascularization; furthermore, only one
      anastomosis is needed. After a short note on pathophysiology of the most common
      complications, the Authors point out the advantages of using stapling devices,
      with special attention to the low incidence of anastomotic dehiscence.

PMID- 1873143
TI  - [Reconstructive techniques in malignant tumors of the sternum].
AB  - The Authors analyze the main surgical techniques for the treatment of malignant
      sternal neoplasms. Their experience in two cases of sternal chondrosarcoma is
      reported. Techniques of reconstruction of the chest wall as well as long-term
      results are described.

PMID- 1873144
TI  - [Surgical treatment of alkaline and mixed reflux after surgical interventions on
      the stomach].
AB  - The Authors report their experience in the surgical management of 13 cases of
      alkaline and/or mixed type gastroesophageal reflux (GER) secondary to gastric
      surgery. In 5 cases the gastroesophageal "diversion" "technique" proposed by the
      Authors, was used. Results obtained with this procedure (clinically and
      instrumentally evaluated) are presented.

PMID- 1873145
TI  - [Arthroscopy in acute dislocation of the patella: a new surgical technique].
AB  - The adequate treatment for acute patellar dislocation is still controversial. The
      Authors describe a new surgical arthroscopic technique to repair medial
      retinaculum rupture, which is the most common lesion in the acute patellar
      dislocation. Compared to arthrotomy arthroscopic treatment eliminates post
      operative pain and shows the same advantages in reducing recurrences.

PMID- 1873146
TI  - [Proctocolectomy and mechanical ileo-anal anastomosis without mucosectomy].
AB  - The present study compared the outcome in a small series of patients (7 cases)
      who underwent total proctocolectomy without mucosal proctectomy and stapled ileal
      pouch-anal anastomosis, constructed at the apex of the anal transitional zone,
      with our previous experience (17 cases) in which the ileal pouch was anastomosed
      at the dentate line after mucosectomy. Though not statistically significant, our
      limited experience showed excellent clinical results with better continence and
      discriminating ability between gas and faeces in the former group. The resting
      anal pressure profile showed no chances in the postoperative period. The
      operation time was significantly reduced compared with our previous approach
      which was a time-consuming procedure. Furthermore, a reduced risk of
      complications (pelvic sepsis, haemorrhage) was observed.

PMID- 1873147
TI  - [Anastomosis or closure of the pancreatic stump after duodenopancreatectomy?].
AB  - From 1986 to June 1990, 10 pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed in our
      Department (VIII Patologia Chirurgica, Universita "La Sapienza", Roma). The
      reconstructive sequence was based on the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis (2 end-to
      end pancreaticojejunostomies after invagination, 3 end-to-side Wirsung
      jejunostomies) in 5 patients. The pancreatic stump was sutured using a 50mm
      linear stapler in the remaining 5 patients. There was a high incidence (75%) of
      fistulization after direct suture of the pancreatic stump, although related
      mortality was null. Among patients treated with pancreaticojejunal anastomosis, a
      fistula on the end-to-end pancreaticojejunostomy with exitus of the patient, was
      registered in 1 case. On principle, we believe a end-to-side Wirsung jejunostomy
      should be performed after pancreaticoduodenectomy. When a safe anastomosis of the
      pancreatic stump cannot be performed (because of the soft parenchyma, easily
      lacerable) the technique of the direct suture with stapler is advisable.

PMID- 1873148
TI  - [Knight-Griffen ileo-proctostomy after total colectomy].
AB  - The double stapled colo-rectal anastomosis according to Knight e Griffen is
      currently used following an anterior resection of the rectum. The technical
      feasibility and the reduced risk of contamination represent the major advantages
      of the procedure. Accordingly, the Authors have adopted this technique to perform
      an ileo-rectal anastomosis following total colectomy. Furthermore, the use of a
      circular stapler with a small diameter allows to create a pseudo-valvular
      mechanism between the ileum and the rectum. Preliminary results obtained in 7
      patients are presented.

PMID- 1873149
TI  - [Problems in emergency visceral reconstruction in colorectal pathology].
AB  - A diagnostic-therapeutic protocol for colorectal haemorrhage is suggested. The
      Authors underline the need to remove inflammatory foci when a perforation of the
      colon occurs; furthermore, in the acute obstruction due to colorectal carcinoma a
      resection followed, when possible, by an immediate anastomosis is recommended.

PMID- 1873150
TI  - [Reconstructive microsurgery].
AB  - Progress in microsurgery has been accomplished by the technical improvements of
      the operative microscope and other delicate surgical instruments. Therefore, even
      small arteries as well as female tuba and male deferens, either presenting
      mechanical obstruction or a section, can be reconstructed. The same procedure may
      be applied in case of nerve injuries. Since Microsurgery was born, it has been
      employed in different medical fields offering lately good chances in sterility.
      Furthermore, microsurgical techniques offer a great support to Plastic Surgery.
      In fact, it is possible to repair wide tissue damages of the skin, muscles or
      bones using free flaps. The percentage of success of this Surgery increased the
      overall percentage obtained in General Surgery. Therefore a close
      multidisciplinary relation between the different Medical fields is absolutely
      required for a correct application of microsurgical techniques.

PMID- 1873151
TI  - [Current aspects and controversies in reconstructive surgery after esophagectomy:
      personal experience].
AB  - The authors report their series of 184 esophagectomies performed both for benign
      (44) and malignant (140) diseases. On the basis of their experience and supported
      by Literature data, it is believed restoration of digestive continuity offers two
      main points of discussion: choice of the intestinal tract for the interposition
      and type of anastomosis to perform. The nature of the lesion and its level seems
      to play the most important role in the choice.

PMID- 1873152
TI  - [Pancreatoduodenectomy with preservation of the stomach and pylorus: technical
      and functional aspects].
AB  - Pancreatoduodenectomy is the most used resective operation in the treatment of
      cephalopancreatic pathology; nevertheless it is a severely demolitive operation,
      especially if performed according to the traditional technique. It can induce
      early as well as late complications in a high percentage of cases. A number of
      technical improvements have been proposed so far in order to reduce or avoid such
      complications; duodenopancreatectomy with gastric and pyloric preservation (PPDP)
      is the most representative one. The Authors analyze technical and functional
      features of PPDP in 22 patients operated on; results are compared with the
      traditional technique. In conclusion, among all the techniques proposed, PPDP
      assures the best improvement in the quality of life of these patients.

PMID- 1873153
TI  - [Closure of the residual pancreatic stump after pancreatoduodenectomy using a
      mechanical stapler].
AB  - An important technical problem during pancreatoduodenectomy is the treatment of
      the pancreatic stump. The Authors describe their recent experience in five cases
      of pancreatoduodenectomy, in which the pancreatic stump, including the Wirsung,
      was closed using a linear stapler. An outflow of clear pancreatic juice through
      the drainage tubes was registered postoperatively, in all patients. The flow of
      the fistula was very limited in 4 cases and the healing occurred within two
      weeks; only in one case the drainage was initially more than 200 ml/die, but a
      spontaneous healing occurred after 28 days.

PMID- 1873154
TI  - [A new reconstructive model after total proctectomy].
AB  - The Authors describe a new reconstructive model after total proctectomy: the S-E
      colo-anal anastomosis (S-E CAA). The technical requisites of this variant are
      discussed and compared with more traditional reconstruction models. At a first
      evaluation of the results, the S-E CAA seems to be able to sensibly ameliorate
      the course and the outcome of the anastomosis and to hasten the recovery of the
      normal sphincteric function.

PMID- 1873155
TI  - [Partial splenectomy using a stapler and the role of regeneration of the residual
      splenic stump].
AB  - Current evidence indicates that only complete or partial intact spleen can
      protect the organism against pneumococcal sepsis. What is not clear is the amount
      of minimal splenic tissue needed to protect the organism against such infection.
      This study has been carried out on 20 dogs which underwent partial or total
      splenectomy with stapler. Animals were divided into 8 groups according to the
      quantity of the remnant splenic tissue: 0% (4 dogs); 5% (4); 15% (1); 25% (1);
      35% (2); 50% (2); 75% (2); 100% (4), and were followed up for 6 and 12 months. No
      mortality or bleeding was registered. Results showed a splenic regeneration,
      histologically demonstrated as an increased number of germinal follicles, in 12
      out of 16 dogs, more evident in the animals sacrificed at one year. In
      conclusion, even a small amount (5%) of splenic tissue preserved with its blood
      supply can regenerate and acquire with time enough immunological function to
      protect the organism against post-splenectomy sepsis.

PMID- 1873156
TI  - [Low colorectal anastomosis using the Knight and Griffen technique].
AB  - The low anterior resection currently represents the procedure of choice in the
      treatment of middle and low rectal cancer. The double stapling technique
      described by Knight and Griffen may be considered a safe and valid alternative
      able to decrease the incidence of complications related to a low colorectal
      anastomosis.

PMID- 1873157
TI  - [Therapy of massive anastomotic hemorrhage after anterior mechanical rectocolonic
      resection].

PMID- 1873158
TI  - [Reconstructive possibilities in thoracic surgery. Our experience].

PMID- 1873159
TI  - [Use of Premium CEEA in low anterior resection of the rectum].

PMID- 1873160
TI  - [Lasers and mechanical staplers in surgery of the digestive system].

PMID- 1873161
TI  - [Manual versus stapler anastomosis in colorectal surgery: a problem still open?].

PMID- 1873162
TI  - [Repair of recurrent laparocele using intraperitoneal prosthesis].

PMID- 1873163
TI  - [A simple, efficacious and economical method of plastic surgery of laparocele
      using local skin].

PMID- 1873164
TI  - [Use of mechanical staplers in gastric resection].

PMID- 1873165
TI  - [Controllable gastric banding as an alternative to vertical gastroplasty in the
      treatment of obesity].

PMID- 1873166
TI  - [Continent gastrostomy using mechanical staplers].

PMID- 1873167
TI  - [Mechanical sutures after extirpation surgery of the pancreas].

PMID- 1873168
TI  - [Use of surgical staplers in surgery of the colon: personal experience].

PMID- 1873169
TI  - [Termino-terminal choledocho-choledochal experimental microanastomosis using
      lasers].

PMID- 1873170
TI  - [Reconstruction after total gastrectomy: an original technique].

PMID- 1873171
TI  - [Use of surgical staplers in oncological colorectal surgery: why we perform
      latero-terminal anastomoses].

PMID- 1873172
TI  - [Enlarged total gastrectomy in recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the gastric
      stump].

PMID- 1873173
TI  - [Use of circular mechanical staplers in colostomy].

PMID- 1873174
TI  - [Mechanical functional termino-terminal anastomosis in the treatment of Crohn
      disease].

PMID- 1873175
TI  - [Methods of reconstruction of the alimentary tract after total gastrectomy:
      personal experience].

PMID- 1873176
TI  - [Mechanical staplers in urinary diversion and orthotopic substitution of the
      bladder].

PMID- 1873177
TI  - [Reconstruction techniques using surgical staplers after gastric resection].

PMID- 1873178
TI  - [Proposal of a reconstruction method after total gastrectomy in prevention of
      entero-esophageal reflux].

PMID- 1873179
TI  - [Duodenopancreatectomy and closure of the pancreatic stump using a surgical
      stapler. Preliminary results].

PMID- 1873180
TI  - [Surgical staplers in lung surgery].

PMID- 1873181
TI  - [Mechanical sutures in gastroesophageal surgery: usefulness and limits of our
      experience].

PMID- 1873182
TI  - [Reconstruction after duodenopancreatectomy: pancreatico-jejunal anastomosis].

PMID- 1873183
TI  - The role of mechanical sutures and devices in surgical teaching and training.

PMID- 1873184
TI  - [Carcinoma of the cervical esophagus. Problems of surgical technique].
AB  - The tape shows the surgical technique used by the Authors for the alimentary
      tract reconstruction after total esophagectomy for cancer of the upper esophagus.
      A review of the main reconstructive techniques used for this disease is reported.

PMID- 1873185
TI  - [Comparison of mechanical and manual anastomoses in emergency gastric resection].
AB  - Hundred and twenty-one patients underwent emergency subtotal gastrectomy for
      complications related to peptic ulcer (86) and malignant diseases (35). According
      to the type of anastomosis performed (manual or mechanical) patients were divided
      into two groups: 81 with hand-sutured anastomoses (double layer) and 40 with
      stapled anastomoses. The latter were more commonly used in the Roux-en-Y
      reconstruction and Billroth 1 gastrectomy. Median operating time (192' versus
      190'), hospital stay (15.2 versus 13.5 days), postoperative complications (38%
      versus 32.5%) and anastomotic or duodenal stump leakage (7.4% versus 5%) showed
      no significant difference between groups. Therefore, in emergency subtotal
      gastrectomy mechanical anastomoses allow to obtain results comparable to the more
      used manual ones.

PMID- 1873186
TI  - [Anorectal sphincter function after mechanical anterior resection in cancer of
      the rectum].
AB  - Out of a total of 365 operations for colo-rectal disease performed during the
      period 1980-1989 at the III and V Division of General Surgery of the 2nd Faculty
      of Medicine and Surgery of Naples, 181 (49.6%) patients had rectosigmoidal
      cancer: 95 (52.5%) underwent anterior resection and 86 (47.5%) Miles' operation.
      In 46 patients who underwent mechanical anterior resection during the period 1986
      1989, pre and postoperative sphincter function was studied through a complete
      anamnesis, physical examination, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy and balloon
      manometry. All data were analyzed considering both the distance of the
      anastomosis from the anal verge and the patient age in order to stress possible
      relations with incontinence. The low incidence of incontinence registered after
      12 months (6.5%), confirms the importance of manometry and rehabilitation, both
      necessary to improve the quality of life in old patients who undergo low anterior
      resection.

PMID- 1873187
TI  - [Reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer: Whipple-Child vs
      Traverso-Longmire technique (a National questionnaire 1990 on data of 1,095 cases
      of surgery)].
AB  - The Authors report the results of a National multicentric experience in 1.095
      cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer. In order to evaluate the reliability
      of pyloric preservation mortality, morbidity, and functional results are
      discussed.

PMID- 1873188
TI  - [Use of mechanical staplers in Billroth II gastrectomy].
AB  - Some considerations on the use of staplers, use currently classified as
      "elective" and "of convenience", are shown. The Author wishes a change in this
      classification especially for what elective subtotal gastrectomy is concerned. In
      fact, the use of staplers in subtotal gastrectomy for tumors of the pyloric
      antrum and for complicated ulcer assures considerable advantages in terms of
      quickness, safety and sterility. Finally, the Author describes in detail a
      Billroth II subtotal gastrectomy performed with staplers.

PMID- 1873189
TI  - [Mechanical staplers in orthotopic ileal neo-bladder using the Studer and Zingg
      method: our experience].
AB  - Detubularized orthotopic low-pressure bladder substitute following radical
      cystoprostatectomy allows micturition per urethram and urinary continence. We
      performed the Studer and Zingg procedure with ileal reservoirs in 26 bladder
      cancer patients, using staplers in 11 cases. A reduced operating time and a low
      postoperative complication rate were observed in these cases. Furthermore,
      functional results were comparable to those obtained with manual sutures and
      lithiasis was never observed.

PMID- 1873190
TI  - [Telescopic termino-terminal pancreatico-jejunostomy after
      duodenopancreatectomy].
AB  - The Authors report their experience in pancreatic stump management after
      pancreaticoduodenectomy. "Telescope" end-to-end pancreaticojejunostomy realized
      with some safe technical details represents a valid reconstructive procedure
      especially when the pancreatic remnant has a normal parenchyma without dilated
      duct.

PMID- 1873191
TI  - [Controversies about reconstruction after pancreatic resections in neoplasms of
      the periampullary area].
AB  - Extended pancreatic resections have still a significative morbidity: this
      explains all the technical alternatives proposed to the Whipple procedure.
      Treatment of the pancreatic stump after cephalic resection and the need of
      gastric resection are particularly debated today. The Authors, together with a
      wide literature review, report their experience with 45 patients who underwent
      cephalic (28 cases), subtotal (4 cases) or total (13 cases) pancreatectomy.
      Telescope pancreaticojejunostomy showed overall satisfying results (7% of
      dehiscences), inducing the Authors to use it in all cases. The role of pyloric
      preservation as proposed by Traverso and Longmire, which strongly reduces
      nutritional sequelae of pancreatectomy without negative effects on oncological
      radicality, is emphasized.

PMID- 1873192
TI  - Global programme on AIDS. HIV and HBV transmission in the health care setting.

PMID- 1873193
TI  - AIDS and HIV infection in the WHO Western Pacific Region.

PMID- 1873194
TI  - Biologicals unit and expanded programme on immunization. WHO European region
      workshop on testing of DPT vaccine with emphasis on in vitro methods.

PMID- 1873195
TI  - Human rabies.

PMID- 1873196
TI  - Increased tryptase levels in suction-blister fluid from patients with urticaria.
AB  - The levels of tryptase in the suction-blister fluid from patients with chronic
      urticaria, urticaria pigmentosa, cholinergic urticaria, urticarial dermographism,
      prurigo of unknown origin, eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and from healthy
      controls were studied. The blister fluid from controls contained up to 15
      micrograms/l of tryptase, whereas that from patients with active urticaria
      contained greater than 50 micrograms/l. This study demonstrates that patients
      with urticaria have mast cells that readily release tryptase in both the lesional
      and non-lesional areas of skin.

PMID- 1873197
TI  - In-vivo effects of solar-simulated ultraviolet irradiation on antioxidant enzymes
      and lipid peroxidation in human epidermis.
AB  - The effects of solar-simulated UV-irradiation on the activity of antioxidant
      enzymes and the amount of diene conjugation were studied in human epidermis in
      vivo. A single dose of UV-irradiation was found to result in a transient
      reduction in superoxide dismutase activity and this was followed by increased
      amounts of conjugated diene double bonds, an index for oxidative stress. This
      suggests that in-vivo exposure of human epidermis to solar-simulated UV
      irradiation causes changes in the enzymic antioxidant defence system which, in
      turn, are accompanied by increased level of oxidative stress.

PMID- 1873198
TI  - The epidermal basement membrane in basal cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical
      study.
AB  - An immunohistochemical study of basal cell carcinomas of varying histological
      type, using a panel of antibodies to constituents of the epidermal basement
      membrane, showed marked deficiencies in the expression of the antigens identified
      by the antibodies LH7.2, GB3 and G71. There was no correlation between loss of
      immunoreactivity to these antibodies and the histological features of the tumour.

PMID- 1873199
TI  - Nail is produced by the normal nail bed: a controversy resolved.
AB  - Nail thickness and mass (dry weight/unit surface area) of 21 toenails, removed
      from 19 patients after accidental injury, were measured over the mid point of the
      lunula, at the nail plate immediately distal to the lunula and at the distal end
      of the nail bed. Nail thickness increased from 43% of the final thickness over
      the mid-point of the lunula to 81% at its distal margin, the remaining increase
      in thickness being formed by the nail bed. The changes in nail mass were
      comparable. We conclude that ventral nail produced by the nail bed comprises
      about one-fifth of the terminal nail thickness and mass.

PMID- 1873200
TI  - Altered cell-mediated immunity to group A haemolytic streptococcal antigens in
      chronic plaque psoriasis.
AB  - The proliferative lymphocyte response to sonicated group A, beta-haemolytic
      streptococci (Strep-A) was measured by thymidine incorporation in 78 patients
      with psoriasis (guttate, chronic plaque or both). Lymphocytes from 72 of these
      patients were also cultured with streptokinase/streptodornase (SK/SD), and 20 of
      the patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were further tested with PPD, Candida
      albicans and sonicated Streptococcus mutans, a bacterial type not associated
      clinically with psoriasis. The median stimulation index (SI) of the psoriasis
      group to the Strep-A preparation was significantly higher than that of a group of
      27 non-psoriatic individuals (P less than 0.05). Within this group, only the
      patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (n = 42) showed a significantly increased
      proliferative response compared to the non-psoriatic controls (median SI = 123.8
      and 31.9, respectively, P less than 0.01). Although the lymphocyte response of
      the chronic plaque group to SK/SD was also markedly higher than that of the
      control group, this difference did not reach statistical significance. In
      addition, these patients did not show significantly increased responses to any of
      the other antigens tested, including S. mutans. No correlation was observed
      between the degree of proliferation to Strep-A and disease extent or activity.
      Similarly, ASO titres, which were raised in 11 out of 23 guttate and three out of
      nine chronic plaque psoriasis patients tested, did not correlate with the
      proliferative responses observed.

PMID- 1873201
TI  - Changes in the elastic tissue of the non-sun-exposed skin of cigarette smokers.
AB  - Biopsies were taken from the upper and inner arm of 10 60-year-old male cigarette
      smokers and compared with 10 age-matched controls who were non-smokers. The mean
      relative area, number and thickness of the elastic fibres were significantly
      increased in the cigarette smokers compared to the controls. These results were
      confirmed using antibodies to elastin or the microfibrillar component of elastic
      tissue. In the smokers the broader and more fragmented elastic fibres in the skin
      were not as intensely stained as those of the non-smokers and the ultrastructural
      alterations of the elastic fibres were similar to those in solar elastosis.

PMID- 1873203
TI  - Etretinate and visual function: a 1-year follow-up study.
AB  - Concern has been expressed in the literature that the drug etretinate may be
      potentially retinotoxic. Four patients are reported who have received long-term
      treatment with etretinate and who have undergone detailed evaluation for the
      development of visual dysfunction over a 1-year period. Despite prolonged
      treatment and high total doses no evidence of ocular toxicity attributable to the
      drug was found in any of the patients.

PMID- 1873202
TI  - In-vivo epidermal nuclear reactions: a selective process.
AB  - Epidermal in-vivo nuclear reactions of IgG occur primarily in patients with mixed
      connective tissue disease or systemic lupus erythematosus and have been
      associated with high titres of circulating antibodies to ribonucleoprotein (RNP).
      This study was carried out to examine whether these epidermal nuclear reactions
      are true or simply an excision artefact. We observed the epidermal nuclear
      reactions for IgG only and not for other immunoglobulins in both in-vivo and in
      vitro organ-culture studies, despite the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
      of all immunoglobulin classes. The association of the in-vitro epidermal nuclear
      reactions with serum RNP antibodies, although not absolute was statistically
      significant. The absorption of the serum with extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)
      preparation diminished the nuclear reactivity on tissue explants. In addition,
      the penetration of ANA into the nuclei of skin explants was both time and
      temperature dependent and was inhibited by sodium azide and by oligomycin. We
      conclude that the epidermal nuclear staining reactions observed by direct
      immunofluorescence on skin biopsies is selective and that the penetration of IgG
      into the epidermal cell nuclei is an active process and not an artefact.

PMID- 1873204
TI  - Plasma levels of 8-methoxypsoralen following oral or bath-water treatment.
AB  - The plasma levels of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were determined in 18 patients on
      PUVA treatment for their psoriasis and in two control volunteers. Seven of the
      patients were on oral therapy and 13 having bath treatment. The plasma levels of
      8-MOP were determined up to 6 h after treatment and varied between less than 10
      ng/ml and 360 ng/ml for the orally treated group, and in the bath-treatment group
      were all less than 10 ng/ml.

PMID- 1873205
TI  - The influence of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy on atopic dermatitis.
AB  - The prevalence of a premenstrual deterioration in the symptoms of atopic
      dermatitis, as determined by a postal questionnaire completed by 150 women, was
      33%. There was a significant association between a premenstrual worsening of
      atopic dermatitis and the presence of the symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome
      (P less than 0.002). Pregnancy had an adverse effect on atopic dermatitis in the
      majority of cases (52%), usually starting in the first 20 weeks of gestation,
      although an appreciable proportion of women (24%) had improved during their
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1873206
TI  - The induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase following tape stripping is
      inhibited by a topical vitamin D3 analogue (MC903).
AB  - The efficacy of MC903, a vitamin D3 analogue, in reducing hyperproliferation as
      determined by levels of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was investigated in a
      double-blind study of 15 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. The lesions of
      psoriasis were treated for 8 weeks with MC903 in one of two different cream bases
      or with a placebo cream. Biopsies were taken before and after treatment. In
      addition an uninvolved area of skin was treated during the last 3 weeks and this
      as well as control areas were then sellotape stripped and biopsied after 8 h.
      Clinical improvement was seen in eight out of 11 patients treated with MC903 but
      there was no reduction in the level of ODC in psoriatic lesions after 8 weeks of
      treatment. The levels of ODC in the tape-stripped uninvolved skin after 3 weeks
      of treatment with MC903 averaged 22.5 +/- 4.2 pmol/min/mg protein as compared to
      58.6 +/- 12.6 pmol/min/mg protein (P = 0.004). The trauma-induced induction of
      ODC activity was markedly inhibited by the application of MC903.

PMID- 1873207
TI  - Lupus erythematosus profundus with partial C4 deficiency responding to
      thalidomide.
AB  - A female patient with disfiguring lupus erythematosus profundus (LEP) from the
      age of 13 years was found to have an isolated partial C4 deficiency, with reduced
      levels of both allotypes, C4A and C4B. A genetic basis for the
      hypocomplementaemia was confirmed by a family study of complement and HLA types
      which revealed heterozygous null alleles for C4A and C4B in the proband. Marked
      improvement in her cutaneous lesions occurred with thalidomide.

PMID- 1873208
TI  - Periarticular fibrous nodules in Lyme borreliosis.
AB  - Periarticular fibrous nodules have been described in patients with late-phase
      acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) in the setting of Lyme borreliosis. We
      report the clinical and histopathological study of two patients with
      periarticular fibrous nodules and with Lyme borreliosis and discuss the
      relationship between these nodules and ACA.

PMID- 1873209
TI  - Localized pemphigoid shares the same target antigen as bullous pemphigoid.
AB  - A case of localized pemphigoid is described in which the lesions were only on the
      lower legs. Immunoblotting of the patients' serum reacted with a 240-kDa
      polypeptide identical to one of the bullous pemphigoid antigens. IgG1 was
      detected in the lesional skin and IgG1 and IgG4 in the patient's serum. These
      observations suggest that the immunopathological mechanisms in the blister
      formation in localized pemphigoid are similar to those found in more widespread
      bullous pemphigoid.

PMID- 1873210
TI  - Dermatomyositis responding to treatment of associated toxoplasmosis.
AB  - We report a 59-year-old woman with severe dermatomyositis in association with
      high serum toxoplasma antibody titres who was successfully treated with
      pyrimethamine and sulphadiazine. This case supports an aetiological role for
      toxoplasmosis in the pathogenesis of some cases of dermatomyositis.

PMID- 1873211
TI  - Tuberculosis verrucosa cutis in a tumour-like form.
AB  - An unusual case of tuberculosis verrucosa cutis that presented with a tumour-like
      lesion on the heel is described. This responded rapidly to treatment with
      isoniazid.

PMID- 1873212
TI  - Lupus erythematosus and hereditary angio-oedema.

PMID- 1873214
TI  - 71st annual meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists. London, 3-6
      July 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1873213
TI  - Premenstrual exacerbation of nickel allergy.

PMID- 1873215
TI  - Immunoregulation by interleukin-4 in man.

PMID- 1873216
TI  - For debate: bone marrow transplantation for severe thalassaemia (1). The view
      from Pesaro (2). To be or not to be.

PMID- 1873217
TI  - BCNU treatment of marrow stromal monolayers reversibly alters haematopoiesis.
AB  - The marrow stromal microenvironment is essential for maintaining normal
      haematopoiesis. Chemotherapy drugs, such as the nitrosoureas, may impair the
      ability of the stroma to support haematopoiesis. To assess the effects of 1,3-bis
      (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) on in vitro haematopoiesis, stromal
      monolayers were treated with BCNU, 5 micrograms/ml weekly for 3 weeks, then
      seeded 24 h after the third treatment with haematopoietic progenitors. Three
      weeks after seeding, total adherent and non-adherent cell numbers were similar in
      treated and control flasks as were adherent granulocyte/macrophage colony forming
      cell (GM-CFC) numbers. In contrast, non-adherent GM-CFC were significantly
      reduced in treated flasks, to 40-60% of controls. However, no reduction in non
      adherent GM-CFC number was seen if seeding was delayed for 7 d following BCNU
      treatment, suggesting the effects are reversible. Conditioned media from treated
      and control monolayers, harvested at a time corresponding to the time of seeding,
      showed no difference in colony stimulating activity. In addition, extracts of
      bound growth factors from treated and control monolayers also showed no
      differences in colony stimulating activity. Thus, BCNU can alter haematopoiesis
      through a reversible effect on the marrow stroma and this effect does not appear
      to be mediated by a change in stromal growth factor production.

PMID- 1873218
TI  - The anti-mitozantrone monoclonal antibody NO-1, protects acute leukaemia cell
      lines from the cytotoxic effects of mitozantrone.
AB  - The monoclonal antibody NO-1 was raised against the potent anti-cancer drug
      mitozantrone by immunization of a BALB/c mouse with a mitozantrone-keyhole limpet
      haemocyanin conjugate in Freund's complete adjuvant. This antibody was shown to
      be highly effective in vitro at neutralizing the cytotoxic effects of
      mitozantrone for the acute leukaemia cell lines ALL-1 and MOLT4. In order to
      achieve complete protection, a drug to antibody molar ratio of 1.5:1 was
      required. The neutralizing effect was specific for mitozantrone, as NO-1 antibody
      offered no protection of the MOLT4 cell line to the cytotoxic effects of the
      anthracycline drug daunorubicin when used at a near identical molar ratio. NO-1
      antibody has already proven a highly successful monoclonal reagent for use in a
      competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the accurate and sensitive
      quantitation of mitozantrone in serum. The neutralizing properties of NO-1
      suggest other possible applications for this antibody. These could include a use
      in the rapid clearance of pharmacologically active mitozantrone from the
      circulation following very high dose administration prior to bone marrow
      transplantation and for the construction of bispecific antibodies for targeting
      mitozantrone to tumour cell populations.

PMID- 1873219
TI  - Lymphohaematopoietic chimaerism after bone marrow transplantation for chronic
      myeloid leukaemia: results of simultaneous cytogenetic analyses on T-cell
      colonies, myeloid, and erythroid progenitor cells.
AB  - Various lymphohaematopoietic compartments represented by cells from T-cell
      colonies, myeloid progenitor cells (CFU-GM), erythroid progenitor cells (BFU-E),
      and bone marrow after short-term culture (BM) have simultaneously been analysed
      in 15 patients receiving 17 bone marrow transplants for Philadelphia chromosome
      (Ph) positive chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) or acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
      (ALL). The marrow grafts were not T-cell depleted. Ten patients without relapse
      did not show any myeloid cells of host origin until their last follow-up or until
      death. However, in four of these patients single lymphoid host cells not carrying
      the Ph chromosome were found after BMT without clinical consequences. In patients
      with cytogenetic or haematological relapse Ph positive metaphases were first
      detected in any of the progenitor cell compartments along with residual donor
      cells in two of three patients. BM became Ph positive after various time
      intervals. Another patient with CML became Ph positive in all compartments
      investigated at the same time. The only patient with Ph positive ALL remained
      completely Ph negative also when haematological and clinical relapse was evident.
      All patients with relapse exhibited complex clonal and non-clonal chromosomal
      aberrations at the time of recurrence of the Ph chromosome. Such abnormalities
      not identical to those usually found with evolution of the disease and
      preferentially occurring in progenitor cells preceded the reappearance of Ph
      positive metaphases in one of our patients.

PMID- 1873220
TI  - Differential dose-related haematological effects of GM-CSF in pancytopenia:
      evidence supporting the advantage of low- over high-dose administration in
      selected patients.
AB  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multifunctional
      haematopoietin which can promote production of several blood cell lineages,
      though the predominant target cells are neutrophils, monocytes, and their
      precursors. Occasional undesirable clinical effects include eosinophilia, an
      increase in blasts, or thrombocytopenia. Here, we describe four patients who were
      treated with GM-CSF, at subcutaneous doses significantly lower than are
      conventional, and experienced an unusual response pattern. Three patients had
      severe pancytopenia associated with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or
      myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and exhibited an unexpected switch in the
      responsive lineage on high- versus very low-dose therapy. The two CLL patients
      developed marked eosinophilia (up to 10.0 x 10(9) cells/l) without an increase in
      neutrophils on 125-300 micrograms/m2/d of GM-CSF. In contrast, when the dose was
      lowered to 10 micrograms/m2/d, the neutrophils rose to physiological levels,
      without significant eosinophilia. The MDS patient showed a rapid rise in
      peripheral blasts (baseline level = 0; post-therapy level = 5.0 x 10(9)/l),
      without a change in other cell types, when receiving 60 micrograms/m2/d of GM
      CSF. After GM-CSF was held, blasts returned to baseline levels; reinstituting
      therapy at the very low dose of 6 micrograms/m2/d was followed by an increase in
      platelet counts from 50 to 185 x 10(9)/l with only a minor increase in blasts.
      The fourth patient, who suffered from severe aplastic anaemia complicated by
      recurrent gastrointestinal haemorrhage, was only treated with the low-dose
      regimen. He showed a predominant platelet effect with counts rising from 9 to 169
      x 10(9)/l. Very low-dose GM-CSF therapy was devoid of constitutional side
      effects. The biological implications of these GM-CSF responses are discussed. Our
      results indicate that, in some patients, GM-CSF may stimulate different target
      cells depending on the dose. Therefore, in contrast to the results of
      administration of many classical drugs, there may not always be a direct
      relationship between the amount of GM-CSF given and the optimal effect.

PMID- 1873221
TI  - Haemophilia B mutations in a complete Swedish population sample: a test of new
      strategy for the genetic counselling of diseases with high mutational
      heterogeneity.
AB  - Carrier and prenatal diagnosis based on the identification of the gene defect
      (direct diagnosis) increases the proportion of haemophilia B families that can be
      offered precise genetic counselling from the 50-60% attainable by DNA markers, to
      100% and they also provide information on the molecular biology of the disease.
      We propose that in order to maximize the practical and scientific benefits of
      direct diagnosis the gene defect of complete (possibly national) populations of
      patients should be characterized and the information stored in appropriate
      confidential databases. We demonstrate the feasibility of such a strategy by
      characterizing the mutations of all the patients registered with the Malmo
      haemophilia centre. These patients (44 male and 1 female) are from 45 unrelated
      families and 24 (53%) have negative family history. The 25 patients with similar
      reduction of factor IX:C and factor IX:Ag (24 male + 1 female) have: two gross
      deletions, three frameshifts, four translation stops, six mutations expected to
      affect pre-mRNA splicing and 10 amino acid substitutions. The six patients with
      greater reduction of factor IX:C than factor IX:Ag and the seven with reduced
      IX:C and normal IX:Ag have only amino acid substitutions. Patients with
      inhibitors have: one complete deletion, one frameshift and three translation
      stops. One patient has both a translation stop and a functionally neutral amino
      acid substitution (His257----Tyr). Characterization of the factor IX mutation was
      successful in every case, usually entailed 4 person-days work, and has led to the
      identification of 12 amino acid residues essential for the factor IX structure
      and function.

PMID- 1873222
TI  - An HphI-polymorphism in exon 28 of the von Willebrand factor gene, and its
      frequency among patients with various forms of von Willebrand's disease.
AB  - Besides having a large number of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP)
      the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene contains several sequence polymorphisms in
      the coding regions. Eight nucleotide substitutions have been reported in two or
      more independent cDNA clones. Four of them give rise to amino acid substitutions,
      two of which are in the mature vWF subunit (at positions 26 and 709). We have
      investigated a previously suggested putative alanine-threonine polymorphism at
      position 618 of the mature subunit in normal subjects and patients with various
      types of von Willebrand's disease (vWD). the codon for amino acid 618 is located
      in exon 28, which encodes several important vWF functional domains. We amplified
      the whole exon 28 and parts of it by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and
      distinguished gene from pseudogene sequences. The alanine----threonine (G----A)
      substitution was studied with restriction enzyme cleavage of the products, since
      it creates a new HphI site. Moreover, in two individuals we confirmed the
      polymorphism by cDNA sequencing. In 23 normals the frequencies of the h- (Ala)
      and the h+ (Thr) alleles were 0.50/0.50. In eight patients with type III vWD from
      seven different families, the h- allele was present in 13 of 16 genes, but
      whether this signifies a common mutation in some of the patients is not known. In
      types I and II, both alleles were present in roughly similar proportions. Owing
      to the high frequency of heterozygosity, the polymorphism should prove useful as
      an aid in genetic counselling.

PMID- 1873223
TI  - Novel point mutations leading to type 1 antithrombin deficiency and thrombosis.
AB  - Direct sequencing of antithrombin III (AT) gene fragments specifically amplified
      by the polymerase chain reaction was utilized to identify the molecular basis of
      type 1 AT deficiency in two unrelated kindreds, both with thrombotic disease. Two
      novel point mutations were identified, deletion of a T from the second position
      of codon 81 in one propositus and insertion of a G in codon 424 in the second
      kindred. The AT 81(-T) frameshift mutation leads to a premature stop signal in
      codon 89, while the AT 424(+G) allele has a premature stop only one codon short
      of the normal gene. The latter mutation changes the eight carboxy terminal
      residues of AT, including 429Cys, and increases the proportion of polar amino
      acids in this region. We suggest that altered folding of the mutant protein may
      explain the AT deficiency.

PMID- 1873224
TI  - Molecular basis for hereditary antithrombin III quantitative deficiencies: a stop
      codon in exon IIIa and a frameshift in exon VI.
AB  - Antithrombin III (AT III) is an inhibitor of serine protease (serpin) comprising
      432 amino acids. Quantitative AT III deficiencies are associated with a high risk
      of thrombotic disease. Although this risk is smaller in patients with qualitative
      AT III deficiencies, the molecular defects characterizing the latter have been
      the subject of many studies. However, in quantitative AT III deficiencies, only
      three mutations have been described: Pro 407 to Leu and A1a404 to Thr (both
      located in the C-terminal part of the AT III molecule) and also a frameshift in
      exon IIIa. Using the asymmetric polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genomic DNA
      analysis by direct sequencing, we detected two mutations in three unrelated
      families: (i) a C----T transition in exon IIIa in two families, leading to the
      replacement of the codon corresponding to Arg 129 by a stop codon, and (ii) in
      the third family, insertion of an adenine in the codon corresponding to Phe 408,
      a highly conserved serpin amino acid. This insertion altered the reading frame
      and led to the appearance of a premature stop signal. Patients of all three
      families were heterozygous for their abnormality. These results show that
      asymmetric PCR and genomic DNA analysis by direct sequencing permit fast
      identification of the molecular basis of quantitative AT III deficiencies. It is
      concluded that in many cases the absence of AT III gene product probably results
      from point mutation, as previously observed for another serpin, alpha-1
      antitrypsin.

PMID- 1873225
TI  - Prothrombin fragment 1 + 2, thrombin-antithrombin III complexes and D-dimers in
      acute deep vein thrombosis: effects of heparin treatment.
AB  - Plasma levels of prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F 1 + 2), of thrombin-antithrombin
      III complexes (TAT) and of D-dimers were evaluated at several time intervals in
      15 patients affected by acute proximal deep vein thrombosis, complicated or not
      by pulmonary embolism, and treated by conventional heparin therapy for 9 d. The
      mean levels of the three markers remained significantly increased throughout the
      period of observation, except for F 1 + 2 on day 9, when compared to normal
      values established in a population of normal healthy blood donors. However,
      whereas heparin significantly decreased the plasma levels of F 1 + 2 and of TAT
      complexes in less than 3 d. D-dimer levels were not significantly altered.
      Significant correlations were observed between the plasma levels of the three
      markers but they were not correlated to the actual intensity of heparin treatment
      evaluated as the activated partial thromboplastin time prolongation. These
      results indicate that heparin improves the hypercoagulable state associated with
      a deep vein thrombosis within the first days of treatment as indicated by TAT and
      F 1 + 2. They also account for the performances of D-dimer assay for the
      diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in patients already receiving heparin, a common
      situation in routine hospital practice.

PMID- 1873226
TI  - HPA-5b (Br(a)) neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia: clinical and immunological
      analysis of 39 cases.
AB  - Maternal alloimmunization against fetal platelets can cause fetal and neonatal
      thrombocytopenia (NAIT). The HPA-1a (PIA1, Zwa) antigen is by far the most common
      antigen implicated in NAIT. However, today another antigen often linked with that
      affection is HPA-5b (Br(a)). This is a report of 39 cases of NAIT involving the
      HPA-5b antigen. Thrombocytopenia may be of grave consequence. Three infants
      developed intracerebral haemorrhages (ICH). Of these, one died presumably as a
      consequence of ICH. Central nervous system (CNS) sequelae in the neonatal period
      was observed in two children. The potential hazards of death or disabling
      neurologic sequelae following intracerebral haemorrhage call for rapid and
      reliable diagnosis and effective therapy. Because there is high risk that
      subsequent pregnancies might be also affected by NAIT, the mothers of a
      previously affected child should be managed similarly to the HPA-1b mothers
      (PIA2, Zwb). The antenatal diagnosis of thrombocytopenia should be made and if
      necessary the in utero therapy instituted.

PMID- 1873227
TI  - A novel delta 0 mutation in cis with Hb Knossos: a study of different genetic
      interactions in three Egyptian families.
AB  - We have defined the molecular basis of normal HbA2 beta-thalassaemia associated
      with Hb Knossos. DNA sequence analysis of the delta globin gene in cis with beta
      Knossos showed deletion of a single A in codon 59 leading to a premature
      termination at codon 60. This delta 0/beta Knossos allele has been observed in
      three unrelated Egyptian families and associated with a single beta haplotype (+-
      --++). One individual who was homozygous for the delta 0/beta Knossos allele as
      well as heterozygous for a non-deletional alpha thalassaemia, was completely
      clinically asymptomatic, while others have coinherited the delta 0/beta Knossos
      allele with different beta and alpha thalassaemia determinants. A study of the
      different genetic interactions giving rise to a spectrum of clinical phenotypes
      is reported.

PMID- 1873228
TI  - Abnormal neutrophil adhesion in sickle cell anaemia and crisis: relationship to
      blood rheology.
AB  - Defects in neutrophil adhesion and migration may contribute to the susceptibility
      to infection seen in sickle cell anaemia (SCA). These dynamic defects may be
      influenced by abnormalities in blood rheology found in this disorder. A whole
      blood model was used to study neutrophil adhesion in SCA patients: neutrophil
      adhesion to protein coated glass was quantitated by measuring the rate of
      disappearance of neutrophils from heparinized whole blood circulating through a
      perfusion chamber. Twenty-three adult patients (Hb SS) were studied in
      asymptomatic steady state, of whom nine were also studied during pain crisis,
      both before and 4-7 d after conventional therapy. Red cell and granulocyte
      filterability and whole blood and plasma viscosity were also measured. The half
      time for disappearance from the perfusion system (t1/2) of neutrophils from
      patients in the steady-state was 93.5 +/- 8.4 min, compared to 49.1 +/- 2.8 min
      in normal age-matched controls (P = 0.001). In crisis t1/2 was further prolonged
      to 170.0 +/- 16.1 min (P = 0.01 v. steady state). After therapy, t1/2 decreased
      to 57.0 +/- 4.5 min (P = 0.001 v. pre-therapy state and P = 0.009 v. steady
      state) and was comparable to Hb AA controls. These findings reveal a neutrophil
      adhesion defect in SCA which worsens in crisis but is corrected following
      supportive therapy. Red cell filterability (expressed as average resistance to
      flow and pore-clogging particles) and white cell filterability (expressed as pore
      clogging particles) were also abnormal in SCA and were found to correlate with
      neutrophil adhesion. Plasma viscosity also correlated with adhesion t1/2. The
      defect appears to be related to abnormal blood flow properties in SCA but the
      rheological factors cannot fully explain either the steady-state defect or the
      marked changes in neutrophil adhesion during crisis.

PMID- 1873229
TI  - Production of soluble transferrin receptor by K562 erythroleukaemia cells.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to examine the production of soluble transferrin
      receptor by K562 erythroleukaemia cells under controlled experimental conditions.
      The concentrations of soluble and cellular transferrin receptor were measured by
      immunoassay employing monoclonal antibodies. Cellular ferritin was also measured
      as an index of iron supply. With incubation up to 48 h there was a progressive
      increase in the concentration of soluble transferrin receptor. Manipulating iron
      supply by adding iron chelators or diferric transferrin to the incubation medium
      produced marked alterations in cellular receptor and ferritin content. Under all
      such conditions examined, the relationship between soluble and cellular receptor
      remained highly constant. These findings support clinical studies of serum
      receptor suggesting that over a broad spectrum of haematological disorders there
      is a fixed relationship between serum receptor and tissue receptor mass.

PMID- 1873230
TI  - A case of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with a high titre of
      platelet membrane-associated antiphospholipid antibodies.

PMID- 1873231
TI  - Philadelphia chromosome in a sarcoidosis patient?

PMID- 1873232
TI  - Dapsone for idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura in elderly patients.

PMID- 1873233
TI  - Prolonged recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) treatment for severe bleeding
      in a factor-IX-deficient patient with an inhibitor.

PMID- 1873234
TI  - Interferon alpha-2b therapy in refractory adult chronic thrombocytopenic purpura.

PMID- 1873235
TI  - Anti-interferon antibodies in alpha interferon treated patients with chronic
      myeloid leukaemia.

PMID- 1873236
TI  - First report of a cardiac transplantation in a patient with thalassaemia major.

PMID- 1873237
TI  - Annotated bibliography of structural equation modelling: technical work.
AB  - Researchers must be familiar with a variety of source literature to facilitate
      the informed use of structural equation modelling. Knowledge can be acquired
      through the study of an expanding literature found in a diverse set of publishing
      forums. We propose that structural equation modelling publications can be roughly
      classified into two groups: (a) technical and (b) substantive applications.
      Technical materials focus on the procedures rather than substantive conclusions
      derived from applications. The focus of this article is the former category;
      included are foundational/major contributions, minor contributions, critical and
      evaluative reviews, integrations, simulations and computer applications,
      precursor and historical material, and pedagogical textbooks. After a brief
      introduction, we annotate 294 articles in the technical category dating back to
      Sewall Wright (1921).

PMID- 1873238
TI  - Management of the pregnant woman with spinal cord injuries.
AB  - This paper forms part of an ongoing prospective study of pregnancy and labour in
      women with spinal cord injuries and combines a prospective and retrospective
      analysis of 17 pregnancies in 15 women with spinal injuries. The management and
      outcome in those 17 pregnancies is reviewed.

PMID- 1873239
TI  - How does the mode of delivery affect the cost of maternity care?
AB  - In this paper we present estimates of the difference in the cost of hospital care
      for women having different modes of singleton delivery. The estimates are based
      on observation of resources used in different procedures, and on data from the
      North West Thames Region Maternity Information System. For vaginal delivery the
      average cost is 363 pounds, but could fall between 189 pounds and 773 pounds, and
      for caesarean section the average cost is 1123 pounds, with a likely range from
      837 pounds to 1560 pounds. The wide ranges in the costs of the two modes of
      delivery reflect variation in the length of stay and in the intensity of care
      required. The average cost for intrapartum care and postnatal stay is estimated
      to be 451 pounds for all singleton births. Variation in operative delivery rates
      between hospitals implies differences in the overall cost of care at different
      maternity units. This partly reflects differences in the needs of the population
      served by the units, but also differences in clinical practice. It is important
      for decision makers to consider the balance between the costs and outcomes of
      different policies of care.

PMID- 1873240
TI  - Head circumference/abdominal circumference ratio, ponderal index and fetal
      malnutrition. Should head circumference/abdominal circumference ratio be
      abandoned?
AB  - Head circumference/abdominal circumference (HC/AC) ratios of the fetus are
      accepted as a means of distinguishing different patterns of growth retardation
      with a high ratio implying malnutrition of the fetus. Ponderal index
      (birthweight/length3) is used by paediatricians as a measure of neonatal wasting
      and would therefore be expected to correlate with HC/AC ratios at delivery.
      Anthropometric data on 999 newborn infants have been collected and analyzed by
      multiple regression. The results show a poor correlation between ponderal index
      and HC/AC ratio, worse than that between ponderal index and AC alone. The use of
      HC/AC ratios antenatally to identify subgroups of intrauterine malnutrition
      should be abandoned. The prediction of intrauterine malnutrition by weight/length
      ratios should be investigated further.

PMID- 1873241
TI  - A randomized comparison of oxytocin, sulprostone and placebo in the management of
      the third stage of labour.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect on post partum bloodloss of the postpartum
      prophylactic administration of oxytocin or sulprostone in low risk women having
      an expectant management of the third stage. DESIGN: Randomized, placebo
      controlled, double-blind trial. SETTING: Radboud University Hospital, Nijmegen
      (67 women) and Lievensberg Hospital, Bergen op Zoom (10 women). PARTICIPANTS: 77
      women entered the trial (three were excluded). INTERVENTIONS: The intramuscular
      injection, immediately after the birth of the baby, of either oxytocin 5 IU,
      sulprostone 500 micrograms or 0.9% saline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quantitative
      postpartum blood loss and length of third stage. RESULTS: Postpartum blood loss
      was reduced almost equally, by about 35%, by oxytocin (P = 0.02), or sulprostone
      (P = 0.05). The mean length of the third stage was shorter in both groups
      receiving the active treatment, this effect was significant in the sulprostone
      group (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic administration of oxytocin or
      sulprostone directly after delivery followed by expectant management of the third
      stage reduces post partum blood loss and shortens the third stage.

PMID- 1873242
TI  - How obstetricians manage the problem of preterm delivery with special reference
      to the preterm breech.
AB  - A questionnaire regarding the route of birth for the preterm fetus with
      particular reference to the management of the preterm breech was sent to 180
      consultants in England and Wales. Only 23% of respondents use electronic fetal
      monitoring below 26 weeks gestation and only 12% use caesarean section routinely
      for fetal indications at less than 26 weeks. Only 12% will use caesarean section
      for the preterm fetus presenting by the vertex in uncomplicated labour. Only 35%
      of all respondents consider that there is sufficient evidence to support the use
      of caesarean section for the uncomplicated preterm breech, but 76% will actually
      use caesarean section for this indication. Overall 71% reported that they are
      affected by medicolegal considerations in their management of the preterm breech.
      Overall, 83% said that they might change their practice regarding the mode of
      delivery of the preterm breech in the light of the findings of a randomized
      prospective controlled trial.

PMID- 1873243
TI  - Trends in multiple births in Italy: 1955-1983.
AB  - On the basis of the numbers of single and multiple births routinely collected by
      the Central Institute of Statistics, trends in multiple births in Italy over the
      period 1955-1983 were analyzed. Between 1955 and 1983 the frequency of multiple
      births declined by about 25% (from 12.6/1000 deliveries to 9.6/1000 deliveries).
      The downward trend was constant until the early 1970s when rates tended to level
      off and increase slightly. This finding was largely attributable to trends in
      dizygotic rates, monozygotic births being approximately constant over the period
      considered. Multiple birth rates rose till age 35-39, being more than two times
      higher in this age group than in teenagers, but flattened off in the subsequent
      strata of age: this finding was constant over the period considered. Despite the
      general decreasing trend, the regional differences persisted largely unchanged,
      multiple birth rates being about 30% higher in Southern (and less developed
      areas) of the country than in the North of Italy. Geographic differences were
      limited to dizygotic pregnancies, monozygotic rates being constant (about 4/1000
      pregnancies) in various areas.

PMID- 1873244
TI  - Serum bile acids in normal pregnancy.
AB  - Serum bile acid levels were measured in a longitudinal study of 56 women
      throughout normal pregnancy. Postprandial levels of serum bile acids were
      measured at each visit. Mean serum bile acid levels increased significantly from
      5.3 (2 SD 3.4) mumol/l at 16 weeks to 6.5 (2 SD 3.7) mumol/l at term (P less than
      0.005).

PMID- 1873245
TI  - Menstrual symptoms in women with pelvic endometriosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate menstrual symptoms in relation to pelvic pathology.
      DESIGN: A prospective questionnaire-based study. SETTING: Aberdeen Royal
      Infirmary, Scotland. SUBJECTS: 1250 questionnaires were sent out prior to planned
      admission and 1200 women (96%) brought the completed questionnaires. They
      comprised 598 women undergoing laparoscopic sterilization, 312 having laparoscopy
      because of infertility, 156 having laparoscopy because of chronic pelvic pain and
      134 women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy for dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
      MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The occurrence of dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia, menstrual
      regularity, premenstrual spotting, deep dyspareunia and pelvic pain in women with
      either endometriosis and post infective pelvic adhesions or a normal pelvis.
      RESULTS: Menorrhagia, menstrual irregularity and premenstrual spotting occurred
      with equal frequency in all groups. Deep dyspareunia, pain after intercourse and
      recurrent pain unrelated to menstruation or coitus was more common in women with
      endometriosis and those with post infective pelvic adhesions than in those with a
      normal pelvis. Dysmenorrhoea appears to be more prevalent among women having
      endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: Menstrual symptoms, while raising a high index of
      suspicion for endometriosis, are not entirely reliable as indicators of disease.
      Dysmenorrhoea is the most common reported symptom in endometriosis sufferers.
      Diagnostic laparoscopy should be considered before institution of treatment in
      women complaining of pelvic pain and menstrual symptoms.

PMID- 1873246
TI  - Experience with tissue expansion vaginoplasty.
AB  - In vaginal agenesis, a vagina can be treated by tissue expansion vaginoplasty. We
      have performed 17 such procedures. One procedure was abandoned because of
      infection of the temporary implant. In four women the first stage had to be
      repeated: in one the implant was placed too superficially, in another it did not
      provide adequate expansion, in a further instance the implant became infected and
      the fourth woman received a surgical wound to her labia. The second stage was
      successful in all 16 women who now have a vagina lined with viable epithelium.
      The vaginal length was satisfactory in all but one. Two women complained of a
      vaginal discharge due to hair at the vaginal vault, two women developed
      postoperative haematomas and one experienced introital stenosis. The disadvantage
      of the procedure is that it requires two operative stages and involves a
      prolonged hospital stay but it is not technically complex and results in a full
      length vagina that does not require dilatation.

PMID- 1873247
TI  - Crouching over the toilet seat: prevalence among British gynaecological
      outpatients and its effect upon micturition.
AB  - This study investigated whether British women prefer to crouch over public toilet
      seats, and measured the effect of such a voiding position on urine flow rate and
      residual urine volume. Of 528 consecutive women who attended a general
      gynaecological clinic and completed an anonymous questionnaire, 85% usually
      crouched over the toilet when using a public convenience, 12% applied paper to
      the seat and 2% sat directly on public toilet seats. When using a friend's
      bathroom 38% of the women voided by crouching. Results were similar for 155
      patients attending a urodynamic clinic, 80 of whom were studied while voiding in
      both positions. There was a 21% reduction in average urine flow rate and a 149%
      increase in residual urine volume in the crouching position. Women undergoing
      urodynamic tests should be asked which voiding position they used before abnormal
      results are interpreted. Patients with a reduced functional bladder capacity may
      benefit from being encouraged to sit comfortably on the toilet whenever possible.

PMID- 1873248
TI  - Oocyte and follicular fluid characteristics in women with mild endometriosis.
AB  - The follicular development, fertilization and cleavage rates and follicular fluid
      endocrinology were assessed in 20 women with mild endometriosis during a
      spontaneous menstrual cycle. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed 32 h after the
      onset of the endogenous luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in the 20 women with
      laparoscopically confirmed mild endometriosis and in a control group of ten women
      with tubal infertility. There was no significant difference in oocyte maturity or
      fertilization and cleavage rates between the women with mild endometriosis and
      those in the control group. The endocrine milieu of the pre-ovulatory oocyte at
      the time of aspiration was similar in the two groups.

PMID- 1873249
TI  - Immunoreactive endometritis.
AB  - A benign polyclonal lymphoid proliferation of the endometrium which bears
      morphological resemblance to the malignant lymphoma is found among women with
      bleeding disturbances. Seven previous cases have so far been reported in the
      literature. A retrospective examination of 11,648 endometrial specimens revealed
      287 examples of chronic endometritis (2.5%) of which 29 displayed lymphoid
      proliferation. We found no evidence of malignant haematologic disorder after a
      median observation of 68 months and no positive association with prior or present
      infectious disease. Histological follow-up of ten patients showed that changes
      could persist for up to 12 months. We name this benign condition 'immunoreactive
      endometritis'.

PMID- 1873250
TI  - Acute recurrent polyhydramnios--management with indomethacin.

PMID- 1873251
TI  - Vulvodynia and selective IgA deficiency. Case reports.

PMID- 1873252
TI  - Placenta accreta and myotonic dystrophy. Two case reports.

PMID- 1873253
TI  - Ovarian necrotizing vasculitis causing major intra-abdominal haemorrhage after
      IVF. Case report and literature review.

PMID- 1873254
TI  - Imaging of pulmonary endometriosis by immunoscintigraphy. Case report.

PMID- 1873255
TI  - Raised serum CA 125 preceding the diagnosis of carcinoma of the fallopian tube:
      two case reports.

PMID- 1873256
TI  - Pre-eclampsia and anti-phospholipid antibody.

PMID- 1873257
TI  - Hormone implants and tachyphylaxis.

PMID- 1873258
TI  - The clinical presentation of women with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

PMID- 1873259
TI  - Vulval reconstruction by free tissue transfer.

PMID- 1873260
TI  - Acute retinal necrosis.

PMID- 1873261
TI  - Factors associated with poor visual outcome in acute retinal necrosis.
AB  - We reviewed 22 consecutive patients (26 eyes) with acute retinal necrosis to
      elucidate whether there was any sign at an early stage to predict poor visual
      outcome. Final visual acuity of the patients fell into two groups, one worse than
      20/600 (15 eyes) and the other better than 20/30 (11 eyes). The patients with
      poor visual outcome showed diffuse retinal arteritis or arterial obliteration
      which was associated with reduced amplitude of electroretinographic a and b waves
      and elevated levels of circulating immune complex, even at an early stage when
      retinal exudates were still localised to the peripheral fundus. The retinal
      exudates in these patients extended rapidly to the posterior pole. In contrast,
      the patients with good visual outcome showed retinal arteritis limited within
      retinal exudates throughout the course. These signs at an early stage can be used
      as prognostic factors to manage patients with acute retinal necrosis more
      constructively.

PMID- 1873262
TI  - Surgical management of retinal detachment associated with the acute retinal
      necrosis syndrome.
AB  - We operated on nine eyes in eight patients with retinal detachment associated
      with acute retinal necrosis (ARN) syndrome. The patients were treated with
      scleral buckling, vitreoretinal surgery, or a combination of these treatments.
      Vitrectomised eyes underwent combinations of lensectomy, membrane dissection,
      scleral buckling, air-fluid exchange, endolaser photocoagulation, cryotherapy,
      and retinal tamponade with C3F8 gas or SF6 gas. Macular attachment was achieved
      in eight (89%) eyes. Vision improved in seven (78%) eyes, of which five (56%)
      achieved 20/200 or better vision. Three eyes that had received laser treatment
      posterior to areas of retinitis suffered retinal detachment despite this
      prophylactic treatment. Poor visual outcome resulted from viral infection of the
      optic nerve or macular involvement, macular hole formation, macular pucker, or
      hypotony.

PMID- 1873263
TI  - Retinal circulation times in diabetes mellitus type 1.
AB  - Video fluorescein angiography was performed in 124 patients between 18 and 65
      years of age (mean 35.0, SD 12.3 years) with juvenile-onset, insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus (type 1). The arm-retina time (ART) and the retinal
      arteriovenous passage time (AVP) were measured by means of a picture analysis
      system to quantify the retinal microcirculation. Glucose metabolism was assessed
      by the blood level of haemoglobin A1c. The ART 11.5, SD 3.4 s) was similar to
      that in normal persons (11.2, SD 3.3 s), while the AVP was significantly longer
      in the diabetics (AVP = 2.35, SD 0.87 s) than in normal persons (AVP = 1.45, SD
      0.40 s). The patients with severe diabetic retinopathy showed the most impressive
      change in AVP. The diabetics with good glycaemic control, that is, with
      glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) less than or equal to 8.0 g/dl, had a shorter
      AVP than patients with bad glycaemic control (HbA1c greater than or equal to 9.5
      g/dl). The group with a history of diabetes for less than five years showed
      circulation parameters similar to those of normal persons. The AVP in this group
      was significantly shorter than in groups with a history of diabetes for five or
      more years.

PMID- 1873264
TI  - Pulsatile ocular blood flow in patients with low tension glaucoma.
AB  - Measurements of the intraocular pressure (IOP) pulse and pulsatile ocular blood
      flow (POBF) have been made in 22 patients with bilateral low tension glaucoma
      (LTG) and 29 healthy subjects matched as closely as possible for age, refractive
      error, IOP, systemic pulse pressure, and heart rate. Recordings were made in both
      the standing and supine positions. The amplitude of the intraocular pressure
      pulse was significantly lower in patients with LTG (1.2, SEM 0.1 mmHg standing,
      and 1.3, SEM 0.1 mmHg lying) than in healthy subjects (1.9, SEM 0.1 mmHg
      standing, and 2.0 SEM 0.1 mmHg lying): p less than 0.001 standing and p less than
      0.002 lying. Measurement of POBF also showed a significant reduction between the
      healthy subjects (428 (31) SEM microliters/min standing and 345 (28) SEM
      microliters/min lying) and subjects with LTG (301 (27) SEM microliters/min
      standing and 249 (24) SEM microliters/min lying), p less than 0.005 standing and
      p less than 0.02 lying. This represents a difference of approximately 30% between
      the two groups in either posture. A close non-parametric correlation existed
      between the level of IOP and the POBF (r = 0.75, p less than 0.001 standing, and
      r = -0.55, p less than 0.02 lying). Such a correlation was not present in the
      healthy subjects. A reduction in POBF occurred in both groups on assuming the
      supine posture (healthy subjects 83 (16) SEM microliters/min, LTG subjects 52
      (17) SEM microliters/min). These figures represent reductions of 19% and 17%
      respectively in comparison with the standing value. The results lend further
      confirmation to the hypothesis that vascular factors are associated with low
      tension glaucoma.

PMID- 1873265
TI  - Complete infarction of the eye complicating a choroidal malignant melanoma.
AB  - Infarction of malignant melanoma of the choroid has been previously reported, but
      infarction of the whole eye in association with infarction of melanoma is a rare
      event that has not been previously described. We present such a case and discuss
      the possible pathogenesis.

PMID- 1873266
TI  - Comparison of the effects of intraocular irrigating solutions on the corneal
      endothelium in intraocular lens implantation.
AB  - We conducted a randomised prospective controlled study to determine the effects
      of a glucose glutathione bicarbonate solution (BSS Plus) and a citrate acetate
      bicarbonate solution (S-MA2) on the corneal endothelium in patients undergoing
      extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation. One
      eye of each patient was randomly assigned to receive BSS Plus, and the other eye
      to receive S-MA2. BSS Plus caused significantly less corneal swelling on the
      first postoperative day than did S-MA2. There was no difference between the two
      solutions in their effect on corneal thickness one week and one month
      postoperatively. Computer assisted morphometric analysis of wide-field specular
      microscopic photographs demonstrated minimal changes in endothelial morphological
      characteristics in the eyes irrigated with BSS Plus. By comparison S-MA2, caused
      a significant loss of endothelial cells and a marked reduction in the figure
      coefficient. These results indicated that BSS Plus has a clinical advantage over
      S-MA2 with respect to the corneal endothelium.

PMID- 1873267
TI  - Eyedrop instillation for reluctant children.
AB  - Pupillary responses to pilocarpine eyedrops applied by different techniques have
      been studied in healthy volunteer subjects. In particular a novel method was
      evaluated in which eyedrops were applied to the inner canthus with eyes tightly
      closed and the subject supine, followed immediately by opening of the eyes. The
      response to this technique indicates that drug penetration into the eye was 66%
      (confidence intervals 28 to 104%) of that obtained by conventional instillation,
      into the conjunctival sac, with or without 2 min pressure on the inner canthus.
      This method of instillation, which is free of aggravation, may be clinically
      useful for patients, especially children, unwilling or unable to tolerate
      conventional instillation.

PMID- 1873268
TI  - Ocutome lensectomy: results and complications.
AB  - We describe the results and the complications encountered in 69 lensectomies
      performed via a limbal approach with the Ocutome vitrectomy instrument, in which
      it was the intention at surgery to maintain the integrity of the posterior
      capsule. After operation 87% improved in visual acuity, and 68% achieved 6/12 or
      better. The main early complications encountered were perioperative rupture of
      the posterior capsule and iris damage. The main late complications were
      postoperative thickening of the posterior capsule, retinal detachment, and
      bullous keratopathy. Of the eyes in which the posterior capsule remained intact
      after operation 17% developed thickening of the posterior capsule to a degree
      that required capsulotomy over a mean follow-up period of 50 months.

PMID- 1873269
TI  - Surgical management of essential blepharospasm.
AB  - We have reviewed the surgical management of essential blepharospasm over the last
      15 years, comparing the results from facial nerve avulsion with those from
      orbicularis muscle stripping. After facial nerve avulsion 50% of patients
      remained free of troublesome spasm for 15 months after surgery, but only 25%
      remained so for more than two years. Following orbicularis oculi myectomy 50% of
      patients were free of troublesome spasms for 30 months after surgery and 55% of
      patients had relief from spasm for more than two years. Secondary effects of the
      two procedures are compared and are found to be fewer after orbicularis myectomy.
      There were no major complications after either form of surgery. Botulinum toxin
      is the treatment of first choice for this condition. If this becomes ineffective
      or inconvenient, surgical treatment is warranted and should not be deferred for
      fear of severe side effects of treatment, since these are rare. Protractor
      myectomy gives longer relief from blepharospasm than facial nerve avulsion and
      has fewer complications. However, it is technically difficult, time consuming,
      and has greater peroperative morbidity. Facial nerve avulsion may therefore still
      have a role in selected patients.

PMID- 1873270
TI  - Fine needle aspiration biopsy in orbital tumours.
AB  - Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed in 46 patients with an orbital
      mass. Positive cytological identification was made in 43 biopsy specimens. In 26
      cases with histopathological control the accuracy was 81%. In experienced hands
      FNAB is safe and appears to be a valuable tool in establishing a diagnosis of
      malignancy in orbital tumours.

PMID- 1873272
TI  - Self-inflicted eye injuries.
AB  - Five cases of self-inflicted eye injury are described and discussed. A review of
      the literature shows that several psychiatric diagnoses have been assigned to
      people who damage their eyes. A variety of mechanisms to explain this phenomenon
      are described.

PMID- 1873271
TI  - Regression analysis of visual field progression in low tension glaucoma.
AB  - Eighty four patients (168 eyes) with low tension glaucoma were retrospectively
      reviewed (mean follow-up was 28 months). The mean age was 66 years, and 69% were
      females. Regression analysis of their automated Humphrey fields (a mean of eight
      fields per eye) showed progression in 50% of patients and in 37% of eyes. There
      was no statistically significant difference between patients with progression and
      non-progression with respect to age (p less than 0.05) or intraocular pressure (p
      less than 0.5). Visual field defects were located most frequently in the superior
      hemifield in both groups of patients. A considerable proportion of patients had
      advanced field loss at the time of diagnosis.

PMID- 1873273
TI  - Transpalpebral extrusion of a silicone sponge exoplant.
AB  - We report an unusual case of scleral buckle extrusion in a 63-year-old woman. A 5
      mm silicone sponge exoplant eroded through Tenon's capsule, conjunctiva, and full
      thickness upper eyelid, traversing the tarsal plate.

PMID- 1873274
TI  - Nd-YAG laser hyaloidotomy for malignant glaucoma following one-piece 7 mm
      intraocular lens implantation.
AB  - Three cases of malignant glaucoma following extracapsular cataract extraction
      with 7 mm one-piece posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation are
      presented. Nd-YAG laser hyaloidotomy was successfully performed in all eyes, but
      was difficult and required several sessions in two eyes. In the third eye, which
      had a sector iridectomy, laser hyaloidotomy applied over the edge of the lens
      optic through the iridectomy resulted in brisk deepening of the anterior chamber
      and reduction of intraocular pressure. We propose that the one-piece 7 mm optic
      posterior chamber intraocular lens may constitute an obstacle to successful
      hyaloidotomy, mainly owing to its large size, as it may block aqueous percolation
      from the vitreous into the anterior chamber. Eyes prone to develop malignant
      glaucoma after surgery should have a sector or large peripheral iridectomy to
      facilitate postoperative Nd-YAG laser hyaloidotomy if required.

PMID- 1873275
TI  - Perforation of the globe--a complication of peribulbar anaesthesia.
AB  - Peribulbar anaesthesia has been recommended as a safer alternative to retrobulbar
      anaesthesia. We report a case of perforation of the globe sustained during
      peribulbar anaesthesia which resulted in blindness. Orbital injections are
      potentially dangerous, be they peribulbar or retrobulbar. To minimise the risk,
      short, blunt needles are advocated for the peribulbar route.

PMID- 1873276
TI  - Preserved action of a rectus muscle after transection by an encircling solid
      silicone band.
AB  - We present a case of anterior migration of a solid silicone band through a
      lateral rectus muscle. In this patient the action of the lateral rectus was
      preserved, and this is demonstrated photographically. The possible reasons for
      this rare complication and the possible mechanism by which lateral rectus
      activity remained intact are explained.

PMID- 1873277
TI  - Bilateral simultaneous spontaneous acute angle closure glaucoma in a herpes
      zoster patient.

PMID- 1873278
TI  - The association of Fuch's corneal endothelial dystrophy with angle closure
      glaucoma.

PMID- 1873279
TI  - Topical beta blockers and serum lipoproteins.

PMID- 1873280
TI  - Paget's disease and angioid streaks: one complication less?

PMID- 1873282
TI  - Trigeminal neuralgia--treatment of the third division by radiologically
      controlled cryoblockade of the inferior dental nerve at the mandibular lingula: a
      study of 31 cases.
AB  - Cryoblockade of the peripheral nerve affected by trigeminal neuralgia is an
      established technique for treatment. Freezing the inferior dental nerve using C
      arm image-intensification control, and a nerve stimulator to guide the slim
      Spembly Lloyd probe, offers an additional technique for treatment of a small
      number of patients with trigeminal neuralgia. This paper reports the results of
      31 cryoblockades of the inferior dental nerve in 11 patients.

PMID- 1873281
TI  - Blood flow in jaw bones affected by chronic osteomyelitis.
AB  - In order to study circulatory changes throughout the course of chronic
      osteomyelitis of the jaws, blood flow in bone affected by osteomyelitis was
      assessed in 14 patients, by means of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). The
      difference in perfusion between the osteomyelitic bone and corresponding sites on
      the opposite healthy jaw was evaluated. The patients were classified into two
      groups according to the clinical activity of their disease. A significantly
      reduced bone blood flow was recorded in the jaw during non-active stages, while
      an increased flow was associated with the initial stage of disease and the
      inflammatory exacerbations. No pre-existing vascular disorders were discovered
      prior to the development of this disease. However, a long standing local
      inflammation of the jaw bone was associated with a persistent reduction in blood
      flow. In 12 healthy subjects, blood flow in the left jaw was found not to be
      statistically different to that in the right jaw.

PMID- 1873283
TI  - Free jejunal transfer in oral reconstruction.
AB  - Free jejunal transfers have been used for intra-oral reconstruction after
      extensive oral carcinoma resection in Munster since 1983. Reconstruction has been
      carried out for tumours at different locations within the oral cavity and oro
      pharynx. The indications are presented for this procedure and a description is
      given of the surgical technique. The follow-up experience of 27 patients over a
      period of 6 years is discussed with particular reference to problems encountered.

PMID- 1873284
TI  - Bilateral accessory digastric muscles.
AB  - Anomalies of the anterior bellies of the digastric muscles are uncommon. The
      description of such anomalies do exist in the literature dating from the 19th
      Century, but recently radiologists have drawn attention to their existence to
      avoid confusion with abnormal lesions when scanning the floor of the mouth and
      the submental space. Bilateral accessory muscles crossing the midline are
      described.

PMID- 1873285
TI  - Transconjunctival approach to the infraorbital region: a cadaveric and clinical
      study.
AB  - The surgical anatomy of the transconjunctival approach to the infraorbital region
      was studied using fresh cadaver dissection, histological examination and in the
      clinical situation. The existence of a periorbital envelope which separates the
      orbital fat from the orbital septum, and a potential postseptal space was noted.
      Reference to these anatomical features could not be found in the literature. The
      postseptal space was used to gain access to the infraorbital rim and the orbital
      floor. Wire and plate osteosynthesis of the infraorbital rim and exploration and
      reconstruction of the orbital floor were performed without fat herniation into
      the operative field. Access was adequate for these procedures and lower lid
      malposition was not observed as a postoperative complication.

PMID- 1873286
TI  - A comparison of template bleeding time with mucosal petechiometry as a measure of
      the platelet function defect induced by aspirin.
AB  - The object of this study was to assess the value of mucosal petechiometry as a
      useful method of measuring the haemostatic defect induced by aspirin. The
      template bleeding time was done for comparison. The results indicated that
      mucosal petechiometry did not measure the haemostatic defect induced by aspirin
      and that aspirin-induced alterations in platelet function were not important in
      the development of petechiae in healthy subjects.

PMID- 1873287
TI  - British oral and maxillofacial surgeons' views on the aetiology and management of
      acute pericoronitis.
AB  - Acute pericoronitis is a common oral infection characterised by a predominance of
      anaerobic micro-organisms such as peptococci, peptostreptococci, bacteroides and
      fusobacteria, and also spirochaetes. Penicillins such as amoxycillin, and
      metronidazole are effective antimicrobials in the treatment of acute
      pericoronitis. This study presents the views of a group of British Oral and
      Maxillofacial Surgeons as to the causative microbial agents and the antimicrobial
      management of acute pericoronitis.

PMID- 1873288
TI  - Hazard warning. A case of postoperative pulmonary barotrauma.
AB  - A case is described in which extensive pulmonary barotrauma occurred due to the
      application of a face mask to an indwelling cuffed endotracheal tube. The design
      of the mask is such that a seal was made between the mask and the tube. The
      design of mask is widely used in theatre recovery areas and clinicians are
      alerted to this potential hazard.

PMID- 1873289
TI  - Primary hyperparathyroidism: evaluation of different treatments of jaw lesions
      based on case reports.
AB  - On the basis of three case reports, different treatment modalities of primary
      hyperparathyroidism of the jaws are presented. Surgical intervention made as the
      result of misdiagnosis in the first case caused an unnecessary bone defect and
      delayed bone regeneration for several months. Two other cases showed spontaneous
      regeneration of bone after parathyroidectomy. The second case disproved the
      earlier opinion that regeneration of the bone lesions could last for several
      years, and that the normal morphology could be restored. Complete resolution of
      the central giant-cell lesion was found 6 months after removal of the parathyroid
      adenoma.

PMID- 1873290
TI  - Gigantiform cementoma affecting a Caucasian family.
AB  - A Caucasian family is presented in which two out of three children showed lesions
      resembling gigantiform cementoma clinically, radiologically and
      histopathologically. Both affected children had swellings of the alveolar crest,
      caused by large, lobular, radio-opaque masses in all four quadrants of the jaws.
      Histologically, cementum-like masses were surrounded by inflamed fibrous
      connective tissue. There was evidence indicating that the late father had similar
      lesions which became malignant following radiation therapy.

PMID- 1873291
TI  - Facial pain and muscle atrophy secondary to an intracranial tumour.
AB  - Orofacial pain rarely arises from a distant site. It is unusual for orofacial
      pain to be associated with wasting of the facial musculature and diminished
      sensation. This case report describes a patient who presented with
      temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome which was initially
      successfully managed with splint therapy. She re-presented later with unilateral
      wasting of the muscles of mastication, facial pain and diminished sensation
      ipsilaterally. An intracranial meningioma was diagnosed following an extensive
      series of investigations.

PMID- 1873292
TI  - Neurilemmoma in the maxillary alveolar bone: report of a case.
AB  - Neurilemmoma located in the maxillary alveolar bone of a 64-year-old female is
      presented. A review of the literature yields only two previous cases of central
      neurilemmoma of the maxilla.

PMID- 1873293
TI  - Guide groove for pinning subcondylar fractures.
AB  - For pinning subcondylar fractures, a guide groove cut on the lateral surface of
      the mandibular ramus is a useful method of directing a Kirschner wire into the
      correct position. An extended groove correctly guides the pin in difficult cases.

PMID- 1873294
TI  - A modified anterior maxillary osteotomy: 15 years experience.
AB  - A modified technique of anterior maxillary osteotomy is described, based mainly
      on the Wassmund (buccal aspect) and the Wunderer (palatal aspect) methods.
      Experience of 148 cases operated on during 15 years is presented.

PMID- 1873295
TI  - Who's getting your fair share? Direct reimbursement--the deck is stacked.

PMID- 1873296
TI  - Free speech denied. 'Gag Rule' upheld as constitutional.

PMID- 1873297
TI  - Structural characterization of heme sites in spinach cytochrome b6f complexes: a
      resonance Raman study.
AB  - Resonance Raman spectra of cytochrome b6f complexes isolated from spinach
      chloroplasts have been obtained. Selective resonance enhancements and partial
      reductions of the complex by redox mediators were used to isolate and identify
      the contributions of heme b6 and heme f sites to the observed spectra.
      Corresponding spectra for turnip cytochrome f have also been obtained. Power
      dependent photoreduction was observed in cytochrome f of the complex as well as
      in the isolated cytochrome f during the course of the Raman experiments.

PMID- 1873298
TI  - Role of mitochondria in hepatic fructose metabolism.
AB  - During metabolism of fructose at concentrations exceeding 5 mM, isolated liver
      cells accumulate fructose 1-phosphate and lose ATP. At added bicarbonate
      concentrations below 10 mM in the incubation medium, the addition of
      atractyloside (or carboxyatractyloside) causes a significant net accumulation of
      2-phosphoglycerate, resulting in an increase in the ratio 2-phosphoglycerate: 3
      phosphoglycerate from below 1 to greater than 5. Digitonin fractionation revealed
      that virtually all this 2-phosphoglycerate is associated with the mitochondrial
      fraction, where it achieves a concentration estimated to be about 40 mM. The
      amount of 2-phosphoglycerate that accumulates is directly related to the initial
      concentration of fructose. With DL-glyceraldehyde in place of fructose, an even
      greater accumulation of 2-phosphoglycerate occurs, and this is also dependent
      upon both the presence of atractyloside and low bicarbonate. Formation of 2
      phosphoglycerate is also observed when isolated mitochondria from rat liver are
      incubated together with glyceraldehyde and an energy source. The obligatory role
      of atractyloside for the accumulation of 2-phosphoglycerate within intact cells
      indicates the involvement of the mitochondrial adenylate translocator in this
      process, possibly as a carrier directly responsible for 2-phosphoglycerate egress
      from the mitochondrial matrix. If this is so, competition between 2
      phosphoglycerate and ATP for egress from the matrix would be predicted to further
      exaggerate the fructose-induced depletion of cytosolic ATP.

PMID- 1873299
TI  - Stark effect spectroscopy of carotenoids in photosynthetic antenna and reaction
      center complexes.
AB  - The effects of electric fields on the absorption spectra of the carotenoids
      spheroidene and spheroidenone in photosynthetic antenna and reaction center
      complexes (wild-type and several mutants) from purple non-sulfur bacteria are
      compared with those for the isolated pigments in organic glasses. In general, the
      field effects are substantially larger for the carotenoid in the protein
      complexes than for the extracted pigments and larger for spheroidenone than
      spheroidene. Furthermore, the electrochromic effects for carotenoids in all
      complexes are much larger than those for the Qx transitions of the
      bacteriochlorophyll and bacteriopheophytin pigments which absorb in the 450-700
      nm spectral region. The underlying mechanism responsible for the Stark effect
      spectra in the complexes is found to be dominated by a change in permanent dipole
      moment of the carotenoid upon excitation. The magnitude of this dipole moment
      change is found to be considerably larger in the B800-850 complex compared to the
      reaction center for spheroidene; it is approximately equivalent in the two
      complexes for spheroidenone. These results are discussed in terms of the effects
      of differences in the carotenoid functional groups, isomers and perturbations on
      the electronic structure from interactions with the organized environment in the
      proteins. these data provide a quantitative basis for the analysis of carotenoid
      bandshifts which are used to measure transmembrane potential, and they highlight
      some of the pitfalls in making such measurements on complex membranes containing
      multiple populations of carotenoids. The results for spheroidenone should be
      useful for studies of mutant proteins, since mutant strains are often grown semi
      aerobically to minimize reversion.

PMID- 1873300
TI  - Extracellular generation of active oxygen species catalyzed by exogenous
      menadione in yeast cell suspension.
AB  - Luminol chemiluminescence was observed by addition of menadione to yeast cell
      suspension and was amplified 1000-fold by further addition of Fe-complex.
      Catalase, superoxide dismutase and ceruloplasmin had inhibitory effects on
      luminol chemiluminescence, indicating the extracellular generation of active
      oxygens (H2O2 and O2-) and reduction of Fe-complex. The generation of H2O2 and
      reduction of Fe-complex were mainly dependent on the activity of NADH: menadione
      oxidoreductase in the plasma membrane and cytosol fractions. Both luminol
      chemiluminescence and H2O2 production were sensitive to the inhibitory effects of
      proton conductor, ionophorous antibiotics and ATPase inhibitor rather than the
      inhibitors of the mitochondria electron transport system. The incubation of
      glucose with yeast cells caused a parallel increase in luminol chemiluminescence,
      H2O2 production and intracellular NADH concentration. These facts suggest that
      menadione-catalyzed H2O2 production and chemiluminescence are used as the
      indicators of cell activity to keep the NADH concentration and NADH: menadione
      oxidoreductase activity which may be sensitive to the change in pH and ion
      concentrations.

PMID- 1873301
TI  - Spectrophotometric determination of some MAO inhibitors using 7,7,8,8
      tetracyanoquinodimethane and iodine monochloride.
AB  - Two simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods are described for the assay
      of three MAO inhibitors: isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine sulphate and iproniazid
      phosphate. The first method is based on the formation of a highly coloured stable
      radical anion between the drug as an n-donor and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane
      (TCNQ) as a pi-electron acceptor. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range
      0.2-3, 0.2-4 and 0.5-4 micrograms ml-1 for isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine
      sulphate and iproniazid phosphate, respectively. The second method involves the
      use of iodine monochloride (ICl) as an sigma-acceptor. It was found that ICl
      reacts quantitatively only with isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine sulphate; with
      iproniazid phosphate results were very poor. Beer's law is obeyed in the
      concentration range 2-20 micrograms ml-1 for both drugs. The optimum experimental
      parameters for colour production in each case were determined. The percentage
      recoveries obtained were in accordance with those obtained by the official
      methods. The proposed methods are characterized by high sensitivity.

PMID- 1873302
TI  - Simultaneous determination of imipramine and amitryptiline by derivative
      spectrophotometry.
AB  - Three methods are proposed for the simultaneous determination of imipramine and
      amitryptiline by derivative spectrophotometry, one of them using both first- and
      second-derivative spectra, and the others using the first- and second-derivative
      spectra, respectively, obtained from a "diode array" spectrophotometer. The
      methods allow the determination of 0.62-10.14 micrograms ml-1 of imipramine, and
      0.63-10.04 micrograms ml-1 of amitryptiline, and have been applied to their
      determination in blood serum.

PMID- 1873303
TI  - Simultaneous determination of sulphathiazole and sulphanilamide in
      pharmaceuticals by derivative spectrophotometry.
AB  - Third-order and fourth-order derivative spectra have been used for determining
      sulphathiazole, sulphanilamide and their binary mixtures. The method is suitable
      for 1-22 micrograms ml-1 of sulphathiazole and for 0.5-14 micrograms ml-1 of
      sulphanilamide and can be applied for determining the sulphonamides in
      pharmaceuticals.

PMID- 1873304
TI  - Evaluation of solid-phase extraction of basic drugs from human milk.
AB  - This article evaluates the use of commercially available cyanopropyl and
      octadecyl sorbents for the extraction of basic drugs from breast milk. Twenty
      drugs were selected from different pharmacological groups (beta-blocking agents,
      antidepressants, anxiolytic sedatives and neuroleptics, antihistamines, alkaloids
      and an anthelmintic) and subjected to a general solid-phase extraction (SPE)
      procedure described earlier for plasma samples. This SPE method was developed on
      a cyanopropyl cartridge and consisted of a conditioning step with methanol and
      water, the adsorption of the deproteinized matrix, washing with water and/or
      methanol, and finally the elution of the basic compounds with 0.1% propylamine in
      methanol. The extracts were further analysed by reversed-phase liquid
      chromatography (RP-LC). The application of SPE to human milk samples utilized
      cyanopropyl and octadecyl cartridges. The latter can be applied more generally
      because it better retains the basic compounds. For 14 out of 17 drugs extracted
      from breast milk, recoveries of greater than 70% were obtained. Standard
      deviations were, with the exception of three drugs, in the same range as those
      observed for plasma samples, i.e. 2-8%. The development of a strategy for SPE of
      drugs from human milk was difficult. For a number of drugs, in particular those
      present in human milk at low concentrations and/or detected in a non-selective
      way, matrix compounds interfered with the subsequent LC analysis. Therefore, SPE
      on CN or C18-sorbent for the analysis of basic compounds in breast milk was found
      to be useful as one of the steps in an extraction procedure, but not as a single
      technique. A major drawback of SPE is the batch-to-batch variation of the
      sorbents.

PMID- 1873305
TI  - Measurement of the class III antidysrhythmic drug, UK-68,798, in plasma by
      radioimmunoassay.
AB  - A sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the specific determination of 1-(4
      methanesulphonamidophenoxy)-2-[N-(4-methanesulphonamido -phenethyl)-N-
      methylamino]ethane (UK-68,798), a novel class III antidysrhythmic agent, in human
      plasma is described. Specific antisera were raised in sheep using desmesyl-UK
      68,798-succinate-ovalbumin conjugate as the antigenic hapten carrier protein. The
      antisera produced exhibited high specificity for UK-68,798 compared with known
      metabolites from animals, other antidysrhythmic agents and co-administered drugs.
      Good correlation was found in a comparison of the RIA method with a high
      performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method (r = 0.997) and a 10-fold lower
      limit of determination was observed for the RIA method compared with the HPLC
      method (0.05 and 0.5 ng ml-1, respectively). The RIA method was applied to the
      analysis of UK-68,798 in plasma obtained from human volunteers receiving the
      compound.

PMID- 1873306
TI  - Chromatographic and spectroscopic characterization of sulphur-bound dimetridazole
      and ranidazole derivatives.
AB  - The 5-nitroimidazoles, dimetridazole and ronidazole, two important veterinary
      drugs, were reacted under reductive conditions with the sulfhydryl-containing
      substrates cysteine and glutathione to yield 5-amino-4-S-substituted imidazoles.
      After purification by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), the four
      adducts were characterized by RP-LC with photodiode array detection using
      conditions where their parent drugs were not eluted from the column. Structural
      identification was conducted by spectroscopic techniques, mainly 1-dimensional
      and 2-dimensional NMR. While the dimetridazole adducts were found to be
      monosubstituted at the C-4 position, the two ronidazole products contained two
      units of the sulfhydryl substrate, located at the C-4 and C-6 positions.

PMID- 1873307
TI  - Continuous intravenous monitoring of levodopa and 3-O-methyldopa by microdialysis
      and high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.
AB  - Microdialysis, in association with ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance
      liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, was applied in vitro for
      the determination and quantification of levodopa and 3-O-methyldopa in blank
      spiked plasma and blood. The method presented gave accurate results; the
      calibration graphs for plasma were linear over the range of the expected values
      for both compounds. When using a dialysis probe with a membrane length of 1.6 cm
      at a 5 microliters min-1 perfusion speed, the recovery rate in plasma for
      levodopa was 30.1% and 68.5% for 3-O-methyldopa. However, less reproducible
      results were obtained for plasma levodopa levels in the range of 0.5 microliter
      ml-1 and lower. The microdialysis technique was subsequently successfully applied
      for the continuous intravenous monitoring of levodopa and 3-O-methyldopa in a
      levodopa-treated dogs.

PMID- 1873308
TI  - Simultaneous determination of levodopa, its main metabolites and carbidopa in
      plasma by liquid chromatography.
AB  - An ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous
      determination of levodopa, 3-O-methyldopa, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid,
      homovanillic acid and carbidopa in plasma designed for clinical trials performed
      to study the effect of peripheral catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors on the
      metabolism of levodopa is described. The high sample throughput of over 50
      samples per day of the method makes it ideal for the assay of the large number of
      samples encountered in clinical trials. After protein precipitation with
      perchloric acid the analytes are completely separated within 15 min and
      determined down to a plasma concentration of 20 ng ml-1 using amperometric
      detection at 800 mV relative to an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. For all analytes
      the within-day precision defined as a relative standard deviation (n = 8) is
      lower than 7 and 3% at plasma concentrations of 20 and 40 ng ml-1, respectively.
      As the method is specific and highly reproducible, the most important factor
      affecting accuracy is the stability of the analytes during storage and analysis.

PMID- 1873309
TI  - Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method for the
      determination of bemegride in serum and brain tissue: pharmacokinetics and brain
      distribution of an intraperitoneal subconvulsive dose in rats.
AB  - A simple and rapid HPLC method has been developed for the quantification of
      bemegride in serum and brain tissue, using p-methylphenobarbital as an internal
      standard. Serum and brain tissue homogenate samples were extracted with ethyl
      acetate and the evaporated and redissolved extracts injected into a reversed
      phase column. The compounds were eluted with an acetonitrile-phosphate buffer
      mixture and monitored at 200 nm. A linear response was obtained in the range 1-40
      micrograms ml-1 for serum and 1-40 micrograms g-1 for brain tissue. Within-day
      and between-day precisions were less than 5% and the analytical recovery greater
      than 76.4%. This method has been used to investigate the kinetic profiles of the
      drug in serum and discrete areas of rat brain after intraperitoneal
      administration of a subconvulsive dose of bemegride (10 mg kg-1). Peak
      concentrations occurred in the brain and serum at the same time (30 min),
      followed by a biphasic decay. The results also indicated the accumulation of the
      drug in the brain, with no significant differences (p greater than 0.05) in the
      impregnation of the different brain areas investigated.

PMID- 1873310
TI  - Micro-method for the determination of piperacillin in plasma by high-performance
      liquid chromatography.
AB  - A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the
      determination of piperacillin in plasma is described. A C8 reversed-phase column
      was used with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-water-triethylamine
      (550:450:4, v/v/v) adjusted to pH = 3 with orthophosphoric acid and UV detection
      at 270 nm. Cephalothin was used as internal standard. The method involves a
      plasma protein precipitation with acetonitrile followed by extraction of
      endogenous compound with chloroform and injection of the upper aqueous phase into
      the chromatograph. Within-day and between-day assays give relative standard
      deviations less than or equal to 5.7%. The detection limit is 0.2 microgram ml-1.
      Stability studies show that piperacillin degradation starts at -4 degrees C.
      Therefore, samples have to be processed promptly and stored at -20 degrees C. The
      method described is convenient for clinical monitoring and for pharmacokinetic
      studies.

PMID- 1873311
TI  - Spectrophotometric determination of amoxycillin and dicloxacillin in binary
      mixtures and in capsules.

PMID- 1873312
TI  - The use of direct determination of chromium in human urine by electrothermal
      atomic absorption spectrometry in diabetic patients.

PMID- 1873313
TI  - Determination of homatropine hydrobromide in eye drops by second-order derivative
      spectroscopy.

PMID- 1873314
TI  - Coulometric determination of sulphisomidine, sulphamethoxydiazine and
      sulphamoxole.

PMID- 1873315
TI  - Investigation and spectrophotometric determination of the allprenolol
      hydrochloride-iron (III) complex in bulk drug and in dosage form.

PMID- 1873316
TI  - Determination of famotidine in human plasma and urine by high-performance liquid
      chromatography.

PMID- 1873317
TI  - Spectrophotometric determination of diclofenac sodium in tablets.
AB  - Simple spectrophotometric methods are described for the determination of
      diclofenac. In the first method diclofenac reduces iron(III) to iron(II) when
      heated in aqueous solution. The ferrous ions produced react with 2,2'-bipyridine
      to form a complex having a maximum absorbance at 520 nm. The reaction obeys
      Beer's Law for concentrations of 10-80 micrograms ml-1. This method can be
      applied to the determination of diclofenac in tablets. In the second method,
      diclofenac is treated with Methylene Blue in the presence of phosphate buffer (pH
      6.8) and the complex is extracted with chloroform. The complex has a maximum
      absorbance at 640 nm and the graph of absorbance against concentration is linear
      in the range 5-40 micrograms ml-1. This method can be applied to the
      determination of diclofenac in tablets that also contain paracetamol.

PMID- 1873318
TI  - Electrochemical analysis of cephalosporin antibiotics.
AB  - A review is presented on electroanalysis studies and methods for the
      determination of cephalosporin antibiotics in either simple solutions or
      biological fluids. Some general data about the electroactivity of cephalosporins
      are given and the analytical utilization of those data together with the
      corresponding analytical parameters, compiled from different literature sources.

PMID- 1873319
TI  - A liquid-chromatographic method for the determination of tobramycin.
AB  - A rapid and sensitive liquid-chromatographic method was developed to quantify the
      release of tobramycin from polymeric drug delivery systems in vitro. Pre-column
      derivatization of tobramycin and kanamycin B sulphate (internal standard) was
      carried out with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid. The sample volume required
      was only 50 microliters. The chromatographic separation was achieved on an octyl
      reversed-phase column with UV detection at 340 nm. This isocratic method was
      performed at ambient temperature and required only 8 min of chromatography time.
      The standard curves were linear over the concentration range 0.50-50.0 mg l-1.
      Inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations ranged from 3.6 to 9.3% and
      from 1.6 to 6.8%, respectively. The assay method was used to determine the
      tobramycin content in different pharmaceutical formulations and to study the
      stability of the drug both in the solid-state and in solution.

PMID- 1873320
TI  - Determination of pentoxifylline in serum by high-performance thin-layer
      chromatography.
AB  - An analytical method to study the bioavailability of newly developed
      pentoxifylline sustained-release tablets has been developed and assessed in
      experiments on dogs. For the isolation of pentoxifylline and its metabolites from
      serum solid-liquid extraction was applied by involving the internal standard
      probe. HPTLC plates with a preconcentration zone were used for separation of the
      analysed substances, using chloroform-methanol (95:5, v/v). Quantification was by
      densitometric detection. The detector response was linear in the concentration
      range investigated for pentoxifylline: 0.02-1.5 micrograms ml-1 of serum.

PMID- 1873321
TI  - Sensitive liquid chromatography assay for the determination of amikacin in human
      plasma.
AB  - A selective LC method with on-line post-column derivatization is described for
      the determination of amikacin in biological fluids. Chromatography was performed
      on a reversed-phase column, using pentane sulphonic acid as an ion-pairing
      reagent. For the analysis of biological fluids, amikacin and the internal
      standard tobramycin were extracted using an ion exchanger (Sephadex). Following
      complete removal of plasma proteins, the aminoglycosides were eluted with
      alkaline sodium sulphate solution and injected into the chromatograph. After
      chromatographic separation the eluent was mixed with the derivatization reagent
      (o-phthalaldehyde and mercaptoethanol in borate buffer pH 10.4) in a reaction
      coil at 50 degrees C. Detection was performed by fluorescence (excitation: 340
      nm, emission: 418 nm). The overall run time was 8 min, at a flow rate of 1.2 ml
      min-1. The limit of quantification was 25 ng ml-1 for amikacin in plasma.

PMID- 1873322
TI  - Evaluation of toxicity of catfish skin toxin using diffuse reflectance methods.

PMID- 1873323
TI  - The selection of buffer salts for the high-performance liquid chromatography of
      basic compounds.

PMID- 1873324
TI  - [Psycho-emotional distress and gastroesophageal reflux syndrome].
AB  - 61 patients with symptoms suggestive for gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) disease,
      with or without endoscopic evidence of esophagitis, were studied in order to
      recognize any neurotic traits connected to GERD and its esophageal motility
      disorders. The results were compared with those from a group of patients without
      digestive diseases as well as those from a control group of the same age and
      status. Psychological assessment was made by using the Middlesex Hospital
      Questionnaire and esophageal motility pattern was analyzed with a low-compliance
      manometric system. Patients with gastro-esophageal reflux (GER), irrespectively
      or not from esophagitis, showed, after such a psychological assessment, neurotic
      traits more pronounced than control subjects and patients without digestive
      disease. In GER patients, it was observed a close relationship between some
      psychological traits and a few esophageal manometric variable. In the two groups
      of GER patients, with and without esophagitis, it was not found any significant
      difference in scores referring to the evaluated psychological traits apart from
      symptoms somatization, prevailing in GER patients without esophagitis. These
      results support the pathogenetic role of psychological distresses in the genesis
      of GER, even if other factors may be necessary to the development of organic
      inflammatory lesions such as esophagitis.

PMID- 1873325
TI  - [Limitations of the traditional manometric test and advantages of computerized
      manometry in the study of esophageal motility].
AB  - The analysis of esophageal motility tracings is laborious, time consuming and
      subject to reader variability. The motility traces of five patients were analyzed
      separately by five experienced readers, in order to assess the inter and intra
      observer variability. Later on, the manual analysis of the motility traces of
      five healthy volunteers and four patients was compared to the automatic analysis
      performed by a computerized system. The inter- and intra-observer variability
      (expressed as coefficient of variation) was high in the manual analysis,
      especially for the abdominal length of the lower sphincter and the duration of
      the esophageal body contractions (coefficient of variation ranging from 18 to
      43%). On the contrary, automatic readings proved almost identical to the means
      obtained by manual analysis (Pearson factor 0.988 for amplitude and 0.89 for the
      duration of contractions). Moreover, the computerized automatic analysis gave a
      significant time gain in respect to manual readings and eliminated the inter and
      intra-observer variability.

PMID- 1873326
TI  - [Indications and limitations of 24-hour gastric pH-metry. Personal experience].
AB  - After a brief introduction regarding 24-hours gastric pH monitoring and a
      description of the instruments used, indications and the analysis of findings,
      the authors report their personal experience based on the study of 4 groups of
      subjects (healthy, hyersecretory, hyposecretory, dyspeptic). The analysis of pH
      metries observed in these subjects show that 24-hour monitoring of gastric pH is
      a reliable method for assessing hypersecretion or hyposecretion of gastric
      acidity, whereas it is only of relative importance in essential dyspepsia. The
      authors therefore indicate the parameters to be taken into account in the
      evaluation of pH-metry findings in hypersecretory patients: 1) the percentage
      time of which pH is less than 1 (mean value 46.20 +/- 28.2);2) the pH pattern
      assessed according to the circadian rhythm which shows a prandial and post
      prandial tamponade which is lower than normal with a rapid return of pH to
      extremely low values; 3) the visual graphic assessment for an overall judgement
      of pH patterns; and in hyposecretory patients: 1) the percentage time for which
      pH is higher than 7 (mean value 47.92 +/- 52.08); 2) enhanced pH levels ranging
      between 0 and 4 (mean percentage 9.67 divided by 27.08); 3) pH values at times 0,
      1, 2, 3 which confirm hyposecretion in the meal causes a marked and long-lasting
      tamponade with pH levels above 6-7. Even in these cases the visual graphic
      assessment is important for an overall definition of 24-hour ph patterns.

PMID- 1873327
TI  - [Ursodeoxycholic acid for the treatment of chronic diseases of the liver. Short
      term results].
AB  - The tolerance and the effect of ursodehoxycholic acid (UDCA) on the level of
      transaminases and gammaglutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) has been estimated, over the
      short term, in 27 patients affected by compensated liver cirrhosis in comparison
      to 24 patients, representing the control group. The results were good with regard
      to GGT values, as a meaningful reduction was observed during the first month of
      therapy which then improved in the next five months. There was also a significant
      reduction in transaminase levels at the end of the second month of therapy, which
      was maintained until treatment was stopped; mean values however were not within
      the normal range. These results, together with tolerance of the drug confirm a
      role of UDCA in the treatment of chronic liver diseases in an advanced stage.

PMID- 1873328
TI  - [Genetic epidemiology of cholelithiasis. A case-control study of a population].
AB  - Aim of this study is to evaluate the familial risk of cholelithiasis in non
      hospitalized subjects with and without gallstones. A population sample of 2.472
      subjects was examined by echography for gallstones; 220 subjects (92 males and
      128 females) had gallstones or had already been cholecystectomized for
      gallstones. These cases and an equal number of controls were interrogated about
      the diagnosis of gallstones in their family using a standardized questionnaire.
      The comparison of the frequency of symptomatic gallstones and cholecystectomies
      for gallstones in the relatives of cases and controls showed an increase of the
      relative risk of gallstones in sons of parents with cholelithiasis (OR 2.9, CI
      95% 1.2-8.0) and in siblings of subjects with cholelithiasis (if sister with
      gallstones: OR 2.4, CI 95% 1.05-5.6; if brother with gallstones: OR 2.9, CI 95%
      0.6-14.6). The stratification for sex of cases and controls, however, pointed out
      that the risk increased only in daughters and sisters of subjects with
      gallstones. There was no statistically significant difference of frequency of
      gallstones between spouses of cases and controls (chi square, p greater than
      0.05). The results of this study confirm that there is a familial risk of
      gallstones, even if it is evident only in the female relatives of subjects with
      gallstones, and suggest that probably the main cause of this risk is genetic and
      not environmental.

PMID- 1873329
TI  - [Role of surgery in the multidisciplinary treatment of lithiasis of the common
      bile duct].
AB  - The efficacy of surgery was evaluated in 32 patients with common bile duct
      stones. Twenty-two patients have not undergone a previous cholecystectomy. In 13
      cases an endoscopic approach was attempted before surgery. In 13 patients biliary
      intestinal anastomoses were performed for large stones or bile duct strictures.
      In 19 cases common bile exploration with biliary drainage insertion was performed
      for uncomplicated biliary stones. We had no mortality and morbidity was 9%. We
      conclude that surgery is the treatment of choice in patients with gallbladder in
      situ or in cases of endoscopic failure. Endoscopic sphincterectomy may be
      preferred in poor-risk patients.

PMID- 1873330
TI  - [Physiopathology of malabsorption syndrome].

PMID- 1873332
TI  - Home care nursing. At the crossroads.

PMID- 1873331
TI  - [Primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with colonic Crohn disease and marked
      eosinophilia. Description of a case].
AB  - We report a case of primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with Crohn disease
      of the large intestine and marked eosinophilia in a 64 year old woman. Clinical
      features, histologic findings at biopsy of the intestine and liver and the
      endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are described. The case report is
      discussed, particularly as regards treatment with biliary salts and
      aminosalicilic acid.

PMID- 1873333
TI  - Give yourself the chance of a lifetime.

PMID- 1873334
TI  - Andrea Henning, B.C.'s new provincial nurse advisor. Interview by Bruce Wells.

PMID- 1873335
TI  - Home, but not alone.

PMID- 1873336
TI  - Nursing research: the practice connection.

PMID- 1873337
TI  - Therapeutic abortion.

PMID- 1873338
TI  - The way it was. Interview by Laura Brown.

PMID- 1873339
TI  - Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia. Position statement. Marketing
      of breast-milk substitutes.

PMID- 1873340
TI  - [Annexins--a new family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins].
AB  - Annexins, the Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-binding proteins, are able to induce
      Ca(2+)-dependent aggregation of biomembranes. All the representatives of this
      family contain four or eight tandem repeats, 60-80 amino acids each. All these
      repeats include a highly conservative 17-member amino acid consensus sequence (an
      endonexin fold). The central domain comprises all these repeats and contains, in
      addition, the site(s) with a binding affinity for Ca2+ and phospholipids.
      Annexins are devoid of the classical "EF-hand" Ca(2+)-binding domain and can
      therefore be assigned to a new family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins.

PMID- 1873341
TI  - [New 26 kDa protein specific for photoreceptor cells, capable of binding with
      immobilized delipidized rhodopsin].
AB  - A protein p26 with molecular weight 26 kDa capable of binding to delipidated
      rhodopsin immobilized on Concanavalin A-Sepharose was found in photoreceptor
      cells of bovine retina. Mono specific antibodies against this protein were used
      to demonstrate this protein to be located in a layer of photoreceptor cells, both
      in their inner and outer segments. On the basis of its antigenic properties p26
      is different from any other known photoreceptor cells-specific proteins.

PMID- 1873342
TI  - [Role of active forms of oxygen in inducing luminol-dependent chemiluminescence
      in macrophages].
AB  - The luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of mouse peritoneal macrophages during
      phagocytosis of opsonized zymosan was studied by using specific active oxygen
      scavengers and metabolic inhibitors. Extracellular hydrogen peroxide and
      superoxide anion were shown to contribute immensely to the induction of the
      chemiluminescence. The role of the hydroxyl radical was rather insignificant,
      whereas singlet oxygen was not involved in this process. The interaction between
      luminol and peroxide was shown to be peroxidase-dependent. An inhibitory analysis
      revealed that the interaction between luminol, peroxide and superoxide anion
      obeyed a hybrid enzyme-free radical mechanism.

PMID- 1873343
TI  - [Photoconversion of hemoglobin forms in buffer solutions under the effect of
      ultraviolet and visible radiation].
AB  - Using spectrophotometric methods, the photochemical behaviour of hemoglobin in
      buffer solutions irradiated at 254-578 nm was studied. It was found that the
      hemoglobin photochemical activity is manifested in a cascade of photoreactions
      involving at least four protein forms and soluble oxygen. Hemoglobin
      photoconversions were observed both upon light absorptions by the globin and the
      heme. The efficiency of photoreactions decreased with an increase in the
      wavelength of the irradiating light. The values of quantum yields of the above
      photoreactions were determined.

PMID- 1873344
TI  - [Effect of sphingomyelin and its enzymatic hydrolysis products on heterologous
      methylation of calf thymus DNA by cytosine-DNA-methyltransferase EcoRII].
AB  - It was found that sphingomyelin and its enzymatic hydrolysis products, choline
      and sphingosine, influence the degree of DNA methylation in the reaction of
      heterologous methylation by methylase EcoRII in vitro. Sphingomyelin was found to
      be able to was activate (by 20%), sphingosine and choline inhibit methylation.
      Phosphatidylcholine had no effect on DNA methylation in an in vitro system. The
      role of lipids in the regulation of gene expression during enzymatic modification
      (methylation) of DNA is discussed.

PMID- 1873345
TI  - [Phospholipase A2 activity in human platelets. Isolation and purification of the
      enzyme].
AB  - The activity of phospholipase A2 in blood platelets of healthy donors and IHD
      patients was examined. The enzyme activity was found to be increased 3-fold in
      platelets possessing a high level of functional activity (IHD) and by one order
      of magnitude in patients with myocardial infarction as compared with healthy
      donors. An enzyme preparation possessing a phospholipase activity was isolated
      from platelets by using salt extraction (KCl) and sonication. Purification of the
      enzyme by affinity chromatography resulted in two protein peaks both having a
      phospholipase A2 activity, the purification and molecular masses of these
      fractions being 768- and 2200-fold, and 13.5 and 15 kDa, respectively. It was
      supposed that these proteins are substrate-specific forms of phospholipase A2.

PMID- 1873346
TI  - [Dependence of human erythrocyte methemoglobin reductase on temperature].
AB  - The effect of temperature on the activities of cytoplasmic and membrane-bound
      fractions of NADH-cytochrome beta 5 reductase on the total activity of
      methemoglobin reductase in intact human erythrocytes was studied within the
      temperature range of 20-50 degrees C. The above three activities showed a break
      in the Arrhenius plots at 42 degrees C which was attributed to irreversible
      inactivation of the enzymes. Thermal inactivation of methemoglobin reductase in
      erythrocytes was found to increase the methemoglobin content concomitantly with a
      decrease in the osmotic stability and activation of spontaneous cell hemolysis.

PMID- 1873347
TI  - [Regulation of sphingomyelinase and phospholipase C activity in liver cell
      membranes of rats of different ages].
AB  - The changes in the functional activities of sphingomyelinase and phospholipase C
      from rat liver cell plasma membranes were studied in postnatal ontogenesis in the
      presence of thyroxin and mercasolyl. It was found that endogenous phospholipases
      of plasma membranes control of phospholipid content in rat liver cells. The
      sphingomyelinase activity is under control of thyroid hormones, whereas that of
      phospholipase C which is phosphatidyl choline-specific, is unaffected by them.
      The data obtained testify to the possible involvement of diacylglycerols formed
      via enzymatic hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine, in the regulation of the
      sphingomyelinase activity.

PMID- 1873348
TI  - [The role of vitamin E in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone (Q) and ubichromenol
      (QC) in rat liver].
AB  - Some peculiarities of ubiquinone (Q) biosynthesis in the livers of vitamin E
      deficient rats induced in vitro by alpha-tocopherol and S-adenosylmethionine
      (SAM) were investigated. When [C3H3]SAM was used as a precursor, alpha-tocopherol
      added to the sample induced a marked elevation of the content of Q concomitantly
      with a drastic increase (2.82-fold) of specific radioactivity of Q in the liver
      as compared to control. Under identical conditions with 2-14C sodium acetate as
      precursor, exogenous alpha-tocopherol increased the content (by 31.4%) and
      specific radioactivity (by 65.2%) of Q in experimental samples, whereas the
      corresponding parameters of ubichromenol (QC) were essentially unchanged. SAM
      added to the incubation medium caused a marked increase in the content and
      specific radioactivity of both Q and QC as compared to control. Similar, and even
      more conspicuous changes were observed after combined administration of alpha
      tocopherol and SAM. The role of vitamin E in the activation of methylation
      reactions at terminal steps of Q and QC biosynthesis in rat liver is discussed.

PMID- 1873349
TI  - [Interaction of [3H]AMP with liver cells and their plasma membranes].
AB  - Specific binding of [3H]AMP to rat hepatocytes and their plasma membranes was
      studied. It was shown that the time course of this binding reached a maximum
      within the first 15 seconds. An equilibrium binding study revealed the presence
      of a single class of binding sites with Kd of 20 microM both in hepatocytes and
      in plasma membranes. The [3H]AMP binding sites were inactivated by treatment with
      trypsin as well as by heating. 5'-Phosphorylated derivatives of adenosine (ATP,
      ADP) effectively competed with [3H]AMP for the binding sites, while adenosine,
      beta-glycerophosphate and 3'-AMP were inactive. The binding of [3H]AMP increased
      by 400% in the presence of concanavalin A, a specific inhibitor of plasma
      membrane 5'-nucleotidase. It was concluded that the catalytic center of 5'
      nucleotidase is a receptor for adenine nucleotides.

PMID- 1873350
TI  - [Autophosphorylation of EGF receptors in the A431 cell line with an increased
      intracellular concentration of Ca(2+) ions].
AB  - The increase in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ in A431 cells induced by
      the calcium ionophore A23187 leads to phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor
      (EGF) receptors at serine and/or threonine residues. This process is accompanied
      by the decrease in the level of EGF receptor autophosphorylation at tyrosine
      residues. Preincubation of cells in a A23187-containing medium in the presence of
      phorbol-12-myristoyl-13-acetate leads to a further decrease of the
      phosphotyrosine content in EGF receptors. At increased intracellular
      concentrations of Ca2+ preincubation of A431 cells with the protein kinase C
      inhibitor H-7 has no effect on the degree of EGF receptor autophosphorylation.
      Down-regulation of cellular protein kinase C does not change the A23187-induced
      effect either. The data obtained suggest that the decreased autophosphorylation
      of EGF receptors induced by Ca2+ is not due to the activation of cellular protein
      kinase C.

PMID- 1873351
TI  - Rapid screening for cell surface binding monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - A procedure is described which allows for rapid detection of cell surface binding
      or cytoskeleton binding monoclonal antibodies. At the same time this procedure
      ensures that selected antibodies will be useful in Western blot analysis. This
      procedure including the cytochemistry and Western blot analysis requires only 100
      microliters of supernatant and can be done directly from the original 96 well
      plates into which the fusion was plated. One person can easily assay several
      hundred supernatants in one day for the ability to stain both cells and selected
      proteins in Western blot analysis.

PMID- 1873352
TI  - Use of silver enhancement technique for immunohistochemical detection of
      epidermal growth factor in rat submandibular gland.
AB  - Low temperature photochemical silver staining was used for immunohistochemical
      demonstration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the rat submandibular gland.
      EGF was shown to be clearly localized in granular convoluted tubule cells. Silver
      staining with an immunogold method showed excellent resolution of the antigen
      localization.

PMID- 1873353
TI  - Interleukin-2 and syngeneic bone marrow transplantation in a murine fibrosarcoma
      model.
AB  - Mice received interleukin-2 (IL-2) either before and after, or just after
      intravenous inoculation of syngeneic fibrosarcoma cells. Fewer pulmonary tumor
      colonies were observed in those animals treated with IL-2, and the best results
      were observed when IL-2 was administered prior to tumor inoculation. When mice
      were lethally irradiated and reconstituted with tumor-contaminated bone marrow,
      IL-2 treatment was also associated with fewer tumor lung colonies. IL-2 may prove
      to be a useful adjuvant therapy, particularly in the setting of autologous bone
      marrow transplantation when the infused marrow is contaminated with tumor cells.

PMID- 1873354
TI  - Activation of human dermal fibroblasts by fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and/or
      interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta).
AB  - Human dermal fibroblast proliferation was dependent of growth factors such as
      interleukin-1 (IL-1) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). These mediators, which
      induce proliferation of the cells in culture, were able to synergize when added
      in combination. This synergistic effect seems to be restricted to the mitogenic
      activity since IL-1-induced PGE2 release and interferon-beta 1 (IFN-beta 1)
      production by fibroblasts was inhibited in the presence of FGFs, which by
      themselves were unable to stimulate the production of IFN-beta 1 and the release
      of arachidonate metabolites from the fibroblasts even at high concentration.

PMID- 1873355
TI  - The interrelation between TNF, IL-6, and PAF secretion induced by LPS in an in
      vivo and in vitro murine model.
AB  - The interrelation between TNF, IL-6, and PAF secretion in an in vivo and in vitro
      murine model was studied. Mice were injected with LPS, giving rise to
      considerable TNF and IL-6 serum levels. To determine the influence of TNF
      production on the IL-6 secretion, one group of mice was treated with an anti-TNF
      mAb before LPS administration. The LPS-induced IL-6 secretion was reduced to 48%
      in the anti-TNF-pretreated group. Parallel to the in vivo experiments, cultures
      of murine peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with LPS. IL-6 secretion was
      diminished for 25% in presence of anti-TNF mAb. Further, the role of PAF released
      in response to a challenge with LPS in the regulation of TNF and IL-6 production
      was investigated. TNF secretion was strongly reduced when cultures of peritoneal
      macrophages were stimulated with LPS in the presence of a PAF antagonist, whereas
      IL-6 secretion was not altered by the PAF antagonist. However, pretreatment of
      mice with a PAF antagonist did not influence serum TNF, nor serum IL-6 levels
      induced by LPS injection. These data show that TNF was an intermediate in the
      induction of IL-6 production in vivo and in vitro. PAF played a central role in
      the TNF release in the in vitro experiments. This could, however, not be
      established in vivo. LPS-induced PAF secretion was not involved in the regulation
      of IL-6 secretion.

PMID- 1873356
TI  - A simple nonisotopic in vitro bioassay for LT and TNF employing sodium fluoride
      treated L-929 target cells that detects picogram quantities of LT and TNF and is
      as sensitive as TNF assays done with ELISA methodology.
AB  - We have developed a highly sensitive in vitro bioassay for lymphotoxin (LT) and
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF). This system employs a monolayer of 20,000 L-929
      target cells in each well of 96-well microplates that are incubated in dilutions
      of LT and TNF at 37 degrees C for 20-24 h, after which the viability of the L-929
      target cells is assessed by spectrophotometric techniques. We find that
      incorporation of 2 mM NaF increases the sensitivity of L-929 cells to lysis by
      10(3)-10(4) x for LT and 10(4)-10(5) x for TNF. This method allows the regular
      detection of less than 1-5 pg of bioactive protein. ELISA assays did not detect
      synthetic TNF and TNF fragments that were not biologically active in this assay.
      The L-929 bioassay requires no isotopes, is very reproducible, is as sensitive as
      ELISA techniques, and detects only biologically active LT and TNF.

PMID- 1873357
TI  - Interleukin-1 beta stimulates bone resorption and inhibits bone formation in
      vivo.
AB  - Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and several other cytokines, including IL-1 alpha,
      tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and lymphotoxin, stimulate bone resorption and also
      inhibit bone formation in vitro. These effects are consistent with an uncoupling
      function for these mediators, although the effect of in vivo regulatory
      mechanism(s) that couple resorption and formation cannot be adequately evaluated
      in vitro. In the present studies, the effect of IL-1 beta on bone resorption and
      formation was determined in adult rats in vivo. Resorption was assessed by serum
      and urinary calcium levels, osteoclast number, and active resorption surface.
      Bone formation was determined by measurement of serum osteocalcin levels, and by
      quantitation of bone apposition rate using tetracycline labeling. A modest dose
      of IL-1 beta (1 microgram/kg) was found to stimulate transient increases in serum
      calcium, and a persistent elevation of urinary calcium excretion. IL-1 beta
      treatment also resulted in decreases in serum iron levels and in the
      albumin/globulin ratio, well-established in vivo effects of IL-1. SGOT, SGPT,
      BUN, creatinine, and total protein were unaffected, indicating that IL-1 beta
      treatment did not compromise kidney or liver function, and that animals were
      systemically healthy. This was further evidenced by normal weight gain in IL-1
      beta-treated animals. Low doses (50 micrograms/kg) of synthetic human parathyroid
      hormone (PTH 1-34) also stimulated resorption, as shown by a sustained increase
      in serum calcium without increased urinary excretion. Both IL-1 beta and
      parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulated similar increases in osteoclast number
      (N.Oc) and active resorption surface [Oc.S(%)].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873358
TI  - The role of macrophages in experimental arthritis induced by Streptococcus
      agalactiae sonicate: actions of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) and
      other macrophage-modulating agents.
AB  - Intraperitoneal injection of Streptococcus agalactiae sonicated cells into Wistar
      rats causes a chronic relapsing polyarthritis resembling human rheumatoid
      arthritis. We report evidence favoring a role for macrophages in the pathology of
      this disease. S. agalactiae injected ip induced a high level of tumor necrosis
      factor release by peritoneal macrophages isolated subsequently, and had a similar
      effect when added to control peritoneal macrophages in culture. Ia antigen was
      induced on macrophages in both the peritoneum and affected joints following S.
      agalactiae injection. The role of macrophages in the disease process was studied
      by treating animals prior to S. agalactiae injection with varying concentrations
      of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), silica, and carrageenan, agents known to
      have a biphasic effect on macrophage function. They aggravated the pathology at
      low doses but prevented the disease at high doses. The most specific alteration
      of macrophage levels was achieved by injection of recombinant human macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1). Treatment with CSF-1 early in the disease lead
      to significant worsening of the pathology. Administration of CSF-1 after 2 weeks
      reactivated the disease and extended the chronic phase. These data in combination
      with previous findings are consistent with nonimmune, macrophage-mediated
      pathology for this model of arthritis. The results have implications for
      therapeutic application of CSF-1.

PMID- 1873359
TI  - Evaluation of measurement of human TNF in plasma by ELISA.
AB  - The performance of a sandwich-ELISA for TNF measurement in plasma and serum was
      studied. The ELISA was first statistically analyzed. Interassay coefficient of
      variance and the intraassay coefficient of variance for the concentration range
      between 0.5 and 5 ng/ml was less than 10%. The sensitivity of the sandwich-ELISA
      for TNF in culture medium was 10 pg/ml. The ELISA was shown to be specific for
      biologically active TNF, since a good correlation between the ELISA and the WEHI
      bioassay was observed when partially inactive, denatured TNF was measured. The
      effect of various anticoagulation systems on the reliability of human TNF
      measurement has been evaluated. The oxalate/NaF and EDTA systems were both
      appropriate, as appeared from the observed blockade of the production of TNF in
      the tube, either in the cell-glycolysis-blocked or in the calcium-depleted
      situation, respectively. An eventual decrease in the recovery of rTNF after
      collection of blood was prevented in the oxalate/NaF tubes. Recovery of TNF in
      the ELISA was diminished in the presence of plasma or serum. Techniques to
      enhance the efficiency of the measurement of TNF in plasma by ELISA were
      compared. The data indicate that in the presence of 1.1 M NaCl, the TNF masking
      effect of normal plasma was largely abrogated. The presence and role of
      inhibiting plasma components in plasma of healthy and diseased individuals are
      discussed.

PMID- 1873360
TI  - Therapy of recurrent high-grade gliomas with surgery, autologous mitogen
      activated IL-2-stimulated (MAK) killer lymphocytes, and rIL-2: II. Correlation of
      survival with MAK cell tumor necrosis factor production in vitro.
AB  - Seven patients with recurrent high-grade glioma were treated in a Phase I/II
      trial with surgical debulking, after which mitogen-activated IL-2-stimulated
      killer (MAK) lymphocytes and 10(5) units rIL-2 were implanted in the surgical
      defect. The therapy was well tolerated, and the mean survival of this group of
      patients was 29 weeks. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production by MAK lymphocytes
      stimulated with IL-2 in vitro was measured. A significant (r = .78, p = .04)
      correlation between survival of patients after therapy and the ability of the MAK
      lymphocytes to produce TNF in vitro was noted. A significant negative correlation
      (r = -.82, p = .02) was found when comparing TNF production and increasing tumor
      size measured on MRI. No correlation was found between TNF production in vitro
      and MAK lymphocytes lytic activity on K562 and U373 target cells. No correlation
      was found between survival and MAK cell lytic activity measured on K562 and U373
      target cells. We conclude that TNF production in vitro and cytotoxic activity
      measured in vitro are measures of different antitumor activity in vivo and in
      vitro. TNF production during IL-2-stimulated proliferation may be an important in
      vitro assay in terms of predicting length of survival of recurrent high-grade
      gliomas.

PMID- 1873361
TI  - Effect of excess dietary fat during the third trimester of pregnancy on maternal,
      placental, and fetal metabolism in the pig.
AB  - The effect of excessive intake of dietary fat during late gestation on maternal,
      placental, and fetal metabolism was studied. Twelve pregnant gilts were fed ad
      libitum diets containing 4 (control) or 55% (added fat) calories as fat,
      beginning on day 70 of gestation. On day 110, glucose and palmitate oxidation,
      and incorporation into fatty acids by maternal adipose tissue, maternal and fetal
      placenta, and fetal liver and adipose tissue were determined. Caloric efficiency
      and adipose tissue glucose utilization were reduced in the added fat gilts, while
      placenta metabolism at high media palmitate concentrations was increased. Fetal
      development and metabolism were for the most part unaffected by maternal diet;
      thus, the fetus appears to be protected from dietary excess through adaptations
      of both maternal and placental metabolism.

PMID- 1873362
TI  - Body composition and cold resistance of the neonatal pig from European (Large
      White) and Chinese (Meishan) breeds.
AB  - Body composition, plasma parameters and cold resistance were compared in neonatal
      pigs from Chinese (Meishan, Ms) and European (Large White, Lw) breeds. Newborn Ms
      pigs weighed less but had a higher (p less than 0.05) percentage of body dry
      matter and protein than the Lw pigs, whereas both breeds had similar levels of
      body fat and liver and muscle glycogen. Plasma concentrations of fructose and
      alpha-fetoprotein were lower (p less than 0.05) in the newborn Ms pigs. Cold
      resistance test performed in a 6-7 degrees C environment on the same piglets when
      aged 2 and 24 h, showed that in both breeds, cold resistance was closely
      dependent upon body weight and significantly improved (p less than 0.01) with
      age. Despite their 16% lower body weight, Ms piglets were, at both ages studied,
      as resistant to cold as the Lw ones. Breed had no effect on pretest concentration
      of plasma glucose and noradrenaline, but pretest concentrations of plasma free
      fatty acids (FFA) were higher (p less than 0.01) in the Ms than in Lw piglets and
      those of adrenaline were lower (p less than 0.01) in the Ms Lw piglets and those
      of adrenaline were lower (p less than 0.01) in the Ms piglets. Breed had no
      significant effect on the response of plasma glucose, FFA and catecholamines
      during exposure to cold. At both ages of exposure, plasma concentrations of
      glucose and catecholamines were significantly increased. Plasma concentrations of
      FFA were increased (p less than 0.01) at 2 h, but at 24 h a decrease (p less than
      0.01) was observed during cold exposure. Colostrum from Ms sows had greater
      concentration of lipids than that from Lw sows. It is suggested that the similar
      resistance to cold of the Ms and Lw piglets despite the lower body weight of the
      former is due, in part, to a greater availability of FFA as an energy source.

PMID- 1873363
TI  - Diet composition modifies embryotoxic effects induced by experimental diabetes in
      rats.
AB  - Despite improvements in prenatal care, the incidence of congenital malformations
      in diabetic pregnancies is still 3-4 times higher than in normal pregnancies.
      These defects could be attributed to alterations of intrauterine environment due
      to disorder of the maternal metabolism. If this were true, the quality of food
      could play a role in diabetes-induced embryotoxicity. To check this hypothesis,
      female CD rats were made diabetic by injecting intravenously 50 mg/kg of
      streptozotocin 2 weeks before mating. From the first day of pregnancy they were
      divided into three groups and maintained on the following diets: (1) standard
      diet (Italiana Mangimi); (2) purified high protein diet (protein 55%,
      carbohydrates 25.5%, fat 7.5%, fiber 4.5%, ash 7.5%); (3) purified normoprotein
      diet (protein 19%, carbohydrates 62.5%, fat 7.5%, fiber 4%, ash 7%). Nondiabetic
      pregnant females fed with standard diet served as negative control. No
      significant differences were observed in blood glucose levels among the groups
      (range 410-500 mg/dl). The group fed on normoprotein diet showed at term of
      pregnancy: (1) higher rate of resorptions; (2) lower fetal weight; (3) higher
      frequency of major malformations than the groups fed standard and hyperproteic
      diets. Although we are not able at this time to discriminate between a protective
      effect of a diet with a high protein content and a disruptive effect of a diet
      containing high quantity of carbohydrates, the results of this trial support the
      hypothesis of a fuel-mediated teratogenesis in diabetic pregnancy.

PMID- 1873364
TI  - Effects of maternal bilateral adrenalectomy and betamethasone administration on
      fetal rat encephalic development.
AB  - The present study examined the effects of maternal bilateral adrenalectomy and
      betamethasone treatment on fetal encephalic development, in terms of fetal body
      weight, brain weight, DNA, protein and lipid content and morphological
      development. Both influenced the developmental time patterns of fetal brain and
      cerebellum. Fetuses of adrenalectomized rats had decreased body weights, whereas
      brain weight was not affected. Maternal adrenalectomy produces in fetal brain a
      decreased number of cells and increased cell size, while betamethasone treatment
      of adrenalectomized rats increased cell number, which was not different from
      control values; cell size remained lower than in control fetuses. Lipid content
      was increased in the fetuses of betamethasone-treated rats. In terms of
      morphological development, laminated structures (hippocampus and brain and
      cerebellar cortex) were the ones most affected.

PMID- 1873365
TI  - Cerebral blood flow velocity regulation in preterm infants.
AB  - Cerebrovascular autoregulation is the mechanism by which changes in cerebral
      blood flow are prevented during fluctuations in mean arterial blood pressure.
      Doppler ultrasound measurement of cerebral blood flow velocity provides a
      reliable indirect technique to estimate cerebral blood flow. In 48 stable preterm
      infants less than or equal to 32 weeks gestation, we studied the mean flow
      velocity in the pericallosal artery at 12, or at 12 and 72 h of age with two
      dimensional/pulsed Doppler ultrasound and correlated the mean flow velocity with
      the simultaneously obtained mean arterial blood pressure values. Mean flow
      velocity was stable at a mean arterial blood pressure ranging from 31 to 40 mm
      Hg, but changed proportionally with mean arterial blood pressure values outside
      this narrow range. Multiple regression analysis showed that mean flow velocity
      was primarily determined by mean arterial blood pressure. These data suggest that
      in preterm infants regulation of cerebral blood flow velocity occurs only over a
      narrow range of mean arterial blood pressure values.

PMID- 1873366
TI  - Neonatal gastrointestinal growth and function: are they regulated by composition
      of feeds?
AB  - The effects of natural suckling versus a cow's milk formula on gastrointestinal
      growth and mucosal function were measured in newborn guinea pigs during the first
      8 days of postnatal life. Comparable growth was achieved between the two groups.
      Both feeds appeared to be a stimulus for the growth of the gastrointestinal tract
      and expression of disaccharidases, but not for mucosal growth. Formula feeding
      was associated with a diminished rate of lactase expression and an enhanced rate
      of maltase and sucrase expression suggesting that the effect of natural suckling
      is regulatory, acting to delay expression of an inherent ontogenic programme
      uncovered by formula feeding. These finding in the precocial guinea pig contrast
      with those in the altricial rat, and have implications for our understanding of
      the regulation of gastrointestinal development and effects of formula feeds, in
      other species, including man.

PMID- 1873367
TI  - Hyperoxemia does not affect renal hemodynamics and function in newborn rabbits.
AB  - Renal hemodynamics and function were assessed in 10 anesthetized newborn rabbits
      undergoing acute hyperoxemia for 1 h. The hyperoxemic period either followed
      (group 1: n = 5) or preceded (group 2: n = 5) a normoxemic control period. Renal
      blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed by the
      clearance of p-aminohippuric acid and inulin, respectively. Urine flow rate, GFR,
      RBF, renal vascular resistance, filtration fraction and sodium fractional
      excretion remained unchanged throughout the study whatever the order of the
      normoxemic and hyperoxemic periods. It is concluded that hyperoxemia up to PaO2
      of 170 mm Hg does not alter renal function.

PMID- 1873368
TI  - Size selectivity of lung protein accumulation in preterm ventilated lambs.
AB  - The 1-hour net accumulation of four labeled proteins of different sizes (6.5, 29,
      69 and 150 kD) from the vascular space into the lungs and airspaces was measured
      in preterm ventilated lambs at 132 days gestational age. Lambs treated with
      Survanta, a surfactant prepared from bovine lung, were studied at 1, 3, 5 and 8 h
      after birth, while lambs not treated with this surfactant were studied up to 5 h
      of age because of severe respiratory failure. The labeled proteins were lost from
      the vascular space more rapidly over the first 1 h of life than at later times (p
      less than 0.01). Labeled protein recoveries were similar at 1 and 3 h in
      surfactant and control lambs and decreased by 8 h in surfactant-treated lambs (p
      less than 0.05). In both the surfactant-treated and control animals, there was a
      sequential decrease in labeled protein recoveries based on protein size (p less
      than 0.01). There was no change with time in size selectivity for accumulation of
      the labeled proteins into the lungs for either the control or surfactant-treated
      lambs, although surfactant treatments decreased accumulation of the 6.5 and 29 kD
      proteins at 5 h when compared to the control group (p less than 0.05). Labeled
      protein recoveries in alveolar washes demonstrated less size selectivity. These
      studies documented that size selectivity of the vascular endothelium did not
      change over the first 8 h of life in preterm ventilated lambs, a pattern that was
      not indicative of progressive lung injury.

PMID- 1873369
TI  - Genes, environment and psychopathology.

PMID- 1873370
TI  - Quantitative assessment of smooth pursuit gain and catch-up saccades in
      schizophrenia and affective disorders.
AB  - The smooth pursuit responses to 5 degrees and 20 degrees/sec constant-velocity
      stimuli were recorded from 23 patients with schizophrenia, 16 affective disorder
      patients, and 21 normals using low-noise infrared oculography. Pursuit gain,
      catch-up saccade (CUS) rate and amplitude, and their interrelationships were
      examined. Gain in the schizophrenic patients was reduced only at 20 degrees/sec,
      but for both patient groups, CUS rate at 5 degrees/sec was significantly lower
      than in normals. Using CUS rate at 20 degrees/sec, the patient groups could be
      distinguished from each other (the rate for schizophrenic patients being highest,
      and the rate for affectives the lowest) but neither differed significantly from
      normals. The diagnostic groups did not differ significantly in mean CUS
      amplitude, although there was a trend for patients to have larger saccades. Gain
      CUS rate correlation was strong in normals but reduced or absent in both patient
      groups. These results indicate that the ocular motor systems of patients with
      schizophrenia and affective disorders process eye position error abnormally.

PMID- 1873371
TI  - Pain sensitivity in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
AB  - Pain threshold was measured with short heat stimuli using a contact thermode in
      19 patients with anorexia nervosa, 20 patients with bulimia nervosa, and 21
      control subjects. Both patient groups had significantly elevated pain thresholds
      compared with the control subjects. In the total sample, no substantial
      covariation could be demonstrated among pain threshold and clinical,
      physiological, metabolic, or psychological data. However, in separate regression
      analyses pain threshold correlated significantly (negatively) with local skin
      temperature in the anorectic patients and almost significantly (positively) with
      body weight in the bulimic patients. This finding suggests that the reduced pain
      sensitivity in the two kinds of eating disorders might have different causes.

PMID- 1873372
TI  - The impact of selenium supplementation on mood.
AB  - The possibility that a subclinical deficiency of the trace element selenium might
      exist in a sample of the British population was examined by giving a selenium
      supplement for 5 weeks. Using a double-blind cross-over design, 50 subjects
      received either a placebo or 100 mcg selenium on a daily basis. On three
      occasions they filled in the Profile of Moods States. A food frequency
      questionnaire was used to estimate the intake of selenium in the diet. Intake was
      associated with a general elevation of mood and in particular, a decrease in
      anxiety. The change in mood when taking the active tablet was correlated with the
      level of selenium in the diet, which was estimated from a food frequency
      questionnaire. The lower the level of selenium in the diet the more reports of
      anxiety, depression, and tiredness, decreased following 5 weeks of selenium
      therapy. The results are discussed in terms of the low level of selenium in the
      food chain in some parts of the world.

PMID- 1873373
TI  - Effects of subchronic d-amphetamine on prepulse and gap inhibition of the
      acoustic startle reflex in rats.
AB  - Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex has been used as an animal model for
      information processing deficits found in some types of schizophrenia. These
      deficits may be mediated by hypersensitive dopaminergic systems. In the present
      study, the effects of subchronic d-amphetamine administration [2 mg/kg
      intraperitoneally (IP)] on prepulse and gap inhibition of the startle reflex were
      compared to the effects of acute amphetamine and saline administration on startle
      inhibition. Results of three experiments are reported. The first two experiments
      were used to select prestimulus parameters sensitive to changes in stimulus
      intensity on the one hand, and prestimulus parameters sensitive to temporal
      aspects of stimulus processing on the other hand. Because schizophrenics have
      problems with the temporal sequencing of information, prestimulus inhibition of
      the startle reflex was expected to be more pronounced when prestimulus processing
      depended predominantly upon temporal factors. Results supported this hypothesis,
      although the effects of d-amphetamine were found at near detection threshold
      duration only. Subchronic amphetamine had no effect on the neuronal mechanisms
      underlying inhibition of the startle reflex by prestimuli. The results also
      suggested that a careful selection of duration and intensity of the prestimulus
      may increase the sensitivity of the prestimulus-startle paradigm for the effects
      of drugs, for example.

PMID- 1873374
TI  - Sleep deprivation therapy.
AB  - This review reports, with as much detail as possible, on the literature relating
      to therapeutic sleep deprivation (or induced-wakefulness therapy) since it was
      first described in 1971. The antidepressive effect of sleep deprivation has been
      substantiated by numerous studies. A series of clinical predictors of response to
      sleep deprivation are also described. Partial sleep deprivation late in the night
      is equivalent to total sleep deprivation in terms of therapeutic value and-
      because of its simpler application--can be regarded today as the sleep
      deprivation method of choice. The status of sleep deprivation in the overall
      treatment schedule for depressive disorders is discussed in detail. Numerous
      findings, some of them contradictory, have been published on the effect of sleep
      deprivation on biological variables. To date, no unequivocal explanation has been
      found for the mechanism of action of sleep deprivation.

PMID- 1873375
TI  - Initial investigation of the left temporoparietal region in schizophrenia by 31P
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

PMID- 1873376
TI  - Timing of phototherapy and occurrence of mania.

PMID- 1873377
TI  - What is psychiatry?

PMID- 1873378
TI  - Effect sizes of P300 in schizophrenics.

PMID- 1873379
TI  - Comparison of intracellular and secreted isoforms of bovine and ovine luteinizing
      hormone.
AB  - The media (secreted isoforms) and tissue extracts (intracellular isoforms) from
      ovine and bovine pituitaries perifused in vitro were chromatofocused to examine
      the pattern of LH isoforms secreted. At slaughter, anterior pituitaries from
      castrated male cattle (n = 6) and sheep (n = 4) were collected, sectioned mid
      sagitally, and weighed. One half was immediately frozen and used to assess
      intracellular isoforms of LH. The remaining half was sliced and perifused for 120
      min to allow attainment of a stable basal secretion rate and then stimulated with
      5 x 10(-8) M LHRH. Effluent samples were collected and assayed for LH. Samples
      representing basal or LHRH-induced secretion were pooled, dialyzed against water,
      and lyophilized. Pituitary extracts were desalted by flow dialysis against water.
      All samples were chromatofocused on pH 10.5-7.0 gradients, and concentrations of
      LH in eluant fractions were determined by RIA. LH in pituitary extracts resolved
      into nine peaks, which were coded with letters beginning with the most basic
      isoform. Isoforms A, B, and C were nondetectable (bovine; p less than 0.01) or
      constituted a smaller percentage of total LH (ovine; p less than 0.05) in
      perifusates compared to intracellular samples. The percentages of isoforms D and
      E were lower (p less than 0.05) in perifusates than in intracellular samples from
      the ovine extracts but similar for the bovine (p greater than 0.05). Isoforms F
      and G were proportionately higher (p less than 0.05) in basal (bovine) and LHRH
      induced (bovine and ovine) samples than in intracellular samples.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873380
TI  - Hypoxanthine-maintained two-cell block in mouse embryos: dependence on glucose
      and effect of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitors.
AB  - The culture conditions under which hypoxanthine maintains a two-cell block in
      preimplantation mouse embryos were assessed. Hypoxanthine prevented embryo
      development past the two-cell stage at concentrations as low as 30 nM, and this
      inhibitory activity required the presence of D-glucose. The action of
      hypoxanthine plus D-glucose was reversed by glutamine and higher lactate. D
      mannose substituted for D-glucose in supporting the inhibitory action of
      hypoxanthine, but L-glucose, D-fructose, and 2-deoxyglucose were much less
      effective. Other purine derivatives such as inosine and adenosine, but not
      xanthosine or uric acid, also blocked development at the two-cell stage at a
      concentration of 30 microM, and guanosine was inhibitory at higher doses. Assays
      of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) activity in lysates of four-cell
      embryos determined that the drugs 6-mercapto-9-(tetrahydro-2-furyl)-purine (MPTF)
      and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), but not 6-azauridine (6-AzaU), prevented salvage of
      hypoxanthine. In addition, MPTF and 6-MP produced a significant two-cell block,
      which did not depend upon the presence of hypoxanthine or D-glucose; whereas 6
      AzaU was without effect. When embryos were cultured 2 days in the presence or
      absence of D-glucose, hypoxanthine salvage was significantly reduced in lysates
      of four-cell embryos exposed to D-glucose. D-glucose had no effect when added
      directly to the assay mixture. These data demonstrate that the ability of
      hypoxanthine to block embryo development at the two-cell stage depends on the
      presence of D-glucose or other glycolyzable sugars and suggest that inhibition of
      the purine salvage pathway promotes the two-cell block.

PMID- 1873381
TI  - Effects of exogenous steroids on androgen receptors in fetal guinea pig brain.
AB  - We treated pregnant guinea pigs on Day 50 of gestation with 10 mg testosterone
      propionate (TP), obtaining fetuses 2, 4, 8, or 18 h later as well as after 5 days
      of treatment. In a second group of pregnant guinea pigs, dihydrotestosterone
      propionate (DHTP), estradiol benzoate (E2B), progesterone (P), or cortisol was
      given 2 h before obtaining fetuses. Although TP treatment elevated fetal serum T
      (p less than 0.05), brain cytosolic androgen receptor (ARc) content was unchanged
      in fetuses of either sex. In female fetuses, nuclear androgen receptors (ARn)
      increased 10-fold in medial-basal hypothalamus (MBH) and preoptic area (POA) at 2
      and 4 h (respectively) after treatment, while fetal male ARn content was
      unchanged. Maternal injection of other steroids (E2B, P, or cortisol, but not
      DHTP) significantly increased these hormones in the fetus 2 h later (p less than
      0.05). Only androgens affected fetal androgen receptor (AR) content. While TP
      increased ARn in female MBH, DHTP decreased ARc in fetal anterior pituitary of
      both sexes. In this latter case, a metabolite of DHT may mediate the effects. We
      conclude that T crosses the guinea pig placenta and activates ARn in POA and MBH
      of female fetuses; male ARn appear to be maximally occupied by endogenous T.
      Steroids of other classes do not induce AR responses in fetal guinea pig brain.
      These AR changes may represent an initial cellular mechanism in brain sexual
      differentiation.

PMID- 1873382
TI  - Endometrial surface and secretory alterations associated with embryonic mortality
      in gilts administered estradiol valerate on days 9 and 10 of gestation.
AB  - Administration of estrogen to gilts on Days 9 and 10 of pregnancy results in
      total embryonic loss by Day 18. The present study examined changes in the uterine
      endometrial surface and secretion during conceptus attachment in control and
      estrogen-treated (Days 9 and 10) pregnant gilts. Gilts were unilaterally
      hysterectomized on either Days 12 and 14 or Days 16 and 18 of gestation. Uterine
      horns were flushed with saline and conceptuses were evaluated. Intact conceptuses
      were recovered from all control gilts, whereas estrogen-treated gilts contained
      normal intact conceptuses only on Day 12 of gestation. Antiviral activity, which
      reflects conceptus viability, was reduced (p less than 0.01) in uterine flushings
      after Day 14 in estrogen-treated gilts. Culture of endometrial explants with
      [3H]glucosamine revealed several glycoproteins that are synthesized during the
      period of conceptus attachment; however, no difference in glycoprotein synthesis
      between treatment groups was detected by analysis with two-dimensional PAGE and
      fluorography. Analyses of the uterine epithelium by scanning and transmission
      electron microscopy demonstrated that estrogen administration caused an
      alteration in the uterine surface, a thinning of the uterine epithelial
      glycocalyx, and a reduction of cationic ferritin binding to the microvilli of the
      uterine epithelium. Results indicate that conceptus mortality after early
      administration of estrogen is associated with alterations in the uterine
      endometrial surface during the period of conceptus attachment in the pig.

PMID- 1873383
TI  - Determination of the capacity of ram epididymal and ejaculated sperm to undergo
      the acrosome reaction and penetrate ova.
AB  - An understanding of epididymal maturation of sperm requires descriptions of
      changes in membrane properties and their relation to changes in cell function.
      While sperm membranes have been studied in some detail in rams, few reports
      address associated functional changes. This report provides such data by
      evaluating (a) the time course of sperm acrosome reaction (AR) induction for
      cells from each epididymal region; (b) the capacity of epididymal sperm to
      penetrate ova; (c) differences in physiological AR and general sperm
      degeneration; and (d) acrosin release of epididymal sperm. Ram epididymal (caput,
      corpus, and proximal and distal cauda) and ejaculated (EJ) sperm were incubated
      in vitro to assess their capacity to undergo an AR. Light microscopy revealed
      that in sperm populations which had traversed the proximal cauda epididymidis,
      greater than or equal to 50% exhibited an endogenous AR in less time (less than
      17 h) than did sperm isolated from more proximal regions of the epididymis (22
      greater than 50 h). Heparin added to sperm did not stimulate the AR in epididymal
      or EJ sperm, whereas addition of a calcium ionophore (A23187) increased AR rates
      for cauda and EJ sperm, but not caput or corpus sperm. A second experiment
      evaluating percent AR, percent motile cells, and percent hamster ova penetrated
      revealed that sperm isolated from regions proximal to the cauda epididymidis
      failed to penetrate ova. When cauda or EJ sperm exhibited motility greater than
      5% and AR greater than 24%, penetration of hamster eggs occurred. Comparisons of
      acrosomal integrity by electron or light microscopy were not different for sperm
      at any stage of epididymal maturation, suggesting that minimal nonspecific
      membrane changes occur and that light microscopy is valid for evaluating the
      acrosomal status of ram spermatozoa. Acrosin activity (sperm bound and
      dissociated) also was measured. Both total activity and release of acrosin from
      sperm to the medium during an 8-h incubation was greater for mature than for
      immature sperm. Results from these experiments are discussed in relation to the
      changes that must occur in sperm as they acquire the capacity to undergo an AR
      and penetrate hamster ova.

PMID- 1873384
TI  - Effect of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine liposomes on motility, induction of the
      acrosome reaction, and subsequent egg penetration of ram epididymal sperm.
AB  - The effects of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (PC12) on ram epididymal sperm
      motility, acrosome reaction (AR) induction, plasma membrane permeability,
      mitochondrial function, and sperm penetration into zona-free hamster eggs were
      determined. PC12 (50 microM) induced cell motility in caput and cauda sperm, as
      measured by subjective estimation and automated motility analysis. Motion
      parameters of treated caput sperm approached those of control ejaculated sperm.
      Flow cytometric analysis revealed that membrane permeability to propidium iodide
      and mitochondrial uptake of rhodamine 123 changed during epididymal transit. PC12
      induced the AR in sperm from all epididymal regions relative to control incubated
      sperm (caput 17% vs. control 8%; corpus 29% vs. control 13%; proximal cauda 48%
      vs. control 4%; distal cauda 51% vs. control 9%). After PC12 treatment, egg
      penetration by sperm was increased for sperm from the corpus (corpus 7% vs.
      control 0%) and cauda (proximal 48% vs. control 0%; distal 51% vs. control 0%),
      but not for caput sperm (caput 0% vs. control 0%). These studies establish that
      some sperm in each region of the epididymis possess the capacity for movement and
      the AR. Caput sperm, however, were unique in that they could not penetrate eggs.
      Additional maturational changes must occur in the caput and/or corpus
      epididymidis before penetration capacity can be expressed.

PMID- 1873385
TI  - In vitro development of rabbit pronuclear embryos in rabbit peritoneal fluid.
AB  - The use of rabbit peritoneal fluid (PF) for the culture of rabbit embryos in
      vitro was evaluated. Development of zygotes cultured in PF and Earle's balanced
      salts solution (EBSS) + 10% fetal calf serum (EBSS/FCS) was compared. The effects
      of increasing the concentration of PF in EBSS and of culturing embryos in
      fractionated PF were also investigated. In addition, embryonic development in PF
      was compared to that in vivo. Development to hatching blastocysts was enhanced
      with PF (73%) compared to EBSS/FCS (3%, p less than 0.001). PF manifested greater
      mitogenic activity than EBSS/FCS, as indicated by higher cell number in embryos
      at 48, 72, and 96 h post-mating/hCG (p less than 0.001). PF also promoted
      blastocyst cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (r = 0.98, p less than
      0.01); however, embryo growth remained slower than in vivo. Culture in the high
      (greater than 30,000 Da) molecular mass fraction of PF reduced incidence of
      hatching (56% vs. 92%, p less than 0.001) and mean cell number in Day 4
      blastocysts (151 +/- 4 vs. 243 +/- 5, p less than 0.001). Rates of blastocyst
      hatching (10%) and cell number (110 +/- 3) were further reduced in the low (less
      than 30,000 Da) molecular mass fraction. When the high molecular mass fraction
      was dialyzed, embryos did not develop beyond the early morula stage. This
      suggests that the interaction or the synergy of high and low molecular mass
      components of PF is necessary for optimum development of rabbit embryos.

PMID- 1873386
TI  - Role of epithelial cells of the male excurrent duct system of the rat in the
      endocytosis or secretion of sulfated glycoprotein-2 (clusterin).
AB  - The localization of sulfated glycoprotein-2 (clusterin; SGP-2) was investigated
      in the rete testis, efferent ducts, and epididymis of the rat using light (LM)
      and electron (EM) microscope immunocytochemistry. At the LM level, the epithelial
      cells of the rete testis and efferent ducts demonstrated an intense
      immunoperoxidase reaction over their apical and supranuclear regions, and sperm
      in the lumen of the efferent ducts were unreactive. In the EM, gold particles
      were found exclusively over the endocytic apparatus of these cells. In the
      proximal area of the epididymal initial segment, an insignificant immunostaining
      of epithelial cells and sperm was observed. However, the distal area of the
      initial segment showed a moderate staining over the epithelial principal cells
      and sperm, while in the intermediate zone of the epididymis a stronger reaction
      was observed over these cells. The strongest immunoperoxidase reaction was noted
      in the caput epididymidis, where it formed a distinct mottled pattern. Thus,
      while some principal cells were intensely stained, others were moderately or
      weakly stained; a few were completely unreactive. In the corpus and cauda
      epididymidis, the staining pattern was similar but not as intense. In the EM,
      only the secretory apparatus of these cells was found to be immunolabeled with
      gold particles. Sperm in the lumen of these different regions were also labeled.
      The epithelial clear cells were unreactive throughout the epididymis. Northern
      blot analysis substantiated these results and showed the presence of highest
      levels of SGP-2 mRNA in the caput epididymidis, especially in its proximal area,
      whereas increasingly lower levels were found in the corpus and cauda
      epididymidis. In summary, these results suggest that testicular SGP-2 dissociates
      from the sperm during passage through the rete testis and efferent ducts, where
      it is endocytosed by the epithelial cells lining these regions. In the
      epididymis, it is replaced by an epididymal SGP-2 that is secreted by the
      epithelial principal cells of the epididymis. Furthermore, in the epididymis, the
      principal cells appear to be in different functional states with respect to the
      secretion of epididymal SGP-2 within a given region of the duct as well as along
      the epididymal duct.

PMID- 1873387
TI  - Immunocytochemical localization of relaxin in human corpora lutea: cellular and
      subcellular distribution and dependence on reproductive state.
AB  - Relaxin is one of the hormones present during pregnancy and it is synthesized
      primarily by corpora lutea (CL). Other reproductive tissues including CL of the
      menstrual cycle may also synthesize this hormone. Very little is known, however,
      about the cellular and subcellular distribution of relaxin in human CL and
      dependence of luteal relaxin on the reproductive state. The light and electron
      microscope immunocytochemical studies described here were undertaken to obtain
      this information using antisera to porcine and human relaxin. Immunostaining was
      found in large luteal cells (17-30 microns) but not in small luteal cells (7-16
      microns) or in nonluteal cells in any of the reproductive states or in human
      hepatocytes. Luteal immunostaining was low in early luteal phase; it increased
      progressively, reaching the highest level in late luteal phase, and then
      decreased greatly in corpora albicantia. Term pregnancy CL contained similar
      immunostaining as early luteal phase CL. Mid luteal phase CL contained more
      immunostained cells than late luteal phase CL, but the late luteal phase CL
      contained a greater amount of immunostaining per cell than mid luteal phase CL.
      The immunogold particles due to relaxin were primarily present in secretory
      granules and to a small extent in rough endoplasmic reticulum. Quantitation
      revealed that secretory granules contained a much higher number of gold particles
      than did rough endoplasmic reticulum. These two organelles from late luteal phase
      CL contained greater numbers of gold particles than those from mid luteal
      phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873388
TI  - Quantitative cell composition of human and bovine corpora lutea from various
      reproductive states.
AB  - The cell composition of human and bovine corpora lutea (CL) from various
      reproductive states was investigated by computerized video-based interactive
      Bioquant image analysis system IV and by light microscope immunocytochemistry.
      Human and bovine CL contained more nonluteal cells than luteal cells. Human CL
      contained a lower number of luteal and a greater number of nonluteal cells than
      bovine CL. Regardless of the reproductive state, human CL contained more small
      luteal cells than large luteal cells. In all reproductive states except in the
      late luteal phase, the bovine CL also contained more small luteal cells than
      large luteal cells. The average sizes of all the cells in human CL were smaller
      than in bovine CL. Human CL contained more vascular space than bovine CL during
      mid and late luteal phases. The number of luteal cells increased and nonluteal
      cells decreased from early to mid luteal phase, and then luteal cells decreased
      and nonluteal cells increased in late luteal phase and in degenerating human and
      bovine CL. While the change of number of small and large luteal cells first
      occurred from early to mid luteal phase in human CL, it did not take place until
      the late luteal phase in bovine CL. The average size of large luteal cells in
      humans and of small luteal cells in cattle did not change, whereas size of the
      other cells changed in different reproductive states in both human and bovine CL.
      The cell composition of term pregnancy human CL was similar to mid or late luteal
      phase, whereas the cell composition of early pregnancy bovine CL was similar to
      mid luteal phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873389
TI  - Theca cells may be present at the outset of follicular growth.
AB  - Opinions differ concerning when theca cells arise during follicular growth. Theca
      cells cannot be distinguished from ovarian stroma cells on the basis of
      morphology alone. However, long-term continuous infusion of [3]thymidine (3H-TdR)
      thoroughly labels theca cells of large and medium-sized follicles whereas most
      stromal cells remain unlabeled. The objective of this study was to determine
      when, during the course of follicular development, labeled, squamous cells
      located just outside the follicular basement membrane (putative theca cells)
      first become apparent. Rats were given infusions of 3H-TdR for various periods of
      time. Autoradiographs were prepared from 2-microns-thick plastic sections of
      ovaries. Morphologically recognizable theca cells of large and medium-sized
      follicles were sharply delineated from surrounding stroma cells by their labeling
      pattern. Although unilaminar follicles lacked morphologically distinct theca
      layers, they all were closely enveloped by labeled cells just outside the
      basement membrane. Follicles with a few as 4-5 granulosa cells in cross section
      often had labeled cells on the convex surface of their basement membranes. These
      observations suggest the possibility that theca cells may already be present at
      the very outset of follicular growth.

PMID- 1873390
TI  - Oxytocin stimulates progesterone release from microdialyzed bovine corpus luteum
      in vitro.
AB  - A microdialysis system (MDS) was implanted in corpora lutea (CL) from cows (Days
      5-7, 8-12, and 15-18 of the estrous cycle); the CL were maintained in organ
      culture chambers. With this system, active substances can be applied, and a
      collection of steroids released from luteal cells surrounding the microcapillary
      (cut-off point = 100 kDa) is possible, while luteal cells maintain cell-to-cell
      contact. Spontaneous pulses of progesterone release were observed in 90% of
      control (perfused with Ringer's solution only) at 60-80 min intervals. The
      infusion of bovine LH (bLH) for 20 min (0.1-10 micrograms/ml) stimulated dose
      dependent release of progesterone. Both results indicate that the CL maintains
      the activity of progesterone release and the ability to respond to LH stimulation
      in this system. Oxytocin (1-100 microM) also stimulated progesterone release in a
      dose-dependent manner. Preexposure with oxytocin antagonist blocked the
      stimulatory effect of oxytocin (p less than 0.01) but not of LH (p less than
      0.05), confirming the specificity of the effect. When CL were prestimulated with
      a low dose of oxytocin (1 microM, 20 min) twice before bLH application, the
      release of progesterone by bLH (1 micrograms/ml, 20 min) was more pronounced (p
      less than 0.05). A long-term infusion (3 h) with oxytocin and/or bLH stimulated
      the release of progesterone for the whole period of time. Oxytocin was most
      stimulative during the early luteal phase (Days 5-7) and decreased continuously
      from Days 8-12 to Days 15-18.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873391
TI  - Requirement of innervation for maintenance of structural and functional integrity
      in the rat prostate.
AB  - The rat prostate is innervated by pelvic and hypogastric nerves through a single
      pelvic ganglion, removal of which would result in complete denervation of the
      prostatic complex. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of
      denervation on the rat prostate. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats of 300 g in body
      weight were divided into two groups. Bilateral pelvic ganglion denervation was
      performed in one group of animals; the other group received a sham operation.
      Three weeks later, animals were killed; and the ventral prostates were removed,
      weighed, and subjected to routine procedures for light and electron microscopy.
      The average weight, total protein content, and total content of acid phosphatase
      of the ventral prostates in the denervated group were significantly less than
      those in the control group. Total DNA content per prostate, however, was not
      significantly different between the two groups. Results of histological
      examination indicated that the prostates from control animals showed normal
      morphology, whereas those from the denervated animals showed reduced cell height
      and enlarged vacuoles surrounding the nuclei. Inspection of electron micrographs
      revealed that the prostates from denervated animals, compared with those of
      controls, showed a reduced ratio of cell height:cell width, which is associated
      with a reduced number of microvilli and secretory granules. These results
      indicate that denervation in the prostate is associated with a lower prostatic
      weight, decreased cell height, and reduced secretory activity.

PMID- 1873392
TI  - In vitro fertilization of goat oocytes.
AB  - Experiments were carried out to achieve fertilization (IVF) and initial embryonic
      development of goat oocytes in vitro. Oocyte/cumulus complexes were recovered
      from large follicles (greater than 7 mm) of hormonally treated doses and from 1-6
      mm follicles of ovaries from hormonally superstimulated and nontreated goats.
      Three different sperm treatment/IVF media were used: defined medium (Brackett and
      Oliphant, Biol Reprod 1975; 12:260-274) with modifications (mDM); TALP (Bavister
      and Yanagimachi, Biol Reprod 1977; 16:228-237), as modified by Parrish et al.
      (Theriogenology 1986; 25:591-600), i.e. modified TALP (mTALP); and HEPES-buffered
      M199 with modifications (mH-M199). Immature oocytes (from 1-6 mm, small antral
      follicles) were cultured for in vitro maturation (IVM) in M199 buffered with
      bicarbonate and with modifications including supplementation with 20% (v/v) goat
      serum (mB-M199) with either (a) 100 micrograms LH/ml, (b) 5 micrograms FSH/ml, or
      (c) no added gonadotropin control. Insemination of (in vivo or in vitro) matured
      oocytes was performed with swim-up separated and heparin-treated freshly
      ejaculated sperm; additionally, caffeine was included in the mDM treatment. Use
      of mDM yielded better results than mTALP or mH-M199 (p less than .05). Results
      with oocytes after IVM were significantly better than those obtained with oocytes
      matured in vivo (68.4% vs. 45.5%, p less than 0.05). Presence of LH or FSH during
      oocyte maturation improved both the IVM and IVF results over those of the control
      (p less than 0.05). The highest proportion of fertilized oocytes (fertilization
      rate) was achieved by combining the use of mDM for sperm and IVF with IVM in the
      presence of LH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873393
TI  - Characteristics of a genetic polymorphism for reproductive photoresponsiveness in
      the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).
AB  - Wild populations of Peromyscus are often composed of individuals that vary
      greatly in their reproductive response to photoperiod. A population of white
      footed mice (P. leucopus) from Michigan (43 degrees N) was subjected to mass
      selection in the laboratory both for and against reproductive photoresponsiveness
      for four generations. The first generation of selection yielded one line of mice
      in which about 80% of the individuals were classified as reproductively
      photoresponsive (i.e., with undeveloped reproductive tracts when reared in short
      days, 8L: 16D) and another in which only about 20% were reproductively
      photoresponsive. Some and perhaps most of this difference was accounted for by
      changes in degree of responsiveness to photoperiod rather than by alterations in
      the proportion of discrete responsive vs. unresponsive phenotypes. Alteration of
      critical day length was not a factor. Three more generations of selection failed
      to change the proportions noted above significantly. Although the genetic control
      of reproductive photoresponsiveness is undoubtedly complex, a single variable
      locus may be responsible for much of the heritable variation present in this
      population. These results also suggest that natural populations contain
      genetically determined phenotypes that are intermediate between absolutely
      photoresponsive and absolutely unresponsive. The factors that might promote
      maintenance of heterogeneity of reproductive photoresponsiveness in a wild
      population of rodents are considered.

PMID- 1873394
TI  - The energetic regulation of ovulation: a realistic role for body fat.
AB  - This review weighs the evidence for and against the hypothesis that ovulation is
      regulated by a critical amount of body fat. The evidence supporting this
      hypothesis is correlative, and most of it stems from observations made in humans.
      On balance, the evidence from human studies does not support the hypothesis,
      however, and the results of animal studies argue strongly against it. In the
      latter regard, a variety of experimental approaches have been tried in both adult
      and peripubertal females of several species, and the results almost uniformly
      show little relationship between fatness and ovulation. There is no doubt that
      ovulation can be regulated somehow in relation to whole-body energy balance and
      that fat stores are an important component of energy balance, but there is no
      reason to accord body fat a direct causal role in regulating ovulation.

PMID- 1873395
TI  - Testosterone and estradiol potentiate the serum gonadotropin response to
      gonadotropin-releasing hormone in goldfish.
AB  - The effects of gonadal steroids on gonadosomatic index (GSI; gonad wt/total body
      wt x 100), pituitary gonadotropin (GTH) content, and serum GTH response to [D
      Ala6,Pro9-Net]-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH-A) were investigated
      throughout the seasonal reproductive cycle of the goldfish. Gonad-intact female
      fish were implanted i.p. for 5 days with silastic pellets containing no steroid
      (blank), testosterone (T; 100 micrograms/g), or estradiol (E2; 100 micrograms/g).
      The serum GTH response at 6 h following i.p. injection of saline or 0.1
      microgram/g LHRH-A was assessed. In blank-implanted, saline-injected animals,
      seasonal variations in GSI, pituitary GTH content, and serum GTH levels were
      evident; maximal and minimal levels were noted in the spring and summer months,
      respectively. In blank-implanted fish, LHRH-A effectively stimulated GTH release
      in females undergoing gonadal recrudescence (late autumn and winter) and in
      sexually mature (spring) females, but not in sexually regressed (summer and early
      autumn) females. Implantation of T or E2 raised serum steroid levels to those
      found during ovulation in goldfish. Steroid treatments did not affect
      unstimulated serum GTH levels at any time of the year. Testosterone effectively
      potentiated the serum GTH response to LHRH-A during the entire reproductive
      cycle, whereas the positive effects of E2 were evident in sexually regressed and
      post-spawning females only. Both T and E2 potentiated the GTH response to LHRH-A
      in male fish. To examine the involvement of T aromatization in mediating its
      actions on induced GTH secretion, male and female fish were implanted with T or
      the nonaromatizable androgens 5 alpha-dihydroxytestosterone (DHT; 100
      micrograms/g) and 11-keto-testosterone (11-KT; 250 micrograms/animal).
      Testosterone potentiated the GTH response to LHRH-A in both males and females
      whereas DHT and 11-KT were without effect. Furthermore, the positive action of T
      on induced GTH secretion was blocked by 2-day pretreatment with the aromatase
      inhibitor 1,4,6-androstatrien-3,17-dione (100 or 300 micrograms/g). Multiple i.p.
      injections of hCG (0.2 microgram/g every 3 days for 39 days), probably through
      stimulation of endogenous T secretion, resulted in potentiation of the GTH
      response to LHRH-A in mature male goldfish. These results clearly demonstrate
      that T, through aromatization to E2, can increase pituitary responsiveness to
      exogenous LHRH-A in gonad-intact male and female goldfish.

PMID- 1873396
TI  - Nutritional anestrus in beef cows: effects of body condition and ovariectomy on
      serum luteinizing hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I.
AB  - The objectives of this experiment were to determine if a postcastration increase
      in concentrations of LH occurs in nutritionally anestrous beef cows and to
      examine the relationship between body energy reserves and secretion of LH and
      insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Nonpregnant, nonlactating, Hereford cows
      were fed to maintain (M) body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), and normal
      estrous cycles (n = 5) or were fed a restricted (R) diet for 26 wk to lose BW and
      BCS and to become anestrus (n = 10). At 5-7 wk after the initiation of anestrus,
      R cows were randomly allotted to be ovariectomized (OVX) via flank incision (n =
      5) or to remain intact (INT, n = 5). OVX was performed when R cows became
      anestrous. All M cows were OVX. Serum was collected frequently the day before and
      during the first 10 days after OVX, and concentrations of progesterone,
      estradiol, LH and IGF-I were quantified. On Day 10 after OVX, 1 mg of estradiol
      was injected into 3 cows from each group and serum was collected for 30 h. After
      OVX, there was a treatment-by-day effect for mean serum LH and IGF-I
      concentrations. Concentrations of LH increased (p less than 0.01) and
      concentrations of IGF-I decreased (p less than 0.05) in M-OVX cows when compared
      with R-OVX and R-INT cows. Concentrations of LH and IGF-I were similar for R-OVX
      and R-INT cows. The number of LH pulses was similar for M and R cows.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873397
TI  - Photoperiod regulation of uterine activity and melatonin rhythms in the pregnant
      rhesus macaque.
AB  - This study tested the hypothesis that photoperiod phase entrains the daily
      rhythms in myometrial contractility and melatonin in circulation in the pregnant
      rhesus monkey during late gestation. Six chronically catheterized rhesus macaques
      were maintained on a 12L: 12D cycle (lights-on, 0700 to 1900 h). Intrauterine
      pressure was continuously recorded throughout the study. At 120-135 days of
      gestation, blood samples were collected at 3-h intervals over a 24-h period
      beginning 2 h after lights-on at 0900 h. We observed a characteristic nocturnal
      uterine activity rhythm; contractile events peaked at 2300 h compared to the
      nadir at 0900 h (p less than 0.05, ANOVA). Daytime plasma melatonin levels
      averaged 31 +/- 6 pg/ml compared to the nocturnal peak of 60 +/- 6 pg/ml at 2400
      h (p less than 0.05). Photoperiod was then shifted 11 h so that lights were on
      from 2000 to 0800 h. After 7 days, blood samples were again collected over 24 h,
      beginning 2 h after lights-on at 2200 h; this sampling protocol was repeated at
      weekly intervals until delivery. After 7 days of reversed photoperiod, the peak
      in the uterine activity shifted to 1100 h, whereas the nadir occurred at 2200 h
      (p less than 0.05). Melatonin concentrations increased from a mean of 22 +/- 4
      pg/ml during the light phase to a nighttime peak of 60 +/- 5 pg/ml at 1300 h (p
      less than 0.01). A similar and stable phase relationship to lights-off was
      maintained for both the myometrial activity rhythm and the circadian melatonin
      rhythms after reversed photoperiod.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873398
TI  - Prolactin levels in the western spotted skunk: changes during pre- and
      periimplantation and effects of melatonin and lesions to the anterior
      hypothalamus.
AB  - Prolactin (PRL) is the primary pituitary hormone responsible for initiating
      increased function of the corpus luteum and blastocyst implantation in the
      western spotted skunk. Therefore, we have designed experiments to validate a PRL
      RIA, characterize the preimplantation profile in PRL secretion, and determine the
      effects of exogenous melatonin and lesions to the anterior hypothalamic area
      (AHA) on PRL secretion in the skunk. These objectives were investigated with a
      heterologous RIA using canine PRL standards and antiserum. Displacement curves of
      skunk pituitary extract and serum were parallel to the canine PRL standard curve.
      Growth hormone-releasing hormone injection did not cause a significant change in
      plasma PRL levels as detected by the assay (p = 0.74). Injection of pimozide
      increased and bromocriptine decreased plasma PRL levels (p less than 0.05). A
      seasonal trend in plasma PRL levels was observed during the preimplantation
      period, with mean concentrations ranging from 5 ng/ml during the period of short
      day length in January to 17.1 ng/ml during the long day photoperiod in early May.
      The average date of blastocyst implantation in this study was 2 May (n = 16).
      Silastic capsules containing melatonin (n = 5) significantly delayed both the
      seasonal rise in plasma PRL levels and the time of implantation (p less than
      0.05) compared to controls with empty capsules (n = 4). Lesions to the AHA (AHAx,
      n = 5) eliminated these effects of melatonin on both the rise in PRL and time of
      implantation. PRL levels were highly correlated with progesterone levels (p less
      than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873399
TI  - Attachment of boar sperm to mucosal explants of oviduct in vitro: possible role
      in formation of a sperm reservoir.
AB  - Ejaculated boar sperm were incubated with explants of porcine oviductal mucosa
      that had been dissected from the isthmic and ampullar regions of gilts. Sperm
      bound within minutes to the epithelial surfaces of the explants. Binding was not
      affected by region (isthmus or ampulla) nor day of estrous cycle (Day 0 or Day
      10), but was increased by addition of 70 pg/ml 17 beta-estradiol to the medium.
      Scanning electron micrographs indicated that sperm bound, via the acrosomal
      region, to ciliated cells. After 24 h, the numbers of bound sperm dropped
      significantly, but the motility of the bound sperm did not. A mucous material
      that entrapped sperm was observed on the epithelial surfaces of 23/32 isthmic and
      only 4/32 ampullar explants. These results indicate that sperm sticking to
      ciliated cells and mucus can create a sperm reservoir in the isthmus, but the
      means by which sperm are released remain unknown.

PMID- 1873400
TI  - [The plaque wet weight in subjects with different caries involvement].
AB  - Determinations of the wet weight of 48 h human dental plaque have proved that
      there is a significantly higher plaque wet weight among patients characterized by
      a low caries experience compared to patients with a high caries experience. The
      plaque-forming rate of patients with a low caries experience rises with advancing
      years.

PMID- 1873401
TI  - [The establishment efficiency of S. sobrinus OMZ 176 in a model caries experiment
      on the Osborne-Mendel rat].
AB  - S. sobrinus OMZ 176 was inoculated in young OM rats during tooth eruption in two
      experiments and the microbial composition of dental plaque as well as the caries
      decay was estimated after 25 days on cariogenic sucrose rich diet. Germs were
      reproducibly established in the oral cavity by such way. The resulting caries
      decay correlated with the streptococci in the dental plaque. Due to this fact it
      seems to be necessary to identify not only the inoculated microorganisms at the
      end of each animal experiment but also to estimate the qualitative composition of
      the whole dental flora which may have an essential cariogenic effect.

PMID- 1873402
TI  - [Teleroentgenographic findings in adults with overbite. Teleroentgenographic
      morphology in closed-bite patients].
AB  - Lateral skull radiographs were analyzed in twenty patients with retroclined
      incisors. Greatest deviations from the comparison values were found in the region
      of the lower face. The mandible shows a retrognathic and counter clockwise
      rotated position. The height of the anterior lower face height and the
      dentoalveolar height are reduced. The interincisor angle ist distinct increased.
      Etiological aspects and the therapeutical consequences of the findings are
      mentioned.

PMID- 1873403
TI  - [Clinical indices in periodontal diagnosis. A review].
AB  - In this review, are described the most common clinical indices. Further, is
      discussed and criticized their application as well as usefulness in the clinical
      diagnosis and patient management. Although, there exists a variety of clinical
      indices, only a few of them could be sufficient for monitoring diagnosis and
      treatment in the general practice.

PMID- 1873404
TI  - [Alginate with a chlorhexidine admixture in a torsion test].
AB  - The elastic properties of commercial alginate impression materials are not
      essentially influenced by chlorhexidin at microbiologically effective
      concentration. The torsion test proved to be a simple reliable method.

PMID- 1873405
TI  - [Restorative materials and initial pellicle formation].
AB  - Information concerning initial pellicle forming (dental cuticle) are possible via
      contact-angle determination. Not only the type of the restorative material but
      also its surface processing (structure) influence the initial forming of the
      pellicle. The higher the surface energy of a material, the more complete and
      quicker the masking of the surface by the initial pellicle.

PMID- 1873406
TI  - [The light-cured composite CuRAY-FIL. A clinical and experimental animal study].
AB  - This article presents a animal study on 36 teeth by dogs without definite race.
      By the histological observation we cannot assess a damage of the pulp by
      application of CuRAY-FIL with a basic material. The clinical and REM observations
      after 11 and 24 months by 76 patients pointed out: CuRAY-FIL has a good colour
      stability and adhesion, however the claims on a optimal filling material for the
      restoration in the visible area are not accomplished in all points.

PMID- 1873407
TI  - [Trace element studies on the the dental calculi of individuals from historical
      populations].
AB  - In two different populations (Bavaria 6th-7th cent. A.D. and Egypt 700 B.C. till
      400 A.D.) calculus was analysed in order to find hints for the nutrition of these
      people. All together, the concentration of 23 elements were analysed. The first
      dates showed that there were high significant differences in 8 elements (Al, Ba,
      Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Mn, Sr). The enormous variation of the element concentration as
      well as the huge of elements allows finally interpretations not in this state. It
      will be the aim of further studies.

PMID- 1873408
TI  - [Sediments on the inner surfaces of the tube of spray-mist suction devices].
AB  - Spray mist suction tubes made of polyvinylchloride were examined. Qualitative and
      quantitative germ determinations of the tube inner surfaces were carried out. To
      make reproducible examinations a standardized method of germ determination was
      introduces. Macroscopical model tests, assessments by scanning electron
      microscopy and chemical analyses dealt with the genesis of the deposits and
      bacterial coatings in the inner tube. A method has been found which minimizes
      coating formation by spraying of a contaminating cleaning agent.

PMID- 1873409
TI  - [The importance of Pneumocystis carinii infection in patients with acute
      respiratory distress syndrome].
AB  - Each year we treated approximately 40 patients with adult respiratory distress
      syndrome (ARDS) in our department of anaesthesiology. In these cases we found
      with bronchoalveolar lavage followed by microbiological examination, a high
      incidence (40 per cent) of pneumocystis carinii contamination. An infection with
      Pneumocystis carinii deteriorates the clinical course of ARDS. Effective drugs
      were the combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole. Under this therapy we
      always saw a decrease of infiltrations in the chest-x-ray as well as an improved
      gas exchange. No relapse was seen in any case.

PMID- 1873410
TI  - [Physical characteristics of devices for artificial respiration].
AB  - Expired air resuscitation forms an essential part of First Aid in patients with
      respiratory insufficiency. The use of devices should encourage the rescuer to
      start the measure, make it easier to perform and protect him from a possible
      transmission of infectious material. 17 devices (mask, tube instruments) were
      examined in respect of their physical properties (resistance, leakage). None of
      them fulfilled all the criteria relevant for their use. In most of them changes
      and modifications seem to be necessary. Mask and tube instruments have definitive
      disadvantages compared to foil-like adjuncts which are being developed at
      present.

PMID- 1873411
TI  - [Safe intra-clinic transport of intensive-care patients. A concept that avoids
      monitoring and treatment gaps].
AB  - We describe a transport concept ensuring unlimited continuation of
      cardiocirculatory monitoring, drug therapy and artificial ventilation during
      transfer of critically ill patients within the hospital. The basis of this
      concept is a mobile transport unit which can be hooked to the patient's bed,
      containing a power pack for the monitor, respirator or other devices dependent on
      power supply. The concept probably improves safety of patients not only during
      postoperative transfer of the ICU but enables also the safe transfer of
      critically ill patients from the ICU to diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

PMID- 1873413
TI  - [The standby function--an unloved child of anesthesia?].

PMID- 1873412
TI  - [Complete airway obstruction by a prosthesis powder. The problem of protecting
      the airway in emergency service].
AB  - An extraordinary occurrence of death is reported due to blocking of the entrance
      of the larynx by a denture adhesive. The improper usage of this material by a
      mentally disturbed woman of 66 years of age caused her death by suffocation. In
      such a case an intubation can involve a transfer of the viscous material to the
      larynx. Therefore a coniotomy or a tracheotomy should be performed.

PMID- 1873414
TI  - [Ways of economizing on homologous blood. Concepts of autologous blood
      transfusion].
AB  - Transfusion of homologous blood may be associated with various complications. In
      this review, the authors present concepts of prevention of homologous blood
      transfusion. Different autotransfusion techniques are discussed, i.e., predeposit
      of autologous blood, plasmapheresis, normovolaemic haemodilution, blood salvage
      with/without cell washing, postoperative blood salvage of drainage blood,
      anaesthesia and surgical techniques as well as drugs for minimizing blood loss.
      The third part of the essay deals with indications of each technique depending on
      the surgical field. The authors conclude with unanswered questions and problems
      of the future.

PMID- 1873415
TI  - [Intranasal premedication of young children using midazolam (Dormicum). Clinical
      experience].
AB  - The effect of 0.2 mg/kg body weight intranasal midazolam as a premedicant was
      investigated in 38 children (age 2-13 years, body weight 10-28 kg) prior to ENT
      surgery. Intranasal midazolam showed a rapid onset of action with 79% and 95% of
      the children being sufficiently premedicated at 5 minutes (p less than 0.05) and
      10 minutes (p less than 0.01) after application, respectively, as opposed to 45%
      prior to this. This finding is in keeping with pharmacokinetics showing a tmax of
      intranasal midazolam of 11 minutes and a bioavailability of 51% in children (10).
      With the advent of a higher concentrated solution of midazolam intranasal
      application is also conceivable as a premedication in adults.

PMID- 1873416
TI  - [Intra- and postoperative autotransfusion in hip joint surgery. Effectiveness,
      bacteriology].
AB  - The efficiency of intraoperative and postoperative autotransfusion with a cell
      separator, the elimination of a cephalosporin administered for prophylaxis of
      infection and bacterial contamination of the blood retransfused were studied in
      56 patients undergoing hip arthroplasty (n = 33) or exchange reoperation of hip
      arthroplasty (n = 23). Intraoperatively only a limited amount of the lost
      erythrocytes could be retransfused: in hip arthroplasty 250 ml (median) packed
      red cells of 700 ml blood loss, in exchange reoperation 750 ml of 2200 ml.
      Postoperative autotransfusion was more effective: during the autotransfusion
      period (until 6 h after the beginning of the operation) 375 ml of 650 ml and 500
      ml of 830 ml could be retransfused in the two groups. Cefuroxime was eliminated
      effectively from the autologous blood by the cell washing process, usually below
      the limit of detection. In the washed autologous red blood cells of 3 patients (=
      5.4%) bacterial contamination could be demonstrated in low titres (less than or
      equal to 10/ml). No clinical signs of bacteremia were observed during
      retransfusion. Postoperative autotransfusion contributes considerably to the
      total amount of autologous erythrocytes retransfused. Bacterial contamination of
      the processed autologous blood is infrequent and probably without clinical
      significance.

PMID- 1873417
TI  - [Perioperative treatment of a patient with myotonic muscular dystrophy
      (Curschmann-Steinert disease)].
AB  - The perioperative period is hazardous for patients with neuromuscular disorder.
      In case of dystrophia myotonica the anaesthesist must avoid all stimuli that may
      cause a myotonic crisis. If neuromuscular blockade is required, the moderately
      long-acting vecuronium bromide seems to be the drug of first choice. Blockade and
      recovery should be monitored. Postoperative pulmonary complications can be
      minimised by using regional anaesthetic techniques including epidural anaesthesia
      with local anaesthetics and/or opioids.

PMID- 1873418
TI  - [The effect of halothane anesthesia on pulmonary circulation regulation during
      unilateral hypoxic ventilation].
AB  - Controversies exist over the influence of inhalation anaesthesia on blood flow
      regulation in response to local alveolar hypoxia. This study investigates the
      blood flow diversion from a hypoxic to an oxygenated lung in anaesthetized and
      ventilated animals in comparison to unanaesthetized animals. Chronically
      instrumented adult ewes (n = 14, 32-45 kg) were intubated one week after surgery
      with a modified Carlen's tube, allowing separate ventilation of the left and
      right lung. In the awake state (n = 7) or after one hour of constant anaesthetic
      conditions (n = 7, halothane 1.6% and 2.4%), cardiac output (thermodilution) and
      left pulmonary blood flow (ultrasonic transit time) were evaluated. Then, under
      identical ventilatory conditions, the left or right lung, alternately, was
      rendered hypoxic for 10 min by ventilation with nitrogen. The contralateral lung
      was ventilated with oxygen. After 10 min, haemodynamics were again recorded. The
      changes in left pulmonary blood flow under unilateral lung hypoxia were similar
      either in the awake or the anaesthetized state. Thus, we conclude that, under
      these experimental conditions, halothane anaesthesia and mechanical ventilation
      have no influence on blood flow regulation under unilateral lung hypoxia.

PMID- 1873420
TI  - [Cerebroprotection--catchword or therapeutic concept?].

PMID- 1873419
TI  - [Fatty emulsions in parenteral feeding following liver transplantation. A study
      of the neurotropic effect of MCT/LCT emulsions using EEG].
AB  - In the early postoperative period after liver transplantation a possible
      neurotropic side effect of middle-chain triglycerides used for total parenteral
      nutrition (TPN) was evaluated by EEG and Glasgow Coma Scale. Group I: no fat for
      TPN; Group II: 0.7 g/kg body weight (BW) and day, of MCT/LCT emulsion; Group III:
      1.5 g/kg BW and day, of MCT/LCT emulsion. Only on postoperative day 5/6
      significant differences in distribution of background activity in the EEG were
      seen between Group I and II. Patients in Group I showed more pathological EEG
      patterns (Mann-Whitney-U-test p less than 0.05). Per discriminant analysis an
      influence of applicated fatty acids on the registered background activity could
      be excluded. Instead an underlying rejection of the graft in 7 of 10 patients
      could be made responsible for deterioration of the EEG pattern. Following the
      presented data a negative neurotropic effect of MCT/LCT emulsions in the
      described dosages can be negated.

PMID- 1873421
TI  - [The current status of cerebral resuscitation].

PMID- 1873422
TI  - [Thiopental concentrations in the whole blood of pregnant and non-pregnant
      patients in the first minutes following injection. Forensic aspects].
AB  - Thiopentone concentrations in blood following injection of the induction solution
      (Thiopental, 2.5%) may be critical in the context of lethal complications arising
      during induction of anaesthesia and thereby the toxicological aspects of this
      drug can become an issue in forensic considerations. The study was designed to
      find out whether the dose of injected thiopentone may be calculated from blood
      levels measured in nine pregnant and ten non-pregnant patients. The doses
      injected ranged from 4-5 mg per kg body weight. The drug was administered as a
      single bolus dose to the patients undergoing Caesarean section. In the non
      pregnant group the first dose of thiopentone was given over 25 s. After that
      repeated doses of 50 mg were injected over 2s every 20s until the eyelid reflex
      was ceased. Blood samples for determination of thiopentone were withdrawn from an
      indwelling catheter inserted to a large cubital vein in the arm opposite that
      used for the injection and thiopentone levels were measured from blood after
      column extraction (Extrelut) using spectrophotometry. Venous peak values were
      found 40-115s after injection in the Caesarean group (mean: 20.3 micrograms kg-1)
      and were higher than in the non-pregnant patients (97-190s, mean: 17.8 micrograms
      kg-1). No correlation was found regarding venous peak levels (mgkg-1 blood) and
      induction dose (mgkg-1 body weight), neither in the pregnant nor in the non
      pregnant group. Our findings would suggest that the injected thiopentone dose
      cannot be calculated from the concentration of the drug in the blood. Forensic
      conclusions concerning the onset of lethal complications during the induction of
      anaesthesia cannot be drawn on the grounds of venous thiopentone concentrations.

PMID- 1873423
TI  - [Changes in affect in the postoperative phase: droperidol versus dipotassium
      chlorazepate].
AB  - Various studies showed an increase of anxiety and agitation after premedication
      with thalamonal. Subject of the present study was to specify if the psychotropic
      effect of the neuroleptic drug dehydrobenzperidol given during surgery is also
      evident during the postoperative period. Patients undergoing tympanoplastic
      surgery under general anaesthesia were examined by means of a psychometric
      analogous self judgement scale seven hours following surgical intervention. Sleep
      behaviour during the first postoperative night was evaluated via a question
      sheet. The results show that changes in condition, known from the thalamonal
      discussion, e.g. increase of agitation, irritability, anxious depression -- also
      occur during the postoperative period. During the first postoperative night,
      sleep was greatly disturbed. The results of a comparison group who received the
      benzodiazepine dipotassium clorazepate instead of dehydrobenzperidol showed a
      better postoperative condition and sleep behaviour.

PMID- 1873424
TI  - [Analgesia using oral administration of tilidine naloxone for extracorporeal
      shockwave lithotripsy. A double blind study].
AB  - Reduction in pain perception during ESWL due to a technical modification of the
      lithotriptor was expected and prompted a reassessment of anaesthesia techniques
      for ESWL. In this study the need for analgesic treatment had to be investigated.
      After satisfactory preliminary results in a previous pilot study, the value of
      the oral combination of the anti-anxiety drug dipotassium clorazepate on the
      evening before ESWL together with the analgesic tilidine-naloxone before
      treatment was tested in a randomised double-blind study in 120 patients. In case
      of intolerable pain during the treatment all patients were free to ask for
      additional intravenous analgesic medication (fentanyl). During ESWL, 28.3% of the
      tilidine-N group patients and 6.7% of the placebo group were pain-free, whereas
      intolerable pain was reported by 30% of the tilidine-N group and 56.7% of the
      placebo group. Therefore, 70% of the tilidine-N group patients were treated
      without any additional analgesic or sedative medication. The good experience with
      this oral anaesthesia approach, the lack of significant side effects and a good
      acceptance by the patients warrant further recommendation of this technique.

PMID- 1873425
TI  - [Successful treatment of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome using i.v. dantrolene
      sodium in the neurologic intensive care station].
AB  - The neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is one of the most dramatic psychiatric
      disorders every doctor in intensive care medicine can be confronted with. Two
      cases of successful treatment of NMS with intravenous application of dantrolene
      are presented. Although we used two very different doses, the treatment results
      were the same. Further studies will therefore be necessary to assess the optimal
      doses for this therapy.

PMID- 1873426
TI  - [An electrolyte-adapted heparin solution for the determination of blood gases and
      electrolytes in whole blood].
AB  - Blood gases, pH, sodium, potassium, chloride, and ionised calcium in whole blood
      samples can be determined simultaneously in modern instruments. Preparing
      syringes with conventional heparin solutions causes a relevant bias of the
      electrolyte concentrations (especially K+ and Ca2+) by dilution of the sample.
      Additionally, ionised calcium is decreased by binding to heparin. The solution
      described in the present paper yields a final heparin concentration of 4-6 mU/l,
      thus eliminating the calcium binding effect. The dilution effects are antagonised
      by an electrolyte composition that is similar to normal plasma. The heparin
      solution is commercially available.

PMID- 1873427
TI  - [Determinations by indirect calorimetry need not be expensive and technically
      complicated. A new measurement system and its validation].
AB  - Presentation of a newly conceived measuring instrument to determine the energy
      expenditure of critically ill patients at the bedside by means of indirect
      calorimetry. The special advantages of the measuring instruments are easy
      handling, little maintenance and very low working expenses and prime costs. The
      accuracy of measurement is considerable nd is comparable with that of other
      measuring methods, as has been established by an extensive validation.

PMID- 1873428
TI  - [Accidental diazepam overdose in a 12-month-old infant. Therapy using
      flumazenil].

PMID- 1873429
TI  - Dietary patterns of female nonsmokers with and without exposure to environmental
      tobacco smoke.
AB  - The relationship of passive smoking to diet was examined in 82 female nonsmokers
      who provided a quantitative diet history in 1986. Exposure to environmental
      tobacco smoke (ETS) was assessed by urinary cotinine measurement. Mean values for
      each dietary variable, adjusted for age, ethnicity, education, and last week's
      ethanol intake, were compared among unexposed women and women with low or high
      ETS exposure. Linear relationships with amount of ETS exposure were also sought.
      Intakes of beta-carotene and cholesterol were found to be inversely related to
      ETS exposure. Since these nutrients have been associated with lung cancer risk,
      they are potential confounders of the passive-smoking/lung-cancer relationship.
      Although we estimate the confounding effect of these dietary factors to be
      modest, they should be measured carefully in future studies of this relationship.

PMID- 1873430
TI  - Diet and the risk of in situ cervical cancer among white women in the United
      States.
AB  - A case-control study of women with incident in situ and invasive cervical cancer
      was conducted during 1982-83 in five US areas reporting to the Comprehensive
      Cancer Patient Data System: Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Miami, FL;
      and Philadelphia, PA. Controls were selected by random-digit dialing and matched
      to invasive cases on age, race, and telephone exchange. Of the white non-Hispanic
      in situ cases and controls identified, 229 (78 percent) and 502 (74 percent) were
      successfully interviewed. Diet was assessed by asking about the usual adult
      frequency of consumption of 75 food items and the use of vitamin supplements.
      Included were the major sources of the four micronutrients postulated to reduce
      the risk of cervical cancer: carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. Weak
      inverse associations between risk of in situ disease and intake of carotenoids,
      vitamin C, folate, fruit, and vegetables/fruits were noted but, with further
      analysis, these seemed attributable to residual confounding by the multiple
      lifestyle-related risk factors for this disease and possibly to selection bias.
      Vitamin A and vegetable intake were unrelated to risk. Dark yellow-orange
      vegetable consumption and duration of multivitamin use were each strongly related
      to reduced risk of in situ disease (P for trend = 0.02 and 0.002, respectively)
      and need to be evaluated in other studies. The absence of persuasive protective
      effects for the four micronutrients and the similar findings from our analysis of
      invasive cervical cancer do not concur with other epidemiologic studies and
      suggest that the role of diet and nutrition in the etiology of cervical cancer is
      not yet resolved.

PMID- 1873431
TI  - Tobacco, alcohol, and diet in the etiology of laryngeal cancer: a population
      based case-control study.
AB  - Cancer of the larynx constitutes an increasingly important problem in Polish
      males during the last 25 years. A population-based case-control study of
      laryngeal cancer among people under 65 years of age was conducted in Lower
      Silesia, a province in Southwest Poland, from 1986 to 1987, with 249 newly
      diagnosed cancer cases and 965 controls. The estimated relative risk (RR) for
      smoking and alcohol are both very high: for smoking more than 30 cigarettes, RR =
      59.7 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 13.0-274); for drinking vodka
      regularly for more than 30 years, RR = 10.4 (95 percent CI: 4.0-27.2). Exposures
      to alcohol and tobacco show a clear multiplicative effect in all categories of
      exposure. The risk was shown to be reduced by quitting smoking (RR = 0.3, 95
      percent CI: 0.14-0.64, after 10 years) or by having a history of intermittent
      smoking. Poor nutrition was also identified as a strong independent risk factor.
      However, data quality regarding this factor is not as high as for tobacco and
      alcohol. Smoking alone accounts in this study for an estimated 95.2 percent of
      all the cases of laryngeal cancer.

PMID- 1873432
TI  - Parental age at birth and risk of breast cancer in daughters: a prospective study
      among US women.
AB  - We examined the relation between parental age at birth and risk of breast cancer
      among daughters in a population of 118,309 US women who were 30 to 55 years of
      age in 1976 and without prior diagnosis of cancer. During 1,140,239 person-years
      of follow-up, we documented 1,799 incident cases of breast cancer in this
      population. After adjusting for established breast cancer risk factors, we
      observed only a weak and nonsignificant trend in risk of breast cancer with
      increasing maternal age at birth and no relation for paternal age. After
      adjusting for other risk factors, the chi trend was 1.10, P = 0.27 for increasing
      maternal age at birth. Daughters born to mothers 30 to 34 years of age had an age
      adjusted relative risk of breast cancer of 1.11 (95% confidence interval: 0.89,
      1.37) compared to daughters born to mothers less than 20 years of age. The weak
      positive trend in risk with increasing maternal age was present among both pre-
      and postmenopausal women. These findings suggest that there is little or no
      association between maternal age and risk of breast cancer, and that paternal age
      is not related to risk of breast cancer.

PMID- 1873434
TI  - Dietary fat and cancer: rejoinder and discussion of research strategies.

PMID- 1873435
TI  - Vasectomy and the risk of prostate cancer in a cohort of multiphasic health
      checkup examinees: second report.
AB  - The relationship of vasectomy to prostate cancer was studied in 5,119 men men
      with a self-reported history of vasectomy, identified at multiphasic health
      checkups undergone during 1977-82 while members of the Northern California Kaiser
      Permanente Medical Care Program. Three unvasectomized comparison subjects were
      identified for each vasectomized man, matched for age, race, marital status, and
      date and location of the examination. Follow-up for incident prostate cancer was
      conducted for a mean length of 6.8 years. The relative risk of prostate cancer
      associated with vasectomy was 1.0 (95% confidence interval = 0.7 - 1.6); the
      relative risk was approximately one, regardless of length of interval (less than
      10 years, 10-20 years, more than 20 years) between vasectomy and multiphasic
      health checkup or the age at vasectomy (less than 40 years vs more than 40
      years). These data support earlier findings reported in this study group of the
      lack of an association of vasectomy with subsequent risk of prostate cancer.

PMID- 1873433
TI  - The epidemiology of HTLV-I infection.
AB  - It has been 10 years since the discovery of the human T-cell lymphotropic virus
      type I (HTLV-I), the first human retrovirus. During the past decade, significant
      progress has been made in understanding the transmission of the virus and
      defining its geographic distribution. It has been shown conclusively that HTLV-I
      is a causal factor in the induction of both adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and
      HTLV-I-associated myelopathy. However, the pathogenesis of each of these
      conditions is not clear, and in the light of the evidence of immune dysfunction
      seen among carriers of the infection, it is likely that other associated diseases
      will be identified. The challenge in the next decade will be to develop and
      implement therapeutic interventions among carriers to prevent such diseases as
      well as to curtail transmission within endemic populations.

PMID- 1873437
TI  - Cancer in Italian migrants.
AB  - Migration of Italians to other parts of the world has a long history and has
      involved very large numbers of individuals. The study of the health consequences
      of this migration is made possible by the availability of statistics on mortality
      and morbidity, both in Italy and in the host countries, and of social and
      economic information on the various Italian communities abroad. The results of
      the major studies are reviewed, comparing the rates in immigrants with those in
      the host countries and in Italy. The differences in cancer rates between Italian
      and local-born populations--for stomach cancer in both sexes, and for cancer of
      the colon, lung, and breast in females, and for prostate cancer--are consistent
      with the direction of differences between rates in Italy and those in the host
      countries. For colon and rectum cancer in males, there are unexpected findings in
      most of the United States' studies. Analysis by duration of residence shows
      changes in the risk for several sites in males, but not in females, according to
      length of stay in the host country. This finding possibly reflects greater
      stability of habits and lifestyle in females compared to males.

PMID- 1873436
TI  - A prospective study of body mass, height, and smoking on the risk of colorectal
      cancer in women.
AB  - Female registered nurses in the United States who responded to a questionnaire in
      1976 that inquired about height, weight, and smoking history were followed for
      the development of colon or rectal cancers through May of 1984. Among the 118,404
      respondents free of cancer in 1976, 191 colon cancers and 49 rectal cancers were
      observed during 916,170 person-years of follow-up. After omitting cases diagnosed
      within two years of weight report, we found little overall relation of body mass
      (Quetelet's) index to colon cancer risk; however there was a suggestion of
      elevated risk for the heaviest category of body mass index (greater than or equal
      to 29 kg/m2, relative risk (RR) = 1.5; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.8 -
      2.7) relative to the lowest category (less than 21 kg/m2). Self-reported body
      mass index from adolescence had a slightly more pronounced, although not
      significant, association with risk of colon cancer. Increasing height was
      significantly associated with colon cancer (RR = 1.6, 95 percent confidence
      interval = 1.1 - 2.5 for the tallest category [greater than or equal to 168 cm]
      versus the shortest (less than 160 cm], trend, P = 0.04). Measures of current or
      past smoking failed to demonstrate any consistent relationship with colon cancer.

PMID- 1873438
TI  - The increasing incidence of breast cancer since 1982: relevance of early
      detection.
AB  - Breast cancer incidence in the United States has been rising dramatically since
      1982, as shown in data collected by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End
      Results (SEER) Program. In women aged 50 and older, incidence rates for in situ
      and localized invasive tumors have increased over the period 1982-86, while rates
      for regional and distant tumors have remained stable. The incidence of localized
      tumors less than  1.0 cm, 1.0-1.9 cm, and 2.0-2.9 cm in size has increased more
      rapidly than that of tumors 3.0 cm or more in size among women over age 50.
      Survival rates also have improved among cases diagnosed over this time period.
      These data suggest that early detection may be playing a role in the recent
      increase in female breast cancer incidence, though other factors cannot be ruled
      out. Conclusions regarding improved cancer control await confirmation by reduced
      breast cancer mortality.

PMID- 1873439
TI  - Follow-up of asymptomatic HTLV-I carriers among blood donors in Kyushu, Japan.
AB  - We examined mortality from adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL/ATLL) and other
      diseases alleged to be associated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)
      among anti-HTLV-I antibody-positive blood donors in Kyushu, Japan. During 1984
      87, a total of 3,991 blood donors aged 40 years or over were followed from the
      date of donation to the date of death or the end of the study. Crude mortality
      rates from ATL (with 95 percent confidence intervals) were 68 per 100,000 (13
      202) for males and 36 per 100,000 (3-132) for females. The rates were
      underestimated by approximately 50 percent because of self-selection and short
      observation periods. Neither death rates from other cancers nor death rates from
      all cancers were elevated.

PMID- 1873440
TI  - The relationship between animal fat intake, cigarette smoking, and lung cancer.
AB  - An international ecologic study on the relationship between fat intake, cigarette
      consumption, and age-specific lung cancer mortality rates was conducted using
      data obtained from 29 countries. The 1969-71 and 1984-86 mortality rates for lung
      cancer were related to smoking habits and to levels of animal fat intake. Highly
      significant independent positive correlations for lung cancer with both cigarette
      smoking and animal fat consumption were seen. No significant independent
      relationship was found between lung cancer mortality and vegetable fat
      consumption. In a multiple regression analysis linking lung cancer mortality to
      dietary intake of animal fat, cigarette smoking, and the interaction term between
      cigarette smoking and animal fat intake, only the latter term was significant (P
      less than 0.001) pointing towards a role for animal fat as a promoter of lung
      cancer.

PMID- 1873442
TI  - Birth order and breast cancer risk.
AB  - It has been hypothesized that prenatal exposure to maternal estrogens may be a
      risk factor for breast cancer in the offspring. In two recent studies, maternal
      estradiol levels in the first pregnancy have been compared to those in the
      second, and in both studies levels were higher in the first pregnancy. If both
      the hypothesis and the reported findings were true, women born as their mother's
      second child would be expected to have lower risk for breast cancer than first
      born women. Data from 1,468 cases of breast cancer and 4,175 hospital controls
      from three previously published studies were modelled through multiple logistic
      regression to evaluate this possibility. The size of the woman's sibship was not
      related to breast cancer risk. On the other hand, second-born women had, as
      predicted, lower breast cancer risk than first-born women, although the
      difference was nominally significant only among premenopausal women. The relative
      risk for breast cancer, contrasting second-born to first-born women, and the
      corresponding 95 per cent confidence intervals, were 0.71 (0.54-0.94) among
      premenopausal women, 0.94 (0.76-1.17) among postmenopausal women, and 0.86 (0.73
      1.02) among all women, controlling for menopausal status.

PMID- 1873441
TI  - Adult dietary intake and prostate cancer risk in Utah: a case-control study with
      special emphasis on aggressive tumors.
AB  - A population-based case-control study in Utah of 358 cases diagnosed with
      prostate cancer between 1984 and 1985, and 679 controls categorically matched by
      age and county of residence, were interviewed to investigate the association
      between dietary intake of energy (kcal), fat, protein, vitamin A, beta-carotene,
      vitamin C, zinc, cadmium, selenium, and prostate cancer. Dietary data were
      ascertained using a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed
      separately by age (45-67, 68-74) and by tumor aggressiveness. The most
      significant associations were seen for older males and aggressive tumors. Dietary
      fat was the strongest risk factor for these males, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.9
      (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.0-8.4) for total fat; OR = 2.2 (CI = 0.7
      6.6) for saturated fat; OR = 3.6 (CI = 1.3-9.7) for monounsaturated fat; and OR =
      2.7 (CI = 1.1-6.8) for polyunsaturated fat. Protein and carbohydrates had
      positive but nonsignificant associations. Energy intake had an OR of 2.5 (CI =
      1.0-6.5). In these older men, no effects were seen for dietary cholesterol, body
      mass, or physical activity. There was little association between prostate cancer
      and dietary intake of zinc, cadmium, selenium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene.
      Total vitamin A had a slight positive association with all prostate cancer (OR =
      1.6, CI = 0.9-2.4), but not with aggressive tumors. No associations were found in
      younger males, with the exception of physical activity which showed active males
      to be at an increased but nonsignificant risk for aggressive tumors (OR = 2.0, CI
      = 0.8-5.2) and beta-carotene which showed a nonsignificant protective effect (OR
      = 0.6, CI = 0.3-1.6). The findings suggest that dietary intake, especially fats,
      may increase risk of aggressive prostate tumors in older males.

PMID- 1873443
TI  - Oral contraceptives and the risk of endometrial cancer.
AB  - The relationship between the use of combination oral contraceptives (OCs) and the
      risk of endometrial cancer was assessed in a case-control study conducted in the
      Swiss Canton of Vaud between 1 January 1988 and 31 July 1990. Subjects included
      122 women aged 75 or less with histologically confirmed endometrial cancer, and
      309 control women in hospital for acute conditions unrelated to OC use. Overall,
      14 percent of cases and 27 percent of controls had ever used OCs, corresponding
      to a multivariate relative risk (RR) of 0.5 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]:
      0.3, 0.8). The risk of endometrial cancer was found to be related inversely to
      duration of OC use: RR = 1.0 for less than two years of OC use; 0.5 for two to
      five years; and 0.3 (95 percent CI: 0.1, 0.7) for more than five years. The
      protection appeared greater within 20 years since last use, and the RR rose to
      0.8 after 20 or more years since last use; numbers are too small, however, for
      reliable inference from these subanalyses. No significant interaction or
      modifying effect was observed with other major factors related to endometrial
      cancer, including parity, body mass index, estrogen replacement therapy, and
      cigarette smoking. While this study provides further evidence for the protective
      effect of OCs against risk of endometrial cancer, the relationship requires
      continued evaluation to assess the long-term implications and public health
      impact of OC use.

PMID- 1873444
TI  - Evaluation of cancer prevention strategies by computerized simulation model: an
      approach to lung cancer.
AB  - A computerized simulation model was developed to evaluate the potential impact of
      primary and secondary prevention on lung cancer mortality in Japan. The natural
      history of lung cancer was modeled as a Markovian stochastic process from cancer
      free to preclinical, clinical, and finally to terminal states. The increase in
      mortality rate of lung cancer among males aged 75 to 79 years has been the major
      force of increase in the total number of lung cancer deaths in Japan. The
      simulation showed that this tendency would continue until the late 1990s,
      presumably due to the increase in the proportion of ever-smokers in that cohort,
      who started smoking at an earlier age than did prior generations. It was shown
      that the number of lung cancer deaths can be reduced either by smoking cessation
      or screening programs, and that the reduction is proportional to the increase in
      the annual smoking-cessation rate and to the annual increment in the screening
      rate. However, only two to three percent reduction of lung cancer deaths in the
      year 2001 can be expected when the annual smoking-cessation rate is raised from
      the current value of 0.46 percent to five percent during the period from 1991 to
      2000 or when the screening rate is increased by three percent annually for the
      same period.

PMID- 1873445
TI  - Non-occupational risk factors for adult soft-tissue sarcoma in northern Italy.
AB  - The role of socioeconomic and anthropometric indicators, tobacco, alcohol
      consumption, dietary habits, and medical history in the etiology of soft-tissue
      sarcoma (STS) was examined in a hospital-based case-control study, conducted in
      the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy, between 1985 and 1990. A
      total of 88 STS cases (53 males and 35 females; median age: 52 years) and of 610
      controls (306 males and 304 females; median age: 54 years) were interviewed.
      There were significant excess risks associated with a history of herpes zoster
      infection (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-5.3),
      chicken pox (OR = 2.2, CI = 1.2-4.3) and mumps in childhood (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.1
      3.9). History of diabetes was also linked to a nonsignificant increase in STS
      risk (OR = 1.8, CI = 0.6-5.4), whereas exposure to radiation for diagnostic or
      therapeutic purposes was not related to the probability of developing STS. None
      of the investigated socioeconomic and anthropometric indicators seemed to affect
      STS risk; neither did tobacco smoking, nor consumption of alcohol, coffee, and
      tea beverages. Conversely, among the dietary habits investigated, a significant
      positive association emerged with an increasing frequency of consumption of dairy
      products (chi 2 for trend = 6.8, P less than 0.01) and oil (chi 2 for trend =
      4.3, P less than 0.05), while a negative association was seen for intake of whole
      grain bread and pasta (OR for highest cf lowest tertile = 0.4, CI = 0.2-0.9).

PMID- 1873446
TI  - Urinary salt excretion and stomach cancer mortality among four Japanese
      populations.
AB  - A relationship between salt intake and the occurrence of stomach cancer has been
      suggested by both epidemiologic and experimental data. To test this hypothesis,
      urinary excretion of salt in 24 hours and dietary intake of salt were measured in
      four male populations with different levels of stomach cancer mortality. Age
      adjusted mortality rate of stomach cancer showed a high correlation (r2 = 0.995)
      with the average amount of salt excretion in 24-hour urine. This strong
      correlation, however, was not shown (r2 = 0.265) with dietary salt intake
      calculated from the standard food-composition table. The results confirmed the
      important role of salt in the development of stomach cancer in Japan, and raised
      the problem of evaluating the level of salt intake by using the uniform
      composition table.

PMID- 1873447
TI  - Risk factors for stomach cancer: a population-based case-control study in
      Shanghai.
AB  - A population-based case-control study of stomach cancer was conducted among the
      teachers and staff of primary and middle schools in Shanghai. A total of 84 cases
      of stomach cancer were identified in all schools and 2,676 controls were drawn
      from the teachers and staff of a randomly selected sample of 40 primary and 15
      middle schools. Data were analyzed by a multivariate logistic regression model.
      The analysis indicated that a positive family history of stomach cancer,
      cigarette smoking, low consumption of fruits, and low consumption of strong tea
      were significantly associated with stomach cancer incidence.

PMID- 1873448
TI  - Feasibility of conducting a lung-cancer chemoprevention trial among tin miners in
      Yunnan, P. R. China.
AB  - Tin miners in Yunnan Province in southern China have an extremely high rate of
      lung cancer, more than one percent per year among those at 'high risk' (40+ years
      old, with 10+ years of underground mining and/or smelting experience). The
      extraordinary lung cancer rates result from combined exposure to radon, arsenic,
      and tobacco smoking (cigarettes and/or bamboo water pipe). A study to determine
      the feasibility of conducting a large-scale, lung-cancer chemoprevention trial
      was conducted in 1986 among currently employed or retired miners from the Yunnan
      Tin Corporation in the city of Gejiu. The study was designed to answer four
      questions: (i) Could potentially eligible miners be identified and recruited?
      (ii) Could intervention agents be shipped successfully from the United States to
      the study area and be appropriately distributed? (iii) Would miners adequately
      adhere to the study protocol and comply with the intervention regimen? (iv) Could
      potential adverse effects be monitored and documented? The six-month feasibility
      study yielded affirmative answers to each of these questions. A roster of over
      7,000 high-risk miners was compiled. Four agents (vitamin A, 25,000 IU; beta
      carotene, 50 mg; vitamin E, 800 IU; and selenium, 400 micrograms) were
      administered daily with placebos to 350 miners according to a 2(4) factorial
      design. Adherence, assessed by pill counts and serum micronutrient levels, was
      approximately 90 percent. The findings from this preliminary study indicate that
      a full-scale, lung-cancer chemoprevention trial in this population is feasible.

PMID- 1873449
TI  - Reproductive factors and colorectal cancer.
AB  - Descriptive and analytical epidemiology have suggested that cancer of the
      colorectum may have reproductive correlates similar to those of breast cancer
      (e.g., protection by parity and early age at first birth), but the evidence is
      still controversial. We therefore reviewed published data from 15 case-control
      investigations, two cohort studies, and one cancer registry-based study from
      seven different countries. With reference to parity, statistically significant
      protection for colorectal cancer was found in three case-control studies; in four
      other studies, significant inverse relationships of parity were observed with
      colon cancer, but not with rectal cancer. Among the remaining 12 studies,
      relative risks below unity for parous or multiparous women were observed in four.
      There was no appreciable trend in risk in four others; in two, there was
      nonsignificant increased risk with parity; and in one, a significant increased
      risk. Information on age at first birth was available from 12 studies. Three
      reported significant trends of increased risk with increasing age at first birth-
      one found a direct association of borderline significance; six indicated no
      evidence of association; and two reported an inverse trend in risk of borderline
      significance. Findings on age at menarche were inconsistent and mostly negative,
      although an inverse significant association was reported, especially regarding
      colon cancer, in one investigation. In all the six studies, which provided
      information on age at menopause, there was a hint of protection, although
      nonsignificant, for women who underwent natural menopause at an older age. Two
      studies reported a direct association of colorectal cancer with use of oral
      contraceptives, and another showed an inverse relationship with the use of
      menopausal estrogens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873450
TI  - Radon daughter exposures at the Radium Hill uranium mine and lung cancer rates
      among former workers, 1952-87.
AB  - The aim of this historical (retrospective) cohort study was to investigate the
      relation between occupational exposure to radon daughters and subsequent
      mortality from lung cancer. Participants were former workers from the Radium Hill
      uranium mine, which operated in eastern South Australia from 1952 to 1961. A
      total of 2,574 workers were identified from mine records. Exposures to radon
      daughters were estimated from historical records of radon gas concentrations in
      the mine and from individual job histories. Exposures of underground workers were
      low by comparison with other mines of that period (mean 7.0 Working Level Months
      [WLM], median 3.0 WLM). Thirty-six percent of the cohort could not be traced
      beyond the end of employment at Radium Hill. Among those traced to the end of
      1987, lung cancer mortality was increased relative to the Australian national
      population of the period (Standardized Mortality Ratio = 194, 95 percent
      confidence interval [CI] = 142-245). Compared with surface workers, lung cancer
      mortality was markedly increased in the underground workers with radon daughter
      exposures greater than 40 WLM (relative risk = 5.2, CI = 1.8-15.1). From the
      available information, we conclude that this increase is unlikely to be due to
      differences in smoking habits or other confounders. Taken together with the
      findings from other occupational studies, these results support current moves
      towards more stringent radiation control in the workplace, and underline the
      importance of research into the possible effects of domestic radon exposures.

PMID- 1873451
TI  - Age at menarche and estrogen concentrations of adult women.
AB  - It has recently been reported that women with a recorded early menarche had
      approximately two-fold greater follicular phase serum E2 (estradiol) levels than
      women with menarche at age 13 or later. We have evaluated E1 (estrone) and E2
      concentrations in the blood, and estrogen concentrations in the urine, in two
      groups of premenopausal women (mean ages 33 and 38 years) for categories of age
      at menarche. Study subjects were 106 Caucasian women in the United States
      (assessed for E1, E2, and urinary estrogens) and 39 women from Shanghai, China
      (assessed for E2). US subjects were classified according to whether their
      recalled menarche occurred before age 12, at age 12, or at age 13 or older. The
      mean age at recalled menarche of the Shanghai subjects was considerably older,
      and their ages at menarche were classified as less than age 15, age 15, and age
      16 or older. We found little evidence in these premenopausal women in their
      thirties of an effect of age at menarche on estrogen levels. A large-scale study
      of women in the age range 20-40 years is necessary to investigate this important
      issue more thoroughly.

PMID- 1873452
TI  - Dietary risk factors in intestinal and diffuse types of stomach cancer: a
      multicenter case-control study in Poland.
AB  - A hospital-based, multicenter, case-control study has been performed in Poland
      covering 741 incident stomach-cancer cases (520 males and 221 females) and the
      same number of controls. All stomach-cancer diagnoses were evaluated for
      histologic type according to the Lauren criteria. Fifty-one percent were of the
      intestinal type, 35 percent of the diffuse type, and 8.5 percent of the mixed
      type. The frequency of consumption of individual food items and several food
      groups was analyzed and the association of various foods with stomach cancer risk
      was evaluated after controlling for sex, age, occupation, education, and
      residency. Increased consumption of sausages was related significantly to gastric
      cancer risk, whereas increased consumption of cheese products, nonwhite bread,
      vegetables, and fruit was associated with decreased risk. A particularly strong
      decrease in risk was associated with consumption of radishes and onions. When
      consumption of fruits and vegetables, sausages, nonwhite bread, and cheese were
      introduced simultaneously in a multivariate model, independent effects were found
      only for fruit and vegetables, sausages, and nonwhite bread. The use of table
      salt, the frequency of eating hot meals, and an irregular eating pattern were
      also associated with increased risk, while additional consumption of fruit
      between meals showed reduced risk. If a reduction in vegetable and fruit
      consumption took place after marriage, an increased risk for stomach cancer was
      found, whereas augmented consumption of these food items after marriage decreased
      the risk. Separate risk models were calculated for stomach cancer of the
      intestinal and diffuse types, but both histologic varieties showed the same
      pattern of associations with dietary risk factors.

PMID- 1873453
TI  - Education and breast cancer mortality: experience from a large Norwegian cohort
      study.
AB  - Socioeconomic status has been regarded as an established risk factor for breast
      cancer. We have studied the association between socioeconomic status,
      operationalized as years of completed schooling, and breast cancer mortality in a
      Norwegian cohort. A total of 425,884 currently married women, aged 35-54 years at
      the Norwegian Census in 1970, was followed through 1985. No relation was found
      between level of education and breast cancer mortality.

PMID- 1873454
TI  - A randomized trial of smoking cessation interventions in general practice in
      Italy.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of different practice
      based approaches to assist patients of primary care physicians to quit smoking
      and sustain cessation. Forty-four nonsmoking general practitioners volunteered
      for the study. After a period of training, they randomized 923 smoking clients,
      unselected for motivation toward quitting, to four different intervention groups:
      (i) minimal intervention, consisting of one single counselling session and a
      brief handout on quitting techniques; (ii) repeated counselling including
      reinforcing sessions at Months 1, 3, 6, and 9; (iii) repeated counselling and use
      of nicotine gum; and (iv) repeated counselling and spirometry. Biochemically
      validated smoking status was assessed at six and 12 months after recruitment. The
      proportion of verified quitters at 12 months was 4.8 percent among subjects
      randomized to the minimal intervention group, compared to 5.5 percent, 7.5
      percent, and 6.5 percent among those randomized to the three repeated-counselling
      groups. In no treatment group was the outcome significantly different from that
      for one-time counselling at the (P less than 0.05) level. Lack of power,
      contamination, and low attendance at reinforcing sessions should be taken into
      account in interpreting the results.

PMID- 1873455
TI  - Alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in Denmark.
AB  - The influence of alcohol consumption on breast cancer risk was evaluated in a
      population-based case-control study, including 1,486 cases diagnosed over a one
      year (1983-84) period in Denmark. Cases were identified from the files of the
      nationwide clinical trial of the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group and the
      Danish Cancer Registry. The control group was an age-stratified random sample of
      1,336 women from the general population. Data on risk factors were collected by
      self-administered questionnaires. The association of alcohol consumption with
      breast cancer risk varied with age and dietary fat intake. Among women aged 50-59
      years, with a fat intake in the lowest quartile, the risk of breast cancer
      increased with increasing consumption of alcohol. A consumption of 24 g or more
      per day was associated with an 18-fold increased risk compared with abstainers.
      For women in other age groups, alcohol consumption had no significant association
      with breast cancer risk.

PMID- 1873456
TI  - Epidemiologic leads to cancer control in India.

PMID- 1873457
TI  - Extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields and cancer.

PMID- 1873458
TI  - Nonmammalian vertebrate skeletal muscles express two triad junctional foot
      protein isoforms.
AB  - Mammalian skeletal muscles express a single triad junctional foot protein,
      whereas avian muscles have two isoforms of this protein. We investigated whether
      either case is representative of muscles from other vertebrate classes. We
      identified two foot proteins in bullfrog and toadfish muscles on the basis of (a)
      copurification with [3H]epiryanodine binding; (b) similarity to avian muscle foot
      proteins in native and subunit molecular weights; (c) recognition by anti-foot
      protein antibodies. The bullfrog and toadfish proteins exist as homooligomers.
      The subunits of the bullfrog muscle foot protein isoforms are shown to be unique
      by peptide mapping. In addition, immunocytochemical localization established that
      the bullfrog muscle isoforms coexist in the same muscle cells. The isoforms in
      either bullfrog and chicken muscles have comparable [3H]epiryanodine binding
      capacities, whereas in toadfish muscle the isoforms differ in their levels of
      ligand binding. Additionally, chicken thigh and breast muscles differ in the
      relative amounts of the two isoforms they contain, the amounts being similar in
      breast muscle and markedly different in thigh muscle. In conclusion, in contrast
      to mammalian skeletal muscle, two foot protein isoforms are present in amphibian,
      avian, and piscine skeletal muscles. This may represent a general difference in
      the architecture and/or a functional specialization of the triad junction in
      mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrate muscles.

PMID- 1873459
TI  - Differential polarization imaging. IV. Images in higher Born approximations.
AB  - The theory of differential polarization imaging developed previously within the
      framework of the first Born approximation is extended to higher Born
      approximations, taking into account interactions among the polarizable groups in
      the object. Several properties of differential polarization images, originally
      described using first Born approximation are modified when higher Born
      approximations are used. In particular, (a) when the polarizable groups are
      spherically symmetric, the off-diagonal Mueller elements Mij (i not equal to j)
      in bright field do not vanish in higher Born approximations, as they do in the
      first Born approximation case. (b) In higher Born approximations, the dark field
      Mi4 and M4i (i = 1, 2, 3) images do not vanish as in the first Born
      approximation, due to the anisotropy induced by the interactions among the
      groups. (c) When the polarizability tensor of each group is symmetric and real,
      the bright field M14 and M41 images always vanish in the first Born
      approximation. In higher Born approximations, these terms do not vanish if the
      groups bear a chiral relationship to each other. Quantitative criteria for the
      validity of the first Born approximation in differential polarization imaging are
      explicitly derived for three different types of media: (a) linearly anisotropic,
      (b) circularly anisotropic, and (c) linearly and circularly anisotropic (medium
      displaying linear birefringence and circular birefringence). These criteria
      define the limits of thickness and the degree of anisotropy of optically thin
      media. Finally, the possibility to perform optical sectioning in differential
      polarization imaging in the presence and absence of group interactions is
      discussed.

PMID- 1873460
TI  - Differential polarization imaging. V. Numerical aperture effects and the
      contribution of preferential scattering and absorption to the circular dichroism
      images.
AB  - Chiral objects which scatter and absorb preferentially left versus right
      circularly polarized light give rise to bright-field circular dichroism (CD)
      images containing contributions from both these two phenomena. These
      contributions are separated and characterized mathematically, and the effect of
      the dimensions of the chiral object on their relative magnitude is discussed. CD
      images of the long-range chiral organization of the thylakoid membranes in
      chloroplasts are obtained at two different wavelengths to illustrate the diverse
      wavelength dependence of the preferential absorption and scattering contributions
      to the images. The bright field CD images not only depend on the magnitude and
      sign of the preferential scattering and preferential absorption contributions,
      but also on the numerical aperture of the lens used. This dependence is obtained
      formally and a method to extract the angle dependent preferential scattering
      contributions to the images is presented. The validity of this method is
      confirmed experimentally.

PMID- 1873461
TI  - Model for the dynamic responses of taste receptor cells to salty stimuli. I.
      Function of lipid bilayer membranes.
AB  - The dynamic response of the lipid bilayer membrane is studied theoretically using
      a microscopic model of the membrane. The time courses of membrane potential
      variations due to monovalent salt stimulation are calculated explicitly under
      various conditions. A set of equations describing the time evolution of membrane
      surface potential and diffusion potential is derived and solved numerically. It
      is shown that a rather simple membrane such as lipid bilayer has functions
      capable of reproducing the following properties of dynamic response observed in
      gustatory receptor potential. Initial transient depolarization does not occur
      under Ringer adaptation but does under water. It appears only for comparatively
      rapid flows of stimuli, the peak height of transient response is expressed by a
      power function of the flow rate, and the membrane potential gradually decreases
      after reaching its peak under long and strong stimulation. The dynamic responses
      in the present model arise from the differences between the time dependences in
      the surface potential phi s and the diffusion potential phi d across a membrane.
      Under salt stimulation phi d cannot immediately follow the variation in phi s
      because of the delay due to the charging up of membrane capacitance. It is
      suggested that lipid bilayer in the apical membrane is the most probable agency
      producing the initial phasic response to the stimulation.

PMID- 1873462
TI  - On the relationship between distance information derived from cross-linking and
      from resonance energy transfer, with specific reference to sites located on
      myosin heads.
AB  - The techniques of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and cross-linking
      can provide complementary information concerning the relative separation of a
      pair of sites. Cross-linking experiments provide an assessment of the distance of
      closest approach between a pair of sites. FRET measurements, by contrast, yield
      information about the average distance between the pair of sites. We have taken
      advantage of hybrid myosins to understand the relationship between distances
      obtained for a pair of equivalent sites, one on each myosin head, using both FRET
      (steady-state and time-decay) and cross-linking techniques. The rigid cross
      linker, 4-4'-dimaleimidyl-stilbene-2-2'-disulfonic acid (DMSDS), can efficiently
      cross-link the two myosin regulatory light-chains, each at residue Cys50 of the
      Mercenaria regulatory light chain (Chantler, P.D., and S. M. Bower. 1988. J.
      Biol. Chem. 263:938-944), indicating that these sites can come within 18 +/- 2 A
      of each other. In a complementary set of experiments, steady-state and time-decay
      measurements using fluorescence donor/acceptor pairs located at these same sites
      indicate transfer efficiencies of somewhat less than 20%, suggesting an average
      separation of greater than 50 A between sites (Chantler, P. D., and T. Tao. 1986.
      J. Mol. Biol. 192:87-99). Here, we present theoretical calculations which show
      that efficient cross-linking can be achieved readily in dynamic systems such as
      the heads of myosin, even though the necessary subpopulation of proximate
      molecules at any instant may be below the detection limits of time-decay-FRET.
      Therefore, cross-linking experiments can provide important ancillary information
      about the extent of motions within a marcomolecular system when used in
      conjunction with FRET.As a corollary, demonstration of extensive cross-linking
      does not necessarily indicate a static proximity; the mean separation distance
      should be ascertained by other methods such as FRET.

PMID- 1873463
TI  - Orientation of specifically 13C=O labeled phosphatidylcholine multilayers from
      polarized attenuated total reflection FT-IR spectroscopy.
AB  - Oriented multilayers of 1-myristoyl-2(1-13C)-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphatidylcholine (2[1-13C]DMPC) and 1-palmitoyl-2(1-13C)-palmitoyl-sn-glycero
      3-phosphatidylcholine (2[1-13C]DPPC) were investigated by use of attenuated total
      reflection infrared spectroscopy with polarized light. Experiments were performed
      with the aim to determine the orientation of the two ester groups in these
      phospholipids in the solid state and in the hydrated state at temperatures below
      and above the respective gel to liquid-crystalline phase transitions.
      Substitution of the naturally occurring 12C carbonyl carbon atom by 13C in the
      ester group of the sn-2 chain of DMPC and DPPC shifts the infrared absorption of
      the carbonyl double bond stretching vibration to lower frequency. This results in
      two well-resolved ester C=O bands which can be assigned unequivocally to the sn-1
      and sn-2 chains as they are separated by more than 40 cm-1. The two ester CO-O
      single bond stretching vibrations of the molecular fragments-CH2CO-OC-are also
      affected and the corresponding infrared absorption band shifts by 20 cm-1 on 13C
      labeling of the carbonyl carbon atom. From the dichroic ratios of the individual
      ester bands in 2(1-13C)DMPC and 2(1-13C)DPPC we were able to demonstrate that the
      sn-1 and sn-2 ester C=O groups are similarly oriented with respect to the bilayer
      plane, with an angle greater than or equal to 60 degrees relative to the bilayer
      normal. The two CO-O single bonds on the other hand have very different
      orientations. The CH2CO-OC fragment of the sn-1 chain is oriented along the
      direction of the all-trans methylene chain, whereas the same molecular segment of
      the sn-2 carbon chain is directed toward the bilayer plane. This orientation of
      the ester groups is retained in the liquid-crystalline phase. The tilt angle of
      the hydrocarbon all-trans chains, relative to the membrane normal, is 25 degrees
      in the solid state of DMPC and DPPC multibilayers. In the hydrated gel state this
      angle varies between 26 degrees and 30 degrees, depending on temperature. Neither
      the orientation of the phosphate group, nor that of the choline group varies
      significantly in the different physical states of these phospholipids.

PMID- 1873464
TI  - Time-resolved changes in equatorial x-ray diffraction and stiffness during rise
      of tetanic tension in intact length-clamped single muscle fibers.
AB  - We report the first time-resolved x-ray diffraction studies on tetanized intact
      single muscle fibers of the frog. The 10, 11, 20, 21, 30, and Z equatorial
      reflections were clearly resolved in the relaxed fiber. The preparation readily
      withstood 100 1-s duration (0.4-s beam exposure) tetani at 4 degrees C (less than
      4% decline of force and no deterioration in the 10, 11 equatorial intensity ratio
      at rest or during activation). Equatorial intensity changes (10 and 11) and fiber
      stiffness led tension (t1/2 lead 20 ms at 4 degrees C) during the tetanus rise
      and lagged during the isometric phase of relaxation. These findings support the
      existence of a low force cross-bridge state during the rise of tetanic tension
      and isometric relaxation that is not evident at the tetanus plateau. In "fixed
      end" tetani lattice expansion occurred with a time course similar to stiffness
      during the tetanus rise. During relaxation, lattice spacing increased slightly,
      while the sarcomere length remained isometric, but underwent large changes after
      the "shoulder" of tension. Under length clamp control, lattice expansion during
      the tetanus rise was reduced or abolished, and compression (2%) of the lattice
      was observed. A lattice compression is predicted by certain cross-bridge models
      of force generation (Schoenberg, M. 1980. Biophys. J. 30:51-68; Schoenberg, M.
      1980. Biophys. J. 30:69-78).

PMID- 1873465
TI  - Osmotically induced electrical signals from actin filaments.
AB  - Actin filaments, F-actin, a major component of the cortical cytoskeleton, play an
      important role in a variety of cell functions. In this report we have assessed
      the role of osmotic stress on the electrochemical properties of F-actin. The
      spontaneous Donnan potential of a polymerized actin solution (5 mg/ml) was -3.93
      +/- 1.84 mV, which was linearly reduced by osmotic stress on the order of 1-20
      mOsm (0.28 +/- 0.06 mV/mM). Calculated surface charge density was reduced and
      eventually reversed by increasing the osmotic stress as expected for a phase
      transition behavior. The electro-osmotic behavior of F-actin disappeared at pH
      5.5 and was dependent on its filamentous nature. Furthermore, osmotically
      stressed F-actin displayed a nonlinear electric response upon application of
      electric fields on the order of 500-2,000 V/cm. These data indicate that F-actin
      in solution may display nonideal electro-osmotic properties consistent with ionic
      "cable" behavior which may be of biological significance in the processing and
      conduction of electrical signals within the cellular compartment.

PMID- 1873466
TI  - Monte Carlo simulation of miniature endplate current generation in the vertebrate
      neuromuscular junction.
AB  - A Monte Carlo method for modeling the neuromuscular junction is described in
      which the three-dimensional structure of the synapse can be specified.
      Complexities can be introduced into the acetylcholine kinetic model used with
      only a small increase in computing time. The Monte Carlo technique is shown to be
      superior to differential equation modeling methods (although less accurate) if a
      three-dimensional representation of synaptic geometry is desired. The conceptual
      development of the model is presented and the accuracy estimated. The
      consequences of manipulations such as varying the spacing of secondary synaptic
      folds or that between the release of multiple quantal packets of acetylcholine,
      are also presented. Increasing the spacing between folds increases peak current.
      Decreased spacing of adjacent quantal release sites increases the potentiation of
      peak current.

PMID- 1873467
TI  - Frequency and concentration windows for the electric activation of a membrane
      active transport system.
AB  - Previous work has shown that a simple four-state membrane transport system can
      interact with an oscillating electric field to become an active transport system
      if there is charge translocation associated with conformational changes of the
      transporter and if affinities of the transporter for the ligand on the two sides
      of membrane are different. The relationship between the transport flux and both
      the frequency of the applied field and the concentration of ligand have been
      examined based on the following assumptions: the rate of the
      electroconformational change of the transporter is much greater than that of the
      ligand association/dissociation reaction, and the oscillating electric field has
      a large amplitude. It was found that the transport flux depends strongly on the
      frequency of the field and on the concentration of the ligand and it displays a
      window of broad bandwidth both on the frequency and the concentration axes. The
      maximum concentration gradient, or the static head, which can be supported by
      this mechanism is shown to be constant for field frequencies smaller than the
      rate of the electroconformational change. The static head value diminishes
      completely when the field frequency exceeds the rate of the conformational
      change. The presence of an optimal field frequency has been shown experimentally
      in several membrane enzyme systems. The theory was applied to the description of
      Rb and Na pumping in human erythrocytes stimulated by an AC field. The prediction
      of a window for a ligand concentration and the static head value may be tested
      experimentally. In addition, the rate constants and the equilibrium constants of
      the four state model can be determined by measuring positions of windows, fluxes,
      and static head values under different experimental conditions. These results are
      equally applicable to the oscillation of pressure, membrane tension, substrate
      concentration, or temperature if these external parameters can induce
      functionally relevant conformational changes of the transporter.

PMID- 1873468
TI  - Reversible mechanosensitive ion pumping as a part of mechanoelectrical
      transduction.
AB  - To explain the ability of some mechanosensitive cells to reverse the process of
      mechanotransduction and to generate mechanical oscillations and emit sound, a
      piezo-conformational coupling model (PCC model) is proposed. The model includes a
      transport protein which changes either its volume (PV-coupling) or its area in
      the membrane (gamma A-coupling) when undergoing conformational transitions. Such
      a protein can interact with an oscillating pressure to pump ions and create a
      transmembrane gradient if the affinities of the protein for ions are different at
      the two sides of membrane. The frequency and concentration windows for mechanical
      energy transduction were determined. Under optimal conditions, the efficiency of
      energy transduction can approach the theoretical maximum of 100%. If the
      concentration gradient exceeds the static head value (quasi-equilibrium which can
      be built up and maintained by this transport system), the energy transduction
      reverses and the transporter becomes a generator of mechanical oscillations at
      the expense of a concentration gradient. Estimation of thermodynamic parameters
      of the pump shows that the PV-coupling model would require large pressure
      oscillations to work while the gamma A-coupling model could work in physiological
      conditions. The gamma A-coupling mechanism may be used by cells for two purposes.
      In the reverse mode, it can be a force generator for various applications. In the
      direct mode, it may serve bioenergetic purposes by harvesting the energy of
      mechanical oscillations and storing it in the form of a concentration gradient.
      This pump has an unusual thermodynamic feature: it can distinguish the two
      components of the electrochemical potential gradient,i.e., the concentration
      gradient and the electrical potential, the latter serving as a permissive switch
      to open, or close, the pump when the potential reaches the threshold
      value.Predictions of the PCC model and its probable involvement in biological
      mechanotransduction are dicussed.

PMID- 1873469
TI  - Conformational flexibility of the Cys 697-Cys 707 segment of myosin subfragment
      1. Distance distributions by frequency-domain fluorometry.
AB  - The separation between Cys 697 (SH1) and Cys 707 (SH2) of the heavy chain of
      myosin subfragment-1 was previously measured by fluorescence resonance energy
      transfer with a donor linked to SH1 and an acceptor to SH2. In the present study
      the distribution of the distances between the two thiols was recovered from
      frequency-domain fluorometry. In the native state and in the presence of ligands
      such as MgADP, pyrophosphate, orthovanadate (Vi) and actin, we found wide
      distributions of the separations between SH1 and SH2 (11-16 A) comparable to that
      found in the random-coil state (20 A). These results suggest that the SH1-SH2
      segment has a high degree of conformational flexibility even in native S1. The
      flexibility is not much affected by the physiological state of S1. However, the
      ligands MgADP, Vi and MgADP + Vi decrease significantly the mean SH1-SH2 distance
      from 27 to 17 A with the effect of MgADP+ Vi being the most pronounced. The
      anisotropy decay of donor-labeled S1 is biphasic with two rotational correlation
      times. The long component is decreased by these ligands from 289 to 93 ns,
      suggesting a more compact symmetric structure of S1 in the presence of the
      ligands. The complex S1(MgADP)Vi has been shown to be a stable analogue of
      S1(MgADP)Pi, an unstable intermediate that is generated in the actomyosin ATPase
      cycle during muscle contraction. Since the power stroke of muscle is accompanied
      by release of Pi from S1(MgADP)Pi, the present results are consistent with a
      model in which force generation can be accompanied by transition of S1 from a
      highly symmetric or compact structure to a more extended structure.

PMID- 1873470
TI  - Construction and evaluation of a frequency-domain epifluorescence microscope for
      lifetime and anisotropy decay measurements in subcellular domains.
AB  - The measurement of time-resolved fluorescence parameters in living cells provides
      a powerful approach to study cell structure and dynamics. An epifluorescence
      microscope was constructed to resolve multi-component fluorescence lifetimes and
      complex anisotropy decay rapidly in labile biological samples. The excitation
      source consisted of focused, polarized laser light modulated by an impulse-driven
      Pockels' cell; parallel acquisition of phase angles and modulation amplitudes at
      more than 40 frequencies (5-250 MHz) was obtained by multi-harmonic cross
      correlation detection. Lifetime decay was measured against standard solutions
      introduced into the light path proximal to the microscope objective. Anisotropy
      decay was measured by rotation of a Glan-Thompson polarizer in the emission path.
      Phase reference light was split from the beam proximal to the microscope. Optical
      components were selected to avoid depolarization and to optimize fluorescence
      detection efficiency. The dichoric was replaced by a 1 mm square mirror. Fitting
      routine statistics were optimized for model discrimination in realistic
      biological samples. Instrument performance was evaluated using fluorescein in
      H2O/glycerol and H2O/ethylene glycol mixtures and in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts in
      monolayer culture. Objective depolarization effects were evaluated by measurement
      of anisotropy decay using objectives of different numerical aperture. Lifetime
      and anisotropy decay measured by microscopy (0.5 micron laser spot) agreed with
      data obtained by cuvette fluorimetry. New biological applications for time
      resolved fluorescence microscopy are discussed.

PMID- 1873471
TI  - Effect of supercoiling on the melting characteristics of heteropolynucleotides.
AB  - Considering a supercoiled DNA molecule, having equal numbers of two distinct
      types of base-pairs, it has been shown theoretically that even for the extreme
      cases of mixing of the two types of base-pairs in a supercoiled DNA, the melting
      temperatures as well as the melting curves do not differ significantly. This
      indicates that these properties are practically independent of the detailed base
      sequence when the molecule is a covalently closed one and may be replaced by an
      equivalent homopolynucleotide whose binding energy is equal to the average base
      pairing energy of the original DNA. This conclusion has been further supported by
      comparing the theoretical results with those obtained experimentally in the cases
      of polyoma DNA and phi X174 DNA. Finally, the effects of supercoiling on the
      cooperativity of melting and a few aspects of the differential melting
      characteristics of a supercoiled DNA have been discussed which provide a clear
      physical understanding of the process.

PMID- 1873472
TI  - Thermodynamics of hydrolysis of disaccharides. Lactulose, alpha-D-melibiose,
      palatinose, D-trehalose, D-turanose and 3-o-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-arabinose.
AB  - High-pressure liquid chromatography and microcalorimetry have been used to study
      the thermodynamics of the hydrolysis reactions of a series of disaccharides. The
      enzymes used to bring about the hydrolyses were: beta-galactosidase for lactulose
      and 3-o-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D-arabinose; beta-glucosidase for alpha-D
      melibiose; beta-amylase for D-trehalose; isomaltase for palatinose; and alpha
      glucosidase for D-turanose. The buffer used was sodium acetate (0.02-0.10 M and
      pH 4.44-5.65). For the following processes at 298.15 K: lactulose(aq) + H2O(liq)
      = D-galactose(aq) + D-fructose(aq), K0 = 128 +/- 10 and delta H0 = 2.21 +/- 0.10
      kJ mol-1; alpha-D-melibiose(aq) + H2O(liq) = D-galactose(aq) + D-glucose(aq), K0
      = 123 +/- 42 and delta H0 = -0.88 +/- 0.50 kJ mol-1; palatinose(aq) + H2O(liq) =
      D-glucose(aq) + D-fructose(aq), delta H0 = -4.44 +/- 1.1 kJ mol-1; D
      trehalose(aq) + H2O(liq) = 2 D-glucose(aq), K0 = 119 +/- 10 and delta H0 = 4.73
      +/- 0.41 kJ mol-1; D-turanose(aq) + H2O(liq) = D-glucose(aq) + D-fructose(aq),
      delta H0 = -2.68 +/- 0.75 kJ mol-1; and 3-o-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-D
      arabinose(aq) + H2O(liq) = D-galactose(aq) + D- arabinose(aq),0H0 = 107 +/- 10
      and delta H0 = 2.97 +/- 0.10 kJ mol-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873473
TI  - Thermodynamics of hydrolysis of oligosaccharides.
AB  - Microcalorimetry has been used to determine enthalpy changes for the hydrolysis
      of a series of oligosaccharides. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to
      determine the extents of reaction and to check for any possible side reactions.
      The enzyme glucan 1,4-alpha-glucosidase was used to bring about the following
      hydrolysis reactions: (A) maltose(aq) + H2O(liq) = 2D-glucose(aq); (B)
      maltotriose(aq) + 2H2O(liq) = 3D-glucose(aq); (C) maltotetraose(aq) + 3H2O(liq) =
      4D-glucose(aq); (D) maltopentaose(aq) + 4H2O(liq) = 5D-glucose(aq); (E)
      maltohexaose(aq) + 5H2O(liq) = 6D-glucose(aq); (F) maltoheptaose(aq) + 6H2O(liq)
      = 7D-glucose(aq); (G) amylose(aq) + nH2O(liq) = (n + 1) D-glucose(aq); and (H)
      panose(aq) + 2H2O(liq) = 3D-glucose(aq); (J) isomaltotriose(aq) + 2H2O(liq) = 3D
      glucose(aq). The enzyme beta-fructofuranosidase was used for the reactions: (K)
      raffinose(aq) + H2O(liq) = alpha-D-melibiose(aq) + D-fructose(aq); and (L)
      stachyose(aq) + H2O(liq) = o-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----6)- alpha-o-D
      galactopyranosyl-(1----6)-alpha-D-glucopyranose + D-fructose(aq). The results of
      the calorimetric measurements (298.15 K, 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.44
      6.00) are: delta H0A = -4.55 +/- 0.10, delta H0B = -9.03 +/- 0.10, delta H0C = 
      13.79 +/- 0.15, delta H0D = -18.12 +/- 0.10, delta H0E = -22.40 +/- 0.15, delta
      H0F = -26.81 +/- 0.20, delta H0H = 1.46 +/- 0.40, delta H0J = 11.4 +/- 2.0, delta
      H0K = -15.25 +/- 0.20, and delta H0L = -14.93 +/- 0.20 kJ mol-1. The enthalpies
      of hydrolysis of two different samples of amylose were 1062 +/- 20 and 2719 +/-
      100 kJ mol-1, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873474
TI  - Electrostatic interaction between ion-penetrable multi-layered membranes.
AB  - A theory of the double layer interaction regulated by the Donnan potential
      between two ion-penetrable membranes in an electrolyte solution developed
      previously by Ohshima and Kondo is extended to the case in which the membranes
      consist of many layers having different thickness and densities of membrane-fixed
      charges. The interaction force is found to be determined mainly by the
      contributions from layers located within the depth of 1/kappa (kappa, Debye
      Huckel parameter) from the membrane surface. It is also predicted that the
      interaction force may alter its sign with changing electrolyte concentration.

PMID- 1873475
TI  - Thermodynamic parameters for the glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzed alpha-imino
      acid-alpha-amino acid interconversion.
AB  - Delta 1-Piperidine 2-carboxylic acid, an alpha-imino acid, is reduced by 1,4
      dihydropyridines to pipecolic acid, an alpha-amino acid, and the corresponding
      pyridinium ions. This nonenzymatic reaction occurs only in the direction of
      pipecolic acid production. Glutamate dehydrogenase catalyzes this reaction when
      the reductant is NADPH and gives as products L-pipecolic acid and NADP+. The
      reaction velocity for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is measurable in either
      direction. The pH-independent equilibrium constant, Keq, for the reduction of the
      imino acid by NADPH to give pipecolic acid anion and NADP+ was determined from
      the equilibrium conditions and the pKa values of pipecolic acid (10.72) and of
      the cyclic imino acid (8.10). The value of Keq was found to be 175 +/- 30; the
      values of delta G0, delta H0 and delta S0 are -3.1 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol, 5 +/- 1
      kcal/mol and 27 +/- 4 e.u., respectively. The data indicate that the reactants
      are far more solvated than the products and that there must be a large degree of
      solvent reorganization during the course of the reaction. If these thermodynamic
      parameters apply to the redox step of the enzyme-catalyzed glutamate reaction,
      then the burst phase which results upon mixing the enzyme, L-glutamate and NADP+
      in stoichiometric amounts must contain a hidden nonredox step of large delta H0
      value to account for the curved Arrhenius plot observed for this phase (A.H.
      Colen, R.T. Medary and H.F. Fisher, Biopolymers 20 (1981) 879).

PMID- 1873476
TI  - Molecular cloning and sequence of porcine interleukin 6 cDNA and expression of
      mRNA in synovial fibroblasts in vitro.
AB  - Synovial fibroblasts, derived from enzyme digestion of porcine synovial tissue,
      released interleukin 6 (IL-6) bioactivity in culture and this release was
      enhanced by IL-1 alpha. The porcine IL-6 was cloned from a cDNA library made from
      these cells using human IL-6 cDNA as a probe. Clone PIL-6[13-8] was sequenced and
      coded for 212 amino acids with 62% homology and 42% homology to published
      sequences of human and mouse (or rat), respectively. The cDNA was used to probe
      the expression of pig IL-6 at the RNA level in pig synovial fibroblasts in vitro.
      IL-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor markedly induced steady state levels of IL-6
      at 20 h in serum-free conditions, whereas transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
      beta), epidermal growth factor, and 10% fetal calf serum did not. TGF-beta
      pretreatment dramatically inhibited TNF-induction of the IL-6 mRNA but did not
      markedly affect induction by IL-1 alpha. However, TGF-beta did reduce IL-6
      activity detected in the supernatants of IL-1-induced cells.

PMID- 1873477
TI  - Inhibition of interleukin 1 synthesis by tenidap: a new drug for arthritis.
AB  - Tenidap is a new antiarthritic drug of novel chemical structure. This study shows
      the effects of tenidap on the in vitro synthesis of interleukin 1 (IL-1). IL-1
      production by murine peritoneal macrophages was induced either by stimulation
      with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or by phagocytosis of zymosan. With either
      stimulus, tenidap inhibited IL-1 production as measured by a quantitative
      competitive IL-1 receptor binding assay. Approximately 20 ng/mL of IL-1 was
      produced by 10(6) macrophages in response to LPS and about half that amount was
      produced in response to zymosan. Fifty percent inhibition of IL-1 production by
      tenidap was found at 3 microM for both stimuli. Using goat anti-IL-1 alpha and
      Western blot analysis, the appearance of intracellular 34 kDa pro-IL-1 alpha was
      inhibited by tenidap down to 3 microM. Tenidap decreased [35S]Met incorporation
      into cellular protein at 30 microM but not at 10 or 3 microM, indicating
      selectivity for IL-1 inhibition relative to total protein synthesis. Because
      tenidap inhibited IL-1 induction by both zymosan and LPS, it must act
      subsequently to receptor triggering. As the appearance of IL-1 was inhibited both
      intracellularly and extracellularly, the primary drug effect cannot be on
      secretion.

PMID- 1873479
TI  - Neutrophils can generate their activator neutrophil-activating peptide 2 by
      proteolytic cleavage of platelet-derived connective tissue-activating peptide
      III.
AB  - We have investigated the conditions that lead to the generation of the neutrophil
      activating peptide 2 (NAP-2) from its precursor, the platelet-derived connective
      tissue-activating peptide III (CTAP-III). Lysed platelets were found to contain
      predominantly CTAP-III in the cytosolic fraction, but further truncated
      derivatives, among these NAP-2, occurred tightly bound to the membrane fraction
      of fresh platelets. NAP-2 biological activity, as measured by the induction of
      enzyme release in human neutrophils [polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN)] was
      released by stimulated platelets to a low degree. Much higher activities were
      formed in the presence of peripheral blood leukocytes. Coincubation of CTAP-III
      with PMN resulted in the almost complete conversion of the precursor to NAP-2, as
      did incubation of CTAP-III with PMN-conditioned medium. In both situations, the
      generation of NAP-2 could be prevented by serine-protease inhibitor
      phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride but not by inhibitors specific for Ca(2+)-dependent
      or thiol proteases. From several PMN-derived proteases tested, only cathepsin G
      had the capacity to cleave CTAP-III into NAP-2 with high specificity and in a
      relatively short period of time (30 min). Our data indicate that NAP-2, released
      by platelets in small quantities, could cause PMN to enter into a positive
      feedback cycle by initiating the secretion of serine proteases, which in turn
      could convert platelet-derived CTAP-III into biologically active NAP-2.

PMID- 1873478
TI  - Altered cytokine release in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from
      patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.
AB  - Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an idiopathic illness associated with a variety
      of immunologic abnormalities. To investigate potential pathogenetic mechanisms,
      we evaluated serum levels and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) production
      of selected cytokines and immunoglobulins. Serum bioactive transforming growth
      factor beta (TGF-beta) levels were higher (P less than 0.01) in patients with CFS
      (290 +/- 46 pg/mL) than in control subjects (104 +/- 18 pg/mL), but levels of
      other cytokines tested were not different. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated release
      of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was
      increased (P less than 0.05) in PBMC cultures from patients with CFS versus
      control subjects; enhanced (P less than 0.01) IL-6 release to phytohemagglutinin
      was also observed. In contrast, TGF-beta release in response to
      lipopolysaccharide was depressed (P less than 0.01) in PBMC cultures derived from
      patients with CFS. No differences in IL-2 and IL-4 or immunoglobulin production
      were observed. The enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines by stimulated PBMC
      from patients with CFS suggests that these cells are primed for an increased
      response to immune stimuli. These data also suggest an association between
      abnormal regulation of TGF-beta production in vivo and in vitro with the
      immunologic consequence of CFS.

PMID- 1873480
TI  - Neutrophil-activating peptide 1/interleukin 8 mRNA expression and protein
      secretion by human monocytes: effect of cyclosporin A.
AB  - Neutrophil-activating peptide 1/interleukin 8 (NAP-1/IL-8) is a recently
      described cytokine with potent chemotactic activity for human neutrophil
      granulocytes (PMN) and T cells. In psoriasis, a chronic hyperproliferative and
      inflammatory skin disorder, PMN and T cells are found as prominent cells in the
      inflammatory infiltrate of the lesions; however, monocytes were shown to be the
      first cells invading a newly formed plaque. NAP-1/IL-8 was found to be present in
      high amounts in the skin and in scale material of psoriatic patients. Psoriasis
      responds well to systemic treatment with cyclosporin A (CsA), an
      immunosuppressive peptide. Therefore, we addressed the question of whether the
      clinical improvement of psoriatic patients during CsA therapy may be due to an
      inhibition of NAP-1/IL-8 production and secretion from monocytes. Purified human
      monocytes were stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in the presence or absence of
      various concentrations of CsA. Production of NAP-1/IL-8 was determined as
      expression of specific mRNA by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Secreted
      peptide was measured by bioassay (PMN chemotaxis) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA) using specific monoclonal antibodies. The results show that CsA
      neither inhibited mRNA expression for NAP-1/IL-8 nor secretion of the peptide.
      These findings support the hypothesis that the pharmacological effect of CsA may
      be restricted to the inhibition of T-cell activation and proliferation.

PMID- 1873481
TI  - Role of prostaglandins in the behavioral changes induced by murine interleukin 1
      alpha in the rat.
AB  - Continuous infusion of murine recombinant interleukin 1 alpha (rIL-1 alpha)
      produces weight loss, appetite suppression, reduction in horizontal locomotor
      activity (crossovers) and vertical locomotor activity (rears), and an increase in
      drinking behavior in the rat. The role of prostaglandins (PG) in the elicitation
      of these effects was studied. Infusion of rIL-1 alpha produced a transient
      increase in serum (PGs) which peaked at 24 to 48 h. This increase was completely
      inhibited by piroxicam. However, inhibition of circulating PG by piroxicam did
      not block the reductions in appetite, crossover, and rears induced by rIL-1
      alpha; it restored normal drinking behavior and only partially restored body
      weight. Continuous intraperitoneal infusion of PGE2 at 24 micrograms/day exposed
      the animals to serum levels of PGE2 comparable to those produced by infusion with
      rIL-1 alpha. Yet, at the point of maximum weight loss induced by rIL-1 alpha (72
      h), PGE2 infusion resulted in only a quarter of the weight loss. Compared with
      rIL-1 alpha, continuously infused PGE2 produced significantly smaller reductions
      in appetite, crossovers, and rears, and had no effect on drinking behavior. From
      these observations, we conclude that the rIL-1 alpha-induced increase in drinking
      behavior was fully dependent on products of the cyclooxygenase pathway, but not
      necessarily PGE2. However, because of the failure of piroxicam to fully reverse
      rIL-1 alpha effects on eating, mobility, and weight loss, there must also be a
      significant PG-independent component to account for the full range of rIL-1 alpha
      effects.

PMID- 1873482
TI  - Analysis of interleukin 5 receptors on murine eosinophils: a comparison with
      receptors on B13 cells.
AB  - The interleukin 5 receptor (IL-5R) on murine eosinophils and a mouse B cell line
      (B13) was investigated using iodinated murine IL-5 produced in the baculovirus
      system. Electrophoretic analysis of this recombinant protein identified a range
      of bands Mr 26,000 to 32,000 resulting from differential glycosylation. The
      specific activity and binding kinetics of the iodinated IL-5 (125I-IL-5) were
      essentially identical to unlabeled material. Both high-affinity (Kd approximately
      50 pM) and low-affinity (Kd approximately 1 nM) receptor populations were
      identified on murine eosinophils. Approximately 50 high-affinity receptors and
      10,000 low-affinity receptors were present. This was compared with approximately
      2,000 high-affinity (Kd approximately 80 pM) and about 8,000 low-affinity (Kd
      approximately 3 nM) sites on B13 cells. An antibody that inhibits IL-5 binding
      to, and proliferation of, B13 cells (R52.120) was also shown to inhibit
      eosinophil proliferation, suggesting that eosinophils and B cells bear the
      equivalent IL-5 binding proteins.

PMID- 1873483
TI  - Augmented interleukin 6 production by rat thyrocytes (FRTL5): effect of
      interleukin 1 beta and thyroid-stimulating hormone.
AB  - This study shows that rat thyroid follicular (FRTL5) cells can produce
      interleukin 6 (IL-6) spontaneously and that IL-1 beta enhanced the production of
      IL-6 dose-dependently. In addition, 10 ng/mL of IL-1 beta in combination with 10
      to 1,000 microU/mL of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) synergistically enhanced
      IL-6 production. It is suggested that IL-6 released from thyroid follicular cells
      may be a costimulator of autoreactive B and T cells in autoimmune thyroid disease
      and may constitute another link between the immune and endocrine systems.

PMID- 1873485
TI  - Osteoclasts: structure and function.
AB  - Osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cells showing specialized membrane
      structures, clear zones and ruffled borders, which are responsible for the
      process of bone resorption. These cells arrive at the resorption site via the
      bloodstream as mononuclear cells, derived from haemopoietic precursors in the
      spleen or bone marrow, which fuse prior to resorption. The osteoclast may share
      an early progenitor cell, the granulocyte macrophage colony-forming unit (GM-CFU)
      with monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes, implying that osteoclasts share the
      pluripotent haemopoietic stem cell with all other haemopoietic cells. In the
      past, elucidation of the structure of these cells relied upon traditional
      ultrastructural techniques. Transmission electron microscopic studies revealed
      details of the unique ultrastructure of these cells and, in combination with
      stereological techniques, showed the response of cells to various hormonal
      stimuli. Scanning electron microscopy not only demonstrated the surface
      appearance of osteoclasts, and their predilection for spreading on various
      substratum components, but has also been used as an adjunct in resorption assays
      in which areas of resorption lacunae are measured as indicators of cell activity.
      Recent advances in fields such as immunocytochemistry and freeze fracture
      techniques have contributed towards a more detailed delineation of antigenic
      profile, cytoskeletal structure and localization of enzymatic pathways. The
      osteoclast is subject to extensive regulatory mechanisms and it has been
      established that the osteoblast plays a major role in mediating the effects of
      osteotropic hormones and local mediators on these cells. Hence, research aimed at
      elucidating the coupling mechanisms between these two cells may result in new
      therapies for bone disease.

PMID- 1873484
TI  - Eosinophil differentiation of human umbilical cord mononuclear cells and
      prolonged survival of mature eosinophils by murine EL-4 thymoma cell conditioned
      medium.
AB  - Umbilical cord mononuclear cells, HL-60 cells, HL-60 clones selected for
      eosinophil differentiation, and the eosinophil leukemia cell line EoL were tested
      for their ability to produce eosinophil peroxidase. HL-60 clones selected for
      eosinophil differentiation produced eosinophil peroxidase, as judged by staining
      of cells for cyanide-resistant peroxidase activity; however, these cells lost
      their ability to produce eosinophil peroxidase in long-term culture. In contrast,
      eosinophil precursors from human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells
      stimulated with murine EL-4 conditioned medium (EL-4 CM) were regularly induced
      to eosinophil protein synthesis, including eosinophil peroxidase, major basic
      protein, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, as
      assessed by cyanide-resistant peroxidase and immunofluorescence staining. This
      induction by EL-4 CM is either at the level of gene transcription or mRNA
      stabilization, as shown by the increase of total mRNA for eosinophil peroxidase,
      major basic protein, and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin by Northern blot analyses.
      Purified peripheral blood eosinophils incubated for 4 days with EL-4 CM had
      increased survival over control eosinophils. Moreover, this enhanced survival was
      specifically blocked by antiserum to interleukin 5. Our results suggest that the
      effects of EL-4 CM on human umbilical cord mononuclear cells and mature
      eosinophils are due to the presence of interleukin 5.

PMID- 1873486
TI  - Ultrastructure of the normal human placenta.
AB  - In this review, the ultrastructure of the normal human chorionic villus is
      examined and illustrated. The outer covering of trophoblast, comprising the
      generative cytotrophoblast and the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast which is
      derived from it, is described, including such features as the microvillous
      surface, vesicles and vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum and secretory droplets. The
      structure, composition, development and inclusions of the trophoblastic basement
      membrane are discussed, and the ultrastructure of the various components of the
      stroma, including reticulum cells, fibroblasts, Hofbauer cells, capillaries and
      the non-cellular matrix are illustrated and described, with special reference to
      their inter-relationships and function.

PMID- 1873487
TI  - Ultrastructural morphometry of human leucocytes in health and disease.
AB  - In this review, the literature on ultrastructural morphometry of each of the main
      types of human blood leucocytes has been considered, together with the technical
      and numerical procedures essential for valid analysis. Quantitative data have
      been reported for these cell types in health and comparisons have been made with
      those in disease states. In monocytes, and in macrophages developing from them,
      subtle ultrastructural differences have been detected and quantitated in
      malignant lymphoma; as the mononuclear phagocytes were not themselves neoplastic,
      the changes may have related to defects in host defence. Change in the
      ultrastructural characteristics of leukaemic monoblasts have also been reported.
      Lymphocytes and malignant lymphoid cells have been extensively investigated:
      differences between different types and subsets have been shown to be present in
      both normal lymphocytes and their malignant counterparts in leukemias and
      lymphomas. Particular attention has been paid to morphometric assessment of
      nuclear shape and size in these disorders and to its possible value as a
      diagnostic tool. Granulocytes have so far been the subject of few morphometric
      studies, although in hypereosinophilic syndrome, cellular changes have been
      defined and have thrown light on the abnormal pattern of degranulation. There
      have also been scattered reports on the cells of acute myelogenous leukaemia. The
      use of computers and sophisticated statistical packages has greatly facilitated
      the application of multiple comparison procedures and has permitted discriminant
      analysis to be carried out where appropriate. This review shows that
      ultrastructural morphometry of leucocytes will have an increasing application in
      clinical pathology.

PMID- 1873488
TI  - Localization of nucleolar chromatin by immunocytochemistry and in situ
      hybridization at the electron microscopic level.
AB  - Nucleoli are the morphological expression of the activity of a defined set of
      chromosomal segments bearing rRNA genes. The topological distribution and
      composition of the intranucleolar chromatin as well as the definition of
      nucleolar structures in which enzymes of the rDNA transcription machinery reside
      have been investigated in mammalian cells by various immunogold labelling
      approaches at the ultrastructural level. The precise intranucleolar location of
      rRNA genes has been further specified by electron microscopic in situ
      hybridization with a non-autoradiographic procedure. Our results indicate that
      the fibrillar centers are the sole nucleolar structures where rDNA, core
      histones, RNA polymerase I and DNA topoisomerase I are located together. Taking
      into account the potential value and limitations of immunoelectron microscopic
      techniques, we propose that transcription of the rRNA genes takes place within
      the confines of the fibrillar centers, probably close to the boundary regions to
      the surrounding dense fibrillar component.

PMID- 1873489
TI  - In vivo delivery of interleukin-6 using vaccinia virus: effects on T lymphocytes
      in nude mice.
AB  - We have constructed a recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) expressing the human
      interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene, VV(IL-6). After injection of VV(IL-6) i.v. into Balb/c
      mice, circulating IL-6 was detected during 3 days with the peak activity on day
      4, indicating that VV injection is an effective method to deliver lymphokines in
      vivo. We have further examined the effects of IL-6 in vivo in immunodeficient
      mice. Nude mice were injected i.v. with VV(IL-6). Ten days after the injection,
      mice were sacrificed and spleen cells were obtained. Spleen cells from VV(IL-6)
      injected mice proliferated remarkably in response to IL-2, while spleen cells
      from mice injected with unrelated VV manifested no particular proliferation in
      response to lymphokines. When spleen cells were further cultured in vitro for 5
      days in the presence of Concanavalin-A stimulated rat spleen cell supernatant
      (Con-A factor), CD4 or CD8 positive cells were detected in the VV (IL-6) injected
      group, while few positive cells were detected in the control groups. These
      results suggest that IL-6 stimulates nude mice spleen cells in vivo, to a stage
      where they are able to proliferate in response to IL-2, or to differentiate into
      CD4 or CD8 positive cells in presence of rat Con-A factor.

PMID- 1873490
TI  - Purification and characterization of the immunostimulatory properties of
      recombinant human interleukin-1 beta.
AB  - In this study we have used a new method for human recombinant IL-1 beta (rIL-1
      beta) purification and investigated its immunostimulatory biological activity.
      The IL-1 beta gene was cloned using a novel mRNA preparation from activated human
      blood monocytes. The purification protocol consists of extraction and two
      chromatographic steps using the new Soloza cation exchange resin. The purified
      protein was characterized electrophoretically, by amino acid analysis and reverse
      phase chromatography. The protein migrated on SDS-PAGE with a molecular weight of
      18.200 but demonstrated the minor presence of aggregates (dimers and trimers).
      Specific activity of purified rIL-1 beta in comitogenic assay on mouse thymocytes
      was 10(8) U/mg protein. rIL-1 beta increased in a dose dependent manner
      proliferation of Con A-stimulated murine thymocytes, splenocytes, PHA-stimulated
      human peripheral blood lymphocytes and transformed B-cell lines. Comitogenic
      activity depended on the degree of lymphocyte preactivation and was similar to
      that of natural human IL-1 beta. rIL-1 beta enhanced IL-2 production by murine
      spleen cells and EL-4 cell line and IL-2 receptor expression by human peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells. It induced PGE2 release from human blood monocytes but
      had no effect on human neutrophil chemotaxis, phagocytosis and respiratory burst.

PMID- 1873491
TI  - Picogram concentrations of endotoxin stimulate synthesis of IL-1 beta and TNF
      alpha by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to recombinant human
      C5a.
AB  - Endotoxemia, complement activation, and the generation of C5a occur in the course
      of sepsis, trauma, and the adult respiratory distress syndrome, clinical
      situations in which TNF and IL-1 are thought to play an important role. In the
      present studies, we examined the effect of picogram concentrations of endotoxin
      (LPS) on the synthesis of IL-1 beta and TNF alpha by human PBMC exposed to
      recombinant human C5a (rhuC5a). rhuC5a induced the synthesis of IL-1 beta by PBMC
      made in response to otherwise substimulatory levels of LPS. In the presence of
      rhuC5a, LPS concentrations from 10 pg to 1000 pg/ml substantially amplified IL-1
      beta synthesis by PBMC compared to LPS alone. Since rhuC5a can induce
      transcription of IL-1 beta with minimal translation to cytokine protein, these
      studies support the concept that fM concentrations of LPS can combine with rhuC5a
      to provide the "second signal" for optimal translation of IL-1 beta mRNA.

PMID- 1873492
TI  - Differential biological activities of human interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-1
      beta.
AB  - We examined the biological effects induced by both human recombinant interleukin
      1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and beta (IL-1 beta) in five different cell types of human,
      rat and mouse origin. IL-1 alpha and beta preparations were standardized in terms
      of biological activity in the EL-4/CTLL bioassay and, in parallel, employed to
      stimulate PGE2 secretion in human fibroblasts, mesangial cells (MC), C57B1/6
      mouse MC, DBA/2 mouse macrophages and Sprague Dawley rat MC. In addition, the co
      mitogenic effects of IL-1 alpha and beta were determined in freshly prepared
      Sprague Dawley rat thymocytes. No significant differences in IL-1 alpha and beta
      concentration dependent PGE2 production were detectable in the different cell
      types (MC, fibroblasts and macrophages) of human or mouse origin. Incubation of
      Sprague Dawley rat MC with both IL-1 alpha and beta resulted in a concentration
      dependent production of PGE2. However, in contrast to mouse or human MC the
      potency of IL-1 beta to induce PGE2 in Sprague Dawley rat MC was 26-fold higher
      compared to IL-1 alpha. In addition, the potency of IL-1 beta to enhance co
      stimulated proliferation of Sprague Dawley thymocytes was 200-fold higher than
      that of equal biological activities of IL-1 alpha. When we tested the additive
      effects on Sprague Dawley cells, increasing IL-1 beta concentrations added to a
      fixed IL-1 alpha concentration resulted in a cumulative rise in both, PGE2
      secretion by MC and thymocyte proliferation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873493
TI  - Mechanism of acute toxicity of IL-1 beta in mice.
AB  - Human recombinant IL-1 beta was able to kill C3H/HeJ mice only when inoculated
      intravenously at very high doses. IL-1 beta, inoculated at 100 mg/kg i.v. as a
      bolus, induced a shock-like state characterized by anorexia, severe hypothermia
      and hypoglycemia and persistent neutrophilia, leading to death in 55% of animals
      generally between 24 and 48 h. In contrast, the noninflammatory adjuvant IL-1
      beta peptide VQGEESNDK (position 163-171) did not induce any toxic effect in
      vivo, when administered following the same schedule. At variance with what was
      previously observed in endotoxin induced shock, IL-1 beta induced death was not
      preceded by appearance of circulating TNF. On the other hand, very high and
      persistent levels of circulating IL-6 could be detected after lethal IL-1 beta
      administration. Treatment of mice with ibuprofen or with chlorpromazine, both
      known to counteract some of the toxic effects of IL-1 in vivo, could protect from
      IL-1 beta induced mortality. Both drugs, at doses protecting from IL-1 beta
      induced death, were able to abolish IL-1 beta-induced rise of circulating
      phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity, and the subsequent generation of toxic PLA2
      derived metabolites.

PMID- 1873494
TI  - Cell lines of novel type derived from a diabetic secrete tissue-reactive human
      monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Human monoclonal antibodies have been produced from lymphocytes of an acute-onset
      insulin-dependent diabetic patient. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were hybridized
      with a fusion partner HMY-1320. Initial screening of human immunoglobulin
      secretion was made by a nitrocellulose dot blot assay. Ten stable cell lines of
      novel type, secreting human immunoglobulin, were obtained. These cell lines have
      been maintained in continuous culture over 6 months and cryopreserved in liquid
      nitrogen for 14 months. Human monoclonal antibodies of IgG and IgM class have
      been produced and are secreted at a rate of 150-650 ng/ml/10(6) cells/day.
      Monoclonal antibodies were tested for histological staining against a variety of
      endocrine and non-endocrine tissues. One monoclonal antibody, LT1E12,
      demonstrates a staining pattern in human, rat, and mouse tissues, similar to that
      of mitochondrial antibodies. Another antibody, LT3C4, demonstrates weak staining
      of smooth muscle in rat and mouse kidney sections. Neither specificities were
      detected in the diabetic patient's serum. The variety of immune tissue
      specificities obtained in this study demonstrates the potential value of human
      monoclonal antibodies as probes to analyze the complexity of autoimmunity in
      diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1873495
TI  - Effect of production method on the systemic clearance rate of a human monoclonal
      antibody in the rat.
AB  - Pharmacologic studies of human immunoglobulins (IgM) in non-primate animal
      models, whether directed toward efficacy or toxicity, rely on pharmacokinetic
      parameters to achieve optimal doses and schedules. In rodents, human IgMs have an
      effective circulatory half-life of 11 h and a plasma clearance rate of 0.044
      ml/min/kg. Studies of a new group of human monoclonal antibodies (hMAb) specific
      for Gram-negative bacteria and endotoxin revealed an IgM molecule, hMAb-10058,
      which, when purified from tissue culture medium, exhibited a suprisingly short
      circulatory lifetime in rodents. Investigations into possible explanations for
      this short circulatory half-life resulted in the development of a simple and
      efficient method for producing hMAbs in the immunodeficient NIH-3 mouse (bg x nu
      x XID). This method of production of hMAb-10058 had dramatic effects on its half
      life. Whereas hMAb-10058 produced in serum-free, defined medium had a clearance
      rate of 14.4 ml/min/kg and an effective half-life of 0.12 h, the same hMAb-10058
      raised in mouse ascites had a decreased clearance rate of 0.092 ml/min/kg and an
      increased effective half-life of 12 h. This 100-fold enhancement of the hMAb's
      half-life was not affected by the purification process. Some potential molecular
      structures involved in the circulatory half-life of this hMAb are discussed.

PMID- 1873496
TI  - Generation of hybrid hybridomas secreting human IgM class hybrid antiricin and
      antidiphtheria toxin antibodies.
AB  - Two lines of mouse-human hybridomas were fused to produce human bifunctional
      antibodies. A hybridoma that secretes human IgM (kappa) class antiricin
      monoclonal antibody was treated with actinomycin D to inhibit cell growth.
      Another cell line, secreting human IgM (lambda) class antidiphtheria toxin
      monoclonal antibody, was 6-thioguanine resistant (HAT sensitive). Six hybridomas
      secreting IgM with both kappa and lambda light chains were obtained. Two of them
      secreted antibodies with antiricin specificity (kappa and lambda light chains)
      and antidiphtheria toxin specificity (kappa and lambda light chains).
      Antidiphtheria toxin antibodies secreted from other hybrid hybridomas did not
      contain kappa light chain, but lambda chain. A hybrid hybridoma clone 5-29
      secreted complete hybrid IgM with lowered affinity to diphtheria toxin. These
      results suggested unbalanced recombination of immunoglobulin polypeptide chains
      in hybrid hybridomas.

PMID- 1873497
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies to human tumor nucleolar antigens: probes for studying
      biological function and determining clinical significance.
AB  - Using novel strategies, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were developed to two
      proliferation-associated nucleolar antigens. These two new antigens, termed P145
      and P120, according to their molecular weights, were found in a broad range of
      tumor tissues. Overall, P120 was more restricted in its distribution than P145
      because it was absent from many benign tumors and some malignant tumors. Using
      the MAbs as probes, antigens P145 and P120 were localized to separate nucleolar
      components. P145 was mainly associated with high molecular weight nucleolar RNPs.
      Antigen P120 was localized to a novel beaded microfibril found in a nucleolar
      residue fraction. DNAse and high salt treatment of this fraction provided optimal
      extraction of the P120 antigen. P145 and P120 differed from other proliferation
      associated nuclear/nucleolar antigens identified by autoimmune sera and by other
      MAbs. In PHA stimulated lymphocytes, both antigens were expressed in early G1
      prior to or concurrent with increased RNA Pol I transcription. Microinjection of
      tumor cells with the P120 MAb inhibited cell proliferation and blocked the
      appearance of nucleolar pleomorphism that is characteristic of tumor cells.
      Clinical studies showed that P145 was not detected in normal bone marrow but was
      expressed in leukemic marrows (AML); the percentage of P145 positive cells
      correlated with percentage of malignant blasts (Raza et al., Am. Soc. Hematology,
      1990). Antigen P145 was detected in 10 of 39 marrows from patients in complete
      remission. This result suggested that these cells have a higher proliferative
      potential than normal stem cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873498
TI  - Generation and characterization of secreting and nonsecreting human x mouse
      heterohybridomas obtained by in vitro immunization of human peripheral blood
      lymphocytes.
AB  - Among the immortalizing fusion partners usable in the development of human
      monoclonal antibodies, nonsecreting human-mouse heteromyelomas are the most
      interesting. In vitro immunization of human peripheral blood lymphocytes
      (pretreated with leucine-O-methyl ester) with an immunogen, hemocyanin, before
      fusion, is a good methodology for generating nonsecreting heterohybrids. Their
      biological features have been extensively studied with particular attention to
      the level of human DNA. These heterohybrids retained more than 10% human DNA in
      the whole genome. However, nonsecreting heteromyeloma SHMD33 used as reference
      has 1% human DNA. There is no significant difference between the level of human
      DNA in the nonsecreting heteromyelomas and that of the secreting parent
      heterohybrid. The loss of human immunoglobulin production by the nonsecreting
      clones is not necessarily related to the diminution of human DNA. The presence of
      plasma cells containing human intracytoplasmic immunoglobulins and the lack of
      any antibody in the supernatant culture of nonsecreting clones show that the
      blockage of human antibody production could occur at the secretory stage.

PMID- 1873499
TI  - Serodiagnosis of cancer using porcine carboxypeptidase A as an animal antigen
      recognized by human monoclonal antibody HB4C5.
AB  - Protein from hog which is recognized by human monoclonal antibody (HB4C5),
      generated from a patient with large cell lung carcinoma, was identified as
      carboxypeptidase A by comparison of the protein with carboxypeptidase A in
      enzymatic activity, immunologic reactivity, and amino acid sequence.
      Carboxypeptidase A activity was also found in human cancer tissue, and purified
      antigen from cancer tissue recognized by the antibody HB4C5 was reacted with
      rabbit anti-carboxypeptidase A serum, indicating that carboxypeptidase A is an
      antigen of HB4C5. Since large amounts of carboxypeptidase A can be obtained from
      porcine sources, a simple method for its purification was established. The
      fraction which was most reactive with HB4C5 was obtained from acetone powder of
      porcine pancreas by successive applications of water extraction, ammonium sulfate
      precipitation, trypsin treatment, and Mono Q column chromatography. Its apparent
      molecular weight was 40,000, according to SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
      When the reactivity of IgG in sera with the purified carboxypeptidase A was
      measured, the detection rates for lung, ovary, larynx, uterus, and liver cancer
      were more than 50%, while the rates for stomach and breast cancer were around
      30%, and pancreatic cancer, benign diseases, and normal controls were minimally
      detected.

PMID- 1873500
TI  - Chimeric mouse-human anti-carcinoma antibodies that mediate different anti-tumor
      cell biological activities.
AB  - Two chimeric mouse-human antibodies, ING-1 (IgG1, kappa) and ING-2 (IgG1,
      lambda), have been constructed starting from anticarcinoma mouse hybridomas.
      These antibodies bind to different tumor-associated antigens which are present on
      human breast carcinoma cell lines at 10(5)-10(6) antigens/cell; ING-1 binds to a
      40-kD membrane glycoprotein, while ING-2 binds to a glycoprotein of greater than
      300 kD. In competitive binding experiments, both chimeric antibodies have
      identical binding activity to the parental mouse antibodies. The antibody
      dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytolysis (CDC)
      activities of these antibodies were studied on carcinoma target cell lines. ING-1
      mediates potent ADCC, but ING-2 had undetectable or very weak ADCC activity. ING
      2 ADCC activity was significantly reduced by the addition of human serum, but ING
      1 ADCC was unaffected. Neither ING-1 nor ING-2 mediated CDC of breast carcinoma
      cell lines, but ING-1 mediated CDC of a colon carcinoma cell line. ING-1 antibody
      antigen complexes are stable on the target cell surface for at least 2 hours,
      while much of bound ING-2 is lost from the surface of cells due to
      internalization or shedding. The activities of these antibodies confirm that the
      target antigen plays an important role in the biological effector functions
      triggered by cell-surface-bound antibodies. Both of these chimeric antibodies are
      candidates for further study as immunoconjugates for cancer diagnosis or therapy,
      and the unconjugated ING-1 antibody has promise for cancer therapy due to its
      potent activation of ADCC.

PMID- 1873501
TI  - Histone H2B as an antigen recognized by lung cancer-specific human monoclonal
      antibody HB4C5.
AB  - Histone H2B was demonstrated to be an immunoreactive material recognized by the
      human monoclonal antibody HB4C5, which had been already established to be
      specific for lung cancers. The inhibitory effect of histone H2B on the activity
      of HB4C5 antibody to immunostain the cytoplasmic antigen in lung adenocarcinoma
      tissue indicated that histone H2B at least had antigenic determinant comparable
      to the cytoplasmic antigen. A mouse anti-histone H2B monoclonal antibody could
      immunostain the cytoplasm of lung adenocarcinoma cells in sliced tissue sections
      in the same manner as the human monoclonal antibody HB4C5. Enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay of HB4C5 antibody on plastic immunoplates coated with histone
      H2B also showed specific reactivity of this antibody with histone H2B, and the
      reaction was effectively inhibited when extra histone H2B or mouse anti-histone
      H2B monoclonal antibody was added to the reaction mixture. These results
      consistently lead us to a conclusion that histone H2B possesses antigenicity to
      the human monoclonal antibody HB4C5.

PMID- 1873502
TI  - Characterization of a lung cancer-associated human monoclonal antibody HB4C5.
AB  - A human monoclonal antibody HB4C5, which is known to be associated with lung
      cancers, was characterized. Two kinds of light chains with 30-kD and 32-kD
      molecular mass were found to comprise the molecule of this IgM antibody. Various
      combinations of the two light chains could be contained in this IgM antibody
      molecule, which might have resulted in the heterogeneity of this antibody with
      different reactivities. The presence of the 30-kD light chain was indispensable
      for the antibody activity of cancer recognition. Monomeric 180-kD units of the
      antibody, having 32-kD light chains exclusively, which showed marginal activity
      of cancer recognition, could be removed by immunosorbent column chromatography
      with histone H2B-Sepharose 4B. F(ab')2 of the HB4C5 antibody containing the
      active 30-kD component as the dominant light-chain constituent could be purified
      by hydroxyapatite chromatography by HPLC, facilitating clinical applications of
      this lung cancer-associated monoclonal antibody of human origin.

PMID- 1873503
TI  - Construction of reshaped human antibodies with HIV-neutralizing activity.
AB  - Mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) 0.5 beta binds to the envelope protein gp120 of
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and neutralizes infection by HIV in vitro.
      Mouse mAb 0.5 beta, therefore, has potential as a therapeutic agent for the
      prevention and treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since
      mouse mAbs are highly immunogenic in humans, efforts are being made to humanize
      mouse mAbs that are being considered for use in humans. This report describes the
      design, construction, and expression of reshaped human 0.5 beta antibodies. In
      these antibodies, the entire constant (C) regions were derived from human
      sequences. The variable (V) regions were derived from human framework regions
      (FRs) and mouse 0.5 beta complementarity determining regions (CDRs). One version
      of reshaped human 0.5 beta light (L) chain and six versions of reshaped human 0.5
      beta heavy (H) chain were made and tested. Following transient expression in cos
      cells, all of the constructions were capable of producing humanlike antibody.
      Three of the H chain constructions (RHc, RHe, and RHf), when co-expressed with
      the L chain construction (RL), produced reshaped human antibody capable of
      binding to the epitope on gp120 recognized by mouse 0.5 beta mAb. The best
      version (RL + RHe) of reshaped human 0.5 beta antibody had both binding affinity
      and neutralizing activity that were within twofold that of the mouse or chimeric
      0.5 beta antibody.

PMID- 1873504
TI  - In vitro immunization of human B lymphocytes. MAPPing of lymphokine specific mRNA
      and the effect of recombinant factors.
AB  - The kinetics of lymphokine-specific DNA transcription during in vitro
      immunization of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and splenocytes were studied
      using the polymerase chain reaction. The levels of specific mRNA were shown to be
      down regulated by cytolytic L-leucyl-leucine methyl ester-sensitive lymphocytes.
      In in vitro immunizations using L-leucyl-leucine methyl ester-treated human PBL
      or splenocytes, the lymphokine mRNA expression pattern indicated an active gene
      transcription during the entire stimulation period, especially for the IL-2 and
      IL-5 genes. Transcription of IL-6 and TNF beta started on day 4, whereas IFN
      gamma mRNA reached its maximum level on day 4. In vitro immunizations of cells
      not treated with L-leucyl-leucine methyl ester revealed a transient transcription
      of lymphokine DNA that was declining already after day 2. Exogenously added
      recombinant IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 all exhibited a positive immunoregulatory effect
      on Ig secretion, whereas IL-5 was not found to have any effect on immunoglobulin
      secretion during the in vitro culture. These results present the first
      information useful for designing in vitro immunization systems based on
      recombinant lymphokines and antisense DNA for gene regulation.

PMID- 1873506
TI  - Drugs and the liver. Part 1: Testing liver function.

PMID- 1873505
TI  - Hybridoma-derived human suppressor factors: inhibition of growth of tumor cell
      lines and effect on cytotoxic cells.
AB  - With the objective of developing human T-T cell hybrids producing B-cell growth
      factor, we fused concanavalin A-activated T lymphocytes with cells of the Jurkat
      T cell line. The hybrids were selected on the basis of their ability to form
      colonies in soft agar, whereas the parent Jurkat T cell line did not. T-T cell
      hybrids were HLA-typed, screened by functional tests, and recloned by limiting
      dilution. In addition to obtaining B-cell growth factor-producing hybrids, we
      also obtained certain other T-T cell hybrids (as determined by HLA-typing)
      producing suppressor factors inhibiting proliferative responses and antibody
      production by human lymphocytes. Subsequently, a suppressor factor with similar
      inhibitory properties was identified in supernatants of the Jurkat T cell line.
      However, the Jurkat factor exhibited different biochemical and functional
      properties than the hybridoma-derived suppressor factors. Using two-parameter
      cell cycle analysis and the metachromatic fluorochrome acridine orange, we found
      that the hybridoma-derived 160 and 169 suppressor factors arrested
      phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferative of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in
      the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, whereas the Jurkat suppressor factor arrested
      proliferation in the S phase. Incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells
      with the 160, 169, or Jurkat suppressor factors for 24 hr at 37 degrees C,
      followed by washing, did not alter their cell cycle progression (or RNA content)
      in response to stimulation with phytohemagglutinin. The hybridoma-derived 160 and
      169 suppressor factors and the Jurkat factor inhibited the growth but not the
      viability of cells from the following human tumor cell lines: A673 sarcoma cell
      line, SK-LC-6 and SK-LC-14 lung cell lines, SB, Raji, and Daudi lymphoblastoid
      cell lines, and FARR malignant melanoma cell line. In contrast, it did not affect
      the growth of murine L1210 cells and FS-4 normal human diploid fibroblasts. The
      hybridoma-derived 160 suppressor factor was selected to investigate its effect on
      cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The 160 suppressor factor did not inhibit natural
      killer cytotoxicity or its augmentation by interferon alpha or interleukin 2 or
      the generation of lymphokine-activated killer cells. However, this factor
      partially inhibited the generation of specific T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

PMID- 1873507
TI  - Apparent stereoselectivity in propafenone uptake by human and rat erythrocytes.
AB  - The distribution of propafenone (PPF) enantiomers between the plasma and red
      blood cells (RBCs) was investigated using human and rat blood. In separate
      experiments, effects of incubation time (15-60 min), blood concentration (100
      5000 ng ml-1), and plasma proteins on the RBC uptake of the enantiomers were
      studied. In both humans and rats, the distribution of propafenone enantiomers
      into RBCs was rapid, extensive, and stereoselective. However, the extent of RBC
      uptake and the direction of stereoselectivity were different in these two
      species. In humans, preferential distribution of (-)-PPF into RBCs resulted in
      lower plasma concentrations for this enantiomer, whereas in rat plasma, (-)-PPF
      was the dominant enantiomer. When the plasma was replaced with buffer, the
      stereoselectivity in the RBC uptake of the enantiomers was abolished. This
      suggested that stereoselective protein binding may be responsible for this
      phenomenon. A direct measurement of the extent of binding of PPF enantiomers to
      rat and human plasma proteins further confirmed this. Moreover, the distribution
      of the enantiomers in RBCs was not affected by low temperatures or addition of
      ouabain, suggesting passive diffusion as the underlying mechanism. These results
      suggest that stereoselective red blood cell uptake may be responsible, at least
      in part, for the differences in the plasma pharmacokinetics of PPF enantiomers
      observed after the drug administration to humans and rats.

PMID- 1873508
TI  - Effects of phenobarbital and 3-methylcholanthrene pretreatment on the
      pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of bumetanide in rats.
AB  - The effects of pretreatment with the enzyme inducers, phenobarbital (PB) and 3
      methylcholanthrene (3-MC), on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters
      of bumetanide were examined in rats. The nonrenal clearance (19.3 vs 29.6 ml min
      1 per kg) of bumetanide increased significantly in PB treated rats. This
      suggested that the nonrenal metabolism of bumetanide is increased by pretreatment
      with PB, which was supported by significantly increased amounts of bumetanide
      glucuronide and desbutyl bumetanide excreted in 8-h urine, and reduced amounts of
      bumetanide remaining per gram of tissue after 30-min incubation of 100 micrograms
      of bumetanide with the 9000 xg supernatant fraction of liver, stomach, and kidney
      tissue homogenates in PB treated rats. The contents of hepatic cytochrome P-450
      (1.29 vs 2.15 nmol mg-1 protein) and the weights of liver and stomach increased
      significantly in PB treated rats, suggesting that the metabolizing enzymes for
      bumetanide are induced by pretreatment with PB. The 8-h urine output per 100 g
      body weight was not significantly different by pretreatment with PB although the
      amounts of bumetanide excreted in 8-h urine increased significantly in PB treated
      rats. It could be explained by the fact that the dose of bumetanide used results
      in urinary concentrations at the plateau of the concentration-effect
      relationship. Therefore, the alteration in the urinary excretion rate of
      bumetanide by pretreatment with PB would not alter the diuretic effect. In 3-MC
      treated rats, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were not
      significantly different and it suggested that the metabolizing enzymes for
      bumetanide are not induced by pretreatment with 3-MC although the contents of
      hepatic cytochrome P-450 and the weights of liver and stomach increased
      significantly by pretreatment with 3-MC.

PMID- 1873509
TI  - Utility of biplane transesophageal echocardiography in left ventricular wall
      motion analysis.
AB  - The biplane transesophageal echocardiography (BTEE) probe increases capabilities
      for scanning cardiac structures in cross-sectional and longitudinal planes. The
      present study was undertaken to determine if BTEE would enhance diagnosis of
      perioperative ischemia by identification of new segmental wall motion
      abnormalities (SWMAs), and the initial experience in 94 patients (37
      intraoperative and 57 intensive care unit) is presented. The left ventricular
      wall motion at the midpapillary level was observed and recorded on 0.5-in
      videotape by both transverse and longitudinal scanning transducers. Using a
      cinememory loop, biplane images were replayed side by side, within minutes of
      their acquisition, and were compared and recorded for later off-line analysis by
      two independent observers. Intraoperatively, the images were obtained at various
      predetermined intervals, and in the intensive care unit one set of observations
      was made. In 20 patients, new SWMAs were observed: in 4 patients (20%), the SWMAs
      were observed only in the cross-sectional scanning, whereas in 7 patients (35%)
      they were observed only in the longitudinal scanning. In the remaining 9 patients
      (45%) the SWMAs were detected in both planes. Persistent diagnostic
      electrocardiographic changes of myocardial infarction and elevation of CK enzymes
      were observed in 6 of the 20 patients within 3 postoperative days. In conclusion,
      biplane imaging appears to be superior to the traditional single-plane imaging
      for evaluation of left ventricular function and myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1873510
TI  - Comparison of tidal ventilation and high-frequency jet ventilation before and
      after cardiopulmonary bypass in dogs using two-dimensional transesophageal
      echocardiography.
AB  - This study compared the use of high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) and tidal
      ventilation (TV) in a group of dogs with induced global myocardial ischemia
      before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Transesophageal echocardiography was
      used to determine whether HFJV with its lower airway pressures could improve
      cardiac performance. The surgical procedure was separated into four study
      periods: closed chest before bypass, open chest before bypass, open chest after
      bypass, and closed chest after bypass. During each of these study periods, the
      dogs were randomly ventilated with alternate periods of TV and HFJV to maintain
      the PaCO2 at 34.3 +/- 3.3 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM). Cardiac output, stroke volume,
      systemic mean blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, left
      ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular dP/dt, left ventricular stroke
      work, and expiratory volumetric flows were higher during HFJV, whereas airway
      pressures and pulmonary vascular resistance were lower. Increases in cardiac
      output and stroke volume during HFJV were due to a combination of improved left
      ventricular contractility indicated by increased LV dP/dt and increased left
      ventricular end-diastolic volume accompanying decreased airway pressures. These
      data indicate that HFJV with its lower airway pressure is associated with
      significantly less impairment of cardiovascular function than TV in dogs with
      induced global myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1873511
TI  - Minimum pulse pressure and peripheral temperature needed for pulse oximetry
      during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.
AB  - The lowest values of pulse pressure (dPP) and peripheral temperature (Tp)
      associated with reliable readings from three different pulse oximeters (Biox
      Ohmeda 3700, Datex Satlite, and Nellcor N-200) were assessed, along with the
      ability of the pulse oximeters to work immediately before and after total
      cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The lowest mean dPP with a reliable O2 saturation
      reading was 13 mm Hg and the lowest mean Tp was 23.6 degrees C. The dPP needed
      for a reliable reading before total CPB did not differ significantly from that
      needed after total CPB. No significant differences in performance were found
      among the three oximeters during the study.

PMID- 1873512
TI  - Thiopental as an adjunct to hypothermia for EEG suppression in infants prior to
      circulatory arrest.
AB  - Fifteen infants were studied to evaluate the effect of profound hypothermia (16
      degrees C to 18 degrees C) and hypothermia plus thiopental on the
      electroencephalogram (EEG) prior to circulatory arrest. Mean patient age and
      weight were 5.5 +/- 1.2 months and 4.9 +/- 0.3 kg, respectively. After core
      cooling on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), all patients received thiopental, 8
      mg/kg, 5 minutes prior to circulatory arrest. Satisfactory EEG recordings were
      obtained for 9 patients, and serum thiopental concentration was measured in 12
      patients. Hypothermia (mean venous return temperature, 17.8 degrees C +/- 1.6
      degrees C) alone was associated with persistent cerebral electrical activity in 8
      of 9 patients (89%). The addition of thiopental, 8 mg/kg, produced an isoelectric
      EEG in 6 of these 8 patients (75%). Mean circulatory arrest duration was 44 +/- 4
      minutes. EEG activity resumed after reinstitution of CPB in all patients. Serum
      thiopental concentration at the end of CPB was negligible. It is concluded that
      hypothermia alone often may not produce EEG isoelectricity, and that the
      associated cerebral metabolic activity may be suppressed by adjunctive use of
      thiopental.

PMID- 1873513
TI  - Comparison of nicardipine and sodium nitroprusside in the treatment of paroxysmal
      hypertension following aortocoronary bypass surgery.
AB  - In an open, randomized, multicenter trial, intravenous nicardipine was compared
      with sodium nitroprusside in 74 patients with hypertension (mean arterial
      pressure [MAP] greater than or equal to 100 mm Hg) following coronary artery
      bypass surgery. Nicardipine was administered as a 2.5- to 12.5-mg bolus followed
      by a 2 to 4 mg/h infusion, and nitroprusside as a 0.5 to 6.0 micrograms/kg/min
      infusion. The aim was to reduce MAP to less than 90 mm Hg within 50 minutes and
      maintain it stable at 85 +/- 5 mm Hg. Nicardipine was effective in 35 of 38
      patients (92%), and nitroprusside in 29 of 36 (81%) (NS). The decrease in MAP was
      not statistically different, but time until reaching the therapeutic end-point
      was shorter with nicardipine (P less than 0.01). Significant differences follow:
      increase in heart rate and decreases in mean pulmonary artery, right atrial, and
      pulmonary capillary wedge pressures were more marked with nitroprusside (P less
      than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively), whereas elevation of cardiac index
      and depression of systemic vascular resistance were more marked with nicardipine
      (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively). Postreduction MAP was more
      stable with nicardipine, 51% +/- 24% of readings falling within the range 85 +/-
      5 mm Hg versus 41% +/- 18% on nitroprusside (P = 0.058). Dose adjustment during
      the following 24 hours was less frequent with nicardipine, 1.1 +/- 1.6 versus 2.7
      +/- 2.6 (P less than 0.01). Transfused blood volume was lower with nicardipine
      (924 +/- 644 mL) than nitroprusside (1,306 +/- 901 mL) (P = 0.08), despite
      similar postoperative blood losses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873514
TI  - Continuous infusion of drugs: a simple and rational system.
AB  - Continuous infusion of potent, often short-acting drugs particularly affecting
      the cardiovascular system is becoming more common in the operating room and
      intensive care unit. Accuracy and, hence, safety are always important in drug
      therapy, and never more so than when using the potent vasoactive and cardioactive
      drugs, yet the multiplicity of methods for preparing these drugs for infusion
      creates a situation in which mistakes may easily occur. A series of decimally
      related dilutions for drug preparation is presented, which has been in use for
      the past 5 years in the cardiac intensive care units at this hospital. It is
      believed that this system is easy to understand and remember and it thereby
      simplifies the process. This system may enhance the accuracy of dosage and
      improve the safety for patients.

PMID- 1873515
TI  - Continuous blood gas monitoring with an intraarterial optode during one-lung
      anesthesia.

PMID- 1873516
TI  - Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung in combination with a
      pulmonary sequestration.

PMID- 1873517
TI  - Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in blunt thoracic trauma.

PMID- 1873519
TI  - Case 4--1991. A 57-year-old man requires complex management for surgery on a
      dissecting thoracic aortic aneurysm.

PMID- 1873518
TI  - Pulmonary hemorrhage during cardiac surgery.

PMID- 1873520
TI  - Optimal pressures and flows during cardiopulmonary bypass. Pro: a low-flow, low
      pressure technique is acceptable.

PMID- 1873521
TI  - Optimal pressures and flows during cardiopulmonary bypass. Con: pressure is more
      important than flow.

PMID- 1873522
TI  - Mechanical and biological cardiac assist devices.

PMID- 1873523
TI  - A new laryngoscopy blade to facilitate double-lumen tube placement.

PMID- 1873524
TI  - Mixed venous oximetry.

PMID- 1873525
TI  - Pitfalls in the calculation of SVRI.

PMID- 1873526
TI  - A survey of the necessity of the hospitalization day in an Italian teaching
      hospital.
AB  - To assess the extent of inappropriate hospital use in an adult in-patients
      population we used a modified version of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol
      (A.E.P.) to evaluate retrospectively a cross-section of 273 patient-days in a
      large teaching hospital in the Greater Milan area. Overall, 41% were judged to
      represent inappropriate hospital use on the basis of the protocol's criteria. The
      rate of inappropriate hospital use was significantly associated with admitting
      specialty, ranging from 12% for surgery, to 20% for cardiology and to about 60%
      in psychiatric, geriatrics and neurology departments (p less than 0.01). Hospital
      days of patients with longer stays were more frequently inappropriate: a
      statistically significant trend of inappropriateness emerged ranging from 30%
      among patients with total length of stay (LOS) of 1-10 days to 60% among those
      with LOS greater than 30 days (p less than 0.01). This study confirms that there
      is a substantial rate of unnecessary use of hospitals but that such
      inappropriateness does not seem in most cases to be easily modifiable through
      "simple" organizational changes.

PMID- 1873527
TI  - Communication problems between doctors and nurses.
AB  - Communication difficulties between hospital doctors and nurses are well
      documented. A survey undertaken jointly by medical and nursing administration at
      Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Western Australia, verified difficulties
      in doctor-nurse communication as perceived by doctors and nurses, as well as by
      ward clerks as impartial observers. Questionnaire responses revealed some
      impediments in the flow of communication. Both nurses and doctors perceived less
      frequency of difficulties in communicating with members of their own professional
      group than with members of the other group. Nurses with university preparation
      and other special clinical qualifications perceived significantly fewer
      communication problems with doctors than nurses with less education. Interns
      perceived greater frequency in difficulty communicating with nurses than did more
      highly qualified doctors, and female doctors who were not interns claimed fewer
      problems than their male counterparts. Moreover, more highly qualified male
      doctors who had a previous occupation acknowledged fewer doctor-nurse
      communication problems.

PMID- 1873528
TI  - Malpractice.
AB  - The problem of malpractice suits and patient complaints is frequently mentioned
      in discussions concerning the quality of health care. The present paper reviews
      the following aspects of this problem: the magnitude of the problem, the
      categories of cases, insurance and legal aspects, effects on medical practice,
      institutionalized possibilities for solving conflicts, an answer to the question
      of why patients complain and sue, and risk management.

PMID- 1873529
TI  - A Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire as a teaching and comparative audit tool.
AB  - This paper explores the development and use of a Patient Satisfaction
      Questionnaire which was chosen by members of the South Australian Quality
      Assurance Research Officers' Association (SAQAROA) as a method of learning how to
      undertake quality assurance. Overall this process was rated as being successful
      by the members. Use of the Questionnaire revealed high overall satisfaction with
      services being provided. However, for most questions one or more hospitals
      returned comparatively high dissatisfaction rates, the significance of which was
      not appreciated until comparative data became available.

PMID- 1873530
TI  - High consumers of health care in emergency units: how to improve their quality of
      care.
AB  - Patients with non-urgent complaints and/or who attend frequently account for a
      substantial portion of the visits to emergency units. These patients usually
      require other types of care than that provided by a highly specialized emergency
      department (ED). In this paper we describe the development of ED utilization in
      the catchment area of Huddinge University Hospital, and the attempts made to
      improve the quality of care for high consumers of ED care. In a trial, nurse's
      advice and referral proved to be a feasible means of referring patients with non
      urgent complaints from the hospital emergency department to more appropriate care
      sources, such as primary health care centres. A long-term follow-up showed that
      without any intervention, frequent ED users are a high-risk group as regards
      morbidity and mortality, especially with respect to suicide. Prevention with
      comprehensive and continuous treatment programmes should therefore be planned
      when a tendency is noted for patients to attend the ED frequently.

PMID- 1873531
TI  - Studies in utilization of drugs: a review of different methods.
AB  - Pharmaceutical expenses are 19% of social security expenses in Spain. Studies of
      prescription habits, prescription prevalence, therapeutic profiles, prescription
      compliance and incidence reports are thus required. Different methods to study
      utilization of drugs are discussed and examples of each method are provided. The
      number of registered pharmaceutical specialties varies between 21000 in Germany
      (2900 active substances) and 1000 (700) in Iceland. The thiazide consumption
      varies between 4.3 daily defined doses (DDD) per 1000 inhab./day in Spain and
      42.9 in Sweden. Medication errors were caused by recording problems in 6.5% of
      all drug distributions.

PMID- 1873532
TI  - Administration of pentamidine aerosol therapy.

PMID- 1873533
TI  - AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among 629 registered nurses at a
      Minnesota hospital: a descriptive study.
AB  - Since nurses play a pivotal role in many aspects of healthcare delivery, their
      knowledge, attitudes, and behavior in relation to AIDS are crucial. A descriptive
      study was done to discover the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
      among registered nurses who practice in a hospital setting, and to describe the
      relationship of these findings with other variables. A 67-item survey was sent to
      704 registered nurses at a 455-bed acute care teaching hospital and its
      associated clinics. The results indicated there is a considerable level of
      misinformation, mistrust, and fear regarding AIDS among RNs practicing in the
      hospital setting.

PMID- 1873534
TI  - Examining the ethical and legal issues generated by the HIV epidemic.
AB  - This article addresses ethical and legal issues related to the HIV epidemic. The
      author discusses individual and utilitarian schools of philosophy, and identifies
      philosophical issues in relationship to the stage of HIV infection that the
      client is experiencing. Prevention strategies and nursing interventions for three
      levels of prevention are also presented. HIV infection is now accepted as a
      chronic disease, which is characterized by different stages. Nursing intervention
      focused on prevention can be related to the stage of infection.

PMID- 1873536
TI  - Fear of contagion among home health aides: a community survey.
AB  - Fear of contagion--an overwhelming anxiety about catching a disease--has been
      reported among a variety of healthcare workers as a common response to AIDS. This
      survey assessed the availability of home health aides to meet the predicted
      increases in demand for home health care to persons living with AIDS. The
      findings showed 27 out of 31 home healthcare agencies either experienced or
      anticipated experiencing difficulty servicing home care to persons with HIV
      infection. The author briefly discusses the dynamics of fear of contagion and
      offers specific suggestions for countering this fear among home health aides.

PMID- 1873535
TI  - It's time for new perspectives.

PMID- 1873537
TI  - Deciding when to leave patients with AIDS dementia complex alone.

PMID- 1873538
TI  - Occupational and personal risk estimates for HIV contagion among incoming
      graduate nursing students.
AB  - In an effort to measure both fear of HIV/AIDS contagion and possible co-factors,
      two cohorts (n = 331) of incoming graduate level nursing students were surveyed
      during two consecutive academic years. All completed a Risk Perception Scale and
      an AIDS Attitude Scale; additionally, 118 completed an AIDS Knowledge Scale.
      Findings indicate this population had tremendous fears of the possibility of HIV
      infection. Estimates of potential contagion far outweighed scientific estimates
      of risk, and in some cases corresponded to behaviors that are scientifically
      purported to have no risk. Of interest in this same regard were perceptions of
      increased risk in the case of visible testimony to disease (that is, in the case
      of holding a patient with Kaposi's sarcoma lesions versus one without) and in the
      case of a patient with AIDS (versus an HIV seropositive, asymptomatic patient).
      Results showed that exaggerated perceptions of risk were correlated with a lack
      of knowledge and with negative HIV-related attitudes. The study indicates the
      need for AIDS education that addresses biomedical findings and fact while
      concurrently addressing perceptions that may preclude the assimilation and
      application of such knowledge.

PMID- 1873539
TI  - Root submersion: a technique for function and aesthetics.

PMID- 1873540
TI  - A conservative alternative to single tooth replacement.

PMID- 1873541
TI  - Establishing proper anatomy in Class II posterior restorations.

PMID- 1873543
TI  - Breast cancer research and treatment.

PMID- 1873542
TI  - Combining natural teeth with implants; restoration of a mandibular arch with
      fixed prosthetics.

PMID- 1873544
TI  - Clinical features of breast cancer--Anglo-Japanese comparative study.
AB  - A comparative study was undertaken at Guy's Hospital in the UK and the Aichi
      Cancer Center in Japan of the clinical picture of breast cancer in the UK and
      Japan. Target patients were 221 UK and 200 Japanese primary operable patients who
      were recruited from April 1979 through August 1980. No difference was seen
      between the two countries in the side and site of the lesion and the size of the
      lesion. The localized tenderness of the tumor site was higher in Japanese
      patients than in UK patients (25.5% vs 0%). Difference was observed in tumor
      characteristics: breast cancers of the UK patients were irregular, ill-defined,
      and not so mobile, whereas those of the Japanese patients were round or oval,
      well-defined, and mobile. Skin fixation was higher in Japanese patients (71.0% vs
      44.8%). Clinical node involvement was higher in UK patients (32.5% vs 19.0%).

PMID- 1873545
TI  - Early detection of breast cancer: mammography.
AB  - Detection of early breast cancer utilizing mammography can be accomplished
      through more frequent and earlier use of the test as well as exploring techniques
      to improve sensitivity and specificity. Efforts at educating primary care
      physicians about the role of mammography as well as training technologists and
      radiologists in performing optimum examinations and correctly interpreting them
      is of prime importance. The use of computers may aid in increasing the
      sensitivity of the examinations and may also provide improved feature analysis
      for the radiologist, thus enhancing the separation of benign and malignant
      disease. New technologies also show promise to improve the accuracy of
      mammography. Direct digital mammography and digital enhancement of standard
      mammograms are actively being investigated. The use of MRI and specifically 31P
      spectroscopy shows initial promise to increase the specificity of mammography.
      Several clinical trials are also under way to assess a possible niche which fine
      needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may occupy in the quest for early breast cancer
      detection. Any future collaborative work between Japan and Western countries
      should take into account the potential of these new methods for improving the
      sensitivity and specificity of mammography.

PMID- 1873547
TI  - Patterns of recurrence in Western and Japanese women with breast cancer.
AB  - The patterns of relapse in Western women with breast cancer were compared with
      women from Japan. The results reported are based on a review of the literature. A
      significant difference between Japanese and Western women was seen with regard to
      relapse in bone, lung, and liver as assessed clinically. More Western women had
      bone metastases, but the incidence of pulmonary and liver metastases was higher
      in Japanese women. A significant difference between the races was also seen with
      regard to locoregional recurrence of disease, with Japanese women showing a
      higher incidence of relapse in the supraclavicular lymph nodes compared to
      Western women. Postmortem studies showed that although the initial metastatic
      pattern may differ between Japanese and Western women, at time of death the
      disease is as widely disseminated in the former as it is in the latter.

PMID- 1873546
TI  - The international variation in breast cancer rates: an epidemiological
      assessment.
AB  - Part of the international differences in breast cancer incidence rates can be
      explained by geographic variation in reproductive and other breast cancer risk
      factors. Age at menarche and age at onset of regular ovulatory menstrual cycles
      are two such factors; both vary across populations directly according to breast
      cancer risk, and both are acknowledged as breast cancer risk factors.
      Consideration of the body of evidence on these factors, as well as that on age at
      menopause, suggests that the cumulative frequency of ovulatory menstrual cycles
      is a critical determinant of breast cancer risk. Although age at first term
      pregnancy explains the majority of the protective effect of parity on breast
      cancer risk, two recent studies have demonstrated a small residual protective
      effect of increasing number of births. It appears that pregnancy has paradoxical
      effects on breast cancer risk in terms of hormone production and metabolism. The
      initial effect is an increased risk associated with first trimester estrogen
      exposure. However, the hormonal consequences of completing the pregnancy
      counteract this negative effect of early pregnancy. The effect of body weight, a
      breast cancer risk factor for postmenopausal women, can be explained in terms of
      increased extraglandular conversion of androstenedione to estrone. Further
      evidence supporting a pathogenic role of estrogens in the development of breast
      cancer comes from international studies of endogenous hormones in populations
      with differing risks of breast cancer. These risk factors have been incorporated
      into a mathematical model which is based on the concept that breast tissue ages
      according to hormonal (primarily estrogen) exposure; this model closely predicts
      the incidence rates throughout the world.

PMID- 1873549
TI  - Patterns of recurrence and relapse--Anglo-Japanese comparative study.
AB  - A prospective study was undertaken to compare the recurrent sites of breast
      cancer patients in Japan and the UK. The number of patients collected between
      April 1979 and August 1980 were 205 in the UK and 199 in Japan, of which those
      who had recurrence were 89 and 49 respectively. A comparison of the distribution
      of the first recurrence sites demonstrated that the Japanese patients had
      significantly higher rates of local recurrence in the supraclavicular fossa and
      distant metastasis to the lung than UK patients. When comparing the distribution
      of all recurrent sites seen in the study, Japanese patients showed a
      significantly higher incidence of metastasis to the supraclavicular fossa and the
      lung while the UK patients showed a significantly higher incidence of skin
      metastasis. Bone metastases were observed more often in Japanese patients and
      liver metastases in UK patients, but neither of the differences were
      statistically significant.

PMID- 1873548
TI  - Ethnic variation in breast cancer survival: a review.
AB  - Intercountry, as well as intracountry, survival comparisons have revealed some
      differences in breast cancer survival among various ethnic populations. Most of
      these differences are probably explained by factors related to socioeconomic
      status. However, the well documented survival advantage of Japanese patients
      compared to Caucasian patients remains unexplained. Some recent studies suggest
      an adverse prognostic effect for obesity. Although still inconclusive, these
      findings raise the possibility that the better survival of Japanese patients may
      be in part related to their lower mean body weight. An effect of the lower fat
      intake of the Japanese in explaining their breast cancer survival advantage has
      little support at present, but, like the obesity hypothesis, deserves further
      study.

PMID- 1873550
TI  - Recurrence and survival rates in British and Japanese women with breast cancer.
AB  - The biology of breast cancer in Japan appears to be changing in that, while post
      menopausal Japanese patients have a better prognosis than comparable British
      women, no differences in recurrence or survival rates can now be found in pre
      menopausal patients.

PMID- 1873551
TI  - The effect of dietary fat on breast cancer survival among Caucasian and japanese
      women in Hawaii.
AB  - 182 Japanese and 161 Caucasian breast cancer patients participated in an
      epidemiologic case-control study from 1975-1980. They were subsequently followed
      until the end of 1987 to determine their survival status. Among the Japanese,
      patients with regional or distant disease had a relative risk (RR) of death of
      13.0 (95% Confidence Interval (CI), 4.3-39.1) compared to those with in situ or
      localized disease, and obese patients had a RR of death of 3.5 (95% CI, 1.3-10.0)
      compared to non-obese subjects. Among the Caucasians, patients with advanced
      disease had a RR of death of 4.3 (95% CI, 1.8-10.5) compared to those with in
      situ or localized disease, and patients with a high fat intake had a RR of 3.2
      (95% CI, 1.2-8.6) compared to subjects with a low fat intake. Menopausal status
      (pre- or postmenopausal) and replacement estrogen use were not related to
      survival from breast cancer in either ethnic group. When Japanese and Caucasian
      patients were compared with each other, there was no significant difference in
      survival between them.

PMID- 1873552
TI  - A comparison of epidemiological characteristics in breast cancer patients and
      normal women in Great Britain and Japan: results of a prospective study.
AB  - The epidemiological characteristics of normal women and women with early breast
      cancer in Great Britain were prospectively compared with similar subjects from
      Japan. The study consisted of 204 women with early breast cancer and 792 normal
      controls from Great Britain and 200 breast cancers and 335 Japanese controls. The
      risk factors examined were age, height and weight, menopausal status, age at
      menarche and menopause, parity, age at first birth, use of oral contraceptives,
      and family history of breast cancer. The cancers and cases were divided into pre-
      and postmenopausal groups. There was a striking trend for a protective effect of
      multiparity in both countries and a weak but inconstant protective effect of age
      at first birth. In premenopausal British women increase in body mass was
      significantly associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer but this
      association was not found for postmenopausal women or in the Japanese women. The
      results showed that the classical risk factors did not fully account for the
      differences in breast cancer risk between Great Britain and Japan. The
      possibility that aetiological factors might be changing warrants investigation.

PMID- 1873553
TI  - Endogenous hormones and breast cancer: a prospective cohort study.
AB  - A cohort study is under way in New York City to evaluate how levels of endogenous
      reproductive hormones influence the risk of breast cancer. The study, in which
      approximately 15,000 women are being recruited, utilizes a prospective design in
      which volunteers are asked to provide repeated specimens of serum during the
      period 1985-1992. A case-control study nested within the cohort is planned by
      which specimens from all cases arising in the population and from a randomly
      selected sample of time-matched controls will be analyzed and compared. As of
      December 31, 1989, 13,609 volunteers had donated blood specimens, about 50% of
      whom had already donated more than once. Of the 187 incident breast cancer cases
      who are expected to arise in the cohort before the end of 1992, 77 have been
      detected thus far.

PMID- 1873554
TI  - Genesis of breast cancer in Japanese: a possible relationship between sex hormone
      binding globulin (SHBG) and serum lipid components.
AB  - We investigated changes in the amount of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and
      the percentage of free estradiol (% FE2) during normal menstrual cycles in the
      sera of 8 young Japanese controls, and also the relation between the lipid
      components of serum and the serum level of SHBG in 250 normal Japanese controls
      aged 18-77 years. The amount of SHBG measured by IRMA was significantly higher in
      the luteal phase than in the follicular phase, whereas the % FE2 values remained
      constant throughout the menstrual cycle in 8 healthy young controls. These
      results suggest that the estrogen status in serum is constantly controlled by
      SHBG. The amount of SHBG was significantly correlated with the serum level of
      triglycerides (TG) in 250 normal Japanese controls. From these results, we
      postulate that the decrease in serum SHBG, probably caused by increased level of
      serum TG, leads to elevation of % FE2 and later to a status with a high risk of
      breast cancer.

PMID- 1873555
TI  - Geographical variation in endocrine function and its relation to breast cancer
      incidence: some general considerations.
AB  - Abnormalities in endocrine function are not a determinant of risk of breast
      cancer within countries, and racial differences in this function do not explain
      geographical variation in risk. It is suggested that hormonal status is related
      to tumor growth rates and hence to age at diagnosis, recurrence rates after
      primary treatment, and survival. Such evidence as there is points in this
      direction, but it still remains to be finally established whether the disease
      runs a similar course in all countries when patients are standardised for factors
      known to affect prognosis.

PMID- 1873556
TI  - Serum hormone levels in British and rural Chinese females.
AB  - The comparison of blood levels of oestradiol, testosterone, prolactin, and sex
      hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was made of 3250 rural Chinese and 300 British
      women, aged 35 to 64. To reduce the number of assays performed the blood samples
      were combined so as to form 390 and 30 pools, respectively. The Chinese had
      significantly less oestradiol and testosterone. Prolactin levels were similar in
      both races. SHBG was significantly lower in postmenopausal British women. In the
      Chinese women, testosterone was positively and prolactin negatively correlated
      with breast cancer mortality.

PMID- 1873557
TI  - Blood concentrations of estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin in relation to
      age at menarche in premenopausal British and Japanese women.
AB  - In a cross-sectional study, serum estradiol (E2) and sex hormone-binding globulin
      (SHBG) concentrations were not significantly related to age at menarche in
      premenopausal British women in the luteal or follicular phases of the cycle. In
      Japanese subjects in the luteal phase, a marginally higher concentration of E2
      was observed in those who had undergone an early rather than a late menarche. In
      British women, previous oral contraceptive users had significantly lower luteal
      phase E2 concentrations than never users.

PMID- 1873558
TI  - Breast cancer in multi-ethnic populations: the Hawaii perspective.
AB  - The five major ethnic groups in Hawaii's population of 1.1 million are the
      Japanese, comprising 23%; Caucasians, 23%; ethnic Hawaiians, 19.9%; Filipinos,
      11.3%; and Chinese, 4.8%. Only 14% of the population is foreign born. Breast
      cancer incidences are 29.2 per 100,000 among Filipinos, 51.3 for Japanese, 64.1
      for Chinese, 104.3 for Hawaiian, and 105.6 for Caucasian women. The Caucasian
      incidence is similar to mainland US rates, but the incidence among Hawaii's
      Japanese is more than twice the rate in Japan. Japanese in Hawaii have less
      postmenopausal breast cancer than Caucasians, fewer axillary lymph node
      metastases, and a greater proportion of non-invasive tumors. Late stage at
      diagnosis is common among Filipino and ethnic Hawaiian woman, and their risk of
      death is 1.5-1.7 times that of Caucasian, Chinese, and Japanese women with the
      disease, even after adjustment for age, extent of disease, and socio-economic
      status. In the BCDDP screening study, only 20% of breast cancers detected in
      ethnic Hawaiians were not yet palpable and were found by mammography alone.
      Comparative studies of diet and estrogen levels in the ethnic groups of Hawaii
      and the parental populations in Japan and the West do not account for the degree
      of variation observed in breast cancer incidence and tumor pathology. Future
      research directions are suggested with a view to accounting for these
      differences.

PMID- 1873559
TI  - Molecular and cellular lesions associated with breast cancer progression.
AB  - Breast cancer may be more than one disease with differing etiologies. At the
      molecular level, breast cancer may be the result of a complex, dynamic, and
      stochastic process where there is more than one way to accomplish each of the
      steps necessary for malignant growth. The well documented biologic heterogeneity
      of breast cancers may arise from the many possible molecular changes that can
      accomplish a given step with variable efficiency. Alternatively, this
      heterogeneity may also reflect various possible orders of acquiring the sum of
      steps necessary for malignant growth. We have attempted to describe some of the
      molecular changes associated with breast cancer in the context of this broad
      conceptual framework. We have found that the capacity for infinite growth in
      culture usually occurs at a late stage of malignant progression and is frequently
      associated with activating ras mutations. Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome
      11p can occur either early or late in progression, while losses at chromosome
      loci 1q and 17p, although independent of each other, are found in primary breast
      cancers. Whether the same molecular and cellular changes are to be found in
      Japanese patients remains to be determined.

PMID- 1873560
TI  - The pathology of breast cancer in Japanese women compared to other ethnic groups:
      a review.
AB  - Review of comparative pathology studies of breast cancer among Japanese women and
      other ethnic groups reveals consistent differences in tumor morphology and host
      response. Japanese women show lower rates of breast cancer than Caucasian women,
      a difference that is accounted for by increased rates of this cancer in
      postmenopausal Caucasian women. Postmenopausal breast cancer is also less common
      among Japanese who migrated to a western environment. Autopsy studies of Japanese
      women without breast cancer indicate a lower prevalence of ductal hyperplasia, a
      breast cancer precursor, among indigenous Japanese women and first generation
      migrants than among second generation Japanese women in Hawaii who have higher
      rates of breast cancer. Postmenopausal breast cancers in Caucasian women are more
      likely to have estrogen receptors than cancers in postmenopausal Japanese women
      or premenopausal women of either race. Postmenopausal Japanese women are more
      likely to have in situ tumors than Caucasian women, even after adjusting for
      tumor size. A more vigorous host response to breast cancer among Japanese women,
      as compared to Caucasians, is suggested by more intense lymphocytic infiltration,
      greater degrees of lymph node sinus histiocytosis and fewer lymph node metastases
      in the Japanese.

PMID- 1873561
TI  - Breast cancer in English and Japanese women: prognostic significance of sinus
      histiocytosis and germinal center hyperplasia in axillary lymph nodes.
AB  - A prospective study of comparable Japanese and British breast cancer patients
      treated by radical mastectomy confirmed previously reported findings that sinus
      histiocytosis and germinal center hyperplasia are more frequently seen in
      axillary lymph nodes from Japanese than in those from British patients. In
      Japanese, but not British, cases of either of these two morphologic findings had
      favorable prognostic significance for recurrence. Sinus histiocytosis also had
      favorable prognostic significance in Japanese cases for five year survival. In a
      separate review of axillary nodes from Japanese autopsy cases sinus histiocytosis
      was absent, suggesting that this finding in Japanese breast cancer cases was
      related to presence of the disease.

PMID- 1873563
TI  - Pathology of breast cancer: present and prospect in Japan.
AB  - Breast cancer among Japanese females is characterized by its relatively low
      incidence and better prognosis than among Caucasian females. The annual mortality
      due to breast cancer among Japanese is about one-fifth that among Caucasians.
      Comparison of case distribution by histological type indicates that the ratio of
      well-differentiated carcinoma is slightly higher among Japanese, while the ratio
      of poorly differentiated carcinoma is slightly higher among Caucasian females. It
      is noteworthy that the incidence of in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma among
      Japanese is much lower than among Caucasian females. The age distribution shows
      that breast cancer is more frequent among middle-aged females in Japan, but more
      common among aged females in the West. Breast cancer among Japanese females shows
      a better prognosis than among Caucasian females as a whole, even with equal tumor
      size and lymph node metastasis. As mentioned above, the morbidity and mortality
      rates of breast cancer among Japanese females are very low, but recently, both
      morbidity and mortality rates in Japan have been steeply increasing. For example,
      the mortality rate of breast cancer in Japan almost doubled during the past 20
      years. Moreover, biological behavior of breast cancer among Japanese females has
      been recently changing. Time-trend data clearly indicate that breast cancer in
      Japan in the future will be much more like that in the West, and nowadays it is
      already westernizing.

PMID- 1873562
TI  - Comparative histological analysis of British and Japanese breast carcinomas.
AB  - Histopathological analysis of several factors was made in an attempt to explain
      the difference in prognosis after mastectomy for mammary carcinoma in Japanese
      and British women. The higher age, lower grade of differentiation, and lower
      sinus histiocytosis and germinal center hyperplasia of the British cases may
      explain their worse prognosis.

PMID- 1873564
TI  - Breast cancer screening. A brief historical review.
AB  - Breast cancer screening by a combination of clinical breast examination (CBE) and
      mammography is effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer in all age
      groups for years 40 and above. Mammography is the single most effective method in
      obtaining the mortality reductions. The CBE should not be omitted, however, in
      that it does add information not apparent on mammography. The CBE can be done
      safely by a nonphysician properly trained. Breast self-examination (BSE) is
      ineffectual in reducing mortality. It is debatable if it has a role in screening
      for breast cancer at all. This observer believes it should be done, in that its
      cost is minimal once the training is over.

PMID- 1873565
TI  - A comparison of mammographic parenchymal patterns in premenopausal Japanese and
      British women.
AB  - Normal premenopausal Japanese women have significantly more favourable
      mammographic parenchymal patterns (Wolfe Grades) than comparable British women.
      This finding is unaffected when the women are stratified by age, Quetelet's
      Index, age at menarche, age at first birth, and parity.

PMID- 1873566
TI  - Estimating the sensitivity of breast cancer screening--experience with the
      Honolulu BCDDP data.
AB  - The 'capture-recapture' models for estimating breast cancer screening sensitivity
      can be generalized to include factors that affect sensitivity such as cancer
      size. Including such factors can help reduce the covariance between mammographic
      and physical exam sensitivity, which will improve the estimates. One model
      relating sensitivity to cancer length is presented and tested using data from the
      Honolulu Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project (BCDDP). The model
      predicts sensitivity fairly well for large breast cancers, but underestimates
      sensitivity for small cancers. Using both mammography and physical examination,
      the total screening sensitivity is estimated as 0.91 +/- 0.03 for cancers longer
      than 12 mm (for the second through fifth screenings for Honolulu and Tucson
      screening data combined). Limited data suggest similar screening sensitivities
      for Orientals and Caucasians in Hawaii. Shortcomings of the BCDDP data include
      inaccurate measurements of cancer length. Suggestions to improve data for future
      work are given.

PMID- 1873567
TI  - Understanding due discretion of judgment in Catholic marriage courts.
AB  - Psychiatrists and psychologists provide consultation to the Catholic Church's
      marriage courts. Operating under the Church's legal code, these tribunals assess
      the validity of weddings that have ended in divorce. This report describes one of
      the standards used for this purpose, the lack of due discretion of judgment,
      which is concerned with the maturity, understanding, and appreciation that the
      couple brought to the ceremony. This normal capacity is vulnerable to various
      mental illnesses, which if present with sufficient severity may nullify the
      marriage vows as seen by the Church (though not necessarily by the state). Such a
      finding results in freedom to marry again despite the Church's ban on divorce,
      provided that due discretion of judgment is regained. Case examples and
      discussion of the assessment process for due discretion of judgment prepare the
      consultant to apply psychiatric findings to this unique and urgent legal issue.

PMID- 1873568
TI  - Unconscious fantasies: from the couch to the court.
AB  - No single unifying theory exists that explains the plethora of behaviors that
      bring individuals before the courts on a daily basis. No biological, social, or
      familial model for criminal behavior is without limitations, or exempt from
      controversy and criticism. We suggest, however, that it is appropriate, and often
      necessary, for the psychiatric expert to advance lucid, intelligible, and
      simplified psychodynamic formulation, either alone or in conjunction with another
      explanatory model of criminal behavior, to assist the court in its understanding
      and disposition of a given case. In some cases, apparent criminal behaviors
      result when unconscious motivating factors, particularly unconscious fantasies,
      find expression in conscious life. In this article, we consider the etiologic
      role of unconscious fantasy in certain seemingly inexplicable criminal behaviors.
      The concept of unconscious fantasy is explained and a detailed case description
      and formulation are provided in order to illustrate the central role of
      unconscious fantasy in some of these behaviors. Recommendations are offered for
      the manner in which psychodynamic formulation should be presented in reports and
      in courtroom testimony through reference to the author's experience.

PMID- 1873569
TI  - Morality and pretextuality, psychiatry and law: of "ordinary common sense,"
      heuristic reasoning, and cognitive dissonance.
AB  - The thesis of this paper is that we will not make significant progress in
      understanding the tensions between the legal and mental health systems until we
      look carefully at a series of dissonances that affect both systems. We must
      consider the way that the law frequently condones pretextuality as a way of
      dealing with troubling or cognitively dissonant information, and the way that
      mental health professionals encourage a self-referential concept of morality as a
      way of subverting legal doctrines with which they disagree. These dissonances
      must be considered contextually in connection with the ways that courts generally
      read social science data and the ways that jurors and legislators employ such
      cognitive devices as "ordinary common sense" and heuristic reasoning in their
      judgments of cases involving mental disability questions. To ameliorate the
      current dilemma, we must redefine institutional and professional roles,
      reconsider the way we privilege expertise, recalibrate our allocation of "moral
      jurisdiction" over these matters, and consciously confront the way our
      simplifying thinking mechanisms distort the underlying social and political
      issues.

PMID- 1873570
TI  - Is money a cure? Follow-up of litigants in England.
AB  - American and British authors collaborated on a follow-up study in England of
      accident victims who brought litigation which had been resolved. Eighteen
      subjects who had complained of psychiatric symptoms during the course of the
      litigation were recruited from the British psychiatrist's files. Based on review
      of court documents and extensive interviews of the subjects, the authors describe
      case examples that demonstrate a complicated relationship between monetary
      compensation and outcome. Some of the litigants improved after they received
      compensation, but this seemed to be related to issues besides the money, e.g.,
      feelings about their impairment, family support, the loss or gain of a
      relationship, personality characteristics, and ability to return to work. The
      authors discuss the results of this study in light of differences between the
      British and American legal systems.

PMID- 1873571
TI  - A controlled comparison of involuntarily hospitalized medication refusers and
      acceptors.
AB  - Involuntarily hospitalized psychiatric patients consecutively admitted over a six
      month period who successfully refused medication (n = 37) are compared with a
      randomly selected group of medication-accepting patients committed during the
      same time period (n = 37). The overall refusal rate was 15.6 percent during the
      study period. Acceptors and refusers did not differ on age, sex, diagnosis,
      ethnicity, marital status, or preadmission living status. Differences between the
      groups indicate that refusers are sicker and lower functioning, are more
      behaviorally acute on the ward, and stay in the hospital twice as long as
      acceptors. Refusers also have a significantly negative impact on the overall ward
      milieu. The impact of institutional factors on the rate and outcome from
      mediation refusal are discussed.

PMID- 1873572
TI  - Antisocial burnout: an exploratory study.
AB  - The more flagrant aspects of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), particularly
      criminality, are thought to diminish or "burnout" after age 30. However,
      empirical evidence of burnout in clinically defined groups is lacking. This study
      explores burnout in a cohort of forensic psychiatric patients, aged 41 to 67,
      with clinically diagnosed DSM-III APD (N = 39). Conviction data revealed that
      criminality did appear to decline from age 27 onward, but not in a
      straightforward manner. Further, a significant portion of the cohort remained
      criminally active throughout most of their adult lives. Age did not appear to
      interact with crime class.

PMID- 1873573
TI  - Type of symptomatology as a form of volunteer bias.
AB  - We sought to explore the relationship between type of psychopathology and consent
      bias. Using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale we assessed a group of 48 forensic
      psychiatric inpatients. These patients were later independently approached by a
      researcher who attempted to get their consent for a study on the validity of self
      reported criminal behavior. Thirty agreed to participate and 18 did not. The
      consenting patients were significantly younger and had significantly more
      negative symptoms than the nonconsenters. The difference in negative symptoms
      remained significant after age and medication dose, in chlorpromazine
      equivalents, were covaried out. The authors discuss the implications of these
      findings for forensic research.

PMID- 1873574
TI  - The military insanity defense.
AB  - This article describes the military insanity defense. The success of the
      litigated insanity defense is explored through the number of insanity acquittals
      over a 28-month period. A questionnaire distributed to all United States Army
      psychiatrists provided information on the number of forensic evaluations
      performed, the number of not criminally responsible (NCR) opinions made, and the
      disposition of noncontested NCR opinions. The questionnaire also tested the Army
      psychiatrists' knowledge about recent changes in the military insanity defense.
      This pilot study raises interesting questions about the military insanity defense
      that further research can address.

PMID- 1873575
TI  - Crime and multiple personality disorder: a case history and discussion.
AB  - The application of the concept of multiple personality disorder (MPD) is one of
      the most complex and controversial issues facing forensic psychiatrists. The case
      presented is one in which a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder is not
      only well documented, but was so diagnosed at least 10 years before the ultimate
      homicide. Nonetheless, consideration of the legal issues was difficult. Other
      cases, particularly the Bianchi case, reflect the clinical difficulties in
      diagnosis. Subsequent cases have reflected a judicial review of the issues and a
      trend to disallow the concept of MPD as a defense; the author suggests that
      forensic psychiatrists incorporate these opinions in their future judgments.

PMID- 1873576
TI  - The Shakers and their proprietary medicines.

PMID- 1873577
TI  - "A disease sui generis": the origins of sickle cell anemia and the emergence of
      modern clinical research, 1904-1924.

PMID- 1873578
TI  - A profile of the medical profession in Scotland in the early twentieth century:
      the Medical Directory as a historical source.

PMID- 1873579
TI  - The Fielding H. Garrison lecture. Walter B. Cannon and the politics of medical
      science, 1920-1940.

PMID- 1873580
TI  - Texts and documents. The earliest-known account of Semmelweis's initiation of
      disinfection at Vienna's Allgemeines Krankenhaus.

PMID- 1873581
TI  - Paediatric cochlear implantation in the United Kingdom--a delayed journey on a
      well marked route.

PMID- 1873582
TI  - Tinnitus: evaluation of biofeedback and stomatognathic treatment.
AB  - Thirty-two patients with disabling tinnitus received stomatognathic treatment and
      biofeedback therapy according to a cross-over design. The evaluation of treatment
      outcomes showed some improvements at the group level: decrease of tinnitus
      intensity, mood improvement and reduction of clinical signs of dysfunction in the
      masticatory system. Qualitative observations indicated numerous positive changes
      in patients' emotional and cognitive orientation vis a vis tinnitus. Some
      possible predictors of positive treatment outcome were observed: comparatively
      low severity of tinnitus, normal hearing or compensated hearing loss, occlusal
      interferences, jaw fatigue, diurnal bruxism and fluctuations in tinnitus
      intensity. Left-sided tinnitus seemed to be a negative predictor of
      stomatognathic and biofeedback treatment outcome. Consequently, stomatognathic
      and biofeedback treatment seem to have some positive effects on subgroups of
      tinnitus patients.

PMID- 1873583
TI  - Perceptual consequence of vents in hearing aids.
AB  - The perceptual consequence of venting an earmould while maintaining the insertion
      gain at a preferred listening level was examined on nine hearing-impaired
      individuals with bilaterally symmetrical sloping sensorineural hearing loss.
      Subjects wore binaural programmable hearing aids and selected their preferred
      insertion gain while the hearing aids were coupled to vented (2.2 mm parallel
      vent) and unvented earmoulds. A modified Simplex procedure with discourse
      passages presented in quiet was used to determine preferred insertion gain. The
      results showed that venting enhanced subjects' quality rating of the hearing aids
      during listening and vocalization tasks, but did not change subjects' word
      recognition scores. These results suggest that vented earmoulds should be used to
      achieve target insertion gain in order to maximize patients' acceptance of
      hearing aids.

PMID- 1873584
TI  - Optimization of a slow-acting automatic gain control system for use in hearing
      aids.
AB  - This paper describes experiments evaluating and optimizing an automatic gain
      control system, called dual front-end AGC (abbreviated as D), intended for use in
      hearing aids. This system has two purposes: (1) to compensate for variations in
      the overall level of speech from one situation to another by slowly changing its
      gain; (2) to protect the user from sudden intense transients without affecting
      the long-term gain. This is achieved by using two control voltages to determine
      the gain. One changes slowly as the input varies in level. Normally this
      component determines the overall gain. The other comes into operation when an
      intense transient occurs. It acts rapidly to reduce the gain, avoiding over
      amplification of the transient, but its action ceases quickly after the end of
      the transient. We describe four experiments measuring speech intelligibility for
      subjects with cochlear hearing loss in which we determine optimum values for two
      of the time constants of the D system, namely the recovery time of the fast
      component and the attack time of the slow component. The experiments also compare
      the D system with linear amplification (L) and 'adaptive compression' (A). The
      results show: (1) for the D system, optimum values are about 80-150 ms for the
      recovery time of the fast component and 150-325 ms for the attack time of the
      slow component; (2) in situations where intense transient sounds are present, and
      there is either no background sound (experiment 1) or continuous speech-shaped
      noise as a background (experiment 2), the D system gives significantly better
      performance than the L or A systems. When the background noise is a single voice,
      reversed in time (experiment 3), the D and L systems give similar performance,
      and both are markedly superior to the A system; (3) when the level of speech is
      varied over a range of 30 dB (experiment 4), both D and A systems allow good
      performance over the whole range of levels. Performance for the L system worsens
      markedly at the lower levels.

PMID- 1873585
TI  - A comparison of the effects of different methods of impression build-up on
      earmoulds.
AB  - An investigation was carried out into effects of three types of impression build
      up (patting down of impressions, special earmould-maker build-up and the
      multistage impression technique) on the dimensions, static pressure seal, degree
      of acoustic seal and the subjective tightness and comfort of earmoulds. Patting
      down the impression significantly improved the degree of acoustic seal provided
      by earmoulds without making them feel tighter or less comfortable. However,
      special build-up was much more effective than patting down and the multistage
      impression technique was slightly more effective than special build-up in
      improving the degree of acoustic seal. The improvement in acoustic seal provided
      by both multistage and specially built-up earmoulds can usually be obtained
      without an unacceptable level of discomfort. Patting down the impression did not
      improve the chance of obtaining a static pressure seal. Special build-up of the
      impression by the earmould-maker significantly increased the proportion of
      earmoulds which provided a static pressure seal but an even higher proportion of
      earmoulds made from multistage impressions provided a seal. Dimension results
      indicated that an increase in earmould-maker build-up of the minor axis at the
      beginning of the canal segment of the impression would improve the acoustic seal
      provided by specially built-up earmoulds and that earmoulds with rounder tips are
      more likely to provide a static pressure seal than earmoulds with more elliptical
      tips. The better the impression material fills the ear canal, the rounder the tip
      of the impression, and the rounder the tip of the earmould made from the
      impression.

PMID- 1873586
TI  - A qualitative study of strategies for managing a hearing impairment.
AB  - The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of what hearing-impaired
      people are doing to deal with demanding auditory situations in everyday life.
      Twelve middle-aged subjects with clinical hearing impairments were interviewed
      monthly during 5 months. The interviews focused on the subjects' own descriptions
      of demanding auditory situations and what they did, thought and felt in these
      situations. Verbatim transcribed protocols were content-analysed according to
      Grounded Theory. Fourteen categories were grounded in the data, forming a model
      for dealing with demanding auditory situations, including two qualitatively
      different management patterns: 'to control the social scene' and 'to avoid the
      social scene'. The emerging core variable was socio-psychological: the hearing
      impaired individuals strive to maintain the normal identity and to prevent their
      definition as deviant in interactions with hearing people. The result of the
      inductive study was verified in a deductive study of 50 hearing-impaired
      subjects.

PMID- 1873587
TI  - Streptococcal septicaemia following autologous bone marrow transplantation in
      children treated with high-dose chemotherapy.
AB  - A total of 251 patients were given 326 courses of high-dose chemotherapy followed
      by autologous bone marrow transplantation between February 1979 and August 1988.
      Ninety-one cases of septicaemia developed in 84 patients, 33 of these cases (36%)
      were due to streptococci. The outcome was fatal for four patients (12.1%). No
      specific risk factors were identified which might account for this septicaemia
      and no clinical feature was significantly associated with these cases of
      bacterial infection. Pulmonary and neurologic septic complications, however, were
      of very poor prognosis since all patients with these complications died. The high
      rate of streptococcal septicaemia and the poor outcome for patients with
      prolonged and profound neutropenia led us to modify our choice of initial broad
      spectrum antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1873588
TI  - Serum erythropoietin levels in patients undergoing autologous bone marrow
      transplantation.
AB  - Serum erythropoietin (sEpo) levels were serially measured with a radioimmunoassay
      in 14 patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT), starting
      before the institution of the conditioning regimen up to day +45. An increase in
      sEpo levels was observed soon after starting the chemotherapy regimen, and before
      an evident fall in hemoglobin (Hb) levels took place. The peak in sEPo levels
      (221 +/- 181 mU/ml) was reached at day 0 in 9/14 patients, and was delayed up to
      day + 10 in the remaining five. There was a negative correlation between loge
      sEpo and Hb values (r = -0.730; p less than 0.01); the regression line of this
      correlation was comparable to the one obtained in a group of 15 iron-deficiency
      anemic subjects. Therefore, patients undergoing autologous BMT appear to be able
      to develop adequately increased sEpo levels in response to the severity of
      anemia. No correlation was found between sEpo and white blood cell or platelet
      count. On the other hand, sEpo value at day 0 was significantly related to the
      day of neutrophil recovery (r = -0.806; p less than 0.001): patients with the
      highest sEpo levels at day 0 showed significantly faster (p less than 0.001)
      neutrophil recovery.

PMID- 1873589
TI  - The development of cataract in children as a late side-effect of bone marrow
      transplantation.
AB  - Children with hematological malignancies (n = 33), severe aplastic anemia (SAA, n
      = 7) and other non-malignant diseases (n = 4) were followed for cataract
      development after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The children with
      hematological malignancies were subjected to total body irradiation (TBI), 10 Gy,
      in one session with no shielding of the eyes as part of their conditioning
      regimen before BMT. The children with SAA or other non-malignant diseases
      received either no irradiation before BMT or a reduced dose, 8 Gy, with shielding
      of their eyes. After 3 years all patients who had undergone BMT for hematological
      malignancies had developed lens opacification. No patients in the other groups,
      without leukemia, showed any sign of cataract development. There was no
      relationship between steroid treatment for graft-versus-host disease and cataract
      development. No relation to age of onset of treatment or to the sex of the
      patient and cataract formation was seen. It seems evident from the present study
      that TBI given in one session was the main cause of cataract development after
      BMT.

PMID- 1873590
TI  - Early herpes zoster infection in adult patients with Hodgkin's disease undergoing
      autologous bone marrow transplant.
AB  - The incidence of varicella-zoster-virus infection/reactivation in adult patients
      with Hodgkin's disease undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at
      the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic was determined. Seven of 28
      evaluable patients (25%) developed varicella-zoster infections in the first 150
      days post-transplant. Two additional patients developed zoster after day 150 for
      a total incidence of 32%. We evaluated analysed risk factors to determine if
      there were any characteristics that could identify patients at risk for zoster
      early (less than 150 days) in their post-transplant course. Sex, age, prior
      radiation, and lack of immunity as determined by viral antibody titers were not
      associated with an increased incidence. Ten of the 28 patients had a history of
      zoster at some time after the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease. Six of these 10
      patients (60%) again developed zoster post-transplant. This compared to only one
      episode of varicella-zoster post-transplant among the 18 patients without a
      history of zoster following the diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease (p less than 0.01,
      Fisher's exact). We conclude that a prior history of zoster any time after
      diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease is strongly associated with developing zoster in
      the first 150 days after autologous BMT.

PMID- 1873591
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation from related donors other than HLA-identical
      siblings: effect of T cell depletion.
AB  - Results of 470 bone marrow transplants from related donors other than
      genotypically HLA-identical siblings (alternative related donors) were analysed
      to identify factors associated with transplant outcome and to determine whether T
      cell depletion improved results. As compared to 3648 transplant from HLA
      identical siblings, alternative related donor transplants were associated with
      increased graft failure, increased acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and
      lower disease-free survival. The likelihood of adverse outcome correlated with
      increasing donor-recipient HLA-disparity. In multivariate analysis of alternative
      related donor transplants, donor age greater than or equal to 30 years, (relative
      risk [RR] 1.7, p less than 0.006), intermediate and advanced leukemia (RR 1.5 and
      1.6, p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.003), infection pretransplant (RR 1.7, p
      less than 0.005) and 2- and 3-locus donor-recipient HLA-disparity (RR 1.3, p less
      than 0.04) were associated with increased risks of treatment failure. The 2-year
      probability of leukemia-free survival after alternative related donor transplants
      (n = 43) with none of these adverse prognostic features was 44% (95% confidence
      interval 28-59%) compared to 56% (95% confidence interval 52-59%) for similar
      patients receiving HLA-identical sibling transplants (n = 868, univariate p less
      than 0.03). T cell depletion increased graft failure and decreased acute GVHD
      after alternative related donor transplants but did not improve leukemia-free
      survival.

PMID- 1873592
TI  - Treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia with allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting acute graft-versus
      host disease, relapse, and relapse-free survival.
AB  - Between February 1972 and December 1987, 192 adults (greater than or equal to 18
      years old) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were transplanted using
      genotypically HLA-identical marrow donors. Median patient age was 23 years.
      Eighty-nine patients were in marrow remission and 103 were in relapse.
      Conditioning regimens included chemotherapy alone (three patients) or in
      combination with 9.2-17.5 Gy total body irradiation (189 patients). Graft-versus
      host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis consisted of methotrexate and/or cyclosporine.
      Seventy-nine patients developed grades II-IV acute GVHD and 28 of 122 patients
      who survived at least 100 days developed chronic GVHD. Relapse-free survival at 5
      years was 21% for patients transplanted in first remission, 15% for those in
      greater than or equal to 2nd remission, and 12% for those transplanted in
      relapse. Patient and donor characteristics were evaluated in multivariate
      analyses for their effect on development of acute GVHD, survival, relapse, and
      relapse-free survival. An increased risk of developing acute GVHD was associated
      with increasing donor age. Variables significantly associated with both increased
      survival and relapse-free survival included transplantation in first remission,
      younger patient age, and not developing interstitial pneumonia. A decreased
      probability of relapse was associated with transplantation in first remission,
      male patient sex, and grades II-IV acute GVHD.

PMID- 1873593
TI  - Cyclosporine and methylprednisolone after allogeneic marrow transplantation:
      association between low cyclosporine concentration and risk of acute graft-versus
      host disease.
AB  - A combination of cyclosporine (CSA) and methylprednisolone (MP) was used as graft
      versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in 25 patients age 11-47 years (median 27
      years) who received HLA-compatible sibling marrow transplants after myeloablative
      therapy for leukemia, myelodysplasia or lymphoma. CSA was initiated at 3
      mg/kg/day in two divided doses, and the dose was adjusted to maintain a trough
      whole blood h.p.l.c. concentration between 200 and 800 ng/ml. While on i.v. CSA,
      the dose of CSA was increased for 10 of the 25 patients. The actuarial rate of
      grades II-IV acute GVHD was 37%. Those patients who developed moderate to severe
      GVHD had a significantly higher early mortality than those who did not (56% vs
      12%, p = 0.02). There was a significant association between the development of
      acute GVHD and a mean week 2 CSA trough concentration less than 250 ng/ml. Life
      threatening regimen-related toxicities in the first 100 days included capillary
      leak syndrome, acute pancreatitis and small bowel perforation. Although the
      combination of CSA and MP in this dosing schedule was active in preventing acute
      GVHD, nephrotoxicity remained a problem, and outcome was limited by the inability
      to achieve the target CSA trough concentration in a substantial proportion of
      patients.

PMID- 1873594
TI  - Prothrombotic hemostatic abnormalities in patients with refractory malignant
      lymphoma presenting for autologous stem cell transplantation.
AB  - Forty-six patients with refractory malignant lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non
      Hodgkin's) admitted for autologous marrow or peripheral blood stem cell
      transplantation (ASCT) were evaluated for the presence of hemostatic
      abnormalities known to be associated with a hypercoagulable state in other
      patient populations. All patients had received numerous chemotherapeutic agents
      in the past and often radiation therapy as well. Hemostatic abnormalities were
      found to be common in these patients. The most frequent finding was
      hyperfibrinogenemia, present in 35% of patients. Decreased protein C activity was
      present in 32% of patients. Protein C antigen was low in only one individual and
      protein S was normal or increased in all patients. Low levels of antithrombin III
      were present in 16%. Plasminogen activator inhibitor was elevated in 20%.
      Anticardiolipin antibodies were present in 29% of patients; other evidence of a
      lupus anticoagulant was present in only eight patients. The frequency of each
      hemostatic abnormality was similar for patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and
      those with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) despite the fact that significantly more
      patients with HD had received irradiation and/or previous splenectomy than
      patients with NHL. We conclude that multiple prothrombotic abnormalities of
      hemostasis are present in patients with refractory lymphoma referred for ASCT.
      Whether these are the result of lymphoma or the result of therapy cannot be
      determined from this study.

PMID- 1873595
TI  - Fat embolism syndrome following bone marrow harvesting.
AB  - A case of fat embolism syndrome is reported following an uncomplicated bone
      marrow harvest. The presenting symptoms were restlessness, shortness of breath
      and arterial hypoxemia. A lung perfusion scan ruled out the presence of a lung
      thromboembolism. The patient received supportive therapy and recovered within a
      few hours. We speculate that the larger gauge needle (13 vs 15) used to aspirate
      the bone marrow may have represented increased trauma to the iliac crest leading
      to fat embolism.

PMID- 1873596
TI  - Transient elevation of serum lactic dehydrogenase following autologous bone
      marrow transplantation.
AB  - Transient elevated levels of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were reported
      immediately following autologous bone marrow transplantation consecutively in 15
      patients. Isoenzyme 2 was the predominant elevated isoenzyme of LDH, suggesting
      that the source of LDH is either hemolysis of RBCs, which occurs during freezing
      and thawing of bone marrow in the bags and in vivo following infusion of residual
      dimethyl sulfoxide.

PMID- 1873597
TI  - A commercially available culture medium compares favorably to laboratory medium
      (LM) for assay of peripheral blood colony forming units (CFU)

PMID- 1873598
TI  - Incidental correction of severe IgA deficiency by displacement bone marrow
      transplantation.

PMID- 1873599
TI  - The effectiveness of post-acute rehabilitation.

PMID- 1873600
TI  - Brain injury: analysis of outcome in a post-acute rehabilitation system. Part 1:
      General analysis.
AB  - During the past decade the rehabilitation field has developed new, non-hospital
      based programmes of cognitive, behavioural, social, educational and vocational
      treatments to address the higher order cognitive, behavioural and social deficits
      following brain injury. These new arrays of programmes are referred to under the
      term 'post-acute' rehabilitation. No comprehensive, methodologically sound study
      of the effects of these new treatments has been made to date. This paper reports
      data from brain-injured patients who underwent treatment within a co-ordinated
      system of post-acute brain-injury rehabilitation programmes. This system consists
      of a continuum of neurobehavioural, residential, day treatment and community and
      home programmes, and provides overt components of medical and rehabilitation
      care: behavioural management; activities of daily living, self-management,
      substance-abuse, social, academic and vocational skills training; counselling;
      and family education. The changes in function during the course of treatment by
      this post-acute sequence of rehabilitation have been obtained and are reported
      here. A defined total population of N = 192 is examined, with exclusions for
      appropriate causes (e.g. patients seen only for evaluation) producing a study
      population of N = 173; of these, follow-up was achieved in 145 cases, a follow-up
      rate of 83.8%. Time from date of injury to data of admission, severity of deficit
      at time of admission to programme, and other appropriate independent variables
      are used to characterize the population. A single-blind interview methodology was
      employed in obtaining dependent measures of outcome at 6, 12, or 24 month periods
      post-discharge. Measures of outcome included residential status, level of
      productivity activity and hours per day of attendant care or supervision
      required. Dependent variables were analysed for the total study population and a
      subgroup greater than 1 year from date of injury at entry to treatment and not
      from a treatment facility. Results are presented in terms of the percentage
      change in dependent measures from the point of admission to follow-up.
      Appropriate parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses of significance
      have been carried out. The results document substantial improvements in function
      during the post-acute rehabilitation of this population and such improvements are
      unlikely to be the result of spontaneous improvement alone.

PMID- 1873601
TI  - Outcomes of community re-entry programmes for brain injury survivors. Part 1:
      Independent living and productive activities.
AB  - This is a study of the multiple outcomes of residential community re-entry
      programmes for disabled survivors of brain injury. The sample consisted of 82
      clients from nine facilities across the USA. The level of functioning of the
      client at and before admission was determined from clinical evaluations reported
      in programme records. Telephone interviews assessed outcomes 1 year after
      discharge. The participation in the re-entry programmes led to enduring
      improvements in independent living and productive activities. Total supervision
      requirements decreased substantially. Paid employment increased, but benefits
      went much beyond this to include improvements in educational activities, unpaid
      vocational activities, and especially household management. For the most part,
      these improvements cannot be attributed to chronicity or natural healing. The
      benefits of the re-entry programmes were clearly multiple. The results generally
      affirm the effectiveness and utility of community re-entry programmes.

PMID- 1873602
TI  - Learning in post-traumatic amnesia following extremely severe closed head injury.
AB  - Verbal and spatial tests of learning were administered in five repeated sessions
      to nine subjects who were in post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) following extremely
      severe closed head injuries. PTA was operationally defined as having a score of
      75 or less on the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test. Subjects showed no
      ability to learn verbal information (free recall and recognition of a word list)
      but showed some savings of spatial location information over the first three
      sessions. Results were interpreted as suggestive of a primarily passive mode of
      learning during PTA, regardless of the nature of the material to be learned.

PMID- 1873603
TI  - Substance abuse and crime patterns among persons with traumatic brain injury
      referred for supported employment.
AB  - The present investigation examined the incidence of alcohol use, drug use and
      criminal behaviour among persons with traumatic brain injury referred for
      supported employment services. Primary caretakers of 74 consecutive referrals
      completed the General Health and History Questionnaire, the brief version of the
      Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, and the Quantity-Frequency-Variability Index.
      Pre-injury, a fifth of the sample were abstinent from alcohol and 66% were
      labelled as moderate or heavy drinkers. Post-injury alcohol use declined. Half of
      the sample were abstinent and 28% were moderate or heavy drinkers. Thirty-six
      percent reported illicit drug use pre-injury. Reportedly, post-injury drug use
      declined to an incidence of 4%. Nearly 20% of the sample had been arrested pre
      injury and 10% were arrested post-injury. Implications for further research and
      programme development are discussed.

PMID- 1873604
TI  - Predicting severity of cognitive impairment after severe head injury.
AB  - It is often assumed that age is an important variable in determining cognitive
      outcome following severe head injury. The present study was carried out to
      determine whether age at time of injury predicted severity of cognitive
      impairment. Our hypothesis was that the older the patient at time of head injury
      the worse should be the cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment was assessed
      by scores on nine standardized tests. Scores were obtained from 144 consecutive
      referrals to a clinical psychologist; all subjects had sustained a severe head
      injury. Of these, 115 had suffered a closed head injury. Ages ranged from 13 to
      65 years. Apart from Unusual Views and Verbal Fluency no significant correlations
      were found between age and test performance. Thus there was little evidence that
      age predicted performance on cognitive tests. A number of significant
      correlations were found between length of coma and cognitive performance. The
      findings would seem to confirm that cognitive outcome after severe head injury is
      predicted by length of coma (which reflects severity of brain damage) whilst age
      at time of injury does not appear to be a good predictor of outcome.

PMID- 1873605
TI  - Comparison of minor and severe head injury emotional sequelae using the MMPI.
AB  - The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was administered to 73
      patients with traumatic brain injury to objectively evaluate emotional status.
      Profile analysis indicated that many patients were suffering from emotional
      disturbance. Higher distress levels were evident among those with minor head
      injury relative to severe head injury. Observed MMPI profiles for these two head
      injury groups were consistent with previous research and expectations related to
      the typical consequences of the post-concussion syndrome. The potential value of
      the MMPI with the head injury population as well as the need for cautious
      interpretation and integration of impressions derived from other sources is
      discussed.

PMID- 1873606
TI  - The relationship between social skill and family problem-solving following very
      severe closed head injury.
AB  - This study examined the relationship between level of social skill and family
      problem-solving behaviour in a group of 18, community dwelling, very severe
      closed head injury (CHI) patients who had suffered their injury at least 18
      months previously, and who were still in contact with rehabilitation services.
      The main findings of this study were a positive relationship between CHI
      patients' level of social skill and their rate of positive effect, and an inverse
      relationship between the CHI patients' level of social skill and the rate of
      facilitative behaviour displayed by relatives during problem-solving
      interactions. It is suggested that socially unskilled CHI patients may be more
      demanding to interact with, and that this may cause a significant burden for
      their relatives.

PMID- 1873607
TI  - Treatment of post-traumatic midbrain resting-kinetic tremor with combined
      levodopa/carbidopa and carbamazepine.
AB  - A patient with a post-traumatic midbrain haemorrhagic lesion documented by
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presented with a combined resting-kinetic
      contralateral upper extremity tremor. The resting tremor component responded to
      levodopa/carbidopa, while the kinetic component improved with the addition of
      carbamazepine.

PMID- 1873608
TI  - Survival assessment of cultured epidermal allografts applied onto partial
      thickness burn wounds.
AB  - Cultured epidermal allografts (C.E.A.) were applied to 6 partial thickness burns.
      Biopsies were obtained at intervals between 8-100 days after grafting. In the
      second week clinical re-epithelialisation of the allografted sites was confirmed
      histologically. Blood group- and sex-mismatch studies showed that the allografted
      cells were not present between 8-100 days post-grafting, suggesting that the
      newly formed epithelium was of host origin.

PMID- 1873609
TI  - Supraperiosteal lifting of the upper two-thirds of the face.
AB  - This paper presents an alternative to subperiosteal lifting (mask-lift),
      consisting in making the dissection following the natural plane of the sub-SMAS
      in the upper and middle thirds of the face. It constitutes what we have called
      supraperiosteal lifting of the upper two-thirds of the face, or suspension of the
      fronto-temporo-periorbito-malar SMAS. In our experience, this technique offers
      certain advantages and has fewer complications than subperiosteal lifting,
      allowing natural and harmonious rejuvenation of the upper two-thirds of the face,
      leaving no sequelae other than the coronal scar which is concealed in the scalp.
      The article describes the surgical procedure and the results obtained, as well as
      its frequent association with other procedures such as blepharoplasty,
      modification of the orbital bone rim, malar augmentation, rhinoplasty,
      cervicofacial lifting etc.

PMID- 1873610
TI  - A comparative investigation of re-epithelialisation of split skin graft donor
      areas after application of hydrocolloid and alginate dressings.
AB  - The performances of hydrocolloid and alginate dressing materials have been
      compared in a study of 65 split skin graft donor areas. The donor areas were
      randomised between the two dressing materials. The rates of epithelialisation,
      the discomfort experienced by the patients and the convenience of the dressings
      in clinical use were compared. At the time of the first dressing change 87% of
      the donor areas dressed with the hydrocolloid and 86% of the donor areas dressed
      with the alginate were found to be more than 90% healed. The mean time from
      operation to the observation of complete healing was 10.0 days for the donor
      areas dressed with the hydrocolloid and 15.5 days for the donor areas dressed
      with the alginate: this difference was found to be statistically significant. The
      discomfort experienced by the two groups of patients was comparable. The rapid
      healing associated with the hydrocolloid dressing was thought to be of greatest
      benefit to inpatients; alginate dressings were thought to be more suitable for
      outpatients, as they proved to be simpler to use.

PMID- 1873611
TI  - A randomised controlled study to evaluate the effect of Naftidrofuryl in a rat
      ischaemic skin flap model.
AB  - The theoretical benefit of Naftidrofuryl in improving survival of ischaemic skin
      flaps was tested in a randomised controlled study using oral, intraperitoneal and
      local administration of the drug in three groups of Wistar rats. The vasodilator
      Naftidrofuryl was shown to be of no value in preventing distal necrosis in a rat
      skin flap model which has previously responded to pharmacological manipulation.

PMID- 1873612
TI  - Modulatory effects of topically administered lidocaine and pentobarbital on
      traumatic vasospasm in the rabbit ear artery.
AB  - The effect of topical administration of 2 or 20% lidocaine and of 3%
      pentobarbital on traumatic vasospasm was studied in the central ear artery of the
      rabbit. The inner diameter of the artery was measured by in vivo microscopy.
      Vasospasm was induced by a standardised pinch of a 3.2 mm long arterial segment
      and lasted for 10-20 min. The drugs were given locally at maximal spasm, 1 min
      after spasm induction. All treatments caused prompt resolution of the vasospasm.
      This was followed by a plateau phase when the vessel diameter was reduced to
      about 60% of the initial pre-spasm value as a result of drug-induced
      vasoconstriction. The vasoconstriction lasted between 40 min and 24 h, depending
      on the treatment. Twenty per cent lidocaine was most effective, but caused
      thrombosis in microvessels surrounding the central ear artery. It is concluded
      that topical lidocaine and pentobarbital are both effective in resolving
      traumatic vasospasm but should only be used after careful consideration, since
      they also cause a general decrease in vascular diameter.

PMID- 1873613
TI  - "Side table assembly"--an adjuvant to craniofacial reconstruction.
AB  - Plates and screws are used extensively in craniofacial surgery; they have
      increased the speed of this surgery, but this can be made even more efficient.
      Utilising an adjacent instrument table, the rearrangement and reassembly of bone
      segments resulting from osteotomy or fracture can be performed by a second
      surgical team using plates and screws. At the conclusion of the operation, the
      reassembled bony reconstruction can rapidly be placed in position with a minimum
      of additional screws. This technique has been found to be technically easier and
      to afford a considerable saving of operating time.

PMID- 1873614
TI  - Innervation and functional reconstruction of the forehead.
AB  - The anatomy of the motor and sensory innervation of the forehead was studied by
      dissection of 10 cadavers. Some of the temporal branches of the facial nerve
      supply the frontalis muscle. They run along a line drawn from below the tragus to
      a point about 1.5 cm above the outer margin of the orbit where the branches enter
      the muscle from its deep aspect. There is wide variation in the number of
      branches and the pattern of anastomosis between them. The sensory innervation is
      from the frontal nerve, a branch of the ophthalmic division of the fifth cranial
      nerve. Although the pattern of division into four or five branches is very
      variable and often asymmetrical, there is an important common feature: the most
      medial branch changes from a submuscular to a subcutaneous plane immediately
      after leaving the orbit, while each of the successively more lateral branches
      travels to a higher level before this change takes place. On the basis of these
      anatomical findings, a functionally satisfactory reconstructive procedure was
      designed to close skin defects of the forehead of up to 6 cm in diameter, by
      raising innervated musculocutaneous local flaps.

PMID- 1873615
TI  - New surgical technique for reconstruction of the ala of the nose.
AB  - A technique is described for reconstructing through-and-through defects of the
      ala of the nose, using a compound flap from the nasal tip and the opposite ala.
      It is illustrated with two cases.

PMID- 1873616
TI  - Lower eyelid repair utilising triangular skin flaps with subcutaneous pedicles.
AB  - Fifty-four patients were studied during the period from 1984 to 1989. The lower
      eyelid was repaired in 55 cases utilising a triangular flap with a subcutaneous
      pedicle. Repair was achieved in 39 cases with a triangular flap only and in 16 it
      was necessary to use a chondromucosal graft of nasal septum as well. The method
      is described and is feasible for repairs ranging from the simplest to the most
      complex in different locations of the lid.

PMID- 1873617
TI  - The sliding venous flap for covering skin defects with poor blood supply on the
      lateral aspects of fingers.
AB  - For the treatment of skin defects with poor blood supply on the lateral aspects
      of the fingers, particularly the radial side of the index finger and the ulnar
      side of the little finger which have been difficult to cover conventionally, we
      have developed the sliding venous flap. The flap can be moved by using the "sag"
      obtained from the dissected dorsal veins of the same finger. We have applied this
      technique in six cases with excellent results. The indications are limited to
      cases with only slight crushing of the dorsum of the finger. We consider this
      technique safe and effective in covering skin defects with poor blood supply on
      the lateral aspects of fingers.

PMID- 1873618
TI  - The inverted nipple: to cut the ducts or not?
AB  - Much dilemma exists as whether to divide the lactiferous ducts or not when
      correcting an inverted nipple. We report a series of 26 cases (44 nipples), which
      have undergone correction with or without duct division. Eversion was maintained
      in 59% of nipples. Analysis of the failure groups revealed similar rates of
      failure for umbilicated nipples whether the ducts were divided (27%) or not
      (25%). Invaginated nipples showed an increased tendency to reinvert
      postoperatively if the ducts were not divided (80%) than if they were (42%) (not
      significant). Permanent loss of nipple sensation was noted in 20% of cases when
      the lactiferous ducts were divided. Postoperatively two women were able to breast
      feed despite complete division of their lactiferous ducts. Women with umbilicated
      nipples are usually able to breast feed. We believe that correction of the
      umbilicated nipple can usually be successfully performed, and function maintained
      without dividing the ducts. Correction of the invaginated nipple requires duct
      division. The underlying pathogenesis and varying methods of correction are
      reviewed.

PMID- 1873619
TI  - Unoperated bilateral cleft lip and palate in a young adult: a thirty three year
      follow-up.
AB  - A 15-year-old patient with an unoperated complete bilateral cleft of the lip and
      palate was operated in 1955. The premaxilla was sacrificed and replaced with a
      prosthesis. The prolabium was hypoplastic and was used to reconstruct the
      columella. A follow-up of 33 years is presented.

PMID- 1873620
TI  - Nasal augmentation in chondrodysplasia punctata using tissue expansion.
AB  - Chondrodysplasia punctata is an uncommon group of congenital bone dysplasias. A
      common feature of this disease is a characteristic facial appearance including
      nasal hypoplasia. This paper describes the management of a case presenting with
      this disease in which soft tissue augmentation was achieved with tissue expansion
      of the nasal skin. Follow-up of more than 4 years demonstrates that a
      satisfactory result has been achieved, with no facial scars. The relevant
      literature is discussed.

PMID- 1873621
TI  - A long surviving case of holoprosencephaly agnathia series.
AB  - The rare syndrome of the agnathia with microstomia, aglossia, synotia (the
      external ears approaching one another in the midline) and brain malformation
      (agnathia-holoprosencephaly) was reported by Pauli et al. (1983) as a
      developmental field defect. This syndrome has two subgroups. One is more severe
      with brain malformation (holoprosencephaly), and the other is less severe without
      brain malformation. This report presents a long surviving case of this syndrome
      without brain malformation.

PMID- 1873622
TI  - An anomaly of the radial artery--relevance for the forearm flap.
AB  - The radial artery runs between the Flexor Carpi Radialis tendon and the
      Brachioradialis tendon in the distal one-third of the forearm. Here it is covered
      only by the superficial fascia, subcutaneous tissue and skin, so that it is easy
      to palpate. However, the case reported here describes a rare anomaly of the
      radial artery which has relevance to use of the forearm flap.

PMID- 1873623
TI  - Latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction.

PMID- 1873624
TI  - The migrating tendon spacer.

PMID- 1873625
TI  - The marketing of 5-hydroxytryptamine: depression or anxiety?

PMID- 1873626
TI  - Child psychiatry in developing countries.
AB  - Child psychiatry in developing countries has recently attained the status of an
      established specialty. This review looks at available epidemiological data, and
      factors contributing to similarities and differences in rates of disorder. The
      relevance of child psychiatry to child health in these countries has service,
      training and research implications.

PMID- 1873627
TI  - Dangerous mistakes.
AB  - The shortening of the periods of detention for treatment, deterrence or
      retribution have made a live issue of whether (or when) it is justifiable to
      detain violent and sexual offenders solely for the protection of others. Anti
      protectionist arguments have made 'dangerousness' a dirty word, but are based
      either on actuarial statistics of doubtful relevance or on confused moral
      reasoning. A typology of 'dangerousness' is tentatively offered, and the
      impossibility of adequately supervising some dangerous offenders in the community
      is emphasised. That said, offenders detained solely for the sake of others are
      entitled to more than merely 'humane containment'.

PMID- 1873628
TI  - Unexplained fluctuations in the risk for schizophrenia by month and year of
      birth.
AB  - Variation in their year and month of birth was studied in the 13,661
      schizophrenics born between 1914 and 1960 known to the Scottish Psychiatric Case
      Register. Year-to-year fluctuations in the number of schizophrenics per 10,000
      live births were outside chance limits. So were month-to-month fluctuations
      between January 1932 and December 1960, and this was largely due to fluctuations
      in the numbers of schizophrenics born in February, March, April and May. Time
      lagged correlations with mean monthly temperatures suggest that in these same
      four months the incidence of schizophrenia is influenced by temperature six
      months previously - the lower the temperature in the autumn the higher the
      incidence of schizophrenic births the following spring. If these findings can be
      confirmed in other data sets, they would suggest that some influence which varies
      consistently with season and temperature is contributing to the aetiology of
      schizophrenia and may exert its effects as early as the third or fourth month of
      foetal development.

PMID- 1873629
TI  - Season of birth in schizophrenia. Evidence for confinement of an excess of winter
      births to patients without a family history of mental disorder.
AB  - Although it is well recognised that schizophrenic patients are more often born in
      winter, the significance of this finding remains obscure. Data relating to season
      of birth and family history were analysed for 561 patients with an ICD-9
      diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients with no family history of any psychiatric
      disorder group were significantly more likely to be born in winter than patients
      with a first-degree relative affected by schizophrenia. In comparison with normal
      population controls, only those without a family history exhibited a significant
      excess of winter births, suggesting an environmental factor of greater
      aetiological significance in these patients.

PMID- 1873630
TI  - Sex differences in suicidal behaviour of referred adolescents.
AB  - Reports of suicidal behaviour from four countries using the same measures were
      higher for girls than for boys, and higher in self-reports than in parent reports
      for both referred and normal adolescents. In a sample of 480 referred
      adolescents, patterns of 'low' and 'high' suicidal scores were different when
      age, sex and diagnosis were considered. The probability of high scores for girls
      showed only a marginal increase with age, while there was a striking rise for
      boys. An affective diagnosis doubled the probability of high scores for both boys
      and girls, while it had no effect on low scores. Psychosocial stressors also
      increased the probability of high suicidal scores, particularly in adolescents
      with an affective disorder. Sex differences in suicidal behaviour were marked in
      the low-scoring groups.

PMID- 1873631
TI  - Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to screen for psychiatric
      disorders in people presenting with deliberate self-harm.
AB  - In-patients referred to a deliberate self-harm team were asked to complete the
      HAD questionnaire and diagnoses were made using the SCID. The total prevalence of
      psychiatric disorder by DSM-III criteria was 54%. The HAD performed well as a
      screening instrument; a threshold score of eight gave a sensitivity of 88% and a
      positive predictive value of 80%; its use by non-psychiatrists to detect
      depressive disorder in patients presenting with deliberate self-harm is to be
      recommended.

PMID- 1873632
TI  - Treatment as an alternative to prosecution: offenders diverted for treatment.
AB  - In Scotland, procurators fiscal (state prosecutors) can divert certain offenders
      from the court process into treatment. This paper describes the first diversion
      scheme in which offenders who are suspected of having psychological difficulties
      are referred for psychological and psychiatric treatment before, and generally in
      lieu of, prosecution. It is argued that the procurator fiscal is successful in
      selecting suitable cases for treatment: most people referred have significant
      psychological difficulties but have failed to obtain appropriate assistance
      through the normal channels of referral.

PMID- 1873633
TI  - Compulsory psychiatric treatment in the community. II. A controlled study of
      patients whom psychiatrists would recommend for compulsory treatment in the
      community.
AB  - Several English consultant psychiatrists were asked to identify which patients
      currently under their care they would recommend for treatment with a community
      treatment order, if such a provision existed. The psychiatrists were asked to
      match each such 'nominated' patient for age, sex and diagnosis with one or two
      control patients, not considered to require compulsory treatment in the
      community. From specific data collected, it was found that: the two groups did
      not differ in their 'lifetime' histories of psychiatric admissions, substance
      misuse, criminal charges or dangerousness; 65-72% of the total sample had a
      history of serious dangerousness; but in the 12 months before nomination, the
      'nominated' patients were significantly less likely than the controls to have
      complied with psychiatric treatment, and more likely to have defaulted from
      follow-up. The results indicate that a psychiatrist's decision to recommend a
      patient for treatment with a community treatment order will depend predominantly
      on specific criteria related to the patient's recent past.

PMID- 1873634
TI  - Adoption and eating disorders: a high-risk group?
AB  - Between 1975 and 1985, 3.8% of patients referred to the Maudsley Hospital with
      anorexia and bulimia were adoptees. This exceeds the rate of adoption (1.5%) in
      the general population matched for year of birth. The 18 adoptees with eating
      disorders had significantly more associated behavioural disturbance and lower
      academic achievement than the 18 matched controls, and different precipitating
      factors.

PMID- 1873635
TI  - Is schizophrenia disappearing?

PMID- 1873636
TI  - Pattern of obsessive-compulsive disorder in eastern Saudi Arabia.
AB  - In 32 Muslim Saudis with obsessive-compulsive disorder, compulsive acts (78%) and
      doubts (66%) were the commonest forms. Religious themes predominated in both the
      obsessions and compulsions.

PMID- 1873637
TI  - Polycythaemia rubra vera, cerebral ischaemia and depression.
AB  - A patient with polycythaemia rubra vera complicated by severe psychotic
      depression is described. There have been no previous reports of polycythaemia
      rubra vera associated with psychiatric morbidity.

PMID- 1873638
TI  - Successful treatment of paraphilic coercive disorder (a rapist) with fluoxetine
      hydrochloride.
AB  - A rape assailant with intrusive and persistent paraphilic rape fantasies was
      successfully treated with the antidepressant fluoxetine hydrochloride. Symptoms
      of impulsiveness, anxiety and depression were also markedly improved.

PMID- 1873639
TI  - Dependence on monoamine oxidase inhibitors in high dose.
AB  - A 37-year-old woman with a personality disorder and chronic dysthymia developed a
      dependence on MAOIs. She ingested 440 mg tranylcypromine daily without any side
      effects while taking no dietary precautions. The features of MAOI dependence and
      their resemblance to amphetamine dependence are discussed.

PMID- 1873640
TI  - Dementia with parietal signs.

PMID- 1873641
TI  - Eating disorders in Asians.

PMID- 1873642
TI  - Computerised tomography in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1873643
TI  - Tardive dyskinesia and HLA.

PMID- 1873644
TI  - Menopausal depression.

PMID- 1873645
TI  - EPDS by post.

PMID- 1873646
TI  - Educational status and neurological abnormalities in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1873647
TI  - Brain lesions and cognitive function in late-life psychosis.

PMID- 1873648
TI  - Are lateral eye-movements a valid index of functional hemispheric asymmetries?
AB  - Lateral eye-movements (LEMs) to verbal and spatial questions are frequently used
      as an index of asymmetries in hemisphere activation and the concept of
      'hemisphericity'. There have, however, been few attempts to validate LEMs using
      independent cognitive measures of hemisphere function. This study relates
      laterality indices of LEMs recorded in the dark using infrared recording
      techniques, and elicited by verbal and spatial questions, to other measures of
      left and right hemisphere functioning (verbal and non-verbal dichotic listening,
      block design, digit span) in 43 subjects. LEM laterality indices were unrelated
      to these validation measures. It is concluded that although appropriate question
      type-LEM relationships may reflect transient asymmetries in hemispheric
      activation, they are not a valid index of stable individual differences in
      hemisphere utilization.

PMID- 1873649
TI  - Do older people know how good they are?
AB  - Information and procedures that have been overlearned during a lifetime form a
      body of 'crystallized' intelligence that is relatively unaffected by ageing. Thus
      in spite of marked decrements in their 'fluid' memory abilities it is possible
      that older people may retain knowledge about the limitations and characteristics
      of their own memory ('metamemory'). To test whether efficiency of metamemory is,
      indeed, independent of age-related decline in fluid intelligence, 320 people aged
      from 50 to 79 years were asked to predict their probable performance on four
      simple memory tasks which had been carefully explained to them. They then
      experienced the tasks and their predictions were compared with their actual
      performances. Actual task performance was modestly predicted by chronological age
      and by AH 4 and Mill Hill IQ test scores but not by subjective self-ratings of
      everyday memory and cognitive efficiency (the Broadbent CFQ, and the Sunderland &
      Harris MQ). The data suggest that absolute levels of prediction of performance
      were associated with self-confidence and were best predicted by scores on the
      Beck depression scale and by fluid IQ test scores. There was also evidence that
      individuals with higher test scores gave more accurate as well as more optimistic
      predictions of their own abilities. Taken together these results suggest that the
      accuracy of individuals' assessments of their own abilities does alter with age
      related changes in fluid IQ, but probably more radically by age-related changes
      in self-regard and in life-style.

PMID- 1873650
TI  - A catastrophe model of anxiety and performance.
AB  - An experiment is reported which tests Fazey & Hardy's (1988) catastrophe model of
      anxiety and performance. Eight experienced basketball players were required to
      perform a set shooting task, under conditions of high and low cognitive anxiety.
      On each of these occasions, physiological arousal was manipulated by means of
      physical work in such a way that subjects were tested with physiological arousal
      increasing and decreasing. Curve-fitting procedures followed by non-parametric
      tests of significance confirmed (p less than .002) Fazey & Hardy's hysteresis
      hypothesis: namely, that the polynomial curves for the increasing vs. decreasing
      arousal conditions would be horizontally displaced relative to each other in the
      high cognitive anxiety condition, but superimposed on top of one another in the
      low cognitive anxiety condition. Other non-parametric procedures showed that
      subjects' maximum performances were higher, their minimum performances lower, and
      their critical decrements in performance greater in the high cognitive anxiety
      condition than in the low cognitive anxiety condition. These results were taken
      as strong support for Fazey & Hardy's catastrophe model of anxiety and
      performance. The implications of the model for current theorizing on the anxiety
      performance relationship are also discussed.

PMID- 1873651
TI  - Humanistic understanding and physiological explanation in the Principles.

PMID- 1873652
TI  - James and Freud: two masters of metaphor.

PMID- 1873653
TI  - William James's The Principles of Psychology: 'a seemingly inexhaustible source
      of ideas'.
AB  - Selected topics from The Principles of Psychology are evaluated in the light of
      current psychological knowledge. It is argued that James's main contribution lies
      in his acute observation of experience, resulting in the framing of searching
      questions about fundamental problems, and that many of his insights have inspired
      recent work. This is illustrated with reference to his chapters on the will,
      attention and emotion. The main advances since his time have been in the
      reformulation of his ideas in information-processing terms, enabling their
      empirical testing in laboratory experiments, computer simulation and
      neuropsychology.

PMID- 1873654
TI  - The Guidance Notes revisited: advice to patients leaving hospital after
      diagnostic nuclear medicine.

PMID- 1873655
TI  - Lymphoproliferative disorders of the thyroid gland: radiological appearances.
AB  - Images of lymphoproliferative disorders of the thyroid by ultrasonography (US),
      computed tomography (CT), 99Tcm and 67Ga scintigraphy were analysed in eight
      patients (two men and six women, aged 42-83 years). Seven patients were diagnosed
      as having primary lymphoma and one plasmacytoma. Ultrasound revealed a solid mass
      with homogeneous and very low echogenicity clearly distinguishable from residual
      thyroid tissue in five patients, diffuse hypoechoic goitre in one and multiple
      irregular hypoechoic nodules in both lobes in the patient with plasmacytoma (Case
      8). Computed tomography demonstrated a focal low-density area in six cases of
      lymphoma and decreased density throughout the gland in the other two patients.
      99Tcm scintigraphy showed hemilobar enlargement with decreased and uneven
      trapping, cold area or complete lobar defect in six patients with lymphoma and no
      trapping in the case of plasmacytoma. 67Ga scintigraphy demonstrated high
      accumulation in lymphoma and faint accumulation in the case of plasmacytoma.
      Radiological manifestations with a focal lesion were considered typical and
      diagnostic of primary thyroid lymphoma, while in one case with diffuse
      infiltration through the whole gland, the differential diagnosis from Hashimoto's
      thyroiditis could not be made. In the final case, cells infiltrated diffusely to
      form islands with patchy distribution among well preserved follicles, correlating
      with the multiple hypoechoic areas observed by US.

PMID- 1873656
TI  - Fibrous dysplasia of the skull: disease activity in relation to age.
AB  - Eighteen of 19 patients with histologically confirmed fibrous dysplasia of the
      skull seen at the Institute of Neurological Sciences, Glasgow, in the past 20
      years have been reviewed and recent radiographs obtained. Sex, age at
      presentation and at follow-up were recorded, in addition to the site, type and
      extent of cranial involvement. The findings have been related to disease activity
      and progression. In comparison with other reports we found the proportion of
      patients with activity in adulthood to be relatively high (37%). Overall, there
      was an equal sex distribution, but of seven patients presenting as adults, six
      were female as were six of seven patients with evidence of disease activity in
      adulthood.

PMID- 1873657
TI  - The extrapleural fat in empyema: CT appearance.
AB  - Pleural empyema can be accompanied by changes in the adjacent chest wall. We
      examined the chest wall on computed tomographic scans in 24 patients with pleural
      effusions. Eighteen patients had pleural empyema and six had transudative
      effusions. Of the 18 empyema patients, 13 had abnormally high attenuation in the
      extrapleural tissues. In 12 of these 13, the high attenuation was probably caused
      by reaction to the pleural infection. In two, it was probably caused by haematoma
      (one patient had haematoma and empyema). In five patients there was either no
      clear abnormality in the extrapleural space or an insufficient amount of fat to
      permit detection of an abnormality, or the parietal pleura could not be
      distinguished from the pleural fluid because intravenous contrast medium was not
      given. Of the six patients with proven transudative pleural effusions, all had
      extrapleural fat which appeared normal. Abnormally high attenuation in the
      extrapleural tissues can be expected to accompany exudative pleural effusion,
      particularly empyema, but not transudative effusion.

PMID- 1873658
TI  - The ocular effects of hyoscine-n-butylbromide ("Buscopan") in radiological
      practice.
AB  - "Buscopan" (hyoscine-n-butylbromide, HBB) is a smooth muscle relaxant regularly
      used in radiological and endoscopic procedures. One unwanted effect is temporary
      impairment of visual accommodation. Near and distance vision were assessed in 100
      patients undergoing barium meal and barium enema studies. Visual testing was
      performed prior to the examination and repeated immediately before leaving the
      radiology department. Completed data was obtained in 90 patients. Of these, 37
      were given a conventional 20 mg intravenous dose of HBB, 37 were given glucagon
      and 16 received no drug. No patient showed any impairment of distance vision.
      Minor abnormalities of near vision were observed in five patients. All had been
      given HBB. They were aged 50 years or less and had been retested 12-21 min after
      administration of the drug. It is suggested that the degree of visual impairment
      observed is not sufficient to impair driving ability. Routine questioning
      concerning history of glaucoma is unlikely to be of value; more appropriate would
      be a warning to seek urgent medical advice if eye pain or visual loss is
      experienced.

PMID- 1873659
TI  - A comparison between iotrolan, a non-ionic dimer, and a hyperosmolar contrast
      medium, Urografin, in hysterosalpingography.
AB  - For hysterosalpingography, there were no significant differences between the non
      ionic dimeric contrast medium iotrolan (300 mgI/%) and Urografin (370 mgI/%) with
      regard to ease of application or radiographic quality, and both agents were
      equally suitable. There were no significant differences between two groups of
      patients with regard to pain due to instrumentation, pain at the time of
      injection and pain up to 2 h after the procedure. There was a significant
      difference (p = 0.04) between the two groups with respect to delayed pain, when
      iotrolan was associated with a lower incidence and decreased severity of delayed
      pain. There were no differences in the incidence of nausea, vomiting, headache
      and syncope. No allergic phenomena were seen in either group.

PMID- 1873660
TI  - Real-time digital contrast enhancement and magnification in the assessment of
      acute elbow injuries.
AB  - The elbow is a common site of injury and missed fractures may lead to disability
      and litigation. An assessment was made of a commercially available desk-top
      digital contrast enhancement and magnification unit (DETECT system) in a series
      of 320 patients with an acute elbow injury. Five radiologists of varying
      experience independently viewed elbow radiographs on a conventional light-box,
      and subsequently using the digitizer, indicating the presence or absence of a
      fracture. The overall results demonstrated no difference in performance when
      using the unit, though small improvements in the confidence with which a definite
      diagnosis was made were observed. Assessment of soft tissues with the digitizer
      was less reliable.

PMID- 1873661
TI  - Clinical application of an electronic imaging device for assisting patient set-up
      in radiotherapy.
AB  - As radiotherapy treatment set-ups are becoming more complicated and a greater
      emphasis is placed on accuracy, there is an increasing need to verify and record
      the actual treatments being given. A direct electronic imaging device is
      currently marketed by Varian (the DYNARAY ID), which uses the latest technology
      in detection and image processing to obtain digital images of the patient's
      anatomy using the actual treatment beam. At Norwich we have been using a
      prototype machine in a busy district radiotherapy centre and have examined over
      50 patients. We have found the images easy to obtain and the technique superior
      to the standard practice of using verification radiographs. The role of this
      device lies in aiding quality assurance of treatments whilst generating a
      permanent record of the actual treatment given.

PMID- 1873662
TI  - Anaphylactoid reaction associated with the use of 99Tcm hexamethyl propylene
      amine oxime as a leukocyte labelling agent.

PMID- 1873663
TI  - Radiology of secondary amyloidosis of the stomach in a patient with rheumatoid
      arthritis.

PMID- 1873664
TI  - Sling left pulmonary artery with congenital airway stenosis: non-invasive
      investigation and conservative management?

PMID- 1873665
TI  - Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome: renal ultrasound appearances in the neonate.

PMID- 1873666
TI  - Intracranial chondrosarcoma in a patient with Ollier's disease.

PMID- 1873667
TI  - A clinical red herring.

PMID- 1873668
TI  - A new phantom for mammography.

PMID- 1873669
TI  - Scoring of image quality phantom films in mammography.

PMID- 1873670
TI  - Body aprons in radiation protection.

PMID- 1873671
TI  - The role of the single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in detection
      of ossific mediastinal and pulmonary metastases.

PMID- 1873672
TI  - Proceedings of the British Medical Ultrasound Society. 22nd annual meeting.
      Harrogate, December 4-6, 1990. Abstracts.

PMID- 1873673
TI  - Photodynamic therapy.

PMID- 1873674
TI  - A user's guide to flexible cystoscopes.
AB  - This survey, carried out on behalf of the BAUS Instruments Committee, aims to
      assist the urologist in choosing a flexible cystoscope. The 5 most commonly
      available flexible cystoscopes (from ACMI, Olympus, Pentax, Storz and Wolf) were
      assessed in a clinical setting for handling, image quality and user satisfaction.
      Several technical characteristics, including deflection range, irrigant flow rate
      and optics, were tested in the laboratory. Whilst all instruments were
      satisfactory, the favourite of our testing panel was the Olympus CYF-2, which
      also came out best in the technical assessment and has the most comprehensive
      service support. The cheaper Storz instrument also performed well.

PMID- 1873675
TI  - Retrovesical hydatid causing haemospermia.

PMID- 1873676
TI  - Rupture of false aneurysm secondary to passage of ureteric stent.

PMID- 1873677
TI  - Verrucous carcinoma of the penis successfully treated with interferon.

PMID- 1873678
TI  - Nephrogenic adenoma of the ureter.

PMID- 1873679
TI  - Possible relationship of bladder exstrophy and epispadias with progestins taken
      during early pregnancy.

PMID- 1873680
TI  - Ureteric tumour in a duplex system.

PMID- 1873681
TI  - Bladder exstrophy complicated by adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 1873682
TI  - Use of a straw for suprapubic stab puncture--an alternative method.

PMID- 1873683
TI  - Transbrachial approach in spermatic phlebography.

PMID- 1873684
TI  - Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy or extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripsy?
      Comparison of costs and results.
AB  - One thousand patients with renal stones up to 3 cm in diameter were divided
      equally into 2 groups matched for age, sex and stone size. One group was treated
      on the Dornier HM3 lithotriptor and the other on the EDAP LT01. The results
      showed that for stones less than 1 cm both lithotriptors were equally effective,
      with a stone-free rate of 87.5% for the Dornier and 90.4% for the EDAP at 3
      months. The success rate fell more steeply for the EDAP machine, however, to
      become 77.2 and 42.5% respectively as the stone size increased to 3 cm. Treatment
      time was longer on the EDAP lithotriptor and more sessions were required but
      patients preferred it to the Dornier. Running costs per patient were higher on
      the EDAP.

PMID- 1873685
TI  - Anaesthesia-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in patients with renal
      calculi.
AB  - Modern extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy can be performed with combined ECG
      and respiratory triggered shock wave release. Disconnecting the ECG triggering
      increases the risk of ventricular arrhythmias, including potentially malignant
      ones. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of any sympatho
      adrenal excitation as a possible explanation for the occurrence of cardiac
      arrhythmia. Plasma catecholamine levels were assessed in 5 patients during and
      after 50 min of anaesthesia-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for the
      treatment of calculi in the upper pole of the left kidney. Venous blood sampling
      showed no significant increase in catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine and
      dopamine) during or after treatment. The heart rate and arterial blood pressure
      were measured simultaneously and showed no significant increase when shock waves
      were released during ECG triggering. However, when disconnecting the ECG
      triggering mode, the incidence of ventricular extrasystoles on Holter monitoring
      became more apparent during respiratory triggered shock wave release only,
      although there was no rise in plasma catecholamine levels. These data suggest
      that cardiac arrhythmias are related to direct and accidental mechanical
      stimulation of the heart rather than to any sympatho-adrenal discharge during
      shock wave release.

PMID- 1873686
TI  - Do not catheterise your nephrectomies.
AB  - A retrospective study of 100 consecutive nephrectomy patients showed a 20%
      catheterisation rate. Of the 11 carried out post-operatively only 4 were for
      urinary retention. The post-operative catheterisation rate for males was 7.1% and
      for females 2%. The rate of post-operative retention was 4.4%, which is much
      lower than that reported from other units. This rate of post-operative
      catheterisation for retention is so low that in spite of the very mild increase
      in complications compared with intra-operative catheterisation, the practice of
      routine prophylactic catheterisation of nephrectomy patients is unnecessary and
      cannot be recommended.

PMID- 1873687
TI  - The effect of cromakalim on the normal and hyper-reflexic human detrusor muscle.
AB  - Cromakalim is a benzopyran derivative which relaxes smooth muscle, probably by
      opening membrane potassium channels. This study tested the effect of cromakalim
      on spontaneous, electrically induced and pharmacologically induced contractile
      activity of normal and hyper-reflexic human detrusor muscle samples. All 3 types
      of contractile activity were reduced in the presence of cromakalim. A preliminary
      clinical trial of cromakalim was conducted, the results of which also suggest
      that this type of drug may have a significant role in the treatment of detrusor
      instability and hyper-reflexia.

PMID- 1873688
TI  - Long-term effect of pelvic floor exercises on female urinary incontinence.
AB  - In order to assess the permanent effect of pelvic floor exercises on female
      stress incontinence, 76 incontinent women, referred for incontinence surgery,
      underwent a 3-month exercise programme conducted by an experienced
      physiotherapist. The patients were followed up for 1 year. At the last assessment
      30% were cured and 17% improved. Altogether 47% avoided surgery. No relapses were
      seen during the follow-up period. Patients with mild incontinence benefited from
      intensified training, since 72% could expect to be cured, while patients with
      severe incontinence and no immediate effect did not benefit from further
      exercises. Patients with a positive hormone status and those with normal weight
      had a significantly higher cure rate. The subjective results were confirmed by
      the 24-h pad test. Anal pressure profilometry was a valid method for instruction
      and objective control of pelvic floor function. It was concluded that pelvic
      floor exercises should precede surgery, since exercises had a permanent effect in
      half of the patients.

PMID- 1873689
TI  - Clam enterocystoplasty in general urological practice.
AB  - A series of 45 patients (31 female) underwent clam enterocystoplasty for urgency
      and incontinence. The majority had detrusor instability. Prolonged conservative
      treatment had failed in all cases. Improvement occurred in 71% and those younger
      than 30 years had better overall results; 29% remained incontinent, with 9%
      requiring a urinary diversion. Many patients did not achieve maximum benefit
      until 9 months post-operatively. Surgery had no statistically significant effect
      on any urodynamic parameter and post-operative complications were common. The
      operation was performed in either the coronal (19) or the sagittal plane (26);
      this did not influence results. In general, surgery was found to be technically
      simpler in the sagittal group and it is recommended that this becomes the
      standard procedure. We feel that this operation involves major surgery and should
      only be offered with reluctance.

PMID- 1873690
TI  - The significance of an open bladder neck in women.
AB  - The significance of an open bladder neck at rest has been investigated in 147
      women presenting to a urodynamic clinic. The prevalence of this condition was
      21%; there was an association with urethral sphincter incompetence but an open
      bladder neck was not diagnostic of it. It is suggested that the finding of an
      open bladder neck at rest during urodynamic investigation is of little
      consequence.

PMID- 1873691
TI  - Measurement of in vivo urological tumour cell kinetics using multiparameter flow
      cytometry. Preliminary study.
AB  - The in vivo labelling of urological tumour cells using the S phase marker
      bromodeoxyuridine (BRdU) for histochemical studies is reported. The use of
      multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) with BRdU labelling to study tumour
      proliferation offers significant advantages. It provides simultaneous
      measurements of the DNA ploidy (DI), the duration of the S phase (Ts), the
      potential doubling time (Tpot) and the total and aneuploid tumour labelling
      indices (LI) from a single specimen. Heterogenous tumour cell populations can be
      measured with high sensitivity. We report a preliminary study to evaluate the
      method in the measurement of the kinetics of transitional cell carcinoma of the
      bladder (TCCB). Nineteen patients with TCCB, 1 with leukoplakia of the bladder, 2
      with renal carcinoma, 1 with prostatic carcinoma and 1 with a squamous carcinoma
      of the penis were studied. Of the bladder tumours, 3 were aneuploid, DI = 1.32,
      1.58 and 1.89. BRdU uptake was detected in all tumours. The median LI was 1.5%
      (range 0.5-10.0). In 15/19 tumours the labelling profile was satisfactory for
      calculation of the Ts and Tpot. The median Ts was 6.2 h and the median Tpot was
      17.1 days. This study demonstrates that measurement of multiple parameters of
      urological tumour proliferation in vivo is possible. These parameters require
      further assessment as indices of biological aggressiveness and clinical
      prognosis.

PMID- 1873692
TI  - The human prostate gland: a histochemical and immunohistochemical study of
      neuropeptides, serotonin, dopamine beta-hydroxylase and acetylcholinesterase in
      autonomic nerves and ganglia.
AB  - Different regions of the prostate gland, namely the prostatic capsule, peripheral
      prostate, and proximal and distal central prostate, were obtained from 5 patients
      with carcinoma of the bladder and studied histochemically and
      immunohistochemically to localise acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-, dopamine beta
      hydroxylase (DBH)-, serotonin- and peptide-containing nerves. Autonomic ganglia
      were found in all regions of the prostate studied. The greatest number of ganglia
      contained AChE and neuropeptide Y (NPY) followed (in decreasing order) by DBH;
      [Met]enkephalin (mENK) and [Leu]enkephalin (IENK); calcitonin gene-related
      peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP); and serotonin, but
      not somatostatin. The greatest density of nerve fibres was found in the proximal
      central prostate, followed by the anterior capsule and distal central prostate,
      with the least in the peripheral prostate. The greatest number of nerve fibres
      contained ACh and NPY, followed in decreasing order by VIP and DBH; IENK,
      serotonin and CGRP; mENK; substance P and somatostatin. The functions of the
      neurotransmitter substances in the human prostate remain to be elucidated.

PMID- 1873693
TI  - Hospitalisation of prostatic cancer patients undergoing orchiectomy.
AB  - We report our experience with 100 orchiectomies for advanced prostatic cancer in
      hospitalised patients. Approximately 60% of the patients required hospitalisation
      for additional treatment and investigation of complications due to their disease
      at the time of orchiectomy. In 51 cases the orchiectomy was combined with
      transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP); 37 patients had pathological
      levels of serum creatinine and 17 had pathological dilatation of the upper
      urinary tract, 6 of whom required a nephrostomy catheter. Because of anaemia on
      admission, 21 patients received a peri-operative blood transfusion. Two patients
      had significant post-operative bleeding, 2 developed a wound infection and 1 had
      a deep thrombophlebitis. The patients' mean age was 76.4 years and the period of
      hospitalisation ranged from 3 to 150 days with peaks at 3 and 8 days. The most
      important reason for prolonged hospitalisation was social problems. It was
      concluded that many patients who were hospitalised as a direct consequence of
      their prostatic carcinoma would have been in hospital for a similar period
      regardless of the method of hormonal manipulation used. Because so many patients
      have other reasons for hospitalisation, or require additional surgical procedures
      such as TURP, the true average cost of orchiectomy for advanced prostatic cancer
      is difficult to determine.

PMID- 1873694
TI  - Morphometric evidence for bone resorption and replacement in prostate cancer.
AB  - A series of 78 patients with metastatic bone disease from prostate cancer
      underwent iliac crest biopsy, enabling histomorphometric quantification of eroded
      bone surface and bone volume in both tumour-free and metastatic bone tissue.
      Eroded surfaces in tumour-free specimens were high in patients with active
      compared to stable disease but bone volume was maintained in both groups, whilst
      in bone surrounding micrometastases (n = 8) eroded surfaces were further
      increased and bone volume reduced. Eroded surfaces within metastases were greater
      still but were associated with increased bone volume due to replacement of the
      existing trabecular tissue with abnormal woven bone, giving an overall appearance
      of sclerosis. These results show that the effect of prostate cancer on bone
      tissue is complex, involving differential disturbance of bone formation and
      resorption within metastases, in bone surrounding tumour invasion and in the
      tumour-free skeleton.

PMID- 1873695
TI  - Neurophysiology of the striated urethral sphincter in multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Urethrovesical dysfunction is common in patients with multiple sclerosis. We
      present the results of urodynamic and neurophysiological studies in a series of
      24 patients with multiple sclerosis associated with urinary symptoms. Urethral
      sphincter electromyography showed only minor abnormalities but studies of central
      conduction demonstrated abnormal sensory conduction in 88% and abnormal motor
      conduction in 80% of the patients studied. These abnormalities of central
      conduction correlated well with the urodynamic findings.

PMID- 1873696
TI  - Forced hydration prior to renography in children with hydronephrosis. An
      evaluation.
AB  - We have developed a method of diuretic renography for the assessment of upper
      urinary tract obstruction in children. A maximal diuresis under standardised
      conditions is obtained by forced intravenous hydration over a 2-h period prior to
      renography. We evaluated the predictive value of this method for the clinical and
      functional outcome in 73 children with apparent unilateral pelviureteric junction
      obstruction. The predictive value of a non-obstructive pattern was 94%, while the
      predictive value of an obstructive pattern could not be assessed accurately
      because the patients concerned subsequently underwent operation. The method is
      safe and reliable and offers advantages over conventional diuretic renography.

PMID- 1873697
TI  - Spontaneous regression of metastatic renal carcinoma with long-term survival.

PMID- 1873698
TI  - Intra-arterial chemotherapy for breast cancer.

PMID- 1873699
TI  - Improving survival in gastric cancer: review of operative mortality in English
      language publications from 1970.
AB  - In this review of English language publications from 1970, operative mortality
      following surgery for gastric cancer has been analysed. Operative mortality has
      declined in series reporting operations in successive decades to 1970, 1980 and
      1990. Series reporting patients having surgery for gastric cancer in the decade
      to 1990 show a mean operative mortality rate of 7.8 per cent (median 4.6 per
      cent). This improvement may have contributed to the declining mortality rates for
      gastric cancer in the face of unchanging surgical workload. Results of operations
      for gastric cancer should be reported in a standard manner.

PMID- 1873700
TI  - Statistical guidelines for The British Journal of Surgery.
AB  - A set of statistical guidelines is presented which should be followed by authors
      preparing manuscripts for submission to The British Journal of Surgery. Simple
      points relating to presentation are explained in full, and more complex issues
      are highlighted and discussed in an accompanying review article.

PMID- 1873701
TI  - Accuracy of endosonography in the staging of rectal cancer treated by
      radiotherapy.
AB  - Endosonography is the best available method for the pretherapeutic staging of
      rectal cancer. The present prospective study was to determine the influence of
      previous radiotherapy, widely used in the management of this tumour, on the
      accuracy of endosonography. A complete endosonographic examination was performed
      just before surgery in 40 patients with rectal cancer. Endosonographic and
      pathological staging were compared in group A, 21 patients without previous
      radiotherapy, and group B, 19 patients with preoperative radiotherapy. While the
      endosonographic accuracy for lymph node involvement was similar in the two groups
      (85 per cent compared with 84 per cent), wall invasion was correctly ascertained
      in 86 per cent in group A but in only 47 per cent in group B (P less than 0.05).
      After irradiation, the thickening of the rectal wall and the poor visualization
      of the hyperechoic layers hampered interpretation. Post-radiotherapy inflammation
      and/or fibrosis probably explained the echographic changes. Radiotherapy
      therefore altered endosonographic staging of rectal cancer. New interpretation
      criteria are needed for evaluation and follow-up of rectal cancer treated by
      radiotherapy.

PMID- 1873702
TI  - Use of the ultrathin choledochoscope in cholecystectomy.
AB  - Use of the ultrathin choledochoscope (2mm) was evaluated in 80 patients
      undergoing routine cholecystectomy. It was used successfully in 67 (84 per cent)
      patients. There were eight (12 per cent) explorations of the common bile duct and
      no negative explorations. The instrument was helpful in determining the nature of
      an equivocal on-table cholangiogram. The ultrathin choledochoscope may be useful
      in reducing the rate of negative common bile duct exploration.

PMID- 1873703
TI  - Rebound tenderness test.
AB  - The usefulness of the rebound tenderness test in indicating peritonitis was
      prospectively assessed in 142 unselected patients admitted as emergencies with
      abdominal pain and tenderness. It was found to be of no predictive value.

PMID- 1873704
TI  - One hundred patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer treated by
      resection: analysis of prognostic determinants.
AB  - One hundred patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer underwent
      'radical' liver resection from 1980 to 1989. At least 1 cm of normal parenchyma
      surrounded the tumour and no microscopic invasion of resection margins was
      evident. The disease was staged according to our own staging system. Lobectomy
      was performed in 50 patients and non-anatomical resection in the remainder. The
      postoperative mortality rate was 5 per cent and the major morbidity rate was 11
      per cent. The actuarial 5-year survival rate for patients in stages I, II and III
      was 42 per cent, 34 per cent and 15 per cent respectively (P less than 0.001).
      The overall actuarial 5-year survival rate was 30 per cent. The prognostic
      importance of various patient and tumour variables was evaluated by univariate
      analysis and then by multivariate analysis. Age of patient, site of primary,
      disease-free interval between treatment of primary and of hepatic metastases,
      preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and number of metastases, did not
      relate to prognosis, while sex (P = 0.024), stage of primary (P = 0.026), extent
      of liver involvement (P less than 0.001), distribution of metastases (P = 0.01)
      and type of surgery (P = 0.028) significantly affected prognosis as single
      factors. Multivariate analysis revealed that only the extent of liver involvement
      and stage of the primary tumour were independent predictors of survival. We
      conclude that liver resection is effective in selected patients with hepatic
      metastases from colorectal cancer. In resectable patients it is not yet possible
      to formulate a clear prognosis based on clinical factors. The extent of liver
      involvement and the staging system used may be significant, although not
      absolute, indicators of outcome.

PMID- 1873705
TI  - Controlled hepatic bipartition for transplantation in children.

PMID- 1873706
TI  - Surgical anatomy of donor extended right trisegmentectomy before orthotopic liver
      transplantation in children.
AB  - Liver transplantation is now accepted as the treatment of choice for children
      with end stage liver disease. A major constraint has been the shortage of donor
      organs of appropriate size. The use of reduced size adult organs has partially
      alleviated this problem but the previous technique employed was limited to a
      donor:recipient body-weight disparity of not greater than 3:1. Recently a new
      technique has been described that allows safe transplantation with a
      donor:recipient weight ratio of greater than 10:1. This should greatly increase
      the paediatric donor pool. Anatomical landmarks and techniques necessary for
      donor reduction hepatectomy are described from the dissection of 50 adult
      cadaveric livers. Variations in all important biliary and vascular structures
      necessitated adjustments in operative technique.

PMID- 1873707
TI  - Extracorporeal shock wave treatment of common bile duct stones: experience with
      two different lithotriptors at a single institution.
AB  - Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a new treatment modality for
      retained common bile duct stones. Sixty-two patients (mean age 75 years, range 27
      95 years) with retained common bile duct stones were treated with two different
      lithotriptors. One of the lithotriptors operated on the electrohydraulic
      principle (Dornier HM-3) (n = 13), the other on the electromagnetic principle
      (Siemens Lithostar) (n = 49). All HM-3 patients were treated under general
      anaesthesia, whereas with the Lithostar one patients was treated under general
      anaesthesia, 43 received analgesia and sedation and five had no analgesia at all.
      Patients treated with the Lithostar had more sessions (mean 1.9 versus 1.3, P
      less than 0.05) and needed more stock waves (mean 8611 versus 2534, P less than
      0.001) than patients treated with the HM-3. Fragmentation was achieved in all
      patients treated with the HM-3 and in 42 (86 per cent) patients treated with the
      Lithostar. In this latter group ten patients underwent common bile duct
      exploration without complications. Eleven patients had transient haematuria after
      treatment with the HM-3 and two patients (one in each group) had a subcapsular
      haematoma of the right kidney, all without clinical sequelae. At follow-up
      (median: HM-3 43 months, Lithostar 18 months), none of the patients had biliary
      complaints. We conclude that ESWL of retained common bile duct stones in safe and
      effective with both lithotriptors and should be considered before surgery in the
      elderly or high-risk patient.

PMID- 1873708
TI  - Successful reuse of a liver graft.

PMID- 1873709
TI  - Results of surgery for duodenal ulcer: assessment by patients.
AB  - A questionnaire was administered to 224 patients who had undergone 246 operations
      for duodenal ulcer to see how well this correlated with Visick grading and to
      provide insight into the patients' feelings about the results of their surgery.
      The patients were divided into three groups by Visick grade: good (grade I, n =
      70), satisfactory (grades II and IIIs, n = 104) and poor (grades IIIu and IV, n =
      72). The distribution of questionnaire responses in each group was statistically
      different (P less than 0.01). Dividing the questionnaire responses into three
      corresponding groups, 72 per cent of patients assigned themselves to the same
      group as their Visick grade. Three observations were made regarding the Visick
      system: recurrent ulceration is over-scored and should be included only if
      symptomatic; grading should acknowledge a wider range of symptoms related to
      ulcer disease and its treatment; only three grades are necessary.

PMID- 1873710
TI  - Problems in the definition and treatment of early gastric cancer.
AB  - Radical operation with extensive dissection of lymph nodes (R1, 48 patients; R2,
      196 patients; R3, one patient) was performed in 245 out of 247 patients with
      early gastric cancer. The 5-year survival rate was only 73.2 per cent in the 34
      patients with lymph node metastases (31.8 per cent). Analysis of factors
      influencing recurrence revealed that not only lymph node metastases but also the
      depth of cancer invasion could affect prognosis in early gastric cancer. This
      study suggests that radical operation with complete dissection of the first and
      second group of lymph nodes (R2 resection) is a safe and appropriate treatment
      even for early gastric cancer. We propose that the definition of early gastric
      cancer be modified to 'carcinoma with invasion confined to the mucosa or
      submucosa and without evidence of lymph node metastases'.

PMID- 1873711
TI  - Surgical treatment of carcinoma of the gastric stump.
AB  - To evaluate retrospectively the surgical treatment of patients with gastric stump
      cancer following gastrectomy for benign disease, we reviewed 52 patients operated
      on at the National Cancer Centre, Tokyo, between 1962 and 1988. Resection was
      carried out in 47 patients (90 per cent) and with curative intent in 36 (69 per
      cent). Stage distribution was: stage 1, 15 patients; stage 2, 5; stage 3, 9;
      stage 4, 23. In 36 cases curatively resected, 32 had completion total gastrectomy
      and four had subtotal resection. An R1 resection was performed in 11 patients and
      an R2 in 25. We had two hospital deaths and a 5-year survival rate excluding
      hospital deaths of 39 per cent. The 5-year survival rates of resected cases,
      curative cases and those having metastatic nodes were 43 per cent, 57 per cent
      and 29 per cent respectively. Radical resection is a reasonable treatment for
      gastric stump cancer as it is for primary cancer of the stomach.

PMID- 1873712
TI  - Lymph node counts in the upper abdomen: anatomical basis for lymphadenectomy in
      gastric cancer.
AB  - The number of regional lymph nodes was determined in sites relevant to
      lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer in 30 cadavers. Tissue was cleared by
      dissolving fatty tissue, thus making lymph nodes with a diameter of at least 1 mm
      visible. All lymph node stations indicated by the Japanese Research Society for
      Gastric Cancer were studied. In stations 1-11 (corresponding with R2 resection)
      an average of 27 nodes (range 17-44 nodes) was found, whereas stations 1-16
      (corresponding with R3 resection) showed an average of 43 nodes (range 25-64
      nodes). These values are higher than those usually obtained from lymphadenectomy
      for gastric cancer. Striking individual differences in the total number of lymph
      nodes and the number of single stations was observed. The number of lymph nodes
      in these investigations are the normal anatomical values and serve as quality
      control of lymph node dissection in gastric carcinoma.

PMID- 1873713
TI  - Clinical significance of the large adrenal mass.
AB  - Current clinical teaching indicates that large (greater than 5 cm in diameter)
      adrenal masses are often malignant. In a retrospective analysis of patients
      studied between 1977 and 1988 with computed tomography (CT), adrenal
      scintigraphy, and when available, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 45 were found
      to have adrenal masses greater than 5 cm (range 5-19 cm) in diameter. Thirty were
      benign (16 phaeochromocytomas, six adrenocortical adenomas, four adrenal cysts,
      two myelolipomas, an adrenal hematoma and a ganglioneuroma). Of 15 malignant
      masses, there were seven adrenocortical carcinomas, five adrenal metastases and
      three adrenal lymphomas. With the exception of the adrenal myelolipomas, cysts,
      and the ganglioneuroma neither CT nor MRI demonstrated sufficient diagnostic
      specificity to distinguish benign from malignant lesions. Functional scintigraphy
      with 131I-6-beta-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol for suspected adrenocortical
      lesions and 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine for suspected phaeochromocytomas
      frequently provided useful information.

PMID- 1873714
TI  - Success and failure with neonatal tracheo-oesophageal anomalies.
AB  - In seven and a half years, one surgical team treated 67 consecutive neonates with
      oesophageal atresia and/or tracheo-oesophageal fistula. According to Waterston's
      classification, 28 were in group A, 12 in group B and 27 in group C. The
      mortality rate during the initial admission was 10 per cent, all seven deaths
      being unavoidable in infants in group C with multiple anomalies. Birthweight
      alone had no bearing upon the chances of survival. Primary oesophageal repair,
      including one suture-fistula procedure and one delayed primary repair, was
      attempted in 54 (84 per cent) of the 64 patients with atresia and was successful
      in 46 (85 per cent). All three H-type tracheo-oesophageal fistulae were
      successfully divided in infants in group A. Recurrent tracheo-oesophageal fistula
      developed in four (7 per cent) infants, one of whom (group A) underwent
      successful repair. One disrupted anastomosis was successfully resutured (group
      A), so an intact oesophagus was finally achieved in 51 patients, of whom six (12
      per cent) developed anastomotic strictures and 21 (41 per cent) underwent surgery
      for gastro-oesophageal reflux. Of the 60 early survivors, 10 (17 per cent)
      underwent aortopexy for tracheomalacia. Whenever possible, primary repair is
      advocated in all infants. Even for those in group C with multiple, severe
      associated anomalies, the combined early and late mortality was no greater
      following primary repair (7 died of 12 operated) than after staged repair (4 died
      of 7 operated), but major anastomotic complications were more common in infants
      in group C (5 out of 19) than in those in groups A and B (3 out of 38).

PMID- 1873715
TI  - Necrotizing fasciitis.
AB  - Ten cases of necrotizing fasciitis are reviewed. Three patients died but only two
      of these deaths were due to uncontrolled septicaemia. All isolated organisms were
      sensitive to a combination of piperacillin and ampicillin which we now regard as
      the initial antibiotic combination of choice. Prompt and aggressive surgical
      debridement remains the cornerstone of management.

PMID- 1873716
TI  - Autopsy-verified pulmonary embolism in a surgical department: analysis of the
      period from 1951 to 1988.
AB  - A retrospective analysis was undertaken of all surgical patients in Malmo,
      Sweden, during the period from 1951 to 1988 in whom pulmonary emboli were found
      at autopsy. The analysis included a comparison with the earlier analysed and
      reported time period from 1951 to 1980. A continued high frequency of pulmonary
      embolism at autopsy was seen during the 1980s (20.3 per cent of deaths, 31.7 per
      cent of autopsies). Of the 391 autopsy-verified pulmonary emboli found between
      1981 and 1988, 113 (28.9 per cent) were considered fatal, 104 (26.6 per cent)
      contributed to death and 174 (44.5 per cent) were incidental. Few patients had
      symptomatic deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism before death. The overall
      frequency of major pulmonary embolism in surgical patients remained unchanged
      (0.3 per cent). The frequency of major postoperative pulmonary embolism showed an
      increase during the 1950s and 1960s (maximum 0.4 per cent) but a decrease in the
      last 5-year period of the 1970s (0.3 per cent), which has earlier been reported
      upon. This decrease continued during the 1980s (0.2 per cent) (P less than 0.05).
      An increase was found in the number of patients operated on who had autopsy
      proven pulmonary embolism and who received thromboprophylaxis. Pulmonary embolism
      continues to be a major cause of death in surgical patients; however,
      postoperative major pulmonary embolism has shown a reduction in the last 15-year
      period.

PMID- 1873717
TI  - Fibrinolytic activity of the arms and legs of patients with lower limb venous
      disease.
AB  - Clearance of subcutaneous 125I-labelled fibrin was prolonged from the legs but
      not from the arms of patients with uncomplicated varicose veins and patients with
      healed ulcers, compared with controls. The euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) of
      blood from the arms and legs of those with healed ulcers was prolonged; venous
      congestion significantly shortened the ECLT of blood from all limbs except legs
      with healed ulcers. The clearance of interstitial fibrin of both legs and arms
      correlated with the response of the ECLT to venous congestion (P less than 0.05).
      The clearance of interstitial 125I-labelled albumin in five patients with healed
      ulcers was faster from the legs than from the arms, whereas the clearance of
      interstitial 125I-labelled fibrin was faster from the arms in all cases. These
      results suggest that there is a defect in interstitial fibrinolytic activity as
      well as vein wall production of plasminogen activator in legs with chronic venous
      insufficiency.

PMID- 1873718
TI  - Time trends in incidence rates of acute, non-traumatic extremity ischaemia: a
      population-based study during a 19-year period.
AB  - Time trends in the occurrence of acute limb ischaemia were studied from 1965 to
      1983 in a defined geographical area in Sweden. Data were obtained from a
      computerized register which covers all instances of inpatient care for a
      population of 1.3 million. Analysis based on 5394 first admissions for acute
      arterial occlusion revealed that the annual number increased by 2.7 per cent
      yearly in women and 3.9 per cent in men whereas the age-adjusted incidence
      remained stable for women and increased by 2.6 per cent yearly for men. A study
      of 1189 patients who underwent surgical procedures showed that the annual number
      of embolectomy procedures increased 7.6 per cent for females and 8.6 per cent for
      males. The corresponding age-adjusted incidence rose annually by 3.0 per cent for
      women and by 7.5 per cent for men. The introduction of the Fogarty catheter and
      an increasing interest in vascular surgery may have contributed to the increasing
      rates of operations during the period of study.

PMID- 1873719
TI  - Realistic expectations for the patient with intermittent claudication.
AB  - To determine the natural history of intermittent claudication 112 patients were
      followed for a minimum of 5 years and a median period of 82 months. Thirty-seven
      patients (33 per cent) died during the study period. Myocardial infarction (44
      per cent) and cerebrovascular disease (28 per cent) were the most common causes
      of death. Overall mortality rate was 8, 23 and 40 per cent, at 2, 5 and 8 years
      respectively. Initial ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) correlated with
      subsequent death. With an initial ABPI less than 0.5 death occurred in 20, 50 and
      69 per cent at 2, 5 and 7 years respectively, compared with 5, 16 and 24 per cent
      respectively for those with an initial ABPI greater than or equal to 0.5 (P less
      than 0.0001). Of the survivors only 21 per cent had worsening claudication and 13
      per cent progressed to critical ischaemia. Arterial bypass for limb salvage was
      required in eight patients and four limbs were lost during the study period. ABPI
      identifies a subgroup of claudicants with an extremely high risk of death from
      coronary and/or cerebral pathology. In this subgroup an aggressive approach to
      the correction of atherosclerotic risk factors, rather than emphasis on the
      peripheral vascular problem alone, may improve survival.

PMID- 1873720
TI  - Epidemiology of chronic venous ulcers.
AB  - A metropolitan population of 238,000 in Perth, Western Australia, was screened
      for chronic ulceration of the leg. Patients with a chronic leg ulcer and a venous
      abnormality comprised 57 per cent of all patients with a chronic leg ulcer,
      giving a prevalence of 0.62 per 1000 population. There was an increasing
      prevalence with age; 90 per cent of patients were 60 years and older. This group
      comprised 16.7 per cent of the population, and had a prevalence of 3.3 per 1000.
      Although chronic venous ulcers were more common in women there was no difference
      in age related prevalence. In 36 per cent of patients with a venous abnormality,
      there was at least one other aetiological factor contributing to chronic
      ulceration of the leg; 96 per cent had either a history of deep venous thrombosis
      or a condition known to predispose to deep venous thrombosis.

PMID- 1873721
TI  - Influence of phlebographic abnormalities on the natural history of venous
      ulceration.
AB  - Eighty-five limbs in 73 patients with a healed venous ulcer were assessed by
      ascending and descending phlebography, foot volume plethysmography and
      transcutaneous oxygen measurements. Forty-four limbs had post-thrombotic changes
      on ascending phlebography. In 24 (28 per cent) these extended into the femoral
      vein, while in 20 (24 per cent) only the calf veins were involved. In the 41
      limbs (48 per cent) with normal deep veins on ascending phlebography, 11 had
      evidence of localized incompetence of the calf communicating veins, 14 had either
      long saphenous incompetence, deep vein reflux to the level of the knee or below,
      or both of these abnormalities, and 16 limbs had no phlebographic abnormalities.
      However all limbs had a decreased half volume refilling time on foot volume
      plethysmography. Limbs with post-thrombotic changes extending into the femoral
      vein were associated with a significantly longer history of ulceration and more
      ulcer recurrences than limbs with calf vein damage (P less than 0.05 for each)
      and limbs with normal deep veins (P less than 0.01 for each). However, these
      limbs did not have lower transcutaneous oxygen ratios or longer times to achieve
      ulcer healing. Ascending phlebography identified a group of limbs with extensive
      post-thrombotic changes in which there was a higher incidence of ulcer breakdown,
      but this was not associated with a delay in ulcer healing.

PMID- 1873722
TI  - Early computed colour echo Doppler imaging following renal transplantation.
AB  - Thirty patients with renal allografts were monitored for 15 postoperative days by
      colour-coded Doppler imaging and categorized as stable, rejection, acute tubular
      necrosis and cyclosporine toxicity. All forms of graft dysfunction showed
      significantly raised resistance (P less than 0.01) and pulsatility (P less than
      0.01) indices (RI and PI, respectively). It was not possible to use Doppler
      imaging to differentiate the cause of graft dysfunction, but stable grafts in
      patients with high cyclosporin levels had significantly higher RI (P less than
      0.04) and PI (P less than 0.04) than similar grafts in patients with cyclosporine
      levels in the therapeutic range.

PMID- 1873723
TI  - Preoperative clinical evaluation as a predictor of cardiac complications after
      infrarenal aortic reconstruction.
AB  - This paper analyses cardiac risk factors in 93 consecutive patients undergoing
      elective infrarenal aortic reconstruction over a 2 year period. During the
      perioperative or postoperative period, 26 patients sustained a total of 42
      cardiac complications. Eight patients had myocardial infarction, 14 left
      ventricular failure and 15 arrhythmias. There were five cardiac-related deaths.
      Angina was the only statistically significant risk factor in predicting
      postoperative cardiac problems. A multivariate analysis identified a high-risk
      group of patients in whom cardiac complications after operation were common.

PMID- 1873724
TI  - Effects of two methods of endothelial cell seeding on cell retention during blood
      flow.
AB  - The potential benefits of endothelial cell seeding depend not only on effective
      cell attachment, but also on the ability of the cells to resist the stresses of
      blood flow. We have investigated the effect of different blood flow rates on
      immediately seeded grafts (SHORT) and also on preformed confluent monolayers
      formed by overnight incubation (LONG). Cells were labelled with indium and then
      exposed to either 100 or 200 ml/min of pulsatile blood flow. Cell retention was
      measured up to 120 min. At both flow rates the LONG seeding procedure gave
      significantly better cell retention than the SHORT method (P less than 0.01 at
      all times). There was no difference in cell retention between the two flow rates
      in the LONG group, but more cells detached at the higher flow rate in the SHORT
      group (P less than 0.01). We conclude that the new seeding method, using
      preformed confluent monolayers, significantly improves cell retention during
      blood flow.

PMID- 1873725
TI  - Major limb amputation in northern Nigeria.

PMID- 1873726
TI  - Isolated testicular pain: an unrecognized symptom of the leaking aortic aneurysm.

PMID- 1873727
TI  - Torsion of the spleen managed by splenopexy.

PMID- 1873728
TI  - Effect of fibrin sealant on the healing colonic anastomosis.

PMID- 1873729
TI  - Pulse oximetry: a new non-invasive assessment of peripheral arterial occlusive
      disease.

PMID- 1873730
TI  - Influence of methylprednisolone on the healing of intestinal anastomoses in rats.

PMID- 1873731
TI  - Influence of local hyperthermia on the healing of small intestinal anastomoses in
      the rat.

PMID- 1873732
TI  - Risk of peritonitis and fatal septicaemia and the need to defunction the low
      anastomosis.

PMID- 1873733
TI  - [Indications for cardiac surgery on the basis of noninvasive examination methods
      with major emphasis on echocardiography].
AB  - Over the years 1983-1988 cardiosurgical procedures with extracorporeal
      circulation without catheterization of the heart were indicated in 191 patients,
      representing 19.8% of all the patients operated on at extracorporeal circulation
      (n--962). Indications for surgery were made on the basis of the clinical state of
      the patient and of the results of noninvasive methods, with main emphasis on
      echocardiographic findings. The close relationship between the methodological
      level of ultrasound diagnosis and the increasing number of patients operated on
      without preceding hemodynamic examination is documented (13% in 1983, 35% in
      1988). With a few exceptions, noninvasive techniques provide a sufficient amount
      of relevant information definitely deciding on the indication for operation
      without catheterization in heart tumors and infective endocarditis, in about one
      half of the patients with dissecting aneurysm of the aorta and with deranged
      function of valvular prostheses, in one third of the patients with mitral
      defects, and in about one third of the patients with atrial septal defects. On
      the basis of their own results, the authors present the criteria for indicating
      cardiosurgical procedures without catheterization of the heart in the diagnoses
      studied. The diagnostic conclusion was confirmed by the operative finding in
      99.5%. The obtained results are comparable with those reported by authors from
      abroad and demonstrate the significant medical and economic contribution.

PMID- 1873734
TI  - [Modulatory effect of glucans on the function of murine macrophages, NK-cells and
      lymphocytes].
AB  - The particulate glucan (G1), soluble glucan preparations (G2 to G5, and G7)
      isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and glucomanan prepared from culture
      fluid after cultivation of Candida utilis (G6) were tested for their
      immunomodulatory activity in vivo and in vitro. In tests in vivo three soluble
      glucans (G3, G4, and G7) injected s.c. to mice in the dose of 10 mg/kg increased
      the cytotoxic activity of peritoneal macrophages. The influence of glucans on
      natural killer cells was without significance. The lymphoproliferative reaction
      of spleen cells to polyclonal mitogens was inhibited by all the preparations used
      with the exception of soluble glucan G2. The mitogenic effect of the
      preparations, co-stimulatory tests and direct cytotoxicity to cells of cell lines
      used in cytotoxicity assays were assessed in vitro. The transformation index of
      glucans in the study was increased according to the glucan and dose tested.
      Inhibition of the lymphoproliferative reaction measured by the co-stimulatory
      test for optimal concentration of Concanavalin A occurred in a wide range of
      doses for the preparations G1 to G6. The preparation G7 increased the
      incorporation of 3HTdR under the same conditions. The use of a suboptimal
      concentration of Concanavalin A revealed co-stimulatory activity of all the
      preparations tested. Assessment of the cytotoxic activity of peritoneal
      macrophages and of the activity of natural killer cells induced in vitro was
      complicated by the direct cytotoxicity of particulate glucan and soluble glucan
      G5 (carboxymethylglucan) for target cells (YAC 1, and YAC 1 and K 562 resp.).

PMID- 1873735
TI  - [History of knowledge about the structure of renal corpuscles and afferent
      arterioles].
AB  - Some morphological findings obtained during the more than 300-year history of
      research into the fine structure of the kidney are presented in chronological
      order (discovery of renal corpuscles and their relationship to kidney arteries,
      elucidation of topographic relationships between glomeruli and tubules, discovery
      of specialized structure of juxtaglomerular segments of afferent arterioles).
      Gradual insight into the structure of the kidney was accompanied by elucidation
      of its function. Historical knowledge and findings demonstrated on simple
      drawings were verified in the present study by sophisticated methods of imaging,
      including transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The correspondence of
      the old schemes representing renal corpuscles (Malpighi, Bowman) with the actual
      morphological picture was established.

PMID- 1873736
TI  - [Anesthesia in Europe before 1939].

PMID- 1873737
TI  - [Demography of anesthetists and recruitment needs in Germany].

PMID- 1873738
TI  - Home study C.E.: RNs and unlicensed personnel.

PMID- 1873739
TI  - Art to science.

PMID- 1873740
TI  - Placement and replacement of restorations in a military population.

PMID- 1873741
TI  - Current research in preventive dentistry and its impact on the future of dental
      care.
AB  - To my mind, preventive dentistry has not changed all that much in the last 10 to
      15 years. No miracle drug has come on the scene to prevent periodontal disease.
      There is no caries vaccine to eliminate dental caries. Interestingly, it has been
      the traditional technologies that have, given the advantage of time, proven their
      potential. The reality seems to have surpassed even our most optimistic
      expectations. But while we have learned how to effectively implement these
      technologies in many instances, the promotion of water fluoridation has lagged.
      Nevertheless, the improvements in oral health speak well of the work of our
      predecessors, who shaped the world of modern dental care. It is up to the
      profession to use existing preventive technologies to their best advantage and to
      devise even better preventive measures for the 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the
      population who are at highest risk of caries and periodontal disease. This paper
      has focused on some points of interest that have been published in the dental
      literature on preventive dentistry. Other issues represent concerns of the
      author. I invite comment and discussion on the topics and issues that were
      raised. Dialogue is healthy.

PMID- 1873742
TI  - Current research in implantology and its future impact.

PMID- 1873743
TI  - Dental lasers and science.
AB  - We have attempted to accomplish two purposes in this article. First, we have
      presented the case that extensive scientific investigation must form the base of
      our profession, that it must be an ongoing, continuous process and that laser
      dentistry must be developed through extensive scientific inquiry--as all of our
      treatment modalities should be. Second, we have presented many examples of the
      science involved in the development of laser dentistry. Lasers do have far
      reaching potential for application to dentistry. We, as a profession, must insist
      that such laser development is done properly, not foisted upon us based on
      anecdotal reports and incomplete research.

PMID- 1873744
TI  - Current research in diagnostic methods for assessing periodontal disease and its
      future impact.
AB  - A diagnostic test should be useful, ideally leading to a choice of treatment(s)
      that would confer benefits upon the patient. The many uses of diagnostic tests
      are listed in Table 2, but it should be recognized that no single test can be
      relied on exclusively. Combinations of various tests, especially those which
      detect infections and those which detect inflammation, would provide useful
      information for diagnosing and managing the patient's treatment. Certainly, any
      test or procedure can be considered useful if it facilitates the successful
      treatment of a patient's periodontal condition without a disproportionate
      increase in the cost to the patient or in his or her discomfort. By these
      criteria, many of the tests described in this paper are useful. The entry of
      these tests into clinical practice seems to be only a matter of time; their true
      usefulness is for the clinician to determine.

PMID- 1873745
TI  - Current research in operative materials and techniques and its future impact.

PMID- 1873746
TI  - The effects of the helium-neon laser on postsurgical discomfort: a pilot study.
AB  - It has been postulated that low-energy lasers (soft lasers) have analgesic
      capabilities. European investigators who have worked with these lasers have tried
      to explain this phenomenon as an interference with the mediation of the pain
      message and/or the stimulation of endorphin production. There does not appear,
      however, to be much well-controlled research to support these claims. This study
      has examined the effect of the helium-neon laser on post-surgical discomfort.
      Fifteen patients who had surgical removal of bilaterally symmetrical mandibular
      third molars were evaluated. Laser therapy was applied to one side of each
      patient's mouth with the other side serving as the control. A similar technique
      of application, without activation of the laser beam, was utilized on the control
      side. This study has demonstrated that the helium-neon laser (632.8 nanometre
      (nm) at 10 milliwatt (mW), when applied to the surgical site for three minutes
      immediately following third molar surgery, reduced postoperative pain on the day
      of surgery and on the first postoperative day. This finding was statistically
      significant.

PMID- 1873747
TI  - Labial endodontic access opening for mandibular incisors: endodontic and
      restorative considerations.
AB  - A labial access opening is suggested for endodontic treatment of mandibular
      incisors. This approach facilitates the identification and instrumentation of two
      canals, if present, and enhances achievement of complete obturation. More coronal
      tooth structure is preserved, enabling an optimum dowel core design for bracing
      the root.

PMID- 1873748
TI  - [Evaluation of maxillofacial injuries in a Quebec hospital].
AB  - This article describes a study done on patients with maxillofacial traumas at the
      Hopital Christ-Roi in Quebec City. The patients were selected from those treated
      during the first three years after the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
      was set up. The hospital has 200 beds. In this study, the different
      epidemiological data and traumatic type are examined. Patient treatment is also
      discussed. The data analysis is supported by existing literature on the subject.

PMID- 1873749
TI  - Infant feeding practices and occlusal outcomes: a longitudinal study.
AB  - This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between infant feeding
      and occlusal outcomes. One hundred eight subjects born in 1983, whose mothers
      participated in the survey of infant feeding, took part in the 1988 survey of
      oral-health. A strong association (chi-square = 7.47; p = 0.006) was found
      between exclusive bottle-feeding and anteroposterior malocclusion.

PMID- 1873750
TI  - Developmental phases of sleep and motor behaviour in a cat mother-infant system:
      a time-lapse video approach.
AB  - The evolution of sleep patterns in developing kittens was studied using time
      lapse video technology and direct observation. The duration, frequency, and onset
      of the behavioural states and interactions of the cats were analyzed and then
      organized into phases that represent major changes in developmental structure
      during the first 6 weeks of kitten life. We have demonstrated that the kittens
      began exhibiting adult bi-cyclic sleep patterns on approximately Day 30 of
      development. During the 10-day period that preceded this consolidation of sleep
      pattern, REM sleep decreased by half, with a reciprocal increase in NREM sleep.
      These changes were coincident with an increase in kitten patterned motor
      behaviour and an increase in stimulation of the kittens by the mother during her
      bi-cyclic active periods.

PMID- 1873751
TI  - Some biochemical and behavioural aspects of the paradoxical sleep window.
AB  - It has recently been proposed that there is a vulnerable period of time following
      successful learning when paradoxical sleep (PS) is necessary for learning. This
      vulnerable time period has been called the PS window. In Experiment 1, the
      protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin (ANI) was administered following shuttle
      avoidance training in the Sprauge-Dawley rat to coincide with the onset of an
      established PS window. Control groups received either saline or ANI either 3
      hours before or 3 hours after the beginning of the PS window. Three hours after
      the injection, each group was retested. Then animals were immediately sacrificed,
      and whole brain biochemical analyses were done on levels of acetylcholine (ACh)
      and activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Only the rats given ANI timed to
      coincide with the beginning of the PS window showed learning deficits. All ANI
      treated groups had less ACh and AChE activity. In Experiment 2, the ACh
      antagonist scopolamine (SCOP) was injected at the same times as in Experiment 1,
      and each of these groups had a corresponding saline control group as before.
      Retesting was done 1 day later; once again, the only group to show learning
      deficits was the group receiving SCOP timed to coincide with the PS window.
      Results suggested that the transmitter ACh plays an important role in
      learning/memory processes at the PS window.

PMID- 1873752
TI  - [Paradoxical sleep and information processing: exploration by inversion of the
      visual field].
AB  - The purpose of this study was to test the potential relationship between REM
      sleep and information processing with inversion of the visual field. In the first
      experiment, four male subjects slept in the laboratory for two sessions of 6
      consecutive nights: 2 adaptation nights, 2 nights of polysomnography, and 2
      nights of dream collection. During the days preceding Nights 3, 4, 5, and 6 of
      each session, the subjects wore glasses which, during the second session,
      completely inverted (rotation of 180 degrees) their visual field. In a second
      experiment with four other male subjects, the order of conditions was reversed,
      and the experimental condition (visual inversion) was introduced a second time.
      When the data of the two experiments were combined, there was a significant (p
      less than .01) increase in the percentage of REM sleep from Nights 3 and 4 of the
      control condition to Nights 3 and 4 of the visual inversion condition, but there
      was no significant change in any of the other sleep stages. There was a
      significant decrease in horizontal (p less than .04) and vertical (p less than
      .005) REM density and in the density of vertical REM bursts (p less than .02).
      The increase in REM sleep supports the hypothesis that REM sleep contributes to
      information processing while the decrease in REM density suggests that this
      component of REM sleep may be involved in a homeostatic process of sensory input.

PMID- 1873753
TI  - The electrophysiological correlates of dream recall and nonrecall from stage 2
      sleep.
AB  - This research examined the relationship between cortical activation, defined by
      electroencephalographic (EEG) measures, and the ability to recall dreams
      following awakenings from Stage 2 sleep. Period-analyzed EEG data from 40
      subjects were examined for the preawakening, postawakening, and preawakening-to
      postawakening time intervals. Recall differed from nonrecall at the postawakening
      and preawakening-to-postawakening periods on measures of muscle activity and time
      spent in the sigma (12-16 Hz) frequency band. There were no distinctions in
      recall ability on EEG hemispheric asymmetry measures. Generally, the findings do
      not support the hypothesis linking increased recall ability to increases in
      cortical activation prior to awakening. However, the recall groups depicted a
      different pattern of arousal in their transition from sleep to wakefulness.

PMID- 1873754
TI  - [Paradoxical sleep: is it the guardian of psychological individualism].
AB  - The brain is the sole organ of homeotherms that do not undergo cell division. We
      thus have to explain how certain aspects of psychological heredity (found in
      homozygotes twins raised in different surroundings) may persist for a whole life
      (psychological individuation). A definitive genetic programming during
      development (by neurogenesis) is unlikely due to the plasticity of the nervous
      system. That's why we have to consider the possibility of an iterative genetic
      programming. The internal mechanisms (synchronous) of paradoxical sleep (SP) are
      particularly adapted to such programming. This would activate an endogenous
      system of stimulation that would stimulate and stabilize receptors genetically
      programmed by DNA in some neuronal circuits. The excitation of these neurons
      during SP leads to oniric behaviours that could be experimentally revealed--the
      lists of these behaviours are specific to each individual and indirect data
      suggest a genetic component of this programming. Amongst the mechanisms allowing
      the iterative programming of SP, sleep is particularly important. Security--and
      hence the inhibition of the arousal system--is a sine qua non condition for
      genetic programming to take place. In that sense, sleep could very well be the
      guardian of dreaming. On the other hand, sleep seems to be necessary for the
      accumulation of energetic resources used by the cholinergic mechanisms of SP. The
      temporal modalities of SP (diachronic organization) are also discussed in
      relation to phylogenesis. Thus, the absence of SP in poikilotherms is explained
      by a continual neurogenesis in the adult. During ontogenesis in mammals, a stage
      of programming by neurogenesis (seismic sleep) precedes the appearance of SP so
      long as the programming system isn't functional. The presence, or absence, of
      rebound after SP deprivation is interpreted in terms of the existence, or non
      existence, of stress during SP suppression. An explanation is proposed to account
      for the absence of specific effects of SP deprivation in humans. In the same way
      somatic intraspecific variability is one of the conditions of evolution, it is
      proposed that one of the functions of SP is to maintain psychological variability
      in a given population.

PMID- 1873755
TI  - Behavioural response home monitoring of good and insomniac sleepers.
AB  - Can the fundamental differences in sleep structure known to differentiate good
      from insomniac sleepers (e.g., sleep length, sleep onset latency [SOL], number of
      sleep disruptions, etc.) be identified using a behavioural sleep/wake (S/W)
      monitor in the home? Sixteen women (8 good and 8 insomniac sleepers) enrolled in
      an introductory psychology course participated in a study of S/W patterns. They
      used a portable version of the Ogilvie and Wilkinson (1988) behavioural response
      (BR) system in their homes for 4 consecutive nights. Insomniacs had greater SOLs,
      less efficient sleep, and tended to have a greater number of arousals as compared
      with good sleepers. The data indicate that the behavioural system could be used
      as a diagnostic tool for in-home evaluations of disorders of initiating and
      maintaining sleep.

PMID- 1873756
TI  - Sleep physiology and psychological aspects of the fibrositis (fibromyalgia)
      syndrome.
AB  - Fibrositis (fibromyalgia) patients were compared with normal controls in terms of
      electrophysiology (EEG), self-report indicants of awakening, quality of sleep,
      behaviourally signalled awakenings, and Symptom Check List 90R (SCL-90R) scores.
      The results differentiated fibrositis patients from normal controls in terms of
      SCL-90R scores, with fibrositis patients showing significantly more
      psychopathology. Fibrositis patients had more alpha EEG sleep and less REM and
      Stage 1 sleep. They were better able to recall their behaviourally signalled
      awakenings the following morning and reported qualitatively less satisfying sleep
      than the normal controls. The alpha EEG sleep anomaly may reflect a vigilant
      arousal state during nocturnal sleep and result in the daytime experience of
      unrefreshing sleep, psychologic distress, that re-enforces the perpetuation of
      the sleep-related symptoms.

PMID- 1873757
TI  - REM periodicity under ultrashort sleep/wake cycle in narcoleptic patients.
AB  - Six narcoleptic patients were tested three times on the 13-min waking/7-min
      resisting sleep paradigm each time after a night of sleep in the laboratory. The
      three experiments were conducted after 10 days without any antinarcoleptic
      treatment or after 2 weeks of daily treatment with either methyl-phenidate or
      aniracetam. The results showed that patients had pronounced levels of diurnal
      sleepiness in all three experimental conditions with a midafternoon peak at
      around 1300-1500 hr and a nadir at around 1800 hr. Methyl-phenidate significantly
      reduced REM sleep and marginally reduced total sleep in comparison with the no
      treatment and aniracetam conditions. REM sleep in the 7/13 paradigm appeared
      cyclically with a dominant periodicity of 80 min/cycle. The cycles tended to be
      synchronized across patients and were unrelated to the temporal structure of
      total sleep. The present results support the continuation of the REM oscillator
      during brief periods of waking, but suggest that the REM periodicity is unrelated
      to Kleitman's BRAC model of arousal.

PMID- 1873758
TI  - Sleep in Alzheimer's disease and other dementing disorders.
AB  - It is estimated that up to 10% of the elderly population have clinically
      significant cognitive deficits. The neuronal pathologies that underlie the
      dementing disorders cause both cognitive dysfunction and disturbances in normal
      sleep/wake patterns. Here we report the changes in sleep/wake patterns seen with
      increasing severity of Alzheimer's disease, probably the most common dementing
      disorder. In addition, studies examining sleep/wake patterns in a number of other
      dementing disorders are reviewed.

PMID- 1873759
TI  - Field studies of sleep/wake patterns and performance: a laboratory experience.

PMID- 1873760
TI  - Asbestos: the turbulent interface between science and policy.

PMID- 1873761
TI  - Checklist for brain death.

PMID- 1873762
TI  - Statements from professional associations, specialty groups and consensus
      conferences: what editors expect.

PMID- 1873763
TI  - Stripping out pus in lactational mastitis: a means of preventing breast abscess.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether manual stripping of pus from the breasts of women
      with lactational mastitis is effective in preventing the formation of breast
      abscesses. DESIGN: Case series (chart review). SETTING: Family practice in
      Montreal. PATIENTS: All (475) charts of patients with lactational mastitis were
      reviewed; 61 women were excluded because they already had a breast abscess. Most
      of the patients had been referred. OUTCOME MEASURES: Abscess formation, length of
      illness after treatment, rate of recurrence of mastitis, illness in the mother or
      infant within the 6 weeks after the mastitis and continuance of breast-feeding.
      MAIN RESULTS: The duration of symptoms before treatment was 1 to 56 (mean 5.3)
      days. In 9% of the cases both breasts were affected, and in 23% at least one
      episode of mastitis had previously occurred. The stripping technique was applied
      to all the patients. Pus was removed in 210 women; the remaining women were
      considered to have cellulitis. Only four patients (less than 1%) had breast
      abscesses. The mean length of illness after treatment was 7.2 days. The rate of
      recurrence was 14%. In all, 6% of the mothers and 9% of the infants became ill in
      the 6 weeks after the mastitis. Most (92%) of the patients continued to breast
      feed. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of abscess formation was considerably lower than the
      rates reported in the literature. Therefore, manual stripping of pus from the
      infected breasts of lactating women appears to be effective in preventing breast
      abscesses.

PMID- 1873764
TI  - A comprehensive health care directive in a home for the aged.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To examine the use of and compliance with a new comprehensive health
      care directive by residents of a home for the aged and to determine the effect of
      the directive on the use of health care services. DESIGN: Descriptive study with
      a before-after design. SETTING: A home for the aged providing residential care to
      women. PARTICIPANTS: All 119 residents (ages 71 to 103 years, mean age 87.5
      years). INTERVENTION: Introduction of a comprehensive health care directive and
      follow-up at 1 year. OUTCOME MEASURES: Residents' treatment choices, compliance
      with the directive, number of hospital admissions and length of hospital stay,
      number of deaths and places where deaths occurred. RESULTS: Ninety (76%) of the
      residents completed the directive. In the event of reversible life-threatening
      illness 34, 24, 11 and 21 residents requested supportive, limited, maximum and
      intensive care respectively. For irreversible illness the numbers were 75, 12, 3
      and 0 respectively. In case of cardiac arrest 88% requested that cardiopulmonary
      resuscitation not be done. In the year before the introduction of the directive
      there were nine deaths, one in the home and eight in hospitals. In the year after
      there were 17 deaths, 11 in the home and 6 in hospitals. The mean length of
      hospital stay was significantly lower in that year than in the year before
      implementation (p less than 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This innovative health care
      directive seems to be feasible, practical and well supported by residents, their
      families and health care professionals. Further studies are required to establish
      the generalizability and reproducibility of the data to other elderly people in
      institutions, to chronically ill patients and to the community at large.

PMID- 1873765
TI  - Alcohol and atherosclerosis risk.

PMID- 1873766
TI  - The history of caesarean section. 1935.

PMID- 1873767
TI  - Many Quebec MDs search for greener pastures as morale of province's doctors
      nosedives.

PMID- 1873768
TI  - U of T program aims to broaden skills of medical school's faculty members.

PMID- 1873769
TI  - A review of californium-252 neutron brachytherapy for cervical cancer.
AB  - Since 1976 a clinical trial has been conducted to test the feasibility, the
      potential, and to develop methods for using the neutron-emitting radioactive
      isotope, californium-252 (Cf-252), for the treatment of cervical cancer. A total
      of 218 patients were treated in the initial study period from 1976 until 1983.
      The trials initially treated advanced (Stages III and IV) cervical cancer
      patients using different doses and schedules; they were extended to include
      unfavorable presentations of Stages I and II because of favorable results in the
      initial trials. The authors began to treat patients with Stage IB bulky or barrel
      shaped tumors and the majority were treated with both radiation and hysterectomy.
      Actuarial survival was determined for Stage IB disease and was 87% at 5 years and
      82% at 10 years. For those tested with preoperative radiation it was 92% at 5 and
      87% at 10 years. For Stage II, it was 62% 5 years and 61% at 10. Survival 5 years
      after combined radiation and surgical therapy for Stage II disease was 68%. For
      Stage III, it was 33% at 5 years and 25% at 10. However, 5-year survival using
      the early neutron implant was 46% versus approximately 19% for delayed Cf-252 or
      cesium 137. Different schedules and sequences of neutrons and photons greatly
      altered outcome. Neutron treatment before external photon therapy was better for
      all stages of disease. Only about 5% of all patients developed complications
      after neutron therapy. No hematologic or mesenchymal second tumors were observed.
      Neutron brachytherapy was found to be very effective for producing rapid response
      and greatly improved local control of bulky, barrel, or advanced cervical
      cancers. The clinical trial identified and evolved schedules, doses, doses per
      session, and developed methods different from standard photon therapy but highly
      effective for local control and cure of cervical cancers of all stages. Clinical
      and radiobiologic understanding for the use of neutron therapy was greatly
      advanced by this trial. Future trials will focus on patients with advanced
      disease and will require evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy studies and neutron
      enhancing chemicals.

PMID- 1873770
TI  - Amsacrine is safe and effective therapy for patients with myocardial dysfunction
      and acute leukemia.
AB  - The role of amsacrine in inducing remission in patients with cardiac disease and
      acute leukemia was evaluated. There were 17 patients with acute myelogenous
      leukemia (AML), six with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and one with
      biphenotypic leukemia. In this series of 24 patients whose disease had relapsed
      and who had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, nine had a complete
      remission, seven with AML and two with ALL. In addition, four of six with newly
      diagnosed acute leukemia and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction also
      responded. Among nine patients who underwent endomyocardial biopsy, none had
      morphologic changes of sufficient degree to account for drug-induced heart
      failure. Patients with preexisting arrhythmias received amsacrine without
      incident if their serum potassium level was higher than 4.0 mEq/l at the time of
      drug administration. Amsacrine is safe and effective therapy for patients with
      acute leukemia and cardiac disease.

PMID- 1873771
TI  - Intensive chemotherapy induction followed by interferon-alpha maintenance in
      patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.
AB  - In a pilot study, 32 patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic
      myelogenous leukemia were treated with intensive chemotherapy induction followed
      by interferon-alpha (IFN-A) maintenance. Intensive chemotherapy consisted of
      three cycles of daunorubicin 120 mg/m2 on day 1, cytarabine 80 mg/m2 daily for 10
      days, vincristine 2 mg on day 1, and prednisone 100 mg daily for 5 days (DOAP).
      Maintenance therapy with IFN-A at a doses of 3 x 10(6) to 5 x 10(6) units/m2
      daily was adjusted according to counts and toxicity. The outcome of patients was
      compared with a matched historic population of 64 patients treated with IFN-A
      alone. Overall, 60% of patients had a cytogenetic response (partial or complete)
      with induction chemotherapy, but only eight (25%) had a sustained cytogenetic
      response with IFN-A maintenance. After a median follow-up of 67 months, the 6
      year survival rate of the 32 patients was 58%, compared with 36% for the matched
      historic group (P = 0.084). The incidence of lymphoid blastic transformation in
      the two groups was 25% and 48%, respectively (P = 0.10) and durable cytogenetic
      responses, 25% and 19%, respectively (P = 0.48). In summary, the addition of
      intensive chemotherapy induction to IFN-A maintenance does not improve the
      survival rate, incidence of lymphoid blastic transformation, or incidence of
      durable cytogenetic response compared with the results achieved with IFN-A
      therapy alone.

PMID- 1873772
TI  - Cure of early-stage Hodgkin's disease with subtotal nodal irradiation.
AB  - Ninety-four consecutive patients with Stage I or II Hodgkin's disease who
      presented supradiaphragmatically were treated with radiation therapy alone at the
      Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology from January 1978 through December 1986.
      Fifty-two patients (55%) were staged pathologically, and 42 (45%) were staged
      clinically. The latter included lymphangiography and/or abdominal computed
      tomographic scan. Most patients with B symptoms and/or bulky disease were
      excluded from this series. Seventy-four patients were treated with subtotal nodal
      irradiation (mantle and periaortic fields). The spleen was treated if the patient
      had not undergone splenectomy. Twenty patients received mantle irradiation only.
      No patient received total nodal irradiation. All patients had an initial complete
      response. With a minimum follow-up of 7 months (median, 7.7 years; seven patients
      died before 3 years of follow-up, but all other patients had at least 3 years of
      follow-up), 81 patients (86%) remained disease-free. Six of 52 (12%) of the
      pathologically staged group had a relapse, as did seven of 42 (17%) of the
      clinically staged group (P = 0.68). Eight of 57 Stage I patients versus five of
      37 Stage II patients had a relapse (P greater than 0.99). Analysis of disease
      free survival by age, histologic findings, sex, and sites of involvement did not
      predict relapse. The pelvis was the most common site of failure (nine patients,
      10%). However, only three patients (3%) failed in the pelvis alone. These results
      indicate that patients who, after adequate clinical staging with selective use of
      staging laparotomy, are found to have Stage I and II Hodgkin's disease may be
      treated with subtotal nodal irradiation with a high rate of cure.

PMID- 1873773
TI  - A prospective randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy with bolus versus
      continuous infusion of doxorubicin in patients with high-grade extremity soft
      tissue sarcoma and an analysis of prognostic factors.
AB  - A prospective randomized trial was conducted to compare the cardiotoxic and
      therapeutic effects of doxorubicin (60 mg/m2 every 3 to 4 weeks) administered by
      bolus or 72-hour continuous infusion as adjuvant chemotherapy in 82 eligible
      patients after resection of high-grade soft tissue sarcoma of the extremity or
      superficial trunk. Cardiac toxicity, defined as a 10% or greater decrease in left
      ventricular ejection fraction as assessed by radionuclide cineangiography, was
      evaluated in 69 patients. Cardiotoxicity was seen in 61% of patients in the bolus
      treatment arm with the median doxorubicin dose of 420 mg/m2. Among patients who
      received continuous infusion, 42% had cardiotoxicity with a median dose of 540
      mg/m2. The rate of cardiotoxicity as a function of the cumulative dose of
      doxorubicin was significantly higher in the bolus treatment arm (P = 0.0017). Two
      patients in each group had clinical congestive heart failure, with one cardiac
      death occurring in each. There was a trend toward a lower rate of metastasis (P =
      0.19) and a significantly lower rate of death of disease (P = 0.036) for patients
      treated with the bolus dose. Cox model analysis identified three unfavorable
      characteristics for the rate of developing a distant metastasis: blood
      transfusion within 24 hours of operation (P less than 0.00001), tumor deep to the
      fascia and 5 cm or more in size (P = 0.0043), and a histologic subtype other than
      liposarcoma (P = 0.0002). The unfavorable effect of continuous infusion was not
      selected in the model (P = 0.16). Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with soft
      tissue sarcoma is investigational. Furthermore, the impact of perioperative blood
      transfusion merits further study.

PMID- 1873774
TI  - A phase II trial of high-dose cisplatin and dacarbazine. Lack of efficacy of high
      dose, cisplatin-based therapy for metastatic melanoma.
AB  - Cisplatin and dacarbazine are used widely in the treatment of metastatic
      melanoma. To evaluate high-dose cisplatin and dacarbazine, 32 patients with
      metastatic melanoma were treated with cisplatin 50 mg/m2 and dacarbazine 350
      mg/m2 daily for three days repeated at 28-day intervals. Their median age was
      43.5 years (range, 25 to 73 years), and their median Karnofsky performance status
      was 80% (range, 70% to 100%). Measurable and evaluable disease sites (number of
      patients) included lymph nodes (22), lung (17), soft tissue (16), liver (13),
      bone (seven), spleen (four), adrenal gland (three), skin (three), and other sites
      (five). Patients received a median of two cycles of therapy (range, one to eight
      cycles). Thirty patients were evaluable for response. No complete responses were
      observed. Five patients had a partial response (17%; 95% confidence interval, 3%
      to 30%) for 16+, 12+, 7, 6.5, and 3 months. Responding sites of disease included
      lymph nodes (five of 22), lung (three of 17), and soft tissue (two of 16).
      Hematologic toxicity (Grade greater than or equal to 3) included neutropenia (16
      of 32 patients, 30 of 90 cycles), thrombocytopenia (eight of 32 patients, 12 of
      90 cycles), and anemia (five patients). Nine episodes of neutropenia and fever
      were seen in four patients; two had bacteremia. Nonhematologic toxicity (Grade
      greater than or equal to 3) included hypotension (two patients), nausea and
      vomiting (four), neuropathy (two), ototoxicity (four), and hypomagnesemia (nine).
      The low objective response rate and severe toxicity of this regimen preclude its
      standard use in patients with metastatic melanoma. A review of cisplatin-based
      therapy in metastatic melanoma suggests that there is no dose-response
      relationship. The use of high-dose cisplatin (greater than 100 mg/m2) in the
      treatment of metastatic melanoma is not recommended.

PMID- 1873775
TI  - High-dose cisplatin with dacarbazine and tamoxifen in the treatment of metastatic
      melanoma.
AB  - In an attempt to increase the antitumor effect of cisplatin (50 mg/m2) and
      dacarbazine (350 mg/m2), each repeated on days 1 to 3 every 4 weeks in patients
      with metastatic melanoma, tamoxifen was added to the regimen. Before the first
      course of chemotherapy, the patients received a loading dose of tamoxifen (100 mg
      orally twice a day for 7 days), followed by a maintenance dose of 10 mg orally
      twice a day and continued throughout the treatment. Aspirin (325 mg orally every
      other day) was administered at the same time as the tamoxifen in an attempt to
      reduce the risk of thromboembolic events. The activity of high-dose cisplatin
      with dacarbazine and tamoxifen was disappointing. Of 23 evaluable patients, only
      three responded--an overall response rate of 13% (95% confidence limits, 0% to
      27%). These responses consisted of one pathologic complete remission in a patient
      with nodal metastases, one clinical complete remission in a patient with a very
      large pelvic mass, and one partial response in another patient with nodal
      metastases. The duration of responses was 12+, 4, and 4 months, respectively.
      These data do not support a significant interaction between tamoxifen and
      cisplatin or dacarbazine. Assuming that tamoxifen is important in the cisplatin,
      dacarbazine, and carmustine combination, as suggested by others, the most
      relevant interaction may be between tamoxifen and carmustine.

PMID- 1873776
TI  - A phase I, II study of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin with low
      dose phosphonacetyl-L-aspartic acid in patients with advanced malignancies.
AB  - Twenty-eight patients with refractory advanced malignancies were treated with a
      24-hour infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin (LV), and N
      (phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartic acid (PALA) weekly. Twenty-seven patients were
      evaluable to assess toxicity and antitumor activity. The PALA was administered as
      an intravenous bolus over 15 minutes at a fixed dose (250 mg/m2) 24 hours before
      the start of the 5-FU and leucovorin infusions. Initially the dose of 5-FU was
      750 mg/m2; this was increased incrementally to 2600 mg/m2. The LV was
      administered in a fixed dose of 500 mg/m2 concurrently with the 5-FU over a 24
      hour period. This regimen was repeated weekly. Diarrhea, stomatitis, nausea, and
      vomiting were among the dose-limiting toxicities. Others were hand-foot syndrome,
      hair loss of the scalp and eyelashes, overall weakness, rhinitis, and chemical
      conjunctivitis. The maximum tolerated dose of 5-FU in this combination and
      schedule was 2600 mg/m2. Seven of 14 patients treated with 2600 mg/m2 were able
      to tolerate the chemotherapy on a weekly basis without interruption. The other
      seven patients required dose reductions, but most received 5-FU at a dose of 2100
      mg/m2. Twenty-three of 27 patients were treated previously. Eight patients had a
      partial response; five of these were treated previously. A complete response was
      observed in one patient with pancreatic carcinoma, previously untreated. The
      overall response rate for patients treated with 2100 or 2600 mg/m2 of 5-FU was
      nine of 18 patients (50%). Three of four previously untreated patients with
      pancreatic cancer responded to this treatment (two responded partially, and one
      had a complete response). One of three heavily pretreated patients with non-small
      cell lung cancer had a partial response as did a patient with breast cancer. Four
      of ten patients with colorectal cancer responded to the treatment (four partial
      responses), of whom three had been treated previously.

PMID- 1873777
TI  - Whole-abdominal irradiation for the management of gastrointestinal and abdominal
      manifestations of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia.
AB  - A patient with a long-standing history of agnogenic myeloid metaplasia developed
      weight loss and ascites secondary to gastric/small bowel infiltration and
      peritoneal implants of myeloid tissue. Moderate doses of radiation were very
      effective in controlling her gastrointestinal symptoms. In contrast to previous
      reports, clinical improvement after irradiation was a slow, gradual process,
      requiring 5 months for complete resolution of the patient's ascites. Hematologic
      suppression may be profound and careful attention to the rate of change in
      leukocyte and platelet counts is necessary to avoid severe toxicity.

PMID- 1873778
TI  - Inhibitory effects of the gastrin receptor antagonist (L-365,260) on
      gastrointestinal tumor cells.
AB  - A selective gastrin receptor (GR) antagonist, L-365,260 is bound to the GR on
      AR42J cells with a potency 7.5-fold less than G17 (50% inhibitory concentration
      [IC50] G17, 6 x 10(-9) mol/l; IC50 L365-260, 4.5 x 10(-8) mol/l). G17 is
      mitogenic for AR42J cells, as assessed by 75Se-selenomethionine uptake and L
      365,260 at concentrations of 2.5 x 10(-6) mol/l and 2.5 x 10(-7) mol/l, (55X and
      5.5 X the dose required to displace 50% 125I G17, respectively), and reduced
      optimal G17 stimulated mitogenesis in 75% of experiments. The basal growth of two
      human colon cancer cell lines, LoVo and C146 was reduced by L-365,260 (2.5 x 10(
      7) mol/l) after 5 days of treatment to 44% and 64% of the control, respectively.
      However, inhibition was followed by a rebound of growth to control levels. The
      growth of AR42J xenografts in nude mice was increased by administration of G17
      (10 micrograms/mouse/d, P less than 0.027). This increase was blocked by
      coadministration of oral L-365,260 (5 mg/kg/d, P less than 0.034). L-365,260
      could be an important therapeutic agent in slowing the growth of GR-positive, G17
      sensitive gastrointestinal tumors.

PMID- 1873779
TI  - Preoperative radiation therapy followed by extrafascial hysterectomy in patients
      with stage II endometrial carcinoma.
AB  - Seventy-four patients with Stage II endometrial cancer were treated by a
      combination of preoperative radiation therapy followed by extrafascial
      hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and paraaortic lymph node sampling
      at the University of Kentucky Medical Center from 1967 to 1988. All patients had
      histologically confirmed endometrial cancer with involvement of the endocervix.
      The cell types and numbers of the tumors treated were as follows: adenocarcinoma,
      58; adenoacanthoma, six; adenosquamous carcinoma, nine; and clear cell carcinoma,
      one. Preoperative radiation consisted of 4500 cGy external therapy followed by
      one intracavitary implant providing an additional 2000 cGy to point A. Surgery
      was done 4 to 6 weeks after completion of radiation therapy. Five patients (7.1%)
      had paraaortic lymph node metastases. Four were treated with extended-field
      radiation therapy and one with platinum-based combination chemotherapy. After
      treatment, the patients were followed at regular intervals from 2 to 22 years
      (mean, 5.4 years). Eleven patients (15%) had recurrent cancer, with the vagina
      and upper abdomen being the most common sites of spread. The estimated 5-year and
      10-year disease-free survival rates of these patients are 88% and 76%,
      respectively. Cell type, depth of myometrial invasion, and lymph node status were
      the most important prognostic variables in the patients evaluated. These data
      confirm that the combination of preoperative radiation therapy and surgery
      produces excellent long-term survival in patients with Stage II endometrial
      cancer.

PMID- 1873780
TI  - The role of radical surgery in the management of radiation recurrent and large
      volume prostate cancer.
AB  - Twenty-two patients seen between 1975 and 1988 were analyzed who had surgical
      attempts to cure locally advanced prostate cancer by exenterative procedures or
      salvage surgery for radiation recurrent disease. Twelve patients (Group I)
      underwent either a salvage cystoprostatectomy or perineal prostatectomy for
      radiorecurrent disease, including three patients with a Kock continent urinary
      diversion done in combination with the salvage operation. Five of the 12 (41.7%)
      recurrent disease confined to the surgical specimen and 11 of 12 (91.7%) are
      alive at a mean follow-up of 49 months, including four patients (25%) with a
      completely negative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value (less than 0.2
      ng/dl). All perineal prostatectomy patients are continent, and two of the three
      Kock pouch patients are continent. Ten of the 22 patients (Group II) had a
      cystoprostatectomy or exenteration for locally advanced disease that the surgeon
      did not think was amenable to standard radical prostatectomy. Only one of these
      ten patients had negative surgical margins, capsule, and seminal vesicles. Nine
      are alive (although only one patient has no evidence of disease) at a mean follow
      up of 59 months. Morbidity was substantial with a 50% major complication rate
      including four patients requiring reoperation because of bleeding, abscess, bowel
      obstruction, or colostomy closure. Salvage procedures for radiorecurrent disease
      can be done safely, even with the inclusion of a continent diversion, and may be
      curative or provide survival benefit to carefully selected patients.
      Cystoprostatectomy or exenteration for locally advanced disease does not appear
      to be a curative endeavor for most patients and may be accompanied by significant
      morbidity.

PMID- 1873781
TI  - Elimination of clonogenic breast cancer cells from human bone marrow. A
      comparison of immunotoxin treatment with chemoimmunoseparation using 4
      hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, monoclonal antibodies, and magnetic microspheres.
AB  - Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) may aid in the management of breast
      cancer, but is currently limited to patients without bone marrow metastases. In
      earlier studies, 5 logs of malignant clonogenic breast cancer cells could be
      eliminated from human bone marrow using a combination of chemoseparation with 4
      hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) and immunoseparation with monoclonal
      antibodies and magnetic microspheres. In this report the authors compare
      chemoimmunoseparation to treatment with immunotoxins for elimination of tumor
      cells from human bone marrow and for the preservation of normal precursors.
      Breast cancer cells from each of five cell lines were mixed with a tenfold excess
      of irradiated human bone marrow cells. Treatment with a combination of five
      immunotoxins reduced clonogenic tumor cell growth by 1.8 to 5.5 logs depending
      upon the cell line. With two of the five cell lines, clonogenic tumor cells were
      eliminated quantitatively. Using the CAMA-1 breast cancer cell line, treatment
      with multiple immunotoxins was compared with chemoimmunoseparation with 4-HC, a
      panel of five unconjugated monoclonal antibodies and magnetic microspheres.
      Chemoimmunoseparation eliminated 3.5 to 5.4 logs of malignant cells, while
      preserving 21% of Colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and 37% of
      burst-forming unit-erythrocyte (BFU-E). No clonogenic breast cancer cells could
      be detected. Immunotoxin treatment eliminated 2.2 to 5.4 logs of clonogenic
      breast cancer cells, but had no effect on the bone marrow precursors. In seven of
      ten experiments, however, clonogenic breast cancer cells remained after
      immunotoxin treatment. Consequently, treatment with 4-HC, multiple murine
      monoclonal antibodies and magnetic microspheres provided more consistent
      elimination of tumor cells than separation with immunotoxins, but was
      significantly more toxic for marrow precursors.

PMID- 1873782
TI  - Contribution of monocytes to the decreased lymphoproliferative response to
      phytohemagglutinin in patients with lung cancer.
AB  - Patients with lung cancer (LC) have a reduced T-cell proliferative response to
      phytohemagglutinin (PHA) compared with that of healthy individuals. This
      decreased response is a result of an inhibitory effect exerted by the monocytes
      as evidenced by: (1) a restoration to normal levels of the response to PHA when
      the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were depleted of adherent cells (AD) and
      (2) a dose-dependent inhibition of the response to PHA when the nonadherent cell
      population was co-cultured with increasing numbers of autologous AD cells. The
      addition of indomethacin to the cultures resulted in only a partial restoration
      of the response to PHA. Monocyte production of interleukin-1 from patients with
      LC in response to lipopolysaccharide was normal. These findings support the
      hypothesis that the AD cell population plays a major role in the low T-cell
      proliferative response to PHA in patients with LC. This suppressor effect is
      partially mediated by the prostaglandins released by the monocytes.

PMID- 1873783
TI  - A significant association of Ha-ras p21 in neuroblastoma cells with patient
      prognosis. A retrospective study of 103 cases.
AB  - To evaluate biologic characteristics of neuroblastoma, the authors examined the
      expression of Ha-ras gene (Ha-ras p21) in 103 primary tumors obtained at the time
      of diagnosis. Higher expression of the Ha-ras p21 in tumor cells showed a
      significant association with lower clinical stage of the tumor at diagnosis (chi
      square = 35.418, degrees of freedom [df] = 9, P less than 0.001) and survival of
      the patients (chi-square = 37.111, df = 3, P less than 0.001). Thirty-six (84%)
      of 43 patients with decreased Ha-ras p21 expression died of aggressive disease.
      The Ha-ras DNA was examined in the 32 tumors by Southern blot analysis. Neither
      augmentation nor deletion of the Ha-ras DNA was observed. Amplification of the N
      myc DNA was also examined in 43 cases in comparison with Ha-ras p21 expression. N
      myc amplification was detected in 12 (55%) of 22 patients who died, and 19 (86%)
      of the 22 patients showed a low expression of the Ha-ras p21 in tumor cells.
      Eighteen (86%) of 21 survivors showed a high expression of the Ha-ras p21. The
      expression of Ha-ras p21 was thought to be a clinically important marker for
      prognosis in children with neuroblastoma.

PMID- 1873784
TI  - Granulomatous angiitis of the spinal cord associated with Hodgkin's disease.
AB  - A 28-year-old man had a 5-month history of focal and generalized neurologic
      symptoms culminating in a thoracic myelopathy. Evaluation revealed granulomatous
      angiitis of the spinal cord in association with occult nodular sclerosing
      Hodgkin's disease. In previous reports, manifestations indicative of intracranial
      involvement have dominated the clinical presentation of granulomatous angiitis
      associated with Hodgkin's disease. Successful therapy for Hodgkin's disease may
      result in marked improvement of associated granulomatous angiitis, whereas the
      lack or failure of therapy results in a uniformly fatal outcome. Definitive
      antemortem diagnosis of granulomatous angiitis requires a biopsy of involved
      tissue. The cause of granulomatous angiitis, as well as the nature of its
      association with Hodgkin's disease, remains unexplained.

PMID- 1873785
TI  - Cervical implantation metastasis by endometrial adenocarcinoma.
AB  - A distinct type of cervical involvement by endometrial cancer is reported and
      termed cervical implantation metastasis. It is believed to result from
      implantation of endometrial cancer on the denuded endocervix after fractional
      dilatation and curettage (D & C). The histologic criteria for diagnosis are: (1)
      the cervical implantation metastasis must be imbedded in the endocervical
      epithelium or superficial stroma surrounded by an implantation site of
      inflammatory cells and granulation tissue (free-floating cancer cells above the
      cervical mucosa are not acceptable as implantation tissue), (2) the histologic
      findings of the cervical implantation metastasis must be similar to those of the
      endometrial adenocarcinoma in the uterine corpus, (3) the cervical implantation
      metastasis must be separate from the primary tumor with no evidence of direct
      extension, and (4) the cervical implantation metastasis should be surrounded by
      nonneoplastic endocervical glands with no transition between the two. Of the 176
      patients who underwent fractional D & C before hysterectomy, nine (5%) were found
      to have cervical implantation metastasis. No patients had cervical implantation
      metastasis who did not undergo fractional D & C before hysterectomy. When
      stratified according to stage, grade, and myometrial invasion, there was no
      statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate between patients with
      or without cervical implantation metastasis. It appears that cervical
      implantation metastasis does not alter prognosis or require specific treatment.

PMID- 1873786
TI  - Maternal reproductive history and birth characteristics in childhood acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia.
AB  - Using birth-registration data, a case-control study was done to investigate the
      possible associations of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with birth
      characteristics and maternal reproductive history. The data included cases born
      and diagnosed in Minnesota since 1969. Matched analyses were conducted using 337
      cases and 1336 birth year-matched controls. There was a statistically significant
      increased odds of ALL for birth to older (greater than 35 years) mothers (odds
      ratio (OR) = 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28, 3.58), older fathers (OR
      = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.14, 2.30), mothers with at least a high school education (OR =
      1.61, 95% CI = 1.05, 2.48), and larger intervals (greater than 5 years) between
      the birth of the proband and the preceding sibling (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.12,
      3.09). The increased odds of ALL for birth by Caesarean section approached
      significance (OR = 1.42, P = 0.06). No overall association was found for: gender,
      race, paternal education, fetal-loss history, birth order, prenatal care history,
      pregnancy complications, inducement of labor, multiple birth, gestational age, or
      birth weight. Age at diagnosis was an important effect modifier of some analyses.
      For cases diagnosed before age 2 years, there was a 2.7-fold increased odds of
      ALL if the last pregnancy had resulted in a fetal loss (P = 0.03). For cases
      diagnosed before age 4 years, birth weight greater than 3800 g was associated
      with a significant 2.05-fold increased odds of ALL. These data strengthen the
      hypothesis that prenatal events may play a causative role in childhood ALL,
      particularly in those cases diagnosed at a younger age.

PMID- 1873787
TI  - Lymphomas in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
AB  - The authors reviewed 508 cases of lymphoma seen during a 16-year period in
      University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Hodgkin's disease was diagnosed in
      95 (18.6%) patients, of which 45% had mixed cellularity type; 19%, lymphocyte
      predominance; 18%, nodular sclerosis; and 18%, lymphocyte depletion. The age
      distribution showed a single mode in the 11 to 25-year-old group. Male
      preponderance was more marked in children who made up 32% of the Hodgkin's
      disease patients. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurred in 413 cases, of which 296
      (71.7%) were high-grade malignancies. Burkitt's tumor occurred in 211 (41.5%)
      patients, 95% of whom were children, and showed a male to female ratio of 1.7:1.
      Compared with previous findings in this hospital, Hodgkin's disease showed
      increased proportions of the lymphocyte predominant and nodular sclerosing types.
      However, the characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma did not change appreciably in
      the last three decades.

PMID- 1873788
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma in a child after autologous bone marrow transplantation for non
      Hodgkin's lymphoma.
AB  - A case of Kaposi's sarcoma in a child with no serologic evidence of human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is reported. A 7-year-old boy with Stage
      IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, after conventional chemotherapy, underwent autologous
      bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Five months later he presented with
      supraclavicular mass and mediastinal enlargement. A bone marrow biopsy showed
      hypoplasia with no signs of the underlying disease, whereas the excised mass
      revealed a typical histologic pattern of Kaposi's sarcoma. The child is currently
      being treated with recombinant alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) and regression of the
      disease has been achieved.

PMID- 1873789
TI  - Angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia (Castleman's disease) in an adolescent
      female. Clinical and immunologic findings.
AB  - Angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia is a heterogeneous disorder of unclear
      etiology and has a wide spectrum of systemic symptoms. This report describes a
      case of this disorder in a 15-year-old girl and examines the response of the
      primary mass, systemic symptoms, and alterations of selected immune parameters at
      diagnosis, as a result of steroid therapy and radiation therapy (RT). The patient
      had a 1-year history of growth failure, delayed puberty, and refractory iron
      deficiency anemia. Computed tomography scan showed a posterior mediastinal mass.
      Biopsy revealed angiofollicular lymph node hyperplasia of mixed hyaline-vascular
      and plasma cell type histologic type. Immunoperoxidase studies showed polyclonal
      B-cells, predominance of T-helper cells (CD4) over cytotoxic/suppressor T-cells
      (CD8), and the presence of natural killer (NK) cells. Southern blot analysis
      demonstrated germ line gene configuration for the T-cell antigen receptor and Ig
      heavy chain. The patient clinically improved with RT after failing to respond to
      steroids. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes before therapy
      revealed a CD4:CD8 ratio of 0.8 with decreased numbers of circulating T-cells;
      this increased to 1.4 after steroid therapy. The patient's T-lymphocytes had no
      proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or concanavalin A (Con A)
      before RT. After RT, a small but significant mitogenic response to these reagents
      was noticed. The proliferative response to recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2)
      remained similar to that of control lymphocytes. Induction of second messenger
      signals by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and elevation of free cytosolic
      calcium through the use of the phorbol ester, phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu),
      and ionomycin (Io) resulted in a strong proliferative response at diagnosis and
      after RT. In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed diminished NK activity before and
      after therapy. Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity remained comparable
      with that of control cells and was not affected by therapy. Before RT patient
      lymphocytes maintained cytotoxic capabilities after coincubation with rIL-2 and
      PDBu plus Io, whereas coincubation with these reagents abrogated cytotoxic
      function of normal cells. This case demonstrates a clinical response to RT as
      well as improvement in immune parameters. Intact signal transduction mechanisms
      through PKC activation and elevation of cytosolic calcium were also demonstrated
      in the circulating lymphocytes.

PMID- 1873790
TI  - Superior vena cava syndrome caused by an intrathoracic plasmacytoma.
AB  - A case of an extramedullary intrathoracic plasmacytoma causing superior vena cava
      syndrome is described. Review of the literature on intrathoracic plasmacytomas
      and superior vena cava syndrome revealed that no similar cases have been
      described to date. The initial presentation, management, and response to
      treatment are described.

PMID- 1873791
TI  - A population-based study on the incidence and survival rates of 3857 glioma
      patients diagnosed from 1953 to 1984.
AB  - Intracranial glioma was diagnosed during the patient's life and histologically
      verified in 3857 patients between 1953 and 1984 in Finland. Their survival up to
      the end of 1987 was analyzed, the follow-up being complete. The treatment was by
      operation in 1193 cases, radiation in 459 cases, both operation and radiation in
      1486 cases, and neither operation nor radiation in 719 cases. The 1-year, 5-year,
      10-year, and 15-year cumulative relative survival rates were 0.53, 0.29, 0.20,
      and 0.18, respectively. The newborn to 14-year-olds lost 56% of their life
      expectancy; the 15-year-olds to 44-year-olds, 71%; the 45-year-olds to 64-year
      olds, 88%; and the 65-year-olds to 99-year-olds, 91%. According to the model with
      the best fit in regression analysis the prognosis was significantly better among
      young, recently diagnosed patients who had undergone both operation and
      radiation.

PMID- 1873792
TI  - Prolactin and growth hormone levels in premenopausal women with breast cancer and
      healthy women with a strong family history of breast cancer.
AB  - Although both prolactin and growth hormone are believed to play roles in the
      development and growth of rodent mammary cancer, the role of these hormones in
      human breast cancer is uncertain. Under carefully specified conditions, serum
      levels of these hormones were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and prolactin
      was determined by bioassay in 18 premenopausal women with breast cancer, 23
      healthy women with a strong family history of breast cancer, and 39 healthy women
      with no significant family history of breast cancer. Parity was associated
      strongly with decreased prolactin levels, and increasing age was associated
      strongly with decreased growth hormone levels. After controlling for these
      variables, no differences in prolactin or growth hormone levels were found among
      the three groups of women. These data do not support roles for these RIA-measured
      hormones or bioassay-measured prolactin in premenopausal or familial breast
      cancer in omnivorous white women.

PMID- 1873793
TI  - CAncer Rehabilitation Evaluation System--short form (CARES-SF). A cancer specific
      rehabilitation and quality of life instrument.
AB  - The CAncer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES) (CARES Consultants, Santa
      Monica, CA) a rehabilitation and quality of life instrument with well-documented
      reliability and validity, has been shortened. This report describes the
      development and psychometric properties of the new instrument, the CAncer
      Rehabilitation Evaluation System--Short Form (CARES-SF). The data from four
      existing samples of cancer patients demonstrate that the CARES-SF is highly
      related to the CARES (r = 0.98), has excellent test-retest reliability (86%
      agreement), concurrent validity with related measures, and acceptable internal
      consistency of summary scales (alpha = 0.85 to 0.61). In a new sample of breast
      cancer patients evaluated at three points in time (1 month, 7 months, and 13
      months after diagnosis) the instrument appears to be sensitive to change and is
      highly related to the Functional Living Index--Cancer (FLIC), an existing quality
      of life instrument. The authors conclude that the CARES-SF has excellent
      potential as a quality of life instrument for use in clinical trials.

PMID- 1873794
TI  - Inhibition of protooncogene expression by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides:
      biological and therapeutic implications.

PMID- 1873795
TI  - Advantages of adoptive chemoimmunotherapy with polyethylene glycol-cultured,
      antigen-activated, tumor-infiltrated spleen cells for the complete eradication of
      lethal MOPC-315 plasmacytomas.
AB  - The incorporation of polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG) into the culture media of
      tumor-infiltrated spleen cells (TISpC) and MOPC-315 stimulator tumor cells at a
      responder to stimulator cell ratio of 30/1 had been shown to lead to the
      appearance of CD8+ T-cells that were effective in adoptive chemoimmunotherapy
      (ACIT) of mice bearing a barely palpable MOPC-315 tumor (J. A. Wise, M. B. Mokyr,
      and S. Dray, Cancer Res., 49:3613-3619, 1989). Here we show that in the presence
      of substantially fewer added stimulator tumor cells (responder to stimulator cell
      ratio, 100/1), the inclusion of PEG in the cultures of TISpC also enhanced the
      appearance of cells that were highly effective in curing such mice by ACIT.
      Moreover, these PEG-cultured TISpC were more effective in ACIT than TISpC
      cultured in the presence of an optimal concentration of recombinant interleukin-2
      (60 IU/ml). The potency of the tumor-eradicating activity of the PEG-cultured
      TISpC in ACIT was further illustrated by their ability to cause the complete
      regression of a large (20-22 mm) s.c. MOPC-315 tumor in conjunction with a dose
      of drug that by itself did not cause tumor regression. PEG-cultured TISpC that
      were effective against MOPC-315 tumor cells in an antigen-specific manner. In
      fact, PEG-cultured TISpC were more effective than recombinant interleukin-2
      cultured TISpC, not only in ACIT, but also in their ability to lyse MOPC-315
      tumor cells in vitro. Thus, a direct specific lytic activity against the tumor by
      cytotoxic T-lymphocytes is the apparent mechanism through which the complete
      regression of the large tumor burden is brought about by the PEG-cultured TISpC.
      Finally, we suggest that the incorporation of PEG to render ineffective lymphoid
      cells effective in ACIT may offer some advantages compared with the incorporation
      of recombinant interleukin-2 and may be suitable for protocols to generate human
      cytotoxic cells for cancer therapy when there are relatively low numbers of
      available tumor cells.

PMID- 1873796
TI  - Resistance patterns between cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and ionizing
      radiation.
AB  - Cross-resistance between cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP) and radiation
      resistance has been suggested from clinical and experimental data (C. T. Coughlin
      and R. C. Richmond, Semin. Oncol., 16: 31-43, 1989). To determine whether cross
      resistance patterns between both cytotoxic approaches exist, resistance against
      CDDP and ionizing radiation was induced separately in human ovarian cancer cells
      in a cross-over design. Subsequently sensitivity changes were determined for both
      treatment modalities. CDDP resistance was induced previously (P. J. Kuppen et
      al., Cancer Res., 48: 3355-3359, 1988), and resistant cells were grown at three
      different levels of CDDP:0 ng/ml; 250 ng/ml; and 500 ng/ml. Resistance with
      resistance factor (RF) 3.4 to 5.1 proved to be stable, since withdrawal of CDDP
      pressure for at least 6 mo did not alter resistance patterns. CDDP-resistant
      cells also demonstrated stable resistance against ionizing radiation, with RF
      ranging from 1.7 to 2.0. The resistance patterns could not be explained by
      differences in growth kinetics and DNA content. Resistance to ionizing radiation
      was induced in the same human ovarian cancer cells as used for CDDP resistance
      studies. Exposure with 1.5 Gy of intermittent irradiation during 6 mo, at time
      intervals of 48 h, resulted in cells which were able to grow under chronic
      ionizing radiation pressure. RF was 2.0; the resistance was lost after 6 mo of
      culturing without ionizing radiation pressure. With intermittent radiation doses
      of 0.5 and 1.0 Gy, no significant resistance could be induced. Cells
      intermittently exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 Gy during 6 mo demonstrated increased
      sensitivity to CDDP, with 0.22 less than RF less than 0.43. Increased sensitivity
      was associated with proportionally increased formation of the platinum-DNA
      adducts. Differences in sensitivity for both ionizing radiation and CDDP were
      lost after 6 mo of culturing without radiation pressure; therefore, resistance
      toward ionizing radiation and, likewise, the increased sensitivity to CDDP, were
      judged to be unstable. In conclusion, data of the present study demonstrated that
      development of stable resistance to CDDP is associated with development of stable
      resistance to ionizing radiation in human ovarian cancer. Contrastingly,
      increased sensitivity to CDDP was found when resistance against irradiation was
      induced in the same cells.

PMID- 1873797
TI  - Hemin enhances the sensitivity of erythroleukemia cells to 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine by both activation of deoxycytidine kinase and reduction
      of cytidine deaminase activity.
AB  - The sensitivity of human myelogenous leukemia cells to 1-beta-D
      arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) during induction of differentiation was
      examined. Treatment with hemin greatly increased the sensitivity of erythroid
      leukemia cells to ara-C. The enhancement of ara-C sensitivity by hemin was not as
      remarkable in nonerythroid leukemia cells. Hemin altered the metabolism of ara-C
      in human erythroleukemia K562 cells by reducing ara-C deaminase activity,
      increasing intracellular accumulation of ara-C, and activating the nucleoside
      kinases. These alterations may be involved in the enhancing effect of hemin on
      sensitivity of ara-C. These results suggest that some inducers of differentiation
      potentiate the antileukemic effect of ara-C on human erythroleukemia cells.

PMID- 1873798
TI  - Epidermal growth factor receptor-negative tumors are predominantly confined to
      the subgroup of estradiol receptor-positive human primary breast cancers.
AB  - A total of 725 human primary breast tumor biopsy samples were analyzed for
      epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) content, using a multiple-point EGFR
      assay standardized in accordance with the recommendations of the European
      Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Receptor Study Group. After the
      establishment of a lower cell membrane protein threshold of 0.2 mg of membrane
      protein per ml of assay buffer, the results of 27% (194 samples) of the EGFR
      determinations were excluded from the study because of insufficient assay
      membrane protein content. Of the remaining 531 breast tumor biopsy samples, 57%
      (302 samples) were shown to be EGFR positive by Scatchard analysis, with a median
      value of 40 fmol/mg of membrane protein. Of the breast tumor biopsy samples, 72%
      (380 samples) were estrogen receptor (ER) positive, and 65% (344 samples) were
      progesterone receptor (PgR) positive. EGFR positivity was found in 46% (173 of
      380) of ER-positive and in 85% (129 of 151) of ER-negative breast tumor biopsy
      samples (P less than 0.0001), as well as in 49% (168 of 344) of PgR-positive and
      in 72% (134 of 186) of PgR-negative breast tumor biopsy samples (P less than
      0.0001). Mean EGFR levels in ER-positive breast tumor biopsy samples were lower
      than they were in ER-negative ones, 40 +/- 31 (SD) against 72 +/- 55 fmol/mg of
      membrane protein (P less than 0.0001). Similarly, mean EGFR levels in PgR
      positive breast tumor biopsy samples were lower than they were in PgR-negative
      ones, 41 +/- 29 against 70 +/- 56 fmol/mg of membrane protein (P less than
      0.0001). Both EGFR positivity and EGFR levels decreased with increasing steroid
      hormone receptor levels. A multivariate analysis showed only ER to be
      independently associated with EGFR.

PMID- 1873799
TI  - Inhibition of murine melanoma experimental metastasis by recombinant
      desulfatohirudin, a highly specific thrombin inhibitor.
AB  - Recombinant desulfatohirudin (r-hirudin), a highly specific inhibitor of
      thrombin, was examined to determine whether it would inhibit production of
      experimental lung metastasis by B16-F10 melanoma cells. In in vitro assays using
      mouse plasma, the high level of procoagulant activity in B16-F10 cells was
      significantly inhibited by r-hirudin in a dose-dependent manner. From 15 to 120
      min after s.c. administration into C57BL/6 mice, r-hirudin (10 mg/kg) markedly
      prolonged clotting time in a time course pattern that directly correlated with
      that of blood distribution of 125I-labeled r-hirudin. The production of
      experimental lung metastasis by B16-F10 cells was significantly inhibited by r
      hirudin administered s.c. at time points ranging from 120 min before to 60 min
      after tumor cell inoculation with the most significant effects found in mice
      given r-hirudin 15 or 2 min before the i.v. injection of tumor cells. The organ
      distribution of [125I]IdUrd-labeled tumor cells demonstrated a clear difference
      in the lungs of mice treated with r-hirudin and the lungs of control mice, and
      these differences directly correlated with the number of lung tumor colonies
      found 3 weeks later. The inhibition of lung metastasis was not due to direct
      antitumor effects of r-hirudin. These results suggest that inhibition of
      coagulation events by r-hirudin significantly inhibit experimental lung
      metastasis during a critical time of 60 min after the entry of tumor cells into
      the circulation.

PMID- 1873800
TI  - Anomalous relationship between cisplatin sensitivity and the formation and
      removal of platinum-DNA adducts in two human ovarian carcinoma cell lines in
      vitro.
AB  - Two human ovarian tumor cell lines (SK-OV-3 and TR175), established from patients
      previously treated with alkylating agents, but not with cisplatin, expressed
      greater than 23-fold differences in cisplatin sensitivities in vitro. Cisplatin
      resistance in SK-OV-3 cells appeared to be associated with increased levels of
      glutathione and activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase,
      with reduced catalase activity. No significant modification of drug uptake was
      noted and there was only marginally lower (16%) total platination of DNA,
      measured immunochemically, in these cells compared with the more sensitive TR175
      cell line. SK-OV-3 cells, however, showed a significantly lower overall ability
      to remove drug-induced DNA damage, with an apparent inability to remove either
      the major DNA-DNA intrastrand cross-links in the sequence pGpG or the adducts cis
      Pt(NH3)2d(GMP)2, although by alkaline elution repair of DNA-DNA interstrand cross
      links was demonstrated. Significantly more of these interstrand cross-links were
      induced in these resistant cells. These data provide evidence for the involvement
      of altered glutathione metabolism and increased tolerance of certain types of
      drug-induced DNA damage as factors associated with the resistance phenotype of SK
      OV-3 cells. Paradoxically, however, although the highly cisplatin-sensitive TR175
      cells had lower glutathione levels this was not reflected in significantly higher
      total platination of DNA, and these cells appeared to be proficient in removing
      all the major platinum-DNA adducts quantitated in this study. Mechanisms
      responsible for this relative sensitivity to cisplatin remain to be identified.

PMID- 1873801
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor gene expression is mediated by protein kinase C following
      activation by ionizing radiation.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production following X-irradiation has been
      implicated in the biological response to ionizing radiation. Protein kinase C
      (PKC) is suggested to participate in TNF transcriptional induction and X-ray
      mediated gene expression. We therefore studied radiation-mediated TNF expression
      in HL-60 cells with diminished PKC activity produced by either pretreatment with
      protein kinase inhibitors or prolonged 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate
      treatment. Both treatments resulted in attenuation of radiation-mediated TNF
      induction. Consistent with these results, we found no detectable induction of TNF
      expression following X-irradiation in the HL-60 variant deficient in PKC-mediated
      signal transduction. The rapid activation of PKC following gamma-irradiation was
      established using an in vitro assay measuring phosphorylation of a PKC specific
      substrate. A 4.5-fold increase in PKC activity occurred 15 to 30 s following
      irradiation, which declined to baseline at 60 s. Two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis of phosphoproteins extracted from irradiated cells demonstrated
      in vivo phosphorylation of the PKC specific substrate Mr 80,000 protein at 45 s
      following X-irradiation. These findings indicate that signal transduction via the
      PKC pathway is required for the induction of TNF gene expression by ionizing
      radiation.

PMID- 1873802
TI  - In vivo and in vitro evaluation of the alkylating agent carmethizole.
AB  - Carmethizole, a novel bis-carbamate alkylating agent, was evaluated in vitro for
      potential mechanisms of interaction with DNA and in vivo for spectrum and degree
      of antitumor activity. In vitro, the concentration of carmethizole required to
      produce a 50% reduction in clonogenic cell survival was identical in O6
      alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase-positive and -negative human cell lines. The
      CHO cell line UV4, hypersensitive to mono- and bifunctional alkylating agents,
      was 37-fold more sensitive to carmethizole than normal cells. The UV5 cell line,
      which is not hypersensitive to cross-linkers, was 13-fold more sensitive to
      carmethizole than normal cells. Alkaline elution studies in L1210 cells exposed
      to carmethizole showed the presence of DNA-protein and DNA-DNA cross-links but
      not DNA strand breaks. These data suggested that the interaction of carmethizole
      with DNA produces monoadducts, DNA-protein, and DNA-DNA interstrand cross-links
      at several sites. In vivo, carmethizole was not cross-resistant with 1,3-bis(2
      chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea or Cytoxan as determined by testing against P388
      leukemias resistant to the latter 2 agents. Carmethizole activity was similar to
      that of melphalan across the murine solid tumor panel, which consisted of B16
      melanoma; colon adenocarcinomas 11a, 26, and 36; and the KHT sarcoma.
      Carmethizole, Cytoxan, and melphalan were all active and had comparable activity
      against the HCT-8 and MX-1 human tumor xenografts. The in vivo spectrum of
      activity and efficacy of carmethizole was similar to that of melphalan.

PMID- 1873803
TI  - Biological efficacy of boronated low-density lipoprotein for boron neutron
      capture therapy as measured in cell culture.
AB  - Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are known to be internalized by the cell through
      receptor-mediated mechanisms. There is evidence that LDLs may be taken up avidly
      by tumor cells to provide cholesterol for the synthesis of cell membranes. Thus,
      the possibility exists that LDLs may provide an ideal vehicle for the transport
      of boron to tumor cells for boron neutron capture therapy. A boronated analogue
      of LDL has recently been synthesized for possible application in boron neutron
      capture therapy. The analogue was tested in cell culture for uptake and
      biological efficacy in the thermal neutron beam at the Brookhaven Medical
      Research Reactor. It was found that boron concentrations 10 times higher than
      that required in tumors for boron neutron capture therapy were easily obtained
      and that the amount of uptake was consistent with a receptor-mediated binding
      mechanism. The measured intracellular concentration of approximately 240
      micrograms 10B/g cells is significantly higher than that obtained with any other
      boron compound previously evaluated for possible clinical application.

PMID- 1873804
TI  - Direct radiolabeling of monoclonal antibodies with generator-produced rhenium-188
      for radioimmunotherapy: labeling and animal biodistribution studies.
AB  - The use of 188Re from an alumina-based 188W/188Re generator has been investigated
      for antibody radiolabeling. It was found that, with simple labeling techniques,
      188Re can be used immediately after elution. The direct radiolabeling of intact
      antibodies with 188Re is described. Lyophilized antibody preparations have been
      reconstituted with 188Re taken directly from the generator at specific activities
      of up to 15 mCi of 188Re per mg of antibody. Radiolabeling yields of 90 to 98%
      have been obtained, with the incorporation rate being dependent upon time and the
      relative concentrations of the reagents. It was determined that the conjugates
      were immunoreactive and stable when challenged by serum in vitro, with 188Re
      immunoglobulin G showing adequate resistance to reoxidation with no transfer of
      188Re to serum protein. 188Re-antibody conjugates were shown to clear from the
      blood faster than the corresponding 131I-labeled antibody, giving rise to good
      tumor/nontumor ratios at 24 to 72 h postinjection, while serum samples taken from
      the animals have shown that the circulating 188Re remained bound to
      immunoglobulin G. The combination of the technologies of the 188W/188Re
      generator, the direct labeling methodology, and the use of single-vial
      lyophilized antibody makes the use of 188Re-radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies a
      simple and convenient method of cancer radioimmunotherapy with a beta-emitting
      radionuclide.

PMID- 1873805
TI  - Lipid peroxidation in rat AH-130 hepatoma cells enriched in vitro with
      arachidonic acid.
AB  - Tumor cells generally display low lipid peroxidation. A low content of
      polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids is a possible cause of
      their decreased susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. To investigate the
      importance of substrate availability in eliciting lipid peroxidation and to study
      cell viability in conditions of stimulated lipid peroxidation, AH-130 hepatoma
      cells were enriched with arachidonic acid. The enriched hepatoma cells showed
      increased mortality correlated with the increased incorporation of arachidonic
      acid in membrane phospholipids. When 0.5 mM arachidonic acid was added to
      hepatoma cells, this fatty acid reached a percentage content similar to that
      found in hepatocytes. Hepatoma cells enriched with this concentration were
      further incubated to determine their susceptibility to lipid peroxidation;
      mortality increased in parallel with increased thiobarbituric acid-reactive
      substance production. The highest mortality was in hepatoma cells treated with
      ascorbate/FeSO4. Mortality in normal cells was low, although they had a high
      production of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. The high capability of
      normal cells to metabolize the products of lipid peroxidation might explain the
      different viabilities of normal cells and hepatoma cells. It may therefore be
      possible to modify the composition of fatty acids of hepatoma cells in order to
      sensitize them to the toxic effect of prooxidant agents.

PMID- 1873806
TI  - Influence of cellular radiation sensitivity on local tumor control of human
      melanoma xenografts given fractionated radiation treatment.
AB  - The radiocurability of human melanoma xenografts was studied by treating tumors
      with multiple fractions of 2.0 Gy and using local tumor control at 180 days as
      end point. Three melanoma lines (E. F., G. E., M. F.) that are only weakly
      immunogenic in athymic nude mice (BALB/c-nu/nu/BOM) were selected for the study.
      The tumor radiocurability was found to differ considerably among the lines; the
      radiation doses required to achieve local control of 50% of the tumors irradiated
      (TCD50s; mean +/- SE) were 85.0 +/- 4.7 Gy (E.F.), 60.3 +/- 5.4 Gy (G.E.), and
      99.3 +/- 5.7 Gy (M. F.). The radiation sensitivity in vitro of cells isolated
      directly from tumors also differed significantly among the lines. The TCD50
      showed positive correlations with the surviving fraction after 2.0 Gy in vitro,
      the surviving fraction after two doses of 2.0 Gy (4-h interval) in vitro, and the
      surviving fraction after 4.0 Gy at a low dose rate (1.25 cGy/min) in vitro. Thus,
      the differences in tumor radiocurability among the lines were mainly a
      consequence of cellular differences in the capacity to repair radiation damage.
      Comparisons of measured TCD50s with theoretical TCD50s, calculated from cell
      surviving fractions measured in vitro after radiation treatment in vitro or in
      vivo, suggested that other tumor parameters, e.g., rate of population between
      radiation fractions, also had a significant impact on the TCD50. However, this
      study strongly supports the assumptions that the surviving fraction at 2.0 Gy in
      vitro is a useful parameter for prediction of clinical tumor radiocurability.

PMID- 1873807
TI  - Tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol
      increase the phosphorylation of protein kinase C in cells.
AB  - Phosphorylation of protein kinase C (PKC) may be an important mode of regulation
      of this enzyme that plays a key role in mouse skin tumor promotion and in
      mammalian cell signal transduction. To investigate this possibility, PKC was
      specifically immunoprecipitated from Abelson murine leukemia virus-transformed
      normal rat kidney cells that had been metabolically labeled with
      [32P]orthophosphoric acid. The Mr 80,000 phosphoprotein that was specifically
      immunoprecipitated from Abelson murine leukemia virus-transformed normal rat
      kidney cells was found to be identical with purified rat brain PKC that had
      undergone cell-free autophosphorylation. This is based on comparisons of peptides
      generated by partial proteolysis with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease by one
      dimensional polyacrylamide-sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and of
      tryptic peptides by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. These
      data are consistent with phosphorylation of PKC in cells having occurred via
      autophosphorylation. The autophosphorylation of PKC was stimulated by treatment
      of C3H 10T1/2 cells with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate
      or sn-1,2-dioctanoylglycerol. Exposure of cells to 100 nM 12-O
      tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate for 15 min increased the phosphorylation of PKC
      by 5-fold in the particulate fraction, while treatment with 100 microM
      dioctanoylglycerol enhanced phosphorylation of PKC only by 2-fold.
      Phosphorylation of PKC in response to activation may have significance for
      altering the sensitivity of PKC to proteolytic down-regulation and/or to
      subsequent activation.

PMID- 1873808
TI  - Effect of urine on clonal growth of human bladder cancer cell lines.
AB  - Human urine contains growth factors; their physiological roles have not been
      established. The effect of normal human urine was examined in vitro on clonal
      growth of human bladder cancer cell lines. Clonal growth of HT-1376, HT-1197, and
      T24 was enhanced by five different fresh human urine samples from young men.
      Colony stimulating activity was detected in fractions with a molecular weight
      greater than 5000 by ultrafiltration. Sephadex G-50 gel chromatography identified
      two peaks of colony stimulative activity in HT-1376 with molecular weights of
      approximately 6000 and greater than 12,400, respectively; these two peaks also
      possessed immunoreactive epidermal growth factor (EGF) and NRK-49F transforming
      activities. The three bladder cancer cell lines possessed large quantities of EGF
      specific binding sites and exogenous EGF stimulated colony formation; EGF
      concentrations in human urine were found to be remarkably higher than those of
      exogenously added EGF which stimulated clonal growth of bladder cancer cell
      lines. Moreover, it was demonstrated that fresh urine samples (5%) incubated with
      anti-human EGF monoclonal antibody (KEM-10) neutralized completely the colony
      stimulating effects in HT-1376. These results indicate that fresh human urine
      stimulates clonal growth in human bladder cancer cell lines and that a major part
      of the activity is represented by urinary EGF. The data promote urinary EGF as a
      progressive agent of human bladder cancer.

PMID- 1873809
TI  - Defective provirus form of human T-cell leukemia virus type I in adult T-cell
      leukemia/lymphoma: clinicopathological features.
AB  - Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is associated with adult T-cell
      leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). To examine the relationship between defective HTLV-I
      proviruses and clinicopathological features, we examined 95 patients with ATLL
      showing clonal integration of HTLV-I proviral DNA; 77 patients (81%) showed 1
      clonal band, 15 (16%) showed 2 clonal bands, and 3 (3%) showed 3 clonal bands. In
      addition, the defective proviral form was detected in 28 patients (29%): 23 (30%)
      of the 77 with 1 clonal band, 4(27%) of the 15 with 2 clonal bands, and 1(33%) of
      the 3 with 3 clonal bands. The numbers of clonal bands had no association with
      the presence of defective proviruses. We classified the 95 patients with ATLL
      into four types according to clinicopathological features (smoldering leukemia,
      chronic leukemia, acute leukemia, and lymphoma types). The distribution of
      patients with the defective form was not different among these four types. The
      HTLV-I genomes must have integrated into the human genome DNA and been deleted
      partially in the cells. The defective form was kept during the clinical stage.
      All patients with the defective form showed defect of the gag or/and env region.
      No patient had a defect of the pX region. These data suggest that the pX region
      of HTLV-I must have played an important role in ATLL genesis.

PMID- 1873810
TI  - Anti-GM2 monoclonal antibodies induce necrosis in GM2-rich cultures of a human
      glioma cell line.
AB  - The effects of four anti-GM2 monoclonal antibodies (DMAb-1, DMAb-2, DMAb-3, and
      DMAb-5) were studied on spheroid cultures from a human glioma cell line (D-54 MG)
      that is known to express high levels of GM2. The spheroids developed central
      necrosis 48 h after antibody exposures at concentrations greater than 6
      micrograms/ml. No necrosis was found with antibodies that had been absorbed with
      GM2 prior to exposure or with unrelated cytotoxic antibodies.
      Immunohistochemistry showed that the necrosis started shortly after the
      antibodies were evenly distributed throughout the spheroids. Light and
      transmission electron microscopy revealed that a small portion of the cells,
      mainly in the periphery of the spheroids, was unaffected by antibody exposure.
      New monolayer cultures established from antibody-treated cells expressed a 50%
      lower GM2 content as shown by flow cytometry and determination of ganglioside
      content throughout at least 12 passages. Thus, the GM2-rich D-54 MG cell line has
      subpopulations of cells with lower GM2 content. Spheroids obtained from this
      subpopulation developed only minor necrosis after antibody treatment. These
      results show that GM2 antibodies cause severe necrosis of GM2-containing glioma
      cells in vitro, but the effect depends on the concentration of antigen, and a
      threshold number of GM2 molecules is required.

PMID- 1873811
TI  - Characterization of multidrug resistance by fluorescent dyes.
AB  - Fluorimetric techniques were used to examine accumulation of fluorescent probes
      by the P388 murine leukemia and an anthracycline-resistant subline,
      P388/Adriamycin(ADR), which expresses the multidrug-resistant phenotype. P388
      could be differentiated from P388/ADR on the basis of fluorescence intensity
      measurements using 3 classes of cationic dyes that are sensitive to membrane
      potential differences: rhodamine esters, cyanines, and styrylpyridinium dyes. But
      fluorescence intensity differences were also observed with potential-insensitive
      dyes: zwitterionic rhodamines and an acridine orange derivative. In all cases,
      fluorescence intensity differences were caused by impaired dye accumulation, and
      could be eliminated by treatment of P388/ADR cells with verapamil. Moreover,
      fluorescence signals from 2 anionic potential-sensitive dyes, merocyanine 540 and
      a bis-oxonol, were identical in P388 and P388/ADR. None of these dyes could be
      used to delineate CCRF-CEM, a lymphoblastic leukemia of human origin from the
      CEM/VM-1 subline that exhibits a markedly atypical drug resistance pattern not
      based on an enhanced outward transport. But accumulation of both neutral and
      cationic dyes was impaired in CEM/VLB100, a subline of CCRF-CEM expressing mdr.
      These studies show that many cationic and neutral fluorescent probes are
      substrates for the enhanced outward drug transport system associated with
      P388/ADR cells, and cannot be used to probe membrane-potential differences in
      cells expressing the mdr phenotype. With several dyes, differences in
      fluorescence intensity were sufficient so that flow cytometry could be used to
      delineate P388 from P388/ADR and CCRF-CEM from CEM-VLB100. The latter technique
      may be useful for identifying malignant cell populations expressing multidrug
      resistance in patients with neoplastic disease.

PMID- 1873812
TI  - DNA double-strand breaks measured in individual cells subjected to gel
      electrophoresis.
AB  - Microscopic examination of individual mammalian cells embedded in agarose,
      subjected to electrophoresis, and stained with a fluorescent DNA-binding dye
      provides a novel way of measuring DNA damage and more importantly, of assessing
      heterogeneity in DNA damage within a mixed population of cells. With this method,
      DNA double-strand breaks can be detected in populations of cells exposed to X-ray
      doses as low as 5 Gy. The radiation dose-response relationship for initial
      formation of double-strand breaks was identical for cell lines irradiated in G1,
      regardless of their sensitivity to killing by ionizing radiation. However, for
      cells irradiated in S phase, DNA migration was significantly reduced. For Chinese
      hamster V79 cells, Chinese hamster ovary cells, WiDr human colon carcinoma cells,
      and L5178Y-R mouse lymphoblastoid cells, S-phase DNA appeared to be about 3 times
      less sensitive to X-ray damage than DNA from other phases of the cell cycle.
      However, for the very radiosensitive L5178Y-S cells, the migration of replicating
      DNA was reduced only slightly. For Chinese hamster V79 and Chinese hamster ovary
      cells, damage was repaired at a similar rate in all cells of the population, and
      85% of the breaks were rejoined within 2 h after irradiation. The radiosensitive
      L5178Y-S cells repaired damage more slowly than V79 or Chinese hamster ovary
      cells; 2 h after exposure to 50 Gy, approximately 50% of the damage was still
      present.

PMID- 1873813
TI  - Localization of basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor
      beta 1 in the human mammary gland.
AB  - The presence and distribution of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and
      transforming growth factor beta 1 in benign and malignant human breast tissue
      were determined by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. Peroxidase staining
      of biopsy specimens using a polyclonal antibody to amino acids 1-24 of bFGF and a
      monoclonal antibody to whole recombinant bFGF showed this growth factor to be
      localized in the myoepithelial cells of the benign breast. Epithelial cells and
      stroma were negative. In hyperplasia and intraductal carcinoma in situ staining
      was still seen around the perimeter of enlarged ducts. In malignant biopsies,
      however, staining was seen only when benign elements were present or residual
      myoepithelial cells and basement membrane remained. Antigen absorption and
      immunoblotting confirmed the antibody staining to be specific for bFGF.
      Transforming growth factor beta 1 was shown, using the same techniques, to be
      located in the periductal and intraductal stroma, closely associated with
      epithelial or myoepithelial cells in the benign and malignant breast. The
      relative localization of these two growth factors in the mammary gland may be
      significant in the control of breast development and/or tumor formation and
      progression.

PMID- 1873814
TI  - Programmed death of nonproliferating androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells.
AB  - Androgen ablation induces an energy-dependent process of programmed death in
      nonproliferating androgen-dependent prostatic cancer cells which involves
      fragmentation of genomic DNA into nucleosomal oligomers catalyzed by nuclear
      Ca2+, Mg(2+)-dependent endonuclease enzymes activated following a sustained
      elevation in intracellular free Ca2+ (Cai). In contrast, androgen-independent
      prostatic cancer cells are not induced to undergo such programmed cell death by
      androgen ablation. One explanation for the inability of androgen ablation to
      induce programmed death of androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells is that
      such ablation does not result in a sustained elevation in Cai in these cells.
      This raises the issue of whether androgen-independent prostatic cancer cells can
      be induced to undergo programmed death if an elevation in the Cai is sufficiently
      sustained by nonhormonal means. To test this possibility, androgen-independent,
      highly metastatic Dunning R-3327 AT-3 rat prostatic cancer cells were chronically
      exposed in vitro to the calcium ionophore ionomycin to sustain an elevation in
      their Cai. These studies demonstrated that an elevation of Cai as small as only 3
      6-fold above baseline can induce the death of these cells if sustained for
      greater than 12 h. Temporal analysis demonstrated that the death of these cells
      does not require cell proliferation and involves Ca(2+)-induced fragmentation of
      genomic DNA into nucleosome-sized pieces as the commitment step in this process.
      These results demonstrate that even nonproliferating androgen-independent
      prostatic cancer cells can be induced to undergo programmed cell death if a
      modest elevation in the Cai is sustained for a sufficient time. These
      observations identify Cai as a potential target for therapy for androgen
      independent prostatic cancer cells.

PMID- 1873815
TI  - Frequent down-regulation of major histocompatibility class I antigen expression
      on individual micrometastatic carcinoma cells.
AB  - An astoundingly high frequency of micrometastatic cells have been found in bone
      marrow aspirates of patients with colon carcinomas (G. Schlimok et al., J. Clin.
      Oncol., 8:831-837, 1990), although these tumors very rarely metastasize to the
      skeleton. This observation has raised questions about the malignant potential of
      such cells. In a first attempt to characterize this potential, we have assessed
      the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens on bone
      marrow micrometastases, inasmuch as down-regulation of these molecules is a
      potential mechanism to escape from MHC class I-restricted lysis by cytotoxic T
      cells. The two groups of cancer patients compared were those with tumors known to
      rarely (stomach and colon cancer) or frequently (breast cancer) manifest skeleton
      metastases. Bone marrow aspirates taken from these patients were probed for
      individual disseminated tumor cells using the immunoalkaline phosphatase
      technique with monoclonal antibody CK2 to the epithelial differentiation antigen
      cytokeratin 18 (CK-18), as described previously (G. Schlimok et al., Proc. Natl.
      Acad. Sci. USA, 84:8672-8676, 1987). Specimens containing CK18-positive cells
      were colabeled with monoclonal antibody W6/32 directed to a framework (or
      nonpolymorphic) antigenic determinant of MHC class I heavy chains associated with
      beta 2-microglobulin. W6/32-positive CK-18-positive cells could be detected in 25
      of 54 patients (46.3%) with significantly higher incidences in 26 breast cancer
      patients (61.9%) as compared to 28 patients with carcinomas of the stomach and
      colon (27.3 and 29.4%). Independent from the origin of the primary carcinoma, the
      incidence of W6/32-negative CK18-positive cells was positively correlated to both
      the differentiation grade of the primary tumor (P less than 0.05) and appeared to
      be linked to the occurrence of regional lymph node metastases (statistically not
      significant) determined by conventional histological examination. The present
      results demonstrate for the first time that down-regulation of MHC expression on
      individual micrometastatic cells correlates to the differential pattern of
      metastasis obtained by comparing breast and gastrointestinal carcinomas. This
      finding together with the suggestive link to clinical risk factors supports the
      significance of reduced MHC class I expression for the survival of residual
      metastatic cells which is a major determinant of prognosis for patients with
      solid tumors.

PMID- 1873816
TI  - Wild-type p53 suppresses growth of human prostate cancer cells containing mutant
      p53 alleles.
AB  - Evidence supporting a broad role for the inactivation of the p53 gene in human
      tumorigenesis has been provided by studies showing that the p53 gene is mutated
      in many human cancers. In this study, we report on the mutational status of the
      p53 gene in prostate cancer cells and provide functional evidence that the wild
      type p53 gene may have a role in suppressing prostatic tumorigenesis. Sequence
      analysis of exons 5-8 of the p53 gene reveals that three of five prostate cancer
      cell lines (TSUPr-1, PC3, DU145) contain mutations which alter the amino acid
      sequence of this most highly conserved portion of the gene. One of two primary
      prostatic cancer specimens examined also contained a mutation in this region.
      Transfection of the wild-type p53 gene versus a mutated p53 gene into two cell
      lines with p53 mutations results in reduced colony formation. Wild-type p53 gene
      expression is apparently incompatible with continued growth of these tumor cells
      inasmuch as none of the colonies which formed after wild-type transfections
      retain the transfected p53 sequences. Immunocytochemical data indicate that
      prostate carcinoma cells expressing the transfected wild-type p53 gene are growth
      arrested because they exhibit a reduced level of thymidine incorporation into
      DNA. This study is the first report of p53 gene mutations in prostate cancer
      cells and suggests a functional role for the p53 gene in suppressing prostatic
      tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1873817
TI  - Infrequent p53 gene mutations in medulloblastomas.
AB  - Cytogenetic and molecular studies of medulloblastomas have demonstrated frequent
      loss of sequences from the short arm of chromosome 17, possibly implicating loss
      or inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. We amplified exons 5 through 8
      of the p53 gene by the polymerase chain reaction technique. These segments, which
      encompass the regions usually mutated in human tumors, were sequenced to search
      for p53 mutations in 12 medulloblastoma tumors, 8 xenografts, and 3 permanent
      cell lines. Mutation of the p53 gene was found in only 1 of 3 cell lines tested
      and in none of the xenografts or primary tumors studied. Our results suggest that
      p53 is mutated in an unusual way or that a second tumor suppressor gene on the
      short arm of chromosome 17 is involved in the pathogenesis of medulloblastoma.

PMID- 1873818
TI  - Singleness my choice.

PMID- 1873819
TI  - Singleness: a very viable option.

PMID- 1873820
TI  - Effects of basin baths, tub baths, and showers on cardiovascular responses in 51
      health men and women.
AB  - Heart rate and blood pressure during rest and bathing are generally lower in
      healthy individuals than in hospitalized patients. However, medications can
      exaggerate or attenuate patients' responses. Heart rate and blood pressure are
      highest during showering and lowest during basin baths in both patients and
      healthy subjects, but the differences among the three types of bathing are not
      clinically dramatic. In addition, the vigor of the activity can be easily
      controlled; hospitalized patients naturally conserve effort and move more slowly
      and deliberately than healthy individuals. A tachycardic response to bathing
      seems to be common in both healthy subjects and hospitalized patients. Careful
      control of water temperature and heart rate monitoring during bathing appear to
      be indicated when hospitalized cardiac patients bathe. Comparison of responses to
      sitting and standing showering would be worthwhile. The findings of this study
      help delineate the typical cardiovascular responses of healthy adults to three
      methods of bathing. The findings also emphasize gender differences and the
      importance of studying both men and women. Only by determining normal responses
      in men and women can abnormal responses be recognized. More study on
      cardiovascular responses to bathing and other common activities in both healthy
      and sick persons is clearly needed to better describe, explain, predict, and
      control responses to activity and to build a scientific foundation for activity
      prescription and restriction.

PMID- 1873821
TI  - Streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and adjuvant arthritis in F344----Lewis
      and in Lewis----F344 bone marrow chimeras.
AB  - Streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis and adjuvant arthritis (AA) are
      rat models for chronic, erosive polyarthritis. Both models can be induced in
      susceptible Lewis rats, whereas F344 rats are resistant. In AA as well as in SCW
      arthritis, antigen-specific T lymphocytes have been demonstrated to be crucial
      for chronic disease. In this communication we describe our studies to probe the
      cellular mechanism responsible for the difference in susceptibility of Lewis and
      F344, using bone marrow chimeras. By transplanting bone marrow cells from F344
      into lethally irradiated Lewis recipients, Lewis rats were rendered resistant to
      SCW arthritis induction. F344 rats reconstituted with Lewis bone marrow, i.e.,
      Lewis----F344 chimeras, develop an arthritis upon SCW injection. For AA
      comparable results were obtained. These data suggest that both resistance and
      susceptibility to bacterium-induced chronic arthritis are mediated by
      hemopoietic/immune cells and that the recipiental environment does not influence
      the susceptibility to chronic joint inflammation.

PMID- 1873822
TI  - Experimental murine hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
AB  - To establish a model of experimental hypersensitivity pneumonitis (EHP) in mice
      and to examine the influence of genetic background on the pulmonary inflammatory
      response to Micropolyspora faeni, we determined the responses of C57BL/6, SJL/J,
      and C3H/HeJ mice to intratracheal (i.t.) injections of M. faeni. Recipient
      animals received lymph node cells (LNC), peritoneal exudate cells (PEC), and
      spleen cells (SC) from sensitized mice cultured in vitro with M. faeni. Controls
      included serum containing anti-M. faeni antibody; uncultured SC from M. faeni
      sensitized donors, and M. faeni-cultured SC from ovalbumin (OA)-sensitized
      donors. Recipients were challenged i.t. with M. faeni or normal saline 48 hr
      after the cell or serum transfer. We developed a model of EHP in mice. Increasing
      amounts of i.t. M. faeni were associated with increasing extent of pulmonary
      inflammation with no difference between the mouse strains. There was substantial
      increase of the extent of pulmonary abnormalities in the animals receiving
      cultured SC. The number of transferred cells and the M. faeni concentration
      correlated with the extent of pulmonary histologic abnormalities. Cultured PEC
      and LNC could transfer EHP in C3H/HeJ mice only. Serum containing anti-M. faeni
      antibody, cultured SC from OA-sensitized donors, and noncultured SC from
      sensitized donors could not transfer EHP. We conclude that it is possible to
      adoptively transfer EHP.

PMID- 1873823
TI  - Characterization of effector functions of v-raf/mil- and v-myc-transformed murine
      splenic macrophage cell lines.
AB  - We have characterized several of the cytocidal effector functions of a series of
      cell lines derived by recombinant retroviral transformation of individual clones
      of C3H/HeJ mouse splenic macrophages. The three cell lines described in this
      report (4.01, 4.07, 4.14) all expressed equivalent tumoricidal activity against
      P815 tumor target cells. However they differed in their high avidity binding of
      tumor cells (4.01 = 4.14 greater than 4.07), as well as in the killing of
      Leishmania major (4.01 = 4.07 greater than 4.14), the expression of antibody
      dependent cellular cytotoxicity against chicken erythrocytes (4.14 greater than
      4.01 greater than 4.07), and finally, in the tumor-stimulated release of tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (4.01 = 4.14 greater than 4.07). The stable and restricted
      expression of distinct effector functions among these three cell lines makes them
      particularly valuable as models for establishing the precise mechanisms by which
      cytocidal functions are effected. In addition, they should also prove of value in
      understanding the basis for macrophage functional diversity.

PMID- 1873824
TI  - Liposome adjuvanticity: influence of dose and protein:lipid ratio on the humoral
      response to encapsulated and surface-linked antigen.
AB  - The humoral response to bovine serum albumin either encapsulated in or surface
      linked to liposomes was studied as a function of dose and protein:lipid ratio.
      Total immunoglobulin, total IgG, IgM, and the G isotypes, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG3
      were measured during the plateau phase of production after a boosting injection.
      Although the adjuvant character of liposomes was confirmed regardless of the mode
      of antigen association, important differences in the response to the two types of
      liposomal formulations were observed. Our results suggest that surface-linked
      antigen stimulates the immune system at lower doses than its encapsulated
      counterpart, is more sensitive to the protein:lipid ratios, and can stimulate the
      production of particular immunoglobulin isotypes in controlled conditions. Our
      data support the idea that different pathways of processing are utilized by the
      two forms of liposomal antigen.

PMID- 1873825
TI  - Interleukin-1 is a mucus secretagogue.
AB  - Explant cultures of mouse duodenum were used to show that interleukin-1 (IL-1)
      causes release of mucus from epithelial goblet cells. Our experiments made use of
      a newly described enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) which employs enzyme
      conjugated soybean agglutinin to detect mucus glycoproteins secreted from explant
      cultures of mouse duodenum. Supernatants from cultures of lipopolysaccharide
      stimulated peritoneal macrophages as well as partially purified rabbit alveolar
      macrophage-derived IL-1 and human rIL-1 beta all induced mucus release in a rapid
      and dose-dependent fashion. This observation may be important for investigating a
      link between the immune response and mucus hypersecretion from inflamed
      intestinal mucosa.

PMID- 1873826
TI  - Functional equivalence of cryptococcal and haptene-specific T suppressor factor
      (TsF). I. Picryl and oxazolone-specific TsF, which inhibit transfer of contact
      sensitivity, also inhibit phagocytosis by a subset of macrophages.
AB  - Monoclonal and conventional cryptococcal-specific T suppressor factors (TsF)
      (also called TsFmp) depress phagocytosis by a subset of macrophages, while picryl
      and oxazolone-specific TsF depress the passive transfer of contact sensitivity.
      This paper shows that these haptene-specific TsF also inhibit phagocytosis by a
      subset of macrophages and, using this assay, that the anti-haptene TsF resemble
      the anti-cryptococcal TsF in five respects: (i) the need for reexposure to
      specific antigen to trigger the release of TsF; (ii) genetic restriction in
      action; (iii) possession of an antigen-binding site; (iv) expression of I-J
      determinants; and (v) inactivation by reduction and alkylation. Purification of
      the anti-picryl TsF by sequential affinity chromatography indicates that the
      inhibition of phagocytosis is due to the TsF itself and not to a TsF-antigen
      complex. The TsF inhibits phagocytosis by a direct action as macrophages treated
      with TsF and exposed to antigen do not release a second factor which inhibits
      phagocytosis. These results and those of the accompanying paper indicate that the
      anti-cryptococcal and anti-haptene TsF are functionally equivalent, antigen
      specific suppressor factors.

PMID- 1873827
TI  - Functional equivalence of cryptococcal and haptene-specific T suppressor factor
      (TsF). II. Monoclonal anti-cryptococcal TsF inhibits both phagocytosis by a
      subset of macrophages and transfer of contact sensitivity.
AB  - Monoclonal anti-cryptococcal TsF (which inhibits phagocytosis by macrophages) and
      anti-picryl TsF use the same two circuits to block the transfer of contact
      sensitivity (CS). Both arm macrophages which then release a macrophage suppressor
      factor (MSF) when exposed to antigen. This MSF depresses the transfer of CS. The
      evidence suggests that a single molecular species of TsF (MW ca. 70 kDa), which
      bears an antigen-binding site and I-J determinant, is responsible for MSF
      production and inhibition of phagocytosis. Anti-cryptococcal TsF also arms the T
      acceptor cell which then releases nsTsF-1 after triggering with a specific
      antigen (SCPA). This nsTsF-1, which depresses the transfer of contact
      sensitivity, was authentic, as shown by its I-J positivity (in contrast to MSF)
      and its role in the production of nsTsF-2. As anti-picryl TsF also inhibits
      phagocytosis, it was concluded that anti-cryptococcal TsF, originally detected by
      the inhibition of phagocytosis, and anti-picryl TsF, originally detected by
      inhibition of CS, are functionally equivalent.

PMID- 1873828
TI  - GM-CSF augments the immunosuppressive capacity of neonatal spleen cells in vitro.
AB  - Addition of exogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)
      to cultures of adult murine spleen cells with sheep red blood cells (SRBC)
      results in an augmented plaque forming cell (PFC) response. The influence of GM
      CSF on the ability of neonatal spleen cells to suppress the anti-SRBC plaque
      forming response of adult spleen cells was tested by adding GM-CSF to cultures of
      neonatal and adult spleen cells. The suppressive capacity of the neonatal spleen
      cells was augmented by exogenous GM-CSF. The augmented suppression of the
      neonatal spleen cells was dependent on a G-10 adherent population since the
      addition of GM-CSF to cultures containing G-10 passed neonatal spleen cells
      resulted in an augmented PFC response and not suppression. Neonatal splenic glass
      adherent cells were also capable of suppressing the response. Neonatal spleen
      cells or purified neonatal glass adherent spleen cells cultured in the presence
      of GM-CSF had markedly increased levels of PGE2 in the culture supernatant.
      Neonatal spleen cells cultured with GM-CSF had increased numbers of
      morphologically identifiable macrophages after 48 hr of culture. Both irradiation
      and G-10 passage of the neonatal spleen diminished the numbers of macrophages
      formed in response to GM-CSF, and both of these manipulations resulted in
      reversal of suppression in response to GM-CSF. Thus, the augmented suppressive
      capacity of neonatal spleen cells in response to GM-CSF is probably mediated by
      its ability to drive monocyte to macrophage differentiation as well as increase
      the suppressive capacity of the existing neonatal splenic macrophages by
      increasing their production of PGE2.

PMID- 1873829
TI  - Ocular immunology: on the birth of a new discipline.

PMID- 1873830
TI  - [Evaluation of acceleration of fetal sounds in intrauterine hypoxia].

PMID- 1873831
TI  - [Prognostic significance of detection of an anechoic space in the placenta
      (haemangioma placentae) in intrauterine fetal development].

PMID- 1873832
TI  - [Personal experience with a single prophylactic dose of cephalosporin in cesarean
      sections].

PMID- 1873833
TI  - [Results of ultrasonic detection of congenital developmental defects in fetuses
      at the Brno Gynecology-Obstetrical Clinic].

PMID- 1873834
TI  - [The psychological status of women during the climacteric].

PMID- 1873835
TI  - [Use of quinolones in the treatment of infections in gynecology].

PMID- 1873836
TI  - [Active management of the 2d stage of labor versus physiological management of
      the 2d stage of labor].

PMID- 1873837
TI  - [New findings on regulation of the endocrine function of the placenta].

PMID- 1873838
TI  - [Comments on the moral question of abortion].

PMID- 1873839
TI  - [Cytodiagnosis throughout the world and the work of the cytology section in
      Czechoslovakia].

PMID- 1873840
TI  - [Submicroscopic structure of amniotic fluid cells].
AB  - Submicroscopic examination of amniotic fluid cells in the second trimester of
      pregnancy revealed that the cells are from the morphological aspect a very
      heterogeneous population, comprising vital and degenerated cells the
      ultrastructure of which rules out the possibility of cultivation of cells of
      foetal as well as of maternal origin. As to degenerated cells, the authors
      identified circular cells with a granular cytoplasm and nucleus originating from
      the urogenital or digestive tract of the foetus. Furthermore cells with a process
      and segmented or fragmented pycnotic nucleus derived from granulocytes and
      macrophages of maternal origin. Also circular cells of the periderm with short
      microvilli and advanced regressive changes of the nucleus and cytoplasm are
      degenerated. Among non-vital elements also anuclear completely keratinized cells
      of the stratum corneum originating from the skin of the maternal abdomen can be
      included. As to vital elements, the amniotic fluid contains cells of the amniotic
      ectoderm which are large, have numerous microvilli, a dense margin and a network
      of filaments in the cytoplasm. They are the most numerous cells. Other vital
      elements in amniotic fluid include granulocytes and macrophages with a typical
      ratio of lyzosomes. Both are considered elements of maternal origin. Maternal
      origin is assumed also in fibroblasts which along with collagen particles may
      penetrate into the aspirating needle. From the results ensues that the cells in
      amniotic fluid are not a homogeneous population of unequivocally foetal origin
      and that a better technique of collection of samples and cultivation must be
      developed.

PMID- 1873841
TI  - [Activation of certain stress axes in spontaneous and surgical deliveries in
      healthy women and in women with late gestoses].
AB  - Within the framework of the stress theory the authors investigated total cortisol
      levels in the maternal serum during spontaneous delivery and 24 hours after
      delivery in 20 women half of whom had a non-complicated pregnancy and half had an
      EPH gestosis. They investigated also cortisol levels in 20 women during delivery
      by Caesarean section; half of them had a normal pregnancy and half had suffered
      from gestosis. At the onset of delivery and operation resp. women with gestosis
      had significantly elevated cortisol levels, as compared with healthy women.
      During spontaneous delivery the levels of this hormone had a rising trend with
      the peak during delivery of the foetus and return to pre-delivery values after 24
      hours. During Caesarean section the cortisol levels rose only insignificantly and
      in gestoses they declined already at the end of the operation. In the discussion
      the authors draw attention to the activation of the stress axes during delivery
      and attempt to explain the elevated cortisol levels during delivery and in late
      gestoses.

PMID- 1873842
TI  - [Problems of epidemiology and diagnosis in the vaginal area. II. Measurement of
      vaginal pH values and its relation to vaginal diseases].
AB  - The authors divided a group of 600 women into 7 sub-groups based on the results
      of microscopic examination of native preparations, and using indicator papers of
      MERCK Co. (art. no. 9542) they assessed values of the vaginal pH. The highest
      values were recorded in a group of women with suppurative bacterial inflammations
      (mean pH 5.68) and the lowest ones in women with the finding of fungi (mean pH
      5.0), cocobacillary flora without leucocytes (mean pII 4.39) and the normal
      physiological finding of Dorderlein's bacillus (mean pH 4.15). Values higher than
      4.8 rule out the possibility of a normal finding in the vagina, lower values,
      however, do not rule it out entirely. Assessment of pH values in the vagina
      should be considered part of routine examinations of the vaginal environment.

PMID- 1873843
TI  - [Screening in pregnant women with a risk of prematurity].

PMID- 1873844
TI  - [Leukotrienes as mediators of respiratory tract obstruction in bronchial asthma].

PMID- 1873845
TI  - [Models of respiratory tract obstruction].

PMID- 1873846
TI  - [Structure and function of dendrites].

PMID- 1873847
TI  - [Systemic hemodynamics: the measured pressure and flow determines the percentage
      of deviation in volume, inotropy and vasoactivity].

PMID- 1873848
TI  - Non-01 Vibrio cholerae--Nova Scotia.

PMID- 1873849
TI  - Rubella surveillance to December 1990--England and Wales.

PMID- 1873850
TI  - Statement on influenza vaccination for the 1991-1992 season.

PMID- 1873851
TI  - Cytogenetics of human malignant melanoma.
AB  - There has been a tremendous recent resurgence of interest in examining
      chromosomal abnormalities in human cancers (particularly solid tumors). This
      interest has been stimulated by the molecular examination of recurring chromosome
      abnormalities, and the recognition that they may pinpoint the location of growth
      regulatory sequences (e.g. cellular oncogenes). This finding coupled with the
      clear recognition that specific chromosome abnormalities can also have important
      diagnostic and prognostic implications, have caused this avenue of research to
      expand at a significant rate. The following brief review will summarize the
      current state of knowledge regarding recurring chromosome abnormalities in human
      malignant melanoma. A discussion of chromosome changes in pre-malignant skin
      lesions, primary melanoma, and metastatic melanoma is described. Brief
      descriptions of the potential clinical utility, and biologic relevance of
      chromosome abnormalities in this disorder are also discussed.

PMID- 1873852
TI  - Cell adhesion receptor expression during melanoma progression and metastasis.
AB  - Many steps in melanoma metastasis involve cell-cell or cell-matrix adhesive
      interactions. The surface molecules which mediate these processes therefore play
      an important role in regulating melanoma dissemination and their level of
      expression may alter during the course of tumor progression. Human melanocyte
      strains and melanoma cell lines have been characterised with regard to levels of
      cell surface receptors of the integrin family. Increased amounts of at least two
      integrins, VLA-4 (alpha 4 beta 1) and VnR (alpha v beta 3), appeared to correlate
      with progression in this tumor, type. A novel VnR composed of an alpha v beta 1
      association has been observed in one melanoma cell line and there is the
      possibility that heterogeneity of integrin composition could affect biological
      behavior of these tumors. CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein which functions as
      the major receptor for hyaluronate, is another molecule whose expression
      increases in transformed cells of the melanocytic lineage. Iterative sorting on
      the FACS for stable variants, of both human and murine melanomas, expressing low
      and high levels of CD44 established that lack of expression of this molecule
      correlated with impaired ability to form pulmonary tumor nodules subsequent to
      i.v. injection into appropriate recipient mice. These findings illustrate that an
      understanding of the regulation of melanoma adhesion receptors could provide
      insights into the process of tumor spread.

PMID- 1873854
TI  - Antigens of melanocytes and melanoma.
AB  - Melanoma is a valuable model to study phenotypic traits that are regulated during
      cell differentiation and malignant transformation. Melanoma cells display
      extensive phenotypic and antigenic heterogeneity. Studies of this attribute have
      provided insight into events that take place during normal melanocyte
      differentiation and give clues to traits that contribute to malignancy. It is
      possible that the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity present among melanoma
      cells within a single lesion includes a subset of cells with traits that favor
      tumor progression and metastasis. This review discusses the identification and
      characterization of antigens expressed by melanoma cells and their potential
      contribution to melanocyte differentiation and malignant transformation.

PMID- 1873853
TI  - Growth factors and tyrosine protein kinases in normal and malignant melanocytes.
AB  - Melanomas are highly variable with respect to aberrant gene expression and
      chromosomal lesions but share a common characteristic of an acquired independence
      from environmental growth factors that are needed for proliferation of normal
      melanocytes. Receptors with tyrosine kinase activity play a critical role in
      normal melanocyte proliferation and in the uncontrolled growth of melanomas.
      Normal human melanocytes depend on exogenous peptide growth factors such as basic
      fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), or mast cell
      growth factor (MGF), all of which stimulate receptors with tyrosine kinase
      activity. In contrast, human melanoma cells from primary nodular and metastatic
      lesions grow autonomously partially because of inappropriate production of bFGF
      and continuous activation of the bFGF-receptor kinase. Animal models also provide
      evidence for the importance of receptor-tyrosine kinases in normal melanocyte
      proliferation and in malignant transformation. In the mouse, genes residing in
      three loci in which inactivation mutations lead to piebaldism, the dominant
      spotting (W), patch (Ph), and Sl encode, respectively, the receptor-kinases c-kit
      and platelet derived growth factor receptor, and the ligand for c-kit: MGF. In
      vivo transformation of mouse melanocytes to melanoma, due to constitutive
      expression of a transmembrane tyrosine kinase, the oncogene ret, was recently
      demonstrated in transgenic mice. Studies on a fish model, Xiphophorus, in which
      melanoma is inherited, showed that the dominant tumor inducing gene, Tu, encodes
      an EGF-receptor related tyrosine kinase which is expressed only in melanomas and
      not in normal tissues. Taken together, the results suggest that the uncontrolled
      growth of melanomas is due, in large part, to constitutive activation of
      receptors with tyrosine kinase activity.

PMID- 1873856
TI  - Photoimmunology of experimental melanoma.
AB  - Increases in the incidence of cutaneous melanoma during the past few decades has
      drawn attention to the possible causes of this cancer. Although sunlight exposure
      has long been suspected of being a contributing factor, direct evidence of its
      participation has been difficult to obtain using epidemiological approaches. We
      have used murine models to investigate the possible contributions of UV radiation
      to the induction and pathogenesis of melanoma. Our studies demonstrate that UV
      radiation contributes to the induction of melanoma in a variety of ways,
      including an indirect, local effect on the skin. Recent evidence suggests that
      this indirect effect is immunologically mediated.

PMID- 1873857
TI  - Human cutaneous malignant melanoma as a model for cancer.

PMID- 1873855
TI  - Human autologous tumor-specific T cells in malignant melanoma.
AB  - T cell lines and clones with autologous tumor-specific activity have been
      developed in malignant melanoma by stimulating peripheral blood lymphocytes
      (PBL), lymph node lymphocytes or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) with
      autologous melanoma cells in the presence of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2). T
      cell lines and clones have been developed with specific cytotoxicity and/or
      proliferative responses for autologous melanoma targets but not for allogeneic
      melanoma tumor cells, autologous normal cells or natural killer (NK)-sensitive
      targets. The concentration of rIL2 is critical for the generation of autologous
      tumor-specific T-cell lines, with low rIL2 concentrations (up to 800 IU/ml)
      facilitating the growth of T-cell lines with tumor-specific activity. The alpha
      beta T-cell receptor (TCR) and the CD3 antigen are involved in specific
      cytotoxicity and/or proliferative responses of these T-cell lines and clones. An
      oligoclonal pattern of beta-chain TCR gene rearrangements was observed on T-cell
      lines and clones with autologous tumor-specific cytotoxicity, suggesting that
      they are comprised of T cells that have undergone a clonal expansion in response
      to particular antigen. Autologous tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells are HLA
      restricted and recognize on the melanoma tumor cells HLA Class I or possibly
      Class II antigens plus a tumor-specific determinant. TIL from patients with
      metastatic melanoma have unique characteristics in comparison with PBL and lymph
      node lymphocytes and they appear to contain substantial proportions of T cells
      that have been locally sensitized to autologous tumor cells. Single stimulation
      of TIL with autologous tumor cells in the presence of rIL2 is sufficient for the
      generation of T cell lines with autologous tumor-specific activity, whereas,
      multiple stimulation of PBL and lymph node lymphocytes was required to achieve
      the same purpose. TIL-derived T cell lines have been expanded in rIL2 in vitro by
      at least 1,500-fold without losing their activity. Approximately, 40% of the
      patients exhibited complete or partial responses to adoptive immunotherapy with
      melanoma TIL and rIL2.

PMID- 1873859
TI  - Microvascular pressures and resistances in the left ventricular subepicardium and
      subendocardium.
AB  - These experiments tested the hypothesis that differences in the distribution of
      subepicardial and subendocardial microvascular resistances may alter the
      transmural distributions of microvascular pressures. Isolated blood- and
      physiological saline-perfused porcine hearts were surgically incised to enable
      exposure of the subendocardial and subepicardial microcirculations. Microvascular
      pressures were measured during cardiac arrest and maximal vasodilation at various
      perfusion pressures to formulate relations between perfusion pressure and
      microvascular pressure in the different subendocardial (both free wall and
      papillary muscle) and subepicardial segments. Measurements of arteriolar and
      venular pressures in both myocardial regions were performed in comparably sized
      vessels (80-120 microns in diameter). At a coronary perfusion pressure of 100 mm
      Hg, subendocardial arteriolar and venular pressures were 60 +/- 4 and 33 +/- 3 mm
      Hg, respectively. In contrast, at the same coronary perfusion pressure,
      arteriolar and venular pressures in the subepicardial microcirculation averaged
      80 +/- 6 and 22 +/- 3 mm Hg, respectively (p less than 0.05 versus
      subendocardium). At all levels of coronary perfusion pressure, arteriolar
      pressures were significantly lower in the subendocardium than in the
      subepicardium (p less than 0.05). Venular pressures were also higher in the
      subendocardial microcirculation than in the subepicardial microcirculation at all
      but the lowest perfusion pressure (p less than 0.05). The relative distribution
      of resistances in arteries, microvessels, and veins was also different between
      the subepicardium and subendocardium. Specifically, in the subendocardium,
      arterial and venous resistances were higher, percentage-wise, but microvascular
      resistance was proportionately lower than that in the subepicardium (p less than
      0.05). From these data, it is concluded that the distribution of microvascular
      resistances and pressures is different during maximal vasodilation in the
      subepicardial and subendocardial microcirculations of the left ventricle. It is
      also speculated that differences in autoregulatory capacity and vulnerability to
      ischemia may be partially related to unequal distribution of microvascular
      resistances across the wall of the left ventricle.

PMID- 1873860
TI  - Endothelin 1 enhances myofilament Ca2+ responsiveness in aequorin-loaded ferret
      myocardium.
AB  - The influence of endothelin 1 on intracellular Ca2+ transients and isometric
      contractions was investigated in ferret papillary muscles loaded with the Ca(2+)
      regulated bioluminescent indicator aequorin. In concentrations of 3 x 10(-9) to 1
      x 10(-7) M, endothelin produced dose-dependent increases in the amplitudes of
      both aequorin light signals (maximum, 31 +/- 12%) and developed tension (maximum,
      64 +/- 13%). The peak aequorin light [( Ca2+]i)-peak tension curve generated by
      increasing endothelin concentrations was steeper and shifted to the left of the
      curve generated by varying [Ca2+]o; however, the maximum developed tension
      produced by endothelin did not exceed that produced by 6 mM [Ca2+]o. The effect
      of endothelin on the amplitude of the aequorin light signal was less than the
      effect of [Ca2+]o for similar levels of tension development. Moreover, 1 x 10(-7)
      M endothelin caused an upward shift in the peak aequorin light-peak tension curve
      generated by varying [Ca2+]o and increased the maximum twitch force by about 12%.
      The contractions were prolonged, whereas the time course of the Ca2+ transient
      was not changed in the presence of endothelin. When the function of the
      sarcoplasmic reticulum was inhibited by 6 microM ryanodine, 10(-7) M endothelin
      still increased the force generation without increasing the intracellular peak
      Ca2+, either during isometric twitches or during tetani.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873858
TI  - Growth factors in melanoma.
AB  - Human melanoma cells in culture are the source of a wide variety of polypeptide
      growth factors. Melanoma-derived basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet
      derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and PDGF-B chains, transforming growth factor
      (TGF)-alpha and TGF-beta, interleukin (IL)-1 alpha and IL-1 beta, and melanoma
      growth stimulatory activity (MGSA) have similar biochemical and functional
      properties when compared to their counterparts produced by untransformed cells.
      In contrast to melanoma cells, normal melanocytes, even under optimal growth
      conditions, express only TGF-beta 1 and MGSA at detectable levels suggesting that
      production of the other growth factors is a tumor-associated phenomenon. Recent
      evidence suggests that at least two of the growth factors, bFGF and MGSA,
      contribute to autocrine growth stimulation of melanoma cells. Whether PDGF, TGF
      alpha, IL-1, and TGF-beta act in an autocrine mode is unclear at present.
      However, these four growth factors are among those secreted by melanoma cells
      and, therefore, can be expected to interact with normal cells of the tumor stroma
      in vivo. Such paracrine effects include not only growth modulation in the context
      of angiogenesis and stroma formation, but also tissue degradation by proteolytic
      enzymes, the modification of extracellular matrix composition, and expression of
      adhesion receptors.

PMID- 1873861
TI  - Alterations in myocyte shape and basement membrane attachment with tachycardia
      induced heart failure.
AB  - Chronic supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) results in left ventricular (LV)
      dilatation and dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for LV
      failure in this setting are not known. LV force production is dependent on the
      coupling of myocytes to the extracellular matrix, which is mediated through the
      basement membrane. This study was designed to determine whether alterations in
      myocyte geometry and basement membrane attachment are associated with LV failure
      in a pacing-induced model of cardiomyopathy. Echocardiographic measurement of LV
      function was performed in six pigs after 3 weeks of pacing-induced SVT (240
      beats/min) and in eight sham-operated controls. Myocytes from these hearts were
      isolated, and attachment studies to specific components of the basement membrane
      were performed using laminin, fibronectin, and collagen IV. The SVT group when
      compared with the control group showed a significant reduction of LV fractional
      shortening (14 +/- 2% versus 31 +/- 2%, respectively; p less than 0.05),
      increased end-diastolic dimension (50 +/- 1 versus 35 +/- 1 mm, respectively; p
      less than 0.05), and lengthening of isolated myocytes (196 +/- 18 versus 142 +/-
      9 microns, respectively; p less than 0.05). Myocyte attachment to laminin (50
      micrograms/ml) was significantly decreased at 60 minutes in the SVT group
      compared with the control group (18.2 +/- 4.5 versus 60.9 +/- 4.5 cells/mm2,
      respectively; p less than 0.05). Similar reductions in myocyte attachment to
      fibronectin and collagen IV were observed. Ultrastructural examination of LV
      sections revealed focal disruptions of the basement membrane-sarcolemmal
      interface and a reduced number of sarcolemmal festoons in SVT hearts compared
      with control hearts (0.8 +/- 0.6 versus 2.8 +/- 0.8/4 microns, respectively; p
      less than 0.05). These alterations in myocyte morphology and basement membrane
      attachment may contribute to the LV failure associated with chronic SVT. Further,
      these structural changes may play a significant role in the progression of
      ventricular dysfunction as well as recovery from chronic SVT.

PMID- 1873862
TI  - Vasoconstriction of canine coronary collateral vessels with vasopressin limits
      blood flow to collateral-dependent myocardium during exercise.
AB  - This study was performed to test the hypothesis that active constriction of
      coronary collateral vessels can worsen hypoperfusion of collateral-dependent
      myocardium during exercise. Studies were performed in seven adult mongrel dogs in
      which intermittent followed by permanent occlusion of the left circumflex
      coronary artery produced an area of collateral-dependent myocardium without gross
      evidence of infarct. Myocardial blood flow was determined with microspheres while
      measurement of aortic and distal coronary pressures allowed calculation of
      collateral and small vessel resistance at rest and during treadmill exercise. The
      ability of collateral vessel constriction to limit blood flow was assessed by
      infusion of vasopressin during exercise. During control conditions, blood flow in
      the collateral zone underwent a subnormal increase during exercise in comparison
      with the normal zone (1.74 +/- 0.27 versus 2.50 +/- 0.40 ml/min/g, respectively,
      p less than 0.05). Infusion of vasopressin in a dose that caused no change in
      normal zone flow (0.01 microgram/kg/min i.v.) produced a 30 +/- 5% further
      decrease in flow to the collateral zone (p less than 0.01). This decrease in
      collateral zone flow resulted from a 48 +/- 14% increase in transcollateral
      resistance in response to vasopressin infusion (p less than 0.01), as well as a
      40 +/- 9% increase in small vessel resistance in the collateral zone (p less than
      0.01). These data demonstrate that active constriction of both collateral vessels
      and coronary resistance vessels can contribute to hypoperfusion of collateral
      dependent myocardium during exercise.

PMID- 1873863
TI  - Functional development of the creatine kinase system in perinatal rabbit heart.
AB  - The functional development of the creatine kinase system has been studied in
      rabbit heart during perinatal growth. Fiber bundles were obtained from left
      ventricles of fetal rabbits at the 30th day of gestation, newborn rabbits aged 1,
      3, 8, and 17 days, and adult rabbits. Total creatine kinase activity was constant
      during perinatal development, whereas myofibrillar bound creatine kinase activity
      increased 15-fold during the first postnatal week. Functional activity of
      myofibrillar creatine kinase was assayed in Triton X-100-skinned fibers by its
      ability to induce active tension in the absence of ATP or to relax rigor tension.
      It was very low in 1-day-old newborns and increased during the first 2 weeks to
      reach adult levels 17 days after birth. Functional activity of mitochondrial
      creatine kinase was determined in saponin-skinned fibers. Creatine-stimulated
      respiration appeared only after birth and increased gradually between 1 and 17
      days after birth. The results show that, although the two creatine kinase
      isoforms (mitochondrial and myofibrillar) are expressed at different stages
      during development, their functional activities appear in parallel in
      mitochondria and myofibrils. Early postnatal development is characterized by
      binding of creatine kinase isoenzymes to intracellular organelles. Such
      compartmentation participates in the postnatal cardiac cellular maturation.

PMID- 1873864
TI  - Flow-mediated dilatation of the basilar artery in vivo.
AB  - Flow-mediated dilatation has been described mainly in peripheral conduit
      arteries. The goal of this study was to examine mechanisms and functional
      implications of flow-mediated dilatation in large cerebral arteries in vivo.
      Vessel diameter and velocity of blood flow through the basilar artery were
      measured using a cranial window in 45 anesthetized rats. Mean blood flow velocity
      through the basilar artery increased by 94 +/- 8% during unilateral common
      carotid artery occlusion and 203 +/- 13% during bilateral occlusion. Diameter of
      the basilar artery increased by 10 +/- 1% during unilateral common carotid artery
      occlusion and 29 +/- 2% during bilateral occlusion from control diameter of 275
      +/- 8 microns. Vasodilatation appeared with a delay of 13 +/- 1 seconds after the
      onset of the increase in flow velocity. With systemic arterial pressure
      maintained at baseline levels, pressure in the basilar artery (servonull)
      decreased initially during carotid occlusion, and during dilatation of the
      basilar artery, pressure was restored partially toward normal. Indomethacin (10
      mg/kg i.v.), topical application of tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M), NG-monomethyl L
      arginine (5 x 10(-6) M), tetraethylammonium chloride (10(-2) M), glibenclamide
      (10(-5) M), SKF 525A (3 x 10(-5) M), and ouabain (10(-5) M) had no effect on flow
      mediated dilatation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873865
TI  - Acetylcholine-induced coronary vasoconstriction and vasodilation in tranquilized
      baboons.
AB  - To determine the effects of acetylcholine on the coronary bed in the baboon and
      whether the effects preceded or followed the action of acetylcholine on
      ventricular function, eight adult baboons (Papio anubis) were instrumented to
      measure left ventricular (LV) and mean arterial pressures, LV dP/dt, regional
      myocardial function, and coronary blood flow. Acetylcholine was injected locally
      through a catheter positioned in the coronary artery ostium using fluoroscopic
      guidance in intact sedated baboons. With heart rate held constant, intracoronary
      acetylcholine (0.5 micrograms/kg) reduced coronary blood flow by 82 +/- 4% from a
      baseline value of 34 +/- 4 ml/min without a significant change in mean arterial
      pressure and with a reduction in LV dP/dt of only 12 +/- 3%. The decrease in
      coronary blood flow occurred before either LV dP/dt or regional myocardial
      function fell in the region of the heart receiving acetylcholine. After the
      intense coronary constriction, a later phase characterized by dilation was
      observed. The changes in coronary blood flow with acetylcholine were unaffected
      by combined alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor blockades but were abolished by
      muscarinic blockade. Low doses of acetylcholine elicited only coronary
      vasodilation. All doses of acetylcholine, administered directly into the iliac
      artery, also elicited only iliac vasodilation. Intracoronary acetylcholine in
      conscious dogs also induced only coronary vasodilation, whereas in conscious
      calves at higher doses, initial vasoconstrictor responses were observed, which
      also preceded reductions in regional myocardial function. These results suggest
      that the controversy surrounding the effects of acetylcholine can be reconciled
      on the basis of species, vascular bed studied, and dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873866
TI  - Combined effect of neonatal sympathectomy and adrenal demedullation on blood
      pressure and vascular changes in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
AB  - Neonatal sympathectomy using a combined treatment with antiserum to nerve growth
      factor and guanethidine during the first 4 weeks after birth was carried out in
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.
      Bilateral adrenal demedullation was performed in 4-week-old sympathectomized SHR
      and WKY rats. The development of hypertension in SHR was prevented by
      sympathectomy, but the blood pressure (BP) was still higher than in age-matched
      WKY rats. Demedullation reduced the BP of sympathectomized SHR to the same level
      as that of WKY rats. Heart rates of SHR and WKY rats were not affected by the
      treatments. Morphometric measurements of the mesenteric arteries showed that
      sympathectomy significantly reduced the medial mass in the mesenteric arteries of
      SHR, mainly through a reduction in the number of smooth muscle cell layers. In
      sympathectomized SHR, demedullation increased the lumen size of muscular arteries
      under maximally relaxed conditions, which might explain the further reduction in
      BP in these animals. Demedullation in sympathectomized SHR and WKY rats caused a
      decrease in smooth muscle cell layers in the superior mesenteric artery, but the
      same treatment resulted in a slight increase in the number of smooth muscle cell
      layers in the large and small mesenteric arteries of SHR and WKY rats.
      Adventitial area was increased in some mesenteric arteries of SHR and WKY rats by
      sympathectomy, and demedullation caused a further increase in the size of
      adventitia in WKY rats. Heart weight in SHR was normalized to the level found in
      WKY rats by sympathectomy and demedullation. We conclude that in sympathectomized
      SHR, the elevated BP was maintained by the adrenal medulla.

PMID- 1873867
TI  - Influence of electrical axis of stimulation on excitation of cardiac muscle
      cells.
AB  - Orthogonal sequential shock can defibrillate the heart with greater efficacy
      compared with single shock defibrillation. In this study we tested the hypothesis
      that cardiac cells have a preferred orientation in their response to excitatory
      extracellular electric fields, so that orthogonal shocks may stimulate distinct
      populations of cells. A micropaddle electrode system was used to deliver
      rectangular pulses for extracellular field stimulation of individual heart cells.
      We found that single frog and guinea pig ventricular myocytes are excitable with
      rectangular pulse field stimulation over a wide range of pulse durations, ranging
      from 10 msec to as little as 20 microseconds. The excitation field strength
      varies inversely with pulse duration as described by the Weiss-Lapicque equation,
      although the frog myocytes show a significant "notch" at pulse durations of
      approximately 1-2 msec, and the guinea pig myocytes are more excitable than
      predicted for pulse durations of less than 0.2 msec. Every myocyte tested was
      more excitable when the long axis of the cell was oriented parallel to the
      stimulating field than when perpendicular to the field. For 2-msec pulses, the
      difference in field strength was a factor of 5.8 +/- 2.0 (n = 30) for frog and
      2.6 +/- 0.5 (n = 23) for guinea pig myocytes. Complete excitation strength
      duration curves were obtained in seven frog and 14 guinea pig cells for both
      parallel and perpendicular cell orientations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873868
TI  - Postischemic myocardial "stunning". Identification of major differences between
      the open-chest and the conscious dog and evaluation of the oxygen radical
      hypothesis in the conscious dog.
AB  - Recent studies suggest that oxygen-derived free radicals contribute to the
      pathogenesis of postischemic myocardial dysfunction (myocardial "stunning"). This
      concept, however, is predicated exclusively on results obtained in open-chest
      preparations, which are subject to the confounding influence of many
      unphysiological conditions. The lack of supporting evidence in more physiological
      animal models represents a major persisting limitation of the oxy-radical
      hypothesis of myocardial stunning. The goal of this study was to address two
      fundamental (and related) questions: 1) Does the open-chest animal model alter
      the phenomenon of myocardial stunning? 2) If so, how valid are the concepts,
      derived from such a model, regarding the pathogenetic role of oxy-radicals? In
      part 1 of the study, myocardial stunning after a 15-minute coronary occlusion was
      compared in 30 pentobarbital-anesthetized open-chest dogs and in 19 conscious
      dogs. For any given level of collateral flow during occlusion, the recovery of
      systolic wall thickening after reperfusion was markedly less in open-chest
      animals. In an additional group of five open-chest dogs, a close inverse relation
      was noted between body temperature and postischemic wall thickening, indicating
      that the recovery of the stunned myocardium in acute experiments may vary
      markedly depending on how temperature is controlled. Because of these major
      differences between open-chest and conscious dogs, the oxy-radical hypothesis
      needs to be tested in the latter model. Thus, in part 2 of the study, conscious
      unsedated dogs undergoing a 15-minute coronary occlusion were randomized to an
      intravenous infusion of either saline (19 coronary occlusions) or superoxide
      dismutase (SOD) plus catalase (CAT) (21 coronary occlusions). Despite the fact
      that the plasma levels of SOD and CAT declined rapidly after reperfusion,
      postischemic wall thickening was significantly greater in treated compared with
      control dogs throughout the first 6 hours of reflow. Thus, a brief (60-minute)
      infusion of SOD and CAT produced a sustained improvement of recovery of
      contractility. The magnitude of this beneficial effect was a function of the
      severity of ischemia: the lower the collateral perfusion, the greater the
      improvement effected by the enzymes. The accelerated recovery produced by SOD and
      CAT was not followed by any deterioration of contractility, suggesting that
      postischemic dysfunction is not a teleologically "protective" phenomenon. In
      conclusion, the severity of myocardial stunning is greatly exaggerated by the
      unphysiological conditions present in the barbiturate-anesthetized open-chest
      dog.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1873869
TI  - Rabbit ear model of injury-induced arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation.
      Kinetics, reproducibility, and implications.
AB  - Recently, considerable interest has focused on the vascular smooth muscle cell
      (SMC) response to injury, particularly as it relates to restenosis after
      angioplasty. In an effort to find an optimal experimental model of arterial SMC
      proliferation after injury, we examined the effects of external injury to the
      central artery of the rabbit ear and assessed the reproducibility, morphological
      changes, and time course of cellular proliferation after such an injury. With
      rabbits under general anesthesia, direct pressure was applied at two sites along
      the central artery of the ears of 19 New Zealand White rabbits. Rabbits were
      maintained on a diet of 2.4% fat and 0.001% cholesterol throughout the
      experiment. In seven rabbits examined after 21 days, marked SMC proliferation
      with neointimal formation was observed at all 28 sites (100%). Mean neointimal
      area, expressed as a percentage of the area of the tunica media, was 82 +/- 40%
      (range, 21-203%). Compared with the uninvolved artery displaced 2 mm from the
      injury site, mechanical crush caused a 38% increase in total vessel area (p less
      than 0.001), a 40% decrease in luminal area (p less than 0.002), and no change in
      the area of the media. Serial histological studies were performed 1-42 days after
      injury, using light and electron microscopy and bromodeoxyuridine
      immunohistochemistry. Beginning at day 3, activated medial SMCs were noted to
      migrate through defects in the internal elastic membrane, with a gradual increase
      in neointimal area between days 5 and 12. Peak DNA synthesis was identified in
      the media 5 days after injury, with proliferative activity shifting almost
      exclusively to the neointima thereafter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873870
TI  - Mechanism of the enhanced epidermal growth factor-induced growth response of
      genetically hypertensive vascular myocytes.
AB  - Although enhanced growth of the vascular myocyte is believed to play a role in
      hypertensive cardiovascular disease, the cellular basis of altered growth
      regulation is not completely understood. The present study demonstrates that in
      the presence of 10% fetal calf serum, the logarithmic growth rate of cultured
      mesenteric artery myocytes of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is similar
      to that of the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) control rat. However, in the
      presence of low levels of fetal calf serum, SHR myocytes respond to epidermal
      growth factor (EGF) with increased growth, whereas WKY cells do not. This
      difference does not result from different numbers or affinities of EGF receptors
      in these cell lines. Examination of EGF-induced growth responses of SHR and WKY
      myocytes in the presence of varying levels of insulin or fetal calf serum
      indicates that, compared with WKY myocytes, SHR myocytes have a lower requirement
      for factors that confer competence to respond to EGF. Another property of the SHR
      myocytes is an elevation of free intracellular Ca2+. To determine whether a
      difference in cellular Ca2+ metabolism might play a role in the differential
      growth response, growth of myocytes in medium containing 0.25, 0.75, or 1.25 mM
      extracellular Ca2+ and 5% fetal calf serum was examined. Myocytes of SHR showed
      enhanced growth in the presence of 5% fetal calf serum at all levels of
      extracellular Ca2+. It is concluded that, although vascular myocytes of SHR and
      WKY rats have the capacity to grow at similar rates, under limiting conditions,
      the SHR myocyte growth response is enhanced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873871
TI  - Diastolic anisotropic properties of the left ventricle in the conscious dog.
AB  - The role of myocardial anisotropy in determining change in left ventricular shape
      during diastolic filling has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, 11 conscious
      dogs were instrumented with global ultrasonic dimension transducers to measure
      left ventricular major and minor axis diameters and equatorial wall thickness.
      Myocardial geometry was represented as a three-dimensional ellipsoidal shell.
      Left ventricular transmural pressure was measured with micromanometers, and
      ventricular volume was varied by inflation of vena caval occluders. Left
      ventricular wall strains and stresses calculated from the ellipsoidal shell model
      agreed closely with those measured directly by myocardial force and dimension
      transducers. Unequal normalized diastolic stress-strain relations were observed
      in the latitudinal, longitudinal, and wall thickness directions, reflecting
      anisotropic mechanical properties of the myocardium. Although a greater wall
      stress in the latitudinal versus longitudinal axis was predicted adequately from
      left ventricular geometry alone, the observed latitudinal strain exceeded
      longitudinal strain by an amount greater than was predicted by geometric
      considerations alone, suggesting that myocardial anisotropy contributes
      significantly to changes in ventricular shape during diastolic filling.

PMID- 1873872
TI  - Distribution of carbon flux within fatty acid utilization during myocardial
      ischemia and reperfusion.
AB  - Twenty-nine intact, working pig hearts were extracorporeally perfused and divided
      into two study groups (16 Aerobic and 13 Ischemic/Reflow hearts). Step function,
      equilibrium labeling with [14C]palmitate was used to develop uptake and washout
      curves of radioactive fatty acid products contained in coronary effluent during
      either aerobic perfusion or reperfusion after ischemia (60% reduction in left
      anterior descending coronary flow for 30 minutes). Left anterior descending
      control flows were slightly overperfused in Aerobic hearts (18% higher than in
      Ischemic/Reflow hearts); otherwise, circumflex and right coronary flows, left
      ventricular pressure, and serum fatty acids and blood sugar levels were
      comparable between groups. As expected in Ischemic/Reflow hearts, recovery of
      regional systolic shortening and myocardial oxygen consumption in reperfusion was
      only modestly impaired (-20% and -19%, respectively, not significant and p less
      than 0.011 compared with preischemic values, not significant from Aerobic
      hearts). The only significant metabolized product to be released from labeled
      fatty acid utilization in either group was 14CO2. A smaller fatty acid pool also
      was measured and accounted for by that contained in the coronary intravascular
      volume. We could determine no significant back diffusion of fatty acids from
      myocardium in either perfusion condition. Uptake time constants of the early
      phase of 14CO2 production also were virtually identical in both groups (19.9 +/-
      3.2 versus 16.7 +/- 3.2 minutes in Aerobic and Ischemic/Reflow hearts,
      respectively) and strongly correlated with hemodynamics as described by heart
      rate. In washout studies, tissue radioactivity in the aqueous soluble and fatty
      acid pools declined in both study groups, and counts in complex lipids and
      cholesterol/cholesteryl esters remained steady, whereas those in triacylglycerols
      varied. Washout of 14CO2 in both groups never reached background radioactivity
      over a 40-minute sampling after cessation of isotope infusion into the perfusate,
      suggesting slow release of trapped substrate from intracellular pools, which then
      proceeded to fatty acid oxidation. In conclusion, these experiments have
      demonstrated very similar findings with respect to fatty acid uptake, storage,
      and release characteristics between aerobic and reperfused myocardium. We found
      no differences in preferred substrate utilization and oxidation as a result of
      reversible ischemia followed by reflow.

PMID- 1873873
TI  - Myocardial glucose utilization. Failure of adenosine to alter it and inhibition
      by the adenosine analogue N6-(L-2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine.
AB  - The effects of adenosine and the nonmetabolizable adenosine analogue N6-(L-2
      phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA) on glucose transport or metabolism were
      determined in purified myocardial sarcolemmal vesicles, isolated cardiocytes, and
      perfused hearts. Adenosine (100 microM) did not affect hexose transport in
      myocytes. Also, adenosine deaminase, added to metabolize adenosine to inosine,
      did not alter transport of hexose into myocytes regardless of whether or not
      insulin was present. In contrast, PIA effectively inhibited 3-O-methyl-D-glucose
      uptake in myocytes even during insulin stimulation. PIA inhibited D-glucose
      specific transport in both rat and bovine cardiac sarcolemmal vesicles (Ki = 26
      microM at [D-glucose] = 5 mM). However, insulin did not affect glucose transport
      in sarcolemmal vesicles, which implies that receptor-coupled processes probably
      are not intact in this preparation. Thus, inhibition of PIA may not be receptor
      mediated. Also, PIA inhibited binding of cytochalasin B to bovine cardiac
      sarcolemmal vesicles, which supports the idea that PIA inhibits glucose flux by
      binding to the glucose transporter. To determine if adenosine altered glucose
      metabolism rather than transport, we measured the rate of 3H2O production from
      metabolism of D-[2-3H]glucose in paced rat hearts ([D-glucose] = 5.5 mM,
      [pyruvate] = 0.2 mM) perfused with a range of PIA or adenosine concentrations
      with or without 0.01 microM insulin. Adenosine (0.01-100 microM) in the presence
      or absence of insulin increased coronary flow but did not change glycolytic
      rates. Similar results were obtained with PIA (no insulin) rather than adenosine
      in the perfusate. However, with glucose as the only exogenous substrate, 100
      microM PIA inhibited glycolysis by approximately 50%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1873874
TI  - Intracellular calcium transients and arrhythmia in isolated heart cells.
AB  - Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) elevation may mediate cardiac arrhythmias.
      However, direct measurement of the rapid alterations of [Ca2+]i on a beat-to-beat
      basis using fast temporal resolution and without signal averaging in the
      spontaneously beating in vivo heart is lacking. Furthermore, data from an
      isolated spontaneously beating myocyte preparation that develops arrhythmia
      similar to that in the in vivo heart are unavailable. We measured rapid changes
      of [Ca2+]i with fast temporal resolution in isolated spontaneously beating
      neonatal rat ventricular myocytes with cell-to-cell communication and
      characterized the interrelation between [Ca2+]i and arrhythmia. An elevated
      extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o) concentration of 10.8 mM induced premature beats,
      a rapid beating rate (tachyarrhythmia), and chaotic or fibrillatory beating
      activity in a small group of myocytes. [Ca2+]i levels during systole increased
      from the nanomolar to micromolar concentration range before arrhythmia
      development. Spontaneous oscillations of [Ca2+]i during diastole could evoke a
      spontaneous tachyarrhythmia. In the presence of [Ca2+]i elevation, a spontaneous
      tachyarrhythmia could induce severe [Ca2+]i overload. Reduction of [Ca2+]i with
      1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid AM (5 microM) in the
      presence of 10.8 mM [Ca2+]o reversed the arrhythmia. In single ventricular
      myocytes superfused with 10.8 mM [Ca2+]o, oscillations of membrane potential
      characteristic of transient inward current occurred that were prevented by
      ryanodine (0.1 microM), an inhibitor of Ca2+ flux across the sarcoplasmic
      reticulum. This study characterizes 1) an isolated multicellular myocyte model of
      arrhythmia similar to that evident in in vivo hearts, 2) elevation of [Ca2+]i
      with systolic [Ca2+]i levels of 1-3 microM and diastolic [Ca2+]i oscillations
      before the initiation of arrhythmia, 3) tachyarrhythmia as a cause of severe
      [Ca2+]i overload, which may be important in the perpetuation and degeneration of
      arrhythmias, and 4) reversal of arrhythmia with reduction of [Ca2+]i. The results
      in the isolated myocyte model may have relevance to the generation and
      perpetuation of certain cardiac arrhythmias associated with calcium overload.

PMID- 1873875
TI  - Dose-dependent inhibition of stretch-induced arrhythmias by gadolinium in
      isolated canine ventricles. Evidence for a unique mode of antiarrhythmic action.
AB  - Transient diastolic dilatation of the isolated canine left ventricle predictably
      elicits arrhythmias. To test the hypothesis that such arrhythmias may be mediated
      by sarcolemmal stretch-activated channels, we attempted to inhibit stretch
      induced arrhythmias with gadolinium (Gd3+), a potent stretch-activated channel
      blocker. In experiments with six isolated canine hearts, left ventricular volume
      was increased for 50 msec during early diastole and then returned to initial
      volume by a computerized servopump. The stretch volume was adjusted to yield a
      probability of eliciting a stretch-induced arrhythmia of 95 +/- 2% before
      treatment with Gd3+. When Gd3+ (1-10 microM) was administered, dose-dependent
      suppression of stretch-induced arrhythmias was observed. The probability of a
      stretch-induced arrhythmia was reduced to 13 +/- 10% (p less than 0.05) with 10
      microM Gd3+. Washout of Gd3+ completely reversed this effect. Since Gd3+ is known
      to be a calcium channel antagonist, we compared the effect of Gd3+ on stretch
      induced arrhythmias with that of verapamil and nifedipine. These calcium channel
      blockers produced no demonstrable inhibition of stretch-induced arrhythmias when
      administered at concentrations (1 microM) that substantially depressed left
      ventricular pressure development. Thus, our results indirectly implicate stretch
      activated channels in the genesis of stretch-induced arrhythmias and provide
      preliminary evidence for a potential new mode of antiarrhythmic drug action-
      blockade of stretch-activated channels.

PMID- 1873876
TI  - Platelets stimulate expression of endothelin mRNA and endothelin biosynthesis in
      cultured endothelial cells.
AB  - Modulation of the biosynthesis of the vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin was
      studied in cultured endothelial cells. Immunoreactive endothelin (irET) levels
      were significantly elevated in conditioned medium from bovine pulmonary artery
      endothelial (BPAE) or human umbilical vein endothelial cells when coincubated
      with washed human platelets. Platelets (approximately 200,000 cells/microliters)
      enhanced irET levels approximately 250% over basal levels. Stimulation of irET
      levels in BPAE cell-conditioned medium by platelets was time and platelet number
      dependent. Platelets, as well as thrombin and transforming growth factor-beta 1,
      stimulated the expression of preproendothelin-1 mRNA in a time-dependent manner.
      Coincubation of low doses of thrombin (0.1 unit/ml) and subthreshold
      concentrations of platelets with BPAE cells resulted in a further enhancement of
      irET levels in conditioned medium. Platelet-mediated stimulation of irET
      production was not significantly affected by indomethacin (1 microM) or the
      platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist WEB 2086 (1 microM); however,
      coincubation of endotoxin (100 ng/ml) with platelets and BPAE cells resulted in
      significantly higher levels of irET. Whether direct contact or adhesion between
      platelets and endothelial cells is necessary for stimulating irET release was
      studied by separating platelets from BPAE cells with a 0.4 microns permeable
      membrane. Under these conditions, platelets still produced significant elevations
      (approximately 190% over basal levels) in irET levels in BPAE cell-conditioned
      medium. In addition, platelet-free buffer from agonist-induced platelet
      aggregation also significantly enhanced irET production (200% over basal values).
      These data indicate that a platelet-derived regulatory factor can induce the
      biosynthesis of endothelin from cultured endothelial cells and also suggest that
      platelets might play a role in vasomotor regulation via a novel intercellular
      interaction with the endothelium.

PMID- 1873877
TI  - Optical recordings in the rabbit heart show that defibrillation strength shocks
      prolong the duration of depolarization and the refractory period.
AB  - The present data were obtained using the technique of optical recording with the
      voltage-sensitive dye WW781. This technique, unlike electrical methods, was able
      to provide uninterrupted recordings free of artifacts during defibrillation
      shocks. Optical recordings were made from sites on the ventricular epicardium of
      perfused rabbit hearts during electrical pacing. Continuous recordings of the
      electrophysiological responses of an intact heart to defibrillation threshold
      strength shocks were made. It was shown that these shocks were able to stimulate
      normal-appearing action potentials in nonrefractory myocardium. A new and
      unexpected finding was that defibrillation threshold-strength shocks were also
      able to evoke a sustained, depolarizing response from myocardium already
      undergoing an action potential. This prolonged the time that the myocardium
      remained in the depolarized state. Prolongation of the depolarized state was
      accompanied by an equal prolongation of the refractory period. There was no
      indication that this depolarizing shock response was due to damage of the
      myocardium by the shock, to heterogeneous electrical responses in the optical
      recording area, or to the methods used in this study. It is hypothesized that
      these shocks were able to elicit a new action potential in already depolarized
      myocardium by hyperpolarizing portions of the myocardium's cellular membranes
      and, in so doing, to reactivate the fast sodium current. This effect, if
      prevalent in a fibrillating ventricle, could play a role in the defribillation
      process by effectively resynchronizing electrical activity.

PMID- 1873878
TI  - Fatty acid uptake in normal human myocardium.
AB  - Fatty acid binding protein has been found in rat aortic endothelial cell
      membrane. It has been identified to be a 40-kDa protein that corresponds to a 40
      kDa fatty acid binding protein with high affinity for a variety of long chain
      fatty acids isolated from rat heart myocytes. It is proposed that this
      endothelial membrane fatty acid binding protein might mediate the myocardial
      uptake of fatty acids. For evaluation of this hypothesis in vivo, influx kinetics
      of tracer-labeled fatty acids was examined in 15 normal subjects by scintigraphic
      techniques. Variation of the plasma fatty acid concentration and plasma perfusion
      rate has been achieved by modulation of nutrition state and exercise conditions.
      The clinical results suggest that the myocardial fatty acid influx rate is
      saturable by increasing fatty acid plasma concentration as well as by increasing
      plasma flow. For analysis of these data, functional relations describing fatty
      acid transport from plasma into myocardial tissue in the presence and absence of
      an "unstirred layer" were developed. The fitting of these relations to
      experimental data indicate that the free fatty acid influx into myocardial tissue
      reveals the criteria of a reaction on a capillary surface in the vicinity of
      flowing plasma but not of a reaction in extravascular space or in an unstirred
      layer and that the fatty acid influx into normal myocardium is a saturable
      process that is characterized by the quantity corresponding to the Michaelis
      Menten constant, Km, and the maximal velocity, Vmax, 0.24 +/- 0.024 mumol/g and
      0.37 +/- 0.013 mumol/g(g.min), respectively. These data are compatible with a
      nondiffusional uptake process mediated by the initial interaction of fatty acids
      with the 40-kDa membrane fatty acid binding protein of cardiac endothelial cells.

PMID- 1873879
TI  - Mechanisms of contraction induced by human leukocytes in normal and
      atherosclerotic arteries.
AB  - Activation of leukocytes results in the release of a variety of vasoactive
      substances that may modulate vascular tone. We studied the effect of human
      polymorphonuclear (PMN) and mononuclear (MONO) leukocytes on quiescent femoral
      arteries in vitro. Arteries were obtained from normal and atherosclerotic
      cynomolgus monkeys. In normal arteries, stimulation of PMNs (3 and 5 x 10(6)
      cells/ml) with either thrombin (5 units/ml) or complement C5a (0.5 micrograms/ml)
      resulted in endothelium-independent contraction (approximately 25% of maximum
      contraction with 80 mM KCl). Vasocontraction was augmented in the presence of
      superoxide dismutase (150 units/ml) and was significantly impaired in the
      presence of the hydroxyl radical scavengers mannitol (20 mM) and deferoxamine (1
      mM). Catalase (1,200 units/ml) or L-alanine (20 mM) did not modify this effect of
      PMNs. In contrast to PMNs, vasocontraction in response to MONOs was not altered
      by the addition of radical scavengers. Pretreatment of PMNs and MONOs with
      indomethacin (10 microM) or nordihydroguaiaretic acid (20 microM) did not
      influence vascular responses. Supernatant of thrombin-stimulated PMNs and MONOs
      also produced vasocontraction (approximately two thirds of the effect of intact
      cells). This vasocontractor factor (or factors) was heat stable (30 minutes, 95
      degrees C) and had a molecular weight less than 1,000 as determined by
      ultrafiltration. Stimulation of MONOs or PMNs (3 and 5 x 10(6) cells/ml) produced
      a similar response in normal arteries. In contrast, the constrictor response in
      atherosclerotic arteries to MONOs (5 x 10(6) cells/ml) was significantly greater
      than to PMNs. We conclude that stimulated human PMNs and MONOs contract arteries
      in vitro by release of at least two factors. One factor appears to be heat
      stable, with a molecular weight less than 1,000. The vascular response to PMNs,
      but not to MONOs, appears to involve the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The
      response to MONOs is greater than the response to PMNs in atherosclerotic, but
      not in normal, arteries.

PMID- 1873880
TI  - Copper loading of hearts increases postischemic reperfusion injury.
AB  - We studied the role of copper as a potential mediator of postischemic reperfusion
      injury in the isolated, perfused rat heart. Hearts were equilibrated with Krebs
      Henseleit buffer for 10 minutes and then loaded with copper by way of perfusion
      with buffer containing 20 microM copper(II)-bis-histidial for 30 minutes. Control
      hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer alone during the loading period.
      Hearts than were washed with buffer for 10 minutes and subjected to 20 minutes of
      normothermic global ischemia followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Atomic
      absorption spectroscopy revealed a 67% increase in total copper content in loaded
      hearts by the end of the wash. By the end of the 30-minute period of reperfusion,
      control hearts demonstrated a 50-60% recovery of myocardial function as
      determined by peak systolic pressure, contractility, and heart rate. In contrast,
      copper-loaded hearts exhibited virtually no functional recovery within the 30
      minute time period. Using salicylate as a probe, we determined that peak and
      duration of .OH formation appears to be increased in copper-loaded hearts during
      reperfusion. Furthermore, efflux of lactic dehydrogenase was significantly
      increased in copper-loaded hearts. Our results clearly demonstrate that
      increasing cardiac content of copper results in enhanced postischemic reperfusion
      injury associated with increased formation of .OH, thus suggesting an important
      catalytic role for this transition metal.

PMID- 1873881
TI  - [Activation of the latent Toxoplasma infection and cyst formation in mice].
AB  - Latent Toxoplasma infection in mice inoculated with the low virulent Beverley
      strain (BEV) and avirulent Fukaya strain (FUK) was reactivated by prednisolone
      administration. Parasitaemia reappeared and the organism could be continuously
      isolated from the lymph nodes by mouse passage. No distinct decrease in specific
      antibody levels was observed when the sera were assayed by dye test and latex
      agglutination test. A significant increase in the number of brain cysts in
      infected mice was noted at the third week of infection while the challenge
      infection and steroid immunosuppression treatment resulted in an enhancement of
      cyst formation. A hypothesis was, therefore, proposed that the cyst formation in
      tissues might be regulated by the immune response of infected host to Toxoplasma
      infection.

PMID- 1873882
TI  - [Observations on the development of quantitatively inoculated Brugia malayi
      microfilariae in Anopheles sinensis and Culex quinquefasciatus].
AB  - With an improved technique, quantitative inoculation of Brugia malayi
      microfilariae (mff) into Anopheles sinensis and Culex quinquefasciatus was
      carried out in our laboratory in 1988. The development of B. malayi mff in these
      two species of mosquitoes was observed. In the system of B. malayi and An.
      sinensis, a well-fitted linear correlation appeared between the number of mff
      inoculated and the infective larva (L3) positive rate (r = 0.9910; P less than
      0.01). The regression equation with the regression coefficient of 8.490 suggested
      a high susceptibility of this species of mosquito to B. malayi even under the
      condition of experimental inoculation. The quantitative relationship between the
      number of mff inoculated and the average filarial maturity rate was also
      exhibited. At the same dosages of 4 and 10 mff/mosquito, the L3 positive rates
      and the average filarial maturity rates in An. sinensis were much higher than
      those in Cx. quinquefasciatus (P less than 0.01), indicating significant
      difference occurred inside the bodies of these two species of mosquitoes.

PMID- 1873883
TI  - [Electron microscopic cytochemistry studies on membrane-bound organelles of
      Trichomonas hominis].
AB  - This paper presents the results of an electron microscopy cytochemistry study on
      the membrane-bound organelles of Trichomonas hominis. Acid phosphatase (ACP) and
      cytidine monophosphatase (CMPase) were located in the primary lysosomes,
      digestive vacuoles, as well as in the parabasal body stacks, being usually in its
      mature surface sacs. Thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) and nicotinamide adenine
      dinucleotide phosphatase (NADPase) were found in the saccules, being on the
      mature surface and in the intermediate saccules of parabasal body stacks,
      respectively. The reactive products of peroxidase (POase) were seen only in the
      digestive vacuoles. Cytochrome oxidase (COase) and catalase (Cat) reactions were
      both negative. It is suggested that T. hominis lacks mitochondrion and microbody
      but possesses hydrogenosome. The parabasal body, endoplasmic reticulum and
      hydrogenosome were stained well with the U-Pb-Cu impregnation technique.

PMID- 1873884
TI  - [Determination of circulating antigen in cysticercosis patients using McAb-based
      ELISA].
AB  - For the first time, the determination of circulating antigen in patients with
      cysticercosis using specific monoclonal antibody against cysticercus antigen
      (CCyl) based on inhibitive ELISA was reported. The circulating antigens were
      detected in the sera from 83 patients with cysticercosis, the positive rate being
      71.1%. The range of the detectable serum antigen concentrations was 0.16-128
      micrograms/ml. In 41 cases of cysticercosis patients, circulating antigens were
      determined in both sera and cerebrospinal fluids, the positive rates being 68.3%
      and 78% respectively, the total positive rate being 90.2%. In 114 sera from
      normal persons, circulating antigen was absent. In 30 sera from patients with
      hydatidosis, 30 with clonorchiasis, 20 with schistosomiasis japonica, 24 with
      paragonimiasis, and 5 sera collected from non-parasitosis patients, serum
      circulating antigen was not detectable. In another 10 non-parasitosis patients,
      circulating antigen was not found in cerebrospinal fluid. After chemotherapy for
      one half to one year, in 21 out of 23 cases of cysticercosis patients, the
      circulating antigen levels in sera dropped to zero, except for two cases having
      an antigen level of 0.64 micrograms/ml and 1.6 micrograms/ml, respectively. Our
      results showed that the determination of the circulating cysticercus antigen was
      very specific for the diagnosis of active infection of cysticercosis and could be
      used as a rational tool in monitoring the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

PMID- 1873885
TI  - [Freeze-etch study on the brush border structure of Cysticercus cellulosae].
AB  - The images of C. cellulosae detected by freeze-itch technique were exactly
      similar to those observed in the thin section. The scolex microtriches might be
      divided into two parts, a thick proximal portion and a thinner spinal distal end,
      the former measuring about 0.2-0.4 micron in length, the latter measuring about 1
      2 microns in length. On the extracellular surface of the proximal portion of
      microthrix, 1 or 2 particles could occasionally be seen, while numerous particles
      appeared on the protoplasmic fracture face (PF face) of the proximal portion. The
      PF face were closely packed and irregularly distributed with membranous
      particles, which were spherical or subspherical in shape, measured 0.01-0.02
      micron in diameter. The extracellular fracture face (EF face), of proximal
      portion and all four membranous faces of spinal end were smooth. The tegumentary
      plasmic membrane was 0.02 micron in thickness, with smooth ES face. The PF face
      of this membrane packed closely with numerous particles, which were similar with
      those on the PF face of the microthrix. Numerous globular or discoidal vesicles
      scattered at random in the tegumentary matrix. Most mitochondria were near the
      basement membrane of the matrix. In the parenchymal layer, the parenchymal cells,
      calcareous corpuscles and flame-cells could easily be seen. Most of the
      calcareous corpuscles and flame-cells were located closely beneath the muscle
      layer. The flame-cell of C. cellulosae mainly consisted of three portions, cell
      body, a bundle of cilia and a filtered cell lumen. The flame-cell body had a
      large nucleus and relatively few cytoplasm with several mitochondria.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873886
TI  - [Observation on the behavior of microfilariae in human filariasis].
AB  - A total of 19 female adult filariae containing microfilariae in uteri collected
      from 25 filariasis patients were examined. Light transmission microscopic
      observations showed: (1) some of the adult worms entered the lumen of blood
      vessels by penetrating the venous wall and discharged immature and mature
      microfilariae and embryos into the blood stream; (2) microfilariae developed into
      maturation in the uterus of adult female worms, but when the adult worm began to
      degenerate, the microfilariae did not degenerate concurrently; (3) some
      microfilariae could form thrombus, inducing the infiltration of segmented
      neutrophils and eosinophils followed by the formation of granuloma; (4) embryos 8
      female adults parasitizing lymphatics were seen to discharge immature
      microfilariae and ova, which might form emboli after entering the blood stream.

PMID- 1873887
TI  - [Protoscolicidal effect of some chemical agents and drugs against Echinococcus
      granulosus].
AB  - The present paper reports the protoscolicidal action of hydrastine, ether-acetic
      acid-ethanol admixture, H2O2, pyquiton and albendazole through in vitro or in
      vivo exposure, for 15 minutes and transplantation studies. The mortality of
      protoscolices in vitro and in vivo were 70.2% and 68.9% for 0.3% hydrastine,
      56.8% and 56.2% for 10% ether-acetic acid-ethanol admixture, 6.0% and 8.8% for
      0.3% H2O2; 6.1% for 0.004% pyquiton in vitro and 5.0% were 10% and 25% for 0.3%
      hydrastine, 30% and for 0.004% albendazole in vitro. The survival rates after
      transplantation of protoscolices 37.5% for 10% ether-acetic acid-ethanol
      admixture, 100% and 95% for 0.3% H2O2 respectively. Disruption of external plasma
      membrane, hook detachment, sucker deformity of protoscolices exposed to
      hydrastine were demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy. It is suggested
      that hydrastine exerts a profound intracellular effect on the protoscolex of E.
      granulosus of sheep and man, and might be a promising protoscolicide as adjuvant
      to hydatid surgery.

PMID- 1873889
TI  - [Preliminary investigation of liver alveolar echinococcosis and liver cystic,
      echinococcosis in Xiji County, Ningxia].
AB  - This article reports on the result of an investigation on the prevalence of liver
      alveolar echinococcosis (LAE) and liver cystic echinococcosis (LCE) in the
      peasants and the residents of Xiji County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Among
      2,389 selected persons examined with B-ultrasound, 197 cases were diagnosed to
      have LAE or LCE; the prevalence being 8.2%. Of the 197 cases, 141 (5.9%) had LAE;
      56 (2.3%) had LCE. Among 1,413 peasants, 9.7% had LAE; 3.8% had LCE. Among 976
      residents, 0.4% had LAE, 0.2% had LCE. Obviously, the peasants were more prone to
      be infected with the disease, suggesting LAE had much to do with the job of
      hunting the fox and capturing the Citellus dauricus, while the infectious source
      of LCE was mainly the domestic dog.

PMID- 1873888
TI  - [Eighty cases of alveolar hydatid disease treated with albendazole].
AB  - Alveolar hydatid disease occurs frequently in Xiji County of Ningxia. 80 cases of
      the disease were treated orally with albendazole from 1985 to 1988 and the short
      term results proved satisfactory. The treatment consisted of two groups. Group I
      included 72 cases which were orally given 8-10 mg/kg.d of albendazole 2 to 3
      times a day after each meal for 30 days and then stop taking the medicine for 10
      days as one treatment course. The treatment continued 3-12 months comprising
      about 24 courses were given with the highest dosage of 412g. Group II included 8
      cases who were given 15.6-20 mg/kg.d of the medicine for 14 days (one course) and
      every two weeks with a 10 days interval. The treatment of group II continued 3-6
      months which totalled 19-24 courses with the highest dosage of 270g. All the
      treated patients tolerate well except that a few of them felt giddy and had
      diarrhoea which disappeared after the withdrawal of medicine. Through 3-5 years,
      follow-up observation, it was found that the gener alsymptoms of the treated
      patients improved and their body weight increased by 2-9.5 kg, some of them could
      take part in light physical labour. The jaundice index in 80% of them returned to
      normal. SGPT in 86.4% decreased to within normal range. The enlarged livers in
      half of the patients decreased by 1-6 cm. 23.7% of the patients were reexamined
      by B ultrasound scanning which revealed that their enlarged liver reduced in size
      while the liquifaction area and the shadows of calcification in the livers in
      42.5% patients increased obviously.

PMID- 1873890
TI  - [Advances in filariasis control and research in China during 1986-1990. National
      Technical Steering Group for Filariasis Control and Research, MOPH].
AB  - Based upon the statistical data during 1986-1990 from provincial, regional or
      municipal institutions involved in the control and research of filariasis,
      important achievement in filariasis control has been achieved since 1986. During
      the 5 years, 22,350,772 person were blood-examined, among them, 268,034 were
      found to be microfilaria positive; a total of 78,550,945 man/times of treatment
      with DEC were given (including administration of DEC-medicated salt). Till the
      end of 1990, filariasis has been basically eliminated in 823 counties/cities out
      of the 864 endemic counties/cities, and has been basically eliminated in 12
      endemic provinces, one autonomous region and one municipality. Thus far,
      filariasis is still prevalent in 41 counties/cities of Anhui province.
      Parasitological, serological and entomological monitoring on filariasis is being
      executed according to the "Technical scheme for filariasis surveillance in areas
      where the disease has been basically eliminated" formulated by the Ministry of
      Public Health. The preliminary results of longitudinal surveillance indicated
      that the decline of microfilaremia rate and the absence of resurgence coincided
      with the decrease in antibody titre in the population by IFAT. The progress of
      research work dealing with the transmission potential in areas where filariasis
      had been under control, the methods of immunodiagnosis and the treatment of
      patients with clinical signs was also reviewed.

PMID- 1873891
TI  - [Detection of Plasmodium falciparum using the plasmid Pf rep 20 probe
      (preliminary report)].
AB  - A cloned repetitive DNA sequence (rep 20) labeled with 32P was evaluated as
      diagnostic probe for P. falciparum in 39 blood samples from Hainan and Yunan
      provinces. Its specificity and sensitivity were studied and compared with total
      genomic DNA probe isolated from P. f. Hainan Fcc1/HN isolate. The pPF rep 20
      probe recognized the DNA of P. f. Hainan, Yunnan and Anhui isolates, but did not
      hybridize with the DNA of P. vivax, P. cynomolgi, P. knowlesi and P. yoelii. The
      genomic probe hybridized with the DNA of 3 isolates and cross-hybridized with the
      DNA of all the other Plasmodium species tested, but did not hybridize with host
      DNA. The plasmid rep 20 probe was able to detect parasitemia level of 0.001% in
      20 microliters blood from culture and 10pg DNA of 3 P. f. isolates after 3 days
      film exposure. It could hybridize with the blood samples of P. f. patients from
      Hainan and Yunnan with a sensitivity of 95% (37/39). The genomic probe could
      detect the same parasitemia and DNA levels as plasmid rep 20 probe for Yunnan and
      Anhui isolates, and 0.0001% parasitemia and 1 pg DNA for Hainan isolate. It had a
      sensitivity of 97% (38/39) when used to detect patient samples. The results
      indicated that plasmid rep 20 probe was specific and rather sensitive to DNA of
      P. falciparum isolates from China and may be useful in epidemiological studies.

PMID- 1873892
TI  - [Anti-antibody responses of rabbit to mouse monoclonal antibody against
      schistosome "target antigen"].
AB  - The supernatant of protective McAb (isotype IgG2a) secreted by 1E2 hybridoma line
      was purified by protein A-sepharose CL-4B column and rabbits were immunized with
      purified 1E2 McAb. Dot-ELISA, immunodiffusion assay, Western blotting and ELISA
      were used to observe the presence of anti-McAb and anti-anti-McAb. The main
      results are: 1. anti-McAb antibody could be detected as early as 20 days post
      immunization in the immune sera and would be decreased gradually without
      boosting; otherwise, it would be increased quickly and the titers of anti-McAb
      were increased within 5 days post-boosting and could be maintained at a plateau
      for 30-50 days, and then decreased gradually to the normal; 2. there were
      different anti-anti-McAbs in the immune sera. Anti-anti-McAb, like anti-anti
      idiotype antibody, can recognize different schistosome antigens and 90, 68 or 45
      kDa antigenic determinants. The level of anti-anti-McAbs varied from titers 1:100
      to 1:1600 at different time post-immunization with 1E2. The results provide
      evidence to understand the appearance of anti-McAb antibody and the way to
      develop anti-idiotype and anti-anti-idiotype McAb for research purpose.

PMID- 1873893
TI  - [Construction of Echinococcus granulosus genomic library].
AB  - Using EMBL3 phage DNA as a vector, a perfect genomic library of Echinococcus
      granulosus from sheep from Xinjiang has been constructed, which contains 1.2 x
      10(6) independent recombinants. The main procedure of construction comprised: 1.
      extraction of Echinococcus granulosus genomic DNA, 2. partial digestion of the
      extracted E. granulosus genomic DNA with restriction enzyme Sau3Al, 3. harvest of
      15-23 kb DNA fragments by electric elution equipment, 4. preparation of EMBL3
      phage vector DNA, 5. cleavage of EMBL3 vector DNA with two restriction enzymes
      Bam HI and Eco RI to remove the central fragment, 6. ligation of the harvested 15
      23 kb E. granulosus genomic DNA and the cleavaged vector DNA with T4 DNA ligase,
      7. the package reaction of ligated recombinant DNA in vitro with the package
      protein and with Q359 strain (Spi-) to screen recombinants, 8. identification of
      the genomic library, 9. hybridization in situ by pSM889 probe, obtaining 6
      positive recombinant clones. It was estimated that the E. granulosus genome was
      about 1.5 x 10(8) bp. A perfect E.g. genomic library is expected to contain 4.6 x
      10(4) independent recombinants at minimum. The constructed genomic library has
      enough independent recombinants (1.2 x 10(6)). This is the first time to
      establish an E. granulosus genomic library in China. Previous work showed that
      there existed differences in many aspects, including pathogenicity, among various
      isolates of E. granulosus from different hosts and areas. We plan to employ this
      library to screen the E. granulosus intraspecies DNA probe by hybridization in
      situ. This kind of probe is envisaged to be of advantage for epidemiological
      investigation of the hydatid disease in China. It also provides a base for
      researching E. granulosus at the molecular level.

PMID- 1873894
TI  - [Analysing the effects of tooth extraction under acupuncture anesthesia in 825
      cases of senior].
AB  - It has been found that the effects of tooth extraction under acupuncture
      anesthesia (AA) for the old patients are generally quite good. In order to verify
      this result, the authors had statistically analysed 825 cases aged over 60 years
      (Group A) and equal quantity whose age were between 18-40 years old (Group B) out
      of more than 4000 cases whose records of AA were rather completely during 1973 to
      1988. 1. There was no significant difference under AA for different sexes. 2. The
      differences of the excellent rate of AA between Group A and Group B were
      extremely evident either in the positions of the tooth or the reason of tooth
      extraction. The former was 89.04% and the latter 76.20% (P less than 0.005). 3.
      Although a low rate in excellence of tooth extraction under simple AA (only
      75.58%), not so good as the effect by AAA (an average about 88.21%), the simple
      AA was more common and more easier to be accepted by patients. 4. Tooth
      extraction under AA has been proved to be safe, effective and without any
      complications. 5. The reasons for the senior to extract their teeth were almost
      for the broken crowns and of roots or the purposes of prosthetic restoration.
      Even though the pain thresholds in the senior were commonly higher. It is still
      an important factor of the good effect and good rate of tooth extraction under
      AA. Referring to the statistics in this study the authors suggest that the
      hospitals which can use the AA for tooth extraction adopt the method as the first
      choice of anesthesia method to the senior who intends to accept it.

PMID- 1873895
TI  - [Effects of stimulating periaqueductal gray on the nociceptive neuron discharges
      of post-thalamic nucleus evoked by stimulation of splanchnic nerve in cats].
AB  - The effects of stimulating periaqueductal gray (PAG) on the nociceptive neuron
      discharges of pronucleus evoked by stimulating the splanchnic nerve in cats were
      studied. The two kinds of inhibitory action were observed. One was called early
      phase or prompt inhibition phase which occurred within 30 ms to 150 ms after
      stimulation of PAG. The other was called slow-pase or sustained inhibition which
      occurred from a few minutes to more than ten minutes after the stimulation of
      PAG. The results showed that PAG played an important role in the analgesia of
      visceral pain. Both kinds of inhibition may be blocked by naloxone, this suggests
      that endogenous opiate like substances involved in these inhibitory processes
      caused by stimulating role in the inhibitory effect of PAG.

PMID- 1873896
TI  - An analysis of neuronal responses in nucleus centrum medianum to electrical
      stimulation of the superficial peroneal nerve.
AB  - Excitatory and inhibitory responses recorded extracellularly in neurons at
      various levels of the central nervous system induced by electrical noxious
      stimulation of peripheral nerves were frequently reported in studies on the
      mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia. However, the correlation between the
      responses and excitation of distinct afferent fibers was rarely investigated. The
      question whether the responses mentioned above are truly nociceptive in property
      is of significance to answer, and this is what we want to clarify in the present
      study. Sixty five neurons responding to electrical stimulation of the left
      superficial peroneal nerve were extracellularly recorded in the nucleus centrum
      medianum (CM) contralateral to the stimulation in 34 cats paralyzed with
      gallamine triethiodide and ventilated artificially under anaesthetics.
      Peristimulus histograms of the responses of CM neurons were plotted
      correspondingly, to the excitation of A delta and C-fibers, which was monitored
      by means of compound action potentials. To identify the nociceptive property of
      the responses ketamine or morphine was intravenously administered in some cases,
      capsaicin was topically applied at the superficial peroneal nerve proximal to the
      stimulated location in a few cases. Besides, the effect of electroacupuncture
      (EA) at Zusanli (St36) and Huantiao (GB30) points on the responses was observed.
      A total of 65 CM neurons recorded included 55 excited and 10 inhibited
      neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873897
TI  - [Effects of noxious stimuli on the discharges of pain-excitation neurons and pain
      inhibition neurons in the nucleus ventralis posterolalis of thalamus in the rat
      and a modulating action of electroacupuncture on its electric activities].
AB  - The somatic and visceral noxious stimuli could simultaneously induce the increase
      of discharges of pain-excitation neurons (PEN) and the decrease of discharges of
      pain-inhibition neurons (PIN) in the Nucleus Ventralis posterolalis (VPL) of
      thalamus in the rat, and the electric activities of the two kinds of neurons
      cooperated each other. By the injection of morphine (5 mg/kg) and the
      electroacupuncture of "zusanli", the discharges of PEN were reduced and the
      discharges of PIN were enhanced. The results suggested that VPL of thalamus in
      the rat be involved in the modulating action on pain sensation and the analgesic
      effects of morphine and electroacupuncture by the simultaneous electric
      activities of PEN and PIN in VPL.

PMID- 1873898
TI  - [Effect of prefrontal cortex stimulation on the activity of pain-related neurons
      in parafascicular nucleus of thalamus in rats].
AB  - The effects of PFC stimulation on spontaneous and evoked discharges of neurons of
      parafascicular nucleus of thalamus were observed in rats. The results show that
      after PFC stimulation spontaneous of 78.7% PEN (48/61) and evoked discharges on
      noxious stimulation of 76.6% PEN (46/60) were decreased; spontaneous discharges
      of 72% PIN (18/25) were increased; inhibition response on noxious stimulation of
      70.8% PIN (17/24) were decreased; and spontaneous discharges of 66.7% CON (6/9)
      and evoked discharges on noxious stimulation of 55.6% CON (5/9) were decreased.
      The results suggest that PFC might have analgesia action which was accomplished
      by modulating electric activities of pain-related neurons of parafascicular
      nucleus in thalamus.

PMID- 1873899
TI  - [Effects of electroacupuncture at different points on nociceptive responses of
      the ventro-basal complex].
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of electro
      acupuncture at different points on nociceptive responses of VB neurons. The
      experiments were carried out on rats (280-320g) anaesthetized with urethane
      (19/kg,i.p.). Single unit activities of VB neurons were extracellularly recorded
      by means of glass microelectrodes. Noxious stimulation was subcutaneously applied
      at the left ankle joint by inserting two stainless needles. The experiments were
      divided into three groups: EA. I, EA. II and EA. III. The corresponding points
      being selected for electroacupuncture in the above three groups were the left
      "Huantiao" (G30) point, the right "Huantiao" point and the left "Jianlian" (T14)
      point. The results showed that electroacupuncture at the points in the three
      groups all could inhibit the nociceptive responses of VB neurons, but
      electroacupuncture an the left "Huantiao" point (n = 11) was more effective than
      either at the right "Huantian" point (n = 9) or at the left "Jianliao" point (n =
      10). There was a significant difference among the three groups. However, there
      was no significant difference between EA. II and EA. III. Thus, the results
      indicate that there is a relative specificity of points in acupuncture analgesia.

PMID- 1873900
TI  - [The role of paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus in acupuncture analgesia in
      rats].
AB  - Recent evidence has indicated that vasopressin (VP) can increase the pain
      threshold. It is not clear whether the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of
      hypothalamus, which is one of the main nuclei that secrete VP in brain, is
      involved in the acupuncture analgesia (AA). The present study was designed to
      examine the role of PVN in AA. Experiments were carried out on Wistar rats using
      tail stimulation vocalization test to measure the pain threshold. The acupoints
      "Renzhong" and "Chengjiang" were selected for electroacupuncture. Electrical
      stimulation of PVN could increase significantly the pain threshold and enhance
      the effect of AA. On the contrary, electrolytical lesion of PVN could decrease
      the effect of AA obviously, which could be recovered by cerebroventricular
      injection (ICV) of 300 ng of arginine VP. Pretreatment with AVP-antiserum (ICV)
      could attenuate the effect of AA. These data indicated that PVN plays an
      important role in pain modulation and in the effect of AA. This role might be
      mediated by the VP-containing neurons in PVN.

PMID- 1873901
TI  - [The role of nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in acupuncture inhibition of
      visceral-somatic reflex (VSR)].
AB  - Experiments were carried out on 164 rabbits. The transmission of abdominal vagal
      impulses and the mechanism of inhibitory effect by acupuncture systematically
      were investigated. 1) Electrical stimulation (single pulse of 20 V, 0.5 ms) of
      abdominal vagus nerve (AVN) produced two kinds of potential on cervical vagus
      nerve: the fast wave (10.4-24.4 M/sec) and the slow wave (0.9-1.7 M/sec), the
      later was more stable. 2) In dorsal medulla oblongata the 'M' shaped evoked
      potentials with long duration (100 ms or so) were recorded. The results suggest
      that afferents from AVN are mainly transmitted through the small fibres and multi
      synaptic connections in Medulla. 3) Out of 301 response units, 281 units (93.6%)
      concentrated in NTS and adjacent regions. This result was also confirmed by
      injection of Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) in the trunk of AVN. 4) On 24 awake
      rabbits the VSR were elicited by strong stimulation of AVN. Electroacupuncture
      (EA) on "Zusanli" points inhibited VSR, an effect lasted over 20 min. This
      inhibitory effect of EA was reversed partly by Naloxone (0.5 mg/kg iv) and was
      attenuated after lesion (DC 0.5 mA, 1 min.) of NTS. In conclusion, NTS plays an
      important role in suppression of VSR by EA (P less than 0.01).

PMID- 1873902
TI  - [The role of midbrain periaqueductal grey in the inhibition of central cardiac
      ischemia by somatic nerve and its mechanism in rabbits].
AB  - Experiments were performed on vagotomized male rabbits weighing 1.8-2.2 kg.
      Urethane and chloralose were administered intravenously, and were paralyzed by
      flaxedil. After a cannula was inserted into femoral artery to measure blood
      pressure, the epicardial electrogram (EECG) was recorded. Then we inserted a
      bipolar electrode into caudal dorsolateral subdivision of periaqueductal grey
      (CDL), or dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH). In some animals, a
      microinjecting tube was inserted into CDL for microinjection of enkephalin
      antibodies. In 12 animals, stimulation of CDL could elicit pressor response and
      elevation of EECG-ST segment. When stimulating deep peroneal nerve, these two
      responses were inhibited. In 14 animals, with brainstem transected in P5 level,
      the stimulation of DPN could not inhibit the presser response induced by CDL, but
      still inhibited the EECG-ST segment changes. After enkephalin antibodies were
      injected into CDL, DPN could not inhibited EECG-ST changes. In 4 animals, instead
      of enkephalin antibodies, rabbit serum had no effects. The unit discharges of 96
      neurons in CDL were recorded by glass microelectrodes, among them, 15 neurons
      could be excited by DMH stimulation. We called these neurons the defence reaction
      related neurons. Stimulation of DPN or median nerve could inhibit the spontaneous
      discharge and DMH evoked discharge of these defence reaction related neurons.
      CONCLUSIONS: 1. DPN stimulation can inhibit the pressor response and cardiac
      ischemia induced by defence reaction centre in CDL of PAG. The inhibitory effect
      on cardiac ischemia is still eminently remained after the brainstem is cut in P5
      level to eliminate the influence of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873903
TI  - [Effects of electroacupuncture on epileptiform hippocampal unit activity by
      intracerebroventricular injection of coriaria lactone].
AB  - In our present study we build up a new experimental model in the rat for epilepsy
      by intracerebroventricular injection of Coriaria Lactone (CL) and examine the
      effects of electroacupuncture on epileptiform hippocampal unit activity. Three
      types of hippocampal units responding to CL were observed: a) positive units b)
      negative units and c) indifferent units. The activity of positive units may be
      the typical epileptiform hippocampal activity. The positive units can be
      inhibited by electroacupuncture (EA), while the negative units can be exhilarated
      by EA. No changes were observed in indifferent units. Inhibitory effects of
      positive units are different because of using different "acupoints". EA of Du-Mo
      and Taichong Kunlun in the other side of drug injection were significatively
      better than Taichong, Kunlun in the same side of drug injection. Effects of Du-Mo
      was significantly better than the effects of the points on the limb. Parameters
      of EA are significantly different in other side of limb points for inhibition of
      positive units: 5 V 1 Hz, 5 V 5 Hz greater than 1 V 5 Hz greater than 1 V 1 Hz.
      These data indicate that effects of EA are depend on amplitude of EA, and seem
      not to be concern with frequencies of EA. The amplitude and frequency of
      hippocampal EEG spikes can be inhibited by EA. The inhibitory role of EA on
      epileptiform discharges is also discussed in this paper.

PMID- 1873904
TI  - [Segmental distributions of sensory neurons of the "ganshu", "pishu", "liangmen",
      "qimen" points and the gallbladder].
AB  - One hundred guinea pigs were used. The 10% HRP 50-60 microliters solution was
      injected into the acupoints of "Gansu", "Pisu", "Liangmen" and "Qimen" of every
      animal. Moreover, the 10% HRP 80-100 solution was injected into the gallbladder
      of the another animals too. Under the microscope, observed the segmental
      distributions of sensory neurons of the four acupoints and the gallbladder. It
      could be found much clearly that HRP labelled cells were appearing in the spinal
      ganglions. The above experimental studies showed that there are mutual intersect
      5-7 segments between the gallbladder and the "Gansu", "Pisu", "Liangmen" and
      "Qimen" four acupoints. It is probable that the mutual intersect is the
      neuroanatomic foundation of acupuncture and moxibustion to inhibit the formation
      of bilirubin gallstones.

PMID- 1873905
TI  - [The study on calcium ion concentration specificity in meridian and acupoint in
      rabbit].
AB  - Ion selected "Acupuncture electrode" was introduced for detection of calcium ion
      concentration in meridians and acupoints in rabbit. It was demonstrated that the
      calcium ion concentration was significant higher than that in the location of non
      meridian and non-acupoint. This is the first and important finding of
      physicochemical characteristics of meridians.

PMID- 1873906
TI  - [The regulating effect of electroacupuncture on gastroenteric electric activity
      in guinea pigs of peripheral vomiting].
AB  - Acute experiments were performed on 20 guinea pigs. The animals were divided at
      random into four groups of five each: the non-acupuncture group for control and
      three electroacupuncture groups (EA-I, EA-II, EA-III). Four pairs of platinum
      wire electrodes were implanted under serosa of the antrum and corpus, duodenum,
      jejunum. The gastroenteric electric activity (GEA) was recorded in conscious and
      fasting state. Needling was applied at position 1 cm below the knee,
      corresponding to Zusanli. The peripheral vomiting model was established by
      infusion of CuSO4 into the stomach. Observation was made with regard to latency
      of vomiting induced by infusion of CuSO4, duration of the symptom, number of fits
      in the first five minutes after the attack began, and the variation of amplitude
      and frequency of GEA. The results were as follows: (1) The GEA of normal guinea
      pigs showed regular cyclic changes. After latency of 3.7 seconds following the
      infusion, symptom of vomiting began appear. The GEA returned to normal after
      latency of 60 minutes. (2) During vomiting, the GEA was characterized by a series
      of spikes which were seen more obviously in the antrum and corpus; during serious
      fits of vomiting, duodenum and jejunum were involved. The GEA showed disordered
      and quicker rhythm with higher amplitude and frequency. (3) EA could not affect
      the latency of the peripheral vomiting, but it could shorten the duration of the
      symptom. Results of group EA-II (p less than 0.001) showed EA could reduce the
      number of fits during the first five minutes; results of group EA-I (p less than
      0.01) showed that EA could lower the amplitude and frequency of the GEA (p less
      than 0.05) that rose during vomiting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873907
TI  - [The thermographic observation of the relationship between the retention of
      acupuncture needles and the effect of nose temperatures].
AB  - This is an observation of the relationship between the retention of acupuncture
      needles and its effect on nose temperature in seventy-four patients with facial
      nerve paralysis. The patients were divided into five groups according to the
      period of retention of needles: no retention, retention for ten, twenty, thirty
      and fourty minutes. Every group consisted twenty cases. The results showed that
      (a) the nose temperature lowered after acupuncture immediately; (b) then it rose
      and reached to the maximum at twenty minutes after acupuncture, then lowered
      again; (c) for the group of no retention and retention for ten and twenty
      minutes, the temperature rose again during thirty to fourty minutes after
      acupuncture, for the group of retention for thirty or fourty minutes, however,
      without these phenomena; (d) the general tendency was that the change of
      temperature was bigger but lasting for shorter period in the groups of retention
      for longer time than that in the groups of retention for shorter time. These
      results verified that some theories in ancient books about the retention of
      acupuncture needles are scientific.

PMID- 1873908
TI  - [Experimental acupuncturology and its role in acupuncture education--suggestion
      offering the course of experimental acupuncture in acupuncture education].
AB  - Experimental Acupuncturology is a new subject which probes the channel and
      principle of acupuncture with the help of modern scientific technique and
      experimental method. In channel research, the basic responsibility of
      Experimental Acupuncturology is to expand the essence of the channel. For nearly
      half a century, the research has been concentrated mainly on the channel
      detection, the phenomena of channels and the relationship between channel-point
      and viscera, etc. In the research on the principle of acupuncture, Experimental
      Acupuncturology has accumulated a lot of information to prove that therapeutic
      effect of acupuncture is credible. The effect of acupuncture is influenced by
      many factors. Thus, it is also one of the basic tasks for Experimental
      Acupuncturology to programme the experimental procedure according to the
      principles of diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of symptoms
      and signs, so that the best wiring scheme can be chosen out. Summarily,
      Experimental Acupuncturology has, at beast, three important significances in
      training modern specialists of acupuncture medicine. Firstly, it can make it
      possible for students to get deeper understanding on the thought of traditional
      acupuncture and realize the advantage of acupuncture, thus, encourage their faith
      on this medical means. Secondly, it can enrich the contents of acupuncture
      medicine and broaden the outlook of students, because it introduces modern
      science, technology and experimental method into traditional theory. Finally, it
      can train students' ability in scientific researches through strengthening the
      practicability of acupuncture. Therefore, its active significance in acupuncture
      education has been granted by acupuncture specialists in our country. Nowadays,
      more and more colleges of TCM has offered this subject which were welcome
      widely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1873909
TI  - A simple micromethod for rapid assessment of the distribution of apolipoprotein C
      isoforms in very-low-density lipoprotein.
AB  - A simple and rapid isoelectric focusing method for quantifying Apo C isoforms of
      triglyceride-rich lipoprotein was developed. The very-low-density lipoprotein
      (VLDL) was isolated from 100 microL of EDTA plasma using a Beckman Airfuge
      ultracentrifuge. The delipidated VLDL was applied to an ultrathin flat acrylamide
      gel, and focused using a Bio-Rad Mini IEF Cell, for 1.5 h at a maximum of 500 V.
      Apo CII and Apo CIII in VLDL were resolved into four major bands, CIII0 (PI
      4.91), CII (PI 4.78), CIII1 (PI 4.72), and CIII2 (PI 4.53). The method
      demonstrated within-run and between-run CVs of 2.7% to 11.9% and 4.4% to 12.2%,
      respectively. The relative percentage of C apoproteins and the ratio of CII to
      CIII found in VLDL from plasma of normal, chronic renal failure, and
      hyperlipidemic subjects agreed with previously published data.

PMID- 1873910
TI  - Defective expression of alpha-L-fucosidase by lymphoid cells of a fucosidosis
      patient.
AB  - Fucosidosis is an inherited lysosomal storage disease due to a deficiency of
      alpha-L-fucosidase activity. Exponentially growing lymphoid cell cultures from a
      fucosidosis patient (JH) had 16-fold lower extracellular alpha-L-fucosidase
      protein and 72-fold lower intracellular alpha-L-fucosidase protein with
      negligible catalytic activity as compared with the mean of 19 control cultures.
      The percentage of total alpha-L-fucosidase protein released extracellularly by JH
      cells was 71% as compared with 35% +/- 9% for control cells. During a 1.5 h pulse
      with 35S-methionine, alpha-L-fucosidase was synthesized by JH cells as an
      intracellular doublet with Mr of 58,000 and 56,000 and by control cells as an
      intracellular form with Mr = 58,000. During a subsequent 21 h chase with
      unlabeled methionine, JH alpha-L-fucosidase was entirely secreted. In contrast,
      only 25%-30% of control enzyme was secreted with the remainder retained
      intracellularly. Thus, JH lymphoid cells synthesized a reduced amount of alpha-L
      fucosidase that was catalytically inefficient and was hypersecreted. Treatment of
      JH alpha-L-fucosidase with N-glycanase produced polypeptide chains with Mr of
      52,000 and 54,000. Previously, treatment of control alpha-L-fucosidase with N
      glycancase produced a single polypeptide chain with Mr of 52,000 (Biochem Genet
      1988; 26: 401-20). The doublet polypeptide chains of alpha-L-fucosidase in JH
      cultures may represent expression of two distinct allelic forms of mutant alpha-L
      fucosidase.

PMID- 1873911
TI  - An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection and quantitation
      of the tumor marker 1-methylinosine in human urine.
AB  - A highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was developed to detect and
      quantify the tumor marker, 1-methylinosine (m1I), in human urine. The rabbit
      antisera was highly specific for m1I with negligible or no inhibition by other
      nucleosides excreted into urine. Using the competitive ELISA, nanogram amounts of
      m1I were easily measured directly in urine. The assay agreed with our previous
      hplc analysis of m1I in urine for identifying those individuals with chronic
      myelogenous leukemia. Thus, this assay should greatly facilitate the quantitation
      of m1I as a tumor marker.

PMID- 1873912
TI  - Lipoprotein-cyclodextrin interaction.
AB  - Interaction of cyclodextrins with native and isolated lipoproteins was studied by
      electrophoretic and spectroscopic means. Reaction between these two biomolecules
      resulted in the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes. Cyclodextrin
      mediated precipitation of lipoproteins was strongly affected by the concentration
      of the oligosaccharide and the presence of guest molecules capable of being
      entrapped within the cyclodextrin cavity. Lipoprotein precipitation by
      cyclodextrins was observed under acidic, neutral as well as alkaline conditions.
      The ionic strength of the medium did not significantly affect this interaction.
      Under appropriate experimental conditions, most types of cyclodextrins were able
      to form complexes with the various lipoprotein classes. The ability of
      cyclodextrins to precipitate lipoproteins was in the order of beta-cyclodextrin
      greater than alpha-cyclodextrin greater than gamma-cyclodextrin and
      hydroxyalkylated beta-cyclodextrin. Among the lipoproteins, the order of
      reactivity with a given cyclodextrin was: low density lipoproteins greater than
      high density lipoproteins greater than very low density lipoproteins. Competitive
      studies using L-phenylalanine and methanol, both of which form inclusion
      complexes with cyclodextrins, reveal that molecular encapsulation plays an
      important role in the stabilization of beta-cyclodextrin-lipoprotein complexes.
      The present data also suggests that the binding of cyclodextrins to lipoproteins
      may involve the formation of exclusion complexes.

PMID- 1873913
TI  - Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in the urine of patients with
      renal disease.
AB  - Platelet activating factor has been demonstrated in blood and urine and has a
      broad range of effects on kidney function. The kidney possesses the enzymes
      responsible for PAF synthesis as well as the specific acetylhydrolase which
      deactivates PAF. We used a radioactive assay to measure PAF-acetylhydrolase
      activity in urine samples obtained from normal individuals and patients with
      various nephropathies. Activity was detected in the majority of normal urines
      with a mean + 2 SD = 0.70 nmol/30 min/ml. Activity exceeding this value was
      measured in the urines of 11 of 14 patients with diabetes mellitus, 14 of 22 with
      glomerulonephritis, and 5 of 16 with hypertensive renal disease. Further study is
      necessary to relate urine hydrolase activity to specific functional and
      structural abnormalities of the kidney.

PMID- 1873914
TI  - Ecdysteroid-like compounds in human urine: they can occur in the absence of any
      parasitic infection.
AB  - Ecdysteroids (compounds related to 20-hydroxyecdysone, the insect molting
      hormone) can appear in the blood and urine of man, as a result of an infection
      with helminths. It has been assumed that the products are released by parasites.
      However, we found that the phenomenon is not restricted to helminthiases, but is
      widely spread among patients suffering from various diseases or injuries: twenty
      percent of hospital in-patients had urine highly positive in our test. This was
      due to the appearance of immunoreactive compounds not found in healthy people.
      Among them, one was remarkable for being largely predominant in some patients.
      These findings indicate that the origin and significance of ecdysteroids in man
      should be reconsidered. Since they appear only in association with severe
      pathological conditions, they could be of potential interest as a clinical
      marker.

PMID- 1873915
TI  - Changes in ceruloplasmin activity and lactate concentration in patients at high
      risk of acute organ system failure.
AB  - In 241 critically ill patients at a high risk of acute organ system failure (OSF)
      the activity of ceruloplasmin (CPL) and the concentration of lactate in blood was
      measured. In patients with acute OSF the lactate concentration is high, and the
      CPL activity is lower in comparison with patients without OSF. These changes are
      particularly distinct in nonsurviving patients with OSF. The results are
      discussed in connection with the development of a tissue oxygen debt and the
      decrease of antioxidative capacity of blood.

PMID- 1873916
TI  - Determination of medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase activity in cultured skin
      fibroblasts using mass spectrometry.
AB  - Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, a defect of mitochondrial beta
      oxidation, is one of the most frequently occurring among inborn errors of
      metabolism. We describe a rapid and sensitive gas chromatographic/mass
      spectrometric method allowing reliable assessment of medium chain acyl-CoA
      dehydrogenase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts. We investigated MCAD
      activity in three presumed medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficient (MCADD)
      patients and 10 control subjects. The medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase
      activity determined in three patients was 1.0 +/- 0.4 nmol.min-1.mg-1 protein
      (mean +/- SD; range: 0.6-1.4) and in controls it was 2.8 +/- 1.0 nmol.min-1.mg-1
      protein (mean +/- SD; range: 1.6-4.4).

PMID- 1873917
TI  - Response of urinary angiotensin to challenges of the renin-angiotensin system.
AB  - Angiotensin has an intrarenal action which may not parallel its action in the
      general circulation. We investigated whether the urinary excretion rates of
      angiotensin I and II (UV-AI, UV-AII) can be used as a marker of renal production.
      We therefore measured UV-AI, UV-AII, plasma angiotensin I and II (PAI, PAII), and
      plasma renin activity (PRA) in healthy subjects under conditions influencing the
      renin-angiotensin system: captopril injection (n = 7), enalapril treatment (n =
      9), furosemide infusion on high and low sodium intake (n = 6), indomethacin
      treatment (n = 8), and head-out water immersion (three sodium intakes). After
      captopril (acute) and enalapril (chronic), PAI and PRA increased, PAII decreased,
      but neither UV-AI nor UV-AII changed. During furosemide infusion, PAI, PAII, PRA,
      as well as UV-AI and UV-AII increased. During indomethacin treatment, PAI, PAII,
      and PRA decreased, whereas UV-AI and UV-AII did not change consistently. Sodium
      restriction increased PAI, PAII, and PRA, but did not alter UV-AI and UV-AII.
      Head-out immersion decreased PAI, PAII, and PRA, but did not change UV-AI and UV
      AII. The relative constancy of the urinary AI and AII excretion rates makes it
      doubtful whether urinary angiotensins reflect changes of renal angiotensin
      production.

PMID- 1873918
TI  - A gas chromatographic method for the determination of neutral steroid profiles in
      urine, including studies on the effect of oxytetracycline administration on these
      profiles in men.
AB  - A capillary gas chromatographic method for the determination of 'total' metabolic
      profiles of urinary neutral steroids was developed. The method is based on anion
      exchange chromatographic separation and purification of monoglucuronide-,
      monosulphate- and double-conjugated neutral steroids on DEAE-Sephadex A-25
      microcolumns and the final analysis of the individual steroids in these conjugate
      groups is carried out by capillary column gas-liquid chromatography (GC) and gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The method was shown to provide a
      convenient and accurate determination of total metabolic profiles of neutral
      steroids in urine and thus, can be used for metabolic studies of steroids and for
      diagnostic purposes. In the present investigation the effect of a tetracycline
      antibiotic on the production and metabolism of neutral steroids in men was
      studied during a 5-day oral administration of oxytetracycline. The results showed
      that the influence of oxytetracycline on neutral steroids was minor and mainly
      restricted to the changes in urinary neutral steroid glucuronide excretion.
      Oxytetracycline decreased the mean daily excretion of total neutral steroid
      monoglucuronides by 20% and a statistically significant decrease was found in the
      urinary excretion of 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-androstan-17-one-glucuronide
      (etiocholanolone, 31%, P less than 0.05), 5 beta-pregnan-3 alpha,20 alpha
      diolglucuronide (pregnanediol, 32%, P less than 0.05) and corticosteroid
      glucuronides, including 3 alpha,11 beta,17 alpha,20 beta,21-pentahydroxy-5 beta
      pregnan- and 3 alpha,17 alpha,20 beta,21-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-pregnan-11-one
      glucuronides (beta-cortol and beta-cortolone, 36%, P less than 0.05). The reason
      for this effect is unknown, but may be partly due to inhibition of intestinal
      hydrolysis of biliary steroid conjugates, which previously was shown to result in
      an interruption of enterohepatic circulation of steroids and an increased
      excretion of steroid conjugates by the faecal route.

PMID- 1873920
TI  - Aids: A ten-year perspective.

PMID- 1873919
TI  - AIDS: a historical overview.
AB  - AIDS has been a recognized clinical entity now for just 10 years. In that time in
      the United States alone, it is estimated that 1 to 2 million people may be
      infected with HIV. Estimates of numbers infected worldwide are as high as 10
      million. Over these 10 years, considerable progress has been made. The disease
      and all its protean manifestations have been accurately described. How HIV
      spreads and where it is spreading have been accurately recorded. The cause is
      known and well understood, with more detailed information available about HIV
      than about any other virus. Drugs that slow down the replication of HIV have been
      discovered and are in widespread use. A cure or vaccine, however, seems unlikely
      in the near future. The major hope for the present would appear to be continued
      education to prevent the spread of AIDS and better antiviral agents that will
      keep HIV suppressed and, ideally, soon allow infected individuals to lead a close
      to-normal lifespan (if treatment is commenced at an early-enough stage in the
      course of the infection).

PMID- 1873921
TI  - The human immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - HIV is a complex retrovirus. Like some other viruses it infects host cells for
      life, but unlike other viruses it appears to do so every time. Its elaborate
      genetic regulation enables it to remain relatively dormant, replicating steadily
      but slowly. On appropriate stimulation, it is capable of explosive up-regulation,
      releasing high numbers of new infectious virus. It replicates in an error-prone
      way, constantly changing its structure to improve its infectivity while
      presenting the host's immune system with a constantly moving target.

PMID- 1873922
TI  - The immunopathogenesis of AIDS.
AB  - In summary, the understanding of the pathogenesis of immune dysfunction in HIV
      infection is incomplete. New mechanisms by which HIV disrupts the immune system
      through alterations in basic biochemical events in CD4 T cells are continually
      being discovered. In a positive light, because of the complexity involved in HIV
      mediated induction of immune suppression, logic suggests there is potential for
      reversing some of these processes.

PMID- 1873923
TI  - Monocytes, dendritic cells, and Langerhans cells in human immunodeficiency virus
      infection.
AB  - Cells of the immune system are the target of infection with HIV. CD4 + T cells
      latently carry much of the viral burden in the blood and ultimately are depleted
      by infection with HIV. In contrast, infected tissue macrophages are long-lived
      and may serve as a viral reservoir. They are productive of relatively greater
      quantities of viral message RNA and its transcriptional product, infectious
      virions. Viral production by both cell types is modulated by environmental
      cytokines, the availability of which may be modified by the virus itself or by
      abnormally functioning HIV-infected immune cells. Not all susceptible cells are
      equally infected; although this phenomenon is not well understood, it has been
      related in vitro to maturation or differentiation. Blood DC and LC, antigen
      presenting cells bearing many similarities to cells of the monocyte-macrophage
      lineage, are susceptible to HIV infection in vitro. Some evidence clearly
      indicates that, in vivo, epidermal LC may be infected with and productive of HIV
      and may be depleted or phenotypically altered in the HIV-infected individual. We,
      and others, have been unable to substantiate these findings by routine techniques
      used in the identification of HIV-infected macrophages in susceptible tissues,
      such as the brain, lungs, and lymph nodes (in situ hybridization for HIV-specific
      mRNA, electron microscopy for typical viral particles, recovery of infectious
      virus onto target cells, immunohistochemical staining of surface proteins in
      tissue, and polymerase chain reaction amplification of viral DNA). Evidence for
      the presence of HIV within the dermis of patients is clear; however, dermis
      contains a great variety of cell types as well as cells from the peripheral
      blood. We feel strongly that were the epidermis to harbor virus to any
      significant degree, it would have been identified by at least some of the methods
      described earlier. Although it is difficult to reconcile these reported
      differences, it appears that LC must be infected rarely. LC from lesional and
      apparently normal skin of HIV-infected individuals do not serve as an important
      reservoir of infectious HIV. Additionally, the diverse cutaneous manifestations
      seen in this population cannot be attributed directly to viral presence within
      the lesions but are more likely to result from the multifacted immunologic
      disregulation occurring systemically.

PMID- 1873924
TI  - Natural history of human immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - The natural history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is marked by
      a progressive deterioration of the host immune system and a concomitant increase
      in host viral burden. The rationale for major HIV disease staging systems is
      discussed in light of this natural history. The need for early diagnosis and
      treatment of HIV-infected patients is underscored by the prolonged phase during
      which patients are simultaneously asymptomatic and infectious. Clinical,
      immunologic, and virologic markers of disease stage, progression, and response to
      therapy will require continuing refinement as we better understand the
      pathobiology of HIV disease.

PMID- 1873925
TI  - Epidemiology of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States.
AB  - HIV-1 disease has been recognized as a distinct clinical entity for fewer than 10
      years. Yet during that time, the virus has spread around the world and affects
      people of virtually all ages, genders, sexual behaviors, and geographic regions.
      In the United States, there have been more than 140,000 individuals diagnosed
      with AIDS, the clinical end stage of HIV-1 disease, and it is projected that AIDS
      incidence will accelerate through at least 1993. In the early years of the
      infection epidemic in the United States, the virus spread rapidly and
      insidiously, predominantly among homosexual men, intravenous drug users, people
      with hemophilia, and recipients of infected blood products. Since then, the
      epidemic has been propagated concurrently with epidemics of drug use (intravenous
      and noninjectable) and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis. Since its
      beginning, HIV-1 has disproportionately affected members of racial and ethnic
      minorities, particularly in large cities, where transmission takes place
      sexually, parenterally, and perinatally. The epidemic of HIV-1 has spread outside
      of traditional urban epicenters and is more significantly affecting adolescents,
      women, and heterosexuals. There is a great need for renewed and refocused
      infection-prevention efforts. Projections of resource and medical service needs
      should be based on up-to-date and accurate assessments of infection epidemic
      parameters, including infection prevalence, incidence, and acceleration (changes
      in epidemic velocity over time) rates.

PMID- 1873926
TI  - Bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections in HIV disease and AIDS.
AB  - Infectious complications are the most common cutaneous manifestations of HIV
      infection. In this article, the bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic
      infections seen in HIV-infected patients are described and illustrated. The
      relation of these infections to the overall health of the patient and current
      therapies that have been found beneficial are outlined.

PMID- 1873927
TI  - Syphilis and HIV infection.
AB  - The management of an HIV-infected patient with syphilis is an evolving and
      difficult area of clinical medicine. Many such patients initially present with
      dermatologic problems, and the practicing dermatologist must be alert to the
      variety of presentations syphilis may take in these patients. The role of biopsy
      with immunofluorescent or Warthin-Starry silver staining is often crucial in
      correctly diagnosing confusing cases. The treatment of early syphilis in HIV
      infected patients may need to be more intensive than has previously been
      recommended, because the immunosuppression induced by HIV can accelerate the pace
      of the infection and increase the risk of progression to neurosyphilis. After
      treatment, careful and frequent follow-up is essential so that the often
      irreversible consequences of late syphilis can be avoided.

PMID- 1873928
TI  - HIV-related malignancies.
AB  - Since the recognition of Kaposi's sarcoma as a manifestation of the acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome, subsequent malignancies such as non-Hodgkin's B-cell
      lymphoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma have been found to be
      associated with individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
      The epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and current concepts of pathogenesis
      are reviewed in this article. In addition, the relation between HIV and other
      malignancies, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, T-cell lymphomas, and anorectal
      carcinoma, is discussed. In general, HIV-related malignancies are more
      aggressive, respond poorly to treatment, and are associated with an extremely
      high rate of mortality.

PMID- 1873929
TI  - Oral manifestations of HIV infection.
AB  - Oral lesions are frequently seen in association with all stages of infection with
      the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Many of these lesions occur as the first
      clinical sign of HIV infection. These lesions include candidiasis, hairy
      leukoplakia, warts, ulcers, and an aggressive form of periodontal disease.
      Careful oral examination may reveal lesions that alter Centers for Disease
      Control staging.

PMID- 1873930
TI  - Papulosquamous disorders associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - Papulosquamous eruptions are the most frequently seen cutaneous manifestations of
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Especially common and useful in
      making a diagnosis of HIV infection are seborrheic dermatitis, xerosis or
      ichthyosis, and a pruritic or papular eruption. There is some evidence from
      transgenic mice studies that the transactivating gene TAT and the HIV provirus
      may produce epidermal hyperplasia, either directly or through cytokine
      production, without associated immunodeficiency. The association of certain
      papulosquamous diseases, especially psoriasis, with HIV has opened up new avenues
      of research on pathogenesis of hyperproliferative skin disease.

PMID- 1873931
TI  - Cutaneous manifestations of HIV infection in children.
AB  - The vast majority of children with infection with the human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV) develop some form of mucocutaneous disease during the course of their
      illness. Candidal, fungal, bacterial, and viral infections of the skin and mucous
      membranes tend to be more severe and less responsive to therapy than in the
      healthy child. Children with HIV infection are also at risk for drug eruptions,
      seborrheic dermatitis, and several other inflammatory disorders of the skin. An
      understanding of the cutaneous manifestations of HIV infection may aid in the
      early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this disease.

PMID- 1873932
TI  - Histopathologic features of HIV-associated skin disease.
AB  - The cutaneous lesions that occur in individuals infected with the human
      immunodeficiency virus are often more severe than those in normal individuals. Of
      great importance is the fact that many common disorders may show atypical
      clinical and histologic features, which can lead to misdiagnosis and delayed or
      inadequate therapy. Therefore, knowledge of pitfalls combined with adequate
      biopsy and thorough histologic evaluation give the greatest chances of successful
      diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1873933
TI  - AIDS and infection control in dermatologic surgery.
AB  - In summary, the AIDS epidemic has created many new questions for the
      dermatologist, with no clear answers. As dermatologic surgery is increasing in
      most dermatology practices, the dermatologic surgeon must take a careful look at
      his office techniques and educate his personnel on the proper handling of blood
      and body fluids. The medical and ethical issues raised by the AIDS epidemic are
      complex, with new issues being raised as more is learned about the disease. The
      adage "do no harm" should be kept in mind in the counseling, diagnosis, and
      treatment of HIV-infected individuals.

PMID- 1873934
TI  - Future issues in AIDS.

PMID- 1873935
TI  - Antihistamine update.
AB  - Antihistamines are a diverse group of drugs, each possessing the ability to
      inhibit various actions of histamine. Because they act principally through
      competitive inhibition of the histamine receptor, they are helpful as a means of
      preventing rather than reversing these actions. As a result of a resurgence of
      interest in antihistamine therapy during the past decade, a new class of H1
      blockers, clinically devoid of sedative and anticholinergic effects, has evolved.
      Thus, the choice of antihistamine can now be based on the side effects profile as
      well as the clinical profile. As we continue to develop a better understanding of
      these newer agents, we will be able to select more rationally the antihistaminic
      agent most appropriate to the specific disorder. Used judiciously, the
      antihistamines available today have a broad application of therapeutic uses, with
      few significant side effects.

PMID- 1873936
TI  - Effect of dietary proteins and lipids in patients with membranous nephropathy and
      nephrotic syndrome.
AB  - Twenty-four patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy, long-lasting
      nephrotic syndrome and serum creatinine less than 2 mg/dl ate sequentially, in a
      randomized cross-over design, a normal protein diet containing 1.1 +/- 0.3
      g/kg/day of proteins and a low protein diet containing 0.7 +/- 0.1 g/kg/day of
      protein, each diet for a period of 3 months. Both diets were low in fat (less
      than 30% of total calories) and cholesterol (less than 200 mg/day) content and
      rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and in linoleic acid (10% of energy). Random
      assignment to one of the two 3 month diet periods was done after a RUN-IN period
      of at least one month on the hypolipidic normal protein diet. Glomerular
      filtration rate (inulin clearance), 24 hour urinary protein loss and serum
      albumin concentration did not significantly differ at the end of the two diet
      periods, indicating that long-term restriction of protein intake does not modify
      GFR or urinary protein loss in nephrotic patients. Serum total and LDL
      cholesterol and daily proteinuria were significantly lower at the end of both
      diet periods than at the beginning and at the end of the RUN-IN period. We
      suggest that these changes were a consequence of the manipulation of dietary fat
      intake.

PMID- 1873937
TI  - Crescentic glomerulonephritis in Wegener's granulomatosis: morphology, therapy,
      outcome.
AB  - Fourteen patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and severe renal and
      extrarenal involvement were studied (serum creatinine on admission 5.8 +/- 3.4
      mg/dl). Renal histology showed a necrotizing, crescentic glomerulonephritis in
      all patients. Despite advanced renal disease on admission cyclophosphamide,
      steroids (in 13 patients) and plasma exchange (in 9 patients) caused a rapid and
      sustained improvement of renal function. Four patients required intermittent
      hemodialysis over a period of one week. After 2 weeks of treatment serum
      creatinine values below 2 mg/dl (n = 4) indicated a nearly complete recovery of
      renal function in the long-term follow up (mean serum creatinine achieved after
      12 months therapy: 1.1 +/- 0.1 mg/dl (n = 4). Therefore serum creatinine values
      observed after 2 weeks of therapy, appear to be of prognostic value with regard
      to renal outcome. No relapse of active WG or progressive renal deterioration was
      observed during follow-up (22 +/- 13 months) except in one patient with
      persisting renal impairment. Three patients died (staphylococcus sepsis,
      intracerebral hemorrhage during hypertensive crisis, pulmonary embolism) during
      the first two months of therapy. The decline of serum creatinine seemed to be a
      better indicator of successful therapy than the decrease of anticytoplasmatic
      antibody (ANCA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hematuria. On admission
      ANCA titer neither correlated with serum creatinine, the degree of renal
      involvement, nor was it of prognostic value. ANCA, serum creatinine and hematuria
      normalized within 2 to 8 months, whereas ESR and proteinuria remained elevated.
      Our data indicate a good prognosis of WG even with advanced renal involvement and
      generalized vasculitis provided aggressive treatment is performed early.

PMID- 1873938
TI  - Very late recurrence of renal vasculitis.
AB  - We report a case of renal vasculitis with a relapse occurring 9 and a half years
      after the original presentation. The plasma creatinine six months before relapse
      was only 118 mumol/l. During the initial illness there was histological evidence
      of glomerular damage but at the time of relapse renal biopsy showed the remaining
      glomeruli to be normal with the destructive process causing fibrinoid necrosis of
      arteries.

PMID- 1873939
TI  - Glomerular proteinuria as an early sign of renal-transplant rejection.
AB  - The introduction of cyclosporin gave rise to an additional problem in the
      surveillance of renal transplant patients, namely the differentiation between
      cyclosporin toxicity and acute transplant rejection. The development of assays
      for specific proteins in urine has produced a non-invasive solution to this
      problem. In 55 renal transplant patients the following proteins were determined
      daily in 24 h-urine samples: IgG, transferrin (TF), albumin, beta 2-microglobulin
      (beta 2-MG), retinol binding protein (RBP), alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1-MG)
      and alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT). All proteins were determined quantitatively
      using immunoluminometric assays and 10 microliters urine in dilutions from 1:1
      1:100. The urinary protein excretion was related to the actual creatinine
      clearance as this index gave the best differentiation between normal and abnormal
      status. In 24 h-urine, intraindividual peaks of IgG, TF and albumin were seen
      regularly in acute rejection episodes. However, a peak in the "tubular" proteins
      (RBP, beta 2-MG, alpha 1-MG) could not be detected. After effective treatment of
      the rejection episode, the renal function improved and the protein excretion
      returned to prerejection episode levels. In bacterial infection of the urogenital
      tract, urinary alpha1-AT levels rose. They returned to normal after successful
      antibiotic treatment. In two cases of cyclosporin toxicity neither glomerular nor
      tubular proteins were excreted in abnormal amounts when compared with transplant
      patients without complications, the only changes being an increase in serum
      creatinine as a result of reduced renal function.

PMID- 1873940
TI  - Familial juvenile gouty nephropathy with renal urate hypoexcretion preceding
      renal disease.
AB  - This paper reports investigations in a young woman with renal disease and six
      other seemingly healthy young members of a new kindred (four male:two female)
      with familial juvenile gouty nephropathy (McKusick 16200). The family had
      previously been known to have a "familial" renal disease, but came to attention
      through an isolated episode of gout in the propositus when renal function was
      already impaired. A reduced GFR was found in three of the other six subjects.
      Hyperuricemia associated with a grossly reduced fractional uric acid clearance
      (Cur/Ccr x 100) was present in the propositus and five kindred members, three of
      whom were children. The finding of this abnormality in two subjects with normal
      GFR suggests that this apparent hallmark of the disease precedes the onset of
      renal damage. The results confirm the dominant nature of the disorder, and
      highlight the need to investigate all kindred members of patients with juvenile
      gout and renal failure. Early recognition is important, since allopurinol therapy
      in doses adjusted to the reduced renal function may ameliorate the progression of
      the renal lesion.

PMID- 1873941
TI  - Nutritional assessment in anemic hemodialysis patients treated with recombinant
      human erythropoietin.
AB  - Nutritional status was assessed in 25 anemic hemodialysis patients before and
      during erythropoietin treatment. Nutritional assessment included regular blood
      chemistry determinations, anthropometric measurements, analysis of protein
      content in skeletal muscle, and estimation of daily protein intake from protein
      catabolic rate determinations (using urea kinetic modelling) and dialysis
      efficiency for urea. These measurements were done immediately prior to
      erythropoietin treatment, after anemia correction and after one year of
      maintenance erythropoietin treatment. Both relative body weights and subcutaneous
      fat stores were low at the start, but increased significantly (p less than 0.05)
      during the study. Sixteen of the 25 patients gained weight and eight patients
      lost weight. The patients with weight gain had at the start of the study low
      weight indices (body weight 89.9 +/- 7.6% of ideal body weight, body mass index
      20.6 +/- 1.6), significantly (p less than 0.005) lower than the patients with
      weight loss. Although protein malnutrition was not obvious from arm
      anthropometrics, alkali soluble protein/DNA ratio or from serum albumin
      determinations, ASP/DNA ratio, increased in three of five patients investigated
      after one year on erythropoietin treatment. Neither protein catabolic rate nor
      dialysis efficiency changed significantly during the study. We conclude that
      anemia correction with erythropoietin has a positive effect on malnutrition in
      hemodialysis patients. In patients with underweight, an adjustment of fat stores
      was initially observed, followed possibly by an improvement in muscle protein
      content.

PMID- 1873942
TI  - Uric acid calculus in renal transplant patients treated with cyclosporine.

PMID- 1873943
TI  - The current status of myelography.

PMID- 1873944
TI  - A review of false negative mammography in a symptomatic population.
AB  - A review of the mammograms of 871 patients with breast cancer from a symptomatic
      clinic performed at the General Hospital, Birmingham between 1980 and 1988
      revealed an overall false negative rate of 8.6%. There has been a steady fall in
      the number of cancers missed per year from the commencement of review, and this
      reduction has been more consistent with improvements in radiographic equipment
      and technique, particularly the introduction of a radiographic grid. In half of
      the cases the tumour was missed because no radiological abnormality was
      detectable, even on reviewing the films, and this rate has remained remarkably
      stable over the study period, emphasizing the importance of a clinical
      examination in symptomatic women. Comparison of the histological diagnoses
      revealed similar percentages of ductal carcinomas, 89.6% in the true positive
      group compared with 85% in the false negative group. Of the false negative
      carcinomas, 5.5% were medullary tumours compared to 0.8% in the true positive
      group.

PMID- 1873945
TI  - Tru-Cut biopsy of mediastinal masses guided by real-time sonography.
AB  - Twenty-five patients with mediastinal masses, arising in the anterior, middle and
      posterior mediastinum but in contact with the chest wall, underwent ultrasound
      (US) guided biopsy with a Tru-Cut needle to obtain a core biopsy specimen from
      the mass. In all these patients adequate tissue was obtained for a
      histopathological diagnosis and no major complications were observed. The
      advantage of core biopsy over fine needle aspiration cytology in mediastinal
      masses is that accurate histopathological differentiation, and classification of
      carcinomas and lymphomas is possible. The advantage of performing real-time US
      guided biopsy is that puncture of the lung and mediastinal vascular structures is
      avoided.

PMID- 1873946
TI  - High resolution computed tomography in adult cystic fibrosis patients with mild
      lung disease.
AB  - Chest radiography and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were used to
      evaluate the degree of lung involvement in 38 adult cystic fibrosis patients with
      unusually mild pulmonary disease. Abnormal features were present on the chest
      radiograph and/or high resolution CT scans of 35 patients, while in three
      patients both investigations were normal. Thickening of the wall of proximal
      right upper lobe bronchi was the earliest abnormal feature on HRCT. The commonest
      abnormal feature in these patients, including those whose chest radiograph was
      normal, was mild, uniform dilatation of proximal bronchi. The lumen dilatation
      was always less marked than the degree of thickening. Ten of the patients were
      first diagnosed in adult life. Although HRCT scans were normal in two of these
      patients, there were features suggestive of early pulmonary disease in the
      remaining eight.

PMID- 1873947
TI  - The role of magnetic resonance imaging in cystic fibrosis.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest was performed on eight patients
      with known cystic fibrosis. Comparison was made with the findings on plain chest
      radiographs. MRI shows a greater extent of disease than that predicted by the
      chest films alone and clearly demonstrates peribronchial thickening and mucoid
      impacted bronchi. It also distinguishes between hilar lymphadenopathy and
      enlarged proximal pulmonary vessels as the cause of prominent hilar shadows
      without the need for contrast injection.

PMID- 1873948
TI  - Comparison of left coronary and laevo-phase pulmonary angiograms in detecting
      left atrial thrombi in rheumatic mitral stenosis.
AB  - We have compared the diagnostic accuracy of left coronary and laevo-phase
      pulmonary angiograms in detecting left atrial thrombi in 27 consecutive patients
      with rheumatic mitral stenosis who underwent both these procedures prior to open
      heart surgery. In 10 patients, both procedures were 'positive' for thrombus,
      confirmed at subsequent surgery in all instances (true positive). Both procedures
      were negative for thrombus in 11 patients, and none of these patients showed
      thrombi at subsequent surgery (true negative). Left coronary angiography only was
      positive for thrombus in one patient in whom no thrombus was found at surgery.
      Laevo-phase pulmonary angiography only was positive for thrombus in five
      patients, two of whom had thrombus at subsequent surgery. The sensitivity,
      specificity and predictive accuracy of left coronary angiogram were 83.3% and
      93.3% and 90.9% and that of laevo-phase pulmonary angiogram 100%, 80% and 80%
      respectively. Laevo-phase pulmonary angiograms showed higher sensitivity and left
      coronary angiograms showed higher specificity for angiographic diagnosis.
      However, the differences were found to be statistically insignificant.
      Angiography is a reliable method for detecting left atrial thrombi if both left
      coronary and pulmonary angiograms are performed and both procedures are positive
      or negative for thrombus.

PMID- 1873949
TI  - Malignant 'angiodysplasia'.
AB  - Four patients with chronic gastrointestinal blood loss of obscure aetiology were
      investigated by visceral angiography. All showed angiographic abnormalities in
      the caecum with characteristic features seen in angiodysplasia as well as other
      conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, carcinoma. All four patients had a
      malignant cause for their angiographic appearance. This paper stresses the
      importance of reviewing previous examinations before accepting a diagnosis of
      angiodysplasia. The angiographic features of contrast pooling on the anti
      mesenteric border of the caecum or ascending colon, a dilated intramural vein and
      early filling of a draining vein imply that serious pathology is present.

PMID- 1873950
TI  - Diagnosis of the peripheral cavernous haemangioma: comparison of ultrasound, CT
      and RBC scintigraphy.
AB  - Thirty-six patients in whom peripheral cavernous haemangioma was clinically
      suspected were examined by 99mTc red blood cell scintigraphy. Twenty-five of
      these patients had a palpable lump, and they also underwent an ultrasound
      examination. Seven patients also had computed tomography and angiography was
      performed in one patient prior to surgery. Twenty-nine patients had positive
      scintigrams showing 35 haemangiomas. The ultrasound features were variable and of
      little value except in anatomical localization. Computed tomography did not add
      significant extra information. We conclude that 99mTc red blood cell scintigraphy
      is the preferred diagnostic technique in the investigation of suspected
      peripheral haemangiomas.

PMID- 1873951
TI  - The clinical importance of a thick-walled, tender gall-bladder without stones on
      ultrasonography.
AB  - Ultrasound examinations of 563 patients with right upper quadrant pain and a
      clinical suspicion of acute cholecystitis were reviewed. In 31 patients, a
      tender, dilated gall-bladder with a thick (more than 4 mm) partly hypoechoic wall
      without any detectable calculi was found on the emergency examination. This was
      interpreted as due to acute acalculous cholecystitis. None of the patients was
      critically ill. Twenty-one of the patients had follow-up studies with either oral
      cholecystography, cholangiography, or ultrasound. Fourteen of the 21 had gall
      bladder calculi while seven did not. These seven patients presumably represent
      the true frequency (1.2%) of acute acalculous cholecystitis in this clinical
      setting. In five other patients with an initial diagnosis of acute acalculous
      cholecystitis the gall-bladder wall thickening probably was secondary to
      concomitant pancreatitis, appendicitis, hepatitis or peptic ulcer disease. A
      meticulous and careful search for gall-bladder calculi should be performed in the
      presence of a dilated, tender thick-walled gall-bladder.

PMID- 1873952
TI  - Echogenic rings--an ultrasound sign of early nephrocalcinosis.
AB  - Echogenic rings in the periphery of renal pyramids were seen in the kidneys of
      six patients. This appearance is described and is correlated with abdominal
      radiography or computed tomography (CT) scans, serum calcium levels and, in one
      patient, autopsy. The findings suggest that echogenic rings are one of the
      earliest signs of nephrocalcinosis even in the absence of plain radiographic
      changes.

PMID- 1873953
TI  - Neonatal renal venous thrombosis: sequential ultrasonic appearances.
AB  - The ultrasonic appearances of three cases of renal venous thrombosis are shown.
      Initially the kidney is enlarged, echogenic and shows echogenic streaking that
      has a vascular or perivascular distribution. Subsequently thrombosis of renal
      veins or the inferior vena cava may be demonstrated and ultimately the kidney may
      recover or atrophy. The ultrasonic appearances will depend on the severity of the
      thrombosis and the stage at which the examination is performed.

PMID- 1873954
TI  - The use of coronal computed tomography in the evaluation of Kienbock's disease.
AB  - In a prospective study of 12 consecutive patients with Kienbock's disease, direct
      coronal CT of the wrist was more sensitive than plain films and plain film
      tomography in demonstrating structural change including sclerosis, compression
      and fractures of the lunate. Fractures are more common in Kienbock's disease than
      previously reported. Earlier detection of fractures by CT, before collapse of the
      lunate occurs, may allow treatment to prevent the collapse.

PMID- 1873955
TI  - Case report: hepatic and splenic calcification due to amyloid.
AB  - A case of marked hepatic and splenic calcification due to primary amyloidosis is
      presented. Although the patient had been treated with continuous ambulatory
      peritoneal dialysis, there was no evidence of a causal relationship with the
      calcification. Amyloid is known to have an affinity for calcium, but this
      radiographic manifestation has not been previously reported.

PMID- 1873956
TI  - Case report: small bowel histiocytosis-X.
AB  - A case of histiocytosis-X with gastrointestinal involvement is described in a 4
      month-old child presenting with bloody diarrhoea and obstructive symptoms.
      Diagnosis was made following laparotomy. The child subsequently developed
      classical multisystem manifestations of the disease.

PMID- 1873957
TI  - Case report: mammographic and sonographic demonstration of extramedullary
      haematopoiesis of the breast.
AB  - A female patient with agnogenic myeloid metaplasia presented with
      hepatosplenomegaly and a palpable mass in the right breast. Mammography showed an
      asymmetric pattern of confluent densities and sonography revealed several smooth,
      homogeneous and echo-poor masses of variable sizes in both breasts. Excision
      biopsy of the mass in the right breast revealed extramedullary haematopoiesis as
      did histopathologic examination of the liver and the spleen. The data are
      discussed with emphasis on the complementary character of both diagnostic
      modalities and the resemblance to lymphoma of the breast, although the findings
      are too non-specific to rule out breast carcinoma. Knowledge of the clinical
      history and histopathology are necessary to make the proper diagnosis.

PMID- 1873958
TI  - Diagnostic radiologists and nuclear medicine.

PMID- 1873959
TI  - Colorado Medical Society physician's directory.

PMID- 1873960
TI  - Value and limitations of cytologic examinations.

PMID- 1873961
TI  - Pulmonary cytology.
AB  - Cytomorphologic criteria for the diagnosis and classification of primary
      pulmonary carcinomas are described and illustrated. Helpful hints for the
      differential diagnosis from benign entities and tumors and the cytologic
      limitations are stated. The fact that pulmonary cytologic interpretations must be
      made in the light of accurate clinical presentation is emphasized.

PMID- 1873962
TI  - Cytology of head and neck tumors, liver, and pancreas.
AB  - The use of fine needle aspiration biopsy helps in reducing the number of
      thyroidectomies. Cytologic differentiation between cellular adenomas and well
      differentiated follicular carcinomas is difficult, however; hence, both groups of
      lesions should be excised. Cytologic diagnosis of the common salivary gland
      tumors (ie, pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin's tumors) is accurate, but much
      experience is required for the cytodiagnosis of other tumor types. The majority
      of liver malignancies is metastatic in origin and poses no diagnostic problems.
      Pathologists also should be familiar with the cytology of hepatocellular
      carcinoma as the population of Asian immigrants in North America is increasing.
      Most of the pancreatic tumors are ductal adenocarcinomas, which can be diagnosed
      cytologically. Occasionally, atypical ductal epithelium in chronic pancreatitis
      may mimic malignancy. Cytodiagnosis of nonduct-cell neoplasms of the pancreas
      requires experience.

PMID- 1873963
TI  - Aspiration cytology of breast.
AB  - Most primary malignant epithelial neoplasms and many benign lesions of the breast
      possess such characteristic cytologic features that they can be diagnosed with
      certainty by needle aspiration. Because inadequate sampling may result in a false
      negative cytology diagnosis, the time-tested rule is that a negative cytologic
      diagnosis is not definitive unless it is fully supported by negative clinical and
      mammographic findings.

PMID- 1873964
TI  - Genitourinary cytology.
AB  - Urinary cytology is a very accurate method of diagnosis of higher grade papillary
      urothelial carcinomas, carcinoma in situ, and clinically occult tumors of the
      renal pelvis and ureters. Most lower grade transitional cell neoplasms cannot be
      diagnosed cytologically with certainty. Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of
      the prostate is an accurate method of diagnosis of malignancy in moderately and
      poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas; however, the diagnosis of well
      differentiated tumors is difficult and, in most cases, impossible on FNAB
      material. FNAB is of value in the diagnosis of renal and testicular neoplasms in
      selected patients, in monitoring cellular rejection and determination of the
      impact of therapy in renal transplant patients, and in evaluation of male
      infertility. The limitations and pitfalls of these diagnostic cytologic methods
      are discussed.

PMID- 1873965
TI  - Gastrointestinal cytology.
AB  - Since the development of the fiberoptic endoscope, laboratories have received
      cytologic specimens obtained from all segments of the gastrointestinal tract in
      increasing numbers to identify infectious agents and neoplasms. Adenocarcinomas
      generally are easily diagnosed and distinguished from reparative atypia, but
      their precursor lesions, dysplasia and adenomas, provide greater interpretive
      challenges. The same is true for such entities as malignant lymphomas. Most
      mesenchymal tumors remain outside the diagnostic capabilities of most
      cytologists.

PMID- 1873966
TI  - Effusion cytology.
AB  - Cytologic evaluation is the best way to detect the presence of malignancy in body
      cavity fluids. Although a positive diagnosis is highly reliable, a negative
      result does not rule out a malignant cause. Adenocarcinomas, well-differentiated
      squamous carcinomas, small-cell carcinomas, malignant melanomas, large-cell
      lymphomas, and acute leukemias are accurately classified when present in
      effusions. The definitive diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, small-cell
      lymphomas, and chronic leukemias, and subclassification of sarcomas and poorly
      differentiated neoplasms are difficult and may require additional diagnostic
      techniques. With a few exceptions, the exact causes of benign effusions cannot be
      determined by cytologic methods.

PMID- 1873967
TI  - Cytologic diagnosis of leukemia and lymphoma. Values and limitations.
AB  - The value and limitations of the cytologic diagnosis of lymphoma and leukemia
      using a multiparameter approach, including cytomorphology, immunocytochemistry,
      and flow cytometry, are discussed. Using these diagnostic modalities, most
      subtypes of lymphoma and leukemia can be classified accurately. The differential
      diagnoses of the different disease entities also are presented.

PMID- 1873968
TI  - The detection of positive blood cultures by the BACTEC NR660. The clinical
      importance of four-day versus seven-day testing.
AB  - A total of 471 positive blood cultures obtained over a 3-month period were
      identified and evaluated for day of positivity by the BACTEC NR660. Of all
      positive blood cultures, 73% (344) were detected within the first 2 days, and 94%
      (441) were detected through day 4. The proportion of positive cultures detected
      at day 5 was significantly lower than that at day 4 (p less than 0.01). Patient
      chart review revealed that two of 30 isolates (0.4% of all positive isolates)
      identified on days 5-7 were considered clinically significant and would have been
      missed if cultures would not have been evaluated for seven days. Therefore, very
      limited additional patient benefit is derived after greater than 4 days of growth
      and detection by the BACTEC NR660.

PMID- 1873969
TI  - Multicenter comparison of the high volume (10 ml) NR BACTEC PLUS system and the
      standard (5 ml) NR BACTEC system.
AB  - This multicenter study was designed to compare the new BACTEC PLUS system
      (nonradiometric), which utilizes an 8- to 10-ml blood inoculum in a resin
      containing medium, to the standard BACTEC (nonradiometric) without resins and 5
      ml blood inoculum. There were 12,341 compliant sets studied, yielding 1331
      positives, with 1099 sets deemed clinically significant. Overall the BACTEC PLUS
      showed an enhanced recovery of 33% (p less than 0.001) over its standard
      counterpart, with significant yield increased in the staphylococci (p less than
      0.001), streptococci (p less than 0.002), pseudomonads (p less than 0.002),
      Enterobacteriaceae (p less than 0.001), and other aerobic Gram negatives (p less
      than 0.02). The enhanced performance increased to 53% if the patient was
      receiving any antibiotics at the time the blood was cultured. In patients known
      to be free of antibiotics at the time of blood draw, there was still an increased
      yield of 18%. The new system detected positivity at least one reading sooner than
      twice as often as the converse, and confirmed septic episodes significantly more
      often (21% overall) (41% on antibiotics) (15% no antibiotics). The BACTEC PLUS
      has distinct advantages over its low blood volume, nonresin counterpart.

PMID- 1873970
TI  - The outcome of candiduria in pediatric patients.
AB  - The presence of Candida in the urine of a seriously ill, pediatric patient
      presents a management problem because of a lack of information concerning the
      natural history of candiduria and its relationship to disseminated candidiasis.
      In this retrospective study, the outcome of candiduria was examined in a group of
      54 pediatric patients to determine any predictors of disseminated candidiasis.
      Medical records were reviewed to identify urine collection methods, Candida
      colony counts, results of cultures from other body sites, antifungal therapy, and
      clinical course. Six (11%) of the 54 patients had evidence of systematic Candida
      infection. In only two of these patients was candiduria the first evidence of
      disseminated candidiasis. Invasive infection was associated with candiduria more
      frequently in neonates and patients with central venous catheters and/or
      immunosuppressive therapy. Urine colony counts were not helpful for assessing the
      risk of invasive disease. Candiduria appears to be of little consequence in
      patients who are generally healthy. However, candiduria in high-risk patients,
      even in the presence of perineal candidal infection or an indwelling urinary
      catheter, should prompt a careful evaluation for disseminated infection.

PMID- 1873971
TI  - A comparison of direct immunofluorescence, shell vial culture, and conventional
      cell culture for the rapid detection of influenza A and B.
AB  - Direct immunofluorescence (FA) and shell vial contrifugation cultures (SVCs) were
      compared with conventional tube cultures for the rapid detection of influenza A
      and B by using a commercial antibody. Of the 439 specimens tested, 82 were
      positive by conventional culture (CC). The direct smear prepared from pelleted
      cells or direct swab material exhibited positive fluorescence in only seven
      (8.5%) of these cases, whereas the SVC was positive in 30 (37%). The SVC method
      detected 12 additional positive isolates that were not recovered in CC. The mean
      time to isolation in CC was 3.6 days for influenza A and 4.3 days for influenza
      B. The use of SVC provided more rapid results (36-48 hr). The FA method, although
      more rapid, may be of limited sensitivity and difficult to interpret depending on
      the quality of the specimen. The results indicate that SVC complements
      conventional culture in the rapid detection of influenza and can detect
      infections that may be missed in conventional tubes, but should not be used to
      the exclusion of conventional culture.

PMID- 1873972
TI  - In vitro activity of an oxycephem OCP 9-176 compared with its sulfur analog and
      other beta-lactams.
AB  - OCP 9-176 is an oxycephem antibiotic that contains a 2-aminothiazolyl,
      carboxypropyl side chain at C-7 and a pyridinium thiomethyl group at C-3. OCP 9
      176 was generally twofold less active than its sulfur-containing analog ME 1228
      against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Providencia
      stuartii, Proteus vulgaris, and Serratia marcescens. Activity against
      Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii was equivalent. OCP 9-176 was
      twofold less active than ME-1228 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter
      species. Activity of the two agents was similar against Staphylococcus aureus and
      Staphylococcus epidermidis. Although OCP 9-176 inhibited E. coli containing TEM-1
      and TEM-2, it was less active than ME-1228. Klebsiella organisms with SHV-1 and K
      2 beta-lactamases were inhibited, but TEM-3-containing isolates had MICs of 16
      micrograms/ml. OCP 9-176 was minimally hydrolyzed by TEM-1, PSE-1, K-1, and P99,
      and it was a poor inhibitor of P99. Replacement of sulfur with oxygen does not
      increase the activity of compounds with sulfopyridinium methyl groups at C-3.

PMID- 1873973
TI  - Antibacterial activity of cefoperazone and cefoperazone plus sulbactam in a
      neutropenic site model.
AB  - Efficacy of cefoperazone versus cefoperazone plus sulbactam was studied in a
      rabbit neutropenic site infection model against a broad range of clinical
      isolates including six isolates each of staphylococci, enterococci, pneumococci,
      Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therapy of cefoperazone plus
      sulbactam demonstrated enhanced efficacy against the staphylococci, pseudomonads,
      and Enterobacteriaceae. The activity of cefoperazone against enterococci and
      pneumococci was not enhanced or inhibited by the addition of sulbactam. Increased
      concentrations of cefoperazone found at the infection sites when sulbactam was
      added to the therapeutic regimen indicates that sulbactam provided a protection
      to cefoperazone from beta-lactamases produced by staphylococci and
      Enterobacteriaceae. The combination improved the efficacy of cefoperazone in this
      animal model.

PMID- 1873974
TI  - Effect of including recommendations for antimicrobial therapy in microbiology
      laboratory reports.
AB  - Innovative approaches are needed to improve cost-effective antibiotic use in
      hospitals. We established an algorithm to provide a recommendation for both a
      single oral and a single parenteral antimicrobic, including dosage, to be placed
      in the bacteriology laboratory report for therapy guidance of 174 episodes of
      lower respiratory infection in a group of "program" patients with no evidence of
      infection at other sites. The initial recommendation was based on the Gram
      stained direct smear of secretions. The recommendation was updated when
      preliminary culture results were available, and again with final identification
      and susceptibility data. We compared the severity of illness, length of stay, and
      cost of therapy for 68 episodes in program patients who received the recommended
      therapy with 111 episodes in a control group of patients who received
      antimicrobial therapy but for whom no recommendations were reported. There was a
      significantly greater use of the recommendations for sicker patients.
      Antimicrobial therapy, in general, was more often used for the program patients
      than for the controls. There was no difference in length of stay or therapy cost.
      We recommend that this approach be used in settings where there is more
      problematic use of antimicrobics.

PMID- 1873975
TI  - Infection of an arteriovenous fistula with Rothia dentocariosa.
AB  - Rothia dentocariosa is an unusual cause of infection in humans, despite the fact
      that the organism is frequently isolated from the oral cavity. The authors
      describe a case of R. dentocariosa infection following revision of an
      arteriovenous fistula in a 46-year-old diabetic man with renal failure.

PMID- 1873976
TI  - In vitro susceptibilities of Edwardsiella tarda to 22 antibiotics and antibiotic
      beta-lactamase-inhibitor agents.
AB  - The in vitro susceptibilities of 22 isolates of Edwardsiella tarda were studied
      with 22 antibiotics and antibiotic-beta-lactamase-inhibitor agents. Results
      indicated that all isolates were susceptible to the aminoglycosides,
      cephalosporins, penicillins, imipenem, aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, and antibiotic
      beta-lactamase-inhibitor agents. Each strain produced a beta-lactamase even
      though no resistance was detected to the beta-lactams.

PMID- 1873977
TI  - Comparison of blood-culture results after five and seven days of incubation using
      the BACTEC NR660.
AB  - We compared 16,606 blood cultures for microbial growth on days 5, 6, and 7 of
      incubation using the BACTEC NR660. Only 20 potentially significant organisms
      (0.8% of positive cultures) were detected after day 5 and only one resulted in a
      change of patient management. We recommend users of the BACTEC NR660 consider a 5
      day protocol for routine blood cultures.

PMID- 1873978
TI  - Application of quadFERM+ for the identification of fastidious gram-positive and
      gram-negative bacilli.
AB  - The 2-hr quadFERM+ kit (qF) (Analytab Products, Plainview, NY) was compared with
      conventional tube tests for the identification of the HACEK bacteria (Haemophilus
      aphrophilus, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis,
      Eikenella corrodens, Kingella kingae), other Haemophilus and Kingella spp.,
      Capnocytophaga, Corynbacterium, and Moraxella spp. Test results were identical
      for 296 comparisons with 74 isolates (74%). In the remaining 104 comparisons for
      26 isolates, 50 reactions were identical, and qF produced a positive result in 46
      of 54 discrepancies.

PMID- 1873979
TI  - Iron and heme contents of the extracellular hemoglobins and chlorocruorins of
      annelids.
AB  - 1. A survey of the literature on the extracellular hemoglobins and chlorocruorins
      of over 30 species of annelids, covering the last 30 years, shows that the range
      of iron content is 0.211-0.265 wt.% (mean = 0.228 +/- 0.013, N = 28) and the
      range of the heme content is 1.83-3.64 wt.% (mean = 2.60 +/- 0.38, N = 29). 2.
      There is relatively little scatter in the values of the experimental iron
      contents and only one of the 28 values is clearly outside the standard deviation
      range. 3. The values of heme contents are much more scattered, with seven values,
      clearly outside the standard deviation limits. 4. The aberrant cases are
      discussed and it is noted that the mean heme content of 2.60 wt.% corresponds to
      an iron content of 0.236 wt.% in excellent agreement with the mean iron content
      of 0.228 wt.%. 5. This result suggests strongly that experimental values of iron
      and heme contents outside the ranges of 0.211-0.243 and 2.3-2.7 wt.%,
      respectively, corresponding to a minimum molecular mass outside the range 23,000
      26,000, should be regarded with caution.

PMID- 1873980
TI  - Lytic activity from schistosomes: interactions with blood cells.
AB  - 1. The schistosome lytic agent hemolyzed animal red blood cells (RBCs) containing
      high concentrations of membrane phosphatidyl choline (dog, mouse, and rat) more
      efficiently than RBCs having no phosphatidyl choline (goat and sheep). 2. Human
      mononuclear cells lost viability in the presence of the schistosome lytic agent.
      3. Preincubating the lytic agent with phosphatidyl choline or bovine serum
      albumin reduced its lytic activity. 4. Extracellular albumin protected the RBCs
      from schistosome induced hemolysis. 5. Pretreatment of the RBCs with various
      proteases enhanced lysis by 10-30%.

PMID- 1873981
TI  - Biotin diffusion in stored chicken eggs: a re-assessment.
AB  - 1. The possibility that biotin in stored eggs migrates from the yolk into the
      albumen was re-investigated. 2. Sets of eggs collected from 12 Single Comb White
      Leghorn hens were stored at 5, 8, 12, 15, or 18 degrees C for 5, 10, 15, 20, or
      25 days and then frozen. 3. For each set, yolk and albumen samples adjacent to
      the yolk membrane were each pooled and assayed for protein-bound biotin by
      radioligand exchange with non-linear regression analysis of the data. 4. In
      contrast to previous work reported by Bush and White (Comp. Biochem. Physiol.
      93B, 543-547, 1989), no evidence of biotin diffusion was found. 5. Non-linear
      regression was used to re-evaluate the data from the earlier study, confirming
      the results, although less strikingly. 6. The discrepancy is partly due to the
      method of data analysis, although differences in breed or number of hens may also
      be contributing factors.

PMID- 1873982
TI  - Hemoglobin biosynthesis enhancement following mitochondrial membrane growth and
      differentiation.
AB  - 1. A quantitative increase of organelles in early reticulocytes has been observed
      compared to that found in late erythroblasts of the peripheral rabbit embryo
      blood. 2. The increase is due to the formation of hemosomes, organelles taken as
      sites for final hemoglobin (Hb) biosynthesis or where the assembly of heme and
      globin polypeptides could occur. 3. These organelles derive indirectly from
      mitochondria whose internal membrane grows concomitantly to its differentiation,
      originating lamellated bodies that modify successively to prehemosomal vesicles,
      prohemosomes and hemosomes. 4. The occurrence of membrane synthesis for the
      formation of lamellated bodies could explain the increase of organelles per cell
      and, thereby, the enhancement of the Hb biosynthesis rate in peripheral embryo
      blood in relation to this biosynthesis rate in the liver, as had been
      biochemically ascertained by other authors.

PMID- 1873983
TI  - Subunit structure of the hemocyanins of some of the Muricidae and Fasciolariidae
      families: Chicoreus florifer dilectus (A. Adams), Muricanthus fulvescens
      (Sowerby), Urosalpinx cinerea (Say), Fascilaria lilium hunteria (Perry), and
      Pleuroploca gigantea (Kiener).
AB  - 1. The hemocyanins of the Muricidae and Fasciolariidae families of marine
      gastropods: Chicoreus florifer dilectus, Muricanthus fulvescens, Urosalpinx
      cinerea, Fasciolaria lilium hunteria, and Pleuroploca gigantea were investigated
      by sedimentation velocity, scanning transmission electron microscopy, light
      scattering, and other physical techniques. 2. The hemocyanins of these species
      are characterized by sedimentation coefficients close to 100 S and molecular
      weights of 8.2 x 10(6)-9.0 x 10(6). 3. The hemocyanins have di-decameric
      structures, with tail-to-tail arrangement of the decameric halves of the
      cylindrical particles. Only the hemocyanin of U. cinerea was found to contain
      about 30% higher, tri-, and tetra-decameric particles, with one or two decameric
      units added in a tail-to-head manner to a central di-decameric particle of the
      Mellema and Klug tail-to-tail arrangement. 4. The influence of pH, and the urea
      and Hofmeister salt series of reagents on the subunit structure and denaturation
      of P. gigantea hemocyanin were also investigated.

PMID- 1873984
TI  - Changes in testicular lactate dehydrogenases of the rat (Rattus norvegicus)
      during growth and development.
AB  - 1. We have quantified lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) A, B and C enzyme levels during
      the first twelve weeks of life in rat testes. 2. Proteins were electrophoresed
      under non-denaturing conditions, isoenzymes identified by activity staining and
      quantified by densitometry scanning. 3. LDH A declined 2-3-fold during testes
      growth, changing from the most to the least abundant isoenzyme form. LDH B
      remained fairly constant, and LDH C increased from undetectable levels at birth
      to become the most abundant of the three polypeptides from week 3 onwards.

PMID- 1873985
TI  - Effect of lactation on gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis in ovine hepatocytes.
AB  - 1. Rates of glucose synthesis from radioactive precursors and ketogenesis were
      determined in hepatocytes from control and lactating sheep. 2. Gluconeogenesis
      from propionate was the same in both groups. Gluconeogenesis from lactate +
      pyruvate was three-fold higher in hepatocytes from lactating sheep. Palmitate
      stimulated gluconeogenesis from lactate + pyruvate in both groups. 3. Rates of
      ketogenesis from palmitate but not butyrate were slightly higher in hepatocytes
      from lactating sheep. No other differences in the metabolism of palmitate or
      butyrate were seen in the two groups. Exogenous carnitine stimulated ketogenesis
      from palmitate. Propionate inhibited ketogenesis from palmitate and butyrate.
      Lactate + pyruvate also inhibited ketogenesis slightly but stimulated oxidation
      and esterification. 4. It is concluded that the major changes in glucose and
      ketone production seen in the lactating ruminant are not the result of long-term
      changes within the hepatocyte but occur because of the changes in substrate
      supply to the liver and changes in intracellular concentrations of metabolites.

PMID- 1873986
TI  - Each otoconia polymorph has a protein unique to that polymorph.
AB  - 1. Otoconia, contained within the vestibular portion of the inner ear, are
      mineralized by one of three polymorphs of calcium carbonate. Each otoconial
      polymorph contains a unique, major protein. 2. The major protein of calcitic
      otoconia of members of different vertebrate classes, Amphibia (African clawed
      frog) and Mammalia (rat), have similar molecular weights. 3. The major protein of
      calcitic rat otoconia and of vateritic otoconia of the gar may be calcium binding
      proteins. No protein from the other polymorph, aragonite, appear to have this
      characteristic.

PMID- 1873987
TI  - Comparative biochemistry of mammalian arylsulfatase C and steroid sulfatase.
AB  - 1. Hepatic arylsulfatase C (ASC) and steroid sulfatase (SS) from six of eleven
      mammals (rat, dog, baboon, cow, goat, and sheep) coeluted from DEAE-Sephacel as a
      single anionic species. A minor cationic peak of ASC and SS activity was also
      recovered from solubilized microsomes derived from the domestic cat.
      Characterization of the cationic activities indicated they were most likely
      contributed by a protein structurally related to the anionic isozyme. Properties
      of ASC and SS activities occurring in these seven species were most consistent
      with the presence of both activities in the same enzyme. 2. Guinea-pig liver SS
      activity was partitioned between an alkylsulfatase (hydrolyzing
      dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)) and an arylsulfatase (hydrolyzing both
      estrone sulfate (E1S) and 4-methylumbelliferyl sulfate (4MUS) at a common active
      site). These enzymes were physically separable by ion-exchange chromatography and
      possessed distinct immunological and chemical properties. 3. Porcine, squirrel,
      and human livers possessed a major isozyme of ASC that lacked both E1S- and DHEAS
      sulfatase activities. The human hepatic ASC was separable from SS by
      electrophoresis and was partially resolved from SS by DEAE-Sephacel
      chromatography. The ASC isozyme lacking SS activity was heat-labile in all three
      species.

PMID- 1873988
TI  - Kinetics of the reduction of oxaloacetate catalyzed by mitochondrial malate
      dehydrogenase of Toxocara canis muscle.
AB  - 1. The reaction of reduction of oxaloacetate to L-malate in the presence of NADH
      catalyzed by mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) of Toxocara canis
      muscle has been studied. 2. The data obtained in initial velocity experiments as
      well as those involving product inhibition suggest that the reaction mechanism is
      of the sequential type with a kinetically significant ternary complex and in
      which the coenzymes bind to the free enzyme. 3. The kinetic parameters, including
      the inhibition constant for NADH were estimated by non-linear regression analysis
      using the appropriate rate equations.

PMID- 1873989
TI  - Antibodies to ovine adipocyte plasma membranes recognize tissue and species
      specific plasma membrane components.
AB  - 1. Ovine adipocyte plasma membrane (PM) contains three unique proteins that have
      relative molecular mass of 70, 106, and 110 kD which are lacking in PM from
      liver, kidney, heart, and red blood cells. 2. Two major proteins on ovine
      adipocyte PM having molecular mass of 44 and 46 kD which were also present on
      porcine adipocyte PM. 3. These ovine proteins could not be detected on either rat
      or chicken adipocyte PM.

PMID- 1873990
TI  - The carotenoids of wild and blue disease affected farmed tiger shrimp (Penaeus
      monodon, Fabricus).
AB  - 1. The main carotenoids in wild Penaeus monodon exoskeleton were astaxanthin di-
      and mono-esters, astaxanthin, and beta-carotene. 2. Wild P. monodon exoskeleton
      contained on average 26.3 ppm total carotenoid; normally pigmented farmed shrimp
      had a similar concentration (25.3 ppm). 3. Exoskeletons of farmed "blue" P.
      monodon (i.e. blue-coloured, as opposed to the normally red-blue/black banded
      shrimp) contained significantly less total carotenoid (4.3-7 ppm). The only major
      carotenoid being astaxanthin. 4. Commercially available diets contained only
      trace quantities of canthaxanthin. 5. Nutritional deficiency with respect to
      carotenoids is suggested as the cause of blue disease in farmed P. monodon.

PMID- 1873991
TI  - A pharmacodynamic approach to optimizing insulin therapy.
AB  - We have developed a program for simulation and optimization of insulin therapy in
      patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. The program, denoted GLUCOJECT, is
      based on a physiologic model of minimal complexity, which describes the
      pharmacokinetics of absorption and clearance of subcutaneous insulin and the
      dynamics of glucose utilization as dependent on both prevailing glucose and
      insulin levels. With self-monitored glucose values and insulin doses collected
      with one of several commercially available memory meters, GLUCOJECT reconstructs
      an average or 'typical' daily plasma glucose and insulin profile and displays
      them in a graph. The program then calculates the expected rate of glucose
      utilization, which permits calculation of the rate of glucose entry into plasma
      from both endogenous (hepatic) and exogenous (dietary) sources. In turn, this
      allows one to calculate an 'ideal' plasma insulin profile required to maintain a
      relatively constant 'ideal' plasma glucose level. GLUCOJECT can evaluate several
      different insulin regimens involving various combinations of short-, intermediate
      and long-acting insulins, and select the one(s) most closely approximating the
      ideal or optimal insulin profile, using a least-squares criterion. For any
      optimized insulin regimen, GLUCOJECT calculates and displays the predicted time
      course of plasma glucose. These features make the program attractive as an
      educational tool for both patients and health care professionals and could
      potentially assist in the management of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.

PMID- 1873992
TI  - Software for estimating LD50 and LD90 by logit analysis.
AB  - We describe a user-friendly software package using Turbo Pascal language under MS
      DOS environment for estimating LD50 and LD90 by Logit Analysis with a X2 test of
      goodness of fit for the model.

PMID- 1873993
TI  - A computer management system for patient simulations.
AB  - A series of interactive videodisc patient simulations is being used to teach
      clinical problem-solving skills, including diagnosis and management, to dental
      students. This series is called Oral Disease Simulations for Diagnosis and
      Management (ODSDM). A computer management system has been developed in response
      to the following needs. First, the sequence in which students perform simulations
      is critical. Second, maintaining records of completed simulations and student
      performance on each simulation is a time-consuming task for faculty. Third, the
      simulations require ongoing evaluation to ensure high quality instruction. The
      primary objective of the management system is to ensure that each student masters
      diagnosis. Mastery must be obtained at a specific level before advancing to the
      next level. The management system does this by individualizing the sequence of
      the simulations to adapt to the needs of each student. The management system
      generates reports which provide information about students or the simulations.
      Student reports contain demographic and performance information. System reports
      include information about individual patient simulations and act as a quality
      control mechanism for the simulations.

PMID- 1873994
TI  - Fluxplus, a microcomputer program for interactive calculation of 'in vitro'
      solute fluxes, uptakes and accumulations in studies of intestinal transport.
AB  - A new microcomputer program for interactive comparisons, analysis and calculation
      of in vitro solute transepithelial fluxes and nutrient uptakes and accumulations
      by intestinal tissues is described. The program is written in Microsoft GWBASIC
      for the widely distributed IBM-PC. Flux, uptake and accumulation values are
      obtained by computation from initial sequential data files and stored in
      sequential or random-orgaized files, depending on the specific process. Computed
      unidirectional fluxes are saved together with their associate electrical
      variables. The program calculates univariate statistics for unidirectional and
      net fluxes, and allows comparisons between selected groups of experiments by
      using the Student's t-test. An homocedasticity test is also provided. Active
      uptake or accumulations of solutes are calculated by substracting the predicted
      diffusive values at a determined concentration to total uptake or accumulation
      and from this, kinetic parameters are computed. The program was designed to be
      user-friendly and includes several functions to permit the user to manage and
      examine stored data. Examples of outputs illustrate applications of the program.

PMID- 1873995
TI  - Cubic regression analysis for radioimmunoassay data processing.

PMID- 1873996
TI  - A method for the correction of drift in movement analysis.
AB  - A method is proposed for the correction of drift over cyclic three-dimensional
      kinematic data during treadmill locomotion. An adaptive least-squares drift
      correction algorithm (ALSDC) is developed from the operational definition of no
      drift. This method includes automatic selection of least-squares polynomial
      degree and sequential processing of large data sets.

PMID- 1873997
TI  - Analysis of multiple-choice items.
AB  - This paper deals with scoring and analysis of multiple-choice exam questions.
      Data may be read by an optical mark reader scanner or from a file created by a
      system editor and stored in a format convenient to be analysed by a specially
      designed program 'MCQ'. In addition the data file created can be linked with the
      package SPSSx for pertinent statistical methods or SPSS Graphics for illustration
      of score and item distributions. The MCQ program comprises: (1) scoring; (2) item
      analysis: difficulty and discrimination indices; (3) testing the goodness of
      alternatives attached to each question. The method is applicable to multiple
      choice questions with 4.5 greater than 5; true/false and combined exam questions.
      The method should prove useful for instructors to build up a balanced
      discriminant questions bank.

PMID- 1873998
TI  - Comparison of two nonlinear models for fitting saccadic eye movement data.
AB  - Saccadic eye movements are rapid shifts in the direction of gaze which are being
      studied increasingly for clinical and pharmacological purposes. The evaluation of
      the relationship between amplitude and peak velocity of these ocular movements
      (the so-called 'main sequence' plot) is particularly useful for characterising
      the saccade pattern in individual patients. This relationship is nonlinear and
      the peak velocity tends to achieve an asymptote for high values of amplitude.
      Since a standard parametrisation of the main sequence based on specific
      mathematical models has not yet been achieved, in the present study two simple
      models based on the Michaelis-Menten equation and on an exponential equation are
      proposed together with their implementation on a microcomputer. Two microcomputer
      programs are described which estimate the model parameters from the experimental
      data of the patients using a weighted nonlinear least-squares fit. The two
      procedures have been tested and compared in a series of 23 healthy volunteers.
      The following results (mean +/- S.D.) were obtained: Michaelis-Menten model. Km
      (degrees) = 31.2 +/- 7.7, Vmax (degrees/s) = 841.0 +/- 165.5, root-mean-squared
      error(%) = 6.0 +/- 1.6; exponential model. K (degrees) = 23.4 +/- 4.6, Vmax
      (degrees/s) = 578.0 +/- 97.4, root-mean-squared error(%) = 5.4 +/- 1.6. The two
      techniques of parametrisation provided similar indices of intra-individual
      variability in 4 healthy volunteers. In conclusion, our methods for saccade
      parametrisation can be regarded as simple but efficient tools for facilitating
      research on these ocular movements.

PMID- 1873999
TI  - The glucoamylase multigene family in Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus:
      an overview.
AB  - Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used widely both as a model system for
      unraveling the biochemical, genetic, and molecular details of gene expression and
      the secretion process, and as a host for the production of heterologous proteins
      of biotechnological interest. The potential of starch as a renewable biological
      resource has stimulated research into amylolytic enzymes and the broadening of
      the substrate range of S. cerevisiae. The enzymatic hydrolysis of starch,
      consisting of linear (amylose) and branched glucose polymers (amylopectin), is
      catalyzed by alpha- and beta-amylases, glucoamylases, and debranching enzymes,
      e.g., pullulanases. Starch utilization in the yeast S. cerevisiae var.
      diastaticus depends on the expression of the three unlinked genes, STA1 (chr.
      IV), STA2 (chr. II), and STA3 (chr. XIV), each encoding one of the extracellular
      glycosylated glucoamylases isozymes GAI, GAII, or GAIII, respectively. The
      restriction endonuclease maps of STA1, STA2, and STA3 are identical. These genes
      are absent in S. cerevisiae, but a related gene, SGA1, encoding an intracellular,
      sporulation-specific glucoamylase (SGA), is present. SGA1 is homologous to the
      middle and 3' regions of the STA genes, but lacks a 5' sequence that encodes the
      domain for secretion of the extracellular glucoamylases. The STA genes are
      positively regulated by the presence of three GAM genes. In addition to positive
      regulation, the STA genes are regulated negatively at three levels. Whereas
      strains of S. diastaticus are capable of expressing the STA genes, most strains
      of S. cerevisiae contain STA10, whose presence represses the expression of the
      STA genes in an undefined manner. The STA genes are also repressed in diploid
      cells, presumably by the MATa/MAT alpha-encoded repressor. STA gene expression is
      reduced in liquid synthetic media, it is carbon catabolite repressed by glucose,
      and is inhibited in petite mutants.

PMID- 1874000
TI  - Comparative modeling of proteins in the design of novel renin inhibitors.
AB  - Renin, the first enzyme in the renin-angiotensin system, is critically important
      for the maintenance of blood pressure, and, therefore, as a target for
      antihypertensive therapy. The three-dimensional structure of renin would be an
      invaluable aid in understanding the functional properties of renin as well as in
      the design of novel, potent inhibitors. Three-dimensional models of renin have
      been developed by a number of different groups based on comparative homology
      modeling from the other known aspartic proteinase structures. These models have
      been used widely in the drug design process to suggest targets for synthesis and
      to rationalize the structure-activity relationships of compounds. This review
      describes the different published renin models and compares them to the extent
      possible. Applications of these model renin and renin-inhibitor complex
      structures to biological function and inhibitor design are summarized.

PMID- 1874001
TI  - The state construction of affect: political ethos and mental health among
      Salvadoran refugees.
AB  - This essay seeks to extend current anthropological theorizing on emotion.
      Although anthropologists have convincingly established the specifically cultural
      status of emotion, recognition also of "state" (including sociopolitical
      institutions of nation-states) constructions of affect has been slow in coming.
      The present essay seeks to expand the emerging scholarly discourse on the
      emotions by examining the nexus among the role of the state in constructing a
      political ethos, the personal emotions of those who dwell in that ethos, and the
      mental health consequences for refugees. This analysis is intended as a bridge
      between analyses of the state construction of affect, on the one hand, and the
      phenomenology of those affects, on the other. To illustrate, I examine the state
      construction of affect and its traces in the narrative and clinical presentations
      of Salvadoran refugees in North America. The saliency of fear and anxiety among a
      group of psychiatric out-patients is framed by bodily experience, knowledge of
      illness, and the ethnopsychology of emotion within the context of chronic
      political violence and poverty. Distinctions between terror and torture, distress
      and disease are proposed as essential to an account of refugee experience. Future
      directions for the study of the "state construction of affect" are suggested.

PMID- 1874002
TI  - Emotional distress and its socio-political correlates in Salvadoran refugees:
      analysis of a clinical sample.
AB  - The emotional distress responses of refugees cannot be adequately understood
      using the traditional notions of stress and adaptation. In these populations it
      is necessary to consider the relations between emotional distress and socio
      political context, particularly the processes of terror and intimidation and the
      conditions of migratory illegality and social marginality. This study analyses
      the patterns of emotional distress in a clinical sample of 71 Salvadoran refugees
      in an urban center of the United States. Case histories are presented and
      patterns of trauma, distress and associated life problems analyzed. It is argued
      that distress patterns reflect the particular socio-political conditions of women
      and men and represent the embodiment of the conflicts that refugees face. The
      concept of illness is used to link distress patterns and socio-political context
      and to avoid the reductionism of psychiatric categories.

PMID- 1874003
TI  - Psychiatric care in relation to the development of the contemporary state: the
      case of Catalonia.
AB  - Over the past two centuries, extensive mental health care systems have come to be
      a feature of all Western societies. However, the theoretical model generally
      invoked to account for this process has only limited applicability to Spain,
      where the growth of capitalism and the liberal state followed an atypical and
      uneven course. Political power and economic power, usually coterminous, were
      divided in Spain between center and periphery, so that, until the 1960s, Spain's
      economic center of gravity was localized in Catalonia, the most culturally and
      linguistically distinct region. Here we are dealing with a paradox: on the one
      hand, the failure of the incompletely centralized and economically underdeveloped
      Spanish state to develop a system of psychiatric care comparable to those of
      other European states; and on the other hand, the success of the Catalan
      bourgeoise, though lacking a state of its own, in creating such a system through
      private initiative.

PMID- 1874004
TI  - The politics of black patients' identity: ward-rounds on the 'black side' of a
      South African psychiatric hospital.
AB  - There are many macrosocial studies of the political organisation of health and
      mental health care in South Africa, and the maldistribution of resources by race
      is well known. Little attention, however, has been given to the minutiae of the
      negotiation of power in the clinical setting. This article, which reports on part
      of a larger study of aspects of culture in South African psychiatry, focuses on
      interactions in ward-rounds on the 'Black side' of a South African psychiatric
      hospital. Through analysis of cases, the complexity of interpreting what
      transpires in such a setting and the central role that the concept of culture has
      in debates amongst staff members are demonstrated. Close analysis demonstrates
      the inadequacy of models which seek to locate the institutional racism of
      apartheid psychiatry in the motives of individual clinicians. Clinicians may
      simultaneously reproduce and subvert aspects of apartheid practice. A
      consideration of the social positioning of the clinician both as a South African
      and as a practitioner of psychiatry is central to the development of psychiatry
      in a post-apartheid South Africa.

PMID- 1874005
TI  - Invisibility and selective avoidance: gender and ethnicity in psychiatry and
      psychiatric nursing staff interaction.
AB  - This research-based article analyzes institutionalized inequity and
      discrimination in the forms of sexism and racism within a large, busy,
      contemporary medical center's Department of Psychiatry. Within that context,
      issues of control and mechanisms of avoidance served to perpetuate contradictions
      inherent in what professes to be a psychologically therapeutic and empowering
      milieu. Despite cognizance of the roles that culture and gender play in care and
      treatment of patients, psychiatric and mental health professionals at "Central"
      tended to avoid critical examination of their own and co-workers' ethnicity and
      gender as those characteristics influenced life experiences, occupational roles
      and statuses, and hierarchical relationships.

PMID- 1874006
TI  - Medical management of early-stage breast cancer.
AB  - With improved screening and education, a greater proportion of breast cancer is
      detected at an early stage. Although the prognosis for many of these patients is
      excellent following definitive local therapy alone, some subsets of node-negative
      patients have a 30% chance of eventually developing metastatic disease that will
      be incurable with current therapy. Thus, an increasing proportion of early-stage
      patients are being offered some form of adjuvant therapy, with the expectation of
      improved relapse-free survival, and possibly improved overall survival. Efforts
      have been made to base the selection of patients for adjuvant therapy on specific
      prognostic factors. Meanwhile, the scope and complexity of putative prognostic
      factors continues to widen, and now includes such items as the presence of occult
      microscopic metastases, DNA ploidy and proliferative fraction, cytogenetic
      abnormalities, oncogene expression, growth factor receptors, and expression of
      hormonally regulated proteins. In addition, there is now a considerable range of
      options with regard to the composition, dose intensity, and sequence of
      multimodality therapy. Data regarding the classification, significance, and
      interpretation of prognostic factors is reviewed together with the development,
      current status, and recommendations regarding adjuvant therapy for patients with
      early-stage breast cancer. For 1991, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has
      estimated that 175,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American
      women. It is also estimated that 44,500 women will die of breast cancer.
      Unfortunately, the age-adjusted death rate from breast cancer has shown no
      overall change from 1930 through 1987. However, effective screening techniques
      continue to identify an increasing percentage of early-stage tumors, which should
      exceed 50% of all new tumors in 1991. Ultimately, our understanding of
      environmental and genetic risk factors may identify new ways to reduce the impact
      of this disease. In the interim, development and application of effective
      systemic adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy has become increasingly
      important. There is no question that a greater proportion of patients with less
      extensive disease are now being offered some form of adjuvant therapy. Meanwhile,
      selection of patients for adjuvant therapy, and choice among specific adjuvant
      regimens, has remained controversial. Analysis of multiple prognostic factors is
      performed not only in the context of cooperative investigational trials, but more
      often in the offices of individual physicians caring for individual patients.
      Tumor biopsies can now be routinely sent to specialized laboratories for
      performance of complex assays with potential prognostic information, although
      interpretation of these results with reference to a specific patient is often
      uncertain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1874007
TI  - Parietal cell vagotomy and selective vagotomy plus antrectomy in the treatment of
      duodenal ulcer. A follow-up of 10 years.
AB  - Two hundred and thirty-eight patients with duodenal ulcer were subjected to
      vagotomy. According to the clinical manifestations and the results of gastric
      acid secretion test, parietal cell vagotomy was done in 100 patients and
      selective vagotomy plus antrectomy in 138 patients. Follow-up after operation for
      10 years showed that 96% and 97% of patients belonged to Visick Grade I and II
      respectively. The recurrence rate for parietal cell vagotomy was 1.96%, but no
      recurrence was seen in the group of selective vagotomy plus antrectomy. Long-term
      side-effects were rarely found in the patients. They had good nutritional states.
      The follow-up data showed that the recurrence rate could be greatly reduced if
      the modality of vagotomy was selected according to the type of gastric acid
      secretion test. The importance of surgeons experience and careful manipulation
      was emphasized.

PMID- 1874008
TI  - A preliminary study of radioimmunoimaging by 131I-COC183B2 monoclonal antibody in
      patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
AB  - Monoclonal antibody 131I-COC183B2, developed in our laboratory and proved to fit
      for human treatment was injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously in 13
      patients. In 8 cases with i.p. injection the disease corresponded with the image,
      i.e. 3 primary ovarian epithelial cancers showed positive images, 1 ovarian
      Krukenberg tumor was negative and the other 4 negative images included 1 uterine
      myoma and 3 ovarian teratomas. In the subcutaneous injection group, 4 cases had
      ovarian carcinoma, surgery and chemotherapy. Two negative images corresponded
      with the clinical status-in good health, another negative case had metastatic
      left supraclavicular lymph node due to ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma. The last
      negative image in this group was a case of benign ovarian teratoma which was
      proved after surgery. The 1 positive case was waiting to be proved by a scheduled
      third operation. The computer scintigram calculation of T/NT was 5.35 to 13.7.
      The results suggest that this monoclonal antibody can be used for
      radioimmunoimaging for the localization of ovarian carcinoma, which is not only
      helpful for clinical staging and differential diagnosis but is also a good follow
      up method.

PMID- 1874009
TI  - Four-year experience in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal strictures with
      balloon dilatation.
AB  - One hundred and sixty-four cases of upper gastrointestinal tract stricture were
      treated by balloon dilatation in 4 years. A total of 682 procedures were
      performed. One hundred and forty cases (anastomosis stenosis 95, caustic stenosis
      33 and other stenoses of the esophagus 12) were followed up with an effective
      rate of 90% (126/140) and a long-term effective rate of 71.4% (100/140). Fourteen
      cases (10%) failed, and 11 of them were due to tumor recurrence. The concept
      about the short-term and long-term effects, the criteria for evaluation of the
      results, the factors influencing the effectiveness, and the time suitable for
      dilatation are described. For the dilatation, indications are anastomosis
      stricture of the upper gastrointestinal tract, esophageal web and caustic
      stenosis of the esophagus. This method is also indicated for cicatricial
      stricture of the upper gastrointestinal tract of various causes.

PMID- 1874010
TI  - Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency in children with recurrent respiratory tract
      infections.
AB  - With monoclonal antibodies serum immunoglobulin G(IgG) subclasses were measured
      in seventy children aged 2 to 13 years with recurrent respiratory tract
      infections including upper respiratory tract infections, otitis media, sinusitis,
      asthmatic bronchitis and pneumonia. 211 healthy, aged-matched children served as
      control. IgG subclass deficiency was found in 19 out of the 70 patients (27.1%,
      single IgG1 deficiency in 7, IgG2 deficiency in 4, combined IgG1-IgG3 deficiency
      in 5, IgG1-IgG2-IgG3-IgG4 deficiency, IgG1-IgG2-IgG4 deficiency and IgG2-IgG4
      deficiency each in 1). The incidence of IgG subclass deficiencies was in the
      sequence as follows: IgG1, 20%; IgG2, 10%; IgG3, 8.6% and IgG4, 4.3%. The results
      suggest that IgG subclass deficiency indicate a common disorder in children with
      recurrent respiratory tract infections.

PMID- 1874011
TI  - Significance of pre-S2 protein and its antibody in children with HBV infections.
AB  - Pre-S2 protein and its antibody were detected in 130 children with hepatitis B
      virus (HBV) infection and 30 with T6 hepatitis B (HB) vaccination. The results
      showed that pre-S2 was positive in most chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) and
      chronic active hepatitis(CAH) patients, while anti-pre-S2 was positive in only 8%
      (2/92 cases) and 11.5% (3/26 cases) respectively. The positive rate of anti-pre
      S2 was 78.9% (15/19 cases) in cases at the convalescent stage of acute hepatitis
      B, 91.7% (55/60 cases) in cases with T6 HB vaccination and 83.3% (25.30 cases) in
      naturally acquired anti-HBs children, while pre-S2 was not noted. Anti-pre-S2 was
      negatively related to ALT and positively to anti-HBs (P less than 0.01). The
      positive relation of pre-S2 to HBsAg was observed. These results suggest that pre
      S2 could be a marker for HBV infection, and anti-pre-S2 may indicate a favourable
      prognosis of HBV infection. There was no correlation between anti-pre-S2 and
      pathogenic damages induced by HBV.

PMID- 1874012
TI  - Electronic monitoring of fetal heart rate and determination of fetal scalp blood
      pH in prediction of intrapartum fetal distress.
AB  - A prospective study on consecutive fetal monitoring in 559 deliveries was carried
      out. The difference between the first 30-minute and the last 30-minute monitoring
      was compared. Abnormal fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern in the last 30 minutes
      combined with abnormal fetal scalp blood pH has a good predictability of 1- and 5
      minute Apgar scores. The correlation of fetal heart rate-uterine contraction (FHR
      UC) monitoring (525 cases) and fetal scalp blood pH determinations (FSB-pH) (79
      cases) with the fetal condition was assessed. It is indicated that the first 30
      minute FHR tracing can reflect the fetal status in labor, and FHR-UC monitoring
      assessment is evidently superior to FSB-pH in the prediction of a vigorous fetus.
      Whereas, FSB-pH is superior to FHR-UC monitoring in the prediction of a
      compromised fetus.

PMID- 1874013
TI  - Angiographic prediction of cardiac events after first acute transmural myocardial
      infarction. A prospective study of 108 patients.
AB  - 108 patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), aged 70 years or younger,
      underwent left ventriculography and coronary arteriography (mean one month) after
      infarction and were followed up for an average period of 22 months (range 5-47
      months). The contribution of angiographic variables to a first cardiac event
      (death, recurrent infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting or congestive heart
      failure) was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and long-rank
      test. Patients with cardiac events had left ventricular dilation, systolic
      dysfunction, multivessel coronary disease and lack of residual flow to the
      infarct region. Multivariate analysis showed that left ventricular end-systolic
      volume (P less than 0.001), end-diastolic volume (P less than 0.01) and the
      number of the diseased coronary vessels (P less than 0.05) were of significance
      in predicting the outcome. This prospective study indicates that in survivors of
      first acute transmural MI, cardiac catheterization performed one month after
      infarction can provide additive prognostic information that can be used to
      stratify risk.

PMID- 1874014
TI  - Second meiotic division of Plasmodium vivax.
AB  - During the formation of sporozoites, the nuclei formed after mitotic division in
      sporoblast enter sporozoite buds. The spindle appears in the nucleus of the
      sporozoite bud, while its nuclear membrane disappears. The spindle is an evidence
      of the second meiosis of the life cycle of plasmodium.

PMID- 1874015
TI  - Recent studies on antimalarial efficacy of piperaquine and hydroxypiperaquine.
AB  - Piperaquine and hydroxypiperaquine seem to be successful candidates of
      antimalarial drugs in China. Their antimalarial efficacy, experimental
      resistance, combination, mode of antimalarial action and clinical trials are
      described briefly.

PMID- 1874016
TI  - Soft tissue expansion in the treatment of scar alopecia in preschool children.
AB  - Indigenous rubber silicon gel soft tissue expanders were used to treat 5
      preschool children with scar alopecia. The scar resection rate wa 100%; no severe
      complication happened. The average healing time was 25 days after the improvement
      of technical method. This method is simple, effective and the expansion duration
      is short.

PMID- 1874017
TI  - Fever, shortness of breath and shadow in the lung.

PMID- 1874018
TI  - Reassessment on roentgenologic signs of early rickets. Roentgenopathologic
      correlations of 52 en block specimens.
AB  - Correlation of the X-ray manifestation and the en bloc sections of 52 wrists of
      infants and children aged from 0-4 years from autopsy was carried out to identify
      the real X-ray signs of rickets. Simple ill-defined provisional calcified zone
      (PCZ), enlargement of head of ulna, shallow saucer-shaped and undulant or
      multilaminar PCZ are normal in variation. The signs of early rickets included
      marginal spur, saucer-shaped deformity, ill-defined and disordered trabeculae
      under PCZ, mild brush appearance and osteoporosis. However, only when five of the
      above mentioned criteria were met at the same time, can early rickets be
      diagnosed.

PMID- 1874019
TI  - Digital replantation. A ten-year retrospective study.
AB  - Eight hundred and two digits (592 complete amputation and 210 incomplete
      amputations) of 549 patients were replanted. The male to female ratio was 3:1 and
      the age range 1-63 years. 728 digits survived and 74 digits failed. The overall
      survival rate was 90.8%. Special varieties of complicated amputation were
      encountered in this series: (1) distal segment replantation, 139 digits, 131
      digits (94%) survived; (2) digital replantation of children, 45 cases, 78 digits,
      average age 3.8 years, the youngest being 1 year old, 68 digits survived (88.7%);
      (3) rotational avulsion amputation of thumb, 26 digits, 23 digits (88.4%)
      survived; (4) bilateral digit amputation, 8 cases, 44 digits amputated, 38 digits
      replanted, including 9 digits of a ten-digit guillotined case. All the digits
      were salvaged. We conclude that thorough debridement, meticulous anastomosis of
      blood vessels and timely management of vascular crisis are keys to high survival
      rate, while judicious selection of indication, proper internal fixation of bone,
      anastomosis of as many blood vessels as possible, attentive repair of nerves and
      tendons, sound rehabilitation program are important measures in improving
      postoperative function.

PMID- 1874020
TI  - Major achievements and experience in filariasis control in the People's Republic
      of China. National Technical Steering Group for Filariasis Control and Research.
AB  - Filariasis control including a preparatory phase in the early 50s and two more
      extensive campaigns in the late 50s and 70s, has gained remarkable achievements.
      By the end of 1987, filariasis in 781 (90.4%) of 864 counties/cities was brought
      under control, i.e., the microfilariasis rate declined to less than 1% in the
      whole population in every village concerned. At present, there remain about
      2,446,000 filariasis cases, accounting for 7.9% of 30,099,400 before nationwide
      campaigns. Microfilaria carriers among the remaining cases amounted to 1,473,000
      and amicrofilaremic but symptomatic, to 973,000. The major experience comprises
      the integration of the control project into national health program, the
      mobilization of various sectors, including the community, the investigators and
      technical personnel in research institutions and control services all to
      participate and cooperate in problems and difficulties encountered.

PMID- 1874021
TI  - Quantification of circulating schistosome antigen by monoclonal antibody-based
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
AB  - A two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (2S-ELISA) was developed for the
      quantification of gut-associated schistosome circulating anodic proteoglycan
      (GASCAP) of Schistosoma japonicum using a monoclonal antibody (McAb M120),
      purified by one-step hydroxylapatite (HAP) chromatography, as both solid phase
      and peroxidase-conjugated reagent. In this system, a high detectable level of
      serum GASCAP concentration (0.25 microgram/L) could be achieved with the
      immunoaffinity purified GASCAP being used as the standard. The specificity of the
      assay was 97.2%, with minimized interference of rheumatoid factor. The intra
      assay (4.01%) and interassay (6.09%) coefficients of variation and the mean
      analytical recovery (101.4%) for GASCAP demonstrated the precision and accuracy
      of the assay.

PMID- 1874022
TI  - Subtypes of intestinal metaplasia and gastric carcinoma. A clinicoendoscopic
      follow-up of 112 cases.
AB  - Nine tumor-associated antigens (MG7-, MGdl-, MC3-corresponding antigens, CEA,
      P21ras, Sialoglycoprotein, CA 19-9-like, Sialo-Tn and Le8-like antigens) were
      investigated on biopsy specimens of different types of intestinal metaplasia
      (types I, II and III) taken from 112 patients with benign gastric conditions. The
      incidence of positive staining for 9 antigens except for P21ras in type III
      intestinal metaplasia was significantly higher than that in types I and II (P
      less than 0.05-0.01). These 112 patients were clinicoendoscopically followed up
      for 15-70 months. Five of them were found to develop gastric carcinomas within 25
      60 months, giving a cancer detection rate of 4.5%. They were detected from type
      III (16.1%) patients, but none was found in patients of types I and II, and the
      differences were significant (P less than 0.05-0.01). Our results indicate that
      type III intestinal metaplasia has a higher potentiality in developing malignancy
      and that MG7, MGd1, MC3, CEA, CA19-9-like and Sialo-Tn antigens are valuable
      tumor markers in defining the high-risk group of gastric carcinoma.

PMID- 1874023
TI  - Application of pyridostigmine in evaluation of growth hormone reserves in
      children and adolescents.
AB  - There is evidence that the cholinergic system positively modulates growth hormone
      (GH) secretion. In the present study, we observed the effects of cholinergic
      enhancement by pyridostigmine (PD), a cholinesterases inhibitor, on GH release in
      both normal (n = 13) and GH deficient children and adolescents (n = 10).
      Responses of GH to insulin hypoglycemia (Ins) were also observed. In the normal
      subjects, PD-induced serum GH peak level was significantly higher than that
      induced by Ins (P less than 0.01), while the GH level in the patients with
      pituitary dwarfism showed no increase in both tests. This study indicates that PD
      test may be considered a sensitive dynamic test in evaluating pituitary function
      of GH secretion in children and adolescents.

PMID- 1874024
TI  - Homotransplantation of adrenal gland.
AB  - Eight patients with Addison's disease or Cushing's syndrome received adrenal
      homograft for 9 times after total adrenalectomy. All patients were followed up
      for 1 to 5 years. Symptoms and signs were improved without the supplement of
      steroids. The grafts showed satisfactory endocrinal functions in the recipients,
      but the grafts were dead in two patients 2 and 4 years after operation
      respectively. One of the two patients received the second homograft with good
      result. Single perfusion and ice-storage method of the all-adrenal gland and
      their clinical results were also presented.

PMID- 1874025
TI  - Balloon dilation treatment of phimosis in boys. Report of 512 cases.
AB  - Five hundred and twelve boys, aged from 5 months to 12 years, with phimosis were
      treated by application of a specially designed balloon catheter (patented). 1%
      dicaine topical anesthesia was used. 3-6 months follow-up showed that all the
      patients were cured. The procedure is simple, safe and much less traumatizing
      than the conventional circumcision. The mechanisms of balloon dilation, the age
      specificity and the anesthesia were discussed.

PMID- 1874026
TI  - Influence of flexion-extension motion of lumbar spine on lumbosacral dural sac.
      An experimental study.
AB  - To analyze the effects of flexion-extension motion of lumbar spine on the
      position and shape of lumbosacral dural sac, 10 flexion/extension lateral
      myelograms of cadaver specimens of normal lumbar spine were measured. The results
      showed that moving from flexion to extension both sagittal diameter and length of
      the dural sac decreased significantly, the dural sac moved caudally, and the
      sagittal diameter of the anterior epidural space decreased in the mid-vertebral
      level but increased in the intervertebral level. The dynamic changes of the dural
      sac and their influence factors and clinical relevance were discussed.

PMID- 1874027
TI  - Scanning electron microscopic study of subchondral bone tissues in osteoarthritic
      femoral head.
AB  - During total hip replacement for 12 cases of advanced osteoarthritis of the hip
      joint in aged women, three types of diseased or abnormal articular cartilage with
      different degrees of severity (white articular cartilage, white and hyperplastic
      articular cartilage, and yellowish articular cartilage) and ivory bone were
      obtained together with their subchondral bone tissues. These specimens were
      processed and studied under scanning electron microscope and were compared with
      sex- and age-matched non-osteoarthritic femoral head articular cartilage
      specimens. The following findings were observed: 1. In non-osteoarthritic femoral
      head, the subchondral bone plate was quite thin. The bone plate connected on its
      deep surface with the lattice-work of trabeculae of the epiphyseal region. The
      trabeculae were fine and smooth and some revealed round or spindle-shaped callus
      resulted from microfracture. 2. In osteoarthritic femoral heads, with increased
      the severity of the articular lesion, the articular cartilage gradually became
      thinned out and eventually lost. The subchondral bone plate was markedly
      thickened. The epiphyseal trabeculae were also thickened and turned rough so that
      the lattice-work pattern gradually disappeared. The thickened trabeculae finally
      fused into a large piece of dense bone tissue. No microfracture was detected.
      These changes were attributable to the increased stress imposed on the
      subchondral bone tissues as a result of defective articular cartilage.
      Consequently, the changes on the part of the subchondral bone tissues of the
      osteoarthritic femoral heads were the sequent, rather than the cause, of the
      articular lesions.

PMID- 1874028
TI  - Survey of the use of epidural analgesia in China.
AB  - It is generally believed that epidural blocks are most widely used in China.
      However, there is yet no substantial study in this respect. A nation-wide survey
      appears to be necessary. Questionnaires were sent to 237 hospitals located in 6
      geographically wide-scattered areas and to some military hospitals as well. 90
      answers were obtained with complete data necessary for this survey. There are
      1,304,214 administrations of epidural blocks documented in these 90 hospitals. Of
      which 38.8% are lumbar, 32% lower thoracic, 23% middle thoracic, 4.6% upper
      thoracic and 1.6% cervical blocks. These data showed that operations from the
      neck down to the lower extremities were performed under epidural block without
      discrimination of puncture location. 98.33% of the blocks were satisfactory to
      meet the need of operations. Persisting paresthesia occurred in 0.013% of these
      cases. The incidence of accidental puncture of dura was 0.32%. About 2/3 of these
      dura punctured cases received 1-4 times of repuncture. No correlation was found
      between repuncture and development of total spinal anesthesia. Among the
      complications, incidence of respiratory depression was 0.54%. However, only 5% of
      these depressed cases needed intubation and artificial ventilation. No signs of
      dura puncture were noticed, but subarachnoid block did appear in 0.04 of cases.
      Incidence of total spinal anesthesia was 0.013%. Not all, but a little more than
      half (54.6%) of the total spinal cases needed intubation and artificial
      ventilation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874029
TI  - The Fourth National Conference of the Hand Surgery Section of the Chinese
      Orthopedic Society.

PMID- 1874030
TI  - An endodermal sinus tumor in the cerebellopontine angle.
AB  - Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings in a primary intracranial
      endodermal sinus tumor are reported in this paper. The tumor cells exhibited AFP,
      CEA and anti-alpha-1-trypsin positive immunoreactivity immunocytochemically.
      Aggregates of electron-dense material in the extra- and intracellular spaces and
      amorphous basement membrane-like substance were seen extracellularly by electron
      microscopy. The clinicopathological, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural
      features were consistent with the criteria for primary intracranial sinus tumor.

PMID- 1874031
TI  - Renal hemodynamic and tubular effects of angiotensins II and III.
AB  - Angiotensin II (ANG II) plays an important role in the regulation of renal
      vascular resistance, glomerular function and tubular reabsorption. Systemic
      infusion of ANG II produces dose-dependent decreases in renal blood flow (RBF),
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and filtration coefficient, and increases in
      filtration fraction. Intrarenally generated ANG II is also critical to
      alterations in cortical and juxtamedullary glomerular ultrafiltration. On the
      other hand, pharmacological blockade of the systemical and intrarenal generation
      or action of ANG II elicits increases in RBF and pressure-associated changes in
      GFR. In vivo micropuncture experiments demonstrate that peritubular capillary
      microperfusion of 10(-7) M ANG II results in decreases in single nephron GFR and
      glomerular capillary pressure. Blockade of ANG II activity by ANG converting
      enzyme (ACE) inhibitor markedly attenuates, whereas intravenous or peritubular
      capillary infusion of exogenous ANG II enhances tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF)
      mediated changes in the stop flow pressure. Moreover, infusion of exogenous ANG
      II during conditions of ACE blockade partially restores the feedback
      responsiveness, suggesting a specific role of ANG II as a modulator of TGF
      system. Besides its effects on intrarenal hemodynamics, ANG II directly or
      indirectly affects renal sodium excretion. Micropuncture and microperfusion
      studies have shown that ANG II exerts a dose-dependent biphasic effect on
      proximal tubular sodium reabsorption via apical Na(+)-H+ exchange. A stimulatory
      effects of ANG II at low dose (10(-12)-10(-9) M) and an inhibitory effect at
      higher dose (10(-7)-10(-5) M) have been observed in the cortical and
      juxtamedullary nephron preparations. The stimulatory effect of ANG II on proximal
      tubular reabsorption of sodium seems associated with reduction in cAMP and/or
      activation of protein kinase C, whereas cytosolic free calcium surge activated by
      ANG II may be part of the cellular message that inhibits proximal tubular
      reabsorptive function. ANG III, a metabolite of ANG II, also enters substantial
      influence on renal function. In contrast to the systemic pressor effect, the two
      peptides are approximately equipotent in their actions on the renal vasculature.
      Superimposed administration of either ANG II or ANG III during ACE inhibition
      completely reverses the GFR and renal excretory responses to ACE inhibition.
      Furthermore, intracerebroventricular injections of ANG II and ANG III in rats
      inhibit renal nerve activity and cause a comparable renal effect which can be
      blocked by Ile7-ANG III and potentiated by bestatin, suggesting that the
      heptapeptide may also play an active role in the regulation of sodium excretion
      by actions on renal hemodynamics and tubules.

PMID- 1874032
TI  - Sino-American collaboration in biomedical research & training: American and
      Chinese Physiological Societies look towards new horizons.

PMID- 1874033
TI  - Cellular effects of growth hormone on adipocytes.
AB  - Adipocytes are physiological targets for GH in both growing and nongrowing
      individuals. In adipocytes that have been deprived of GH for at least 3 h, GH
      initially produces a response that is characterized by increased metabolism of
      glucose and inhibition of the lipolytic effects of catecholamines. This insulin
      like effect disappears within 2-3 h despite continued stimulation and cannot be
      elicited again unless cells are deprived of GH for at least 3 h. Despite
      refractoriness to the insulin-like action of GH, the lipolytic effect of GH is
      evident at this time. Although termination of the insulin-like response and
      induction of both refractoriness and lipolysis all depend upon synthesis of RNA
      and proteins, these 3 effects of GH appear to be neither temporally nor causally
      related. Scatchard analysis of ligand binding data suggests that these various
      effects are produced by interaction of GH with a single class of receptors.
      However, since modification of either the hormone or the carbohydrate moiety of
      the receptor can selectively attenuate either the insulin-like or the lipolytic
      response, more than one hormone receptor interaction is likely. Northern analysis
      indicates the presence of at least 2 alternately spliced mRNA transcripts for the
      GH receptor, and at least 3 different complexes are seen after GH is covalently
      crosslinked to intact adipocytes. Refractoriness does not result from changes in
      either the number or affinity of GH receptors, but may result from increased
      cytosolic calcium. Although the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate
      acetate mimics both the insulin-like and lipolytic actions of GH, increased
      activity of protein kinase C probably does not mediate either action of GH. The
      intracellular mediators of the diverse actions of GH are unknown at this time.

PMID- 1874034
TI  - Neuroendocrine control of prolactin secretion: the role of the serotonergic
      system.
AB  - The secretion of prolactin (PRL) falls into distinct patterns in mammals.
      Suckling, stress, cervical stimulation and estrogen all stimulate PRL secretion.
      The estrogen-induced afternoon PRL surge is circadian in nature and is regulated
      by the central serotonergic system. Interruption of the serotonergic system by
      all means blocks the PRL surge. As for the site and mechanism of 5-HT action, it
      has been shown that 5-HT has no direct effect on the anterior pituitary and its
      action on PRL secretion may be dissociated from its peripheral cardiovascular
      effect. Its action may not involve the central dopaminergic system or interaction
      with the central opioid system. However, it may be stimulating a yet unidentified
      PRL-releasing factor during specific time in the afternoon of estrogen-treated
      rats.

PMID- 1874035
TI  - Evidence for the functional significance of multiple renin forms.
AB  - Our laboratory demonstrated the existence of 6 forms of renin, (F1-F6) each with
      a unique isoelectric point (pI). We ascribe the heterogeneity to differences in
      glycosylation. This heterogeneity has been demonstrated to exist in all animals
      studied in our laboratory, across a wide evolutionary scale. Multiple forms have
      been found in fish, amphibians, birds and mammals, including humans. We have been
      able to demonstrate that hepatic inactivation of the renin forms in humans is
      different for each form. Isolation and purification of the forms allowed
      injection of a single form into rats. IV infusion of F4 resulted in a significant
      natriuresis and diuresis, while the other forms had no significant renal effects.
      However, if the same forms were infused into the cerebroventricles at a much
      lower dose, F6 caused a natriuresis. Pretreatment with converting enzyme
      inhibitor abolished that effect. We were able to show that Spontaneously
      Hypertensive Rats (SHR) exhibited a renin profile that was altered in a
      predictable way and was significantly correlated with their blood pressure. The
      hepatic clearance of each form was also different, so that the forms have
      different half lives. These data support the hypothesis that renin heterogeneity
      is dependent upon glycosylation and is functionally significant.

PMID- 1874036
TI  - Role of afferent renal nerves in the control of vasopressin secretion.
AB  - Several lines of evidence indicate that the kidneys can influence the secretion
      of vasopressin. We have reported that electrical stimulation of the renal nerves
      increases plasma vasopressin concentration in dogs and rabbits, and other
      investigators have reported that selective stimulation of afferent renal nerves
      in cats and rats increases plasma vasopressin concentration or the activity of
      neurosecretory neurons in the supraoptic nucleus. Intrarenal infusion of
      bradykinin, which is known to excite afferent renal nerves, has also been
      reported to increase the activity of putative vasopressin neurons in the
      supraoptic nucleus of rats. Recently, we observed that intrarenal infusion of
      bradykinin in rabbits increases plasma vasopressin concentration, and that this
      response is markedly reduced by renal denervation. We have also reported that
      activation of renal mechanoreceptors by elevating intrarenal pressure increases
      plasma vasopressin concentration in rabbits, and that this response is blocked by
      renal denervation. In order to determine if the kidneys participate in the
      physiological regulation of vasopressin release, we investigated the effect of
      renal denervation on the osmotic and non-osmotic control of vasopressin secretion
      in conscious, chronically-prepared rabbits. We found that renal denervation did
      not significantly reduce the vasopressin responses to hypertonic saline infusion,
      24-hour water deprivation, hemorrhage or nitroprusside infusion. In summary,
      these observations indicate that the kidneys can influence the secretion of
      vasopressin via the afferent renal nerves. However, the physiological
      significance of the observations remains to be determined.

PMID- 1874037
TI  - [Therapeutic strategies in fractures with soft tissue damage].

PMID- 1874038
TI  - ["Biological osteosynthesis"].

PMID- 1874039
TI  - [Primary soft tissue treatment and soft tissue reconstruction].

PMID- 1874040
TI  - [Spongiosa-plasty and transport corticotomy--an alternative or supplementary
      procedure?].

PMID- 1874041
TI  - [Value of computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance tomography in
      preoperative diagnosis of meniscus lesions and ligamentous lesions of the knee
      joint].
AB  - In a prospective study, 53 patients with chronic complaints and acute injuries of
      the knee joint, were evaluated by clinical examination, CT-scanning and magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI). Subsequently, arthroscopy or an open surgical procedure
      was performed. A total of 21 patients suffered from meniscal lesions. There were
      17 ruptures of the medial and 4 ruptures of the lateral meniscus. In patients
      with meniscus ruptures, the sensitivity of both MRI and CT-scan was 86%, whereas
      the specificity of MRI was slightly lower than that of CT-scan. The accuracy and
      the predictive value were also slightly lower, although the difference was not
      significant. Fifteen patients suffered from acute or chronic ligament ruptures.
      In patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures, all complete ACL
      ruptures had correctly been diagnosed by CT and MRI. Two out of four partial ACL
      ruptures were missed by MRI; only one was missed by CT-scan. Three medial
      collateral ligament ruptures were documented by MRI and two by CT-scanning. The
      high negative predictive value of CT and MRI can realize a reduction of the
      amount of diagnostic arthroscopies.

PMID- 1874042
TI  - [Arthrolysis as a surgical treatment concept of post-traumatic stiffness of the
      knee joint].
AB  - In the period from 1977 to 1989 105 arthrolyses were performed in 102 patients.
      There were mainly posttraumatic fibroarthroses: 51 consecutive to fractures, 39
      after ligamentous injuries, 13 post-infectious of which 11 were also post
      traumatic and only 2 patients with rheumatological diseases. Remarkable is the
      increased number of fibroarthrosis after polytrauma (n = 26). The preoperative
      range of motion was under 30 degrees in 26 patients and 48 patients had a
      severely limited range of motions between 30 and 60 degrees. The follow-up
      examination performed in an average of 2 years after the operative mobilization
      showed that the initial mobility was more than doubled. These results are related
      to atiology, operative procedure and degree of severity of the preoperative
      stiffness. Fair to excellent results were obtained in almost 3/4 of the patients.
      We explain these results by an adapted extraarticular or combined procedure which
      were used in 63 cases. The open release is backed by an intensive rehabilitation
      program in which painlessness through PDA and an immediate postoperative
      continuous passive motion are of most importance.

PMID- 1874043
TI  - [Conservative therapy of fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine. Indications,
      treatment regimen, results].
AB  - In this study the results of conservatively treated stable fractures of the
      thoracolumbar spine in 112 cases are reported. The follow-up of these patients
      was carried out by clinical and radiological examinations. It proved that
      functional treatment used in 94% of all cases was superior in its results and
      lack of pain to Bohler the method according of closed correction and
      immobilization by cast. The radiological examination showed no coherence between
      narrowing of the verebra after early mobilization and function of the spine. A
      three point corset in addition to this therapy seems to be without any advantage.

PMID- 1874044
TI  - [Osteosynthesis of the clavicle. Indications, surgical technique, results].
AB  - The osteosynthesis of the clavicle should be the exception and should only be
      indicated in the case of complicated fractures. The high rate of pseudoarthrosis
      given in medical literature, is due to errors in indication, selection of
      implants and in surgical techniques. Procedures like intramedullar wiring, axial
      screwing and single cerclage-wire suture are unsuited for osteosynthesis of the
      clavicle. After osteosynthesis of the clavicle we have found exceptional positive
      results, with respect to functional, radiological and after subjective
      evaluation, at a low rate of complication without any consequences occurring in
      the years to come. These results show, that mainly good or even excellent success
      can be achieved, at a limited indication, combined with careful surgery and a
      standardized surgery procedure of osteosynthesis of the clavicle.

PMID- 1874045
TI  - [Immune competence of human tissue lymphocytes in contact with loosened hip joint
      prostheses. On the topic of cellular or humoral rejection reaction as the
      mechanism of loosening].
AB  - In several investigations rejections were accused of being a possible cause for
      the loosening of hip endoprostheses. Using immunocytochemical techniques we
      studied the number and type of lymphocytes in the tissue adjacent to loosened hip
      endoprostheses. Tissue samples were taken from 18 patients being reoperated for a
      loosened endoprostheses. Impressive lymphocyte infiltrates were found in 4 of 18
      patients (22%). These infiltrates only consisted of T-cells. In the other samples
      only few lymphocytes were detected belonging to T- and B-lymphocyte population,
      respectively. In our patients T-cell mediated rejections were of minor importance
      for the loosening of total hip replacement. B-cell accumulations were detected in
      none of the samples.

PMID- 1874046
TI  - [Therapeutic concept and results of treatment of subcutaneous extensor tendon
      rupture of the finger end joint].
AB  - This study covers treatment and after-treatment of 95 extensor tendon injuries of
      the DIP-joint in 94 patients over a period of 3 years. Tendon injuries were
      classified into 4 types according to Suckert et al. and the final results were
      evaluated using a modified Riedeberger and Zeumer scale. In recent subcutaneous
      tendon injuries conservative therapy is indicated, depending on the primary
      extension deficit (less than 20 degrees = modified Stack splint, greater than 20
      degrees = Mommsen plaster of Paris or special dressing). Chip fractures should be
      stabilized by pull-out suture.

PMID- 1874047
TI  - [A simple, rapid and economical method of distal interlocking nailing in upper
      and lower leg intramedullary nailing].
AB  - Distal interlocking of intramedullary nails is associated with a relatively high
      radiation exposure. For the reduction of fluoroscopy time and surgeon's hands
      irradiation, many devices have been developed so far. In this paper, a simple
      free-hand-technique is presented. The mean fluoroscopy time in 30 femur and 10
      tibia interlocking intramedullary nailing procedures was one minute. The
      technique avoid the central beam of the fluoroscope and does not require specific
      instruments. The technique is based on the axial placement of a 2 mm K-wire in
      the interlocking screw holes. A centrally perforated 4.5 mm drill is placed over
      the K-wire. Therefore in this technique a perfect centrally placement of the K
      wire is not necessary. The drill is guided by the K-wire thereby avoiding
      complications such as drill failure or deviation of the drill direction.

PMID- 1874048
TI  - [Bilateral arm amputation caused by high voltage burns in childhood: stump
      reconstruction by tissue expansion and fibula transfer].

PMID- 1874049
TI  - [Treatment of open patella fracture with external mini-fixator].

PMID- 1874050
TI  - [Bilateral carotid artery stenosis following severe craniocervical trauma].

PMID- 1874051
TI  - [Modification of the Stellbrink external fixator for flexible and expanded use in
      hand surgery].

PMID- 1874052
TI  - [Comment on the contribution by C. Krettek et al.: Stabilizing open tibial
      fracture with the external fixator. Are there advantages to an additional
      osteosynthesis?].

PMID- 1874053
TI  - [A revolutionary operation].

PMID- 1874054
TI  - [Significance of composite scoring of biochemical monitoring in fetal distress].
AB  - Urinary E/C ratio, maternal urinary meconial index (UMI), human placental
      lactogen (hPL) and pregnancy specific beta-1 glycoprotein (SP1) were determined
      by biochemical and immunologic method. The accuracy of composite scoring method
      was compared with that of individual index. The results show that composite
      scoring method was better than the single index in predicting and diagnosis of
      fetal distress.

PMID- 1874055
TI  - [Use of fetal heart rate scoring system in intrapartum fetal monitoring].
AB  - A scoring system of intermittent 5-second successive fetal heart rate
      auscultation was devised for intrapartum fetal monitoring. Its use among 150
      cases in two hospitals, yielded a negative predictive rate of 93.8% and a
      positive rate of 71.4%, higher than that of the routine auscultation method. The
      scoring system was also well correlated with the umbilical blood gases values.
      Hence, it is recommended for intrapartum fetal monitoring, especially, where
      electronic monitoring is not available.

PMID- 1874056
TI  - [Pathological analysis of 76 placentae in fetal distress].
AB  - The result of pathological analysis of 76 placentae and their appendices from
      clinically diagnosed fetal distress in year 1985-1989 is here presented. The
      findings could be classified into 4 groups; lesions due to disturbance of
      maternal blood flow and villous ischemia or hypoxia; retardation of development
      and malformation of villi; lesions due to haematogenous and ascending infection
      and pathological changes of the umbilical cord. The clinical significance of
      these pathological changes was discussed. We suggested that some lesions such as
      villous growth retardation, placental haemangioma, choriangiosis, infection of
      the placenta, single umbilical artery etc, could cause fetal distress, and
      villitis, single umbilical artery could sufficiently impair placental function so
      as to retard fetal growth or cause fetal malformation. The etiology of some
      placental lesions needs further study.

PMID- 1874057
TI  - [Morphology of placental lobes and clinical pathophysiology in fetal distress].
AB  - In order to make a basic study of the etiology, clinical pathophysiology and
      prevention and management of the fetal distress, an investigation of the
      placental coefficient, pathomorphology, immunochemistry, and 6 other items were
      carried out. The placenta lobes of 357 cases with fetal distress were need and a
      corresponding control was established in each case. The results indicate that the
      rate of infection of the placenta in fetal distress was 39.5%. The placental
      coefficient in comparison with the control showed a significant increase (P less
      than 0.05). Edema of the villi and disease of the villous vascular membrane was
      prominent. The cytotrophoblast, Hofbauer cell showed cellular compensation
      proliferation. Estradiol reception (E2R) and progesterone receptor (PgR) were
      positive mainly in the cyto-trophoblast. The rate of positive finding of
      Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), AFP and Lysozyme was greater in the fetal
      distress group in comparison with the control (P less than 0.05). The results
      indicate that in pregnant women with fetal distress or with risk factors for
      fetal hypooxygenimia, the administration of anti-infection agents, and
      improvement of the villus blood circulation as well as giving of anti-amine
      agents may be beneficial in prevention and management of fetal distress.

PMID- 1874058
TI  - [Clinical analysis of 1704 cases of fetal distress].
AB  - From Oct 1985 through Sept 1986 and from Oct 1988 through Sept 1989, a total of
      1,704 cases were clinically diagnosed as having fetal distress. The results of
      analysis showed no significant differences (P greater than 0.05) between fetal
      distress and fetal sex, and age of pregnancy women respectively (P greater than
      0.05), but there was a significant difference between fetal distress and
      gestational weeks. (P less than 0.01) and birth weight (P less than 0.05). The
      highest incidence occurred in postterm pregnancy. The number of neonatal asphyxia
      cases with fetal distress accounted for 61.08% of the total of neonatal asphyxia.
      The more indexes of the fetal distress, the higher is the incidence rate of
      asphyxia neonatorum. Among the complications of pregnancy, the fetal distress
      rate due to pregnancy induced hypertension is the highest. The results suggested
      that by using multiple item examinations, early diagnosis of fetal distress and
      prompt management are possible to decrease the asphyxia rate and the prevention
      of complications of pregnancy is important to reduce the fetal distress.

PMID- 1874059
TI  - [Immunocytochemical localization of human chorionic gonadotropin and placental
      lactogen in normal placentae].
AB  - Preliminary observations on immunocytochemical localization of human chorionic
      gonadotropin (hCG) and human placental lactogen (hPL) were made in 35 placentae
      of normal pregnancy at various stages of development. By analysing the processing
      regularities of the two hormones and comparing the characteristics of
      immunocytochemical localization and hematoxylin-eosin stain on various
      trophoblasts in the normal placentae, the findings showed: (1) presence of the
      three types of trophoblasts, namely, cytotrophoblast (CT), intermediate
      trophoblast (IT), and syncytiotrophoblast (ST) was confirmed in normal placentae
      of first-trimester pregnancy. (2) IT has distinctive immunocytochemical features
      that distinguishes itself from CT and ST. In the first-trimester, ST contains a
      large amount of hCG which sharply diminishes thereafter, but hPL in ST increases
      with the fetal age. IT contains hPL all through the pregnancy period and the peak
      value occurs in the second trimester. CT is devoid of hCG and hPL. The results
      indicated: (1) IT is more like ST but different from CT. (2) IT contains chiefly
      hPL and hCG only locally in early pregnancy which demonstrates that the
      processing of hPL is in the more well differentiated cells whereas hCG is in the
      less differentiated cells.

PMID- 1874060
TI  - [Reproductive activities as risk factors of epithelial ovarian cancer: a case
      control epidemiologic study].
AB  - A case-control study involving 112 patients with pathologically confirmed
      epithelial ovarian cancer and 224 randomized community controls matched to the
      cases on age was conducted in the Metropolitan Beijing Area. The results showed
      that parity, gravidity and their related factors play an important role in the
      genesis of epithelial ovarian cancer. A good inverse relationship was observed
      between the number of full term pregnancies and the magnitude of relative risk.
      Term pregnancy seemed to have a stronger protective effect than aborted pregnancy
      and an adequate protection can be achieved by three term pregnancies. At the same
      time, the number of ovulatory years was positively correlated with the rise of
      the relative risk. In addition, it was found that age at the first pregnancy was
      not related to the occurrence of ovarian cancer as indicated in the literature.

PMID- 1874061
TI  - [A clinical analysis of 317 cases of salpingo-anastomoses].
AB  - Influences of various factors on status pregnancy in 317 women having had
      salpingo-anastomoses were analyzed. All these cases, aged 21 to 45, had end to
      end operation under direct observation. Through 1-5 years' follow up, two of the
      317 women were found to be restricted, 295 were pregnant or already delivered.
      The re-potent rate was 99.3%, while the re-pregnant rate 93.1%. No statistically
      obvious disparity in pregnancy rate was found as regard to age, tubal ligation
      technique site of anastomosis. However, there was influence over the pregnancy
      rate by the length of the remaining tube and oviduct inflammation. This paper
      also discussed on the anastomosis method, length of contraception period,
      observation period and the choice of stents.

PMID- 1874062
TI  - [Clinical significance of the determination of cellular DNA content in
      gynecologic neoplasms].

PMID- 1874063
TI  - [An experimental study on artificial blood vessel bridge in the jugular veins].

PMID- 1874064
TI  - [The effect of teeth arrangement in maxillary complete denture on the stress
      distribution of bone tissue--photoelastic stress analysis].
AB  - In this paper, we make a study about the effects of 6 different kind of
      arrangement of the 1st molar in maxillary complete denture on the stress
      distribution of bone tissue. In intercuspation position, it is well-distributed
      when the artificial teeth are arranged on the top of alveolar ridge. There are
      stress concentration in the bone tissue. When the long axis of the teeth incline
      bucally or the teeth migrate away from the ridge center line. When the ridges
      relation is disharmonious, it is better that the teeth incline do not over 30
      degrees buccally and the teeth migration do not over 5 mm horizontally.

PMID- 1874065
TI  - [Extra-articular rearrangement of temporomandibular joint internal derangement
      and associated neuromuscular disorders].
AB  - This report introduces a new method for treatment of TMJ internal derangements
      and associated neuromuscular disorders. This operation consists of two main
      surgical procedures: (1) To detach the muscular attachments of masseter,
      temporal, and internal pterygoid muscle from the mandible and to detach the
      external pterygoid muscle from the external pterygoic plate for eliminating the
      neuromuscular disorders. (2) To reposition the condylar head from the glenoid
      fossa after making a vertical osteotomy on the posterior portion of the ramus for
      eliminating the internal derangements of the joint. Therefore, the causes of
      considerable embarrassment of TMJDS could be eliminated and the iatrogenic trauma
      to the joint could be avoided. Since 1987-1990, 15 cases have been successfully
      performed.

PMID- 1874066
TI  - [Use of direct immunofluorescence in the diagnosis of diseases of oral mucous
      membrane].

PMID- 1874067
TI  - [The influence of natrium fluoride on the diffusion of Ca++ in protein solution
      of artificial pellicle in vitro].

PMID- 1874068
TI  - [Three-dimensional analysis on facial structures correlation of the facial
      aesthetics of Chinese].
AB  - The frontal facial moire photographs of 50 male and 50 female young adults with
      esthetic face strictly selected from Chinese population on the basis of the
      standard were taken and analysed three-dimensionally. It was found that not only
      significant correlation but also a statistical linear regressive equation existed
      between nose, lip and chin, between lip and chin, and between the width and the
      height of the face. So it is possible, on the basis of a known variable, to
      calculate another variable by means of the mathematical equation, which will
      provide quantitative variables for the orthognathic and the plastic surgery
      creating the esthetic face.

PMID- 1874069
TI  - [Factor analysis of anterior deep bite malocclusions and its significance].
AB  - A series of 38 measurements was derived from lateral cephalometric radiographs of
      a large sample of 195 subjects including 130 patients with deep bite malocclusion
      and 65 control subjects with normal occlusion. These measurements were subjected
      to a factor analysis which resulted in a series of 8 factors extracted which
      accounted for 83.3% of the total variance. These factors in rank order of their
      percentage sample variability were as follows. Factor 1: vertical height; Factor
      2: protrusion-retrusion of anterior teeth; Factor 3: protrusion of mid-face;
      Factor 4: horizontal position of posterior border of the jaws;Factor 5:
      protrusion of the chin; Factor 6: protrusion of lip; Factor 7: divergence of the
      face;Factor 8: inclination of upper Lip. The factor scores were further used in a
      multiple regression analysis in order to predict other cases. The data-reduction
      method involving a factor analysis would seem to have great significance of
      clinical application.

PMID- 1874070
TI  - [Relationship between radiology and prognosis in sarcoma of jaw].
AB  - A new radiologic grading based on the comprehensive studies of radiographs of 76
      cases of jaw bone sarcomas is suggested. Cortical expansion or sclerotic rim is
      regarded as grade 1, localized destruction with sharp edges as grade 2, moth
      eaten destruction as grade 3, and diffuse destruction as grade 4. A close
      relationship exists between the rate of 5 year survival and the radiologic
      grading which is considered to be one of the four main X-ray criteria for
      evaluation of prognosis. The other 3 criteria are the extent of destruction, the
      tumor location, and the changes of the teeth and periodontal space.

PMID- 1874071
TI  - [Cell kinetics of oral leukoplakia].
AB  - The cell kinetic characteristics of 28 cases of oral leukoplakia were studied by
      in vitro double labelling with 3H-thymidine and autoradiography. As compared with
      normal oral mucosa, there were significantly higher LI, shortened Tc and
      increased labelled basal cells in the leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia, and
      similar changes in LI, Tc and labelled basal cells were also found in several
      cases without epithelial dysplasia which were clinically homogeneous or evidently
      caused by tobacco use. The expansion of labelled cells was often found in the
      epithelium with shortened, even disappeared rete pegs. The significances of the
      findings described above was discussed. The authors consider cell kinetics study
      may be useful in monitoring the dangerous cases of leukoplakia.

PMID- 1874072
TI  - [Oral and maxillofacial multiple primary cancers].
AB  - Among 2989 patients with oral and maxillofacial cancers treated in our department
      from 1953 to 1985, 49 cases (1.63%) had the multiple primary lesions. The double
      primary cancers occurred in 44 cases (89.8%), three or more in 5 cases (10.2%).
      The multiple foci in an organ happened in 16 cases, different organ of systems in
      23, and two systems in 10 cases. The followup in 49 cases (92.4%) for 3-27 years
      revealed the survival rates as follow: 76% (3 yrs), 69% (5 yrs), 42% (10 yrs),
      and 33% (15 yrs). The aggressive surgical intervention should be performed in
      oral and maxillofacial multiple primary cancers for a good therapeutic result.

PMID- 1874073
TI  - [Application of tricalcium phosphate in one visit root canal treatment].
AB  - This paper reports the successful use of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) as periapical
      barrier material in animal experiments and clinics. The results of animal
      experiments showed that TCP had good biocompatibility with periapical tissues. At
      6 weeks there were osteoids deposited on the surface of TCP. At 12 weeks
      osteogenesis occurred around the TCP particles and combined each other closely.
      At 24 weeks around the periapex there were bone deposits and a tendency of apical
      closure. On the basis of experiments TCP was used to treat 17 chronic
      periapicitis in 15 patients. All cases were young permanent teeth with immature
      roots. It is suggested that TCP can be applied directly in chronic periapicitis
      with open apices of young permanent teeth. From 6 to 12 months after filling with
      TCP the X-rays showed that radiolucencies reduced or eliminated, bone trabecula
      formed and periapical lamina dura reestablished.

PMID- 1874074
TI  - [Accuracy and the repeatability of using intra-oral wax record method in
      registering the protrusive condylar guidance inclination].

PMID- 1874075
TI  - [Prognostic factor analysis of squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa].

PMID- 1874076
TI  - [A study of forced tooth movement. An observation of early histo-pathologic and
      ultrastructural changes in compressed periodontal ligaments of rats].

PMID- 1874077
TI  - [A longitudinal study of bone age].

PMID- 1874078
TI  - [Effect of tetrandrine and verapamil on left ventricular diastolic and systolic
      function in essential hypertension].
AB  - By using apexcardiography and echocardiography, the diastolic and systolic
      function of 34 hypertensive patients were studied. The results indicated that
      left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is one of the important factors in impairing LV
      diastolic function in essential hypertension. By using self-control method,
      Verapamil(V) was injected intravenously. Relative A wave to total diastolic
      amplitude (A/D), total apexcardiographic relaxation time index (TARTI), diastolic
      amplitude time index (DATI) and PEP/LVET were measured. After 5 half-lives of V,
      intravenous Tetrandrine (T) was given, all the measurements were repeated in the
      same way. The data revealed that A/D, TRATI and DATI improved significantly after
      intravenous T and V as well, yet PEP/LVET showed no significant change. It,
      therefore, seems clear that both T and V could induce a significant improvement
      in LV diastolic function without any apparent adverse influence on systolic
      function.

PMID- 1874079
TI  - [Pulmonary artery compliance and its relation with pulmonary hemodynamics in
      patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
AB  - In order to investigate pulmonary artery compliance (Cpa) and its relation with
      the clinical conditions and the other parameters of pulmonary hemodynamics in
      patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we performed right
      heart Swan-Ganz catheterization in 146 COPD patients and measured their Cpa with
      Engelberg's method. The results showed that Cpa of BB type patients was lower
      than that of PP type ones; patients with pulmonary hypertension or cor pulmonale
      had lower Cpa than those without. These results suggest that Cpa in COPD patients
      decreases as their clinical condition worsens. Cpa had close relation with other
      pulmonary hemodynamic parameters. It had significant negative correlation with
      pulmonary arterial mean pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance and right
      ventricular stroke work index and significant positive correlation with cardiac
      index and stroke volume index. Using Engelberg's method as the standard, we also
      compared Reuben's, Wang's and Zhong's methods which are all simpler than
      Engelberg's method for measuring Cpa clinically. The results showed that Cpa
      measured with Wang's method was the closest to that measured with Engelberg's
      method.

PMID- 1874080
TI  - [Hemodynamic changes in patients with chronic cor pulmonale secondary to COPD and
      effect of sodium nitroprusside administration].
AB  - Pulmonary hemodynamic changes were studied with Swan-Ganz right heart
      catheterization in 19 patients with chronic cor pulmonale secondary to COPD. HR,
      RVP, PAPM, PVR, PCWP, RWI and PaCO2 were significantly higher and PaO2 and PH
      lower in patients with decompensated than those with compensated heart function.
      Nitroprusside lowered effectively pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary
      vascular resistance. Meanwhile, the drug also lowered PaO2 when the patient was
      breathing air but did not so or even increased it when breathing oxygen.

PMID- 1874081
TI  - [A diagnostic approach to primary malignant lymphoma of the intestine].
AB  - Thirty-one cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the intestine diagnosed since
      1980 were studied. Being reviewed the clinical data all cases were reclassified
      histologically according to Isaacson's new classification in 1988. The
      immunohistochemical staining were performed with epithelial, B-cell, T-cell and
      histiocytic markers for early diagnosis of the disease. The results showed male,
      youth and laborer predominance with a short courses and poor prognosis,
      Colonoscopy and X-Ray found "malignant lesions" in characteristics.
      Histologically, High-grade and B-cell lymphoma were predominance. MALT lymphoma
      and the combination of low to high-grade lesions were found. Immunohistochemical
      staining is quite helpful in the differentiation of carcinoma, malignant
      histiocytosis. Finally, the procedure of early diagnosis of the disease was
      proposed.

PMID- 1874082
TI  - [Extramedullary relapse in acute leukemia].
AB  - Thirty four cases of isolated extramedullary relapse after complete remission of
      acute leukemia were reported. The relapse took place in central nervous system
      (CNS), genito-urinary system, skin, serous cavity, tonsils, lymph nodes, liver,
      spleen, gastro-intestinal tract, pancreas and ocular fundus. These 34 cases of
      isolated extramedullary relapse of leukemia was found in 206 cases with complete
      remission, constituting 16.5% of the total. In order to discover CNS relapse with
      no symptoms and signs, the author strongly suggest that cerebrospinal fluid
      examination be carried out periodically. If some symptoms signs in the patient
      can not explained by infection, congestion or other causes, extramedullary
      relapse should be considered and further examination and appropriate treatment
      are needed.

PMID- 1874083
TI  - [Cerebellar infarction and its assistant examination].
AB  - The clinical manifestations of cerebellar infarction are often non-particular and
      it is difficult to make such a diagnosis clinically. Diagnosis was based on
      pathology previously. Most of the cases were overlooked while still living and
      the true morbidity was not known. CT scan has made the diagnosis of this disease
      possible clinically in some patients, but CT is still not an ideal instrument for
      diagnosing this disease because of the interference by bony artifacts of
      posterior fossa. The advent of MRI made it possible to distinguish cerebellar
      infarction safely and easily. It is not the most powerful tool for diagnosing
      this disease. The authors reported 15 cases of cerebellar infarction diagnosed by
      clinical manifestation, neuroimages and pathology and pointed out that further
      knowledge of this disease is needed.

PMID- 1874084
TI  - [Clinical analysis of 130 patients with fever of unknown origin].
AB  - Hospital records of 130 patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) from 1985 to
      1989 were studied. Etiologic diagnoses were made in 117 (90%) patients, 60
      (46.1%) patients had infections, 22 (16.9%) neoplasms, 19 (14.6%) connective
      tissue diseases, and 16(12.3%) various diseases grouped under "miscellaneous",
      10% of the FUO cases remained undiagnosed and the death rate was 13.8%. This
      clinical analysis showed that infection was the most frequent cause of FUO in
      this series.

PMID- 1874085
TI  - [Changes in leucocytic estrogen receptor levels in patients with gynecomastia].
AB  - The number of estrogen receptor (ER) in human peripheral leucocytes in 13 men
      with gynecomastia were measured by radioligand binding method. The results were
      compared with those of 13 sex-and age-matched healthy subjects. It was found that
      the number of ER in leucocytes was significantly increased in gynecomastia (Rs of
      leucocytes were 1054 +/- 254 sites/cell). It suggested that increase of ER levels
      play an important role in the pathogenesis of gynecomastia.

PMID- 1874086
TI  - [The prognostic significance and correlation of ventricular late potentials with
      programmed electrical stimulation in patients after myocardial infarction].
AB  - Seventeen patients (pts) after myocardial infarction (MI) were studied with
      signal-averaged electrocardiograph and cardiac programmed electrical stimulation
      (PES). In 7 pts with late potentials (LPs), sustained ventricular tachycardia
      (SVT) was induced in 6 cases (6/7, 85.7%); while it was induced only in 3 cases
      the 10 pts without LPs (3/10, 30%). Both have significant difference (P less than
      0.01). During following observation, pts with LPs and SVT induced 5 of the 6
      appeared clinical SVT or ventricular fibrillation (VF) repetitiously, and 1 died
      from sudden cardiac death. They also have significant difference (P less than
      0.001) with pts without LPs and SVT not induced. These results suggests that LPs
      is a significant index for predicting future events and its combination with PES
      is helpful to screen high-risk pts after MI.

PMID- 1874087
TI  - [Relationship between electrocardiographic pattern and angiographic findings in
      inferior myocardial infarction].
AB  - The relationship between electrocardiographic pattern and angiographic features
      was assessed in 86 patients with inferior myocardial infarction. Although the
      occurrence of inferior Q wave was similar in patients with isolated left
      circumflex (LCX) or right coronary artery (RCA) occlusion, lateral Q wave and
      abnormal R wave in lead V1 were more frequent in the former. In patients with LCX
      related infarction, abnormal R wave in lead V1 associated with inferior and/or
      lateral Q waves may indicate left ventricular dysfunction, total occlusion of the
      LCX without collateral circulation, and high cardiac event rate during longterm
      follow-up.

PMID- 1874088
TI  - [Changes in parameters of hemorheology and circulation 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2
      in dilated cardiomyopathy].
AB  - The changes in 12 parameters of hemorheology were observed and the levels of
      peripheral plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and
      thromboxane B2 (TXB2) measured in 35 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM),
      including 6 peripartum cardiomyopathy (PCM). We found that there is of
      hyperviscosity in DCM, the causes were decrease of erythrocyte deformability,
      increase of red blood cell aggregation, increase of plasma fibrinogen and TXA2
      level and decrease of plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha level.

PMID- 1874089
TI  - [Hemolytic reaction resulting from propafenone administration].
AB  - Although adverse reactions of many kinds caused by propafenone have been
      observed, yet there has been no documented report of hemolytic reaction. Four
      episodes of hemolytic reaction in three patients receiving intravenous
      propafenone were reported. These reactions took place a few hours after the
      administration and one of the episodes was complicated with acute left
      ventricular heart failure and shock. Cessation of propafenone administration
      together with relevant therapeutic measures tide the patients over and hemolysis
      disappeared in several hours. Toxicological examination revealed no physical or
      chemical deterioration and biological contamination of the remaining medication
      and no such reaction was noted when the drug of the same batch was given to other
      patients. It is considered that the hemolytic episodes were related to allergic
      constitution of the patients. Judging from the clinical manifestations, these
      episodes were hemolytic reactions of immune complex type.

PMID- 1874090
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. An analysis
      of 20 cases].
AB  - In order to know the incidence and character of rapidly progressive
      glomerulonephritis (RPGN) in China, 20 patients with RPGN were analysed and 10 of
      them followed. Their diagnosis were confirmed by biopsy showing extensive
      crescent formation. Five patients were rebiopsied. RPGN was found in about 3% of
      the patients with glomerulonephritis in our center. Only one case was mediated by
      anti-GBM antibody, while the other 19 by immune complex. Prodromal infection was
      common (12/20). Hematuria, nephrotic syndrome and hypertension were found in 20,
      15 and 12 patients respectively. Five patients without special treatment died of
      renal cause within 6 months. Intensive treatment (pulse methylprednisone or
      plasmapheresis) was effective in all of the four cases with cellular crescents.
      After the treatment, their renal function improved with decrease of proliferation
      and crescent formation as shown by rebiopsy. However, deterioration of renal
      function reappeared after 3 months to 3 years in three of the cases. It is shown
      that in China, RPGN was predominantly mediated by immune complex and is
      associated with a high incidence of prodromal infection. Clinically, nephrotic
      syndrome was more frequently seen here than in western countries. For improvement
      of the prognosis, it is necessary to pay attention not only to earlier diagnosis
      but also to protection of renal function after intensive therapy.

PMID- 1874091
TI  - [Leukemia and solid tumor].
AB  - 3 cases of leukemia after solid tumor and 2 cases of solid tumors after leukemia
      were reported. The features of leukemia after solid tumor and the relationship
      between the solid tumor and leukemia, as well as the possible pathogenetic
      factors of the secondary malignancies were discussed.

PMID- 1874092
TI  - [The significance of immunoblot in serodiagnosis of cysticercosis cellulosae].
AB  - 50, 92 and 30 samples collected respectively from cases with cysticercosis
      cellulosae, other parasitic diseases and normal controls were examined with SDS
      gradient (5-20%) polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and immunoblot. The results
      showed that 26 KD protein band of the cysticercus antigen is highly specific for
      cysticercosis and no cross reaction could be seen in patients with other
      parasitic diseases, especially hydatid disease, and healthy controls. As we know
      that the cysticercus antigen usually has a high cross-reaction rate with
      hydatidosis by ELISA method, the positive rate of this test for cysticercosis is
      70% in comparison with 80% and 76% of ELISA and CFT respectively and the
      difference in the figures of these three tests has no statistical significance.
      Our study suggested that this method is valuable in clinical diagnosis and
      epidemiological surveys for research work on cysticercosis cellulosae.

PMID- 1874093
TI  - [Rapid diagnosis of typhoid fever and its treatment with antibacterial agents].

PMID- 1874094
TI  - [Clinical study of perioperative changes in plasma potassium].
AB  - Forty adult patients undergoing non-cardiac major surgery were divided into 2
      groups. Group A (n = 20) was anesthetized by balanced intravenous procaine
      anesthesia and group B (n = 20) by epidural block. Blood volume, urine output,
      potassium in plasma as well as urine, pH, glucose, aldosterone, cortisol and
      insulin were measured from 24 hours before operation to 48 hours after operation.
      Evident perioperative trend of hypokalemia in patients with normal renal function
      was most likely due to the following factors: potassium loss prior to operation,
      improper pre- or post-operative replacement of fluids, perioperative stress,
      increasing of blood insulin and urine potassium excretion. Our results run
      against to the general concept that it may not be necessary to supply potassium
      with 72 hours after operation.

PMID- 1874095
TI  - [Studies of midazolam, diazepam and thiopentone on respiratory and cardiovascular
      function during induction anesthesia].
AB  - In this study, the effects of midazolam (M), diazepam (D) and thiopentone (T) on
      respiratory and cardiovascular systems were compared. The patients were randomly
      divided into 6 groups, besides minute ventilatory volume (MV), onset of induction
      and cardiovascular changes were also observed. Induction was performed by a bolus
      injection of one of the following: midazolam (0.3 mg/kg), diazepam (0.3 mg/kg) or
      thiopentone (5 mg/kg). Five minutes later, 5 micrograms/kg fentanyl and 1.5-2.0
      mg/kg succinylcholine were administered. The results showed that: (1) Inhibitory
      effect on MV was not prominent and similar after use of midazolam and diazepam
      but was remarkable after thiopental; (2) As for the onset, midazolam was faster
      than diazepam but slower than thiopentone; (3) Hemodynamic changes of midazolam,
      diazepam and thiopentone were similar, however during intubation, cardiovascular
      response was the least in midazolam, diazepam the intermediate and thiopentone
      the most significant. We conclude that midazolam is a water-soluble, safe and
      effective inductive anesthetic with its short eliminated half-life period, and
      much lesser venous irritation, and it is certainly superior to both diazepam and
      thiopentone.

PMID- 1874096
TI  - [Effects of fasting and infusion of acid-base balance, electrolyte and plasma
      glucose level in children during operation].
AB  - We studied the effects of fasting and infusion different fluid on acid-base
      balance, electrolyte and plasma glucose level in 50 children during operation.
      After whole night fasting, 26 of 44 children (59.1%) were found to have metabolic
      acidosis, and 5 of 42 children (11.9%) have hypokalemia. The serum K+ level of 30
      of 42 children (71.4%) and the serum Na+ level of 6 of 48 children (12.5%) were
      lower than normal. The serum Cl- level of 21 of 48 children (43.8%) was higher
      than normal. The serum glucose level of 6 of 48 children was lower than normal.
      One of 48 children (2.1%) had hypoglycemia. The effects of infusing deferent
      fluids on acid-base balance, electrolytes and plasma glucose level were compared.
      The results showed that in patients infusing 10% dextrose with Ringer's solution
      or 5% Dextrose with normal saline, the plasma glucose level, electrolytes
      maintained at the normal level or acidosis corrected significantly. It is
      suggested that 10% dextrose with Ringer's solution and 5% dextrose with normal
      saline are infused during operation for children.

PMID- 1874097
TI  - [Hypoxaemia during transportation of patients after anesthesia and upper abdomen
      surgery].
AB  - The incidence of hypoxaemia was studied in 100 patients breathing room air during
      their transportation from the operating room to the recovery room. Hypoxaemia
      (SaO2 less than 90%) occurred in 24 (24%) patients. Oxygen saturation rose
      quickly above 95% when oxygen was administered. The causes of hypoxaemia are
      discussed. Quick transportation and oxygen supply were recommended.

PMID- 1874098
TI  - [Cerebral protection in neurosurgical anesthesia].
AB  - We present herein clinical experience of neurosurgical anesthesia and cerebral
      protection in 66 cases, including 27 with supratentorial mass, 28 posterior fossa
      tumor and 11 cerebral vascular deformity. Our methods for the control of
      intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) during neurosurgical
      anesthesia were as follows: (1) avoidance of the drugs adversely influenced on
      ICP; (2) use of lidocaine iv. infusion; (3) prevention of hypercapnia; (4)
      maintenance of adequate perfusion of vital organs; (5) drainage of cerebrospinal
      fluid if necessary; (6) use of free radical clearing agents. We conclude that
      they are key points of effective control of ICP and maintenance of CBF so as to
      prevent cerebral ischemic effect on neurological function.

PMID- 1874099
TI  - [Clinical study on changes in insulin, C-peptide and glucagon during
      cardiopulmonary bypass].
AB  - Insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels in plasma from 13 patients during
      cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were measured. Insulin level was higher during and
      after CPB than the level before operation (P less than 0.01 or 0.01 less than P
      less than 0.05). C-peptide level during and after CPB was much higher than the
      level before operation (P less than 0.01). There were no changes in glucagon
      level in CPB patients. The mechanism of these changes and clinical significances
      were discussed.

PMID- 1874100
TI  - [Internal intussusception of the rectum. An analysis of 62 cases].
AB  - In 62 cases of internal intussusception of the rectum, 21 were treated
      surgically. Their clinical features included serious dyschesia demanding longer
      time and strength, tenesmus, and slender stool. Digital examination of the
      rectum, proctoscopy, and colonoscopy usually showed no abnormalities, while
      defecography could show the presence and severity of internal intussusception.
      Parenchymal diseases of the rectum such as carcinomas should be ruled out before
      surgical correction. Operative measures included rectal suspension raising of the
      pelvic floor, resection of the redundant sigmoid colon, and the pathogenesis of
      the disease.

PMID- 1874101
TI  - [Doppler ultrasonic diagnosis for arterial occlusive disease in the lower limbs].
AB  - Measurement of segmental arterial pressure by Doppler ultrasonography and Doppler
      arterial tracing in the lower extremity has become a widely used noninvasive
      diagnostic technique for arterial occlusive diseases. One hundred and twelve
      limbs with arterial occlusive disease (aortoiliac 45, superficial femoral 13,
      popliteal 11, aorto-iliac-femoro-popliteal 35, and tibiofibular arterial segments
      8) were evaluated by both angiographic and Doppler ultrasonic techniques,
      Angiographic findings showed that ultrasonic diagnosis was accurate in 86% of
      aorto-iliac-femoro-popliteal arterial lesions, in 92% of superficial femoral
      arterial lesions, and in 100% of the remaining lesions. We believe that the
      diagnostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasonography could be further improved with the
      help of segmental arterial pressure measurement using 4 separated narrow cuffs
      and blood stream tracing technique.

PMID- 1874102
TI  - [Internal fixation of fractured ribs with Kirschner wires for serious traumatic
      chest instability].
AB  - Internal fixation of fractured ribs with kirschner wires was done in 14 patients
      with serious traumatic chest wall instability. Four of these patients had
      fracture of prothorax ribs, and 10 fracture of lateral thorax ribs. This method
      can not only stabilize the chest wall but also reduce the fractured ribs. It is
      an ideal treatment for serious traumatic chest wall instability. In this paper,
      operative opportunity, indication and the main technical points of surgery are
      discussed.

PMID- 1874103
TI  - [Repair of large soft tissue defects in the lower extremity of children by
      bilateral latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap transference].
AB  - Large soft tissue defects of the lower extremity of 8 children was repaired with
      latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps. The age of the children ranged from 6 to 9
      years. Both functional recovery and cosmetic appearance of the repaired limbs
      were satisfactory. Cross-bridge vascular anastomoses were used in four cases
      because no vessels were available for anastomosis at the recipient site. No
      significant functional impairments have been noted at the donor site. Operative
      techniques, indications for this procedure and related problems are discussed.

PMID- 1874104
TI  - [Changes in oxygen extraction rate after craniocerebral injury].
AB  - Changes of oxygen metabolism were observed in 8 experimental dogs and in 9
      patients with head injury. Each dog harbored a bag in the epidural space, and was
      injected normal saline. The ICP was raised to 13.3 kPa and to 20.0 kPa
      respectively. Arterial oxygenation declined and mixed venous oxygenation went up
      when the ICP was raised to the given level and maintained for 30 minutes. The
      oxygen extraction rate decreased from 25.00 +/- 5.40% to 21.50 +/- 4.60% (P less
      than 0.01) at the ICP level of 20 kPa. Tissue hypoxia was observed in all
      patients. Although PaO was higher than inspiring air when patients inhaled 50%
      oxygen. Tissue hypoxia was not improved. The results suggest that the patients
      head injury is complicated by not only hypoxemia but decrease of oxygen
      extraction in tissue and organs. We consider that the alteration is responsible
      for multiple organs failure injury.

PMID- 1874105
TI  - [Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Clinical and pathological correlations].
AB  - Fourty patients (21 males, 19 females; mean age 43.95 +/- 11.58 years) had
      polypoid lesions of the gallbladder, which were confirmed surgically and
      pathologically. The incidence of the disease was 15.8% in patients undergoing
      cholecystectomy and 1.4% in patients having ultrasonography. In the 40 patients,
      23 (57.5%) had cholesterol polyps, 5 (12.5%) inflammatory polyps, 4 (10%)
      adenocarcinomas, 3 (7.5%) xanthomatous polyps, 2 (5%) papillary adenomas, 1 mixed
      polyp, 1 neurofibroma, and 1 adenomatoid proliferative polyp. The mean age of
      patients with nontumorous polyp was 41.27 +/- 10.16 years. In these patients,
      78.8% had polyps less than 5 mm in diameter, and 69.7% had multiple lesions.
      However, the mean age of patients with tumorous polyp was 56.71 +/- 9.79 years
      and 71.4% of the patients had polyps more than 5 mm in diameter and 85.7% single
      lesions. 72.5% of the patients had clinical symptoms. Polyps were detected
      ultrasonographically, but one third of them were overlooked by either
      cholecystography or CT. Nomenclature, pathological classification and management
      of the lesions are discussed.

PMID- 1874106
TI  - [The effect of bile duct pressure on cholangiovenous reflux. A clinical study].
AB  - The measurement of the filling pressure of the bile duct during the process of
      endoscopic retrograde catheter cholangiography, and the determination of blood
      culture and blood iodine before and after cholangiography were carried out to
      probe into the effect of bile duct pressure on cholangiovenous reflux. In 32
      cases, 2 had positive blood culture after cholangiography, with a bile duct
      pressure being 2.98 kPa and 3.72 kPa respectively. Nineteen cases with a pressure
      below 2.94 kPa showed negative blood culture. In 10 cases with a bile duct
      filling pressure below 2.16 kPa, no increase in blood iodine was noted whereas,
      blood iodine level was increased in 5 out of 9 cases (55.6%) with a bile duct
      filling pressure between 2.16-2.94 kPa, and in 9 out of 13 cases 69.2% with the
      pressure greater than 2.94 kPa. We believed that during direct cholangiography,
      the bile duct pressure should be lower than 2.94 kPa in order to prevent the
      complication of bacteremia. For patients hypersensitive to iodine, the bile duct
      pressure should be lower than 2.16 kPa.

PMID- 1874107
TI  - [Problems in the surgical treatment of gastric cancers].
AB  - Radical resections were performed in 177 cases of gastric cancer (early cancer 31
      cases and advanced cancer 146 cases). R+1 operation was performed in 10 cases and
      R2 or R3 was in 167. All patients were followed up to the end of the study with
      the 5-year survival rate of 57.6%. In the patients with normal serosa, cancer was
      often located in the mucosa. In such situation, R1 or R1+ operation was
      advisable. In the patients of reactive serosal types, the extent of operation
      should not be reduced. The serosa were often penetrated by cancer cells in
      diffusely infiltrated cancer, with a poor prognosis. If measures were not taken
      to destroy free cancer cells, the 5-year survival rate was very low inspite of
      radical operations. The number of lymph node metastasis was closely related to
      the biological behavior of primary cancer. Prognosis was good after R2 or R3
      operation when the cancer was still within the gastric wall, Borrmann type 1,2,3,
      massive or nest growth patterns, and the number of lymph node metastasis was
      below 5 and within first group (n1). If the number of lymph node metastasis was
      above 10, metastasis to the second (n2) or third group (n3), the cancer
      infiltrated to the serosa, Borrmann type 4, diffused growth pattern the prognosis
      was poor even R2 or R3 operations were performed.

PMID- 1874108
TI  - [Free toe transfer with plantar metatarsal arteries and dorsal venous pedicle.
      Report of 18 cases].
AB  - Eighteen free second toe were used for pollicization other than the conventional
      method. From the first and second plantar metatarsal arteries junction of the
      both digital arteries of the second toe were dissected retrogradely and
      anastomosed to the deep of superficial palmar arch or terminal branch of the
      radial artery. The venous return was established between the dorsal venous arch
      and cephalic vein. These vessels were found to have much bigger diameters and
      less anatomical variation than those used by conventional methods. Seventeen
      transplantation were considered successful both functionally and cosmetically.
      One cases had persistent spasmodic contraction of the recipient arteries, so the
      transplant was salvaged by subclavicular pedicle including the sutured nerves and
      the attached soft tissues as introduced by Lu in 1964. Our method for
      reconstruction of the thumb or finger can avoid frequent anatomical variation and
      smaller diameter of the anastomosed vessels.

PMID- 1874109
TI  - [An approach to correcting scoliosis. Mechanism and operative procedure].
AB  - In the treatment of scoliosis, we found that soft tissue contracture on the
      concave side is the main force maintaining deformity, resisting correction and
      rejecting implants. So the release of contracture would get rid of the bow-string
      effect of the contractured tissues from the main curve, such as the capsules and
      ligaments around costo-transverse joints, the inter-transverse and intercostal
      muscles, together with the posterior section of the corresponding ribs would also
      be taken off by those shrunken tissues close to the main curve, like the capsules
      and ligaments around the costo-vertebral joints. Since 1982, 23 patients aged 6
      to 16 years were treated operatively. The operation was done in 2 stages:
      contracture release on the concave side and fusion with bone grafting on both
      side laminae through body cast. Follow up for 1 to 8.5 years showed satisfactory
      results. The mechanism and effect of soft tissue contracture of idiopathic and
      congenital scoliosis are discussed in detail.

PMID- 1874110
TI  - [Surgical treatment of left main coronary artery stenosis].
AB  - Nineteen consecutive patients with severe stenosis of the left main coronary
      artery underwent coronary bypass surgery between Jan. 1980 and Sept. 1989. They
      had typical symptoms of angina pectoris, and 10 of them showed unstable angina
      pattern. Disabling symptoms of angina pectoris persisted in all patients despite
      medication. Eight patients had myocardial infarction. Two patients (10.5%) died
      postoperatively. Sixteen patients (94.1%) surviving surgery were alive from 6 to
      106 months after operation. 13 patients were asymptomatic, 2 had a significant
      reduction in angina symptoms. The findings suggest that myocardial
      revascularization may effectively improve the life quality and prolong life span
      of a patient with significantly occlusive disease of the left main coronary
      artery.

PMID- 1874111
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of 52 cases of cardiac myxoma].
AB  - 43 patients with cardiac myxoma had undergone surgical removal of the tumors
      under CPB 38 tumors were located in the left atrium, 5 in right atrium, and 1 in
      right ventricle respectively. The sites of attachment of the tumor stalk observed
      during operation were as follows: 34 left atrial myxomas were attached to the
      interatrial septum and 4 left atrial myxomas to the atrial wall. 5 right atrial
      myxomas were attached to the interatrial septum and 1 right ventricular myxoma to
      the ventricular wall. 1 patient with a right ventricular myxoma which had been
      removed one year ago appeared new one in the left atrium and the tumor was cut
      too. The diagnosis of cardiac myxoma was confirmed by 2D-echo-cardiography in all
      of our cases. Mitral valve replacement was done in 1 patient in this series.
      There was one death postoperatively. Besides these 43 cases, there were 9
      patients who had not been operated upon, because of refusal of operation in 5,
      sudden death from cardiac arrest before operation in 2, coma from cerebral
      thrombosis in 1, and serious pulmonary tuberculosis in another one respectively.

PMID- 1874112
TI  - [Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy and ureteroscopic lithotripsy for ureteral
      stones. A comparative study].
AB  - From June 1987 to December 1988, 212 cases of ureteral calculi were treated with
      ESWL and ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) respectively. The lithotriptic success
      rates of ESWL for upper, mid and distal ureteric stones were 100.0%, 100.0% and
      93.4% respectively as compared with 62.5%, 85.7% and 93.7% of URSL. ESWL for
      upper and mid ureteral stones was obviously superior to URSL (P less than 0.001).
      The incidence rate of complications of ESWL was lower than that of URSL (P less
      than 0.05). In the 212 cases, urinary extravasation caused by ureteral injury
      occurred in 4 cases treated by URSL. We suggest that ESWL should be the first
      treatment of choice for ureteral calculi and URSL is not recommended for the
      treatment of upper ureteral calculi, but it may be used as an adjunctive method.

PMID- 1874113
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of adrenal cysts].
AB  - Six patients with adrenal cysts, a rare disease, were treated. Among 5 patients
      undergoing operations, 4 had pseudocysts and one had epithelial cyst. Most of the
      patients had no symptoms. B-ultrasonography and CT scanning played a leading role
      in the diagnosis of the disease. The incidence, etiology, pathological
      classification and treatment of adrenal cysts are discussed.

PMID- 1874114
TI  - [Anaerobic infection of burns].
AB  - To analyze anaerobic infection 158 specimens were obtained from deep necrotic
      tissues and exudates under burned subeschar, secretion of eyes and blood. The
      results showed that more anaerobes were isolated from deep necrotic tissues
      (46.88%) and smelly exudates of subeschar (38.71%). Most of them were mixed with
      aerobes (97.1%). In 43 strains of anaerobes, Clostridium accounted for 18 strains
      (41.86%), and Bacteroides for 17 strains (39.53%). Fusiform nucleatum.
      Peptococcus, and Veillonell paryula were also differentiated. The recent total
      detectable rate of anaerobes (38.71%) from burn wounds was higher significantly
      than that of 1980-1983 (14.7%). It may be due to the exact selection of specimens
      and modification of cultural medium and equipment.

PMID- 1874115
TI  - [Porencephaly. A report of 45 cases].
AB  - In 45 cases of porencephaly 35 were male and 10 female. Their age ranged from 80
      days to 58 years (mean 14 years). In this series, symptoms were observed 80 days
      to 22 years before diagnosis. twenty-four cases were premature delivery,
      difficult labour or birth trauma. 14 cases had a history of head injury. 36 cases
      had congenital porencephalic cyst and 9 had post-traumatic porencephaly. The main
      symptoms and signs of porencephaly were dementia, speech defect, intracranial
      hypertension, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, ataxia or paralysis. etc. It is suggested
      that CT scan is very useful in the diagnosis of porencephaly, and section of
      cerebral cortex, opening of cyst, continuous drainage or shunting operation
      should be done as soon as the diagnosis was made.

PMID- 1874116
TI  - [Neural blockage of phenol-glycerine for cancer pain].
AB  - Neural blocking of phenol-glycerine was used for the treatment of cancer pain
      originated from the esophagus, stomach, liver, lung, rectum, ovary, nasopharynx,
      head and neck. According to the dose difference, 148 cases were divided into
      three groups of 7-10% 4-5 ml (30 cases), 15-20% 3-4 ml (70 cases), and 25% 2-2.5
      ml (48 cases). The result observed among the three groups as good or fair was
      46.7%, 80% and 89.6% respectively, however, complications occurred too within the
      rate of 13.3%, 34.3% and 14.6% respectively. It is indicated that 2.5 ml of 15
      25% phenol-glycerine seems better.

PMID- 1874117
TI  - [Treatment of gut-derived endotoxemia with lactulose. An experimental study].
AB  - Endotoxemia plays an important role in the origination and development of many
      dangerous clinical diseases, for which there has been little medication so far.
      To determine whether lactulose has an effect on endotoxemia, we treated
      experimental, gut-derived endotoxemia using lactulose in vitro and in vivo. The
      results showed that 55 mg lactulose inactivated the activity of 0.01 mg endotoxin
      on limulus lysate in vitro, suggesting that lactulose may have a direct anti
      endotoxin effect. In vivo study in rats showed that blood endotoxin level was
      significantly decreased from 78.61 +/- 6.54 pg/ml to 20.26 +/- 2.38 pg/ml (P less
      than 0.01), and liver damage significantly reduced after lactulose treatment. It
      is suggested that lactulose can prevent absorbtion of endotoxin from gut and may
      have an effect on gut-derived endotoxemia. The mechanism of lactulose for
      treating endotoxemia is discussed.

PMID- 1874118
TI  - [Internal fixation for intertrochanteric fracture. Biomechanical study].
AB  - A Type IIIa intertrochanteric fracture was made on the preserved femurs of adult
      cadavers. The fracture was fixed by 4 methods: Percalcar Steinmann's pins,
      Knowle's pins, Nail plate and Angle plate. The loading limit of the fixations
      were 150, 140, 70 and 40 kg respectively. In fatigue test the loading ability of
      the percalcar Steinmann's pins were 4 times greater than that of Nail plate or
      Angle plate. In Nail plate and Angle plate. The pathological section of the upper
      femur showed the most bony destruction was at the trabecula beneath the lateral
      cortex, and in the percalcar Steinmann's, it was at the neck trabecula, where the
      cal car plays an important role in supporting the loading of the lowest pin. It
      was found that the level arm was shortened and the loading ability increased. As
      the direction of the lowest pin was nearly parallel to the loading axis of the
      hip. The calcar suffered less shearing force. These findings showed that the
      percalcar Steinmann's pins fixation is the best in these 4 methods.

PMID- 1874119
TI  - [Bone remodeling after internal fixation with different stiffness plates:
      ultrastructural investigation].
AB  - Fourty adult New Zealand rabbits were used in this experiment. Four rabbits
      served as control and the rest 36 divided into 3 groups, each of which was fixed
      respectively with methylmethacrylate, titanium and strain-less steel plate on
      left intact tibiae. The cortical bone beneath the plate was harvested at 2, 4, 8
      and 12 weeks after operation and observed by means of with transmission electron
      microscope. The major ultrastructural changes after internal fixation with
      different stiffness plates were alteration of osteocyte life cycle, perilacunar
      matrix, and disorder of osteoclast-osteoblast coupling. The greater the stiffness
      of the plate, the greater the ultrastructural change.

PMID- 1874120
TI  - [Oxygen free radicals and ischemic injuries].

PMID- 1874121
TI  - Tetanus: pathophysiology, management, and prophylaxis.
AB  - As tetanus has become a rare disease in the developed world, physicians have
      become less comfortable with its diagnosis and management. The extent of adequate
      antitetanus immunity in the adult population, especially the elderly, is waning,
      in great measure because primary care physicians have not made prophylaxis a
      priority in their routine encounters with patients. Furthermore, as the
      population of immunocompromised hosts grows, an increasing percentage of our
      patients may not respond to standard active immunization routines. Unless these
      trends are reversed, we face a substantial increase in the incidence of this
      dread disorder. Tetanus is also of interest as a relatively simple model of
      disordered motor control that can instruct us in the management of the many more
      common causes of neurogenic muscular rigidity. The toxin produced by Clostridium
      tetani finds increasing use in laboratories investigating brain function as well.
      Clinical tetanus is divided into four symptomatic types: generalized tetanus,
      local tetanus, cephalic tetanus, and neonatal tetanus. This monograph discusses
      the diagnostic aspects of each type of tetanus, its pathophysiology, diagnosis,
      differential diagnosis, and treatment. Preventing tetanus should be a high
      priority for all primary care physicians. Active immunization with tetanus toxoid
      is remarkably effective and safe. Passive immunization with human tetanus immune
      globulin is indicated in certain circumstances, which are discussed below.

PMID- 1874122
TI  - [Malignant lymphoma associated with HIV infection].
AB  - The course of disease in 119 HIV-infected patients (117 men, 2 women; median age
      38.5 years) with malignant tumours other than Kaposi's sarcoma was analyzed in a
      multi-centre retrospective study. This was conducted to obtain initial
      information concerning the incidence, clinical features and results of therapy in
      HIV-associated neoplasms, especially malignant lymphomas. The most frequent
      tumour was malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (98 patients, 82.5%), seven patients
      had Hodgkin's disease, five had solid tumours, four a polyclonal
      lymphoproliferative syndrome, three an acute lymphocytic leukaemia, and two had
      other lymphoproliferative diseases. 58% of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occurred
      in patients with marked immunodeficiency, 85% were high grade malignancies and
      47% had primary extranodal disease. 56% of primary nodal lymphomas also had
      visceral spread (Stage IV). Lymphoblastic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was more common
      in patients with favourable immunological status, presented less frequently with
      primary extranodal disease, was diagnosed earlier than other non-Hodgkin's
      lymphomas, and appeared to carry a better prognosis. 78 out of the 98 patients
      with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma had been treated, 66 with cytotoxics. The median
      survival time was 6 months. Longer remission periods, of at least 12 months, were
      seen in ten of the 78 patients (13%). Despite the overall poor prognosis and the
      pre-existing immune defect, palliative (chemo-)therapeutic measures are both
      justified and promising, and may also result in life-prolonging remissions.

PMID- 1874123
TI  - [Involvement of the central nervous system in disseminated tuberculosis].
AB  - Four weeks after starting tuberculostatic treatment (with isoniazid, rifampicin,
      streptomycin and pyrazinamide) a 21-year-old man with pulmonary tuberculosis
      developed symptoms of a radiculomyelopathy as well as mild renal failure. After
      isoniazid and streptomycin had been discontinued and ethambutol and high doses of
      vitamin B6 had been added all signs and symptoms improved. However, 4 weeks later
      tuberculous meningitis occurred which at first seemed to respond to
      administration of 5 antituberculosis drugs and dexamethasone. But 3 weeks later
      the patient sustained a partial hemiparesis. Its cause was proven to be a
      tuberculoma in the region of the brainstem. During further administration of
      tuberculostatic drugs and glucocorticoids the symptoms gradually receded over 8
      months. A 54-year-old man with pulmonary tuberculosis developed cranial nerve
      pareses and symptoms of cerebellar involvement (trunk ataxia, intention tremor,
      dysdiadochokinesia) 3 weeks after starting tuberculostatic treatment. Computed
      tomography revealed multiple intracerebral tuberculomas which gradually shrank
      with continuation of the tuberculostatic treatment plus glucocorticoids. These
      two case reports illustrate that in tuberculosis involvement of the CNS can
      express itself clinically through complex symptoms, sometimes even after the
      start of tuberculostatic treatment.

PMID- 1874124
TI  - [Diagnosis of coronary disease: current aspects].

PMID- 1874125
TI  - [Self monitoring of blood sugar].

PMID- 1874126
TI  - [Chologenetic diarrhea].

PMID- 1874127
TI  - [Prehospital stage in acute myocardial infarct].

PMID- 1874128
TI  - [Acute posttraumatic lung failure. Its treatment through pressure-limited
      respiration and continuous postural change].
AB  - Nine patients (4 women and 5 men; mean age 31 [20-48] years) with severe
      posttraumatic adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were treated with
      continuous postural change (kinetic bed) and pressure-limited ventilation. Seven
      patients survived; only one patient died as a result of pulmonary insufficiency.
      As compliance was markedly reduced (less than 20 ml/cm H2O), low stroke volumes
      (up to 380 ml) and high respiratory rate (up to 45/min) were employed to keep
      airway peak pressure below 40 mmHg. Kinetic treatment lasted for a mean of 14 (2
      28) days; artificial ventilation was maintained for 31 (9-49) days. Practical
      problems of the method are the intensive nursing care required for the kinetic
      bed and the risk of decubitus ulcers, as well as disconnection of infusion
      tubing. The results indicate that kinetic treatment with pressure-limited
      ventilation constitutes a low-risk and, in many cases, effective treatment of
      severe ARDS.

PMID- 1874129
TI  - [Immunoproliferative disease of the small intestine. A rare differential
      diagnosis of Crohn's disease].
AB  - For 2 years a 39-year-old Turkish man had had abdominal pain as well as weight
      loss of more than 10 kg over 4 months, associated with a raised ESR (33 mm/h) and
      recurrent gastrointestinal bleedings which endoscopy revealed to have been caused
      by a marked erosive duodenitis. Biopsies from the duodenum and terminal ileum
      demonstrated lymphoplasmocytic infiltration of the entire small intestine in the
      sense of immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID). By
      immunohistochemistry the lymphoplasmacellular infiltrate showed polyclonal
      expression of IgA without IgA increase in serum, urine and duodenal juice. The
      patient was treated with tetracycline (500 mg twice daily) for one year. The
      symptoms and histological lesions were much improved after 4 months. One year
      after diagnosis he was symptom-free.

PMID- 1874130
TI  - [Multicystic chylous lymphangioma in the mesentery of the small intestine].
AB  - In the search for metastases computed tomography and ultrasonography of the
      abdomen were performed in a 47-year-old man with a known malignant melanoma in
      the left lower leg. Numerous fluid-filled cavities, about 8 cm in diameter, were
      an incidental finding. He died two years after diagnosis of the melanoma, which
      had extensively metastasized. At autopsy a large multicystic tumour (21 x 15 x 8
      cm) was found in the mesentery of the small intestine. The cysts were filled with
      chyle. Histologically they proved to be multicystic lymphangiomas. Mesenteric
      lymphangiomas are very rare, multicystic ones and manifestation in adults even
      more so.

PMID- 1874131
TI  - [Aortobronchial fistulae as late complications following the surgical correction
      of aortic isthmus stenosis].
AB  - Three patients (2 men, aged 39 and 52 years, one woman, aged 47 years) developed
      hemoptysis 3-19 years after surgical resection of coarctation of the aorta.
      Digital subtraction angiography in the two men was suspicious of an
      aortobronchial fistula. An emergency thoracotomy revealed the diagnosis in the
      woman: she died during the operation of intractable arterial bleeding, the
      initial operation having been atypical (insertion of a graft extending across the
      isthmus to the ascending aorta). The 52-year-old man died of left heart failure
      after pneumonectomy (for massive bleeding into the left lung). An aneurysm sack
      at the aortic isthmus was resected and a vascular graft implanted in the 39-year
      old man. There have been no further hemoptyses. These cases emphasize the need
      for including aortobronchial fistula as a cause of hemoptysis.

PMID- 1874132
TI  - [The Hajdu-Cheney syndrome. The basilar impression as a diagnostic sign].

PMID- 1874133
TI  - [The examination by employees of the notes of the occupational physician].

PMID- 1874134
TI  - [Otosclerosis and estrogen-gestagen substitution in the menopause].

PMID- 1874135
TI  - [A bleeding complication as a consequence of bolus lysis after resuscitation].

PMID- 1874136
TI  - [The "protective acid coat" of the skin of our domestic animals].
AB  - The study reviews and discusses functional aspects of the so-called "acid mantle"
      of the integumentum commune of domesticated mammals and birds. The problems
      referred to are closely related to the skin surface-pH and different factors
      influencing this phenomenon (chemical composition of the skin surface film,
      secretory activity of apocrine tubular glands, structure of the microflora, lack
      of skin glands in birds). It becomes evident, that an "acid mantle" of the skin
      of domesticated animals cannot be verified, and that normal skin-pH (medium
      values weakly acid to alkaline) exerts no microbicidal effects. Integumental
      antimicrobial properties may rather be connected with free fatty acids as
      decomposition products of skin lipids.

PMID- 1874137
TI  - [The history of the book, "The family horse doctor, or the art of healing one's
      own horse," by Francis Clater].
AB  - Francis CLATER presumably was born in 1754 near Nottingham. He became farrier
      after years of apprenticeships at Newark and Retford. In 1783 the first edition
      of his book "Every man his own farrier" was published. Within 50 years at least
      30 editions were printed. This book was translated by PRETOT into French (1822),
      by S. von TENNECKER (1823) and by LENTIN (1834) into German and by TURNE (1838)
      into Russian language. Contents of some editions are compared and valued.

PMID- 1874138
TI  - [The first Polish animal contagious disease act of 1844].
AB  - The Veterinary Control Act of 1844 was the first to regulate in entirety the
      control of infectious diseases in animals and questions of sanitary inspection of
      animal food products in the Kingdom of Poland. The act listed explicit procedures
      regarding diagnostics, control and eradication of diseases as well as concerning
      animal food product inspection. The act required that animal owners become
      familiar with symptoms of animal diseases, their methods of control and that they
      prevent their spreading. The obligations of veterinarians, state physicians and
      administrative control bodies in the control of animal diseases were specified by
      the act. Besides the main text on the control of diseases and meat inspection the
      act also contains elements of food law, some norms concerning public law and
      order (e.g. requirements concerning dogs) and even some regulations on animal
      protection.

PMID- 1874139
TI  - [The history of the Hungarian veterinary students evacuated to the West December
      1944].

PMID- 1874140
TI  - Early veterinary history in the United States of America.
AB  - Those involved in the early history of veterinary medicine in the United States
      of America provided valuable services and an excellent foundation for later
      development of the profession. Even though the farriers and cowleeches had little
      knowledge, and occasionally less ethics, most performed as best they could.
      Certainly, the medical profession contributed greatly to the success of the
      American veterinary profession. Furthermore, the influence of British
      veterinarians and their publications added much to improving the profession.
      Perhaps the greatest accomplishment for the betterment of the profession was the
      establishment of the United States Veterinary Medical Association. Once the
      practicing veterinarians in the United States became organized and concerned, the
      profession appeared to develop rapidly providing both educational opportunities
      and pride in veterinary medicine.

PMID- 1874141
TI  - [Veterinary students in Denmark].

PMID- 1874142
TI  - A survey of veterinary education and administration in Turkey.

PMID- 1874143
TI  - [Veterinary administration in the Rhineland--yesterday and today].
AB  - The public veterinary administration was founded in July 1817 by the "Supreme
      Act" and developed from the public medical administration during the first half
      of the 19th century to finally an adequate position in 1913. In the beginning
      prior objectives were animal disease campaigns and participation in animal
      breeding activities. Towards the end of the last century the public veterinary
      administration also dealt with hygiene control concerning food of animal origin
      and meat hygiene. Further fields of activities followed, for example the control
      of the disposal of animal carcases, trade with animal drugs, vaccines and
      feedstuff, protection of animals and poultry meat hygiene. It was of special
      importance to the medium level of the public veterinary administration when in
      1981 a chemist engaged in the supervision of food for human consumption was
      employed by the "Regierungsprasident" Cologne. It was then possible to lump
      together both control in the complete field of supervision of food for human
      consumption and public veterinary administration.

PMID- 1874144
TI  - [William Moorcroft (1767-1825). Veterinarian, explorer in Asia--and spy?].
AB  - From 1790 to 1791 the surgeon William MOORCROFT studied veterinary medicine in
      Alford. He was the first Englishman with a complete formal veterinary education.
      In 1808 he gave up his horse practice and went into service of the East India
      Company as superintendent of the Company's Indian stud. Search for appropriate
      stud-horses and his efforts for opening up trading-routes from India to inner
      Asia induced him to exploring expeditions into the regions of the southwest
      Himalayas, the Hindu kush, Samarkand and Afghanistan. There he made also a lot of
      geographical and biological observations. He was not only one of the European
      pioneer Himalaya explorers but became also an early participant of the later so
      called "Great Game", the struggle between England and Russia for supremacy in
      Central Asia.

PMID- 1874145
TI  - [Connections between Helsinki and Hannover in the sphere of the history of
      veterinary medicine (short report)].

PMID- 1874146
TI  - [Polish veterinary schools in the past and present].

PMID- 1874147
TI  - [Deaths in swine by a lightning strike in the sty].
AB  - It is reported on deaths of pigs due to lightning stroke in the barn. During a
      severe thunder storm 11 clinically healthy pigs with an average weight of approx.
      22 kg died simultaneously and suddenly in the barn. The animals were kept on a
      floor of metal slats. The pens were separated by metal bars. A water pipe leading
      into the barn from outside had contact to the bars. Two pigs were submitted for
      an examination approx. three hours post mortem. The macroscopic and microscopic
      necropsy findings are described.

PMID- 1874148
TI  - The influence of colostral leukocytes on the immune system of the neonatal calf.
      II. Effects on passive and active immunization.
AB  - The influence of colostral leukocytes on the concentration of immunoglobulins and
      antibodies against an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli in the sera of newborn
      calves was investigated for four weeks using four experimental groups. The calves
      received either complete colostrum (COL-, n = 16), cell-supplemented milk
      substitute (MS+, n = 7) or pure milk substitute (MS-, n = 6) during the first
      three days of life. The cows were not specifically immunized. The sera of the
      COL+ calves had significantly higher concentrations of antibodies against E. coli
      mainly of IgG1 specificity on the second day of life as compared to those of the
      COL-. The sera of the COL+ calves contained significantly more IgM on days 2 and
      5 and slightly more IgA during the first week. Both COL groups had equal
      concentrations of serum IgG. It appears that colostral leukocytes which are an
      integral part of the colostrum enhance the passive immunity of the neonatal calf,
      especially in regard of antibodies and immunoglobulin classes which are essential
      for intestinal immunity. The concentration of IgM in the sera of the MS+ calves
      was reduced, that of IgG did not rise to appreciable amounts; the IgA synthesis
      started one week later as compared to the MS- group. The administration of
      isolated colostral cells led to an impairment of the natural active immunization.

PMID- 1874149
TI  - [Perspectives on veterinary infectious disease control in the European Economic
      Community].
AB  - The internal market of EC from 1993 is a provocation for the veterinary services
      of the member states to prevent dangers by animal infectious diseases and
      zoonoses in a big territory without borders. The systems for the control of
      animal infectious diseases, transport and trade have to be adapted and the
      veterinary services, especially on the local basis, will have more
      responsibility, they will be in action more as in the past and more intensive
      too. Primary aim is to reach a high uniform animal health level in the whole
      community. This requires more burden, strong and consequent measures as till now
      in the concerned region or member state. The control of infectious diseases in EC
      will stay on three big column --uniform measures for protection against animal
      infectious diseases, --common system for the control within the EC, --common
      control system on outside borders of EC for import from third countries. The
      already accepted and applied principle of regionalization will get essential
      importance. EC will participate in financing the control of animal infectious
      diseases particularly of very dangerous diseases, but also in certain control-
      and surveillance-programs. The veterinary controls on the internal borders in EC
      up to now will be replaced by controls at the place of origin and the place of
      destination. Imports from third countries will be controlled on outside-borders
      of EC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874150
TI  - [Double vertebral injury in a calf (case report)].
AB  - A double spinal cord trauma of an eight weeks old calf is reported, born on
      pasture from a heifer as a premature birth at the beginning of month 9.
      Observations made were rupture of intervertebral disk at the crossing of cervical
      to thoracic vertebrae followed by syndesmosis or synchondrosis resp., as well as
      a comminuted fracture of the 1st lumbar vertebra including both the adjoining
      vertebrae, with succeeding reactive callus formation. It is concluded that this
      traumatization has occurred during parturition. Motoric or sensory disturbances
      were observed neither.

PMID- 1874151
TI  - [Animal nutrition for the veterinarian--recent cases. Unsatisfactory development
      of piglets after disintegration of a piglet breeding feed].
AB  - Insufficient performance and health problems of reared piglets in individual
      boxes gave rise to sent 2 samples of the diet to the institute. Due to a demixing
      process on the transport (winding) the composition of the diet changed markedly.
      The crude ash content increased (62.7 g----96.2 g/kg feed), on the other hand the
      protein content decreased significantly (181----126 g/kg feed). Obviously the
      variable mineral content in the diet impaired the palatability and consequently
      the performance of reared piglets due to increased disposition for diarrhea.

PMID- 1874152
TI  - Topical ophthalmologics in otology.

PMID- 1874153
TI  - The Chiari-I malformation.
AB  - We have described the important clinical features and aspects of the Chiari-I
      malformations, with particular emphasis on Chiari-I malformation. Previously
      thought to be a rare finding with only minor significance, Chiari-I malformation
      is an important cause of a variety of symptoms, and will be diagnosed even more
      frequently as the use of MRI increases. The clinician must consider Chiari-I
      malformation in any patient with unexplained sensorineural hearing loss,
      headache, vertigo, ataxia, dysequilibrium, dysphagia or other cranial nerve
      symptom, especially if accompanied by more classic symptoms of this disorder,
      such as cervical pain or weakness.

PMID- 1874154
TI  - Benign osteoblastoma of the occipital bone.
AB  - An uncommon case of benign osteoblastoma of the occipital bone is presented. Poor
      vascularity of the tumor, as confirmed by the CT scan, operative and
      histopathological findings, was in contrast to its characteristic high
      vascularity. Radical resection produced an excellent result.

PMID- 1874155
TI  - The otolaryngic manifestations of multiple sclerosis.
AB  - Multiple sclerosis is a disease characterized pathologically by the disseminated
      demyelination of central nervous system white matter and clinically by episodes
      of focal neurologic deficit that occur in a relapsing and remitting course
      usually over many years. In most cases progressively fixed deficits occur with
      resultant moderate to severe disability. Symptoms and signs of multiple sclerosis
      are reviewed, with emphasis placed on the protean manifestations and natural
      history of the disease.

PMID- 1874156
TI  - Difficult diagnoses in pediatric otolaryngic pathology.

PMID- 1874157
TI  - The Physical Volume Test in impedance audiometry.
AB  - Impedance audiometry offers a clinically practical method for measuring the
      physical volume in cc of air space medial to the hermetically sealed probe tip.
      Knowledge of the air space volume is meaningful when average norms are known,
      either when the TM is intact or, more significantly, when the TM is perforated.
      With the latter, the temporally dynamic space changes during external, middle ear
      and/or mastoid disease, the size of the total air space measured offers objective
      information when determined over time. The resultant volume can offer an indirect
      mirror readout of progression or regression of a disease process. Likewise,
      historically there may be a close relationship between eustachian tube function
      and the overall air cell space within the petrotympanomastoid bone. In such
      conditions, the smaller the air cell space, the poorer the eustachian tube
      function. The PVT offers a more expedient clinical tool over roentgenography for
      measuring the viable air space of the middle ear and petromastoid air cell
      system. Since the PVT is used primarily with an open system (i.e. with a
      perforated TM) electroacoustic volumetric determinations with a 220 Hz acoustic
      input more reliably represents the actual volume present.

PMID- 1874158
TI  - Primary neuroblastoma of maxilla.

PMID- 1874159
TI  - Sinus washout resulting in pneumomediastinum.

PMID- 1874160
TI  - Hereditary angioneurotic edema--an often misdiagnosed entity.

PMID- 1874161
TI  - Memoir--the beginning of oral contraceptives.

PMID- 1874162
TI  - Effects of gastrin on calcium homeostasis in chickens.
AB  - As in the rat, gastrin and an extract of the acid-producing part of the stomach
      (proventriculus) were found to lower the blood Ca2+ concentration in the chicken.
      Furthermore, gastrin enhanced the uptake of 45Ca into the femur. It has been
      suggested previously that gastrin causes hypocalcemia in the rat by releasing
      gastrocalcin, a hypothetical hormone thought to reside in the acid-producing part
      of the stomach. The results of the present study in the chicken are in agreement
      with this concept. Not only exogenous, but also endogenous gastrin lowered blood
      calcium levels. Thus, the serum gastrin concentration was increased in response
      to ranitidine-evoked blockade of the gastric acid output; the rise in gastrin was
      associated with a transient drop in blood calcium. Also, food intake produced a
      rise in the serum gastrin concentration and a transient drop in blood calcium.
      However, injection of ranitidine or food intake in proventriclectomized (acid
      producing part of the stomach extirpated) chickens failed to lower blood calcium,
      supporting the view that the gastrin-evoked hypocalcemia depends upon an agent in
      the gastric (proventriculus) mucosa. We suggest that endogenous and exogenous
      gastrin evoke hypocalcemia in the chicken by the same mechanism as that which has
      been postulated in the rat, i.e. by mobilization of the candidate hormone
      gastrocalcin from endocrine cells in the acid-producing gastric mucosa.

PMID- 1874163
TI  - Direct and sex-specific enhancement of bone formation and calcification by sex
      steroids in fetal mice long bone in vitro (biochemical and morphometric study.
AB  - The study was carried out to examine the direct effect of the sex hormones 17
      beta-estradiol (E2) and testosterone on the modeling of cultured fetal mouse long
      bones separated according to their sex. The culture system used allowed for the
      simultaneous assessment of bone growth, mineralization, and resorption on each
      bone. Bones from 16-day-old male and female mouse fetuses were cultured in BGJ
      medium, supplemented with either 10% fetal calf serum or 4 mg/ml BSA (serum-free
      medium) for 48 h. The bones were harvested, and their length; the length of their
      diaphyses; their hydroxyproline, calcium, and phosphorus contents; and their 45Ca
      release were measured. Histomorphometric analyses on midlongitudinal sections of
      bones from parallel experiments were also performed. The results indicate that in
      medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, E2 had a dose-dependent
      stimulatory effect on bone formation and mineralization at 10(-7) and 10(-9) M,
      with no effect on bone resorption. This effect was specific to bones from female
      mice and to E2, since 17-alpha-estradiol had no effect. Testosterone had similar
      effects specific to bones from male mice, resulting in the stimulation of bone
      formation and mineralization at 10(-7)- and 10(-9)-M concentrations. These
      effects were absent when serum-free medium was used. E2 and testosterone had an
      anabolic effect on endochondral and periosteal bone formation and mineralization,
      but no effect on bone resorption. This effect is dependent on the presence of a
      serum factor(s).

PMID- 1874164
TI  - Pattern of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion leading up to
      ovulation in the ewe: existence of a preovulatory GnRH surge.
AB  - We have previously shown LH surges induced by physiological estradiol levels are
      invariably accompanied by robust and sustained GnRH surges in the ewe. Such an
      increase, however, has not been observed consistently during the preovulatory LH
      surge. In the present study, we examined GnRH secretion in Suffolk and Ile de
      France ewes during the preovulatory period using a method for pituitary portal
      blood collection which allows simultaneous portal and jugular blood samples to be
      taken at frequent intervals for up to 48 h. Ewes were sampled either during the
      mid-late luteal phase (n = 8) or follicular phase (n = 20). During the follicular
      phase, a robust increase in GnRH secretion occurred at the onset of the LH surge
      in 11 of 12 ewes sampled during the LH surge. The GnRH increase in most ewes was
      a massive surge, reaching values averaging 40-fold greater than baseline and
      extending well beyond the end of the preovulatory LH surge. In the single ewe not
      exhibiting a GnRH surge during the LH surge, postmortem inspection indicated
      blood was probably not sampled from the pituitary portal vessels. In the early
      follicular phase, GnRH-pulse frequency was greater than that observed in the
      luteal phase and, within the follicular phase, GnRH-pulse frequency increased
      further and amplitude decreased as the surge approached. These data demonstrate
      GnRH secretion leading up to ovulation in the ewe is dynamic, beginning with slow
      pulses during the luteal phase, progressing to higher frequency pulses during the
      follicular phase and invariably culminating in a robust surge of GnRH. The LH
      surge, however, ends despite continued elevation of GnRH.

PMID- 1874165
TI  - Growth hormone and prolactin gene expression and release in the pituitary of
      rainbow trout in serum-free culture.
AB  - The trout pituitary continuously released a large amount of GH for over a week in
      serum-free culture, but PRL secretion declined by day 2 in culture. The total
      amount of GH released during the 8 days exceeded the initial content. The
      pituitary content of PRL remained unchanged after 8 days of culture. The number
      of weakly stained GH-immunoreactive (ir) cells was increased by day 4 in culture.
      The GH mRNA levels in individual cells as revealed by in situ hybridization were
      maintained at around the same level throughout culture. In contrast, the
      stainability of PRL-ir cells remained unchanged during culture, although the
      levels of PRL mRNA decreased by day 8. Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry
      showed a decrease in the numbers of secretory granules and dilation of rough
      endoplasmic reticulum in GH-ir cells. GH synthesis, measured by incorporated
      [3H]leucine after GH immunoprecipitation, was elevated 120% on day 8 over day 0.
      The dominant control of GH and PRL secretion in rainbow trout seems to be the
      converse of those seen in mammals; inhibition for GH and stimulation for PRL.

PMID- 1874166
TI  - Radiotelemetric monitoring of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse
      generator activity throughout the menstrual cycle of the rhesus monkey.
AB  - Continuous monitoring of the electrophysiological manifestations of GnRH pulse
      generator activity was achieved by radiotelemetry throughout the menstrual cycles
      of unrestrained rhesus monkeys. The characteristic increases in hypothalamic
      multiunit activity (MUA volleys) associated with each LH pulse measured in the
      peripheral circulation were of lower frequency during the luteal phase than in
      the follicular phase of the cycle. Multiunit activity volley frequency increased
      as functional luteolysis progressed and achieved maxima of approximately one
      volley per hour within the first few days of the follicular phase. Unexpectedly,
      a dramatic decline in pulse generator frequency was observed coincidentally with
      the initiation of the preovulatory LH surge. Evidence is presented to support the
      conclusion that this deceleration of pulse generator activity is the consequence
      of the preovulatory rise in plasma estrogen concentration. As reported in women,
      a significant reduction in GnRH pulse generator frequency was observed at night
      during the follicular phase, but not during the luteal phase, of the menstrual
      cycle.

PMID- 1874167
TI  - Evidence for bidirectional interconversion of mammotropes and somatotropes: rapid
      reversion of acidophilic cell types to pregestational proportions after weaning.
AB  - The progression from nonpregnancy through late lactation is associated with an
      increase in the proportion of anterior pituitary cells that secrete PRL and a
      comparable decrease in the percentage of cells that release GH. These
      fluctuations result from variations in both the number of cells that release GH
      or PRL alone and mammosomatotropes, cells that release both hormones
      concurrently. However, it has not been determined whether this reciprocal shift
      in PRL and GH secretors during the onset of lactation is readily reversible. In
      the present study, anterior pituitaries from adult virgin, late lactating, or
      postweaning female rats (4, 6, or 8 days) were dispersed with trypsin and
      subsequently assayed for PRL and GH release using reverse hemolytic plaque
      assays. We found that separating lactating females from their pups for only 4
      days induced a reciprocal shift in the proportions of GH and PRL cells back to
      levels found in virgin females. Simultaneous plaque assays were then performed to
      determine whether this post-weaning shift in the percentages of GH and PRL
      secretors was due to changes in the abundance of cells that secrete each hormone
      alone or in the proportion of mammosomatotropes. The overall changes in GH and
      PRL cell proportions consisted of variations only in the fraction of cells that
      secreted either GH or PRL alone; no differences were observed in the percentage
      of mammosomatotropes or in the overall abundance of acidophils. Our results
      demonstrate that the reciprocal shifts in the proportions of PRL- and GH
      secreting cells associated with lactation are rapidly reversible. Moreover, these
      results are consistent with our hypothesis that PRL and GH secretors are
      functionally interconvertible and further suggest that this process is
      bidirectional.

PMID- 1874168
TI  - Fluctuations in the proportions of growth hormone- and prolactin-secreting cells
      during the bovine estrous cycle.
AB  - Reverse hemolytic plaque assays were performed on monodispersed pituitary cells
      from cattle at various stages of the estrous cycle in an attempt to determine
      whether short term fluctuations in the gonadal steroid milieu influenced the
      proportions of pituitary cells that released GH and/or PRL. Phase of the estrous
      cycle was initially determined by gross ovarian morphology and later confirmed by
      determination of estradiol-17 beta and progesterone peripheral serum
      concentrations. Animals were subdivided into four groups according to phase of
      cycle: early luteal (EL; day 1-10), midluteal (ML; day 11-16), late luteal (LL;
      day 17-19), and follicular (F; day 20-21). Plaque assays demonstrated that the
      percentage of all pituitary cells that released PRL was greater in the EL phase
      than during the ML or F phases, whereas the relative abundance of GH-secreting
      cells remained unchanged. A more critical analysis of hormone-secreting subtypes
      revealed that the increase in total PRL secretors could be attributed almost
      exclusively to an increase in the abundance of those cells that released both GH
      and PRL (mammosomatotropes). Accompanying this augmentation of dual hormone
      secretors was a decrease in the proportion of cells that released GH alone
      without a change in the abundance of cells that secreted only PRL. These results
      strongly suggest that during the estrous cycle there is a bidirectional
      interconversion among cells that release only GH and mammosomatotropes. Moreover,
      the relationship between ratios of acidophilic subpopulations and stage of
      reproductive cycle indicates that ovarian steroids may regulate this phenomenon.

PMID- 1874169
TI  - Cytokine-mediated regulation of ovarian function: interleukin-1 inhibits
      gonadotropin-induced androgen biosynthesis.
AB  - Resident ovarian macrophages have long been recognized as potential in situ
      regulators of ovarian function, presumably through local paracrine secretion of
      regulatory molecules (i.e. cytokines). One such macrophage product, interleukin-1
      (IL-1) has recently been shown to exert profound regulatory effects at the level
      of the ovarian granulosa cell. In this report, we examine the possibility that
      the adjacent theca-interstitial (androgen-producing) cell may also be a site of
      IL-1 reception and action. The basal accumulation of androsterone, the major
      androgenic steroid synthesized by whole ovarian dispersates from immature rats,
      in the presence of insulin (1 microgram/ml), increased 8- to 9-fold after
      treatment with human CG (1 ng/ml). Although IL-1 alpha or IL-1 beta (10 ng/ml) by
      themselves were without effect on basal androsterone accumulation, both cytokines
      (IL-1 beta greater than IL-1 alpha) inhibited human CG hormonal action (in the
      presence of insulin) in a dose-dependent manner, the maximal inhibitory effect
      being 75%. Similar results were obtained when using highly purified theca
      interstitial cells derived from the same animal model suggesting that IL-1
      attenuated androgen biosynthesis is due, at least in part, to IL-1 acting
      directly at the level of the theca-interstitial cells. The IL-1 effect proved
      relatively specific since all other known interleukins (IL-1, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5,
      and IL-6) were without effect. Moreover, IL-1 beta action was effectively
      immunoneutralized when concurrently applied with anti-IL-1 beta (but not
      nonimmune) sera. Significantly, the antigonadotropic action of IL-1 could not be
      accounted for by a decrease in the viable cell mass. Tracer studies with
      radiolabeled steroid substrates suggested that IL-1-attenuated ovarian
      androsterone accumulation is due, if only in part, to inhibition of
      transformations catalyzed by (theca-interstitial) 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17:20
      lyase, stimulation of theca-interstitial (or granulosa 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase-mediated conversions, or both. Taken together, these findings
      indicate that relatively low concentrations of IL-1, possibly originating from
      somatic ovarian cells or resident ovarian macrophages, are capable of exerting an
      inhibitory effect upon gonadotropin-supported androgen production. As such, these
      and previous observations suggest that intraovarian IL-1 may play a dual
      regulatory role in the developing ovarian follicle by targeting both the
      granulosa and theca-interstitial cells as its sites of action.

PMID- 1874170
TI  - Purification and characterization of mouse decidual calcyclin: a novel stimulator
      of mouse placental lactogen-II secretion.
AB  - The effects of secretagogue(s) from mouse decidual tissue on the release of mouse
      placental lactogen-II (mPL-II) were studied. Decidual tissue was obtained from 10
      and 11-day-pregnant mice. The tissue was homogenized, extracted, and the tissue
      extract was made 50% saturated with ammonium sulfate. Both the precipitate and
      supernatant were tested for their ability to stimulate mPL-II release from
      cultured trophoblasts. The supernatant contained an activity to stimulate the
      release of mPL-II. This activity was further purified using column
      chromatography. The purification resulted in isolation of a protein with a mol wt
      of 20 K as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
      under nonreducing conditions and 6 K under reducing conditions. Further
      characterization of this protein showed that it binds calcium and has an amino
      acid sequence that is highly homologous with calcyclin expressed in mouse
      embryonic fibroblast cells and with calcyclin from other species. This protein
      was designated mouse decidual calcyclin. Antiserum was raised against the
      purified decidual calcyclin for development of an RIA and for immunoblots.
      Western blots of various mouse tissue extracts and mouse serum from different
      physiological stages showed that the concentration of calcyclin was highest in
      decidual tissue. Detectable levels were found in extracts from trophoblast, lung,
      and stomach, but the concentrations in these tissues were about 100 times lower
      than in decidua. Decidual calcyclin was not detectable in mouse serum. Cultured
      decidual cells released calcyclin into the medium. On average, this release was
      about 7.8 ng/micrograms DNA.24 h. The rate of release did not change
      significantly during 4 days of culture. The ratio of calcyclin in cells per
      calcyclin released during 24 h averaged 2.3 and did not change significantly
      during the culture period. The purified decidual calcyclin stimulated the release
      of mPL-II from cultured trophoblasts in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations
      from 0.01 to 1 microgram/ml. The maximum stimulation averaged about 1.5 times
      above control. It is concluded that decidual calcyclin may be of physiological
      importance for the regulation of mPL-II secretion.

PMID- 1874171
TI  - Primary structure and biological activity of human brain-derived neurotrophic
      factor.
AB  - Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a 27-kDa basic protein of
      noncovalently linked 13.5-kD subunits related to nerve growth factor and is
      produced by the central nervous system (CNS). BDNF has been shown to promote the
      survival of neurons located in or directly connected with the CNS and is likely
      to function in adjusting the cell number within neuronal populations to the need
      of this projection field. Here we describe the primary structure of a human BDNF
      cDNA, the biological activities of pure recombinant human BDNF, and the tissue
      distribution of rat BDNF. BDNF mRNA can be found in some peripheral tissues as
      well as in the CNS, and recombinant human BDNF is a potent neurotrophic factor
      for primary peripheral sensory neurons.

PMID- 1874172
TI  - Regulation of ovarian steroid biosynthesis by estrogen during proestrus in the
      rat.
AB  - Studies were performed to test the hypothesis that the rapid decline in estradiol
      (E2) levels on proestrus before ovulation was due to a reduction in androgen
      substrate for aromatase, and that this decline in androgen was regulated by an
      estrogen receptor-mediated mechanism. Aromatase activity, concentrations of E2,
      androstenedione (A), testosterone (T), and progesterone (P4) in follicular,
      corpora lutea, and ovarian homogenates as well as peripheral E2, A, P4, and LH
      were measured in cycling rats from 1400-2000 h on proestrus. These parameters
      were also recorded after the expected E2 surge in animals treated at 1900 h on
      diestrous day 2 with the antiestrogen keoxifene (20 mg/kg), with or without an
      ovulatory dose of PMSG at 1600 h on proestrus. In a second experiment, P-450-17
      alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase (P-450(17 alpha] activity was measured in a group
      of control rats at 1500, 1700, and 1900 h. Aromatase activity remained unchanged,
      even though serum and ovarian E2 levels were reduced from peak values at 1500 h
      to basal values at 1800 h (P less than 0.01). Peripheral A as well as ovarian
      androgens (specifically follicular but not luteal) A and T were also reduced over
      this time period (P less than 0.01). Although total ovarian P4 remained
      unchanged, follicular levels rose from 1400-2000 h (P less than 0.01). These
      reductions in androgens and E2 levels coincided with a marked reduction in
      follicular P-450(17 alpha) activity. Treatment with keoxifene with or without
      PMSG prevented the fall in peripheral E2 and A and the increase in peripheral P4
      seen in controls. Ovarian and follicular E2, A, and to a lesser extent T were
      also remained at values similar to those during the E2 surge. Follicular P4 was
      reduced by both treatments. Neither treatment had any effect on aromatase. These
      results indicate that the fall in peripheral and ovarian E2 levels before
      ovulation was due to a decline in aromatizable androgen, through an inhibition of
      follicular P-450(17 alpha) enzyme activity, which appears to be mediated by an
      estrogen receptor-regulated mechanism.

PMID- 1874173
TI  - Interleukin-1 inhibits cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 expression
      in primary cultures of Leydig cells.
AB  - Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a potent inhibitor of Leydig cell function. We have
      reported that IL-1 inhibited hCG-induced cAMP and testosterone formation. In the
      present study we evaluated the effect of IL-1 on Leydig cell cholesterol side
      chain cleavage cytochrome P450 (P450scc) mRNA levels. P450scc is the rate
      limiting enzyme for Leydig cell steroidogenesis. Highly purified Leydig cells
      were prepared from adult Sprague-Dawley male rats (55-65 day-old) using the
      combination of elutriation and Percoll gradient. Purified Leydig cells were then
      cultured with or without IL-1 beta (1-100 ng/ml) and recombinant human monocyte
      derived IL-1 receptor antagonist (250 ng/ml) for 24 h. hCG (10 ng/ml), 8-bromo
      cAMP (0.1 mM), or 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate was then
      added, and cultures were continued for an additional 6 h. P450scc mRNA levels of
      Leydig cells were very low to undetectable after 24 h in culture and could be
      stimulated by the addition of either hCG (10 ng/ml) or 8-bromo-cAMP (0.1 mM), but
      the addition of 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate had no effect.
      P450scc mRNA levels increased as early as 2 h after the addition of hCG.
      Furthermore, cycloheximide (1 microgram/ml) markedly blocked hCG-induced P450scc
      mRNA expression. This indicates that synthesis of a labile new protein(s) is
      required for the induction of P450scc mRNA by hCG. IL-1 beta inhibited hCG
      stimulated testosterone formation and P450scc mRNA expression in a dose-dependent
      manner. The inhibitory effects of IL-1 beta could be reversed by the concomitant
      addition of IL-1 receptor antagonist. Our results suggest that P450scc mRNA
      levels of Leydig cells are modulated by IL-1. This may be one mechanism that
      could explain the inhibitory effects of IL-1 on Leydig cell steroidogenesis.

PMID- 1874174
TI  - Immunodetection of estrogen receptors in fetal and neonatal female mouse
      reproductive tracts.
AB  - An immunocytochemical assay for estrogen receptor (ER) was used to study the
      distribution of receptor in fetal and immature female mouse reproductive tracts.
      Immunoblots confirmed that a single band, the size of the ER, immunostained in
      extracts from day 15 and 17 fetal reproductive tracts. Staining was observed over
      nuclei of epithelial cells of the Mullerian duct and over nuclei of cells of the
      developing connective tissue (mesenchymal cells) of the reproductive tract on
      fetal day 15. By day 17 when a primitive uterus could be distinguished, ERs were
      detected in nuclei of mesenchymal cells, but in only a small portion of
      epithelial cells. A different pattern of immunocytochemical staining was observed
      in uteri from animals killed on the day of birth; cells of the connective tissue
      contained ER, but the epithelial cells did not. By 4 or 6 days after birth, more
      nuclei in the connective tissue stained for ER with a greater intensity compared
      to nuclear staining in epithelial cells. ERs were detectable in nuclei of both
      uterine epithelial cells and connective tissue cells on days 10 and 19 after
      birth.

PMID- 1874175
TI  - Modulatory effects of unsaturated fatty acids on the binding of glucocorticoids
      to rat liver glucocorticoid receptors.
AB  - Binding of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone to the rat liver cytosol
      glucocorticoid receptor was inhibited by physiological concentrations of
      nonesterified fatty acids as a function of increasing dose, degree of
      unsaturation, and chain length of the fatty acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids
      were the most potent inhibitors. Scatchard analysis and Line-weaver-Burk plots of
      the binding data revealed that both the association constants and number of
      binding sites decreased and that polyunsaturated fatty acids inhibition was of a
      mixed non-competitive type. The dissociation rate constant of [3H]dexamethasone
      from glucocorticoid receptors was increased by up to 10 times in the presence of
      docosahexaenoic acid, whereas a competitive inhibitor like the glucocorticoid
      antagonist RU 38486 had no effect. Moreover, sucrose density gradient analysis
      showed that docosahexaenoic acid inhibited the binding of [3H] dexamethasone to
      both the 8.8S and 4S forms. The results strongly suggest that unsaturated fatty
      acids are interacting at a site on the receptor different from the hormone
      binding site and the heat shock protein and that by binding to a second site
      unsaturated fatty acids greatly change the conformation of the hormone binding
      site to reduce its affinity for the hormone, either partially or completely
      depending on the concentration and the class of the fatty acid.

PMID- 1874176
TI  - Quinone reductase enzyme activity in pancreatic islets.
AB  - A water-soluble quinone, coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0), was shown to stimulate insulin
      release, and dicumarol, an inhibitor of quinone reductase, inhibited glucose
      induced insulin release in pancreatic islets. Since this suggested that quinone
      reductase might play some role in physiological insulin release, this enzyme was
      characterized in islets. More than 90% of the total activity was located in the
      cytosol, but the specific enzyme activity was highest in the microsomal fraction.
      The relative rates of activity with various substrates (CoQ0 approximately equal
      to durohydroquinone greater than menadione greater than duroquinone greater than
      CoQ6 = CoQ10 greater than ferricyanide) were similar to those described
      previously for quinone reductase from liver Dicumarol, chlorpromazine, and T3
      were much more potent inhibitors of the enzyme when NADPH was the coenzyme than
      when NADH was the coenzyme. Dicumarol was the most potent inhibitor. The enzyme
      was not inhibited by rotenone. Islets ranked second to liver in quinone reductase
      activity, but the activity in islets was much closer to that found in all other
      tissues examined. Quinone reductase may play a role in insulin secretion.

PMID- 1874177
TI  - Deiodination of iodothyronine sulfamates by type I iodothyronine deiodinase of
      rat liver.
AB  - The substrate behavior of synthetic N-sulfonated iodothyronines (iodothyronine
      sulfamates, TiNS) for the type I deiodinase was compared with that of the
      naturally occurring 4'-O-sulfonated iodothyronines (iodothyronine sulfates, TiS),
      which have been shown to be deiodinated 40-200 times more efficiently than the
      native iodothyronines. Deiodination was studied in incubations of rat liver
      microsomes with unlabeled or 3' (5')-125I-labeled T4NS, rT3NS, T3NS, and 3,3'
      T2NS at 37 C and pH 7.2 in the presence of 5 mM dithiothreitol. Reaction products
      were analyzed by RIA or Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC. Kinetic studies were performed
      under initial reaction rate conditions to determine the apparent Michaelis Menten
      (Km) constants and maximum velocity values. In contrast to T4S, which is
      converted only by inner ring deiodination (IRD), T4NS underwent both IRD and
      outer ring deiodination (ORD), similar to T4, but more rapidly. At 10 nM T4NS
      substrate, T3NS was the major product observed, while no rT3NS accumulated due to
      its rapid conversion to 3,3'-T2NS. At least one third of the 3,3'-T2NS was
      converted by IRD, unlike 3,3'-T2 which is a pure ORD substrate. The type I
      deiodination efficiencies of T4NS IRD and ORD were 17-fold higher than with T4,
      mainly due to approximately 32-fold lower apparent Km values. Deiodination of
      rT3, the preferred type I substrate, was not improved by sulfamation. T3NS and
      3,3'-T2NS were deiodinated 4-10 times more efficiently than T3 and 3,3'-T2,
      respectively, due to 2- to 4-fold decreases in apparent Km values with a
      concomitant doubling of maximum velocity values. N-Sulfonation stimulates type I
      deiodination to a similar extent as other side-chain modifications that eliminate
      the positive charge of the nitrogen (e.g. iodothyroacetic acids). However, the
      effects are less dramatic than those induced by 4'-sulfation with respect to both
      efficiency and specificity of the catalytic process.

PMID- 1874178
TI  - Influence of castration, alone or combined with thymectomy, on the development of
      diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse.
AB  - The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a recognized model for studying
      immunologically-mediated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The disease appears
      with a greater preponderance in females than in males. Castration at weaning led
      to a significant increase in the prevalence of diabetes in NOD males, whereas a
      tendency to a decreased prevalence was observed in NOD females. Castration
      combined with thymectomy was found to further increase the prevalence of diabetes
      in NOD males, whereas in females castration reversed the effect of thymectomy.
      These results on changes in diabetes prevalence were corroborated by the degree
      of lymphocytic infiltration directed toward the pancreatic islets of Langerhans.
      Taken together these results indicate a direct relationship between the endocrine
      and immune systems, whereby orchidectomy has a deleterious effect on the
      immunopathogenesis of diabetes. In addition, we examined whether the distribution
      of lymphocyte subpopulations, mitogen reactivity, lymphokine production, and in
      vivo response to a thymus-dependent antigen, such as sheer red blood cell, were
      dependent or independent of the sex steroid environment.

PMID- 1874179
TI  - Functional antagonism between endogenous mouse growth hormone (GH) and a GH
      analog results in dwarf transgenic mice.
AB  - A dwarf transgenic mouse (DTM) line has been established in which mice express
      relatively high levels of a mutated bovine (b) GH gene. This bGH analog binds to
      mouse liver membrane preparations with an affinity similar to that of wild-type
      bGH. The mean growth ratio of these mice is approximately 0.7 relative to that of
      their nontransgenic littermates. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)
      levels of DTM were found to be approximately half those in nontransgenic
      littermates. Liver GH receptor levels were up-regulated in DTM or wild-type bGH
      transgenic mice. Pituitary GH levels were negatively correlated with serum IGF-I
      concentrations. Wild-type bGH transgenic mice contain relatively high serum IGF-I
      and low pituitary GH levels, whereas DTM possess low serum IGF-I and high
      pituitary GH levels. The decrease in serum IGF-I resulting from the interaction
      between the bGH analog, the endogenous mouse GH, and GH receptor(s) apparently
      leads to a dwarf phenotype. These data suggest that this bGH analog has uncoupled
      GH ligand-receptor binding from IGF-I production and acts as a functional
      antagonist to the action of endogenous mGH.

PMID- 1874180
TI  - Pituitary regulation of postnatal small intestinal ontogeny in the rat:
      differential regulation of digestive hydrolase maturation by thyroxine and growth
      hormone.
AB  - During the third week of postnatal life, dramatic ontogenic changes occur in the
      morphology and enzymology of the small intestine of the infant rat, enabling the
      animal to make the transition from milk to solid food. To investigate the roles
      of T4 and GH in regulation of these changes, infant rats were hypophysectomized
      on day 6 of life by the transauricular technique. Hypophysectomy resulted in
      diminution of somatic and intestinal growth as well as abnormal maturation of the
      disaccharidases lactase, sucrase, and maltase when measured on day 25.
      Administration of either T4 or GH to hypophysectomized animals resulted in
      moderately increased intestinal growth, while complete restoration of small
      intestinal growth resulted from administration of the combination of both
      hormones. Although T4, GH, or the combination of hormones reduced lactase
      activities, T4 alone produced normal maturation of sucrase and maltase. Neither
      hypophysectomy nor hormone replacement affected aminooligopeptidase. The
      molecular structure of lactase, analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis, was not altered to a major degree in hypophysectomized
      animals or animals that received hormone replacement, but minor alterations were
      evident in sucrase structure in hypophysectomy. These studies indicate that 1) T4
      and GH actively participate in postnatal regulation of small intestinal ontogeny;
      2) thyroid hormones act directly on developing intestinal tissues to
      independently produce the normal maturation of the disaccharidases by mechanisms
      that are not likely to involve alterations in processing of the enzyme-protein;
      and 3) maturation of aminooligopeptidase is not regulated by pituitary hormones,
      in distinct contrast to the disaccharidases.

PMID- 1874181
TI  - Multiple mechanisms for regulation of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5
      ---delta 4-isomerase, 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase cytochrome P450, and
      cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 messenger ribonucleic acid levels
      in primary cultures of mouse Leydig cells.
AB  - The regulation of mRNA levels for delta 5-3 beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase/delta 5----delta 4-isomerase (3 beta HSD), 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17
      20 lyase cytochrome P450 (P450(17 alpha] and cholesterol side-chain cleavage
      cytochrome P450 (P450scc) was studied in primary cultures of mouse Leydig cells.
      Treatment of Leydig cells with 8-bromo-cAMP (cAMP) was essential for expression
      of P450(17 alpha) mRNA, but not for 3 beta HSD. Treatment with cAMP caused a
      decrease in basal levels of 3 beta HSD mRNA. The addition of aminoglutethimide
      (AG), an inhibitor of cholesterol metabolism, to the cAMP-treated cultures
      resulted in increased expression of both 3 beta HSD and P450(17 alpha) mRNA
      levels. The addition of testosterone or the androgen agonist mibolerone to cAMP-
      plus AG-treated cultures reduced 3 beta HSD and P450(17 alpha) mRNA to levels
      comparable to those observed when cells were treated with cAMP only. The
      glucocorticoid dexamethasone reduced both basal and cAMP- plus AG-induced
      increases in 3 beta HSD mRNA, but not in P450(17 alpha) mRNA. Estradiol at a
      concentration of 1 microM had no effect on cAMP- plus AG-induced 3 beta HSD or
      P450(17 alpha) mRNA levels. The role of protein synthesis in mediating the cAMP
      induction of 3 beta HSD, P450(17 alpha), and P450scc was investigated. The
      addition of cycloheximide (10 micrograms/ml) to cAMP-treated cultures for 24 h
      completely suppressed both constitutive and cAMP-induced 3 beta HSD mRNA levels.
      Cycloheximide also repressed cAMP-induced levels of P450(17 alpha) to 12% of
      levels observed in the absence of cycloheximide. In sharp contrast, 24-h
      treatment with cycloheximide did not suppress cAMP induction of P450scc mRNA, but
      reduced basal levels by approximately 50%. A time course of induction by cAMP (50
      microM) of P450(17 alpha) and P450scc mRNA showed very similar rates of increase
      in P450(17 alpha) and P450scc mRNA, with the greatest increase occurring between
      12 and 24 h of treatment. The results of the study demonstrate that in normal
      mouse Leydig cells steady state levels of mRNA for 3 beta HSD, P450(17 alpha),
      and P450scc are differentially regulated. cAMP is required for maximal levels of
      all three mRNAs. There is high constitutive expression of 3 beta HSD and P450scc
      mRNA, while expression of P450(17 alpha) mRNA is absolutely dependent on cAMP
      stimulation. Endogenously produced testosterone negatively regulates the
      expression of cAMP-induced P450(17 alpha) and 3 beta HSD, while the
      glucocorticoid dexamethasone negatively regulates 3 beta HSD and
      P450scc.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1874182
TI  - Control of gonadotropin secretion in the ovine fetus. IV. Male-specific
      entrainment of the hypothalamic control of luteinizing hormone secretion by
      testosterone in the female ovine fetus.
AB  - The role of testosterone (T) in the sex-specific entrainment of hypothalamic LH
      regulation was studied in five castrate and four sham-castrate chronically
      catheterized female fetuses androgenized by the prior administration of T
      cypionate (200 mg, im, every 2 weeks) to pregnant ewes from 30-86 days gestation
      (term = 147 days). Eight female and three male castrate fetuses served as
      controls. After a 2-week washout period all fetuses were operated upon in utero
      between 106-116 days and were studied longitudinally over a 2- to 35-day period.
      LH pulsatility was determined from blood samples obtained every 15 min over a
      standard 3-h observation period and assayed for LH by RIA (NIH LH-S16 standard).
      LH pulse frequency in the castrate androgenized females (41 pulses in 19
      observation periods; 1 pulse/1.4 h) was significantly higher than that in non
      androgenized female controls (18 pulses in 28 observation periods; 1 pulse/4.7 h
      observation), but was similar to that in castrate males (23 pulses in 28
      observation periods; 1 pulse/1.3 h). Furthermore, LH pulse frequency in the sham
      castrate androgenized females (26 pulses in 13 observation periods; 1 pulse/1.5
      h) was comparable to that in castrate androgenized females as well as that in
      castrate males. The enhanced LH pulsatility in androgenized female fetuses
      strongly suggests that T exposure between 30-86 days results in male-specific
      entrainment of hypothalamic LH regulation. Moreover, the comparable enhancement
      of LH pulse frequency in both sham castrate and castrate androgenized female
      groups suggests that in the T-exposed fetus T withdrawal alone is sufficient to
      result in enhanced LH pulsatility. These findings strongly suggest that T of
      fetal testicular origin results in male-specific entrainment of hypothalamic
      function and may be an important feature of male neural organization in this
      species.

PMID- 1874183
TI  - Thrombin and parathyroid hormone mobilize intracellular calcium in rat
      osteosarcoma cells by distinct pathways.
AB  - The mechanisms by which PTH and thrombin mobilize intracellular Ca2+ (Cai2+) were
      examined in UMR 106-H5 rat osteosarcoma cells. Bovine PTH-(1-34) (24 pM to 240
      nM) produced a dose-dependent increase in Cai2+ (EC50, 3 nM), which returned to
      baseline within 75 sec. Human alpha-thrombin produced an increase in Cai2+
      (ECmax, 10 U/ml) which was similar to that of PTH with respect to both magnitude
      and time course. Chelation of extracellular calcium with 5.0 mM EGTA did not
      alter the Cai2+ response to either PTH or thrombin. When added together at
      maximally effective concentrations, PTH and thrombin produced additive effects on
      Cai2+ in the presence and absence of EGTA. The additive effects of PTH and
      thrombin on Cai2+ were confirmed at the single cell level, using laser-based
      image analysis. Bradykinin (1 microM) produced a significant increase in Cai2+ in
      UMR 106-H5 cells which was of lesser magnitude than the peak 2- to 3-fold
      increase elicited by PTH or thrombin. Preexposure of cells to 10 U/ml thrombin
      for 2 min abolished the Cai2+ response to bradykinin, whereas preexposure to 240
      nM PTH had no effect on the Cai2+ response to bradykinin. Thrombin elicited a
      rapid increase in the accumulation of 3H-labeled inositol phosphates (IP2 and
      IP3) in UMR 106-H5 cells, with increases in [3H]1,4,5-IP3 detectable as early as
      15 sec after the addition of thrombin. Bradykinin increased [3H]IP production to
      a lesser extent than thrombin, whereas PTH neither increased [3H]IP accumulation
      nor potentiated the [3H]IP response to thrombin. The results suggest that
      thrombin and bradykinin mobilize Cai2+ from a shared IP3-responsive calcium pool,
      whereas PTH may use signals in addition to 1,4,5-IP3 to mobilize calcium from a
      distinct cellular calcium pool. Alternatively, specific calcium
      compartmentalization exists, and there is differential coupling of these agonists
      to the 1,4,5-IP3/Cai2+ pathway.

PMID- 1874184
TI  - A physiological role for sporadic interruptions of the dopaminergic tone in the
      genesis of big mass prolactin pulses.
AB  - The present studies were designed to evaluate pulsatile PRL secretion after the
      establishment of either a continuous dopaminergic input or a complete blockade of
      the dopaminergic inhibitory tone. Adult female rats on estrus and male rats
      implanted with indwelling jugular cannulae were bled at 3-min intervals for a 3-h
      period. Bromocriptine (CB-154) and domperidone (DOM) were administered sc and iv,
      respectively. The administration protocol used for both treatments produced
      either a continuous dopaminergic input (CB-154 treatment) or a complete
      dopaminergic blockade (DOM treatment). Pulse analysis was performed on the data
      series using the algorithm Detect. In both estrous female and male rats,
      dopaminergic receptor activation by CB-154 reduced peak and trough values, pulse
      amplitude, area under the pulse, and mean PRL levels. In contrast, a complete
      dopamine (DA) receptor blockade by DOM increased these parameters. Domperidone
      treatment increased pulse frequency and reduced pulse interval and duration.
      Bromocriptine, however, differentially affected some pulsatility parameters
      depending on the sex of the rats. In females, CB-154 did not alter any of the
      qualitative parameters (frequency, pulse interval, and duration) of pulsatile PRL
      secretion. In contrast, in male rats the treatment reduced frequency and duration
      while increasing pulse interval. CB-154 reduced basal PRL levels in male rats,
      whereas in estrous females this parameter was not altered. PRL pulses were
      further evaluated by frequency distribution analysis, using the area under the
      pulses divided by the baseline to normalize the data due to treatment-induced
      differences in baselines. This calculation allows the estimation of the amount of
      hormone released per pulse over the baseline. In both estrous female and male
      rats, two classes of PRL pulses were identified. One class corresponded to pulses
      containing a small mass of hormone [small mass pulses (SM)], while the others
      were characterized by pulses containing a large mass of hormone [big mass pulses
      (BM)]. Interestingly, both the dopaminergic agonist CB-154 and the dopaminergic
      antagonist DOM dramatically diminished BM pulse incidence in both estrous female
      and male rats. In fact, BM pulses were practically absent in both experimental
      groups. To further substantiate this notion, animals of each experimental group
      were assigned to one of the following categories: animals depicting BM and SM
      pulses or rats presenting solely SM pulses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1874185
TI  - Uptake and ultrastructural localization of a [125I] growth hormone releasing
      factor agonist in male rat pituitary gland: evidence for internalization.
AB  - GRF was isolated from a human tumor of the pancreas and characterized. GRF
      stimulates the in vivo and in vitro secretion of GH. The present study was
      designed to find out whether human (h) GRF agonist could be internalized and to
      determine the subcellular localization of internalized peptide in somatotrophs.
      Autoradiography was performed on rat anterior pituitary glands removed at
      specific time intervals (2-60 min) after iv injection of monoradioiodinated
      [125I] (His1,Nle27) hGRF (1-32) NH2. Administration of an excess of unlabeled
      hGRF agonist along with the radioiodinated hormone prevented the uptake,
      indicating the specificity of the reaction. At the ultrastructural level only the
      somatotrophs appeared to contain silver grains. The main effect of hGRF agonist
      injection on the cytological aspect of the somatotrophs was a decrease in the
      area occupied by secretory granules, accompanied inversely, by an increase in
      that of the Golgi complex. The time course study in somatotrophs showed that five
      compartments (plasma membrane, secretory granules, cytoplasmic matrix, nuclear
      membrane, and lysosomes) have distinct marked labeling patterns. Plasma membrane,
      secretory granules, and nuclear membrane were labeled throughout the time course
      studied (2-60 min after injection). Cytoplasmic matrix was labeled 5 min post
      injection and lysosomes 15 and 30 min after injection. The Golgi complex,
      mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and nucleus matrix were not labeled.
      The findings show the cellular specificity of GRF uptake by somatotrophs and the
      internalization process from the plasma membrane to the intracellular organelles
      (secretory granules, lysosomes, and nuclear membrane). Labeling of the secretory
      granule compartment suggests that granules may bind and protect internalized
      peptide from lysosomal degradation. The appearance of label on the nuclear
      membrane suggests that GRF may have effects on the translocation of messenger RNA
      from nucleus to cytoplasm in somatotrophs.

PMID- 1874186
TI  - Developmental regulation of the distribution of rat brain insulin-insensitive
      (Glut 1) glucose transporter.
AB  - We examined the immunohistochemical localization of Glut 1 in sections of
      developing rat brain [gestational (G) days 18 and 20, postnatal (P) days 1, 10,
      21, and greater than 40; term = approximately G21] and characterized the
      abundance of Glut 1 in isolated brain microvessels by Western blot analysis.
      Further quantitation of total glucose transporters by [125I]3-iodo-4-azido
      phenethyl-amido-7-O-succinyldeacetyl-forskoli n photoaffinity labeling was
      performed. Glut 1 was prominently distributed in G18 and P1 brain vascular
      endothelial cells, with comparatively little immunoreactivity observed in brain
      parenchyma. Conversely, at P10, Glut 1 was prominent in brain parenchyma
      (undifferentiated cells) and less evident in the vascular endothelium. However,
      at P21, a resurgence of Glut 1 in vascular endothelial cells was observed, as was
      a sustained presence in parenchymal cells. On P greater than 40, a distribution
      in vascular endothelial cells and, to a minor extent, in parenchymal perivascular
      stellate cells was noted. Microvessel preparation Glut 1 (approximately 55-60
      kDa) and [125I] 3-iodo-4-azido-phenethyl-amido-7-O-succinyldeacetyl-forskolin
      photoaffinity-labeled glucose transporters gradually increased from G18 through
      P10 to P greater than 40. This developmental increase in Glut 1 was also seen in
      whole homogenates (approximately 45-47 kDa), but not in crude brain membranes.
      Thus, isolated microvascular preparations indicated that Glut 1 levels constantly
      increased with maturation, but direct visualization of brain sections revealed
      that the localization in different cellular compartments changed with
      development. These alterations in cellular localization of glucose transporters,
      appear to occur in concert with the changing glucose metabolic needs of the
      brain, which, during the various stages of development, exhibits constantly
      changing phases of cellular growth and proliferation.

PMID- 1874187
TI  - The heterogeneity of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). I. Characterization of
      peptide heterogeneity in 13 individual preparations of hCG.
AB  - Peptide variations in the alpha-subunit (molecules starting at alpha 3 and alpha
      4) and beta-subunit (missing linkages at beta 44-45 and beta 47-48) of hCG have
      been reported by several investigators. Studies, however, have been limited to
      standard hCG preparations (purified from large pools of urine) and other hCG
      samples from mixed urines. In this study we used chromatographic procedures to
      purify the total hCG content of 13 individual urines, 6 from patients with
      pregnancy and 7 from those with trophoblast disease (no hCG-containing fractions
      were excluded). Then, we examined for the first time the peptide variability
      among individual samples of hCG. We report 1) that individual hCG preparations
      have nicks (missing linkages) in the beta-subunit, primarily between residue 47
      48 (11 of 13 samples) and, less commonly, at the linkage 44-45 or 46-47 (3 of 13
      samples); 2) the extent of nicking varies greatly between individual preparations
      (range, 0-100% of molecules); 3) varying alpha-subunit N-terminal heterogeneity
      (N-terminus starting at alpha 3 or alpha 4) was also present (range, 0-28% of
      molecules), but was confined to preparations from individuals with trophoblast
      disease (6 of 7 samples from trophoblast disease urine, 0 of 6 from pregnancy
      urine); 4) hCG missing the beta-subunit C-terminal region was also detected (2 of
      13 hCG preparations); and 5) 1 of 13 preparations was nicked on the hCG alpha
      subunit, between residues 70 and 71. Thus, 12 of 13 individual hCG samples
      demonstrated at least 1 of 4 different forms of peptide heterogeneity. We
      conclude that individual hCG samples vary widely in the type and extent of
      peptide heterogeneity, an observation that is not appreciated when pools of hCG
      are studied.

PMID- 1874188
TI  - Dose-dependent effects of tamoxifen on long bones in growing rats: influence of
      ovarian status.
AB  - Tamoxifen is a nonsteroidal antiestrogen which has been reported by various
      investigators to have estrogen agonist and antagonist effects on rat bone. These
      different interpretations may be due to differences in the ovarian status,
      estrogen levels, and/or tamoxifen levels of the rats. To address this issue, a
      dose response was determined for the effects of tamoxifen on bone
      histomorphometry in intact female and ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The results were
      compared with those obtained after treatment of OVX rats with estrogen alone or a
      combination of estrogen and tamoxifen. OVX resulted in increases in growth rate
      (weight gain) and periosteal bone formation rate and decreases in uterine weight
      and cancellous bone fractional volume (BV/TV). Treatment of OVX rats with
      estrogen resulted in dose-dependent decreases in growth rate and periosteal bone
      formation rate as well as dose-dependent increases in uterine weight and BV/TV.
      Similarly, tamoxifen treatment resulted in dose-dependent decreases in overall
      growth rate and periosteal bone formation rate in both OVX and intact rats.
      Tamoxifen treatment prevented the decrease in BV/TV after OVX, although the
      highest dose of tamoxifen resulted in a small decrease in BV/TV in intact female
      rats. In contrast to estrogen, tamoxifen treatment prevented the increase in
      uterine weight in intact female rats as well as the decrease in uterine weight in
      OVX rats. Tamoxifen treatment did not alter the effects of 17 beta-estradiol on
      the periosteal bone formation rate in OVX rats, but reduced the increase in BV/TV
      to values similar to those in intact rats. These results are consistent with
      tamoxifen behaving as a partial estrogen agonist on rat bone.

PMID- 1874189
TI  - Morphological characterization of immortalized hypothalamic neurons synthesizing
      luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.
AB  - An immortalized LHRH cell line has recently been developed by genetically
      targeting these neurons for tumorigenesis. One of the subclones, the GT1-7 cells,
      was characterized at both the light and electron microscopic levels to study the
      cellular and subcellular organization of these cells, particularly as they relate
      to biosynthesis, processing, and secretion. The cells were fixed onto slides 18
      36 h after plating. LHRH and GnRH-associated peptide (GAP) immunoreactivities
      (IR) were detected by immunocytochemistry using colloidal gold labeling. These
      cultured cells exhibited the classical neuronal appearance of LHRH neurons, and
      they established numerous interconnections. Neighboring neurons were coupled by
      tight junctions, while more distant cells were interconnected with neural axon
      like processes and collaterals. This cellular organization is suggestive of a
      neural network where neuronal activity is coordinated. At the ultrastructural
      level, the nondividing cells possessed indented nuclei, well developed Golgi
      complexes, and abundant numbers of ribosomes and secretory granules. Clathrin
      coated vesicles were found in fusion with the plasma membrane. The ribosomes and
      secretory vesicles were particularly prominent, suggestive of high rates of
      protein biosynthesis and secretion. All of the cells immunostained for both LHRH
      and GAP; however, GAP IR was always more pronounced than that for LHRH. This
      finding was corroborated by biochemical data reported in a companion paper. The
      GAP IR was associated with ribosomes and secretory vesicles. By comparison, LHRH
      IR was restricted mainly to the secretory vesicles. Using colloidal gold
      particles of different sizes to denote LHRH or GAP IR, it was determined that
      both GAP and LHRH IR were colocalized within the same secretory vesicle. Taken
      together, these data suggest that pro-LHRH is biosynthesized on the ribosomes,
      packaged as an intact protein into the secretory vesicles, processed to LHRH and
      GAP-(1-56) within these vesicles, and transported to the periphery of the cell in
      preparation for secretion. These morphological data emphasize the utility of
      using these immortalized LHRH neuronal cells to dissect the cellular and
      subcellular architecture involved in biosynthesis, processing, and secretion. In
      addition, our results provide the first detailed evidence for the intracellular
      pathway involved in pro-LHRH biosynthesis, processing, and secretion in these
      cultured neuronal cells.

PMID- 1874190
TI  - Two distinct effects of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha on
      osteoclast development and subsequent resorption of mineralized matrix.
AB  - The multifunctional cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) stimulates
      osteoclastic resorption. It is not known which steps in osteoclast formation are
      affected by TNF alpha. We have investigated the effects of recombinant human TNF
      alpha (rhTNF alpha) on osteoclast development and osteoclastic resorption in two
      different in vitro resorption systems which are each characterized by a different
      stage of development of the osteoclast. The effects were further compared to
      those of bovine PTH-(1-84). rhTNF alpha at concentrations between 0.01-50 ng/ml
      (3 x 10(-13) to 1.5 x 10(-9) M) did not alter the activity of mature osteoclasts,
      measured as 45Ca release in fetal mouse radii. In the osteoclast precursor
      dependent system (fetal mouse metacarpals) rhTNF alpha had a biphasic effect. It
      stimulated resorption dose-dependently from 0.01 ng/ml onward, with a maximal
      response at 0.5 ng/ml. At concentrations above 10 ng/ml rhTNF alpha, resorption
      was inhibited. In experiments in which irradiation was used to block replication,
      it was found that TNF alpha stimulates the proliferation of osteoclast
      progenitors at both low and high concentrations. As a result, at relatively low
      concentrations, more osteoclasts were formed in the calcified matrix, coinciding
      with an increased release of 45Ca. However, at relatively high concentrations,
      the increase in osteoclast progenitors did not lead to increased resorption,
      since the putative osteoclast progenitors were arrested in the periosteum. In
      comparison, bovine PTH-(1-84) stimulated resorption independent of proliferation
      by enhancing the differentiation of postmitotic osteoclast precursors and
      activating mature osteoclasts. In conclusion, the effects of TNF alpha on
      osteoclastic resorption are dependent on the stage of osteoclast development and
      the concentrations applied.

PMID- 1874191
TI  - In vitro stimulation of stage-specific deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in rat
      seminiferous tubule segments by interleukin-1 alpha.
AB  - Levels of rat testicular interleukin-1-like factor (tIL-1) have been shown to
      correlate with DNA synthetic activity during the cycle of the rat seminiferous
      epithelium, suggesting its role as a spermatogonial or meiotic growth factor. To
      explore this further, a new in vitro model system was developed. Rat seminiferous
      tubule segments from stages I, V, VIIa, and VIII-IX of the cycle were isolated by
      transillumination-assisted microdissection, cultured in chemically defined serum
      free medium supplemented with human recombinant IL-1 alpha, and labeled with
      [3H]thymidine. During incubation, spontaneous progression of spermatogenesis was
      noted. Inactive stage VIIa tubule segments differentiated to stage VIII and
      initiated DNA synthesis, and concomitantly started to secrete IL-1-like factor.
      DNA synthesis of stages VIII-IX ceased through differentiation of spermatocytes
      to leptotene-zygotene (stages XII-XIII of the cycle). IL-1 alpha stimulated DNA
      synthesis significantly in spermatogonia of stage I. Meiotic DNA synthesis at
      stage VIIa was stimulated (48 h/34 C) and maintained at stages VIII-IX (48 h/34
      C). IL-1 alpha seems to act as a regulator of spermatogenic DNA synthesis in both
      mitotic and meiotic phases. It has mainly stimulating and maintaining effects,
      but it may also be inhibitory under certain conditions.

PMID- 1874192
TI  - Tissue distribution, characterization, and regulation of messenger ribonucleic
      acid for growth hormone receptor and serum binding protein in the rat.
AB  - The distribution of GH receptor (GHR) and GH-binding protein (GHBP) mRNAs in
      multiple rat tissues was examined by Northern blotting using a cDNA fragment
      encoding the common extracellular domain of the GHR and the serum GHBP. Both GHR
      and GHBP mRNAs [4.5 and 1.2 kilobases (kb), respectively] were present in liver,
      kidney, adrenal, heart, muscle, ovary, mammary gland, gastrointestinal tract, and
      adipose tissue, but were barely or not detectable in testis, thymus, or brain.
      These observations suggest that GH exerts direct effects across a broad spectrum
      of rat tissues. Nuclease protection analysis also confirmed the presence in
      extrahepatic tissues of a GHR mRNA with up to 50% of the cytoplasmic domain being
      identical in sequence to that of the hepatic GHR mRNA. This suggests, but does
      not prove, that different receptor classes with differing intracellular
      signalling mechanisms may not exist. It is also clear from our studies that liver
      was the most abundant source of the truncated (1.2 kb) mRNA and is, therefore,
      believed to be the primary site of GHBP synthesis. Also, more importantly, at
      least in the rat, it was only GHBP mRNA that was up-regulated to any extent
      during pregnancy (female vs. pregnant, P less than 0.001). No significant changes
      were observed in the abundance of the full-length (4.5 kb) GHR mRNA. This
      pregnancy-related change in GHBP mRNA was also accompanied by a comparable
      increase in the actual level of measurable serum GHBP (female vs. pregnant, P =
      0.005). Little change was seen in hepatic membrane binding. These data suggest
      that the GHBP and GHR are both widely coexpressed, but that the expression is not
      always coordinately regulated. This raises the possibility that the GHBP and GHR
      may have distinct roles in the regulation of GH delivery and action.

PMID- 1874193
TI  - Role of the thyroid gland in seasonal reproduction. III. Thyroidectomy blocks
      seasonal suppression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion in sheep.
AB  - Previous studies demonstrated that the thyroid gland is required for the changes
      in LH secretion that lead to the end of the breeding season of female sheep, a
      reproductive transition generated within the ewe by an endogenous annual rhythm.
      The present study tested the hypothesis that this role of the thyroid is mediated
      via the GnRH neurosecretory system. The pulsatile secretion of GnRH into
      hypophyseal portal blood and LH into peripheral blood, as well as the
      neuroanatomical distribution of GnRH neurons and their light microscopic
      morphology, were compared among anestrous ewes and thyroidectomized (THX) ewes
      that failed to make the transition to the anestrous season. The study was
      conducted under photoperiodic conditions in which the transition to anestrus was
      generated by the endogenous rhythm. Each animal was ovariectomized and treated sc
      with a constant release implant of estradiol to normalize gonadal steroid status
      among thyroid-intact and THX ewes. High frequency pulses of GnRH and LH were
      evident in THX ewes that failed to make the transition to anestrus, whereas
      pulsatile secretion of GnRH and LH was generally not observed in thyroid-intact
      controls that had entered anestrus. This marked effect of thyroidectomy on GnRH
      secretion was not associated with widespread changes in the total number,
      distribution, or light microscopic morphology of GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus
      and preoptic area. Our finding that pulsatile secretion of GnRH is elevated in
      THX ewes that fail to make the transition to anestrus supports the hypothesis
      that the thyroid gland is required for the endogenously generated switch in
      function of the GnRH neurosecretory system that leads to the end of the breeding
      season of the ewe.

PMID- 1874194
TI  - Population density alters the responsiveness of GH4C1 pituitary tumor cells to 17
      beta-estradiol.
AB  - In this study we have examined the effect of population density on the ability of
      17 beta-estradiol (E2) to induce PRL mRNA, DNA synthesis, and progesterone
      receptor in GH4C1 pituitary tumor cells. These parameters were examined at three
      subconfluent population densities that varied over a 4-fold range. The culture
      medium was changed daily in these experiments to reduce the possibility of
      nutrient depletion, medium toxification, or E2 metabolism. At the low population
      density, a 5-day treatment with E2 at a concentration of 1.0 nM resulted in an
      8.1-fold increase in the level of PRL mRNA, as measured by the cytosolic dot blot
      procedure. At the intermediate density, E2 induced PRL mRNA 2.4-fold. At the high
      density, the level of PRL mRNA was reduced by 50% in response to 5 days of
      treatment with E2. The cytosolic dot blot procedure would reflect changes in the
      level of PRL mRNA per cell as well as changes in the number of cells per culture.
      Therefore, the level of beta-actin mRNA was also measured, assuming that it would
      remain constant on a per cell basis. When the level of PRL mRNA was normalized to
      the level of beta-actin mRNA in the same cytosols, E2 increased PRL mRNA 2.6-fold
      in the low density cultures and 1.9-fold in the intermediate density cultures,
      and had no effect on the level of PRL mRNA in the high density cultures. The
      effect of population density on the induction of GH4C1 cell proliferation by E2
      was examined directly by measuring cellular DNA, thymidine incorporation by whole
      cells, and deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP) incorporation by isolated nuclei.
      At the low density, E2 initially stimulated GH4C1 cell proliferation, as
      evidenced by an increased rate of dTTP incorporation. However, this stimulatory
      effect was lost by day 5 of treatment, as the population density of the E2
      treated low density cultures increased. At the high density, the inhibitory
      effect of E2 on dTTP incorporation was observed by day 2 of treatment and
      thereafter become more pronounced. These stimulatory and inhibitory effects of E2
      were also revealed when the level of cellular DNA was measured. In contrast to
      the effects of population density on the induction of PRL mRNA and cell
      proliferation, an increase in density had no observable effect on the induction
      of progesterone receptor by E2. These data illustrate the critical importance of
      the culture environment in studies examining estrogen action in vitro.

PMID- 1874195
TI  - Antibodies to cytoplasmic sequences of cloned liver growth hormone (GH) receptors
      recognize GH receptors associated with tyrosine kinase activity.
AB  - GH stimulates tyrosyl phosphorylation of GH receptors in 3T3-F442A fibroblasts,
      and highly purified GH receptor preparations exhibit tyrosine kinase activity.
      Paradoxically, however, the GH receptor cloned from liver exhibits no sequence
      similarity to receptors with known signal transduction mechanisms, including
      those exhibiting ligand-activated tyrosine kinase activity. These observations
      raise the possibility that there are two kinds of receptors for GH: the first
      represented by the cloned liver GH receptor, and the second by a tyrosine kinase
      containing GH receptor. To inquire into the possibility of two distinct GH
      receptors, we determined whether the cloned liver GH receptor shares structural
      similarities with the tyrosine kinase-associated GH receptor. When the cloned
      rabbit liver GH receptor is expressed in human kidney 293 cells, it migrates with
      a mol wt appropriate for the tyrosine kinase-associated GH receptor, despite the
      calculated mol wt of the cloned GH receptor being 60,000 smaller than that of the
      tyrosine kinase-associated GH receptor. The recognition of tyrosine kinase
      associated GH receptor by antipeptide antibodies to three different epitopes on
      the cytoplasmic domain of the cloned liver GH receptor was also tested. Tyrosyl
      phosphorylated [125I]human GH-receptor complexes were prepared by
      immunoprecipitation with phosphotyrosyl-binding antibody; this subpopulation of
      GH-receptor complexes was recognized by all three antipeptide antibodies. The
      antibodies also recognized similarly isolated tyrosyl phosphorylated GH-receptor
      complexes, which had been further phosphorylated in solution on tyrosyl residues
      upon addition of [gamma 32P] ATP. Furthermore, highly purified GH receptors
      prepared by sequential immunoprecipitation using phosphotyrosyl-binding antibody
      and any one of the three antipeptide antibodies incorporated 32P into tyrosyl
      residues upon the addition of [gamma 32P] ATP. These results provide evidence
      that tyrosine kinase-associated GH receptors share sequence similarity in the
      cytoplasmic domain with the cloned liver GH receptor. The cloned GH receptor and
      the tyrosine kinase-associated GH receptor, therefore, are likely to be the same
      receptor or related receptor isoforms.

PMID- 1874196
TI  - Expression of the androgen receptor gene in rat penile tissue and cells during
      sexual maturation.
AB  - The cessation of rat and human penile growth at completion of sexual maturation
      appears to be related to a tissue-specific decrease in the number of androgen
      receptors (AR) in the penis. To find out whether this is due to either
      transcriptional or translational regulation of the AR gene, we determined the
      levels of AR mRNA by Northern blots in the corpora cavernosa from groups of 16-,
      19-, 22-, 27-, 52-, and 90-day-old rats. The AR mRNA rapidly decreases with age
      and is nearly undetectable in the 52- and 90-day-old rats, paralleling the
      decline in AR number. The persistence of a low amount of AR mRNA in the adult
      penis was confirmed by reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction
      amplification of total RNA, and its level was estimated by a semiquantitative
      modification of this procedure at less than 1/25th of that found in the youngest
      rats. Smooth muscle cells derived from the 16- and 90-day-old corpora cavernosa
      express in the AR gene in vitro in approximately the same levels, suggesting that
      there are factors in culture that up-regulate the AR mRNA. Our results are
      compatible with the assumption that the age-dependent decrease in AR in the rat
      penis is due to transcriptional regulation, although they do not exclude the less
      likely alternative of a selective effect on AR mRNA stability and support the use
      of this model for studying tissue-specific factors controlling the developmental
      expression of the AR gene.

PMID- 1874197
TI  - Rapid increase in LHRH mRNA levels following NMDA.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that changes in LHRH mRNA levels are tightly linked to
      changes in LHRH secretion, intact male rats were infused with NMDA, a substance
      which increases LH release by a hypothalamic action. NMDA significantly elevated
      cellular levels of LHRH mRNA at 15 and 60 min. Similar changes in LH levels were
      induced by NMDA. These effects of NMDA on LHRH mRNA levels were not due to a
      generalized excitatory effect in the brain because levels of mRNAs encoding
      proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the arcuate
      periarcuate region were not altered by NMDA and levels of TH mRNA were decreased
      significantly at 15 and 60 min in neurons of the zona incerta. These data
      strongly support the hypothesis that changes in cellular levels of LHRH mRNA are
      tightly linked temporally to changes in LHRH secretion.

PMID- 1874198
TI  - Effects of deliberate hypotension induced by labetalol on renal function.
AB  - The effect of deliberate hypotension induced by labetalol on renal function, was
      studied in 25 patients undergoing middle-ear surgery. The patients were
      randomized into three groups, one enflurane (E) group and two isoflurane (I and
      F) groups. Group F received frusemide 0.5 mg kg-1 at the onset of hypotension.
      The mean arterial pressure was 50 mmHg (6.7 kPa) in Groups E and I, and 49 mmHg
      (6.5 kPa) in Group F during hypotension. During hypotension, urine flow rate,
      effective renal blood flow, endogenous creatinine clearance, and osmolar
      clearance decreased. Free-water clearance and fractional electrolyte excretions
      also indicated deterioration of renal function during hypotension, but it
      returned to normal after anaesthesia. The effects of frusemide appeared mainly
      after anaesthesia. Frusemide reduced the amount of labetalol and isoflurane
      needed to maintain hypotension. Serum fluoride concentration did not increase to
      a potentially nephrotoxic level.

PMID- 1874199
TI  - Sedation for paediatric computerized tomography--a double-blind assessment of
      rectal midazolam.
AB  - This double-blind study investigated the rectal administration of midazolam as an
      alternative to general anaesthesia for elective computerized tomography (CT) of
      the brain. Thirty children were randomly allocated to receive either midazolam
      0.3 mg kg-1 (Group 1) or midazolam 0.6 mg kg-1 (Group 2) by the rectal route.
      Sedation was obtained in 13 children in Group 1 and 12 in Group 2 but this was
      only satisfactory for scanning in seven children in Group 1 and eight in Group 2.
      We concluded that although the technique produced sedation, it did not reliably
      produce satisfactory conditions for CT scanning.

PMID- 1874200
TI  - Comparison of inhalation induction with isoflurane or halothane in children.
AB  - Thirty-six children (mean age 2.4 years) premedicated with oral chloral hydrate
      70 mg kg-1 and atropine 0.03 mg kg-1 were anaesthetized with either 3.75%
      isoflurane or 2.5% halothane in 70% nitrous oxide in oxygen. The eyelash reflex
      disappeared in 39 +/- 7 s (mean +/- SD) with isoflurane and in 56 +/- 16 s with
      halothane (P less than 0.001). Tachypnoea was seen with both anaesthetics.
      Coughing, breath holding, stridorous breathing and respiratory depression were
      seen during isoflurane but not during halothane induction (P less than 0.01). In
      nine of 20 children anaesthetized with isoflurane, the ventilation had to be
      assisted before intubation. Endotracheal intubation was possible in 224 +/- 35 s
      with isoflurane and in 281 +/- 64 s with halothane (P less than 0.01). Intubating
      conditions were satisfactory in 80% of the children anaesthetized with either
      volatile agent. Cardiovascular responses to endotracheal intubation were minimal
      with both anaesthetics. No cardiac dysrhythmias were noted. Heart rate was higher
      during isoflurane than during halothane induction. Diastolic arterial pressure
      was lower during isoflurane than during halothane induction immediately and 5 min
      after intubation.

PMID- 1874201
TI  - Lack of influence of acupuncture and transcutaneous stimulation on the
      immunoglobulin levels and leucocyte counts following upper-abdominal surgery.
AB  - The changes in immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG and IgM) and total and differential
      leucocyte counts in the peripheral blood during, and for 6 days after, surgery
      were evaluated in 29 male patients submitted to standardized upper-abdominal
      surgery performed under two different anaesthetic techniques. Group 1 received
      stimulation of ear and paravertebral points, supplemented by small doses of
      fentanyl (mean 1.2 micrograms kg-1, range 0.0-5.7) and Group 2 received moderate
      dose fentanyl (mean 22.9 micrograms kg-1, range: 17.5-29.8). All were induced
      with thiopentone 5 mg kg-1, intubated after vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 and ventilated
      with 67% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Inhalation anaesthesia was not used. Surgery
      was followed by a fall in immunoglobulins, lymphocyte and eosinophil counts and a
      rise in leucocyte and neutrophil counts in both groups (P less than 0.01). No
      recovery was observed until the last assessment on Day 6 after surgery in IgA,
      IgG, leucocyte, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts in both groups, whereas IgM and
      eosinophil counts recovered by Day 4. Monocyte and basophil counts were unchanged
      in either group. Acupuncture and transcutaneous stimulation analgesia performed
      for major abdominal surgery did not influence the body's immune system either
      during or after surgery as measured by the concentrations of immunoglobulin and
      total and differential WBC counts.

PMID- 1874202
TI  - Total intravenous anaesthesia in stereotactic surgery--one year's clinical
      experience.
AB  - The technique of stereotactic intracranial surgery is described together with a
      total intravenous anaesthetic technique (TIVA) using a propofol infusion,
      fentanyl, vecuronium and oxygen in air. One year's results are reported for
      patients undergoing biopsy or destruction of an intracranial lesion. This
      technique offered cardiovascular stability and an adequate depth of anaesthesia
      for the various stages required in stereotaxis. Recovery was rapid and with few
      side-effects. Duration of anaesthesia and total dose of propofol did not
      significantly prolong the time to recovery.

PMID- 1874203
TI  - Hemocue--a new haemoglobinometer in the clinic.
AB  - The accuracy of the Hemocue, a portable haemoglobinometer, was tested on 29
      patients undergoing open-heart surgery, and the results were compared with the
      haemoglobin values obtained from the hospital laboratory. Special attention was
      paid to the lower range of haemoglobin values and the simplicity and speed of
      operating the meter. The correlation between the methods was good (r = 0.965).
      The limits of agreement were 0.0323 +/- 0.705 mmol l-1 (95% confidence level).

PMID- 1874204
TI  - Post-operative headache--a multifactorial analysis.
AB  - ASA Grade I and II patients admitted for day-case urological surgery received no
      premedication or an oral dose of temazepam 10 mg. Anaesthesia was induced with
      methohexitone and maintained with nitrous oxide, oxygen and halothane or
      enflurane via a Mapleson A circuit. The incidence of post-operative headache was
      investigated by an independent observer. Eighty patients were studied (50 male
      and 30 female) of whom 32 (40%) had post-operative headaches. Post-operative
      headache was significantly correlated with female sex and frequent 'normal'
      headache occurrence. The lack of previous surgical experience was a significant
      risk factor and a loose insignificant association existed with age, the use of
      halothane and the presence of pre-operative headache. Temazepam premedication had
      no effect and was associated with significantly more patients complaining of
      feeling cold.

PMID- 1874205
TI  - Communication during the pre-operative visit.
AB  - Eighty-six patients completed a questionnaire about what they expected from a pre
      operative visit by an anaesthesiologist. Ninety-one per cent of the patients
      wanted a detailed and informative conversation. The patient's previous knowledge
      stemmed primarily from lay sources, such as other patients and visitors. Age and
      marital status influenced the extent of the patient's previous knowledge.

PMID- 1874206
TI  - Coronary-artery spasm during spinal anaesthesia in a patient with primary
      hyperparathyroidism.

PMID- 1874207
TI  - Haemodynamic and endocrine effects of deliberate hypotension with magnesium
      sulphate for cerebral-aneurysm surgery.
AB  - Deliberate hypotension is widely used during cerebral-artery aneurysm surgery to
      facilitate clipping and to prevent rupture. A large number of drugs are commonly
      employed to achieve hypotension, but all have their specific drawbacks. We
      investigated the effects of magnesium-sulphate-induced hypotension on
      haemodynamics, as well as on plasma catecholamine and renin concentrations in 11
      patients undergoing cerebral-aneurysm surgery. Magnesium sulphate lowered blood
      pressure by reducing systemic vascular resistance. There was no reflex
      tachycardia or rebound hypertension, and cardiac output was not decreased. Plasma
      renin activity increased during hypotension but the inhibitory effects of
      magnesium on angiotensin converting enzyme prevented angiotensin-II-associated
      hypertension. Plasma catecholamine concentrations increased moderately during
      hypotension. Renal perfusion was not impaired since diuresis remained constant or
      even improved during and after hypotension. Magnesium sulphate in high doses has
      major drawbacks, however, among which are enhanced neuromuscular blockade and
      delayed return of consciousness. Although the haemodynamic effects of magnesium
      sulphate during hypotension appear to be beneficial, these side-effects might
      limits its usefulness, particularly in neurosurgery. More research must be
      conducted before magnesium sulphate can be considered a routine method.

PMID- 1874208
TI  - Effects and arterial concentration of prostaglandin E1 during cardiopulmonary
      bypass.
AB  - The effects an infusion prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on both haemodynamics and PGE1
      arterial blood concentration during and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were
      studied in 15 patients (eight patients received PGE1 30 ng kg-1 min-1; seven
      served as controls and did not receive PGE1 administration). Mean arterial blood
      pressure and systemic vascular resistance were significantly lower in the PGE1
      group than in the control group during CPB. There were no statistically
      significant differences between the two groups with regard to mean pulmonary
      artery pressure, central venous pressure, and cardiac or perfusion index. The
      arterial blood concentration of PGE1 in the control group during CPB was about 50
      pg ml-1. In the PGE1 group it increased rapidly after the beginning of CPB and
      reached a level of 1500 pg ml-1 at 60 min of CPB. After weaning off CPB, PGE1
      concentration decreased rapidly to 70 pg ml-1 in spite of the continuous PGE1
      infusion. It is concluded that the metabolism of PGE1 is strongly inhibited
      during CPB and the effects of PGE1 may be unexpectedly heightened. Therefore, the
      infusion rate of PGE1 during CPB should be 30 ng kg-1 min-1 or less in order to
      avoid severe hypotension.

PMID- 1874209
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and clinical response of hyoscine plus morphine premedication in
      connection with cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.
AB  - Plasma hyoscine and morphine levels and various pharmacodynamic responses have
      been examined in seven patients scheduled for a coronary-artery bypass graft.
      Hyoscine 0.006 mg kg-1 and morphine 0.20 mg kg-1 were administered
      intramuscularly as routine premedication. Surgery was performed using high-dose
      fentanyl anaesthesia (100 micrograms kg-1). The clinical responses followed were
      heart rate, blood pressure, subjective sedation and antisialogogue effect. The
      plasma hyoscine levels were determined by radioreceptor assay, and plasma
      morphine levels by liquid chromatography, both up to 24 h. The maximum levels of
      plasma hyoscine (6.6 micrograms l-1) and morphine (158 micrograms l-1) and the
      time they were reached (13.0 and 9.7 min, respectively) were comparable with the
      values obtained in earlier studies using young healthy subjects. After the start
      of cardiopulmonary bypass, significant decreases in plasma levels of both
      hyoscine and morphine were found. The elimination half-life of hyoscine in the
      plasma was 2.4 h, which is somewhat greater than obtained in earlier studies with
      young healthy patients under regional anaesthesia. Elimination of plasma morphine
      (t1/2el = 3.3 h) was not significantly altered by the procedure. The sedative and
      antisialogogue effects of the drugs appeared quickly and were significant, but no
      tachycardia or other side effects were observed. In conclusion, the kinetic
      properties of both hyoscine and morphine are suitable for routine use as
      premedicants before cardiac surgery.

PMID- 1874210
TI  - Etomidate vs. propofol to carry out suspension laryngoscopies.
AB  - Patients about to undergo a suspension laryngoscopy were randomly assigned to one
      of two groups (n = 10). They were given either etomidate 1 mg kg-1 followed by 1
      mg kg-1 h-1, or propofol 2.5 mg kg-1 followed by 9 mg kg-1 h-1. Alfentanil 10
      micrograms kg-1 was given to provide analgesia with a further half dose if
      necessary. Duration of apnoea, quality of anaesthesia, times between stopping
      hypnotic administration and the moment when the patients opened their eyes, gave
      their name, date of birth and the day's date were noted. Heart rate, blood
      pressures, respiratory frequency and blood gases were noted before induction,
      before suspension and when hypnotic infusion was stopped. Clinical tolerance was
      good, the duration of surgery, apnoea and quality of anaesthesia were the same
      for both groups. Blood pressure was less depressed by etomidate, but ventilatory
      frequency was higher. Recovery was significantly faster after propofol. Propofol
      is recommended for patients who require good post-operative cooperation (chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease) and etomidate for those who are haemodynamically
      compromised.

PMID- 1874211
TI  - Intrapleural bupivacaine analgesia after thoraco-abdominal incision for
      oesophagectomy.
AB  - Intrapleural bupivacaine administration is said to produce good analgesia for the
      pain induced by a subcostal incision. However, reports of its efficacy after
      thoracotomy are conflicting. The goal of this study was to compare the analgesia
      produced by intrapleural administration of bupivacaine after oesophagectomy using
      a thoraco-abdominal incision with that obtained from intrapleural saline. After
      informed consent and institutional approval were obtained, 20 patients were
      randomly assigned to two groups of 10 patients each. Subjects received
      intrapleurally 10 ml of either 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:200,000 adrenaline or
      normal saline, every 8 h, beginning on the first post-operative day and lasting
      for 4 days. Pain was evaluated using a visual-analogue scale 2 h after the first
      daily treatment at rest and during physiotherapy. Pain scores were significantly
      lower in the bupivacaine group than in the saline group. Additionally, PaO2 was
      significantly higher in the bupivacaine group than in the saline group on Day 1
      (P less than 0.05). The plasma bupivacaine concentration never reached the level
      of toxicity. Plasma bupivacaine concentrations on Day 1 after the first
      intrapleural bupivacaine injection were less than 350 ng ml-1; on Day 4 after the
      last injection they were less than 1300 ng ml-1. In conclusion, intrapleural
      administration of bupivacaine produces effective analgesia after oesophagectomy
      performed with a thoracoabdominal incision. The technique is easy to perform and
      is safe.

PMID- 1874212
TI  - Propofol and alfentanil infusions for sedation in intensive therapy.
AB  - Forty-four patients, with admission APACHE II scores between 5 and 24, undergoing
      mechanical ventilation in the intensive therapy unit, received a sedative regimen
      consisting of continuous infusions of propofol and alfentanil. Patients were
      randomly allocated to one of three groups to receive either alfentanil 0.25
      microgram kg-1 min-1 (10 patients), 0.50 microgram kg-1 min-1 (15 patients) or
      0.75 microgram kg-1 min-1 (18 patients) for analgesia. An infusion of propofol 20
      200 mg h-1 ran concurrently to maintain a satisfactory level of sedation.
      Patients received the infusions for between 4 and 260 h and 38 patients spent
      more than 90% of this time at satisfactory sedation levels. After stopping the
      infusions all patients had short times to wakening (mean 3-18 min) and to
      establish spontaneous respiration (mean 8-28 min), suggesting no significant
      cumulation. Some depression of blood pressure was seen on starting the infusions,
      which was in general easily treated with fluids or small increases in inotropic
      agents. One patient, however, was withdrawn from the trial because of
      haemodynamic instability. This combination of drugs can be recommended for
      sedation of general intensive-therapy patients, provided the cost is not felt to
      be prohibitive.

PMID- 1874213
TI  - Phenylephrine in a hypoxaemic spell.

PMID- 1874214
TI  - Tension pneumothorax possibly due to the placement of a Swan-Ganz catheter
      detected by changes in the ventilator.

PMID- 1874215
TI  - Evoked potentials in anaesthesia.

PMID- 1874216
TI  - Coronary circulation and factors affecting coronary 'steal'.

PMID- 1874217
TI  - Cerebral blood flow and metabolism during hypotension induced with sodium
      nitroprusside and metoprolol.
AB  - Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism have been studied during general
      anaesthesia with enflurane and hypotension induced with sodium nitroprusside
      (SNP) in combination with metoprolol in nine ASA Grade I patients undergoing
      surgery for deviation of the nasal septum. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was
      reduced by 31% to a mean of 47 mmHg using metoprolol 0.15 mg kg-1 and SNP 0.46 mg
      kg-1. There was no reduction in CBF during the hypotensive period. Cerebral
      metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) was also unchanged during hypotension. We
      conclude that in healthy individuals anaesthetized with enflurane, SNP in
      combination with metoprolol reduces MAP to the desired level without changing CBF
      or CMRO2.

PMID- 1874218
TI  - Verapamil and nitrous oxide exert only minor effects on the normal myocardium in
      the presence of fentanyl.
AB  - While the association of inhalational anaesthetics and verapamil has been shown
      to cause myocardial dysfunction, the interactions between fentanyl, verapamil and
      nitrous oxide on regional function in normal hearts have not been investigated.
      Seven mongrel dogs were instrumented to measure aortic and left-ventricular
      pressure, aortic blood flow and apical and basal regional left-ventricular
      function (sonomicrometry). Haemodynamic values were recorded during anaesthesia
      with 1% halothane, fentanyl 100 micrograms kg-1 (followed by 1.5 micrograms kg-1
      min-1) and then after the addition of verapamil 250 micrograms kg-1 over 30 min
      (followed by 60 micrograms kg-1 min-1). At each stage 67% nitrous oxide was added
      and recordings obtained before and during its administration. The addition of
      verapamil during fentanyl anaesthesia caused a moderate depression of global
      haemodynamics. Only little dysfunction of the apical region (9.5 +/- 2.4% post
      systolic shortening) was noted. The addition of nitrous oxide caused a small
      amount of additional depression without significant regional dysfunction.

PMID- 1874219
TI  - Awakening and recovery of simple cognitive and psychomotor functions 2 h after
      anaesthesia for day-case surgery--total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol
      alfentanil versus thiopentone-alfentanil.
AB  - Fifty-seven patients undergoing minor out-patient gynaecological procedures were
      allocated to one of two total intravenous anaesthesia regimes: propofol and
      alfentanil or thiopentone and alfentanil. Diazepam was given orally as
      premedication. To assess objectively the quality of recovery, the patients
      underwent a number of tests pre-operatively and two hours post-operatively. The
      time to opening of eyes and orientation was equal in both groups, as was the
      recovery of the tested cognitive and psychomotor functions after 2 h, when the
      score in both groups had returned to baseline. We conclude that the use of
      propofol instead of thiopentone for shorter surgical procedures gives no
      advantage as regards length of stay in hospital.

PMID- 1874220
TI  - The influence of etomidate upon cerebral metabolites after complete brain
      ischaemia in the rat.
AB  - The influence of etomidate on post-ischaemic cerebral metabolism was examined in
      1-year-old male Wistar rats. Ten rats were randomly allocated to each of three
      groups. Group 1 animals received etomidate for 60 min without undergoing cerebral
      ischaemia. In Group 2, there was a 60-min recovery period following 15 min of
      complete cerebral ischaemia. Etomidate was administered to Group 3 animals after
      15 min of ischaemia. At the end of the study period, the brains were frozen in
      situ using liquid nitrogen. The cortex was then biochemically analysed.
      Considering glycolysis as well as the citric-acid cycle, the pattern of
      metabolite changes with etomidate application was almost identical to the pattern
      of spontaneous recovery. The content of energy-rich phosphates was reduced when
      Groups 2 and 3 were compared with the non-ischaemia group, indicating previous
      depletion of energy reserves of brain tissue. However, the energy charge as a
      parameter of energy balance had already been returned to normal values. We
      conclude that post-ischaemic application of etomidate has no favourable effect on
      recovery after complete cerebral ischaemia in the rat.

PMID- 1874221
TI  - Immunomodulating effects of halothane in mice.
AB  - Twenty mice were acutely exposed to 1.5% halothane anaesthesia for 4 h. The mice
      were sequentially killed during the first 3 days after halothane exposure.
      Another 14 mice were chronically exposed to 0.25% halothane for 1 h daily, four
      times weekly for 3 months. The mice were sequentially killed every week. Acute
      exposure to halothane anaesthesia resulted in an increase in lymphocyte count per
      spleen, a decrease in serum IgG concentrations (Day 2), a reduction in
      spontaneous 3H-thymidine lymphocytic uptake (Day 1), and an increase in
      concanavalin-A-stimulated uptake. All immunometric assays returned to control
      levels on Day 3 after halothane exposure. Chronic non-anaesthetic concentrations
      of halothane exposure produced a decrease in serum IgG concentrations and an
      increase in spontaneous and stimulated lymphocyte 3H-thymidine uptake. It is
      concluded that acute exposure of mice to anaesthetic halothane results in a
      transient depression of the immune response, while chronic non-anaesthetic
      concentrations produce a differential effect on the two moieties of the immune
      system, a depressed humoral response and overactive cellular response.

PMID- 1874222
TI  - Intracranial subdural haematoma--a rare complication after spinal anaesthesia.

PMID- 1874223
TI  - Somatosensory evoked responses during and after graded brain ischaemia in goats.
AB  - Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were studied during graded incomplete
      cerebral ischaemia in eight goats and for the following 2 h. Anaesthesia was
      maintained with etomidate 1-1.5 mg kg-1 h-1 and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen.
      Global cerebral blood flow (gCBF) was measured by a magnetic flow transducer at
      one internal maxillary artery after surgical occlusion of all other major
      extracranial cerebral arteries. CBF was reduced every 30 min by 25% with a lower
      limit of 15-20 ml 100 g-1 min-1. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the
      brainstem and cortex was measured by the microsphere technique. The main findings
      were: (a) a graded decline in cortical SEP and a concurrent prolongation of the
      central conduction time (CCT) at gCBF values below 35 ml 100 g-1 min-1 and (b) an
      incomplete recovery of cortical SEP components during recirculation. Reduction of
      gCBF affected cortical rCBF more severely than brainstem rCBF. As a result, only
      cortical SEPs were changed. Our data suggest that reduced cerebral perfusion may
      result in altered cortical brain electrical activity that may be monitored by SEP
      recordings.

PMID- 1874224
TI  - Effect of sub-anaesthetic infusions of propofol on peak velocity of saccadic eye
      movements.
AB  - Peak velocity of saccadic eye movements was studied in six healthy volunteers who
      received either 0.9% sodium chloride (as a control) or a stepwise rising propofol
      infusion regime of 0.24, 0.6 and 1.5 mg kg-1 h-1, which produced arterialized
      venous concentrations equivalent to 1%, 6% and 13% of the estimated EC50 for
      propofol. The infusion lasted for 75 min (25 min at each infusion rate) and was
      followed by a 2-h post-infusion recovery period. Peak saccadic velocity was
      highly significantly depressed during the 15-25-min period after the start of the
      second and third propofol infusions compared with saline. The relationship
      between arterialized venous blood concentration and peak saccadic velocity was
      similar during recovery when concentrations were falling to that during
      increasing blood propofol concentrations. Peak saccadic velocity decreased
      linearly with increasing log10 propofol concentration in the range of 25-800 ng
      ml-1 (14% of control per decade). Measured arterialized venous-blood propofol
      concentrations were variable, and systematically greater than computer
      predictions at the two higher infusion rates. In only half the subjects were the
      subjective assessments significantly correlated with log10 propofol
      concentrations or with percentage reduction in peak saccadic velocity.

PMID- 1874225
TI  - Fibre-optic bronchoscopic evaluation of tracheal tube position.
AB  - Verification of tracheal tube position by fibre-optic bronchoscopy was evaluated
      in 20 critically ill adult patients. The distance between the carina and the tube
      was measured by direct visualization with a fibre-optic bronchoscope and compared
      with the corresponding measurement obtained from a concomitant chest radiograph.
      The measured values did not differ significantly and in 18 out of 20 patients the
      accuracy was within 2 cm. No adverse effects were observed. We conclude that
      verification of tracheal tube position by fibre-optic bronchoscopy is a safe
      alternative to chest X-ray.

PMID- 1874226
TI  - Post-operative analgesia following femoral-neck surgery--a comparison between 3
      in 1 femoral nerve block and lateral cutaneous nerve block.
AB  - A prospective controlled randomized trial on patients receiving surgery for
      fractured neck of femur was carried out, in which post-operative analgesic
      requirements in three separate groups were compared. Patients in Group 1 acted as
      controls, whilst those in Groups 2 and 3 received lateral cutaneous nerve blocks
      and 3 in 1 femoral nerve blocks, respectively. Patients in Group 3 needed
      significantly less analgesia than the other two groups, and the time to first
      administration of analgesia was significantly longer. No complications of either
      of the nerve blocks was noted.

PMID- 1874227
TI  - The cuffed pharyngeal airway.
AB  - A new self-retaining nasopharyngeal airway is described. The clinical performance
      of this airway was assessed in 100 patients during anaesthesia with spontaneous
      respiration. The physical behaviour of the airway was investigated in four
      patients. In an additional 25 patients the tube was used via the oral route.
      Although designed for use by the nasal route, the airway can be used as a self
      retaining oropharyngeal airway.

PMID- 1874228
TI  - Transfusion in the exsanguinating Jehovah's Witness patient--the attitude of
      intensive-care doctors.
AB  - The attitude of a Jehovah's Witness patient refusing a blood transfusion during
      an exsanguinating episode can raise important ethical problems. Various ethical
      principles, including the patient's autonomy, the sanctity of life and the
      dignity of the medical profession can be confronted. A total of 242 doctors,
      members of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, answered a
      questionnaire indicating that 63% would transfuse in those circumstances.
      However, 26% would never inform the patient about this. Only 45% considered the
      blood transfusion as appropriate, of whom 25% were unable to define the best
      option. Doctors from France and Italy more commonly transfuse while those from
      The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia more commonly withhold
      transfusion. These data stress the need for a definition of the appropriate
      medical attitudes towards the patient refusing blood transfusion.

PMID- 1874229
TI  - Anaesthetic management of dilated cardiomyopathy with severe ventricular
      dysrhythmias.
AB  - A 67-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy underwent subtotal gastrectomy. The
      risks due to anaesthesia and surgery were considered to be very high because of
      the severe dysrhythmias and renal dysfunction. Anaesthesia was induced with
      fentanyl and midazolam and maintained with additional fentanyl, midazolam, and
      60% nitrous oxide. Dobutamine, dopamine, lignocaine and a temporary pacemaker
      were used to control cardiovascular responses during surgery. Mild hypotension
      and tachycardia occurred, but neither circulatory failure nor other major
      complications were observed during and after the operation.

PMID- 1874230
TI  - Dystrophia myotonica--emergency caesarean section with spinal anaesthesia.

PMID- 1874231
TI  - Safety testing the Bain circuit--a new test adaptor.

PMID- 1874232
TI  - European Academy of Anaesthesiology 2nd open annual meeting. Mainz, 1-3 March
      1990. Abstracts.

PMID- 1874233
TI  - Evidence of fibre hyperplasia in human skeletal muscles from healthy young men? A
      left-right comparison of the fibre number in whole anterior tibialis muscles.
AB  - Cross-sections (thickness 10 microns) of whole autopsied left and right anterior
      tibialis muscles of seven young previously healthy right-handed men (mean age 23
      years, range 18-32 years) were prepared for light-microscope enzyme
      histochemistry. Muscle cross-sectional area and total number of fibres, mean
      fibre size (indirectly determined) and proportion of the different fibre types
      (type 1 and type 2 on basis of myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase
      characteristics), in each muscle cross-section were determined. The analysis
      showed that the cross-sectional area of the left muscle was significantly larger
      (P less than 0.05), and the total number of fibres was significantly higher (P
      less than 0.05), than for the corresponding right muscle. There was no
      significant difference for the mean fibre size or the proportion of the two fibre
      types. The results imply that long-term asymmetrical low-level daily demands on
      muscles of the left and the right lower leg in right-handed individuals provide
      enough stimuli to induce an enlargement of the muscles on the left side, and that
      this enlargement is due to an increase in the number of muscle fibres (fibre
      hyperplasia). Calculations based on the data also explain why the underlying
      process of hyperplasia is difficult, or even impossible, to detect in standard
      muscle biopsies.

PMID- 1874234
TI  - Cardiopulmonary responses to combined rhythmic and isometric exercise in humans.
AB  - A rhythmic (R) and an isometric (I) exercise were performed separately and in
      combination to assess their additive effects on arterial systolic (P(as)) and
      diastolic (P(ad)) blood pressures, heart rate (fc), and minute ventilation (VI).
      The isometric effort consisted of a 40% maximal voluntary handgrip contraction
      (MVC) performed for a duration of 80% of a previously determined 40% MVC
      fatiguing effort. The R effort consisted of a 13-min cycle effort at 75% maximum
      oxygen consumption (VO2max). For the combined efforts, I was performed starting
      simultaneously with or ending simultaneously with R. Data on nine subjects yield
      statistically significant evidence (P less than 0.05) that the effects of I and R
      are not additive for the following three cases: (1) P(as) when I and R are ended
      simultaneously (I alone = 4.9, SEM 0.5 kPa increase; R alone = no significant
      change from steady state; I + R = 1.2, SEM 0.4 kPa increase), (2) P(ad) when I
      and R are started simultaneously (I alone = 4.1, SEM 0.4 kPa increase; R alone =
      0.7, SEM 0.3 kPa decrease; I + R = 1.9, SEM 0.4 kPa increase), and (3) P(ad) when
      I and R are ended simultaneously (I alone = 4.1, SEM 0.4 kPa increase; R alone =
      0.3, SEM 0.5 kPa decrease; I + R = 0.8, SEM 0.3 kPa increase). For all other
      variables and cases, there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that the
      effects of I and R are not additive. We conclude that R and I exercises do not
      invariably produce strictly additive cardiopulmonary responses.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874235
TI  - Electromyographic changes in the isolated rat diaphragm during the development of
      fatigue.
AB  - To investigate whether the power spectrum of the electromyogram of a fatiguing
      muscle can be used to infer the degree to which the muscle is fatigued, we
      recorded isometric tension and two monopolar electromyograms from eight isolated
      rat diaphragm preparations suspended in an organ bath containing a balanced salt
      solution. Each preparation was excited with a fixed phrenic nerve impulse pattern
      made up of a 70-Hz train of impulses of supramaximal voltage delivered for 170 ms
      with a 500-ms recovery period. Tension fell rapidly over the first 60 s of the
      fatigue run and more slowly for the remaining 60 s analysed. The duration of
      extracellular action potentials increased and their amplitude decreased as the
      tension developed by the diaphragm decreased; conduction velocity along muscle
      fibres also decreased. The centroid frequency (fcen) of the power spectrum of the
      first action potential elicited by each train of stimuli decreased rapidly until
      tension fell to approximately 70% of the initial value; thereafter little change
      in fcen occurred, although tension continued to fall to 33% of its initial value.
      Our results demonstrated that under controlled conditions, fcen provided a
      sensitive index of fatigue in its early stages, but provided no information once
      fatigue was pronounced.

PMID- 1874236
TI  - Effect of an iron supplement on body iron status and aerobic capacity of young
      training women.
AB  - Serum iron deficiency has a high incidence in female athletes. We investigated
      the effects of a daily oral iron supplement, (160 mg) administered during an
      intensive 7-week physical training programme, on body iron status, and the
      maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) of 13 women (group A) compared to 15 who took a
      placebo (group B). The subjects were 19 years old. Blood samples were obtained
      before training began and on days 1, 7, 21 and 42 of training. They were analysed
      for packed cell volume (PVC) and for haemoglobin (Hb), 2,3-diphosphoglycerate
      (2,3-DPG), haptoglobin, iron and ferritin concentrations. The VO2max was measured
      on days 0, 21 and 42 of training. Following 21 days of training Hb, PCV and
      ferritin were significantly higher (P less than or equal to 0.01) in group A
      compared to group B. Over the training period Hb rose by 9.3% and 2.4% in groups
      A and B, respectively. At the end of training 66% of group B exhibited ferritin
      concentrations below 10 ng.ml-1, while none of group A had such low values. Mean
      VO2max of group A had increased by 7.5% following 21 days of training (P less
      than or equal to 0.01) and by 15.3% after 42 days. No appreciable increase in
      VO2max had occurred in group B by day 21 (significantly lower than VO2max of
      group A; P less than or equal to 0.05), however by day 42 it had increased by
      14.3% (P less than or equal to 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874237
TI  - Experimental studies on the effects of vibration and noise on sympathetic nerve
      activity in skin.
AB  - Multi-unit sympathetic activity was recorded at elbow level from median nerve
      fascicles supplying glabrous skin of the left hand in five healthy subjects. The
      resultant vasomotor responses accompanying the neural activity were monitored by
      simultaneous recordings of skin blood flow using the laser doppler method and
      skin temperature in the innervation zones. No significant change in sympathetic
      activity was observed during handgrip exercise of the right hand under a constant
      gripping force of 2 kg. Subjects maintained the same gripping force of the right
      hand during exposure in random order to local vibration and/or noise, each type
      of exposure lasting 5 min with intervals of 20 min. A two-peaked significant
      increase in outflow from sympathetic nerves was observed during local exposure of
      the right hand to vibration with a frequency of 60 Hz and an acceleration of 50
      m.s-2, followed by a postexposure period which revealed a relative suppression of
      sympathetic nerve activity and a significant increase in blood flow. Noise at 100
      dB(A) showed only an initial effect on skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSA),
      whereas when combined with local vibration at 60 Hz, a pronounced increase in
      neural activity was noticed, indicating a combined effect of vibration and noise.
      These results from direct recordings of SSA suggest a sympathetic vasomotor
      reflex mechanism triggered by local vibration stimuli to the hand.

PMID- 1874238
TI  - The interstitial fluid content in working muscle modifies the cardiovascular
      response to exercise.
AB  - The volume of interstitial fluid in the limbs varies considerably, due to
      hydrostatic effects. As signals from working muscle, responsible for much of the
      cardiovascular drive, are assumed to be transmitted in this compartment, blood
      pressure and heart rate could be affected by local or systemic variations in
      interstitial hydration. Using a special calf ergometer, eight male subjects
      performed rhythmic aerobic plantar flexions in a supine position with dependent
      calves for periods of 7 min. During exercise heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen
      uptake (VO2) and blood lactate concentrations were measured in two different
      tests, one before and after interstitial calf dehydration through limb elevation
      for 25 min, compared to the other, a control with unaltered fluid volume in a
      maintained working position. Impedance plethysmography showed calf volume to be
      stabilized in the control position. Leg elevation by passive hip flexion to 90
      degrees resulted in a fast (vascular) volume decrease lasting less than 2 min,
      followed by a slow linear fluid loss from the interstitial compartment. Then,
      when returned to the control position, adjustment of vascular volume was
      completed within 2 min and exercise could be performed with dehydration remaining
      in the interstitium only. Cardiovascular response was identical at the start of
      both tests. However, exercising with dehydrated calves elicited a significantly
      larger increase in heart rate compared to the control, whereas VO2 was identical.
      The blood pressure response was shown to be only slightly enhanced. Structural
      interstitial features varying with hydration, most likely chemical or mechanical
      ones, may have been responsible for this amplification of signals.

PMID- 1874239
TI  - Cardiovascular response to static handgrip in trained and untrained men.
AB  - The influence of aerobic capacity on the cardiovascular response to handgrip
      exercise, in relation to the muscle mass involved in the effort, was tested in 8
      trained men (T) and 17 untrained men (U). The subjects performed handgrip
      exercises with the right-hand (RH), left-hand (LH) and both hands simultaneously
      (RLH) at an intensity of 25% of maximal voluntary contraction force. Maximal
      aerobic capacity was 4.3 l.min-1 in T and 3.21 l.min-1 in U (P less than 0.01).
      The endurance time for handgrip was longer in T than in U by 29% (P less than
      0.05) for RH, 38% (P less than 0.001) for LH and 24% (P less than 0.001) for RLH.
      Heart rate (fc) was significantly lower in T than in U before handgrip exercise,
      and showed smaller increases (P less than 0.01) at the point of exhaustion: 89 vs
      106 beats.min-1 for RH, 93 vs 100 beats.min-1 for LH and 92 vs 108 beats.min-1
      for RLH. Stroke volume (SV) at rest was greater in T than in U and decreased
      significantly (P less than 0.05) during handgrip exercise in both groups of
      subjects. At the point of exhaustion SV was still greater in T than in U: 75 vs
      57 ml for RH, 76 vs 54 ml for LH and 76 vs 56 ml for RLH. During the last seconds
      of handgrip exercise, the left ventricular ejection time was longer in T than in
      U. Increases in cardiac output (Qc) and systolic blood pressure did not differ
      substantially between T and U, nor between the handgrip exercise tests.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874240
TI  - Influence of ventilation of the face on thermoregulation in man during hyper- and
      hypothermia.
AB  - It has been suggested that a thermal countercurrent exchange may occur in the
      cerebral vascular bed of humans, thereby creating for the brain a state of
      relative thermal independence with regard to the rest of the body. However,
      worrying questions have arisen concerning this suggestion. Experiments were
      carried out on seven young male volunteers. Hyper- and hypothermic conditions
      were produced by immersion in water at 38.5 degrees C and 25 degrees C,
      respectively. During the last few minutes of immersion, the face was cooled or
      warmed by ventilation with a 200 l.min-1 air flow at 5 degrees C or 40 degrees C,
      respectively. Internal and peripheral temperatures were recorded. Blood flow in
      the anastomotic vessels between face and brain was measured by Doppler techniques
      associated with computerized frequency analysis. The general responses were as
      classically described, i.e. an increase in peripheral and central temperatures
      during immersion in the warm bath and a decrease in these variables in the cold
      bath. The reactions produced by cooling or warming the face were small and easily
      explained by the direct changes of the heat load they induced. Whatever the
      thermal conditions, the blood flow in the anastomotic vessels between the
      vascular bed of the face and that of the brain was never reversed. It was
      concluded that there was no experimental evidence for an efficient thermal
      counter-current exchange in the vascular bed of the human head.

PMID- 1874241
TI  - Plasma lipid concentrations in professional cyclists after competitive cycle
      races.
AB  - Plasma lipid concentrations were measured in professional cyclists at the
      beginning of the training season and both before the start and at the end of two
      cycle races of similar length (800 and 900 km in 6 days). Plasma concentrations
      of triglyceride, total and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and total
      cholesterol: high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio were
      significantly lower and HDL-C concentrations significantly higher in cyclists
      compared to values in matched sedentary controls. At the end of the races, plasma
      concentrations of triglyceride and LDL-C were further reduced and HDL-C
      concentrations had increased compared to values at the start. At the end of the
      races, plasma concentrations of HDL-C were inversely correlated (r = -0.28, n =
      45, P less than 0005) with triglyceride plasma concentrations. Body fat content,
      assessed as the sum of skinfold thicknesses was slightly reduced at the end of
      the race compared to the starting values. There was no significant correlation
      between skinfold thickness and plasma concentrations of HDL-C. Total plasma fatty
      acid concentrations were reduced and nonesterified fatty acids concentrations
      were increased at the end of the race compared to resting values. Consequently,
      the plasma concentrations of esterified fatty acids were significantly reduced
      after the race and there was a redistribution of the nonesterified fatty acids.
      The relative amounts of single fatty acids in the total fatty acid pool remained,
      however, remarkably constant. In conclusion, the results presented suggested that
      physical exercise, performed at the level of professional cyclists in a race, was
      an independent modifier of plasma lipid concentrations.

PMID- 1874242
TI  - Comparison in men of physiological responses to exercise of increasing intensity
      at low and moderate ambient temperatures.
AB  - In six male subjects the sweating thresholds, heart rate (fc), as well as the
      metabolic responses to exercise of different intensities [40%, 60% and 80%
      maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max)], were compared at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 5
      degrees C (LT) and 24 degrees C (MT). Each period of exercise was preceded by a
      rest period at the same temperature. In LT experiments, the subjects rested until
      shivering occurred and in MT experiments the rest period was made to be of
      exactly equivalent length. Oxygen uptake (VO2) at the end of each rest period was
      higher in LT than MT (P less than 0.05). During 20-min exercise at 40% VO2max
      performed in the cold no sweating was recorded, while at higher exercise
      intensities sweating occurred at similar rectal temperatures (Tre) but at lower
      mean skin (Tsk) and mean body temperatures (Tb) in LT than MT experiments (P less
      than 0.001). The exercise induced VO2 increase was greater only at the end of the
      light (40% VO2max) exercise in the cold in comparison with MT (P less than
      0.001). Both fc and blood lactate concentration [1a]b were lower at the end of LT
      than MT for moderate (60% VO2max) and heavy (80% VO2max) exercises. It was
      concluded that the sweating threshold during exercise in the cold environment had
      shifted towards lower Tb and Tsk. It was also found that subjects exposed to cold
      possessed a potentially greater ability to exercise at moderate and high
      intensities than those at 24 degrees C since the increases in Tre, fc and [1a]b
      were lower at the lower Ta.

PMID- 1874243
TI  - Athletes' pseudoanaemia.
AB  - To characterize the so-called pseudoanaemia of endurance-trained athletes, the
      plasma volume (PV), red cell volume (RCV) and total blood volume (TBV) of 12 male
      and 12 female athletes and 5 male and 5 female nonexercising controls were
      measured using 125I-labelled human serum albumin and 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes.
      The mean PV of the male athletes (52.8 ml.kg-1) was 37.5% higher than that of the
      controls (38.4 ml.kg-1), while the 18.1% increase measured in the female runners
      (51.5 ml.kg-1) over the controls (43.6 ml.kg-1) was a novel observation. Although
      the RCV was significantly greater (34.7%) in male athletes (32.6 ml.kg-1 vs 24.2
      ml.kg-1 in the controls), a similar elevation (3.6%) was not found in the female
      athletes (25.9 ml.kg-1) compared to the sedentary women (22.8 ml.kg-1). This
      could have been due to iron-limited erythropoiesis because the RCV of the female
      athletes defined as clinically anaemic was markedly lower that of the nonanaemic
      women (P less than 0.05). The elevated plasma protein mass and concentration
      measured in the athletes partly accounted for their expanded PV. It was concluded
      that the decreased blood haemoglobin levels reported in the endurance athletes
      was largely a dilutional effect.

PMID- 1874244
TI  - Electrical stimulation of human forearm extensor muscles as an indicator of
      handgrip fatigue and recovery.
AB  - A set-up for percutaneous electrical stimulation of the forearm extensor muscles
      and measurement of wrist extension force is described. The frequency-force
      relationship and pulse duration-force relationship are described together with an
      experimental protocol showing that brief electrical test stimulations do not
      produce fatigue. In another set of experiments carried out a few weeks later, the
      subjects performed handgrip contractions: protocol A at 25% of maximal voluntary
      contraction (MVC) continuously until exhaustion, protocol B at 25% MVC
      intermittent (contraction + relaxation = 10 + 2 s) until exhaustion, and protocol
      C at 25% MVC intermittent until half the time to exhaustion. In all experiments,
      brief electrical stimulations were used to test the degree of fatigue during and
      up to 24 h after the experiments. There were marked changes in the force during
      stimulation at 20 and 100 Hz and these changes did not correlate with the
      increase in intramuscular temperature. Low frequency fatigue persisted for at
      least 24 h after protocol A and 1 h after protocols B and C. The significance of
      this is discussed and it is suggested that low frequency fatigue could be used as
      a sensitive indicator of muscle dysfunction after low and medium intensity
      exercise.

PMID- 1874245
TI  - The peak oxygen uptake of British children with reference to age, sex and sexual
      maturity.
AB  - The purposes of this study were to provide baseline data on the peak oxygen
      consumption (VO2) of British children, aged 11-16 years and to examine the peak
      VO2 of children in relation to their pubertal stage of development. The peak VO2
      of 226 boys and 194 girls was determined during either treadmill running or cycle
      ergometry. The sexual maturity of 320 of the children was estimated using
      Tanner's indices. Peak VO2 increased with chronological age in both sexes and
      from about the age of 12 years boys exhibited significantly higher (P less than
      0.05) values than girls. Boys' peak VO2 in relation to body mass was consistent
      over the age range studied and was superior (P less than 0.05) to girls' values
      at all ages. It appears that mass-related peak VO2 is independent of sexual
      maturity in both sexes. The more mature boys demonstrated a significantly higher
      (P less than 0.05) peak VO2 (1.min-1) than the less mature boys on both
      ergometers. The more mature girls demonstrated significantly higher (P less than
      0.05) peak VO2 (1.min-1) than the less mature girls only on the cycle ergometer.
      On both ergometers the differences between the peak VO2 of the girls and boys
      were more pronounced in the mature children whether expressed in relation to body
      mass or not. Comparison of the results with earlier data drawn from smaller
      samples failed to provide evidence to suggest that British children's peak VO2
      has declined in recent years. No study with which to compare our maturity peak
      VO2 data appears to be available.

PMID- 1874246
TI  - Maximal oxygen uptake and erythropoietic responses after training at moderate
      altitude.
AB  - Six well-trained male cross-county skiers trained for 7 days at 2700 m above sea
      level, their accommodation being at 1695 m. Blood samples for haemoglobin
      concentration [Hb], erythropoietin concentration [EPO] and reticulocyte count
      were collected before, during and after altitude exposure. Packed cell volume
      (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), transferrin-iron saturation, mean red cell
      volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), maximal oxygen
      uptake, maximal achieved ventilation and heart rate were determined pre- and
      postaltitude exposure. The [EPO] increased significantly from pre-altitude (mean
      36 mU.ml-1, SD 5) to maximal altitude values (mean 47 mU.ml-1, SD 3). The [Hb]
      had increased significantly above pre-altitude values (mean 8.8 mmol.l-1, SD 0.5)
      on day 2 (mean 9.1 mmol.l-1, SD 0.4) and day 7 (mean 9.4 mmol.l-1, SD 0.4) at
      altitude and on day 4 postaltitutde (mean 9.2 mmol.l-1, SD 0.4). The reticulocyte
      counts had increased significantly above pre-altitude values (mean 6%, SD 3%) on
      day 3 at altitude (mean 12%, SD 8%) and day 4 postaltitude (mean 10%, SD 5%). The
      RBC counts had increased on the 4th postaltitude day. The transferrin-iron
      saturation had decreased below pre-altitude values (mean 23%, SD 4%) on day 4
      postaltitude (mean 14%, SD 5%) and had increased on day 11 postaltitude (mean
      22%, SD 7%). There were no significant changes in MCV, MCHC, PCV, maximal oxygen
      uptake and maximal achieved ventilation, and heart rate pre- to postaltitude.
      These observations demonstrated an erythropoietic response to the altitude
      training which was not sufficient to increase the postaltitude maximal oxygen
      uptake.

PMID- 1874247
TI  - Plasma accumulation of hypoxanthine, uric acid and creatine kinase following
      exhausting runs of differing durations in man.
AB  - During exhausting exercise adenylate kinase in the muscle cells is activated and
      a degradation of adenosine 5'-diphosphate occurs. Consequently, degradation
      products of adenosine 5'-monophosphate including hypoxanthine and uric acid,
      accumulate in plasma. The aim of this study was to compare the concentration
      changes of hypoxanthine and uric acid in plasma following running of varying
      duration and intensity. In addition, plasma creatine kinase activity was measured
      to assess the possible relationship between metabolic stress and protein release.
      Four groups of competitive male runners ran 100 m (n = 7), 800 m (n = 11), 5000 m
      (n = 7) and 42,000 m (n = 7), respectively, at an exhausting pace. Subsequent to
      the 100 m event (mean running time 11 s) plasma concentrations of hypoxanthine
      and uric acid increased by 364% and 36% respectively (P less than 0.05),
      indicating a very high rate of adenine nucleotide degradation during the event.
      Following the 800-m event (mean running time 125 s), hypoxanthine and uric acid
      concentrations had increased by 1598% and 66%, respectively (P less than 0.05).
      Both the events of longer duration, 5000 m and 42,000 m, also caused a
      significant increase in plasma concentration of hypoxanthine (742% and 237%
      respectively, P less than 0.05) and plasma uric acid (54% and 34% respectively, P
      less than 0.05). Plasma activities of creatine kinase were significantly
      increased at 24 h only following the 5000 m and 42,000 m events (64% and 1186%
      respectively, P less than 0.05). Changes in plasma creatine kinase activity
      showed no correlation with changes in plasma concentration of either hypoxanthine
      or uric acid for the 5000 m and 42,000 m events (r = 0.00-0.45, P greater than
      0.05).

PMID- 1874249
TI  - Selective medium for isolation of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and Streptococcus
      pyogenes.
AB  - Sheep blood agar using tryptic soy agar base and containing 3.5% sodium chloride
      was found to facilitate isolation of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and improve
      isolation of Voges-Proskauer negative group A (Streptococcus pyogenes) and group
      C and G beta-haemolytic streptococci. Commensal oropharyngeal flora such as
      viridans streptococci, Neisseria species, non-haemolytic streptococci and beta
      haemolytic streptococci not belonging to groups A, B, C or G were significantly
      inhibited.

PMID- 1874248
TI  - Diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis by an enzyme immunoassay detecting immunoglobulin G
      reactive to purified Borrelia burgdorferi cell components.
AB  - An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) developed for the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis was
      tested for its specificity and sensitivity in detecting IgG antibodies in
      patients at various stages of the disease. The EIA is based on a detergent
      extract of Borrelia burgdorferi which contains 12 proteins of defined molecular
      weights from Borrelia burgdorferi. The assay showed a specificity of 100% in
      control sera from 64 healthy individuals, using a cut-off optical density value
      of 0.13 (means +2- 3 SD). The sensitivity was 100% using sera from 22 Swedish
      patients with late stage Lyme borreliosis and 43% using sera from 30 patients
      with the initial stage of the disease. The reactivity of the sera against whole
      cell preparations, the outer surface proteins OspA and OspB, and the flagella of
      Borrelia burgdorferi was also tested and compared with the EIA. No cross
      reactivity with treponemal antigens was observed when using the EIA.

PMID- 1874250
TI  - Lipase versus teichoic acid and alpha-toxin as antigen in an enzyme immunoassay
      for serological diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus infections.
AB  - Titres of IgG antibodies to Staphylococcus aureus lipase were analysed in 448
      sera from patients suspected of having Staphylococcus aureus infections and the
      results compared to those for the routinely used staphylococcal antigens teichoic
      acid and alpha-toxin. The results indicated that determination of serum
      antibodies to lipase is a sensitive assay for serological diagnosis of
      staphylococcal infections and increased sensitivity may be achieved by selection
      of optimal antigen combinations.

PMID- 1874251
TI  - Isolation of Agrobacterium radiobacter from a central venous catheter.
AB  - A case of septicemia caused by Agrobacterium radiobacter is reported in a patient
      undergoing chemotherapy treatment who had recently been neutropenic.
      Agrobacterium radiobacter was isolated from the Hickman line blood culture. The
      patient responded favorably to removal of the Hickman catheter and treatment with
      amikacin and piperacillin. The molecular and biochemical characteristics of the
      isolate are presented.

PMID- 1874252
TI  - Comparison of five commercial western blot kits for detection of human
      immunodeficiency virus 1.
AB  - Twenty-two human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
      reactive and two non-reactive patient specimens were analyzed using five
      commercially available HIV-1 Western blot kits. The percentage of HIV-1 bands
      detected by each kit was recorded. The differences between pairs of kits were not
      found to be statistically significant at the 0.05 level. All EIA reactive
      specimens were reconfirmed as reactive by each Western blot kit tested.

PMID- 1874253
TI  - Fluconazole therapy of candidal native valve endocarditis.

PMID- 1874254
TI  - Presence of spiral bacteria ("Gastrospirillum hominis") in the gastric mucosa.

PMID- 1874255
TI  - Direct detection of Pneumocystis carinii in fresh bronchoalveolar lavage
      specimens.

PMID- 1874256
TI  - Ventricular late potentials in patients with and without inducible sustained
      ventricular tachycardia: a combined analysis in the time and frequency domain.
AB  - Time and frequency of signal-averaged electrocardiograms from 51 patients and 19
      normal subjects were studied. A new filter device was designed to facilitate the
      analysis of the complete QRS complex, particularly the high-frequency components.
      All patients underwent electrical programmed stimulation (EPS) with up to three
      extra stimuli. In 29 patients, sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) was
      inducible (group A), whereas in 22, sustained VT could not be elicited (group B).
      Between A and B, we compared several variables from the signal-averaged ECG as
      well as clinical data. The variables that differed between the two groups (P less
      than 0.01) were entered into a logistic regression model to determine which ones
      could most reliably predict the outcome of EPS. A combination of three variables
      (number of minima and maxima in the terminal QRS; third of four areas of equal
      length, divided by the total area below the QRS; maximum of the frequency spectre
      in the terminal QRS) could predict the inducibility of sustained VT with 82.8%
      sensitivity and 86.4% specificity.

PMID- 1874257
TI  - Determination of left ventricular systolic wall thickness by digital subtraction
      angiography.
AB  - The accuracy of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for determination of left
      ventricular (LV) systolic wall thickness and muscle mass was evaluated in 20
      patients (mean age 50 +/- 11 years). Conventional LV angiograms were digitized
      and subtracted using a combined subtraction mode ('mask mode' and 'time interval
      difference' subtraction). Wall thickness and muscle mass were determined at end
      diastole, after the first- and second-third of systole and at end-systole. M-mode
      echocardiography (Echo), which was obtained from beam selection of the two
      dimensional echocardiogram and conventional angiography (LVA), served as
      reference techniques. Angiographic LV wall thickness and muscle mass were
      determined according to the technique of Rackley in both, right (RAO) and left
      (LAO) anterior oblique projections, whereas echocardiographic wall thickness was
      measured just below the mitral valve orthogonal to the posterior wall (= LAO
      equivalent). Percent wall thickening was calculated in all patients. LV end
      diastolic wall thickness and muscle mass correlated well between DSA and LVA (LV
      end-diastolic wall thickness in LAO projection r = 0.72, biplane LV end-diastolic
      muscle mass r = 0.83), LV end-systolic wall thickness (1.44 vs 1.33 cm, P less
      than 0.05) and percent wall thickening (52 vs 42%, P less than 0.05) compared
      favourably between echocardiography and DSA but was significantly larger when
      echocardiographically measured than with DSA (LAO projection). DSA and
      echocardiography showed a good correlation in regard to LV end-diastolic and end
      systolic wall thickness (correlation coefficient r = 0.89, standard error of
      estimate SEE = 0.15 cm or 13% of the mean value).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1874258
TI  - Contribution of platelets and platelet-activating factor (PAF) to the
      arrhythmogenic, haemodynamic and necrotic effects of acute myocardial ischaemia.
AB  - The effects of alterations in platelet activity on arrhythmias, haemodynamics and
      extent of necrosis during coronary ligation for 30 min were assessed in rabbits.
      Reduction of platelet counts to less than 1% of control by intravenous injection
      of platelet antiserum (1 ml kg-1 i.v.) reduced the volume of necrosed tissue from
      23 +/- 2% to 15 +/- 1%, P less than 0.01 (expressed as % of total LV) and
      attenuated the hypotensive effect of ischaemia. Pretreatment with the platelet
      activating factor (PAF) antagonist BN 52021 also attenuated the hypotension and
      necrosis caused by coronary ligation 23 +/- 2% vs 14 +/- 1%, P less than 0.01.
      Pretreatment with the thromboxane antagonist CGS 13080 attenuated the hypotensive
      response to ischaemia but had only a very small effect on the area of necrosis.
      Administration of PAF at 10 min following coronary ligation markedly increased
      the volume of necrosed tissue 36 +/- 2%, P less than 0.01 and caused VF and
      haemodynamic collapse in 10 out of 12 animals. Pretreatment with platelet
      antiserum or the PAF antagonist BN 52021 reversed this effect of PAF.
      Pretreatment with CGS 13080 attenuated the marked hypotensive effect of PAF but
      failed to reverse its necrotic or arrhythmogenic effects. These findings indicate
      that platelet activation contributes to the necrosis and hypotension following
      coronary ligation and that platelet-activating factor may contribute to this. The
      ameliorating effects of platelet antiserum or BN 52021 support the concept that
      inhibition of platelet activity may have a useful role in the treatment of acute
      myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1874259
TI  - Comparison of different orthogonal systems in high resolution ECGs and the
      significance of the number of averaged beats in detecting late potentials.
AB  - For non-invasive detection of late potentials in the signal-averaged
      electrocardiogram (SAECG) most studies use modified orthogonal leads. In the
      present study the significance of three different lead systems for the detection
      of late potentials was examined. SAECGs were recorded at five different (32, 64,
      128, 256, and 512) numbers of averaged beats in 24 patients with ventricular
      tachycardia after myocardial infarction and in 76 normal subjects. The original
      Frank leads and two different modified orthogonal vector lead systems were used.
      There was no clinical difference between the three orthogonal systems in
      sensitivity and the difference in specificity (P less than 0.01) seemed to be
      primarily related to differences in noise content. When the vector systems were
      compared at equally low noise levels of 0.47-0.50 microV, the apparent
      differences in specificity between the vector systems disappeared. At decreasing
      noise levels the sensitivity increased, at the cost of a loss in specificity
      which at very low noise levels was out of proportion with the gain in
      sensitivity. A modified approach with a fixed threshold noise level to determine
      the QRS endpoint is suggested.

PMID- 1874260
TI  - The effect of cardiac catheterization upon management of advanced aortic and
      mitral valve disease.
AB  - We assessed the incremental effect of cardiac catheterization upon the management
      of 93 adult patients with aortic and/or mitral valve disease, referred for
      surgical consideration. There were 52 patients with aortic valve disease, 29 with
      mitral valve disease and 12 with aortic and mitral valve disease. Prior to
      cardiac catheterization, a detailed unblinded ultrasound assessment of each valve
      was made utilizing 2D and Doppler ultrasound. Based upon the ultrasound result
      and the clinical assessment, the patient's cardiologist recorded a grading of
      valve severity and a management decision for each valve. Following
      catheterization and coronary angiography, the cardiologist repeated the gradings
      of valve severity and recorded a final management decision. After
      catheterization, management changed in nine patients and was unchanged in 84.
      Reasons for management change included differences between echocardiographic and
      catheterization assessment of valvular regurgitation (three patients),
      information on coronary anatomy (two patients), minor differences in assessed
      aortic valve area (one patient) and left ventricular function (one patient), and
      confirmation of ultrasound findings where clinical and ultrasound findings had
      been conflicting before catheterization (two patients). Both mitral and aortic
      valve disease were present in the three patients in whom management changed as a
      result of significant differences between echocardiography and catheterization
      assessment of valvular regurgitation. Management was unchanged in the 16 patients
      with isolated mitral stenosis. In this study, a combination of clinical and
      noninvasive assessment including Doppler echocardiography, resulted in a reliable
      evaluation of valvular disease in a large majority of patients.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874261
TI  - Electrocardiographic determinants of efficacy of 8-Joule shocks for ablation of
      the atrioventricular node.
AB  - Factors determining the success of a single, low-energy, direct current-shock to
      achieve chronic complete heart block were studied in a consecutive group of 14
      patients. A shock of 8 J was delivered by a modified device (Sirecust BS1,
      Siemens). If the first shock did not produce persistent complete block, multiple
      shocks were given. Standard 6 French U.S.C.I. catheters were used for all
      procedures. Chronic complete heart block was achieved with a single shock in six
      cases (43%; Group I); in eight others multiple shocks were needed (Group II).
      Neither polarity of the bipolar and of the distal His bundle recording nor the
      presence of sinus rhythm before the first shock were important factors to predict
      the outcome. The amplitude of the first recording of the bipolar His electrogram
      was 225 +/- 55 microV in Group I and 138 +/- 105 microV in Group II (P = 0.029).
      The duration of the HV interval before the first shock was 55 +/- 12 ms in Group
      I and 45 +/- 11 ms in Group II (NS). It is concluded that complete permanent
      heart block can be achieved with a single 8-J shock in 43% of the patients. The
      long-term success (follow-up at least 1 month, with a range of 1 to 8) of a
      single 8-J shock is predicted by a large amplitude of the bipolar and distal
      unipolar His bundle deflection, but not by its polarity or the HV interval.

PMID- 1874262
TI  - Comparison of a rehabilitation programme, a counselling programme and usual care
      after an acute myocardial infarction: results of a long-term randomized trial.
      P.RE.COR. Group.
AB  - One hundred and eighty-two male post myocardial infarction patients under 65
      years old were randomized 30 to 60 days after the acute event into a 6-week
      rehabilitation programme (RP), a counselling programme without exercise training
      training (CP) and usual care (UC). Follow-up visits and exercise tests on a
      bicycle ergometer were performed 2, 12 and 24 months after randomization.
      Baseline characteristics were identical in the three groups. The percentage of
      patients reaching the maximal heart rate at exercise test was higher in the RP
      group even after 2 years (UC = 24%, CP = 13%, RP = 50%, P = 0.001). The number of
      deaths at 2 years was respectively 4, 5 and 0 in the UC, CP and RP groups (P =
      0.08). If UC and CP groups are combined and tested against RP the difference is
      statistically significant (P = 0.03). Reinfarction rates were similar in the
      three groups (UC = 10%, CP = 7%, RP = 7%). This study confirms that a
      rehabilitation programme seems worth recommending in young patients with
      uncomplicated myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1874263
TI  - Dromotropic effects of oral theophylline in patients with atrial fibrillation and
      a slow ventricular response.
AB  - Theophylline increases sinus rate, but as yet its use has not been investigated
      in patients with chronic atrioventricular conduction disturbances. Resting
      electrocardiogram, 24-h Holter recording and treadmill test were performed in 17
      patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and a slow ventricular response not
      related to drugs (age: 75 +/- 8 years). Then slow-release theophylline was
      administered (700 mg daily) and after 5 days these investigations were repeated
      with the same methods. Theophylline increased mean resting heart rate (51 +/- 6
      versus 67 +/- 13 beats.min-1, P less than 0.01), mean 24-h heart rate (51 +/- 6
      versus 68 +/- 14 beats.min-1, P less than 0.01) and minimal 24-h heart rate (32
      +/- 6 versus 42 +/- 11 beats.min-1, P less than 0.01). Cardiac pauses greater
      than 2.5 s were present in 13 patients during control recording; after
      theophylline they disappeared in 11 and markedly decreased in the remaining two.
      The longest R-R interval decreased in all patients (3218 +/- 943 versus 2121 +/-
      518 ms, P less than 0.01). The daily number of wide QRS complexes increased in 16
      out of 17 patients (428 +/- 752 versus 1146 +/- 1464 ms, P less than 0.01).
      Exercise heart rate, evaluated at the end of first and second stage, was higher
      after theophylline than during control test (P less than 0.01). These data
      suggest that oral theophylline can represent a valid therapy in most patients
      with atrial fibrillation and a slow ventricular response.

PMID- 1874264
TI  - Suppression of Torsades de Pointes with verapamil in patients with atrio
      ventricular block.
AB  - Experimental data have suggested a relation between Torsades de Pointes and early
      post-depolarization (EPD). We have studied the effect of intravenous verapamil in
      three patients with atrioventricular block (AVB) and Torsades de Pointes (TP), to
      obtain indirect evidence of slow membrane channel involvement in the TP
      mechanism. In two cases TP were completely suppressed and in one there was
      marked, albeit partial, suppression. In two cases verapamil did not shorten QT,
      while in the third suppression verapamil was related to junctional escape
      acceleration and QT shortening. In one of the cases where QT was not changed, the
      abolition of long pauses may have played a role in TP suppression. The affect of
      verapamil on TP in our patients is consistent with a combination of mechanisms,
      including direct membrane effects (EPD inhibition) and junctional pacemaker
      acceleration. Verapamil might be of therapeutic value in this clinical setting.

PMID- 1874265
TI  - Agranulocytosis associated with aprindine and other antiarrhythmic drugs: an
      epidemiological approach.
AB  - The risk of agranulocytosis associated with anti-arrhythmic drugs has been
      assessed by studying previous drug exposure of all cases collected through a
      multicentre surveillance network in a defined geographical area during the period
      1980-1988. One hundred and eighty-one patients with agranulocytosis (less than
      500 granulocytes mm-3 at least in two different blood counts) were interviewed
      with a structured questionnaire. Eight cases attributable to anti-arrhythmic
      drugs were identified, all of them related to aprindine. Data on the consumption
      of several anti-arrhythmic drugs were identified, all of them related to
      aprindine. Data on the consumption of several anti-arrhythmic drugs (amiodarone,
      aprindine, quinidine, propafenone) were obtained in order to estimate the risk of
      agranulocytosis related with the previous use of these drugs. A relevant risk was
      identified only for aprindine, of the order of two cases per 1000 patient-years.
      Our data suggest that the risk of agranulocytosis associated with aprindine is
      lower than previously found.

PMID- 1874266
TI  - Long-term results of coronary angioplasty for single vessel, proximal, left
      anterior descending disease.
AB  - The acute and long-term results of coronary angioplasty in 295 patients with
      isolated, proximal left anterior descending coronary stenosis are reported. The
      angiographic success rate was 83.4% overall, but 90.5% for non-occluded arteries
      treated since 1985. Clinical success at hospital discharge was achieved in 79.7%.
      The median duration of follow-up was 2.9 years and vital status was established
      in 99.7% at census. Cumulative 5-year cardiac survival was 96.2% after successful
      angioplasty and 95.6% for all patients. Five-year freedom from all cardiac events
      including cardiac death, myocardial infarction and repeat intervention was 73.8%
      amongst successfully treated patients, and 63.0% for all patients. After
      angioplasty, patients had less angina, required less anti-anginal medication and
      were more likely to be in gainful employment. Our data indicate that coronary
      angioplasty is an effective long-term treatment for selected patients with single
      vessel disease involving the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery.

PMID- 1874267
TI  - Long-term follow-up after attempted angioplasty of saphenous vein grafts: the
      Thoraxcenter experience 1981-1988.
AB  - Between 1981 and 1988, 107 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
      procedures, including repeat PTCA, were performed in 84 patients with previous
      coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Fifty-nine patients underwent a first
      angioplasty of the vein graft alone, and 25 underwent a first PTCA of the graft
      and one or more native vessels. Seventeen patients underwent two procedures, four
      patients three procedures and one patient four procedures. In 84 first
      angioplasties, 133 lesions were attempted; 40 lesions in native vessels and 93
      graft lesions (28 ostial stenoses, 33 shaft stenoses, and 32 stenoses at the
      distal anastomosis). Three patients died during their hospital stay. Two patients
      underwent emergency CABG. Seven patients sustained an acute myocardial infarction
      (AMI), among whom five underwent a PTCA of an occluded vessel. The clinical
      primary success rate per patient was 82%. After five years, 70% of patients were
      alive. At a median follow-up of 2.1 years, 41% of patients were alive and event
      free (no AMI, no repeat CABG, no repeat PTCA). Symptomatic improvement was
      maintained in 36% of patients. Angioplasty of grafts may be an alternative to re
      operation in selected patients with previous bypass surgery.

PMID- 1874268
TI  - 2,3-butanediol in experimental myocardial ischaemia in pigs.
AB  - To investigate the role of 2,3-butanediol in myocardial ischaemia we analysed
      this compound in pig's myocardium and blood. Ischaemia was induced by ligation of
      a coronary artery. In the first study we found significantly higher levels of 2,3
      butanediol in the homogenate of ischaemic myocardium than in non-ischaemic
      myocardium. The lactate concentration was also significantly elevated. In the
      second study, where ischaemia was similarly induced, and where reperfusion was
      achieved by re-opening the ligated coronary artery after 20 min, 2,3-butanediol
      in peripheral blood was found to increase significantly. In the pigs in which the
      coronary artery was not re-opened, the 2,3-butanediol level in peripheral blood
      was unchanged. We conclude that in pigs' anaerobic myocardia accumulation of 2,3
      butanediol occurs; if the myocardium is reperfused this metabolite also appears
      in the blood.

PMID- 1874269
TI  - Nitrate tolerance--can it be prevented?
AB  - Tolerance develops during therapy with all organic nitrates, particularly when
      dosing strategies are designed to provide therapeutic effects throughout 24 h.
      Such tolerance can be demonstrated by assessing haemodynamic, anti-anginal and
      anti-ischaemic effects during therapy. The mechanism of nitrate tolerance is not
      completely understood. Tolerance may be related to depletion of reduced
      sulfhydryl groups in vascular smooth muscle with resultant reduction in nitric
      oxide production, adenylate cyclase activation and cyclic guanosine monophosphate
      (GMP) production. Nitrate exposure also activates counter-regulating influences
      which lead to fluid retention and augmented vasoconstrictor effects. Intermittent
      nitrate therapy avoids the problem of tolerance by providing a period of washout.
      Controlled-release formulations of oral nitrates providing a period of low
      nitrate exposure should prevent tolerance. This has been documented by studies
      with a controlled-release formulation of isosorbide-5-mononitrate.

PMID- 1874270
TI  - Why use a nitrate in 1990?
AB  - Nitrates are beneficial because they combine coronary and noncoronary effects.
      They have proven clinical efficacy, relieving symptoms and documented evidence of
      ischaemia. They can be given to patients by multiple routes and can be easily
      combined with other anti-ischaemic drugs including aspirin, heparin, calcium
      antagonists and beta-blockers.

PMID- 1874271
TI  - Is there an optimal prophylactic nitrate therapy?
AB  - Nitrates have a place in the prophylactic treatment of patients with angina
      pectoris. Their efficacy is not in doubt. However, there may be some practical
      problems associated with their use, such as unreliable absorption, short duration
      of action, treatment-induced headache, development of nitrate tolerance and a
      suggested rebound phenomenon observed during intermittent dosing. This article
      discusses how many of these problems may be solved by selection of formulation as
      well as nitrate compound. Thus, the development of a controlled-release
      formulation producing sufficiently high nitrate plasma concentrations during part
      of the day, followed by a low nitrate level rather than a nitrate-free interval,
      seems to have the potential to prevent both nitrate tolerance and rebound
      phenomenon. This system would also offer a sufficiently long duration of action
      with a convenient once-daily dose regimen.

PMID- 1874272
TI  - Endogenous nitrates--implications for treatment and prevention.
AB  - The endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) is nitric oxide (NO) or a closely
      related nitrosothiol derivative, and is formed from the amino acid, L-arginine.
      NO is rapidly inactivated locally, released into the blood stream and instantly
      destroyed by haemoglobin. EDRF-NO and NO generated from vasodilator nitrates work
      by activation of soluble guanylate cyclase, elevating cyclic guanosine
      monophosphate (GMP) levels to cause vasodilatation and inhibition of platelet
      aggregation. Endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is attenuated in hypertension,
      atherosclerosis and diabetes through either loss of endothelium or deficient
      formation of EDRF-NO. In these conditions exogenous nitrates may substitute for a
      failing endogenous mechanism.

PMID- 1874273
TI  - Nitrate therapy: is there an optimal substance and formulation?
AB  - Nitrate therapy has been shown to be beneficial for the treatment of coronary
      artery diseases and a number of chemical entities and their respective
      pharmaceutical formulations are available for clinical use. In this report, the
      performance of these nitrate drug/formulation combinations is discussed in terms
      of the relative onset of action, duration of action, tolerance
      properties/regeneration of reactivity and patient acceptance. A pharmacodynamic
      action scheme is presented and this allows a systematic assessment of how changes
      in the nitrate and/or formulation may impact on therapeutic activity. Data
      suggest that several sustained-release preparations of various nitrates can
      provide protection against exercise-induced angina for about 12 h on repeated
      dosing, provided a 'nitrate-free' or 'nitrate-poor' interval is also instituted.
      The 'ideal' nitrate substance and formulation, which theoretically can provide
      around-the-clock protection, is not yet available.

PMID- 1874274
TI  - Central effects of muscarinic agonists and antagonists on hippocampal theta
      rhythm and blood pressure in the anaesthetised rat.
AB  - The in vivo central effects of a range of full and partial muscarinic receptor
      agonists have been investigated on hippocampal theta rhythm and blood pressure.
      In the isoflurane-anaesthetised rat, pretreated with N-methylscopolamine, i.v.
      administration of arecoline, oxotremorine, arecaidine propargyl ester, aceclidine
      and pilocarpine produced dose-dependent increases in the frequency of hippocampal
      theta rhythm and blood pressure, with an order of potency of arecoline =
      oxotremorine = arecaidine propargyl ester greater than aceclidine greater than or
      equal to pilocarpine. To increase theta wave frequency, pilocarpine showed a low
      maximum response and possessed antagonist activity against arecoline, indicating
      that pilocarpine was acting as a partial agonist. AF102B failed to alter blood
      pressure or theta rhythm. Intraventricular injections of scopolamine and the M1
      receptor-selective antagonist, pirenzepine, produced dose-dependent antagonism of
      the enhanced theta wave frequency and hypertensive response produced by
      arecoline. The differences in antagonist potency for the two responses was less
      than 6-fold, which indicated that both the increase in hippocampal theta wave
      activity and increase in blood pressure may have been mediated through muscarinic
      receptors of the M1 subtype. Further studies using a wider range of antagonists
      will be required to confirm this conclusion.

PMID- 1874275
TI  - Selective protection by adenosine receptor agonists against DMCM-induced
      seizures.
AB  - The anticonvulsant actions of the adenosine receptor agonists, 1
      phenylisopropyladenosine, 2-chloroadenosine and cyclohexyl-adenosine, against
      DMCM (methyl 6,7-dimethoxy-4-ethyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxylate)-induced seizures
      in mice were studied with an infusion technique. 2-Chloroadenosine and
      cyclohexyladenosine were active at 1 mg/kg whereas 1-phenyl-isopropyladenosine
      was active at 0.03 mg/kg given i.p. At 10 mg/kg, 1-phenylisopropyladenosine was
      only weakly active against pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures and not active
      against bicuculline-induced seizures. The selective effect of 1
      phenylisopropyladenosine against DMCM-induced seizures suggests that adenosine
      receptor agonists may allosterically counteract the negative modulating effect of
      DMCM on GABA coupling to the chloride channel. This indicates that adenosine
      receptors may have a physiological function within the GABA/benzodiazepine
      receptor complex in the brain.

PMID- 1874276
TI  - Effects of HA1077, a protein kinase inhibitor, on myosin phosphorylation and
      tension in smooth muscle.
AB  - We examined the effects of HA1077, a potent inhibitor of protein kinases in
      vitro, on the relationship between tension and myosin-light chain (MLC20)
      phosphorylation in the initial phase of contraction of the rabbit aorta. The dose
      response curve of HA1077 for MLC20 phosphorylation was to the left of the tension
      curve produced by 40 mM K+. In contrast, the potassium dose-response (15-100 mM)
      curves for tension and MLC20 phosphorylation were virtually identical. The
      nifedipine dose-response (1-3000 nM) curves for tension and MLC20 phosphorylation
      after 40 mM K(+)-stimulation were much the same. HA1077 inhibited the contraction
      induced by 30 microM prostaglandin F2 alpha (ED50 = 50 microM). Stimulation with
      prostaglandin F2 alpha induced both mono (MLC-P) and diphosphorylation (MLC-P2)
      of MLC20. In the presence of various concentrations of HA1077 (1-300 microM), the
      dose-response curves for MLC-P and MLC-P2 were also to the left of the tension
      curve. HA1077 inhibited MLC-P2 (ED50 less than microM) more effectively than it
      inhibited MLC-P (ED50 = 2.1 microM). These observations indicate that the
      relationship between tension and MLC20 phosphorylation involves inhibition of
      protein kinases by HA1077. The mechanism underlying the formation of MLC-P2
      induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha may differ from that underlying MLC-P
      formation.

PMID- 1874277
TI  - Acetylcholine vasodilation of resistance vessels in vivo may not entirely depend
      on newly synthesized nitric oxide.
AB  - Blood flow was measured in denervated hind limbs of pentobarbital-anesthetized
      cats. Intravenous NG-methyl-L-arginine, 3-30 mg/kg did not affect the magnitude
      or duration of vasodilation produced by intra-arterial acetylcholine. Intra
      arterial NG-methyl-L-arginine induced hind limb vasoconstriction and reduced the
      duration but not the magnitude of the acetylcholine vasodilator response. The
      results suggest that acetylcholine-induced hind limb vasodilation may not
      entirely depend on newly synthesized nitric oxide.

PMID- 1874278
TI  - Angiotensin II stimulates angiogenesis in the chorio-allantoic membrane of the
      chick embryo.
AB  - Angiotensin II was applied daily in doses of 67 or 670 ng to a section of the
      chick embryo chorio-allantoic membrane from day 7 to day 14 after fertilization
      of the eggs. During this one-week period, it caused a significant, dose-dependent
      increase in the vascular density index. The increase obtained with 670 ng daily
      was comparable to that after daily administration of 1.7 micrograms adenosine, a
      known stimulator of angiogenesis. The data suggest a possible role for
      angiotensin II as a mediator of vascular growth.

PMID- 1874279
TI  - Different regulation of vascular tone by angiotensin II and endothelin-1 in rat
      aorta.
AB  - The effects of moderate cooling and of phenylarsine oxide on the contraction
      induced by two vasoactive peptides, angiotensin II (AII) and endothelin (ET-1),
      were investigated on endothelium-free rings of rat aortas. At 37 degrees C, the
      contraction induced by AII (0.1 microM) was transient. This decline in tension is
      unlikely to be due to rapid degradation of AII. In contrast, ET-1 (10 nM) induced
      a slowly developing and sustained contraction similar to the one observed with
      phorbol 12-13 dibutyrate (PDB, 22 nM). Moderate cooling (25 degrees C)
      significantly potentiated and prolonged the effect of AII but reduced the
      velocity of the ET-1 and PDB contraction, although the rate of the phenylephrine
      (1 microM) response remained unchanged. Phenylarsine oxide (100 microM) reduced
      the decline in tension in response to AII but inhibited the contraction elicited
      by ET-1 and PDB. In rings incubated in calcium-free medium (37 degrees C), AII
      induced a phasic contraction. This was followed by a second phasic contraction
      after calcium (2.5 mM) had been restored to the bath. The intensity of this
      second contraction decreased as the time between AII and calcium injection
      increased. This method, using regression analysis, permitted us to determine the
      time taken to reduce the contraction by half (4.8 min; r: 0.96), which may
      reflect the half-time of receptor sequestration. In calcium-free medium, the
      contractions induced by ET-1 and PDB were slow and sustained. Thus, rapid AII
      receptor internalization leads to a short-term regulation of vascular tone
      whereas activation of protein kinase C by ET-1 may induce a long-term regulation.

PMID- 1874280
TI  - Block of the transient inward current by R56865 in guinea-pig ventricular
      myocytes.
AB  - Single myocytes isolated from the guinea-pig ventricle were used under voltage
      clamp conditions to study the activity of a newly developed drug, R56865, a
      benzothiazolamine derivative, against digitalis toxicity. Multicellular Purkinje
      preparations were used in some experiments. The drug blocked the transient inward
      current (TI) with an apparent KD of 7.5 X 10(-8) M. The blockade was not due to a
      direct effect on the Na+, Ca2+ exchange current or on the non-selective cation
      current, the two components of TI. Blockade of TI was accompanied in time with
      inhibition of after-contractions, which suggests that the drug has an effect on
      Ca(2+)i transients. At concentrations effective on TI the drug did not block Ca2+
      currents or Na+ currents; however the Na+ current was inhibited after the cells
      had been pretreated with DPI 201-106. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect
      on TI may be due to an effect on the release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic
      reticulum or to a reduction in Ca2+ overload via blockade of the Na+ channel.

PMID- 1874281
TI  - The antihypertensive effect of 2-alkynyladenosines and their selective affinity
      for adenosine A2 receptors.
AB  - We examined the affinity for adenosine receptors and the antihypertensive effects
      of 2-alkynyladenosines, especially 2-hexynyladenosine (2-H-Ado) and 2
      octynyladenosine (2-O-Ado). The order of decreasing affinity of 2-H-Ado, 2-O-Ado,
      and other agonists tested for A1 receptors was N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA)
      greater than N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA) greater than N6-R
      phenylisopropyladenosine (R-PIA) greater than 2-chloroadenosine (CADO) = 5'-N
      ethylcarboxamideadenosine (NECA) greater than N6-S-phenylisopropyladenosine (S
      PIA) greater than 2-H-Ado greater than 2-O-Ado greater than 2
      phenylaminoadenosine (CV-1808), and that for A2 receptors was 2-H-Ado greater
      than 2-O-Ado = NECA greater than CADO greater than CV-1808 greater than R-PIA
      greater than CPA greater than CHA greater than S-PIA. The Ki values of 2-H-Ado
      and 2-O-Ado for [3H] NECA binding to A2 receptors were 4.1 and 12.1 nM,
      respectively, and those for [3H]CHA binding to A1 receptors were 146 and 211 nM,
      respectively: the affinity of 2-H-Ado and 2-O-Ado for A2 receptors was about 36-
      and 17-fold higher than their affinity for A1 receptors. Injection of 2-H-Ado and
      2-O-Ado (0.03-100 micrograms/kg) decreased the blood pressure of anaesthetized
      spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). A slight decrease in heart rate was
      observed after i.v. injection of 100 micrograms/kg 2-H-Ado and 2-O-Ado. A potent
      and long-lasting antihypertensive effect was also observed after oral
      administration of 2-H-Ado and 2-O-Ado to conscious SHR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1874282
TI  - A non-immunogenic myasthenia gravis model and its application in a study of
      transsynaptic regulation at the neuromuscular junction.
AB  - A non-immunological model for myasthenia gravis was developed in rats: 'toxin
      induced myasthenia gravis'. Rats were injected once every 48 h with 3-5
      micrograms alpha-bungarotoxin for periods of up to 5 weeks. This treatment caused
      weakness, especially of facial muscles. Respiration, however, was unaffected.
      Miniature endplate potentials and 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin binding in the extensor
      digitorum longus muscles were severely reduced. Acetylcholine release evoked by
      electrical and chemical (50 mM KCl) stimulation was higher in diaphragms from
      alpha-bungarotoxin-treated rats than in those from control animals. Histological
      investigation of the tibialis anterior muscle provided no evidence that the
      endplates were enlarged. It is concluded that the activity of acetylcholine
      receptors influences the rate of transmitter release in the neuromuscular
      junction and it is suggested that a transsynaptic regulation process may be
      active in myasthenia gravis. The present animal model for myasthenia gravis seems
      very suitable for studying such a regulation of transmitter release.

PMID- 1874283
TI  - The neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (enkephalinase) inhibitor, SCH 32615, increases
      dopamine metabolism in the nucleus accumbens of the rat.
AB  - SCH 32615 is a novel inhibitor of the enzyme, neutral endopeptidase (NEP, E.C.
      3.4.24.11), the so called 'enkephalinase', which plays a functional role in the
      degradation of [Met5]- and [Leu5]enkephalin. The present study was designed to
      assess whether SCH 32615 is able to modify the activity of dopaminergic neurons
      as reflected by changes in the content of the major dopamine metabolite,
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), in three different areas of the rat brain:
      the nucleus accumbens, the striatum, and the prefrontal cortex. When administered
      at analgesically active doses (1-100 mg/kg s.c., 60 min before killing), SCH
      32615 induced a dose-dependent increase in dopamine metabolism in the nucleus
      accumbens but was ineffective in the striatum and in the prefrontal cortex. This
      effect appears to be mediated via opioid receptors, since it was completely
      prevented by naloxone (5 mg/kg s.c.). The increase in DOPAC content in the
      prefrontal cortex elicited by foot-shock was unaffected by pretreatment with SCH
      32615. In the nucleus accumbens, dopamine metabolism was increased to the same
      extent by foot-shock and SCH 32615 administered separately, but these effects
      were not additive, suggesting that SCH 32615 and foot-shock act via a common
      mechanism. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that inhibition
      of the in vivo degradation of enkephalins induced by the systemic administration
      of SCH 32615 increases the enkephalinergic tone in the central nervous system and
      thereby activates the mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons.

PMID- 1874284
TI  - Oxyhaemoglobin increases the production of endothelin-1 by endothelial cells in
      culture.
AB  - Cultured endothelial cells from bovine thoracic aortas conditioned with serum
      free culture media released an endothelin-1 (ET)-1-like substance. Concentrations
      of ET-1-like material were determined by bioassay as contractions of isolated
      ring segments of dog internal mammary vein and by radioimmunoassay. ET-1-like
      immunoreactivity (ET-1-IR) increased progressively over a 24 h conditioning
      period and correlated with the bioassay for the first 12 h. Oxyhaemoglobin (1-3
      microM) caused a significant two-fold increase in the concentration of ET-1-IR in
      the medium at 6, 8 and 12 h incubation. Methaemoglobin also caused an approximate
      doubling of the amount of ET-1-IR at eight h of incubation. NG-Monomethyl-L
      arginine (L-NMMA), a blocker of the production of endothelium-derived relaxing
      factor (EDRF), had no effect on the time-dependent increase in ET-1-IR in the
      conditioned medium. These results may have important implications for the
      mechanisms underlying vascular smooth muscle hyperreactivity such as cerebral
      spasm following subarachnoid haemorrhage.

PMID- 1874285
TI  - Inhibition of calcium entry induced by cularines and isocrasifoline in uterine
      smooth muscle.
AB  - The effects of nifedipine, papaverine and four benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
      (cularine, cularidine, celtisine and isocrasifoline) were studied in isolated rat
      uterus in order to clarify the mechanism of their relaxant action. All the
      compounds tested completely relaxed KCl-induced contractions and totally or
      partially inhibited oxytocin-induced rhythmic contractions. Only papaverine acted
      intracellularly, promoting relaxation of contractile responses induced by
      oxytocin or vanadate in a Ca(2+)-free medium. In spite of the structural
      relationship between papaverine and the other alkaloids, the mechanism of their
      relaxant action is not the same. The activities of cularine derivatives and of
      isocrasifoline were similar to that of nifedipine.

PMID- 1874286
TI  - Endothelial cells modulate the vasoinhibitory effect of NKY-722, a Ca2+ channel
      antagonist, in canine mesenteric arteries.
AB  - Modulation of the vasoinhibitory effect of NKY-722 by vascular endothelial cells
      was studied in canine mesenteric arteries. A high concentration of NKY-722
      accumulated in the endothelium-intact arteries and its accumulation in
      endothelium-removed arteries was significantly less. The vasoinhibitory effect of
      NKY-722 in endothelium-intact arteries was significantly weaker than that in
      endothelium-removed arteries. These results suggest that endothelial cells can
      attenuate the vasoinhibitory effect of NKY-722.

PMID- 1874287
TI  - Free muscle transfer with split thickness skin graft coverage in head and neck
      reconstructive surgery.
AB  - Sixteen patients (eight females and eight males) who underwent microsurgical free
      tissue transfers for head and neck reconstruction are reviewed. In this series,
      the flap reconstruction was completed on eleven patients with extra-oral defects
      and five with intra-oral defects. Split thickness skin graft coverage was used in
      all cases. The rectus abdominis free muscle flap was used in nine patients and
      the latissimus dorsi free muscle flap in seven patients. The choice of tissue
      reconstruction was decided by the size of the surgical defect. There were no
      failures of the tissue transfers and skin grafts. In skilled hands, free tissue
      transfer provides a reliable method of head and neck reconstruction, with a low
      incidence of recipient and donor site complications. In extra-oral defects,
      coverage of free muscle transfer with split thickness skin grafts, results in a
      better colour match than musculocutaneous flaps, and complements the appearance
      and pliability of the free muscle flap.

PMID- 1874288
TI  - Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue.
AB  - Between 1958 and 1983 at Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel, 75
      patients were diagnosed as having squamous cell carcinoma of the body of the
      tongue. Of these, 42 were male and 33 female and the average age at the time of
      diagnosis was 61.6 years. 29.33% were in clinical stage I, 36% in stage II,
      26.67% in stage III and 8% in stage IV. Fifteen patients underwent only surgery,
      nine received only irradiation and 51 received combined treatment. The 5-year
      survival rate was 68.3% with a significant difference between that for stage I
      (90%) and stage II (83.7%) and that for stages III and IV (43.07% and 0%,
      respectively) (P less than 0.001). Among the 24 with recurrence of the
      malignancy, 20 died despite treatment and four patients died of causes unrelated
      to the malignancy. From this experience it was concluded that local excision of
      the tumor should be performed only in stage I patients and that in stage II
      patients prophylactic treatment of the neck (neck dissection and irradiation)
      should be undertaken because of the high incidence of occult metastases.

PMID- 1874289
TI  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Plateau State, Nigeria: a pathological study.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is rare in Central Nigeria where it represents 1.7% of
      all cancers. The prevalence rate is 4 per 100,000 and the male: female ratio is
      2:1. Most tumours occur on the left side than the right (4:1) and the mean age at
      the time of presentation is 44.4 years. Undifferentiated and non-keratinizing
      carcinomas represent 60% of cases, while well differentiated squamous cell
      carcinoma accounts for 40%.

PMID- 1874290
TI  - Evaluation of resection margins after breast conservative surgery with monoclonal
      antibodies.
AB  - An immunocytochemical method for the detection of cancer cells, in the cell
      suspension obtained by scraping the surface of the surgical resection margins is
      described and its sensitivity compared to the conventional histology performed on
      random biopsies from the same margins. The reactivity of the cells with a pool of
      monoclonal antibodies (Mab) directed against epithelial markers indicated that in
      80% of the 42 cases tested, the scraping method was adequate for the gathering of
      cells from the margins. The analysis of the samples using B72.3 Mab specific for
      tumor cells revealed that, among B72.3-positive tumor cases, 31% of breast
      margins contained tumor cells, whereas only 12% were histologically positive. Our
      results indicate that the immunocytological methodology is therefore more
      sensitive and should be used alongside histological examination to detect the
      tumor contamination in the surgical resection margins.

PMID- 1874291
TI  - Chest wall reconstruction after full thickness resection: an experience with 22
      patients.
AB  - The authors present their experience of chest wall reconstruction after full
      thickness resection in 22 patients. The patients are from a series of 80 patients
      treated by chest wall resection from 1967 to 1989. Whether performed on breasts
      still in place, for recurrent disease, or for radiation-induced lesions (which
      are often associated), the defect created by complete resection of the chest wall
      layers causes difficulties. Large cutaneous flaps, often including the opposite
      breast were used at the beginning of the series. Then came omentum associated to
      Mersilene mesh and myocutaneous flaps. The results, in terms of comfort and local
      control are acceptable, even though surgery is only palliative for cancer
      patients. We feel that full thickness chest wall resection is the only effective
      treatment for some primary and recurrent malignant tumors and for extensive
      thoracic radionecroses. Such procedures are designed to improve the patient's
      quality of life even if they do not actually prolong survival. The goals guiding
      the reconstruction programme are: (1) the restoration of a stable parietal
      rigidity; and (2) the reconstruction of long lasting superficial layers.

PMID- 1874292
TI  - Nuclear morphometry of benign and malignant breast lesions.
AB  - The mean nuclear area (MNA) of mammary gland epithelium was measured in 403
      breast specimens, comprising 239 invasive carcinomas, 49 carcinomas in situ, 45
      cases of fibrocystic disease (f.c.d.) with intraductal epithelial hyperplasia,
      and 60 cases of f.c.d. without intraductal hyperplasia. Normal breast tissue
      adjacent to other benign or malignant lesions was measured in 170 specimens.
      Statistical analysis revealed no difference between the MNA of invasive ductal
      carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ. The MNA of lobular and ductal carcinomas
      were significantly different. Significant differences were also found between
      ductal carcinoma and the two classes of f.c.d. The MNA of f.c.d. with and without
      intraductal hyperplasia were also significantly different, the former having the
      highest MNA. All breast lesions showed MNA significantly higher than that of
      normal breast epithelium. These findings show that there is a gradual increase in
      MNA from the baseline value of normal breast epithelium, via fibrocystic disease
      without and with intraductal proliferation to invasive carcinomas. Measurement of
      MNA may aid in pinpointing cases of intraductal epithelial hyperplasia with
      malignant potential.

PMID- 1874293
TI  - Local tumor control by intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT): a pilot experience.
AB  - Patients with locally advanced disease, considered incurable by conventional
      therapeutic options, were treated, if possible, with surgical resection, and
      intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT) with or without external beam radiotherapy
      (EBRT), with the aim of improving local control of disease. Twelve patients were
      selected for IORT and eight patients were subsequently submitted to IORT in order
      to achieve local control. There were no IORT related complications, and local
      tumor control was achieved in all cases with a median follow-up of 22 months.
      IORT is a new and experimental treatment modality with a potential advantage over
      conventional radiotherapy.

PMID- 1874294
TI  - Use of the OM-11-906 monoclonal antibody for determining p62 c-myc expression by
      flow cytometry in relation to prognosis in colorectal cancer.
AB  - The expression of the c-myc protein product (p62 c-myc) and deoxyribonucleic acid
      (DNA) ploidy status was determined by a flow cytometric technique in 83 patients
      with colorectal cancer followed up for a median of 30 months (range 6-60 months).
      The OM-11-906 antibody, used to detect p62 c-myc, revealed a 62 kDa and 45 kDa
      band on Western blots in tumours. Correlation of quantitative dot blotting of
      tumour mRNA to flow cytometric p62 c-myc expression was good (r = 0.87, P less
      than 0.01). Levels of p62 c-myc varied in colorectal cancer and low levels (less
      than 20 fluorescein units) correlated with improved survival (log rank chi 2 =
      4.69, df = 1, P = 0.03), and this was a better prognostic index than DNA ploidy
      (log rank analysis chi 2 = 2.38, df = 1, P less than 0.1). Although expression of
      the c-myc gene was found, using the OM-11-906 antibody, to be a prognostic
      feature in colorectal cancer, these and other results need to be interpreted with
      caution given the presence of two protein bands by Western blotting.

PMID- 1874295
TI  - Local and systemic effects of repeated intraperitoneal epirubicin treatment.
AB  - The local toxicity, general morbidity and mortality of repeated intraperitoneal
      administration of epirubicin (0.5 mg/kg in 100 ml isotonic saline) was
      investigated using a rat model. This dose is equivalent to that which would be
      used in the human. After six perfusions, the incidence of peritoneal inflammation
      was similar in the epirubicin group and saline controls. The vesicant properties
      of the drug were reflected in a significantly higher incidence of peritoneal
      fibrosis (P = 0.0015) but adhesions were more common in the controls (29%) than
      in the epirubicin perfused animals (4%). Animals from both groups showed
      inflammatory collections within the liver. There were no chronic hepatic lesions
      such as fibrosis/cirrhosis. This may be owing to portal bacteraemia caused by
      repeated cannulation of the peritoneal cavity. Evidence of microabscess formation
      in the hepatic parenchyma was observed in both animals. No histologically
      demonstrable toxicity was observed in the heart or gastrointestinal tract of the
      animals included in this study. The mortality of the epirubicin treated rats
      (2/146 perfusions) was similar to that of the saline controls (2/84 perfusions).
      These findings indicate that repeated intraperitoneal perfusion with epirubicin
      is not associated with significant toxicity. This anthracycline is therefore
      suitable for prolonged cyclical intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

PMID- 1874296
TI  - Choroid metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - A case of choroid metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is presented. If
      loss of vision in patients with NPC is not associated with proptosis or weakness
      of the extra-ocular eye muscles after radiotherapy, investigations to exclude
      choroid metastasis should be carried out. Choroid metastasis, in contrast to the
      more common causes of loss of vision in such a situation, radiation retinopathy
      and optic neuropathy, is amenable to treatment to prevent irreversible blindness
      and enucleation for intractable glaucoma pain.

PMID- 1874297
TI  - Malignant granular cell tumour of the oesophagus.

PMID- 1874298
TI  - Bilateral adrenal lymphoma presenting as Addison's disease and hypercalcaemia.
AB  - The adrenal gland is not uncommonly involved in lymphoma. It is rare, however,
      for adrenal lymphoma to present as Addison's disease. There are only eight
      reports in the English literature. This paper reports a case of adrenal lymphoma
      that presented with Addison's disease and hypercalcaemia.

PMID- 1874299
TI  - Squamous carcinoma of the colon: primary or metastatic?
AB  - A patient is reported who developed a tumour of the transverse colon, which at
      presentation appeared histologically and clinically to be a primary squamous cell
      keratinizing carcinoma, arising from an area of in situ carcinoma in the colonic
      epithelium. However, she had had a stage 1 cervical carcinoma treated by
      Wertheim's hysterectomy 7 years previously and although there were no other signs
      of recurrence, this raised the possibility that the lesion might be metastatic.
      Thirty-seven previously reported cases of primary squamous carcinoma of the colon
      and those of squamous carcinoma metastasizing to the colon and mimicking primary
      lesions are reviewed.

PMID- 1874300
TI  - Second hepatic resection for metastatic colorectal cancer.
AB  - We report a case where repeat hepatic resection was successfully performed 3
      years after extended right hepatic lobectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer.
      The patient remains well and disease free 2.5 years after the second hepatic
      resection.

PMID- 1874301
TI  - Placental alkaline phosphatase in seminoma.

PMID- 1874302
TI  - [The hypomenstrual syndrome and amenorrhea in adolescent girls].

PMID- 1874303
TI  - [Uterine myoma].

PMID- 1874304
TI  - [Hemophilia].

PMID- 1874305
TI  - [Blepharitis].

PMID- 1874306
TI  - [The clinical picture and treatment of tuberculous spondylitis].

PMID- 1874307
TI  - [Syringomyelia].

PMID- 1874308
TI  - [Gout].

PMID- 1874309
TI  - [The late treatment results in congenital hip dislocation in childhood].

PMID- 1874310
TI  - [Emergency care for the victims in mass disasters in peacetime].

PMID- 1874311
TI  - [The principles of the organization and rendering of resuscitation care in road
      traffic accidents].

PMID- 1874312
TI  - [Transportation immobilization in injuries to the locomotor apparatus].

PMID- 1874313
TI  - [Suppurative bacterial meningitis of pneumococcal and Haemophilus etiologies].

PMID- 1874314
TI  - [A method for examining the therapeutic patient].

PMID- 1874315
TI  - [Corpulence and fertility].

PMID- 1874316
TI  - [Secondary amenorrhea in adolescents on a cosmetic diet].

PMID- 1874317
TI  - [Developmental defects of the genitalia in girls].

PMID- 1874318
TI  - [Constipation in young children].

PMID- 1874319
TI  - [Liver cirrhosis].

PMID- 1874320
TI  - [Systemic lupus erythematosus].

PMID- 1874321
TI  - [The use of therapeutic plasmapheresis in dermatological practice].

PMID- 1874322
TI  - [Dupuytren's disease].

PMID- 1874323
TI  - [Medical first aid in chest trauma].

PMID- 1874324
TI  - [Interferon and its inducers in the therapy of recurrent herpes].

PMID- 1874325
TI  - [The organization of gynecological care for girls and young women].

PMID- 1874326
TI  - [The characteristics of Bela's wound--the heroine of the story of the same name
      by M. Iu. Lermontov].

PMID- 1874327
TI  - [Orderly No. 9999 (episodes out of the life of Sergei Esenin)].

PMID- 1874328
TI  - Organ donation: it begins with you!

PMID- 1874329
TI  - Flexible scheduling and part-time work.

PMID- 1874330
TI  - Competence statements for differentiated nursing practice in critical care.
AB  - The demand for high-quality patient care in the current complex health care
      environment and the variety of today's available nursing education programs
      dictate a need to differentiate nursing practice into technical and professional
      roles. These roles are based on competencies acquired in ADN and BSN degree
      programs and implemented in practice settings where the contributions of all
      nurses are valued. To create a preferred future, AACN has developed a model for
      differentiated nursing practice in critical care. The model is a guideline for
      those nurses and institutions who may be or will be involved in changing practice
      patterns. The model does not support or encourage the elimination or
      disenfranchisement of any individual or groups of nurses. These statements were
      developed to address specific behavior that reflects the valuable contributions
      of each category of nurses within critical care nursing. The statements provide a
      model for creating efficient and effective practice patterns that may contribute
      to high-quality outcomes for critically ill patients and their families.

PMID- 1874331
TI  - Silent myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1874332
TI  - The legal basis of expert testimony.

PMID- 1874333
TI  - Removal of pulmonary artery catheters by registered nurses: a study in safety and
      complications.

PMID- 1874334
TI  - Torture and abuse of our health care colleagues.

PMID- 1874335
TI  - Implications of clinical reasoning studies for critical care nursing.

PMID- 1874336
TI  - Critical care nurse model.
AB  - An innovative organizational framework is proposed in which professional group
      practices provide health care services by contract to hospitals and nurses and
      other health care providers have equal authority and power. Using this model,
      nurses can form group practices and contract with hospitals to provide total
      critical care nursing services to patients in hospital units.

PMID- 1874337
TI  - Critical care nurses' interactions with families of potential organ donors.

PMID- 1874338
TI  - Radioprotective effect of dextran sulphate and aerogenic hypoxia on intestinal
      crypt stem cells in mice.
AB  - A single intraperitoneal injection of dextran sulphate given 6 h before
      irradiation produced higher numbers of microcolonies of intestinal crypt stem
      cells in whole-body irradiated mice than injection of saline in control mice. If
      dextran sulphate and hypoxia are combined, the radioprotective effect of hypoxia
      on intestinal crypt stem cells depends on the time interval between irradiation
      and administration of dextran sulphate.

PMID- 1874339
TI  - Thyroid hormone analogue SKF L-94901 accelerates regression of Moloney sarcoma
      and inhibits periosteal osteogenesis mediated by this tumour.

PMID- 1874340
TI  - Further possibilities of using aryloxycarbonic acid derivatives in clinical
      practice.
AB  - In medical practice aryloxycarbonic acid derivatives have been solely used in the
      treatment of hyperlipidemia. Recently we patented the use of some of these
      derivatives in the treatment of dermatological diseases. Further analyses showed
      that these substances stimulated various cells of mesodermal origin including
      lymphocytes, the principal cells of the immune system. Depending on the
      concentration some derivatives of aryloxycarbonic acid stimulated or suppressed
      the proliferative response of lymphocytes, pointing to the possible use of these
      drugs as immunomodulators in clinical practice as well.

PMID- 1874341
TI  - A natural specific intracellular ligand as a reagent for cyclosporine blood level
      determination.
AB  - We isolated and characterized a non-immunoglobulin fraction from calf thymuses
      which was found very active in binding [3H]labelled cyclosporine (CsA). It
      contains the natural, intracellular receptor cyclophilin, specifically binding to
      the active site of the CsA molecule, which may also play a part in the
      immunosuppression of human immunocompetent cells. This material with a high
      selectivity could be used, instead of specific monoclonal or polyclonal
      antibodies, to determine CsA levels in patient's blood.

PMID- 1874342
TI  - In vitro and in vivo organ cultures containing respiratory epithelium.
AB  - A combination of two methods, organ culture and transplantation under the kidney
      capsule of nude mice, can be a suitable tool to study the mechanism of
      carcinogenesis of the human respiratory epithelium and to detect risks in
      environmental pollution. We used two tissues containing the respiratory
      epithelium--rat lung and human vocal cord. Gelita, a porous material used in
      surgery for haemostasis, produces a good support for the growing organ cultures
      of both tissues. These tissues continue to grow and to differentiate after
      transplantation under the kidney capsule. No pronounced immunological reaction of
      the nude mouse was detected. These conditions not only allow us to test various
      carcinogenic substances and their combinations, but as well enable us to detect
      an eventual malignant growth.

PMID- 1874343
TI  - Pregnancies after transfer of sheep embryos produced from oocytes matured and
      fertilized in vitro.
AB  - The experiments describe simple and effective methods used for the production of
      sheep embryos in vitro. The oocytes isolated from the ovarian follicles, 2-5 mm
      in diameter, were matured in culture for 22-24 h. After mixing with ram
      spermatozoa pretreated with heparin, 77-100% of fertilized oocytes were
      monospermic. Some of them (60-68.3%) cleaved in culture after 24-50 h to 2-4-cell
      stage. The transfer of cleaved embryos to the oviducts of 4 synchronized
      recipients resulted in pregnancies and 4 normal lambs were born at term.

PMID- 1874344
TI  - Legionnaires' disease.

PMID- 1874345
TI  - Sports injuries and adolescent athletes.
AB  - A one-year study was undertaken investigating adolescent sports injury
      experiences at a major sports clinic in the state of Delaware. A total of 619
      athletes sustained 870 injuries, for an overall injury rate of 1.4 injuries per
      athlete. The largest number of injuries was recorded in football (40.2 percent),
      followed by boys' soccer, wrestling, baseball and girls' basketball. Severity of
      injury was measured by the number of days lost per injury. Cheerleading had the
      highest average days lost per injury (28.8), followed by girls' basketball,
      wrestling, boys' cross-country and girls' tennis. Inflammation, fractures and
      dislocations comprised 50.6 percent of all the injuries, while 50.5 percent of
      the injuries were located in the knee, thigh, and shoulder. Twenty-seven of the
      870 injuries required surgery.

PMID- 1874346
TI  - Cat scratch encephalopathy.
AB  - Cat scratch disease is usually benign, self-limited and without sequelae.
      Margileth has established four clinical criteria, three of which must be
      satisfied to make the diagnosis: 1) a history of animal exposure, usually kitten,
      with primary skin or ocular lesions; 2) regional chronic adenopathy without other
      apparent cause; 3) a positive cat scratch disease antigen skin test; and 4) lymph
      node biopsy demonstrating noncaseating granulomas and germinal center
      hyperplasia. Central nervous system involvement in cat scratch disease has been
      previously reported, although it is extremely uncommon. In a several-month
      period, we encountered two cases of cat scratch disease complicated by
      encephalopathy. The intents of this paper are twofold: 1) to briefly review the
      current literature on cat scratch disease, 2) to demonstrate that cat scratch
      disease complicated by encephalopathy presents acutely with seizures, posturing
      and coma and resolves rapidly with supportive care.

PMID- 1874347
TI  - HIV-infected physicians.

PMID- 1874348
TI  - Disputing reports made to the National Practitioner Databank.

PMID- 1874349
TI  - The Herbst appliance.

PMID- 1874350
TI  - Sectional dentures: the manufacture of bolt and bolt hole.

PMID- 1874351
TI  - Maxillo facial injuries and maxillofacial laboratory services: a five-year
      review.

PMID- 1874352
TI  - 27th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
      Dublin, Ireland, 10-14 September 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1874353
TI  - The heartsink patient: a preliminary study.
AB  - Eight GPs identified 78 heartsink patients; in an open-ended interview they were
      asked to explain why they regarded them in this way. A GP's definition of a
      heartsink patient was influenced by GP sex, practice location, and time of
      surgery, although the number of participating GPs was too low to make any
      definite assertions. Practitioners' anticipations of heartsink consultations were
      generally over-exaggerated, with most of the encounters going better than
      expected. GPs expressed the view that these patients raised serious professional
      issues for them, whilst there was also a dislike for these patients'
      personalities and behaviour. Two levels of the heartsink state are hypothesized:
      one, a state of inertia, is when the heartsink patient has been a chronic high
      user of the primary health care system, and a GP has exhausted all avenues. The
      other is an acute situation with those heartsink patients who have been low users
      of the system in the past. Recent, new events in these patients' lives have
      raised an issue that is just as much to do with patient and doctor reaction to
      these events, as it is about finding a diagnosis or solution to the problem. We
      present the results and hypotheses to provoke further discussion and research.

PMID- 1874354
TI  - Managing miscarriage: the management of the emotional sequelae of miscarriage in
      training practices in the West of Scotland.
AB  - Miscarriage is a very common event which is rarely a medical emergency, and
      which, from a biomedical perspective, may justifiably be viewed as a 'normal'
      complication of early pregnancy. From the mother's point of view however, the
      loss of a wanted pregnancy may be viewed quite differently. A number of studies
      have identified significant levels of dissatisfaction with the medical care which
      women have received at the time of a miscarriage. This paper describes a survey
      of the management of miscarriage by general practitioner trainees and trainers in
      the West of Scotland and on the basis of responses to a series of MEQ-type
      questions, indicates GPs views on the importance of counselling, sympathetic
      listening and good information in this area. The translation of these attitudes
      and beliefs into practice is, of course, a different issue, and one which may be
      affected by the task-oriented approach of the new contract.

PMID- 1874355
TI  - Chest pain: an evaluation of the initial diagnosis made by 25 Flemish general
      practitioners.
AB  - Twenty-five general practitioners collected information on 318 contacts of
      patients with a new episode of chest pain, discomfort or tightness. A list of
      complaints, signs and symptoms were checked, together with the initial diagnosis,
      made by the GP immediately after the physical examination. The initial diagnosis
      was compared to a follow-up diagnosis. The gain in certainty was also compared.
      The GP made a correct initial diagnosis in 82% of patients. In 8% there was a
      clinically important difference, and seven of 17 episodes of oesophageal disease
      were missed. For their initial diagnosis, the GP scored 74% certain, 20%
      uncertain and no diagnosis in 6%. For the final diagnosis, these figures were
      88%, 8% and 4%.

PMID- 1874356
TI  - Dutch general practice care for patients with epilepsy: results from the Dutch
      National Survey of Morbidity and Interventions.
AB  - This study aimed to assess the share which Dutch general practice has in the care
      of patients with epilepsy. During a 3-month period 400,000 patient contacts in
      103 general practices with a total list of 335,000 patients were registered, 1536
      of these, concerning 1059 patients, concerned epilepsy. Contacts with patients
      with known epilepsy in Dutch General Practice were handled mainly by the practice
      nurse and most involved repeat prescriptions. Patients suspected of having
      epilepsy had more attention from the General Practitioner. The involvement of
      General Practitioners in the care of epilepsy was found to be small, but not
      unimportant. GPs are in a crucial position as regards the detection of epilepsy.
      They can enlarge their role in respect of patients with known epilepsy and
      improve continuity of care.

PMID- 1874357
TI  - Patients' views on health screening in general practice.
AB  - This paper describes the reactions of 159 patients to the way in which they were
      invited to participate in a health screening programme and their views on the
      screening appointment itself. It was found that those invited by letter, rather
      than opportunistically during a routine consultation, thought their appointment
      time harder to keep. A group of patients identified as relatively infrequent
      consulters were less likely to believe that the invite showed the practice to be
      interested in their health. However, overall the patients' perceptions of both
      the way in which they were invited and the screening appointment itself were
      found to be very positive and their satisfaction ratings high.

PMID- 1874358
TI  - Patient education in family practice: the consensus reached by patients, doctors
      and experts.
AB  - Patient education is a central aspect of the GP's work, but it is not clear what
      type of information and guidance should be given to patients during
      consultations. As the existing literature did not offer any clear solutions to
      this problem, a consensus study was carried out using a panel of GPs, patients
      and experts/policymakers in the field of health education. After three cycles of
      questioning involving written questionnaires and written feedback, the panel
      reached a consensus on 35 priorities and recommendations concerning patient
      education carried out by the GP. A consensus method of this type is a valuable
      tool for setting standards when scientific findings are not available, and
      contrasting views play a role in the definition of what constitutes adequate
      performance.

PMID- 1874359
TI  - Job stress in general practice: practitioner age, sex and attitudes as
      predictors.
AB  - South Australian general practitioners (n = 966) provided information in a
      questionnaire study about four indicators of job stress: the burnout components
      of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, and a
      three-item measure of job dissatisfaction. As job stress can arise from
      discrepancies between the nature of the work and the expectations of the worker,
      attitudes to general practice form and content were surveyed, using an existing
      Australian scale. This study largely replicated the factor structure originally
      reported for the scale. Up to one third of respondents reported significant
      levels of job stress, which varied according to age and sex as well as attitudes
      to general practice.

PMID- 1874360
TI  - Violence to general practitioners and fear of violence.
AB  - This paper describes the perception of general practitioners of violence to which
      they are subject, and also their fears of violence. It is based on interviews,
      and a written questionnaire. The outcome suggests that violence is a formidable
      problem. Some coping strategies are described. On the whole the subject has been
      little ventilated, but its recognition is an urgent matter.

PMID- 1874361
TI  - Fever: management and self-medication. Results from a Norwegian population study.
AB  - A representative sample of the Norwegian population was interviewed in 1988 as
      part of a monthly national opinion poll to investigate lay management and self
      medication of fever. Six hundred and nineteen women and 592 men over the age of
      15 were interviewed in their homes. Approximately one-fifth reported
      inappropriate measuring of body temperature. A variety of management and self
      medication was found. In cases of common cold or influenza with fever, 35% would
      use antipyretics. Forty per cent would start to use antipyretics at a temperature
      below 39.0 degrees C. Forty-four per cent did not know any antipyretic brand
      names at all. The results indicate a need for more definite and consistent
      information to make fever management and self-medication more rational. Such
      information should be discussed and given by general practitioners, nurses at
      child welfare centers and pharmacists.

PMID- 1874362
TI  - Connections between the quality of consultations and patient compliance in
      general practice.
AB  - The aim of the study was to generate and test a theory about connections between
      the quality of consultations and patient compliance in general practice. The
      theory was empirically based on patient interviews in order to understand the
      patient's perceptions and behaviour, and on development of a list for mapping of
      consultations, which in turn allowed coherent descriptions of consultations and
      compliance. The theory suggests and explains that compliance is connected with
      the fulfillment of six relatively simple criteria for the quality of
      consultations. The theory was tested by comparing predictions of compliance
      derived from analyses of 63 consultations with patient questionnaire based
      measurements of compliance. The difference between proportions of patients who
      were complaint after consultations fulfilling and not fulfilling respectively the
      criteria was 44%. The 95% confidence limits of this difference were 21% and 67%.

PMID- 1874363
TI  - Primary care research in Latin America, Portugal and Spain.

PMID- 1874364
TI  - Acupuncture: from needle to laser.
AB  - Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of a variety of illnesses for more
      than 2000 years. The practice of acupuncture is based on a theoretical system
      different from our understanding of human anatomy and physiology, and has
      developed through experience and observation. Stimulation of selective acupoints
      (situated along 'meridians' in the body) by inserting needles is believed to
      restore bodily functions by promoting the flow of 'vital energy', throughout the
      system. Other forms of stimulation which have been developed are heat, electrical
      stimulation, magnetism and, recently, laser. Laser acupuncture offers distinct
      advantages over the traditional method because the procedure is pain-free and non
      traumatic. Clinical applications include the control of pain in osteoarthritis,
      lumbago and migraine, and anaesthesia for certain surgical procedures, as well as
      other ailments of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems. The
      technique is easy to learn and there is no need for sophisticated instruments.
      Thus it is especially useful in developing countries where health resources are
      limited.

PMID- 1874365
TI  - The reliability and criterion validity of a measure of patients' satisfaction
      with their general practice.
AB  - The Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ) was developed using the methods of
      psychological test construction, and designed to determine patients' satisfaction
      with the services offered to them by their general practitioners. Principal
      components analysis (PCA) revealed five components distinct from general
      satisfaction--continuity, accessibility, availability, medical care and premises.
      Reliability as determined by a split-half test (coefficient alpha) was adequate
      but should be improved in future versions of the questionnaire. A study of
      criterion validity was undertaken to test the questionnaire and to develop
      methods of testing the validity of measures of patient satisfaction. The two
      criteria used were the doctors' self-assessment of their own practices and the
      assessment of an external assessor. The findings supported the validity of the
      components of continuity, accessibility, availability and premises, but the
      patients' scores correlated better with the external assessors' scores than the
      doctors' self-assessed scores. SSQ is a useful foundation for the development of
      measures of patient satisfaction in general practice.

PMID- 1874366
TI  - [Features of the thrombocytic component of hemostasis in newborns and mechanisms
      of its disorders].

PMID- 1874367
TI  - [Thrombocytopenic states in the neonatal period].
AB  - A total of 316 cases of thrombocytopenic states were analyzed in newborns. The
      incidence rate of thrombocytopenia among mature infants with varying diseases
      comprised 37%, hemorrhagic syndrome developed in 23.7% of them. Among the infants
      admitted to hospital with hemorrhagic syndrome thrombocytopenia was detected
      almost in half the cases (42%). Most often thrombocytopenia was observed in
      infections diseases, both intrauterine and postnatal. Transplacental and
      isoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura comprised 6.3% of all cases, thrombocytopenia
      caused by amegakaryocytosis--1.5%. Basing on the analysis made three variants of
      transplacental thrombocytopenic purpura have been distinguished and described.
      Causes and pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia development in infectious diseases of
      newborns are discussed.

PMID- 1874368
TI  - [Microrheologic properties of erythrocytes and parameters of vascular
      thrombocytic hemostasis in newborns with perinatal pathology].
AB  - Hematocrit, thromboelastogram, aggregation capacity of platelets and red blood
      cells, the content of prostaglandin metabolites--prostacyclin 6-keto-PGF and
      thromboxane B (TxB) were studied in 70 newborns who had suffered perinatal
      hypoxia and localized pyo-inflammatory diseases that developed during the first
      week of life. It has been found that the pronounced disturbances of the
      peripheral blood circulation and frequent hemorrhagic complications in the
      infants with these diseases are closely connected with disorders in the
      aggregation capacity of red blood cells and platelet function due to the
      imbalance of the prostacyclin-thromboxane-generating system.

PMID- 1874369
TI  - [Embryonal and fetal hematopoiesis: current problems].

PMID- 1874370
TI  - [Immunosuppressive factors of placental blood serum].
AB  - The action of soluble factors responsible for the immuno-suppressive effect of
      placental blood serum and placental extracts has been analyzed. It has been shown
      that fetoplacental proteins, trophoblastic antigens, antibodies to
      histocompatibility antigens, receptors to Fc-fragments of IgG participate in the
      realization of immunosuppression during pregnancy. Data have been presented on
      the possibility of using immunosuppressive properties of placental blood for
      production of a gamma-globulin immunomodulating preparation.

PMID- 1874371
TI  - [Intravascular hemolysis in hemolytic disease of newborns].

PMID- 1874372
TI  - [Rheologic and immunologic blood parameters in patients with hypoplastic anemia
      who received antilymphocytic globulin].
AB  - Basing on the results of the investigation of patients with hypoplastic anemia
      attended by rheological and immunological disorders who received antilymphocytic
      globulin, the authors have recommended that the combined therapy of these
      patients should include lymphocytoplasmapheresis promoting removal of antibodies
      damaging lymphocytes, their decomposition products, circulating immune complexes,
      as well as heparin and antiaggregants that allow one to escape the side effects
      of antilymphocytic globulin.

PMID- 1874373
TI  - [Scientific and practical problems of neonatal hematology].

PMID- 1874374
TI  - [Myelopid correction of disorders in marker characteristics of surface membrane
      and cytoplasm of neutrophil granulocytes in children with pyoseptic diseases].

PMID- 1874375
TI  - [Immunodiagnosis of HIV infection in the transfusion service].
AB  - Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is the basic method of the laboratory diagnosis of HIV
      infection used as the first component of donors' screening. The possibility of
      nonspecific reactions presents a significant shortcoming of this method. An
      algorithm involving three stages has been elaborated to investigate donors for
      anti-HIV antibodies and to verify seropositive samples. The first-stage screening
      is conducted with the use of Soviet test-reagents. Positive samples are assayed
      again in the Soviet EI-systems based on varying types of sorbed antigens. In case
      of questionable or positive reactions the sample is assayed in commercial
      imported test-systems (the second stage). The positive sera are assayed in the
      immunoblotting test (the third stage). The algorithm suggested provides a
      reliable control and is worthwhile economically. The causes of nonspecific
      reactions in EIA have been described.

PMID- 1874376
TI  - [Hemoblastosis epidemiology in the Chernobyl region. I. Organization of research
      in the Homel'sk Region].

PMID- 1874377
TI  - [Arterial thrombosis in a patient with protein C deficiency].

PMID- 1874378
TI  - [Role and physiologic importance of thrombinemia in healthy newborns].
AB  - The sensitive orthophenanthroline test was used to reveal paracoagulation in 27
      normal newborns, thrombinemia reaching the highest level at the moment of birth
      and in the period of heavy depression of blood coagulation (on the fifth day of
      life) was detected. It has been suggested that the physiological role of
      thrombinemia is in the leveling of hypocoagulation shifts and providing of the
      local hemostasis. To escape thrombotic complications, drug correction of the
      hypocoagulation physiological level (activity of prothrombin complex factors is
      30-60%) is not recommended.

PMID- 1874379
TI  - [Ontogenetic features of hemostasis and urine fibrinolysis in newborns].
AB  - Parameters of hemostasis and urine fibrinolysis were studied in the ontogenesis
      of 56 normal newborns aged from 3 to 28 days. The data obtained and the
      correlation analysis made have shown significant changes in the hemostasis system
      in the ontogenesis. The neonatal period is characterized by stage changes in the
      hemostasis system that reflect the processes of adaptation for intrauterine
      existence, hypocoagulation being changed by mild hypercoagulation followed by
      coagulation formation by the end of the first month of life. Maximum
      statistically significant correlations were revealed during the first week of
      newborns' life. The data obtained can be used as control during the study of
      varying pathological states associated with changes in the coagulation and
      anticoagulation systems in newborns.

PMID- 1874380
TI  - Effects of serotonin on gonadotropin and growth hormone release from in vitro
      perifused goldfish pituitary fragments.
AB  - The effects of serotonin (5-HT) on gonadotropin and growth hormone release from
      perifused goldfish (Carassius auratus, L.) pituitary glands were studied.
      Serotonin, at micromolar concentrations, caused a dose-related release of
      gonadotropin and an inhibition of growth hormone release in pituitaries from
      goldfish at different sexual stages. At lower concentrations 5-HT continued to
      inhibit growth hormone release, but had no effects on gonadotropin release. The
      stimulatory effects of 5-HT on gonadotropin release could be blocked by
      ketanserin and cyproheptadine; however, these two antagonists had no effects on 5
      HT inhibition of growth hormone release. Perifusion with melatonin had no effect
      on the release of gonadotropin or growth hormone release. These results
      demonstrate that 5-HT has a stimulatory effect on gonadotropin secretion,
      probably through a 5-HT2 receptor type, and an inhibitory effect on growth
      hormone through an unidentified receptor type. We hypothesize that the effects on
      gonadotropin release are due to direct actions on gonadotrophs, whereas the
      effects on growth hormone release may be due to stimulation of somatostatin
      release from neurosecretory terminals in the pituitary.

PMID- 1874381
TI  - Plasma estradiol-17 beta, progesterone, prostaglandin F, and prostaglandin E2
      concentrations during natural oviposition in the loggerhead turtle (Caretta
      caretta).
AB  - Changes in plasma concentrations of steroids and prostaglandins (PGs) during
      natural nesting and oviposition in the loggerhead turtle were studied. Blood
      samples were obtained during nine distinct behavioral stages of oviposition.
      Emerging females had no detectable prostaglandin F (PGF) or prostaglandin E2
      (PGE2) whereas plasma estradiol-17 beta averaged 255 pg/ml and mean plasma
      progesterone was 395 pg/ml. Plasma steroid concentrations did not vary
      significantly during nesting. In contrast, plasma PGF and PGE2 exhibited
      significant elevations during nest digging about 15 min after emergence. A
      further significant increase in plasma PGs was observed 10 min later during early
      oviposition. Plasma PGE2 peaked during mid oviposition whereas maximal plasma PGF
      levels occurred during nest covering although mean values were not significantly
      different than those observed during oviposition. Both PGs showed an abrupt
      decline (within 10 min) during body pit covering to concentrations similar to
      those observed during nest construction. Our data suggest that PGs have an active
      role during oviposition and nesting in the loggerhead turtle and are consistent
      with hypotheses that PGF2 alpha stimulates uterine contractions promoting egg
      expulsion while PGE2 may be more important in promoting cervical relaxation.

PMID- 1874382
TI  - Interaction of salmon glucagon, glucagon-like peptide, and epinephrine in the
      stimulation of phosphorylase a activity in fish isolated hepatocytes.
AB  - The simultaneous addition of epinephrine and salmon glucagon to catfish
      (Ictalurus melas) and trout (Salmo gairdneri) hepatocytes did not induce greater
      increases in glycogen phosphorylase a activity and in glucose release than those
      caused by epinephrine alone. The effects of epinephrine are greater than those of
      glucagon. Propranolol added to the hormonal pool blocked the epinephrine effects.
      In trout cells, epinephrine and glucagon-like peptide (GLP) had similar effects
      and when they were added simultaneously the stimulation of metabolic indices was
      higher compared to that obtained with either epinephrine or GLP. However, the
      effects were not additive. In the presence of epinephrine plus GLP the inhibitory
      effect of propranolol was not evident, due to the effect induced by GLP, on which
      propranolol was not effective. This may indicate that epinephrine masks the GLP
      effect. Results could mean that epinephrine and glucagon-family peptides act in
      catfish and trout hepatocytes through different receptors on the same pathway
      leading to glycogen phosphorylase a activation.

PMID- 1874383
TI  - Homologous radioimmunoassay for bullfrog growth hormone.
AB  - Antiserum against bullfrog growth hormone (fGH) was produced by immunizing
      rabbits with the highly purified fGH obtained from adenohypophyses of adult
      bullfrogs. Histological studies on bullfrog adenohypophyses revealed that the
      cells that immunologically reacted with the antiserum against fGH corresponded to
      the ones positively stained with the antiserum against rat GH. The antiserum
      together with fGH and 125I-fGH was employed to develop a radioimmunoassay (RIA)
      for fGH. Several dilutions of plasma and of pituitary homogenate of both adult
      and larval bullfrogs yielded dose-response curves which were parallel to the
      standard curve. Ovine prolactin (PRL), and growth hormone (GH); eel and salmon
      GHs; and bullfrog LH, FSH, TSH, PRL, and neurointermediate lobe homogenate did
      not react in this assay. Plasma from hypophysectomized bullfrogs had no
      detectable immunoreactive GH. Pituitary homogenates of Bufo japonicus, Xenopus
      laevis, and Cynops pyrrhogaster gave inhibition curves which did not parallel the
      standard. The homologous RIA for bullfrog GH thus developed was applied for the
      determination of plasma and pituitary GH levels in the larvae and adults. Plasma
      GH levels were relatively low during preclimax period and rose as metamorphosis
      progressed. Plasma GH concentrations were maximum in the juvenile frogs and
      decreased as the animals grew up. Pituitary GH concentrations also increased as
      metamorphosis progressed. After metamorphosis, pituitary GH concentrations
      declined as the frogs gained weight. There was no sex difference in plasma and
      pituitary GH levels in the adult.

PMID- 1874384
TI  - Plasma arginine vasotocin, progesterone, and luteal development during pregnancy
      in the viviparous lizard Tiliqua rugosa.
AB  - The relationship between plasma levels of arginine vasotocin (AVT), progesterone,
      and corpus luteum formation and degeneration was studied in the viviparous lizard
      Tiliqua rugosa. Hormone levels were monitored in free-ranging, pregnant females
      which were located for sampling by means of attached radio transmitters. There
      was an increase in plasma AVT levels in the 30 days immediately prior to
      parturition. Concurrent with this event was a decline in plasma progesterone
      levels from relatively high levels in mid-term to basal levels prior to
      parturition. This is associated with degenerative changes in the corpus luteum
      which include pyknosis of the nuclei of the cells of the cell mass and increasing
      prevalence of intercellular spaces, while the thecal layer became increasingly
      compacted. Ovariectomy experiments indicate that the major source of progesterone
      during pregnancy in T. rugosa is ovarian.

PMID- 1874385
TI  - The primary structure of glucagon-like peptide but not insulin has been conserved
      between the American eel, Anguilla rostrata and the European eel, Anguilla
      anguilla.
AB  - Insulin was isolated from the pancreas of the American eel, Anguilla rostrata,
      and its primary structure was established as (Formula: see text). Eel insulin
      contains unusual substitutions at B-21, B-22, and B-26 in the putative receptor
      binding region of the molecule compared with other mammalian and fish insulins.
      The A-chain of insulin from the European eel contains an asparagine rather than a
      serine residue at position A-12. Similarly, amino acid composition data indicate
      the B-chain of insulin from the European eel is appreciably different from that
      from the American eel. The primary structure of glucagon-like peptide (GLP) from
      the American eel is identical to that from the European eel, Anguilla anguilla.
      The primary structure of the peptide was established as (Formula: see text). Fast
      atom bombardment mass spectrometry demonstrated that the COOH-terminal arginyl
      residue is alpha-amidated. The strong evolutionary pressure to conserve the
      structure of GLP provides further support for the assertion that the peptide
      plays an important regulatory role in teleost fish.

PMID- 1874386
TI  - Seasonal changes in seawater adaptability and plasma levels of prolactin and
      growth hormone in landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and amago salmon
      (O. rhodurus).
AB  - In order to clarify the roles of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) in the
      development of seawater adaptability in salmonids, seasonal changes in salinity
      tolerance, plasma PRL, and plasma GH were examined in juvenile landlocked sockeye
      salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and amago salmon (O. rhodurus). Assessed by the 24-hr
      seawater-challenge test, the landlocked sockeye salmon possessed seawater
      adaptability as underyearlings in spring, which was maintained throughout the
      year, and a further increase was observed as yearlings the next spring. An
      increase in seawater adaptability was observed in silvery juvenile amago salmon
      as underyearlings from autumn to winter, when some of the wild population migrate
      to the sea. Precociously mature amago salmon, which did not develop a silvery
      body color but maintained distinct parr marks, also showed an improvement in
      seawater adaptability during autumn to winter, although plasma sodium levels
      after transfer to seawater were still higher than those of the silvery juveniles.
      In both sockeye and amago salmon, seasonal changes in plasma levels of PRL and GH
      were not correlated with development of seawater adaptability. In both species,
      acclimation to seawater resulted in decreased plasma levels of PRL irrespective
      of their adaptability to seawater, in agreement with the inhibitory effects of
      PRL in seawater adaptation. On the other hand, plasma GH levels increased only
      when seawater adaptability was high, in agreement with previous observations
      indicating an important role of GH in seawater adaptation of salmonids.

PMID- 1874387
TI  - Neuroendocrine factors affecting the glycogen metabolism of purified Mytilus
      edulis glycogen cells: partial characterization of the putative glycogen
      mobilization hormone--demonstration of a factor that stimulates glycogen
      synthesis.
AB  - A putative glycogen mobilizing hormone (GMH) from the marine mussel Mytilus
      edulis L. has been partially characterized. GMH activity is present in the
      cerebral ganglia and the hemolymph serum and promotes the mobilization of
      glycogen in isolated glycogen cells. The cerebral GMH is trypsin sensitive and
      partially heat labile and has an apparent molecular mass of greater than 20 kDa.
      Following fractionation of cerebral extracts by molecular mass, a second factor,
      with a molecular mass of ca. 1.5 kDa, was discovered. This factor stimulates post
      incubation incorporation of 14C into glycogen in isolated glycogen cells.

PMID- 1874388
TI  - Assay validation and characterization of hepatic 5'-deiodinase activity in ring
      doves using reverse-T3 as substrate.
AB  - Adult ring dove hepatic 5'-deiodinase (5'D) activity was studied in vitro using
      reverse T3 (rT3) as substrate. A previous study of ring dove hepatic deiodinase
      in our laboratory did not include characterization studies and was unsuccessful
      in relating the pattern of 5'D development to that of plasma T3. In the present
      study we established valid assay conditions and characterized the hepatic 5'D in
      doves to provide a comparison with other avian species and 5'D activity is
      proportional to enzyme concentration (as postmitochondrial fraction (PMF)
      protein) over the range measured (0-0.163 mg PMF protein/ml, representing 0-2.19
      mg original tissue/ml). Activity was linear with time from 5 to 30 min of
      incubation at 0.163 mg PMF protein/ml. Our 5'D assays used 20 mM DTT; activity
      was maximal from 5 to 30 mM DTT. Using the validated conditions the following
      characteristics were found: the apparent Km was 0.44 microM rT3, Vmax was 255 pM
      rT3 degraded/min-mg PMF protein, and activity was completely inhibited by 1 mM
      PTU. Activity was maximal at pH 8.04 and at 37.5 degrees (although this did not
      differ from activity at 41.5 degrees, the body temperature of doves). In summary,
      this study demonstrates conditions that measure 5'D at initial velocities in dove
      liver and demonstrates that the hepatic 5'D enzyme in ring doves is similar to
      the deiodinase activity in liver of galliform birds and mammals.

PMID- 1874389
TI  - Demonstration of putative thyroid hormone receptor in the brain nuclei of Singi
      fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch).
AB  - A single injection of [125I]triiodothyronine (T3) with or without stable T3 in
      Singi fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch), showed that the fish brain has
      saturable binding sites and that the specific uptake is 60-70% higher than the
      nonspecific uptake. The distribution kinetics of [125I]T3 in the serum, whole
      brain, and brain nuclei after a single injection of the labeled hormone showed
      that the removal of [125I]T3 from the serum was very rapid with the t1/2 of about
      3.3 hr and the incorporation of the hormone into the brain and brain nuclei were
      very slow and achieve a maximal value after 4-6 hr of postinjection. The binding
      of [125I]T3 to the isolated brain nuclei of Singi fish was further studied in
      vitro. Binding was linearly increased with the increasing concentration of the
      DNA (nuclei). The binding achieved equilibrium between 15 and 20 min at 27
      degrees and was stable at least for 1 hr. The binding was reversible in the
      presence of excess unlabeled T3. Scatchard analysis showed only a single class of
      binding sites. The mean dissociation constant (Kd) is 2.15 +/- 0.45 x 10(-10) M
      and maximum binding capacity (MBC) is 0.044 +/- 0.024 pmol/mg DNA. The relative
      binding affinities of thyroid hormone analogs for T3 sites were as follows: TRIAC
      greater than T3 greater than TETRAC greater than T4 greater than reverse T3
      greater than T2. These findings were similar to those for other animals.
      Therefore, the nuclear binding sites in Singi fish brain, as demonstrated, may be
      regarded as thyroid hormone receptors.

PMID- 1874390
TI  - Regulation of sexual succession in the protogynous black sea bass, Centropristis
      striatus (Osteichthyes: Serranidae)
AB  - Serum levels of 17 beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,11-dione (11-KT) and testosterone
      in the protogynous black sea bass, Centropristis striatus fluctuate annually,
      correlated with the breeding season. Although serum 11-KT levels in both males
      and females exhibit seasonality, serum estradiol-17 beta concentrations cycle
      annually only in the females. Throughout the year, serum estradiol levels in
      males (127 +/- 56 pg/ml, mean +/- SD) were significantly (P less than 0.05) less
      than levels in breeding (3,930 +/- 1,390 pg/ml), or nonbreeding females (261 +/-
      62 pg/ml). In all female sea bass not undergoing sexual succession, histological
      examination of the ovary revealed only spermatogonia or ongoing spermatogenesis
      restricted to the posterior male lamellae; a duct system was nonexistent. In
      female fish undergoing sexual succession, ovarian tissue was always
      nonvitellogenic and regressing. Breeding females were not observed to undergo
      gender change. During sexual succession in the postspawning period, male tissue
      spread into neighboring female lamellae containing oocytes, gradually replacing
      them and other female tissue. A male duct system developed on the surface. At any
      time of year, black sea bass undergoing sexual succession had serum estradiol
      levels (79 +/- 19 pg/ml) which were significantly less (P less than 0.05) than
      concurrent female serum estradiol levels. A chi-square test demonstrated that
      serum estradiol levels in these intersex animals were not significantly different
      from those of males. The possibility is discussed that sexual succession results
      from inhibition of ovarian tissue response to steroidogenic gonadotropin.

PMID- 1874391
TI  - Thyroxine treatment induces changes in hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing
      hormone characteristic of photorefractoriness in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).
AB  - Photosensitive intact male starlings were transferred from short days (8L:16D) to
      11L:13D for 16 weeks, and were therefore sexually mature. Experimental groups
      were (i) held under 11L:13D and given exogenous thyroxine dissolved in the
      drinking water for 6 weeks or (ii) given thyroxine for 6 weeks and then
      transferred from 11L:13D to long days (18L:6D) for a further 6 weeks, while
      control groups were transferred to long days (18L:6D) either (iii) for 6 or (iv)
      for 12 weeks, or were (v) maintained under 11L:13D throughout. Changes in
      testicular size and plumage molt were monitored at regular intervals during the
      12-week period. At the end of the experiment, the birds were killed and
      hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) content and testicular mass
      were measured. Treatment with exogenous thyroxine caused rapid testicular
      regression followed by plumage molt, and after 6 weeks hypothalamic Gn-RH content
      was much reduced, to an even greater extent than that in control birds exposed to
      long days for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks of thyroxine treatment, withdrawal of
      exogenous thyroxine and exposure to long days for a further 6 weeks caused no
      increase in testicular size, and caused a further reduction in hypothalamic Gn-RH
      content to a level similar to that in controls after 12 weeks of exposure to long
      days. The results confirm previous findings that thyroxine induces a state of
      photorefractoriness in sexually mature starlings and show for the first time that
      the treatment mimics the effect of long days in reducing Gn-RH content in the
      hypothalamus.

PMID- 1874392
TI  - In vitro effect of insulin on the uptake of glucose and alpha-aminoisobutyric
      acid in the thyroid gland of the turtle (Chrysemys dorbigni).
AB  - The presence of specific insulin binding sites in the thyroid gland of the turtle
      Chrysemys dorbigni has been previously reported. The purpose of the present work
      was to investigate the probable action of insulin on the uptake of [14C]deoxy-D
      glucose ([14C]DG) and [14C]alpha-aminoisobutyric acid ([14C]AIB) in turtle (C.
      dorbigni) thyroid glands in vitro. Thyroid fragments (+/- 40 mg) were incubated
      at 25 degrees in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate buffer containing 0.2 microCi of
      [14C]DG or [14C]AIB without or with bovine insulin at different periods of time.
      The uptake of [14C]DG and [14C]AIB increased with incubation time. The presence
      of insulin (7 x 10(-6) M) in the incubation medium during 240 min did not modify
      the [14C]DG uptake. However if the thyroid fragments were previously incubated
      with insulin (60 min) and then incubated (240 min) with the same concentration of
      the hormone, the [14C]DG uptake was markedly increased. This stimulatory effect
      of insulin was dose-dependent. In similar experimental conditions, insulin also
      produced a significant increase in the uptake of [14C]AIB. Therefore, these
      findings strongly support the hypothesis that insulin might exert a direct action
      on the thyroid function.

PMID- 1874393
TI  - Effects of castration and androgen treatment on aromatase activity in the brain
      of mature male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr.
AB  - Brain homogenates from male Atlantic salmon parr aromatized tritiated
      androstenedione to estrogens. The aromatase activity in homogenates of whole
      brains from castrated male parr was lower than that in homogenates from sham
      operated male parr in autumn. This was also found in homogenates of the
      telencephalon and diencephalon, but not in homogenates of the tectum opticum.
      Treatment of castrated males with testosterone (T) and 11-ketoandrostenedione
      (OA) increased the aromatase activity in whole brains. T, but not OA, also
      significantly increased aromatase activity in all brain parts. In spring, half a
      year after the peak breeding period, mature parr males had a lower aromatase
      activity in telencephalon, diencephalon and tectum than that found in castrated
      males in autumn, whereas immature males displayed an even lower level of
      activity.

PMID- 1874394
TI  - Cloning and characterization of an extracellular temperature-labile serine
      protease gene from Aeromonas hydrophila.
AB  - Aeromonas virulence is thought to depend on multigenic functions. The gene for an
      extracellular protease from Aeromonas hydrophila SO2/2 was cloned in Escherichia
      coli C600-1 by using pIJ860, bifunctional plasmid, as a vector. The gene encodes
      for a temperature-labile serine protease (P2) with a molecular mass of approx. 68
      kDa which is highly inhibited by PMSF. The gene was expressed in Streptomyces
      lividans 1326 by transforming protoplasts with the original clone pPA2. We were
      also able to transfer and express the prt P2 gene in Pseudomonas putida by mating
      experiments. The protein P2 was secreted into the periplasms of both P. putida
      and E. coli C600-1 being identical in properties to one of the proteases secreted
      into the culture supernatant by A. hydrophila SO2/2.

PMID- 1874395
TI  - Localisation of the aminoglycoside-(3)-N-acetyltransferase isoenzyme II in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - For the location of the aminoglycoside-(3)-N-acetyltransferase isoenzyme II
      (AAC(3)-II) in the bacterial cell, two strains were studied: Escherichia coli
      HB101(pJV03), producing the 31-kDa AAC (3)-II enzyme, and E. coli HB101, which
      served as a control. From each strain five protein fractions were prepared:
      culture supernatant, and proteins occurring in the periplasm, cytoplasm, inner
      membrane and outer membrane. All fractions were tested for enzymatic activity of
      AAC(3)-II. Most of the acetylating activity was found in the cytoplasmic
      fraction. The distribution of marker enzymes showed a good separation between the
      periplasmic and the cytoplasmic fraction.

PMID- 1874396
TI  - Incorporation of fatty acids by Streptococcus mutans.
AB  - In a series of investigations into the cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutans, we
      studied the incorporation of exogenous fatty acids with reference to
      glucosyltransferase secretion and membrane fatty acid changes. When cells were
      grown with different fatty acids, both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were
      readily incorporated into the membrane lipids and were biotransformed and
      elongated preferentially to the longer 16- and 18-carbon-chain fatty acids. This
      incorporation and chain-elongation led to significant changes in fatty acids
      composition. By adding fatty acids to the medium, it was possible to
      appropriately modify the degree of unsaturation and the relative ratio between
      specific fatty acids in the membrane lipids of S. mutans.

PMID- 1874397
TI  - Rates of germ tube formation from growing and non-growing yeast cells of Candida
      albicans.
AB  - The rates of germ tube formation from growing and non-growing yeast cells of
      Candida albicans were investigated using a protocol for dimorphism regulated by
      temperature and pH. Stationary-phase cells formed germ tubes less rapidly than
      yeast cells that were preincubated in fresh growth medium prior to induction of
      dimorphism by an upshift in temperature or pH. On the basis of experiments using
      inhibitors of macromolecular biosyntheses it is suggested that the accelerated
      growth kinetics required de novo RNA and protein biosynthesis, but not DNA
      synthesis. The results suggest that metabolically active yeast cells are better
      able to undergo dimorphism than non-growing cells.

PMID- 1874398
TI  - Biochemical and biophysical analysis of plasmid pMJ600-encoded tellurite [TeO2(3
      )] resistance.
AB  - Escherichia coli AB1157, and the transconjugant AB1157 (pMJ600), were used to
      study the mechanism of tellurite resistance conferred by pMJ600, which contains
      the tellurite resistance determinant cloned from the IncHI-2 conjugative plasmid
      pMER610. The transconjugant can tolerate a 100-fold higher concentration of
      potassium tellurite [K2TeO3] than the plasmid-free strain. Both strains were
      found to accumulate tellurite irreversibly at equivalent rates, with elemental
      tellurium being deposited intracellularly, direct efflux of tellurite was not
      found to contribute to the resistance mechanism. However, under these conditions,
      growth, protein synthesis and oxygen uptake ceased in AB1157, but-were unaffected
      in the transconjugant. No NADH- or NADPH-linked reduction of tellurite was
      detected in crude cell extracts of either strain; however, cell extracts of both
      reduced tellurite at alkaline pH in the absence of any co-factors.

PMID- 1874399
TI  - Transformation of 3-chlorodibenzofuran by Pseudomonas sp. HH69.
AB  - The dibenzofuran-degrading bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. HH69 showed high
      oxidative activity towards 3-chlorodibenzofuran (3CDF). During the co-metabolic
      turnover of 3CDF large amounts of 4-chlorosalicylate and temporarily small
      amounts of salicylate were excreted. Simultaneously a yellow colour appeared due
      to the excretion of two polar products. Conversion of 3CDF by a mutant, derived
      from Pseudomonas sp. HH69 and defective in 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl-1,2-dioxygenase
      led to the formation of equal quantities of 4'-chloro-2,2',3-trihydroxybiphenyl
      (4'CTHBP) and 4-chloro-2,2',3-trihydroxybiphenyl (4CTHBP). Crude extracts of the
      wild type transformed 4'CTHBP to 4-chlorosalicylate, whilst 4CTHBP was
      transformed to salicylate. Hence, we propose a non-selective initial attack on
      both aromatic rings of 3CDF and a degradative pathway for the resulting
      chlorotrihydroxybiphenyls.

PMID- 1874400
TI  - Detection and identification of mycoplasmas by amplification of rDNA.
AB  - Alignment of published 16S rRNA sequences allowed the definition of a pair of
      oligonucleotides suitable for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using this pair of
      PCR primers, several mycoplasmas including the four human parasites Mycoplasma
      genitalium, M. hominis, M. salivarium and M. orale were detected. This DNA
      amplification was restricted to species of the genus Mycoplasma while no cross
      reaction was observed with DNA from other bacteria and eukaryotic cells.
      Subsequent analysis of amplified products by either specific oligonucleotide
      hybridization or dideoxy sequencing specified the identity of the detected
      mycoplasmas. This method offers a highly discriminating and sensitive assay for
      the direct detection and identification of these microorganisms without the need
      for prior cultivation.

PMID- 1874401
TI  - Characterization of a coproporphyrin-protein complex from Rhodobacter capsulatus.
AB  - Rhodobacter capsulatus strain AJB530 excretes large amounts of coproporphyrin
      into the culture supernatant. The coproporphyrin was precipitable with ammonium
      sulfate, suggesting that it was part of a macromolecular complex. Analysis of an
      ammonium sulfate fraction indicated that the coproporphyrin was bound to a 66-kDa
      protein with a pI' of 4.0. The same protein was found in the culture supernatant
      of the bch+ strain PAS100.

PMID- 1874402
TI  - The phosphate pool in Escherichia coli THU.
AB  - The phosphate pool of Escherichia coli was determined as a fraction of the total
      cell phosphate. This relative pool size was found to be essentially independent
      of cell age.

PMID- 1874403
TI  - Host passage-dependent wheat germ agglutinin-binding proteins of Chlamydia
      trachomatis.
AB  - Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-binding proteins in the highly purified elementary
      bodies (EB) of Chlamydia trachomatis were detected by an ELISA-like assay of
      immobilized EB. Trypsin-sensitivity of the WGA-binding moieties was detected only
      in the chlamydiae grown in HeLa cells. A nonionic detergent, beta-octyl-D
      glucopyranoside (OG), was used to extract proteins from the purified EB. Proteins
      in the extract were resolved by SDS-PAGE and probed with 125I-labelled WGA.
      Several proteins reacted with WGA in a specific manner. Some of these WGA-binding
      proteins in the EB of serovars L1 and E exhibited altered molecular mass after
      adaptation in the two alternate hosts, HeLa and McCoy cells. These results
      suggest that WGA-binding proteins exist in chlamydiae.

PMID- 1874404
TI  - Novel transferable extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (SHV-6) from Klebsiella
      pneumoniae conferring selective resistance to ceftazidime.
AB  - A clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae sensu lato isolated from throat and a
      blood culture taken from a neutropenic patient treated for 2 weeks with
      ceftazidime and vancomycin was resistant to ceftazidime (MIC: 32 micrograms/ml)
      and moderately susceptible to aztreonam (MIC: 4 micrograms/ml). The isolate
      contained a plasmid of 180 kb which, when transferred to Escherichia coli by
      conjugation, conferred resistance to ceftazidime and tetracycline. The
      transconjugant had decreased susceptibility to ceftazidime (128-fold) and
      aztreonam (8-fold). Clavulanic acid and sulbactam each inhibited the resistance
      and clavulanic acid showed a synergistic effect when associated with ceftazidime
      and aztreonam. An extended-spectrum beta-lactamase with an isoelectric point of
      7.6 was detected in the clinical isolates from blood and its transconjugant. This
      beta-lactamase showed similar substrate and inhibition profiles to SHV-1. In
      particular it did not hydrolyse ceftazidime. Hybridization with an intragenic
      probe for SHV-3 indicates that this beta-lactamase is an SHV-type enzyme. We
      propose that this novel CAZ-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamase be named SHV-6.

PMID- 1874405
TI  - Susceptibility of iron-loaded Borrelia burgdorferi to killing by hydrogen
      peroxide and human polymorphonuclear leucocytes.
AB  - Borrelia burgdorferi grew more slowly in iron-depleted than in iron-sufficient
      media. The addition of increasing concentrations of iron stimulated borrelial
      growth and resulted in the intracellular accumulation of this element. Compared
      with iron-starved borrelia, iron-enriched organisms showed enhanced sensitivity
      to hydrogen peroxide. Intracellular iron-content did not, however, influence
      susceptibility to killing by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes [corrected].

PMID- 1874406
TI  - Inducing properties of analogs of 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate on the expression of
      pectinase genes of Erwinia chrysanthemi.
AB  - In Erwinia chrysanthemi, all the genes involved in pectin degradation are
      controlled by the negative regulatory gene kdgR. 2-keto-3-deoxy-gluconate (KDG)
      is the inducing molecule that interacts with KdgR to allow the expression of all
      the genes of the kdg regulon. The inducing properties on the expression of genes
      regulated by kdgR of various analogs and derivatives of KDG were tested. All the
      inducers share the common moiety COOH-CO-CH2-CHOH-C-C included in a pyranic
      cycle. Our results show that esterification of C1 prevents induction. Presence of
      a ketone function on C2 and absence of hydroxyl on C3 are necessary for
      induction. The nature and the configuration of substituent on C5 has no influence
      on induction. Two compounds have interesting properties: 5-O-methyl-KDG is a
      gratuitous inducer, and gluconic acid can prevent induction.

PMID- 1874407
TI  - Evidence for the involvement of acylglycerides on chitin synthetase activity in
      Candida albicans.
AB  - The effect of a lipase activity (EC 3.1.1.3) on the chitin synthetase from
      Candida albicans has been studied, both on the active and the trypsin activated
      enzyme. Removal of fatty acids from acylglycerides by lipase has an inhibitory
      effect on the activity as well as on the 'in vitro' activation process by trypsin
      in the membrane-bound enzyme and in the chitosomes. This would indicate that an
      adequate lipid environment is required for both the activation process and proper
      function of the synthetase activity.

PMID- 1874408
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of two Clostridium thermosulfurogenes EM1 genes homologous to
      Escherichia coli genes encoding integral membrane components of binding protein
      dependent transport systems.
AB  - The complete nucleotide sequence of two genes from Clostridium thermosulfurogenes
      EM1 homologous to E. coli genes encoding transport proteins was determined by the
      dideoxy procedure. The genes were cloned from plasmid pCT4, which contains the
      alpha-amylase gene from C. thermosulfurogenes EM1 as a 2.9-kbp XbaI fragment,
      inserted into the XbaI site of pUC18, to yield plasmid pCT401. The proteins
      encoded by the two identified complete ORFs are very hydrophobic and thus are
      probably integral membrane proteins. They show over 50% similarity to the maltose
      transport proteins MalF and MalG and to the glycerol-3-phosphate uptake proteins
      UgpA and UgpE of Escherichia coli. Since these genes are located immediately
      upstream of the alpha-amylase gene (amyA) of C. thermosulfurogenes EM1, the
      encoded proteins might be involved in transport of starch degradation products.
      The genes were tentatively designated amyC and amyD.

PMID- 1874409
TI  - Alternative NAD(+)-dependent formate dehydrogenases in the facultative
      methylotroph Mycobacterium vaccae 10.
AB  - Mycobacterium vaccae 10 growing in methanol medium synthesizes two inducible
      alternative NAD(+)-dependent formate dehydrogenases (FDH). In the presence of
      molybdenum, the dominating form of the enzyme is FDHI with Mr 440 kDa and Km 0.32
      mM for sodium formate. FDHI reduced ferricyanide as well as NAD+, and it was
      reversibly inactivated by formate. NAD+ stabilized FDHI against this
      inactivation. Under conditions of artificial molybdenum deficiency (tungsten in
      the medium), the second enzyme (FDHII) appeared with Mr about 93 kDa and Km 8.3
      mM for sodium formate, and no FDHI activity was detected. FDHII did not reduce
      ferricyanide and was not inactivated by formate. The activity of FDHI was
      restored in tungsten-grown cells by pulse addition of molybdenum under conditions
      of blocked protein synthesis, suggesting the pre-existence of inactive apo-FDHI.

PMID- 1874410
TI  - The regulation of arginine biosynthesis: its contribution to understanding the
      control of gene expression.

PMID- 1874411
TI  - Isolation and characterization of Schizosaccharomyces pombe mutants affected in
      mitotic recombination.
AB  - A haploid Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain carrying a heteroallelic duplication
      of the ade6 gene was used to isolate mitotic recombination-deficient mutants.
      Recombination between the different copies of the ade6 gene can lead to Ade+
      segregants. These are observed as growing papillae when colonies of a suitable
      size are replicated onto selective medium. We isolated mutants which show an
      altered papillation phenotype. With two exceptions, they exhibit a decrease in
      the frequency of mitotic recombination between the heteroalleles of the
      duplication. The two other mutants display a hyper-recombination phenotype. The
      12 mutations were allocated to at least nine distinct loci by recombination
      tests. Of the eight rec mutants analyzed further, six were also affected in
      mitotic intergenic recombination in the intervals cen2-mat or cen3-arg 1. No
      effect on mitotic intragenic recombination was observed. These data suggest that
      mitotic gene conversion and crossing over can be separated mutationally. Meiotic
      recombination occurs at the wild-type frequency in all mutants investigated.

PMID- 1874412
TI  - Dominant and recessive suppressors that restore glucose transport in a yeast snf3
      mutant.
AB  - The SNF3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a high-affinity glucose
      transporter that is homologous to mammalian glucose transporters. To identify
      genes that are functionally related to SNF3, we selected for suppressors that
      remedy the growth defect of snf3 mutants on low concentrations of glucose or
      fructose. We recovered 38 recessive mutations that fall into a single
      complementation group, designated rgt1 (restores glucose transport). The rgt1
      mutations suppress a snf3 null mutation and are not linked to snf3. A naturally
      occurring rgt1 allele was identified in a laboratory strain. We also selected
      five dominant suppressors. At least two are tightly linked to one another and are
      designated RGT2. The RGT2 locus was mapped 38 cM from SNF3 on chromosome IV.
      Kinetic analysis of glucose uptake showed that the rgt1 and RGT2 suppressors
      restore glucose-repressible high-affinity glucose transport in a snf3 mutant.
      These mutations identify genes that may regulate or encode additional glucose
      transport proteins.

PMID- 1874413
TI  - Interaction of the yeast omnipotent suppressors SUP1(SUP45) and SUP2(SUP35) with
      non-mendelian factors.
AB  - The SUP1 and SUP2 genes code for protein factors intimately involved in the
      control of translational accuracy. The disrupted alleles of these genes confer a
      recessive lethal phenotype in both [psi+] and [psi-] genetic backgrounds,
      indicating an essential function for the corresponding proteins. In [psi+]
      diploids, heterozygous for the SUP1 null allele, several dominant phenotypes were
      evident with slow growth and inability to sporulate. These dominant phenotypes
      disappear after transformation with the multicopy plasmid carrying the wild-type
      allele of the SUP1 gene. Such dominant phenotypes were not observed for the SUP2
      null allele. The incompatibility of multicopy plasmids carrying the SUP2 gene
      with guanidine hydrochloride-curable cytoplasmic factor(s) was also demonstrated.
      The possible mechanisms of interaction of the SUP1 and SUP2 genes with the [psi]
      determinant are discussed.

PMID- 1874414
TI  - Saccharomyces cerevisiae null mutants in glucose phosphorylation: metabolism and
      invertase expression.
AB  - A congenic series of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains has been constructed which
      carry, in all combinations, null mutations in the three genes for glucose
      phosphorylation: HXK1, HXK2 and GLK1, coding hexokinase 1 (also called PI or A),
      hexokinase 2 (PII or B), and glucokinase, respectively: i.e., eight strains, all
      of which grow on glucose except for the triple mutant. All or several of the
      strains were characterized in their steady state batch growth with 0.2% or 2%
      glucose, in aerobic as well as respiration-inhibited conditions, with respect to
      growth rate, yield, and ethanol formation. Glucose flux values were generally
      similar for different strains and conditions, provided they contained either
      hexokinase 1 or hexokinase 2. And their aerobic growth, as known for wild type,
      was largely fermentative with ca. 1.5 mol ethanol made per mol glucose used. The
      strain lacking both hexokinases and containing glucokinase was an exception in
      having reduced flux, a result fitting with its maximal rate of glucose
      phosphorylation in vitro. Aerobic growth of even the latter strain was largely
      fermentative (ca. 1 mol ethanol per mol glucose). Invertase expression was
      determined for a variety of media. All strains with HXK2 showed repression in
      growth on glucose and the others did not. Derepression in the wild-type strain
      occurred at ca. 1 mM glucose. The metabolic data do not support- or disprove-a
      model with HXK2 having only a secondary role in catabolite repression related to
      more rapid metabolism.

PMID- 1874415
TI  - Genetic interactions at the FLA10 locus: suppressors and synthetic phenotypes
      that affect the cell cycle and flagellar function in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - Through the isolation of suppressors of temperature-sensitive flagellar assembly
      mutations at the FLA10 locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we have identified six
      other genes involved in flagellar assembly. Mutations at these suppressor loci,
      termed SUF1-SUF6, display allele specificity with respect to which fla10- mutant
      alleles they suppress. An additional mutation, apm1-122, which confers resistance
      to the plant herbicides amiprophos-methyl and oryzalin, was also found to
      interact with mutations at the FLA10 locus. The apm1-122 mutation in combination
      with three fla10- mutant alleles results in synthetic cold-sensitive cell
      division defects, and in combination with an additional pseudo-wild-type fla10-
      allele yields a synthetic temperature-sensitive flagellar motility phenotype.
      Based upon the genetic interactions of these loci, we propose that the FLA10 gene
      product interacts with multiple components of the flagellar apparatus and plays a
      role both in flagellar assembly and in the cell cycle.

PMID- 1874416
TI  - Three genes which affect founding of aggregations in Polysphondylium pallidum.
AB  - PN6024 is an extraordinary mutant strain of the cellular slime mold
      Polysphondylium pallidum, characterized by having defects in many unlinked genes.
      New strains with altered development appeared spontaneously as aberrant clones of
      PN6024. Genetic crosses using the macrocyst sexual cycle were used to show that
      PN6030 (a clone like PN6024 in phenotype) carries mutations at two loci, emm and
      hge, whereas PN6031 (a clone of altered morphology) carries in addition a
      mutation at a third locus, mgt. hge and possibly mgt are linked to the mating
      type locus mat. The relatively high frequency of recombination between mat and
      hge is strong evidence that meiosis precedes macrocyst germination. The mutant
      genes themselves are of interest. A major effect of the emm-1 mutation is to
      remove the requirement for light to trigger aggregation. hge-1 greatly reduces
      the frequency of aggregation, whereas mgt-1 greatly increases it under standard
      conditions. None of these mutations interrupts later development leading to
      stalks and spore cells. It is hypothesized that all three genes act on steps
      immediately preceding the differentiation of the founder cells which initiate
      aggregation.

PMID- 1874417
TI  - Sequence identity in an early chorion multigene family is the result of localized
      gene conversion.
AB  - The multigene families that encode the chorion (eggshell) of the silk moth,
      Bombyx mori, are closely linked on one chromosome. We report here the isolation
      and characterization of two segments, totaling 102 kb of genomic DNA, containing
      the genes expressed during the early period of choriogenesis. Most of these early
      genes can be divided into two multigene families, ErA and ErB, organized into
      five divergently transcribed ErA/ErB gene pairs. Nucleotide sequence identity in
      the major coding regions of the ErA genes was 96%, while nucleotide sequence
      identity for the ErB major coding regions was only 63%. Selection pressure on the
      encoded proteins cannot explain this difference in the level of sequence
      conservation between the ErA and ErB gene families, since when only fourfold
      redundant codon positions are considered, the divergence within the ErA genes is
      8%, while the divergence within the ErB genes (corrected for multiple
      substitutions at the same site) is 110%. The high sequence identity of the ErA
      major exons can be explained by sequence exchange events similar to gene
      conversion localized to the major exon of the ErA genes. These gene conversions
      are correlated with the presence of clustered copies of the nucleotide sequence
      GGXGGX, encoding paired glycine residues. This sequence has previously been
      correlated with gradients of gene conversion that extend throughout the coding
      and noncoding regions of the High-cysteine (Hc) chorion genes of B. mori. We
      suggest that the difference in the extent of the conversion tracts in these gene
      families reflects a tendency for these recombination events to become localized
      over time to the protein encoding regions of the major exons.

PMID- 1874418
TI  - Length and sequence variation in evening bat D-loop mtDNA.
AB  - Length variation in D-loop mitochondrial DNA was observed after amplification
      with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 28% of 195 evening bats, Nycticeius
      humeralis, from seven colonies. Nucleotide sequences of PCR products show that
      this heteroplasmy is characterized by an 81-bp region which is tandemly repeated
      five to eight times. Southern blots using PCR products as probes on HaeIII
      genomic digests confirm the presence of heteroplasmy. Furthermore, densitometry
      of electrophoresed PCR products from 109 mother-offspring pairs indicate that
      heteroplasmy is stably transmitted from mother to offspring with one exception: a
      heteroplasmic offspring had a homoplastic mother and sib. Nucleotide sequences
      from this family reveal that a repeat duplication and deletion occurred. The
      observed mutation rate per generation, mu, for length polymorphism is comparable
      to an independent estimate, mu = 10(-2), based on hierarchical diversity
      statistics. With the exception of the repeat nearest the proline tRNA gene,
      sequence similarities between repeats within bats are consistent with a model of
      concerted evolution due to unidirectional replication slippage. Selection is
      inferred to act on the first repeat because in comparison to other repeats it has
      the least sequence divergence among bats, the fewest transversions, and the
      lowest minimum free energy associated with folding.

PMID- 1874419
TI  - Three-locus linkage analysis using recombinant inbred strains and Bayes' theorem.
AB  - Recombinant inbred (RI) strains are useful in linkage analysis and gene mapping.
      However, the generally small number of strains in an RI strain set limits the
      power of RI strains in linkage detection. Several methods for increasing the
      power of RI strains have been used, including summing data across RI strain sets
      and excluding linkage to genomic regions. In this paper, Bayesian analysis is
      applied to three-locus linkage data. This method further increases the power of
      RI strains to detect linkage and gives estimations of the probability of each of
      the three possible gene orders if the test locus is linked to the pair of marker
      loci. Several examples are presented, including reconsideration of the position
      of the proto-oncogene L-myc on the mouse linkage map.

PMID- 1874420
TI  - Comparative effects of pollen and seed migration on the cytonuclear structure of
      plant populations. I. Maternal cytoplasmic inheritance.
AB  - We explicitly solve and analyze a series of deterministic continent-island models
      to delimit the effects of pollen and seed migration on cytonuclear frequencies
      and disequilibria in random-mating, mixed-mating and self-fertilized populations.
      Given the critical assumption of maternal cytoplasmic inheritance, five major
      findings are (i) nonzero cytonuclear disequilibria will be maintained in the
      island population if and only if at least some migration occurs each generation
      through seeds with nonrandom cytonuclear associations; (ii) immigrant seeds with
      no cytonuclear disequilibria can strongly affect the genetic structure of the
      island population by generating significant and long-lasting transient
      associations; (iii) with all else being equal, substantially greater admixture
      disequilibria are generally found with higher rates of seed migration into, or
      higher levels of self-fertilization within, the island population (with the
      possible exception of the heterozygote disequilibrium); (iv) pollen migration can
      either enhance or reduce the cytonuclear disequilibria caused by seed migration,
      or that due to mixed-mating in the absence of seed migration, but the effect is
      usually small and appears primarily to make a noticeable difference in
      predominantly outcrossing populations; and (v) pollen migration alone cannot
      generate even transient disequilibria de novo in populations with completely
      random associations. This same basic behavior is exhibited as long as there is
      some random outcrossing in the island population. Self-fertilized populations
      represent a special case, however, in that they are necessarily closed to pollen
      migration, and nonzero disequilibria can be maintained even in the absence of
      seed migration. All of these general results hold whether the population is
      censused as adults or as seeds, but the ability to detect nonrandom cytonuclear
      associations can depend strongly on the life stage censused in populations with a
      significant level of random outcrossing. We suggest how these models might be
      used for the estimation of seed and pollen migration.

PMID- 1874421
TI  - Does Xmrk an interesting spot?

PMID- 1874422
TI  - Regulation of benzodiazepine prescribing practices: clinical implications.
AB  - In an effort to control prescription abuse of benzodiazepines, the New York State
      Department of Health (DOH) enacted a regulation requiring the use of triplicate
      prescriptions for these medications. DOH predicted that this regulation would
      reduce the overall abuse of benzodiazepines and eliminate widescale organized
      fraud and abuse without any negative impact or reduced availability to patients.
      Following implementation of the regulation, the authors reviewed all psychiatric
      emergency room cases and outpatient clinic walk-in evaluations over a 3-month
      period in an urban medical center and identified 59 cases in which the use of
      benzodiazepines was a significant presenting problem. Of these, 24 (41%) were
      judged to be directly related to the new triplicate regulation. In all but one of
      these cases the patient presented because of symptoms or concerns directly
      stemming from the refusal by a clinician to continue prescribing a benzodiazepine
      in a previously established pattern. Typically, abrupt discontinuation of
      benzodiazepine treatment led to a withdrawal syndrome and/or the unmasking of a
      previously treated anxiety disorder. In attempting to redress what are
      essentially criminal substance abuse problems through the regulation of
      legitimate clinical practice, regulatory agencies may ultimately deprive patients
      of appropriate, legitimate, and efficacious treatments.

PMID- 1874423
TI  - Psychiatric aspects of head and neck surgery. Part II: Body image and psychiatric
      intervention.
AB  - Surgery of the head and neck leads to profound changes of body image, including
      disfigurement and difficulties with verbalization. The psychologic importance of
      alterations in these areas will be discussed as well as their effect on the
      conduct of psychiatric treatment. Psychiatric intervention in this population
      demands an active approach and special preparation for the therapeutic encounter
      is necessary.

PMID- 1874424
TI  - Psychopharmacology and neuropsychiatric syndromes in organ transplantation.
AB  - The physiological imbalances associated with organ insufficiency and the
      complexity of organ transplant surgery and postoperative care puts patients at
      risk for psychiatric disorders. The brain is susceptible to a variety of insults
      as a result of these complex processes, including those secondary to medications
      and infections. We review literature relevant to organ transplant patients and
      also include empirical knowledge based on clinical practice. We first describe
      the physiologic and psychiatric issues for each major organ that is commonly
      transplanted, including liver, kidney, heart, bone marrow, and pancreas, as well
      as multiple organ transplantation. We then discuss the pharmacologic treatment
      and neuropsychiatric side effects of rejection with various immunosuppressants,
      including cyclosporine, azathioprine, OKT3, FK506, and corticosteroids. Certain
      bacterial, fungal, viral, and protozoal infections occur more frequently in the
      transplant population; their relationship to neuropsychiatric dysfunction is
      discussed. We then present details of psychopharmacotherapy of delirium, other
      organic mental disorders, depression, mania, anxiety, and insomnia, with
      attention to drug interactions and differential diagnosis. Particularly cautious
      monitoring of medication doses and serum levels is recommended in these patients.

PMID- 1874425
TI  - The ward atmosphere of a child psychosomatic unit: a ten-year follow-up.
AB  - Using the Ward Atmosphere Scale, we reassessed the ward atmosphere of a
      psychosomatic unit for children and adolescents that has been operating
      successfully for 10 years. There was remarkable stability in essential treatment
      program characteristics despite the complete turnover in patients and a 60%
      turnover in staff. There was substantial correlation between patient and staff
      perceptions in 1988 and across time (Spearman's rho: 0.951-0.660, all p values
      less than 0.05). Patients and staff subgroups differed somewhat in their relative
      emphases on certain program dimensions but, overall, the program still correlated
      highly with the therapeutic community cluster described by Moos (Spearman's rho:
      0.660-0.809, all p values less than 0.05). This stability was achieved despite
      multiple health care changes, most notably shortened length of stay. Stability
      was probably due to high staff/patient ratio, continuity of the medical
      direction, and focus on milieu maintenance in staff meetings.

PMID- 1874426
TI  - Brief psychological training for health care professionals dealing with cancer
      patients: a one-year assessment.
AB  - The usefulness of psychological training for health professionals dealing with
      terminally ill cancer patients is becoming more widely recognized, but little has
      been done to elaborate its content and form. Of special interest is the study of
      the effectiveness of brief psychological training groups and the quality of
      treatment to be achieved. The principal aim of the training group assessed here
      was to develop a better understanding of death and dying issues and ways to cope
      with them. The present study reports the attitudes of participants, assessed 1
      year after the end of training in order to investigate the possible consolidation
      of the immediate posttraining effectiveness reported previously. Subjects (n =
      78) who attended the training groups were compared to a control group (n = 42).
      Attitudes about oneself, illness and death, occupation, personal growth, and
      professional relationships were assessed with a semantic differential
      questionnaire before training, after training, and 1 year later. Results show a
      significant reduction of the positive effect assessed just after the training.
      While attitudes moved significantly to the positive pole immediately after the
      end of the training, 1 year later the reverse phenomenon is noted. These data
      suggest the necessity for improving the effectiveness of short psychological
      training proposed to help health care professionals dealing with terminally ill
      cancer patients.

PMID- 1874427
TI  - What should British consultation-liaison psychiatry be doing?
AB  - Despite increasing clinical interest and research consultation-liaison (C-L)
      services in the United Kingdom are mainly haphazard and unsatisfactory. Although
      the clinical problems are similar to those in other Western countries, the
      answers must reflect the British health care system. The national C-L
      organization must formulate and promote detailed policies for 1) clinical
      priorities; 2) staffing and other resources; 3) integration with other specialist
      psychiatric services for local populations and primary care; and 4) persuading
      other medical organizations to place greater emphasis on psychological skills,
      training requirements, and practice. Some of our conclusions are parochial, some
      are generally applicable; others are applicable only to countries with
      comprehensive health care.

PMID- 1874428
TI  - Physical illness in children of Holocaust survivors.
AB  - During medical or psychiatric hospitalization, Nazi Holocaust survivors may
      display emotional symptoms that reflect the psychological sequelae incurred by
      their traumatization. What is often less recognized is the idiosyncratic
      responses that may be seen in the children of these survivors in response to
      physical illness and hospitalization. Psychiatrists should be alert to the
      possible effects of Holocaust-related experiences. Awareness of emotional
      conflicts, defenses, and strengths in these individuals may enhance the
      therapeutic alliance as well as treatment planning. The author describes two
      cases illustrating adaptive and maladaptive manifestations of the Holocaust theme
      in response to medical illness.

PMID- 1874429
TI  - Delirium after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy.
AB  - We report here a case of delirium that occurred after discontinuation of
      glucocorticoid therapy. Administration of hydrocortisone reversed the mental
      status changes seen in this patient. We review similar reported cases and discuss
      the direct actions of glucocorticoids on the brain.

PMID- 1874430
TI  - Bromocriptine associated with postpartum hypertension, seizures, and pituitary
      hemorrhage.
AB  - Bromocriptine, an ergot alkaloid dopamine agonist, is a recent common treatment
      for suppression of lactation in postpartum women. A case is presented of a
      postpartum woman prescribed bromocriptine for suppression of lactation who
      developed hypertension, headaches, blurry vision, seizures, and pituitary
      hemorrhage. Differential diagnosis and a literature review are considered.

PMID- 1874431
TI  - [Activation of trans-acting transcription factors in T-lymphocytes infected by
      the intracellular parasitic protozoan Theileria parva].
AB  - The intracellular protozoan parasite, Theileria parva, causes a
      lymphoproliferative disease of T-cells in cattle and uncontrolled lymphocyte
      proliferation in culture. We have identified and characterized in infected cells
      the trans-acting transcription factors NF-kappa B, AP1 and NF1 controlling
      lymphocyte-specific expression of several genes. Theileria infected lymphocytes
      contain constitutively high levels of active NF-kappa B in nuclear fraction.
      Factor AP1 had high levels of binding activity in nuclear fraction of these cells
      only in day 1 after passage. Then AP1 activity decreased rapidly in the course of
      culture growth. Simultaneously, we observed differential changes in the binding
      activity of several transcription factors of the NF1 family. Selective killing of
      the parasite, which leaves the host cells intact, results in a dramatic loss of
      the transcription factors NF-kappa B, AP1 and NF1 from the nuclear fraction of T
      cells. At the same time, the activity of TATA-box binding proteins did not change
      significantly following the theilericidal drug treatment. We propose that high
      levels of activated transcription factors NF-kappa B, AP1 and NF1 are maintained
      by the presence of parasite in infected T-cells.

PMID- 1874432
TI  - [Effectiveness of chemical mutagenesis in multiple damage to one or both strands
      of plasmid DNA].
AB  - Methods for site-directed multiple modification of DNA have been developed and
      used for modification of either one or two strands of plasmid DNA. Plasmid DNAs
      modified in the region of the tet gene were transformed into Escherichia coli
      cells and Tet colonies were screened. It was shown that multiple lesions in one
      DNA strand performed using either N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) or
      sodium bisulfite were effectively repaired in the cell by error-free mechanism.
      In contrast, modification of two DNA strands led to induction of mutations. The
      efficiency of mutagenesis in the case of modification of a local region of one
      DNA strand with sodium bisulfite and modification of the other strand with MNNG
      was 1.1-7.9%. Mutations were analysed by restriction mapping and sequencing. All
      of them were G----A transitions.

PMID- 1874433
TI  - [Inversion polymorphism in malaria mosquito Anopheles messeae. Part X. Resistance
      of larvae with different genotypes to toxins of crystal-forming bacteria Bacillus
      thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (serovar H14)].
AB  - Insensibility of larvae with different chromosomal inversions to the toxins of
      Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) was examined. It has been shown
      that larvae with inversion combinations XL0(XL1)2R0-3R0-3L0 had greater
      variability after treatment with Bti than larvae with inversions XL1(XL2)2R1-3R1
      3L1(3L0). The former inversion combinations were previously shown to dominate in
      the south of the species area and to be supported by K-selection. The latter
      inversion combinations form "northest" karyotypes and are supported by r
      selection. It is obvious that genetic effects of treatments with Bti depend on
      the population's structure and the directions of natural selection. The decrease
      in the level of heterozygotes after treatment of larvae with Bti reflects
      destruction of the system of genetic homeostasis in the natural populations of A.
      messeae.

PMID- 1874434
TI  - [Chiasmata distribution in the normal karyotype of mice].
AB  - The number of chiasmata per cell and variance of chiasmata numbers were studied,
      as well as the recombinational interaction between different bivalents in CBA/Lac
      mice male line. No competition of bivalents for chiasmata was discovered in mice;
      at the same time, the chiasmata within one arm of the chromosome interfere with
      each other. The number of chiasmata per bivalent is estimated for each chromosome
      independently. The number of chiasmata per chromosome is limited both from below
      (minimum one chiasma independently of its size) and from above (positive
      interference of chiasmata).

PMID- 1874435
TI  - [Synapsis and chiasma distribution in mice heterozygous for translocations in
      chromosomes 16 and 17].
AB  - Electron microscopic analysis of synaptonemal complexes and analysis of chiasmata
      distribution in male mice heterozygous for Robertsonian translocation T(16;
      17)7Bnr - (Rb7), for synaptonemal reciprocal translocation T(16;17)43H - (T43),
      in double heterozygotes for these translocations and in males with partial
      trisomy of the proximal region of chromosome 17 was carried out. Synaptic
      disturbances around the breakpoints of the translocations, such as asynapsis of
      homologous regions of partners and non-homologous synapsis of centromeric regions
      of acrocentric chromosomes, were revealed. Synaptic regularity in the proximal
      part of the chromosome 17 appeared to be affected by no t12 haplotype. Good
      coincidence between sizes of mitotic chromosomes and corresponding lateral
      elements of synaptonemal complexes was found for all chromosomes, with the
      exception of Rb7 in trisomics. In the latter karyotype, the proximal part of
      chromosome 17 involved in Robertsonian fusion seems to be shortened in the course
      of zygotene and never synapted with homologous segment of neither the acrocentric
      chromosome 17 nor large product of reciprocal translocation. Drastic increase in
      chiasmata frequency in the proximal part of chromosome 17 was revealed in
      heterozygotes for T43H and in trisomics, as compared with the double
      heterozygotes Rb7/T43. The latter finding was explained by the existence of two
      independent pairing segments in the former karyotypes.

PMID- 1874436
TI  - [Brain adrenoreceptors in rats with inherited arterial hypertension due to
      emotional stress].
AB  - For the study of genetic and physiological mechanisms of inherited stress
      sensitive arterial hypertension, specific binding of ligands of alpha 1-, alpha 2
      and beta-adrenoceptors was measured in 2 strains of rats: Wistar normotensive
      and ISSAH rats (rats with inherited stress-sensitive arterial hypertension). The
      maximal binding sites (Bmax) and apparent dissociation constants (Kd) were
      studied with the alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist 3H-prazosin, alpha 2-adrenergic
      agonist 3H-clonidine and 3H-dihydroalprenolol, a beta 1-receptor antagonist. Four
      brain regions were investigated: frontal cortex, hypothalamus, pons and medulla
      oblongata. In comparison with normotensive controls, hypertensive rats had
      significantly greater density of the alpha 1-adrenoceptors in the medulla
      oblongata. However, the number of hypothalamic alpha 1-adrenoceptors was
      significantly reduced in these animals. The same significantly lower alpha 2
      adrenoreceptor density was found in the hypothalamus and the pons, and lower,
      beta-adrenoceptors density in the medulla oblongata. It was concluded that brain
      adrenoceptors are involved in the mechanisms of development of inherited stress
      sensitive hypertensive syndrome.

PMID- 1874437
TI  - [Genetic determination of rheumatoid arthritis. Distribution of certain Mendelian
      markers in the light of correspondence of the disease heritability to the model
      of single autosomal two-allele locus with incomplete penetrance].
AB  - The study on the nature of distribution of certain mendelian markers aimed at
      specifying their role in determination of rheumatoid arthritis disease was
      carried out, based on the material from the Family Data Bank of the Department of
      Epidemiology and Genetics of the rheumatic diseases in this institute comprising
      data on 200 families of patients with definite rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
      Antigens of HLA-system (the loci A, B, DR), ABO blood groups, Rh, MN and P,
      phenotypes of acid erythrocyte phosphatase and the types of haptoglobin were
      studied. Based on the data from this and the previous studies, it is established
      that the steadiest deviations of the RA patients groups from the general
      population concerned the frequency of HLA A11, B12, B27 and DR4, blood group P
      and phenotypes of the acid erythrocyte phosphatase. When using additional
      controls--a group of healthy mothers of women-probands from the families with the
      type of marriage "healthy x healthy", and analysing some pair combinations of the
      HLA system antigens, it was demonstrated that the most clearly their role in
      formation of the disease display the antigens DR4, and in their absence--DR3, and
      B12, whereas accumulation of A11 and B27 depended on the presence of other
      antigens of HLA loci--A and B. Taken together, these data may imply that genetic
      markers under study serve, when in certain combinations, as "modifiers" of the
      major gene, or, in a general case, of major genes of multifactorial disease
      affecting its appearance and clinical manifestations.

PMID- 1874438
TI  - [Frequency criterion of choice of surname for the study of the genetic structure
      of the population].
AB  - On the example of 7 populations of the regional level allowability of using
      surnames with frequencies exceeding 0.001 in adequate estimation of the
      population structure indices is shown. The correlation coefficient between
      genetical distances calculated with the help of all surnames in the list, and
      those estimated using only frequent surnames was more than 0.9 in all populations
      studied, values of the correlation coefficient analogous to the FST statistics of
      Wright being 0.76 to 0.97.

PMID- 1874439
TI  - Genomes as smart systems.

PMID- 1874440
TI  - From genes to phenotype: dynamical systems and evolvability.

PMID- 1874441
TI  - Fluctuation analysis: the effect of plating efficiency.
AB  - This paper supplements an earlier paper which explained how to calculate the
      probability distribution of the number of mutants that would be observed in a
      fluctuation test experiment. The formulas in that work give the distributions to
      be expected under a wide variety of experimental conditions, but the method it
      uses when only a fraction of the mutants will produce visible colonies are clumsy
      and inefficient. Here I describe efficient procedures for dealing with that case,
      provided that the mutation rate per cell division remains constant during the
      experiment.

PMID- 1874442
TI  - Sequence requirements for the stimulation of gene amplification by a mammalian
      genomic element.
AB  - HSAG-1 is a 3.4-kb genomic element from a human chronic lymphocytic leukemia-
      Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) hybrid cell line shown to stimulate the amplification
      of expression vectors in cis when transfected into a variety of cell lines
      [McArthur and Stanners, J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 6000-6005]. Subfragments of
      HSAG-1 were tested for amplification activity by insertion into the vector,
      pSV2DHFR. The results suggest that multiple positive- and negative-acting
      elements were present that influenced amplification activity. The deletion of
      regions believed to contain positive-acting elements decreased or abolished the
      amplification stimulatory activity of the most active 1.45-kb fragment,
      supporting this hypothesis. The construction of composite sequences containing
      multiple positive elements and lacking negative elements, however, failed to
      enhance the activity; maximum activity was obtained only with the original intact
      configuration of elements. Two of two CHO HSAG-1-like elements tested had an
      activity equivalent to HSAG-1, while one of 24 random CHO genomic fragments
      tested had an activity as high as HSAG-1. The combination of sequence and
      structural features needed to affect the frequency of gene amplification may
      therefore be quite common in the mammalian genome.

PMID- 1874443
TI  - Cloning and characterization of the murine promoter for the colony-stimulating
      factor-1-encoding gene.
AB  - Colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1 or M-CSF) is required for the growth and
      differentiation of macrophage progenitors, and for the survival of mature
      macrophages. Expression of the CSF-1 gene in monocytes and fibroblasts is
      controlled at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. To study
      the molecular mechanisms which mediate changes in CSF-1 expression, the 5'
      promoter region of the mouse CSF-1 gene was cloned. A high degree of structural
      and sequence similarity between the mouse and human CSF-1 genes was observed. A
      transcription start point was located 182 bp upstream from the start codon.
      Several sequences homologous to known cis-acting elements were identified in the
      5'-flanking region. The CSF-1 promoter region was able to direct expression of a
      linked reporter gene in C3H10T1/2 mouse embryo fibroblasts. Deletion in the CSF-1
      promoter region between bp -774 and -629 resulted in a significant decrease in
      promoter activity. The identification of a functional promoter for CSF-1 will
      serve as a valuable tool for studying the regulation of CSF-1 expression.

PMID- 1874444
TI  - The porcine tumor necrosis factor-encoding genes: sequence and comparative
      analysis.
AB  - We have cloned and sequenced a 10.22-kb fragment of the genomic locus of the
      porcine tumor necrosis factor-encoding genes, TNF-alpha and TNF-beta. A liver
      genomic DNA library, partially digested with Sau3AI, was cloned into the phage
      lambda EMBL4 and screened with a porcine TNF-alpha cDNA probe. Analysis showed
      that both the TNF-alpha and TNF-beta genes were present on the cloned fragment.
      In addition, the cloned fragment contained about 2 kb of repetitive sequences 5'
      to the TNF-beta gene. The TNF genes are arranged in a tandem repeat, as is the
      case for the human, mouse and rabbit TNF genes. The comparison of both genes with
      their human homologues displayed a considerable degree of conservation (80%),
      suggesting an equal evolution rate.

PMID- 1874445
TI  - Isolation and characterization of cDNAs encoding beta A2- and beta A4
      crystallins: heterologous interactions in the predicted beta A4-beta B2
      heterodimer.
AB  - Except for the two acidic chains, beta A2 and beta A4, the primary structures of
      all bovine beta-crystallins have previously been elucidated, either by direct
      protein sequencing or prediction from cDNA sequencing. Both beta A2 and beta A4
      were found to be synthesized in half-year-old calf lenses and are therefore
      likely to be present in a cDNA bovine library constructed from mRNA isolated from
      lenses of that age. A large number of cDNA clones was screened with all available
      crystallin, actin, vimentin and lens membrane protein MP26 probes and finally
      with a randomly primed mRNA probe. Clones positive for the latter, but negative
      for known lens proteins, were isolated and sequenced. beta A2, comprising 197 aa,
      and beta A4, comprising 209 aa, were identified. Both proteins have a conserved
      two-domain structure and an N-terminal extension which is variable. A three
      dimensional model of the structure of beta A4 was made based on the coordinates
      of one subunit from the beta B2 dimer which has recently been solved using x-ray
      diffraction techniques. The resulting heterodimer structure, together with the
      compiled bovine beta-crystallin sequences, was used to indicate those regions of
      the sequences which distinguish acidic from basic beta-crystallins with a view to
      defining structural features necessary for subunit recognition in beta-crystallin
      aggregates. With the aid of the present data, the complete evolutionary tree of
      the bovine beta-crystallin family has been constructed, which confirms the early
      separation of the genes encoding the three acidic and the three basic beta
      crystallins.

PMID- 1874446
TI  - The CpG island in the 5' region of the G6PD gene of man and mouse.
AB  - The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the entire CpG island in the 5' region of the
      human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-encoding gene (G6PD) and of the
      corresponding region in mouse was determined. In comparison to the human gene,
      the 5' region of the mouse G6PD gene has highly reduced G + C and CpG
      dinucleotide content, but maintains the functional features of a CpG island, as
      it is differentially methylated on the active vs. the inactive X chromosome. In
      addition to the expected conservation of exons, nt sequence comparison showed
      that several boxes are highly conserved between the two species in the 5'
      flanking DNA and in the first intron. Moreover, the conservation of the position
      of most CpG dinucleotides in the promoter region and in one of the upstream
      boxes, at about -900, gives support to the hypothesis that, in each island,
      specific CpGs play a major role in the regulation of gene expression.

PMID- 1874447
TI  - Isolation and characterization of human thioredoxin-encoding genes.
AB  - Thioredoxin (Trx) has recently been demonstrated to be an essential component of
      the early pregnancy factor activity of pregnancy serum. Here, we report the
      structure and sequence of human Trx-encoding genes (Trx) by analysis of genomic
      clones. The Trx gene extends over 13 kb and consists of five exons encoding a 12
      kDa protein. A 700-bp fragment upstream from the start codon functions as a
      promoter when inserted in front of a human growth hormone-encoding reporter gene
      in tissue-culture cells. This promoter region is very G + C rich and does not
      contain a classical TATA or CCAAT box, but has three consensus sequences for high
      affinity Sp1 binding. Southern analysis demonstrated the presence of several Trx
      genes in the human genome. The number includes at least one inactive copy as
      shown by the isolation and sequencing of an inactive pseudogene.

PMID- 1874448
TI  - Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genes trnS(TGA) encoding tRNA(TGASer)
      in Oenothera berteriana and Arabidopsis thaliana.
AB  - The genes encoding tRNA(TGASer) have been investigated in the mitochondrial (mt)
      genomes of Oenothera berteriana and Arabidopsis thaliana. Sequence analysis shows
      four nucleotide (nt) differences between the two dicots, but only two differences
      between each dicot and the available monocot sequences. Similarity comparisons
      identify these genes as encoding a native mt tRNA(TGASer), with less than 77% of
      the nt identical to the corresponding chloroplast tRNAs.

PMID- 1874449
TI  - The cDNA sequence and primary structure of the chicken transferrin receptor.
AB  - Recombinant cDNA clones encoding the chicken transferrin receptor (cTR) have been
      isolated and sequenced. Comparison of the deduced primary structure of cTR with
      those of the human transferrin receptor (hTR) and mouse transferrin receptor
      (mTR) shows that their size, hydropathy profile, location of sites for
      posttranslational modifications, and domain organization are highly similar. The
      cytoplasmic domain of cTR contains the motif Tyr-Xaa-Arg-Phe (YXRF) that is the
      recognition signal for high-efficiency endocytosis of hTR. The cTR has several
      highly conserved regions within its extracellular domain, including those
      flanking the putative N-glycosylation sites. Overall, however, the extracellular
      domain of cTR is only 53% identical to the extracellular domains of hTR and mTR.
      The cTR also lacks three of the six Cys residues found in the extracellular
      domains of the mammalian TRs. These differences can account for functional and
      structural properties that distinguish cTR and mammalian TRs.

PMID- 1874450
TI  - Isolation and analysis of a human cDNA highly homologous to the yeast gene
      encoding L17A ribosomal protein.
AB  - A cDNA from human brain poly(A)+RNA with significant similarity to the gene
      encoding yeast L17A large subunit ribosomal (r) protein (L17A) was isolated using
      the polymerase chain reaction. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence of 140 aa
      (calculated pI of 10.79) exhibits a 78% similarity to that of the yeast L17A r
      protein (88% when conservative aa replacements are considered as well). This
      indicates that L17A is one of the best conserved r-proteins and therefore may
      play a critical role in ribosome function. In contrast to its eubacterial and
      chloroplast counterparts, human L17A contains an N-terminal extension of 19 aa
      which may be involved in nuclear targeting of the r-protein. Approximately five
      to seven genes in mammalian genomes give strong hybridization signals when probed
      with the human L17A homologue cDNA. Whereas the L17A homologue was found to be
      expressed at similar levels in several human tissues as a transcript of 600
      nucleotides, a several-fold higher transcript level was detected in the rapidly
      growing neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-BE.

PMID- 1874452
TI  - The role of high energy electrons in the treatment of cancer. 25th annual San
      Francisco Cancer Symposium. San Francisco, California, February 9-11, 1990.

PMID- 1874451
TI  - Nucleotide sequences of two members of the chicken H3 histone-encoding gene
      family.
AB  - The nucleotide sequences of two genes (H3-II and H3-III) from the chicken H3
      histone-encoding gene family have been determined. H3-II and H3-III,
      respectively, possess possible AP-1- and Sp1-binding sequence elements of the
      forms 5'-CGAGTCAG and 5'-GGGCGGG, whereas all three H3 genes, including the
      previously sequenced H3-I gene, encode the same amino acid sequence.

PMID- 1874453
TI  - Milestones in therapeutic radiology.

PMID- 1874454
TI  - Absorption, transport and metabolism of vitamin E.
AB  - Vitamin E includes eight naturally occurring fat-soluble nutrients called
      tocopherols and dietary intake of vitamin E activity is essential in many
      species. alpha-Tocopherol has the highest biological activity and the highest
      molar concentration of lipid soluble antioxidant in man. Deficiency of vitamin E
      may cause neurological dysfunction, myopathies and diminished erythrocyte life
      span. alpha-Tocopherol is absorbed via the lymphatic pathway and transported in
      association with chylomicrons. In plasma alpha-tocopherol is found in all
      lipoprotein fractions, but mostly associated with apo B-containing lipoproteins
      in man. In rats approximately 50% of alpha-tocopherol is bound to high density
      lipoproteins (HDL). After intestinal absorption and transport with chylomicrons
      alpha-tocopherol is mostly transferred to parenchymal cells of the liver were
      most of the fat-soluble vitamin is stored. Little vitamin E is stored in the non
      parenchymal cells (endothelial, stellate and Kupffer cells). alpha-Tocopherol is
      secreted in association with very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) from the liver.
      In the rat about 90% of total body mass of alpha-tocopherol is recovered in the
      liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Most alpha-tocopherol is located in
      the mitochondrial fractions and in the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas little is
      found in cytosol and peroxisomes. Clinical evidence from heavy drinkers and from
      experimental work in rats suggests that alcohol may increase oxidation of alpha
      tocopherol, causing reduced tissue concentrations of alpha-tocopherol. Increased
      demand for vitamin E has also been observed in premature babies and patients with
      malabsorption, but there is little evidence that the well balanced diet of the
      healthy population would be improved by supplementation with vitamin E.

PMID- 1874455
TI  - Free radical-induced liver injury. II. Effects of intraperitoneally administered
      2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride on the fatty acid profiles of
      hepatic triacylglycerol and phospholipids.
AB  - Liver injury induced by the radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane)
      dihydrochloride (AAPH) and carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) was examined by the
      analysis of lipids in the liver of rats. Increased triacylglycerol (TAG) was
      found in the liver within 24 hr following injection of these drugs. In AAPH
      treated and CCI4-treated rats, it was 2.1 and 1.8 times that in the controls,
      respectively. TAG-palmitate and -oleate were found at particularly increased
      levels, while polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles of hepatic phospholipids were
      essentially the same for the treated and untreated rats. It is evident from these
      findings that radical initiators cause no decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids
      in hepatic lipids, but accumulate TAG in the liver. Such a condition is the
      equivalent of liver injury in the rats in whose diets vitamin E has long been
      deficient.

PMID- 1874456
TI  - Comparative study on the influence of two 2-chloroethylnitrosoureas with
      different carbamoylating potential towards glutathione and glutathione-related
      enzymes in different organs of the rat.
AB  - The influence of two CNUs with similar alkylating but strongly different
      carbamoylating activity towards the glutathione system was investigated in
      different organs. Both CNUs influence the glutathione system of the bone marrow
      in a similar manner, irrespective of their carbamoylating potential. In contrast,
      glutathione reductase activity in the other organs was strongly decreased by the
      potent carbamoylator BCNU, whereas no or only minor effects were produced by its
      weakly carbamoylating counterpart HECNU. The results confirm that bone marrow
      toxicity of CNUs primarily results from alkylation and not from carbamoylation.
      Other organ-related toxic effects, however, are probably a result of
      carbamoylating reactions exerted by BCNU. This applies especially to lung
      toxicity that has been observed frequently as a major side effect in clinical
      trials with BCNU.

PMID- 1874457
TI  - The role of histidine residues in the nonenzymic covalent attachment of glucose
      and ascorbic acid to protein.
AB  - Copper ions have been suggested to play a role in the non-covalent glycosylation
      (glycation) of proteins via transition metal-catalysed oxidations. We have
      further investigated "autoxidative glycosylation" by comparison of the behaviour
      of dog and bovine serum albumin with respect to the oxidative reactions of
      glucose and ascorbate. The proteins possess similar numbers of total amino
      residues available for glucose attachment but dog serum albumin contains fewer
      histidine groups and also lacks a high affinity copper-binding site. We find that
      the higher copper-binding capacity of bovine serum albumin is reflected in a
      lower rate of ascorbate oxidation as well as less protein oxidative damage than
      is the case for dog serum albumin. We also observe that modification of bovine
      serum albumin histidine groups by diethylpyrocarbonate enhances ascorbate
      mediated protein fluorophore formation.

PMID- 1874458
TI  - Effect of zinc-carnosine chelate compound (Z-103), a novel antioxidant, on acute
      gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats.
AB  - The protective effect of a novel synthetic zinc-carnosine chelate compound, zinc
      N-(3-aminopropionyl)-L-histidine (Z-103), on the gastric mucosal injury induced
      by ischemia-reperfusion was studied in rats. Ischemia and reperfusion injury was
      produced on the rat stomach by applying a small clamp to the celiac artery for 30
      min and by removal of the clamp for 30 min. The decrease in the gastric mucosal
      blood flow was not influenced by the treatment with Z-103. The increase in total
      area of the erosions on the stomach after ischemia-reperfusion and the increase
      in lipid peroxides in the gastric mucosa were significantly inhibited by the oral
      administration of Z-103. In addition, Z-103 inhibited lipid peroxidation of rat
      brain homogenate and liver microsome in vitro. These results suggest that the
      protective effect of Z-103 against the aggravation of gastric mucosal injury
      induced by ischemia-reperfusion may be due to its inhibitory effect on lipid
      peroxidation.

PMID- 1874459
TI  - [The protective effect of (4R)-hexahydro-7, 7-dimethyl-6-oxo-1, 2, 5-dithiazocine
      4-carboxylic acid (SA3443), a novel cyclic disulfide, on acetaminophen-induced
      liver injury].
AB  - Effects of (4R)-hexahydro-7, 7-dimethyl-6-oxo-1, 2, 5-dithiazocine-4-carboxylic
      acid (SA3443) on acetaminophen-induced liver injury were investigated in BALB/c
      mice. SA3443 (30-300 mg/kg, p.o.) dose-dependently suppressed the elevation of
      serum transaminase activities and the histological changes of liver induced by
      acetaminophen (150 mg/kg, p.o.). The compound at the same doses also reduced the
      mortality due to the lethal acute hepatic failure induced by acetaminophen (350
      mg/kg, p.o.). Other hepatoprotective agents, cianidanol (500 mg/kg, p.o.),
      malotilate (100 mg/kg, p.o.), grycyrrhizine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and cysteine (300
      mg/kg, p.o.) similarly reduced it. SA3443 had no effect on glutathione (GSH)
      contents in the liver of normal mice, but it dose-dependently suppressed the
      decrease of GSH contents in the liver of BALB/c mice treated with acetaminophen.
      These results suggest that SA3443, a novel cyclic disulfide, provides
      considerable protection against acetaminophen-induced liver injury and that one
      of the modes of the hepatoprotective action of this compound is suppression of
      the decrease of GSH contents in the liver.

PMID- 1874460
TI  - [A decrease in the wet-dog shakes response to the second administration of kainic
      acid in juvenile rats].
AB  - The effect of an intermittent administration of kainic acid on the KA-induced
      behavior, scratching, wet-dog shakes and limbic seizures was studied in the rat.
      Nine mg/kg kainic acid was injected i.p. at 3, 7, 14 or 21 days after the priming
      with the same dose of kainic acid at 25 days of age. There was no significant
      effect of KA-priming on the onset time of scratching. The frequency of wet-dog
      shakes decreased significantly in all the KA-primed rats. Fourteen day-priming of
      kainic acid was most effective for reducing the wet-dog shakes response. The
      onset time of limbic seizures tended to be shorter in all the KA-primed groups;
      seven day-priming resulted in a significant decrease. Histological findings
      showed a delay in the formation of dendritic processes of pyramidal cells in the
      CA3 area of the hippocampus. The results indicated that an intermittent
      administration of kainic acid with an interval of 3 to 21 days induces a marked
      tolerance in the wet-dog shakes response to kainic acid in juvenile rats, while
      no change in the scratching and an acceleration of the onset of limbic seizures
      were shown, implying that different neuronal systems are involved in these three
      behaviors induced by kainic acid.

PMID- 1874461
TI  - [Preventive effects of green tea extract on lipid abnormalities in serum, liver
      and aorta of mice fed a atherogenic diet].
AB  - This study examined the preventive effects of green tea extract on hyperlipidemia
      and lipid accumulation in the liver and aorta of mice fed an atherogenic diet
      enriched with 1.5% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid and 5% linoleic acid for a
      period of 14 weeks. The animals were given green tea extract in drinking water at
      doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day. Treatment with green tea extract prevented
      the increase of serum cholesterol induced by the atherogenic diet 6 weeks after
      the start of the experiment. The increase of serum lipid peroxides was markedly
      prevented in a dose-related manner. The green tea extract also tended to prevent
      the increase of serum phospholipid and the decline of lecithin: cholesterol
      acyltransferase, but could not prevent decreases in serum triglycerides and high
      density lipoprotein cholesterol. As for liver cholesterol, its content,
      particularly free cholesterol, in mice fed the atherogenic diet could be
      prevented from increasing by treatment with the extract at 50 and 100 mg/kg/day.
      In addition, the increase of aortic cholesterol, particularly esterified
      cholesterol, could be prevented in a dose-related manner. These results suggest
      that green tea has anti-atherosclerotic activity.

PMID- 1874462
TI  - [Effects of scopolamine upon delayed radial-arm maze performance in rats].
AB  - Behavioral impairment induced by the muscarinic anticholinergic drug, scopolamine
      (SCP) has been widely used to make preclinical evaluation of nootropic drugs. To
      further investigate the disruptive effect of SCP on memory-related behavior, male
      Wistar-Imamichi strain rats were tested in the 8-arm radial maze task with a
      delay interval between choices 4 and 5. In this task, the animals were first
      allowed to obtain 4 food rewards out of 8 arms and then removed from the maze.
      They were replaced on the maze to collect the remaining 4 pellets after a delay
      interval, during which they were kept in their home cages. In experiment 1, a 1-6
      hr delay interval was imposed. SCP (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered immediately
      after choice 4. In experiment 2, a delay interval was always 4 hr, but SCP was
      administered 0-2 hr after choice 4. In both experiments, SCP significantly
      reduced the number of correct choices in choices 5-8, but did not show any
      effects depending on delay intervals or drug-administration time. These results
      suggest that the performance deficits induced by SCP might be due to its effects
      on the primary stage of information processing rather than those on the
      consolidation or storage process of memory.

PMID- 1874463
TI  - Early changes in the forestomach of rats, mice and hamsters exposed to dietary
      propionic and butyric acid.
AB  - Groups of five male and five female rats, mice and hamsters were fed diet
      containing 4% propionic or butyric acid for 7 days. Evidence of damage and
      cellular proliferation in the epithelium of the forestomach and limiting ridge
      was detected in all three species. Changes were particularly marked in animals
      fed butyric acid diet and rats appeared to be the most sensitive species. It is
      postulated that tumours of the forestomach reported in rats after long-term
      feeding of propionic acid diet may be a consequence of continued damage and
      repair, and that butyric acid, which occurs naturally in foods at concentrations
      up to 5%, would be at least as potent as propionic acid if similarly tested.

PMID- 1874464
TI  - Lack of bladder carcinogenicity of dietary sodium saccharin in analbuminaemic
      rats, which are highly susceptible to N-nitroso-n-butyl-(4-hydroxybutyl)amine.
AB  - A previous 1-wk study measuring the agglutinability of bladder epithelial cells
      by concanavalin A had suggested a high susceptibility of analbuminaemic rats to
      bladder carcinogenesis by sodium saccharin (Honma et al., Cancer Letters 1983,
      19, 7). A long-term study was conducted to confirm the results of this short-term
      assay. Sodium saccharin was administered at 5% in the diet to groups of 35 male
      analbuminaemic rats and 36 male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain. No bladder
      carcinomas nor precancerous lesions were observed in any of the rats exposed to
      sodium saccharin. The discrepancy between the results of the agglutination assay
      and the long-term experiment might be attributable to a sharp increase in urine
      volume in analbuminaemic rats during the first week of treatment. The resultant
      distension of the bladder wall might make the epithelial cells more susceptible
      to concanavalin A agglutination. The results indicated no demonstrable bladder
      carcinogenicity of sodium saccharin in analbuminaemic rats and excluded the
      possibility that these particular mutant rats could be useful animals for shorter
      duration screening for bladder carcinogens.

PMID- 1874465
TI  - An experimental approach to identifying the genotoxic risk from cooked meat
      mutagens.
AB  - In order to define the toxicological risk to the human population from the
      chemical compounds formed during the process of cooking animal meat, which have
      been described as possessing mutagenic, genotoxic and carcinogenic activities, an
      extensive study was undertaken of cooked meat extract and two cooked meat
      mutagens, 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (IQ) and 2-amino-3,8
      dimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoxaline (MeIQx). The study involved toxicokinetics and
      mouse-tissue distribution studies of the two chemicals, in vitro and in vivo
      mutagenicity/genotoxicity analyses (i.e. the detection of gene mutations,
      chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in mouse bone marrow cells, and mouse
      urine and faeces mutagenicity tests), as well as in vivo protein and DNA binding
      assays. IQ and MeIQx were found to be positive for the induction of gene
      mutations in Salmonella typhimurium TA98, but not in Chinese hamster V79 cells;
      IQ only was found to be positive for the induction of chromosome aberrations in
      Chinese hamster ovary cells and cultured human lymphocytes. IQ and MeIQx were
      negative for the induction of micronuclei in mice treated with 40 mg chemical/kg
      body weight; the lowest effective dose administered to the mice that produced
      mutagenic urine was 0.4 mg IQ/kg body weight and 0.04 mg MeIQx/kg. A dose of 40
      mg IQ/kg, given orally by gavage to mice, produced an excretion of 1-4% of the
      applied dose in the urine and 0.1-2% of the applied dose in the faeces, when
      evaluated chemically or mutagenically. The number of DNA adducts in the liver
      correlated with the dose of IQ or MeIQx administered to the mice. All the data
      have been used for defining a possible risk estimate to the human population as a
      consequence of a cooked meat diet.

PMID- 1874466
TI  - Influence of dietary protein and gut microflora on endogenous synthesis of
      nitrate induced by bacterial endotoxin in the rat.
AB  - Germ-free (GF) rats were maintained on a diet marginally adequate in protein,
      with and without a supplement of NH4Cl. Their urinary excretion of total
      nitrogen, nitrate, urea and creatinine was measured before and for 4 days after
      injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS). Although more
      nitrogen was excreted by rats on the diet supplemented with NH4Cl, nitrate
      excretion was increased to a similar extent in rats on both diets. This suggests
      that oxidation of ammonia released by deamination of amino acids is an unlikely
      pathway of nitrate synthesis. In a second experiment, nitrate excretion before
      and after injection of LPS was measured in GF and conventional (CV) rats given
      high- or low-protein diets. Urinary 3-methylhistidine (3MH) was measured as an
      index of breakdown of tissue protein. In both environments, nitrate excretion was
      significantly greater, before and after LPS administration, by rats on the high
      protein diet than by their counterparts on the low-protein diet, and was
      generally greater by GF than by CV rats. Since only small, non-significant rises
      in urinary 3MH were observed after LPS treatment, it was concluded that the bulk
      of the nitrogen required for nitrate synthesis in response to endotoxin is
      derived from dietary protein rather than from nitrogenous products of tissue
      breakdown.

PMID- 1874467
TI  - Chemoprotective and hepatic enzyme induction properties of indole and
      indenoindole antioxidants in rats.
AB  - Three indole antioxidants were compared for their efficacy to inhibit lipid
      peroxidation, prevent chemical hepatotoxicity and induce enzyme systems involved
      in the biotransformation of xenobiotics. The dietary indolyl compound indole-3
      carbinol (I-3-C), and the synthetic compounds 5,10-dihydroindeno[1,2-b]-indole
      (DHII) and 4b,5,9b,10-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole (THII) inhibited carbon
      tetrachloride (CCl4)-initiated lipid peroxidation in rat-liver microsomes, with
      the order of efficacy THII greater than DHII = butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
      much greater than I-3-C. Each of the indole compounds protected isolated rat
      hepatocytes against toxicity by CCl4, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and
      methylmethanesulphonate (THII congruent to DHII much greater than I-3-C). In vivo
      administration of the indole compounds 1 hr before treatment with CCl4 protected
      against hepatotoxicity (THII greater than DHII greater than I-3-C). For the
      enzyme induction studies, phenobarbital and beta-naphthoflavone were used as
      standards, with corn-oil vehicle controls. The compounds were administered by
      gavage at 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 10 days. I-3-C produced increases in
      levels of hepatic cytochromes P-450 and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD)
      activity, as well as in UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UDPGT), glutathione S
      transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GSSG-Red) and quinone reductase. I-3-C
      produced decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)
      activities. DHII produced increases in EROD, UDPGT, GST, GSSG-Red and quinone
      reductase, with decreases in NDMA-demethylase and GSH-Px activities. The only
      observed effect of THII was a modest induction of EROD activity. After treatment
      with the indole compounds for 10 days, I-3-C enhanced, while DHII diminished,
      CCl4-mediated 24-hr hepatotoxicity in rats. We conclude that DHII and THII are
      suitable candidates to develop further as potential chemoprotective and
      therapeutic agents for use in humans to treat disorders involving free radicals.
      THII has the greater radical scavenging efficacy, whereas DHII has the greater
      capacity to induce many different antioxidative enzymes.

PMID- 1874468
TI  - Sister chromatid exchange induced by 'pan masala' (a betel quid ingredient) in
      male mice in vivo.
AB  - Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) induced in vivo by 'pan masala', a betel quid
      ingredient, was studied in male mice. The mice were injected ip with an aqueous
      suspension of pan masala at doses of 5, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg pan masala/kg
      body weight. A significant dose-related increase in SCE was observed (Cochran
      Armitage trend test). The minimum effective dose was 25 mg/kg. The two highest
      doses caused significant delays in the cell cycle. These results indicate that
      pan masala is a potential DNA-damaging agent and cytotoxic to bone marrow cells.

PMID- 1874469
TI  - Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in tobacco and mainstream smoke of Indian
      cigarettes.
AB  - Different brands of Indian cigarettes were analysed, by gas chromatography
      thermal energy analysis, for the presence of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N
      nitrosamines (TSNA) in both tobacco and mainstream smoke. Preformed TSNA in
      cigarette tobacco ranged between 68 and 730 ng N-nitrosonornicotine
      (NNN)/cigarette, between 19 and 174 ng 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1
      butanone (NNK)/cigarette and between 98 and 519 ng N-nitrosoanabasine (NAB)
      together with N-nitrosoanatabine (NAT)/cigarette. The amounts of NNN, NNK and
      NAB/NAT in mainstream smoke were 11-156, 7-73 and 17-146 ng/cigarette,
      respectively.

PMID- 1874470
TI  - Decreased incidence of diphenylamine-induced renal papillary necrosis in Syrian
      hamsters given dimethylsulphoxide.
AB  - The renal papillotoxicity of diphenylamine dissolved in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO)
      was investigated in male Syrian hamsters, male Sprague-Dawley rats and female
      Mongolian gerbils. When diphenylamine in DMSO was administered orally to male
      Syrian hamsters (400, 600 or 800 mg/kg body weight/day for up to 9 days), the
      incidence of renal papillary necrosis was almost zero. Hamsters pretreated with
      DMSO (0.5 ml/100 g body weight/day) and 1 hr later given 400, 600 or 800 mg
      diphenylamine in peanut oil/kg body weight/day for 3 consecutive days had
      significantly reduced incidences of renal papillary necrosis (0/10, 0/10 and 1/10
      in the low-, mid- and high-dose groups, respectively) when compared with hamsters
      given similar doses of diphenylamine but not pretreated with DMSO (5/10, 7/10 and
      5/10 in the low-, mid- and high-dose groups, respectively). Focal, apex-limited
      renal papillary necrosis was observed in two Sprague-Dawley rats given 800 mg
      diphenylamine in DMSO/kg body weight/day orally for 9 days. Focal, intermediate
      renal papillary necrosis was observed in two additional rats administered 800 mg
      diphenylamine in DMSO/kg/day orally for 9 days. Renal papillary necrosis was not
      observed in any of the Mongolian gerbils. The results of these studies suggest
      that DMSO protects against diphenylamine-induced renal papillary necrosis in male
      Syrian hamsters.

PMID- 1874471
TI  - Concurrent bromosulphophthalein and antipyrine administration to assess liver
      blood flow and hepatic enzymes in rats.
AB  - This study investigated the feasibility of using concurrent iv administration of
      antipyrine (15 mg/kg body weight) and bromosulphophthalein (BSP; 25 mg/kg) in the
      rat. Antipyrine is used as an index of hepatic drug metabolism and BSP is used to
      assess hepatic blood flow. Plasma concentrations of BSP were described using
      biexponential phases, while antipyrine plasma concentrations were
      monoexponential. No significant difference was observed between antipyrine
      pharmacokinetic parameters in concurrent BSP rats when compared with controls.
      There was also no significant difference between BSP pharmacokinetic parameters
      in concurrent antipyrine rats when compared with controls, except in the alpha
      value (P less than 0.05). This indicates that BSP distribution may be affected by
      concurrent antipyrine administration. Therefore, simultaneous administration of
      both substrates is not acceptable to study hepatic blood flow. Another iv
      combination dose (25 mg BSP/kg body weight, followed by 15 mg antipyrine/kg 0.5
      hr later) and a dose of 15 mg antipyrine/kg body weight only was administered to
      rats pretreated with phenobarbital (90 mg/kg body weight) for 6 days.
      Pharmacokinetic parameters of BSP, beta, k21, k23 and plasma clearance, in the
      pretreated rats were significantly different from non-pretreated rats. No
      significant difference was observed in the pharmacokinetic parameters of
      antipyrine between the combination dose and antipyrine dose in the phenobarbital
      pretreated rats. The half-lives of antipyrine in both pretreated groups decreased
      approximately by 70%, while the clearance increased four times compared with
      controls. The volume of distribution in these animals did not change as a result
      of phenobarbital pretreatment. This suggests that a 25 mg BSP/kg body weight dose
      followed by 15 mg antipyrine/kg 0.5 hr later may be a feasible approach to study
      liver blood flow, as well as hepatic efficiency in rats.

PMID- 1874472
TI  - Effect of androgen insensitivity on diabetogenesis in db/db male mice with
      testicular feminization (Tfm).
AB  - In C3H mice, a major component of susceptibility to the diabetogenic action of an
      obesity mutation (diabetes, db) is male gender associated. We tested whether
      increased male susceptibility was an androgen receptor mediated process.
      C3H.SW/Lt-derived db/db males were rendered androgen-receptor function-deficient
      by introducing the testicular feminization (Tfm) mutation of the X-linked
      androgen receptor gene. The db/db Tfm/Y males (phenotypically female in
      appearance) developed severe diabetes indistinguishable from that observed in
      standard db/db X + Y males. Castration of standard C3H.SW/Lt-db/db males
      (producing mutants with normal androgen receptors but reduced serum testosterone)
      also failed to block the gender-enhanced susceptibility. In contrast, female
      db/db littermates exhibited a milder hyperglycemia, and were more resistant to
      pancreatic beta cell necrosis and islet atrophy than any of the groups of db/db
      males. Although these data indicated that male-enhanced sensitivity to
      diabetogenic stress was independent of circulating androgens, the possibility
      that the gender dimorphism is predicated upon tissue ratios of active estrogens
      to androgens in glucose-producing tissues such as liver is discussed.

PMID- 1874473
TI  - Effects of estradiol and progesterone on rat uterine ribonuclease inhibitor
      activity.
AB  - The effects of estradiol (E2) and progesterone on rat uterine RNase inhibitor
      activity were investigated. RNase inhibitor activity was found to be most
      prominent in nuclear and cytosolic fractions of the uterus. Uterine RNase
      inhibitor activity in the 45,000 x g cytosolic fraction was stimulated by E2 over
      a 6-24 hr treatment period. Progesterone did not produce a significant change in
      the uterine cytosolic RNase inhibitor activity during the same period.

PMID- 1874474
TI  - Liposome-entrapped calcitonin and parathyroid hormone are orally effective in
      rats.
AB  - We have demonstrated that liposomally entrapped calcitonin (CT) and parathyroid
      hormone (PTH) can be orally effective in regulating blood calcium. Liposomal CT
      produced hypocalcemia and liposomal PTH produced hypercalcemia upon oral
      administration to rats. Specific liposomal formulations were necessary to affect
      the appropriate decrease and increase in blood calcium concentration. Future
      extension of these studies may lead to clinically valuable forms of liposomal
      peptide preparations.

PMID- 1874475
TI  - Insulin secretion in patients deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
AB  - Intravenous (IVGTT) and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were carried out in
      12 men with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency and in 11
      normal men. The race, the mean age and body mass index were similar in the G-6-PD
      deficient and in the normal men. No significant differences were demonstrated
      between mean plasma glucose levels in the G-6-PD deficient subjects and those in
      the normal men during IVGTT and OGTT. In contrast the insulin levels were
      significantly lower for the G-6-PD deficient subjects as compared to the controls
      at 30 minutes (P less than 0.04) in the OGTT and at 1 min (P less than 0.001), 3
      min (P less than 0.001), 5 min (P less than 0.001) and 10 minutes (P less than
      0.002) in the IVGTT. All indexes of first phase insulin release were also
      significantly (P less than 0.001) lower in G-6-PD deficient men. These results
      emphasize the metabolic importance of G-6-PD in the process of glucose induced
      insulin release.

PMID- 1874476
TI  - Lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in premenopausal women given subdermal
      estradiol implants.
AB  - Fifteen premenopausal women were studied before and 6 weeks after receiving
      subcutaneous implants of 100 mg estradiol. Serum estradiol levels doubled;
      increases were also seen in fasting serum total cholesterol and in high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). This increase was confined to the HDL2
      subfraction, and was not reflected in the HDL apolipoproteins. Low density
      lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels were unchanged, as were those of
      apolipoprotein B, the major protein component of LDL. Carbohydrate metabolism was
      assessed in a subgroup of 12 women. Estrogen implantation reduced fasting plasma
      glucose levels but did not alter the plasma glucose response to an oral glucose
      tolerance test. Plasma insulin levels were unchanged both in the fasted state and
      during the glucose tolerance test. Our findings indicate that parenteral
      administration of estradiol can alter lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in
      premenopausal women.

PMID- 1874477
TI  - Cross sectional and longitudinal study of bone mineral content of the distal
      forearm in adult premenopausal women.
AB  - The range of fat corrected distal forearm mineral content (FMC) (at a site which
      comprises approximately 75% cortical and 25% trabecular bone) and the effect of
      aging on FMC were determined in normal premenopausal women. In 106 women (mean
      age 39; range 18-56) the mean FMC was 1.184 (SD 148) g/cm; fat correction
      increased this to 1.239 (SD 148) g/cm. There were significant correlations
      between fat corrected FMC and height, weight and BMI (r greater than 0.16; P less
      than 0.05). In 43 of these women (mean age 35; range 18-51) repeat measurements
      of FMC were performed. The last measurement was separated from the first by a
      mean time interval of 27 +/- 3 months. There was no significant change in
      uncorrected FMC (baseline 1.185 +/- 0.21 g/cm compared with their final
      measurement 1.182 +/- .020 g/cm; P = 0.51). Fat-corrected FMC (baseline 1.229 +/-
      .021 g/cm compared with 1.223 +/- .020 g/cm later) tended to decrease although
      this change was not significant (P = 0.06). Age ranked cusum analysis
      demonstrated a non-significant fat-corrected rate of change in FMC of -.3% yr in
      those over 35 years of age (P less than 0.10). This data suggests that if there
      is any distal forearm bone loss before the menopause it is negligible.

PMID- 1874478
TI  - Development of ligand-induced down-regulation and endocytosis of hepatic insulin
      receptors at weaning in the rat.

PMID- 1874479
TI  - Does interferon-beta therapy induce thyroid autoimmune phenomena?

PMID- 1874480
TI  - The effect of human amniotic fluid in supporting long-term survival of pancreatic
      islets in tissue culture.
AB  - Pancreatic islets obtained from newborn Lewis rats were kept free-floating in TCM
      199 either in the presence of 50% human amniotic fluid (HAF), 50% Hank's balanced
      salt solution (HBSS) or 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) for up to 14 days. The
      culture, in the presence of HAF, resulted in a good islet viability as
      demonstrated by islet number, islet insulin content and insulin release into the
      medium. Contradictory results were obtained when HBSS was used as the medium
      supplement. Moreover, the islets cultured in HAF-supplemented medium are
      characterized by a marked replicatory activity as reflected by the incorporation
      of labeled thymidine into islet DNA and gradual increase in DNA content with the
      progression of culture time. Even if compared to DNA synthesis of islets cultured
      under so called standard culture conditions as e.g. supplementation of 10% FCS to
      the medium, 50% HAF but not yet 10% HAF was found to stimulate the islet
      replication twofold already after 4 days of culture. It was also demonstrated
      that FCS has no additional effect on HAF-stimulated DNA synthesis. These findings
      support the view that HAF-enriched culture medium may have a use in supporting
      the long-term survival of well preserved endocrine pancreatic tissue.

PMID- 1874481
TI  - Insulin prevents glucose induced inhibition of angiotensin II-stimulated
      aldosterone secretion.
AB  - In humans with diabetes mellitus or in individuals given infusions of insulin or
      insulin plus glucose, plasma aldosterone levels have been reported to be
      suppressed. Whether insulin has a direct effect to suppress aldosterone secretion
      by the adrenal gland has not been established. The effect of insulin on glucose
      induced inhibition of angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone secretion was
      examined. The effect of glucose and insulin plus glucose on angiotensin II
      stimulated aldosterone secretion was examined in isolated perfused canine adrenal
      glands. In the absence of insulin, 15.6 mM glucose decreased angiotensin II
      stimulated aldosterone secretion by 35 +/- 7%, while in the presence of insulin
      the same glucose concentration had no significant effect on angiotensin II
      stimulated aldosterone secretion. In contrast, insulin had no effect on NaCl
      induced inhibition of angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone secretion. Neither
      insulin alone nor saline vehicle affected angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone
      secretion. These results (1) demonstrate that insulin can prevent inhibition of
      glucose-induced angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone secretion, possibly by
      preventing a glucose-induced decrease in cell volume, and (2) suggest that the
      suppressed plasma level of aldosterone found in individuals with diabetes
      mellitus may in part be due to the direct effects of hyperglycemia on the adrenal
      gland secretion of aldosterone.

PMID- 1874482
TI  - Serum transferrin as a marker of bone growth in boys: correlation with serum
      alkaline phosphatase activity, plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 and rate of
      growth in height.
AB  - Transferrin (TF) has a growth promoting activity in cell culture. The aim of this
      work was to study possible relationships between serum TF, alkaline phosphatase
      activity (ALP), plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and rate of
      height increase in boys. 149 boys aged 13-15 yrs were studied. TF levels were
      measured using turbidimetric method. The serum levels of ALP could be used as a
      biochemical marker for bone formation. Significant correlation was found between
      serum TF levels and ALP levels (r = 0.31, P less than 0.0005). The TF levels are
      higher in iron-deficiency anemia. The hemoglobin (Hb) and serum ferritin were
      measured in all boys. Thirty-one of 149 boys had no iron-deficiency anemia (Hb
      14.0 g/dl and serum ferritin 23 ng/ml). The rate of growth in height was
      estimated over a 5 month period. In these boys, the rate of growth in height was
      significantly correlated with serum TF levels (r = 0.37; P less than 0.05). A
      significant correlation was found between serum TF levels and plasma IGF-1 levels
      (r = 0.45; P less than 0.05). These data indicate that serum TF levels may be a
      marker of skeletal growth in normal boys.

PMID- 1874483
TI  - Antithyroid autoantibodies in the examined population with iodine prophylaxis
      after the Chernobyl catastrophe.
AB  - The aim of the present study was the observation of the frequency of antithyroid
      autoantibodies in the population in low endemic goitre area after mass iodine
      prophylaxis after the Chernobyl catastrophe and the estimation of TSH and thyroid
      hormones secretion in this population. On the basis of the investigations carried
      out we could conclude that the frequency of antithyroid autoantibodies in the
      population with confirmed endemic goitre is comparable to the frequency of
      antithyroid autoantibodies in the healthy population. ATA occurrence in children
      after iodine prophylaxis could confirm the hypothesis that thyroglobulin immunity
      is higher after iodine intake. The lower T3 concentration observed in the group
      with antithyroid autoantibodies suggests that autoantibodies may be involved in
      the thyroid hormones synthesis or peripheral conversion of thyroid hormones.

PMID- 1874484
TI  - Norepinephrine content in the brown adipose tissue of the developing obese Zucker
      rat.

PMID- 1874485
TI  - Half-disappearance time of endogenous GLP-1 immunoreactivity in man.

PMID- 1874486
TI  - 30th annual meeting of the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE).
      Berlin, August 25-28, 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1874487
TI  - Thymosin treatment of chronic hepatitis B: a placebo-controlled pilot trial.
AB  - Chronic hepatitis B is a severe and frequently progressive disease. We assessed
      the safety and efficacy of thymosin fraction 5 and thymosin-alpha 1 in a
      prospective, placebo-controlled trial in 12 patients with chronic hepatitis B.
      All patients had histological and biochemical evidence of active liver disease
      for at least 6 mo before treatment and were positive for serum hepatitis B virus
      DNA and HBsAg. Seven patients received thymosin fraction 5 or thymosin-alpha 1
      and five patients received placebo twice weekly for 6 mo. By the conclusion of
      the study (1 yr), serum aminotransferase levels had improved significantly in
      thymosin-treated patients, but not in the placebo group. Six (86%) of the
      thymosin treated patients and one (20%) patient given placebo cleared hepatitis B
      virus DNA from serum (p less than 0.04, Fisher's exact test). After treatment,
      replicative forms of hepatitis B virus DNA were present in the liver specimens of
      four of five placebo-treated patients but in only one of seven thymosin-treated
      patients (p less than 0.04, Fisher's exact test). Response to thymosin therapy
      was associated with significant improvements in peripheral blood lymphocyte and
      CD3 and CD4 counts and in in vitro production of interferon-gamma over initial
      values. No significant side effects were observed in patients given thymosin or
      in placebo-treated patients. Clinical, biochemical and serological improvement in
      patients responding to thymosin were sustained during 26 +/- 3 mo of follow-up.
      The results of this pilot trial suggest that thymosin therapy promotes disease
      remission and cessation of hepatitis B virus replication in patients with chronic
      viral infection.

PMID- 1874488
TI  - Effect of insulin and plasma amino acid concentration on leucine metabolism in
      cirrhosis.
AB  - Clinically stable patients with cirrhosis demonstrate insulin resistance with
      regard to glucose metabolism. However, much less is known about the two major
      factors, insulin and plasma amino acid concentration, that regulate protein
      metabolism in cirrhotic patients. To examine this question, we performed paired
      euglycemic insulin clamp studies in combination with 14C-leucine and indirect
      calorimetry. In the first study insulin alone was infused, and the plasma amino
      acid concentration was allowed to decline. During the second study a balanced
      amino acid solution was infused with insulin to increase the total plasma amino
      acid concentration approximately twofold. Insulin-mediated glucose disposal (4.68
      vs. 6.45 mg/kg-min, p less than 0.01) was significantly impaired by 30% in
      cirrhotic patients during both insulin clamp studies. In the postabsorptive
      state, cirrhotic patients manifested low plasma leucine (76 vs. 102 mumol/L) and
      alpha-ketoisocaproate (19 vs. 30 mumol/L) concentrations, but all parameters of
      leucine turnover were normal. When insulin alone was infused, the endogenous
      leucine flux (an index of protein degradation) declined similarly in cirrhotic
      patients (30.8 mumol/m2-min) and control (26.9) subjects, and this was
      accompanied by a similar decrease in plasma leucine concentration (31% vs. 33%).
      The decline in circulating leucine concentration was accompanied by a parallel
      decline in leucine oxidation (5.1 vs. 4.6 mumol/m2-min) and nonoxidative (28.9
      vs. 26.0 mumol/m2-min) leucine disposal, which were of similar magnitude in
      cirrhotic patients and control subjects, respectively. In both cirrhotic patients
      and control subjects, combined hyperinsulinemia/hyperaminoacidemia elicited a
      similar stimulation of nonoxidative leucine disposal (an index of protein
      synthesis) and leucine oxidation while causing a greater suppression of
      endogenous leucine flux than observed with insulin alone. Thus the suppressive
      effect of insulin on protein degradation and the stimulatory effect of
      insulin/amino acid infusion on protein synthesis are not impaired in cirrhotic
      patients, demonstrating a clear-cut dissociation between the effects of insulin
      on protein and glucose metabolism.

PMID- 1874489
TI  - Quantitative evaluation of parenchymal liver cell volume and total hepatocyte
      number in cirrhotic patients.
AB  - A simple morphometrical method was developed using a color image analyzing
      system, which allowed quantitative evaluation of parenchymal liver cell volume
      and total hepatocyte number in cirrhotic patients. With this method, we estimated
      these values in 29 cirrhotic patients who underwent hepatic resection (nine
      cases) or nonshunting operation (20 cases). Liver volume, calculated from
      computed tomographic images, was 976 +/- 196 cm3 (range = 602 to 1,376 cm3); the
      parenchymal cell volume ratio, obtained based on liver histological appearance
      with silver stain, was 0.665 +/- 0.092 (range = 0.510 to 0.881); and the
      parenchymal cell volume, calculated by multiplying the liver volume with the
      parenchymal cell volume ratio, was 645 +/- 140 cm3 (range = 403 to 936 cm3). The
      total hepatocyte number obtained in a similar manner using hematoxylin-stained
      specimens was 1.72 +/- 0.56 x 10(11) (range = 0.74 to 2.94 x 10(11)). The
      validity and applicability of the method is discussed, and the data are compared
      with those reported in other studies.

PMID- 1874490
TI  - The lack of relationship between hepatotoxicity and lithocholic-acid sulfation in
      biliary bile acids during chenodiol therapy in the National Cooperative Gallstone
      Study.
AB  - To test whether hepatotoxicity occurring in National Cooperative Gallstone Study
      patients was caused by a toxic effect of chenodiol per se or of lithocholate
      caused by defective sulfation, bile samples were analyzed using a new high
      performance liquid chromatography method that measures the proportions of the
      four individual lithocholate amidates (sulfated and unsulfated lithocholylglycine
      and lithocholyltaurine) and all common bile acid amidates. Samples were obtained
      from National Cooperative Gallstone Study patients (n = 17) with abnormal light
      microscopic liver biopsy results or major aminotransferase elevations and from a
      matched control group of patients (n = 14) who received similar chenodiol doses
      but had no evidence of liver injury. Bile samples from 45 healthy subjects were
      also analyzed. The analytical method was validated by showing that the percentage
      of chenodiol and cholic and deoxycholic acid obtained by high-performance liquid
      chromatography correlated highly (r greater than 0.94) with previous gas-liquid
      chromatography analyses of these samples by the National Cooperative Gallstone
      Study Reference Laboratory. No significant differences were seen between
      gallstone patients with and without evidence of liver injury for percent total
      lithocholate amidates, percent sulfated or unsulfated lithocholate amidates or
      percent chenodiol amidates. Lithocholate was partially sulfated in all bile
      samples (52% +/- 17% [mean +/- S.D., n = 50]), but the extent of sulfation varied
      widely between and within patients during the course of therapy. Mean values of
      healthy subjects were similar and also showed a wide range in the extent of
      lithocholate sulfation. It is concluded that (a) liver injury caused by these
      doses of chenodiol could not be attributed to the accumulation of unsulfated
      lithocholate per se in circulating bile acids; (b) liver injury appeared to be,
      directly or indirectly, caused by enrichment in circulating bile acids with
      chenodiol or chenodiol together with lithocholate, suggesting that the
      hepatocytes of those patients with hepatotoxicity were injured by the change
      induced in bile-acid metabolism by the feeding of chenodiol; and (c) about half
      of lithocholate amidates in bile samples were sulfated, but the extent of
      sulfation was highly variable both in gallstone patients and healthy subjects.

PMID- 1874491
TI  - Are patients with primary biliary cirrhosis hypermetabolic? A comparison between
      patients before and after liver transplantation and controls.
AB  - Wasting is common in end-stage primary biliary cirrhosis and causes concern in
      patients facing liver transplantation. We have quantified resting metabolic rate
      and diet-induced thermogenesis in seven patients with primary biliary cirrhosis,
      in seven patients after liver transplantation who had previously been diagnosed
      as having primary biliary cirrhosis and in seven controls. Resting metabolic rate
      was elevated in the primary biliary cirrhosis group (4.44 +/- 0.81 kJ/hr/kg body
      wt; mean +/- S.D.) compared with the post-liver-transplantation group (3.39 +/-
      0.40 kJ/hr/kg body wt) (p less than 0.005) and compared with control subjects
      (3.65 +/- 0.23 kJ/hr/kg body wt) (p less than 0.01). A highly significant
      relationship was found between the severity of liver disease in the primary
      biliary cirrhosis group, as assessed by Child-Pugh score, and the resting
      metabolic rate group (r = 0.93; p less than 0.005). After a liquid meal (41 kJ/kg
      body wt), the metabolic rate increased, with similar peak changes from baseline
      occurring in all three groups. However, the rise persisted significantly longer
      in the primary biliary cirrhosis patients, and thus the integrated mean
      postprandial energy expenditure over the 4-hr postprandial observation period was
      greater in the primary biliary cirrhosis group than in the other two groups (p
      less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874492
TI  - Sexual function and testosterone levels in men with nonalcoholic liver disease.
AB  - The effects of nonalcoholic liver disease on sexual desire, arousal, activity,
      orgasmic function and satisfaction and serum testosterone levels were studied in
      75 men with nonalcoholic liver disease. Each man was interviewed about his sexual
      behavior and problems and was asked to comment on whether he felt liver disease
      affected his sexual function. The average age of the patients was 49 yr, and a
      wide variety of liver diseases was represented. Child-Pugh grading was A in 51
      patients, B in 18 and C in 6; the mean duration of liver disease was 8 yr. Sexual
      desire, arousal and activity of patients with grade A disease were within the
      ranges observed in studies of healthy men of comparable age. Diminished sexual
      desire was reported by 2% of grade A patients and 35% of grade B and C patients
      (p less than 0.005). Arousal problems were noted by 16% of grade A patients, 60%
      of grade B patients and 67% of C patients (p less than 0.005). Loss of erection
      and inability to regain erection were noted by 7%, 40% and 67% of grade A, B and
      C patients, respectively (p less than 0.01). Premature and retarded ejaculation
      were more frequent in patients classed in Child-Pugh grades B and C. Frequency of
      coitus and orgasm were significantly higher in grade A patients than in grade B
      and C patients. Total and free testosterone levels were (in nanograms per
      milliliter) A, 677/1.78; B, 416/1.06; and C, 178/0.43 (p less than 0.002). We
      concluded that Child-Pugh grade A nonalcoholic liver disease in men does not
      affect sexual desire, function or performance. Men with disease grades B and C
      have significant sexual dysfunction and significant reduction of both total and
      free testosterone levels.

PMID- 1874493
TI  - Systemic, splanchnic and renal hemodynamic effects of a dopaminergic dose of
      dopamine in patients with cirrhosis.
AB  - The effects of dopamine on kidney function have not been elucidated in patients
      with cirrhosis. Moreover, although increased portal pressure has been observed
      with supradopaminergic doses of dopamine in these patients, the splanchnic
      hemodynamic effects of low doses of dopamine have not been previously studied.
      Thus we studied the acute systemic, splanchnic and renal hemodynamic effects of a
      dopaminergic dose of dopamine (1.5 micrograms/kg body wt min) in nine cirrhotic
      patients. Plasma dopamine levels increased markedly from 35 +/- 20 pg/ml to
      31,400 +/- 4,900 pg/ml during dopamine administration. A significant diastolic
      pressure decrease of 10% was associated with a 15% increase in heart rate.
      Cardiac output was not altered. Although dopamine significantly increased azygos
      blood flow by 16%, wedged and free hepatic venous pressures were not altered.
      Dopamine significantly increased renal blood flow by 31%, but did not change the
      glomerular filtration rate. We conclude that a dopaminergic dose of dopamine
      increases azygos blood flow but not the hepatic venous pressure gradient.
      Finally, although it increases renal blood flow, dopamine does not seem to have
      any beneficial effects on glomerular filtration rate in cirrhotic patients.

PMID- 1874494
TI  - Natural killer activity of human liver-derived lymphocytes in various liver
      diseases.
AB  - Liver-derived lymphocytes were isolated from 40 human livers with end-stage liver
      disease that were removed at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation. In
      addition, 10 resection specimens or whole livers removed from patients with liver
      cancer and seven normal livers (unused donor organs) were studied as controls.
      Liver-derived lymphocytes were isolated from enzymatically digested tissue by
      gradient centrifugation and adherence to plastic. Their phenotypical
      characteristics were studied by two-color flow cytometry, and effector cell
      function was determined in 4-hr 51Cr-release assays against a natural killer
      sensitive target, K562 (natural killer activity), natural killer-resistant Daudi
      line (lymphokine-activated killer activity) and by P815 line with or without
      phytohemagglutinin to assess lectin-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Liver
      derived lymphocytes isolated from normal liver contained equal proportions of T
      and natural killer lymphocytes (mean natural killer/T ratio = 0.7). CD3-CD56+CD16
      natural killer cells were the main natural killer subset present in liver
      derived lymphocytes, in contrast to the predominant natural killer phenotype in
      the circulation (CD56+CD16+). Control liver-derived lymphocytes had levels of
      cytotoxicity significantly greater than those of the normal peripheral-blood
      lymphocytes against all three targets. In contrast, liver-derived lymphocytes
      isolated from organs with advanced liver disease differed markedly in the natural
      killer/T cell ratio and levels of liver-derived lymphocyte cytotoxicity. Liver
      derived lymphocytes obtained from hepatocellular carcinoma or rejecting
      allografts treated by immunosuppressive therapy had virtually no
      cytotoxicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874495
TI  - Accurate prediction of death by serial determination of galactose elimination
      capacity in primary biliary cirrhosis: a comparison with the Mayo model.
AB  - We retrospectively analyzed the predictive accuracy of serial determinations of
      galactose elimination capacity in 61 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
      Death was predicted from the time that the regression line describing the decline
      in galactose elimination capacity vs. time intersected a value of 4 mg.min-1.kg
      1. Thirty-one patients exhibited decreasing galactose elimination capacity; in 11
      patients it remained stable and in 19 patients only one value was available.
      Among those patients with decreasing galactose elimination capacity, 10 died and
      three underwent liver transplantation; prediction of death was accurate to 7 +/-
      19 mo. This criterion incorrectly predicted death in two patients with portal
      vein thrombosis; otherwise, it did better than or as well as the Mayo clinic
      score. The latter was also tested on our patients and was found to adequately
      describe risk in yet another independent population of patients with primary
      biliary cirrhosis. Cox regression analysis selected only bilirubin and galactose
      elimination capacity, however, as independent predictors of death. We submit that
      serial determination of galactose elimination capacity in patients with primary
      biliary cirrhosis may be a useful adjunct to optimize the timing of liver
      transplantation and to evaluate new pharmacological treatment modalities of this
      disease.

PMID- 1874496
TI  - Sodium retention and hepatic function after two-thirds hepatectomy in the rat.
AB  - Recently it was suggested that the onset of sodium retention in experimental
      cirrhosis in rats is related to a critical threshold of hepatic function, as
      assessed by the aminopyrine breath test. The aim of this study was to evaluate
      whether sodium retention occurred after two-thirds hepatectomy in rats and to
      investigate the relationship between sodium retention and changes in hepatic
      function associated with liver regeneration in this model. Sodium balance,
      creatinine clearance, serum sodium and the aminopyrine rate constant of
      elimination were evaluated daily for 4 days after surgery in partially
      hepatectomized (n = 6) and sham-operated rats (n = 6). All rats in the partial
      hepatectomy group exhibited sodium retention (sodium balance greater than 0.7
      mmol/day) 24 hr after surgery. This was associated with a 62% reduction of the
      aminopyrine rate constant of elimination. Spontaneous natriuresis which occurred
      between 2 and 4 days after surgery, was associated with an increase in the
      aminopyrine rate constant of elimination (from 0.73 +/- 0.02 x 10(-2) min-1 on
      the last day of sodium retention to 0.95 +/- 0.04 x 10(-2) min-1 on the first day
      of natriuresis [p less than 0.05]). In contrast, no change in creatinine
      clearance occurred over the same period. A negative curvilinear association was
      found between sodium balance and the aminopyrine rate constant of elimination in
      all animals (r = -0.72, p less than 0.001). These observations indicate that
      natriuresis is related to the recovery of liver function, not to changes in
      creatinine clearance. In conclusion, the concept of a critical threshold of liver
      function below which sodium retention occurs has been substantiated in this model
      of hepatic dysfunction.

PMID- 1874497
TI  - Effect of cyclosporine and steroids on canine bile flow.
AB  - Cyclosporine and hydrocortisone are the main immunosuppressants used in
      transplant surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of
      intravenous administration of cyclosporine and hydrocortisone on bile flow in
      dogs. Cyclosporine in doses of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg.kg-1.hr-1 were administered
      along with 18 mumol/min intravenous sodium taurocholate to dogs with chronic
      biliary and gastric fistulas. Bile volume and bile chloride concentration and
      output were increased by cyclosporine in a dose-related manner, whereas bile salt
      concentration decreased and bile salt output was unchanged. Hydrocortisone
      produced small but significant increases in bile flow only at the highest dose of
      hydrocortisone administered. Subsequently, experiments were performed when sodium
      taurocholate was administered in progressively increasing doses (9, 18 and 36
      mumol/min), with the dose changed every hour. Bile volume, [14C]erythritol
      clearance in bile and bile salt concentrations were measured with and without
      cyclosporine and hydrocortisone administration. Cyclosporine increased the bile
      salt-independent fraction of canalicular bile flow and ductular bile flow.
      Experiments evaluating the role of the cyclosporine carrier polyoxyethylated
      castor oil (Cremophor EL) demonstrated that this substance had no independent
      choleretic activity, whereas cyclosporine dissolved in ethanol and administered
      without Cremophor EL significantly increased bile flow. The results of this study
      indicate that cyclosporine stimulates chloride-rich choleresis independent of
      bile salt secretion.

PMID- 1874498
TI  - Inhibition of glutathione synthesis in the liver leads to S-adenosyl-L-methionine
      synthetase reduction.
AB  - The hepatic levels of glutathione in rats treated with buthionine sulfoximine (4
      mmol/kg), an inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, were 72.5% +/- 4.9% of those
      determined in control animals. This decrease in glutathione concentration was
      prevented by the administration of glutathione monoethyl ester (7.5 mmol/kg). S
      Adenosyl-L-methionine-synthetase activity in the liver of rats treated with
      buthionine sulfoximine was 39.4% +/- 6.5% of that determined in control animals.
      Again, glutathione monoethyl ester prevented the effect of buthionine sulfoximine
      on S-adenosyl-L-methionine-synthetase activity. There was a close correlation (r
      = 0.936) between the hepatic levels of glutathione and S-adenosyl-L-methionine
      synthetase activity. The hepatic concentration of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in
      buthionine sulfoximine-treated animals was 59.7% +/- 3.7% of that measured in
      control rats. Contrasting with the protective effects mentioned above,
      glutathione monoester had no preventive action on buthionine sulfoximine-induced
      S-adenosyl-L-methionine depletion. Electron microscopic examination of liver
      samples of rats after buthionine sulfoximine administration showed evidence of
      liver degeneration, which was attenuated by glutathione monoethyl ester
      treatment. Glutathione (7.5 mmol/kg) treatment was less effective than
      glutathione monoethyl ester in attenuating buthionine sulfoximine effects on
      hepatic S-adenosyl-L-methionine metabolism and morphology. The reduction of S
      adenosyl-L-methionine-synthetase activity observed after treatment with
      buthionine sulfoximine and its prevention by glutathione monoethyl ester, as well
      as the correlation between the activity of this enzyme and glutathione levels,
      indicate that glutathione plays an important role in maintaining S-adenosyl-L
      methionine-synthetase activity in the liver.

PMID- 1874499
TI  - Vanadate inhibits glucose output from isolated perfused rat liver.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that vanadate ions mimic many of the actions
      of insulin in in vitro systems. Also, vanadate administered to diabetic
      hyperglycemic rats lowers their blood glucose levels to normal values. In this
      study we demonstrate that vanadate inhibits glucose output in the isolated
      perfused rat liver. Glucose production was suppressed maximally (about 50% to
      60%), on addition of extremely low vanadate ion concentrations (0.5 to 1
      mumol/L). This concentration is about two log units lower than the vanadate ion
      concentrations that are required to activate hexose uptake and glucose metabolism
      in vitro and is within the range of endogenous intracellular vanadium
      concentration. Insulin had little or no effect in inhibiting hepatic glucose
      output in this experimental system. The effect of vanadate ions is rapid in onset
      and is not accompanied by any signs of liver toxicity as assessed by various
      criteria. In conclusion, the study indicates that (a) vanadate ions inhibits
      hepatic glucose output, maximally and at extremely low, nontoxic concentrations
      (ID50 = 0.7 +/- 0.1 mumol/L). (b) The modulation action of the ion is fast and
      probably occurs at point(s) distal to the insulin receptor itself. (c) The liver
      participates in the process of maintaining euglycemia in diabetic rats receiving
      optimal doses of vanadate orally.

PMID- 1874500
TI  - Mechanisms and regulation of bile secretion.

PMID- 1874501
TI  - Treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

PMID- 1874502
TI  - Split-liver transplantation: one plus one doesn't always equal two.

PMID- 1874503
TI  - Is intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunting and hypoxemia a contraindication for
      liver transplantation?

PMID- 1874504
TI  - CEOs outline changes in collaboration.

PMID- 1874505
TI  - Annual survey: incentive plans on the rise in hospitals.
AB  - Long a fixture in other fields, incentive plans are becoming much more common-
      and are being received more favorably--in the health care sector. Hospitals are
      implementing incentive compensation plans at an explosive rate, according to the
      1991 Hay Hospital Management/Professional Survey of compensation and benefits
      data from over 1,200 U.S. hospitals. The survey also looks at compensation's link
      to organizational performance and gives a list of average base salaries and total
      cash compensation for a number of health care positions. Learn the latest trends,
      exclusively in Hospitals.

PMID- 1874506
TI  - Outpatient bundling regulation would be costly for hospitals.
AB  - A new federal outpatient bundling regulation could plunge hospitals into a costly
      billing and administrative nightmare. Among its provisions, hospitals would be
      required to bill Medicare for diagnostic procedures or tests provided to
      outpatients by outside suppliers--even if provided outside hospitals' outpatient
      departments.

PMID- 1874507
TI  - Foster McGaw winner: size no barrier to this hospital's outreach.
AB  - Franklin (NH) Regional Hospital is a tiny rural provider with a huge commitment
      to its community. In the past five years, the 49-bed hospital has pumped nearly
      $1 million into social and educational programs. The ambitious outreach effort is
      a key reason why Franklin recently won the Foster G. McGaw Prize, presented by
      the Baxter Foundation, Deerfield, IL, and the AHA.

PMID- 1874508
TI  - Exploring options in patient entertainment.

PMID- 1874509
TI  - Suppliers tackle hospital labor shortage.

PMID- 1874510
TI  - Bond insurance flood unlikely to abate soon.

PMID- 1874511
TI  - Outpatient clinic payment plan poses challenges.

PMID- 1874512
TI  - Preventing board conflict over mission, margin.

PMID- 1874513
TI  - Two hospitals share data services, save millions.

PMID- 1874514
TI  - Hospitals must regain the public's trust.

PMID- 1874515
TI  - Aglycosylated chimeric mouse/human IgG1 antibody retains some effector function.
AB  - The N-linked carbohydrate attachment site of human IgG1 Ab has been eliminated by
      site-directed mutagenesis. Effector functions of aglycosylated Ab was then
      compared to its native counterpart. Aglycosylated Ab failed to exhibit any ADCC
      activity, but a significant level of CDC activity was retained by the
      aglycosylated Ab. These observations differ from those reported previously. Serum
      half-life and biodistribution of aglycosylated Ab in mice were comparable to the
      native Ab. Together, these results show that some, but not all, effector
      functions of a human IgG1 Ab are affected by aglycosylation.

PMID- 1874516
TI  - In vitro immunization of human tonsilar lymphocytes: effects of PWM and rIL-6.
AB  - We previously described a system for the in vitro immunization of human tonsilar
      lymphocytes under serum-free conditions in the presence of muramyl dipeptide and
      rIL-2 (1). Further studies with this system reveal possible roles for PWM and rIL
      6 in the immunization process. The addition of these factors led to an increase
      in the levels of antibody produced in lymphocyte cultures. The time of addition
      of these factors was found to be important in determining the extent of their
      effects on the overall yields of antigen-reactive cells.

PMID- 1874517
TI  - Characterization and heterogeneity of monoclonal antibodies directed to
      intestinal mucin derived from Crohn's disease small bowel.
AB  - A panel of 12 monoclonal antibodies were produced by immunization of Balb/c mice
      with small bowel epithelial cells obtained from a patient with active well
      documented Crohn's disease. The clones were derived by screening with
      immunofluorescence microscopy; those with staining patterns suggestive of mucin
      directed epitopes were chosen for study. Several distinct patterns of staining
      reactivity were noted, including reagents with homogeneous, luminal,
      heterogeneous and peripheral goblet cell activity. In addition, SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting analysis
      revealed reactivity to high molecular weight mucin. The reactive antigen was
      resistant to proteinase digestion. No endoneuraminidase activity was detected;
      however, one neuraminidase sensitive sialic acid epitope was demonstrated.
      Confirmation of glycoprotein epitopes was accomplished by testing purified mucins
      from several areas of the gastrointestinal tract by ELISA. Finally, individual
      small bowel goblet cell heterogeneity was demonstrated by immunofluorescence,
      Western blotting, and antibody affinity chromatography. These data demonstrate
      both by morphology and specific binding of antibody affinity chromatography a
      significant degree of small bowel goblet cell mucin heterogeneity.

PMID- 1874518
TI  - Characterization of Pgp-1 antigen on murine B lymphocytes using a new anti-Pgp-1
      monoclonal antibody.

PMID- 1874519
TI  - Use of sulfonation method to determine DNA contamination of cell cultured
      monoclonal antibodies produced for human therapeutics.
AB  - In the past few years, culture of transformed mammalian cells has been widely
      used to produce natural or recombinant molecules, as monoclonal antibodies (MAb)
      and cytokines. For therapeutic use, the cellular DNA level must be determined. A
      number of techniques have been developed to measure the DNA content, based on
      sequential extraction blotting and hybridization with a labeled DNA probe. The
      sulphonate marker has been recently introduced by PBS-Orgenics; it allows the
      determination of picograms (pg) quantities of purified DNA. However, it is not
      simple to measure in complex biological samples especially when a large amount of
      protein is present. In considering the following points: 1. Precautions in
      handling the samples at different steps of preparation; 2. Modifications of the
      original technique 3. Concentration of samples expected at very low level, we are
      able to dose up to 2 pg of contaminant DNA per mg of MAb with a satisfactory
      reproducibility and reliability. This level is required not only to qualify final
      MAb but also to evaluate the efficiency of the purification process. Efforts are
      being made to achieve a better sensitivity.

PMID- 1874520
TI  - Impedance cardiography using band and regional electrodes in supine, sitting, and
      during exercise.
AB  - The electrical impedance and its first derivative (dZ/dt) were measured at 100
      kHz on 10 normal males in supine, sitting, and during upright bicycle exercise in
      order to compare the contribution of regional electrodes to the standard band
      electrode signal and to evaluate the possible use of spot electrodes for stroke
      volume (SV) measurements. Simultaneous measurements were made from band
      electrodes placed around the neck and lower thorax and from spot electrodes which
      recorded signals from the neck, upper thorax, and lower thorax. The results
      showed that approximately equal parts of the dZ/dt waveform came from the neck
      and upper thorax with the lower thorax contribution small but providing important
      features of the band signal. Changing from supine to sitting showed percentage
      decreases of 35% and 46% for the band and neck signals, respectively, with an
      increase of 19% for the upper thorax signal. The percentage increases in SV with
      upright exercise were 34%, 52%, and 24% for the bands, neck, and upper thorax
      signals, respectively. Band signal is made up of different signals from various
      regions of the thorax. Its ability to predict correct changes in SV may result
      from some "lucky" coincidences. The use of regional electrodes will probably not
      give the same SV information but may be important in measuring regional
      activities of the central circulation.

PMID- 1874521
TI  - In vitro measurement and characterization of current density profiles produced by
      non-recessed, simple recessed, and radially varying recessed stimulating
      electrodes.
AB  - Potential fields induced by nonrecessed, simple recessed, and radially varying
      recessed electrode designs were measured in vitro. Comparison of experimental
      results with theoretical analyses substantiated the experimental measurement
      technique and emphasized the importance of considering both nonuniform charge
      injection and surface electrochemistry when designing implantable stimulating
      electrodes. Radially varying recesses produced uniform charge injection at the
      electrode surface and at the aperture-tissue interface. In general, the radially
      varying recessed electrodes provided a combination of uniform charge injection
      and flexibility in design and fabrication that warrants their incorporation into
      all appropriate planar stimulating electrode designs.

PMID- 1874522
TI  - The potential distribution generated by surface electrodes in inhomogeneous
      volume conductors of arbitrary shape.
AB  - The use of the boundary element technique in the computation of the potential
      distribution within isotropic inhomogeneous volume conductors of arbitrary shape
      set up by current injected through surface electrodes is presented. The derived
      algorithm is validated by comparing its solution to analytical solutions in the
      case of a concentric bipolar electrode configuration on a homogeneous, spherical
      volume conductor. This problem is essentially a mixed boundary value problem. It
      is shown that approximations by treating this problem as a Neumann problem, which
      have recently appeared in the literature, are valid for remote field points only.
      Applications to the modeling of the field of cardiac defibrillation electrodes
      are presented.

PMID- 1874523
TI  - Prediction of magnetically induced electric fields in biological tissue.
AB  - There are many potential medical applications in which it is desirable to
      noninvasively induce electric fields. One such application that serves as the
      backdrop of this work is that of stimulating neurons in the brain. The magnetic
      fields necessary must be quite high in magnitude, and fluctuate rapidly in time
      to induce the internal electric fields necessary for stimulation. Attention is
      focused on the calculation of the induced electric fields commensurate with
      rapidly changing magnetic fields in biological tissue. The problem is not a true
      eddy current problem in that the magnetic fields induced do not influence the
      source fields. Two techniques are introduced for numerically predicting the
      fields, each employing a different gauge for the potentials used to represent the
      electric field. The first method employs a current vector potential (analogous to
      A in classical magnetic field theory where DEL x A = B) and is best suited to two
      dimensional (2-D) models. The second represents the electric field as the sum of
      a vector plus the gradient of a scalar field; because the vector can be
      determined quickly using Biot Savart (which for circular coils degenerates to an
      efficient evaluation employing elliptic integrals), the numerical model is a
      scalar problem even in the most complicated three dimensional geometry. These two
      models are solved for the case of a circular current carrying coil near a
      conducting body with sharp corners.

PMID- 1874524
TI  - Finite-difference time-domain calculations of absorbed power in the ankle for 10
      100 MHz plane wave exposure.
AB  - This paper presents finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations of the
      short-circuit current and the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) in the ankle.
      Plane wave exposures from 10 to 100 MHz for an adult, a 10-year old and 5-year
      old are considered. The calculations are performed in two parts. Firstly, the
      coupling between a homogeneous whole body phantom and the applied field is
      calculated. The region around a lower leg is then expanded, the leg being
      described by a realistic fine-scale, heterogeneous model. Tangential electric
      field components from the first part are used as boundary conditions on the
      reduced domain of the second part. Electric field values based on a maximum SAR
      of 20 W . kg-1 are presented.

PMID- 1874525
TI  - Recursive parameter identification of constrained systems: an application to
      electrically stimulated muscle.
AB  - In the application of real-time identification methods for diagnosis or adaptive
      control of biomedical systems, there is often known model information that is
      ignored. Constraints on the allowable values of parameters, which may be based on
      physical considerations, are often neglected because the information does "fit"
      easily into commonly used parameter-identification algorithms. In this paper a
      method of incorporating constraints on model parameters is developed. This method
      is applicable to most recursive parameter-identification algorithms. It enforces
      linear equality constraints on identified parameters. The use of this method for
      the real-time identification of autoregressive moving-average-type time series
      models, subject to parameter constraints, is described in detail. These
      constraints may be time varying. At each time step, the parameter estimate
      obtained by a recursive least squares estimator is orthogonally projected onto
      the constraint surface. This simple idea, when appropriately executed, enhances
      the output prediction accuracy of estimated parameters. Using constraint
      information in this way is important when we do not wish to destroy a "natural"
      parameterization of the model (by an initial projection to incorporate equality
      constraints), or when we cannot use a single initial model simplification
      (because the constraints are time varying or involve inputs and outputs). Because
      it improves output prediction at future times, this method is advantageous for
      use in predictive adaptive controllers. The use of this algorithm is demonstrated
      in the identification of electrically stimulated quadriceps muscles in paraplegic
      human subjects, using percutaneous intramuscular electrodes. The nonlinear steady
      state force versus pulsewidth recruitment characteristic of the electrode-muscle
      system is identified simultaneously with the input-output muscle response
      dynamics, using a Hammerstein-type model. Knowledge of the recruitment curve's
      shape is translated into constraints on the identified parameters. This
      information improves the experimental predictive quality of the identified model.

PMID- 1874526
TI  - A method for evaluating the selectivity of electrodes implanted for nerve
      simulation.
AB  - The scale of stimulating electrodes possible for use in functional electrical
      stimulation to restore motor and sensory function is rapidly approaching that of
      individual neurons. Although the electrodes may approach the dimensions of single
      nerve cells, it is unclear if the region of excitation elicited by each electrode
      will be correspondingly small. Previous techniques for evaluating this have
      either been tedious or have lacked the resolution necessary. This paper describes
      a method that uses the refractory interaction of the compound action potentials
      elicited by a stimulus pulse pair, along with high-resolution recording of those
      potentials, to achieve measurements of the selectivity of stimulation down to the
      scale of a few axon diameters. The feasibility of this technique is demonstrated
      in sciatic nerves of frogs (Rana Catesbiana) acutely implanted with a sapphire
      electrode array.

PMID- 1874527
TI  - Air cooling for an interstitial microwave hyperthermia antenna: theory and
      experiment.
AB  - Microwave antennas are inserted through brachytherapy catheters implanted in a
      tumor to deliver interstitial hyperthermia cancer therapy. Theoretical
      calculations show that a cooling rate on the order of 0.1 W/cm length of catheter
      will significantly improve the radial uniformity of the temperature distribution
      of single antennas or arrays. Experiments and theoretical calculations show that
      air passing through the annulus between the antenna and the catheter at 10 L/min
      or less will produce such a cooling rate in a 2.2-mm OD catheter that has both
      ends accessible. To maintain uniformity of cooling rate along the catheter, it is
      better to control the cooling rate by preheating the air entering the catheter to
      30-40 degrees C than it is to control the flow rate of room-temperature air.
      Ohmic heating of the antenna feedline does not confound the air cooling action
      significantly.

PMID- 1874528
TI  - A blind mobility aid modeled after echolocation of bats.
AB  - A new model of a mobility aid for the blind was designed using microprocessor and
      ultrasonic devices. This mobility aid was evaluated based on psychophysical
      experiments. In this model, a downswept FM ultrasound signal is emitted from a
      transmitting array with broad directional characteristics in order to detect
      obstacles. The ultrasound reflections from the obstacles are picked up by a two
      channel receiver. The frequency of the emitted ultrasound is swept from 70 to 40
      kHz within 1 ms, so it has almost the same characteristics as the ultrasound a
      bat produces for echolocation. The frequency of the reflected ultrasound wave is
      down converted by about 50:1 by using a microcomputer with A/D and D/A
      converters. These audible waves are then presented binaurally through earphones.
      In this method obstacles may be perceived as localized sound images corresponding
      to the direction and the size of the obstacles. From the results of
      psychophysical experiments, it was found that downswept FM ultrasound was
      superior for the recognition of small obstacles compared to other ultrasonic
      schemes. With it a blind person can recognize a 1-mm-diameter wire. It was also
      proved that the blind could discriminate between several obstacles at the same
      time without any virtual images. This mobility aid, modeled after the bat's
      echolocation system, is very effective at detecting small obstacles placed in
      front of the head.

PMID- 1874529
TI  - Magnetic search coil system for linear detection of three-dimensional angular
      movements.
AB  - The design of a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic field search coil system based on
      the phase detection principle is described. The system was developed to record
      horizontal and vertical eye and head movements of small, unrestrained laboratory
      animals. It is also applicable for measuring three-dimensional (3D) eye and head
      movements in primates and man. The output is linear over 355 degrees in the
      horizontal plane and over +/- 60 degrees in the vertical direction. The procedure
      of recording 3D eye and head movements is discussed.

PMID- 1874530
TI  - Design and validation of the transparent oxygen sensor array.
AB  - A new oxygen monitoring system has been developed that consists of an array of
      transparent, independently-connected oxygen sensors mounted on a glass plate.
      This system is intended for continuous monitoring of oxygen at multiple locations
      on the surface of exteriorized tissues, while simultaneously visualizing
      microvascular activity. The sensor array is fabricated by techniques similar to
      those employed for semiconductors, which facilitate customization of sensor size
      and pattern to best monitor oxygen in a given physiologic preparation. Methods
      are described for characterizing the performance of the sensor array in vitro,
      including studies on the oxygen sensitivity, stability of the signal, and
      detection of oxygen gradients. An example of in vivo application of the sensor
      array is also presented.

PMID- 1874531
TI  - Reconstruction of sequential cardiac in-plane displacement patterns on the chest
      wall by laser speckle interferometry.
AB  - Time-average speckle interferometry has been applied to obtain displacement
      patterns on the chest wall produced by cardiac action, in the absence of
      breathing, during various phases of the cardiac cycle. This has been achieved by
      an electronic shutter, controlled by the electrocardiogram of the subject. The
      recorded holographic plates processed under identical conditions are scanned by
      the pointwise method to obtain the absolute displacements at various locations
      corresponding to the activities of the various cardiac chambers and values. These
      data are transformed to a 40 x 30 matrix by an interpolation method and, from
      this, three-dimensional displacement plots are reconstructed by an IBM PC/AT
      computer. These patterns shown the displacements over the entire cardiac area
      corresponding to the activities of various regions during the cardiac cycle. The
      apex and aortic valve areas show the maximum displacements during the systolic
      phase. During the diastolic phase the activities over the low pressure atrial
      regions are also observed. The results obtained outline the functional details of
      the normal heart and the activities over various areas are in agreement with that
      of other noncontact techniques.

PMID- 1874532
TI  - A fast and simple algorithm for the calculation of convective heat transfer by
      large vessels in three-dimensional inhomogeneous tissues.
AB  - A fast and simple algorithm has been presented for the calculation of time
      dependent temperature distributions in inhomogeneous vascularized tissue. Three
      dimensional anatomical data of tissues and vessel structures are decomposed into
      elementary cubic nodes by a special digitizing routine with vessels represented
      by connected strings of vessel nodes. Vessel cross sections may be irregular
      shaped and/or tapered. Conductive and convective heat transfer was calculated
      through use of the heat balance technique on each cubic node resulting in an
      explicit finite difference computational scheme. Employing a three time level
      scheme, the Fourier stability criterion is circumvented allowing arbitrary time
      steps to be defined in the algorithm. Time steps as large as 100 times the
      Fourier restricted one still result in stable and convergent calculations of the
      stationary temperature distribution. Vessels with different flows and diameters
      are incorporated by performing a vessel specific second discretization step in
      time. Using the new algorithm as a mathematical tool the thermal equilibration
      length of vessel segments have been established under a broad range of
      geometrical and flow conditions. Validation followed from comparing transient and
      stationary temperature distributions derived by the proposed algorithm to those
      from an accurate cylindrical numerical model. Predicted values for the thermal
      equilibration lengths are compared to an analytical expression and phantom
      experiments. The algorithm is incorporated in a thermal model being the main part
      of our hyperthermia treatment planning system.

PMID- 1874533
TI  - A pseudomatched filter model applied to the transient system of human vision.
AB  - A pseudomatched filter configuration is presented as a model for the transient
      system of the human visual perception. This model has resemblances to the
      Reichardt [1] and the Rashbass [2] model, but on the other hand the pseudomatched
      filter model is linear. The choice of the model is based on the shape of the
      psychophysically measured impulse response and on physiological and functional
      arguments. The parameters of the model are estimated for different data sets. The
      behavior of the model agrees with the experimental data in all essential aspects,
      and can be used for prediction and further modeling of the human visual system.

PMID- 1874534
TI  - Influence of thyroidectomy on seminal vesicular glycosidases of young albino
      rats.
AB  - Impact of thyroidectomy (hypothyroidism) on few glycosidases was studied in the
      seminal vesicles of young albino rats. Thyroidectomy was performed at 30 days
      post partum. Seminal vesicular beta-D-glucosidase, beta-D-galactosidase, and N
      acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminidase exhibited a similar response of decreased
      activities under short- (30 days) and long-term (60 days) hypothyroid conditions.
      On the other hand, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase registered a temporal biphasic
      response of increased and decreased activities in the seminal vesicles of rats
      subjected to short- and long-term hypothyroidism, respectively. The data obtained
      in the present study suggest that thyroid hormones have specific influences on
      different glycosidases in the seminal vesicles of rats and euthyroid status is
      essential for the maintenance of normal activities of these enzymes.

PMID- 1874535
TI  - Chicken erythrocyte membrane: lipid profile and enzymatic activity under
      lanthanum chloride and neodymium chloride administration.
AB  - Acute single dose (ip) administration of two rare earth elements like lanthanum
      chloride (250 mg/kg body wt) and neodymium chloride (200 mg/kg body wt) to chicks
      have been found to reduce the activity of certain erythrocyte membrane bound
      enzymes, viz. acetylcholinesterase, NADH dehydrogenase, Mg(2+)-ATPase, p
      nitrophenyl phosphatase. Erythrocyte membrane bound glycosidases e.g. beta-D
      glucosidase, beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase were also reduced.
      Other components such as cholesterol and phospholipid residues were reduced but
      their ratio (cholesterol/phospholipid) remaining unchanged. Membrane sulfhydryl
      groups were also significantly inhibited by these rare earth elements.

PMID- 1874536
TI  - Antiulcerogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of emodin, isolated from Rhamnus
      triquerta wall.
AB  - Emodin, an anthraquinone derivative, isolated from the whole plant of R.
      triquerta, in 15 mg/kg dose (ip) exhibited anti-inflammatory activity against
      carrageenin-induced pedal inflammation in rats. In the same dosage it also showed
      antiulcer activity against 4 hr pylorus-ligated, aspirin and immobilization
      stress-induced gastric ulcers in rats. It decreased acid and pepsin output and
      augmented mucus secretion in terms of total carbohydrate: protein ratio in the
      gastric juice of aspirin treated pylorus-ligated rats, indicating that the
      antiulcerogenic effect of emodin may be due to its effect on gastric secretion.

PMID- 1874537
TI  - Effects of stress on immune responsiveness, gastric ulcerogenesis and plasma
      corticosterone in rats: modulation by diazepam and naltrexone.
AB  - Effects of restraint stress (24 hr at room temperature) were evaluated on some
      immunological, visceral and endocrinal responses in rats. In animals sensitized
      with sheep RBC (SRBC), restraint stress (a) prevented the booster-induced rise in
      anti-SRBC antibody titre, (b) induced gastric mucosal erosions, and (c) elevated
      plasma corticosterone, when compared to non-stressed controls. Diazepam (1 or 10
      mg/kg) consistently attenuated the effects of stress on all three parameters
      studied. The opioid antagonist, naltrexone (1 or 5 mg/kg) tended to aggravate
      these stress-induced effects. These concurrent biological changes during stress
      and their modulation by drugs are discussed in light of a possible correlation
      between endocrinal, immunological and visceral changes during such aversive
      stimuli.

PMID- 1874538
TI  - Effects of muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists on response of non
      extensor rats to maximal electroshock.
AB  - Rats which do not respond consistently to maximal electroshock by exhibiting the
      classical hindlimb extensor response, are designated as 'flexors', and can serve
      as a useful experimental model for investigating seizure mechanisms. 20-25%
      Charles Foster rats exhibit the flexor status and were used in this study. The
      flexor rats were converted to extensors by acetylcholine (icv), physostigmine
      (ip) and the selective muscarinic M1 receptor agonists, arecholine (ip) and McN-A
      343 (icv). This conversion of flexors to extensors was significantly attenuated
      by M1 receptor antagonists scopolamine (ip) and pirenzepine (icv). The M2
      receptor agonist, carbachol (icv), had no effect in lower doses but induced
      conversion of flexor rats to the extensor status only in very high doses which
      may be due to loss of receptor specificity on dose increment. The M2 receptor
      antagonists, gallamine (icv) and AF-DX 116 (ip), also induced significant
      conversion of flexors to extensors, which was dependent upon the availability of
      neuronal acetylcholine since the effects were attenuated following pretreatment
      with hemicholinium, an inhibitor of acetylcholine synthesis. The results suggest
      that the central cholinergic system has a facilitatory pro-convulsant effect,
      mediated through the muscarinic M1 receptors, an action modulated by the M2
      receptors.

PMID- 1874539
TI  - Effect of ethanol administration on metabolism of lipids in heart and aorta in
      isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats.
AB  - Effect of ethanol administration on the severity of myocardial infarction induced
      by isoproterenol in rats was studied. Even though serum CPK and GOT levels as
      well as the extent of myocardial damage as revealed by histopathological studies,
      were similar, the survival rate was higher in rats administered ethanol.
      Concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum and heart in rats
      given ethanol and isoproterenol seems to be the additive effect caused
      individually by ethanol and isoproterenol. Myocardial alcohol dehydrogenase and
      aldehyde dehydrogenase both showed increased activity in rats treated with
      ethanol. The rate of recovery from myocardial infarction however, was slower in
      rats treated with ethanol as judged from the serum CPK value.

PMID- 1874540
TI  - Species difference in intestinal drug metabolising enzymes in mouse, rat and
      hamster and their inducibility by masheri, a pyrolysed tobacco product.
AB  - Activities of several drug metabolising enzymes in the small intestine were
      investigated in Swiss mice, Sprague Dawley rats and Syrian Golden Hamsters fed
      10% masheri, a pyrolysed tobacco product, in diet, for 20 months. The basal
      levels of enzymes in proximal (PI), medium (MI) and distal (DI) parts of the
      intestine in the three species were similar. However, the levels of cytochrome P
      450, benzo(a) pyrene hydroxylase (B(a)OH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST)
      were highest in hamsters followed by rat and mice. Upon treatment with masheri,
      significant induction of cytochrome P-450 and B(a)PH was observed in PI and DI of
      all the three species. However, GSH and GST was depleted upon masheri treatment
      in all the three species again only in proximal and distal parts of the
      intestine. Thus increase in activating enzymes together with depletion in GSH-GST
      system upon exposure could be an important factor in the susceptibility of the
      small intestine to hazardous xenobiotic exposure.

PMID- 1874541
TI  - Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria.
AB  - Plasmodium knowlesi infected rhesus monkeys were employed for investigating brain
      tissue damage in experimentally induced cerebral malaria. Light microscopic
      studies revealed parasitic infiltration of virtually all the regions of CNS.
      Electron microscopic observations confirmed the light microscopic findings. These
      studies further revealed the presence of macrophages in the blood vessels of
      infected monkeys. In conclusion, the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria seems to be
      an outcome of a typical triad consisting of: (1) mechanical obstruction of the
      blood capillaries by parasitized RBCs; (2) biochemical events, involving free
      radicals, and (3) immunological dysfunction.

PMID- 1874542
TI  - Comparison of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in healthy and atretic
      follicles in rat ovary.
AB  - Changes in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity have been determined in
      relation to atresia of Graafian follicles in the rat ovary. Induction of atresia
      in follicles either due to absence of hCG in the hormonally stimulated immature
      ovaries or by repeated injections of pentobarbitone sodium to proestrous rats
      caused significant rise in the enzyme activity. Measurement of enzyme activity in
      isolated follicular compartments of healthy and atretic follicles revealed that
      it is significantly higher in the thecal tissue than the granulosa. Increase in
      enzyme activity in the atretic follicles than the healthy ones occurs due to its
      rise both in theca and granulosa cells. The significance of these changes in the
      enzyme activity in healthy and atretic follicles are discussed in relation to the
      precocious luteinization of cells in the follicular envelope with the onset of
      atresia.

PMID- 1874543
TI  - Effect of pinealectomy on daily rhythm of blood glucose in rabbits.
AB  - Daily rhythm of blood glucose was studied in superior cervical ganglionectomized
      (SCGX), sham operated and normal rabbits. A typical daily rhythm was observed in
      normal animals which was not influenced by surgical procedures. However,
      ganglionectomy, which tantamount to physiological elimination of pineal gland,
      caused complete reversal of this rhythm. Probable role of pineal gland in
      controlling blood glucose daily rhythm is suggested.

PMID- 1874544
TI  - Intraperitoneal toxicity of pea and lentil lectins in albino rats--effect on
      growth and osmotic fragility of erythrocytes.
AB  - Lectins from peas and lentils when injected to rats apparently appeared to be non
      toxic but they caused growth depression. The organ weights were not affected
      except spleen enlargement. The lectins also caused increased osmotic fragility of
      erythrocytes without affecting other hematological parameters such as
      haemoglobin, packed cell volume, and RBC count.

PMID- 1874545
TI  - Bioconversion of quininone to quinidine by resting cells of Hansenula anomala
      var. schneggii.

PMID- 1874546
TI  - Dextran sulfate induced suppression of Plasmodium berghei parasitaemia.
AB  - Effect of dextran sulfate (DS, Mr 500,000) on parasitaemia in mice (Balb/c)
      infected with erythrocytic stage of P. berghei was investigated. Intraperitoneal
      injection of DS caused marked suppression of patent parasitaemia and also
      enhanced the survival time of the infected animals.

PMID- 1874547
TI  - Effect of liver extract on growth of Plasmodium vivax in vitro.

PMID- 1874548
TI  - Binding affinity of leucine-containing chromatin proteins to the polytene X
      chromosome of Drosophila hydei and its significance.
AB  - Association of newly synthesised non-histone chromosomal protein to the polytene
      X chromosome of larval salivary glands of D. hydei has been examined by
      autoradiographic procedure using 3H-leucine. It has been observed that 3H-leucine
      labelling pattern is inhibited in presence of puromycin. Results further reveal
      that there is a reasonable concordance between the binding affinity of newly
      synthesized protein on the single X chromosome of the male and paired X's of the
      female. A sitewise analysis of 3H-leucine labelling reveals that although 3H
      leucine incorporation pattern are not strictly comparable with 3H-RNA synthesis
      pattern observed under in vivo transcription condition, the labelling pattern
      with 3H-leucine are not merely the reflection of mass distribution of protein in
      the polytene chromosomes. Certain aspects of regulation in the organisation of
      male and female X chromosome in Drosophila by de novo synthesis of protein are
      discussed.

PMID- 1874549
TI  - Synergistic effect of heat-shock and UV-irradiation on mitosis and protein
      synthesis in G2-phase plasmodia of Physarum polycephalum Schw--reduction in UV
      induced mitotic delay in a preheat-shocked system.
AB  - The synergistic effect of UV irradiation and heat-shock during the last 3 hr of
      G2 phase of the cell cycle in the plasmodia of P. polycephalum, in terms of
      mitotic delay and inhibition of protein synthesis, has been evaluated. The
      mitotic delay due to both perturbers coordinately increased closer to mitosis.
      Maximum mitotic delay was obtained in plasmodia heat-shocked after UV
      irradiation, indicating the presence in this system of either a heat-labile
      mitogenic substance which is comparatively less susceptible to UV or a substance
      which is made more susceptible to hyperthermia by UV. A protective role for heat
      shock applied before irradiation has been observed in that, radiation-induced
      mitotic delay is significantly reduced in this combination. There was severe
      inhibition of translation in all the perturbed classes. Organelle level effects
      which are independent of major protein synthetic activities or different levels
      of heat-shock protein production could be the reason for the lack of correlation
      between percentage inhibition of general protein synthesis and the extent of
      mitotic delay with respect to the two double-perturbed systems.

PMID- 1874550
TI  - Antigen sharing of Salmonella typhi non-flagellar proteins with other salmonellae
      and some shigellae and Escherichia coli.
AB  - Cathodal moving protein components were identified in agarose gel electrophoresis
      of the Veronal buffer extract of a non-motile strain of S. typhi (8393,
      Colindale). Rabbit antiserum was raised against these cationic proteins; it had
      both agglutinating and precipitating activity. A total of 80 salmonella strains
      belonging to serogroups A, B, C1, C2, D, E1 and E2 including 26 S. typhi and 10
      S. paratyphi A were tested against this antiserum in a slide agglutination test;
      all strains were agglutinated. Among 94 other bacterial strains tested, the
      antiserum agglutinated all 16 strains of Shigella flexneri, 2 of 5 Shigella
      sonnei, 5 of 34 E. coli and 1 of 8 Citrobacter species. These results show that
      there is antigenic sharing of the non-flagellar proteins of S. typhi with many
      other salmonellae as well as with some shigellae and E. coli.

PMID- 1874551
TI  - Effect of 12 hr temporal relation of serotonin and dopamine precursor drugs (5
      HTP and L-DOPA) on photosexual responses of immature Japanese quail.
AB  - To study the interaction of photoperiod and circadian neurotransmitter activity,
      L-DOPA L-dihydroxyphenylalanine, dopamine precursor) was administered daily, 12
      hr after 5-HTP (5-hydroxy tryptophan, serotonin precursor) in sexually immature
      Japanese quail, raised under short photoperiod (LD8:16) since hatching. The 12 hr
      treatment of 5-HTP and L-DOPA was given under continuous condition of light for
      11 days. After treatment the quail were transferred to intermediate day length
      (LD 13.5:10.5). The cloacal gland size of drug treated group increased
      significantly in comparison to control. The quail were then transferred to short
      photoperiod (LD 8:16). The cloacal gland size of both the groups started
      decreasing gradually but the rate was significantly low in drug treated quail in
      comparison to control. The results indicate that the endogenous mechanism
      controlling seasonality may be reset by drugs that influence serotonergic and
      dopaminergic activity. The 12 hr relation between the two drugs is stimulatory
      for gonadal growth under intermediate day length and retards the rate of
      regression when transferred to short days.

PMID- 1874552
TI  - Suppression of Con A induced lymphocyte transformation by sera from filarial
      patients with clinical manifestations.
AB  - Reduced lymphocyte transformation to Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae excretory
      secretory antigen and Con A were observed in clinical filarial patients. Pre
      incubation of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with sera from
      filarial patients with clinical manifestations such as hydrocele and
      elephantiasis suppressed Con A induced responses. Effect of fractionated clinical
      filarial serum on Con A induced lymphocyte transformation showed that the
      inhibitory activity was associated with high molecular weight serum fraction.

PMID- 1874553
TI  - Histaminergic mechanisms in experimental convulsions.
AB  - Effect of some histamine (HA) agonists and antagonists were assessed on
      electroshock (MES) convulsions in mice and rats. In mice, pretreatment with the
      HA precursor, l-histidine (100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) precipitated seizures after a
      subthreshold (30 mA) stimulus. Both incidence (%) and tonic hind limb extensor
      phase (THE) were more than that in vehicle treated controls. The H1 blockers,
      pheniramine (25 mg/kg) and promethazine (25 mg/kg) both protected against (60 mA)
      MES and both incidence of convulsions and THE were reduced. A similar protective
      effect was not seen with either the H2 blocker, cimetidine (up to 200 mg/kg), or
      atropine (1 mg/kg). In rats, both the classical antihistamines blocked MES
      seizures, whereas, the H2-blocker, cimetidine, and atropine were, ineffective.
      Further, both H1 blockers were ineffective in antagonizing seizures induced by
      pentylenetetrazole, INH, caffeine or strychnine. These results are discussed in
      light of a possible HA-ergic regulation of experimental convulsions.

PMID- 1874554
TI  - Regression of S-180 sarcoma using a xenogeneic antiserum.
AB  - Tumour angiogenesis factor (TAF) was extracted from S-180 sarcoma grown as a
      solid tumour in Swiss albino mice. Its angiogenic activity was detected using the
      mouse intradermal and the chick chorioallantois membrane assays. Similar extracts
      from normal tissues failed to induce neovascularisation. An antiserum raised in
      rabbit, against TAF purified from mouse mammary adenocarcinoma was shown to
      neutralise the biological activity of TAF from S-180 sarcoma and also caused
      tumour regression in the mice. A possible therapeutic approach to solid tumours
      is indicated, as also the preparation of an immunotoxin.

PMID- 1874555
TI  - Cercal sensory regulation of acetylcholinesterase in nervous system of the
      cockroach, Periplaneta americana.
AB  - Cercal ablation caused a significant loss in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity
      of the cercal nerves and terminal ganglion within 12 hr while a similar reduction
      in enzyme activity of connectives was noticed at least one day after cercectomy.
      The decrease in AChE activity of the nervous tissues showed a recovery toward
      control levels from 20 days of unilateral cercectomy whereas the bilateral
      cercectomy produced a continuous and irreversible decline in enzyme activity.
      These localized changes in AChE activity of the abdominal nervous system of the
      cockroach were attributed to be regulated by the cercal sensory innervation.

PMID- 1874556
TI  - Effects of antihistamines on wound healing.
AB  - Role of antihistamines (H1 and H2 blockers) in wound healing by utilizing
      incision and dead space wound models in albino rats was investigated. H1 blockers
      (mepyramine and promethazine) were found to decrease breaking strength of 10 day
      old dermal incision wounds and collagen content (as hydroxyproline) and breaking
      strength of granulation tissue harvested over tubular implant. On the other hand
      H2 blockers (Cimetidine and ranitidine) did not alter the above parameters. The
      findings that H1 blockers suppress healing implicate H1 receptors in alleged
      prohealing effect of histamine, and suggest clinical evaluation of these agents
      for suppression of overhealing states like keloid, adhesions and strictures.

PMID- 1874557
TI  - Long-standing rat kidney graft survival by a combination of organ perfusion with
      MHC class II monoclonal antibody and immunosuppression with reduced doses of 15
      deoxyspergualin.

PMID- 1874558
TI  - Modulatory effects of VIP and related peptides from the gastrointestinal tract on
      cell mediated cytotoxicity against tumour cells in vitro.
AB  - In the present study the effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), peptide
      histidine-methionine (PHM), and secretin on spontaneous cell mediated
      cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells against tumour target cells
      was evaluated. VIP stimulated cytotoxicity against CaCo-2 human colon cancer
      cells, whereas less effect was seen against K-562 erythroleukemia cells.
      Depletion of CD16+ natural killer cells almost completely abolished cytotoxicity
      and subsequent VIP incubation did not change residual activity. In contrast to
      PHM, which hardly influenced cytotoxicity, secretin was found to be more
      effective especially against K-562 target cells. These observations suggest a
      modulating role for the neuropeptide VIP in the cellular immune response against
      tumour cells, especially from the colon, resulting in increased activity of CD16+
      natural killer cells. Secretin, seems to be less potent in modulating cellular
      cytotoxicity. These findings support the concept that gastrointestinal peptides
      can play a role in the regulation of cellular cytotoxicity against tumor cells.

PMID- 1874559
TI  - Development and use of monoclonal antibodies against an oncofetal protein
      associated with carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis.
AB  - An oncofetal protein (OFP) studied in our laboratory associated with
      embryogenesis, carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis has as its known biological
      function the modification of RNA release from isolated nuclei. In the present
      study, we have developed and investigated the use of monoclonal antibodies
      against OFP. Six hybridoma cell lines (A-F) were isolated by screening the
      hybridoma culture media for anti-OFP antibodies (MOFP) with an indirect ELISA and
      by testing the ability of these antibodies complexed with anti-mouse IgG-agarose
      to bind to rat OFP and remove its associated RNA transport activity from solution
      (Immunobioassay). An inhibition ELISA developed to measure OFP gave a linear
      response up to 20 ng of plasma protein from a tumor-bearing rat. Western blot
      analysis using these monoclonals showed that OFP from a rat tumor (H7777) cytosol
      that shed to the blood consisted of two species exhibiting molecular weights of
      50 and 55 kD respectively. In order to show the usefulness of our assays, a
      preliminary study showing the ability of the immunobioassay to detect the
      expression of OFP in the plasma of carcinogen treated rats in a dosage dependent
      manner has been presented. Since OFP is produced in the target organ of rats
      shortly after treatment with carcinogens and persists in the preneoplastic foci
      and subsequent tumors, these monoclonal antibodies will be valuable in studying
      its involvement in chemical carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis.

PMID- 1874560
TI  - High susceptibility of cataract Shionogi (CTS) mice to passive anaphylactic shock
      mediated by allogeneic IgE and IgG1 monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - The susceptibility of cataract Shionogi (CTS) mice as young as 8 to 10 weeks of
      age to passive anaphylactic shock mediated by anti-benzylpenicilloyl IgE and IgG1
      monoclonal antibodies was compared with those of other strains of the same age
      including sister strains such as nonobese-diabetic (NOD) and nonobese-nondiabetic
      (NON). When the animals had been treated with killed Bordetella pertussis
      organisms, potent sensitization, enough to cause lethal shock, was produced by
      either monoclonal antibody preparation in CTS, NOD, C57BL/6J and DS/Shi strains,
      but not at all in C3H/He, DBA/2 and BALB/c strains. In the NON strain, lethal
      shock was elicited in the animals sensitized with the IgG1 antibody but not in
      those sensitized with the IgE antibody. Without the pertussis pretreatment,
      sensitization sufficient to cause lethal shock was produced at a high frequency
      by the IgG1 antibody in CTS and NOD mice but not in the other strains. When the
      IgE antibody was used, lethal shock was not observed in any of the mouse strains
      tested except for one CTS mouse. These results indicate that CTS as well as NOD
      are highly susceptible strains, and that IgG1 antibody is more effective than IgE
      antibody for producing systemic sensitization for anaphylactic shock. In addition
      to these findings, the results revealed an age-dependent potentiation of
      anaphylactic shock in CTS mice. The IgE antibody-mediated lethal shock was
      produced in all the aged animals of this mouse strain tested without the Bp
      treatment, but not in aged NOD and NON mice.

PMID- 1874561
TI  - Anti-estrogen antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus: a quantitative
      evaluation of serum levels.
AB  - We measured the beta-estradiol binding capacity of serum gamma-globulins in four
      subject groups; 1) normal men, 2) normal women who had never taken oral
      contraceptives, 3) normal women who had a history of oral contraceptive use and,
      4) patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We used dextran-coated
      charcoal to strip endogenous estradiol from serum proteins, added 3H-estradiol,
      and measured its association with proteins in various electrophoretic fractions
      following zone separation on agarose gels. Most of the bound radioactivity was
      present in the albumin, beta and gamma-globulin fractions. Binding to gamma
      globulins was elevated in SLE patients, and normal controls who had taken oral
      contraceptives, as opposed to other controls (p less than 0.005). Gamma-region
      radioactivity could be removed by protein-G adsorption prior to zone
      electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing revealed a pattern of tritiated-E2 binding
      consistent with polyclonal B-cell activation in all groups. There was no
      correlation between the extent of gamma-region binding and the total serum
      immunoglobulin level for any of the groups studied, nor was there a correlation
      between E2 binding and anti-DNA titers in the SLE group. The average anti
      estradiol antibody concentrations in SLE sera (assuming equimolar binding) was
      105 ng/ml (95% CL = 92-118), whereas their average anti-DNA antibody
      concentration was in the microgram/ml range. Thus, quantitatively, the level of
      anti-estradiol antibodies is at least an order of magnitude lower than the anti
      DNA antibodies characteristic of this disease.

PMID- 1874562
TI  - c-myc gene in a murine plasmocytoma without visible chromosomal translocations
      moves to chromosome 12F1 with Pvt-1 and rearranges with IgH enhancer-S mu
      sequences.
AB  - The DCPC 21 plasmocytoma lacks any of the MPC-associated chromosomal
      translocations. However, the c-myc gene has been transposed to the IgH locus on
      chromosome 12 by an Ig switch-region-mediated recombination mechanism. DNA
      sequencing analysis, further, revealed that this recombination is consistent with
      an insertion of the IgH enhancer (E mu)-S mu sequences, 2341 bp in length, into
      the c-myc 5'-flanking region, resulting in 5': c-myc 5'-flanking-E mu-S mu-c-myc
      5'-flanking-c-myc exon-1: 3' segment. In situ molecular hybridization of DCPC 21
      metaphase chromosome spreads using a Pvt-1 probe demonstrated that Pvt-1 has also
      moved to the F1 sub-band region of chromosome 12 where the IgH genes are located.
      These results indicate that the c-myc gene has been inserted into the IgH locus
      together with the Pvt-1, regardless of whether plasmocytoma has cytogenetically
      identifiable translocations. The possible interaction between c-myc activation
      and Pvt-1 in the development of MPCs is discussed.

PMID- 1874563
TI  - An autocrine motility factor secreted by the Dunning R-3327 rat prostatic
      adenocarcinoma cell subtype AT2.1.
AB  - Tumor cell locomotion is an integral part of the metastatic process. We present a
      new autocrine motility factor (AMF) derived from the serum-free conditioned
      medium of the Dunning R-3327 rat prostate adenocarcinoma AT2.1 tumor cell subline
      AT2.1-AMF, prepared by concentration of components less than or equal to 30 kDa-
      in size and washed free of low-molecular-weight growth factors, stimulated
      motility of AT2.1 cells in modified Boyden chamber migration assays. This
      stimulated migration was dose-dependent, and by checkerboard analysis was both
      chemotactic and chemokinetic. AT2.1-AMF activity was labile to heat, acid, base,
      reduction, oxidation, and proteases. Lyophilization and treatment with 6M urea
      caused a mild decrease (less than 20%) in migration-stimulating capability. Tumor
      cell specificity was demonstrated for AMF of AT2.1 and AT3.1 Dunning sublines,
      and the A2058 human melanoma cell lines. AT2.1 cell migration to AT2.1-AMF was
      inhibited by 2 hr pre-treatment with cholera toxin (0.1 microgram/ml) or
      forskolin (100 microM), but not altered by 2 hr pre-treatment with pertussis
      toxin (1.0 microgram/ml). This indicates that guanine nucleotide binding protein
      mediated regulation of cAMP is involved in modulating the AT2.1 cell response to
      its AMF. The AT2.1-AMF belongs to a related family of tumor autocrine motility
      factors and represents a new model for understanding the role of tumor-cell
      migration in the metastatic process of human prostate cancer.

PMID- 1874564
TI  - Induction of mammary adenocarcinomas in metallothionein promoter-human growth
      hormone transgenic mice.
AB  - To develop transgenic mice, a mouse metallothionein promoter-human growth hormone
      (Mt-hGH) gene fragment was injected into the pronucleus of C57BI x DBA/2J F2 one
      cell embryos. Six founder animals grew larger (1.3-2.2 times) than littermate
      controls and had higher levels of hGH in plasma (4.6-279 mU/l). At 27-43 weeks of
      age, 3 of the 4 female transgenic founders developed malignant papillary
      adenocarcinomas of mammary origin. One of the male transgenic founders was
      successfully mated and 2 of 3 female transgenic offspring developed mammary
      tumors. Forty-two female mice with the same genetic background as the transgenic
      animals and older than 43 weeks served as controls. No palpable tumor was found
      in this group. Five of the control animals were killed and examined
      histologically, revealing only normal mammary tissue. Earlier studies have shown
      that GH is important for growth and development of the mammary gland. Our study
      suggests that markedly elevated endogenous levels of GH cause mammary carcinoma
      in a specific strain of transgenic mice. The present animal model might be useful
      for studying molecular mechanisms that are involved in the development of
      hormonally induced mammary tumors.

PMID- 1874565
TI  - Interleukin 6 is secreted by breast fibroblasts and stimulates 17 beta-oestradiol
      oxidoreductase activity of MCF-7 cells: possible paracrine regulation of breast
      17 beta-oestradiol levels.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that cultured human breast fibroblasts secrete
      a high-molecular-weight polypeptide which stimulates the ability of human breast
      cancer MCF-7 cells to convert oestrone (E1) to the biologically more active 17
      beta-oestradiol (E2). This effect is mediated by an increase in reductive E2
      oxidoreductase (EOR) activity. We have identified the fibroblast-derived
      stimulatory factor as interleukin 6 (IL6) or an immunologically related peptide.
      Human breast fibroblasts in culture secreted up to 10 ng IL6/ml medium during 24
      hr of incubation. The effects of IL6 and breast fibroblast conditioned medium
      (CM) on reductive EOR activity of MCF-7 cells were similar; both CM and IL6
      potently stimulated enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner, and both exerted
      synergistic stimulatory effects in combination with E2. A polyclonal neutralizing
      antibody to IL6 completely abolished the reductive EOR-stimulating activity of
      CM. These results indicate that breast stromal fibroblasts may have a paracrine
      role in regulation of breast-cancer-tissue levels of E2, and that this effect is
      mediated by IL6 or a closely related peptide.

PMID- 1874566
TI  - TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 are potential growth regulators for low-grade and
      malignant gliomas in vitro: evidence in support of an autocrine hypothesis.
AB  - Low-grade astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas and glioblastomas in vitro were
      found to ubiquitously produce the mRNA of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
      beta). TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 mRNA were expressed to a lesser degree among the
      hyperdiploid malignant gliomas. By radioreceptor assay of conditioned medium, TGF
      beta was secreted predominantly in latent form, in both latent and active form,
      or only in active form within a panel of low-grade and malignant gliomas. The TGF
      beta receptor (types I, II, and III) was evident among the glioma lines. Many
      near-diploid gliomas were growth-inhibited by TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 in vitro.
      Most hyperdiploid glioblastomas showed a positive mitogenic response to exogenous
      TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2. A synergistic or additive mitogenic interaction with
      epidermal growth factor and insulin was observed among some. Under serum-free
      conditions, anti-TGF beta antibody neutralized the expected growth-regulatory
      effect of endogenous TGF beta, thus establishing the specificity of the response
      in vitro. TGF beta 1 also enhanced the clonogenicity of certain gliomas which had
      been growth-stimulated in monolayer. Thus, basic elements in support of an
      autocrine hypothesis have been demonstrated: TGF beta mRNA was expressed among
      low-grade and malignant gliomas, TGF beta was secreted in latent and/or active
      form into conditioned media and appeared to serve as an endogenous regulator of
      glioma proliferation in vitro. The mitogenic response, either positive or
      negative, correlated with the degree of anaplasia and karyotypic divergence.

PMID- 1874567
TI  - Mutational activation of c-Ha-ras genes in intraductal proliferation induced by N
      nitroso-N-methylurea in rat mammary glands.
AB  - Although administration of a single dose of N-nitroso-N-methylurea (NMU) to young
      virgin rats induces a high rate of mammary carcinomas, precise histogenesis of
      the carcinomas has not been well characterized. In this study, we investigated
      the alterations of H-ras gene in early focal lesions as well as carcinomas in the
      mammary glands of F344 rats treated with NMU. At 2 weeks after treatment,
      intraductal proliferation (IDP) was occasionally observed, and mammary carcinomas
      emerged at 12 and 36 weeks. The individual lesions of IDP and carcinomas were
      scooped out from the tissue sections under a stereomicroscope, and the DNA
      sequence-spanning codon 12 of H-ras gene was amplified from the tissue sections
      by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The analysis of amplified DNA by
      oligonucleotide hybridization revealed that 65% (11/17) of IDP and 89% (16/18) of
      carcinomas had a point mutation (G-to-A transition) at the 2nd position of H-ras
      codon 12. However, the DNA amplified from the areas, which appear histologically
      normal, never showed such mutation. These results indicate that IDP is a very
      early change for NMU-induced mammary carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1874568
TI  - A population-based case-control study of endometrial cancer in Shanghai, China.
AB  - A case-control study of 268 patients with endometrial cancer and 268 population
      controls was conducted during 1988-1990 in Shanghai, China, to evaluate etiologic
      factors in a population whose risk had not been substantially altered by the use
      of exogenous estrogens. In spite of this, the major risk factors resembled those
      found in other studies. The risk of endometrial cancer was significantly elevated
      among nulligravidas (OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 2.0-14.6) and decreased with number of
      pregnancies (p less than 0.01). Late age at menopause was associated with
      increased risk, while early age at menarche was unrelated. Use of oral
      contraceptives for more than 2 years was associated with a reduction in
      endometrial cancer risk (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.1-1.2), while short-term use of
      oral contraceptives and other methods of contraception were unrelated. Obesity
      was a strong predictor of risk, with women in the highest quartile of weight
      having 2.5 times the risk of those in the lowest quartile. In contrast to many
      other studies, cigarette smokers were at elevated risk (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.9
      3.0). Risk was also elevated among women reporting a history of gall-bladder
      disease, polycystic ovaries, menstrual symptoms, and non-estrogen hormone use.

PMID- 1874569
TI  - Pooled analysis of 3 European case-control studies: I. Reproductive factors and
      risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.
AB  - The role of reproductive factors in the aetiology of epithelial ovarian cancer
      has been re-assessed in a meta-analysis of 3 hospital-based case-control studies
      conducted in Europe (i.e. Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece), providing a
      total dataset of 1,140 cases and 2,724 controls. Multiple logistic regression
      models were used to obtain relative risk (RR) estimates adjusted for study
      centre, age, socio-cultural indicators, age at menopause, and oral contraceptive
      use. The risk decreased with increasing number of births and the trend in risk
      was significant (chi 2(1) = 7.50, p less than 0.01). In comparison to nulliparous
      women, those who reported 4 or more births had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian
      cancer (RR = 0.6, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.4-0.8). An RR estimate of 1.4
      (95% CI: 1.1-1.7) as found, overall, for age of 35 or more at first birth
      compared to age of 25 or less at first birth. In each stratum and overall,
      nulliparous women did not appear to be at increased risk compared to those who
      delayed birth of their first child until age 35 or more. In each study, as well
      as in the overall dataset, an inverse association between number of abortions and
      ovarian cancer risk emerged. Overall, the inverse relationship was highly
      significant, RR estimates for 1 and 2 or more abortions, as compared to none,
      being 0.9 (95% CI: 0.8 and 1.1) and 0.7 (95% CI: 0.6-0.9) respectively. The
      effects of parity, age at first birth and number of abortions emerged
      consistently in various strata of study centre and age.

PMID- 1874570
TI  - Pooled analysis of 3 European case-control studies of ovarian cancer: II. Age at
      menarche and at menopause.
AB  - The role of age at menarche and at menopause on epithelial ovarian cancer risk
      was re-assessed in a combined analysis of 3 hospital-based case-control studies
      conducted in Italy, the United Kingdom and Greece, which produced a total of
      1,140 cases and 2,724 controls. In the overall dataset, there was no evidence of
      an association with age at menarche: compared with women whose menarche occurred
      at age 15 or over, the relative risk (RR) estimates were 1.0 [95% confidence
      interval (CI) 0.8 to 1.2] for those with menarche at ages 12 to 14, and 1.0 (95%
      CI 0.8-1.2) for those with menarche below age 12. There was no consistent
      interaction between age at menarche and study centre or age at diagnosis. In
      relation to age at menopause, compared with women whose menopause occurred at age
      44 or earlier, the RR was 1.4 between 45 and 49, 1.6 between 50 and 52 and 1.9
      above 52. The strength of the association was apparently (but not significantly)
      greater in the British than in the Greek or Italian dataset. The effect of age at
      menopause tended to be long-lasting and, if anything, to increase across
      subsequent age-groups. The large dataset, and the replication of results in
      different studies, provide more definite and precise information than previously
      available on the absence of appreciable effect of age at menarche on subsequent
      ovarian cancer risk in developed countries. For age at menopause, there was a
      direct and consistent trend in risk, but the association was relatively weak,
      with RRs below 2 even between extreme categories.

PMID- 1874571
TI  - Human papillomavirus infection and other risk factors for cervical neoplasia: a
      case-control study.
AB  - A case control design has been used to investigate risk factors associated with
      the development of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) in a
      population of urban women in which non-affluent minority groups were heavily
      represented. Eighty-five women with histologically confirmed SIL were compared to
      a control group of 70 cytologically normal women. HPV infection was determined
      using both Southern blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      amplification specific for HPV types 16, 18, and 33. When Southern blot was used
      to detect HPV, logistic regression analysis identified HPV infection (odds ratio
      (OR) = 17.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.2-51.6) and low educational
      achievement (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.2-10.1) as major independent risk factors. When
      PCR was employed to detect HPV, the logistic regression model suggested that HPV
      infection (OR = 10.4, 95% CI = 3.6-30.4) and Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 5.0, 95% CI
      = 1.2-20.5) represented independent risk factors; low educational achievement and
      Black ethnicity were risk factors of borderline significance. PCR detection of
      simultaneous co-infection with more than one HPV type was associated with a very
      high risk of SIL (OR for one type = 7.2, 95% CI = 2.4-21.9; OR for greater than I
      type = 43.0, 95% CI = 6.9-266.6). Furthermore, increased viral load determined by
      either method carried an increased risk of disease. HPV infection with viral
      types previously reported to be related to neoplastic or dysplastic lesions
      carried the highest risk of SIL. The association of HPV detected by Southern blot
      and SIL in women less than 35 years old had an OR of 10.1, whereas in women
      greater than or equal to 35 the OR was 74.5 (p = 0.09 for homogeneity of ORs). We
      conclude that infection with HPV is the major risk factor for cervical SIL and
      suggest that targeted HPV screening of women over age 35 may represent an
      innovative strategy to detect women at high risk of cervical neoplasia.

PMID- 1874572
TI  - Pooled analysis of 3 European case-control studies of epithelial ovarian cancer:
      III. Oral contraceptive use.
AB  - The relationship between use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and other contraceptive
      methods and the risk of ovarian cancer was examined in a combined analysis of 3
      hospital-based case-control studies conducted in Italy, the United Kingdom, and
      Greece, for a total of 971 ovarian cancer cases and 2,258 controls under age 65.
      Compared with never-users, the combined multivariate relative risk (RR) for ever
      users was 0.6 (95% confidence interval, CI = 0.4-0.8) and the estimates were
      consistent in the 3 datasets. The protection was also similar across strata of
      age and parity. Considering various measures of OC use, available in the Italian
      and British datasets only, the protection conveyed on ovarian cancer risk
      increased with the duration of use and persisted in the medium-long period: the
      RR in women reporting their last OC use greater than or equal to 15 years prior
      to diagnosis was 0.5 (95% CI = 0.2-1.0). The risks in ever-users were appreciably
      lower in those women who reported their first OC use before 25 years of age (RR =
      0.3 for first use before age 25, 0.8 for first use at age 25-34 and 0.7 at 35
      years or after). Such findings emerged similarly from Italian and British data.
      This combined analysis, besides offering further quantitative estimates of the
      protective effects of OCs on ovarian cancer risk in European populations,
      provides useful insights into the time pattern of the relationship between OC use
      and ovarian carcinogenesis, suggesting that the protection persists for 15 years
      or more after cessation of use and may be larger for use at younger age.

PMID- 1874573
TI  - Derivatives of butyric acid as potential anti-neoplastic agents.
AB  - A novel derivative of butyric acid, pivalyloxymethyl butyrate (AN-9) has been
      shown, in vitro, to: (a) induce cytodifferentiation and inhibit the proliferation
      of leukemic cells; (b) inhibit the growth and formation of Lewis lung carcinoma
      colonies in semi-solid agar. AN-9 affect cells at about 10-fold lower
      concentration and at a faster rate than does butyric acid. The pivalyloxymethyl
      esters of propionic, isobutyric and valeric acids do not elicit effects similar
      to those of AN-9, while the isobutyryloxymethyl butyrate does, which strongly
      suggests that the activity of AN-9 stems from intracellular metabolic degradation
      of the pro-drug to butyric acid. In vivo, AN-9, increased the survival of mice in
      Lewis lung carcinoma primary cancer model and significantly decreased the number
      of lung lesions of the animals inoculated with highly metastatic cells, but did
      not affect their life span. Acute LD50 studies have shown that AN-9 possesses low
      toxicity. These results suggest that AN-9 is a potential anti-neoplastic agent as
      well as a tool for investigation of the differentiation induction mechanism.

PMID- 1874574
TI  - Epidermal growth factor reduces resistance to doxorubicin.
AB  - Epidermal growth factor (EGF) increased the sensitivity to doxorubicin (DOX) of a
      human squamous carcinoma cell line, A431. The relative enhancement of sensitivity
      by EGF was greater in 2 DOX-resistant sublines, A431/A5 and A431/A10, established
      by growing cells from surviving colonies after treatment of A431 cells with DOX.
      A greater number of EGF receptors (both high- and low-affinity binding sites) was
      found for resistant A431/A5 and A431/A10 cells than for parental cells. The
      enhanced drug responsiveness is not directly related to EGF effects on growth, as
      growth inhibition by EGF appears to be similar among the 3 sublines.

PMID- 1874575
TI  - Roles of ovaries and testes in hepatocellular tumorigenesis induced in mice by 3'
      methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene.
AB  - The roles of gonads in tumorigenesis induced in mouse liver by 3'-methyl-4
      dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB) were investigated. C57BL/6 x DS-F1 mice which
      were 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 days old were treated i.p. with 3'-Me-DAB. Nodular
      lesions induced in the liver were classified into adenomatous nodules and
      hepatocellular carcinomas. Adenomatous nodules were composed of a mixture of
      eosinophilic, basophilic, vacuolated and foamy hepatocytes in various proportions
      and compressed the adjacent parenchyma. These adenomatous nodules were of
      monoclonal origin. Carcinomas had a trabecular structure. The incidence, numbers
      per mouse and areas of adenomatous nodules and carcinomas in male and female mice
      aged 16-64 weeks were compared. Adenomatous nodules were first detected in males
      and females aged 24 and 52 weeks, respectively, and their incidences were much
      higher in males than in females of the same age. The number of adenomatous
      nodules per mouse and their size were also higher in males. The first carcinoma
      was found in a 52-week-old male, but no carcinomas were found in females even at
      64 weeks of age. The effects of castration 23 days after birth on the appearance
      of nodular lesions in the livers of 32- to 64-week-old mice were examined.
      Castration of males did not affect the incidence of adenomatous nodules, but
      reduced the incidence of carcinomas. It also decreased the number of adenomatous
      nodules per mouse. Castration of females reduced the time before appearance of
      adenomatous nodules and increased their incidence, number per mouse, and area. A
      carcinoma appeared in a 64-week-old castrated female, but no similar lesion was
      found in intact females of the same age. These results indicate that
      tumorigenesis induced in mouse liver by 3'-Me-DAB is enhanced by the testes and
      suppressed by the ovaries.

PMID- 1874576
TI  - Butyric monosaccharide ester-induced cell differentiation and anti-tumor activity
      in mice. Importance of their prolonged biological effect for clinical
      applications in cancer therapy.
AB  - The interest of butyric salts is based on their capacity to promote
      differentiation of malignant cells and inhibition of tumor development. The
      phenotypic modifications are rapidly reversible and require the continuous
      presence of butyric salts in the target area, which raises problems for
      therapeutic applications. We show here that the covalent binding of n-butyric
      acid on natural polyhydroxylated compounds such as monosaccharides, especially 3-
      or 6-O-butanoyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose, retains the majority
      of the biological properties of n-butyric acid. The delayed degradation of these
      covalent compounds is associated with an improved maintenance of cell
      differentiation and anti-tumor protection in mice. These butyric complexes thus
      seem potentially useful for therapeutic applications.

PMID- 1874577
TI  - Impact of interleukin-2-receptor-targeted cytotoxins on a unique model of murine
      interleukin-2-receptor-expressing malignancy.
AB  - DAB486IL-2 is a genetically engineered fusion protein consisting of a portion of
      diphtheria toxin fused to human IL-2. It is specifically cytotoxic for tumor
      cells which bear high-affinity IL-2 receptors (IL-2R). DAB389IL-2 is a similarly
      constructed hybrid protein which is smaller than DAB486IL-2 and is slightly more
      potent in vitro. We have developed a murine model of IL-2R-expressing malignancy
      to study the in vivo efficacy of these genetically engineered cytotoxins.
      Following intravenous administration of CP3 cells, C57BL/6 mice develop tumors
      which are lymphatic in distribution. When mice are injected i.v. with 10(6) CP3
      cells, 90% of the animals show signs of observable tumor by day 10 to 20; death
      occurs in 50% of untreated animals by day 30. Intravenous treatment of mice with
      DAB486IL-2 (10 micrograms daily for 10 days), beginning 24 hr after
      administration of CP3 cells, increases mean survival time by approximately 50%.
      In comparative studies, DAB389IL-2 is more potent in vivo than DAB486IL-2, with
      approximately 90% of treated animals with no evidence of tumor at 60 days. The
      mechanism of action of tumor inhibition by DAB486IL-2 is specific, since
      treatment of animals which have IL-2R-negative EL4 tumors has not resulted in
      increased survival time. In addition, treatment of such tumors with DAglu53B486IL
      2, a fusion protein which can bind to the IL-2R but is incapable of inhibiting
      protein synthesis, is ineffective.

PMID- 1874579
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of fluocinolone acetonide in patch versus cream formulations.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of the fluocinolone acetonide patch containing 8 mcg/cm2 and
      a 0.025% cream were studied in a cross-over trial in 12 healthy volunteers 6 male
      and 6 female mean age 24.9 years. Each subject was treated with 0.8 mg of both
      fluocinolone acetonide formulations for 12 h on non-consecutive days. The high
      performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the plasma and
      urine levels of the drug. Minor fluctuations in the plasma profile after patch
      application were observed, even if no significant difference was found between
      the two formulations with regard to peak plasma concentration, time to reach peak
      levels, area under the concentration curve and half-life.

PMID- 1874578
TI  - Influence of sulbactam plus ampicillin on theophylline clearance.
AB  - The effect of sulbactam/ampicillin (500 mg/1000 mg) every 12 hours taken for
      seven days on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of theophylline was studied among
      12 patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Theophylline
      concentrations were measured serially for 12 h by the method of polarized
      immunofluorescence (Abbott TDx system). No influence of sulbactam/ampicillin was
      detectable on the theophylline half-life, clearance or volume of distribution. It
      was concluded that both drugs could be administered concomitantly without any
      dosage adjustment of theophylline.

PMID- 1874580
TI  - Different dosage regimens of ranitidine in the short-term therapy of duodenal
      ulcer: a multicentre trial.
AB  - A multicentre clinical trial was conducted in 114 Italian endoscopy centres in
      order to evaluate the comparative efficacy of four different ranitidine dosage
      regimens in the short-term treatment of active duodenal ulcer. Results were
      analysed in a total of 1745 patients randomly allocated to treatment with
      ranitidine 150 mg twice daily - morning and 19h30 (440 patients), ranitidine 150
      mg twice daily - morning and 22h30 (438 patients), ranitidine 300 mg once daily
      at 19h30 (434 patients) or ranitidine 300 mg once daily at 22h30 (433 patients).
      The four groups were well matched for patient characteristics at entry. Initial
      treatment was for three weeks, with continuation to six weeks in cases with
      endoscopically unhealed ulcers at three weeks. Efficacy was evaluated in terms of
      endoscopic ulcer healing and control of pain symptoms in 24 h (daytime,
      nocturnal, daytime plus nocturnal). No statistically significant differences were
      found between any of the groups either as regards control of pain symptoms or
      ulcer healing rates (mean healing rates at three and six weeks were 77% and 98%,
      respectively). The results in this very large patient sample confirm equivalent
      efficacy of twice daily and single bedtime dose regimens and provide no evidence
      for superior efficacy of early evening compared with bedtime administration. In
      the population as a whole, concomitance of the three main risk factors (more than
      20 cigarettes/day, ulcer size greater than 1 cm, deformation of the duodenal cap)
      was associated with a distinctly lower three-week healing rate (40.9% versus
      87.4% in patients presenting none of these factors), though this difference
      tended to disappear at six weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874582
TI  - Transference regression and psychoanalytic technique with infantile
      personalities.
AB  - This paper describes a particular form of 'silent' regression during the
      psychoanalytic treatment of infantile personalities (a type of character
      pathology related to the hysterical personality). This regression is
      characterized by the development of rapid interchange in the roles enacted in the
      transference and projected on to the analyst, an apparent 'disconnexion' of the
      transference material from that dominant when the patient is in non-regressed
      states, and the intensification of the analyst's counter-transference reactions.
      The diagnosis and management of these regressive transferences requires a
      particular interpretive style and strategy outlined in this paper and illustrated
      with two case vignettes.

PMID- 1874581
TI  - An in vitro study of the possible interaction between human platelets and
      cephalosporins.
AB  - The effects in vitro of four cephalosporins (ceftazidime, cefuroxime, cefotaxime
      and ceftriaxone) on adenosine diphosphate-induced human platelet aggregation were
      investigated. Ceftazidime-induced inhibition of platelet aggregation was
      significant only at a final concentration of 1 mg/ml, whereas ceftriaxone-induced
      inhibition of platelet aggregation was also significant at a final concentration
      of 0.01 mg/ml. Cefotaxime and cefuroxime were less active than ceftriaxone.

PMID- 1874583
TI  - A psychotic organization of the personality.
AB  - Clinical material is presented to illustrate the difference between psychotic and
      non-psychotic organizations of the personality. It is suggested that the
      psychotic part of the personality strives to possess and control its objects
      because it needs them to repair a damaged ego. The nonpsychotic part on the other
      hand is able to face reality sufficiently to relinquish its objects and mourn
      them. The interaction between the two parts in the same patient is discussed.

PMID- 1874584
TI  - The analysis of an elderly patient.
AB  - The analysis of a man who was 58 at its beginning is described. Special attention
      is paid to a seminal fantasy which occurred in the second year. The analysis
      finished after nine years, and some follow-up assessment is included.

PMID- 1874585
TI  - The wish for a sex change: a challenge to psychoanalysis?
AB  - This paper approaches different facets of male transsexualism from the point of
      view of different current psychoanalytic theories and the criticisms to which
      some of them give rise. On the basis of the author's observations, the
      determining psychological factor is stated to be the hatred of masculinity. The
      central thesis is that the clinical challenge made to psychoanalysis is an
      integral part of the pathology and that it highlights the working of this
      disorder, just as the 'reflection theories' of the manifest content of what the
      patients say represent in their objectifying reification a fundamental aspect of
      this disturbance. Based on two clinical vignettes, an attempt at reconstruction
      is proposed, in which the narcissistic aspects of this pathology are emphasized.
      Current theory tends to stress the concepts of deficit and developmental arrest,
      which are generally inconsistent with those of conflict and defence, but they are
      here linked organically together.

PMID- 1874586
TI  - A dream of the red shoes: separation conflict in the phallic-narcissistic phase.
AB  - A case is described in which a patient's dream of red shoes stimulated
      associations to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of The Red Shoes, and the
      movie of the same name. Analysis of the dream provided valuable insight into the
      structure and evolution of her neurotic conflicts. At the same time, the symbolic
      significance of The Red Shoes to this patient helped to clarify one of the
      meanings of the fairy tale. The interplay of these elements, dream and cultural
      daydream, within the context of the transference, focused on conflicts in the
      phallic-narcissistic phase of development, with particular emphasis on
      separation.

PMID- 1874587
TI  - Internalization of the absent father.
AB  - The analysis of a woman, born of an unmarried mother, is presented. Her mental
      representation of the fantasized father was derived partly from her own wishes
      and fears, partly from what she was told by her mother, and partly from what she
      discovered through her own observations and enquiries. The revival in the
      transference of the split-off parts of her self and of the related bipolarity in
      her representation of the absent father, the search for their origin in her
      childhood, the discussion of their operation in her present and past
      relationships, and the working through of her resistances to change, enabled her
      to integrate the split-off parts of her self, and to maintain stable
      relationships. The child's need to internalize a father, whether or not the
      latter exists in reality, raises the question whether human offspring have an
      innate propensity to relate to a father, or a father introject, even when the
      latter is derived from fantasy alone.

PMID- 1874588
TI  - Adolescence and the repetition compulsion.
AB  - I describe the connexion between the failure of the procedures of adolescence and
      the establishment of a psychical economy dominated by the repetition compulsion.
      The concept of the repetition compulsion appears as early as in 1914, in
      'Remembering, repeating and working-through', but is not clearly specified as a
      characteristic of instinctual functioning until 1919 and 1920, in 'The "Uncanny"
      and 'Beyond the pleasure principle'. In these two works, Freud presents what
      amounts to a model of the disorganization of the mental apparatus observed in
      'breaks' in the adolescent process when the capacity to bind instinctual
      excitation in the primary process is swamped. Decompensation is precipitated by
      the change in the reality principle (de facto infantile impotence becoming adult
      potency). The repetition compulsion, in the strict sense of the term, is a matter
      of 'crude', unbound instincts. Moreover, the idea emerges from Freud's two texts
      that the instinctual demand manifested through the repetition compulsion is the
      persistence of the incestuous and parricidal wish. This is borne out by my
      analytical experience, as the two treatments I adduce to illustrate the theory
      show.

PMID- 1874589
TI  - Freud's Irma dream: a psychoanalytic interpretation.
AB  - This paper presents the hypothesis that Freud may have been haunted by the
      repressed memory of an incident of erotic aggression enacted by himself against
      his sister Anna when he was 5 years old and she 3 years old. It is suggested that
      this experience and its psychic ramifications make up the latent content of the
      Irma dream. The Irma dream is viewed here as the first dream of Freud's self
      analysis. As in the analysis of the first reported dream in an actual treatment
      situation, meaning emerges progressively over time. The interpretation proposed
      in this paper is based on data emerging from 1895 until 1924. Principal sources
      are 'The interpretation of dreams', which is seen as an associative monologue,
      the letters to Wilhelm Fliess and Freud's early theoretical works.

PMID- 1874590
TI  - The psychoanalyst in the mirror: doubts galore but few certainties.
AB  - The clinical case of a female patient who seemed to be demanding from the analyst
      changes in her usual technique but in reality wanted her to modify her emotional
      attitude induced the author to confront the subject of anxiety about change felt
      to be 'catastrophic', considering it on this occasion from the point of view of
      the analyst. It is inevitable that the analyst too will initially resort to his
      or her old defences, succeeding only later by a great deal of hard work in
      transforming them and putting them in the service of the analysis itself. The
      main subject of the paper is accompanied by a brief historical digression on the
      profound changes that have taken place in the years since Freud's death in the
      way the psychoanalytical movement as a whole thinks of and practises
      psychoanalysis, culminating in the 'pluralism' mentioned by Wallerstein, and by a
      personal example of the path travelled day after day by every analyst in his or
      her consulting room; the overall result is to hearten and encourage us about the
      future development of our work.

PMID- 1874592
TI  - On some relationships of fantasies of perfection to the calamities of childhood.
AB  - In this paper narcissism conceived of as a fantasy of perfection is further
      redefined within an evolving structural model of psychic conflict. In pursuit of
      this goal a number of related propositions are explored. 1. A fantasy of
      perfection is best thought of as a compromise formation. 2. Fantasies of
      perfection have a development that is influenced, in part, by the development of
      the calamities of childhood. 3. Fantasies of perfection function as defences to
      diminish unpleasure associated with conflict. From this perspective a fantasy of
      perfection is a component of compromise formations. 4. The threat of the loss of
      the fantasy of perfection evokes anxiety while the sense the loss has occurred is
      associated with the experience of depressive affect. 5. Fantasies of perfection
      are important aspects of the compromise formations that constitute the superego.
      They are also important components of masochistic and narcissistic compromise
      formations characteristic of aspects of the ego. These compromise formations are
      intimately related to defensive identificatory relationships between the ego and
      superego. Analytic data are presented to demonstrate the value of these
      theoretical considerations.

PMID- 1874591
TI  - Shame in psychoanalysis: the function of unconscious fantasies.
AB  - The conceptualization of shame as an emergent affect in the clinical situation
      gains clarity by linking it to unconscious fantasies. The author suggests that
      shame appears when an individual fails in his efforts to obtain from another
      person, in reality or in imagined scenes, an expected similar affect or a
      complementary message, or both. A self-evaluation emerges of being undeserving of
      the desired response. In this respect shame is related to the narcissistic
      component of any experience or fantasy, be it pre-oedipal, oedipal, or post
      oedipal. In cases where there is a pathological predisposition to shame, the
      predisposition is linked to unconscious fantasies portraying the individual as
      the desiring and frustrated subject of an unresponded to affective message. After
      its formation the unconscious fantasy itself, and all its unrepressed
      derivatives, become a source of shame. A clinical example illustrates these
      points.

PMID- 1874593
TI  - The influence of theory on the psychoanalyst's countertransference.
AB  - The emotional reaction in the analyst occurs in shared analytic work under the
      influence of the patient's transference phantasies and is the analyst's creation
      and contribution. The idea that the analyst has emotions introduced directly into
      the analyst by the patient such that the analyst contains somebody else's
      feelings is refuted. Examples have been offered to show how the analyst's working
      theory influences the countertransference. If the analyst is unaware of this, the
      analyst may mistakenly attribute negative countertransference to the patient's
      projection.

PMID- 1874594
TI  - Penis envy: libidinal metaphor and experiential metonym.
AB  - The subjective narrative employed by the little girl to account for her
      femininity draws on her primary sense of femaleness, as well as on any secondary
      elaborations. The secondary nature of femininity is highlighted by the Freudian
      view wherein femininity is thought to be achieved through changes in libidinal
      aims and objects. The primary nature of femininity is highlighted by current
      views elaborating on ego development. An examination of the subjective role of
      the phallus in a number of clinical reports reveals that envy of the penis may
      represent the intersection of several associative chains. For example, the girl's
      castration reaction could result from a condensation of the libidinal theme of
      not having a penis as Freud argued. However, Freud's reliance on the phallus as a
      metaphoric representation of instinctual vicissitudes is not an end point. In
      addition to Freud's elaborations of the phallic theme, the desire to possess the
      penis may represent the girl's associations to contiguous events. That is,
      through the process of displacement, the phallus also functions as a metonymic
      symbol. To fully appreciate penis envy, both the metaphoric and metonymic
      meanings assigned to femininity must be analysed.

PMID- 1874595
TI  - Interpretation and empathy: reading Lacan with Kohut.
AB  - This paper reads Lacan's exploration of the unconscious through the prism of
      Kohut's emphasis upon empathy as the basis for psychoanalytic interpretation.
      Lacan described the disconnexion characterizing human relationships; our
      experience of each other and of ourselves is radically alienated by the
      unconscious. Lacan's unconscious is structured like a language, revealing its
      complexity through symbolic forms. Language and desire always belong to the
      Other, a dislocation underlying all transferences. In psychoanalysis,
      transferences provide interpretive access to the language of the unconscious. For
      Kohut, interpretation depends on the prior establishment of a stable, sustaining
      transference; human connexion is a lifelong necessity and full understanding an
      achievable aim. Lacan's more structural approach to the inner world provides an
      important counterweight to Kohut's narrow preoccupation with the two-person
      field, while Kohut's concept of maternal mirroring lends a humane dimension to
      the icy realms of Lacan's intellectual structures. Despite enormous differences,
      each of these contemporary rediscoverers of Freud's legacy serves to supplement
      the perspective of the other.

PMID- 1874596
TI  - On basic unity.

PMID- 1874597
TI  - Effects of isomeric 2-(arylmethylamino)-1,3-propanediols (AMAPs) and clinically
      established agents on macromolecular synthesis in P388 and MCF-7 cells.
AB  - The in vitro effects of the 2-(arylmethylamino)-1,3-propanediols (AMAPs) on
      macromolecular synthesis have been examined using the murine leukemia, P388, and
      the human mammary adenocarcinoma, MCF-7, under conditions of short-term drug
      exposure. AMAPs that were observed to inhibit macromolecular synthesis produced
      nearly equipotent inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis. Equivalent inhibition of
      protein synthesis generally required significantly greater concentrations of
      AMAP. There is a general correlation between inhibition of polynucleotide
      synthesis and in vivo antitumor activity. The effects of four clinical candidate
      AMAPs (crisnatol, 773U82, 502U83, and 7U85) on macromolecular synthesis were
      further compared with those of actinomycin D, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone,
      etoposide, amsacrine, and cisplatin in MCF-7 cells. The pattern of AMAP action
      was most similar to that observed for doxorubicin and mitoxantrone. Finally, the
      effects of these four AMAPs on the size, specific activity, and rate of
      incorporation of [3H]-dTTP into DNA of MCF-7 cells synchronized by pretreatment
      with hydroxyurea was determined. It was found that DNA synthesis was inhibited by
      AMAPs independent of inhibition of the uptake, phosphorylation, or retention of
      the metabolic precursors. These results support the theory that antitumor AMAPs
      interfere with the normal functioning of enzymes, such as topoisomerase II or DNA
      and RNA polymerases, which interact with DNA.

PMID- 1874598
TI  - Adozelesin, a selected lead among cyclopropylpyrroloindole analogs of the DNA
      binding antibiotic, CC-1065.
AB  - Adozelesin (U-73975) is a potent synthetic cyclopropylpyrroloindole (CPI) analog
      of the cytotoxic DNA-binding antibiotic, CC-1065. In contrast to the natural
      product, adozelesin and related CPI analogs do not cause delayed death in non
      tumored mice. Adozelesin, selected from a series of analogs for its superior in
      vivo antitumor activity and ease of formulation, is highly active when
      administered i.v. against i.p. - or s.c.- implanted murine tumors, including
      L1210 leukemia, B16 melanoma, M5076 sarcoma, and colon 38 carcinoma, and produces
      long-term survivors in mice bearing i.v.-inoculated L1210 and Lewis lung
      carcinoma. Modest activity is shown against the highly drug-resistant pancreas 02
      carcinoma. Adozelesin is also highly effective against human tumor xenografts
      s.c.-implanted in athymic (nude) mice, including colon CX-1 adenocarcinoma, lung
      LX-1 tumor, clear cell Caki-1 carcinoma, and ovarian 2780 carcinoma. Its broad
      spectrum of in vivo activity compares favorably with three widely used antitumor
      drugs, i.e. cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin. Adozelesin appears to
      be more effective than these drugs in the treatment of very resistant tumors such
      as s.c.-implanted mouse B16 melanoma, pancreatic 02 carcinoma, and human colon CX
      1 and human lung LX-1 tumor xenografts. Based on its high potency and high
      efficacy against a broad spectrum of experimental tumors, adozelesin was chosen
      for clinical investigation and development.

PMID- 1874599
TI  - Comparative toxicity of fostriecin, hepsulfam and pyrazine diazohydroxide to
      human and murine hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro.
AB  - The in vitro myelotoxic potentials of three investigational antitumor agents,
      Fostriecin, Hepsulfam and pyrazine diazohydroxide (PZDH), were evaluated
      utilizing clonogenic assays. Human and murine marrow cells were exposed to each
      drug for 1 hr prior to culture in microcapillary (human) or Petri dish (murine)
      assays. Fostriecin (0.22-220 microM), Hepsulfam (0.34-340 microM) and PZDH (0.68
      680 microM) inhibited myeloid (CFU-gm), erythroid (BFU-e, CFU-e) and
      megakaryocytic (CFU-meg) colony formation in a concentration-dependent manner.
      CFU-e from both species were more sensitive to Fostriecin than the other
      progenitors and murine cells more sensitive overall to Fostriecin than their
      human counterparts. Murine CFU-e were also more sensitive to Hepsulfam than human
      CFU-e, with CFU-gm and BFU-e being similarly affected in both species. Human BFU
      e were greatly inhibited by PZDH, whereas murine BFU-e were relatively resistant
      to its toxic effects. Fostriecin was the most toxic of the three antitumor
      agents, with PZDH the least toxic.

PMID- 1874600
TI  - A novel N-myristylated synthetic octapeptide inhibits protein kinase C activity
      and partially reverses murine fibrosarcoma cell resistance to adriamycin.
AB  - This report shows that N-acylation of the protein kinase C (PKC) substrate Arg
      Lys-Arg-Thr-Leu-Arg-Arg-Leu (RKRTLRRL) provides it with a potent inhibitory
      activity against PKC. N-myristoyl-RKRTLRRL inhibited Ca2(+)- and
      phosphatidylserine (PS)-dependent histone phosphorylation catalyzed by PKC with a
      50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 5 microM, whereas neither RKRTLRRL nor
      myristic acid inhibited PKC-catalyzed histone phosphorylation at concentrations
      as high as 50 microM. A fully active, Ca2(+)- and PS-independent catalytic
      fragment of PKC can be generated by limited proteolysis. N-myristoyl-RKRTLRRL
      inhibited histone phosphorylation catalyzed by the catalytic fragment of PKC
      (IC50 = 80 microM), but neither myristic acid nor the nonmyristylated peptide
      inhibited the activity of the catalytic fragment at concentrations up to and
      including 200 microM. The Km app and Vmax app for N-myristoyl-RKRTLRRL were
      similar to those of RKRTLRRL. Thus, N-myristylation provided the octapeptide with
      an inhibitory activity against PKC but had only minor effects on its Km app and
      Vmax app. Kinetic analysis provided evidence that the peptide inhibited PKC
      noncompetitively with respect to ATP. Previously, we reported that the protein
      kinase inhibitor H7 partially reverses Adriamycin resistance in the multidrug
      resistant (MDR) murine fibrosarcoma line UV-2237M-ADRR. In this report, we show
      that N-myristoyl-RKRTLRRL also partially reverses Adriamycin resistance in UV
      2237M-ADRR cells. These results suggest that potent and selective cell permeable
      PKC inhibitors may be designed by N-acylating small PKC peptide substrates.

PMID- 1874601
TI  - Mitoxantrone, etoposide, mitoguazone and vinblastine chemotherapy (MV2) in
      relapsed and refractory lymphomas.
AB  - As part of a program to develop less leukemogenic chemotherapy regimens for the
      treatment of favorable prognosis Hodgkin's disease, a phase I-II trial of
      mitoxantrone, etoposide, mitoguazone, and vinblastine was used to treat patients
      with relapsed and refractory malignant lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease. An overall
      partial response rate of 41% was observed. Although useful responses were seen,
      the absence of complete remissions is disappointing.

PMID- 1874602
TI  - Esorubicin in advanced endometrial cancer: an ineffective and potentially toxic
      therapy. A Southwest Oncology Group study.
AB  - The Southwest Oncology Group conducted a phase II study of esorubicin treatment
      in patients with advanced endometrial cancer who had received no prior
      chemotherapy. Twenty of 31 patients were fully evaluable for response and
      toxicity. There were no clinical responses to treatment and 60% (12/20) of the
      patients developed severe or life threatening leukopenia on therapy. One
      evaluable patient was removed from study after a cumulative dose of 150 mg/M2 due
      to a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction on MUGA scan and another
      developed congestive heart failure several months after discontinuation of
      treatment. Esorubicin has significant toxicity and limited clinical activity in
      patients with advanced endometrial cancer.

PMID- 1874603
TI  - A phase II clinical trial of diaziquone (AZQ) in the treatment of patients with
      recurrent leiomyosarcoma of the uterus. A Gynecologic Oncology Group study.
AB  - Based upon the activity observed in this trial, there does not appear to be a
      significant role for AZQ as a salvage agent for leiomyosarcoma of the uterus at
      the dose and schedule tested.

PMID- 1874605
TI  - Leukoaraiosis: a reappraisal. II. MRI studies.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging is more sensitive than computed tomography to brain
      white matter changes of undefined significance observed in elderly subjects
      termed leuko-araiosis. Cross-sectional clinical studies have shown that these
      changes are more frequent or are more extensive in patients with cerebrovascular
      disease or vascular risk factors. Pathological studies have revealed that a
      number of alterations may underlie focal white matter changes including complete
      and incomplete lacunar infarcts, etat crible, dilated perivascular (Virchow
      Robin) spaces, demyelination, and gliosis. Diffuse white matter changes are more
      difficult to explain. These might result from confluence of focal changes, or
      from diffuse white matter ischemia (incomplete infarct). Alternatively, they may
      be related to alterations of the transependymal CSF flow. Longitudinal studies in
      asymptomatic subjects correlating the MRI picture with clinical,
      pathophysiological, and histopathological data are needed in order to establish
      the significance and prognostic value of the different processes underlying LA,
      and to plan therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat them.

PMID- 1874604
TI  - Hereditary human myopathies in muscle culture.
AB  - In this article I illustrated the use of regenerating human muscle cultures for
      studying the hereditary human myopathies. Although some of the data are still
      controversial, they do point up the great potential of this "in vitro system".
      For hereditary myopathies due to developmentally regulated proteins that are
      expressed only at a more advanced stage of muscle differentiation, the use of
      highly differentiated nerve-muscle cocultures might contribute significantly to a
      better understanding of their developmental pathogenesis. More advanced
      techniques (permanent human muscle cell lines, heterokaryons, myoblast transfer,
      gene transfer, myogenic conversion of human non-muscle cells, cybrid clones) may
      provide a great deal of information at molecular level and may also have
      practical applications in the diagnosis or even in the treatment of hereditary
      human myopathies.

PMID- 1874606
TI  - Hyperglycemia at ischemic stroke onset as prognostic factor.
AB  - To find out whether the high blood glucose values sometimes found in the first
      stage of ischemic stroke have any prognostic value, we considered 76 patients
      hospitalized within 24 h of an acute cerebral infarction, documented by CT brain
      scan and/or necropsy, whose fasting blood glucose was recorded before any
      treatment was given. The patients were sorted into 3 groups: diabetics,
      normoglycemic non-diabetics and hyperglycemic nondiabetics. On the CT findings
      cases with large cortical and/or subcortical infarcts were analyzed separately
      from those with lacunar infarcts. The clinical symptoms on admission proved to be
      more severe (p less than 0.02) and 30-day mortality higher (p less than 0.02)
      among the hyperglycemic non-diabetics, who also showed a highly significant (p
      less than 0.00001) preponderance of large cortical and subcortical infarcts over
      lacunar infarcts. Multivariate analysis, which took account of variables of known
      relevance to the prognosis of cerebral infarction (age, sex, arterial
      hypertension, severity of the clinical pattern, type of brain lesion), confirmed
      the statistically discriminant power, in terms of mortality, of belonging to the
      hyperglycemic nondiabetic group. The results of the study confirm that
      hyperglycemia at stroke onset in nondiabetic patients is an adverse prognostic
      factor and suggest that it may be a reaction to stress, depending on the size of
      the infarcted area.

PMID- 1874607
TI  - Effects of psychotropic drugs on somatosensory evoked potentials in cerebral
      ischemia.
AB  - Several authors have demonstrated a correlation between short latency
      somatosensory evoked potentials (short latency SEPs) and cerebral blood flow
      (CBF). It is also known that ischemia may modify the amplitude of the cortical
      SEP while its latency is less sensitive to CBF fluctuations. Phychotropic drugs-
      Oxiracetam, SAMe, Naloxone, L-acetylcarnitine and GM1--affect some parameters of
      the early components of cortical SEPs, chiefly the amplitude, which makes SEP
      recording a useful method for monitoring pharmacological activity in acute
      stroke.

PMID- 1874608
TI  - Daytime sleepiness in healthy university students: a multiparametric study.
AB  - A multiparametric investigation of daytime sleepiness was performed in 18 healthy
      young university students. After undergoing a standard polysomnographic recording
      at home the night before, all subjects were evaluated by Multiple sleep latency
      test (MSLT) at 10.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00. Subjective sleepiness (by using
      Visual Analogue Rating Scale) and performance tasks (Cancellation Test, Digit
      Symbol Substitution, Choice Reaction Time, Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold)
      were also assessed at the same times. Mean daily sleep latency was found to be
      about 10 minutes, with several individual values in the borderline range (greater
      than 5 less than 10 minutes). Subjects did not rate themselves as excessively
      sleepy and there was no correlation between subjective and objective estimates of
      sleepiness. No consistent correlation was found between subjective-objective
      sleepiness and results of performance tests. Anxiety trait (Spielberg State
      Anxiety Trait) did not correlate with sleepiness, but higher anxiety scores were
      significantly associated with poor performance. These results confirm the
      occurrence of fairly marked objective drowsiness in healthy young subjects which,
      however, was not associated with subjective sleepiness and did not adversely
      affect performance on a variety of tests of CNS function.

PMID- 1874609
TI  - Guillain-Barre polyradiculoneuritis after blood transfusion.
AB  - We report the case of a 72 year-old woman who developed acute
      polyradiculoneuritis 7 days after a series of 4 blood transfusion. While blood
      transfusion is not listed as an antedecent event of Guillain-Barre syndrome
      (GBS), GBS following surgical procedures is well known. In the present case the
      close temporal relationship and the absence of all factors which usually precede
      the onset of the disease including surgery, suggest a possible role of blood
      transfusion in the onset of the GBS.

PMID- 1874610
TI  - Neuroradiological, neurophysiological and anatomopathological study of a case of
      locked-in syndrome.
AB  - We report an anatomoclinical case of locked-in syndrome together with the
      neuroradiological and neurophysiological findings. MRI confirmed its value in the
      diagnosis of posterior cranial fossa pathology while the neurophysiological work
      up (BAEPs, SEPs, MAPs and TEPs) revealed that the lesion may have broader
      functional implications than may be gauged from the neuroradiological and
      pathological evidence. Evoked potentials may therefore be of considerable
      importance in pinpointing brainstem lesions.

PMID- 1874611
TI  - Acute transient cerebral intoxication induced by low doses of baclofen.
AB  - We report a case of acute transient encephalopathy with confusion, drowsiness,
      myoclonic jerks, periodic triphasic sharp wave EEG patterns induced by low doses
      of baclofen. We discuss the pathogenesis and the differential diagnosis from the
      subacute spongiform encephalopathy of sudden onset.

PMID- 1874612
TI  - Irreversible total blindness in multiple sclerosis.

PMID- 1874613
TI  - Doctor to patient, doctor to colleague: the ethics of medical practice.
AB  - We were invited to speak at a medical conference on Kauai: "Kauai Calls: People
      caring for people" held at the Kauai Hilton 21 to 25 February 1991. It was
      presented by the Society of General Practitioners, the British Columbia Medical
      Association and the BC Chapter of the College of Family Physicians, all of
      Canada, together with and by special invitation from the Department of CME of
      Wilcox Memorial Hospital and the Kauai County Medical Society. David Elpern MD
      and Paul Esaki MD, of Lihue and Kapaa respectively, were the local sparkplugs and
      organizers.

PMID- 1874614
TI  - Patient satisfaction with physician care.
AB  - Patient satisfaction is known to be related to many desired outcomes in medical
      care. This study employees multidimensional scaling techniques to identify
      factors affecting satisfaction with physician care in 1,210 patients. Stepwise
      regression analysis of factors that met predetermined criteria showed that
      accessibility explained the greatest amount of variance in patient satisfaction.
      The patient's perceived efficacy of physician care and greater continuity of care
      also have significant correlations with satisfaction. Perceived susceptibility to
      illness, utilization of physician services, and levels of education have lesser
      but significant effects on patient satisfaction. Despite methodological
      constraints, economic and psychological benefits make evaluation of patient
      satisfaction an important exercise.

PMID- 1874615
TI  - The family as victim in trauma.
AB  - In trauma, the intense immediate need for medical intervention and stabilization
      has focused attention on the victim's physical injuries, and away from the
      traumatic psychosocial impact on his life and family. Trauma teams are prepared
      to respond quickly and efficiently to sudden life and death situations, with the
      most up-to-date knowledge, technology and care. Until recently however, little
      organized, comprehensive attention has been given to the psychosocial responses
      of the patient and the family. It is now time to prepare ourselves to offer this
      other important aspect of trauma care--the psychosocial component. As a part of
      this preparation, I would like to present the Family as Victim in Trauma.

PMID- 1874616
TI  - [New aspects of UV-therapy of atopic dermatitis].
AB  - Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a familial inflammatory skin disease characterized by a
      typical morphology and distribution and a chronically relapsing course with
      frequent periods of exacerbation. The management of AD is primarily directed
      towards symptomatic relief, and treatment decisions depend on cutaneous symptoms
      at any given time. During periods of acute exacerbation, therapy consists almost
      exclusively in topical or even systemic corticosteroid therapy. Since long-term
      corticosteroid therapy is known to have a variety of side-effects, it is
      important to develop alternative modalities for treatment of AD, such as
      phototherapy with ultraviolet radiation (PUVA, UV-B, UV-A-B). The major
      disadvantages of PUVA therapy are the relatively high number of treatments
      required for healing, the high frequency of rebound phenomena, and as a long-term
      effect, the potentially increased risk of skin cancer. In contrast, UV-B/UV-A-B
      therapy is not associated with any major side-effects, but its beneficial effects
      are clearly limited and usually require several weeks of treatment. Therefore, UV
      B/UV-A-B therapy is mostly used in combination with corticosteroids for the
      treatment of acute AD to increase the therapeutic effectiveness. Very recent data
      indicate that a monotherapy with pure UV-A (340-440 nm) light, if applied in
      higher doses (15 x 130 J/m2; High-Dose UV-A1), is very effective in the treatment
      of patients with acute AD. Examination of the photoimmunological events
      underlying the observed therapeutic effectiveness of High-Dose-UV-A1 therapy may
      help us to understand the pathophysiological events relevant for AD.

PMID- 1874617
TI  - [Acquired naevus flammeus (Fegeler syndrome)].
AB  - In contrast to common port-wine stains, acquired port-wine stains are extremely
      rare. We report on an acquired port-wine stain that evolved on the thigh of a 69
      year-old male patient and was accompanied by lumbalgia on the same side.
      Impairment of vegetative nerve fibres by spinal root compression may be
      considered a causative factor in our patient.

PMID- 1874618
TI  - [Chlamydia trachomatis serovars and the clinical picture of urogenital
      infections].
AB  - A total of 56 Chlamydia trachomatis strains isolated from female and male
      patients in the STD outpatient clinic of the Department of Dermatology,
      University of Heidelberg, were serotyped by means of monoclonal antibodies in an
      indirect immunofluorescence test. The most prevalent serovar was serovar E, with
      35.7%, followed by serovar D, with 28.6%, and serovar F, with 26.8%. No double or
      multiple infections with different C. trachomatis serovars were found. The first
      epidemiological study of C. trachomatis serovars in Germany shows that the
      distribution of distinct serovars is not essentially different from that found in
      other western countries. The distribution of serovars was similar in women and
      men. There was no demonstrable correlation between asymptomatic or symptomatic
      courses of the infections with distinct serovars. In addition, the presence of
      polymorphonuclear leucocytes in urethritis or cervicitis was not associated with
      distinct serovars. These results indicate that the antigens used as a criterion
      in the classification of C. trachomatis are not correlated with the biological
      behaviour of this infections agent.

PMID- 1874619
TI  - [Stratum corneum and nail lipids in patients with atopic dermatitis. Decrease in
      ceramides--a pathogenetic factor in atopic xerosis?].
AB  - Dry skin is seen in many patients with atopic dermatitis and correlates with a
      disturbed epidermal barrier function demonstrated by such features as increased
      transepidermal water loss and diminished stratum corneum hydration. With regard
      to the importance of stratum corneum lipids for the permeability barrier, we have
      analysed plantar (n = 8) and lumbar (n = 20) stratum corneum and nail lipids (n =
      15) of atopic subjects by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC).
      Compared with controls our investigations show a decrease in the ceramide
      fraction as a percentage of total lipid and a diminished ratio of ceramides and
      free sterols in atopic subjects. This implies that impaired ceramide synthesis
      may be a factor in the pathogenesis of atopic xerosis.

PMID- 1874620
TI  - [Benign symmetric Launois-Bensaude type III lipomatosis and Bureau-Barriere
      syndrome].
AB  - We report on a patient with an unusual distribution of benign symmetric Launois
      Bensaude lipomatosis. In addition, the patient presented with Bureau-Barriere
      syndrome. With regard to our own observations and those reported in the
      literature, we propose a new classification of the disease referred to the
      distribution of the fatty tissue.

PMID- 1874621
TI  - [Keratosis follicularis--new genetic aspects].
AB  - A hypothesis according to which two types of keratosis follicularis (below)
      should be differentiated is discussed with reference to clinical findings
      recorded during mass screening in kindergartens and in a dermatological practice:
      (1) condition improves, to normal in early adulthood, a type in which the for
      which heritability not cannot be identified by mass screening; (2) a type with
      growing incidence, primarily among women up to 30 years of age, caused by an X
      linked dominant gene.

PMID- 1874622
TI  - [Psoriasis in a female chimpanzee].
AB  - Psoriasis, a widespread genodermatosis in Homo sapiens, also appears in primates.
      We report on a female chimpanzee in Leipzig Zoo. After years of captivity the
      animal developed erythematosquamous, highly hyperkeratotic, lesions, some
      confluent, on the knees, elbows, back of the hands and feet and on the forearms
      and the seat, which showed histologically characteristic features of psoriasis.
      It may be that both previous infections and psychic stress resulting from social
      isolation had caused eruption of the disease. In the literature single cases of
      psoriasiform dermatoses have also been described in other species of monkeys and
      even in a springer spaniel. Nonetheless, the search for an animal model of
      psoriasis vulgaris is still going on.

PMID- 1874624
TI  - [Sulfones in alopecia areata].

PMID- 1874623
TI  - [Sneddon syndrome].
AB  - A 44-year-old female with Sneddon's syndrome, i.e. generalized racemose livedo
      and recurrent cerebrovascular disease, is presented. Significant levels of IgG
      anticardiolipin antibodies were found in her serum.

PMID- 1874625
TI  - [Pyrethrins/pyrethroids in epizootic infestation].

PMID- 1874626
TI  - [Principles of rational therapy with external glucocorticosteroids].

PMID- 1874628
TI  - Constriction in biopsy/suction channel of olympus CF-1T100L and CF-V10L
      colonoscopes.

PMID- 1874627
TI  - Fiber-delivery lasers: Nd:YAG, argon, and KTP/532.

PMID- 1874629
TI  - Bemis Wall-Safe needle-disposal units.

PMID- 1874630
TI  - Mechanical stop failure on Storz APEX 2000/2100 ENT chairs.

PMID- 1874631
TI  - [Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. II. Laboratory studies--milieu analysis-
      literature].

PMID- 1874632
TI  - [Experimental studies of the physiology of the paranasal sinuses].
AB  - The mucociliary clearance of the maxillary sinus mucosa was studied by 99mTc-SC
      in 38 healthy subjects. The mucociliary transport rate was relatively constant
      under physiological conditions so that it was possible to describe a normal range
      with a narrow variation. This range can be used to estimate the physiological
      responses of the mucociliary apparatus, and to define pathological disorders. In
      3 cases we saw a slow clearance which has never been described before in the
      sinuses. In our experimental study we showed that the mucociliary activity of the
      sinuses is not only a mechanism to clean the mucosa, but is moreover a controlled
      system which can be activated by a physiological stimulus. After the stimulation
      the production of mucus and its outflow to the nose increased. Physiological and
      phylogenetic aspects of the existence of the sinuses in vertebrates and man are
      discussed.

PMID- 1874633
TI  - [Nuclear medicine studies of the regenerative behavior of paranasal sinus mucosa
      after functional endoscopic ethmoid bone surgery].
AB  - The mucociliary clearance of the maxillary sinus mucosa was studied before and 6
      18 months after functional sinus surgery using 99mTc-SC in 34 sinuses of 22
      patients with chronic inflammation of the ethmoid and maxillary sinus. Before
      operation the mucociliary transport was very slow and sometimes absent. In the
      postoperative interval between 6 and 18 months we saw a significant return of the
      mucosal function. In 56% of the sinuses investigated the postoperative clearance
      rate was within the normal range. We also recorded a similar trend in allergic
      patients, although there was not such a clear return to normal of the mucociliary
      clearance, and the rates were not within the normal range. We found no recovery
      of the mucociliary function in 11 sinuses of 7 patients with impaired healing.
      Decisions on subsequent treatment were based on postoperative nasal endoscopy and
      functional mucosal repair.

PMID- 1874634
TI  - [Risks of a cartilage-bone bank with reference to HIV infection].
AB  - Allogenic transplants have an established place in reconstructive procedures. For
      years it has been suspected that lyophilized dura mater can transmit Creutzfeld
      Jakob disease. HIV infection with fully manifest AIDS and a mortality of up to
      100% is now also increasing in significance. It is necessary to assess the risk
      of transferring HIV with allogenic transplants because HIV passes into the cell
      via specific surface receptors and is integrated within the chromosome.
      Experimental data on disinfection and sterilization of allogenic transplants
      stored within chromosomes and their inactivation are not available. Allogenic
      transplants are only used in operations for life-threatening disease. As a rule,
      these are elective operations which must meet the highest safety standards, also
      with regard to the danger of infection. Collaboration with a transplantation team
      is essential.

PMID- 1874635
TI  - [Allergic origin of recurrent middle ear effusion and adenoids in young
      children].
AB  - Recurrent middle ear effusions and adenoids in children might be caused by
      mechanical obstruction, infection or allergy. From 1989 to 1990 we examined 35
      infants with no history of allergic rhinitis but with recurrent adenoids and
      middle ear effusions. During operation a skin test was performed for common
      allergens. Afterwards we tried to identify these allergens by RAST tests on
      tissue homogenates from the removed adenoids, the middle ear effusion and serum
      samples. Additionally the IgE levels were determined and the adenoid tissue was
      examined for eosinophils. In 12 of our 35 children (34%) the skin tests showed an
      allergy, mostly to different kinds of pollen or house dust. From these positive
      patients the respective allergens could be determined by RAST tests in serum in
      84%, in tissue homogenates from the adenoids in 41% and in the middle ear
      effusions in 50% of cases. 50% of the children with positive skin tests showed an
      eosinophilia in the adenoid tissue. We did not find any allergen in the RAST of
      the infants with negative skin tests. The data show a correlation of allergen
      specific IgE antibodies in the serum of our patients and in the middle ear and
      the nasopharynx. Together with an eosinophilia these results suggest an allergic
      genesis of recurrent middle ear effusions and adenoids in about 20% to 30% of our
      cases. Early diagnostic procedures to rule out allergy in children with
      appropriate clinical symptoms are useful, and in positive cases antiallergic
      treatment is recommended.

PMID- 1874636
TI  - [Diagnostic value of the prick test and tissue RAST in allergic nasal polyposis].
AB  - Nasal polyposis is often accompanied by an allergy against inhaled allergens or
      various foods and drugs. We studied the relationship between nasal polyposis and
      type-I allergy, using a preoperative skin test on 43 patients with nasal
      polyposis. This was followed by RAST test of serum, nasal secretion and
      homogenized tissue from the polyps removed. The rest of the polyp material was
      examined histologically and cytologically for tissue eosinophilia. A type-I
      allergy was proved in 40% of the patients by the presence of the same IgE
      antibodies in the skin test and all the RASTs, accompanied by a distinct
      eosinophilia in the polyp tissue. In a further 40% of the cases most of the tests
      were positive, suggesting a probable allergic disposition. These results support
      the theory of an allergic genesis of many nasal polyps. The tissue RAST
      especially is of great diagnostic value. Thus, postoperative anti-allergic
      treatment of these patients should be successful.

PMID- 1874637
TI  - [Cholesteatoma and chronic tubal middle ear infection in children. A 10 year
      overview].
AB  - Over a 10-year period we observed 99 cholesteatomas. In 62% the cholesteatomas
      lay in the epitympanum, in 18% they lay behind an intact tympanic membrane, and
      in 18% in the posterior-superior portion of the pars tensa. There were 2 cases of
      iatrogenic cholesteatoma following insertion of ventilation tubes. In the same
      period we saw 1229 children suffering from chronic serous otitis media (SOM). A
      total of 1918 ventilation tubes were inserted in 856 children with SOM, so that
      the incidence of iatrogenic cholesteatomas is extremely low at 0.1%. Our findings
      indicate that cholesteatomas in the posterior-superior portion of the pars tensa
      are more often caused by disturbed ventilation due to SOM than are epitympanic
      cholesteatomas. Furthermore myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion is not
      only a means of treating SOM, but it can also reveal a hidden cholesteatoma. Long
      term follow-up of children treated for SOM is necessary in order to recognise
      cholesteatomas and adhesive processes at an early stage.

PMID- 1874638
TI  - [Functional nasopharyngeal fiberoptic endoscopy for pre-therapeutic diagnosis of
      sleep apnea syndrome in infants. A case report].
AB  - We report a 2-year-old infant with severe obstructive sleep apnoea. The symptoms
      had deteriorated for several months, and indicated complete obstruction shortly
      after the child fell asleep, with reduction of the oxygen saturation to under
      30%. Since the obstruction could only be interrupted by waking the child, a
      tracheostomy was proposed. Endoscopy under general anaesthesia revealed no
      pathological findings. The stenosis could only be seen using transnasal fibre
      optic endoscopy when the obstruction occurred during sleep: the oropharyngeal
      wall collapsed at the level of the velopharyngeal sphincter. A tube passed
      through the nose and through the collapsing section of the pharynx to the
      entrance of the larynx prevented the apnoea. The parents were taught to introduce
      and fix the tube. After an observation period of 1 year the larynx had stabilized
      spontaneously, and the tube has to be introduced only rarely.

PMID- 1874639
TI  - Minicomputer software programs aid critical care.

PMID- 1874640
TI  - Dr Irvin set standards for evaluating lateral sacral tilting.

PMID- 1874641
TI  - Controversial findings of VA AZT trial.

PMID- 1874642
TI  - Taking a different look at so-called burnout.

PMID- 1874643
TI  - External cephalic version of term singleton breech presentations with tocolysis:
      a retrospective study in a community hospital.
AB  - External version with the use of tocolysis in low-risk patients has been shown to
      be relatively safe and effective. A retrospective analysis was undertaken to see
      if version was practical for a smaller community-based hospital. Thirty-two
      antepartum external cephalic versions with ritodrine tocolysis during a 4-year
      period were reviewed. Successful version occurred in 59.4% of attempts. Of
      patients with a successful version, 68.4% delivered vaginally. One successful
      version occurred spontaneously with ritodrine tocolysis alone. A stillbirth due
      to abruptio placentae occurred 20 hours after a failed version attempt.

PMID- 1874644
TI  - Gallbladder disease and coronary artery disease: is there a link?
AB  - Both gallstones and coronary artery disease are associated with cholesterol.
      Therefore, the literature was searched for evidence that gallbladder disease can
      be considered a risk factor for coronary artery disease. The problem has been
      approached from several angles. Studies designed to discover whether lipid
      profiles associated with gallbladder disease are similar to those associated with
      coronary artery disease have shown contradictory results. Autopsy studies have
      indicated that atherosclerosis appeared to be more extensive in patients with
      gallstones, but, again it was unclear whether the relationship was causal or
      merely reflected coincidental factors of some other origin. A study attempting to
      find a relationship between gallstone formation and a low-cholesterol diet
      actually showed a higher rate of gallstone formation among the patients on the
      low-cholesterol diet. Possible explanations for the results of these various
      studies are offered.

PMID- 1874645
TI  - A selective approach to operative cholangiography.
AB  - The value of operative cholangiography in the detection of common bile duct
      stones has been documented in a number of studies. This study suggests that
      operative cholangiography can be-used successfully on a more selective basis when
      used in conjunction with laboratory and operative criteria. One hundred and fifty
      patients who underwent routine cholecystectomy were retrospectively evaluated.
      Seventy-five percent had a normal cholangiogram and normal levels of bilirubin
      and alkaline phosphatase. The remaining 25% had abnormal cholangiograms as well
      as abnormal laboratory chemistry values. It was noted that if selective operative
      cholangiography had been performed only on those patients with indications for
      common bile duct exploration, no ductal stones would have been omitted. Based on
      these data, a selective approach to operative cholangiography is advocated.

PMID- 1874646
TI  - Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, with or without the
      diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex
      (ARC), have an increased incidence of tuberculosis, especially of an
      extrapulmonary nature. The condition is associated with significant morbidity and
      mortality. The reported incidence of the combination of tuberculosis and AIDS
      varies between 4% and 10% of AIDS patients, with a higher incidence noted in the
      male, inner-city, intravenous-drug-abuser population. Clinical findings may
      reflect the site of infection, but are often nondiagnostic. Diagnosis often
      requires biopsy for histopathologic evaluation and tissue culture to document the
      presence of granulomas and mycobacterial organisms. Universal body fluid
      precautions among these patients are mandatory, and respiratory isolation should
      be maintained during diagnostic evaluation and early treatment. These patients
      usually respond to standard antituberculosis therapy. Physicians should maintain
      a high index of suspicion of tuberculosis in patients with HIV infection.
      Conversely, the diagnosis of HIV infection should be considered in patients with
      unusual manifestations of tuberculosis. Because tuberculosis is one of the few
      potentially curable infections in the AIDS patient, recognition of its presence
      is crucial.

PMID- 1874647
TI  - Drugs of abuse testing.
AB  - Modern medical technology has made available a complex array of testing methods
      for drugs of abuse. The gathering of the best information from these methods
      demands that the clinician be familiar with the different testing protocols. In
      this, the third article in a monthly series, the authors discuss the more common
      and useful tests and describe their use for optimal results.

PMID- 1874648
TI  - Atrial fibrillation during a subarachnoid block in a patient with undiagnosed
      mitral valve prolapse.
AB  - Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common cardiac abnormality, and there are
      numerous documented cases of intraoperative dysrhythmias. However, the authors
      describe what is believed to be the first case of atrial fibrillation in a
      patient with an undiagnosed MVP who was given a subarachnoid block. A possible
      clinical sequencing for the subarachnoid block is offered. The differential
      diagnosis, etiology, pathology, and pathophysiology of MVP are discussed. Also
      detailed are the management of intraoperative dysrhythmias. Physicians should be
      aware, as in the case reported, that a new-onset atrial fibrillation can occur,
      even without previously diagnosed MVP.

PMID- 1874649
TI  - Patients' right to know if their physician has the acquired immunodeficiency
      disease (AIDS) outweighs the physician's right to privacy.

PMID- 1874650
TI  - Most Americans favor tough criminal laws.

PMID- 1874651
TI  - Epoetin alpha approved for anemic AIDS patients.

PMID- 1874652
TI  - Lyme disease: the bite of spring becomes the (diagnostic) menace of summer.

PMID- 1874653
TI  - Understanding antinuclear antibodies.
AB  - The American College of Rheumatology (formerly the American Rheumatism
      Association) diagnostic criteria for connective tissue disorders frequently
      include positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) assays. Proper interpretation of
      these tests requires an understanding of the principles governing ANA assays.
      Assay results are reported in two ways: as titers and as descriptions of
      fluorescent patterns. A titer is a quantitative measure of ANAs in serum.
      Different patterns of immunofluorescence are associated with different subsets of
      collagen vascular disease. Positive results can occur in the absence of
      connective tissue disease. Accurate diagnosis of connective tissue disorders
      requires judicious use of ANA assays as well as skillful interpretation of the
      results.

PMID- 1874654
TI  - Lyme borreliosis: detecting the great imitator.
AB  - Lyme disease is a common inflammatory disease of North America. It is caused by
      the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by the bite
      of a small tick, Ixodes dammini. The disease is inconsistent in its
      manifestation, mimicking a wide variety of maladies, many of which are
      noninfectious. Currently, there is no practical means for detection of the
      presence of the organism, and serologic studies offer the best diagnostic aid.
      High titers of either immunoglobulin G (IgG) or immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies
      to B burgdorferi antigens indicate disease, but lower titers can be misleading.
      The IgM antibodies may remain after the initial infection, and IgG antibodies may
      remain for years. Antibiotic therapy early in the infection may interfere with
      antibody production, but therapy later does not appear to have a significant
      effect on antibody levels. Because several methods are available for the
      detection of antibodies and several choices for antibody detected--IgM, IgG, or
      combinations--the clinical laboratory should provide guidance and advice in
      choosing and interpreting tests.

PMID- 1874655
TI  - Atrial septal aneurysm as a cause of abnormal left atrial flow: an
      echocardiographic study.
AB  - Atrial septal aneurysms, although rare, are being found with an ever increasing
      frequency through the technology of two-dimensional echocardiography. In this
      article, we report the identification of an atrial septal aneurysm and abnormal
      systolic flow toward the transducer and mitral valve by use of two-dimensional
      echocardiography with pulsed-wave Doppler capability.

PMID- 1874656
TI  - Coumarin-induced skin necrosis.
AB  - Coumarin skin necrosis is a rare and usually unpredictable complication of
      coumarin therapy, occasionally leading to death. Onset is usually between the
      third and sixth day of coumarin therapy. The patient most commonly complains of
      pain in a region of abundant subcutaneous fat, with progression to erythema,
      petechiae, and gangrenous necrosis. Thrombosis of the dermal and the subcutaneous
      veins is demonstrated pathologically. We describe a case and review the
      pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of this lesion.

PMID- 1874657
TI  - Hemangiopericytoma of the breast.
AB  - Hemangiopericytoma is an extremely rare soft tissue tumor of the pericytes that
      surround the walls of blood vessels. The lesion is characterized by proliferation
      of the pericytes above the basement membrane. The microscopic features of the
      hemangiopericytoma can often be demonstrated by reticulin staining. Clinical
      presentation can vary. The lesion has been found in any number of anatomic
      locations. Occurrence in breast tissue, however, has been strikingly rare. Most
      lesions are benign. However, they can be aggressive and can recur at distant
      sites. Malignant varieties have been reported. In breast tissue, the most
      difficult aspect of the diagnosis appears to be that the tumor grossly, and to
      some extent microscopically, resembles cystosarcoma phylloides, particularly in
      the malignant degenerative form of the latter disease. Most diagnostic methods
      for evaluating the tumor fail to produce a definitive diagnosis. Microscopic
      confirmation is perhaps the only method by which definitive diagnosis can be
      made. Treatment consists of wide excision and careful clinical follow-up. A case
      history and a review of the literature concerning this lesion are included here.

PMID- 1874658
TI  - Thymic squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - In the case described, a 43-year-old man had an asymptomatic mass involving the
      right hilar and superior mediastinum. At surgery, the tumor was found to have
      invaded the right middle lobe of the lung and the pericardium. The mass was found
      to be a thymic squamous cell carcinoma, a rare tumor. Two serum tumor markers-
      lipid-associated sialic acid and squamous cell carcinoma antigen--were elevated.
      The patient underwent postoperative radiation therapy and has responded favorably
      to treatment. He had no clinical evidence of metastasis or recurrence as of 43
      months postoperatively.

PMID- 1874659
TI  - Pet overpopulation.

PMID- 1874660
TI  - Concerned about scrapie.

PMID- 1874661
TI  - Two years as a veterinarian in Africa: thoughts and observations.

PMID- 1874662
TI  - From veterinary student to professor to private practitioner.

PMID- 1874664
TI  - The veterinarian's oath: are you keeping your promise?

PMID- 1874663
TI  - Logistic regression and discriminant analysis.

PMID- 1874665
TI  - The veterinarian as third party defendant.

PMID- 1874666
TI  - Personal relationships in the veterinary clinic.

PMID- 1874667
TI  - Principles of magnetic resonance imaging and application to the stifle joint in
      dogs.

PMID- 1874668
TI  - ECG of the month.

PMID- 1874669
TI  - Effect of tissue adhesives and suture patterns on experimentally induced teat
      lacerations in lactating dairy cattle.
AB  - Tissue adhesives and suture materials were evaluated for repair of experimentally
      induced teat lacerations in 6 lactating dairy cows. Group-1 teat lacerations were
      not closed and served as nonsutured controls. Group-2 lacerations were closed in
      three layers (mucosa, submucosa, and skin) by use of 3-0 polydioxanone. Group-3
      lacerations were closed by use of N-butyl cyanoacrylate monomer tissue adhesive.
      Group-4 lacerations were closed by use of a combination of sutures and tissue
      adhesive. All cows were milked by machine. Healing was observed for 28 days, then
      cows were slaughtered, and teats were recovered for further study. Evaluation
      revealed failure of healing of all layers with formation of large fistulas in 3
      of 4 nonsutured control teats in group 1. All 6 teat lacerations in groups 2 and
      3 healed satisfactorily with no fistulas. Five of 6 teats in group 4 had partial
      healing of skin and mucosa with no fistulas, and 1 teat failed to heal and
      developed a small fistula. Data indicated that closure of experimentally induced
      teat lacerations with three layers of fine absorbable suture or closure with
      tissue adhesive alone gave good results and satisfactory healing of all layers.
      However, when sutures and tissue adhesive were used together, foreign body
      reaction was marked, and the skin and submucosa healed only partially. Sutures
      appeared to entrap the tissue adhesive, resulting in a foreign body reaction.

PMID- 1874670
TI  - Xanthine-containing urinary calculi in dogs given allopurinol.
AB  - Clinical features and laboratory findings were evaluated in 10 dogs that formed
      xanthine-containing urinary calculi during the period that they were given
      allopurinol (9 to 38 mg/kg of body weight/d). Duration of allopurinol treatment
      was 5 weeks to 6 years. Of the 10 dogs, 9 (all Dalmatians) had formed uric acid
      containing calculi at least once before allopurinol treatment was initiated. It
      was not possible to recognize xanthine as a crystalline component of the calculi
      by use of a chemical colorimetric method or by polarized light microscopy. We
      concluded that the best diagnostic method for recognition of xanthine-containing
      calculi was high-pressure liquid chromatography because it is quantitative,
      sensitive, and accurate, and can be conducted on a small amount (1 to 2 mg) of
      crystalline material.

PMID- 1874671
TI  - Evaluation of surgical scrub and antiseptic solutions for surgical preparation of
      canine paws.
AB  - The purpose of the prospective study reported here was to evaluate surgical
      preparation of canine paws. Three combinations of surgical scrub solutions and
      antiseptic solutions were used: (1) 7.5% povidone-iodine scrub/10% povidone
      iodine solution; (2) 2% chlorhexidine acetate scrub/2% chlorhexidine diacetate
      solution; and (3) tincture of green soap/70% isopropyl alcohol. The control was
      warm (38 to 42 C) tap water. Four microbial colony counts were used to evaluate
      surgical preparation of 4 paws of 8 dogs. Specimens were obtained from the paws
      for a baseline microbial flora count. After surgical scrub was performed,
      additional specimens were obtained for bacteriologic culturing. Antiseptic was
      applied followed by collection of another specimen for bacteriologic culturing. A
      final specimen was obtained following a 24-hour period under a sterile occlusive
      bandage. The 3 scrub solutions and the tap water control resulted in lower colony
      counts following scrubbing of the paws; however, only the 3 antiseptic solutions
      resulted in further colony count reduction after their application. Evaluation of
      residual colony counts isolated from specimens taken after a 24-hour period under
      a sterile occlusive bandage revealed chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine
      scrub/antiseptic combinations to be similar in antibacterial activity, with
      significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) lower colony counts than those from
      specimens of paws treated with either the tincture of green soap/isopropyl
      alcohol combination or the tap water control. The lack of a significant
      difference between the bacterial counts immediately after surgical preparation
      with povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine and their respective 24-hour residual
      counts, indicated no particular advantage to surgical preparation and occlusive
      bandaging 24 hours prior to surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874672
TI  - Comparison of the efficacy of ivermectin, oxibendazole, and pyrantel pamoate
      against 28-day Parascaris equorum larvae in the intestine of pony foals.
AB  - Sixteen helminth-free pony foals were inoculated with a mean (+/- SD) 2,000 (+/-
      545.5) infective Parascaris equorum eggs (day 0). Foals were allocated to
      replicates of 4, and treatments within each replicate were assigned at random.
      Treatment administered on postinoculation day (PID) 28 included no treatment
      (control), 0.2 mg of ivermectin/kg of body weight, 10 mg of oxibendazole/kg, or
      6.6 mg of pyrantel base (pamoate)/kg. Paste formulations of the anthelmintics
      were administered orally. The foals were euthanatized 14 days after treatment
      (PID 42) and examined for P equorum larvae in the small intestine. The mean +/-
      SD (and range) numbers of fourth-stage P equorum larvae recovered from nontreated
      foals and those treated with ivermectin, pyrantel, or oxibendazole were 1,603.8
      +/- 1,026.8 (305 to 2,480), 29.3 +/- 55.8 (0 to 113), 413.0 +/- 568.1 (0 to
      1,204), or 889.5 +/- 1,123.1 (1 to 2,345), respectively. Compared with the value
      for control (nontreated) foals, treatment with ivermectin, pyrantel, and
      oxibendazole was 98.2, 74.2, and 44.5% effective, respectively, when administered
      28 days after experimentally induced infection with P equorum. Adverse reactions
      attributable to treatment were not observed.

PMID- 1874673
TI  - Adherent gram-positive cocci on the intestinal villi of two dogs with
      gastrointestinal disease.
AB  - Two dogs were examined for clinical signs of chronic gastrointestinal disease.
      Duodenal mucosal biopsy specimens, obtained endoscopically, revealed histologic
      lesions of adherent gram-positive cocci on the villus epithelium of both dogs.
      The positive gram stain and morphologic features of the adherent cocci were
      suggestive of Streptococcus organisms. Indirect tests for intestinal bacterial
      overgrowth were not diagnostic, suggesting that the adherent cocci were a primary
      lesion. Rapid clinical response following dietary manipulation and the initiation
      of medical management was observed in both dogs. The dogs of this report draw
      similarities to Streptococcus durans infection previously reported in pigs,
      foals, and a single pup. The pathogenesis of enteric disease associated with
      adherent gram-positive cocci in dogs remains ill-defined.

PMID- 1874674
TI  - Two-dimensional echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis in a horse with
      traumatic pericarditis.
AB  - Two-dimensional echocardiographic (2DE) examination was performed on a horse with
      clinical signs of pericardial effusion. Thickening of the pericardium, excess
      amount of pericardial fluid, elevation of the cardiac apex, and right ventricular
      compression, characteristic of cardiac tamponade, could be seen on 2DE
      recordings. Fibrinous pericarditis was suspected by observation of fibrinous
      strands in the pericardial fluid and epicardial fibrin deposits.
      Echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis was performed, and 4 L of fluid
      was removed from the pericardial sac. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated
      from the fluid. Pericardiocentesis was repeated for 3 days, and medication was
      administered. Despite temporary improvement in cardiac function, the horse's
      condition deteriorated gradually, and euthanasia was performed on the ninth day
      of hospitalization. Necropsy revealed chronic serofibrinous pericarditis of
      traumatic origin, attributable to an intercostal stab wound entering the
      pericardium and the apical portion of the myocardium.

PMID- 1874675
TI  - Cosmetic repair of a facial deformity by use of a silicone implant in a horse.
AB  - A heat-vulcanized silicone implant was used for cosmetic repair of a facial
      deformity in a horse. The deformity had resulted from fracture of the frontal
      bone into the frontal sinus 6 months earlier. Normal facial contour was restored
      by suturing the sculpted implant to the periosteum over the defect. Results 1
      year after surgery were excellent.

PMID- 1874676
TI  - Psittacine proventricular dilatation syndrome in an umbrella cockatoo.
AB  - Psittacine proventricular dilatation syndrome (macaw wasting disease) is a fatal
      disease of the gastrointestinal tract and, sometimes, the CNS. The disease most
      often affects macaws and is thought to be of viral origin. An Umbrella cockatoo
      was referred with signs of neurologic dysfunction. Other unusual findings
      included flaccid crop, distended duodenum, and acute weight loss. Because
      treatment has not been reported to be effective, the affected cockatoo was
      euthanatized to limit spread of the disease.

PMID- 1874677
TI  - Management of vertebral column fractures in dogs and cats: 211 cases (1977-1985).
AB  - Hospital records and radiographs of 211 dogs and cats with vertebral column
      fractures or luxations evaluated at the University of Tennessee Veterinary
      Teaching Hospital between April 1977 and September 1985 were reviewed. After
      neurologic examination, status of the animal was graded on a scale of 1 to 8.
      Decision to treat each animal either medically or surgically was based on the
      extent and type of injury, neurologic signs, veterinarian's experience, and
      owner's wishes. After treatment, neurologic status was evaluated on the
      aforementioned scale and differences in the outcome of treatment were determined
      between surgically and medically treated groups, relative to initial neurologic
      status and location of the fracture. Surgically treated animals had pretreatment
      mean (+/- SD) neurologic status (3.71 +/- 1.35) that was slightly worse (P =
      0.0079) than that of medically managed cases (5.16 +/- 1.48). Animals of the
      surgically treated group improved significantly (P = 0.0122) more than did those
      of the medically treated group but after treatment, significant differences in
      neurologic status were not evident between surgically (6.67 +/- 1.49) and
      medically (7.07 +/- 1.24) treated animals. Medically treated animals required
      substantially longer to reach optimal neurologic status, but the average hospital
      stay was nearly twice as long for the surgically treated animals (13.5 days),
      compared with those treated medically (7.1 days). Animals with thoracic vertebral
      fractures had mean neurologic status that was worse than that in animals with
      cervical vertebral fractures (P = 0.0109). After either medical or surgical
      treatment, neurologic status did not differ among animals with cervical,
      thoracic, or lumbar vertebral fractures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874678
TI  - Cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves: 277 cases (1986-1987).
AB  - From January 1986 through December 1987, 277 cases of cryptosporidiosis in calves
      were diagnosed by the South Dakota State University Diagnostic Laboratory.
      Cryptosporidium sp was the only pathogen identified in 142 (51.3%) of the calves.
      Concurrent infections with rotavirus, coronavirus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella
      sp, bovine viral diarrhea virus, or other pathogens were identified in the
      remaining 135 calves. After elimination of cases involving autolyzed specimens or
      calves with chronic diarrhea, records of 11 calves with acute, severe
      cryptosporidiosis were identified in which Cryptosporidium sp was the only
      pathogen.

PMID- 1874679
TI  - Implementation and evaluation of a strategic parasite control program for captive
      exotic ungulates.
AB  - A parasite control program was designed for greater than 1,200 exotic ungulates
      maintained in mixed-species enclosures at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Three
      strategically-timed anthelmintic treatments were given during 1988-1989, and
      their success was evaluated by monitoring pretreatment and posttreatment fecal
      egg counts. Adequate parasite control was achieved for animals in 52 ungulate
      species, as evidenced by low pretreatment egg counts and the absence of egg
      shedding after treatment. However, animals belonging to 11 species in the
      subfamilies Antilopinae, Hippotraginae, and Caprinae were identified as important
      targets for more intensive control efforts because they shed either greater than
      100 eggs/g of feces before treatment, or greater than 0 eggs/g after treatment,
      at 2 or more sampling periods. These results and observations were used to
      generate management recommendations and illustrate how a model parasite control
      program can be developed for collections of exotic ungulates.

PMID- 1874680
TI  - Method for transilial bone biopsy in baboons.
AB  - A surgical method for obtaining transilial bone biopsy specimens in baboons that
      provides adequate amounts of trabecular and cortical bone for histomorphometric
      analysis was developed. Biopsy specimens were removed from a site on the
      craniodorsal portion of the ilium by use of an 8-mm trephine.

PMID- 1874681
TI  - Factors involved in the balancing of equine hooves.

PMID- 1874682
TI  - What is your diagnosis? Upper airway obstruction in a horse caused by pharyngeal
      perforation during nasogastric intubation.

PMID- 1874683
TI  - Yeast spoilage of bakery products and ingredients.

PMID- 1874684
TI  - A rapid fluorogenic method for the detection of Escherichia coli by the
      production of beta-glucuronidase.
AB  - A medium containing the fluorogenic substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D
      glucuronide was developed for the isolation and identification of Escherichia
      coli within 7.5 h and was based on the detection of beta-glucuronidase. Optimum
      conditions for the rapid development of fluorescent colonies were determined. The
      optimum temperature was 41.5 degrees C. Development of fluorescence was delayed
      when carbohydrates were incorporated into the medium. Water samples were used to
      evaluate the medium by surface plating and membrane filtration. The frequency of
      false-negative results was 6.1% and false-positives were 3.7% for freshwater
      samples. The false-positive organisms were identified as Klebsiella spp. and
      Shigella sonnei. The potential applications of the medium are discussed.

PMID- 1874685
TI  - The influence of agricultural run-off on bacterial populations in a river.
AB  - The microbiological quality of the River Riato (Spain) was evaluated. The
      influence of cattle that roam free in the warm season was marked. The degree of
      faecal pollution in the river was higher than predicted from the river basin
      geographical characteristics. The counts of faecal indicators greatly increased
      when the cattle were allowed to roam free. Counts of enterobacteria and faecal
      coliforms ranged from 10(3) to 10(6)/100 ml. Faecal streptococci counts were
      smaller (less than 10/100 ml). Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were
      isolated from all samples. Streptococcus bovis was also isolated but not Strep.
      faecalis.

PMID- 1874686
TI  - A guide to sensitivity testing. Report of the Working Party on Antibiotic
      Sensitivity Testing of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

PMID- 1874687
TI  - State findings on pesticide residues in food--1988 and 1989.
AB  - Findings of pesticide and related chemical residues are presented for 27,065
      samples of foods collected and analyzed in 10 state food laboratories over 1988
      and 1989 (fiscal years (FY) 88 and 89). These laboratories conduct food
      regulatory programs compatible with national programs of the U.S. Food and Drug
      Administration. Of the findings, 6325 samples contained detectable levels of 1 or
      more pesticide analytes and 418 (or 1.5%) of the total number of samples were
      deemed to be of regulatory significance.

PMID- 1874688
TI  - Liquid chromatographic determination of clidinium bromide and clidinium bromide
      chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride combinations in capsules.
AB  - A specific liquid chromatographic method was developed for determination of
      clidinium bromide and clidinium bromide-chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride
      combinations in capsules. The procedure uses a Partisil 10 ODS-3 column and a
      mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-0.3M ammonium phosphate (32 + 68) (pH =
      4.3). The detection wavelength is 235 nm. Accuracy, reproducibility, and
      linearity were within accepted criteria. Four commercial samples of the single
      ingredient were tested; results compared favorably with the compendial method.
      Two commercial samples of the combination product were tested by the proposed
      method and results reported. The system was found to be free from any
      interferences from the 4 known related compounds of the 2 major components and is
      useful as a screening procedure for 7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-5-phenyl-2H-1,4
      benzodiazepin-2-one-4-oxide, the principal degradation product of
      chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride.

PMID- 1874689
TI  - Turbidimetric assay for tetracyclines in feeds using a microtiter plate system.
AB  - The microtiter plate system for turbidimetric assay of chlortetracycline (CTC)
      and oxytetracycline (OTC) levels in feeds uses a 96 well microtiter plate, a
      multichannel pipette, and an ELISA reader to measure turbidity. Feeds are
      extracted for both tetracyclines using AOAC extraction systems. For CTC, the
      range of the standard curve is 0.001-0.005 microgram CTC/mL; for OTC, the range
      is 0.004-0.016 microgram OTC/mL. Repeatability of CTC assays, as shown by the
      coefficient of variation (CV), ranged from 0.54 to 5.65% for same-day assays and
      from 2.01 to 9.39% for assays on different days. For OTC, CVs ranged from 2.69 to
      10.01% for same-day assays and 3.24 to 9.08% for different-day assays. Average
      recoveries for CTC were 108.7% for same-day assays and 106.8% for different-day
      assays; for OTC, average recoveries were 112.4% and 106.5% for same-day and
      different-day assays, respectively.

PMID- 1874690
TI  - Capillary gas chromatographic determination of cyclohexanone and 2-ethyl-1
      hexanol leached from solution administration sets.
AB  - A capillary gas chromatographic method is described for the determination of
      cyclohexanone and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol leached from solution administration sets. A
      preliminary study was made of compounds leached from solution administration sets
      by 5% sodium bicarbonate solution (pH 8.1), 0.9% sodium chloride solution (pH
      6.8), and water. Water was selected as the leaching solvent because similar
      quantities of the compounds were leached into water and into both types of
      parenteral solutions. The correlation coefficients were 0.99977 for cyclohexanone
      and 0.99974 for 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, and recoveries were good (93-94%). Five
      administration sets from each of 2 manufacturers were analyzed by this method.
      The amounts of cyclohexanone that were leached from the individual sets varied
      considerably; however, similar quantities were leached from sets of both
      manufacturers. 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol was also found in extracts from each of the sets
      analyzed.

PMID- 1874691
TI  - Quantitation and confirmation of sulfamethazine residues in swine muscle and
      liver by LC and GC/MS.
AB  - The present paper describes a liquid chromatographic (LC) method for purification
      of crude swine tissue extracts before gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric
      (GC/MS) quantitation and confirmation of sulfamethazine at low ppb levels.
      Fractions corresponding to sulfamethazine were collected, evaporated to dryness,
      N-methylated with diazomethane, concentrated, and analyzed by GC/MS. A mass
      spectrometer was set to selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Ions 233, 227, 228,
      and 92 m/z were detected. Ratio 227/233 m/z (sulfamethazine/internal standard,
      [phenyl 13C6] sulfamethazine) was used for quantitation, while ratios 228/227 and
      92/227 m/z, respectively, were used for confirmation. Quantitation in spiked
      blank muscle tissue was tested from 100 to 1 ppb and found acceptable at all
      concentrations studied; coefficients of variations ranged from 4.9 to 14.4%.
      Similar results were obtained for liver tissue from 5 to 20 ppb; coefficients of
      variation ranged from 1.2 to 9.1%.

PMID- 1874692
TI  - Liquid chromatographic determination of chloramphenicol in calf tissues: studies
      of stability in muscle, kidney, and liver.
AB  - A liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the measurement of
      chloramphenicol (CAP) in muscle, liver, and kidney. The mean recovery levels were
      82.6, 75.3, and 79.2% in muscle, liver, and kidney, respectively. The method was
      repeatable and reproducible for CAP measurement in muscle, with a detection limit
      of 1 microgram/kg. Investigation of CAP stability in muscle, liver, and kidney
      showed that CAP stability in muscle was good at -20 degrees C; for spiked liver
      and kidney, degradation of CAP was observed, and the use of piperonyl butoxide
      (PB) for metabolism inhibition was recommended for recovery and linearity
      studies. However, PB was unnecessary for preservation of treated animal tissues
      if samples were cut into cubes and cooled at -20 degrees C, just after slaughter,
      pending analysis. With these limitations, CAP can be measured in liver and
      kidney.

PMID- 1874693
TI  - Liquid chromatographic method for multiresidue determination of benzimidazoles in
      beef liver and muscle: collaborative study.
AB  - A liquid chromatographic method for determination of thiabendazole, 5
      hydroxythiabendazole, oxfendazole, mebendazole (MBZ), and fenbendazole (FBZ) in
      cattle liver and muscle was collaboratively studied in 7 laboratories in 1986.
      For blind fortified samples containing 800 ppb FBZ, average recovery and relative
      standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility (RSDr and RSDR) based
      on results from 6 of the participating laboratories were 83%, 12.7%, and 14.0%,
      respectively. Recoveries of FBZ from incurred liver samples were more variable.
      Recoveries of MBZ from livers fortified at the 100 ppb level were encouraging;
      however, the drug levels were too low in the incurred samples used for MBZ
      studies. Except for FBZ and MBZ in liver, the study data were not satisfactory.
      The method has been adopted official first action by AOAC for determination of
      800-1600 ppb fenbendazole in liver. The analysis should be repeated using a
      smaller sample size when initial analyses show levels greater than 1600 ppb FBZ.

PMID- 1874694
TI  - Matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction and gas chromatographic screening
      of nine chlorinated pesticides in beef fat.
AB  - A multiresidue technique is presented for the extraction and quantitative gas
      chromatographic screening of 9 insecticides (lindane, heptachlor, aldrin,
      heptachlor epoxide, p,p'-DDE, dieldrin, endrin, p,p'-TDE, and p,p'-DDT) as
      residues in beef fat. Beef fat was fortified by adding the 9 insecticides, plus
      dibutyl chlorendate as internal standard, to 0.5 g portions of beef fat and
      blending with 2 g C18 (octadecylsilyl)-derivatized silica. The C18/fat matrix
      blend was fashioned into a column by adding the blend to a 10 mL syringe barrel
      containing 2 g activated Florisil. The insecticides were then eluted from the
      column with 8 mL acetonitrile, and a 2 microL portion of the acetonitrile eluate
      was then directly analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detection.
      Unfortified blank controls were treated similarly. The acetonitrile eluate
      contained all of the pesticide analytes (31.25-500 ng/g) and was free of
      interfering co-extractants. Correlation coefficients for the 9 extracted
      pesticide standard curves (linear regression analysis, n = 5) ranged from 0.9969
      (+/- 0.0021) to 0.9999 (+/- 0.0001). Average relative percentage recoveries (85
      +/- 3.4% to 102 +/- 5.0%, n = 25 for each insecticide), inter-assay variability
      (6.0 +/- 1.0% to 14.0 +/- 6.7%, n = 25 for each insecticide), and intra-assay
      variability (2.5-5.1% n = 5 for each insecticide) indicated that the methodology
      is acceptable for the extraction, determination, and screening of these residues
      in beef fat.

PMID- 1874695
TI  - Enzyme immunoassay for hen egg white lysozyme used as a food additive.
AB  - An indirect competitive enzyme immunoassay for hen egg white lysozyme (HEL) used
      as a food additive was investigated. Anti-HEL antibodies were obtained from B10A
      mouse ascites immunized by intraperitoneal injection of HEL. HEL samples to be
      assayed were extracted from foods with 1% gelatin in borate buffer. Goat anti
      mouse IgG (H+L)-peroxidase complex was used as a second antibody, and 3,3',5,5'
      tetramethylbenzidine was used as a substrate for the peroxidase. The working
      range for quantitative analysis was 1-50 ng/mL, because in this range the binding
      inhibition curve of anti-HEL antibodies to HEL-coated plates by HEL was linear.
      Even after losing the lysozyme activity by heat treatment, HEL could be detected
      by indirect competitive enzyme immunoassay. Recoveries of HEL by this assay were
      greater than 85% for Japanese noodles and Japanese traditional-style
      confectioneries, 53-95% for Miso and cooked beans, and 30-85% for fried fish
      pastes. HEL contents of 55 commercial foods were determined; HEL was detected in
      19 samples in the range 25-20,000 ng/g. HEL as a food additive was detected more
      frequently in plant-derived foods than in foods of animal origin.

PMID- 1874696
TI  - Determination of food contamination by mineral oil from jute sacks using coupled
      LC-GC.
AB  - Jute fibers are treated with about 5-7% of a high boiling mineral oil fraction
      ("batching oil") to render them flexible for making fabrics. Foods transported in
      jute bags are contaminated by this batching oil. A method involving automated on
      line LC-GC is described for determining these hydrocarbons in various foods.
      Complete transfer of the LC fraction to GC is presupposed for obtaining the
      required sensitivity. Results are given for nuts, coffee, cocoa products, and
      rice. Contamination ranged between about 5 and 500 ppm.

PMID- 1874697
TI  - Quantitative analysis of limonin in grapefruit juice using an enzyme-linked
      immunoassay: interlaboratory study.
AB  - Eleven laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study of an enzyme-linked
      immunoassay for limonin in grapefruit juice. Participating laboratories received
      training and practice samples until familiar with the procedure. Laboratories
      then received 8 sample pairs of grapefruit juice as blind duplicates. Samples
      were refrigerated and analyzed within 4 days of receipt. Results from 1
      laboratory and 6 individual samples were excluded from the statistical analysis.
      Method performance was measured by the one-way component of variance analysis.
      Repeatability relative standard deviations (RSDr) ranged from 7.0 to 15.6%.
      Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSDR) ranged from 12.9 to 29.4%.

PMID- 1874698
TI  - Continuous flow vapor generation for inductively coupled argon plasma
      spectrometric analysis. Part 2. Arsenic.
AB  - Total arsenic is determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission using
      hydride vapor generation. A 1 g sample is wet washed in a 16 x 150 mm 10 mL
      volumetric test tube on a programmed heating block with nitric, sulfuric, and
      perchloric acids at up to 310 degrees C. After treatment with hydrochloric acid
      and potassium iodide, arsenic is reduced by sodium borohydride to arsine in a
      simplified continuous flow manifold. A standard pneumatic nebulizer affects the
      gas-liquid separation of AsH3, which is quantified by ICP atomic emission at
      193.756 nm. The instrument detection limit for the method has been determined to
      be 0.4 microgram/L. For a 10:1 dilution of a nominal 1 g sample, the detection
      limit is 4 micrograms/kg and the linear range is up to 4 mg/kg. Recoveries from 3
      matrixes were 99-104%, with a typical RSD of 2%. The method has demonstrated
      statistical control for samples of biological interest and is especially well
      suited to analysis of small samples.

PMID- 1874699
TI  - Defined substrate technology method for rapid and specific simultaneous
      enumeration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli from water: collaborative
      study.
AB  - The defined substrate technology (DST) method is a reagent system designed to
      enumerate specific target microbes(s) from a mixture of bacteria. The system
      simultaneously enumerates total coliforms and Escherichia coli directly from a
      water sample. The reagent contains o-nitrophenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG),
      which is hydrolyzed by total coliforms to produce a yellow chromogen, and 4
      methylumbeilliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (MUG), which is hydrolyzed and fluoresces
      when E. coli organisms grow. Noncoliform bacteria are suppressed and cannot
      metabolize the indicator nutrients. Nine laboratories participated in a field
      evaluation of the method, which covered a wide range of surface and subsurface
      water sources and water-processing modalities, including the examination of
      natural samples. The DST system was compared to multiple-tube fermentation (MTF)
      (quantitative) and presence-absence (P-A) (qualitative) Standard Methods formats.
      Comparison of water samples from natural sources by using the most probable
      number (MPN) procedure showed that the DST test was equivalent to the currently
      used MTF test. Results from the DST and the qualitative P-A procedure showed that
      these tests agreed with each other in 94% of the water samples analyzed.
      Specificity of the DST method was established by subculturing a species
      consistent with a total coliform or E. coli from each positive tube. Eight
      laboratories participated in a collaborative study of the method. Each laboratory
      received 3 concentrations of E. coli (organisms/100 mL); 10 (low); 60 (medium);
      and 120 (high). The DST test was inoculated from a split sample of each bacterial
      density in parallel with Standard Methods brilliant green lactose broth.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874700
TI  - Determination of monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish tissue.
AB  - An analytical method is presented in which fish tissue is analyzed for neutral
      monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and aromatic sulfur
      heterocycles (ASHs) by capillary column gas chromatography (CGC) with
      photoionization detection. The sample enrichment procedure includes
      saponification with aqueous KOH, acidification of the digestates, and extraction
      of the aromatic compounds into cyclopentane-dichloromethane. Adsorption
      chromatography on tandem segments of potassium silicate and silica gel removes
      99% of the coextracted lipid. Final enrichment by gel permeation chromatography
      eliminates residual biogenic material and potentially interfering alkanes.
      Relatively volatile monoaromatics are included among the analytes by virtue of
      the efficiency of the complementary enrichment steps, the use of small quantities
      of only low-boiling solvents, and the selectivity of the detector. Most targeted
      compounds (AHs ranging in size from C3-alkylbenzenes through benzo[g,h,l]perylene
      and ASHs within the same size range) can be determined in 5 g (wet weight)
      samples of fish tissue at concentrations as low as 20 ng/g. Comparisons are made
      of recoveries of selected AHs under ordinary and gold fluorescent lighting
      conditions.

PMID- 1874701
TI  - Zinc chloride-diphenylamine reagent for thin layer chromatographic detection of
      some organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides.
AB  - Zinc chloride-diphenylamine reagent, whose use has been reported for the
      detection of organochlorine insecticides by thin layer chromatography, was
      further studied for its ability to detect the organophosphorus insecticides
      phorate, phosphamidon, DDVP, and phosalone and the carbamate insecticide carbaryl
      and aldicarb. These insecticides give intense blue-green spots with this reagent.
      The procedure can be applied to the detection of the insecticides in biological
      materials and thus has a potential use in forensic toxicology.

PMID- 1874702
TI  - Determination of oxyfluorfen herbicide and oxyfluorfen amine residues in garbanzo
      beans by liquid chromatography.
AB  - Oxyfluorfen and oxyfluorfen amine were determined by liquid chromatography (LC)
      with ultraviolet (UV) and photoconductivity detection (PCD). A simple extraction
      procedure acceptably recovered both analytes from garbanzo beans over a wide
      range of fortifications (0.05 to 20 ppm) (83 +/- 4 for oxyfluorfen; 85 +/- 4 for
      oxyfluorfen amine). Percent recoveries decreased slightly as the fortification
      level decreased. Both analytes could be determined simultaneously at a
      concentration greater than 0.2 ppm in garbanzo beans. Detection limits were 3 ng
      for oxyfluorfen and 100 ng for oxyfluorfen amine using LC/UV, and 12 ng for both
      oxyfluorfen and oxyfluorfen amine with LC/PCD. Different knitted reaction coils
      and photoreactors were evaluated. Photoproduct yields and identification were
      determined by ion chromatography. The LC/PCD method measures oxyfluorfen and
      oxyfluorfen amine separately and has a shorter analysis time, while the standard
      method using gas chromatography measures total residues and is more sensitive.

PMID- 1874703
TI  - Multiresidue screening method for fresh fruits and vegetables with gas
      chromatographic/mass spectrometric detection.
AB  - A gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) screening method has been
      developed for the determination of pesticide residues in a variety of crop
      samples. Samples are extracted with acetonitrile and partitioned with sodium
      chloride saturated aqueous solution. Targeted pesticide analytes are separated on
      a short, narrow bore capillary column, identified by electron ionization MS
      scanned from 100 to 400 amu, and quantitated by the monitoring of base ions and
      internal standards. The accuracy of the quantitative determination measured in
      terms of average percentage recovery of 143 compounds in 13 crop samples was 92%
      with a relative standard deviation of 22%.

PMID- 1874704
TI  - Comparison of microwave digestion with conventional wet ashing and dry ashing
      digestion for analysis of lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc in shellfish
      by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.
AB  - A closed vessel microwave digestion procedure was developed for shellfish
      samples. This procedure was compared with wet and dry ash procedures for levels
      of lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc. Results obtained for microwave and
      conventional wet ash digestion were comparable. The dry ashing procedure produced
      results consistently lower than either of the other methods. Recoveries ranged
      from 80-92% for microwave and wet ashing procedures and 54-72% for the dry ashing
      procedure. Accuracy was also determined by analyzing lobster hepatopancreas
      marine reference material. Values for Pb, Cd, and Cr fell within the range
      specified for the reference material for all 3 digestion procedures; however,
      values were lower for Cu and Zn. Results of this study show that microwave
      digestion is comparable to wet ashing.

PMID- 1874705
TI  - Improved selenium recovery from tissue with modified sample decomposition.
AB  - The present paper describes a simple modification of a recently reported
      decomposition method for determination of selenium in biological tissue by
      hydride generation atomic absorption. The modified method yielded slightly higher
      selenium recoveries (3-4%) for selected reference tissues and fish tissue spiked
      with selenomethionine. Radiotracer experiments indicated that the addition of a
      small volume of hydrochloric acid to the wet digestate mixture reduced slight
      losses of selenium as the sample initially went to dryness before ashing. With
      the modified method, selenium spiked as selenomethionine behaved more like the
      selenium in reference tissues than did the inorganic spike forms when this
      digestion modification was used.

PMID- 1874706
TI  - The Visible Human Project.

PMID- 1874707
TI  - Collaborations in art/science: Renaissance teams.
AB  - A Renaissance Team is a group of specialists who collaborate and provide
      synergism in the quest for knowledge and information. Artists can participate in
      Renaissance Teams with scientists and computer specialists for scientific
      visualization projects. Some projects are described in which the author
      functioned as programmer and color expert, as interface designer, as visual
      paradigm maker, as animator, and as producer. Examples are provided for each of
      these five projects.

PMID- 1874708
TI  - Perception, cognition, and visualization.
AB  - Visualization refers to the cognitive functions of visual perception. In
      visualization, pictures combine aspects of naturalistic representation with more
      formal shapes to enhance cognitive understanding. These "diagrammatic" shapes
      derive from geometrical elements and thereby bestow visual concreteness to
      concepts conveyed by the pictures. Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings
      survive as masterful prototypes exemplifying these traits.

PMID- 1874709
TI  - Computer-aided geometric modeling of the human eye and orbit.
AB  - The author advocates, as a long-term development agenda for the profession, a
      shift in the working methods of medical illustrators from a two-dimensional image
      processing mode to a computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) mode. Existing
      CADD technology, which can make short work of the complex graphic construction
      problems of anatomical visualization, performs virtually all of its manipulations
      through systematic exercise of graphic geometry which illustrators tend to reduce
      to an intuitive, almost vestigial supplement to 2D image processing methods. The
      primary barrier to the immediate use of CADD is a lack of geometric database
      materials on anatomical component systems of the body. An on-going experimental
      project in modeling the human eye and orbit, utilizing a Silicon Graphics Iris
      workstation and Control Data Corporation's Integrated Computerized Engineering
      and Manufacturing (ICEM) software, exemplifies the preparatory work needed to
      create such database materials.

PMID- 1874710
TI  - The Vesalius Project: interactive computers in anatomical instruction.
AB  - The goal of the Vesalius Project is a high-resolution, interactive 3-D atlas of
      human/animal anatomy, stored on a laser videodisc and displayed on graphics
      workstations--an an "electronic Gray's Anatomy." Students will use this
      computerized atlas interactively to learn the structure of the body and to
      understand their own bodies in health and disease. The Human Factors Research
      Laboratory at Colorado State University has designed and is conducting a
      comprehensive evaluation program for the project.

PMID- 1874711
TI  - Videodisc animation of 3D computer reconstructions of the human brain.
AB  - Our group is creating a database of x-, y-, z- coordinates of central nervous
      system structures from serial cross-sections. We produce 3D computer images of
      the brain and its components and record them on videodisc. Useful animations
      include combining objects from different databases to correct anatomical scale,
      rendering a surface translucent to reveal underlying components, slicing and
      paging brain slabs with and without protruding individual objects, and dissecting
      functional pathways. We are beginning to use videodisc animations of the nervous
      system in computer-based interactive tutorials.

PMID- 1874712
TI  - New dimensions: curriculum challenges.

PMID- 1874713
TI  - Enhancer element at the 3'-flanking region controls transcriptional response to
      hypoxia in the human erythropoietin gene.
AB  - Erythropoietin gene expression is greatly stimulated under conditions of hypoxia.
      The activation of the erythropoietin gene appears regulated primarily at the
      level of gene transcription. To study cis-acting elements involved in the
      response to hypoxia a mini-gene was constructed by an internal deletion from exon
      II to V of the human erythropoietin gene and used in transient transfection
      assays in the erythropoietin producing Hep 3B cell line. It was initially found
      that hypoxia responsiveness was present in an erythropoietin fragment containing
      400 base pairs (bp) of 5'-flanking and 600 bp of 3'-flanking regions. Deletion
      analysis showed no significant effect on the response to hypoxia when highly
      conserved regions of 5'-flanking sequence, exon and intron I, and exon V were
      removed from the mini-gene construct. However, removal of a fragment containing
      the 3' end of the gene and 3'-flanking sequences completely eliminated hypoxia
      responsiveness. Reinsertion of the above fragment upstream of the 5' end of the
      mini-gene restored the response to hypoxia. Further analysis using hybrid
      erythropoietin-chloramphenicol-acetyltransferase constructs allowed the
      localization of enhancer-like element(s) in the 3'-flanking region, approximately
      120 bp downstream of the polyadenylation site of the human erythropoietin gene.
      Activation by these sequences were position- and orientation-independent and
      stimulated 15-fold transcription of the erythropoietin gene in response to
      hypoxia.

PMID- 1874714
TI  - In vitro biosynthesis of [Thr2,Leu5,D-Hiv8,Leu10]-cyclosporin, a cyclosporin
      related peptolide, with immunosuppressive activity by a multienzyme polypeptide.
AB  - A new cyclic peptolide (SDZ 214-103), which is produced by the fungus
      Cylindrotrichumoligospermum (Corda) BONORDEN (Dreyfuss, M. M., Schreier, M. H.,
      Tscherter, H., and Wenger, R. (June 15, 1988) European Patent Application 0 296
      123 A2) and is closely related to cyclosporin A (CyA), has as the main structural
      difference D-2-hydroxyisovaleric acid in ester linkage at position 8 instead of D
      alanine in the cyclosporins. This peptolide exerts similar biological activities
      to CyA. We were able to prepare an enzyme fraction of crude extracts of the
      mycelium, which is capable of synthesizing the peptolide with consumption of the
      constitutive amino acids, D-2-hydroxyisovaleric acid, ATP, and S-adenosyl-L
      methionine. The in vitro product co-chromatographs with authentic peptolide on
      thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography and shows
      similar immunosuppressive activity in vitro. The enzyme does not synthesize CyA,
      whereas cyclosporin synthetase does not synthesize the peptolide. Peptolide
      synthetase has a high molecular weight (in the same range as cyclosporin
      synthetase) and also does not appear to be glycosylated. The enzyme cross-reacts
      with antibodies directed specifically against cyclosporin synthetase.

PMID- 1874715
TI  - Nonfarnesylated tetrapeptide inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase.
AB  - The protein farnesyltransferase from rat brain was previously shown to be
      inhibited competitively by tetrapeptides that conform to the consensus Cys-A1-A2
      X, where A1 and A2 are aliphatic amino acids and X is methionine, serine, or
      phenylalanine. In the current studies we use a thin layer chromatography assay to
      show that most of these tetrapeptides are themselves farnesylated by the purified
      enzyme. Two classes of tetrapeptides are not farnesylated and therefore act as
      true inhibitors: 1) those that contain an aromatic residue at the A2 position and
      2) those that contain penicillamine (beta,beta-dimethylcysteine) in place of
      cysteine. The most potent of these pure inhibitors was Cys-Val-Phe-Met, which
      inhibited farnesyltransferase activity by 50% at less than 0.1 microM. These data
      indicate that the inclusion of bulky aromatic or methyl residues in a
      tetrapeptide can abolish prenyl group transfer without blocking binding to the
      enzyme. This information should be useful in the design of peptides or
      peptidomimetics that inhibit farnesylation and thus block the action of p21ras
      proteins in animal cells.

PMID- 1874716
TI  - Cleavage of cartilage proteoglycan between G1 and G2 domains by stromelysins.
AB  - Normal and pathological turnover of proteoglycans in articular cartilage involves
      its cleavage close to the N-terminal G1 domain responsible for aggregation. A
      fragment containing G1 and G2 N-terminal domains of pig cartilage proteoglycans
      was therefore used as a substrate to investigate its degradation by the
      metalloproteinase stromelysin and related recombinant stromelysin enzymes. The
      stromelysins produced an apparent single cleavage yielding a G1 fragment of 56
      kDa and a G2 fragment of 110 kDa. Rabbit bone stromelysin was much more active
      against the G1-G2 fragment and against proteoglycan aggregates than recombinant
      human stromelysin-1 and stromelysin-2. All metalloproteinase preparations were
      active against proteoglycan and the G1-G2 fragment at acid (pH 5.5) and neutral
      pH (7.4). N-terminal sequencing of the G2 fragment derived from the action of
      recombinant human stromelysin-1 revealed that cleavage between G1 and G2 occurred
      at the N-terminal end of the interglobular domain, close to the last cysteine in
      G1. The specific cleavage site was between an asparagine and a pair of
      phenylalanine residues, where the asparagine corresponds to residue 341 in human
      and rat mature core protein sequence.

PMID- 1874717
TI  - Dissociative inhibition of dimeric enzymes. Kinetic characterization of the
      inhibition of HIV-1 protease by its COOH-terminal tetrapeptide.
AB  - Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) protease is an aspartyl protease composed
      of two identical protomers linked by a four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet
      consisting of the NH2- and COOH-terminal segments (Weber, I.T. (1990) J. Biol.
      Chem. 265, 10492-10496). Kinetic analysis of the HIV-1 protease-catalyzed
      hydrolysis of a fluorogenic substrate demonstrates that the enzyme is an
      obligatory dimer. At pH = 5.0, 0.1 M sodium acetate, 1 M NaCl, 1 mM EDTA buffer,
      37 degrees C, the equilibrium dissociation constant, Kd = 3.6 +/- 1.9 nM. We
      found that the tetrapeptide Ac-Thr-Leu-Asn-Phe-COOH, corresponding to the COOH
      terminal segment of the enzyme, is an excellent inhibitor of the enzyme. Kinetic
      analysis shows that the inhibitor binds to the inactive protomers and prevents
      their association into the active dimer (dissociative inhibition). The
      dissociative nature of this inhibition is consistent with the results obtained
      from sedimentation equilibrium experiments in which the apparent molecular weight
      of the enzyme was observed to be 20,800 +/- 1,500 and 12,100 +/- 300, in the
      absence and presence of the COOH-terminal tetrapeptide, respectively. The
      dissociation constant of the protomer-inhibitor complex is Ki = 45.1 +/- 1.8
      microM. This is the first kinetic analysis and direct experimental demonstration
      of noncovalent dissociative inhibition.

PMID- 1874718
TI  - Polarized regulation of fibronectin secretion and alternative splicing by
      transforming growth factor.
AB  - Fibronectin is a multifunctional protein that is synthesized in several different
      forms that result from alternative splicing of mRNA. Although expression of
      splicing variants appears to be both developmentally regulated and tissue
      specific, the functional significance of these isoforms is largely unknown. We
      found that cultured airway epithelial cells vectorially secrete two distinct
      species of fibronectin, one which contains the alternatively spliced EIIIA region
      (EIIIA+) and one in which the EIIIA segment is spliced out (EIIIA-). Fibronectin
      containing the EIIIA region is preferentially secreted apically. Although both
      apical and basal stimulation with transforming growth factor beta 1 increased
      fibronectin synthesis, the secretory response differed depending on which surface
      was being stimulated. Apical secretion of fibronectin and expression of EIIIA+
      fibronectin mRNA increased only after apical stimulation. These data demonstrate
      a novel mechanism for the polarized regulation of targeted secretion and
      alternative splicing of fibronectin and suggest that the EIIIA segment may act as
      a targeting signal for the vectorial secretion of fibronectin.

PMID- 1874719
TI  - Substitutions for glycine alpha 1-637 and glycine alpha 2-694 of type I
      procollagen in lethal osteogenesis imperfecta. The conformational strain on the
      triple helix introduced by a glycine substitution can be transmitted along the
      helix.
AB  - Two substitutions for glycine in the triple-helical domain were found in type I
      procollagen synthesized by skin fibroblasts from two probands with lethal
      osteogenesis imperfecta. One was a substitution of valine for glycine alpha 1
      637, and the other was a substitution of arginine for glycine alpha 2-694. The
      effects of the mutations on the zipper-like folding of the collagen triple helix
      were similar, since there was post-translational overmodification of the
      collagenase A fragments (amino acids 1-775) but not of more COOH-terminal
      fragments of the protein. The mutations differed markedly, however, on their
      effects on thermal unfolding of the triple helix. The collagenase A fragment from
      the collagen containing the arginine alpha 2-694 substitution was cleaved at
      about amino acid 700 when incubated with trypsin at 30-35 degrees C. Therefore,
      there was micro-unfolding of the triple helix at a site close to the glycine
      substitution. Surprisingly, however, the collagenase A fragment with the valine
      alpha 1-637 substitution was also cleaved at about amino acid 700 under the same
      conditions. The results, therefore, demonstrated that although most glycine
      substitutions delay folding of the triple helix in regions that are NH2-terminal
      to the site of the substitution, the effects on unfolding can be transmitted to
      regions that are COOH-terminal to the site of the glycine substitution.

PMID- 1874720
TI  - Erythropoietin enhances the assembly of alpha,beta spectrin heterodimers on the
      murine erythroblast membranes by increasing beta spectrin synthesis.
AB  - Previous biosynthetic studies have revealed that in both mammalian and chicken
      erythroid cells, alpha spectrin is synthesized in 2-3-fold excess over beta
      spectrin. However, in the membrane skeleton, the two polypeptides are assembled
      in equimolar amounts, suggesting that the association of alpha spectrin with the
      membrane skeleton is rate-limited by the amount of beta spectrin synthesized.
      Here we have analyzed the synthesis and transcription of alpha and beta spectrin
      in Friend virus-infected murine erythroblasts (FVA cells) in vitro during the
      erythropoietin-dependent period of maturation. Erythropoietin (Epo) increases the
      synthesis of beta spectrin but not alpha spectrin, thereby altering the
      alpha/beta spectrin synthetic ratio. When immature FVA cells are exposed for 24 h
      to a standard dose of 0.2 unit/ml Epo for maximum effect, the mRNA content and
      the synthesis of beta spectrin are increased resulting in about 1.3-1.5-fold
      excess of beta spectrin over alpha spectrin in the cytosol. On the membrane, the
      incorporation of both alpha and beta spectrins is increased equally by about 30
      35%. Furthermore, nuclear run-off transcription measurements indicate that the
      increased beta spectrin gene expression is regulated at the level of
      transcription. We conclude that in cells with strong Epo stimulus, the expression
      and synthesis of beta spectrin are increased resulting in an increase in the
      amount of alpha,beta spectrin heterodimers available for membrane assembly.

PMID- 1874721
TI  - Isoform diversity of phosphorylase kinase alpha and beta subunits generated by
      alternative RNA splicing.
AB  - We have sequenced rabbit cDNAs that encode one isoform of the alpha subunit and
      two isoforms of the beta subunit of phosphorylase kinase, in addition to the
      single isoform from fast skeletal muscle that has been characterized to date for
      each subunit. All these isoforms are generated by alternative RNA splicing. The
      alpha subunit sequence obtained from slow skeletal muscle (soleus) is
      characterized by an internal deletion of 59 amino acids. This deletion is
      predominant in mRNA from slow muscle, heart, and uterus and accounts for the
      smaller alpha subunit variant (alpha') characteristic of phosphorylase kinase
      purified from slow muscle and heart. The beta subunit mRNA can be differentially
      spliced at two sites. In all tissues (except skeletal muscle) that were analyzed,
      an internal segment encoding 28 amino acids of the muscle sequence is replaced by
      a homologous sequence of identical length, presumably through the use of mutually
      exclusive exons. In brain and some other tissues, the deduced N-terminal sequence
      of the beta subunit is also changed. This is achieved by an insertion into the
      mRNA sequence that interrupts the initial reading frame after 25 codons and
      starts a new reading frame, encoding a different N terminus of 18 amino acids.
      This modification probably affects the major regulatory phosphorylation site of
      the beta subunit.

PMID- 1874722
TI  - Long-range effects and conformational flexibility of aldolase.
AB  - The conformational flexibility and long-range interactions in rabbit muscle
      aldolase induced by active-site ligand binding, cross-linking of the enzyme
      between Cys72 and Cys338, and removal of the C-terminal tyrosine residue were
      studied by following the changes in the microenvironments of Cys239 and Cys289
      located outside the active site. It was found that substrates induced a
      conformational change in aldolase, which propagates from the active site to
      Cys239, which is located close to intersubunit contacts. The response of the
      enzyme is differential. Ligands having both C-1 and C-6 phosphates or C-1
      phosphate only induce the enhancement of Cys239 reactivity, whereas those with C
      6 phosphates only decrease Cys239 reactivity. This correlates well with a
      dramatic difference in kinetic parameters for a cleavage of fructose-1,6-P2 and
      fructose-1-P. Therefore, these changes can be interpreted as syncatalytic. Cross
      linking of the aldolase subunit by an -S-S-bridge between Cys72 and Cys338
      inactivates the enzyme, abolishes binding of active-site ligands, and induces a
      conformational change in the enzyme that can be detected far away (at Cys239 and
      Cys289) from the site of perturbation. Cys72 and Cys338 are not in the active
      site. This shows that the region of the active site and the environment of Cys72
      and Cys338 are tightly coupled and that residues far away from the active site,
      through such coupling, can possess properties of active-site residues. Similar,
      although less dramatic changes are observed upon removal of the C-terminal
      tyrosine residue. In view of the results obtained in this paper, aldolase seems
      to be quite a flexible molecule, whose conformation is sensitive to the nature of
      a substrate bound to the enzyme and is able to transmit the information about a
      local perturbation over long distances within a molecule.

PMID- 1874723
TI  - Proteolytic processing of the insulin receptor beta subunit is associated with
      insulin-induced receptor down-regulation.
AB  - This report describes the use of an antibody directed against the carboxyl
      terminus of the insulin receptor beta subunit to assess the fate of the insulin
      receptor protein over the time course of insulin-induced receptor down
      regulation. The insulin receptor beta subunit is lost from the cellular membranes
      of insulin-treated 3T3-C2 fibroblasts with a time course superimposable with the
      insulin-induced loss of cellular insulin binding activity. Concomitant with the
      time-dependent loss of the intact beta subunit from the membranes, a 61,000-Da
      fragment of the insulin receptor beta subunit accumulates in the cytosol of the
      cells in a time-dependent manner. The insulin-induced loss of the intact beta
      subunit from the cellular membranes is inhibited by cycloheximide. Chloroquine
      and the thiol protease inhibitors leupeptin and E-64 inhibit the insulin-induced
      loss of the intact beta subunit from the membranes and induce an accumulation of
      the intact subunit in the membranes. However, in the presence of leupeptin, E-64,
      or chloroquine, the insulin-induced loss of insulin binding activity occurs
      normally. These data indicate that down-regulation results in the loss of the
      intact beta subunit from the cellular membranes with the production of a fragment
      of the beta subunit in the cytosol. The protease responsible for the generation
      of the fragment is a thiol protease which requires acidic conditions. Since the
      insulin-induced proteolysis of the beta subunit can be totally inhibited under
      conditions where the insulin-induced loss of insulin binding activity proceeds
      normally, the proteolysis of the beta subunit is a process which is separate and
      distinguishable from the insulin-induced loss of insulin binding activity.

PMID- 1874724
TI  - Mechanism of activation of protein synthesis initiation in mitogen-stimulated T
      lymphocytes.
AB  - The pronounced stimulation of protein synthesis in T lymphocytes in response to
      mitogens is partly due to increased cell size and hence ribosome number. There is
      also a large increase in translation rate per ribosome as a result of an
      increased rate of initiation. In response to mitogen, levels of both eukaryotic
      initiation factor (eIF)-2 and guanine nucleotide exchange factor, GEF, increase
      in parallel with ribosomes which is consistent with a general increase in the
      translational machinery but cannot explain the increase in activity per ribosome.
      However, as total eIF-2 accumulates, the ratio of phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha (eIF
      2(alpha P] to eIF-2 alpha decreases. Further, the levels of eIF-2(alpha P) and
      GEF in resting T lymphocytes are similar. As eIF-2(alpha P) inhibits GEF by
      effectively sequestering the exchange factor in an inactive 1:1 complex, the
      level of GEF available for protein synthesis initiation must be very low in
      resting cells. Hence, as GEF is synthesized and rises above the level of eIF
      2(alpha P), there will be a disproportionate increase in GEF available for
      initiation compared with the increase in total GEF. This increase in available
      GEF is probably great enough to support the increase in translation rate per
      ribosome as well as the increase in ribosome number.

PMID- 1874725
TI  - Identification of kex2-related proteases in chromaffin granules by partial amino
      acid sequence analysis.
AB  - We have characterized glycoprotein H (GpH) from bovine adrenal medullary
      chromaffin granules. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to purify GpH
      from an insoluble fraction obtained following extraction of chromaffin granule
      membranes with lithium diiodosalicylate. The GpH material was recovered from two
      dimensional gel spots by concentration and recovery on a one-dimensional gel
      followed by electro-blotting to a poly(vinylidene difluoride) membrane. This
      material was subjected to in situ tryptic digestion. The released peptides were
      purified by microbore high performance liquid chromatography and sequenced. The
      peptide sequences revealed extensive similarity to the mammalian kex2/subtilisin
      related proteases (PC2 and PC3) which have been characterized recently by
      molecular cloning and sequence analysis (Smeekens, S. P., and Steiner, D. F.
      (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 2997-3000; Smeekens, S. P., Avruch, A. S., LaMendola,
      J., Chan, S. J., and Steiner, D. F. (1991) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 340
      344). The sequence similarity included regions that contain residues equivalent
      to the aspartic acid and histidine residues which are involved in the active site
      of the subtilisin family of serine proteases. The sequence data revealed the
      presence of tryptic peptides derived from both PC2 and PC3. NH2-terminal sequence
      analysis of GpH gave two sequences which were aligned with residues 110-121 of
      PC2 and PC3. It is likely that these sequences represent the mature form of PC2
      and PC3 in chromaffin granules. These forms would be generated by cleavage at a
      site which is conserved in mammalian kex2-related enzymes and which would result
      in the release of approximately 80-residue propeptides. It was concluded that the
      spot identified as GpH by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis contains the bovine
      counterparts of both PC2 and PC3. The direct identification of these components
      in chromaffin granules supports their role in the processing of protein
      precursors.

PMID- 1874726
TI  - Studies of L-canavanine incorporation into insectan lysozyme.
AB  - L-Canavanine is incorporated into the lysozyme synthesized, in response to
      administration of bacterial cell wall materials, by canavanine-treated larvae of
      the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta (Sphingidae). Maximum canavanine incorporation
      into M. sexta lysozyme occurs when the larvae are provided 1 mg of canavanine g-1
      fresh body weight. Analysis of canavanine-containing lysozyme purified from these
      insects reveals that 21% of the arginine residues are replaced by canavanine;
      this residue substitution results in a loss of 49.5% of the catalytic activity.
      When the larvae are provided 0.5 mg of canavanine g-1, 16.5% of the arginine
      residues are substituted by canavanine and 39.5% of the catalytic activity is
      lost. Canavanine is also incorporated into the lysozyme induced by canavanine
      treated pupae of the giant silk moth Hyalophora cecropia (Saturnidae). In
      contrast, replacement of 17% of the arginine in H. cecropia lysozyme by
      canavanine fails to affect the catalytic activity. We have determined the primary
      structure of M. sexta lysozyme and compared it with the primary structure of H.
      cecropia lysozyme which has been described elsewhere. M. sexta lysozyme has an
      arginine at positions 23, 42, and 107. H. cecropia contains serine, lysine, and
      lysine, respectively, at these locations. The ability of incorporated canavanine
      to inhibit M. sexta lysozyme activity selectively may result from the fact that
      replacement of any one of the 3 arginine residues at position 23, 42, or 107 by
      canavanine causes the loss of catalytic activity.

PMID- 1874727
TI  - Characterization of purified, reconstituted site-directed cysteine mutants of the
      lactose permease of Escherichia coli.
AB  - lac permease mutated at each of the 8 cysteinyl residues in the molecule was
      solubilized from the membrane, purified, and reconstituted into proteoliposomes.
      The transport activity of proteoliposomes reconstituted with each mutant permease
      relative to the wild-type is virtually identical with that reported for intact
      cells and/or right-side-out membrane vesicles. Moreover, a double mutant
      containing Ser in place of both Cys148 and Cys154 exhibits significant ability to
      catalyze active lactose transport. The results provide strong confirmation for
      the contention that cysteinyl residues in lac permease do not play an important
      role in the transport mechanism. The effect of sulfhydryl oxidant 5-hydroxy-2
      methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone on lactose transport in proteoliposomes reconstituted
      with wild-type or mutant permeases was also investigated, and the results
      indicate that inactivation is probably due to formation of a covalent adduct with
      Cys148 and/or Cys154 rather than disulfide formation. Thus, it seems unlikely
      that sulfhydryl-disulfide interconversion functions to regulate permease
      activity.

PMID- 1874729
TI  - Immunoaffinity-purified DNA polymerase alpha from a mouse temperature-sensitive
      mutant, tsFT20 strain, is heat-labile.
AB  - We have purified DNA polymerase alpha from a temperature-sensitive mutant cell
      line of mouse FM3A cells, tsFT20, that shows temperature-sensitive activity of
      DNA polymerase alpha (Murakami, Y., Yasuda, H., Miyazawa, H., Hanaoka, F., and
      Yamada, M. (1985) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 1761-1765). The purified
      enzyme was composed of two polypeptides with the same apparent molecular weights
      as those of purified DNA polymerase alpha from the parental strain, FM3A (Mr
      180,000 and 68,000). Heat inactivation experiments revealed that this purified
      DNA polymerase alpha from tsFT20 cells was more heat-labile than the wild-type
      enzyme. We have also purified primase from both ts-FT20 cells and wild-type
      cells. Both primase fractions consist of two polypeptides with molecular weights
      of 54,000 and 46,000. No difference was observed between the heat labilities of
      the primases from tsFT20 cells and wild-type cells. Comparisons of wild-type and
      mutant polymerase indicated that the temperature-sensitive mutation in DNA
      polymerase alpha from tsFT20 cells affect the dCTP-binding site of the enzyme.
      The mutation also changed the optimum pH and the optimum KCl concentration of the
      enzyme.

PMID- 1874728
TI  - Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a human cDNA encoding the DNA
      repair protein N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase.
AB  - A 871-base pair cDNA encoding the human N-methylpurine-DNA glycosylase (MPG) was
      cloned from a HeLa S3 cDNA expression library in a pUC vector by phenotypic
      screening of MPG-negative (tag- alkA-) Escherichia coli cells exposed to
      methylmethane sulfonate. The active MPG is expressed as a 31-kDa fusion protein.
      The human cDNA-encoded MPG releases 3-methyladenine, 7-methylguanine, and 3
      methylguanine from DNA and thus has a substrate range similar to that of the
      indigenous enzyme and the E. coli AlkA protein. The cDNA hybridizes with distinct
      restriction fragments of mammalian DNAs but not with E. coli or yeast DNA. A
      search in the GenBank data bank failed to show any other cloned DNA with a
      similar sequence. Although the human protein has 62% sequence homology with the
      corresponding rat enzyme, only a few amino acid residues are conserved between
      the human protein and the E. coli and yeast MPGs. However, a conserved glutamine
      residue in all MPGs that release 3-alkyladenine and an arginine residue in
      eukaryotic MPGs and E. coli AlkA that act additionally on N-alkylguanines suggest
      that these residues are involved in recognition of adenine and guanine adducts in
      DNA, respectively. Although the 1.1-kilobase mRNAs of MPG from human and rodents
      are similar in size, liver and cultured cells of rat have much lower levels of
      MPG mRNA than do human and mouse cells. A hamster cell line variant isolated as
      being resistant to methylmethane sulfonate does not have a higher level of MPG
      mRNA than the parent cell line.

PMID- 1874730
TI  - Characterization of factor VII association with tissue factor in solution. High
      and low affinity calcium binding sites in factor VII contribute to functionally
      distinct interactions.
AB  - Protein-phospholipid as well as protein-protein interactions may be critical for
      tight binding of the serine protease factor VIIa (VIIa) to its receptor cofactor
      tissue factor (TF). To elucidate the role of protein-protein interactions, we
      analyzed the interaction of VII/VIIa with TF in the absence of phospholipid.
      Binding of VII occurred with similar affinity to solubilized and phospholipid
      reconstituted TF. Lack of the gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-domain (des-(1-38)
      VIIa) resulted in a 10- to 30-fold increase of the Kd for the interaction, as did
      blocking the Gla-domain by Fab fragments of a specific monoclonal antibody. These
      results suggest that the VII Gla-domain can participate in protein-protein
      interaction with the TF molecule per se rather than only in interactions with the
      charged phospholipid surface. Gla-domain-independent, low affinity binding of VII
      to TF required micromolar Ca2+, indicating involvement of high affinity calcium
      ion binding sites suggested to be localized in VII rather than TF. Interference
      with Gla-domain-dependent interactions with TF did not alter the TF. VIIa
      dependent cleavage of a small peptidyl substrate, whereas the proteolytic
      activation of the protein substrate factor X was markedly decreased, suggesting
      that the VIIa Gla-domain not only participates in the formation of a more stable
      TF. VIIa complex but contributes to extended substrate recognition.

PMID- 1874731
TI  - Analysis of the oligomeric state of Band 3, the anion transport protein of the
      human erythrocyte membrane, by size exclusion high performance liquid
      chromatography. Oligomeric stability and origin of heterogeneity.
AB  - The oligomeric state of human Band 3 (Mr = 95,000), the erythrocyte membrane
      anion exchanger, was examined by size exclusion high performance liquid
      chromatography in solutions containing the nonionic detergent C12E8 (octaethylene
      glycol n-dodecyl monoether). Band 3 was heterogeneous with respect to oligomeric
      composition, the predominant (70%) species being a dimer that bound 0.57 mg of
      C12E8/mg of protein (Stokes radius = 78 A, s20,w = 6.9 S). Variable amounts of
      larger oligomers were also present; however, no evidence for equilibration
      between oligomeric species was observed in detergent solution. Analytical and
      large zone size exclusion chromatography showed that Band 3 could not be
      dissociated to monomers, other than by protein denaturation. The membrane domain
      of Band 3 (Mr = 52,000) was also dimeric, but without evidence for higher
      oligomeric forms, which implies that the interactions responsible for higher
      associations involve the cytoplasmic domain. Prelabeling of Band 3 with the anion
      exchange inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate had no effect
      upon the oligomeric state of either intact Band 3 or its 52-kDa membrane domain.
      Band 3 oligomeric state could be reversibly changed in the membrane by altering
      the pH of the solution. The fraction of Band 3 not associated with the
      cytoskeleton was almost entirely dimeric. Band 3 purified from erythrocytes
      separated by density gradient centrifugation revealed that older red cells
      contained a larger proportion of higher oligomers than did younger cells. We
      conclude that Band 3, in the membrane and in C12E8 solution, exists as a mixture
      of dimers and larger oligomers. The higher oligomers interact with the
      cytoskeleton, increase in amount with cell age, and are held together by
      interactions of the cytoplasmic domain.

PMID- 1874732
TI  - Characterization of an 8-lipoxygenase activity induced by the phorbol ester tumor
      promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in mouse skin in vivo.
AB  - An enzymatic activity has been found in cytosolic preparations from mouse
      epidermis which catalyzes the formation of 8-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid/8
      hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (8-HPETE/8-HETE) from arachidonate. In contrast to
      12-lipoxygenase this enzyme activity was not detectable in normal (untreated)
      mouse skin but only after in vivo treatment with the phorbol ester tumor promoter
      TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate). The induction showed a maximum at 24
      h after TPA treatment strictly depended on the age of the mice and the TPA dose
      and was prevented by cycloheximide. The primary product formed from arachidonic
      acid was 8-HPETE, and the enzyme seems not to possess a significant peroxidase
      activity. This result as well as studies with specific inhibitors and its
      cytosolic localization indicates this enzyme to be a member of the lipoxygenase
      family. Most of the 8-lipoxygenase activity is located in cells of the suprabasal
      compartment of the epidermis. In spite of being a cytosolic enzyme 8-lipoxygenase
      appeared to be lipophilic to some extent and was activated by lecithin. The
      enzyme did not require calcium ions or ATP and showed a pH optimum at 7.5-8.0. 8
      HPETE/8-HETE levels in mouse epidermis in vivo were determined by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry and found to be strongly increased after phorbol
      ester treatment, in agreement with the induction of 8-lipoxygenase observed.

PMID- 1874733
TI  - Developmental regulation of proteolytic activities and subunit pattern of 20 S
      proteasome in chick embryonic muscle.
AB  - The proteolytic activities of the 20 S proteasome were found to change in their
      levels during the development of chick embryonic muscle. The peptide-cleaving
      activities against N-succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin and N
      benzyloxycarbonyl-Ala-Arg-Arg-4-methoxy-beta-naphthylamide gradually decreased
      with the time of development. On the other hand, the casein-degrading activity in
      the presence of poly-L-lysine markedly increased from embryonic day 11 and
      reached a maximal level by day 17. These changes appeared to be tissue-specific
      because little or no change in any of the proteolytic activities was observed
      with developing embryonic brain, while dramatic alterations occurred in the
      extents of the peptide hydrolyses in liver. Furthermore, a number, but not all,
      of the proteasome subunits in embryonic muscle were changed in their amounts
      during the development. These results suggest that the alterations in the
      proteasome activities and subunit pattern are developmentally regulated and may
      be correlated.

PMID- 1874734
TI  - The bisindolylmaleimide GF 109203X is a potent and selective inhibitor of protein
      kinase C.
AB  - Staurosporine is the most potent inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC) described in
      the literature with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 10 nM.
      Nevertheless, this natural product is poorly selective when assayed against other
      protein kinases. In order to obtain specific PKC inhibitors, a series of
      bisindolylmaleimides has been synthesized. Structure-activity relationship
      studies allowed the determination of the substructure responsible for conferring
      high potency and lack of selectivity in the staurosporine molecule. Several
      aminoalkyl bisindolylmaleimides were found to be potent and selective PKC
      inhibitors (IC50 values from 5 to 70 nM). Among these compounds GF 109203X has
      been chosen for further studies aiming at the characterization of this chemical
      family. GF 109203X was a competitive inhibitor with respect to ATP (Ki = 14 +/- 3
      NM) and displayed high selectivity for PKC as compared to five different protein
      kinases. We further determined the potency and specificity of GF 109203X in two
      cellular models: human platelets and Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. GF 109203X
      efficiently prevented PKC-mediated phosphorylations of an Mr = 47,000 protein in
      platelets and of an Mr = 80,000 protein in Swiss 3T3 cells. In contrast, in the
      same models, the PKC inhibitor failed to prevent PKC-independent
      phosphorylations. GF 109203X inhibited collagen- and alpha-thrombin-induced
      platelet aggregation as well as collagen-triggered ATP secretion. However, ADP
      dependent reversible aggregation was not modified. In Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, GF
      109203X reversed the inhibition of epidermal growth factor binding induced by
      phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and prevented [3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA,
      only when this was elicited by growth promoting agents which activate PKC. Our
      results illustrate the potential of GF 109203X as a tool for studying the
      involvement of PKC in signal transduction pathways.

PMID- 1874735
TI  - Molecular cloning of a porcine gene syk that encodes a 72-kDa protein-tyrosine
      kinase showing high susceptibility to proteolysis.
AB  - By using antibodies raised against a portion of N terminus of 40-kDa kinase
      (Kobayashi, T., Nakamura, S., Taniguchi, T., and Yamamura, H. (1990) Eur. J.
      Biochem. 188, 535-540), not only 40-kDa protein but also 72-kDa protein were
      detected on immunoblot analysis of porcine spleen homogenate. In splenocytes
      preparation, the antibodies could immunoprecipitate protein-tyrosine kinase
      activity of the 72-kDa protein but not detect the 40-kDa protein even on
      immunoblot. After incubation of crude spleen homogenate at 37 degrees C with or
      without various protease inhibitors, immunoblot analysis revealed proteolytic
      breakdown of the 72-kDa protein to 40-kDa fragment. Next, using oligonucleotides
      designed according to partially sequenced information of the 40-kDa kinase as a
      probe, we have isolated a clone containing entire coding sequence for the 40-kDa
      kinase from a porcine spleen cDNA library. This clone had a 1884-base-pair-long
      open reading frame encoding 628-amino-acid polypeptide with a calculated
      molecular weight of 71,618. The deduced amino acid sequence did not contain a
      ligand binding or membrane spanning region but did a well-conserved protein
      tyrosine kinase domain and two src homology region 2 domains. The sequences of
      these domains showed 30-40% identity to those of other protein-tyrosine kinases,
      but those of remaining parts were quite unique. From these results, we concluded
      that the 40-kDa kinase was generated by proteolysis from the 72-kDa holoprotein
      which was a new member of nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinase so far reported. We
      therefore designated this gene as syk after spleen tyrosine kinase.

PMID- 1874737
TI  - Increased DNA binding and transcriptional activity associated with transcription
      factor Sp1 in K562 cells transfected with the myeloid-specific c-fes tyrosine
      kinase gene.
AB  - Myeloblast cell line K562, when stably transfected with the human genomic c-fes
      sequence encoding a proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase, acquires the
      characteristics of more mature granulocytic cells (WS-1 cells) and the ability to
      undergo differentiation (Yu, G., Smithgall, T. E., and Glazer, R. I. (1989) J.
      Biol. Chem. 264, 10276-10281). To explore the role of transcription factors in
      the differentiation process, WS-1 cells were analyzed for the presence of DNA
      binding proteins capable of interacting with the 5'-long terminal repeat (LTR)
      region of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, that contains the binding
      sequences for transcription factors Sp1 and NFKB. Southwestern blotting and
      mobility shift assays revealed the presence of Sp1 in K562 and WS-1 cells. The
      DNA-binding activity of Sp1 was significantly greater in WS-1 cells than in K562
      cells, despite the detection by immuno-blotting of equivalent quantities and
      degrees of heterogeneity of Sp1 in both cell lines. DNA footprinting of the HIV-1
      5'-LTR demonstrated that two of the three Sp1-binding sites and both NFKB binding
      sequences were protected by nuclear extracts from WS-1 cells, while no protection
      was afforded by nuclear extracts from K562 cells. Analysis of transcription in
      vitro by primer extension revealed enhanced initiation of transcription from the
      HIV-1 5'-LTR by nuclear extracts from WS-1 cells, but not from K562 cells. These
      data indicate that the response evoked by the c-fes tyrosine-protein kinase leads
      to enhanced DNA binding activity of Sp1 and NFKB, that results in the activation
      of transcription from the HIV-1 5'-LTR.

PMID- 1874736
TI  - Activation of the Pseudomonas TOL plasmid upper pathway operon. Identification of
      binding sites for the positive regulator XylR and for integration host factor
      protein.
AB  - Expression of the Pseudomonas putida TOL plasmid upper pathway operon requires a
      promoter that belongs to the -12/-24 class. Stimulation of transcription from
      this promoter is positively controlled by the effector-activated XylR protein and
      requires a form of RNA-polymerase holoenzyme containing the RpoN-encoded sigma
      factor, sigma 54. XylR-dependent stimulation of transcription from the
      Pseudomonas TOL upper pathway promoter was examined using deletions, insertions,
      and in vivo dimethyl sulfate footprinting. Two upstream activator sequences were
      identified in the -160 (UAS1) and -130 (UAS2) regions. Deletion of these two
      regions abolished transcription activation, although conservation of the UAS2
      element alone allowed limited transcription stimulation. Separation of UAS1 from
      UAS2 by half a turn or a full turn significantly reduced XylR stimulation of
      transcription from the upper pathway operon promoter. An inverted repeated
      ATTTGN2CAAAT (where N is any nucleoside), which most likely represented the XylR
      recognition sequence, was identified. Binding of XylR was observed in vivo in the
      absence of effector, but changes in the binding pattern were induced in the
      presence of m-methylbenzyl alcohol, a XylR effector. In vivo footprinting
      analysis revealed that changes in the methylation pattern of G and T also
      occurred in the -50 to -90 region, which is probably occupied by integration host
      factor (IHF) protein. IHF was required for maximal expression from the TOL upper
      pathway operon promoter in Escherichia coli. Separation of the IHF site from UAS2
      by a full helix turn did not significantly affect stimulation of transcription,
      which is consistent with this region playing a conformational role, rather than a
      regulatory one, in promoter function.

PMID- 1874738
TI  - The chymotrypsin inhibitor carbobenzyloxy-leucine-tyrosine-chloromethylketone
      interferes with phospholipase D activation induced by formyl-methionyl-leucyl
      phenylalanine in human neutrophils.
AB  - The effects of carbobenzyloxy-leucine-tyrosine-chloromethylketone (zLYCK), an
      inhibitor of chymotrypsin-like proteases, on signal transduction in human
      neutrophils triggered by the chemoattractant formyl-methionyl-leucyl
      phenylalanine (fMLP) were investigated. zLYCK (10 microM) inhibited the fMLP
      induced respiratory burst in neutrophils treated with cytochalasin B. In the
      presence of zLYCK (10 microM), the activation of phospholipase D in response to
      fMLP addition was inhibited. zLYCK did not inhibit the binding of [3H] fMLP to
      its receptor or the enzymic activity of phospholipase D because the response to
      ionomycin was unaffected. The effect of zLYCK on phospholipase D correlated well
      with its effects on the accumulation of diglycerides, which was also inhibited in
      the presence of zLYCK. In electropermeabilized neutrophils, too, zLYCK caused an
      inhibition of the fMLP-induced respiratory burst and the fMLP-induced activation
      of phospholipase D. Interestingly, this inhibition could be bypassed by guanosine
      5'-O-(thiotriphosphate). We conclude that the inhibition of the respiratory burst
      in human neutrophils by zLYCK is caused by the selective inhibition of signal
      transduction leading to activation of phospholipase D and that zLYCK might be a
      useful probe to study the role of phospholipase D in neutrophil activation.

PMID- 1874739
TI  - Halichondrin B and homohalichondrin B, marine natural products binding in the
      vinca domain of tubulin. Discovery of tubulin-based mechanism of action by
      analysis of differential cytotoxicity data.
AB  - Data generated in the new National Cancer Institute drug evaluation program,
      which is based on inhibition of cell growth in 60 human tumor cell lines, were
      used to compare new compounds with agents of known mechanism of action in terms
      of their differential cytotoxicity. Two marine natural products, halichondrin B
      and homohalichondrin B, appeared repeatedly when the data base was probed with
      known antimitotic agents. We confirmed that both compounds were highly cytotoxic
      (IC50 values for L1210 murine leukemia cells of 0.3 and 1 nM, respectively), with
      accumulation of cells arrested in mitosis at toxic concentrations, that both
      inhibited the polymerization of purified tubulin, and that both inhibited
      microtubule assembly dependent on microtubule-associated proteins. Limited
      amounts of homohalichondrin B, the less active agent, were available, so only
      halichondrin B was studied in detail. Halichondrin B did not interfere with
      colchicine binding to tubulin, but it was a noncompetitive inhibitor of the
      binding of vinblastine to tubulin (apparent Ki, 5.0 microM). Halichondrin B was
      therefore compared with other agents which interfere with the binding of vinca
      alkaloids to tubulin (vinblastine, maytansine, dolastatin 10, phomopsin A,
      rhizoxin) in terms of its effects on tubulin polymerization, inhibition of GTP
      hydrolysis, inhibition of nucleotide exchange, and stabilization of tubulin, as
      well as the quantitative assessment of its effects on vinca alkaloid binding and
      inhibition of cell growth. Since halichondrin B was originally isolated from the
      same organism as the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, and since it is about 50
      fold more effective than okadaic acid as an inhibitor of L1210 cell growth,
      perturbations of cellular microtubules observed following treatment with okadaic
      acid should be interpreted cautiously.

PMID- 1874740
TI  - Characterization of regions of fibronectin besides the arginine-glycine-aspartic
      acid sequence required for adhesive function of the cell-binding domain using
      site-directed mutagenesis.
AB  - Previous studies of adhesion mediated by the central cell-binding domain of
      fibronectin suggest that additional polypeptide information besides the Arg-Gly
      Asp sequence is required for full activity. We analyzed this putative second,
      synergistic region of fibronectin more extensively by deletion analysis and
      oligonucleotide-based site-directed mutagenesis. Resulting mutated fusion
      proteins expressed using lambda gt11 were assayed for baby hamster kidney
      fibroblast cell spreading activity. Deletion mutants truncating from the amino
      terminus showed a decrease of activity in two apparently discrete steps.
      Complementary studies using a series of overlapped internal deletions designed to
      retain the repetitive fibronectin structure also indicated that two distinct
      peptide regions besides the RGD sequence were necessary for full activity.
      Removal of the carboxyl-terminal region resulted in the greatest loss of activity
      (greater than or equal to 20- versus 3-5-fold). Very similar results were
      obtained with HT-1080 cells dependent on the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin receptor for
      adhesion to fibronectin. An anti-fibronectin monoclonal antibody that inhibits
      cell adhesion was found to bind to the carboxyl-terminal functional region, and a
      point mutation caused specific loss of its epitope. These studies reveal
      unexpected complexity in the organization of these functional regions, which
      contrasts with adhesion models based only on simple, short peptide recognition
      sequences.

PMID- 1874741
TI  - Co- and post-translational processing of the hevein preproprotein of latex of the
      rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
AB  - Hevein is a chitin-binding protein of 43 amino acids found in the lutoid body
      enriched fraction of rubber tree latex. A hevein cDNA clone (HEV1) (Broekaert,
      W., Lee, H.-i., Kush, A., Nam, C.-H., and Raikhel, N. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad.
      Sci. U.S.A. 87, 7633-7637) encodes a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acids
      followed by a polypeptide of 187 amino acids. Interestingly, this polypeptide has
      two distinct domains: an amino-terminal domain of 43 amino acids, corresponding
      to mature hevein, and a carboxyl-terminal domain of 144 amino acids. To
      investigate the mechanisms involved in processing of the protein encoded by HEV1,
      three domain-specific antisera were raised against fusion proteins harboring the
      amino-terminal domain (N domain), carboxyl-terminal domain (C domain), and both
      domains (NC domain). Translocation experiments using an in vitro translation
      system show that the first 17-amino acid sequence encoded by the cDNA functions
      as a signal peptide. Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from lutoid bodies
      demonstrates that a 5-kDa protein comigrated with purified mature hevein and
      cross-reacted with N domain- and NC domain-specific antibodies. A 14-kDa protein
      was recognized by C domain- and NC domain-specific antibodies. A 20-kDa protein
      was cross-reactive with all three antibodies. Microsequencing data further
      suggest that the 5-kDa (amino-terminal domain) and 14-kDa (carboxyl-terminal
      domain) proteins are post-translational cleavage products of the 20-kDa
      polypeptide (both domains) which corresponds to the proprotein encoded by HEV1.
      In addition, it was found that the amino-terminal domain could provide chitin
      binding properties to a fusion protein bearing it either amino terminally or
      carboxyl terminally.

PMID- 1874742
TI  - Arabinogalactan-proteins from the suspension culture medium and plasma membrane
      of rose cells.
AB  - Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) that bind to beta-glycosyl Yariv antigens have
      been purified from the culture medium and plasma membrane of "Paul's Scarlet"
      rose cells. Starting from culture medium or from plasma membrane vesicles
      prepared by aqueous two-phase partitioning, the purification procedure involved
      Yariv antigen-induced precipitation and subsequent chromatographic steps. Two
      fractions, AGP-(a) and AGP-(b), were obtained from the culture medium, and one
      AGP fraction was obtained from the plasma membrane. The glycosyl compositions of
      all three fractions were dominated by arabinosyl and galactosyl residues and
      included glucuronosyl and other minor residues. Methylation analysis showed that
      AGP-(a) and AGP-(b) were both highly branched 3,6-galactans with terminal
      arabinofuranosyl substituents. The amino acid compositions of all three AGPs were
      high in alanine, hydroxyproline, and serine and/or threonine. The amino-terminal
      sequence of AGP-(b) contained an alanine-hydroxyproline repeat. While sharing
      general structural similarity, the AGPs from the plasma membrane and the culture
      medium were distinguishable by composition and by size and charge, with the
      plasma membrane AGPs being larger and more negatively charged than the culture
      medium AGPs.

PMID- 1874743
TI  - Deficient protein kinase C activity in turnip, a Drosophila learning mutant.
AB  - The Drosophila mutant turnip was initially isolated based on poor learning
      performance (Quinn, W.G., Sziber, P.P., and Booker, R. (1979) Nature 277, 212
      214). Here we show that turnip is dramatically reduced in protein kinase C (PKC)
      activity. In addition, turnip flies are deficient in phosphorylation of a 76-kDa
      head membrane protein (hereafter pp76) which is a major substrate for protein
      kinase C in homogenates of wild-type flies. Reduced PKC activity, defective pp76
      phosphorylation, and most of turnip's learning deficiency co-map genetically to a
      region on the X-chromosome, 18A5-18D1-2, spanned by the deletion Df(1)JA27.
      Apparently turnip+ is not a structural gene for PKC because Drosophila PKC genes
      map elsewhere in the genome. Our results suggest that turnip gene product is
      required for activation of PKC and that PKC plays a role in associative learning
      in Drosophila.

PMID- 1874744
TI  - Sequencing of bovine enamelin ("tuftelin") a novel acidic enamel protein.
AB  - Enamelins are a major group of 28-70-kDa acidic proteins rich in aspartic acid,
      glutamic acid, serine, and glycine found in developing and mature extracellular
      enamel; a unique and highly mineralized ectodermal tissue covering vertebrate
      teeth. They have been associated with the mineralization and structural
      organization of this tissue. In an attempt to elucidate the primary structure of
      enamelin, a 2674-base pair cDNA isolated from a bovine ameloblast-enriched,
      lambda Zap 2 expression library, was sequenced. The identity and localization of
      the deduced protein was confirmed by amino acid composition, enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, indirect immunohistochemistry, and high
      resolution protein-A gold immunocytochemistry. The immunological techniques were
      employed using antibodies directed against synthetic peptides corresponding to
      the protein sequence deduced from the cloned cDNA sequence. The results reveal
      the deduced protein to be a novel acidic enamel protein. It contains 389 amino
      acids and has a calculated molecular weight of 43,814. Its amino acid composition
      is similar to that of "tuft" proteins (enamel matrix protein fragments remaining
      in the mature tissue). It contains one potential N-glycosylation site and 5
      cysteine residues. Southern hybridization of the cloned cDNA with genomic bovine
      DNA indicated the existence of a single gene with one or more introns.

PMID- 1874745
TI  - Molecular cloning and analysis of the rat kallikrein-binding protein gene.
AB  - The gene encoding rat kallikrein-binding protein (RKBP), a serine protease
      inhibitor, has been isolated and analyzed with the aid of the polymerase chain
      reaction. The gene is approximately 10 kilobases in length with four introns of
      approximately 2.2, 1.8, 0.9, and 0.84 kilobases. This gene is composed of five
      exons and encodes a polypeptide of 416 amino acid residues. The reactive center
      region of RKBP is encoded by the fifth exon with the putative P1-P1' residues
      being Lys-Ser. The organization of the RKBP gene is homologous to those of human
      alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in size and arrangement of exons
      and introns, suggesting that they belong to the same subgroup of serpins. In the
      5'-flanking region of the RKBP gene, a variant TATA box sequence, ATAAATA, is
      found 20 base pairs upstream from the transcription initiation site. The 5'
      flanking region of the RKBP gene was able to direct transcription of the reporter
      gene chloramphenicol acetyltransferase when transfected into a rat hepatoma cell
      line. An internal promoter-like region was found in the first intron of the RKBP
      gene, downstream from the transcription initiation site and upstream from the
      translation initiation codon, however, it was unable to direct expression of the
      chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in our experiments. The
      expression of RKBP in rat liver was induced by sex hormone treatment as indicated
      by dot-blot analysis. A genomic Southern blot using an RKBP cDNA probe revealed
      multiple bands suggesting that the RKBP gene belongs to a family of highly
      conserved genes.

PMID- 1874746
TI  - Analysis of the molecular mechanisms for the species-specific transcription of
      Drosophila and human tRNA gene transcription components.
AB  - The transcription of eucaryotic tRNA genes requires two factors IIIB and IIIC, in
      addition to RNA polymerase III, to reconstitute this process in vitro. We have
      examined the functional exchangeability of these components from Drosophila and
      human systems. The reconstitution of heterologous IIIB and IIIC components
      demonstrated that neither factor will functionally substitute for the homologous
      components to activate tRNA gene transcription. The addition of the heterologous
      Drosophila factors to HeLa transcription assays causes an inhibition of RNA
      synthesis that is dependent upon the order of addition of these proteins to the
      DNA template. Thus, it appears that tRNA gene transcription in these systems is
      species-specific. We have further analyzed the reason for the apparent
      incompatibilities of these components by the use of stable complex formation
      assays. We find that human HeLa IIIB and Drosophila IIIC are unable to form
      stably associated complexes with a tRNA gene template, whereas the Drosophila
      IIIB and HeLa IIIC do form stable but nonproductive complexes. These results
      demonstrate that specific IIIC-IIIB interactions are critical in the formation of
      productive transcription complexes and are responsible for the observed species
      specificity of Drosophila and human tRNA gene transcription.

PMID- 1874747
TI  - Ceramide stimulates epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylation in A431
      human epidermoid carcinoma cells. Evidence that ceramide may mediate sphingosine
      action.
AB  - Recent studies suggest the existence of a signal transduction pathway involving
      sphingomyelin and derivatives (Kolesnick, R. N. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 7617
      7623). The present studies compare effects of ceramide, sphingosine, and N,N
      dimethylsphingosine on epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor phosphorylation in
      A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells. To increase ceramide solubility, a
      ceramide containing octanoic acid at the second position (C8-cer) was
      synthesized. C8-cer induced time- and concentration-dependent EGF receptor
      phosphorylation. This event was detectable by 2 min and maximal by 10 min. As
      little as 0.1 microM C8-cer was effective, and 3 microM C8-cer induced maximal
      phosphorylation to 1.9-fold of control. EGF (20 nM) increased phosphorylation to
      2.1-fold of control. Sphingosine stimulated receptor phosphorylation over the
      same concentration range (0.03-3 microM) and to the same extent (1.8-fold of
      control) as ceramide. The effects of C8-cer and sphingosine were similar by three
      separate criteria, phosphoamino acid analysis, anti-phosphotyrosine antibody
      immunoblotting, and phosphopeptide mapping by high performance liquid
      chromatography. Phosphorylation occurred specifically on threonine residues. N,N
      Dimethylsphingosine, a potential derivative of sphingosine, was less effective.
      Since sphingosine and ceramide are interconvertible, the level of each compound
      was measured under conditions sufficient for EGF receptor phosphorylation. C8-cer
      (0.1-1 microM) induced dose-responsive elevation of cellular ceramide from 132 to
      232 pmol.10(6) cells-1. In contrast, cellular sphingosine levels did not rise.
      This suggests that C8-cer acts without conversion to sphingosine. Exogenous
      sphingosine (0.1-1 microM) also increased cellular ceramide levels to 227
      pmol.10(6) cells-1, but did not increase its own cellular level of 12 pmol.10(6)
      cells-1. Higher sphingosine concentrations that induced no further increase in
      EGF receptor phosphorylation produced very large elevations in cellular
      sphingosine. Hence, at effective concentrations, both compounds elevated cellular
      ceramide but not sphingosine levels. Additional studies performed with
      [3H]sphingosine demonstrated that cells contain substantially less N,N
      dimethylsphingosine than free sphingosine and, during short term incubation,
      convert less than 5% of added sphingosine to N,N-dimethylsphingosine. These
      studies provide evidence that ceramide may have bioeffector properties and
      suggest sphingosine may act in part by conversion to ceramide.

PMID- 1874748
TI  - A putative glutathione-binding site in T4 glutaredoxin investigated by site
      directed mutagenesis.
AB  - A glutathione monomer has been docked into the active site cleft of T4
      glutaredoxin (previously called T4 thioredoxin) using molecular graphics. The
      central part of the cleft is formed by the side chain of Tyr-16 on one side and
      the residues Thr-64, Met-65, and Pro-66 on the other. The entire glutathione
      molecule fits well into the cleft. A cis-peptide bond between the residues Met-65
      and Pro-66 allows glutathione to bind in an anti-parallel fashion to residues 64
      66. Hydrogen bonds can be formed between Met-65 and the glutathione cysteine.
      This binding positions the glutathione sulfur atom ideally for reaction with the
      glutaredoxin disulfide. In the model, glutathione can form a hydrogen bond to the
      hydroxyl group of Tyr-16. Charged interactions at opposite ends of the binding
      cleft are provided by His-12 and Asp-80. The negatively charged alpha-carboxyl
      group of glutathione may interact with a positive helix dipole of the protein.
      Fifteen mutant T4 glutaredoxins have been produced and assayed for glutathione
      binding by determining thioltransferase activity. Mutant proteins with
      substitutions in the sides of the cleft (Tyr-16, Pro-66) exhibited the most
      marked decreases in thioltransferase activity. Mutation of His-12 to a serine
      decreases the catalytic efficiency whereas substitution of Asp-80 by serine
      increases the catalytic efficiency. A double mutant, D80S;H12S, has much less
      affinity for glutathione than either single mutant. Substitution of Cys-14
      produces an inactive protein, whereas C17S retains some thioltransferase
      activity.

PMID- 1874749
TI  - An engineered liver glycogen phosphorylase with AMP allosteric activation.
AB  - Liver and muscle glycogen phosphorylases, which are products of distinct genes,
      are both activated by covalent phosphorylation, but in the unphosphorylated (b)
      state, only the muscle isozyme is efficiently activated by the allosteric
      activator AMP. The different responsiveness of the phosphorylase isozymes to
      allosteric ligands is important for the maintenance of tissue and whole body
      glucose homeostasis. In an attempt to understand the structural determinants of
      differential sensitivity of the muscle and liver isozymes to AMP, we have
      developed a bacterial expression system for the liver enzyme, allowing native and
      engineered proteins to be expressed and characterized. Engineering of the single
      amino acid substitutions Thr48Pro, Met197Thr and the double mutant Thr48Pro,
      Met197Thr in liver phosphorylase, and Pro48Thr in muscle phosphorylase, did not
      qualitatively change the response of the two isozymes to AMP. These sites had
      previously been implicated in the configuration of the AMP binding site. However,
      when nine amino acids among the first 48 in liver phosphorylase were replaced
      with the corresponding muscle phosphorylase residues (L1M2-48L49-846), the
      engineered liver enzyme was activated by AMP to a higher maximal activity than
      native liver phosphorylase. Interestingly, the homotropic cooperativity of AMP
      binding was unchanged in the engineered phosphorylase b protein, and heterotropic
      cooperativity between the glucose-1-phosphate and AMP sites was only slightly
      enhanced. The native liver, native muscle and L1M2-48L49-846 phosphorylases were
      converted to the a form by treatment with purified phosphorylase kinase; the
      maximal activity of the chimeric a enzyme was greater than the native liver a
      enzyme and approached that of muscle phosphorylase a. From these results we
      suggest that tissue-specific phosphorylase isozymes have evolved a complex
      mechanism in which the N-terminal 48 amino acids modulate intrinsic activity
      (Vmax), probably by affecting subunit interactions, and other, as yet undefined
      regions specify the allosteric interactions with ligands and substrates.

PMID- 1874750
TI  - Cleavage of vasoactive intestinal peptide at multiple sites by autoantibodies.
AB  - Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) fragments generated by autoantibodies
      purified from the blood of two human beings were separated and sequenced. Based
      on the identity of these fragments, seven peptide bonds cleaved by the antibodies
      were identified. Six of the seven scissile bonds are clustered in the region of
      VIP spanning residues 14-22 and were cleaved by antibodies from both human
      subjects. The seventh scissile bond is located at residues 7-8 and was cleaved by
      antibodies from one of the subjects. The scissile bonds link amino acid residues
      with different size, charge, and hydrophobicity. The hydrolytic activity of the
      antibodies was selective in that they failed to hydrolyze polypeptides unrelated
      in sequence to VIP (insulin and atrial natriuretic peptide). These observations
      demonstrate substrate specific hydrolysis by naturally occurring antibodies and
      expand the range of peptide bonds hydrolyzed by these antibodies.

PMID- 1874751
TI  - Role of the NADP/thioredoxin system in the reduction of alpha-amylase and trypsin
      inhibitor proteins.
AB  - Thioredoxin, reduced either enzymatically with NADPH and NADP-thioredoxin
      reductase or chemically with dithiothreitol, reduced alpha-amylase and trypsin
      inhibitor proteins from several sources. Included were cystine-rich seed
      representatives from wheat (alpha-amylase inhibitors), soybean (Bowman-Birk
      trypsin inhibitor), and corn (kernel trypsin inhibitor). This system also reduced
      other trypsin inhibitors: the soybean Kunitz inhibitor, bovine lung aprotinin,
      and egg white ovoinhibitor and ovomucoid proteins. The ability of these proteins
      to undergo reduction by thioredoxin was determined by 1) a coupled enzyme
      activation assay with chloroplast NADP-malate dehydrogenase or fructose-1,6
      bisphosphatase, 2) a dye reduction assay with 5',5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic
      acid), and 3) a direct reduction method based on the fluorescent probe,
      monobromobimane, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
      Reduction experiments with the seed proteins were carried out with thioredoxin
      from wheat germ (h-type) or Escherichia coli; the corresponding experiments with
      the animal trypsin inhibitors were carried out with thioredoxin from calf thymus
      or E. coli. In all cases, thioredoxin appeared to act catalytically; the reduced
      form of glutathione was without effect. When considered in conjunction with
      earlier results on purothionin (confirmed and extended in the current study), the
      new findings suggest that the NADP/thioredoxin system functions in the reduction
      of protein inhibitors of seeds and animal tissues. These results also raise the
      question of the occurrence of glutaredoxin in plants, as E. coli glutaredoxin was
      found to promote the reduction of some but not all of the proteins tested.

PMID- 1874752
TI  - Phosphorylation of numatrin and other nuclear proteins by cdc2 containing CTD
      kinase cdc2/p58.
AB  - Numatrin is a nuclear matrix phosphoprotein whose synthesis and abundance were
      shown to be regulated during the cell cycle in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes
      (Feuerstein, N., and Mond, J. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 11389-11397). We
      examined the effect of (a) CTD-kinase, which contains the cdc2 catalytic
      component (p34) in a complex with a p58 subunit (cdc2/p58) and (b) the M phase
      specific histone H1 kinase, which contains the cdc2 kinase in association with a
      p62 subunit (cdc2/p62), on phosphorylation of numatrin. We show that both cdc2
      kinase complexes can phosphorylate numatrin. However, cdc2/p58 at conditions that
      caused a similar effect to cdc2/p62 on phosphorylation of histone H1
      (dpm/micrograms of substrate/micrograms of enzyme) was found to have a 5-25-fold
      higher catalytic activity in the phosphorylation of numatrin. Analysis of the
      tryptic phosphopeptide map of numatrin phosphorylated by these cdc2 kinase
      complexes showed that both kinase complexes phosphorylated two major identical
      peptides, but minor additional peptides were differentially phosphorylated by
      each of these kinases. This indicates that under certain experimental conditions
      cdc2/p58 and cdc2/p62 may express some differences in their catalytic activity.
      In vitro phosphorylation by CTD kinase of a whole nuclear protein extract from
      murine fibroblasts showed that numatrin is the most prominent substrate for CTD
      kinase in this nuclear extract. CTD kinase cdc2/p58 was found to induce
      significantly the phosphorylation of five other discrete nuclear substrates.
      Particularly, two nuclear proteins at 75 kDa/pI approximately 6.5 and 85 kDa/pI
      approximately 5.3, which were not Coomassie Blue stainable, were found to be
      markedly phosphorylated by CTD kinase. The results of this study call for further
      study of the role of CTD kinase cdc2/p58 in the phosphorylation of numatrin under
      physiological conditions and to further characterization of the other nuclear
      substrates for CTD kinase.

PMID- 1874753
TI  - Membrane-microfilament interactions in ascites tumor cell microvilli.
      Identification and isolation of a large microfilament-associated membrane
      glycoprotein complex.
AB  - [14C]Glucosamine metabolic labeling and concanavalin A blots were used to
      identify four major glycoprotein species associated with ascites tumor cell
      microvillar microfilament cores and with a transmembrane complex containing
      actin. Phalloidin shift analysis of glucosamine-labeled microvilli showed that
      glycoproteins of 110-120, 80, 65, and 55 kDa are stably associated with the
      microfilament cores. Analysis of large (greater than 10(6) kDa) transmembrane
      complexes from microvillar membranes made under microfilament-depolymerizing
      conditions (Carraway, C. A. C., Jung, G., and Carraway, K. L. (1983) Proc. Natl.
      Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 80, 430-434) revealed glycoproteins of the same Mr values,
      showing the same relative staining or labeling patterns as those observed with
      the microfilament cores. Gel filtration of high salt, high pH extracts of intact
      microvilli, microfilament cores, or transmembrane complexes showed that in all of
      these fractions the glycoproteins are associated in a very large, stable complex.
      The glycoprotein multimer was isolated essentially free of actin and other
      components by Sephacryl S-1000 chromatography of microvilli, microvillar
      membranes prepared at pH 11, microfilament cores, or transmembrane complex
      fractions in Triton X-100, 1 M KCl, glycine, pH 9.5. Purified glycoprotein
      complex bound actin when incubated under polymerizing conditions. The presence of
      the glycoprotein heteromultimer in both microfilament cores and transmembrane
      complex from isolated membranes and the association of the purified glycoprotein
      complex with actin are consistent with our hypothesis that the glycoprotein
      containing transmembrane complex is an association site for microfilaments at the
      plasma membrane.

PMID- 1874754
TI  - Phospholipid-independent and -dependent interactions required for tissue factor
      receptor and cofactor function.

PMID- 1874755
TI  - Hylan gel composition for percutaneous embolization.
AB  - Viscoelastic, pseudoplastic, radiopaque injectable hylan gel for percutaneous
      embolization was developed and evaluated by in vitro and in vivo tests. The
      embolization gel is composed of cross-linked hylan (hyaluronan, hyaluronate),
      tantalum, microcrystalline cellulose, hexamethonium chloride, and thrombin. Upon
      delivery through small-lumen catheters to the appropriate vascular site, the gel
      induces formation of a solid blood/gel coagulum. Results from animal studies (rat
      aorta, rabbit auricular artery) demonstrate that formation of complete and long
      lasting arterial blockage is readily achievable without complications due to
      blood flow, partial vessel obstruction, uncontrolled polymerization, or movement
      of the gel or its components (specifically thrombin and hexamethonium chloride)
      into the circulation. Microscopic evaluation indicates that arterial occlusion
      initially occurs as a result of the injected gel and formed fibrin; at 7 weeks
      and beyond, arteries are occluded by injected gel, inflammatory cells and
      fibrosis (scar tissue).

PMID- 1874756
TI  - Osteoblast responses to orthopedic implant materials in vitro.
AB  - Responses of neonatal rat calvarial osteoblasts to a variety of orthopedic
      implant materials were examined in vitro. Attachment, proliferation, and collagen
      synthesis of a well-characterized line of osteoblasts with 316L stainless steel,
      Ti-6Al-4V, Co-Cr-Mo, PMMA, hydroxyapatite, borosilicate glass, and tissue culture
      polystyrene were studied. Cell adhesion and growth were similar on nonapatitic
      materials. In contrast, attachment and growth of osteoblasts were significantly
      lower and slower, respectively, on hydroxyapatite. Collagen synthesis per cell
      and relative collagen synthesis, however, were comparable on all the materials
      tested.

PMID- 1874757
TI  - Effect of some additives on the biostability of a poly(etherurethane) elastomer.
AB  - Four materials based on a single poly-(etherurethane) (PEU) prepared from MDI and
      PTMEG but differing in additives were studied in the cage implant system. The two
      additives studied were Santowhite powder at the 1% level and Methacrol 2138F 5%.
      Methacrol 2138F appeared to be immiscible with the base PEU and was dispersed in
      discrete domains about 0.5-micron in size. The retrieved PEU specimens were also
      cleaned and examined in the optical and scanning electron microscopes, and the
      size and density of adherent foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) were measured at
      implantation times up to 10 weeks. Methacrol 2138F had no effect on the density,
      coverage or size distribution of adherent FBGCs, but leaching of Methacrol 2138F
      was considered to be responsible for extensive pitting of the PEU surface. On the
      other hand, Santowhite powder appeared to inhibit formation of FBGCs, and while
      surface cracking and flaking were observed as early as 3 weeks postimplantation
      on some PEUs, the Santowhite powder effectively inhibited surface cracking and
      flaking up to the longest implantation time studied.

PMID- 1874758
TI  - Fibroblast and hepatocyte behavior on synthetic polymer surfaces.
AB  - Biodegradable poly(phosphoesters) with varying side group chemistry and
      copolymers of styrene and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) with varying degrees of
      hydrophobicity were used to study the growth and behavior of surface-attached
      fibroblasts and hepatocytes. Mouse 3T3 fibroblasts and chicken embryo fibroblasts
      attached and proliferated on all of the polymers tested. Fewer cells attached to
      copolymers of styrene and MVK than to glass or tissue culture polystyrene
      controls; cell attachment to several poly(phosphoester) surfaces was
      indistinguishable from controls. The mean speed of fibroblast migration was
      faster on surfaces where fewer cells attached (59 to 84 microns/h on low
      attachment surfaces compared with 40 to 46 microns/h on high attachment
      surfaces). When surface-attached cells were stained with fluorescently labeled
      phalloidin, only a fraction of the cells on low attachment surfaces were shown to
      have prominent arrays of actin filament bundles. Chicken hepatocytes also
      attached to the polymer surfaces. When a suspension containing a large number of
      cells was placed over the polymer surfaces, approximately 50% of the hepatocytes
      attached during the first 9 h. Surprisingly, hepatocyte attachment and viability
      in culture were relatively insensitive to the chemistry of the synthetic polymer
      substrates. Cell number increased by about a factor of 2 over the first 48 h of
      culture, then decreased back to approximately 50% of initial cell number over the
      next several days. Cell morphology did depend on the chemical structure of the
      substrates.

PMID- 1874759
TI  - Polymorphonuclear leukocyte degranulation with exposure to polymethylmethacrylate
      nanoparticles.
AB  - Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is clinically employed in a wide range of
      orthopaedic procedures. The etiology of the inflammatory reaction of recipient
      tissues to PMMA remains unresolved. Classically, polymorphonuclear leukocytes
      (PMNs) release cytoplasmic lysosomal granules when exposed to a variety of
      proinflammatory stimuli. Such degranulation contributes, and partially defines,
      the local tissue reaction to this foreign material. In the present investigation,
      PMMA particles (50-60 nm) were mixed with human PMNs, and the amount of lactate
      dehydrogenase, lysozyme, and beta-glucuronidase released from the cells was
      quantitated. In all cases, a dose-dependent increase in degranulation followed
      the addition of increasing amounts of PMMA to the PMNs. In addition, the
      migration of PMNs was diminished in a dose-dependent manner with exposure to
      increasing amounts of the cement. These results suggested that PMMA stimulates
      the release of leukocyte lysosomal contents and alters the migration
      characteristics of these cells in a manner that is consistent with the local
      inflammatory reaction to this cement.

PMID- 1874760
TI  - In vitro degradation of a poly(ether urethane) by trypsin.
AB  - In vitro enzymatic degradation of non-porous films of segmented poly(ether
      urethane) (Pellethane 2363-80AE) was investigated by incubating the biomaterial
      in concentrated trypsin solutions for 5 months at room temperature. Chemical
      degradation of films was monitored by surface analysis techniques such as Fourier
      transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance and electron
      spectroscopy for chemical analysis. This latter technique proved to be much
      superior in detecting chemical changes. Extraction of films with methanol and
      characterization of the extracts by gel permeation chromatography revealed the
      presence of low-molecular-weight polymers. Results have shown that trypsin has
      the ability to induce degradation in PEU, the soft segment being most affected,
      particularly the CH2-O bond of the ether linkages.

PMID- 1874761
TI  - Heparin immobilization increased through chemical amplification.

PMID- 1874762
TI  - Radiographic detection of metal-induced synovitis as a complication of
      arthroplasty of the knee.
AB  - Radiographs of eighteen patients who had had a diagnosis of metal-induced
      synovitis subsequent to a knee-replacement arthroplasty were retrospectively
      reviewed. The presence of a dense line outlining a portion of the capsule or
      articular surface of the knee joint (the so-called metal-line sign) was noted in
      association with wear in eleven patients. In the nine patients who had a positive
      sign and also had specimens available for histological examination, there was
      dense deposition of metal particles, whereas in the six patients who did not have
      a metal-line sign and had specimens available for histological examination, five
      had only a slight amount of metal in the synovial tissue and one, a moderate
      amount. The presence of the metal-line sign was associated with metal-induced
      synovitis in eleven of the eighteen patients. The sign should be useful in
      helping to make this diagnosis preoperatively in many patients.

PMID- 1874763
TI  - Arthrodesis with dual plates after failed total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - Eleven patients were treated by arthrodesis with dual compression plates after
      failed total knee arthroplasty. All patients had a solid fusion, at an average of
      5.6 months after the operation. The complications included one femoral stress
      fracture and one persistent infection, both of which were treated successfully.
      Fixation with dual compression plates is a useful technique for the salvage of a
      failed total knee arthroplasty, even when the patient has an infection.
      Staggering of the plates may help to prevent late stress fractures.

PMID- 1874764
TI  - Electrical stimulation of the thigh muscles after reconstruction of the anterior
      cruciate ligament. Effects of electrically elicited contraction of the quadriceps
      femoris and hamstring muscles on gait and on strength of the thigh muscles.
AB  - The effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the strength of the thigh
      muscles and on gait were examined in ten patients after reconstruction of the
      anterior cruciate ligament. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two
      treatment groups: neuromuscular electrical stimulation and volitional exercise,
      or volitional exercise alone. A four-week course of electrically elicited co
      contraction of the thigh muscles resulted in significant attenuation of the
      characteristic loss of strength of the quadriceps as compared with volitional
      exercise. There was no significant difference between groups in any measure of
      performance of the hamstring muscles. In the group that received neuromuscular
      electrical stimulation, the values for cadence, walking velocity, stance time of
      the involved limb, and flexion-excursion of the knee during stance were
      significantly different from those of the volitional exercise group. Flexion
      excursion of the knee during stance was directly and significantly correlated
      with strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Flexion of the knee during stance
      was qualitatively different in the involved extremity as compared with the
      uninvolved extremity in all patients. There is a rapid flexion of the knee at
      weight acceptance that is maintained throughout stance and probably reflects
      stabilization of the joint by muscular coactivation to compensate for weakness of
      the quadriceps. The patients who received neuromuscular electrical stimulation
      had stronger quadriceps muscles and more normal gait patterns than those in the
      volitional exercise group.

PMID- 1874765
TI  - Blood loss after total knee replacement. Effects of tourniquet release and
      continuous passive motion.
AB  - We prospectively studied the cases of 121 patients who were being operated on for
      insertion of a unilateral total knee prosthesis with cement, and we placed them
      randomly in four groups. In Group I, the tourniquet was inflated throughout the
      operative procedure, and we released it postoperatively after a compressive
      dressing had been applied; a splint was used postoperatively for three days. In
      Group II, the tourniquet remained inflated throughout the operation, but no
      splint was applied postoperatively, and continuous passive motion was started
      immediately in the recovery room. In Group III, the tourniquet was released
      intraoperatively, and hemostasis was achieved by cauterization; postoperatively,
      a compressive dressing was applied, and a splint was used for three days. In
      Group IV, the tourniquet was released intraoperatively, hemostasis was
      established, and then the tourniquet was reinflated; a compressive dressing was
      applied, and continuous passive motion was started immediately in the recovery
      room. Hemoglobin and hematocrit values were monitored in all patients. Blood loss
      in suction drainage was recorded, and the total blood loss was calculated. The
      results show that total knee arthroplasty is associated with major loss of blood
      (mean, 1518 milliliters). The calculated blood loss for Groups I, II, and III
      averaged 1443 milliliters, while that for Group IV averaged 1793 milliliters.
      Loss in suction drainage correlated with total estimated blood loss and averaged
      511 milliliters. The magnitude of blood loss after total knee arthroplasty should
      be appreciated, and special attention should be paid to the availability of
      adequate fluid and blood products, preferably blood donated by the patient
      preoperatively.

PMID- 1874766
TI  - Patellofemoral pain caused by overactivity. A prospective study of risk factors
      in infantry recruits.
AB  - A prospective study of 390 infantry recruits revealed that the medial tibial
      intercondylar distance and that the isometric strength of the quadriceps, tested
      at 85 degrees of flexion of the knee, had a statistically significant correlation
      with the incidence of patellofemoral pain caused by overactivity. Increased
      medial tibial intercondylar distance and increased strength of the quadriceps
      were therefore deemed to be risk factors for this syndrome.

PMID- 1874767
TI  - Prophylaxis against infection. Single-dose cefonicid compared with multiple-dose
      cefamandole.
AB  - A total of 1489 patients were included in a prospective, randomized study that
      compared the efficacy of a single dose of cefonicid in 474 patients (Group I)
      with that of three doses of cefamandole in 510 patients (Group II) and five doses
      of cefamandole in 505 patients (Group III), for prophylaxis against infection
      after an operation on bone. The operations involved the insertion of a Moore
      prosthesis, an Ender and Kuntscher nail, a bone-plate, or another device for
      internal fixation. Patients who had an open fracture or a total joint replacement
      were not included in the study. The three groups were similar with regard to mean
      age, sex ratio, duration of preoperative hospitalization, underlying risk
      factors, and type of operation. The rates of wound infection were not
      significantly different in the three groups (p = 0.8) or when the rates were
      stratified according to the type of operation (p greater than 0.3).
      Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacilli were the most common infecting
      microorganisms. The rate of mortality related to infection was similar in all
      three groups (p = 0.2). No adverse side-effects of drugs were encountered. A
      single preoperative dose of cefonicid, three doses of cefamandole, and five doses
      of cefamandole were equally effective prophylaxis against infection of the wound
      in these patients.

PMID- 1874768
TI  - Lateral distraction injuries to the thoracic and lumbar spine. A report of three
      cases.
AB  - Three patients sustained a lateral distraction injury to the thoracic or lumbar
      spine. These injuries were associated with multiple fractures of the ribs and
      extremities as well as with thoracic and abdominal visceral injuries. No patient
      had an injury to the spinal cord or cauda equina. The injuries to the spine were
      successfully treated with open reduction of the unilateral subluxation of the
      facet joint and with internal fixation with Harrington instrumentation. Fusion
      was achieved with the spine in anatomical alignment, without any complications,
      in all three patients.

PMID- 1874769
TI  - Transient penetration of the hip joint during in situ cannulated-screw fixation
      of slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
AB  - Before the routine intraoperative use of fluoroscopy at our institution during
      procedures to stabilize a slipped capital femoral epiphysis, twenty-five patients
      (thirty hips) had in situ cannulated-screw stabilization of a slipped capital
      femoral epiphysis with use of biplane radiography. Thus, a permanent record of
      the procedure was available for review. Fourteen hips in fourteen patients had an
      intraoperative episode during which the joint was penetrated by the guide-pin
      assembly or cannulated screw, or both. This penetration was corrected at the time
      of the operation. Eleven patients were followed for a minimum of two years (mean,
      thirty-nine months; range, twenty-four to sixty-three months). All physes went on
      to closure. None of the patients had clinical or radiographic evidence of
      chondrolysis. Transient penetration of the hip joint did not lead to chondrolysis
      in this series. This suggests that a single episode of penetration by a pin or
      screw, with immediate removal from the joint, is not associated with the
      development of chondrolysis.

PMID- 1874770
TI  - The inferior transverse scapular ligament as a possible cause of entrapment
      neuropathy of the nerve to the infraspinatus. A brief note.

PMID- 1874771
TI  - Nerve palsy associated with total hip replacement. Risk factors and prognosis.
AB  - We reviewed the results of 3126 consecutive total hip replacements and identified
      postoperative neuropathy in the ipsilateral lower extremity after fifty-three
      (1.7 per cent) over-all and after 1.3 per cent of the primary arthroplasties. The
      prevalence was 5.2 per cent after the primary arthroplasties that had been done
      for congenital dislocation or dysplasia of the hip and 3.2 per cent after the
      revisions (all diagnoses). Thus, these two types of operations were risk factors
      (p less than 0.01). Limb-lengthening only partially accounted for the increased
      prevalence of neuropathy after these procedures. The sciatic nerve was involved
      in all but five extremities. The cause of the palsy was unclear or unknown in
      thirty (57 per cent) of the extremities. When the patients were last seen, at a
      minimum of one year and a maximum of sixteen and one-half years after the
      operation, seven extremities were normal neurologically, thirty-three had a mild
      neurological deficit, and thirteen had a major deficit. All patients who had
      complete recovery of neurological function had it by twenty-one months. Of thirty
      six extremities that were evaluated at a minimum of twenty-four months after the
      operation, seven were neurologically normal, twenty-three had a mild persistent
      deficit, and six had a major persistent deficit. The ability to walk decreased
      for all patients who had a nerve palsy. The greatest disability was in the
      patients who had been forty-eight years old or less and had had a primary total
      hip replacement (p = 0.037). The prognosis for neurological recovery was related
      to the degree to which the nerve was damaged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874772
TI  - Recurrent Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Case report and review of the literature.

PMID- 1874773
TI  - Familial congenital unilateral anterior dislocation of the radial head:
      differentiation from traumatic dislocation by means of arthrography. A case
      report.

PMID- 1874774
TI  - Simple bone cysts of the pelvis in adolescents. A report of four cases.

PMID- 1874775
TI  - The piriformis syndrome. A case report.

PMID- 1874776
TI  - Flexion-distraction fracture of the cervical spine. A case report.

PMID- 1874777
TI  - Epidural lipoma causing a myelographic block in a patient who had sciatica and
      lumbosacral spondylolisthesis. A case report.

PMID- 1874778
TI  - Methods to reduce intraoperative transmission of blood-borne disease.

PMID- 1874779
TI  - Unsatisfactory results with a ceramic total hip prosthesis.

PMID- 1874780
TI  - Abnormal magnetic-resonance scans of the cervical spine in asymptomatic subjects.

PMID- 1874781
TI  - Data versus meaningless facts.

PMID- 1874782
TI  - Total acromionectomy. A twenty-year review.
AB  - Thirty-five patients (thirty-eight shoulders) were treated consecutively with a
      total acromionectomy between 1969 and 1989. At a minimum of two years (average,
      five years and eight months) after the operation, thirty-one patients (thirty
      four shoulders) were available for review. The results, which were rated on the
      basis of pain, function, range of motion, strength, and the satisfaction of the
      patient, were excellent for twenty-five shoulders, good for four, fair for three,
      and poor for one. Four of the five least satisfactory results were in patients
      who had had a long-standing massive tear of the rotator cuff. This study was done
      to separate the criticism of the operative procedure of total acromionectomy from
      an avoidable complication of that procedure, retraction of the deltoid, and to
      describe the specific advantages and satisfactory results that occur when that
      complication is avoided. It is my opinion that failure to repair the deltoid
      adequately results in retraction of that muscle, and that this avoidable
      complication is responsible for the unfavorable reputation of total
      acromionectomy.

PMID- 1874783
TI  - Complications of a failed Bristow procedure and their management.
AB  - The management of patients who have a failed Bristow reconstruction of the
      shoulder is very complex. In order to determine the complications that occur when
      a Bristow procedure fails, and how they should be managed, we retrospectively
      evaluated forty shoulders in thirty-nine patients who had been treated by the
      senior one of us for a failed Bristow procedure from 1977 to 1987. The
      complications of the index Bristow procedures included recurrent painful anterior
      instability, injury to the articular cartilage, failure of the coracoid bone
      block to unite with the glenoid, loosening of the screw, neurovascular injury,
      and posterior instability. The primary etiology of failure of the index Bristow
      procedure was excessive laxity of the capsule in thirty-two shoulders (80 per
      cent) that were affected by chronic, painful anterior or posterior instability.
      An untreated Perthes-Bankart lesion was present in the remaining eight shoulders
      (20 per cent). The use of anterior reconstruction for the revision of a failed
      Bristow procedure is a difficult operation that necessitates meticulous
      technique. As our over-all plan of treatment resulted in a good or excellent
      outcome in only 50 per cent of the patients, we do not recommend the Bristow
      procedure for primary treatment of symptomatic anterior instability of the
      shoulder.

PMID- 1874784
TI  - Repairs of the rotator cuff. Correlation of functional results with integrity of
      the cuff.
AB  - We evaluated the results of 105 operative repairs of tears of the rotator cuff of
      the shoulder in eighty-nine patients at an average of five years postoperatively.
      We correlated the functional result with the integrity of the cuff, as determined
      by ultrasonography. Eighty per cent of the repairs of a tear involving only the
      supraspinatus tendon were intact at the time of the most recent follow-up, while
      more than 50 per cent of the repairs of a tear involving more than the
      supraspinatus tendon had a recurrent defect. Older patients and patients in whom
      a larger tear had been repaired had a greater prevalence of recurrent defects. At
      the time of the most recent follow-up, most of the patients were more comfortable
      and were satisfied with the result of the repair, even when they had sonographic
      evidence of a recurrent defect. The shoulders in which the repaired cuff was
      intact at the time of follow-up had better function during activities of daily
      living and a better range of active flexion (129 +/- 20 degrees compared with 71
      +/- 41 degrees) compared with the shoulders that had a large recurrent defect.
      Similar correlations were noted for the range of active external and internal
      rotation and for strength of flexion, abduction, and internal rotation. In the
      shoulders in which the cuff was not intact, the degree of functional loss was
      related to the size of the recurrent defect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874785
TI  - Preferential attachment of membrane glycoproteins to the cytoskeleton at the
      leading edge of lamella.
AB  - The active forward movement of cells is often associated with the rearward
      transport of particles over the surfaces of their lamellae. Unlike the rest of
      the lamella, we found that the leading edge (within 0.5 microns of the cell
      boundary) is specialized for rearward transport of membrane-bound particles, such
      as Con A-coated latex microspheres. Using a single-beam optical gradient trap
      (optical tweezers) to apply restraining forces to particles, we can capture, move
      and release particles at will. When first bound on the central lamellar surface,
      Con A-coated particles would diffuse randomly; when such bound particles were
      brought to the leading edge of the lamella with the optical tweezers, they were
      often transported rearward. As in our previous studies, particle transport
      occurred with a concurrent decrease in apparent diffusion coefficient, consistent
      with attachment to the cytoskeleton. For particles at the leading edge of the
      lamella, weak attachment to the cytoskeleton and transport occurred with a half
      time of 3 s; equivalent particles elsewhere on the lamella showed no detectable
      attachment when monitored for several minutes. Particles held on the cell surface
      by the laser trap attached more strongly to the cytoskeleton with time. These
      particles could escape a trapping force of 0.7 X 10(-6) dyne after 18 +/- 14 (sd)
      s at the leading edge, and after 64 +/- 34 (SD) s elsewhere on the lamella.
      Fluorescent succinylated Con A staining showed no corresponding concentration of
      general glycoproteins at the leading edge, but cytochalasin D-resistant
      filamentous actin was found at the leading edge. Our results have implications
      for cell motility: if the forces used for rearward particle transport were
      applied to a rigid substratum, cells would move forward. Such a mechanism would
      be most efficient if the leading edge of the cell contained preferential sites
      for attachment and transport.

PMID- 1874786
TI  - Molecular and cellular properties of PECAM-1 (endoCAM/CD31): a novel vascular
      cell-cell adhesion molecule.
AB  - PECAM-1 is a 130-120-kD integral membrane glycoprotein found on the surface of
      platelets, at endothelial intercellular junctions in culture, and on cells of
      myeloid lineage. Previous studies have shown that it is a member of the
      immunoglobulin gene superfamily and that antibodies against the bovine form of
      this protein (endoCAM) can inhibit endothelial cell-cell interactions. These data
      suggest that PECAM-1 may function as a vascular cell adhesion molecule. The
      function of this molecule has been further evaluated by transfecting cells with a
      full-length PECAM-1 cDNA. Transfected COS-7, mouse 3T3 and L cells expressed a
      130-120-kD glycoprotein on their cell surface that reacted with anti-PECAM-1
      polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. COS-7 and 3T3 cell transfectants formed
      cell-cell junctions that were highly enriched in PECAM-1, reminiscent of its
      distribution at endothelial cell-cell borders. In contrast, this protein remained
      diffusely distributed within the plasma membrane of PECAM-1 transfected cells
      that were in contact with mock transfectants. Mouse L cells stably transfected
      with PECAM-1 demonstrated calcium-dependent aggregation that was inhibited by
      anti-PECAM antibodies. These results demonstrate that PECAM-1 mediates cell-cell
      adhesion and support the idea that it may be involved in some of the interactive
      events taking place during thrombosis, wound healing, and angiogenesis.

PMID- 1874787
TI  - EA-1, a novel adhesion molecule involved in the homing of progenitor T
      lymphocytes to the thymus.
AB  - The mouse progenitor T lymphocyte (pro-T) cell line FTF1 binds in vitro to thymus
      blood vessels, the thymic capsule, and liver from newborn mice. A mAb, EA-1,
      raised against an embryonic mouse endothelial cell line, blocked adhesion. The
      antibody also interfered with pro-T cell adhesion to a thymus-derived mouse
      endothelial cell line; it had no effect on the adhesion of mature T lymphocytes
      and myeloid cells. The antigen recognized by EA-1 is located on the vascular
      endothelium of various mouse tissues and absent on pro-T cells. EA-1 antibody
      precipitates molecules with apparent molecular weights of 110,000, 140,000,
      160,000, and 200,000. Immunoclearing and binding-inhibition studies with
      antibodies against known adhesion molecules suggest that the EA-1 antigen is a
      novel adhesion molecule involved in colonization of the embryonic thymus by T
      cell progenitors.

PMID- 1874788
TI  - Evidence for thylakoid membrane fusion during zygote formation in Chlamydomonas
      reinhardtii.
AB  - To understand whether fusions of thylakoid membranes from the parental
      chloroplasts occurred during zygote formation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we
      performed an ultrastructural analysis of the zygotes produced by crossing mutants
      lacking photosystem I or II protein complexes, in the absence of de novo
      chloroplast protein synthesis. Thylakoid membranes from each parent could be
      distinguished on thin sections due to their organization in "supergrana" in
      mutants lacking photosystem I centers, by freeze-fracturing due to the absence of
      most of the exoplasmic-face (EF) particles in mutants lacking photosystem II
      centers, by immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed against photosystem II
      subunits. We demonstrate that a fusion of the thylakoid membranes occurred during
      zygote formation approximately 15 h after mating. These fusions allowed a lateral
      redistribution of the thylakoid membrane proteins. These observations provide the
      structural basis for the restoration of photosynthetic electron flow in the
      mature zygote that we observed in fluorescence induction experiments.

PMID- 1874789
TI  - Organization of the sea urchin egg endoplasmic reticulum and its reorganization
      at fertilization.
AB  - The ER of eggs of the sea urchin Lytechinus pictus was stained by microinjecting
      a saturated solution of the fluorescent dicarbocyanine DiIC18(3) (DiI) in soybean
      oil; the dye spread from the oil drop into ER membranes throughout the egg but
      not into other organelles. Confocal microscopy revealed large cisternae extending
      throughout the interior of the egg and a tubular membrane network at the cortex.
      Since diffusion of DiI is confined to continuous bilayers, the spread of the dye
      supports the concept that the ER is a cell-wide, interconnected compartment. In
      time lapse observations, the internal cisternae were seen to be in continuous
      motion, while the cortical ER was stationary. After fertilization, the internal
      ER appeared to become more finely divided, beginning as a wave apparently
      coincident with the calcium wave and becoming most marked by 2-3 min. By 5-8 min
      the ER returned to an organization similar to that of the unfertilized egg. The
      cortical network also changed at fertilization; it became disrupted and
      eventually recovered. DiI labeling allowed continuous observations of the ER
      during pronuclear migration and mitosis. DiI-stained membranes accumulated in the
      region of the microtubule array surrounding the sperm nucleus and centriole (the
      sperm aster) as it migrated to the center of the egg; this accumulation persisted
      near the centrosomes and zygote nucleus throughout pronuclear fusion and the
      first two mitotic cycles. We have used a new method to observe the spatial and
      temporal organization of the ER in a living cell, and we have demonstrated a
      striking reorganization of the ER at fertilization.

PMID- 1874790
TI  - Desmin/vimentin intermediate filaments are dispensable for many aspects of
      myogenesis.
AB  - An expression vector was prepared containing a cDNA coding for a truncated
      version of the intermediate filament (IF) protein desmin. The encoded truncated
      desmin protein lacks a portion of the highly conserved alpha-helical rod region
      as well as the entire nonhelical carboxy-terminal domain. When transiently
      expressed in primary fibroblasts, or in differentiating postmitotic myoblasts and
      multinucleated myotubes, the truncated protein induces the complete dismantling
      of the preexisting vimentin or desmin/vimentin IF networks, respectively.
      Instead, in both cell types vimentin and desmin are packaged into hybrid spheroid
      bodies scattered throughout the cytoplasm. Despite the complete lack of intact
      IFs, myoblasts and myotubes expressing truncated desmin assemble and laterally
      align normal striated myofibrils and contract spontaneously in a manner
      indistinguishable from that of control myogenic cells. In older cultures the
      spheroid bodies shift from a longitudinal to a predominantly transverse
      orientation and loosely align along the I-Z-I-regions of striated myofibrils
      (Bennett, G.S., S. Fellini, Y. Toyama, and H. Holtzer. 1979. J. Cell Biol. 82:577
      584), analogous to the translocation of intact desmin/vimentin IFs in control
      muscle. These results suggest the need for a critical reexamination of currently
      held concepts regarding the functions of desmin IFs during myogenesis.

PMID- 1874792
TI  - Microtubule dynamics and microtubule caps: a time-resolved cryo-electron
      microscopy study.
AB  - Microtubules display the unique property of dynamic instability characterized by
      phase changes between growth and shrinkage, even in constant environmental
      conditions. The phases can be synchronized, leading to bulk oscillations of
      microtubules. To study the structural basis of dynamic instability we have
      examined growing, shrinking, and oscillating microtubules by time-resolved cryo
      EM. In particular we have addressed three questions which are currently a matter
      of debate: (a) What is the relationship between microtubules, tubulin subunits,
      and tubulin oligomers in microtubule dynamics?; (b) How do microtubules shrink?
      By release of subunits or via oligomers?; and (c) Is there a conformational
      change at microtubule ends during the transitions from growth to shrinkage and
      vice versa? The results show that (a) oscillating microtubules coexist with a
      substantial fraction of oligomers, even at a maximum of microtubule assembly; (b)
      microtubules disassemble primarily into oligomers; and (c) the ends of growing
      microtubules have straight protofilaments, shrinking microtubules have
      protofilaments coiled inside out. This is interpreted as a transition from a
      tense to a relaxed conformation which could be used to perform work, as suggested
      by some models of poleward chromosome movement during anaphase.

PMID- 1874791
TI  - Microinjection of the catalytic fragment of myosin light chain kinase into
      dividing cells: effects on mitosis and cytokinesis.
AB  - Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is thought to regulate the contractile activity
      in smooth and non-muscle cells, and may play an important role in controlling the
      reorganization of the actin-myosin cytoskeleton during cell division. To test
      this hypothesis we have microinjected the 61-kD catalytic fragment of MLCK into
      mitotic cells, and examined the effects of unregulated MLCK activity on cell
      division. The microinjection of active 61 kD causes both a significant delay in
      the transit time from nuclear envelope breakdown to anaphase onset, and an
      increase in motile surface activity during and after metaphase. Control
      experiments with intact MLCK or with inactive catalytic fragment suggest that
      these effects are specifically induced by the unregulated myosin light chain
      kinase activity. Immunofluorescence analysis suggests that delays in mitosis are
      coupled to disruptions of spindle structures, while increased surface motility
      may be related to changes in the organization of actin and myosin at the cell
      cortex. Most importantly, despite the expression of strong phenotypes, 61 kD
      injected cells still form functional cleavage furrows that progress through
      cytokinesis at rates identical to those of control cells. Together, these results
      suggest that the activity of MLCK can affect mitosis and cortical activities,
      however additional control mechanisms are likely involved in the regulation of
      cytokinesis.

PMID- 1874793
TI  - The role of solation-contraction coupling in regulating stress fiber dynamics in
      nonmuscle cells.
AB  - Serum-deprived Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts constitutively form stress fibers at their
      edges. These fibers move centripetally towards the perinuclear region where they
      disassemble. Serum stimulation causes shortening of fibers in a manner suggesting
      active actin-myosin-based contraction (Giuliano, K.A. and D.L. Taylor. 1990. Cell
      Motil. and Cytoskeleton. 16:14-21). To elucidated the role of actin-based gel
      structure in these movements, we examined the effects of disrupting actin
      organization with cytochalasin. Serum-deprived fibroblasts were microinjected
      with rhodamine analogs of actin or myosin II and fiber dynamics were monitored
      with a multimode light microscope workstation using video-enhanced contrast and
      fluorescence modes. When cells were perfused with greater than or equal to 3
      microM cytochalasin B or 0.5 microM cytochalasin D, formation and transport of
      stress fibers were reversibly inhibited, and rapid and immediate shortening of
      existing fibers was induced. Quantification of actin and myosin II fluorescence
      associated with individual shortening fibers demonstrated that fluorescence per
      length of fiber increased for both components, suggesting sliding filament
      contraction. However, there was also a net loss of both actin and myosin II from
      fibers as they shortened, indicating a self-destructive process. Loss of material
      from fibers coupled with increased overlap of actin and myosin II remaining in
      the fibers suggested that contraction could be induced not only by increasing the
      force exerted by contractile motors, but also by decreasing gel structure through
      partial solation. Finally, cytochalasin accelerated contraction of actin-myosin
      based gels reconstituted from purified proteins in the absence of myosin-based
      regulation, further supporting solation-contraction coupling as a possible
      mechanism for modulating cytoplasmic contractility (Taylor, D.L. and M.
      Fechheimer. 1982. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 299:185-197).

PMID- 1874794
TI  - Growth factors and wound repair.

PMID- 1874795
TI  - Growth factors.

PMID- 1874796
TI  - Endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors.
AB  - Key discoveries in the past decade revealed that the endothelium can modulate the
      tone of underlying vascular smooth muscle by the synthesis/release of potent
      vasorelaxant (endothelium-derived relaxing factors; EDRF) and vasoconstrictor
      substances (endothelium-derived contracting factors; EDCF). It has become evident
      that the synthesis and release of these substances contribute to the multitude of
      physiological functions the vascular endothelium performs. Accumulating evidence
      suggests that at least one of the EDRFs is identical with nitric oxide (NO) or a
      labile nitroso compound, which is produced from L-arginine by an NADPH- and
      Ca(2+)-dependent enzyme, arginine oxidase. The existence of more than one
      chemically distinct EDRF has been proposed, including an endothelium-derived
      hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). The target of EDRF (NO) is soluble guanylate
      cyclase (increase in cyclic GMP) while EDHF appears to activate a K(+)-channel in
      vascular smooth muscle. Recent data suggest that muscarinic receptor subtypes
      selectively mediate the release of EDRF(NO) (M2) and EDHF (M1). EDRF(NO) affects
      not only the underlying vascular smooth muscle, but also platelets, inhibiting
      their aggregation and adhesion to the endothelium. The antiaggregatory effect of
      EDRF is synergistic with prostacyclin, so their combined release may represent a
      physiological mechanism aimed at preventing thrombus formation. An additional
      proposed biological function of EDRF(NO) is cytoprotection by virtue of
      scavenging superoxide radicals. The endothelium can also mediate vasoconstriction
      by the release of a variety of endothelium-derived contracting factors (EDCF).
      Other than the unique peptide endothelin, the nature of EDCFs has not yet been
      firmly established. Autoregulation of cerebral and renal blood flow and hypoxic
      pulmonary vasoconstriction may represent the physiological role of endothelium
      dependent vasoconstriction. Growing evidence indicates that the endothelium can
      serve as a unique mechanoreceptor, sensing and transducing physical stimuli
      (e.g., shear forces, pressure) into changes in vascular tone by the release of
      EDRFs or EDCFs. In physiological states, a delicate balance exists between
      endothelium-derived vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Alterations in this
      balance can result in local (vasospasm) and generalized (hypertension) increase
      in vascular tone and also in facilitated thrombus formation. Endothelial
      dysfunction may also contribute to the pathophysiology of angiopathies associated
      with hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1874797
TI  - Genetics of the malignant progression of astrocytoma.
AB  - The tendency of human cancers to progress towards a more malignant state over
      time is a well described biological phenomenon. Recent investigations elucidating
      the genetic nature of malignancy and the possible mechanisms responsible for this
      evolution have suggested that a sequential pathway may exist whereby a cell
      population accumulates a nested set of genetic aberrations which endow it with
      the ability to overwhelm other populations and dominate the tumor. Human
      astrocytomas are a dramatic case in point, where specific genetic events of
      amplification and deletion are seemingly related to the stages of malignancy. The
      identification of these aberrations represents the first stage in the dissection
      of the temporal process of this cancer. Its augmentation with functional analyses
      will likely allow a fuller genetic description of in vivo transformation.

PMID- 1874798
TI  - Implications and concepts of polyamine-nucleic acid interactions.
AB  - Modeling, x-ray diffraction, and solution studies have contributed to the
      understanding of interactions between polyamines and nucleic acids. Polyamines
      stabilize a variety of unusual DNA structures and conformations in vitro,
      including both the left-handed Z and the right-handed A DNA. In addition,
      polyamines condense DNA and may be important in bending specific sequences.
      Investigations into the mechanisms of these effects provide support for both
      specific and nonspecific interactions between polyamines and DNA. Although exact
      relationships between the binding of polyamines and conformational changes in
      nucleic acids are still being clarified, polyamines remain important candidates
      for regulators of DNA conformation in vivo.

PMID- 1874799
TI  - Isolation of heparan sulfate proteoglycan from beneath the monolayers of rat
      hepatocytes and its binding to type IV collagen.
AB  - Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes maintained as monolayer in a serum-free
      medium synthesise and secrete sulphated proteoglycans. Nearly 5% of the total
      35(S)-sulphated material was obtained in a soluble form from beneath the cell
      layer. A shift in gel filtration pattern on beta-elimination with alkali
      suggested that it is a sulphated proteoglycan. On ion exchange chromatography
      over Dowex AG 1 x 2, the major fraction was eluted with 1.25 M NaCl. Further,
      nearly 80% of the 35(S)-labeled material was susceptible to nitrous acid
      degradation and more than 90% of the material was resistant to chondroitinase ABC
      digestion suggesting that it is predominantly a heparan sulphate proteoglycan
      (HSPG). Since HSPG is a major component of basement membrane, its binding with
      collagen was studied by a solid phase binding assay. About 75% of the 35(S) HSPG
      bound to wells coated with type IV collagen whereas only about 20% bound to type
      I collagen at physiological pH. Binding to collagen IV was reduced by about 50%
      when free GAG chains were used indicating that the protein core is also involved
      in interaction with the collagen. These results indicate the possible role of
      this basal extracellular heparan sulphate proteoglycan in the basal lamina
      formation.

PMID- 1874800
TI  - Na(+)-dependent, active nucleoside transport in S49 mouse lymphoma cells and loss
      in AE-1 mutant deficient in facilitated nucleoside transport.
AB  - S49 murine lymphoma cells were examined for expression of various nucleoside
      transport systems using a non-metabolized nucleoside, formycin B, as substrate.
      Nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI)-sensitive, facilitated transport was the primary
      nucleoside transport system of the cells. The cells also expressed very low
      levels of NBTI-resistant, facilitated nucleoside transport as well as of Na(+)
      dependent, concentrative formycin B transport. Concentrative transport was
      specific for uridine and purine nucleosides, just as the concentrative nucleoside
      transporters of other mouse and rat cells. A nucleoside transport mutant of S49
      cells, AE-1, lacked both the NBTI-sensitive, facilitated and Na(+)-dependent,
      concentrative formycin B transport activity, but Na(+)-dependent, concentrative
      transport of alpha-aminoisobutyrate was not affected.

PMID- 1874801
TI  - Novel immunomodulators with pronounced in vivo effects caused by stimulation of
      cytokine release.
AB  - Beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatives protect mice against otherwise lethal
      bacterial infections. This protective effect has been considered to be mediated
      through mononuclear phagocytes. By using radioactive labelling, we localized the
      beta-1,3-D-polyglucose derivatized microbeads (GDM) during the period following
      injection. The GDM was recovered mainly in the milky spots of the omentum. In
      animals treated with GDM, the total white cell number was significantly increased
      in peritoneal fluid of mice before and after challenge with E. coli. Bacterial
      counts in peritoneal fluid of GDM treated animals declined to zero after 24 h. In
      untreated animals there was a slight increase in bacterial counts until the
      animals died after about 12 h. Mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with GDM
      released significant amounts of IL-1 and PGE2. There was no significant release
      of TNF. Levels of IL-1 and PGE2 in peritoneal fluid increased significantly
      during the first 48 h after treatment with GDM. There was no increase of levels
      of TNF. After challenge with E. coli, the levels of IL-1, TNF, and PGE2 were
      significantly lower compared with control animals. In untreated animals the
      levels of IL-1 and TNF remained elevated until the animals died after about 12 h.
      These studies demonstrate that the raised levels of arachidonic acid metabolites
      after pretreatment with GDM or AG seems to inhibit the otherwise lethal elevation
      of IL-1 and TNF in body fluids which is seen in untreated animals.

PMID- 1874802
TI  - Tumor necrosis factor stimulates ornithine decarboxylase activity in human
      fibroblasts and tumor target cells.
AB  - The activity of the polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC),
      has been shown to be rapidly modulated by a variety of growth regulatory
      molecules. In this report the effect of the growth modulatory peptide, tumor
      necrosis factor, on ODC activity was examined on two cell lines which express
      equivalent TNF binding properties, but differ in their growth response when
      exposed to this factor. TNF treatment of WI-38 fibroblasts stimulated both their
      growth and induced ODC activity 5-10-fold when measured 6-24 h after TNF
      incubation. TNF induced cytotoxicity in ME-180 cervical carcinoma cells and,
      interestingly, stimulated both ODC activity (3-6-fold) and putrescine
      accumulation when measured prior to the onset of cytotoxicity. Induction of ODC
      was TNF concentration-dependent and paralleled the concentration-dependency for
      cytotoxicity. Based upon studies with cycloheximide, de novo protein biosynthesis
      was required for TNF-mediated ODC induction in ME-180 cells. The effects of other
      growth inhibitory peptides and growth factors were analyzed for their combined
      effect on ODC activity in TNF-treated or untreated ME-180 cells. Interferon gamma
      treatment had no significant effect on basal ODC activity but inhibited TNF
      mediated ODC induction by approximately 50%. EGF treatment resulted in a potent
      stimulation of ODC activity which was not affected by TNF pre-treatment or
      coadministration on ME-180 cells. These results suggest that TNF has properties
      which are similar to those of a growth factor and distinct from those of other
      growth inhibitory peptides. The early growth factor-like actions of TNF occur on
      both normal fibroblasts and some tumor cells and evidence suggests that these
      effects are antagonistic to the antiproliferative effects of TNF.

PMID- 1874803
TI  - Cellular response to double-stranded RNA.
AB  - The study of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) encompasses a variety of fields. Basic
      research in this area has contributed to a greater mechanistic understanding of
      gene induction, tumor cell growth arrest, the establishment of antiviral states,
      and immunomodulation. Because of the possible clinical value of these molecules,
      physicians are now exploring the use of synthetic dsRNA to treat patients with
      cancer, HIV-1 disease, and immune dysfunction. Continued studies of the
      mechanisms of action of dsRNA are likely to suggest an even wider scope of
      clinical applications.

PMID- 1874804
TI  - Measurement of human cerebral blood flow with [15O]butanol and positron emission
      tomography.
AB  - Although H2(15)O is widely used for CBF measurement by positron tomography, it
      underestimates CBF, especially at elevated flow rates. Several tracers, including
      butanol, overcome this problem, but the short half-life of 15O provides
      advantages that cause water to remain the tracer of choice. We report the first
      use and evaluation of 15O-labeled butanol for CBF measurement. Flow measurements
      made in a similar fashion with water and butanol at 10-min intervals were
      compared in normal volunteers under resting and hypercapnic conditions. Regional
      analysis showed good agreement between the tracers at low flows, and significant
      underestimation of flow by water relative to butanol in regions of elevated flow.
      The observed relationship between the tracers and the curve-fitted permeability
      surface area product for water (133 ml.100 g-1.min-1) follow the known
      relationship between water and true flow. These observations indicate that [15O]
      butanol provided accurate measurements of human regional CBF under conditions of
      elevated perfusion. We conclude that butanol is a convenient and accurate method
      for routine CBF determination by positron emission tomography.

PMID- 1874805
TI  - Distribution and kinetics of 3-O-methyl-6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa in the rhesus monkey
      brain.
AB  - Most attempts to model accurately [18F]-DOPA imaging of the dopamine system are
      based on the assumptions that its main peripheral metabolite, 3-O-methyl-6
      [18F]fluoro-L-DOPA ([18F]3-OM-DOPA), crosses the blood-brain barrier but is
      present as a homogenous distribution throughout the brain, in part because it is
      not converted into [18F]DOPA in significant quantities. These assumptions were
      based mainly on data in rodents. Little information is available in the primate.
      To verify the accuracy of the above assumptions, we administered 18F-labeled 3-OM
      DOPA to normal rhesus monkeys and animals with lesions of the DA nigrostriatal
      system. No selective 18F regional accumulation in brain was apparent in normal or
      lesioned animals. The plasma metabolite analysis revealed that only the
      negatively charged metabolites (e.g., sulfated conjugates) that do not cross the
      blood-brain barrier were found in significant quantities in the plasma. A one
      compartment, three-parameter model was adequate to describe the kinetics of
      [18F]3-OM-DOPA. In conclusion, assumptions concerning [18F]3-OM-DOPA's behavior
      in brain appear acceptable for [18F]DOPA modeling purposes.

PMID- 1874806
TI  - Differentiation of radioligand delivery and binding in the brain: validation of a
      two-compartment model for [11C]flumazenil.
AB  - We recently developed a two-compartment, two-parameter tracer kinetic model to
      estimate the in vivo ligand transport rate (K1) and distribution volume (DV) for
      the benzodiazepine antagonist [11C]flumazenil (FMZ) as measured by positron
      emission tomography (PET). The aim of the present study was to validate that this
      simplified model provides a stable measure of regional benzodiazepine receptor
      availability even when ligand delivery is altered. Six young normal volunteers
      underwent two PET studies subsequent to intravenous injections of [11C]FMZ. Each
      FMZ study was immediately preceded by measurements of CBF following injection of
      [15O]water. One set of scans (water/FMZ) was acquired under resting conditions
      and the other set during audiovisual stimulation. Six additional volunteers
      underwent two FMZ studies under identical resting conditions. Parametric images
      were analyzed and a comparison of test-retest studies in the stimulation group
      revealed a significant increase of CBF and K1 of FMZ in the occipital cortex
      evoked by visual activation, whereas no regional changes were noted for the DV of
      FMZ. No significant changes were noted for either K1 or DV of FMZ when comparing
      studies in the rest-rest setting. The results indicate that the use of a simple
      two-compartment model for the tracer kinetic analysis of [11C]FMZ makes it
      possible to separate high-affinity binding from altered radio-ligand delivery to
      the human brain.

PMID- 1874807
TI  - Ischemic thresholds of cerebral protein synthesis and energy state following
      middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat.
AB  - The ischemic threshold of protein synthesis and energy state was determined 1, 6,
      and 12 h after middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats. Local blood flow
      and amino acid incorporation were measured by double tracer autoradiography, and
      local ATP content by substrate-induced bioluminescence. The various images were
      evaluated at the striatal level in cerebral cortex by scanning with a
      microdensitometer with 75 microns resolution. Each 75 x 75 microns digitized
      image pixel was then converted into the appropriate units of either protein
      synthesis, ATP content, or blood flow. The ischemic threshold was defined as the
      flow rate at which 50% of pixels exhibited complete metabolic suppression. One
      hour after MCA occlusion, the threshold of protein synthesis was 55.3 +/- 12.0 ml
      100 g-1 min-1 and that of energy failure was 18.5 +/- 9.8 ml 100 g-1 min-1. After
      6 and 12 h of MCA occlusion, the threshold of protein synthesis did not change
      (52.0 +/- 9.6 and 56.0 +/- 6.5 ml 100 g-1 min-1, respectively) but the threshold
      of energy failure increased significantly at 12 h following MCA occlusion to 31.9
      +/- 9.7 ml 100 g-1 min-1 (p less than 0.05 compared to 1 h ATP threshold value;
      all values are mean +/- SD). In focal cerebral ischemia, therefore, the threshold
      of energy failure gradually approached that of protein synthesis. Our results
      suggest that with increasing duration of ischemia, survival of brain tissue is
      determined by the high threshold of persisting inhibition of protein synthesis
      and not by the much lower one of acute energy failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1874808
TI  - In vivo binding of nimodipine in the brain: I. The effect of focal cerebral
      ischemia.
AB  - We report the regional variation in [3H]nimodipine binding in vivo during focal
      cerebral ischemia. After intravenous injection, 30 min of circulation of
      [3H]nimodipine was sufficient to establish a secular equilibrium of distribution
      in the brain. Rats sustained left middle cerebral and common carotid artery
      occlusions for 5 min, and 4, 24, and 48 h (n greater than or equal to 6 epr
      group). They were decapitated 30 min after injection of 250 microCi of
      [3H]nimodipine and their brains were submitted to autoradiography. The
      concentrations of [3H]nimodipine in plasma and brain structures, corrected for
      metabolism of nimodipine, were used to calculate the regional volumes of
      distribution (V) in the ischemic left (L) and control right (R) hemispheres. Log
      (VL/VR) was then defined as the group mean of the logarithms of the left-to-right
      ratio of V of [3H]nimodipine. In the lateral caudate, binding of [3H]nimodipine
      on the ischemic side was highest within 5 min of occlusion. Log (VL/VR) in this
      region for the combined sham-operated and normal control rats and those after 5
      min and 4 and 24 h of ischemia were -0.014 +/- 0.025, 0.137 +/- 0.056*, -0.201 +/
      0.367, and -0.049 +/- 0.370 (mean +/- SD, *represents p less than 0.01 compared
      with controls). By contrast, in the superior frontal cortex, values for log
      (VL/VR) in the same sequence were -0.016 +/- 0.025, 0.028 +/- 0.056, 0.284 +/-
      0.228*, and 0.224 +/- 0.069*, thus showing a significant rise in [3H]nimodipine
      binding only at 4 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874809
TI  - In vivo binding of nimodipine in the brain: II. Binding kinetics in focal
      cerebral ischemia.
AB  - We report the binding characteristics of [3H]nimodipine to normal and ischemic
      brain in vivo. We used the 1,4-dihydropyridine, nimodipine, to label the L-type
      voltage-sensitive calcium channel in focal cerebral ischemia after occlusion of
      both the middle cerebral and ipsilateral common carotid arteries in rats. Varying
      concentrations of [3H]nimodipine were infused 3.5 h after the onset of ischemia
      and circulated for 30 min before the brain was obtained for autoradiography and
      determination of regional nimodipine content. In separate sets of experiments,
      the metabolites of nimodipine were determined and the conditions for equilibrium
      of nimodipine distribution were established. Increased nimodipine uptake was
      observed in ischemic regions. This increased binding was saturable and specific
      with an affinity constant, KD, of 0.45 nM and a maximal regional binding
      capacity, Bmax, ranging from 3.1 to 10.9 pmol/g. Only binding to ischemic tissue
      was specific and saturable whereas that in nonischemic tissue was nonspecific. In
      vivo binding of nimodipine may be used to identify cell membrane depolarization
      and calcium channel activation in focal cerebral ischemia.

PMID- 1874810
TI  - Reversible focal ischemia in the rat: effects of halothane, isoflurane, and
      methohexital anesthesia.
AB  - Barbiturates and the volatile anesthetic isoflurane reduce CMR to similar values.
      If the mechanism of barbiturate protection against focal ischemic injury is due
      to a reduction in cellular energy requirements, then isoflurane should similarly
      reduce ischemic injury. To evaluate this, spontaneously hypertensive rats
      underwent 2 h of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) while
      receiving deep methohexital, isoflurane, or halothane anesthesia. Ninety-six
      hours postischemia, neurologic deficits were present but without a difference
      between groups. Mean +/- SD infarct volume, as assessed by triphenyl tetrazolium
      chloride staining and computerized planimetry, was significantly less in the
      methohexital group (n = 8; 166 +/- 74 mm3) than in either the halothane (n = 9;
      249 +/- 71 mm3; p less than 0.04) or the isoflurane (n = 9; 243 +/- 62 mm3; p
      less than 0.03) groups. One possible explanation for the lack of protective
      effect for isoflurane might be related to its vasodilative properties, which
      could result in a cerebral vascular steal. To examine this possibility, rats
      anesthetized with methohexital or isoflurane underwent autoradiographic
      determination of CBF with or without MCAO. In isoflurane-anesthetized sham rats
      (n = 5; no ischemia), CBF was approximately three times greater than in
      methohexital-treated (n = 5) sham rats. During ischemia, although a regional
      reduction in flow was noted in both anesthetic groups, mean flow remained greater
      in the isoflurane group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874811
TI  - Effects of dextromethorphan on regional cerebral blood flow in focal cerebral
      ischemia.
AB  - Dextromethorphan (DM), a noncompetitive NMDA antagonist, has been demonstrated to
      reduce ischemic neuronal damage and edema, but DM's influence on cerebral blood
      flow has not been extensively studied. In this investigation, it is shown that DM
      has significant effects on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) patterns in a
      rabbit model of focal cerebral ischemia. rCBF was measured using radioactive
      microspheres following a 1 h permanent occlusion of the left internal carotid,
      anterior cerebral, and middle cerebral arteries in rabbits. Somatosensory evoked
      potentials (SEPs) were used to assess the degree of ischemia; only animals where
      SEPs were completely abolished were used for a frequency distribution analysis of
      rCBF. It was found that there were significantly more regions with lower flows in
      animals treated with normal saline (NS) (n = 7) compared to animals treated with
      DM (n = 7) (p less than 0.05, ipsilateral left side; p less than 0.001,
      contralateral right side). The frequency distribution medians were 27.5 ml 100 g
      1 min-1 (left) and 70.0 ml 100 g-1 min-1 (right) in the NS group vs. 34.5 ml 100
      g-1 min-1 (left) and 80.5 ml 100 g-1 min-1 (right) in the DM group. The left and
      right hemispheric regional means were 29.4 +/- 20 and 74.3 +/- 23 ml 100 g-1 min
      1, respectively, in the NS group vs. 34.4 +/- 16 and 91.0 +/- 28 ml 100 g-1 min
      1, respectively, in the DM group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874812
TI  - Electrical stimulation of cerebellar fastigial nucleus reduces ischemic
      infarction elicited by middle cerebral artery occlusion in rat.
AB  - Electrical stimulation of the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) globally and
      profoundly increases cerebral blood flow via a cholinergic mechanism. In cerebral
      cortex, the vasodilation is unassociated with alterations in cerebral glucose
      utilization, a condition favoring protection against cerebral ischemia. We sought
      to determine whether FN stimulation would modify the size of the focal ischemic
      infarction resulting from occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The MCA
      was occluded in anesthetized rats of the spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) or
      Sprague-Dawley (SD) strains with or without 1 h of electrical stimulation of the
      FN. Twenty-four hours later, rats were killed and the volume of the infarction
      established in thionin-stained sections. in SHRs, FN stimulation reduced by 40%
      the well-established cortical and partially subcortical infarctions elicited by
      occlusion of the MCA (from 186 +/- 35.2 to 113 +/- 47.1 mm3, mean +/- SD, n = 15;
      p less than 0.001). The zone of retrieval was anatomically constant, consisting
      of a rim of cortex dorsal and ventral to the infarction and medially within the
      thalamus and striatum corresponding to the penumbral zone described by others.
      The effect was comparable in rats of the SD strain having smaller infarctions.
      The effect of FN stimulation appears to be selective for the FN system in that it
      is not evoked by stimulation of the dentate nucleus and is blocked by systemic
      administration of atropine (1.0 mg/kg). We conclude that excitation of an
      intrinsic system in brain represented in the rostral FN has the capacity to
      reduce substantially an ischemic infarction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874813
TI  - Delayed neuronal death is induced without postischemic hyperexcitability:
      continuous multiple-unit recording from ischemic CA1 neurons.
AB  - It has been proposed that neuronal hyperexcitability during postischemic chronic
      stage mediates delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region. In the
      present study, multiple-unit spike discharges were continuously recorded from
      hippocampal CA1 neurons of the awake Mongolian gerbil for 5 days after 5 min of
      ischemia. Before ischemia, CA1 neurons showed burst-like spike discharges (so
      called complex spikes). Spike discharges disappeared 8-40 s after the onset of 5
      min ischemia and reappeared 5-30 min after recirculation. The frequency of
      discharges gradually increased but did not return to the preischemic level. The
      amplitude of the spike discharges was smaller than that recorded before ischemia
      and the number of spikes composing the burst-like discharges diminished. CA1
      neurons did not show any hyperexcitability for 5 days. However, histological
      examinations revealed widespread neuronal death in the CA1 region. These results
      indicate that the delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region is induced
      without postischemic neuronal hyperexcitability.

PMID- 1874814
TI  - Ischemia-reperfusion does not affect reactivity of isolated canine basilar
      artery.
AB  - The effect of ischemia-reperfusion on endothelium-dependent relaxations and
      reactivity of vascular smooth-muscle cells was studied in rings of basilar
      arteries obtained from six dogs exposed to 12 min of complete global cerebral
      ischemia followed by 100 min of reperfusion. Three sham-operated control dogs
      served as controls. Ischemia was induced either by an increase in intracranial
      pressure or by aortic occlusion. The rings were suspended for isometric tension
      recording in physiological salt solution. Ischemia-reperfusion did not affect
      endothelium-dependent relaxations to vasopressin and bradykinin. In rings without
      endothelium relaxations to sodium nitroprusside, molsidomine (SIN-1), and
      papaverine as well as contractions to 5-hydroxytryptamine and KCl were preserved.
      These results demonstrate that in large canine cerebral arteries, ischemia
      reperfusion of these durations does not affect relaxations mediated by activation
      of endothelium or direct relaxations and contractions of vascular smooth-muscle
      cells.

PMID- 1874815
TI  - Cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption in cortical spreading depression.
AB  - We determined the effects of spreading depression on local cerebral O2 supply,
      oxygenation, and O2 consumption in the anesthetized rat. Spreading depression was
      induced by application of 0.5 M KCl to the frontal cortex. Regional cerebral
      blood flow was determined with [14C]iodoantipyrine and regional O2 extraction was
      determined microspectrophotometrically. The passage of the spreading depression
      wave was determined with a multiprobe assembly that recorded NADH redox state
      (surface fluorometry), extracellular K+ activity, and DC steady potential
      (surface minielectrodes). As the wave of spreading depression passed, there was
      an increase in extracellular K+ and a decrease in NADH. Cerebral blood flow was
      significantly increased (120 +/- 51 ml/min/100 g, mean +/- SD) during the wave as
      compared with other regions. In the affected cortex, blood flow was not different
      from that in the contralateral cortex (69 +/- 28 ml/min/100 g) either before or
      after the wave of spreading depression passed. Arterial and venous O2 saturation
      were unaffected by the wave and the histogram of O2 saturations of examined veins
      followed a similar normal distribution in all regions. Oxygen extraction was not
      altered by the wave of spreading depression. Oxygen consumption was significantly
      increased during the wave to 7.4 +/- 3.7 ml O2/min/100 g compared with the
      contralateral cortex (5.1 +/- 2.6 ml/min/100 g) and other regions. It can be
      concluded that spreading depression caused an increase in cerebral O2 consumption
      that was adequately matched by an increase in local blood flow. Oxygen delivery
      was not limited during spreading depression and its effects were quickly over as
      evidenced by the lack of alteration in oxygenation after the wave of spreading
      depression passed.

PMID- 1874816
TI  - Cerebral oxygen metabolism after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - Previous studies of cerebral oxygen metabolism and extraction in patients with
      subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have yielded conflicting results. We used positron
      emission tomography (PET) to measure the regional cerebral metabolic rate for
      oxygen (rCMRO2), oxygen extraction fraction (rOEF), and cerebral blood flow
      (rCBF) 16 times in 11 patients with aneurysmal SAH. All studies were performed
      preoperatively; no patient had hydrocephalus or intracerebral hematoma on brain
      CT. Eight patients with no arteriographic vasospasm who were studied on days 1-4
      post-SAH had a significant 25% reduction in global CMRO2 compared to age-matched
      controls, and no significant change in global OEF, suggesting a primary reduction
      in CMRO2 caused by SAH. Four patients studied seven times during arteriographic
      vasospasm had significantly increased rOEF with unchanged CMRO2 in arterial
      territories affected by arteriographic vasospasm compared to territories without
      vasospasm, indicative of cerebral ischemia without infarction. No brain regions
      studied with PET were infarcted on follow-up CT. We conclude that the initial
      aneurysm rupture produces a primary reduction in CMRO2, and that subsequent
      vasospasm causes ischemia.

PMID- 1874817
TI  - Effects of focal cortical freezing lesion on regional energy metabolism.
AB  - Freezing lesions have been shown to cause a depression in glucose use,
      particularly in cortical areas of the brain ipsilateral to the lesion, and this
      effect was interpreted to be caused by a depressed functional activity in these
      regions. The metabolic status of the affected areas has not been previously
      examined and could be a factor in the observed changes in local CMRglc. In frozen
      cut and dried sections taken from brains 3 days after freeze lesioning, discrete
      pieces of the median and lateral parietal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and
      hypothalamus were dissected and analyzed for ATP, P-creatine, glucose, and
      lactate. CMRglc measurements were also made in the same animals. The
      concentrations of the four metabolites were significantly increased in the
      lesioned hemisphere, with the most predominant effects observed in the cortical
      areas that exhibited the greatest depression in CMRglc. The enriched metabolite
      profile, particularly in the cortical areas, is consistent with the hypothesis
      that decreased glucose use in the traumatized brain is caused by diminished need
      rather than by decreased supply of energy. Because the lumped constant in the
      operational equation of the deoxyglucose method for determination of CMRglc is a
      function of brain glucose content and decreases gradually in hyperglycemia, the
      degree of metabolic depression in cortical areas of lesioned hemisphere probably
      have been somewhat overestimated in this and previous publications. However,
      provisionally recalculated local CMRglc in the lesioned hemisphere remain
      significantly lower than in the contralateral hemisphere and in the normal brain.

PMID- 1874818
TI  - Role of thalamus and white matter in cognitive outcome after head injury.
AB  - Local CBF (LCBF) and local partition coefficients (L lambda) were measured by
      xenon-enhanced computed tomography among 15 patients with remote cerebral trauma
      resulting from severe head injury. Results were compared with similar measures
      among age-matched normal volunteers (N = 20). The patients were divided into two
      groups according to different outcomes based on serial cognitive testing: Group I
      (N = 10) improved but Group D (N = 5) deteriorated throughout a mean interval of
      10 years of follow-up. Initial LCBF measurements were performed at mean intervals
      of 6.8 years after injury. Cortical LCBF values were decreased in frontal (p less
      than 0.01) and temporal (p less than 0.05) regions among both groups, but only in
      Group D were flow values decreased in putamen and thalamus (p less than 0.05). L
      lambda values were reduced in frontotemporal cortex among both groups but in the
      thalamus only among Group D (p less than 0.05). Mean white matter flow values
      were normal in Group I but were reduced in Group D (p less than 0.05). Mean
      partition coefficients for white matter were reduced in both groups (p less than
      0.01) but were lower in Group D (p less than 0.05). Reduced perfusion of
      frontotemporal gray matter is consonant with neuropathological reports following
      severe brain trauma of neuronal atrophy, gliosis, and infarction affecting these
      regions. Group comparisons between patients who cognitively improved versus those
      that deteriorated demonstrate an association between reductions of CBF in
      putamen, thalamus and subcortical white matter and impaired cognition after
      severe head injury.

PMID- 1874819
TI  - Simultaneous and continuous measurement of choroid plexus blood flow and
      cerebrospinal fluid production: effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.
AB  - Using laser-Doppler flowmetry during ventriculocisternal perfusion with inulin
      [14C]carboxylic acid, choroid plexus blood flow (CPBF) and CSF production were
      measured simultaneously in rats during periods of 3 h. Blood flow and CSF
      production decreased only slightly during control experiments. The effect of
      vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) was studied at different concentrations
      of the peptide given either intraventricularly or intravenously. Intraventricular
      administration of VIP (10(-9) or 10(-7) M) resulted in a decrease in CSF
      production of up to 30%, while CPBF increased by 20%, also demonstrating that CSF
      production and blood flow are not directly coupled in the choroid plexus. When
      infused intravenously, VIP (10 or 100 pmol/kg/min) increased CPBF, an effect
      partly antagonized at higher concentrations owing to a VIP-induced systemic
      hypotension. No effect of VIP on CSF production could be seen with intravenous
      administration.

PMID- 1874820
TI  - Periendothelial acetylcholine synthesis and release in bovine cerebral cortex
      capillaries.
AB  - Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity is present in isolated cerebral
      capillaries, where it has been considered to be a marker for perivascular
      cholinergic nerve terminals. However, ChAT-like immunoreactivity has been
      visualized in endothelial cells. This finding raised the possibility that at
      least part of the biochemically detected ChAT has a nonneuronal origin. To
      evaluate the relative contribution of endothelial cells and nerve fibers to the
      total acetylcholine (ACh)-synthesizing capacity of cerebral capillaries, ChAT
      activity and ACh release were measured in capillaries and in purified endothelial
      cells isolated from bovine cerebral cortex. Isolated capillaries showed ChAT
      activity, which was inhibited by 2-benzoylethyl trimethylammonium to the same
      extent as cerebral ChAT. When preincubated with [3H]choline, these capillaries
      presented a calcium-dependent enhancement in tritium release upon electrical
      field stimulation. Purified endothelial cells had minor ChAT activity and lacked
      the ability to release tritium in response to electrical stimulation, although
      the endothelial markers alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, and
      1,1'-dioctadecyl-1,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-iodocarbocyanide perchlorate-labeled
      acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake were fully preserved. These data
      indicate that, within isolated cerebral capillaries, ACh is synthesized and
      released by a periendothelial structure. The fact that ACh release is provoked by
      electrical stimulation and by a calcium-dependent mechanism strongly suggests
      that cerebrovascular ACh has a neuronal origin.

PMID- 1874821
TI  - Choline acetyltransferase activity associated with cerebral cortical microvessels
      does not originate in basal forebrain neurons.
AB  - Cerebral cortical microvessels are innervated by cholinergic fibers that are
      probably involved in the regulation of local cerebral blood flow and blood-brain
      barrier permeability. The possibility exists that the cholinergic terminals
      associated with the cortical microvasculature belong to neurons from the nucleus
      basalis magnocellularis (NBM), where 70% of the cortical cholinergic projections
      originate. To test this hypothesis, ibotenic acid (25 nmol) was injected
      unilaterally in the NBM in rats, and 14 days later, choline acetyltransferase
      (ChAT) activity was measured in the frontoparietal cortex and in a blood vessel
      fraction isolated from this region. Lesions of the NBM resulted in a 50% decrease
      of cortical ChAT as compared with control or sham-operated hemispheres; however,
      no changes were observed in the ChAT activity associated with cortical
      microvessels. These results indicate that, in rat cerebral cortex, the
      perivascular cholinergic terminals do not originate in the basal forebrain.

PMID- 1874822
TI  - Flow estimation using ultrasound imaging (color M-mode) and computer
      postprocessing.
AB  - We have developed a method to calculate flow noninvasively in blood vessels using
      color Motion-mode (M-mode) and computer postprocessing. The velocity of each
      point in the cross-sectional area of the vessel was found from the color M-mode
      recording by correcting for angle both distances and velocities and by assuming a
      symmetrical circular velocity field. Volume flow was then found by integrating
      the velocity field at 5-ms intervals through the cardiac cycle. In a
      cardiovascular hydromechanical model, a correlation of 0.99 and p value of less
      than 0.001 were found between estimated and measured flow in the model (n = 8).
      In 20 healthy individuals, we made 31 investigations in the common carotid (CCA),
      internal carotid (ICA), and external carotid (ECA) artery, comparing flow in the
      CCA with the added flow in the ICA and ECA. The values (CCA versus ICA + ECA)
      correlated with r = 0.91 and p less than 0.01. Repeated investigations (n = 8) in
      one individual gave flow estimates of 495 +/- 50 ml/min in the CCA, 304 +/- 45
      ml/min in the ICA, and 165 +/- 37 ml/min in the ECA (means +/- SD). This article
      shows that this system can make accurate estimation of blood flow to the brain
      noninvasively.

PMID- 1874823
TI  - A database of lipid phase transition temperatures and enthalpy changes.
AB  - The systematic study of the mesomorphic phase properties of synthetic and
      biologically derived lipids began some 30 years ago. In the past decade, interest
      in this area has grown enormously. As a result, there exists a wealth of
      information on lipid phase behavior, but unfortunately, these data have, until
      now, been scattered throughout the literature in a variety of books, proceedings,
      and journals. The data have recently been compiled in a centralized database with
      a view to providing ready access to the same and to the appropriate literature.
      The compilation facilitates review of what has thus far been accomplished and
      highlights what remains to be done in this active research area. As such, it
      represents a convenient summary of the existing data which, when evaluated, will
      enable us to identify where deficits exist in the data, to reveal the fundamental
      physicochemical principles upon which lipid phase behavior is based, and to
      understand more completely lipid phase relations in biological, reconstituted,
      and formulated systems. The compilation consists of a tabulation of all known
      mesomorphic and polymorphic phase transition temperatures and enthalpy changes
      for synthetic and biologically derived lipids in the dry and in the partially and
      fully hydrated states. Also included is the effect on these thermodynamic values
      of pH, and of salt and metal ion concentration and other additives such as
      proteins, drugs, etc. The methods used in making the measurements and the
      experimental conditions are reported. Bibliographic information includes complete
      literature referencing and list of authors. As of this writing, the database is
      current through June 1990 and contains 9500 records. Each record contains 28
      fields. Here, we describe how the database originated, its scope and contents,
      data abstraction procedures, and issues relating to mesophase and lipid
      nomenclature, data analysis, and evaluation, and database maintenance and
      distribution.

PMID- 1874824
TI  - Clustering a large number of compounds. 2. Using the Connection Machine.
AB  - About 230,000 compounds in the National Cancer Institute Repository are available
      for screening under a new protocol. This paper is the second on an project to
      extract a representative sample of these compounds by clustering. The clustering
      program was implemented on the Connection Machine, a massively parallel computer
      with 16K processing elements. This implementation reduced a formidable task to a
      relatively routine run.

PMID- 1874825
TI  - Clustering a large number of compounds. 3. The limits of classification.
AB  - Clustering is normally used to group items that are similar. In this application
      of obtaining a diverse sample from the 230,000 compounds in the National Cancer
      Institute Repository, we cluster to select compounds that are different from the
      rest, to optimize screening for new leads. With these constraints, our approach
      yielded many singleton clusters. We can interpret these results as evidence for a
      limit to classification, contrary to the customary view of chemistry as a study
      of classes of compounds.

PMID- 1874826
TI  - Development of categorical identification of native and non-native bilabial
      stops: infants, children and adults.
AB  - Using an infant speech identification (ISI) procedure, English language
      environment infants, two- and six-year-old children, and adults were tested for
      their identification of sounds on a native (voiced/voiceless bilabial stop) and a
      non-native (prevoiced/voiced bilabial stop) speech continuum. Categorical
      perception of the two contrasts diverged as a function of age, increasing for the
      native contrast and decreasing for the non-native between two and six years. In
      Experiment 2, subjects of the same four ages were tested for their identification
      of a continuum of harmonic tones varying in pitch. Comparison of the results of
      Experiment 1 with the essentially continuous perception of this pitch continuum
      supports the view that the perception of the native contrast becomes more
      categorical with age, while perception of the non-native contrast becomes less
      categorical, especially at six years. Experiment 3, in which adults were tested
      on the three continua with a multi-trial open set procedure, demonstrated that
      results with the ISI procedure in Experiments 1 and 2 are comparable to results
      with more traditional methods. The results of the three experiments are discussed
      in terms of the role of specific linguistic experience in the development of
      categorical speech perception.

PMID- 1874827
TI  - Unusual phonological patterns and their underlying representations: a case study.
AB  - An unusual phonological pattern exhibited by a child aged 2;9 is described. The
      pattern involved the production of word-final strident continuants in words whose
      adult forms contain these features in initial, rather than final position (e.g.
      [ops] for soap). The data are interpreted as compatible with models of child
      phonology that permit direct mapping of features to final position.

PMID- 1874828
TI  - A longitudinal study of the relationship between early language development and
      play development.
AB  - Temporal correspondences between the attainment of specific milestones in play
      and language were examined through a longitudinal study of four Japanese children
      (aged 0;7 to 0;11 at the beginning of the study). There were developmental
      correspondences between the onset of six language landmarks (the emergence of
      first words, naming words, vocabulary spurts, word-chains, nonproductive two-word
      utterances, productive two-word utterances) and the onset of subcategories of
      play. Language and play both reflected the development of underlying symbolic
      ability, and both developed in parallel manner at the single-word stage. After
      the emergence of word-chains, language and play developed interdependently. All
      the children proceeded through the same sequence of stages, but the rate of
      development was different depending on their environment.

PMID- 1874829
TI  - Patterns of language learning-related behaviours: evidence for self-help in
      acquiring grammar.
AB  - Four kinds of language learning-related behaviours (LLRBs) were examined in the
      home conversations of six English children studied for six months from age 2;0 to
      2;6. The speech of the children was coded for the number of times they
      participated in language lessons, language practice, metalanguage and revisions
      of prior language. All the children were active and frequent producers of LLRBs,
      with revisions being observed most commonly. Further analysis revealed that the
      majority of the revisions that the children initiated involved grammatical
      changes, with the revised utterances tending to be more grammatical than their
      predecessors. An auditory monitor is proposed as a partial explanation for
      revision behaviour, and is evaluated relative to other possible accounts of the
      findings.

PMID- 1874830
TI  - A little goes a long way: evidence for a perceptual basis of learning for the
      noun categories count and mass.
AB  - Various theories of learning for the categories count noun and mass noun are
      compared. It is argued that children assign words to these categories on the
      basis of intuitions arising from perception that are relevant to Macnamara's
      (1986) semantic definitions of the categories. These definitions rest on the
      centrality of identity in the meaning of nouns and the centrality of
      individuation in the meaning of count nouns but not mass nouns. Empirical
      evidence is presented that supports the hypothesis that young children classify
      words as count nouns or mass nouns on the basis of perceptual information about
      the extension of the words, that is, whether or not the extension consists
      exclusively of enduring individuals whose discreteness from one another is
      perceptually salient (count nouns) or not (mass nouns). In an experiment, 48
      children with a mean age of 2;10 (S.D. = 0;5) were taught a word for a kind of
      object (i.e. a perceptually distinct individual) or for a kind of substance (i.e.
      a collection of small granules). For some children the word was syntactically
      count and for others it was syntactically mass. Half of the children received
      incongruous perceptual and syntactic cues. For most of these children,
      classification of the word was guided by the object- or substance-like appearance
      of the stimulus despite the presence of incongruent syntactic cues. Syntactic
      cues influenced classification of the word for a minority of subjects, most of
      whom were among the oldest in the sample. It is concluded that perceptual
      information is critical in early decisions about membership in the categories
      count noun and mass noun.

PMID- 1874831
TI  - When do children avoid backwards coreference?
AB  - This study investigated the claim that very young children avoid backwards
      coreference in their interpretation of sentences containing pronouns. Eighty-one
      children ranging in age from 3;1 to 8;0 and eight adults acted out four types of
      pronominal sentences. Cross-sectional data and individual response patterns
      reveal that children initially prefer internal coreference even when such a
      response is disallowed for structural reasons. Avoidance of backwards coreference
      appears to be a late developing phenomenon characteristic of six-year-olds. Adult
      response patterns, which are manifested by some very young children, emerge as
      the dominant pattern by age seven.

PMID- 1874832
TI  - Fuzzy boundaries and the extension of object-words.
AB  - An extensive fuzzy boundary was identified within the adult extension of two
      exemplary object-words, 'dog' and 'ball'. The fuzzy boundaries were incorporated
      into the standard of adult extension against which the preschool child's use of
      'dog' and 'ball' was compared, and the investigation provided a framework in
      which children's responses to fuzzy boundary referents could be accommodated.
      Responses to fuzzy boundary referents were considered as having precedents within
      adult extension and the data revealed the provision of precedents for a
      significant number of the young child's applications and non-applications of the
      words. The investigation concluded that, through adherence to an oversimplified
      concept of adult extension, previous research has underestimated the degree of
      correspondence that exists between child and adult extension.

PMID- 1874833
TI  - Representational demands in mothers' talk to preschool children in two contexts:
      picture book reading and a modelling task.
AB  - Shared book reading is considered to be an influential factor in language and
      literacy development and has been associated with more complex and demanding
      forms of tutorial language use. The present study seeks to examine mothers'
      discourse in joint picture book reading in terms of the level of representational
      demand which it places on the child, that is the extent to which it requires the
      child to engage in abstract thought. This was compared with the language used in
      another interactive, but more product oriented task, modelling a clown using play
      doh. Twenty-four mother child dyads (in which the mean age of the children was
      4;2) were videotaped while engaged on these tasks and the conversation was
      analysed for representational demand (levels of abstraction), interactive
      features and communicative function. The mother's conversation was found to be at
      a higher level of abstraction in reading than in play-doh modelling. The accuracy
      of child responses to high level requests for information was superior for
      reading, while responses to low level requests were similar in both situations.
      The interactive categories were more utterance-based and less attention-based
      than in the modelling task.

PMID- 1874834
TI  - A longitudinal analysis of young children's cohesion and noun specification in
      narratives.
AB  - The early production of nine cohesive devices during narration about personal
      experience was examined in an 18-month longitudinal study of 10 children between
      approximately age 2;0 and 3;6. The specification of noun phrases and types of
      noun errors were also explored. The number of cohesive ties increased with both
      age and MLU, due to increased pronominal reference and conjunctions (while
      clausal and verbal ellipsis decreased). Specific cohesive devices also were
      acquired at different MLU levels. Most noun phrases were non-problematic and
      errors declined with increasing age and MLU; specifically, noun omissions
      declined. However, when new nouns were introduced, approximately one out of five
      were ambiguous throughout the study. Thus, children's narratives become more
      comprehensible with age as cohesive links increase, and noun errors decrease, but
      at 3;6 children are still having difficulty properly managing the introduction of
      novel nouns.

PMID- 1874835
TI  - The development of noun definitions: a metalinguistic analysis.
AB  - Defining is a metalinguistic skill. This study charts the development of the
      ability to define. A total of 120 participants (40 at each of the ages of 10, 14
      and 18 years) defined eight concrete and eight abstract nouns. Each definition
      was coded to identify the types of responses present in it. Results indicate that
      there are significant differences in the way concrete and abstract nouns are
      defined. All three age-groups defined concrete nouns mainly by class and
      characteristic responses. But it was not until age 18 that abstract nouns were
      defined by class and characteristic responses. The development of abstract noun
      definitions follows the development of concrete noun definitions. The ability to
      define is dependent upon knowledge of the meaning of the word but it is also
      dependent upon implicit or explicit knowledge of the definitional form. The
      ability to define abstract nouns is a late developing metalinguistic skill.

PMID- 1874836
TI  - Children's competence in the specialized register of sportscasting.
AB  - This study reports on four school-age boys' use of the specialized register of
      sportscasting as performed both spontaneously and when elicited by the
      researcher, and compares the boys' production of formal register-marking features
      to adult usage. Like the commentary of professional sportscasters, the boys'
      commentating is characterized by heavy use of simple-present action verbs, use of
      constructions lacking elements that are ordinarily grammatically required (the
      subject pronoun he, an auxiliary verb, or a main verb), and (in the elicited
      version) frequent occurrence of passives. The boys invest the most
      'ungrammatical' utterance types (those lacking finite verbs) with a function that
      is not clearly present in adult sportscasting discourse, that of pointing forward
      in the discourse.

PMID- 1874837
TI  - Do children exploit the Maxim of Antecedent in order to interpret ambiguous
      descriptions?
AB  - Twenty Italian six-year-olds and 20 eight-year-olds were asked to interpret eight
      ambiguous and eight clear definite descriptions. All ambiguous descriptions could
      refer to three drawings, one of which had been described by the subjects
      immediately before the comprehension task. In half of the trials with ambiguous
      messages the children's interlocutor was present while the children were
      describing the drawings; in the other half he was absent. In both conditions
      subjects showed a preference for the referents they had already described,
      indicating that they applied egocentrically a comprehension strategy based on the
      Maxim of Antecedent (Jackson & Jacobs, 1982). Children's failures to
      differentiate their responses in the two conditions are considered to be due to
      difficulties in taking account of the given-new distinction for relevant
      information.

PMID- 1874838
TI  - The influence of linguistic context on young children's understanding of
      homophonic words.
AB  - This study investigates young children's understanding of homophones in two
      different linguistic contexts. Research has shown that children interpret
      homophones according to their 'primary' sense even though this is inappropriate
      to the linguistic context. The present study investigates the influence of
      different contexts on their interpretations of homophones. A picture test,
      similar to the British Picture Vocabulary Scale (BPVS), was devised, depicting
      ten homophones in both their primary and secondary senses. Forty-eight children
      who were in matched pairs following the BPVS pre-test and whose ages ranged from
      three to six were asked to select the picture which showed the homophone, first
      when the homophone was in no linguistic context, and secondly following one of
      two conditions of the same story which differed according to the richness of
      context provided. Results showed that those children assigned to story B, the
      expanded version with full linguistic details and explanations of the words it
      contained, were more able to identify correctly the secondary meanings of the
      homophones intended than those children given story A, the unexpanded version.
      Analyses of variance showed both a significant age trend and a story-type effect.
      These results are interpreted as showing that the linguistic context is an
      important factor in young children's understanding of word meaning.

PMID- 1874839
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of bile acids and bile
      alcohols diastereoisomeric at C-25.
AB  - The high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of the 25R and 25S
      diastereoisomers of the bile alcohols 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,26-triol
      and 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha, 12 alpha, 26-tetrol and the bile acids, 3
      alpha,7 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholestane-26-oic acid and 3 alpha,7 alpha,12
      alpha-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestane-26-oic acid is described. A Radial-Pak
      microBondapak C18 reversed-phase cartridge was used for the separations and
      elutions were carried out with acetonitrile-water-methanol-acetic acid mixtures.
      All eight diastereoisomeric compounds showed baseline separation when up to 200
      micrograms of the isomeric mixtures were injected into the column and the method
      can be used for isolation of pure diastereoisomers of these bile acids and bile
      alcohols.

PMID- 1874840
TI  - Use of polymeric reversed-phase columns for the characterization of polypeptides
      extracted from human pancreata. I. Effect of the mobile phase.
AB  - The high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) behaviour of two different
      styrene-divinyl-benzene-based reversed-phase (RP) columns was evaluated using
      crude acetic acid extracts from normal and diabetic human pancreata as samples.
      Acetic acid gradients in water and acetonitrile gradients in triethylammonium
      phosphate (TEAP) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) were used as mobile phases, and
      comparisons were made with a silica-based C4 column. When two different polymeric
      RP columns were eluted with acetic acid gradients in water, surprisingly similar
      HPLC profiles of the pancreatic extracts were obtained. Elution of the polymer
      based columns with acetonitrile gradients in TFA or TEAP resulted in changes in
      the polypeptide selectivity of these columns, in parallel with that of a silica
      based C4 column eluted under similar conditions, indicating the general usability
      of polymeric columns for RP-HPLC of peptides and proteins. The pronounced
      difference in composition between normal and diabetic samples, which also was
      demonstrated after size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) on a silica-based and an
      agarose-based high-performance SEC column, was found to be related to the
      different ischaemia times for the two types of pancreata.

PMID- 1874841
TI  - Use of polymeric reversed-phase columns for the characterization of polypeptides
      extracted from human pancreata. II. Effect of the stationary phase.
AB  - The potential value of eight commercial available polymer-based reversed-phase
      (RP) columns for peptide and protein separations was evaluated using crude acetic
      acid extracts of normal and diabetic human pancreata and mixtures of pure
      polypeptides as samples. All columns were characterized with acetic acid
      gradients in water as mobile phase, and different chromatographic profiles were
      obtained depending on the type of polymer column (bare or derivatized) and the
      type of ligand. Some of the columns were virtually free from effects related to
      the polymer skeleton whereas in others the separation was influenced by both the
      ligand and the polymeric backbone. Two selected polymeric RP columns were,
      together with a silica-based C4 column, further characterized with acetonitrile
      gradients in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and the separation temperature was found
      to have a drastic effect on the separation efficiency for proteins with mol. wt.
      greater than 6000 dalton. No such effect was seen for polypeptides with mol. wt.
      less than 6000 dalton. Mixtures of pure peptides and proteins were separated
      using acetic acid gradients in water, acetonitrile or isopropanol, and normally
      the highest efficiency was found with the use of acetonitrile as mobile phase
      modifier. Isopropanol was less suitable as an organic modifier. The separation of
      the beta-lactoglobulin A- and B-chains may be used to give a rapid estimate of
      the chromatographic usability of polymer-based RP-columns for peptide and protein
      separations in acetic acid gradients in water and in acetonitrile gradients.
      Recoveries for insulin, proinsulin, growth hormone, ovalbumin and human serum
      albumin were measured for several polymer-based RP columns eluted with acetic
      acid gradients in water and with acetonitrile-based mobile phases. The highest
      recoveries of serum albumin and ovalbumin were found after elution with acetic
      acid gradients in water.

PMID- 1874842
TI  - Immunoaffinity chromatography, its applicability and limitations in multi-residue
      analysis of anabolizing and doping agents.
AB  - The use of (multi-)immunoaffinity chromatography in residue analysis is
      discussed. After an introduction to the immunochemical background an overview of
      applications is given. A distinction is made between the following methods: (1)
      single-antibody, single-analyte procedures; (2) single-antibody, multi-analyte
      procedures; (3) multi-antibody, multi-analyte procedures. It is concluded that
      immunoaffinity chromatography is superior to most other techniques for sample
      preparation and extract clean-up. Its advantages in multi-residue procedures are
      most clear when compared with e.g. high-performance liquid chromatography. In
      combination with gas chromatography-low-resolution mass spectrometry, very
      effective multi-residue methods are possible. Most frequently they concern
      screening procedures which can fulfill the identification criteria for reference
      methods. It is concluded that the use of (multi-)immunoaffinity chromatography
      will proliferate further in the 1990s. However, its future viability is highly
      dependent on the interest of commercial firms and on the involvement of the EC
      Community Bureau of Reference in manufacturing and supplying the necessary
      materials.

PMID- 1874843
TI  - Comparison of two mass-selective detectors with special reference to the analysis
      of residues of anabolics.
AB  - In the analysis of residues of anabolic agents the use of combined techniques,
      especially gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, is of increasing interest. When
      this method is used for the analysis of residues of anabolics it is very
      important to have a knowledge of the characteristics of the different types of
      apparatus on the market and to be sure that the results are not "apparatus
      dependent". In this study two mass-selective detectors, the Hewlett-Packard 5970
      and the ion trap detector 800, were compared by injecting the same samples of
      derivatized anabolics (standard solutions) into the two systems.

PMID- 1874844
TI  - Detection of 19-nortestosterone and its urinary metabolites in miniature pigs by
      gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - The metabolism of 19-nortestosterone was investigated in a miniature non
      castrated male pig (boar), in a castrated pig (barrow) and in a female pig (sow).
      Urine samples were taken before and at regular intervals after the injection of
      100 mg of Laurabolin (nortestosterone laurate). The sample clean-up consists in
      preliminary solid-phase extraction, followed by high-performance liquid
      chromatographic purification and fractionation. Finally, gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry is used to identify the 19-nortestosterone metabolites.

PMID- 1874845
TI  - Identification and characterization of 19-nortestosterone in urine of meat
      producing animals.
AB  - To monitor the illegal use of 19-nortestosterone as an anabolizing agent in meat
      production, the Belgian Institute of Veterinary Expertise applies a strategy of
      urine control by radioimmunoassay, positive samples being confirmed by thin-layer
      chromatography. We have evaluated this control strategy, using gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry to confirm the presence of 19-nortestosterone, or its
      metabolite oestrane-diol, in positive samples from radioimmunoassay. Our results
      show that the effective way of proceeding remains reliable in cattle, for mature
      and immature males as well as non-pregnant females, and in pigs, for pregnant and
      non-pregnant sows. The possible presence of endogenous 19-nortestosterone in
      cattle, in pregnant cows urine, and in pigs, in boars and in cryptorchid pigs,
      impedes the control of the use of 19-nortestosterone on these samples. False
      positive (not confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) results were
      produced by radioimmunoassay in the urine of castrated pigs and sheep.

PMID- 1874846
TI  - Test strip enzyme immunoassays and the fast screening of nortestosterone and
      clenbuterol residues in urine samples at the parts per billion level.
AB  - The preliminary results of an investigation into the development of "on-site"
      test strip enzyme immunoassays for the screening of urine samples for the
      presence of growth promoters, such as 17 beta, 19-nortestosterone and clenbuterol
      at the parts per billion level are described. Urine samples, enzyme-labelled
      analyte and a nitrocellulose test strip, containing immobilized antibodies, are
      incubated together, after which the strip is placed in a chromogen-containing
      substrate solution for colour reaction. Using prefabricated strips, the tests can
      be performed in 45-60 min. A similar assay was worked out using a dot-blotting
      device, allowing the test to be performed in 20-50 min. The tests are simple and
      easy to perform outside the laboratory. Urine samples identified positive by gas
      chromatography mass spectrometry were also found to be positive with these test
      strips and, so far, no false-positive results have been encountered. With
      standard additions to blank urine samples, positive samples could be
      distinguished above the 5 ng ml level. However, samples from treated calves
      contain one or more metabolites of the parent compound, which increase the
      sensitivity of the assays. Although the tests described can be improved and still
      have to be evaluated further by analysing more urine samples, the preliminary
      results are very promising and give a lead to further research into the
      applicability of such "on-site" tests in residue analysis.

PMID- 1874847
TI  - Control system for detection of the illegal use of naturally occurring steroids
      in calves.
AB  - Within the scope of the National Plan for Hormone Control in The Netherlands, a
      study was performed to develop a system for control of the illegal use of three
      naturally occurring hormones [oestradiol-17 beta (E2-17 beta), testosterone (T),
      progesterone (P)] for fattening purposes in animal production. Using a specific
      high-performance liquid chromatographic-radioimmunoassay method, reference values
      were established for concentrations of E2-17 beta, T and P and some of their
      metabolites in blood plasma and urine from untreated male and female veal calves.
      E2-17 beta levels of both male and female calves were less than 0.01 microgram/l
      in blood plasma and less than 0.2 microgram/l in urine. For male veal calves
      levels of T and epitestosterone (epiT) in blood plasma and urine varied widely.
      The P levels were less than 0.1-0.3 micrograms/l in blood plasma and less than
      0.6-10 micrograms/l in urine from both male and female calves. To investigate the
      effect of anabolic treatment on the hormone levels in plasma and excreta, male
      veal calves were injected, subcutaneously into the dewlap, with a solution
      containing 20 mg of E2-17 beta benzoate and 200 mg of T propionate in 5 ml of
      arachis oil. Only the levels of E2-17 beta and E2-17 alpha in blood plasma and
      excreta were elevated until about one week after injection, compared with the
      untreated control calves and the reference values. T and epiT levels were similar
      in plasma and excreta from both untreated and treated animals.

PMID- 1874848
TI  - Combined high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay for the
      screening of 19-nortestosterone and methyltestosterone residues in meat samples.
AB  - A procedure is described for the detection of 17 beta-19-nortestosterone (17 beta
      19-NT) and 17 alpha-methyltestosterone (17 alpha-MT) in muscle tissue by a
      combination of high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. The
      steroids were released from the muscle tissue by enzyme digestion, and the
      extracts were purified by solid-phase extraction. A meat sample from the retail
      trade, which was proved to contain 17 beta-19-NT and 17 alpha-MT residues by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry, and blank meat samples obtained from non
      treated experimental animals were purified and the extracts injected into the
      liquid chromatograph. With an automatic fraction collector, fifteen fractions of
      1 ml each were obtained, which after evaporation were subjected to a
      radioimmunoassay for the steroid concerned. It was demonstrated that none of the
      fractions from the blank meat samples contains any substance that interfered with
      the immunochemical detection system. In addition, a good qualitative agreement
      between the two sets of results was obtained. Although the sample preparation
      step is rather labour-intensive, the method can be successfully applied as a
      reliable confirmation method for positive radioimmunoassay screening results in
      circumstances where no gas chromatography-mass spectrometry facilities are
      available.

PMID- 1874849
TI  - Development of a competitive enzyme immunoassay for 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone.
AB  - Because 17 beta-19-nortestosterone and its esters are frequently used anabolic
      steroids in cattle in Europe, there is a need for an assay that can also detect
      certain metabolites. The enzyme immunoassay described here involves the detection
      and quantitation of the major metabolite 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone in urine.
      The assay is based on the coating of an antibody raised in a rabbit against 17
      alpha-19-nortestosterone-3-carboxy-methyloxime-bovine serum albumin (17 alpha-19
      NT-3-CMO-BSA), the competitive incubation of 17 alpha-19-NT and the 17 alpha-19
      nortestosterone-3-CMO-horseradish peroxidase label, followed by the detection of
      the blue colour developed by the action of the enzyme on tetramethylbenzidine.
      The 3-CMO conjugate of 17 alpha-19-nortestosterone was used to produce an
      antibody with selective affinity for the 17 alpha-epimer. For the optimization of
      the assay, different coatings and incubation conditions were tested. The standard
      curve ranged between 0.98 and 4000 pg per well, with a B/B0 50% of +/- 65 pg per
      well. Colour was measured with a microtitre plate reader. The method was
      validated by means of certified blank and spiked cattle urine samples.

PMID- 1874850
TI  - Use of an immobilized enzyme reactor for the analysis of residues of 17 alpha
      methyltestosterone in trout by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - We have recently observed in trout that 48 h after ingestion of a single dose of
      [14C]-17 alpha-methyltestosterone ([14C]-MT), 25% of the radioactivity was still
      in the carcass, corresponding to metabolites of 17-MT. These compounds have no
      appreciable chromophore, fluorophore or electrophore, therefore the usual
      detection systems was not satisfactory for their analysis. Consequently a method
      was developed for high-performance liquid chromatographic separation and
      detection of two of the major tissue metabolites of 17-MT: 5 alpha-androstane-17
      alpha-methyl-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 beta-androstane-17 alpha-methyl-3
      alpha,17 beta-diol. A column of immobilized 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
      was prepared and used for detection. The NADH produced from 3-hydroxysteroids by
      this immobilized enzyme reactor was monitored fluorimetrically. The detection
      limit of this method, as obtained from the calibration curve, was at the picomole
      level; the limit of quantification in muscle was 1 microgram/kg, at a signal-to
      noise ratio of 4.

PMID- 1874851
TI  - Detection of the illegal use of ethinylestradiol in cattle urine by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A method for the detection of ethinylestradiol in cattle urine is described,
      based on enzymic hydrolysis of the sample, clean-up by means of disposable
      octadecyl and amino solid-phase extraction columns, fractionation by reversed
      phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and detection by gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry (selected-ion monitoring). Identification is based on both gas
      chromatographic and mass spectrometric data. The method has been tested on urine
      samples for a collaborative study and all the results found were correct.

PMID- 1874852
TI  - Rapid screening method for the determination of diethylstilbestrol in edible
      animal tissue by column liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.
AB  - A rapid and sensitive screening method for the determination of residues of
      diethylstilbestrol in edible animal tissue is described. The analyte was
      extracted from the tissue with tert.-butyl methyl ether, reextracted with 1 M
      sodium hydroxide and further cleaned up by solid-phase extraction with C18
      cartridges. Analysis was performed by isocratic elution with a phosphate-buffered
      mobile phase, methanol-0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 3.5 (67:33), on a Nucleosil 5
      microns C18 column with electrochemical detection at +0.90 V. The average
      recovery of trans-diethylstilbestrol in spiked samples is 66%, with a standard
      deviation of 14% (n = 22) in the range 0.5-2.0 microgram/kg. The detection limit
      is 0.1-0.2 microgram/kg, although at this level other compounds may interfere and
      give rise to false positive results.

PMID- 1874853
TI  - Disposition of 17 beta-trenbolone in humans.
AB  - The urinary excretion and metabolic pattern of 17 beta-trenbolone, a synthetic
      anabolic steroid hormone used as a growth promotor for beef cattle in several
      countries, has been studied in a human subject. For the separation of the
      metabolites of 17 beta-trenbolone, a reversed-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatographic method was established. The method was tested with metabolites
      obtained from incubation of 17 beta-trenbolone with rat liver microsomes. Fifteen
      metabolites could be well separated in one run by using a concave acetonitrile
      water-methanol gradient. After ingestion of the tracer-labelled hormone at a dose
      of 0.04 mg/kg body weight 54% of the administered radioactivity was found in the
      urine after 26 h and 63% after 72 h. Of the urinary material 54% was present as
      glucuronides, which contained mostly 17 alpha-trenbolone, 17 beta-trenbolone and
      trendione. At least five other polar metabolites, presumably hydroxylated
      products, were found in smaller amounts, mostly in the unconjugated and sulphated
      fractions. Thus, the disposition of 17 beta-trenbolone in humans differs
      significantly from that in rats, which may have a bearing on the toxicological
      evaluation of the hormone.

PMID- 1874854
TI  - Determination of zeranol and beta-zearalanol in calf urine by immunoaffinity
      extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after repeated administration
      of zeranol.
AB  - A method for the determination of zeranol and its metabolite beta-zearalanol in
      bovine urine is described. It has been applied to samples from calves given
      multiple subcutaneous doses of zeranol. Samples were extracted with
      immunoaffinity columns containing antibodies raised against zeranol and were
      analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The immunoaffinity columns were
      prepared by coupling immunoglobulin G fractions obtained from rabbit antisera
      with a Sepharose matrix. The immunizing agent was carboxybutylzeranol coupled to
      bovine serum albumin. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed in the
      negative-ion chemical ionization mode, after derivatization of the compounds to
      their pentafluorobenzyl ethers, and allowed detection of analytes with a
      sensitivity of 0.01 ppb in spiked urine. The derivatization method and the gas
      chromatographic determination were also applied to the similar compounds
      zearalanone, zearalenone and beta-zearalenol. A synthesis of dideuterated zeranol
      and beta-zearalanol by isotopic exchange is described. These deuterated analogues
      had an isotopic purity of more than 99% and were used for quantitation of zeranol
      and beta-zearalanol by isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The recoveries of
      zeranol and beta-zearalanol, using the immunoaffinity columns, were determined
      after extraction from spiked urine and were 84 and 64%, respectively. The urines
      of treated calves were collected for several days after treatments and were
      analysed after hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase and arylsulphatase. The samples
      showed variable but generally decreasing concentrations of zeranol and beta
      zearalanol. The levels of beta-zearalanol ranged from less than 0.01 to 98 ppb
      and were 1.2-3.2 times higher than those of zeranol.

PMID- 1874855
TI  - Screening and confirmatory analysis of beta-agonists, beta-antagonists and their
      metabolites in horse urine by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A method for the screening and confirmatory analysis of beta-agonists and 
      antagonists in equine urine is described. Following initial enzymic hydrolysis,
      the basic drugs and metabolites are extracted using Clean Screen DAU or Bond Elut
      Certify cartridges, and analysed as their trimethylsilyl ether or 2-(dimethyl)
      silamorpholine derivatives by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The
      method proved to be very sensitive and selective for basic drugs. After
      administration of therapeutic doses of propranolol, metoprolol, timolol,
      isoxsuprine and clenbuterol to thoroughbred horses, the parent
      compound/metabolites could be detected in urine for upto 14-120 h depending on
      the drug.

PMID- 1874856
TI  - Determination of clenbuterol in urine as its cyclic boronate derivative by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A rapid and reliable gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for the
      determination of clenbuterol in urine is described. Penbutolol was used as
      internal standard. Four derivatization procedures have been tested, of which 1
      butaneboronic acid gave the best results. The method includes extraction of the
      alkalinized urine (3 ml) with tert.-butyl methyl ether-n-butanol (9:1),
      derivatization with 1-butaneboronic acid (15 min at room temperature), and
      analysis in the selected-ion monitoring mode of the derivatives of clenbuterol at
      m/z 243, 327 and 342 and of penbutolol at m/z 342 and 357. The detection limit is
      0.5 ng/ml and the recovery better than 90%.

PMID- 1874857
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection of
      buprenorphine and its major metabolite in urine.
AB  - A procedure was developed for the simultaneous determination of buprenorphine and
      its major metabolite. N-desalkylbuprenorphine, by reversed-phase high-performance
      liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The detection limit is
      about 100 pg/ml for the major metabolite and 250 pg/ml for buprenorphine.

PMID- 1874858
TI  - Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic determination with fluorescence
      detection of furosemide in human body fluids and its confirmation by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - Furosemide (FD: Lasix) is a loop diuretic which strongly increases both urine
      flow and electrolyte urinary excretion. Healthy volunteers were administered 40
      mg orally (dissolved in water) and concentrations of FD were determined in serum
      and urine for up to 6 h for eight subjects, who absorbed water at a rate of 400
      ml/h. Quantification was performed by HPLC with fluorescence detection
      (excitation at 233 nm, emission at 389 nm) with a limit of detection of 5 ng/ml
      for a 300-microliters sample. The elution of FD was completed within 4 min using
      a gradient of acetonitrile concentration rising from 30 to 50% in 0.08 M
      phosphoric acid. The delay to the peak serum concentration ranged from 60 to 120
      min. FD was still easily measurable in the sera from all subjects 6 h after
      administration. In urine, the excretion rates reached their maximum between 1 and
      3 h. The total amount of FD excreted in the urine averaged 11.2 mg (range 7.6
      14.0 mg), with a mean urine volume of 3024 ml (range 2620-3596 ml). Moreover, the
      urine density was lower than 1.010 (recommended as an upper limit in doping
      analysis to screen diuretics) only for 2 h. An additional volunteer was
      administered 40 mg of FD and his urine was collected over a longer period. FD was
      still detectable 48 h after intake. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with
      different types of ionization was used to confirm the occurrence of FD after
      permethylation of the extract. Negative-ion chemical ionization, with ammonia as
      reactant gas, was found to be the most sensitive method of detection.

PMID- 1874859
TI  - Separation of cholesterol esters by silver ion chromatography using high
      performance liquid chromatography or solid-phase extraction columns packed with a
      bonded sulphonic acid phase.
AB  - Two methods for the separation of cholesterol esters, based on the number of
      double bonds in their fatty acid moieties, are presented. Silver ion
      chromatography, usually performed on thin-layer chromatographic plates, was made
      suitable for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and solid-phase
      extraction. Separation on a bonded sulphonic acid phase loaded with silver ions
      was achieved with cholesterol esters containing up to six double bonds in their
      fatty acid moieties. No cross-contamination between fractions with different
      numbers of double bonds was detected with the HPLC method, was demonstrated by
      subsequent gas chromatographic analysis of the fatty acid moieties, following
      transmethylation. For adequate separations with the solid-phase extraction
      columns it proved important to avoid overloading. The methods may be of use for
      the off-line analyses of the sterol compositions of the isolated fractions, which
      each contain sterol esters with an equal number of double bonds in their fatty
      acid moieties.

PMID- 1874860
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic separation of bile acid pyrenacyl esters
      with cyclodextrin-containing mobile phase.
AB  - The high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of bile acid pyrenacyl
      esters with cyclodextrin-containing mobile phase is presented. Compared with
      conventional methods, inclusion chromatography gives much more satisfactory
      separation of derivatized bile acids in a short time. The application of this
      method to the separation of glycine-conjugated bile acids in human bile is also
      described.

PMID- 1874861
TI  - Fatty acid composition of glycerophospholipids in seven tissues of cod (Gadus
      morhua), determined by combined high-performance liquid chromatography and gas
      chromatography.
AB  - A method for the separation from fish tissues of the four main
      glycerophospholipid classes, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine,
      phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine, using adsorption high-performance
      liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and consecutive gas
      chromatographic analysis, based on one injection for their fatty acid
      compositions, is described. Fatty acid 19:0 was used as an internal standard for
      the calculation of the relative concentrations of the phospholipids. The patterns
      of fatty acid distribution within each of the phospholipids from seven cod organs
      had some general similarities. Phosphatidylcholine had the highest levels of 16:0
      and 18:2 n - 6, and the ratio of 20:5 to 22:6 varied between 0.5 and 0.9.
      Phosphatidylethanolamine had the highest total polyunsaturated fatty acids, (n 
      3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 22:6 n -3, and the ratio of 20:5 to 22:6
      varied between 0.2 and 0.5. Phosphatidylinositol showed the highest level of 18:0
      and 20:4 n - 6 and had the lowest ratio of (n - 3) to (n - 6). Phosphatidylserine
      had the highest ratio of (n - 3) to (n - 6) and the lowest ratio of 20:5 to 22:6.
      A generally low level (less than 1.5%) of the long-chain monoene, 22:1, was found
      in the phospholipids in all tissues.

PMID- 1874862
TI  - Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the routine
      determination of unconjugated 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol in human
      plasma using solid-phase extraction and electrochemical detection.
AB  - An improved semi-automated high-performance liquid chromatographic method is
      described for the routine determination of unconjugated 3-methoxy-4
      hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol in plasma. The 3-ethoxy analogue of the compound is
      used as an internal standard. The method is based on purification of 0.5-ml
      plasma samples with phenyl-type reversed-phase extraction columns, reversed-phase
      separation with an acetate-citrate-methanol mobile phase with an octadecyl-bonded
      column, and dual-electrode coulometric detection with oxidation at +0.44 V and
      reduction at -0.25 V. The precision and accuracy of the assay are satisfactory:
      the lower limit of reliable detection corresponds to a plasma concentration of
      1.5 nM. The validity of the determination is demonstrated by an 18% mean increase
      in plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol during physical
      exercise (duration 16 min, n = 13) and a 50% mean reduction in plasma levels
      induced by a single dose of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor, moclobemide (n = 8).
      The method is suitable for routine use in pharmacological and physiological
      experiments.

PMID- 1874863
TI  - Measurement of reduced and oxidized glutathione in cultures of adult rat
      hepatocytes.
AB  - A reversed-phase ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatographic technique,
      suitable for the separate measurement of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG)
      glutathione in cultures of adult rat hepatocytes, is described. A commercially
      available Nucleosil 120-7NH2 column was used. A complete run took ca. 22 min. The
      retention times for GSH and GSSG were 10.6 and 12.7 min, respectively, providing
      a resolution coefficient of 1.4. The coefficients of variation for GSH and GSSG
      were ca. 5 and 25%, respectively, for freshly isolated hepatocytes, and 16 and
      15%, respectively, for 24-h cultured hepatocytes. The detector response was
      linear as a function of GSH and GSSG concentration and the hepatocytes
      concentration studied. Addition of up to 1.5 mg/ml bovine serum albumin to the
      culture medium had no effect on the linearity. The recovery for standards,
      ranging from 0 to 150 nmol of GSH or GSSG per millilitre in the presence of
      hepatocytes, was 98% for GSH and 80% for GSSG. The detection limit of the method
      was between 0.5 and 1.0 nmol of GSH and GSSG per millilitre. In cultured rat
      hepatocytes, the GSH content increased during the first 24 h of culture, followed
      by a slow decrease. After six days of culture, the GSH content was less than 50%
      of the value found for freshly isolated hepatocytes. GSSG was present in cultured
      rat hepatocytes in only small amounts and becomes unmeasurable after four days of
      culture.

PMID- 1874864
TI  - Solid-phase extraction of plasma vasopressin: evaluation, validation and
      application.
AB  - A new solid-phase extraction method using octyl-silica columns to extract
      vasopressin-like immunoreactivity from plasma has been developed. The extraction
      was followed by a radioimmunoassay on the vacuum-dried extracts, which were
      reconstituted in assay buffer. The total recovery of synthetic vasopressin was
      ca. 100%. Based on co-elution with synthetic vasopressin after separation by
      reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of plasma extracts from
      normal Wistar and Brattleboro rats, and the cross-reactivity of the antiserum
      used in the radioimmunoassay system, the extracted material was found to be
      indistinguishable from authentic vasopressin. Unknown experimental samples were
      interpolated on a standard curve established in "zero" plasma (plasma derived
      from rats subjected to waterload) spiked with known amounts of synthetic
      vasopressin, and not on a standard curve established in assay buffer. The limit
      of detection was 1 fmol of vasopressin equivalent per millilitre. The intra- and
      inter-assay coefficients of variance were 10-16% and 16%, respectively. The
      procedure reliably showed that osmotic challenge and 24-h dehydration increased,
      whereas ethanol ingestion decreased vasopressin-like immunoreactivity plasma
      levels in the rat, compared with normally hydrated controls.

PMID- 1874865
TI  - Determination of proteins in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with
      spectrophotometric detection using a pyrogallol red-molybdate complex.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with spectrophotometric
      detection was developed for the determination of proteins in urine. The proteins
      were separated on an anion-exchange column and eluted with a Tris-HCl buffer with
      a gradient of sodium chloride concentration and pH. The separated proteins were
      mixed with a pyrogallol red-molybdate complex reagent and determined
      spectrophotometrically. Urinary proteins were well separated without desalting
      the urine. The reproducibility was satisfactory.

PMID- 1874866
TI  - Immobilized urokinase column as part of a specific detection system for
      plasminogen species separated by high-performance affinity chromatography.
AB  - Immobilized urokinase was used as part of a post-column reactor for the specific
      detection of human plasminogen species which were fractionated using a high
      performance affinity column. After on-line activation of each peak, plasmin
      activity was measured by mixing the eluate with a specific fluorogenic substrate
      and the product was detected by a fluorescence monitor. This detection system
      gave linear calibration graphs for both purified plasminogens (0.1-50 micrograms)
      and plasminogens contained in plasma (25-100 microliters). Relative standard
      deviations for the determination of plasminogens in plasma were 6.1-6.6% (n =
      12), showing good reproducibility. The detection limit was as low as 0.1
      micrograms of plasminogen. Immobilized urokinase was very stable and no
      appreciable decrease in activity was found after 100 cycles of operation. In
      combination with an immobilized benzamidine column, this system made it possible
      to separate and detect Glu-plasminogen and Lys-plasminogen contained in human
      plasma samples as small as 100 microliters without any pretreatment.

PMID- 1874867
TI  - Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatographic separation and laser-induced
      fluorescence detection of 2'-deoxynucleoside 5'-monophosphates of normal and
      modified bases.
AB  - Micellar electrokinetic chromatography is used to separate dansylated
      nucleotides, both normal and modified species. The high separation power allows
      detection of minor components present in less than 1 part per thousand of the
      major components. Laser-excited fluorescence is used to detect the separated
      components at the 6 x 10(-18) mol level or 10(-9) M injected material. Combined
      with high-performance liquid chromatographic enrichment prior to labeling, this
      technique can be used to assess DNA damage in carcinogenesis studies.

PMID- 1874868
TI  - Automated screening procedure using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for
      identification of drugs after their extraction from biological samples.
AB  - A novel analytical screening procedure has been developed, using computer
      controlled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), to detect 120 drugs of
      interest to road safety. This paper describes GC-MS methodology suitable for use
      on extracts of biological origin, while extraction procedures will be the subject
      of a future communication. The method was devised to identify drugs in extracts
      of blood samples, as part of an investigation into the involvement of drugs,
      other than alcohol, in road accidents. The method could be adapted to screen for
      other substances. The method depends on a "macro" program which was written to
      automate the search of GC-MS data for target drugs. The strategy used was to
      initially search for each drug in the database by monitoring for a single
      characteristic ion at the expected retention time. If a peak is found in this
      first mass chromatogram, a peak for a second characteristic ion is sought within
      0.02 min of the first and, if found, the ratio of peak areas calculated. Probable
      drug identification is based on the simultaneous appearance of peaks for both
      characteristic ions at the expected retention time and in the correct ratio. If
      the ratio is outside acceptable limits, a suspected drug (requiring further
      investigation) is reported. The search macro can use either full mass spectra or,
      for enhanced sensitivity, data from selected ion monitoring (which requires
      switching between groups of ions during data acquisition). Quantitative data can
      be obtained in the usual way by the addition of internal standards.

PMID- 1874869
TI  - Determination of ritodrine in biological fluids of the pregnant sheep by fused
      silica capillary gas chromatography using electron-capture detection.
AB  - A sensitive and selective gas chromatographic assay method employing splitless
      injection, fused-silica capillary columns and electron-capture detection is
      reported for the quantitation of the tocolytic drug, ritodrine, in a variety of
      biological fluids obtained from the pregnant ewe and fetus. This method has
      improved sensitivity and selectivity over previously published assay procedures.
      A 25 m x 0.31 mm I.D., cross-linked 5% phenylmethylsilicone, fused-silica
      capillary column was employed for all analyses. Linearity of response was
      observed over the range 2.5-75 ng of ritodrine base per 0.05-0.5 ml of biological
      fluid, representing approximately 1-75 pg at the detector. The coefficient of
      variation was less than 10% over the range 2.5-75 ng of added ritodrine. The
      minimum quantifiable amount is approximately 2.5 ng from a 0.5-ml biological
      fluid sample. Applicability of this method to biological fluids, obtained from
      ovine subjects, is demonstrated by the analysis of samples obtained during the
      course of ritodrine placental transfer studies.

PMID- 1874870
TI  - Determination of felodipine and its metabolites in plasma using capillary gas
      chromatography with electron-capture detection and their identification by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A novel method for the determination of felodipine and its metabolites in plasma
      by capillary gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection was
      developed. Felodipine and its oxidized metabolite were assayed by capillary GC
      after solid-phase extraction with the aid of a cool on-column injection
      technique. Acid metabolites, methyl monoacid and ethyl monoacid and diacid, were
      extracted with diethyl ether and propylated with 1-n-propyl-3-p-tolyltriazene
      before being submitted to capillary GC. These methods were very sensitive and
      useful for the pharmacokinetic study of felodipine. Felodipine and its
      metabolites were identified by GC-mass spectrometry. The mass spectral patterns
      of the peaks of extracts from human plasma samples after oral administration of
      felodipine were in good agreement with those of reference compounds.

PMID- 1874871
TI  - Determination of pethidine and its major metabolites in human urine by gas
      chromatography.
AB  - Procedures based on gas chromatography were established to determine pethidine
      and its major metabolites in human urine. The chromatographic system consisted of
      a glass column packed with 3% (w/w) SP2250 on Chromosorb W (80-100 mesh) linked
      to a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Diethyl ether was used as the extraction
      solvent. Pethidinic and norpethidinic acids, and their conjugated metabolites
      (after beta-glucuronidase treatment) were determined after conversion into
      pethidine and norpethidine by acid-catalysed esterification. The retention times
      of pethidine, norpethidine and chlorpheniramine (internal standard) were 3.3, 4.5
      and 7.5 min, respectively. The amount of unchanged drugs and metabolites excreted
      varied considerably among the subjects. The mean 24-h urinary recoveries in eight
      patients of pethidine, norpethidine, pethidinic acid, norpethidinic acid, and the
      glucuronides of pethidinic and norpethidinic acids were 6.62 +/- 5.05, 4.33 +/-
      1.19, 18.9 +/- 6.29, 9.10 +/- 4.26, 15.1 +/- 3.02 and 7.57 +/- 2.28%,
      respectively. This indicates that the major metyabolic pathways of pethidine in
      the eight patients were hydrolysis followed by conjugation. Over 60% of the dose
      was accounted for in 24 h after intramuscular administration of 1 mg/kg
      pethidine.

PMID- 1874872
TI  - Bioanalysis of erythromycin 2'-ethylsuccinate in plasma using phase-system
      switching continuous-flow fast atom bombardment liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry.
AB  - A specific method for the determination of erythromycin 2'-ethylsuccinate (EM-ES)
      in plasma is described. The method involves a liquid-liquid extraction procedure
      followed by the analysis of extracts using phase-system switching (PSS)
      continuous-flow fast atom bombardment (CF-FAB) liquid chromatography-mass
      spectrometry (LC-MS). In PSS EM-ES is enriched after analytical separation on a
      short trapping column, from which it is desorbed to the LC-MS interface. In this
      way, favourable mobile phases can be used for the LC separation and for the MS
      detection. Using the PSS approach a flow-rate reduction from 1.0 ml/min in the LC
      system to 15 microliters/min going into the mass spectrometer was achieved
      without splitting. The determination limit for EM-ES was 0.1 microgram/ml.

PMID- 1874873
TI  - Identification by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids from the rat
      Harderian gland.
AB  - Lipids from rat Harderian glands were extracted with ethyl acetate, hydrolysed
      with base and examined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry (GC-MS) as trimethylsilyl (TMS), [2H9]TMS, methyl ester-TMS,
      picolinyl, nicotinate and nicotinylidene derivatives. The latter three
      derivatives were used to reveal the structures of the alkyl chains of fatty
      acids, alcohols and glycerol ethers, respectively. Forty-eight compounds were
      identified, representing about 97% of the total extracted lipids as measured by
      GC peak areas. The major constituents were fatty acids with chain lengths from 12
      to 22 carbon atoms (mainly C18 and C20) and fatty alcohols (C16 to C26) derived
      from wax esters. Most of these acids and alcohols were unsaturated in the omega-7
      position and were accompanied by smaller amounts of the saturated and omega-5
      monounsaturated analogues. glycerol ethers were also identified for the first
      time in this secretion; the ether chains contained from 14 to 19 carbon atoms
      (mainly 16) and were straight-chain saturated, unsaturated (omega-5 and omega-7)
      and branched (iso). The only sterol found was cholesterol amounting to 1.24% of
      the total extract.

PMID- 1874874
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of PEG 600 in human urine.
AB  - Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are non-ionic, water-soluble synthetic polymers which
      have been widely used for many applications. Since they are of very low toxicity
      and are readily excreted in urine, PEGs in the molecular weight range 400-6000
      have been used extensively in the study of intestinal physiology in man. A high
      performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the
      determination of PEG 600 in human urine, which includes a pre-column
      derivatisation step. The dibenzoate derivatives of PEG 600 can be quantitatively
      prepared, and this, coupled with ultraviolet detection at 230 nm, has greatly
      improved the limit of detection for the determination of PEGs by HPLC. A suitable
      extraction procedure has also been developed which enabled PEG levels in urine to
      be monitored with much greater sensitivity than any previously reported method.

PMID- 1874875
TI  - Novel direct high-performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of
      salicylate glucuronide conjugates in human urine.
AB  - A novel direct high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the
      simultaneous determination of three salicylate glucuronide conjugates and other
      salicylate metabolites in human urine has been developed. Salicylate glucuronide
      conjugates were purified by HPLC from the urine of a volunteer after oral
      administration of aspirin and identified by selective hydrolysis with beta
      glucuronidase and with sodium hydroxide. This method gave high reproducibility
      with coefficients of variation less than 10%. The total urinary recovery of
      salicylic acid after a single 1.2-g dose of soluble aspirin was greater than 90%.
      This assay has been successfully used to re-evaluate the capacity-limited
      pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid in humans.

PMID- 1874876
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the 1,4-diketo and 1,4
      diketo-2,3-dihydroxy metabolites of lonapalene in rat urine.
AB  - Individual high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods have been
      developed for the determination of two major metabolites of lonapalene in rat
      urine. The highly unstable and polar 1,4-diketo-2,3-dihydroxy metabolite (II) is
      extracted from urine by two extraction columns (phenyl followed by silica),
      further purified by means of HPLC with a fully end-capped C18 HPLC column and
      quantified by an ultraviolet detector at 280 nm. Ascorbic acid is used as an
      antioxidant during extraction and overnight injection of II. Urine samples for
      total II (free plus conjugated) determination are incubated with arylsulfatase
      and beta-glucuronadase prior to extraction. The 1,4-diketo metabolite (III) is
      extracted from urine with a C18 extraction column, further purified with a C18
      HPLC column, and quantified by an ultraviolet detector at 260 nm. The detection
      limit for both metabolites is 100 ng/ml of urine (signal-to-noise = 2.5). The
      methods were used to analyze urine samples from a long-term toxicology study of
      lonapalene in rats and to determine the linearity of dose-concentration
      relationships for both metabolites.

PMID- 1874877
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatography method for serum methotrexate levels in
      children with severe steroid-dependent asthma.
AB  - Monitoring of low-dose methotrexate (MTX), as used in severe steroid-dependent
      asthma, requires a sensitive and reproducible technique which has hitherto not
      been available. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the
      determination of MTX in serum is reported. The method involves deproteinization
      with acetone followed by addition of butanol and diethyl ether. The percentage
      recovery with this method compared with others was high (90 versus 70%). The
      samples were chromatographed on a reversed-phase ODS column and monitored at 313
      nm. The retention time for MTX was 14.7 min. Pharmacokinetics of MTX was studied
      in five patients (age 3-15 years) with severe asthma who received a weekly oral
      dose of 10 mg/m2 body surface area. Following administration, the serum
      disappearance was monophasic with a half-life of 5 h. A metabolite, 7
      hydroxymethotrexate was detected in serum after 2 h and reached a maximum
      concentration after 6 h. This new method will facilitate monitoring of asthmatic
      patients on methotrexate and allow for dose response and toxicity studies to be
      conducted.

PMID- 1874878
TI  - Simultaneous determination of testosterone and androstadienone (sex attractant)
      in human plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with high-resolution
      selected-ion monitoring.
AB  - Androsta-4,16-dien-3-one (androstadienone) and androst-4-en-3-one-17 beta-ol
      (testosterone) in healthy human plasma were simultaneously determined under
      several experimental conditions by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with high
      resolution selected-ion monitoring. Internal standards were [2,2,4,6,6
      2H5]androstadienone and [2,2,4,6,6-2H5]testosterone. Samples were extracted with
      an Extrelut column, purified using Lipidex 5000 and converted into hydroxime
      trimethylsilyl derivatives for determination. Physiological concentrations of
      androstadienone and testosterone found in eleven healthy men were 2.05 +/- 0.74
      and 18.6 +/- 4.9 pmol/ml in plasma (mean +/- S.D.), respectively. No correlation
      was observed between these steroid concentrations.

PMID- 1874879
TI  - Simple and rapid micro-analytical procedures for the estimation of milacemide and
      its metabolite glycinamide in rat plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by high
      performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic technique is described for the
      determination of milacemide and its primary metabolite glycinamide in rat plasma
      and cerebrospinal fluid. Milacemide and glycinamide are derivatized with
      fluorescamine to form a chromophore and a fluorophore and subsequent analysis
      using ultraviolet and fluorescence detectors, respectively. The extraction
      procedures are simple with a limit of detection 2 and 0.5 micrograms/ml for
      milacemide in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively, and 0.5 micrograms/ml
      for glycinamide in plasma or cerebrospinal fluid. The within-batch coefficients
      of variation for both analytes were less than 3%. Since only a small amount of
      sample is required, these techniques are well suited for the study of milacemide
      pharmacokinetics in the rat.

PMID- 1874880
TI  - Determination of benperidol and its reduced metabolite in human plasma by high
      performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection.
AB  - An isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic method with electrochemical
      detection for the quantification of benperidol and its suggested reduced
      metabolite TVX Q 5402 in human plasma is described. The method included a two
      step solid-phase extraction on reversed-phase and cation-exchange material,
      followed by separation on a cyanopropyl silica gel column (5 microns; 250 mm x
      4.6 mm I.D.). The eluent was 0.15 M acetate buffer (pH 4.7) containing 25%
      acetonitrile (w/w). Spiperone served as internal standard. The inclusion of the
      cation-exchange step provided sample purity higher than those achieved with other
      methods. After extraction of 1 ml of plasma, concentrations as low as 0.5 ng/ml
      were detectable for both benperidol and the metabolite. In plasma samples
      collected from a schizophrenic patient treated with a single oral dose of 6 mg of
      benperidol, plasma levels of benperidol and of the metabolite could be measured
      from 20 min to at least 12 h after administration.

PMID- 1874881
TI  - Determination of the retinoid (E)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,4,4-tetramethyl-6-(1
      methyl-2- phenylethenyl)naphthalene and its phenolic metabolite in human plasma
      by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A rapid, sensitive and specific high-performance liquid chromatographic assay was
      developed for the determination in plasma of (E)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,4,4
      tetramethyl-6-(1-methyl-2- phenylethenyl)naphthalene (1) and its phenolic
      metabolite (E)-4-[2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)-2-
      methylethenyl]-phenol (2). An extraction procedure using protein precipitation
      and liquid-liquid extraction was combined with a simple column-switching
      technique. To minimize sample consumption, the assay was adapted to a sample
      volume of 200 microliters, which was sufficient for more than 90% of all
      determinations. The quantification limit was 100 ng/ml for 1 and 2, whereas the
      detection limits were 20 and 30 ng/ml, respectively. The recoveries for 1 and 2
      were 91 and 94%, respectively, using ultraviolet detection at 280 nm. The assay
      was used to quantify both compounds in human plasma samples.

PMID- 1874882
TI  - Sensitive microbore high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for labetalol
      in the biological fluids of pregnant sheep.
AB  - A rapid and sensitive microbore high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC)
      assay is reported for the quantitation of labetalol, an anti-hypertensive agent,
      in small volumes (250 microliters) of biological fluids (viz., maternal plasma,
      fetal plasma, amniotic fluid and fetal tracheal fluid) obtained from the
      chronically instrumented pregnant sheep. Labetalol was extracted from the samples
      using ethyl acetate and then partitioned into dilute phosphoric acid.
      Chromatography was performed on a microbore HPLC system using a 2.1 mm I.D. C18
      column and detection was accomplished by a low-dispersion fluorescence detector
      designed for trace analysis. The drug was well separated from endogenous
      substances in all biological fluids sampled. The calibration curves were linear
      for all fluids over the range of study with mean coefficients of variation
      consistently below 5%. Quantitation was possible down to approximately 30 pg of
      labetalol injected (approximately 1.6 ng/ml in plasma using 250 microliters).

PMID- 1874883
TI  - Determination of [3H]brifentanil, a potent narcotic analgesic, from rat serum by
      high-performance liquid chromatography with on-line radioactive detection.
AB  - A method for rapid analysis of [3H]brifentanil extracted from rat serum is
      described that has the advantages of sensitivity, speed and specificity. The
      method is based on extraction from serum via solid-phase extraction followed by
      chromatographic separation on a reversed-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatographic column. Detection of [3H]brifentanil is accomplished with an on
      line radioactive detector, thus the laborious step of peak collection and
      subsequent liquid scintillation counting is eliminated. The developed method is
      sensitive to 0.1 ng/ml and has been successfully applied to pharmacokinetic
      studies in rats. In vivo metabolites retaining the radiolabel have been detected
      with the method and were more polar than the parent compound as based upon the
      elution order on the reversed-phase system.

PMID- 1874884
TI  - Determination of diclofenac in plasma using a fully automated analytical system
      combining liquid-solid extraction with liquid chromatography.
AB  - A fully automated analytical system based on liquid-solid extraction combined
      with column liquid chromatography is described for the determination of
      diclofenac in plasma. After addition of pH 5 buffer and the internal standard
      solution to the plasma sample, both sample preparation via a C18 disposable
      extraction column and injection were performed by a Gilson ASPEC system.
      Diclofenac and the internal standard were separated on a reversed-phase column,
      using methanol-pH 7.2 phosphate buffer (56:44, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow
      rate of 0.4 ml/min. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method were
      acceptable over the concentration range 31-3140 nmol/l in plasma.

PMID- 1874885
TI  - Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous analyses of
      iminodipeptides containing an N-terminal or a C-terminal proline.
AB  - Simultaneous analyses of synthetic iminodipeptides containing an N-terminal
      proline or a C-terminal proline have been demonstrated using liquid
      chromatography-mass spectrometry with an atmospheric pressure ionization
      interface system. The separation of iminodipeptides was carried out on a reversed
      phase high-performance liquid chromatographic column using 0.1% aqueous
      trifluoroacetic acid-methanol (75:25, v/v, pH 2.0) as mobile phase. Very intense
      protonated molecular ions [M + H]+ of various synthetic iminodipeptides, Pro-Gly,
      Gly-Pro, Pro-Ala, Ala-Pro, Pro-Val, Val-Pro, Pro-Leu and Leu-Pro, were observed.
      Pro-Gly (Pro-X) and Gly-Pro (X-Pro) have the same protonated molecular ion (m/z
      173), but the peaks of these compounds on the mass chromatograms were clearly
      distinguished by the differences of the retention times and mass spectra. The
      synthetic iminodipeptides containing an N-terminal proline added to urine samples
      from a patient with prolidase deficiency were also distinguished from
      iminodipeptides containing a C-terminal proline in urine samples from a patient
      with prolidase deficiency by scanning the [M + H]+ ion of each iminodipeptide. We
      established the method to measure simultaneously the various iminodipeptides
      containing an N-terminal or a C-terminal proline in biological samples.

PMID- 1874886
TI  - Novel affinity chromatographic system for the single-step purification of
      glycosaminoglycans from complex systems using volatile buffers.
AB  - A new system for the isolation and purification of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and
      related molecules from complex systems such as plasma is described. Affinity
      chromatography which exploits the very high affinity between the polymeric base
      Polybrene and sulphated polysaccharides was used. A novel volatile buffer system
      composed of ammonium formate and formic acid, which allows the complete recovery
      of samples, was developed, and elution conditions were optimised for the
      separation and purification of GAGs of different charge densities. Using this
      system the losses associated with dialysis and desalting, frequently necessary
      preliminaries to further analysis, are avoided.

PMID- 1874887
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of free palmitic and stearic
      acids in cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - A relatively simple method for extraction of free fatty acids from cerebrospinal
      fluid with aminopropyl bonded-phase columns, and the estimation of palmitic acid
      (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) concentrations by high-performance liquid
      chromatographic analysis is described. The values of C16:0 and C18:0 in patients
      with non-neurological disorders lie within a narrow range, with a mean (+/- S.D.)
      of 4.02 +/- 0.33 micrograms/ml for C16:0 and 2.72 +/- 0.39 micrograms/ml for
      C18:0.

PMID- 1874888
TI  - Improved method for the determination of serotonin in plasma by high-performance
      liquid chromatography using on-line sample pre-treatment.
AB  - An improved method for the determination of serotonin in platelet-rich plasma
      (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP), by reversed-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatography with electrochemical detection and direct plasma injection, is
      described. The chromatographic system comprises a strong cation-exchange pre
      column and a C18 analytical column. The method is selective, rapid, simple and
      sensitive, and offers good reproducibility and recovery. Reference values for
      serotonin concentrations in healthy adults (n = 10) are 31 nM for PPP and 6 nmol
      per 10(9) platelets for PRP. The conditions used for the preparation of PRP and
      PPP may influence the serotonin concentration in PRP.

PMID- 1874889
TI  - Determination of 3-hydroxykynurenine in human brain and plasma by high
      performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Increased
      concentrations in hepatic encephalopathy.
AB  - A simple and specific method was developed for the determination of 3
      hydroxykynurenine in brain tissue and blood plasma using high-performance liquid
      chromatography with electrochemical detection. This involved an extraction
      procedure using strong cation-exchange columns and also permitted the
      determination of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid in brain tissue. The method was
      applied to the investigation of post mortem brain tissue from patients with
      hepatic encephalopathy. Cortical 3-hydroxykynurenine concentrations were
      substantially increased in such patients above control values, providing evidence
      for a dysfunction of tryptophan metabolism in this disease.

PMID- 1874890
TI  - Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for total homocysteine levels
      in human serum.
AB  - A rapid, isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is
      described for the determination of total homocysteine levels in human serum.
      Prior to reversed-phase HPLC analysis, the serum thiols were derivatized with SBD
      F (ammonium 7-fluorobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-4-sulphonate), a thiolspecific
      fluorogenic probe which is commercially available. Retention of SBD-homocysteine
      was sensitive to pH, and a mobile phase pH of 2.1 ensured baseline separation of
      serum thiols within 6 min. The method is simple, sensitive, reproducible (between
      run coefficient of variation of 6.6%) and very suitable for routine determination
      of serum homocysteine levels in a clinical pathology laboratory.

PMID- 1874891
TI  - Simple method for the determination of inorganic sulfate in human serum and urine
      using single-column ion chromatography.
AB  - A single-column ion chromatographic assay with conductivity detection was
      developed to determine inorganic sulfate concentrations in human plasma and urine
      samples. Plasma samples were ultrafiltered to remove proteins. Plasma
      ultrafiltrate and urine samples were diluted prior to injection onto the anion
      exchange column. The described method is simple, fast, sensitive and reproducible
      and was used to study the effect of subchronic administration of acetaminophen on
      the plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of inorganic sulfate in healthy
      volunteers.

PMID- 1874892
TI  - Characterization of prednisone, prednisolone and their metabolites by gas
      chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - Human urinary metabolites of the synthetic corticosteroids prednisone and
      prednisolone were detected in the course of gas chromatographic steroid profiling
      as methoxime-trimethylsilyl derivatives. Metabolites were provisionaly identified
      by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major metabolites were 11
      keto/11-hydroxy conversion products, 20-hydroxy and 4,5-dihydro analogues of the
      parent drugs. Cortisone, 6-hydroxy and fully saturated A-ring compounds were
      minor metabolites. Retention indices and mass spectral data are presented.

PMID- 1874893
TI  - Determination of dimethyl sulphide in blood and adipose tissue by headspace gas
      analysis.
AB  - A method for the headspace analysis of dimethyl sulphide in blood and adipose
      tissue has been established. Blood (0.2 ml) or adipose tissue (0.5 g) with added
      dimethyl sulphide was sealed in a 10-ml vial using PTFE sheet to prevent escape
      of dimethyl sulphide from the headspace. Equilibration was performed at 60
      degrees C for 4 h, and 20 microliters of gaseous phase sampled from the headspace
      was subjected to gas chromatography (with flame photometric detection).
      Calibration curves were prepared for the two samples. Linearity was observed in
      the range from 5-10 micrograms to 2 mg.

PMID- 1874894
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of morphine and its 3- and
      6-glucuronide metabolites: improvements to the method and application to
      stability studies.
AB  - Improvements to previously reported methods for the determination of morphine,
      morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) in human plasma are
      described. The improved methods involve the use of a solid-phase extraction
      cartridge and a chromatographic system which uses paired-ion reversed-phase high
      performance liquid chromatography with a radially compressed column. Only one
      cartridge is used to prepare each sample for chromatography and each cartridge
      may be used for at least fourteen 1-ml plasma samples. The recovery is greater
      than 85%. The improvements to the method of sample pretreatment and in the
      chromatographic conditions have allowed determination of morphine, M3G and M6G in
      human plasma down to 13.3 nmol/l (coefficient of variation = 9.3%), 108 nmol/l
      (6.6%) and 41 nmol/l (6.7%), respectively, using ultraviolet detection alone. It
      was shown that all three compounds were stable in plasma for up to 101 weeks when
      stored at -20 degrees C.

PMID- 1874895
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic assay for laudanosine in biological
      fluids and tissue for neurotoxic studies in rats.
AB  - A procedure for the determination of laudanosine, the central nervous system
      active metabolite of the neuromuscular blocking drug atracurium, in serum,
      cerebrospinal fluid and brain is described. The method uses a readily available
      internal standard, ethavrine, and a single-step protein precipitation with
      acetonitrile followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic separation with
      ultraviolet detection. Norlaudanosine, the major metabolite of laudanosine, can
      also be quantified. Linearity of detector response was obtained between 1 and 25
      micrograms/ml or micrograms/g and the method is suitable for determining
      neurotoxic concentrations of laudanosine in experimental animals.

PMID- 1874896
TI  - Determination of thiamphenicol residues in chicken muscles by column liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - A column liquid chromatographic (CLC) method for the determination of
      thiamphenicol residues in chicken muscles was developed. The drug is extracted
      from minced muscles with ethyl acetate and the extract is evaporated to dryness.
      The residue is dissolved in 10% sodium chloride solution and partitioned with n
      hexane. Thiamphenicol is extracted with ethyl acetate and, after evaporation of
      the solvent, the residue is cleaned up by alumina column chromatography. CLC
      analysis is carried out on a Nucleosil C18 column with ultraviolet detection of
      thiamphenicol at 230 nm. The average recoveries of thiamphenicol added to muscles
      at 0.2 and 0.1 ppm were 92.8 and 90.0%, respectively. The detection limit was 5
      ng for thiamphenicol standard, which corresponds to 0.05 ppm in muscles.

PMID- 1874897
TI  - Determination of amidepin in human plasma by reversed-phase high-performance
      liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
AB  - An isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for
      the determination of amidepin has been developed. The method is based on the
      extraction of alkaline plasma with diethyl ether-dichloromethane, and the
      injection into the Supelcosil LC-18 column of the evaporated and reconstituted
      organic phase. After separation, detection is carried out by a fluorescence
      detector (excitation at 195 nm with no filter). The limit of detection is 10
      ng/ml of plasma. The mean coefficient of variation is 12%. The plasma levels
      after oral administration and after intravenous administration are shown.

PMID- 1874898
TI  - Determination of alentamol hydrobromide, a novel antipsychotic agent, in human
      blood plasma and urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with
      fluorescence detection and solid-phase extraction.
AB  - Alentamol hydrobromide, (+)-2-(dipropylamino)-2,3-dihydro-1H-phenalen-5-ol
      monohydrobromide, is a selective dopamine agonist currently being investigated
      for the treatment of schizophrenia. This paper describes a reversed-phase high
      performance liquid chromatographic-based method for the quantification of
      alentamol in blood plasma and urine. The method utilizes solid-phase extraction
      with carboxylic acid-derivatized silica columns. A limit of quantitation of 0.1
      ng/ml in plasma was achieved by virtue of selective extraction and fluorescence
      detection. Example chromatograms of plasma and urine specimens from clinical
      trials demonstrate the utility of the method.

PMID- 1874899
TI  - Pirmenol determination by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A method for the determination of pirmenol in serum is presented in this paper.
      The method consists of extraction of pirmenol and chlorodisopyramide (internal
      standard) from serum at an alkaline pH using methylene chloride. The organic
      extract was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The mobile
      phase consisted of 0.01 M K2HPO4 (pH 2.4)-acetonitrile (94:6, v/v) delivered at
      ambient temperature and 2 ml/min through a 25 cm x 0.4 mm C18 reversed-phase
      column. Detection of the compounds of interest was achieved at 210 nm. The
      analytical method demonstrated low intra- and inter-assay variation. During the
      analysis of patient samples and a therapeutic drug mixture test serum, no
      substances that interfered with pirmenol detection were found. The method is
      shown to be stable, accurate, selective and sensitive enough to be utilized for
      the analysis of multiple samples such as may be encountered in clinical or
      research situations.

PMID- 1874900
TI  - Sensitive determination of free and plasma protein-bound dipyridamole by high
      performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - For many years dipyridamole (DP) has been used in the treatment of hypertension
      as a vasodilator, but recently it has been recognised as an anti-platelet
      aggregation agent and to potentiate anti-metabolite activity. A rapid and
      sensitive (20 nM) procedure for the determination of free and protein-bound DP in
      plasma, using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography on an
      Ultrasphere XL ODS (3 microns) column (70 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) with ultraviolet
      detection (280 nm), is reported. Free and bound DP were separated using
      ultrafiltration. Concentrations of DP between 0.1 and 10 microM were measured in
      plasma with a relative standard deviation of less than 9.6%. The subsequent
      determination of DP levels in patients orally administered 450 mg per day showed
      that DP binding to plasma protein is higher than 90%.

PMID- 1874901
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the polar metabolites of
      nifedipine in plasma, blood and urine.
AB  - A relatively simple reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method
      for the determination of the polar metabolites of nifedipine in biological fluids
      is described. After conversion of 2-hydroxymethyl-6-methyl-4-(2
      nitrophenyl)pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid 5-methyl ester (IV) into 5,7-dihydro-2
      methyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-5-oxofuro[3,4-b] pyridine-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester
      (V) by heating under acidic conditions, V was extracted with n-pentane
      dichloromethane (7:3) and analysed on a C18 column with ultraviolet detection.
      Subsequently, 2,6-dimethyl-4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid
      monomethyl ester (III) was extracted with chloroform and analysed on the same
      system. Limits of determination in blood were 0.1 microgram/ml for III and 0.05
      microgram/ml for IV and V; these limits were two to ten times higher for urine.
      This inter-assay variability was always less than 7.5%.

PMID- 1874902
TI  - Simplified procedure for the determination of sotalol in plasma by high
      performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A simple, specific and rapid reversed-phase high-performance liquid
      chromatographic (HPLC) procedure for sotalol determination is described requiring
      small plasma volumes. The high recovery of sotalol from plasma and the high
      precision of measurement obviate the need for an internal standard. Plasma
      samples (300 microliters) were deproteinised with 50 microliters of 70% (w/w)
      perchloric acid in disposable glass tubes. After vortex-mixing and
      centrifugation, 30 microliters of 4 M K2HPO4 were added followed by gentle
      shaking. A 20-microliters aliquot was then injected (by autosampler) for HPLC
      analysis. Chromatography was performed on a glass-lined 250 mm x 4 mm 5-micron
      C18 steel column. The mobile phase was 6% (v/v) acetonitrile in 0.08 M KH2PO4
      buffer (pH 4.6). The flow-rate was 0.8 ml/min. Detection was by fluorescence with
      excitation and emission wavelengths at 235 and 310 nm, respectively. The
      retention time for sotalol was 7.1 min. Calibration was linear from 0.16 to 10
      micrograms/ml in plasma (r greater than 0.999 for detector response to sotalol).
      The minimum concentration for quantitation was 0.08 micrograms/ml [within assay
      coefficient of variation (C.V.) less than 5%]. Recovery was near quantitative
      (greater than 98%) and replicate (intra-assay precision was less than 5% C.V.).
      Analysis of samples (n = 10) at concentrations of 0.42 and 4.2 micrograms/ml gave
      mean values of 0.44 and 4.3 micrograms/ml, respectively. The inter-assay C.V.
      values were 4.5 and 2.2%, respectively. Other clinically used antiarrhythmic
      drugs did not interfere. This assay can be performed using other commercial C18
      analytical columns by suitable adjustment of mobile phase flow-rate and
      acetonitrile composition.

PMID- 1874903
TI  - Simultaneous high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of ascorbic
      acid and dehydroascorbic acid in biological samples.
AB  - The ascorbic acid (AA)-dehydroascorbic acid redox couple is an important
      component of many biological systems, and various physiological roles have been
      described for this vitamin. Simultaneous measurement of both AA and
      dehydroascorbate using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has proven
      difficult owing to detection problems. A simple, single-step HPLC assay for the
      simultaneous detection of both AA and dehydroascorbate was developed without the
      burden of derivatization of either compounds. This has proven to be a reliable
      technique and should be applicable to a wide variety of biological samples.

PMID- 1874904
TI  - Simultaneous assay of the activities of two key enzymes in cholesterol metabolism
      by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A very sensitive and specific method for the simultaneous assay of the activities
      of two key regulatory enzymes in cholesterol metabolism, 3-hydroxy-3
      methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase (EC 1.1.1.34), and cholesterol 7
      alpha-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.7), is described. The assay is based on the
      measurement of [2H3]mevalonolactone and 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol produced by
      the incubation of [2H3]HMG-CoA and endogenous cholesterol with hamster liver
      microsomes using isotope dilution mass spectrometry. The incubation mixture was
      purified by means of solid extraction cartridges, and the extract was treated
      with benzylamine followed by dimethylethylsilyl imidazole. The resulting ether
      derivatives of the mevalonylbenzylamide and 7 alpha-hydroxycholesterol were
      quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring
      in a high resolution mode. The method made it possible to assay simultaneously
      the activities of HMG-CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase in
      hamster liver microsomes with high sensitivity and accuracy.

PMID- 1874905
TI  - Determination of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione in plasma and urine by extractive
      alkylation and electron-capture gas chromatography.
AB  - A sensitive and specific quantitative assay has been developed for the
      determination of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (4-OHA), a potent aromatase inhibitor
      used in the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. This steroid has a
      high first-pass metabolism and is extensively metabolized, mainly by
      glucuronidation. Plasma levels of unchanged 4-OHA are very low, even after high
      peroral doses. The analytical method is based on the addition of 17 alpha
      ethinylestradiol (internal standard), liquid-liquid extraction from biological
      material followed by extractive alkylation with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and
      quantitation by gas chromatography. The method has been validated for
      sensitivity, accuracy and precision and was found to be suitable for application
      to pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies of peroral formulations of 4-OHA.

PMID- 1874906
TI  - Determination of 4-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione metabolism in breast cancer
      patients using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
AB  - A sensitive procedure for studying the metabolism of the steroidal aromatase
      inhibitor 4-hydroxy-androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (4OHA) was developed based on enzyme
      hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction and reversed-phase liquid chromatography
      coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC-MS) using a thermospray interface. Seven
      metabolites were identified from the hydrolysed urine samples together with the
      parent drug. The major routes of metabolism were via dehydrogenation, reduction
      of the ketone functional groups, reduction at the C-4-C-5 double bond and
      hydroxylation at the C-5 position. Confirmation of the identity of 4OHA and its
      metabolites isolated from female patients' urine samples was accomplished by
      comparison of the retention times of their corresponding synthetic standards on
      LC-MS. We have demonstrated that this technique is particularly suitable for
      studying the metabolism of steroidal drugs.

PMID- 1874907
TI  - Assay methodology for prednisolone, prednisolone acetate and prednisolone sodium
      phosphate in rabbit aqueous humor and ocular physiological solutions.
AB  - Prednisolone, prednisolone acetate and prednisolone sodium phosphate are
      glucocorticoids used for ocular, anti-inflammatory therapy. A reversed-phase high
      performance liquid chromatographic assay using ultraviolet detection has been
      developed that affords baseline resolution of the above analytes in balanced salt
      solutions and rabbit aqueous humor. The drugs can be quantified at 0.025-0.05
      micrograms/ml in the above matrices; 6 alpha-methylprednisolone is used as the
      internal standard. Both esters of prednisolone are vulnerable to chemical and
      enzymatic hydrolysis giving prednisolone. Analysis of aqueous humor samples shows
      prednisolone acetate penetrating/metabolizing primarily to prednisolone;
      prednisolone sodium phosphate penetrates the cornea giving the ester and alcohol.

PMID- 1874908
TI  - The determination of nitroaromatics and nitramines in ground and drinking water
      by wide-bore capillary gas chromatography.
AB  - A method has been developed to determine the concentration of nitroaromatics and
      nitramines in drinking water at levels below those previously achieved by gas
      chromatography. The nitroaromatics and nitramines are extracted from water using
      toluene and isoamyl acetate, respectively. The extracts are analyzed via a gas
      chromatograph equipped with a DB-1301 widebore fused-silica capillary column and
      an electron capture detector. Method detection limits of 0.003 micrograms/L for
      2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), 0.04 micrograms/L for 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT),
      0.06 micrograms/L for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 0.3 micrograms/L for
      cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), and 6.0 micrograms/L for
      cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX) have been obtained using this method.

PMID- 1874909
TI  - Influence of the mobile phase on salmon calcitonin analysis by reversed-phase
      liquid chromatography.
AB  - The retention properties of calcitonins on a reversed-phase column are examined
      using salmon calcitonin as the model compound. The effect of the concentration of
      organic modifier, buffer strength, pH of the mobile phase, and ion-pair reagent
      are studied. In the absence of an ionic modifier in the eluent the calcitonin
      peak shapes are not symmetrical. The addition of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA),
      however, results in good peak characteristics without the need to add nonvolatile
      salts. The retention of the calcitonins was found to be very sensitive to the
      concentration of the organic modifier (acetonitrile) present in the mobile phase.
      A change of pH between 2 and 5 has only a slight effect of the k' of salmon
      calcitonin, but the k' increases significantly at higher pH values. The addition
      of a phosphate buffer to the mobile phase and an increase in the buffer
      concentration (0-0.2 M) causes a decrease in the retention of salmon calcitonin.
      Evidence shows that reproducible, quantitatively measurable data can be obtained
      using reversed-phase chromatography if the ion-pairing reagent and organic
      modifier concentrations are carefully controlled. The system also shows a good
      selectivity for the calcitonin series. Therefore, both highly selective methods
      (qualitative) as well as quantitative methods for analytical, pharmaceutical, and
      manufacturing use can be developed by adjusting the high-performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) conditions as discussed.

PMID- 1874910
TI  - Graphitized carbon black in quartz tubes for the sampling of indoor air nicotine
      and analysis by microwave thermal desorption-capillary gas chromatography.
AB  - Nicotine in a smoky indoor air environment can be determined using graphitized
      carbon black as a solid sorbent in quartz tubes. The temperature stability, high
      purity, and heat absorption characteristics of the sorbent, as well as the
      permeability of the quartz tubes to microwaves, enable the thermal desorption by
      means of microwaves after active sampling. Permeation and dynamic dilution
      procedures for the generation of nicotine in the vapor phase at low and high
      concentrations are used to evaluate the performances of the sampler. Tube
      preparation is described and the microwave desorption temperature is measured.
      Breakthrough volume is determined to allow sampling at 0.1-1 L/min for definite
      periods of time. The procedure is tested for the determination of gas and
      paticulate phase nicotine in sidestream smoke produced in an experimental
      chamber.

PMID- 1874911
TI  - Silica gel high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of cross
      links in elastin.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure for the determination
      and preparation of desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDE), the major cross-links
      of elastin, has been developed. Hydrolysates of elastin are treated with a SEP
      PAK silica-gel small column and then separated on a silica-gel normal phase
      column using n-propanol-water-25% ammonia (9:3:0.06, v/v/v) followed by detection
      at 275 nm. The quantitative yields of DES and IDE are 7.98 +/- 0.47 and 6.44 +/-
      0.51 (mean +/- S.D., n = 10) mg/g dry weight, respectively, in bovine ligamentum
      nuchae. Preparations of cross-links are carried out by means of a preparative
      column (240 mm x 10 mm), using the same solvent system.

PMID- 1874912
TI  - Microwave radiation: a useful fixation method for viral vaccine quantitation.
AB  - As an alternative to the formalin fixation of cells before staining, microwave
      irradiation was found a very advantageous fixation procedure in viral vaccine
      quantitation assays. The use of microwaves allows to avoid dangerous chemicals
      and thereby reduces time and equipment.

PMID- 1874913
TI  - Methods for detecting arctic rabies virus in dilution series of field samples.
AB  - A modified first passage cell culture method, mouse inoculation test, and ELISA
      were compared for the detection of rabies in serially diluted field samples. Each
      original specimen contained rabies antigen, individually identified as an arctic
      strain by monoclonal antibodies. In 47% of the samples tested in cell cultures,
      the end-point titer was increased as a result of the first passage. The cell
      culture method gave higher titers than the mouse inoculation test or ELISA (P
      less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, respectively).

PMID- 1874914
TI  - The use of antibiotics to control bacterial overgrowth of cell cultures used for
      diagnostic virology.
AB  - Although penicillin and streptomycin are added routinely to cell culture media,
      bacterial overgrowth has caused a significant problem. A total of 34.4% cell
      cultures inoculated with specimens, from immunocompromised patients for the
      isolation of viruses, was discontinued because of bacterial overgrowth. When
      ceftazidime and vancomycin were added to inoculated cell cultures the overall
      proportion of contaminated cultures fell from 16.3 to 0.6% (P less than 0.001).
      The proportion of cell cultures contaminated after inoculation with specimens
      from immunocompromised patients fell from 34.4 to 0.4% (P less than 0.001). At
      the same time the isolation rate of herpes viruses from specimens submitted from
      immunocompromised patients increased from 5.2 to 16.4% (P less than 0.001).

PMID- 1874915
TI  - An enzyme immunoassay for detection of IgA class antibodies against hepatitis
      delta virus.
AB  - A sensitive and reproducible enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for IgA class
      antibodies against the Delta antigen (HDAg) is described. Specificity of the
      assay was demonstrated by the absence of binding to an unrelated antigen or to
      uncoated plates and the finding that binding to HDAg was independent of total IgA
      concentrations in sera. Positive results were obtained with sera from 11 of 14
      patients with chronic Delta virus infection (seropositive for HBsAg and IgM anti
      HDAg, negative for IgM anti-HBc) at serum dilutions of up to 1:10(6). Sera from
      four normal healthy individuals and from 25 patients with chronic hepatitis B or
      other liver disorders who had no evidence of exposure to HDV were all negative in
      the assay.

PMID- 1874916
TI  - Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for the detection of porcine
      parvovirus.
AB  - A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification method was developed and
      evaluated to detect porcine parvovirus (PPV). A pair of 20-base primers and an
      oligonucleotide probe were derived from the DNA sequences common to two isolates
      of PPV, NADL-8 and NADL-2. The primers flanked 118-bp nucleotides within the
      region coding for the major structural protein VP2. After DNA amplification of
      PPV replicative form (RF), a 158-bp fragment was detected in agarose gels. This
      amplified fragment was shown to be specific for PPV DNA after Southern transfer
      and hybridization to a 20-base internal probe. The amplified fragment also
      contained a single EcoRI cleavage site. Various conditions, such as number of
      cycles and annealing temperature, were examined to optimize the conditions for
      detecting viral DNAs from infected cell cultures and swine fetal tissues. Four
      different isolates of PPV, NADL-8, NADL-2, KBSH and Kresse, and two other
      viruses, canine parvovirus (CPV) and pseudorabies virus (PRV), were included to
      determine specificity of amplification. Slot blot hybridization with a
      radiolabeled probe was used to evaluate the sensitivity of PCR amplification. The
      optimized protocol was specific for PPV detecting equally all four strains of
      PPV, but failing to amplify CPV or PRV sequences. The PCR method could detect at
      least 100 fg of viral replicative form (RF) DNA or the equivalent of 1 PFU of
      infectious virus. The applications of this method include routine detection of
      PPV in clinical samples and as a contaminant in mammalian cell lines.

PMID- 1874917
TI  - Assay of anti-HBs antibodies using a recombinant antigen and latex particle
      counting: comparison with five commercial tests.
AB  - An assay of anti-HBs antibodies based on agglutination of latex particles coated
      with recombinant HBs-antigen was compared with Abbott radioimmunoassay (Abbott
      RIA), which uses a human plasma-derived antigen. The population examined
      consisted of 76 Abbott-RIA anti-HBs-negative prevaccinated subjects and 1044
      serum samples anti-HBs found positive by Abbott-RIA, including 283 samples of
      subjects vaccinated either with a human plasma-derived vaccine (group A; n = 180)
      or with a recombinant vaccine (group B; n = 103). Correlation coefficients
      between the two techniques were respectively r = 0.89 for the whole population (n
      = 1044), r = 0.98 in group A and r = 0.74 in group B. Anti-HBs titres were higher
      with latex than with RIA in group B as shown by the regression slopes: latex =
      508 + 1.11 RIA in group A and latex = -1138 + 3.97 RIA in group B, suggesting
      that some vaccinated subjects from group B produced antibodies against epitopes
      proper to the recombinant antigen. In the prevaccinated population and in group
      A, the latex results were compared with those of radioimmunoassays (Abbott,
      Sorin) and enzyme immunoassays (Behring, Roche, Pasteur). Only the Roche-EIA
      detected anti-HBs in the prevaccinated subjects. The correlation between the
      various immunoassays was r greater than 0.96 only for values higher than 100
      IU/l.

PMID- 1874918
TI  - A rapid chemiluminescence detection method for PCR-amplified HIV-1 DNA.
AB  - A solution hybridization assay using acridinium ester labelled probes is
      described for detection of amplified HIV-1 DNA segments. Amplification was
      achieved by 30 cycles of the polymerase chain reaction using SK38/SK39 primers
      specific for a constant region of the HIV-1 gag region together with HLA DQ alpha
      primers as internal control. Discrimination between hybridized and non-hybridized
      probes by differential hydrolysis resulted in a three log reduction of the
      chemiluminescence signal of the non-hybridized probe within 6 min without
      significant changes in the hybridized probes due to protection of the acridinium
      ester to hydrolysis by intercalation formation. Chemiluminescence was measured by
      a two-step-injection method with hydrogen-peroxide and NaOH. About 50 attomols of
      HIV-1 gag DNA could be detected. Chemiluminescence results, given in relative
      light units (RLU) of 159 HIV-1-infected patients (range 4013-458319) showed clear
      discrimination from 64 noninfected control samples (range 838-1477) (cut off 2000
      RLU). Comparison with parallel detection of amplified products with
      autoradiography (32P) and ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels or a p24 antigen
      ELISA demonstrated better sensitivity and reproducibility of the
      chemiluminescence assay. The time required for the assay, including measurements,
      is less than 30 min, which allows reporting 'PCR results' on the same day.

PMID- 1874919
TI  - Quantitation of hepatitis B surface antibody by an automated microparticle enzyme
      immunoassay.
AB  - A fully automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay, IMx AUSAB, was developed for
      the detection and quantitation of antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen
      (anti-HBs). The IMx AUSAB assay can complete 24 tests in less than 45 minutes.
      Anti-HBs concentrations in specimens are calculated automatically by comparison
      of the specimen rate to values determined from a stored standard curve. IMx AUSAB
      sensitivity is 2-3 mIU/ml, equivalent in sensitivity to AUSAB RIA or EIA.
      Specimens from blood donors, diagnostic and hospital patients, hepatitis B
      vaccinees, and individuals with a variety of infectious and autoimmune diseases
      tested in parallel by IMx AUSAB and AUSAB RIA or IMx AUSAB and EIA gave overall
      qualitative agreement of 97.8% (1265/1293) and 99.1% (1281/1293), respectively.
      The prevalence of anti-HBs ranged from 5.9% in volunteer blood donors to 47.0% of
      specimens from a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Most discordant specimens
      (18/34) were low level reactive (less than 10 mIU/ml) by AUSAB RIA, but negative
      by IMx AUSAB and AUSAB EIA. These specimens were also negative for antibodies to
      hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Six discordants were low level reactive by
      IMx but negative by RIA and EIA. Three of these six specimens were also reactive
      for anti-HBc suggesting that the IMx AUSAB reactivity resulted from the presence
      of low level anti-HBs. Quantitative agreement between IMx AUSAB and RIA or IMx
      and EIA for 106 specimens ranging in anti-HBs concentration from 1 to 30,000
      mIU/ml gave linear correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.96, respectively. The
      IMx test was useful for monitoring hepatitis B vaccine response and
      seroconversion levels after hepatitis B infection.

PMID- 1874920
TI  - A simple and rapid method for detecting human immunodeficiency virus by PCR.
AB  - A simple, sensitive and specific method using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      for amplification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is described.
      The method involves minimal manipulations. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells
      (PBMC) were prepared by a rapid Ficoll-Paque gradient method. Lymphocytes were
      lysed in PCR buffer containing Proteinase K and detergents, and subjected to
      amplification under stringent conditions, using two primer pairs. Amplified DNA
      sequences were hybridized with a 3'-end labelled probe, electrophoresed on
      agarose gels and visualised by ethidium bromide staining. Identification of
      amplified HIV-1 proviral DNA sequences was confirmed by autoradiography. HIV-1
      sequences were amplified in all samples from 103 HIV-1 seropositive individuals,
      but not in 40 HIV-1 seronegative controls. The absence of contamination may be
      attributable in part to minimisation of manipulations before amplification.

PMID- 1874921
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus: novel enzyme-linked immunoassays for quantitation
      of envelope glycoprotein 120.
AB  - Two novel enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA) for the quantitation of human
      immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) coded glycoprotein with an Mr 120 (gp120)
      are described. These are based on the highly specific interaction between gp120
      and the mannose-specific lectins from Narcissus pseudonarcissus (NPL) and
      Galanthus nivalis (GNL). Two systems were developed: (1) an HIV-protein ELISA
      using HIV-protein (also containing HIV-gp120) for the solid phase and NPL as a
      detector and (2) a lectin-ELISA using the NPL bound to the solid phase and GNL as
      detector. The HIV-protein ELISA was validated for quantitation of gp120 within
      the range 3 to 600 ng/ml; the lectin-ELISA for concentrations between 0.6 and
      20000 ng gp120/ml. Serum components did not interfere with the binding of gp120
      to the lectins. The ELISAs were used for the quantitation of gp120 in HIV
      infected CEM cells in vitro. It was found that gp120 appeared in the medium
      earlier after infection than HIV-p24 and reverse transcriptase, suggesting that
      gp120 is released as free glycoprotein. Moreover, the ELISAs were also applied
      successfully for the detection of compounds that bind to gp120 and for the
      identification of antibodies directed against the highly pathogenic mannan
      portion of gp120. These ELISAs are considered to be suitable also for the
      detection of gp120 in the serum of HIV-infected individuals.

PMID- 1874922
TI  - Large-scale purification of gp70 from Moloney murine leukemia virus.
AB  - The external envelope glycoprotein, gp70, of the Moloney murine leukemia virus
      was extracted from NIH 3T3 cells utilizing the detergent n-octyl-beta-D
      glycopyranoside. The extracted gp70 was sequentially purified utilizing lectin
      affinity, anion-exchange, and molecular-exclusion chromatography techniques.
      Approximately 10 mg of gp70 was purified by this method and shown to be 95%
      homogeneous, as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis. The presence of purified gp70 from Moloney murine leukemia virus
      was confirmed by amino acid analysis, amino-terminal sequencing, and
      immunoreactivity with a monoclonal antibody raised against gp70. The procedure is
      rapid, utilizes commercially available media, and can be used to purify large
      amounts of retroviral envelope glycoprotein from virus.

PMID- 1874923
TI  - Clinical review 25: Current status of pancreas transplantation.

PMID- 1874924
TI  - Hormonally-based male contraceptives: will they ever be a reality?

PMID- 1874925
TI  - Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist plus testosterone: a potential male
      contraceptive.
AB  - No effective hormonal contraceptive has yet been devised for men. Through their
      suppressive effect on gonadotropin secretion, GnRH antagonists inhibit both
      testosterone (T) production and spermatogenesis in animals. Long term
      administration of an antagonist alone would result in androgen deficiency; this
      would cause unacceptable physiological and behavioral sequellae in men.
      Therefore, androgen replacement must be included in any GnRH antagonist regimen
      used in human male contraception. We tested the hypothesis that the combination
      of a GnRH antagonist plus T would suppress spermatogenesis in the male primate to
      azoospermic levels while maintaining normal serum T levels. We examined the
      effects of the GnRH antagonist Deterelix [N-Ac-DNal(2)1-DpCl-Phe2-DTrp3
      DhArg(Et2)6 -DAla10-GnRH], alone and with simultaneous T replacement, on sperm
      production and serum T levels in adult male monkeys (n = 22). After 12 weeks of
      daily sc antagonist injection, all animals that received antagonist alone (n = 5)
      and those that 750 micrograms/kg.day antagonist plus T (n = 5) were azoospermic.
      After 16 weeks, four of five animals that received 250 micrograms/kg.day
      antagonist plus T became azoospermic. Control animals (n = 7) received daily
      injections of vehicle; sperm counts increased somewhat during the study period in
      that group. Castrate range T levels were achieved in animals receiving antagonist
      alone. T levels in the groups that received T supplementation and in the control
      group were in the normal male range throughout the treatment period. Sperm counts
      returned to the pretreatment range in all animals during the recovery period. We
      conclude that the combination of a GnRH antagonist plus T can induce azoospermia
      reversibly in this nonhuman primates species, and that a similar combination may
      be an effective contraceptive regimen in men. The GnRH antagonist alone may be an
      effective treatment for androgen-dependent neoplasia.

PMID- 1874926
TI  - Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin subunits in human corpora lutea
      during menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
AB  - The cellular localization of the alpha-, beta A-, and beta B-subunits of inhibin
      was studied in human corpora lutea (CL) during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
      Immunohistochemical techniques using antisera selective for each subunit were
      used to localize the polypeptide chains. Immunoreactive staining with antisera
      against the alpha-, beta A-, and beta B-subunits was mainly observed in granulosa
      luteal cells (luteal cells), whereas thecal luteal cells were faintly stained
      with antibodies selective for each inhibin subunit. The intensity of
      immunostaining with alpha-subunit antiserum in luteal cells increased from the
      early luteal phase to the midluteal phase and subsequently decreased toward the
      late luteal phase. Inhibin alpha-subunit in the retrogressive CL was not
      detected. Not only was the immunolocalization of both beta A- and beta B-subunits
      detected in the luteal cells of the CL of the cycle, but the relative intensity
      of immunostaining with beta-subunit antiserum changed in a pattern similar to
      that shown by the alpha-subunit. The luteal cells and thecal luteal cells in the
      CL of pregnancy exhibited positive staining with antisera directed against each
      inhibin subunit. The present findings provide further evidence that 1)
      immunoreactive inhibin subunits are present in luteal cells in the CL of the
      menstrual cycle; 2) the detectable level of each subunit changes in parallel with
      the function of the CL over the course of the menstrual cycle; and 3) the CL of
      pregnancy might be involved in serum inhibin elevation early in gestation.

PMID- 1874927
TI  - Immunohistochemical detection of parathyroid hormone-related protein in human
      fetal epithelia.
AB  - PTH-related protein (PTHrP) is commonly produced by squamous cell carcinomata and
      is the mediator of the PTH-like features of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.
      It has also been implicated in calcium regulation during fetal development. In
      this study immunohistochemical techniques, using rabbit polyclonal antibodies to
      synthetic PTHrP peptides, have been used to localize PTHrP in human fetal tissues
      from one fetus of 7 weeks and two of approximately 18 and 20 weeks gestation,
      respectively, in order to identify sites of potential functional significance.
      PTHrP immunoreactivity was identified in epithelia from many sources, including
      skin, bronchus, pancreas, pharynx, gut, stomach, and renal pelvis. Thyroid and
      parathyroid glands, which develop from epithelial origins, also stained positive
      for PTHrP, as did kidney collecting tubules, adrenal tissue, and skeletal and
      smooth muscle. PTHrP immunoreactivity was also located in developing long bones
      and calvaria, where it may have relevance in bone turnover during fetal
      development. The role of PTHrP at these locations remains to be elucidated, but
      the identification of specific PTHrP immunoreactivity in fetal epithelia is
      consistent with PTHrP production by cancers of epithelial origin and supports the
      hypothesis that PTHrP may have a role in epithelial growth and differentiation.

PMID- 1874928
TI  - Measurement of individual plasma angiotensins in normal pregnancy and pregnancy
      induced hypertension.
AB  - Individual angiotensin peptides were measured by a high pressure liquid
      chromatography-RIA (HPLC-RIA) technique in the plasma of 20 nonpregnant women, 17
      women with normal pregnancy, and 49 with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
      Immunoreactive angiotensin-II (ANG-II) consisted mainly of ANG-(1-8) octapeptide
      (greater than 65%), variable proportions (15-25%) of ANG-(4-8) pentapeptide, and
      small to negligible proportions of ANG-(2-8) heptapeptide and ANG-(3-8)
      hexapeptide. Levels of ANG-(1-8) were significantly higher in women with normal
      pregnancy than in both nonpregnant women (P less than 0.0006) and women with
      pregnancy-induced hypertension (P less than 0.008); in the latter, levels were
      lower with increasing severity of disease. Levels of ANG-(4-8) were higher in
      women with normal pregnancy than in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension or
      nonpregnant women. When expressed as a proportion of ANG-(1-8) levels, however,
      ANG-(4-8) levels were not higher in normal pregnancy than in women with pregnancy
      induced hypertension or nonpregnant women. It is concluded that the well known
      increase in ANG-II levels in normal pregnancy relates predominantly to the active
      ANG-(1-8) octapeptide and to a far lesser extent to the smaller ANG peptides.
      Similarly, lower ANG-II levels in pregnancy-induced hypertension relate
      predominantly to lower ANG-(1-8) levels.

PMID- 1874929
TI  - Effect of gemfibrozil treatment in sulfonylurea-treated patients with noninsulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - This study was initiated to 1) assess gemfibrozil's ability to lower plasma
      triglyceride (TG) concentration in patients with NIDDM, and 2) determine whether
      this effect was associated with any changes in glycemic control. Measurements
      were made of mean hourly plasma glucose, insulin, TG, and FFA concentrations from
      1200-1600 h in response to a test meal; hepatic glucose production (HGP); insulin
      stimulated glucose uptake during a hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp study (MCR);
      and fasting plasma lipoprotein TG and cholesterol concentrations in 12 patients
      with NIDDM before and 3 months after gemfibrozil treatment. Although ambient
      plasma TG and FFA concentrations fell significantly, plasma glucose, insulin,
      HGP, concentrations fell significantly, plasma glucose, insulin, HGP, and glucose
      MCR did not change. However, when patients were divided into two groups, those
      with fasting plasma glucose levels above 9 mmol/L (fair control) and those with
      levels below 9 mmol/L (good control), a different phenomenon was observed.
      Patients in fair control had significant decreases in mean hourly plasma
      concentrations of glucose (15.1 +/- 1.7 to 12.6 +/- 0.9 mmol/L; P less than
      0.001), insulin (523 +/- 59 to 471 +/- 75 pmol/L; P less than 0.001), FFA (652 +/
      150 to 504 +/- 76 mumol/L), and HGP (9.5 0.4 to 8.1 +/- 0.4 mumol/kg.min; P less
      than 0.005), and an increase in glucose MCR (2.63 +/- 0.49 to 3.72 +/- 0.54
      mL/kg.min; P less than 0.07) in association with a fall in TG from 6.9 +/- 1.3 to
      3.5 +/- 0.9 mmol/L (P less than 0.001). Although fasting low density lipoprotein
      cholesterol increased (1.8 +/- 0.2 to 2.7 +/- 0.2 mmol/L; P less than 0.05), the
      ratio of total to high density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased (6.84 +/- 0.88
      to 5.80 +/- 1.05; P less than 0.02). Despite a significant fall in mean hourly TG
      concentration (4.6 +/- 0.7 to 3.8 +/- 0.7 mmol/L; P less than 0.001), neither
      insulin, FFA, HGP, nor glucose MCR changed in patients in good control.
      Furthermore, the mean hourly plasma glucose concentration increased from 9.2 +/-
      0.7 to 11.7 +/- 1.4 mmol/L (P less than 0.001). Low density lipoprotein
      cholesterol also increased in this group (1.9 +/- 0.2 to 2.7 +/- 0.2 mmol/L; P
      less than 0.02), but, as before, the ratio of total to high density lipoprotein
      cholesterol decreased (8.15 +/- 1.93 to 6.36 +/- 1.03; P less than 0.02).

PMID- 1874930
TI  - Comparison of intact, midregion, and carboxy terminal assays of parathyroid
      hormone for the diagnosis of bone disease in hemodialyzed patients.
AB  - The predictive value of three different RIAs of PTH for the diagnosis of the
      histological type of bone disease has been compared in 24 asymptomatic patients
      on chronic hemodialysis who had never been exposed to aluminum intoxication and
      who agreed to have a bone biopsy after double tetracycline labeling. The serum
      concentrations of PTH were measured using a two-site immunoradiometric assay for
      intact PTH(1-84) and region specific assays directed against the C-terminal (53
      84) fragment or the midregion (44-68) of the molecule. The bone histomorphometric
      analysis showed that six patients had nonaluminic adynamic bone disease with low
      bone formation rate (BFR), eight had mild hyperparathyroidism characterized by
      increased bone resorption and normal BFR, nine had severe hyperparathyroidism
      with increased BFR, and only one had true osteomalacia with increased osteoid
      seam thickness. All PTH assays correlated with the various parameters of bone
      resorption and bone formation and were able to differentiate the histological
      type of bone disease only when groups of patients were considered. For
      classifying individual patients into severe hyperparathyroidism and adynamic bone
      disease groups, the intact PTH assay had the best predictive value with a
      sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of at least 70%. A nonaluminic adynamic
      bone disease was observed in more than 50% of the patients who had normal intact
      PTH levels (6/11). It is concluded that the intact PTH measurement is superior to
      C-terminal and midregion assays for the prediction of the histological type of
      bone disease in hemodialyzed patients and should be of considerable value to
      adapt their treatment in order to avoid the emergence of both severe
      hyperparathyroidism and adynamic bone disease. In the absence of aluminum
      intoxication it seems that maintaining intact PTH concentrations 1 to 1.5 times
      the upper limit of normal would correspond to the best bone histology.

PMID- 1874931
TI  - Calcium supplementation reduces vertebral bone loss in perimenopausal women: a
      controlled trial in 248 women between 46 and 55 years of age.
AB  - To study the effect of calcium supplementation on perimenopausal bone loss, 295
      women were randomized into a control group and 2 supplementation groups
      receiving, respectively, 1000 and 2000 mg elemental calcium/day for a period of 2
      yr. We observed a significant decrease in lumbar bone loss in relation to the
      calcium supplementation (mean loss after 2 yr of 3.5% in the control group vs.
      1.3% and 0.7% in the 1000 and 2000 mg groups, respectively), a significant
      increase in urinary calcium excretion, and a significant decrease in the urinary
      hydroxyproline/creatine ratio, serum alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D. The effect of calcium supplementation on lumbar bone loss was
      significant in the first year of supplementation, but not in the second. However,
      the urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio and the serum alkaline phosphatase
      level remained significantly decreased in the treatment groups at the end of the
      study; this was not the case for serum osteocalcin. Calcium supplementation did
      not have a significant effect on metacarpal cortical bone loss. The difference in
      biochemical parameters between the 2 supplementation groups was small. No
      significant interaction was observed between the menopausal status of the
      subjects and the effect of calcium supplementation. We conclude that calcium
      supplementation retards lumbar bone loss in the first year of calcium
      supplementation by reducing bone turnover. However, the effect on lumbar bone
      loss over a longer time span is still uncertain.

PMID- 1874932
TI  - Hormonal responses during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in manic-depressed,
      unipolar depressed, and healthy control subjects.
AB  - Early studies using the insulin tolerance test (ITT) in affective disorders
      reported a blunted GH response in some depressed patients. However, results from
      subsequent studies were less consistent. These discrepancies resulted in part
      from limited sample sizes causing diagnostic heterogeneity. In the present study
      we examined hormonal response patterns during the ITT in 25 bipolar patients (19
      depressed and 6 hypomanic), 91 unipolar depressives, and 51 healthy volunteers to
      determine whether distinct neuroendocrine response patterns characterized
      specific diagnostic subgroups. We measured the glucose, GH, PRL, and cortisol
      responses during a 75-min ITT and observed a diminished cumulative GH response in
      bipolar hypomanic patients compared to bipolar depressives (P = 0.004) and
      healthy volunteers (P less than 0.001), and a larger cumulative GH response in
      bipolar depressives compared to unipolar patients (P = 0.02). No differences were
      observed in either PRL or cortisol responses among subject groups. The present
      findings suggest that GH responses during the ITT may be more complex than
      initially described and partially dependent upon affective disorder subtype.
      Thus, bipolar patients may have distinctive GH response patterns compared to
      those of unipolar depressives and healthy controls. Moreover, some of the
      difference observed in the GH response to the ITT may result from the phase of
      the manic-depressive illness. These data indicate differences in neuroendocrine
      substrates between affective disorder subtypes.

PMID- 1874933
TI  - Critical years and stages of puberty for spinal and femoral bone mass
      accumulation during adolescence.
AB  - Maximizing peak bone mass is advocated as a way to prevent osteoporosis. As a
      prerequisite to the elaboration of any preventive program aimed at maximizing
      peak bone mass, it is important to determine how the rate of skeletal growth at
      clinically relevant sites, such as lumbar spine and femoral neck, proceeds in
      relation to age and pubertal stages in both sexes. Bone mass was assessed in 207
      healthy caucasian boys and girls, aged 9-18 yr. Bone mineral density (BMD; grams
      per cm2) and content (BMC; grams) were determined in lumbar spine (L2-L4),
      femoral neck (FN), and midfemoral shaft (FS), using dual energy x-ray
      absorptiometry. Bone variables were correlated with both chronological age and
      pubertal stage, and compared with young adult (20-35 yr) reference values. The
      main results are: 1) in males, compared to females, there was a marked age
      related delay in L2-L4 BMD or BMC increase, but no delay was observed in relation
      to pubertal stages; 2) at the end of the rapid growth spurt, trends for higher
      mean values in males were observed for L2-L4 BMC, FN BMD, and particularly FS
      BMD, but no sex difference was observed for L2-L4 BMD; 3) in females, but not in
      males, a dramatic reduction in bone mass growth was observed after 15 yr of age,
      particularly for L2-L4 BMD/BMC and FN BMD. This sharp reduction occurred between
      the second and fourth years after menarche. In the 14- to 15-yr-old female group,
      BMD in L2-L4, FN, and FS corresponded to 99.2%, 105.1%, and 94.1%, respectively,
      and BMC in L2-L4 to 97.6% of the mean values recorded in 20- to 35-yr-old women.
      In conclusion, this cross-sectional study indicates that during pubertal
      development, major differences are observed in bone mass growth according to sex
      and skeletal site. Whereas in males bone mass at different skeletal sites
      continues to increase substantially between 15-18 yr, skeletal mass growth
      appears to dramatically slow down at the levels of both lumbar spine and FN at 15
      16 yr of age in female adolescents. This suggests that the generally accepted
      notion that in both males and females bone mass continues to substantially
      accumulate at all skeletal sites until the fourth decade may not be a constant in
      human physiology.

PMID- 1874934
TI  - Insulin effects on glucose and potassium metabolism in vivo: evidence for
      selective insulin resistance in humans.
AB  - The effects of insulin on in vivo glucose use and potassium uptake in healthy
      humans are well documented. However, the interrelationship between these two
      processes is not fully defined. In order to characterize it, we have used the
      euglycemic clamp technique on six normal volunteers, two patients with acanthosis
      nigricans and insulin resistance (AN), and one patient with idiopathic
      nonazotemic hyperkalemia (HK). In the basal state, all patients had normal
      fasting blood sugar, the AN patients had fasting hyperinsulinemia (600% of
      controls), and the HK patient had an elevated plasma potassium level of 5.1
      mmol/L (n = 4.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/L). During low dose (1 mU/kg.min), and high dose (10
      mU/kg.min) insulin infusions, normals used glucose at a rate of 220 +/- 10 and
      470 +/- 20 mg/M2.min, respectively. The HK patient had a normal glucose use at
      both infusion rates, but the AN patients had a 20% decrease of glucose use
      compared to normals at the two infusion rates. In normal patients, plasma
      potassium fell by 0.7 and 1.4 mmol/L at the end of the two infusion periods,
      respectively. AN patients had a similar fall in potassium, but the HK patient
      displayed no change in plasma potassium levels during a low dose insulin
      infusion, and only a 0.6 mmol/L drop during the high dose insulin infusion. These
      results indicate that: 1) patients with AN are resistant to insulin action on
      glucose use, 2) AN patients have a normal response to insulin on potassium
      uptake, 3) HK is a patient with normal response to insulin on glucose use, and 4)
      this patient is resistant to insulin action on potassium uptake. IN CONCLUSION:
      1) we have demonstrated the independence of insulin action on glucose and
      potassium uptake in vivo, 2) we documented the existence of selective insulin
      resistance in the above patients, 3) we speculate, that in patients with a normal
      response to insulin on one parameter of its actions, and subnormal response on
      another parameter, a postreceptor defect rather than a receptor abnormality must
      exist.

PMID- 1874935
TI  - Acanthosis Nigricans, insulin action, and hyperandrogenism: clinical,
      histological, and biochemical findings.
AB  - Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a frequent clinical finding in hyperandrogenic
      women. Its presence has been used to subgroup such women. We performed this study
      in order to determine the actual histological prevalence of AN and its
      relationship to sex hormone levels and insulin action. Insulin-mediated glucose
      disposal was determined by the euglycemic clamp technique, and neck or axillary
      skin biopsies were graded blind for the presence and severity of AN in lean and
      obese women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) and in age- and weight
      matched normal ovulatory controls. AN was present on clinical examination in 11
      of 13 obese PCO, 3 of 6 lean PCO, 4 of 14 obese normal, and 0 of 4 lean normal
      women. AN was present on histological examination in 13 of 13 obese PCO, 5 of 6
      lean PCO, 13 of 14 obese normal, and 1 of 4 lean normal women. The severity of
      histological AN was most highly correlated with insulin-mediated glucose disposal
      (r = -0.61; P less than 0.001) rather than fasting (r = 0.46; P less than 0.05)
      or glucose-stimulated insulin levels (r = 0.48; P less than 0.01). The only sex
      steroid correlated with histological AN was dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (r =
      0.46; P less than 0.01). We conclude that 1) clinical skin examination was very
      insensitive for detecting AN; 2) the best biochemical correlate of histological
      AN was decreased insulin action, rather than insulin or androgen levels per se;
      and 3) AN is a very common epiphenomenon of insulin resistance, and its clinical
      presence should not be used as a criterion for stratifying hyperandrogenic women.

PMID- 1874936
TI  - The lack of nocturnal serum thyrotropin surge in patients with nontoxic nodular
      goiter may predict the subsequent occurrence of hyperthyroidism.
AB  - TSH secretion, with particular regard to the nocturnal TSH surge, was evaluated
      in 115 subjects with non-toxic nodular goiter. All patients were clinically and
      biochemically euthyroid. After 18-36 months of follow-up (mean, 24 months),
      hyperthyroidism occurred in 21 (18%; group 1), while the remaining 94 remained
      euthyroid (82%; group II). The analysis of hormonal data at the time of first
      observation showed that the 2 groups had similar total and free T4 and T3 serum
      concentrations. Morning serum TSH values in group I were lower than those in
      group II patients (0.6 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.1 mU/L; P less than 0.001); this
      difference was even more striking for the nocturnal values (0.6 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.2
      +/- 0.2 mU/L; P less than 0.0001); nocturnal values were significantly lower than
      morning values in group II, but not in group I. The mean peak TSH value after TRH
      was also significantly reduced in group I (5.5 +/- 0.4 vs. 9.2 +/- 0.7 mU/L; P
      less than 0.001). Morning TSH values in group II did not differ from those in
      controls (1.3 +/- 0.1 mU/L), whereas nocturnal and TRH stimulated peak TSH values
      were slightly but significantly lower. The nocturnal serum TSH values in control
      subjects were 62-390% higher than morning values. The nocturnal TSH surge was
      abolished in 18 of 21 (86%) group I patients and in 7 of 94 (8%) group II
      patients. TRH testing resulted in an absent or blunted TSH responses in 5
      subjects in group I and 6 in group II. Analysis by the Galen and Gambino
      predictive model; comparing the abolition of the nocturnal TSH surge and the
      abnormal TRH test as predictors of the subsequent occurrence of hyperthyroidism,
      showed that the former had higher sensitivity (86% vs. 24%) and predictivity (72%
      vs. 45%). In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrate that the
      evaluation of the nocturnal TSH surge may be useful in identifying patients with
      nontoxic nodular goiter in whom hyperthyroidism may eventually occur. Patients
      who lack the nocturnal serum TSH surge are more prone to develop thyroid
      hyperfunction; their thyroid status should, therefore, be more carefully and
      frequently monitored.

PMID- 1874938
TI  - Mechanism of insulin resistance in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: a major
      role for reduced skeletal muscle blood flow.
AB  - To define the kinetic mechanisms of insulin resistance (IR) in insulin-dependent
      diabetes (IDDM), we studied seven control (C) and five IDDM (glycohemoglobin, 14
      +/- 2+) men matched for age (36 +/- 2 vs. 37 +/- 3 yr), lean body mass (59 +/- 2
      vs. 58 +/- 3 kg), and leg volume (mean +/- SEM, 10.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 9.8 +/- 0.5 L).
      Maximal capacity (Vmax) and affinity (Km) for glucose uptake in whole body (WBGU)
      and leg skeletal muscle (LGU) were measured during a 120 mU/m2.min insulin
      infusion, and blood glucose was clamped at about 4, 7, 12, and 21 mmol/L. LGU =
      femoral arterio-venous glucose difference (FAVGD) X leg blood flow (LBF).
      Compared to C, IDDMs had about 35% lower rates of WBGU at all glucose levels (P
      less than 0.01). The FAVGD (millimoles per L) in C vs. IDDM was 1.23 +/- 0.05 vs.
      1.06 +/- 0.09, 2.44 +/- 0.11 vs. 2.24 +/- 0.16, 2.91 +/- 0.18 vs. 2.91 +/- 0.30,
      and 3.27 +/- 0.12 vs. 3.35 +/- 0.4 (P = NS at each glucose). LBF (decaliters per
      min) was reduced in IDDM vs. C [2.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.4 (P less than 0.05),
      3.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.1 +/- 0.7 (P less than 0.05), 2.7 +/- 0.2 vs. 6.3 +/- 0.8 (P
      less than 0.01), and 3.1 +/- 0.7 vs. 6.5 +/- 0.8 (P less than 0.01) at each
      glucose level]. Kinetic analysis revealed that 1) the Vmax for WBGU and LGU were
      reduced in IDDM vs. C (P less than 0.05), and 2) the Vmax for skeletal muscle
      glucose extraction (FAVGD) was identical in C and IDDM (3.6 mmol/L). The Km
      values for WBGU, LGU, and glucose extraction were not different in C and IDDM
      (approximately 6 mmol/L). Thus, in IDDM 1) decreased glucose uptake is due to
      reduced skeletal muscle glucose uptake; 2) muscle glucose extraction is normal,
      but blood flow is reduced; and thus, 3) in IDDM, IR is due to reduced glucose and
      insulin delivery (blood flow) to skeletal muscle. This represents a novel
      mechanism for in vivo IR.

PMID- 1874937
TI  - Preservation of pulsatile luteinizing hormone release during postpartum
      lactational amenorrhea.
AB  - To evaluate the pulsatile mode of immunoactive LH release during physiological
      lactational amenorrhea, we withdrew blood samples at 10-min intervals for 24 h
      from breastfeeding women (n = 9) at both 3 weeks and 3 months postpartum.
      Nonlactating women (n = 7) were sampled similarly in the early follicular phase
      of the normal menstrual cycle. Objective LH pulse analysis revealed that the mean
      frequencies of pulsatile LH release were similar at both times postpartum and in
      menstruating young women. By 3 months postpartum, mean serum PRL concentrations
      had declined 50%, and serum LH peak areas doubled. In contrast, LH interpulse
      interval, peak duration, and maximal, incremental, and fractional LH pulse
      amplitude did not change significantly. When deconvolution analysis was used to
      assess pituitary responses to two pulses of exogenous GnRH at 3 months (vs. 3
      weeks) postpartum, we found significant increases in maximal LH secretory rates
      and the total mass of LH secreted. There was no change in the duration or timing
      of the evoked LH secretory burst and/or the estimated half-life of endogenous LH.
      In summary, during lactational amenorrhea, pulsatile LH release occurs at a mean
      frequency no different from that in the normal early follicular phase. As
      hyperprolactinemia wanes, there is increased pituitary responsiveness to
      exogenously administered GnRH and a doubling of spontaneous serum LH
      concentration peak areas. Such amplitude changes are consistent with the
      hypothesis of increased endogenous GnRH drive (e.g. augmented GnRH secretion per
      burst and/or increased pituitary responsiveness to available GnRH) during
      recovery of the postpartum hypothalamopituitary-ovarian axis.

PMID- 1874940
TI  - The retirement of Professor Robert Edwards.

PMID- 1874939
TI  - Insulin resistance and hypoglycemia in a patient with systemic lupus
      erythematosus: description of antiinsulin receptor antibodies that enhance
      insulin binding and inhibit insulin action.
AB  - We studied a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and type B insulin
      resistance, who progressed from extreme insulin resistance to fasting
      hypoglycemia. The plasma insulin level was 63.3 +/- 20.9 pmol/L in the fasting
      state and rose above 1440 pmol/L postprandially. Intravenous administration of
      human insulin caused almost no decline in plasma glucose. Therefore, it was
      concluded that the patient was still resistant to insulin and that plasma insulin
      did not play a crucial role in the development of hypoglycemia. Immunoglobulin G
      from this patient did not inhibit insulin binding to the insulin receptor;
      rather, it enhanced [125I]insulin binding in both the immunoprecipitate and the
      in vitro binding assay to intact cells. Antiinsulin receptor antibodies strongly
      inhibited insulin internalization in human adipocytes, slowed down the
      dissociation of [125I]insulin from receptors and failed to induce down-regulation
      of surface insulin receptors in both the presence and absence of insulin.
      Finally, autoantibodies mimicked the insulin stimulatory effect on human fat cell
      lipogenesis even after long term exposure, but inhibited the metabolic potency of
      insulin when added simultaneously with the natural ligand. We conclude that
      antiinsulin receptor antibodies induce fasting hypoglycemia, through their
      continuous receptor stimulatory action, and insulin resistance, possibly by a
      conformational perturbation of the receptor protein, which, in turn, uncouples
      insulin receptor binding from receptor function.

PMID- 1874941
TI  - Bob Edwards--a profile.

PMID- 1874942
TI  - Fluorescent in-situ hybridization to interphase nuclei of human preimplantation
      embryos with X and Y chromosome specific probes.
AB  - Fluorescent in-situ hybridization (ISH) to interphase nuclei of human
      preimplantation embryos has been demonstrated with the X and Y chromosome
      specific DNA probes, pBamX7 and pHY2.1, respectively. Assigning the sex on the
      basis of the number of hybridization signals in the majority of nuclei, the
      efficiencies with both probes to nuclei from male embryos were considerably
      higher than those previously reported for pHY2.1 detected by isotopic or
      conventional non-isotopic methods. Only approximately 15% of nuclei from male
      embryos failed to hybridize with these probes. With pBamX7, a high incidence
      (18%) of nuclei with two (or more) signals in embryos classified as males and
      four signals in a female embryo was observed. In some cases, the double spot
      nuclei were larger than those with single spots, providing evidence of
      tetraploidy. The feasibility of using fluorescent ISH for sexing biopsied embryos
      in couples at risk of X-linked disease and for the preimplantation diagnosis of
      chromosome abnormalities is discussed.

PMID- 1874943
TI  - Microsurgical fertilization and teratozoospermia.
AB  - Semen parameters were correlated with the outcome of partial zona dissection
      (PZD) in 42 couples with male factor infertility. Although fertilization rates
      were reduced, 12% of the embryos implanted following replacement. Spermatozoa
      from teratozoospermic sperm populations were able to fuse with oocytes following
      zona penetration through the artificial gaps. PZD followed by insemination with
      less than 5% normal spermatozoa led to 20 embryos which, upon replacement, did
      not implant. Motility and sperm count were not clearly correlated with the
      outcome of PZD and are therefore less useful indicators for patient selection.
      Teratozoospermic patients who previously failed to fertilize were compared to a
      group of similar patients who had not attempted IVF before. Although
      fertilization was significantly improved in first-time patients, 41% of the
      patients whose spermatozoa were initially unable to fertilize had at least one
      embryo when PZD was performed. Several pregnancies were established in this
      group. Subzonal sperm insertion (SZI) and PZD were compared in 19 patients using
      sibling oocytes. A significant fraction of spermatozoa from infertile men were
      able to fuse with the oolemma when directly inserted into the perivitelline area.
      Using a sucrose solution to shrink the ooplasm, only 1% of the oocytes were
      damaged during SZI. Monospermic fertilization rates following PZD and SZI were 15
      and 16%, respectively. Both micromanipulation methods were successful in most
      patients. However, in two small groups of patients, only one technique resulted
      in fertilization.

PMID- 1874944
TI  - Presentation of six pregnancies established by sub-zonal insemination (SUZI).
AB  - Clinical trials were undertaken to evaluate sub-zonal insemination (SUZI) for the
      procurement of fertilization in infertile couples. We present here the six
      pregnancies resulting from this work. Insemination of multiple sperm was used,
      with a mean of 3.7 +/- 2.1 (SD) per oocyte. One hundred and thirty patients
      presented either with previous failures of fertilization in vitro and/or with
      severe seminal defects, including oligo-, astheno-, oligo-astheno- or necro
      zoospermia. Forty-one (31.5%) patients achieved fertilization and 39 had
      replacement of conceptuses. Six patients achieved a pregnancy (4.6% overall,
      15.4% per replacement), four have delivered and two have miscarried. The
      implantation rate was nine conceptuses from a total of 61 replaced (14.8%); and
      of the six women who conceived, nine of 11 replaced conceptuses implanted. Of the
      oocytes recovered, 539 were used for SUZI, of which 69 (12.8%) fertilized. Three
      singleton pregnancies resulted, two from patients having one conceptus replaced,
      the other from the replacement of three conceptuses. Two twin pregnancies were
      produced, both in patients having two conceptuses replaced. The sixth pregnancy,
      a triplet, occurred in a patient having three conceptuses replaced, one conceived
      after standard in-vitro fertilization (IVF), the other two after SUZI. Two sets
      of non-identical twins, both one male and one female, a singleton female and
      female (non-identical) triplets have been born, normal and healthy.

PMID- 1874945
TI  - Human preimplantation embryo cryopreservation: selected aspects.
AB  - This report describes the results of cryopreserving human preimplantation zygotes
      and cleaved embryos (2-4 cells) in our in-vitro fertilization programme.
      Cryopreserved zygotes and cleaved embryos resulted in similar post-thaw survival
      rates (74.8 versus 70.9%). Pregnancy rates per retrieval cycle (RC) and embryos
      transferred per pregnancy for frozen-thawed zygotes versus frozen-thawed cleaved
      embryos were 21.8 versus 11.5% (P less than 0.2) and 12.6 versus 17.5 (P less
      than 0.2), respectively. Pregnancy rates increased significantly for both fresh
      (P less than 0.0005) and frozen-thawed (P less than 0.05) embryos as the number
      of embryos replaced per transfer increased from one to three or more. Frozen
      thawed embryos resulted in multiple implantation rates per transfer of 25
      compared to 6.4% (P less than 0.1) for fresh embryos when two embryos were
      replaced. Pregnancy rates were reduced for fresh (P less than 0.05) and frozen
      thawed (P less than 0.1) embryos obtained from patient retrieval cycle numbers
      greater than 3. The method of follicular stimulation during the retrieval cycle
      did not affect frozen-thawed embryo survival rates. There was no difference in
      pregnancy rates from frozen-thawed embryos replaced during natural or clomiphene
      citrate transfer cycles. Patients with cryopreserved embryos had cumulative
      pregnancy rates of 37.1% (66/178) compared to 23.5% (110/468) (P less than 0.01)
      for patients with no embryos cryopreserved; cryopreservation of preimplantation
      embryos is a reliable therapeutic procedure that enhances achievement of
      pregnancy through in-vitro fertilization.

PMID- 1874946
TI  - The influence of in-vitro development upon post-thaw survival and implantation of
      cryopreserved human blastocysts.
AB  - Blastocysts from 198 patients were frozen using glycerol as cryoprotectant. No
      difference in the post-thaw survival of blastocysts or implantation rates was
      found between 177 patients (122 transfers) with all surplus embryos cultured to
      blastocysts before freezing and 20 patients (12 transfers) whose embryos were
      considered unsuitable for freezing during cleavage and were then frozen as
      blastocysts. Nineteen pregnancies were achieved, of which six aborted. Pre
      freezing morphology was similar in blastocysts of patients in groups 1 and 2 and
      did not relate to their survival after cryopreservation. A significantly lower
      proportion with suspected damage after thawing was present among patients
      becoming pregnant after transfers of single blastocysts (P less than 0.01) and
      implanting embryos were in general more expanded at the time of transfer. No
      differences were detected between blastocysts resulting in normal development and
      those leading to abortion. The developmental consequences of damage to human
      blastocysts are discussed.

PMID- 1874947
TI  - Cryoprotection of human oocytes: inappropriate exposure to DMSO reduces
      fertilization rates.
AB  - Human oocytes were exposed to the cryoprotectant dimethyl-sulphoxide (DMSO) at
      either 4 or 37 degrees C. Subsequent fertilization of these oocytes showed that
      exposure to DMSO at 37 degrees C was associated with a greatly reduced
      fertilization rate when compared to untreated control oocytes, whereas no such
      reduction was seen in oocytes exposed to DMSO at 4 degrees C. The significance of
      these results for the potential cryopreservation of human oocytes is discussed.

PMID- 1874948
TI  - Whole embryo culture and teratogenesis.
AB  - Whole embryo culture (WEC) is under evaluation in numerous laboratories to
      determine the role it should play in teratogen testing. There is general
      agreement that its role is to complement the Segment II Teratology studies
      required by regulatory authorities. Currently it is used as a 'screen' in order
      to minimize the number of compounds used in animal tests and also to determine
      the mechanism(s) of teratogenesis. This brief review focuses on the study of
      retinoid teratogenicity in WEC in order to illustrate these points.

PMID- 1874949
TI  - Vitamin deficiencies and neural-tube defects: human and animal studies.
AB  - The evidence for an association between vitamin deficiency in early pregnancy and
      the prevalence of neural-tube defects in humans is reviewed, with particular
      emphasis on the methodological problems encountered in conducting such studies.
      It is apparent that there is strong evidence for an association between maternal
      vitamin status and the outcome of pregnancy, but this is not universally
      accepted, due to ethical and practical constraints on the design of the studies.
      There are also problems in obtaining precise information from experiments on
      animals in vivo. By culturing rat embryos in dialysed serum in which the
      micromolecular component is defined, it has been possible to demonstrate that
      significant numbers of neural-tube defects can be produced by the deficiency of a
      single vitamin (inositol), and that multiple vitamin deficiency produces a
      further significant increase in the frequency of such defects.

PMID- 1874950
TI  - Effect of stevioside on growth and reproduction.
AB  - The effect on growth and reproduction in hamsters of stevioside, which is
      extracted from stevia leaves (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) and is currently used as
      a non-caloric sweetener, was investigated. Four groups of 20 one-month-old
      hamsters (10 males and 10 females) were daily force-fed with stevioside (0.0,
      0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 g/kg body wt/day, respectively). No abnormalities were found in
      growth and fertility in both sexes. All males mated females efficiently and
      successfully. Females showed normal 4-day oestrus cycles and became pregnant
      after mating. Each female was mated and allowed to bear three litters during the
      period of experiment. The duration of pregnancy, number of fetuses, as well as
      number of young delivered each time from females in the experimental groups were
      not significantly different from those in the control group. The young F1 and F2
      hamsters continuously receiving stevioside via drinking water until one month old
      and daily force-fed afterwards at the same doses as their parents showed normal
      growth and fertility. Histological examinations of reproductive tissues from all
      three generations revealed no evidence of abnormality which could be linked to
      the effects of consuming stevioside. We conclude that stevioside at a dose as
      high as 2.5 g/kg body wt/day affects neither growth nor reproduction in hamsters.

PMID- 1874951
TI  - The WHO Task Force on Vaccines for Fertility Regulation. Its formation,
      objectives and research activities.
AB  - Over the past 18 years, the WHO Task Force on Vaccines for Fertility Regulation
      has been supporting basic and clinical research on the development of birth
      control vaccines directed against the gametes or the preimplantation embryo.
      These studies have involved the use of advanced procedures in peptide chemistry,
      hybridoma technology and molecular genetics as well as the evaluation of a number
      of novel approaches in general vaccinology. As a result of this international,
      collaborative effort, a prototype anti-HCG vaccine is now undergoing clinical
      testing, raising the prospect that a totally new family planning method may be
      available before the end of the current decade.

PMID- 1874952
TI  - The incidence of abnormal morphology and nucleocytoplasmic ratios in 2-, 3- and 5
      day human pre-embryos.
AB  - Human cleaving pre-embryos at 2 and 3 days and cavitated pre-embryos at 5 days
      post-insemination have been examined for cell number and the incidence of
      mononucleated cells. At least 60% of polynucleate or anucleate cells have been
      detected at all these stages and regardless of morphological grading at day 2. It
      is concluded that even by the time at which pre-embryo replacement would occur
      therapeutically, the majority of pre-embryos are unlikely to have full
      developmental potential. The possible origins of the abnormalities of
      nucleocytoplasmic ratios are discussed.

PMID- 1874953
TI  - An investigation of the fate of cells transplanted orthotopically between
      morulae/nascent blastocysts in the mouse.
AB  - A technique has been devised for selectively replacing some inside cells (ICs) or
      outside cells (OCs) of late morulae/nascent blastocysts with corresponding cells
      from genetically dissimilar, synchronous embryos. The main purpose was to
      determine whether the inner cell mass (ICM) contributes cells to the overlying
      polar trophectoderm at any stage during the blastocyst phase of development.
      Notwithstanding the high incidence and level of chimaerism in ICM derivatives of
      post-implantation conceptuses obtained in the IC transplantation experiments,
      trophoblast tissue was composed entirely of host cells in the majority of cases.
      Even where a donor IC contribution to trophoblast was detected there were strong
      grounds for suspecting that it was due to tissue contamination rather than
      genuine chimaerism. Thus, not only did such contributions differ in both level
      and distribution from those produced by transplantation of OCs but they also
      varied markedly in frequency according to the day of gestation on which
      conceptuses were dissected. The possibility that ICs regularly colonize the polar
      trophectoderm but fail to persist there was excluded by the results of short-term
      transplantation experiments using an in-situ genetic marker. These findings offer
      no support for the hypothesis that the ICM serves as a population of stem cells
      for the trophectoderm as well as the primitive endoderm and ectoderm during
      normal development. The frequency of chimaerism was lower in OC than IC
      transplantation experiments. Nevertheless, in a substantial proportion of
      chimaeras, OCs colonized derivatives of the ICM. This is consistent with evidence
      from other studies that some outside cells divide differentially at 5th cleavage
      to produce an OC plus an IC rather than two OCs.

PMID- 1874954
TI  - Postnatal compensatory growth of manipulated mouse embryos.
AB  - As an extension of the biometrical analysis of data described in an earlier paper
      (Papaioannou et al., 1989, Development, 106, 817-827), we have examined the
      extent of postnatal compensatory growth in body weight and tail length of
      genetically identical F1 mice from the following groups: controls--the natural
      offspring of timed matings; transferred controls--offspring from embryos flushed
      at the 2-cell stage and transferred to recipient foster mothers; and transferred
      half embryos--offspring developing from one blastomere from the 2-cell stage
      transferred to recipient foster mothers. There was little difference between the
      postnatal growth curves of transferred controls and mice produced from half
      embryos, indicating regulation during prenatal development is complete and that
      halving an embryo at the beginning of gestation has no lasting effects on its
      size or postnatal growth rate. In contrast, embryo transfer itself had a
      significant effect, resulting in smaller litters and larger, more variable
      animals after birth. There was then a period of postnatal compensatory growth in
      body weight and tail length after 4 weeks of age. We have provided direct
      evidence that animals that become relatively large during early growth curtail
      their growth rate compared to small animals as they approach maximum size and the
      reverse occurs with small animals. A similar phenomenon was observed for tail
      length. Although the overall variance of embryo transfer mice is high during
      postnatal growth, the intraclass correlation coefficient is also high, making
      them useful for comparative experiments.

PMID- 1874955
TI  - Influence of genome imprinting on gene expression, phenotypic variations and
      development.
AB  - Genome imprinting confers functional differences on parental chromosomes as a
      result of the differences in epigenetic inheritance from parental germlines.
      Repressed and derepressed chromatin structures probably constitute the initial
      germline-dependent 'imprints'. Any subsequent modifications, such as DNA
      methylation, will be influenced by these initial epigenetic modifications. Hence,
      epigenetic modifications of parental alleles probably occur progressively and
      this will affect their potential for expression. It appears that imprinting of
      some parental alleles is critical for their dosage, affecting embryonic growth,
      cell proliferation and differentiation. Genetic studies highlight the influence
      of subsets of imprinted genes and identify those which are crucial for
      development. Genomic imprinting also affects some transgene loci and dominant
      mutations with accompanying variable penetrance and expressivity. The response of
      transgenes can be influenced by modifier genes whose presence is most readily
      detected in different inbred backgrounds. The influence of modifier genes can in
      turn be affected by their parental origin, perhaps partly by the maternally
      inherited oocyte cytoplasmic factors, as well as by complex interactions between
      some parental alleles and oocyte cytoplasmic factors. The resulting epigenetic
      modifications of unlinked loci can result in substantial phenotypic variations.

PMID- 1874956
TI  - In the beginning there was Bob.

PMID- 1874957
TI  - An investigation by mathematical modelling of whether mouse and human
      preimplantation embryos in static culture can satisfy their demands for oxygen by
      diffusion.
AB  - Mammalian preimplantation embryos are conventionally grown in small, static
      droplets of medium. By contrast, embryos within the oviduct are subject to mixing
      forces arising from the action of cilia and the contractions of the myosalpinx.
      Such forces will minimize the buildup of unstirred layers around the embryos and
      facilitate the exchange of gases and metabolites. We have devised a mathematical
      model to investigate whether preimplantation mouse and human embryos grown in
      static culture can satisfy their requirement for oxygen solely by diffusion i.e.
      in the absence of stirring. The model incorporates the diffusion coefficients for
      oxygen in the medium outside and within the embryo, the oxygen tension of the
      culture medium, the size of the embryo and its oxygen uptake. Solutions of the
      model are provided for mouse oocytes and 2-cell embryos, mouse blastocysts and
      human morulae. In each case, the model is solved for two different values of the
      diffusion coefficient of oxygen within the cell and of the oxygen content of the
      medium (5 and 20%). The conclusion is that mouse embryos in static culture are
      likely to be able to satisfy their demands for oxygen by diffusion alone, but
      that human embryos may become marginally hypoxic, especially at lower oxygen
      levels.

PMID- 1874958
TI  - The culture of postimplantation embryos.
AB  - Culture methods for postimplantation embryos are now widely used in studies of
      embryo physiology, growth and development. Available methods support growth and
      development of rat and mouse embryos at all stages of organogenesis. The best
      results are obtained from embryos between head fold and early limb bud stages;
      overall growth and differentiation of these embryos in vitro is almost identical
      to that in vivo. Some examples of the application of postimplantation embryo
      culture to specific lines of study are given and some possible future
      developments of the technique are discussed.

PMID- 1874960
TI  - The intra-vaginal culture technique for supernumerary oocytes from gamete intra
      Fallopian transfer.
AB  - The intra-vaginal culture technique has been utilized for supernumerary oocytes
      produced as a result of gamete intra-Fallopian transfer therapy. This has enabled
      knowledge regarding fertilization to be gained and in addition, by adapting the
      technique to include a transportational element, it has been possible to perform
      embryo cryopreservation in a separate unit. Analysis of the results of 72 GIFT
      treatment cycles reveals that when more than four oocytes were collected at
      laparoscopy, 15/32 (47%) pregnancies were achieved, in comparison with 7/40
      pregnancies (17.5%) when four or fewer oocytes were recovered (P less than 0.01).
      Whilst the GIFT pregnancy rate was higher when spare oocytes were fertilized and
      embryos cryopreserved (9/16; 56%), six of the 16 patients (37.5%) with failed
      fertilization of spare oocytes still achieved a GIFT pregnancy.

PMID- 1874959
TI  - Energy substrate requirements for in-vitro development of hamster 1- and 2-cell
      embryos to the blastocyst stage.
AB  - Energy substrate requirements (pyruvate, lactate and amino acids) were determined
      for in-vitro development of hamster 1- and 2-cell embryos to blastocysts, using a
      chemically defined, protein free medium (hamster embryo culture medium, HECM).
      One-cell embryos were very sensitive to energy substrate type and concentration.
      Pyruvate alone could not support development of 1-cell embryos to greater than 4
      cells, whereas lactate as sole energy substrate supported 14% development into
      morulae/blastocysts. Pyruvate, with lactate and 20 amino acids, inhibited 1-cell
      embryo development into blastocysts relative to lactate and 20 amino acids. The
      highest development of 1-cell embryos to blastocysts (up to 27%) occurred with
      reduced lactate concentration (less than 10 mM) and either 20 amino acids or 0.2
      mM glutamine. Hamster 2-cell embryos were much less sensitive to energy
      substrates, requiring only lactate for development to blastocysts (53%). Lactate
      with 20 amino acids supported 70-75% of 2-cell embryos to blastocysts. Glutamine
      as sole energy and nitrogen source supported development to morulae and
      blastocysts of some 2-cell, but not 1-cell, embryos. Pyruvate did not enhance
      development of 2-cell embryos. We conclude that (i) altering the types and
      concentrations of available energy substrates drastically changes the
      developmental responses of 1-cell hamster embryos in vitro and (ii) energy
      substrate requirements for hamster embryo development in vitro are markedly
      different from those of mouse embryos, the standard model for studies on
      preimplantation development. This is the first report of successful in-vitro
      culture of hamster 1-cell embryos to the blastocyst stage.

PMID- 1874961
TI  - New insights into triploidy and tetraploidy, from an analysis of model systems
      for these conditions.
AB  - While triploids and tetraploids together probably account for approximately 20%
      of all spontaneous abortions with a numerical chromosomal defect, and
      consequently give rise to a significant proportion of human pregnancy wastage,
      relatively little is known about their early embryogenesis and phenotypic
      features. We have therefore studied the early post-implantation stages of
      development of spontaneously occurring digynic triploid mouse embryos and
      experimentally induced diandric and digynic triploids, as well as diandric
      heterozygous diploids and homozygous tetraploid embryos. This material has been
      examined morphologically and cytogenetically, in order to investigate whether any
      relationship exists between their phenotype, genotype and developmental
      potential. Attention is drawn to the fact that the detailed analysis of this
      material has already shed important new light on the genetic factors that
      influence early mammalian development. In addition, it appears likely that it has
      the potential to provide new insights into pattern formation, in particular in
      relation to the craniofacial region, the heart and the post-cranial vertebral
      axis.

PMID- 1874962
TI  - In-vitro studies on 'spare' human preimplantation embryos in culture.
AB  - Methods previously used for the biopsy of preimplantation mouse embryos have been
      applied to individual 'spare' human embryos. Early cleavage-stage human embryos
      have been cultured and individual blastomeres removed following zonae thinning or
      drilling. Embryos have also been cultured to the blastocyst stage for the biopsy
      of three to five trophectoderm cells. Both the biopsied embryo and the biopsied
      cells have been allowed to develop and/or grow in vitro.

PMID- 1874963
TI  - Calponin and the composition of smooth muscle thin filaments.

PMID- 1874964
TI  - Visualization of myosin exchange between synthetic thick filaments.
AB  - Exchange of myosin molecules between synthetic thick filaments was examined by
      fluorescence energy transfer and visualized by electron microscopy using
      streptavidin-gold to detect exchanged biotinylated myosin molecules. N
      hydroxysuccinimido-biotin (NHS-biotin) was covalently linked to purified adult
      chicken pectoralis myosin to obtain assembly-competent biotinylated myosin
      molecules. Two distinct classes of synthetic filaments, distinguishable by
      length, were prepared. Biotinylated filaments (575 +/- 100 nm) were assembled by
      a quick dilution (QD) method and unlabelled filaments (1025 +/- 250 nm) were
      obtained by a sequential dilution (SD). The two filament population maintained
      their distinct length distributions even when mixed. To measure exchange,
      biotinylated short (QD) filaments were combined with unlabelled long (SD)
      filaments at a 1:5 ratio, sampled at varying times and the entry of biotinylated
      myosin into the previously unlabelled long filaments visualized by the addition
      of streptavidin-gold. The number of gold particles per micron was examined for
      fully biotinylated short filaments (less than 700 nm), unlabelled long filaments
      (greater than 900 nm), and exchanged filaments. Equivalent binding of
      streptavidin-gold to the two filament types was detected by 60 min suggesting
      randomization of biotinylated monomers by this time. The precise location of
      streptavidin-gold sites on the long filaments was also measured. Although
      labeling was detected along the full length of the filaments, at the earliest
      time points (5 min) filament ends contained twice the number of gold particles as
      the filament centers. Approximately equivalent labeling along the entire length
      of the filaments was observed by 60 min. These results provide additional support
      for our earlier report of extensive myosin exchange between synthetic thick
      filaments and show that extensive exchange takes place rapidly along the full
      length of synthetic thick filaments.

PMID- 1874965
TI  - X-ray diffraction study of the structural changes accompanying phosphorylation of
      tarantula muscle.
AB  - Electron microscopy of negatively stained isolated thick filaments of tarantula
      muscle has revealed that phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains is
      accompanied by a loss of the helical order of myosin heads. From equatorial X-ray
      diffraction patterns of tarantula muscles in the phosphorylated state we have
      detected a mass movement in the myosin filaments that supports this finding.

PMID- 1874966
TI  - Changes in sarcoplasmic metabolite concentrations and pH associated with the
      catch contraction and relaxation of the anterior byssus retractor muscle of
      Mytilus edulis measured by phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance.
AB  - The sarcoplasmic concentrations of phosphorus metabolites and pH (pHin) were
      measured in the anterior byssus retractor muscle (ABRM) of Mytilus edulis by 31P
      nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. During an active contraction induced by
      10(-3) acetylcholine, the concentration of arginine phosphate ([Arg-P]in)
      decreased from the resting value of 7.47 +/- 0.26 (mean +/- SE, n = 8) to 6.67 +/
      0.29 (n = 6) mumol g-1, and that of inorganic phosphate (Pi) consistently
      increased from 0.84 +/- 0.06 (n = 7) to 1.61 +/- 0.12 (n = 5) mumol g-1. In the
      'catch' state following the active contraction, these concentrations were close
      to their resting levels, indicating that the catch is an inactive state. 5
      hydroxytryptamine caused a rapid relaxation of the catch, which was associated
      with a slight decrease in [Arg-P]in and an increase in pHin by ca 0.2 units. The
      sarcoplasmic concentration of ATP (mean, 1.6 mumol g-1) did not change throughout
      the contraction-relaxation cycle.

PMID- 1874967
TI  - Expression of slow and fast myosin heavy chains in overload muscles of the
      developing rat.
AB  - The present study examines the developmental accumulation of slow myosin heavy
      chain in the extensor digitorum longus, soleus and plantaris muscles of rats
      after early post-natal imposition of mechanical overload by removal of
      synergistic muscles. The proportions of slow and fast myosin heavy chain were
      measured in each muscle by ELISA. Fibres expressing slow myosin were examined
      immunocytochemically using a monoclonal antibody specific for slow MHC. Between
      30 and 60 days of age, MHC increases by 15% (p less than 0.001) in the soleus and
      by 27% (p less than 0.001) in the plantaris of normally developing, unoperated
      animals. The effect of overload on the soleus and plantaris is to accelerate the
      rate of increase in slow MHC accumulation so that levels are respectively 16 and
      39% higher than controls by 30 days of age (p less than 0.001). By 60 days, the
      control soleus and plantaris attain levels of slow MHC roughly equivalent to
      their overloaded counterparts. In overloaded plantaris the increase in levels of
      slow myosin does not occur at the expense of fast myosin expression. In the EDL
      there is a normal developmentally regulated decrease in slow MHC accumulation,
      reflected by a 40% decrease in levels of slow MHC (p less than 0.0001) and a 50%
      decrease in the number of slow fibres (p less than 0.001), between 30 days and 20
      weeks of age. This elimination of slow myosin accumulation in the EDL is
      unimpeded by chronic overload. Thus, muscles react to mechanical overload in a
      tissue specific manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1874968
TI  - Identification of and pattern of transitions of cardiac, adult slow and slow
      skeletal muscle-like embryonic isoforms of troponin T in developing rat and human
      skeletal muscles.
AB  - Using a monoclonal antibody (CDC4) that recognizes both the cardiac and slow
      skeletal isoforms of troponin T in an immunoblotting procedure, the composition
      of troponin T isoforms in adult and developing skeletal muscles of the rat and
      human were studied. Two major isoforms of slow troponin T (HS1 and HS2) were
      detected in all the adult human skeletal muscles investigated. Significant
      amounts of another isoform (HS3) in addition to HS1 and HS2 were also detectable
      in a subgroup of these muscles. All the human fetal skeletal muscles at 20 weeks
      of gestation expressed HS1 and HS2 isoforms but not HS3. The fetal skeletal
      muscles, also expressed cardiac troponin T in addition. Unlike the human skeletal
      muscles, only a single isoform of slow troponin T was detected by antibody CDC4
      in both the adult and neonatal rat skeletal muscles. The investigation of fetal
      rat skeletal muscles using the same antibody, however, detected the presence of
      not only the embryonic cardiac and adult slow skeletal isoforms but also five
      additional not previously described isoforms (Es1-Es5) of troponin T. These
      embryonic isoforms, Es1-Es5, were undetectable in the postnatal skeletal muscles
      although their small amounts could be detected in the neonatal rat hearts. The
      analysis of individual skeletal muscles from different parts of the body at
      different stages of fetal development showed marked variations in both the
      composition of troponin T isoforms and the time sequence of their transitions in
      each muscle.

PMID- 1874969
TI  - A comparison of fibrillation in denervated skeletal muscle of the anaesthetized
      rat and guinea-pig.
AB  - We have used intracellular recording in vivo to study fibrillation (spontaneous
      repetitive membrane activity) in extensor digitorum longus (fast twitch) and
      soleus (slow twitch) muscles of the anaesthetized rat and guinea-pig denervated
      for periods of about 10 to 60 days. The proportion of fibres fibrillating in the
      guinea-pig soleus was greater than 50% in most animals up to the longest period
      of denervation (65 days). Fibrillation was rarely found in rat soleus after three
      weeks of denervation. Its incidence in the extensor digitorum longus muscles of
      both species was intermediate. The mean frequency of fibrillation was higher in
      guinea-pig extensor digitorum longus (16 Hz) and soleus (8 Hz) than in the rat
      extensor digitorum longus (3 Hz) and soleus (2 Hz). The resting membrane
      potentials of the denervated muscles were less than normal and correlated
      inversely with the frequency of fibrillation but not with the incidence of
      fibrillation: in rat soleus, many fewer fibers were fibrillating at a given
      membrane potential than in the other three muscles. The incidence of fibrillation
      was compared with previously reported tensions of the four denervated muscles and
      was found to have the same rank order. We suggest that fibrillation may reduce
      atrophy (and hence tension loss) of denervated muscle, which may have
      implications for artificial stimulation. Fibrillation frequency was directly
      related to changes in twitch speed of the four muscles after denervation.

PMID- 1874970
TI  - Developmental myosin heavy chain progression in avian type IIB muscle fibres.
AB  - Myosin heavy chain species were investigated during development in avian
      pectoralis major muscles (type IIB fibres) by high resolution anion-exchange
      chromatography of the myosin head region, subfragment-1. At 15 days in ovo four
      distinct fast-type heavy chain species, I, II, III and IV, in order of elution,
      were identified. By 19 days in ovo, form IV had become predominant and remained
      the major species through 3-days post-hatch. This form has been named the peri
      hatch form. Between 3 and 5 days post-hatch, a second massive change occurred
      such that by 5 days post-hatch a new species, V, apparent at 19 days in ovo in
      small amounts, dominated and at 8 days post-hatch was the only heavy chain
      species present. Form V, which corresponds to that previously identified as the
      post-hatch form, continued as the major species through 20 days post-hatch and
      was replaced slowly by the adult form. N-terminal sequencing of CNBr peptides
      from three subfragment-1 heavy chain species, the peri-hatch (form IV), the post
      hatch (form V) and adult, revealed differences in amino acid sequence consistent
      with the three being products of different genes. These results confirm and
      extend recent reports of complexity in fast heavy chain expression prior to
      hatching in the chicken (Hofmann et al., 1988; Van Horn & Crow, 1989).

PMID- 1874971
TI  - The annual meeting on Muscle Contraction and Cell Motility in Japan, January,
      1991.

PMID- 1874972
TI  - Abstracts of the 1990 annual meeting on muscle and cell motility physiology.
      Tokyo, 29-30 October 1990.

PMID- 1874973
TI  - Detection of interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 in adult rat brain, following
      mechanical injury, by in vivo microdialysis: evidence of a role for microglia in
      cytokine production.
AB  - In vivo levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6, present in the interstitial
      spaces of brain, have been repeatedly monitored up to 7 days after insertion of a
      microdialysis probe, designed to induce mechanical trauma to the brain. IL-1 is
      barely detectable immediately after implantation but over a 24-48 h period a 15
      fold increase is seen. In contrast IL-6 levels at day 0 are high, increasing
      slightly (10%) by day 1 but decreasing to 40% by day 2. The temporal pattern of
      IL-6 recovery in the cerebrospinal fluid was similar to that in the dialysate but
      the levels were significantly lower and may reflect diffusion from the site of
      the probe lesion. Cellular sources of these cytokines include macrophages and
      neutrophils, which have infiltrated the lesion and microglia resident in the
      brain, which can be identified at the lesion site within 24 h of probe
      implantation. The astrocytic response to injury, evidenced by increased glial
      fibrillary acidic protein staining occurs much later, by day 7, and is unlikely
      to be responsible for IL-1 and IL-6 production found at 24-48 h. Since upon
      isolation and stimulation of microglia in vitro with lipopolysaccharide IL-1 and
      IL-6 can be measured in the supernatant, it would appear that they have the
      capacity to produce cytokines in vivo. Localised synthesis of cytokines at sites
      of brain injury by microglia would further stimulate microglia in an autocrine
      manner and also propagate the astrocytic reaction.

PMID- 1874974
TI  - Appearance of cytokine-associated central nervous system myelin damage coincides
      temporally with serum tumor necrosis factor induction after recombinant
      interleukin-2 infusion in rats.
AB  - Endogenous tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activity, assessed by L-929 fibroblast
      bioassay, was determined in serum samples from rats infused intravenously with
      recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) or rIL-2 vehicle. Parallel studies of cerebral
      ultrastructure were conducted in additional rats, comparably infused. Rats
      received rIL-2 or vehicle either one time only or 3 times daily for 3 days. TNF
      activity was assessed at 2, 4, and 8 h after the single or final infusion. Rats
      employed for ultrastructural studies were sacrificed at 4 h after the single or
      final infusion. Every rIL-2-infused rat exhibited unusual abnormalities of axonal
      ultrastructure, identical to those previously described after in vitro TNF
      application to living spinal cord slices. Serum samples drawn during and after
      the development of axonal changes revealed significantly elevated circulating TNF
      activity. Controls exhibited neither TNF activity nor altered axons. These
      studies demonstrate that, following rIL-2 infusion in rats, endogenous TNF
      circulates at elevated levels during the development of rIL-2-related central
      nervous system abnormalities similar to those produced in vitro by recombinant
      TNF. Whether rIL-2-induced circulating TNF is causally-related to the observed
      myelin damage remains to be determined but merits further investigation,
      particularly since blood-brain barrier function has been shown to be compromised
      following rIL-2 infusion.

PMID- 1874975
TI  - Modulation of natural killer cell-mediated lysis by corticotropin-releasing
      neurohormone.
AB  - Existence of a reciprocal neuroendocrine-immune relationship led us to study an
      immunomodulatory role for the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) which is a low
      molecular weight peptide neurohormone of the neuroendocrine system. In the
      present study, the CRF-induced modulation of natural killer (NK) cell-mediated
      lysis (CML) was investigated. The pretreatment for 16-18 h of human peripheral
      blood mononuclear cells (MNC) with CRF in nanomolar concentrations caused a
      statistically significant increase in the CML function of NK cells as measured
      against K562 target cells in the 4-h 51Cr-release assay. The maximum stimulation
      occurred at a final concentration of 1 nM CRF despite some variability from one
      blood donor to another. The depletion of monocytes from MNC abolished the
      stimulatory effect of CRF but the effect was reconstituted by the supplementation
      of monocyte-derived interleukin-1 (IL-1), suggesting the involvement of IL-1 in
      the stimulation of NK cell-mediated lysis. Additionally, the CRF-induced
      stimulatory effect was inhibited by specific antibodies to IL-1 (anti-IL-1) or
      beta-endorphin (anti-beta E), indirectly suggesting that IL-1 and beta E may act
      as the mediators of stimulation by CRF of NK cell function. Based on these in
      vitro studies, we hypothesize that the CRF modulates NK cell-mediated lysis via
      initial stimulation of monocytes to produce IL-1 triggering the release by B
      cells of beta E for the stimulation of NK cell function.

PMID- 1874976
TI  - Arrestin mRNA expression, biosynthesis, and localization in degenerating
      photoreceptors of mutant rds mice retinas.
AB  - The retinal photoreceptors of the mutant rds mouse are unable to form normal
      outer segments. Eventually the abnormal cells die in the months following birth.
      The genetic defect in the rds mouse was recently localized to the peripherin gene
      that encodes a protein in the outer segment disc margin. Although this mutation
      may explain the morphogenetic defect, i.e., the failure to form outer segments,
      the reason for subsequent cell death is not clear. Previously, we demonstrated
      that the capability to synthesize opsin, an outer segment integral membrane
      protein, is not compromised by the morphogenetic defect although the opsin steady
      state content is considerably reduced, since it is not incorporated into an
      organized outer segment. We have now studied arrestin, a cytoplasmic protein that
      is part of the phototransduction cascade and appears to shuttle between the inner
      and outer segment during the light/dark cycle. Since rds mice lack outer
      segments, it was of interest to determine the effects of the photoreceptor
      abnormality on arrestin gene expression. Arrestin mRNA levels and protein
      synthetic rates were high in young rds retinas. When corrected for cell loss, the
      steady-state arrestin content per cell in the rds retina was comparable to
      normal. However, in the absence of an outer segment, the total amount of arrestin
      is concentrated in the remaining inner segment. Consequently, a relatively high
      level of arrestin is present in the rds inner segment throughout the light/dark
      cycle. We suggest that the morphogenetic defect indirectly precipitates secondary
      effects such as the persistent presence of high levels of arrestin or other
      soluble proteins in the abnormal photoreceptor inner segment, nucleus, and
      synaptic terminal. This condition, if toxic to the cells, may compromise
      photoreceptor viability in the rds retina.

PMID- 1874977
TI  - GABA and enkephalin in the lateral septum of the guinea pig: light and electron
      microscopic evidence for interrelations.
AB  - Tract tracing techniques combined with immunohistochemistry in rats and guinea
      pigs have demonstrated the existence of a hypothalamo-lateral septum
      enkephalinergic pathway. Numerous enkephalinergic nerve endings encompass cell
      bodies located in the lateral septum. The present immunocytochemical study, at
      light and electron microscopic levels, was undertaken in the guinea pig brain to
      determine whether the contacted perikarya contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
      The antisera against GABA revealed the presence of immunoreactive cell bodies
      throughout the lateral septum. At the light microscopic level, most GABA neurons
      appeared round while others were oval with one or two emerging dendrites.
      Ultrastructurally, cell bodies displayed a moderate number of organelles and a
      pale nucleus with frequent indentations of the nuclear envelope. The precise
      relationship between GABA neurons and enkephalinergic terminals was examined by
      means of a double-immunostaining method showing that 60% of cell bodies receiving
      synaptic inputs from enkephalinergic afferents contained GABA. These results show
      that the hypothalamo-septal enkephalinergic pathway prominently innervates GABA
      containing neurons and also provide anatomical basis suggesting a disinhibitory
      role for this enkephalinergic tract.

PMID- 1874978
TI  - Androgenic regulation of dendritic trees of motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of
      the bulbocavernosus: reconstruction after intracellular iontophoresis of
      horseradish peroxidase.
AB  - Androgen-sensitive motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB)
      in adult male rats were labeled after intracellular iontophoresis of horseradish
      peroxidase, after which they were fully reconstructed in three dimensions in
      order to measure their dendritic trees. Three groups of rats were compared:
      intact adult male rats and male rats castrated as adults and given Silastic tube
      implants containing either testosterone or nothing. In the high-androgen groups
      (intact males and testosterone-treated castrates), soma size and the diameter of
      the first-order dendrites were larger than in blank-treated castrates. Moreover,
      the terminal dendrites in all groups possessed growth cones, implying that the
      dendrites of these motoneurons are capable of growth in adulthood. However, there
      were no statistically significant group differences in the length, membrane
      surface area, or volume of the dendritic trees, or in the orientation or
      branching symmetry of dendrites. In general, there were positive correlations
      between the size of the motoneuronal soma and various measures of the size of the
      dendritic tree and between the diameter of individual stem (first-order)
      dendritic branches and the size of remainder of that dendrite. These data suggest
      that there may be a modest effect of androgen on the size of the dendritic trees
      of SNB motoneurons in adulthood, although the effect is much smaller than has
      previously been reported.

PMID- 1874979
TI  - Morphogenesis of adrenergic cells in a frog parasympathetic ganglion.
AB  - The development of the parasympathetic cardiac ganglion of the frog Xenopus
      laevis was marked by the differentiation of a population of adrenergic small
      intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells. The neural crest contributes precursors for
      both SIF cells and the well-studied cholinergic cardiac ganglion neurons; this
      situation provided an opportunity to determine whether morphogenesis of the two
      cell types was correlated. Accordingly, we examined the initial differentiation,
      developmental regulation, and territorial domain of cardiac SIF cells for
      comparison with their cholinergic neuron neighbors. Adrenergic SIF cells were
      present during the time when the first cholinergic precursors were becoming
      postmitotic. Although SIF cells were present first, cholinergic neurons
      differentiated almost 16 times faster during the first week of embryonic and
      larval development and outnumbered SIF cells at all subsequent stages.
      Nonetheless, the accumulation of both cell types were correlated, since the ratio
      of cholinergic neurons to SIF cells remained at approximately 10 to 1 up to adult
      life. Early in development, SIF cells and cholinergic neurons were clustered in
      the sinus venosus portion of the atrium. The asymmetric distribution of
      cholinergic neurons within the atrium was lost but that of the SIF cells was
      maintained throughout life. These results identify relationships between the
      morphogenesis of two cell types in an autonomic ganglion and place constraints
      upon the cellular mechanisms that could produce the cells from their neural crest
      precursors.

PMID- 1874980
TI  - Pudendal motor and premotor neurons in the male rat: a WGA transneuronal study.
AB  - Anatomical studies using retrograde neuronal tracers were carried out to identify
      pudendal motoneurons and putative lumbosacral interneurons involved in the
      generation of penile reflexes in the adult male rat (Sprague-Dawley). In
      agreement with previous studies, injection of the direct neuronal tracers,
      horseradish peroxidase or fluoro-gold, into the left M. bulbospongiosus (dorsal
      division) resulted in direct retrograde labeling of motoneurons only in the
      ipsilateral dorsomedial (DM) nucleus. In contrast, similar injections of the
      transneuronal tracer, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), resulted in direct retrograde
      labeling of ipsilateral DM motoneurons as well as transneuronal labeling of
      contralateral DM motoneurons and of bilaterally located putative spinal
      interneurons. The WGA-labeling was determined to be transneuronal by a series of
      nerve cut experiments. The direct retrograde WGA-labeling of ipsilateral DM
      motoneurons and the transneuronal WGA-labeling of contralateral DM motoneurons
      and bilateral putative spinal interneurons occurred with different time courses.
      Direct retrograde labeling of ipsilateral DM motoneurons was seen at 20 hours
      survival and persisted up to 7 days survival. The shortest survival period for
      detecting transneuronal labeling of contralateral DM motoneurons and putative
      interneurons was 2 days. Transneuronal WGA-labeling of contralateral DM
      motoneurons was transient in that the intensity of label increased from 2 to 3
      days survival but was markedly reduced at 7 days survival. At the same time, the
      number of WGA-labeled putative interneurons increased with longer survival times
      up to 7 days. WGA-labeled putative interneurons were located primarily in regions
      receiving dendritic projections from WGA-labeled DM motoneurons and, in
      particular, 1) the ventral gray matter between the DM and dorsolateral nuclei and
      2) near the central canal and extending dorsally to the dorsal gray commissure.
      The rapid and extensive transneuronal transport between DM nuclei suggests that
      direct synaptic coupling may mediate coordinated, bilateral activation of DM
      motoneurons.

PMID- 1874981
TI  - Parabrachial nucleus projection towards the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus:
      electrophysiological and anatomical observations in the rat.
AB  - It has been proposed that the pontine parabrachial nucleus (PBN) participates in
      the regulation of body fluid balance and the release of vasopressin from the
      neurohypophysis, although the pathways mediating the latter response are
      uncertain. This study in the rat, utilizing anatomical and electrophysiological
      methods, describes a projection from the lateral PBN towards the hypothalamic
      supraoptic nucleus (SON). Rats received iontophoretic injections of the
      anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L, 2% solution). After
      14-17 days, rats were sacrificed and their brains prepared for immunofluorescent
      visualization of projections to the SON region. PHA-L-labelled terminals were
      found primarily in perinuclear regions immediately dorsal to the SON. In
      contrast, injections within the medial PBN and the nearby Kolliker-Fuse nucleus
      did not reveal labelling in or around the SON. Extracellular recordings from 86
      of 118 antidromically identified neurons in anaesthetized rats revealed a set of
      complex synaptic responses after stimulation in the PBN. Excitatory responses (in
      82 of 86 cells) of short (less than 100 msec, 39/82 cells) and long (greater than
      100 msec, 43/82) duration were observed in both vasopressin- and oxytocin
      secreting cells of the SON, while 4/86 cells displayed a depressant response to
      PBN stimulation. In the adjacent perinuclear zone, 22/39 nonneurosecretory cells
      responded with an increase in their excitability consequent to an identical
      stimulus. These data suggest a predominantly facilitatory influence of lateral
      PBN neurons on SON neurosecretory cells in the rat, and that the PBN-SON
      projection is an indirect one that utilizes an interneuronal network located in
      the perinuclear zone adjacent to the SON.

PMID- 1874982
TI  - Glomerular lesions in spontaneously occurring diabetic WBN/Kob rats.
AB  - Glomerular lesions in WBN/Kob male rats with spontaneous diabetes were examined
      histopathologically. The glomerulopathy caused by diabetes was compared with
      lesions in chronic progressive nephropathy of non-diabetic SD and F344 male aged
      rats. Diffuse and global thickening of the mesangial area was observed only in
      WBN/Kob rats and showed a statistically significant correlation with serum
      glucose concentrations. Therefore, it suggested that the mesangial thickening was
      a result of hyperglycaemia. Fibrin cap-like lesions were seen in both WBN/Kob and
      non-diabetic SD or F344 male rats. The severity of these lesions was closely
      related to that of chronic progressive nephropathy and, therefore, the fibrin cap
      like lesions were considered to be due to the chronic progressive nephropathy.

PMID- 1874983
TI  - Acute disseminated Aspergillosis in a cow with special reference to penetration
      and spread.
AB  - Acute disseminated aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus is reported in a
      4-year-old cow given broad spectrum antibiotics and anti-inflammatory therapy.
      All stomach compartments were infected and hyphal invasion of gastric blood
      vessels was the probable source of generalization to the liver, lung and kidneys.
      Throughout the Peyer's patches of the jejunum there were acute necrotic foci with
      Aspergillus hyphae and similar foci occurred in the corresponding mesenteric
      lymph nodes. This points to the Peyer's patches being a portal of entry for A.
      fumigatus to the lymphatic system of the intestine.

PMID- 1874984
TI  - Interference with sawfly (Arge pullata) poisoning in Fasciola hepatica-infected
      lambs.
AB  - Lambs harbouring an 8-week-old infection with Fasciola hepatica, together with
      fluke-free animals, were dosed orally with 2 g per kg body weight of sawfly
      larvae (Arge pullata). Fluke-free, non-dosed lambs and lambs infected only with
      F. hepatica served as controls. Clinico-pathological observations on sawfly
      dosed, fluke-free lambs revealed the characteristic picture of sawfly poisoning.
      Four of six animals had to be killed in extremis. In contrast, sawfly-dosed,
      fluke-infected lambs exhibited only moderate clinico-pathological signs of sawfly
      poisoning and no deaths occurred. A reduction in the sawfly-induced liver
      pathology as a consequence of the concurrent F. hepatica infection was also
      noted. Possible factors responsible for the antagonistic effect of F. hepatica
      infection on sawfly poisoning in lambs are discussed.

PMID- 1874985
TI  - In vitro magnesium- and calcium-induced sialidase activity in caprine intestinal
      mucosa cells.
AB  - Sialidase activity identical to 0.0196 mg per ml of liberated sialic acids (2.11
      Units) was detected in small intestinal contents of goats. Mg++ and Ca++ induced
      in vitro detection in mucosa cells of both small and large intestines. Magnesium
      alone induced sialidase activities identical to 0.0128 mg per ml of liberated
      sialic acids (1.38 Units) and 0.0166 mg per ml (1.79 Units) in small and large
      intestinal mucosal cells, respectively. Mg++ and Ca++ together induced higher
      sialidase activities identical to 0.0191 mg per ml (2.06 Units) and 0.0194 mg per
      ml (2.09 Units) in small and large intestinal mucosal cells, respectively. The
      enzyme activity was slightly higher in large than in small intestinal mucosal
      cells. The results are discussed in relation to control of African animal
      trypanosomiasis.

PMID- 1874986
TI  - Primary intra-osseous carcinoma of the maxilla in a horse.
AB  - An 8-year-old Hannoverian horse developed a swelling of the maxilla caused by a
      tumour of the hard palate. On histological examination the tumour was diagnosed
      as a primary intra-osseous carcinoma of the maxilla, a rare odontogenic tumour
      not previously described in the horse.

PMID- 1874987
TI  - Spontaneous rete testis adenocarcinoma in a Fischer 344 rat: a cytomorphological
      and ultrastructural study.
AB  - The report consists of a cytomorphological and ultrastructural description of a
      spontaneous rete testis adenocarcinoma observed in a 108-week-old Fischer 344
      rat. This tumour is considered to be very rare in rats. Crucial evidence for the
      malignancy of this tumour was the penetration of a neoplastic gland into the
      tunica albuginea.

PMID- 1874988
TI  - [Fear of children at the dental office. A pain that isn't without remedy].
AB  - Fearful children in the dental office is an old problem which the majority of
      dentists have to face in their daily practice. With the help of a brief review of
      the literature, diverse strategies employed to adjust to the different behavior
      patterns of children in the dental office are detailed. Furthermore, to
      illustrate several of the techniques proposed, we have during the month of May
      1990, systematically filmed different behavior patterns of children in the
      waiting room, as well as, in the dental operatory. The material thus obtained,
      permitted the production of videocassettes on the following themes: "How to
      approach the child in the dental office?"; "How to treat the young anxious child
      or a child with a difficult behavior pattern?"; "The first visit to the dentist";
      "How to present dental injections?"; "The presence of parents in the dental
      operatory"; and, "Preventive dentistry". These cassettes are meant for dentists,
      hygienists, dental assistants, as well as, dental students. Moreover, in the
      hands of parents, this material answers their numerous questions. Each individual
      will find something in these presentations, or at least some areas for future
      exploration.

PMID- 1874989
TI  - Unwarranted and unprofessional--the superfluous removal of clinically acceptable
      amalgams.

PMID- 1874990
TI  - Are "fetal protection policies" just and effective?

PMID- 1874991
TI  - Use of legislation to assure the quality of mammography.

PMID- 1874992
TI  - Cardiovascular drugs: the urgent need for studies in women.
AB  - Most clinical decisions about the choice and dosage of drugs given to women with
      cardiovascular disease are based on studies that were conducted predominantly or
      exclusively on middle-aged men. Gender differences, when examined, suggest that
      the hormonal status, older age, and lesser body mass of women, among other
      features, may be important contributors to the variability in drug levels,
      efficacy, side effects, and toxicity. Gender-related considerations in
      pharmacotherapeutic research have the potential to improve the treatment of women
      with cardiovascular illness.

PMID- 1874993
TI  - Gender bias against and sexual harassment of AMWA members in Massachusetts.
AB  - Despite the increasing participation of women in medicine over the past few
      decades, hindrances to professional advancement for women physicians and medical
      students persist. The present study sought to assess the prevalence of gender
      bias and sexual harassment in a sample of women physicians and medical students.
      Within a one-year period, 54% of respondents encountered some form of sex
      discrimination. In addition, approximately one-fourth experienced sexual
      harassment (27%) and/or discrimination related to parenthood (24%). Unwanted
      sexual attention not viewed as sexual harassment was experienced by more than
      twice as many respondents (55%). Other forms of discrimination were reported as
      well: age (22%), sexual preference (20%), and race (7%). Perceptions of the
      extent of sex discrimination and sexual harassment, of their impact on
      professional commitment, and of the adequacy of solutions at institutions varied
      directly with whether or not respondents had experienced some form of employment
      discrimination within the past 12 months. This study points to the need for
      clarification of what constitutes sexual harassment and for the creation of safe,
      effective mechanisms to remedy and prevent all forms of gender bias.

PMID- 1874994
TI  - Female condoms, an urgent need.

PMID- 1874995
TI  - Comparison of the mechanical and histologic properties of Achilles tendons in New
      Zealand white rabbits secondarily repaired with Marlex mesh.
AB  - Over the years, there have been numberous reports on the treatment of tendo
      Achillis ruptures. Most of these dissertations have dealt with the treatment of
      acute ruptures versus the more technically challenging, neglected, ancient
      rupture. This paper will focus on the neglected rupture, with specific attention
      directed towards a new technique of surgical repair, using Marlex mesh. Through
      the exhaustive testing of the tendo Achillis of New Zealand white rabbits at
      intervals of 1, 3, and 6 months postimplantation, and subsequent implantation in
      a 13-month follow-up in an adult, it has been demonstrated that this biosynthetic
      tendon complex very closely approximates the physical properties of the normal
      tendo Achillis. Furthermore, through the use of histologic examination, it has
      been shown that this material actually forms a frame or bridgework for ingrowth
      of normal, orderly, collagen bundles, closely resembling those found in the
      original tendinous structure.

PMID- 1874996
TI  - A new classification for traumatic dislocations of the first metatarsophalangeal
      joint: type IIC.
AB  - The anatomy, mechanism of injury, and radiographic diagnosis of traumatic
      dislocation of the first metatarsophalangeal joint are discussed. Previously,
      three basic types of these dislocations have been described. The authors propose
      an additional classification which has not been previously reported.

PMID- 1874997
TI  - Carbon dioxide laser management of plantar verruca: a 6-year follow-up survey.
AB  - Patients receiving treatment for plantar verruca by carbon dioxide laser
      vaporization from 1984 through 1989 were surveyed with follow-up from 3 months to
      6 years. Materials and methods, operative technique, and results were reviewed.
      This procedure was used as both a primary treatment as well as secondary or
      tertiary treatments on recalcitrant verrucae. Solitary as well as multiple or
      mosaic lesions were evaluated. Patients were surveyed for elimination of all
      verrucae, partial or complete recurrence, postoperative complications, and
      satisfaction. The overall success rate, considering all eight treatment
      categories, was 75%. Ultimate success rates ranged from 93% for solitary lesions
      to 62% for multiple recalcitrant lesions. The authors' findings show clinical
      significance in the marked differentiation of success rates in accordance with
      the classification scheme. That is to say, initial treatment of a solitary lesion
      showed a higher success rate than initial treatment of multiple lesions, and
      initial treatment of virgin lesions showed a higher success rate than initial
      treatment of recalcitrant lesions. Based on the data accumulated, the authors
      propose that treatment of plantar verruca be initiated early, i.e., while the
      lesion is solitary and has been heretofore untreated. On the other hand, those
      lesions having a second or third treatment by carbon dioxide laser vaporization
      resulted in a higher ultimate success rate than those which had only one primary
      treatment. The general conclusion is that carbon dioxide laser management should
      be considered as a viable treatment alternative in relation to other, more
      traditional, techniques in the treatment of plantar verruca.

PMID- 1874998
TI  - Computed tomography for diagnosis of Morton's neuroma.
AB  - Fifteen patients suspected to have Morton's neuroma were examined by computed
      tomography, which revealed the neuroma in seven cases. All seven underwent
      surgery and had the diagnosis confirmed. If there is doubt about the diagnosis,
      it is possible to use computed tomography as shown here.

PMID- 1874999
TI  - Alternative autogenous bone graft donor sites in brachymetatarsia reconstruction:
      a review of the literature with clinical presentations.
AB  - The authors present a literature review on the surgical treatment of
      brachymetatarsia. They discuss the identification of donor sites for autogenous
      bone graft harvesting from the foot. Three case reports of brachymetatarsia, one
      of iatrogenic, and two of congenital origin are presented.

PMID- 1875000
TI  - Periungual bacterial flora in the human foot.
AB  - Proper presurgical preparations are presumed to eliminate organisms from the
      skin, nails, and nail grooves. It has not been documented as to whether surgical
      scrubs reduce the types and numbers of bacteria and thereby affect the incidence
      of infection in performing toenail surgery. This study, performed pre- and
      postsurgical scrub cultures of four sites on 40 subjects. Similar cultures from
      ten additional patients who underwent nail surgery were also performed. The later
      set had an additional set of cultures performed after avulsion of the nail plate
      and the beginning of the actual surgical procedure. Blood cultures were done
      intraoperatively on the surgical patients. Results revealed that nail grooves are
      difficult, if not impossible, to antisepticize. The usual presurgical scrub does
      not eradicate bacteria in these areas. As such, nail surgery must certainly be
      considered dirty surgery and precautionary measures must be considered.

PMID- 1875001
TI  - Hallux varus: a step-wise approach for correction.
AB  - Iatrogenic hallux varus can be an unfortunate complication of hallux abducto
      valgus surgery. The correction of hallux varus must be performed in a well
      planned, step-wise method. The authors present both soft tissue and osseous
      corrections for hallux varus, with two case reports.

PMID- 1875002
TI  - Epidural morphine as an adjuvant to the treatment of pain in a patient with acute
      inflammatory polyradiculopathy secondary to Guillain-Barre syndrome.
AB  - The authors discuss a case of acute inflammatory polyradiculopathy in a patient
      with Guillain-Barre syndrome. Consultation with podiatry was requested in an
      effort to remit the severe lower extremity symptoms. Treatment using epidural
      morphine with subsequent results is discussed. It is the authors' opinion that
      Guillain-Barre syndrome is the most common acutely or subacutely evolving
      inflammatory, demyelinating, neuropathy in the United States.

PMID- 1875003
TI  - Fifth metatarsal head resection for correction of tailor's bunions and sub-fifth
      metatarsal head keratoma: a retrospective analysis.
AB  - A variety of surgical procedures traditionally have been employed in the
      treatment of tailor's bunions and sub-fifth metatarsal head keratomas. The
      overwhelming majority of literature on this subject evaluates the advantages and
      disadvantages of various fifth metatarsal osteotomies. The authors have initiated
      a preliminary investigative study to evaluate the effectiveness of fifth
      metatarsal head resection and to compare these results with those of other
      studies that have focused on osteotomy techniques. Subjective and objective
      analyses of 50 procedures (34 patients) were performed retrospectively. Patients
      were either satisfied or very satisfied in 84% of the cases reviewed. Symptomatic
      transfer lesions occurred in only 3% of all feet examined. The most frequent
      postoperative complication was that of fifth digital malalignment, which
      presented in nearly 60% of the cases. The procedure possesses advantages and
      disadvantages, which prior to this study, have been discussed in anecdotal
      fashion only.

PMID- 1875004
TI  - Chevron osteotomy in the treatment of hallux valgus.
AB  - Fifty patients who underwent 80 chevron osteotomies for symptomatic hallux valgus
      were re-examined and assessed 4 years and 7 months (average) after surgery. Forty
      five of the patients were satisfied with the result of their surgery, three
      patients suffered recurrence of their deformity and two had continuance of their
      symptomatology. The major complications noted were intraoperative intra-articular
      fracture of the metatarsal head in five feet, loss of initial repair in three
      feet, and tilt of the distal fragment (metatarsal head) in two feet. The Chevron
      osteotomy is a relatively simple procedure that corrects the varus deformity of
      the first metatarsal, realigns the valgus orientation of the metatarsal head,
      corrects the hallux valgus deformity, and improves symptomatology.

PMID- 1875005
TI  - Calcifying aponeurotic fibroma.
AB  - The calcifying aponeurotic fibroma is a rare, benign neoplasm that often presents
      in the palms or soles of young male children. Microscopic examination of this
      tumor demonstrates atypical fibroblasts, foci of calcification, and patches of
      chondroid differentiation. The neoplasm's highly cellular architecture, locally
      aggressive growth pattern, and tendency to recur may lead to a misdiagnosis of
      fibrosarcoma and subsequent amputation. This manuscript presents a review of the
      literature and a unique case involving the digits of the foot.

PMID- 1875006
TI  - Flexor hallucis brevis muscle flap.
AB  - The use of muscle flaps for treatment of chronic wounds has become more
      widespread. The specific use of intrinsic muscle flaps of the foot for treatment
      of diabetic ulcerations has the potential to provide alternative ways of avoiding
      amputations. A case report is presented that illustrates the use of the flexor
      hallucis brevis flap for a chronic ulceration beneath the first metatarsal head.
      The technique and indications are discussed.

PMID- 1875007
TI  - Titanium hemi-great toe implant: a preliminary study of its efficacy.
AB  - The purpose of this preliminary study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the
      titanium hemi-great toe implant. The device is found to be successful in helping
      to treat painful degenerative joint disease of the first and second
      metatarsophalangeal joints. The implant's most promising application appears to
      be use in patients below the age of 50 years manifesting metatarsophalangeal
      joint dystrophy, with subsequent clinical debilitation, who become surgical
      candidates.

PMID- 1875008
TI  - Magna-FX cannulated screw system and powered metaphyseal stapler in triple
      arthrodesis.
AB  - The author introduces two relatively new means of internal fixation for triple
      arthrodesis. These new methods not only help to reduce intraoperative time, but
      also provide an excellent, more precise method of internal fixation. A case
      report and discussion on the use of these devices are included.

PMID- 1875009
TI  - Assessing the effects of pentoxifylline (Trental) on diabetic neurotrophic foot
      ulcers.
AB  - The effects of pentoxifylline (Trental) on diabetic neurotrophic foot ulcers was
      assessed. Twelve insulin-dependent diabetics were evaluated. Each patient had a
      peripheral neuropathy with secondary neurotrophic ulceration involving the foot.
      The ulcers were treated using conservative care for at least 3 months prior to
      entering the patient in the study. During this time, no appreciable decrease in
      ulcer size was observed. Prior to commencement of the study, the critical closing
      pressure of the involved foot and the ulcer size were measured and recorded. Six
      months later these measurements were repeated. Of the 12 patients who started
      pentoxifylline, nine finished. The remaining three patients completed the study
      but had discontinued the medication. Of the nine patients finishing the study and
      taking pentoxifylline, eight ulcers completely healed, with the remaining one
      having decreased in size. The average critical closing pressure increased 11 mm.
      Hg. Pentoxifylline appeared to have accelerated the healing process in the nine
      diabetic ulcer patients.

PMID- 1875010
TI  - True aneurysm of the dorsalis pedis artery mimicking a soft tissue tumor.
AB  - The clinician must be very suspicious in differentiating soft tissue masses on
      the dorsum of the foot. Radiologic aids are often nonspecific in providing an
      identity. Surgical expectations may also be altered, as in this case described of
      an atypical aneurysm of the dorsalis pedis artery.

PMID- 1875011
TI  - Management of the anticoagulated patient for elective surgery.
AB  - The authors discuss treatment of the anticoagulated patient prior to elective
      surgery. They review factors that increase and decrease patient response to this
      therapy. Recommended procedure for dealing with the anticoagulated surgical
      patient is then presented.

PMID- 1875012
TI  - Injuries to the talus-neck fractures and osteochondral lesions (osteochondritis
      dissecans).
AB  - The authors discuss pathology to the talus, as determined radiographically. They
      review pertinent anatomy, including blood supply to this bone. Fractures are
      categorized, with a review of clinical management.

PMID- 1875013
TI  - Saphenous and common peroneal nerve block will prevent tourniquet pain in
      prolonged podiatry procedures.

PMID- 1875014
TI  - Ultrasonic and endocrinologic aspects in gonadotropin releasing hormone induction
      of ovulation.
AB  - Ovarian growth, follicular size, 17 beta-estradiol (E2), androstenedione (A) and
      testosterone (T) peripheral levels were evaluated in 12 hypogonadotropic patients
      during the follicular phase on 12 cycles of pulsatile GnRH iv administration.
      During GnRH therapy, significant correlations between E2 plasma levels and volume
      of the dominant follicle (p less than 0.001) as well as total follicular volume
      (p less than 0.001) and total ovarian volume (p less than 0.01) were found.
      Plasma A was significantly related to the ultrasonic changes of ovarian stroma
      and those follicles which usually fail to ovulate. Plasma T showed a significant
      correlation with ovarian stroma (p less than 0.05). Significant correlations of
      E2/A and E2/T peripheral ratios with volume of the dominant follicle (p less than
      0.01) were also found. In spontaneous ovulatory cycles, similar correlations
      between endocrine and morphological parameters have been already published. The
      findings of the present investigation indicate that in spontaneous and GnRH
      induced cycles the endocrine events associated to the follicular development are
      quite similar. In hypogonadotropic patients, a "normal" follicular maturation may
      be obtained by means of this therapy.

PMID- 1875015
TI  - Erythrocyte and platelet fatty acids in retinitis pigmentosa.
AB  - The fatty acid composition and the glutathione-peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) of
      erythrocytes and platelets, the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) by platelets
      and the activity of the main systems of transmembrane cation transport in
      erythrocyte have been studied in 12 patients (5 males and 7 females) affected by
      retinitis pigmentosa (RP). A remarkable increase of saturated fatty acids (SFA),
      particularly of stearic acid (C18:0), has been noted in these patients. The
      reduced unsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio (PUFA/SFA) observed in both
      erythrocytes and platelets and the decrease of arachidonic acid in platelets may
      depend by an active peroxidation process as documented by the increase of MDA.
      Platelet glutathione-peroxidase (PTL-GSH-PX) and plasma retinol were in the
      normal range, whereas erythrocyte glutathione-peroxidase (E-GSH-PX), MDA and
      plasma alfa-toco-pherol were increased in patients with RP. The activities of
      Na(+)-K+ pump, cotransport and Na(+)-Li+ countertransport were normal in RP
      erythrocytes.

PMID- 1875016
TI  - Involvement of interleukin-1 in the inhibition of in vivo insulin release:
      possible role of adrenal glands.
AB  - The effect of recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (rhIL-1b) on in vivo insulin
      secretion was examined in intact and adrenalectomized (ADX) rats under conscious
      and pentobarbital anesthetized conditions. In conscious rats, rhIL-1b dose
      dependently decreased blood glucose levels at 2 h in both groups and
      significantly inhibited insulin release only at doses of 1 and 10 micrograms/kg
      in ADX rats. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, rhIL-1b administration decreased
      blood glucose levels 2 h later in both intact and ADX rats and resulted in severe
      hypoglycemia in ADX rats. At 2 h later, rhIL-1b significantly suppressed insulin
      release by pentobarbital injection in both intact and ADX rats. It is concluded
      that rhIL-1b suppresses in vivo insulin secretion in conscious ADX and
      anesthetized rats.

PMID- 1875017
TI  - 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol inhibits the cochemotactic activity of Gc (vitamin
      D binding protein).
AB  - The identification of Gc (vitamin D binding protein) with the anionic polypeptide
      cochemotaxin has recently been reported. In this paper we investigate its dose
      dependent cochemotactic activity and report the inhibition of Gc enhanced
      chemotaxis by vitamin D3. These results further support the role of
      immunomodulating hormone played by vitamin D.

PMID- 1875018
TI  - Thyroid hormone metabolism and nuclear binding in Gunn rats.
AB  - We examined the serum concentrations of total, free thyroid hormones and TSH,
      activity of hepatic T4 5'-deiodinase, and T3 binding to hepatic nuclei in
      homozygous (j/j) and heterozygous (j/+) Gunn rats. Both total T3 and free T3
      (FT3) concentrations in sera from j/j rats were significantly lower than those of
      j/+ rats on 5-10, 15-20, and 25-30 days after birth. Both total T4 and free T4
      (FT4) concentrations in j/j and j/+ rat sera were not significantly different on
      5-10 days. However, in j/j rats they were significantly higher than those of j/+
      rats on days 15-20 and 25-30. Serum reverse T3 (rT3) concentrations were higher
      in j/j than in j/+ rats on days 5-10, 15-20, and 25-30. Serum TSH concentration
      in j/j and j/+ rats on 15 days post-natal were 1.42 +/- 1.28 and 1.65 +/- 1.24
      micrograms/l (mean +/- SD), respectively, which were not significantly different
      from each other. T3 formation from T4 in hepatic microsomal fractions obtained 15
      days after birth was significantly lower in homozygotes than in heterozygotes
      (4.89 +/- 1.18 vs 11.15 +/- 2.38 pmol/mg protein/min, p less than 0.005). Binding
      constants (Ka) as well as maximal binding capacities (MBC) for T3 of hepatic
      nuclei from 15 day-old j/j and j/+ rats were similar (ka; 3.58 x 10(9) vs 3.15 x
      10(9) M-1, MBC; 0.316 vs 0.380 pmol/mg DNA). From these results we suggest that
      decreased conversion from T4 to T3 is one of the major reasons for high serum
      levels of T4 and rT3, and low levels of T3 in j/j rats, and that nuclear T3
      binding and pituitary TSH secretion are unaltered in j/j rats.

PMID- 1875019
TI  - Iodine prophylaxis in schoolchildren residing in the province of Parma, Italy.

PMID- 1875020
TI  - Update on pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone therapy in males with
      idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and delayed puberty.

PMID- 1875021
TI  - Publishing in biomedical journals: The system in review.

PMID- 1875022
TI  - Organic acidurias: a review. Part 1.
AB  - Organic acidemias are disorders of intermediary metabolism that lead to
      accumulation of organic acids in biologic fluids, disturb acid-base balance, and
      derange intracellular biochemical pathways. Their clinical presentation reflects
      the resultant systemic disease and progressive encephalopathy. While in some
      organic acidemias, disturbed acid-base metabolism is the predominant presenting
      feature, in others it is less prominent or even absent. The etiologies of the
      more than 50 different phenotypes include impaired metabolism of branched-chain
      amino acids, vitamins, glucose, lipids, glutathione, and gamma-aminobutyric acid
      and defects of oxidative phosphorylation. Most organic acidemias present with
      neurologic manifestations, which include acutely or subacutely progressive
      encephalopathy that involves different parts of the nervous system. The age of
      presentation and the associated systemic, hematologic, and immune findings
      provide additional guidelines for differential diagnosis. We summarize major
      organic acidemias, while emphasizing their usual and unusual neurologic
      presentations.

PMID- 1875023
TI  - Multiple sulfatase deficiency with early severe retinal degeneration.
AB  - We report an unusual case of multiple sulfatase deficiency in which
      neurodegeneration was accompanied by early, severe visual impairment associated
      with prominent pigmentary retinopathy, suggesting a diagnosis of neuronal ceroid
      lipofuscinosis. The levels of arylsulfatases A, B, and C, heparan N-sulfatase, N
      acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase, and iduronate-2-sulfate sulfatase were
      all markedly decreased in cultured skin fibroblasts. Screening tests for
      mucopolysacchariduria were consistently negative; however, thin-layer
      chromatographic analysis of isolated urinary glycosaminoglycans showed increased
      amounts of heparan sulfate.

PMID- 1875024
TI  - Morris James Lewis (1852-1928) and the description of the jaw jerk.

PMID- 1875025
TI  - Cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in rett syndrome.
AB  - Positron emission tomography was performed on six patients with Rett syndrome to
      investigate cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism, and the results were
      compared with the concurrent clinical status of the patients. The cerebral
      metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) was low in five patients, and oxygen extraction
      fraction was low in four patients; both had a tendency to decline with advancing
      age. Although the cause is unknown, it is suggested that impaired oxidative
      metabolism exists in Rett syndrome. An analysis of the distribution among brain
      regions showed that the ratios of values for the frontal cortex to those for the
      temporal cortex for both cerebral blood flow and CMRO2 were lower than those for
      the controls, which may indicate the loss of hyperfrontality in Rett syndrome.

PMID- 1875026
TI  - Jitteriness beyond the neonatal period: a benign pattern of movement in infancy.
AB  - Jitteriness is a frequent, well-recognized phenomenon in neonates. Its occurrence
      in early infancy, beyond the neonatal period, is much less documented. Thirty
      eight full-term infants who were jittery after 6 weeks of age were followed until
      the jitteriness disappeared and then reevaluated at the age of 3 years. The
      jittery movements had already been observed during the neonatal period in 16
      babies but not before 6 weeks of age in 22. In 34 infants (89%), 1- and 5-minute
      Apgar scores were 9 or 10. At the initial examination, a mildly increased muscle
      tone was found in 12 infants, and hyperactive deep-tendon reflexes were found in
      19. The jitteriness resolved at a mean age of 7.2 +/- 3.4 months. At 3 years, 92%
      of the infants had a normal neurodevelopmental examination, while in the rest
      only minor, transient disturbances were found. This study indicates that
      jitteriness as a sole presentation in infants beyond the neonatal period is a
      benign phenomenon, associated with an excellent prognosis. Its etiology is
      unknown but seems most likely to be related to a maturational process within the
      central nervous system.

PMID- 1875027
TI  - Simultaneous infantile spasms and partial seizures.
AB  - We report 11 infants with infantile spasms who had partial seizures that occurred
      concurrently with the infantile spasms. We studied this phenomenon with time
      locked video electroencephalography. The partial seizures began before the
      infantile spasms and continued after one or more infantile spasms in seven
      patients. An infantile spasm occurred at the beginning of the partial seizure in
      five patients. (One patient had both seizure types simultaneously.) The clinical
      descriptions of these combinations of seizures were confusing, since they did not
      match known seizure types. The genesis of these seizures may involve an
      interaction between processes of focal cortical epileptogenesis (partial
      seizures) and brain-stem synchronization (infantile spasms).

PMID- 1875028
TI  - A Japanese family with two types of muscular dystrophy: DNA analysis and the
      dystrophin test.
AB  - A unique Japanese family with both Fukuyama type congenital muscular dystrophy
      (FCMD) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is described. Four boys, all from
      the sixth generation of the same family, were afflicted with severe neuromuscular
      diseases beginning in early life, three of them presenting the typical phenotype
      of FCMD and one, that of DMD. Although DNA analysis by Southern blotting with
      complementary DNAs representing the whole of the dystrophin coding sequence
      detected neither gross deletions nor duplications, immunohistochemistry and
      Western blotting of the biopsied skeletal muscle with an antidystrophin
      monoclonal antibody (dystrophin test) showed that the approximately 400-kd
      dystrophin was expressed normally at the sarcoplasmic membrane of the FCMD
      phenotype patient but was completely absent in the DMD phenotype patient. From
      these results, it was presumed that two different childhood muscular dystrophies,
      FCMD and DMD, coexisted in this family. This unique case illustrates the efficacy
      of the dystrophin test in the differential diagnosis of the two diseases even
      when conventional means of diagnosis do not give definite answers and DNA
      analysis of the dystrophin gene is not informative.

PMID- 1875029
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin and cortisol study in Rett syndrome.
AB  - An evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma beta-endorphin and cortisol
      levels was performed in 15 girls affected with classic Rett syndrome. There were
      no differences between the patient group and the control group in plasma cortisol
      and beta-endorphin levels. But in Rett syndrome, a significant increase in beta
      endorphin was noted in the cerebrospinal fluid, with an elevation of the
      cerebrospinal fluid/plasma beta-endorphin ratio and a decrease in cerebrospinal
      fluid cortisol. A substantial overlap between patients and control group
      diminishes the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid beta-endorphin assay in
      girls suspected of having Rett syndrome.

PMID- 1875030
TI  - Clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging in congenital and childhood
      stroke.
AB  - Fifty-three (5%) of 1064 consecutively imaged children showed an arterial
      vascular pattern on magnetic resonance images, accounting for 12% of all abnormal
      studies. Signal abnormalities on T2-weighted scans persisted years after the
      clinical stroke occurrence. Ipsilateral atrophy of the pons or midbrain was found
      in 25% of subjects and was strongly associated with congenital lesions. Most
      infarctions occurred before or during the neonatal period; only 31% were acquired
      later. We did not find the paucity of posterior circulation lesions or the marked
      excess of left middle cerebral artery lesions seen in other series. Cardiac
      disease and venous infarction had an unexpectedly low occurrence. All of the
      children with arterial border zone infarction had been resuscitated in the
      neonatal period, while 37% of the children with a single artery infarction had no
      clinical history of acute illness.

PMID- 1875031
TI  - The future of child neurology.

PMID- 1875032
TI  - Spasticity in cerebral palsy and the selective posterior rhizotomy procedure.

PMID- 1875033
TI  - Central respiratory dysfunction in Mobius syndrome.

PMID- 1875034
TI  - Proceedings of the John Elgin Patrick memorial symposium.

PMID- 1875035
TI  - The science and practice of John Patrick: the connection between Oxford, London
      and Maastricht.

PMID- 1875036
TI  - Lifestyle influences on prematurity.
AB  - It is apparent from this review that the lifestyle of an individual gravida can
      potentially lead to a premature delivery. Some of these adverse behavioral
      characteristics may be dealt with by education and motivation, and some with
      actual medical treatment. However, there also appears to be significant need for
      public policy reorientation if we are to make a significant impact on the problem
      of preterm delivery.

PMID- 1875037
TI  - Effects of alcohol (ethanol) on the fetus.
AB  - Alcohol (ethanol) use during pregnancy can produce a wide spectrum of effects in
      the developing embryo/fetus that are dependent on the maternal drinking pattern.
      The effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the developing conceptus are reviewed
      with primary focus on ethanol teratogenesis, manifesting in the human as the
      fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. The effects of acute ethanol
      exposure on the near-term fetus are described, including suppressed fetal
      breathing movements, electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity and
      electrooculographic (EOG) activity. The ethanol-induced suppression of fetal
      breathing movements is a very sensitive index of acute exposure of the near-term
      fetus to ethanol, and appears to involve a direct mechanism of action rather than
      an indirect mechanism involving suppression of electrocortical activity. The
      disposition of ethanol and its pharmacologically active proximate metabolite,
      acetaldehyde, and the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde
      dehydrogenase in the near-term maternal-fetal unit are described, and a
      pharmacokinetic model is proposed. The effects of short-term ethanol exposure on
      the near-term fetus include the development of tolerance to the ethanol-induced
      suppression of fetal breathing movements, low-voltage ECoG activity and EOG
      activity. The development of tolerance occurs more rapidly to the latter two
      fetal biophysical activities. The mechanism of tolerance development appears to
      be pharmacodynamic (functional) in nature, as there is no increase in the rate of
      ethanol elimination from the maternal-fetal unit. The role of prostaglandins
      (PGs) in the mechanism of the ethanol-induced suppression of fetal breathing
      movements is described. In the near-term fetus, there is a direct relationship
      between fetal blood ethanol concentration and fetal plasma PGE2 concentration,
      and an inverse relationship between the incidence of fetal breathing movements
      and each of fetal plasma and fetal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PGE2 concentrations.
      Indomethacin, a PG synthetase inhibitor, selectively blocks and reverses the
      ethanol-induced suppression of fetal breathing movements. These data support the
      postulates that the ethanol-induced suppression of fetal breathing movements is
      mediated by increased PGE2 concentration in the near-term fetus and that the
      ability of indomethacin to antagonize the ethanol-induced suppression of fetal
      breathing movements is due to its biochemical action to decrease fetal PGE2
      concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875038
TI  - Exercise and fetal health.
AB  - This is a brief review of current information dealing with the impact of maternal
      exercise on the well-being of the human embryo and fetus. It discusses the
      theoretical concerns and exercise variables involved in the interaction between
      exercise and fetal health and focuses on five areas of fetal health where some
      information is available describing the interaction in the human. These include
      embryonic development, fetoplacental growth, prematurity, indices of fetal
      stress/distress, and condition during labor and at birth. It concludes that well
      conditioned women who continue a regular running or aerobics regimen in the peri
      conceptual period and throughout pregnancy at levels that exceed current
      guidelines do not experience an increase in the incidence of failure to conceive,
      abortion, congenital abnormalities, abnormal placentation, premature rupture of
      the membranes or preterm labor. Although all their fetuses demonstrate a brisk
      elevation in heart rate post-exercise throughout pregnancy, they have a
      significant reduction in the incidence of 4 clinical markers of fetal
      stress/distress during labor. In addition, at the time of delivery, their % body
      fat is less than that of the control offspring (11 vs 16%) which accounts for
      over 70% of the observed 300 g reduction in birthweight. Finally, there is little
      evidence to suggest that the other exercise regimens studied to date have an
      adverse effect on fetal health.

PMID- 1875039
TI  - Biochemical identification of alpha-fodrin and protein 4.1 in human
      keratinocytes.
AB  - The mature erythrocyte has a cytoskeleton of less complexity than that of
      nucleated cells and has been elucidated in greater detail. Two of its major
      components are the heterodimeric protein spectrin and protein 4.1. We report here
      our isolation from human keratinocytes of immunoreactive forms of both protein
      4.1 and of alpha-fodrin, the extra-erythrocytic form of alpha-spectrin. These
      keratinocyte proteins are approximately 125 kD and 240 kD in size, respectively.
      We also have isolated clones containing alpha-fodrin and protein 4.1 sequences
      from a human keratinocyte cDNA library. These sequences confirm the active
      transcription in keratinocytes of the alpha-fodrin and protein 4.1 genes. Both
      alpha-fodrin and protein 4.1 mRNA are detectable by Northern blot analysis in
      human keratinocytes, where their abundance appears not to be regulated by calcium
      concentration in the medium.

PMID- 1875040
TI  - Structural aberration of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and melanosome
      compartmentalization in long-term cultures of melanocytes from vitiligo patients.
AB  - Long-term cultures of melanocytes were established from 14 subjects with vitiligo
      and from five normal controls and analyzed ultrastructurally. Cultured
      melanocytes from 78.6% of the vitiligo patients demonstrated abnormalities that
      consisted of 1) dilation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), 2) circular
      RER profiles, and/or 3) membrane bound compartments of melanosomes. Cultured
      melanocytes from control subjects were predominantly normal with only one of the
      normal cultures demonstrating minimal circular RER profiles. The three unique
      abnormal structures in cultured vitiligo melanocytes were not always
      concomitantly expressed and could not be associated with any specific clinical
      feature of vitiligo. Quantitative analysis of the RER demonstrated that the
      profiles of dilated RER in cultured vitiligo melanocytes expressed a significant
      1.5-2.8-times increase in mean cisternal area over cultured control melanocytes
      (i.e., 5.41-9.92 microns 2 versus 3.53 microns 2, respectively). The cisterna of
      the dilated RER profiles frequently contained floccular material that appeared to
      originate from the ribosomes, an indication that the floccular material may be
      translation products. The dilation of RER in melanocytes from the same patient
      persisted through repeated subculturing for up to 14.75 months. Epidermal
      melanocytes in biopsied skin from a patient whose cultured melanocytes were
      aberrant also demonstrated dilated and circular RER profiles. These results
      demonstrate that melanocytes from most vitiligo patients express an innate defect
      when cultured. Although this defect does not appear to be cytotoxic in vitro,
      this abnormality may be the primary defect that elicits melanocyte destruction in
      vivo.

PMID- 1875041
TI  - Disparate antioxidant enzyme activities in cultured human cutaneous fibroblasts,
      keratinocytes, and melanocytes.
AB  - Antioxidant enzyme activities of cultured human foreskin fibroblasts,
      keratinocytes, and melanocytes from healthy black and Caucasian donors were
      measured and compared. Fibroblasts had more (p less than 0.05) peroxidase,
      catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity than
      keratinocytes. Keratinocytes had more (p less than 0.05) peroxidase, catalase,
      glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity than melanocytes. No
      differences in antioxidant enzyme activities were observed between the cells of
      any type taken from black or Caucasian people. Antioxidant enzyme activities may
      affect resistance to damage by oxidants induced by ultraviolet radiation and
      inflammation.

PMID- 1875042
TI  - Transforming growth factor-beta improves healing of radiation-impaired wounds.
AB  - Exogenously applied TGF-beta 1 has been shown to increase wound strength in
      incisional wounds early in the healing process. An impaired wound healing model
      was first established in guinea pigs by isolating flaps of skin and irradiating
      the flaps to 15 Gray in one fraction using a 4-MeV linear accelerator. Incisions
      made 2 d after irradiation were excised 7 d later, and showed decreased linear
      wound bursting strength (WBS) as compared to non-irradiated control wounds on the
      contralateral side of each animal (p = 0.001). The effect of TGF-beta on healing
      of radiation-impaired wounds was studied using this model. Skin on both left and
      right sides of guinea pigs was irradiated as above. A linear incision was made in
      each side. Collagen with either 1, 5, or 20 micrograms of TGF-beta was applied to
      one side prior to closure with staples, whereas the contralateral side received
      saline in collagen. Wounds given either 1 or 5 micrograms of TGF-beta were found
      to be stronger than controls at 7 d (p less than 0.05), whereas those receiving
      the higher 20-micrograms dose were weaker than controls (p less than 0.05). Thus,
      TGF-beta in lower doses improved healing at 7 d but very large amounts of the
      growth factor actually impaired healing. In situ hybridization done on wound
      samples showed increased type I collagen gene expression by fibroblasts in wounds
      treated with 1 micrograms TGF-beta over control wounds. These results indicate
      that TGF-beta improved wound healing as demonstrated by increased WBS. This
      improvement is accompanied by an up-regulation of collagen gene expression by
      resident fibroblasts.

PMID- 1875043
TI  - Squamous carcinoma cell lines produce 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, but fail to
      respond to its prodifferentiating effect.
AB  - The active metabolite of vitamin D3, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D], is
      produced by normal human keratinocytes (NKC) and regulates their differentiation.
      Squamous carcinoma cell (SCC) lines lack the ability to differentiate in vitro,
      which might involve defective 1,25(OH)2D synthesis or response. To address this
      possibility we obtained four SCC lines (12F2, 12B2, 25, and A431) and first
      determined whether they could produce 1,25(OH)2D from its substrate 25
      hydroxyvitamin D3 (250HD). All could (12F2 greater than NKC greater than 25
      greater than 12B2 greater than A431). Furthermore, exogenously added 1,25(OH)2D
      inhibited 1,25(OH)2D production and stimulated 24,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3
      [24,25(OH)2D] production in all cell lines but with different potency (25 = A431
      greater than NKC greater than 12B2 greater than 12F2). Cellular binding studies
      suggested that the high-affinity binding site for 1,25(OH)2D in NKC is not found
      in 12F2 and 12B2. When the effect of 1,25(OH)2D on differentiation was
      determined, only NKC responded with an increase in cornified envelope formation,
      although some of the cell lines responded to the proliferative [at low 1,25(OH)2D
      concentration] or antiproliferative [at high 1,25(OH)2D concentration] effect of
      1,25(OH)2D. Thus, although SCC lines synthesize 1,25(OH)2D and respond to
      exogenous 1,25(OH)2D with respect to appropriate regulation of endogenous 250HD
      metabolism, these cell lines fail to respond to the differentiating influence of
      this vitamin D metabolite.

PMID- 1875044
TI  - Characterization of glutathione S-transferase in cultured human keratinocytes.
AB  - The glutathione S-transferase activity and isozymic composition of cultured human
      keratinocytes were characterized. Keratinocytes were grown in culture and
      harvested at different stages of differentiation. Glutathione S-transferase
      activity was found in the soluble cell fraction but not in the microsomal cell
      fraction. The glutathione S-transferase specific activity of the soluble cell
      fraction was found to increase as the keratinocytes differentiated in culture.
      All of the enzymatic activity was found to reside with a single isozymic form
      that was concluded to be the pi form of the enzyme based on substrate
      specificity, sensitivity to inhibitors, molecular weight, and reactivity towards
      antibodies raised to alpha, mu, and pi forms of the enzyme. It is concluded that
      all of the isozymic forms of glutathione S-transferase noted in whole skin, with
      the exception of pi, are of extra-keratinocyte origin.

PMID- 1875045
TI  - In vitro cutaneous biotransformation of propranolol.
AB  - The metabolism of propranolol by human skin and by several cell preparations has
      been investigated in vitro. The major metabolites produced by human skin in organ
      culture and by keratinocytes were N-desisopropylpropranolol (DIP), propranolol
      glycol (GLY), and naphthoxylactic acid (NLA). Formation of GLY and NLA was linear
      with incubation time up to 6 d and was directly proportional to propranolol
      concentration. Fibroblasts and melanocytes also produced GLY and NLA, but
      appeared to have lower propranolol-biotransforming activity than keratinocytes.
      The three metabolites detected arise from side-chain oxidation of propranolol,
      and the use of specific enzyme inhibitors determined that monoamine oxidase and
      cytochrome P450 isozymes are involved in their formation. Aldehyde and alcohol
      dehydrogenases are also probably involved in the formation of NLA and GLY, but
      attempts to inhibit these enzyme systems were inconclusive, possibly due to the
      chemical instability of the intermediate aldehyde resulting from monoamine
      oxidase activity. No evidence was found for conjugation or ring oxidation by the
      skin or isolated cells. Induction of keratinocyte differentiation with Ca++ or
      phorbol ester treatment resulted in an increase of overall biotransformation and
      the NLA/GLY ratio.

PMID- 1875046
TI  - T-lymphocyte-activating properties of epidermal antigen-presenting cells from
      normal and psoriatic skin: evidence that psoriatic epidermal antigen-presenting
      cells resemble cultured normal Langerhans cells.
AB  - Fresh and cultured human Langerhans cells display disparate functional programs,
      based on their capacities to activate autologous and allogeneic T cells, and with
      respect to their susceptibility to inhibition by transforming growth factor-beta
      (TGF beta). We have compared the functional properties of epidermal antigen
      presenting cells (APC) procured from uninvolved and involved skin of patients
      with psoriasis with fresh and cultured normal epidermal cells. Freshly obtained
      psoriatic epidermal APC resembled cultured normal epidermal cells in their
      superior capacity to activate syngeneic and allogeneic T cells; fresh normal
      epidermal cells failed to activate syngeneic T cells, and induced only modest
      proliferation among allogeneic T cells. The modest T-cell--activating properties
      of fresh, normal epidermal cells were not suppressed by TGF beta, whereas the T
      cell--activating potential of psoriatic epidermal cells, cultured normal
      epidermal cells, and blood APC was inhibited approximately 50% by TGF beta. Thus,
      fresh psoriatic epidermal APC resemble cultured normal epidermal cells
      functionally. Because these properties are already evident in cells obtained from
      uninvolved psoriatic skin, the "cultured" functional phenotype of epidermal APC
      in this disease may precede the appearance of active psoriatic skin lesions.
      Surface marker analysis of normal and psoriatic epidermal cell suspensions
      revealed that virtually all of the bone marrow--derived cells in normal epidermal
      cell suspensions were conventional (CD1+) Langerhans cells, whereas CD1+ cells
      comprised only a minority of bone marrow--derived (CD45+) cells in psoriatic
      epidermis. It is speculated that some of the CD1-, CD45+ cells in psoriatic
      epidermis may be Langerhans cells that have lost their "fresh" phenotype. These
      data indicate that an abnormality in epidermal APC function exists in psoriatic
      skin--even before clinical lesions develop, and we speculate that the abnormal
      capacity of psoriatic epidermal APC to activate syngeneic T cells may be
      important in the expression of keratinocyte pathology. Because psoriatic
      epidermal APC functions were profoundly inhibited in vitro by treatment with
      cyclosporin A, the effectiveness of this drug in psoriasis may be due in part to
      its ability to inhibit epidermal antigen-presenting cell function in vivo.

PMID- 1875047
TI  - A successful murine model for contact sensitization to a sesquiterpene-alpha
      methylene-gamma-butyrolactone: sensitization to alantolactone in four strains of
      mice.
AB  - Induction of allergic contact hypersensitivity to a sesquiterpene lactone,
      alantolactone, was studied in four strains of mice: C3H/He, DBA/2, Balb/b, and
      Balb/c. The last three were successfully sensitized. A significant dose/response
      was demonstrated in these species, as well as an experimental "overload effect"
      in Balb/c and Balb/b strains. Histologic studies confirmed the allergic nature of
      the reaction. From the overall results, alantolactone can be considered a
      moderate sensitizer in mouse as well as in guinea pig. This study shows that the
      murine model can be used for experimental contact sensitization with moderate
      allergens, without the use of Freund's adjuvant for induction.

PMID- 1875048
TI  - DNA image cytometry of keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - The distinction between the keratoacanthoma (KA) and the squamous cell carcinoma
      (SCC) can sometimes be difficult on the basis of histologic and clinical
      criteria. The possible diagnostic significance of DNA ploidy initiated the
      present study evaluating the DNA ploidy in paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 7
      KA and 15 SCC, and fresh frozen tissue touch preparations of 15 of the same cases
      using the CAS 200 Image Analyzer. In paraffin-embedded tissue sections the main
      peak DNA index was based on normal epidermis, and ranged from 1.03 to 1.59 in KA
      and from 1.47-2.71 in SCC. The DNA Index (DI) discriminated KA from SCC in 17 of
      22 cases (p less than 0.0007). The highest DNA content of single nuclei ranged
      from 9.0-18.0 picograms (pg) (DI 2.9-6.03) in KA and 14.8-38.6 pg (DI 4.0-11.03)
      in SCC. The highest DNA content discriminated KA from SCC in 16 of 22 cases (p
      less than 0.003). In fresh frozen tissue touch preparations from 15 of the same
      lesions, there was considerable overlap in DNA indices of KA (0.534-1.39) and SCC
      (0.464-1.41). Abnormal DNA peaks seen in histograms from three SCC in paraffin
      embedded tissue sections were lost in the touch preparation histograms, probably
      due to inadequate sampling. Therefore, image analysis of paraffin-embedded tissue
      sections is better able to distinguish KA from SCC than touch preparations.

PMID- 1875049
TI  - Basal cell glycoprotein in pig epidermis closely resembles the beta 1 subunit of
      the integrin family of cell adhesion molecules.
AB  - A 135-kD conA-binding glycoprotein isolated from pig epidermis was previously
      localized to the surface of basal cells in stratified epithelia using affinity
      purified antibodies. Preembedding immunoperoxidase electron microscopy has now
      shown that this glycoprotein is concentrated on the lateral surfaces of basal
      cells but is not detectable on those surfaces adjacent to the basement membrane
      indicating a role in cell-cell rather than cell-substrate interactions. The basal
      cell glycoprotein was shown to resemble the beta 1 subunit of the integrin family
      following the generation of a specific monoclonal antibody (M5.25). The epidermal
      glycoprotein recognized by M5.25 and by antibodies against the beta 1 fibronectin
      receptor from human placenta co-migrated on SDS gels under both reducing and non
      reducing conditions. Its response to disulphide reducing agents was
      characteristic of beta 1 integrin subunits. In addition, the basal cell
      glycoprotein was shown to bind to the 120-kD cell-binding fragment of fibronectin
      in a RGD-dependent manner. It was readily detected by immunoblotting whole cell
      lysates of cultured pig keratinocytes suggesting increased expression in cultured
      cells compared to fresh epithelial tissue. The results suggest that beta 1
      integrin subunits may be involved in cell-cell interactions between basal
      keratinocytes in pig epidermis and that these receptors are lost from the cell
      surface during terminal differentiation. Thus modulation of beta 1 integrin
      subunit expression may play an important role in regulating differentiation in
      pig epidermis.

PMID- 1875050
TI  - Quantitative determination of IL-1 alpha-induced IL-8 mRNA levels in cultured
      human keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and monocytes.
AB  - The presence of the leukocyte chemotactic cytokine interleukin 8 (IL-8) in
      psoriatic scales and in epidermal tissue overlying allergic patch test reactions
      suggests a role for this cytokine in certain inflammatory skin diseases. IL-8 can
      be produced by several cell types present in the skin. Their relative potentials
      for IL-8 expression has, however, not yet been studied, due to the lack of
      convenient methods for quantitative comparison of specific mRNA amounts in
      different cell types. Using a new method for quantification, we compared specific
      IL-8 mRNA amounts in cultures of keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, endothelial
      cells, and monocytes, stimulated with interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha).
      Endothelial cells produced very high, fibroblasts and monocytes intermediate, and
      keratinocytes low amounts of IL-8 mRNA. We also studied the time course of IL-8
      mRNA levels in the four cell types following IL-1 alpha stimulation, and found a
      clear difference both in onset and stability of the response. We discuss the
      different strength of the response at different time points in the cell types
      analyzed in relation to their possible role in regulation of the normal response
      to stimulation.

PMID- 1875051
TI  - Blood mononuclear cells from patients with psoriasis exhibit an enhanced
      adherence to cultured vascular endothelium.
AB  - Blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from patients with psoriasis were more adherent to
      monolayers of endothelial cells prepared from human umbilical cord vein than
      otherwise similar cells from control subjects. This increase in adherence
      occurred in the presence (mean 37% increase; p less than 0.01) and absence (mean
      47% increase; p less than 0.05) of 10% autologous serum and was not related to
      the disease severity of the patients. The augmented adhesiveness of the patients'
      cells was also apparent when using monolayers of endothelial cells isolated from
      human skin. The levels of immune complexes, complement, alpha 2-macroglobulin,
      acute phase proteins (alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, C-reactive protein and alpha 1
      antitrypsin), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin-1 alpha
      (IL-1 alpha), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in the patients' sera were
      within normal limits. When MNC were added to endothelial monolayers that had been
      incubated with either TNF alpha or the highest concentration of rIL-1 beta used
      in the study, both the patients' and control's cells exhibited a similar increase
      in attachment (p less than 0.01). Pretreatment of endothelium with interferon
      gamma did not enhance the attachment of MNC from either group of subjects. The
      augmented adherence of the patient's MNC appears to be due to an abnormal
      adhesiveness of the lymphocytes rather than the monocytes and is not related to
      an enhanced expression of the cell-surface adhesion molecules CD11a/CD18. It is
      likely that the circulating MNC of psoriatic patients may be predisposed for
      extravasation into skin.

PMID- 1875052
TI  - Cyclic AMP-receptor protein activity in rat preputial cells.
AB  - Cells from the rat preputial gland--a type of sebaceous gland--exhibited specific
      responsiveness of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) dependent protein
      kinase to stimulation by agents that elevate intracellular cyclic AMP. Electron
      microscopy shows that the rat preputial gland resembles the human sebaceous
      gland, not only in terms of containing a sebocyte-like population of cells in an
      acinar arrangement at different maturational stages, but also in the morphology
      of its organelles such as abundant and sometimes atypical mitochondria, many
      perinuclear lysosomes with crystalline inclusions, lipid droplets of various
      sizes, and peroxisomes. Other cell types, among them duct and inflammatory cells,
      were evident in the tissue sections, but constituted a minor component. Responses
      to stimulation of the adenylate cyclase-protein kinase pathways were determined
      using preputial cells that had been both freshly dispersed and grown in monolayer
      culture. Stimulation with isoproterenol (IPR) or forskolin (FS) resulted in both
      cases in an increase of cyclic AMP binding of the regulatory (R) subunits of
      cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, as determined by photoaffinity labeling of R
      subunits with an azido analog of cyclic AMP ([32P]-8-azido cyclic AMP). Cells
      from the epidermis under comparable conditions responded to a lesser degree and
      with a different distribution of R subunit isoforms. There are, therefore,
      differences in receptor activity as well as in the transduction pathways between
      the two types of epithelial cell populations. These results indicate that the
      preputial gland contains precursor cells that differentiate in culture to retain
      specific molecular mechanisms of action mediated via cyclic AMP.

PMID- 1875053
TI  - Selective inactivation of human neutrophil elastase by synthetic tannin.
AB  - Tannins of natural or synthetic origin are well-known adjuvants in topical anti
      inflammatory therapy of skin diseases. In this study, the influence of synthetic
      tannin on neutrophil accumulation, enzyme release, and on the proinflammatory
      activity of neutrophil-derived enzymes was investigated. The results show that
      synthetic tannin (Tamol) specifically inhibits the neutrophil serine protease
      human leukocyte elastase (HLE) in an irreversible manner with a half-maximal
      inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.3 microgram/ml. Exogenous protein partially
      abolished the tannin-dependent HLE inhibition (IC50 of Tamol at 1% protein
      concentration:1.0 microgram/ml). Synthetic tannin did not influence the
      activities of other neutrophil enzymes like Cathepsin G, beta-glucuronidase, and
      myeloperoxidase. The specificity of Tamol for HLE was further substantiated by
      the lack of inhibition of other serine proteases. Additionally, Tamol had no
      effect on f-met-leu-phe-induced neutrophil chemotaxis and did not alter enzyme
      degranulation of neutrophils in response to f-met-leu-phe and opsonized zymosan.
      We conclude from our results that the anti-inflammatory properties of synthetic
      tannin may at least in part be due to inactivation of the proinflammatory
      protease HLE.

PMID- 1875054
TI  - Minoxidil: inhibition of proliferation of keratinocytes in vitro.
AB  - Previous studies have suggested that minoxidil stimulates growth of
      keratinocytes, possibly in a manner similar to the action of epidermal growth
      factor. Using both a short-term assay, thymidine incorporation, and a longer term
      assay, cell counting, to assess proliferative growth, we tested the activity of
      minoxidil in human keratinocyte cultures grown in 0.1 mM Ca(++). Minoxidil failed
      to stimulate growth in these assays. At concentrations of 5-10 micrograms per ml,
      minoxidil showed half-maximal inhibition of both EGF- and placental extract
      stimulated thymidine incorporation. Minoxidil also inhibited proliferative growth
      in the presence or absence of placental extract. Direct measurement of the
      ability of minoxidil to compete for binding to the EGF receptor indicated that
      minoxidil probably does not bind to the EGF receptor. Minoxidil was not toxic, as
      keratinocytes continued to survive and grow, although at a slower rate, in the
      presence of minoxidil.

PMID- 1875055
TI  - Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.
AB  - To determine the role of T-cell activation in dermatitis herpetiformis (DH),
      soluble IL-2R levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      in the sera of 30 patients with DH. Levels of this shed receptor are considered
      to be a measure of in vivo T-lymphocyte activation, and are elevated in the sera
      of many patients with inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Fifteen of the
      thirty (50%) patients with DH had elevated levels of soluble IL-2R compared to
      one of 31 (3%) healthy HLA-B8 or HLA-DR3 control subjects (p less than 0.00001)
      and one of 10 (10%) healthy non-HLA-B8/-DR3 subjects (p less than 0.0018). In
      addition, the mean soluble IL-2R level in the patients with DH (744 +/- 381 U/ml)
      was also significantly higher than that seen in 31 healthy HLA B8 or HLA DR3
      individuals (388 +/- 160 U/ml, p = 0.0001) and 10 healthy non-HLA-B8/DR3
      individuals (397 +/- 201 U/ml, p = 0.002). Only two of the 30 patients with DH
      had active skin lesions at the time of serum sampling, one of whom had elevated
      levels of IL-2R. Measurement of soluble IL-2R levels in sequential serum samples,
      available in four patients with DH at times of active and inactive skin disease,
      demonstrated a temporal association between soluble IL-2R level elevations and
      active skin disease in two patients and no association in two patients. In one
      patient a marked elevation in soluble IL-2R levels occurred with the onset of
      gastrointestinal symptoms, which decreased by 14% with institution of a gluten
      free diet. In order to determine if soluble IL-2R levels are related to the
      mucosal immune response, the IL-2R levels were compared to the level of IgA
      antibodies directed against the dietary antigen beta-lactoglobulin. Ten of eleven
      (91%) patients with circulating IgA anti-beta lactoglobulin antibodies were also
      found to have elevated levels of IL-2R. In contrast, in the patients with no
      detectable IgA anti-beta lactoglobulin antibodies, only four of 16 (25%) had
      elevated levels of IL-2R (p = 0.001). Because IL-2R levels are not related to
      activity of the skin disease in patients with DH but are associated with the
      presence of IgA antibodies against the dietary antigen beta-lactoglobulin, these
      results suggest that some of the T-cell activation commonly present in DH
      reflects an ongoing immune response in the gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1875056
TI  - Human keratinocytes adhere to two distinct heparin-binding synthetic peptides
      derived from fibronectin.
AB  - Fibronectin is present at the dermal-epidermal junction in normal skin and is
      increased in skin tissues in inflammatory diseases, skin cancers, and wound
      repair. The present studies focused on further characterizing the interaction
      between fibronectin and keratinocytes, specifically addressing whether human
      keratinocytes utilize multiple adhesion promoting sequences within fibronectin.
      Initially, direct cell-binding assays were utilized in which keratinocyte
      adhesion to plastic substrata coated with fibronectin or proteolytic fragments of
      fibronectin was quantified. Intact fibronectin, a 75-kD proteolytic fragment
      containing the RGD sequence, and 33/66-kD cell adhesion/heparin binding fragments
      lacking the RGD sequence derived from the A and B chains of fibronectin, all
      promoted keratinocyte adhesion in a concentration-dependent manner. To further
      define putative cell-binding domains within the 33/66-kD fibronectin fragments,
      we studied three chemically synthesized peptides derived from the amino acid
      sequence of the 33-kD fragment of the fibronectin A chain: FN-C/H-I
      (YEKPGSPPREVVPRPRPGV), FN-C/H-II (KNNQKSEPLIGRKKT), and CS1
      (DELPQLVTLPHPNLHGPEILDVPST). Substrata coated with either FN-C/H-I or FN-C/H-II
      promoted keratinocyte adhesion in a concentration-dependent and saturable manner,
      whereas peptide CS1 promoted no significant keratinocyte adhesion. In solution,
      both exogenous FN-C/H-I and FN-C/H-II partially inhibited keratinocyte adhesion
      to the 33/66-kD fibronectin fragments. Furthermore, antibodies prepared against
      these peptides also inhibited keratinocyte adhesion to the 33/66-kD fibronectin
      fragments. These data indicate that keratinocyte adhesion to fibronectin is
      mediated by multiple distinct amino acid sequences, at least two of which are
      localized to the carboxy-terminal heparin binding domain of fibronectin.

PMID- 1875057
TI  - Collagen telopeptides (cross-linking sites) play a role in collagen gel lattice
      contraction.
AB  - Solubilized interstitial collagens will form a fibrillar, gel-like lattice when
      brought to physiologic conditions. In the presence of human dermal fibroblasts
      the collagen lattice will contract. The rate of contraction can be determined by
      computer-assisted planemetry. The mechanisms involved in contraction are as yet
      unknown. Using this system it was found that the rate of contraction was markedly
      decreased when collagen lacking telopeptides was substituted for native collagen.
      Histidinohydroxylysinonorleucine (HHL) is a major stable trifunctional collagen
      cross-link in mature skin that involves a carboxyl terminal, telopeptide site
      16c, the sixteenth amino acid residue from the carboxy terminal of the
      telopeptide region of alpha 1 (I) in type I collagen. Little, if any, HHL was
      present in native, purified, reconstituted, soluble collagen fibrils from 1%
      acetic acid-extracted 2-year-old bovine skin. In contrast, HHL cross-links were
      present (0.22 moles of cross-link per mole of collagen) in lattices of the same
      collagen contracted by fibroblasts. However, rat tail tendon does not contain HHL
      cross-links, and collagen lattices made of rat tail tendon collagen are capable
      of contraction. This suggests that telopeptide sites, and not mature HHL cross
      links per se, are essential for fibroblasts to contract collagen lattices. Beta
      aminopropionitrile fumarate (BAPN), a potent lathyrogen that perturbs collagen
      cross-linking by inhibition of lysyl oxidase, also inhibited the rate of lattice
      cell contraction in lattices composed of native collagen. However, the
      concentrations of BAPN that were necessary to inhibit the contraction of collagen
      lattices also inhibited fibroblast growth suggestive of cellular toxicity. In
      accordance with other studies, we found no inhibition of the rate of lattice
      contraction when fibronectin-depleted serum was used. Electron microscopy of
      contracted gels revealed typical collagen fibers with a characteristic axial
      periodicity. The data provide evidence that collagen telopeptide sites play a
      role in collagen gel lattice contraction.

PMID- 1875058
TI  - Expression and secretion of leukocyte chemotactic cytokines by normal human
      melanocytes and melanoma cells.
AB  - The capacity of human melanocytes and melanoma cells to produce IL-8 and monocyte
      chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF) was investigated. Melanocytes expressed
      mRNA for IL-8 and MCAF, when stimulated with either IL-1 alpha or TNF alpha, but
      not when stimulated with IL-6, IFN gamma, or LPS alone. IL-8 and MCAF could be
      induced in a dose-dependent fashion with doses as low as 0.1 ng/ml TNF alpha and
      0.5 ng/ml IL-1 alpha. IL-8 and MCAF mRNA were rapidly expressed and peaked
      between 2 and 4 h for IL-8 and between 4 and 8 h for MCAF. This correlated well
      with the accumulation of IL-8 antigen as measured by a radioimmunoassay.
      Supernatants from melanocyte cultures stimulated with either IL-1 alpha or TNF
      alpha and separated on a heparin-Sepharose column became positive for neutrophil
      and monocyte chemotactic activity in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. When IFN
      gamma was added to melanocyte cultures stimulated with suboptimal doses of TNF
      alpha there was a synergistic increase in secreted IL-8 protein and monocyte
      chemotactic activity. These data provide further evidence for the possible role
      of melanocytes in the initiation of an inflammatory reaction. Three different
      malignant melanoma cell lines stimulated with either TNF alpha or IL-1 alpha
      expressed IL-8 mRNA, but not mRNA for MCAF. The IL-8 mRNA signal corresponded
      well with the amount of secreted IL-8 protein. These data suggest that IL-8 and
      MCAF may play a role in growth regulation and spreading of melanomas.

PMID- 1875059
TI  - Ultraviolet light-induced augmentation of SS-A/Ro.

PMID- 1875060
TI  - Autoreactive proliferative responses by T-cell lines isolated from psoriatic
      lesions.

PMID- 1875061
TI  - NAP-1/IL-8 immunoreactivity in normal and psoriatic skin.

PMID- 1875062
TI  - Successful treatment of Taenia saginata and Hymenolepis nana by single oral dose
      of praziquantel.
AB  - Infections by adult cestodes are widely distributed in the world, and induced
      digestive and general disturbances. In this study, 40 patients with Taenia
      saginata and 15 with Hymenolepis nana were treated by one single oral dose of
      Praziquantel, at the dosage of 10 mg/kg/day and 20 mg/kg/day respectively. As
      side effects, no biological disturbances occurred, but 6 patients complained of
      abdominal pain and diarrhea. The efficiency was complete. Praziquantel, a wide
      spectrum anti-helminthic day drug, used in schistosomiasis, fascioliasis,
      cysticercosis, is the best treatment of adult cestodes.

PMID- 1875063
TI  - Parasitic infections associated with mental retardation in Egypt.
AB  - Examination of 150 mentally retarded patients for parasitic infections by urine
      and stool analysis revealed that 115 (76.67%) were positive. The most prevalent
      parasites found were T. trichiura in 56%, A. lumbricoides in 40.6% and A.
      duodenale in 21.33%. Double infection was present in 30.67%, triple infection in
      15.33% and quadriple infection in 6%. Eosinophilia was detected in 91 (64.08%) of
      142 examined cases, all were suffering from intestinal parasites. S. stercoralis
      was present in 11.33% by stool examination and culture and in 24 (60%) out of 40
      examined cases by the IFAT. Toxocara antibodies were present in 38 (56.72%) out
      of 67 examined cases by the IFAT. Toxoplasma antibodies were present in 106
      (74.65%) out of 142 examined cases by the IFAT.

PMID- 1875064
TI  - A case of ectopic fascioliasis in a farmer from Mansoura City, Dakahlia, Egypt.
AB  - Human fascioliasis is a new parasitic health problem in Egypt. This paper reports
      a case of ectopic fascioliasis in the right side of the pleural cavity of a
      farmer.

PMID- 1875065
TI  - Leishmania major and Meriones crassus in North Sinai Governorate, Egypt.
AB  - Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL.) now seems to be more than was once
      thought in North Sinai. In the present study, Meriones crassus (23) and M.
      sacramenti (10) were collected from limited foci of human CL. Leishmania major
      (four strains) were isolated from M. crassus as indicated enzymologically by the
      cellulose acetate electrophoresis of nine different enzymes (MDH, 6 PGD, GD, PK,
      PGM, NH, GPI, ME and SOD). The four strains were equivalent to zymodeme LON 1
      (three strains) and LON 2 (one strain).

PMID- 1875066
TI  - Some immunological aspects of chronic liver diseases in Egyptian children.
AB  - This study was conducted on 40 Egyptian children (21 males and 19 females) with
      various chronic liver diseases, selected from the out-patient Pediatric
      Hepatology Clinic of Ain Shams University Hospital. Their ages ranged from 1.5 to
      13 years with a mean of 5.98 +/- 3.72 years. Twenty healthy children of
      comparable age and sex to the patients were chosen as controls. All children were
      subjected to detailed history taking, thorough clinical examination and
      laboratory investigations including full blood picture, urine and stool
      examination, liver function tests, prothrombin time and hepatitis B surface
      antigen in addition to sigmoidoscopy with rectal snip examination, abdominal
      ultrasonography and liver biopsy. Moreover, immunological investigations were
      done, that included estimation of the serum complement levels of C3 and C4 by
      using single radial immunodiffusion method, assessment of the phagocytic and
      intracellular killing activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes by living Candida
      albicans uptake and detection of non organ specific autoantibodies in the serum
      by indirect immunofluorescence technique. This study showed that the serum level
      of C3 was increased and C4 was decreased significantly in patients with chronic
      liver disease, especially in chronic active hepatitis. Regarding phagocytosis,
      there was significant impairment of the neutrophil phagocytic function but not
      the intracellular lytic activity of candida albicans. This reduced phagocytic
      function was more pronounced in patients having chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis
      than in bilharzial and other cases. Serum autoantibodies; antinuclear and
      antimitochondrial antibodies were absent in the sera of both patients and
      controls, while antismooth muscle antibodies were found in the sera of 47.5% of
      patients with chronic liver diseases and non of the control sera. The highest
      incidence of these antibodies was present in HBs Ag negative patients with
      chronic active hepatitis (80%). We concluded that patients with chronic liver
      diseases have disturbed functions of both complement and phagocytic systems that
      may lead to increased susceptibility to recurrent infections. So, routine
      assessment of immunological status with early diagnosis and treatment of
      infections are important in the proper management of these patients. In addition,
      detection of serum auto-antibodies in these patients is helpful in the early
      diagnosis of auto-immune liver diseases.

PMID- 1875067
TI  - Prevalence of congenital and acquired toxoplasmic uveitis as evidenced by two
      serologic methods.
AB  - Anti Toxoplasma antibodies were sought in 34 patients with uveitis and 20 healthy
      individuals by IHAT and IFAT. The total sero-positivity rate was 26.5%. The
      prevalence was significantly higher among patients with posterior (42.9%) than
      with anterior uveitis (7.1%) and control (10%) indicating significant role of
      Toxoplasma as an aetiologic agent of posterior uveitis. 14.4% of patients with
      seropositive uveitis were considered to be due to primarily acquired Toxoplasma
      infection as evidenced by their significant higher IFAT mean titre (576.7 +/-
      322.1) than IHAT (48 +/- 18.5). The reported toxoplasmic anterior uveitis case is
      most probably secondary to posterior involvement.

PMID- 1875068
TI  - Causes of lymphadenopathy in Egyptian children other than malignancy.
AB  - Fifty children aged 3 to 12 years presented with cervical or inguinal lymph nodes
      enlargement were selected from Zagazig University Hospitals. They were subjected
      to routine laboratory examination as well as histopathological &
      immunopathological studies. The results revealed eosinophilia and intestinal
      parasites in 80 percent. Besides, pediculosis and flea dermatitis were also
      demonstrated in 30 and 12 percent respectively. Histopathological studies of the
      nodal tissues revealed sinus hyperplasia (ten cases), reactive paracortical
      hyperplasia (30 cases) and necrosis and caseition (ten cases). Infiltration with
      eosinophils was demonstrated in the nodal tissues of 40 cases.
      Immunopathologyical studies revealed cytotoxic T-cells in all the cases, and
      helper T lymphocytes in only 15 cases. It is concluded that this may give an
      explanation of some causes of lymphadenopathy in Egyptian children other than
      malignancy.

PMID- 1875069
TI  - Detection of antitrichomonal antibodies in sera and cervical secretions in
      trichomoniasis.
AB  - The AT, IFAT and ELISA were used to detect circulating and cervical
      antitrichomonal antibodies, using living and dead whole parasite or soluble
      protein extract as antigens respectively, in 93 women with proven trichomoniasis
      and 25 healthy women as controls. The results revealed that the IFA test is the
      most sensitive one for detecting serum (92.5%) and cervical (87.1%) antibodies.
      Circulating IgM rather than IgG appeared to be the antibody class involved in
      infected women, while cervical secretions showed a significant high
      concentrations of IgA, IgG and IgM. On the other hand, no IgE was detected
      neither in sera nor in secretions. The detection of antitrichomonal antibodies in
      controls, with no demonstrable trichomonal infection, may be accounted for
      previous infection.

PMID- 1875070
TI  - Effect of certain formulations of the bacterial larvicide, Bacillus
      thuringiensis, serotype H-14 on Culex pipiens L. in Egypt.

PMID- 1875071
TI  - Testicular changes in rats after Trichinella spiralis infection.
AB  - Infection of rats with Trichinella spiralis was found to be associated with
      testicular enlargement. A paucity of Leydig cells with marked oedema of
      interstitial areas were observed. Most of the seminiferous tubules were lined by
      spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes. T. spiralis larvae were not detected in
      the testes. Using the indirect immunoperoxidase procedure, T. spiralis antigen
      was detected as weak brown staining. The antigen was diffusely distributed in the
      cytoplasm of spermatogenic cells, Sertoli cells and focally around the tubular
      basement membrane of the infected rats. The significance of the results was
      discussed.

PMID- 1875072
TI  - Experimental trichinosis: effect of immunosuppression on the host-parasite
      system.
AB  - Experimental trichinosis in immunocompetent verus immunosuppressed albino rats
      was studied over a period of two months. The immunosuppressed ones showed
      significant delay in expulsion of adult worms, significant increase in the yield
      of muscle larvae, lower IFA titres and delayed encystation of muscle larvae with
      mild cellular infiltration. Specific antigen deposits detected in the muscles and
      different tissues of the immunosuppressed rats indicated augmentation of
      circulating antigens. In both groups, the liver, kidney, lung, brain and testes
      showed nonspecific pathological changes but larvae were never detected in
      examined sections. Incidentally, on the 14th post-infection day, two
      immunocompetent rats were found pregnant, and near-full-term embryos showed more
      deposition of Trichinella antigens in most of their tissues indicating placental
      passage of circulating antigens. This study indicates that in patients receiving
      immunosuppressive drugs, possible exposure to T. spiralis infection will result
      in severe manifestations or complications.

PMID- 1875073
TI  - Length and hatchability of Schistosoma mansoni eggs.
AB  - Mature Schistosoma mansoni eggs, purely isolated from the intestines of infected
      mice, were allowed to hatch and classified microscopically according to their
      lengths. The hatching percentage and the type of shell rupture were studied. An
      inverse relationship between the length and hatchability of eggs was proved.
      Smaller eggs have a high hatchability percentage, while eggs larger than 160 um
      in length failed to hatch. The predominance of oblique type of tear in the shells
      after rupture suggests a longitudinal arrangement of egg shell chemical
      constituents.

PMID- 1875074
TI  - Effect of laval breeding conditions on the morphological, ovarian and behavioral
      characteristics of Anopheles pharoensis of the emerged females.
AB  - Under laboratory conditions, morphological, ovarian and behavioral
      characteristics of Anopheles pharoensis females were found to be affected by a
      combination of 3 larval environmental factors: quantity of food, density of
      larvae and salinity of the rearing medium. Size and weight of the emerged females
      were decreased by lowering the quantity of food (basic ration), increasing the
      population density of larvae (200 larvae/pan) and increasing the salinity of the
      rearing medium (1/5 dilution of Sea water). Embryogenesis and behavior of the
      female were also affected by the larval environmental factors; the female emerged
      with the undeveloped stag of the ovaries (Christophers's stage I), needs a
      multiple feeding with 2 blood meals required, at times, to reach the gravid stage
      and produce the first batch of eggs. The female emerged with fewer number of
      ovarian follicles and thus affecting the number of produced eggs. The emerged
      female takes as maximum 4 blood meals to lay 3 batches of eggs during the life
      cycle (8 days).

PMID- 1875075
TI  - Capillaria hepatica: an experimental study of infection in white mice.
AB  - C. hepatica were found in 15.8% of wild caught rats. Experimental studies showed
      that the host reaction started specifically against developing worm as early as
      the 9th day post infection. Eggs started to develop inside uterus in the 3rd week
      P.I. The second month of infection was the maximum growth and activity of worm,
      egglying, severe liver destruction and necrosis, degeneration, granuloma
      formation as well as the greatest humoral and cellular responses of the host. By
      the third month P.I., there was a gradual increase of the fibroblastic activity
      around the already formed granuloma and a decrease of antibody level in
      peripheral blood. Areas of hepatic regeneration started between the fibrotic
      granulomas and the liver enzymatic reactions returned gradually to their normal
      levels. Viable eggs were seen until the eighth month of infection free or
      surrounded by fibrous tissue.

PMID- 1875076
TI  - An assessment of hepatic functional capacities and haemoglobin values in
      amaebiasis.
AB  - Fourty adult males with amaebiasis and a match control group of the same age and
      sex were subjected to complete blood examination. The results showed that the
      mean values for total serum protein, total serum bilirubin, A.L.P. and Hb % were
      within the acceptable limits i.e. statistically insignificant, whilst A.S.T. and
      A.L.T. were not within the acceptable limits, i.e. statistically significant. The
      percentages of normals as regards the frequency distribution test were as
      follows: Total serum protein (80%), total serum bilirubin (82.5%), A.L.P.
      (94.59%), A.S.T. (67.5%), A.L.T. (75%) and Hb. (86.21%). The regression analysis
      test, confirmed by the correlation test, were performed to indicate the
      relationship between the intensity of infection (indicated by the population of
      E. histolytica in stool analysis) and the serum levels of the tests to follow.
      Accordingly the serum levels of A.L.P., A.S.T. and A.L.T. showed a relatively
      slight increase, while the total serum protein level and Hb% showed a slight
      decrease. The serum bilirubin indicated no change whatsoever.

PMID- 1875077
TI  - Evaluation of the antiparasitic effect of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) extract
      in hymenolepiasis nana and giardiasis.
AB  - The effect of serial dilutions of crude garlic (Allium sativum) extract on adult
      Hymenolepis nana was studied to detect the minimal lethal concentration which was
      found to be 1/20. A. sativum was tried in the treatment of 10 children infected
      with H. nana and 26 infected with G. lamblia as 5 ml crude extract in 100 ml
      water in 2 doses per day, or commercial preparation (0.6 mg capsules) 2 capsules
      twice/day for 3 days. A sativum was found to be efficient, safe and shortens the
      duration of treatment. The possible mode of action of A. sativum and the
      correlation between the clinical and parasitological findings were discussed.

PMID- 1875078
TI  - Some myiasis producers in Cairo and Giza abattoirs.
AB  - The most important insects from medical point of view, are the blood suckers or
      the insect-borne diseases. Still others, almost non-blood suckers, but may attack
      man and animal to deposit their eggs or larvae causing pathogenic condition known
      as myiasis. In the present paper, a total of nine myiasis producing dipterous
      flies were collected from Cairo and Giza abattoirs. They were: Musca d. vicina,
      Calliphora vicina, Chrysomyia albiceps, C. marginalis, Lucilia sericata, L.
      cuprina, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis, Wohlfahrtia magnifica and Oestrus ovis.
      Their role as myiasis producers in man and animal was discussed.

PMID- 1875079
TI  - Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with meningoencephalitis.
AB  - This study was carried on 42 patients with meningoencephalitis who had negative
      C.S.F. cultures for common pathogenic bacteria. The percentage of seropositive
      Toxoplasma antibodies (IgG) using Indirect Immuno Fluorescent Assay was 10/42
      (26%). The clinical presentation and C.S.F. changes with high antibody titres
      were encountered. The results may incriminate toxoplasmosis as an etiologic agent
      for meningoencephalitis.

PMID- 1875080
TI  - Human fascioliasis: a parasitic health problem in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt.
AB  - Fascioliasis has a cosmopolitan distribution and is prevalent in sheep-raising
      countries. Now, it is an increasingly important parasite of man in the
      Mediterranean countries. In Dakahlia G., human fascioliasis has imposed itself as
      a parasitic health problem. In this paper, 23 human cases were selected to throw
      some light on the signs, symptoms and diagnosis of the disease. It was concluded
      that painful hepatomegaly, fever, anaemia and marked eosinophilia are tetrad
      suggesting fascioliasis in patient who has consumed watercress as green salade.
      Data concerning treatment and follow up will be published later.

PMID- 1875081
TI  - Hepatitis D anti-bodies in some HBs Ag positive in Saudis at Riyadh.
AB  - This study was done on 212 male and female Saudi blood donors and those visiting
      the Outpatient Clinics in Al Ali General Hospital during the years 1987 to 1990.
      None of them had history of hepatitis and all were clinically free. The
      prevalence of anti-Delta Ab in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) carriers was
      17.6%. The existence of closely linked family ties and joint family systems,
      result in close contact between patients and other members of the family and
      hence the high prevalence rate in normal population (8%). Vaccination against
      Hepatitis B virus may be particularly necessary.

PMID- 1875082
TI  - Toxocara canis antibodies by counter immuno-electrophoresis.
AB  - Counter immunoelectrophoresis was used for anti-toxocaral antibodies in mice
      experimentally infected with Toxocara canis using adult worm antigen. The test
      seems to be valuable and gives good information about the infected rate.

PMID- 1875083
TI  - Parasitic infection in Sennores primary school, El-Fayum Governorate, Egypt.
AB  - Sennores Center has not been examined for parasitosis. In this paper, a total of
      252 pupils in Sennores primary school were examined. The commonest parasite was
      S. haematobium (29.4%) and the least common was T. saginata (1.2%). Single
      infection was in 50.4% and double infection was in 40.1%. One case showed triple
      infection. The whole results were discussed.

PMID- 1875084
TI  - Effect of nutritive elements on the extracellular protein of different Bacillus
      strains, toxic to mosquito larvae.
AB  - The effect of 5 nutritional elements (glucose, peptone, yeast extract, beef
      extract and lactic acid) on the growth of the 4 tested Bacillus strains (Bacillus
      thuringiensis Bactimos 78, B. thuringiensis IPS 82, B. sphaericus Solvay 85 and
      B. sphaericus Rb 80) as well as on the concentration of their extracellular
      proteins were studied. The nutritive elements were individually tested either
      dissolved in distilled water or in a buffer base. Results indicated that the
      bacterial growth was higher when the nutritive elements were dissolved in a
      buffer base than in dist. water. The concentration of the extracellular proteins
      were always higher in the absence of the inorganic minerals, although the
      toxicity of these extracellular proteins against 3rd instar Culex pipiens larvae
      increased in the presence of these inorganic elements.

PMID- 1875085
TI  - Trichinosis in camels.

PMID- 1875086
TI  - A case of chloroquine resistant Falciparum malaria in Saudi Arabia.

PMID- 1875087
TI  - Generalized pediculosis due to Phthirus pubis.

PMID- 1875088
TI  - A case of urinary myiasis due to Piophila casei.

PMID- 1875089
TI  - [Observation of biological macromolecules by scanning electron microscopy].

PMID- 1875090
TI  - [Macrophage scavenger receptors: the membrane glycoproteins mediating endocytosis
      of denatured or modified substances].

PMID- 1875091
TI  - [Synchrotron radiation and structural kinetics].

PMID- 1875092
TI  - [Beginning and the rate of aging: is there an aging gene?].

PMID- 1875093
TI  - [Production of magnetic material by magnetic bacteria].

PMID- 1875094
TI  - [Epidermosides--epidermal acylsphingoglycolipids and their barrier function].

PMID- 1875095
TI  - [The use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for protein fractionation].

PMID- 1875096
TI  - A general solution of the problem of mixing of subpopulations and its application
      to risk- and age-structured epidemic models for the spread of AIDS.
AB  - A central aspect in the study of the dynamics of sexually transmitted diseases is
      that of mixing. The study of the effects of social structure in disease dynamics
      has received considerable attention over the last few years as a result of the
      AIDS epidemic. In this paper, we formulate a generalization of the Blythe and
      Castillo-Chavez social/sexual framework for human interactions through the
      incorporation of age structure, and derive an explicit expression in terms of a
      preference function for the general solution to this formulation. We emphasize
      the role played by proportionate mixing, the only separable solution to this
      mixing framework, through the discussion of several specific cases, and we
      formulate an age-structured epidemic model for a single sexually active
      homosexual population, stratified by risk and age, with arbitrary risk- and age
      dependent mixing as well as variable infectivity. In the special case of
      proportionate mixing in age and risk, an explicit expression for the basic
      reproductive number is computed.

PMID- 1875097
TI  - Modelling and numerical optimization of corneal rotation.
AB  - Rotational ipsilateral penetrating autokeratoplasty can be performed for patients
      whose vision is impaired by corneal opacities overlying the pupil and where an
      adequate area of clear peripheral cornea is present. A method is presented for
      determining the maximum clear central corneal area that can be obtained by
      rotational autokeratoplasty and the most appropriate trephine size and placement.
      The mathematical modelling consists of estimating the shape of the opacity
      perimeter using nonlinear constrained optimization.

PMID- 1875098
TI  - [Recent advance on clinical study of pneumonia].

PMID- 1875099
TI  - [Pneumonia and changes in pathogenic bacteria].

PMID- 1875100
TI  - [Compromised host and pneumonia].

PMID- 1875101
TI  - [Image diagnosis of pneumonia].

PMID- 1875102
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of mycoplasma and viral pneumonia].

PMID- 1875103
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of Chlamydia pneumonia].

PMID- 1875104
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of fungal lung diseases].

PMID- 1875105
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of parasitic lung diseases].

PMID- 1875106
TI  - [Diagnosis and therapy of pneumonia caused by drug-resistant strains of
      bacteria].

PMID- 1875107
TI  - [Respiratory tract diseases and infections].

PMID- 1875108
TI  - [Pneumonia in the elderly].

PMID- 1875109
TI  - [Therapy of pneumonia caused by unknown pathogens].

PMID- 1875110
TI  - [Therapy of outpatients with respiratory tract infections].

PMID- 1875111
TI  - [A case of retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to multiple myeloma complicated with
      factor X deficiency and amyloidosis].

PMID- 1875112
TI  - [A case of myelodysplastic syndrome with abnormal chromosome t (3;4),
      proliferation of megakaryocytes and myelofibrosis, transition to overt leukemia].

PMID- 1875113
TI  - [A case of Weber-Christian disease associated with cytophagic histiocytosis and
      pancytopenia].

PMID- 1875114
TI  - [A case of chronic myeloid leukemia with cytogenetic remission and disappearance
      of Ph1 positive cells due to interferon-alpha administration].

PMID- 1875115
TI  - [Cytokines].

PMID- 1875116
TI  - Posterior approach to the rectum for treatment of selected benign lesions.
AB  - Access to lesions in the mid-rectum can be difficult. This report summarizes our
      experience with a posterior approach to the rectum in 22 men and 13 women, age
      range 21 to 96 years. Surgical indications included villous tumours, rectal
      prolapse, rectal strictures or rectal fistulae. No postoperative complications
      were observed in 20 patients, but fistulae developed in seven patients, of whom
      three required proximal colostomy and surgical treatment. Four healed
      spontaneously. Two patients developed sacrococcygeal hernia. Pathologic
      examination of villous tumour showed extensive malignant change in three cases
      requiring rectal resection with end-to-end colo-anal anastomosis. In two patients
      mild incontinence developed, treated by biofeedback. Residual peri-anal pain was
      reported by two patients. The posterior approach to the rectum is particularly
      useful for benign lesions too high for a transanal resection and too low for a
      transabdominal resection.

PMID- 1875117
TI  - Radiological study of changes in the pelvis in women following proctocolectomy.
AB  - The vagina, uterus and adnexa of 21 women who had a proctocolectomy for
      ulcerative colitis or Crohn's colitis were examined with vaginography and
      hysterosalpinography. Six healthy women were used as controls. A characteristic
      post-operative deformation of the adnexa and the vagina was demonstrated. In 17
      of 21 women the fallopian tube anatomy was pathological, in four cases with total
      obstruction. These abnormalities explain why vaginal discharge, dyspareunia and
      involuntary sterility are common complaints in women after this type of surgery.

PMID- 1875118
TI  - Alterations in anorectal function after anterior resection for cancer of the
      rectum.
AB  - We have evaluated by means of a clinical and functional study the alterations in
      anorectal function of a group of 50 consecutive patients who have undergone an
      anterior resection of the rectum. Results are correlated with the anastomosis
      location and the time passed after the operation. According to research data this
      operation changes the patient's defaecation habits and the manometric and
      radiological parameters of anorectal function. These alterations are more evident
      in patients with a low anastomosis. The qualitative characteristics of
      defaecation did not change significantly in relation to the time passed since
      operation. However, there was a significant increase in compliance 6 months after
      operation, and the threshold rectal volume and the maximum tolerated volume also
      showed a significant increase 12 months following operation.

PMID- 1875119
TI  - Simultaneous resection of colorectal carcinoma and synchronous liver metastases
      in a district hospital.
AB  - Of 491 patients operated for carcinomas of the colon or rectum between 1984 and
      1989, 106 were tumour stage IV, U.I.C.C.(Dukes' 'D') at time of operation. In 22
      of these cases a radical resection of the carcinoma of the colon or rectum and of
      synchronous liver metastases was performed simultaneously. In 20 patients the
      metastases were confined to one, in two they were found in both hepatic lobes. In
      one case a solitary metastasis of the lower lobe of the right lung was resected
      additionally. Three right-sided hemihepatectomies, one extended right
      hemihepatectomy, five left-sided hemihepatectomies, three left-sided lateral
      segmentectomies, seven atypical segmental resections and three wedge resections
      were performed. The mean operation time for the radical resection of the
      carcinomas of the colon or rectum as well as of the liver metastases was 3.5 (3
      5.2)hours. An average of 3 (0-9) blood units were needed intraoperatively. The
      major liver resections were performed in complete normothermic vascular ischaemia
      using the finger fracture method. The time of ischaemia ranged between 8 and 25
      min. Only 1 of 22 patients died postoperatively (30 days postoperative hospital
      mortality rate 4.5%). Five of 17 patients were free of tumour 2 years after
      operation. Eight of 22 were alive 2 years after operation (non-age corrected 2
      year survival rate 36.4%), 2 of them are alive more than 5 years after treatment.
      Our results demonstrate that simultaneous resection of colon or rectum carcinoma
      and of synchronous (resectable) liver metastases can be performed successfully,
      even in a district hospital.

PMID- 1875120
TI  - Heterogeneity in ploidy and S-phase fraction in colorectal adenocarcinomas.
AB  - The heterogeneity in the DNA content was analysed in multiple biopsies from the
      surgical specimens in 77 cases of colonic and 46 cases of rectal adenocarcinomas.
      Frozen and unfixed tumour tissue was analysed with the flow cytometric technique.
      A total of 78/123 (63%) of all tumours displayed aneuploid stemlines in one or
      more pieces of tumour tissue; 45 were homogeneously aneuploid and 33 were
      heterogeneous, presenting both aneuploid and near-diploid samples. The remaining
      45 tumours were homogeneously near-diploid. The heterogeneity in ploidy tended to
      be slightly higher if ten as compared with four samples from each tumour were
      analysed. Ploidy correlated to localization in the bowel and gender, but not to
      age, histopathological tumour stage, tumour differentiation or to the
      resectability rate for cure. The mean value of the S-phase fraction was 17%
      (range 7-31%) in the near-diploid and 14% (range 8-20%) in the aneuploid tumours.
      The range of the intratumoural variation was small for the DNA index (at most 5%)
      and high for the S-phase fraction (19% for near-diploid and 24% for aneuploid
      tumour pieces). Neither the mean value nor the heterogeneity in the DNA index and
      in the S-phase fraction displayed any correlation with the studied
      characteristics. In conclusion, the ploidy and the S-phase fraction varied
      considerably both within and between the tumours. As a consequence, multiple
      sampling is mandatory for a correct classification of colorectal adenocarcinomas
      based on the DNA content.

PMID- 1875121
TI  - Phospholipid profiles of human colon cancer using 31P magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy.
AB  - Phospholipids of 16 malignant and 11 non-malignant human colon specimens were
      analyzed using a chloroform-methanol analytical reagent in conjunction with 31P
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 202.4 MHz. Sixteen individual generic
      phospholipids were identified and quantified for statistical intergroup
      comparisons. Statistically significant elevations in the relative concentrations
      of lysophosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine plasmalogen were seen in
      malignant tissues along with significantly depressed levels of sphingomyelin and
      phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen. The malignant and non-malignant tissue
      groups were further differentiated by the detection of the minor phospholipids,
      lysophosphatidylcholine plasmalogen, lysophosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen,
      lysophosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol exclusively present in the
      malignant tissues and by significant changes in computed phospholipid metabolic
      indices that were dominated by choline containing lipids. The 31P MRS methods
      used represent an advancement over previous protocols for identifying and
      quantifying major and minor tissue phospholipids making this the first direct
      study of membrane phospholipids in human colon tissues using 31P MRS. The
      phospholipid profiles obtained may provide important information regarding the
      nature of the malignant cell's membrane system and identify markers which may be
      used to estimate malignant propensity, aggressiveness of disease and provide
      prognostic information.

PMID- 1875122
TI  - Metabolism of large bowel mucosa in health and disease.

PMID- 1875123
TI  - Curative local therapy of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1875124
TI  - Local curative treatment of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1875125
TI  - Minimal invasive surgery in the local treatment of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1875126
TI  - Endoscopic transanal resection for rectal cancer.

PMID- 1875127
TI  - Cancer of the rectum--local excision.

PMID- 1875128
TI  - Parasacral surgery for curative treatment of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1875129
TI  - Exteriorized colonic anastomosis.
AB  - The risk of anastomotic failure in the unprepared colon is generally high.
      Therefore, Hartmann's operation is frequently employed in emergencies. We present
      an alternative technique, the exteriorized anastomosis described until now only
      for cases of perforation. Exteriorized anastomosis was performed in 14 patients.
      The preoperative diagnosis was occlusive neoplasm, perforated diverticulitis or
      traumatic performation of the sigmoid colon. Four patients subsequently developed
      partial anastomotic dehiscence, but without the consequences of intraperitoneal
      dehiscence. We think that exteriorized anastomosis is a useful alternative in
      high risk situations.

PMID- 1875130
TI  - Secretory IgA- and IgG-coated bacteria in chronically discharging ears.
AB  - SIgA- and IgG-coated bacteria obtained from 17 discharging middle ears (14
      patients, 9 male, 5 female, age range from 1 to 79 years) were evaluated using an
      immunofluorescence assay. Simultaneously, quantitative and qualitative
      bacteriological analyses of the middle ear effusions (MEEs) were performed. MEEs
      containing Staphylococcus aureus harboured bacteria which were intensely coated
      with both SIgA and IgG antibodies. In contrast, MEEs containing Pseudomonas
      aeruginosa displayed minimal, if any, SIgA- and IgG-coated bacteria. Two young
      patients harboured bacteria (Haemophilus influenzae and S. aureus/Streptococcus
      pneumoniae, respectively) which were heavily coated with IgG, but not with SIgA.
      Immunoglobulin-coating of bacteria involved in otitis media is of the utmost
      importance in eradication of the infection.

PMID- 1875131
TI  - Anatomy of the temporalis fascia.
AB  - The anatomy of the different layers of the temporalis fascia is reviewed. The
      superficial and deep layers of the temporalis fascia have been studied by light
      microscopy to assess any histological difference between the two. We have also
      assessed the physical characteristics of the different layers by measuring their
      Young's modulus in the wet and dry states. Anatomically the superficial layer is
      part of the epicranial aponeurosis and thus covers nearly the entire lateral
      aspect of the skull. The deep temporal fascial layer covers exactly the
      temporalis muscle and measures 10 x 12 cm. The fascial layers have a separate
      arterial and venous supply enabling them to be used as a homograft, a rotation
      flap or free microvascular flap. Histologically there is no difference between
      the two layers. A study of the physical characteristics of the two fascial layers
      using Young's modulus revealed no significant difference in elasticity between
      the two. The most significant factor affecting the elasticity was the state of
      hydration of the fascia.

PMID- 1875132
TI  - Management of retraction pockets of the pars tensa.
AB  - A study of 73 patients with retraction pockets of the pars tensa (93 affected
      ears) has been carried out. Of these 32 per cent had otalgia and 31 per cent
      reported episodes of aural discharge. Adequate audiometric data was available on
      75 ears. Mean air-bone gaps were calculated using 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and
      4000 Hz. Thirty per cent of ears had air-bone gaps of less than 10 dB and in 93
      per cent the air-bone gap was less than 30 dB. Air-bone gaps of more than 40 dB
      were found in seven per cent. Of this group, seven patients were selected for
      surgical treatment. In all cases the retraction pockets were elevated and
      averted. In six cases, the thinned tympanic membrane was reinforced with a
      composite graft of cartilage and perichondrium. This technique has also been used
      in three patients not included in this study group. An ossiculoplasty was
      performed in four cases. In the early months, the retraction pockets remained
      completely everted. However, by 12 months some degree of retraction had recurred
      in four of the six patients who have been followed for more than 12 months.

PMID- 1875133
TI  - Realities in ossiculoplasty.
AB  - The results of ossiculoplasty are frequently reported in terms of closure of the
      air-bone gap. This parameter is a reliable indicator of the degree of technical
      success, and is useful in comparing different materials and types of
      reconstructions. However, assessment of the operated ear alone does not evaluate
      the effect of surgery on binaural hearing ability, leading to the situation where
      sub-optimal advice may be given to patients pre-operatively. This article
      advocates a more patient orientated method of assessing the results of
      ossiculoplasty. Previous studies have indicated that the operated ear must reach
      an air conduction level of 30 dB for the speech frequencies, or be within 15 dB
      of the other ear, to ensure that the patient will gain significant benefit. A
      graphical method for the prediction of patient benefit is presented, and compared
      to the rule of thumb quoted above. The implications for surgeons and patients
      considering ossiculoplasty are obvious. Many statements routinely made to
      patients prior to surgery for conductive hearing loss are unduly optimistic and
      unrelated to the realities of reported results. There is a need to determine what
      types of such hearing losses can be helped surgically, and more importantly to
      what extent the patients hearing disability can be relieved.

PMID- 1875134
TI  - Characterization of severely and profoundly hearing impaired adults attending an
      audiology clinic.
AB  - Despite the fact that around 12 per cent of adult patients attending an audiology
      department will be severely hearing impaired (pure tone averages of 0.5, 1, 2 and
      4 kHz of 70 dB HL or worse in the better hearing ear), their clinical and
      audiometric characteristics have not been well documented. These characteristics
      were collected prospectively in 132 adult patients attending a Severe Impairment
      Clinic, set up to manage their specific problems. The inability to provide
      sufficient masking makes audiometric assessment of the severity of the impairment
      uncertain in the poorer hearing ear in 52 per cent of these patients. In
      addition, the limited bone conduction output makes it almost invariably
      impossible to assess the masked bone conduction thresholds and hence the air-bone
      gap in the poorer ear. Hence, accurate characterization is only practical of the
      better hearing ear in such patients. In 67 per cent of the better hearing ears,
      there was a mixed hearing impairment, the air-bone gap being 20 dB or greater.
      The aetiology of the conductive component was almost equally otosclerosis and
      chronic otitis media. In only 19 per cent was the impairment of a pure
      sensorineural type, broken down as 6 per cent congenitally acquired, 5 per cent
      due to meningitis and 9 per cent being adult in onset. In the remaining 14 per
      cent of patients the type of impairment could not be classified as the bone
      conductive thresholds were off scale. Having had experience of managing these
      patients at a special clinic and knowing the workload involved, it is argued that
      consideration be given to setting up such clinics in most departments.

PMID- 1875135
TI  - Effect of nasal packing on eustachian tube function.
AB  - Sixty-three patients undergoing surgery to the nasal septum followed by bilateral
      packing had pre- and post-operative tympanometry in order to determine the effect
      on eustachian tube function. Fifty-five of the 126 ears tested (46 per cent)
      developed a reduction in middle ear pressure of at least 50 daPa; 76 per cent
      became normal within 24 hours of removing the nasal packs. All ears were
      asymptomatic and no patient had evidence of middle ear effusion. Nasal packing
      following septal surgery is a frequent cause of short-lasting eustachian tube
      dysfunction but rarely severe enough to cause symptoms or middle ear effusion.
      Tubal dysfunction is most likely due to a combination of surgical oedema and a
      direct effect of the nasal packing.

PMID- 1875136
TI  - Interpretation of maxillary sinus radiographs in children.
AB  - Nasal symptoms are a frequent cause of referral to paediatric ENT clinics. It is
      the policy of our unit to view sinus radiographs without a report at the initial
      clinic attendance. This study demonstrates there is no statistically significant
      difference in the interpretation of the radiographs between two ENT surgeons and
      a radiologist although there was a tendency for the radiologist to have a greater
      specificity. This finding may have financial implications. In addition a clear
      sinus radiograph is shown to be a significant negative finding.

PMID- 1875137
TI  - Submucous resection of the nasal septum as an outpatient procedure.
AB  - We report our experience of submucous resection of the nasal septum under local
      anaesthesia as an outpatient procedure. We have audited 50 consecutive cases and
      compared the results with a similar group of patients in whom the operation was
      carried out in the usual way under general anaesthesia. We have found the
      procedure to be safe, effective and economically advantageous.

PMID- 1875138
TI  - The microbiology of peritonsillar sepsis.
AB  - Pus obtained by needle aspiration of 91 peritonsillar abscesses was examined
      microbiologically. A positive culture was obtained in 55 patients (60 per cent).
      Sixty-four bacteriological isolates were grown. Forty patients had a pure growth
      of a single organism, of which 21 (53 per cent) were beta Haemolytic
      streptococci. Pure growths of Staphylococcus aureus were found in only three
      patients. Fifteen patients had mixed organisms, including anaerobes, in their pus
      and the resistance to penicillin was low. Only the bacteroides species were
      generally penicillin resistant. The vast majority of patients made a good
      recovery following needle drainage of the abscess and treatment with parenteral
      penicillin. The patients with a mixture of penicillin sensitive and penicillin
      resistant organisms also made a good clinical recovery following needle drainage
      and administration of parenteral penicillin. The relevance of these findings in
      the pathogenesis and management of peritonsillar sepsis is discussed.

PMID- 1875139
TI  - Histological changes in free jejunal grafts used in pharyngeal reconstruction.
AB  - A histological study was performed of biopsies taken from jejunal free grafts
      used in pharyngeal reconstruction. The main findings were a decreased crypt/villi
      ratio and a mild chronic inflammatory infiltrate. There was no evidence of
      metaplastic or dysplastic transformation.

PMID- 1875140
TI  - Subtotal parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic renal
      failure.
AB  - Twenty-seven patients on chronic haemodialysis and with secondary
      hyperparathyroidism underwent subtotal parathyroidectomy during the period 1985
      1989. The operation was indicated by severe clinical symptoms and evidence of
      radiological abnormalities not responsive to conservative treatment (low
      phosphorus diet, phosphate binding substances, oral calcium and vitamin D). If
      despite intensive medical management, inadequate control of parathyroid
      hyperplasia continues surgical intervention becomes necessary. Ultra-sonography
      was performed pre-operatively in all 27 cases and detected 42 of 99 glands (42.5
      per cent). Also scintigraphy was carried out in every patient but it gave a
      relatively low detection rate (24.5 per cent). Surgery was followed by
      improvement in 20 patients and progression of hyperparathyroidism in seven cases.
      Three of the seven patients failed to improve after subtotal parathyroidectomy,
      necessitating a re-intervention; the remaining four responded sufficiently to
      medical therapy. From our experience we conclude that subtotal parathyroidectomy
      for renal hyperparathyroidism is recommended.

PMID- 1875141
TI  - Malakoplakia of the temporal bone in a nine-month-old infant.
AB  - A case of malakoplakia, of the temporal bone in a nine-month-old male child is
      reported. The lesion presented as an aural polyp, associated with a lower motor
      neuron facial palsy. On exploration, the granuloma was noted to involve the
      temporal bone, eroding the bony labyrinth. It was successfully treated with
      surgical debridement, and antibiotics. A review of the relevant literature is
      presented.

PMID- 1875142
TI  - Meningitis from canine Pasteurella multocida following mastoidectomy.
AB  - A case of Pasteurella multocida meningitis, following a mastoidectomy is
      presented. The association of close contact with pets, many of which harbour
      Pasteurella multocida as part of their normal buccal flora. This case confirms
      the potential benefit of taking an ear swab prior to mastoid surgery and in
      seeking an appropriate 'pet' history.

PMID- 1875143
TI  - Total avulsion of an osseointegrated screw.
AB  - The close union achieved between pure grade titanium and healthy bone makes
      dislocation a rare event. We report the case of the total avulsion of an
      apparently well-integrated implant from a healthy mastoid bone.

PMID- 1875144
TI  - Rhinocerebral mucormycosis: use of liposomal amphotericin B.
AB  - Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is a rare but often fatal condition characterized by
      an aggressive necrotizing infection spreading from the nose to the paranasal
      sinuses, orbit and hence to the central nervous system. A case is reported in
      which a diabetic male with advanced mucormycosis was successfully treated by a
      combination of surgery, supportive therapy and liposomal amphotericin B.
      Liposomal delivery allows the drug to be both less toxic and more effective, and
      this is the first reported case of its use in rhinocerebral mucormycosis.

PMID- 1875145
TI  - Intracranial extension of a naso-ethmoid schwannoma.
AB  - A rare case of intracranial extension of a naso-ethmoid schwannoma is presented.
      Its subsequent removal with few sequelae confirmed the benign nature and good
      prognosis of the disease.

PMID- 1875146
TI  - Parapharyngeal space melioidosis in a diabetic.
AB  - Pseudomonas pseudomallei, a gram negative organism causing melioidosis, is found
      in tropical and subtropical regions. It may manifest as a pulmonary lesion,
      osteomyelitis, soft tissue abscesses, abscesses in various organs or in
      septicaemic form. Melioidosis of the parapharyngeal space has not been reported
      so far. A case of melioidosis of the parapharyngeal space which was successfully
      treated by drainage and prolonged antibiotic therapy is reported here.
      Melioidosis should be suspected in severe forms of deep neck space infection,
      especially if the patient comes from an endemic area.

PMID- 1875147
TI  - Small lymphocytic lymphoma presenting with simultaneous involvement of parotid
      and submandibular glands bilaterally, maxillary sinus, hard palate and optic
      nerve.

PMID- 1875148
TI  - Pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery: a forgotten complication of
      tonsillitis?
AB  - Pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery is an uncommon but potentially
      lethal complication of tonsillar or peritonsillar sepsis, which appears to have
      occurred more frequently prior to the introduction of penicillin. Management of
      such a case is discussed, and a literature review presented.

PMID- 1875149
TI  - Unusually placed oesophageal foreign body.
AB  - Oesophageal foreign bodies are common occurrences. A variety of cases have been
      reported in the past. We present here a unique case of an unusually placed
      foreign body.

PMID- 1875150
TI  - Nasal haemangiopericytoma.
AB  - Haemangiopericytoma is an uncommon vascular tumour frequently diagnosed with
      difficulty. The immunohistochemical findings of strong positivity to vimentin
      together with other diagnostic features (histological and ultrastructural)
      improves the certainty of its diagnosis. We report a case arising in the nose and
      outline diagnostic problems especially relating to histopathology.

PMID- 1875151
TI  - Use of the flexible oesophagoscope for the removal of an intramural oesophageal
      foreign body.

PMID- 1875152
TI  - Wegener's granulomatosis: familial occurrence.

PMID- 1875153
TI  - ADHD and LD connection.

PMID- 1875154
TI  - School-based assessment of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.
AB  - Schools are uniquely situated to provide information relevant to the assessment
      and treatment of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) across a variety
      of tasks, settings, and observers. The importance of the school setting to the
      assessment and treatment of ADHD has resulted in the development of numerous
      measures appropriate for such assessment, but few guidelines for their use. The
      purpose of this article is to describe school-based assessment procedures and
      their relationship to ADHD. These procedures include teacher rating measures,
      direct observations in classrooms and on playgrounds, peer rating and sociometric
      measures, and permanent product measures such as academic performance. It is
      recommended that school-based assessment of ADHD involve the concurrent use of
      multiple measures to assess adequately the wide variety of symptoms associated
      with this disorder. It is further recommended that assessment serve the purpose
      of determining treatment efficacy to avoid unwarranted preoccupation with
      diagnostic issues that are as yet unresolved. The components of a comprehensive
      school-based assessment of ADHD are described, and their relationship to school
      based treatment is discussed.

PMID- 1875155
TI  - Cognitive training in ADHD children: less to it than meets the eye.
AB  - This article reviews cognitive training studies that have been carried out with
      children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the past
      decade. The efficacy of cognitive training as a single intervention and as an
      adjunct to stimulant treatment is discussed. The impact of training on the
      cognitive, academic, and behavioral functioning of youngsters with ADHD is
      summarized. Although this treatment modality is inherently appealing, there is
      little empirical support for its clinical utility with children with
      hyperactivity.

PMID- 1875156
TI  - Stimulant medication and parent training therapies for attention deficit
      hyperactivity disorder.
AB  - The present article provides a brief overview of the clinical use of two of the
      most commonly used and effective therapies for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity
      Disorder (ADHD) in children: stimulant medication treatment and training parents
      in child behavior management skills. The clinical issues involved in the use of
      each treatment, as well as their limitations, are reviewed, along with evidence
      for their efficacy. It is concluded that ADHD is a developmental disorder of
      attention, impulse control, and regulation of activity level that requires
      multiple treatment methods, which must be applied over long time intervals if
      they are to produce an impact on the outcome of children with ADHD.

PMID- 1875157
TI  - Effects of stimulant medication on learning in children with ADHD.
AB  - It is well established that stimulant medication improves classroom manageability
      and attention in terms of time on task, but does stimulant medication improve
      learning or long-term academic achievement in children with ADHD? There is no
      clear evidence that it does, but there are at least two reasons why beneficial
      effects may be obscured in research studies and clinical practice: (1) Higher
      than-optimal doses may be prescribed if behavioral response (rather than
      cognitive response) is used to titrate the dose, and (2) treatment may be
      overinclusive if diagnostic groups are targeted in which a significant proportion
      of cases do not have favorable cognitive responses to medication. This article
      addresses these two issues and describes a large clinical series of patients who
      were evaluated using a double-blind medication assessment protocol designed to
      overcome some of the theoretical deficiencies suggested by these issues.

PMID- 1875158
TI  - Social impact of stimulant treatment for hyperactive children.
AB  - Most children diagnosed with ADHD have extensive and enduring problems in the
      social arena. Despite its limitations, the standard stimulant treatment regimen
      for children with ADHD is a useful therapeutic modality as well as an heuristic
      tool for increasing our understanding of both optimal and problematic
      interpersonal functioning. This article explores the social impact of stimulant
      treatment, delineating documented improvements, identifying elusive domains and
      puzzling patterns, and highlighting unintended and potentially undesirable
      outcomes. Medication-related changes in the behaviors and perceptions of the
      diagnosed child's adult caretakers are distinguished from those observed in
      peers, and the need to enhance our understanding of peer cultures is underscored.
      We present new findings on the effects of stimulant treatment on social cognition
      and affect, and then discuss the critical need to map the attributional sequelae
      of any treatment approach. The final sections explore contemporary controversies
      and improved strategies for balancing the costs, risks, and benefits of stimulant
      treatment in the service of enhancing interpersonal competence, satisfaction, and
      harmony.

PMID- 1875159
TI  - Procedural knowledge in mathematics: the role of the curriculum.
AB  - Over the last few years, the information processing model of cognition has become
      increasingly prominent in the field. With this model, and other related research
      in cognitive science, there is a greater appreciation for the role of instruction
      in learning theory. One of the model's central tenets is that, as learners become
      more competent, they move from declarative to procedural states of knowledge.
      Researchers have concerned themselves with the efficiency of this transition, as
      well as with any systematic misconceptions that develop along the way. A
      carefully developed curriculum addresses both of these concerns. This article
      will focus on three principles of curriculum development: the nature of examples,
      explicitness, and parsimony. Recently conducted research that supports these
      principles will also be discussed. It is suggested that special educators
      strongly consider these principles when selecting or developing curricular
      material for students with learning disabilities.

PMID- 1875160
TI  - Response patterns of children with learning disabilities: is impulsivity a stable
      response style?
AB  - A correlational analysis was conducted to assess the relationship among various
      assessment instruments, including Kagan, Rosman, Day, Albert, and Phillips's
      (1964) Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT), and actual classroom performance
      vis-a-vis impulsive responding. Subjects were 22 children (16 male, 6 female),
      ages 5 to 11 years, enrolled in an academic remediation program. The results do
      not support a relationship between impulsivity, as measured by the MFFT, and
      academic progress in a classroom setting. Implications for task-specific measures
      of impulsivity and remediation are discussed.

PMID- 1875161
TI  - On the dynamics of bursting systems.
AB  - The dynamics of three-variable models of bursting are studied. It is shown that
      under certain conditions, the dynamics on the attractor can be essentially
      reduced to two dimensions. The salient dynamics on the attractor can thus be
      completely described by the return map of a section which is a logistic interval
      map. Two specific bursting models from the literature are shown to fit in the
      general framework which is developed. Bifurcation of the full system for one case
      in investigated and the dynamical behavior on the attractor is shown to depend on
      the position of a certain nullcline.

PMID- 1875162
TI  - Minimization of intermediate concentrations as a suggested optimality principle
      for biochemical networks. II. Time hierarchy, enzymatic rate laws, and
      erythrocyte metabolism.
AB  - The multiobjective problem of minimizing all intermediate concentrations is
      solved for a model of glycolysis, the pentose monophosphate shunt and the
      glutathione system in human erythrocytes. It turns out that one solution out of
      four obtained corresponds qualitatively to the real system. Furthermore, it is
      shown that for any reaction system, the mentioned optimality principle implies
      distinct time hierarchy in that some reactions are infinitely fast and subsist in
      quasi-equilibrium. Finally, the relationships to the standard method of deriving
      enzymatic rate laws are discussed.

PMID- 1875163
TI  - Numerical simulation of thermal bone necrosis during cementation of femoral
      prostheses.
AB  - The implant of a femoral prosthesis is a critical process because of the
      relatively high temperature values reached at the bone/cement interface during
      the cementation of the infibulum. In fact, the cement is actually a polymer that
      polymerizes in situ generating heat. Moreover, the conversion of monomer into
      polymer is never 100%; this is dangerous because of the toxicity of the monomer.
      In this paper, we present a 3-D axisymmetric mathematical model capable of taking
      into account both the geometry of the implant and the chemical/physical
      properties of the cement. This model, together with its numerical simulation,
      thus represents a useful tool to set up the optimal conditions for the new
      materials developed in this orthopaedic field. The real complex geometry is
      assumed to be a bone/cement/metallic system having cylindrical symmetry, thus
      allowing the model to be reduced to two space variables. The cementation process
      is described by the Fourier heat equation coupled with a suitable polymerization
      kinetics. The numerical approximation is accomplished by semi-implicit finite
      differences in time and finite elements in space with numerical quadrature. The
      full discrete scheme amounts to solve linear positive definite symmetric systems
      preceded by an elementwise algebraic computation. We present various numerical
      simulations which confirm some critical aspects of this orthopaedic fixing
      technique such as thermal bone necrosis and the presence of unreacted residual
      monomer.

PMID- 1875164
TI  - Lupus antiribosomal P antisera contain antibodies to a small fragment of 28S rRNA
      located in the proposed ribosomal GTPase center.
AB  - The ribosomal P proteins are necessary for GTPase activity during protein
      synthesis. In addition to antibodies to the P proteins, sera from lupus patients
      contain anti-rRNA activity. To determine whether lupus antiribosomal sera
      recognize the region of 28S rRNA recently proposed to form part of the ribosomal
      GTPase center, an rRNA fragment corresponding to nucleotides (nt) 1922-2020 was
      transcribed in vitro and tested for antigenicity. 18 of 24 (75%) lupus sera
      containing anti-P antibodies, but only 2 of 24 (8%) lupus sera without anti-P,
      immunoprecipitated this rRNA fragment (p less than 0.001). The binding was
      specific, since no significant differences were observed between anti-P positive
      and negative lupus sera in binding to the RNA fragment transcribed in the
      antisense orientation or to a control region of rRNA. The majority of sera tested
      protected a rRNA fragment of approximately 68 nucleotides. To evaluate the fine
      specificity of the anti-28S antibodies, deletions and site-directed mutations
      were made in the RNA fragment. The anti-28S antisera required nt 1944-1955 for
      recognition and were remarkably sensitive to destabilizing as well as
      nondestabilizing mutations in the stems of the RNA fragments. Detection of
      antiprotein and anti-RNA antibodies directed against a functionally related
      domain in the ribosome, together with the remarkable specificity of anti-28S
      antibodies, strongly suggests a direct role for this region of the ribosome in
      initiating and/or maintaining antiribosomal autoantibody production.

PMID- 1875165
TI  - Endotoxin-neutralizing properties of the 25 kD N-terminal fragment and a newly
      isolated 30 kD C-terminal fragment of the 55-60 kD bactericidal/permeability
      increasing protein of human neutrophils.
AB  - The bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) of polymorphonuclear
      leukocytes (PMN) is a potent cytotoxin, specific for Gram-negative bacteria, that
      also inhibits endotoxin activity by neutralizing isolated bacterial
      lipopolysaccharides (LPS). We have previously shown that an isolated 25 kD N
      terminal fragment of human BPI carries all the antibacterial activities of the
      parent 55-60 kD molecule. In this study we have compared the LPS-neutralizing
      activities of human holo-BPI, the N-terminal fragment and a 30 kD C-terminal
      fragment that we have now isolated. We show that the N-terminal fragment also has
      LPS-neutralizing activity as detected by inhibition (up to 95%) of (a) activation
      by LPS of procoagulant proteases in Limulus amebocyte lysates, (b) LPS "priming"
      of PMN, and (c) LPS-mediated production of tumor necrosis factor in whole human
      blood. Holo-BPI and the 25 kD fragment have similar neutralizing potency (in
      nanomolar range) in all assays toward "smooth" LPS from Escherichia coli O111:B4
      and O55:B5 (possessing long chain polysaccharide or O-antigen), and "deep rough"
      LPS from Salmonella minnesota Re595 mutant (possessing no O-antigen). The C
      terminal fragment of BPI is devoid of antibacterial activity when tested against
      BPI-sensitive E. coli J5, but does have endotoxin-neutralizing activity. This
      activity is weak relative to holo-BPI and the 25 kD N-terminal fragment in the
      Limulus and PMN-priming assay, but is comparable for inhibition of TNF production
      in whole blood. We conclude that the principal determinants for LPS recognition
      and neutralization, like those for antibacterial action, reside in the N-terminal
      half of the BPI molecule, but that sites within the C-terminal half can also
      contribute to BPI-LPS interaction once LPS is detached from the bacterial
      envelope.

PMID- 1875166
TI  - Ultrastructural localization of albumin transport across the cerebral
      microvasculature during experimental meningitis in the rat.
AB  - Injury to the blood brain barrier (BBB) is a fundamental sequela of bacterial
      meningitis, yet the precise mechanism facilitating exudation of albumin across
      the endothelium of the cerebral microvasculature remains conjectural. After
      intracisternal inoculation of Escherichia coli (0111:B4) lipopolysaccharide in
      rats to elicit a reversible meningitis and BBB injury, we utilized in situ tracer
      perfusion and immunolabeling procedures to identify by transmission electron
      microscopy the precise topography and microvascular exit pathway(s) of bovine
      serum albumin (BSA). Results revealed that during meningitis there was: (a) an
      inducible increase in immunodetectable monomeric BSA binding to the luminal
      membrane of all microvascular segments in the pia-arachnoid and superficial brain
      cortex; (b) similar uptake of both colloidal Au-BSA (as well as monomeric BSA) by
      plasmalemmal vesicles but no detectable transcytosis to the abluminal side; and
      (c) predominant exit of both perfused Au-BSA and immunodetectable monomeric BSA
      through open intercellular junctions of venules in the pia-arachnoid. This was
      corroborated in separate experiments documenting focal pial venular leaks of in
      situ perfused 0.01% colloidal carbon black during experimental meningitis. These
      results provide precise localization of BBB injury in meningitis to meningeal
      venules, confirm a paracellular exit pathway of albumin via open intercellular
      junctions, and suggest an injury mechanism amenable to specific therapeutic
      intervention.

PMID- 1875167
TI  - Evidence that natural murine soluble interleukin 4 receptors may act as transport
      proteins.
AB  - The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the interleukin 4
      binding proteins (IL-4BPs) previously identified in the biological fluids of mice
      are soluble forms of IL-4Rs. We also studied the binding properties of IL-4BPs in
      order to gain insight into their physiological role in vivo. Affinity-purified IL
      4BPs and recombinant soluble IL-4Rs generated similar one-dimensional (Cleveland)
      peptide maps after digestion with either Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease or
      trypsin, indicating structural similarities. Furthermore, a rat mAb directed
      against the murine IL-4Rs immunoprecipitated the IL-4BPs and completely inhibited
      binding of 125I-IL-4 to a purified preparation of IL-4BPs. Taken together these
      data indicate that the IL-4BPs are soluble IL-4Rs. At 4 degrees C the IL-4BPs
      competitively inhibited the binding of IL-4 to membrane IL-4Rs but their ability
      to prevent binding of IL-4 to cells at 37 degrees C, at the same concentrations,
      was significantly reduced. Kinetic binding studies of soluble IL-4BPs vs.
      membrane IL-4Rs disclosed important differences in their rates of dissociation
      from IL-4. Whereas dissociation at 4 degrees C was slow for both, dissociation of
      IL-4 from IL-BPs at 37 degrees C was considerably faster (t 1/2 of 2 min) than
      dissociation of IL-4 from membrane IL-4Rs (t 1/2 of approximately 69 min).
      Temperature-dependent changes in dissociation kinetics were reversible, and could
      not be accounted for by either inactivation of the IL-4BPs at 37 degrees C or
      receptor internalization. Additional experiments also demonstrated that when IL
      4BPs bind to IL-4 at 37 degrees C, the IL-4/IL-4BPs complex can rapidly
      dissociate, allowing IL-4 to bind to membrane IL-4Rs. In addition, binding of IL
      4 by the IL-4BPs protects IL-4 from proteolytic degradation. Taken together,
      these results suggest that the IL-4BPs are naturally occurring forms of soluble
      IL-4Rs and that some of their properties (fast dissociation kinetics and
      protection of IL-4 from proteolysis) are consistent with a potential role as
      carrier proteins for IL-4 in the circulation.

PMID- 1875168
TI  - Differentiation of primitive human multipotent hematopoietic progenitors into
      single lineage clonogenic progenitors is accompanied by alterations in their
      interaction with fibronectin.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated that primitive progenitors from human bone marrow
      termed long term bone marrow culture initiating cells (LTBMC-IC) adhere avidly to
      irradiated bone marrow stroma, while more mature clonogenic progenitors fail to
      do so. In this study we examine the interaction between these progenitors and
      components of the bone marrow stroma. (a) We demonstrate that both primitive
      LTBMC-IC and more mature clonogenic progenitors adhere to intact fibronectin. (b)
      Primitive LTBMC-IC and multi-lineage CFU-MIX progenitors adhere to the 33/66 kD
      COOH-terminal heparin-binding cell-adhesion promoting fragment of fibronectin,
      but adhere significantly less to its 75 kD RGDS-dependent cell-binding fragment.
      In contrast, more differentiated single-lineage progenitors adhere equally well
      to the 33/66 kD RGDS independent and the 75 kD RGDS-dependent cell-adhesion
      fragments of fibronectin. (c) Both primitive LTBMC-IC and clonogenic progenitors
      adhere to the three known cell-attachment sites in the 33/66 kD cell-adhesion
      promoting fragment, FN-C/H I, FN-C/H II and CS1. However, LTBMC-IC and CFU-MIX
      progenitors adhere significantly better to FN-C/H II than to the flanking FN-C/H
      I and CS1 cell-attachment sites. In contrast, single-lineage progenitors adhere
      equally well to all three cell attachment sites in the 33/66 kD cell-adhesion
      promoting fragment. (d) Finally, adhesion of primitive LTBMC-IC to intact
      irradiated stroma can be inhibited partially by peptide FN-C/H II and almost
      completely by a combination of FN-C/H II and peptide FN-C/H I and CS1. This study
      demonstrates that adhesive interactions between primitive hematopoietic
      progenitors and the extracellular matrix component fibronectin can occur.
      Specific changes in adhesion to the 33/66 kD cell-adhesion promoting fragment and
      the 75 kD RGDS-dependent cell-adhesion fragment of fibronectin are associated
      with differentiation of primitive multi-lineage progenitors into committed single
      lineage progenitors. Such differences in adhesive interaction with fibronectin
      may allow hematopoietic progenitors at various stages of differentiation to
      interact with specific supportive loci of the bone marrow microenvironment.
      Finally, the ability to block adhesion of LTBMC-IC to intact irradiated stroma
      with peptides FN-C/H II, FN-C/H I and CS1 suggests that receptors responsible for
      this interaction may be important in the homing of primitive progenitors to the
      bone marrow.

PMID- 1875169
TI  - Mature murine B and T cells transferred to SCID mice can survive indefinitely and
      many maintain a virgin phenotype.
AB  - To seek information on the potential lifespan of normal B and T lymphocytes,
      lymph node (LN) cells from unprimed mice were transferred to H-2-identical severe
      combined immunodeficiency (SCID) hosts. At a population level, the donor B and T
      cells survived for at least 10 mo post-transfer with no reduction in their
      numbers. In terms of antibody production, LN-injected SCID mice remained
      responsive to several different antigens and contained unprimed precursors of
      memory cells for greater than or equal to 6 mo post-transfer. Most of the B and T
      cells recovered from LN-injected SCID mice expressed the typical virgin phenotype
      of mature lymphocytes from young mice. These findings suggest that many of the
      transferred lymphocytes might have remained in interphase as virgin cells from
      the time of injection. This did not apply to all of the transferred cells,
      however, because 20-40% of CD4+ cells from long-term SCID hosts displayed a
      memory phenotype, 7% incorporated 2-bromodeoxyuridine over 5 d, and total numbers
      of B and T cells increased gradually (twofold) over a 10-mo period. Collectively,
      the data favor the view that the pool of mature B and T cells in adult mice is
      largely self sufficient: some of the cells proliferate, presumably in response to
      environmental antigens, but many mature cells can remain quiescent for prolonged
      periods. Input of new cells from the primary lymphoid organs continues, but at a
      much reduced rate relative to young life.

PMID- 1875170
TI  - Presentation of viral antigen to class I major histocompatibility complex
      restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte. Recognition of an immunodominant influenza
      hemagglutinin site by cytotoxic T lymphocyte is independent of the position of
      the site in the hemagglutinin translation product.
AB  - Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restricted T lymphocytes
      preferentially recognize fragments of polypeptides processed through a
      nonendosomal presentation pathway. At present the intracellular compartment(s) in
      which polypeptide fragmentation occurs and factors which influence the formation
      of an antigenic epitope are not well understood. To assess the role of residues
      flanking an antigenic site in the generation of the antigenic moiety recognized
      by class I MHC restricted T lymphocytes we have moved the coding sequence for an
      immunodominant H-2Kd restricted site on the influenza A/JAPAN/57 hemagglutinin
      (residues 202-221) by site-directed mutagenesis to six different positions along
      the coding sequence of the hemagglutinin gene. We have found that all six classes
      of mutants are recognized by MHC class I restricted T cells as efficiently as the
      wild type hemagglutinin gene product. Thus neither N-terminal to C-terminal
      position within the translation product nor sequences flanking the antigenic site
      influence processing.

PMID- 1875171
TI  - Granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin 3 release from
      human peripheral blood eosinophils and neutrophils.
AB  - Human peripheral blood eosinophils released eosinophil survival-enhancing
      activity when stimulated with the calcium ionophore, ionomycin. The release of
      activity was detected as early as 3 h after stimulation and was inhibited by an
      immunomodulating agent, cyclosporin A. The survival-enhancing activity was
      completely abolished by treatment with anti-interleukin 3 (IL-3) and anti
      granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) monoclonal antibodies.
      Moreover, IL-3 and GM-CSF were measurable in ionomycin-stimulated eosinophil
      supernatants by immunoassay. Eosinophils produced approximately one-half as much
      IL-3 and one-fifth as much GM-CSF as ionomycin-stimulated mononuclear cells.
      Neutrophils also produced IL-3 and GM-CSF, but the amounts were less than those
      produced by eosinophils. These observations suggest a novel role for eosinophils
      in pathophysiology of allergic inflammation and host defense mechanisms.

PMID- 1875173
TI  - The growing ferment. Access to care.

PMID- 1875172
TI  - Expression of mRNA and immunoreactivity for the granulocyte/macrophage colony
      stimulating factor in activated human eosinophils.
AB  - Using in situ hybridization, we have shown that activated human peripheral blood
      eosinophils express mRNA for granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM
      CSF). Between 15 and 27% of eosinophils gave positive hybridization signals for
      GM-CSF mRNA after stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187 or interferon
      gamma, and 4 and 6% after incubation with interleukin 3 (IL-3) or IL-5. Activated
      eosinophils also gave specific immunoreactivity with an anti-GM-CSF polyclonal
      antibody, suggesting translation of the mRNA. These data indicate that
      eosinophils may be an important source of GM-CSF at sites of allergic
      inflammation. Furthermore, the identification of GM-CSF production by human
      eosinophils suggests that the pro-inflammatory potential of this cell type may be
      substantially greater than hitherto recognized.

PMID- 1875174
TI  - Prescription for saving our profession.

PMID- 1875175
TI  - Bioethics training.

PMID- 1875176
TI  - New St. George needed.

PMID- 1875177
TI  - Medical paperwork.

PMID- 1875178
TI  - Regarding the safety of silicone implants.

PMID- 1875179
TI  - Bone marrow culture for diagnosis of mycobacterial and fungal infections in
      febrile patients.
AB  - The perception and evaluation of patients with fever are constantly evolving. Due
      to sophisticated technology and financial constraints, increasing numbers of
      tests are performed earlier in patient evaluation. One is bone marrow culture for
      mycobacteria and fungi. To assess the yield of this procedure, we reviewed the
      results of cultures performed from 1982-1986 at Shands Hospital at the University
      of Florida. There were 124 patients so evaluated. No fungal cultures were
      positive. Four mycobacterial cultures were positive: three Mycobacterium avium
      intracellulare, all in patients with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome),
      and one Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a patient with disseminated disease. Three
      patients ultimately found by other means to have disseminated mycobacterial
      infection were culture negative. We conclude that this procedure is of very low
      yield and only warranted in the patient with severe immunocompromise or the
      patient with strong clinical evidence of disseminated tuberculosis.

PMID- 1875180
TI  - Left ventricular aneurysm and intraventricular thrombi. Investigation and
      surgical correlations.
AB  - Formation of a left ventricular aneurysm and intraventricular thrombus represents
      one of the dreaded sequelae of coronary artery disease and acute myocardial
      infarction. The present emphasis is to reduce the incidence by reduction of
      cholesterol and fats, elimination of smoking, improved detection and control of
      hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Earlier diagnosis is available with stress
      testing and other noninvasive techniques. Cardiac catheterization allows
      detection of occlusive lesions. The CASS and other studies increasingly prove
      that percutaneous angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery improve life
      expectancy and implicitly should reduce the incidence of acute myocardial
      infarction. In the setting of the latter, thrombolytic agents may reduce the
      amount of myocardial injury. Despite these measures, formation of left
      ventricular aneurysms remains a common occurrence. Diagnosis and management are
      critical issues to the cardiac surgeon.

PMID- 1875181
TI  - Elements of physician advocacy.

PMID- 1875182
TI  - Preventive health care for older persons.

PMID- 1875184
TI  - It takes a worried doctor to sing a worry song.

PMID- 1875183
TI  - Thyroid hormone. Basis for its hypocholesterolemic effect.
AB  - The liver is the key organ involved in cholesterol homeostasis. Thyroid hormone
      binds to nuclear receptors in the liver and thereby acts to alter the expression
      of several genes coding for proteins involved in cholesterol homeostasis. The
      expression of apo B-100, the major protein of LDL, is markedly decreased by
      thyroid hormone while expression of apo A-I, the major protein of HDL, is
      profoundly increased by thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone acts to increase
      hepatic LDL receptor and cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase gene expression. The
      increase in cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase, the enzyme which catalyzes the rate
      limiting reaction in the degradation of cholesterol to form bile acids, occurs
      the most rapidly (within one hour) and requires low physiological doses of
      hormone. Inspection of the 5' flanking region of the cholesterol 7 alpha
      hydroxylase gene revealed two possible thyroid responsive elements, suggesting
      that thyroid hormone may exert a primary effect on this gene. The alterations in
      gene expression produced by thyroid hormone would be expected to result in
      decreased LDL levels because of decreased apo B-100 synthesis, increased HDL to
      assist in reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral tissue to the liver,
      increased removal of LDL from blood by increased hepatic LDL receptors, and
      increased elimination of cholesterol as neutral sterols and bile acids due to
      increased cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase. These actions would lead to lower
      serum cholesterol levels.

PMID- 1875185
TI  - Fusion of influenza virions with a planar lipid membrane detected by video
      fluorescence microscopy.
AB  - The fusion of individual influenza virions with a planar phospholipid membrane
      was detected by fluorescence video microscopy. Virion envelopes were loaded with
      the lipophilic fluorescent marker octadecylrhodamine B (R18) to a density at
      which the fluorescence of the probe was self-quenched. Labeled virions were
      ejected toward the planar membrane from a micropipette in a custom-built video
      fluorescence microscope. Once a virion fused with the planar membrane, the marker
      was free to diffuse, and its fluorescence became dequenched, producing a flash of
      light. This flash was detected as a transient spot of light which increased and
      then diminished in brightness. The diffusion constants calculated from the
      brightness profiles for the flashes are consistent with fusion of virus to the
      membrane with consequent free diffusion of probe within the planar membrane.
      Under conditions known to be fusigenic for influenza virus (low pH and 37 degrees
      C), flashes appeared at a high rate and the planar membrane quickly became
      fluorescent. To further establish that these flashes were due to fusion, we
      showed that red blood cells, which normally do not attach to planar membranes,
      were able to bind to membranes that had been exposed to virus under fusigenic
      conditions. The amount of binding correlated with the amount of flashing. This
      indicates that flashes signaled the reconstitution of the hemagglutinin
      glycoprotein (HA) of influenza virus, a well-known erythrocyte receptor, into the
      planar membrane, as would be expected in a fusion process. The flash rate on
      ganglioside-containing asolectin membranes increased as the pH was lowered. This
      is also consistent with the known fusion behavior of influenza virus with cell
      membranes and with phospholipid vesicles. We conclude that the flashes result
      from the fusion of individual virions to the planar membrane.

PMID- 1875186
TI  - The role of N-acetylneuraminic (sialic) acid in the pH dependence of influenza
      virion fusion with planar phospholipid membranes.
AB  - It is known that fusion of influenza virus to host cell membranes is strongly
      promoted by acidic pH. We have determined conditions required to obtain pH
      dependent fusion of influenza virus to planar bilayer membranes. The rate of
      viral fusion was determined from the flash rate of R18-labeled virions delivered
      to the surface of the planar membrane by pressure-ejection from a pipette. For a
      bilayer formed only of phospholipids and cholesterol, the fusion rate was
      independent of pH and unaffected by the phospholipid composition. When the
      gangliosides GD1a + GT1b were included in the planar membrane, however, the
      fusion rate varied steeply with pH. The rate at pH 7.4 in the presence of the
      gangliosides was about an order of magnitude less than in their absence. At pH
      less than approximately 5.5, the rate was about an order of magnitude greater in
      the presence of gangliosides than in their absence. The fusion rate with planar
      membranes containing globoside, a ceramide-backboned glycolipid, was also
      independent of pH, indicating that the pH dependence required sialic acid on the
      carbohydrate moiety of the glycolipid. The gangliosides GM1a and GM3, both of
      which possess sialic acid, produced the same pH-dependent fusion rate as seen
      with GD1a + GT1b, indicating that the presence, but not the location, of terminal
      sialic acids is critical. Incubating virus with soluble sialyllactose blocked
      fusion to both ganglioside-free and ganglioside-containing planar membranes.
      These results show that the pH dependence of influenza virion fusion arises from
      the interaction of the sialic acid receptor with the influenza hemagglutinin. A
      model for sialic acid-hemagglutinin interactions accounting for pH-dependent
      fusion is presented.

PMID- 1875187
TI  - Multiple conductance states of the light-activated channel of Limulus ventral
      photoreceptors. Alteration of conductance state during light.
AB  - The properties of light-dependent channels in Limulus ventral photoreceptors have
      been studied in cell-attached patches. Two sizes of single-channel events are
      seen during illumination. Previous work has characterized the large (40 pS)
      events; the goal of the current work was to characterize the small (15 pS) events
      and determine their relationship to the large events. The small events are
      activated by light rather than as a secondary result of the change in membrane
      voltage during light. The mean open time of the small events is 1.34 +/- 0.49 ms
      (mean +/- SD, n = 15), approximately 50% of that of the large events. The large
      and small events have the same reversal potential and a similar dependence of
      open-state probability on voltage. Evidence that these events are due to
      different conductance states of the same channel comes from analysis of
      relatively infrequent events showing a direct transition between the 15 and 40-pS
      levels. Furthermore, large and small events do not superpose, even at positive
      voltages when the probability of being open is very high, as would be predicted
      if the two-sized events were due to independent channels. Expression of the
      different conductance states is not random; during steady illumination there are
      alternating periods of several hundred milliseconds in which there are
      consecutive, sequential large events followed by periods in which there are
      consecutive, sequential small events. At early times during the response to a
      step of light, the large conductance state is preferentially expressed. At later
      times, there is an increase in the relative contribution of the low conductance
      state. These findings indicate that there is a process that changes the preferred
      conductance state of the channel. This alteration has functional importance in
      the process of light adaptation.

PMID- 1875188
TI  - Selectivity and gating of the type L potassium channel in mouse lymphocytes.
AB  - Type l voltage-gated K+ channels in murine lymphocytes were studied under voltage
      clamp in cell-attached patches and in the whole-cell configuration. The kinetics
      of activation of whole-cell currents during depolarizing pulses could be fit by a
      single exponential after an initial delay. Deactivation upon repolarization of
      both macroscopic and microscopic currents was mono-exponential, except in Rb
      Ringer or Cs-Ringer solution in which tail currents often displayed "hooks,"
      wherein the current first increased or remained constant before decaying. In some
      cells type l currents were contaminated by a small component due to type n K+
      channels, which deactivate approximately 10 times slower than type l channels.
      Both macroscopic and single channel currents could be dissected either
      kinetically or pharmacologically into these two K+ channel types. The ionic
      selectivity and conductance of type l channels were studied by varying the
      internal and external permeant ion. With 160 mM K+ in the cell, the relative
      permeability calculated from the reversal potential with the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz
      equation was K+ (identical to 1.0) greater than Rb+ (0.76) greater than NH4+ =
      Cs+ (0.12) much greater than Na+ (less than 0.004). Measured 30 mV negative to
      the reversal potential, the relative conductance sequence was quite different:
      NH4+ (1.5) greater than K+ (identical to 1.0) greater than Rb+ (0.5) greater than
      Cs+ (0.06) much greater than Na+, Li+, TMA+ (unmeasurable). Single channel
      current rectification resembled that of the whole-cell instantaneous I-V
      relation. Anomalous mole-fraction dependence of the relative permeability PNH4/PK
      was observed in NH4(+)-K+ mixtures, indicating that the type l K+ channel is a
      multi-ion pore. Compared with other K+ channels, lymphocyte type l K+ channels
      are most similar to "g12" channels in myelinated nerve.

PMID- 1875189
TI  - Permeant ion effects on the gating kinetics of the type L potassium channel in
      mouse lymphocytes.
AB  - Permeant ion species was found to profoundly affect the gating kinetics of type l
      K+ currents in mouse T lymphocytes studied with the whole-cell or on-cell patch
      gigaohm-seal techniques. Replacing external K+ with Rb+ (as the sole monovalent
      cation, at 160 mM) shifted the peak conductance voltage (g-V) relation by
      approximately 20 mV to more negative potentials, while NH4+ shifted the g-V curve
      by 15 mV to more positive potentials. Deactivation (the tail current time
      constant, tau tail) was slowed by an average of 14-fold at -70 mV in external
      Rb+, by approximately 8-fold in Cs+, and by a factor of two to three in NH4+.
      Changing the external K+ concentration, [K+]o, from 4.5 to 160 mM or [Rb+]o from
      10 to 160 mM had no effect on tau tail. With all the internal K+ replaced by Rb+
      or Cs+ and either isotonic Rb+ or K+ in the bath, tau tail was indistinguishable
      from that with K+ in the cell. With the exception of NH4+, activation time
      constants were insensitive to permeant ion species. These results indicate that
      external permeant ions have stronger effects than internal permeant ions,
      suggesting an external modulatory site that influences K+ channel gating.
      However, in bi-ionic experiments with reduced external permeant ion
      concentrations, tau tail was sensitive to the direction of current flow,
      indicating that the modulatory site is either within the permeation pathway or in
      the outer vestibule of the channel. The latter interpretation implies that
      outward current through an open type l K+ channel significantly alters local ion
      concentrations at the modulatory site in the outer vestibule, and consequently at
      the mouth of the channel. Experiments with mixtures of K+ and Rb+ in the external
      solution reveal that deactivation kinetics are minimally affected by addition of
      Rb+ until the Rb+ mole fraction approaches unity. This relationship between mole
      fraction and tau tail, together with the concentration independence of tau tail,
      was hard to reconcile with simple models in which occupancy of a site within the
      permeation pathway prevents channel closing, but is consistent with a model in
      which a permeant ion binding site in the outer vestibule modulates gating
      depending on the species of ion occupying the site. A description of the ionic
      selectivity of the type l K+ channel is presented in the companion paper (Shapiro
      and DeCoursey, 1991b).

PMID- 1875190
TI  - Indian bunchy top disease of tomato plants is caused by a distinct strain of
      citrus exocortis viroid.
AB  - A viroid has been isolated from tomato plants affected by Indian bunchy top
      disease of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). In dot blot hybridization
      assays with 32P-labelled cRNA probes specific for the detection of various
      viroids, the Indian viroid was shown to be most closely related to the citrus
      exocortis viroid (CEVd). Sequence determination showed that the viroid consists
      of 372 nucleotides and confirmed its close relationship with CEVd. The viroid,
      for which we propose the acronym CEVd-t, differs from the Australian CEVd strains
      A and B by 36 and 47 nucleotides, respectively, and from the Spanish grapevine
      isolate by 52 changes. A phylogenetic analysis confirmed the closet relationship
      with CEVd in all structural domains, except the pathogenicity and left-terminal
      domains, which are closely related to the corresponding domains of the potato
      spindle tuber and tomato apical stunt viroids, respectively.

PMID- 1875191
TI  - Artificial defective interfering RNAs derived from brome mosaic virus.
AB  - Naturally occurring defective interfering RNAs (DI-RNAs) greatly reduce the
      accumulation of their helper virus in vivo, but are rarely associated with plant
      positive-strand RNA viruses. Deletion mutants pRNA-2 M/S and pRNA-2 E/S, derived
      from brome mosaic virus (BMV) genomic RNA-2, replicated in a manner dependent on
      BMV RNA-1 and -2, and effectively interfered with their accumulation in barley
      protoplasts. Based on their mode of replication, these mutant RNAs have been
      termed parasitic RNAs (pRNAs). When present with RNA-1 and -2 at low inoculum
      amounts, pRNA-2 M/S and pRNA-2 E/S reduced the level of replication of RNA-2, the
      parental RNA, by 37% and 64%, respectively. Greater amounts of pRNA in the
      inoculum completely eliminated the replication of both RNA-1 and -2. Mutations
      that prevented translation of truncated proteins from the pRNAs did not affect
      interference, but those that reduced pRNA replication decreased their ability to
      interfere with genomic RNA replication. At a molar pRNA: genomic RNA inoculum
      ratio of 1.5:1, pRNA-2 E/S reduced the accumulation of all helper virus RNAs by
      greater than 60%. This occurred in the presence of wild-type RNA-3 or delta SGP
      RNA-3, a deletion mutant of RNA-3 that lacks the subgenomic promoter necessary
      for coat protein expression, demonstrating that the interference mediated by the
      pRNAs was not effected by encapsidation. These data indicate that the expression
      of pRNAs that function as artificial DI-RNAs in transgenic plants may be an
      approach for inducing resistance to virus infection which is applicable to a wide
      range of plant viruses.

PMID- 1875192
TI  - A spontaneous red clover necrotic mosaic virus mutant with a truncated movement
      protein.
AB  - A spontaneous red clover necrotic mosaic virus mutant, TpM-341, was isolated by
      multiple passage of Czechoslovakian isolate TpM-34 in beans, followed by three
      cycles of single lesion isolation in cowpea and in Chenopodium quinoa. The
      symptoms induced in cowpea by TpM-34 and TpM-341 differed. TpM-34 gave rise to
      chlorotic lesions which expanded with time, often becoming confluent with
      adjacent lesions, and developed necrotic margins; the plants became systemically
      infected. TpM-341 induced necrotic lesions which, once developed, did not expand
      further; plants did not become systemically infected. Analysis of
      pseudorecombinants formed between the RNAs of TpM-34 and TpM-341 showed that RNA
      2 determined the difference in symptoms. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of
      the open reading frames (ORFs) encoding the P2 movement proteins of the two
      isolates revealed only one difference, a deletion of an A residue in a sequence
      of four A residues (nucleotides 790 to 793). Construction of full-length TpM-34
      and TpM-341 RNA 2 cDNA clones, from which infectious RNA 2 could be transcribed
      in vitro, and in vitro mutagenesis of a cDNA clone of TpM-341, confirmed that the
      difference in the symptoms induced by TpM-341 was caused by the loss of this A
      residue. This single base deletion was predicted to cause a translational frame
      shift in the P2 ORF causing the loss of 88 amino acids at the C terminus which
      were replaced by a sequence of 34 different amino acids, producing a truncated P2
      protein. In vitro translation of RNA 2 transcribed from cDNA clones showed that
      RNA with four or three A residues starting at nucleotide 790 produced proteins of
      Mr 36K and 30K respectively, in agreement with the predictions based on the
      nucleotide sequence.

PMID- 1875193
TI  - Transgenic plants and insect cells expressing the coat protein of arabis mosaic
      virus produce empty virus-like particles.
AB  - The 3' end of the RNA-2 of arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) was cloned and sequenced.
      The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the virion coat protein was determined by
      Edman degradation and the corresponding coding region identified. This gene was
      modified at the 5' and 3' ends by use of mismatched primers in the polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR), in order to facilitate the cloning of the gene, and to
      provide it with a methionine initiation codon. The modified cloned gene was
      expressed in transgenic plants, recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells and
      bacteria. Both the insect cells and the plants expressing the modified coat
      protein gene contained empty virus-like particles (VLPs) similar to the empty
      virus shells found in plants infected with ArMV. These VLPs were not detected in
      the Escherichia coli expressing the coat protein. Analysis of the primary amino
      acid sequence in the ArMV coat protein revealed extensive regions of identity
      with that of grapevine fanleaf virus. Patterns in these identities may reflect a
      three-domain organization of the proteins.

PMID- 1875194
TI  - The nucleotide sequence and luteovirus-like nature of RNA 1 of an aphid non
      transmissible strain of pea enation mosaic virus.
AB  - An examination of the genomic strategy of pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) RNA 1
      has verified strong organizational and sequence relationships between PEMV and
      the beet western yellows-potato leafroll luteovirus subgroup. Sequence analysis
      of RNA 1 demonstrated five predominant open reading frames (ORFs). The extreme 5'
      ORF encodes a 34K product of unknown function. The second ORF encodes an 84K
      product which overlaps 90% of ORF 1 (in a unique reading frame) and is expressed
      by internal initiation beginning at the second start codon from the 5' terminus.
      This protein contains a protease-like motif characteristic of serine- and
      cysteine-based proteases, suggesting involvement in post-translational processing
      of viral translation products. The third ORF is characterized by a number of RNA
      polymerase motifs and a helicase-like motif typical of RNA-dependent RNA
      polymerases. It overlaps (out of frame) the ORF 2 product and is proposed to be
      expressed by a frameshift fusion of the ORF 2 and ORF 3 products. The fourth ORF
      encodes the viral coat protein, and is immediately followed in frame by a 33K ORF
      thought to represent the aphid transmission subunit of the PEMV virion. Northern
      blot analysis of polysome-associated RNA suggests that both products are
      expressed from an 1800 nucleotide subgenomic mRNA, with the 33K product expressed
      as a read-through fusion with the coat protein monomer.

PMID- 1875195
TI  - Molecular evidence for a role of domestic ducks in the introduction of avian H3
      influenza viruses to pigs in southern China, where the A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2)
      strain emerged.
AB  - The haemagglutinins (HAs) of five H3 influenza A viruses isolated from domestic
      ducks and one from a goose in southern China were analysed antigenically and
      genetically. The patterns of reactivity of two of the duck viruses and the goose
      virus with a panel of monoclonal antibodies to 10 different epitopes on the H3 HA
      were similar to those of influenza viruses isolated from wild ducks and pigs, as
      well as those of the earliest human H3 viruses. The other three isolates from
      domestic ducks were different from each other and from these viruses
      antigenically. Sequence analysis revealed that the HA genes of the two duck
      viruses and the goose virus were closely related to those of isolates from wild
      ducks and pigs; the identities between the deduced amino acid sequence of the HA
      of one of the isolates from domestic ducks and those of isolates from a wild duck
      and a pig were 98.7% and 99.5%, respectively. The antigenic and genetic
      similarity between these H3 HAs suggests that in southern China, the hypothetical
      influenza epicentre, domestic ducks may have played a role in the introduction of
      avian influenza viruses to pigs from feral ducks. The findings also support the
      hypothesis that the pig was a 'mixing vessel', producing a new human pandemic
      strain, A/Hong Kong/68 (H3N2), by genetic reassortment.

PMID- 1875196
TI  - Replication of influenza A viruses in an avian macrophage cell line.
AB  - The virulent avian influenza virus A/Ty/Ont/7732/66 (H5N9) (Ty/Ont) causes severe
      destruction of the lymphoid cells in infected birds. Previous studies have
      suggested that viral infection of macrophages may be involved. However, Ty/Ont
      failed to replicate productively in primary cultures of chicken macrophages.
      Therefore, in an effort to develop an in vitro system for our studies, we
      examined the susceptibility of an avian macrophage cell line, HD11, to Ty/Ont. We
      found that Ty/Ont replicated in the HD11 cells to high titres, as measured by
      haemagglutination (HA) assays and infectivity yields. To determine whether this
      property was unique to Ty/Ont, we also examined the replication of influenza
      viruses representative of all 13 HA subtypes and an attenuated variant of Ty/Ont.
      All of the tested viruses replicated in HD11 cells; the avirulent strains
      required the presence of trypsin in the culture medium whereas virulent viruses
      and the attenuated variant of Ty/Ont did not. These results suggest that the HD11
      cells can support the replication of a wide variety of influenza viruses and that
      this continuous avian cell line may prove useful for in vitro studies on these
      viruses.

PMID- 1875197
TI  - Analysis of the glycoprotein gene of Tacaribe virus and neutralization-resistant
      variants.
AB  - We have previously generated neutralization-resistant variants of Tacaribe virus
      in the presence of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for the envelope
      glycoprotein. The envelope glycoprotein precursor (GPC) genes of two variant
      viruses were sequenced following polymerase chain reaction amplification of a
      specific region of the Tacaribe virus S RNA, and compared with the GPC gene of
      the parental virus. Multiple nucleotide changes in the 3' half of the GPC gene
      were identified in the variants, suggesting that this part of the gene codes for
      the envelope glycoprotein of Tacaribe virus recognized by the MAb. Both variants
      showed unique amino acid substitutions up to 166 residues apart, suggesting that
      the most likely basis for neutralization resistance was a change in an epitope in
      which the critical residues are juxtaposed by conformation rather than by
      proximity in coding.

PMID- 1875198
TI  - Expression strategy of the potato virus X triple gene block.
AB  - The mode of expression of the overlapping genes of the triple block positioned
      internally in potato virus X (PVX) RNA was examined. The results of In vitro
      translation of synthetic RNA transcripts and natural PVX-specific methylmercuric
      hydroxide-denatured dsRNAs suggest that the 25K protein is expressed as a single
      translation product of the 2.1 kb subgenomic (sg) RNA and that both the 12K and
      8K proteins are expressed from the same 1.4 kb sgRNA.

PMID- 1875199
TI  - Peripheral wear of Wagner resurfacing hip arthroplasty acetabular components.
AB  - One hundred nine Wagner resurfacing arthroplasty acetabular components retrieved
      at revision surgery were examined for type, depth, and extent of wear at the
      periphery of the components. Ninety-two components were found to have evidence of
      peripheral wear caused by impingement of the femoral neck on the edge of the
      component. The thickness of the wall loss due to this impingement wear was found
      to be less the farther that measurements were taken from the edge of the
      component. Thus, when those components with any evidence of impingement wear were
      analyzed, it was found that significantly fewer components had evidence of
      impingement at depths of 3 mm and 5 mm in from the edge of the component. It is
      suggested that future designs of resurfacing hip arthroplasty acetabular
      components should be at least 3 mm and possibly 5 mm less than a hemisphere. This
      is likely to lead to less impingement on the femoral neck and therefore less
      cause for mechanical loosening and less production of wear debris.

PMID- 1875200
TI  - An evaluation of the efficacy of postoperative blood salvage after total joint
      arthroplasty. A prospective randomized trial.
AB  - The efficacy of a postoperative blood salvage system was assessed in 239
      consecutive patients undergoing total knee or total hip arthroplasty. Patients
      were randomly allocated to either a control group using a standard drainage
      system or to the study group using the Solcotrans blood salvage canister. The
      median amount of homologous blood required after operation by the study group was
      reduced by 74% from the amount required by the control group (mean, 67 ml vs 256
      ml, respectively; P less than .0001). Thirteen percent (13%) of the study group
      required postoperative homologous blood transfusions, as compared to 39% of the
      control group (P less than .0001). Additionally, patients in the study group had
      higher hemoglobin levels beginning on the first postoperative day. This study
      indicates that a postoperative blood salvage system safely and effectively
      reduces the amount of homologous blood required and sustains higher hemoglobin
      levels after operation.

PMID- 1875201
TI  - Long-term follow-up evaluation of a prototype press-fit knee prosthesis. A. T.
      Moore's distal femoral resurfacing arthroplasty.
AB  - Austin T. Moore designed a little-known prototype press-fit distal femoral
      resurfacing knee prosthesis. The implant's history and its long-term follow-up
      result in one existing patient are reported in the 51st anniversary year of Dr.
      Moore's first prosthetic procedure.

PMID- 1875202
TI  - Knee manipulation following total knee arthroplasty. Analysis of prognostic
      variables.
AB  - In an effort to identify prognostic indicators for knee manipulation, the authors
      retrospectively reviewed the records of 60 osteoarthritic patients with posterior
      stabilized knee implants who required manipulation (94 knees) between January
      1984 and December 1986. They also studied the records of 28 consecutive
      osteoarthritic patients who were implanted with 41 posterior stabilized knees
      between January 1985 and September 1985 whose knees did not require manipulation
      (control group). In both patient groups the following parameters were assessed
      and compared: overall knee alignment, joint line elevation, anterior to posterior
      (AP) dimension of the knee, AP placement of the tibial component, patellar
      height, obesity, age, preoperative flexion, time of manipulation, single vs
      bilateral knee implants, final flexion, final Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
      score, and the development of heterotopic ossification. The findings of this
      study showed that an increase in the AP knee dimension by 12% or greater was a
      critically independent variable that significantly predisposed patients to
      manipulation. They also show that quadriceps adhesions were another major factor
      leading to manipulation, and that rupturing of these adhesions led to an increase
      in heterotopic ossification. This review also indicated that 3 months after knee
      arthroplasty was a significant time for evaluation because knee flexion and HSS
      score at this point in the patient's recovery positively correlated with the
      final HSS score.

PMID- 1875203
TI  - Prophylactic and early therapeutic use of the Greenfield filter in hip and knee
      joint arthroplasty.
AB  - The orthopaedic literature does not provide clear guidelines for the protection
      of the extremely high-risk thromboembolic patient undergoing hip and knee total
      joint or related reconstructive surgery. Nor is there agreement of how to protect
      the immediate postoperative patient with thromboembolic complications. The
      authors, believing that routine anticoagulation measures are ill-advised in these
      two circumstances, elected instead to place a Greenfield vena cava filter for
      prevention of life-threatening thromboembolism. Using prospective selection
      criteria, 47 patients could be followed over a 24-76-month period. There were no
      clinical embolic episodes in either group and no late complications of the filter
      placement. The few complications in this series were related to insertion, only
      one of which lead to minor long-term disability. The caval patency rate was 96%.
      The authors have concluded that such prophylactic use of the Greenfield vena cava
      filter is justified since it contributes to safer and more reliable total hip and
      total knee surgery with only minor morbidity.

PMID- 1875204
TI  - Exposure of the hip using a modified anterolateral approach.
AB  - This report outlines an exposure to the hip using one curved skin incision,
      permitting retention of the femoral neck, and allowing access to both the
      anterior and posterior aspects of the hip, the whole of the proximal femur, and
      the circumference of the acetabulum. This approach is useful in revision surgery.
      The anterior abductors are mobilized using partial sharp release. A review of
      postoperative abductor function is presented, demonstrating satisfactory function
      after partial sharp release.

PMID- 1875205
TI  - Calcar resorption beneath a well-fitting flanged femoral prosthesis.
AB  - Forty-three of 51 Link SP hip prostheses inserted 4 years previous to this study
      were clinically and radiographically reviewed. All demonstrated bone resorption
      in excess of 2 mm under the collar, but this resorption was not progressive. No
      prosthesis had loosened. The collar of a prosthesis, even when securely cemented
      into the femur with a carefully matched neck cut, was decoupled from its
      functional position in all the reviewed cases at 4 years. Its only remaining
      function was to prevent subsidence within the cement mantle, should it ever
      become necessary to provide stability.

PMID- 1875206
TI  - Postoperative use of continuous passive motion, transcutaneous electrical nerve
      stimulation, and continuous cooling pad following total knee arthroplasty.
AB  - Three rehabilitation modalities relating to in-hospital postoperative care
      following unilateral total knee arthroplasty (UTKA) were studied regarding their
      effect on pain management and UTKA outcome: (1) continuous passive motion (CPM);
      (2) CPM with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS); and (3) CPM with
      continuous cooling pad (CCP). Phase I: CPM. Twenty-two UTKA patients were
      randomized into two postoperative care groups: (1) 12 with CPM; and (2) 10 with
      no CPM. Total hospitalization pain medication consumption was significantly less
      for the CPM group (P less than .05). Phase II: CPM With TENS. Forty-eight UTKA
      patients were randomized into three postoperative care groups: (1) 18 with an
      ipsilateral thigh TENS unit delivering sensory threshold stimulation; (2) 18 with
      a subthreshold TENS unit; and (3) 12 with no TENS unit. All groups used CPM. No
      significant difference was found regarding pain medication consumption. Phase
      III: CPM With CCP. Thirty consecutive UTKA patients were divided into two
      postoperative care groups: (1) 15 with a CCP unit; and (2) 15 with no CCP unit.
      Both groups used CPM. No significant difference was found regarding total or
      intramuscular hospitalization pain medication consumption. However, oral
      hospitalization pain medication consumption was significantly less for the CCP
      group (P less than .01). This postoperative UTKA study demonstrates significantly
      decreased total in-hospital pain medication consumption when comparing CPM vs no
      CPM, significantly decreased oral in-hospital pain medication consumption when
      comparing CPM with CCP vs CPM without CCP, but no difference when comparing CPM
      with TENS vs CPM without TENS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875207
TI  - Efficacy of intraoperative autotransfusion in primary total hip arthroplasty.
AB  - The role of intraoperative autotransfusion in diminishing perioperative
      transfusion requirements was studied in 64 patients undergoing primary total hip
      arthroplasty. The total transfusions administered in a 3-day perioperative period
      were tabulated for the study group (in which intraoperative autotransfusion was
      utilized) and compared to that of the control group. Despite the use of the Cell
      Saver autotransfusion device, no significant difference was noted between the
      total units of blood transfused perioperatively in the two groups. Moreover,
      calculations of mean perioperative blood loss (intra- and postoperative) were not
      significantly different, nor was there any difference in mean hemoglobin
      concentrations between the two groups on the third postoperative day. All 64
      patients received 4 units or less of banked blood in the perioperative period.
      The authors conclude that this modality of blood conservation is not necessary in
      primary hip arthroplasty and that a well planned autologous prebanking program
      should be sufficient in the vast majority of cases to avoid the use of banked
      homologous blood.

PMID- 1875208
TI  - Capsular impingement as a source of pain following bipolar hip arthroplasty.
AB  - Concerns regarding the extent and predictability of pain relief with bipolar
      hemiarthroplasty have been raised. Inconsistent clinical results have been
      reported, with persistent postoperative groin pain noted in some patients. A
      diverse number of bipolar operative techniques have been reported, but discussion
      of the surgical treatment of capsular tissue has usually been omitted. Although
      the source of postoperative pain is difficult to determine, the authors report
      the relief of groin pain after a capsulectomy in a patient with a preexisting
      bipolar hemiarthroplasty, thus offering one possible etiology.

PMID- 1875209
TI  - Influence of prosthetic joint line position on knee kinematics and patellar
      position.
AB  - Prosthetic joint line position after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was
      investigated using sagittal roentgenograms obtained from six fresh frozen cadaver
      knees. A specially designed knee testing device was developed that allowed for a
      controlled flexion angle while maintaining a constant quadriceps force. Pre- and
      postoperative roentgenograms were obtained from 30 degrees to 120 degrees in 15
      degrees intervals. Steinman pins inserted into the medial femoral condyle and
      patella were used as reference points in the roentgenograms. A displacement
      vector between the medial femoral condyle and tibial plateau was used to analyze
      the tibiofemoral joint relationship. The functional patellar length (Insall
      Salvati ratio), was used to determine correct patellar height. Another
      displacement vector was used to measure the patellofemoral joint relationship,
      and the angle between the patellar cut surface and femoral long axis was also
      calculated. Bone resection thickness from the femoral, tibial, and patellar
      surfaces was equal to the prosthetic thickness. This reconstructive scheme
      produced correct ligament balance and flexibility of the knee without the aid of
      tensioning devices or special measurements. Patellar tracking appeared to be
      identical before and after surgery. This accurate but simple surgical technique
      also reproduced normal knee extensor mechanisms that may influence longevity and
      long-term results of TKA.

PMID- 1875211
TI  - Ceramic head implantation failures.

PMID- 1875210
TI  - Treatment of acutely infected arthroplasty with local antibiotics.
AB  - The authors have identified 22 patients with acutely infected total joint
      arthroplasties, 9 hips, and 13 knees. Following organism identification and
      assessment of the patients' general medical condition, the patients were treated
      with an implantable antibiotic pump. This allowed the delivery of a high
      concentration of antibiotic solution to a localized area. Systemic levels of
      antibiotic were kept to a minimum, thereby eliminating potential serious side
      effects of antibiotic treatment. Local concentrations were extremely high,
      exceeding the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) in all cases by 8-10-fold.
      Twenty patients have been followed for 30 months, and of these, 17 patients are
      considered to be infection free. There were three failures. The organisms that
      have been treated have been gram negatives, gram positives, and some mixed
      infections. Results are encouraging with this form of treatment, and additional
      patients are continually being added to the study.

PMID- 1875212
TI  - A simple and effective method of sterilizing Esmarch bandages.
AB  - The authors evaluated three methods of sterilizing Esmarch bandages. A
      commercially available autoclave tape laid along the whole length of the midpoint
      of the width of the bandage was used to determine sterility. Satisfactory
      sterility was achieved by rolling the Esmarch loosely, with a standard crepe
      bandage interposed between layers. Tightly rolled bandages and folded bandages
      without the crepe bandage interposition could not be reliably sterilized.

PMID- 1875213
TI  - Range of motion in contemporary total hip arthroplasty. The impact of modular
      head-neck components.
AB  - The prosthetic range of motion (PROM) of two modular total hip arthroplasty (THA)
      systems and one older nonmodular comparison system was evaluated. The head-neck
      geometry of the modular systems resulted in a smaller PROM than the nonmodular
      system. Longer head-neck components commonly had flanges, which caused the
      greatest reduction in PROM. This effect became more pronounced as head size
      decreased. Modular head-neck components offer recognized benefits but can be
      associated with notably smaller ROM and increased risk of prosthetic impingement.
      The surgeon should be aware that in modern systems PROM decreases when neck width
      is increased. Moreover, in cases of prosthetic instability the potential role of
      the flange of a modular head should be evaluated. Methods are suggested for
      maximizing PROM clinically through preoperative planning, optimal femoral neck
      resection, and implant utilization.

PMID- 1875214
TI  - Polymerase chain reaction: the molecular microscope of residual disease.

PMID- 1875215
TI  - Organ preservation in bladder carcinoma: a matter of selection.

PMID- 1875216
TI  - The significance of circulating cells carrying t(14;18) in long remission from
      follicular lymphoma.
AB  - Peripheral blood mononuclear cell fractions from 15 patients in continuous
      clinical remission from follicular lymphoma for longer than 10 years were
      examined for cells carrying the t(14;18) translocation using the polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR). The assay used was able to detect one positive cell in
      approximately 5 x 10(5) cells (a single 14q+ molecule in 2.5 micrograms DNA).
      Cells positive for t(14;18) were found in six of eight patients initially
      presenting with stage III or IV disease, compared with zero of seven of those
      with stage I or II disease (P less than .05). In two cases 14q+ junction regions
      were also successfully amplified from formalin-fixed biopsy material obtained at
      presentation 12 and 17 years previously. In both, sequence analysis demonstrated
      that the cells circulating in remission belonged to the original clone. These
      results indicate that cells bearing t(14;18) frequently persist in the peripheral
      blood in long remission of advanced follicular lymphoma and question the value of
      their presence as a predictor of relapse.

PMID- 1875217
TI  - Prognostic factors in invasive bladder carcinoma in a prospective trial of
      preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
AB  - Clinical and pathologic factors were analyzed in 40 patients with localized
      muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma treated in a prospective bladder-preserving
      program consisting of transurethral tumor resection, neoadjuvant chemotherapy
      (methotrexate, cisplatin, and vinblastine [MCV]), and 4,000 cGy radiotherapy with
      concurrent cisplatin. Patients with biopsy-proven complete response after
      chemotherapy and 4,000 cGy radiation received full-dose radiotherapy (6,480 cGy)
      with cisplatin. Cystectomy was recommended to patients with residual disease.
      Distant metastasis rate was associated with tumor stage and size: 0% in T2
      patients, 39% in T3-4 patients (P = .035), 6% for tumors less than 5 cm, and 59%
      for tumors greater than or equal to 5 cm (P = .002). Risk of bladder tumor
      recurrence was higher in patients with tumor-associated carcinoma in situ (CIS;
      40%) than those without CIS (6%; P = .075). Papillary tumors and solid tumors
      both had similar treatment outcomes. By multivariate analysis, tumor stage T2 (P
      = .04) and absence of CIS (P = .03) were significant predictors of complete
      response; CIS was predictive of local bladder recurrence (P = .07); and tumor
      size (P = .03), response after chemoradiotherapy (P = .02), and vascular invasion
      (P = .08) were associated with distant metastasis. Six of eight local bladder
      tumor recurrences were superficial tumors. The low actuarial distant metastasis
      rate of T2 patients (0% at 3 years), the 3-year actuarial overall survival rates
      for T2 (89%) and T3-4 (50%) patients, and the similar treatment outcomes for
      papillary versus solid tumors are encouraging when compared with published
      historical controls. These results provide preliminary evidence (median follow
      up, 30 months) that the current chemoradiotherapy regimen may have beneficial
      effects in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma. The true efficacy
      of neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains to be proven by ongoing randomized trials.

PMID- 1875218
TI  - Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation as therapy for primary induction failure
      for patients with acute leukemia.
AB  - The survival of patients with acute leukemia who do not achieve a remission with
      primary therapy is very poor. High-dose chemoradiotherapy followed by allogeneic
      bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been shown to be effective therapy for
      patients with acute and chronic leukemia. Therefore, we determined the long-term
      disease-free survival of patients who did not achieve a remission and were then
      treated with high-dose therapy and bone marrow allografting from matched sibling
      donors. Twenty-one patients (median age, 28 years) who did not achieve a
      remission with induction chemotherapy were subsequently treated with allogeneic
      BMT. After BMT, 90% achieved a complete remission. Six died of complications of
      the therapy, and six patients relapsed between 27 and 448 days after BMT. Nine
      patients (43%; median age, 25 years) are alive between 556 and 4,174 days after
      BMT. The cumulative probability of disease-free survival at 10 years is 43%. This
      study suggests that allogeneic BMT can be an effective therapy to achieve long
      term control of acute leukemia, even in those patients who do not achieve a
      remission with primary therapy.

PMID- 1875219
TI  - Importance of bone marrow cytogenetic evaluation before autologous bone marrow
      transplantation for Hodgkin's disease.
AB  - Alkylating agents used either with or without radiation therapy have been
      associated with the development of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute
      nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) after treatment of both malignant and
      nonmalignant disorders. This report describes seven patients with recurrent
      Hodgkin's disease (HD) evaluated for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) who
      developed chromosomal abnormalities, and emphasizes the importance of bone marrow
      cytogenetic studies before bone marrow harvest. Three patients with
      histologically normal bone marrow underwent autologous BMT and subsequently
      developed an MDS or ANLL. Four patients had the clonal abnormality detected
      before bone marrow harvest and did not proceed to BMT.

PMID- 1875220
TI  - Primary CNS lymphoma treated with osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption:
      prolonged survival and preservation of cognitive function.
AB  - Combination chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy has had only modest
      efficacy in the treatment of primary CNS lymphoma. Median survival of these
      patients, treated primarily with radiotherapy, is 13 months; 5-year survival is
      less than 5%. Thirty consecutive non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients
      with primary CNS lymphoma were treated with barrier-dependent chemotherapy using
      intraarterial mannitol to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Follow-up included
      extensive neuropsychologic testing of all patients. Thirteen patients received
      cranial radiation 1 to 9 months before referral (group 1). Seventeen patients
      received initial BBB disruption chemotherapy with subsequent radiation only for
      tumor progression or recurrence (group 2). The difference in median survivals
      from diagnosis--17.8 months for group 1 and 44.5 months for group 2--was
      statistically significant (P = .039). Group 1 survival is comparable with the 20
      month median survival of a historical series of patients (n = 208) treated with
      radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Group 2 patient survival represents an
      advance in the survival of CNS lymphoma and was associated with preservation of
      cognitive function in six of seven nonirradiated complete responders observed for
      1 to 7 years. Patient toxicity was manageable in this intensive therapeutic
      regimen. In this series, a plateau in survival curves suggests that a major
      portion of these patients may be cured without the neuropsychologic sequelae
      associated with cranial radiation.

PMID- 1875221
TI  - Impact of autologous bone marrow infusion on hematopoietic recovery after high
      dose cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and cisplatin.
AB  - Because of potential tumor contamination and inadequacy of current purging
      technique of bone marrow in patients with solid tumors, we investigated an
      alternative approach to high-dose therapy without autologous bone marrow (ABM)
      infusion. Three levels of nonmyeloablative doses of cyclophosphamide 4.5 to 5.25
      g/m2, etoposide 750 to 1,200 mg/m2, and cisplatin 120 to 165 mg/m2 (CVP) were
      administered to patients with metastatic solid tumors. Patients were randomized
      to ABM (n = 46) or no-ABM (NABM) (n = 46) infusion after CVP to study the impact
      of ABM on hematopoietic recovery, morbidity, and mortality. All patients had ABM
      harvested, underwent conventional chemotherapy, and then received CVP. Seventy
      three patients received two courses of similar doses. The following were the
      median days to absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 0.1 x 10(9)/L: for the ABM arm,
      19, 21, and 19 and for the NABM arm, 23, 20, and 21 at levels 1, 2, and 3,
      respectively, during course 1 (P = .01, .80, and .01, respectively). During
      course 2, ANCs to 0.1 x 10(9)/L and 0.5 x 10(9)/L were attained significantly
      faster at levels 1 and 3 in the ABM arm. ANC to 1.0 x 10(9)/L was comparable in
      both arms. Incidence of infection and duration of fever were similar in both
      arms. Although mortality and the incidence of delayed hematopoietic recovery were
      more frequent in the NABM arm, this was not statistically significant. Platelet
      recovery was consistently prolonged in course 2 in both arms, with demonstrable
      benefit of ABM in course 2 when dose levels were collectively considered. We
      conclude that (1) ABM enhanced recovery of ANC to 0.1 x 10(9)/L; (2) ABM did not
      decrease the incidence of infections and the duration of fever; and (3) CVP can
      be safely given without ABM to carefully selected patients.

PMID- 1875222
TI  - Prognosis in T2N0M0 stage I breast carcinoma: a 20-year follow-up study.
AB  - In a study of prognosis in node-negative breast carcinoma, we investigated 293
      T2N0M0 patients treated by mastectomy and axillary dissection with a median
      follow-up of 19.8 years. The probability of surviving 20 years considering all
      causes of death was 41.3% +/- 3.0%. Recurrence-free survival (Kaplan-Meier
      estimate) was 68.6% +/- 3% at 10 years and 63.2% +/- 3.1% at 20 years. The
      estimated probability of cure determined by the method of Brinkley and Haybittle
      was 63% (95% confidence interval [Cl], 55% to 72%). Prognosis was related to
      primary tumor size with the best separation (P = .06) when tumors from 2.1 to 3.0
      cm (33% chance of recurrence at 20 years) and from 3.1 to 5.0 cm (44% chance of
      recurrence at 20 years) were compared. The histologic tumor type was
      prognostically important. Recurrence at 20 years was not significantly different
      for patients with invasive duct (34%) and lobular (42%) carcinoma. Women with
      special types (medullary, mucinous, papillary, etc) of carcinoma had a 25% chance
      of recurrence. Subsequent contralateral breast carcinoma was diagnosed in 29
      patients, and four of these were fatal, accounting for only 4.6% of breast
      carcinoma deaths. Thirty-two patients (10.9%) developed a nonmammary malignant
      neoplasm (NMMN) after the ipsilateral breast carcinoma, and 69% of these lesions
      were fatal. Although the chances of recurrence at 20 years related to tumor size
      and type did not differ statistically in the series, there were trends that
      suggest that T2N0M0 patients can be stratified into recurrence risk groups based
      on tumor size and histologic type. These factors should be taken into
      consideration in the design and analysis of clinical adjuvant therapy trials.
      Measures for the early detection of common NMMNs should be included in the
      routine follow-up of T2N0M0 breast carcinoma patients.

PMID- 1875223
TI  - Integration of conservative surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for the
      treatment of early-stage, node-positive breast cancer: sequencing, timing, and
      outcome.
AB  - The optimal means of combining breast-conserving surgery, radiation therapy, and
      chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with early-stage, node-positive breast
      cancer is not known. We reviewed the results in 295 patients treated at the Joint
      Center for Radiation Therapy and affiliated institutions from 1976 to 1985. All
      patients had positive axillary nodes on dissection, had no gross residual disease
      in the breast or axilla after surgery, and received breast irradiation (with or
      without nodal irradiation) and three or more cycles of a cyclophosphamide,
      methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF)-based or doxorubicin-containing regimen.
      Median follow-up in patients without any failure was 78 months. Breast failure
      rates were assessed in relation to the sequencing of radiotherapy and
      chemotherapy. The different sequences were not randomly assigned, and the
      characteristics of the sequence groups differed. The actuarial 5-year breast
      failure rate was 4% in 99 patients receiving radiotherapy before chemotherapy; 8%
      in 54 patients sequentially receiving some chemotherapy, then radiotherapy
      without concurrent chemotherapy, then further chemotherapy; and 6% in 116
      patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, the failure
      rate was 41% in 26 patients who received all chemotherapy before radiotherapy.
      The crude incidences of local failure within 4 years of treatment in these groups
      were 3%, 2%, 4%, and 15%, respectively (P = .065 for all four groups not being
      the same). The actuarial 5-year local failure rate was 5% for 252 patients
      irradiated within 16 weeks after surgery compared with 35% for 34 patients
      irradiated more than 16 weeks after surgery. The 4-year crude incidences were 4%
      and 12% for the two groups, respectively (P = .06). These results suggest that
      delaying the initiation of radiotherapy may result in an increased likelihood of
      local failure. Formal randomized controlled trials will be needed to confirm
      these results and to improve the integration of these treatment modalities.

PMID- 1875224
TI  - Lack of efficacy of high-dose leucovorin and fluorouracil in patients with
      advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
AB  - Leucovorin potentiates the cytotoxicity of fluorouracil (5-FU) in experimental
      tumor systems and appears to enhance the effectiveness of 5-FU in patients with
      colon cancer. Twenty-two eligible patients (18 previously untreated) with
      advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated in a phase II trial of leucovorin
      500 mg/m2/d for 6 days by continuous intravenous infusion with 5-FU 370 mg/m2/d
      by rapid intravenous injection on 5 consecutive days, beginning 24 hours after
      initiation of leucovorin infusion. Among the 20 assessable patients, there were
      no complete or partial regressions, although there was one minor response lasting
      4 months. Three patients had stable disease for 5, 20, and 21 months,
      respectively. Median survival was 10 weeks. Toxicity was predominantly mucosal;
      stomatitis grade 2 or worse was seen in five patients, and diarrhea grade 2 or
      worse was seen in four. Hospitalization for toxicity was necessary in four
      previously untreated patients and three previously treated patients. The median
      WBC nadir was 4.6 (range, 1.4 to 9.6) x 10(3)/microL, and the median platelet
      nadir was 147.0 (range, 69.0 to 240.0) x 10(3)/microL. This combination of
      leucovorin and 5-FU did not demonstrate meaningful therapeutic activity in
      patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and was associated with moderate to
      severe toxicity. It should not be considered a standard treatment for patients
      with this disease.

PMID- 1875225
TI  - Sequential administration of recombinant human interleukin-2 and dacarbazine in
      metastatic melanoma: a multicenter phase II study.
AB  - Twenty-five assessable patients with metastatic melanoma have been entered in a
      multicenter phase II study of two induction cycles of human recombinant
      interleukin-2(IL2), 18 x 10(6) IU/m2/d continuous intravenous (IV) infusion on
      days 1 to 5 and days 12 to 17. Dacarbazine (DTIC), 850 mg/m2 IV bolus was given
      on day 26. The cycle was repeated at 5 weeks. Maintenance therapy was scheduled 3
      weeks after the completion of induction treatment, consisting of IL2, 18 x 10(6)
      IU/m2/d for 5 days alternating with DTIC, 850 mg/m2 IV every 3 weeks, for a total
      of 18 weeks. Six patients responded (24%); two complete and four partial. Stable
      disease was seen in five patients. None of the six patients with more than two
      sites of metastases responded. Maximum response was observed in the first 3
      months of treatment. Progression-free periods of 6 months and longer were seen in
      the two complete responders (8 and 17+ months), in two of the four partial
      responders (7 and 12+ months), and in three of the five patients with stable
      disease (9+, 15, and 17+ months). Toxicity included fever, skin rash, fatigue,
      anorexia, and diarrhea in most patients. Two patients had a weight gain of more
      than 10%. Eight patients needed intensive care for the observation and treatment
      of a myocardial injury (one patient), ventricular tachycardia (one), hypotension
      and oliguria (four), and sepsis (two). Sequential treatment with IL2 and DTIC
      appears to be effective but not clearly better than could be expected of IL2
      alone.

PMID- 1875226
TI  - Calculating dose intensity.

PMID- 1875227
TI  - Levamisole and melanoma.

PMID- 1875228
TI  - Dose-intensity analysis and randomized trials.

PMID- 1875229
TI  - Antimicrobial contact activity of econazole sulfosalicylate.
AB  - The aim of this investigation was to compare the contact action of econazole
      sulfosalicylate (E-SSA) on mycetes (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans,
      Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichophyton rubrum, T. cutaneum, Pityrosporum sp.), Gram
      positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis) and Gram
      negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii) with that exerted by
      econazole nitrate (E-NIT). The results show E-SSA activity greater than E-NIT (in
      particular against mycetes and Gram-negative bacteria). The E-SSA contact
      activity trials illustrated certain properties of this imidazole sulfosolicylate
      such as: absence of latency time, antimicrobial activity proportional to its
      concentration, when a high concentration is used, given the limiting influence of
      pH and ionic strength of the medium. The higher E-SSA contact activity, in
      relation to E-NIT, can be correlated to its greater lipophylia considering also
      the lipophylic properties of SSA and the scarce dissociation of E-SSA.

PMID- 1875230
TI  - Comparative efficacy of cefotetan and clindamycin plus amikacin as antimicrobial
      prophylaxis for major head and neck surgery.
AB  - A total of 41 patients were randomly allocated to receive either cefotetan (total
      dose, 20 g) or clindamycin (total dose, 12 g) plus amikacin (total dose, 5 g) as
      perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis for major head and neck surgery. The two
      groups were similar in age, male to female ratio, stage of cancer, and the
      various types of surgery. No patient received radiotherapy or chemotherapy before
      surgery. The wound infection rate was 4% in the group of patients receiving
      cefotetan and 0% in the group receiving clindamycin plus amikacin. No major side
      effects were observed in either group. On the basis of this study a five-day
      perioperative course with cefotetan may be considered effective antimicrobial
      prophylaxis in patients undergoing major head and neck oncologic surgery.

PMID- 1875231
TI  - Intravenous ciprofloxacin for the treatment of severe infections.
AB  - Intravenous ciprofloxacin at a daily dosage of 400 mg divided in two doses was
      administered to 19 patients with severe infections caused by ciprofloxacin
      susceptible bacteria. These infections included: 11 surgical would infections, 5
      soft tissue infections, 2 respiratory tract infections, 1 urinary tract
      infection. The offending pathogens were: 8 coagulase-negative staphylococci, 3
      Staphylococcus aureus, 3 Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 2 Proteus spp., 1 Escherichia
      coli, 1 Branhamella catarrhalis, 1 Klebsiella ozenae and 1 Serratia liquefaciens.
      Overall, 17 of 19 infections (89%) showed a satisfactory clinical response to
      trial therapy (15 cures and 2 improvements). Microbiological eradication was
      observed in 17 out of 20 isolated pathogens. Emergence of resistance to
      ciprofloxacin occurred in 1 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and was associated
      with clinical failure. No side effects were observed. We conclude that
      intravenous ciprofloxacin may represent efficacious and safe therapy of severe
      infections; however close microbiological monitoring seems to be necessary to
      evaluate the emergence of resistance during quinolone therapy.

PMID- 1875232
TI  - 5-Fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC combination) in advanced
      breast cancer.
AB  - Thirty patients with advanced breast cancer, not pretreated with chemotherapy for
      advanced disease, received a polychemotherapy regimen containing 5-fluorouracil
      (500 mg/m2 iv), epirubicin (50 mg/m2 iv) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2 iv)
      every four weeks. All patients were evaluable for response and for toxicity. No
      complete remissions were observed, while 13 patients (43.5%) achieved a partial
      remission for a median duration of 46 weeks. The main side-effects were alopecia
      (grade 2-3 in 57%), leukopenia (grade 3-4 in 33%) and nausea/vomiting (grade 3-4
      in 27%). In three cases we observed laboratory signs of cardiotoxicity without
      clinical symptoms.

PMID- 1875233
TI  - Skull, patella and thigh cryptococcosis after a crashing injury of the temporal
      bone.
AB  - An unusual case of triple location (skull, patella and thigh) Cryptococcus
      neoformans is described. The peculiarity of the case is based on the probability
      of direct post-traumatic bone inoculation, subsequent seeding from skull to
      patella, thigh and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), patella involvement, lack of
      evidence of lung involvement and lack of predisposing underlying disease. The
      response to surgery and a combination of amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine
      administration was favorable without relapse at follow-up after 7-year
      discontinuation of therapy.

PMID- 1875234
TI  - A retrospective view of beta-lactamases.
AB  - The discovery of a penicillinase (later shown be a beta-lactamase) 50 years ago
      in Oxford came from the thought that the resistance of many Gram-negative
      bacteria to Fleming's penicillinase might be due to their production of a
      penicillin-destroying enzyme. The emergence of penicillinase-producing
      staphylococci in the early 1950s, particularly in hospitals, raised the question
      whether the medical value of penicillin would decline. The introduction of new
      semi-synthetic penicillins and cephalosporins in the 1960s began to reveal many
      beta-lactamases distinguishable by their different substrate profiles. In this
      period it was established that genes encoding beta-lactamases from Gram-negative
      bacilli could be carried from one organism to another on plasmids and also that
      penicillin inhibited a transpeptidase involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis.
      During the last two decades a number of these enzymes have been purified and the
      genes encoding them have been cloned. Much has now been learned, with the aid of
      powerful modern techniques, about their structures, their active sites, their
      relationship to penicillin-sensitive proteins in bacteria and to their likely
      evolution. Further knowledge may contribute to a more rational approach to
      chemotherapy in this area. Experience suggests that a need for new substances
      will continue.

PMID- 1875235
TI  - Beta-lactamase: lessons in the art of survival.
AB  - 1. A beta-lactamase molecule is a marvelous device enabling its marker to thrive
      in a hostile and potentially lethal environment. What is more, the protective
      effect is extended to otherwise vulnerable organisms, securing their survival in
      the sheltered neighborhood. Curiously, such environmental implications had no
      discernible impact on the strategy of antibacterial chemotherapy. Moreover,
      traditional diagnostic routines are largely responsible for the sheltered
      survival of susceptible pathogens. 2. For half a century, since their existence
      was discovered by Abraham and Chain, beta-lactamases have never ceased to amaze
      us with an ever-widening spectrum of structural and functional variants,
      appearing in increasingly rapid succession in an ever broader range of bacteria.
      Whereas the phenomenon itself was the predicted outcome of unguarded expansion of
      beta-lactam therapy, its scope is a testimony to the unique advantage of an
      otherwise irrelevant, and thus freely modifiable and transmissible, enzyme as a
      key to survival. 3. Perhaps the least expected lesson is to be had from the
      adaptive behaviour of the beta-lactamase molecule itself. Faced with virtually
      countless structural variations on the beta-lactam theme, nearly all created so
      as to frustrate its function, the beta-lactamase molecule proves to be so
      versatile in overcoming so many of its potential inhibitors that it makes us
      reflect on the evolutionary significance of coping and survival at the molecular
      level.

PMID- 1875236
TI  - Transient state kinetic studies on catalysis and inhibition of staphylococcal
      beta-lactamase.
AB  - The interaction of beta-lactamase with a beta-lactam substrate may, in addition
      to hydrolysis of the beta-lactam by way of an acylenzyme intermediate, lead to
      transient or permanent inhibition through one or more branches in the catalytic
      pathway. The balance between these processes depends on the interplay between the
      chemical reactivities of interacting groups and on effects on protein
      conformation and stability but the molecular basis is not fully understood.
      Examples of physical and kinetic probes of some of the mechanisms are discussed.

PMID- 1875237
TI  - Some molecular properties of Citrobacter diversus beta-lactamases.
AB  - Citrobacter diversus ULA-27, a clinical isolate showing a broad resistance
      pattern towards both penicillins and cephalosporins, produces chromosome encoded
      beta-lactamases. However, the strain remains susceptible to some cephamycins,
      imipenem, ceftazidime and tetracyclines. Crude bacterial extracts analyzed by
      isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gels, revealed the presence of two main
      isoforms and some "satellite" bands focusing in the pH range 5.7-7.2. The isoform
      showing the pIs 6.8 and 6.2 were characterized as class "A" beta-lactamases
      (according to Ambler's classification) based on the rate of interaction of beta
      iodopenicillanate and the amino acid sequence around the active site serine. The
      substrate specificity of the Citrobacter diversus beta-lactamases explains the
      resistance phenomenon of this bacterium to penicillins and cephalosporins.

PMID- 1875238
TI  - Penicillin-binding proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae: alterations during
      development of intrinsic penicillin resistance.
AB  - Four out of the five high molecular weight penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) of
      Streptococcus pneumoniae are involved in the development of intrinsic penicillin
      resistance. In beta-lactam resistant laboratory mutants, point mutations in the
      PBP 2x-genes were identified that result in low penicillin-affinity mutant
      proteins. In contrast, PBPs 1a, 2x, and 2b of resistant clinical isolates are
      highly altered as can be recognized biochemically and immunologically; DNA
      sequence analysis of the PBP 2x gene from resistant strains confirmed these
      results. The variability of the three PBPs analyzed implies a very heterogeneous
      gene pool accessible to the pneumococcus that is used for recruitment of
      resistant PBP genes in wild type strains.

PMID- 1875239
TI  - Comparison of the effectiveness of various antibiotics in the treatment of
      methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus experimental infective
      endocarditis.
AB  - The effectiveness of various antibiotics was tested in the eradication of a
      strain of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) of cardiac
      vegetations, in an experimental model of endocarditis in rabbits. Twelve animals
      comprised the control group and 48 the treated ones. After inducing the
      experimental endocarditis, the animals were treated for three days; then
      mortality, blood cultures at 48 and 72 hours and the title of the colony forming
      units per gram of vegetation (CFU/g) were evaluated. Imipenem and the cloxacillin
      gentamicin association were found to be as effective as cloxacillin in
      eradicating the microorganisms of the vegetation. Clindamycin in high doses was
      shown to be a valid alternative. Vancomycin, teicoplanin, rifampin and
      ciprofloxacin were less effective than cloxacillin. The experimental model seems
      to be an effective method for evaluating antimicrobial treatments in
      staphylococcal endocarditis.

PMID- 1875240
TI  - Aztreonam biliary excretion in bile duct ligated jaundiced rats.
AB  - An experimental study was undertaken to assess aztreonam biliary concentrations
      in bile duct ligated jaundiced rats. The study proved that aztreonam biliary
      concentrations are sufficient to inhibit Gram-negative bacteria within the first
      and the second hour after antibiotic administration. The experimental model
      suggests that clinical conditions such as lithiasis or neoplasms of the biliary
      tree should not totally inhibit the antibiotic excretion.

PMID- 1875241
TI  - Combination-sensitive neurons in the medial geniculate body of the mustached bat:
      encoding of relative velocity information.
AB  - 1. Orientation sounds (pulses) emitted by the mustached bat (Pteronotus
      parnellii) consist of up to four harmonics (H1-4); each harmonic contains a
      constant frequency (CF) component and a terminal frequency modulated (FM)
      component, so that there are eight components in total (CF1-4 and FM1-4). By
      referring the echo from a target to the emitted pulse, the mustached bat derives
      velocity information from Doppler shift and distance information from echo delay.
      In this study, the responses of single neurons in the medial geniculate body
      (MGB) to synthetic biosonar signals were investigated. Stimuli consisted of CF,
      FM, and CF-FM sounds. Paired CF-FM sounds were used to mimic any two harmonics of
      pulse-echo pairs. The dorsal and medial divisions of the MGB were found to
      contain combination-sensitive neurons. These neurons responded poorly to
      individual sounds regardless of frequency and amplitude and were facilitated by
      paired sounds presented at particular frequencies, amplitudes and inter-component
      intervals (simulated echo delay). Combination-sensitive neurons were tuned to the
      frequencies that characterize particular components of natural biosonar signals
      and were classified according to the components of pulse-echo pairs that best
      matched the spectral selectivity of the neuron. Two classes of combination
      sensitive neurons were found, CF/CF and FM-FM. This paper focuses on CF/CF
      combination-sensitive neurons, which extract velocity information from paired CF
      components, and on CF2 and CF3 neurons, which, although not combination
      sensitive, are tuned to the frequencies of the CF2 and CF3 components of biosonar
      signals. 2. CF2 and CF3 neurons were sharply tuned in frequency. The best
      frequencies of the most sharply tuned CF2 neurons were all approximately equal to
      61.17 kHz (SD = 370 Hz), which closely matches the frequency at which P.
      parnellii stabilizes the CF2 component of an echo when compensating for Doppler
      shift. Thus CF2 neurons are specialized for a fine analysis of Doppler
      compensated echoes. 3. Tuning curves of CF2 and CF3 neurons remained narrow
      regardless of stimulus level. When compared at high stimulus levels (30 and 50 dB
      above minimum threshold), bandwidths of tuning curves of CF2 and CF3 neurons were
      much smaller than those of peripheral auditory neurons turned to CF2 or CF3
      frequencies but were about the same as those of cortical neurons tuned to CF2 or
      CF3 frequencies. Thus the sharpening of neural tuning curves by the bat's central
      auditory system occurs within or before the MGB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875242
TI  - Response of joint capsule neurons to axial stress and strain during dynamic
      loading in cat.
AB  - 1. Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that the responses of joint
      capsule mechanoreceptors better encode tissue stress or tissue strain. The
      experimental model was a small ligament from the cat knee capsule, which was
      stretched uniaxially in vitro. Experiments were done with either force or
      displacement as the controlled variable, and with steps, sinusoids, or
      pseudorandom Gaussian noise (PGN) as the input function. 2. The strength of
      coupling between neural discharge and both strain and stress was quantified
      during step experiments using linear correlation coefficients. The correlation
      between the frequency of neural discharge and stress was 0.93 +/- 0.09 (SD). The
      correlation between frequency of neural discharge and strain was -0.91 +/- 0.06.
      The magnitudes of these correlation coefficients were not significantly
      different. 3. The strength of coupling between neural discharge and both strain
      and stress during sinusoidal and PGN experiments was quantified by the use of an
      information theoretic statistic, transinformation. Out of 282 sinusoidal runs,
      transinformation between neural discharge and stress was significantly greater
      than transinformation between strain and neural discharge 241 times.
      Transinformation between strain and neural discharge was significantly greater 15
      times. 4. During PGN experiments, transinformation between stress and neural
      discharge was greater than transinformation between strain and neural discharge
      in all 19 experimental runs. 5. Conditional transinformation between strain and
      neural discharge, given stress, was calculated for all sinusoidal and
      pseudorandom experiments. This statistic was greater than zero in 268 out of 289
      experimental runs, indicating that a component of strain independent of stress is
      being signaled in the neural discharge.

PMID- 1875243
TI  - Sensitivity of MST neurons to optic flow stimuli. I. A continuum of response
      selectivity to large-field stimuli.
AB  - 1. Neurons in the dorsomedial region of the medial superior temporal area (MSTd)
      have large receptive fields that include the fovea, are directionally selective
      for moving visual stimuli, prefer the motion of large fields to small spots, and
      respond to rotating and expanding patterns of motion as well as frontal parallel
      planar motion. These characteristics suggested that these neurons might
      contribute to the analysis of the large-field optic flow stimulation generated as
      an observer moves through the visual environment. 2. We tested the response of
      MSTd neurons in two awake monkeys by systematically presenting a set of
      translational and rotational stimuli to each neuron. These 100 X 100 degrees
      stimuli were the motion components from which all optic flow fields are derived.
      3. In 220 single neurons we found 23% that responded primarily to one component
      of motion (planar, circular, or radial), 34% that responded to two components
      (planocircular or planoradial, but never circuloradial), and 29% that responded
      to all three components. 4. The number of stimulus components to which a neuron
      responded was unrelated to the size or eccentricity of its receptive field. 5.
      Triple-, double-, and single-component neurons varied widely in the strength of
      their responses to the preferred components. Grouping these neurons together
      revealed that they did not form discrete classes but rather a continuum of
      response selectivity. 6. This continuum was apparent in other response
      characteristics. Direction selectivity was weakest in triple-component neurons,
      strongest in single-component neurons. Significant inhibitory responses were less
      frequent in triple-component neurons than in single-component neurons. 7. There
      was some indication that the neurons of similar component classes occupied
      adjacent regions within MSTd, but all combinations of component and direction
      selectivity were occasionally found in immediate juxtaposition. 8. Experiments on
      a subset of neurons showed that the speed of motion, the dot density, and the
      number of different speed planes in the display had little influence on these
      responses. 9. We conclude that the selective responses of many MSTd neurons to
      the rotational and translational components of optic flow make these neurons
      reasonable candidates for contributing to the analysis of optic flow fields.

PMID- 1875244
TI  - Sensitivity of MST neurons to optic flow stimuli. II. Mechanisms of response
      selectivity revealed by small-field stimuli.
AB  - 1. In these experiments we examined the receptive field mechanisms that support
      the optic flow field selective responses of neurons in the dorsomedial region of
      the medial superior temporal area (MSTd). Our experiments tested the predictions
      of two hypotheses of optic flow field selectivity. The direction mosaic
      hypothesis states that these receptive fields contain a set of planar direction
      selective subfields that match the local directions of motion within optic flow
      fields. The vector field hypothesis states that these receptive fields are
      uniquely sensitive to distributed properties of planar, circular, or radial optic
      flow fields. 2. Experiments using large-field stimuli revealed that some neurons
      showed changes in optic flow field selectivity depending on the position of the
      stimulus in the receptive field; these are position-dependent responses. However,
      other neurons maintained the same optic flow field selectivities in spite of
      changes in stimulus position; these are position-invariant responses. We have
      used the position dependence or invariance of optic flow field selectivity as a
      way of testing the direction mosaic and vector field hypotheses. Position
      dependence is more consistent with the direction mosaic hypothesis, whereas
      position invariance is more consistent with the vector field hypothesis. 3. To
      test for position effects, we examined the optic flow field selectivity of small
      subfields within the large receptive fields of 160 MSTd neurons. First, we
      centered small-field optic flow stimuli of various sizes over the same position
      in the receptive field. Most MSTd neurons showed decreasing response amplitude
      with decreasing stimulus size but maintained optic flow field selectivity. 4. We
      then placed small-field stimuli at various positions within the large receptive
      field of these MSTd neurons. Position-invariant response selectivity was most
      prominent in single-component neurons, suggesting that they were more consistent
      with the vector field hypothesis. Position-dependent response selectivity was
      most prominent in triple-component neurons, suggesting that they were more
      consistent with the direction mosaic hypothesis. However, the variations in
      planar direction preference throughout the receptive field of these triple
      component neurons were not consistent with a direction mosaic explanation of the
      large-field circular or radial selectivity observed. 5. Small-field position
      studies also demonstrated the existence of zones within the receptive field in
      which either direction-selective inhibitory or direction-selective excitatory
      responses predominated. The degree of overlap between these zones increased from
      nonselective to triple- to double- and finally to single-component
      neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875245
TI  - Fastigial nucleus activity in the alert monkey during slow eye and head
      movements.
AB  - 1. Single units were recorded extracellularly from the fastigial nucleus of three
      macaque monkeys. Two untrained animals were subjected to whole-body yaw rotations
      in the light and dark and to full-field horizontal optokinetic stimuli provided
      by a drum with vertical stripes. The third also was subjected to sinusoidal yaw
      rotations but, in addition, was trained to follow a small spot, which moved in
      various ways relative to the animal, to reveal possible smooth pursuit and
      vestibular sensitivities. 2. On the basis of their responses to vestibular and
      optokinetic stimuli and their responses during smooth pursuit, fastigial neurons
      could be divided functionally into a rostral and a caudal group. 3. Most rostral
      neurons exhibited an increased firing for contralateral head rotations and
      ipsilateral optokinetic stimuli. A few had the opposite combination of
      directional preferences. The average firing rates increased monotonically both
      with contralateral head velocity and ipsilateral drum velocity and decreased
      monotonically for the oppositely directed movements. There was no change in
      firing rate for either spontaneous saccades or smooth pursuit of a small moving
      spot. 4. In contrast, neurons in the caudal fastigial nuclei not only have a
      robust vestibular sensitivity, but respond during smooth pursuit as well. Most
      discharge during contralateral head velocity and contralateral smooth pursuit so
      that they exhibit very little modulation during the vestibuloocular reflex (VOR)
      or when the rotating animal is fixating a target stationary in the world (SIW).
      The remaining neurons discharge during contralateral head rotations but
      ipsilateral eye rotations; these units exhibit their greatest modulation during
      the SIW condition. 5. Because they respond during quite different behavioral
      situations, it seems likely that rostral fastigial neurons are involved with
      descending control of the somatic musculature, whereas the caudal neurons are
      involved in oculomotor control. The sparse anatomic and lesion data that is
      available is consistent with this idea.

PMID- 1875246
TI  - Coding the sweet taste in the nucleus of the solitary tract: differential roles
      for anterior tongue and nasoincisor duct gustatory receptors in the rat.
AB  - 1. A variety of chemicals that humans describe as sweet drive neurons in the
      nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) of the rat more vigorously when applied to
      the taste receptors associated with the nasoincisor ducts (NID) than when applied
      to taste receptors on the anterior tongue (AT). 2. The differential effects of
      sweet stimuli applied to the AT and NID also are evident in the set of across
      neuron correlations produced by these stimuli. The psychophysical similarity
      among the sweet stimuli is better accounted for by responses to stimulation of
      the NID than by responses to stimulation of the AT (mean correlation between
      pairs of sweet stimuli = +0.70 for the NID, +0.44 for the AT). 3. Disaccharides
      or polysaccharides of glucose, i.e., maltose (0.3 M) and Polycose (0.1 M), are
      poor stimuli on the NID, evoking responses only 17.8 and 26.7% as great as the
      response elicited by sucrose (0.3 M), an optimal stimulus for this receptor
      subpopulation. This suggests that Polycose and maltose interact with receptor
      sites distinct from those with an affinity for sweet stimuli. Polycose and
      maltose also are ineffective stimuli on the AT, evoking responses only 11.8 and
      4.9% as large as the response evoked by an optimal stimulus for this receptor
      subpopulation, a mixture of electrolytes (0.3 M NaCl, 0.03 M HCl, and 0.01 M
      quinine HCl). 4. The relative effectiveness of the sweet sugars in driving NST
      neurons (sucrose greater than fructose greater than glucose) correlates with
      their order of effectiveness in generating preference behavior in the
      rat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875247
TI  - Individuated finger movements of rhesus monkeys: a means of quantifying the
      independence of the digits.
AB  - 1. Two rhesus monkeys were trained to perform flexion and extension movements of
      each digit of the right hand and of the wrist. Movements of all five digits and
      the wrist were monitored simultaneously. During each instructed movement, the
      instructed digit (or wrist) had the greatest excursion; other, noninstructed
      digits moved to varying degrees. 2. To assess the degree of independence of the
      different digits during these movements, I plotted, as a function of the
      instructed digit's position, the position of each noninstructed digit. The
      resulting trajectories typically were linear, with consistent slopes from trial
      to trial. 3. The slopes of these noninstructed digit versus instructed digit
      trajectories were used to calculate an individuation index for each instructed
      movement and a stationarity index for each digit. These indexes quantified two
      different aspects of independence. The individuation index reflects the degree to
      which other digits remained still during instructed movement of a given digit.
      The stationarity index reflects the degree to which a given digit remained still
      whenever it was a noninstructed digit. 4. In accordance with casual observation,
      thumb flexion and wrist flexion and extension consistently had both high
      individuation and stationarity and therefore can be said to be independent of the
      fingers. Although the same cannot be said of the other fingers, the present
      analysis provides a means of quantifying the degree of independence of these
      digits as well. 5. Factors are discussed that might contribute to the motion of
      noninstructed digits and to the trajectory linearity.

PMID- 1875248
TI  - Regional cerebral blood flow during voluntary arm and hand movements in human
      subjects.
AB  - 1. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission
      tomography in six normal volunteers while at rest and while performing four
      different repetitive movements of the right arm. 2. The four movements were
      performed in random order and consisted of abduction of the index finger, making
      a fist, sequential thumb to digit opposition, and shoulder flexion. All the
      movements were done at the same rate, using an auditory cue and involved
      displacements through similar amounts of the physiological range at each joint.
      3. Increases in rCBF were interpreted as evidence of local neural activation and
      all four movements were associated with significant increases in CBF in the
      contralateral sensorimotor and premotor areas and in the supplementary motor area
      (SMA). 4. The average increase in blood flow in the contralateral sensorimotor
      cortex was significantly greater for the shoulder movement (31%) than for the
      three other movements. The increases with finger opposition (21%) and fist-making
      (24%) were not significantly different, and both were significantly greater than
      with index finger movement (13%). These data indicate that neither
      "fractionation" nor distal movement per se cause selective activation of
      sensorimotor cortex. 5. Significantly greater increases in blood flow in both the
      contralateral premotor cortex and the SMA ("nonprimary motor areas") occurred
      with shoulder movement than with the other movements. Because this difference may
      be related to the significantly greater activation occurring concurrently in the
      sensorimotor cortex, this finding does not prove unequivocally a "selective" role
      of the nonprimary motor areas in proximal movement. 6. Neither of the two
      nonprimary motor areas showed selective activation when a simple sequence of
      finger movements was performed compared with repetitive contractions of the same
      fingers. 7. Shoulder movement alone was associated with significant increases in
      rCBF in the ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex (10%), the superior vermis of the
      cerebellum (19%), and Brodmann areas 5 and 40 in the contralateral hemisphere. 8.
      The average location of the center of excitation in the sensorimotor cortex and
      SMA differed for the four movements and was interpreted as evidence of within
      limb somatotopy. The shoulder focus lay highest in the sensorimotor cortex and
      lowest in the SMA.

PMID- 1875249
TI  - Mechanical and electromyographic responses to stretch of the human ankle
      extensors.
AB  - 1. During maintained ankle extension with background torques ranging from 0 to 70
      N.m, the ankle extensors were stretched by a 5 degree rotation of the ankle
      joint. Maximal stretch velocity was 170 degrees/s. Regression analysis of
      simultaneous measurements of total torque and needle and surface electromyograms
      (EMG) from the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles showed that the soleus muscle
      generates about two-thirds of the maximal torque (approximately 120 Nm) with the
      subjects in sitting position. In addition, it was found that there is
      considerable cross talk between the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles when EMGs
      are recorded by surface electrodes. 2. The soleus EMG response to stretch began
      with a "phasic" response (latency 41 +/- 4 ms, mean +/- SD), consisting of two
      peaks, labeled M1 and M2. The phasic response ended 120-140 ms after stretch
      onset and was followed by a period of reduced EMG activity, ending at 170-210 ms.
      After this "silent period," a smaller "tonic" response was seen. The phasic
      responses of the soleus muscle were much larger than the corresponding responses
      in the anterior tibial muscle. In contrast, the tonic responses were comparable
      in the soleus and anterior tibial muscles. 3. The amplitudes of the phasic M1 and
      M2 responses were independent of the level of the background contraction. This
      disagrees with the "automatic gain principle," according to which the amplitudes
      of M1 and M2 should increase proportionally with the background EMG. In contrast
      to the phasic responses, the amplitude of the tonic EMG response, measured 200
      400 ms after stretch onset, followed the automatic gain principle.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875250
TI  - The raccoon lateral cervical nucleus: a single-unit analysis.
AB  - 1. Properties of 90 lateral cervical nucleus (LCN) neurons responsive to light
      tactile stimulation of ipsilateral body surfaces were examined in pentobarbital
      sodium-anesthetized raccoons. Peripheral receptive fields (RFs) of 60 of these
      lay totally or partially on glabrous skin of the forepaw. There were 71 neurons
      antidromically activated from the contralateral thalamic ventro-basal complex
      (VB) or medial lemniscus. Results were compared with previous findings in the
      raccoon spinocervical tract (SCT) and the dorsal column-medial lemniscal system
      (DC-MLS). 2. RFs located on glabrous skin of the digits were significantly
      smaller than those located on glabrous skin of the palm. All RFs, whether on
      glabrous skin of the forepaw or elsewhere, tended to be larger than those of
      either SCT or DC-MLS neurons. LCN units with glabrous forepaw RFs tended to be
      located ventrally within the nucleus. 3. Of those LCN neurons for which the RFs
      lay totally or partially on glabrous skin of the forepaw, relative numbers that
      were rapidly adapting (RA; 77%) versus slowly adapting (SA; 23%) were comparable
      with those found in the SCT and in VB. Relative numbers of LCN neurons that were
      classed as light touch (87%) versus multireceptive (13%) were comparable with
      those found in the SCT. 4. In contrast to both the SCT and VB, but in common with
      the prethalamic DC-MLS, indentation velocity coding functions of both RA and SA
      units fell within homogeneous groupings, power function exponents for RA units
      tending to be steeper than those for SA units (range of b = 0.710 - 0.919 vs.
      0.448 - 0.883). 5. It is concluded that the raccoon spinocervicothalamic system
      (SCTS) as a whole lacks the "modality and place specificity" associated with the
      DC-MLS. Although the SCTS probably makes significant contributions to properties
      of VB neurons, these properties primarily reflect those of neurons of the DC-MLS.

PMID- 1875251
TI  - Saccadic burst neurons in the oculomotor region of the fastigial nucleus of
      macaque monkeys.
AB  - 1. The discharge of 255 neurons in the fastigial nuclei of three trained macaque
      monkeys was investigated during visually guided saccades. Responses of these
      neurons were examined also during horizontal head rotation and during
      microstimulation of the oculomotor vermis (lobules VIc and VII). 2. One hundred
      and two units were characterized by bursts of firing in response to visually
      guided saccades. Ninety-eight of these (96.1%) were located within the anatomic
      confines of the fastigial oculomotor region (FOR), on the basis of reconstruction
      of recording sites. During contralateral saccades, these neurons showed bursts
      that preceded the onset of saccades (presaccadic burst), whereas, during
      ipsilateral saccades, they showed bursts associated with the end of saccades
      (late saccadic burst). They were hence named saccadic burst neurons. Sixty-one
      saccadic burst neurons (62.2%) were inhibited during microstimulation of the
      oculomotor vermis with currents less than 10 microA. 3. All saccadic burst
      neurons were spontaneously active, and the resting firing rate varied
      considerably among units, ranging from 10 to 50 imp/s. The tonic levels of
      activity did not correlate significantly with eye position. 4. The presaccadic
      burst started 18.5 +/- 4.7 (SD) ms (n = 45) before the onset of saccades in the
      optimal direction (the direction associated with the maximum values of burst lead
      time, number of spikes per burst, and burst duration). Optimal directions covered
      the entire contralateral hemifield, although there was a slightly higher
      incidence in both horizontal and upper-oblique directions in the present sample.
      The duration of the presaccadic burst was highly correlated with the duration of
      saccade (0.85 less than or equal to r less than or equal to 0.97). 5. The late
      saccadic burst was most robust in the direction opposite to the optimal in each
      unit (the nonoptimal direction). Its onset preceded the completion of ipsilateral
      saccade by 30.4 +/- 5.9 ms. The lead time to the end of saccade was consistent
      among different units and was constant also for saccades of various sizes. Thus
      the late saccadic burst started even before the saccade onset when the saccade
      duration was less than 30 ms. Unlike the presaccadic burst, its duration was not
      related to the duration of saccade. 6. Discharge rates of saccadic burst neurons
      were correlated neither to eye positions during fixation nor to the initial eye
      positions before saccades. 7. Eye-position units and horizontal head-velocity
      units were located rostral to the FOR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875252
TI  - Long-term potentiation of thalamic input to the motor cortex induced by
      coactivation of thalamocortical and corticocortical afferents.
AB  - 1. Intracellular recordings were obtained from neurons in the motor cortex (MCx),
      in which excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were evoked by
      microstimulation of the somatosensory cortex (SCx) and the ventrolateral nucleus
      (VL) of the thalamus. The effects of combined tetanic stimulation of SCx and VL
      on the amplitudes of these EPSPs were studied. 2. Amplitudes of both
      corticocortical (CC) and thalamocortical (TC) EPSPs were potentiated after
      combined tetanic stimulation. This potentiation occurred exclusively in neurons
      that were located in the superficial layers (II/III) and that received direct
      input from both the SCx and VL, with both inputs synapsing in close proximity to
      each other. In all cases, the potentiation lasted until the electrode went out of
      the cell (21 +/- 25 min, mean +/- SD) the longest being 90 min. We therefore
      refer to this potentiation as long-term potentiation (LTP). 3. Tetanic
      stimulation of the thalamus only did not produce LTP in neurons receiving direct
      input from the VL. 4. LTP was not induced in either CC or TC EPSPs in neurons
      located in layer V and/or in neurons receiving long-latency CC EPSPs. 5. It is
      concluded that TC input from the VL to the MCx is potentiated only when
      coactivated with the CC input from the SCx.

PMID- 1875253
TI  - Recruitment of crab gastric mill neurons into the pyloric motor pattern by
      mechanosensory afferent stimulation.
AB  - 1. The gastropyloric receptor (GPR) cells are stretch-sensitive muscle receptors
      in the crab stomatogastric nervous system that use both 5-hydroxytryptamine
      (serotonin) and acetylcholine as cotransmitters. Brief stimulation of these
      afferent neurons causes two gastric mill neurons to be recruited into the pyloric
      motor pattern. 2. The GPR cells evoke complex synaptic potentials in the lateral
      gastric (LG) and medial gastric (MG) motor neurons, two component neurons of the
      gastric mill central pattern generator. When the gastric mill is quiescent (as
      often happens in vivo), GPR stimulation transiently inhibits LG and MG. After
      this transient inhibition, these cells undergo a prolonged excitation during
      which they fire bursts of action potentials at a constant phase relation to the
      pyloric motor pattern. 3. To determine the causes for this effect, we examined
      the effects of GPR stimulation on these two cells and on the inferior cardiac
      motor neuron, which is electrically coupled to them. When GPR is stimulated, all
      three cells receive rapid biphasic synaptic potentials that are blocked by
      nicotinic antagonists, followed by a slow, prolonged depolarizing potential. 4.
      The slow, prolonged depolarizing potential is not blocked by nicotinic or
      muscarinic cholinergic antagonists but is mimicked and occluded by exogenously
      applied serotonin. 5. The prolonged excitation, mediated at least in part by
      serotonin, may be responsible for the recruitment of the gastric mill neurons
      into the pyloric motor pattern. Thus sensory input can directly exert prolonged
      modulatory effects that change the functional cellular composition of pattern
      generating circuits.

PMID- 1875254
TI  - Taste-responsive neurons of the glossopharyngeal nerve of the rat.
AB  - 1. Taste sensibilities of neurons in mammalian glossopharyngeal nerves have been
      inadequately studied, although they innervate the majority of taste buds and may
      provide unique taste information. 2. Extracellular responses of glossopharyngeal
      neural units to taste stimuli infused into foliate or vallate papillae were
      recorded in anesthetized rats. A 0.3-ml/min infusion of stimuli into papillae
      resulted in short-latency, 5-s nerve-impulse rates that approached 10 times the
      response rates observed using less invasive means of stimulation. 3. Sucrose, Na
      saccharin, NaCl, NH4Cl, KCl, HCl, citric acid, acetic acid, MgSO4, and
      quinine.HCl were effective stimuli for glossopharyngeal neurons at concentrations
      that have behavioral significance. 4. Response spectra for individual neural
      units with either foliate or vallate receptive fields fell into three clusters.
      Forty-six percent were A units that responded most strongly to acids and chloride
      salts, NH4Cl being the most effective; neither quinine nor sucrose was effective.
      Twenty-three percent were S units that responded to sugars and saccharin;
      quinine, salts, and acids were not effective. Thirty-one percent were Q units
      that responded to quinine; neither NaCl, HCl, nor sucrose was effective stimulus
      for these fragile units. 5. Glossopharyngeal A neural units were more sensitive
      to 1 mM HCl than were electrolyte-sensitive H units of the chorda tympani,
      although both respond generally to salts and acids. Units relatively specific for
      sodium salts (N units), which are common in the chorda tympani nerve, were not
      found in the glossopharyngeal nerve, which explains losses in sodium-specific
      behavior after cutting only the chorda tympani nerve. 6. Q units were the only
      glossopharyngeal neural units that responded significantly to quinine, and units
      with similar response spectra do not occur in the chorda tympani nerve. Q units
      probably mediate aversive reflexes to quinine that are eliminated by cutting only
      the glossopharyngeal nerve. Glossopharyngeal S neural units were more sensitive
      to sucrose and are more common than their counterparts in the chorda tympani,
      although it is not known how they might compare with sugar-sensitive units in the
      greater superficial petrosal nerve. 7. These data strongly suggest that posterior
      taste bud fields innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve are specialized for
      functions different from those of anterior taste bud fields innervated by the
      facial nerve.

PMID- 1875255
TI  - Neuronal activity related to saccadic eye movements in the monkey's dorsolateral
      prefrontal cortex.
AB  - 1. Single-neuron activity was recorded from the prefrontal cortex of monkeys
      performing saccadic eye movements in oculomotor delayed-response (ODR) and
      visually guided saccade (VGS) tasks. In the ODR task the monkey was required to
      maintain fixation of a central spot throughout the 0.5-s cue and 3.0-s delay
      before making a saccadic eye movement in the dark to one of four or eight
      locations where the visual cue had been presented. The same locations were used
      for targets in the VGS tasks; however, unlike the ODR task, saccades in the VGS
      tasks were visually guided. 2. Among 434 neurons recorded from prefrontal cortex
      within and surrounding the principal sulcus (PS), 147 changed their discharge
      rates in relation to saccadic eye movements in the ODR task. Their response
      latencies relative to saccade initiation were distributed between -192 and 460
      ms, with 22% exhibiting presaccadic activity and 78% exhibiting only postsaccadic
      activity. Among PS neurons with presaccadic activity, 53% also had postsaccadic
      activity when the monkey made saccadic eye movements opposite to the directions
      for which the presaccadic activity was observed. 3. Almost all (97%) PS neurons
      with presaccadic activity were directionally selective. The best direction and
      tuning specificity of each neuron were estimated from parameters used to fit a
      Gaussian tuning curve function. The best direction for 62% of the neurons with
      presaccadic activity was toward the contralateral visual field, with the
      remaining neurons having best directions toward the ipsilateral field (23%) or
      along the vertical meridian (15%). 4. Most postsaccadic activity of PS neurons
      (92%) was also directionally selective. The best direction for 48% of these
      neurons was toward the contralateral visual field, with the remaining neurons
      having best directions toward the ipsilateral field (36%) or along the vertical
      meridian (16%). Eighteen percent of the neurons with postsaccadic activity showed
      a reciprocal response pattern: excitatory responses occurred for one set of
      saccade directions, whereas inhibitory responses occurred for roughly the
      opposite set of directions. 5. Sixty PS neurons with saccade-related activity in
      the ODR task were also examined in a VGS task. Forty of these neurons showed
      highly similar profiles of directional specificity and response magnitude in both
      tasks, 13 showed saccade-related activity only in the ODR task, and 7 changed
      their response characteristics between the ODR and VGS tasks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875256
TI  - Trochlear unit activity during ocular convergence.
AB  - 1. Ocular convergence is usually accompanied by excyclotorsion of the eyes.
      Furthermore, the magnitude of cyclotorsion is dependent on the elevation of the
      eyes. The reason for this excyclotorsion during convergence is not understood. 2.
      Excyclotorsion could be produced by either increased activity in the inferior
      oblique muscle or decreased activity in the superior oblique muscle. An earlier
      study indicated that convergence may also be accompanied by a temporal (lateral)
      translation of the eye. This observation is more consistent with a relaxation of
      the superior oblique than contraction of the inferior oblique. 3. This hypothesis
      was tested by recording the activity of 31 neurons in the trochlear nucleus,
      which contains the superior oblique motoneurons. This was done in alert monkeys
      that were trained to make both versional and vergence eye movements. In addition,
      the cyclotorsion associated with convergence was measured in one of these
      monkeys. 4. A consistent excyclotorsion associated with convergence was observed.
      Trochlear unit activity decreased during convergence in all cells tested. The
      magnitude of this decrease was significantly greater than that seen with
      conjugate adduction. Furthermore, the size of the decrease varied systematically
      with ocular elevation in a manner that was consistent with earlier measures of
      cyclotorsion during convergence. 5. These results suggest that the excyclotorsion
      seen during convergence, and perhaps the lateral translation of the eye, are due
      to a relaxation of the superior oblique muscle. This relaxation during
      convergence is greater than that which accompanies similar conjugate movements of
      the eyes. We hypothesize that this peculiar pattern of muscle innervation has a
      motor rather than sensory function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875257
TI  - Behavior of upper cervical inspiratory propriospinal neurons during fictive
      vomiting.
AB  - 1. The role of upper cervical inspiratory (UCI)-modulated neurons in respiratory
      muscle control during vomiting was examined by recording the impulse activity of
      these neurons during fictive vomiting in decerebrate, paralyzed cats. Fictive
      vomiting was identified by a characteristic series of bursts of coactivation of
      phrenic and abdominal muscle nerves, elicited either by electrical stimulation of
      supradiaphragmatic vagal nerve afferents or by emetic drugs, which would be
      expected to produce expulsion of gastric contents in nonparalyzed animals. 2.
      Data were recorded from 43 propriospinal UCI neurons, located in the C1-C3 spinal
      segments near the border of the intermediate gray matter and lateral funiculus,
      which were antidromically activated with floating pin electrodes placed in the
      ipsilateral lateral funiculus, usually at T1-T3. Some cells (9/21 tested) were
      also activated from the upper lumbar cord (L1). During respiration, most neurons
      (n = 40) had an augmenting discharge pattern during inspiration. In addition,
      more than one-half (55%) fired tonically during the remainder of the respiratory
      cycle. About 40% of UCI neurons showed variations in their firing pattern during
      the noninspiratory portion of respiration. These latter two properties of UCI
      neurons were not observed in dorsal and ventral respiratory group (DRG and VRG-,
      respectively) bulbospinal inspiratory (I) neurons previously recorded under
      similar conditions. 3. During fictive vomiting, the firing pattern of most UCI
      neurons fell into one of three main categories. More than one-half (53%) were
      active in phase with bursts of phrenic discharge and were thus classified as
      Active-type cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875258
TI  - Attempts to physiologically classify human thenar motor units.
AB  - 1. This study was designed to determine whether human thenar motor units can be
      classified into types by the same physiological criteria used for other mammalian
      limb motor units and to consider whether such classification is functionally
      relevant. 2. Contractile responses of 25 human thenar single motor units were
      examined when their motor axons were stimulated intraneurally at rates from 1 to
      100 Hz and intermittently at 40 Hz in a conventional 2-min fatigue test. Twitch
      and tetanic forces were measured together with various indexes of contractile
      rate. 3. Twitch contraction times and subtetanic to maximum tetanic force ratios
      were both distributed continuously. "Sag" in tension was not evident in unfused
      force profiles. Thus these units could not be divided into fast and slow types by
      the use of traditional contractile rate criteria. 4. Most units were fatigue
      resistant, with force fatigue indexes (FI) ranging from 0.33 to 1.14. None could
      be classified as fatiguable (FI less than 0.25). Seven units (28%) fell into the
      fatigue-intermediate (FI = 0.25-0.75) category, whereas 18 units (72%) had FI
      greater than 0.75, i.e., they were fatigue-resistant units. However, these units
      could not be classified by conventional FI and contractile rate criteria, because
      fatigue-resistant and fatigue-intermediate units had similar contractile rates.
      5. Additional FI were calculated to describe changes in contractile rate. During
      the fatigue test, units behaved in one of three ways, showing 1) little change in
      either force or rate; 2) contractile slowing during the contraction and
      relaxation phases, with little or no force loss; or 3) both force and rate
      reduction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875259
TI  - Force-frequency relationships of human thenar motor units.
AB  - 1. Force-frequency relationships were examined in 30 human thenar single motor
      units. The technique of intraneural stimulation was used to stimulate the motor
      axon in the median nerve proximal to the elbow with a tungsten microelectrode. 2.
      The stimulation consisted of either single shocks or trains of pulses (1 or 2 s
      duration) at constant rates varying between 5 and 100 Hz. To control various
      mechanical artifacts, the stimuli were delivered after electronically resetting
      the force baseline, and the stimuli were phased to the pulse pressure wave. Thumb
      flexion and abduction force components were recorded and the magnitude and
      direction of the resultant force calculated. Electromyographic responses (EMG)
      were recorded from both the proximal and distal thenar muscle surfaces. 3. For
      all units, twitch force began to fuse between 5 and 8 Hz and maximum tetanic
      force was achieved between 30 and 100 Hz. Half-maximum tetanic force was produced
      at 12 +/- 4 (SD) Hz, as assessed by interpolation using the nearly linear force
      frequency relationship between 8 and 30 Hz (on logarithmic frequency
      coordinates). 4. For the majority of units (n = 19), the strongest force changes
      in response to variations in stimulation frequency occurred between 5 and 10 Hz
      (sensitivity 6 +/- 1 mN/Hz). Fewer units showed highest force-frequency
      sensitivity between 8 and 15 Hz (n = 7; 4 +/- 3 mN/Hz) or 10 and 20 Hz (n = 4; 5
      +/- 2 mN/Hz).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875260
TI  - Morphology and axonal projection patterns of individual neurons in the cat
      perigeniculate nucleus.
AB  - 1. The lateral geniculate nucleus is the primary thalamic relay through which
      retinal signals pass en route to cortex. This relay is gated and can be
      suppressed by activity among local inhibitory neurons that use gamma-aminobutyric
      acid (GABA) as a neurotransmitter. In the cat, a major source of this GABAergic
      inhibition seems to arise from cells of the perigeniculate nucleus, which lies
      just dorsal to the A-laminae of the lateral geniculate nucleus. However, the
      morphological characteristics of perigeniculate cells, and particularly the
      projection patterns of their axons, have never been fully characterized. We thus
      examined the morphology of these cells: individually by intracellular injection
      of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and en masse with the anterograde tracer
      Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL). 2. We recorded from 12 perigeniculate
      cells that we impaled and successfully labeled with HRP. These cells exhibited
      response properties generally consistent with those described previously. They
      had long response latencies to stimulation of the optic chiasm and relatively
      large, often diffuse, receptive fields. The visually evoked responses of most of
      the cells were dominated by one eye. Compared with cells of the lateral
      geniculate nucleus, perigeniculate cells had large somata (517 +/- 136 microns 2
      in cross-sectional area, mean +/- SD), which were fusiform or multipolar in
      shape, and dendritic arbors that extended a considerable distance (1,095 +/- 167
      microns) parallel to the border between the perigeniculate and lateral geniculate
      nuclei. Terminal arbors of some dendrites were quite complex and beaded. 3. The
      axons of six perigeniculate cells were labeled sufficiently well to trace and
      reconstruct over a considerable distance. Each of these axons formed branches
      that descended to innervate the lateral geniculate nucleus, and this geniculate
      innervation was exclusively limited to the A-laminae. Terminal boutons within the
      A-laminae were nearly all en passant, which gave the axons a beaded appearance.
      Furthermore, branches of five of these six axons provided local innervation of
      the perigeniculate nucleus, generally within each labeled cell's own dendritic
      arbor. Three of the cells also exhibited an axon branch that extended medially
      and caudally away from the soma, but we were unable to trace these axon branches
      to their targets. 4. Within the lateral geniculate nucleus, each arbor of
      perigeniculate axons derived from two main components. One was a narrow, sparse
      medial component that innervated laminae A and A1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1875261
TI  - Behavioral deficits induced by local injection of bicuculline and muscimol into
      the primate motor and premotor cortex.
AB  - 1. The role of intracortical GABAergic inhibition in the performance of hand
      movements was studied in macaque monkeys while they performed two behavioral
      tasks: a raisin pick-up test and a visual reaction-time task. A gamma
      aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist, muscimol (MUS; 1-5 microgram), and an
      antagonist, bicuculline methiodide (BMI, 1-10 micrograms), were injected at
      various sites in the precentral motor cortex (MC), at which single-unit activity
      was related to the manual aspects of the performance of the reaction-time task.
      2. Manual dexterity in the raisin pick-up task was severely disturbed by
      injections of either MUS or BMI into the hand MC. The effect was less severe
      after injections into the postarcuate premotor cortex (PM). 3. Performance of the
      reaction-time task was unstable after injection of BMI. The instability was
      caused by increased electromyogram (EMG) activity and by cocontractions of
      agonistic and antagonistic muscles of the arm during the pressing or release of
      the lever. 4. Reaction time was increased by injection of MUS, although the
      effect was temporary and decayed within 60 min. These deficits were consistent
      with the time course of the decrease in the total amount of EMG activity of hand
      muscles related to the task. As in the case of the raisin pick-up task,
      performance deficits were greater when MUS and BMI were injected into the hand MC
      and smaller when they were injected into the PM. 5. After injection of BMI, the
      animals gradually began to display muscle activity in response to a green warning
      signal that did not require a behavioral response. The muscle activity
      accelerated to spontaneous muscle twitches without any external stimulus, and the
      animals were unable to continue the task. These BMI-induced twitches were
      eliminated by injection of barbiturate. 6. Appropriate levels of GABAergic
      inhibition in the MC appear, therefore, to be important for the regulation of
      spatiotemporally organized ensembles of muscle activity, in particular for
      reciprocal contraction at the task-related joints.

PMID- 1875262
TI  - Intracellular study of electrophysiological features of primate spinothalamic
      tract neurons and their responses to afferent inputs.
AB  - 1. Intracellular recordings were made from 43 spinothalamic (STT) neurons in the
      lumbosacral region of the spinal cord in anesthetized macaque monkeys. The
      antidromic responses of these neurons to electrical stimulation of the ventral
      posterior lateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus were examined, and orthodromic
      responses to electrical stimulation of the sural nerve or to mechanical
      stimulation of hindlimb skin were recorded to study the electrophysiological
      features of these neurons and their responses to afferent inputs. 2. The resting
      membrane potential of the neurons ranged from -26 to -70 mV and the antidromic
      latency from 2.3 to 9.1 ms. Three of the neurons were located in lamina 1 and
      were recorded so briefly that only antidromic and spontaneous activity could be
      studied. The rest of the neurons were located in laminae III-V and were of the
      wide-dynamic-range (WDR) type. 3. The antidromic action potentials recorded in
      the somas of STT neurons typically showed a fast rising phase and a short initial
      segment-somadendritic (IS-SD) delay. After repetitive antidromic stimulation, a
      progressive elongation of the IS-SD delay, widening of the spike, and failure of
      the SD spike were observed. 4. The afterpotential of the antidromic action
      potential consisted of a fast afterhyperpolarization (AHPf) and sometimes a
      delayed depolarization (DD) and a slow afterhyperpolarization (AHPs). The
      amplitude and the duration of the AHPs were progressively increased when longer
      trains of stimuli were used. When the membrane potential was hyperpolarized, the
      amplitude of the AHPs decreased, suggesting an involvement of K+ and/or Cl- ions.
      However, the AHPs completely disappeared when the strength of stimulation was
      adjusted to a level just below the threshold for the axon, suggesting that it was
      unlikely that recurrent inhibition contributed to the AHPs. 5. The background
      activity of 32 STT neurons was analyzed. The membrane potential at which spikes
      were triggered in these neurons was around -42 mV. The width and the rise time of
      the spontaneous spikes were shorter than those of antidromic action potentials,
      although the maximum rate of rise was similar. The heights of the spontaneous
      spikes were slightly shorter than those of antidromic action potentials. 6. Three
      types of background activity have been observed. One type had a very low average
      spontaneous rate with a bursting firing pattern, consisting of a few spikes
      superimposed on a depolarization. This type of activity was seen mostly in lamina
      I neurons. The second type of activity had a moderate to high spontaneous rate
      with a fairly constant interval between spikes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875263
TI  - Two forms of inhibition of spinothalamic tract neurons produced by stimulation of
      the periaqueductal gray and the cerebral cortex.
AB  - 1. Recordings were made from the lumbosacral spinal cord in anesthetized macaque
      monkeys. The inhibitory effects of electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal
      gray (PAG) and the cerebral cortex or cerebral peduncle (CP) were tested and
      compared by recording 1) cord dorsum potentials evoked by stimulation of the
      sural nerve, 2) discharges recorded extracellularly, and 3) membrane potentials
      recorded intracellularly from spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons at rest
      (background activity) or in response to stimulation of the sural nerve. 2.
      Stimulation of the cortex or in the CP preferentially reduced the amplitude of
      the N1 and N2 waves of the cord dorsum potential evoked by stimulation of the
      sural nerve, without affecting the N3 wave. Stimulation of the PAG, on the other
      hand, reduced the amplitude of the N3 wave with little effect on the N1 and N2
      waves. 3. The activity of 62 STT neurons was recorded extracellularly.
      Stimulation of the PAG or the cortex/CP inhibited nonpreferentially the responses
      of the neurons in the superficial laminae to all afferent inputs. On the other
      hand, stimulation of the PAG or the cortex/CP inhibited preferentially the
      responses of most STT neurons in deep layers of the dorsal horn to the small or
      large afferent input, respectively. 4. Thirty-five neurons were recorded
      intracellularly. The membrane potential of the neurons averaged -45.5 +/- 10.1
      (SD) mV. All neurons were recorded in laminae III-VI; the neurons were of the
      wide-dynamic-range (WDR) type and had background activity. 5. The inhibitory
      effects of stimulation of the PAG were tested on all 35 neurons. In 32 of the
      neurons, stimulation of the PAG evoked a hyperpolarization. The background
      activity of the neurons was reduced (generally it completely ceased) by the
      hyperpolarization. In three neurons stimulation of the PAG did not evoke a
      hyperpolarization and the background activity of the neurons did not change.
      Nevertheless, the responses of these three neurons to afferent input were
      inhibited by stimulation in the PAG. 6. The inhibitory effects of stimulating the
      cortex and/or the CP were tested in 26 of the 35 neurons. Stimulation of the
      cortex and/or the CP evoked a hyperpolarization in all the neurons, although, in
      10 of the 26 neurons, stimulation of the CP also evoked a depolarization. The
      hyperpolarization generally blocked the background activity of the neurons. 7.
      The effective stimuli in the PAG and the cortex/CP to evoke a hyperpolarization
      in STT neurons were short, high-frequency trains of pulses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875264
TI  - Dependence of discharge rate on sound pressure level in cochlear nerve fibers of
      the alligator lizard: implications for cochlear mechanisms.
AB  - 1. Rate-level functions for individual cochlear nerve fibers of the alligator
      lizard, Gerrhonotus multicarinatus, were generated by measuring a fiber's driven
      discharge rate (the difference between the average discharge rates in the
      presence and absence of a tone burst) as a function of sound pressure level. 2.
      When plotted in double logarithmic coordinates, the rate-level function
      approaches a straight line at low sound pressure levels and saturates at high
      levels. Thus the rate-level function is a saturating power function of sound
      pressure. We developed an algorithm to estimate the exponent of the straight-line
      portion of the function. When tested on simulated data with known parameters, the
      algorithm provided unbiased estimates of the exponent. 3. Nerve fibers
      innervating two distinct regions of the alligator lizard's auditory organ, the
      free-standing region and the tectorial region, have differing rate-level
      functions. 4. The mean exponent estimate of the rate-level functions of fibers
      innervating the free-standing region is approximately 2 at all frequencies. For
      stimulus frequencies at the characteristic frequency (CF), the mean value was 2.1
      +/- 0.10 (SE, n = 131). For stimulus frequencies above and below CF, the mean
      exponent estimates were 2.1 +/- 0.13 (n = 49) and 2.1 +/- 0.11 (n = 34),
      respectively. A value of 2 is expected for a broad class of nonlinear systems. 5.
      The mean exponent estimates of the rate-level functions of fibers innervating the
      tectorial region were 3.0 +/- 0.30 (n = 32) for stimulus frequencies at CF, 2.5
      +/- 0.33 (n = 3) for stimulus frequencies below CF, and 1.0 +/- 0.21 (n = 16) for
      stimulus frequencies above CF. Both the deviation from square-law behavior at CF
      and the frequency dependence of the exponent imply that nonlinear processing in
      the tectorial region differs intrinsically from that in the free-standing region.
      6. For free-standing fibers, the saturation rate of the rate-level function (the
      maximum driven rate) is independent of stimulus frequency. This suggests that, in
      the free-standing region, 1) the alternating (AC) component of the receptor
      potential makes no significant contribution to the average rate of discharge and
      2) neural saturation results from a process that occurs after the narrow-band
      frequency-selective process(es). 7. In tectorial fibers, the saturation rate is a
      bandpass function of sound frequency, with a broad peak between 150 and 300 Hz.
      This function appears to be common to all tectorial fibers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875265
TI  - Changes in central delay of soleus H reflex after facilitatory or inhibitory
      conditioning in humans.
AB  - 1. Central delay (CD) changes after facilitatory or inhibitory conditioning of
      the soleus H reflex have been investigated in a group of normal subjects as a
      function of the conditioning and test stimulus intensities and also as a function
      of the Hmax/Mmax ratio. Both facilitation and inhibition of the reflex response
      have been obtained by conditioning stimulation of the ipsilateral tibial nerve at
      suitable conditioning-test stimulus intervals. CD changes have been extrapolated
      from the variations of the time interval between afferent and efferent neural
      volleys underlying the H reflex, directly recorded from the sciatic nerve. 2. The
      CD was significantly decreased by facilitatory and increased by inhibitory
      conditioning. Facilitatory CD changes were positively related to test stimulus
      strength (at a given conditioning stimulus intensity) and negatively related to
      conditioning stimulus strength (at a given test stimulus intensity). Both trends
      were reversed after inhibitory conditioning. The effectiveness of facilitatory
      conditioning was positively related to the individual Hmax/Mmax ratio whereas a
      negative relationship could be observed after inhibitory conditioning. 3. Also,
      the "conditioning threshold" (the minimal conditioning stimulus strength
      affecting the reflex size) and the "maximal conditioning effect" (the
      conditioning stimulus intensities leading to either the saturation of the
      facilitatory effect or the suppression of the reflex response) were significantly
      related to the Hmax/Mmax ratio. 4. We suggest that temporal changes in the H
      reflex pathway after facilitatory or inhibitory conditioning stimuli depend both
      on the size of the motoneuronal pool underlying the reflex response, as
      determined by the test stimulus intensity, and on the individual excitability of
      the motoneuronal pool, as defined by the Hmax/Mmax ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875266
TI  - Preceptor teaching strategies: behaviors that facilitate role transition in
      senior nursing students.
AB  - This article describes the learning outcomes of students who participated in a
      senior preceptorship course. Data from student logs and course evaluations forms
      were analyzed descriptively to identify the specific instructional strategies of
      preceptors that were instrumental in teaching students the roles and functions of
      the staff nurse. Role modeling was one of the most effective strategies and also
      the one regarded by preceptors as least significant.

PMID- 1875267
TI  - Stages in the development of a needs assessment questionnaire.
AB  - This article describes the stages in the development of a questionnaire for use
      in a large-scale needs assessment study as the basis for a staff development
      program. While a considerable literature exists on questionnaire design in
      general, we emphasize the need for a conceptual framework behind the
      questionnaire, proceeding from analysis of the objectives of the needs assessment
      and guiding both the construction of variables and the reduction and analysis of
      the questionnaire's data.

PMID- 1875268
TI  - Relocation. An educational challenge.
AB  - Moving! The word evokes thoughts of chaos, disorder, and stress. In this article,
      the authors describe their experience in designing and providing educational
      programs to facilitate the relocation of an entire hospital to a new facility in
      a large metropolitan area.

PMID- 1875269
TI  - The 1990s. A new education-service dichotomy.
AB  - In the past, the notion of the "education-service dichotomy" concerned the
      divergent priorities of academia and the clinical care delivery setting.
      Collaboration has resulted in a great deal of reconciliation between the
      differing emphases of these two orientations. Recently, a new and possibly more
      problematic dichotomy of the 1990s presents itself WITHIN the practice setting.
      This article describes trends that may adversely affect the educational and
      administrative dynamics internal to the clinical practice setting, suggests
      changes that must be undertaken in order to bring goals into closer alignment,
      and gives specific strategies used in one medical center nursing service that
      have successfully averted a "new dichotomy scenario".

PMID- 1875270
TI  - A staff development workshop on cultural diversity.
AB  - In a multicultural society, nurses work with clients from diverse cultural
      groups. The beliefs, values, and customs of these groups greatly influence the
      client's response to health care. Nurses need to understand the culture of the
      client in order to provide competent care. This article describes a process for
      developing a cultural diversity workshop that allows nurses to develop skills in
      dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. Guidelines for identifying
      workshop content, educational group leaders, and suggestions for workshop
      evaluation are included.

PMID- 1875271
TI  - The job aid: a user-friendly, cost-effective tool.

PMID- 1875273
TI  - A program on the immune system for health care workers.

PMID- 1875272
TI  - The nursing process applied to staff development.

PMID- 1875274
TI  - Getting started.
AB  - Taking the time to address both the internal and external evaluation components
      for every offering is without a doubt very time consuming. However, with today's
      focus on quality and cost effectiveness, staff development educators must take
      the necessary time. Further, the data can often be used to justify continuing
      programs that administration may want to cut, especially when the external
      evaluation indicates a significant change in on-the-job performance.

PMID- 1875275
TI  - Treatment of spider bites by high voltage direct current.
AB  - Between September 7, 1988, and January 15, 1991, 147 cases of confirmed (19) and
      suspected spider bites have been treated by high voltage direct current (HVDC)
      shocks. Venom damage to tissue was arrested at the time of treatment. Pain and
      systemic symptoms usually improved within 15 minutes. Lesion excision or grafts
      have not been necessary in any of the 127 cases with completed followup.

PMID- 1875276
TI  - Geriatric abdominal surgery under local anesthetic: a case report.
AB  - Abdominal surgery in a fragile elderly patient is often a dilemma, especially in
      the rural hospital setting where complex anesthesiology services are not
      available. We have done thyroidectomies and umbilical and inguinal hernias under
      local anesthesia, and report the following case where the technique was extended
      to a critically ill geriatric patient with a strangulated hernia.

PMID- 1875277
TI  - A department comes of age.

PMID- 1875278
TI  - [Study of components in crude drugs by head space gas chromatography. I.
      Components of Asiasari radix].
AB  - Determinations of volatile components of essential oil contained in Asiasari
      Radix were studied by head space gas chromatography. The head space gas, which
      was generated by heating 0.2 g of crude drug with 1.0 ml of water at 90 degrees C
      for 45 min, was analyzed directly by gas chromatography or gas chromatography
      mass spectrometry. This method was rapid, and did not require tedious procedures
      and time consuming, and without contamination of the column.

PMID- 1875279
TI  - [Studies on early changes in myocardial electrolytes and histological reaction in
      isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury].
AB  - To determine morphological changes in the very early stage of damage and recovery
      of myocardial fibers in relation to electrolytes and water content in the
      myocardium, experimental myocardial infarcts were produced after injection of 75
      mg/kg isoproterenol (Isp) to rats weighing 270 +/- 10 g. Electrolytes were
      examined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and histologic examination
      was performed by light and electron microscopy. At 30 min after Isp injection, Ca
      and water contents of myocardium increased, but Mg decreased. These myocardial
      damages showed a maximum level from 6 to 12 h after injection of Isp. It
      consisted of reversible injury of muscle fibers represented by eosinophilic and
      fatty degeneration, intermingled with coagulation necrosis of fibers which was
      irreversible. Most of these eosinophilic degeneration fibers recovered to normal
      fibers between 12 h and 3 d after the injection. The chronological changes of Ca,
      Mg, and water contents were well correlated to the morphological early changes of
      myocardial fibers, and this experimental model by using Isp may be useful for
      examining the recovery of damaged myocardial tissue and estimating the effects of
      therapeutics.

PMID- 1875280
TI  - [Pharmacological studies on leaf of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. III.
      Combined effect of arbutin and indomethacin on immuno-inflammation].
AB  - A study was carried out to examine the combined effect of arbutin isolated from
      the leaves of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. (Bearberry leaf) and
      indomethacin on Type IV allergic reaction-induced immuno-inflammation,
      carrageenin-induced edema and adjuvant-induced arthritis. Contact dermatitis
      caused by picryl chloride (PC-CD) and sheep red cell delayed type
      hypersensitivity (SRBC-DTH) was not inhibited by the oral application of arbutin
      at 2 divided doses immediately before and 16 h after the application, but arbutin
      at dose of 50 mg/kg 24 h after the application rapidly decreased the swelling of
      PC-CD. Arbutin (p.o.) plus indomethacin (s.c.) showed inhibitory effect on the
      swelling of PC-CD and SRBC-DTH stronger than that of indomethacin alone. When
      arbutin (p.o.) and indomethacin (s.c.) in a given portion were simultaneously
      administered, the inhibitory effect was more potent than that of indomethacin
      alone in both carrageenin-induced edema and adjuvant-induced arthritis. These
      results suggest that arbutin may increase the inhibitory action of indomethacin
      on PC-CD, SRBC-DTH, carrageenin-induced edema and adjuvant-induced arthritis, but
      further investigations are required to understand the mechanism involved.

PMID- 1875281
TI  - The kinetics of flurbiprofen in synovial fluid.
AB  - Steady state plasma and synovial fluid flurbiprofen concentrations obtained from
      26 rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving 100 mg of flurbiprofen b.i.d. were
      analyzed using the NONMEM program. Only one synovial fluid sample per patient was
      available. Population estimates for the plasma parameters, clearance, volume of
      distribution, and elimination half-life were 1.75 L hr-1, 11.9 L, and 4.8 hr,
      respectively, and the corresponding interindividual variances in these parameters
      were 29, 19 and 23%, respectively. The apparent elimination half-life from
      synovial fluid was 7.1 hr. After accounting for interindividual variability there
      was a residual variability of approximately 40% in both the plasma and synovial
      fluid concentrations.

PMID- 1875282
TI  - Theoretical model for both saturable rate and extent of absorption: simulations
      of cefatrizine data.
AB  - A pharmacokinetic model incorporating saturable rate of absorption of the
      Michaelis-Menten type was recently developed to fit cefatrizine (CFZ) plasma
      concentrations with time following oral administration of 500-mg capsules to
      humans. This model (MM) was statistically superior to models incorporating either
      first-order or zero-order absorption. However, the MM model does not predict the
      reduction in extent of absorption with dose observed in vivo. In this study, a
      model is proposed in which a time constraint, delta t, is added to the MM model.
      This new model (MM-delta t) is tested with data following doses of 250, 500, and
      1000 mg of CFZ. When delta t is set to 1.5 hr, the predicted relative changes
      with dose in bioavailability, F, peak plasma concentration, Cmax, the time at
      which the peak concentration occurs tmax, and the mean absorption time, MAT, are
      generally in good agreement with the experimental data. The time interval of 1.5
      hr is compatible with passage by a limited region within the small intestine
      where drug is absorbed by a facilitated transport mechanism. Influence of each
      absorption model parameter (Vmax, Km, and delta t) on total area under the
      concentration versus time curve (AUC), F, Cmax, and tmax, is assessed by
      simulation. The MM-delta t model is able to summarize the nonlinerity observed in
      both rate and extent of absorption.

PMID- 1875283
TI  - Mathematical model for in vivo pharmacodynamics integrating fluctuation of the
      response: application to the prolactin suppressant effect of the dopaminomimetic
      drug DCN 203-922.
AB  - We propose a general pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model that integrates the
      rhythmic fluctuation of hormone secretion for the description of the hormone
      lowering effect of a drug. The mathematical model takes into account the
      variation in response observed after administration of a placebo and the drug. It
      is assumed that the change with time in the physiological response during the
      placebo period results from fluctuations in the concentration of hypothetical
      endogenous molecules. The mathematical formulation for predicting the response
      after drug intake is derived assuming competitive interaction of these
      "molecules" with the active species for binding to receptors. The suggested
      "fluctuation model" was implemented in order to describe the time course of the
      prolactin (PRL) plasma level after administration of two oral doses (2.5 and 5.0
      mg) of the dopaminomimetic compound DCN 203-922 (DCN) to 9 healthy male subjects.
      Its performance was compared with that of conventional modeling approaches, in
      which the circadian changes after placebo are neglected and the hormone baseline
      is assumed to be constant. The new model provided a better description of the
      time course of PRL in most subjects. It was used for prediction of the amplitude
      and duration of the PRL suppressant effect after single and chronic
      administration of DCN at various dosage regimens as well as after changes in drug
      absorption.

PMID- 1875284
TI  - An initial slope method for model structure: independent estimation of the
      elimination rate constant of a metabolite.
AB  - A model structure-independent method for calculating the true elimination rate
      constant of a primary metabolite is presented. It does not require direct
      metabolite administration and uses data on drug and metabolite blood (plasma)
      concentrations after a bolus drug input. The method has been tested and compared
      with the moment method and the area function method using errorless and errant
      data simulated on the basis of one- and two-compartment models of the metabolite
      kinetics. In contrast to known methods the proposed method provided exact
      estimates of the elimination rate constant in the case of errorless data of both
      one- and two-compartment models. However the estimates are sensitive to random
      errors in the concentration data.

PMID- 1875285
TI  - Mean time parameters for generalized physiological flow models (semihomogeneous
      linear systems).
AB  - This note gives expressions for recirculation mean time parameters of the
      disposition kinetics of particles in a semihomogeneous stationary linear system.
      In such a system each compartment may have an arbitrary single-pass disposition
      function, rather than a known parametric (usually monoexponential) one. Such
      systems provide a generalization of physiological flow models. Given observations
      of arterial blood concentrations and tissue amounts, and making the additional
      assumptions that (i) the fraction of total blood flow exiting each tissue that
      goes to each other tissue is constant and known, and (ii) the fraction of drug
      entering each tissue that is eliminated to the outside is constant and known, the
      input to each tissue can be known, and therefore both its total blood flow and
      its single-pass disposition function can be estimated. Recirculation mean time
      parameters can be computed from these estimates. Application to real thiopental
      data is presented as an example.

PMID- 1875286
TI  - Designs for population pharmacodynamics: value of pharmacokinetic data and
      population analysis.
AB  - Analyses of simulated data from pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies
      varying with respect to the amount and timing of observations were undertaken to
      assess the value of these design choices. The simulation models assume mono- or
      biexponential drug disposition, and Emax-type pharmacodynamics. Data analysis
      uses a combined PK/PD population analysis or a hybrid, individual-PK/population
      PD analysis. Assuming that the goal of the PK/PD studies is to estimate
      population PD, performance of designs is judged by comparing the precision of
      estimates of population mean PD parameters and of their interindividual
      variability. The simulations reveal that (i) PK data, even in small number (2
      points per person from as few as 25-50% of persons) are very valuable for
      estimating population PD; (ii) designs involving more individuals, even if many
      are sparsely sampled, dominate designs calling for more complete study of fewer
      persons; (iii) the population analysis is generally superior to the hybrid
      analysis, especially when the PK model is misspecified (biexponential assumed to
      be monoexponential for analysis); (iv) varying sampling times and doses among
      subjects protects against the ill effects of model misspecification. In general,
      the results are quite encouraging about the usefulness of sparse data designs to
      estimate population dose response.

PMID- 1875287
TI  - Application of a linear recirculation model to drug targeting.
AB  - Current interest in drug targeting has inspired theoretical considerations of its
      potential and problems. Previously, drug targeting has been considered in terms
      of more or less elaborate compartmental models. The present paper shows how an
      equivalent analysis of the potential advantage of drug targeting may be derived
      with the minimum reliance on a specific model. A linear recirculation model is
      used to describe the drug concentration profile at some target site and in the
      rest of the body. Equations for the AUCs of drug and of a drug-carrier conjugate
      can then be derived. These AUCs are used to define a drug targeting index (DTI),
      a measure of drug targeting selectivity previously derived from a specific model.
      It is shown that the DTI can be defined solely in terms of extraction ratios for
      elimination of free drug, when release of drug is confined to the target site.
      The expression for DTI is shown to be equivalent to that previously derived from
      several more model-dependent approaches.

PMID- 1875288
TI  - Comparison and critique of two models for regional drug delivery.
AB  - A simple stochastic recirculatory formalism is used to compare models of regional
      drug delivery due to Hunt et al. and Boddy and Aarons. It is shown that these two
      models are equivalent when regional delivery is ideal. The latter model has the
      advantage of simplicity. However, the former model appears more useful in
      relating predictions to experimentally accessible quantities. Neither model is
      sufficiently general to cover all possible topologies of regions associated with
      drug response and toxicity. Knowledge of this topology is essential in
      determining the drug targeting index. The underlying assumptions of the models
      are discussed, and situations where these assumptions may break down are
      identified. Finally, it is noted that the analysis of regional delivery may also
      apply to metabolite and prodrug kinetics.

PMID- 1875289
TI  - Sesamoidectomy for the treatment of chronic neuropathic ulcerations.
AB  - Neuropathic ulcerations in diabetic patients are frequent causes of
      hospitalizations and morbidity. The plantar aspect of the first
      metatarsophalangeal joint is a common location for these ulcerations, because of
      the significant weightbearing forces generated through this joint and the
      presence of sensory and motor neuropathy. The authors describe 24 cases in which
      excision of the tibial sesamoid, fibular sesamoid, or both, was performed to
      resolve these lesions.

PMID- 1875290
TI  - A systematic approach for radiographically evaluating joint disease in the foot.
AB  - A methodic analysis of foot radiographs is valuable when evaluating for joint
      disease. The author presents a system that allows the interpreter to establish a
      list of expected differential diagnoses. This is especially useful when the
      arthritide does not present with its classic radiographic appearance.

PMID- 1875291
TI  - Diagnosis of a computer-simulated podiatric patient.
AB  - The authors discuss the use of computers in medicine. A patient presenting with a
      condition requiring surgery is represented by a data file in a computer program.
      The user obtains data from the file by selecting items from a menu. Data are
      presented on the screen in pop-up windows. By examining the data and making
      judgments, the user may determine the pathology and make first a provisional and
      then a definitive diagnosis.

PMID- 1875292
TI  - Tarsal coalitions. A surgical classification.
AB  - The surgical alternatives for the treatment of tarsal coalitions include
      procedures as diverse as arthroplasty and arthrodesis. Traditional
      classifications of tarsal coalitions are primarily descriptive and afford little
      information regarding preferred treatment. For this reason, the author introduces
      the Articular Classification System, which is based on the patient's osseous age,
      the articular involvement of the coalition, and the associated secondary
      arthritic changes. This classification system can be used as a framework to
      discuss recommended surgical procedures and their long-term results.

PMID- 1875293
TI  - Use of thermography for initial detection of early reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
AB  - Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is one of a complex of overlapping, sympathetically
      maintained pain syndromes which are usually initiated by a minor injury that
      resolves quickly but leaves behind a persistent pain that generalizes to much or
      all of the limb. The pathophysiology of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is reviewed
      to show that the pain is accompanied by cooling of the limb, beginning with the
      distal end and gradually progressing throughout. Thermography is shown to be an
      effective way to monitor near-surface blood flow in the limbs and to be sensitive
      to changes accompanying painful conditions. The usefulness of this technique for
      early detection of reflex sympathetic dystrophy is demonstrated and illustrated
      with several examples.

PMID- 1875294
TI  - The effect of various forms of immobilization on plantar foot pressure.
AB  - In this study, 16 subjects wore different types of immobilization devices while
      peak pressures on the plantar aspect of the foot were measured using the
      Electrodynogram (E.D.G.) system. Objective and subjective data were generated and
      analyzed. Peak pressures decreased on the plantar aspect of the foot as the form
      of immobilization progressed up the leg.

PMID- 1875295
TI  - Modification of high-heeled shoes to decrease pronation during gait.
AB  - One of the reasons that high heels may contribute to the formation of halux
      valgus is that the wearers pronate during propulsion. This pilot study was
      performed to determine whether relocation of the heel under the counter of a
      fashion high-heeled pump could change the degree of pronation of the foot during
      the gait cycle. The authors report that more foot stability was experienced by
      the subjects when the center of the heel was offset between 2 and 4 mm medial to
      the center of the heel counter. This study is designed to promote further
      research into whether the shoe industry should change the design parameters of
      high-heeled fashion shoes in order to improve foot function.

PMID- 1875296
TI  - [The environment: political and ethical issues for human health].

PMID- 1875297
TI  - [Deaths associated with methadone].
AB  - Used as early as 1946 as an analgesic then to treat heroin addicts, the addicting
      and toxic potential of methadone was quickly recognized. 25 deaths between 1981
      and 1986 were reportedly due to methadone in Geneva of which 2 were violent
      deaths, 9 were caused by a combination of opiates and methadone and 14 were
      directly related to methadone. Three deaths were noted during the two first weeks
      of methadone substitutive therapy. Six were noted less than two weeks before
      leaving jail and 15 were associated with benzodiazepine ingestion. Postmortem
      blood levels cannot help determine the severity of poisoning neither a causal
      relationship between methadone and death. Pathological findings as well as the
      medical history should be taken into consideration.

PMID- 1875298
TI  - [Acute poisoning by insecticides with anticholinesterase activity. Evaluation of
      the efficacy of a cholinesterase reactivator, pralidoxime].
AB  - Pralidoxime is the most frequently used antidote in anticholinesterase
      insecticide poisoning, owing to its cholinesterase reactivating action. The
      efficiency of Pralidoxime has been retrospectively evaluated by comparing two
      groups of 31 patients, the first one treated by Pralidoxime in the most commonly
      used doses (1200mg/24H), the second one untreated. Age, sex and nature of poison
      were taken in consideration to make a matched distribution in both groups. The
      clinical and biological initial features were nearly the same in both groups; the
      other therapeutic measures were the same. There was no statistical difference
      between the both groups for evolutive criteria such as that mortality, duration
      of artificial ventilation, intubation, atropine administration, decrease in
      plasma cholinesterase. The results pleading against the use of Pralidoxime, at
      least at this dose, in anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning, warrant
      confirmation by prospective randomized studies. The efficiency of Pralidoxime
      warrants confirmation firstly in the course of poisonings by some clearly
      identified insecticides, to which pralidoxime is supposed to be the most
      effective, cater used in high doses, as recommended by some authors.

PMID- 1875299
TI  - [Manchineel poisoning. Report of a case].
AB  - Clinical signs of poisonings by beach-trees are reviewed following a recent case
      report. Painful symptoms are the main features owing to the caustic effect of the
      plant liquid. However the prognosis is usually good.

PMID- 1875300
TI  - [Inhibition of cytochromes P-450. Biochemical mechanisms and possible therapeutic
      consequences. I--Inactivation by formation of reversible complexes].
AB  - Inactivation of cytochrome P-450 dependent monoxygenases, a major family of
      hepatic oxidative drug-metabolizing enzymes, has been an area of intensive
      pharmacological and toxicological investigation. Several classes of drugs are
      known to be inducers or inhibitors of P-450 isoenzymes. The reversible inhibition
      of the oxidative microsomal metabolism could be directly related to the ability
      of the drug to bind cytochrome P-450 as shown by the formation of an inhibitory
      complex. Such effects result in many drug-drug interactions, affect drug
      disposition and drug action and could interact with the metabolism of endogenous
      steroids. This review is concerned primarily with a mechanistic interpretation of
      the reversible interactions between several classes of therapeutic agents and
      various P-450 isozymes. The effects of structural modifications on the inhibitory
      activity were also described.

PMID- 1875301
TI  - [Air sampling. Why and how?].
AB  - The determination of airborne contaminants concentration levels at the workplace
      is presented as an answer to industrial hygiene problems. A step by step logical
      method is presented, based upon a preliminary survey as wide as achievable, then
      the sampling step occurs in order to complete the first assessment. Contaminant
      exposure, identification of pollution sources and effectiveness of engineering
      controls can be evaluated by air sampling and analysis. Two field experiences are
      given as examples (lead and styrene exposures).

PMID- 1875302
TI  - [Practical application of a strategy of air sampling at the workplace].
AB  - Rhone-Poulenc has defined a sampling strategy of the assessment of exposure
      levels to toxic chemicals at the workplace by inhalation. This strategy is based
      on the following principles: 1. The exposure measurements must be carried out on
      carefully selected "homogeneous exposure groups" (HEG). 2. In order to qualify
      the exposure levels, the strategy specifies a statistical method for estimating
      the probability of exceeding the professional exposure limit, for a given HEG. 3.
      Professional judgement is essential in evaluating the risk of professional
      exposure.

PMID- 1875303
TI  - [Assessment of exposure to chemical substances in the air at the workplace for
      comparison with limit values and measurement strategy. Presentation of the work
      of the European Committee on Normalization in its current state].
AB  - After summarizing the various difficulties or uncertainties involved in sampling
      and measuring procedures at the workplace, two phases to assess workplace
      exposures are described: an initial appraisal and, when applicable, periodic
      measurements. The initial assessment includes the identification of potential
      exposures, the determination of workplace factors, and the assessment of
      exposures. For exposure measurements, the selection of workers, pattern of
      sampling and number of samples have to be determined. Conclusions are drawn from
      the results.

PMID- 1875304
TI  - [Medical surveillance of people exposed to substances].
AB  - Medical surveillance is only one of the ways to estimate the health risk and to
      assure a good health for workers exposed to atmospheric polluting agents.
      Occupational practitioner defines himself the forms of this surveillance,
      according to the risks; excepted a few cases about which legislation determines
      the minimal contents. Without neglecting clinical exam, in spite of poor and late
      symptoms, an important place is reserved to biological monitoring: early
      detection of effects and dosing the product or its metabolites in biological
      fluids.

PMID- 1875305
TI  - [Monitoring the air in the workplace. Vapors and gases].
AB  - In order to control occupational exposure to gases and vapors, the industrial
      Hygienist use different sampling instruments and analytical procedures to measure
      directly or indirectly the gas and vapor concentrations in working atmospheres.
      The main techniques employed are here described.

PMID- 1875306
TI  - [Monitoring the air in the workplace: airborne particles].
AB  - A good monitoring of the exposition to noxious dusts are dependent on physical
      factors and regulations. They are reviewed, particularly those issued from the
      work made by the CEN. The main devices available on the French market are
      described.

PMID- 1875307
TI  - When they drink too much. Nursing interventions for patients with disordered
      water balance.
AB  - Disordered water balance affects as many as 60% of severely psychiatrically
      disabled persons. Most patients do not progress to the point of a medical
      emergency, but are in a state of mild chronic intoxication, making them
      unavailable for treatment and requiring nursing care to treat the effects of the
      chronic intoxicated state. Interventions depend on the severity of the disordered
      water balance and vary from teaching fluid intake control to controlling all
      patient access to fluids. Nursing management of water intoxication is a trial and
      error approach. Through a thorough assessment and close observation of the
      patient, the nurse can determine which interventions would be most appropriate
      for the patient.

PMID- 1875308
TI  - Battered women and the myth of masochism.
AB  - Domestic violence is a major health issue. Research on this problem is just in
      its infancy. It remains a problem because there has been widespread acceptance of
      violence in our culture as a means of solving and dealing with problems. Women
      have been the targets. Waites admonishes health professionals to stop using the
      concept of masochism as an explanation for abusive behavior. She asks instead for
      us to look at female motivation in terms of the actual choices that are available
      and the realistic consequences of these choices. Perhaps only then will health
      professionals become able to break the cycle of violence and intervene in a way
      that stops the woman from becoming another homicide statistic.

PMID- 1875309
TI  - When staff are assaulted. A nursing consultation support service.
AB  - Increasing patient to staff assaults led to the development of a Nursing
      Consultation Service, which can respond to the needs of assault victims and set
      the tone for institutional attitudes of nonblaming concern. A member of the
      consultation service meets with each known assault victim to review the incident,
      offer support, and provide assistance in addressing issues aroused by the
      incident. Implementation of this service and the use of a continuous monitor to
      track assault incidents is vital to highlight problem areas and develop assault
      prevention strategies.

PMID- 1875310
TI  - Dressing for success. Promoting independence among cognitively impaired elderly.
AB  - In demented persons, activities of daily living skills may deteriorate more
      quickly than their cognitive decline warrants because caregivers do not allow
      them to perform ADLs to the full extent of their abilities. Caregiver actions
      that promote independent behaviors were used with subjects in home and nursing
      home settings. Four of five home subjects showed decreased caregiver assistance
      and increased ability to dress more independently. Although nursing home subjects
      did not show a decrease in caregiver assistance, observation showed that some
      nursing home caregivers did incorporate behavioral strategies, suggesting
      potential clinical efficacy of the strategies.

PMID- 1875311
TI  - What is the impact of the use of humor as a coping strategy by nurses working in
      geropsychiatric settings?

PMID- 1875312
TI  - Helping the medicine go down. Nurses' and patients' perceptions about medication
      compliance.
AB  - The issue of medication compliance is a multidimensional phenomenon that rests
      not only with the patient, but also with the interactions of caregivers. Study
      results revealed that nurses and patients generally perceive estimated frequency
      of medication compliance to be similar, although increased length of time as a
      psychiatric nurse was associated with nurses perceiving patients as being less
      compliant. Reasons given by patients and nurses for medication noncompliance
      differed. Patients' responses were characterized by being more concrete and
      varied in nature than those of the nurse.

PMID- 1875313
TI  - Third molar surgery: the effect of primary closure, wound dressing and
      metronidazole on postoperative recovery.
AB  - One hundred and forty eight patients with bilateral symmetrically impacted lower
      third molars entered a clinical crossover trial to compare the effects on
      postoperative recovery of a Bismuth Iodoform Paraffin Paste (BIPP) socket
      dressing, primary closure using a resorbable suture (Softgut) and to ascertain if
      prophylactic metronidazole influenced the outcome. The results reaffirm the
      surgical principle that contaminated surgical wounds such as third molar sockets
      are best kept open with a dressing. Attempts at primary closure should be
      resisted if there is no intention to prescribe antibiotic cover. However, if a
      suitable antibiotic is taken then primary closure using a resorbable suture can
      be carried out with confidence. This may reduce the need for outpatient follow
      up.

PMID- 1875314
TI  - Historical vignette--the death of an Australian army doctor on Thursday Island in
      1915 after envenomation by a stonefish.

PMID- 1875315
TI  - Ketamine, treatment for unwanted penile turgescence.

PMID- 1875316
TI  - Potential recruits in medical outpatients.

PMID- 1875317
TI  - Sleep manipulation prior to airborne exercises.

PMID- 1875318
TI  - Diabetus mellitus in the services.

PMID- 1875319
TI  - Smoking.

PMID- 1875320
TI  - Sir David Bruce Lecture 1990. "Heads and tales".

PMID- 1875321
TI  - Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the Gore-tex ligament.
AB  - Twenty two Army patients with synthetic (Gore-tex) anterior cruciate ligament
      (ACL) reconstructions were reviewed (mean follow up 18 months). Reconstruction
      appeared to abolish the pivot shift sign in all cases, but some subjective
      instability persisted in all but 6 patients. Outcome was also assessed by medical
      (PULHHEEMS) grading: 6 patients were fully fit (graded L2), 7 returned to
      moderate activity but not full fitness (L3), and 9 remained severely
      incapacitated (L7 or L8) with 4 of this group being medically discharged.
      Specific operative complications included: prosthesis breakage (3 partial, 1
      complete), infected prosthesis(1), and problems with the tibial screw(3). The
      range and frequency of complications was similar in other series. Physical
      fitness is an integral part of a soldier's job, placing particular demands on the
      knee and on surgical repair of knee injuries. Reports on the Gore-tex ACL
      prosthesis in other groups have been more encouraging, but there are difficulties
      in comparing this study with others. ACL insufficiency remains a serious problem,
      with implications for a soldier's fitness and career. The Gore-tex prosthesis
      improves stability but does not always allow a soldier to return to full fitness.

PMID- 1875322
TI  - Is patellectomy compatible with an Army career?
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the impact of patellectomy on the service
      career of soldiers. Information on 184 individuals on whom patellectomy was
      performed between 1981 and 1986, was retrieved from computer records. The
      criterion for success of the operation was the recovery to a fully fit category.
      Fifty three patients (29%) regained full fitness. The outcome of patellectomies
      performed for chondromalacia patellae and osteoarthritis appears to be worse than
      that for patellar fractures.

PMID- 1875323
TI  - Tri-service Health Questionnaire-1989.
AB  - An anonymous, self administered health questionnaire survey of the habits and
      attitudes of servicemen in the 3 Services was conducted. The overall response
      rate was 75%. This paper reports the results of questions on smoking. The Army
      had the greatest percentage of smokers, smoked most heavily and had the worst
      attitude to smoking of the 3 Services. The RAF had the best results in these
      fields. There was a higher percentage of smoker, who smoke more heavily in
      Germany/seadraft than UK/shoredraft. There was a rank gradient in percentage
      smokers, with the lowest ranks smoking the most. A sizeable proportion of the
      smoking population wish to give up, have tried to do so and feel their Medical
      Officer should be interested in their smoking habits. A reduction in prevalence
      of cigarette smoking to less than 30% within 5 years is recommended as a Tri
      service Health Policy Goal, with the Army, Tri-Service 16-20 year olds and
      Private-Corporal rank equivalents and recruits, as specific target groups for
      intervention. The health promotion strategy should include concerted anti-smoking
      advice from Medical Officers.

PMID- 1875324
TI  - Does the ultrasound diagnosis of low-lying placenta in early pregnancy warrant a
      repeat scan?
AB  - A retrospective analysis of 732 consecutive deliveries at this hospital was
      undertaken to see if the early (15-20 weeks) pregnancy ultrasound placental
      localisation was of value, and whether the diagnosis of low-lying placenta
      warranted a repeat scan. The placental site was reported as normal in 413
      pregnancies, as low-lying in 79 and was not recorded in 240. None of the women
      with a low-lying placenta developed placenta praevia. There were no significant
      differences in pregnancy outcome between those women with a low-lying placenta
      and those in whom it was normally situated. The ultrasound diagnosis of low-lying
      placenta between 15 and 20 weeks gestation does not warrant a repeat scan.

PMID- 1875325
TI  - Pilonidal sinus in an amputee.
AB  - A pilonidal sinus developed in the superio-medial aspect of the thigh of an above
      knee amputee. This is an unusual site for the condition to develop. We suggest
      that the same aetiological factors that were responsible for the "Jeep Bottom" of
      World War II were also responsible for this problem in the amputation stump of a
      Falklands campaign casualty.

PMID- 1875326
TI  - Mediastinal abscess resulting from dental infection.
AB  - A case of dental sepsis is presented which resulted in a deep neck infection and
      eventually caused a mediastinal abscess. The microbiology of such a mixed
      infection is briefly discussed with emphasis on the synergistic activity of the
      organisms. The anatomy of the fascial spaces is also described to draw attention
      to the possible routes of spread of this potentially life threatening condition.

PMID- 1875327
TI  - AJ-p97: a novel antigen of the human sperm tail fibrous sheath detected by a
      neurofilament monoclonal antibody.
AB  - Using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), the RT97 anti-neurofilament monoclonal
      antibody (MoAb) detected an intracellular antigen in the principal piece of human
      ejaculated sperm tails. Its localisation to the tail fibrous sheath (FS) was
      confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy (IEM), which showed the binding of the
      gold particles to the outer FS surface. During spermatogenesis the antigen was
      first expressed on the spermatid FS, and its expression was continued on
      ejaculated mature sperm. In Western blotting of sperm lysates, the RT97 reacted
      with a 97 kDa protein (AJ-p97) which lacked disulphide bonds. This antigen was
      not detected on mouse or rat sperm tail FS, suggesting a sequence divergence of
      the AJ-p97 during evolution. The significance of these results and the
      relationship of AJ-p97 to neurofilaments are discussed, together with the use of
      the antibody as a probe for the structural dissection of the FS and for analysing
      the molecular events that take place during spermiogenesis, especially those
      involved in sperm tail morphogenesis.

PMID- 1875328
TI  - Human spermatozoal FA-1 binds with ZP3 of porcine zona pellucida.
AB  - Experiments were carried out to study the binding of the major porcine zona
      pellucida glycoprotein ZP3 (Mr = 55,000) with human FA-1, a fertilization-related
      antigen isolated from human male germ cell plasma membranes and with GA-1, a germ
      cell antigen isolated from murine male germ cell plasma membranes. FA-1 showed a
      dose-dependent binding with ZP3 in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
      and by the Western blot procedure. FA-1 also bioneutralized the sperm ligand
      activity of ZP3 in a boar sperm/porcine zona pellucida attachment assay. In
      contrast, GA-1 displayed no reactivity for ZP3 using any of these procedures.
      These results indicate that FA-1 but not GA-1 has zona pellucida binding activity
      in the porcine system.

PMID- 1875329
TI  - Changes in natural killer cell activity in normal pregnant and postpartum women:
      increases in the first trimester and postpartum period and decrease in late
      pregnancy.
AB  - Changes in the activity and number of natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral
      blood in normal pregnant and postpartum women were examined. NK activity was
      measured in a 4-h 51Cr-release assay and evaluated by conventional relative lytic
      units and absolute lytic units which represent the total NK activity within a
      fixed volume of circulating blood. The number of NK cells was analyzed with FITC
      conjugated monoclonal antibodies and by use of an automated flow cytometer.
      Unexpectedly, the relative NK activity increased in the first trimester and also
      for 1 month postpartum compared to the activity in normal non-pregnant controls.
      On the other hand, absolute NK activity decreased in the third trimester compared
      to the activity in normal non-pregnant controls. The percentage of CD57+ cells
      decreased in the second trimester, but the percentage of CD16+ cells did not
      change during pregnancy or the postpartum period. The absolute counts of CD57+
      cells and CD16+ cells decreased in the second and third trimesters and increased
      transiently in the postpartum period. These findings indicate that the increased
      NK activity in the first trimester and at 1 month postpartum is induced by
      increased cytotoxic activity of individual NK cells, and that the decreased NK
      activity in late pregnancy is induced by a decrease in the numbers of NK cells.
      These physiological changes may play an important role in implantation in early
      pregnancy, protection of the fetal allograft in late pregnancy and in the natural
      defense against infection during the puerperal period.

PMID- 1875330
TI  - Lymphocyte subsets in patients with oestrogen deficiency.
AB  - We have previously shown that in patients with idiopathic premature ovarian
      failure there were significant changes in lymphocyte subsets. To test our
      hypothesis that these changes were due to oestrogen deficiency we studied
      lymphocyte subsets in patients with oestrogen deficiency due to other causes.
      Blood was taken for serum oestradiol, lymphocyte counts and lymphocyte subset
      counts (CD2+, CD4+, CD8+ and B cells) before oestrogen replacement in 19 patients
      with gonadal dysgenesis, 22 patients with hypothalamic-pituitary failure and 24
      healthy female control subjects. The CD4:CD8 ratio in both groups of patients was
      significantly lower than that in the normal control subjects while the
      percentages and counts of lymphocytes and CD8+ cells were significantly higher.
      There was a significant positive correlation between the serum oestradiol level
      and the CD4:CD8 ratio. These findings support the hypothesis that the changes in
      lymphocyte subsets are due to oestrogen deficiency.

PMID- 1875331
TI  - Kinetics of lymphoproliferative responses of lymphocytes harvested from the
      uterine draining lymph nodes during pregnancy in rats.
AB  - Paraaortic lymph node (PALN) cells were harvested from virgin and pregnant rats
      bearing syngeneic or allogeneic fetuses at all stages of pregnancy including the
      pre-implantation period. The specific and non-specific alloreactivity of these
      cells was analyzed in mixed lymphocyte reactivity (MLR) against mitomycin-C
      treated-paternal strain or unrelated cells. Mitogen stimulation of the cell
      utilized PHA, Con-A and PWM. Cells bearing T cell markers were labeled in an
      indirect assay using the monoclonal antibodies W3/25 and MRC OX 8. Specific
      alloreactivity is strongly suppressed in the pre-implantation and implantation
      stages of pregnancy. Specific and non-specific alloreactivities were enhanced at
      mid-pregnancy and normalized by the end of pregnancy. Reactivity to polyclonal
      mitogens is enhanced at mid-pregnancy, and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio is very low during
      all phases of pregnancy.

PMID- 1875332
TI  - HIV protease: a novel chemotherapeutic target for AIDS.

PMID- 1875333
TI  - Cholinergic activity of acetylenic imidazoles and related compounds.
AB  - A series of acetylenic imidazoles related to oxotremorine (1a) were prepared and
      evaluated as cholinergic agents with in vitro binding assays and in vivo
      pharmacological tests in mice. 1-[4-(1H-Imidazol-1-yl)-2-butynyl]-2-pyrrolidinone
      (1b) was a cholinergic agonist with one-half the potency of oxotremorine.
      Analogues of 1b with a 5- or 2-methyl substituent in the imidazole ring
      (compounds 1c and 1g) were cholinergic partial agonists. Analogues of 1b with a
      methyl substituent at the 5-position in the pyrrolidinone ring (7b) or at the
      alpha-position in the acetylenic chain (8b) were antagonists. Various analogues
      of these imidazole acetylenes where the pyrrolidinone ring was replaced by an
      amide, carbamate, or urea residue were prepared. Several compounds which
      contained 5-methylimidazole as the amine substituent were partial agonists. The
      activities of the imidazole compounds are compared with those of the related
      pyrrolidine and dimethylamine analogues. Agonist and antagonist conformations for
      these compounds at muscarinic receptors are proposed.

PMID- 1875334
TI  - Inhibitors of the protease from human immunodeficiency virus: design and modeling
      of a compound containing a dihydroxyethylene isostere insert with high binding
      affinity and effective antiviral activity.
AB  - The peptidomimetic template and the dihydroxyethylene isostere insert that were
      applied successfully to the design of renin inhibitors have been extended to the
      related protease from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The present report
      describes the structure-activity study leading to the identification of an
      inhibitor with a Ki of less than 1 nM for the HIV type-1 protease (compound II).
      This compound, containing a diol insert, is highly effective in blocking
      polyprotein processing in in vitro cell culture assays. Results obtained from
      kinetic analysis, studies of the stereochemistry of the insert, and modeling have
      led to insights as to the requisites involved in the active site-inhibitor
      interaction.

PMID- 1875335
TI  - 2-Chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-2-phenylpropan-1-one
      hydrochloride, a novel, nonmutagenic antibacterial with specific activity against
      anaerobic bacteria.
AB  - 1-(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)-2-phenylpropen-1-one (2) is identified as a potent
      antibacterial agent. A compound, 2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(1H-imidazol-1
      yl)-2-phenylpropan++ +-1-one (5) has been designed with the intention of its
      acting as a pro-drug, liberating the lethal species 2 specifically within the
      target anaerobic bacterial cell following bioreduction by bacterial ferredoxin or
      related electron transfer proteins. The synthesis and biological activity of 5 is
      described and compared with the activities of the analogous alpha-bromo ketone 6
      and alpha-fluoro ketone 7. Synthesis of 6, 7, and the corresponding alpha-hydroxy
      ketone 11 is also described.

PMID- 1875336
TI  - Synthesis and antitumor evaluations of symmetrically and unsymmetrically
      substituted 1,4-bis[(aminoalkyl)amino]anthracene-9,10-diones and 1,4
      bis[(aminoalkyl)amino]-5,8-dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-diones.
AB  - The ipso bis displacements of fluoride from 1,4-difluoroanthracene-9,10-dione (3)
      and 1,4-difluoro-5,8-dihydroxyanthracene-9,10-dione (4) by excess of a diamine
      (or a monoamine) in pyridine at room temperature lead to the symmetrically
      substituted 1,4-bis-substituted analogues 5 and 6, respectively. The ipso
      monodisplacements of fluoride from 3 and 4 can be accomplished by treatment with
      less than 1 molar equiv of a diamine (or a monoamine) to yield 7 and 8,
      respectively. Treatment of 7 or 8 with a different diamine leads to the
      unsymmetrically substituted 1,4-bis[(aminoalkyl)amino]anthracene-9,10-diones 9
      and 10, respectively. Many of the synthetic unsymmetrical analogues have been
      evaluated for their antitumor activity against L1210 in vitro and in vivo. Cross
      resistance of analogue 10a with mitoxantrone (2) and doxorubicin was evaluated
      against MDR lines in vitro against human colon carcinoma LOVO and its subline
      resistant to DOXO (LOVO/DOXO). Potential mechanisms for the observed cytotoxicity
      are presented and discussed.

PMID- 1875337
TI  - Synthesis and biological activity of angiotensin II analogues containing a Val
      His replacement, Val psi[CH(CONH2)NH]His.
AB  - The dipeptide mimic Val psi[CH(CONH2)NH]His (4) was incorporated into angiotensin
      II (AII) analogues to provide an octapeptide saralasin derivative (29) as well as
      tetrapeptide analogue 19. Three C-terminal tetrapeptides (21, 25, and 28) were
      also prepared. All compounds were tested for their ability to displace 3H-AII
      from rabbit adrenal gland homogenate and as antagonists of AII and AI on guinea
      pig ileum. The octapeptide analogue 29 was 700 times less active than the parent
      peptide 30. All the C-terminal fragments 19, 21, 25, and 28 have no measurable
      AII antagonist activity. Of the four tetrapeptide fragments, only 21 showed any
      appreciable binding activity.

PMID- 1875339
TI  - Synthesis and DNA-binding properties of polyamine analogues.
AB  - The synthesis of a series of novel polyamine analogues is reported. The DNA
      binding of these compounds and a variety of other polyamines were compared with
      their IC50 values against HeLa cell. There seemed to be no apparent correlation
      between the DNA binding and toxicity against HeLa cells.

PMID- 1875338
TI  - Conformationally restricted polysubstituted biphenyl derivatives with angiotensin
      II receptors antagonist properties.
AB  - The synthesis and in vitro activity of new nonpeptide angiotensin II antagonists
      is presented. Compared to previously reported biphenyl compounds, the new
      analogues 8 and 9 have reduced conformational freedom derived from steric
      hindrance. Methyl 4'-methyl-2',6'-dimethoxy[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylate 4 has
      been synthesized by a Von Pechmann condensation of orcinol with oxocyclohexane-2
      carboxylate followed by dehydrogenation. This scheme provided the carbon skeleton
      of the biphenyl potentially substituted on the 2-, 2'-, 4'-, and 6'-positions.
      Elaboration of the subsituents led to a biphenyl derivative used to alkylate a 2
      n-butyl-4-chloro-5-(hydroxymethyl)imidazole. After coupling with the imidazole
      two regioisomers were separated and identified by 1H NMR. NOESY experiments were
      useful to establish regiochemistry of the final products that have angiotensin II
      blocking activity. Their affinity for angiotensin II receptors was established in
      a binding assay experiment and in an isolated organ test. The presence of 2',6'
      dimethoxy substituent on the biphenyl moiety of the antagonist was found to
      significantly decrease affinity for the receptor.

PMID- 1875340
TI  - Synthesis of structural analogues of lyngbyatoxin A and their evaluation as
      activators of protein kinase C.
AB  - Syntheses of several new analogues of lyngbyatoxin A from a single common
      intermediate are described. These compounds bear a carbon chain at the 7-position
      of the indolactam V (ILV) nucleus which contains either a hydrophilic or a
      lipophilic group. The effect of these minor structural alterations on the ability
      of the ILV analogues to activate the enzyme protein kinase C (PKC) was determined
      by measuring the extent of phosphorylation of calf thymus histone (III-S).
      Introduction of a hydroxyl group on the C-7 appendage was found to dramatically
      decrease compound 3's ability to activate PKC. This result is interpreted in
      terms of the decreased ability of 3 to associate with the membrane bilayer.

PMID- 1875341
TI  - Preparation and anticonvulsant activity of a series of functionalized alpha
      heteroatom-substituted amino acids.
AB  - Potent anticonvulsant activity has been reported for (R,S)-2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2
      methylacetamide (2a). Select alpha-heteroatom substituted derivatives of 2a have
      been prepared (26 examples) in which the alpha-methyl group has been replaced by
      nitrogen (3a-q), oxygen (3r-u), and sulfur (3v-z) containing moieties. The
      functionalized amino acid derivatives were evaluated in the maximal electroshock
      seizure (MES) and horizontal screen (tox) tests in mice. The most active
      compounds were (R,S)-2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2-(methoxyamino)acetamide (31), and
      (R,S)-2-acetamido-N-benzyl-2-(methoxymethylamino)acetamide (3n). After ip
      administration, the MES ED50 values for 31 (6.2 mg/kg) and 3n (6.7 mg/kg)
      compared favorably with phenytoin (9.50 mg/kg).

PMID- 1875342
TI  - Aldosterone antagonists. 4. Synthesis and activities of steroidal 6,6-ethylene
      15,16-methylene 17-spirolactones.
AB  - Several steroidal 6,6-ethylene-15,16-methylene 17-spirolactones were synthesized
      to find new progestogens that exhibit both progestational and
      antimineralocorticoidal activities. The influence of substituents in the 10- and
      13-position of the steroidal framework on both properties was investigated. It
      was found that only compound 12, carrying methyl groups at the 10- and 13
      positions, possesses high progestational and antimineralocorticoidal activity.

PMID- 1875343
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of antiinflammatory activities of a series of
      corticosteroid 17 alpha-esters containing a functional group.
AB  - A series of 21-desoxy-21-chlorocorticosteroids that contain a functionalized
      ester group at 17 alpha has been prepared and examined to separate their systemic
      activity from topical antiinflammatory activity. Introduction of the
      functionalized ester group at 17 alpha was carried out by an acid-catalyzed
      formation of cyclic ortho esters with 17 alpha,21-hydroxyl groups of
      corticosteroids and subsequent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis. As for the functional
      group, chloro, methoxy, acetoxy, cyano, cyclopropyl, or alkoxycarbonyl group was
      introduced at the terminal carbon atom of the 17 alpha-alkanoate group. The
      topical antiinflammatory activity and systemic activity of these compounds were
      examined and found to be significantly dependent on the functionalities in the 17
      alpha-esters. Among these derivatives, a series of 17 alpha
      (alkoxycarbonyl)alkanoates (17 alpha-OCO(CH2)nCOOR) showed an excellent
      separation of the systemic activity from topical activity. The effects of the
      number of methylene groups (n) and of the alkyl groups of the ester (R) on either
      topical or systemic activity of the corticosteroid derivatives were also
      investigated.

PMID- 1875344
TI  - 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors. 8. Side chain ether
      analogues of lovastatin.
AB  - A general route for preparing side chain ether analogues of lovastatin is
      presented. These analogues proved to be weaker inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase
      than the corresponding side chain ester analogues. Interestingly, inhibitory
      potency was enhanced markedly when the 4-fluoro group was incorporated in the
      aromatic moiety of the side chain benzyl group of 2d.

PMID- 1875345
TI  - A new class of analogues of the bifunctional radiosensitizer alpha-(1
      aziridinylmethyl)-2-nitro-1H-imidazole-1-ethanol (RSU 1069): the
      cycloalkylaziridines.
AB  - A series of compounds related to alpha-(1-aziridinylmethyl)-2-nitro-1H-imidazole
      1-ethanol (RSU 1069, 1) were synthesized and evaluated as selective hypoxic cell
      cytotoxic agents and as radiosensitizers. The aziridine moiety was replaced with
      a number of other potential alkylating groups including cycloalkylaziridines and
      azetidines. The data indicated that modification of the aziridine of 1 resulted
      in a substantial decrease in the ability of the compounds to selectively kill
      hypoxic cells. However, these modifications did not affect the compounds' in
      vitro radiosensitizing activity since many of the derivatives were as potent as
      1. All of the compounds that were evaluated in vivo were less toxic than 1, and
      several members of this series had significant activity. The best compound was
      trans-alpha-[[(4-bromotetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-yl) amino]methyl]-2-nitro-1H
      imidazole-1-ethanol (18), which, due to its activity and log P value, is a
      candidate for additional in vivo studies.

PMID- 1875346
TI  - 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme a reductase inhibitors. 7. Modification of
      the hexahydronaphthalene moiety of simvastatin: 5-oxygenated and 5-oxa
      derivatives.
AB  - Modification of the hexahydronaphthalene ring 5-position in simvastatin 2a via
      oxygenation and oxa replacement afforded two series of derivatives which were
      evaluated in vitro for inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A
      reductase and acutely in vivo for oral effectiveness as inhibitors of
      cholesterogenesis in the rat. Of the compounds selected for further biological
      evaluation, the 6 beta-methyl-5-oxa 10 and 5 alpha-hydroxy 16 derivatives of
      3,4,4a,5-tetrahydro 2a, as well as, the 6 beta-epimer 14 of 16 proved orally
      active as hypocholesterolemic agents in cholestyramine-primed dogs. Subsequent
      acute oral metabolism studies in dogs demonstrated that compounds 14 and 16 evoke
      lower peak plasma drug activity and area-under-the-curve values than does
      compound 10 and led to the selection of 14 and 16 for toxicological evaluation.

PMID- 1875347
TI  - Synthesis and biochemical studies of 16- or 19-substituted androst-4-enes as
      aromatase inhibitors.
AB  - Androst-4-en-17-one derivatives [19-acetoxide 4, 16-bromides 14 and 15, 19,19
      difluoride 18, and (19R,S)-19-acetylenic alcohol 25] and androst-4-en-17 beta-ol
      derivatives 3, 5, 10, 12, and 19 were synthesized and tested for their ability to
      inhibit aromatase in human placental microsomes. All the 17-oxo steroids, except
      compound 25 and 17,19-diol 3 of this series, were effective competitive
      inhibitors with apparent Ki's ranging from 170 to 455 nM. 19,19-Difluoro steroid
      18 and 19-acetylenic alcohol 25, a weak competitive inhibitor (Ki = 7.75 microM),
      caused a time-dependent, pseudo-first-order inactivation of aromatase activity
      with kinact's of 0.0213 and 0.1053 min-1 for compounds 18 and 25, respectively.
      NADPH and oxygen were required for the time-dependent inactivation, and the
      substrate, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, prevented it, but a nucleophile, L-cysteine,
      did not in each case. The results strongly suggest that aromatase would attack
      the 19-carbon of steroids 18 and 25.

PMID- 1875348
TI  - Nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists: the discovery of a series of N
      (biphenylylmethyl)imidazoles as potent, orally active antihypertensives.
AB  - A new series of nonpeptide angiotensin II (AII) receptor antagonists has been
      prepared. These N-(biphenylyl-methyl)imidazoles, e.g. 2-butyl-1-[(2'
      carboxybiphenyl-4-yl)methyl]-4-chloro-5- (hydroxymethyl)imidazole, differ from
      the previously reported N-(benzamidobenzyl)imidazoles and related compounds in
      that they produce a potent antihypertensive effect upon oral administration; the
      earlier series generally were active only when administered intravenously. It has
      been found that the acidic group at the 2'-position of the biphenyl is essential.
      Only ortho-substituted acids possess both high affinity for the AII receptor and
      good oral antihypertensive potency. The carboxylic acid group has been replaced
      with a variety of acidic isosteres, and the tetrazole ring has been found to be
      the most effective. The tetrazole derivative, DuP 753, is currently in
      development for the treatment of hypertension.

PMID- 1875349
TI  - Highly selective adenosine A2 receptor agonists in a series of N-alkylated 2
      aminoadenosines.
AB  - A wide variety of 2-substituted aminoadenosines were prepared for comparison with
      the moderately A2 receptor selective adenosine agonist 2-anilinoadenosine (CV
      1808). High selectivity combined with significant affinity at the A2 receptor in
      rat membranes was observed for those amines bearing a two-carbon chain to which
      was attached an aryl, heteroaryl, or alicyclic moiety. 2-(2
      Phenethylamino)adenosine (3d), a 14-fold A2 selective compound, was modified by
      introduction of a variety of substituents in the benzene ring and the side chain.
      Some of these changes led to improved A2 affinity and increased selectivity.
      Replacement of the phenyl moiety by cyclohexenyl produced a 210-fold selective
      agonist 3ag (CGS 22989) whereas the cyclohexanyl analogue 3af (CGS 22492) was 530
      fold selective at the A2 site. These compounds showed hypotensive activity in rat
      models over a range of doses without the bradycardia observed with less selective
      agonists.

PMID- 1875350
TI  - Synthesis and evaluation of stilbene and dihydrostilbene derivatives as potential
      anticancer agents that inhibit tubulin polymerization.
AB  - An array of cis-, trans-, and dihydrostilbenes and some N-arylbenzylamines were
      synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity in the five cancer cell cultures
      A-549 lung carcinoma, MCF-7 breast carcinoma, HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma, SKMEL-5
      melanoma, and MLM melanoma. Several cis-stilbenes, structurally similar to
      combretastatins, were highly cytotoxic in all five cell lines and these were also
      found to be active as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. The most active
      compounds also inhibited the binding of colchicine to tubulin. The most potent of
      the new compounds, both as a tubulin polymerization inhibitor and as a cytotoxic
      agent, was (Z)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)ethene (5a). This
      substance was almost as potent as combretastatin A-4 (1a), the most active of the
      combretastatins, as a tubulin polymerization inhibitor. Compound 5a was found to
      be approximately 140 times more cytotoxic against HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma
      cells and about 10 times more cytotoxic against MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells than
      combretastatin A-4. However, 5a was found to be about 20 times less cytotoxic
      against A-549 lung carcinoma cells, 30 times less cytotoxic against SKMEL-5
      melanoma cells, and 7 times less cytotoxic against MLM melanoma cells than
      combretastatin A-4. The relative potencies 5a greater than 8a greater than 6a for
      the cis, dihydro, and trans compounds, respectively, as inhibitors of tubulin
      polymerization are in agreement with the relative potencies previously observed
      for combretastatin A-4 (1a), dihydrocombretastatin A-4 (1c), and trans
      combretastatin A-4 (1b). The relative potencies 5a greater than 8a greater than
      6a were also reflected in the results of the cytotoxicity assays. Structure
      activity relationships of this group of compounds are also discussed.

PMID- 1875351
TI  - Relaxant activity of 6-cyano-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-4-carboxamides and 
      thiocarboxamides and their analogues in guinea pig trachealis.
AB  - Structural modifications of the potassium channel activator cromakalim (1) are
      described in which the amide moiety at C-4 has been replaced by carboxamide and
      thiocarboxamide functions. Analogues in which the hydroxyl group at C-3 has been
      oxidized or removed are also disclosed. Such analogues display an interesting
      profile of smooth muscle relaxant activity in the guinea pig isolated trachea,
      not all of which appears to result from the opening of potassium channels, but
      few compounds retain useful in vivo activity. However, one compound in
      particular, 6-cyano-2,2-dimethyl-N-methyl-2H-1-benzopyran-4-thiocarboxamide (13)
      was shown to be a potent potassium channel activator in vitro and to provide
      prolonged protection to guinea pigs from the respiratory effects of inhaled
      histamine.

PMID- 1875352
TI  - Synthesis, stereochemistry, and biological activity of the 1-(1-phenyl-2
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidines and the 1-(1-phenyl-4-methylcyclohexyl)piperidines.
      Absolute configuration of the potent trans-(-)-1-(1-phenyl-2
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidine.
AB  - The (-)- and (+)-isomers of the cis- and trans-Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-2
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidines have been synthesized and the achiral cis- and trans
      Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-4-methylcyclohexyl)piperidines were prepared, and their in
      vitro [displacement of [3H]TCP (1-[1-(2-thienylcyclohexyl)]piperidine) from the
      PCP (1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)piperidine) binding site] and in vivo (rotarod assay)
      activities determined. The 1-(1-phenyl-2-methylcyclohexyl)piperidine isomers were
      resolved by classical crystallization procedures, through the diastereomeric
      salts obtained with d- and l-10-camphorsulfonic acid. The relative
      stereochemistry of the cis- and trans-Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-2
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidines and the achiral cis- and trans-Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-4
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidines was established by using 13C and 1H NMR. Both (-)
      trans-1-(1-phenyl-2-methylcyclohexyl)piperidine ((-)-2) and (+)-trans-1-(1-phenyl
      2-methylcyclohexyl)piperidine ((+)-2) were examined by single-crystal X-ray
      analysis, and the absolute configuration of (-)-2 was determined to be 1S,2R. The
      (-)-2 was found to be about five times more potent than PCP in vitro and twice as
      potent in vivo. It is the most potent of all of the simple methyl-substituted
      cyclohexyl PCP isomers and is among the most potent PCP-like compounds which have
      been synthesized. It was nine times more potent in vitro and four times more
      potent in vivo than (+)-2. The racemic cis-1-(1-phenyl-2
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidine (3), and its enantiomers ((+)-3 and (-)-3), were
      essentially inactive in vitro and in vivo. The cis-Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-4
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidine (18) was more potent than trans-Ph/Me 1-(1-phenyl-4
      methylcyclohexyl)piperidine (17), but considerably less potent than (-)-2. The
      enantioselectivity observed at the PCP binding site for (-)-2 could indicate that
      this site can discriminate between enantiotopic edges of the achiral PCP
      (choosing the pro-1-S edge), as does the mu-opioid receptor in the prodine series
      of opioids. Benzimidoyl or benzoyl group replacement of the phenyl ring in the 1
      (1-phenyl-2-methylcyclohexyl)piperidine series gave compounds which showed little
      in vitro and in vivo activity.

PMID- 1875353
TI  - Acyclic analogues of 2-(4-phenylpiperidino)cyclohexanol (vesamicol):
      conformationally mobile inhibitors of vesicular acetylcholine transport.
AB  - Several 1,3-disubstituted propan-2-ols and one alpha,beta-disubstituted ethanol
      (11i) were synthesized and evaluated as potential acyclic mimics of the vesicular
      acetylcholine transport inhibitor 2-(4-phenylpiperidinyl)cyclohexanol (1,
      vesamicol, AH5183). Analogues containing the 4-phenylpiperidyl fragment (11a,
      11b) were more potent than those containing the 4-phenylpiperazyl moiety (11e,
      11f). Substitution at the second terminal carbon of the propyl (or ethyl)
      fragment with simple lipophilic aryl substituents yielded potent inhibitors of
      vesicular acetylcholine storage, including (-)-11a and d-11i, which are
      equipotent with vesamicol. However, the activity of analogues containing bicyclic
      aryl groups was susceptible to aryl substitution patterns (11g vs 11h),
      indicating a definite receptor site topography. In addition, the inhibitory
      activity of these acyclic analogues was enantioselective, exhibiting a
      preference, similar to the parent vesamicol, for the levorotatory isomer [(-)-11a
      vs (+)-11a]. Therefore, the simple lipophilic acyclic vicinal amino alcohols may
      successfully mimic the biological activity of vesamicol.

PMID- 1875354
TI  - Synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-[(2,2-difluoro-3-hydroxytetradecanoyl)amino]-3-O- [(R)-3
      (tetradecanoyloxy)tetradecanoyl]-D-glucopyranose 4-phosphate.
AB  - 2-Deoxy-2-[(2,2-difluoro-3-hydroxytetradecanoyl)amino]-3-O-[(R)-3-
      (tetradecanoyloxy)tetradecanoyl]-D-glucopyranose 4-phosphates (9H,L) were
      synthesized from allyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-4,6-O- isopropylidene-beta-D
      glucopyranoside (1), (+/-)-3-[(benzyloxycarbonyl)oxy]-2,2-difluorotetradecanoic
      acid, and (R)-3- (tetradecanoyloxy)tetradecanoic acid. Both compounds 9H and 9L
      were more active than GLA-60 for the prostaglandin D2 releasing test on
      macrophages.

PMID- 1875355
TI  - 3-(5-Alkyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-1-naphthalenyl)-2-methyl-2-propenoic acids as
      orally active inhibitors of IL-1 generation.

PMID- 1875356
TI  - The evolutionary relationships among arboviruses and the evolutionary
      relationships of their vectors provides a method for understanding vector-host
      interactions.

PMID- 1875357
TI  - Wood rats and kangaroo rats: potential reservoirs of the Lyme disease spirochete
      in California.
AB  - The etiologic agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde,
      Steigerwalt & Brenner, was isolated repeatedly from dusky-footed wood rats,
      Neotoma fuscipes Baird, and California kangaroo rats, Dipodomys californicus
      Merriam, in northern California. All animals were collected in a region endemic
      for Lyme disease but for which the natural reservoir of B. burgdorferi was
      unknown. Similar attempts to isolate spirochetes from lizards, other species of
      rodents, jack rabbits, and deer between 1987 and 1991 were unsuccessful.
      Spirochetes isolated from wood rats and kangaroo rats were antigenically similar
      to strains of B. burgdorferi that had been isolated previously from the western
      black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, in California. Similar
      enzootic cycles involving wood rats or kangaroo rats should be sought in other
      regions of the United States where the reservoirs of this spirochete are unknown.

PMID- 1875358
TI  - Insect repellent N,N-diethylphenylacetamide: an update.
AB  - N,N-diethylphenylacetamide (DEPA) has repellent activity against hematophagous
      insects including mosquitoes, black flies, horse flies, muscoid flies, rat fleas,
      and ticks, as well as land leeches and cockroaches. The efficacy of DEPA is
      comparable to that of N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) in both laboratory and
      field tests. Toxicological studies indicate that DEPA is safe for human use.
      Different formulations as well as fabrics impregnated with DEPA are effective for
      personal protection from insect bites.

PMID- 1875359
TI  - Species composition of the Anopheles gambiae complex (diptera: Culicidae) at two
      sites in western Kenya.
AB  - At two sites in the Kisumu area of western Kenya, the species composition of the
      Anopheles gambiae complex was determined by analysis of ovarian polytene
      chromosomes. Of 1,915 females, 26.1% were An. arabiensis Patton and 73.9% were
      An. gambiae Giles; one arabiensis x gambiae hybrid was identified. No major
      differences in the proportions of An. arabiensis and An. gambiae were observed
      between sites or between years. The ratio of An. arabiensis/An. gambiae was 6.7:1
      (n = 231) in cow-baited traps, 0.2:1 (n = 1,525) in indoor resting samples, and
      0.5:1 (n = 145) in all-night human bait catches. The proportion of An. arabiensis
      decreased progressively from 50.0% to 8.3% (n = 1,129) during 11 wk from
      September to November 1987; this change was correlated negatively with night
      temperature and positively with temperature range. In cow-baited traps, 97.4% (n
      = 194) of An. arabiensis were cow-fed and 95.8% (n = 1,054) of An. gambiae from
      indoor resting collections were human-fed. In indoor collections, 37.2% (n = 215)
      of An. arabiensis were cow-fed and 23.1% (n = 26) of An. gambiae from cow traps
      were human-fed. This demonstrates post-blood-feeding endophily by An. arabiensis
      and suggests post-blood-feeding exophily by An. gambiae. Malaria infection rates
      were higher for An. gambiae than for An. arabiensis by a ratio of 3:1 in 1986 (by
      Plasmodium falciparum ELISA) and 2.3:1 in 1987 (by dissection). Despite the
      higher proportion of infective An. gambiae, both species in this area serve as
      efficient vectors through their remarkably stable contact with the human
      population as demonstrated by their blood feeding and resting behavior.

PMID- 1875360
TI  - Stimulation of vitellogenesis by pyrethroids in mated and virgin female adults,
      male adults, and fourth instar females of Ornithodoros moubata (Acari:
      Argasidae).
AB  - The effects of several pyrethroids on vitellogenesis, i.e., vitellogenin (Vg)
      synthesis and ovarian development in unfed mated female adults of Ornithodoros
      moubata were investigated. Survival of ticks treated with pyrethrin, resmethrin,
      and etophenprox was very low. Ticks treated with cypermethrin (CyM), fenvalerate
      (Fev), and flucythrinate (Flu) survived even when high concentrations were used.
      Vg titer in the hemolymph of unfed mated females was the same level on day 5 and
      about three times higher on day 10 after treatment with CyM, Fev, and Flu, as
      that of engorged adult females. CyM was the most effective in inducing
      vitellogenesis and was further evaluated in unfed virgin females, males, and
      fourth instars. CyM was shown to stimulate vitellogenesis in unfed virgin females
      adults. Oviposition did not occur but ovaries were well developed. CyM also was
      shown to stimulate Vg in the hemolymph of unfed and fed adult males; however, the
      Vg levels were very low compared to that of engorged adult females. Extremely
      high concentrations of Vg were observed in the hemolymph of female nymphs (fourth
      instar), particularly engorged nymphs, treated with CyM (10 micrograms). No
      ovarian development was observed in these nymphs. Vg stimulated by CyM was shown
      to be immunologically and electrophoretically the same as that of normal engorged
      females.

PMID- 1875361
TI  - Distribution of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in three vegetation habitats in
      the Marigat area, Baringo District, Kenya.
AB  - A total of 4,467 phlebotomine sandflies representing nine species and two genera
      were collected using polythene material coated with castor oil in three
      vegetation types in Marigat area from February to May 1986. Sandfly relative
      abundance was greatest in the closed-canopy forest (61% of total catch), followed
      by the open-canopy woodland (38%) and the thicket (1%). Nine species of sandflies
      were collected in both the closed-canopy forest and the open-canopy woodland. The
      thicket yielded only four species. The sandfly population in the vegetation was
      composed of Sergentomyia bedfordi (61%), S. antennatus (31%), S. ingrami (3%), S.
      schwetzi (2%), and S. africanus (1%). Plebotomus species rarely occurred in the
      study area. In the closed-canopy forest and the open-canopy woodland, female S.
      bedfordi were most abundant during the dry season, while males predominated
      during the wet period. Inversely, more male S. antennatus were collected during
      the dry season, while females predominated in the open-canopy woodland during the
      wet season. In the closed-canopy forest, male S. antennatus outnumbered the
      females during both dry and wet seasons. Both S. antennatus and S. bedfordi
      increased in abundance during the dry season.

PMID- 1875362
TI  - Mark-release-recapture studies with Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in
      Southern California.
AB  - Cohorts of Culex adults were marked uniquely with date- and site-specific
      fluorescent dust colors and were released at centrally located residences and at
      peripheral breeding sources to study population dispersal, size, additions, and
      deletions. The recapture rate of Cx. quinquefasciatus females was higher and the
      mean distance dispersed was lower in residential than in agricultural or park
      habitats. Dispersal was associated with host-seeking activity and ranged from 0.6
      to 1.0 km/d. Survivorship ranged from 0.65 to 0.84 per day, and population
      density ranged from 36,612 to 671,634 females per km2. The sampling efficiency of
      CO2-baited traps in residential habitats increased coincidentally with increasing
      population density. Gravid traps were most effective in residential habitats
      where there were few competitive oviposition sites. Teneral Cx. stigmatosoma were
      extremely dispersive, and few marked females were recaptured. Unmarked females
      were more abundant at CO2-baited traps in residential habitats than at traps near
      productive peripheral breeding sources. Few Cx. tarsalis were released, and the
      recapture rate in residential habitats was low when compared with rural sites.

PMID- 1875363
TI  - Time-activity budget of adult screwworm behavior (Diptera: Calliphoridae).
AB  - A time-activity budget of adult screwworm behavior was determined in an outdoor
      screened enclosure. Screwworms spent most (75.7%) of their time in the passive
      behaviors of resting and grooming. The adults spent 9.5% of daytime activity
      feeding, mainly on flowers or nectaries, but also on animal wound fluids and
      feces. Adults moving in vegetation preferred walking over flying in both
      frequency and duration. Flying was a frequent activity, but flights were of short
      (13.7 s) duration. Courtship, mating, and oviposition constituted less than 1% of
      a fly's total activity. The unusual behavior characterized as "bubbling" was
      interpreted as either thermoregulation or a nectar concentration.

PMID- 1875364
TI  - Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae) and La Crosse virus. IV. Nutritional
      deprivation of larvae affects the adult barriers to infection and transmission.
AB  - Groups of Aedes triseriatus (Say) were reared either as nutritionally deprived
      (two regimens) or well fed (one regimen) throughout larval development, and the
      vector competence of resulting small, normal, and large females was assessed for
      La Crosse virus. When fed a high dose of virus (4.6 log10/0.025 ml in Vero cell
      culture), 90% of small Ae. triseriatus females transmitted La Crosse virus to
      suckling mice compared with 70% of normal and 42% of large females. Among small
      females, 100% had disseminated infections as did 86% of normal females, whereas
      only 69% of large females had disseminated infections. All females had infected
      mesenterons (midguts). When fed a low dose of virus (2.2 log10/0.025 ml in Vero
      cell culture) in a second experiment, 15% of small females transmitted compared
      with 0% of large females; 50% of small females developed disseminated infections
      compared with 16% of large females. mesenteronal infection occurred in 70% of
      small but only 32% of large females. Electron microscopy of mesenteronal tissues
      from large and small females revealed physical differences in the basement
      membranes (basal laminae). The mesenterons of small females had 3-6 laminae (mean
      thickness of the basement membrane = 0.14 microns) compared with 9-16 laminae
      (mean thickness of the basement membrane = 0.24 microns) in large females. These
      morphological differences indicated that the mesenteronal escape barrier, which
      accounted for the difference in the percentage of small and large females with
      disseminated infections, may be, in part, a physical barrier that was modified by
      nutritional deprivation in the larval instars.

PMID- 1875365
TI  - Blood consumption by the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera:
      Pulicidae).
AB  - The volume of blood consumed by actively reproducing female cat fleas,
      Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), while feeding in confinement feeding chambers on
      cats for 3 h, was investigated using two radionuclide blood tags (51Cr
      erythrocyte and 125I-albumin) and the gravimetric method. Female fleas consumed
      an average of 0.110 ml (+/- 0.026 ml) of blood per 100 females in 3 h as
      determined using the dual radionuclide system. The single 51Cr-erythrocyte tag
      overestimated blood consumption by 11.3% and the single 125I-albumin tag
      underestimated blood consumption by 6.4%. The gravimetric method underestimated
      blood consumption by 72.2% compared with the dual radionuclide value.
      Investigations of blood consumption of nonconfined female fleas were conducted
      with cats housed in metabolic cages and restricted from grooming. These
      investigations were conducted using the single 51Cr-erythrocyte tag, and the data
      obtained were corrected to compensate for using a single erythrocyte tag. Female
      cat fleas consumed an average of 13.6 microliters (+/- 2.7 microliters) of blood
      per day, which was equivalent to 15.15 times their body weight. In an additional
      study, direct exposure to 40 kHz ultrasound did not reduce blood consumption by
      the fleas.

PMID- 1875366
TI  - Two new species of chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae) from small mammals collected
      in Brazil.
AB  - Two new species of chiggers are described from mammals collected in Fazenda Agua
      Limpa, Federal District, Brazil: Trombewingia brasiliensis from Bolomys lasiurus
      and Parasecia lasiurus from B. lasiurus and Oxymycterus sp.

PMID- 1875367
TI  - Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus infection in and transmission by the
      tick Amblyomma cajennense (Arachnida: Ixodidae).
AB  - To assess a possible role of ticks as the maintenance host for epizootic strains
      of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus, laboratory experiments were
      conducted to determine if ticks could become infected, maintain, and transmit the
      virus. Larval and nymphal Amblyomma cajennense (F.) and larval Dermacentor nitens
      Neumann ticks were exposed to epizootic VEE virus (Trinidad donkey strain) by
      allowing them to feed on viremic guinea pigs (strain 13). In A. cajennense,
      transstadial transmission was observed from larvae to nymphs and adults.
      Horizontal viral transmission to a mammalian host was accomplished by nymphs.
      Infection rates in nymphs and adults were 2% (42/2,750) and 4% (9/244),
      respectively, afer ingestion of virus as larvae. Virus was detected in A.
      cajennense adult ticks for up to 171 d after infection in the larval stage. A
      cajennense, exposed as nymphs, ingested virus but did not become infected (0/164
      after 10 d after taking an infective bloodmeal). No virus was detected in D.
      nitens 7 d after exposure. These findings suggest that A. cajennense potentially
      could be involved in an interepizootic maintenance cycle of epizootic VEE viral
      strains.

PMID- 1875368
TI  - Defensive behavior of eastern chipmunks against Aedes triseriatus (Diptera:
      Culicidae).
AB  - Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus L.) were placed in Plexiglas cages with 0, 2,
      5, 10, or 20 female Aedes triseriatus Say mosquitoes for 2 h. Previously
      published studies demonstrated little effective mosquito defensive behavior
      because of pause behavior by the chipmunks. By recording chipmunk behavior on
      videotape, pause behavior was reduced, and the chipmunks exhibited effective
      mosquito defense. The chipmunks defended themselves actively by attacking
      mosquitoes in flight, biting, head shaking, body turning, face grooming, hindfoot
      scratching, and flicking the tail. These defensive behaviors were correlated
      positively with the number of mosquitoes exposed to the chipmunks and with the
      number of mosquitoes killed.

PMID- 1875369
TI  - Comparative sensitivity of four Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) to five
      repellents.
AB  - Five repellents were evaluated against Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann An.
      freeborni Aitken, An. gambiae Giles, and An. stephensi Liston, using a "free
      choice," dose-response testing procedure on rabbits. Overall, deet was the most
      effective repellent based on effective dosages (ED50's and ED95's), except
      against An. albimanus. An. albimanus was significantly more tolerant to deet
      compared with dimethyl phthalate or ethyl hexanediol. Permethrin was effective
      against all four anopheline species at the ED50 levels; however, the ED95 values
      were higher compared with the other repellents. There were significant
      differences in sensitivity of some of the four species to all the repellents
      tested, except dimethyl phthalate and indalone. The variability in the response
      of these anopheline species to repellents confirm that the extrapolation of
      repellent data from one anopheline species to another is unreliable and that
      comprehensive tests are needed for each species.

PMID- 1875370
TI  - Mermithid (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasitism of Simulium damnosum s.l. (Diptera:
      Simuliidae) in Sierra Leone and the need for vector control.
AB  - Females of Simulium damnosum Theobald s.l. were systematically collected at four
      sites in the Gorawa Chiefdom of Sierra Leone, West Africa, over a period of 15 mo
      from July 1986 to September 1987. The prevalence of mermithids infecting parous
      females varied from 0 to 7.9%, whereas the prevalence of mermithids in
      nulliparous females varied from 0 to 42.8%. The peak incidences of mermithid
      infection in nulliparous females occurred during the rainy season (15.2% in
      October 1986, 42.8% in August 1987). The high incidence of mermithids was
      associated with a high monthly biting rate, particularly during the month before
      the peak mermithid period (5,240 in September 1986, 4,878 in July 1987).

PMID- 1875371
TI  - Effect of an experimental systemic compound, CGA-184699, on life stages of the
      cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).
AB  - The experimental drug CGA-184699 (N-[2,5-dichloro-4-(1,1,2,3,3,3
      hexafluoropropoxy)-phenylaminoc arbonyl]-2,6-difluorobenzamide) was evaluated for
      efficacy against cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche), held in flea cages on
      cats. When administered orally, the compound acts systemically and prevents
      development of the next generation of fleas. There was no effect on adults, but
      eggs from adults that fed on treated cats had reduced viability. Most larvae that
      emerged from surviving eggs died. Within the first 2 wk after treatment of cats
      with CGA-184699, most death of progeny occurred in the egg stage, but as time
      passed, more eggs hatched but larval mortality prevented development to adults. A
      single oral dose of CGA-184699 virtually eliminated the next generation of adult
      fleas for a period of 44 d.

PMID- 1875372
TI  - Distribution of biting Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) among pigs:
      effects of host size and behavior.
AB  - The distribution of biting Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles females among pigs was
      analyzed to determine the effect of host size and behavior on host selection by
      the mosquitoes. The number of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus collected per sow was
      significantly greater than that on her piglets. Sleeping piglets were attacked
      more frequently by mosquitoes than wakeful ones. The distribution of biting
      mosquitoes among different-sized piglets was aggregated compared with expected
      random distribution, and one of four data sets showed significant host size
      dependence. Pig activity (including mosquito defensive behavior) significantly
      reduced the number of attacking mosquitoes, but total pig activity score was not
      related significantly to total mosquito counts during the early half of the night
      or the entire night. Data on the residence times of mosquitoes on pigs indicated
      that interrupted (and consequently multiple feedings) were frequent. The effects
      of size-dependent (age-dependent) host selection by Cx. tritaeniorhynchus on the
      amplification of Japanese encephalitis virus were discussed in relation to
      control programs.

PMID- 1875373
TI  - Glauconyssus: a new genus associated with African bats (Acari: Macronyssidae).
AB  - Glauconyssus, n. g., is elected for Glauconyssus tanzaniensis, n. sp., a
      parasitic mite of Glauconycteris poensis from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

PMID- 1875374
TI  - Artificial feeding of Ornithodoros concanensis (Acari: Argasidae) nymphs on
      bovine blood and morphological changes in erythrocytes undergoing hemolysis in
      the tick midgut.
AB  - The morphology of bovine erythrocytes undergoing hemolysis in the midgut of the
      argasid tick Ornithodoros concanensis Cooley & Kohls was examined after feeding
      nymphal ticks artificially on parafilm and latex membranes. Percentage of
      successful feeding was significantly higher on parafilm (63%) than on latex (43%)
      membrane. However, there was no difference in the amount of blood taken per tick.
      Scanning electron microscopy was used to follow the morphological changes of red
      blood cells in the tick gut during an 80-h postfeeding period. Erythrocytes
      converted from normal discocytes to spiculated cells (echinocyte stage III)
      within 20 h. During the development of spicules (echinocytosis), erythrocytes
      lost membrane surface area by the release of microvesicles. At 30 h after
      feeding, the first spherocytes appeared and after 80 h, only smooth spheres of
      different sizes were present. Reasons for the observed modifications in red blood
      cell morphology are discussed.

PMID- 1875375
TI  - Ectoparasites of a population of urban gray squirrels in northern Florida.
AB  - Ectoparasites infesting a population of urban gray squirrels (Sciurus
      carolinensis Gmelin) in northern Florida were collected monthly during 1974.
      Eleven species were identified: one flea (Orchopeas howardi (Baker], three
      suckling lice (Enderleinellus longiceps Kellogg & Ferris, Hoplopleura sciuricola
      Ferris, and Neohaematopinus sciuri Jancke), one tick (Dermacentor variabilis
      Say), two mesostigmatid (gamasid) mites (Androlaelaps casalis (Berlese) and A.
      fahrenholzi (Berlese], and four chiggers (Eutrombicula alfreddugesi (Oudemans),
      E. splendens (Ewing), Leptotrombidium peromysci Vercammen-Grandjean & Langston,
      and Parasecia gurneyi (Ewing]. The flea and three suckling lice represent core
      species of ectoparasites for the gray squirrel; the remainder are probably
      satellite species. Only E. longiceps varied significantly in prevalence or
      intensity of infestation among host age groups; subadult squirrels had higher
      intensities than adults. Peak prevalence of O. howardi occurred in January and
      attained maximum intensity in March, whereas both prevalance and intensity were
      minimum in August. Prevalence of H. sciuricola was maximum in November and
      remained at similar levels through June. It then declined significantly to its
      minimum in September-October. Intensity of infestation, however, was greatest in
      August, September, and January. Maximum prevalence of N. sciuri occurred from
      January to March and was minimum in September; intensity of infestation reached
      maxima in January, June, and August.

PMID- 1875376
TI  - Effect of ivermectin on the volume of blood ingested by two species of ticks
      (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on cattle.
AB  - Females of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), and the American dog
      tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), were fed on ivermectin (Ivomec)-treated and
      untreated bovines to determine the effect of the acaricide on volume of blood
      ingested and to compare the weight differences between the treatment and control
      groups at various time intervals after attachment. Adult females from each genus
      were collected from Bos tarus hosts and subjected to hematin assays on three
      collection dates to estimate the volume of blood ingested. Before feeding, lone
      star ticks contained an average of 2.0 microliters of blood and had an average
      weight of 5.2 mg. Unengorged American dog tick females had an average blood
      volume of 3.3 microliters and a mean weight of 5.8 mg. Ticks of both species
      reacted to ivermectin by expressing lower mean weights, and they consumed smaller
      quantities of blood. Lone star tick females were significantly affected in terms
      of amount of blood consumed and body weight changes when compared with control
      ticks. After feeding on treated cattle, lone star tick females contained smaller
      quantities of blood than pretreatment females, but there were no significant
      differences observed until day 12 between the control and the treated groups.
      American dog tick females on treated hosts had measurable quantities of blood
      that were significantly different among the experimental groups.

PMID- 1875377
TI  - Search for a sex pheromone in Triatoma mazzottii (Hemiptera: Reduviidae).
AB  - Hexane extracts of volatile substances from sexually mature male and female
      Triatoma mazzottii Usinger, collected with cold glass trap (-10 degrees C) and
      evaluated in a wind tunnel, demonstrated the absence of a sex pheromone. The
      females failed to secrete a liquid from the sixth and seventh abdominal sternite.

PMID- 1875378
TI  - Chrysomya megacephala (Diptera: Calliphoridae) has reached the continental United
      States: review of its biology, pest status, and spread around the world.
AB  - Chrysomya megacephala (F.), an Old World calliphorid of considerable public
      health importance, was first discovered in Brazil in 1977 and is now widely
      distributed in Latin America. Reports that this species has become established in
      southern California, and the collection of a specimen in Texas, suggest that C.
      megacephala may be expanding its range rapidly in North America. The biology and
      worldwide spread of this pest are reviewed to alert entomologists and public
      health workers to this growing threat.

PMID- 1875379
TI  - Gonotrophic development in the rodent bot fly Cuterebra fontinella (Diptera:
      Oestridae).
AB  - The gonotrophic development of Cuterebra fontinella Clark begins after the larval
      pupal molt, the point at which winter diapause often occurs in many Cuterebra
      spp. Adult females emerge with their eggs at stage 3 and require an additional 5
      d to complete oogenesis. Other species of Cuterebra also may have similar
      developmental sequences and require a period of several days after eclosion to
      complete development of their ova.

PMID- 1875380
TI  - Human envenomization by Plectreurys tristis Simon (Araneae: Plectreuridae): a
      case report.
AB  - A case of human envenomization by a plectreurid spider, Plectreurys tristis
      Simon, is reported for the first time. The patient was bitten on the calf of the
      leg and initially experienced pain, edema, and slight pallor at the bite site.
      Numbness persisted for approximately 1 h in the affected leg. Symptoms resolved
      without specific treatment, and no significant sequelae were observed.

PMID- 1875381
TI  - Problems and issues in developing a cochlear implant programme for children.
AB  - This paper considers the implications for deaf children and their families of the
      establishment of a cochlear implant programme for children. The importance of
      recognizing that implantation affects the whole child and that a
      multidisciplinary whole-child approach is necessary is stressed. The elements of
      a cochlear implant support service for families with deaf children are described.

PMID- 1875382
TI  - A family of neuromuscular stimulators with optical transcutaneous control.
AB  - A family of miniature implantable neuromuscular stimulators has been developed
      using surface-mounted Philips 4000-series integrated circuits. The electronic
      components are mounted by hand on printed circuits (platinum/gold on alumina) and
      the electrical connections are made by reflow soldering. The plastic integrated
      circuit packages, ceramic resistors and metal interconnections are protected from
      the body fluids by a coating of biocompatible silicone rubber. This simple
      technology provides reliable function for at least 4 months under implanted
      conditions. The circuits have in common a single lithium cell power-supply (3.2
      V) and an optical sensor which can be used to detect light flashes through the
      skin after the device has been implanted. This information channel may be used to
      switch the output of a device on or off, or to cycle through a series of pre-set
      programs. The devices are currently finding application in studies which provide
      an experimental basis for the clinical exploitation of electrically stimulated
      skeletal muscle in cardiac assistance, sphincter reconstruction or functional
      electrical stimulation of paralysed limbs.

PMID- 1875383
TI  - A preliminary report on a new hydraulic sphincter for controlling urinary
      incontinence.
AB  - A new pressure-regulated artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) has been developed
      which overcomes many of the deficiencies of earlier devices. This implantable AUS
      comprises a circular occluder cuff and the means to inflate and deflate through a
      pressure-regulated valve. The device is made from medical-grade silicone rubber
      and filled with radio-opaque isotonic fluid. A few days before surgery the
      implant is coated on the outside with an antibiotic-loaded silicone rubber
      solution. Tests have shown that the regulated pressure was very easily adjusted
      in situ by injecting or withdrawing the hydraulic fluid through a hypodermic
      needle penetrating a self-sealing filling port. When set, the regulated pressure
      remained very stable. The mechanism by which cuff pressure was increased to
      overcome stress incontinence worked well. Of the five earlier devices (AUS Mk I)
      implanted, none has survived without mechanical failure. The two latest implants
      (Mk II), which were rigorously tested for defects before implantation, have been
      more successful.

PMID- 1875384
TI  - Ceramic bearing surfaces in total artificial joints: resistance to third body
      wear damage from bone cement particles.
AB  - Studies of explanted Charnley hip prostheses have shown damage or scratching of
      the polished stainless steel femoral heads. This surface damage is probably due
      to third body wear by bone cement particles. Damaged femoral heads will produce
      increased wear rates of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
      acetabular cups. Sliding wear tests carried out in the laboratory have shown that
      alumina ceramic counterfaces are more resistant to third body damage from bone
      cement particles than stainless steel counterfaces. The use of the ceramic
      femoral heads in artificial hip joints will help to preserve the smooth surface
      finish on the femoral bearing surface, which is necessary to ensure low wear
      rates of the UHMWPE cup throughout the lifetime of the prosthesis.

PMID- 1875385
TI  - In vitro evaluation of an implantable left ventricular assist device.
AB  - The development of implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has almost
      reached the stage of providing permanent circulatory support in patients who are
      unsuitable for, or denied, the transplant option. As part of our ongoing
      haemodynamic evaluation of the Thermo Cardiosystems Inc. (Boston, USA) Mark 14
      pneumatic LVAD, pressure-volume loops have been produced from in vitro studies
      using a modified National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI, USA) mock
      circulatory loop. These studies have demonstrated that during certain phases of
      the pump cycle non-physiologically high and low pressures are generated within
      the LVAD. Such abnormal pressures may damage either the bioprosthetic valves in
      the LVAD or the native heart, and may have adverse effects on cardiovascular
      control mechanisms.

PMID- 1875386
TI  - The implanted electrical resistance strain gauge: in vitro studies on data
      integrity.
AB  - The aim of this research is to investigate, and thus counter, the adverse effects
      of tissue fluid ingress on the performance of the electrical resistance strain
      gauge when used in ascertaining in vivo loading on a spinal implant. Moisture
      absorption has been minimized by adopting maximum metallic coverage in a package
      comprising stainless steel foil on vacuum-injected pacemaker grade epoxide. In a
      simulation of the implanted environment, cyclic strain wet endurance testing in
      saline suggests that, in the body, the fall in indicated quasi-dynamic strain
      would be less than 1.5% at 24 weeks post-operation (the longevity needed to span
      adequately the bony fusion phase). This implies that stiffening of the fusion
      mass will be deducible to a similar accuracy (from stepped-load exercises), in
      which creep is a secondary effect. However, crucial information (from quasi
      static (passive) studies) regarding remodelling and load-sharing processes would
      be subject to a total signal error (primarily due to grid corrosion) in excess of
      16% by 24 weeks, since long-term drifts are not inherently cancelled. Signal
      compensation is therefore additionally required, and an approximate empirical
      characterization of total error versus time has been derived.

PMID- 1875387
TI  - Controlling radio frequency interference from neurological prostheses.
AB  - The simplest kind of radio frequency (RF) coupled neurological prosthesis, in
      which a burst of RF, generated by the external equipment, provides the stimulus
      energy via a passive implanted receiver, is the most troublesome in respect of RF
      interference (RFI). Because the low ratio of pulse duration to interpulse
      interval is usually the case, the peak power transmitted is necessarily high, of
      the order of watts. This paper outlines a series of measurements by which the
      mode of RFI generation by a typical external equipment was precisely identified,
      enabling rational and appropriate countermeasures to be taken.

PMID- 1875388
TI  - Rapid communication: cleaning up a Hartley oscillator.
AB  - In a programme to understand, and learn to control, radiofrequency interference
      from neurological prostheses, it was discovered that a harmless-looking Hartley
      oscillator (one type of harmonic oscillator) generated a forest of harmonics
      extending to 1 GHz. These harmonics were not difficult to eliminate. The point of
      this paper is to emphasize that, given the selection of instruments used by most
      development engineers, the harmonics would probably have been missed.

PMID- 1875389
TI  - Direct Gram's stain of vaginal discharge as a means of diagnosing bacterial
      vaginosis.
AB  - The diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) by direct gram-stained smear of vaginal
      discharge was evaluated in 90 consecutive patients. Vaginal secretions from 20
      healthy female volunteers were also examined. All specimens were examined by
      culture for growth of Gardnerella vaginalis and Lactobacillus spp. Only 35
      (38.9%) of the patients with vaginal discharge satisfied the clinical diagnosis
      of BV. The vaginal gram-stained smear from all these 35 patients contained
      typical gardnerella morphotypes characteristic of BV and G. vaginalis was
      isolated from all of them as well as from a further 10 patients who did not
      satisfy the criteria for diagnosis of BV. The semi-quantitative assessment of
      gardnerella morphotypes was found to correlate positively with the semi
      quantitative assessment of G. vaginalis growth by culture (p less than 0.0001).
      There was a strong inverse relationship between the quantity of lactobacillus and
      gardnerella morphotypes. Direct gram-staining of smears should facilitate the
      diagnosis of BV for clinicians with minimum need for confirmation by culture,
      particularly in a third world setting with few or no laboratory facilities.

PMID- 1875390
TI  - An improved selective medium for the isolation of Escherichia coli O157.
AB  - Sorbitol-MacConkey medium has become widely used for the isolation of
      verotoxigenic (VT+) Escherichia coli O157. However, many organisms other than VT+
      E. coli O157, especially other serogroups of E. coli and Proteus spp., may not
      ferment sorbitol, and thus may be confused initially with VT+ E. coli O157.
      Rhamnose is not fermented by VT+ E. coli O157, but is by most sorbitol non
      fermenting E. coli of other serogroups. Cefixime is a cephalosporin antibiotic
      that is more active against Proteus spp. than against E. coli. Inclusion of
      rhamnose and cefixime in sorbitol-MacConkey agar improves its selectivity for the
      isolation of VT+ E. coli O157.

PMID- 1875391
TI  - Selected faecal bacteria and nutrients essential for antagonism of Salmonella
      typhimurium in anaerobic continuous flow cultures.
AB  - As few as five of the species of bacteria commonly found in human faeces-
      Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides
      ovatus and Fusobacterium varium--when grown together in anaerobic continuous flow
      cultures exerted antagonistic effects on Salmonella typhimurium as great as those
      given by mixed bacteria from extracts of human faeces. In a single culture, the
      population of S. typhimurium was c. 10(8) cfu/ml but in mixed cultures with the
      five antagonistic bacteria or mixed faecal bacteria it was reduced to c. 10(3)
      cfu/ml. Antagonism appeared to be the result of competition for the growth
      limiting amino acids, arginine, serine, threonine and aspartic acid. Optimal
      manifestation of antagonism required the presence of carbon sources fermentable
      only by antagonistic bacteria, such as lactose 0.1%, w/v, sucrose 0.1% (w/v) and
      starch 0.2-0.3% w/v. These carbohydrates promoted the growth of the antagonistic
      bacteria, particularly E. coli and B. ovatus. However, an increase in
      concentration by several fold of any one of four growth-limiting amino acids in
      the medium diminished the antagonistic effects and the population of S.
      typhimurium rose 10(2)-10(3)-fold.

PMID- 1875392
TI  - A study of the antigenic composition of the fragilis group of Bacteroides.
AB  - Representative strains of 22 serotypes of the fragilis group of Bacteroides and
      four non-fragilis control strains of B. melaninogenicus, B. disiens, B. bivius
      and Fusobacterium nucleatum were tested by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting with
      hyperimmune rabbit sera. SDS-PAGE showed 25 polypeptide bands but, after
      immunoblotting, 24 antigenic bands were observed in various combinations in all
      the strains. Three of these were detected only in the control strains, whereas
      six others were present in different combinations in all strains of the fragilis
      group but were not present in the controls. Cluster analysis of the antigenic
      bands showed that the controls were antigenically different from the fragilis
      group strains. Strains of the fragilis group from the same geographic localities
      grouped in single clusters; most faecal isolates and NCTC strains appeared
      separate. There was no correlation between the species of Bacteroides and their
      antigenic structure. SDS-PAGE with immunoblotting is a superior technique for
      typing the fragilis group of Bacteroides. Specific antigens have been identified
      which may be used in the serodiagnosis of infection with these organisms.

PMID- 1875393
TI  - Characterisation and functional aspects of monoclonal antibodies specific for
      surface proteins of coagulase-negative staphylococci.
AB  - Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against whole cells of Staphylococcus
      epidermidis strain 354 were characterised morphologically and functionally. Nine
      MAbs showed strong reactivity with coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS). Only
      two MAbs were specific for CNS; both belonged to the IgG1 subclass, and one, MAb
      36.4, reacted only with the strain used for immunisation. In immunoblotting, both
      CNS-specific MAbs 36.3 and 36.4 reacted strongly with cell-wall protein bands of
      220 Kda of S.epidermidis strain 354 and weak reactivity was observed with a 110
      Kda band. MAb 36.3 reacted also with 220-230 Kda bands of two other S.epidermidis
      strains (291 and ATCC 35984) and a 160-180 Kda band of S.epidermidis strain 354.
      Only MAb 36.4 promoted phagocytosis of strain 354 by polymorphonuclear leucocytes
      (PMNL) and monocytes, whereas MAb 36.3 and the other MAbs lacked this activity.
      Opsonisation of S. epidermidis with MAb 36.4 in the presence of complement
      enhanced uptake by PMNL, but not by monocytes. Furthermore, S.epidermidis strain
      354 opsonised with MAb 36.4 induced chemiluminescence of PMNL. Immuno-gold
      electronmicroscopy with both MAbs 36.3 and 36.4 demonstrated a homogeneous
      distribution of gold particles on the surface as well as close to the surface of
      S.epidermidis.

PMID- 1875394
TI  - Transfer of resistance determinants from a multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
      isolate.
AB  - The clinical isolate Staphylococcus aureus WBG1024 was resistant to cadmium,
      benzyl penicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and
      trimethoprim and harboured a conjugative plasmid pWBG637 (34.5 kb) and non
      conjugative plasmids of 23.8, 4.4, 2.8 and 1.9 kb. Transduction and mixed-culture
      transfer experiments demonstrated that the 4.4-kb plasmid (pWBG632) encoded
      resistance to tetracycline and the 23.8-kb plasmid (pWBG628) encoded resistance
      to cadmium, benzyl penicillin, kanamycin, neomycin and streptomycin. The
      conjugative plasmid pWBG637 was able to mobilise a further 4.4-kb plasmid
      (pWBG633) encoding streptomycin resistance and recombined with the
      multiresistance plasmid pWBG628 to produce transconjugantes of various resistance
      phenotypes.

PMID- 1875395
TI  - Usefulness of three probes in typing isolates of methicillin-resistant
      Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
AB  - Fifty-nine epidemiologically unrelated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
      aureus (MRSA) isolates from different geographical areas and 23 phage-type 77
      MRSA isolates from France were investigated. Cellular DNA, digested with
      restriction endonucleases EcoRI or HindIII, was probed with plasmids carrying the
      gene encoding 16S rRNA (pBA2), the gene aacA-aphD (pSF815A) and the gene aacA
      aphD plus part of IS256 (pIP1307). When probed with pBA2, most of the unrelated
      isolates displayed the same hybridisation pattern. A greater diversity in
      patterns was detected in gentamicin-resistant strains with the two other probes.
      The most accurate fingerprinting of these isolates was obtained with the probe
      pIP1307. Moreover, this probe appeared to be useful for tracing the phage-type 77
      epidemic MRSA isolates widespread in French hospitals.

PMID- 1875396
TI  - Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of mycoplasmas by ATP bioluminescence.
AB  - The susceptibility of 72 mycoplasmas to a range of antimicrobial agents was
      assessed in a 6-h ATP bioluminescence system. ATP was assayed with the Amerlite
      Analyser. Correlation with conventionally determined MICs was excellent for
      erythromycin and tetracycline even at 3 h. However, for ciprofloxacin,
      correlation was poor unless incubation was extended to 6 h.

PMID- 1875397
TI  - Adherence of Serratia marcescens in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections
      in diabetic mice.
AB  - The adherence of Serratia marcescens to bladder epithelial cells of mice with
      alloxan-induced diabetes was studied. S. marcescens adhered more strongly to the
      bladder epithelial cells of diabetic mice than to those of normal mice both in
      vitro and in vivo. The susceptibility of diabetic mice to urinary tract infection
      may be due to an increased adhesive capacity of bladder epithelial cells.

PMID- 1875398
TI  - Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi in cerebrospinal fluid by the polymerase chain
      reaction.
AB  - The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify specific DNA sequences
      from different clinical isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi and from cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) of two patients with Lyme disease of the central nervous system. The
      amplification products were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and
      visualised by ethidium bromide staining. The definitive identification of
      amplified DNA as a part of the B. burgdorferi flagellin gene was achieved by
      hybridisation to a 40-base oligonucleotide probe complementary to a part of the
      spirochaetal gene but not to the primers. Attempts to cultivate borreliae from
      either patient were unsuccessful and one patient had no serological marker in
      serum or CSF to indicate borreliosis. Clinical symptoms of both patients
      regressed with antibiotic therapy. The PCR system is a powerful and rapid
      technique to amplify flagellin gene sequences from CSF of patients with
      neuroborreliosis. Only one-tenth of the time needed for cultivation was required
      from CSF sampling to diagnosis. Gene amplification might, for the first time,
      allow effective monitoring of therapy for patients with Lyme disease of the
      central nervous system.

PMID- 1875399
TI  - HCO3(-)-coupled Na+ influx is a major determinant of Na+ turnover and Na+/K+ pump
      activity in rat hepatocytes.
AB  - Recent studies in hepatocytes indicate that Na(+)-coupled HCO3- transport
      contributes importantly to regulation of intracellular pH and membrane HCO3-
      transport. However, the direction of net coupled Na+ and HCO3- movement and the
      effect of HCO3- on Na+ turnover and Na+/K+ pump activity are not known. In these
      studies, the effect of HCO3- on Na+ influx and turnover were measured in primary
      rat hepatocyte cultures with 22Na+, and [Na+]i was measured in single hepatocytes
      using the Na(+)-sensitive fluorochrome SBFI. Na+/K+ pump activity was measured in
      intact perfused rat liver and hepatocyte monolayers as Na(+)-dependent or ouabain
      suppressible 86Rb uptake, and was measured in single hepatocytes as the effect of
      transient pump inhibition by removal of extracellular K+ on membrane potential
      difference (PD) and [Na+]i. In hepatocyte monolayers, HCO3- increased 22Na+ entry
      and turnover rates by 50-65%, without measurably altering 22Na+ pool size or cell
      volume, and HCO3- also increased Na+/K+ pump activity by 70%. In single cells,
      exposure to HCO3- produced an abrupt and sustained rise in [Na+]i from
      approximately 8 to 12 mM. Na+/K+ pump activity assessed in single cells by PD
      excursions during transient K+ removal increased congruent to 2.5-fold in the
      presence of HCO3-, and the rise in [Na+]i produced by inhibition of the Na+/K+
      pump was similarly increased congruent to 2.5-fold in the presence of HCO3-. In
      intact perfused rat liver, HCO3- increased both Na+/K+ pump activity and O2
      consumption. These findings indicate that, in hepatocytes, net coupled Na+ and
      HCO3- movement is inward and represents a major determinant of Na+ influx and
      Na+/K+ pump activity. About half of hepatic Na+/K+ pump activity appears
      dedicated to recycling Na+ entering in conjunction with HCO3- to maintain [Na+]i
      within the physiologic range.

PMID- 1875400
TI  - Permeance of Cs+ and Rb+ through the inwardly rectifying K+ channel in guinea pig
      ventricular myocytes.
AB  - Inward currents carried by external Cs, Rb, NH4 and K through the IK1 channel
      were studied using a whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Cs, NH4, and Rb currents
      could be recorded negative to -40 mV following depolarizing prepulses (greater
      than or equal to 0 mV and 200-1000 msec in duration). The current activation
      displayed an instantaneous component followed by a monoexponential increase (tau
      a) to a peak amplitude. Subsequent inactivation was fit by a single exponential,
      tau ia. With hyperpolarization, tau a and tau ia decreased e-fold per 36 and 25
      mV, respectively. In Ca-free external solutions (pipette [Mg] approximately 0.3
      mM), inactivation was absent, consistent with the hypothesis that inactivation
      represents time- and voltage-dependent block of Cs, NH4, and Rb currents by
      external Ca. The inactivation and degree of steady-state block was greatest when
      Cs was the charge carrier, followed by NH4, and then Rb. K currents, however, did
      not inactivate in the presence of Ca. Na and Li did not carry any significant
      current within the resolution of our recordings. Comparison of peak inward
      current ratios (Ix/IK) as an index of permeability revealed a higher permeance of
      Cs (0.15), NH4 (0.30), and Rb (0.51) relative to K (1.0) than that obtained by
      comparing the steady-state current ratios (Cs:NH4:Rb:K approximately
      0.01:0.06:0.21:1.0). At any given potential, tau a was smaller the more permeant
      the cation. In the absence of depolarizing prepulses, the amplitude of tau a was
      reduced. Divalent-free solutions did not significantly affect activation in the
      presence of 0.3 mM pipette [Mg]. When pipette [Mg] was buffered to approximately
      50 microM, however, removal of external Ca and Mg lead to a four- to fivefold
      increase in Cs currents and loss of both time-dependent activation and
      inactivation (reversible upon repletion of external Ca). These results suggest
      that (i) permeability ratios for IK1 should account for differences in the degree
      to which monovalent currents are blocked by extracellular Ca and (ii)
      extracellular or intracellular divalent cations contribute to the slow phase of
      activation which may represent either (a) the actual rate of Mg or Ca extrusion
      from the channel into the cell, a process which may be enhanced by repulsive
      interaction with the incoming permeant monovalent cation or (b) an intrinsic
      gating process that is strongly modulated by the permeant monovalent ion and
      divalent cations.

PMID- 1875401
TI  - Osmotic effects of protein polymerization: analysis of volume changes in sickle
      cell anemia red cells following deoxy-hemoglobin S polymerization.
AB  - Polymerization-depolymerization of proteins within cells and subcellular
      organelles may have powerful osmotic effects. As a model to study these we
      analyzed the predicted volume changes following hemoglobin (Hb) S polymerization
      in sickle cell anemia (SS) red cells with different initial volumes. The
      theoretical analysis predicted that dehydrated SS red cells may sustain large
      polymerization-induced volume shifts whose direction would depend on whether or
      not small solutes were excluded from polymer-associated water. Experiments with
      SS cells from promptly fractionated venous blood showed oxygenation-induced
      swelling, maximal in the densest cells, in support of nonexclusion models. The
      predicted extent of cell dehydration on polymerization was strongly influenced by
      factors such as the dilution of residual soluble Hb and the increased osmotic
      contribution of Hb in cells dehydrated by salt loss, largely overlooked in the
      past. The osmotic effects of polymer formation may thus play an important part in
      microcirculatory infarction by dense SS cells, as they become even denser and
      stiffer during deoxygenation in the capillaries.

PMID- 1875402
TI  - Perceived personal immunity to the consequences of drinking alcohol: the
      relationship between behavior and perception.
AB  - Heavy drinkers, moderate drinkers, light drinkers, and nondrinkers were asked to
      rate a variety of negative health and social consequences of using alcohol.
      Subjects made probability ratings for fictional others who were heavy, moderate,
      or light drinkers or nondrinkers. Subjects also made probability ratings for
      themselves as hypothetical heavy, moderate, or light drinkers or nondrinkers and
      for themselves actually. A pattern of perceived personal immunity was found
      across groups. Subjects rated fictional others and themselves as hypothetical
      drinkers to be more likely to experience negative consequences than their actual
      selves. All groups of subjects (heavy, moderate, and light drinkers and
      abstainers) rated their actual chances of experiencing negative consequences to
      be approximately equal. In contrast, heavy drinkers saw the effects of drinking
      for other heavy drinkers as less likely than did subjects who had light or
      abstinent drinking patterns who rated fictional heavy drinkers. These findings
      suggest that individuals who drink more tend to deny the potential harm that may
      result from alcohol consumption. Short-term social consequences were viewed as
      most likely to occur. Long-term consequences were perceived as least likely to
      occur.

PMID- 1875403
TI  - Parental acceptability of treatments for children's hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - This study examined the acceptability ratings of three alternative treatments
      applied to case descriptions which varied in their level of problem severity.
      Evaluations were provided by 40 parents seeking services in a Pediatric
      Preventive Cardiology Clinic for treatment of their children's
      hypercholesterolemia. Results indicated that both diet and diet plus goal setting
      were rated as significantly more acceptable than medication. Ratings of diet and
      diet plus goal setting did not vary as a function of problem severity, however,
      medication was rated as more acceptable when applied to a more severe case
      example, as opposed to a mild case example. Findings are discussed in relation to
      the clinical significance of these findings and the need for future research.

PMID- 1875404
TI  - Measuring contraceptive values: an alternative approach.
AB  - Previous assessments of individuals' values for various contraceptive
      consequences have employed one of four methodologies: free elicitation, direct
      ratings, multiple regression, or factor analysis. All four methodologies are
      flawed because they produce group rather than individual values, relying on
      rating scales, and fail to incorporate information regarding consequence trade
      offs. Axiomatic conjoint measurement is proposed as an alternative methodology
      and used to determine individuals' values for a selected set of contraceptive
      consequences at two stages of the family-planning career.

PMID- 1875405
TI  - Preventing relapse in obesity through posttreatment maintenance systems:
      comparing the relative efficacy of two levels of therapist support.
AB  - The present study compared the relative effectiveness of a therapist-supported
      maintenance condition with a minimal contact maintenance condition in preventing
      relapse following an obesity treatment program. Thirty-two subjects who completed
      an initial 12-week cognitive/behavioral plus aerobic exercise treatment program
      were matched on absolute weight loss and randomly assigned to one of two
      maintenance conditions. Subjects were assessed at pretreatment, posttreatment,
      and 3, 6, and 12 months following posttreatment using measures of weight, blood
      pressure, and depression. Three- and six-month follow-up results indicated that
      subjects who participated in the therapist-supported maintenance group continued
      to lose weight and/or maintained therapy-induced weight loss to a greater degree
      than control subjects. At the 12-month follow-up assessment therapist-supported
      subjects maintained therapy-induced weight loss better than the control subjects.
      These findings suggest that maintenance programs which provide continued contact
      emphasizing relapse prevention training may be an important adjunct in the
      maintenance of therapy-induced weight loss.

PMID- 1875407
TI  - Agreements signed to test foods for cancer prevention.

PMID- 1875406
TI  - Efficacy of a self-directed behavioral health change program: weight, body
      composition, cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure, health risk, and
      psychosocial mediating variables.
AB  - This study assessed the efficacy of a comprehensive behavioral health program
      designed to promote self-initiated change in overweight healthy middle-aged
      adults (M = 49 years). Three treatment groups (total n = 25) differing in type of
      social support provided (i.e., group plus professional versus group plus peer
      versus group only) received 13 treatment sessions and 6 maintenance sessions
      scheduled over a full year. A self-directed change intervention taught several
      cognitive-behavioral techniques as they applied to exercise adherence, weight
      reduction/maintenance, and stress management. Combined treatment groups (n = 25)
      improved significantly more than an assessment only control group (n = 9) in
      weight, percentage body fat, cardiovascular fitness, exercise adherence, health
      risk appraisal, chronic tension (MBHI, scale A), and systolic and diastolic blood
      pressure at both post-treatment and 6-month follow-up assessments. Self
      motivation, group treatment attendance, and health-risk appraisal significantly
      related (r's = .30-.56) to several posttreatment and follow-up measures of
      behavioral health change. No significant differences were found among the three
      treatment groups on any of the outcome measures.

PMID- 1875408
TI  - 1971-1991: quality of life gains increased attention.

PMID- 1875409
TI  - Supermarket computer gives free diet advice and easy recipes.

PMID- 1875410
TI  - NIH appropriations bills moving through House, Senate.

PMID- 1875411
TI  - President's panel examines cancer among the poor.

PMID- 1875412
TI  - How many human cancer genes?

PMID- 1875413
TI  - Randomized dose-searching phase ILE/II trials of fractionation in radiation
      therapy for cancer.
AB  - This article describes a new design, phase ILE/II dose searching, used in four
      prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trials of escalating total doses of
      hyperfractionated radiation. This design combines an experimental protocol with a
      statistical application of ranking and selection theory. Its purpose was to
      identify (within a certain margin of error) a dose that achieved the highest rate
      of clinical response from a set of doses that were tolerable in terms of both
      acute (within 90 days) and late (more than 90 days) toxic effects (LE). We
      calculated the number of patients required to reliably test toxicity under
      various assumptions. To determine the maximum tolerated total dose for
      hyperfractionated radiation, we randomly assigned patients with tumors that
      responded to radiation therapy in a dose-dependent manner from four body sites
      (lung, upper respiratory and digestive tract, bladder, and brain) to one of three
      regimens receiving total doses (D1, D2, or D3) differing by increments of 4.8 Gy.
      All patients received two fractions of 1.2 Gy each (separated by 4-6 hours) daily
      5 days a week. The lowest total dose was set at the level considered tolerable
      with standard once-a-day radiation therapy. We tested tumor responses and late
      toxic effects of higher doses by assigning patients to these three regimens until
      acute effects and early estimates of late effects were found to be acceptable for
      the highest dose D3; thereafter, regimen D1 was closed, and additional patients
      were assigned to D2, D3, and D4 (an escalated total dose greater than D3 by an
      increment of 4.8 Gy). The assignment of patients was performed in a weighted
      manner (1:1:2), so that greater numbers were assigned to the highest dose regimen
      (whether D3 or D4) to allow rapid evaluation of the feasibility of the highest
      dose.

PMID- 1875414
TI  - Cancer risk after iodine-131 therapy for hyperthyroidism.
AB  - Cancer incidence was studied in 10,552 patients (mean age, 57 years) who received
      131I therapy (mean dose, 506 MBq) for hyperthyroidism between 1950 and 1975.
      Follow-up on these patients was continued for an average of 15 years. Record
      linkage with the Swedish Cancer Register for the period 1958-1985 identified 1543
      cancers occurring 1 year or more after 131I treatment, and the standardized
      incidence ratio (SIR) was 1.06 (95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.11).
      Significantly increased SIRs were observed for cancers of the lung (SIR = 1.32; n
      = 105) and kidney (SIR = 1.39; n = 66). Among 10-year survivors, significantly
      elevated risks were seen for cancers of the stomach (SIR = 1.33; n = 58), kidney
      (SIR = 1.51; n = 37), and brain (SIR = 1.63; n = 30). Only the risk for stomach
      cancer, however, increased over time (P less than .05) and with increasing
      activity administered (P = not significant). The risk for malignant lymphoma was
      significantly below expectation (SIR = 0.53; n = 11). Overall cancer risk did not
      increase with administered 131I dose or with time since exposure. The absence of
      any increase in leukemia adds further support to the view that a radiation dose
      delivered gradually over time is less carcinogenic than the same total dose
      received over a short time. Only for stomach cancer was a possible radiogenic
      excess suggested.

PMID- 1875415
TI  - Randomized trial of doxorubicin, bisantrene, and mitoxantrone in advanced breast
      cancer: a Southwest Oncology Group study.
AB  - Four hundred eleven women with metastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to
      receive either 60 mg/m2 doxorubicin (130 patients), 320 mg/m2 bisantrene (146
      patients), or 14 mg/m2 mitoxantrone (135 patients). The doses were given
      intravenously every 3 weeks with a cross-over design to determine their relative
      efficacy and toxicity. To be eligible, patients must have had one previous
      chemotherapy regimen, and patients who were estrogen receptor positive must have
      failed endocrine therapy. There were 365 patients assessable for response and 399
      assessable for toxic effects. The median age was 57 years; 18% were premenopausal
      or perimenopausal. Visceral dominant disease was present in 66% of the patients.
      Ninety-seven percent of the patients had a disease-free interval from diagnosis
      to first recurrence of less than 1 year. The response rate was 28% with
      doxorubicin, 13% with bisantrene, and 14% with mitoxantrone (P = .004). Median
      time to treatment failure was 133 days with doxorubicin, 66 days with bisantrene,
      and 68 days with mitoxantrone (logrank P = .06). The median survival was 315 days
      for doxorubicin, 290 days for bisantrene, and 177 days for mitoxantrone (logrank
      P = .04), although survival at 2 years was similar for all three agents. There
      were five responses in the 66 patients crossed over to doxorubicin and one
      response each for patients crossed over to bisantrene (39 patients) or
      mitoxantrone (63 patients). Toxicity leading to discontinuance of therapy was
      more common with doxorubicin, and discontinuance of therapy was due primarily to
      patient's request or cardiotoxicity. The major dose-limiting toxic effect for all
      three agents was leukopenia. Nausea and vomiting, mucositis, and alopecia were
      more severe with doxorubicin. Congestive heart failure developed in nine patients
      treated with doxorubicin, zero patients treated with bisantrene, and two patients
      treated with mitoxantrone. A decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction,
      as defined by moderate to severe Alexander grade changes, was more common in
      patients treated with doxorubicin (doxorubicin-treated patients = 20%, bisantrene
      treated patients = 5%, and mitoxantrone-treated patients = 10%). This study
      demonstrates that bisantrene and mitoxantrone have only modest activity in
      metastatic breast carcinoma. The activity of doxorubicin is greater than that of
      the other two agents, but at a cost of increased toxicity.

PMID- 1875416
TI  - Glutathione content in human bone marrow and circadian stage relation to DNA
      synthesis.
AB  - DNA synthesis and contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione
      were determined every 4 hours during a 24-hour period in 70 human bone marrow
      samples from 10 healthy males. The mean GSH contents during the sampling periods
      were low, varying from 1.94 to 3.27 nmol/mg protein between the subjects; the
      mean values for all samples were 2.54 +/- 0.06 nmol/mg protein. The GSH content
      varied markedly within the individual according to circadian stage (31.0% to
      90.2%; mean, 51.4%). Between individuals the mean percentage of cells in DNA
      synthesis varied from 10.6% to 14.5%, but there was an intraindividual circadian
      stage-dependent variation, ranging from 48.9% to 274.0% (mean, 126.6%), relative
      to the lowest value. After adjustment for a slight phase difference between GSH
      content and DNA synthesis observed for some of the subjects, a statistically
      significant correlation was found between the GSH content and the fraction of
      cells in DNA synthesis. The myelosuppressive effect of many chemotherapeutic
      agents assumed to be detoxified by GSH-dependent mechanism(s) should be
      considered in the light of the low GSH content in human bone marrow, the
      circadian variation of DNA synthesis, and the circadian stage-dependent
      relationship of the GSH content and DNA synthesis.

PMID- 1875417
TI  - Colorectal cancer screening.

PMID- 1875418
TI  - Ocular phototoxicity.

PMID- 1875419
TI  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in blacks and whites: pulmonary function
      norms and risk factors.
AB  - Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are significant causes of
      illness and death in blacks. Racial differences in normal values of pulmonary
      function tests must be considered in both patient care and research. Assessment
      of risk factors is an important part of COPD management and prevention. An
      extensive review of data from the National Center for Health Statistics and from
      other population-based studies confirmed lower lung volumes in blacks compared to
      whites. However, the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced
      vital capacity was not lower in blacks; racial differences in flow rates were
      inconsistently reported. Thoracic dimensions were smaller in blacks than in
      whites in healthy populations. The cause and the physiologic and pathophysiologic
      significance of these racial differences are unknown. Population-based studies in
      blacks have firmly established only age and cigarette smoking as risk factors for
      COPD other than asthma. In 1987, 43% of black men aged 45 and older smoked
      cigarettes compared to only 30% of white men. Further research is needed on
      racial differences in pulmonary function and the effects of multiple risk factors
      to enhance understanding of COPD etiology and prevention. More vigorous smoking
      prevention and cessation efforts should be targeted for blacks by physicians and
      public health organizations.

PMID- 1875420
TI  - The need for a standard national immunization record.
AB  - Perhaps the most significant link in achieving the nation's immunization
      objectives is the extent of parental knowledge. Admittedly, this is a weak link.
      The 1990 federal objectives calling for an official format using common
      guidelines for completion of immunizations, though well-conceived, has not been
      used exclusively by health care givers. The lack of accord has permitted the
      proliferation of many different immunization records that are not only confusing
      to parents, but also to health care providers at times. A standard national
      immunization record could be an essential element in strengthening the weak link
      of parental knowledge of immunizations and stressing the importance of preserving
      such a record for a lifetime.

PMID- 1875421
TI  - The role of topical thrombin in skin grafting.
AB  - A prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of thrombin as a hemostatic agent in
      burn patients was conducted on 24 patients undergoing debridement and skin
      grafting. All patients also acted as their own control. Results showed a 43.5%
      reduction in bleeding on the thrombin-treated sites compared with the control
      sites. There was no adverse effect on the rate of wound healing from the
      thrombin, and no difference in the nature of the scar seen at the thrombin
      treated site compared with the control site.

PMID- 1875422
TI  - Mandibular fractures in an American inner city: the Harlem Hospital Center
      experience.
AB  - A retrospective study of 116 patients treated at Harlem Hospital for mandibular
      fractures between 1984 and 1987 was performed. Men comprised 84% of the
      population studied. The mechanisms of injury were assault with fists and blunt
      objects (33%), falls (10%), kicking (3%), penetrating injuries (3%), and
      vehicular accidents (1%). The body of the mandible (46%) and the angle (22%) were
      the most common fracture sites. Intermaxillary fixation with arch bars was the
      most frequent method of treatment (55%), followed by open reduction and internal
      fixation (33%). The complication rate with open reduction was relatively low
      (15%) despite the fact that 73% of these patients were heavy drug or alcohol
      abusers with documented poor oral hygiene. This study further substantiates the
      findings that in the poor inner cities, blunt trauma from drug-related violence
      has become the major cause of mandibular fracture. Treatment of these patients
      should include prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics, improved oral hygiene,
      and supplemental nutrition.

PMID- 1875423
TI  - Clinical assessment of gestational age: a comparison of two methods.
AB  - The ratio of fundal height (FH) to maternal abdominal length (MAL) was defined as
      percentage of maternal abdominal length (PMAL) and compared to FH alone in 100
      consecutive uncomplicated pregnancies from the 18th week of gestation to delivery
      at term. Reference graphs for fetal growth evaluation were developed using these
      two clinical methods. The predictive value of each technique was assessed by
      comparing gestational age estimates in 29 additional patients at various
      gestational ages. The correlation coefficient between the known gestational ages
      and estimates by the PMAL method was .86, and between known gestational ages and
      estimates by the FH method, .94. Twenty more patients were evaluated by three
      obstetricians in a double-blind fashion to determine gestational ages by each
      technique. The average deviation from the real gestational age varied from 2.07
      to 3.14 weeks using the FH method, and from 2.82 to 3.97 weeks using the PMAL
      graph. It was concluded that FH measurement correlates better with gestational
      age than its ratio to the MAL.

PMID- 1875424
TI  - Oral mucosa pigment changes in heavy drinkers and smokers.
AB  - The preliminary observation that heavy drinking and smoking produced oral mucosal
      changes consisting of splotchy areas of depigmentation surrounded by
      hyperpigmentation was tested. The study population was comprised of 52 patients
      from an alcohol detoxification ward, who were compared with 54 patients from
      psychiatric inpatient and day hospital services. Structured interviewing was
      developed for both samples of patients who met either diagnostic criteria for
      alcohol abuse or dependence, or criteria for alcoholism on the Short Form of the
      Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, and were identified as nonsmokers or as those
      who smoked one to three or more packs of cigarettes a day. Photographs of the
      inner surface of the lips, oral mucosa, and gingivae independently were rated for
      severity of oral pigment change by two raters blind to a patient's alcohol or
      smoking history. This study demonstrates that reported observable oral pigment
      changes identify patients who are heavy smokers and drinkers, and may be a useful
      diagnostic sign.

PMID- 1875426
TI  - Keloid formation on palmar surface of hand.
AB  - Keloid formation is never seen on the palms of the hands. The occurrence of a
      large keloid forming after a surgical procedure performed in the palmar surface
      of the hand of a black female patient is described. This is the first known case
      report in English literature.

PMID- 1875425
TI  - Comparative histochemical studies of rats infected with a pathogenic and
      nonpathogenic trypanosome.
AB  - Histochemical variations in tissues from rats inoculated with Trypanosoma lewisi
      and Trypanosoma rhodesiense were investigated. During peak parasitemia, the liver
      of rats inoculated with T lewisi showed increased glycogen distribution. However,
      glycogen depletion was noted in the liver and spleen of animals inoculated with
      living cells of T rhodesiense. Depletion was very apparent from day 4 to day 10.
      Throughout the period of observation, only a small amount of lipid infiltration
      occurred in tissues from animals inoculated with both organisms. Protein tests
      revealed a normal distribution of protein in tissues. Sections of the liver from
      rats inoculated with T lewisi showed strong alkaline phosphatase activity on days
      7, 10, and 13. Alkaline phosphatase activity for T rhodesiense-infected animals
      was positive for days 4, 7, and 10. Strong positive reactions for acid
      phosphatase were observed on days 10 and 13 for some tissues (liver, spleen, and
      kidney) from rats inoculated with T lewisi. On days 4, 7, and 10, intense
      staining reactions also were observed for livers and spleens of animals
      inoculated with T rhodesiense. Regardless of tissues observed, histochemical
      variations were not observed in animals inoculated with the derivatives (ie,
      metabolic products and homogenates) of T lewisi and T rhodesiense.

PMID- 1875427
TI  - Myxedema mimicking myocardial ischemia in a young black male.
AB  - High elevations of creatine kinase secondary to myxedema in a 29-year-old black
      male resulted in an erroneous diagnosis of mycardial infarction.

PMID- 1875428
TI  - Practical causal inference for ecoepidemiologists.
AB  - Environmental scientists and managers must determine whether a relationship
      between an environmental factor and an observed effect is causal and respond
      accordingly. Epidemiologists have, over the past 150 yr, developed a systematic
      approach to evaluating these relationships. Their criteria for objectively
      evaluating the relationship between a suspect cause and a chronic disease are (1)
      probability, (2) time order, (3) strength of association, (4) specificity, (5)
      consistency on replication, (6) predictive performance, and (7) coherence. These
      criteria can be used, with little modification, to evaluate associations in
      relation to diseases in fish and wildlife suspected to be caused by exposure to
      chemical pollutants. Some populations of fish and wildlife are members of the
      same guilds as subpopulations of humans. Investigations of chemically induced
      disease in these sentinel populations of fish and wildlife may identify the
      potential risks posed to these human subpopulations. Evidence evaluated using the
      epidemiologic criteria may assist environmental managers to determine whether a
      substantive case can be made to initiate preventative or remedial action. By
      applying the null hypothesis, scientists are forced to consider how much
      information must be ignored to conclude that a causal relationship does not
      exist.

PMID- 1875429
TI  - Epidemiology of Great Lakes bald eagles.
AB  - Historical data are provided to support the hypothesis that organochlorine
      chemicals introduced into the Great Lakes ecosystem following World War II are
      the cause of reproductive loss among bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in
      the basin. This is supported with data on concurrent population fluxes of
      extrabasin North American bald eagle populations and the European white-tailed
      sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicillus) where the same chemicals were produced and
      released. Organochlorine chemicals appear as a unique stress on Great Lakes bald
      eagle populations when compared with stresses on successful populations of bald
      eagles continentwide. Shoreline birds bear significantly higher concentrations of
      these persistent toxics than inland birds. Association between contaminated prey
      and elevated concentrations of PCBs, DDT, and DDE in Great Lakes bald eagles are
      presented. A fledging ratio is used to support the hypothesis that maternal
      prezygotic exposure affects the viability of embryos and chicks. The ratio of the
      mean number of fledglings per successful territory to the mean number of
      fledglings per active territory, when the numerator is greater than 1.4, provides
      an index of exposure to contaminants by parental animals and affected offspring.
      When the ratio is greater than 2, parental exposure to organochlorine chemicals
      should be considered. The adverse effects of prezygotic exposure to the same
      contaminants in other animal species dependent upon Great Lakes fish, and
      extrabasin bald eagle populations dependent upon contaminated fish, provide
      consistency to the argument. The mechanism of action of the organochlorine
      chemicals further strengthens the causal argument indicting DDT, DDE, and PCBs. A
      strong association between DDT/DDE and bald eagle reproductive success is
      provided. However, the role of PCBs is not ruled out. Only data for total PCB
      concentrations in bald eagle tissue are available, and until specific PCB
      congeners are quantified there will be uncertainty concerning PCB's role in the
      Great Lakes bald eagle's lack of success.

PMID- 1875430
TI  - Great Lakes embryo mortality, edema, and deformities syndrome (GLEMEDS) in
      colonial fish-eating birds: similarity to chick-edema disease.
AB  - Several species of colonial fish-eating birds nesting in the Great Lakes basin,
      including herring gulls, common terns and double-crested cormorants, have
      exhibited chronic impairment of reproduction. In addition to eggshell thinning
      caused by high levels of DDT and metabolites, the reproductive impairment is
      characterized by high embryonic and chick mortality, edema, growth retardation,
      and deformities, hence the name Great Lakes embryo mortality, edema, and
      deformities syndrome (GLEMEDS). The hypothesis has been advanced that GLEMEDS in
      colonial fish-eating birds resembles chick-edema disease of poultry and has been
      caused by exposure to chick-edema active compounds that have a common mode of
      action through the cytochrome P-448 system. Detailed evidence has been collected
      from the following three groups of studies on herring gulls in the lower Great
      Lakes during the early 1970s; Forster's terns in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1983;
      and double-crested cormorants and Caspian terns in various locations in the upper
      Great Lakes from 1986 onwards. It has proved difficult to establish not only the
      onset of the disease in the various species at various locations but also the
      period in which chick-edema active compounds were released. Anecdotal evidence
      suggested that serious egg mortality in Lake Ontario herring gulls first occurred
      in 1966, through the signs of chick-edema disease were not looked for until 1974.
      Only indirect evidence is available on the date of the release of one of the
      presumed causal agents, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, but highest levels
      may have occurred in the early to mid 1960s. More reliable data show that the
      onset of the improvement of reproduction of Lake Ontario herring gulls coincided
      with the declines in organochlorine compounds and particularly 2,3,7,8-TCDD and
      PCB. Similarly, information on the onset of the disease and exposures in the
      Forster's tern and double-crested cormorants in Green Bay is uncertain but bird
      banders did not observe deformities until the 1970s, which corresponds with the
      onset of high levels of PCB. If the disappearance of the Caspian tern from
      Saginaw Bay in the mid 1960s corresponds with the onset of GLEMEDS at that
      location, then there is a close temporal relationship to the onset of high PCB
      levels. Chick-edema disease is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific
      lesion, but rather there is a suite of lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1875431
TI  - Profound hypothermia (less than 10 degrees C) compared with deep hypothermia (15
      degrees C) improves neurologic outcome in dogs after two hours' circulatory
      arrest induced to enable resuscitative surgery.
AB  - Deaths from uncontrollable hemorrhage might be prevented by arresting the
      circulation under protective hypothermia to allow resuscitative surgery to repair
      these injuries in a bloodless field. We have shown previously that in hemorrhagic
      shock, circulatory arrest of 60 minutes under deep hypothermia (tympanic membrane
      temperature, Ttm = 15 degrees C) was the maximum duration of arrest that allowed
      normal brain recovery. We hypothesize that profound cerebral hypothermia (Ttm
      less than 10 degrees C) could extend the duration of safe circulatory arrest. In
      pilot experiments, we found that the cardiopulmonary system did not tolerate
      arrest at a core (esophageal) temperature (Tes) of less than 10 degrees C. Twenty
      two dogs underwent 30-minute hemorrhagic shock (mean arterial pressure 40 mm Hg),
      rapid cooling by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), blood washout to a hematocrit of
      less than 10%, and circulatory arrest of 2 hours. In deep hypothermia group 1 (n
      = 10), Ttm was maintained at 15 degrees C during arrest. In profound hypothermia
      group 2 (n = 12), during cooling with CPB, the head was immersed in ice water,
      which decreased Ttm to 4 degrees-7 degrees C. The Tes was 10 degrees C in all
      dogs during arrest. Reperfusion and rewarming were by CPB for 2 hours. Controlled
      ventilation was to 24 hours, intensive care to 72 hours. In the 20 dogs that
      followed protocol, best neurologic deficit scores (0% = normal, 100% = brain
      death) at 24-72 hours were 23% +/- 19% in group 1 and 12% +/- 8% in group 2 (p =
      0.15). Overall performance categories and histologic damage scores were
      significantly better in group 2 (p = 0.04 and p less than 0.001, respectively).
      We conclude that profound cerebral hypothermia with CPB plus ice water immersion
      of the head can extend the brain's tolerance of therapeutic circulatory arrest
      beyond that achieved with deep hypothermia.

PMID- 1875432
TI  - Experimental hemorrhage and blunt trauma do not increase circulating tumor
      necrosis factor.
AB  - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a potent cytokine mediator of the shock states
      associated with sepsis and burn injury. This experimental study was done to
      determine whether circulating TNF plays a major role in the vasomotor collapse
      seen following experimental hemorrhage and blunt injury. Twenty anesthetized pigs
      were divided into two groups. Ten animals were bled 60% of their calculated blood
      volume in 15 minutes. Animals in Group IA (n = 5) had no treatment, and Group IB
      animals (n = 5) were given twice the shed volume as crystalloid 30 minutes after
      hemorrhage. The other animals, groups IIa and IIb (n = 5 each), were first
      subjected to a blunt injury to the thigh sufficient to cause a midshaft femur
      fracture, then bled and similarly treated. In both groups, mean arterial pressure
      (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and serum TNF activity by L929 bioassay were measured
      at 15-minute intervals for 120 minutes after hemorrhage or hemorrhage and blunt
      injury. An additional three animals were infused with 4 x 10(8)/kg heat-killed E.
      coli to validate the TNF assay. All bled animals sustained a fall in MAP and CO
      to a mean of 33% of baseline values, with or without fracture. Group IB and IIB
      animals responded to fluid resuscitation by restoration of MAP and CO to 85%-97%
      of the baseline values. Tumor necrosis factor was not detectable before injury
      and remained undetectable in all these animals during the 120 minutes of the
      experiment despite hemorrhage alone or combined hemorrhage and blunt trauma, with
      or without fluid resuscitation. The test animals receiving the E. coli responded
      with markedly elevated TNF levels, which peaked at 90 minutes after
      injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875433
TI  - "Directed" emergency room thoracotomy: a prognostic prerequisite for survival.
AB  - The results of 163 patients (49 SWs, 85 GSWs, 29 blunt trauma) who had
      resuscitative thoracotomy in the emergency room (ERT) were reviewed to reassess
      the indications for the procedure. The Revised Trauma Score (RTS) of the patients
      ranged from 0 to 3 in 138, 4 to 8 in 21, and greater than 8 in four. No patient
      with blunt trauma survived. Sixteen patients [12 (24.5%) with stab wounds and 4
      (4.7%) with gunshot wounds] were eventually discharged, an overall survival of
      9.8%. Eight of the survivors were without vital signs on arrival at the emergency
      center and one of them had only signs of life at the scene. Survival was best
      when the site of penetration was thoracic (n = 84) and the ERT was "directed" at
      potential cardiac injury. Fifty-six of these patients (66.6%) did have cardiac
      wounds with tamponade and 12 of them survived (21.4%). Two of the remaining 28
      patients, both with pulmonary injury, were salvaged. This was significantly (p
      less than 0.001) higher than in patients with head and neck (n = 4), abdominal (n
      = 19), or multiple site (n = 40) injury when the ERT was nondirected. Two of the
      five patients (40%) with extremity vascular injuries survived after ERT was
      successful in restoring a cardiac rhythm. These data suggest that in patients
      without vital signs, ERT "directed" at potential cardiac injury based on thoracic
      penetration is an important prognostic prerequisite for survival. Emergency room
      thoracotomy is not beneficial in blunt trauma and its role in penetrating
      abdominal injuries remains unproven.

PMID- 1875434
TI  - Bacterial translocation in trauma patients.
AB  - Sepsis and multiple system organ failure (MSOF) are major causes of morbidity and
      mortality in trauma patients. Bacterial translocation induced by hypotension,
      endotoxemia, or burns is a reproducible phenomenon in the laboratory. The
      incidence of bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) in 29
      critically ill patients was evaluated to determine its relationship to subsequent
      sepsis and MSOF. Bacterial translocation was documented in 3 of 4 patients who
      underwent laparotomy for gastrointestinal (GI) disease. No trauma patient (25
      patients), even at second exploration 3-5 days after injury, had a positive MLN
      culture. Five patients died; 4 trauma patients, one with GI disease. Forty
      percent of the trauma patients had major complications, predominantly pulmonary
      infections with gram-negative bacteria. However, infectious complications and
      outcome were not related to MLN culture results. The classical progression of
      bacteria from the gut to the bloodstream via the MLNs may require time and gut
      mucosal injury. The data suggest that bacterial translocation to the MLNs is not
      a common occurrence in acutely injured trauma patients.

PMID- 1875435
TI  - Severely injured geriatric patients return to independent living: a study of
      factors influencing function and independence.
AB  - Our previous work demonstrated that geriatric trauma patients (age greater than
      65 years) consume disproportionate amounts of health care resources. In the past
      we hypothesized that late mortality is high, long-term outcome is poor, and
      return to independence is low in a severely injured geriatric population. Of
      6,480 trauma admissions over 5 years, geriatric patients (n = 495) with blunt
      trauma injury (n = 421) and an ISS greater than 16 (n = 105) who survived until
      discharge (n = 61) underwent long-term follow-up (mean = 2.82 years). We surveyed
      20 measures of functional ability; 10 measures of independence; availability and
      use of rehabilitation resources; employment history; alcohol use; support
      systems; and nursing home requirements. Of the 105 patients, 7 were subsequently
      lost to follow-up. Among the remaining 98, 44 (44.9%) died in hospital and 54
      (55.1%) were discharged and interviewed. The mean age of the contacted patients
      was 72.6; their mean ISS was 23.3. Forty eight of 54 (88.9%) were alive at the
      time of interview, while 6/54 (11.1%) had died. Although only 8/48 patients
      regained their preinjury level of function, 32/48 (67%) returned to independent
      living. The 32 independent patients, those with "acceptable" outcome, were
      compared with an "unacceptable" outcome group composed of the 44 in-hospital
      deaths, the 6 late deaths, and the 16 dependent patients. Factors associated with
      poor outcome include a GCS score less than or equal to (p = 0.001), age greater
      than or equal to 75 (p = 0.004), shock upon admission (p = 0.014), presence of
      head injury (p = 0.03), and sepsis (p = 0.03).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875436
TI  - Total mesh wrapping for parenchymal liver injuries--a combined experimental and
      clinical study.
AB  - This study examined a mesh wrap technique that provides effective hepatic
      tamponade and clinical experience with the technique in 6 patients is reported.
      Technical feasibility and effectiveness were investigated in 8 miniature swine.
      The animals were divided into two groups: group A (n = 4), control animals;
      stellate liver lacerations without mesh wrap or other measures for hemostasis,
      and group B (n = 4); stellate liver laceration with synthetic absorbable mesh
      wrap applied for hepatic hemostasis. Except for mesh application, all variables
      were held constant for both groups. All animals in the control group died within
      20 to 120 minutes (mean: 65 minutes). All animals in group B survived (p =
      0.029). The livers were harvested for gross and microscopic examinations. No
      abscess, bile leak, or hematoma was noted. Clinically, total mesh wrapping was
      attempted in 6 patients with blunt exsanguinating liver injuries. The technique
      failed intraoperatively in two patients with juxtacaval lacerations and hepatic
      vein avulsion injuries. One patient with a bilobar gunshot wound died later of
      sepsis. In three patients with bursting injuries, the technique successfully
      controlled bleeding and resulted in long-term survival. In conclusion, the total
      hepatic mesh wrap (1) is geometrically, technically, and mechanically feasible,
      (2) was not associated with complications in this series, and (3) can effectively
      secure hemostasis following parenchymal liver injury.

PMID- 1875437
TI  - Child pedestrian injury: a population-based collision and injury severity
      profile.
AB  - Linked multiple data sources were analyzed to provide a population-based
      collision and injury severity profile among pedestrians under 20 years of age
      struck by a motor vehicle during 1986-1987 in Hartford, Connecticut. Data sources
      included police accident reports, medical examiner records, and hospital charts.
      There were 234 motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions reported to the police in the
      study period. Of these, 213 were Hartford residents resulting in an annual age
      specific pedestrian collision rate of 22.8 per 10,000 persons. A spot map of
      collision location reveals several well-defined geographic areas, which includes
      nearly half (45%) of the motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions. We reviewed 143 of
      192 medical charts (75%) and 6 medical examiner records. The case fatality rate
      was 4.2% and the mean Injury Severity Score was 4.4. These findings will be
      useful for designing, implementing, and evaluating a targeted child pedestrian
      safety program.

PMID- 1875438
TI  - Cardiac output measurement in critical care patients: Thoracic Electrical
      Bioimpedance versus thermodilution.
AB  - Thoracic Electrical Bioimpedance (TEB) is a method for measuring cardiac
      performance which is noninvasive, continuous, has minimal technical requirements,
      and no patient risk. We used a commercially available TEB device to measure
      cardiac output in patients with thermodilution catheters in place. We compared
      the cardiac output measurements for the two modalities. We also compared the
      average hospital cost for initial cardiac assessment using the two techniques.
      The mean difference between the two cardiac output measurements was small (0.23
      +/- 0.56) and not affected by the magnitude of the cardiac output readings. There
      was a strong correlation between COTD and COTEB (r = 0.91) and the regression
      slope was 0.91 with a Y intercept of 0.76. Cost analysis demonstrated that the
      use of TEB was approximately $600 less than thermodilution. Thoracic electrical
      bioimpedance measurement of cardiac output may offer a valuable alternative to
      the invasive measurement of the thermodilution catheter.

PMID- 1875439
TI  - EAST issues seminar: the education of the trauma surgeon in the 21st century.

PMID- 1875440
TI  - Defining the major trauma patient and trauma severity.
AB  - Criteria for defining the major trauma patient have been specified by physicians
      using Injury Patient Management Categories (PMCs), a computerized classification
      that can be used effectively with routinely collected discharge abstract data
      from non-trauma center hospitals as well as trauma centers. These criteria for
      major trauma not only include the more severe and complex single injuries, but
      also include criteria for identifying combinations of injuries that require
      tertiary level care. Major trauma patients identified as tertiary using PMCs are
      compared with existing and frequently used measures of injury severity such as
      AIS and ISS. Analyses suggest that the Injury PMCs identify major trauma patients
      accurately and more specifically than other indicators of severity that are
      commonly used. In addition, unlike other measures that are generally limited to
      registries, PMC tertiary patient criteria differentiate major trauma patients at
      both trauma centers and non-trauma centers without additional data collection.
      Using this method thus facilitates trauma systems evaluation and patient outcome
      assessment.

PMID- 1875441
TI  - A randomized trial of replacement antioxidant vitamin therapy for neutrophil
      locomotory dysfunction in blunt trauma.
AB  - Studies in patients with serious trauma indicate that the observed neutrophil
      (PMN) locomotory dysfunction is partly the result of auto-oxidation as shown by
      evidence of preactivation, diminished reducing capacity, and low serum and
      cellular ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol. To investigate whether replacement
      of the antioxidant vitamins ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol can improve the
      PMN locomotory defect, ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and alpha
      tocopherol, or placebo was administered to a total of 46 victims of blunt trauma.
      PMN locomotion was quantitated using a micropore filter assay. Locomotion data
      were analyzed by repeated measures analysis with a split plot design and data for
      days 2-6 after injury were compared. Compared with placebo, the antioxidants
      improved PMN locomotion. The mean differences in distance migrated (treated minus
      placebo) were ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol = 11.3 +/- 3.0 microns (one
      tailed p = 0.001) (mean +/- SE); ascorbic acid = 4.7 +/- 3.4 microns (p = 0.19);
      and alpha-tocopherol = 3.3 +/- 2.9 microns (p = 0.27). Although both antioxidants
      given together produced the best results, a plot of the 95% confidence intervals
      indicates that ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol, either given alone, were also
      better than placebo. We conclude that antioxidant replacement therapy
      significantly improves the PMN locomotory abnormality in blunt trauma.

PMID- 1875442
TI  - Continuous arteriovenous rewarming: report of a new technique for treating
      hypothermia.
AB  - Survival is rare after major trauma if core temperature falls below 32 degrees C.
      Available rewarming methods are often ineffective. We utilized arterial and
      venous catheters to create a circulatory fistula through the heating mechanism of
      a modified commercially available counter-current fluid warmer to achieve simple,
      rapid extracorporeal rewarming.

PMID- 1875443
TI  - The autotransfusion effect of external leg counterpressure in simulated mild
      hypovolemia.
AB  - We examined the cardiovascular response of external leg counterpressure in
      healthy volunteers at 100 mm Hg compression pressure. To stimulate mild
      hypovolemia, measurements were made with the subjects in a 60 degrees head-up
      tilt position. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and cardiac output
      (CO) were calculated from two-dimensional echocardiography. Flow through the
      inferior vena cava (IVC) below the origin of the hepatic veins was determined by
      the Doppler ultrasound technique. The application of counterpressure
      significantly increased LVEDV, CO, and arterial blood pressure over that seen
      with tilting without the device. These responses were accompanied by a small but
      significant increase in IVC flow. We therefore concluded that external leg
      counterpressure transferred blood to the central circulation by compression of
      the venous capacitance vessels (an autotransfusion effect) in mild hypovolemia,
      but such an effect may not benefit patients in a hypovolemic shock state because
      of the small amount of translocated blood.

PMID- 1875444
TI  - Predictors of abdominal injury in children with pelvic fracture.
AB  - During a 48-month period, 2,248 children (aged less than 15 years) were
      consecutively admitted to a regional pediatric trauma center with blunt trauma
      (ICD-9-CM code greater than or equal to 800). Fifty-four children (2.4%) had
      injury to the pelvic circle, as diagnosed by radiographic examination; 13 of
      these children had concomitant abdominal or genitourinary (GU) injury.
      Contingency table analysis and stepwise logistic regression were used to
      determine the best predictors of abdominal injury. The mean age of the children
      was 8.6 years. Eighty-nine percent of the injuries were motor-vehicle related
      (59% pedestrian; 30% crash occupant). Nine children (17%) required transfusions
      of packed red blood cells; 9 children (17%) required surgery. There were 6 deaths
      in this group, a mortality rate of 11.1%. The most common fracture sites in the
      pelvis were the pubic rami (59%), ilium or pelvic rim (17%), and the sacrum (6%).
      Ten children (19%) had multiple pelvic fractures. Location of fracture was
      strongly associated with the probability of abdominal injury: 80% of children
      with multiple pelvic fractures had concomitant abdominal or GU injury, compared
      with 33% with fracture of the ilium or pelvic rim, and 6% with isolated pubic
      fractures (p less than 0.001). The variables that best predicted abdominal or GU
      injury using a backward-elimination, stepwise logistic model were the presence of
      multiple pelvic fractures (p less than 0.002) and unweighted Revised Trauma Score
      (p less than 0.05); age of child, systolic blood pressure, respiration rate,
      Glasgow Coma Scale score, and mechanism of injury were not predictive.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875445
TI  - Superselective embolization of superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysms following
      intramuscular injection: case report.
AB  - Two bleeding superior gluteal artery pseudoaneurysms occurred in a patient with
      advanced malignant disease following an intramuscular injection. This was
      diagnosed by angiography and successfully managed by superselective embolization.
      This avoided further surgery and no additional complication from the
      pseudoaneurysm occurred up to the time of the patient's demise.

PMID- 1875446
TI  - An experimental study of lung lesions caused by extracellular enzyme of
      Streptomyces thermohygroscopicus.
AB  - Rabbits and rats were infected intratracheally with extracellular enzyme of
      Streptomyces thermohygroscopicus (H9-4) by only one exposure, and lesions of the
      lung developed including mononuclear macrophage infiltration as well as
      bronchitis and vasculitis. The obvious damages in type I pneumocytes, endothelial
      cells of capillaries and arterioles in the lung were observed by electron
      microscopy. Immunofluorescent histochemistry examination revealed exudation of
      plasma fibronectin which might play an important role during the process of
      lesion repairing in lung. The experiment also confirmed that extracellular enzyme
      of Streptomyces thermohygroscopicus might directly damage the lung tissue. These
      experimental data may serve as valuable reference for studying the etiology and
      pathogenesis of farmer's lung disease.

PMID- 1875447
TI  - Noninvasive diagnosis of latent pulmonary hypertension in COPD by exercise-load
      impedance rheopneumogram: a comparative study with right heart catheterization.
AB  - Impedance rheopneumogram (IRP) and right heart Swan-Ganz catheter examinations
      were simultaneously carried out in 63 patients. Two equations for calculating
      after-exercise-pulmonary-pressure (PAPm) were obtained by stepwise regression
      analysis: 1) PAPm (kPa) = -1.40-0.88.InHs+8.30.(B-F)+5.78.Q-B/B-Y (r = 0.730, IRP
      is measured at rest); 2) PAPm(kPa) = 6.46-5.04.Hs/square root of R-R +4.35.Q-B/B
      Y-19.34.(Q-C) (r = 0.648, IRP is measured after exercise). This is a new method
      for diagnosing latent pulmonary hypertension noninvasively.

PMID- 1875448
TI  - Effects of benzyltetrahydropalmatine on delayed after depolarization and
      triggered activity and on His-bundle electrogram and ECG in animal experiment.
AB  - Standard microelectrode techniques were used to study the effects of
      benzyltetrahydropalmatine (BTHP) on ouabain-induced delayed after depolarization
      (DAD) and triggered activity in isolated guinea papillary muscles. The results
      indicate that ouabain-induced DAD and triggered activity were abolished by BTHP
      100 mumol/L. In anesthetized rabbit ECG heart rate was reduced in a dose
      dependent manner from control value of 288 +/- 14 to 261 +/- 14 (BTHP 5 mg/kg)
      and 226 +/- 36 bpm (BTHP 10 mg/kg). P-R interval was prolonged. In His-bundle
      electrogram, H-V interval and V duration were not affected, but A-H interval was
      prolonged from 41 +/- 3 to 45 +/- 5 ms.

PMID- 1875449
TI  - Effect of central RAS on one-kidney Grollman hypertension in rats and its
      mechanism.
AB  - The effect of central renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on one-kidney Grollman
      hypertension during the maintaining phase and its mechanism were investigated in
      rats. The arterial blood pressure (ABP) and the content of angiotensin II (A II)
      and norepinephrine (NE) in brain regions was measured respectively. 4 weeks after
      operation the ABP was elevated significantly, and it sustained at high level 8
      weeks post-operatively. However, ABP in the control group underwent no
      significant changes at the same period. The A II and the NE content in the brain
      regions of the operated group were significantly higher than in those of the age
      matched control group. During the maintaining phase of hypertension captopril
      (150 micrograms/10 microliters) was injected into the lateral cerebroventricle at
      0.5 h, 1.0 h and 1.5 h respectively, and ABP and content of A II and NE were
      determined at the corresponding time. The results showed that the above three
      parameters decreased consistently at 0.5 h and 1.0 h, and increased gradually at
      1.5 h, suggesting that the central RAS might play an important role in the
      maintaining phase of one-kidney Grollman hypertension in rats.

PMID- 1875450
TI  - The effects of the combination of phentolamine and vasopressin on hepatic and
      systemic hemodynamics in cirrhotic portal hypertensive dog model.
AB  - The experimental study was aimed at elucidating the effects of phentolamine and
      vasopressin used separately or in combination on hepatic and systemic
      hemodynamics in cirrhotic portal hypertensive dogs. The results showed that
      either of the two drugs used separately could lead to reduction in portal venous
      pressure and could also influence systemic hemodynamics or lower hepatic blood
      flow. When phentolamine in combination with vasopressin was administered, no side
      effect could be found on hepatic and systemic hemodynamics, suggesting that the
      drugs used in combination could efficaciously decrease portal hypertension and
      counteract their respective side-effect. This combination therapy will be useful
      in treating bleeding from esophageal variceal rupture in cirrhotic patients with
      portal hypertension.

PMID- 1875451
TI  - Relationship of VLDL receptor and LPL in metabolism of VLDL by macrophage.
AB  - Macrophages were incubated with 125I-VLDL for 5 h in presence or absence of
      lipoprotein lipase (LPL) inhibitor, benzene boronic acid (BBA). Both the uptake
      and degradation of 125I-VLDL by macrophages were saturable, and the uptake and
      degradation curves were virtually identical. When macrophages were incubated with
      125I-VLDL for 10 h in presence of BBA, the uptake and degradation of 125I-VLDL
      were still saturable. However, in absence of BBA, the uptake and degradation were
      no longer saturable. The results suggest that with macrophages incubated with
      VLDL for a shorter period, VLDL was taken up predominantly via receptor pathway,
      with a longer period of incubation, LPL played a striking role in uptake of VLDL.

PMID- 1875452
TI  - Skin-visceral divergent projection of cholecystokinin-containing dorsal root
      ganglion neurons: a tri-labelling study with fluorescent tracers and
      immunohistochemistry.
AB  - Skin-visceral divergent projections of cholecystokinin (CCK)-containing dorsal
      root ganglion neurons were studied by combined technique of fluorescent double
      labelling and immunohistochemistry. Fast blue (FB) and nuclear yellow (NY) were
      injected into the coeliac ganglion and the cutaneous branches of left 9th-11th
      intercostal nerves, respectively. Three kinds of neurons labelled with
      fluorescein were observed in T9-11 dorsal root ganglia: FB-labelled neurons with
      blue-fluorescent cytoplasm; NY-labelled neurons with yellow-fluorescent nucleus
      and double-labelled neurons with blue cytoplasm and yellow nucleus. The double
      labelled neurons were found to account for 2.8% of total labelled neurons. The
      sections containing neurons labelled with fluorescein were stained by CCK
      immunohistochemical procedure. Four kinds of neurons could be identified: NY
      neurons with CCK-immunoreactivity (NY+CCK); FB-neurons with CCK-immunoreactivity
      (FB+CCK); NY+FB neurons with CCK-immunoreactivity (NY+FB+CCK); and neurons only
      CCK-positive. NY+FB+CCK tri-labelled neurons accounted for approximately 11.5% of
      NY+FB double-labelled neurons, and for 0.4% of all CCK-positive neurons. The
      findings clearly indicated that the peripheral processes of some sensory dorsal
      root ganglion neurons divergently project to both skin and visceral structure and
      contain CCK.

PMID- 1875453
TI  - Simultaneous pancreaticoduodenal and renal transplantation in one diabetic
      patient with end-stage renal disease.
AB  - The diabetic patient with renal failure underwent simultaneous
      pancreaticoduodenal and renal transplantation. Duodeno-cystostomy was performed
      for the drainage of exocrine secretion. Immediately after grafting, the
      pancreatic and the renal graft regained normal function, and there was no
      operative complication whatever. The patient had functioning pancreatic graft and
      became insulin-independent for more than 3 months, although two transplanted
      kidneys were rejected. Immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine A,
      azathioprine and prednisone. Our results suggest that hemorrheological parameters
      may serve as early indicators of acute rejection and be used to estimate the
      efficacy of anti-rejection and anti-coagulation therapy.

PMID- 1875454
TI  - Information medicine and its primary functions of exploitation of medical
      resources.
AB  - The aim of this paper is to continue the discussion on the defects of the
      structures of medical resources and their applicability at the present time, and
      then to design the qualitative networklike subsystem of the new research
      Quantitatively Medicine Simulating and Operating by Computer (QMSOC) and a five
      library model of the new knowledge-base of QMSOC. Finally, a set of results from
      the primary functions of exploitation of pancreas-glucagon-insulin information by
      QMSOC are presented.

PMID- 1875455
TI  - Effects of cigarette smoking, hypoxia and vasoactive mediators on the production
      of PGI2 and TXA2 in cultured pulmonary artery endothelial cells.
AB  - Effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and some vasoactive mediators on the
      production of PGI2 and TXA2 in normoxic and hypoxic pulmonary artery endothelial
      cells (PAECs) in culture were studied. The production of PGI2 in PAECs was
      inhibited by hypoxia or verapamil, but promoted by angiotensin II (A II),
      noradrenaline (NE) or platelet activating factor (PAF), while that of TXA2
      slightly increased except when treated with PAF. The effect of AII, NE, PAF and
      verapamil, however, was not influenced by hypoxia. CSE inhibited the production
      of PGI2 in normoxic PAECs but did not further reduce 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in hypoxic
      PAECs medium. The results suggest that a) the production of PGI2 during hypoxia
      might be stimulated by vasoactive mediators produced during hypoxia, not by
      hypoxia directly; b) the production and release of PGI2 were related to
      intracellular calcium; c) the augmented production of PGI2 might be one of the
      mechanisms in the pulmonary vasodilating role of PAF; and d) prostaglandin
      production might be associated with the alteration of hypoxic pulmonary
      vasoreactivity after cigarette smoking.

PMID- 1875456
TI  - [Effects of family medicine education on medical students' attitudes].
AB  - Undergraduate education is considered to be one of the main contributory factors
      for the development of family medicine through increasing the number of medical
      graduates opting for a career in family practice. To evaluate the effects of
      family medicine education on student's attitudes, 140 fifth year medical students
      were asked in 1989 to fill in a questionnaire both before and after their
      curricula. The average age of the 123 students who completed the questionnaire on
      both occasions was 24.9 years; 106 were males; 17 were tuition free and 26 took
      additional family medicine clerkships. On aggregate, the students' disposition
      toward family medicine before their curricula appeared to be uncertain. Mean
      scores on the attitude scale did not significantly differ between socioeconomic
      subgroups before the curricula. After the curricula, students' attitudes were
      significantly altered, especially toward the future development of family
      medicine in Taiwan. However, their disposition toward family practice as a career
      changed the least. The degree of alteration in students' attitude toward family
      medicine before and after the curricula was related to the intensity of the
      course and to their socioeconomic backgrounds.

PMID- 1875457
TI  - Intramuscular-injection-associated gluteal fibrotic contracture and hepatitis B
      virus infection among school children.
AB  - A case control study was carried out to determine the exposure factors of gluteal
      fibrotic contracture (GFC). Sixty two school children were taken as the case
      group and were matched for sex, age and village of residence with 62 of their
      classmates constituting the control group. It was found that all 62 members of
      the case group had received intramuscular (IM) injections at some time prior to
      the onset of GFC, while only 57 of the control group had received IM injections.
      This difference is a statistically significant (p = 0.029). Injection sites on
      both buttocks were higher in the case group than among the controls. The odds
      ratio for the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) in the case group
      as compared to the control group was 3.0 (95% CI 1.1-7.8). A trend correlation
      was found between the annual frequency of IM injection, GFC and HBV infection. We
      concluded that IM injections played an important role in GFC and added to the
      risk of HBV infection, because they had been administered by improperly
      sterilized reusable syringes in an area where both GFC and HBV infections were
      prevalent and IM injection was common.

PMID- 1875458
TI  - Primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
AB  - From Oct. 1982 to Sep. 1990, 450 cases of tissue proven carcinoma of the
      esophagus were treated at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, seven of these were
      primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, but only two had been diagnosed pre
      operatively (by endoscopy). Most primary lesions may have originated from the
      submucosal gland of esophagus. The pathological characteristics included
      submucosal tumor infiltration without dysplasia of epithelium around the tumor
      margin and absence of Barrentt's epithelium. Five of the seven patients received
      surgical resection and four patients showed negative lymph node metastasis. Three
      of the node negative patients are still alive 23, 29 and 58 months after the
      operation. Thus long term survival may be expected after surgical resection in
      node negative primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

PMID- 1875459
TI  - [Diabetic foot infections: a preliminary report].
AB  - Foot infection is a common cause of hospitalization for diabetic patients. Our
      study aimed to analyze patients' age, sex, the primary sites of infection,
      presenting features, outcome, bacteriologic studies and their clinical
      significance in diabetic foot infections. The age of our diabetic patients with
      foot infections ranged from 43 to 82 years, with a mean of 62.5 years; fifty-two
      of them were males and twenty-eight were females. The male to female ratio was
      1.9:1, but there was no statistically significant difference between the sexes (p
      greater than 0.05). The commonest age group was the seventh decade of life
      (47.5%), followed by the sixth decade (32.5%). The commonest primary site of
      infection was the toes (53.8%), followed by foot area other than toe (25%) and
      the leg area was the least frequent (21.2%). Cellulitis combined with other foot
      lesions presented in 78.8% of these patients, foot ulcers in 75% of them,
      gangrenous change in 68%, necrotizing cellulitis or fasciitis in 16.3%, abscess
      formation in 12.5% and osteomyelitis in 7.5%. The legs were amputated in 53
      patients (66.3%), usually below the knee (in 47.5%). We found that patients with
      a long history of DM had statistically significantly higher rate of amputation (p
      less than 0.01) than patients with only a brief history. Bacterial cultures from
      the infected foot lesions yielded numerous organisms in 58.8% of cases and a
      single organism in 31.1% of cases. Proteus mirabilis was the commonest organism
      isolated, followed by E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The commonest month of the
      onset of diabetic foot infection was January, followed by February.

PMID- 1875460
TI  - Insulinoma: a case report.
AB  - Insulinoma is a rare disease, which frequently causes hypoglycemic symptoms and
      signs or even shock. However, other diseases that produce similar symptoms and
      signs should firstly be ruled out. We describe a 63 years old male veteran who
      suffered from repeated episodes of seizure and conscious disturbance upon
      fasting, on and off for 8 years. Serial examinations led to the suspicion that
      this might be a case of insulinoma; the suspicion was later confirmed by
      pathologic examination after the tumor had been excised, and his problems
      disappeared. After six years, a follow-up examination showed that his condition
      was still stable.

PMID- 1875461
TI  - Dilaceration of a central incisor with iatrogenic root perforation--a case
      report.
AB  - Dilacerated tooth is caused by disruption of the follicle of the developing tooth
      secondary to traumatic injury of its deciduous predecessor. This case presented a
      dilacerated permanent maxillary incisor which was perforated in root canal at
      buccal side by general practitioner and treated successfully by conservative
      endodontic therapy.

PMID- 1875462
TI  - [Acetabular roof reconstruction with femoral head bone-graft for severe
      acetabular deficiency in total hip replacement].
AB  - From July 1984 to September 1989 at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, 14
      patients (15 hips) received femoral head bone-grafting by modified Harris method
      as a part of their total hip replacement for acetabular bony deficiencies. They
      were followed up for an average of 31.7 months (range from 7 to 66 months). The
      clinical results were classified as excellent (58.3%) and good (41.7%) by Harris
      hip scoring system. All the grafts presented as "solid incorporation" with the
      pelvic wall and only one of the grafts was assessed to be "definite resorption"
      (volume reduction greater than 50%) by radiologic study. The "biologic viability"
      of these grafts were proved to be positive by scintigraphy in three-dimensional
      technique (SPECT). According to our limited experience and primary follow-up
      studies, we found that good clinical results depend on ideal positioning of the
      acetabular component in the true acetabulum and femoral head bone-grafting is an
      ideal procedure for the reconstruction of severe acetabular dysplasia in total
      hip arthroplasty.

PMID- 1875463
TI  - [Evaluation of urinary polyamines in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
AB  - A new and simple enzymatic assay utilizing an acylpolyamine amidohydrolase and
      putrescine oxidase was adopted for measuring urinary polyamines (U-Pa). Serum
      carcinoembryonic antigen (S-CEA) was determined for comparison. The study
      population consisted of patients with pathologically proven nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma (NPC) who were referred to Kaohsiung Medical College Hospital. We found
      that polyamine levels were markedly elevated during radiotherapy but declined
      when the treatment was completed. Thus mean polyamines and the positive rate of
      polyamine elevation was higher in patients suffering from an active stage of the
      disease than in patients whose cancer had stabilized. However, the level of
      carcinoembryonic antigen was not elevated whilst undergoing radiotherapy.
      Therefore, routine measurement of polyamine levels may have a clinical utility in
      monitoring the disease state of the tumor. However, the low sensitivity of U-Pa
      test (22%) precludes its use as an effective screening method for this condition.
      Nevertheless, because of its simplicity, convenience and rapidity for monitoring
      NPC, U-Pa test should be considered a valuable tool in the clinical investigation
      of NPC patients.

PMID- 1875464
TI  - Clinical experience in threaded-in cup acetabuloplasty.
AB  - By utilizing torque and compression to gain purchase of the acetabular cup into
      the bony margin of the acetabulum, the concept of threaded-in acetabular implant
      is attractive. However, controversies about long term fixation have recently
      arisen. From July 1985 to June 1989, 37 cases (42 hips) were treated with Mecron
      hemispheric self-tapering threaded-in acetabular cup. With a minimum
      postoperative period of 2 years, 29 cases (32 hips) were followed up clinically
      and roentgenographically for an average of 39 months. Among these THRs, 15
      operations (47%) were performed primarily and 17 operations (53%) were performed
      as revisional arthroplasty. Of the 15 primary THRs, 10 hips were operations for
      osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The success rate in the primary group was 87%,
      and 59% in the revisional group. In our experience, the Mecron threaded-in cup
      has been associated with a relatively high rate of failure. However, the high
      percentage of revisional surgeries and osteonecrotic cases in this study may be
      factors determining the poor results.

PMID- 1875465
TI  - [Combined CA-125 test and ultrasonography in the presurgical evaluation of
      ovarian mass].
AB  - Clinicians are urgently searching for ways of differentiating a malignant from a
      benign ovarian mass. How to approach or what is the prognosis? Some have shown
      the CA-125 test combined with ultrasonography to be highly sensitive and
      specific, when compared to single parameter. We examined 238 patients who
      underwent laparotomy for adnexal mass. Of these 44 were found to suffer from
      malignant tumors and 194 from benign lesions. Before the operation, CA-125 level
      was measured; pelvic ultrasonography was performed on each patient and the
      sonographic data were evaluated on an echostructural scoring system. After a
      sophisticated computer assisted analysis, the results of the combined tests were
      CA-125 greater than or equal to 65 U/ml or US score greater than or equal to 8
      with a sensitivity of 77.3%, a specificity of 81.4% and a diagnostic accuracy of
      80.7%. Therefore we confirm that CA-125 may be considered as a useful adjunct to
      sonography in the differential diagnosis of adnexal mass.

PMID- 1875466
TI  - Renal oncocytoma: report of two cases and review of literature.
AB  - Renal oncocytoma was previously reported as a benign tumor arising from proximal
      tubular epithelial cells, but malignant potential with local invasion and distant
      metastasis has been emphasized in recent literature. It is difficult to
      differentiate it from renal cell carcinoma, but four typical angiographical signs
      may give suggestive evidence of the tumor. Radical nephrectomy with
      lymphadenectomy may be the choice of treatment, except in solitary kidney,
      bilateral tumors, or contralateral renal cell carcinoma. We report two female
      patients who were found incidentally to have renal tumors during a survey of
      right upper quadrant pain. Typical angiographic signs were found incidentally to
      have renal tumors during a survey of right upper quadrant pain. Typical
      angiographic signs were found in one patient, and atypical signs in the other.
      Three and eight years after radical nephrectomy with para-aortic lymphadenectomy,
      there has been no evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis.

PMID- 1875467
TI  - Primary retroperitoneal sarcomas--a report of 16 cases.
AB  - From November 1982 to August 1990, 16 patients with primary retroperitoneal
      sarcoma were treated in our hospital. The most frequent types of tumor were
      liposarcoma (6), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (3). The commonest clinical
      findings were palpable abdominal mass (14/16). In management of these patients;
      nine patients underwent complete resection of the tumor; three patients underwent
      partial resection of the tumor and four patients underwent biopsy only. The
      histology of tumor appeared to have prognostic significance. Patients suffering
      from liposarcoma (3/5) and malignant fibrous histiocytoma (1/2) survived the
      longest. With a mean follow up of 25.0 months, the three year overall survival
      rate of complete resection group was 50 per cent. No patients with partial
      resection and biopsy only group survive three years and the total three-years
      overall survival rate was 29%. The mean survival for patients after adjuvant
      chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy was similar to that after a radical operation
      alone. The prognosis of primary retroperitoneal sarcoma is grave and complete
      resection of the tumor as initial treatment seems to provide the only chance of
      cure for these patients.

PMID- 1875468
TI  - The posterior glottis.
AB  - The posterior glottis is an area of the larynx previously referred to by the
      terms 'posterior commissure' and 'interarytenoid'; these are poorly defined and a
      new definition of this unique area of the larynx is provided. Within the text is
      a series of experiments performed on nearly 300 larynges. The posterior glottis
      was examined in relation to the following: the embryology, the epithelium,
      mathematical dimensions, gross anatomy, microanatomical structures, submucosal
      spaces and the spread of carcinoma related to this area. Various significant
      findings were made. There exists a pharyngoglottic duct which divides the
      embryonic larynx into anterior (membranous) and posterior (cartilaginous) parts.
      The epithelium of the posterior glottis in neonates and non-smokers is
      respiratory in nature and the notion of a laryngeal respiratory function is
      reinforced by a mathematical analysis of the cross sectional areas of the larynx
      during inspiration. The presence of a posterior cricoarytenoid ligament which
      stabilizes the arytenoid is confirmed. The spread of carcinoma to the posterior
      glottis from the different primary laryngeal and pyriform fossa sites shows
      differing modes of invasion but in particular a direct extension and connection
      with the subglottis. The most significant conclusion from these studies is that
      the posterior glottis is so intimately related to the subglottis that it must be
      considered as part of the subglottis. The acceptance of this fact, however,
      requires a new definition of the larynx from that given by the American Joint
      Committee on Cancer Staging and that of U.I.C.C. The posterior glottis considered
      as part of the subglottis requires a review of our present understanding of the
      structure and function of the larynx and in particular the spread of cancer
      posteriorly.

PMID- 1875469
TI  - The urological application of electrosurgery.

PMID- 1875470
TI  - Iohexol clearance for the determination of glomerular filtration rate in clinical
      practice: evidence for a new gold standard.
AB  - X-ray fluorescence analysis provides a simple method of measuring glomerular
      filtration rate from the clearance of ordinary unlabeled radiographic contrast
      media. To measure the accuracy of iohexol clearance using a clinically simple 2
      sample single injection technique, a comparison was made in 30 patients with
      classical continuous infusion techniques for plasma (y = 1.03x - 0.015, r =
      0.981) and renal (y = 0.950x + 7.26, r = 0.964) iohexol clearance. A comparison
      was made with classical inulin clearance. The renal clearance of iohexol and
      inulin was virtually identical (y = 0.998x + 2.31, r = 0.986). Single injection
      iohexol clearance agreed closely with the renal inulin clearance (y = 0.947x +
      4.92, r = 0.983) as did clearance based on a single 3-hour sample (y = 0.875x +
      12.63, r = 0.962). Iohexol clearance using x-ray fluorescence is a simple, rapid
      and accurate alternative to inulin clearance for clinical and research purposes.

PMID- 1875471
TI  - Microscopic hematuria: advances in identification of glomerular dysmorphic
      erythrocytes.
AB  - The high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of microscopically visible,
      typically glomerular dysmorphic erythrocytes for identification of the cause of
      glomerular bleeding have been recognized worldwide. Although glomerular
      dysmorphic erythrocytes are simple to detect on phase contrast microscopy,
      immediate microscopic diagnosis still is indispensable, since a change in the
      morphology of the erythrocytes with restriction of the diagnostic relevance is
      anticipated because of the high autolytic potency of the urine. It may be
      postulated that this need for immediate diagnosis has led to the method being
      neglected owing to the high work load at hospitals and physician offices.
      Moreover, a physician who does not perform microscopic investigations or who
      lacks experience with the method will not be able to use this diagnostic
      technique, since it appeared to be impossible to transport urine samples by mail.
      In the context of a study comprising 30 patients, of whom 10 had histologically
      confirmed glomerulonephritis, we have shown that glomerular dysmorphic
      erythrocytes have a manifest form stability for at least 3 days. The preservative
      used was thimerosal. Also, the urine can be investigated independent of time even
      after alcoholic Papanicolaou staining without an alteration of erythrocyte
      morphology. The practicality of the form stability of glomerular erythrocytes can
      be exploited in everyday medical routine. There are well founded prospects that
      the rate of early diagnosis of glomerulonephritis will increase.

PMID- 1875472
TI  - The nutcracker syndrome: new aspects of pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study vascular anatomy in 3 patients
      with the nutcracker syndrome and in 10 healthy volunteers. From these studies an
      abnormal branching of the superior mesenteric artery from the aorta was
      identified as being the cause of the nutcracker syndrome. Consequently, surgical
      transposition of the left renal vein to achieve an unobstructed renal venous
      backflow was performed successfully in 2 patients, while 1 underwent nephrectomy.
      In 1 patient adjuvant ureteral instrumentation became necessary to aid occlusion
      of persisting shunts between peripelvic venous varicosities and the urinary
      tract. Awareness of the pathophysiology of the nutcracker syndrome ensures an
      early diagnosis, which should be confirmed by a combination of diagnostic
      procedures, including MRI.

PMID- 1875473
TI  - Fine needle cytodiagnosis of renal tuberculosis.
AB  - A total of 8 patients in whom renal tuberculosis was suspected on clinical or
      radiological grounds but in whom confirmation could not be achieved by urine
      culture underwent renal fine needle aspiration. Immediate cytodiagnosis was
      accomplished in 7 of 8 patients by the finding of Langhans' giant histiocytes,
      epithelioid histiocytes and necrotic debris. Later confirmation was obtained in
      all 8 cases by radiometric culture of aspiration material or saline rinses of the
      fine needles. This experience introduces fine needle aspiration cytology as a
      diagnostic modality in renal tuberculosis.

PMID- 1875474
TI  - Cytogenetic abnormalities associated with renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Cytogenetic analysis was performed on 23 renal cell carcinomas (21 sporadic and 2
      associated with von Hippel-Lindau's disease). Clonal chromosomal abnormalities
      were found in 19 of 21 of the sporadic tumors. The most frequent abnormalities
      were a loss or rearrangement of material in 3p (11 of 21 cases) or an extra
      chromosome 7 (7 of 21 cases). Correlation between specific chromosomal
      abnormalities and clinical presentation was absent with the exception of trisomy
      7 and -Y, which occurred only in patients more than 60 years old. An increasing
      number of cytogenetic abnormalities were associated with a greater likelihood of
      renal vein and/or capsule involvement. Both patients with von Hippel-Lindau's
      disease had tumors with a normal karyotype.

PMID- 1875475
TI  - Flow cytometric deoxyribonucleic acid analysis in stage I renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content was analyzed by flow cytometry in 60
      consecutive patients with stage I renal cell carcinoma. Of 59 evaluable tumors 27
      (46%) were homogeneously diploid, 1 (2%) was tetraploid and 31 (52%) were
      aneuploid. Of the 32 nondiploid tumors 25 were heterogeneous concerning ploidy.
      One of the 27 patients with diploid tumors had metastases compared to 5 of the 32
      patients with nondiploid tumors (not significant). There was a significant
      difference in survival between patients with diploid and nondiploid tumors (p =
      0.043). Neither nuclear grade, tumor cell type nor tumor size correlated with
      survival. Analysis of DNA content seems to predict survival significantly for
      patients with stage I renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1875476
TI  - The management of transitional cell carcinoma in solitary renal units.
AB  - Ten patients with urothelial malignancies involving a solitary functioning renal
      unit were treated at our center for an average of 24 months or until death. These
      patients were all managed by parenchyma-sparing methods, including percutaneous
      as well as ureteroscopic tumor resection. Of our patients 9 have received
      adjunctive chemotherapy in the form of bacillus Calmette-Guerin instillations. At
      the time of this report 5 of our patients were alive without evidence of disease,
      4 were alive with evidence of either residual or recurrent neoplasia and 1 was
      dead of disease 5 years after original presentation. Patients with higher grade
      tumors or carcinoma in situ did less well than patients with low grade disease.
      We present an analysis of our experience with this complex patient population and
      discuss the implications of these data within the context of a growing literature
      on the topic of upper tract urothelial malignancy.

PMID- 1875478
TI  - Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: an outpatient procedure.
AB  - At many centers circumstances have dictated that extracorporeal shock wave
      lithotripsy (ESWL*) be performed on an outpatient (that is same-day surgery or 1
      day stay) basis. At our center, Louisiana Lithotripter, Inc., which is a
      privately owned ESWL unit located at Tulane University Hospital, we have had the
      opportunity to treat patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting since
      inception. Since our first ESWL treatment on December 18, 1985 we have treated
      more than 2,500 patients. Additionally, our unit was named an American Urological
      Association Training Center in October 1986, resulting in more than 200
      urologist, nurse and technician trainee visits. The first 1,779 cases through
      December 31, 1988 have been thoroughly reviewed. The rate of outpatient ESWL has
      increased from 22% of the first 100 cases to more than 90% of the last 100. The
      cumulative over-all rate reached 70%. Currently, more than 95% of our cases are
      planned as same-day procedures. Safe and effective outpatient ESWL is able to be
      performed with first generation technology, paving the way for appropriate
      clinical application to newer technological modalities.

PMID- 1875477
TI  - Planned delayed nephrectomy after ethanol embolization of renal carcinoma.
AB  - Planned delayed nephrectomy after preoperative ethanol infarction was done in 6
      patients with renal carcinoma. Three patients had intracaval extension of tumor,
      2 had renal vein but no vena caval extension and 1 had no renal vein or vena
      caval involvement. Nephrectomy was delayed 22 to 44 days after embolization. In
      the patients with inferior vena caval extension shrinkage of tumor thrombus after
      embolization allowed for easier surgical resection. Furthermore, delay of
      nephrectomy after preoperative infarction was of value in improving the clinical
      status of high risk patients.

PMID- 1875479
TI  - Analgesia in anesthesia-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a
      standardized protocol.
AB  - We treated 101 patients at our stone facility with the Dornier HM3 lithotriptor
      modified with the anesthesia-free design upgrade. A protocol designed by our
      anesthesiologists consisting of intravenous and intramuscular injections for
      sedation was used without any general or regional anesthesia required. Pre
      medication with intramuscular meperidine and promethazine, and oral diazepam was
      sufficient sedation in 43 patients, while 37 required additional intravenous
      meperidine and/or midazolam during the procedure, 16 were treated with
      intraprocedural medication alone and 5 required no medication at all. Care
      before, during and after the procedure was rendered by the urology staff for
      patients in American Society of Anesthesiologists risk category I or II.
      Treatment was successfully completed in all patients without complications. We
      compared this group to the 99 patients treated consecutively before the
      modification. Voltage used, number of shocks and stone burden were comparable in
      the 2 groups but average treatment time was prolonged with the upgraded equipment
      (39.2 versus 27.1 minutes) to a significant degree (p less than 0.001).

PMID- 1875480
TI  - Renal calculi in lower pole calices: what is the best method of treatment?
AB  - Percutaneous nephrolithotomy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL*)
      can be used in the treatment of lower pole caliceal calculi. In a retrospective
      analysis these 2 therapies were compared for treatment of solitary lower pole
      caliceal calculi to evaluate morbidity. During a 2-year period 23 patients
      treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy and 24 who underwent ESWL with the
      Siemens Lithostar were analyzed in regard to the success rate, effectiveness
      quotient, complication rate, length of hospitalization and disability period.
      Followup consisted of ultrasound and/or a plain film of the kidneys, ureters and
      bladder 1 day and 1 to 3 months postoperatively. A nephrotomogram was included in
      the ESWL group. Complete removal of all stone fragments was achieved in 93.6% of
      the patients treated percutaneously without retreatment. In the ESWL group the
      success rate was 79.2% with a 41.6% retreatment rate. On the other hand, the ESWL
      group had a shorter hospitalization and an earlier return to normal physical
      activities. Among the patients who underwent a percutaneous operation 13% had
      complications compared to 4.1% in the ESWL group. The recurrence rate was higher
      in the former group (13% within a median of 18 months, compared to 8.3% within a
      median of 11 months in the ESWL group). The mean stone diameter was 1.42 cm. in
      the percutaneous group and 1.22 cm. in the ESWL group. Stone composition was
      similar in both groups. Since ESWL is an effective noninvasive procedure without
      the need for routine anesthesia and hospitalization, and with prompt return of
      the patient to a normal life it must be considered the method of choice for lower
      caliceal stones less than 2 cm. in diameter. However, percutaneous
      nephrolithotomy will continue to have a primary role in the management of larger
      stones.

PMID- 1875481
TI  - Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for struvite renal calculi: prospective
      study with extended followup.
AB  - To clarify the significance of retained stone particles after extracorporeal
      shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for struvite renal calculi we followed 22 otherwise
      healthy women for 16 to 52 months (mean 39 months). Each patient had persistent
      Proteus mirabilis bacteriuria before ESWL and received a standardized regimen of
      antimicrobial therapy in the perioperative period only. Of the 22 patients 19
      (86%) were cured of the persistent bacteriuria. Of these 19 patients 16 had
      retained stone particles at the beginning of surveillance and 10 had retained
      particles at last followup. None of the particles produced symptoms or enlarged.
      However, 1 of the patients who was rendered stone-free had a P. mirabilis
      reinfection at 20 months and a new stone developed. Of the 22 patients 3 (14%)
      had continued persistent P. mirabilis bacteriuria after ESWL. Two patients were
      subsequently cured of the infection with antibiotics alone (1), and with
      antibiotics and extraction of a new ureteral stone (1). The remaining patient had
      expansion of retained stone particles after 51 months of surveillance. We
      conclude that a stone-free kidney is an unrealistic objective of ESWL monotherapy
      for struvite renal calculi. However, the treatment usually will eradicate the
      accompanying persistent bacteriuria and sterile stone particles will not enlarge
      during the first 2 to 4 years after treatment.

PMID- 1875482
TI  - Bacteremia during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy of renal calculi.
AB  - An increasing incidence of bacterial endocarditis has been observed since the
      beginning of the last decade. An explanation for this fact is the expansion of
      diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in diverse medical disciplines. In a
      clinical study performed on 49 consecutive patients undergoing extracorporeal
      shock wave lithotripsy a 14.3% rate of bacteremia was detected during treatment.
      The bacterial spectrum consisted of gram-positive cocci, gram-negative cocci,
      Bacteroides capillosus and Proteus mirabilis. In principle, these results do not
      call for an antibiotic prophylaxis. Nevertheless, according to the
      recommendations of the American Heart Association and the Deutsche Gesellschaft
      fur Herz- und Kreislaufforschung, patients with a cardiac risk predisposing to
      bacterial endocarditis must receive perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis.

PMID- 1875483
TI  - Treatment of ureteral calculi with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy using
      the Lithostar device.
AB  - Shock wave requirements for fragmentation and the ultimate outcome after
      extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with the Lithostar device were
      analyzed in 107 renal units with solitary ureteral calculi. In situ treatment was
      done in 54 stones without prior manipulation and in 15 after failure of
      endoscopic manipulation. A total of 25 ureteral calculi was treated after bypass
      with a ureteral catheter or stent and 13 after push back to the pelvicaliceal
      system. Shock wave requirement for fragmentation was significantly higher for
      calculi of 101 to 400 mm. X mm. when compared with the requirement for smaller
      calculi. Shock wave requirement was also significantly higher for patients with
      similar sized stones treated in the prone compared to the supine position. The
      average number of shock waves required for disintegration was not significantly
      different among in situ or any of the manipulation categories of similar sized
      stone populations. Over-all satisfactory clearance was achieved in 77.5% of the
      treated ureteral calculi. Clearance status was unaffected by size up to 400 mm. X
      mm. and the position of the patient during treatment (prone or supine). Clearance
      of ureteral stones treated in situ without prior manipulation (76.5%) was
      numerically inferior, although statistically insignificant, to that for
      successfully manipulated calculi (bypassed 88% and pushed back 92.3%) but it was
      significantly better than the outcome obtained after failed manipulation (46.2%).
      ESWL with the Lithostar device is a successful mode of treatment within the
      entire ureteral length, and a vigorous attempt at push back before lithotripsy is
      unnecessary.

PMID- 1875484
TI  - Balloon dilation of the distal ureter to 24F: an effective method for
      ureteroscopic stone retrieval.
AB  - Early in our ureteroscopic experience, in an effort to facilitate retrieval of
      ureteral calculi with the 11.5F and 12.5F rigid ureteroscopes, the distal ureter
      was routinely balloon dilated to 24F. Among 131 ureteroscopic procedures all
      consecutive 108 distal ureteral calculi were successfully removed. However, only
      65% of 23 upper ureteral calculi were extracted. A followup excretory urogram (6
      weeks or later) in 86 patients revealed no distal ureteral strictures. A followup
      cystogram in 30 patients showed low grade vesicoureteral reflux in 20% of the
      patients and none of these individuals was symptomatic. As such, balloon dilation
      of the distal ureter to 24F appears to be well tolerated. Presently, given the
      advent of smaller ureteroscopes and lithotriptor probes, such extensive ureteral
      dilation is necessary only in a minority of patients with distal ureteral
      calculi. In these few patients with calculi resistant to lithotripsy balloon
      dilation of the ureter to 24F may allow for successful, safe stone extraction,
      thereby precluding open ureterolithotomy.

PMID- 1875485
TI  - Conversion of the electrohydraulic electrode to an electromechanical stone
      impactor: basic studies and a case report.
AB  - A 3.3F electrohydraulic electrode (Wolf 2137.23) has been confined within a
      spring with a metal end cap, irrigated with water and covered with a 0.003-inch
      metal sheath (outside diameter 5F). The electrohydraulic lithotripsy discharge
      (Wolf Generator 2137.50) at E1 causes the metal cap to extend 3 mm. at 1,500 cm.
      per second and creates an impact pressure of 600 to 800 bar. Stone fragmentation
      efficiency of the electromechanical impactor was equivalent to unshielded
      electrohydraulic lithotripsy (gallstone 2.83 mg. per pulse, struvite/apatite 1.41
      mg. per pulse, cystine 0.41 mg. per pulse, uric acid 1.48 mg. per pulse and 100%
      calcium oxalate monohydrate 0.10 mg. per pulse). Studies of the discharge of the
      electromechanical impactor within the pig ureter showed that minimal ureteral
      submucosal edema and hemorrhage occurred at 300 shocks discharged at a single
      point, and disruption of the mucosa and partial injury to the muscle layer
      occurred after 600 shocks given at the site of a pinched pig ureter. Pushing the
      electromechanical impactor perpendicular to the wall of the pig bladder will
      create a mechanical perforation within 35 shocks (electrohydraulic lithotripsy
      within 2 shocks). One patient had excellent fragmentation of a lower ureteral
      mixed monohydrate and dihydrate stone under direct vision performed with the
      electromechanical impactor passed via a 9.5F ureteroscope. There was no evidence
      of mucosal injury with 500 shocks. The electromechanical impactor has been
      developed to provide a safe and inexpensive method of ureteral stone
      fragmentation or disimpaction. These studies were performed to establish limits
      of safety that may allow use of the electromechanical impactor for stone
      fragmentation in the ureter without the need for ureteroscopy.

PMID- 1875486
TI  - Early clinical experience with the transverse colon-gastric tube continent
      urinary reservoir.
AB  - The clinical results of the first 4 patients undergoing reconstruction with the
      transverse colon-gastric tube urinary reservoir are presented. All patients had a
      minimum 1-year follow-up. All 4 patients are continent with stable or improved
      renal function. Two patients required reoperation. Indications as well as
      possible modifications of this procedure are discussed.

PMID- 1875487
TI  - Continent diversion with an appendix conduit and an ileocecal bladder.
AB  - Since March 1989, 23 patients have undergone continent urinary diversion with an
      ileocecal bladder and a reimplanted appendix conduit. In 21 patients this
      procedure was combined with a radical cystectomy. Of the patients 7 required an
      endoscopic procedure before satisfactory self-catheterization could be
      established. This problem was more common early in the series. The continence
      mechanism is extremely simple and rapid to construct. Continence rates have been
      most satisfactory, with only 2 patients having secondary incontinence.

PMID- 1875488
TI  - Lower urinary tract reconstruction following cystectomy: experience and results
      in 126 patients using the Kock ileal reservoir with bilateral ureteroileal
      urethrostomy.
AB  - Between May 1986 and February 1990, 126 consecutive men underwent lower urinary
      tract reconstruction by means of bilateral ureteroileal urethrostomy using a Kock
      ileal reservoir. The early complication rate was 11.1%. Late complications
      requiring rehospitalization or reoperation have been surprisingly few: 1 for
      prolapse of the afferent antirefluxing nipple valve, 1 for calculi and 4 for
      artificial urinary sphincter placement due to unsatisfactory continence. Good
      continence has been achieved in 94% of the patients during the day and in 84% at
      night. Tumor recurred in the pelvis in 5 patients, with 4 requiring cutaneous
      urinary diversion. All patients had progression or died of metastatic disease.
      Our experience has yielded extraordinary results in terms of patient acceptance
      with few late complications or need for reoperation.

PMID- 1875489
TI  - Early repair of iatrogenic injury to the ureter or bladder after gynecological
      surgery.
AB  - Contrary to the traditional doctrine of delayed intervention in post-hysterectomy
      injuries of the ureter or bladder, the policy at our department has been to
      operate as soon as possible after the diagnosis is made. Of 68 patients (25 with
      vesicovaginal fistulas and 43 with ureteral injuries) early intervention was
      possible in 40 (59%). Primary healing was obtained in all patients. These results
      suggest that there is no disadvantage in early repair.

PMID- 1875490
TI  - Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and interleukin-2 for treatment of superficial bladder
      cancer.
AB  - A total of 22 patients with bladder cancer received bacillus Calmette-Guerin
      (BCG) and interleukin-2. Significant bladder tumor remissions were noted in 15 of
      17 patients (88%). Of 5 patients with carcinoma in situ 1 was noncompliant and he
      died of carcinoma in situ. The other 4 patients are in remission. BCG alone was
      instilled in 22 additional patients with superficial bladder cancer. The
      remission rates were encouraging. Of the 22 patients 13 (59%) had remission of
      the bladder tumor. A half dose of BCG (60 mg.) is adequate when given weekly for
      6 weeks. Maintenance therapy is important as noted in both of our clinical arms.
      BCG and interleukin-2 therapy results in a higher remission rate.

PMID- 1875491
TI  - Single potential analysis of cavernous electrical activity in impotent patients:
      a possible diagnostic method for autonomic cavernous dysfunction and cavernous
      smooth muscle degeneration.
AB  - Cavernous electrical activity was recorded in 214 patients with erectile
      dysfunction and in 39 normal patients. In 34 of the 39 normal patients potentials
      of a uniform shape were recorded during flaccidity. At cutoff frequencies of 0.5
      to 500 Hz. the duration was 8 to 18 seconds (mean 12.8 +/- 2.8, seconds, standard
      deviation), the amplitude was 250 to 750 microv. (mean 444 +/- 109 microv.) and
      the polyphasity was 8 to 22 (mean 13.8 +/- 3.3). With increasing tumescence and
      rigidity during audiovisual sexual stimulation, high frequency potentials of low
      amplitude and short duration were found in the normal patients. In impotent
      patients with an upper motor neuron or peripheral lesion specific types of
      potentials were observed. In 11 of 14 impotent patients with insulin-dependent
      diabetes for more than 20 years and with clinical findings of cavernous myopathy
      the potentials showed low amplitude, irregular shape and slow depolarizations.
      Abnormal findings of cavernous electrical activity were recorded in 51.6% of the
      consecutive impotent patients. Our clinical study suggests that single potential
      analysis of cavernous electrical activity may be useful in the diagnosis of
      cavernous autonomic neuropathy and cavernous smooth muscle myopathy.

PMID- 1875492
TI  - Penile sensory disorders in erectile dysfunction: results of a comprehensive
      neuro-urophysiological diagnostic evaluation in 123 patients.
AB  - A total of 123 patients with complaints of erectile dysfunction and no clinically
      overt neurological disease underwent a comprehensive neuro-urophysiological
      diagnostic evaluation. The results were compared with those obtained in 50
      healthy volunteers. Data gathered consisted of somatosensory evoked potentials
      from the posterior tibial nerve (tibial evoked potential) and from the dorsal
      penile nerve (pudendal evoked potential). Also, 2 sacral reflex latencies were
      measured (bulbocavernosus reflex and urethro-anal reflex). A total of 58 patients
      (47%) had at least 1 abnormal neuro-urophysiological measurement. Neuro
      urophysiological abnormalities were found more frequently in older patients. The
      tibial evoked potential was abnormal in 30 patients (24%), pudendal evoked
      potential in 21 (17%), bulbocavernosus reflex in 26 (21%) and urethro-anal reflex
      in 32 (26%). It was concluded that somatosensory disturbances constitute an
      important part of neuro-urophysiological abnormalities. Our results suggest a
      relationship between erectile dysfunction and subclinical, age-related (penile)
      sensory disorders. Our study corroborates the importance of penile sensibility
      for erectile (patho)physiology as suggested by others and supports the concept of
      sensory deficit impotence as an important cause of erectile dysfunction.

PMID- 1875493
TI  - Controlled trial of infusion cavernosometry in impotent and potent men.
AB  - Infusion cavernosometry often is performed to diagnose venous leak impotence.
      However, normal values have seldom been established in proved potent men. We
      performed a prospective study of infusion cavernosometry on nocturnal penile
      tumescence confirmed potent male volunteers and impotent men. Of 20 potent male
      controls 19 had resistance values of greater than 5 (mm. Hg.minute)/ml. Of 38
      impotent men 20 (53%) had resistance values of less than 5 (mm.Hg. minute)/ml.
      There was considerable overlap between resistance values and infusion rates in
      potent and impotent men. Impotent men with resistances of greater than 5
      (mm.Hg.minute)/ml. more often had normal nocturnal penile tumescence results than
      men with lower resistance values. Venous leakage is a significant cause of
      impotence.

PMID- 1875494
TI  - Pharmacological erection program using prostaglandin E1.
AB  - A total of 72 impotent patients entered into a pharmacological erection program
      using prostaglandin E1. Of the men 35 (49%) used prostaglandin E1 on a regular
      basis, while 37 (51%) failed to continue in the program beyond the in-office dose
      titration period. In patients who continue to use prostaglandin E1 the median
      duration of drug use is 7 months, with a range of 2 to 28 months. There have been
      no instances of cavernous fibrosis, systemic reaction or chemical priapism
      (erection present longer than 4 hours) in any patient. Only 8 men (11%) were
      unable to achieve an adequate erection with prostaglandin E1 injections. The most
      common adverse effect of prostaglandin E1 was penile pain after injection. The
      incidence of severe pain leading to drug discontinuation was 17% (12 of 72
      patients) while mild to moderate pain occurred in 22% (16 of 72). Over-all,
      intracavernous prostaglandin E1 injections appear to be a safe, effective
      treatment for impotence in most men.

PMID- 1875495
TI  - Effect of meal on the physiological and physicochemical actions of potassium
      citrate.
AB  - The effect of meals on the physiological and physicochemical actions of potassium
      citrate was examined in 8 patients with nephrolithiasis maintained on a constant
      metabolic dietary regimen. Potassium citrate (20 mEq. 3 times per day), whether
      given with food or on an empty stomach, significantly increased urinary pH,
      citrate and potassium, and decreased urinary calcium and ammonium. Moreover,
      potassium citrate decreased urinary saturation of calcium oxalate and uric acid,
      although it slightly increased that of brushite. However, there was no
      significant difference in these measures when the drug was given with meals from
      the time when it was given on an empty stomach. Thus, the effect of potassium
      citrate on urinary risk factors is unaffected by food.

PMID- 1875496
TI  - Urinary excretion of Tamm-Horsfall protein in elderly women.
AB  - The incidence of urinary tract infection is higher in the geriatric population
      than in younger adults despite the exclusion of patients with known risk factors.
      Tamm-Horsfall protein, a renal glycoprotein excreted in urine, may constitute a
      natural defense mechanism against ascending urinary tract infection by binding
      mannose-sensitive fimbriated microorganisms. We hypothesized that the quantity of
      Tamm-Horsfall protein excreted is decreased in the elderly. Native aggregated
      Tamm-Horsfall protein was measured in urine samples from 24 young women (group 1,
      mean age 33 years) and 47 female nursing home patients (group 2, mean age 84
      years) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. Another 16 elderly
      women (group 3, mean age 85 years) had active urinary tract infection. The
      aggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein was then disaggregated by dilution and
      quantified. Significant differences in mean urinary disaggregated Tamm-Horsfall
      protein concentrations were found between groups 1 (64.22 mg./l.) and 2 (35.07
      mg./l.), and between groups 1 and 3 (34.71 mg./l.), respectively. In contrast,
      mean aggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein levels were significantly higher in group 2
      (1.56 mg./l.) than in group 1 (0.92 mg./l.) or group 3 (0.97 mg./l.). Our studies
      show that urinary disaggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein concentration is decreased
      in the elderly, and that aggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein is increased compared
      to younger adults. The aggregated Tamm-Horsfall protein concentration is
      decreased in the elderly during episodes of urinary tract infection.

PMID- 1875497
TI  - Clinical application of video image flexible ureteronephroscope for diagnosis of
      upper urinary tract disorders.
AB  - Ureteroscopy has become the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure of choice for
      many conditions of the upper urinary tract. Technology is progressing rapidly in
      endourology, facilitating both goals. As reported previously, we developed a 2F
      video image flexible ureteronephroscope. This instrument is the smallest caliber
      of all ureteronephroscopes available to date. Because of the small diameter the
      device can be inserted into the ureter cystoscopically in a manner similar to
      catheter insertion. The procedure is done with the patient under local
      anesthesia. We performed ureteronephroscopic procedures on 79 patients using
      mainly a 6F passively deflecting flexible ureteronephroscope, which consists of
      the aforementioned 2F video image flexible ureteronephroscope and a 3F working
      channel. The area to be viewed was accessed successfully in 41 of 43 patients
      (95%). Over-all, diagnostic maneuvers were successful in 64 of 79 patients (87%).
      We suggest that the 2F and 6F flexible ureteronephroscopes would be indicated
      when conclusive diagnosis for upper urinary disease is not obtained by other
      means.

PMID- 1875498
TI  - Percutaneous suprapubic cystostomy using a modified urethral sound.
AB  - We developed a modified urethral sound designed for simple insertion of a
      percutaneous suprapubic cystostomy tube during an operation. The advantages of
      this instrument are discussed.

PMID- 1875499
TI  - Filling and voiding pressures measured by ambulatory monitoring and conventional
      studies during natural and artificial bladder filling.
AB  - A total of 20 men awaiting elective prostatectomy for bladder outflow obstruction
      underwent conventional medium filling cystometry and ambulatory monitoring of
      bladder pressures during natural bladder filling. Total bladder capacity was
      similar during both tests (medium filling cystometry 256 +/- 138 ml. and
      ambulatory monitoring 248 +/- 120 ml., p not significant) as was the voided
      volume (medium filling cystometry 180 +/- 100 ml. and ambulatory monitoring 179
      +/- 88 ml., p not significant). However, the peak urinary flow rate at the end of
      medium filling cystometry (4 +/- 6 ml. per second) was significantly lower than
      during ambulatory monitoring (9 +/- 4 ml. per second, p less than 0.05). The
      bladder contraction pressure during medium filling cystometry (79 +/- 44 cm.
      water) was significantly lower than during ambulatory monitoring (107 +/- 39 cm.
      water, p less than 0.005). Bladder pressures during voiding recorded after
      natural filling were significantly greater than after artificial filling. This
      finding may have significant implications for the use of conventional cystometry
      to study conditions such as outflow obstruction.

PMID- 1875500
TI  - Transperineal ultrasonic voiding cystourethrography using a newly devised chair.
AB  - Using a newly devised chair for transperineal sonography we performed ultrasonic
      voiding cystourethrography in a total of 219 male patients and volunteers. The
      study produced adequate images in more than 80% of the people examined.
      Valsalva's maneuver during urination elicited an intermittent depression of the
      bladder dome toward the bladder base. In patients with benign prostatic
      hyperplasia or bladder neck contracture the bladder neck did not open well.
      Urethral stricture was associated with a marked opening of the bladder neck and
      posterior urethra. In patients with detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia an involuntary
      contraction of the external sphincter was observed. These results indicate that
      this method is useful for screening male patients for diseases causing voiding
      disturbance and for making differential diagnosis of such diseases.

PMID- 1875501
TI  - Radial artery hypoplasia: a further association with the VATER syndrome?
AB  - A case of radial artery hypoplasia in a girl with the VATER syndrome is reported.
      This finding should alert surgeons dealing with vascular access for dialysis and
      suggests the possibility of intrauterine ischemia in the etiology of upper limb
      anomalies in these patients.

PMID- 1875502
TI  - Segmental renal hypoplasia of vascular origin causing renal hypertension in a 3
      year-old girl.
AB  - A rare case of renal hypertension in a 3-year-old girl caused by segmental renal
      hypoplasia of vascular origin is presented. Resection of the hypoplastic segment
      of the kidney permitted successful treatment of the high blood pressure with
      preservation of renal function. Elevated plasma renin activity in the renal vein
      of the affected side and biochemical investigations demonstrated that the
      resected segment of the renal cortex was the source of the renin leading to
      hypertension by activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

PMID- 1875503
TI  - A case of vesical paraganglioma behind the symphysis pubis.
AB  - We report on a 15-year-old boy with a vesical paraganglioma behind the symphysis
      pubis. Magnetic resonance imaging and transurethral intravesical ultrasonography
      were helpful in the preoperative localization of the lesion.

PMID- 1875504
TI  - Chromosomal anomaly and malformation syndrome with abdominal polyorchidism.
AB  - We describe a neonate who presented with multiple severe malformations including
      polyorchidism. To our knowledge this is the second case reported with ipsilateral
      testes located intra-abdominally. Chromosomal studies in cases of polyorchidism
      have been reported previously only once and the patient exhibited a normal
      karyotype. Our patient had a chromosome 21 long arm deletion. Interestingly, a
      trisomy 21 patient has been reported with agonadism. We suggest that genes on
      chromosome 21 may have some role in gonadal development.

PMID- 1875505
TI  - Renoduodenal fistula in a patient with chronic nephrostomy drainage: a case
      report.
AB  - We describe the occurrence of a renoduodenal fistula related to a nephrostomy
      tube in a patient with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and renal calculi. The
      patient was successfully treated by nephrectomy. Etiological, diagnostic and
      therapeutic aspects are discussed.

PMID- 1875506
TI  - Recurrent malacoplakia of the female urethra.
AB  - Malacoplakia, a rare inflammatory lesion, afflicts the genitourinary system in
      most cases. A 22-year-old women had a recurrence of urethral malacoplakia that
      had been excised 5 years earlier. The recurrence was accompanied by
      staphylococcal infection in the urinary tract. The pathological specimens in both
      instances had the features typical of malacoplakia with von Hansemann cells and
      Michaelis-Gutmann bodies.

PMID- 1875507
TI  - Epilation of hair-bearing urethral grafts using the neodymium:YAG surgical laser.
AB  - Nonhair-bearing skin should be used when grafting is necessary during
      urethroplasty for stricture or hypospadias repair. Occasionally, this is not
      possible or hair-bearing skin is used inadvertently. Traditionally,
      electrocoagulation has been the method used for epilation when intraluminal hair
      has become a problem, such as interfering with flow, as a focus for recurrent
      urinary tract infection or acting as a nidus for calculus formation.
      Electrocautery also is performed during grafting in an attempt to prevent the
      growth of hair when hair-bearing skin is used. Unfortunately, due to lack of
      penetration the hair follicles are not destroyed and the epilating procedure
      fails or is only partially successful. The neodymium:YAG surgical laser can
      photocoagulate tissue to a depth up to 5.0 mm, and thus, has the ability to
      destroy hair follicles. We report 4 cases presenting with clinical problems
      directly related to hair-bearing urethral grafts successfully treated by
      neodymium:YAG laser epilation.

PMID- 1875508
TI  - Urethrovaginal reconstruction using a perineal artery axial flap.
AB  - A 19-year-old woman was born with a cloacal malformation and a common urogenital
      sinus. We describe a method of urethral and vaginal reconstruction to correct
      these anomalous problems. A neourethra was constructed from tubularized anterior
      vaginal epithelium. A perineal artery based axial flap was used to cover the
      neourethra plus widen the vaginal orifice.

PMID- 1875509
TI  - Purulent corporeal cavernositis secondary to papaverine-induced priapism.
AB  - Intracavernous autoinjection of vasoactive substances is used to treat erectile
      dysfunction. Infection of the corpora cavernosa can be a serious life-threatening
      complication with this treatment modality. Cavernositis is an unusual
      complication, especially in otherwise healthy men. In diabetic patients with
      altered blood supply to the penis and a change of cavernous tissue ischemia can
      lead to a fulminant infection. We report on a 63-year-old diabetic patient who
      presented with purulent cavernositis a few weeks after beginning intracavernous
      injection of papaverine. Treatment included bilateral corporotomy, debridement,
      and placement of intracorporeal irrigation and suction drains. The patient
      survived this serious infection leaving both corpora cavernosa with severe
      fibrosis.

PMID- 1875510
TI  - Complication of a penile prosthesis reservoir: venous compression masquerading as
      a deep venous thrombosis.
AB  - We report a case of vascular compromise secondary to the reservoir of an
      inflatable penile prosthesis. The problem masqueraded as deep venous thrombosis
      in the lower extremity of a patient 3 years after a spinal cord injury.

PMID- 1875511
TI  - Azoospermia: a complication of hydrocele repair in a fertile population.
AB  - Although minor complications have been reported, hydrocelectomy generally is
      considered to be a safe procedure. We recently treated 3 patients who became
      azoospermic after hydrocele repair. Of the patients 2 underwent bilateral and 1
      unilateral hydrocelectomy. All 3 patients had iatrogenic injury to the vas
      deferens or epididymis after hydrocele repair.

PMID- 1875513
TI  - Re: Corporeal plication for surgical correction of Peyronie's disease.

PMID- 1875512
TI  - Primary seminoma of the seminal vesicle: report of a case.
AB  - We report on the clinical and histological findings of a primary extragonadal
      germ cell tumor that was proved to be a seminoma of the seminal vesicle. The
      patient had left ureteral obstruction at diagnosis. The testes were normal on
      physical and ultrasound examination, and the retroperitoneum was free of tumor.
      There was no recurrence 8 months postoperatively.

PMID- 1875514
TI  - Re: Small urothelial carcinoma: diagnosis and treatment by cold forceps biopsy.

PMID- 1875515
TI  - Penile detumescence: characterization of three phases.
AB  - In 22 dogs in which erection was induced by cavernous nerve stimulation, we
      analyzed the intracavernous pressure changes during detumescence without and with
      acute clamping of the aorta or electrostimulation of the lumbar sympathetic
      chains. Additionally, the degree of venous outflow obstruction was assessed by
      saline perfusion of the cavernous body during aortic occlusion. Detumescence had
      three distinct phases: an initial phase exhibiting a small pressure increase; a
      second phase showing a slow pressure decrease; and a third phase in which a fast
      decrease occurred. The first phase was abolished by aortic clamping, whereas the
      other phases were not significantly affected. Sympathetic stimulation abolished
      or prevented the second phase. Perfusion of the cavernous body during the second
      phase resulted in a pressure rise to off-scale values; however, when initiated
      during the terminal phase or in the nonstimulated penis, the pressure increase
      was slight. Our study indicates that the arterial flow rate influences the
      duration of the first phase of detumescence and that venous drainage is
      completely restored in the third phase. Furthermore, sympathetic stimulation
      causes an almost immediate full restoration of venous drainage, as cavernous
      perfusion initiated with an intracavernous pressure about twice as high as
      without sympathetic stimulation failed to increase pressure to off-scale values.

PMID- 1875516
TI  - Age-related changes in the rat detrusor muscle: the contractile response to
      inorganic ions.
AB  - The effect of age on in vitro rat bladder responsiveness function in inorganic
      ions, CaCl2, KCl, BaCl2 and MgCl2, was investigated, and the results were
      compared between young (six months old) and aged (16 and 24 months old) rats. In
      the aged bladders the contractile strength and contractile speed responding to
      CaCl2 were significantly less compared to the young. On the other hand, the
      muscle contraction of the three groups following depolarization of the cell
      membrane by adding KCl and BaCl2 did not differ significantly. The change in
      muscle relaxation responding to MgCl2 was also insignificant. These results
      suggest that although contractile and relaxation mechanisms of the detrusor
      muscle per se are not affected by an aging process, the contractile ability which
      is related to calcium ion is impaired in the aged rats. It is likely that
      decreased membrane permeability to calcium ions and/or the change in the
      intracellular contractile mechanisms related to calcium ions may account for the
      decreased muscle contractility in the aged rats.

PMID- 1875517
TI  - Maintenance of erection of penile glans, but not penile body, after transection
      of rat cavernous nerves.
AB  - Two experiments tested the widely held assumption that the cavernous nerves (CN)
      are essential not only to erection of the penile body, via the corpora cavernosa,
      but also to erection of the glans penis, via the corpus spongiosum. In Experiment
      1, the copulatory behavior and reflexive erections of male rats were studied
      before and after the CN were transected bilaterally (n = 8), unilaterally (n =
      6), or sham-operated (n = 6). In postoperative tests, bilaterally operated males
      were severely impaired in their attempts to effect intromission, and they had the
      expected deficits in reflexive erections of the penile body, but their capacity
      for erection of the glans penis was only minimally impaired. Sham-operated males
      were unaffected by surgery, and unilaterally transected males had intermediate
      values. Experiment 2 tested the hypothesis that activity of the bulbospongiosus
      muscles was responsible for the residual erectile capacity of the glans after CN
      transection in Experiment 1. Males had bilateral sections of the CN (n = 9), or
      of the nerves innervating the bulbospongiosus muscles (n = 10), or of both of
      these nerves (n = 8), or sham surgery (n = 10). Relative to CN transection alone,
      the combined denervation further reduced glans penis erections, but did not
      eliminate them. These results suggest that the cavernous nerves of the rat are
      not the only peripheral nerves facilitating vascular engorgement of the corpus
      spongiosum.

PMID- 1875518
TI  - Three-D muscular arrangement at the ureteropelvic junction and its changes in
      congenital hydronephrosis: a stereo-morphometric study.
AB  - Ureteral walls were obtained from twelve autopsies without urological diseases
      and from surgical material of twelve patients operated for congenital
      hydronephrosis. The specimens were submitted to computer-assisted analysis of 3-D
      muscular architecture at the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ). Serial histologic
      sections in parallel with the wall were prepared. A geometric model was
      introduced to simplify the muscular layer, replacing bundles with vectors of
      corresponding size and direction. The vector distribution visualized that
      normally, the ureteral muscles change their arrangement with age, from a circular
      pattern in neonates to an oblique mesh in adults. In addition, longitudinal
      muscles emerged at the age of two years in the subepithelial layer. In patients
      with congenital hydronephrosis, not only were such growth-related changes
      ambiguous or lacking, but there also were various abnormalities; segmental
      muscular hypoplasia, disarrangement of bundles or lack of longitudinal fibers.
      These were considered to closely correlate with the urinary obstruction in
      patients with this disease.

PMID- 1875519
TI  - Establishment and characterization of a new human prostatic carcinoma cell line
      (DuPro-1).
AB  - A new human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line (DuPro-1) has been established from
      the athymic nude mouse supported xenograft DU5683. This was accomplished by
      embedding dispersed xenograft cells in 0.1 by 5.0 cm. spaghetti-like strands of
      Basement Membrane MATRIGEL [BMM (Collaborative Research, Inc.)], a unique
      technique facilitating the transition to tissue culture. Now passed over 30
      times, the cells display anchorage and serum concentration independent growth
      with a doubling time of 22 to 24 hours. Cells exhibit pronounced morphological
      differences when grown on BMM coated culture dishes, assuming a pseudoglandular
      configuration, in contrast to typical homogeneous monolayer growth on plastic
      culture dishes. Light and electron microscopy show cohesive sheets of anaplastic
      epithelial cells, consistent with prostate carcinoma. Karyotypic analysis
      revealed all human chromosomes, near tetraploidy, 10 to 12 markers, and 3 to 4 X
      chromosomes, without a Y chromosome. Cells injected s.c. or embedded in BMM and
      implanted in the subrenal capsule space are equally tumorigenic in male and
      female athymic mice, suggesting that DuPro-1 cells are hormonally insensitive.
      Embedding cells in BMM may be useful in developing other tissue culture cell
      lines from neoplasms difficult to initiate in vitro. DuPro-1 should provide a
      valuable means to study the biology, immunology, and chemosensitivity of human
      prostate cancer.

PMID- 1875520
TI  - Characteristics of blood flow velocity patterns of central systemic veins in
      healthy adults assessed by Doppler echocardiography.
AB  - To evaluate the differences in shape and phase lag of the flow velocity curves in
      the superior (SVC) and inferior (IVC) venae cavae and the hepatic vein (HV),
      Doppler echocardiographic examination was performed in 40 healthy adults (aged 20
      to 67 years, mean +/- SD: 39 +/- 12 years). Flow velocity patterns in each vein
      were characterized by 4 major deflections: S wave, a systolic forward flow; D
      wave, a diastolic forward flow; A wave, a small backward flow or reduction of
      diastolic forward flow due to atrial contraction; and O wave, a small backward
      flow or reduction of forward flow after the second heart sound. Except for a
      reduced phasic flow in a collapsed IVC, the venous flow velocity recordings in
      each vein demonstrated very similar pulsatile patterns and small differences in
      mean time lags of less than 50 msec. In general, the lowest values of peak A/peak
      S, peak O/peak S and peak D/peak S were observed in HV flow and the highest in
      IVC flow. Backflows of A and O waves were prominent in HV flow, but small and
      least frequent in IVC flow. These data suggest that the baseline of the central
      venous flow recordings might shift downward in HV flow and upward in IVC flow.
      However, even if both the baseline shift and amplitude of the flow curve were
      normalized in each venous flow velocity curve, apparent differences in shape of
      the flow velocity curves would remain. We concluded that the characteristics and
      differences of each central venous flow velocity pattern should be noted in
      studies of these areas.

PMID- 1875521
TI  - Evaluation with Fourier analysis on radionuclide angiography of viable but
      stunned myocardium in patients with right ventricular myocardial infarction.
AB  - Stunned myocardium of right ventricle was studied by radionuclide angiography
      (RNA) and Thallium myocardial scintigraphy (TL) in 39 patients with inferior
      myocardial infarction with and without right ventricular myocardial infarction
      (RVMI). RNA was performed within 1 week of the onset (acute phase) and after 1
      month, when exercise cardiac scintigraphy (EX-TL) was also performed. The
      ejection fraction (EF) of each ventricle calculated from RNA and the phase and
      amplitude evaluated visually and quantitatively by Fourier analysis were compared
      between the acute phase and 1 month after the onset of myocardial infarction. The
      degree of visualization of right ventricle was examined in EX-TL 1 month after
      the onset. (1) In RNA obtained in the acute myocardial infarction, abnormalities
      in the right ventricle (delayed phase or low amplitude image) were observed in 18
      (46%) but not in 21 (54%) of the 39 patients (N group). Of those 18 patients, the
      abnormalities in the right ventricle alleviated in 11 (RVMI-A group) but
      persisted in 7 (RVMI-B group) in RNA obtained 1 month after the onset. (2) In the
      acute phase, the right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was 39.4 +/- 10.4% in
      N group, 30.8 +/- 5.3% in RVMI-A group, and 29.6 +/- 8.9% in RVMI-B group, with
      significant differences between N group and the other two groups (P less than
      0.05) but no significant difference between RVMI-A and RVMI-B groups. (3) After 1
      month, RVEF was 40.1 +/- 10.1% in N group, 42.2 +/- 8.4% in RVMI-A group, and
      32.2 +/- 9.8% in RVMI-B group, being improved in RVMI-A group and showing a
      significant difference as compared with RVMI-B group (p less than 0.05). (4) In
      EX-TL of RVMI-A group, the right ventricle was visible although the uptake of TL
      was reduced in the entire right ventricle. In RVMI-B group, only part of the
      right ventricular free wall was visible with defects in the other areas of right
      ventricle. The sign of RVMI showed improvements in many of the patients after the
      acute phase, and their condition was considered to have been so-called stunned
      myocardium, which is a complex of symptoms of reversible myocardial ischemia,
      rather than RVMI.

PMID- 1875522
TI  - Comparative study between St. Jude Medical and bioprosthetic valves in the right
      side of the heart.
AB  - Comparative long-term performance characteristics of St. Jude Medical (SJM) and
      bioprosthetic valves were conducted retrospectively for patients who underwent
      prosthetic valve replacement in the right side of the heart from 1975 to 1988.
      Fifty-four patients received either SJM (n = 18) or bioprosthetic (n = 37)
      valves. The cumulative follow-up for SJM valves was 91 valves-years (range 3.9 to
      7.2 years) and that for bioprostheses was 282 valve-years (range 1.3 to 14.8
      years). Follow-up rate was 100%. The actuarial survival rate excluding hospital
      deaths at 5 years was 81 +/- 10% for SJM and 97 +/- 3% for bioprosthetic valve
      recipients (p = ns). The rates of freedom from thrombosis or anticoagulant
      related hemorrhage, structural valve failure, prosthetic valve endocarditis,
      reoperation, and overall valve-related complications at 5 years were 72 +/- 11%,
      100%, 100%, 83 +/- 9%, and 72 +/- 11% for SJM valve recipients, and 100%, 97 +/-
      3%, 97 +/- 3%, 94 +/- 4%, and 94 +/- 4% for bioprosthetic valve recipients,
      respectively. Structural valve failure, prosthetic valve endocarditis and
      reoperations occurred at a similar incidence in each of the two types of
      prostheses. Thrombosis and overall valve-related events occurred more frequently
      in SJM valve recipients (5.5 +/- 2.5 vs 0%/valve-year; p less than 0.02, 6.6 +/-
      2.7 vs 1.1 +/- 0.6 %/valve-year; p less than 0.03, respectively). The
      bioprosthetic valve which did not need warfarin anticoagulation therapy had low
      incidence of valve-related complications and showed good long-term durability
      even in the younger age group. The bioprosthetic valve was superior to the SJM
      valve in the right side of the heart.

PMID- 1875523
TI  - Intraaortic balloon entrapment--a case report and a review of the literature.
AB  - A case of intraaortic balloon entrapment is reported. To our knowledge, this is
      the tenth case in the literature. We conclude that balloon entrapment can occur
      without any signs of rupture of the balloon and that the balloon should be
      removed surgically.

PMID- 1875524
TI  - Pressure-volume relationships of finger arteries in healthy subjects and patients
      with coronary atherosclerosis measured non-invasively by photoelectric
      plethysmography.
AB  - Knowledge of the mechanical properties of the small arteries is important for
      understanding physiological and pathophysiological conditions in the human
      peripheral circulation. We have recently developed a new method for the
      noninvasive measurement of arterial elastic properties in human fingers using
      photoelectric plethysmography. In this study, the pressure-volume relationship,
      an index for expressing arterial elasticity, was measured by this method in the
      finger arteries of 91 healthy subjects and 102 patients with coronary artery
      disease. Aging effects on the elastic properties of finger arteries were examined
      in healthy subjects classified into three groups: under 30, 31-49, and over 50
      years of age. The pressure-volume curve shifted downward with increase in age,
      indicating that the elasticity of finger arteries decreased with age. Patients
      with 75% or greater coronary stenosis, as compared with age-matched healthy
      subjects, showed distinctly lower elasticity of finger arteries. As the number of
      diseased coronary arteries increased, the elasticity of finger arteries tended to
      decrease steadily. The elasticity of finger arteries decreased in coronary
      disease patients with hypertension much more than in those without hypertension.
      These results suggest that age-related changes in arterial elasticity can occur
      in peripheral small arteries, and that peripheral arteries in patients with
      coronary atherosclerosis are less elastic than those in healthy subjects.

PMID- 1875525
TI  - Assessment of superior vena caval blood flow velocity in ischemic heart disease.
AB  - In order to evaluate the right atrial function in patients with ischemic heart
      disease, we studied the superior vena caval blood flow velocity using pulsed
      Doppler echocardiography. The subjects included 31 patients with anteroseptal
      infarction (ANT), 23 with inferior or inferoposterior infarction (INF + POS), 27
      with effort angina pectoris (EAP) and 15 with vasospastic angina pectoris (VAP).
      The systolic peak flow velocity (PFVs) was significantly reduced only in INF +
      POS compared with those in ANT, EAP and VAP (36.8 +/- 1.8 cm/sec vs 46.9 +/- 2.1
      cm/sec, 46.4 +/- 2.1 cm/sec and 42.6 +/- 1.9 cm/sec, p less than 0.05,
      respectively). No significant difference in diastolic peak flow velocity (PFVd)
      was found between the 4 groups. PFVs/PFVd was significantly reduced only in INF +
      POS compared with those in ANT, EAP, and VAP (1.39 +/- 0.05 vs. 1.75 +/- 0.08,
      1.76 +/- 0.09, and 1.62 +/- 0.09, p less than 0.05, respectively). These results
      suggested that INF + POS caused impairment of the right atrial reservoir
      function.

PMID- 1875526
TI  - Myocardial blood flow, alternans of ST segment elevation, conduction delay and
      ventricular arrhythmia during acute myocardial ischemia with and without
      retrograde blood flow in canine hearts.
AB  - The technique of retrograde blood flow has been shown to decrease collateral flow
      into the ischemic myocardium, and to cause severe myocardial ischemia in dogs.
      Ischemia with retrograde blood flow in dogs is similar to ischemia in human
      hearts. Therefore, we examined the effect of retrograde blood flow on myocardial
      blood flow, ST segment elevation, alternans of ST segment elevation, conduction
      delay and ventricular arrhythmia in dogs. Sixty dogs were divided into two
      groups. In group A (N = 32), the left anterior descending coronary artery was
      occluded for 10 min. In group B (n = 28), ischemia was induced by the technique
      of retrograde blood flow for 10 min. During ischemia, the myocardial blood flow
      at the ischemic zone measured by a H2 gas clearance method was 11.2 +/- 1.6 in
      group A and 5.7 +/- 0.7 ml/min/100 g in group B (p less than 0.01). The maximal
      ST segment elevation was 13.6 +/- 1.9 in group A and 27.2 +/- 2.1 mV in group B
      (p less than 0.001); the maximal alternans of ST segment elevation was 5.3 +/-
      1.1 in group A and 10.1 +/- 1.4 mV in group B (p less than 0.01); the maximal
      conduction delay was 51.6 +/- 8.4 in group A and 111.1 +/- 6.2 msec in group B (p
      less than 0.001); and the incidences of ventricular premature beats (greater than
      5/min), ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation were 34%, 41% and 22% in group
      A, and 68%, 79% and 25% in group B (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.01 and not
      significant, respectively). It is concluded that ischemia with retrograde blood
      flow can be used to examine occlusive and reperfusion ventricular arrhythmia in
      dogs, because the incidences of ventricular premature beats and ventricular
      tachycardia were high, but that of ventricular fibrillation was not high despite
      the severe ischemia.

PMID- 1875527
TI  - A comparison of excimer laser, thermal probe, and mechanical devices for
      recanalizing occluded human arteries.
AB  - To evaluate the mechanism of excimer laser recanalization and compare the results
      with those of laser-assisted thermal probe recanalization and mechanical
      recanalization, a total of 42 human atherosclerotic totally occluded arterial
      segments (2-15 cm long) were recanalized by excimer laser with a 400-800 micron
      quartz fiber pulsed at 20 Hz with 50 mJ/mm2 of energy (n = 21), an Argon heated
      thermal probe at 10-12 watts (n = 11), a guidewire directed through a 6 Fr
      multipurpose catheter, or an angioplasty balloon catheter (n = 10). On histologic
      examination, the excimer laster created a single round lumen or multiple lumens
      ("Swiss-cheese" like appearance) with no evidence of thermal injury at the
      perimeter of the lumen. The incidence of perforation in vitro was less with an
      excimer laser catherter (8/21 or 38%) than with the thermal prove (10/11 or 91%)
      (p less than 0.01). However, serial histologic cross-sectional examination showed
      that the pathway of the devices were essentially the same in all recanalization
      procedures. The pathway of the device was located outside the atheroma but
      proximal to the internal elastic membrane in 13 arteries with the excimer laser
      (62%), in 10 arteries with the thermal probe (91%), and 8 arteries with
      mechanical devices (80%). These results indicate that although the eximer laser
      could recanalize human atherosclerotic arteries without thermal injury, the fiber
      frequently deflected around firm atherosclerotic plaque and advanced in a
      dissection plane between the plaque and media. A similar course was noted for the
      thermal probe or during mechanical recanalization with a guidewire and catheter.
      To insure the safety of an excimer fiber or a thermal probe to reopen complete
      occlusions, better guidance systems must be developed.

PMID- 1875528
TI  - Effects of residual coronary stenosis on myocardial salvage after reperfusion in
      dogs.
AB  - In order to study the effects of residual stenosis on myocardial salvage, we
      created 99% coronary stenosis with or without contrast washout delay at
      reperfusion in six groups of dogs. In Group A (n = 8), the artery was occluded
      for 1h before being fully reperfused. In Group B (n = 9), the artery was occluded
      for 1h, then subjected to 6h of 99% stenosis without contrast washout delay. In
      Group C (n = 8), the artery was occluded for 1h, followed by 1 week of 99%
      stenosis without contrast washout delay. In Group D (n = 10), again the artery
      was occluded for 1h, then subjected to 6h of 99% stenosis with contrast washout
      delay. In Group E (n = 8), the artery was occluded for 7h, then fully reperfused
      for 1 week. Finally, in Group F (n = 8), the occlusion lasted for a full week.
      All dogs were sacrificed 1 week after occlusion. In Group A, myocardial creatine
      phosphokinase activity (CK) in the inner layer was 43.8 +/- 12.5% that of non
      infarcted myocardium. Myocardial CK in Group B (46.5 +/- 7.4%) was little
      different but in Group C it dropped to 26.6 +/- 8.4%, suggesting that 99%
      residual stenosis is not deleterious if it is continued for 6h or less but that
      it will result in considerable depletion of myocardial CK, it is is sustained for
      1 week. In Group D, myocardial CK dropped markedly to 11.3 +/- 3.7%, little
      different from that for either Group E (13.3 +/- 2.6%) or Group F (9.3 +/-
      3.3%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875529
TI  - The role of oxygen free radicals and extracellular calcium ions in reperfusion
      induced arrhythmias.
AB  - To examine the role of oxygen free radicals and extracellular calcium ions in
      reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias, we evaluated the effects of hypoxic
      reperfusion, oxygen free radical scavengers, allopurinol and hypocalcemic
      reperfusion on reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias. The hearts of male
      Sprague-Dawley rats were perfused in the working heart mode. Whole heart ischemia
      was induced for 15 min and then reperfused. Rats were divided into 5 groups:
      control group, scavenger group, allopurinol group, hypoxia group and hypocalcemia
      group. Scavenger, hypoxic and hypocalcemic perfusions were undertaken only during
      the period of perfusion. The incidence of reperfusion-induced ventricular
      fibrillation (Vf) was reduced in the scavenger group (100% to 38%) and the
      hypoxia group (100% to 50%). Spontaneous reversion of Vf to regular sinus rhythm
      was recognized in the hypoxia and hypocalcemia groups. In conclusion, oxygen free
      radicals would play an important role in the genesis of the reperfusion
      arrhythmias, and extracellular calcium concentration would also play an important
      role in sustaining the reperfusion arrhythmias. Notably, hypoxic reperfusion had
      protective effects on both processes.

PMID- 1875530
TI  - Effects of nifedipine on diastolic abnormalities in low-flow and pacing-induced
      ischemia in isolated rat hearts.
AB  - An animal experimental model which stimulates human effort angina, especially in
      terms of diastolic abnormalities, was developed using isovolumically beating
      perfused rat hearts. Using this model, we studied the effects of nifedipine, a
      Ca2+ channel blocker, on diastolic properties during pacing-induced ischemia.
      When the preload of the left ventricle was set at a low level, low-flow ischemia
      (coronary perfusion pressure of 40 mmHg) plus tachycardia (480 beats/min for 4
      min) did not induce an increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
      (LVEDP). However, with a high preload, low-flow ischemia plus pacing tachycardia
      induced an increase in LVEDP of 8.4 +/- 5.4 mmHg (p less than 0.01) and a
      prolongation of the time constant of ventricular pressure decline (6.8 +/- 4.6
      msec, p less than 0.05) immediately after pacing tachycardia. Pretreatment with
      nifedipine (3 x 10(-8) M) prevented the rise in LVEDP induced by pacing
      tachycardia. Thus, in isolated perfused hearts, diastolic abnormalities similar
      to those seen in angina pectoris were obtained by low-flow ischemia plus pacing
      tachycardia. The response to nifedipine suggested that an alteration of Ca2+
      movement may play an important role in the increase in left ventricular stiffness
      under these conditions.

PMID- 1875531
TI  - Serum from patients with restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary
      angioplasty stimulates proliferation of bovine vascular smooth muscle cells under
      low extracellular calcium condition.
AB  - We compared the effects on the proliferation of bovine vascular smooth muscle
      cells (VSMC) of serum from 36 patients without restenosis (group A), and 21
      patients with restenosis (group B) after percutaneous transluminal coronary
      angioplasty (PTCA). Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups, except
      for the greater number of patients with unstable angina at the time of PTCA (52
      vs 22%, p = 0.020) and the shorter interval between PTCA and repeat angiography
      in group B (106 +/- 30 vs 153 +/- 112 days, p = 0.022). Cultured bovine VSMC were
      stimulated with patient serum (5%) obtained at repeat angiography in either
      Ca(2+)-containing or Ca(2+)-free culture medium. DNA synthesis was assessed by
      [3H]thymidine incorporation. The following indices of VSMC proliferation were
      used: S(+) = [3H]thymidine uptake stimulated by 5% serum in Ca(2+)-containing
      medium/[3H]thymidine uptake stimulated by 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) in Ca(2+)
      containing medium, S(-) = [3H]thymidine uptake stimulated by 5% serum in Ca(2+)
      free medium/[3H]thymidine uptake stimulated by 5% FCS in Ca(2+)-free medium, and
      D = S(-)-S(+). D represented the preserved DNA synthesis in Ca(2+)-deprived
      medium. S(-) was lower than S(+) in group A (1.35 +/- 0.56 vs 1.57 +/- 0.58, p
      less than 0.0001), whereas it was higher than S(+) in group B (1.64 +/- 0.66 vs
      1.50 +/- 0.58, p = 0.010). D was significantly higher in group B than in group A
      (0.14 +/- 0.23 vs -0.22 +/- 0.28, p less than 0.0001), and was not associated
      with any continuous variables including serum calcium level on univariate
      regression analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875532
TI  - [Pain assessment using fuzzy set theory].

PMID- 1875533
TI  - [Changes in the water-electrolyte balance and kidney function in the elderly].

PMID- 1875534
TI  - [Hemodynamic effects of endothelin in anesthetized dogs].
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to investigate and compare the hemodynamic
      responses that can be elicited in anesthetized dogs by intravenous administration
      of endothelin at rates of 300 (group E-I, n = 9) and 600 pmol.kg-1 (group E-II, n
      = 9) for 15 minutes. In group E-I, no significant pressure response was observed
      after administration of endothelin and cardiac index remained unchanged
      throughout the experiment. However, right and left ventricular work indices
      increased significantly but left ventricular maximum dp/dt and pulmonary vascular
      resistance decreased significantly. In group E-II, mean arterial pressure
      increased significantly by elevating systemic vascular resistance with marked
      decrease in cardiac index. However, right and left ventricular work indices
      remained unchanged throughout the experiment. On the other hand, each dose of
      endothelin significantly increased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left
      ventricular end-diastolic pressure but decreased heart rate. The present data
      revealed that the hemodynamic effects were different according to the doses of
      endothelin infused. In conclusion, our results show that endothelin (600 pmol.kg
      1 BW) produces a long lasting increase in arterial pressure and endothelin
      induced pressure responses are caused by an elevation in systemic vascular
      resistance.

PMID- 1875535
TI  - [The effect of inhalation of sevoflurane for an hour on the liver of beagles].
AB  - The effect of sevoflurane in comparison with that of enflurane and halothane,
      each at 1.8 MAC, on the liver was examined after inhalation exposure to beagles
      under controlled respiration for 1 hr. No abnormalities were observed in general
      conditions in the animals exposed to any of these anesthetics. Recovery time to
      spontaneous respiration after the end of anesthesia was similar for each group,
      but the awakening was quickest in sevoflurane exposed group. Blood pressure
      dropped immediately after the initiation of exposure in each group, but it
      recovered quickly to preexposure levels after the end of the exposure. Minor and
      reversible elevations in the values of GOT, GPT, LDH and bilirubin were noted
      without the organic change of the liver in beagles after the inhalation exposure
      to 1.8 MAC of each anesthetic. Since similar changes were observed in beagles
      exposed to enflurane or halothane, we conclude that no change in the liver
      specifically associated with sevoflurane was found under these experimental
      conditions.

PMID- 1875536
TI  - [Clinical studies on the risk of aspiration pneumonitis with respect to gastric
      pH and volume--effects of age, induction time, H2-blocker and anesthetic
      technique].
AB  - The age-related risk of aspiration pneumonitis was studied by measuring gastric
      pH and volume in patients undergoing elective surgery. Control group (without
      administration of H2-blocker) showed the greatest risk in 12-19 yr sub-group, and
      the risk decreased with age. Famotidine (H2-blocker) was very useful for
      premedication in patients of all ages, though slightly uncertain in 12-19 yr sub
      group. In 12-19 yr sub-group, the proportion of patients with gastric fluid
      volume greater than or equal to 0.4 ml.kg-1 was significantly greater in PM group
      (induction of anesthesia in the afternoon) than AM group (in the morning).
      Furthermore, the effects of anesthetic technique on gastric pH were examined.
      Gastric pH increased significantly during N2O-O2-halothane and N2O-O2-enflurane
      anesthesia; while during N2O-O2-epidural and N2O-O2-fentanyl anesthesia, gastric
      pH was unchanged significantly and stayed low.

PMID- 1875537
TI  - [Clinical study on total intravenous anesthesia with droperidol, fentanyl and
      ketamine--7. Effects on natural killer cell activity].
AB  - Twenty four patients who underwent ophthalmic surgery were studied to evaluate
      activities of natural killer (NK) cells during and following total intravenous
      anesthesia with droperidol, fentanyl and ketamine. They were divided into three
      equal groups according to anesthetic methods employed. In enflurane group,
      anesthesia was induced with thiopental 5 mg.kg-1 and succinylcholine 1 mg.kg-1,
      and maintained with 1-2% enflurane, nitrous oxide (50%) and oxygen (50%). In
      original NLA group, anesthesia was induced as above and maintained with
      droperidol 0.15 mg.kg-1, fentanyl 5-10 micrograms.kg-1, nitrous oxide (70%) and
      oxygen (30%). The patients of total intravenous anesthesia group received
      droperidol 0.15 mg.kg-1, ketamine 2 mg.kg-1 and succinyl-choline 1 mg.kg-1 for
      induction of anesthesia, and then were given fentanyl 5-15 micrograms.kg-1,
      ketamine 2 mg.kg-1.hr-1 and oxygen (30%) for the maintenance of anesthesia.
      Vecuronium was given to every patient of the three groups for intraoperative
      muscle relaxation. Hartmann's solution was used at a speed of 5 ml.kg-1.hr-1.
      Peripheral venous blood 10 ml was drawn on six occasions during and after the
      surgery for the measurement of NK cell activities and endocrine response as
      judged by plasma catecholamine and cortisol levels. NK cell activities decreased
      significantly on the first post-operative day in enflurane group, but no
      significant differences were found among three groups in NK cell activities. The
      data suggest that inhaled anesthetics should not be easily employed for patients
      with depressed immune response, malignant disease and prolonged surgery.

PMID- 1875538
TI  - [The effects of thromboxane receptor antagonist on hemodynamic responses after
      neutralization of heparin by protamine].
AB  - In a double blind test, the effects of ONO 3708, thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor
      antagonist, on hemodynamic responses after neutralization of heparin by
      protamine, were evaluated in 19 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft.
      Severe circulatory disturbances were not observed in all patients after
      intravenous administration of protamine (3 mg.kg-1) over 5 minutes, and in
      particular ONO 3708 (2.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 given with continuous infusion)
      group (n = 10) showed no deleterious hemodynamic responses to protamine. On the
      other hand, in placebo group (n = 9) the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP)
      and the mean pulmonary/systemic artery pressure ratio (Pp/Ps) increased
      significantly, immediately following protamine administration, compared with the
      baseline values and ONO 3708 group. The results suggest that pulmonary
      hypertension after protamine is associated with TXA2 release and that ONO 3708 is
      useful to avoid this reaction.

PMID- 1875539
TI  - [Effects of halothane and barbiturate on hepatic circulation and hepatic oxygen
      metabolism during hypoxia in dogs].
AB  - Hepatic oxygen metabolism and the hepatic energy charge were assessed in 21
      mongrel dogs receiving 1 to 1.5 MAC of halothane or thiamylal (20-30 mg.kg-1.hr
      1) intravenously while inhaling graded hypoxic mixtures (FIO2 0.21-0.08). Hepatic
      blood flow was measured using electromagnetic flowmetry: hepatic oxygen delivery
      and consumption were calculated from measured hepatic blood flow and oxygen
      content in hepatic arterial, portal venous blood and hepatic venous blood. In the
      hypoxia-halothane group, portal venous blood flow (FIO2 0.15-0.10), portal venous
      oxygen content (FIO2 0.10-0.08) and hepatic oxygen consumption (FIO2 0.08)
      significantly decreased compared with the hypoxia-thiamylal group. Arterial
      ketone body ratio (AKBR), which indicates the mitochondrial energy charge level,
      decreased with the development of hypoxia, and in the hypoxia-halothane group,
      the decrease of AKBR was significantly greater than in the hypoxia-thiamylal
      group at FIO2 0.08. The serum catecholamine levels, epinephrine and
      norepinephrine, increased in both groups at FIO2 0.08. In the hypoxia-halothane
      group, however, the increase of norepinephrine was significantly higher than in
      the hypoxia-thiamylal group at FIO2 0.08. These results suggest that, compared
      with halothane, thiamylal could suppress the exaggerated reaction to hypoxic
      hypoxemia, maintain hepatic circulation and hepatic oxygen metabolism and
      therefore maintain the hepatic mitochondrial redox state in better condition.

PMID- 1875540
TI  - [Effects of intravenous lidocaine administration on auditory brainstem response].
AB  - The effect of lidocaine on the auditory brainstem response (ABR) was investigated
      in 14 neurologically normal patients. Lidocaine 1.5 mg.kg-1.min-1 was injected
      intravenously over a 5 min period immediately followed by a continuous infusion
      of lidocaine 60 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. The seven peak latencies (waves I-VII) and
      amplitudes (waves I-VII) of the ABR were recorded before and 7-8 min after
      lidocaine infusion. Peak latencies of waves IV, V, VI, VII increased after
      epidural anesthesia compared with control values. Amplitudes of all waves were
      unchanged following intravenous lidocaine injection compared with control values.
      Interpeak latencies (I-II, II-III, III-IV, IV-V, V-VI, VI-VII), of every second
      peak (I-III, II-IV, III-V, IV-VI, V-VII), of every third peak except (III-VI, IV
      VII) were unchanged compared with control values. Interpeak latencies of every
      fourth peak, of fifth peak increased after lidocaine injection compared with
      control values. The data obtained in this study with lidocaine injection were
      similar to the data after epidural anesthesia with lidocaine. One of the reason
      of the latency changes of ABR after epidural anesthesia was the systemic effect
      of lidocaine absorbed intravenously from the epidural space.

PMID- 1875541
TI  - [Blood biochemistry during acidosis associated with ATP-induced hypotensive
      anesthesia].
AB  - Several investigators reported metabolic acidosis during ATP-induced hypotensive
      anesthesia. To elucidate the etiology, we studied blood biochemistry during
      hypotensive anesthesia for tympanoplastic surgery. The blood concentration of
      lactic acid, uric acid, phosphoric acid and carbonic acid increased and their
      total amount coincided with the base excess change. We also found that metabolic
      intermediates of glycolysis and of the catabolic pathway of adenosine also
      increased proportionally. The result suggests that the metabolic change is caused
      by lactic acid produced from glycolysis promoted by ATP and by the catabolic
      products of administered ATP itself.

PMID- 1875542
TI  - [The effect of continuous epidural infusion of a combination of 1% mepivacaine
      and buprenorphine for post-operative pain relief].
AB  - Using a portable 2 ml.hr-1 type infusor (Baxter Infusor), the effect of
      continuous epidural infusion for post-operative pain relief for 72 hours was
      studied in 32 patients after upper abdominal surgery. The patients were randomly
      allocated into four groups: Group 1 (n = 8) received continuous epidural infusion
      of 1% mepivacaine and buprenorphine 0.2 mg (48 ml.hr-1); group 2 (n = 8) 1%
      mepivacaine and buprenorphine 0.4 mg (48 ml.hr-1); Group 3 (n = 8) saline and
      buprenorphine 0.2 mg (48 ml.hr-1); Group 4 (n = 8) saline and buprenorphine 0.4
      mg (48 ml.hr-1). The effect was evaluated at intervals of 12-hour until 72 hours
      postoperatively. Patients received supplemental buprenorphine intramuscularly as
      needed. In each period during the 12 to 72-hour after operation, the percentage
      of the patients who needed no supplemental buprenorphine was 62.5-100%, which is
      higher than during the 0 to 12-hour (25.0%). The percentage of the patients who
      showed no pain on coughing and changing in position in Group 1 and 2 was higher
      than in Group 3 and 4 in each period (P less than 0.05 12-24 and 36-72 hr).
      Continuous epidural infusion using Baxter Infusor with the combination of 1%
      mepivacaine and buprenorphine is effective for alleviating postoperative pain
      during the 12 to 72 hours after the operation, and for prevention of pulmonary
      complications.

PMID- 1875543
TI  - [The evaluation of incremental positive end-expiratory pressure on right
      ventricular hemodynamics as determined by the thermodilution technique].
AB  - Effects of incremental positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on right
      ventricular (RV) hemodynamics were studied in 10 patients undergoing coronary
      artery bypass grafting, abdominal aneurysmectomy and partial hepatectomy, using
      Swan-Ganz catheter mounted with the rapid response thermistor. PEEP was increased
      from 0 (baseline) to 15 cmH2O with increment of 5 cmH2O, and right ventricular
      ejection fraction (RVEF), RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), RV end-systolic volume
      (RVESV), and cardiac output (CO) were computed with a thermodilution technique at
      each PEEP. At 15 cmH2O PEEP, RVEF, RVEDVI and RVESVI were comparable with the
      baseline, while right arterial pressure, RV peak systolic pressure and mean
      pulmonary arterial pressure increased significantly compared with the baseline.
      Increased afterload of RN caused by PEEP did not affect RV contractility.
      Decreased cardiac and stroke volume indices were attributed to the decrease of
      preload caused by the increase of intrathoracic pressure. We conclude that PEEP
      at 5 to 15 cmH2O does not influence right ventricular hemodynamics, and RVEDV is
      a reliable index to monitor RV hemodynamics instead of right arterial pressure to
      determine optimal PEEP.

PMID- 1875544
TI  - [Effects on hemodynamics and myocardial metabolism of prostaglandin E1 and
      trimethaphan after a descending aorta cross-clamp in experimentally coronary
      constricted dogs].
AB  - We investigated the hemodynamic effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and
      trimethaphan (TMP) during cross-clamp of the descending aorta in experimentally
      coronary constricted dogs. Using 21 mongrel dogs, the blood flow of the left
      anterior descending coronary artery was reduced to 50% by constricting the
      artery. After stabilization of hemodynamics, we cross-clamped descending aorta
      and administered PGE1 (1.0 microgram.kg-1.min-1) or TMP (5.0 micrograms.kg-1.min
      1). The drugs were discontinued just before the clamp on the aorta was released.
      In the PGE1 group, cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular dp/dt (LVdp/dt)
      increased significantly 5 minutes after clamping, with CO remaining at its high
      level even after the clamp was released. In the TMP group, CO increased
      significantly 15 minutes after administration and returned to the preclamping
      value soon after declamping. LVdp/dt was unchanged during clamping and decreased
      significantly after declamping. In addition, marked increase of the myocardial
      blood flow (MBF) in the ischemic areas was seen in the PGE1 group, whereas no
      changes were seen with the TMP. In the ischemic heart, PGE1 can not only decrease
      afterload which is elevated by the cross-clamping of the aorta, but also increase
      the coronary blood flow and MBF in the ischemic areas.

PMID- 1875545
TI  - [Anesthetic management of pheochromocytoma by continuous intravenous injection of
      prostaglandin E1].
AB  - We had five cases of surgical removal of pheochromocytoma by continuous
      intravenous injection of prostaglandin E1. During anesthesia, we used Swan-Ganz
      catheter for circulatory monitoring and measured plasma catecholamines. When PGE1
      dose was increased from 0.05 to 0.1 and 0.15 microgram.kg-1.min-1, total systemic
      vascular resistance and mean arterial pressure were decreased but heart rate and
      cardiac output were not significantly altered from the preanesthetic values.
      Plasma catecholamines were also similar to the preanesthetic values. Therefore,
      the results suggest that the mechanism of suppression of hypertension by PGE1 is
      by affecting vascular beds directly rather than by diminishing catecholamine
      excretion from sympathetic nerve and adrenal medulla. During manipulation of
      pheochromocytoma, mean arterial blood pressure increased extremely. Although PGE1
      was injected at a rate of 0.3 to 0.5 microgram.kg-1.min-1 in some cases, we could
      not suppress the elevation of blood pressure. PGE1 alone could not normalize
      blood pressure and heart rate, and other cardiovascular agents were necessary.

PMID- 1875546
TI  - [The anesthetic management of a patient with the malignant hyperthermia trait
      diagnosed preoperatively].
AB  - A patient for fixation of ankle arthrodesis diagnosed as having malignant
      hyperthermia trait preoperatively is reported. A 17 year old man was anesthetized
      with enflurane for orthopedic surgery of the knee joint. At that time malignant
      hyperthermia developed. He was critically ill, but resuscitated and recovered
      from acute renal failure on 7th day after operation. Ca2+ release test was
      performed. Ca2+ releasing speed was prominently accelerated in this patient. We
      could identify him as having malignant hyperthermia trait. Epidural anesthesia
      with procaine chloride was given cautiously. No drug which may induce malignant
      hyperthermia was used. Nevertheless, malignant hyperthermia occurred. This
      disease has various forms of presentation. The mechanism is equivocal, and in
      some cases, it is difficult to judge it immediately. This patient was managed
      without complication. We consider that tourniquet and stress provoked signs of
      malignant hyperthermia in this patient.

PMID- 1875547
TI  - [Prevention of hypertension at intubation with intravenous nicardipine].
AB  - We administered a calcium channel blocker, nicardipine 0.01 mg.kg-1 i. v. bolus
      or 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 i. v. infusion before induction with thiamylal or
      modified NLA (thiamylal, droperidol and butorphanol) to prevent hypertension at
      intratracheal intubation, and measured blood pressure and heart rate before and
      after intubation. Blood pressure of all experimental groups was significantly
      reduced in comparison with the control group right after intubated. Nicardipine
      is effective to prevent hypertension at intubation.

PMID- 1875548
TI  - [Ventricular arrhythmia associated with the use of an electrosurgical unit in a
      patient with a Swan-Ganz catheter].
AB  - We experienced short-run type ventricular arrhythmia associated with use of
      electrosurgical unit (ESU) in a patient with a Swan-Ganz catheter. Leakage
      current was not detected from the body of the five different devices used in this
      study. Nevertheless, there is a possibility of leakage current to the electrode
      of the intra-cardiac catheter thereby exciting the myocardium, because the
      grounding of the five devices used simultaneously on the patient were not of EPR
      system. The other possibility, that is the occurrence of pulse direct current
      voltage by rectification of high frequency current at the contact point of
      electrosurgical knife's tip and vital organ is a speculation but not underlined
      by a definite proof. In summary, the cause of ventricular arrhythmia associated
      with the use of ESU could not be identified in the present case. It must always
      be remembered that whatever safety measures may be prescribed for electrical
      instruments, a complete prevention of EMI is impossible. Also it must be stressed
      that whenever many devices are used simultaneously on a patient, EPR system is
      very important for avoiding electrical hazard.

PMID- 1875549
TI  - [Severe bradycardia and hypotension during spinal anesthesia: a report of five
      cases without morbidity].
AB  - We reported five cases of sudden onset of bradycardia and hypotension during
      spinal anesthesia in which measurable parameters of the patients were monitored
      continuously by inter-operating-room local area network system. In the first two
      cases, episodes of bradycardia and hypotension were caused by incomplete spinal
      blockade. In the third patient, severe bradycardia was preceded by gradual
      decrease of heart rate following high spinal blockade. In the last two cases of
      high spinal anesthesia, no remarkable change of the heart rate was observed
      before sudden onset of bradycardia and hypotension. All five patients were easily
      and adequately treated and they showed no signs of hypoxia. We would like to
      emphasize the importance of adequate and continuous monitoring during spinal
      anesthesia.

PMID- 1875550
TI  - [Malfunctioning of infusion pumps due to interference from an electrosurgical
      unit].
AB  - We observed the incidence of pump errors by the interference from the
      electrosurgical unit (Vallylab, Force 4B) set at coagulation or cut mode, with
      three infusion pumps: Terumo STC-523, STC-525 and STC-525-01. The STC-525-01
      painted with electrically conductive paint inside was used during electrosurgery
      on experimental basis. Malfunctioning of the STC-523 pump occurred frequently by
      using electrosurgical unit set at coagulation mode and placed close to the pump.
      The STC-525-01 showed markedly lower incidence of malfunctioning. Therefore, the
      STC-252-01 pump can be used safely during electrosurgery. Additionally, we
      discovered, through an estimation of radiated electrical field around the
      electrosurgical unit, the cable of an active electrode was important as an
      interference source. To minimize electrosurgical interferences, we propose the
      following recommendations; 1) keeping the infusion pump and its AC line as far as
      possible from the active electrode cable, 2) keeping the output of
      electrosurgical unit as low as possible, 3) operating the pump with its internal
      battery power supply, and 4) monitoring the operation of the pump while using
      electrosurgery.

PMID- 1875551
TI  - Serologic evidence of toxocariasis in northeast Brazil.
AB  - Sera from 54 Brazilian children with a history of tropical eosinophilia syndrome
      were screened for toxocariasis. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected 21
      positive sera (40%). Many of these cases (15 of 21) were positive for Dilofilaria
      immitis as well. Of the six Toxocara-positive children with hypereosinophilia,
      two were asthmatic. Their sera were further examined by the Toxocara species
      specific Ouchterlony's diffusion-in-gel test and one Toxocara canis and one T.
      cati infections were identified. This is the first report of serologically
      diagnosed toxocariasis in Brazil.

PMID- 1875552
TI  - Effects of hyperlipaemic serum on interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, IL-2 receptor
      expression, and T cell proliferation induced by IL-2 in cynomolgus monkeys.
AB  - The effect of hyperlipaemic serum on mitogen-induced T lymphocyte proliferation
      was investigated with cynomolgus monkeys. The mitogen-induced blastogenesis was
      remarkably inhibited when either hyperlipaemic or normal monkey lymphocytes were
      incubated with hyperlipaemic sera. Hyperlipaemic serum also inhibited ConA
      induced interleukin 2 (IL-2) production as well as IL-2 receptor (IL-2R)
      expression of normal monkey lymphocytes. On the other hand, it showed slight
      inhibition of T-cell proliferation induced by adding recombinant human IL-2 to IL
      2R-positive normal monkey lymphocytes. These results indicate that hyperlipaemic
      serum inhibited an early stage of T-cell autocrine activation pathway including
      IL-2 production and IL-2R expression.

PMID- 1875553
TI  - Evaluation of microbial metabolites for trypanocidal activity: significance of
      biochemical and biological parameters in the mouse model of trypanosomiasis.
AB  - Trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease, prevailing in both humans and animals,
      caused by a single-cell parasite, Trypanosoma spp. Three microbial metabolites,
      namely antiamoebin, F-857 and 6-MFA, were evaluated for trypanocidal activity by
      using a mouse model of trypanosomiasis, which is caused by T. evansi. The
      significance of the biological and biochemical parameters with respect to physio
      pathology of trypanosomiasis and their implications in the evaluation of new
      trypanocidal compounds were discussed.

PMID- 1875554
TI  - [Thin basement membrane disease in patients with asymptomatic hematuria and/or
      proteinuria: a clinicopathological study].
AB  - To clarify the incidence of thin basement membrane disease (TMD) among the
      patients with idiopathic asymptomatic hematuria and/or proteinuria, in 217
      serious renal biopsies (children 85, adults 132) were studied with clinical and
      morphometric analysis. TMD used is defined as follows: 1) Glomerulus in minor
      abnormalities; 2) GBM less than or equal to 200 nm in width, with more than 20%
      in total glomerular capillary surface; 3) Absence of significant immunoglobulins
      or complement components. Out of 217 patients 93% had either IgA nephropathy
      (55%), normal glomeruli (21%) or TMD (17%). TMD consisted of 22% in children and
      14% in adults. Remained 15 consisted of non-IgA mesangial proliferative
      glomerulonephritis (6 cases), incomplete foot process disease (5), membranous
      nephropathy (2), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (1), and unclassified
      (1). Patients with TMD were found mostly (71%) in younger age less than 20 years
      old. Out of the patients with TMD, 38% had renal abnormality in the family
      history, but remainders were sporadic. The common urinary abnormality in TMD was
      microscopic hematuria occasionally with mild proteinuria (95%), while proteinuria
      only was rare (5%). Outcome of TMD was favorable prognosis with normal renal
      function. TMD was histologically divided into 2 groups; diffuse type (GBM
      thinning was more than 50% in the capillary surface) (19 cases; 51%), and focal
      type (it was less than 50%) (18 cases; 49%). The incidence of those family
      history was 64% and 15%, respectively (p less than 0.05). It was concluded that
      TMD was a popular disorder in patients with asymptomatic hematuria and/or
      proteinuria and it may expect 17% in incidence.

PMID- 1875555
TI  - [The mechanisms of exercise-induced proteinuria--relationship between urinary
      excretion of proteins and lactate after exhaustive exercise].
AB  - Exercise-induced proteinuria is of the mixed glomerular-tubular type and has been
      thought to be due to increased glomerular permeability to macromolecular proteins
      in response to activation of the renin-angiotensin system and catecholamines and
      a reduction in renal hemodynamics. The excretion of the tubular type of proteins,
      however, can't be explained by the above mechanism. Two groups, consisting of
      subjects with the highest (H-alb, n = 20) and the lowest (L-alb, n = 20)
      excretion of albumin 30 min after exhaustive exercise were selected from a total
      of 69 normal male participants. No differences in VO2max, maxHR, changes in
      plasma angiotensin II, catecholamines, urine volume, or Ccr following exercise
      were observed between the two groups. The increase in blood lactate concentration
      immediately after exercise, increases in urinary excretion of lactate, pyruvate,
      alpha 1 M, beta 2 M, albumin and decrease in Cl- excretion 30 min after exercise
      in the H-alb group were significantly greater than in the L-alb group. The
      greater the urinary excretion of lactate and pyruvate, the greater the excretion
      of albumin, alpha 1M and beta 2M, and the less the urinary excretion of Cl-. The
      coefficient of correlation between the urinary excretion of lactate and beta 2M
      was 0.757, and between urinary excretion of albumin and beta 2M, 0.756 (p less
      than 0.001). These results suggest that exercise-induced organic acids and/or
      decrease in renal circulatory pH caused by organic acids may alter renal
      glomerular permeability and inhibit renal tubular reabsorption of low molecular
      weight proteins (alpha 1M, beta 2M). The permeability of the glomerular basement
      membrane (GBM) to macromolecular proteins may be altered by a reduction in the
      charge barrier of the GBM, which may be caused by the over-production of organic
      acids and a lower pH.

PMID- 1875556
TI  - [Clinical significance of urinary FDP-E measured by latex photometric immunoassay
      (LPIA) in the renal disease].
AB  - It is well known that urinary FDP is one of the parameters of intrarenal
      coagulation in renal disease. The measurement of urinary FDP, however, is not
      satisfactory enough, since it is not a quantitative and sensitive method. Latex
      photometric immunoassay has recently been developed as a quantitative and more
      sensitive method. Since fibrinogen reacts with FDP-E less than FDP, the
      measurement of urinary FDP-E is much better than that of urinary FDP in order to
      determine the presence of intrarenal coagulation and fibrinolysis of patients
      with renal diseases. The aim of this study is to clarify the clinical
      significance of urinary FDP-E measured by LPIA in the renal disease. The results
      were as follows: (1) Urinary FDP-E correlate with urinary protein, FDP, FDP-D,
      fibrinopeptide A (FPA), but not serum FDP-E. (2) The diseases which showed higher
      amounts of urinary FDP-E were diabetic nephropathy, amyloidosis and chronic
      glomerulonephritis. On the other hand, the diseases which showed smaller amounts
      of urinary FDP-E were minimal change, toxemia of pregnancy and lupus nephritis.
      All patients with higher amounts of urinary FDP-E showed marked renal
      dysfunction. But all the patients with the marked renal dysfunction did not
      always show higher amounts of urinary FDP-E. The urinary FDP-E showed a positive
      correlation to 1/serum creatinine. These results suggested that the measurement
      of urinary FDP-E is a useful method in determining the presence and degree of
      intrarenal coagulation and fibrinolysis in renal diseases.

PMID- 1875557
TI  - [Effect of partial nephrectomy on mercuric chloride-induced acute renal failure].
AB  - We investigated the effect of partial nephrectomy on mercuric chloride (HgCl2)
      induced acute renal failure (ARF) in rats. HgCl2 (2 mg/kg) was subcutaneously
      injected to male Wistar rats 2 days or 2 weeks after either partial nephrectomy
      or sham surgery. Both deterioration of renal function (serum creatinine,
      creatinine clearance, and fractional excretion of sodium) and renal tubular
      damage due to HgCl2-induced ARF were inhibited by 5/6 nephrectomy. A moderate
      inhibitory effect was also noted by uninephrectomy. The levels of renal tissue
      ATP and total nucleotide did not increase 12 and 48 hours after uninephrectomy.
      These results suggest that partial nephrectomy is effective in suppressing the
      development of HgCl2-induced ARF. The mechanisms of the protection are not
      explained completely by a consequence of hypertrophy or an acceleration of
      intracellular energy metabolism. Intrarenal blood flow redistribution may be
      involved in one of the mechanisms.

PMID- 1875558
TI  - [Study of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase in patients with chronic renal
      failure on maintenance hemodialysis].
AB  - In the diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy (ROD) and the monitoring of its clinical
      course, several biochemical parameters have been appreciated as a useful
      indicators. The present investigations were designed to evaluate the clinical
      value of serum tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) as an additional
      parameter of osteoclastic activity in ROD based upon the concept that TRACP was
      marker enzyme specific for osteoclast. Serum TRACP was assayed in 72 patients on
      long term hemodialysis and compared with conventional parameters of ROD such as
      ALP, Osteocalcin, Hydroxyproline. Bone change was analyzed according to Jensen's
      method and categorized into 4 stages. Serum TRACP was exclusively elevated and
      revealed a evident correlations with each parameters as follows: TRACP v. PTH-C,
      r = 0.501 p less than 0.01. Hydroxyproline, r = 0.429 p less than 0.05., ALP, r =
      0.001., Osteocalcin, r = 0.540 p less than 0.01. In addition, TRACP value in the
      patients with high stage significantly higher than that in those low stage ROD.
      These results suggest that measurement of TRACP would be of clinical importance
      and useful for diagnosis of ROD in chronic maintenance hemodialized patients.

PMID- 1875559
TI  - [Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO) on angina pectoris in patients
      with chronic maintenance hemodialysis].
AB  - We studied the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO) on angina
      pectoris in patients with chronic maintenance hemodialysis. We evaluated
      hemodynamic changes and exercise tolerance in 6 patients underwent symptom
      limited treadmill exercise tests, before and 3-months after treatment with rEPO.
      Hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit increased significantly from 8.1 +/- 1.0
      to 10.3 +/- 1.1 g/dl, from 25.7 +/- 2.7 to 31.5 +/- 2.5%, respectively. Exercise
      duration increased significantly from 291 +/- 68 to 396 +/- 77 sec. Maximal
      oxygen uptake (VO2max) also increased significantly from 18.3 +/- 3.3 to 24.2 +/-
      3.4 ml/kg/min during correction of anemia. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and
      pressure rate product (PRP) at rest, and at maximal exercise showed no
      significant changes, on the other hand ischemic ST change at maximal exercise
      decreased significantly from 1.2 +/- 0.7 to 0.2 +/- 0.3 mm under 3-months
      treatment. Our results suggest that improvement of exercise capacity and ST
      depression in patients with chronic hemodialysis is the outcome of increased
      coronary oxygen supply with unchanged cardiac oxygen demand after correction of
      renal anemia treated with rEPO.

PMID- 1875560
TI  - [Clinical study of renal cell carcinoma as incidental finding].
AB  - Reports on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as an incidental finding have been
      increasing in recent years as the imaging modalities including ultrasonography
      (US) and computerized tomography (CT) scan have gained popularity in clinical
      medicine. Because effective treatment in RCC is only surgical removal of the
      involved kidney even at present, it is imperative for urologists to find and to
      diagnose the RCC in early stage. Whether RCC found incidentally is in early stage
      cancer is not determined at present. To determine if the RCC found incidentally
      is in early stage cancer and if the survival rate is better than that of the RCC
      found with symptoms, we undertook the following study. Between December 1972 and
      March 1990, 65 patients with RCC were registered at the Department of Urology,
      Teikyo University Hospital. Of 65 patients 20 with RCC as an incidental finding
      were subjected to this study. 34 patients with RCC found with symptoms including
      hematuria were subjected to control group. Causes of the diagnosis in 20 patients
      included workup for non-urological diseases in 11 patients (55.0%), workup for
      urological disease other than RCC in 5 patients (25.0%) and routine medical
      checkup in 4 patients (20.0%). First-line imaging modalities for the diagnosis
      was US in 9 patients (45.0%), DIP in 6 patients (30.0%) and CT in 5 patients
      (25.0%). Size of the tumor, pathological stage (pT) and grade in these 20
      patients were tended to be smaller and lower, respectively, but these results
      were not significant as compared to those of the control group. Incidence of the
      remote metastasis, at the time of diagnosis, however, was significantly lesser
      than that of the control group (p = 0.04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875561
TI  - [A case of renal failure due to primary cholesterol atheroembolism].
AB  - We report a patient presenting rapid deterioration of renal function due to
      primary cholesterol atheroembolism. The patient was 75-year-old hypertensive male
      and was admitted to a hospital because of rt. hemiplegia which developed 2 weeks
      earlier. On admission, his blood pressure was 200/100 mmHg and serum creatinine
      level was 2.9 mg/dl with urinalysis 1+ both for protein and hematuria. 2 weeks
      later, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor, delapril 15
      mg/day) was given to control high blood pressure. Immediately after this
      medication, his renal failure rapidly progressed with a fall in blood pressure
      (110/60 mmHg) and oliguria (100 ml/day). Although he was transferred to our
      hospital and was treated with hemodialysis, he died of an attack of acute
      myocardial infarction in a week. At post-mortem examination, microscopic findings
      of the kidney disclosed numerous occlusions of medium-sized artery by cholesterol
      emboli. These emboli were also observed in other organs, but not so prominent as
      in the kidney. The coronary arteries exhibited severe sclerosis. In this
      presented case, acute deterioration of renal function was caused by ACE
      inhibitor, although which was administered in a volume depleted condition.
      Therefore, further study would be necessary whether or not ACE-inhibitors
      predispose the patients with this disease to acute renal failure.

PMID- 1875562
TI  - [Two cases of renovascular hypertension detected by 2-D Doppler method].
AB  - Renovascular hypertension is most frequent causes of secondary hypertension.
      Although angiography of renal artery is reliable procedure for the diagnosis of
      the renovascular hypertension, it is expensive and invasive. We report two cases
      which become possible to make diagnosis of the renovascular hypertension by
      measurement of velocity of segmental or interlobar artery using 2-D color Doppler
      method. Case 1: 39 year-old male was hospitalized because of hypertension
      (200/130 mmHg). Ccr was 82 ml/min. 2-D Doppler test demonstrated that the Vmax,
      the Vmin and the Vmin/Vmax of the right segmental artery were 40 cm/sec., 24
      cm/sec. and 0.60, respectively. The Vmax, the Vmin, and the Vmin/Vmax of the left
      segmental artery were 42 cm/sec., 22 cm/sec. and 0.52, respectively. Renal
      angiography shows right renovascular stenosis. After percutaneous transluminal
      angioplasty, the blood pressure became normal and Vmin/Vmax ratio of the right
      segmental artery was down to 0.52. Case 2: 46 year-old male was hospitalized
      because of chronic renal failure (Ccr: 14.6 ml/min) and uncontrollable
      hypertension. 2-D Doppler test demonstrated that the Vmax, the Vmin, the
      Vmin/Vmax ratio and the acceleration of the right segmental artery were 10
      cm/sec., 6 cm/sec., 0.62 and 1.7 m/sec.2, respectively. The Vmax, the Vmin, the
      Vmin/Vmax ratio and the acceleration of the left interlobar artery were 8
      cm/sec., 5 cm/sec., 0.63 and 0.8 m/sec.2, respectively. Renal angiography shows
      bilateral renovascular stenosis. Thus, the elevated value of Vmin/Vmax ratio
      (over 0.6) (mean value: 0.43 +/- 0.08, when Ccr is over 70 ml/min, whereas 0.32
      +/- 0.11, when Ccr is under 30 ml/min) and decreased acceleration (under 2.0
      m/sec. 2) of the segmental or the interlobar artery seems to be helpful for the
      diagnosis of renovascular hypertension.

PMID- 1875563
TI  - [Two cases of nephrotic syndrome associated with hydronephrosis].
AB  - We reported two cases of nephrotic syndrome associated with hydronephrosis. A
      forty four year old male patient who suddenly complained of nephrotic syndrome,
      showed left hydronephrosis caused by lower ureteral stenosis. Renal biopsy
      specimen obtained from the right kidney revealed minor glomerular abnormalities.
      A sixteen year old female patient had a long history of proteinuria before the
      onset of nephrotic syndrome. She suffered from bilateral hydronephrosis of which
      the etiology was unclear. Renal biopsy specimen obtained from the left kidney
      revealed membranous nephropathy. Because in both cases urine samples collected
      from each ureter showed the presence of a massive protein, the other kidney was
      thought to be involved with the same disease. The association of nephrotic
      syndrome with hydronephrosis is extremely rare. The significance of this unusual
      combination was discussed with respect to the literature.

PMID- 1875564
TI  - [A case of iron and aluminum related osteomalacia in a long-term hemodialysis
      patient].
AB  - A 32-year-old woman undergoing hemodialysis for 12 years was referred because of
      systemic bone pain and pathological fracture of ribs and right tibia. Her serum
      ferritin was 4800 ng/ml, liver CT level was extremely high and skeletal
      scintigram by 99 m-Tc-MDP revealed high activity of soft tissue. Her serum
      aluminum was elevated more than 20 micrograms/dl by deferoxamine infusion test.
      Osteomalacia and positive staining of both aluminum and iron was observed by bone
      biopsy examination. After treatment with deferoxamine as a chelating agent of
      iron and aluminum, bone pain was relieved and second bone biopsy specimen
      revealed improvement of osteomalacia. But serum aluminum was slightly reduced and
      serum ferritin level and liver CT level were unchanged.

PMID- 1875565
TI  - [Experimental bladder tumor].
AB  - Experimental bladder tumor was reviewed in this paper. Many investigators have
      been studying on the bladder carcinogenesis since occupational bladder cancers
      were reported. Main object in research for bladder cancer was to identify and
      remove environmental causes and various factors related to the development of
      bladder cancer. Human bladder cancers can be classified into papillary non
      invasive and nodular invasive cancer. The establishment of an animal model of
      bladder cancer similar to human bladder cancer is important to clarify the
      natural history of this disease and obtain basic data on its clinical diagnosis
      and treatment. Bladder carcinogenesis has been known to occur in a two-stage
      process: initiation and promotion. Recently inhibitory effects on the bladder
      carcinogenesis were also studied. In this paper we described the results that
      have been obtained in our laboratory concerning animal bladder carcinomas.

PMID- 1875566
TI  - [Effect of biological response modifiers on a spontaneous murine renal cell
      carcinoma regression of metastases caused by the streptococcal preparation OK
      432].
AB  - The effect of the streptococcal preparation OK-432, which is one of the
      biological response modifiers, was examined in BALB/c mice using a transplantable
      murine renal cell carcinoma (Renca) of spontaneous origin, and an analysis of
      effector cells was performed. The tumor grew progressively and metastasized
      consistently to the abdominal lymph nodes and then to distant organs following
      the inoculation of Renca cells in the left renal subcapsular site in BALB/c mice,
      and the survival time of the mice was under 42 days. In this tumor model, i.p.
      administration of OK-432 after tumor inoculation significantly extended the
      survival time and significantly inhibited the formation of the inoculated tumor
      itself. Removal of the left kidney on the 7th day after tumor inoculation neither
      extended the survival time nor augmented the effect of OK-432. Splenic cells
      obtained on the 7th day after tumor inoculation from Renca-bearing mice treated
      with OK-432 were capable of lysing syngeneic Renca cells, NK-sensitive allogenic
      YAC-1 cells, and LAK-sensitive EL-4 cells in a 4-hour 51Cr-release assay in
      vitro. Those obtained from healthy mice treated with OK-432 also showed cytotoxic
      activity against Renca cells. The cytotoxicity of splenic cells from Renca
      bearing mice treated with OK-432 was lost almost completely for both Renca and
      YAC-1 cells after in vitro treatment with anti-asialo GM1 antibody, and was
      partially lost after in vitro treatment with anti-Thy-1,2 antibody. Additionally,
      in vivo i.p. administration of anti-asialo GM1 antibody significantly
      counteracted the effect of OK-432 on survival. These findings demonstrated that
      Renca cells were NK-sensitive and that the i.p. administration of OK-432 was
      beneficial for the prevention of the spontaneous metastasis of Renca carcinoma.
      As the effectors, NK cells played a dominant role and activated T cells were also
      involved.

PMID- 1875567
TI  - [Histological and immunohistochemical studies on the damage of contralateral
      testis following the unilateral testicular torsion in Wistar rats].
AB  - The effect of experimental unilateral torsion of the testis on the contralateral
      intrascrotal testis in Wistar rats was evaluated histologically and
      immunohistochemically. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Histological
      damage of the seminiferous tubules in the contralateral testis was present only
      in adult rats. 2) The histological change 3-5 weeks after the experimental
      torsion consisted of marked decrease of spermatocytes, loss of spermatids and
      spermatozoa and numerous Sertoli-cell only tubules. Hyperplasia of the
      interstitial cells was demonstrated without thickness of the basement membrane
      and infiltration of the inflammatory cells. The tubular diameter and the ratio of
      contralateral testicular weight to rat body weight were significantly decreased
      (p less than 0.05) in torsion group. 3) Using an indirect immunofluorescent
      method, the positive immunohistochemical staining on spermatid and spermatozoa of
      normal testicular tissue was demonstrated using only the serum of rat with
      histological damage on the contralateral testis. Therefore, the phenomenon may be
      ascribable to the presence of antisperm antibody. It is concluded that the
      mechanism of the damage in seminiferous tubules of the contralateral testis with
      experimental torsion in adult Wistar rats is related to the humoral immunity
      producing antisperm antibody.

PMID- 1875568
TI  - [Clinical course of bone metastases by prostatic cancer studies with conventional
      X-ray].
AB  - The clinical courses of bone metastases in 81 cases of prostatic cancer were
      examined using conventional X-ray. All patients received endocrine therapy as the
      initial treatment; castration and estrogen were given to 46 cases, castration and
      antiandrogen to 19, LH-RH analog to 11, flutamide to 5. The response to endocrine
      therapy was evaluated every 6 months after the start of the treatment according
      to National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria. The prognosis was calculated by
      cause-specific survival. The types of untreated bone metastases on X-ray were
      classified into five: sclerotic in 12 cases (15%), mixed but mainly sclerotic in
      25 (31%), mixed but mainly lytic in 14 (17%), lytic in 8 (10%) and undetermined
      with positive scintigraphy in 22 (27%). Two mixed types showed more spread
      metastases and tendency of elevated prostatic acid phosphatase when compared with
      other types. Temporary enlargement of sclerotic area within 6 months after start
      of the treatment did not correlate with deterioration of disease. Remodeling of
      metastatic areas occurred 6-36 months after start of the treatment showed
      curative course and the prognosis of these groups were favorable. Most of lytic
      areas tended to sclerotic finding following endocrine therapy regardless of
      effects by endocrine therapy. Sclerotic and two mixed types showed better and
      worse tendencies, respectively. On viewpoint of remodeling, change of metastatic
      area and newly appearance of metastases, an evaluation criteria of response to
      the therapy was proposed, which showed good correlation with prognosis. From
      these observations, it was concluded that bone metastases tended from lytic to
      sclerotic changes and that lytic-sclerotic cycles occurred repeatedly along with
      disease progression regardless of effect to therapy. Remodeling seemed to be
      curative signs of metastatic area.

PMID- 1875569
TI  - [Endourological re-establishment by transluminal puncture for a complete
      obliteration of traumatic urethral disruption].
AB  - We performed transluminal re-canalization by needle puncture under fluoro
      endoscopic control on a total of ten patients (membranous urethra, 8; bulbous
      urethra, 2) with complete obliteration after traumatic urethral disruption. The
      re-canalized tract was created by balloon dilation, internal urethrotomy or
      endoscopic resection of the scar tissue. The patient age ranged from 10 to 57
      years (mean age; 37.9 +/- 15.3 years). A transluminal puncture was attempted in
      three patients by transperineal-transurethral approach and in seven by
      transurethral approach. In one of them, who sustained a complete membranous
      disruption 5 weeks ago, transluminal puncture failed because of the movable
      proximal urethra. The remaining nine patients voided without difficulty for the
      mean follow-up period of 18.1 +/- 14.3 months (range: 2-46). Three patients had
      mild stress urinary incontinence. A transluminal puncture is less invasive, safe
      and reliable for re-establishment of the true proximal part of the disrupted
      urethra. It can be recommended as a useful technique for endo-urological re
      establishment for a completely obliterated urethra. Although this endoscopic re
      establishment requires urethral sounding or internal urethrotomy for 6 months
      postoperatively, it may be an alternative to conventional surgical repair.

PMID- 1875570
TI  - [Studies on pulmonary metastasis of renal cell carcinoma--pulmonary embolism
      revealed by lung-perfusion imaging and metastasis].
AB  - Invasion of renal cell carcinoma to veins is known to have a close relation with
      pulmonary metastasis. We speculated that a tumor thrombus would lodge in the
      pulmonary artery before establishment of a clinically apparent pulmonary
      metastasis. This may be particularly true in patients with renal vein or vena
      cava involvement of renal cell carcinoma. In this instance, it is crucial to know
      the clinical consequence of tumor thrombi in the pulmonary artery. Thus, we
      investigated these issues with the aid of lung-perfusion imaging in 22 renal cell
      carcinoma patients with and without vein involvement. The lung-perfusion imaging
      revealed positive in 8 of the patients examined prior to treatment. The incidence
      of positive finding was well correlated with an extensive vein invasion. Patients
      with positive imaging prior to treatment were associated with pulmonary
      metastasis at a higher rate than those with negative findings. These findings
      have indicated that vein invasion should be related with tumor thrombus formation
      in the pulmonary artery, and such a status in the lung would, in part, result in
      pulmonary metastasis. Two different clinical courses were found by an analysis of
      patients with the positive imaging prior to treatment. One is the clinical course
      in which positive findings were correlated with a newly developed metastasis in
      the lung. Thus, care should be taken in development of the metastasis during the
      follow-up when patients show the positive lung-perfusion imaging prior to
      treatment. On the other hand, we found two patients in whom the positive findings
      disappeared during the follow-up.

PMID- 1875571
TI  - [Vesicoureteral reflux and renal scarring. Report of cooperative study of
      "Progressive renal disease" of Ministry of Health and Welfare].
AB  - 196 cases with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) from multiple centers were analysed to
      examine the relationship between VUR and reflux nephropathy. The high correlation
      (p less than 0.01) was observed between reflux and renal scarring. Even in cases
      in whom VUR was not demonstrated at the time of testing, renal scarring of
      various degrees was recognized, suggesting either co-existed hypoplastic kidney
      or pre-existed infection. The renal scarring, but not VUR, had a significant
      correlation with proteinuria and hypertension. Retrospective analysis shows that
      the surgical treatment was closely related to the degree of renal scarring but
      not to the degree of reflux. Renal scarring progressed even when reflux did not
      become worse, which is probably accounted for by the presence of pyelonephritis.
      Although frequency of pyelonephritis decreased significantly (p less than 0.01)
      from 0.60 +/- 0.89 to 0.084 +/- 0.305 times/patient. year after anti-reflux
      surgery, renal scarring progressed in 13 kidneys (5.8%). Seven of the 13 kidneys
      became worse due to the surgical failure. The scar progression was recognized in
      the remaining six kidneys (three patients) including adult cases despite the
      successful surgical correction of reflux. Our study points to the urged need for
      a prospective clinical trial designed for the study of the pathological and
      clinical background of progressive renal failure in VUR.

PMID- 1875572
TI  - [Clinical efficacy of modified M-VAC chemotherapy for advanced urothelial
      carcinoma and influence of squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen on efficacy
      of the chemotherapy].
AB  - The efficacy of modified M-VAC chemotherapy was evaluated in twenty-two patients
      with advanced urothelial carcinoma (18 cases of transitional cell carcinoma, 3 of
      transitional cell associated with squamous cell carcinoma and 1 of squamous cell
      carcinoma). Among the 22 patients, 14 underwent two or more courses of modified M
      VAC chemotherapy and had lesions suitable for the evaluation. Three of the 14
      patients achieved complete response and 6 partial response, resulting in a 64.3%
      response rate. With regard to the direct effect according to the site of the
      lesion, the response rate was 75% for the urinary bladder, 100% for lung, 100%
      for subcutaneous tissues, and 75% for lymph nodes metastasis, whereas the
      chemotherapy was ineffective for metastasis in the bone and muscle. With this
      neoadjuvant chemotherapy the primary tumor of the urinary bladder was downstaged
      from T2 to T0 in one patient who showed complete response. In 4 of 5 patients
      achieving partial response, the primary tumors were downstaged from T2 to T1. Of
      9 patients given this chemotherapy for metastatic lesions, 2 achieved complete
      response and are alive, whereas all 3 without response died of cancer within the
      1 year following the chemotherapy. Since most of the cases associated with the
      squamous cells carcinoma component showed no response to the therapy, it seems
      that the level of serum squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen may be helpful
      for predicting the efficacy of modified M-VAC chemotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875573
TI  - [Studies on calcium oxalate crystal formation in urolithiasis. Multi-regressive
      analysis of urinary CaOx crystalline volumes and the effects of urinary various
      substances on CaOx crystal formation].
AB  - Because human urine contains various substances which can affect each other, it
      is quite difficult to clarify the mechanism of formation of calcium oxalate
      (CaOx) crystal in urine. The authors recently determined CaOx crystalline content
      and the concentrations of other substances in urine specimens from patients with
      urolithiasis and healthy volunteers, and subjected the data to multi-regressive
      analysis for the purpose of assessing the effect of these urinary substances on
      CaOx crystal formation. 1. In analysis of urine from patients with urolithiasis,
      the partial correlation coefficients of CaOx crystal formation with oxalic acid,
      sodium, calcium, uric acid magnesium were 0.67, 0.28, 0.18, and -0.10,
      respectively. The formula of regression was as follows: Amount of CaOx crystal (X
      10(6) microns3/ml) = 3.59 X 10(-2) Ox (mM/L) + 4.72 X 10(-3) Ca (mM/L) + 4.52 X
      10(-3) Na (mM/L) + 2.51 X 10(-4) UA (mM/L) -2.39 X 10(-2) Mg (mM/L) -1.65. The
      multiple correlation coefficient was 0.759. Thus, in patients with urolithiasis,
      urinary crystal formation was most dependent on the oxalic acid level, sodium,
      calcium, and uric acid were found to promote crystal formation, while magnesium
      to suppress it. 2. In analysis of urine from healthy volunteers, the partial
      correlation coefficients of CaOx crystal formation with oxalic acid and inorganic
      phosphorus were 0.51 and -0.24, respectively. The formula of regression was as
      follows: Amount of CaOx crystal (X 10(6) microns3/ml) = 1.91 X 10(-2) Ox (mM/L) 
      3.43 X 10(-4) P (mM/L) +0.29 The multiple correlation coefficient was
      0.525.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875574
TI  - [Macroscopic tumor thrombus in renal cell carcinoma].
AB  - Prognosis of 114 patients treated for renal cell carcinoma from 1972 to 1988 was
      investigated to evaluate intravenous tumor extension as a prognostic factor.
      Those in whom presence or absence of macroscopic tumor thrombus was not confirmed
      were not included in the current patient group. Tumor stages were evaluated
      according to TNM criteria except that intravenous tumor thrombus was not counted
      for local staging. Incidence of T3 and T4 tumors, distant metastasis and grade 3
      anaplasia (G3) were higher in V+ group (V1 + V2) than in V0 group, which appeared
      to be a major difference of background making 5-year actuarial survival rates in
      V1 and V2 patient groups worse than in V0. Therefore, 5-year actuarial survival
      rates in N0 and M0 cases receiving radical nephrectomy were compared and found
      83.3% in V2 group, 54.4% in V1 and 87.3% in V0. Since V1 group included G3 tumors
      more frequently than the other two groups, 5-year survival rates were further
      compared after excluding those with G3 tumors and found to be identical among V0,
      V1 and V2 groups. The current results indicate that macroscopic intravenous
      extension of renal cell carcinoma is an accompanied phenomenon secondary to high
      grade and invasive tumors and therefore, not a primary risk factor for prognosis.
      Accordingly, it is questionable to regard macroscopic tumor thrombus itself as a
      risk factor for clinical staging.

PMID- 1875575
TI  - [The evaluation of cystoscopy in the screening of asymptomatic microhematuria].
AB  - As a prospective study on asymptomatic microhematuria, complete urological
      examinations including cystoscopy, IVP, ultrasound and urinary cytology were
      performed on 422 patients over 40 years old between January 1987 and December
      1988 (group A). The results of group A was compared with that of retrospective
      study on 266 patients, who had incomplete urological examination between January
      1984 and December 1985 (group B). Cystoscopy was performed on 321 patients
      (87.2%) in group A and on 108 patients (40.6%) in group B. Bladder tumor was
      found in 10 cases (2.4%) in group A, including 7 cases of male patients (5.7%),
      but in only 1 case (0.4%) in group B. Since the negative rate of abnormal urinary
      cytology was 50% and that of abnormal IVP was 90% in 10 cases of bladder tumor in
      group A, cystoscopy was considered to be an essential examination for the
      screening of patients with asymptomatic microhematuria over 40 years old
      patients.

PMID- 1875576
TI  - [Regional lymphadenectomy for renal pelvic and ureteral cancers].
AB  - Thirty-four patients with renal pelvic and ureteral cancers received regional
      lymphadenectomy since 1980. The patients consisted of 21 with renal pelvic
      cancers, 10 with ureteral and 3 with renal pelvic and ipsilateral ureteral.
      Fifteen patients (44.1%) had metastatic nodes: 13 with renal hilar or para-aortic
      metastases and 2 with pelvic nodal involvements only. Thirteen of these 15
      patients with nodal metastasis had high grade tumors and 14 had high stage
      tumors. The 5-year survival rate of these 15 patients was 26.3% which was
      considerably poor when compared with 19 patients without metastasis. Twenty
      patients with high grade and high stage tumors who received respective operations
      with regional lymphadenectomy had significantly better prognosis compared with
      the historical control group (15 patients, from 1961 to 1979). Additional
      regional lymphadenectomy for renal pelvic and ureteral cancers appears to be a
      valuable operation for improving prognosis.

PMID- 1875577
TI  - [Treatment of malignant pheochromocytoma by combination of CVD regimen and
      transarterial embolization].
AB  - We performed combination therapy with cyclophosphamide, Vincristine and
      Dacarbazine (CVD) regimen and transarterial embolization (TAE) in 2 cases of
      malignant pheochromocytoma with metastases. Case 1: 59-year-old female. After
      primary left adrenal lesion had been removed, recurrence at the left renal hilar
      region and metastases to the right iliac bone and 5th cervical vertebra occurred.
      We took 3 courses of CVD regimen after TAE for the lesions in the right iliac
      bone. Her endocrinological data has been normal for more than 1 year after
      treatment. Case 2: 29-year-old male. Total cystectomy, ileal conduit and pelvic
      lymphadenectomy had been performed for the primary lesion of the urinary bladder.
      2 years after the 1st operation, metastases to the right obturator nodes and
      multiple bones occurred. We gave 3 courses of CVD regimen followed by TAE for the
      lesions in the right obturator nodes. Just after treatment, we could stop insulin
      and reduce anti-hypertension drugs, but the effect of treatment was temporary. In
      conclusion, combination of CVD regimen and TAE is effective for malignant
      pheochromocytoma with metastases.

PMID- 1875579
TI  - Kansas Medical Society membership directory, 1991.

PMID- 1875578
TI  - Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

PMID- 1875580
TI  - [Chemotherapeutic regimens that were considered effective to cure pulmonary
      infection caused by Mycobacterium avium-Mycobacterium intracellulare complex].
AB  - During the period of 24 years from 1965 to 1988, we treated a total of 181
      patients who had pulmonary infection caused by Mycobacterium avium--Mycobacterium
      intracellulare complex (MAI complex). Of these 181, 34 (19%) were cured showing
      sputum conversion and disappearance of cavity or marked reduction of cavity in
      the size to 1/2 or less or change of the cavity to thin-walled one. In these
      patients, negative culture continued at least for one year by monthly sputum
      examination. The most frequently used regimen in these patients was RFP + INH +
      SM, and the secondly RFP + INH + EVM, and thereafter multiple drug regimens
      including RFP + INH. The most frequently used drugs were RFP, INH, EVM, SM and
      EB. Based on the above results, we recommend the regimen RFP + INH + EVM + EB or
      RFP + INH + SM + EB, to which, if possible, were added a combination of MC + SX +
      KT. (As to abbreviations, refer to Table 3).

PMID- 1875581
TI  - [Primary operation of pericardiectomy and decortication of the right lung for
      tuberculous pericarditis with empyema].
AB  - A 28-year old man who complained of ortho-apnea and fever was diagnosed to have
      cardiac tamponade. Pericardiocentesis was immediately carried out and peri
      cardiac window was created on the 11th day. Typical caseating granulomas with
      acid-fast bacilli were detected in sections of the pericardium. A positive
      culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was observed in the sputum and the
      pericardial fluid. Though 3-month anti-tuberculosis treatment with streptomycin,
      isoniazid, and rifampicin was continued with 6-week steroid therapy, progressive
      thickness of the pericardium was suggested subsequent constriction.
      Pericardiectomy for pericarditis and decortication for empyema in the right
      thorax was performed at the same time. After 10 x 12 cm pericardium was resected
      through median sternotomy, decortication of the right lung was performed through
      right posterolateral thoracotomy. In the case with thickened pericardium, early
      pericardiectomy is recommended.

PMID- 1875582
TI  - [A case of pleuritis tuberculosa which was diagnosed as inoculated tuberculosis
      after 43 years].
AB  - In May, 1946, one hundred two children were detected to have inoculated
      tuberculosis on their arms among the primary school children in Hyogo prefecture
      who had received anti-typhoid vaccine on the same spot. Of the 102 patients in
      the past 25 years, 26 (25%) developed secondary tuberculosis. One of these
      inoculated tuberculosis patients, 53-years-old woman, was admitted for pleuritis
      tuberculosa in September, 1989. She had not been included in secondary
      tuberculosis group. The relationship between her past inoculated tuberculosis and
      the pleurisy has not been proved. However, this pleurisy would have been
      developed in case it was caused by the past tuberculosis after 43 years.

PMID- 1875584
TI  - Update on the Alzheimer's Association.

PMID- 1875583
TI  - Recognizing alcohol abuse in the elderly.

PMID- 1875585
TI  - AGEWELL: a nursing directed program.

PMID- 1875586
TI  - My friend Beth age 92.

PMID- 1875587
TI  - [Various aspects of the anti-aggregatory action of diltiazem and cordaphene in
      patients with ischemic heart disease].
AB  - Some aspects of the antiaggregatory action of calcium antagonists were studied in
      50 patients with stable angina pectoris. Dilzem (diltiazem) and cordaphene
      (nifedipine) were tested for their effects on the erythrocytic component of
      hemostasis, taking into account their capability of suppressing hemolysis, which
      made ADP, an important thrombocytic activator, enter the blood flow. The two
      agents significantly reduce the concentration of plasma ADP, free hemoglobin,
      diminish mechanical erythrocytic resistance, and block platelet aggregation to a
      varying degree. A relationship was established between the levels of blood
      nifedipine and the magnitude of rheological effects. With this, the patients with
      coronary heart disease showed a good antianginal effect.

PMID- 1875588
TI  - [Characteristics of nicardipine treatment of patients with ischemic heart
      disease].
AB  - The new calcium antagonist nicardipine (barizine) was tested for effects on
      platelet function and transient myocardial ischemia in 23 patients with coronary
      heart disease. Prior to the therapy, lower platelet function was more frequently
      encountered in patients with more severe angina pectoris and more prolonged
      myocardial ischemia. The efficacy of nicardipine was demonstrated to be related
      to the clinical course of coronary heart disease and the baseline platelet
      function. It is advisable to prescribe the drug to patients with Functional Class
      II stable angina and higher platelet functional activity.

PMID- 1875589
TI  - [Effect of xanthinol niacinate on the autoimmunity and capillary permeability in
      patients with stable stenocardia].
AB  - A three-month antianginal therapy with long-acting nitrates and xanthinol
      nicotinate given in various daily doses have shown that there is a positive
      clinical effect, a reduction in the level of immune complexes and IgG in most
      patients, which is followed by a decrease in capillary permeability and dienic
      conjugate levels both in erythrocytes and plasma.

PMID- 1875591
TI  - [Prognostic significance of "silent" myocardial ischemia in patients with
      unstable stenocardia].
AB  - A 24-hour ECG monitoring was performed in 30 patients with unstable angina. Ten
      patients had episodes of transient ST-segment displacement only in the presence
      of anginal attacks (Group 1), 10 had ST-segment displacement episodes in the
      presence of both anginal attacks and silent myocardial ischemia (Group 2), and 10
      with the displacements concurrent with only silent ischemia (Group 3). The
      patients from the groups were not significantly different in terms of major
      clinical, history, and angiographic data. Following an average of 1 year, death
      and acute myocardial infarction were observed in 1 (10%) and 2 (22.2%) in Group
      1; 1 (10%) and 3 (33.3%) in Group 2; and 2 (20%) and 5 (62.5%) patients,
      respectively. It was concluded that episodes of silent myocardial ischemia are
      prognostically more hazardous than those of transient hypoxic ECG changes
      concomitant with anginal attacks.

PMID- 1875590
TI  - [Contractile function of the myocardium in patients with ischemic heart disease
      after aortocoronary bypass].
AB  - Fifty patients with coronary heart disease underwent repeated coronary
      ventriculography in different periods after aortocoronary bypass. The myocardial
      contractility in the patients after direct myocardial revascularization was
      comparatively analyzed in relation to the function of imposed aortocoronary
      anastomoses. Myocardial segmental contractility considerably improved in 23
      patients after aortocoronary bypass who had functioning shunts, the integral
      function being satisfactory within the whole follow-up, whereas left ventricular
      myocardial function progressively diminished in 27 patients with closed
      anastomoses. Progressive coronary bed atherosclerosis was found to have a
      noticeable effect on myocardial contractility.

PMID- 1875592
TI  - [Selection of the optimal criteria of evaluation of the results of spiroergometry
      in patients with ischemic heart disease].

PMID- 1875593
TI  - [Modeling the effectiveness of the rehabilitation treatment of patients in the
      post-infarction period].
AB  - A two-year follow-up of 400 patients with prior myocardial infarction and usage
      of regression and discriminant analysis algorithms provided a number of linear
      models to predict changes in the patients' working capacity over the observed
      period. A variety of models depending on the feasibility of a laboratory to apply
      instrumental tools for examination suggested their wide utilization. The
      advantage of the models is that a small set of signs is used, no computer
      engineering is required. The models may be used in patients with different
      clinical disease (uncomplicated, repeated or cardiac aneurysm-complicated
      myocardial infarction). The modelling provided accurate prediction at 84-100%
      levels.

PMID- 1875594
TI  - [Possibilities of the questionnaire method for detection of the symptoms of
      preclinical stages of coronary arteriosclerosis and ischemic heart disease].
AB  - A comprehensive study was made of 140 males aged 26-55 years who were divided
      into 3 groups: (1) 47 healthy individuals; (2) 67 subjects with early signs of
      coronary heart disease; and (3) 29 patients with coronary heart disease
      (Functional Class II). The pattern of chest pain was thoroughly analyzed by a
      specially developed questionnaire. The results were compared with the data
      obtained from an interview by Rose's questionnaire. The analysis demonstrated
      that neither Rose's questionnaire nor the detailed one specially developed by the
      authors identified subjects with preclinical coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1875595
TI  - [Electrophysiological mechanisms of the effect of allapinin in patients with
      paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia].
AB  - An intracardiac electrophysiological study was undertaken to examine 15 patients
      with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias. Allapinin intravenously given in a
      dose of 0.4 mg/kg, was tested for effects. The agent was demonstrated to cause a
      substantial inhibition of rapid retrograde pathway function in atrioventricular
      nodal tachycardia and abnormal antero- and retrograde pathway function. This is
      the major aspect of the drug's action that prevents the development of episodes
      of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias. The agent fails to virtually affect
      the function of the atrioventricular node in the anterograde direction in the two
      types of the tachycardia. Thus, allapinin has the mechanism of action that is
      typical of quinidine-like drugs used in supraventricular tachycardias.

PMID- 1875596
TI  - [Evaluation of the possibility of selection of individual anti-arrhythmia
      therapy].
AB  - Antiarrhythmic therapy was chosen for 3-7 days by modified chronic
      electrophysiological study at three stages: (1) the efficacy of a drug, its
      action onset and termination were defined; (2) a dosage was chosen on an
      individual basis and the duration of drug potency was specified; (3) the dosage
      regimen of a drug given as a course therapy was confirmed by the results of
      trials. Its choice was made on the basis of the oral administration of a tested
      drug and multiple programmed electric cardiostimulation. In late periods (3-37
      months), the therapy was effective and safe in 51 (86%) of 59 patients. The drug
      regimens and doses were in poor agreement with conventional ones in 49% of the
      patients. The method proposed makes it possible to choose antiarrhythmic therapy
      on an individual basis and reduce the number of complications.

PMID- 1875597
TI  - [Spontaneous restoration of cardiac rhythm in patients with a persistent form of
      atrial fibrillation].
AB  - A total of 15 patients with spontaneously arrested sustained atrial fibrillation
      (its duration 7.0 +/- 1.6 years) were followed up. After termination of atrial
      fibrillation, all the patients had signs of the sick sinus syndrome (profound
      sinus bradycardia, pacemaker migration, inferior atrial and atrioventricular
      rhythms). Thirteen of 15 patients suffered from rheumatic heart disease, nine of
      them had severe heart failure. Four patients immediately died. An atrial
      fibrillation relapse occurred in the immediate period in most cases, and rhythm
      recovery was unaccompanied by the improvement of the patients' condition.

PMID- 1875598
TI  - [Use of dietary fish oil--an alternative to drug therapy of dyslipidemia].
AB  - The clinical efficacy of "Food ichthyenic oil", a new foodstuff, was studied in
      129 patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia. The oil was given in a daily dose of
      30 ml which contained 8 g polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-3 class. All
      the patients were divided into 3 groups: (1) 44 patients with 5.2-6.5 mmol/l
      cholesterol; (2) 37 with over 6.5 mmol/l, and (3) 48 with hypercholesterolemia
      (cholesterol over 5.2 mmol/l and hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides over 2.3
      mmol/l). Following 1-month therapy, all the groups displayed lower low density
      lipoprotein cholesterol levels and significantly higher high density lipoprotein
      cholesterol concentrations. After 4-month intake of ichthyenic oil, the levels of
      total and LDL cholesterol returned to the baseline values, whereas the
      concentration of HDL cholesterol was significantly higher than the baseline one.
      Following 12-month therapy, there were 15 and 14% decreases in total and LDL
      cholesterol, respectively, a 16% increase in HDL cholesterol. The patients from
      Group 3 exhibited low VLDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

PMID- 1875599
TI  - [Use of Doppler echocardiography for studying hemodynamics in paroxysmal
      supraventricular tachycardia].
AB  - Eighteen patients in whom sustained supraventricular tachycardia paroxysms were
      induced by programmed transesophageal pacing were examined. Doppler
      echocardiography was used to study left ventricular systolic and diastolic
      function, as well as cardiac output and pulmonary systolic pressure during sinus
      rhythm and paroxysms. A profound decrease in the cardiac index during paroxysms
      was found in 2 patients, one of them had higher pulmonary pressure. The cardiac
      index increased on an average from 4.4 +/- 0.9 l/min.m-2 during sinus rhythm to
      4.8 +/- 1.4 l/min.m-2 during paroxysms. The diastolic function of the left
      ventricle was ascertained to be one of he factors that determine cardiac index in
      supraventricular tachycardia paroxysms.

PMID- 1875600
TI  - [The role of genetic factors in determining the ECG indicators].
AB  - ECG parameters were examined in 62 families with a history of arterial
      hypertension. A genetical-and-dispersion analysis of ECG parameters were made.
      There was a high genetic determination with X-chromosomal effect, R-R interval
      duration, and Makruse index values. A high degree of inheritance of P-Q interval
      duration, left ventricular activation time and R wave height in the lead V6 was
      ascertained. The household more frequently displayed the early ventricular
      repolarization syndrome and the partial preexcitation syndrome. There was a
      genetic determination of these electrocardiographic phenomena. The findings
      provide evidence for the fact that search for genetic markers of arterial
      hypertension among ECG parameters seems to be promising.

PMID- 1875601
TI  - [Value of isometric and dynamic exercise tests with standard drug doses for
      selecting long-term antihypertensive treatment with vasodilators, adrenergic beta
      blockaders and diuretics].
AB  - The paper presents the results of the study into the efficacy of single routine
      doses of essential antihypertensive agents (nifedipine, propranolol, and
      hydrochlorothiazide) versus its course treatment at rest and during isometric and
      dynamic exercise tests. The efficacy was assessed by using the Dixon criterion.
      The routine drug dose tests performed at rest and during isometric and dynamic
      exercise were shown to have a varying informative value in the prediction of long
      term treatment with the above drugs. The isometric and dynamic exercise tests are
      of the greatest significance in the evaluation of the antihypertensive routine
      dose of nifedipine, whereas the dynamic exercise test alone is of value for
      propranolol and the rest exercise test, the both exercise tests for
      hydrochlorothiazide. Thus, the results of the corresponding routine drug dose
      tests are of varying predictive informative value, which is essential both for
      choosing an effective drug and for making an objective assessment of the outcomes
      of the course therapy.

PMID- 1875602
TI  - [Pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with hypertension during acute drug tests
      using obsidan and corinfar].
AB  - Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographies were used to examine 102
      hypertensive patients who were found to have pulmonary hypertension, whose
      manifestation was determined by the degree of arterial hypertension, cardiac
      contractile insufficiency and diminished left heart pump function. The degree of
      pulmonary hypertension was related to the hemodynamic type and maximal with
      hypokinetic circulation when the pump function of the heart was minimal. Obsidan
      caused a decrease in pulmonary and systemic arterial hypertension, producing
      higher effects with hypokinetic hemodynamics. Corinfar was demonstrated to
      attenuate pulmonary hypertension to a greater extent. Its action on systemic
      arterial hypertension was highest in patients with hyperkinetic circulation.
      Heterodirectional hemodynamic effects of these drugs make it expedient to study
      their combined action on the hemodynamic of hypertensive patients.

PMID- 1875603
TI  - [Predicting the volume and hemodynamic outcome of radical correction of tetralogy
      of Fallot on the basis of angio- morphometry].
AB  - Using the findings from angiographic examination of 91 patients with Fallot's
      tetrad, the authors developed an angiomorphometric protocol which may predict the
      feasibility of radical correction of the defect prior to an operation and
      hemodynamic parameters in the immediate postoperative period, peak right/left
      ventricular systolic pressure ratios, in particular. The reasons for discrepancy
      of estimated and measured right/left ventricular systolic pressure ratios were
      defined and their time course was followed up 12 hours after radical Fallot's
      tetrad correction in relation to the type of plastic operations.

PMID- 1875604
TI  - [Electrodestruction of the atrioventricular junction in a patient with post
      infarction ventricular tachycardia].

PMID- 1875605
TI  - [The first experience with clinical use of ultrahigh frequency electric current
      for destruction of the atrioventricular junction].

PMID- 1875607
TI  - [Use of biofeedback in the treatment of arterial hypertension].

PMID- 1875606
TI  - [Release of myocardial enzymes after ablation of the bundle of His].

PMID- 1875608
TI  - [The mutual aggravation syndrome in pancreatic cancer and diabetes mellitus].
AB  - Examined were 27 patients with pancreatic cancer and concomitant diabetes
      mellitus. It was established that in women, the likelihood of pancreatic cancer
      development increases with the age. Obesity and cholelithiasis are also the risk
      factors for development of cancer of the given location. In pancreatic cancer and
      diabetes mellitus lasting more than 2 years which is an independent disease with
      a tumor developed against its background, the mutual aggravation syndrome occurs:
      a severe course of diabetes and increased growth of a neoplasm.

PMID- 1875609
TI  - [Prevention of suppurative-infectious complications after radical surgery in
      rectal cancer].
AB  - In 32 patients with rectal cancer, the endolymphatic antibiotic therapy was
      performed 2-5 days before and for 7-10 days after radical operation. Attenuation
      of an inflammation around a tumor, decrease in bacterial contamination of the
      perineal wound, reduction in incidence of postoperative purulent-inflammatory
      complications were noted.

PMID- 1875610
TI  - [Acute hepatorenal failure as a component of multiorgan failure syndrome in
      patients after surgical intervention].
AB  - The etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features of acute postoperative hepatorenal
      failure (APHRF) in 50 surgical patients were studied. APHRF was considered as a
      component of the multiorgan insufficiency syndrome. The general somatic factors
      contributing to APHRF development were established: chronic pathology of the
      liver and kidneys, chronic cardiogenic pathology, hypertension. The risk factors
      for APHRF development before, at operation and at the nearest period after it
      were distinguished: shock, hemorrhage, massive transfusion of blood, or its
      components, hypoxia, systemic arterial hypotension. The attention is attracted to
      the significance of combination of the systemic arterial hypotension with the
      contributing general somatic factors and risk factors before, at operation and at
      the nearest period after it in APHRF development.

PMID- 1875611
TI  - [Several problems of surgical treatment in acute biliary pancreatitis].
AB  - The authors used in 39 patients with the intact gallbladder and after previously
      performed cholecystectomy the therapeutical tactics developed on the basis of
      consideration of the peculiarities of clinical course of acute biliary
      pancreatitis, and as well the original methods of treatment (auriculotherapy,
      selective hepatic vagotomy). This permitted to achieve the reduction in incidence
      of complications down to 11.5%, lethality--to 2.8%.

PMID- 1875612
TI  - [Use of Soviet fibrin adhesive in liver surgery in experimental animals].
AB  - The results of a comparative experiment for studying the native glue composition
      on a fibrin base, which possesses the hemostatic and adhesive properties and has
      the influence on the processes of regeneration, and modern synthetic medical
      glues are presented. The essential advantages of a fibrin-based glue were
      revealed.

PMID- 1875613
TI  - [Results of surgical treatment of bleeding gastric tumors].
AB  - The results of surgical treatment of 132 patients with gastric tumors complicated
      by bleeding are presented. In 58.4% of the patients, the radical intervention was
      performed, in uncomplicated course of a disease--in 73.2%. Lethality after the
      emergency operations was 38.1% and considerably exceeded that after the elective
      interventions (7.8%). This dictates the necessity to improve the conservative
      hemostatic measures.

PMID- 1875614
TI  - [Biochemical criteria of early diagnosis of postoperative pancreatitis in
      oncologic patients].
AB  - With the aim of diagnosis of postoperative pancreatitis in 88 oncologic patients
      operated on for malignant tumors of the upper alimentary canal and
      pancreatoduodenal zone, including those with trauma or resection of the pancreas,
      the comparative analysis of significance of different biochemical indices was
      carried out. A high sensitivity and informative value of measuring a content of
      the middle molecular mass peptides and components of kallikrein-kinin system with
      calculation of a toxicity coefficient permit to recommend their use as the
      additional diagnostic criteria.

PMID- 1875615
TI  - [Changes in cytotoxicity of natural killer cells and level of large granule
      containing lymphocytes in patients with lung cancer under the effects of
      cryosurgery].
AB  - The parallel study of the content of large granule-containing lymphocytes (LGL)
      and natural killer activity (NKA) in donors, patients with benign tumors in the
      lungs and bronchial or pulmonary cancer in operative intervention and combined
      cryosurgical treatment was carried out. The stimulating effect of cryodestruction
      of malignant tumors with their subsequent spontaneous thawing on LGL content and
      NKA in patients was established. Administration of prodigiosan immunomodulator
      contributed to increase in natural resistance of an organism of the patients. The
      positive correlation of NKA and LGL content was noted.

PMID- 1875616
TI  - [Experience in the use of the AKA-2 device in the formation of esophago
      intestinal anastomosis].
AB  - Two techniques of the compressive anastomosis formation were used. At the early
      postoperative period, there were no complications. Three months after the
      operation, 4 patients were examined. In 1, the cicatricial anastomotic stenosis,
      caused by the errors in technique of the anastomosis creation, was revealed. In
      the remaining 3 patients, there were no impairment in healing of an anastomosis.
      In 9 patients, in formation of an anastomosis, all the layers of the intestinal
      wall and only mucous membrane of the esophagus were stitched. No impairment in
      anastomotic healing was noted. Of the 16 patients operated on with the use of the
      AKA-2 apparatus (in all the cases, the compressing rings with a small diameter-
      20 mm were used), 1 died at day 4 after the operation from ischemic insult of the
      brain.

PMID- 1875617
TI  - [Effectiveness of some methods in the treatment of primary squamous cell cancer
      of the skin].
AB  - In studying the long-term results of treatment of 330 patients with primary
      planocellular cutaneous cancer treated by surgical or radial methods, it was
      established that surgical methods of treatment were more effective as compared
      with the radial ones in exophytic and endophytic tumor growth irrespective of its
      stage and location. No one of the methods employed permitted to achieve stable
      cure in ulcerous-infiltrative growth of a tumor.

PMID- 1875618
TI  - [Dysplasia of the epithelium of the gastric mucosa].

PMID- 1875619
TI  - [Carcinoids].
AB  - The clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and long-term results in 24 patients
      with carcinoids of the different organs were studied. Benign carcinoid was
      revealed in 2, that with a potential malignancy--in 2, a malignant one--in 20
      patients. In 6 patients, the combination of carcinoid and cancer of different
      location was observed. A radical operation was performed in 17 patients. Nine
      patients died, of them 3--from spreading of cancer of different location.

PMID- 1875620
TI  - [Use of allograft of pancreatic islet cell cultures in complex treatment of acute
      purulent process in patients with diabetes mellitus].
AB  - The results of treatment of 170 patients with diabetes mellitus and purulent
      wounds which appeared after opening the abscesses and phlegmons, and as well of
      270 patients with gangrene of the lower extremities are presented. Early opening
      the abscess, improved quality of debridement of purulent wounds, and as well
      allotransplantation of pancreatic islet cell cultures (45 cases) permitted to
      stop progressing of the purulent process, place early secondary sutures, and in
      patients with the sutures placed, to achieve primary healing of the wounds.

PMID- 1875622
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of recurrences of duodenal ulcer perforation after its
      closure].
AB  - In a work, the information about the patients who had their duodenal ulcer once
      (836 case), or twice (28) perforated is analysed. Recurrency of a perforative
      ulcer after its closure was noted in 1.4% of cases. After closure of a
      perforating ulcer, it is expedient to watch and examine the patients in a
      specialized institutions. In disease recurrency after closure of a perforative
      ulcer and ineffective therapy, the performance of radical operation preventing
      the subsequent development of a disease complication is indicated.

PMID- 1875621
TI  - [Effectiveness of a cryosurgical method in the treatment of primary localized
      skin cancer].
AB  - The long-term results of cryosurgical treatment of primary localized cutaneous
      cancer were studied in 930 patients with 1154 solitary and primary multiple
      synchronous and metachronous tumors. A high effectiveness of the method was
      established. The maximum therapeutical effect was noted in patients with I stage
      tumors and exophytic form of growth, the minimal one--with IIA stage tumors and
      endophytic form of growth irrespective of their location and histologic
      structure.

PMID- 1875623
TI  - [High resection of the left testicular vein and ligation of the internal iliac
      artery using a retroperitoneoscope].
AB  - In 90 youths at the age of from 14 to 16 years suffering from left-sided
      varicocele, the authors have used a retroperitoneoscope for high ligation and
      transection of the testicular vein. There were no complications at the time of
      operation and after it. In control examination 1.5-2 years later, no varicocele
      recurrences were revealed. In 15 patients with profuse bleeding from
      carcinomatous tumor of the urinary bladder, the authors performed ligation of the
      internal iliac arteries by means of a retroperitoneoscope.

PMID- 1875624
TI  - [Metastatic involvement of regional lymph nodes and long-term results of the
      treatment of patients with cancer of the thoracic part of the esophagus].
AB  - The patients who underwent the radical operations for cancer of the thoracic
      esophagus were subdivided into three groups: group 1--patients with no metastatic
      involvement of the regional lymph nodes (N0); group 2--with enlarged regional
      lymph nodes because of their hyperplasia, but without metastatic involvement
      (NX); group 3--with metastatic involvement of the regional lymph nodes (N1). The
      best results of 5-year survival after radical operation (50.2%) were noted in
      patients with a tumor size less than 3 cm, infiltration of only muscular layer,
      high degree of cancer differentiation, without metastatic involvement of regional
      lymph nodes. In presence of metastases, the 5-year survival was 6.01%.
      Discovering at operation the enlarged lymph nodes is a poor prognostic sign, 5
      year survival of these patients do not exceed 9%.

PMID- 1875625
TI  - [Current problems in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer].

PMID- 1875626
TI  - [Characteristics of healing of anastomoses in surgery of the alimentary tract
      performed with laser irradiation].

PMID- 1875627
TI  - [Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma simulating appendiceal infiltrate].

PMID- 1875628
TI  - [Combined gastrectomy after exploratory laparotomy in gastric lymphosarcoma].

PMID- 1875629
TI  - [Successful treatment of a patient with perforation of bleeding gastric tumor].

PMID- 1875630
TI  - [Metastasis of melanoma into the stomach and small intestine].

PMID- 1875631
TI  - [Leiomyosarcoma in a patient with multiple malignant neoplasms].

PMID- 1875632
TI  - [Development of 2 cancerous tumors from malignant gastric ulcer after
      perforation].

PMID- 1875633
TI  - [10-year result of repeated laparotomy with subtotal gastric resection for cancer
      in a patient with tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis].

PMID- 1875634
TI  - [Dysplasia of the epithelium of the gastric mucosa and cancer].

PMID- 1875635
TI  - [A case of hepatic lipoma].

PMID- 1875636
TI  - [Ecchondroma of the ribs].

PMID- 1875637
TI  - [Uncommon localization of accessory mammary glands].

PMID- 1875638
TI  - [Benign tumors of the stomach and intestine].

PMID- 1875639
TI  - [Giant leiomyoma of the stomach].

PMID- 1875640
TI  - [A rare source of acute gastric hemorrhage].

PMID- 1875641
TI  - [Pleomorphic adenoma of soft tissues of the thigh].

PMID- 1875642
TI  - [Lymphangioma of the abdominal cavity].

PMID- 1875643
TI  - [A case for storage and transportation of biopsy materials].

PMID- 1875644
TI  - [Causes of late diagnosis of cancer of the large intestine and its
      complications].
AB  - The results of treatment of 44 patients with complicated colonic cancer were
      studied. It was established that at the prehospital stage, more 60% of them were
      not examined purposefully, although there were indications for such an
      examination. Early symptoms of development of a colonic tumor were revealed. The
      main causes of late diagnosis were the inadequate oncologic watchfulness of the
      polyclinical physicians, and as well a low level of organization of the
      prophylactic medical examinations.

PMID- 1875645
TI  - [Clinical aspects and diagnosis of early signs of cerebrovascular insufficiency].

PMID- 1875646
TI  - [Etiology, pathogenesis, clinical aspects and prevention of acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome].
AB  - It is suggested that etiology, pathogenesis and clinical pattern of HIV-infection
      advanced stages (AIDS) may be closely associated with acute accidental involution
      of the thymus and activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in 10-35
      year-olds. Feasibility of preventing the disease progression in HIV-infected
      individuals by stimulation of microcirculation in the thymic cortex needs further
      investigations.

PMID- 1875647
TI  - [Once more about interstitial nephritis].
AB  - A comparative study was made of 25 patients (Group 2, control) with documented
      pyelonephritis and 55 patients (Group 1) who had a morphological picture of
      chronic interstitial inflammation without signs of abnormal urodynamics,
      bacteriuria, urographic and sonographic evidence of pyelonephritis. All the
      patients underwent life-time morphological study, their immunological spectrum
      (IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE) was explored. They had a test for sensitization of a
      peripheral blood mononuclear fraction to one or several drugs which had been
      given to the patients. The patients from Group 1 displayed significantly elevated
      IgE levels and a regularly detected sensitization of mononuclears to one or
      several drugs. Morphologically, there were signs of congenital renal tissue
      dysplasia in the presence of diffuse interstitial inflammation. Positive
      immunofluorescence findings were seen in the tubular wall of 10 (18%) patients.
      The findings made it possible to define diagnostic criteria for interstitial
      nephritis, a nosological entity.

PMID- 1875648
TI  - [Training of general practitioners].

PMID- 1875649
TI  - [Value of experience in medical practice].

PMID- 1875650
TI  - [Stable stenocardia as a form of ischemic heart disease].

PMID- 1875651
TI  - [A.P. Chekhov and military medicine].

PMID- 1875652
TI  - [Clinical pharmacology of diuretics].

PMID- 1875653
TI  - [Clinical value of determining the fibronectin level in internal diseases].

PMID- 1875654
TI  - [Evaluation of compensatory possibilities of the cardiovascular system in
      patients before reconstructive operations on the aorta and major arteries].
AB  - To determine functional reserves of cardiovascular system, two procedures were
      comparatively studied in evaluation of central hemodynamics: tetrapolar chest
      rheography under isovolemic loading and rheopolyglucin test. Close correlation
      registered in results of the tests allowed the authors to employ subsequently the
      isovolemic test alone. The patients with circulatory subcompensation and
      decompensation received 7-14-day preoperative cardiostimulation.

PMID- 1875655
TI  - [Experience with using balloon dilatation of the coronary arteries].
AB  - The paper presents the analysis of balloon dilations of the coronary arteries in
      18 patients with ischemic heart disease. A multimodality clinical examination of
      the patients involving provocative tests and echocardiography is recommended to
      be performed both preoperatively and postoperatively.

PMID- 1875656
TI  - [Restoration of coronary circulation and left-ventricular function after
      thrombolytic therapy of acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients].

PMID- 1875657
TI  - [Causes of diagnostic errors in ventricular pre-excitation syndrome associated
      with mitral valve prolapse].
AB  - Clinical appearance and misdiagnosis in 27 patients having associated
      preexcitation syndrome and mitral prolapse have been analyzed. Misdiagnosis of
      myocardial infarction, rheumatic and congenital heart disease, infectious
      allergic myocarditis were most typical errors in this condition identification:
      in 9, 3 and 2 patients, respectively.

PMID- 1875658
TI  - [Diastolic mitral regurgitation in atrioventricular block].
AB  - Diastolic mitral block was revealed by ++Doppler echocardiography in patients
      with atrioventricular block degree I, II and III in atrial flutter. The leading
      mechanism in pathogenesis of diastolic mitral regurgitation lies in delayed
      contraction of the left ventricle in relation to the left atrium causing
      incomplete closure of mitral cusps. Other factors contributing to diastolic
      mitral insufficiency involve overloading of the left ventricle and rigidity of
      its myocardium. All the patients with atrioventricular block and diastolic mitral
      regurgitation showed tricuspid diastolic regurgitation. Diastolic mitral
      regurgitation induces volumetric overloading of the left atrium.

PMID- 1875659
TI  - [Characteristics of the changes in echocardiographic indicators of the electric
      cardiac pacing in alcoholics].
AB  - To specify cardiovascular function in alcoholics (74 males capable for work by
      their age) of stage II, they under went M-mode ECG at the height of the rhythm
      induced by transesophageal pacing. One third of the examinees demonstrated
      worsening of the left ventricular contractility evident from reduced ejection
      fraction (by 17.1%) and shorter anteroposterior size of the left ventricle
      (diminution by 18.1%). Paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum in the
      systole emerged in one fifth of the patients at the height of the stimulation. It
      is believed important to identify a group of patients with initially abnormal
      intracardiac hemodynamics (13.6%). They suffered further deterioration of
      myocardial contractility. The study of ECG findings at the height of atrial
      stimulation detects latent alcoholic myocardiodystrophy.

PMID- 1875660
TI  - [The role of gastroduodenal diseases in the development of cardiac arrhythmia of
      the sick sinus syndrome type].
AB  - A total of 105 patients with suspected sick sinus syndrome were examined. All of
      them underwent transesophageal pacing and endoscopical investigation. A
      relationship is shown between lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and emergence
      of the sinus vagal depression leading to various disturbances of cardiac rhythm.

PMID- 1875661
TI  - [Radiological diagnosis--current problems and achievements].

PMID- 1875662
TI  - [Causes of errors in the current diagnosis of infectious endocarditis].

PMID- 1875663
TI  - [Non-invasive diagnosis of lesions of peripheral blood vessels in patients with
      diabetes mellitus].
AB  - Clinical examination of 51 diabetes mellitus patients with the disease running a
      severe, moderate and light course included ultrasound dopplerography to measure
      arterial and venous pressure on the malleolus and photoplethysmography to
      evaluate arterial pressure in the great toe. There appeared a relationship
      between the disease severity and venous pressure, toe pressure index, pressure
      gradient malleolus--toe. The closest correlation was with the venous pressure. At
      late stages of diabetic angiopathy calcinosis of the arterial wall distorts real
      value of malleolar systolic pressure necessitating multimodality investigation of
      peripheral vessels in diabetic patients.

PMID- 1875664
TI  - [New aspects of using adrenomimetics in the diagnosis and treatment of bronchial
      asthma].
AB  - It is suggested to use alpha-stimulating effect of naphthyzine and halazoline for
      pharmacological spirometric testing in evaluating the inflammatory-edematous
      component of bronchial obstruction. These anti-edema agents combined with
      standard bronchospasmolytics (beta 2-agonists and cholinolytics) proved effective
      in arresting episodes of asphyxia. Optimal doses of naphthyzine and halazoline,
      related side effects have been clarified in case of their addition to selective
      beta 2-agonists, cholinolytics and combinations thereof. In contrast to
      nonselective adrenomimetic drugs adrenaline and ephedrine, naphthyzine,
      halazoline or similar medicines do not produce cardiostimulation this justifying
      their use in combination with selective bronchospasmolytic berotec, salbutamol ,
      berodual and atrovent.

PMID- 1875665
TI  - [Principles of conservative treatment of trophic leg ulcers].
AB  - Long-term experience gained in the treatment of 647 patients suffering from
      trophic ulcer of the leg due to chronic venous insufficiency led the author to
      the conclusion on minimal benefit of chemotherapy in the treatment of the
      condition. Good therapeutic effect was achieved with enzymes used for cleansing
      purposes and local elastic compression of the leg with 3% boric acid solution
      fomentation. Epithelialization ++ of the ulcer occurred in 86.2% of the patients.

PMID- 1875666
TI  - [Drug therapy of pulmonary and portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis].
AB  - Detailed examination of hemodynamics in patients with portal and pulmonary
      hypertension was performed upon acute drug tests and course administration of
      nitrosorbide++, corinfar and propranolol. Ultrasound and rheography
      investigations were employed to elucidate the relations between portal and
      pulmonary hypertension in cirrhosis patients. Criteria of early diagnosis are
      discussed. Nitrosorbide++ produced positive effect on hepatic blood flow,
      corinfar improved pulmonary hemodynamics in lack of its influence on hepatic
      blood flow, while propranolol resulted in the drop of both portal and pulmonary
      hypertension, normalization of general hemodynamics.

PMID- 1875667
TI  - [Hemodynamics of the lesser circulation and pulmonary ventilation in patients
      with chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic renal failure].
AB  - Examination of 97 chronic glomerulonephritis sufferers with various degrees of
      chronic renal failure revealed a rise of the average dynamic pressure in the
      pulmonary artery and alterations in pulmonary ventilation. The most pronounced
      shifts were registered in associated chronic renal failure of degree II.

PMID- 1875668
TI  - [The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and arterial hypertension in patients
      with rheumatoid arthritis].
AB  - Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone++ system was investigated in 60 patients suffering
      from rheumatoid arthritis. Forty-four of them (group 1) had arterial hypertension
      (144 +/- 4/94 +/- 2 mm Hg), sixteen were free of hypertension (120 +/- 3/80 +/- 1
      mm Hg). Twenty-nine control subjects comparable by AH standing and demographic
      parameters had essential hypertension stage IB-IIA by A. L. Myasnikov
      classification (141 +/- 3/89 +/- 1 mm Hg). A tendency to renin suppression was
      dominating in 72% of group 1 patients (plasma renin activity less than 1.0
      ng/ml/h). In this group there appeared high concentrations of A II (14.2 +/- 3.1
      pg/ml) and plasma aldosterone++ (238 +/- 94 ng/ml). Rheumatoid vasculitis
      manifested in 86% of patients. Control subjects exhibited plasma renin activity
      greater than 3.0 ng/ml/hin 48%, average A II concentration was similar to that of
      group 1 (12.4 +/- 2.7 ng/ml/h, p greater than 0.05), plasma aldosterone++ level
      was significantly lower (176 +/- 29 ng/ml, p less than 0.05). Correlations were
      established between A II concentration and ESR (r = 0.39, p less than 0.05), A II
      and rheumatoid factor titers (r = 0.40, p less than 0.05). These indicate that
      immunopathological reactions are responsible for shifts in renin-angiotensin
      aldosteron system in hypertensive rheumatoid arthritis subjects.

PMID- 1875669
TI  - [Evaluation of biochemical studies in the diagnosis of the cholestasis syndrome].

PMID- 1875670
TI  - [Use of infrared spectrophotometry of bile for diagnosis of cholelithiasis and
      predicting the chemical composition of the concrements].
AB  - Infrared spectrophotometry was applied in bile investigation from 47
      cholelithiasis, 53 acalculous chronic cholecystitis and 23 control subjects. A
      cholelithiasis--specific shift in the absorption band appeared in the range of
      900-1150 cm-1. Bile calculi removed at surgery from 110 relevant patients and
      bile from them were exposed to infrared spectrophotometry. The authors derived a
      correlation between the shape of the absorption band for bile in the range of
      1500-1800 cm-1 and chemical composition of the concrement.

PMID- 1875671
TI  - [Study of central and porto-hepatic hemodynamics before the surgical treatment of
      patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension].
AB  - Basing on the results of hemodynamic findings related to the heart and liver in
      41 patients with hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension (33 of them were
      operated on for portal hypertension), it is suggested that when deciding on the
      type of surgery in such patients, initial status of central and portal
      hemodynamics as well as expected changes in these parameters due to surgery
      should be taken into consideration. Pathogenetic grounds for some routine
      interventions in hepatic cirrhosis and portal hypertension are thought open to
      question.

PMID- 1875672
TI  - [Clinical characteristics of acute cholecystitis in males].
AB  - The analysis of 682 case histories of males suffering from acute cholecystitis
      suggested a conclusion on occasional deviations in clinical manifestations of the
      disease in males. Various combinations of complications are not a rare finding
      making the diagnosis problematic. Acute destructive process in the gall bladder
      occurs in the presence of chronic inflammatory and infiltrative alterations in
      the hepatopancreatoduodenal area. Clinically, general symptoms of endotoxicosis
      dominate, local signs presenting indistinctly. Late diagnosis results in late
      surgical treatment: 9.2% of the admitted patients only are operated on within 24
      hours since hospitalization. The authors hold that choledochotomy is indicated to
      50.7% of the patients. Lethal postoperative outcome was registered in 2.2% of
      those operated on. The deaths were attributed to cardiovascular and hepatic
      failure.

PMID- 1875673
TI  - [Enterosorption in the combined treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis].
AB  - Fifty-nine patients exhibiting an exacerbation of multiple sclerosis were
      examined for efficacy of enterosorption with the fibrous coal sorbent vaulen. The
      solvent powder was administered 3 times a day in a dose of 50-60 mg/kg for 20
      days between meals. The relief of neurological symptoms started on treatment days
      3-4 with subsequent attenuation within the course of treatment. This agreed with
      discontinuation of liquor hypertension and recovery of normal immunological
      spectra of serum parameters. The method of enterosorption is simple, safe and
      readily arrests the disease exacerbation.

PMID- 1875674
TI  - [Cardiac lesion in a young woman caused by amitriptyline poisoning with
      subsequent long-term intake of pyrazidol].

PMID- 1875675
TI  - [Leopard syndrome with clear phenotypic manifestations].

PMID- 1875676
TI  - [Chronic bronchitis: developmental mechanisms and the principles of the treatment
      and prevention].

PMID- 1875677
TI  - [Drug therapy of chronic pancreatitis].
AB  - Potentialities of current chemotherapy of chronic pancreatitis are delineated. An
      individual approach is advocated for patients with the primary and secondary
      disease varying in etiology, for those with and without external and internal
      pancreatic insufficiency. Indications are validated for application of drugs
      distinct from each other by mechanism of action and intended for pain relief, of
      kallikrein-protease and other trypsin inhibitors, replacement polyenzymatic
      therapy, stimulators of pancreatic exocrine secretion, antihistamine drugs,
      parenteral feeding, vitamins, detoxicating, immunomodulating and
      psychopharmacological agents. Approaches to management of chronic pancreatitis
      and its complications as well as associated diseases are detailed. Chronic
      pancreatitis sufferers must be followed up and undergo prophylactic treatment.

PMID- 1875678
TI  - Depression and self-enhancement among Japanese and American students.
AB  - This study examined the cultural generalizibility of the negative relationship
      between depression and self-enhancement. Japanese (n = 116) and American (n =
      125) students completed the Zung (1965) Self-Rating Depression Scale and three
      measures of self-enhancement (i.e., the tendency to see oneself in a positive
      light). As expected, Japanese subjects were found to be more depressed and less
      self-serving than Americans. Negative correlations between depression and self
      enhancement measures were obtained for both samples. Regression analyses of the
      relationships between measures indicated that sample differences in self
      enhancement were explained largely by sample differences in depression. It is
      proposed that, relative to the Americans, Japanese students had a negative self
      schema that led to higher depression and lower self-enhancement.

PMID- 1875679
TI  - Factors affecting philanthropic behavior of Jewish adolescents.
AB  - A field study of children's philanthropic behavior, focusing specifically on the
      giving patterns of adolescents, was conducted in a Jewish school in the United
      States over a 5-month period. Classrooms were observed by using ethnographic
      methods, and a written questionnaire was administered to seventh- through ninth
      graders (N = 48). Monetary records from 23 class sessions were analyzed. Giving
      to charity was inversely related to age, with the oldest students in the school
      giving the least. Both teachers of adolescents and the majority of the
      adolescents attributed this finding to the dispositions of the givers rather than
      to contextual factors in the school or to the nature of the charitable
      enterprise.

PMID- 1875680
TI  - Factors affecting relationships of Turkish adolescents with parents and same-sex
      friends.
AB  - The present study attempted to investigate the differences between Turkish late
      adolescents' relationships with their parents and friends by using Armsden and
      Greenberg's (1987) scales for measuring attachment. In addition, an attempt at
      determining predictors of different aspects of attachment was made. The findings
      were that (a) similar dimensions of attachment emerged from a factor analysis of
      Turkish data when compared with Armsden and Greenberg's factors, (b) the data
      provide evidence for the argument that relationships should be studied with an
      awareness that they exist within a sociological background that includes other
      relationships, and (c) regression analysis predicting different aspects of
      attachment indicated that different variables may be important as determinants of
      men's and women's relationships with significant others.

PMID- 1875683
TI  - Tissue engineering. Selected papers from the UCLA Symposium of Tissue
      Engineering. Keystone, Colorado, April 6-12, 1990.

PMID- 1875681
TI  - Date rape: expectations, avoidance strategies, and attitudes toward victims.

PMID- 1875682
TI  - Locus of control, depression, and suicidal ideation among American, Philippine,
      and Turkish students.

PMID- 1875684
TI  - Recipes for reconstituting skin.
AB  - Reconstituted Living Skin Equivalent (LSE) is made up of a dermal equivalent (DE)
      on which keratinocytes are plated where they give rise to a multilayered
      differentiated epidermis. The dermal equivalent develops through interactions
      between fibroblasts and collagen fibrils that begin to form after the cell-matrix
      precursor is cast. The gel that forms as a result of collagen polymerization and
      fluid trapping is contracted uniformly in all dimensions. By securing it at ends
      and edges in the mold in which it is cast, the final dimensions, strength and
      morphology of the forming tissue are altered. The same phenomena are seen in
      casting tubular tissues for the fabrication of small caliber blood vessel
      equivalents. The cells of the dermal equivalent are biosynthetically active and
      enrich the matrix to different degrees with secretory products, depending on how
      the cells are stimulated and on the presence or absence of an epidermis. Collagen
      biosynthesis by dermal cells in the DE is sensitive to growth factors, ascorbate
      concentrations and amino acid pools. Both ascorbate and TGF beta 1 increase total
      collagen biosynthesis at least two-fold by one week after tissue formation. With
      TGF beta 1 present, the capacity of cells in the DE to synthesize collagen
      increases with time, over a two-week period. If ascorbate (200 micrograms/ml) is
      added just after the tissue is cast and daily thereafter, contraction lattice is
      blocked, and collagen biosynthesis is enhanced relative to contracted controls
      that had received 200 micrograms/ml ascorbate once. The increase was nearly an
      order of magnitude over that of controls and was coordinate with a comparable
      increase in hyaluronate and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) production as shown
      by TCA-precipitable glucosamine in the intercellular matrix of the DE. Both the
      LSE and the Living Dermal Equivalent (LDE) exhibit complex responses to UV
      radiation and to various chemicals that are greatly different from responses
      given by monolayered cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875685
TI  - Optimization of human endothelial cell attachment to vascular graft polymers.
AB  - Endothelial cells (EC) covering the blood-contacting surface of a prosthetic
      material could potentially enhance the subsequent nonthrombogenicity of the
      surface. In order to create such a surface, the EC must become attached to the
      surface, spread and ultimately form a monolayer. In this study we examined
      several factors that influence these processes. On ePTFE surfaces, surface
      pretreatment with human serum for 30 minutes at a concentration of 1.4 gm percent
      protein resulted in significantly more attached EC when compared to other
      concentrations or when compared to fetal calf serum or human serum albumin. The
      rate of EC spreading was strongly influenced by temperature, with a maximum
      occurring at 37 degrees C. During real-time video microscopy, it was noted that
      the rate of EC attachment and spreading was primarily dependent on arrival of the
      EC to the surface rather than attachment and spreading. Thus as a method of
      increasing EC delivery, the concept of filtering EC onto the graft lumenal
      surface was tested by pressurizing the graft lumen to speed EC delivery to the
      surface. This technique produced a 2 to 5-fold increase in EC attachment when
      compared to gravity forced cell deposition. We conclude that an ePTFE graft can
      be rapidly endothelialized using these simple measures.

PMID- 1875686
TI  - Effects of pulsatile flow on cultured vascular endothelial cell morphology.
AB  - Endothelial cells (EC) appear to adapt their morphology and function to the in
      vivo hemodynamic environment in which they reside. In vitro experiments indicate
      that similar alterations occur for cultured EC exposed to a laminar steady-state
      flow-induced shear stress. However, in vivo EC are exposed to a pulsatile flow
      environment; thus, in this investigation, the influence of pulsatile flow on cell
      shape and orientation and on actin microfilament localization in confluent bovine
      aortic endothelial cell (BAEC) monolayers was studied using a 1-Hz nonreversing
      sinusoidal shear stress of 40 +/- 20 dynes/cm2 (type I), 1-Hz reversing
      sinusoidal shear stresses of 20 +/- 40 and 10 +/- 15 dynes/cm2 (type II), and 1
      Hz oscillatory shear stresses of 0 +/- 20 and 0 +/- 40 dynes/cm2 (type III). The
      results show that in a type I nonreversing flow, cell shape changed less rapidly,
      but cells took on a more elongated shape than their steady flow controls long
      term. For low-amplitude type II reversing flow, BAECs changed less rapidly in
      shape and were always less elongated than their steady controls; however, for
      high amplitude reversal, BAECs did not stay attached for more than 24 hours. For
      type III oscillatory flows, BAEC cell shape remained polygonal as in static
      culture and did not exhibit actin stress fibers, such as occurred in all other
      flows. These results demonstrate that EC can discriminate between different types
      of pulsatile flow environments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875687
TI  - Endothelialization of the luminal sac in artificial cardiac prostheses: a
      challenge for both biologists and engineers.
AB  - Thromboembolic complications are a major obstacle for the permanent use of
      artificial cardiac prostheses. Many of these complications are caused by the
      intrinsic thrombogenicity of the biomaterials, which are used to cast the luminal
      blood sac. Numerous attempts have been made to improve the hemocompatibility of
      the new generation of totally implantable blood pumps, mainly by physico-chemical
      modifications of the biopolymeric materials and the blood contacting surfaces.
      We, on the other hand, believe that the most promising and challenging approach,
      from both the biologists' and engineers' point of view, is to coat the luminal
      surfaces of cardiac prostheses with a functional monolayer of autologous
      endothelial cells (ECs) and thus reproduce "nature's biocompatible blood
      container." The key to lining an artificial heart with a nonthrombogenic
      monolayer of endothelial cells is to explore the molecular and cellular
      mechanisms which render the EC lining inside the beating ventricle
      nonthrombogenic and resistant to flow-induced shear stresses and cyclic,
      tensional deformations. This knowledge has then to be translated into
      biotechnological know-how, in order to maintain an intact EC monolayer inside the
      blood sac of an artificial device. In this paper we emphasize some of the
      bioengineering issues associated with the endothelialization of the luminal sac,
      and also discuss some aspects related to the blood sac itself.

PMID- 1875688
TI  - Bioengineering in development of the hybrid artificial pancreas.
AB  - The hybrid artificial pancreas for treatment of diabetes consists of insulin
      secreting pancreatic tissue which is surrounded by a membrane that protects the
      tissue from rejection by the immune system following implantation. In this paper,
      we review the alternative therapeutic approaches for diabetes under study and
      then discuss the technical requirements that must be met by a hybrid device
      useful to humans. Previous work on intravascular and extravascular
      immunoisolation devices is reviewed from the standpoint of these requirements,
      and three critical unresolved issues are discussed: biocompatibility, oxygen
      supply limitations, and prevention of immune rejection.

PMID- 1875689
TI  - Hematopoiesis on suspended nylon screen-stromal cell microenvironments.
AB  - A three-dimensional culture system for the growth of primate and rodent bone
      marrow was developed in our laboratory. This method involves the seeding of
      stromal cells onto a nylon screen and the inoculation of fresh or cryopreserved
      bone marrow hematopoietic cells after stromal cell processes had extended across
      3 to 4 out of every 5 mesh openings. Stromal cells attach, grow, and secrete
      matrix proteins which contribute to an intricate microenvironment for the support
      of multilineage hematopoiesis, which was observed for greater than 270 days in
      the rat model and for greater than 12 weeks in the human system, as evidenced by
      flow cytometry analysis and in vitro clonogenic assays. The adherent zones of
      these suspended nylon screen cultures consisted primarily of immature cells.
      These cultures could also be used as substrates for cytotoxicity measurements;
      treatment of rat bone marrow cultures of various ages with cytosine beta-D
      arabinofuranoside, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, or methotrexate resulted in
      a dose-dependent decrease in CFU-C numbers and altered the phenotypic
      distribution of hematologic cells in the adherent zone. The use of a modification
      of this method to generate large numbers of active cytolytic cells after greater
      than 75 days culture of rat bone marrow-derived natural killer cells is described
      also. Suspended nylon screen bone marrow culture also has potential uses in
      genetic insertion and graft vs. host disease studies, blood component therapy,
      the evaluation of ex vivo purging programs, and in marrow expansion for
      transplantation.

PMID- 1875690
TI  - Transplantation of polymer encapsulated neurotransmitter secreting cells: effect
      of the encapsulation technique.
AB  - Deficits associated with neurological diseases may be improved by the
      transplantation within the brain lesioned target structure of polymer
      encapsulated cells releasing the missing neurotransmitter. Surrounding cells with
      a permselective membrane of appropriate molecular weight cut-off allows inward
      diffusion of nutrients and outward diffusion of neurotransmitters, but prevents
      immunoglobulins or immune cells from reaching the transplant. This technique
      therefore allows transplantation of post-mitotic cells across species. It also
      permits neural grafting of transformed cell lines since the polymer capsule
      prevents the formation of tumors by physically sequestering the transplanted
      tissue. In the present study, we compared the ability of dopamine-secreting
      cells, encapsulated by 2 different methods, to reverse experimental Parkinson's
      disease, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor disturbances due to a
      lack of dopamine within the striatum following degeneration of the dopaminergic
      nigro-striatal pathway. PC12 cells were loaded in polyelectrolyte-based
      microcapsules or thermoplastic-based macrocapsules and maintained in vitro or
      transplanted in a rat experimental Parkinson model for 4 weeks. Chemically
      induced depolarization increased the in vitro release of dopamine from
      macrocapsules over time, while no increase in release was observed from
      microcapsules. Encapsulated PC12 cells were able to reduce lesion-induced
      rotational asymmetry in rats for at least 4 weeks, regardless of the
      encapsulation technique used. With both encapsulation methods, PC12 cell
      viability was greater in vivo than in vitro which suggests that the striatum
      releases trophic factors for PC12 cells. More brain tissue damage was observed
      with microcapsules than macrocapsules, possibly the result of the difficulty of
      manipulating the more fragile microcapsules.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875691
TI  - Semipermeable polymer tubes provide a microenvironment for in vivo analysis of
      dorsal root regeneration.
AB  - The regeneration of lesioned axons is critically influenced by the local
      microenvironment. In this study, semipermeable polymer tubes were used to provide
      a defined microenvironment in vivo to analyze the regeneration of dorsal root
      axons under various conditions in the adult rat. Cut dorsal root fibers grew
      across a 2.7 mm gap within enclosed polymer tubes by 4 weeks. The pattern of
      axonal outgrowth was dramatically influenced by mechanical factors such as the
      inner surface topography of the polymer tube. Tubes containing various molecular
      and cellular substrates were also used to study their effect on dorsal root
      regeneration.

PMID- 1875692
TI  - Recent progress in bone induction by osteogenin and bone morphogenetic proteins:
      challenges for biomechanical and tissue engineering.
AB  - Implantation of demineralized bone matrix results in local bone induction. Bone
      induction is a sequential biological chain reaction that consists of chemotaxis
      and proliferation of mesenchymal cells and differentiation of bone. Osteogenin, a
      bone morphogenetic protein has been purified and the amino acid sequence
      determined. Recently a family of bone morphogenetic proteins have been cloned and
      expressed by recombinant DNA technology. The availability of growth and
      morphogenetic factors will permit the rational design of new bone. The challenge
      for the biomechanical engineer is to attain mechanically optimal and functionally
      adaptive new bone for various skeletal prostheses. We are on the threshold for
      fabrication of new bone based on sound architectural design principles of tissue
      engineering based on cellular and molecular biology of growth and differentiation
      factors.

PMID- 1875693
TI  - Candidates for the mechanosensory system in bone.
AB  - Some potential mechanisms by which bone cells sense mechanical loads are
      described and hypotheses concerning the functioning of these mechanisms are
      explored. It is well known that bone tissue adapts its structure to its
      mechanical load environment. Recent research has illuminated the biological
      response of bone to mechanical loading at the cellular level, but the precise
      mechanosensory system that signals bone cells to deposit or resorb tissue has not
      been identified. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current status of
      this research and to suggest some possible mechanosensory systems by which bone
      cells might sense environmental loads.

PMID- 1875694
TI  - Experimental studies on repair of large osteochondral defects at a high weight
      bearing area of the knee joint: a tissue engineering study.
AB  - There is a vast clinical need for the development of an animal model to study the
      fundamentals of healing of injured or diseased diarthrodial joints (knee, hip,
      shoulder, wrist, etc). Current prosthetic replacements do not offer acceptable
      treatment for injuries and diseases of these joints in young active individuals.
      New clinical treatment modalities, based on sound biologic principles, are sought
      for the development of repair or healing tissues engineered to have similar
      biomechanical properties as normal articular cartilage. In this paper we present
      a brief review of this need, and propose a grafting procedure which may lead to a
      successful animal model for studies of long term repair of major osteochondral
      defects. This grafting procedure uses an autologous periosteum-bone graft or an
      autologous-synthetic bone replacement graft. We have applied these grafts for in
      vivo repair of large surgically created defects in the high weight bearing area
      of the distal femoral condyle of mature New Zealand white rabbits. Further, an
      interdisciplinary study, including histochemistry, biochemistry (composition and
      metabolic activities), and biomechanics (biphasic properties), was performed to
      assess the feasibility of our animal model to generate viable repair tissues. We
      found our grafting procedure produced, 8 weeks postoperatively, tissues which
      were very similar to those found in normal articular cartilage. However, our
      histological studies indicate incomplete bonding between the repair tissue and
      the adjacent cartilage, and lack of an appropriate superficial zone at the
      articular surface. These deficiencies may cause long term failure of the repair
      tissue. Further studies must be undertaken to enhance development of a strong
      bond and a collagen-rich surface zone. This may require the use of growth factors
      (e.g., transforming growth factors beta) capable of simulating extra collagen
      production, or the use of serum derived tissue glue for bonding. At present, we
      are pursuing these studies.

PMID- 1875695
TI  - The effects of knee motion and external loading on the length of the anterior
      cruciate ligament (ACL): a kinematic study.
AB  - A six-degrees-of-freedom mechanical linkage device was designed and used to study
      the unconstrained motion of ten intact human cadaver knees. The knees were
      subjected to externally applied varus and valgus (V-V) moments up to 14 N-m as
      well as anterior and posterior (A-P) loads up to 100 N. Tests were done at four
      knee flexion angles; 0, 30, 45, and 90 deg. Significant coupled axial tibial
      rotation was found, up to 21.0 deg for V-V loading (at 90 deg of flexion) and
      14.2 deg for A-P loading (at 45 deg of flexion). Subsequently, the knees were
      dissected and the locations of the insertion sites to the femur and tibia for the
      anteromedial (AM), posterolateral (PL), and intermediate (IM) portions of the ACL
      were identified. The distances between the insertion sites for all external
      loading conditions were calculated. In the case when the external load was zero,
      the AM portion of the ACL lengthened with knee flexion, while the PL portion
      shortened and the intermediate (IM) portion did not change in length. With the
      application of 14 N-m valgus moment, the PL and IM portions of the ACL lengthened
      significantly more than the AM portion (p less than 0.001). With the application
      of 100 N anterior load, the AM portion lengthened slightly less than the PL
      portion, which lengthened slightly less than the IM portion (p less than 0.005).
      In general, the amount of lengthening of the three portions of the ACL during
      valgus and anterior loading was observed to increase with knee flexion angle (p
      less than 0.001).

PMID- 1875696
TI  - A finite helical axis as a landmark for kinematic reference of the knee.
AB  - Reference coordinates based on the finite helical axis for flexion of the knee
      from 0 to 90 deg are proposed. Six degree-of-freedom tracking allows the use of
      such a helical axis as a kinematic landmark for knee motion representation. Data
      from five human subjects in vivo are presented as a path of finite helical axes
      for flexion of the knee from 20 to 80 deg. The finite helical axis rotates by an
      average of 11.4 deg, the centrode translates an average of 19.8 mm, and the total
      axial translation averages 0.1 mm during flexion from 20 to 80 deg. Error due to
      the transducer was measured on a fixed-pivot pendulum and found to be 1.0 deg and
      1.9 mm rms for the helical axis orientation and position, respectively, and 0.1
      mm for the axial translation. Reproducibility and soft tissue effects on the
      measurements were repeatable to 4.0 deg and 2.7 mm rms in orientation and
      position, respectively, and 0.1 mm for the axial translations. Soft tissue errors
      averaged 4.9 deg and 3.6 mm in position and orientation, and 0.3 mm in the axial
      translations.

PMID- 1875697
TI  - Gas transport in serpentine microporous tubes under steady and pulsatile blood
      flow conditions.
AB  - A serpentine gas exchange unit was built with cylindrical tubular microporous
      membranes featuring periodic arcs with a fixed curvature ratio (ratio of tube
      radius to radius of curvature) of 1/14 and circular angles between 30 and 360
      deg. Oxygen transfer was measured under steady and pulsatile blood flow
      conditions in vitro and ex vivo to assess the design features which most
      effectively augment gas transfer. Under steady blood flow conditions, oxygen
      transfer increased with circular angles beyond 70 deg. Under pulsatile
      conditions, a wide range of geometrical and fluid mechanical parameters could be
      combined to enhance gas transfer performance, which eventually depended upon the
      secondary Reynolds number and the Womersley parameter.

PMID- 1875698
TI  - Estimating three-dimensional temperature fields during hyperthermia: studies of
      the optimal regularization parameter and time sampling period.
AB  - During hyperthermia therapy it is desirable to know the entire temperature field
      in the treatment region. However, accurately inferring this field from the
      limited number of temperature measurements available is very difficult, and thus
      state and parameter estimation methods have been used to attempt to solve this
      inherently ill-posed problem. To compensate for this ill-posedness and to improve
      the accuracy of this method, Tikhonov regularization of order zero has been used
      to significantly improve the results of the estimation procedure. It is also
      shown that the accuracies of the temperature estimates depend upon the value of
      the regularization parameter, which has an optimal value that is dependent on the
      perfusion pattern and magnitude. In addition, the transient power-off time
      sampling period (i.e., the length of time over which transient data is collected
      and used) influences the accuracy of the estimates, and an optimal sampling
      period is shown to exist. The effects of additive measurement noise are also
      investigated, as are the effects of the initial guess of the perfusion values,
      and the effects of both symmetric and asymmetric blood perfusion patterns. Random
      perfusion patterns with noisy data are the most difficult cases to evaluate. The
      cases studied are not a comprehensive set, but continue to show the feasibility
      of using state and parameter estimation methods to reconstruct the entire
      temperature field.

PMID- 1875699
TI  - Analytical model of corneal surgery.
AB  - We present a model of the human cornea in order to study the changes in its shape
      resulting from surgical operations (e.g., radial keratotomy). A simple closed
      form solution is given for a thin linearly elastic spherical shell model of the
      cornea. We assume axisymmetry and isotropy in the shell surface. The surgery is
      modeled by permitting Young's modulus and shell thickness to depend on position.
      The analytical nature of the solution permits principal shell curvatures to be
      explicitly calculated. The model is used to investigate the effect of surgery on
      corneal flattening and the associated sensitivity to intraocular pressure
      changes.

PMID- 1875700
TI  - Changes in the incidence of alcohol-impaired driving in the United States, 1973
      1986.
AB  - Studies of motor vehicle fatality data have indicated that alcohol involvement in
      fatal crashes has declined substantially in the United States since 1980. To
      determine the actual incidence of alcohol-impaired drivers on U.S. roads, a
      national roadside survey using portable breath-testing devices was carried out in
      32 localities in the spring of 1986. The same sampling design and survey
      procedures used in a 1973 national roadside survey were followed as much as
      possible. The 1986 survey found 3.1% of the late-night weekend drivers to have a
      blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10% or more, compared to 4.9% of drivers
      in 1973. Similarly, 8.3% of the 1986 drivers were at or above 0.05% BAC, compared
      to 13.5% in 1973. The data indicate that the incidence of alcohol-impaired
      driving on weekend nights has fallen by one-third or more in the United States
      since 1973 and that the decline affected most population subgroups.

PMID- 1875701
TI  - Alcohol-related relative risk of fatal driver injuries in relation to driver age
      and sex.
AB  - The relative risks of fatal crash involvement at various blood alcohol
      concentrations (BACs) were examined using data on fatal driver injuries from the
      Fatal Accident Reporting System in conjunction with driver exposure data from the
      second national road-side breath-testing survey. Based on driver fatalities in
      single-vehicle crashes, it was estimated that each 0.02 percentage increase in
      the BAC of a driver with non-zero BAC nearly doubles the risk of being in a fatal
      crash. Crash risk was found to increase with increasing BAC among all of the six
      age and sex groups studied. At BACs in the 0.05-0.09 percent range, the
      likelihood of a crash was at least nine times greater than at zero BAC for all
      age groups. Younger drivers with BACs in the 0.05-0.09 range had higher relative
      risks than older drivers, and females had higher relative risks than males. At
      very high BACs (at or above 0.15 percent), the risk of crashing was 300 to 600
      times the risk at zero or near-zero BACs. These relative risk estimates are
      considerably higher than estimated in other studies, but other studies have based
      their estimates on all crashes rather than single-vehicle crashes only. In this
      study, relative risks were also lower when based on driver fatalities in all
      crashes. However, when plausible assumptions were made about the BAC
      distributions of other participants in multiple-vehicle crashes (whose actual BAC
      is often unknown), the relative risks based on the maximum BAC of the crash
      participants were nearly as high as those estimated in single-vehicle crashes.

PMID- 1875702
TI  - Differences between roadside and subsequent evidential breath alcohol results and
      their forensic significance.
AB  - Breath alcohol measurements for forensic purposes are typically not made at the
      time of a driving incident but at some later time. Therefore, the magnitude of
      variation in breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) following the time of arrest is
      of concern. The use of roadside preliminary breath test (PBT) instruments can
      provide data on BrAC closer to the time of a driving incident and allow for
      comparison with later evidential analysis. This retrospective study evaluates two
      distributions (N = 968): differences between PBT results and the first evidential
      breath test (PBT-BrAC1) and differences between two (duplicate) evidential breath
      alcohol tests (BrAC1-BrAC2). The two distributions were shown to vary from each
      other and from the normal with statistical significance (p less than .05). The
      PBT-BrAC1 distribution had greater variability (SD = .025) than the BrAC1-BrAC2
      distribution (SD = .010). An important result was that the PBT was equal to
      (within duplicate sampling variability) or greater than BrAC1 in approximately
      85.5% of the cases. The remaining 14.5% could not be explained by sampling
      variability within the duplicate test distribution. The variability in both
      distributions typically exceeds the normally accepted alcohol elimination rates.
      The conclusion is that differences between roadside and subsequent evidential
      breath results cannot be attributed solely to absorption or elimination kinetics.
      Intra-individual breath sample differences can be large and thus obscure the
      accurate evaluation of absorption and elimination rates. Breath tests conducted
      within approximately 2 hours of driving will reflect, within experimental
      uncertainty, the BrAC at the time of driving.

PMID- 1875703
TI  - The prevalence of antisocial behavior among U.S. Army DWI offenders.
AB  - This study compares arrest records for three groups of male soldiers. The first
      group of 76 had been arrested for DWI, completed a 5-day, in-patient
      evaluation/education program and were subsequently re-arrested, all within the
      period from January 1985 through December 1987. The second group of 76 was
      composed of a random sample, matched by age and ethnicity who had completed the 5
      day program following a DWI but had not been re-arrested. The third group was a
      control group of 76, matched by age and ethnicity, but with no record of DWI, who
      were randomly selected from the same military units as the initial two groups.
      Soldiers with one DWI had significantly more arrests than did soldiers in the
      control group; soldiers with two DWI arrests had significantly more arrests than
      either of the other groups. The data indicate that soldiers apprehended for DWI
      are more likely than non-arrestees to be arrested for a wide variety of
      antisocial behaviors.

PMID- 1875704
TI  - Attitudes toward alcoholism among psychologists and marriage, family and child
      counselors.
AB  - This study examines the attitudes of 589 randomly chosen licensed California
      psychologists and marriage, family and child counselors toward alcoholism. Their
      anonymous replies revealed that the two professional groups were relatively
      homogeneous in nature. The majority of each subscribed to the disease concept of
      alcoholism, recognized the importance of abstinence in problem resolution and as
      a treatment goal, rejected insight as a prerequisite of sobriety, believed in a
      positive prognosis and were extremely willing to be involved in the treatment of
      alcoholics. Negative attitudes toward alcoholics were expressed with respect to
      attribution of responsibility and a persistence of stigmatization of the
      alcoholic.

PMID- 1875705
TI  - Gender-specific drinking styles in alcoholics and nonalcoholics.
AB  - This study examined sex differences in drinking style when considering both
      alcoholics and nonalcoholics (controls). The Alcohol Use Inventory was employed
      as a descriptive instrument. Of the 16 primary scales two results of significant
      interaction were obtained indicating sex differences in problem drinking
      practices corrected, as it were, for sex differences in normal drinking
      practices. Female alcoholics used alcohol to alter their mood more than did the
      alcoholic men, whereas women in the control group used it less for this purpose
      than did the male controls. The second interaction effect indicated that female
      alcoholics drank in response to marital difficulties much more than did male
      alcoholics. The control women, by contrast, demonstrated less of a likelihood to
      drink for this reason than did male controls.

PMID- 1875706
TI  - Personality characteristics of alcoholic fathers and their sons.
AB  - Recovering alcoholic fathers with a positive family history of alcoholism and
      their 10-15 year-old sons were assessed on a variety of personality measures and
      compared to a matched group of nonalcoholic fathers with a negative family
      history of alcoholism, and their sons. Assessment instruments for the sons
      included the Personality Inventory for Children, High School Personality
      Questionnaire, Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory and the Tridimensional
      Personality Questionnaire. Comparable questionnaires were administered to the
      fathers: the MMPI, 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, Eysenck Personality
      Inventory and the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. No psychopathology or
      extreme personality variants were observed in either fathers' or sons' groups.
      However, MANOVAS and linear discriminant functions revealed significant
      differences on several personality measures between fathers' and sons' groups.
      Compared to sons of nonalcoholics, sons of alcoholics were relatively more
      compulsive, insecure and fearful while being more subdued and detached. The
      recovering alcoholics were more impulsive and regimented than the nonalcoholics.
      An index resulting from the combination of the best personality discriminators
      was significantly correlated in father-son pairs. In addition, this index was
      significantly correlated with key neurocognitive variables from our previous
      study which assessed the same father-son pairs. This atypical CNS profile,
      encompassing altered electrophysiology, neuropsychological performance and
      personality traits, may be useful in identifying those at increased risk for
      developing alcoholism.

PMID- 1875707
TI  - Drinking among subgroups in the adult population of New York State: a
      classification analysis using CART.
AB  - Using data from a representative sample of 5,952 adults in New York State, CART
      (Classification and Regression Trees) methodology was used to classify abstainers
      and drinkers according to interactions among 10 sociodemographic characteristics.
      A CART analysis classifying abstainers versus drinkers selected income at $25,000
      for the initial split with high rates of drinking among higher income
      individuals. Low rates of drinking were shown for low income women with less than
      a high school education. A second CART analysis was performed for drinkers only,
      revealing a number of subgroups of heavier drinkers, including non-Jewish, non
      Oriental men under 35 years old and never-married or divorced minority women over
      the age of 24.

PMID- 1875708
TI  - The inheritance of alcohol consumption patterns in a general population twin
      sample: I. Multidimensional scaling of quantity/frequency data.
AB  - Quantity/frequency data on alcohol consumption were obtained by mailed
      questionnaire from 2,903 same-sex monozygotic and dizygotic Australian twin
      pairs. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling was applied to these data. A three
      dimensional solution was required to account for the observed pattern of twin
      concordances for alcohol consumption. These results suggest separate
      determination of abstinence, frequency of consumption and quantity consumed when
      drinking, rather than inheritance of a single continuum of overall consumption
      level.

PMID- 1875709
TI  - Development of a "Steps Questionnaire".
AB  - Thousands of men and women have begun their recovery from alcoholism through the
      support of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its well-known "12-Step" program. The
      purpose of the present study was to develop a scale to measure alcoholics' levels
      of agreement with the first three of AA's 12 Steps and to test the relationship
      between sobriety and belief in these three steps. Using both factor analysis and
      Rasch analysis, two versions of a "Steps Questionnaire" were developed. A 96
      member subset of the original subject pool was assessed quarterly for 1 year
      following inpatient treatment to determine the predictive validity of the
      questionnaire. The results of this study suggested that agreement with AA's first
      three steps can be measured and that agreement with AA's first step correlates
      with number of sober days posttreatment. The dichotomization of Steps
      Questionnaire scores into total agreement versus partial agreement with Step 1,
      and from this the reduction of uncertainty in the prediction of abstention over a
      lengthy follow-up period, provides support for AA's contention that total
      surrender to one's powerlessness over alcohol is part of the process of achieving
      abstention.

PMID- 1875710
TI  - Reductions in cirrhosis deaths in the United States: associations with per capita
      consumption and AA membership.
AB  - Cirrhosis mortality and morbidity rates have declined in many jurisdictions,
      including the U.S., in recent years. Previous research in Canada and Europe
      suggests that these declines are linked to changes in per capita consumption of
      alcohol and changes in the availability and/or utilization of services to reduce
      abusive drinking (e.g., treatment, Alcoholics Anonymous). In this study, changes
      in cirrhosis death rates in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia
      between 1974 and 1983 were regressed onto changes in per capita consumption (1974
      83). AA membership (1974-83) and alcoholism treatment (1979-82). No significant
      relationship between treatment and cirrhosis changes was observed; however, the
      measure of change in treatment may not reflect the full extent of changes that
      occurred in the 1974-83 period. As predicted, decreases in per capita consumption
      and increases in AA membership were significantly associated with decreases in
      cirrhosis rates.

PMID- 1875711
TI  - Specifying the relationship between alcohol use and cognitive loss: the effects
      of frequency of consumption and psychological distress.
AB  - Previous research has found a relationship between increased quantity of alcohol
      usually consumed per drinking occasion and decreased sober cognitive performance.
      It has been suggested that the effects of quantity of alcohol consumed may be
      conditional upon the frequency of alcohol use and that decreased performance in
      social drinkers may be a consequence of psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and
      depression). An analysis of data from a representative sample of employed men and
      women in metropolitan Detroit indicates that the relation between quantity of
      alcohol consumed per occasion and abstraction performance is conditional upon the
      frequency of alcohol use but that the relationship cannot be accounted for by
      psychological distress.

PMID- 1875712
TI  - Hemodynamic effects of a single moderate dose of alcohol in elderly subjects.
AB  - The effects of 0.5 g ethanol/kg body weight and of an iso-volumic control drink
      were compared in eight normotensive subjects aged 70-96 years. Blood alcohol
      concentration reached a mean (+/- SEM) maximum of 44.4 +/- 5.0 mg/dl at 50
      minutes after the start of drinking. Compared to control, alcohol increased mean
      sitting and standing heart rates by 3.4 +/- 1.3 (p = .08) and 5.4 +/- 1.9 (p less
      than .05) beats/minute, respectively; mean venous haematocrit rose by 3.9 +/-
      1.3% (p less than .05). There were no significant changes in sitting or standing
      systolic or diastolic blood pressures after alcohol compared to the control
      drink. A single moderate dose of alcohol has only minor haemodynamic effects in
      normotensive elderly subjects. The rise in heart rate after alcohol may be a
      reflex response that helps to maintain blood pressure in the face of reduced
      circulating plasma volume due to alcohol-induced diuresis.

PMID- 1875713
TI  - [Pregnancy and labor in women over 40 years of age].
AB  - During the 1970-1989 period, there were 23,915 deliveries of which 278 (1.16%)
      occurred in women 40 years of age or older. The latter included 62 (22.3%)
      primiparas, 158 (56.8%) pluriparas and 58 (20.9%) multiparas. The control group
      consisted of 14,400 women 20-34 years of age (50% primiparas and 50% pluriparas)
      from the same period. There was no antenatal visit in 9.4% of the women 40 years
      of age or older. This group included more housewives, more unmarried women and
      more women with previous spontaneous and induced abortions than the control group
      (P less than 0.05). Threatened abortion (16.2%), EPH gestosis (22.3%), impaired
      glucose tolerance (8.3%), gestational diabetes (7.2%), delivery before 37 weeks
      (11.5%), delivery after 42 weeks (3.6%), premature rupture of the membranes
      (18.3%), meconium-stained amniotic fluid (19.8%), elective caesarean section
      (11.5%), caesarean section delivery (16.5%), vacuum extraction (4.7%), placental
      lysis or uterine exploration (4.3%) were more frequent in the study than in the
      control group (P less than 0.05). There were more cases with episiotomy (P less
      than 0.001) in the control group, whereas there were no differences as regards
      cervical cerclage, weight gain above 14kg, breech presentation, transverse
      presentation and assisted breech delivery between the two groups (P greater than
      0.05). There was no case of uterine rupture or maternal death either in the study
      or the control group. The authors conclude that a woman 40 years of age and older
      is in an advanced age for pregnancy and delivery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1875714
TI  - [T lymphocyte subpopulations in women with spontaneous abortions].
AB  - Investigations were carried out to observe changes in the functional T-lymphocyte
      activity, as well as the presence of single T-lymphocyte subpopulations in the
      first trimester of pregnancy in 10 pregnant women with recurrent abortions in
      their previous pregnancies, compared to 8 healthy pregnant women in the first
      trimester and 20 of them in the third trimester of pregnancy, and in 30 healthy
      nonpregnant women at the fertile age. The functional T-lymphocyte activity (PHA
      test) was decreased in pregnant women with recurrent abortions (54 +/- 0.99) and
      in healthy pregnant women (56 +/- 2.50) compared to healthy nonpregnant women (76
      +/- 4.80). The total number of lymphocytes in the first trimester was decreased
      in the investigated group (22 +/- 5.38) and also in healthy pregnant women (25 +/
      1.55) in relation to nonpregnant women (33 +/- 3.15). The percentage of T
      lymphocytes was similar (59 +/- 4.32 and 58 +/- 1.96 in relation to 80 +/- 2.80).
      Helper T-lymphocytes (T-4) were significantly decreased in the investigated group
      (28 +/- 4.25) compared to the group of healthy pregnant women in the first
      trimester (32 +/- 1.60) and healthy nonpregnant women (55 +/- 2.37). Suppression
      T-lymphocytes (T-8) were significantly increased in the investigated group (30 +/
      3.11) in relation to healthy pregnant women in the first trimester (25 +/- 2.45)
      and to healthy nonpregnant women (23 +/- 1.95). The ratio of helper T-lymphocytes
      and suppression T-lymphocytes (T4:T8) was significantly lower in pregnant women
      with recurrent abortions compared to healthy pregnant women in the first
      trimester and to healthy nonpregnant women.

PMID- 1875715
TI  - [Development of peritubular myoid cells in the rat testis].
AB  - In the testes of 47 embryos, fetuses and newborn rats (Fisher strain), until the
      15th day of life, the appearance and numerical dynamics of "premyoid" and myoid
      cells were analysed by light microscopy. The material was prepared routinely
      (fixed in Bouin fluid, embedded in paraffin, and cut to the thickness of 7
      micrometers). The embryos of the 12th to 17th day of gestation were serially
      sectioned in toto, while fetal testes on the 18th to 21th day of gestation were
      removed and serially cut as well as the rat testes after birth. In each testis
      ten seminiferous tubules (cords) sectioned perpendicularly were analysed and only
      in two testes was it possible to find out nine but not ten perpendicularly
      sectioned tubules. Until the first week after birth, the lengthened cells that
      envelope tubules (cords) are called "premyoid". In the second half of the second
      week two types of lengthened cells in the envelope could be seen: one with a very
      thin, dark nucleus and the other with a lighter and thicker nucleus located
      peripherally, toward the interstitium. The former are considered myoid cells and
      the latter as fibroblasts. The numerical dynamics of "premyoid" and myoid cells
      evidently depends on the "pulsatile" effect of gondotropins. In the prenatal
      period, it was possible to see two increases in the number of these cells: on the
      16th and on the 20th day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875716
TI  - [Epilepsy and pregnancy].
AB  - A total of 132 women with epilepsy were confined in the period from 1978-1989.
      Their pregnancies and outcomes were analysed. The special aim was to find out if
      the anticonvulsive therapy has any correlation with the occurrence of fetal
      malformations in the studied group of women. In 43.9% of pregnant women with
      epilepsy, methyl-phenobarbitone as an anticonvulsive drug was administered, while
      carbamazepine was applied in 13.6% cases. A combination of phenytoin and
      phenobarbitone was prescribed in 18.9% of cases. Primidone was the drug of choice
      in 8% cases and 5.3% of patients were treated with various combinations of
      anticonvulsive drugs. Hyperemesis, threatened spontaneous abortion and premature
      labor complicated significantly more pregnancies in patients with epilepsy than
      on controls. Pregnancies from the studied group were terminated by the cesarean
      section in significantly more cases (11.2%) than in the control group (5.4%).
      Newborns from mothers with epilepsy had a statistically lower birthweight (3173
      +/- 575 g) than those born from healthy mothers (3376 +/- 510g). Fifteen newborns
      or 11.2% were born with congenital malformations, while among the control group
      of newborns only two were malformed. It is noticed that the newborns from mothers
      treated with phenitoin and phenobarbitone had dysmorphic anomalies of the face
      more frequently. The drugs mentioned above interfere with the metabolism of K
      vitamin and as a result of this interreaction, mothers and newborns can suffer
      from coagulation disorders. In conclusion it is important to mention that no
      anticonvulsant drug seems to be absolutely safe when used during pregnancy since
      each of them has a teratogenic effect on the fetus.

PMID- 1875717
TI  - [Characteristics of cancer of the female reproductive organs as observed at the
      Gynecology-Obstetrical Department of the Osijek General Hospital].
AB  - In the 1980-1989 period, 671 women were diagnosed with a malignant tumour of
      reproductive organs at the Department of Gynaecology, Cervical cancer proved most
      frequent, with 46.5% of the cases, followed by the cancer of the uterine body
      occurring in 29.5% of the patients. In 18.8% of the women, ovarian and oviductal
      cancer was diagnosed, whereas vulvar and vaginal cancer was found in 5.5% of the
      cases. There were 76.1% of the patients older than 50 years. Nulliparas suffered
      from ovarian and uterine body cancer significantly more often than from cervical
      cancer (t = 3.794; p less than 0.001, i.e. t = 2.974; p less than 0.001).
      However, terti- or multiparas had cervical cancer significantly more often than
      the cancer of ovaries or the uterine body (t = 3.711; p less than 0.001, i.e. t =
      3.000; p less than 0.01). The first stage ovarian cancer was diagnosed in 15.0%
      of women only, whereas 37.1% of cervical and 78.3% of uterine body cancers were
      discovered at the first stage. At the time of diagnosis, the mean age of the
      patients with cervical cancer was 55.8 years, with ovarian cancer 57.9 years,
      with oviductal cancer 57.3 years, with uterine body cancer 60.8 years and with
      vulvar cancer 71.7 years. There were 34% of cervical cancer patients at the
      premenopausal age 15.5% with uterine body cancer and 27.5% of those suffering
      from ovarian cancer. The general five-year survival rate for patients suffering
      from the cancer of reproductive organs was 40.6%, i.e. 40.5% for cervical cancer,
      54.7% for uterine body cancer, 23.4% for ovarian and oviductal cancer and 17.7%
      for vulvar or vaginal cancer. The total of 25% of the patients were lost from the
      evidence.

PMID- 1875718
TI  - [T lymphocytes, non-malignant and premalignant changes in the planocellular
      epithelium of the uterine cervix].
AB  - T lymphocytes play an important role in the immune response to both neoplasia and
      viral infection. Normally, about 60% of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood are
      T4 (helper) lymphocytes, while 20-30% are T8(suppressor) lymphocytes. When this
      ratio is inverted, most significant changes occur. The aim of the study was to
      examine the T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood of patients with
      nonmalignant and premalignant changes of the cervical epithelium and to compare
      it with that in patients without any cytological or colposcopical cervical
      abnormality. The results show a significant decrease of the T4/T8 lymphocyte
      ratio in the peripheral blood of patients with leukokeratosis (1.55) and
      especially of those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (1.19), compared with
      the results of the control group (2.31). These findings, as well as the knowledge
      of the importance of immune response in the control of the onset of malignancy,
      that the determination of T4/T8 lymphocyte ratio might be helpful in the
      prediction of the degree of premalignant cervical chance and indicate patient's
      follow-up.

PMID- 1875719
TI  - [Pregnancy outcome after conization].
AB  - The outcome of pregnancy in 68 women with previously made conisation of the
      uterine cervix is presented. As a control group were 68 pregnancies which were
      the first in the protocol following the examined ones. Of 68 women of observed
      group there were 45 (66.2%) term deliveries, 10 (14.7%) preterm deliveries, and
      13 (19.1%) spontaneous abortions, while in women of control group the results
      were 52 (76.5%), 6 (8.8%) and 10 (14.7%) respectively. This did not represent a
      statistical significance (chi 2 = 1.89; p less than 0.05). In the first desired
      pregnancy after conisation 43 (63.2%) women were resting in bed and taking
      medicaments, 20 (29.4%) had cervical cerclage, while in women of the control
      group there were 14 (20.6%) and 5 (7.4%), respective what represents
      statistically significant difference (chi 2 = 25.4; p less than 0.01; chi 2 =
      11.3; df = 1, p less than 0.01). Of 43 women of observed group with resting and
      medicaments in pregnancy 33 (76.7%) had term deliveries, 8 (18.6%) preterm
      deliveries and 2 (4.7%) spontaneous abortions, while in 25 women without resting
      and no medicaments, the results were 13 (52%), 11 (44%), 1 (4%) respectively.
      This represents statistical significant difference (chi 2 = 4.42; p less than
      0.05). In the control group of 54 women without resting and no medicaments, there
      were 45 (83.3%) term deliveries, 3 (5.6%) preterm deliveries and 6 (11.1%)
      spontaneous abortions, while in 25 women after conisation and no resting there
      were 13 (52%), 11 (44%), 1 (4%) respectively. This represents a statistical
      significance (chi 2 = 8.59; p less than 0.01). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875720
TI  - [Results of the IVF/GIFT program in Maribor].
AB  - The results of the IVF/GIFT programme for 1989 in Maribor are presented. During
      this period 4 clinical pregnancies were attended by the IVF procedure and one by
      GIFT and ZIFT each. In the IVF procedure the highest percentage of pregnancies
      was obtained in the group of women with the tubal factor of infertility (n = 34)
      where 4 clinical pregnancies on 22 ET were registered (18.1%). Cycle
      synchronisation with contraceptives, followed by stimulation with CC-HMG proved
      to be the most successful protocol for the cycle stimulation. With this protocol,
      pregnancy was attained in 4 of 19 stimulated cycles (21.0%). In the spontaneous
      cycles (n = 17) no pregnancy was registered.

PMID- 1875721
TI  - [Malignant melanoma arising from a cystic dermoid teratoma of the ovary].
AB  - The primary malignant melanoma of the ovary is a rare kind of neoplasm. This one
      is in the world literature the eleventh well-documented case having developed in
      the ovary of a 66-year-old woman. A unilateral ovarian teratoma was removed,
      within which a malignant melanoma was found. The junctional activity of
      melanocytes was demonstrated in the epidermis within the teratoma. An
      extraovarian primary melanoma was not observed. The patient was treated with a
      bilateral adnexectomy and hysterectomy.

PMID- 1875722
TI  - [Recurrent adenocarcinoma of the uterus].
AB  - In a 60-year-old woman because of postmenopausal haemorrhage diagnostic curettage
      was performed. The histopathologic finding was the adenocarcinoma of the
      endometrium. The clinical stage was Ib, grade 2 or respectively presumptive stage
      IV with regard to ultrasound and radiographic findings. After radical
      hysterectomy and the resection of the sigmoid colon, chemotherapy with
      cytostatics was applied for 6 months. Three months after chemotherapy the
      recurrence of the tumour in the vaginal formix and superficial inguinal lymph
      nodes metastases appeared. Colpectomy with the extirpation of vaginal carcinoma
      and inguinal lymphadenectomy were performed, followed by irradiation. The course
      of the disease has shown that when the cancer is located near the point of entry
      of the uterine tube, the diagnosis and, if needed, therapy should be extended to
      inguinal regions too.

PMID- 1875723
TI  - [Electromyography of the uterus in monitoring pregnancies with symptoms of
      premature labor].
AB  - Characteristics of uterine muscle action potentials in 100 gravidas with symptoms
      of preterm labor or imminent abortion (presence of contractions with cervical
      changes) from 18th till the 32nd weeks of pregnancy are analysed. Twenty four
      gravidas with uncomplicated pregnancy were monitored electromyographically from
      the 20th weeks until term, once a week. There was low electrical activity in
      uncomplicated pregnancies up to 7 days before labor. A similar trend was observed
      in pregnancies that were finished before term. But, in symptomatic pregnancies
      finished preterm, the index of uterine muscle electrical activity (expressed in
      the percentage of voltage plus frequency) was continuously, although not
      significantly, above the values in symptomatic and asymptomatic term pregnancies.
      In only 2 out of 18 (11.1%) before term terminated pregnancies and in 45 out of
      82 (54.9%) in term accomplished pregnancies, was electrical silence was
      registered during clinical symptoms (p less than 0.01). In preterm accomplished
      pregnancies, higher voltages and more frequent occurrence of biphasic and
      polyphasic spikes were registered (p less than 0.05), although the single
      parameter was of no prognostic significance. With a successful tocolytic
      treatment, the index of uterine muscle electrical activity was significantly
      reduced (from 57.16 to 20.86, t = 2.52, p less than 0.02) and was similar to that
      registered in symptomatic term pregnancies subjected to no tocolytic treatment.
      Although intravenous tocolysis was shown diminish voltage and frequency, in
      preterm delivered pregnancies no reduction in electrical activity was observed.
      Uterine electromyography could be used as a predictor of successful or
      unsuccessful tocolytic treatment.

PMID- 1875724
TI  - Differential age-dependent attenuation of reflex tachycardia by verapamil in
      rats.
AB  - To determine if verapamil alters baroreflex function differently depending on
      age, reflex heart rate responses to intravenous infusions of phenylephrine or
      sodium nitroprusside were compared in conscious 5- and 14-month-old rats before
      and after daily oral administration of verapamil (100 mg/kg) for 6 days. The
      effects of verapamil on parasympathetic and sympathetic mediation of heart rate
      were also assessed by repeating baroreflex tests after treatment with either
      propranolol or atropine. All reflex heart rate responses were initially smaller
      in 14- than in 5-month-old rats. Regardless of age, magnitude of reflex
      bradycardia or the effects on it of either cholinergic or beta-adrenergic
      blockade, were unaffected by verapamil. By contrast, reflex tachycardia which was
      attenuated in both age groups, was decreased further by subsequent cholinergic or
      beta-adrenergic blockade in 5-month-old rats, but only by cholinergic blockade in
      14-month-old rats. These findings suggest that while verapamil did not affect
      autonomic mediation of reflex bradycardia, it reduced that of reflex tachycardia
      differently depending on age. Whereas it attenuated both sympathetic and
      parasympathetic mediation of reflex tachycardia in 5-month-old rats, it
      attenuated only sympathetic mediation in 14-month-old rats.

PMID- 1875725
TI  - Effects of age on diabetes- and insulin-induced changes in pancreatic levels of
      alpha-amylase and its mRNA.
AB  - During aging, protein synthesis undergoes decremental changes in many organs and
      tissues. In the pancreas, as well as in other exocrine glands, the rate of
      protein synthesis declines with age. However, it is unknown whether this decline
      is related to intrinsic aging changes which affect the secretory cell function.
      In this study, we compared the ability of pancreatic acinar cells to synthesize
      amylase and its messenger RNA (mRNA) in response to insulin treatment of young
      and old rats rendered diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ). In STZ-induced diabetic
      rats, amylase protein and its mRNA levels were reduced drastically in the
      pancreas of young and old groups. Injections of these diabetic rats with insulin
      increased pancreatic amylase mRNA contents significantly in both young and old
      rats. Insulin also increased proportions of amylase protein synthesis in the
      pancreas of both age groups. These results indicate that the pancreatic cells
      remain effective during aging in their transcriptional activity for functional
      amylase mRNA in response to an exogenous stimulus of insulin.

PMID- 1875726
TI  - Endurance-training induced changes in skeletal muscle phosphoglycerate kinase of
      old Wistar rats.
AB  - Sufficiently intense, long-term, endurance training has been shown in several
      studies to induce a variety of adaptations in skeletal muscle, including a
      substantial restoration of the activities of several muscle enzymes which are
      known to be modified during biological aging. This activity-restoration may
      reflect either an increase in the amounts of enzyme proteins or an enhancement of
      the specific activities of these molecules. The present study examined the effect
      of long-term endurance training on the status of phosphoglycerate kinase in
      skeletal muscle of old rats, as compared with the enzyme isolated either from non
      trained old or young animals. The kinetics of heat inactivation, which differ
      markedly between young and old forms of phosphoglycerate kinase, were used as a
      sensitive probe for the status of the enzyme. The results reveal a remarkable
      similarity between the heat inactivation patterns of phosphoglycerate kinase from
      the muscle of old, exercise-trained rats and enzyme purified from young animals,
      while enzyme samples isolated from sedentary old animals are significantly more
      heat-stable. Adaptation to endurance-training is thus evident at the molecular
      level, and maintains phosphoglycerate kinase in its young form. The aging of this
      enzyme has been previously shown to involve only conformational changes, which
      develop following a reversible partial oxidation of reactive cysteine residues.
      Whether the adaptation of the enzyme to endurance-training results from
      enhancement in its turnover rate (i.e., dwell time in the cell becoming too short
      for modifications to develop) or is due to increased protection against oxidation
      (being the first step in the enzyme's aging) remains to be studied.

PMID- 1875727
TI  - Blood-nerve and blood-brain barrier permeabilities and nerve vascular space in
      Fischer-344 rats of different ages.
AB  - The permeability-surface area product (PA) of [3H]- or [14C]sucrose at the blood
      nerve barrier (BNB) of the sciatic nerve; and at the blood-brain barrier (BBB),
      were determined in Fischer-344 rats at 3, 11 and 31 months of age. PA was
      determined by using an in vivo i.v. bolus injection of radiotracer with two-time
      point graphic and quantitative autoradiographic methods. Vascular space and water
      content of the tibial nerve of these rats also were determined using quantitative
      morphometry and dry and wet weight ratios, respectively. There was no significant
      difference between mean PA(BNB) in any age group [(PA(BNB) at 3 months = 1.2 +/-
      0.1 (mean +/- S.E.), at 11 months = 1.8 +/- 0.3; and at 31 months = 1.4 +/- 0.2 x
      10(5) ml/s . g wet wt; n = 5-8 rats], nor any difference in PA(BBB). The mean
      ratio (%) of surface area of endoneurial blood vessels/nerve cross-section of the
      tibial nerve also did not differ between any group [3 months: 16 +/- 2 vessels;
      mean surface area ratios = 2.20 +/- 0.10%, n = 5; 11 months: 22 +/- 3 vessels and
      2.48 +/- 0.21%, n = 5; 11 months: 22 +/- 3 vessels and 2.48 +/- 0.21%, n = 5; and
      at 31 months: 26 +/- 1 vessels and 2.40 +/- 0.23%, n = 4). The mean nerve water
      in rats at 31 months was 64.8 +/- 1.1% wet wt and did not differ from that at 11
      months (66.0 +/- 0.6% wet wt) or at 3 months (65.1 +/- 1.0% wet wt) (n = 5-8
      nerves). Our results indicate that BBB and BNB integrities are not altered in
      senescent Fischer-344 rats.

PMID- 1875728
TI  - Supplemental growth hormone alters body composition, muscle protein metabolism
      and serum lipids in fit adults: characterization of dose-dependent and response
      recovery effects.
AB  - Using double-blind, placebo-controlled procedures, the effects of low and high
      therapeutic dosages of methionyl-human growth hormone (met-hGH) on body
      composition, muscle protein metabolism and serum lipids were studied in 7 fit
      adults without growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Dose-dependent changes in body
      composition were observed that in part appeared to be influenced by a response
      recovery effect, as measured by responses factored according to the duration of
      washout between exposure to the low and high dosages of met-hGH (6 weeks vs. 12
      weeks vs. 18 weeks). Increases in fat-free weight were accompanied by an increase
      in skeletal muscle protein metabolism. Basal levels of cholesterol were inversely
      related to peak levels of GH in response to exercise stimulation and IGF-I, while
      GH supplementation lowered levels of total cholesterol and high- and low-density
      lipoproteins. A dose-dependent effect occurred for total cholesterol, and the
      percent change in cholesterol was related to the percent change in insulin-like
      growth factor I (IGF-I). Endogenous levels of GH were attenuated in response to
      stimulation and IGF-I levels were increased after treatment with GH, but no dose
      dependent changes were observed. We conclude that met-hGH alters body composition
      and muscle protein metabolism, and decreases stored and circulating lipids in fit
      adults with a pre-existing supranormal body composition. The physiological
      profile of the person was not as important as the treatment conditions in
      determining the somatic and physiological response outcomes.

PMID- 1875729
TI  - Exposure to estradiol impairs luteinizing hormone function during aging.
AB  - The loss of ovulatory cyclicity in many mammals is caused by changes in the
      hypothalamic-pituitary (H-P) control of the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH)
      surge. This work evaluated the anterior pituitary (AP) component of the H-P axis
      by determining the ability of perifused AP to release LH following sustained but
      pulsatile LHRH stimulation. The normal dual discharge profile of LH was affected
      by age. The first hour of the response, unaffected by cycloheximide, was similar
      in 5-6-month-old (mature), 12-13-month-old (declining litters) and 16-18-month
      old (irregularly cycling) mice. The remaining protein synthesis-dependent part of
      the response was reduced in the 16-18 and 22-24-month-old (anestrus) mice. The
      role of estradiol (E2) in AP aging was further tested as AP from ovariectomized
      (OVXed) mice, deprived of E2 since puberty, responded as well as the mature
      proestrous group. In contrast, aged mice subjected to long-term E2 exposure
      (cycling or OVXed plus E2 replacement) failed to produce the dual response
      pattern. Since alterations in LH response occurred during the protein-dependent
      phase, synthetic processes that involve packaging and transport of stored LH, or
      the production of new LH, may be affected by age. Furthermore, E2 is a major
      factor in altering LH function and appears to act before middle age.

PMID- 1875731
TI  - Effects of aging on the induction of experimental systemic lupus erythematosus
      (SLE) in mice.
AB  - The study was designed to determine whether manifestations of autoimmunity are
      altered with age, using an experimental model in which systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE) is induced in mice. Young (2-month-old), and aging (18-month
      old) BALB/c female mice were immunized with a human monoclonal anti-DNA antibody
      that bears a common idiotype (16/6 Id). Control groups were either left untreated
      or were injected with human IgM (HIgM). Anti-16/6 Id levels were found to be
      significantly lower in the old mice than in the young. Similarly, anti-anti-16/6
      Id (murine 16/6 Id+) values were lower in the old. Mice injected with the 16/6 Id
      also produced various autoantibodies, including anti-dsDNA, anti-RNP, anti-Sm and
      anti-histones antibodies. The levels of these antibodies were lower in the old
      mice than in the young, yet the differences were not statistically significant.
      Levels of autoantibodies examined in control animals were either similar in both
      age groups (anti-RNP and histones) or lower in the old (anti-dsDNA and Sm). Four
      months after a booster injection of 16/6 Id, the young mice developed clinical
      manifestations of SLE, including proteinuria and leukopenia, which were seen, in
      milder form, in the aged mice. Immune complex depositions examined by
      immunohistology on kidney sections suggested similar differences based on the age
      of the animals. Our results suggest that aging might actually be associated with
      a decline in the capacity to produce autoimmune responses.

PMID- 1875730
TI  - The influence of age on the healing of normal and ischemic incisional skin
      wounds.
AB  - Experimental studies have not shown that the 'common' clinical experience, which
      suggests that wound healing is impaired in an old organism, is valid for healthy
      old experimental animals. We have developed a model in the rat for ischemic wound
      healing by using an H-shaped double skin flap, where the test wound is the
      horizontal line in the H. Our previous studies have shown that the blood flow in
      this wound is only 7% of that of a normally vascularized wound on the first
      postoperative day. Functional (biomechanical) properties of this wound are
      decreased by up to 67% after 10 days of healing and certain key properties by up
      to 64% after both 10 and 20 days. This study reports on the effect of aging,
      using 3- and 24-month-old rats. The 'normal' incisional wounds healed equally
      well in both groups. On the other hand, the ischemic wounds in the old animals
      were found to be impaired by 40-65% compared to similar wounds in the young
      animals. It is concluded that ischemia is deleterious for wound healing in old
      age and that one of the key elements of the clinical experience of impaired wound
      healing in old age is probably based on concomitant diseases in old patients,
      contributing to varying degrees of ischemia in the traumatized tissue.

PMID- 1875732
TI  - Effect of thymic hormone treatment on several immune functions of nude mice.
AB  - Studies of the effect of short-term, intense treatment with thymic hormone on
      mitogen response, cytotoxicity to EL-4 lymphoma and natural killer cell (NK)
      activity was investigated Balb/c nude mice (about 12-16-week-old) were treated 5
      times per week for 3 weeks with: Facteur Thymic Serique (FTS) and Thymopentin
      (TP5, Thymopoietin 32-36) at 1 microgram and 10 ng; TM4 1 ng (an enzyme resistant
      variant of FTS); Thymosin Fraction V (TF5), 10 and 1 microgram; and 0.1 ml
      saline, and killed 2 days after the last treatment. The animals were monitored
      for changes in weight, hematocrit, peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) and spleen
      mitogen response. Additional groups of nude mice were immunized with 1 x 10(7)
      5000 R irradiated EL-4 cells 10 days before sacrifice and tested for the presence
      of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). The results show that weight and hematocrit
      were similar among the groups. Treatment with FTS significantly elevated the
      number of PBL. Spleen stimulation in mice treated with 1 microgram TP5 was
      depressed to mitogen concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
      stimulation. The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response was not different among the
      treatment groups. The PBL mitogen response to ConA and LPS was generally
      increased over saline control in the hormone treated groups but was not
      statistically significant. The PHA response was only slightly elevated. No CTL
      was generated in nude mice in any of the groups. However, there was a
      statistically significant general depression of NK activity in all of the hormone
      treated animals compared with saline. The results indicate that the basic
      differentiation defect of the T-cells of nude mice cannot be restored to full
      functional activity by short-term treatment.

PMID- 1875733
TI  - Cell age dependent decay of human erythrocytes glutathione S-transferase.
AB  - Human red blood cells contain both glutathione S-transferase sigma (GST sigma)
      and glutathione S-transferase rho (GST rho). While the first isozyme does not
      change in red blood cell fractions of different mean density (age), GST rho, the
      main isozyme, shows a pronounced cell age dependent decay. Ion-exchange
      chromatographic experiments show that GST rho consists of only one isozymic form
      in young erythrocytes but is present in two components, with different electric
      charge, in mature and old cells. The "secondary" GST rho isozyme is more heat
      stable than the "primary" GST rho isozyme with the result that the total GST
      activity shows an apparent increase in heat stability during cell aging due to
      the formation of "secondary" isozymes. The kinetic properties and specificity of
      this enzyme do not show appreciable modifications during cell ageing. The data
      reported in this paper suggest that red blood cell aging is associated with a
      reduced detoxifying ability due to GST rho decay.

PMID- 1875734
TI  - Age influence on the thymic capacity to promote differentiation of T cells:
      induction of different composition of T cell subsets by aging thymus.
AB  - Three kinds of experiments were performed to see the differential effect of aging
      thymus on T cell differentiation in nude mice and thymectomized mice. In the
      experiment of thymus grafting into nude mice, the thymic capacity to promote T
      cell differentiation was the highest at newborn stage, and declined to 80% of the
      peak level at as early as 1 week of age. The level at 4 weeks of age was 50-60%
      of the peak level and did not greatly change thereafter with advancing age of
      thymus donors, up to 24 months of age. However, composition of T cell subsets
      differed with age of thymus graft; i.e. L3T4(CD4)+ T cells were more easily
      induced than Lyt-2(CD8)+ T cells by aging thymus, resulting in an increase of the
      ratio of L3T4+/Lyt-2+ T cells with advancing age of thymus donors. The decreased
      number of T cells and their subsets in the mice thymectomized at 4 weeks of age
      could be almost totally recovered by the grafting of newborn thymus, but less
      efficiently by the grafting of 24-month-old thymus. In the latter case again,
      L3T4+ T cells were more easily induced than Lyt-2+ T cells, resulting in an
      increase of the ratio of L3T4+/Lyt-2+ T cells by the grafting of the old thymus.
      In neonatal mice thymectomized 3 days after the birth, Lyt-2+ T cells were more
      severely affected than L3T4+ cells, resulting in high ratio of L3T4+/Lyt-2+ T
      cells. It was suggested that the capacity of the thymus to induce T cells started
      to decline as early as 1 week of age and did not greatly change between 4 weeks
      and 24 months of age. However, the composition of T cell subsets induced by the
      thymus changed with age, with preference for L3T4+ T cells over Lyt-2+ T cells.

PMID- 1875736
TI  - Deciding whether a new test/measure is useful.

PMID- 1875735
TI  - Effects of aging and caloric restriction on I-compounds in liver, kidney and
      white blood cell DNA of male Brown-Norway rats.
AB  - Rodent tissues display species-, strain-, sex- and tissue-specific adduct-like
      DNA modifications termed I-compounds, which increase with age, are modulated by
      diet and are presumably derived from indigenous metabolic intermediates. We have
      explored whether I-compounds are affected by caloric restriction, which is known
      to extend life span and retard age-related degenerative and neoplastic diseases.
      Male Brown-Norway rats were fed NIH-31 diet ad libitum (AL). Calorically
      restricted (CR) rats received 60% of AL consumption, starting at 3.5 months. DNA
      was analyzed by 32P-postlabeling at 1, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 months of age in
      liver, kidney and white blood cells. I-compounds in AL liver and kidney exhibited
      complex tissue specific profiles; I-compound levels increased with age, plateaued
      between 8 and 18 months depending on tissue and diet and were 8.7 (liver) and
      27.4 (kidney) modifications in 10(8) nucleotides at 24 months, thereby exceeding
      the corresponding 1-month values by 3.7- and 16.6-fold. CR resulted in similar
      profiles but did not diminish age-related increases, rather I-compound levels in
      CR liver and kidney were increased by about 70% and 30% versus age-matched AL
      rats. White blood cells exhibited few I-compounds and at low levels; age-related
      increases were small overall but more pronounced in CR rats. Higher I-compound
      levels in CR animals, which were presumably a consequence of metabolic effects
      elicited by CR, thus correlated with extended life span and, therefore, may be
      beneficial, in agreement with previous findings showing an association between
      reduced I-compound levels and hepatocarcinogenesis as well as organ
      susceptibility to diseases.

PMID- 1875737
TI  - How fast are hospital prices really rising?
AB  - The hospital services component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the
      cost of hospital services to private patients paying list prices. It is, however,
      widely used as an estimate of the overall rate of inflation in hospital prices in
      spite of the fact that there are strong reasons to believe that it is
      inappropriate to use the CPI for this purpose. This is because: 1) A growing
      number of patients are enrolled in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and
      preferred provider organizations (PPOs), which negotiate discounts from list
      prices; and 2) the size of the discounts may have been increasing. The potential
      result is a gap between the rate of inflation of list prices and the rate of
      inflation of actual prices paid in transactions. This study explores whether such
      a gap exists and determines its possible magnitude. In addition, parallel indices
      for list and actual prices are computed on the basis of data from California
      hospitals for fiscal years 1983-1988. The analysis suggests that list price
      inflation has greatly exceeded actual inflation--by a factor of two for recent
      years. These findings have broad implications for evaluating not only inflation
      but also the impact of cost containment strategies.

PMID- 1875738
TI  - Interval adherence to mammography screening guidelines.
AB  - The objectives of this research were to document adherence to mammography
      screening guidelines among women over 50 years of age and to investigate factors
      related to adherence. Selected sociodemographic variables--personal breast health
      history, provider-related variables, and medical care utilization--were studied.
      Data were collected through a random digit dial telephone survey of 693 women
      from two geographic areas. While 48% had had a mammogram in the last year, only
      20% reported at least two recent mammograms at yearly intervals. Adherence was
      significantly associated with having a higher income, being white, being 51 to 64
      years old and having had breast symptoms and/or a family history of breast
      cancer. Additionally, women who had a regular physician, higher frequency of
      clinical breast examination, and a recent physician visit were more adherent.
      Women enrolled in Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and/or covered by
      commercial plans were more adherent than women with no insurance or with
      entitlement coverage only. These relationships were generally maintained in
      multivariate analysis. While this study is consistent with others that
      demonstrate increasing adoption of mammographic screening, it also illustrates
      that the goal of regular screening according to guidelines has yet to be
      achieved.

PMID- 1875739
TI  - Organizational assessment in intensive care units (ICUs): construct development,
      reliability, and validity of the ICU nurse-physician questionnaire.
AB  - Health Services Research has a growing need for reliable and valid measures of
      managerial practices and organizational processes. A national study of 42
      intensive care units involving over 1,700 respondents provides evidence for the
      reliability and validity of a comprehensive set of measures related to
      leadership, organizational culture, communication, coordination, problem solving
      conflict management and team cohesiveness. The data also support the
      appropriateness of aggregating individual respondent data to the unit level.
      Implications for further research are discussed.

PMID- 1875740
TI  - Development of an instrument to measure job satisfaction among dentists.
AB  - Because of the rapid changes that have occurred in the dental profession, the
      Dentist Satisfaction Survey (DSS) was developed to assess both facet and overall
      job satisfaction among dentists. The DSS was administered to a sample of 558
      California general dentists. The results suggest that the DSS is a practical,
      reliable, and valid measure of dentists' job satisfaction. Internal consistency
      reliability coefficients for all facet subscales and the overall job satisfaction
      scale ranged from 0.60-0.92. The DSS discriminated between groups of dentists
      known to have different levels of job satisfaction; dentists identified by dental
      society presidents as being very dissatisfied scored significantly differently in
      the hypothesized direction on the DSS. A high correlation (r = 0.68) was found
      between judges' independent ratings of dentists' satisfaction based on their open
      ended comments and DSS scores. While the majority of respondents were satisfied
      with most facets of their jobs, substantial variation was found among dentists in
      their levels of satisfaction.

PMID- 1875741
TI  - Perceived need for dental care among persons living with acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - Compromised oral health holds significant implications for the general health of
      medically vulnerable, HIV infected individuals. Past studies have reported that
      these individuals frequently suffer from oral opportunistic infections and have a
      tendency to develop severe periodontal disease. This study extends past research
      by examining the prevalence of oral infections according to patient
      characteristics and by reporting, for the first time, the level of perceived
      dental need in a large, multi-site sample of individuals with symptomatic HIV
      disease. Data for this study come from a survey of 857 clients of the Robert Wood
      Johnson Foundation's AIDS Health Services Program in 9 U.S. cities. More
      respondents (52%) reported a need for dental care than for any other service
      need. Multivariate analysis showed that clients who were white, in low-income
      groups, used intravenous drugs, or had a past history of oral opportunistic
      infections were more likely to report dental need. Relations between age, gender,
      insurance status, or disease status and perceived need were statistically
      nonsignificant. Forty-seven percent of the clients reported they had an oral
      opportunistic infection, the second outcome variable examined in this study.
      Statistically significant differences (P less than 0.05) were found in the
      prevalence of oral opportunistic infections among race and disease severity
      groups. Whites and the more severely ill were more likely to report an infection
      than their respective counterparts.

PMID- 1875742
TI  - Rating journals in health care administration. The perceptions of program
      chairpersons.
AB  - The perceived quality of a journal is often a heavily weighted factor in the
      appraisal of faculty performance. We developed a listing of 53 prominent journals
      in the field of health care administration and surveyed the chairpersons of the
      52 accredited graduate programs in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico,
      asking each to rate the level of achievement of a faculty member who published in
      each journal. Using the chi-square goodness-of-fit method for a multinomial
      experiment, we were able to identify six distinct "tiers" of journals and show a
      relationship between the subject category of a journal and its tier ranking. The
      implications of the study findings for faculty members are addressed, followed by
      a discussion of the data limitations and suggestions for future research.

PMID- 1875743
TI  - Contracting between public agencies and private psychiatric inpatient facilities.
AB  - Purchasing human services through contracts with private providers has become an
      increasingly common practice over the past 20 years. Using data from a national
      survey of psychiatric inpatient facilities, this paper examines the extent to
      which psychiatric units in privately controlled general hospitals and private
      psychiatric specialty hospitals (N = 611) participate in contractual arrangements
      to provide services to governmental bodies. It also examines how the likelihood
      of such a practice is affected by hospital characteristics (general or specialty,
      for profit or nonprofit) and features of hospitals' environments, including the
      competitiveness of the market for psychiatric inpatient care and the population's
      need for services in the hospital's county. The findings indicate that nonprofit
      psychiatric specialty hospitals were more likely than other types of hospitals to
      enter into such contracts, and that forces such as local competition and need for
      services were not predictors of such involvement. Contracting was shown to have a
      significant impact on the level of referrals a hospital accepted, but these
      levels were also affected by competition and need. Among hospitals with public
      contracts, referral acceptance from public agencies was unaffected by these
      factors, but they did have a significant effect on referral acceptance by
      hospitals without public contracts. These data suggest that public agencies
      contracting for services with private hospitals may represent a means by which
      "public sector" patients may gain access to private providers. Further, this
      mechanism may impose sufficient structure and regulation on the acceptance of
      such patients that many concerns of hospital administrators regarding patients
      who are costly and difficult to treat and discharge can be allayed.

PMID- 1875744
TI  - Comparison of psychiatric screening tests in a general medical setting using ROC
      analysis.
AB  - Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the
      usefulness of three self-administered screening instruments in helping primary
      care physicians detect anxiety and depressive disorders. This research was
      secondary to an investigation of hypochondriasis. The three tests were the
      Whitely Index (WI), the Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS), and the Somatic
      Symptom Inventory (SSI). Participating subjects were 75 patients seen in a
      general medical clinic and diagnosed as being free of hypochondriasis by DSM-III
      R criteria. Psychiatric disorder was assessed with the Diagnostic Interview
      Schedule, version III-A. The three instruments delineated patients with
      depressive disorders versus no depressive disorders and patients with anxiety
      disorders versus no anxiety disorders. For depressive disorder, the areas under
      the curve (AUC) were 0.87, 0.75, and 0.82 for the WI, SAS, and SSI, respectively.
      For anxiety disorders the AUCs were 0.79, 0.76, and 0.74, respectively, for the
      three tests. Although the WI yielded slightly higher values, the areas under the
      ROC curves did not differ significantly among the three tests. Because of its
      relatively short length--13 items--it was concluded that the WI can be useful for
      screening primary care patients, both with respect to depressive and anxiety
      disorders.

PMID- 1875745
TI  - A health status questionnaire using 30 items from the Medical Outcomes Study.
      Preliminary validation in persons with early HIV infection.
AB  - Many current health status instruments either are too long to use in many
      acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) clinical trials or omit important
      concepts. In this study, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-relevant items
      developed for the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) from subscales for cognitive
      function, energy/fatigue, health distress, and a single quality of life item were
      added to a portion of the MOS Short-form General Health Survey. The resulting 30
      item questionnaire reliably and distinctly measured ten aspects of health and
      took less than 5 minutes to complete. To test its validity, this modified measure
      was used to compare the health of 73 subjects with asymptomatic HIV infection and
      44 with early AIDS-related complex (ARC). Compared with ARC subjects,
      asymptomatic individuals reported superior overall health, less pain, and better
      physical function, role function, cognitive function, and quality of life (rank
      sum, P less than 0.02). Asymptomatic subjects' scores were higher on most
      subscales than the age-adjusted scores of MOS outpatients with hypertension,
      diabetes, recent myocardial infarction, or depression; ARC patients scored
      closest to hypertensive patients. This instrument, containing a subset of the MOS
      measures of health-related quality of life, may be a useful outcome measure for
      AIDS clinical trials.

PMID- 1875746
TI  - Practice variation in rheumatologists' encounters with their patients who have
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - This article examines practice variation among rheumatologists in their use of
      time and procedures in follow-up outpatient encounters with rheumatoid arthritis
      patients. It focuses on differences across individual physicians rather than
      differences in populations of patients. In addition, the total variance is
      divided into parts due to patient characteristics, the providers' economic and
      other incentives to do procedures or reduce contact time, individual practice
      styles, and the random sampling of encounters. Data are taken from a stratified
      random sampling of U.S. rheumatologists. Analyses are based on 1,154 outpatient
      follow-up encounters with rheumatoid arthritis patients provided by 66
      physicians, each of whom reported at least ten such encounters. There are large
      differences among the physicians in visit length, number of monitoring procedures
      used per encounter, and whether the encounter included measurements of complete
      blood count/urinalysis or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Individual practice
      style differences are far more important causes of the variation that was
      observed among providers than are patient differences or practice incentive
      differences. It was determined that 5-40% of the cost of specific management
      activities could be saved by reducing the highest use.

PMID- 1875747
TI  - [International experts commented on the characteristics of perindopril, a new
      highly potent and well tolerated ACE. Perindopril has been able to reduce the
      thickness and rigidity of the arterial wall in animal studies].

PMID- 1875748
TI  - [Protected bronchoalveolar lavage: a new endoscopic method in the diagnosis of
      bacterial pneumonia].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The identification of causative microoganisms in severe pneumonias is
      a usually difficult problem. Protected brushing (PB) has a good specificity but a
      limited sensitivity. Conventional bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL-C) has an excellent
      sensitivity but a doubtful specificity. The investigation of a new technique such
      as the protected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL-P) appears as logical, as it should
      combine the advantages of PB and BAL-C without their drawbacks. METHODS: In 15
      patients without bacterial or fungal infections and in 23 with bacterial or
      fungal pneumonia, quantitative cultures were carried out in the samples obtained
      with PB, BAL-P and BAL-C. PB and BAL-C were performed with the usual technique.
      BAL-P was performed through the internal catheter of a telescoped double catheter
      with reabsorbable distal cap within the fibroscope channel. 40 ml of saline were
      instillated for the lavage. RESULTS: With BAL-P sensitivity was 95% and
      specificity 89%. These were, respectively, 55% and 94% with PB, and 95% and 42%
      with BAL-C. The technique of BAL-P was more complex an longer than that of PB.
      CONCLUSIONS: If these results are confirmed in further studies, BAL-P might
      become a method of choice for the bacterial pneumonias where now PB is indicated.
      However, in patients with hypersecretion or when bronchoscopy should be rapidly
      carried out, PB is technically more feasible.

PMID- 1875749
TI  - [Characterization of Haemophilus influenzae's resistance to ampicillin].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The resistance of Haemophilus influenzae to ampicillin is nearly
      always dependent on plasmid-mediated betalactamase production. The betalactamase
      type most frequently identified was TEM-1; type ROB has occasionally been
      identified. The presence of plasmid-mediated betalactamase has been studied in H.
      influenzae strains moderately susceptible or resistant to ampicillin. METHODS:
      The test used in the detection of the presence of betalactamase was nitrocefin
      hydrolysis; the enzyme type was identified by analytic isoelectric focusing; the
      codifying gene of this betalactamase was identified by hybridisation with a TEM-1
      probe labeled with digoxigenine. Strains studied were 110, obtained during the
      period 1987 to 1989 and isolated from four Hospitals of the Valles area of
      Barcelona. RESULTS: Enzyme production was detected in 105 of 110 strains studied;
      TEM-1 type betalactamase was identified in 108 and positive hybridisation was
      obtained in these strains with the TEM-1 probe. CONCLUSIONS: Nitrocefin
      hydrolysis is a reliable test for the detection of betalactamase production,
      although it may be unable to detect it (falses negatives) when the production is
      low. The only betalactamase type identified was TEM-1. The frequency of the
      strains with non-enzymatic resistance was 1.8%.

PMID- 1875750
TI  - [Treatment of solitary toxic thyroid nodule with 131I: results in 43 patients].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the therapy with high-dose 131I in solitary toxic
      thyroid adenoma, with particular attention to the effects on thyroid function and
      on the nodular size. METHODS: A retrospective study of 43 patients with solitary
      thyroid nodule treated with radioactive iodine (mean dose 26.6 mCi, range 10-35)
      and followed up for 49.7 +/- 36.6 months (range 6-186) with periodical clinical,
      laboratory and echographic evaluations. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (74.4%) had
      a normal thyroid function during follow-up. Five (11.6%) remained with
      hyperthyroidism and in 6 (13.9%) hypothyroidism developed 6-30 months after the
      administration of radioactive iodine. Three of these 6 had subclinical
      hypothyroidism, with mild increases in serum thyrotropin (TSH). Neither the
      development of hypothyroidism nor its persistence were significantly correlated
      with the initial thyroxin (T4) or triiodothyronine (T3) levels, the nodular size,
      the 131I dose, the incomplete inhibition of the extranodular thyroid parenchyma
      or the previous therapy with antithyroid drugs. The nodule diminished in size in
      15 cases (38.4%), it disappeared in 9 (23%), it remained unchanged in 12 (30.7%)
      and it increased in 3 (7.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of the solitary toxic
      thyroid nodule with relatively high 131I doses is a safe and effective procedure,
      with a prevalence of residual hypothyroidism which is lower than previously
      reported. The disappearance of the nodule was only achieved in a minority of
      cases.

PMID- 1875751
TI  - [Non alcoholic steatohepatitis. Mid-term clinical and histologic course in 10
      patients].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The progressive character of the hepatic lesions in nonalcoholic
      steatohepatitis (NASH) has not been well established. In the present study, the
      clinical and histological course of this condition was evaluated at medium term.
      METHODS: Then patients (6 females and 4 males) with NASH, in a non-cirrhotic
      stage at the time of diagnosis, were followed up during 58 +/- 7 months (range 24
      to 88 months). RESULTS: Nine patients were obese, but a significant reduction of
      body weight was found at the end of the study (p = 0.0072). Other clinical,
      physical or laboratory changes were not found, although in two cases hepatic
      biochemical tests were within normal limits when the follow-up biopsy was
      performed. Changes in the characteristic hepatic features were also absent,
      although fat infiltrates disappeared in three cases. Six patients had increased
      fibrosis and a progression of the hepatic architectural distortion; four reached
      the stage of cirrhosis. The evolution of the hepatic lesion correlated with the
      interval between diagnostic and follow-up biopsies (r = 0.69; p less than 0.05)
      and with the reduction in body weight (r = 0.64; p less than 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:
      In most cases, NASH results in a progressive hepatic distortion with can end in
      cirrhosis, although the change is slow and silent.

PMID- 1875752
TI  - [Value of bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of fungal and bacterial
      pneumonia].

PMID- 1875753
TI  - [Pulmonary fibrosis].

PMID- 1875754
TI  - [Septic thrombophlebitis of the great vessels of the neck. A severe complication
      of central venous catheters].
AB  - Septic thrombophlebitis of the large veins of the neck is an uncommon, but
      extremely severe, complication in carriers of central venous catheters. Treatment
      of these cases is difficult and, generally, the clinical condition does not
      permit surgical approach. Four patients with septic central vein thrombophlebitis
      are reported. They were treated with conservative measures including catheter
      removal and high-dose parenteral antibiotics for at least four weeks, with
      excellent results in all. The relevant literature and the therapeutic
      alternatives are reviewed.

PMID- 1875755
TI  - [The patient with cancer and his or her family].

PMID- 1875756
TI  - [Is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography essential for the diagnosis of
      cancer of the pancreas?].

PMID- 1875757
TI  - [Health problems of the intercontinental traveler. Experience at the Clinic i
      Provincial Hospital of Barcelona].

PMID- 1875758
TI  - [Tuberculosis mortality].

PMID- 1875759
TI  - [Hemiballism and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].

PMID- 1875760
TI  - [Bronchial hyperreactivity in cough associated with angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibitors].

PMID- 1875761
TI  - [Pancreatic cancer and ABO blood types: a study of cases and controls].
AB  - BACKGROUND: A hospital-based case-control study (controls were matched to cases
      by age, sex and hospital) has been carried out to analyze the relation between
      pancreatic cancer and blood type. METHODS: This study is based on data collected
      by the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Programme. This large hospital
      based study has been collecting hospital admissions occurred in six different
      countries. To estimate relative risk (RR) associated with blood type, odds ratios
      were calculated by multiple logistic regression using conditional maximum
      likelihood estimation based on the matching factors (age, sex and hospital). The
      final analysis is based in 108 matched sets (108 cases and 374 controls).
      RESULTS: The results indicate a modest excess risk among persons with blood type
      A (RR = 1.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.87-2.67). Smoking was also a positive
      predictor of disease. CONCLUSIONS: In accordance with previous reports, this
      study shows some evidence of a positive association between blood type A and risk
      of pancreatic cancer.

PMID- 1875762
TI  - [Hospital morbidity statistics: the accuracy of the diagnosis reported in the
      discharge registry book].
AB  - BACKGROUND: The registry book of admission and discharges (RBD) is operative in
      most public and private hospitals of this country. Currently its reformation is
      contemplated, consisting in a modification of the minimal set of basic data and
      its computerization. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of
      the discharge diagnosis recorded in the RBD and to analyze the possible factors
      implicated in the current quality level. METHODS: In a sample of 9 hospitals from
      the Seville province, 2,634 discharges were selected with a stratified sampling
      process which was proportional to the number of discharges in each stratum during
      1985. The accuracy of the diagnosis recorded in the RBD was estimated by
      comparing it with that in the clinical record (CR). RESULTS: The accuracy indexes
      showed that, for the large diagnostic groups, only in 45% of discharges the
      diagnosis coincided in both documents. The accuracy increased to 89% when the
      estimation was made after excluding those discharges where the diagnosis was not
      recorded in the RBD and/or in the CR (n = 1303). CONCLUSIONS: The fulfillment of
      the RBD appears as the main error source, followed by the selection of the major
      diagnosis and its transcription in the different documents of the circuit. It is
      concluded that a precondition for the success of a reformed RBD is to guarantee
      the fulfillment of data.

PMID- 1875764
TI  - [Can the occurrence of pancreatic cancer be prevented?].

PMID- 1875763
TI  - [Deep venous thrombosis of the upper extremity: a study of 10 cases].
AB  - BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of upper limbs is less common than in
      lower limbs, although an increased prevalence has been observed in recent years.
      METHODS: The cases of DVT of upper limbs seen in an internal medicine service
      during a 24 month period were reviewed. Ten episodes out of overall 103 instances
      of DVT were identified (9.7%). The diagnosis was confirmed by colour echo-Doppler
      and/or phlebography. Subcutaneous calcium heparin was subcutaneously given at a
      dose of 2500 IU per 10 kg of body weight every 12 hours for 7 days, associated
      with oral anticoagulants given for a variable period in each case. RESULTS: The
      predisposing factors were: strenuous physical exercise (2 cases), oral
      contraceptives (2 cases), C-protein deficiency (1 case), parenteral drug abuse
      (PDA) (1 case), mediastinal mass (1 case), indwelling catheter (1 case) and
      absence of an apparent factor (2 cases). The colour echo-Doppler diagnosis was
      definitive in all cases where the study was carried out (8/10). The response to
      therapy was favourable in all cases. No case of pulmonary thromboembolism was
      found and post-phlebitic sequelae did not develop in the patients who could be
      followed up (6/10). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of deep venous thrombosis of
      upper limbs is increasing in recent years. The introduction of colour echo
      Doppler is a very helpful noninvasive diagnostic procedure. Subcutaneous calcium
      heparin at the reported dose is a good therapeutic approach.

PMID- 1875765
TI  - [How far to lower the arterial pressure of the hypertensive patient?].

PMID- 1875766
TI  - [The hospital as an enterprise].

PMID- 1875767
TI  - [Tuberous sclerosis].

PMID- 1875768
TI  - [Multifocal hepatic steatosis simulating hepatic metastasis].

PMID- 1875769
TI  - [Pleural effusion associated with lymphedema].

PMID- 1875770
TI  - Computer-assisted series design in chemical synthesis of bioactive compounds.

PMID- 1875771
TI  - Evolution of the 4-anilidopiperidine class of opioid analgesics.

PMID- 1875772
TI  - Effects of sympathomimetic agents on opiate analgesia, tolerance and dependence
      in mice.
AB  - The effects of chronic pretreatment with ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine (PPA)
      on the antinociceptive activities of morphine and codeine, as well as their
      effects on the induction and expression of tolerance to, and dependence on
      morphine and codeine in mice are reported. Chronic pretreatment with ephedrine or
      PPA attenuated the antinociceptive effects of subsequently administered morphine
      or codeine. When administered during the induction phase, sympathomimetics
      enhanced opiate tolerance with little or no effect on the development of physical
      dependence. Given in the expression phase, ephedrine and PPA did not
      significantly affect tolerance, whereas there was significant suppression of
      withdrawal signs. The possible implications of these results are discussed.

PMID- 1875773
TI  - Interaction between the inhibitory effects of morphine and clonidine on
      intestinal transit in mice.
AB  - Both clonidine and morphine dose-dependently inhibited intestinal transit in
      mice. This inhibitory effect of clonidine was antagonized by prior administration
      of yohimbine but not by naloxone, while morphine's effect was antagonized by both
      yohimbine and naloxone. Morphine pretreatment did not induce any apparent
      tolerance to the effect of clonidine and morphine tested 4 h later. However,
      yohimbine became more potent in antagonizing the effect of clonidine while
      naloxone remained ineffective. Morphine pretreatment enhanced the antagonistic
      effectiveness of both yohimbine and naloxone against morphine. Clonidine
      pretreatment at a dose that did not induce any tolerance slightly enhanced the
      antagonistic effects of yohimbine and naloxone against morphine. Yohimbine also
      became more effective against clonidine but naloxone remained ineffective. At
      higher doses of clonidine pretreatment tolerance to the effects of morphine and
      clonidine were observed. These results suggest that both alpha 2-adrenoceptors
      and opioid receptors are involved in the inhibitory action of morphine on
      intestinal transit, while clonidine mainly acts through the alpha 2
      adrenoceptors. In addition, there is a close interaction between the alpha 2
      adrenoceptors and opioid receptors in the intestine.

PMID- 1875774
TI  - Lower environmental temperature: effect of long-term exposure on diazepam-induced
      changes in brain GABA.
AB  - Long-term diazepam (DZ) treatment (5 mg/kg, i.p. for 15-30 consecutive days)
      reduced GABAergic activity in hypothalamus and cerebellum with the alteration of
      GABA synthesis and its release process. This long-term DZ-induced inhibition in
      GABAergic activity in hypothalamus and cerebellum was not altered when DZ-treated
      rats were exposed (2 h/day) to lower environmental temperature (LET; 12 degrees
      C) for 7-30 consecutive days. Although repeated exposure to LET did not affect
      the GABA system in cerebellum and hypothalamus, striatal GABAergic activity was
      significantly enhanced under similar conditions. This LET-induced (repeated
      exposure) stimulation in striatal GABAergic activity was prevented when rats were
      treated with DZ along with repeated LET exposure (2 h/day) under long-term
      conditions.

PMID- 1875775
TI  - Changes in the adhesive phenotype of regional lymphocytes in rats with adjuvant
      arthritis: alteration by cyclophosphamide.
AB  - A quantitative spectrophotometrical method was used to study the adhesive
      phenotype of lymphocytes from regional lymph nodes of rats with early stage
      adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA), pretreated or not with cyclophosphamide (CY).
      The results showed that adhesion of lymphocytes from AA-sensitized lymph nodes to
      gelatin and collagens (type I, II, III and IV) was enhanced, especially to
      collagen type II. However, adhesion to fibronectin and to fibrinogen did not
      differ from adhesion in nontreated rats. Application of CY was found to aggravate
      AA development and influence the lymphocytes' adhesiveness. Adhesion was
      inhibited in all cases except to fibrinogen, where it was augmented, compared to
      the adhesion in both AA and control groups. Relationships between the lymphocyte
      adhesive phenotype and the expression of histological changes suggest that
      lymphocyte-matrix interactions could play an important role in the pathogenesis
      of AA development and the mechanism of CY action.

PMID- 1875776
TI  - The effect of some immunomodulators administration to rats on palmitic and oleic
      acids incorporation into the lipids of liver cell organelles.
AB  - The incorporation of equimolar doses of [14C]-palmitic and [3H]-oleic acids into
      the lipid moiety of hepatocytes after muramyl dipeptide (MDP), adamantylamide
      dipeptide (AdDP) and levamisole (LM) administration were investigated. The
      utilization of [14C]-palmitic acid for the synthesis of neutral lipids and
      phospholipids of crude nuclear fraction increased significantly after MDP and
      AdDP administration and to a lesser extent after LM. While the incorporation of
      [3H]-oleic acid did not change significantly after MDP and AdDP, LM significantly
      increased the incorporation of this acid into the phospholipids of nuclear and
      microsomal fractions. The changes in the incorporation of saturated palmitic and
      unsaturated oleic acids suggest a possible influence on deacylation-reacylation
      mechanisms. These changes could alter the physical properties of membrane and
      affect certain membrane functions, including the activity of membrane bound
      enzymes and transport mechanisms.

PMID- 1875777
TI  - Protein binding characterization of pethidine and norpethidine and lack of
      interethnic variability.
AB  - Using dialysis, incubation experiments and gas liquid chromatographic method, we
      studied the binding of pethidine (P) and norpethidine (N) to various protein
      components and plasma of both healthy volunteers and patients. The displacement
      interactions and interethnic variations of P and N were also examined. The (mean
      +/- S.D.) plasma protein binding ranged from 72 +/- 2.8 to 43 +/- 2.7% and from
      57 +/- 3.0 to 27 +/- 3.9%, respectively, at various concentrations of P and N.
      Protein concentration-dependent binding was observed in P and N with albumin and
      alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Albumin was found to be the major protein component in
      the binding, whereas gamma-globulin contributed smaller binding activity than
      other protein fractions at therapeutic concentration of the drugs. The binding
      affinities of P were comparatively higher than N in all circumstances. The % P
      bound was almost constant with respect to various concentrations of N and vice
      versa, indicating these two compounds exhibited no displacement action on the
      binding site to one another. The (mean +/- S.D.) % P bound for Caucasian, Chinese
      and Nepalese patients were 59 +/- 15%, 55 +/- 10% and 58 +/- 12%, respectively,
      at near 0.1 micrograms/ml of P, implying the absence of interethnic variation in
      P protein binding.

PMID- 1875778
TI  - Nephrotoxicity of tobramycin. Value of examining various protein and enzyme
      markers.
AB  - The value of various protein and enzyme markers for the assessment of early
      nephrotoxicity of tobramycin was studied in 18 patients with febrile infection.
      The renal clearance of creatinine and the excretion of the following protein and
      enzyme markers were measured on the first and the last day of the 5-8 day
      treatment period: albumin, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), beta 2
      microglobulin, alpha-amylase, lysozyme and retinol-binding protein (RBP). Diurnal
      excretions of beta 2-microglobulin, lysozyme and RBP, all markers of tubular
      dysfunction, were already increased on the first treatment day, compared to
      similar control patients treated with non-aminoglycoside antibiotics and
      reference values of our laboratory. The excretion of NAG, an enzyme released from
      tubular cell lysosomes, was not increased initially, but on the last treatment
      day it was increased most consistently of all the markers studied. Glomerular
      filtration rate was halved in 5 of the patients. The results suggest that the
      initial increase in beta 2-microglobulin, lysozyme and RBP excretion is a result
      of an early tubular transfer block by tobramycin, whereas the late increase in
      NAG excretion probably reflects the progress of tubular cell damage during the
      course of aminoglycoside therapy.

PMID- 1875779
TI  - Coronary atherosclerosis: current therapeutic approaches and future trends.
AB  - Invasive cardiovascular procedures, such as percutaneous translumenal coronary
      angioplasty (PTCA) and aorto-coronary bypass surgery (ACBS), that are currently
      employed in treating the coronary stenosis or occlusion caused by atherosclerosis
      represent a major therapeutic advance for managing coronary heart disease (CHD).
      However, the cellular proliferative response and associated intimal hyperplasia
      that can follow the damage to blood vessels that occurs with these procedures
      leads to late complications which cannot be effectively controlled by presently
      available drugs. Hence, a new approach is required for managing these
      complications, termed "restenosis" (in the case of PTCA) or "stenosis" (in the
      case of ACBS). Existing drug therapy is reviewed and some new approaches to this
      problem are provided herein. Further studies of growth factors and other
      substances that influence the cellular proliferative response that follows injury
      to the blood vessel wall could lead to the development of effective therapy.
      Inhibition of intimal hyperplasia and/or acceleration of endothelial cell re
      growth provide a basis for such new approaches. Platelet-derived growth factor
      (PDGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), as well as endothelium-derived
      relaxing factor(s) (EDRF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are among
      the substances discussed. Modification of certain currently available drugs (e.g.
      Ca(2+)-antagonists) could also be of value in meeting this therapeutic demand.

PMID- 1875780
TI  - Evidence that nitric oxide modulates food intake in mice.
AB  - Nitric oxide (NO) may be an intercellular modulator within the central nervous
      system. L-arginine, which results in NO synthesis, increased food intake in mice
      while the inhibitor of NO synthesis, L-NG-nitro arginine (L-NO Arg) inhibited
      food intake in food deprived mice. L-arginine, but not D-arginine, partially
      reversed the inhibitory effect of L-NO Arg on food intake. These findings suggest
      the possibility that NO may be a physiological modulator of food intake and that
      the possibility of exploring the utility of L-NO arg in the treatment of obesity
      should be explored.

PMID- 1875781
TI  - Catechol-O-methyltransferase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activities
      in human gastrointestinal tissues.
AB  - Human gastrointestinal samples from the corpus, antrum, bulbus, jejunum and ileum
      were assayed for soluble and membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)
      and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) activity in vitro. The mean
      soluble COMT activities with 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DBA) and 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) as substrate were 70-242 and 70-174 pmol/min mg,
      respectively. The membrane-bound COMT activities ranged from 33 to 60 pmol/min mg
      in the different parts of the intestine. The AADC activities, measured with L
      DOPA as the substrate, increased from 114 pmol/min mg in the corpus to 3488
      pmol/min mg in the jejunum. The affinity of the soluble COMT was approximately 20
      times higher for DBA (Km 15-19 microM) than for L-DOPA (Km 300-600 microM). The
      Km-values for L-DOPA of AADC and COMT were of the same order of magnitude. The
      specific COMT inhibitors, nitecapone and OR-611, effectively inhibited in vitro
      the human intestinal COMT activity. Nanomolar concentrations caused 50%
      inhibition with both DBA and L-DOPA as substrate.

PMID- 1875782
TI  - Antagonism of the morphine-induced locomotor activation of mice by fructose:
      comparison with other opiates and sugars, and sugar effects on brain morphine.
AB  - The mouse locomotor activation test of opiate action in a 2+2 dose parallel line
      assay was used in a repeated testing paradigm to determine the test, opiate and
      hexose specificities of a previously reported antagonism of morphine-induced
      antinocociception by hyperglycemia. In opiate specificity studies, fructose (5
      g/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced the potency ratio for morphine and methadone,
      but not for levorphanol, meperidine or phenazocine when intragroup comparisons
      were made. In intergroup comparisons, fructose significantly reduced the
      potencies of levorphanol and phenazocine, but not methadone or meperidine. In
      hexose/polyol specificity studies, tagatose and fructose significantly reduced
      the potency ratio for morphine, whereas glucose, galactose, mannose and the
      polyols, sorbitol and xylitol, caused no significant decrease in potency.
      Fructose, tagatose, glucose and mannose (5 g/kg, i.p.) were tested for effects on
      brain morphine levels 30 min after morphine (60 min after sugar), and all four
      sugars significantly increased brain morphine relative to saline-pretreated
      controls. It is concluded that the antagonism of morphine by acute sugar
      administration shows specificity for certain sugars and occurs despite sugar
      induced increases in the distribution of morphine to the brain. Furthermore, the
      effects of fructose show an opiate specificity similar to that of glucose on
      antinociception observed previously in our laboratory, except that methadone was
      also significantly inhibited in the present study, when a repeated-testing
      experimental design was used.

PMID- 1875783
TI  - Effect of photoperiod on body weight and food intake of obese and lean Zucker
      rats.
AB  - Although the rat is usually not considered to be sensitive to photoperiod, under
      some experimental conditions photoperiod responses are unmasked. In addition, we
      have observed photoperiod-induced changes in body weight gain in lean and obese
      Zucker rats. In this experiment, body mass, food intake, body composition, brown
      adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic state, and blood concentrations of
      corticosterone, insulin, and glucose were evaluated under one of two lighting
      conditions: a short (10 h light: 14 h dark) or a long (14 h light: 10 h dark)
      photoperiod. Plasma corticosterone and glucose concentrations measured under
      fasting conditions were unaffected by photoperiod in either genotype. The amount
      of BAT mitochondrial protein isolated was less in long photoperiod rats. BAT
      mitochondrial GDP binding was unaffected by photoperiod in the lean rats, but
      tended to be lower in long photoperiod obese rats than in short photoperiod obese
      rats. Although, photoperiod had no effect on daily food intake of rats exposed to
      the short versus long photoperiod, body mass was heaviest in obese rats raised in
      long photoperiod. Plasma insulin was increased in both lean and obese rats in
      long photoperiod. In addition, fat storage appeared to shift to internal depots
      in the lean rats exposed to long photoperiod. Our data demonstrate that
      photoperiod does have an effect on male Zucker rats with respect to body weight
      and fat distribution, with the obese rats being more sensitive to changes in
      photoperiod than the lean rats.

PMID- 1875784
TI  - Vasorelaxant effect of C16-PAF and C18-PAF on renal blood flow and systemic blood
      pressure in the anesthetized rat.
AB  - The renal vasoactive and systemic hypotensive effects of platelet activating
      factor (C16:0-PAF and C18:1-PAF) were examined in anesthetized male Wistar rats.
      Bolus injections of C16-PAF (0.5-25 ng/kg) and C18-PAF (2.5-200 ng/kg) into the
      arterial circulation of the kidney produced increases in renal blood flow (6-15%)
      before causing dose-dependent systemic hypotension (2-64 mmHg). The dose-response
      curves for renal blood flow and systemic blood pressure generated by intrarenal
      C18-PAF administration were approximately 7 fold to the right of the dose
      response curves generated by C16-DPAF. Intrarenal injections of vehicle or the
      biologically inactive enantiomer C16-DPAF (25-200 ng/kg) did not affect renal
      blood flow or systemic blood pressure. These results suggest that C16:0-PAF is a
      more potent renal vasodilator and hypotensive lipid than C18:1-PAF.

PMID- 1875785
TI  - Reduced levels of mRNA for myofibrillar proteins in skeletal muscle from septic
      rats.
AB  - The influence of sepsis on transcription of myofibrillar proteins in skeletal
      muscle was studied in rats. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture
      (CLP); control rats were sham-operated. Sixteen hours later, muscle levels of
      mRNA for myofibrillar proteins were determined by using cDNA probes specific for
      transcripts for alpha actin and myosin heavy chain. Sepsis resulted in a 2-6 fold
      decrease in alpha actin mRNA levels and an even more pronounced reduction in
      myosin heavy chain mRNA levels. Results suggest that sepsis-induced reduction of
      muscle protein synthesis is at least partly regulated at the transcriptional
      level.

PMID- 1875786
TI  - Regulation of 35S-TBPS binding by bicuculline is region specific in rat brain.
AB  - The allosteric regulation of specific 35S-TBPS binding to the convulsant site on
      the GABAA receptor/chloride (Cl-) ionophore complex was studied in various brain
      regions in an attempt to characterize regional heterogeneity of the protein
      subunits forming the complex. Bicuculline methiodide (BIC), a GABAA antagonist,
      enhanced binding in cortex (CTX), substantia nigra (SN) and cerebellum (CBL),
      inhibited binding in inferior colliculus (IC) and did not affect binding in
      superior colliculus (SC). Similar results were found in CBL and IC using SR
      95531, another GABAA antagonist. The levels of endogenous GABA in the different
      tissue samples could not account for the regional differences in binding. When
      the functional regulation of these receptors was measured using 36Cl- uptake in
      microsomes, muscimol-stimulated uptake was completely blocked by BIC in CBL and
      IC but was not affected by BIC in SC. Additionally, picrotoxin completely blocked
      muscimol-stimulated uptake in CBL but had no effect in IC or SC. These findings
      provide a functional basis for regional heterogeneity of GABAA receptor.

PMID- 1875787
TI  - Endothelin-1-induced nociception.
AB  - Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intrathecal (i.t.) administration of morphine
      to mice antagonized the abdominal constriction induced by an i.p. injection of
      endothelin-1 (ET-1; 0.1 mg/kg). The ED50 values (95% confidence intervals) were
      39.3 (16.5-80.2) ng and 1.5 (0.8-4.9) ng, respectively. The antagonism of ET-1
      induced abdominal constriction by morphine was blocked by naloxone (1.0 mg/kg,
      s.c.) or by 24 h pretreatment with beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; 8.84
      micrograms, i.c.v.). These results demonstrate for the first time that the
      stimulus resulting from an i.p. injection of ET-1 is transmitted via ascending
      (pain) pathways that are subject to attenuation by opioid (mu) receptor
      activation. Hence, ET-1-induced abdominal constriction is a new pain model which,
      given the other pharmacology of ET-1, might represent a unique model with
      potential specific utility for anginal or other visceral pain.

PMID- 1875788
TI  - The treatment of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder.
AB  - This mini-review provides a comprehensive discussion of the management of the
      late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (LLPDD). The various treatments will be
      described with particular attention to their efficacy and the nature of side
      effects. These include: psychoactive drugs (lithium, anxiolytics,
      antidepressants), nutritional agents (L-tryptophan, Vitamin B6, prostaglandins
      precursors and inhibitors), dopamine agonists, diuretics, antihypertensives,
      hormonal interventions (gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues, oestradiol,
      tamoxifen, progesterone, danazol, and oral contraceptives). Less attention has
      been given to non-pharmacologic approaches such as diet, exercise and
      psychotherapy. The availability of an operational definition of LLPDD in the DSM
      III-R and the improvement in research methodology has provided a clearer
      direction for clinical management and for future investigations.

PMID- 1875789
TI  - Stimulation of pulmonary surfactant secretion by activating neutrophils in rat
      type II pneumocytes culture.
AB  - The influence of activating neutrophils on the secretion of phosphatidylcholine
      (PC), the predominant component of pulmonary surfactant, was examined using
      primary culture of rat type II pneumocytes. Simultaneous addition of neutrophils
      and opsonized zymosan, but not neutrophils or opsonized zymosan alone, to type II
      pneumocytes caused a significant increase in PC secretion without affecting the
      release of lactate dehydrogenase, a marker of cytotoxicity. The increase in PC
      secretion was dependent on the number of activating neutrophils. In addition,
      pretreatment of culture with the combination of superoxide dismutase and catalase
      inhibited the increase in PC secretion. These findings indicate that activating
      neutrophils stimulate the secretion of pulmonary surfactant and that the
      stimulation is mediated by oxygen radicals.

PMID- 1875790
TI  - Effect of nasal instillation of female urine or vaginal exudate on serum cortisol
      and prolactin levels in isolated and anesthetized male rhesus monkeys (Macaca
      mulatta).
AB  - Two male adult rhesus monkeys were used and caged individually. The room was
      temperature-controlled having a light-dark period of 12/12 hours. The animals
      were rapidly immobilized and immediately anesthetized with ketamine i. m. (10
      mg/kg of body weight). They were bled four times at 15, 30, 45 and 60 mins after
      the ketamine injection, twice a week for 6 weeks. When necessary, maintenance
      doses of ketamine were administered. The serum levels of cortisol and prolactin
      after nasal instillation of a suspension of vaginal exudate showed lower values
      than in control conditions (nasal instillation of saline). The control levels of
      cortisol tended to increase up to 60 mins, whilst in experimental conditions
      (nasal instillation of female urine or vaginal exudate) did not show such an
      increase. Cortisol remained similar during the sampling and similar to the 15
      mins control levels, but the difference is statistically significant only after
      instillation of vaginal exudate as compared with control. The levels of prolactin
      did not show significant variations during sampling either in control or after
      female urine instillation. However, the instillation of vaginal exudate decreased
      the prolactin levels at 15 mins which tended to recover the control levels up to
      60 mins. These results support the hypothesis, discussed in a previous paper,
      that some chemical information from females suppresses or mitigates the effect of
      acute stress resulting from handling the animals before anesthesia.

PMID- 1875791
TI  - Fluoxetine pretreatment reduces breaking points on a progressive ratio schedule
      reinforced by intravenous cocaine self-administration in the rat.
AB  - Fluoxetine, a specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, reduced the breaking points
      reached by rats on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule reinforced by intravenous
      cocaine (0.6 mg/inj). This effect was dose-dependent. Specifically, fluoxetine
      (2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg/kg, IP) significantly decreased breaking points at
      all but the lowest dose. These data support a role for the serotonergic system in
      cocaine reinforcement. We argue that facilitating serotonergic activity reduces
      the rewarding value of cocaine, thus suggesting an aversive role for serotonin in
      cocaine reinforcement.

PMID- 1875792
TI  - Phosphoramidon prevents cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage in
      dogs: the relationship to endothelin-1 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - There is increasing evidence that the conversion of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1)
      to endothelin-1 (ET-1) is specifically inhibited by the metalloproteinase
      inhibitor phosphoramidon. We investigated the effect of phosphoramidon on delayed
      cerebral vasospasm from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using a two-hemorrhage
      canine model. The magnitude of the vasospasm and the drug effect were determined
      angiographically. On SAH Day 7, diameter of the basilar artery decreased to about
      55% of the control value obtained before SAH (on Day 0). Immunoreactive ET (IR
      ET) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) significantly increased after SAH (on Day
      7). The intracisternal pretreatment of phosphoramidon potently suppressed the
      decrease in diameter of the basilar artery after SAH, i.e., observed decrease was
      only about 20%, compared with the value before SAH. In the phosphoramidon group,
      IR-ET in CSF markedly increased (on SAH Day 2), but the increased levels of IR-ET
      significantly declined on SAH Day 7. These results clearly indicate that
      phosphoramidon effectively prevents delayed cerebral vasospasm. Whether the
      prevention is due to the inhibition of conversion of big ET-1 to ET-1 is now
      under study.

PMID- 1875793
TI  - Gossypol effects on endothelial cells and tumor blood flow.
AB  - Isomers (-, +) of the antitumor agent gossypol (G) were studied for their ability
      to reduce tumor ATP and blood flow in rats bearing subcutaneously implanted
      pancreatic tumors. A 50% reduction in tumor ATP/Pi within ih of a single
      injection of -G was associated with a 60% decline in tumor blood flow. To
      determine if these changes in tumor physiology could be due to a direct drug
      effect on tumor endothelium, G isomers were compared for their ability to alter
      protein (125I-BSA) permeability and metabolic (32P) labelling of cultured
      endothelial cells. Treatments for ih produced no endothelial cell leakage, but
      24h exposures to either -G (5 microM) or +G (50 microM) produced complete
      permeability of the monolayers to 125I-BSA. In contrast, 0.5-I.Oh exposures to -G
      (4 microM) produced 2 to 3-fold increases in phosphorylated 27 kDa heat-shock
      protein, hsp-27. Hsp-27 phosphoprotein isoforms were differentially labelled
      following -G and +G exposures with the phosphorylation profile of -G appearing
      most similar to that of oxyradical producing agents known to induce hsp-27 and
      injure endothelial cells. We postulate that the tumor ischemic effects of -G are
      mediated by endothelial response to oxyradical production in a mechanism similar
      to that of tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury.

PMID- 1875795
TI  - Enhanced enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay on membranes for the identification of
      mutants and pathogens.
AB  - With variations in the concentrations of antibodies and blocking agents and
      reduction in incubation times, qualitative enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay can
      be performed in a matter of two hours, for more rapid identification of mutants
      and antigens.

PMID- 1875794
TI  - Amelioration of hyperlipidemia by low fat diets in chronically streptozotocin
      diabetic rats.
AB  - The effects of reduced dietary fat intake on plasma lipid levels were examined in
      diabetic rats. One week after induction of diabetes (D) with streptozotocin (65
      mg/kg, iv), the animals were fed food pellets consisting of 1.5% (D1.5), 2.5%
      (D2.5) or 5% (D5) fat for two weeks. Irrespective of the diets, both food and
      water consumed by untreated diabetic rats were 2- to 5-fold greater respectively
      compared to normal. Plasma glucose concentrations were also similarly increased.
      Plasma and skeletal muscle lipid levels were significantly greater than controls
      in D2.5 and D5, but not in the D1.5 group. Plasma and muscle lipid concentrations
      correlated directly with fat consumption. In D5 rats receiving insulin treatment,
      plasma glucose and lipid concentrations were comparable to control values. These
      findings indicate that the degree of hyperlipidemia in chronically diabetic rats
      is directly related to dietary fat intake. They also demonstrate that dietary
      interventions can modulate some of the metabolic abnormalities in diabetes.

PMID- 1875796
TI  - Prostaglandin synthesis is increased in selenium supplemented human mesangial
      cells despite suppression of phospholipase A2-activity.
AB  - Antioxidants play an important role in the regulation of phospholipid hydrolysis
      and arachidonate metabolism. Supplementation of cultured human mesangial cells
      with selenium resulted in suppression of phospholipase A2-activity and
      significantly increased production of three major prostaglandins. However,
      prostacyclin synthesis benefits most from selenium supplementation, suggesting
      that there is a specific action of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase on
      this pathway. Like in endothelial cells, production of platelet activating factor
      is significantly inhibited by selenium supplementation.

PMID- 1875797
TI  - Aminoguanidine decreases urinary albumin and high-molecular-weight proteins in
      diabetic rats.
AB  - The effect of aminoguanidine (AG) on diabetic proteinuria was studied in control
      rats ([C]), streptozotocin (SZ)-induced diabetic rats ([DM]), control rats
      treated with AG [( C + AG]), or diabetic rats treated with AG [( DM + AG]).
      Increased glycation of hemoglobin (HbA1C), and glomerular basement membrane (GBM)
      type IV collagen (IV-C) at 10 wk of stable diabetes were associated with the
      appearance of high-molecular-weight (HMW) cross-linked type I collagen and HMW
      proteinuria of 62 kD, 69 kD albumin and 77 kD proteins to the levels of 362, 381,
      and 408%, while 9.9, 13.5, 17, 18, and 23 kD proteins were decreased,
      respectively, to non-detectable, 37, 16, and 13%. AG decreased cross-linkage of
      type I collagen and significantly decreased urinary 62 kD protein to 54%, 69 kD
      albumin to 40%, and 77 kD protein to 49% at 10 wk in [DM + AG] compared to [DM]
      without changing diabetic control. It is suggested that glycation-derived late
      stage protein modification is etiologically important for diabetic proteinuria,
      and that AG can potentially prevent diabetic HMW proteinuria.

PMID- 1875798
TI  - Upregulation of glucose metabolism by granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating
      factor.
AB  - Alterations of glucose metabolism were investigated for 6 hours following an
      intraarterial injection of murine recombinant granulocyte-monocyte colony
      stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (30 micrograms/kg body weight). GM-CSF resulted in a
      transient elevation of plasma glucose. The rate of whole body glucose appearance,
      as measured by infusion of [6-3H] glucose, was increased by about 10% between 0.5
      and 3 hours following GM-CSF injection. In vivo glucose utilization of individual
      tissues was investigated by the tracer 2-deoxyglucose technique. At 30 min, GM
      CSF increased glucose utilization by 80-90% in liver and lung, and 50-60% in skin
      and spleen. At 3 and 6 hours, glucose utilization by these tissues returned
      toward control levels except for lung. There was a 40-50% increase in glucose
      utilization by skeletal muscle 30 min after GM-CSF which was sustained for 6
      hours. Glucose utilization of testis, ileum and kidney did not change
      significantly. Plasma concentrations of insulin, glucagon and tumor necrosis
      factor were not altered in response to GM-CSF. These findings indicate that some
      of the acute metabolic effects of a short-term administration of GM-CSF are
      observed in macrophage-rich tissues, and suggest that GM-CSF may be involved in
      the metabolic upregulation of immunologically active tissues.

PMID- 1875799
TI  - Sensitization does not alter phasic and tonic responses to carbachol in isolated
      epithelium-free guinea-pig trachea.
AB  - An alteration in the handling of Ca2+ has been proposed as the pathogenic
      mechanism underlying the airway smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness of asthma. The
      present study tested the hypothesis that the altered responsiveness of receptor
      operated contraction to carbachol in allergic asthma results from a change in the
      phasic or tonic components. Using a kinetic approach, the phasic and tonic
      responses to 10 microM carbachol were quantitated in isolated epithelium-free
      trachea 21 days after guinea-pigs were sensitized with ovalbumin and aluminum
      hydroxide (as adjuvant) to generate preferentially IgE-like antibodies.
      Sensitization was confirmed by challenge of the isolated trachea with ovalbumin.
      The steady-state and kinetic characteristics of the phasic and tonic responses
      were the same from sensitized animals and animals treated with saline and
      aluminum hydroxide (control) and before and after challenge of the trachea from
      both groups of animals. The present results demonstrate that immunologic
      sensitization and challenge do not appear to elicit a defect in the phasic or
      tonic responses of receptor mediated contractions in airway smooth muscle and
      suggest there is no alteration in the handling of Ca2+ in smooth muscle from
      sensitized and challenged guinea-pig trachea.

PMID- 1875800
TI  - Inhibition of hepatic adenylate cyclase by NADH.
AB  - Adenylate cyclase activity in isolated rat liver plasma membranes was inhibited
      by NADH in a concentration-dependent manner. Half-maximal inhibition of adenylate
      cyclase was observed at 120 microM concentration of NADH. The effect of NADH was
      specific since adenylate cyclase activity was not altered by NAD+, NADP+, NADPH,
      and nicotinic acid. The ability of NADH to inhibit adenylate cyclase was not
      altered when the enzyme was stimulated by activating the cyclase was not altered
      when the enzyme was stimulated by activating the Gs regulatory element with
      either glucagon or cholera toxin. Similarly, inhibition of Gi function by
      pertussis toxin treatment of membranes did not attenuate the ability of NADH to
      inhibit adenylate cyclase activity. Inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity to
      the same extent in the presence and absence of the Gpp (NH) p suggested that NADH
      directly affects the catalytic subunit. This notion was confirmed by the finding
      that NADH also inhibited solubilized adenylate cyclase in the absence of Gpp
      (NH)p. Kinetic analysis of the NADH-mediated inhibition suggested that NADH
      competes with ATP to inhibit adenylate cyclase; in the presence of NADH (1 mM)
      the Km for ATP was increased from 0.24 +/- 0.02 mM to 0.44 +/- 0.08 mM with no
      change in Vmax. This observation and the inability of high NADH concentrations to
      completely inhibit the enzyme suggest that NADH interacts at a site(s) on the
      enzyme to increase the Km for ATP by 2-fold and this inhibitory effect is
      overcome at high ATP concentrations.

PMID- 1875801
TI  - The importance of volume in regulating gastric emptying.
AB  - There is now substantive evidence that the provision of exogenous carbohydrate at
      high rates (1-2 g. min-1) can enhance performance during prolonged exercise. This
      finding has revived research into the factors determining the rate of exogenous
      carbohydrate delivery during exercise. While the rate of muscle oxidation of
      exogenous carbohydrate could be determined by the rate of gastric emptying or of
      intestinal carbohydrate absorption or of muscle glucose uptake and oxidation,
      most physiologists seem to have assumed that gastric emptying is the factor that
      limits the rate of exogenous carbohydrate delivery during exercise. Furthermore,
      studies of gastric emptying have suggested that the carbohydrate content of the
      ingested solution is an important factor determining its rate of gastric
      emptying. However, the findings of recent studies employing a repeated drinking
      design suggest that the gastric volume and therefore the pattern of drinking
      during exercise will have a significant, possibly major, influence on the rate of
      both carbohydrate and water delivery from any solution. This review considers
      this evidence and its practical implications for athletes who wish to ingest
      carbohydrate during exercise and for exercise physiologists designing studies to
      optimize carbohydrate delivery to muscle during exercise. It is proposed that, if
      gastric volume is an important determinant of the rate of gastric emptying, a
      more standardized method for reporting the rates of gastric emptying of different
      solutions should be adopted.

PMID- 1875802
TI  - Why haven't we learnt our lesson? Autologous blood transfusion.

PMID- 1875803
TI  - The special hostel for care of people with dementia.

PMID- 1875804
TI  - A positive AIDS test--how to tell?

PMID- 1875805
TI  - Of ends and means.

PMID- 1875806
TI  - The Western Australian Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine.

PMID- 1875807
TI  - Elderly patients' responses to preoperative autologous blood collection.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To follow the haematological response in elderly patients to
      preoperative autologous blood collection. DESIGN: A prospective, randomised
      study. SETTING: Malmo General Hospital, Sweden. PATIENTS: Sixty patients with a
      mean age of 71 years (range, 60-82 years) who were to undergo total hip
      replacement were randomly divided into four groups of 15. One group served as
      control. Three units of blood were collected from patients in the other three
      groups, the first unit at least 30 days before the planned operation, with an
      average interval of 10 days between collections. Iron supplementation was given
      to one group as a substitution remedy, another group was given iron and folic
      acid and the third group was without supplementation during the collection
      period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Haematological and biochemical tests were
      performed on blood samples taken at the time of each collection, on the morning
      of the hip replacement operation, and ten days after and six weeks after the
      operation. RESULTS: No major complication was encountered with blood collection.
      The patients tolerated the procedure very well including the substitution
      remedies. Haematological and biochemical parameters remained within the normal
      range during the collection period and after the operation. No patient in the
      autologous groups needed homologous blood during the operation; three units of
      homologous blood were used after the operation in these patients. CONCLUSION:
      Preoperative blood collection from the elderly is safe and well tolerated. The
      procedure should be encouraged in elective orthopaedic operations regardless of
      age.

PMID- 1875808
TI  - Continuing medical education undertaken by general practitioners using the rural
      registrar scheme.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the first full year of operation of the rural registrar
      scheme by comparing the educational activities undertaken by the participating
      rural general practitioners with those undertaken in the previous year. DESIGN:
      Retrospective questionnaire survey mailed to all participants. SETTING:
      Continuing medical education (CME) for rural general practitioners (GPs) in South
      Australia. PARTICIPANTS: All 25 GPs who used the scheme from July 1989 to June
      1990 were included in the study. All were from solo or two person practices in
      rural South Australia. One had gone abroad and could not be contacted, and 23 of
      the remaining 24 responded. INTERVENTIONS: A competent locum was supplied at no
      cost to the GP, so that the GP could leave the practice to undertake CME. MAIN
      OUTCOME MEASURES: GPs were asked to outline CME activities for two consecutive
      years, to rate the educational value of each activity, and to note whether skill
      or knowledge acquisition was most relevant. RESULTS: The rural registrar scheme
      increased the amount of time that rural GPs spent on CME. The range of topics
      studied increased considerably. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of a satisfactory
      locum service has enabled rural GPs to participate in a wide range of CME
      activities, which reflect the diversity of general practice. Most participants
      preferred individual, experiential study programmes to more structured CME
      programmes.

PMID- 1875809
TI  - Bacterial meningitis in children under five years of age in Western Australia.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiology and the associated mortality and serious
      neurological sequelae of bacterial meningitis in children under five years of age
      in Western Australia, and to consider the potential impact of a Haemophilus
      influenzae type b vaccine on this group of children. DESIGN: A retrospective
      survey, using multiple sources of case ascertainment. PATIENTS: All children in
      Western Australia from one month to five years of age who developed bacterial
      meningitis, over a five-year period (from 1984 to 1988 inclusive). MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Episodes of bacterial meningitis, deaths associated with bacterial
      meningitis, and sensorineural deafness (requiring hearing aids) and cerebral
      palsy following bacterial meningitis. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy episodes
      of bacterial meningitis were identified; 200 occurred in non-Aboriginal children
      and 70 in Aboriginal children. There were 16 meningitis-associated deaths (case
      fatality rate, 5.9%), 7 children developed profound sensorineural deafness and a
      further 7 children developed cerebral palsy after bacterial meningitis. H.
      influenzae type b caused nearly 70% of the cases of childhood bacterial
      meningitis. The annual incidence rate of H. influenzae meningitis was
      significantly greater in Aboriginal children (150 episodes per 100,000 children
      under five years of age per year) than in non-Aboriginal children (27 episodes
      per 100,000), and the mean age of onset of H. influenzae meningitis was
      significantly lower in Aboriginal children (6.8 months) than in non-Aboriginal
      children (19.8 months). CONCLUSIONS: Any conjugate H. influenzae type b vaccine
      should be effective when administered to non-Aboriginal children in the first six
      months of life, but only the most immunogenic vaccines (for example, the vaccine
      known as PRP-OMP) are likely to be effective in Aboriginal infants.

PMID- 1875810
TI  - Investigating male sexual dysfunction. Cavernosograms and penile flow studies.

PMID- 1875811
TI  - Principles behind practice. 7. Case-control studies.
AB  - The case-control study is often a very simple, cheap and quick way to test the
      hypothesis that a particular factor causes a disease or that a particular
      treatment is helping patients who receive it. There also seems to be an inherent
      logic in comparing patients and well people to see how they differed in the past,
      or in comparing those who did and did not survive a certain illness to see how
      their treatment differed. Despite these appealing features, the case-control
      approach is subject to a number of pitfalls. These can usually be avoided by an
      appropriately designed study, and by careful collection and analysis of the data.
      Even so, the results of a case-control study are a lower order of evidence than
      those produced from a properly conducted randomised controlled trial.

PMID- 1875813
TI  - "Doctor, I don't feel sick, but ...": the older patient.

PMID- 1875812
TI  - Seeing red. Flushed orbit and red eye.

PMID- 1875815
TI  - The physician as a patient.

PMID- 1875814
TI  - Reactions to argasid tick bites by island residents on the Great Barrier Reef.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To attribute a cause and quantify allergic-like symptoms observed
      among island residents. DESIGN: Skin prick tests and intradermal injections with
      ultraviolet-irradiated, filtered (0.22 microns) whole-body homogenates of the
      soft tick, Ornithodoros capensis, were used to reproduce experimentally the
      symptoms observed. SETTING: Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
      PARTICIPANTS: Island residents were designated as such after having spent more
      than 1 month on the island during the summer seabird breeding season.
      INTERVENTIONS: Control measures were instigated using a residual insecticide,
      delta-methrin, sprayed inside sleeping quarters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Acaricide
      spraying reduced (X2 = 4.42; P less than 0.05) the number of island residents
      complaining of having been bitten by ticks, yet was considered an inefficient
      control measure as 67% reported being attacked by ticks after spraying. RESULTS:
      Among 97 island residents, elevated total IgE levels were associated with
      reaction to tick bite in 11 cases (X2 = 27.17; P less than 0.001), but were not
      of reliable diagnostic value. Symptoms included intense pruritus, blistering (a
      major feature), erythema, weeping lesions, lymphangitis, dull ache, rheumatic
      pain and general lassitude, and intense discomfort. Sera from two of four
      volunteers with known reactions to O. capensis and one of four others with
      reactions to the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, cross-reacted with
      antigens from a total of four of six biting/stinging and non-biting arthropods
      (radioallergosorbent tests). CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms associated with reactions to
      tick bite peaked in severity at 35-40 hours and thus the response was most likely
      delayed type IV hypersensitivity.

PMID- 1875816
TI  - Isospora belli infection. A report of two cases in patients with AIDS.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present the findings of Isospora belli infection in two patients
      with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). CLINICAL FEATURES: One
      patient was part Aboriginal, the other an immigrant recently arrived from Peru.
      Both men were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). They
      presented with watery diarrhoea, one with severe weight loss. Isospora belli
      oocysts were detected in multiple faecal specimens from both patients. One
      patient had a concomitant infection with Cryptosporidium sp. INTERVENTION AND
      OUTCOME: There was a rapid response to treatment with cotrimoxazole (960 mg, four
      times a day for 10 days). A complete response was obtained in the patient with
      concurrent cryptosporidiosis. The diarrhoea recurred after cessation of
      treatment, necessitating maintenance therapy. CONCLUSION: Although Isospora belli
      is an uncommon cause of gastroenteritis in Australia, it is increasingly
      recognised as a cause of diarrhoea in travellers, immigrants from endemic areas
      and immunocompromised people. It has also been reported in the Aboriginal
      community; this article reports the first case of AIDS-related isosporiasis in an
      Aborigine. It is likely that both patients acquired Isospora belli before they
      become HIV seropositive.

PMID- 1875817
TI  - Hospital admissions due to drug reactions.

PMID- 1875818
TI  - Let ethics committees authorise new drugs for treatment.

PMID- 1875819
TI  - Cervicothoracic pain due to fatigue of pectoral girdle musculature.

PMID- 1875820
TI  - Sabin oral poliomyelitis vaccine.

PMID- 1875821
TI  - Thiamine in our bread and wine.

PMID- 1875822
TI  - Acupuncture for bronchial asthma?

PMID- 1875823
TI  - EMLA Cream and herpetic neuralgia.

PMID- 1875824
TI  - Gentian violet.

PMID- 1875825
TI  - More "cot death" fallacies.

PMID- 1875826
TI  - Potential health effects of greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion in
      Australia.

PMID- 1875827
TI  - Australian patterns of tobacco smoking in 1989.

PMID- 1875828
TI  - Necrotising arachnidism in Australia.

PMID- 1875829
TI  - Insulin therapy: how many injections?

PMID- 1875830
TI  - Opposition from deaf groups to the cochlear implant.

PMID- 1875831
TI  - Medicines in pregnancy.

PMID- 1875832
TI  - Airbags: safety delayed.

PMID- 1875833
TI  - Frequent hospital admissions for bacterial infections among aboriginal people
      with diabetes in central Australia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine hospital-based morbidity and mortality from bacterial
      infections among Aboriginal people with diabetes in central Australia. DESIGN:
      Examination of medical records on diabetic inpatients between January 1984 and
      December 1986. SETTING: Alice Springs Hospital in central Australia, covering an
      Aboriginal population of about 12,500 people. PATIENTS: Subjects admitted with a
      bacterial infection (n = 165) were selected from the database of all Aboriginal
      people known to have diabetes in the region (n = 374; all had non-insulin
      dependent diabetes). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of admissions, type and site
      of infections, causative organisms, duration of hospital stay and cause of death.
      RESULTS: The 281 admissions for infections accounted for 4.6% of adult Aboriginal
      admissions to hospital. Thirteen patients died. Eleven patients required
      amputation of a digit or limb. In 1986, 13/200 patients admitted with diabetes
      had bacteraemia compared with 14/1885 patients who did not have diabetes. One
      patient had Fournier's gangrene, one had malignant otitis externa, one community
      acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia, one pneumonia with Succinivibrio spp. found in
      blood cultures, and one meningitis and transverse myelopathy with Streptococcus
      milleri found in blood cultures. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency, type and severity of
      infections in the relatively young patients result in high personal costs to the
      community and financial costs to the health care system. Standard preventive
      measures must be implemented to control severe bacterial infections among
      subjects with diabetes in this socially and economically marginalised population
      group.

PMID- 1875834
TI  - Reflotron cholesterol measurements in 1112 Australian children aged 10-12 years.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution of blood cholesterol concentration in a
      sample of Western Australian schoolchildren. DESIGN: The Reflotron dry-chemistry
      system (Boehringer Mannheim, Germany) was used to measure cholesterol in finger
      prick blood samples obtained from Year 6 children aged 10-12 years attending
      government schools in metropolitan Perth. Recruitment methods ensured that
      children from different socioeconomic strata were represented. PARTICIPANTS: For
      the 1239 children enrolled in Year 6 in 30 government schools, parental consent
      to participate was obtained for 1144; of these cholesterol concentration was
      measured in 1112. RESULTS: The measurement method proved practicable and was
      generally well accepted. Cholesterol levels were somewhat lower than those
      obtained using a laboratory reference method and a bias, relative to national
      quality assurance standards, was estimated to be -0.32 mmol/L. Mean cholesterol
      level in boys (4.28 mmol/L, SD 0.69) was not significantly different from that in
      girls (4.35 mmol/L, SD 0.72). Allowing for measurement bias, 52% of boys and 57%
      of girls had cholesterol levels exceeding the National Heart Foundation's
      designated "desirable" level of 4.5 mmol/L for children. CONCLUSIONS: The
      distribution of cholesterol levels in Australian children compares unfavourably
      with distributions in children in countries with low rates of cardiovascular
      disease and indicates a need for widespread, appropriate diet and lifestyle
      changes.

PMID- 1875835
TI  - Social, neurological and cognitive disorders in alcoholics.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To construct the social, neurological and neuropsychological profiles
      of patients with suspected alcohol related brain damage, and to test the
      hypothesis that cognitive dysfunction develops in alcoholics before signs of
      alcohol related neurological disease. DESIGN: The study design comprised: a
      retrospective analysis of patients' records; a comparison of patients'
      demographic and social variables with age-matched population data from the 1986
      Census; and a comparison of neuropsychological test scores of male patients with
      suspected alcohol related brain damage and age-matched controls. SETTING: The
      Neuropsychology Unit of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a tertiary referral
      teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All patients (n = 641) referred to the
      Neuropsychology Unit for assessment of suspected alcohol related brain damage
      from July 1, 1987 to June 30, 1989, and a control group (n = 93) consisting of
      healthy volunteers who drank no more than 40 g of alcohol per day. RESULTS: Of
      the patients, 515 (80%) were men and 410 (64%) were 55 years or younger; their
      median daily alcohol consumption was 180 g. Compared with the general population
      the patients were significantly more likely to be in receipt of social security
      payments, to be separated, divorced or widowed and living in rented or temporary
      accommodation. However, the proportion of professional and skilled individuals
      was the same as in the general population. Cerebellar degeneration (38%),
      peripheral neuropathy (34%) and seizures (14%) were the most frequent
      neurological disorders. Frontal lobe dysfunction (58%) and short-term memory loss
      (32%) were the most frequent cognitive abnormalities. Dementia was relatively
      uncommon (4%). The mean age of male patients with alcohol related brain damage
      but no neurological disorders (43 years) was significantly less than the mean age
      of those with neurological disease (54 years; P less than 0.001). In the former,
      neuropsychological tests of frontal lobe function showed significant impairment
      compared with control subjects (P less than 0.001), despite normal intelligence.
      CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment in alcoholics frequently takes the form of
      frontal lobe dysfunction and may be relatively subtle, requiring a
      neuropsychological examination for diagnosis. Signs of cognitive impairment may
      precede those of alcohol related neurological disorders by more than ten years.

PMID- 1875836
TI  - Personality and coping style as influences on alcohol intake and cigarette
      smoking during pregnancy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine if personality and coping style are central determinants
      of drinking and smoking at risk to fetal health during pregnancy. DESIGN, SETTING
      AND PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 99 women recently confined at a Sydney obstetric
      hospital received a semi-structured interview and completed a number of
      questionnaires. MEASURES: Alcohol and cigarette consumption over designated
      intervals since conception were assessed by interview. Questionnaires assessed
      maternal anxiety and postnatal depression, as well as coping strategies and
      personality characteristics such as impulsiveness. RESULTS: After confirmation of
      pregnancy, two-thirds of those previously drinking ceased while only one-third of
      those who had been smokers then abstained, with intake levels showing a similar
      pattern of a relatively greater decrease in alcohol than cigarette consumption
      over the course of the pregnancy. Personality and coping style differences were
      not demonstrated between the following contrasting groups: (a) smokers v. non
      smokers prior to confirmation of pregnancy; (b) on-going drinkers v. relative
      abstainers during pregnancy; and (c) excessive smokers and drinkers before
      pregnancy v. all other subjects. Comparison of drinkers and non-drinkers before
      pregnancy suggested less "mature" coping styles for the latter, an unexpected
      finding. CONCLUSION: There was little support for the hypothesis that drinking
      and smoking at risk to health (before and during pregnancy) are determined by the
      individual's personality and general coping repertoires.

PMID- 1875837
TI  - Persistent ductus arteriosus in adults. A review of surgical experience with 25
      patients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical features, operative details and course of
      adults with persistent ductus arteriosus. DESIGN: Retrospective study.
      Information on subjects was obtained by case records review. SETTING: The
      Cardiothoracic Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney. PATIENTS: Twenty-five
      adults aged 16 years and over with persistent ductus arteriosus, from 1974-1990.
      INTERVENTION: Surgical division or ligation of persistent ductus, via left
      thoracotomy or median sternotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Preoperative clinical
      features; postoperative mortality and morbidity. RESULTS: There was a high
      incidence of symptoms in this group of adults with persistent ductus arteriosus,
      many having anatomical (aneurysm, calcification) and/or haemodynamic (heart
      failure, pulmonary hypertension) complications. There was one death (mortality,
      4%) of a young woman with significant preoperative pulmonary hypertension. The
      remaining 24 patients (96%) left hospital completely well between 4 and 12 days
      after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent ductus arteriosus, although primarily a
      paediatric problem, may present in adulthood. Closure by operative means (or in
      selected cases, by interventional catheter) is warranted in all adult subjects
      with left to right shunt, other than for patients over 60 years of age with
      neither heart failure nor cardiomegaly.

PMID- 1875839
TI  - Functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

PMID- 1875838
TI  - Principles behind practice. 8. Screening as a strategy for disease control.

PMID- 1875840
TI  - The confused patient.

PMID- 1875841
TI  - General practitioners' views of students: students' views of general
      practitioners.

PMID- 1875842
TI  - The Army Reserve.

PMID- 1875843
TI  - Thromboembolism and its management in pregnancy.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To formulate recommendations for the management of thromboembolism
      during pregnancy. DATA SOURCES: The English language published literature derived
      from Medline and covering the following aspects of thromboembolism in pregnancy
      was reviewed: epidemiology; pathogenesis; clinical features; investigations; the
      pharmacology of various anticoagulants; management and prophylaxis of deep vein
      thrombosis and pulmonary embolism; medicolegal aspects. STUDY SELECTION:
      Publications published between 1960 and 1990 were cited. These studies were
      selected because data appeared reliable and with appropriate conclusions. DATA
      SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSIONS: Many questions are still not completely resolved, but
      the information gathered should provide firm guidelines to practitioners in the
      areas of diagnosis, the choice of anticoagulant drugs, methods of administration
      of the drugs, and measurement of therapeutic endpoints.

PMID- 1875844
TI  - Westernisation, insulin resistance and diabetes in Australian aborigines.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine the published data on the impact of westernisation on
      obesity, non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and coronary heart
      disease (CHD) in Australian Aborigines. DATA SOURCES: Fifty-five articles from
      Australian and international sources (primarily peer-reviewed journals) are
      cited. STUDY SELECTION: Twenty-eight reports providing data on the diet,
      lifestyle, health and "lifestyle diseases" of Australian Aborigines before and
      after westernisation are included in this review. A further 27 articles on
      obesity, NIDDM, CHD, insulin resistance, and the impact of diet and exercise were
      used to help interpret the Aboriginal data. DATA EXTRACTION: Information on
      dietary composition, anthropometry, disease and risk factor prevalence, and
      relevant biochemical measurements were used for comparative and interpretive
      purposes. DATA SYNTHESIS: The traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle of Australian
      Aborigines, characterised by high physical activity and a diet of low energy
      density (low fat, high fibre), promoted the maintenance of a very lean body
      weight and minimised insulin resistance. In contrast, for most Aborigines a
      Western lifestyle is characterised by reduced physical activity and an energy
      dense diet (high in refined carbohydrate and fat) which promotes obesity and
      maximises insulin resistance. When they make the transition from their
      traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a westernised lifestyle, Aborigines
      develop high prevalence rates for obesity (with an android pattern of fat
      distribution), non-insulin dependent diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance,
      hypertriglyceridaemia, hypertension and hyperinsulinaemia. The striking
      improvements in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic and non-diabetic
      Aborigines after a temporary reversion to a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle
      highlight the potentially reversible nature of the detrimental effects of
      lifestyle change, particularly in young people who have not yet developed
      diabetes. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that insulin resistance was important to
      the survival of Aborigines as hunter-gatherers, but is also the underlying
      metabolic characteristic predisposing them to obesity, NIDDM and CHD after
      westernisation. Intervention strategies to prevent chronic diseases related to
      insulin resistance should be directed at lifestyle modification. To be effective
      such programmes will have to be developed and implemented at the community level.

PMID- 1875845
TI  - A glossary of pain terms for medicolegal work.

PMID- 1875846
TI  - Propranolol overdose--a dramatic response to calcium chloride.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To present a case of severe propranolol overdose which responded
      dramatically to the administration of calcium chloride. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 22
      year-old female Caucasian who was unemployed arrived by ambulance to a hospital
      emergency department after propranolol overdose. She was convulsing and in
      electromechanical dissociation. An electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm with
      broad QRS complexes. She had no relevant medical history. INTERVENTION:
      Resuscitation with basic and then advanced life support and administration of
      oxygen, adrenaline, atropine, fluids and bicarbonate gave no response. Calcium
      chloride, however, repeatedly produced a dramatic restoration of blood pressure
      and a narrowing of the QRS complexes. She made a good recovery with no sequelae.
      CONCLUSION: Calcium chloride may have a role to play in propranolol overdose.

PMID- 1875847
TI  - On living with rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1875848
TI  - Detecting the cause of Lyme disease in Australia.

PMID- 1875849
TI  - Caffeine and disease.

PMID- 1875850
TI  - The AIDS test and preventive health care.

PMID- 1875851
TI  - AIDS.

PMID- 1875852
TI  - Quality assurance in health care.

PMID- 1875853
TI  - Chemical carcinogenesis--toluene?

PMID- 1875854
TI  - Methadone dosage and retention of patients in maintenance treatment.

PMID- 1875855
TI  - Surgical waiting list in Victorian hospitals.

PMID- 1875856
TI  - Flying Obstetric and Gynaecology service.

PMID- 1875857
TI  - On perpetuating a medieval tradition.

PMID- 1875858
TI  - Fatal cerebral haemorrhage after tiger snake bite.

PMID- 1875859
TI  - Human cutaneous anthrax.

PMID- 1875860
TI  - Idarubicin.

PMID- 1875861
TI  - Influenza vaccine, 1991-1992.

PMID- 1875862
TI  - [Heart involvement in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)].
AB  - The incidence of cardial involvement in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
      was investigated by two-dimensional echocardiography. Pericardial manifestation
      was found in two patients. Mitral valve prolapse was detected in 61% of the
      patients, which may indicate a specific cardial involvement in MCTD. Myocardial
      changes were rare.

PMID- 1875863
TI  - [Somatomedin C level and stimulation of growth hormone and adrenal cortex
      function by administration of releasing hormones and physical exertion in
      patients with obesity].
AB  - In a clinical study on potential determinants underlying the impairment of growth
      hormone stimulation in obese human subjects, we examined in 20 otherwise healthy
      adult obese subjects (14 females, six males, age 18 to 40 years, body mass index
      greater than 29 kg/m2) the responses of growth hormone (hGH), adrenocorticotropic
      hormone (ACTH) and cortisol to releasing hormone stimulation (growth hormone
      releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone) and the responses of hGH,
      ACTH, cortisol and free fatty acids (FFA) to physical exercise. Subjects with
      somatomedin-C levels less than or equal to 0.7 U/ml (group 1) were more obese
      than subjects with somatomedin-C levels greater than 0.7 U/ml (group 2) (p less
      than 0.01). In group 1, hGH increased by 4.3 +/- 1.2 ng/ml in response to
      releasing hormone administration and by 0.9 +/- 0.3 ng/ml in response to physical
      exercise (normal responses, increase by greater than 7 ng/ml), in group 2, hGH
      increased by 6.7 +/- 1.4, and 2.4 +/- 0.8 ng/ml, respectively (p less than 0.05
      vs. group 1). Moreover, FFA stimulation by physical exercise was blunted in group
      1 (p less than 0.05 vs. group 2). In contrast, ACTH stimulation was found
      increased in group 1 in comparison to group 2, particularly in response to
      physical exercise (p less than 0.01), and resulted in enhanced cortisol
      stimulation (p less than 0.05). Thus, impaired hGH stimulation in obese human
      subjects is not explained by an altered relationship between hGH and somatomedin
      C levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1875864
TI  - [Port-catheter perforation into the duodenum and other early complications after
      port implantation before intra-arterial infusion therapy of the liver with
      chemotherapeutic drugs].
AB  - Early complications following implantation of intraarterial hepatic port catheter
      systems from 1985 to 1988 in 24 patients are reported with special view to the
      perforation of a port catheter into the duodenum. In this case the primary
      postoperative angiographic control four weeks after implantation showed correct
      placement and perfusion of the liver. The perforation occurred before starting
      any cytostatic regimen. We observed a total of 21% irregularities and
      complications: dislocation of port membrane (n = 1), incorrect catheter
      displacement but regular liver perfusion (n = 1), catheter leakage (n = 1),
      subhepatic abscess (n = 1) and perforation of the catheter in the duodenum. When
      possible we combine port-implantation with resection of the liver.

PMID- 1875865
TI  - [Portal hypertension in childhood. Freiburg gastroenterology conference].

PMID- 1875866
TI  - [Intermittent ventilation--a new therapy in chronic respiratory failure].

PMID- 1875867
TI  - [Therapeutic concept in ovarian cancer].

PMID- 1875868
TI  - [Should a patient use self-ventilation?].

PMID- 1875869
TI  - [Responsibilities of the physician in "Rehabilitation 2000"].

PMID- 1875870
TI  - [Castleman tumor as differential diagnosis of unilateral hilus enlargement].

PMID- 1875871
TI  - [Mediators in purulent meningitis].

PMID- 1875872
TI  - The black bag.

PMID- 1875873
TI  - Addicted docs. Care givers who need care.

PMID- 1875874
TI  - The successful treatment of psychogenic polydipsia and water intoxication with
      propanolol. A case report.
AB  - Psychogenic polydipsia (PPD), which can lead to water intoxication (WI), is a
      problem with many psychiatric patients. The case history of one schizophrenic
      patient presented here shows that propanolol therapy can reduce PPD and WI,
      possibly decrease thirst, and improve schizophrenic symptoms and behavior. When
      combined with regular weight evaluation and behavioral treatment to restrict
      water intake, the therapy can further reduce the risk of developing life
      threatening WI complications.

PMID- 1875876
TI  - Pill for AIDS-related pneumonia.

PMID- 1875875
TI  - Right-to-die issues in Minnesota.

PMID- 1875877
TI  - HIV infection in the medical work place. Are physicians and patients at risk?

PMID- 1875878
TI  - HIV infection in the health care setting. Putting the risk in perspective.

PMID- 1875879
TI  - Neonatal seizures: an overview.
AB  - Seizures in the newborn are different from those occurring in older children and
      adults. Health care professionals may find it difficult to recognize neonatal
      seizures because of their sometimes subtle manifestations. Convulsive behavior
      has many etiologies; some are associated with a favorable and some with a poor
      prognosis. Treatment protocol is controversial because both the seizures
      themselves and the drugs used to treat them may damage the immature brain. The
      high mortality and morbidity rates of infants who experience seizures make it
      imperative that the neonatal seizure be recognized, its etiology diagnosed, and
      treatment begun promptly.

PMID- 1875880
TI  - What is an organized infant?
AB  - Organization is a term used to describe the establishment of integrated
      functioning between an infant's physiologic and behavioral systems. When these
      systems are well integrated, the infant is able to interact with the environment
      without disruptions in autonomic, motor, and state functioning. As a result, he
      will not experience alterations in vital signs, color, state, or digestive
      functions that may compromise his future growth and development. Infants who can
      maintain or regain physiologic and behavioral organization will conserve energy
      for growth, provide caregivers with clear behavioral cues that indicate their
      needs, facilitate the establishment of parent-infant attachment, and use self
      consoling or habituating behaviors when interacting with an environment that is
      too stimulating. As a result, developmental outcomes can be enhanced,
      particularly in infants who are at risk for neurobehavioral sequelae and
      developmental delays. Nurses can help infants achieve and maintain organization
      by providing an environment that supports their physiologic and behavioral
      organization.

PMID- 1875881
TI  - Genetic risks and other hazards for the NICU nurse.

PMID- 1875882
TI  - Documentation: short, simple, and meaningful.
AB  - Nursing diagnosis has been incorporated into the documentation in our neonatal
      units because it gives nurses credit for their unique functioning, provides for
      consistency in communication, facilitates continuity of care, and is therefore
      likely to improve the quality of nursing care. The documentation system utilizes
      flow sheets to document physiological functioning. The nursing progress
      note/individualized patient care plan provides for a narrative note and
      continuous update of the patient care plan, keeping it current and meaningful.
      Previous care plans have involved massive writing about nursing actions. By
      providing reference tools that list the actual nursing actions, this system
      allows the nurse's written documentation to describe what the focus of the
      nurse's work has always been: the patient and the patient's responses to nursing
      care.

PMID- 1875883
TI  - United States Maternal and Child Health Services. Part II: a comparison with
      Western Europe and strategies for change.
AB  - Part I of this article showed that accessibility and quality of health care in
      the United States is determined by race, language, national origin, income level,
      education, age, and location of residence; that there is consistent correlation
      of low income with inaccessibility to perinatal care and poor pregnancy outcome;
      and that certain traditional American values are in part responsible. Despite
      many well-designed programs, the existing system of maternal-child health care
      delivery in the U.S. remains an overly complex, fragmented, and fundamentally
      flawed network fraught with financial and institutional obstacles to care. Major
      health indices, such as infant mortality rate and teenage pregnancy rate, attest
      to the fact that our system is failing.

PMID- 1875884
TI  - Corporate funding: resource for neonatal nursing research.

PMID- 1875885
TI  - Education in the NICU: an introduction.

PMID- 1875886
TI  - Vancomycin.

PMID- 1875887
TI  - Standards enhance program quality.

PMID- 1875888
TI  - Experiences of a Navy nurse in the Middle East.

PMID- 1875889
TI  - [Diagnostic significance of urinary endothelin concentration].
AB  - We investigated plasma Endothelin concentration (s-ET) and urinary Endothelin
      concentration (u-ET) in eleven patients undergoing subtotal esophagectomy through
      r-thoracal and abdominal approach for esophageal cancer (nine men and two women).
      S-ET and u-ET, sodium excretions fraction (FENa), free-water clearance (CH2O,
      uric NAG Index, creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), primary water balance (PWB) and
      primary sodium balance (PNB) were measured during the perioperative period till
      the 7th day. Urinary Endothelin concentration in the postoperative 3 and 6 hours,
      and the 2nd postoperative day were significantly higher than preoperative value.
      No significant values were obtained in plasma Endothelin Highly significant
      correlations were obtained between urinary Endothelin concentration and FENa,
      CH2O, PWB and PNB. Furthermore, u-ET was well correlated with s-ET. We concluded
      that the measurement of u-ET may be useful as an indicator of renal tubular
      function and global renal functions with high sensitivity.

PMID- 1875890
TI  - [Effect of transfusion of blood components on gastric cancer patients--special
      reference to the incidence of postoperative hepatitis and prognosis].
AB  - To evaluate the effect of blood transfusion on incidence of postoperative
      hepatitis and prognosis of gastric cancer, the data of 493 patients having been
      operated on curatively in our hospital were divided into two groups: those who
      received transfusion before the beginning of components transfusion and those who
      received transfusion after that. The data indicated that the incidences of
      postoperative hepatitis increased from 3.7% to 5.4% after the beginning of
      transfusion of blood components, but the 5-year survival rates did not differ
      significantly. The 5-year survival rates of transfused patients and non
      transfused patients were 57%, 84%, respectively (p less than 0.001) and the rates
      decreased according to the dose of whole blood and/or packed red cells. The same
      results were obtained when limited to stages I + II, But they were not
      deteriorated by fresh frozen plasma significantly. The result suggests that it is
      better to refrain from unnecessary blood transfusion and transfuse whole blood in
      the case of massive transfusion to decrease the incidence of postoperative
      hepatitis and more better to transfuse leucocyte-free blood to avoid
      immunological effect.

PMID- 1875891
TI  - [Studies on the clinical evaluation of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) levels in
      the peripheral and draining venous blood of gastric cancer patients].
AB  - Correlation with TPA levels of peripheral (p) and draining (d) venous blood, and
      11 histopathologic variables, postoperative recurrence and survival was examined
      in 40 patients with gastric cancer. Elevation of d-TPA levels was correlated with
      tumor location, size, macroscopic type, invasive layer of gastric wall, venous
      invasion, node and liver metastases and stage classification, though elevation of
      p-TPA levels was correlated only with liver metastasis. No significant difference
      of p-TPA levels was found between the patients with and without cancer
      recurrence. d-TPA levels (mean 1318U/l and positive rate greater than 726U/l of
      mean +/- 2SD in patients with benign diseases, 59%) of the former were
      significantly higher than those (518U/l and 15%) of the latter. Correlation
      between d-TPA levels and recurrent sites was not found. Most of the patients with
      hematogenous recurrence showed the elevated p-TPA levels, but none of the
      patients with local recurrence revealed the elevation. Survival in both patients
      with non-elevated p- and d-TPA levels was significantly better than in patients
      with the elevated levels. These results suggest d-TPA levels are more closely
      correlated with histopathologic variables and postoperative recurrent rates than
      p-TPA levels, preoperative determination of p- and d-TPA levels is useful for the
      estimation of the postoperative prognosis and patients with elevated p- and d-TPA
      levels should be clinically treated as patients with high recurrence and poor
      prognosis.

PMID- 1875892
TI  - [Analysis of factors relating to early repairment of the surgical margin
      following liver resection--factors relating to duration of hospital stay].
AB  - To analyze relating factors to early repairment of the surgical margin of the
      remnant liver we measured plasma fibronectin (FN), coagulation factor XIII
      (XIII), polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase (PMNE), platelet counts (Plt),
      prothrombin time (PT%) before and at the first, third, 7th and 14th days after
      liver resection in 25 patients. Changes in these factors (1) were compared with
      their clinical status, such as liver cirrhosis, high fever, abscess formation,
      duration of drainage and use of microwave tissue coagulator (MTC) (2). The
      multivariate analysis about the factors influencing the duration of hospital stay
      (3) were carried out. (1) In the all cases FN, XIII (14th), PT%, Plt decreased
      and PMNE increased significantly versus pre-operative data. There were
      significant correlations between FN and XIII, FN and PMNE. (2) In the cirrhotic
      group FN, XIII, PT% and Plt were significantly lower than those of non cirrhotic
      group. In the abscess formation group PT% was significantly lower than the no
      abscess formation group. In the MTC group XIII, PT% and Plt were significantly
      lower than those of the no-MTC group. In conclusion, FN, XIII, Plt and PT% in the
      cirrhotic, high fever, abscess formation or longer drainage group were in lower
      levels compared with the each control group. (3) By the multivariate analyses,
      abscess formation, high fever and liver cirrhosis were the most influencing
      factors for the duration of hospital stay.

PMID- 1875893
TI  - [Functional and morphological changes of the liver after brain death maintained
      with the combined administration of vasopressin and catecholamine].
AB  - We investigated the functional and morphological changes of the liver after brain
      death for long period maintained with the combined administration of arginine
      vasopressin (ADH) and catecholamine. Twenty five brain-dead patients suffered
      from severe closed head injury were studied. The average age was 38.2 y.o.
      Systemic circulation was maintained normal for at least 6 days with ADH and
      catecholamine. ADH was infused constantly with an average dosage of 0.3
      mU/kg/min. Simultaneous infusion of catecholamine was adjusted to maintain the
      mean arterial pressure above 80 mmHg. The morphological changes were not
      remarkable in the liver cells throughout the study. Levels of activated partial
      thromboplastin time (APTT) except in 5 patients remained within normal range for
      two weeks. According to this data, it can be considered that there is no marked
      lowering in the activity of protein synthesis of the liver. The progressive
      increase of serum alkaline phosphatase, LAP, gamma-GTP, and total bilirubin were
      observed as the characteristic changes of the liver after brain death. Serum
      levels of total bilirubin were markedly elevated especially in the patients who
      received massive transfusion. Histologically, cell infiltration into the
      Glisson's sheath became remarkable in all cases as day proceeded. These findings
      suggest the dysfunction of bile excretion might occur due to the denervation from
      the brain.

PMID- 1875894
TI  - [Effect of glucagon and insulin on the histochemical and functional alterations
      in the Langerhans islands after hepatectomy in dogs].
AB  - Changes of Langerhans islands after 40% hepatectomy, and effects of GI therapy on
      the islets were investigated in dogs. In control group, one week and four weeks
      after the hepatectomy, ivGTT was examined followed by a blood sampling from the
      portal vein to measure the changes of glucose, insulin and glucagon, and areal
      changes of the islets were measured. In GI group, the same experiment was done
      with added GI therapy after operation. The following results were obtained. 1) In
      control group, portal plasma insulin level and insulin response were decreased
      one week after surgery, and sizes of islets were enlarged four weeks after
      surgery. 2) In GI group, there were no decrease in portal plasma insulin level
      and insulin response one week after surgery, and no enlargement of the sizes of
      the islets four weeks after surgery. 3) Changes in glucagon level and glucagon
      response were same as those of insulin, glucose level and these response. There
      was no difference between the two groups. 4) According to these observation,
      glucagon and insulin are exhausted one week after hepatectomy in dogs. It seems
      to be necessary to provide the dog with glucagon and insulin after hepatectomy.

PMID- 1875895
TI  - [Effect of LAK cells on liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy].
AB  - Lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells can destroy not only tumor cells but also
      syngeneic regenerating liver cells. This study was started to determine the
      effect of passive transfer of LAK cells on liver regeneration after partial
      hepatectomy. C3H mice were received 70% hepatectomy and LAK cells were injected
      intravenously at a dose of 5 X 10(7) cells/body. After 36 hours, 3H-thymidine
      uptake into the residual liver was measured. LAK cells transferred group showed
      31% suppression compared with control group. In vitro, 24 hours addition of LAK
      cells to the primary culture of regenerating liver cells caused 97% suppression
      of 3H-thymidine uptake at effector to target ratio, 50/1. Then we examined the
      effects of IL-2 administration on liver regeneration. Though IL-2 showed no
      effect on cultured liver cells, intraperitoneal administration of IL-2 after
      hepatectomy at a dose of 1 X 10(4)u/body 5 times every 8 hours brought 38%
      suppression of 3H-thymidine uptake of the residual liver. Cyclosporine A, which
      can suppress the IL-2 production of lymphocytes, promoted liver regeneration 45%
      over the control at a dose of 10 mg/kg. These results suggest that LAK cells
      could regulate liver regeneration.

PMID- 1875896
TI  - [Experimental study of endotoxemia and reticuloendothelial system in
      hepatectomized cirrhotic rats].
AB  - To investigate acute hepatic failure associated with endotoxemia and
      reticuloendothelial system (RES) in hepatectomized cirrhotic patients,
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at the dose of 0.2 micrograms/100gBW was injected
      intravenously into the 70% hepatectomized three groups of rats as follows; LC:
      rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis, CONTROL: rats with normal liver,
      LC + FN: cirrhotic rats with intravenous supplementation of fibronectin. 1) The
      survival rates at 24 hours after hepatectomy of each group of LC, CONTROL and LC
      + FN were 0%, 100%, and 80%, respectively. Residual liver of group-LC revealed
      massive necrosis in histological study. 2) Phagocytic index (K) of injected 3H
      labeled LPS were 0.100/min, 0.155/min and 0.146/min, respectively. 3) Uptake of
      injected 3H-labeled LPS at 15 minutes after injection was remarkably elevated
      into the liver compared with the lung and spleen in each group. Also uptakes into
      the liver per gram of tissue were 0.96% ID/g, 3.00% ID/g and 1.46% ID/g,
      respectively, and those per total organ were 5.95% ID/TO, 8.20% ID/TO and 9.21%
      ID/TO, respectively. 4) Level of plasma fibronectin decreased and that of serum
      total bile acid increased remarkably after injection of LPS in group-LC compared
      with the others. These results suggest the mortality of hepatic necrosis by LPS
      in group-LC is attributed to markedly reduced RES function especially in the
      liver, and supplementation of fibronectin decreases the mortality by enhancing
      RES function.

PMID- 1875897
TI  - [The growth rates of liver metastases in pancreatic cancer--comparison on growth
      rates between clinical cases and established human pancreatic cancer cell lines].
AB  - By measuring the doubling time both of clinical liver metastases and cultured
      human pancreatic cancer cell lines, we studied the possibility of occult liver
      metastases at the time of pancreatectomy in patients with pancreatic cancer.
      Doubling times of 3 pancreatic cancers were obtained from the measurements of
      size of liver metastases after pancreatectomy and those were compared with those
      of cultured human pancreatic cancer cell lines established from two of these
      cases. Doubling time of liver metastases were about fifteen times as long as
      those of cultured cell lines. On the assumption that growth rates of liver
      metastases were constant, the size of liver metastases at the time of
      pancreatectomy was calculated in three cases. The calculated sizes of these liver
      metastases were 140 microns, 2.4 mm, and 8.3 mm respectively. These results
      indicate that occult liver metastases have already existed in patients with
      pancreatic cancer even though they were clinically undetectable at the time of
      operation. And some adjuvant therapies against occult liver metastases are
      necessary for achievement of the better prognosis.

PMID- 1875898
TI  - [Immunologic function against infection in splenic autotransplanted mice].
AB  - The increasing recognition of the danger of overwhelming postsplenectomy
      infection (OPSI) has led surgeons to attempt to maintain splenic function after
      spleen injury. One technique they use when splenorrhapy or partial splenectomy
      are not feasible is the deliberate autotransplantation of splenic tissue. But the
      amount of splenic tissue necessary to prevent OPSI remains controversial, and
      opinions differ about the importance of the location and size of the splenic
      fragments implanted. The mice were divided into five groups, I. splenectomy, II.
      splenectomy +30% of the spleen implanted intraperitoneal site, III. splenectomy
      +50% implanted intraperitoneally, IV. splenectomy +50% implanted subcutaneously
      and V. Sham operation. This study assessed the blood flow of the splenic tissue,
      increasing weight of splenic mass, histology, the serum level of the
      immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM), pneumococcal antibody titers after
      vaccination, and survival after intravenous pneumococcal challenge. This study
      demonstrated that intraperitoneal transplantation showed better regeneration and
      afforded better protection from OPSI than subcutaneous transplantation. And 30 to
      50 percent of the whole splenic tissue mass protected against experimental
      pneumococcal sepsis. The splenic autotransplants developed in volume and blood
      supply after 8 weeks, and immunologic function against infection recovered at the
      same time.

PMID- 1875899
TI  - [Cerebral infarction after coronary artery bypass surgery--its cause, management
      and prevention].
AB  - Among 535 cases of simple CABG, cerebral infarction was complicated in 5 cases
      (0.9%). Their mean age (65.2 years old) was high, and 80% of them had the history
      of hypertension or diabetes mellitus or both. The causes of the cerebral
      infarction were considered to be the embolism of atheromatous debris from the
      ascending aorta (3 cases), the cerebral hypoperfusion due to cerebral arterial
      disease and hypotension during cardiopulmonary bypass (1 cases), and the embolism
      of the left atrial thrombus formed during repeated supraventricular
      tachyarrhythmias (1 case). Both cases of the multiple infarctions were lost in
      hospital 10 months and 21 months postoperatively. Two of the three cases of
      single infarction suffered from the permanent neurological deficits. To prevent
      cerebral infarction which might totally deprive of the efficacy of the CABG, it
      is important to check and properly manage the atheromatous change of the
      ascending aorta, the cerebral arterial disease, and also postoperative
      supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.

PMID- 1875900
TI  - [Interaction of lung cancer cells and fibroblasts].
AB  - Fibroblasts are found to secrete several factors, but complex interactions
      between cancer cells and fibroblasts are not well known. In this report, it was
      discussed how fibroblasts derived from lung cancer tissues affected lung cancer
      cells in vitro and in vivo. As results, the growth of 4 of eight cancer cells was
      promoted by any medium conditioned by fibroblasts (C.M) in vitro. Fifty percent
      of the 12 fibroblasts had some effect on promoting the growth of cancer cells,
      but had no effect on suppressing cancer cells. The C.Ms promoting the growth of
      cancer cells in vitro exerted the same effect in nude mice, too. Coinoculation of
      fibroblasts and cancer cells into nude mice gained higher tumorigenicity than
      cancer cells alone with no relation to their subclasses. It was suggested that to
      examine the effect on promoting the growth of cancer cells by fibroblasts derived
      from lung cancer tissues in vitro was able to prospect how fibroblasts affected
      cancer cells in vivo and fibroblasts made some good condition to transplanted
      cancer cells into nude mice by means different from growth factors.

PMID- 1875901
TI  - [Proliferative activity assessed on the basis of DNA ploidy patterns in primary
      lung cancer].
AB  - Flow cytometric cellular DNA-RNA content analysis by acridine orange staining was
      conducted on surgical fresh specimens of primary lung carcinomas from 66 patients
      (31 squamous cell carcinomas, 34 adenocarcinomas and 1 large cell carcinoma). The
      frequency of aneuploid tumors was 84.6% among the tumors. RNA content (RNA Index)
      in the DNA aneuploid tumor much more significantly (p less than 0.05) increased
      than the DNA diploid tumor. Tumor doubling time in the DNA aneuploid tumor was
      significantly (p less than 0.05) shorter than in the DNA diploid tumor. In the
      patients with lung cancers that recurred within 1 years, recurrence of the DNA
      aneuploid tumor was higher than the DNA diploid tumor. It is evident from the
      above results that proliferative activity in the DNA aneuploid tumor increases
      much more than in the DNA diploid tumor. This in turn may induce early recurrence
      in patients with lung cancer.

PMID- 1875902
TI  - [Acute occlusion of the iliac arteries due to blunt trauma].
AB  - Two cases of acute iliac occlusion due to blunt trauma are presented. The cause
      of injuries were a fall from bicycle in case 1 and a compression between an
      automobile and a wall in case 2. The end-to-end anastomosis was possible in case
      2, but an interposition of an artificial prosthesis was necessary because of the
      length of damaged artery in case 1. Both cases were associated with the pelvic
      fracture, adding the perforation of small bowels and the bladder in case 2.
      Postoperative course was almost uneventful except fasciotomy was needed for the
      compartment syndrome of the right lower extremity in case 2.

PMID- 1875903
TI  - [A case report of cystic adventitial degeneration communicating with the hip
      joint in the external iliac artery].
AB  - Cystic adventitial degeneration is an uncommon cause of arterial obstruction. Its
      etiology is debated. We report a case in which the left external artery was
      affected and the cystic mass communicated with the hip joint. The findings of
      this case support the embryonic theory that the articular synovium and
      adventitial cysts have the same mesenchymal origin.

PMID- 1875904
TI  - [Cardiovascular effects of increased intra-abdominal pressure during
      pneumoperitoneum: preliminary report].

PMID- 1875905
TI  - [Study of stroma promoting factor on carcinoma cell using alginic acid
      microcapsule: preliminary report].

PMID- 1875906
TI  - [Xenotransplantation in diabetic rats: adult pig islet isolation: preliminary
      report].

PMID- 1875907
TI  - Mechanism of nerve growth factor mRNA regulation by interleukin-1 and basic
      fibroblast growth factor in primary cultures of rat astrocytes.
AB  - Neonatal rat cortical astrocytes in primary culture synthesize and secrete nerve
      growth factor (NGF). Interleukin-1 beta(IL-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor
      (bFGF) treatment of astrocytes increased NGF mRNA content by about 2-fold. The
      effect of these two factors was specific, because other growth factors, such as
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha, insulin-like growth factor-1, and epidermal growth
      factor, failed to change NGF mRNA content. The concentrations of IL-1 and bFGF
      causing half-maximal stimulation were 1 unit/ml and 1 ng/ml, respectively. The
      increase in NGF mRNA elicited by IL-1 and bFGF was maximal at 3 hr of incubation.
      In the presence of IL-1 this increase persisted for 36 hr, whereas in the
      presence of bFGF the initial increase in NGF mRNA was followed by a decrease to
      50% of control levels after 24 hr of incubation. Readdition of bFGF after 24 hr
      of treatment gave a similar increase in NGF mRNA content, suggesting that the
      decrease at 24 hr was not due to receptor desensitization. The effect of IL-1 was
      reversible, because removal of IL-1 after 3 hr of incubation resulted in a
      decrease of NGF mRNA content to control levels by 6 hr, whereas a readdition of
      IL-1 at this time led to a 2-3-fold increase in NGF mRNA content after an
      additional 3 hr of treatment. This second increase in NGF mRNA was also
      maintained for several hours. The combined treatment of astrocytes with maximally
      effective doses of IL-1 and bFGF produced an additive increase in NGF mRNA
      content, suggesting that different mechanisms are operative. Treatment of
      astrocytes with cycloheximide increased (about 6-fold) NGF mRNA content, and this
      content failed to increase further with IL-1 or bFGF treatment. Experiments using
      actinomycin D indicated that IL-1 increased the stability of the NGF mRNA. bFGF
      treatment failed to change this parameter. Thus, IL-1 increases NGF mRNA content
      in astrocytes, at least in part, by stabilizing mRNA, whereas bFGF does not
      affect mRNA stability but may act at the level of NGF gene transcription.

PMID- 1875908
TI  - Hormonal regulation of microsomal flavin-containing monooxygenase: tissue
      dependent expression and substrate specificity.
AB  - The substrate- and tissue-dependent hormonal regulation of flavin-containing
      monooxygenase (EC 1.14.13.8) was studied in male and female rats. Hypophysectomy
      of males reduced liver microsomal N,N-dimethylaniline N-oxidation, thiobenzamide
      S-oxidation, and imipramine N-oxidation, although the reduction was not as marked
      with the latter substrate. Castration also reduced flavin-containing
      monooxygenase-dependent activities, but not to the same extent as hypophysectomy.
      Administration of growth hormone or testosterone to hypophysectomized males only
      partially restored basal activities. In female rats, hypophysectomy had no effect
      on N,N-dimethylaniline N-oxidation or thiobenzamide S-oxidation and actually
      stimulated imipramine N-oxidation (98%). These effects were demonstrated to be
      tissue- and sex-dependent. For example, hypophysectomy markedly (300%) enhanced
      imipramine N-oxidation in male kidney and significantly decreased the same
      activity in male and female lung. Correlations between levels of the enzyme
      determined by immunoquantitation (with antibody to the rat liver enzyme) and
      activities toward these three substrates, in male and female liver, lung, and
      kidney, also provide evidence for the existence of multiple forms of flavin
      containing monooxygenase, which appear to be under different hormonal regulation.

PMID- 1875909
TI  - Molecular genetic basis of rapid and slow acetylation in mice.
AB  - The molecular genetic basis of N-acetylation polymorphism has been investigated
      in inbred mouse models of the human acetylation polymorphism. Two genomic clones,
      Nat1 and Nat2, were isolated from a C57BL/6J (B6) mouse (rapid acetylator)
      genomic library. The Nat1 and Nat2 genes both have intronless coding regions of
      870 nucleotides and display greater than 47% deduced amino acid similarity with
      human, rabbit, and chicken N-acetyltransferases. Amplification of Nat1 and Nat2
      from A/J (A) mouse (slow acetylator) genomic DNA by the polymerase chain reaction
      and subsequent sequencing revealed that Nat1 was identical in B6 and A mice,
      whereas Nat2 contained a single nucleotide change from adenine in B6 to thymine
      in A mice. This nucleotide substitution changes the deduced amino acid at
      position 99 from asparagine in B6 to isoleucine in A mice. Hydropathy analysis
      revealed that this amino acid change alters the hydropathy of the flanking
      peptide segment in NAT2 from hydrophilic in the B6 mouse to hydrophobic in the A
      mouse. The amino acid change occurs in a region of the gene where no polymorphism
      has yet been reported in human or rabbit NAT2 and may represent an important
      structural domain for N-acetyltransferase activity. Nat1 and Nat2 have the same
      5' to 3' orientation in the B6 mouse; the two genes are separated by
      approximately 9 kilobases, with Nat1 located 5' of Nat2.

PMID- 1875910
TI  - Purification and characterization of the major hepatic cannabinoid hydroxylase in
      the mouse: a possible member of the cytochrome P-450IIC subfamily.
AB  - Acute cannabidiol treatment of mice inactivated hepatic microsomal cytochrome P
      450IIIA (P-450IIIA) and markedly inhibited in vitro cannabinoid metabolism.
      Antibodies raised against purified P-450IIIA inhibited the microsomal formation
      of quantitatively minor cannabinoid metabolites but had no effect on the major
      metabolites. Cannabinoid hydroxylation to the major metabolites was used as a
      functional probe to isolate and purify a P-450 (termed P-450THC) from hepatic
      microsomes of untreated mice. The purified protein had an apparent molecular
      weight of 47,000 and a specific content of 15.4 nmol/mg and exhibited an
      absorbance maximum at 452 nm for the reduced carbon monoxide complex. NH2
      terminal sequence analysis of the first 16 residues of P-450THC suggests that it
      is a member of the P-450IIC subfamily, because its sequence is 85 and 69%
      identical to published sequences of rat hepatic P-450IIC7 and P-450IIC6,
      respectively. P-450THC exhibited high activity for cannabinoid hydroxylation and
      specifically produced 6 alpha- and 7-hydroxy-delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol, as
      well as 6 alpha-, 7-, and 4"-hydroxycannabidiol. Unlike anti-P-450IIIA antibody,
      antibody raised against purified P-450THC markedly inhibited the microsomal
      formation of all major cannabinoid metabolites. Similar immunoinhibition studies
      also revealed the existence of orthologs of mouse P-450THC and P-450IIIA in human
      liver microsomes. Thus, cannabidiol treatment of mice resulted in the
      inactivation of at least two constitutive P-450 isozymes, which together account
      for the majority of the detected cannabinoid metabolites.

PMID- 1875911
TI  - Role of inositol (1,4,5)trisphosphate in epidermal growth factor-induced Ca2+
      signaling in A431 cells.
AB  - The effects of epidermal growth factor on Ca2+ signaling in A431 cells were
      investigated. Epidermal growth factor induced a transient Ca2+ signal in the
      absence of external Ca2+ and a sustained response in the presence of
      extracellular Ca2+, indicating an ability to mobilize intracellular Ca2+ as well
      as the ability to increase Ca2+ entry from the extracellular space. The Ca(2+)
      ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin also activated Ca2+ entry, and neither epidermal
      growth factor nor the guanine nucleotide-dependent protein-linked receptor
      agonist bradykinin activated additional Ca2+ entry over that due to thapsigargin.
      In nominally Ca(2+)-free medium, the addition of bradykinin to A431 cells rapidly
      but transiently increased inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and, in parallel fashion,
      transiently increased cytosolic Ca2+. Unexpectedly, under these experimental
      conditions, epidermal growth factor elicited a small but significant Ca2+ signal
      after the addition of bradykinin. Experiments were designed to determine whether
      the Ca2+ response to epidermal growth factor after bradykinin results from
      mobilization of Ca2+ by an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-independent mechanism.
      Epidermal growth factor stimulated additional inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate
      formation in bradykinin-treated cells. Furthermore, the Ca2+ signals elicited by
      both bradykinin and epidermal growth factor were blocked in cells microinjected
      with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor antagonist heparin, whereas the
      intracellular Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin still mobilized Ca2+. Finally,
      histamine, a less efficacious guanine nucleotide-dependent protein-linked
      receptor agonist, as well as photolyzed, microinjected, caged inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate, also mobilized Ca2+ after bradykinin. The results of this study
      show (i) that epidermal growth factor activates intracellular Ca2+ release as
      well as Ca2+ entry, the latter most likely resulting from an indirect effect due
      to the depletion of intracellular Ca2+ pools, (ii) that the actions of epidermal
      growth factor on Ca2+ homeostasis can be fully accounted for by inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate formation, and (iii) that the ability of A431 cells to produce Ca2+
      signals when epidermal growth factor is applied after bradykinin can be explained
      by the rapid and complete desensitization of the bradykinin stimulated
      phospholipase C activity.

PMID- 1875912
TI  - Agonistic activities of histamine-albumin conjugates at histamine H2 receptors on
      human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells.
AB  - We previously identified functional histamine H2 receptors on human HL-60
      promyelocytic leukemia cells [J. Biol. Chem. 264: 18356-18362 (1989)]. In the
      present study, we have compared the action of histamine-albumin conjugates on H2
      receptor activation with that of histamine alone. Both histamine and conjugates
      increased intracellular levels of Ca2+ in an H2 receptor-specific manner.
      However, binding of fluoresceinated histamine-albumin conjugates to HL-60 cells
      was not dissociated by 10(-4) M unlabeled histamine, although this concentration
      of histamine significantly desensitized conjugate responses. These data suggest
      that histamine-albumin conjugates not only activate H2 receptors but also bind to
      HL-60 cells nonspecifically or in an H2 receptor-unrelated manner. Moreover,
      histamine-induced Ca2+ mobilization was transient, whereas conjugate-induced Ca2+
      mobilization was sustained for more than 10 min, as a result of the influx of
      extracellular Ca2+. Therefore, the functional difference between histamine and
      conjugates may provide a good model for the further understanding of the
      activation mechanisms of receptor-operated Ca2+ influx.

PMID- 1875913
TI  - Patterns of internal and external tetraethylammonium block in four homologous K+
      channels.
AB  - Tetraethylammonium (TEA) is a small ion that is thought to block open K+ channels
      by binding either to an internal or to an external site. For this reason, it has
      been used to probe the ion conduction pathway or pore of K+ channel mutants and a
      K+ channel chimera. The results suggested that the region between transmembrane
      segments 5 and 6 (S5-S6 linker) was involved in the formation of both the
      internal and the external TEA binding sites and the K+ conduction pathway.
      Therefore, we compared internal and external TEA block of the currents expressed
      in Xenopus oocytes injected with RNAs from four related K+ channel clones, DRK1,
      RCK1, RCK2, and r-NGK2, which have only subtle structural differences in the S5
      S6 linker. r-NGK2 was the most sensitive to external TEA and the least sensitive
      to internal TEA application. For DRK1 the profile was reversed. RCK1 was blocked
      equally well from either side, whereas RCK2 was more strongly blocked by internal
      TEA. The internal block was voltage dependent, whereas the external block was
      virtually voltage independent. As predicted from block of whole-oocyte currents,
      internal TEA produced a slow block of DRK1 and RCK2 single-channel currents but
      had almost no effect on r-NGK2 single-channel currents. Tetrapentylammonium
      produced a stronger block than TEA at the internal site, and the block was
      relieved by inward K+ currents, therefore suggesting that the internal TEA
      binding site is located within the K+ conduction pathway. These results, together
      with the TEA block of single-channel currents, establish what has until now been
      inferred by extrapolation from other studies, i.e., that TEA is an open-channel
      blocker in K+ channel clones. DRK1 mutants with extensive amino- and carboxyl
      terminal deletions showed the same blocking profile as the parent DRK1. We
      conclude that TEA blocks these K+ channels at two sites, which define the inner
      and outer mouths of the channel pores. Comparison of the primary amino acid
      sequences in the S5-S6 linker suggests which residues may be responsible for the
      different patterns of TEA block.

PMID- 1875914
TI  - Role of the steroid 17 alpha-hydroxylase in spironolactone-mediated destruction
      of adrenal cytochrome P-450.
AB  - Previous investigations have established that spironolactone (SL) is converted to
      a reactive metabolite by adrenal microsomal enzymes, resulting in the degradation
      of cytochrome P-450 (P-450). Deacetylation of SL to 7 alpha-thiospironolactone (7
      alpha-thio-SL) is the first step in the activation pathway, but further NADPH
      dependent metabolism of 7 alpha-thio-SL is required for P-450 destruction.
      Studies were done to evaluate the role of the steroid 17 alpha-hydroxylase in the
      activation of 7 alpha-thio-SL by adrenal microsomes. Incubation of guinea pig
      adrenal microsomes with 7 alpha-thio-SL in the presence of NADPH effected greater
      than 50% declines in P-450 content and in 17 alpha-hydroxylase activity but no
      change in the rate of 21-hydroxylation. Preincubation of the microsomes with
      antisera to the 17 alpha-hydroxylase P-450 isozyme (P-450(17 alpha,lyase))
      decreased 17 alpha-hydroxylase but not 21-hydroxylase activity and prevented the
      degradation of P-450 by 7 alpha-thio-SL. Control IgG had no effect on 17 alpha
      hydroxylase activity or on the 7 alpha-thio-SL-mediated destruction of P-450.
      When added to a purified P-450(17 alpha,lyase) preparation, 7 alpha-thio-SL and
      the endogenous substrate progesterone caused typical type I spectral changes, but
      SL did not. Incubation of a purified and reconstituted 17 alpha-hydroxylase
      system, consisting of P-450(17 alpha,lyase), NADPH-P-450 reductase, cytochrome
      b5, and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, with 7 alpha-thio-SL plus NADPH effected
      the complete degradation of the P-450(17 alpha,lyase). Neither progesterone nor
      SL caused P-450 destruction with the reconstituted enzyme preparation. The
      results provide direct evidence for the activation of 7 alpha-thio-SL by the 17
      alpha-hydroxylase and support the hypothesis that a mechanism-based inhibition of
      the enzyme occurs. The data also provide additional evidence that 7 alpha-thio-SL
      is an obligatory intermediate in the degradation of P-450 by SL.

PMID- 1875915
TI  - Solubilization and characterization of a high affinity ivermectin binding site
      from Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - Ivermectin is a member of the avermectin family of compounds that are used to
      treat helminth and arthropod diseases in humans, domestic animals, and plants. A
      membrane-bound high affinity ivermectin binding site was extracted from
      Caenorhabditis elegans with the nonionic detergent 1-O-n-octyl-beta-D
      glucopyranoside. The free-living nematode C. elegans is highly sensitive to the
      avermectins and was used as a model of parasitic nematodes. The membrane-bound
      and detergent-solubilized ivermectin binding sites are stable and exhibit high
      affinity binding, with dissociation constants of 0.11 nM and 0.20 nM,
      respectively. The maximum binding of [3H]ivermectin is 0.54 pmol/mg of membrane
      protein and 0.66 pmol/mg of detergent-soluble protein. Kinetic analysis of
      ivermectin binding shows that the ivermectin binding sites form a slowly
      reversible complex with ivermectin. The rates of dissociation of [3H]ivermectin
      with the solubilized and membrane-bound binding sites are 0.005 min-1 and 0.006
      min-1, respectively. The association rate of the soluble binding site is 0.053 nM
      1 min-1, slightly slower than that observed for the membrane-bound site, 0.074 nM
      1 min-1. To characterize the ivermectin binding site, competition experiments
      were performed by inhibiting [3H]ivermectin binding with several avermectin
      derivatives and the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The order of
      potency was 22,23-dihydroavermectin B1a monosaccharide greater than 22,23
      dihydroavermectin B1a aglycone greater than 3,4,8,9,10,11,22,23-octahydro B1
      avermectin for both the membrane-bound and NOG-soluble binding sites. GABA did
      not compete with ivermectin binding, although it has been suggested that
      ivermectin acts at the GABA-gated chloride channel in some invertebrate systems.
      Optimum ivermectin binding and assay conditions have been determined. The
      detergent-soluble ivermectin binding site appears to be negatively charged and
      has a pl of 4.0 and an apparent Mr in Triton X-100 micelles of 340,000. Detergent
      solubilization of a high affinity ivermectin binding site will enable the
      subsequent purification and characterization of a putative site of ivermectin
      action.

PMID- 1875916
TI  - Rapid and sensitive gas-chromatographic determination of caffeine in blood
      plasma, saliva, and xanthine beverages.
AB  - A gas chromatographic procedure is reported for the determination of caffeine in
      plasma, saliva, and xanthine beverages. Using a 75 cm column packed with OV-17,
      nitrogen-sensitive detection, and 1 ml samples, a suitable limit of analysis
      (coefficient of variation (CV) = 10.2%) of 50 ng/ml was obtained in plasma.
      Within-day CVs at caffeine concentrations of 0.1-0.5-2.0-7.5-15.0 micrograms/ml
      in plasma were 7.7-5.6-4.8-3.8-3.4%, respectively. The limit of detection,
      defined as the injected quantity of caffeine giving rise to a signal to noise
      ratio of 2, is 40 pg, corresponding to a plasma concentration of 1 ng/ml. The
      procedure involves addition of the internal standard 7-pentyl theophylline and
      alkaline extraction of the sample with dichloromethane. The method described
      rivals any gaschromatographic assay published so far in rapidness and accuracy.
      Plasma and saliva caffeine concentrations were determined in a healthy male
      volunteer after swallowing 400 ml of coffee. The calculated pharmacokinetic
      parameters, assuming complete absorption of caffeine from the G.I. tract, agree
      well with previously published values.

PMID- 1875918
TI  - Isolation and partial characterization of a protein kinase NII from wheat germ
      chromatin.
AB  - A protein kinase, type NII, has been purified from wheat germ chromatin. The
      enzyme, which uses both ATP and GTP as phosphoryl donors, catalyzes the
      phosphorylation of casein, phosvitin and E. coli RNA polymerase, but not of
      histone proteins. Polypeptide bands at 46 kDa, 37 kDa and 25 kDa were estimated
      by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Autophosphorylation
      of the 25 kDa subunit was observed following incubation of the purified kinase
      with (gamma-32P)ATP and (gamma-32P)GTP.

PMID- 1875917
TI  - A proposed role for IF-3 and EF-T in maintaining the specificity of prokaryotic
      initiation complex formation.
AB  - Initiation factor-free 30S subunits of E. coli ribosomes bind aminoacyl-tRNAs
      more efficiently than fMet-tRNA(fMet). Elongator-tRNA binding was unaffected by
      IF-1 or IF-2 but was inhibited by IF-3. Their combination reduced this binding up
      to 40% and stimulated that of fMet-tRNA(fMet). Unexpectedly, EF-T also prevented
      elongator-tRNA binding by complexing both to the 30S and to the aminoacyl-tRNAs.
      Using AUGU3 as mRNA, elongator-tRNAs competed with fMet-fRNA(fMet) and with
      tRNA(fMet), fMet-tRNA(fMet) reacted with puromycin after addition of 50S subunits
      suggesting that it occupied the P site. EF-T directed binding of phe-tRNA to the
      30S.AUGU3 complex at the A site only if fMet-tRNA(fMet) or tRNA(fMet) filled the
      P/E site. We propose that one function of EF-T may be to prevent the entry of
      aminoacyl-tRNAs into the 30S particle during initiation. The possibility that a
      special site for fMet-tRNA resides on 16S rRNA is also discussed.

PMID- 1875919
TI  - Activated ribosomal RNA synthesis in regenerated rat liver upon inhibition of
      protein synthesis.
AB  - Cycloheximide (Cyh), administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg body wt blocks protein
      synthesis in normal rat liver (NRL) and regenerating rat liver (RRL). The rate of
      synthesis of 45S pre-rRNA in RRL, studied after RNA labelling in vivo is
      activated 2.8 times. Pre-r RNA synthesis in RRL is more sensitive to the stopped
      translation, but never falls down to the level in NRL. The major contribution to
      the rDNA transcription activation in RRL comes from the 20-fold increase in the
      number of pol I molecules engaged in the transcription, the elongation rate being
      1.4-fold accelerated. Cyh quenches partially the enhanced rDNA transcription in
      RRL: the number of pol I molecules and their elongation rate are about 1.7-fold
      and 1.5-fold higher, respectively, than the corresponding values in NRL after Cyh
      treatment. The results show that two different mechanisms control the number and
      the rate of initiation and elongation of RNA polymerase I in rat liver; one of
      them depends on continuous protein synthesis and can be inactivated by Cyh, the
      other is Cyh resistant.

PMID- 1875920
TI  - DNA sequence specific interactions of histone H1.
AB  - Histone H1 is know to play a role in the formation and maintenance of higher
      order chromatin structure. It has been recently suggested that the linker histone
      might be also involved in the regulation of the activity of individual genes. If
      H1 is a regulatory factor in eukaryotic gene transcription, it should possess
      specificity of binding to defined DNA sequences. This review is an attempt to
      summarize and discuss the existing literature data on DNA sequence-specific
      interactions of histone H1.

PMID- 1875921
TI  - Small acidic peptides are bound to E. coli DNA.
AB  - Low molecular weight peptides have been isolated by alkali extraction from
      deproteinized DNA of E. coli cells grown in the presence of radioactive glutamic
      acid or orthophosphate. The labeled peptides, purified by gel filtration
      chromatography on Sephadex G25 and G10, contain prevailingly glutamic acid,
      aspartic acid, glycine, serine and alanine. Electrophoretic studies at different
      pH show that some peptide fractions contain a phosphoric residue. The N-terminus
      of the phosphorylated peptides is apparently blocked and they were able to bind
      to DNA in the presence of Mg2+ ions. Moreover the acidic peptides extracted from
      E. coli DNA show a sharp activity in the control of lambda phage DNA
      transcription 'in vitro'.

PMID- 1875922
TI  - Inhibition of translation of transforming growth factor-beta 3 mRNA by its 5'
      untranslated region.
AB  - We have cloned and sequenced the 5' untranslated region of the transforming
      growth factor-beta 3 (TGF-beta 3) mRNA as well as the adjacent genomic sequence.
      S1 nuclease analysis identified a single transcription start site. We have thus
      determined that the 5' untranslated region is about 1.1 kb long and contains 11
      open reading frames. In vitro translation of the TGF-beta 3 precursor coding
      sequence was markedly inhibited by the presence of the 5' untranslated region.
      Similarly, when the 5' untranslated region of TGF-beta 3 was introduced upstream
      of the coding sequence of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, in vitro translation
      was inhibited. Furthermore, upon transfection into 293 cells, chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase expression was inhibited by the 5' untranslated region of TGF
      beta 3. The degree of translational inhibition was inversely proportional to the
      amount of transfected DNA. Mutation analysis implicated multiple segments of the
      5' untranslated region as contributing to the inhibitory effect. Deletion of much
      of the 5'-most 640 nucleotides, including 8 of the 11 upstream ATGs, relieved
      much but not all of the inhibitory influence of the 5' untranslated region of TGF
      beta 3 mRNA. The two upstream open reading frames closest to the initiator codon
      for the TGF-beta 3 coding sequence also decreased translational efficiency, since
      mutation of either ATG resulted in increased translation. Transfection results
      with T47-D cells, a cell line which expresses TGF-beta 3 mRNA, were similar to
      those obtained with the 293 cell line. Thus, TGF-beta 3 mRNA is a recent example
      of an expanding group of growth-related mRNAs in which the 5' untranslated region
      contains upstream open reading frames and other sequences which inhibit
      translation.

PMID- 1875923
TI  - Derepression of mouse beta-major-globin gene transcription during erythroid
      differentiation.
AB  - Functional analysis of the mouse beta-major-globin gene promoter has revealed a
      negative regulatory element (-100 to -250 bp) which represses promoter activity
      in mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. Promoter activity is induced 14-fold during
      terminal differentiation of MEL cells. Three major in vitro binding sites for NF1
      (-250 bp), GATA-1 (-212 bp), and a sequence at -165 bp (BB1) have been defined in
      this region. Site-directed mutagenesis of any one of the three sites resulted in
      a five- to sixfold up-regulation of promoter activity in uninduced MEL cells, but
      only three- to fourfold stimulation was observed from the mutant promoters during
      MEL cell terminal differentiation. This finding suggests that all three sites are
      required for repressor activity in uninduced MEL cells and that derepression
      occurs during MEL cell differentiation. BB1 DNA-binding activity decreases during
      MEL cell differentiation, suggesting a central role for this factor in modulating
      the effects of the repressor element. The BB1-binding factor also competes with
      the CCAAT-binding protein for binding the CCAAT motif. The fact that a reduced
      but significant stimulation of promoter activity during differentiation is
      observed in the absence of the repressor element raises the possibility that the
      BB1 factor also down-regulates transcription in undifferentiated MEL cells by
      displacing binding of CCAAT-binding protein to the proximal CCAAT motif.

PMID- 1875924
TI  - Determination of Candida tropicalis acyl coenzyme A oxidase isozyme function by
      sequential gene disruption.
AB  - A recently developed transformation system has been used to facilitate the
      sequential disruption of the Candida tropicalis chromosomal POX4 and POX5 genes,
      encoding distinct isozymes of the acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) oxidase which
      catalyzes the first reaction in the beta-oxidation pathway. The URA3-based
      transformation system was repeatedly regenerated by restoring the uracil
      requirement to transformed strains, either through selection for spontaneous
      mutations or by directed deletion within the URA 3 coding sequence, to permit
      sequential gene disruptions within a single strain of C. tropicalis. These gene
      disruptions revealed the diploid nature of this alkane- and fatty acid-utilizing
      yeast by showing that it contains two copies of each gene. A comparison of
      mutants in which both POX4 or both POX5 genes were disrupted revealed that the
      two isozymes were differentially regulated and displayed unique substrate
      profiles and kinetic properties. POX4 was constitutively expressed during growth
      on glucose and was strongly induced by either dodecane or methyl laurate and to a
      greater extent than POX5, which was induced primarily by dodecane. The POX4
      encoded isozyme demonstrated a broad substrate spectrum in comparison with the
      narrow-spectrum, long-chain oxidase encoded by POX5. The absence of detectable
      acyl-CoA oxidase activity in the strain in which all POX4 and POX5 genes had been
      disrupted confirmed that all functional acyl-CoA oxidase genes had been
      inactivated. This strain cannot utilize alkanes or fatty acids for growth,
      indicating that the beta-oxidation pathway has been functionally blocked.

PMID- 1875925
TI  - Expression of the murine alpha B-crystallin gene in lens and skeletal muscle:
      identification of a muscle-preferred enhancer.
AB  - The alpha B-crystallin gene is expressed at high levels in lens and at lower
      levels in some other tissues, notably skeletal and cardiac muscle, kidney, lung,
      and brain. A promoter fragment of the murine alpha B-crystallin gene extending
      from positions -661 to +44 and linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase (CAT) gene showed preferential expression in lens and skeletal
      muscle in transgenic mice. Transfection experiments revealed that a region
      between positions -426 and -257 is absolutely required for expression in C2C12
      and G8 myotubes, while sequences downstream from position -115 appear to be
      determinants for lens expression. In association with a heterologous promoter, a 
      427 to -259 fragment functions as a strong enhancer in C2C12 myotubes and less
      efficiently in myoblasts and lens. Gel shift and methylation interference studies
      demonstrated that nuclear proteins from C2C12 myoblasts and myotubes specifically
      bind to the enhancer.

PMID- 1875926
TI  - In situ distinction between steroid receptor binding and transactivation at a
      target gene.
AB  - We have developed a DNA interference assay in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      that is designed to indicate the intracellular DNA-binding status of the estrogen
      receptor. The assay utilizes a promoter containing multiple copies of a GAL4
      estrogen receptor binding sequence. This element is designed so that either an
      estrogen receptor or a GAL4 molecule, but not both, can occupy it simultaneously.
      The assay is extremely sensitive, and at concentrations of estrogen receptor
      below that required for maximal transcriptional activation of its target estrogen
      response element, a quantitative inhibition of GAL4-mediated transcription is
      seen. Inhibition occurs thought the disruption of complex cooperative
      interactions among the GAL4 molecules in this reporter. The data obtained from
      our experiments show that at low concentrations of receptor, hormone is required
      to promote DNA binding. Overexpression of receptor leads to occupation of the
      estrogen receptor element in the absence of ligand. In contrast, this latter
      receptor form will not activate transcription. Our results are consistent with a
      two-step process for receptor activation. Ligand first causes dissociation of
      receptor from an inhibitory complex within the cell and produces a DNA-binding
      form. Second, it converts receptor to a transcriptionally competent form. With
      use of this yeast model system, these two steps can be distinguished in situ.

PMID- 1875928
TI  - Double-strand gap repair in a mammalian gene targeting reaction.
AB  - To better understand the mechanism of homologous recombination in mammalian cells
      that facilitates gene targeting, we have analyzed the recombination reaction that
      inserts a plasmid into a homologous chromosomal locus in mouse embryonic stem
      cells. A partially deleted HPRT gene was targeted with various plasmids capable
      of correcting the mutation at this locus, and HPRT+ recombinants were directly
      selected in HAT medium. The structures of the recombinant loci were then
      determined by genomic Southern blot hybridizations. We demonstrate that plasmid
      gaps of 200, 600, and 2,500 bp are efficiently repaired during the integrative
      recombination reaction. Targeting plasmids that carry a double-strand break or
      gap in the region of DNA homologous to the target locus produce 33- to 140-fold
      more hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine-resistant recombinants than did these
      same plasmids introduced in their uncut (supercoiled) forms. Our data suggest
      that double-strand gaps and breaks may be enlarged prior to the repair reaction
      since sequence heterologies carried by the incoming plasmids located close to
      them are often lost. These results extend the known similarities between
      mammalian and yeast recombination mechanisms and suggest several features of the
      insertional (O-type) gene targeting reaction that should be considered when one
      is designing mammalian gene targeting experiments.

PMID- 1875927
TI  - Two isoforms of murine hck, generated by utilization of alternative translational
      initiation codons, exhibit different patterns of subcellular localization.
AB  - Mammalian hck, a member of the src family of tyrosine kinases, is expressed
      predominantly in cells of the myeloid and B-lymphoid lineages. Using mutational
      analysis, we have investigated the molecular basis of two immunoreactive forms of
      murine hck of 56 and 59 kDa found in numerous hemopoietic cell types. Our results
      indicate that translation of murine p59hck initiates from a CTG codon located 21
      codons 5' of an ATG that is utilized to generate p56hck. We provide evidence that
      two human hck isoforms are generated by the same mechanism. Subcellular
      fractionation studies reveal that while p59hck and p56hck are associated with
      membranes of various murine B-lymphoid and myeloid cell lines, p59hck alone is
      also located in the cytosol. In contrast to membrane-associated p59hck, which is
      metabolically labeled with [3H]myristic acid and exhibits amphiphilic properties
      in Triton X-114 detergent, cytosolic p59hck is hydrophilic, suggesting that it is
      not acylated. Possible mechanisms are proposed to account for these observations.

PMID- 1875929
TI  - High expression of a 3'----5' exonuclease activity is specific to B lymphocytes.
AB  - V(D)J joining, the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) class switch, and somatic
      hypermutation directed at variable regions are unique genetic recombination or
      mutation events which occur during B-cell differentiation. The enzymatic process
      directing and controlling these events remains obscure. An assay for
      exonucleolytic activity has been devised, and an exonuclease activity expressed
      at high levels in normal B lymphocytes has been detected. The high expression of
      this enzyme is specific to B lymphocytes and may be developmentally regulated. We
      have partially purified a B-cell-associated nuclease by column chromatography.
      Using this preparation, we have begun a rigorous analysis of its activity. This
      activity is a nonprocessive, 3'----5' exonuclease with a requirement for divalent
      cations. Our studies demonstrate that EDTA, poly(dI-dC), and glycerol are all
      inhibitory to B-cell-associated exonucleolytic activity. The exonuclease displays
      sequence preference but no sequence specificity when tested on a variety of
      native DNA substrates. This nuclease is distinct from other exonuclease
      activities previously described.

PMID- 1875931
TI  - Repair of a synthetic abasic site involves concerted reactions of DNA synthesis
      followed by excision and ligation.
AB  - A synthetic analog of an abasic site in DNA is efficiently repaired by a short
      patch repair mechanism in soluble extracts of Xenopus laevis oocytes (Y.
      Matsumoto and D. F. Bogenhagen, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:3750-3757, 1989). We present a
      detailed analysis of the repair mechanism, using extracts depleted of endogenous
      nucleotide pools. ATP was required for repair with a sharp optimal concentration
      of 5 mM. The initial rate of repair was increased by preincubation of the DNA in
      the extract in the presence of ATP. During this preincubation, the DNA was
      cleaved on the 5' side of the lesion by a class II apurinic-apyrimidinic
      endonuclease, but removal of the abasic sugar residue was not observed prior to
      addition of deoxynucleotides to the reaction. Immediately following DNA
      synthesis, excision and ligation proceeded in a coordinated manner to complete
      repair. DNA preincubated in the extract in the absence of deoxynucleotides
      remained associated with repair enzymes during gel filtration. These observations
      suggest that the enzymes involved in concerted repair of the abasic site form a
      complex on DNA.

PMID- 1875930
TI  - The extracellular matrix coordinately modulates liver transcription factors and
      hepatocyte morphology.
AB  - The extracellular matrix (ECM) promotes tissue morphogenesis, cell migration, and
      the differentiation of a variety of cell types. However, the mechanisms by which
      ECM causes differentiated gene expression have been unknown. In this report, we
      show that culturing the hepatocyte-derived cell line H2.35 on an ECM gel changes
      cell morphology and selectively stimulates the transcription of a subset of liver
      specific genes, including serum albumin. Transcriptional activation by ECM also
      occurs with transfected plasmids bearing the transcriptional enhancer of the
      albumin gene. ECM substrates of different composition activated the albumin
      enhancer only when the ECM promoted a cuboidal, differentiated cell morphology.
      Enhancer activation by the ECM was mediated by two liver transcription factors,
      HNF3 alpha and eH-TF, which appear to be regulated differently by matrix.
      Specifically, we found that a collagen gel substratum caused a selective increase
      in the factor HNF3 alpha at the levels of mRNA accumulation and DNA-binding
      activity in nuclear extracts, both in H2.35 cells and in the hepatoma cell line
      HepG2. We conclude that the ECM can stimulate cell differentiation by selectively
      activating transcriptional regulatory factors and that such regulation occurs
      coordinately with ECM-promoted changes in cell shape.

PMID- 1875932
TI  - Differential regulation of glucose transporter isoforms by the src oncogene in
      chicken embryo fibroblasts.
AB  - The increase in glucose transport that occurs when chicken embryo fibroblasts
      (CEFs) are transformed by src is associated with an increase in the amount of
      type 1 glucose transporter protein, and we have previously shown that this effect
      is due to a decrease in the degradation rate of this protein. The rate of CEF
      type 1 glucose transporter biosynthesis and the level of its mRNA are unaffected
      by src transformation. To study the molecular basis of this phenomenon, we have
      been isolating chicken glucose transporter cDNAs by hybridization to a rat type 1
      glucose transporter probe at low stringency. Surprisingly, these clones
      corresponded to a message encoding a protein which has most sequence similarity
      to the human type 3 glucose transporter and which we refer to as CEF-GT3. CEF-GT3
      is clearly distinct from the CEF type 1 transporter that we have previously
      described. Northern (RNA) analysis of CEF RNA with CEF-GT3 cDNA revealed two
      messages of 1.7 and 3.3 kb which were both greatly induced by src transformation.
      When the CEF-GT3 cDNA was expressed in rat fibroblasts, a three-to fourfold
      enhancement of 2-deoxyglucose uptake was observed, indicating that CEF-GT3 is a
      functional glucose transporter. Northern analyses using a CEF-GT3 and a rat type
      1 probe demonstrated that there is no hybridization between different isoforms
      but that there is cross-species hybridization between the rat type 1 probe and
      the chicken homolog. Southern blot analyses confirmed that the chicken genomic
      type 1 and type 3 transporters are encoded by distinct genes. We conclude that
      CEFs express two types of transporter, type 1 (which we have previously reported
      to be regulated posttranslationally by src) and a novel type 3 isoform which,
      unlike type 1, shows mRNA induction upon src transformation. We conclude that src
      regulates glucose transport in CEFs simultaneously by two different mechanisms.

PMID- 1875933
TI  - Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly inhibit a subset of myofibrillar genes
      responsible for the ongoing differentiation program of chick skeletal myotubes.
AB  - Phorbol esters selectively and reversibly disassemble the contractile apparatus
      of cultured skeletal muscle as well as inhibit the synthesis of many contractile
      proteins without inhibiting that of housekeeping proteins. We now demonstrate
      that phorbol esters reversibly decrease the mRNA levels of at least six
      myofibrillar genes: myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain 1/3, myosin light
      chain 2, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin, and skeletal troponin T. The steady
      state message levels decrease 50- to 100-fold after 48 h of exposure to phorbol
      esters. These decreases can be attributed at least in part to decreases in
      transcription rates. For at least two genes, cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin,
      some of the decreases are the result of increased mRNA turnover. In contrast, the
      cardiac troponin T steady-state message level does not change, and its
      transcription rate decreases only transiently upon exposure to phorbol esters.
      Phorbol esters do not decrease the expression of the housekeeping genes, alpha
      tubulin, beta-actin, and gamma-actin. Phorbol esters do not decrease the steady
      state message levels of MyoD1, a gene known to be important in the activation of
      many skeletal muscle-specific genes. Cycloheximide blocks the phorbol ester
      induced decreases in transcription, message stability, and the resulting steady
      state message level but does not block the tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate-induced
      rapid disassembly of the I-Z-I complexes. These results suggests a common
      mechanism for the regulation of many myofibrillar genes independent of MyoD1 mRNA
      levels, independent of housekeeping genes, but dependent on protein synthesis.

PMID- 1875935
TI  - Synapsis, strand scission, and strand exchange induced by the FLP recombinase:
      analysis with half-FRT sites.
AB  - We have used a previously described cross-linking assay and half-FRT site
      substrates to examine the requirements for synapsis, strand exchange, and strand
      scission. The cross-linking assay showed that the minimum functional FRT site
      needed for synapsis contains two inverted FLP-binding elements surrounding an 8
      bp core. This indicates that four FLP molecules interact with four binding
      elements in a synaptic complex. The analysis using half-sites showed that the
      enzyme can catalyze efficient strand exchange between a half-site and the intact
      FRT site. The reaction occurred only if the half-site had at least 2 bp but no
      more than 4 bp of the adjoining core sequence. The exchange occurred exclusively
      at the regions of limited core homology between the respective half-site and the
      FRT site. The absence of strand exchange between an intact site and a half-site
      bearing regions of core nonhomology indicates that 1 bp of homology is not
      sufficient for the formation of stable recombinant structures. Qian et al. (X.-H.
      Qian, R. B. Inman, and M. M. Cox, J. Biol. Chem. 265:21779-21788, 1990) have
      recently shown that the FLP protein can catalyze the formation of dimeric,
      trimeric, and tetrameric complexes with half-FRT sites. We show that only half
      sites that contained at least 2 bp of adjacent core could form stable dimer
      products and be cleaved by the enzyme. Stable dimers were formed between a
      noncleavable half-site and a cleavable half-site, suggesting that only a single
      cleavage event is needed for the formation of the dimer.

PMID- 1875934
TI  - Glucocorticoid regulation of transforming growth factor beta 1 activity and
      binding in osteoblast-enriched cultures from fetal rat bone.
AB  - Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) enhances replication and bone matrix
      protein synthesis and associates with distinct binding sites in osteoblast
      enriched cultures from fetal rat bone. In the organism high levels of or
      sustained exposure to glucocorticoids alters bone cell activity and decreases
      bone mass, effects that may be mediated in part by changes in local TGF-beta
      actions in skeletal tissue. Preexposure of osteoblast-enriched cultures to 100 nM
      cortisol reduced the stimulatory effects of TGF-beta 1 on DNA and collagen
      synthesis by 40 to 50%. Binding studies showed that cortisol moderately enhanced
      total TGF-beta 1 binding, but chemical cross-linking and polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoretic analysis revealed an increase only within Mr 250,000 (type III)
      TGF-beta-binding complexes, which are thought to represent extracellular TGF-beta
      storage sites. In contrast, a decrease in TGF-beta 1 binding was detected in Mr
      65,000 (type I) and 85,000 (type II) complexes, which have been implicated as
      signal-transducing TGF-beta receptors. Our present studies therefore indicate
      that glucocorticoids can decrease the anabolic effects of TGF-beta 1 in bone, and
      these may occur in part by a redistribution of its binding toward extracellular
      matrix storage sites. Alterations of this sort could contribute to bone loss
      associated with glucocorticoid excess.

PMID- 1875936
TI  - Target frequency and integration pattern for insertion and replacement vectors in
      embryonic stem cells.
AB  - Gene targeting has been used to direct mutations into specific chromosomal loci
      in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. The altered locus can be studied in vivo
      with chimeras and, if the mutated cells contribute to the germ line, in their
      offspring. Although homologous recombination is the basis for the widely used
      gene targeting techniques, to date, the mechanism of homologous recombination
      between a vector and the chromosomal target in mammalian cells is essentially
      unknown. Here we look at the nature of gene targeting in ES cells by comparing an
      insertion vector with replacement vectors that target hprt. We found that the
      insertion vector targeted up to ninefold more frequently than a replacement
      vector with the same length of homologous sequence. We also observed that the
      majority of clones targeted with replacement vectors did not recombine as
      predicted. Analysis of the recombinant structures showed that the external
      heterologous sequences were often incorporated into the target locus. This
      observation can be explained by either single reciprocal recombination (vector
      insertion) of a recircularized vector or double reciprocal recombination/gene
      conversion (gene replacement) of a vector concatemer. Thus, single reciprocal
      recombination of an insertion vector occurs 92-fold more frequently than double
      reciprocal recombination of a replacement vector with crossover junctions on both
      the long and short arms.

PMID- 1875937
TI  - The serum response factor is extensively modified by phosphorylation following
      its synthesis in serum-stimulated fibroblasts.
AB  - Growth factor regulation of c-fos proto-oncogene transcription is mediated by a
      20-bp region of dyad symmetry, termed the serum response element. The inner core
      of this element binds a 67-kDa phosphoprotein, the serum response factor (SRF),
      that is thought to play a pivotal role in the c-fos transcriptional response. To
      investigate the mechanism by which SRF regulates c-fos expression, we generated
      polyclonal anti-SRF antibodies and used these antibodies to analyze the
      biochemical properties of SRF. These studies indicate that the synthesis of SRF
      is transient, occurring within 30 min to 4 h after serum stimulation of quiescent
      fibroblasts. Newly synthesized SRF is transported to the nucleus, where it is
      increasingly modified by phosphorylation during progression through the cell
      cycle. Within 2 h of serum stimulation, differentially modified forms of SRF can
      be distinguished on the basis of the ability to bind a synthetic serum response
      element. SRF protein exhibits a half-life of greater than 12 h and is
      predominantly nuclear, with no change occurring in its localization upon serum
      stimulation. We find that the induction of SRF synthesis is regulated at the
      transcriptional level and that cytoplasmic SRF mRNA is transiently expressed with
      somewhat delayed kinetics compared with c-fos mRNA expression. These features of
      SRF expression suggest a model whereby newly synthesized SRF functions in the
      shutoff of c-fos transcription.

PMID- 1875938
TI  - Transcriptional activation in an improved whole-cell extract from Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - We report an improved in vitro transcription system for Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
      Small changes in assay and whole-cell extraction procedures increase selective
      initiation by RNA polymerase II up to 60-fold over previous conditions (M.
      Woontner and J. A. Jaehning, J. Biol. Chem. 265:8979-8982, 1990), to levels
      comparable to those obtained with nuclear extracts. We have found that the
      simultaneous use of distinguishable templates with and without an upstream
      activation sequence is critical to the measurement of apparent activation.
      Transcription from any template was very sensitive to the concentrations of
      template and nontemplate DNA, extract, and activator (GAL4/VP16). Alterations in
      reaction conditions led to proportionately greater changes from a template
      lacking an upstream activation sequence; thus, the apparent ratio of activation
      is largely dependent on the level of basal transcription. Using optimal
      conditions for activation, we have also demonstrated activation by a bona fide
      yeast activator, heat shock transcription factor.

PMID- 1875939
TI  - Differential ability of proximal and remote element pairs to cooperate in
      activating RNA polymerase II transcription.
AB  - To investigate the synergism or cooperative interaction between transcription
      elements, we have designed and constructed a series of synthetic polymerase II
      promoters with different combinations of elements. These include three different
      CCAAT boxes, which correspond to the binding sites for CP1, CP2, and NFI, a GC
      box, a CACCC box, and an ATF/CREB-binding site. The synthetic promoters
      containing these elements in proximal positions were linked to a test gene (CAT).
      Tandem repeats of AP1- and AP2-binding sites, the simian virus 40 enhancer, and
      DNA-binding sites for GAL-estrogen receptor were cloned downstream of the test
      gene. The strength of these promoters was then tested in transient-expression
      assays in HeLa TK- cells. In the context of the adenovirus major late promoter
      TATA box, the promoters containing only certain combinations of elements are
      active in this assay. Some elements appear to cooperate nearly universally, but
      others exhibit strong selectivity. These results indicate strongly selective
      synergistic interactions between elements and suggest that levels of promoter
      strength may be determined by the extent of compatibility between factors bound
      to proximal and enhancer sites.

PMID- 1875940
TI  - Telomerase is processive.
AB  - Telomerase synthesizes tandem repeats of the sequence d(TTGGGG) onto input
      d(TTGGGG)n primer oligonucleotides (C. W. Greider and E. H. Blackburn, Cell
      43:405-413). An intrinsic RNA component of the enzyme provides the template for
      d(TTGGGG)n repeat synthesis [C. W. Greider and E. H. Blackburn, Nature (London)
      337:331-337, 1989; G.-L. Lu, J. D. Bradley, L. D. Attardi, and E. H. Blackburn,
      Nature (London) 344:126-132, 1990]. In a typical reaction, products greater than
      2,000 nucleotides were synthesized in 60 min. Dilution and primer challenge
      experiments showed that these long products were synthesized processively. The
      apparent processivity was not due to a higher affinity of the enzyme for long
      d(TTGGGG) products over the shorter competitors. The degree of processivity was
      quantitated; telomerase synthesized approximately 520 nucleotides before half of
      the enzyme had dissociated. After dissociating, telomerase reinitiated d(TTGGGG)n
      synthesis on new primer oligonucleotides. The products from a telomerase reaction
      have a characteristic 6-nucleotide banding pattern (C. W. Greider and E. H.
      Blackburn, Cell 51:887-898, 1987). A strong pause in the reaction occurs after
      the addition of the first G in the sequence d(TTGGGG). Both the processivity and
      the banding pattern analysis imply that in the elongation mechanism there must be
      a translocation step after the 9 nucleotides of internal template RNA have been
      copied to the extreme 5' end.

PMID- 1875941
TI  - Identification of a specific exon sequence that is a major determinant in the
      selection between a natural and a cryptic 5' splice site.
AB  - The first intron of the early region 3 from adenovirus type 2 contains a cryptic
      5' splice site, Dcr1, 74 nucleotides downstream from the natural site D1. The
      cryptic site can be activated when the natural site is inactivated by
      mutagenesis. To investigate the basis for selection between a natural and a
      cryptic 5' splice site, we searched for cis-acting elements responsible for the
      exclusive selection of the natural site. We show that both the relative intrinsic
      strength of the sites and the sequence context affect the selection. A 120
      nucleotide segment located at the 3' end of exon 1 enhances splicing at the
      proximal site D1; in its absence the two sites are used according to their
      strength. Thus, three cis-acting elements are involved in the silencing of the
      cryptic site: the sequence of D1, the sequence of Dcr1, and an upstream exonic
      sequence. We show that the exonic element folds, in solution, into a 113
      nucleotide-long stem-loop structure. We propose that this potential stem-loop
      structure which is located 6 nucleotides upstream of the exon 1-intron junction
      is responsible for the preferential use of the natural 5' splice site.

PMID- 1875942
TI  - Interactions between adenylate cyclase and the yeast GTPase-activating protein
      IRA1.
AB  - The adenylate cyclase system of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains many
      proteins, including the CYR1 polypeptide, which is responsible for catalyzing the
      formation of cyclic AMP from ATP, RAS1 and RAS2 polypeptides, which mediate
      stimulation of cyclic AMP synthesis by guanine nucleotides, and the yeast GTPase
      activating protein analog IRA1. We have previously reported that adenylate
      cyclase is only peripherally bound to the yeast membrane. We have concluded that
      IRA1 is a strong candidate for a protein involved in anchoring adenylate cyclase
      to the membrane. We base this conclusion on the following criteria: (i) a
      disruption of the IRA1 gene produced a mutant with very low membrane-associated
      levels of adenylate cyclase activity, (ii) membranes made from these mutants were
      incapable of binding adenylate cyclase in vitro, (iii) IRA1 antibodies inhibit
      binding of adenylate cyclase to the membrane, and (iv) IRA1 and adenylate cyclase
      comigrate on Sepharose 4B.

PMID- 1875943
TI  - trans activation of nerve growth factor in transgenic mice containing the human T
      cell lymphotropic virus type I tax gene.
AB  - Three lines of transgenic mice containing the human T-cell lymphotropic virus
      type I (HTLV-I) tax gene develop neurofibromas composed of perineural fibroblasts
      (S. H. Hinrichs, M. Nerenberg, R. K. Reynolds, G. Khoury, and G. Jay, Science
      237:1340-1343, 1987; M. Nerenberg, S. H. Hinrichs, R. K. Reynolds, G. Khoury, and
      G. Jay, Science 237:1324-1327, 1987). Tumors and tumor cell lines derived from
      these mice produce neurite outgrowth from PC-12 cells and nerve growth factor
      (NGF), as determined by RNA (Northern) blot analysis and enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assays. In vitro cotransfection studies demonstrate that Tax is
      able to trans activate the NGF promoter in NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The major
      cis-acting tax-responsive element in the NGF promoter (AGGGTGTGACGA) has 92%
      homology with a tax-responsive element contained within the 21-bp repeats of the
      HTLV-I long terminal repeat. The receptor for NGF is also expressed in the
      transgenic tumor cells, suggesting that Tax may activate an autocrine mechanism
      through the upregulation of NGF.

PMID- 1875944
TI  - elt-1, an embryonically expressed Caenorhabditis elegans gene homologous to the
      GATA transcription factor family.
AB  - The short, asymmetrical DNA sequence to which the vertebrate GATA family of
      transcription factors binds is present in some Caenorhabditis elegans gene
      regulatory regions: it is required for activation of the vitellogenin genes and
      is also found just 5' of the TATA boxes of tra-2 and the msp genes. In
      vertebrates GATA-1 is specific to erythroid lineages, whereas GATA-2 and GATA-3
      are present in multiple tissues. In an effort to identify the trans-acting
      factors that may recognize this sequence element in C. elegans, we used a
      degenerate oligonucleotide to clone a C. elegans homolog to this gene. We call
      this gene elt-1 (erythrocytelike transcription factor). It is single copy and
      specifies a 1.75-kb mRNA that is present predominantly, if not exclusively, in
      embryos. The region of elt-1 encoding two zinc fingers is remarkably similar to
      the DNA-binding domain of the vertebrate GATA-binding proteins. However, outside
      of the DNA-binding domains the amino acid sequences are quite divergent.
      Nevertheless, introns are located at identical or nearly identical positions in
      elt-1 and the mouse GATA-1 gene. In addition, elt-1 mRNA is trans-spliced to the
      22-base untranslated leader, SL1. The DNA upstream of the elt-1 TATA box contains
      eight copies of the GATA recognition sequence within the first 300 bp, suggesting
      that elt-1 may be autogenously regulated. Our results suggest that the
      specialized role of GATA-1 in erythroid gene expression was derived after
      separation of the nematodes and the line that led to the vertebrates, since C.
      elegans lacks an erythroid lineage.

PMID- 1875945
TI  - Inducibility of the DNA repair gene encoding O6-methylguanine-DNA
      methyltransferase in mammalian cells by DNA-damaging treatments.
AB  - The inducibility of the mammalian O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT)
      gene encoding the MGMT protein (EC 2.1.1.63) responsible for removal of the
      procarcinogenic and promutagenic lesion O6-alkylguanine from DNA was examined by
      an analysis of transcription of the MGMT gene following exposure of repair
      competent (Mex+) and repair-deficient (Mex-) cells to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N
      nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). While human and rodent Mex- cells (CHO-9, V79, HeLa MR)
      showed no detectable MGMT mRNA despite the presence of the gene in their genome,
      the amount of it in several Mex+ lines (NIH 3T3, HeLa S3, HepG2) paralleled their
      MGMT activity. However, none of these cell lines showed an increase in the MGMT
      mRNA level after treatment with various concentrations of MNNG. In contrast, MNNG
      treated rat hepatoma cells, H4IIE and FTO-2B, both Mex+, had three- to fivefold
      more MGMT mRNA than the corresponding untreated controls as measured 12 to 72 h
      after alkylation. N-Methyl-N-nitrosourea, methyl methanesulfonate, N-hydroxyethyl
      N-chloroethylnitrosourea, UV light, and X rays caused a similar accumulation of
      MGMT mRNA in rat hepatoma cells. Studies with inhibitors of RNA and protein
      synthesis indicate that the induced increase in the amount of MGMT mRNA was due
      to enhanced transcription of the gene. Furthermore, they revealed the turnover of
      the MGMT mRNA to be relatively low (half-life, greater than 7 h). Mutagen-induced
      increase of transcription of MGMT mRNA in H4IIE cells was accompanied by
      elevation of MGMT repair activity and resulted in reduction of mutation frequency
      after a challenge dose of MNNG. Although induction of MGMT mRNA transcription has
      been observed in two rodent hepatoma cell lines so far, this appears to be the
      first demonstration of inducibility of a mammalian gene encoding a clearly define
      DNA repair function. The transcription activation of the MGMT gene protects cells
      from the mutagenic effects of methylating agents.

PMID- 1875946
TI  - Characterization of the major regulatory element upstream of the human alpha
      globin gene cluster.
AB  - The major positive regulatory activity of the human alpha-globin gene complex has
      been localized to an element associated with a strong erythroid-specific DNase I
      hypersensitive site (HS -40) located 40 kb upstream of the zeta 2-globin mRNA cap
      site. Footprint and gel shift analyses of the element have demonstrated the
      presence of four binding sites for the nuclear factor GATA-1 and two sites
      corresponding to the AP-1 consensus binding sequence. This region resembles one
      of the major elements of the beta-globin locus control region in its constitution
      and characteristics; this together with evidence from expression studies suggests
      that HS -40 is a primary element controlling alpha-globin gene expression.

PMID- 1875947
TI  - 5'-flanking sequences mediate butyrate stimulation of embryonic globin gene
      expression in adult erythroid cells.
AB  - A stable transfection assay was used to test the mechanism by which embryonic
      globin gene transcription is stimulated in adult erythroid cells exposed to
      butyric acid and its analogs. To test the appropriate expression and inducibility
      of chicken globin genes in murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells, an adult chicken
      beta-globin gene construct was stably transfected. The chicken beta-globin gene
      was found to be coregulated with the endogenous adult mouse alpha-globin gene
      following induction of erythroid differentiation of the transfected MEL cells by
      incubation with either 2% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or 1 mM sodium butyrate
      (NaB). In contrast, a stably transfected embryonic chicken beta-type globin gene,
      rho, was downregulated during DMSO-induced MEL cell differentiation. However,
      incubation with NaB, which induces MEL cell differentiation, or alpha-amino
      butyrate, which does not induce differentiation of MEL cells, resulted in
      markedly increased levels of transcription from the stably transfected rho gene.
      Analysis of histone modification showed that induction of rho gene expression was
      not correlated with increased bulk histone acetylation. A region of 5'-flanking
      sequence extending from -569 to -725 bp upstream of the rho gene cap site was
      found to be required for both downregulation of rho gene expression during DMSO
      induced differentiation and upregulation by treatment with NaB or alpha-amino
      butyrate. These data are support for a novel mechanism by which butyrate
      compounds can alter cellular gene expression through specific DNA sequences. The
      results reported here are also evidence that 5'-flanking sequences are involved
      in the suppression of embryonic globin gene expression in terminally
      differentiated adult erythroid cells.

PMID- 1875948
TI  - Differences in oncogenic potency but not target cell specificity distinguish the
      two forms of the BCR/ABL oncogene.
AB  - Two forms of activated BCR/ABL proteins, P210 and P185, that differ in BCR
      derived sequences, are associated with Philadelphia chromosome-positive
      leukemias. One of these diseases is chronic myelogenous leukemia, an indolent
      disease arising in hematopoietic stem cells that is almost always associated with
      the P210 form of BCR/ABL. Acute lymphocytic leukemia, a more aggressive
      malignancy, can be associated with both forms of BCR/ABL. While it is virtually
      certain that BCR/ABL plays a central role in both of these diseases, the features
      that determine the association of a particular form with a given disease have not
      been elucidated. We have used the bone marrow reconstitution leukemogenesis model
      to test the hypothesis that BCR sequences influence the ability of activated ABL
      to transform different types of hematopoietic cells. Our studies reveal that both
      P185 and P210 induce a similar spectrum of hematological diseases, including
      granulocytic, myelomonocytic, and lymphocytic leukemias. Despite the similarity
      of the disease patterns, animals given P185-infected marrow developed a more
      aggressive disease after a shorter latent period than those given P210-infected
      marrow. These data demonstrate that the structure of the BCR/ABL oncoprotein does
      not affect the type of disease induced by each form of the oncogene but does
      control the potency of the oncogenic signal.

PMID- 1875949
TI  - Tissue factor mRNA in THP-1 monocytic cells is regulated at both transcriptional
      and posttranscriptional levels in response to lipopolysaccharide.
AB  - Tissue factor (TF) is transiently expressed in human monocytes exposed to the
      inflammatory agonist bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Since TF is the major
      cellular initiator of the coagulation protease cascades, it is inferred that its
      expression within the vasculature is strictly regulated. In this study, we
      investigated mechanisms which control TF mRNA expression in the human monocytic
      cell line THP-1. LPS induced a rapid and transient accumulation of the mature 2.2
      kb TF mRNA, which was maximal at 2 h. After stimulation, the rate of
      transcription of the TF gene was increased (3.3 +/- 1.3)fold. In addition, we
      observed a significant change in TF mRNA stability: at 1 h after LPS stimulation,
      TF mRNA was stable during a 60-min period and had a half-life of greater than 120
      min, whereas at 2 h, the half-life had declined to 25 +/- 5 min. Furthermore, a
      larger (3.4-kb) TF RNA species was induced in these cells; the size of this
      species and data from selective hybridizations with intron-specific probes are
      consistent with the presence of an unspliced copy of intron 1. These results
      demonstrate that the LPS-induced accumulation of TF mRNA levels in these
      monocytic cells is accomplished by both transcriptional and posttranscriptional
      control mechanisms.

PMID- 1875950
TI  - Induction of neurite outgrowth by v-src mimics critical aspects of nerve growth
      factor-induced differentiation.
AB  - PC12 cells treated with nerve growth factor (NGF) or infected with Rous sarcoma
      virus differentiate into sympathetic, neuronlike cells. To compare the
      differentiation programs induced by NGF and v-src, we have established a PC12
      cell line expressing a temperature-sensitive v-src protein. The v-src-expressing
      PC12 cell line was shown to elaborate neuritic processes in a temperature
      inducible manner, indicating that the differentiation process was dependent on
      the activity of the v-src protein. Further characterization of this cell line, in
      comparison with NGF-treated PC12 cells, indicated that the events associated with
      neurite outgrowth induced by these two agents shared features but could be
      distinguished by others. Both NGF- and v-src-induced neurite outgrowths were
      reversible. In addition, NGF and v-src could prime PC12 cells for NGF-induced
      neurite outgrowth, and representative early and late NGF-responsive genes were
      also induced by v-src. However, unlike NGF-induced neurite growth, v-src-induced
      neurite outgrowth was not blocked at high cell density. A comparison of
      phosphotyrosine containing-protein profiles showed that v-src and NGF each
      increase tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple cellular proteins. There was
      overlap in substrates; however, both NGF-specific and v-src-specific tyrosine
      phosphorylations were observed. One protein which was found to be phosphorylated
      in both the NGF- and v-src-induced PC12 cells was phospholipase C-gamma 1. Taken
      together, these results suggest that v-src's ability to function as an inducing
      agent may be a consequence of its ability to mimic critical aspects of the NGF
      differentiation program and raise the possibility that Src-like tyrosine kinases
      are involved in mediating some of the events triggered by NGF.

PMID- 1875952
TI  - Inhibitors of membrane lipid metabolism enhance complement-mediated nucleated
      cell killing through distinct mechanisms.
AB  - The ability of nucleated cells to survive limited complement attack has been
      attributed to metabolic processes unique to these cells, such as rapid
      elimination of terminal complement complexes (TCC) from their surfaces. The
      biochemical processes activated by complement channels responsible for cell
      defense remain poorly defined. Metabolic inhibitors affecting membrane lipid
      turnover have been shown to increase the complement-mediated cell death. Whether
      these metabolic inhibitors increase lytic susceptibility of target cells by
      reducing the rate of TCC elimination has not been previously evaluated. In the
      present study, inhibitors of membrane lipid transmethylation and lysolecithin
      reacylation were evaluated in view of the observations that TCC concurrently
      increase lipid transmethylation and inhibit lysolecithin reacylation, and the
      inhibition of lipid transmethylation correlates with increased complement
      mediated cell death. We have measured the formation as well as the elimination of
      C5b-9 on the target membrane that affect the outcome of cell death. Our results
      in the present communication indicated that inhibitors of transmethylation and
      lysolecithin reacylation increased TCC-mediated cell death through distinct
      pathways, the former by allowing more efficient deposition of TCC, and the latter
      by impairing TCC elimination.

PMID- 1875951
TI  - Multiple CArG boxes in the human cardiac actin gene promoter required for
      expression in embryonic cardiac muscle cells developing in vitro from embryonal
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - Chimeric genes composed of the human cardiac actin promoter driving the
      Escherichia coli lacZ reporter gene were constructed, transfected, and stably
      integrated into genomes of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. The transfected
      constructs were expressed actively in cardiac myocytes formed following dimethyl
      sulfoxide (DMSO)-induced cell differentiation but poorly in undifferentiated
      cultures and in cultures treated with retinoic acid to develop into derivatives
      of the neuroectoderm. A number of deletions of the promoter were constructed and
      tested. Three regions required for efficient expression in P19-derived cardiac
      muscle were identified, each containing sequences referred to as CArG boxes
      (CC[AT-rich]6GG). This analysis indicated that regulatory sequences important for
      expression in cardiac muscle were present upstream of the core promoter
      identified previously by transient assays in skeletal myoblasts. Expression of
      the cardiac actin promoter was enhanced 10-fold in undifferentiated P19 cells in
      the presence of the myoD protein. The promoter regions important for expression
      in P19-derived cardiocytes were similar to those important for myoD-induced
      enhancement, a result we interpret to be consistent with the idea that cardiac
      muscle might contain a myoD-like activity.

PMID- 1875953
TI  - Interaction of the envelope glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus with C1q
      and fibronectin under conditions present in human saliva.
AB  - Human saliva has been shown to reduce the infectivity of human immunodeficiency
      virus (HIV) particles in vitro. The factors in human saliva involved in this
      inhibition of HIV infectivity are unknown, although the salivary sediment of
      normal individuals has the major HIV neutralizing activity. Interestingly, the
      first complement component (C1) has been detected on the surface of the salivary
      sediment in the whole saliva of normal individuals. At the relatively low ionic
      strength of saliva, we determined that purified human C1q bound with high
      affinity to the envelope glycoprotein of HIV. Normally, the interaction of the
      C1q globular heads with immune complexes causes C1 activation. However, direct
      interactions between C1 and rgp120 (or rgp160) did not lead to C1 fixation, as
      determined by hemolytic studies with rate-limiting levels of C1, nor did rgp120
      cause C1 activation as determined by activated C1s-mediated C4 conversion in
      normal human serum. Using ELISA, it was observed that intact C1, with the
      C1r2C1s2 tetramer associated with the collagen-like stem of C1q, did not bind to
      immobilized rgp120, whereas free C1q did bind. In addition, digestion of the C1q
      stem portion with collagenase completely eliminated its binding to rgp120. These
      findings suggest that the collagen-like stem region of C1q, rather than the
      globular heads, may participate in the binding to the envelope glycoprotein of
      HIV. Fibronectin, which is present in submandibular saliva, appeared to bind to
      rgp120 and to enhance the interaction of C1q with rgp120. It is conceivable that
      C1q and fibronectin, in binding and sequestering HIV particles (i.e. to the
      salivary sediment), may play an important role in the reduction of HIV
      transmission via saliva. Further studies will be needed to test the latter
      speculation.

PMID- 1875955
TI  - Toward the conquest of pain.

PMID- 1875954
TI  - The Fab/c fragment of IgG produced by cleavage at cyanocysteine residues.
AB  - The intra- and inter-heavy chain disulfides of rabbit IgG were cleaved by mild
      reduction with either dithiothreitol or sulfite and cyanocysteines generated by
      treatment with either 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid or KCN, respectively. When
      cleavage occurs at a cyanocysteine residue in the hinge region of one heavy chain
      alone the Fab/c fragment is produced. Fab/c was also produced by papain digestion
      of IgG. Fab/c made by papain digestion was able to active complement in
      haemolytic assays; this activity was lost after cleavage of its accessible
      disulfide bonds. Fab/c made by cyanylysis of sulfite-reduced IgG was also active
      in these assays, but Fab/c made by cyanylysis of dithiothreitol-reduced IgG was
      not. Treatment of the latter fragment with cysteine and cystine resulted in
      partial reformation of cleaved disulfide bonds. Fab/c was also made from human
      IgG and from murine IgG2a and IgG2b.

PMID- 1875956
TI  - History of pain concepts and pain therapy.
AB  - The development of the concept of pain and its treatment constitutes one of the
      most interesting and fascinating chapters in the history of medicine. The concept
      proposed by Aristotle and other ancient Greek philosophers that pain was a
      passion of the soul remained widely accepted for some 22 centuries, and treatment
      remained empirical and often ineffective. For a century after the scientific
      study of pain began, several theories were proposed, and these theories prompted
      the development of various therapeutic modalities. However, until two decades
      ago, pain research remained conceptually stagnant; the meager work done was not
      commensurate with the magnitude and clinical importance of pain. Consequently,
      pain treatment remained somewhat empirical and ineffective. Whatever knowledge
      and effective therapeutic modalities were available were not properly applied,
      primarily because medical students and physicians were not taught the basic
      principles of pain management. Fortunately, during the past two decades,
      significant advances have been made in our knowledge of basic mechanisms and a
      variety of new modalities have been introduced and old ones refined. Although we
      should be proud of these advances, much more needs to be done if the millions of
      patients with acute and chronic pain are to be managed effectively. This requires
      sustaining and expanding research programs; educating and training health
      professionals; and informing the public.

PMID- 1875957
TI  - Psychological aspects of pain.
AB  - Psychological factors have a major role in the development and maintenance of
      pain. Further research to clarify the nature of the relationship between these
      factors and pain is required. When evaluating patients with acute or chronic
      pain, attention must be given to psychological factors.

PMID- 1875958
TI  - The difference between acute and chronic pain.
AB  - Acute and chronic pain are different clinical entities. Acute pain is provoked by
      a specific disease or injury, serves a useful biologic purpose, is associated
      with skeletal muscle spasm and sympathetic nervous system activation, and is self
      limited. Chronic pain, in contrast, may be considered a disease state. It is pain
      that outlasts the normal time of healing, if associated with a disease or injury.
      Chronic pain may arise from psychological states, serves no biologic purpose, and
      has no recognizable end-point. Both acute and chronic pain are an enormous
      problem in the United States, costing 650 million lost workdays and $65 billion a
      year. The therapy of acute pain is aimed at treating the underlying cause and
      interrupting the nociceptive signals. The therapy of chronic pain must rely on a
      multidisciplinary approach and should involve more than one therapeutic modality.

PMID- 1875959
TI  - Nonnarcotic analgesics and tricyclic antidepressants for the treatment of chronic
      nonmalignant pain.
AB  - Chronic nonmalignant pain is often characterized by multiple treatment failures,
      a pattern of maladaptive behavior, and depression. Often there is a history of
      inappropriate and excessive use of medications for pain. Prior and ongoing use of
      narcotics and sedatives acts to compound and aggravate the chronic pain syndrome.
      A first step in treatment is controlled withdrawal of these agents. Nonnarcotic
      analgesics, NSAIDs, and tricyclic antidepressants are commonly employed in
      patients with chronic pain. Effective use of these agents requires understanding
      of their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Use of a fixed-time
      schedule is necessary to achieve an effective, sustained therapeutic response.
      Careful patient education and monitoring for side effects and toxicity are
      necessary, particularly in the elderly and patients with coexisting medical
      disorders. Incidence of side effects and toxicity may be reduced by choice of
      drug and modification of dosing regimen. Nonnarcotic analgesics, TCAs, and NSAIDs
      are seldom effective by themselves in resolving the pain and distress of patients
      with chronic nonmalignant pain. This is particularly true when maladaptive
      behavior coexists. A comprehensive multimodal pain management program
      encompassing additional pain-relieving strategies and behavior-modifying
      techniques should be considered and utilized in conjunction with medication.

PMID- 1875960
TI  - Temporomandibular disorders and facial pain.

PMID- 1875961
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain.
AB  - The importance of muscle as a source of pain should not be underestimated. Proper
      diagnosis of the four types of muscle pain (tension, spasm, muscle deficiency,
      and trigger points) is essential to effective management. Pain-diagnostic
      instruments can quantify tenderness and spasm and help evaluate treatment
      results.

PMID- 1875962
TI  - Update on postoperative pain management.

PMID- 1875963
TI  - Postoperative pain management in children.
AB  - Postoperative pain management in children is a topic that has been neglected in
      the past but is currently an active field of interest and effort. Clearly, the
      child's cognitive understanding of and emotional response to pain are different
      than an adult's, and these differences make pain assessment and control more
      difficult. Ongoing work to develop more accurate techniques of estimating pain
      intensity in children may have helpful results. The effects of untreated pain in
      children are similar to those in adults but may have more long-term consequences
      in children. In the past, postoperative pain treatment in children was often
      inadequate, but newer techniques, such as continuous infusion of opioids, patient
      controlled analgesia, epidural administration of opioids, and regional analgesia,
      hold promise for improved care in the future.

PMID- 1875964
TI  - Acute herpetic and postherpetic neuralgia: clinical features and management.
AB  - Herpes zoster is a prevalent disorder that is transitory in most patients.
      Postherpetic neuralgia is defined by the persistence of pain following herpes
      zoster for some arbitrarily defined period, such as two months. Although most
      patients with postherpetic neuralgia experience a gradual remission of the pain,
      symptoms are prolonged in many, and intractable pain occurs in a few. This review
      describes the clinical characteristics and management of these syndromes.

PMID- 1875965
TI  - Organization of a multidisciplinary pain center.
AB  - Chronic pain is a complex, multifaceted experience that leads not only to
      disability and dysfunction but also to suffering and unrealized human potential.
      To be effective, a pain management center must be multidisciplinary in concept as
      well as practice. It must employ practitioners whose assessments are not
      restricted to specialty interests. They must communicate effectively with other
      specialists and cooperate to design and implement the best treatment program for
      each patient. The ultimate goal is rehabilitation of the patient to a more
      functional life despite residual pain. This may involve breaking the doctor
      shopping cycle for those patients seeking cure, detoxification to more
      appropriate medications, addressing personal and family conflicts through
      counseling, assisting the patient in resolving socioeconomic problems, and,
      ultimately, teaching the patient to function more effectively within the bounds
      of any physical limitations.

PMID- 1875966
TI  - Paracentesis with intravenous infusion of albumin as compared with
      peritoneovenous shunting in cirrhosis with refractory ascites.
AB  - BACKGROUND: There is no satisfactory treatment for refractory ascites in patients
      with cirrhosis. Both peritoneovenous shunts and paracentesis have been used, but
      there is uncertainty about their relative merits. METHODS: We studied 89 patients
      with cirrhosis and refractory ascites who were randomly assigned to receive
      either repeated large-volume paracentesis plus intravenous albumin or a LeVeen
      peritoneovenous shunt. Patients in the paracentesis group in whom recurrent tense
      ascites developed during follow-up were treated with paracentesis, and those in
      the peritoneovenous-shunt group with diuretic agents or by the insertion of a new
      shunt if there was shunt obstruction. RESULTS: During the first hospitalization,
      ascites was removed in all 41 patients in the paracentesis group and in 44 of the
      48 patients in the peritoneovenous-shunt group. The mean (+/- SD) duration of
      hospitalization in the two groups was 11 +/- 5 and 19 +/- 9 days, respectively (P
      less than 0.01). There were no significant differences in the number of patients
      who had complications or died. During follow-up, 37 patients in each group were
      hospitalized again. In the paracentesis group, the number of rehospitalizations
      for any reason (174 vs. 97 in the peritoneovenous-shunt group) or for ascites
      (125 vs. 38) was significantly higher, and the median time to a first readmission
      for any reason (1 +/- 1 vs. 2 +/- 2 months) or for ascites (2 +/- 2 vs. 8 +/- 17
      months) was significantly shorter than in the peritoneovenous-shunt group. The
      total times in the hospital during follow-up, however, were similar in the two
      groups (48 +/- 49 and 44 +/- 39 days, respectively). Three patients had
      obstructions of their peritoneovenous shunts during their first hospitalizations,
      and 15 patients had a total of 20 obstructions during follow-up. Survival was
      similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The LeVeen shunt and paracentesis are
      equally effective in relieving refractory ascites. The former may provide better
      long-term control of ascites, but shunt occlusion is common and survival is not
      improved.

PMID- 1875967
TI  - Advanced glycosylation end products in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Glucose reacts nonenzymatically with proteins in vivo, chemically
      forming covalently attached glucose-addition products and cross-links between
      proteins. The excessive accumulation of rearranged late-glucose-addition
      products, or advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), is believed to
      contribute to the chronic complications of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: To
      elucidate the relation of AGEs to diabetic complications, we used a radioreceptor
      assay to measure serum and tissue AGEs in diabetic (Types I and Type II) and
      nondiabetic patients with different levels of renal function. Serum AGEs were
      measured as a low-molecular-weight (less than or equal to 10 kd) peptide fraction
      and a high-molecular-weight (greater than 10 kd) protein fraction. RESULTS: The
      mean (+/- SD) AGE content of samples of arterial-wall collagen from 9 diabetic
      patients was significantly higher than that of samples from 18 nondiabetic
      patients (14.5 +/- 5.2 vs. 3.6 +/- 1.5 AGE units per milligram, P less than
      0.001). Moreover, diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease had almost twice
      as much AGE in tissue as diabetic patients without renal disease (21.3 +/- 2.8
      vs. 11.5 +/- 1.9 AGE units per milligram, P less than 0.001). The AGE levels in
      both serum fractions were elevated in the patients with diabetes, and the levels
      of AGE peptides correlated directly with serum creatinine (P less than 0.001) and
      inversely with creatinine clearance (P less than 0.005), suggesting that levels
      of AGE peptides increased with the severity of diabetic nephropathy. In six
      patients with diabetes who required hemodialysis, the levels of AGE peptides were
      five times higher than in eight normal subjects (82.8 +/- 9.4 vs. 15.6 +/- 3.4
      AGE units per milliliter, P less than 0.001). In another group of diabetic
      patients the mean serum creatinine level, which decreased by 75 percent during a
      session of hemodialysis, whereas the level of AGE peptides decreased by only 24
      percent. Serum levels of AGE peptides were normal in two patients with normal
      serum creatinine levels after renal transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: AGEs accumulate
      at a faster-than-normal rate in arteries and the circulation of patients with
      diabetes; the increase in circulating AGE peptides parallels the severity of
      renal functional impairment in diabetic nephropathy.

PMID- 1875968
TI  - Relation between skin cancer and HLA antigens in renal-transplant recipients.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Recipients of renal allografts are at an increased risk for skin
      cancer. It is also known that recipients who are homozygous for HLA antigens are
      at an increased risk for certain cancers, as are those who are mismatched with
      their donors for these antigens. In a case-control study we assessed the relation
      between skin cancer in renal-transplant recipients and HLA homozygosity and
      mismatching. METHODS: Of 764 patients who received renal transplants between 1966
      and 1988, 66 had squamous-cell carcinoma or basal-cell carcinoma of the skin
      after transplantation. HLA homozygosity was assessed in all 66 recipients, and
      HLA mismatching in 39; the results were compared with those in 124 recipients
      without skin cancer. We also investigated the relation between skin cancer and
      the use of immunosuppressive drugs. In separate case-control analyses we
      investigated the influence of exposure to the sun and keratotic skin lesions on
      the risk of skin cancer. RESULTS: The risk of squamous-cell carcinoma was
      increased in recipients mismatched for HLA-B antigens; the relative risks were
      2.6 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 6.5) and 5.0 (95 percent confidence
      interval, 1.3 to 19.0) with mismatching for one and two antigens, respectively,
      as compared with no mismatching. Mismatching for HLA-A or HLA-DR antigens had no
      effect on the risk of squamous-cell carcinoma, and there was no association
      between mismatches at any of the HLA loci and the occurrence of basal-cell
      carcinoma. The total doses of azathioprine and prednisone were not associated
      with the occurrence of skin cancer or with HLA matching. Exposure to sunlight and
      keratotic skin lesions were strongly associated with skin cancer but not with HLA
      mismatching. Homozygosity for HLA-DR was more frequent among the patients with
      squamous-cell carcinoma (relative risk, 2.5; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.95
      to 4.6) and among patients with 100 or more keratotic skin lesions (relative
      risk, 4.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 15.1). CONCLUSIONS: HLA-B
      mismatching is significantly associated with the risk of squamous-cell carcinoma
      in renal-transplant recipients, as is HLA-DR homozygosity. An indirect effect on
      the level of immunosuppression does not appear to explain these findings, nor
      does exposure to sunlight or the number of keratotic skin lesions account for
      this observation.

PMID- 1875969
TI  - Prognostic value of a treadmill exercise score in outpatients with suspected
      coronary artery disease.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The treadmill exercise test identifies patients with different
      degrees of risk of death from cardiovascular events. We devised a prognostic
      score, based on the results of treadmill exercise testing, that accurately
      predicts outcome among inpatients referred for cardiac catheterization. This
      study was designed to determine whether this score could also accurately predict
      prognosis in unselected outpatients. METHODS: We prospectively studied 613
      consecutive outpatients with suspected coronary disease who were referred for
      exercise testing between 1983 and 1985. Follow-up was 98 percent complete at four
      years. The treadmill score was calculated as follows: duration of exercise in
      minutes--(5 x the maximal ST-segment deviation during or after exercise, in
      millimeters)--(4 x the treadmill angina index). The numerical treadmill angina
      index was 0 for no angina, 1 for nonlimiting angina, and 2 for exercise-limiting
      angina. Treadmill scores ranged from -25 (indicating the highest risk) to +15
      (indicating the lowest risk). RESULTS: Predicted outcomes for the outpatients,
      based on their treadmill scores, agreed closely with the observed outcomes. The
      score accurately separated patients who subsequently died from those who lived
      for four years (area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve = 0.849).
      The treadmill score was a better discriminator than the clinical data and was
      even more useful for outpatients than it had been for inpatients. Approximately
      two thirds of the outpatients had treadmill scores indicating low risk (greater
      than or equal to +5), reflecting longer exercise times and little or no ST
      segment deviation, and their four-year survival rate was 99 percent (average
      annual mortality rate, 0.25 percent). Four percent of the outpatients had scores
      indicating high risk (less than -10), reflecting shorter exercise times and more
      severe ST-segment deviation; their four-year survival rate was 79 percent
      (average annual mortality rate, 5 percent). CONCLUSIONS: The treadmill score is a
      useful and valid tool that can help clinicians determine prognosis and decide
      whether to refer outpatients with suspected coronary disease for cardiac
      catheterization. In this study, it was a better predictor of outcome than the
      clinical assessment.

PMID- 1875970
TI  - Shattuck Lecture--the health care industry: where is it taking us?

PMID- 1875971
TI  - Allergic rhinitis.

PMID- 1875972
TI  - Transient monocular blindness caused by vasospasm.

PMID- 1875973
TI  - Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological
      exercises. Case 38-1991. A 33-year-old man with dilatation of the ascending aorta
      and aortic regurgitation.

PMID- 1875974
TI  - Toward a basic understanding of diabetic complications.

PMID- 1875975
TI  - Immunogenetic factors in skin cancer.

PMID- 1875976
TI  - Prognostic applications of exercise testing.

PMID- 1875977
TI  - Risk of transmission of HIV from surgeon to patient.

PMID- 1875978
TI  - Serotonin and coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1875979
TI  - Detection of inhaled pentamidine in health care workers.

PMID- 1875980
TI  - Myasthenia gravis unmasked by cocaine abuse.

PMID- 1875981
TI  - Pseudoanuria due to superabsorbent diapers.

PMID- 1875982
TI  - The health care proxy and the living will.

PMID- 1875983
TI  - Prevalence of dermatophytes and yeasts (Candida spp., Malassezia furfur) in HIV
      patients. A study of former drug addicts.
AB  - The prevalence of dermatophytes and yeasts (Candida spp. and Pityrosporum spp.)
      was studied in 40 former drug-addicts, all of whom were HIV seropositive but
      otherwise had no other symptoms (2nd Stage CDC Atlanta, 1987). We considered 7
      skin areas for dermatophytes and Pityrosporum spp. (scalp, forehead, nose, back,
      chest, groin, toe webs) and the mouth for yeasts. Dermatophytes were found in 8
      (20%) and tinea pedis was the most common dermatophytosis: Tricophyton rubrum was
      the fungus most frequently isolated (6 cases or 15%). The HIV+ group showed
      almost the same rate of dermatophytes colonisation compared to a group of 121
      athletes and to the control group. Candida spp. was present in 27 cases (67.5%)
      but clinical oral lesions were evident only in 5 patients (12.5%). Statistically
      significant differences were found in the presence of Candida spp. in HIV
      patients and controls (p less than 0.05). The lipophilic yeast Pityrosporum ovale
      was evaluated with quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative variations
      were evident between HIV patients and controls. P. ovale was present in 10 cases:
      3 (7.5%) of them showed dischromic lesions while in 7 cases (17.5%) no clinical
      symptoms were evident.

PMID- 1875984
TI  - A survey of dermatophytes from human patients in the United States from 1985 to
      1987.
AB  - A survey of dermatophytes isolated from patients seeking medical advice was made
      from 1985 to 1987 in the United States. The survey included 54 locations with
      data from 45 cities and one state. Listing of the isolated dermatophytes and the
      frequency given by percentage of the total follows: Trichophyton rubrum 54.8%, T.
      tonsurans 31.3%, T. mentagrophytes 6.0%, Microsporum canis 4.0%, Epidermophyton
      floccosum 2.0%, M. gypseum 0.6%, and T. verrucosum 0.2%. Out of a total of 14,696
      isolates M. audouinii was cultured 13 times, T. violaceum 12 times, M. nanum 6
      times, T. terrestre 4 times, and T. soudanense twice. Single isolations were made
      of M. fulvum, M. ferrugineum and T. schoenleinii. Collection of dermatophyte data
      in Tucson, Arizona, began in 1966. In 1987, the first case of tinea capitis
      caused by T. tonsurans was observed. Other isolates of this organism as the cause
      of tinea capitis were made in this city during that year. These infections were
      in black children. With the recent growth of Tucson, the percentage of blacks in
      the population increased and this pathogen was introduced into the general
      population.

PMID- 1875985
TI  - Potential pathogenicity of Cladosporium tennuisimum, Phaeoisaria clematidis and
      Ramichloridium subulatum in a mouse model.
AB  - The potential pathogenicity of one isolate each of Cladosporium tennuisimum,
      Phaeoisaria clematidis and Ramichloridium subulatum for mice was investigated by
      intravenous, intraperitoneal and subcutaneous routes of inoculation with saline
      and mucin suspensions of the organisms. No mice died during the experimental
      period. Dark nodular lesions were formed in the liver, spleen, kidneys,
      intestine, stomach, omentum and diaphragm after inoculation through the
      intravenous and intraperitoneal routes. Gross lesions were produced in the lungs
      of one mouse inoculated intravenously with R. subulatum. Localised nodular
      lesions were formed in the subcutis following the subcutaneous route. Tissue
      response was characterised by granulomatous inflammatory reaction. Fungal
      elements were confined within the granulomata. Though the fungi showed limited
      pathogenic potential, they may represent a hazard under conditions of compromised
      host immunity.

PMID- 1875986
TI  - Virulence and pathogenicity of human and environmental isolates of Cladosporium
      carrionii in new born ddY mice.
AB  - Three strains of Cladosporium carrionii, two human isolates and one from a
      xerophilous plant, were used to study the effect of culture conditions in 106
      newborn ddY mice. Growth in a complex medium (YPG) and a basal synthetic medium
      (BSM) was compared. Filamentous forms developed during static incubation while
      conidia were readily formed with shaking. Mice inoculated intraperitoneally were
      sacrificed and autopsied after 4 weeks. Mortality was related only to sporulated
      exponential phase growing cells. Invasiveness ability was preserved in all
      experimental conditions. BSM medium that inhibited exopigment formation appeared
      more suitable than YPG to obtain intact cells for further studies. Biochemical
      and physiological alteration associated with shape changes during differentiation
      of vegetative cells into spores could play an important role in virulence of C.
      carrionii.

PMID- 1875987
TI  - Deficiency in the incorporation of labeled thymidine and inhibition in the
      biosynthesis of interleukin-2 in lymphocytes obtained from Histoplasma capsulatum
      infected mice.
AB  - The incorporation of (3H) thymidine and the biosynthesis of interleukin-2(IL-2)
      were investigated in Concanavalin A (ConA) and histoplasmin stimulated
      lymphocytes from spleen of infected Balb/c mice with the yeast phases of
      Histoplasma capsulatum. The ability to incorporate (3H) thymidine of Con A
      stimulated lymphocytes in culture from spleen of Histoplasma capsulatum infected
      mice, as well as the IL-2 content present in the supernatants of that cultures,
      were depressed along the first three weeks of the experiments, but starting week
      five, normal values were restored or even discretly increased. Incorporation of
      (3H) thymidine in histoplasmin stimulated lymphocytes remained inhibited along
      the seven weeks the experiment lasted. Results showed that inoculation of H.
      capsulatum yeast in mice provoked a temporary immunosuppression on cell mediated
      immunity, that can be explained by means of the inability of T cells to produce
      enough IL-2 necessary for the proliferation of T cells in culture.

PMID- 1875989
TI  - Problems of drug dependence 1990. Proceedings of the 52nd annual meeting. The
      Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. Richmond, Virginia, June 1990.

PMID- 1875988
TI  - HLA antigens in Brazilian patients with paracoccidioidomycosis.
AB  - Eighty patients with paracoccidioidomycosis were typed for 43 HLA specificities
      from loci A, B, C and DR. A highly significant increased frequency of HLA-B40
      (relative risk 29.2) and HLA-Cw1 (relative risk 8.8) were found in patients
      compared to control subjects. The frequencies HLA-A2, B7 and B21 were also
      increased in patients and haplotypes-B40-Cw1 and -A2-B40 were positively
      correlated with the disease. DR antigen frequencies were not significantly
      altered in the patients and evidence of a protective effect was not found for any
      of the 43 antigens tested. These findings further support the involvement of the
      HLA system in the genetic susceptibility to paracoccidioidomycosis and the
      importance of ethnic variability in this association.

PMID- 1875990
TI  - Prodynorphin gene expression in neuronal and endocrine cell types.

PMID- 1875991
TI  - Tissue-specific splicing of pro-enkephalin mRNA.
AB  - A testis cDNA library derived from 4-6 week-old rats was screened using a 32P
      labeled 435 base pair (bp) cDNA probe derived from exon 3 of rat brain
      proenkephalin (PE). Two positive clones were isolated from an initial screening
      of approximately 20,000 recombinant bacteriophage plaques. The longest insert
      (1,500 bp) was sequenced and was found to contain a portion of intron A at the 5'
      terminus. Intron B was sliced as it is in the brain, therefore, the domain
      structure of the cDNA was intron A-exon 2-exon 3, reading in the 5'-3' direction.
      Since the translational initiator codon is located at the 5'-terminus of exon 2,
      the reading frame of PE is unaltered, however, within intron A are 4 upstream AUG
      codons which exist in a favorable context for initiation of translation. It is
      probable that translation of PE would be inhibited by the presence of these
      upstream initiator codons, which may explain the discrepancy between the levels
      of PE mRNA and opioid peptides in the testis. Hypophysectomy prior to the onset
      of puberty was found to drastically reduce the level of PE mRNA in the testis and
      epididymus, suggesting that pituitary factors affect the expression of the PE
      gene in these tissues, either directly or indirectly.

PMID- 1875992
TI  - Synaptic regulation of the enkephalin gene and transcription factors in vivo:
      possible roles in drug abuse.

PMID- 1875993
TI  - In memoriam: Ulrich Weiss 1908-1989.

PMID- 1875994
TI  - Synthetic and biological studies of potential affinity ligands for the
      cannabinoid receptor based on CP-55, 244.

PMID- 1875995
TI  - Synthesis and receptor binding of cocaine analogs.

PMID- 1875996
TI  - Use of naltrexone for the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive hormone
      disorders in women.

PMID- 1875997
TI  - Neuroendocrine (HPA) and gastrointestinal effects of opiate antagonists: possible
      therapeutic application.

PMID- 1875998
TI  - Preclinical evaluation of the effects of buprenorphine, naltrexone and
      desipramine on cocaine self-administration.

PMID- 1875999
TI  - Buprenorphine treatment for concurrent heroin and cocaine dependence: phase I
      study.

PMID- 1876000
TI  - Intestinal contractions: excitatory actions of opioids.

PMID- 1876001
TI  - Assessing substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders: history of problems,
      state of affairs.

PMID- 1876002
TI  - The SCID: a clinical instrument for assessing psychiatric disorders.

PMID- 1876003
TI  - The CIDI and CIDI-substance abuse module (SAM): cross-cultural instruments for
      assessing DSM-III, DSM-III-R and ICD-10 criteria.

PMID- 1876004
TI  - Categorizing substance abusers using the ASI: implications for evaluation and
      treatment.

PMID- 1876005
TI  - Diagnosing personality disorders in substance abusers.

PMID- 1876006
TI  - Animal conflict, analgesia and the modulatory effects of FMRFamide-related
      peptides.

PMID- 1876007
TI  - FMRF-NH2-like peptides antiopiates.

PMID- 1876008
TI  - Illicit drug use during pregnancy: effects of opiates and cocaine on human
      placenta.

PMID- 1876009
TI  - Substance abuse patterns in pregnant women.

PMID- 1876010
TI  - Specificity of conditional responding to naturalistic stimuli in humans with
      different drug-use histories.

PMID- 1876011
TI  - A comparison of drug use and adjustment in urban adolescent children of substance
      abusers.

PMID- 1876012
TI  - College undergraduate drug use and life-styles, 1969, 1978 and 1989.
AB  - G SUBSTANCE ABUSE / * ep ENTS / * psychol INE HOL DRINKING / psychol BEHAVIOR

PMID- 1876013
TI  - Impulsivity and substance abusers: changes with treatment and recovery.

PMID- 1876014
TI  - Cathinone, a phenylpropylamine alkaolid from khat leaves that has amphetamine
      effects in humans.

PMID- 1876015
TI  - A substance abuse consultation service: characteristics of patients and
      pedagogical potential.

PMID- 1876016
TI  - Preliminary report on psychiatric comorbidity in adolescent substance abusers.

PMID- 1876017
TI  - Putative aminoalkylindoles (AAI) antagonists.

PMID- 1876018
TI  - Conformationally restrained aminoalkylindoles: potent, stereoselective ligands at
      the cannabinoid binding site.

PMID- 1876019
TI  - Cannabinoid-like effects of aminoalkylindole compounds on the physical properties
      of brain membranes: fluorescence polarization studies.

PMID- 1876020
TI  - Characterization of aminoalkylindole binding: selective displacement by
      cannabinoids.

PMID- 1876021
TI  - Marijuana use by methadone maintenance patients.

PMID- 1876022
TI  - Human avoidance responding with added point loss during acute tobacco abstinence.

PMID- 1876023
TI  - The role of nicotine titration in the smoking behavior.

PMID- 1876024
TI  - Smoking cessation, depression and dysphoria.

PMID- 1876025
TI  - Effect of repeated nicotine administration in nonsmokers.

PMID- 1876026
TI  - Smoking cessation for adolescent substance users: preliminary considerations.

PMID- 1876027
TI  - Behavioral and subjective effects of buspirone and lorazepam in sedative abusers:
      supra-therapeutic doses.

PMID- 1876028
TI  - Diazepam preference in males with and without a family history of alcoholism.

PMID- 1876029
TI  - Divided attention task performance in women with and without familial alcoholism.

PMID- 1876030
TI  - Human aggressive responding: effects of response-cost and ethanol.

PMID- 1876031
TI  - Reduced amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potentials observed after chronic
      ethanol exposure.

PMID- 1876032
TI  - Studies of the effect of nicotine on synaptosomal calcium accumulation using FURA
      2.

PMID- 1876033
TI  - Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of dextromethorphan analogs.

PMID- 1876034
TI  - Dextromethorphan inhibits but dextrorphan potentiates behavior induced by PCP and
      ketamine in rats.

PMID- 1876035
TI  - HIV infection in female intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs) of childbearing age in
      NYC drug clinics and their demographic profile.

PMID- 1876036
TI  - Factors associated with elevated risk of HIV among Hispanic IVDAs.

PMID- 1876037
TI  - HIV-risk behaviors among a middle class population: a preliminary investigation
      among adolescent vs. adult substance users.

PMID- 1876038
TI  - Chronic cocaine-induced supersensitivity id blocked by co-treatment with the
      peptide cyclo-(Leu-Gly).

PMID- 1876039
TI  - Genetic differences in the development of cocaine-kindled seizures.

PMID- 1876040
TI  - Lack of a genetic correlation between the convulsant and epileptogenic effects of
      cocaine and lidocaine.

PMID- 1876041
TI  - Day hospital versus inpatient cocaine dependence rehabilitation: an interim
      report.

PMID- 1876042
TI  - A treatment crisis: cocaine use by clients in methadone maintenance programs.

PMID- 1876043
TI  - Incidence of personality disorders in cocaine vs. alcohol-dependent females.

PMID- 1876044
TI  - Clinical features of cocaine induced paranoia.

PMID- 1876045
TI  - Liver function tests in non-parenteral cocaine users.

PMID- 1876046
TI  - Stereospecificity of mixed-action opioid agonist/antagonists in morphine-tolerant
      squirrel monkeys.

PMID- 1876047
TI  - The effect of prenatal methadone exposure of development and nociception during
      the early postnatal period of the rat.

PMID- 1876048
TI  - Involvement of spinal adenosine in descending antinociception produced by
      supraspinal receptor-selective opioid agonists.

PMID- 1876049
TI  - [D-Met2]-FMRFamide (DMFa): production of naloxone-sensitive antinociception in
      mouse tail-flick test.
AB  - Considerable data support the hypothesis that mammalian FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg
      Phe-NH2) or mammalian FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) function as endogenous
      antiopiates (for review see Raffa, 1988). We report here that central
      administration (i.c.v.) of a FaRP with D-amino acid substitution in the second
      position, i.e. [D-Met2]-FMRFamide (DMFa), produces dose-related, naloxone
      reversible antinociception in the mouse tail-flick test. Hence, this modification
      appears to confer agonist-like activity.

PMID- 1876050
TI  - A computer-aided investigation into the role of hydrogen bonding in the binding
      conformation of the endo-ethenotetrahydrooripavine, PEO.

PMID- 1876051
TI  - Effects of opiate agonists and antagonists on cerebral metabolic activity in the
      conscious rat.

PMID- 1876052
TI  - Differential effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide in tests utilizing
      thermal versus nociceptive stimuli.

PMID- 1876053
TI  - Nonpeptide opioids: in vivo effects on the immune system.

PMID- 1876054
TI  - Distribution of opioid peptides in brain and GI tract: age- and species-specific
      differences.

PMID- 1876055
TI  - Modulation of NK activity: role of neuroendocrine status.

PMID- 1876056
TI  - Dependence-producing drug testing in opiate users in Warsaw, Poland.

PMID- 1876057
TI  - Metyrapone-induced withdrawal symptoms: symptoms in methadone-maintained
      patients.

PMID- 1876058
TI  - Cardiovascular components of the response to morphine.

PMID- 1876059
TI  - Factors influencing assessment of opioid miosis in humans.

PMID- 1876060
TI  - Spinal action of cannabinoid-induced antinociception.

PMID- 1876061
TI  - Aminoalkylindoles (AAIs): structurally novel cannabinoid-mimetics.

PMID- 1876062
TI  - Importance of reactive metabolites to the in vivo hepatic clearance of
      phencyclidine (PCP).

PMID- 1876063
TI  - Influence of phencyclidine (PCP) pharmacokinetics on PCP dependence after i.v.
      and s.c. routes of administration.

PMID- 1876064
TI  - Withdrawal from nicotine fails to produce a conditioned taste aversion to
      saccharine in rats and mice.

PMID- 1876065
TI  - The relationship between cocaine venous blood levels and the cardiovascular and
      subjective effects of smoked and intravenous cocaine.

PMID- 1876066
TI  - Low doses of caffeine can serve as reinforcers in humans.

PMID- 1876067
TI  - Assessment of mazindol for abuse liability.

PMID- 1876068
TI  - Low-dose caffeine discrimination in normal humans.

PMID- 1876069
TI  - Low-dose caffeine physical dependence in normal subjects: dose-related effects.

PMID- 1876070
TI  - The effects of deprivation on the reinforcing efficacy of smoking.

PMID- 1876071
TI  - Acute opioid physical dependence in humans: effects of varying the morphine
      morphine interval.

PMID- 1876072
TI  - Acute physical dependence in opiate-naive humans.

PMID- 1876073
TI  - Relative abuse liability and pharmacodynamics of transnasal and intramuscular
      butorphanol.

PMID- 1876074
TI  - Changes in mood, craving and sleep during acute abstinence reported by male
      cocaine addicts.

PMID- 1876075
TI  - Double blind assessment of buprenorphine withdrawal in opiate-addicts.

PMID- 1876076
TI  - Use and abuse of prescription and recreational drugs by chronic pain patients.

PMID- 1876077
TI  - Nicotine dependence in an urban population of young adults: prevalence and co
      morbidity with depression, anxiety and other substance dependencies.

PMID- 1876078
TI  - Drug use and abuse at historical black colleges.

PMID- 1876079
TI  - Drug use in women with bulimia and anorexia nervosa.

PMID- 1876080
TI  - Qat use in New York City.

PMID- 1876081
TI  - Patterns of drug abuse treatment utilization in a general population.

PMID- 1876082
TI  - Opening the "black box" of drug abuse treatment-measurement and evaluation of the
      treatment domain.

PMID- 1876083
TI  - Alerting drug abusers to overdose threats: the media's role.

PMID- 1876084
TI  - Metabolic studies of drugs of abuse.
AB  - Although still very preliminary, these studies exemplify how metabolic brain
      measurements can address questions of relevance in the investigation of drugs of
      addiction such as: 1. Mechanisms of drug toxicity, i.e., vascular pathology
      demonstrated from chronic use of cocaine. 2. Neurotransmitters that may be
      involved in the pharmacological actions of drugs, i.e., alcohol and the
      benzodiazepine-Gaba receptor complex, marijuana, and the cannabinoid receptor. 3.
      Mechanisms of drug withdrawal, i.e., hyperresponsivity of the brain to alcohol in
      the alcoholic, possibly as a consequence of increased sensitivity of the
      benzodiazepine-Gaba receptor complex. 4. Knowledge about brain function, i.e.,
      the relation between activation of the cerebellum by marijuana and alcohol and
      the mood-changing effects of these drugs, suggests that the cerebellum may play a
      role in the mood disturbing actions seen with these drugs (a role which is
      different from the classical one which associates the cerebellum to motor
      regulation). Future work will provide more definitive answers to the above
      questions and will similarly provide information about mechanisms of toxicity,
      addiction, withdrawal, and reinforcement of other drugs of abuse.

PMID- 1876085
TI  - A historical perspective on British and American drug policies.

PMID- 1876086
TI  - Predictors of HIV seropositivity in Newark and Jersey City i.v. drug users not
      currently enrolled in treatment.

PMID- 1876087
TI  - Needle sharing behaviors associated with HIV among intravenous drug users
      (IVDUs): a two-year study.

PMID- 1876088
TI  - Ibogaine fails to reduce naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in the morphine
      dependent rat.

PMID- 1876089
TI  - HIV infection in intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs) in NYC drug treatment clinics:
      1985-1989.

PMID- 1876090
TI  - The role of cocaine use in the HIV transmission among IVDUs: 1987 and 1988 cohort
      study.

PMID- 1876091
TI  - Effects of education on high risk HIV transmission behaviors.

PMID- 1876092
TI  - New York City's needle exchange experiment: policy implications from its first
      year.

PMID- 1876093
TI  - Diseases commonly found in the drug abuser: is there more than HIV?

PMID- 1876094
TI  - Intravenous drug abusers with antisocial personality disorder: high rate of HIV-1
      infection.

PMID- 1876095
TI  - Psychiatric symptoms, high risk behaviors and HIV positivity among methadone
      patients.

PMID- 1876096
TI  - Preliminary results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of ELISA negative
      IVDUs in methadone treatment.

PMID- 1876097
TI  - Pre-treatment natural history of cocaine addiction.

PMID- 1876098
TI  - Behavioral and cardiovascular effects of cocaine and alcohol combinations in
      humans.

PMID- 1876099
TI  - Relapse to cocaine use following treatment: preliminary findings on the role of
      social support.

PMID- 1876100
TI  - Effects of bromocriptine on subjective and autonomic responses to cocaine
      associated stimuli.

PMID- 1876101
TI  - Effects of cocaine alone and in combination with bromocriptine in human cocaine
      abusers.

PMID- 1876102
TI  - Concurrent effects of acute intravenous cocaine in context of chronic desipramine
      in humans.

PMID- 1876103
TI  - Amantadine and desipramine in the treatment of cocaine abusing methadone
      maintained patients.

PMID- 1876104
TI  - Clinical trail of multiple treatment agents for cocaine dependence: a placebo
      control; elimination study.

PMID- 1876105
TI  - Mazindol treatment of cocaine abuse. A double-blind investigation.

PMID- 1876106
TI  - Fluoxetine for cocaine abuse in methadone patients: preliminary findings.

PMID- 1876107
TI  - In vitro d-amphetamine and cocaine increase opioid binding in mouse brain
      homogenate.

PMID- 1876108
TI  - Opiate-induced inhibition of calcium flux in immune cells.
AB  - Administration of morphine as a subcutaneous implant inhibits the initial influx
      of calcium (Ca2+) induced by mitogens in mouse splenocytes. This effect was not
      reproduced by incubation of splenocytes with morphine (10(-8)-10(-4)M). Within T
      cell subpopulations, CD4+, but not CD8+ cells were affected. Adrenalectomy
      abolished this effect of morphine in CD4+ but not B cells. Moreover, simultaneous
      administration of the opiate antagonist naltrexone blocked the effect of morphine
      in B cells, but not in CD4+ cells. These data indicate that inhibition of Ca2+
      influx by morphine may be mediated through distinct glucocorticoid-dependent and
      independent mechanisms. The morphine-induced inhibition of Ca2+ influx in immune
      cells reported here may be an early event mediating opiate-induced
      immunosuppression.

PMID- 1876109
TI  - Acute effects of secobarbital and ethanol as a function of family alcoholism
      history.

PMID- 1876110
TI  - Neurofunctional consequences of in utero cocaine exposure.

PMID- 1876111
TI  - New trends in infant pain management: potential for opiate dependence.

PMID- 1876112
TI  - Cocaine, catecholamines and cardiac toxicity.

PMID- 1876113
TI  - Mapping the metabolic correlates of drug-induced euphoria.

PMID- 1876114
TI  - Effects of chronic cocaine on the behavioral and immunological effects of chronic
      stress in mice.

PMID- 1876115
TI  - Intrathecal morphine and insulin cause hypoglycemia in mice by different
      mechanisms.

PMID- 1876116
TI  - Immunosuppressive agent modulates the severity of opiate withdrawal.

PMID- 1876117
TI  - Opioid self-administration contingent on physiologic parameters.

PMID- 1876118
TI  - In vivo concentration-response relationships for fentanyl: absence of acute
      tolerance in the rat tail-flick test.

PMID- 1876119
TI  - Intraspinal opioids in frogs: a new behavioral model for the assessment of opioid
      action.

PMID- 1876120
TI  - Chronic tolerance to nicotine's effects on suppressing hunger and caloric intake.

PMID- 1876121
TI  - Acute marijuana smoking reduces vagal tone.

PMID- 1876122
TI  - Elevated drug saliva levels suggest a "depot-like" effect in subjects treated
      with sublingual buprenorphine.

PMID- 1876123
TI  - Interaction of cocaine with ethanol.

PMID- 1876124
TI  - Cocaethylene inhibits uptake of dopamine and can reach high plasma concentrations
      following combined cocaine and ethanol use.

PMID- 1876125
TI  - Acute tolerance to cocaine pressor effects in humans.

PMID- 1876126
TI  - Pharmacologic effects of methamphetamine vapor inhalation (smoking) in man.

PMID- 1876127
TI  - Plasma levels of methamphetamine after smoking of methamphetamine hydrochloride.

PMID- 1876128
TI  - Alcohol effects on HCG stimulated gonadal hormones in women.

PMID- 1876129
TI  - Medical methadone/interim report.

PMID- 1876130
TI  - Outpatient comparison of buprenorphine and methadone maintenance. I. Effects on
      opiate use and self-reported adverse effects and withdrawal symptomatology.

PMID- 1876131
TI  - Outpatient comparison of buprenorphine and methadone maintenance. II. Effects on
      cocaine usage, retention time in study and missed clinic visits.

PMID- 1876132
TI  - Methadone maintenance outcome as a function of detoxification fear: preliminary
      findings.

PMID- 1876133
TI  - Comparison of SCID and LEAD standard diagnoses for drug and psychiatric
      disorders.

PMID- 1876134
TI  - Utility of the Cognitive Status Examination (CSE) for detection of
      neuropsychological impairment in substance abuse patients.

PMID- 1876135
TI  - Use of Psychopathy Checklist with opiate addicts.

PMID- 1876136
TI  - Problems associated with the assessment of personality disorders in substance
      abusers.

PMID- 1876137
TI  - Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award Lecture.

PMID- 1876138
TI  - Symptom clustering of substance dependence and abuse: examining internal validity
      of DSM-III, and-IIIR symptom criteria.

PMID- 1876139
TI  - Cocaine symptoms are predicted by familial psychopathology.

PMID- 1876140
TI  - Alterations in the distribution of the auditory P300 evoked response potential:
      similarities between ethanol and divided attention task performance.

PMID- 1876141
TI  - Nicotine effects in EEG spectral data: smokers vs. non-smokers.

PMID- 1876142
TI  - Effects of ethanol, diazepam and amphetamines on cerebral metabolic rate: PET
      studies using FDG.

PMID- 1876143
TI  - Auditory evoked response brain potentials in individuals at risk for alcoholism:
      influence of task demands and motivational factors.

PMID- 1876144
TI  - Cocaine interaction with sulpiride, methysergide, naloxone and desipramine:
      neurophysiological effects of mesolimbic and neostriatal neuronal activity.

PMID- 1876145
TI  - Changes in the behavioral effects of cocaine by magnesium in squirrel monkeys.

PMID- 1876146
TI  - Effects of naltrexone on cocaine self-administration by rhesus monkey.

PMID- 1876147
TI  - Buprenorphine suppresses cocaine self-administration by rhesus monkeys over 1 to
      4 months of daily treatment.

PMID- 1876148
TI  - Cocaine vs. food choice in rhesus monkeys: effects of increasing the response
      cost for cocaine.

PMID- 1876149
TI  - Biological evaluation of compounds for their physical dependence potential and
      abuse liability. XIV. Animal Testing Committee of the Committee on Problems of
      Drug Dependence, Inc. (1990).

PMID- 1876150
TI  - Dependence studies of new compounds in the rhesus monkey and mouse (1990).
AB  - Norcocaine dose-dependently attenuates abrupt morphine withdrawal in rhesus
      monkeys. These results suggest a possible role for this metabolite in the
      interaction of cocaine with the opioid system.

PMID- 1876151
TI  - Measurement of brain ethanol concentrations in humans with in vivo proton
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

PMID- 1876152
TI  - Evaluation of new compounds for opioid activity (1990).

PMID- 1876153
TI  - Immunological function in active heroin addicts and methadone-maintained former
      addicts: observations and possible mechanisms.

PMID- 1876154
TI  - The semitic serpent.

PMID- 1876155
TI  - Marketing the nursing profession.

PMID- 1876156
TI  - Formative clinical evaluation--quo vadis.

PMID- 1876157
TI  - Threats to identity.

PMID- 1876158
TI  - Extreme methods of weaning.

PMID- 1876159
TI  - [Identification of advocacy intervention in psychiatric nursing].

PMID- 1876160
TI  - Stimulating and entertaining the frail aged.

PMID- 1876161
TI  - AIDS education in schools.

PMID- 1876162
TI  - Private sector AIDS-testing discouraged.

PMID- 1876163
TI  - Wither the community health nurse.

PMID- 1876164
TI  - Doctors urge compulsory AIDS tests.

PMID- 1876165
TI  - Specializing in midwifery.

PMID- 1876166
TI  - [The private nurse practitioner].

PMID- 1876167
TI  - Smith & Nephew Helpline. Edition 1.

PMID- 1876168
TI  - Shrinking resources a nursing management perspective.

PMID- 1876169
TI  - Genetic factors and the psychiatric nurse.

PMID- 1876170
TI  - [Management of patients with AMS 800 urinary artificial sphincter].
AB  - In the following report we would like to describe the role of the nurse in the
      handling of patients with persistent urinary incontinence and more specifically
      the patients who have artificial sphincter implants. The success of these
      implants largely depend on careful evaluation, preparation surgery and follow-up
      care and it is quite clear that the nurse plays a major role in the team. The
      purpose of this paper is therefore, to outline the role of the nurse in this
      process which in turn can serve as a guideline to other centres as they too
      commence to do these implants. Our experience stems from the fact we have already
      evaluated +/- 200 patients of which 56 have had the implants.

PMID- 1876171
TI  - Nursing, a lamp or a limp?

PMID- 1876172
TI  - A healthier system.

PMID- 1876173
TI  - [The community health nurse in the next decades].

PMID- 1876175
TI  - High HIV infection in Natal.

PMID- 1876174
TI  - Why AIDS campaigns are not working.

PMID- 1876176
TI  - Scientific misconduct. FASEB rejects OSI rules.

PMID- 1876177
TI  - Yeast embryology. Pathways of morphogenesis.

PMID- 1876178
TI  - Cell biology. Virus receptors as permeases.

PMID- 1876179
TI  - Neuroscience. Back together again.

PMID- 1876180
TI  - Sperm competition.

PMID- 1876181
TI  - Beneficial ghee?

PMID- 1876182
TI  - Spatial maps.

PMID- 1876183
TI  - A 'unified theory' of prion propagation.
AB  - There is now very persuasive evidence that the transmissible agent for spongiform
      encephalopathies such as scrapie, consists of a modified form of the normal host
      protein PrPc, devoid of any nucleic acid. On the other hand, because there are
      many different strains of scrapie agent with distinct phenotypes which can be
      propagated in animals homozygous for the PrPc gene, it has been suggested that a
      nucleic acid must be a component of the agent. Can the two views be reconciled?

PMID- 1876184
TI  - Cloning of a human gene encoding the general transcription initiation factor IIB.
AB  - Transcription factor IIB (TFIIB) has a central role in transcription of class II
      genes. The purification of the human TFIIB protein and isolation of a
      complementary DNA encoding TFIIB activity is reported here. The sequence of
      TFIIB, which seems to be encoded by a single gene, contains a repeated motif, in
      addition to a motif with similarity to the prokaryotic sigma-factors. The
      recombinant protein expressed in bacteria substituted for all the functions
      attributed to the human TFIIB protein.

PMID- 1876185
TI  - Evolutionary distinctiveness of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle.
AB  - The endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) nests almost
      exclusively at a single locality in the western Gulf of Mexico, whereas the olive
      ridley (L. olivacea) nests globally in warm oceans. Morphological similarities
      between kempi and olivacea, and a geographical distribution that "...makes no
      sense at all under modern conditions of climate and geography", raise questions
      about the degree of evolutionary divergence between these taxa. Analysis of
      mitochondrial (mt) DNA restriction sites shows that Kemp's ridley is distinct
      from the olive ridley in matriarchal phylogeny, and that the two are sister taxa
      with respect to other marine turtles. Separation of olive and the Kemp's ridley
      lineages may date to formation of the Isthmus of Panama, whereas the global
      spread of the olive ridley lineage occurred recently. In contrast to recent
      examples in which molecular genetic assessments challenged systematic assignments
      underlying conservation programmes, our mtDNA data corroborate the taxonomy of an
      endangered form.

PMID- 1876186
TI  - Charge movement during Na+ translocation by native and cloned cardiac Na+/Ca2+
      exchanger.
AB  - Na+/Ca2+ exchange is electrogenic and moves one net positive charge per cycle.
      Although the cardiac exchanger has a three-to-one Na+/Ca2+ stoichiometry, details
      of the reaction cycle are not well defined. Here we associate Na+ translocation
      by the cardiac exchanger with positive charge movement in giant membrane patches
      from cardiac myocytes and oocytes expressing the cloned cardiac Na+/Ca2+
      exchanger. The charge movements are initiated by step increments of the
      cytoplasmic Na+ concentration in the absence of Ca2+. Giant patches from control
      oocytes lack both steady-state Na+/Ca2+ exchange current (INaCa) and Na(+)
      induced charge movements. Charge movements indicate about 400 exchangers per
      micron 2 in guinea-pig sarcolemma. Fully activated INaCa densities (20-30 microA
      cm-2) indicate maximum turnover rates of 5,000 s-1. As has been predicted for
      consecutive exchange models, the apparent ion affinities of steady state INaCa
      increase as the counterion concentrations are decreased. Consistent with an
      electroneutral Ca2+ translocation, we find that voltage dependence of INaCa in
      both directions is lost as Ca2+ concentration is decreased. The principal
      electrogenic step seems to be at the extracellular end of the Na+ translocation
      pathway.

PMID- 1876187
TI  - High risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix for women with HLA-DQw3.
AB  - Many immune responses are controlled by genes of the major histocompatibility
      complex (MHC). In man these include the loci encoding the HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, -DQ
      and -DP antigens, and many diseases have been linked with these. But attempts to
      identify HLA genes in man that might explain why an immune response against
      malignant tumours should be ineffective have so far been disappointing, apart
      from the association reported between the HLA-DR1 antigen and a susceptibility to
      a rare carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Here we describe another strong connection
      between a common malignant tumour and an HLA antigen, namely between HLA-DQw3 and
      squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: from the 1988 United States tumour
      registry, 1 in every 63 newborn girls will develop this invasive cancer. We found
      that 88% of 66 patients had the leukocyte antigen HLA-DQw3 when it would normally
      be expected in only 50% of individuals. In animals the immune system and the MHC
      act in defence against virally induced tumours, but until now there has been no
      evidence that they do so in humans: as squamous cell carcinoma is probably
      virally induced, our discovery of its association with an HLA antigen will be
      important to the understanding of the immunogenetic basis of a susceptibility to
      this tumour.

PMID- 1876188
TI  - Basal body movements as a mechanism for mitochondrial genome segregation in the
      trypanosome cell cycle.
AB  - The mitochondrial genome of Trypanosoma brucei is organized in the form of a
      complex catenated network of circular DNA molecules. This mass of DNA, known as
      the kinetoplast, is present at a unique site in the single mitochondrion, and is
      replicated in a discrete, periodic S phase of the cell cycle. The single-copy
      nature of the kinetoplast suggests that there is a mechanism ensuring segregation
      fidelity of replicated copies to each daughter cell. Historically, speculation
      regarding the nature of this mechanism has often attributed significance to the
      close association between the kinetoplast and the flagellum basal body. We
      provide here direct evidence that this mitochondrial DNA complex is indeed linked
      to the basal body, and segregation of the kinetoplast DNA is dependent on a
      microtubule-mediated separation of the new and old flagellar basal bodies during
      the cell cycle. This unique system may represent the remnants of an
      evolutionarily archaic mechanism for genome segregation.

PMID- 1876190
TI  - Informatics: here we come.

PMID- 1876189
TI  - Cloning of an NF-kappa B subunit which stimulates HIV transcription in synergy
      with p65.
AB  - The transcription factor NF-kappa B is a protein complex which comprises a DNA
      binding subunit and an associated transactivation protein (of relative molecular
      masses 50,000 (50K) and 65K, respectively). Both the 50K and 65K subunits have
      similarity with the rel oncogene and the Drosophila maternal effect gene dorsal.
      The 50K DNA-binding subunit was previously thought to be a unique protein,
      derived from the 105K gene product (p105). We now report the isolation of a
      complementary DNA that encodes an alternative DNA-binding subunit of NF-kappa B.
      It is more similar to p105 NF-kappa B than other family members and defines a new
      subset of rel-related genes. It is synthesized as approximately 100K protein
      (p100) that is expressed in different cell types, contains cell cycle motifs and,
      like p105, must be processed to generate a 50K form. A 49K product (p49) can be
      generated independently from an alternatively spliced transcript; it has specific
      kappa B DNA-binding activity and can form heterodimers with other rel proteins.
      In contrast to the approximately 50K protein derived from p105, p49 acts in
      synergy with p65 to stimulate the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) enhancer in
      transiently transfected Jurkat cells. p49/p100 NF-kappa B could therefore be
      important in the regulation of HIV and other kappa B-containing genes.

PMID- 1876191
TI  - Cherry: who are you?
AB  - Do we need a new role model to inspire today's teenagers to look at nursing as a
      career? If so, who and what should this character be? Billingsley offers her
      ideas.

PMID- 1876192
TI  - Learning collaboration in a laboratory setting.
AB  - Collaboration is a process that contributes in many ways to improved nursing
      care. Before collaboration can be practiced effectively, the component skills
      must be learned. This paper describes a course for graduate students that was
      developed for this purpose. The students learn basic skills in the classroom and
      apply them to patients in a laboratory setting. An overview of collaboration, the
      collaboration course, and clinical application is presented.

PMID- 1876193
TI  - Res ipsa loquitur--putting the health care provider on the hot seat.
AB  - Just when you thought you knew all of the fine points of malpractice, McMullen
      describes a new way of getting sued. Fortunately, she also suggests ways to avoid
      it.

PMID- 1876194
TI  - The importance of collaboration with staff nurses in the socialization of nursing
      students.
AB  - The future of the nursing profession depends on excellent preparation of its
      students. Vital to this preparation is the cooperation between nurses in
      education and nurses in service. This article focuses on the promotion of
      effective collaboration among faculty, staff nurses, and nursing students in the
      socialization of students into the profession.

PMID- 1876195
TI  - Intuitive skills in crisis management.
AB  - This article is a synthesis of nursing and management research findings on
      intuition and explains why intuition is particularly useful in crisis management.
      Drawing on applications from organizational psychology, it includes ways to
      enhance the nurse's ability to exercise and develop intuitive skills. The authors
      assert that the highly complex, rapidly changing, and often unpredictable
      circumstances that require crisis management in nursing are best met through
      applying the complementary cognitive skills of analytic reasoning and intuition.

PMID- 1876196
TI  - Is national health insurance imminent?
AB  - What is meant by the rhetoric about "reforming" health care financing and who is
      driving this movement? Mahrenholz details the whole frightening situation.

PMID- 1876197
TI  - Pairing students for community health nursing home visits.
AB  - Faculty paired community health nursing (CHN) students for home visits to reduce
      students' anxiety and enhance their learning of the nursing process. The pairing
      method involved 60 students over a three-semester period. The process is
      described and advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. The net results are
      favorable. Faculty found that students' fear of entering an unfamiliar home was
      supplanted by a sense of challenge at working collaboratively with a peer.
      Furthermore, the pairing experience increased students' confidence in making
      decisions about client care and offered them more physical safety when visiting
      high-crime urban settings. Students felt positive about the increased safety and
      expressed greater confidence in their CHN role and their application of the
      nursing process.

PMID- 1876198
TI  - Ethics, policy, and allocation of scarce resources in nursing service
      administration: a pilot study.
AB  - Between the 10-year projection of a half million FTE nursing shortage,
      astronomical medical care costs and a lingering recession, nursing administrators
      have no option but to make difficult choices in resource allocation. What are the
      ethics inherent in such a situation? Silva & Lewis reveal the opinions of current
      nurse leaders.

PMID- 1876200
TI  - The Oncology Nursing Society.
AB  - Oncology nursing is one of the fastest moving and most exciting specialties in
      nursing today. ONS, not surprisingly, is one of the strongest specialty groups.
      Taylor profiles the history of this group.

PMID- 1876199
TI  - Multiple mentoring strategy in the academic preparation of quality assurance
      directors.
AB  - Availability of adequately educated and trained nursing quality assurance
      directors is a must for the survival of health care institutions. Educators meet
      many challenges in preparing masters students for this role. Issues pertaining to
      definition of a relevant course of study in theoretical and practical content
      areas, and faculty's lack of personal experience with the role are situations
      that must be resolved. This article describes a model of multiple mentoring
      through collaboration that was implemented at a large urban nursing department
      with satisfactory solutions.

PMID- 1876201
TI  - Some inflammatory observations.

PMID- 1876202
TI  - It's not always "better to be safe than sorry": a fourth amendment restriction on
      mandatory AIDS testing.

PMID- 1876203
TI  - Arterial aneurysms.

PMID- 1876204
TI  - Management of the infant with meconium stained amniotic fluid.

PMID- 1876205
TI  - [Correlations between thalamic projections to different areas of the parietal
      association cortex of the cat].
AB  - Projections of thalamic neurons to parietal association cortex of cat were
      examined by means of the retrograde axonal transport of fluorescent dyes
      (primuline and fast blue). It has been demonstrated that a dorsal part of the
      pulvinar (PL) and a dorsal part of the caudal area of the lateral posterior
      nucleus (LP) projected mostly to the middle suprasylvian gyrus (MSSG), while a
      ventral part of PL and a ventral part of the rostral area of LP--to the rostral
      suprasylvian gyrus (RSSG). Double labelled neurons were found in PL, LP,
      suprageniculatus, anterior ventral, ventral lateral as well as in the central
      lateral, paracentral and central medial nuclei after injections of two different
      dyes into MSSG and RSSG. Topic organization of sources of cortical projections
      from the PL--LP complex can probably provide a high level of discrimination of
      visual signals by single cortical neurons. At the same time during integration of
      information of a different subcortical origin RSSG and MSSG act, probably, in
      concord to a considerable extent, that suggests insufficient differentiation of
      RSSG and MSSG corresponding approximately to cortical areas 5 and 7 of cat.

PMID- 1876206
TI  - [Changes in quantitative characteristics of the efferent activity of the
      locomotor generator after decerebellation].
AB  - Quantitative changes of efferent activity parameters of the locomotor generators
      of hindlimbs were investigated after decerebellation on the decerebrated
      immobilized cats. Removal of modulating influences of the cerebellum on nuclei of
      descending systems caused an insignificant increase in the activity of the
      generator half-centre, increased instability of the generator functioning,
      diminished the statistical dependence between changes in parameters of the
      activity of the generator half-centres and strengthened the generators'
      sensitivity to afferent signals. The functional significance of descending
      signals in functioning of the locomotor and scratch generators is discussed.

PMID- 1876207
TI  - [Rearrangement of the efferent activity of a locomotor generator under electric
      activation of descending systems in immobilized cats].
AB  - Rearrangement of the locomotor generator activity evoked by phasic electrical
      stimulation of different descending systems has been investigated on decerebrated
      immobilized cats. The rearrangement heavily depends on the stimulation phase. A
      maximal increase of the locomotor cycle duration by electrical stimulation of the
      Deiters nucleus takes place in the end of an "extensor" phase. Stimulation of the
      Deiters nucleus during the flexor phase decreases the locomotor cycle duration. A
      maximal increase of the locomotor cycle duration by electrical stimulation of the
      red nucleus, pyramidal tract and reticular gigantocellular nucleus takes place in
      the first half of a "flexor" phase. Electrical activation of these descending
      pathways during the flexor phase promotes an increase in intensity of this phase
      and a decrease in intensity of the "extensor" phase. Electrical activation of the
      Deiters nucleus increases intensity of the extensor phase and decreases that of
      the "flexor" phase. Possible principles of the suprasegmental correction of the
      locomotor generator activity are discussed.

PMID- 1876208
TI  - [Structure of receptive fields of visually sensitive neurons of the cat
      hippocampus].
AB  - Structure of receptive fields of visually sensitive neurons in areas CA1 and CA3
      of the dorsal hippocampus was investigated in alert cats with the brain-stem
      pretrigeminal section. The receptive field (RF) structure of 76 hippocampal
      neurons was analyzed by methods of scanning the RF by moving stimuli and mapping
      all their surface by a stationary flashing spot. According to presented data the
      neurons were classified into three groups: neurons with homogeneous structure of
      the RF (54%), with nonhomogeneous (28%) and neurons more sensitive to stimulus
      motion (18%) than to a stationary flashing light. Experiments have shown that
      responses of hippocampal neurons are highly specific ones. Thus, 9% of neurons
      with the nonhomogeneous RF structure have shown specific responses to variation
      of the contrast and contours of moving stimuli. The presented results show that
      hippocampal visually driven neurons have well developed mechanism for processing
      visual sensory information and apparently this quality ensures participation of
      the limbic system in visually controlled behavior of the animal.

PMID- 1876209
TI  - [Reciprocal modulating effect of serotonin and dopamine on neurons of rat spinal
      ganglia].
AB  - It was found in experiments on isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons of rats that
      dopamine (10(-8)-10(-6) Mol/l) potentiated depolarizing neuronal responses evoked
      by injection of 5-hydroxytryptamine from micropipette. Similar concentrations of
      5-hydroxytryptamine (10(-8)-10(-6) Mol/l) potentiated neuronal depolarizing
      responses evoked by dopamine. Potentiating action of monoamines on combined
      neuronal responses depended on concentration and was inhibited by antagonists of
      dopamine (haloperidol) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (deseril) receptors. This effect
      of monoamines had postsynaptic nature and was bound with an increase of Ca2+ and
      cAMP intracellular concentrations.

PMID- 1876210
TI  - [Inhibiting effect of the presentation of additional stimuli on neuronal
      responses in the cat sensorimotor cortex during a conditioned reflex].
AB  - Conditional responses of the sensomotor cortex neurons were registered in awake
      cats which were trained to respond to presentation of conditional stimuli (a
      single sound click) by instrumental conditional movement. Those neuronal
      responses were registered 50-150 ms before realization of reflex movements.
      During external stimulation after the reflex beginning, conditional neuronal
      reactions appeared 50-250 ms later, but the latencies of conditional movements
      did not change. It is supposed that the studied phenomenon is a result of the
      growing exteroceptive attention of cats to external stimulation.

PMID- 1876211
TI  - [Effect of local superficial cooling of the rat cerebral cortex on unit activity
      of neurons--hypothetical sources of corticofugal signals].
AB  - Unit activity and primary responses (PR) in the cortex area SI and evoked
      potentials (EP) in the striatum of the rat's brain were recorded during
      electrocutaneous stimulation of the contralateral forepaw. The cortex in the area
      of sensory representation of the stimulated extremity was cooled superficially,
      which promoted an increase of the PR amplitude in the cooling zone. Such cooling
      facilitated EP to the same stimulus in the striatum. The facilitation was
      accompanied by changes in time parameters of the neuronal responses in the 5th
      and 6th layers of the cortex: the latency and spike responses increased, a
      rhythmic organization of the responses either appeared or (if it was presented
      before cooling) became more intensive and period of the rhythm got longer. An
      increase in the spike number and amplitude of PR evoked by cooling in response to
      applied stimulus was not so high as an increase in the EP amplitude in the
      striatum and did not completely coincide with it in time. The data obtained
      permitted suggesting that the effect of corticofugal signals on the sensory
      reaction in the striatum was rather due to their time organization then to
      intensity.

PMID- 1876212
TI  - [Unit activity in the thalamic reticular nucleus during external stimulation in
      cats taught an instrumental conditioned reflex].
AB  - Application of heteromodal extrastimuli (ES) promotes selected excitation of most
      of the responding neurons in the thalamic reticular nucleus (R). Twelve of 32
      tested neurons responded to visual ES and 4 from 21 tested neurons responded to
      auditory ES. Initial responses of neurons and quantity of cells with initial
      responses decreased during habituation to ES. Grouped discharges disappeared
      after external stimulation. Initial responses to ES and to the following
      conditional stimulus appeared during external inhibition (EI), while late
      responses usually accompanying conditioning were inhibited almost in half of the
      studied neurons. It was suggested that R neurons participated in EI and in
      habituation to ES.

PMID- 1876213
TI  - [Effect of nucleus entopeduncularis stimulation on thalamic nuclei motor neurons
      under normal conditions and after injury of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system
      produced by the neurotoxin MPTP].
AB  - Two groups of acute experiments were performed on cats anesthetized by ketamine
      and immobilized by myorelaxine to study reactions of neurons in ventral anterior
      (VA) and ventral lateral (VL) thalamic nuclei to stimulation of nucleus
      entopeduncularis (nEp) in normal animals and in those treated with chronic
      injections of neurotoxin--N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 5
      mg/kg, i.m., daily, for five days). It was established that in normal cats 28% of
      the neurons studied have responded to nEp stimulation by inhibition with the
      latency shorter than 7 ms. In a half of inhibiting neurons after the first phase
      of inhibition which lasted 18 +/- 2 ms, the second inhibitory phase was
      registered. The duration of the latter was 25 +/- 4 ms. In MPTP-treated cats the
      number of neurons inhibited after nEp stimulation was practically the same as in
      normal ones (24.5%). A tendency of the first phase shortening and a statistically
      significant increase of the second inhibition phase duration up to 50 +/- 11 ms
      were found. It was suggested that changes in the inhibitory processes in VA-VL
      neurons receiving afferents from nEp might be explained by hyperpolarization of
      the nerve cell membrane evoked by increasing pallidothalamic inhibitory
      influences. That hyperpolarization created conditions for a decrease in Cl(-)
      dependent and an increase in Ca(2+)-dependent K(+)-related phases of inhibitory
      postsynaptic potentials.

PMID- 1876214
TI  - [Preganglionic parasympathetic innervation of the intact and partially denervated
      rat stomach].
AB  - The preganglionic parasympathetic innervation of normal and vagotomized rat
      stomach have been investigated by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique.
      After the HRP injection into the antrum and fundus muscles the labelled cells
      were revealed in nuclei dorsalis nervi vagi bilaterally, but preferentially in
      the left nucleus. The most numerous labelled cells were observed after injection
      into the region of the curvatura minor. When HRP was injected into the
      vagotomized stomach one, three, four and six months after the surgery procedures
      the labelled cells in the nuclei nervi vagi were not revealed. Mechanisms of
      regeneration of nervi vagi efferents and normalization of the stomach activity
      are discussed.

PMID- 1876215
TI  - [Effect of temperature and emotional factors on the catecholamine content in
      intestinal and splenic adrenergic plexuses of celiac plexus-decentralized rats].
AB  - Effects of temperature and emotive factors on the catecholamine content in
      intestinal and splenic adrenergic plexuses of celiac plexus-decentralized rats
      have been studied using histofluorescence and computer analysis. It is shown that
      the catecholamine content in the plexuses gets higher during hypothermia and
      remains unchanged during hyperthermia and emotional stress.

PMID- 1876216
TI  - [Afferent projections of the bulbar locomotor region located in the medial
      reticular formation of the brain stem].
AB  - Afferent projections to the functionally identified bulbar locomotor region which
      is situated in the medial reticular formation were studied in cats and rats by
      means of horse-radish peroxidase technique. Cells of origin of such projections
      were found not only in hypothalamic and mesencephalic locomotor regions but also
      in the interstitial nucleus of Cajal and adjacent structures and in the ventral
      part of the caudate nucleus.

PMID- 1876217
TI  - [Cluster headache and chronic paroxysmal hemicrania: current therapy].
AB  - In acute attacks of cluster headache (CH), the mainstays of treatment are
      inhalation of pure oxygen (due to lack of any side effects), ergotamine aerosol,
      and intranasal application of local anaesthetics. The following treatments have
      hitherto been recommended for the prevention of attacks: young patient with first
      manifestation-methysergide; middle aged patient with episodic or chronic CH
      steroids; older patient with history of resistance to therapy-lithium. These
      guidelines have been superceded as a result of the demonstration of the efficacy
      of several other drugs which have reduced side effects. This increased variety of
      treatments also reduces the importance of clinical differentiation between
      episodic and chronic cluster headache. Today, the drugs of first choice for
      treatment of episodic cluster headache are steroids or calcium channel blockers
      like verapamil, replacing methysergide which is now drug of second choice. In
      chronic CH, verapamil and lithium are normally prescribed, steroids-possibly in
      combination with one of the other drugs-are regarded as drugs of second choice.
      Another possibility, used with increasing frequency, is valproate acid, and the
      experimental drug budipine may be a further alternative in therapy resistant
      patients. There is no convincing role for invasive surgical procedures,
      particularly in the light of the increased number of effective drugs. The
      treatment of choice for chronic paroxysmal hemicrania is indometacin, although
      individual patients may respond to salicylates, naproxene, prednisone and
      ergotamine.

PMID- 1876218
TI  - [Transcranial magnetic stimulation in psychogenic paralysis].

PMID- 1876219
TI  - [Diagnostic tests in carpal tunnel syndrome].
AB  - In a first series 100 patients underwent surgical treatment for carpal tunnel
      syndrome (CTS) after being tested by provocative tests for sensory disturbances
      preoperatively. In addition to the well-established tests like passive wrist
      flexion (Phalen's test) or wrist extension, active movement tests of the patient
      against resistance were investigated. Tests of active movement were introduced
      because of the high values of intraoperatively measured pressure at the median
      nerve, similar to those recorded with passive movements. All investigated
      provocative tests for sensory disturbances related to CTS, investigated by active
      and passive movements, were positive in 72% to 84% of patients. Average delay
      times for reaction of these provocative tests ranged between 15.7 and 19.5 s.
      Furthermore Tinel's sign showed a sensitivity of 64% and the flick sign one of
      69%. The specificity of tests and signs for the CTS was assessed on a group of 50
      surgically treated patients with cervical nerve root entrapment at the C5-C8
      level. In this group and a second CTS group the most sensitive of each test in
      the first series (active and passive provocational movement), Tinel's sign and
      flick sign were investigated. By forming subgroups in both diseases we showed
      that the results of the total groups were not influenced by a possible double
      crush. We could demonstrate high sensitivities in cervical nerve root entrapment
      for Phalen's sign with 74% and for active thumb abduction with 68% and a medium
      sensitivity for Tinel's sign with 40%--thus implying low specificity for CTS.
      Only the flick sign turned out to be relatively specific for CTS--its sensitivity
      in cervical nerve root entrapment was around 26%--indicating its potential to
      function as a valid criterion for the differential diagnosis of CTS and cervical
      nerve root entrapment syndrome.

PMID- 1876220
TI  - [Significance of dystrophin analysis in adult myopathies. Study methods, case
      reports and current pathogenetic considerations].

PMID- 1876221
TI  - [Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome].
AB  - The following is an outline of one typical case of chronic eosinophilia-myalgia
      syndrome (EMS). In 1987 a 62-year-old woman began taking L-tryptophan, 1.5 g
      nightly, due to sleeping difficulty. During the months preceding the appearance
      of EMS she continued to take L-tryptophan, derived from the biosynthetic
      production of the Japanese manufacturer "Showa Denko". She has suffered
      increasingly from severe myalgia and a proximal muscle weakness since July of
      1989. In November, 1989 her white blood cell count measured 12.1 X 10(9)/l with
      3.6 X 10(9) eosinophil cells/l. The bone marrow exhibited an increased
      granulopoesis and an extreme increase in the amount of eosinophil cells. The
      muscle biopsy specimen indicated an inflammation with perivascular distribution.
      The eosinophil cell count of the blood was quickly normalized via the
      introduction of prednisone over a short period. In the absence of further
      immunosuppressive therapy a slow improvement can be seen in the myalgia and in
      her general condition. Since the beginning of 1990 there has been a slow
      development of hyperpigmented scleroderma-like skin changes with distal
      distribution.

PMID- 1876222
TI  - [Chronic hyperthyroid myopathy. A contribution to the differential diagnosis of
      myopathic limb-girdle syndrome].

PMID- 1876223
TI  - [Symptomatic cluster headache: coincidence or causal relation? Report of six
      cases].

PMID- 1876224
TI  - [Dystrophia myotonica (Steinert disease)--a frequently misdiagnosed disease].

PMID- 1876225
TI  - Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype mRNA expression and ligand binding in
      the aged rat forebrain.
AB  - Previous studies indicate that a 20-30% decline in muscarinic acetylcholine
      receptor binding occurs in localized areas of rat brain during aging. In this
      study, reduced [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate binding was observed in striata from
      24-25-month-old rats relative to 5-6-month-old animals using homogenate binding
      assays. To determine if the decline in receptor concentration occurs as a result
      of decreased receptor synthesis, the expression of the m1, m3, and m4 muscarinic
      receptor mRNAs as well as [3H]-QNB binding were determined in adjacent sections
      of young and old male rats using in situ hybridization and in vitro receptor
      autoradiography respectively. A significant decline in collective muscarinic
      receptor binding as assessed by [3H]-QNB was observed in the caudate putamen,
      olfactory tubercle, nucleus accumbens, and several frontal and parietal cortical
      areas. The only difference observed in muscarinic mRNA expression for any of the
      three subtypes examined was a decline in m1 hybridization in the olfactory
      tubercle. The results of this study demonstrate that the regional brain areas
      displaying age-related decreases in receptor binding do not correlate with those
      areas showing a decrease in muscarinic receptor expression. Apparently, the
      decline in muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density with age does not result
      from a decline in receptor gene expression.

PMID- 1876226
TI  - Functional elongation of CA1 hippocampal neurons with aging in Fischer 344 rats.
AB  - Dendritic function of CA1 pyramidal cells was measured during intracellular
      recording in vitro and correlated with in vivo behavior in Fischer 344 rats. The
      aged rats (greater than 26 months) were significantly impaired on a water maze
      test of hippocampal behavioral function. CA1 neurons from these aged rats
      demonstrated an elevated action potential threshold compared to the young rats.
      Electrotonic length (L, in lambda), calculated independently from physiological
      transients and electrotonic cell reconstructions, was significantly longer in
      neurons from aged rats (L = 0.73 +/- 0.02 lambda; mean +/- SEM) than in neurons
      from young rats (L = 0.66 +/- 0.02 lambda). Analysis of proximal and distal
      synaptic potentials pointed to a more distal electrotonic siting of all dendritic
      synapses in the aged neurons. Thus, electrical lengthening of dendrites,
      alterations in synaptic location and decreased excitability in neurons from aged
      rats with behavioral impairment may represent an endpoint of neuronal reactive
      mechanisms in response to the aging process.

PMID- 1876227
TI  - Effect of age on blood vessels and neurovascular appositions in the CA1 region of
      the rat hippocampus.
AB  - Rats aged 3, 9, 24 and 30 months were used in this study. Increased basal lamina
      thickening in capillaries, muscular large vessels and nonmuscular large vessels
      was shown with advancing age. There is also an age-related increase in the area
      of mitochondria in smooth muscle cells. These ultrastructural changes may
      underlie observed age-related functional changes in the vasculature. They may be
      a compensatory response of the vessel wall cells to a declining capacity to
      handle the continual and varying shear stress exerted by the blood.
      Ultrastructural differences between capillaries and the two types of large
      vessels are reported and discussed in terms of their functional significance. It
      was noted that there are more dendrites adjacent to capillaries than to large
      vessels, however, this was unaffected by increasing age. Since advancing age did
      not alter the number of neuronal processes adjacent to vessels, age-related
      compromises in vessel function may not be subjected to neuronal regulation.

PMID- 1876228
TI  - Beneficial effects of nicotine administered prior to a delayed matching-to-sample
      task in young and aged monkeys.
AB  - Our earlier studies have demonstrated that administration of low micrograms/kg
      doses of nicotine to young adult monkeys prior to a delayed matching-to-sample
      (DMTS) task resulted in a centrally mediated improvement in performance of the
      task, particularly when delay intervals which most greatly challenged the
      animal's capabilities were involved. The present study confirmed these findings
      using a completely computer driven and automated procedure. In addition,
      performance on the DMTS was observed to be enhanced when animals were again
      tested 24 h after the dose of nicotine. Further analysis of the data indicated
      that the majority of enhancement to nicotine could be accounted for by a greatly
      increased performance at the least preferred stimulus color. Position preference
      (left vs. right stimulus) was not a factor in nicotine-induced enhancement. Two
      aged monkeys (34 years old Macaca mulatta) were significantly more difficult to
      train in the DMTS task and their longest delay capabilities were significantly
      shorter than the young animals (Macaca fascicularis). Nevertheless, the aged
      animals were essentially similar in most respects in their responses to nicotine
      administration. These data are consistent with a role for central nicotinic
      systems in memory performance and with the ability of nicotine to produce
      enhancement of selective features of mnemonic strategy in young and old monkeys.
      Furthermore, it is possible that either model, the aged animal, or the young
      animal stressed to his mnemonic capability may provide a good model for learning
      and memory disorders in humans.

PMID- 1876229
TI  - Loss during aging of beta-endorphinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of female
      C57BL/6J mice.
AB  - Beta-endorphin (B-EP) content is often reduced in hypothalami of aging rodents.
      The objective of this study was to determine whether reduced B-EP content is
      associated with a reduced number of B-EP immunoreactive neurons. Serial coronal
      sections extending from the caudal hypothalamus through the retrochiasmatic area
      were examined by quantitative light microscopy in mature (5-6 month) and
      senescent (24-28 month) mice that had been ovariectomized 1 week earlier and
      injected with colchicine 24-48 h before sacrifice. Old mice were acyclic. As
      expected, B-EP immunoreactive cell bodies were restricted to the region of the
      arcuate nucleus. There was a 35% loss of B-EP immunopositive neurons in old,
      macroscopically disease-free animals. By contrast, some old animals with
      pituitary tumors had no loss of B-EP neurons. These results suggest that a
      subpopulation of B-EP neurons either die or stop synthesizing detectable
      concentrations of B-EP in aged mice. The basis for the absence of reduced B-EP
      neurons in some mice with pituitary tumors is unclear, but this observation
      underscores the importance of distinguishing age-related changes associated with
      diseases of aging from those that are independent of such diseases.

PMID- 1876230
TI  - Subcortical hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging: a comparison
      between late age onset and early onset elderly depressed subjects.
AB  - Subcortical structural changes have been reported to occur in some elderly
      subjects with late age onset depression. Given the association between diseases
      affecting subcortical structures and affective disorders, this suggests that
      these structural changes may be involved in the etiology of late age onset
      depression in some patients. With the advent of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging
      (MRI), "in vivo" analysis of these subcortical structures is now possible. The
      authors report a higher occurrence of caudate (60% vs. 11%) and large deep white
      matter hyperintensities (60% vs. 11%) in late age onset elderly depressed
      subjects compared with early onset elderly depressed subjects. These results
      suggest that late age onset depression may be mediated by caudate and white
      matter structural changes in some patients.

PMID- 1876231
TI  - The effects of age on eyeblink conditioning in the freely moving Fischer-344 rat.
AB  - The effects of age were assessed on the ability of male Fischer-344 rats to
      acquire a classically conditioned eyeblink using the "delay" paradigm. Using a
      350 ms white noise conditioning stimulus and a 100 ms coterminating periorbital
      shock (2 mA, 60 Hz, AC) we have demonstrated that these rats exhibit deficits as
      early as middle age. Middle-aged and senescent rats (18 and 30 months) exhibited
      significantly fewer conditioned responses than young rats (3 and 12 months).
      Since all of the rats responded to a test noise, and there were no differences in
      threshold to evoke a blink, this result is likely to be due to an associative
      deficit. Thus, our results indicate that eyeblink conditioning in the freely
      moving rat is a useful model system for behavioral and neurobiological analyses
      of the effects of age on associative learning and memory.

PMID- 1876232
TI  - Nicotinic cholinoceptive neurons of the frontal cortex are reduced in Alzheimer's
      disease.
AB  - The cellular distribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors was studied in the
      frontal cortex (area 10) of 1) Alzheimer patients and compared to 2) age-matched
      and 3) middle-aged controls using the monoclonal antibody WF 6 and an
      immunoperoxidase protocol. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences
      between the number of labeled neurons among all three groups tested (middle-aged
      controls greater than aged controls greater than Alzheimer cases). No differences
      were seen for cresyl violet-stained samples. These findings underline that the
      nicotinic receptor decrease found with radioligand binding may reflect a
      postsynaptic in addition to a presynaptic component.

PMID- 1876233
TI  - Restoration of circadian corticosterone rhythm in ventromedial hypothalamic
      lesioned rats.
AB  - The effects of ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesions on the circadian
      periodicity of blood corticosterone were studied in female rats. The rats were
      kept on a 12-hour light/12-hour dark illumination regimen and fed ad libitum.
      Three, 10 and 12 weeks after the VMH lesions, the concentrations of blood
      corticosterone were measured every 4 h for 48 h in the same unanesthetized rats.
      Three weeks after the operation, the circadian rhythm in VMH-lesioned rats was
      disturbed and disappeared. The corticosterone levels at 03:00, 07:00, and 11:00
      were significantly higher than those in sham-operated rats. 10 and 12 weeks after
      the operation, the circadian rhythm, however, was notable (p less than 0.05, p
      less than 0.05). The elevated mean corticosterone levels over 48 h at 3 weeks
      after the operation decreased at 10 and 12 weeks. The sham-operated rats showed a
      significant circadian rhythm at 3, 10 and 12 weeks after the operation (p less
      than 0.001 in each period) with a peak concentration at 19:00 and through at
      07:00. These findings show that the corticosterone circadian rhythms which were
      disturbed in the dynamic phase after VMH lesions recovered in the static phase of
      obesity, suggesting that the ventromedial hypothalamus is not an essential
      biological clock of circadian corticosterone rhythm.

PMID- 1876234
TI  - Chronic sodium or chloride depletion upregulates angiotensin II receptors in the
      anterior pituitary lobe of young rats.
AB  - The effect of chronic (35 days) and selective sodium or chloride depletion on the
      regulation of angiotensin II receptors in the anterior pituitary gland of young
      male rats was studied by quantitative autoradiography. Both chronic sodium or
      chloride depletion produced significant extracellular fluid volume contraction,
      stimulation of the circulating renin-angiotensin system and increased the number
      of angiotensin II receptors in the anterior pituitary gland. Changes in
      angiotensin II receptors in both sodium- and chloride-depleted animals were
      associated with increased plasma prolactin levels. Our results suggest a
      participation of the pituitary renin-angiotensin system in the physiological
      response and/or possible adaptation to chronic sodium or chloride depletion.
      Extracellular fluid volume contraction and profound chronic stimulation of the
      circulating renin-angiotensin system may contribute to regulate anterior
      pituitary angiotensin II receptors and may influence prolactin release.

PMID- 1876235
TI  - Differential early time course activation of the brainstem catecholaminergic
      groups in response to various stresses.
AB  - The effects of various stressors (restraint, ether, histamine and insulin-induced
      hypoglycemia stress) on the early time course activation of the different
      catecholaminergic (CA) cell groups A1/C1, A2/C2 and locus ceruleus (LC) from the
      brainstem were studied. The activity of the central noradrenergic neurons was
      assessed by measuring in tissue punches the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid
      (DOPAC) level, a side metabolite of noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline
      biosynthesis that is thought to reflect the activity of NA cells. Short 5 min
      restraint stress led to an immediate increase of DOPAC level in the three CA
      groups. In the A1/C1 and A2/C2 groups the maximal increase, respectively +75 and
      +50%, was already reached at the end of the application of the stress while for
      the LC the maximum (+84%) was obtained 15 min after the onset of the stress.
      Return to baseline level was achieved within 2 h. Continuous immobilization
      stress did not further alter the DOPAC concentration in the LC and the A1/C1
      while a progressive increase up to 85% in the A2/C2 group was seen over 20 min.
      Following a 2-min exposure to ether, DOPAC was increased in all three structures
      within 5 min. At this time the maximum was already reached in the A1/C1 and LC,
      respectively +99 and +43%. After histamine or insulin injection DOPAC level
      increased in the A1/C1 and A2/C2 in the +25/+50% range but was not significantly
      affected in the LC. In all the stress situations studied the increase in DOPAC
      level, particularly in the A1/C1 group always preceded or was concomitant to the
      increase of plasma corticosterone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876236
TI  - Exogenous growth hormone inhibits bovine but not murine pituitary growth hormone
      secretion in vitro: evidence for a direct feedback of growth hormone on the
      pituitary.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that one aspect of growth hormone (GH) regulation involves
      a direct effect of GH on its own secretion at the level of the pituitary, we
      evaluated the effects of human GH on basal and GH-releasing factor (GRF)-induced
      GH secretion in rat and bovine pituitary cell cultures. Both 4 h (acute) and 24 h
      (chronic) exposure of bovine pituitary cells to exogenous human GH significantly
      (p less than 0.001) reduced GH secretion. Acute treatment resulted in a decrease
      in GH secretion from 579 +/- 24 to 500 +/- 17 ng/ml 4 h (mean +/- SEM, n = 24)
      while chronic treatment resulted in a GH decrease from 595 +/- 21 to 483 +/- 17
      ng/ml/4 h. In contrast, human GH treatment of rat somatotropes had no effect on
      basal GH secretion. GRF-stimulated GH secretion was not affected by either acute
      or chronic GH exposure in either species. These results demonstrate that there
      are species-specific differences in the ability of GH to regulate its own
      secretion and provide evidence for a direct inhibitory effect of GH at the level
      of the bovine pituitary.

PMID- 1876237
TI  - Estradiol rapidly stimulates dopamine release from the posterior pituitary in
      vitro.
AB  - Dopamine (DA) from both the posterior pituitary (PP) and stalk-median eminence
      (SME) inhibits prolactin (PRL) secretion from the anterior pituitary. Estradiol
      participates in the regulation of PRL release, in part by modulating DA release
      from the SME. However, little is known concerning the effects of estradiol on the
      release of DA from the PP. The objective of this study was to examine whether
      estradiol rapidly affects the potassium-evoked release of endogenous DA from the
      PP and SME in vitro. Tissues were dissected from ovariectomized rats and allowed
      to equilibrate in media for 30 min. Two pulses of 28 mM K+, 3 min each, were then
      given 30 min apart. Test substances were added 20 min before the second stimulus.
      DA in the media was determined by HPLC. Estradiol, at a concentration of 1 and 10
      nM, significantly stimulated the potassium-evoked DA release from the PP by 34
      and 47%, respectively. This stimulation was specific since 17 alpha-estradiol, a
      biologically inactive isomer, and testosterone, were without effects. Estradiol
      did not alter DA release from either the SME or isolated neural lobes of the PP.
      Naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, abolished the estradiol-induced
      stimulation of DA release from the PP. In contrast, amphetamine, a DA-releasing
      agent, significantly increased DA release in the presence of naloxone. In
      conclusion, (1) estradiol stimulates DA release from the PP but not the SME or
      neural lobe; this effect is rapid and stereospecific, and (2) the effects of
      estradiol appear to be mediated via an opioid(s) peptide(s) from the intermediate
      lobe.

PMID- 1876238
TI  - Sex difference in estradiol regulation of progestin receptor mRNA in rat
      mediobasal hypothalamus as demonstrated by in situ hybridization.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that estrogen increases the level of progestin
      receptors (PR) to a greater extent in female than in male rat hypothalamus. In
      order to determine if sex-specific regulation of the PR protein might be
      attributable to estrogenic effects on the PR message, in situ hybridization was
      used to assess sex differences in levels of estrogen-inducible PR mRNA in
      specific brain nuclei. Here, we report a sexually differentiated pattern of
      estrogen-regulated PR gene expression. In female hypothalamus, estrogen
      administered to gonadectomized rats induced a 3.6- and a 3.3-fold increase in PR
      mRNA in the ventrolateral aspect of the ventromedial nucleus and arcuate nucleus,
      respectively, but failed to alter the level of PR mRNA in the same neuronal
      groups of the male. Hormone treatment did not affect the levels of PR mRNA in the
      dorsomedial or medial amygdaloid nuclei of either sex. These results lead towards
      a molecular explanation of sex differences in female reproductive behavior by
      revealing an estrogen-dependent up-regulation of the message for PR, a
      transcription factor, in a region- and sex-specific fashion.

PMID- 1876239
TI  - Production of a growth hormone-releasing hormone-like peptide and its mRNA by
      human lymphocytes.
AB  - Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) contain immunoreactive growth hormone
      releasing hormone (irGRH). Both the intracellular content and the release of
      irGRH from PBL are increased following lymphocyte activation. Although binding of
      lymphocyte-derived irGRH to a GRH1-44 antibody dilutes in parallel with standard
      GRH1-44, irGRH elutes earlier on gel chromatography with an apparent molecular
      weight of approximately 50 kD. On reverse-phase high performance liquid
      chromatography, irGRH elutes later than GRH1-44. Northern blot analysis also
      detected the presence of two GRH mRNA transcripts in PBL, one similar in size to
      the hypothalamic species of 0.75 kb and another larger transcript of
      approximately 10 kb. Despite these differences in physicochemical behaviour, both
      the lymphocyte-derived irGRH GRH1-44 were biologically active as demonstrated by
      enhancing the transcription of growth hormone mRNA both in dispersed rat
      pituitary cells and in PBL.

PMID- 1876240
TI  - Symptomatic Chiari malformation in adults: a new classification based on magnetic
      resonance imaging with clinical and prognostic significance.
AB  - Thirty-five consecutive adults with Chiari malformation and progressive symptoms
      underwent surgical treatment at a single institution over a 3-year period. All
      patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging scan before and after surgery.
      Images of the craniovertebral junction confirmed tonsillar herniation in all
      cases and allowed the definition of two anatomically distinct categories of the
      Chiari malformation in this age group. Twenty of the 35 patients had concomitant
      syringomyelia and were classified as Type A. The remaining 15 patients had
      evidence of frank herniation of the brain stem below the foramen magnum without
      evidence of syringomyelia and were labeled Type B. Type A patients had a
      predominant central cord symptomatology; Type B patients exhibited signs and
      symptoms of brain stem or cerebellar compression. The principal surgical
      procedure consisted of decompression of the foramen magnum, opening of the fourth
      ventricular outlet, and plugging of the obex. Significant improvement in
      preoperative symptoms and signs was observed in 9 of the 20 patients (45%) with
      syringomyelia (Type A), as compared to 13 of the 15 patients (87%) without
      syringomyelia (Type B). Postoperative reduction in syrinx volume was observed in
      11 of the 20 patients with syringomyelia, including all 9 patients with excellent
      results. Magnetic resonance imaging has allowed a classification of the adult
      Chiari malformation in adults based on objective anatomic criteria, with clinical
      and prognostic relevance. The presence of syringomyelia implies a less favorable
      response to surgical intervention.

PMID- 1876241
TI  - Conservative treatment of patients with acoustic tumors.
AB  - Seventy of 178 patients with acoustic tumors initially were treated
      conservatively and have been followed up for an average of 26 +/- 2 months. The
      tumor size was determined by the mean maximum anteroposterior and mediolateral
      diameters, using computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging scans
      obtained sequentially throughout the follow-up period. The average tumor growth
      was 1.6 +/- 0.4 mm the 1st year, and 1.9 +/- 1.0 mm the 2nd year (range, -2 to 17
      mm/y): 4 tumors showed apparent regression, 28 (40%) had no detectable growth,
      and 37 (53%) exhibited growth (average, 3.8 +/- 1.2 mm/y). Within individual
      patients, the tumor growth rate determined during the 1st year of follow-up was
      predictive of tumor growth rate determined during the following year. Rapid tumor
      growth or clinical deterioration in 9 of the 70 patients (13%) who initially were
      treated conservatively necessitated subsequent surgery an average of 14 +/- 5
      months after the patient was initially seen. This group had a larger initial
      tumor size (27.0 +/- 3.4 mm vs. 21.3 +/- 0.9 mm, P less than 0.05), and a faster
      1-year growth rate (7.9 +/- 2.3 mm/y vs. 1.3 +/- 0.3 mm/y, P less than 0.05) than
      the 61 patients who did not require surgery. Two patients, however, experienced
      neurological deterioration that required surgery, even though there was no tumor
      growth. The high incidence of acoustic tumors with no detectable growth or
      apparent spontaneous regression must be taken into account when evaluating the
      indications for surgery and the efficacy of radiotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876242
TI  - C6 glioma-astrocytoma cell and fetal astrocyte migration into artificial basement
      membrane: a permissive substrate for neural tumors but not fetal astrocytes.
AB  - Cortically homografted C6 glioma-astrocytoma cells both invade the rat host brain
      as a mass and migrate as individual cells. In contrast, fetal astrocytes derived
      from homografted whole pieces of fetal cortex migrate only as individual cells
      throughout the brain of the rat but are not capable of invasion. Our experiment
      explored the migratory capacity (over 7 days) of cultured purified fetal
      astrocytes and C6 cells after seeding 10(6) cells on a hydrated artificial
      basement membrane wafer (Matrigel). The artificial basement membrane wafer was
      not a suitable substrate for the growth of cultured fetal astrocytes. In
      contrast, C6 cells migrated as individual cells from the surface of the wafer
      into the substrate. Individual C6 cells migrated 1.8 mm in the first 4 days and
      then ceased migration. The C6 cells were observed at the base of a digestion tube
      that extended from and was open to the surface of the wafer. At 3 days,
      micropockets were observed to form around each C6 cell at the base of each tube.
      By 7 days, the majority of pockets observed were large and contained several C6
      cells. These multiple cell groups appeared to be progenitors of tumor masses.
      These data indicate that C6 glioma-astrocytoma cells, which in vivo appear to be
      a model for glioblastoma multiforme, primarily migrate as individual cells
      through artificial basement membrane and secondarily form tumor masses.
      Progenitor tumor masses form by coalescence of individual C6 cell micropockets or
      the division of a single cell in an individual micropocket.

PMID- 1876243
TI  - Posterior fossa ependymomas: report of 30 cases and review of the literature.
AB  - Thirty patients with histologically confirmed posterior fossa ependymomas
      operated on between January 1976 and December 1988 were reviewed. The median age
      was 44 years (range, 1-69 yr). There were 7 children (aged 5 yr or younger) and
      23 adults (aged 16 yr or older). There were 18 female patients and 12 male
      patients. Headache, nausea and vomiting, and disequilibrium were the most
      frequent symptoms. The most common findings were ataxia and nystagmus. Gross
      total resection was performed in 8 patients (27%), subtotal resection in 21
      patients (70%), and biopsy in only 1 patient (3%). Tumors were low grade in 73%
      and high grade in 27%. Twenty-seven patients underwent posterior fossa
      radiotherapy (median dose, 5400 cGy). Fourteen patients also underwent spinal
      irradiation (median dose, 3520 cGy). Age was the only significant prognostic
      factor identified (P less than 0.01). The 5-year survival rates were 76% for
      adults and 14% for children. All 14 patients who died had recurrent or residual
      tumor at the primary site. This review suggests that in patients with primary
      posterior fossa ependymomas the following is true: 1) the young patient (5 yr old
      or younger) has a poor prognosis; 2) there was a trend toward a better 5-year
      survival rate with a gross total resection; 3) if recurrence occurs, it will be
      at the primary intracranial site; and 4) symptomatic spinal seeding does not
      occur frequently.

PMID- 1876244
TI  - The prognostic significance of postoperative residual tumor in ependymoma.
AB  - Between 1970 and 1989, 29 patients with intracranial ependymomas were evaluated
      and treated at the Children's Hospital in Boston. With a median follow-up of 82
      months, the actuarial survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 61 +/- 10% and 46 +/-
      12%, respectively. Anaplastic histological findings were uncommon (2 of 29).
      Initial postoperative radiotherapy was given to 25 patients, with a median tumor
      dose of 5360 cGy. With a median time to recurrence of 22 months, local failure
      (within 2 cm of original enhancing mass) was the predominant pattern of relapse
      (15 of 16 failures). The presence of radiographic residual disease seen on
      postoperative magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomographic scans was the
      most important prognostic variable for patients with intracranial ependymoma.
      Analysis of the 19 patients who underwent postoperative imaging revealed a 75 +/-
      15% 5-year freedom from progressive disease for 9 patients with no residual
      disease, as compared with 0% freedom from progressive disease for the 10 patients
      with gross residual disease (P = 0.03). In contrast, the surgical assessment of
      residual disease was not significant (P = 0.4). Age at presentation was also a
      significant prognostic factor. The overall actuarial survival rate at 12 years
      for infants 24 months or younger at diagnosis was 0%, as compared with 62 +/- 13%
      for older patients (P = 0.03). For non-anaplastic ependymomas, complete surgical
      resection followed by local-field, high-dose (greater than 54 Gy) radiotherapy
      appears to offer the greatest chance for long-term survival. Because of the
      markedly reduced survival rate for patients with radiologically apparent
      postoperative disease, maximal surgical resection and novel therapeutic endeavors
      appear warranted for this high-risk group. Future protocols should use
      postoperative imaging, not operative reports, to stratify patients with
      ependymoma.

PMID- 1876245
TI  - Cerebral vasospasm and vasoconstriction caused by endothelin.
AB  - We investigated the histological changes between arteries constricted by
      endothelin for 7 days and vasospastic arteries induced by the double injection of
      autologous blood. Group 1 was a sham-operated group. Group 2 animals received a
      continuous cisternal injection of endothelin-1 (1.7 x 10(-9) mol/7 days) by a
      miniosmotic pump implanted in the neck musculature for 7 days. Group 3 received
      double injections of cisternal blood administered 48 hours apart. Angiography
      showed severe constriction of the basilar artery, 34.6% and 43% in Groups 2 and
      3, respectively, on Day 7. Histological study showed marked constriction of the
      basilar artery in both Group 2 and Group 3. Degenerative changes in endothelial
      cells and smooth muscle cells were observed in both Group 2 and Group 3.
      Immunohistochemical study demonstrated endothelin-1 in the endothelial cells in
      Group 2, but not in Group 1 or in Group 3. It is suggested that endothelin-1 may
      play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm.

PMID- 1876246
TI  - Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: treatment with posterior decompression and Luque
      rectangle bone fusion.
AB  - Cervical spondylotic myelopathy appears to result from a combination of factors.
      The two major components are 1) compressive forces resulting from narrowing of
      the spinal canal, and 2) dynamic forces owing to mobility of the cervical spine.
      There is substantial evidence to suggest that the repetitive trauma to the spinal
      cord that is sustained with movement in a spondylotic canal may be a major cause
      of progressive myelopathy. Utilization of extensive anterior procedures that
      remove the diseased ventral features as well as eliminate the dynamic forces
      owing to the accompanying fusion have grown in popularity. Cervical laminectomy
      enlarges the spinal canal, but does not reduce the dynamic forces affecting the
      spinal cord, and may actually increase cervical mobility, leading to a
      perpetuation of the myelopathy. The authors propose the combination of posterior
      decompression and Luque rectangle bone fusion to deal with both the compressive
      and the dynamic factors that lead to cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Ten
      patients who had advanced myelopathy underwent the combined procedures. Nine of
      the 10 experienced significant neurological improvement, and the 10th has had no
      progression. The combination of posterior decompression and Luque rectangle bone
      fusion may offer a simple, safe, and effective alternative treatment for cervical
      spondylotic myelopathy.

PMID- 1876247
TI  - Use of intrathecally administered morphine in the treatment of postoperative pain
      after lumbar spinal surgery: a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled
      study.
AB  - Improved control of postoperative pain is now known to reduce the incidence of
      morbidity. Although spinally administered narcotics have found a clear role in
      chest and abdominal surgery, their role in lumbar spinal surgery is debated. We
      conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of
      intrathecally administered morphine sulfate after lumbar spinal surgery in 56
      patients. Patients received 0, 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 mg of intrathecally
      administered morphine during extradural lumbar spinal operations, and the effects
      on postoperative analog pain scores, narcotic consumption, complications, and
      length of hospitalization were assessed. As compared with systemic narcotic
      administration, intrathecally administered morphine provided superior analgesia
      in a dose-dependent fashion without an increase in narcotic side effects.
      Consumption of parenteral narcotics on the first postoperative day and over the
      total hospitalization period decreased in correlation with increasing doses of
      intrathecally administered morphine. Mean length of hospitalization was
      significantly decreased, as compared with the control group, in patients
      receiving 0.25 or 0.5 mg of intrathecally administered morphine. When proper
      precautions are observed, intrathecally administered morphine can improve the
      postoperative care of patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery.

PMID- 1876248
TI  - Prevention of an air embolism by moderate hypoventilation during surgery in the
      sitting position.
AB  - The effect of ventilation (normo-, hypo-, and hyperventilation) on transverse
      sinus pressure (TSP), central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial blood pressure
      (mABP), and heart rate was studied in 15 patients undergoing neurosurgical
      treatment in the sitting position for tumors of the posterior fossa, and the
      findings were compared with the influence of positive end expiratory pressure
      (PEEP) on these parameters. TSP was not influenced significantly by PEEP ranging
      from 0 to 15 mbar, whereas CVP increased. At the same time, mABP decreased
      slightly. In contrast, TSP showed characteristic changes with varying
      ventilation: during normoventilation [end expiratory CO2 pressure (PECO2), 38 mm
      Hg], TSP was 3 mm Hg and increased to 7 mm Hg on average with hypoventilation
      (PECO2, 44 mm Hg), whereas hyperventilation (PECO2, 32 mm Hg) caused a reduction
      in TSP to the atmospheric range. At the same time, CVP remained unchanged,
      whereas mABP increased with hypoventilation. Presuming that the risk of venous
      air embolism is closely related to the level of TSP, our results allow the
      following conclusions. 1) PEEP does not seem to be effective in preventing venous
      air embolism. 2) Hyperventilation is dangerous in the sitting position, as TSP is
      reduced to the atmospheric and even subatmospheric range. 3) To prevent air
      embolism, moderate hypoventilation is recommended during the most critical period
      of exposing the posterior fossa followed by normoventilation when surgery of the
      actual lesion has begun.

PMID- 1876249
TI  - Intracerebral temperature in neurosurgical patients.
AB  - Recent laboratory results have indicated that the ischemic brain is very
      sensitive to minor variations in temperature. This has created new interest in
      hypothermia and brain temperature. There is, however, very little information
      available regarding human intracerebral temperature and its relation to body core
      temperature during normal and pathological circumstances. We therefore made
      continuous measurements of the temperature of the lateral ventricle in 15
      neurosurgical patients utilizing a newly developed technique with copper
      constantan thermocouples introduced through a plastic catheter also used for
      monitoring intracranial pressure. The intraventricular temperature was higher
      than the rectal temperature during approximately 90% of all measurements. The
      largest temperature gradient measured was 2.3 degrees C. Usually the difference
      between the temperature of the rectum and the brain was much smaller, the mean
      value being 0.33 degrees C. For the patients in the most severe condition, the
      rectal temperature was sufficiently close to the brain temperature to afford a
      reliable basis for adequate clinical judgment.

PMID- 1876250
TI  - Telecanthal approach for meningiomas in the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses.
AB  - In three cases involving meningiomas in the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses,
      transbasal spreading of the interocular distance (telecanthal approach) was used
      for tumor removal and reconstruction of the skull base. This telecanthal approach
      involves 1) bilateral en bloc removal of the superior lateral rim of the orbit,
      the nasal bone, and the posterior lateral wall of the orbit; 2) detachment of the
      medial canthal ligaments; and 3) spreading of the interocular distance. This
      approach provides a wide working space beneath the anterior half of the midline
      skull base, and needs neither a facial incision nor significant retraction of the
      brain. The surgical technique and its modification are described. The discussion
      focuses not only on comparisons with other techniques, but on the indications for
      this approach. Meningiomas originating in the paranasal sinuses are rare; a brief
      review of the literature concerning the clinicopathological features and
      pathogenesis is also given.

PMID- 1876251
TI  - Operative approach to the frontal skull base: extensive transbasal approach.
AB  - An operative technique called the extensive transbasal approach is reported with
      the operative results of 11 cases. This is an operative mode in which en bloc
      osteotomy of the orbital roofs and frontal sinus is performed after ordinary
      bifrontal craniotomy. Through this approach, a far wider operative space than
      that afforded by conventional operative techniques is possible, and
      reconstruction of the frontal base can be made securely. We consider this
      approach of major clinical value.

PMID- 1876252
TI  - A shape-corrective shunt-passer using a titanium-nickel alloy.

PMID- 1876253
TI  - A familial coincidence of pseudotumor cerebri and communicating hydrocephalus.
AB  - A family in which the mother and two of four daughters had a diagnosis of
      pseudotumor cerebri and one son developed communicating hydrocephalus is
      described. The other two daughters both have a long history of headaches but no
      signs of intracranial hypertension. The argument is advanced that there exists a
      defect of cerebrospinal fluid absorption common to pseudotumor cerebri and
      communicating hydrocephalus.

PMID- 1876254
TI  - Hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis: report of two cases and review of the
      literature.
AB  - The cases of two patients with idiopathic pachymeningitis hypertrophica that
      caused progressive paraparesis are presented. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic
      resonance imaging was used to demonstrate this pathological entity in one
      patient, and myelography was used in the other. Decompressive surgery led to
      significant neurological improvement. The etiology, diagnosis, and management of
      this disease is discussed, and the literature is reviewed. To our knowledge, this
      is the first report to describe the features of this rare pathological entity on
      magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 1876255
TI  - The clinical importance of the inferolateral trunk of the internal carotid
      artery.
AB  - The inferolateral trunk (ILT) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a branch
      that arises inferiorly from the C4 segment of the cavernous ICA. It provides
      blood supply to the 3rd, 4th, and 6th cranial nerves, as well as to the gasserian
      ganglion. The ILT anastomoses to branches of the internal maxillary artery,
      providing collateral circulation between the external carotid artery and the ICA
      systems. Retinal and cerebral emboli can arise from the external carotid artery
      system and travel via the ILT to the ICA. Cranial nerve palsies may result after
      occlusion of the ILT. We present the cases of four patients who had iatrogenic
      neurological dysfunction subsequent to intravascular procedures that involved the
      ILT. These cases provide further clinical confirmation of the importance of this
      blood vessel. A 5th case involving iatrogenic occlusion of the ILT and no
      neurological deficit is also presented, demonstrating that the ILT is not the
      sole blood supply of the cranial nerves in the cavernous sinus.

PMID- 1876256
TI  - Brain stem abscess treated successfully by medical therapy.
AB  - A case of a solitary brain stem abscess in a 55-year-old man is presented. The
      computed tomographic scan and clinical picture allowed the presumptive diagnosis
      to be made. The abscess resolved completely after treatment with chloramphenicol,
      vancomycin, and ceftazidime administered intravenously. Medical therapy should be
      considered as an effective treatment of a brain stem abscess, provided the
      antibiotic therapy is administered under close clinical and computed tomographic
      monitoring.

PMID- 1876257
TI  - Double compartment hydrocephalus in an adult.
AB  - A case of double-compartment hydrocephalus in an adult is presented. Although
      this entity is infrequently noted in children, it is diagnosed even more rarely
      in the adult population. A discussion of the spectrum of abnormal cerebrospinal
      fluid dynamics of the 4th ventricle and treatment options are presented.

PMID- 1876258
TI  - Primary intrasellar coccidioidomycosis simulating a pituitary adenoma.
AB  - The case of a 68-year-old woman who had relatively acute, unilateral
      ophthalmoplegia is reported. Radiological studies indicated a mass lesion
      involving the pituitary gland and left cavernous sinus. Pathological tissue
      obtained by the transsphenoidal approach revealed the presence of a Coccidioides
      granuloma. This pathological entity should be considered when evaluating patients
      with a pituitary mass and ophthalmoplegia.

PMID- 1876259
TI  - Subependymoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation: report of a case and
      literature review.
AB  - A unique gliomesenchymal neoplasm, consisting of a subependymoma, a form of low
      grade glioma, and a rhabdomyosarcoma, is described. It arose and recurred in the
      brain stem of a 52-year-old man. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated the
      presence of a neuroectodermal marker S-100 protein within some sarcoma cells. The
      occurrence of this rare tumor supports the concept that striated muscle may
      derive from a neuroectodermal precursor lesion.

PMID- 1876260
TI  - Extreme lateral approach to intradural lesions of the cervical spine and foramen
      magnum.

PMID- 1876261
TI  - Civilian gunshot wounds to the head.

PMID- 1876262
TI  - Reactions of cell structures of the brain of laboratory animals to oxygen
      insufficiency.

PMID- 1876263
TI  - Method for identifying adrenergic nervous elements by the glyoxylic method using
      pontamine sky blue.

PMID- 1876264
TI  - Interhemispheric asymmetry of the interaction of transcallosal and ascending
      flows of excitation in the visual cortex of the cat.
AB  - Interhemispheric interrelationships under conditions of the combination of
      transcallosal stimulation and monocular photostimulation with varied time
      intervals have been studied in acute experiments on 20 curarized cats with
      topographic recording of evoked potentials (EP) from homotypical areas of the
      visual cortex of both hemispheres. Interhemispheric asymmetry was established in
      the amplitude-temporal parameters of the visual and transcallosal EP, as well as
      of the resulting EP in the entire range of lags between the heteromodal stimuli.
      The asymmetry of the viral EP was greatest in magnitude, the asymmetry of the
      transcallosal EP was medium in magnitude, and the minimal magnitude was that of
      the visual EP with photostimulation the contralateral eye. With the combination
      of transcallosal and visual stimulation, dynamics were found of the magnitude of
      the resulting EP which reaches a maximum of the magnitude and has a
      monohemispheric directivity in conditions of the model experiments which
      correspond to the most natural conditions of the transcallosal interrelationship
      of the hemispheres. It is hypothesized that the transcallosal interrelationship
      is an important factor of the formation of the relative specialization of the
      cerebral hemispheres.

PMID- 1876265
TI  - Influence of brain stem structures on the formation of the defensive behavior of
      animals.
AB  - The dependence of the dominant form of the defensive behavior of white male
      mongrel rats on the functional state of the brain stem inhibitory locomotor
      system has been studied in chronic experiments. It was established that the
      electrolytic destruction of the inhibitory zones of the cuneate nucleus of the
      midbrain, the medial parabrachial nucleus, the central and great nuclei of the
      raphe leads to the dominance of active defensive reactions in animals in
      confrontations with partners. The opposite effect is exerted by local injection
      of kainic acid into these regions of the brainstem. It is hypothesized that the
      functional state of the brain stem inhibitory locomotor system can exert a
      modulating influence on the formation of the defensive behavior of animals.

PMID- 1876266
TI  - Participation of cholinergic mechanisms in the origination of the dendritic
      potential of the cerebral cortex.
AB  - The influence of a series of muscarinic (M) and nicotinic (N) substances on the
      dendritic potentials of the cerebral cortex was studied in acute experiments on
      adult cats under deep nembutal anesthesia. M-Antagonists in large doses and M
      agonists, N-agonists and acetylcholine elicited a decrease in the amplitude of
      dendritic potentials. M-Antagonists in small doses and N-antagonists elicited an
      increase in the amplitude of the dendritic potentials. The application of an
      anticholinesterase substance, proserine, to the cortex elicited an increase in
      the amplitude and duration of the dendritic potentials. It is hypothesized that
      there are postsynaptic M-cholinoreceptors of the M1 type, presynaptic M
      cholinoreceptors of the M2 type, and presynaptic N-cholinoreceptors in the
      neuropil of layer I of the cortex.

PMID- 1876267
TI  - Responses of frog vestibular neurons to combined temperature microstimulation of
      the semicircular canals.
AB  - The temperature microstimulation of the semicircular canal (heat bursts lasting
      about 2 sec with a peak amplitude of 0.5-5.0 degrees C) can be regarded as an
      analog of angular acceleration acting within the cavity of the given canal; the
      combination of temperature microstimulations targeted simultaneously on several
      canals can serve as a physical model of accelerated rotation having complex
      spatial characteristics. The recording of the activity of neurons of the
      vestibular nuclei of the frog (n = 278) in response to temperature
      microstimulation of the canals showed that 80% of the neurons have inputs from
      one to two canals and only 20% from three to six canals. The distribution of
      laterality was characterized by the predominance of ipsilateral inputs: 201
      neurons (72.3%) had only ipsilateral inputs; 14 neurons (5%) had only
      contralateral inputs; 63 neurons (22.7%) had both inputs. The ipsilateral
      horizontal (67.6%) and the posterior (61.9%) were the most effective inputs;
      while among the contralateral, the posterior (21.2%) canals were the most
      effective; the least effective were the contralateral horizontal (8.6%) and the
      anterior (5.0%) canals. The presence of latent canal inputs (both excitatory and
      inhibitory) which showed up in combination with effective inputs was
      demonstrated.

PMID- 1876268
TI  - Influence of pineal peptides on the dynamics of the circadian and minute motor
      biorhythms in rats.
AB  - A peptide preparation of the pineal, epithalamin, when administered chronically,
      exerts a modulating influence on the diurnal fluctuations of the motoric activity
      of rats. It also decreases the amplitude of apomorphine stereotypy and induces a
      restructuring of a modulatory character in its rhythmic structure. It is
      hypothesized that the pineal peptides participate in the maintenance of
      homeostasis by means of the stabilization of rhythmic processes of various
      periods.

PMID- 1876269
TI  - Parasympathetic control of the spontaneous defibrillation of the heart ventricles
      in animals of various ages.
AB  - The role of the parasympatetic division of the nervous system in the process of
      the spontaneous defibrillation of the heart ventricles in guinea pigs of various
      ages has been investigated. It was shown that the intensification of
      parasympathetic control in newborn and sexually mature animals by means of the
      stimulation of the vagus nerves through the administration of acetylcholine leads
      to an increase in the duration of ventricular fibrillation, while in old animals
      this leads to the possibility of its prevention. The important role of the
      maintenance of sympathetic control in the mechanisms of the recovery of normal
      cardiac rhythm has been demonstrated.

PMID- 1876270
TI  - Neurophysiological and pathomorphological features of the development of
      alcoholism (experimental investigation).

PMID- 1876271
TI  - Neurophysiological mechanisms of the attention disturbance in children with
      learning difficulties.
AB  - The features of orientation reaction (OR) and the background EEG were
      investigated with the purpose of studying the neurophysiological mechanisms of
      the disturbance of voluntary attention in children aged 6.5-9 years with learning
      difficulties caused by delayed mental development (DMD). A decrease in the
      expressivity of components of the OR as compared with the norm, discovered in a
      situation of involuntary attention against a background of insufficiently
      developed cortical rhythmicity in the alpha range, was compensated for given an
      increase in the significance of the stimuli. These facts support the hypothesis
      of a deficit in regulatory corticofugal influences in children with DMD. The
      inadequacy of the engagement of central regions of the cortex characteristic of
      children with DMD in the realization of OR in a situation of directed attention
      can be regarded as a reflection of disturbances of the integrative activity of
      the brain.

PMID- 1876272
TI  - Capacity of bottle-nosed dolphins for generalization based on a relative sign.
AB  - Using a new modification of a previously proposed method in the bottle-nosed
      dolphin, a conditioned reflex was developed and consolidated to a relative
      spatial sign, namely the choice always of the left out of two identical objects
      under conditions of constant change of the position of this pair of stimuli
      against the background of one of the sides of the pen. The specialization was
      checked by means of the presentation of the pair of stimuli through various
      changes of the surrounding setting, including the discordance of external
      landmarks, as well as by the means of the presentation of the stimuli. Then the
      objects were replaced by others (12 pairs of stimuli) sharply differing from the
      initial stimuli in form, size, material, etc. The maintenance of appropriate
      choice, including with change in the medium of presentation of the stimuli)
      attested to the capacity of the dolphins to abstract and generalize on the basis
      of a relative sign, i.e., of abstraction and generalization in the "to the left
      to the right in general" choice of two objects.

PMID- 1876273
TI  - Interrelationships of the emotionally positive and negative regions of the brain
      of the edible snail.
AB  - The changes in the behavior of the garden snail during self-stimulation through
      electrodes chronically implanted in specific regions of the brain are described
      in this study. The stimulation of the mesocerebral region led to an increase in
      the frequency of reinforced behavior, whereas stimulation of the rostral portion
      of the parietal ganglia led to a decrease in the frequency of reinforced
      behavior. An inference is reached regarding the emotional coloration of the
      effects of the stimulation of these regions. The interrelationships of the
      neurons located in the mesocerebrum and the parietal ganglia were studied in
      neurophysiologic experiments. It was found that the activation of the cells of
      the mesocerebrum inhibits the spontaneous activity of the serotoninergic cells of
      the pedal ganglia which sensitize the defensive reactions of the snail, and
      simultaneosly attenuate the sensory input of the command neurons of defensive
      behavior, which leads to the effective inhibition of the defensive reactions that
      is necessary during the activation of sexual behavior.

PMID- 1876274
TI  - Reactions of neurons of the somatosensory cortex of the rabbit to nociceptive
      stimuli of varying genesis.

PMID- 1876275
TI  - Role of the basal ganglia in the reproduction of instrumental reactions developed
      in response to electrostimulation of the hippocampus.
AB  - A defensive instrumental conditioned reflex (CR) successively to light flashes
      and to electrostimulation of the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and the caudate nucleus
      (CN) was developed in dogs with electrodes implanted in the brain. The
      contralateral of the DH, CN, the accumbent nucleus (AN) and the globus pallidus
      (GP) were tested for reproducibility of the instrumental movement. In a second
      series, the percent of evoked movements was compared with the EP arising in
      response to signal and test stimulation. The degree of participation of the
      tested structures in the motivational, signal, and executive components of the CR
      was elucidated. In the first series the movements were practically not
      reproduced. In the second series, in the presence of connections from the signal
      to the tested structures, they were elicited only by stimulation of the AN (15%).
      In the same series, given bilateral connections, movements in response to the
      stimulation of the basal ganglia occurred somewhat more frequently (up to 28%).
      The stimulation of the contralateral DH elicited movements in 75-100% of cases.
      When stimulation of the CN became a signal, the stimulation of the AN and the GP
      was accompanied in 40-100% of cases by movement. Thus, the AN participates to a
      minimal degree in the executive component of the CR. Participation of the basal
      ganglia in the signal component of the CR was greatest in the third series, which
      indicates that intrasystemic generalization is more effective than intersystemic.

PMID- 1876276
TI  - Role of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the inhibitory effect of emotional stress on
      the sexual activity of mice.

PMID- 1876277
TI  - Hypothalamic monoamines in the postnatal ontogenesis of rats.

PMID- 1876278
TI  - User-pay for hospital services.

PMID- 1876279
TI  - A survey of available beds in area health boards: 1976-1991.
AB  - The last few years has been a period of great change for the health service. A
      survey was undertaken to examine trends between 1976 and 1991 in the number of
      available beds within area health boards. Data collection included a survey of
      area health boards. The survey found that between 1976 and 1991 available beds
      decreased by 31.0%. However, most of the decrease occurred over the last 3 years;
      between 1988 and 1991 bed numbers decreased by 18.5%.

PMID- 1876280
TI  - Alkylating agents and purine analogues in primary glomerulonephritis with
      nephrotic syndrome.

PMID- 1876281
TI  - Primary hyperlipidaemia is not associated with increased urinary albumin
      excretion.
AB  - In a group of 141 otherwise healthy subjects attending a lipoprotein clinic,
      urinary albumin excretion was measured to determine whether primary
      hyperlipidaemia was associated with evidence of early renal dysfunction. There
      was no evidence of increased urinary albumin concentrations or albumin:creatinine
      ratios when compared with data for normal controls. There were no differences in
      these parameters when the values for the upper and lower quartiles of the
      cholesterol distribution were compared, and no relationship existed between
      plasma cholesterol and albuminuria. A weak association was shown between plasma
      triglyceride and urinary albumin concentration after log transformation of the
      data. We conclude that hyperlipidaemia per se is not associated with renal
      disease as measured by sensitive assays of albuminuria.

PMID- 1876282
TI  - Effect of two regimens of intravenous amino acid infusion on renal haemodynamics,
      renal tubular function and sodium and water homeostatic hormones in healthy
      humans.
AB  - The effect of two different regimens of intravenous infusion of amino acids on
      glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), tubular sodium and
      water handling judged from the clearance of lithium (CLi), and plasma
      concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone (Aldo), arginine
      vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), growth hormone (GH), and
      glucagon was investigated in healthy humans. In the first protocol (n = 11) the
      infusion lasted 90 min; both GFR and RPF increased significantly (median increase
      7.1% and 9.1% respectively, P less than 0.05 both). In the second protocol (n =
      13) the infusion lasted 30 min; both GFR and RPF tended to increase (median
      increase 3.5% and 7.4%) but the change did not reach significance. The changes in
      tubular sodium and water handling were similar in the two protocols. Absolute
      reabsorption rates in the proximal tubules were unaltered, resulting in an
      increased output into the distal tubules that was totally compensated for by an
      increased distal reabsorption. Thus no changes in urinary excretion of sodium and
      water were observed. Ang II, Aldo, AVP, ANP and GH were unchanged by amino acid
      infusion, but glucagon increased. It is suggested that the alterations in renal
      haemodynamics and distal tubular reabsorption may be mediated by glucagon.

PMID- 1876283
TI  - Control of hypertension by verapamil enhances renal damage in a rat remnant
      kidney model.
AB  - The effect of calcium channel blockers on the progression of renal failure is
      controversial. In contrast with earlier studies, we recently reported that
      moderately large doses of verapamil significantly accelerated chronic renal
      failure in the rat remnant kidney model. Studies reporting beneficial effects of
      verapamil were characterised by a much lower dose of verapamil and by the start
      of treatment immediately after renal ablation, which potentially interfered with
      the initial phase of remnant kidney hypertrophy. We therefore studied the effects
      of a high, fully antihypertensive oral dose of verapamil (100-150 mg/kg/per day;
      group Vera high) and a low, haemodynamically almost ineffective dose (10-15 mg/kg
      per day; group Vera low), on the progression of chronic renal failure in female
      Wistar rats with 5/6 nephrectomy. The treatment was started no earlier than 5
      weeks after renal ablation, and matched groups of 20 animals were followed for 16
      weeks thereafter. High-dose verapamil reduced systolic blood pressure to median
      values of 130-140 mmHg throughout the experimental period, whereas blood pressure
      in Vera low animals remained elevated at median values of 165-172 mmHg similar to
      non-treated rats with 172-185 mmHg median systolic blood pressure.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876284
TI  - Comparison of blood biocompatibility during haemodialysis with cuprophane and
      polyacrylonitrile membranes.
AB  - Clotting within the dialyser is one of the most significant clinical parameters
      of biocompatibility. A study was designed to evaluate the biocompatibility of two
      different dialysis membranes (cuprophane and polyacrylonitrile) during therapy
      with conventional heparin. Transient leukopenia during cuprophane but not during
      polyacrylonitrile haemodialysis was observed, and elastase release using
      polyacryonitrile membranes was reduced (P less than 0.001). An elevation in F
      VIII:C activity during cuprophane haemodialysis has to be taken as an indication
      of endothelial disturbances. There was a significant (P less than 0.001) platelet
      activation (beta-thromboglobulin) and combined thrombin/plasmin generation using
      cuprophane membranes. This new synthetic polyacrylonitrile membrane inactivates
      the clotting in an extracorporeal system to a sufficient degree and allows a
      reduction in dosages of heparin. Platelet activation, platelet turnover,
      disturbances of endothelium, fibrinolysis activation, and granulocyte activation
      are reproducible parameters of a described interaction model. They also permit a
      comparison of different haemodialysis membranes.

PMID- 1876285
TI  - Tumour necrosis factor does not increase during routine cuprophane haemodialysis
      in healthy well-nourished patients.
AB  - Serum tumour necrosis factor (TNF) was measured by both bioassay and immunoassay
      (ELISA) during routine cuprophane acetate haemodialysis in 17 asymptomatic
      patients. In 14 (82%) there was no change in the serum values during
      haemodialysis. TNF was found to increase, using both assays, in three patients,
      the responders. These patients differed from the others in terms of body mass
      index, mean index 16.8 kg/m2 (range 14.8-18.2), compared to the non-responders,
      mean 24.1 kg/m2 (range 19.6-33.1), P less than 0.05, and had an increased serum
      calcium, mean 2.9 mmol/l (range 2.6-3.2) compared to the non-responders, mean 2.4
      mmol/l (range 1.7-2.8), P less than 0.05. Two of the TNF responders subsequently
      died of cachexia and respiratory infection. The third underwent a successful
      parathyroidectomy, and when retested after an increase in body-weight with a
      normal serum calcium concentration no longer showed an increase in TNF during
      haemodialysis.

PMID- 1876286
TI  - The effect of vitamin C intake on plasma oxalate in patients on regular
      haemodialysis.
AB  - Plasma oxalate was measured on two occasions in 18 patients with end-stage renal
      failure on regular haemodialysis treatment: once while on a routine dose of
      vitamin C (100 mg/day) and subsequently after 2 weeks administration of a larger
      dose of vitamin C (500 mg/day). Pre- and post-dialysis concentrations were all
      markedly increased, reflecting the reduced glomerular filtration rate of end
      stage renal failure. Both pre- and post-dialysis oxalate increased significantly
      following the increase in ascorbate dose but there was no significant correlation
      between plasma oxalate and ascorbate results. Considerations governing dosage of
      vitamin C in patients with chronic renal failure are discussed.

PMID- 1876287
TI  - Comparison of survival in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hospital
      haemodialysis: a multicentric study.
AB  - We compared the survival of 842 patients on centre haemodialysis to 272 patients
      on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). All patients selected had
      begun treatment between 1 January 1984 and 30 June 1988 and were from six centres
      which participate in a regional renal patients registry. Patients on CAPD were
      older and had a greater proportion of diabetes and other associated diseases.
      Age, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases were associated with a shorter
      survival on treatment in all the patients studied. Without adjustment for risk
      factors, patient 3-year survival was higher in centre haemodialysis than in CAPD,
      80% versus 64% respectively. However, no significant differences could be shown
      in the survival rates of the two treatment modalities after accounting for the
      heterogeneity of the patients in the two groups, either by stratification or by
      multivariate analysis (Cox). Age was the main predictive factor for CAPD patient
      survival, while the influence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases was less
      clear. Technique survival was much better in centre haemodialysis (94% versus 56%
      in CAPD, 3-year survival). Older age and diabetes mellitus were associated with a
      greater risk of switching from centre haemodialysis to CAPD and a trend to retain
      those patients on CAPD.

PMID- 1876288
TI  - Correction of anaemia with recombinant human erythropoietin despite low serum
      ferritin.

PMID- 1876289
TI  - Causes and treatment of infertility.

PMID- 1876290
TI  - Fertility services at the Chiltern.

PMID- 1876291
TI  - Depression and diet.

PMID- 1876292
TI  - Managing arterial ulcers.

PMID- 1876293
TI  - Exploring a medical phenomenon.

PMID- 1876294
TI  - The future need not be baby-bound.

PMID- 1876295
TI  - Critical incident analysis.

PMID- 1876296
TI  - 'Angels of Death' cause sensation in Austrian courts.

PMID- 1876297
TI  - RMNs have a part to play.

PMID- 1876298
TI  - Whose body is it anyway?

PMID- 1876300
TI  - Substance abuse. The last resort.

PMID- 1876299
TI  - Substance abuse. A problem for society?

PMID- 1876301
TI  - New needles for old.

PMID- 1876302
TI  - EUSOL: there'll be no eulogy.

PMID- 1876303
TI  - Your wound care questions answered.

PMID- 1876304
TI  - Wound care. Nurses: the weak link.

PMID- 1876305
TI  - Midwifery. Developing counselling skills.

PMID- 1876306
TI  - Why the UK needs nurse anaesthetists.

PMID- 1876307
TI  - From practice to theory.

PMID- 1876308
TI  - Planning informed nursing care.

PMID- 1876309
TI  - In touch with reality.

PMID- 1876310
TI  - Drug addict--not me!

PMID- 1876311
TI  - Pneumatoceles and pneumothorax in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

PMID- 1876312
TI  - Kaizen, the changing face of health care.

PMID- 1876313
TI  - Coronary artery bypass grafting. The relationship of surgical volume, hospital
      location, and outcome.
AB  - The relationship between mortality, surgical volume, and location was
      investigated in the university medical centers (UMCs) in the Greater New York
      metropolitan area for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
      in 1986. Three high-volume and five low-volume institutions, with a total of 49
      surgeons, performed a total of 3,408 CABG operations. The crude mortality rates
      were 4% for simple, 14.7% for complex, and 5.3% combined for all UMC CABG
      operations. The crude mortality rates for CABG operations in high- and low-volume
      centers were respectively 3.6% and 4.8% for simple and 16.1% and 11.3% for
      complex operations. No statistically significant differences between urban (N =
      6), suburban (N = 2), high-volume (N = 3), or low-volume (N = 5) centers or
      physicians were found (all p values greater than 0.05). Taken together, these
      findings suggest that surgical volume and location are not significant factors
      for predicting outcome for CABG.

PMID- 1876314
TI  - Optimal therapy of cryptococcosis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome.
AB  - Although amphotericin B (AB) is the primary therapeutic agent for cryptococcosis
      complicating the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the total dose
      administered is extremely variable, and the end point of therapy has not been
      well defined. Since these patients require life-long suppressive therapy
      following the primary therapy, the definition of treatment "end point" becomes
      crucial. To delineate more effective treatment approaches, we reviewed the
      medical records of 48 patients with cryptococcosis complicating AIDS. Fever (81%)
      and headache (77%) were the predominant symptoms. A clinical response to AB
      (defervescence and resolution of symptoms) was noted in 46% of the febrile
      patients. The cumulative AB dose administered to the time of clinical response
      was variable (0.1-1.76 g), but was noted early in the majority of the patients
      (less than 0.4 g). Repeat fungal cultures from the initial positive site for
      Cryptococcus neoformans (CN), obtained after observation of the clinical
      response, were negative in 7/7 patients. Nosocomial bacterial infections were
      quite common and often complicated intravenous AB therapy. Bacteremias were
      documented in 10/14 febrile episodes occurring during AB therapy in the 22
      patients with an initial clinical response. Bacteremias were identified in 6/21
      patients who failed to defervesce with AB therapy. Staphylococcus aureus (N = 9)
      and Salmonella species (N = 2) were the most common pathogens causing bacteremia.
      An algorithm for the treatment of cryptococcosis complicating AIDS may shorten
      the duration of primary intravenous AB therapy. This might reduce secondary
      infectious complications and the costs of hospitalization.

PMID- 1876315
TI  - Mary Edwards Walker, MD: the only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of
      Honor.

PMID- 1876316
TI  - Artificial neural networks: one step too far?

PMID- 1876317
TI  - Contrasting attitudes in the evolution of surgery for treating ulcerative colitis
      and Crohn's disease.

PMID- 1876318
TI  - Pneumatoceles.

PMID- 1876319
TI  - Traumatic thrombosis of a vertebral artery in a hypoplastic vertebrobasilar
      system. Protective effect of collateral circulation.

PMID- 1876320
TI  - Left paraduodenal hernia.

PMID- 1876321
TI  - Increased lead absorption in a potter and her family members.

PMID- 1876322
TI  - Requirement that prescriber's name be imprinted or stamped on prescription forms.

PMID- 1876323
TI  - Incidence of high-level gentamicin resistance among enterococci isolated from
      blood cultures in a community hospital in New York.

PMID- 1876324
TI  - The research-practice relationship. Commentary and response.

PMID- 1876325
TI  - Movement and time: exertion and perceived duration.
AB  - This study examined differences in consciousness indexes (perceived duration of
      time) at different levels of physical exertion within the framework of Newman's
      model of health and with emphasis on Prigogine's theory of dissipative
      structures. The sample consisted of 100 volunteers participating in regular
      aerobic exercise. Instruments included 817E Monarch Stationary Bicycles, 1800
      Dynamap Automatic Blood Pressure/Pulse Monitors, the production method of time
      estimation, and the Perceived Exertion Scale. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed
      significant differences in consciousness indexes during exertion (p less than
      .00001). Paired t-tests yielded significant differences between the resting
      consciousness index and consciousness indexes at preferred, increased, and
      decreased exertion levels (p = .000). Results indicate that the consciousness
      index decreased with physical exertion regardless of actual exertion level. In
      addition, changes in perceived exertion and in physiological parameters suggest a
      pattern of expanding consciousness that is consistent with the theoretical
      framework.

PMID- 1876326
TI  - The lived experience of health in the oldest old: a phenomenological study.
AB  - In the United States and in many other parts of the world, the fastest growing
      age group is 80 years and over. It is precisely in this oldest old age cohort
      that very little is known about the experience of health. The purpose of this
      study was to investigate the lived experience of health for the oldest old within
      the community through the use of the phenomenological method. While there has
      been some research on the personal experience of health, the meaning of these
      experiences has not been studied in the oldest old, community dwelling elderly.
      Findings reveal that for this age group, health is an abiding vitality emanating
      through moments of rhapsodic reverie in generating fulfillment. There are many
      implications for further research and practice based on the meaning of health as
      described by the oldest old.

PMID- 1876327
TI  - Cultural care: the missing link in severe sensory alteration.
AB  - The phenomenon of severe sensory alteration has been studied for some twenty-five
      years. Sensory overload, sensory deprivation, and sleep deprivation have been
      identified as contributing factors in its cause. Yet, the incidence of severe
      sensory alteration remains high. In this paper the author suggests that
      Leininger's theory of cultural care advocating the use of culturally assistive,
      supportive, or facilitative acts in nursing care, may provide important new
      insights into this phenomenon.

PMID- 1876328
TI  - Struggling with going along when you do not believe.
AB  - The phenomenon central to this study is, "struggling with going along in a
      situation you do not believe in." It emerged as a predominant universal lived
      experience within the lives of outstanding nurses in the United States studied
      earlier by the author. The purpose of the research reported in this article was
      to generate a structure of the lived experience of "struggling with going along
      in a situation you do not believe in," using Parse's research methodology.
      Through the processes of the method: participant selection, dialogical
      engagement, extraction-synthesis and heuristic interpretation, a structure of the
      lived experience for persons over 65 years of age was generated. This structure
      is: struggling with going along in a situation you do not believe in is
      justifiable yielding, as opposing views intensify personal convictions and compel
      disclosure while suffering consequences. When linked with the major concepts of
      Parse's theory, the theoretical definition is: valuing the powering of revealing
      concealing. Recommendations for further study are offered.

PMID- 1876329
TI  - A Rogerian theoretical tapestry.
AB  - A five-level analytical framework is employed in order to critically analyze
      Martha E. Rogers' science of unitary human beings. Philosophical and
      epistemological threads are followed in an attempt to evaluate the coherence and
      comprehensiveness of her theoretical work. The interconnectedness between the
      five levels is demonstrated, and areas of debate and concern are elucidated. The
      philosophical and epistemological tapestry emerging from Rogers' theoretical
      thinking is found to reflect coherence in her philosophical and epistemological
      positions and beauty in the pattern found therein. The challenge lies in finding
      innovative methods of inquiry congruent with Rogers' view.

PMID- 1876331
TI  - Nursing theory 25 years later.

PMID- 1876330
TI  - Mysteries of health and healing: two perspectives.

PMID- 1876332
TI  - Chaos in nursing research.

PMID- 1876333
TI  - Evaluating nursing theory-based practice.

PMID- 1876334
TI  - Surgical correction of the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
AB  - The results of corrective surgery in 75 consecutive patients with Wolff-Parkinson
      White (WPW) syndrome are reported. There were 47 male and 28 female patients with
      a median age of 27 years. Intraoperative mapping disclosed 88 accessory pathways,
      of which 83 were successfully divided at the primary operation without mortality.
      Two patients underwent successful reoperation at three days and two years
      respectively. Patient success rates were 93% and 96% for first and total
      operations. Complications, usually minor, occurred in 20 patients, including
      permanent pacemaker implantation in two. Surgical correction of WPW syndrome is
      recommended as a safe alternative to lifelong medical treatment.

PMID- 1876335
TI  - Duodenal ulcer relapse after eradication of Helicobacter pylori.
AB  - Thirty-six patients with healed duodenal ulcers, 27 infected with Helicobacter
      pylori and nine uninfected, were followed for up to 12 months to determine the
      rate of ulcer relapse. Eight patients withdrew over the follow up period. At one
      year, 15 of 20 (75%) infected patients and one of eight (13%) uninfected patients
      had relapsed, p less than 0.05. Eradication of H pylori favourably influences the
      natural history of duodenal ulcer recurrence. Significant patient morbidity may
      be prevented by using measures to eradicate H pylori during or after duodenal
      ulcer healing.

PMID- 1876336
TI  - Recent advances in retinal surgery.

PMID- 1876337
TI  - Murine typhus in Kaukapakapa?
AB  - We report a patient who had not been outside New Zealand with a fever and
      maculopapular rash. Serology suggested acute murine typhus due to R typhi. This
      is the first reported case in New Zealand from a nontraveller.

PMID- 1876338
TI  - Haemophilus influenzae type b cellulitis.
AB  - Five cases of cellulitis due to H influenzae type b in children are described.
      Cellulitis due to H influenzae type b should be treated in hospital using
      parenteral antibiotics in appropriate dosage to cross the blood brain barrier; it
      is recommended a lumbar puncture is performed in all cases of cellulitis in under
      two year olds, both to exclude meningitis and to allow the giving of steroids
      immediately prior to starting the first dose of antibiotics. Index cases and
      close contacts should be offered chemoprophylaxis to prevent spread of the
      organism. It seems likely that a vaccine against H influenzae b, effective in
      under two year olds, will become available in the next few years.

PMID- 1876339
TI  - Instillation of scolicidal agents into hepatic hydatid cysts: can it any longer
      be justified?

PMID- 1876340
TI  - Where have all the doctors gone? (2). Intraurban trends: changes in the
      geographic distribution of general practitioners in Auckland, 1980-7.
AB  - During the 1980s the Auckland metropolitan area increased its share of all
      general practitioners in New Zealand at a much faster rate than its share of the
      population, resulting in a high level of availability by 1987. In the light of
      such trends, neoclassical theory would predict a diffusion of general
      practitioners into areas with fewer doctors where there is less competition for
      patients. Data for 1980-7, however, indicates that for every FTE general
      practitioner who located in doctor poor areas of the city, 1.87 general
      practitioners continued to open practices in areas already well provided for. Or,
      for every extra consultation that took place in low income suburbs, 1.51 extra
      consultations occurred in more affluent localities. These results do not provide
      strong support for a market led diffusion of doctors into areas of need and any
      gains in increased equity appear to have been achieved at the expense of
      considerable inefficiency given the likely presence of induced demand.

PMID- 1876341
TI  - Reflections on carcinoma in situ.

PMID- 1876342
TI  - The Medical Council and ethics.

PMID- 1876343
TI  - Water fluoride and fractures.

PMID- 1876344
TI  - High risk children with deafness.

PMID- 1876345
TI  - Acute aortic dissection and thrombolysis.

PMID- 1876347
TI  - Transcervical resection of endometrium--a reason for caution.

PMID- 1876346
TI  - Giardiasis and municipal water supply.

PMID- 1876348
TI  - Health reforms: what do they mean for nurses and patients?

PMID- 1876349
TI  - Still smiling after all these years. Interview by Lyndon Keene.

PMID- 1876350
TI  - Immunisation.

PMID- 1876351
TI  - How well is my career?

PMID- 1876352
TI  - Nursing education: development with purpose.

PMID- 1876353
TI  - Management of antenatally diagnosed fetal ovarian cysts.
AB  - 1. Fetal ovarian cysts are usually unilateral, diagnosed in the third trimester
      and are uncommon. 2. Average ovarian cyst size is 5 x 5 cm at diagnosis and size
      does not change throughout the pregnancy. 3. Most cysts are functional in origin
      and histologically benign, simple cysts. 4. Polyhydramnios is a common finding
      but associated anomalies are rare. 5. Although large cysts can compress other
      viscera and torsion or rupture can occur, in utero aspiration has limited value
      in prenatal management. 6. Vaginal delivery with confirmed fetal pulmonary
      maturity or at term is appropriate. 7. Soft tissue dystocia is rare. Cesarean
      delivery should be reserved for obstetrical indications only. 8. The best
      predictor of neonatal cyst torsion risk is length of the cyst pedicle rather than
      cyst size. 9. When surgery is indicated a cystectomy, with preservation of
      maximal ovarian tissue is to be preferred over oophorectomy. 10. Ultrasound
      guided aspiration of neonatal ovarian cysts may be an alternative to surgical
      management.

PMID- 1876354
TI  - Postpartum ovarian vein thrombophlebitis: a review.

PMID- 1876355
TI  - Maternal positions during labor.

PMID- 1876356
TI  - Vaginal bleeding in premenarchal girls: a review.
AB  - Vaginal bleeding in childhood is not a common complaint. Serious medical or
      sociological problems can underly this irregular symptom in young girls.
      Therefore it requires careful medical investigation followed by appropriate
      sociologic and psychologic support. The variable etiologies of vulvovaginitis are
      the most common causes of vaginal bleeding during the prepubertal period.
      External blood loss can be related to trauma or urologic factors. It can be the
      presenting sign of relatively rare benign and malignant neoplasms of the genital
      tract. Precocious menstruation in itself or as a part of precocious puberty must
      be suspected in these cases. Vaginal bleeding in prepubertal girls is uncommon
      but warrants careful evaluation because of the special status of the young
      patient.

PMID- 1876357
TI  - Heart rate patterns in fetuses exposed to cocaine.
AB  - Heart rate patterns of 42 fetuses exposed to cocaine near the time of delivery
      were compared with patterns in 42 controls. Decreased long-term variability and
      an increased frequency of contractions were observed more often in the cocaine
      group (P = .046 and P = .0306, respectively). There were no significant
      differences in the frequency of fetal tachycardia or decelerations. Although
      accelerations were less frequent in cocaine-exposed fetuses, the difference
      compared with controls was not statistically significant. We found no
      characteristic heart rate pattern in fetuses exposed to cocaine near delivery.
      The heart rate patterns likely represent the underlying state of fetal
      oxygenation. Frequent contractions in an unstimulated labor should raise
      suspicions of maternal cocaine use.

PMID- 1876358
TI  - The relationship between recent cocaine use and pregnancy outcome.
AB  - We conducted urine screening for cocaine metabolite in 500 consecutive women
      admitted to a labor and delivery unit. The pregnancy outcome of 411 of the women
      was determined at that admission. The prevalence of cocaine-positive urines was
      15.3% (95% confidence interval 11.8-18.8%). A subset of this population that had
      not received prenatal care had a prevalence of 62% (95% confidence interval 47.2
      76.6%). Women with positive urines were almost four times more likely to have
      preterm labor and over twice as likely to deliver a premature infant or one with
      a 1-minute Apgar score of 6 or lower. Our findings support the concept that urine
      drug screening for cocaine and/or other drugs of abuse should be considered in
      patients who present with no prenatal care, premature labor, premature delivery,
      and delivery of an infant with a 1-minute Apgar score of 6 or less. This strategy
      may enable us to identify and bring to therapy a population of women that could
      potentially go unrecognized.

PMID- 1876359
TI  - Heart rate as a predictor of first-trimester spontaneous abortion after
      ultrasound-proven viability.
AB  - To discover whether first-trimester spontaneous abortion can be predicted by
      embryonic heart rate (EHR), we performed a cross-sectional study during the first
      trimester of pregnancy using high-frequency transvaginal sonography combined with
      pulsed Doppler. Heart rate was measured in 603 embryos; of these, 580 continued
      beyond 13 weeks' gestation and 23 ended in first-trimester spontaneous abortion.
      Based on the continuing pregnancies, we constructed and compared EHR nomograms
      relating to gestational age, mean diameter of the gestational sac, and crown-rump
      length (CRL). Embryonic heart rate correlated best with CRL (r = 0.87), and the
      correlation was best described by a second-degree polynomial regression equation.
      The mean EHR increased progressively from 110 beats per minute (bpm) at CRL of 3
      4 mm to 171-178 bpm at CRL 15-32 mm. At CRL greater than 32 mm, the EHR remained
      stable at a mean of 170 bpm. The EHRs of the 23 embryos that spontaneously
      aborted in the first trimester were evaluated according to these nomograms. In 15
      cases, the EHR fell outside the 95% confidence interval for CRL (sensitivity
      65%), but it was within normal limits in eight (false-negative rate 35%). In ten
      embryos for which pregnancy continued beyond 13 weeks, the EHR fell outside the
      95% confidence interval (specificity 98%, false-positive rate 2%). Our findings
      suggest that EHR measurements in early pregnancy may be useful in the prediction
      of first-trimester spontaneous abortion after ultrasound-proven viability.

PMID- 1876360
TI  - Multifetal reduction of triplets and pregnancy outcome.
AB  - Multifetal pregnancy reduction has been suggested as a strategy to improve
      pregnancy outcome in grand multiple gestations of three or more fetuses. We
      prospectively investigated multifetal pregnancy reduction in 13 women with
      triplet pregnancies in the first trimester following ovulation induction, in
      vitro fertilization, or gamete intrafallopian transfer procedures. Eleven women
      whose triplet pregnancies followed similar reproductive technologies and who
      declined or were not offered the procedure were managed expectantly. Mean (+/-
      standard deviation) infant birth weight was 2227 +/- 478 g in the multifetal
      reduction group and 2239 +/- 399 g in the group managed expectantly. Gestational
      age was 35.5 +/- 2.3 weeks in the study group and 35.7 +/- 2.5 weeks in the
      triplets managed expectantly. Newborn hospital days as well as newborn and
      maternal complications were not statistically different between the management
      groups. Maternal interventions included tocolytic medication, home uterine
      activity monitoring, and extended hospitalization, and were more common in the
      triplets managed expectantly than in the study group of triplets reduced to
      twins. Multifetal pregnancy reduction for triplet pregnancies does not
      necessarily improve pregnancy outcome, though it may be offered on the basis of
      parental choice.

PMID- 1876361
TI  - Pregnancy outcome following ultrasound diagnosis of macrosomia.
AB  - Both elective cesarean and early induction have been proposed for pregnancies in
      which the fetus is suspected to be macrosomic by ultrasound examination. We
      studied 242 nondiabetic women with estimated fetal weights (EFWs) by ultrasound
      of at least 4000 g or the 90th percentile for gestational age at 36 or more
      weeks' gestation. In 66 of 86 women (77%) delivering within 3 days of ultrasound
      examination, EFW exceeded birth weight. In only 41 of these 86 women (48%) were
      the EFWs within the corresponding 500-g category of birth weight. A trial of
      labor resulted in vaginal delivery in 76 of 106 women (72%). There were five
      cases of shoulder dystocia but no birth trauma. Estimated fetal weights and birth
      weights were not significantly different between the women who had a trial of
      labor and those who did not. Our results do not support cesarean delivery or
      early induction as a means of preventing infant morbidity when fetal macrosomia
      (weight of 4000 g or more or the 90th percentile for gestational age) is
      diagnosed by ultrasound.

PMID- 1876362
TI  - Uterine contraction pressures achieved in parturients with active phase arrest.
AB  - An adequate trial of labor preceding cesarean delivery for arrest of cervical
      dilatation in the active phase of labor has not been defined precisely. We
      reviewed the records of 85 consecutive women at term who received oxytocin for
      induction or augmentation of labor and who subsequently delivered by cesarean for
      arrest of labor in the active phase. The mean duration of oxytocin infusion was
      15 hours for induction of labor and 8.9 hours for augmentation. Thirty-four (92%)
      of the 37 women who received oxytocin induction and 44 (92%) of the 48 who had
      oxytocin for augmentation achieved at least 200 Montevideo units of uterine
      pressure. All 85 newborns were vigorous at birth and had no complications during
      their stay in the hospital nursery. Evaluation of uterine contraction pressure
      can provide a quantifiable end point for the management of oxytocin induction or
      augmentation of labor.

PMID- 1876363
TI  - Maternal hemodynamics in pregnancies complicated by hyperthyroidism.
AB  - The hemodynamics of six pregnant women with hyperthyroidism were studied before
      and after therapy. Cardiac output was measured by Doppler technique, and blood
      pressure by automated cuff. When compared with values in euthyroid pregnant
      women, blood pressure (83.6 mmHg, P less than .001), heart rate (89.2 beats per
      minute, P less than .001), cardiac output (11.2 L/minute, P less than .001), and
      stroke volume (123 mL, P less than .001) were significantly elevated. Total
      peripheral resistance was significantly reduced (609 dyne.second.cm-5, P less
      than .001). Despite normalization of thyroid indices after therapy, cardiac
      output remained markedly elevated (9.7 L/minute, P less than .001) and vascular
      resistance remained reduced (708 dyne.second.cm-5, P = .01). Although the
      hemodynamics of pregnant thyrotoxic women normalize with therapy, they remain
      significantly hyperdynamic.

PMID- 1876364
TI  - Umbilical artery resistance index as a screening test for fetal well-being. I:
      Prospective revealed evaluation.
AB  - Abnormalities of the human fetoplacental circulation, a common association with
      fetal morbidity and mortality, can be detected by Doppler ultrasound examination
      of the umbilical arterial blood flow. The value of this procedure as a screening
      test was assessed in 369 women whose fetuses were evaluated on 1354 occasions
      using both computerized antenatal fetal heart rate (FHR) analysis and continuous
      wave Doppler ultrasound. The FHR analyses were used to guide management, but the
      results of the Doppler measurements were not made available to the clinical
      staff. The mean duration of each nonstress test (NST) was 27 minutes, compared
      with 6 minutes for the Doppler examination. Increased resistance indices in the
      umbilical artery identified those fetuses with an abnormal NST or a clinical
      diagnosis of antenatal distress with a high sensitivity and negative predictive
      value. The high rate of false-positive results with respect to these two end
      points was reduced when fetal distress in labor was included as a third end
      point. The value of the Doppler examination in predicting fetal distress was
      applicable to appropriately grown as well as small for gestational age fetuses.

PMID- 1876365
TI  - Umbilical artery resistance index as a screening test for fetal well-being. II:
      Randomized feasibility study.
AB  - To determine whether the time taken for fetal assessment could safely be reduced
      by preliminary screening with Doppler ultrasound, 897 women having fetal
      assessment in the high-risk unit of the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, were
      randomly allocated to two groups. In the Doppler group, preliminary assessment
      was by umbilical artery resistance estimation, and in the fetal heart rate (FHR)
      group by computerized FHR analysis. To minimize the risk of failing to recognize
      fetal distress, the criteria for using the nonallocated method as well were
      deliberately conservative. Thus, 66% of the 1869 Doppler studies done in the
      Doppler group and 39% of the 2069 FHR tests done in the FHR group needed to be
      followed by the nonallocated tests. Trained nursing staff performed the Doppler
      studies as part of their routine duties. Doppler studies were unsuccessful in
      obtaining a result on 26% of the occasions. Under the above clinical
      circumstances, preliminary Doppler screening did not reduce the time taken for
      fetal assessment. There were no significant differences in perinatal outcome
      between the groups, except that emergency as opposed to elective cesareans were
      less frequent in the Doppler group. As this finding was not predicted by previous
      hypothesis, it needs to be confirmed.

PMID- 1876366
TI  - Doppler evaluation of umbilical and uterine-arcuate arteries in the postdates
      pregnancy.
AB  - To assess the correlation between Doppler velocimetry and perinatal outcome in
      the postdates pregnancy, 75 women who were at least 41 weeks' gestation were
      evaluated twice weekly until delivery. Evaluation included Doppler velocimetry of
      the umbilical and uterine-arcuate arteries, as well as nonstress testing and
      amniotic fluid volume estimation. The mean umbilical artery systolic-diastolic
      ratio (S/D) was significantly higher in the pregnancies with subsequent abnormal
      perinatal outcomes than in those with normal outcomes (2.42 versus 2.19; P =
      .03). Using a receiver operating characteristic curve, an abnormal umbilical
      artery S/D was defined as 2.40 or greater. Using this value, sensitivity was
      57.1% and specificity was 77.8%. Our study suggests that an umbilical artery S/D
      of 2.40, rather than the more traditionally accepted cutoff of 3.0, may be a
      useful threshold to identify those postdates pregnancies at high risk for
      abnormal perinatal outcome.

PMID- 1876367
TI  - Relationship of small-for-dates sac size to crown-rump length and spontaneous
      abortion in patients with a known date of ovulation.
AB  - Spontaneous abortion after established sonographic viability is rare. This study
      prospectively evaluated 39 late first-trimester abortions after fetal viability
      was established by ultrasound. The average crown-rump length measurement and mean
      sac diameter in this group were determined and compared with predicted values
      based on known conception dates, and the discrepancy between actual and predicted
      measurements was noted. The same calculations were then made on 39 prospectively
      matched non-aborting controls. We also determined the difference between sac size
      and crown-rump length in both groups. Significant differences were found for all
      three measures. Small-for-dates sac size and small-for-dates crown-rump length
      were defined as having a discrepancy score greater than 1 standard deviation (SD)
      above normal. Small-for-dates sac/crown-rump length was defined as having a
      discrepancy score less than 1 SD below normal. A high percentage of aborters was
      correctly predicted by a mean sac diameter (82%) or crown-rump length (77%) that
      was greater than +1 SD, with few false positives (12.8 and 5.1%, respectively).
      The cutoff for differences of sac minus crown-rump length measurements (10.1 mm)
      was less sensitive (56%), but just as specific (82%). When both the mean sac
      diameter and crown-rump length were smaller than expected (according to known
      date of ovulation), the ability to predict abortion was 71% with few false
      positives (3.5%).

PMID- 1876368
TI  - Fetal cardiac abnormalities detected by transvaginal sonography at 12-16 weeks'
      gestation.
AB  - The use of transvaginal ultrasound scanning has substantially improved early
      pregnancy imaging of fetal anatomy. We detected cardiac abnormalities in ten
      fetuses at 12-16 weeks' gestation using transvaginal ultrasound.

PMID- 1876369
TI  - Individual growth curve standards in triplets: prediction of third-trimester
      growth and birth characteristics.
AB  - We investigated the ability of Rossavik growth models, determined from
      measurements obtained before 24 weeks (head circumference [HC], abdominal
      circumference [AC], femur diaphysis length, and estimated fetal weight [EFW]) or
      25 weeks (thigh circumference), to predict third-trimester growth and birth
      characteristics in normally growing triplets. Comparisons of coefficient c values
      for six anatomical measurements indicated no statistically significant
      differences in the second-trimester growth of triplets, twins, and singletons.
      Third-trimester triplet values for HC, AC, and femur diaphysis length were
      predicted with an accuracy of +/- 6-8%. For thigh circumference and EFW, the
      comparable values were +/- 17 and +/- 15%, respectively. The HC at birth was
      predicted without bias; the random error was approximately -27 to 9.0%. Weight,
      AC, and thigh circumference were systematically overestimated (16.5, 20.9, and
      16.3%, respectively). After correction for systematic errors, these
      characteristics could be predicted with random errors of -13.0 to 9.5% (weight), 
      12.0 to 2.8% (AC), and -16.7 to 11.3% (thigh circumference). Growth Potential
      Realization Index values had means of approximately 100% and ranges from 90-121%.
      The mean triplet value of the Neonatal Growth Assessment Score was 13.6, ranging
      from 2.8-26.5. These results are similar to those for singletons and twins and
      indicate that individual assessment of growth in triplets can be performed with
      the same methods used for both singletons and twins.

PMID- 1876370
TI  - The impact of National Health Service Corps physicians in the lowering perinatal
      mortality rate in Dade County, Florida.
AB  - In some parts of Dade County, Florida, perinatal mortality rates have revealed
      serious problems in the delivery of health care to poor pregnant women. From 1982
      1985, the reported perinatal mortality rates varied from 32-36 per 1000 live
      births, more than double the national average. Under the leadership of the
      Primary Health Care Consortium of Dade County (a federation of community health
      centers and other primary care providers), National Health Service Corps
      obstetricians and pediatricians served inner-city, medically needy patients as
      part of a coordinated perinatal plan from 1987-1989. Data on fetal and neonatal
      deaths, collected from census tracts adjacent to the community health centers,
      were used to study the impact of Corps obstetrician and pediatrician placement.
      The respective perinatal mortality rates were compared with those of 1986 as
      historic controls. Within a year, the overall perinatal mortality rate was
      reduced by 45%. As a result, an estimated 320 lives were saved between 1987-1989.
      This public health achievement represents a measurable impact due to assignment
      of National Health Service Corps physicians and can be used as a working model to
      reduce perinatal mortality in medically underserved communities in the United
      States.

PMID- 1876371
TI  - Pregnancy outcome in an active-duty population.
AB  - The number of women in the military has grown since the initiation of the all
      volunteer force. Pregnancy is no longer a justification for discharge from active
      service. Previously published reports have shown that active military service is
      associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. We compared a group of active-duty
      pregnant women (N = 331) matched for age and gravidity with a control group of
      dependent wives of active-duty personnel (N = 1218). Study variables examined
      were the incidences of cesarean and operative vaginal delivery, Apgar scores of
      less than 7 at 5 minutes, preterm complications (preterm labor and premature
      rupture of membranes) requiring transfer to a tertiary care center, pregnancy
      induced hypertensive syndromes, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (infant
      weight less than 2500 g), and pregnancy-related complications. In the active-duty
      group, the rates of primary cesarean (P less than .001), transfer for preterm
      complications (P less than .0001), pregnancy-induced hypertensive syndromes (P
      less than .01), and IUGR (P less than .05) were greater than in the control
      group. Active-duty servicewomen, despite defined limitations of work and ready
      access to health care, continue to represent a high-risk population.

PMID- 1876372
TI  - Utility of Leopold maneuvers in screening for malpresentation.
AB  - Malpresentation is a common complication of pregnancy. Using ultrasound as the
      gold standard, we prospectively tested Leopold maneuvers as a screen for
      nonvertex presentation in the third trimester. In our hands this technique
      performed poorly. Values for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value,
      and negative predictive value were 28, 94, 24, and 95%, respectively, in a
      population with a 7% prevalence of noncephalic presentation. Much of the
      correlation between the screening and diagnostic tests seemed to arise from
      chance (kappa = 0.13).

PMID- 1876373
TI  - Evaluation of a rapid enzyme immunoassay test for detection of group B
      Streptococcus.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of the ICON
      immunoassay in detecting vaginal group B Streptococcus in pregnant women. Vaginal
      cultures were obtained at the time of sterile speculum examinations from 300
      laboring women. The frequency of vaginal group B streptococcal colonization was
      10%. A duplicate vaginal swab was used in the immunoassay, which required less
      than 10 minutes for completion. The immunoassay could reproducibly detect 3+ to
      4+ growth (greater than 10(5) colony-forming units per milliliter of vaginal
      fluid), which was considered heavy colonization. The overall sensitivity,
      specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 33,
      95, 43, and 93%, respectively, compared with culture. For heavy colonization (3+
      to 4+ growth), the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and
      negative predictive value were 100, 95, 32, and 100%, respectively. The
      immunoassay is a highly sensitive and specific test for detection of heavy
      vaginal colonization by group B streptococci in obstetric patients, but cultures
      are required to detect light group B streptococcal colonization.

PMID- 1876374
TI  - A clinicopathologic study of 153 cases of complete hydatidiform mole (1980-1990):
      histologic grade lacks prognostic significance.
AB  - Although the significance of histologic grading in hydatidiform mole has
      previously been investigated, most studies evaluated patients treated before
      1975. Since 1975, many advances have been made in the understanding and treatment
      of hydatidiform mole, including the division of molar pregnancy into complete and
      partial hydatidiform mole. We retrospectively studied 153 cases of complete
      hydatidiform mole diagnosed and treated at the Brigham and Women's Hospital
      between 1980-1990 to determine the current prognostic significance of histologic
      grading in this disease. The histologic grade (based on the criteria of Hertig
      and Sheldon) was compared with the subsequent clinical course, including the
      rates of spontaneous remission, persistent gestational trophoblastic tumor,
      metastatic disease, "high-risk" metastatic disease, chemotherapy resistance, and
      survival. The histologic grade of the original complete hydatidiform mole did not
      correlate significantly with any index of clinical outcome evaluated.

PMID- 1876375
TI  - Problems encountered with the Bethesda System: the University of Iowa experience.
AB  - This paper provides a descriptive summary of 1 year's experience with the
      Bethesda Cytologic Classification System at the University of Iowa Hospitals and
      Clinics. Cytotechnologists and pathologists criticized the failure of the new
      classification system to provide microscopic criteria for the following
      categories: adequacy of the smear (satisfactory, less than optimal,
      unsatisfactory), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, atypical
      glandular cells of undetermined significance, and inflammation-associated
      changes. Clinicians criticized the "less than optimal" category and the reporting
      of koilocytosis, moderate dysplasia, and endometrial cells. Suggestions for
      modifying the Bethesda System include: eliminating the less than optimal
      response, defining what constitutes an unsatisfactory smear, eliminating the
      terms low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, and changing the
      reporting of endometrial cells.

PMID- 1876376
TI  - Vaginal cuff closure at abdominal hysterectomy: comparing sutures with absorbable
      staples.
AB  - To compare two methods of vaginal cuff closure during abdominal hysterectomy, 60
      patients were randomized to one of two cuff-closure methods. The vaginal cuff was
      closed with three interrupted 0-Dexon sutures in 30 and with absorbable staples
      in 30. Both groups were similar with respect to age, gravidity, parity,
      preoperative indication, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. The operative technique and
      quantity of irrigation used was standardized. Operative blood loss was calculated
      by the weight method and an unactivated, medium flat Jackson-Pratt drain was left
      in place for collecting postoperative cuff cultures at 24 and 48 hours. The mean
      operative times in the suture group (97.4 minutes) and staple group (93.4
      minutes) were not significantly different (P greater than .05). Cuff-closure time
      was more rapid (P = .0001) in the staple group (5.8 minutes) than in the suture
      group (9.3 minutes). Intraoperative cultures were positive in eight of 30 suture
      patients (26.7%) and eight of 30 staple patients (26.7%). Postoperative cultures
      at either 24 or 48 hours were positive in four women (13.3%) in the suture group
      and six (20%) in the staple group. Febrile morbidity occurred in six (20%) in
      each group. Three staple and two suture subjects developed a vaginal cuff abscess
      or hematoma, one of whom was readmitted to the hospital for intravenous
      antibiotics and draining of the vaginal cuff abscess. The presence of a positive
      vaginal cuff culture did not predict clinical outcome. Based on these
      observations and the increased cost of the stapling device, we conclude that
      there is no significant clinical advantage of surgical staples over traditional
      sutures for vaginal cuff closure at abdominal hysterectomy.

PMID- 1876377
TI  - A computer method for visual presentation and programmed evaluation of labor.
AB  - Manual graphing of the progress of labor is considered useful but is not often
      done. The early detection of some deviations requires special graphics aids. Our
      objective was to develop an easy-to-use computer program for the integrated
      visual presentation of information characterizing the progress of labor. Through
      the use of inexpensive personal computers equipped with graphics monitors, the
      program provides a combined graphics display of timed progressive cervical
      dilatation, fetal station, and stimulation of uterine activity (oxytocin
      infusion). For the early detection of abnormalities, phase-specific normal ranges
      (reference areas) are displayed. In addition, protraction/arrest as well as
      precipitate labor disorders are highlighted and computer messages are displayed.
      The program was evaluated through the assessment of 405 labors entered into a
      local area network of computers. On average, the program identified 1.5
      abnormalities per recorded labor (2.0 for labors resulting in vaginal delivery).
      The graphic presentation of the labor curve, produced within 3 seconds, displayed
      27% more information than the tabular format on the same screen area and provided
      a single-screen display of the labor curve even for patients with excessive data.
      The computer-generated display of labor curves facilitates visual presentation
      and interpretation of labor progress and can also help to translate quality
      assurance criteria into clinical practice.

PMID- 1876378
TI  - Preliminary experience with magnetic resonance imaging in patients with third
      trimester bleeding.
AB  - Fifteen patients with third-trimester bleeding, in whom transabdominal ultrasound
      had failed to identify a definitive source of bleeding, underwent magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI). Magnetic resonance imaging correctly identified three
      cases of placenta previa. In four patients, intrauterine blood was identified in
      hematomas. One hematoma was associated with a previa, two progressed to acute
      abruptions, and one was associated with a clot at the marginal cord insertion.
      Blood was seen leading away from the placenta in a case that progressed to an
      acute abruption. It was also seen in the region of the cervix in two patients
      with placenta previa. One patient had a normal MRI but had a fresh clot at
      delivery, which presumably formed after the imaging. In the remaining seven
      patients, MRI scans were negative and the placentas were normal at delivery. Our
      preliminary results suggest that MRI is helpful in evaluating patients with
      unexplained third-trimester bleeding.

PMID- 1876379
TI  - Finapres: a noninvasive device to monitor blood pressure.
AB  - Often, obstetric patients are not evaluated in preliminary studies during the
      development of new medical devices. The purpose of this study was to compare the
      Finapres digital probe with oscillometric and arterial line devices for recording
      blood pressures in low- and high-risk pregnant women. A total of 38 women were
      studied, including 24 with pregnancy-induced hypertension, two with chronic
      hypertension, two with cardiac disease, and ten who had no risk factors but
      requested epidural catheter placement. The comparison of Finapres or
      oscillometric recordings with direct arterial values confirmed that systolic
      recordings were imprecise for both devices (r = 0.80 and r = 0.64, respectively).
      Diastolic recordings (Korotkoff sound, phase 4) from the Finapres were accurate
      compared with the arterial values (r = 0.84). The Finapres performed at least as
      reliably as the oscillometric monitor in assessing blood pressure in our pregnant
      population and provided continuous measurements. When very accurate systolic
      recordings are needed, arterial catheter placement may be necessary.

PMID- 1876380
TI  - Clinical use of immunoperoxidase markers in excluding ectopic gestation.
AB  - Ectopic pregnancy is suspected when a pregnancy test is positive and an Arias
      Stella phenomenon with decidua is seen on endometrial curettings in the absence
      of chorionic villi and trophoblast. We performed immunoperoxidase stains for beta
      hCG, hPL, placental alkaline phosphatase, and keratin (AE1/AE3) on endometrial
      curettings of 72 patients with first-trimester bleeding in whom ectopic pregnancy
      was suspected based on routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain. Negative
      immunoperoxidase stains correlated with a retrospective patient chart review
      identified only ten patients with extrauterine pregnancy, a prevalence of 14%.
      The sensitivity of hCG, hPL, placental alkaline phosphatase, and keratin markers
      in detecting trophoblastic cells in the curettings was 42, 48, 24, and 69%,
      respectively. Each marker had a specificity of 100%. When both keratin and hPL
      were used, the sensitivity improved to 73%; however, there was no advantage in
      using three or more markers. We conclude that 73% of patients suspected to have
      ectopic pregnancy would be spared additional diagnostic techniques when
      immunoperoxidase markers for keratin and hPL are used on endometrial curettings
      without trophoblast on routine H&E stain. The procedure requires only 3 hours of
      laboratory time.

PMID- 1876381
TI  - Improving the Cytobrush as an aid in the evaluation of the abnormal Papanicolaou
      test.
AB  - In a series of 39 patients undergoing cervical conization, the Cytobrush was used
      to determine whether dysplasia involved the endocervical canal. To improve the
      specificity of the Cytobrush for this purpose, a sleeve was designed to guide the
      brush into the endocervical canal in order to minimize contamination from
      ectocervical lesions. Both the unsleeved and sleeved Cytobrush demonstrated good
      sensitivity for detecting dysplasia within the endocervical canal (89 and 95%,
      respectively). The sleeved Cytobrush demonstrated greater specificity than the
      unsleeved Cytobrush (90 versus 60%; P less than .05). Compared with endocervical
      curettage, the Cytobrush used in conjunction with the described "cytosleeve"
      offers an inexpensive, less painful, and accurate method of determining
      endocervical involvement of dysplasia.

PMID- 1876382
TI  - Use of the intestinal isolation bag in gynecologic surgery.
AB  - Exposure of the operative site during laparotomy is, at times, suboptimal. The
      major viscera requiring retraction out of the operative field are the small
      intestines. Usually, multiple cloth laparotomy packs are used to compress and
      displace the intestines. We describe the use of an intestinal isolation bag to
      house the small intestines and keep them out of the operative field. Using this
      technique, laparotomy packs are not required. Because the bag itself takes up
      very little space, the size of the operating field is not compromised. In
      addition, the bag does not abrade or desiccate the bowel, potentially reducing
      serosal injury and adhesion formation.

PMID- 1876383
TI  - Diagnosis and management of chronic hypertension in pregnancy.
AB  - Pregnancies complicated by chronic hypertension are at increased risk for the
      development of superimposed preeclampsia, abruptio placentae, and poor perinatal
      outcome. The frequency of these complications is particularly increased in
      patients with severe hypertension and those with preexisting cardiovascular and
      renal disease. Such women should receive appropriate antihypertensive therapy and
      frequent evaluations of maternal and fetal well-being. In contrast, in patients
      with mild essential chronic hypertension, the maternal and perinatal benefits
      from antihypertensive medications are highly controversial. A review of the
      literature revealed two placebo-controlled studies, four trials comparing
      treatment versus no medication, and three comparisons of methyldopa and
      oxprenolol. In only one of these studies were subjects randomized in the first
      trimester. No differences in pregnancy outcome were found with the use of
      antihypertensive drugs. Evaluation of the woman with chronic hypertension who is
      considering pregnancy should begin before conception to establish the cause and
      severity of the hypertension. Appropriate management should include frequent
      evaluation of maternal and fetal well-being; antihypertensive medications may be
      useful in patients with severe disease as well as in those with target organ
      involvement.

PMID- 1876384
TI  - Counseling the infertile couple: when enough is enough.
AB  - Therapy of infertility rarely offers a clear end point for cessation after
      repeated failure. Yet fertility treatment, especially if repeatedly unsuccessful,
      is associated with economic as well as emotional cost. Stopping treatment becomes
      an increasingly important option for couples whose therapy does not produce the
      desired result. It is the clinician's obligation to make infertile couples aware
      of this option early in the treatment plan and to give specific suggestions that
      allow these couples to stop treatment at a medically arbitrary, yet temporally
      well-defined point. To this end, we suggest the following for infertile couples
      undergoing treatment: 1) an ongoing relationship with a qualified counselor; 2)
      the best estimates for pregnancy rates, including the background (treatment
      independent) rate, for all forms of treatment available at any point in time; 3)
      the option of stopping treatment from the start; 4) encouragement to seek second
      opinions throughout treatment; 5) time off from treatment; and 6) the opportunity
      to set arbitrary but relatively firm time limits. Incorporation of these
      suggestions into the therapeutic plan for infertile couples underscores the
      imperfect nature of infertility treatment and acknowledges that sometimes the
      most we can do for our patients is to help them stop.

PMID- 1876385
TI  - Abortion: is there a rational precept?
AB  - Recent Supreme Court rulings have augmented the potential role of the individual
      states in abortion regulation. As a result, largely political influences have
      escalated the abortion debate to the point that there is currently no
      identifiable center, and consensus seems impossible. The traditional concept of
      viability has proven an inadequate basis for extension of personal rights and
      protections to the fetus. Conservative interpretation of a proposed neurologic
      definition of human life would suggest that human life does not start until
      approximately 70 days post-conception. Standardization and widespread acceptance
      of a definition of "brain life" would potentially clarify many medical and legal
      questions regarding elective abortion and would parallel currently accepted
      medical and legal definitions of death.

PMID- 1876386
TI  - The effect of the New York State restrictions on resident work hours.
AB  - New York state has recently restricted the hours that residents may work to an
      average of 80 hours per week. We have complied with these regulations through the
      addition of nonresident personnel, including attending physicians, a physician
      assistant, and nurse midwives. This study was designed to assess the effect of
      these changes on our residents. A questionnaire covering the effects of our new
      system was distributed to both attending and resident staff. Surgical case load
      and Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) scores
      since the change were compared with those of previous years. A marked improvement
      in resident life-style was noted. Although residents commented that they had
      increased time for reading, this was not reflected in an improvement in the CREOG
      scores. The quality of patient care was not felt to be improved, and the
      continuity of care was considered to be adversely affected. Resident surgical
      case load was unchanged. The assignment of emergency room coverage to attending
      physicians and gynecologic floor coverage to a physician assistant was seen as
      having a detrimental effect on resident experience. We conclude that the new
      restrictions on resident work hours in New York have improved resident quality of
      life. However, there does not appear to be an improvement in patient care, which
      was the original intent of the statute. Concerns are discussed about the effect
      of this decrease in hours worked on resident experience and education. Further
      research is needed to assess the long-term effects of reduced resident work hours
      on both patient care and resident education.

PMID- 1876387
TI  - Elevated serum testosterone, hirsutism, and virilism associated with combined
      androgen-estrogen hormone replacement therapy.

PMID- 1876388
TI  - Dynamic urethral pressure profilometry pressure transmission ratio: what do the
      numbers really mean?

PMID- 1876389
TI  - Ultrasonic surgical aspiration in the treatment of vulvar disease.

PMID- 1876390
TI  - Methotrexate treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

PMID- 1876391
TI  - Do morbid outcomes increase with restraint use?

PMID- 1876392
TI  - The AIDS patient and the last ICU bed: scarcity, medical futility, and ethics.

PMID- 1876393
TI  - Quality assessment with a computerized anesthesia information management system
      (AIMS).
AB  - Private practice anesthetists are skeptical about the worth of quality assessment
      programs because of the difficulty of creating and maintaining an accurate and
      efficient medical record, the paucity of data caused by the recent shift in
      emphasis from process to outcome data, the tendency of adverse outcomes to be
      presented with no denominators, the lack of integration between process and
      outcome data, and the tendency for quality assessment programs to require
      duplicate documentation. An efficient anesthesia information management system
      (AIMS) gathers accurate, complete, and legible information before, during, and
      after each anesthetic procedure. One such system used in a private practice
      setting at Burbank Hospital, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, has a computerized data
      base to draw from preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative events, with a
      judicious selection of both process and outcome indicators. The clinical
      anesthesia data base can be an effective tool for practical and efficient
      clinical competency evaluations and can lead to many improvements in the quality
      of anesthesia care delivery.

PMID- 1876394
TI  - Downstream outcomes: using insurance claims data to screen for errors in clinical
      laboratory testing.
AB  - A methodology is described by which health insurance claims data might be used to
      discover the occurrence of systematic errors by clinical laboratories. False
      positive results should generate a series of tests or treatments that are
      eventually abandoned as the false signal of the initial test is discovered while
      false-negative results may cause necessary tests or treatments to be unduly
      delayed. False results may also generate adverse outcomes such as an unusually
      high number of deaths or hospitalizations among persons who have received
      particular laboratory tests. Health insurance claims data may be used to discover
      these patterns and how the inclusion of laboratory results on claims would
      improve the precision of such inferences. Appropriate statistical tests are
      discussed.

PMID- 1876396
TI  - [Total knee endoprosthesis].

PMID- 1876395
TI  - Teaching the tenets of quality: a survey of medical schools and programs in
      health administration.
AB  - This article reports the results of a survey of medical schools and programs in
      health administration to determine the national scope of the teaching of quality
      assurance in higher education. The responses from 98 medical schools and 64
      schools of public health or health administration programs suggest that medical
      schools have not yet successfully integrated training in QA into the medical
      school or residency curriculum. Health administration programs appear to give QA
      courses more serious attention, to offer a more well-rounded program in QA, and
      to evaluate students' progress in QA courses more carefully. No statistically
      significant differences were found between public and private medical schools,
      between undergraduate and graduate levels, or across geographic regions in
      response rates or in provision of QA training.

PMID- 1876397
TI  - [Endoprosthesis of the knee joint: current status and trends].
AB  - Knee joint endoprosthetics has proved to be at least as successful as hip joint
      endoprosthetics, although the total implantation rate has risen to only about
      15%, which ignores its widespread unpopularity. There is a great variety of
      artificial knee joints, although according to ISO standards all models can be
      reduced to four basic ones. Deciding to use a stabilized, semi-constrained or
      unconstrained artificial knee prosthesis requires careful consideration
      especially if the possibility of its removal is taken into account. The main
      reason for unsatisfactory clinical results is still retropatellar pain. Intensive
      basic research is necessary in this area as well as in the development of new
      materials that might be used for new prosthetic designs. Designers as well as
      surgeons should aim at regaining the natural function level with no pain for the
      patient.

PMID- 1876398
TI  - [Sled prosthesis, rotating knee and hinge prosthesis: St. Georg model and ENDO
      model. Differential therapy in primary knee joint arthroplasty].
AB  - During the last 20 years the surgeons at the ENDO Klinik in Hamburg have
      implanted more than 7,000 cemented primary knee prostheses of their own design,
      formerly the St. Georg models and now the ENDO models. The sled prosthesis,
      rotating knee and hinge prosthesis are each stabilized to a different degree. The
      indication depends on the type of deformity, the disease. affecting the knee and
      the type of patient. As a result of our experience with the three systems they
      are now implanted in the ratio of 30:60:10, and we are convinced that in order to
      treat all problems encountered in diseased knees it is essential to have
      different prostheses with various degrees of stabilization.

PMID- 1876399
TI  - [Intermediate results of kinematic knee prosthesis].
AB  - A retrospective study of 88 of 117 kinematic total knee prostheses was carried
      out at the Department of Orthopaedics, University Clinic, Innsbruck. In 71 cases
      the clinical and functional score of the knee Society was applied. Radiographs
      were taken under fluoroscopic control. In 3 cases, the need for revision surgery
      was already obvious. A slight varus angle of 2.1 degrees became apparent. Flexion
      contracture showed a correlation with the inclination of the femoral component.
      Radiolucencies of the tibial component showed up in cases with a reduced tibial
      angle. Radiolucencies of the patella component correlated with lateral
      subluxation.

PMID- 1876400
TI  - [2- to 5-year follow-up of cementless implantable knee joint prosthesis of the
      Miller-Galante type].
AB  - Based on a prospective study protocol, the two- to five-year results of the
      Miller-Galante cementless total knee arthroplasty are presented. Sixty-four
      implants were placed in 59 patients: 60 implantations were cementless and 4
      cemented. Clinically, the scores for pain, range of motion, walking and stair
      climbing improved significantly. Radiographically, the uncemented components
      displayed no signs of definite or possible loosening, whereas one of the cemented
      components was found to be definitely loose. On histological evaluation of the
      retrieved implants, all components had bone ingrowth.

PMID- 1876401
TI  - [The GSB knee joint: reoperation and infections].
AB  - The GSB-III knee prosthesis is one of the semi-constrained types and consequently
      ranks between the non-constrained condylar prostheses and the fully constrained
      hinges. Its kinematics can be classified as "physiological" in the sagittal plane
      as far as the relationship between femur and tibia in the various degrees of
      flexion is concerned, which is a replica of a normal knee joint. The high average
      range of postoperative mobility as well as the extremely low aseptic loosening
      rate after 10 years prove the truth of this statement. A simple operative
      technique requiring a few special instruments allows even the less experienced
      knee surgeon to be successful and to obtain good results in cases with severe
      deformity and poor bone quality. The survival curves of the GSB-III prosthesis (n
      = 638) show a cummulative success rate of over 90% after 10 years. Looking
      separately at cases complaining of more or less severe pain, we frequently find
      underlying patellar problems, the main cause for revisional surgery. This problem
      is not specific for our prosthesis, but must be considered a so far unsolved
      worldwide problem. Infections are another relatively frequent cause for
      revisions. Disturbed wound healing, arterial insufficiency and malignant
      rheumatoid arthritis are the outstanding risk factors. For a reliable comparison
      of the different knee prostheses we ought to have a globally accepted evaluation
      system, which unfortunately still does not exist.

PMID- 1876402
TI  - [Hinge endoprosthesis of the knee joint. Long-term results based on the Blauth
      prosthesis].
AB  - Knee prostheses of the condylar or hinge type have constructional features that
      have both advantages and disadvantages. Both types are compromises as a result of
      different demands. Here we report long-term results with the Blauth prosthesis as
      an example of the efficiency of the hinge concept. The Blauth prosthesis is
      constructed according to the low-friction principle without a weight-bearing
      axis. Load transmission to the bone is accomplished by large interface areas. The
      sliding bearing of the patella is oriented perpendicular to the transverse axis
      of rotation. A prospective multicentric study reports on 511 prosthesis with a
      follow-up between 1 and 15 years. Aseptic loosenings were confirmed in 1.2% of
      the patients, deep infections in 3.3%. The survival analysis showed a probability
      of 89% that a prosthesis would not have a deep infection or loosen. A hinged knee
      prosthesis shows positive long-term results even compared with the condylar types
      if the relevant principles of construction are adequately considered.

PMID- 1876403
TI  - [Continuous passive motion in the after care of knee joint prostheses].
AB  - Since 1982 there have been many reports on the use of continuous passive motion
      in the postoperative care of patients with total knee arthroplasty. Continuous
      passive motion (CPM) has proven to provide good results at our clinic. CPM is
      often described as having a positive effect on the postoperative range of motion.
      It also seems to decrease the length of the hospital stay. In addition, a low
      incidence of thrombosis has been reported and we could detect no negative effects
      on wound healing.

PMID- 1876404
TI  - [Failures of knee joint prostheses. An analysis of knee prostheses and component
      revisions, 1980-1987].
AB  - Total knee arthroplasty has become more common in the last 20 years as a result
      of the continuous improvement in prosthetic design and operative techniques.
      Therefore, there have also been more failures. To show the reasons for these
      failures and the difficulties and results of revision surgery we studied the 48
      uni- or tricompartmental revisions of total knee arthroplasties we performed in
      our institute between 1980 and 1987. Twelve to 94 months (mean 40.4) after
      revision we found 66% good or very good results. The main reason for failure was
      a poor surgical technique, which we found in 69% in unicompartmental, and in 28%
      in tricompartmental prostheses. Revision surgery needs a high level of practical
      knowledge and flexibility. The main problems consist of correction of the
      alignment and the filling of bone defects. Thus, we reconstructed ten large
      defects at the tibial plateau, which resulted in one very good, seven good and
      two moderate results.

PMID- 1876405
TI  - [Problems of infected knee prosthesis].
AB  - Our report is based on 47 infected knee arthroplasties that were revised and
      followed up in our hospital between 1984 and 1990. Various surgical and
      therapeutic management options are assessed. In our patient population our
      experience revealed that the two-stage reimplantation seemed to offer the best
      chances for management of infected knee arthroplasty. Infections with gram
      negative bacteria tend to take a less favorable course than those caused be gram
      positive organisms. A division into categories of infected knee joints is
      presented and the complexity of problems related to the diagnosis is discussed.

PMID- 1876406
TI  - [Mid- to long-term results after treatment of 118 cases of periprosthetic
      infections after knee joint replacement using one-stage exchange surgery].
AB  - From 1976 to 1985, 157 periprosthetic infections after knee arthroplasty were
      treated surgically at the ENDO-Klinik in Hamburg. Of these, 118 cases underwent
      one-stage revision arthroplasty using specific antibiotic-loaded cement; 104 were
      available for analysis after a postoperative follow-up period of 5-15 years.
      Seventy-six cases were cured as a result of this single operation. This number
      was increased to 84 by a repeated operation in cases that had failed to respond
      to therapy. In 20 cases one-stage revision arthroplasty failed in the treatment
      of periprosthetic infections after replacement of the knee joint.

PMID- 1876407
TI  - Pennsylvania Medical Society membership directory 1991-1992.

PMID- 1876408
TI  - Patient care threatened by presence of concentrated lidocaine syringes.

PMID- 1876409
TI  - PNA member Lee Levin: an entrepreneurial profile. Interview by Kimberley Jackson.

PMID- 1876410
TI  - Rural nurses need more AIDS education.

PMID- 1876411
TI  - Commission of Women spearheads study of gender bias in court system.

PMID- 1876412
TI  - Gender gap in research hit by ANA.

PMID- 1876414
TI  - Career paths.

PMID- 1876413
TI  - Supreme Court ruling on family planning violates free speech, professional
      ethics.

PMID- 1876415
TI  - AIDS protection is patient's right.

PMID- 1876416
TI  - ANA launches childhood immunization campaign.

PMID- 1876417
TI  - Validation of hourly pain intensity profiles with chronic pain patients.
AB  - This study examines how empirically derived pain intensity profiles relate to
      psychological adjustment in chronic pain patients. Hourly pain intensity ratings
      over the course of a day of 189 chronic pain patients were categorized into 6
      groups using a hierarchical regression analysis technique. The profiles reflected
      linear, curvilinear, multilinear or "no profile" effects. Judges' ratings of pain
      intensity profiles were found to be less reliable than ratings based on empirical
      analysis. The majority of patients showed linear profiles while 26% of the
      patients showed no consistent relationship between hourly pain intensity and time
      of day. Patients who showed no consistent trend in their pain ratings reported
      having significantly higher ratings of emotional distress. They tended to have
      conflicts at home and showed more pain behavior than patients who had a distinct
      pain profile. Support is given for the potential clinical utility of pain rating
      profiles.

PMID- 1876418
TI  - Relationship between perceived self-control of pain, pain description and
      functioning.
AB  - Recent research has shown an association between preferred coping style and pain
      report. The present study explores in a sample of 51 patients with chronic pain
      of myofascial origin the relationship between a dispositional measure of coping,
      the internality dimension of the Pain Locus of Control Scale (PLOC), and ratings
      of pain intensity, frequency, and pain-related behavioral functioning. Patients
      above the median on the internality dimension of the PLOC reported their pain as
      less intense and frequent than those below the median. No differences were noted
      on the behavioral functioning measures. Results are consistent with previous
      studies and indicate an association between ability to control pain and
      variations in magnitude and periodicity of pain. The clinical implication of the
      data is that strategies which provide reduction in pain intensity and frequency
      might be expected to result in increased perception of personal control of pain.

PMID- 1876419
TI  - Mechanism of analgesia induced by hypnosis and acupuncture: is there a
      difference?
AB  - Hypnosis and acupuncture can alleviate experimentally induced pain but the
      mechanism of analgesia remains unclear for both techniques. Experimental pain was
      induced by cold pressor test (CPT) in 8 male volunteers. Analgesic effect of
      hypnosis (HA) and acupuncture (AA) was assessed before and after double-blind
      administration of placebo or naloxone, in a prospective, cross-over study. We
      found that pain intensity was significantly lower with HA as compared with AA,
      both with naloxone (P less than 0.001) and placebo (P less than 0.001). Within HA
      or AA groups, pain scores did not differ significantly when naloxone or placebo
      was administered. During AA, however, pain scores were similar to control values
      when naloxone was given (P = 0.05) but decreased significantly with placebo (P
      less than 0.002). Analog scales for pain intensity and pain relief showed a good
      correlation (r = 0.94). Plasma levels of beta-endorphins did not change
      significantly in any combination. Heart rate, peripheral arterial blood pressure
      and skin conductance were very insensitive indices to assess pain intensity or
      relief, as well as intensity of acupuncture stimulation or depth of hypnotic
      trance. We conclude: (1) HA and AA can significantly reduce pain from CPT, and HA
      is more effective than AA: (2) HA and AA are not primarily mediated by the opiate
      endorphin system; and (3) plasmatic levels of beta-endorphins are not
      significantly affected by either HA or AA nor by naloxone or placebo
      administration.

PMID- 1876420
TI  - Local toxicity with subcutaneous methadone. Experience of two centers.
AB  - We report on 8 patients treated with subcutaneous methadone for cancer-related
      pain at 2 institutions. The success of other subcutaneous agents for pain control
      has been well demonstrated. It was felt that methadone would be useful due to its
      low cost. Unfortunately, 7 of the 8 patients experienced adverse reactions at the
      subcutaneous sites requiring cessation of subcutaneous methadone.

PMID- 1876421
TI  - Subcutaneous lidocaine for treatment of neuropathic cancer pain.
AB  - Three patients with terminal malignancy reporting ineffective analgesia using
      systemic and subsequently spinal opiates were treated with subcutaneous infusion
      of 10% lidocaine hydrochloride. During the infusion, reasonably stable blood
      concentrations were achieved and maintained using a subcutaneous infusion at
      varying dose rates over days to months with improvement of the pain complaints
      which continued to be refractory to conventional analgesics. Blood lidocaine
      levels obtained at regular intervals revealed effective concentrations between 2
      and 5 micrograms/ml for each patient.

PMID- 1876422
TI  - An open label study of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) for the
      treatment of breakthrough cancer pain.
AB  - Ten patients with advanced cancer and breakthrough pain between the ages of 39
      and 78 received oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (10-15 micrograms/kg) 4 or 5
      times each over 2 days (42 total administrations) in an open study. Baseline
      vital sign and rating scale results did not vary over administrations, except for
      heart rate which showed an 8 beats/min decrease over 4 administrations. Heart
      rate and oxygen saturation did not vary significantly over 120 min of evaluation,
      and minimal changes in blood pressure and respiration rate were found.
      Significant reduction in pain scores as measured by a pain descriptive scale, the
      McGill-Melzack scale, and a numeric (VAS) scale were seen at all evaluations from
      5 to 120 min. Average time to onset of pain relief was 9.5 min after
      administration. Wellbeing was significantly increased at all evaluations.
      Activity level as recorded by the investigator was significantly reduced from 10
      to 30 min after administration, however, activity level as reported by the
      patient was significantly increased at 5 min and from 60 to 120 min after OTFC
      administration. There were no significant adverse effects.

PMID- 1876423
TI  - Long-term results of peridural morphine in 225 patients.
AB  - The long-term results of peridural morphine in 225 cancer patients have been
      evaluated. Two methods were employed: percutaneously implanted catheter (175
      patients) and subcutaneous reservoirs (50 patients). In the 225 patients, the
      mean duration of implantation of the peridural catheter was 47.3 days (7-420
      days), the mean daily dose of morphine was 13.4 +/- 6.9 (5-80 mg) delivered by
      2.6 +/- 0.7 (1-8) injections. The mean duration of action was calculated to be
      9.3 +/- 3.8 h (3-32 h). Satisfactory analgesia was achieved in 133 patients
      (59.1%) in whom peridural morphine was the sole analgesic treatment. Peridural
      morphine appeared to be especially effective in patients with pain arising in the
      abdominal region. Complications due to morphine and the catheter were evaluated.

PMID- 1876424
TI  - Ischaemic spinal cord lesion following percutaneous radiofrequency spinal
      rhizotomy.
AB  - Two patients are presented in whom percutaneous radiofrequency spinal rhizotomy
      was complicated by contralateral paresis. Both patients were elderly and suffered
      from cardiac failure, chronic obstructive respiratory disease, and generalized
      vascular disease. Investigation of the paresis indicated a contralateral
      ischaemic cord lesion. It is suggested that local haemodynamic changes induced by
      heat-mediated rhizotomy may compromise oxygen delivery to the adjacent cord,
      especially in the presence of pre-existent cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1876425
TI  - Tardive dyskinesia and chronic pain.
AB  - Psychotropic drugs are frequently used to treat chronic pain. Tardive dyskinesia
      is a serious complication of such therapy, but is not mentioned in the pain
      literature. Two cases are reported and the implications discussed.

PMID- 1876426
TI  - The effect of 'detailing' on physicians' prescribing behavior for postsurgical
      narcotic analgesia.
AB  - Physicians have been frequently reported to prescribe inadequately pain
      medication in the hospitalized patient. A number of methods and techniques have
      been attempted to alter this phenomenon including audit, standard setting, drug
      utilization evaluation and sanctioning. The purpose of the following study was to
      demonstrate the behavioral efficacy of the technique of detailing. We reviewed
      the postsurgical records of 320 patients for pre-established criteria on the
      administration of meperidine before and after detailing of the proper prescribing
      with regard to timing and dose. The data show 30% of the sample meeting the
      criteria before detailing and 43% after detailing had been given. We conclude the
      method of detailing can be effective in altering physician's prescribing behavior
      for meperidine in postoperative surgical patients.

PMID- 1876427
TI  - Functional properties of spinomesencephalic tract (SMT) cells in the upper
      cervical spinal cord of the cat.
AB  - Response and receptive field properties were evaluated for 62 spinomesencephalic
      tract cells in the upper cervical spinal cord (C1-C3) of cats anesthetized with
      sodium pentobarbital and alpha-chloralose. Recordings were made from cells in
      laminae I-VIII and X contralateral to antidromic stimulating electrodes
      positioned in the rostral, caudal and intercollicular region of the midbrain. The
      mean antidromic threshold for all cells was 185 +/- 132 microA, and conduction
      velocities ranged from 2.3 to 38.6 m/sec. Twelve cells were backfired from both
      midbrain and diencephalic stimulation sites. Receptive fields ranged from simple,
      i.e., ipsilateral forelimb or face, to complex, i.e., excitatory and/or
      inhibitory responses from large portions of the body. Peripheral receptive fields
      included muscles, joints, cornea, dura, forelimbs, hind limbs, tail, and/or
      testicles. Five functional classes of cells were observed: (a) wide dynamic range
      (14 cells); (b) high threshold (2 cells): (c) low threshold (4 cells); (d)
      deep/tap (11 cells); and (e) non-responsive (31 cells). Eight cells were
      evaluated for responses to different doses (5-150 micrograms) of intravenous
      (i.v.) serotonin. Two of the 8 cells exhibited excitatory effects, whereas 2
      cells classified as deep/tap and 4 cells classified as non-responsive were not
      affected. The results of this study have shown the upper cervical component of
      the spinomesencephalic tract is made up of a heterogenous population of cells
      involved in the integration of varied inputs from large portions of the body. It
      is proposed that the large population of SMT cells in the upper cervical spinal
      cord may be involved in pain mechanisms, especially those related to the
      affective consequences of acute and chronic pain.

PMID- 1876428
TI  - Short-latency excitatory postsynaptic potentials are evoked in primate
      spinothalamic tract neurons by corticospinal tract volleys.
AB  - The responses of 8 wide-dynamic-range (WDR) STT neurons to electrical stimulation
      of the sensorimotor cortex or the cerebral peduncle were recorded intracellularly
      in anesthetized monkeys. EPSPs and spikes were evoked in STT neurons with short
      latencies ranging from 0.4 to 5.3 msec after the corticospinal volley, indicating
      a monosynaptic connection in at least some STT neurons. Spatial and temporal
      summation seem necessary for the cortex to maintain an effective excitatory
      influence on STT neurons. It is postulated that the cortical facilitation of STT
      neurons helps them to acquire more nociceptive signals during behavioral tasks
      such as exploring a new object so that the brain can make decisions about whether
      to continue or to abandon a certain task. Possible implications for central pain
      states are discussed.

PMID- 1876429
TI  - The formalin test in mice: the influence of ambient temperature.
AB  - The ambient temperature had a confounding influence on the licking response in
      the formalin test. No effect was demonstrated in the early phase. In the late
      phase, the licking activity was much lower at 20 degrees C than at 25 degrees C.
      Both the intensity and the duration of the response were increased by increasing
      the ambient temperature from 20 degrees C to 28 degrees C. 5,6
      Dihydroxytryptamine lesions of descending serotonergic pathways induced an
      increase in the nociceptive response at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C,
      while the response was no different from control values at 25 degrees C.
      Differences in paw skin temperature may explain these temperature dependent
      effects. It was concluded that control of the ambient temperature is necessary to
      obtain reliable results in the formalin test, late phase.

PMID- 1876431
TI  - The use of experimental pain in evaluating the effects of dorsal column
      stimulation on clinical pain.

PMID- 1876430
TI  - Comments on 'Parturition pain treated by intracutaneous injections of sterile
      water,' by L. Ader, B. Handsson and G. Wallin (Pain, 41 (1990) 133-138)

PMID- 1876432
TI  - Toward an integrated understanding of fibromyalgia syndrome. I. Medical and
      pathophysiological aspects.
AB  - Fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by diffuse
      musculoskeletal soreness, stiffness, non-restorative sleep and psychological
      disturbance. At present, much about the etiology, pathological mechanisms and
      course of FS are unknown. Indeed, standardized diagnostic criteria have only been
      recently agreed upon. The present paper is the first of a two-part series which
      reviews the extant empirical literature concerning FS, with a view to arriving at
      an integrated understanding of the syndrome. The present paper describes the
      clinical presentation of FS and historical conceptualizations of the disorder.
      Available research on pathophysiological mechanisms in FS is then presented. In
      this section we have included literature concerning histology of muscle, sleep
      architecture, neurotransmitter anomalies and neuropeptide involvement in FS
      symptomatology.

PMID- 1876433
TI  - Toward an integrated understanding of fibromyalgia syndrome. II. Psychological
      and phenomenological aspects.
AB  - The present paper is the second of a 2-part series in which extant empirical
      literature concerning fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) is reviewed in order to provide
      a preliminary approach to forming an integrated understanding of the syndrome.
      Research on psychological disturbance in FS is reviewed with particular emphasis
      on affective dysfunction among FS patients. The phenomenology of FS is then
      described. We attempt to suggest that FS represents a quantitatively and
      qualitatively experience distinct from similar chronic pain syndromes.
      Substantive findings in FS research are summarized in the final section and
      potential ways in which these findings might be integrated to provide a more
      cohesive model for future research are suggested.

PMID- 1876434
TI  - The effects of dorsal column stimulation on measures of clinical and experimental
      pain in man.
AB  - Despite the extensive use of dorsal column stimulation (DCS) for the control of
      various chronic pain conditions, most clinicians report only modest success
      rates. Surprisingly, there has been little placebo-controlled investigation of
      its efficacy for altering either clinical or experimental pain perception. The
      current study compared the effects of DCS to placebo stimulation on clinical pain
      perception, perceived intensity of painful heat stimuli and visual stimuli, and
      the discrimination of small changes in noxious heat intensity and in light
      intensity. We found that DCS, but not placebo stimulation, significantly altered
      ratings of spontaneous clinical pain as well as those of painful cutaneous heat.
      In addition, heat discrimination thresholds were increased by DCS, but not
      placebo. On the other hand, DCS had no effect on ratings of visual stimulus
      intensity nor on visual discrimination, suggesting that the DCS modulation of
      pain perception was not due to a general change in attention. These data indicate
      that DCS significantly alters pain transmission in humans. Nevertheless, the
      relatively small reduction in clinical pain (less than 30%) must be weighed
      against the invasive nature of electrode implantation.

PMID- 1876435
TI  - Comparison of human pain sensation and flexion withdrawal evoked by noxious
      radiant heat.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of flexion withdrawal
      magnitude as an indicator of pain sensation. In 10 healthy human volunteers, we
      compared the magnitude and latency of integrated biceps EMG with the subjects'
      rating of pain, using a visual analog scale, elicited by noxious radiant heat
      stimuli applied to the dorsal forearm. The magnitude and inverse latency of
      withdrawal, although variable, increased exponentially as a functions of stimulus
      temperature. The stimulus response functions for mean withdrawal magnitude and
      mean pain intensity were similar for lower stimulus temperatures, but at higher
      temperatures the withdrawal continued to increase exponentially whereas pain
      intensity reached a plateau. The pain intensity and withdrawal magnitude for each
      stimulus were poorly correlated. Under the conditions of this experiment, mean
      pain intensity and mean withdrawal magnitude were both well correlated with
      stimulus temperature, but the magnitude of withdrawal did not reliably reflect
      the intensity of pain sensation.

PMID- 1876436
TI  - Spinal and supraspinal correlates of nociception in man.
AB  - The objective of this work was to simultaneously measure pain-related spinal and
      supraspinal physiological responses in humans. The sural nerve compound action
      potential (CAP), the spinal withdrawal reflex (RIII), the somatosensory evoked
      potential (SEP) and subjective magnitude ratings were elicited by electrical
      stimulation of the sural nerve in 10 healthy subjects. The sural nerve CAP was
      used to normalize the evoking stimulus current and to help identify the
      peripheral nerve afferent types contributing to the physiological and
      psychophysical responses. Normalizing stimulus current to a proportion of that
      which elicited a just maximal sural nerve CAP significantly reduced individual
      variability in magnitude ratings, the RIII and the SEP. Pain and RIII responses
      only occurred at stimulus levels that were greater than or equal to 1.5 x that
      which produced a just maximal sural nerve CAP and both responses were positively
      related to stimulus intensity above that level. Activity in the large diameter A
      beta fibers will be saturated at stimulus levels near that which produced a just
      maximal CAP, which implies that both the pain and RIII responses can be
      attributed to recruitment of the smaller diameter A delta fibers. Although the
      amplitudes of the P200 and P300 peaks of the SEP were significantly related to
      stimulation at noxious levels, both were also affected by stimulation at
      innocuous levels. This result implies that these peaks receive contributions from
      both noxious and innocuous somatosensory processes. Clearly, the non-pain-related
      components of these SEP peaks must be identified and isolated before their
      potential in measuring supraspinal nociceptive processes can be fully realized.

PMID- 1876437
TI  - Efficacy of ICS 205-930, a novel 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor
      antagonist, in the prevention of migraine attacks. A complex answer to a simple
      question. ICS 205-930 Migraine Study Group.
AB  - To investigate whether the novel, potent and highly selective 5
      hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist ICS 205-930 can prevent migraine
      attacks, we conducted simultaneously two randomized, double-blind, placebo
      controlled, multicentre, international trials, involving a total of 204 patients,
      suffering from classic or common migraine. Both trials had the same parallel
      group design (1 month baseline observation, followed by 3 months treatment) and
      both produced remarkably similar results. The primary efficacy parameter was the
      proportional reduction in attack frequency recorded after 3 months of treatment.
      Twenty-two patients withdrew prematurely from the trials and could not be
      assessed for efficacy. Mild to severe constipation was reported by about 50% of
      the patients on active treatment. None of the doses of ICS 205-930 tested (50 mg,
      25 mg and 15 mg daily) produced a statistically significantly better result to
      reduce attack frequency than did placebo. However, confidence intervals for the
      difference in effect with placebo were wide, indicating that 15 mg ICS 205-930
      may produce a 57% reduction in attack frequency as compared to placebo. The most
      unusual finding was that, for all efficacy parameters, the best results were
      obtained with the lowest dose (15 mg), the worst results with the highest dose
      (50 mg) and an intermediate effect with 25 mg. Such an inverse relation between
      dose and efficacy suggests a bell-shaped dose-response curve, implying that doses
      lower than 15 mg might well prove to be more effective. Thus, the present study
      has produced inconclusive, but intriguing results. Lower doses should be further
      investigated before drawing any definite conclusion on the efficacy of ICS 205
      930 in the prophylactic treatment of migraine.

PMID- 1876438
TI  - Prediction of postoperative pain and duration of hospitalization using two
      anxiety measures.
AB  - This study examined the extent to which measures of anxiety could predict pain
      and the length of hospitalization following surgery in 111 patients with
      gallstones over and above what could be predicted on the basis of biographical
      and medical status variables. Self-reported pain on the third day postoperative
      could hardly be explained by the variables measured. Preoperative anxiety did not
      increase the value of the prediction. Age, type of surgery, cystitis and wound
      infection explained a significant proportion of the variance in postoperative
      hospital stay. Over and above these variables. A-state on the third postoperative
      day and also A-state and specific anxiety measured 1 day before surgery exerted a
      significant increase on the values of prediction of the length of postoperative
      hospitalization.

PMID- 1876439
TI  - Preparing children for venous blood sampling.
AB  - A convenience sample of 100 children, aged 6-12 years, attending Kuwait
      government hospital laboratories for venous blood sampling was studied. A picture
      book was used to prepare half of the children for the procedure. Preparation was
      carried out just prior to sampling and took less than 5 min. The story provided a
      simple description of venous blood sampling, and why it is carried out; it
      stressed that the pain is noticeable but not unbearable, and that children will
      experience less pain if they relax their arm and cooperate with the technician.
      Prepared children reported significantly less pain, and radial pulse rates
      confirmed that they were less distressed by the procedure. Observers' and
      parents' evaluations also indicated that prepared children coped better. Various
      explanations for the benefits observed are discussed, together with requirements
      for managing the pain, fear and stress experienced by children during medical
      treatment.

PMID- 1876440
TI  - Central pruritus. Case report.
AB  - An 82-year-old woman experienced generalized pruritus not due to skin or systemic
      disease. Scratching the skin with a needle induced a crisis of intense pruritus,
      insensitive to any drug. The pruritus had the characteristics of a central
      sensation.

PMID- 1876441
TI  - Effects of sympathectomy in a model of causalgiform pain produced by partial
      sciatic nerve injury in rats.
AB  - In a previous report we presented a novel behavioral model of neuropathic pain
      disorders, produced in rat by a unilateral ligation of about half of the sciatic
      nerve. The model is characterized by rapid onset of behaviors suggesting
      spontaneous pain and disordered responses to non-noxious and noxious stimuli.
      These include reduced withdrawal thresholds to repetitive touch in the partially
      deafferented skin ('touched-evoked hyperesthesia'), touch-evoked allodynia,
      reduced withdrawal thresholds to noxious thermal stimuli and exaggerated
      responses to noxious heat and mechanical stimuli ('thermal hyperalgesia'). Some
      of these disorders are seen at mirror image sites on the hind limb opposite the
      lesion. These disorder start within hours after partial nerve injury, last many
      months and are very similar to causalgia in humans following partial nerve
      injury. Since sympathetic efferent activity is known to aggravate causalgia in
      humans and sympathectomy is known to relieve it, we studied the effect of
      changing sympathetic outflow in the rat model. Reversible sympathectomy was
      carried out using guanethidine injected intraperitoneally in 3 experiments, each
      at a different time in relation to the partial nerve injury. We found that: (1)
      sympathectomy performed several months postoperatively alleviated the sensory
      disorders bilaterally; (2) sympathectomy prior to nerve injury partially
      prevented the appearance of thermal hyperalgesia but did not affect hyperesthesia
      to repetitive touch; and (3) sympathectomy at the time of nerve injury aggravated
      the sensory disorders during the first few days. As maintenance and production of
      the sensory disorders in this animal model depended on sympathetic nervous
      outflow, we conclude that the rats were suffering from a syndrome analogous to
      sympathetically maintained causalgia in man.

PMID- 1876442
TI  - Tissue donors: painful nerve lesions and reflex sympathetic dystrophy.

PMID- 1876443
TI  - Considerations on taxonomy of pain.

PMID- 1876444
TI  - Decreased clinic utilization by chronic pain patients after behavioral medicine
      intervention.

PMID- 1876445
TI  - Pulmonary function in the patients submitted to lung exeresis.
AB  - The effects of lung surgery on respiratory function were investigated in 80
      patients; 17 patients were submitted to left pneumonectomy (LPN); 11 patients
      were submitted to right pneumonectomy (RPN); 7 patients underwent a left upper
      lobectomy (LUL); 16 patients a left lower lobectomy (LLL); 17 patients were
      submitted to right upper lobectomy (RUL); 12 patients underwent right lower
      lobectomy (RLL). All patients were submitted to spirometry and arterial blood gas
      analysis. The effects of lung surgery on respiratory function depends upon the
      extent of the resected tissue.

PMID- 1876446
TI  - Cardiological risk in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. An
      analysis of 523 cases.
AB  - The paper reports a consecutive series of 523 patients undergoing abdominal
      aortic aneurysm surgery, paying particular attention to the cardiological risk
      factor. Coronary disease was present in 167 (31.9%) cases and the overall
      mortality rate was 1.7%: 5 cases (3%) in the group of coronary disease patients;
      4 cases (1.2%) in the group of noncoronary disease patients. All fatal cardiac
      complications during the postoperative period occurred in those patients who
      presented coronary cardiopathies before surgery. The preoperative cardiological
      risk was therefore much greater and more significant in this group of patients.
      This risk factor should therefore be assessed prior to the operation in order to
      prepare the necessary medical or even surgical therapeutic measures.

PMID- 1876447
TI  - Circadian rhythm of sinoatrial conduction time assessed by 24 hours ECG
      monitoring.
AB  - SACT was evaluated in 50 subjects during 24 hours ECG monitoring. All of these
      subjects presented frequent atrial beats with no evidence of bradyarrhythmias.
      SACT was measured in accordance with Strauss' formula (SACT = P2P3 - P1P1/2).
      Twenty-four hours recording were divided in to 4 time intervals, 6 hour each,
      starting 7 o'clock. The SACT is higher during nighttime than during daytime. The
      phenomenon is, presumably, attributable to predominance of the para-sympathetic
      tone during the night.

PMID- 1876448
TI  - Abdominal aortic aneurysms surgery in over 75 years old patients. Experience in
      142 cases treated between 1980-1989.
AB  - The paper describes the Authors' experience of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery
      in over 75-year-old patients. One hundred and forty-two cases were operated over
      a 10-year period (1980-89). Seventy-two patients were treated electively and 70
      underwent emergency surgery following rupture of the aneurysm. Operative
      mortality during elective surgery was comparable to that in younger patients,
      whereas the mortality rate during emergency surgery was notably higher than that
      in under 75-year-old patients. Follow-up confirmed that the life expectancy of
      operated patients is significantly better than that of patients with untreated
      abdominal aortic aneurysms.

PMID- 1876449
TI  - Effect of an inhibitor of PGE (flurbiprofen) on colony growth from normal and
      leukemic peripheral leukocytes in basal conditions and in presence of
      testosterone or cortisol.
AB  - The Authors have controlled the colony growth in coltures from peripheral
      leukocytes of normal subjects and from patients with CML and AML. The cultures
      were prepared on double agar layer in basal conditions and after adding
      flurbiprofen and/or cortisol and/or testosterone. The exam of the plates has
      shown a light similar stimulating activity on the growth of all substances
      separately considered, with and evidence ability of flurbiprofen of potentiate
      the action of the two hormones, both in coltures from normal and leukemic
      peripheral leukocyte CFU-GM.

PMID- 1876450
TI  - G.F.R. measuring with 99mTc-DTPA: limits in obstructive acute renal failure.
AB  - After a short introduction on the advantages and limits of G.F.R. determination
      with Ccr, the radioisotopic methods proposed by Schlegel and Gates for this
      parameter are described, and as well as ERPF and FF, without blood serial samples
      being necessary. In a severe renal failure case due to obstruction, the Authors
      have found a great mismatch in the results between the traditional methods and
      the radioisotopic ones. After the clinical case description, a possible
      explanation of this discrepancy is proposed: Schlegel and Gates' methods, which
      well correlate Ccr in chronic renal failure cases, in severe renal failure on
      obstructive basis, of recent onset, could not indicate the effective glomerular
      filtrate, but the nephronic mass, functionally blocked by the endocapsular
      hypertension secondary to the obstruction, but anatomically unaffected and so
      recoverable by a timely irradication of the obstruction.

PMID- 1876451
TI  - Copper in human seminal plasma.
AB  - One hundred and twenty five randomly selected semen samples revealed the range of
      copper in seminal plasma from 7.5 to 400 ug/dl. The metal had no statistical
      correlation with number of spermatozoa or with its percentage of motility.

PMID- 1876452
TI  - Multiple myeloma in L'Aquila and Avezzano, Italy, 1970-89. Changes in incidence
      rates, symptoms at diagnosis, and survival.
AB  - From 1970 to 1989, multiple myeloma was diagnosed in 184 residents in the
      counties of L'Aquila and Avezzano, two cities of the Region Abruzzo in Central
      Italy. The data were analysed for variations by sex, classes of age, urban and
      residence areas, symptoms and clinical stages at presentation, causes of death,
      and survival curves. The average annual incidence rate in the period 1970-89 was
      5.8 per 100,000 residents. This increase in trend is statistically-significant (p
      less than 0.01). The average incidence was consistently higher among males, the
      age group 61-70 years old, and residents in urban areas for the decades 1970-79
      and 1980-89. The increase in incidence rates of multiple myeloma was evident in
      all population categories, without significant differences (p greater than 0.05)
      in any evaluated class. The patients diagnosed in 1970-79 presented significantly
      (p less than 0.05) higher percentage of bone involvement at first diagnosis with
      respect to the patients diagnosed in 1980-89. A significant difference (p less
      than 0.05) was also observed in the clinical stage distribution. Patients from
      the 1980-89 decade survived for a significant (p less than 0.0001) longer period
      of time than the diagnosed between 1970-79. No differences (p greater than 0.05)
      were noted regarding causes of death. These results confirm the recent data of an
      increased incidence of multiple myeloma in the world. This trend could be due to
      an improvement in diagnosis and recording of multiple myeloma. On the other hand,
      environmental and occupational factors may play an important role in this
      increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876453
TI  - Two pregnancies in a Cushing's syndrome. Case report.
AB  - A case of patient with Cushing's syndrome due to an adrenal adenoma who conceived
      twice in the course of the disease is described. Pregnancy is known to be rare in
      these patients. When first seen she had some manifestations of Cushing's
      syndrome, but follow-up was lost prior to complete investigation. She conceived a
      few months later and gave birth to a 900 g premature liveborn infant. At the
      beginning of a second pregnancy, an adrenal adenoma was resected. The remainder
      of her pregnancy was uneventful and she delivered a normal fullterm 4 kg infant.
      Both children show normal physical and neurological development up to date. The
      patient presented herein illustrates the early diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome
      during pregnancy is extremely important, and early surgical treatment is
      indicated in order to avoid maternal and fetal complications.

PMID- 1876454
TI  - Bilateral popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. A case report and clinical
      considerations.
AB  - The authors report their experience in the management of a rare case of bilateral
      popliteal artery entrapment syndrome occurred to their observation. This unusual
      pathological entity, arising mostly in young subjects and unilaterally, in this
      case was bilateral and developed in a 51 years old patient. The clinical case is
      fully documented by multiple Echo-Doppler and arteriographic examinations which
      clearly demonstrate the peculiar characteristics of the disease. Finally the
      patient received a two stage surgical treatment with a good global result. The
      Authors stress the importance of a correct diagnostic approach to this unusual
      disease to avoid the possibility to misdiagnose it.

PMID- 1876455
TI  - The concomitance of renal artery stenosis and Conn's adenoma in a hypertensive
      woman.
AB  - A case of adrenal aldosterone-secreting adenoma concomitant with active renal
      artery stenosis in a hypertensive middle-aged woman is reported. The concomitance
      of the two lesions was previously reported in the literature only in five more
      reports, that are mentioned and commented here. This association is thought to be
      almost anecdotal, but some remarks must be done in order to rule out the risk of
      leaving an ignored lesion at the time of the definitive treatment. The widespread
      use of noninvasive imaging techniques is effective to find unsuspected adrenal
      adenoma in the presence of renovascular hypertensive disease, whereas unknown
      renal artery stenosis can be revealed by more aggressive diagnostic attitude,
      that is justified only in well selected cases of Conn's disease.

PMID- 1876456
TI  - A father and son with visceral leishmaniasis. A description of the pediatric
      case.
AB  - The paper reports a case of a 6-year-old boy affected by visceral leishmaniasis.
      In addition to clinical and anamnestic findings, diagnosis was made on the basis
      of the rapid increase in the titer of anti-Leishmania antibodies (16-fold), while
      the marrow smear was negative. A complete recovery was obtained using antimonial
      drugs.

PMID- 1876457
TI  - Noninvasive assessment of left ventricular function in asymptomatic diabetics and
      its relation to metabolic control and microangiopathy.
AB  - Fifty otherwise healthy patients with diabetes mellitus (37 males, 13 females;
      mean age: 53 +/- 10 years) of more than five year duration were compared with
      twenty six healthy age and sex matched controls. Detailed echocardiographic
      evaluation was done in all and systolic time intervals (STI) were measured. In
      diabetics, metabolic control and presence of microangiopathy were evaluated. PEP
      Index (patients: 146.23 +/- 17.04; controls: 121.99 +/- 5.15; p less than 0.001),
      PEP/LVET ratio (patients: 0.38 +/- 0.07; controls: 0.32 +/- 0.02; p less than
      0.001), LVEF% (patients: 54.1 +/- 10.56; controls: 64.71 +/- 6.33; p less than
      0.001), all were significantly altered in diabetics suggesting left ventricular
      dysfunction. The left ventricular posterior wall thickness (patients: 0.96 +/-
      0.23 cm; controls: 0.85 +/- 0.12 cm; p less than 0.01) and interventricular
      septal thickness (patients: 1.2 +/- 0.24 cm; controls: 0.87 +/- 0.25 cm; p less
      than 0.001) in diastole were increased in diabetics. The PEPI correlated with day
      to-day control but not with chronic glycemic control of diabetes mellitus. The
      PEP/LVET was significantly increased in patients with severe, as compared to
      those with none or mild microangiopathy (p less than 0.05). Thus, significant
      left ventricular dysfunction is evident in asymptomatic, otherwise healthy
      diabetics. Both metabolic control and microangiopathy may be responsible for the
      abnormalities.

PMID- 1876458
TI  - The history of the calcaneal fracture.
AB  - The treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures has been a source of
      controversy in the past century. Major shifts in emphasis among four broad
      categories of therapy--no reduction, closed reduction, open reduction, and
      primary arthrodesis have occurred. The historical foundations of each of these
      treatments are traced to the present and related to modern approaches. The
      evolution of classification systems and developments in understanding the
      pathomechanisms of these fractures are also reviewed. According to several
      authors, modern treatment is making increasing use of open reduction after
      appropriate analysis and classification by computed tomography.

PMID- 1876459
TI  - Apophyseal fracture of the lumbar spine in adolescence.
AB  - A case of adolescent lumbar disc herniation with apophyseal fracture is reported.
      The patient, a 12-year-old boy, experienced sudden onset of pain during athletic
      activity. Examination revealed tenderness on palpation of the L-5 and S-1 spinous
      processes, straightening of the lumbar spine, and exquisite pain on 10 degrees of
      hyperextension. Straight leg raising, Lasegue's, and bowstring tests were all
      positive. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography confirmed the
      diagnosis. Treatment included exercise, ibuprofen administration, and limitation
      of sports activity. At 23 months, the patient is symptom-free. A literature
      review of 20 cases with computed tomographic or myelographic diagnosis is
      presented, and conservative and surgical treatment programs are outlined.

PMID- 1876460
TI  - Gunshot wounds to the extremities. Experience of a level I trauma center.
AB  - Gunshot wounds to the extremities are more common today, largely because civilian
      handgun injuries have increased. Such injuries, which are usually caused by low
      velocity missiles, should be treated differently from those caused by high
      velocity (military) missiles. Bone involvement, including fractures and joint
      injuries, necessitates orthopaedic management. At the University of Medicine and
      Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School's (UMDNJ-NJMS) University
      Hospital, a level I trauma center, 44 gunshot wounds (32 lower-extremity and 12
      upper-extremity) with orthopaedic complications were treated between January 1986
      and December 1988. The protocol/questionnaire used by the UMDNJ-NJMS is presented
      here to assist the orthopaedic surgeon in the evaluation and treatment of these
      problematic injuries.

PMID- 1876461
TI  - Popliteal arterial injuries associated with fractures or dislocations about the
      knee as a result of blunt trauma.
AB  - A total of 73 patients with popliteal arterial injuries due to blunt trauma were
      treated at the Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical
      Center between January 1975 and January 1986. The injuries resulted from high
      energy trauma (70% were motor-vehicle-related), and were associated with a
      variety of fractures and dislocations about the knee. Forty-eight of the patients
      (66%) had open injuries, 27% of which became infected; the infection rate for all
      injuries was 22%. The average time from injury to anastomosis was 14.6 hours. The
      overall amputation rate in the series was 15%. Ten of the 11 amputations were
      associated with open, type III fractures. The amputation rate did not correlate
      with type of fracture, delay in diagnosis, or delay in surgery of up to 24 hours,
      but was directly related to the degree of soft-tissue trauma.

PMID- 1876462
TI  - Tips of the trade #37. Technique for reduction of shoulder dislocation.
AB  - A modification of the hippocratic technique for reduction of a dislocated
      shoulder is presented. This technique facilitates application of traction and
      rotation.

PMID- 1876463
TI  - Organism-specific antibody indices, the cerebrospinal fluid-immunoglobulin index
      and other tools: a clinician's guide to the etiologic diagnosis of central
      nervous system infection.

PMID- 1876464
TI  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa cellulitis and ecthyma gangrenosum in immunocompromised
      children.
AB  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa skin infections are generally considered to be secondary
      manifestations of disseminated disease. A retrospective analysis of all cases of
      P. aeruginosa skin infections seen at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital since
      1962 revealed 16 episodes of the infection (ecthyma gangrenosum, 8 episodes, 7
      patients; cellulitis, 8 episodes, 7 patients) in which blood cultures were
      uniformly negative for P. aeruginosa. All cases were identified while the
      patients were receiving ambulatory care. Five episodes developed while the
      patients' neutrophil counts were greater than 1 x 10(9) cells/liter. Eight
      patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 2 had acute myeloid leukemia, 2 had
      aplastic anemia, 1 had transient agranulocytosis and 1 had cyclic neutropenia.
      There were no solid tumor patients. Although patients received different
      antibiotic combinations, all had resolutions of their lesions without fatal
      complications. Patients diagnosed as having cellulitis required a mean of 9.2
      days of treatment with intravenous antibiotics, as compared with 17.8 days for
      those with ecthyma gangrenosum (P less than 0.05 by the Wilcoxon test). These
      observations show that P. aeruginosa skin infections can develop in the absence
      of bacteremia in immunocompromised children.

PMID- 1876465
TI  - Resolution of otitis media with effusion with the use of a stepped treatment
      regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and prednisone.
AB  - This double blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed to determine whether
      intervention with a stepped regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)
      and prednisone would prevent high risk children from developing chronic otitis
      media with effusion (OME) and recurrent acute otitis media. Forty-two children
      were enrolled, assigned to treatment with active drug or placebo and then
      examined at 2-week intervals. They received TMP-SMX (or placebo) during the first
      2 weeks, TMP-SMX and prednisone (or placebo) during Weeks 3 and 4 for persistent
      OME and TMP-SMX (or placebo) for Weeks 5 and 6 if OME was still unresolved. After
      treatment 48% of active drug and 14% of placebo subjects resolved OME bilaterally
      (P less than 0.05). Active drug subjects also had fewer acute otitis media
      episodes than placebo subjects while receiving study treatment (P less than
      0.01). Although this treatment regimen produced short term OME resolution, long
      term benefits were not demonstrated.

PMID- 1876466
TI  - Lack of association between neutropenia and the incidence of bacteremia
      associated with indwelling central venous catheters in febrile pediatric cancer
      patients.
AB  - To assess the incidence of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients with
      indwelling central venous catheters with fever, we reviewed the records of all 67
      such patients sequentially admitted during a 10-month period at our institution.
      There were a total of 140 episodes of fever in these 67 patients. In 55 of the
      episodes (39%) patients were nonneutropenic (absolute neutrophil count, greater
      than 500/mm3); 85 episodes (61%) were associated with neutropenia. Twenty-four
      percent of all episodes of fever in nonneutropenic patients were related to
      bacteremia vs. 9.5% of episodes of fever in the presence of neutropenia (P less
      than 0.05). When clinical evidence of an exit site infection was absent, the
      incidence of bacteremia in the neutropenic and nonneutropenic groups was similar
      (11% in the neutropenic group; 10% in the nonneutropenic group). We conclude that
      bacteremia is frequently observed in febrile pediatric cancer patients with
      indwelling venous catheters who are not neutropenic, particularly if there is
      clinical evidence of an exit site infection. Thus empiric antibiotic therapy is
      warranted in all pediatric oncology patients with indwelling catheters who
      develop fever.

PMID- 1876467
TI  - Astroviruses as a cause of nosocomial outbreaks of infant diarrhea.
AB  - During a 16-month study period at a children's hospital, 32 children developed
      nosocomial gastroenteritis caused by astroviruses. Twenty-five of these occurred
      during 2 epidemic outbreaks in medical and surgical infants' wards. From the
      community, 13 confirmed cases were admitted during the study period. Both
      community-acquired and nosocomial cases occurred during autumn, winter and early
      spring. The attack rates during outbreaks ranged between 7 and 62% and were
      highest among children with underlying gastrointestinal diseases. Diarrhea and
      vomiting were the most common clinical manifestations. The median duration of
      symptoms was 4 days and that of virus excretion was 5 days. Hospital infection
      with astroviruses is common and usually affects children less than 2 years of
      age. The probable mode of transmission is spread via contaminated hands.

PMID- 1876468
TI  - Advances and problems in the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection
      in infants.

PMID- 1876469
TI  - Cervical neurenteric fistula causing recurrent meningitis in Klippel-Feil
      sequence: case report and literature review.

PMID- 1876470
TI  - Office diagnosis of neonatal chlamydial conjunctivitis.

PMID- 1876471
TI  - Axillary vs. rectal temperatures in ambulatory and hospitalized children.

PMID- 1876472
TI  - Measles giant cell pneumonia in a child with human immunodeficiency virus
      infection.

PMID- 1876473
TI  - Neonatal retropharyngeal abscess.

PMID- 1876474
TI  - Purulent pericarditis in a neonate.

PMID- 1876475
TI  - Multisystem disease in an eight-year-old boy.

PMID- 1876476
TI  - Utility of beta-2-microglobulin concentrations as a marker of infection with
      human immunodeficiency virus.

PMID- 1876477
TI  - Multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi.

PMID- 1876478
TI  - Management of infants with suspected neonatal sepsis and a positive urine latex
      agglutination test for group B streptococci.

PMID- 1876479
TI  - Non-exercising muscle metabolism during exercise.
AB  - Glycogen decrements have been observed in non-exercising muscles during exercise.
      We therefore investigated whether the degraded glycogen was retained within the
      muscle in the form of glycolytic intermediates, or whether it was effluxed from
      the non-exercising muscles. For these studies a suspension harness was used to
      unload the hindlimb muscles at rest and during exercise [McDermott et al. (1987)
      J Appl Physiol 63:1275-1283]. Concentrations of glycogen and glycolytic
      intermediates glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6
      bisphosphate, glycerol 3-phosphate, and lactate) were measured in non-exercising
      and exercising muscles (soleus, plantaris, red and white gastrocnemius) during a
      90-min exercise about 15 m/min, 8% grade). On-line electromyographic analysis
      showed that the contractile activity in the non-exercising muscles was markedly
      lower than in the exercising muscles. Similar decrements in muscle glycogen
      levels were observed in both the non-exercising and exercising muscles at the end
      of the 90-min, exercise bout (P less than 0.05), despite significantly different
      activity profiles. An increase in tissue lactate concentrations occurred in both
      non-exercising and exercising muscle (P less than 0.05), although only slight
      changes in the glycolytic intermediates occurred. The sum total of all the
      accumulated glycolytic intermediates and lactate (converted to glucosyl units) in
      the non-exercising muscles only accounted for a small fraction of the glycogen
      degraded (approximately 15%-28%). We conclude that the metabolism of glycogen is
      enhanced in non-exercising muscle, and that glycogen utilization is uncoupled
      from the energetic demands of the muscle. Furthermore, the glycogen mobilized in
      non-exercising muscle is not retained within the muscle in other metabolite
      pools.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876480
TI  - Tedisamil blocks single large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels in
      membrane patches from smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig portal vein.
AB  - Enzymatically dispersed smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig portal vein were
      studied by the patch-clamp technique. They were found to have Ca(2+)-dependent K+
      channels with the typical properties of the "BK" channel, i.e. a reversal
      potential at the calculated equilibrium potential for K+ ions, a striking voltage
      dependence, and a conductance of approximately 200 pS ([K+]o 50 mM, [K+]i 150 mM,
      positive patch potentials). Tedisamil, a new bradycardic agent with an inhibitory
      action on K+ currents in heart muscle, reduced the open probability of the BK
      channels concentration-dependently (1-100 microM) when applied at the cytosolic
      side of membrane inside-out patches. At 100 microM [Ca2+]i, the IC50 of tedisamil
      was 13.8 microM (mean, n = 5). Tedisamil increased the frequency of channel
      closures, and reduced the mean duration of openings from 8 ms to less than 1 ms,
      while the mean duration of closures within bursts (1-2 ms) was not altered.
      Tedisamil did not affect long closures (greater than 160 ms) between bursts,
      either. The mean time of residence of tedisamil at the BK channel was estimated
      to be 1-2 ms. Hence, tedisamil, in comparison to the "slow" blocker Ba2+ and the
      "fast" blocker tetraethylammonium, holds the position of an "intermediate" K+
      channel blocker.

PMID- 1876481
TI  - What does TnCDANZ fluorescence reveal about the thin filament state?
AB  - Fluorescence of skinned psoas fibres reconstituted with the troponin C subunit
      labelled with the fluorescent probe dansylaziridine (TnCDANZ) increases upon
      activation with Ca2+. This fluorescence enhancement is due to Ca2+ binding to the
      Ca(2+)-specific binding sites of TnCDANZ and attachment of cross-bridges to the
      actin filament. We found that approximately 20% of the enhanced fluorescence
      signal derived from Ca2+ binding to TnCDANZ and 80% from cross-bridge attachment
      during maximal activation. Furthermore we studied the effects of different cross
      bridge states on TnCDANZ fluorescence. "Weakly" bound, non-force-generating cross
      bridge states (pCa 8, low ionic strength) and rigor cross-bridges revealed
      similar effects on the TnCDANZ fluorescence. "Strongly" attached, force
      generating states, however, increased fluorescence to the greatest extent. These
      results suggests a complex system of reciprocal couplings between TnC and
      different attached cross-bridge states. Cooling or increase of inorganic
      phosphate decreased isometric force but hardly decreased fluorescence, suggesting
      the accumulation of attached cross-bridge states with low tension output.

PMID- 1876482
TI  - Contraluminal p-aminohippurate transport in the proximal tubule of the rat
      kidney. VIII. Transport of corticosteroids.
AB  - Using the stop-flow peritubular capillary microperfusion method contraluminal
      transport of corticosteroids was investigated (a) by determining the inhibitory
      potency (apparent Ki values) of these compounds against p-aminohippurate (PAH),
      dicarboxylate (succinate) and sulphate transport and (b) by measuring the
      transport rate of radiolabelled corticosteroids and its inhibition by probenecid.
      Progesterone did not inhibit contraluminal PAH influx but its 17 alpha- and 6
      beta-hydroxy derivatives inhibited with an app. Ki of 0.36 mmol/l. Introduction
      of an OH group in position 21 of progesterone, to yield 11-deoxycorticosterone,
      augments the inhibitory potency considerably (app. Ki, PAH of 0.07 mmol/l).
      Acetylation of the OH-group in position 21 of 11-deoxycorticosterone,
      introduction of an additional hydroxy group in position 17 alpha to yield 11
      deoxycortisol or in position 11 to yield corticosterone brings the app. Ki, PAH
      back again into the range of 0.2-0.4 mmol/l. Acetylation of corticosterone or
      introduction of a third OH group to yield cortisol does not change the inhibitory
      potency, but, omission of the 21-OH group or addition of an OH group in the 6
      beta position reduces or abolishes it. Cortisol and its derivatives prednisolone,
      dexamethasone and cortisone exert similar inhibitory potencies (app. Ki, PAH 0.12
      0.27 mmol/l). But again, omission of the 21-OH group in cortisone or addition of
      a 6 beta-OH group reduces or even abolishes the inhibitory potency against PAH
      transport. The interaction of corticosterone was not changed when 11 beta, 18
      epoxy ring (aldosterone) was formed. On the other hand, the interaction was
      considerably augmented if the 11-hydroxy group was changed to an oxo group in 11
      dehydrocorticosterone (app. Ki, PAH 0.02 mmol/l). When the A ring of
      corticosterone is saturated and reduced to 3 alpha, 11 beta
      tetrahydrocorticosterone the inhibitory potency is not changed very much. But if
      more than four OH or oxo groups are on the pregnane skeleton or if the OH in
      position 21 is missing, the inhibitory potency decreases drastically (app. Ki,
      PAH 0.7-1.7 mmol/l). Introduction of a 21-ester sulphate into corticosterone,
      cortisol and cortisone does not change app. Ki, PAH very much. Glucuronidation,
      however, reduces it (app. Ki, PAH approximately 1.2 mmol/l). None of the tested
      corticosteroids interacts, in concentrations applicable, with dicarboxylate
      transport and only the sulphate esters interact with sulphate transport.
      Radiolabelled cortisol, D-aldosterone, 11-dehydrocorticosterone, and
      corticosterone are rapidly transported into proximal tubular cells. With the
      latter three compounds no sign of saturation and no transport inhibition with
      probenecid could be seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1876483
TI  - Transport of L-leucine hydroxy analogue and L-lactate in rabbit small-intestinal
      brush-border membrane vesicles.
AB  - Substitution of the alpha-amino group of amino acids by hydroxyl groups yields
      hydroxy analogues (HA), which have been ascribed beneficial effects in nitrogen
      sparing diets for uremic patients. In this study, intestinal uptake of L-leucine
      HA (L-LeuHA) and L-lactate into rabbit jejunal brush-border membrane vesicles was
      investigated. An inward-directed H+ or Na+ gradient stimulated uptake of both
      labelled substrates in a voltage-clamped assay. The H+ gradient was the major
      driving force of uptake as compared with the Na+ gradient, and it led to a
      transient accumulation of both L-LeuHA and L-lactate. The proton ionophore
      carbonylcyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) reduced the initial H(+)
      gradient-driven uptake rates of both substrates, but was without effect on Na(+)
      gradient-driven uptakes. The H(+)-gradient-driven L-LeuHA uptake was saturable
      (apparent Kt = 15.4 mM). Alpha-HA of L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, D
      leucine, D-valine or L-lactate inhibited the H(+)-gradient-driven L-LeuHA or L
      lactate uptakes whereas free branched-chain amino acids had no effect. Preloading
      the vesicles with one of the L- or D-HA of branched-chain amino acids or with L
      lactate stimulated tracer L-LeuHA and also tracer L-lactate uptakes in the
      presence of a H+ gradient. It is concluded that H(+)-gradient-driven transport of
      L- and D-stereoisomeric HA of branched-chain amino acids as well as of L-lactate
      across rabbit intestinal brush-border membranes is mediated by the same carrier.
      Furthermore, there exists a Na+ gradient-driven L-lactate transport system in the
      rabbit intestinal brush-border membrane.

PMID- 1876484
TI  - Microelectrode study of voltage-dependent Ba2+ and Cs+ block of apical K+
      channels in the skin of Rana temporaria.
AB  - The blockage of the apical K+ channels in frog species Rana temporaria by Ba2+
      and Cs+ is strongly voltage-dependent. The interaction of both blockers with the
      K+ channels was studied by recording relations between the K+ currents (IK) and
      the transepithelial and intracellular potential. Mucosal Ba2+ and Cs+ depress IK,
      hyperpolarize the cell and induce pronounced nonlinearities in the
      current/voltage (I/V) relations. The nonlinearities are caused by the voltage
      dependent interaction of Ba2+ and Cs+ with the binding site. Consequently, the
      apical membrane resistance not only depends on the blocker concentration but also
      on the apical membrane potential. Also the fractional resistance, fRa, and the
      voltage divider ratio, fVa, will change with blocker concentration and voltage.
      Owing to this non-ohmic behaviour, measurements of fVa in the presence of Ba2+
      deviate markedly from the expected fRa values. The inhibitory effect of Ba2+ and
      Cs+ was analysed at different transepithelial and apical membrane voltages. The
      relation between the Michaelis-Menten constants and the voltage could be fitted
      with equations based on Eyring rate theory with the assumption of a single
      binding site. With this model we calculated the relative electrical position of
      the binding site for the blocker (delta), referred to the extracellular side of
      the channel. We obtained for Ba2+, delta = 0.34 +/- 0.05 and for Cs+, delta =
      0.81 +/- 0.01. Comparison of the results from apical and transepithelial I/V
      relations demonstrates that the analysis of the transepithelial data provides
      overestimated values of the Hill coefficient and results in an underestimation of
      delta.

PMID- 1876485
TI  - Two types of fast K+ channels in rat myelinated nerve fibres and their
      sensitivity to dendrotoxin.
AB  - The effect of dendrotoxin (DTX), a component of the venom of the Eastern green
      mamba snake, Dendroaspis angusticeps, on K+ currents in rat myelinated nerve
      fibres was studied in voltage clamp experiments, immunocytochemistry and binding
      experiments. The analysis of K+ tail currents in 160 mM KCl solution revealed
      that K+ channels with slow gating kinetics predominate in the intact node of
      Ranvier. These slow K+ channels were not blocked by DTX. Intact nerve fibres
      additionally showed fast K+ tail currents of small amplitude which could be
      blocked by DTX. After enzymatic demyelination with pronase, fast K+ currents of
      large amplitude appeared. Analysis of the non-monotonous voltage dependence of
      the fast K+ conductance and the partial pharmacological block by DTX suggest the
      presence of two subtypes of fast K+ channels in rat nerve fibres similar to the
      Kf1 and Kf2 channels previously described in the frog and toad node of Ranvier.
      The DTX concentration required for 50% inhibition (IC50) for the Kf1 component
      was 8 nM. The IC50 of the blocked Kf2 component was the same as that for Kf1, but
      the Kf2 component was only partially blocked (about 50%). In contrast to frog
      nerve, these two fast K+ channel subtypes are located predominantly in the
      paranodal region. Immunocytochemical staining experiments with DTX using the
      peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique confirmed the electrophysiological data. In
      intact nodes, either no staining or only slight staining in some fibres was
      found. After demyelination, extensive staining of paranodal and internodal
      regions occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876486
TI  - Widespread synchronous [Ca2+]i oscillations due to bursting electrical activity
      in single pancreatic islets.
AB  - Pancreatic beta cells, tightly organized in the islet of Langerhans, secrete
      insulin in response to glucose in a calcium-dependent manner. The calcium input
      required for this secretory activity is thought to be provided by an oscillatory
      electrical activity occurring in the form of "bursts" of calcium action
      potentials. The previous observation that islet intracellular free Ca2+ levels
      undergo spontaneous oscillations in the presence of glucose, together with the
      fact that islet cells are coupled through gap junctions, hinted at a highly
      effective co-ordination between individual islet cells. Through the use of
      simultaneous recordings of intracellular calcium and membrane potential it is now
      reported that the islet calcium waves are synchronized with the beta cell
      bursting electrical activity. This observation suggests that each calcium wave is
      due to Ca2+ entering the cells during a depolarized phase of electrical activity.
      Moreover, fura-2 fluorescence image analysis indicates that calcium oscillations
      occur synchronously across the whole islet tissue. The maximal phase shift
      between oscillations occurring in different islet cells is estimated as 2 s. This
      highly co-ordinated oscillatory calcium signalling system may underlie pulsatile
      insulin secretion and the islet behaviour as a secretory "syncytium". Since
      increasing glucose concentration lengthens calcium wave and burst duration
      without significantly affecting wave amplitude, we further propose that it is the
      fractional time at an enhanced Ca2+ level, rather than its amplitude, that
      encodes for the primary response of insulin-secreting cells to fuel
      secretagogues.

PMID- 1876487
TI  - Gating currents of inactivating and non-inactivating potassium channels expressed
      in Xenopus oocytes.
AB  - The Xenopus oocyte expression system in combination with patch-clamp techniques
      allows the measurement of ionic currents from a single class of genetically
      engineered ion channels. Ionic currents in the nanoampere range from oocytes
      injected with cRNA, corresponding to potassium channels, can be recorded in the
      inside-out patch configuration. These recordings have a high time resolution at
      low background noise. Substitution of impermeant ions for potassium and blocking
      of the channel conductance with tetraethylammonium allows the recording of
      potassium gating currents, Ig, which is hampered in natural excitable cells by
      the simultaneous presence of sodium channels and a variety of different potassium
      channels. The "on" transients, Ig(on), are fast and can have amplitudes of up to
      several tens of pA. Upon repolarization to -100 mV after small depolarizations,
      "off" gating currents, Ig(off)g, which reverse most of the "on" charge
      displacement, Q(on), within 1 ms, are readily observed. However, this fast
      recovery of the gating charge is drastically reduced upon increasing the
      amplitude of the depolarizing pulse. In contrast to sodium channels, this
      temporary charge immobilization is complete within a few milliseconds at positive
      membrane potentials. Furthermore, there seems to be no direct correlation between
      charge immobilization and inactivation because the same phenomenon occurs for
      channels that do not inactivate.

PMID- 1876488
TI  - Baccalaureate and master's degree programs in nursing accredited by the NLN 1991
      92.

PMID- 1876490
TI  - Criteria and guidelines for the evaluation of associate degree programs in
      nursing.

PMID- 1876489
TI  - State-approved schools of nursing R.N. 1991.

PMID- 1876491
TI  - Recognizing and assisting the impaired nurse: recommendations for nurse managers.
AB  - The impaired nurse places the client, her/himself, and all members of the
      healthcare community at risk. As members of the nursing profession, the priority
      of all nurses is to protect clients and adhere to professional standards of
      practice. In light of the statistics validating increased abuse by nursing
      professionals, the author believes that Peer Assistance Programs and Employee
      Assistance Programs are necessary and should be supported. To do less is to
      continue a "conspiracy of silence".

PMID- 1876492
TI  - Alzheimer's disease: diary of a caregiver.

PMID- 1876493
TI  - Autonomy: part of the nursing role?

PMID- 1876494
TI  - Said another way. Seeing the world through different lenses.

PMID- 1876495
TI  - One year later: evaluating a changing delivery system.
AB  - One year after the introduction of primary nursing on four medical and surgical
      units in the tertiary hospital, a 23-item survey was distributed to primary and
      associate nurses on these units to evaluate the nurses' perceptions of the status
      of this change in nursing care delivery. Lewin's theory of change provided
      direction for evaluation of the change. The survey assessed improvements in
      patient care, changes in nursing practice, and interactions with other
      disciplines. The majority of nurses surveyed reported that patient care had
      improved under primary nursing; 100% of the primary nurses agreed that care had
      improved. The nurses identified continuity of care, communications, and awareness
      of patient problems as specific areas of improvement. They also identified
      improved interactions with many members of the healthcare team; the greatest were
      with dietitians, social workers, and physicians. The authors reported both
      positive and negative perceptions of how practice had changed under primary
      nursing. Results from the survey provided suggestions for continued support for
      staff nurses in this change in nursing care delivery within the studied facility,
      and suggested the need for future assessment and further evaluation.

PMID- 1876496
TI  - Intervention strategies for environmental control.

PMID- 1876497
TI  - The lady with the lamp.

PMID- 1876498
TI  - A health environment: nurses concern.

PMID- 1876499
TI  - Nursing negligence.

PMID- 1876500
TI  - Nursing and HIV/AIDS: focus on counselling.

PMID- 1876501
TI  - Difficulties encountered in transport of the critically ill child.
AB  - A prospective survey of difficulties encountered in 100 pediatric emergency
      interhospital transfers was undertaken to identify needs for education of
      referring doctors and of transport service staff, as well as weaknesses in the
      organization of a pediatric emergency transport service (PETS). Such obstacles to
      smooth retrieval included administrative difficulties, mistakes in management,
      and unresolved acute severe physiologic derangements in the child. Three hundred
      ninety-four problems were found: 24% were preventable by improved education of
      referring doctors; these included unrecognized needs for ventilatory support,
      added oxygen, chest x-ray or nasogastric tube, and difficulties with airway
      selection, placement, and care. Twenty-eight percent were preventable by better
      PETS organization, education, protocols, or telephone checklists; examples
      include equipment problems and clinical derangements unrecognized at referral.
      Difficulties owing to conditions of transport (eg. vibration, dysbarism, and air
      turbulence) were uncommon (five percent of patients). Regular reviews of
      performance of all PET services, combined with measures to educate referring
      doctors, can improve patient outcome.

PMID- 1876502
TI  - Complaints and compliments in the pediatric emergency department.
AB  - We conducted an analysis of all communications received from patients or their
      families by the director of a pediatric emergency department over a three-year
      period, during which approximately 150,000 visits occurred. Communications were
      characterized as complaint or compliment and subclassified by type: waiting time,
      staff attitude, quality of medical care, and billing. Chi 2 analysis was used to
      identify factors that predisposed to complaint or compliment and to identify the
      subtype. After quality-of-care issues, complaints stemmed most often from billing
      issues or waiting time for care for nonurgent disorders (especially medical
      problems), while complimentary letters most frequently addressed staff attitude
      and quality of care. The problems that we identified might be addressed by
      providing families improved access to non-emergency department care sources,
      education regarding the role of an emergency department, and better explanation
      of billing procedures during the registration process. Additionally, our findings
      serve as a reminder that many parents appreciate the care given to their
      children, particularly for life-threatening emergencies.

PMID- 1876503
TI  - Effects of albumin on ionized calcium in vitro.
AB  - Human serum albumin is used to treat hypoproteinemia in neonates or used as a
      volume expander. We tested the hypothesis that the addition of human serum
      albumin to neonatal serum decreases the serum ionized calcium (iCa)
      concentration. Concentrated human serum albumin was added to 12 placental and
      cord serum samples to reach seven incremental concentrations from 0 to 20.0 g/L.
      Serum iCa concentration decreased significantly with the addition of serum
      albumin. From multiple regression analysis, the effect of albumin addition on
      serum iCa concentration had more marked effects at high baseline albumin or low
      baseline Ca concentrations. From this in vitro study, we speculate that fast
      infusion of albumin in human neonates has the potential for acutely lowering
      serum iCa concentration.

PMID- 1876504
TI  - The effect of diazepam enema on the rectal mucosa of rats.
AB  - The use of undiluted intravenous diazepam solution administered as an enema has
      been recommended for the acute management of seizures when intravenous access
      cannot be obtained. It is well absorbed, rapidly effective, and generally
      accepted as being safe when used in this manner. The effect of intravenous
      diazepam solution on the rectal mucosa has not been studied. This study
      demonstrates that there are no acute changes in the rectal mucosa of adult rats
      after administration of 10 to 20 times the recommended human dose.

PMID- 1876505
TI  - Herpetic gingivostomatitis associated with a petechial skin rash.

PMID- 1876506
TI  - In-flight esophageal variceal bleeding en route for liver transplantation: a case
      report and review of the literature.
AB  - Esophageal variceal bleeding owing to portal hypertension is a potential threat
      in pediatric patients awaiting liver transplantation. We report a case of a three
      year-old boy with severe congenital hepatic fibrosis, Caroli's disease, and
      portal hypertension who developed a life-threatening variceal hemorrhage for the
      first time in his life during commercial air transport to a liver transplantation
      center. Factors precipitating variceal bleeding are discussed, particularly those
      resulting from changes in altitude. It is recommended that prophylactic treatment
      for variceal bleeding be at least considered in children awaiting liver
      transplantation prior to prolonged air transportation. Because of differences in
      capabilities of treatment providers in various locales, and because there are as
      yet no conclusive data, the treatment of choice must be decided on an individual
      basis. Equipment for treating in-flight hemorrhage should be available.

PMID- 1876507
TI  - Pediatric chin injury: occult condylar fractures of the mandible.
AB  - The diagnosis of occult mandibular condylar fractures in children is often missed
      or delayed on initial examination when children present with a laceration to the
      chin. A clue to the diagnosis of this type of skeletal injury to the mandible is
      the knowledge of a commonly occurring pattern of injury associated with chin
      trauma. Chin laceration, fracture of the parasymphyseal region near the chin, and
      fracture of the condyles are often concomitant injuries of the mandible. This
      article reviews three case reports of children who sustained a chin laceration,
      fracture in the region near the chin, and fracture to the mandibular condyles
      secondary to chin trauma that were not initially diagnosed on clinical
      examination.

PMID- 1876508
TI  - Toxicity with dextromethorphan-containing preparations: a literature review and
      report of two additional cases.
AB  - Dextromethorphan-containing cold/cough preparations are frequently prescribed and
      bought over the counter for use in children. Although generally considered safe,
      dextromethorphan has been shown to cause CNS side effects, including
      hyperexcitability, increased muscle tone, and ataxia. Two deaths have been
      reported with intentional dextromethorphan overdose. A literature review, brief
      review of pharmacology, and report of two cases of adverse reactions to
      dextromethorphan-containing preparations are presented.

PMID- 1876509
TI  - Lung injury resulting from a nonaccidental crush injury to the chest.
AB  - A six-week-old infant presented with rib trauma and a lung contusion from a
      nonaccidental compressive chest injury. He developed an illness consistent with
      diffuse alveolar damage, which worsened over 26 hours. This was complicated by a
      pneumomediastinum, and the patient recovered with conservative management. The
      value of isotope bone scanning in addition to x-rays is discussed. Nonaccidental
      injury should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a pulmonary
      contusion.

PMID- 1876510
TI  - Pain and decreased movement of left arm.

PMID- 1876511
TI  - Congenital syphilis: an emerging emergency.
AB  - Is a condition such as congenital syphilis within the purview of pediatric
      emergency medicine? The following case histories would suggest that it is.

PMID- 1876512
TI  - Cross-sectional echocardiographic measurements of right ventricular size and
      growth in patients with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum.
AB  - Fifteen patients with pulmonary atresia or critical pulmonary stenosis and intact
      ventricular septum were studied. All were operated on in the neonatal period,
      with valvotomy or a systemic to pulmonary arterial shunt, or both. In 12
      patients, right ventricular to pulmonary arterial communication was established
      in the neonatal period. In three patients, only systemic to pulmonary arterial
      shunts were constructed. Six patients died. The median follow-up period for the
      surviving patients was 64 months (range, 12-87 months). Right and left atrial and
      ventricular dimensions and areas, the tricuspid annular diameter, and the cross
      sectional area of the aortic root were measured in cross-sectional
      echocardiograms from the neonatal period, at the age of 1 year, and at the latest
      clinical follow-up. A classification of right ventricular morphology was made,
      based on identification of the inlet, the trabecular, and the outlet parts. Most
      of the patients had hypoplastic right ventricles at birth but at the latest
      follow-up, seven of nine surviving patients had right ventricles in the normal
      range. Right ventricular growth was better in patients who were given a right
      ventricular to pulmonary arterial communication in the neonatal period and those
      with complete right ventricular anatomy. The patients who died had severely
      hypoplastic right ventricles and small tricuspid valves.

PMID- 1876513
TI  - Left ventricular myocardial mass determined by cross-sectional echocardiography
      in normal newborns, infants, and children.
AB  - Changes in left ventricular muscle mass may be an important diagnostic or
      prognostic finding in children with congenital heart defects, but there are no
      data on normal mass as determined by cross-sectional echocardiography (CSE) in
      children. Fourteen newborns, 12 infants, and 69 children (1.5-17 years old) with
      a structurally normal heart were studied. End-diastolic and end-systolic volume
      and mass were calculated from biplane-paired echocardiographic imaging planes
      apical two-chamber and apical four-chamber views-using both an area/length and a
      Simpson's rule geometric method. Data were compared with M-mode measurements.
      There was a good correlation between area/length and Simpson's rule method [r =
      0.94, standard error (SE) 4 g/m2]. To validate the measurements, interobserver
      data were gathered and end-diastolic and end-systolic mass measurements were
      compared. Interobserver variability for the measurements on the echocardiographic
      recordings was low at 4.8%; for end-diastolic mass the correlation between two
      observers was r = 0.99 (SE 3.3 g/m2) and for end-systolic mass r = 0.97 (SE 7.6
      g/m2). Correlation between end-systolic and end-diastolic mass was acceptable (r
      = 0.88, SE 5.9 g/m2) for the CSE mass determination, but poor for the M-mode
      measurements (r = 0.51, SE 20.2 g/m2). Similarly, correlation between M-mode mass
      and mass estimated by CSE was poor, at r = 0.58 for end-diastolic and r = 0.094
      for end-systolic mass.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876514
TI  - Cardiomyopathy in glycogen-storage disease type III: clinical and echographic
      study of 18 patients.
AB  - Cardiac examinations were performed on 18 patients with glycogen-storage disease
      (GSD) type III. Clinical examination was always normal and the electrocardiograms
      revealed nonspecific data. Similarly, serum muscular enzyme activities were not
      useful in indicating the presence of cardiomyopathy. Echocardiographic evidence
      of myocardiopathy was found in five of the 16 children studied (mean age, 9.5
      years). Echocardiographic parameters remained stable during the follow-up period
      (at least 3 years). The other 11 children had no echocardiographic evidence of
      cardiomyopathy. No relationship was found between peripheral myopathy and
      cardiomyopathy. All patients with GSD type III should be regularly investigated
      by echocardiography in respect of their cardiac muscle status.

PMID- 1876515
TI  - Reassessment of usefulness of porcine heterografts in mitral position in
      children.
AB  - The use of porcine heterograft valves in children is restricted because of valve
      calcification and dysfunction at follow-up. Because of inability to monitor the
      anticoagulant status or of desire of some teenage girls to get married and get
      pregnant, several pediatric patients received porcine heterografts. The purpose
      of this paper is to examine the issue of heterografts in children, based on our
      experience with children and adolescents, aged 1 to 20 years, who underwent left
      heart valve replacement during a 7-year period ending April 1985. Ninety-four
      percent of the lesions were rheumatic in origin, 4% congenital, and 2%
      infectious. Of 168 mitral valves replaced, 54 (32%) were porcine heterografts and
      114 (68%) were mechanical valves. These were divided into four groups, based on
      type of valve implanted and age at implantation: mechanical (M), age greater than
      15 years (M greater than 15), 49 cases; heterografts (H) age greater than 15
      years (H greater than 15), 34 cases; mechanical, age less than or equal to 15
      years (M less than or equal to 15), 65 cases; and heterografts, age less than or
      equal to 15 years (H less than or equal to 15), 20 cases. None of the patients
      with heterografts received anticoagulation. Five-year actuarial valve survival
      was 86% for M greater than 15, 96% for H greater than 15, 82% for M less than or
      equal to 15, and 60% for H less than or equal to 15. The respective 9-year valve
      survival was 86%, 72%, 75%, and 18%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876516
TI  - Open heart surgery in children of Jehovah's Witnesses: extreme hemodilution on
      cardiopulmonary bypass.
AB  - Between January 1979 and July 1989, 15 children of Jehovah's Witnesses underwent
      corrective open surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) on cardiopulmonary
      bypass (CPB). Ages ranged from 1.5-17 years and body weight from 9.1-63 kg, with
      five patients weighing less than 15 kg. Eight children were cyanotic, and two of
      them had had previous thoracic operations. All operations were performed in
      moderate to deep hypothermia using a modified version of isovolemic hemodilution
      with bloodless priming technique of extracorporeal circulation. Mean hematocrit
      levels decreased from 47.3% (36.9-70%) to 34.6% (27.2-49.1%) after hemodilution,
      and then to 17.9% (10.5-25.6%) during bypass. They increased again to 34.1% (24.4
      50%) at the end of the operation and to 33.4% (25.1-40%) on day 12. All intra-
      and postoperative hematocrit levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.001).
      There was one postoperative death, not related to the technique. Our results
      demonstrate that bloodless cardiac surgery on bypass is feasible in children as
      shown in this special group of children of Jehovah's Witnesses. Knowing the risks
      of homologous blood transfusion this technique should be used more extensively in
      the future.

PMID- 1876517
TI  - Balloon dilatation of a stenosed aortic homograft conduit following repair of the
      common arterial trunk.
AB  - An 8-year-old boy, who underwent surgical correction of a common arterial trunk
      at the age of 10 months, developed stenosis of the 15-mm aortic homograft. Chest
      x-ray demonstrated calcification of the homograft, and at cardiac catheterization
      there was a 57 mmHg gradient across the conduit. He underwent balloon dilatation
      using a 15-mm balloon catheter. After four inflations at a pressure of 5.5 atm,
      the gradient decreased to 34 mmHg. Six months later he had a Doppler-estimated
      gradient of 38 mmHg.

PMID- 1876518
TI  - Unique variant of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection with intact
      atrial septum.
AB  - Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections (PAPVCs) are rare in association
      with an intact atrial septum. However, the diagnosis should be considered in
      patients with otherwise unexplained findings of left-to-right shunt and right
      heart enlargement. An unusual variant is presented, which we considered
      unsuitable for operative repair, based on findings at catheterization.
      Developmental, hemodynamic, and surgical considerations are discussed.

PMID- 1876519
TI  - Patent ductus venosus.
AB  - A patent ductus venosus has been reported on only two previous occasions. Both
      involved adults who presented with recurrent bouts of encephalopathy. We present
      the case of an infant with complex congenital heart disease and multiple other
      abnormalities, in whom a patent ductus venosus was an incidental finding at
      necropsy. The etiology of this condition and the options for management are
      discussed.

PMID- 1876520
TI  - Successful modified Fontan procedure in an adolescent after left pneumonectomy.
AB  - We performed a Waterston's anastomosis on a patient with complicated tricuspid
      atresia when she was two months of age. At age 14 years she required left
      pneumonectomy for massive, idiopathic hemoptysis. Four months after the
      pneumonectomy we substituted a modified Fontan anastomosis for the Waterston
      anastomosis. Restudy when she was 17 years of age showed continued satisfactory
      function.

PMID- 1876521
TI  - Tetralogy of Fallot with severe pulmonary valvar stenosis and pulmonary vascular
      sling (anomalous origin of the left pulmonary artery from the right pulmonary
      artery).
AB  - A patient with the rare combination of tetralogy of Fallot with severe pulmonary
      valvar stenosis and pulmonary vascular sling is presented. The limitations
      imposed by pulmonary artery hypoplasia on the display of pulmonary vascular sling
      by conventional imaging techniques are discussed.

PMID- 1876522
TI  - Associated occurrence of persistent truncus arteriosus and asplenia.
AB  - An infant with persistent truncus arteriosus associated with splenic agenesis and
      the asplenia syndrome is reported, including clinical, echocardiographic and
      autopsy findings. To the authors' knowledge this association has not been
      previously reported.

PMID- 1876523
TI  - Franz Buchner. January 20, 1895--March 9, 1991.

PMID- 1876524
TI  - Histopathologic diagnosis of pigmented lesions of the skin.
AB  - The present review deals with the histopathologic diagnosis of the commonest
      pigmented lesions of the skin with emphasis on melanocytic tumors. The discussed
      entities are systematized in pigmented lesions with and without an increase in
      the number of melanocytes, i.e. melanocytic hyperplasia, and in those that
      actually are melanocytic neoplasias. Histopathological, ultrastructural, and
      immunohistochemical features of relevance for the differential diagnosis are
      discussed in depth. One section is dedicated to the immunohistochemical markers
      of melanocytic lesions, the other one to the electron microscopy of malignant
      melanoma. Neoplasms simulating malignant melanoma and the less frequent variants
      of this tumor are also discussed. The diagnosis of pigmented lesions of the skin
      represents one of the most frequent and difficult challenges in dermatopathology,
      and useful clues for the differential diagnosis, especially of melanocytic
      dysplasias and neoplasias, are presented in the present article.

PMID- 1876525
TI  - Metastatic tumors to the female breast. An autopsy study of 12 cases.
AB  - Twelve cases of metastatic tumors to the female breast are reported. Ten of them
      were incidentally discovered at autopsy; two cases were diagnosed ante mortem but
      one was misinterpreted as primary. The patients' mean age was 58 years. The
      metastasizing tumors included cutaneous malignant melanoma (four cases); ovarian,
      renal and gastric adenocarcinoma (two cases each); and individual cases of
      pulmonary and pancreatic carcinoma. The patients with melanoma were younger than
      the others (49.7 vs. 62.7 years). The results of the present study indicate that
      breast metastases, although rare, are not exceptional especially in large autopsy
      series. Their recognition in surgical material would result in more adequate
      treatment against the primary tumor, thereby avoiding unnecessary radical surgery
      to the breast.

PMID- 1876526
TI  - Distribution of basement membrane-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan in
      idiopathic and AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.
AB  - In the present study we analyzed the immunohistochemical distribution of
      different major basement membrane (BM) components with special emphasis on the BM
      associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) in early and late stages of
      Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), both of idiopathic and AIDS-associated origin. In early KS
      all BM components tested were found surrounding the small clefts of tumour
      vessels. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan showed the weakest and often fragmented
      pattern of staining. In the late, nodular sarcomatous form of KS individual
      tumour cells were surrounded by a BM composed of collagen IV, laminin and
      fibronectin, while heparan sulfate proteoglycan was not detectable in most cases.
      Neither between idiopathic and AIDS-associated KS nor between cutaneous and
      visceral lesions were significant differences in the staining pattern. Our
      findings of a rather selective expression of various BM-components and the known
      distribution in normal blood and lymphatic capillaries raises the hypothesis that
      KS-cells may be derived from cells of lymphaticovenous differentiation.

PMID- 1876527
TI  - Mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome in Japan. Clinicopathologic study of 107
      autopsy cases.
AB  - We reviewed 111 clinical and pathological materials of patients who had been
      entered as mycosis fungoides (MF) or Sezary syndrome (SS) in the Annuals of the
      Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan during the 29-year-period since the Annuals'
      inception in 1958. One hundred and seven patients were classified. Of these, 64
      were in Group 1 (mycosis fungoides, MF), 23 in Group II (Sezary syndrome, SS),
      and 20 in Group III (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL). The clinicopathologic features
      of Groups I and II (MF, SS) were similar to those of cutaneous T cell lymphoma
      (CTCL) in Europe and the United States. Those of Group III (NHL) were
      indistinguishable from primary cutaneous non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was suggested
      that some patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) with skin lesions
      used to be misdiagnosed as MF or SS in earlier years when ATLL was still unknown.
      It was concluded that CTCL in Japan has clinicopathologic features quite like
      those of CTCL in Europe and the United States and that they are probably the same
      disease.

PMID- 1876528
TI  - Distinction of mesothelioma from carcinoma in pleural effusions. An
      immunocytochemical study on routinely processed cytoblock preparations.
AB  - The study was designed to find out whether the commercially available antibodies
      BMA 130 c, BMA 120, V 9, KL 1, B 72.3 TAG, HEA 125 and Ber-EP 4 would be of help
      in distinguishing carcinomas from a mesothelial process (mesothelioma/pleuritis)
      in pleural effusion specimens routinely processed by the cytoblock method. All of
      the 20 carcinomas included in the study but also 19 of the 20 mesotheliomas
      expressed cytokeratin (KL 1), whereas vimentin expression was found in 7 of the
      20 carcinomas and 19 of the 20 mesotheliomas. 19 of the 20 carcinomas reacted
      with the epithelial markers B 72.3 and HEA 125, and 18 of them with Ber-EP 4. In
      contrast, only a few of the 20 mesotheliomas showed a weak reaction to these
      markers (1 with HEA 125, 2 with B 72.3, and 3 with Ber-EP 4). BMA-130 c was
      detected in 10/20 carcinomas but in none of the mesotheliomas. BMA-120 was
      observed in the effusions from 17/20 mesotheliomas and in cover cells which had
      undergone reactive changes, but also in 2 cases of ovarian carcinoma. The results
      show that reaction to the "epithelial markers" B 72.3, HEA 125 and Ber-EP 4 is
      strongly indicative of carcinoma and not of mesothelioma, whereas a positive
      reaction with the antibody BMA-120 in the absence of reaction to the epithelial
      markers makes a mesothelial process very likely. However, immunocytochemical
      distinction cannot be made as yet between mesothelioma cells and pleuritic cells.
      If simultaneous positivity for BMA-120 and an "epithelial marker" in a pleural
      effusion is observed the primary tumor could be an ovarian carcinoma.

PMID- 1876529
TI  - Immunohistochemical estrogen receptor assessment in hyperplastic, neoplastic, and
      physiologic endometria.
AB  - Endometrial hyperplasias and some endometrial carcinomas arise in a setting of
      estrogen excess. Steroid hormones interact with cells via specific receptors;
      assessing receptor levels may indicate a tissue's potential for interaction with
      that hormone. To examine estrogen receptor (ER) levels in endometrial
      hyperplasia, endometrial carcinoma, and physiologically cycling endometrium, an
      immunohistochemical technique utilizing a monoclonal anti-estrophilin (estrogen
      receptor) antibody was applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. In
      complex hyperplasia and grade I adenocarcinoma, the mean percentages of
      epithelial cells demonstrating nuclear staining for ER was mildly decreased
      compared to proliferative endometrium. A trend was noted toward less ER staining
      in atypical hyperplasia compared to non-atypical complex hyperplasia. ER varied
      with physiologic cycling of the endometrium. ER was also present in atrophic
      endometrium, myometrium, adenomyosis, and leiomyomata. Immunohistochemistry
      permits localization of ER and is a useful technique in ER assessment of
      endometrial hyperplasias and carcinomas.

PMID- 1876530
TI  - Prognostic significance of accessory cells and lymphocytes in nasopharyngeal
      carcinoma.
AB  - Forty-five consecutive biopsy specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and 10
      biopsies of healthy nasopharyngeal mucosa obtained from non-cancer patients were
      investigated by immunohistochemical methods. Monoclonal (B2, T1) and policlonal
      antibodies (against S-100 protein and lysozyme) with reference to infiltrating
      lymphocytes and accessory cells (monocytic/macrophagic and dendritic cells) were
      used. Variable population densities of dendritic cells (S100+) were demonstrated
      in 22 out of the 45 cases (49%) of NPC; the distribution of these cells was
      typically within the cancer nests. Monocytic/macrophagic cells (Lys+) were found
      along the tumor margins and interspersed among the tumor cells in 14 out of 45
      (31%) cases. No significant statistical correlation between density of accessory
      cells and histological type of NPC (classified according to Micheau criteria) was
      found. Cases with a moderate to marked density of dendritic and
      monocytic/macrophagic cells survived longer than those with a slight one (mean
      survival of 63%, 67% and 29%, 27% respectively). In NPC tissues T-lymphocyte
      infiltration was prevalent. In contrast, B cells were numerous and T cells rare
      in normal control tissues. The intensity of T-cell infiltration was significantly
      high in cases with a marked density of S-100+ cells, according to the ability of
      these cells to present antigens to sensitized T-cells. This study suggests a
      prognostic significance for reactive cells infiltrating NPC, which means longer
      survival for cases associated with marked infiltration density of accessory
      cells.

PMID- 1876531
TI  - Atypical mitoses in colorectal adenomas.
AB  - The frequency of spontaneously occurring mitotic figures, the proportion atypical
      mitoses and spatial position (vertical, oblique or horizontal) of metaphasial
      plates were studied in 62 specimens: 47 with colorectal adenomas, and 15 with
      chronic ulcerative colitis (control cases). The characteristics of the atypical
      mitoses at pro-phase, pro-metaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase were
      defined and illustrated. The results indicated that atypical mitoses occurred in
      8.9% in control patients, in 37.2% of the specimens tubular adenomas having low
      grade dysplasia, in 80.8% in tubular adenomas with high-grade dysplasia, in 68.5%
      of villous adenomas with low-grade dysplasia and in 65.5% of villous adenomas
      with high-grade dysplasia. For villous adenomas with high-grade dysplasia having
      invasive growth, 81.3% of atypical mitoses was recorded. Oblique or horizontal
      metaphasial plates were present in 8% of the metaphases in control cases but in
      as much as 25% in tubular adenomas with low-grade dysplasia, in 37% of those with
      high-grade dysplasia, in 42% for villous adenomas with low-grade dysplasia, in
      56% for those with high-grade dysplasia and in 53% for villous adenomas with
      invasive growth. The classification of the various degrees of dysplasia is at
      present done by the characteristic of the dysplastic cells at interphase. This
      paper demonstrates that qualitative and quantitative morphological alterations of
      the mitotic apparatus takes place in the various histological types of colorectal
      adenomas. Perhaps both the number of atypical mitoses and the spatial position of
      the mitoses should be registered in attempts to shed more light on the biological
      behaviour of adenomatous lesions of the colorectal mucosa.

PMID- 1876532
TI  - Adenosquamous carcinoma of the esophagus. A case report.
AB  - A case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the esophagus is presented. This carcinoma
      is a typical neoplasm of the upper aerodigestive tract almost exclusively
      originating in squamous epithelium in continuity with minor salivary glands. It
      is a very rare tumor in the esophagus, and is often diagnosed as mucoepidermoid
      carcinoma. The differential diagnosis between them is important due to the better
      prognosis of the last entity. The histology and electron microscopy is described
      and the literature is reviewed.

PMID- 1876533
TI  - Third meeting of the European Association for Haematopathology, Wurzburg, 7-11
      October 1990.

PMID- 1876534
TI  - Morphometric and stereological study of the glandular epithelium of the lateral
      prostate of the intact and castrated guinea pig.
AB  - The glandular epithelium of the lateral prostate of the guinea pig was described
      within the framework of a morphometric model in terms of relative densities and
      absolute dimensions. A combination of direct measurement and point and
      intersection counting techniques was used. The quantitative data generated in the
      intact animals were compared with those of castrated controls. Castration was
      accompanied by a significant decrease in height of the glandular epithelium and
      in sizes of secretory and basal cells and their corresponding nuclei. On a per
      cell basis, significant decreases in total volume and surface area of granular
      endoplasmic reticulum were detected after castration. This was accompanied by a
      significant reduction in the total volume of Golgi cisternae. The total volume,
      surface area, and number of highly electron-dense and clear granules decreased
      significantly compared with the intact control animals. However, no significant
      changes in these parameters of low electron-dense granules were found.
      Significant reductions in the total volume and surface area of condensing
      granules, lysosomes, and mitochondria, but not their number, were detected. The
      average sizes of condensing granules, secretory granules, lysosomes, and
      mitochondria were decreased significantly after castration. The present study
      showed that the alterations in the secretory function of the secretory cells of
      the lateral prostate was reflected by the quantitative changes in granular
      endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complexes, and secretory granules on a per cell
      basis. The data generated in the present study will serve as a baseline for
      further studies of the lateral prostate of the guinea pig.

PMID- 1876535
TI  - Family aggregation of cancer of the prostate in Quebec: the tip of the iceberg.
AB  - Cancer of the prostate is one of the most common cancers among males in North
      America. Although some causative factors have been suggested by several surveys,
      the etiology of this common cancer is poorly understood. In a case-control study
      of prostatic cancer in Greater Montreal, 21 of 140 patients with prostatic cancer
      (15.0%) gave a positive family history of the same cancer, as compared with two
      cases among 101 (2.0%) population-based controls. This indicates about an
      eightfold difference in occurrence of cancer of the prostate among first-degree
      family members of the case group with an odds ratio (OR) of 8.7 and 95% CI, 2.00
      38.17. In this report we present the pedigrees of three families (two cases and
      one control) with four pathologically confirmed cases of cancer of the prostate
      in each family. This data suggest that a familial predisposition to prostatic
      cancer may become apparent in later decades of life. In these family
      aggregations, in addition to the genetic factors, environmental factors may also
      play an important role in the etiology of the same cancer among family members.

PMID- 1876536
TI  - Density-dependent regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in DU
      145 human prostate cancer cells.
AB  - Androgen-independent prostate cancer cells may rely on an autocrine loop for
      growth stimulation, and have been shown to express both the epidermal growth
      factor receptor (EGFR) and its stimulatory ligands. We have shown here that DU
      145 prostate cancer cells have a decreased amount of EGFR in confluent cultures
      when compared to levels seen in subconfluent cultures. This down-regulation of
      EGFR numbers is not due to cell proliferation or nutrient depletion, but can be
      correlated only with whether cell-cell contact exists throughout the culture.
      This is reminiscent of the situation existing in some tumors whereby EGFR
      expression is higher in cells at the invading margins of the tumor.

PMID- 1876537
TI  - In vivo assay for conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone by rat
      prostatic steroid 5 alpha-reductase and comparison of two inhibitors.
AB  - An in vivo assay for steroid 5 alpha-reductase in rat ventral prostate has been
      developed and used to compare the inhibitory activity of N,N-diethyl-4-methyl-3
      oxo-4-aza-5 alpha-androstane-17 beta-carboxamide (4-MA) and 6-methylene-4
      pregnene-3,20-dione (LY207320). Immature rats (70-80 g) received test compounds
      30 min prior to s.c. injection of [3H]-T. The rats were sacrificed 30 min later
      and the ventral prostates were analyzed for [3H]-T metabolites. Intraprostatic
      [3H]-T and [3H]-DHT reached peak levels within 5 min after injection of [3H]-T
      and declined to about 25% of peak levels after 2 hr. 4-MA was a very potent
      inhibitor of [3H]-DHT formation with an estimated IC50 of 0.2 mg/kg. LY207320, an
      inhibitor of 5 alpha-reductase in vitro, was weakly active in vivo and did not
      achieve greater than 45% inhibition at high doses (greater than 200 mg/kg, s.c.).
      Tissue uptake of [3H]-T was also inhibited by LY207320, which may contribute to
      its inhibitory activity on accessory sex organ growth in the rat.

PMID- 1876538
TI  - Distribution of Langerhans cells and HLA class II molecules in prostatic
      carcinomas of different histopathological grade.
AB  - We have investigated Langerhans cell (LC) distribution in 38 prostatic
      carcinomas, of various degrees of differentiation, by immunohistochemistry with a
      polyclonal anti-S-100 serum, furthermore evaluating the expression of HLA class
      II-DR by neoplastic cells using a monoclonal antibody (MoAb) that reacts with a
      monomorphic determinant in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Antiserum to
      S-100 protein identified LCs mostly in carcinomas ranging from grade 1 to grade
      2, while LCs were inconspicuous in grade 4 and virtually absent in grade 5
      cancers. Moreover, sections stained with the anti -HLA-DR MoAb displayed an
      immunoreactivity, both cytoplasmic and apical, especially confined to neoplastic
      glands of low grade (1-2) carcinomas. Although we did not find a direct
      correlation between the two parameters under investigation and lymphoid
      infiltrate, we were able to document an increased number of HLA class II-positive
      interstitial cells in low-grade carcinomas, corresponding mostly to macrophages.
      Our results indicate that LC number is inversely correlated to the
      histopathological grade and directly to the expression of HLA class II-DR
      molecules by tumor cells; we believe that this might be important in
      understanding the more favorable biological behavior of low-grade prostate
      carcinomas as opposed to the higher grades, since LCs and HLA class II molecules
      may provide a means of eliciting the immune response, both LCs and epithelial
      cells expressing HLA class II molecules being capable of direct antigen
      presentation to immune cells. In this context macrophages might play a primary
      role in controlling tumor progression. To the best of our knowledge this is the
      first time that an attempt is made to correlate LCs and HLA class II expression
      to histopathological grading of prostatic carcinomas. We would also suggest that
      the presence of LCs and HLA class II molecules, either singly or in combination,
      in carcinoma of the prostate represents a good prognostic indicator, being
      constantly associated with the clinically less aggressive low-grade tumors. The
      evaluation of these two parameters might prove useful in the assessment of
      intermediate grades where no valid histologic criteria have been found to predict
      the clinical course of the disease.

PMID- 1876539
TI  - Survival of Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 on the surface of chicken legs or
      in mechanically deboned chicken meat gamma irradiated in air or vacuum at
      temperatures of -20 to +20 C.
AB  - Response-surface methodology was used to develop predictive equations for the
      response of Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 on the surface of chicken legs or
      within mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) to the effects of gamma radiation
      doses of 0 to 3.60 kGy (100 krad = 1 kGy) at temperatures of -20 to +20 C in air
      or vacuum. A streptomycin-resistant mutant was used in these studies to allow
      accurate estimations of the surviving salmonellae in the presence of residual
      normal flora. This strain has been demonstrated to have no significant shift in
      its biological properties nor in its resistance to ionizing radiation. The
      response of S. typhimurium to gamma radiation was similar on both chicken legs
      and MDCM. The radiation was significantly more lethal to the bacterial cells at
      temperatures above freezing. The response-surface equations developed from the
      studies predict that the number of viable cells per gram of MDCM or per square
      centimeter of the surface of chicken legs would be reduced approximately 2.8 to
      5.1 log units at 0 C by radiation doses within the range of 1.5 to 3.0 kGy. The
      results of the present studies are similar to those obtained previously with
      sterile mechanically deboned chicken meat.

PMID- 1876540
TI  - Research note: the effects of darkling beetles on broiler performance.
AB  - Six polyvinylchlorine pipe darkling beetle traps were placed in 20 commercial
      broiler production facilities, and the relative level of beetle infestation was
      determined from weekly sampling during 4 wk of the growout period. The average
      number of beetles found at each facility was compared with the following
      production parameters: mortality, feed conversion, condemnation rate, and
      production cost. In the 20 commercial broiler flocks evaluated, the level of
      darkling beetles within the facility was not related to any of the production
      parameters measured.

PMID- 1876541
TI  - Research note: lack of effect of a live yeast culture on broiler breeder and
      progeny performance.
AB  - Broiler breeders were fed corn and soybean diets containing 0, .1, .3, or .5% of
      a live yeast culture from 21 through 64 wk of age. In addition to assessing
      various breeder reproductive variables, chicks from each treatment level were
      grown to 17 days of age at 30, 40, 50, and 60 wk of breeder age. With the
      exception of a significant decrease in fertility at the .3% level, there were no
      effects on broiler breeder or progeny performance.

PMID- 1876542
TI  - Research note: effect of tetracycline hydrochloride and oxytetracycline
      hydrochloride given via drinking water on early mortality of broiler chicks from
      twenty-eight-week-old dams.
AB  - The effect of tetracycline HCl and oxytetracycline HCl on early mortality in
      straight-run Peterson x Hubbard cross broiler chicks from 28-wk-old dams was
      studied. Treatments consisted of a sham-treated control, and groups treated with
      a tetracycline either HCl (25 mg/454 g of BW per day) or an oxytetracycline HCl
      (14.6 mg/454 g of BW per day). Each group was treated via the drinking water for
      the first 5 days after hatching. There were 24 replications per treatment with 54
      chicks each. Birds were maintained at a density of 622.5 cm2 per chick. Chicks
      treated with tetracycline HCl and oxytetracycline HCl had significantly (P less
      than .05) improved livability when compared with the sham-treated controls both
      at 2 and 6 wk of age (1.00 and .83 versus 1.79 at 2 wk, and 2.79 and 3.29 versus
      4.29% mortality at 6 wk, respectively). No significant differences in mortality
      were observed between tetracycline HCl-treated chicks and oxytetracycline HCl
      treated chicks. At the end of the 6-wk trial, no differences between treatments
      were seen in the productive performance of the broilers. The observed differences
      in livability at 6 wk of age could increase the number of saleable broilers by 10
      to 15 thousand per million chicks placed.

PMID- 1876543
TI  - Genotype, feeding regimen, and diet interactions in meat chickens. 1. Growth,
      organ size, and feed utilization.
AB  - Allomorphic growth of organs and feed utilization were measured in cockerels from
      two meat lines known to differ in growth potential under alternate-day and daily
      feeding of diets differing in nutrient density. The faster growing line consumed
      more feed and utilized feed more efficiently than the slower growing line.
      Relative weights of heart and all segments of the gastrointestinal tract except
      the esophagus were smaller in the faster than in the slower growing line whereas
      breast, thigh, and drumstick were greater for the faster than the slower growing
      line. These patterns existed regardless of diet. In contrast, line by feeding
      regimen interactions were noted for most traits; the faster growing line was
      influenced more by restricted feeding than the slower growing line. Thus, the
      practice of selecting individuals in a restricted-feeding environment when
      commercial stocks have feed available to them at all times may be faulty.
      Although the alternate-day feeding regimen improved feed efficiency, results
      indicated that full benefit of feed restriction would be realized by feeding a
      diet higher in nutrient density.

PMID- 1876544
TI  - Genotype, feeding regimen, and diet interactions in meat chickens. 2. Feeding
      behavior.
AB  - Feeding behaviors were compared for males from two lines of meat chickens
      differing in growth potential fed lower and higher density diets ad libitum
      either daily or on alternate days. Males from the faster growing line ate and
      drank more often but stood and rested less often than those from the slower
      growing line. Rate of feed intake per unit BW was, however, similar for both
      lines. Greater crop and lower intestinal contents of the faster growing line
      suggested a higher feed intake and storage ability. Even though males fed the
      lower energy diet initially consumed similar amounts of ME on days of food
      restoration, by 24 h they lagged behind those fed the higher energy diet,
      suggesting capacity of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to be a limiting factor
      in energy consumption. At older ages, chicks fed the different diets had similar
      GIT contents, suggesting that excessive eating and less resting observed for
      males fed the lower density diet contributed to their poorer energy utilization.
      On the day of feed restoration, males fed on alternate days ate and stood more
      often and had poorer GIT clearance than those with feed continuously made
      accessible to them.

PMID- 1876545
TI  - Genotype, feeding regimen, and diet interactions in meat chickens. 3. General
      fitness.
AB  - Several fitness traits were measured in males from two meat lines fed diets
      differing in nutrient density ad libitum daily or on alternate days. Criteria of
      evaluation were antibody response to SRBC, blood heterophil:lymphocyte ratios,
      incidence of leg deformities, and resistance to Escherichia coli inoculation.
      Males from the heavier line had lower antibody titers to SRBC inoculation than
      those of the lighter line. Diets, feeding regimens, and interactions among them
      did not influence response to SRBC. Lines, diets, feeding regimens, and
      interactions among them were not significant for heterophil:lymphocyte ratios.
      Chicks fed daily had a higher incidence of leg deformities than those fed on
      alternate days. There were no differences between lines or diets, nor were
      interactions significant. Interactions were present between main variables for
      response to E. coli inoculation whether the measure was initial weight loss,
      recovery, or lesion scores, demonstrating the complexity of genotype
      environmental relationships in resistance to this infectious agent.

PMID- 1876546
TI  - Effects of imperfect albinism (sal-s) on egg production in two lines of chickens.
AB  - Two trials were conducted with two different lines of chickens to determine
      whether a gene for sex-linked imperfect albinism (sal-s) affected various egg
      production traits. In a line with relatively good egg production, sexual maturity
      was delayed for albino compared with nonalbino hens, but overall egg production
      by albinos was higher. The increased production resulted in eggs with reduced
      yolk and shell weights. Albumen weights were not affected, and because the eggs
      from albinos were smaller, Haugh unit scores were higher. In another trial,
      sexual maturity of hens of a heavy line was not affected by the genotype, but
      these hens did not receive controlled lighting during the growing period. Egg
      production curves of these hens were very similar to those seen in the first
      trial. The laying house mortality rates were not affected by the sal-s gene,
      despite several periods of high environmental temperature. These trials suggest
      that sal-s could be used in a sex-linked cross of commercial layers or broiler
      breeders.

PMID- 1876547
TI  - Sex-linked and maternal effects on growth in chickens.
AB  - A study was designed to estimate the contribution of various types of genetic
      variation in growth of chickens using populations that widely differed in growth
      rate. Populations tested included a commercially developed sire line (CM), a
      fertility-selected, broiler-type line (FS), and the pureline Jersey Giant (JG). A
      full set of F1 crosses and purelines of both sexes was used to estimate the
      following genetic effects: heterosis due to the autosomes, heterosis due to the
      sex chromosomes, average line effects, maternal effects, and additive sex
      linkage. Average line effects were highly significant beyond hatching for both
      body weight and shank length, with rank-order CM greater than FS, which was
      greater than JG. Significant differences between the sexes within a line were
      observed for CM and JG line effects, confirming the existence of sex-linked
      factors. There was no average heterosis or sex-by-heterosis interaction for
      growth-related traits, but specific heterosis was frequently significant.
      Maternal effects were sporadic and generally of little importance beyond
      hatching. Additive sex linkage, however, was highly significant and influenced
      body weight beyond hatching. These data indicate that the primary advantages in
      increasing growth via cross-breeding in chickens comes from average line effects
      and additive sex linkage. Heterosis and maternal effects can influence
      performance, especially in specific crosses, but these effects appear to be
      sporadic and of less importance than sex linkage.

PMID- 1876548
TI  - Genetic correlations among growth, feed, and carcass traits of broiler sire and
      dam populations.
AB  - Genetic correlations based on sire variance and covariance components were
      estimated for broiler traits. Data were collected from various selected and
      control strains of sire and dam populations during five generations of selection.
      Results of analyses of variance for each of the strains within generations and
      populations were pooled across strains and generations. Correlations between body
      and carcass weights were all above .8. Weight gain (WG) had similar correlations
      with these traits with the exception of body weight at 28 days (.57 in site and
      .69 in dam populations). Body and carcass weights and WG had high correlations
      with feed consumption (FC) (greater than .7); however, values for feed efficiency
      (FE) varied: -.58, -.23 for 28-day body weight; -.17, .16 for 42-day body weight;
      .25, .43 for WG; and .53 in the dam population for carcass weight. Correlations
      of body and carcass weights and WG with abdominal fat weight (AFW) and percentage
      (AFP) were generally small to moderate with values being about half as large for
      AFP as for AFW. Feed consumption and FE were negatively correlated (-.51, -.22)
      in both populations. In the dam population, FC was positively correlated with AFW
      and AFP (.42, .55) but FE was negatively correlated with these traits (-.41, 
      .70). Abdominal fat weight and AFP were highly correlated (.99, .97). Values
      tended to be similar not only for these populations but also for this and other
      studies. Simultaneous genetic improvement of growth rate, FE and carcass leanness
      is feasible in broilers. Selection for WG, FE, and AFP should be effective.

PMID- 1876549
TI  - Serological evidence for major histocompatibility complex (B complex) antigens in
      broilers selected for humoral immune response.
AB  - Genetic selection for early humoral immune responsiveness against two
      simultaneous antigens, namely, heat-killed Escherichia coli and Newcastle disease
      virus vaccine (NDV), was performed in a heterogenic population of broiler
      chickens. The humoral immune response was measured prior to 24 days of age,
      depending on the vaccine. Chicks were divided into two populations according to
      their antibody response: a population of high responders to both antigens and a
      population of low responders. After four generations of selection, a significant
      difference was observed in the immune response of the two populations, and
      therefore, an attempt was made to identify possible differences in the
      segregation of major histocompatibility complex genes. Using alloantisera
      prepared in B-congenic White Leghorn, the high responders exhibited a high
      percentage of chickens having erythrocytes agglutinated with B5 antisera, and the
      low responders exhibited a high percentage of chicks with erythrocytes
      agglutinated with B15 and B19 antisera. The B13 antisera agglutinated cells of
      similar proportions of chickens in the two populations. A random commercial
      broiler flock was screened with the antisera, and correlation was high between B
      haplotype and antibody level to E. coli following vaccination. The present work
      indicated the possibility of a direct association between the genetic
      characteristics represented in the B complex and humoral antibody response in a
      broiler population.

PMID- 1876550
TI  - Effect of the MN t(1;4) translocation on some economic traits of the chicken.
AB  - The F2 progeny from an original mating between chickens that were carriers of the
      MN t(1;4) chromosome translocation and the inbred WI-ES line were compared to
      determine if the translocation had any effect on selected economic traits.
      Homozygous translocation (TT), heterozygous translocation (TN), and
      karyotypically normal (NN) individuals were compared. Traits analyzed were body
      weight at 8, 18, 39, and 55 wk of age; shell deformation; Haugh units; egg
      weights at 32 and 55 wk of age; sexual maturity; egg production; and male
      fecundity. The TT group had greater body weights at 39 and 55 wk than the TN and
      NN groups, and at 55 wk the TN group was heavier than NN group. Shell deformation
      was greater for TT birds at 32 wk. At 32 wk, Haugh units of the TT and TN birds,
      and the TN and NN birds were not significantly different. The TT eggs were
      heavier than the TN eggs at 32 wk, which in turn were heavier than the NN eggs.
      Sexual maturity was reached in the order NN, TN, then TT. Eggs from TT males had
      the lowest fertility and highest percentage of late dead embryos. There were
      increased early deaths among embryos from heterozygous males. An unexplained
      higher number of pips among embryos from normal males was noted. No differences
      were noted among any other traits in either sex. Results suggest that this
      translocation may have some effect on production traits.

PMID- 1876551
TI  - Genetic association of selection for increased leg muscle and increased shank
      diameter with body composition and walking ability.
AB  - Body compositions of a randombred control population (RBC2), a line selected for
      increased 16-wk BW (F), a line selected for increased shank diameter (FL), and a
      line selected for increased leg muscle mass (FM) were compared at 16 wk of age.
      The F line originated from the RBC2 population and the FL and FM lines were
      developed as sublines of the F line. The F and FL lines were developed through
      mass selection of BW and shank width, respectively. The FM line was developed
      through family selection for leg muscle mass. Selection for BW in the F line has
      resulted in an increase in the proportion of breast muscle and a decrease in the
      relative amount of leg bone in comparison with the RBC2 population. Selection for
      increased shank width in the FL line has increased not only shank weight but has
      produced concomitant increases in the weight of the tibiotarsal and femur bones.
      Although FL line has also shown a correlated increase in BW in association with
      increases in shank width the increase in leg bone weight was relatively greater
      than the increase in BW. Therefore, the relative weights of leg bones in the FL
      line increased such that they were more similar to the RBC2 population than to
      the F line. Although the amount of leg muscle increased slightly in the FM line,
      the relative proportion of leg muscle did not increase significantly. The
      selection program used was probably ineffective in increasing the proportion of
      leg muscle because of the high percentage (low selection intensity) of families
      selected and small family size for estimating family means.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876552
TI  - The effect of different levels of relative humidity and air movement on litter
      conditions, ammonia levels, growth, and carcass quality for broiler chickens.
AB  - An experiment using 4,800 commercial broiler males (Ross x Ross) was conducted in
      12 climatic chambers. Three levels of relative humidity (RH) (45, 40, to 80, and
      75%) and two levels of internal air circulation (7.7 to 9.9 and 17.8 to 24.5
      cm/s), with each level replicated and, therefore, forming a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial
      arrangement of treatments, arrangement of treatments, were imposed as the main
      effects. Broilers were group weighed and feed efficiencies calculated at 14, 28,
      and 42 days of age. Percentage dry matter of the litter and a subjective
      evaluation of general litter conditions (moisture and caking) were scored weekly,
      with the percentage nitrogen and total quality of litter produced in each chamber
      measured at the conclusion of the study. Ammonia levels were measured in each
      chamber every second day. A sample of birds (36) from each chamber was processed
      at 42 days and scored for litter spots and ammonia burns on the breast and for
      the incidence and severity of twisted legs, crooked toes, and infected and
      calloused hocks and foot pads. Mean body weight was significantly greater (32 g)
      at 42 days of age in birds exposed to 45% RH compared with the two higher
      regimens of RH. Both the incidence and severity of ammonia burns on the breast
      and infected foot pads were significantly higher with 75 versus 45% RH. Increases
      in RH significantly increased caking and litter moisture and reduced the
      percentage of dry matter and the percentage of nitrogen found in the litter.
      Ammonia levels were more variable but generally increased with increases in RH.
      The two levels of air movement within the chambers produced less influence on the
      environment than RH, although the scores for both litter moisture and caking were
      significantly lower with increased levels of internal air circulation.

PMID- 1876553
TI  - The effect of feed intake on body temperature and water consumption of male
      broilers during heat exposure.
AB  - Two trials were conducted to study the effect of feed intake on rectal
      temperature and water consumption of acclimated and unacclimated broilers during
      heat exposure. Male broiler chicks, 100 per trial, were raised as one group to 29
      days for Trial 1 and 36 days for Trial 2. The birds were moved to environmental
      chambers and 50 per trial were acclimated by being subjected to 3 consecutive
      days of 24 C, 35 C, 24 C cyclic temperature. After acclimation, the birds were
      exposed to a linear change in temperature from 24 to 41 C over 3 h with a
      constant 10 C dewpoint, starting at 0800 h on Day 34 for Trial 1 and on Day 41
      for Trial 2. The feeding schedule for the day of the heat exposure was as
      follows. For the feed group, feed was removed from the birds at 0400 h and placed
      back at 0700 h. For the no feed group, feed was removed at 0700 h. At 0800 h,
      feed was removed from all birds but water was accessible throughout the heat
      exposure. Acclimated and unacclimated birds given access to feed for 1 h before a
      heat exposure consumed 60 and 50 mL of water per broiler, respectively, during
      the heat exposure. However, for broilers not receiving feed, the water
      consumption was 58 and 30 mL per broiler, respectively. Acclimated and
      unacclimated broilers given access to feed had similar body temperatures, but the
      acclimated broilers not receiving feed had a significantly lower ending rectal
      temperature than the unacclimated group.

PMID- 1876554
TI  - The influence of egg sequence position on fertility, embryo viability, and embryo
      weight in broiler breeders.
AB  - A study was undertaken to determine whether fertility, early embryo viability,
      and the weight of the egg, shell, and embryo are influenced by the position of an
      egg in a laying sequence. One hundred and three Indian River broiler breeder hens
      were housed individually in cages at 21 wk of age. Beginning at 43 wk of age,
      each hen was inseminated once per week, with 50 microL of fresh undiluted pooled
      semen from Indian River broiler breeder males. Beginning at 45 wk of age, and for
      the following 45 days, all eggs laid were collected. Eggs were collected hourly
      for 8 h after "lights on" and a final daily collection was made 14 h after lights
      on. Each egg was classified as "first-of-sequence" or "subsequent". Eggs were
      weighed and placed in a forced-air incubator twice per week. After 168 h of
      incubation, the eggs were removed from the incubator, weighed and assessed for
      fertility and embryo viability status. The embryo was also weighed. Shell weight
      was recorded after 3 to 4 days of air drying. Egg weight was significantly
      greater in first-of-sequence compared with subsequent eggs. First-of-sequence
      eggs exhibited significantly smaller Day 7 embryos (on a percentage basis), lower
      shell weight (on a percentage basis), and significantly less egg weight loss
      during the 7 day incubation period (absolute and percentage basis) than did
      subsequent eggs on a sequence. Least squares (LS) means for fertility did not
      differ significantly between first (87.02%) and subsequent (89.56%)
      eggs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876555
TI  - Feed consumption of egg strain pullets at onset of lay.
AB  - An experiment was conducted to investigate the performance of four strains of
      commercial egg type pullets (A, B, C, and D) from 19 to 30 wk of age. The feed
      consumption differences during this period as well as feed consumption patterns
      10 days prior to and after the first oviposition were of special interest. Two
      hundred and sixty-four birds (66 birds per strain) were fed a diet formulated to
      contain 2,750 kcal/kg ME, 17% CP, and 3.4% calcium. Results show that the average
      age to the first egg and percentage of hen-day egg production were not
      significantly different among the four strains of birds. However, egg weights of
      Strain A and C birds were significantly heavier than those of the Strain B and D
      birds. The birds from Strains B and D had significantly lower body weight than
      Strain A birds at the end of 18 wk, but body weights were not significantly
      different at the end of 30 wk. Feed intake per bird per day of pullets from
      Strains A and C was generally higher than that of those from Strains B and D in
      the first and second 4-wk period. Some of the consumption differences were
      significant. Feed intake in the third period (27 to 30 wk) was similar for the
      four strains of birds. Although different strains showed different feed
      consumption patterns around the first oviposition, all strains showed a drop on
      the day of the first oviposition. When the strains were combined, feed
      consumption was lower on that day than during the 8 days prior to the first
      oviposition.

PMID- 1876556
TI  - Effects of type of cage front and feed trough partitions on productivity and
      ingestive, agonistic, and fearful behaviors of egg-type hens.
AB  - Two groups of White Leghorn pullets reared in floor pens were used to study the
      effects on performance and behavior in cages of horizontal wire cage fronts with
      and without feed trough partitions (HP and H, respectively) and vertical wire
      cage fronts with and without feed trough partitions (VP and V, respectively). In
      Experiment 1, hens in HP and VP cages consumed more (P less than .05) feed than
      hens in either H or V cages. This greater feed consumption combined with similar
      egg production resulted in significantly poorer feed conversion (P less than .05)
      for hens in VP cages. Hens in HP cages had fewer drinking bouts (P less than .05)
      and an intermediate amount of feeding time. Hens in H, V, and VP cages did not
      differ significantly in number of drinking bouts and feeding times. There were
      differences in feeding location preferences among treatments (P less than .05)
      but not within treatments. In Experiment 2, effects of horizontal (H) and
      vertical (V) wire cage fronts were examined to determine their effects on
      productivity and fearful behavior. Hens in H cages had better feather scores (P
      less than .05) than hens in V cages. Type of cage front had no significant
      effects on age at sexual maturity, egg production, mortality rate, average egg
      weight, and body weight.

PMID- 1876557
TI  - Reproductive performance of artificially inseminated hens receiving saline
      drinking water.
AB  - Laying hens were selected at random and placed in individual cages in a
      commercial type layer shed. One hundred hens received town water and one hundred
      received town water supplemented with 2 g NaCl/L. Half the hens on each water
      treatment were inseminated every 7 days with mixed semen collected from six
      cockerels of a commercial table egg strain maintained on town water. The
      remaining hens were inseminated with semen from six cockerels receiving town
      water supplemented with 2 g NaCl/L. Eggs were collected and stored at 12 C over a
      7-day period before eggs with defective shells were identified and removed. All
      remaining eggs were incubated and candled at 7 and 18 days of incubation to
      detect infertile eggs and embryonic deaths. Data from six consecutive hatches
      were analyzed. The incidence of eggs with defective shells doubled in hens
      receiving the saline drinking water. These hens had a significantly (twofold)
      higher incidence of embryonic deaths and a significantly lower (13%) hatchability
      of fertile eggs. For every 100 eggs laid the numbers of settable eggs and chicks
      hatched were significantly reduced in hens receiving the saline drinking water.
      The saline water reduced the numbers hatched by 20% for every 100 eggs laid. The
      water treatment given to the cockerels had little effect on reproductive
      performance.

PMID- 1876558
TI  - Use of a most probable number method modified with a deoxyribonucleic probe to
      monitor control by food preservatives of natural Salmonella contamination in
      animal meat meals.
AB  - A most probable number (MPN) technique using a DNA probe was developed for
      determination of Salmonella in naturally contaminated meat meals. The method
      eliminated the need for 180 selective plates and 75 selective tubes and saved 27
      h when compared with a traditional technique; yet it still yielded identical MPN
      of Salmonella per 100 g in five naturally contaminated samples. The method was
      used to monitor the effect of a commercial food preservative (Sal Curb) at 0,
      .25, .50, 1.0, and 2.0% in meat meals with initial contaminations of 1,100, 93,
      or 7 MPN organisms/100 g. The preservative greatly reduced MPN in the 1,100 and
      93 MPN samples in a time and dose-dependent manner, but in the sample with 7 MPN
      organisms/100 g of material, it resulted in 0 MPN organisms per 100 g after 24 h
      at all levels tested.

PMID- 1876559
TI  - Effect of coccidiosis on plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in turkey
      poults.
AB  - Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and glucose levels were measured in 3- to 4
      wk-old turkey poults that had been infected with the coccidium Eimeria
      adenoeides. When measured at 6 days postinoculation, the acute stage of the
      infection, the epinephrine and norepinephrine levels of the infected poults
      showed a dose-dependent increase over levels in controls, with poults that were
      most heavily infected having the highest levels. The catecholamines appeared to
      show a classic stress-elicited response: this response increases with time to
      high levels during the acute stage of the infection, and then returns to levels
      approximately the same as those of the controls as the poults recover from the
      infection. Anorexia, or feed restriction, appeared to be primarily responsible
      for the increase in norepinephrine. However, epinephrine levels in the infected
      poults were significantly higher than in their pair-fed, uninfected counterparts,
      indicating that factors other than reduced feed consumption contributed to the
      increase. The data indicate that plasma catecholamines are increased during
      coccidial infection. As pressor compounds, they may contribute to the previously
      observed changes in blood pressure and heart function in infected poults.

PMID- 1876560
TI  - Simultaneous colonization of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella typhimurium in
      day-old chicks.
AB  - Day-old chicks were challenged with Campylobacter jejuni or Salmonella
      typhimurium or both to assess the influence of these two bacteria upon the
      colonization of one another. Median colonization dose (CD50), a measure
      indicating the number of organisms required to colonize one-half of the
      challenged chickens, was used to assess the influence of these organisms upon the
      colonization of one another. Chicks were gavaged with serial dilutions of 1) C.
      jejuni, 2) S. typhimurium, 3) dilutions of C. jejuni and a fixed level of S.
      typhimurium, or 4) dilutions of S. typhimurium and a fixed level of C. jejuni.
      Six days postchallenge, cecal contents were quantitatively assayed for the
      challenge organisms. Birds challenged with only C. jejuni or birds challenged
      with both C. jejuni and S. typhimurium had a CD50 of 120 C. jejuni cells. The
      CD50 values for S. typhimurium alone (48 cells) and S. typhimurium simultaneously
      colonized with C. jejuni (180 cells) were not significantly different (P less
      than .05). The colonization levels of either organism were generally correlated
      with the challenge dose and ranged up to 63 million cells per gram. It was
      concluded that the CD50 for both C. jejuni and S. typhimurium in 24-h-old chicks
      were similar, and the presence of one of these particular co-colonizers does not
      influence the CD50 of the other.

PMID- 1876561
TI  - Effect of surgical and chemical in ovo bursectomy on hatchability, mortality
      rate, and antibody response in hypertensive and hypotensive lines of turkeys.
AB  - The effect of in ovo bursectomy on hatchability, mortality rate, and antibody
      response to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was studied in hypertensive and
      hypotensive lines of turkeys. Experiments were conducted to assess the optimal
      time to perform surgical in ovo bursectomy in turkey embryos for the lowest
      mortality rate. Factors such as the ease of operation, hatchability, and least
      deaths were considered. Surgical bursectomies at 25, 24, 23, and 22 day
      embryonation resulted in 75, 20, 0, and 10% hatchability, respectively. The
      surgical procedure performed at 25-day embryonation resulted in superior
      hatchability and ease of operation, and it was less traumatic as evidenced by
      fewer deaths. The hatchability of embryos injected with testosterone (TE) at 15
      days incubation was 55%. Birds subjected to surgery or chemical treatment had
      increased mortality rates. Cyclophosphamide (CY) treatment at 1 and 2 days
      posthatch caused a significant increase in deaths over groups not treated with
      CY. Both primary and secondary KLH responses were significantly lower in
      bursectomized and TE-injected groups, than in shamoperated or nonoperated control
      groups.

PMID- 1876562
TI  - Use of ascorbic acid to prevent the decline in eggshell quality observed with
      saline drinking water.
AB  - Three experiments were carried out to determine the value of ascorbic acid in
      overcoming the poor eggshell quality problem associated with the use of saline
      drinking water. Laying hens were supplied with either town water or town water
      supplemented with NaCl, ascorbic acid, or a combination of NaCl and ascorbic
      acid. Supplementing the drinking water lf laying hens with NaCl (2 g/L)
      significantly increased the incidence of eggshell defects and significantly
      decreased eggshell quality. Simultaneous supplementation of the saline drinking
      water with ascorbic acid (1 g/L) prevented these detrimental effects. This
      response to ascorbic acid was dependent upon concentration. Ascorbic acid acted
      as a preventive rather than a remedial treatment: hens producing eggs with
      defective shells as a result of receiving saline drinking water failed to show
      any improvement in eggshell quality or any reduction in the incidence of eggshell
      defects when the saline water was supplemented with ascorbic acid.

PMID- 1876563
TI  - Diet dilution and compensatory growth in broilers.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted to note the response of broiler chickens to
      degrees of diet dilution from 4 to 11 days of age. In Experiment 1, broilers were
      fed conventional broiler diets from 0 to 4 and 11 to 56 days of age. From 4 to 11
      days, birds were fed a conventional corn and soybean meal broiler starter, or the
      same diet in which major nutrients were replaced with 25, 40, or 55% ground rice
      hulls. Mineral and vitamin sources were not affected by dilution. Each of the
      three diluted diets together with an undiluted control diet was fed to three
      replicate floor pen groups of 30 male or 30 female broilers. In a second similar
      experiment, male birds were fed a regular broiler starter from 4 to 11 days or a
      diet diluted with 50% rice hulls. In this second experiment, rice hulls were
      substituted for all ingredients including those providing vitamin and mineral
      supplements. In Experiment 1, diet dilution resulted in a significant (P less
      than .05) reduction in body weight at 11 days of age, although by 42 days there
      was complete recovery of body weight with no change in overall efficiency of feed
      utilization. This same trend was seen in both sexes. Calculation of energy
      balance suggests these birds to have used energy very efficiently during the
      period of undernutrition. Diet dilution had no effect on carcass characteristics
      at 42 days, although for males at 56 days there was an indication of reduced
      abdominal fat content (P less than .05). In Experiment 2, compensatory gain was
      incomplete, although results were confounded due to an outbreak of infectious
      bronchitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876564
TI  - Ileal digestibility and urinary excretion of D-xylose and L-arabinose in
      ileostomized adult roosters.
AB  - An experiment with ileostomized adult roosters was conducted to determine the
      ileal digestibility and urinary excretion of D-xylose and L-arabinose. As a
      reference, D-glucose was included in the experiment. The sugars were tested at
      graded dietary levels of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0%. Mean ileal digestibility of D
      glucose and D-xylose was nearly 100%. Ileal digestibility of L-arabinose
      decreased linearly (P less than .05) with increasing dose level. The
      corresponding ileal digestibilities for L-arabinose at dietary levels of 2.5,
      5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% were 95.5, 93.6, 80.3, and 74.6%. Both pentose sugars were
      partly excreted in the urine. The extent of this urinary excretion in percentage
      of intake increased linearly (P less than .05) as the dietary level increased. In
      roosters fed the 2.5% D-xylose diet, 7.2% of the D-xylose consumed appeared in
      the urine. This level increased to 20.2% when roosters were fed a diet containing
      10.0% D-xylose. Corresponding values for L-arabinose at these dietary inclusion
      levels were 8.7 and 16.6%.

PMID- 1876565
TI  - Nutritional evaluation of soybeans varying in trypsin inhibitor content.
AB  - A series of experiments was conducted to assess, by various methods, the
      nutritional value of a raw, Kunitz inhibitor-free, low trypsin-inhibitor soybean
      variant (LTS) in comparison with raw conventional soybeans (RCS) and heated
      dehulled soybean meal (HDS). The gross energy, protein, and amino acid
      concentrations of LTS were similar to those of RCS. The protein quality of the
      soybeans was compared in two trials in which young chicks were fed 9% or 16% CP
      diets containing one of the soybeans as the sole source of dietary protein. The
      protein quality of LTS was superior to that of RCS but inferior to that of HDS.
      True digestibilities of amino acids and TMEn were determined with a precision-fed
      cockerel assay using conventional and cecectomized birds. No significant effect
      of bird type on digestibility was found. The mean digestibility of 16 amino acids
      in RCS, LTS, and HDS was found to be approximately 68, 83, and 92%, respectively.
      The TMEn of LTS was greater than that of RCS. Chick growth assays indicated that
      amino acid bioavailability values of lysine and TSAA for LTS were greater than
      those for RCS but slightly lower than those for HDS. In an additional chick assay
      with a corn and HDS diet (22% CP), the dietary HDS protein was replaced with LTS
      or RCS protein at 25, 50, 75, or 100%. Performance of chicks fed LTS was better
      than that of chicks fed RCS at all replacement levels, but the difference was not
      significant at the 25% replacement level. Feed efficiencies of chicks fed 25 or
      50% of the dietary soybean protein as LTS were not significantly different from
      that of chicks fed the corn and HDS control diet. The results of the present
      study indicated that the nutritive value of LTS is substantially greater than
      that of RCS but somewhat lower than that of HDS.

PMID- 1876566
TI  - Effect of rearing regimens on pullet growth and subsequent laying performance.
AB  - Treatments consisted of eight pullet dietary regimens: high protein with low,
      medium, or high ME; low protein with high ME, step-up protein, and diets with
      gradually decreasing protein levels and increasing ME levels with deficient
      methionine and TSAA levels, recommended methionine levels (TSAA-deficient), or
      recommended methionine and TSAA levels. Two additional regimens were introduced
      at 20 wk by selecting light and heavy birds, from caged birds maintained under
      high protein, medium ME conditions. Laying performance was measured from 20 to 64
      wk. During the rearing period, birds fed the low energy and the methionine
      deficient regimens consumed less energy (P less than .05). Body weight at 8 wk
      was affected by initial protein levels (P less than .05), but such effect was not
      seen after 16 wk of age. Birds on the step-up protein regimen consumed less feed
      during the laying period but also produced less egg mass (P less than .05). Birds
      with heavier body weights at 20 wk had better laying performance than birds with
      lighter body weights (P less than .05). A rearing regimen (0 to 20 wk) that
      resulted in a total protein intake of 1,140 g and a total ME intake of 20.0 Mcal
      was shown to control final pullet body weight and maximize laying performance;
      although at higher ME intake (21.5 Mcal) no detrimental effect was seen.

PMID- 1876567
TI  - Effect of diet and population density on male turkeys under various environmental
      conditions. 1. Turkey growth and health performance.
AB  - The performance of 1,312 male market turkeys (Large White, Nicholas strain) from
      0 to 20 wk of age fed diets varying in feed form and energy level was measured
      under two stocking densities (.21 or .46 m2 per bird) and four lighting and
      temperature programs. The four diets were 1) corn and soybean meal with 1%
      supplemental fat, mash (CSM); 2) as 1, pelleted (CSP); 3) as Diet 1 but with 1,
      2, 4, 6, and 8% supplemental fat during 0 to 4, 4 to 8, 8 to 12, 12 to 16, and 16
      to 20 wk of age, respectively (CSF); and 4) as Diet 1 but with barely included at
      0, 20, 35, 50, and 65% during the respective 4-wk age periods (CSB). The four
      light and temperature programs were 1) Environment A with intermittent light [4
      [2 h light (L):4 h dark (D)]] in combination with cycling temperature at 7 and 21
      C during light and dark photoperiod, respectively; Environment B with
      intermittent light, 21 C; Environment C with continuous light (18L:6D) and
      cycling temperature of 7 to 21 C; and Environment D with intermittent light, 7 C.
      Lighting and temperature programs started at 1 and 4 wk of age, respectively.
      Body weights at 20 wk of age decreased (P less than .05) with increasing
      temperature (13.86 versus 12.26 kg for Environments D and B, respectively) with
      cycling temperature intermediate (13.51 kg for Environment A). Intermittent light
      (P less than .05) improved BW and feed conversion by 3.4 and 2.0%, respectively,
      compared with continuous light. Rearing males at .21 m2 per bird versus .46 m2
      per bird decreased weight (P less than .05) by 5.5%. Twenty-week BW of males fed
      the CSP (13.52 kg) and CSF (13.58 kg) diets were greater (P less than .05) than
      those fed CSM (12.90 kg) and CSB (12.69 kg) diets. Significant (P less than .05)
      interactions between diet, environment, and density were not detected for most
      performance characteristics. Environmental measurements indicated higher dust and
      ammonia levels in the warm environment (B). Isolates of aspergillus and incidence
      of airsacculitis at time of processing were greatest in Environment B.

PMID- 1876568
TI  - Effect of diet and population density on male turkeys under various environmental
      conditions. 2. Body composition and meat yield.
AB  - Large White Nicholas male turkeys were reared at two stocking densities (.21 or
      .46 m2 per bird) and fed one of four diets: 1) control corn and soybean (mash)
      with 1% fat (CSM); 2) as Diet 1, pelleted (CSP); 3) as Diet 1 with supplemental
      fat increasing from 1 through 8% with age (CSF); and 4) as Diet 1 with barley at
      0, 20, 35, 50, and 65% during successive 4-wk periods (CSB). The turkeys were
      reared in four environments: (A) intermittent light schedule [4(2 h light (L):4 h
      dark D))] with temperature at 7 or 21 C during light and dark photoperiod,
      respectively; (B) and (D) with intermittent light (2L:4D) with a constant 21 and
      7 C temperatures, respectively; (C) continuous light cycle (18L:6D) with
      temperatures as in Environment A. At 20 wk of age, two turkeys per replicate pen,
      were killed for determination of body composition and meat yield. Compared with
      turkeys fed CSM diet, those on CSF and CSP diet had increased percentage carcass
      fat. Meat yield per bird and percentage carcass fat were greater for turkeys
      reared at .46 m2 per bird compared with rearing at .21 m2 per bird. Pelleting and
      fat supplementation resulted in significantly increased amounts of breast meat
      and leg compared with CSM. Breast meat yield (percentage) and amount were greater
      at 7 C (Environment D) than at 21 C (Environment B) and the cycling regimen
      (Environment A). Percentage abdominal fat was greatest at 7 C. Interactions of
      environment and diet were detected for breast meat yield percentage (P less than
      .023) and weight (P less than .036). Diet type had no effect on percentage breast
      meat or weight in Environment C. An increased amount of breast meat was obtained
      by feeding CSP in Environments A, B, and D, and dietary fat supplementation
      increased breast meat yield in Environments A and D over CSM treatment.

PMID- 1876569
TI  - Effects of dietary amino acid levels on bone development in broiler chickens.
AB  - Studies with several species suggest that dietary protein may influence bone
      calcification. Six pens of six male broilers in two consecutive trials were fed
      from 1 to 21 days either .5 or 1.0% Ca in diets with 80, 90, 100, 110, or 120% of
      the amino acid (AA) standards suggested by Thomas et al. in 1986 at a constant
      .46% nonphytate P. The BW and feed conversion rate (FCR) were determined, and
      bone measurements were taken. Both AA and Ca levels influenced BW with an
      interaction of the two factors. The Ca level, but not AA level, influenced FCR.
      The lower Ca level inhibited feed intake. Increasing AA levels reduced bone ash
      but did not affect tibia breaking strength. There was an interaction of AA and Ca
      on tibia ash, tibia weight, and tibia length. The higher AA levels supported
      normal linear growth of the tibia but decreased rate of calcification, especially
      in the diets with .5% Ca. In diets with marginal Ca levels, higher AA levels may
      reduce bone calcification.

PMID- 1876570
TI  - Immune response of chicks fed various levels of zinc.
AB  - Five experiments were conducted to determine the effects of zinc intake on the
      immune response of chicks. Ancona chicks (Experiment 1), New Hampshire
      (Experiment 2), New Hampshire x Leghorn (Experiment 3), and broiler chicks
      (Experiments 4 and 5) were fed semipurified (Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 4) or corn
      and soybean meal diets (Experiment 5) containing from 8 to 88 micrograms zinc/g
      of diet. An extra group of chicks in Experiments 1, 2, and 4 were fed a diet
      adequate in zinc but at an intake similar to that of chicks fed the lowest zinc
      level in each respective experiment. Low zinc intake (less that 28 micrograms
      zinc/g of diet) suppressed body weight at all times measured. The effect of zinc
      intake on the size of lymphoid tissues was variable, but at 5 wk of age, chicks
      fed 8 micrograms zinc/g of diet had smaller bursae of Fabricius and thymi than
      those fed additional zinc. Zinc intake had no influence on the primary and
      secondary immune response to SRBC or delayed hypersensitivity to
      phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA) or human gamma globulin in Ancona and broiler chicks.
      However, zinc intake did have a small effect in chicks from the New Hampshire
      parents. In Experiments 1, 2, and 4 (at least at certain times), antibody titers
      were reduced in pair-fed chicks. Thus, although zinc supplementation at the
      levels of practical diets did not affect immune function, feed restriction did.

PMID- 1876571
TI  - The influence of various calcium and phosphorus levels on tibia strength and
      eggshell quality of pullets during peak production.
AB  - One thousand and eighty DeKalb XL pullets were randomly allocated to nine
      treatments and arranged in a 3 x 3 factorial to determine the effects of three
      levels of dietary calcium (2.75, 3.75, and 4.25%) and three levels of dietary
      available phosphorus (.30, .40, and .50%) on eggshell quality and tibia weight,
      tibia breaking strength, tibia ash, and bone mineral content of pullets during
      peak production. Feed consumption increased as dietary calcium or phosphorus
      increased. Increasing dietary calcium caused a significant linear increase in egg
      specific gravity, but dietary phosphorus had no significant effect on egg
      specific gravity. Calcium and phosphorus levels did not significantly affect egg
      production, body weight, plasma chloride, or phosphorus. Ionized calcium
      increased significantly as dietary calcium increased. Tibia breaking strength,
      tibia weight, tibia ash, and bone mineral content increased significantly with
      increasing dietary calcium. Dietary phosphorus had no significant effect on these
      parameters. However, when 2.75% calcium was fed, reducing dietary phosphorus
      significantly decreased tibia weight, tibia ash, and bone mineral content.

PMID- 1876572
TI  - The effect of clenbuterol supplementation on growth performance and on plasma
      hormone and metabolite levels of broilers.
AB  - In the present experiment, clenbuterol was supplemented (.42 ppm) from Day 1 or
      from 2 or 4 wk of age until slaughter age (6 wk). The effects on growth
      performance and on plasma hormone and metabolite profiles were investigated at 2,
      4, and 6 wk of age in male and female broilers. There were no consistent or
      cumulative effects of clenbuterol feeding on growth and feed efficiency.
      Clenbuterol feeding from Day 1, but not later, depressed subsequent feed intake.
      Relative abdominal fat pad weight was reduced profoundly and was even more
      pronounced after prolonged supplementation and for females. Fat content of thigh
      meat (including skin), but not of breast meat (without skin), was reduced by
      clenbuterol feeding. No consistent effects of clenbuterol supplementation on
      plasma thyroid hormones, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I, and
      corticosterone levels were detected. Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)
      concentrations were depressed in male broilers fed clenbuterol for 6 wk, but the
      plasma triglyceride level did not follow this pattern. There was no evidence for
      a consistent effect of clenbuterol on lipolysis in vivo, measured by plasma
      glycerol level. Between 4 and 6 wk of age, plasma VLDL and glycerol levels
      decreased in females but increased in males. This corresponds to the higher fat
      deposition in females. However, the most consistent effects were age-related
      changes in the plasma levels of most hormones and metabolites. From the present
      study, it seems that clenbuterol acts primarily on fat deposition, the extent
      being dependent on sex, location of fat, and duration of beta-adrenergic agonist
      supplementation.

PMID- 1876573
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of ursodeoxycholic acid in rat.
AB  - The pharmacokinetic behaviour and metabolism of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) have
      been studied in the rat. After oral administration of both 3H-labelled (4 muCi/kg
      body wt) and unlabelled (20 mg) UDCA, UDCA appeared in serum almost entirely in
      conjugated form (taurine conjugated); UDCA was present in bile mostly as taurine
      conjugated; the more relevant metabolite is 3 alpha,6 alpha, 7 beta
      trihydroxycholanoic acid which represents 10% of the total bile acid pool. UDCA
      increased bile flow and selectively decreased biliary cholesterol secretion,
      while phospholipid secretion was unaffected. Faecal UDCA excretion was 15-20%
      while the urinary extraction was 1.5% during 24 h. The data show that UDCA, when
      administered in high dose, is promptly secreted into bile almost entirely
      metabolized to tauroursodeoxycholic acid, where it (1) desaturates the
      cholesterol in bile, (2) exerts choleretic properties.

PMID- 1876574
TI  - Blood content in guinea-pig tissues: correction for the study of drug tissue
      distribution.
AB  - The blood content in different organs or tissues of guinea-pigs was determined by
      means of [125I]bovine serum albumin. The blood distribution expressed as
      percentage of total body blood for various organs or tissues ranged from 0.35
      (adipose) to 17.5 (muscle)%. The blood content in tissue preparations expressed
      as the blood background correction factor, F (ml blood/g wet tissue) depended on
      the extent of bleeding during experiment; that factor can cause a considerable
      difference in the results of a tissue distribution study of a drug. Blood content
      was high in the lung (0.36 ml/g), heart, liver, kidney and spleen, but low in
      adipose and brain tissues (0.021 ml/g). The distribution of valproic acid in
      various tissues of guinea-pigs after intravenous injection was determined from
      the homogenates of isolated organs. The results showed that blood contamination
      can greatly alter the data of tissue distribution of a drug to as much as 25%.
      This study proposed a maximum (non-bled) and a minimum (extreme-bled) blood
      background correction factor for respective tissues of guinea-pigs, as well as
      equations for correcting the blood contamination in tissue during the drug
      distribution study. The results suggest that to obtain an exact analysis of drug
      concentrations in specific tissues, a correction for the blood of that specific
      tissue is necessary.

PMID- 1876575
TI  - Continuous read-out of cytochrome b, flavin and pyridine nucleotide oxido
      reduction processes in the perfused frog heart and contracting skeletal muscle.
AB  - The time-sharing instrument for continuous read-out of the fluorescence levels of
      NAD(P)H and oxidized-flavoproteins, which also makes simultaneous dual beam
      differential absorption measurements of cytochrome b, has been applied to the
      study of the metabolic control of the frog heart, perfused in vitro with normal
      and variously modified Ringer solutions, and to the frog skeletal muscle in situ.
      In the ionically depolarized resting heart, the long term kinetic analysis of the
      redox processes during oxygen/anoxia transitions has proved to be an adequate
      method for identifying and following three fundamental intracellular redox
      compartments: (1) the respiratory system, (2) the microsomal system, and (3) the
      glycolytic system. The provision of substrates and/or suitable inhibitors has
      allowed the description of functional interrelationships within the mitochondrial
      and the cytoplasmic spaces. The ouabain major site of response has been located
      on the cytosolic pyridine nucleotides, with a very small response in the
      mitochondrial space. The switching on and off of substantial fractions of the
      NAD(P)+/NAD(P)H and Fpoxidized/Fpreduced pools has been observed, which helps to
      clarify the large phase shift between the overall pyridine nucleotide and flavin
      oxidation-reduction processes, during the cycle of the spontaneously beating
      heart and during skeletal muscle contraction and recovery, here originally
      prompted out.

PMID- 1876576
TI  - Mechanism of dichlorovos-induced inhibition of calcium-dependent contractions in
      the rat tail artery.
AB  - The inhibitory effect of dichlorovos (an organophosphate pesticide) on Ca(2+)
      dependent contractions has been studied in isolated helical strips of rat tail
      arteries. Isometric contractions were evaluated under standard organ bath
      conditions. Dichlorovos caused concentration-dependent relaxation of 10(-7) M NE
      induced contractions as well as inhibition of both phasic and tonic components of
      NE contractions. Extracellular calcium-dependent contractions in K(+)-depolarized
      medium as well as NE-induced contractions due to mobilization of membrane-bound
      calcium pool and intracellular calcium-dependent caffeine contractions were
      significantly attenuated by dichlorovos. The results strongly support our
      previous observation that dichlorovos interferes with calcium metabolism in the
      rat tail artery.

PMID- 1876577
TI  - The effects of electrical stimulation, adenosine and adenosine-5'-triphosphate
      (ATP) on mouse rectal muscle.
AB  - The effects of electrical field stimulation and of purine compounds, adenosine
      and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) were examined on the mouse isolated rectum.
      Electrical field stimulation induced frequency-dependent contractions of mouse
      rectal muscles which were potentiated by physostigmine and inhibited by atropine
      or tetrodotoxin. Contractile amplitude at 37 degrees C was significantly (P less
      than 0.05) greater than at 25 degrees C, but the degree of potentiation by
      physostigmine was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater at 25 degrees C. ATP
      (1.6 x 10(-4)-1.28 x 10(-3) M) and adenosine (1.8 x 10(-4)-1.48 x 10(-3) M)
      inhibited in concentration-related fashion contractile responses induced by KCl
      (1.34 x 10(-2) M-1.07 x 10(-1) M) by acetylcholine (2.2 x 10(-7) M-1.4 x 10(-5)
      M) and by CaCl2 in high KCl (120 mM)-CaCl2-free Tyrode solution. Theophylline and
      quinidine ('purinoceptor' antagonists) antagonized ACH contractile effects and so
      could not be satisfactorily employed in the characterization of the purine
      receptors in the mouse rectum. It may be concluded from this study that in the
      mouse rectum, acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter and that there is a
      non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic inhibitory neuromuscular transmission in this
      tissue. Further, ATP and adenosine have been demonstrated to cause relaxation in
      this tissue by possibly a post-synaptic mechanism involving inhibition of Ca2+
      influx into the depolarized muscle.

PMID- 1876578
TI  - [Immune deficiency and its sequelae. On the 75th Congress of the German Society
      of Pathology in Friedrichshaven 21-15 May 1991].

PMID- 1876579
TI  - [Quality assurance in pathology].

PMID- 1876581
TI  - [Forensic medicine topics in pathology. I. On the legal status of clinical
      autopsy].

PMID- 1876580
TI  - [Medical waste in pathology. Recycling, disposal--cost control].

PMID- 1876582
TI  - [Uncertain malignant peritoneal tumors in 28 years of autopsy. Histologic
      reclassification].

PMID- 1876583
TI  - [Lectin histochemical study of HIV-associated changes in the central nervous
      system with mistletoe lectin I (ML I)].

PMID- 1876584
TI  - [Osteoglophonic skeletal dysplasia--a variant of generalized fibrous dysplasia?
      Case report and review of the literature].

PMID- 1876585
TI  - [Curt Froboese is 100 years old].

PMID- 1876586
TI  - [Disorders of the innervation of the large intestine--classification and
      diagnosis. Results of a consensus conference of the Society of
      Gastroenteropathology 1 December 1990 in Frankfurt/Main].

PMID- 1876587
TI  - [Malignant diseases of the respiratory tract].

PMID- 1876588
TI  - [Etiology of bronchial cancer: smoking, passive smoking, environment and
      occupation].
AB  - The inhaled tobacco smoke is the most important determinant in the etiology of
      lung cancer and there is a clear dose-effect relation between lung cancer risk
      and the duration of smoking, the number of cigarettes and the intensity of
      inhalation. The opinions about lung cancer risk from passive smoking are divided
      and the published data are still in discussion. Occupational substances include
      chromates, nickel, beryllium, alkylated compounds, vinylchloride, arsenic
      compounds and in particular asbestos. Fortunately air pollution has no or small
      part in the etiology of lung cancer.

PMID- 1876589
TI  - [Tumor markers, significance for clinical diagnosis].
AB  - A wide variety of tumour markers has been described in bronchial carcinoma.
      Clinical studies have been most frequently conducted with the substances CEA,
      NSE, CK-BB and for the peptid hormones ACTH, calcitonin and ADH. The serum levels
      for CEA, NSE and CK-BB correlate to a certain extent with the stage of the tumour
      disease, the prognosis and the survival time. On the other hand, the peptid
      hormones have no clinical significance on account of their low sensitivity and
      specificity. Outside of clinical studies the determination of tumour markers in
      bronchial carcinoma is clinically irrelevant.

PMID- 1876590
TI  - [Immunohistochemical markers in lung tumors--a status evaluation].
AB  - Immunohistochemical investigations on tumours of the lung and pleura led to an
      enlarged knowledge about the characterization of the tumours biology and the
      typical morphological feature of lung tumours. A helpful tool was the elaboration
      of monoclonal antibodies against different cellular proteins and proliferation
      markers which revealed a detailed information on proliferation tendency and
      immunological reaction of the tumour. The most informative parameter in
      adenocarcinomas was the distinguished expression of the carcino embryonic antigen
      (CEA). The immunohistochemical investigations are helpful for the differentiation
      of primary and secondary lung- and pleural tumours, but also pointed out a high
      heterogeneity of malignant lung tumours. Nevertheless the present tumour markers-
      be considered to give an indication for diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of the
      development of the disease--have to be correlated with clinical and biochemical
      data for further estimation of their value.

PMID- 1876591
TI  - [Early and late postoperative complications in thoracic surgery interventions].
AB  - Two types of postoperative complications should be distinguished, i.e. early
      complications including a lethality within 30 days and delayed complications
      which may occur after several years. In the period between 8/1985 and 12/1987 216
      operations were carried out on patients with bronchial carcinoma. The operative
      lethality rate was 2.3%. The most frequently performed operation was lobectomy
      with 59% followed by pneumonectomy including extended pneumonectomy with 17.5%.
      57.7% of patients with bronchial carcinomata were resected in the early stage I
      and II, and 26.4% of patients in stage IIIa. Squamous cell carcinomata occurred
      most frequently, with an incidence of 41%. Of the common postoperative
      complications cardiac arrhythmia was to be found most often (27%). Pulmonary
      embolism developed in 5% of all cases, cerebral complications in 3.7%, wound
      infections in 2.3% and post-operative haemorrhages in 1.3%. Bronchus stump
      insufficiency and dehiscence of suture were found in 2.2%, and pleural empyema in
      4.2% of the complications directly resulting from the operation. Only 6 of 9
      patients had suffered an persistent bronchopleural fistula lasting 7 days.
      Infections of the respiratory tree were identified in 18.3% and pneumonia in only
      8.3% of cases. Delayed empyemas and bronchus fistulas belong in the category of
      delayed complications. The risk of deformation of the vertebral column caused by
      processes of involution in the cavity of pneumonectomy should be kept in mind
      following pneumonectomy. A distinction shall be made between the postthoracotomy
      syndrome an classical intercostal neuralgia, which has a sharply defined clinical
      picture and may be treated by operative neurolysis or resection of the nerve.

PMID- 1876592
TI  - [Pleural mesothelioma: etiology and practical consequences].
AB  - In the course of the past few decades there has been a heavy world-wide increase
      in the incidence of mesotheliomas among the industrialised nations. A
      characteristic feature of this is an extremely great difference in respect of the
      expected incidence of the tumour between persons who had been in contact--even
      though a long time back--with asbestos fibre dust, or who worked or resided near
      sources of asbestos emission, or who had contact with asbestos fibres in their
      household, on the one hand, and with the rest of the population on the other.
      Hence, pleuromesothelioma is not only a tumour signalling the risk brought about
      by the presence of asbestos or of zeolites in the environment, it is also so to
      say the environmental tumour par excellence. Among the members of those artisan
      professions where products containing asbestos are being employed,
      pleuromesotheliomas have been a far more frequent source of professionally
      conditioned cancer than among the workers of the asbestos industry proper. Since
      the latency period is as a rule 30 years, the physician must go back scrupulously
      20 to 60 years in the patient's previous history to find out whether there had
      been an exposure to asbestos at any time that would induce tumour formation, the
      more so since a mere couple of weeks' exposure can be enough to induce a tumour
      so many years later. On account of the pleurotropy of inhaled asbestos fibres,
      pointers to an asbestosis of the lungs and/or pleura should be followed up on
      target. Further practical consequences are discussed.

PMID- 1876593
TI  - [Diagnosis of diffuse pleural mesotheliomas].
AB  - Main clinical symptoms and signs in diffuse malignant pleura mesotheliomas are
      thoracic pain (58%) and gradually increasing dyspnoea (50%). Pleural effusion is
      the most frequent x-ray manifestation (80%), but it is haemorrhagic in only 50%
      of the cases. Cytology has a sensitivity of approx. 50%; with the epithelial type
      it yields definitely better results (76%) than with the biphasic (49%) or fibrous
      (25%) types. The carcinoembryonic antigen level is usually low in the effusion,
      but enhanced values do not exclude a diffuse malignant pleura mesothelioma. For
      differentiation against metastasised adenocarcinomas, which is often difficult,
      it is recommended to effect histological examination of the tumour tissue
      obtained either by pleura punch biopsy (sensitivity 40-50%) or by thoracoscopy
      (sensitivity 90-95%). In this manner, accurate staging is possible in conjunction
      with CT. Particularly in case of fibrous growth, it is sometimes only thoracotomy
      that enables final diagnostic clarification.

PMID- 1876594
TI  - [Therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma].
AB  - The different therapeutical procedures of malignant pleura-mesothelioma are
      reviewed. A comparison of studies published so far is difficult or impossible
      because of the heterogeneity of the clientele and of the protocols. The median
      survival of untreated patients is 6 months from the date of diagnosis. Radical
      surgical treatment results in 2-year survival in 10-37%. As these data are not
      different from those of untreated patients, and additionally this procedure is
      associated with a perioperative mortality of 6-31%, the indication for radical
      resection has to be applied very critically. As pleuramesotheliomas are often
      resistant to radiotherapy, tumour remissions under this treatment are extremely
      rare. However, this therapy has a palliative analgesic benefit. Chemotherapy with
      anthracycline containing combinations leads to partial remissions in 20% and a
      median survival of 11 months. Whether multimodal therapeutical concepts are
      advantageous or not, will have to be established.

PMID- 1876595
TI  - Ultrastructural characterization of calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing
      fibers and islet cells in the rat pancreas.
AB  - Morphology and structural organization of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
      immunoreactive nerve fibers and islet cells in rat pancreas were analyzed with
      light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Immunoreactive axons
      innervate exocrine and endocrine parenchyma, but are most abundant in connective
      tissue septae between pancreatic lobules and within the perivascular space of
      small arterioles. In the stromal compartment and perivascular space,
      immunoreactive product is confined to thin, unmyelinated axons, which represent a
      prominent component of large nerve bundles, composed of numerous, other,
      unlabeled axons and dendrites. Immunoreactive axons and terminals display
      multiple varicosities, filled with lucent spherical vesicles (40 nm average
      diameter), and are often in direct contact with unlabeled dendrites, presumed to
      arise from intrinsic pancreatic neurons. However, definitive synaptic contacts
      involving immunoreactive axon terminals were never observed, nor was CGRP
      immunoreactivity ever detected in neuronal cell bodies within intrapancreatic
      ganglia. Cellular immunoreactivity is relegated to perikarya at the peripheral
      margin of each islet of Langerhans, which emit one or more short, thick
      processes, which often terminate upon fenestrated capillaries. Immunoreaction
      product in these cells is concentrated in large secretory vesicles (approximately
      230 nm diameter), which are dispersed throughout the somata and frequently appear
      to open into the perivascular space of capillaries. Immunoreactive axons,
      innervating the islets, are sparse and do not appear to have preferential
      association with immunoreactive cells. Present findings provide further evidence
      for a dual role of CGRP in pancreatic functions via a neuronal pathway and
      hormonal mechanisms.

PMID- 1876596
TI  - Pancreatic secretion by the anaesthetized rabbit in response to secretin,
      cholecystokinin, and carbachol.
AB  - Considerable differences exist among species in the patterns of regulation of
      pancreatic secretion. Although rabbit pancreas is quite often used for in vivo
      and in vitro studies of pancreatic function, responses of this gland in vivo to
      common pancreatic stimuli have never been characterised in detail. That was the
      purpose of this study. The data demonstrate the existence of a spontaneous fluid
      secretion that can be increased by intravenous infusions of secretion
      (sevenfold), cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK8) (threefold), and carbachol
      (sixfold). The electrolyte composition of the secretion evoked by each of these
      stimuli was similar: sodium and potassium concentrations were constant and
      slightly higher than those in plasma at all secretory rates, whereas bicarbonate
      concentration rose with secretory rate to approach a plateau of about 125 mmol/L,
      and chloride concentration fell to a plateau of about 35 mmol/L. In terms of
      protein secretion, secretin caused a small but significant rise in output, while
      CCK8 and carbachol evoked the expected large increase. Thus, regulation of
      pancreatic electrolyte secretion in rabbit differs from that in dog, cat, and
      human, on the one hand, and rat, on the other hand, and most closely resembles
      the pattern observed in guinea pig.

PMID- 1876597
TI  - The effect of dopamine in a model of biliary acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
AB  - Perfusion of the main pancreatic duct in cats with a dilute solution of bile
      salts increases ductal permeability. Subsequent perfusion of a permeable duct
      with activated pancreatic enzymes results in acute edematous pancreatitis.
      Simultaneous infusion of 16-16 dimethyl-PgE2 converts edematous pancreatitis to
      acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis (AHP). AHP may be associated with a reduction in
      pancreatic blood flow; it is certainly associated with increases in microvascular
      permeability. Low dose dopamine is a splanchnic vasodilator and may also reduce
      pancreatic microvascular permeability through beta agonist effects. In these
      studies, we investigated the effect of dopamine in an established feline model of
      biliary AHP. We also studied its effect on blood flow in both normal pancreas and
      after induction of AHP. We found that dopamine significantly reduced the degree
      of pancreatic inflammation, even when administered up to 12 h after onset of
      biliary AHP. However, the drug had no significant effect on blood flow either in
      normal pancreas or in the gland affected by hemorrhagic pancreatitis. We
      concluded that the effect of dopamine was most likely due to its ability to
      reduce pancreatic microvascular permeability.

PMID- 1876598
TI  - Pancreatic polypeptide and peptide YY inhibit the denervated canine pancreas.
AB  - Pancreatic polypeptide and peptide YY are inhibitors of pancreatic exocrine
      secretion in vivo but not in vitro, which suggests secondarily mediated
      mechanism(s) of action. To determine the role of extrinsic neural and intrinsic
      cholinergic elements on this inhibitory effect, a total of nine dogs underwent
      two-stage extrapancreatic denervation and creation of a chronic pancreatic
      fistula. After recovery, pancreatic polypeptide or peptide YY (400 pmol/kg/h) was
      administered during the intermediate hour of a 3-hour secretion (125
      ng/kg/h)/cholecystokinin (50 ng/kg/h) infusion. Exocrine secretion pancreatic
      polypeptide or peptide YY hours was compared with that of the first and third
      hours. The studies were then repeated during infusion of atropine (10
      micrograms/kg/h). Despite extrinsic denervation, pancreatic polypeptide and
      peptide YY significantly inhibited secretin/cholecystokinin-induced pancreatic
      output. Although less profound, significant inhibition persisted in the presence
      of an atropine background. Pancreatic polypeptide or peptide YY infusion also
      decreased the exocrine response to meal stimulation. We conclude that the
      inhibitory effects of pancreatic polypeptide and peptide YY are not mediated by
      extrapancreatic, and possibly not by intrapancreatic cholinergic, neural
      pathways.

PMID- 1876599
TI  - Intracolonic infusion of bile salt stimulates release of peptide YY and inhibits
      cholecystokinin-stimulated pancreatic exocrine secretion in conscious dogs.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of transanal (intracolonic)
      infusion of bile acid on release of peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK)
      stimulated pancreatic exocrine secretion in seven conscious dogs. CCK-8 (50
      ng/kg/h) was given intravenously for 120 min and either taurocholic acid (TA, 1
      or 2 mmol/h) or saline was infused transanally (150 ml/h) during the 0-60-min
      period of CCK infusion. Transanal infusion of TA (1 or 2 mmol/h) significantly
      inhibited output of CCK-8-stimulated pancreatic protein, compared to transanal
      infusion of saline during the first 60 min. On the average, the magnitude of
      inhibition was approximately 45%. Plasma concentrations of PYY increased
      significantly in response to intracolonic infusion of TA or saline. Transanal
      infusion of TA (1 or 2 mmol/h) significantly increased plasma levels of PYY when
      compared with transanal infusion of saline during the first 60 min. The magnitude
      of the increase of plasma PYY levels was approximately 50 pg/ml (p less than
      0.05). Plasma levels of pancreatic polypeptide were not altered significantly by
      transanal infusion of TA. Our results suggest that release of endogenous PYY by
      TA in the colon plays a role in the inhibition of CCK-stimulated pancreatic
      exocrine secretion. Bile salts in the hindgut may participate in the physiologic
      regulation of pancreatic exocrine secretion by stimulation of release of
      ilealcolonic PYY.

PMID- 1876600
TI  - Effect of a new synthetic protease inhibitor on beta-endorphin release during
      acute pancreatitis in dogs.
AB  - The effect on endogenous beta-endorphins of a new synthetic protease inhibitor
      was studied in acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis was induced by the injection of
      autologous bile mixed with trypsin into the main pancreatic duct after ligation
      of the accessory duct. Plasma beta-endorphin concentrations and cardiovascular
      function were measured. Ten dogs (control group) were given 10 ml/kg/h of lactate
      Ringer's solution intravenously beginning 1 h before the induction of
      pancreatitis and continuing throughout the experiments. Six dogs received an
      intravenous infusion of 3 mg/kg/h of a new synthetic protease inhibitor, E-3123
      (4-(2-succinimidoethylthio)4-geranidinobenzoate methanesuLfonate), in lactate
      Ringer's solution soon after the induction of pancreatitis. Plasma beta-endorphin
      concentrations in the control group increased significantly. However, plasma beta
      endorphin levels in the protease inhibitor group did not increase as in the
      control group. The protease inhibitor infusion improved hypotension, myocardial
      depression, and plasma lactate, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of the
      protease inhibitor on beta-endorphin release contributed to the improvement.

PMID- 1876601
TI  - Inhibitory action of islet amyloid polypeptide and calcitonin gene-related
      peptide on release of insulin from the isolated perfused rat pancreas.
AB  - Islet (or insulinoma) amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is a 37-residue peptide recently
      purified from amyloid deposits in the pancreas of patients with type 2 diabetes
      and from amyloid deposits of a human insulinoma. IAPP immunoreactivity has been
      identified in islet B cells of diabetic and nondiabetic humans. IAPP is
      structurally similar to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). The purpose of
      this study was to examine the effects of IAPP and CGRP on glucose- and carbachol
      stimulated release of insulin and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) from the isolated
      perfused rat pancreas. IAPP and CGRP, at 10(-7) M, failed to inhibit glucose
      stimulated (16.7 mM) release of insulin. At the same concentration, however, IAPP
      significantly (p less than 0.05) inhibited carbachol-stimulated (10(-7) M)
      release of insulin by 30%, and CGRP significantly inhibited carbachol-stimulated
      release of insulin by 33% when compared with the control group. IAPP also
      significantly decreased carbachol-stimulated release release of PP. IAPP and
      CGRP, at 10(-8) M, did not inhibit carbachol-stimulated release of insulin and
      PP. These results suggest that IAPP and CGRP may have roles in the regulation of
      secretion of insulin. IAPP may inhibit secretion of insulin, at least in part, by
      blocking cholinergic mechanisms.

PMID- 1876602
TI  - Tolbutamide stimulates proliferation of pancreatic beta cells in culture.
AB  - To investigate the beta-cell cytotrophic action of tolbutamide, pancreatic cells
      were dissociated from neonatal rat pancreata and then cultured for 10 days in the
      presence of various concentrations of tolbutamide. After counting insulin
      positive beta cells, dose-response curves were plotted and analyzed. Increasing
      concentrations of tolbutamide cause an increase in beta-cell numbers until a
      maximum response is reached at a concentration of about 100 micrograms/ml. At
      greater concentrations, tolbutamide becomes inhibitory. At concentrations of 100
      micrograms/ml of tolbutamide, beta-cell numbers are doubled. We further
      investigated the effect of glucose on tolbutamide-induced stimulation.
      Tolbutamide fails to stimulate beta cells after culture in medium containing low
      glucose concentrations. High concentrations of glucose are required for
      tolbutamide action. Preexposure for as little as 16 h to low glucose abolishes
      the stimulatory action of tolbutamide. The experiments indicate that adequate
      glucose concentrations are necessary for the preservation of tolbutamide-induced
      beta-cell survival and proliferation. Addition to the culture medium of the
      calcium channel blocker diltiazem or the calmodulin antagonist chlorpromazine
      affects a decrease in beta-cell numbers. This decrease depends on the
      concentration of the drug. Addition of tolbutamide reverses that decrease, which
      suggests that calcium is required for beta-cell survival and proliferation.
      Tolbutamide action seems to be specific, since fibroblasts are unaffected at
      concentrations of tolbutamide that are stimulatory for beta cells. At high
      concentrations, tolbutamide is cytotoxic for fibroblasts. Comparison with other
      sulfonylureas supports the superior activity of tolbutamide. The "second
      generation" sulfonylurea glyburide is cytotoxic.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876603
TI  - Definitions and classifications of pancreatitis.
AB  - The historical progress of medical knowledge has followed two primary courses.
      One course has been based mostly on pathology: the description of specific groups
      of features and of the corresponding causes and symptoms, i.e., the description
      of different diseases that are progressively distinguished one from another. At
      the present time, disorders of molecular biology as well as pathological lesions
      are increasingly playing a role in the definition of diseases. The second course
      is a preliminary step to the first: when pathological data have not been
      available, patients have been classified according to symptoms. This does not
      lead to the description of the diseases but rather of the syndromes. It is
      puzzling to see that this obsolete method is still commonly used in
      pancreatology.

PMID- 1876604
TI  - Pancreaticoduodenal transplantation with enteric drainage following native total
      pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis: a case report.
AB  - Pancreas transplantation is usually performed in patients with denovo type I
      diabetes, who have advanced secondary complications. We report a case in which
      whole pancreaticoduodenal transplantation, with enteric drainage, was performed
      to correct both endocrine and exocrine deficiencies in a patient with hyperlabile
      diabetes and steatorrhea, unresponsive to oral enzyme replacement therapy,
      following staged total pancreatectomy for idiopathic or familial chronic
      pancreatitis. The transplant was performed one year after completion of native
      pancreatectomy and immediately established an insulin-independent euglycemic
      state, with normal oral and intravenous glucose tolerance test results and
      correction of steatorrhea. Beginning one year posttransplant, the patient had
      intermittent episodes of steatorrhea, associated with mild elevation of blood
      sugar levels, which were presumed to be due to rejection and, indeed, responded
      to antirejection treatment with antilymphocyte globulin and temporary increases
      in steroids dosages. At 20 months posttransplant, steatorrhea did not respond to
      antirejection treatment and an acute abdomen developed. Laparotomy revealed a
      perforated graft duodenum, which was resected; pathology showed transmural
      necrosis secondary to chronic rejection. The pancreas graft itself was left in
      situ, disconnected from the intestinal tract. The patient remained normoglycemic
      after graft duodenectomy but resumed oral enzyme replacement therapy in an
      attempt to combat recurrence of severe steatorrhea. However, his overall
      situation remained improved compared to pretransplant, since the exocrine
      deficiency was tolerable in the absence of a diabetic state. Ten months postgraft
      duodenectomy (38 months posttransplant), elevations in blood sugar levels were
      treated with another course of antirejection treatment and levels temporarily
      declined. At 14 months postgraft duodenectomy (42 months posttransplant), graft
      endocrine function again declined and exogenous insulin was resumed. Six months
      later, four years after the original transplant, a new enteric-drained
      pancreaticoduodenal graft was placed, once again resulting in an insulin
      independent, steatorrheafree state. With improvements in immunosuppression,
      pancreas transplantation could be offered to selected patients with hyperlabile
      diabetes, following total pancreatectomy for benign disease; if the enteric
      drainage technique is used, in the absence of rejection, exocrine deficiency
      could be corrected as well.

PMID- 1876605
TI  - Pancreatitis caused by measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
AB  - Acute pancreatitis may result from viral infections, including mumps, coxsackie
      B, Epstein-Barr, and varicella. However, viral pancreatitis has not been reported
      after immunization with viral vaccines. We report the occurrence of acute
      pancreatitis in an adult who had received measles, mumps, and rubella II vaccine
      (MMR II).

PMID- 1876606
TI  - Pancreas divisum.

PMID- 1876607
TI  - Amino acid variations at a single residue in an autoimmune peptide profoundly
      affect its properties: T-cell activation, major histocompatibility complex
      binding, and ability to block experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

PMID- 1876608
TI  - Cerebral vascular effects of peptide histidine methionine in canine and bovine
      species.
AB  - Peptide histidine methionine (PHM) is a neuropeptide with structural homology to
      vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), itself a putative vasodilatory
      neurotransmitter. Intra-arterial administration of PHM caused a transient, dose
      dependent increase in canine vertebral artery blood flow in vivo. PHM was less
      potent in this effect than VIP. The interaction of PHM with the vasoconstrictor
      amines, norepinephrine, histamine, and serotonin, was examined using isolated
      strips of the bovine middle cerebral artery. PHM shifted the concentration
      response curves for vasocontraction by norepinephrine and histamine to the right
      but did not affect the vasocontraction induced by serotonin. These results
      suggest that PHM may have a role in the regulation of the cerebral circulation.

PMID- 1876609
TI  - Indometacin: renal handling and effects in the isolated perfused rat kidney.
AB  - We investigated renal handling and effects of indometacin on renal function in
      the isolated perfused rat kidney (IPK). Indometacin concentrations less than 2.5
      ng/ml did not influence renal function, while higher concentrations caused a
      decrease in urinary flow and electrolyte excretion. The presence of 133 ng/ml
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the perfusate fully opposed these effects on kidney
      function. Only a small fraction of the filtered indometacin is excreted into the
      urine, indicating extensive reabsorption of the compound. This is probably a
      passive process, dependent on the tubular load, urinary pH and urinary flow.
      Indometacin accumulates extensively in the IPK, causing a kidney to perfusate
      ratio between 5 and 9. Accumulation decreased with increasing perfusate
      concentration. This can be explained by active secretion: increasing the
      perfusate concentration leads to a saturation of the active secretion and a
      decrease in the relative accumulation. We conclude that indometacin accumulates
      extensively in the IPK, that it affects kidney function and that this influence
      is probably caused by the inhibition of PGE2 synthesis.

PMID- 1876610
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue.

PMID- 1876611
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in children. A masquerade ball.
AB  - Major depression disease is uncommon in children; it occurs mostly in children
      with a depressed parent or in children under major psychosocial stress such as
      physical or sexual abuse. Most depression in children is masked, i.e., the child
      presents with signs or symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain, muscle
      weakness, vomiting, dizziness, hyperactivity, or school avoidance. Careful
      evaluation of the history is required to assist in the diagnosis. Some basic
      laboratory tests should be done to rule out organic disease. Psychiatric referral
      should be carried out after an appropriate evaluation.

PMID- 1876612
TI  - Depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and the adolescent.
AB  - To summarize, CFS and depression present very real problems for adolescent
      patients, their families, and their physicians. The wealth of symptoms presented
      may signal the presence of any number of psychiatric or physiologic disorders. As
      part of the evaluation to rule out other maladies, the physician must identify
      the developmental issues and life stress events with which patients or their
      families are struggling. Helping patients to accept psychiatric referral to
      address these issues is indicated if it is thought that they may be contributing
      to the onset or maintenance of the symptoms. Referral is also indicated if a
      protracted clinical course evolves and the patient's normal course of growth and
      development appears to be in jeopardy.

PMID- 1876613
TI  - Exercise. Practical treatment for the patient with depression and chronic
      fatigue.
AB  - Exercise should be part of everyone's lifestyle, but may be a particularly
      important part of the treatment of patients with depression and chronic fatigue.
      It will reliably and consistently decrease feelings of tiredness and despondency,
      although it is seldom sufficient as a sole treatment intervention for such
      patients. When initiating an exercise program, a baseline assessment should be
      followed by an exercise prescription and an appropriate degree of patient
      education about exercise physiology. This should be followed, in addition to
      other treatment interventions, by regular follow-up visits to make appropriate
      adjustments; provide encouragement and motivation to continue; monitor weight,
      body fat, and nutrition; and assess the effectiveness of the program on the
      underlying problem.

PMID- 1876614
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in the high school student and athlete.
AB  - By presenting the salient aspects of a case study of a high school student
      athlete, we have attempted to show how participation in sports can negatively
      impact on self-concept, self-esteem, physical acceptance, and self-efficacy,
      thereby contributing to an overall feeling of inadequacy, helplessness,
      hopelessness, and ultimately leading to depression and chronic fatigue. An early
      maturer, this student experienced early success in several sports without a great
      deal of effort and investment, and derived much of his sense of being from the
      recognition and reinforcement accorded him by significant others, most notably
      from a father who placed a higher premium on success in athletics than on other
      equally worthwhile pursuits. When continued success was not forthcoming, and as
      later-maturing peers caught up to and surpassed his athletic accomplishments, the
      student sought to protect his sense of self-esteem by rationalizing that his lack
      of success was due to a physical problem. He became obsessed with the thought
      that he was gradually losing his athletic identity and he lapsed deeper and
      deeper into a depressed state. His compulsive overtraining and starvation diet
      failed to produce his image of the "ideal body" that, of course, was unachievable
      because of his distorted view of reality. Ultimately, this behavior resulted in
      hospitalization for treatment of an eating disorder and clinical depression. Even
      a successful senior football season after his psychiatric care could not filter
      through his distorted perceptions and he could not cope with the thought of
      participating in another track and field season and having his performance bested
      by others whom he had once handily beaten. Thus, once again, he engaged in self
      protective behavior and sought verification from sportsmedicine professionals.
      Diagnosis of Tom's condition was possible only through the collaborative efforts
      of the athletic trainer, physical therapist, sport psychologist, and family
      physician. Professionals involved in sportsmedicine must be aware of the critical
      role that highly valued activities like sports play in the psychosocial
      development of adolescents. To the adult, these activities may seem trivial,
      frivolous, and removed from the "real world," but to the adolescent, they are an
      important source of self-esteem during a critical and volatile period of self
      concept edification. During a period of awakening sexuality and heightened
      awareness of their physical being, activities that emphasize the physical aspect
      of self gain prominence. Those who derive positive experiences benefit from
      enhanced feelings of physical self-efficacy and self-esteem.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1876615
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in the college student-athlete.
AB  - For the most part, the intercollegiate athlete is a well-adjusted individual who
      demonstrates considerable vigor and well-being and less depression, anxiety, and
      fatigue when compared with nonathletic counterparts. The well trained athlete
      also demonstrates a personality that may be somewhat rigid, is strongly goal
      oriented, and strives for excellence. It is not unrealistic to expect that when
      confronted with diminished performance or success, athletes may be compelled to
      drive themselves harder to succeed. Such behavior typically leads to the
      phenomenon of overtraining, which can express itself in the form of chronic
      fatigue and depression. A number of other organic causes of chronic fatigue and
      depression must be excluded by careful evaluation and appropriate diagnostic
      testing. Although the evaluation of the athlete who presents with chronic fatigue
      and depression can be somewhat complex, a diagnostic framework has been outlined
      that may assist the clinician in the assessment of the athlete who presents with
      such complaints.

PMID- 1876616
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in the patient with heart disease.
AB  - Depression and chronic fatigue are frequently associated with heart disease. They
      may precede the onset of myocardial infarction, singly or together, and increase
      the morbidity and mortality of patients with a history of MI. Virtually all such
      patients have a transient depression, usually accompanied by anxiety, with onset
      soon after hospitalization. Although this depression is transient and usually
      abates spontaneously, it frequently warrants therapeutic intervention.
      Psychosocial and personality factors play a significant role in the recovery of a
      patient with a cardiac condition. The clinician must be alert for the effects of
      changing roles within the family and behaviors that may lead to chronic
      invalidism. Anxiety disorders, often combined with depression, may mimic cardiac
      disease and may result from it, leading to chronic fatigue and weakness. Proper
      diagnosis usually leads to considerable improvement. Cardiac drugs, in addition
      to many others, may produce depression and fatigue that may be misdiagnosed.
      Often, discontinuing or changing a medication will lead to marked diminution of
      such symptoms. Observational and listening skills are key ingredients of the
      "art" of medicine; they can lead to interventions that are not only therapeutic,
      but which improve the "quality" of life.

PMID- 1876617
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in cancer patients.
AB  - Fatigue is a very common symptom among cancer patients. It is crucial to diagnose
      those patients for whom the fatigue is a symptom of depression, and to treat them
      appropriately. The key to providing complete and satisfying care is to identify
      and address the psychologic, social, and medical vulnerabilities of each cancer
      patient. No one is in a better position to accomplish that than the primary
      physician.

PMID- 1876618
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue in the patient with chronic pain.
AB  - Chronic benign pain is commonly associated with chronic fatigue and depression.
      Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are also associated with each other and
      often include pain. Psychologic factors are prominent in these conditions, and
      they may share neurobiologic factors as well. Management requires separately
      addressing each component of patients' distress and usually includes physical
      rehabilitation, education, administration of nonhabituating medications and often
      counseling. Depression may be a favorable prognostic sign, as it suggests a
      treatable condition and provides incentive for recovery.

PMID- 1876619
TI  - Fatigue and depression in the patient in the intensive care unit.
AB  - The recognition, management, and treatment of fatigue and depression in the
      patient in the intensive care unit has been presented in a framework to allow
      consideration of intrapsychic, interpersonal, environmental, and disease factors
      that can be altered by various means. It is rare that fatigue so seriously
      complicates the primary illness as to be life threatening itself. Depression and
      delirium are associated with increased morbidity and mortality on their own;
      therefore, prompt attention to major depressive disorders and organic effective
      disorders is necessary. Through it all, attention to the person who has the
      disease with fatigue, depression, or both is essential.

PMID- 1876620
TI  - Depression, chronic fatigue, and the premenstrual syndrome.
AB  - Depression, chronic fatigue, and premenstrual syndrome often coexist in women
      seeking treatment for premenstrual distress. A reliable diagnosis can be made by
      prospectively rating symptoms for two cycles, taking a careful history,
      performing physical and gynecologic examinations, and obtaining basic laboratory
      test results and a psychosocial evaluation. Appropriate dietary, hormonal, or
      antidepressant treatment provided in a caring and competent manner can benefit
      many women suffering from this otherwise disabling/condition.

PMID- 1876621
TI  - Chronic fatigue and depression in the ambulatory patient.
AB  - Fatigue, pain, and emotional upset remain the most common problems affecting
      humanity and for which we still know so very little. Chronic fatigue syndrome is
      most likely a number of as yet unproven various undifferentiated illnesses that
      are exceedingly difficult to distinguish from depression. There probably is a
      subset of patients with CFS who do have true immune dysfunction and persistent
      viral infection, and this particular group of patients should be further
      investigated. This group is the minority of patients who present with chronic
      fatigue. Although chronic fatigue syndrome may be the result of an organic
      illness in psychologically susceptible individuals, it remains most important to
      assess underlying psychologic factors that then need to be addressed. These
      factors may very likely have a profound effect on immune function, but more
      research is needed in this area. The diagnostic evaluation of patients with
      chronic fatigue syndrome should initially focus on causes for fatigue other than
      Epstein-Barr viral infection. Significant underlying medical conditions should be
      ruled out, and extensive inquiry into symptoms suggestive of depression and
      anxiety should be aggressively pursued. Treatment should include psychiatric
      support and counseling, good nutrition, adequate rest, and a gradual increase in
      activity. Anti-inflammatory agents and serotonin-replenishing antidepressants are
      helpful when muscle pain and tenderness are a major part of the patient's
      symptoms. Psychoactive drugs are useful when indicated. Low doses of
      antidepressants such as doxepin (10-25 mg at night) are generally well tolerated
      and have shown efficacy in numerous patients, although there are no reports of
      controlled trials.

PMID- 1876622
TI  - Treatment of depression. New pharmacologic approaches.
AB  - Recurrent major depression is an underdiagnosed, undertreated mood disorder that
      affects approximately 10 million Americans. Although the tricyclic
      antidepressants are the oldest and best studied class of antidepressant
      medications available, their use is routinely compromised by unsatisfactory
      pharmacokinetic and side-effect profiles. The newer antidepressant medications
      have longer half-lives and are less likely to produce side effects. The
      prototypes of the newer antidepressants are bupropion (Wellbutrin) and fluoxetine
      (Prozac). Fluoxetine distinguishes itself in that its half-life is 2 to 3 days,
      whereas the mean half-life of buproprion and the tricyclics are 10 to 14 hours.
      For this reason, fluoxetine is routinely administered once daily in the morning.
      Both of these agents bind to the cholinergic, histaminergic, and alpha-1
      adrenergic receptors with minimal affinity, and are less likely to yield
      clinically significant side effects. The use of the newer antidepressants has led
      to improved patient compliance and physician acceptance.

PMID- 1876623
TI  - Depression and chronic fatigue. Indications for psychiatric consultation.
AB  - Symptoms of fatigue and the fatigue syndrome itself are familiar complaints heard
      by nonpsychiatric physicians in the general hospital. The nature of these
      complaints is often diffuse and frequently conceals atypical psychiatric
      disorders. In the general hospital setting, consultation psychiatry, which
      functions as the interface between psychiatry and these medical practitioners, is
      ideally situated to assist in the assessment and management of these patients.
      This article reviews the methods of approach that psychiatric consultants can use
      to assist their nonpsychiatric colleagues in identification and referral for
      problems involving fatigue. In addition, a brief review of diagnosis, management,
      and treatment of such patients is given.

PMID- 1876624
TI  - Depression and fatigue in the primary care physician.
AB  - Fatigue is a symptom that is found in a variety of psychiatric disorders. The
      nature of a physician's life may foster such symptoms that can be either a
      reaction to work or a sign of an emotional disorder. This article summarizes
      various developmental stages that can lead to such problems. These difficulties
      may also be found in the physician's family and can be easily overlooked.

PMID- 1876625
TI  - Relationship of lateral ventricular size to psychophysiological measures and
      short-term outcome.
AB  - To examine clinical and psychophysiological correlates of lateral ventricular
      size, computerized tomographic (CT) scans were obtained on a sample of 88
      patients who had experienced their first psychotic episode. Patients met DSM-III
      criteria for schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, or affective disorder with
      psychotic features. For patients with schizophrenia, large lateral ventricles
      were associated with unfavorable outcome. No association between outcome and
      ventricular size was found in patients with affective or schizophreniform
      disorder. Patients with mood disorders who had large ventricles consumed
      significantly greater amounts of alcohol than those with small ventricles. No
      differences were found between patients with large or small ventricles in
      premorbid functioning, smooth pursuit eye tracking, or electrodermal activity.

PMID- 1876626
TI  - Atenolol in premenstrual syndrome: a test of the melatonin hypothesis.
AB  - Eleven patients with prospectively documented premenstrual depression were given
      100 mg atenolol or placebo daily to suppress melatonin secretion during the
      symptomatic premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle. There was no significant
      improvement in mood following treatment with atenolol vs. placebo. These findings
      suggest that bright light may exert antidepressant effects in patients with
      premenstrual syndrome through mechanisms other than melatonin suppression and
      that atenolol does not appear to be a viable treatment modality for the majority
      of patients with premenstrual depression.

PMID- 1876627
TI  - Disengagement of attention in schizophrenia.
AB  - We compared covert shift of visual attention in patients with schizophrenia or
      bipolar disorder, both in states of remission, to normal controls to examine the
      persistence of lateralized attentional deficits into nonpsychotic states.
      Although patients were slower in all conditions than normals, there was no
      difference in pattern of attentional shift among the groups. This suggests that
      the left-hemisphere deficit in shift of covert attention in schizophrenia may be
      limited to periods of florid illness.

PMID- 1876628
TI  - Noradrenergic function in obsessive-compulsive disorder: behavioral and
      neuroendocrine responses to clonidine and comparison to healthy controls.
AB  - To evaluate noradrenergic (NE) function in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
      behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine responses to the alpha 2-adrenergic
      agonist clonidine were examined in 18 patients with OCD and 10 healthy subjects.
      Subjects received single i.v. doses of 2 micrograms/kg of clonidine administered
      under double-blind, placebo-controlled, random-assignment conditions. Following
      clonidine, but not following placebo, patients transiently experienced a
      significant reduction of obsessions and compulsions. Significant drowsiness and a
      reduction in anxiety were also noted, but the antiobsessional effect appeared
      independent of the soporific and antianxiety effects. Growth hormone (GH),
      cortisol, and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol responses to clonidine did not
      differentiate patients from healthy controls. Blood pressure and pulse in
      response to clonidine did not differ between groups. Improvement in OCD symptoms
      after clonidine significantly correlated with GH response to clonidine,
      suggesting specific noradrenergic mediation. This finding lends only partial
      support for a primary defect of noradrenergic function in OCD.

PMID- 1876630
TI  - MRI-induced headache.

PMID- 1876629
TI  - Mania: sympathoadrenal function and clinical state.
AB  - We investigated sympathoadrenal and sympathetic nervous system activity,
      catecholamine disposition, and clinical state in 19 hospitalized manic patients.
      Severity of the core manic syndrome, anxiety, and hostility correlated with 24
      hour urinary excretion of epinephrine relative to its metabolites, but only
      weakly with norepinephrine. Agitation, however, correlated most strongly and
      significantly with norepinephrine. Eight of the patients had mixed states:
      concurrent manic and depressive syndromes. There were no differences between
      mixed and pure manic patients with respect to catecholamine or metabolite
      excretion or precursor/product ratios, but mixed manic patients tended to have
      higher excretion of norepinephrine and had increased variance with respect to
      catecholamine measures. These data suggest that the function of the adrenal
      medulla, whether directly or indirectly, is important in the symptoms of both
      mixed and pure mania.

PMID- 1876631
TI  - Doubt about evidence for a schizophrenia gene on chromosome 5.

PMID- 1876632
TI  - Epidemiological study of eating disorders: time for a change of emphasis.

PMID- 1876633
TI  - Amnesia: lesion location and functional deficit--what is the link?

PMID- 1876634
TI  - Karl Philipp Moritz' Journal of Empirical Psychology (1783-1793): an analysis of
      124 case reports.
AB  - Karl Philipp Moritz edited Gnothi Sauton, the Journal of Empirical Psychology
      (1783-1793), which stands as the first of numerous psychological and psychiatric
      periodicals. We evaluated 124 psychiatric or neurological case reports from the
      journal according to modern diagnostic criteria and present a brief outline of
      the contributors' and patients' sociodemographic characteristics, selected case
      reports and the surmised risk factors. A reliable diagnostic reassignment of the
      well-described cases was feasible; this may indicate that patients retain similar
      psychiatric disturbances over the centuries. As in the popular literature of the
      period, examples of 'sentimental students' and 'desperate soldiers' represented
      the most frequently discussed, prototypical high-risk personalities in the
      Journal, which marked the step from literature to empirical science. The
      influences of this case material upon contemporary psychiatric writing and
      thought are reviewed.

PMID- 1876635
TI  - Blunting of neuroendocrine responses to infusion of L-tryptophan in women with
      perimenstrual mood change.
AB  - The neuroendocrine response to L-tryptophan infusion was measured at two stages
      of the menstrual cycle, premenstrually and postmenstrually, in 13 women with and
      13 women without premenstrual depression (the MC and NMC groups respectively).
      Previous studies have shown that in non-depressed women, this challenge test
      results in an increase in circulating prolactin and growth hormone. In depressed
      women both responses are blunted. In this study the growth hormone and cortisol
      responses were smaller in the MC group than the NMC group on both occasions. The
      prolactin response was blunted premenstrually compared with postmenstrually in
      both groups. These findings suggest that women who experience premenstrual
      depression may have neuroendocrine abnormalities throughout the cycle. The
      neurotransmitter abnormalities reflected in these altered endocrine responses
      appear to interact with neuroendocrine changes that normally occur premenstrually
      resulting in a vulnerability to depression at that phase of the cycle.

PMID- 1876636
TI  - A further exploration of the relationships between immune parameters and the HPA
      axis activity in depressed patients.
AB  - In order to investigate the relationship between the immune apparatus and the
      hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity in depressed patients, we
      measured in vitro lymphocyte responses to the mitogens Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA),
      Pokeweed (PWM) and Concanavalin A (Con A) and 8 a.m. baseline cortisol values in
      plasma, free cortisol excretion in 24 h urine (UFC), basal and post-dexamethasone
      beta-endorphin values. Major depressed patients with melancholia/psychotic
      features exhibited a significantly lower mitogen-induced blast transformation as
      compared to minor and simple major depressed patients. The lymphocyte responses
      to the three mitogens were significantly inversely related to baseline cortisol
      values and postdexamethasone beta-endorphin values. The proliferative capacity of
      lymphocytes to stimulation with PHA and PWM was significantly and positively
      related to UFC excretion. Up to 45% of the variance in the immune-responses to
      the mitogens was explained by the baseline cortisol, post-dexamethasone beta
      endorphin and UFC values.

PMID- 1876637
TI  - Centrum semiovale white matter CT changes associated with normal ageing,
      Alzheimer's disease and late life depression with and without reversible
      dementia.
AB  - A standardized, reliable means of assessing CT attenuation numbers in the centrum
      semiovale and surrounding grey matter was developed. This was applied to cranial
      CT scans of 60 normal controls (36 aged greater than 60 years), 25 elderly
      patients with major depression (14 of whom had the dementia syndrome of
      depression), and 10 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subjects received
      neuropsychological evaluation. Centrum semiovale (CSO) CT attenuation numbers
      decreased with increasing age for both white and grey matter. White matter
      attenuation values best discriminated elderly controls from the three patient
      groups. Both white and grey matter CSO attenuation values correlated with
      performance on a number of cognitive tasks.

PMID- 1876638
TI  - Nature, nurture and depression: a twin study.
AB  - We studied a series of twins systematically ascertained through 214 probands (84
      monozygotic, 130 dizygotic) who had had one or more episodes of hospital-treated
      major depression. A variety of definitions of depression were applied to the co
      twins all of which resulted in (a) markedly higher rates of disorder than are
      found in the general population, (b) significantly higher monozygotic than
      dizygotic concordance. The results of applying a simple additive model in which
      depression is considered as a threshold trait suggested that both genetic factors
      and shared family environment make substantial and significant contributions to
      the familiality of depression.

PMID- 1876639
TI  - Coping: a genetic epidemiological investigation.
AB  - This study examines data on self-report coping behaviour, life events and
      symptoms of anxiety and depression in a general population sample of 827 female
      twin pairs. Factor analysis identified three almost uncorrelated coping factors:
      turning to others; problem solving; and denial. Turning to others and problem
      solving were negatively and denial was positively related to levels of anxiety
      and depression. Turning to others and problem solving buffered the depressogenic
      and anxiogenic effects of stressful life events, while denial exacerbated the
      anxiogenic effects of life events. Structural equation model-fitting indicated
      that twin resemblance in turning to others and problem solving could be explained
      entirely by genetic factors with an estimated heritability of 30 and 31%,
      respectively. For denial, twin resemblance could be best explained by familial
      environmental factors accounting for 19% of the total variation. Genes may affect
      the vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in part by influencing coping
      behaviour.

PMID- 1876640
TI  - Psychiatric symptoms, personality and ways of coping in chronic fatigue syndrome.
AB  - This study aimed to investigate the psychological characteristics of chronic
      fatigue syndrome (CFS: Holmes et al. 1988). A battery of psychometric instruments
      comprising the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Beck Depression Inventory
      (BDI), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Lazarus
      Ways of Coping (WoC) inventory, was administered to a sample of clinically
      defined CFS sufferers (N = 58), to a comparison group of chronic pain (CP)
      patients (N = 81) and to a group of healthy controls matched for sex and age with
      the CFS sample (N = 104). Considerable overlap was found between CFS and CP
      patients at the level of both physical and psychological symptoms. This raises
      the possibility that CFS sufferers are a sub-population of CP patients. However,
      while there was some commonality between CFS and CP patients in terms of
      personality traits, particularly the MMPI 'neurotic triad' (hypochondriasis,
      depression and hysteria), CFS patients showed more deviant personality traits
      reflecting raised levels on the first MMPI factor, emotionality. Moreover,
      results were not consistent with the raised emotionality being a reaction to the
      illness, but rather were consistent with the hypothesis that emotionality is a
      predisposing factor for CFS. The majority of CFS patients fell within four
      personality types, each characterized by the two highest MMPI scale scores. One
      type (N = 20) reported a lack of psychological symptoms or emotional disturbance
      contrary to the overall trend for the CFS sample. This group conformed to the ICD
      10 classification of neurasthenia.

PMID- 1876641
TI  - Factors affecting survival in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Factors affecting survival of 178 patients diagnosed using NINCDS/ADRDA criteria
      for Alzheimer's disease were studied. All patients were drawn from the Camberwell
      Health Authority Area and so were a representative sample of subjects from a
      clinical old age psychiatry service. The mortality rate of the sample was 3.5
      times that expected after adjustment for age. Younger subjects had a higher
      standardized mortality ratio than older subjects. The cumulative three-year
      mortality of the sample was 47%. Factors shown to be associated with a reduced
      survival included: increasing age, longer duration of illness, male sex, presence
      of physical illness, poor cognitive function, observed depression and absence of
      misidentification syndromes. Apraxia was a stronger predictor of early death than
      aphasia or dysmnesia.

PMID- 1876642
TI  - Season of birth for Alzheimer's disease in the Southern Hemisphere.
AB  - Season of birth was compared in 170 clinically diagnosed cases of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD) in Australia and 170 matched controls. A further comparison was made
      with a large population sample of the elderly. No evidence for seasonality of
      birth was found. This finding held not only for the total series of 170 cases,
      but also for the 143 born in the Southern Hemisphere, for sporadic cases, and for
      those with earlier onset. These negative findings in Australia contrast with the
      positive finding in London by Philpot et al. (1989).

PMID- 1876643
TI  - The psychobiology of minor head injury.
AB  - Twenty-six consecutive admissions to an accident and emergency unit with minor
      head injury were examined. This was defined as a head injury warranting brief in
      patient overnight stay but with a post-traumatic amnesia of less than 12 hours.
      Each patient had a neurological examination, a post-traumatic symptom check list
      completed, EEG power spectra analysis and auditory brain stem-evoked potential
      recordings, and a four-choice reaction-time measurement. These assessments were
      repeated six weeks later. Six months after the head injury a symptom check list
      was completed and four-choice reaction time measured again. Post-traumatic
      symptoms are persistent in half of all patients at six weeks and six months
      follow-up. The EEG power spectra showed a significant change in theta power
      between the first recording and the second one at six weeks, with relative
      reduction being noted. Approximately half of all patients had significant delays
      in brain stem conduction time at day 0. There was a trend towards a decrease in
      brain stem conduction time at six weeks, though in almost half the brain stem
      conduction time still remained abnormal at six weeks. Head-injured patients had
      prolonged choice reaction times at day 0 with serial improvement between then and
      six months, though the values at six weeks were still significantly longer than
      healthy controls. It is suggested that these findings reflect both cortical and
      brain stem damage following minor head injury, the brain stem damage being more
      persistent. There appear to be three patterns of recovery, half recovering within
      six weeks, a minority persisting over six months with persisting brain stem
      dysfunction and less than a third showing an exacerbation of symptoms with no
      evidence of brain stem dysfunction, the exacerbation being possibly a consequence
      of psychological and social factors.

PMID- 1876644
TI  - Occurrence of schizotypal and borderline symptoms in parasuicide patients:
      comparison between subjective and objective indices.
AB  - Seventy-six patients were interviewed within a week of admission following a
      parasuicide episode. Axis II diagnosis on DSM-III was made for schizotypal,
      borderline, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorder. In addition patients
      completed a self-rating questionnaire, the Schizotypy Questionnaire of Claridge &
      Broks (1984), which assesses schizotypal and borderline personality traits. The
      objective and subjective indices of schizotypal and borderline symptoms
      correlated significantly but allocation of patients to a diagnosis missed several
      patients who nevertheless rated themselves as having a high frequency of these
      symptoms. There was an asymmetry of symptom pattern reminiscent of Foulds &
      Bedford's (1975) hierarchy model. The presence of schizotypal symptoms appeared
      to be higher in the hierarchy: they predicted borderline symptoms, but a high
      frequency of borderline symptoms did not necessarily predict schizotypy. We
      suggest that the occurrence of schizotypal symptoms should become a more explicit
      focus of clinical assessment and treatment of these patients, especially those
      who repeatedly harm themselves and we suggest ways in which cognitive therapies
      may be adapted to do this.

PMID- 1876645
TI  - Parasuicide and the lunar cycle.
AB  - Admissions to hospital following parasuicide in one city over eighteen years
      exhibit a cyclical variation apparently synchronized with the lunar quarters. The
      effect would only account for approximately 0.7 out of the average of 46
      parasuicides per 100,000 adults per lunar cycle (95% CI 0.6-0.8), and fails to
      reach statistical significance.

PMID- 1876646
TI  - Perceived interpersonal risk factors of non-endogenous depression.
AB  - In a case-control study, two potential interpersonal risk factors of non
      endogenous depression, namely a patient's perception of their current intimate
      partner as dysfunctional and a patient's recall of exposure to previous
      deprivational parenting, were quantified. The interpersonal characteristics of
      the partner were assessed principally by a brief self-report questionnaire, the
      Intimate Bond Measure (IBM). By cross-sectional and longitudinal comparison of
      this instrument with other interview-derived and self-report measures, the
      convergent, discriminant and predictive validity of the IBM in depressed patients
      was established. Further, little evidence of any distorting effect of depressed
      mood or neuroticism was detected. The perception of the current intimate partner
      as dysfunctional imparted a risk to non-endogenous depression of at least five
      times, while reported exposure to parental 'affectionless control' was quantified
      as a four times' risk. Importantly, IBM care scores predicted the course of the
      depressive disorder over a six-month period.

PMID- 1876647
TI  - Psychosocial family intervention in schizophrenia: a review of empirical studies.
AB  - This paper reviews the recent empirical studies on psychosocial family
      intervention in schizophrenia. Six family educational intervention studies and
      five more intensive family work studies with 2-year follow-up have been included.
      A series of questions is asked relating to the effects of such interventions, the
      efficacy of the different educational models, the active ingredients of these
      multi-component treatment packages, and the contribution of this new generation
      of studies to our understanding of the mechanisms through which these
      interventions work. Suggestions for further research are made. Finally, from the
      published manuals, the common components of these diverse, multi-component
      treatment packages of different family-intervention studies are identified.

PMID- 1876648
TI  - Object chaining and thought disorder in schizophrenic speech.
AB  - The phenomenon of object chaining was investigated to determine its relationship
      to thought disorder in schizophrenia. Samples from thought-disordered
      schizophrenics (N = 12) and controls (10 non-thought-disordered schizophrenics
      and 10 normals) were analysed. Using the object subject ratio (OSR) to measure
      object chaining, we found higher OSRs in the speech of thought-disordered
      subjects than in that of subjects free of thought disorder. Object chaining
      correlated with low predictability of speech. We conclude that object chaining is
      associated with reduced speech comprehensibility and probably contributes to the
      judgement that thought disorder is present.

PMID- 1876649
TI  - Follow-up studies of anorexia nervosa: a review of four decades of outcome
      research.

PMID- 1876650
TI  - The incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in primary
      care.
AB  - General practitioners using DSM-III criteria have studied the incidence and
      prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in a large (N = 151,781)
      representative sample of the Dutch population. The incidence rate for anorexia
      nervosa is 6.3 and for bulimia nervosa 9.9 per year per 100,000 population. The
      prevalence of bulimia nervosa is three times higher in larger cities than in
      smaller urbanized or rural areas, while anorexia nervosa is found with almost
      equal frequency in areas with a different degree of urbanization.

PMID- 1876651
TI  - DSM-III compulsive personality disorder: an epidemiological survey.
AB  - A two-stage probability sample of community subjects was developed with a full
      psychiatric examination employing DSM-III criteria in conjunction with the
      Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) survey conducted in Baltimore, MD. This
      report details the observation on those subjects diagnosed with compulsive
      personality disorder and compulsive personality traits. The results indicate that
      this condition has a prevalence of 1.7% in a general population. Male, white,
      married and employed individuals receive this diagnosis most often. Our data
      suggest a dimensional rather than categorical character for this disorder. The
      disorder imparts a vulnerability for the development of anxiety disorders.

PMID- 1876652
TI  - Determinants of somatization in primary care.
AB  - This study explores possible determinants of somatization in primary care.
      Hypotheses were tested on samples of 'somatizers', 'psychologizers' and controls
      recruited by epidemiological procedures. Although 'somatizers' were found to be
      similar to 'psychologizers' in many respects, they were (i) less depressed; (ii)
      reported lower levels of social dissatisfaction, social stress and less
      dependence on their relatives; (iii) more likely to have an unsympathetic
      attitude towards mental illness and less likely to consult a doctor about
      psychological symptoms, and (iv) more likely to have received medical in-patient
      care as an adult before they had consulted their doctor with their current
      illness. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research.

PMID- 1876653
TI  - General practitioner referral to specialist psychiatric services: a comparison of
      practices in north- and south-Verona.
AB  - Specialist psychiatric services run by the Italian National Health Service are
      mainly hospital-based in North-Verona and community-based in South-Verona. Ninety
      two GPs from both areas participated in a one-day survey of their provision of
      psychiatric care, and this paper focuses on socio-demographic and clinical
      variables associated with specialist psychiatric referral. The one-day prevalence
      figure for GP referral to specialist psychiatric services was 7.3% (17.6/10,000):
      the figures did not differ between the sexes or between the two areas. Whereas in
      North-Verona 49% of the patients referred were sent to the two local hospital
      based public services and 51% to other agencies (mainly to private
      psychiatrists), in South-Verona 71% of referrals were to the community-based
      public service. Log-linear analysis showed that past psychiatric history,
      psychological presenting complaint, social problems and GPs' psychiatric
      diagnosis exerted positive joint main effects on GP referral to specialist
      psychiatric services, and that diagnosed organic illness had a negative effect in
      this regard. In the presence of a psychological complaint, a psychiatric
      diagnosis proved to be quite unimportant, so that those without a psychiatric
      diagnosis were just as likely to be referred as those with one. However, in the
      absence of a psychological complaint a GP diagnosis of depression greatly
      increased the risk of referral. Though the type of psychiatric service proved not
      to be an important determinant of GP referral to specialist psychiatric services
      it influenced the GPs' choice of referral agency.

PMID- 1876654
TI  - A three-year follow-up of psychiatric morbidity in urban and rural primary care.
AB  - Follow-up by examination of medical and psychiatric records was carried out on
      357 patients with conspicuous psychiatric morbidity in two general practices
      three years after clinical and personality assessment using structured interview
      schedules. One practice was an inner-city urban one and the other was rural. Full
      follow-up data over the 3-year period was available for 301 patients (84.3%).
      After three years patients with personality disorder and those in the urban
      practice had greater morbidity, more contacts with all levels of the psychiatric
      service and more psychotropic drugs, particularly benzodiazepines. Despite this
      increased morbidity, the number of consultations with the general practitioner
      for psychiatric illness was no higher in the urban group and those for medical
      illness were significantly higher in the rural one. The implications of the
      findings are discussed with particular reference to developments in community
      psychiatric care.

PMID- 1876655
TI  - Life events, social problems and physical health status as predictors of
      emotional distress in men and women in a community setting.
AB  - The main aim of this study was to construct logistic models of emotional distress
      (defined as a GHQ-30 score of 6 or greater) in a community sample of 226 men and
      225 women. The independent variables included were: sociodemographic
      characteristics, physical health status, social problems and undesirable life
      events. Univariate comparisons showed that in both sexes undesirable life events
      and social problems were associated with emotional distress; in men the presence
      of physical symptoms and widowed, separated or divorced status also showed such
      an association. Separate logistic regression models for men and women confirmed
      the importance of undesirable life events and social problems as predictors for
      emotional distress. In women there was also a significant interaction effect
      between the two variables on emotional distress. Sociodemographic characteristics
      and physical health status did not exert a statistically significant effect in
      these models.

PMID- 1876656
TI  - In sickness and in health: associations between physical and mental well-being,
      employment and parental status in a British nationwide sample of married women.
AB  - Many studies have been published which have examined the relationship between
      paid employment and women's health. As employment outside the home is likely to
      have differential effects for women with different family commitments, further
      analysis taking account of the association between paid employment and household
      circumstances is necessary. Using data from a large, representative British
      sample, this paper examines the effects of interactions between paid employment,
      social class, and parental status on women's health. The results show
      differential effects of these variables on physical and mental health. The most
      important influence on women's mental health (as measured by the 30-item General
      Health Questionnaire) is the age of their youngest child; women with children
      under five are most likely to show signs of psychological disturbance. With
      respect to physical health, age of the youngest child has no significant effect,
      but there is an interaction between employment status and social class. Paid
      employment, particularly full-time work, is associated with good physical health
      for middle-class women but not for working-class women.

PMID- 1876657
TI  - The use of the Clinical Interview Schedule for the evaluation of mental health in
      the aged community.
AB  - As a part of a survey to study the health and living conditions of the elderly
      population, a random sample of residents aged 65 and over are examined using the
      Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) in order to evaluate their psychiatric status.
      The aim of this study is to evaluate this standard method of assessment as a case
      identification instrument in our country. The schedule was completed by 91
      subjects. It is easily administered, easily scored, and economical on time. Its
      completion rate is high. The weighted total scores (WTS) range from 0 to 48.
      Using the case criteria defined by Cooper & Schwarz (1982), 27 subjects (30%) are
      considered cases and 64 (70%) are regarded as non-cases. The sensitivity
      coefficients for the WTS are examined against the overall severity rating at
      different cut-off points. The optimum cut-off can be anywhere between 16 and 20
      points. The WTS has higher validity coefficients to detect the following
      diagnostic categories (sensitivity, specificity): normals (100%,-); personality
      (100%, 92%) and affective disorders (100%, 75%). In general the CIS items are
      given low ratings. Psychotic symptoms are rarely found in this sample. One main
      problem arose: the item depersonalization is misunderstood by some patients
      probably because of interpreting it as an upsetting memory disturbance.

PMID- 1876658
TI  - Effects of food FR and food deprivation on disruptions in food-maintained
      performance of monkeys during phencyclidine withdrawal.
AB  - Six rhesus monkeys self-administered orally-delivered phencyclidine (PCP) and
      water under concurrent fixed-ratio (FR) 8 schedules. Liquids were available
      during three 6.5-h periods daily preceded by 1-h components when food was
      available under an FR 64 (lever press) schedule. After 10 days of stable
      behavior, water was substituted for PCP for 8 days. PCP was subsequently
      reinstated, and this PCP withdrawal sequence was repeated using different food FR
      values (64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024). Each time the food FR was changed behavior
      was allowed to stabilize for at least 10 days. Under all FR values food
      maintained responding decreased markedly during PCP withdrawal, with a gradual
      recovery over the next 8 days. As the FR value increased from 64 to 1024 there
      was a parallel shift downward in food-maintained performance. When PCP was
      reinstated, food-reinforced responding generally returned to baseline rates
      during the first few days. In a second experiment monkeys were tested for PCP
      withdrawal effects under relatively food deprived or food satiated conditions
      under both an FR 512 and 1024 schedule of food delivery. The results showed that
      the decrease in food-maintained responding during withdrawal was inversely
      related to the total amount of food consumed during the control period. The
      results of these experiments indicate that manipulation of both the response
      requirements for food (FR) and the total amount of food available (food
      deprivation/satiation) alters the magnitude of response disruptions during PCP
      withdrawal.

PMID- 1876659
TI  - Different patterns of behavior produced by haloperidol, pentobarbital, and
      dantrolene in tests of unconditioned locomotion and operant responding.
AB  - Three motor-impairing drugs with different putative mechanisms of action
      (haloperidol 0.00, 0.075, 0.15, 0.30 mg/kg IP; pentobarbital 0.00, 4.5, 9, 12
      mg/kg IP; and dantrolene 0.00, 5, 7.5, 10 mg/kg IP) produced strikingly similar
      patterns of dose-dependent attenuation in unconditioned locomotor behavior.
      However, the same drugs and doses produced highly divergent patterns of
      disruption when tested using different groups of rats in a food-rewarded operant
      task, which included both response initiation and maintenance components (FR1-FR1
      two lever chain). Haloperidol animals began the session as fast as vehicle
      animals and slowed dose-dependently across trials; pentobarbital animals started
      off significantly slower than controls but soon achieved comparable speeds; and
      dantrolene animals were slower throughout the session. These results suggest that
      the observed neuroleptic-induced deterioration in responding over trials,
      especially in response initiation, was not simply a result of motoric disruption.
      Rather, the profile of this deterioration is consistent with the anhedonia
      hypothesis of neuroleptic action and supports the view that dopamine neurons are
      involved in the biological basis of food reward.

PMID- 1876660
TI  - Opiate antagonists reduce cocaine but not nicotine self-administration.
AB  - Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine in 1-h sessions on a fixed ratio 5
      (FR5) schedule of reinforcement. Acquisition was carried out at a unit dose of
      0.3 mg/kg and responding was then stabilized at cocaine doses of 0.1, 0.3, and
      1.0 mg/kg/infusion. Pretreatments with naltrexone (0.1-10 mg/kg, SC) 20 min prior
      to the start of self-administration sessions resulted in decreases in cocaine
      self-administration at doses of 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg/infusion, but not at 1.0
      mg/kg/infusion. Decreases depended on the dose of naltrexone used, with greater
      decreases in self-administration occurring at higher antagonist doses. In
      addition, treatment with the opiate antagonist naloxone also reduced cocaine self
      administration at a unit dose of 0.3 mg/kg. A group of rats trained to self
      administer nicotine at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg/infusion on the same schedule of
      reinforcement was unaffected by naltrexone treatment. These results may indicate
      that an endogenous opiate system plays a role in cocaine reinforcement.

PMID- 1876661
TI  - Selective dopamine antagonists reduce nicotine self-administration.
AB  - The effects of selective D1 (SCH23390) and D2 (spiperone) dopamine antagonists,
      as well as of haloperidol, were examined on nicotine self-administration, food
      maintained responding, and locomotor activity in rats. Antagonists reduced both
      operant responding and locomotor activity. Response patterns indicated that motor
      impairment was not the cause of the decreases, since responding was attenuated
      only in the latter half of operant sessions. Locomotor activity scores were
      significantly reduced by SCH23390, but not by spiperone. The effects of dopamine
      antagonists on nicotine self-administration are different from the effects of
      these antagonists on cocaine self-administration. Results are discussed in terms
      of the role of dopamine in drug reinforcement versus its role in sensorimotor
      integration.

PMID- 1876662
TI  - Tolerance to the analgesic, but not discriminative stimulus effects of morphine
      after brief social defeat in rats.
AB  - One of the most prominent consequences of defeat in a social confrontation is a
      long-lasting tolerance-like insensitivity to the analgesic effects of opiates,
      even when only small short-lived changes in nociception are detectable during the
      acute social stress. The present experiments examined (1) which kinds of social
      experiences lead to morphine tolerance, (2) whether or not the morphine tolerance
      in defeat-experienced rats extends from the analgesic effects to the
      discriminative stimulus and rate-decreasing effects of morphine, and (3) how long
      morphine tolerance lasts after a defeat experience. After five brief social
      confrontations including attack and threat by a resident rat leading to
      submission or defeat of the intruder, the latter exhibits marked tolerance to the
      analgesic effects of morphine, but not to the discriminative stimulus or
      behaviorally suppressive effects. Changes in social housing did not alter
      morphine's behavioral effects. Tolerance to the analgesic morphine effects was
      detected for 2 months after the defeat experience, whereas the discriminative
      stimulus and rate-decreasing effects were closely similar to those before defeat.
      This pattern was seen in animals for whom discriminative stimulus training with
      morphine was suspended after defeat as well as in those for whom it continued. In
      additional defeated and non-defeated animals, morphine's effects on the acoustic
      startle reflex was assessed. In contrast to the tail flick reflex to a noxious
      heat stimulus, the acoustic startle response remained unaffected by defeat
      experience or by morphine (up to 30 mg/kg). The long-lasting and large degree of
      tolerance after brief social defeat experiences appears to be limited to the
      analgesic effects of morphine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876663
TI  - Ultrasounds during morphine withdrawal in rats.
AB  - Ultrasounds (US) in rats may communicate affective states, as they occur only in
      highly significant situations such as maternal care, sex and aggression.
      Withdrawal from morphine is a manipulation which dramatically alters autonomic,
      somatic and motor functions; the present experiment demonstrated the production
      of US in this context and the influence of previous social experience in their
      production. Sixty male Long-Evans rats with distinct social experiences (social
      inexperience, defeat or copulation) underwent 72 h of continuous morphine
      exposure (4 x 75 mg morphine or placebo pellets) and subsequent withdrawal. The
      rats were observed for 10 min in equally treated pairs and while solitary at 6,
      24 and 96 h after pellet removal. US were emitted by all groups and consisted
      primarily of two distributions of pure tone whistles with little frequency
      modulation: 1-2 s 21-25 kHz ("low") signals and the more prevalent 0.02-0.1 s 44
      52 kHz ("high") signals. Morphine withdrawn rats lost weight, displayed wet dog
      shakes, were hypoactive and emitted threefold more US vocalizations with a
      fourfold greater duration than placebo controls. Defeat-experienced morphine
      withdrawn rats were more hypoactive than either socially inexperienced or
      copulatory experienced rats while increasing vocalization rates and total
      duration. This increased duration of ultrasounds included a shift in the
      distribution of individual US durations from less than 0.3 s to greater than 1.0
      s. US are readily emitted at high rates in morphine withdrawn laboratory rats,
      which may implicate an opioid involvement in their generation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876664
TI  - Influence of acute and chronic haloperidol treatment on dopamine metabolism in
      the rat caudate-putamen, prefrontal cortex and amygdala.
AB  - The present study investigated the actions of single and repeated injections of
      the classical antipsychotic drug, haloperidol (1 mg.kg-1 IP), on dopamine (DA)
      metabolism in three distinct rat brain regions, namely the prefrontal cortex,
      amygdala and caudate-putamen (CP), using a high-performance liquid
      chromatographic assay. Acute administration of the drug caused significant
      elevations in concentrations of two major DA metabolites in all three areas
      studied. Less marked acute increases were seen in the CP following 10 days of
      repeated haloperidol treatment. However, in both the prefrontal cortex and the
      amygdala, the development of such "tolerance" was somewhat delayed in comparison,
      occurring only after a 22-day treatment schedule. The amygdala displayed the
      greatest degree of neurochemical tolerance, returning to control values by day 22
      of chronic treatment. When allowance was made for the withdrawal effects of
      antipsychotic drug administration, a genuine tolerance phenomenon was observed in
      all three areas examined. These data suggest that if neurochemical tolerance is a
      prerequisite for functional DA receptor blockade and hence therapeutic efficacy,
      then both the prefrontal cortex and amygdala should be considered as potential
      therapeutic targets of haloperidol and perhaps antipsychotic drugs in general.

PMID- 1876665
TI  - Cholinergic stimulation of substantia nigra: effects on feeding, drinking and
      sexual behaviour in the male rat.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that cholinergic stimulation of the substantia nigra
      increases food intake but not other activities. The present experiments were
      undertaken to determine whether or not activities other than feeding could be
      stimulated if conditions were appropriate. Microinjections of the cholinergic
      agonist carbachol (0.5 micrograms/0.5 microliters each side) bilaterally into
      substantia nigra increased the consumption of dry spaghetti, and, in subsequent
      tests, changed sexual behaviour in male rats. Ejaculation, mount and intromission
      latencies were unaffected but intromission frequency (though not mount frequency)
      was reduced following cholinergic stimulation (experiment 1). In a second
      experiment, an increase in the consumption of 2.0% saccharin solution and lab
      chow was stimulated by intranigral carbachol while the intake of tap water, and
      locomotion, gnawing, grooming, rearing and sniffing were all unaffected. These
      data indicate that cholinergic stimulation of substantia nigra can affect
      activity for which there is a pre-existing tendency, regardless of its form. A
      possible role for nigral acetylcholine in the control of pars compacta dopamine
      containing neurones is discussed.

PMID- 1876666
TI  - Evaluation of a psychophysiological model of classical fear conditioning in
      anxious patients.
AB  - Skin conductance variables have been compared in 30 anxious patients and 30
      controls to investigate the extent to which anxiety is associated with increased
      autonomic arousal, reduced habituation or enhanced aversive conditioning. Skin
      conductance level, variability (spontaneous fluctuations) and response amplitudes
      to tones were significantly greater in patients than controls. Habituation of
      skin conductance responses to a series of ten innocuous tones (80 dB, 1 s) did
      not differ between the groups. Aversively conditioned skin conductance responses
      were measured to a further series of ten tones after a conditioning trial in
      which a loud white noise (100 dB) followed tone 11. All subjects showed enhanced
      (conditioned) responses to the tones after the conditioning trial, but patients
      did not show greater conditioning than controls. The results indicate that
      anxious neurotic out-patients have greater sweat gland activity and reactivity
      than controls but fail to demonstrate differences in central mechanisms of
      habituation or conditioning.

PMID- 1876667
TI  - Characterization of a psychophysiological model of classical fear conditioning in
      healthy volunteers: influence of gender, instruction, personality and placebo.
AB  - Two experiments are described which evaluate the role of associative mechanisms
      and placebo effects on aversively conditioned skin conductance responses in
      groups of healthy volunteers. In both experiments, skin conductance level (SCL),
      variability (spontaneous fluctuations, SF) and amplitude (SCR) were recorded
      during a sequence of tone stimuli (80 dB, 1 s, 360 Hz). All the variables
      habituated during the first ten presentations of the tones. Tone 11 was
      immediately followed by a loud (100 dB) aversive brief (1 s) white noise UCS. The
      conditioning trial significantly enhanced SCRs to a further ten presentations of
      the tones and increased SCL and variability (SF). No enhancement of SCRs occurred
      when tone 11 was omitted and the UCS occurred in temporal isolation (experiment
      1). Thus enhanced SCRs to tones following paired tone-noise presentation involves
      an associative mechanism. Increased "spontaneous" variability was shown to
      involve both conditioning and sensitization following the UCS. In both
      experiments females showed greater conditioned SCRs than males. In experiment 2
      no effect of "anxiolytic" placebo could be discerned and there were no general
      relationships between questionnaires scores of extraversion or neuroticism with
      skin conductance measures in a group of 40 volunteers. The results question the
      role of conditionability and autonomic lability as major determinants of
      extraversion and neuroticism. These studies validate the use of the
      psychophysiological model of aversive conditioning in pharmacological studies of
      the mechanisms of habituation, conditioning and sensitization.

PMID- 1876668
TI  - Biphasic effect of tricyclic antidepressants on the release of norepinephrine
      from the adrenergic nerves of the rabbit heart.
AB  - The release of norepinephrine (NE) from the right atrium of the rabbit heart was
      used as a model to investigate biphasic effects due to tricyclic antidepressants,
      similar to those clinically observed in the treatment of depression and known as
      "therapeutic window". Strips of the atrium were loaded with 3H-NE, and then
      superfused by Krebs solution. The basal release and the electrical stimulation
      evoked release of 3H-NE were measured in the presence and absence of four
      clinically used tricyclic antidepressants: imipramine, amitriptyline, desipramine
      and nortriptyline. In addition, guanethidine, an adrenergic neuron blocker, was
      also studied. At lower concentrations (0.5-10 microM) tricyclic antidepressants
      increased, whereas higher concentrations (50-100 microM), inhibited the evoked
      release of NE. This inhibition was not prevented by the alpha2 adrenoceptor
      antagonist yohimbine, excluding the possibility of alpha 2 adrenoceptor-mediated
      inhibition of NE release. In higher concentrations the tricyclic antidepressants
      increased the basal release of NE in a Ca-independent way. Secondary amine
      derivatives were more potent inhibitors of the evoked release, and enhance the
      resting basal release of NE to a greater extent than the tertiary ones.
      Similarly, guanethidine (1-50 microM) also decreased the evoked release and
      increased the basal release of NE in a concentration dependent manner. Yohimbine
      failed to counteract the inhibition caused by guanethidine and the increment of
      the basal release was Ca-independent. It is concluded that the effect of
      tricyclic antidepressants in potentiating the release of NE is masked by their
      adrenergic neuron blocking properties, i.e. they inhibit the release of
      NE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876669
TI  - Effects of nicotine on the acoustic startle reflex amplitude in rats.
AB  - The acoustic startle reflex was used to measure changes in sensorimotor
      reactivity in response to nicotine administration and cessation. Male rats
      received saline, 6 mg/kg/day or 12 mg/kg/day nicotine delivered subcutaneously by
      osmotic minipumps. The pumps delivered their contents during a 10-day period of
      implantation, after which time they were explanted. Animals were tested for
      startle reflex amplitudes using two levels of white noise bursts prior to pump
      implantation, on days 1 and 7 of nicotine or saline administration, and on
      several days following drug cessation. Nicotine produced a dose-dependent
      increase in startle amplitude during the period of administration that decreased
      during cessation. Results are interpreted in terms of nicotine's actions to
      enhance attentional processes.

PMID- 1876670
TI  - An animal model of anhedonia: attenuation of sucrose consumption and place
      preference conditioning by chronic unpredictable mild stress.
AB  - Chronic exposure to very mild unpredictable stress has previously been found to
      depress the consumption of, and preference for, highly palatable sweet solutions.
      The present study used the place conditioning procedure to investigate whether
      these effects result from a decreased sensitivity to reward. Rats were subjected
      to chronic mild unpredictable stress for a total of 4 weeks. During weeks 3 and
      4, they received four training trials, in which rewards were presented in a
      distinctive environment, and four further non-rewarded trials in a different
      environment. The rewards used in different experiments were food pellets, dilute
      (0.7%) and concentrated (34%) sucrose solutions, and dl-amphetamine sulphate (0.5
      and 1.0 mg/kg). In all experiments, non-stressed animals showed an increase in
      preference for the environment associated with reward; in stressed animals, these
      effects were abolished or greatly attenuated. Chronic unpredictable mild stress,
      which may be comparable in intensity to the difficulties people encounter in
      their daily lives, appears to cause a generalized decrease in sensitivity to
      rewards.

PMID- 1876671
TI  - Naloxone blockade of amphetamine place preference conditioning.
AB  - Amphetamine and naloxone were examined in place conditioning, in order to study
      possible interactions between endogenous opioids and catecholamines in
      reinforcement. After initial preferences were determined, animals were
      conditioned with amphetamine alone (1.0 mg/kg SC), naloxone alone (0.02, 0.2 or
      2.0 mg/kg SC) or combinations of amphetamine plus naloxone. A reliable, long
      lasting preference for the compartment associated with amphetamine was observed,
      reflecting the reinforcing properties of this drug. No preference or aversion was
      observed in animals that received saline in both compartments. Naloxone (0.02,
      0.2 and 2.0 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent place aversion; while the lowest
      dose had effects similar to saline, the higher doses produced significant place
      aversions. Naloxone, at all three doses examined, prevented the ability of
      amphetamine to produce a place preference. Thus, the lowest dose of naloxone,
      having no effects alone in place conditioning was still able to block the
      reinforcing effects of amphetamine. These results suggest that the reinforcing
      effects of amphetamine are dependent on activation of opiate receptors, and
      provide further evidence that interactions between endogenous opioids and
      catecholamines may be important in reinforcement.

PMID- 1876672
TI  - Enhanced development of morphine tolerance in rats treated with 2-deoxy-D
      galactose.
AB  - Rats treated subcutaneously for 6 days with morphine developed a weak tolerance
      which was characterized by a decrease in the analgesic action of the opioid.
      Under those experimental conditions a simultaneous intracerebroventricular
      application of 2-deoxy-D-galactose enhanced development of morphine tolerance,
      while other deoxy-sugars like 2-deoxy-D-glucose and 6-deoxy-D-galactose were
      ineffective. In contrast, no influence of 2-deoxy-D-galactose on a more enhanced
      morphine tolerance after a 11-day pretreatment with morphine was found. The
      results are discussed in the light of a rather specific interference of 2-deoxy-D
      galactose with neuronal glycoprotein processing and related cellular mechanism
      underlying adaptive processes involved in the development of morphine tolerance.

PMID- 1876673
TI  - Audiogenic seizure susceptibility: inhibitory effect of glucose injection is
      counteracted by prior glucose.
AB  - Audiogenic seizure susceptibility was examined in SJL/J mice injected with
      glucose 15-30 min before priming and/or subsequent tests. The obtained results
      confirm previous reports that glucose will inhibit seizure activity if given
      shortly before a test. In addition, it was found that glucose give 2-4 days
      previously would counteract the inhibitory effect of glucose injected shortly
      before testing.

PMID- 1876674
TI  - Society for Psychophysiological Research, 31st annual meeting. October 9-13,
      1991, Chicago, Illinois. Abstracts.

PMID- 1876675
TI  - The use of biosensors in pacemaker technology: experience with a ventricular rate
      responsive pacemaker.
AB  - Ten elderly patients each had a ventricular rate responsive pulse generator
      (Activitrax) placed in them to help correct severe conduction abnormalities; none
      had suspected ischemic heart disease. The pulse generator was programmed to a
      maximal pacing rate of 125 ppm, a medium activity threshold, and a rate response
      of 6. Six weeks after implantation of the pulse generator, the patients were
      evaluated before exercising and again when the pacing rate reached 125 ppm. The
      evaluation protocol included an M-mode echocardiogram from which the following
      measurements were taken: the left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV), the end
      systolic volume (ESV), the ejection fraction (EF), and the peak systolic
      pressure/end-systolic volume (PSP/ESV). The numerical values were recorded,
      calculated, and compared statically with the following results: the EDV increased
      from 91 +/- 10 to 125 +/- 20 cc (p less than .05); the ESV decreased from 64 +/-
      10 to 24 +/- 6 cc (p less than .005); the EF increased from 41 +/- 5 to 61 +/-
      10% (p less than .05); and the PSP/ESV ratio increased from 1.70 +/- 1 to 4.10 +/
      2 mm Hg/cc (p = 10). Also, during the maximal pacing rate, the septum of all
      patients showed paradoxical septal motion. All patients in our study have been
      asymptomatic and have shown an increase in their exercise capacity. We conclude
      that during exercise the left ventricular function ins influenced more by heart
      rate than by AV synchrony, as indicated by an elevated EDV in most patients.

PMID- 1876676
TI  - Bacterial infections in a hematology and oncology inpatient unit. Changing
      spectrum of bacteremias.
AB  - The incidence of infection is increased in patients with cancer and certain
      hematologic disorders. We retrospectively reviewed all the patients evaluated for
      infection in our Hematology-Oncology unit during a six month period. The purpose
      of this study was to identify the most common organisms causing infection,
      evaluate the usefulness of tests performed as well as to determine the outcome
      and complications of therapy. Contrary to earlier experience the most common
      organisms causing bacteremia were gram-positive. Despite this finding, gram
      negative organisms remained important pathogens specially of the respiratory and
      urine tract judging by their predominance in urine and sputum cultures. Of the
      commonly ordered tests, the chest X-ray was the most frequently positive test for
      infection and the complication rate of antibiotic therapy was 15%. We conclude
      that in addition to the traditional antibiotics effective against gram-negative
      organisms, institution of antibiotics effective against gram-positive organisms
      including Staphylococcus epidermides, should be considered early in the
      management of these patients.

PMID- 1876677
TI  - New concepts in the field of vascular disorders of the skin.

PMID- 1876678
TI  - Health conditions among elderly Puerto Ricans: gender differences.
AB  - The health conditions of 466 free-living elderly Puerto Ricans were surveyed
      islandwide between September 1984 and September 1985. The questions pertaining to
      this topic are made up of 17 items: seven questions about background information
      and a list of ten of the most frequently reported health conditions among the
      elderly. It is part of a larger study of the socio-demographic characteristics of
      this population, comprised of 173 questions. The statistical tests of
      significance utilized were those of Kendall's Tau B and Cramer's V. The
      structural variables of sex, age, and marital status were found to be the most
      statistically significant for the presence of health conditions at the time of
      the interview. The implications of this for the elderly, social and public policy
      planners, formal and informal care gives and the health care establishment are
      discussed.

PMID- 1876679
TI  - [Utilization of health services in Puerto Rico of persons with mental disorders].
AB  - As part of a major study on the prevalence of mental disorders in Puerto Rico,
      this paper describes the mental health care utilization patterns of persons with
      a Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) disorder within the last year. The main
      findings of this analysis show that a) there is a high rate of health service
      utilization, b) the public sector is the main provider of services c) persons
      with a DIS disorder use more the non psychiatric physician d) those with alcohol
      abuse and/or dependence tend to use more the services of general practitioners
      while schizophrenics, somatizers and those with cognitive impairment use more the
      services of mental health specialists. The use of other resources such as clergy
      or spiritualists do not substitute the use of health services.

PMID- 1876680
TI  - [Knowledge, practices and attitudes towards AIDS in young Puerto Ricans].

PMID- 1876681
TI  - "Is leishmaniasis possible in Puerto Rico?".
AB  - In a survey encompassing eight different ecological regions, Lutzomyia
      cayennensis puertoricensis was found in five, and L. c. viequesensis in one of 24
      sites. The search centered on arboreal microhabitats. These subspecies were the
      two phlebotomids reported 40 years before by Fairchild and co-workers. In the
      face of these findings the possibility of leishmaniasis being introduced from the
      Dominican Republic is discussed. It was concluded that conditions in Puerto Rico
      do not seem apt for the establishment of the disease.

PMID- 1876682
TI  - Lactic acid levels as a prognostic measure in acutely Ill patients.

PMID- 1876683
TI  - Striving for the sharpest image.

PMID- 1876684
TI  - Radiography of the ankle mortise.
AB  - Radiographers often use methods to position the ankle that produce inaccurate
      images of the ankle mortise. This article describes a technique using a 15 degree
      to 20 degree internal-oblique position of the leg and foot to demonstrate the
      ankle mortise radiographically. A textbook protocol also is included.

PMID- 1876685
TI  - Port film dosage in radiation therapy.
AB  - Portal verification has led many radiation therapy departments to implement
      policies of taking weekly port films for every patient. This has caused some to
      question the impact of port film dosage, once considered negligible. Using
      clinical data from 100 patients, this article examines the impact of port film
      dosage and offers suggestions for documentation and alternatives for decreasing
      dosages.

PMID- 1876686
TI  - Computer frame freezing of fluoroscopic images.
AB  - Simple but flexible frame freezing of fluoroscopic images can improve the utility
      of real-time x-ray imaging. A frame-freeze system based on a personal computer
      has been developed. The system is easily installed using standard hardware that
      is non-invasive of the fluoroscopic imaging chain. The frozen images can be used
      as a reference or for hard-copy documentation of real-time or videotaped
      procedures.

PMID- 1876687
TI  - Teaching strategies to foster critical thinking.
AB  - The teaching of critical thinking is a relatively new focus in higher education.
      Some argue that to advance as a profession radiologic technology must examine the
      role of critical thinking in the professional curriculum. Attitudes that impede
      critical thinking are presented as well as sample teaching methods designed to
      foster critical thinking.

PMID- 1876688
TI  - People make the difference.

PMID- 1876689
TI  - Educational levels, ethnic origin and age.

PMID- 1876690
TI  - Click on the video learning connection.

PMID- 1876691
TI  - Child abuse--mistaken diagnosis?

PMID- 1876692
TI  - [Low radiation doses: risks and benefits].

PMID- 1876693
TI  - [Radiation risks. Results of the new evaluation].
AB  - The dose revision for the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the
      evaluation of cancer mortality, based on data up to 1985, resulted in new
      estimates of radiation risks that are substantially larger than the earlier
      estimates. The new results and reasons for the changes are discussed. The risk
      estimates are related to the current discussion on dose limits in radiation
      protection and to the attempts to reduce doses in X-ray diagnostics.

PMID- 1876694
TI  - [A new radiation protection dose limit for occupationally exposed personnel in
      the Federal Republic of Germany].
AB  - In the Federal Republic of Germany, as in most other countries, the dose limit is
      50 mSv per year for occupationally exposed persons, as recommended by the
      International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). A reduction in the
      annual dose limit was recently considered in connection with a discussion of a
      higher estimation of radiation risk. In the recent amendment of the German
      Radiological Protection Ordinance, however, the dose limit of 50 mSv per year was
      retained and additionally a new occupational lifetime dose limit of 400 mSv was
      introduced. The possible consequences of the 400 mSv dose limit will be discussed
      on the basis of the previous results of dose monitoring in the Federal Republic
      of Germany.

PMID- 1876695
TI  - [Intra-arterial fibrinolysis in central artery occlusion].
AB  - Central retinal artery occlusion is known to have a poor natural outcome, and
      also conventional therapeutic procedures e.g. paracentesis, hemodilution or local
      massage show unfavorable results. As in intraarterial fibrinolytic therapy in
      cerebral vessels, we also applied this method to the territory of the ophthalmic
      artery in 6 patients with occlusion of the central retinal artery. The
      fibrinolysis was done with a microcatheter superselectively, placed in the
      proximal part of the ophthalmic artery. The amount of urokinase varied from
      200,000 to 900,000 IU, diluted in saline solution. In 5 patients, fluorescein
      angiography was carried out before and after fibrinolytic therapy, confirming the
      significant improvement of retinal and choroidal perfusion seen on the arterial
      ophthalmic angiogram. All patients showed an improvement of visual function after
      therapy, two patients even had a complete recovery of visual acuity.

PMID- 1876696
TI  - [Intracranial giant aneurysm due to the effects of radiation].
AB  - Two cases of intracranial giant aneurysms of the carotid artery are presented,
      probably caused by radiation damage. Both patients had been treated for
      hypophyseal adenoma by transfrontal implantation of yttrium seeds (35 and 45
      mCi). Preoperative carotid angiographies had shown no vascular abnormalities; the
      aneurysms were revealed 8 and 11 years after these examinations. No identical
      cases could be found in the literature. Further etiological hypotheses are
      discussed.

PMID- 1876697
TI  - [Spontaneous healing of a carotid-cavernous sinus fistula].
AB  - After a fall, a 67-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital. The unique
      clinical sign was an exophthalmus, which led to the diagnosis of carotid
      cavernous sinus fistula. During his stay in our clinic the fistula was verified
      by CT and angiography. Transfemoral embolization was planned, but the fistula
      closed spontaneously prior to the intervention.

PMID- 1876698
TI  - Congenital A-V fistula of the breast.
AB  - A case of congenital A-V fistula in the breast of a young woman is presented. The
      chief complaint was murmur when lying down, especially in the prone position, a
      palpable lump and the presence of varicose-like veins in the breast.
      Arteriography revealed an A-V fistula in the left breast. The arterial supply
      originated from the ipsilateral internal mammary vein and superior thoracic
      artery and drainage was towards the axillary vein and, to a minor degree, towards
      the internal mammary vein. The lesion was corrected surgically. Six months later
      there was no evidence of recurrence.

PMID- 1876699
TI  - Postprandial gastro-oesophageal reflux demonstrated by radiology.
AB  - An investigation to detect food-stimulated gastro-oesophageal (GE) reflux was
      carried out in 54 consecutive fasting patients, 35 of whom experienced reflux
      while 19 did not. All patients then received a standard meal (566 kcal), and the
      investigation was repeated 1 h later. Out of the 35 with GE reflux in the fasting
      state, 33 also had GE reflux in the postprandial state, and 17 of the 19 patients
      with no GE reflux while fasting also had none in the postprandial state. It is
      concluded that the radiological method can identify most patients in whom food
      stimulated GE reflux could be of clinical significance.

PMID- 1876700
TI  - [Multiple para-aortal accessory spleens. Differential diagnosis from
      retroperitoneal lymphoma].
AB  - We report a case of multiple paraaortic accessory spleens in the retroperitoneal
      space. CT guided large-bore biopsy confirmed the diagnosis and excluded malignant
      involvement of retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

PMID- 1876701
TI  - [History of the German-Japanese Radiological Affiliation].

PMID- 1876702
TI  - [An unusual cardiac configuration. Heterotopic heart transplantation in
      endomyocardial fibrosis].

PMID- 1876703
TI  - [Acute pancreatitis?].

PMID- 1876704
TI  - Nurse negligent in mixing twins: Res Ipsa Loquitur.

PMID- 1876705
TI  - Recovery room nurse fails to monitor patient. Case in point: Eyoma v. Falco (589
      A. 2d 653--NJ 1991).

PMID- 1876706
TI  - Legal case briefs for nurses. OR.: did nurse fail to call ambulance?; "Hearsay
      evidence"; GA.: agency seeks injunction vs. former employee: "trade secret".

PMID- 1876707
TI  - Sexual relationship with patient: license revocation. Case in point: Heinecke v.
      Dept. of Commerce (810 P, 2d 459--UT 1991).

PMID- 1876708
TI  - Drug receptors and control of the cardiovascular system: recent advances.

PMID- 1876709
TI  - Molecular modeling and quantitative structure-activity analysis of antibacterial
      sulfanilamides and sulfones.

PMID- 1876710
TI  - Chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis.

PMID- 1876711
TI  - Pharmacology of synthetic organic selenium compounds.

PMID- 1876712
TI  - [Idea and reality of teaching analysis. A plea for reforms (I)].

PMID- 1876714
TI  - [Religious roots of antisemitism].
AB  - In agreement with Freud, the author characterizes the unconscious structure of
      ecclesiastic and of contemporary racist anti-Semitism as paranoid projections of
      unconscious guilt feelings and of profound narcissistic injury. Chasseguet
      Smirgel's thesis concerning the perverse character of anti-Semitism and Ostow's
      attempt to relate anti-Semitism to apocalyptic ideas are discussed as well.

PMID- 1876713
TI  - [3 letters by Anna Freud to Eva Rosenfeld].

PMID- 1876715
TI  - Case #4. Irritation fibroma.

PMID- 1876716
TI  - Health link. We owe it to the growing number of women afflicted with bulimia to
      be informed, aware and to care.

PMID- 1876717
TI  - Second time around.

PMID- 1876718
TI  - Make time for treatment. There needs to be a clear distinction between a recall,
      root planing and routine appointment.

PMID- 1876719
TI  - Joint risk from multiple compound exposure.

PMID- 1876720
TI  - The dependence of the risk of research reactors from their operating schedule--a
      case study.
AB  - The dependence of the radiological consequences of the "Demokritos" research
      reactor on the operating schedule of the reactor is assessed in this paper. The 5
      MW reactor is located within the limits of Athens city, a large population center
      with over 3 million inhabitants. The consequences examined would be due to the
      occurrence of a postulated accident, a 20% core melt loss of coolant accident,
      that is also considered as the design basis accident of the reactor. Three
      operating schedules are taken into account: (a) a continuous operation schedule;
      (b) a 16 hr/day, 5 days/week schedule; and (c) the present 8 hr/day, 5 days/week
      operating schedule. The assessment of the source term emerges from a conservative
      estimation of fission product releases to the reactor operating floor, and
      further under the conservative assumptions of no filter mitigation, and a ground
      release to the environment. The results of the analysis indicate that there is a
      direct relation between consequences and duration of operation, the former
      becoming appreciable as the continuous operation limit is approached. In all
      cases examined, the thyroid dose and the latent thyroid health effects would be
      the limiting consequences.

PMID- 1876721
TI  - The Seveso Directive: an Italian pilot study in enabling communication.
AB  - In 1982 the Council of the European Communities issued a Directive on the Major
      Accident Hazards of Certain Industrial Activities, commonly known as the Seveso
      Directive. Besides other requirements, the Directive specifies that members of
      the public liable to be affected by a major accident from certain industrial
      activities must be informed of safety measures and how they should behave in the
      event of an accident. The Directive was subsequently amended in an extensive way.
      Upon the transposition of the Seveso Directive and its amendments into national
      legislations, the 12 European Member States are faced with the task of
      "appropriately and effectively" informing the public about major accident
      hazards. Delays are observed throughout the community, both in transposing the
      Directives and implementing public information. A pilot study on "Risk
      Information Needs" was commissioned and carried out at two Seveso sites in Italy
      in order to begin to resolve some of the problems involved in the provision of
      public information and to suggest appropriate guidelines. One hundred subjects
      answered an experimental protocol designed to assess their "information needs."
      This article presents the theoretical background, the pragmatic aims, and the
      design of the study. It also summarizes its most relevant findings and suggests
      some recommendations for the provision of information to the public.

PMID- 1876722
TI  - Risk prevention and policy-making in automatic systems.
AB  - Accidents with automatic production systems are reported to be on the order of
      one in a hundred or thousand robot-years, while fatal accidents are found to
      occur one or two orders of magnitude less frequently. Traditions in occupational
      safety tend to seek for safety targets in terms of zero severe accidents for
      automatic systems. Decision-making requires a risk assessment balancing potential
      risk reduction measures and costs within the cultural environment of a production
      company. This paper presents a simplified procedure which acts as a decision
      tool. The procedure is based on a risk concept approaching prevention both in a
      deterministic and in a probabilistic manner. Eight accident scenarios are shown
      to represent the potential accident processes involving robot interactions with
      people. Seven prevention policies are shown to cover the accident scenarios in
      principle. An additional probabilistic approach may indicate which extra safety
      measures can be taken against what risk reduction and additional costs. The risk
      evaluation process aims at achieving a quantitative acceptable risk level. For
      that purpose, three risk evaluation methods are discussed with respect to
      reaching broad consensus on the safety targets.

PMID- 1876723
TI  - Applications of probabilistic risk assessments: the selection of appropriate
      tools.
AB  - Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is an important methodology for assessing the
      risks of complex technologies. This paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses
      of PRA. Its application is explored in three different settings: adversarial
      policy processes, regulatory/licensing procedures, and plant safety audits. It is
      concluded that PRA is a valuable tool for auditing safety precautions of existing
      or planned technologies, especially when it is carried out as an interactive
      process involving designers and plant personnel who are familiar with actual,
      everyday operations. PRA has not proven to be as well-suited in providing
      absolute risk estimates in public-policy debates concerning the acceptability of
      a technology, or for the licensing and regulatory procedures. The reasons for
      this are discussed.

PMID- 1876724
TI  - More large accidents through complexity?
AB  - Many would tend to characterize modern society as steeped in complexity. This
      complexity is seen by a number of professional people to imply risk-taking--or
      risk-making--on a high level. "A single mistake may give consequences of quite
      different proportions from earlier times," as one critic puts it. This hypothesis
      of increasing risks on a high level--of worst things getting worse--has been
      tested on fires in Sweden. Fire has always been a powerfully upsetting agent to
      the social fabric. Today industrial fires dominate the picture economically. The
      cost of industrial fires is about three times the cost of residential fires in
      Sweden. It is of interest to note that the damage cost of the worst fires (as
      measured in insurance payments) does not form an increasing part of overall fire
      damage costs, as one would expect from the above hypothesis. Whether the
      hypothesis holds with regard to indirect costs due to production stand-still is
      more uncertain. We can conclude that the potential of complexity to create large
      abnormal occurrences may have been somewhat prematurely announced--at least with
      regard to fires in Sweden.

PMID- 1876725
TI  - Public perception of the risks of floods: implications for communication.
AB  - Floods in the U.S. kill an average of 162 people each year and cause $3.4 billion
      in property damage. Flood control programs have been successful in lowering, but
      not eliminating, the risks to lives and property. Since the late 1960s, the
      federal government has emphasized flood insurance as a primary tool for improving
      location and flood-proofing decisions, as well as for reimbursing flood losses.
      Since only 12.7% of houses in flood plain areas are covered by flood insurance,
      the program has been ineffective. We interviewed people living in three
      communities that had recently been flooded. Most people had little knowledge of
      the cause of floods or what could be done to prevent damage. People who work and
      who are better educated know more and are more likely to have flood insurance.
      Current government publications about flood risks are not likely to be understood
      by those at risk. There is little effective communication about the nature and
      magnitude of the risks and what individuals can do to protect their lives and
      property and lower their financial risks. The risk management program should both
      emphasize communication and enforcement of the current law requiring people at
      risk who hold federally funded loans to be insured.

PMID- 1876726
TI  - Fishing a superfund site: dissonance and risk perception of environmental hazards
      by fishermen in Puerto Rico.
AB  - Risk perception studies show that individuals tend to underestimate significant
      risks, overestimate negligible ones, and distrust authorities. They also rely on
      a variety of strategies or heuristics to reach decisions regarding their risk
      taking behavior. We report on a survey of fishermen and crabbers engaged in
      recreational and substance fishing in a Puerto Rican estuary (near Humacao),
      which has been declared a "Superfund site" because of suspected contamination by
      mercury, and at ecologically similar control sites. Nearly everyone interviewed
      at the Humacao site was aware of the mercury contamination, but either denied its
      importance, believed the contamination was restricted to a distant part of the
      estuary, or assumed that the estuary would be closed by the authorities if the
      threat was real. All site-users consumed the fish and crabs they caught. At
      Humacao, the average catch was 7 fish per fishermen (mostly tilapia, Tilapia
      mossambica, and tarpon, Megalops atlantica) and 13 crabs per crabber (all blue
      crabs, Callinectes sapidus). On average, the site-users returned to the lagoons
      about 3-4 times per month. At control sites, fewer fish were eaten. The worst
      case consumption of tarpon, a species which concentrated mercury at Eastern
      Puerto Rico, provided an exposure exceeding the EPA reference dose, whereas
      consumption of one tarpon per week did not entail excess exposure. Fortunately,
      few individuals caught tarpon exclusively. Unlike counterparts in the
      northeastern United States, they trusted authorities and indicated that they
      would have heeded warnings of mercury contamination posted where they fished.

PMID- 1876727
TI  - Predicting EPA's forthcoming CO standards in light of new clinical evidence.
AB  - For the past several years, the EPA has been monitoring clinical studies on the
      adverse health effects of heart patients' exposure to carbon monoxide. This paper
      examines the impact of three such studies (including the multi-center CO study
      organized by the Health Effects Institute) on the forthcoming EPA standards for
      carbon monoxide. Eleven peer-nominated specialists with expertise in
      environmental science and public policy were interviewed according to a specific
      protocol. Overall, the experts felt that the HEI study would receive greater
      weight than the other two studies in the regulatory process for a variety of
      technical reasons. Weighting each expert opinion equally, we conclude that there
      is about a 0.69 probability that the CO standards will be retained at their
      present levels, a 0.28 probability that the standards will be tightened, and a
      0.03 probability that the standards will be relaxed. When asked to imagine that
      the HEI data were never collected and then asked to reassess their probability
      judgments, the mean probability judgment that the standards will be relaxed rose
      to 0.11, while the mean probability judgment that the standards will be tightened
      fell to 0.20. A modest degree of variability in expert opinion is reported in the
      paper. While the HEI study may receive relatively great weight in the regulatory
      process, it increases only slightly the probability that EPA's CO standards will
      be changed.

PMID- 1876728
TI  - A note on the influence of rail defects on the risk associated with shipping
      hazardous materials by rail.
AB  - Existing approaches to routing hazardous material shipments by rail recognize
      that track condition is an important influence, but have not included it in the
      risk assessment and routing models. This note explores the influence of track
      condition based on predictions of internal defects in the rail. The method
      developed predicts the expected frequency of accidents and subsequent
      consequences in terms of the expected number of fatalities accounting for one
      aspect of track condition-internal defects. It is intended to indicate the
      magnitude and impact of track condition. The formulation integrates models of
      consequences and the risk of a hazardous spill found in the literature with the
      frequency of accidents as a function of the number of defects. The number of
      defects may be based on observations or predicted as a function of the cumulative
      traffic. The models are used to calculate the expected number of fatalities per
      year for a particular route. Application of the methodology to a hypothetical
      route shows that the risk associated with the transportation of hazardous
      material shipments varies significantly with the expected number of defects in
      the track. Therefore, risk not only varies from route to route but over time for
      any section of track as the condition deteriorates.

PMID- 1876730
TI  - A review of FaultrEASE version 1.0.
AB  - Many systems analysts will be surprised to encounter a program which is billed as
      a fault-tree development program "perform[ing] logical mathematical operations,"
      but which does not perform Boolean reduction. The rather careful wording quoted
      in the introduction to this review can, in retrospect, be taken to refer to the
      fact that gates are quantified using formulas from the calculus of probabilities,
      and not to claim that Boolean reduction is performed. Since this program does not
      perform Boolean reduction, its use is limited to essentially graphical
      applications of the type illustrated in Fig. 1. For this limited application, the
      program has some features which make it attractive; it is easy to develop and
      print a passable drawing of a fault tree, and it is easy to do "what-if" analyses
      (looking at the effects of changing connections or statistics). However, for
      fault-tree analyses of even moderate complexity, a Boolean processor is necessary
      (a large fault tree for a real problem in which no events are repeated is
      arguably a pathological case). Many such algorithms exist on DOS machines, and
      most of them run within (and are limited to) the usual 640k memory limitation. To
      be fair, it has to be noted that some commercial algorithms of this type cost
      far, far more than FaultrEASE (their costs are measured in thousands of dollars
      rather than hundreds).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876729
TI  - Parametric distributions for soil ingestion by children.
AB  - This note presents parameterized distributions of estimates of the amount of soil
      ingested by children based on data collected by Binder et al. (1986). Following
      discussions with Dr. Binder, we modified the Binder study data by using the
      actual stool weights instead of the 15 g value used in the original study. After
      testing the data for lognormality, we generated parameterized distributions for
      use in risk assessment uncertainty analyses such as Monte Carlo simulations.

PMID- 1876731
TI  - [History of the introduction of ether anesthesia in Spain. A new contribution to
      its study].
AB  - Ether anesthesia was introduced in Spain on January 13, 1847. Dr. Diego de
      Argumosa y Obregon, from Madrid, was the first Spanish surgeon who operated with
      the help of sulphuric ether. Almost at the same time, by the end of January, the
      dentist Oliverio Machechan administered ether to 2 patients in whom he performed
      dental operations. Subsequently, ether was used in several parts of Spain:
      Barcelona, Pamplona, Motril, and by several Madrid surgeons through February and
      March. In Santiago de Compostela ether was also introduced very soon, and, on the
      basis of the data from the studies of Dr. Jose Gonzalez Olivares (the surgeons
      who first tried it in that town), most authors dealing with this issue state that
      it was probably in Santiago de Compostela where these experiments were carried
      out simultaneously with those by Argumosa in Madrid or even before. We have in
      some occasions defended that thesis; however, we were not satisfied with it and
      we decided to reinvestigate the facts. We had access to other sources and we
      concluded that anesthetics were really used a very early phase in Santiago de
      Compostela, but in the case of ether it was later than Argumosa and Oliverio
      Machechan used it in Madrid and Mendoza in Barcelona. In the present article we
      analyze these facts in detail, with emphasis on those that we consider
      historically relevant and that had not been previously dealt with by any other
      author addressing these issues.

PMID- 1876733
TI  - [Anesthetic management of a hydatid cyst adhering to the inferior vena cava].
AB  - A patient with a hepatic hydatid cyst with fistula formation to inferior vena
      cava is reported. To carry out the resection, the cyst was isolated from systemic
      circulation by means of cardiopulmonary bypass. Inferior vena cava was cannulated
      through the right atrium until the implantation area of the cyst (above the
      hepatic veins) was surpassed. Bypass was carried out in 25 minutes by means of
      cannulation of the ascending aorta, without clamping the aorta, myocardial
      protection or hypothermia. Postoperative analgesia was achieved with a lumbar
      epidural catheter. Measures to prevent anaphylactic shock are recommended, an
      anesthetic technique based on the prevention of hypersensitivity reactions and a
      careful surgical technique to prevent hydatid dissemination.

PMID- 1876732
TI  - [Anesthetic approach in 2 patients with pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis].
AB  - Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (PLM) is an idiopathic disease of females in
      fertile age. It results in respiratory failure characterized by obliteration of
      the small airways, emphysema, formation of bullae, hemoptysis, pneumothorax,
      pulmonary fibrosis, severe hypoxemia and reduced carbon monoxide diffusion
      capacity. The major lymphatic ducts are also involved, resulting in chylous
      pleural effusion and ascites. Pulmonary abnormalities improve objectively and
      subjectively after surgical therapy, which consists in bilateral oophorectomy.
      Its evolution results in death in no more than 10 years. We report the anesthetic
      approach to 2 patients with PLM. Patient 1 was a female who had already been
      diagnosed of PLM and had received medical and surgical therapy, requiring
      reoperation for the resection of cystic intestinal masses and abdominal
      eventration. Patient 2 had been scheduled for bilateral oophorectomy after a
      diagnosis of PLM. We discuss the clinical condition of both patients, the course
      of the disease, the previous treatments and the anesthetic technique in each
      case.

PMID- 1876734
TI  - [A rare complication of endotracheal intubation: posterior luxation of the left
      arytenoid cartilage].
AB  - The luxation of the arytenoid cartilage is a very uncommon complication of
      endotracheal intubation. Symptoms usually are aphonia, dysphonia, pain or
      discomfort in the throat, odynophagia and laryngeal stridor. It may be due to
      several factors: the pressure of the convex aspect of the tube on the arytenoid,
      traumatic or prolonged intubations, reintubations within a short period, or some
      systemic diseases. We report a case of posterior luxation of the left arytenoid
      in a patient who had been anesthetized for the radical cure of a left inguinal
      hernia. The clinical features developed when he recovered from anesthesia, with
      aphonia and discomfort in the throat. The diagnosis was made by indirect
      laryngoscopy. Treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents was instituted.
      Aphonia disappeared after 2 weeks and dysphonia persisted. The patient became
      asymptomatic with corticosteroids on the fourth week after operation. Early
      diagnosis under laryngoscopic vision is recommended, with adequate therapy to
      prevent fibrosis of the cricoarytenoid joint with permanent sequelae.

PMID- 1876735
TI  - [Diclofenac reduces the sedative and hypnotic dosage of midazolam].

PMID- 1876737
TI  - [Flumazenil in the treatment of floppy baby syndrome].

PMID- 1876736
TI  - [Epidural morphine and naltrexone: withdrawal syndrome].

PMID- 1876738
TI  - [Allergic reactions to local anesthetics].

PMID- 1876739
TI  - [Ether anesthesia by the rectal route].

PMID- 1876740
TI  - [Ether by the rectal route for the treatment of cholera].

PMID- 1876741
TI  - [Committee on ethics and clinical investigation].

PMID- 1876743
TI  - [Epidural perfusion with fentanyl in the treatment of postoperative pain].
AB  - In 40 patients with high abdominal surgery the analgesia achieved with continuous
      epidural phentanyl infusion was evaluated. Treatment was started when the
      patients had pain, with the injection of 150 micrograms of phentanyl in 18 ml of
      saline and going on with the infusion. The patients were divided in 4 groups.
      Each received a different infusion dose. The variables pain, alertness, pO2, pCO2
      and hemodynamic status at the beginning of infusion and after 6, 18 and 24 hours
      were evaluated. All patients had an adequate postoperative analgesia. In the
      statistical analysis the only significant difference was an increase in pCO2
      after 24 h in the patients who received the highest doses. The incidence of
      nausea and vomiting was 10%, with 13.04% of urinary retention Clinical
      respiratory depression was not observed. We think that administration of 150
      micrograms of epidural phentanyl followed by a continuous epidural infusion of
      the drug (0.5 microgram/kg/hour in 5 ml of saline) is an adequate technique of
      postoperative analgesia.

PMID- 1876742
TI  - [Comparative study of peridural anesthesia with bupivacaine alone and combined
      with fentanyl during vaginal delivery].
AB  - Two groups of primiparous women with single fetus in cephalic presentation were
      prospectively randomized at the end of pregnancy to receive epidural analgesia
      with 0.25% bupivacaine, either single (n = 102) or associated with 0.05 mg of
      phentanyl (n = 102). Phentanyl significantly reduces the period of development of
      analgesia and increases the interdose period. The quality of analgesia is
      significantly better when fentanyl is associated with bupivacaine. The evolution
      of delivery (dilatation and expulsion) and the perinatal results (cord pH and
      vitality of the newborn as assessed by the Apgar test) were similar in both
      groups. We conclude that the association of phentanyl with bupivacaine has
      advantages for epidural analgesia during delivery, as the quality of analgesia is
      improved, its duration is prolonged and there are no adverse effects on the
      evolution of delivery or on the newborn.

PMID- 1876745
TI  - [Changes in total and differential leukocyte counts during heart surgery with
      extracorporeal circulation].
AB  - The changes in leukocyte overall and differential counts during anesthesia and
      surgery were evaluated in 24 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery with
      cardiopulmonary bypass. All the end of cardiopulmonary bypass a marked and
      sustained leukocytosis was found (10.2 and 11.1 x 10(9).l-1), which was
      significantly different from baseline values (6.7 x 10(9).l-1), the values
      previous to cardiopulmonary bypass (6.2 and 6.4 x 10(9).l-1, and the values 30
      minutes after it (5.3 x 10(9).l-1). In the differential count there were
      significant increases in neutrophils, associated with band and immature forms,
      corresponding with significant reductions in lymphocytes. There was no
      significant association of leukocyte variability during and after cardiopulmonary
      bypass and the perfusion time, the type of oxygenator or the need for
      intraoperative transfusion. All the reported changes tended to become normal
      during the first postoperative days.

PMID- 1876746
TI  - [Platelet changes during heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation].
AB  - The changes in the number of platelets during anesthesia and operation were
      evaluated in 24 patients (8 females and 16 males) scheduled for cardiac surgery
      with cardiopulmonary bypass. There was a significant (p less than 0.05)
      thrombopenia at the beginning of perfusion, which persisted 60 minutes after the
      end of cardiopulmonary bypass. There were no significant differences when these
      changes were evaluated depending on the type of oxygenator, the need for
      transfusion or the duration of cardiopulmonary bypass. There was a reduction in
      the platelet count at the beginning of the bypass (207 to 124 x 10(9).1(-1), when
      blood contacts with the synthetic surfaces of the circuits and the oxygenator, al
      though-the most marked reduction was found at the end of bypass (95.9 x 10(9).1
      1), coinciding with protamine administration. The function and number of
      platelets tended to become normal in the first hours of the postoperative period.

PMID- 1876744
TI  - [Addition of fentanyl to mepivacaine in axillary brachial plexus block. Effects
      on the anesthetic and postoperative analgesic quality].
AB  - The possible potentiating effect of phentanyl on mepivacaine in brachial plexus
      blockade was evaluated, both for operative anesthesia and postoperative
      analgesia. Sixty ASA I patients, scheduled for upper limb surgery, were selected
      and distributed in 3 groups: 1) Mepivacaine 1% 40 ml (control group); 2)
      Mepivacaine 1% 40 ml + phentanyl 100 micrograms; 3) Mepivacaine 1% 40 ml +
      subcutaneous phentanyl 100 micrograms. The latency time and the quality of
      anesthesia were evaluated. The duration of analgesia was evaluated on the basis
      of the time from the administration of the first analgesic. There were no
      significant differences between the 3 groups in the latency times of the
      development of blockade nor in the quality of surgical anesthesia. Also, there
      were no significant differences in the duration of postoperative analgesia (307,
      316 and 326 minutes, respectively, in each group). It was concluded that the
      addition of phentanyl 100 micrograms to the local anesthetic in the axillary
      blockade of the brachial plexus does not change the anesthetic characteristics
      nor the time of postoperative analgesia.

PMID- 1876747
TI  - Effects of CD-349, a dihydropyridine derivative, on contraction induced by
      vasoactive agents in canine basilar artery after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - We investigated the effects of CD-349, a dihydropyridine derivative, on
      contraction induced by vasoactive agents in canine basilar artery after
      subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Ca(2+)-induced contraction of basilar arterial
      strips preincubated with serotonin (5-HT, 3x10(-6)M) was potentiated in strips
      from SAH. However, Ca(2+)-induced contraction of arterial strips which were
      depolarized with isotonic K+ (64mM) was attenuated in strips from SAH. These
      Ca(2+)-induced contractions of the basilar arteries preincubated with 5-HT and K+
      from both control and SAH dogs were significantly inhibited by CD-349 and
      nicardipine, both dihydropyridine derivatives. 5-HT contracted the basilar
      arterial strips in a concentration-dependent manner; however, the maximal
      contraction of the basilar arterial strips to 5-HT was enhanced in SAH.
      Endothelium-dependent relaxation in response to substance-P was attenuated in SAH
      when compared to that in control dogs. Early treatment with CD-349 (1 or
      2mg/kg/day, i.m.) for 1 week reversed not only the enhanced contraction of the
      basilar artery in response to 5-HT but also the impairment of endothelium
      dependent relaxation in response to substance-P in SAH. It is expected that CD
      349 may be a useful agent for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such as
      SAH.

PMID- 1876748
TI  - Influence of a pre-existing phospholipidosis on the accumulation of amiodarone
      and desethylamiodarone in rat alveolar macrophages.
AB  - Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug that concentrates in the lungs and can cause
      pulmonary damage in humans. The purpose of the present study was to examine the
      influence of a pre-existing lung pathology on the pulmonary accumulation of
      amiodarone and its primary metabolite, desethylamiodarone. To study this problem,
      male Fischer 344 rats were administered chlorphentermine to induce a
      phospholipidosis in the alveolar macrophages of the lungs. The accumulation of
      amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in phospholipidotic alveolar macrophages was
      measured following 5 weeks of amiodarone administration. When calculated on a per
      cell basis, the levels of both drugs were increased over 10-fold in phospholipid
      laden macrophages compared to cells from control rats in which a phospholipidosis
      was not present. When phospholipidotic macrophages were exposed to amiodarone and
      desethylamiodarone in vitro, both drugs were accumulated to a higher level than
      occurred in cells from control rats. The results of this study demonstrate that
      the presence of a pre-existing phospholipidosis results in an enhanced
      accumulation of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone in rat alveolar macrophages.

PMID- 1876749
TI  - Enzymatic hydrolysis of indometacin farnesil, a prodrug of indomethacin, by
      carboxylesterase in cultured synovial cells.
AB  - The hydrolysis of indometacin farnesil (IMF) in the synovial cells of rat and
      human and the subcellular fractions of rat liver were investigated in relation to
      the inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in the synovial cells. The
      inhibition of PGE2 production in cultured human synovial cells by anti
      inflammatory drugs was potent in the order of IND, IMF and acetyl salicylic acid.
      However, when the cells were pretreated with IMF, the inhibitory activity of IMF
      was retained even after the compound was washed out from the medium. No duration
      of the inhibition was seen in the pretreatment of the cells with IND or acetyl
      salicylic acid. These results suggest that IMF incorporated into the synovial
      cells was hydrolyzed gradually to IND. In fact, IMF was taken up by rat synovial
      cells in culture and considerable amount of IND, which increased with culture
      period, was found out in the cells. Furthermore, the IMF hydrolase activity was
      found in microsomal and lysosomal fractions of rat liver, and the hydrolase was
      identified as carboxylesterase by using bis-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate, a specific
      inhibitor of carboxylesterase.

PMID- 1876751
TI  - Cyclosporin A blood levels are not influenced by dietary alterations in lipids.
AB  - The bioavailability of an oral dose of cyclosporin A (CSA) is variable. CSA is
      highly lipid soluble with approximately 40% of the CSA in the intravascular
      compartment bound to lipoproteins. This study was undertaken to determine what
      effect acute alterations in plasma lipids following a high fat meal would have on
      CSA whole blood levels 12 to 14 hours after the last dose. Fifteen renal
      transplant patients with stable renal function and on CSA therapy alone for a
      minimum of three months were investigated. Anthropometric data was recorded and
      baseline blood samples were drawn for CSA, liver function, renal function,
      vitamins A and E. triglycerides, cholesterol and lipoproteins following an
      overnight fast. The subjects then received a high fat (72.8% of caloric value) or
      a low fat (12% of caloric value) meal and post-prandial samples were drawn at two
      and four hours. The correlation between CSA levels (r = 0.72) taken on the two
      study days (one week apart) was less than expected despite no change in dosage.
      Cholesterol levels remained unchanged but triglyceride levels rose following the
      high fat meal. CSA levels did not correlate with the post-prandial changes in
      triglycerides, nor with any other parameter of lipid metabolism, lipid transport,
      or total body fat. This study demonstrated that CSA whole blood levels are not
      influenced by acute variations in lipids following a meal and therefore the time
      of sampling for a CSA trough level will not be influenced by the proximity to a
      recent meal.

PMID- 1876752
TI  - Effect of microcystin-LR (MCLR) on hepatic microsomal membrane fluidity.
AB  - Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a potent cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxin which appears
      to cause death due to hemorrhagic shock secondary to blood loss from the
      vasculature into the damaged liver. The molecular mechanism of toxicity is not
      known. Previous studies have demonstrated altered hepatic sulfhydryl status and
      enhanced lipid peroxidation following exposure of mice to MCLR. In the present
      study, mice were treated with 100 micrograms MCLR/kg and killed 10, 20 or 30 min
      post-treatment. Significant time-dependent decreases in hepatic microsomal
      membrane fluidity occurred. When microsomes from control animals were incubated
      in vitro with various concentrations of MCLR, no alterations in membrane fluidity
      were observed. The results suggest that MCLR-induced alterations in microsomal
      membrane fluidity involve an indirect and secondary effect rather than a direct
      interaction of the toxin with the membranes.

PMID- 1876753
TI  - Postnatal development of acetohexamide reductase activities in microsomes and
      cytosol of rat liver.
AB  - The postnatal development of acetohexamide reductase activities in liver
      microsomes and cytosol were examined in male rats. The developmental pattern of
      acetohexamide reductase activity in liver microsomes was distinguished from that
      in liver cytosol. Furthermore, acetohexamide reductase activity in liver
      microsomes was effectively suppressed by castration, but the activity in liver
      cytosol was not affected by castration. These results clearly indicate that
      enzymes with physiologically different roles can catalyze the metabolic reduction
      of acetohexamide in rat liver.

PMID- 1876750
TI  - Effect of vanadate on renal hypertrophy and sorbitol accumulation in
      streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats.
AB  - Vanadate has been previously shown to normalize blood glucose in streptozotocin
      induced diabetic (STZ-DM) rats. The effect of a previously studied dose of
      vanadate (0.8 mg/ml) in drinking water on blood glucose, renal hypertrophy, and
      whole kidney polyol accumulation was studied in STZ-DM rats. Rats with diabetes
      of 5 weeks duration had higher blood glucose, greater urinary output, higher
      kidney weight, lower body weight, and higher kidney to body weight ratios than
      controls. Whole kidney sorbitol concentrations were significantly increased in
      diabetes but myo-inositol levels were unchanged vs control animals. After four
      weeks of oral vanadate treatment, blood glucose, urine volume, and kidney weights
      were similar to control values. Kidney to body weight ratios fell below that of
      the STZ-DM animals, but because body weights remained decreased, the kidney to
      body weight ratios were not normalized. Renal sorbitol levels returned to control
      values and renal myo-inositol levels remained unchanged in STZ-DM and normal
      animals treated with vanadate. These results provide evidence that vanadate
      therapy may result in regression of the hypertrophy and polyol accumulation
      characteristic of diabetic nephropathy in STZ-DM rats. This effect is most likely
      due to normalization of blood glucose by the insulin-mimetic activity of vanadate
      treatment.

PMID- 1876754
TI  - Decrease in the specific forms of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes of a
      mutant strain of rat with hyperbilirubinuria.
AB  - Eisai-hyperbilirubinuria rats (EHBR) is a mutant originated from Sprague Dawley
      rats. The activities of UDP-glucuronyltransferase and drug metabolizing enzymes
      in EHBR were compared with those in Sprague Dawley rats as the control. The
      activity of aniline hydroxylase was significantly increased in liver microsomes
      of EHBR whereas the activity of ethylmorphine N-demethylase was found to be
      significantly decreased in EHBR as compared to control rats. In addition, the
      activity of testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase was increased in EHBR whereas the
      activity of testosterone 6 beta-hydroxylase was significantly decreased in EHBR
      as compared to control rats. Western blot analysis of liver microsomes of EHBR
      with antibodies to P-450IA2, P-450IIB1, P-450IIC11 and P-450IIIA2 showed that the
      amounts of P-450IIB1 and P-450IIIA2 in liver microsomes were significantly lower
      in EHBR than in control rats. These results indicated the form-specific
      alteration in the amounts of cytochrome P-450 in liver microsomes of EHBR.

PMID- 1876755
TI  - Lack of vagal influence on pulmonary visco-elasticity in puppies.
AB  - We recently demonstrated that most of the change in lung function following
      inhaled histamine in 8-10 week old puppies was due to changes in the tissue visco
      elastic properties and argued that vagally-mediated reflexes may be responsible
      for this phenomenon (Sly and Lanteri, J. Appl. Physiol. 1990; 68: 1562-1567). To
      test this hypothesis we compared 5 puppies treated with inhaled lignocaine or
      bilateral cervical vagotomy did not alter baseline pulmonary mechanics and there
      were no differences in the response to histamine challenge between the three
      groups. These results show that vagal reflexes, mediated via the central nervous
      system, are not involved in the response of the pulmonary tissues to inhaled
      histamine, but do not exclude the possible involvement of local axonal reflexes.

PMID- 1876756
TI  - Respiratory system mechanical behavior in the chicken.
AB  - We evaluated whether the avian respiratory system displays the same fundamental
      mechanical behavior during external forcing as found in mammals. We measured
      airway flow and pressures in the trachea, air sacs and thoracoabdominal cavity in
      4 anesthetized-paralyzed roosters during sinusoidal volume oscillations at the
      trachea in the normal range of euthermic breathing frequency, f(0.2 to 1.0 Hz),
      and tidal volume, VT (10-50 ml). From the pressure and flow waveforms, we
      calculated resistance (R) and elastance (E) of the total respiratory system and
      its major compartments (lungs, air sacs and chest wall). E of the chest wall was
      minimum (147 cmH2O.L-1 +/- 7 SE) at 0.2 Hz-50 ml and was consistently, slightly
      lower than E of the total respiratory system over the entire range studied. Both
      elastances showed the same dependence on f and VT, increasing slightly with
      increasing f and decreasing with increasing VT. R of the chest wall was maximum
      (35.6 cmH2O.L- 1.sec-1 +/- 2.2 SE) at 0.2 Hz-10 ml and decreased with increasing
      f and VT, although the VT effect diminished at the higher f. E and R of the air
      sacs were much smaller than those of the chest wall, but showed similar f and VT
      dependencies. R of the lungs, due to resistance of the airways, was minimum (6.8
      cmH2O.L-1.sec-1 +/- 1.5 SE) at 0.2 Hz-10 ml and increased with both f and VT.
      Total respiratory R reflected R of the air sacs and chest wall at low f and R of
      the lungs at high f. The f and VT dependencies of E and R in the chicken were
      strikingly similar to those measured in various types of mammalian respiratory
      tissues (Stamenovic et al. (1990) J. Appl. Physiol. 69: 973-988. We conclude
      that, despite important anatomical differences between species, avian and
      mammalian respiratory tissues exhibit fundamentally similar mechanical behavior.

PMID- 1876757
TI  - Gas physical properties and respiratory system resistance measured by flow
      interruption.
AB  - If the flow of gas at the airway opening of a tracheostomized dog is suddenly
      interrupted during expiration, the airway pressure exhibits a sudden very rapid
      rise, called delta Pinit, which has been shown previously to equal the resistive
      pressure drop across the airways in open-chest dogs, and to have a significant
      additional contribution from the tissues of the chest wall in intact dogs. In the
      present study we attempted to separate the contributions of airways and tissues
      to delta Pinit in intact dogs by performing flow interruptions with the lungs
      full of gas mixtures having different physical properties. A Moody plot (the
      Friction coefficient calculated using delta Pinit versus the Reynolds number) had
      a marked negative slope at Reynolds numbers up to 5 x 10(4), whereas the plot is
      predicted to have a slope close to zero at Reynolds numbers greater than 4 x
      10(3) on the basis of purely fluid dynamic considerations. Assuming delta Pinit
      to be the result of a linear dependence of airway resistance on flow and a
      constant tissue resistance, we were able to account for the negative slope of the
      Moody plot. We also found that the values of airway and tissue resistances
      estimated from the data were very close to those estimated by more direct means
      in a previous study of delta Pinit. We conclude that it is possible to discern
      the separate effects of airway and tissue resistances in delta Pinit at high
      Reynolds numbers.

PMID- 1876758
TI  - Electrical and mechanical output of the expiratory muscles in anesthetized dogs.
AB  - In anesthetized intact and vagotomized dogs chest wall diameters, expiratory
      muscles' (EM) electrical activity, work, mean pressure and volume displacement
      contributed by EM contraction were assessed in the supine and upright posture
      during rebreathing, and during continuous positive pressure breathing (CPAP) in
      the supine posture. Corresponding inspiratory mechanical output variables were
      related to diaphragm activity. During resting breathing triangularis sterni and
      internal interosseous were more easily recruited than transversus abdominis and
      external oblique. EM activity increased with tilting, CPAP and rebreathing.
      Vagotomy depressed or abolished abdominal EM activity, with lesser effects on rib
      cage EM. Expiratory mechanical output grossly paralleled EM activity: it markedly
      depended on rib cage and abdominal EM coactivation, besides lung inflation and
      chest wall shape. Upper rib cage configuration at end-expiration never departed
      from the relaxation one, suggesting trivial effects of the triangularis sterni
      contraction. Lower chest wall distortion occurred almost regularly, so that much
      of EM activity was not converted into external work. In contrast with expiratory
      electromechanical relations, those for the diaphragm were always highly
      significant and independent of EM activation.

PMID- 1876759
TI  - Respiratory muscle activation by limb muscle afferent stimulation in anesthetized
      dogs.
AB  - In 10 chloralose anaesthetized and spontaneously breathing dogs, we assessed the
      effect of limb muscle afferents on the peak integrated EMG activities of the
      genioglossus, alae nasi, costal diaphragm, parasternal intercostal, triangularis
      sterni, and transverse abdominis muscles. The influence of vagal and baroreceptor
      afferents were eliminated by vagotomy and perfusion of carotid sinuses at a
      constant pressure. Muscle afferents were activated by stimulating the central end
      of the gastrocnemius nerve for 1 min at 40 Hz and at different voltages.
      Stimulation at voltages equal to 5, 10 and 20 times twitch-threshold increased
      minute ventilation to 165, 216 and 250% of pre-stimulation values, respectively,
      which was achieved by increasing breathing frequency (shortening of the
      inspiratory and expiratory times) and tidal volume. The activity of the
      parasternal intercostal and alae nasi muscles increased by a similar degree to
      that of the diaphragm while the activities of the genioglossus and transverse
      abdominis were augmented to a greater degree than that of the diaphragm. On the
      other hand, the motor drive to triangularis sterni increased significantly only
      at 20 times twitch-threshold and to a lesser degree than that to the diaphragm.
      These results suggest that upper airway, inspiratory and expiratory rib cage and
      abdominal muscles may be independently regulated. Differences in the sensitivity
      of these muscles to the activation of limb muscle afferents can be explained by a
      complex pattern of central projections of these afferents on the central
      respiratory controllers or by intrinsic properties of the motor output of these
      controllers.

PMID- 1876760
TI  - Reflex apnea induced by high-frequency oscillatory ventilation in rabbits.
AB  - In rabbits with intact vagus nerves, HFOV applied for 10-20 s caused apnea (i.e.,
      respiratory arrest for as long as HFOV lasted) accompanied by tonic discharges of
      the diaphragm. To identify the vagal mechanisms involved in this type of apnea,
      the vagus nerves of anaesthetized rabbits were gradually cooled from 37 degrees C
      to 0 degree C, i.e., the vagal fibres were, corresponding to their diameter,
      successively blocked. At each temperature, the effects of HFOV on spontaneous
      breathing were compared with those of static lung inflation and deflation:
      Between 20 degrees C and 14 degrees C, the lung inflation reflex (mediated by
      pulmonary slowly adapting stretch receptors = PSR) was weakened or abolished,
      whereas the lung deflation reflex (mediated by rapidly adapting stretch receptors
      = RAR) was reinforced; the HFOV-induced apnea occurred less frequently, however,
      the accompanying diaphragmatic activity was enhanced. Between 14 degrees C and 5
      degrees C, both HFOV and large static inflation caused a slight increase of
      breathing frequency in the majority of animals. Some animals, however, responded
      even below 14 degrees C by apnea to both HFOV and inflation, and, under these
      conditions, both HFOV- and inflation-induced apnea were accompanied by a
      pronounced tonic diaphragmatic activity. At 5 degrees C, the effects of HFOV as
      well as of inflation (except in two animals) and deflation were abolished. From
      the results we conclude that in rabbits the apnea during HFOV is mainly mediated
      by stimulation of PSR, and the concomitant tonic activity of the diaphragm is
      mainly due to stimulation of RAR, as it is reinforced with gradual blockade of
      PSR fibres and abolished when only non-myelinated fibres are intact.

PMID- 1876762
TI  - The oxygen debt hypothesis in juvenile rainbow trout after exhaustive exercise.
AB  - A 5 min bout of exhaustive exercise in 2-3 g rainbow trout resulted in a 2.0-2.5
      fold increase in oxygen consumption (MO2), a 5-fold increase in whole-body
      lactate (LAC) levels and a near depletion in whole-body glycogen (GLY), ATP and
      creatine phosphate (CP) stores; glucose, ADP and AMP did not change. Recovery of
      MO2 and LAC was complete by 6 h, by which time GLY had stabilized at about 65%
      resting levels without further recovery through 24 h. Complete recovery of ATP
      required 1.0-1.5 h, whereas restoration of CP required only 5 min. The MO2
      recovery curve was resolved into an initial fast component (t1/2 = 0.23 h) and a
      second slower component (t1/2 = 2.1 h), comprising approximately 20% and 80%
      respectively of the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The fast
      component was satisfactorily accounted for by the standard components of the
      'alactacid O2 debt'. However, the slow component could not be completely
      explained by changes in whole body LAC and GLY during recovery based on scenarios
      of either oxidation or GLY resynthesis as the primary fate of LAC. The classical
      'O2 dept hypothesis' (Hill and Lupton, Quart, J. Med. 16: 135-171, 1923; Margaria
      et al., Am. J. Physiol. 106: 689-715, 1933) cannot be the complete explanation of
      EPOC in the trout.

PMID- 1876761
TI  - Effect of oxygen on potassium-excited ventilation in the decerebrate cat.
AB  - Raising arterial potassium ([K+]a) from ca. 3.5 to 6.5 mM, as occurs in heavy
      exercise, excites the arterial chemoreceptors and ventilation (VE) in
      anaesthetised cats. We have previously shown that the excitation of
      chemoreceptors by potassium is enhanced by hypoxia and abolished by hyperoxia,
      and here we show, in decerebrate cats, that the potassium-induced increase in VE
      is also abolished by hyperoxia. 100% oxygen was given abruptly in hypoxia (PETO2
      ca. 50 Torr), with inspired gas tensions adjusted to give the same PETO2 and
      PETCO2 values before all tests on a given animal. Intravenous infusions of 150 mM
      KCl, which raised [K+]a from 3.9 +/- 0.3 mM to 7.4 +/- 0.3 mM (mean +/- SE),
      always excited hypoxic VE (42 +/- 8%; P less than 0.01). Hyperoxia, given during
      KCl infusion, reduced VE to a value not significantly greater (P greater than
      0.27) than the hyperoxic value obtained before infusion. These results show that:
      (i) VE reflects the responses of chemoreceptors to K+, (ii) that abrupt hyperoxia
      removes the potassium-induced ventilatory drive, and (iii) that, in our
      experiments, K+ appears to have excited VE only via the peripheral
      chemoreceptors.

PMID- 1876763
TI  - Oxygen supply and uptake in tissue models with unequal distribution of blood flow
      and shunt.
AB  - The effects of unequal distribution of blood flow on O2 uptake are studied on a
      model composed of 3 tissues compartments with blood flow/O2 requirement ratios in
      the relation 9:3:1 (unequal blood flow model), a model with 33% shunt blood flow
      (shunt model), and a single compartment model without shunt (reference model).
      Diffusion limitation is assumed to be absent. Total blood flow (Q), arterial O2
      content (CaO2) and O2 requirement of tissue are varied singly, and the resulting
      (mixed) venous O2 content (CvO2) and O2 uptake are calculated. In the reference
      model, CvO2 become zero, and O2 uptake starts falling below the O2 requirement,
      as soon as the O2 delivery (Q.CaO2) becomes smaller than the O2 requirement. In
      contrast, in the unequal blood flow model, decrease in the ratio O2 uptake/O2
      requirement and in CvO2 sets in earlier, and proceeds more gradually, with
      decreasing Q or CaO2 or increasing O2 requirement; this is, because O2 delivery
      limitation sets in sequentially in the compartments, starting with the least
      perfused compartment. The shunt model behaves similarly to the reference model if
      Q or O2 requirement is varied, and to the unequal blood flow model if CaO2 is
      varied. Some features such as the parallel fall of O2 uptake and of CVO2 with
      decreasing CaO2, common to the unequal blood flow and shunt models, are similar
      to expected effects of diffusion limitation. Therefore, when the influence of
      diffusion limitation on tissue O2 supply is to be investigated quantitatively,
      the effects of a possible unequal distribution of blood flow must be taken into
      account.

PMID- 1876764
TI  - The effect of centrally administered adenosine on fetal breathing movements.
AB  - The central effects of the adenosine analogue L-2-N6-(phenylisopropyl) adenosine
      (L-PIA) on breathing movements was determined by making injections into the
      fourth ventricle in unanesthetized fetal sheep. Administration of 0.5 micrograms
      L-PIA reduced the percent time during which fetal breathing occurred from 48.0 +/
      5.2 (SEM) to 19.5 +/- 6.1. Inspiratory slope was reduced to 62 +/- 5.5 and to 43
      +/- 5.7 percent of the control values when 0.2 and 0.5 micrograms L-PIA were
      given respectively. The effects of L-PIA on the percent time fetal breathing
      movements occurred and on inspiratory slope were prevented by the prior systemic
      administration of theophylline (plasma concentrations approximately 15
      micrograms/ml). When the vehicle for L-PIA, dimethyl sulfoxide in Ringer solution
      was given into the fourth ventricle or when 0.5 micrograms L-PIA was given
      systemically, there was no effect on fetal breathing. None of these protocols
      resulted in a change in sagittal sinus blood pH, PO2 or, PCO2. These data
      indicate adenosine acts at the brain stem to depress fetal respiratory drive.

PMID- 1876765
TI  - Veterinary nuclear medicine.

PMID- 1876766
TI  - A personal history of veterinary nuclear medicine.

PMID- 1876767
TI  - Nuclear medicine equipment.

PMID- 1876768
TI  - Nuclear medicine artifacts and image quality.

PMID- 1876769
TI  - Thyroid scintigraphy in small animals.

PMID- 1876771
TI  - Liver scintigraphy: application in small animals.

PMID- 1876770
TI  - The principles and practice of bone scintigraphy in small animals.

PMID- 1876772
TI  - Kidney scintigraphy.

PMID- 1876773
TI  - Statistical methods in biopharmacy. Satellite meeting of the 47th World Session
      of the International Statistical Institute. Paris, 7-8 September 1989.
      Proceedings.

PMID- 1876776
TI  - On the use of historical controls in the analysis of laboratory data.
AB  - Our purpose is to propose a method of data analysis incorporating historical
      controls. It consists of three steps of hypothesis testing procedure. The first
      step is the check of concurrent controls. The second is the significance testing
      of treatment groups in comparison with historical controls which are composed of
      negative and positive controls. The third is the significance testing of a linear
      trend of the dose-response relationship. The superiority of the proposed
      procedure is also verified.

PMID- 1876774
TI  - Using empirical Bayes methods in biopharmaceutical research.
AB  - A compound sampling model, where a unit-specific parameter is sampled from a
      prior distribution and then observed are generated by a sampling distribution
      depending on the parameter, underlies a wide variety of biopharmaceutical data.
      For example, in a multi-centre clinical trial the true treatment effect varies
      from centre to centre. Observed treatment effects deviate from these true effects
      through sampling variation. Knowledge of the prior distribution allows use of
      Bayesian analysis to compute the posterior distribution of clinic-specific
      treatment effects (frequently summarized by the posterior mean and variance).
      More commonly, with the prior not completely specified, observed data can be used
      to estimate the prior and use it to produce the posterior distribution: an
      empirical Bayes (or variance component) analysis. In the empirical Bayes model
      the estimated prior mean gives the typical treatment effect and the estimated
      prior standard deviation indicates the heterogeneity of treatment effects. In
      both the Bayes and empirical Bayes approaches, estimated clinic effects are
      shrunken towards a common value from estimates based on single clinics. This
      shrinkage produces more efficient estimates. In addition, the compound model
      helps structure approaches to ranking and selection, provides adjustments for
      multiplicity, allows estimation of the histogram of clinic-specific effects, and
      structures incorporation of external information. This paper outlines the
      empirical Bayes approach. Coverage will include development and comparison of
      approaches based on parametric priors (for example, a Gaussian prior with unknown
      mean and variance) and non-parametric priors, discussion of the importance of
      accounting for uncertainty in the estimated prior, comparison of the output and
      interpretation of fixed and random effects approaches to estimating population
      values, estimating histograms, and identification of key considerations in the
      use and interpretation of empirical Bayes methods.

PMID- 1876777
TI  - A statistical procedure for the estimation of accuracy parameters in
      interlaboratory studies.
AB  - Interlaboratory studies are conducted to estimate the accuracy of methods of
      laboratory measurements. The standard parameters used to describe this accuracy
      are the repeatability and the reproducibility. Usually variance components models
      are used to estimate these parameters. If the model assumptions are violated the
      resulting estimates for reproducibility and repeatability may, however, be
      biased. A new method of residual analysis in variance components models-
      developed by the author--may be used to detect violations of the model
      assumptions. If the residual analysis indicates that the model assumptions are
      violated, a simple robust method--which makes fewer assumptions--may be used for
      the estimation of accuracy parameters. The application of this residual analysis
      is demonstrated using data of an interlaboratory study. Graphical methods play an
      important role in the evaluation of the residuals. The analysis of the residuals
      uses methods similar to those used for the analysis of Studentized residuals in
      the linear model. The estimates obtained by the variance components model and the
      simple robust method are compared. The results of the residual analysis may be
      used to decide which of the two estimates can be considered more appropriate. The
      necessity of residual analysis in the analysis of interlaboratory studies by
      variance components models is pointed out. Potential hazards inherent to residual
      analysis in variance components models are discussed. Conclusions for the
      analysis of interlaboratory studies are drawn.

PMID- 1876775
TI  - The construction of biochemical reference ranges and the identification of
      possible adverse drug reactions in the elderly.
AB  - In the assessment of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) it is important to establish
      what is a normal range of values for a given biochemical measurement.
      Furthermore, such ranges need to be specific to the study population, for
      example, the elderly. A mixture of Gaussian distributions has been used in the
      construction of the reference ranges with maximum likelihood used to obtain
      estimates of the unknown parameters. With this approach, well-defined reference
      ranges have been established. Brief details are given of the numbers of ADRs
      identified in the study population using these ranges.

PMID- 1876778
TI  - Estimation of the mean and standard deviation using order statistics.
AB  - Estimation of the mean and standard deviation of a distribution using linear
      combinations of the order statistics of a censored sample is discussed. Existing
      methods are compared with the optimal estimator of this type and new
      approximations to the optimal estimator are proposed. Their performances in the
      presence of outliers are assessed by means of simulation.

PMID- 1876779
TI  - Analysis of the crossover design in the presence of residual effects.
AB  - When a residual effect is suspected in a two-period crossover trial, an analysis
      of the first-period data is often chosen instead of the potentially biased
      crossover analysis. This paper indicates how the usual crossover test has to be
      interpreted correctly and that its bias has two different consequences, namely a
      conservative or a liberal test decision if a positive (carryover) or a negative
      (withdrawal) residual effect exists. A multiple testing procedure is presented
      allowing for simultaneous crossover and first-period analysis controlling the
      experimental error rate. This procedure together with the correct interpretation
      of the crossover test enables many useful applications of crossover designs.

PMID- 1876780
TI  - A random effects model for ordinal responses from a crossover trial.
AB  - Crossover studies have been successfully conducted in the case of continuous
      responses. Existing procedures of analysis for ordinal responses, on the other
      hand, are rarely satisfactory unless strict, usually unrealistic, assumptions are
      made. In this paper we investigate a random effects model and show that the model
      is simple and general. Interpretation of parameters is easy, though with a
      complicated fitting procedure.

PMID- 1876781
TI  - Determination of optimal designs using linear models in crossover trials.
AB  - This study determines the optimal designs for crossover trials with fixed size of
      population, in order to estimate contrasts between two treatment effects, for
      various numbers of periods. The problem is approached in the framework of a
      linear model, taking into consideration the structure of a variance matrix
      constructed from two random sources: linked-to-subject random effect and linked
      to-measurement random error. Different models, as well as different optimality
      criteria, are considered. For example, when two periods are planned, for the
      criterion of the minimization of the variance of the treatment-effect estimator,
      in the presence of residual effect, the optimal design corresponds to four groups
      of sequences, (T1, T2), (T2, T1), (T1, T1), (T2, T2); without residual effect it
      corresponds to two groups, (T1, T2), (T2, T1). Optimal designs are given for the
      comparison of two treatments when using three or four periods.

PMID- 1876782
TI  - Interim analysis in clinical trials.
AB  - The early development of experimental design discouraged a sequential approach to
      the analysis of data, yet this seems a natural form of scientific enquiry.
      Clinical trial investigators should continuously monitor the quality of their
      techniques, but will often wish to delegate data monitoring to an independent
      group. The history and functions of data monitoring committees (DMCs) are
      reviewed. DMCs come in many shapes and sizes. They will need to consider many
      aspects of the data before making recommendations to the investigators, who have
      ultimate responsibility for early termination or protocol changes. Statistical
      issues form part of the assessment, and will involve management, safety and
      efficacy. Two broad approaches to early stopping are (i) the demonstration of
      strong evidence that a treatment effect falls above or below some critical value
      (not necessarily zero); (ii) stochastic curtailment based on prediction of final
      results. The latter is examined somewhat critically. Most trials will involve
      group sequential analyses at discrete time points. The effect of repeated data
      inspection on (i) is well known, although its relevance is debatable. Bayesian
      and likelihood methods do not entirely remove the difficulty.

PMID- 1876783
TI  - Step-down multiple tests for comparing treatments with a control in unbalanced
      one-way layouts.
AB  - We show how a well-known multiple step-down significance testing procedure for
      comparing treatments with a control in balanced one-way layouts can be applied in
      unbalanced layouts (unequal sample sizes for the treatments). The method we
      describe has the advantage that it provides p-values, for each treatment versus
      control comparison, that take account of the multiple step-down testing nature of
      the procedure. These joint p-values can be used with any value of alpha, the
      fixed type I family wise error rate bound, that may be specified by the
      investigator. To determine the p-values, it is necessary to compute a
      multivariate Student t integral, for which a computer program is available. This
      procedure is more powerful than the step-down Bonferroni procedure of Holm and
      the single-step procedure of Dunnett. An example from the pharmaceutical
      literature is used to illustrate the procedure.

PMID- 1876784
TI  - Some extensions to a new approach for interim analysis in clinical trials.
AB  - There already exists many methods for group sequential analysis of clinical
      trials. A new approach suggests to preserve the overall type I error alpha by
      requiring that a succession of interim analyses be significant at the alpha
      level. In this paper, this procedure is extended. A rule for early acceptance of
      H0 is presented, with an extension for flexible number and times of analyses. A
      real example is given.

PMID- 1876785
TI  - Individual bioequivalence: what matters to the patient.
AB  - Current procedures for assessing the bioequivalence of two formulations are based
      on the concept of average bioequivalence. That is, they assess whether the
      average responses between individuals on the two formulations are similar. We
      show first that average bioequivalence is not sufficient to assure that an
      individual patient could be expected to respond similarly to the two
      formulations. To have such reasonable assurance requires a different notion of
      bioequivalence; individual (or within-subject) bioequivalence. Second, we propose
      a simple statistical procedure for assessing individual bioequivalence. This
      decision rule, TIER (test of individual equivalence ratios) requires the
      specification of the minimum proportion of subjects in the applicable population
      for which the two formulations being tested must be bioequivalent (a regulatory
      decision). The TIER rule is summarized in terms of the minimum number of subjects
      with bioavailability ratios falling within the specified equivalence interval
      necessary to be able to claim bioequivalence for given sample size and type I
      error. We recommend that the corresponding lower bounds (one-sided confidence
      intervals) for the proportion of bioequivalent subjects be calculated.

PMID- 1876786
TI  - Sample sizes for bioequivalence studies.
AB  - In recent years a number of decision rules, based on sound statistical
      principles, have been proposed for deciding if a test formulation is
      bioequivalent to a reference formulation. The decision rule based on confidence
      intervals has been accepted by regulatory agencies, at least by the Food and Drug
      Administration of the United States. A useful property of this decision rule is
      that the regulatory agency need not require a certain sample size, since the
      level of protection against wrongly deciding bioequivalence is set by the choice
      of the alpha level used to compute the confidence intervals. The manufacturer
      claiming bioequivalence is concerned about sample size, for sample size
      determines the probability of falsely deciding non-bioequivalence when the test
      formulation does indeed have an acceptable relative bioavailability. Curves of
      probability of rejecting bioequivalence have been computed for error coefficient
      of variation of 10, 20 and 30 per cent, for relative bioavailability from 70 to
      130 per cent, and for protection levels of 90 and 95 per cent. These curves can
      be used for choosing the sample size for a bioequivalence study.

PMID- 1876787
TI  - Problems induced by meta-analyses.
AB  - Over 150 meta-analyses of randomized control trials have so far been published in
      the English language, and new ones are appearing at a rate of over fifteen per
      year. This explosion of a relatively new method of evaluating clinical medicine
      presents a number of challenges to statisticians and those responsible for health
      care policy. The pitfalls of retrospective research must be avoided, and the
      quality of the original trials should be evaluated. Heterogeneity of the control
      event rates and the treatment differences need to be dealt with statistically.
      Most important are the problems raised by the need to update meta-analyses as new
      trials are published.

PMID- 1876788
TI  - Maximum likelihood techniques applied to method comparison studies.
AB  - One component of method comparison studies is the assessment of relative bias.
      Most authors use ordinary regression techniques for this purpose. The potential
      inadequacies in this approach are highlighted and a more generally applicable
      maximum likelihood technique proposed. The properties of the various methods of
      estimation are obtained by means of a simulation study, using a variety of
      different within-assay precision profiles.

PMID- 1876789
TI  - Analysis of phase II clinical trials in haematology and oncology: comparison of
      the triangular test to the usual methods.
AB  - Phase II cancer clinical trials are non-comparative trials which are designed to
      determine whether the response rate p to the treatment under study is greater
      than a certain value p0, that is, to test H0, given by p less than or equal to p0
      against H1 given by p greater than po. By choosing type I error alpha and the
      power 1-beta and by specifying H1, that is, by choosing a clinically relevant
      improvement p1), one can compute the number of patients N to be included for a
      fixed-sample approach. Various other approaches have been proposed such as
      multistage methods and Wald's continuous sequential probability ratio test
      (SPRT). As an alternative approach, we extended the triangular test (TT),
      proposed by Whitehead for comparative trials, to the situation of non-comparative
      trials with a binary outcome. We expressed H0 and H1 in terms of the log odds
      ratio statistics, namely log [p(1-p0)/p0-(1-p)]. With this choice, the two
      statistics of interest, Z and V, have simple expressions: Z is the difference
      between the observed number of positive outcomes and the expected number under H0
      and V is the variance of Z under H0. After every group of n patients, Z is
      plotted against V, and the trial proceeds until a boundary is crossed. In our
      simulations, type I error alpha and the power 1-beta were close to nominal values
      with the TT and the average sample size was close to Wald's continuous SPRT and
      compared favourably with the multistage methods proposed by Herson and Fleming.
      Given its statistical properties and its easy use, the TT should be considered
      for planning and analysing cancer phase II trials.

PMID- 1876790
TI  - Random models for margins of a 2 x 2 contingency table and application to
      pharmacovigilance.
AB  - The identification of new adverse drug reactions is often tricky. For a given
      case, the relationship between drug exposure and symptom occurrence is usually
      questionable. It could be investigated statistically from a series of drug-event
      association cases with an independence test between the two variables. Analysing
      the related 2 x 2 contingency table obviously requires knowledge of its margins.
      However this information is often not available. We develop a calculation of the
      P-value by choosing some random models for the unknown margins. Under the
      hypothesis of independence, a negative binomial distribution for the frequency of
      the drug-event association cell is obtained, exactly or approximately. This
      method allows investigation of the causal relationship when some parameters, as
      incidence of the symptom in the population, are uncertain. An example is
      presented.

PMID- 1876791
TI  - The potential for spread of HIV in the heterosexual population in Norway: a model
      study.
AB  - A simulation model is used to investigate the potential for indigenous spread of
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the heterosexual population in Norway. The
      heterosexual population is grouped according to age, sex and whether paired or
      single. Estimates of various parameters of sexual behaviour are taken from a
      population-based questionnaire study. The questionnaire was sent to a random
      sample of 10,000 individuals, with a response rate of 63 per cent. The main
      simulation result is that with no inflow of infection from other risk groups, the
      heterosexual epidemic will decline if the average transmission probability per
      intercourse is 1 per cent or less. This result is insensitive to changes in the
      initial conditions. It is sensitive to changes in sexual behaviour, and to the
      shape of the transmission probability distribution. A review of empirical partner
      study data indicates an average transmission probability about 0.1 per cent per
      intercourse when no transmission modulating cofactors are present. It is
      concluded that with present sexual behaviour, the indigenous spread of HIV is not
      likely to sustain an epidemic in the Norwegian heterosexual population.

PMID- 1876792
TI  - An estimating equation approach for the analysis of case-control studies with
      exposure measured at several levels.
AB  - Liang gave an extension of the Mantel-Haenszel estimating procedure for a common
      odds ratio to logistic regression models. It is applicable to case-control
      studies with multiple exposure levels, which yield K 2 x J tables. This paper
      provides variance and covariance estimators, which are consistent in both sparse
      data and large-strata, for Liang's estimating functions in the K 2 x J tables
      case, and proposes an approximate confidence interval method for the common odds
      ratios.

PMID- 1876793
TI  - Analyses of black and white differentials in the age trajectory of mortality in
      two closed cohort studies.
AB  - We examine the relationship of age to mortality in blacks and whites in two
      cohort studies, the 20-year follow-up of the Evans County, Georgia. Study
      population and the 25-year follow-up of the Charleston Heart Study population. We
      conducted analyses with two parametric forms of hazard models (Gompertz and
      Weibull) for total mortality experience and considered the fit of the two hazard
      models in each study both separately and with the data pooled. We evaluated the
      robustness of conclusions about differences in the age pattern of mortality for
      blacks and whites by comparing results from the two hazard models. Where the
      tests were non-nested, we used an information-based statistic (AIC) to compare
      the fit of the models to the data. Results were robust to the selection of the
      hazard function, that is both models provided evidence that mortality rates at
      younger ages were lower for white than black females but that mortality rates
      increased more rapidly with age for white females. The absolute differences and
      the differences in the rates of increase were in the same direction, but smaller,
      for males. Though both models represented the general features of mortality
      patterns, the information statistic suggested better performance of the Gompertz
      function. The Gompertz function was also less sensitive to the initial age of
      determination of mortality exposure.

PMID- 1876794
TI  - Assessing the influence of reversible disease indicators on survival.
AB  - In a randomized clinical trial of the effect of prednisone versus placebo on
      survival in patients with liver cirrhosis, follow-up visits were scheduled after
      3, 6 and 12 months of treatment and thereafter once a year. At each follow-up the
      prothrombin index, a measure of liver function, was recorded and scored as either
      low or normal. The interaction between treatment and prothrombin index was
      analysed using a three-state illness-death model with recovery. The continuous
      time Markov process model with constant or piecewise constant intensities
      suggested by Kay allows inference to proceed even though the status of the
      disease indicator, here the prothrombin index, is only known at the time of each
      visit and not between visits. We compare the analysis with the theoretically
      incorrect, but practically rather common approximation, where the status of the
      disease indicator is assumed to remain constant from one visit until just before
      the next. Under this approximation both standard parametric methods and non
      parametric approaches developed by Aalen and Johansen are available.

PMID- 1876795
TI  - Estimating standardized parameters from generalized linear models.
AB  - Although the traditional unrestricted ('non-parametric') estimators of directly
      standardized rates and rate differences remain unbiased in sparse data, they tend
      to suffer from instability (low precision). As a result, many authors have
      proposed more precise estimators based on parametric models for the rates. This
      paper provides a general approach for constructing estimators of standardized
      parameters using generalized linear models, and shows that, in some common
      special cases, these model-based ('smoothed') estimators can have an
      exceptionally simple form.

PMID- 1876796
TI  - Generalized Norton-Simon models of tumour growth.
AB  - This paper considers the analysis of serial data on the growth of tumours in
      laboratory rodents. I propose a model-a generalization of the tumour growth model
      of Norton and Simon-that leads to a rich family of growth and decay curves. The
      model assumes that unperturbed growth follows the generalized logistic form; it
      accommodates time-varying treatment effects through an effective dose function. I
      fit two such models to data on a human prostate tumour growing in nude mice and
      compare the fitted curves and dose functions with a non-parametric curve and dose
      function estimated from a cubic spline model. All three models account for both
      random animal effects and autocorrelation. Monte Carlo results suggest that (a)
      maximum likelihood estimates of growth parameters are biased, although not
      severely, and (b) standard errors are conservative in small samples but become
      increasingly accurate in larger samples.

PMID- 1876797
TI  - Evaluation of statistical methods for monitoring periodontal disease.
AB  - Three methods for detecting the progression of periodontal disease based on the
      change in attachment level on teeth are compared from a statistical point of
      view. Regardless of gradual or burst disease progression theories, the regression
      method is found to be the most efficient way to detect changes. The exact false
      alarm rate is computed when the decision is based on the maximum regression
      coefficient at all sites during several visits.

PMID- 1876798
TI  - The analysis of failure time data in crossover studies.
AB  - Clinical trials of new drugs in the treatment of angina pectoris frequently make
      use of exercise tests to evaluate efficacy. The crossover design is often
      employed. The methods commonly used to analyse the various exercise times, for
      example, 'time to pain', are insensitive and potentially biased by the manner in
      which they deal with the censored nature of the data. Survival analysis can be
      adapted for use in crossover trials, both in a relatively simple way, and also
      through the full power of the Cox model. This is considerably more sensitive and
      not subject to the same bias. This methodology leads to the use of median
      survival times to illustrate treatment effects and this provides a practical
      interpretation of clinical relevance. The estimation of median survival times in
      crossover trials poses some special problems. The methodology is illustrated
      throughout by means of a specific two-period example in which atenolol was
      compared with the combination of atenolol and nifedipine. The three-period design
      is also briefly discussed.

PMID- 1876799
TI  - Recovery of inter-block information in cross-over trials.
AB  - For cross-over designs, we show that one can recover information on direct and/or
      residual treatment effects from an inter-block (patients as blocks) analysis as
      is done in an incomplete block design. By combining the intra- and inter-block
      estimates, we obtain the generalized least squares estimate. In analysing cross
      over trials, we recommended this approach provided the between-patient variance
      component can be estimated efficiently.

PMID- 1876800
TI  - Approximate multinormal probabilities applied to correlated multiple endpoints in
      clinical trials.
AB  - Clinical trials with multiple endpoints incur increased familywise type I errors.
      The Bonferroni correction is a common method used to modify the p-values to
      account for multiple significance testing. For independent endpoints the
      Bonferroni method is slightly conservative whereas with high correlation the
      conservatism is extreme, as demonstrated by Pocock et al. This paper presents a
      procedure which allows for the correlation present, whilst adjusting the multiple
      p-values. The method is based on an approximation derived for multinormal
      probabilities.

PMID- 1876801
TI  - A quasi-exact test for comparing two binomial proportions.
AB  - The use of the Fisher exact test for comparing two independent binomial
      proportions has spawned an extensive controversy in the statistical literature.
      Many critics have faulted this test for being highly conservative. Partly in
      response to such criticism, some statisticians have suggested the use of a
      modified, non-randomized version of this test, namely the mid-P-value test. This
      paper examines the actual type I error rates of this test. For both one-sided and
      two-sided tests, and for a wide range of sample sizes, we show that the actual
      levels of significance of the mid-P-test tend to be closer to the nominal level
      as compared with various classical tests. The computational effort required for
      the mid-P-test is no more than that needed for the Fisher exact test. Further,
      the basis for its modification is a natural adjustment for discreteness; thus the
      test easily generalizes to r x c contingency tables and other discrete data
      problems.

PMID- 1876802
TI  - Baseline comparisons in randomized clinical trials.

PMID- 1876803
TI  - Testing for a change point in registry data with an example of hypospadias.

PMID- 1876804
TI  - [Drugs are overrunning us. A study performed among nursing students].

PMID- 1876805
TI  - [Food handlers. A practical study].

PMID- 1876806
TI  - [Considerations on old age].

PMID- 1876807
TI  - [Undergraduate education in community health nursing. Apropos an active method].

PMID- 1876808
TI  - [On the occasion of the II National Meeting of Primary Nursing Care. Do we
      believe what we are doing?].

PMID- 1876809
TI  - [An interesting initiative: Group 5. The development of primary health care in
      the community of Valencia].

PMID- 1876810
TI  - [The needle for health use with a safety device. An interesting innovation for
      nursing].

PMID- 1876811
TI  - [The Drug Law].

PMID- 1876812
TI  - [The management of hospital solid wastes from an environmental health
      perspective].

PMID- 1876813
TI  - [Differences in taking the arterial pressure].

PMID- 1876814
TI  - [The nutritional status of the elderly. Some considerations on its assessment].

PMID- 1876815
TI  - [Hospital to primary care diversion. The whys of a reality].

PMID- 1876816
TI  - [A stretcher bed for transporting critical patients].

PMID- 1876818
TI  - Hepatitis B virus.

PMID- 1876817
TI  - [Continuing education. 61. Subject: administration. Topic: general concepts on
      the Spanish health system].

PMID- 1876819
TI  - Love and terror. Is a chemical messenger key to treating Alzheimer's?

PMID- 1876820
TI  - Gas vaccine. Bioengineered immunization could shield against nerve gas.

PMID- 1876821
TI  - Mind reader. Do personality tests pick out bad apples?

PMID- 1876822
TI  - Seeking senescence. Specific genes may control how many times a cell can divide.

PMID- 1876824
TI  - A press release on dioxin sets the record wrong.

PMID- 1876823
TI  - A gentler therapy? Retinoic acid turns off a form of leukemia.

PMID- 1876825
TI  - Molecular zippers in gene regulation.

PMID- 1876826
TI  - Cancer and poverty.

PMID- 1876827
TI  - Prescription drug prices.

PMID- 1876828
TI  - Surgeon-warriors?

PMID- 1876829
TI  - Hints emerge from the Gallo Probe.

PMID- 1876830
TI  - Popovic blasts accusers, demands report be withdrawn.

PMID- 1876831
TI  - The Gallo factor: questions remain.

PMID- 1876832
TI  - Penicillin's forgotten man: Norman Heatley.

PMID- 1876833
TI  - Convergence of Ets- and notch-related structural motifs in a heteromeric DNA
      binding complex.
AB  - Analysis of the heteromeric DNA binding protein GABP has revealed the interaction
      of two distinct peptide sequence motifs normally associated with proteins located
      in different cellular compartments. The alpha subunit of GABP contains an 85
      amino acid segment related to the Ets family of DNA binding proteins. The ETS
      domain of GABP alpha facilitates weak binding to DNA and, together with an
      adjacent segment of 37 amino acids, mediates stable interaction with GABP beta.
      The beta subunit of GABP contains four imperfect repeats of a sequence present in
      several transmembrane proteins including the product of the Notch gene of
      Drosophila melanogaster. These amino-terminal repeats of GABP beta mediate stable
      interaction with GABP alpha and, when complexed with GABP alpha, directly contact
      DNA. These observations provide evidence for a distinct biochemical role for the
      33-amino acid repeats, and suggest that they may serve as a module for the
      generation of specific dimerization interfaces.

PMID- 1876834
TI  - Purification of an allene oxide synthase and identification of the enzyme as a
      cytochrome P-450.
AB  - Fatty acid hydroperoxides (lipoxygenase products) are metabolized to allene
      oxides by a type of dehydrase that has been detected in plants, corals, and
      starfish oocytes. The allene oxides are unstable epoxide precursors of more
      complex products such as jasmonic acid, the plant growth hormone.
      Characterization of the dehydrase enzyme of flaxseed revealed that it is a 55
      kilodalton hemoprotein. The spectral characteristics of this dehydrase revealed
      it to be a cytochrome P-450. It operates with the remarkable activity of greater
      than or equal to 1000 turnovers per second. The results establish a new catalytic
      activity for a cytochrome P-450 and illustrate the cooperation of different
      oxygenases in pathways of fatty acid metabolism.

PMID- 1876835
TI  - Specificity for aminoacylation of an RNA helix: an unpaired, exocyclic amino
      group in the minor groove.
AB  - An acceptor stem G3.U70 base pair is a major determinant of the identity of an
      alanine transfer RNA. Hairpin helices and RNA duplexes consisting of
      complementary single strands are aminoacylated with alanine if they contain
      G3.U70. Chemical synthesis of RNA duplexes enabled the introduction of base
      analogs that tested the role of specific functional groups in the major and minor
      grooves of the RNA helix. The results of these experiments indicate that an
      unpaired guanine 2-amino group at a specific position in the minor groove of an
      RNA helix marks a molecule for aminoacylation with alanine.

PMID- 1876836
TI  - Identification of Ets- and notch-related subunits in GA binding protein.
AB  - Recombinant cDNA clones that encode two distinct subunits of the transcription
      factor GA binding protein (GABP) have been isolated. The predicted amino acid
      sequence of one subunit, GABP alpha, exhibits similarity to the sequence of the
      product of the ets-1 protooncogene in a region known to encompass the Ets DNA
      binding domain. The sequence of the second subunit, GABP beta, contains four 33
      amino acid repeats located close to the NH2-terminus of the subunit. The
      sequences of these repeats are similar to repeats in several transmembrane
      proteins, including Notch from Drosophila melanogaster and Glp-1 and Lin-12 from
      Caenorhabditis elegans. Avid, sequence-specific binding to DNA required the
      presence of both polypeptides, revealing a conceptual convergence of nuclear
      transforming proteins and membrane-anchored proteins implicated in
      developmentally regulated signal transduction processes.

PMID- 1876837
TI  - Design and synthesis of a mimetic from an antibody complementarity-determining
      region.
AB  - A technique for producing non-peptide compounds (mimetics) of designed
      specificities was developed that permitted the synthesis of a conformationally
      restricted molecule that mimicked the binding and functional properties of
      monoclonal antibody (MAb) 87.92.6, which recognizes the reovirus type 3 cellular
      receptor. Binding of either MAb 87.92.6, peptide analogs, or 87.1-mimetic to the
      cellular receptor inhibited cellular proliferation. The mimetic was a synthetic
      beta-loop structure that mimics the second complementarity-determining region of
      the MAb. These studies may lead to strategies for the synthetic design of
      antibody complementarity regions, ligands, and other pharmacologically active
      agents that are water soluble, resistant to proteolysis, and nonimmunogenic.

PMID- 1876838
TI  - Photoperiodism and effects of indoleamines in a unicellular alga, Gonyaulax
      polyedra.
AB  - Mediation of photoperiodic effects by indoleamines, especially melatonin, is
      known in higher vertebrates. A similar mechanism may occur in a unicellular alga,
      the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra. This organism entered the dormant stage of
      a cyst upon short-day treatment at lowered temperatures. Interruption of darkness
      by 2 hours of light prevented cyst formation, even when the overall duration of
      light was the same as in cyst-inducing short days. When given in a noninducing
      photoperiod, melatonin and an analog, 5-methoxytryptamine, substances that had
      previously been shown to occur in Gonyaulax, provoked cyst formation.
      Methoxylated indoleamines may play a role as mediators of darkness in this
      unicellular, in a similar way as in vertebrates, suggesting a common biochemical
      basis of photoperiodism.

PMID- 1876839
TI  - Shaking the family tree.

PMID- 1876840
TI  - Women lab heads.

PMID- 1876841
TI  - EC biotechnology policy.

PMID- 1876842
TI  - Boston loses 1992 AIDS meeting.

PMID- 1876843
TI  - Jawboning prehistory.

PMID- 1876844
TI  - Policy-making: getting better data.

PMID- 1876845
TI  - Forecasting the global AIDS epidemic.

PMID- 1876846
TI  - Sigma factor relatives in eukaryotes.

PMID- 1876847
TI  - Evidence of lactate dehydrogenase-B allozyme effects in the teleost, Fundulus
      heteroclitus.
AB  - The evolutionary significance of protein polymorphisms has long been debated.
      Exponents of the balanced theory advocate that selection operates to maintain
      polymorphisms, whereas the neoclassical school argues that most genetic variation
      is neutral. Some studies have suggested that protein polymorphisms are not
      neutral, but their significance has been questioned because one cannot eliminate
      the possibility that linked loci were responsible for the observed differences.
      Evidence is presented that an enzymatic phenotype can affect carbon flow through
      a metabolic pathway. Glucose flux differences between lactate dehydrogenase-B
      phenotypes of Fundulus heteroclitus were reversed by substituting the Ldh-B gene
      product of one homozygous genotype with that of another.

PMID- 1876848
TI  - Proliferative breast disease: diagnosis and implications.

PMID- 1876849
TI  - [Respiratory disorders in trauma patients. Pulse oximetry as an extension of
      prehospital diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities].
AB  - The early diagnosis and adequate treatment of respiratory complications in trauma
      cases has a decisive influence upon the patients' posttraumatic development.
      Pulse oximetry enables us to evaluate and monitor the prehospital respiratory
      situation objectively for the first time. Within a prospective study conducted
      from October 1988 to October 1989 in 336 unselected, primarily traumatized,
      emergency patients rescued by our "SAR Ulm 75" helicopter team, to determine the
      possibilities and limitations of this method, we maintained continuous pulse
      oximetric monitoring in all cases. The practical applicability and functional
      stability of the pulse oximeters used were adequate. On-the-spot intubation was
      necessary in 45% of the patients (or they were intubated prior to our taking
      over). Oxygen inhalation by nasal cannula was needed in 55%. While not being
      decisive for immediate intubation, monitoring with a pulse oximeter does play an
      essential role in controlling respiratory therapy. In 32% of our cases, pulse
      oximetric monitoring permitted early adjustment of the respiratory therapy to
      meet the patients requirements. This method is of special value in disclosing
      life-threatening respiratory complications (9.3%) i.e., valve pneumothorax.
      Within a group with a high percentage of multiple traumas (27%) and thorax
      traumas (39%), this was of enormous assistance in the differential diagnosis.
      Level and rate of increase of oxygen saturation can be an indication of the
      severity of a thorax trauma. The limitations of pulse oximetric monitoring,
      especially those resulting from low peripheral perfusion in trauma cases (7
      patients), are fairly rare.

PMID- 1876850
TI  - [The relative value of electromyography (EMG) in the evaluation of the results of
      surgical repair of biceps tendon rupture in the arm].
AB  - Ten patients treated for rupture of a biceps tendon were re-evaluated 2 years or
      longer after surgery. Four patients complained of loss of strength and increased
      fatigue. The concentric EMG examination and the technically more demanding Macro
      EMG technique showed normal motor unit action potential patterns in the muscle
      operated on and in the contralateral muscle used as control. The symptom weakness
      could not be explained by myopathic or neurogenic muscle changes. Concentric EMG
      had the same diagnostic yield as Macro EMG in this study. Concentric EMG is
      sufficient to scan for pathological findings within the biceps muscle. If any are
      present they should initially be interpreted as evidence of a further pathologic
      condition and not as sequelae of the tendon rupture.

PMID- 1876851
TI  - [Tarsal tunnel syndrome. Nerve compression syndrome in the foot].
AB  - Pathological changes in sensation over the sole of the foot do not always
      correspond to the full area of distribution of the posterior tibial nerve. Some
      neurologists advise separate examination of the tibial nerve, the medial and
      lateral plantar nerves, in order to ascertain whether either or both might be
      affected. 60 preparations of cadaveric feet in the Department of Anatomy were
      examined. Using a measuring grid, the position and size of the nerves in the
      tarsal tunnel were assessed and the facial band which define and divide the
      osteofibrous canal delineated. The corners of the measuring grid were the tip of
      the medial malleolus (A), the tip of the calcaneal tubercle at its greatest
      distance from the medial malleolus (B) and the tuberosity of the navicular bone
      (C). These points can also be clearly identified clinically. They define a
      triangle whose sides A-B and B-C are of constant equal length and whose base A-C
      varies little. The operative approach includes a T-shaped incision of the
      retinaculum. The vertical line of the T lies underneath the skin incision. The
      horizontal line corresponds with the upper border of the abductor hallucis
      muscle. The upper border of the abductor hallucis is defined and the muscle
      retracted medially to expose the deep fascia. This layer is removed together with
      the connective tissue bridge which stretches between the fascia and the
      calcaneus. The plantar nerves are discovered and run to the sole of the foot
      without further obstruction.

PMID- 1876852
TI  - [Ultrasound evaluation of multidirectional instability of the shoulder].
AB  - In a prospective study we evaluated the active a-p translation of the humeral
      head in the glenoid socket and the passive cranio-caudal translation of the
      humeral head in relation to the acromion. In 150 healthy volunteers we documented
      normative data. These results were compared with the data recorded in 34 patients
      with multidirectional shoulder instabilities. With the arm adducted or in 90
      degrees flexion we found no statistically significant differences between
      volunteers and patients or between the sexes, or between the dominant and the non
      dominant extremity in the relationship between the humeral head and the dorsal
      brim of the glenoid. In 90 degrees abduction and neutral rotation of the arm the
      dorsal overhang of the humeral head in relation to the dorsal brim of the glenoid
      was 1.5 mm (+/- 3.5 mm) on the dominant and 1.9 mm (+/- 3.4 mm) on the non
      dominant side in the volunteer group. However, in patients with multidirectional
      shoulder instability the humeral head demonstrated such a high degree of a.-p.
      translation that we found a ventral overhang of 2.9 mm (+/- 3.7 mm) on the
      dominant and 0.7 mm (+/- 4.6 mm) on the opposite side. These differences to the
      volunteer group were statistically highly significant (P less than 0.001). In
      patients the difference between the dominant and the non-dominant extremity was
      also significant (P less than 0.05). After active movement into the 90 degree
      abducted and external rotated position of the arm the differences between
      volunteers and patients increased, until finally the differences in patients
      between the dominant and the non-dominant side were highly significant.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876853
TI  - [Interpretation of MR tomography findings in trauma surgery].
AB  - MR-Imaging is well established as the most sensitive method for the diagnosis of
      avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In this paper preliminary results are
      analyzed in an attempt to clarify whether as in a vascular necrosis of the
      femoral head. MR changes after trauma or surgery allow conclusions concerning the
      vitality of the bone. Comparison of clinical, MR and histological findings
      revealed that we cannot yet differentiate between fibrosis of the bone marrow
      with sustained vitality of the osteocytes and bone necrosis. Therefore,
      conclusions with implications for therapy should be drawn with extreme care.

PMID- 1876854
TI  - [Gunshot wounds. Therapeutic possibilities in a developing African country].
AB  - This report is based on experience with the treatment of 135 patients who had
      sustained mainly gunshot injuries but also injuries from mines and hand grenades.
      The different sorts of the therapy were directly dependent on the different
      injury causes. Second- and third-grade fractures caused by middle and high
      velocity projectiles were treated by the open method, external fixation,
      debridement and draining. The therapy of choice is the application of a fixateur
      externe (external fixation). The prognosis after fixation with further treatment
      as needed was very good, even when not performed until several weeks after the
      injury, especially in the restitution of extremity continuity, which can
      sometimes help to prevent unnecessary amputations, especially of the upper
      extremities.

PMID- 1876855
TI  - [Tissue-preserving ventral compression osteosynthesis of dens axis fractures
      using endoscopy and special instruments].
AB  - Endoscopic operations are tissue-preserving operative methods, which are
      increasing constantly in importance. Lag screw osteosynthesis is suitable for
      performance as an endoscopic operation with specially designed instruments. We
      have developed a set that allows lag screw osteosynthesis into the axis of the
      dens. Under endoscopic view the soft tissues are divided and a tube is placed
      through which the screw is inserted with the aid of an image intensifier. Two
      patients have so far been operated on in this way, both without complications.

PMID- 1876856
TI  - [Experience with plating of intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus].
AB  - There have been various attempts to improve the results of treatment of fractures
      of the calcaneus in recent decades. Descriptions of conservative treatment with
      plaster cast, functional treatment and several methods of closed and open
      reduction and stabilization have been published. We believe that, especially in
      young patients, intraarticular fractures with depression of the posterior
      articular facet should be treated by open anatomical reduction, autologous bone
      grafting and stabilization with plates. In our clinic 15 fractures of the
      calcaneus have been treated in this manner in the last few years, and the results
      are very satisfying.

PMID- 1876857
TI  - [Elbow dislocation with fracture of the coronoid process and comminuted fracture
      of the radius head].
AB  - In fractures of the elbow with an associated fracture of the coronoid process,
      the size of the coronoid fragment determines the stability of the joint. A
      diminution of the arch of the incisura semilunaris by about 30 degrees causes
      instability of the elbow. We present an alternative way of treating the special
      case of a fracture of the coronoid process combined with comminuted fracture of
      the proximal end of the radius. A suitable fragment of the head of the radius is
      used to reconstruct the coronoid process. The stability achieved allows early
      functional postoperative treatment with a good range of movement at the elbow
      joint.

PMID- 1876858
TI  - [Femoral head preserving therapy in medial femoral neck fractures. A clinical
      study of the effects of treatment method on the outcome].
AB  - The main problem with fractures of the femoral neck is the high incidence of
      avascular necrosis and non-union. While the rate of pseudarthroses has been
      lowered by treatment with stable compression screws, no effect of this technique
      on the incidence of head necrosis is evident. The reasons for this are rupture of
      vessels, wide dislocation of fragments and diminution of blood supply owing to
      intracapsular hematoma. Since 1982 we have been using a defined indications and
      therapy schedule for these fractures, which is based on the main principle of
      open operative treatment in younger patients. This procedure is the only one that
      makes accurate reduction and stable internal fixation of fragments possible. With
      the opening of the capsule and evacuation of the hematoma pressure on the blood
      vessels is relieved. The analysis of data recorded in 81 patients treated with
      open reduction and stable internal fixation revealed that poor functional results
      and avascular necrosis occur especially in fractures of Garden's stages III and
      IV that are operated on longer than 6 h after the trauma is sustained. Therefore,
      the operation should be performed as soon as possible as an emergency procedure
      to reduce the likelihood of such severe complications.

PMID- 1876859
TI  - Fanconi anemia: constitutional aplastic anemia.

PMID- 1876860
TI  - Introduction: the molecular biology of hematopoiesis.

PMID- 1876861
TI  - Regulation of primitive human hematopoietic cells in long-term marrow culture.

PMID- 1876862
TI  - Stroma-cell dependent hematopoiesis.

PMID- 1876863
TI  - Transcription factor regulation of hematopoietic lineage cells.

PMID- 1876864
TI  - Retroviral-mediated gene transfer of human adenosine deaminase into murine
      hematopoietic cells.

PMID- 1876865
TI  - Mixed cryoglobulinemia cross-reactive idiotypes: implications for the
      relationship of MC to rheumatic and lymphoproliferative diseases.

PMID- 1876866
TI  - Bloom syndrome and ataxia telangiectasia.

PMID- 1876867
TI  - The role of proteoglycans in cervical dilatation.

PMID- 1876868
TI  - Cervical distensibility changes in pregnancy, term, and preterm labor.

PMID- 1876869
TI  - Ultrasound: a new approach to the evaluation of cervical ripening.

PMID- 1876870
TI  - Cervical mucus and sperm transport in reproduction.

PMID- 1876871
TI  - Incompetent cervix: pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.
AB  - The incompetent cervix is a diagnostic dilemma. There are no well-defined or
      strict criteria to diagnose cervical incompetence, and therefore the indications
      for treatment are not always clear. Forty years ago, when the basic methods of
      treatment were first described, the diagnosis seemed relatively simple and the
      treatment acceptable. There have been very few large, prospective, randomized,
      well-controlled studies to determine the efficacy of the various surgical
      methods. Liberal use of cerclage procedures in situations of moderate risk for
      premature delivery or as prophylactic measures in multiple pregnancy does not
      appear to improve outcome as judged by prematurity or fetal survival. At the
      present, fetal survival cannot be a measure of the success of a surgical
      procedure because so many other factors play a role in outcome, such as the
      quality of obstetrical and neonatal care. Therefore, outcome of surgical
      procedures should be judged by more objective criteria, such as prolongation of
      pregnancy (in weeks) and birth weight. The methods that would allow making an
      unequivocal and objective diagnosis of incompetent cervix are not yet available.
      Until we reach this goal, the subject of cervical incompetence and effectiveness
      of its treatment will remain challenging and elusive.

PMID- 1876872
TI  - Pharmacological modulation of cervical compliance in the first and second
      trimesters of pregnancy.

PMID- 1876873
TI  - Use of prostaglandins for induction of labor.

PMID- 1876874
TI  - The physiology of the uterine cervix in reproduction.

PMID- 1876875
TI  - The physiology of the uterine cervix in reproduction. Introduction.

PMID- 1876876
TI  - Relationship between myometrial and cervical functions in pregnancy and labor.

PMID- 1876877
TI  - Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia.

PMID- 1876878
TI  - The lazy eye.

PMID- 1876879
TI  - Correlation of lower respiratory tract inflammation with changes in lung function
      and chest roentgenograms in patients with untreated tropical pulmonary
      eosinophilia.
AB  - Forty-one patients with untreated tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) were
      studied to determine whether there was any relationship between lower respiratory
      tract inflammation and either changes in lung function or abnormalities in chest
      roentgenograms. Total number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage
      (BAL) fluid, consisting of alveolar macrophages, lymphocytes, eosinophils and
      neutrophils had significant negative correlations with transfer factor (TLCO) (r
      = 0.519, p less than 0.001), transfer coefficient (KCO) (r = 0.312, p less than
      0.05) and total lung capacity (TLC) (r = 0.352, p less than 0.05). The absolute
      count of eosinophils in BAL fluid had a significant negative correlation with
      TLCO (r = 0.430, p less than 0.01) and KCO (r = 0.300, p = 0.05), but not with
      forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or TLC.
      However, the absolute count of alveolar macrophages had a significant negative
      correlation with FVC (r = 0.343, p less than 0.05), FEV1 (r = 0.341, p less than
      0.05) and TLC (r = 0.305, p less than 0.05), but not with TLCO or KCO. The total
      number of lymphocytes had a negative correlation with TLC (r = 0.315, p less than
      0.05). There was no correlation between the types of cells recovered in BAL fluid
      and changes in chest radiographs as assessed by the ILO classification for
      occupational lung diseases. These data suggest that there may be a dissociation
      of pulmonary pathophysiological changes produced by different inflammatory cells
      in the lower respiratory tract. Macrophages and lymphocytes may produce more harm
      to the lung, as evidenced by significant negative correlations of these cells
      with lung volumes.

PMID- 1876880
TI  - A study of amblyopia in 18-19 year old males.
AB  - During a vision screening of 6,556 National Service pre-enlistees aged 18-19
      years at the Medical Classification Centre of Central Manpower Base, 48 subjects
      were found to have visual acuity of 6/12 or less in one or both eyes in the
      absence of ocular pathology. The prevalence of amblyopia in this population is
      0.73%. Amblyopia was due to anisometropia in 24 cases (50%), strabismus in 9
      cases (18.7%), high astigmatism (meridional) in 7 cases (14.5%) and other causes
      or a combination of factors in 8 cases (16.7%). Strabismic amblyopia is most
      commonly associated with esotropia. There is a positive association between the
      severity of amblyopia and the degree of strabismus in strabismic amblyopes.
      Meridional amblyopia tends to be less severe than most other types of amblyopia.
      The amblyopes were detected late (average 7-10 years of age) and orthoptic
      treatment of a small minority of them upon diagnosis was unsuccessful.

PMID- 1876881
TI  - Mortality among psychiatric inpatients in Singapore.
AB  - This study examines the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) by age, sex and cause
      of death among psychiatric inpatients in Singapore. Mortality in mentally ill
      inpatients was found to be 2.79 times that of the general population. The SMR
      decreased with age and the SMR for those 70 years and above was lower than that
      reported in the literature. The mortality ratio was most accentuated in the
      younger patients, especially in the female. Excess mortality was observed in both
      the natural as well as the unnatural causes of death. Among the natural causes of
      death, infection and pneumonia showed high excess in mortality. In the unnatural
      causes of death, suicide was predominant.

PMID- 1876882
TI  - Maintenance haemodialysis in Singapore.
AB  - The chronic haemodialysis programme of the Singapore General Hospital started in
      1968 as a hospital-based fully nurse-assisted programme. This has since expanded
      to include Self Dialysis and Home Dialysis programmes. Data of 425 patients who
      entered the dialysis programmes was analysed retrospectively. The major cause of
      end stage renal failure was chronic glomerulonephritis (52%). Almost half of the
      patients in the haemodialysis programme were patients on self-dialysis (49%).
      There were 157 withdrawals and 116 deaths. Survival has improved tremendously
      with the use of treated water for dialysis from 1981. The 5 year survival in an
      earlier group of patients dialysed with untreated water was 48% compared with 81%
      in a late group dialysed with treated water (p less than 0.001). The pattern of
      complications has also changed with a lower incidence of dialysis osteomalacia,
      hypertension, hepatitis and eradication of dialysis dementia.

PMID- 1876883
TI  - Validation of the General Health Questionnaire in female video display unit (VDU)
      operators in Singapore.
AB  - Fifty-seven Chinese female Video Display Unit operators employed in a multi
      national company were asked to complete the 28-item General Health Questionnaire
      (GHQ-28). This is part of a study on stress and asthenopia in this group of
      workers. Validity of the GHQ-28 was determined by comparison with the Clinical
      Interview Schedule (CIS). The GHQ-28 was found to give optimum results with a cut
      off score of 5/6. The CIS classified 28.07% as cases and this was comparable to
      the estimated prevalence of 28.03% derived from the GHQ.

PMID- 1876884
TI  - Cigarette smoking among school children in Singapore. Part II--Development of the
      smoking habit.
AB  - The second in this series on smoking among school children in Singapore aims to
      define the characteristics of young smokers. Results show that of respondents who
      had ever smoked, the median age of experimentation with smoking was 12 years.
      This was seen among boys as well as girls. The median age at which current
      smokers went on to smoke regularly was 14 years, approximately two years after
      trying their first cigarette. Friends and parents were the main sources of the
      first cigarette for all categories of smokers, whether they be ex smokers,
      experimenters or current smokers. Among the reasons as to why current smokers
      smoked, the leading two were "to relax" (46.4%) and "out of sheer curiosity"
      (22.3%). Boys tend more to smoke with friends of the same sex (40.6%) whilst
      girls preferred mixed company (45.5%) when they smoked. Fathers played a major
      role in the development and continuation of smoking among those who had ever
      smoked before--52.0% of boys and 51.6% of girls currently smoking reported that
      their fathers smoked as well.

PMID- 1876885
TI  - Ureterorenoscopy: factors influencing success.
AB  - The first 100 patients with ureteric calculi to undergo planned ureteroscopy and
      lithotripsy were retrospectively studied to evaluate the factors which influenced
      the success of the procedure. All 75 males and 25 females who underwent this
      procedure had surgical indications to treat the stones. The factors influencing a
      successful outcome were studied over four different time frames. It was found
      that the procedure was more successful in females, and lower ureteric stones. The
      stone size did not affect the outcome as expected. The learning curve was very
      evident as increased experience produced higher success rates for ureteric access
      and lithotripsy, less morbidity, shorter operating time and lower open surgery
      rates. The introduction of the miniscope and laser lithotripsy was however the
      most significant factor in ensuring a successful outcome.

PMID- 1876886
TI  - The anatomy of the Fossa of Rosenmuller--its possible influence on the detection
      of occult nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - The Fossa of Rosenmuller (FOR) is a well established site of origin of
      nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Detection of early NPC requires a sound knowledge
      of the anatomy of the FOR. The authors study the anatomy of the FOR with the aid
      of CT Scan and discuss the possible influence of the anatomy of the FOR on the
      detection of occult NPC. This paper reveals that there are cases of postnasal
      space which cannot be fully inspected clinically due to the peculiar anatomy of
      the FOR.

PMID- 1876887
TI  - The diagnostic yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the investigation of
      anaemia.
AB  - Computer records of patients endoscoped over a 34-month period were studied to
      assess the diagnostic yield of gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients with
      anaemia. Patients with obvious gastrointestinal bleeding and known
      gastrointestinal pathology were excluded. On hundred and thirty-six patients were
      endoscoped for anaemia. Eighty-three of them (61%) had iron deficiency anaemia
      and 53 (39%) had other types of anaemia. The ages of the patients with iron
      deficiency anaemia (mean 56 years) were significantly lower than those of other
      anaemias (means 65 years), (p less than 0.003). Patient characteristics were
      otherwise comparable. There were significant endoscopic findings (ulcers,
      carcinoma and haemorrhagic or erosive gastritis) in 26 of 83 patients (31%) with
      iron deficiency anaemia, in 11 of 53 patients with other anaemias (21%) and 37 of
      136 patients (27%) combined. Significant endoscopic findings were found in 506 of
      2224 patients (23%) endoscoped during this period who were not anaemic, did not
      have obvious gastrointestinal haemorrhage and were not known to have
      gastrointestinal diseases. The diagnostic yield for iron deficiency anaemia was
      significantly higher than for the non anaemic group (p less than 0.05). There was
      no difference between the diagnostic yields of iron deficiency and other
      anaemias, other anaemias and the non anaemic group, or total anaemias and the non
      anaemic group. Gastrointestinal symptoms and history of analgesic or steroid
      usage did not appear to increase the incidence of gastrointestinal lesions in
      either iron deficiency anaemia or other anaemias. Twenty-three of 41 patients
      (56%) who had no cause for anaemia found at the end of all investigations were
      colonscoped.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1876888
TI  - Shivering during regional anaesthesia and its control with pethidine.
AB  - Ninety-seven consecutive patients who underwent four different types of regional
      anaesthesia such as lumbar epidural, spinal, caudal and brachial blocks were
      studied for their incidence of shivering. Fifty percent of patients who received
      epidural anaesthesia shivered compared to 19% of patients who received either
      spinal or caudal anaesthesia. None of the patients who had brachial block
      shivered. Intravenous injection of 25 mg pethidine would stop shivering in almost
      all patients who shivered during regional blocks.

PMID- 1876889
TI  - Comparison between flowcytometry and immunoperoxidase staining for the
      enumeration of lymphocyte subsets.
AB  - Immunoperoxidase staining was compared with flowcytometry for the enumeration of
      lymphocyte subsets. The percentages obtained for peripheral blood lymphocytes
      using immunoperoxidase (CD3 = 76 CD4 = 27.9, B = 10.7 CD4/CD8 = 1.8) differed
      significantly from those obtained by flowcytometry (CD3 = 65.7 CD4 = 39.4, CD8 =
      25.6, B = 16.7, HLA DR = 11.9 CD4/CD8 = 1.54) for certain subsets (CD3, CD4, B).
      There was no significant difference in lymphocyte subsets between children and
      adults using the same method. These differences are probably due to the different
      methods used to prepare lymphocytes for analysis. Other factors that should also
      be considered are the presence of CD4 antigen on monocytes and CD8 on natural
      killer cells.

PMID- 1876890
TI  - The outcome of patients with acute bronchial asthma presenting to the emergency
      room.
AB  - We collected data on patients above the age of 5 years with acute bronchial
      asthma who presented to the emergency room of Hospital Sains Universiti Sains
      Malaysia during the period between 1 January to 31 March 1990. Two hundred and
      twelve patients (57% males and 43% females) who made a total of 271 visits were
      recorded. This constitutes 16.3% of all adults and paediatric medical cases seen
      in the emergency room during this period. The majority of patients presented
      between 8 pm and 6 am which contrasts with the attendance pattern due to other
      causes. We also recorded two peak periods of presentation (between 8 pm and 12
      midnight and between 6 am and 10 am). Thirty-one (11.4%) cases resulted in
      admission. Of the 240 cases that were successfully treated and discharged from
      the emergency room, there were 59 relapses (in 45 patients). Twenty-two percent
      of the relapses occurred within 24 hours of the last visits. We recorded lower
      rates of admission as well as relapses compared to all previous studies. Our
      finding of bimodal pattern of presentations was also not previously reported.

PMID- 1876891
TI  - Life-threatening arrhythmias after intravenous lidocaine alone or with magnesium
      in myocardial infarction complicated by ventricular fibrillation.
AB  - To compare the effects of Lidocaine (LID) alone or with Magnesium Sulfate (M) on
      life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias which followed cardioverted prolonged
      ventricular fibrillation (VF) during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we
      studied 34 (24.63%) out of 138 patients aged from 52 to 83 years (mean: 66.92 +
      8.82) with an anterior AMI, who had cardioverted prolonged VF. Twenty patients
      (58.8%)--Group A--received LID 2 mg/min at constant-rate infusion through a
      subclavian catheter following a bolus of LID 100 mg, whereas 14 patients (14.2%)-
      Group B--received LID at the same dose + M 2.5 mg/min. All the patients had
      continuous monitoring and LID serum level was measured daily by means of
      immunofluorescent method (TDX Abbot; range 1.5-5 micrograms/ml). Group A had the
      following mean serum levels of LID; 250 + 0.9; 1.52; 245 +/- 0.9; 3.20 + 1.1.
      Group B showed: 2.65 + 1.2; 2.80 + 1.8; 3.10 + 1.2; 3.25 + 1.1. Continuous
      monitoring displayed the following arrhythmias respectively for Group A and Group
      B: VT 37 times vs 16(P less than 0.05, significant), transiently cardioverted VF
      during therapy 17 times vs 6(p less than 0.01, significant), 8 deaths from VF vs
      6 - 3 from VF and 3 from asystole - (p = NS). LID + M treatment seemed to be more
      effective than LID alone to reduce life-threatening arrhythmias following
      cardioverted prolonged VF of AMI but not the deaths. In addition, M would raise
      moderately LID serum level and this fact, not yet well known, needs further
      investigation.

PMID- 1876892
TI  - Drugs and the elderly.
AB  - Prescribing for the older individual requires a great deal of thought. Multiple
      pathology is usually associated with multiple drug taking and therefore a high
      risk of adverse drug reactions. Physiological changes have important bearing on
      drug usage. Constant vigilance is required to ensure safe prescribing.

PMID- 1876893
TI  - Parkinson's disease.
AB  - The management of the elderly patient with idiopathic Parkinson's disease
      requires great attention to detail. Treatment should only be considered when the
      daily activities of life are affected. Medication should be commenced cautiously.
      Regular review is essential and co-ordination with other members of the
      multidisciplinary team is vital.

PMID- 1876894
TI  - Infections in the elderly.
AB  - Infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Altered
      host defences, a senescent immune system, chronic illnesses, and environmental
      factors all contribute to the aged's predisposition to infection. Infections can
      present in atypical fashion contributing to diagnostic and therapeutic delays.
      Awareness of altered antibiotic absorption, metabolism, and excretion in the
      elderly is essential to correct antibiotic selection and dosing. Additionally,
      antibiotic interactions with medications commonly used to treat chronic illnesses
      should be taken into consideration prior to antibiotic prescribing. Prevention of
      infectious complications in the elderly requires interest, education,
      vaccination, and early intervention.

PMID- 1876895
TI  - Pericardial mesothelioma presenting as a mediastinal mass.
AB  - A case of malignant mesothelioma of the pericardium, who presented with an
      anterior mediastinal mass, is reported. Such a presentation of the pericardial
      mesothelioma is distinctly rare. As in most of the other reported cases, our
      patient also did not have any exposure to asbestos. The diagnosis in the present
      case was established after surgery. Most of the cases reported in the literature,
      were diagnosed only at postmortem. The treatment of choice is surgical resection
      of the tumour. The prognosis of pericardial mesothelioma is poor and till now,
      only two long survivals have been reported.

PMID- 1876896
TI  - Vaginal vault prolapse--a case report.
AB  - Vaginal vault prolapse after hysterectomy is a distressing complication for both
      the patient and the surgeon. Successful repair of post-hysterectomy vault
      prolapse is one of the most difficult problems in gynaecological surgery. The aim
      of the surgery should be to restore coital function and cure the prolapse
      permanently.

PMID- 1876897
TI  - Drug interaction between cyclosporine A and quinine in a renal transplant patient
      with malaria.
AB  - We report a previously undocumented drug interaction between cyclosporine A and
      quinine. A 39 year old Asian with a recent renal transplant was diagnosed to have
      a mild cerebral falciparum malaria. He was treated with seven days of oral
      quinine (600 mg, 8 hourly), followed by a stat dose of pyrimethamine (75 mg)-
      sulfadoxime (1200mg) because of a strong suspicion of chloroquine resistant
      falciparum malaria. Using a polyclonal radioimmunoassay method, we measured
      morning trough cyclosporine A level before, during and after the quinine
      treatment. Results showed a gradual decrease in the cyclosporine A level from a
      baseline value of 328 ng/ml to 107 ng/ml after seven days of oral quinine with a
      subsequent rise to pre-treatment level after discontinuation of quinine. There
      was no significant change in the dose of cyclosporine A administered during the
      period of quinine treatment (4.05 to 3.83 mg/kg body weight). Biochemical liver
      function tests, serum creatinine and hematological parameters were also
      essentially unchanged during this period. In vitro study showed no significant
      methodological interference in the cyclosporine assay by quinine dihydrochloride.
      These findings suggest an in vivo drug interaction between cyclosporine A and
      quinine. The mechanism of this interaction is not clear. Further studies are
      required to confirm the significance of this observation. Quinine and its
      stereoisomer, quinidine should be used with caution until further information is
      available.

PMID- 1876898
TI  - [Results of a questionnaire survey of physicians on issues of medical
      occupational expertise].
AB  - Results of questionnaire survey of 275 physicians of major clinical specialties
      are provided in regard to 26 aspects of medical expertise. Information is
      provided which characterise physicians' knowledge of medical expertise
      provisions, the sources of this knowledge, the assessment of competence of this
      expert commission and of its director, ungrounded issue of sick lists, denial to
      identify factual disability, causes leading to this phenomenon and also ways of
      reducing the level of morbidity associated with temporary disability.

PMID- 1876899
TI  - [Mortality trends of Krasnoyarsk Region population from oncological diseases].
AB  - An increasing general trend in aging of population during the last decade
      stipulates the necessity to conduct a comparison (both in time and territory
      aspect) of either age-specific health indices or their standard variants because
      without age peculiarities of population during different years the results might
      be misrepresented. The data acquired in the course of the present study indicate
      that oncological morbidity of population in the Krasnoyarsk region in the
      majority of age and social groups (urban and rural inhabitants) not only have not
      increased but even dropped in 1989 as compared with 1959. One should be careful
      in assessing general indices of population health along with obligatory use of
      methods permitting to take into account the demographic peculiarities of
      population in the years compared.

PMID- 1876900
TI  - [Methods of assessing the state of the digestive system in mass examinations of
      rural population].
AB  - On the basis of physician's logic a questionnaire has been elaborated for
      identifying the most common diseases of digestive system during mass medical
      check-ups of rural population. 98 combinations of signs were considered in the
      diagnostic algorithm for making conclusions regarding 11 diseases. The programme
      elaborated envisages recommendations on the volume of examinations necessary for
      verification of diagnoses. The questionnaire and rules governing it were verified
      for 152 patients. By means of mathematical statistics methods the informativeness
      of the signs used have been assessed. The analysis showed a great diagnostic
      value of choosing signs on the basis of physician's logic taking into account
      their pathogenetic correlation. The efficiency of questionnaires have been
      demonstrated and sufficient under conditions of automated examinations
      sensitivity (on the average for diseases 78.1%) and specificity (on the average
      for diseases 70.0%).

PMID- 1876901
TI  - [Use of the standardization principle in public health institutions].

PMID- 1876902
TI  - [Development of rural clinics system under conditions of restructuring of Soviet
      public health].

PMID- 1876903
TI  - [Experience in organizing competition of school health education teams].
AB  - One of the main tasks of Soviet medicine--the healthy lifestyle formation among
      population can be accomplished with the help of school health education teams.
      The training of school health education teams is one of the forms of out-of
      school hours activities in hygienic education and training of pupils and can
      easily be accomplished through organizational plans of activities at any school
      or industrial training school. The organization of school health education teams
      should unite the efforts of teachers, specialists from the service of healthy
      lifestyle formation, cultural institutions, young communist league and youth
      organizations and other departments and public agencies concerned. Using various
      active publicity media school health education teams should become active healthy
      lifestyle promotion organizations and their performance can be conducted before
      any audiences. The working experience of school health education teams is in need
      of investigation, improvement and dissemination.

PMID- 1876904
TI  - [Qualification characteristics of specialists--graduates of medical and
      pharmaceutical institutes].
AB  - The development of medical education is associated with scientific elaboration of
      a system of periodically renewed requirements for specialists training quality,
      introduction of new methods and means for objective assessment of their
      professional competence. The present dectarative, non-constructive and non
      classifying nature of qualification characteristics for graduates of medical and
      pharmaceutical institutes necessitated the carrying out of investigations aimed
      at the elaboration of a new system of qualification characteristics capable to
      fulfill the function of scientifically substantiated quality standards of higher
      medical education for every specialty. The paper describes the evolution of
      methodological approaches to the making of these documents, considers their new
      structural peculiarities, provides the technology of their projecting, determines
      their place in the target system of continuous medical education. The major
      peculiarity of a new system of qualification characteristics is the adequacy of
      targets to the requirements for the performance of specialists in applied public
      health, the possibility of estimating or evaluating the achievement of targets,
      the possibility of projecting these targets with the help of through programmes
      of specialties in the educational process by their specification in intermediate
      targets of training which are the basis for improving the system of training at
      all stages. The authors analyse the international experience and outline the
      prospects for the use of new ideas in future work on qualification
      characteristics. Recommendations are made to use the proposed methodology for
      correcting qualification characteristics in the system of secondary medical
      education and in the system of postgraduate training of physicians and
      pharmacists.

PMID- 1876905
TI  - [Teaching social hygiene and public health administration].

PMID- 1876906
TI  - [Pioneers of zemskaia medicine: N. A. Dolgorukov].

PMID- 1876907
TI  - [Assessment of the old as a cumulation of the outdated and the current in the
      study of history of neurology in the 19th and early 20th centuries].

PMID- 1876908
TI  - [Public health and medical sciences of Bukovina during 50 years of Soviet rule].

PMID- 1876909
TI  - [Clinico-morphological characteristics of dilated cardiomyopathy].
AB  - The paper presents the results of a clinicomorphological study of 50 patients
      with dilated cardiomyopathy. ECG, echocardiography, x-ray revealed atrial
      fibrillation, parasystole, extrasystole, impairment of intraventricular
      conduction, symptoms of a focal cicatricial myocardial lesion, high end-systolic
      and end-diastolic volumes, reduced ejection fraction, marked axial dilatation of
      the heart. Morphologic evaluation showed diffuse and diffuse microfocal
      cardiosclerosis, combination of sites of hypertrophic myocardiocytes with
      dystrophic foci, atrophy, sclerosis. Morphological evidence is available for
      arrhythmic, cardiomegalic, aneurysmic, infarction-like and pseudovalvular dilated
      cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 1876910
TI  - [Psychoemotional condition and autonomic nervous system in patients suffering
      from myocardial infarction in the young age].
AB  - The analysis of clinical pattern, psychovegetative disturbances and metabolic
      defects in coronary patients with a history of myocardial infarction at young age
      provided information for recognition of two subgroups: normal-weight and
      overweight patients. Metabolic derangement manifesting with high total
      cholesterol and triglycerides levels occurred in group II whereas dystonia was
      registered in both groups as shown by assessment of reactivity and vegetative
      tone. Background parasympathetic activation and sympathoadrenal activation in
      exercise grew. Overweight patients seemed to have a marked vegetative
      dysfunction. The two patterns established have both theoretical and practical
      significance in terms of design of therapeutical measures.

PMID- 1876911
TI  - [Pathogenesis of homeometric and heterometric autoregulation of the heart in
      mitral valve defects].
AB  - Right ventricular (RV) function was investigated using rheopulmonography at
      Valsalva's manoeuvre and echocardiography in 36 patients with rheumatic heart
      disease which were divided into three groups: with RV normal-size chamber and
      normal thickness of the wall (I), with normal-size RV chamber and myocardial
      hypertrophy (II), with RV dilatation and hypertrophy. In patients of group I
      there appeared mitral stenosis of degree I (Gorlin) and insignificant elevation
      of pressure in the pulmonary artery. Mitral defect was compensated through the
      mechanism "stress-mobilization" underlying homeometric autoregulation of the
      heart. As a result, muscular thickness grows without hypertrophy and becomes
      stronger. In more pronounced narrowing of mitral opening (group II) the second
      stage of the compensation comes: in latent pulmonary hypertension hypertrophy
      develops as a prolonged adaptation to greater load. Hypertrophic myocardium is
      the most resistant to overloading with external pressure. In group III patients
      with mitral narrowing degree 2 and more distinct pulmonary hypertension one can
      observe an addition of Frank--Starling mechanism--heterometric type of
      autoregulation. In spite of its triggering compensation of the defect remains
      insufficient (circulation deficiency becomes clear-cut in patients of group III).

PMID- 1876912
TI  - [Hypokininemia in chronic bronchitis caused by cotton dust].
AB  - Examination of 102 patients who developed bronchitis due to exposure to cotton
      dust running a complicated or noncomplicated course recognized a moderate
      hyperkininemia in 40% of cases (4.46 +/- 0.43 against the normal 2.90 +/- 0.42)
      and apparent hypokininemia in 60-63% of cases (0.52 +/- 0.03 against 2.90 +/-
      0.42). Hypokininemia appeared in association with pathological shifts in external
      respiration and central hemodynamics. It is an unfavourable factor contributing
      to formation of occupation complications of chronic bronchitis: pulmonary
      emphysema, pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale.

PMID- 1876913
TI  - [Two-dimensional pulse Doppler echography in chronic hepatitis].
AB  - A separate estimation of blood flow in the portal and hepatic veins using
      ultrasonic two-dimensional tomography and impulse Doppler echography of the liver
      was tried in 30 chronic sufferers with hepatitis versus 31 healthy controls. Two
      dimensional impulse Doppler echography recorded the blood flow spectrum in the
      right hepatic vein at the site of its entering of vena cava inferior as well as
      in the portal vein at the portal fissure simultaneously with ECG. The index of
      portal blood flow and that of right hepatic vein flow in systole are proposed.
      The above method warrants a separate estimation of hepatic circulation in hepatic
      pathology whereas its combination with ultrasonic tomography increases its
      diagnostic potential at early stages of hepatic impairment. The analysis of the
      central and hepatic hemodynamics established hepatic circulation participation in
      regulation of central hemodynamics.

PMID- 1876914
TI  - [HBO in the combined therapy of purulent peritonitis and peritoneal sepsis].
AB  - The study was made of HBO effect on changes of biologic fluid toxicity in
      purulent peritonitis. HBO was introduced in combined therapy of 68 patients (32
      with general peritonitis and 36 with peritoneal sepsis). Lethality in peritonitis
      patients reached 40.6% (19 patients), in sepsis patients 33.3% (12 patients).

PMID- 1876915
TI  - [Insulin effect on lipidemia and immunological indices in diabetes mellitus type
      1].
AB  - Biochemical and immunologic studies were carried out in 361 patients with
      diabetes mellitus type I treated with large nonphysiological doses of insulin and
      physiological ones. Atherosclerosis and noticeable changes in lipid serum
      spectrum, immunity derangement occurred significantly more often in heparin
      overtreatment suggesting a conclusion on a possible role of chronic insulin
      overdosing in mechanisms of atherosclerosis development in diabetics.

PMID- 1876916
TI  - [Clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of anaerobic non-clostridium
      infections].

PMID- 1876917
TI  - [Microcirculation and capillary permeability during hemodialysis in patients with
      renal insufficiency].
AB  - Time course changes in microcirculation (MC) and capillary permeability (CP) were
      investigated in 191 patients with acute renal failure (ARF) and 45 patients with
      terminal chronic renal failure (CRF). Similar in type MC and CP disturbances were
      found in all CRF and oligoanuria ARF patients. These were more pronounced in CRF
      sufferers depending in degree on the disease severity. Knizeli's phenomenon
      ranged from 2.2.KII to 3.3.KIII. The total conjunctival index reached 22.99-25.20
      in CRF and 19.4 in ARF. Unlike ARF patients, those with CRF had no positive trend
      in MC and CP. A transient change for the better came after hemodialysis and was
      seen in occasional patients. It is suggested that no response to hemodialysis is
      indicative of CRF and ARF poor prognosis. The trend in MC can help in
      prognostication of CRF development in acute cases.

PMID- 1876918
TI  - [Hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of compression mononeuropathies].
AB  - 105 patients with compression mononeuropathies were divided into 2 groups by
      duration of HBO performed under an original method. The effect of HBO treatment
      was assessed by changes in neurological symptoms and positive trend on ENMG. The
      most appreciable response was obtained in acute disease treated by 4-session
      short course. Longer courses of VIII-X sessions were less efficient.

PMID- 1876919
TI  - [Radiodiagnosis of metastases to the upper abdominal and retroperitoneal lymph
      nodes].
AB  - The examination of 170 patients with cancer of the esophagus and proximal stomach
      made it possible to specify x-ray, ultrasonic and CT signs of cancer metastases
      to the upper abdomen and retroperitoneum. A scheme of radiodiagnosis of these
      metastases is suggested. The diagnostic value of x-ray, echography and CT was
      considered in relation to various lymph nodes involvement.

PMID- 1876921
TI  - [Differential diagnosis of coma in the therapeutic practice].

PMID- 1876920
TI  - [Neocytapheresis in donors].
AB  - Various techniques and blood separators were employed to obtain therapeutic doses
      of immature erythrocytes (neocytes) from blood of 18 donors. Regimens of neocyte
      apheresis, preparative efficiency of blood separators, morphofunctional and
      biophysical characteristics of neocytes obtained were compared. Neocyte apheresis
      shows promise for hematological patients dependent on red cells transfusion.

PMID- 1876922
TI  - [Treatment of ascites in liver cirrhosis].

PMID- 1876923
TI  - [Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of a single heart ventricle].

PMID- 1876924
TI  - [Psychological characteristics of patients with borderline arterial hypertension
      and prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases].

PMID- 1876925
TI  - [Antithrombogenic characteristics of vascular wall and intravascular thrombocyte
      activation in atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries].

PMID- 1876926
TI  - [ATP therapy in paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias during emergency care].

PMID- 1876927
TI  - [Clinico-electromyographic examination of patients with chronic atypical lung
      diseases].

PMID- 1876928
TI  - [Obligate anaerobic non-sporulating microflora in pleural empyema].

PMID- 1876929
TI  - [Complications of duodenal ulcer in young patients].

PMID- 1876930
TI  - [Alimentary correction of alcoholic liver diseases].

PMID- 1876931
TI  - [Atropine test for the choice of surgical methods in duodenal ulcer].

PMID- 1876932
TI  - [Early active detection of proctologic diseases using a system of step-by-step
      automated screening].

PMID- 1876933
TI  - [Biochemical criteria of endogenous intoxication in large intestine diseases].

PMID- 1876934
TI  - [Parathyroid gland cysts and primary hyperparathyroidism].

PMID- 1876935
TI  - [Treatment of complicated transverse colon diverticulosis by prolonged
      retroperitoneal novocaine blockade].

PMID- 1876936
TI  - [A course and outcome of chronic hepatitis with the presence of serum markers of
      replication phase of hepatitis B virus].

PMID- 1876937
TI  - [Effect of social, genetic and personality factors on the outcome of iron
      deficiency anemia and their role in the disease prognosis].

PMID- 1876938
TI  - [Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of heart neoplasms].
AB  - Computed tomography (CT) was used to study 56 and 4 patients with primary and
      secondary cardiac blastomas, respectively. CT allows differentiation between a
      racemose and dense endocardial tumor, localization of myxoma pedicle, recording
      its prolapse into the adjacent chamber, identification of extra-, intracardiac
      and intramyocardial tumor growth as well as changes in adjacent vessels. CT image
      of cardiac myxoma is similar to a filling defect of diminished density, that of
      extra-endocardial tumors display polymorphism. Blastomatous invasion of the heart
      is characterized by blurring of cardiovascular elements boundaries, pericardial
      thickening and fluid accumulation. CT is advocated as a new, noninvasive and
      highly efficient diagnostic modality in cardiac tumors.

PMID- 1876939
TI  - [Epidural analgesia in the surgical treatment of patients with diabetes
      mellitus].

PMID- 1876940
TI  - [Urgent cerebral pathology in hypophyseal nanism].

PMID- 1876941
TI  - [Laser reflexotherapy in osteoarthrosis deformans and rheumatoid arthritis].

PMID- 1876942
TI  - [Clinical and laboratory evaluation of ciprofloxacin effectiveness].

PMID- 1876943
TI  - [Food poisoning , complicated by infectious-toxic shock and acute stomach
      dilatation].

PMID- 1876944
TI  - Health service improvisation or resource distribution?

PMID- 1876945
TI  - Some research achievements at the University of Natal Medical School, 1951-1991.

PMID- 1876946
TI  - Attitudes to organ donation.

PMID- 1876947
TI  - Breast cancer--all the breakthroughs since lunchtime.

PMID- 1876948
TI  - Calling the AIDS shots at Wits--'guidelines on HIV infection and AIDS'.

PMID- 1876949
TI  - The renal histopathology of essential malignant hypertension in black South
      Africans.
AB  - The renal histopathology of essential malignant phase hypertension in two groups
      of black South Africans was studied. The first, an autopsy series, consisted of
      material obtained in 1956-1961, a period when adequate antihypertensive therapy
      had not yet become generally available. The second group, a renal biopsy series,
      was from an era when effective antihypertensive therapy was available (1979
      1989). The study showed that the clinical and histopathological changes of
      malignant hypertension were similar in both the pre-treatment and treatment eras.
      Fibrinoid necrosis was found in 92% of the autopsy sections and 44% of the
      biopsies. While mucinous, onion-skin and fibrotic changes of the blood vessels
      were commonly found, they were not invariably present and could not be considered
      the histopathological hallmark of malignant nephrosclerosis. It was often
      impossible on histological examination to distinguish malignant nephrosclerosis
      arising de novo from that superimposed on long-standing previous benign
      hypertension. Replication of internal elastic lamina, which has been considered a
      marker of long-standing previous benign hypertension, was a nonspecific finding
      and was frequently observed in young hypertensive subjects with a short clinical
      history. When fibrinoid necrosis is present, diagnosis of malignant
      nephrosclerosis can be made with confidence in black South Africans.

PMID- 1876950
TI  - Significant cost-saving with modification of antihypertensive therapy.
AB  - Thirty patients attending Somerset Hospital Outpatient Department, Cape Town, who
      were on nifedipine for hypertension or chest pain, were followed up for 6 months
      after alternative therapy was instituted. After the change of treatment, blood
      pressure control improved and no serious side-effects were encountered. Reserpine
      combined with a thiazide was a major component of the new regimen which reduced
      the monthly cost per patient from R54 to R14, a saving of 73%. If this saving was
      extended to 5% of the potential hypertensive patients in the RSA it would amount
      to R8 million per month. Although a self-assessment depression inventory was
      completed by 21 patients, our study does not fully evaluate the impact on quality
      of life. The likelihood of side-effects is, however, small--provided that the
      maximum daily dose of reserpine does not exceed 0.1 mg. We feel that a more
      considered approach is needed in the choice of antihypertensive agents.

PMID- 1876951
TI  - Assessing operability in squamous carcinoma of the oesophagus. Are pre-operative
      investigations unreliable?
AB  - Pre-operative investigations, although providing useful information, were
      unreliable in predicting resectability in patients with malignant oesophageal
      lesions. Chest radiographs excluded metastasis and active tuberculosis. The
      barium swallow examination determined the length of the lesion and displayed
      various displacements, none of which excluded resectability. Tumour infiltration
      of the airways was the only change visible at bronchoscopy that contraindicated
      resection. Computed axial tomography was unreliable in excluding extra
      oesophageal tumour extension and operability. As all these pre-operative
      investigations have their limitations in assessing operability, exploration of
      the lesion is essential to determine resectability for squamous carcinoma of the
      oesophagus, provided there is prior histological confirmation of a malignant
      oesophageal lesion.

PMID- 1876952
TI  - Septic shock in the Intensive Care Unit, Hillbrow Hospital, Johannesburg.
AB  - The records of all patients with septic shock admitted to an intensive care unit
      during a 15-month period were analysed retrospectively. The main purpose of the
      study was to describe the aetiology and clinical features of illness, and to
      determine the outcome of the patients, including those factors influencing
      prognosis. Thirty-five patients (46% medical, 54% surgical) fulfilling the
      criteria for the diagnosis of septic shock were admitted to the study. There were
      21 male and 14 female patients. Most infections were community-acquired (69%).
      The two most common sources of infection were the respiratory tract and abdomen.
      All patients required inotropic blood pressure support. Most patients (94%) were
      mechanically ventilated and 7 required dialysis. Organisms, sometimes multiple,
      were isolated in 18 patients. Fifty percent of the isolates (12 of 24) were Gram
      negative, 10 were Gram-positive and there were 2 associated Candida albicans
      bacteraemias. The overall mortality rate was 40%. There was no difference in
      outcome between community or hospital-acquired infections, infections with Gram
      positive or Gram-negative organisms, or in patients with differing sources of
      sepsis. Features associated with a poorer prognosis were older age and higher
      bilirubin value.

PMID- 1876953
TI  - Surgical management of multiple limb gangrene following dehydration in children.
AB  - Multiple limb gangrene and auto-amputation without arterial vascular occlusive
      disease is uncommon. Seven such paediatric patients were managed at King Edward
      VIII Hospital, Durban, during the 6-year period ending in 1989. The spectrum and
      degree of limb gangrene ranged from phalangeal necrosis to distal limb
      mummification affecting one or more limbs. The most affected child had gangrene
      and mummification of all limbs as well as gangrene of the ear lobes and the tip
      of the nose. The main associated factor was severe fluid loss--2 children had
      received herbal enemas, with resultant hypotension, hypoperfusion, hypernatraemia
      and acidosis, which, it is postulated, led to peripheral thrombosis and the
      ensuing gangrene. It is suggested that aggressive fluid therapy, including low
      molecular weight dextran and correction of the metabolic derangement, should form
      the main thrust of the therapeutic endeavour. Once gangrene is established,
      surgical debridement and rehabilitation is all that is possible. Using this
      procedure only 2 patients died in the acute resuscitation phase.

PMID- 1876954
TI  - Immunity to rabies after administration of prophylactic human diploid-cell
      vaccine.
AB  - The immune status to rabies of 14 volunteers was determined using the
      commercially available Trousse Platelia Rage (Diagnostics Pasteur) enzyme
      immunoassay test system. Twelve subjects were evaluated before and between 6
      months and 60 months after prophylactic intramuscular (deltoid) administration of
      rabies human diploid-cell vaccine, while the effect of booster doses on a further
      2 volunteers was evaluated over an 11-year period. Optical density values were
      converted to international units to allow correlation with World Health
      Organisation seroneutralisation references. Values of greater than or equal to
      0.5 IU are considered protective. The results showed that most individuals were
      still immune 2 years after vaccination; there was a tendency for serum antibody
      levels to decrease over a 5-year post-vaccination period. Antibody levels rose
      sharply after booster immunisation, after which they decreased at a much slower
      rate. In general, results revealed that after the first booster, additional
      booster vaccinations at 5-yearly intervals would provide adequate prophylactic
      immunity. There was, however, much individual variation, which emphasises the
      need to evaluate each individual at regular and shorter intervals to determine
      the need for booster vaccine doses. The test method employed is economical and
      well suited to such evaluations.

PMID- 1876955
TI  - Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels in eclampsia. A preliminary study.
AB  - Plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline levels were measured in 18 women with
      eclampsia and 20 normotensive pregnant women matched for age and parity. While
      plasma noradrenaline concentrations were not statistically different in the two
      groups, plasma adrenaline values were higher in patients with eclampsia. The
      increases in adrenaline levels, although significantly elevated, were thought to
      be more related to stresses, such as muscular activity associated with
      convulsions. This study suggests that the aetiology of hypertension in pregnancy
      is not related to sympathetic overactivity.

PMID- 1876956
TI  - Low prevalence of delta hepatitis virus infection among blacks in Natal.
AB  - The prevalence of delta hepatitis virus (DHV) infection among hepatitis B surface
      antigen (HBsAg)-positive black subjects in Natal was determined. A total of 172
      subjects was tested for the presence of antibodies to DHV; all were HBsAg
      positive. They comprised three groups: 51 urban children identified in a
      community-based seroprevalence survey, 81 subjects identified during a family
      study, and 40 institutionalised children. None of the 172 subjects was positive
      for antibodies to DHV. Based on calculations using a binomial distribution of
      infection, there was a 95% probability that the prevalence of DHV infection was
      below 30/100,000 HBsAg-positive persons. While DHV infection was found to be rare
      among blacks in Natal, the risk of delta hepatitis becoming widespread is ever
      present, since the high incidence of hepatitis B virus infection in black
      children provides ample opportunity for the concomitant spread of DHV.

PMID- 1876957
TI  - Subcellular distribution of asialoglycoprotein receptor in liver regeneration.
AB  - Asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor specific activity was determined directly
      using a radiolabelled ligand (asialoorosomucoid) binding assay in various
      fractions of rat liver cells before and 24 hours after two-thirds partial
      hepatectomy. The specific activity of ASGP receptor in the plasma membrane
      fraction was significantly reduced 24 hours after partial hepatectomy. In an
      attempt to identify a subgroup of receptor involved in intercellular recognition
      the calcium-dependent ASGP receptor was re-assayed after pre-incubation in
      ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid. This revealed significant amounts of additional
      receptor in microsomal preparations but not in plasma membrane fractions. Cryptic
      receptor levels were not affected by partial hepatectomy. Plasma membrane-bound
      receptor was significantly decreased in regenerating liver.

PMID- 1876958
TI  - An inflatable birth canal dilator. A randomised pilot study.
AB  - An inflatable device designed to achieve controlled dilatation of the pelvic
      floor soft tissues before the second stage of labour in women with epidural
      analgesia was tested in a randomised pilot study. Assisted vaginal delivery was
      required in 4/14 primiparous women (29%) after use of the dilator, and 8/16
      controls (50%). The concept of improving the efficiency of pelvic floor
      dilatation and reducing the trauma associated with childbirth was found to be
      worth pursuing, and potential improvements in the design of the dilator were
      identified.

PMID- 1876959
TI  - Non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia in a neonate. A case report.
AB  - Non-ketotic hyperglycinaemia was diagnosed in a newborn infant presenting with
      lethargy, apnoea, hiccoughs and myoclonic seizures. The typical findings of
      raised cerebrospinal fluid:plasma glycine ratio, a burst suppression pattern on
      electro-encephalography, hypodense areas seen on computed tomography and lack of
      acidosis, ketosis and serum organic acid abnormality confirmed the diagnosis.
      Prenatal diagnosis by investigating the glycine cleavage enzyme system from a
      chorionic villus sample is not yet available.

PMID- 1876960
TI  - Necrotising fasciitis after caesarean section--association with non-steroidal
      anti-inflammatory drugs. A report of 3 cases.
AB  - Three cases of necrotising fasciitis following caesarean section are described.
      Each patient had received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the
      immediate postoperative period. While the association of necrotising fasciitis
      and the use of NSAIDs may be coincidental, the use of this group of drugs, which
      impair normal defence mechanisms, should be avoided if at all possible in the
      postpartum patient.

PMID- 1876961
TI  - Guidelines on HIV infection and AIDS--notes on the statement from Wits.

PMID- 1876962
TI  - Hunger striking.

PMID- 1876963
TI  - Fish oil supplementation and cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1876965
TI  - Temple Fay, M.D. 1895-1963.

PMID- 1876964
TI  - [Critical evaluation of femoro-popliteal-crural in situ venous bypass-
      experiments on valve elimination and hemodynamics].
AB  - In a retrospective study we compared the results of 96 reversed (group I) and of
      45 in-situ (group II) femoropopliteal infragenual venous bypasses. All
      reconstructions were done without TEA of the connecting vessels and without pre-,
      intra- or postoperative in - or outflow manipulations. The outflow tract (state
      of the crural arteries) in both groups was similar (p = 0.1). The states of
      ischemia were different (more cases of limb threatening ischemia in group II,
      0.001 less than p less than 0.005). In opposition to most publications the
      cumulative patency rates were statistically different (88.8%/68.4% after 3
      months, 73.1%/25.4% after 2 years, p less than 0.005). Also limited function
      rates-exclusion of all cases with reocclusion within 3 months respectively all
      operations with severe faults in indication or technique of operation, showed
      worse results for the group II (p less than 0.05). Most early reocclusions of in
      situ-bypass were caused by leaks of the bypass vein or residual valves. In an
      experimental study we could demonstrate, that the conventional methods of valve
      destruction are followed by an extensive trauma of the venous wall or by an
      incomplete rupture of the valves. After elimination of the valvular function
      their afibrinolytic sinus lie free in the vein lumen. We invented and tested
      experimentally and clinically a new valve-destroying instrument, the
      Elektrovalvulectome, which does not rupture the valves, but does excise them in
      toto. Additionally the cutting head of the instrument can be changed in situ and
      so adapted to the different diameters of the venous conduit. The results were
      excellent. We found from own hemodynamic measurements and from the literature,
      that the numerous theoretical advantages of the in situ venous bypass, except the
      better hemodynamics, are without practical relevance. From our own experiences
      and those of the literature we must conclude: 1. The in-situ venous bypass is a
      good method for femorocrural reconstructions. 2. If the distal anastomosis lies
      in the popliteal artery, we prefer the free orthograd venous bypass. 3. The
      valves should not be ruptured or incised, but excised in toto.

PMID- 1876966
TI  - Serum neuron-specific enolase levels after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
AB  - We examined serum levels of neuron-specific enolase by enzyme immunoassay in 29
      patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Serum
      neuron-specific enolase levels were significantly higher in patients with a poor
      neurological status than in patients with a good neurological status on
      admission, and the greater the amount of subarachnoid blood, the higher the serum
      neuron-specific enolase level. Patients with a good outcome had low serum neuron
      specific enolase levels throughout their courses. Serum neuron-specific enolase
      levels increased with development of delayed ischemic neurological deficits and,
      especially in poor outcome patients, high levels persisted until 3 weeks after
      the subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PMID- 1876967
TI  - Hypothermic protection following middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat.
AB  - The effects of deep hypothermia on ischemic neuronal injury were examined using a
      permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in the rat. Animals were
      maintained at temporalis temperatures of either 24 degrees C or 36 degrees C and
      killed 6 hours after arterial occlusion. Normothermic rats displayed an average
      infarct volume of 25.1% +/- 1.6% of the right hemisphere, whereas hypothermic
      rats had an average infarct volume of 4.1% +/- 1.3% (p less than 0.001). The
      right/left hemispheric ratio was 1.05 +/- 0.02 in the normothermic group and 1.00
      +/- 0.02 in the hypothermic group (p less than 0.05). These results suggest that
      hypothermia to 24 degrees C may reduce cerebral infarction and edema formation
      following middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat.

PMID- 1876968
TI  - The use of anterior Caspar plate fixation in acute cervical spine injury.
AB  - Optimal management of cervical cord injury in the presence of documented
      instability and/or compression of neural elements remains a controversial topic.
      Surgery and internal stabilization of cervical spine fracture/dislocations are
      effective and well accepted, but controversy exists on the relative merits of the
      anterior versus the posterior approach as well as the optimal timing of surgical
      intervention. We report our experience with the Caspar technique and
      instrumentation for anterior stabilization in 54 patients for acute cervical
      spine injury. Our series consists of 38 male and 16 female patients whose ages
      ranged from 16 to 68 years, with a mean age of 29.2 years. Thirty-two of these
      patients had complete neurological sensory/motor deficits at the time of
      presentation, eight were neurologically intact, and 14 had preservation of some
      motor and sensory function. All 54 patients had radiographic evidence of
      posterior instability as well as anterior disruption of either a vertebral body
      or intervertebral disk. We found that "early" intervention (less than 24 hours
      after injury) was performed frequently in the neurologically compromised
      patients. Twelve of the 22 patients undergoing surgery less than 24 hours after
      admission regained significant neurological function, with 13 of 22 developing
      postoperative complications. In the "delayed" group (surgery more than 24 hours
      after injury, mean 14.3 days), 14 patients experienced postoperative
      complications, with 15 of 24 demonstrating neurological improvement. The eight
      patients who were intact did uniformly well. There was no mortality during the
      follow-up. All 54 patients showed a solid fusion (clinically and radiologically)
      within 6 months of surgery. In two cases the plates had to be removed, without
      risking the fusion. Our experience suggests that although anterior cervical
      fusion and Caspar plating remain appropriate for patients with documented
      anterior compromise of the canal, it should not substitute for more traditional
      posterior stabilization procedures. Because this route has the potential for more
      serious complications, it should be reserved for the cases in which anterior
      decompression is deemed necessary or posterior fusion was unsuccessful. With
      appropriate selection of patients, no adverse effect of early surgery was
      demonstrated. In fact, neurologically compromised patients had the benefits of
      increased ease of patient care and early transfer to rehabilitation.

PMID- 1876969
TI  - Induced hypertension during restoration of flow after temporary middle cerebral
      artery occlusion in the rat: effect on neuronal injury and edema.
AB  - The effect of hypertension instituted during restoration of flow after focal
      ischemia was studied. After the middle cerebral artery (MCA) of 12 rats was
      occluded for 2 hours, the ligatures were released and flow was restored for a
      period of 2 hours. In the control group, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was not
      manipulated. In the hypertensive group, the MAP was elevated by 25-30 mm Hg
      immediately after reestablishment of MCA patency. The area of neuronal injury,
      determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium staining, was significantly smaller in
      the hypertensive group. Specific gravity, determined by microgravimetry, did not
      differ between groups. The data demonstrate that modest hypertension, when
      induced during reperfusion after 2 hours of MCA occlusion, reduces neuronal
      injury and does not exacerbate edema formation.

PMID- 1876970
TI  - Ruptured saccular aneurysm associated with duplication of the vertebral artery.
AB  - A case of a ruptured aneurysm arising from a duplicated segment of the
      intracranial portion of the vertebral artery is reported. This particular
      association, which can be explained by the embryological development of the
      vertebral artery, has not been described previously.

PMID- 1876971
TI  - Paraplegia in a pregnant thalassemic woman due to extramedullary hematopoiesis:
      successful management with transfusions.
AB  - The investigation and treatment of a pregnant thalassemic woman who developed
      severe paraplegia is presented. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a paravertebral
      mass infiltrating the epidural space, resulting from extramedullary hematopoiesis
      (marrow heterotopia). The patient was treated successfully with repeated blood
      transfusions and made a complete recovery. The literature (36 cases) is reviewed
      and the magnetic resonance imaging features of spinal extramedullary
      hematopoiesis are presented. The efficacy of transfusions in the management of
      spinal cord compression due to marrow heterotopia in thalassemic patients is
      discussed.

PMID- 1876972
TI  - Maffucci's syndrome associated with intracranial enchondroma and aneurysm: case
      report.
AB  - Maffucci's syndrome is a rare, congenital mesodermal dysplasia combined with
      dyschondroplasia and hemangiomatosis. Enchondromatous involvement of the skull
      bones is rare in this syndrome. A rare case of Maffucci's syndrome associated
      with enchondroma at the skull base, left internal carotid artery aneurysm, and
      goiter is reported. Two other previously reported cases of Maffucci's syndrome
      with associated aneurysms and the present case suggest that Maffucci's syndrome
      may be associated with aneurysm.

PMID- 1876973
TI  - Dural arteriovenous malformation in the anterior cranial fossa: report of a case.
AB  - We present an unusual case involving intracranial arteriovenous malformations in
      the anterior cranial fossa located symmetrically on both sides. A mixed pial and
      dural arteriovenous malformation, the nidus of which was localized in the brain
      parenchyma, was found on the right side and a pure dural arteriovenous
      malformation on the left side. Our case is felt to support the hypothesis of a
      congenital origin for dural arteriovenous malformation in the anterior cranial
      fossa, because the dural arteriovenous malformation coexisted with the mixed pial
      and dural arteriovenous malformation, which can be attributed to a disturbance of
      normal embryonic development.

PMID- 1876974
TI  - Spontaneous closure of a high-risk dural arteriovenous malformation of the
      transverse sinus.
AB  - The case of a 44-year-old woman with tinnitus of her left ear is presented. An
      arteriogram demonstrated a posterior dural arteriovenous malformation (AVM) on
      that side with drainage via dilated cortical veins into the superior sagittal
      sinus. No intervention was undertaken. When angiography was repeated 7 years
      later, no dural AVM was seen.

PMID- 1876975
TI  - Alfred Reginald Allen: the mythic career of a gifted neuroscientist.

PMID- 1876976
TI  - Familial medulloblastoma in siblings: report in one family and review of the
      literature.

PMID- 1876977
TI  - Occupational cervico-brachial disorders among dentists. Analysis of ergonomics
      and locomotor functions.
AB  - The aim of the investigation was to compare dentists with and without
      occupational cervicobrachial disorders with regard to the mobility of the neck
      and shoulders and the static endurance of the shoulder muscles. Further,
      differences in working position and the task performance on a stimulated case
      were to be analysed. The investigation was carried out during a visit to the
      workplace of 143 dental officers in the Public Dental Service in Malmohus
      District and the Municipality of Malmo. Of these dentists, 96 had signs of
      cervico-brachial disorders and discomfort while 47 had not. The ergonomic
      examination showed, that significantly more dentists without symptoms of pain
      applied a wedge cushion under the upper part of the back of the patient to get an
      optimum view (p less than 0.05). It was also found that significantly more
      dentists without symptoms were aware of and utilised the naturally arising pauses
      in their work than dentists with pain and discomfort. Further dentists with
      cervico-brachial disorders kept their head sidebent and rotated to a greater
      extent than dentists without symptoms (p less than 0.01). No significant
      difference was found between the two groups concerning mobility of the neck and
      shoulders. Significant differences were found between women with and without
      cervico-brachial systems.

PMID- 1876978
TI  - Tobacco habits among teenagers in the city of Goteborg, Sweden, and possible
      association with dental caries.
AB  - Frome nine dental clinics within the Public Dental Service in the City of
      Goteborg, 2145 patients aged 14 to 19 answered a questionnaire concerning their
      tobacco habits. Tobacco was used in some form by 27 per cent of the patients and
      use increased with age. Smoking was more common among girls than among boys: 24
      and 12 per cent, respectively. The statistical analyses showed that smoking as a
      habit and an increased number of cigarettes smoked per day are positively
      correlated with increases in the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth and
      the number of initially decayed proximal surfaces. Further, all caries
      epidemiological data were significantly higher among patients with tobacco habits
      compared to non-users. It can be concluded that there is a correlation between
      the tobacco habit and increased caries prevalence. However, dietary and oral
      habits have to be further elucidated before any definite conclusions can be made
      regarding the effect of the tobacco habit per se on the development of caries.

PMID- 1876979
TI  - Is snuff a potential risk factor in occlusal wear?
AB  - Oral snuff contains fairly high percentages of inorganic, potentially abrasive
      elements and the use of snuff has been identified as one factor that contributes
      to occlusal wear. In the first part of the present study, the snuff habits of 100
      users were investigated. 41 per cent reported that they sometimes got snuff
      between their teeth and another 14 per cent said that this happened often.
      Thirteen and six per cent, respectively, admitted that they sometimes of often
      used snuff as chewing tobacco. In the second part, an experimental model, using a
      so-called Bruxcore, was set up to estimate the degree of occlusal wear when
      chewing snuff compared to when chewing with nothing in the mouth. After 3000
      chewing strokes on each plate, the wear of the plate used while chewing snuff was
      significantly less compared to the plate used while chewing with nothing in the
      mouth. The most likely explanation for this finding is that the salivary flow was
      more than twice as high when chewing snuff compared to chewing with nothing in
      the mouth, and that the saliva serves as a lubricant that protects the surface
      from wear. It is concluded that the use of oral snuff is not an important risk
      factor in occlusal wear.

PMID- 1876980
TI  - Secondary caries related to various marginal gaps around amalgam restorations in
      vitro.
AB  - Secondary caries lesions were produced in vitro by immersing human tooth-blocks
      with amalgam restorations every third day for 4 weeks in glucose- or sucrose
      containing broth inoculated with a strain of Streptococcus mutans. The lesions at
      the cavity walls were related to various standardized micro-spaces (0, 30, 40, 60
      and 80 microns) around the restorations. When a thick, sucrose induced layer of
      plaque covered the margin, dentine caries was found in all cases where a gap was
      present (30 microns or more). In the presence of a thin, glucose induced layer of
      plaque, dentine caries was detected only in the specimens with 60 and 80 microns
      gap-widths. Caries lesions were detected on the outer free enamel surfaces in all
      specimens. Lesions in the enamel of the cavity walls were observed with polarized
      light in 46% in the presence of sucrose- and in 21% in the presence of glucose
      induced plaque.

PMID- 1876981
TI  - Regression of phenytoin-induced gingival overgrowth after withdrawal of
      medication.
AB  - The regression of phenytoin-induced gingival overgrowth after withdrawal of
      medication was studied in 10 children. After only one month a statistically
      significant (p less than 0.05) in buccolingual dimension of the marginal gingiva
      was observed in both the maxillary and mandibular incisor areas. Children
      diagnosed as responders (i.e. exhibiting pseudopockets) showed a more rapid and
      significantly greater decrease (p less than 0.05) in buccolingual dimension at 1
      and 3 months after withdrawal of PHT medication than non-responders. Compared to
      a control group of children on other antiepileptic drugs, no significant
      differences could be found in the thickness of the marginal gingiva six months
      after withdrawal of medication.

PMID- 1876982
TI  - Salivary mutans streptococci and caries prevalence in 8-year-old Swedish
      schoolchildren.
AB  - The aim of this study was to obtain cross-sectional information about the
      quantitative distribution of salivary mutants streptococci assessed with a
      clinically applicable microbiological method and the relation to dental caries in
      young schoolchildren. A total of 355 8-year-old children were examined for the
      presence and number of mutants streptococci in saliva by a specially prepared
      strip, the "Strip-mutans" method, cultivated in a selective broth. The strips
      were first visually examined and grouped by aid of a templet provided by the
      manufacturer and thereafter transferred to a laboratory for enumeration of colony
      forming units (CFU) with aid of a stereomicroscope. Caries scores were obtained
      from the dental records. Mutans streptococci were identified in 70% of all
      children. 46% were free from the bacterium or harboured low levels (0-10 CFU)
      while high levels (greater than or equal to 500 CFU) were found only in 6% of the
      material. Strong positive correlations (p less than 0.001) were found between
      different levels of mutans streptococci infection and the caries experience in
      both the primary (dmfs) and the permanent (DMFS) dentition. A statistically
      significant correlation between the direct examination and the microscopic
      enumeration was disclosed (r = 0.84). The bacterial culturing technique used in
      this study proved to be practical and reliable and thus useful in clinical
      routines of pediatric dentistry.

PMID- 1876983
TI  - [Clinical nursing--Bobath' principles].

PMID- 1876984
TI  - [Working environment--a harsh working place].

PMID- 1876985
TI  - [Health, sickness, suffering, death. 2. Wholeness--human dignity and medical
      science].

PMID- 1876986
TI  - [What do laws and agreements say about vacation conditions?].

PMID- 1876987
TI  - [It happens every day].

PMID- 1876988
TI  - [Clinical nursing--no easy shortcuts].

PMID- 1876989
TI  - [An elegy].

PMID- 1876990
TI  - [Drug information--old wine in new flasks. Assortment of insulin modernized].

PMID- 1876991
TI  - [Nursing research--appreciation. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1876992
TI  - [Health, sickness, suffering, death. 3. Wholeness--culture and dying].

PMID- 1876993
TI  - [The weakest don't have to pay].

PMID- 1876994
TI  - [Psychiatric nursing--brute force. Interview by Teddy Osterlin Koch].

PMID- 1876995
TI  - [Psychiatric nursing. Violent patients need security].

PMID- 1876996
TI  - [AIDS staff takes flight].

PMID- 1876997
TI  - [Hospital & Rehab 91. Thus far the biggest health fair].

PMID- 1876998
TI  - [Health, sickness, suffering, death. 4. Wholeness--dying and the individual].

PMID- 1876999
TI  - [Apoplexy and automobile driving].

PMID- 1877000
TI  - [What do we know about it?].

PMID- 1877001
TI  - [Hidden camera. Interview by Mogens Cuber].

PMID- 1877002
TI  - [Soviet Union--snowball effect].

PMID- 1877003
TI  - [On the heels of infection].

PMID- 1877004
TI  - [Nursing research. Affectionate research. Interview by Grethe Kjaergaard].

PMID- 1877005
TI  - [Why does one want to have the experience?].

PMID- 1877006
TI  - [Philosophy. Rejection of purely situational ethics].

PMID- 1877008
TI  - [EEC. Minimal requirements for computer terminal work stations].

PMID- 1877007
TI  - [Social medicine. Better health with a good social network].

PMID- 1877009
TI  - [Mental health. Nursing care in district psychiatry].

PMID- 1877010
TI  - [Mental health. More mentally ill with substance abuse in welfare home. Interview
      by Lars Peter Bergqvist].

PMID- 1877011
TI  - [Mental health. Monday on day watch].

PMID- 1877012
TI  - [Mental health. Care and restraint].

PMID- 1877013
TI  - [Mental health. Now it is here ... continuing education].

PMID- 1877014
TI  - [Mental health. A valid discharge].

PMID- 1877015
TI  - [Mental health. Art and knowledge in psychiatric nursing].

PMID- 1877016
TI  - [It concerns mental health].

PMID- 1877018
TI  - [Mental health. When the healing is by strides].

PMID- 1877017
TI  - [Mental health. Brian on a short leash].

PMID- 1877019
TI  - [Mental health. Departure in psychiatry].

PMID- 1877020
TI  - Teamwork helps rural hospital rise to the occasion.

PMID- 1877021
TI  - HIV bill passes House committee, subcommittee considers mandatory testing.

PMID- 1877022
TI  - TDH says watch for Listeria infection.

PMID- 1877023
TI  - Health commissioner Robert Bernstein talks about public health in Texas.

PMID- 1877024
TI  - The shape of things to come: PPRC ponders payment reform.

PMID- 1877025
TI  - The lowdown on low fees in Texas Medicaid.

PMID- 1877026
TI  - R-e-s-p-e-c-t. The public image of physicians.

PMID- 1877027
TI  - 'Bill of Rights' for physicians who serve--don't leave for the next war without
      it.

PMID- 1877028
TI  - Texas physician did the right thing in publicized prescription forgery.

PMID- 1877029
TI  - Look before you sign on the dotted line with HMOs and PPOs.

PMID- 1877030
TI  - Sexual abuse of children.
AB  - Sexual abuse of children is a pervasive and growing problem, which has demanded
      the attention of several professional groups. Because most children never reveal
      the abuse, understanding the psychodynamics involved is fundamental to the
      detection of these victims. Physicians should be aware of the masked clinical and
      behavioral indicators of sexually abused children that signal the need for
      further questioning. Through appropriate inspection of genitalia and anus in
      routine examination of the child, the physician can establish rapport and a
      foundation of trust critical for disclosure of abuse. The history the child gives
      is the most important evidence and is most credible when spontaneous, consistent,
      and detailed. Physicians must report any suspicion of child abuse to the Texas
      Department of Human Services (TDHS) and/or law enforcement agencies. Finally,
      physicians can help prevent such sexual abuse by providing anticipatory guidance
      for parents and caretakers of children.

PMID- 1877031
TI  - How trimester of entry into prenatal food program affects birth weight.
AB  - During 1988, 80% of women in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
      Infants, and Children (WIC) in Texas enrolled in the program after the first
      trimester of pregnancy. Infants born to these women displayed higher rates of low
      birth weight than those born to women who entered WIC during their first
      trimester. Infants born to women who enrolled in WIC during the second trimester
      had higher birth weights than those born to women who waited until the third
      trimester to enter WIC. If the trimester of WIC enrollment for Texas is adjusted
      with use of an unweighted national sample, more women would have enrolled during
      the first two trimesters of pregnancy and 362 fewer babies with low birth weight
      would have been delivered by WIC enrollees during 1988. Efforts should be made to
      encourage early enrollment in WIC--and prenatal care--for women at high risk for
      delivering low birth weight infants.

PMID- 1877032
TI  - Comprehensive care for patients with hemophilia: an expanded role in reducing
      risk for human immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - Hemophilia is an inherited coagulation disease that affects approximately 1 in
      5,000 to 10,000 males worldwide. Chronic joint disease and other long-term
      complications of recurrent bleeding persist in patients with hemophilia despite
      improved and more available clotting protein concentrates. The best care can be
      provided to patients who are followed regularly in specialized treatment centers.
      Services of every "comprehensive" hemophilia treatment center (HTC) have expanded
      since previous treatment with clotting factor concentrates infected many
      hemophilics with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Each HTC offers
      therapeutic, educational, and counseling expertise in care for the complications
      of HIV. A nationwide network of specialists now provides care for patients with
      hemophilia and related congenital abnormalities. In Region VI (Texas, Oklahoma,
      and Arkansas), the treatment centers and their affiliates provide medical,
      psychosocial, orthopedic/physical therapy, dental, and case management services.
      Extramural funded research programs provide care and laboratory testing at no
      cost to individual subjects.

PMID- 1877033
TI  - Updated definition of brain death in Texas.
AB  - In most instances, brain death is established on the basis of straightforward
      clinical findings in adult patients having suffered head trauma or cerebral
      hemorrhage. In exceptional instances, including infants or adults having the
      neurologic criteria with a backdrop other than trauma or hemorrhage, or who are
      being treated with barbiturate coma, a different diagnostic procedure is
      necessary. Various considerations in brain death diagnosis in these exceptional
      circumstances are listed, with an update of ancillary diagnostic procedures.
      Reasons for avoiding unnecessary delays of diagnosis are underscored.

PMID- 1877034
TI  - Lung function in adult idiopathic scoliosis: a 20 year follow up.
AB  - Severe idiopathic scoliosis may lead to respiratory failure, which can be treated
      by assisted ventilation. Twenty four patients with surgically untreated
      idiopathic scoliosis who had been examined in 1968 were re-examined in 1988 to
      assess changes in lung function and risk factors for respiratory failure. The
      patients were aged 15-67 years in 1968 and had a scoliotic angle of 10-190
      degrees and a vital capacity of 1.0-6.0 litres. Spirometric values and scoliotic
      angles were determined in 1968 and 1988, and arterial blood gas tensions in 1988.
      The decline in spirometric values over the 20 years was of the same magnitude as
      the predicted decline due to aging. Arterial blood gas tensions in 1988 were
      strongly correlated with the scoliotic angles and spirometric indices recorded in
      1968. Hypoxaemia and hypercapnia was seen in four patients in 1988 (then aged 43
      67 years) and these were the four patients who had a vital capacity below 43%
      predicted in 1968. The remaining 20 patients had blood gas values within normal
      limits. Two further patients had died from respiratory failure before 1988, so a
      total of six patients had developed respiratory failure. In a multiple logistic
      analysis vital capacity expressed as % predicted in 1968 was the strongest
      predictor of the development of respiratory failure, followed by the scoliotic
      angle. Respiratory failure occurred only in patients who had a vital capacity
      below 45% predicted in 1968 and an angle greater than 110 degrees. Thus
      respiratory failure develops in adults with scoliosis with a large angle and a
      low vital capacity when normal aging reduces the ventilatory capacity further.
      Such individuals merit close follow up.

PMID- 1877035
TI  - Chronic persistent cough and gastro-oesophageal reflux.
AB  - Chronic cough persisting for two months or more that remains unexplained after
      extensive investigations is a common clinical problem. The purpose of this study
      was to determine whether such cough is associated with otherwise asymptomatic
      gastro-oesophageal reflux. Thirteen patients with chronic persistent cough that
      was unexplained after a standard diagnostic assessment were identified. All were
      non-smokers. The mean (SE) duration of cough was 17.8 (8.0) months. Ten had never
      had reflux symptoms and three had had mild symptoms only after the onset of the
      cough. All the patients completed standardised cough diary cards for eight weeks
      and underwent 24 hour ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring. A reflux episode was
      defined as a fall in oesophageal pH to below 4.0. Nine control subjects were
      matched for age, lung function, and body mass index. The patients experienced
      significantly more episodes of reflux per 24 hours than the controls (115.8 (SE
      31.7) versus 4.7 (1.4) and longer reflux episodes (15.5 (5.8) versus 1.7 (0.5)
      minutes), and the oesophageal pH was below 4.0 considerably longer (84.5 (20.2)
      versus 3.8 (1.3) minutes). Cough occurred simultaneously with 13% (2.2%) of
      reflux episodes and within five minutes in another 35% (5.8%) of episodes,
      whereas gastro-oesophageal reflux occurred simultaneously with 78% (5.5%) of
      cough episodes and within five minutes in another 12% (2.3%) of episodes. It is
      concluded that chronic persistent cough that remains unexplained after a standard
      diagnostic assessment is associated with otherwise asymptomatic gastro
      oesophageal reflux. It is suggested that a self perpetuating mechanism may exist
      whereby acid reflux causes cough via a local neuronal oesophageal-tracheo
      bronchial reflex, and the cough in turn amplifies reflux via increased
      transdiaphragmatic pressure or by inducing transient lower oesophageal sphincter
      relaxation. Further study of this mechanism and the role of specific antireflux
      treatment in chronic persistent cough is warranted.

PMID- 1877036
TI  - Exercise but not methacholine differentiates asthma from chronic lung disease in
      children.
AB  - Bronchial provocation challenges with exercise and methacholine were performed on
      the same day or within a short interval in 52 children with asthma, 22 with other
      types of chronic lung disease (including cystic fibrosis), and 19 control
      subjects with no evidence of chronic lung disease. There were no significant
      differences in the baseline lung function before the two types of challenge in
      the individual groups and differences between the patients with asthma and with
      chronic lung disease were minor. When the mean -2 SD of the methacholine response
      of the control group was taken as the lower limit of normal, 49/52 (94%) patients
      with asthma and 18/22 (82%) with chronic lung disease responded abnormally. In
      contrast, with the mean +2 SD of the exercise response of the control group as
      the upper limit of normal, 41/52 (79%) asthmatic patients responded but none of
      those with chronic lung disease. Thus the response to the two types of challenge
      helps to distinguish asthma from other types of chronic lung disease in children.

PMID- 1877037
TI  - Budesonide and terbutaline or terbutaline alone in children with mild asthma:
      effects on bronchial hyperresponsiveness and diurnal variation in peak flow.
AB  - The effects of treatment with budesonide (200 micrograms twice daily) and
      terbutaline (500 micrograms four times daily) has been compared with the effects
      of placebo and terbutaline in 27 children with mild asthma, aged 7-14 years, in a
      double blind, randomised placebo controlled study over eight weeks. Bronchial
      responsiveness (PC20 histamine), lung function, the amplitude of diurnal
      variation in peak expiratory flow (PEF), and symptom scores were measured.
      Baseline FEV1 was over 70% predicted and PC20 histamine less than 8 mg/ml. Twelve
      children were treated with budesonide and terbutaline and 15 with placebo and
      terbutaline. After four and eight weeks of treatment the change in PC20 was
      significantly greater after budesonide and terbutaline than after terbutaline
      alone by 2.1 (95% CI 0.5-3.8) and 1.3 (95% CI 0.1-2.5) doubling doses
      respectively. Mean FEV1 did not change in either group. The change in afternoon
      and nocturnal PEF was significantly greater after budesonide and terbutaline than
      after terbutaline alone. The amplitude of diurnal variation in PEF did not change
      significantly in either group. Peak flow reversibility decreased in the
      budesonide group. There were no differences between treatments for cough and
      dyspnoea, but wheeze improved in the budesonide group. The children with mild
      asthma treated with budesonide and terbutaline showed improvement in bronchial
      responsiveness, afternoon and nocturnal PEF, and symptoms of wheeze and a fall in
      peak flow reversibility by comparison with those who received terbutaline alone.

PMID- 1877038
TI  - Increased platelet aggregate formation in patients with chronic airflow
      obstruction and hypoxaemia.
AB  - Platelet aggregate formation in vivo was assessed by means of the platelet
      aggregate ratio and from platelet release products (beta thromboglobulin,
      platelet factor 4, thromboxane B2) in 23 patients with chronic airflow
      obstruction with and without hypoxaemia and in 10 control subjects without
      respiratory disease. Eight of the 11 hypoxaemic patients were having long term
      oxygen therapy. The platelet aggregate ratio was lower in the hypoxaemic patients
      (0.88 (SE 0.03] than in the non-hypoxaemic (0.97 (0.01] and control groups (1.00
      (0.02], and there was a trend to lower aggregate ratios in the more hypoxaemic
      patients. Platelet release products in the peripheral venous blood were not
      increased in the patients or control subjects. Platelet behaviour is altered in
      chronic hypoxaemia and this enhanced platelet activity could contribute to the
      pulmonary vascular damage found in these patients through direct effects or
      mediator release.

PMID- 1877039
TI  - Phosphodiesterase inhibitors: new opportunities for the treatment of asthma.

PMID- 1877041
TI  - Surgical treatment of carcinoma of the oesophagus.

PMID- 1877040
TI  - Intramural oesophageal dissection.

PMID- 1877042
TI  - Statistics in respiratory medicine. 3. Scale, parametric methods, and
      transformations.

PMID- 1877043
TI  - Pulmonary haemosiderosis associated with left atrial myxoma.
AB  - A patient with features suggesting pulmonary haemosiderosis was found to have a
      myxoma. The pulmonary lesion cleared after excision of the tumour.

PMID- 1877044
TI  - Successful pulmonary resection after spontaneous hemopneumothorax in the
      Eisenmenger syndrome.

PMID- 1877045
TI  - Squamous cell carcinoma occurring in the wall of a chronic aspergilloma.
AB  - An aspergilloma that occurred within an area of bronchiectasis in a 52 year old
      man persisted for 12 years despite medical and surgical treatment. A squamous
      cell carcinoma developed in the wall of the cavity.

PMID- 1877046
TI  - Measures of reversibility in response to bronchodilators in chronic airflow
      obstruction.

PMID- 1877047
TI  - Risk of tuberculosis in immigrant Asians: culturally acquired immunodeficiency.

PMID- 1877048
TI  - An unusual esophageal foreign body perforation--a case report and review of the
      literature.
AB  - Esophageal foreign body remains a common clinical problem. Esophageal perforation
      is an uncommon associated condition which almost affects invariably the
      esophagus. A rare case of cervical esophageal perforation secondary to an
      unexpected migration of a swallowed foreign body is presented. Methods of
      treatment are discussed and the literature is reviewed.

PMID- 1877049
TI  - Congenital pulmonary arteriovenous fistula: a rare cause of cyanosis in
      childhood.
AB  - Two children (both females) aged 15 months and 4 years are described as very rare
      cases of central cyanosis in childhood being caused by a congenital pulmonary
      arteriovenous fistula. The initial diagnosis was made based on cyanosis and chest
      radiographs, with normal physical, ECG, and radiological findings of the heart.
      They had no family history of the Rendu-Weber-Osler syndrome. The patients
      underwent cardiac catheterization and pulmonary angiography, where the diagnosis
      was confirmed. After the surgery, both were symptom-free, and had no evidence of
      the disease.

PMID- 1877050
TI  - A case of an intramural coronary artery associated with transposition of the
      great arteries.
AB  - One case of an intramural coronary artery in association with transposition of
      the great arteries is presented. A 16-month-old infant was admitted for the
      second-stage operation of complete transposition after a subclavian patch plasty
      for the aortic isthmus stenosis, division of the persisting arterial duct, and
      pulmonary artery banding had been performed in the first-stage operation soon
      after birth. The primarily planned arterial switch operation was, however, not
      performed because of an unusual coronary artery morphology and pattern--a
      separated origin of both coronary arteries from the posterior, "facing" sinus of
      Valsalva and an intramural course of the left anterior descending artery. This
      very rare case of coronary artery variation is presented from the surgical point
      of view.

PMID- 1877051
TI  - Congenital giant arteriovenous malformation in a 31-year-old male.
AB  - In this case presentation we report the history of a 31-year-old male suffering
      from a congenital giant arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the neck and the
      right chest wall over the course of 12 years. This vascular tumor was fed by
      dilated arteries, branches of the right external carotid, and both subclavian
      arteries. The first therapeutic procedure was an isolated ligation of the
      draining arteries, which was not successful as angiography showed two years
      later. As the patient rejected any further therapy, the enormous growing tumor
      was again treated 9 years later. At this time an interdisciplinary management
      involving radiologists and surgeons was arranged. Superselective embolization
      preceding surgical radical tumor resection was performed. After a follow-up
      period of almost 1 year no further signs of progression were seen, except the
      postsurgical embolization of one collateral external carotid branch and a
      beginning skin necrosis which was to be expected. However, recently progression
      has become evident, but the patient has refused further treatment.

PMID- 1877052
TI  - Reflections on heart transplantation.

PMID- 1877053
TI  - Endothelial function and contractility of human vena saphena magna prepared for
      aortocoronary bypass grafting.
AB  - The aim of this study was to examine whether contractility and endothelial
      function of the human saphenous vein prepared for aortocoronary bypass grafting
      are altered by the surgical technique, e.g. cannulation and gentle distension of
      the vessel. Two segments (2 cm length each) of native vena saphena magna and 2
      segments (2 cm length each) of the same vessel prepared for coronary bypass
      grafting were taken for further experimentation. After ligation of all side
      branches the segments were cannulated and arranged in two systems (with two
      segments each) in a serial manner (system I: prepared vessel followed by a native
      segment; system II: native vessel followed by a prepared segment) and perfused
      with Tyrode's solution at a constant flow rate of 20 ml/min (PO2 = 45 mmHg).
      Pressure gradient was measured continuously over each segment as a function of
      the vessel's radius according to the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. Endothelial and
      smooth muscle function was checked by perfusion with increasing concentrations of
      acetylcholine (ACH) to provoke the release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor
      (EDRF) (ACH; 0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 mumol/L) after precontraction of the vessels with
      1 mumol/L norepinephrine (NE). This showed normal contractility and ACH-induced
      relaxation in the native vessels but a reduced contractile response and a total
      lack of ACH-EDRF-induced relaxation in the prepared vessels. Perfusion with 5
      hydroxytrytamine (5-HT) (0.25, 0.5, 1, 10 mumol/L for 10 min each concentration)
      resulted in marked constriction of all vessels with preserved contractility which
      could be completely prevented by pretreatment with the 5-HT2-receptor antagonist
      ketanserine (20 mumol/L).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877054
TI  - An alternative technique for orthotopic cardiac transplantation, with
      preservation of the normal anatomy of the right atrium.
AB  - The standard technique for orthotopic cardiac transplantation implies large
      atrial anastomoses which do not preserve the anatomical integrity of the donor
      atria. This may become a potential source of electrophysiological and mechanical
      atrial dysfunction, especially in the right atrium with the sinus node and the
      sensitive low-pressure atrioventricular valve. As an improvement we suggest an
      alternative technique which we have recently developed for orthotopic cardiac
      transplantation; it combines the simple, convenient left atrial connection of the
      standard technique with individual anastomoses of the superior and inferior venae
      cavae, preserving the right atrium of the donated heart intact. This technique
      and our first results in two cases are described. Postoperatively, no arrhythmias
      and no signs of tricuspid insufficiency were observed.

PMID- 1877055
TI  - PTFE sutures for mitral valve reconstruction--histological findings in man.
AB  - A case of mitral valve reconstruction with replacement of the chordae tendineae
      by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sutures is described in a 52-year-old man. 21
      days after operation mitral valve insufficiency due to rupture of a natural
      chorda led to reoperation with mitral valve replacement. The cardiac valve tissue
      was examined both macroscopically and microscopically. It showed a proliferation
      of fibroblasts. However, there was no endothelial cell layer detectable. To the
      best of our knowledge our case is the first report of the histological changes in
      human cardiac valvular tissue after implantation of PTFE sutures.

PMID- 1877056
TI  - Early neurological and electroencephalographic changes after coronary artery
      surgery in low-risk patients younger than 70 years.
AB  - Between September 1986 and January 1988 neurological examination and
      electroencephalography (EEG) was performed before and one week after coronary
      artery bypass grafting in 66 patients younger than 70 years. Twenty patients were
      randomized to a bubble oxygenator without an arterial line filter (Group I), 22
      patients to a bubble oxygenator with a depth adsorption filter (Group II), and 24
      patients to a membrane oxygenator without a filter (Group III). No patient
      suffered a major stroke but early central nervous system dysfunction occurred
      after the operation in four patients (20%) in Group I, in four patients (18%) in
      group II and in two patients (8%) in group III. The difference between group I
      and III was not statistically significant but a larger number of patients in the
      groups might alter this. Our prospective study demonstrated a significant
      incidence of neurologic dysfunction in a low risk patient population undergoing
      standard coronary artery bypass surgery.

PMID- 1877057
TI  - Postoperative arrhythmias and risk factors after open heart surgery.
AB  - Cardiac arrhythmias were recorded during 24 hours in 40 consecutive patients
      requiring open-heart surgery, using continuous Holter monitoring. Most patients
      developed both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias. Complex ventricular
      arrhythmias were detected in 31 patients (78%) and 2 patients suffered an
      immediate postoperative myocardial infarction. The following risk factors were
      considered: age, sex, type of heart disease, preoperative left ventricular
      ejection fraction, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamping duration, length of
      anesthesia, dopamine administration, and maximal level of CK and CK-MB. Only
      dopamine administration, even in low renal dose, was associated with the number
      and severity of ventricular arrhythmias.

PMID- 1877058
TI  - Preoperative assessment of the likelihood of infection of the lower respiratory
      tract after cardiac surgery.
AB  - Lower-respiratory-tract infections are among the most frequent complications
      observed in the intensive care unit, leading to delayed postoperative recovery
      time and increased costs and mortality. We have tried to evaluate the prognostic
      value of perioperative bacteriology of tracheal aspirates in assessing the risk
      of such complications. In a prospective study aspirates of 100 patients
      undergoing cardiac surgery were taken immediately after intubation and were
      analysed for microorganisms by Gram-stain and microbiological cultures using
      standard procedures. All patients received perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis
      with a single dose of 2 g ceftriaxone intravenously. From 26 patients with
      bacteriologically positive tracheal secretion, 8 (30.7%) developed lower
      respiratory tract infection whereas only 1 of 72 patients (1.4%) with negative
      bacteriological results developed this complication. Smoking (p less than 0.01)
      and abnormal preoperative lung function (p less than 0.01) were significantly
      more frequent in patients developing postoperative pneumonia. Regarding the
      results of this study, the risk of developing pulmonary infection in the early
      postoperative course after cardiac surgery can be estimated from the tracheal
      aspirates.

PMID- 1877059
TI  - Bronchoscopic removal of foreign bodies in children: retrospective analysis of
      822 cases.
AB  - At the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Hacettepe University,
      a total number of 822 pediatric bronchoscopies were performed from 1984 through
      1990 for suspected foreign body aspiration. Of the children 65.3% were boys and
      34.7% were girls ranging in age from one month to 14 years. Definitive statement
      of foreign-body aspiration was obtained from 394 patients. Unilateral
      hyperaeration, atelectasis, and unilateral parenchymal infiltration were the most
      common radiological findings. In all endoscopic procedures, a pediatric rigid
      bronchoscope was used under general anesthesia and controlled ventilation.
      Foreign bodies were found in 77.7% of the 822 patients. In the rest of the
      children inflammatory disorders were confirmed. The foreign bodies most commonly
      found in 639 patients were sun-flower seeds (21.1%), beans (10.4%), water-melon
      seeds (10%), and hazelnuts (9.8%). In our presented series, the incidence of non
      fatal complication was 1.8%, apart from these patients 5 of them (0.6%) died
      after the bronchoscopic procedures.

PMID- 1877060
TI  - Tracheal agenesis: an unresolved problem.
AB  - A case of tracheal agenesis diagnosed at birth is discussed in which surgical
      correction was attempted. Both main bronchi were divided and anastomosis of the
      main right bronchus to the larynx was attempted, after intrapericardial release
      of the right lung and severing of the lower pulmonary ligament: bronchoplastic
      reconstruction of the trachea was impossible. We think that tracheal agenesis, a
      rare cause of respiratory distress in the newborn, has no suitable therapy today.
      It is justified to attempt surgical correction if any promising device is at hand
      or if any doubt exists that an uncorrectable situation is present.

PMID- 1877061
TI  - Parameters of the circadian rhythm of pineal melatonin secretion affecting
      reproductive responses in Siberian hamsters.
AB  - The major function of the mammalian pineal gland appears to be its central role
      in photoperiodism. The pineal hormone, melatonin, is synthesized and secreted
      primarily at night, under the control of a circadian oscillator that is entrained
      to the light-dark cycle. Both the circadian phase and the duration of the
      nocturnal peak of melatonin secretion are established primarily by interactions
      between the endogenous circadian oscillator and the daily photic cycle. The
      duration of the melatonin peak varies inversely with day length, and this
      relationship between day length and the duration of each circadian melatonin peak
      appears to be an integral part of the photoperiodic mechanism. When
      pinealectomized animals are given daily melatonin infusions of long duration,
      they exhibit physiologic responses that normally are observed during exposure to
      short day photoperiods; when administered short-duration melatonin infusions, the
      animals display long photoperiod-type responses. In addition to the importance of
      the duration of each melatonin peak, certain other parameters appear to be
      significant. If a long-duration infusion of melatonin is interrupted by a period
      of 2 hours or more without melatonin (i.e., to produce two short duration
      infusions), the responses are those typical for long day-exposed animals. Thus,
      to elicit short day-type responses, each long-duration melatonin peak must be
      relatively continuous; responses are not determined simply by the total time of
      exposure to melatonin in each circadian cycle. Also, long-duration melatonin
      peaks may not be effective to elicit photoperiod-type responses unless they are
      present at frequencies of nearly once every 24 hours or more.

PMID- 1877062
TI  - The influence of portacaval anastomosis on gonadal and anterior pituitary
      hormones in a rat model standardized for gender, food intake, and time after
      surgery.
AB  - Portacaval anastomosis causes delayed growth, decreased testes and liver weights,
      and elevated estradiol serum levels in male rats compared with sham-operated
      controls. Female rats treated with portacaval anastomosis grow at a normal rate
      despite changes in liver weight and estradiol levels similar to those observed in
      the male rats. This study examined the pituitary gonadal axis in both genders in
      this animal model. The rats receiving portacaval anastomosis were compared with
      both pair-fed and sham-operated control groups. Portacaval anastomosis decreased
      serum testosterone and increased estradiol in the male animals, while both
      testosterone and estradiol were increased in the females compared with gender
      matched pair-fed and sham controls. Because pair feeding lowers male testosterone
      to a lesser extent, impaired nutrition may partially account for the decrease in
      the males treated with portacaval anastomosis. The ratio of estradiol to
      testosterone increased following anastomosis in male rats, but it was decreased
      in similarly treated females. Portacaval and anastomosis decreased luteinizing
      hormone without changing follicle-stimulating hormone in both male and female
      rats compared with sham-operated controls. Growth hormone was significantly
      decreased in male portacaval-treated rats compared with sham- and pair-fed
      animals. Increased insulin levels were found in both male and female pair-fed and
      portacaval anastomosis-treated animals. These data suggest that following
      portacaval anastomosis in rats, growth, serum testosterone, estradiol to
      testosterone ratios, and growth hormone are altered in a gender-specific manner
      with gender-independent changes in insulin and luteinizing hormone levels. These
      gender-specific effects may protect the portacaval anastomosis-treated female rat
      from growth retardation.

PMID- 1877063
TI  - Production and biologic action of relaxin within the ovarian follicle: an
      overview.
AB  - The studies described here support the concept that relaxin is a product of the
      ovarian follicle and interacts with systemic hormones in the local regulation of
      the ovary. This report reviews the work indicating that relaxin is a product of
      the ovarian follicle and presents evidence for the biologic action of relaxin
      within the follicle. Production of relaxin by cells of the theca interna was
      given support by immunocytochemical localization work, in vitro production
      studies, and detection of relaxin mRNA by in situ hybridization. The relaxin
      content of porcine follicular fluid was shown to increase with development
      induced by gonadotropins. During thecal cell culture, luteinizing hormone and
      porcine follicular fluid increased relaxin secretion, whereas the presence of
      granulosa cells was without effect. A biologic action for relaxin on connective
      tissue remodeling was supported by an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone
      stimulated plasminogen activator activity by granulosa cells. Additional work is
      needed to investigate the possibility of other roles for relaxin within the
      follicle, to identify relaxin receptors, and to explore the interaction of
      relaxin with endocrine and other paracrine factors in the ovary.

PMID- 1877064
TI  - The role of the adenylyl cyclase system in the regulation of corpus luteum
      function in the human and in nonhuman primates.
AB  - We have reviewed the properties of luteinizing hormone/human chorionic
      gonadotropic (LH/hCG)-sensitive adenylyl cyclase (AC) of human corpus luteum (CL)
      and its regulation by several hormones and nonhormonal activators. We have also
      described the changes in enzyme activity in membrane preparations of human and
      cynomolgus monkey CL obtained at various stages of the menstrual cycle and
      pregnancy. The data have been analyzed with respect to the functional status of
      the luteal tissue and to the species differences among primate CL. In the
      menstrual cycle, luteal AC responsiveness to LH/hCG was detectable during the
      midluteal phase, but not during the late luteal phase or in the follicular phase
      of the following cycle. In addition, nonhormonal stimulation was high in CL
      obtained during the midluteal and late luteal phases, but declined drastically by
      the follicular phase of the next cycle. In early pregnancy, the enzyme was
      unresponsive to LH/hCG stimulation, yet its sensitivity to nonhormonal
      stimulation was similar, if not identical, to that of midluteal phase CL.
      Functional activity was also evident at the end of pregnancy. These results
      demonstrate that expression of AC activity in primate luteal membrane changes
      significantly with varying hormonal status under physiologic conditions. It is
      concluded that the AC system in luteal membranes is an effective model to study
      the mechanisms that regulate function and life span of the human and nonhuman
      primate CL.

PMID- 1877065
TI  - In vitro effects of dihydrotestosterone on granulosa cell production of estrogen
      and progesterone.
AB  - To investigate the direct effects of androgens on follicle development, intact,
      immature female rats were given 8 IU PMSG (0 hour) and four injections of either
      vehicle or dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 1 mg/kg body weight, at 0, 12, 24, and 36
      hours after PMSG. Granulosa cells from small (less than 200 microns), medium (200
      to 400 microns), and large (greater than 400 microns) follicles were isolated and
      cultured in the presence or absence of 0.5 microM DHT in vitro for 48 hours, and
      the medium was assayed for progesterone and estrogen. Results show that DHT
      caused an increase in progesterone accumulation in all granulosa cells,
      regardless of follicle size. However, DHT inhibited estrogen accumulation in
      granulosa cells from different-size follicles and the inhibition varied depending
      on the duration of androgen exposure in vivo. The inhibition of estrogen
      accumulation was seen in granulosa cells from small follicles without prior
      exposure to DHT in vivo, while an inhibition of estrogen accumulation was seen in
      granulosa cells from medium and large follicles exposed to DHT treatment in vivo.
      Taken together, the results of experiments with in vivo and/or in vitro DHT
      treatment show that the androgen increases granulosa cell progesterone synthesis
      regardless of follicle size. However, the estrogen accumulation by granulosa cell
      is dependent on follicle size and duration of DHT exposure.

PMID- 1877066
TI  - Estrogen receptor stereochemistry: ligand binding and hormonal responsiveness.
AB  - Estrogen stimulation of the uterus produces a spectrum of biochemical responses
      that are customarily linked together. This report is an overview of a series of
      studies by our laboratory investigating the role of different ligand structures
      in eliciting hormonal responses. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and certain structural
      analogs, indenestrol A (IA), indenestrol B (IB), and pseudo-DES, were used as
      probes to segregate various genomic responses previously considered interrelated,
      most notably the events of specific protein synthesis and DNA synthesis. These
      compounds have weak uterotrophic activity; however, they interact with high
      affinity specifically with mouse uterine estrogen receptors (ERs). All of them
      produce stoichiometrically similar amounts of ER complex in the nucleus.
      Indenestrol A and IB possess a single chiral carbon atom and exist as a mixture
      of enantiomers (ENTs). Competitive binding assays of pure ENTs and cytosolic ERs
      demonstrated a stereochemical chiral preference for the IA isomer but not IB.
      This preference was also evident from nuclear ER occupancy experiments. Biologic
      activity of the IA ENTs also demonstrated differences as seen by receptor
      binding. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity was stimulated 600% by DES and
      partially by IA (rac). All of the ODC activity produced by IA (rac) was due to
      the IA(C3)-S ENT. Uterine DNA synthesis was measured after treatment with the IA
      compounds. Indenestrol A (rac) increased DNA synthesis to 40% of the level seen
      with DES. The weak ENTs showed no activity and the active ENTs were weaker than
      the IA racemic. These compounds should be useful probes for studying the
      individual responses involved in estrogen-induced uterine growth.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877067
TI  - [Stimulation or stagnation of research on aging?].

PMID- 1877068
TI  - [The Dutch Reading Test for Adults: a measure of premorbid intelligence level].
AB  - The construction of the Dutch Adult Reading Test (DART) is described. The DART is
      the Dutch version of the National Adult Reading Test. Both tests consist of a
      series of words with an irregular pronunciation. The score on the test is a
      predictor of premorbid intelligence of brain damaged patients. Furthermore,
      results of reliability and validation studies with the DART are reported. The
      main findings, which were obtained with the NART, were replicated by the DART.
      These findings consist of a high correlation (.85) with verbal intelligence in
      healthy controls (n = 22) and insensitivity to cerebral deterioration in brain
      damaged and demented patients (n = 53). The test also appeared to be insensitive
      to cognitive deterioration in a group of psychotic patients (n = 43).

PMID- 1877069
TI  - ['Dementia' and 'memory' in daily and weekly publications: an analysis of
      newspaper clippings in the period 1987-1990].
AB  - Government, scientists and health care workers show an increasing interest in
      dementia and memory defects. It is unclear, however, whether the general public
      has acquired more access to the increased knowledge in this field. This is
      important to know because many people seem to worry about memory dysfunctions or
      about a possible dementia. An analysis of newspaper articles over a period of 3
      years (March 1987 until March 1990) shows that the number of newspaper articles
      on memory has decreased. On the other hand, the average number of articles on
      dementia has increased from 11 per month in the first year to 25 and 28 in the
      second and third year. In these articles, most attention is given to research on
      dementia and to health care services for dementia patients. The number of
      articles on general aspects of dementia remained practically unchanged, although
      these articles in particular have an important informative function. In national
      newspapers, the attention for the six different themes is unequally divided. The
      themes 'general aspects of dementia', 'health care services' and 'research on
      dementia' have a relatively high impact. Finally, it appears that the same
      headline of an article can evoke different emotional reactions in a group of
      judges. Taking the results of this research into account, the authors argue that
      more health education activities should be directed at memory defects and
      dementia. Furthermore they conclude that a more systematic evaluation of these
      activities is necessary.

PMID- 1877070
TI  - [Home food services for the elderly: the consumer and his appreciation of a warm
      meal service in Arnhem].
AB  - An important instrument to achieve prolonged independence of elderly is the
      provision of meals, in particular cooked meals at home. The purpose of the
      present study is an evaluation from the consumers perspective of a meals-on
      wheels service in Arnhem. Furthermore, the 77 meals-on-wheels consumers in this
      study, all making intensive use of the service, are described and compared to a
      representative sample of elderly. The participants appeared to be vulnerable from
      the perspective of health (particularly the women) and social situation. The
      perceived quality of both meals and service seem to be high. The taste, the
      quality of the meat and the first impression of the meal are important
      determinants of overall perceived meal quality. Responsiveness and reliability
      have a significant contribution to perceived service quality.

PMID- 1877071
TI  - [Social skills of the elderly, a cross-sectional study].
AB  - A previous review of the literature showed that the elderly are expected to be
      less skillful in social situations than the young. This hypothesis is supported
      by two cross-sectional studies. Here it is tested in two ways. First the social
      skills of a stratified sample of 300 subjects (150 men and 150 women, evenly
      distributed over the age-range 56-85 years) were measured by self-report
      questionnaires, and compared to those of younger norm groups. The response was
      45%. Secondly the relationship between social skills and age was examined within
      the group of elderly subjects. Both parts of the study showed results that were
      incompatible with the hypothesis. The elderly did not prove less skillful than
      the young, and no negative correlation between age and social skills was found
      within the research group. Contrary to the hypothesis, the elderly tended to be
      less anxious in social situations than the young. It is concluded that
      differences in social skills are much greater within, than between, age-groups.

PMID- 1877072
TI  - [Planning ability of older and younger adults].
AB  - This investigation was aimed at the effects of ageing on planning. The
      investigation was carried out with young adults, middle-aged adults and elderly.
      Because of a suggested resemblance of problems described in elderly with
      impairments in patients with prefrontal cortical damage, and because the
      prefrontal cortex is important for planning, a test specifically sensitive to
      planning deficits in left prefrontal patients, the Tower of London test, was
      administered. On this test, the elderly solved significantly less problems in the
      allotted time than the two younger groups. However, the elderly did not show the
      same type of problem as that described in prefrontal patients. Such patients
      perform significantly worse on first attempts (problems correctly solved in one
      attempt). On this variable the elderly in our study equalled the younger adults
      in performance. However, they less often succeeded when the first attempt was not
      correct. To check whether this result could be explained simply by decreased
      mental and psychomotor speed and visuo-spatial function, regression functions
      between age and Tower score were computed, partialing out scores on tests of
      these more elementary abilities. A significant effect of age remained, which we
      tentatively interpret as an effect on planning ability.

PMID- 1877073
TI  - Perioperative nursing: moral and ethical issues in high--technology practice.
AB  - The caring component of perioperative nursing practice entails responsibility and
      accountability for nurses to identify and address the moral/ethical issues
      inherent in the practice. Ethical/moral issues in perioperative nursing are
      becoming more complex as technology becomes more sophisticated, financial
      resources become more restricted, and choices regarding care occur in an
      ambiguous environment. The practice environment must provide processes by which
      nurses can examine the ethical/moral choices made or to be made both to support
      the nurse and to increase the body of knowledge of perioperative nursing
      practice.

PMID- 1877074
TI  - Lasers and OR nursing: directions for the future. Nurse round table discussion.

PMID- 1877075
TI  - Being an effective speaker.
AB  - Communication in a group is an essential quality for success in nursing. Despite
      this, many nurses who must have communication skills to advance have little
      training in public speaking. Some nurses seek to correct such deficiencies in
      their education by taking courses in the evenings or on weekends to improve their
      understanding of the elements of effective speaking. Other nurses learn by self
      reflection, study, and ongoing practice. This article has presented guidelines
      for speaking in a group that can offer assistance in mastering this important
      nursing skill. Elements of nonverbal communication are crucial for effective
      communication. However, despite the importance of non-verbal communication to the
      message, language is what makes communication possible. It is language that
      allows people to communicate new ideas and thoughts and to solve problems.

PMID- 1877076
TI  - Malpractice and the National Practitioner Data Bank: what OR nurses need to know.
AB  - The National Practitioner Data Bank will record any payments made for any reason
      related to a malpractice suit in a central data bank available to a number of
      designated parties. Hospitals will be required to request this information to
      screen applicants and at least every 2 years for appointment renewals. The data
      bank may also be consulted by hospitals and state licensing boards as they deem
      necessary and by professional societies when reviewing membership applications.
      It is in the best interests of all malpractice defendants to insist on adequate
      representation of their personal, professional, and financial interests, which
      may necessitate insurance carriers providing each defendant with individual
      counsel.

PMID- 1877077
TI  - Puerile respiration: Laennec's stethoscope and the physiology of breathing.

PMID- 1877078
TI  - Elisha Kent Kane, M.D., U.S.N., 1820-1857.

PMID- 1877079
TI  - Rising stars: Carl G. Jung and astrology.

PMID- 1877080
TI  - Elisha Kent Kane's unpublished treatise on dropsy.

PMID- 1877081
TI  - Rockefeller Foundation fellowships in the humanities.

PMID- 1877082
TI  - Memoir of Francis C. Wood, 1901-1990.

PMID- 1877083
TI  - Francis Clark Wood: his contributions to medical science, 1901-1990.

PMID- 1877084
TI  - Memoir of John Perry Hubbard, 1903-1990.

PMID- 1877085
TI  - Memoir of Arthur M. Dannenberg, Sr., 1891-1990.

PMID- 1877086
TI  - Strategies for coping with low environmental temperatures.

PMID- 1877087
TI  - Restricted diffusion in photosynthetic membranes.
AB  - The structural organization of membrane proteins and their linkage by diffusion
      are topics of much debate. Functional studies in photosynthetic membranes, where
      rapid equilibration of electron transport between redox centers appears
      restricted to isolated domains, shed new light on the subject.

PMID- 1877088
TI  - Is hsp70 the cellular thermometer?
AB  - Cells respond to an increase in temperature by inducing the synthesis of the heat
      shock proteins, which are a small set of evolutionarily conserved proteins. We
      review the evidence leading us to suggest that the free pool of one of these
      proteins, hsp70, serves as a cellular thermometer that regulates the expression
      of all heat shock proteins.

PMID- 1877089
TI  - Molecular studies in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - In the past decade, there has been an explosion of information relating to the
      molecular neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Molecular dissection of the
      neuropathology of AD has provided insight into the pathogenesis of this disease
      and has defined areas where investigation may prove useful in elucidating the
      cause of this disorder and suggest new treatments.

PMID- 1877090
TI  - Photosynthetic reaction centers: interfacing molecular genetics and optical
      spectroscopy.
AB  - In the elucidation of the mechanism by which certain photosynthetic bacteria
      convert light into chemical energy, genetics has become intertwined with
      biophysical techniques. While X-ray crystallography has yielded an atomic
      resolution structure of the photosynthetic reaction center (RC), optical
      spectroscopy remains the most important technique for screening mutants. Newly
      developed imaging devices and genetic techniques should enable biophysicists to
      characterize rapidly the spectra of extremely large numbers of RC and light
      harvesting (LH) antennae mutants. The intrinsic pigments of the RC and LH
      antennae act as spectroscopic reporters for assembly and function of these
      integral membrane proteins. To optimize this genetics/spectroscopy interface, new
      algorithms that relate the structure of the genetic code to the physico-chemical
      properties of the amino acids are being developed to design libraries of mutants.

PMID- 1877091
TI  - Cell-penetrating inhibitors of calpain.
AB  - Inhibitors of the calcium-dependent cysteine protease calpain are described that
      are new analogs of the naturally-occurring compounds E-64 and leupeptin. These
      new derivatives, unlike the parent compounds, can inhibit calpain within cells.
      Their lack of charged groups probably accounts for this improved membrane
      permeability. These new inhibitors are proving useful in exploration of the role
      of calpain in many cellular processes, including platelet activation.

PMID- 1877092
TI  - Recognition of nascent polypeptides for targeting and folding.
AB  - A major difference between the refolding of proteins in vitro and the in vivo
      folding process, in which we include localization and assembly, is the need for
      additional factors in vivo, apart from the protein product itself. Thus, the
      amino acid sequence of a naturally selected protein contains not only the
      information specifying its three-dimensional structure, but also the information
      that enables these factors to recognize the nascent polypeptide. In this review,
      we consider how this latter information may be encoded and, in turn, interpreted
      by binding species.

PMID- 1877093
TI  - [Unstable fractures of the lateral end of the clavicle and principles of their
      treatment].
AB  - 25 fractures of the lateral end of the clavicle were treated during the last six
      years. 22 of them were unstable because of additional rupture of the
      coracoclavicular ligaments. Only in two patients conservative treatment was
      successful, in six cases conservative treatment was unsuccessful. Altogether 20
      fractures had to be operated. Coracoclavicular screw fixation (Bosworth) is
      recommended for simple fractures and plating for multifragmental injuries.
      Operative methods using K-wires are frequently impaired by wire-migration and
      therefore require a longer period of external immobilization. Independent of the
      type of surgery objective and subjective results were equally good.

PMID- 1877094
TI  - [Treatment of acromioclavicular dislocations by a pin and tension band fixation].
AB  - Dislocations of the acromioclavicular joint are common injuries in sports and
      traffic accidents. The most widely used classification of these injuries is the
      one of Tossy, Tossy III and Tossy II injuries are indications for operative
      treatment. Among several different surgical approaches a very common procedure is
      the temporary fixation of the AC-joint by two pins, tendon band wiring and
      suturing of the ligaments. Recently we have been using a temporary transfixation
      by only one pin, tension band fixation with PDS and suturing of the ligaments.
      The advantages of this method are: preservation of clavicular rotation, easier
      operation and metal removal, and less damage of the joint cavity. Results and
      complications are presented.

PMID- 1877095
TI  - [Variable head endoprosthesis in the treatment of femoral neck and trochanteric
      fractures].
AB  - During 1978 to 1987 361 patients (312 female, 49 male) were treated with
      Variokopf-prosthesis (a bipolar hip prosthesis with a variable head) after
      femoral neck fracture, per- or subtrochanteric fracture. The mean age was 83
      years. During postoperative treatment 73 patients (20.2%) died. 288 could be
      discharged. 98 of these died before the follow-up examination. The follow-up was
      possible in 103 cases. A good to satisfactory result was found in 91 cases (88%).
      A poor result in twelve cases (12%) (Score by Merle d'Aubigne et al.).
      CONCLUSIONS: 1. The Variokopf-prosthesis is a favourable alternative to a normal
      hip prosthesis (e.g. Moore), 2. The implantation of a Variokopf-prosthesis was
      found to be indicated as well in the treatment of medial femoral neck fractures
      as in special cases in the treatment of per- or subtrochanteric fractures. 3. The
      operation should be performed soon after the trauma--after a two to three days
      treatment. 4. The dorsal approach is superior to the lateral in the treatment of
      hip fractures because of short operating time and the possible early mobilisation
      of the patients.

PMID- 1877096
TI  - [Experience with Ender nailing in 671 cases].
AB  - Between 1976 and 1987 at the Surgical Department of the University of Erlangen
      Nurnberg, 671 fractures of the trochanteric region of the femur were treated by
      Ender nailing. In 54 cases (8.0%) there were intraoperative complications, in 82
      cases (12.2%) postoperative complications occurred. Reoperation became necessary
      at 57 (8.5%) patients. Because of this complication rate we only see indications
      for Ender nailing in patients with skin lesions over the fracture site, valgus
      angulation of the proximal fragment and in the palliative treatment of
      pathological fractures.

PMID- 1877097
TI  - [Ender nailing--an attempt at determining the position].
AB  - Fractures of the coxal end of the femur at first are strained by bending because
      of appearing compressive and tractional forces. Only second torsion and shearing
      forces have their effects on the feature of the fracture. In operative treatment
      of fractures near hip-joint this kind of implant is the best, which mostly is
      corresponding to the physiological flow of force, according to the anatomic
      conditions. The more a method brings these conditions, the earlier the fracture
      and with it the patient can be charged again. The Ender-nail largely fulfills
      these conditions by its axial position in the field of force and its elastic
      fixation in the femur shaft. We report about our own experiences in 346 cases
      using the Ender-nail.

PMID- 1877098
TI  - [Clinical results of Palmer's primary cruciate ligament insertion without
      augmentation].
AB  - The clinical importance of primary cruciate ligament reconstruction without
      augmentation-plasty is discussed on the background of long term results following
      51 operations. Based on standardized methods of evaluation 38 patients had a very
      good and good result, in eleven cases the operation lead to a fair and in two
      cases to a poor result. A significant instability with a pivot shift grade III
      was recorded in two cases: twelve patients showed a low degree of instability
      whereas 37 patients had regained full stability. The coincidence of a cruciate
      ligament lesion and a rupture of a collateral ligament had a negative influence
      on the postoperative long term result (p less than 0.01). Our results suggest
      that a primary repair without augmentation-plasty is a qualified procedure for
      stabilizing the knee joint in cases with an acute femoral rupture without
      accompanying collateral lesions. In patients with old ruptures or a complex joint
      lesion primary repair with augmentation is recommended.

PMID- 1877099
TI  - [The place of bundle nailing in the surgical treatment of fractures of the shin
      bones].
AB  - Authors report about their good experiences with the tibia bundle-nailing during
      23 years' patient-material on the Traumatological Department of the Hospital in
      Eger/Hungary comparing to other osteosynthesis methods. They report about their
      operative technic, the indications, post-operative treatment and analyse their
      results. In connection with operative treatment of 251 patients with this method
      they emphasize that the bundle-nailing of Hackethal is by correct indication a
      method of tried integrity in these days, too.

PMID- 1877100
TI  - [Electronic data processing in the hospital: current status, options, "branch
      packets", customer-specific software and users' needs].
AB  - Data management in hospitals used to be the data management of the hospital
      management in the last 15 years, not however the data management the doctors
      performed. The acceptance for electronic means slowly rising more software is
      used in the clinics today but still by the doctors privately. Software
      specialists have registered the growing market available for their products. That
      is why the danger to accept even unusuable software rises every day, as
      unexperienced software-beginners as doctors mostly are often relied on offers
      without being told about their dignity and usefulness.

PMID- 1877101
TI  - Urologic oncology. A festschrift for Dr. Willet F. Whitmore, Jr.

PMID- 1877102
TI  - Role of lymphadenectomy in renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - A hilar or limited lymph node dissection will not remove the primary lymphatic
      drainage area of either kidney. For a lymphadenectomy to have a therapeutic
      benefit, an extended dissection is required, particularly for right-sided tumors.
      An extended lymphadenectomy may not be justified in all patients with renal cell
      carcinoma, particularly those with small tumors (who rarely have lymphatic
      disease) or grossly positive nodes (who have a high risk of existing distant
      metastases). For some patients with T3 or V+ tumors and palpably normal
      retroperitoneal nodes, an extended nodal dissection may resect microscopically
      involved nodes and result in an improved survival rate. This hypothesis will not
      be tested appropriately until a randomized controlled study is performed.

PMID- 1877103
TI  - The incidental renal mass. Management alternatives.
AB  - The problem of the incidental renal mass will confront all urologists with
      increasing regularity, and no universal strategy can be employed. Complete
      excision of the mass, including a margin of normal tissue, may be adequate
      therapy if a cancer is present and will preserve renal parenchyma if the lesion
      is benign. Care must be taken not to stretch the limits of this approach. Larger
      lesions (greater than 3-4 cm) are likely to be cancer and are better treated with
      a nephrectomy. While this management philosophy is logical and appealing, it has
      not been validated by clinical experience, and caution must still be exercised.

PMID- 1877104
TI  - Inferior vena caval involvement by renal cell carcinoma. Use of venovenous bypass
      as adjunct during resection.
AB  - Venovenous bypass allows the safe conduct of operation during resection of renal
      cell carcinoma with inferior vena caval involvement by allowing venous return
      when the inferior vena cava is clamped, thus preventing hypotension. It obviates
      the heparin required for full cardiopulmonary bypass and therefore decreases
      postoperative bleeding. A blood retrieval system decreases the volume of banked
      blood required. A Moretz clip placed early on the intrapericardial inferior vena
      cava allows adequate venous return and prevents a massive pulmonary tumor
      embolism.

PMID- 1877105
TI  - Management of renal cell carcinoma with vena caval thrombi via cardiopulmonary
      bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.
AB  - Cardiopulmonary bypass with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest allows safe and
      effective removal of renal tumors with extensive thrombi involving the vena cava
      under controlled circumstances without permanent side effects. The technique
      averts extensive dissection of the inferior vena cava and occlusion of major
      vessels while providing up to 60 minutes of safe operating time in a bloodless
      field and complete visibility of the interior of the vena cava. Adjunctive
      procedures for tumor excision or cardiac revascularization can be performed at
      the same time without increased operative risk.

PMID- 1877106
TI  - Accuracy of imaging modalities in staging the local extent of prostate cancer.
AB  - In this study, none of the evaluated clinical staging methods was found to
      predict reliably the presence or absence of extracapsular growth of
      histologically proved carcinoma of the prostate. In this respect, digital rectal
      examination, transrectal ultrasound, CT, and MR imaging cannot contribute to
      treatment decisions in localized prostate cancer. Further studies are under way
      to determine the value of 7.5-MHz scanners in transrectal ultrasound and high
      resolution surface coils in MR imaging.

PMID- 1877107
TI  - Digital rectal examination and carcinoma of the prostate.
AB  - Urologists have considered themselves to be the experts in the use of digital
      rectal examination for the evaluation of diseases of the prostate. However,
      without close attention to the teaching of this examination, it probably is
      inaccurate and unreliable. Moreover, many patients who are destined to die of
      prostate cancer never develop a palpable abnormality. In patients with prostate
      cancer, a palpable abnormality usually indicates the presence of carcinoma, but
      the majority of patients will be upstaged by pathologic examination. In patients
      undergoing a digitally guided biopsy, it appears critical that those with a
      negative biopsy be followed closely, as they have a measurable risk of developing
      overt carcinoma. It is unclear how transrectal ultrasound will interface with
      digital rectal examination because of the multiple echo patterns this disease can
      exhibit.

PMID- 1877108
TI  - Long-term follow-up after radical prostatectomy. Identification of prognostic
      variables.
AB  - We report one of the largest series of patients treated by radical prostatectomy
      followed for a minimum of 10 years. The tumor-free survival rate at 10 years
      seems superior to that achieved with alternative methods of treatment. Pathologic
      stage, DNA histograms, and tumor grade all correlate with prognosis but none is
      sufficiently powerful as an independent factor to allow selection of patients for
      surgery. Although a survival benefit has not been demonstrated, adjuvant
      treatment such as postoperative irradiation or early hormonal therapy may be
      indicated in patients with established poor prognostic factors.

PMID- 1877109
TI  - Is combined modality therapy appropriate for apparently localized carcinoma of
      the prostate?
AB  - In a pilot study at the authors' institution, 17 patients with stage C carcinoma
      of the prostate had preoperative therapy with diethylstilbestrol. After 8 to 12
      weeks of DES at 3 mg per day, the surgical margins, seminal vesicles, and pelvic
      lymph nodes were free of tumor in seven patients. In one patient, no residual
      tumor could be found despite an extensive search, and in two other cases, only
      small foci of atypical cells could be found. The authors suggest a trial of the
      proper role of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy in stages B2 and C prostatic
      carcinoma.

PMID- 1877110
TI  - Iridium-192 brachytherapy in the treatment of cancer of the prostate.
AB  - Aggressive radiotherapy was used in 170 patients with advanced localized
      carcinoma of the prostate. After pelvic lymphadenectomy, 192Ir brachytherapy was
      used to deliver 3500 cGy to the prostate within 2 days. External-beam therapy
      (4500 cGy) was then given to a total of 8000 cGy. Random biopsies 18 months
      afterward were negative for residual cancer in 62 of 83 patients (75%), and 37 of
      45 patients (82%) with pathologically proved localized disease remain without
      evidence of disease. Morbidity was significantly reduced in the most recent 70
      patients by improvements in technique. The authors believe such therapy should be
      considered for patients with advanced stage B2 or C disease in particular.

PMID- 1877111
TI  - Local failure after definitive radiation or surgical therapy for carcinoma of the
      prostate and options for prevention and therapy.
AB  - The incidence of local failure and its relation to distant failure following
      definitive therapy of carcinoma of the prostate is discussed. Local failure may
      arise from incomplete resection, tumor spillage, clones of radioresistant cells,
      development of new tumors in an organ left in situ, or inadequate treatment
      portals. The authors review the various measures used as prophylaxis or treatment
      of local failure in relation to clinical and pathologic stage.

PMID- 1877112
TI  - Environmental and nutritional factors significantly associated with cancer of the
      urinary tract among different ethnic groups.
AB  - A high incidence rate of urinary tract cancer in the Acre District among the
      Jewish population compared with the non-Jewish population has been studied. The
      dietary and environmental factors identified and the possible mechanisms of the
      protective effect that may be conferred by fluid intake, olives and olive oil,
      cumin, and pepper (chili pepper and pepper) are discussed.

PMID- 1877113
TI  - Evaluation of a new bladder tumor marker.
AB  - Two monoclonal antibodies have been developed that bind to a shed bladder tumor
      associated antigen. Preliminary data have demonstrated that antigen-positive
      tumors shed detectable amounts of antigen in the urine while antigen-negative
      tumors do not. This antigen may be differentially metabolized by normal and
      malignant urothelial cells. Further characterization of this antigen and its
      evaluation as a urinary marker for antigen positive bladder cancers is
      continuing.

PMID- 1877114
TI  - Molecular and immunologic approaches in the management of bladder cancer.
AB  - Because of the heterogeneous nature of bladder cancer and the various therapeutic
      options available, the management of the disease is a constant challenge to
      clinicians. A variety of new biologic approaches are beginning to unravel some of
      the pathophysiology underlying the behavior of these tumors and provide means to
      assess it at the clinical level. Monoclonal antibodies are particularly well
      suited for more immediate application as diagnostic and prognostic tools and may
      also have an impact on the treatment of patients with bladder cancer.

PMID- 1877115
TI  - Transurethral resection and intravesical therapy of superficial bladder tumors.
AB  - The treatment of superficial bladder cancer is aimed at eradicating existing
      disease, inhibiting tumor recurrence, and preventing progression to invasion or
      metastasis. Transurethral resection is the primary modality, with intravesical
      therapy used in some cases to kill residual overt or occult carcinoma and
      premalignant lesions. Among the agents tested extensively, BCG appears to be more
      effective than mitomycin C, doxorubicin, or thiotepa, especially against
      carcinoma in situ. A number of questions remain to be answered about the
      management of this disease.

PMID- 1877116
TI  - Will Rogers and the results of radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer.
AB  - Disease-free survival rates for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer
      treated by radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with or
      without adjuvant chemotherapy are 75% to 80% in stage B disease, 60% in stage C
      disease, and approximately 50% in stage D disease. Vascular invasion is an
      important prognostic factor in meticulously staged patients. Powerful selection
      factors, including more accurate clinical and pathologic staging and improved
      surgery, as well as unspecified selection factors, may contribute to the improved
      results. In order to evaluate the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy, a randomized,
      controlled study is necessary.

PMID- 1877117
TI  - Neoadjuvant therapy in invasive bladder cancer. Problems and pitfalls.
AB  - It is clear that some transitional-cell tumors of the bladder will respond to
      combined therapy. However, in the absence of randomized controlled trials, the
      impact of repeated transurethral resections versus the effect of chemotherapy
      cannot be assessed adequately, and such trials are urgently needed before
      neoadjuvant therapy can be considered standard. In addition, newer chemotherapy
      agents or the combination of currently available drugs with the addition of
      hematopoietic growth factors such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor or
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to reduce toxicity and permit
      dose intensification in an attempt to increase overall response rates offer
      fruitful avenues for clinical research. Although cisplatin-based chemotherapy
      obviously does not have the same impact on bladder cancer that it does on
      testicular cancer, the initial results are encouraging. The "wall" has been
      breached, and the demonstration that urothelial tumors can be added to the list
      of chemotherapeutically responsive tumors should encourage urologic, radiologic,
      and medical oncologists to combine efforts in randomized, controlled studies of
      integrated approaches to therapy.

PMID- 1877118
TI  - Preoperative and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy using CISCA
      (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin) in the treatment of invasive
      transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder.
AB  - Fifteen patients with invasive (T2-T4) transitional-cell carcinoma of the bladder
      were scheduled for three courses of CISCA followed by radical cystectomy and two
      additional courses of CISCA. Seven patients completed the entire protocol, and 13
      completed all the preoperative courses. Seven of 13 patients demonstrated
      downstaging of their cancers. Of these patients, one has died, one is alive with
      disease, and five are free of disease at 7 to 38 (mean 17) months. Of the six
      patients without downstaging, one survives free of disease at 42 months and one
      is alive with disease 12 months after cystectomy. Downstaging appears to be an
      important prognostic indicator. Additional studies are being conducted to
      determine if neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves long-term survival.

PMID- 1877119
TI  - Interval report of a phase I-II study utilizing multiple modalities in the
      treatment of invasive bladder cancer. A bladder-sparing trial.
AB  - Clinicians at the Massachusetts General Hospital have used two cycles of
      methotrexate, cisplatin, and vinblastine (MCV) before radiotherapy and cisplatin
      in 53 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Eleven patients did not
      complete the protocol, but overall, the toxicity was not formidable. Of the total
      patients accessioned, 34 are alive. Of the 34 patients in the series who
      completed the full treatment protocol, the estimated survival rate at 54 months
      is 77%. This interim analysis suggests that the treatment is achieving at least
      limited success in saving lives and bladders.

PMID- 1877120
TI  - The ileal neobladder.
AB  - The ileal neobladder in many respects approximates the theoretically ideal
      continent urinary diversion. The technique, while more technically demanding than
      the performance of the standard ileal loop diversion, is not difficult,
      particularly for surgeons used to performing radical retropubic prostatectomies.
      The ileal neobladder appears to approximate most closely the optimal bladder
      substitution. Although currently feasible only in males, future considerations
      could conceivably involve urologists working with their colleagues in gynecology
      and colorectal surgery to extend the benefits of bladder substitution using the
      ileal neobladder to selected patients having cystectomy for associated
      gynecologic or colorectal malignancies.

PMID- 1877121
TI  - Genitourinary rhabdomyosarcoma in children.
AB  - The survival rates for childhood rhabdomyosarcomas have risen from 20% to 50%
      with the institution of a multidisciplinary approach involving the pediatric
      oncologist, radiation therapist, and surgeon. Increased survival has been
      particularly striking in the case of genitourinary rhabdomyosarcomas, which have
      a more favorable prognosis than rhabdomyosarcomas occurring in other anatomic
      sites. By stratifying genitourinary rhabdomyosarcomas by anatomic subgroup, i.e.,
      paratesticular, bladder or bladder-prostate, and gynecologic, insight into
      specific predictors of failure can be obtained. Patients judged to be high risk
      at diagnosis can then be selected for more intensive or novel forms of therapy.

PMID- 1877122
TI  - Urologic sarcoma in adults. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience
      based on a prospective database between 1982 and 1989.
AB  - Urologic sarcoma is a group of rare tumors with a generally poor prognosis. These
      sarcomas share prognostic characteristics with soft-tissue sarcomas arising from
      other sites. A staging system that incorporates tumor grade and size is valuable
      in identifying patients at high risk of dying of disease. Patients with sarcomas
      that are high-grade, greater than 5 cm in diameter, or metastatic at the time of
      presentation (MSKCC stages 3 and 4) have a combined 3-year relapse-free survival
      rate of 26%. Complete surgical resection, preferably with negative margins, still
      offers the best chance of cure. For reasons that are not clear, multimodality
      therapy in rhabdomyosarcoma is less effective in adult than in pediatric disease.
      Present-day chemotherapeutic regimens are ineffective in controlling disseminated
      sarcoma. The adoption of a uniform staging system coupled with multi
      institutional collaboration may allow progress to be made in this otherwise
      deadly form of genitourinary cancer.

PMID- 1877123
TI  - [43rd meeting of the German Society for Urology. Berlin, 18-21 September 1991.
      Abstracts].

PMID- 1877124
TI  - Digitally-directed transrectal biopsy using Biopty gun versus transrectal needle
      aspiration: comparison of diagnostic yield and comfort.
AB  - A technique for digitally-directed core biopsy using the Biopty device and
      prospective comparison of accuracy and comfort, using this technique
      simultaneously with transrectal needle aspiration, are presented. To better
      estimate the true prevalence of carcinoma in the study population, a repeat
      combined procedure was performed on all subjects who did not have carcinoma
      confirmed on the initial core biopsies. All procedures were done by one
      investigator and all pathology reviewed by one senior pathologist. A total of 180
      combined procedures were performed on 100 consecutive patients with palpably
      abnormal prostates; 30 carcinomas were detected. Digitally-directed Biopty biopsy
      yielded a sensitivity rate of 87 percent compared with 57 percent for needle
      aspiration (p less than 0.05). Using a numerical comfort scale, the Biopty device
      was also rated less painful than needle aspiration (p = 0.0001). The morbidity of
      the combined procedure was minimal, with a minor complication rate of 2.2
      percent. No infections occurred.

PMID- 1877125
TI  - Polytetrafluoroethylene vs. polypropylene suture for endoscopic bladder neck
      suspension.
AB  - Between May 1989 and October 1989, 24 women underwent a prospective, randomized
      study comparing polypropylene (Prolene) and polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex)
      sutures for endoscopic bladder neck suspension. Polypropylene was associated with
      significantly more suture pain than polytetrafluoroethylene.
      Polytetrafluoroethylene was more difficult to tie at a predetermined tension.

PMID- 1877126
TI  - Application of smooth Teflon clip to inferior vena cava during radical cystectomy
      to prevent postoperative pulmonary embolism.
AB  - Between 1976-1986, a smooth Teflon clip was applied to the inferior vena cava of
      56 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. The purpose of
      the clip is to narrow the lumen of the inferior vena cava so that large emboli
      will be trapped and thus prevented from reaching the lungs. These 56 patients
      were compared with a group of 26 historical controls who underwent radical
      cystectomy without application of such a clip between 1967-1976. One patient
      (1.8%) whose vena cava was clipped had a pulmonary embolus which was fatal. Four
      (15.4%) of the 26 control patients had postoperative pulmonary emboli, the
      embolic event being fatal in 3 (11.5%). Application of the smooth Teflon clip to
      the inferior vena cava significantly lessens the incidence of pulmonary embolism
      following radical cystectomy.

PMID- 1877127
TI  - Urinary incontinence volume patterns in elderly inpatient men.
AB  - Urinary incontinence is a costly and debilitating disease of the aged. Although
      the most common clinical finding is detrusor hyperreflexia on filling cystometry,
      the role of this urodynamic abnormality in the etiology of incontinence is
      uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate elderly patients who have
      cystometric detrusor hyperreflexia and to determine the incontinence volume
      characteristics of these patients during regular daily activities. Ten patients
      with detrusor hyperreflexia during filling cystometry and an incontinence volume
      level above 1 L per day were evaluated according to the volume of urine loss per
      incontinence episode during a ten-day measurement period. All patients studied
      were found to have an irregular urinary incontinence volume distribution with a
      wide range of involuntary urine loss per incontinence episode. An irregular
      pattern of incontinence volume was found in each patient which suggests that
      detrusor hyperreflexia is manifest as an irregular involuntary loss of urine
      during daily activities of elderly inpatients. This unstable bladder activity
      relative to the volume of urine loss appears to be an important factor in the
      pathophysiology of urinary incontinence in aged inpatients.

PMID- 1877128
TI  - Metabolic changes in patients undergoing right colon continent urinary pouch
      diversion.
AB  - The concept of continent urinary diversion is undergoing re-evaluation now that a
      stable continent valve can be produced with certainty. The right colon pouch
      consists of the distal 6 inches of the terminal ileum, the cecum, ascending
      colon, and proximal third of the transverse colon, and has a volume of up to
      1,200 mL. The present study investigates the electrolyte changes that occur when
      urine is held in the pouch for increasing lengths of time. No significant changes
      in serum electrolytes occurred with catheterization intervals up to six hours in
      a group of patients that were studied for an excess of six months.

PMID- 1877129
TI  - Macroscopic vasovasostomy re-examined.
AB  - Results of 273 consecutive macroscopic vasovasostomy procedures performed at a
      single institution over a nine-year period between 1978 and 1987 were reviewed.
      When patients operated on less than five years after vasectomy were compared with
      those in whom more than five years had elapsed since vasectomy, significant
      declines in technical success rates as measured by return of sperm to the
      ejaculate (93% vs. 74%, p less than 0.004), biologic recovery as measured by mean
      sperm counts (55 million vs. 35 million) and mean progressive sperm motility (30%
      vs. 13%), and clinical success as measured by pregnancy rates (52% vs. 30%, p
      less than 0.02), were observed. Examination of complications of vasovasostomy
      showed a 7.7 percent overall complication rate and a 1.5 percent incidence of
      major complications.

PMID- 1877131
TI  - Anterior urethral polyp associated with hematuria in six-year-old child.
AB  - Anterior urethral polyps are rare, occur only in male patients, and have been
      associated with obstruction, terminal hematuria, and enuresis. We believe this is
      the fifth reported case of anterior urethral polyp associated with terminal
      hematuria. The radiographic findings, treatment, and pathology are reviewed.

PMID- 1877130
TI  - Enuresis and the voiding cystourethrogram: a re-evaluation.
AB  - Eighty-three children with a chief complaint of nocturnal enuresis and no history
      of urinary tract infection (UTI) were prospectively evaluated with a contrast
      voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG). The following four historical details of
      presentation were noted: primary vs. secondary enuresis, daytime wetting,
      urgency, and frequency. Each of these four symptoms were treated as a dichotomous
      variable, and the prognostic value with respect to vesicoureteral (VUR) reflux
      was assessed using a linear logistic regression model. Nineteen ureters in 13
      patients (16%) demonstrated VUR: grade I, 7 ureters; grade II, 5 ureters; grade
      III, 3 ureters; grade IV, 4 ureters; and grade V, 0 ureters. Three patients
      demonstrated renal scarring (16%) and 2 patients underwent surgery. The linear
      regression analysis revealed that no one symptom, group of symptoms, or absence
      of all four symptoms segregated those patients likely to have reflux with
      statistical validity. One of 6 children, therefore, who present with nocturnal
      enuresis and sterile urine will have reflux. Screening these children with a VCUG
      should be considered.

PMID- 1877132
TI  - Treatment of staghorn calculi with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy and
      percutaneous nephrolithotomy.
AB  - Between August 1983 and August 1987, 72 staghorn calculi were treated in 66
      patients. Treatment was with percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in 30,
      extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 18, combination PCNL-ESWL in 23,
      and nephrectomy in 1. Complications occurred in 59 percent of patients and were
      twice as common after PCNL as after ESWL. Radiologic follow-up on 69 kidneys
      (97%) showed 58 percent were stone-free, 15 percent had residual sand or
      matchheads less than 5 mm, 17 percent had residual fragments of 5-15 mm, and 10
      percent had greater than 15 mm residual stone burden. With a mean follow-up of
      thirty months, 2 of 40 stone-free patients had persistent asymptomatic Proteus
      urinary tract infections, and 4 of 22 patients with residual calculi less than or
      equal to 15 mm required additional operative treatment.

PMID- 1877134
TI  - Effect of occluding the urethra while recording urethral stress profile.
AB  - The correlation between clinical and tonometric incontinence is frequently poor,
      with urethral profile results that do not correspond to clinical reality. Among
      potential causal factors, we have attempted to determine the importance of the
      absorption of kinetic energy from the mass of urine driven against the urethral
      captor (the hydraulic ram effect). Twenty patients (average age 50 +/- 10 years,
      para 2) suffering from genuine stress urinary incontinence, underwent urodynamic
      investigation with a constant air-flow pneumatic catheter equipped with two
      captors separated by an inflatable cuff located just above the urethral captor to
      block the inrush of urine into the urethra. After cystometric examination had
      excluded an unstable bladder, two urethral profiles were registered successively,
      first with cuff deflated, and then with cuff inflated. The values for urethral
      functional length (FL) and transmission factor (TF) show no significant changes.
      The values for the maximal urethral closing pressure (MUCP) were significantly
      lower in the second profile (cuff inflated) in 18 of 20 cases (average decrease 7
      cm H2O), which corresponds to 14 percent of the average MUCP measured during the
      first profile (cuff deflated). The depression quotient increased from an average
      0.80 to 1.05 from first to second profile. This study allows quantification of
      the urethral "hydraulic ram effect" which modifies determination of the MUCP
      during registration of urinary stress profile.

PMID- 1877133
TI  - Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in patients with spinal cord dysfunction.
AB  - Patients with spinal cord dysfunction are at an increased risk for urolithiasis.
      A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of
      extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in this population. Thirteen kidneys
      received 19 treatments averaging 2,350 shocks per renal unit. All but one of the
      stones showed good fragmentation; however, none of the patients was stone-free at
      three months. Four of 9 patients with long-term follow-up were stone-free at five
      to fifteen months. Our poor stone-free rate is similar to that found in other
      studies of patients with spinal cord dysfunction. ESWL was well tolerated in this
      population, however, the clearance of stones is poor and delayed.

PMID- 1877135
TI  - Digital-directed transrectal core biopsy with spring-loaded biopsy device
      (Biopty).

PMID- 1877136
TI  - Immunohistochemical staining of CA 50 antigen in human bladder cancer. Relation
      to histologic grade, clinical stage, and prognosis.
AB  - The immunohistochemical detection of tumor marker CA 50 was studied in bladder
      cancer of WHO grades I-III. The material consisted of tumors in 83 patients and
      the mean clinical follow-up time was thirteen years (range 9.6-22 years). The
      fraction of CA 50-positive cells (FPtot) in microscopic image was scored 0-100
      percent. Also the maximally staining region was selected, and the fraction of CA
      50-positive cells in this region was scored 0-100 percent (FPmax). The average
      staining intensity of CA 50-positive cells was scored from 0 to 3 in the whole
      section (ASItot) and in the maximally staining area (ASImax). The inverse
      relation between histologic grade, FPtot (p = 0.0001), and ASItot (p = 0.006) was
      statistically significant. FPtot (p = 0.039) and ASItot (p = 0.018) were also
      inversely related to clinical stage. Occurrence of metastasis during the follow
      up was associated with low CA 50 positivity (FPtot, p = 0.003; ASItot, p =
      0.002). The lower the staining intensity or the lower the fraction of CA 50
      positive cells, the more aggressive was the tumor. In survival analysis, low
      FPtot (p = 0.002) and ASItot (p = 0.007) values were related to high risk of
      bladder cancer death. The results show that immunohistochemical staining of
      bladder tumor specimens with CA 50 can be used to predict bladder cancer
      aggressiveness and survival.

PMID- 1877137
TI  - Diagnostic usefulness of post-void film in intravenous urogram.
AB  - A survey was sent to urologists to assess their subjective evaluation of the post
      void film in the intravenous urogram (IVU). Most of the urologists believed that
      the post-void film should be a routine part of all IVUs, particularly in men over
      forty years of age, and estimated that the film contributed useful information in
      30 percent of cases. One hundred fifty IVUs were reviewed to assess the actual
      value of the post-void film in 119 different patients. In these patients, the
      postvoid film was seen to give unique information not available by history or
      films of the filled bladder in only 3 percent of the cases. Therefore, we
      conclude the post-void film should not be a routine part of every IVU, and should
      be obtained on an as-needed basis only.

PMID- 1877138
TI  - Fifty-six-year-old woman with flank pain and azotemia.

PMID- 1877139
TI  - Adrenal cortical carcinoma with vena cava tumor thrombus requiring
      cardiopulmonary bypass for resection.
AB  - We believe this is the fifteenth case report of adrenal cortical carcinoma with
      tumor thrombus to the vena cava, and the fourth reported case of a left-side
      tumor propagating thrombus to the vena cava. The patient underwent successful
      resection which required cardiopulmonary bypass. The caval tumor thrombus was
      very friable and gelatinous, unlike many renal cell thrombi, and required special
      surgical considerations.

PMID- 1877140
TI  - Gallbladder and pancreatic metastases from bilateral renal carcinoma presenting
      with hematobilia and anemia.
AB  - A case of bilateral metachronous renal cell carcinoma with gallbladder and
      pancreatic metastases, presenting with hematobilia and anemia is presented. The
      presentation of metastatic renal cell carcinoma with hematobilia and anemia is
      previously unreported. This case illustrates (1) the occasionally very long
      interval between metachronous renal carcinoma; (2) this tumor's propensity to
      unusual metastases and unpredictable presentation; and (3) the significant
      palliation which may be achieved by appropriate surgical resection of these
      metastases.

PMID- 1877141
TI  - Adrenal rest carcinoma in hilum of kidney.
AB  - Adrenocortical rests are uncommon in adults and infrequently undergo malignant
      changes. Most of the published cases are those of functional tumors allowing
      preoperative diagnosis on the basis of the resulting endocrinopathy. Most
      nonfunctioning tumors were found accidentally at operation or autopsy. A case is
      presented of a parapelvic nonfunctioning adrenocortical rest carcinoma situated
      in the renal hilus in a fifty-year-old woman. No such tumor has been described
      previously.

PMID- 1877142
TI  - Vas deferens abscess six years post vasectomy.

PMID- 1877143
TI  - Penetration of lomefloxacin into human prostatic tissue.

PMID- 1877144
TI  - Special applications in use of flexible cystoscope.

PMID- 1877145
TI  - Unsettled outlook for education.

PMID- 1877146
TI  - Veterinary medicine: the shape of things to come.

PMID- 1877147
TI  - History of the healing professions.

PMID- 1877148
TI  - Two hundred British veterinary years.

PMID- 1877150
TI  - Working together for excellence.

PMID- 1877149
TI  - A brief history of the schools.

PMID- 1877151
TI  - Veterinary education in the European Community.

PMID- 1877152
TI  - CPD and the universities: 2000 and beyond.

PMID- 1877153
TI  - New pig disease.

PMID- 1877154
TI  - Weak calf syndrome.

PMID- 1877155
TI  - [Ultrasound diagnosis of bile ducts after cholecystectomy].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the results of multiprojectional ultrasound
      investigation of the biliferous system in 68 patients at varying time after
      cholecystectomy. In most cases (77.9%) signs of dilated biliary ducts were
      undetectable. Dilatation of the hepaticodoch was most frequently determined by
      choledolithiasis, stricture or stenosing papillitis, rarely--by pancreatic head
      cancer. Investigation of the biliary ducts in patients after cholecystectomy
      should be started with ultrasound tomography; endoscopic retrograde
      cholangiopancreatography or iv cholangiography and dynamic cholescintigraphy were
      indicated after the detection of the signs of dilated ducts (the anteroposterior
      diameter of the common hepatic duct was over 6 mm).

PMID- 1877156
TI  - [Computerized tomography of the mechanical jaundice in the involvement of the
      distal region of the common bile duct].
AB  - Computerized tomography (CT) is a noninvasive indirect method of instrumental
      investigation for imaging the liver, bile ducts and the adjacent organs. CT
      enables one to confirm objectively the mechanical nature of jaundice, to assess a
      degree and level of involvement of the biliary tract, to assess the nature and
      spreading of disease. CT sensitivity for the diagnosis of pancreatic head cancer
      was 78.8%, specificity-91.3%, that for choledocholithiasis--84.6%, specificity-
      96.7%. CT in jaundice made it possible to establish diagnosis at various levels
      of accuracy: from differentiation of mechanical and parenchymatous jaundices to
      preliminary assessment of malignant tumor resectability facilitating a choice of
      surgical tactics.

PMID- 1877157
TI  - [Computerized tomography in the differential diagnosis of biliopancreatoduodenal
      diseases].
AB  - The paper is concerned with analysis of CT-investigation of 150 patients with
      diseases of the biliopancreatoduodenal area, whose diagnosis was verified
      histologically or by clinical observation over time, using other methods, (USI,
      RCPG, etc.). The authors have arrived at a conclusion that for increasing the
      informative value of CT one should use various methods of a contrast study of the
      duodenum and biliary tract, electron reconstruction of CT images in different
      projections. They have pointed out the most significant differential-diagnostic
      CT signs, proposed a table to facilitate the identification of causes and a level
      of obturation of the bile ducts, the table playing an important role in a choice
      of adequate therapy.

PMID- 1877158
TI  - [X-ray diagnosis of urinary tract diseases in genital endometriosis].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the results of combined investigation of 157 women
      suffering from genital endometriosis, operated on for this disease. The
      involvement of the lower parts of the ureters in a pathological process was
      detected in 48 patients before operation and in 6 patients at operation.
      Comparison of x-ray and operative findings with histology specimens made it
      possible to define endogenous and exogenous forms of ureteral endometriosis and
      three variants of an x-ray picture in this pathology (the absence of abnormal
      changes of the urinary tract, hydroureter is over the narrowed part of the
      ureter, hydroureteronephrosis). The authors have shown a high informative value
      of combined x-ray investigation and the effectiveness of its use in clinical
      practice.

PMID- 1877159
TI  - [Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of asymptomatic renal cysts].
AB  - The authors analyzed CT-data on 1732 patients aged 21 to 83 to detect symptom
      free renal cysts which were found in 30% of the patients. The rates and
      prevalence of symptom-free renal cysts were studied. A high resolution was noted.
      A majority of cysts was detected in patients over 50. The rates and prevalence of
      renal cysts testified to their low clinical significance (in the authors'
      opinion).

PMID- 1877160
TI  - [The role of computerized tomography in the diagnosis and evaluation of the
      dissemination of malignant kidney tumors].
AB  - CT, performed in 66 patients with suspected renal tumors, showed renal cell
      carcinoma in 36. Tumor spreading was correctly established in 80.6%. Accurate
      diagnosis was made in 64 of 66 cases. The authors regard CT as an effective
      method for the recognition of sizable processes and differential diagnosis of
      solid tumors. Among the visual methods of investigation, used to define a tumor
      stage, CT turned out to be the most effective one.

PMID- 1877161
TI  - [Magnetic resonance tomography in the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension].
AB  - MR tomography was used for investigation of 38 patients with renovascular
      hypertension (RVH) and 26 healthy persons. A possibility of the use and practical
      value of the method in the diagnosis and evaluation of renal function and renal
      arteries (RA) were under study. Some quantitative MRT indices were calculated
      both for the patients and healthy persons. They included spin-spin relaxation
      time, proton density, and signal intensity. These data can provide important
      information on renal function in RVH with relation to kidney sizes and the state
      of the renal parenchyma (evaluation of the cortical substance and medulla and the
      border between them). In some cases MRT ensures noninvasive diagnosis of PA
      stenosis.

PMID- 1877162
TI  - [Radioendovascular prosthesis of renal arteries in patients with renovascular
      hypertension].
AB  - A high percentage of restenoses after roentgenovascular dilatation of the renal
      arteries laid the basis of a search for new therapeutic methods for these
      patients. Experiments on implantation of nitinol spiral endoprostheses showed
      their ability for long-term permeability of renal arteries, not causing their
      thrombosis and intimal spreading, destruction of formed elements of the blood,
      change in plasma proteins. Morphological investigations have shown rapid
      formation (during 14 days) of connective tissue neointima, covered on the side of
      the blood flow with the true vascular endothelium (ensuring a nonadhesive surface
      and laminar blood flow), around the coils of an endoprosthesis. This method after
      its experimental development started to be used in clinical practice. The authors
      reported the first experience in the clinical use of this method (12 patients
      with vasorenal hypertension). A 15-month follow-up revealed a stable
      antihypertensive effect in all patients.

PMID- 1877163
TI  - [Radiodiagnosis of malignant lymphoma of the small intestine].
AB  - The authors observed 10 patients with malignant lymphoma revealed by x-ray; 2 of
      them were supposed to be afflicted with heavy alpha-chain disease with malignant
      transformation. An x-ray picture revealed a triad of pathognomonic symptoms and a
      regular parallelism of intestinal changes with clinicolaboratory findings. In all
      the cases the diagnosis was confirmed by morphological data.

PMID- 1877164
TI  - [Angiographic diagnosis of agenesia, aplasia and hypoplasia in children].
AB  - Problems of the diagnosis of congenital renal developmental defects (CRDD) still
      continue to present a certain interest. Basing on their own experience in the
      diagnosis of CRDD in 188 of 527 children with renal pathology, the authors
      arrived at a conclusion that intravital diagnosis of renal aplasia was not only
      possible with the help of angiography, but also extremely necessary because
      agenesia and aplasia were two separate entities in their genesis, limiting the
      potentialities of reconstructive operations in aplasia. Hypoplasia in children
      was very frequent and was characterized by 5 types of the angiographic picture.
      Analyzing the state of the contralateral kidneys in CRDD, the authors considered
      some features of compensatory hypertrophy.

PMID- 1877165
TI  - [Dynamics of kidney function by renography findings in the connection to the
      results of radiotherapy of urinary bladder cancer].
AB  - The paper is devoted to analysis of the potentialities of radionuclide renography
      as a method for assessment of the effectiveness of radiotherapy of bladder
      cancer. The results obtained suggested close correlation between change of renal
      function and the results of irradiation. Normal renal function was observed in 3
      patients, improvement--in 16 patients, and deterioration--in 8 patients whereas a
      complete effect of radiotherapy brought about the following figures: 5, 11 and 3,
      respectively. A conclusion was made of a high significance of renography
      parameters in objective assessment of the results of radiotherapy of bladder
      cancer in conjunction with other therapeutic modalities.

PMID- 1877166
TI  - [Ultrasound and radiologic diagnosis of breast nodules in young women].
AB  - Mammography as a priority method of diagnosis of breast nodules in young women is
      of low efficacy as a result of a dense background of the breast as distinct from
      echography permitting the detection of abnormal lesion against this background.
      Altogether 126 patients with clinical manifestations of breast nodules were
      investigated. Apparatus methods used for investigation of 38 of them, revealed
      but manifestations of fibrocystic mastopathy. Assessment of the efficacy of x-ray
      and ultrasound diagnostic methods was performed in 88 patients with breast
      nodules (the patients varied in age from 14 to 40). Radiodiagnostic accuracy in
      benign tumors was 54.1% that in malignant tumors--78.1%. Ultrasound investigation
      proved to be the most informative method for diagnosis of breast nodules in young
      women, and the use of a proposed algorithm would permit optimization of the
      diagnostic process.

PMID- 1877167
TI  - [Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of soft tissue neoplasms of the
      extremities and trunk].
AB  - Analysis of CT data on 213 patients with soft tissue and trunk tumors has shown
      that a majority of malignant and benign tumors have a similar picture (except
      lipoma). Features of the contours of a tumor and its inner structure do not
      permit the assessment of its nature. The only significant differential-diagnostic
      sign of malignant soft tissue tumors is destruction of an adjacent bone, noted in
      17.6%. The majority of malignant and benign soft tissue tumors (70.9%) on CT
      scans look like a single node; recurrent tumors look multinodular (78.2%).
      Verification of soft tissue tumors, revealed by CT, should be done using
      morphological methods.

PMID- 1877168
TI  - [Descending myelography with water contrast media by the methods of lateral
      puncture of the great occipital cisterna].
AB  - A method of lateral puncture of the great occipital cistern for descending
      myelography with water soluble contrast substances was employed. It was used in
      150 neurosurgical inpatients aged 4 to 70 with various diseases of the spinal
      marrow and its coats. A new water soluble drug iopamidol-200 (or 300) (Bracco,
      Italy) was used for diagnosis of spinal tumors. The drug dosage was worked out
      for adults as well as for children. A study was made of possible side-effects on
      a vast clinical material (80 patients). The new contrast substance iopamidol
      possesses better tolerance by patients and better roentgenocontrast properties
      than amipack.

PMID- 1877169
TI  - [Radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy of hemangiopericytoma (review of literature)].

PMID- 1877170
TI  - [Radiodiagnosis of duodenal sarcoma].

PMID- 1877171
TI  - [Cholangiography with selective catheterization of the bile ducts].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the use of selective catheterization of the bile
      ducts during endoscopic cholangiocholecystography. This method alongside with
      routine ones was employed for investigation of 82 patients with pathology of the
      hepatoduodenopancreatic area, that helped to avoid diagnostic errors.

PMID- 1877172
TI  - [Echotomographic evaluation of normal hip joints in the newborn babies].

PMID- 1877174
TI  - Update on Blue Cross & Blue Shield liquidation.

PMID- 1877176
TI  - Remarks at the 1990 WVU Investiture Ceremony.

PMID- 1877175
TI  - Things I know now that I didn't know or appreciate enough before serving in the
      legislature ....

PMID- 1877177
TI  - Parenteral and oral acyclovir for management of varicella pneumonia in pregnancy:
      a case report with review of literature.
AB  - Varicella pneumonia is a relatively rare disease in the reproductive-aged woman,
      but has a reported 41 percent maternal mortality rate in pregnancy. Seventeen
      cases managed with intraveneous acyclovir are reviewed. We report successful
      management with the unpublished addition of oral acyclovir to complete antiviral
      therapy on an outpatient basis.

PMID- 1877178
TI  - Adolescent perceptions of teenage morbidity and mortality in a rural population.
AB  - Health-related questionnaires were administered to 742 high school seniors in
      small towns in rural West Virginia. Students tended to overestimate the immediate
      threat to their health from cancer, heart disease and AIDS. They recognized a
      threat from auto accidents to their life and health in the immediate future, but
      nevertheless indulged in high-risk drinking and driving behavior. A surprisingly
      high percentage were concerned about stress and depression (40 percent) and
      suicide (11 percent). One-third of students had either planned or attempted
      suicide, suggesting that appropriate health education for this age group should
      include more emphasis on psychosocial issues and stress management.

PMID- 1877179
TI  - Medical students are saying "no" to practicing in West Virginia--what can be done
      about it?

PMID- 1877180
TI  - Diagnosis and antibiotic treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.
AB  - Only a few pathogens cause most community-acquired pneumonias. In outpatients,
      treatment is empiric, based on the results of chest films, leukocyte counts, and
      Gram's stains (if available). Antibiotics must always cover pneumococci and
      should cover Mycoplasma pneumoniae in young adults and during epidemic periods. A
      follow-up chest film in smokers and those older than 40 years is strongly
      recommended. In inpatients, the evaluation and treatment are tailored to
      individual cases. A search for a wider range of causes, using invasive tests if
      necessary, is undertaken, and all likely pathogens should be covered with the
      initial antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1877181
TI  - Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treated with plasma exchange or exchange
      transfusions.
AB  - Of 40 patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, 17 were treated with
      plasma exchange, 15 with exchange transfusions, and 6 with both types of therapy.
      One patient died before being treated and another patient was seen but not
      treated. Plasma exchange was performed daily for a mean of seven exchanges per
      patient. The replacement fluid during plasma exchange was fresh frozen plasma in
      all cases. The complete response rates for each type of treatment were as
      follows: 88% for plasma exchange (15 patients), 47% for exchange transfusions (7
      patients), and 67% for exchange transfusions and plasma exchange (4 patients).
      Clinical and laboratory factors were examined for any statistically significant
      association with therapy response. Treatment with plasma exchange was
      statistically the initial factor most strongly associated with prognosis.
      Paresis, paresthesias, seizures, mental status change, and coma showed no
      association with response to treatment. Some of the laboratory factors that did
      not show significant association with treatment response were the initial
      creatinine, hemoglobin, platelet count, lactate dehydrogenase, and total
      bilirubin. This study supports the hypothesis that plasma exchange has
      significantly improved the prognosis of patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic
      purpura. These patients should be treated aggressively regardless of the severity
      of their symptoms.

PMID- 1877182
TI  - Access to medical care for documented and undocumented Latinos in a southern
      California county.
AB  - To determine local access to medical care among Latinos, we conducted telephone
      interviews with residents of Orange County, California. The survey replicated on
      a local level the national access surveys sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson
      Foundation. We compared access among Latino citizens of the United States
      (including permanent legal residents), undocumented Latinos, and Anglos, and
      analyzed predictors of access. Among the sample of 958 respondents were 137
      Latino citizens, 54 undocumented Latinos, and 680 Anglos. Compared with Anglos,
      Latino citizens and undocumented immigrants had less access to medical care by
      all measures used in the survey. Although undocumented Latinos were less likely
      than Latino citizens to have health insurance, by most other measures their
      access did not differ significantly. By multivariate analysis, health insurance
      status and not ethnicity was the most important predictor of access. Because
      access to medical care is limited for both Latino citizens and undocumented
      immigrants, policy proposals to improve access for Latinos should consider
      current barriers faced by these groups and local differences in access to medical
      care.

PMID- 1877183
TI  - Mentors and role models for women in academic medicine.
AB  - Senior mentors and role models have a positive influence on the career
      advancement of junior professionals in law, business, and medicine. In medicine
      an increasing number of women are pursuing academic careers, but available senior
      mentors to provide career guidance are often lacking. We report on the results of
      a national survey of 558 full-time faculty women, aged 50 years and younger, in
      departments of medicine in the United States, regarding their experience with
      role models and mentors. Women with mentors report more publications and more
      time spent on research activity than those without mentors. Women with a role
      model reported higher overall career satisfaction. This report, with illustrative
      examples, may be helpful to other women pursuing academic careers and to
      physicians who serve as mentors or role models to others.

PMID- 1877184
TI  - Hypoglycemias.
AB  - Low plasma glucose concentrations that may or may not be sufficiently low to
      result in symptoms can be observed as a concomitant of several diverse diseases.
      Treatment of the primary underlying disorder usually alleviates the hypoglycemia.
      For patients whose primary symptom is that of hypoglycemia, it is essential to
      confirm that the plasma glucose concentration is low during the occurrence of
      symptoms. Symptoms that occur after meals usually are mild and rarely signify
      serious disease. With rare exceptions, hypoglycemia resulting in major symptoms
      occurs in the food-deprived state. Lower concentrations of plasma insulin and C
      peptide and a concomitant low plasma glucose are major clues to a correct
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1877185
TI  - Penicillin allergy.

PMID- 1877186
TI  - Points to consider in the care of patients infected with the human
      immunodeficiency virus.

PMID- 1877187
TI  - Harmful health effects of passive smoking.

PMID- 1877188
TI  - Immunoglobulin G subclasses.

PMID- 1877189
TI  - Asthma without wheezing.

PMID- 1877190
TI  - Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

PMID- 1877191
TI  - Chronic granulomatous disease.

PMID- 1877192
TI  - New uses of intravenous immune globulin therapy.

PMID- 1877193
TI  - Feline-transmitted sporotrichosis in the southwestern United States.

PMID- 1877194
TI  - Transmission of malaria in San Diego County, California.

PMID- 1877195
TI  - Daunorubicin, amsacrine, and sinus arrest.

PMID- 1877196
TI  - A time to lead, a time to follow.

PMID- 1877197
TI  - Women mentors needed in academic medicine.

PMID- 1877198
TI  - Hypoglycemia--a major risk of insulin therapy.

PMID- 1877199
TI  - An agenda for public health in the 1990s.

PMID- 1877200
TI  - AIDS awareness among rural Utah physicians.
AB  - Studies of physicians' attitudes and knowledge of the acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome (AIDS) and the clinical precautions they take against exposure to the
      human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have focused on urban physicians. To determine
      rural physicians' knowledge and attitudes about AIDS, a questionnaire was mailed
      to 321 physicians practicing in rural Utah. Of the 169 physicians who completed
      questionnaires, 96% thought that their community or area of service had only a
      minor or no problem with AIDS; 89%, however, thought that their chance of seeing
      a patient who was HIV-positive was fair to moderate. Of the 169 respondents, 3%
      were not sure whether they would even treat a patient who had AIDS, 67% said they
      would, and 30% said they would not. Although all physicians are at risk of seeing
      a patient who has had exposure to HIV and other blood-borne diseases such as
      hepatitis B, only 55% of the respondents felt a need to take clinical precautions
      to prevent their exposure to the virus. Our study shows the need for all rural
      Utah physicians to reevaluate their risk of exposure to HIV, to increase
      precautionary measures for their own protection, to consider the ethical
      responsibility of treating AIDS patients, and to take a more active role in
      teaching their patients how to protect themselves from exposure to the virus.

PMID- 1877202
TI  - Intranasal ethmoid sinus surgery, 1980 to 1990.
AB  - The Scientific Board of the California Medical Association presents the following
      inventory of items of progress in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery. Each
      item, in the judgment of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become
      reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical
      significance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative
      reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally
      given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to
      assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, or scholars to stay abreast of
      these items of progress in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery that have
      recently achieved a substantial degree of authoritative acceptance, whether in
      their own field of special interest or another. The items of progress listed
      below were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Otolaryngology/Head
      and Neck Surgery of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were
      prepared under its direction.

PMID- 1877203
TI  - Treatment of vocal cord paralysis.

PMID- 1877201
TI  - Lyme disease.

PMID- 1877204
TI  - Phonatory diagnosis and phonosurgery.

PMID- 1877205
TI  - Skull base surgery.

PMID- 1877206
TI  - Functional endoscopic sinus surgery in children.

PMID- 1877207
TI  - Cochlear implants in children.

PMID- 1877208
TI  - Anticytoplasmic autoantibody test for Wegener's granulomatosis.

PMID- 1877209
TI  - Gadolinium magnetic resonance imaging in Bell's palsy.

PMID- 1877210
TI  - Laser therapy for early cancer of the vocal cords.

PMID- 1877211
TI  - Autoimmune or immune-mediated causes of deafness.

PMID- 1877212
TI  - Transoral approach to mandibular angle fractures.

PMID- 1877213
TI  - Alteration of the natural history of Pneumocystis carinii infection in patients
      with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome receiving aerosolized pentamidine.

PMID- 1877214
TI  - Tonic spasms in multiple sclerosis. Anatomic basis and treatment.

PMID- 1877215
TI  - Withdrawal effects of metoclopramide.

PMID- 1877216
TI  - Artificial urinary sphincter erosion in cardiovascular surgical patients. A cause
      for concern.

PMID- 1877217
TI  - Volunteering in West Africa.

PMID- 1877218
TI  - The fabric is sound but the edges are fraying.

PMID- 1877219
TI  - Hypocholesterolemia and malabsorption in HIV infection.

PMID- 1877220
TI  - The International Medical Corps.

PMID- 1877221
TI  - Preventing the contact dermatitis caused by a transdermal clonidine patch.

PMID- 1877222
TI  - Possible complications of acupuncture.

PMID- 1877223
TI  - Carbon monoxide poisoning.

PMID- 1877224
TI  - Reserpine as monotherapy for mild hypertension?

PMID- 1877225
TI  - What the doctor ordered.

PMID- 1877226
TI  - The health status of minority populations in the United States.
AB  - There is increasing national recognition that while our nation's health care
      system is the most expensive in the world, the health care status of Americans
      overall ranks poorly compared with other Western, industrialized nations. In the
      United States we tend to look at minority-majority variations of health status,
      as well as the variations of many other indicators by race or ethnicity, because
      race and ethnicity are particularly important components of our society. In
      general, health status indicators of minority Americans are worse than those of
      whites. In some locales, death rates of minority Americans are comparable to
      those of Third World nations. At the same time, minority Americans make up a
      rapidly increasing proportion of the nation's population and work force. Our
      baseline national data on some minority groups, however, currently are inadequate
      to detect shifts in health status. Finally, the rapidly expanding problem of the
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome among some minority populations provides both
      an imperative and an opportunity to learn how model prevention programs should be
      designed and executed.

PMID- 1877227
TI  - Fine needle aspiration biopsy of superficial masses in children.
AB  - Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is an underused diagnostic procedure in
      children, particularly in the evaluation of superficial masses. A total of 54
      FNABs of superficial masses were performed in children aged 1 month to 15 years.
      Adequate material for diagnosis was obtained in 50 attempts. The cytologic
      diagnosis increased clinical understanding and provided a guide for treatment in
      46 of the 50 cases. The cytologic diagnosis was confirmed in 15 of 19 patients
      who underwent an operation. Surgical intervention was obviated in 31 patients.
      There was one false-positive diagnosis of cancer. We describe the role of FNAB in
      children and its technique, accuracy, and diagnostic problems.

PMID- 1877228
TI  - Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Proposed guidelines for monitoring
      toxicity.
AB  - The most common toxicities of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are
      gastropathy, renal dysfunction, and liver function abnormalities. We outline an
      approach to monitoring patients on long-term NSAID therapy, focusing on the early
      detection of complications. Gastropathy caused by NSAID use is more common in
      elderly patients or those with a history of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, or
      alcohol abuse. Fecal occult blood testing and hemograms are less accurate in
      detecting gastropathy than direct visualization but are convenient and relatively
      inexpensive. We recommend the periodic use of these tests to detect NSAID-induced
      acute or chronic blood loss. Renal toxicity is seen in patients with preexisting
      renal disease or functional volume depletion and in the elderly. Complications
      include renal insufficiency, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and protein-uria. Renal
      function should be monitored during the first few weeks of NSAID therapy,
      especially in high-risk patients, with periodic testing thereafter. Hepatic
      toxicity is less common but warrants occasional determinations of alanine
      aminotransferase levels. Elderly patients and those with renal insufficiency or
      alcohol abuse have a higher risk of complications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs should be used cautiously in those patients at high risk for complications.
      Strategies can be used to limit toxicity. Patients taking these drugs long term
      should be monitored periodically for signs of blood loss, renal dysfunction, and
      hepatic dysfunction.

PMID- 1877229
TI  - Is deleting the digital rectal examination a good idea?
AB  - Many groups have taken the position that the digital rectal examination should be
      discontinued as part of the annual screening physical examination. We examined
      the effects of not doing a digital rectal examination on the early diagnosis of
      prostate cancer. The average time since a previous rectal examination increased
      as the stage of cancer increased. The digital rectal examination proved to be a
      relatively insensitive test, with 40% of stage D cancers being detected initially
      within 12 months of the most recent examination. Nevertheless, an annual digital
      rectal examination did detect a greater percentage of lower stage (and thus more
      localized and potentially curable) cancers when repeated within 12 months. When
      the last rectal examination was more than 24 months previous, cancers detected
      were more likely to be advanced. Without a digital rectal examination, patients
      would have their disease detected only by the presence of symptoms. When it was
      done because of symptoms, 81% of our patients had stage D cancers compared with
      32% of stage B and 38% of stage C patients. Without the routine use of this
      examination, patients with prostate cancer would be more likely to have higher
      stage and less potentially curable lesions at the time of diagnosis. We conclude
      that the digital rectal examination remains an important part of routine annual
      physical examinations.

PMID- 1877230
TI  - The clinical diagnosis of splenomegaly.
AB  - Assessing for the presence of splenomegaly is an important component of the
      physical examination. Although several methods of palpation and percussion of the
      spleen have been described, until recently they have not been validated by
      noninvasive imaging techniques such as ultrasonography, radionuclide scanning,
      and computed tomography that offer objective means to assess splenomegaly. We
      review the literature comparing various physical examination techniques with
      noninvasive imaging modalities and conclude that palpation and percussion of the
      spleen are complementary but frequently insensitive and that further studies are
      needed to evaluate the efficacy of specific diagnostic methods.

PMID- 1877232
TI  - Painful subacute thyroiditis in Hawaii.
AB  - Between 1960 and 1982 we prospectively studied 269 patients with painful subacute
      thyroiditis to determine the demographic characteristics, seasonality, and
      natural course of the disease. The mean age for all patients was 37.1 years. The
      female:male ratio was 6.7:1. At the first visit, disease was bilateral in 69%. No
      epidemic or seasonal pattern was identified. The mean duration of thyroid
      tenderness was 2.2 months and that of palpable thyroid lumps was 2.8 months. This
      time difference, sometimes lasting many months, left a painfree "window" during
      which the palpable hard residual mass of subacute thyroiditis may be confused
      with other thyroid problems, especially cancer.

PMID- 1877233
TI  - Use of antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy.
AB  - The Scientific Board of the California Medical Association presents the following
      inventory of items of progress in neurology. Each item, in the judgment of a
      panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly
      established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical significance. The
      items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to
      the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who
      may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy
      practitioners, students, researchers, or scholars to stay abreast of these items
      of progress in neurology that have recently achieved a substantial degree of
      authoritative acceptance, whether in their own field of special interest or
      another. The items of progress listed below were selected by the Advisory Panel
      to the Section on Neurology of California Medical Association, and the summaries
      were prepared under its direction.

PMID- 1877231
TI  - Understanding osteoporosis.
AB  - Considerable progress has been achieved recently in our understanding of the
      normal process by which bone mass is regulated. Age-related trabecular bone loss
      is characterized not simply by a global loss of bone but also by cortical
      porosity and loss of trabecular connections. Because bone strength depends on
      architectural as well as material properties, bone quantity alone cannot define
      fracture risk with precision. Traditional therapies for osteoporosis increase
      bone mass, and estrogen therapy, in particular, profoundly decreases fracture
      risk. The pharmacologic restoration of bone quantity and quality, however,
      remains elusive. Modern biotechnology offers the hope that progress may come
      about through the development of growth factors and other osteotropic compounds
      for clinical use.

PMID- 1877234
TI  - Human T-cell leukemia virus myelopathy.

PMID- 1877235
TI  - Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome dementia.

PMID- 1877236
TI  - Treatment of cluster headaches.

PMID- 1877237
TI  - Electroencephalographic brain mapping.

PMID- 1877238
TI  - Transcranial Doppler study.

PMID- 1877239
TI  - Myth of the chronic fatigue syndrome.

PMID- 1877240
TI  - Botulinum toxin therapy.

PMID- 1877241
TI  - Carotid endarterectomy.

PMID- 1877242
TI  - Intravascular (angiotropic) large-cell lymphoma ('malignant
      angioendotheliomatosis') with small vessel pulmonary vascular obstruction and
      hypercalcemia.

PMID- 1877243
TI  - Resolution of bowel obstruction due to newly diagnosed inoperable advanced
      ovarian cancer with medical therapy.

PMID- 1877244
TI  - Intractable hiccups as a presentation of central nervous system sarcoidosis.

PMID- 1877245
TI  - The trial and tribulation of Egerton Yorrick Davis.

PMID- 1877246
TI  - Subacute thyroiditis.

PMID- 1877247
TI  - Two medical worlds--separate and unequal.

PMID- 1877248
TI  - Cancer patients and support groups.

PMID- 1877249
TI  - Redwood Medicare Assignment Program.

PMID- 1877250
TI  - The sailor who couldn't play pool.

PMID- 1877251
TI  - Concerned patient.

PMID- 1877252
TI  - Identification of major allergens from the house dust mites, Dermatophagoides
      farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, by electroblotting.
AB  - The allergens were separated from the extracts of house dust mites by SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and identified by autoradiography.
      Over 30 protein bands of the whole body extract of Dermatophagoides farinae were
      apparent on 10-20% gradient SDS-PAGE, and 13 bands with MW between 93KD and 12KD
      bound with specific IgE antibodies in patients' sera sensitive to house dust
      mites. The major allergenic component of the whole body extract of D. farinae was
      the protein of MW 14-15KD, which was detected in 95.7% of 47 patients' sera
      sensitive to house dust mites. The extract of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus
      supplied by Bencard Company, England was thought to contain feces enriched
      material as noted in a few broad protein bands on SDS-PAGE. Seven allergenic
      components were shown by autoradiography. The protein band of MW 14-15KD was one
      of the most frequently revealed allergens on autoradiography, which has appeared
      in 32.5% of 40 patients' sera sensitive to house dust mites. The electrobotting
      technique used in the present study was fast, convenient and highly useful for
      both the identification of allergen components and the screening of specific IgE
      antibody. The individual variations of IgE immune responses to the allergenic
      components of the two house dust mites were discussed.

PMID- 1877253
TI  - Isometric and isokinetic torque curves at the knee joint.
AB  - Isometric and isokinetic torques of bilateral quadriceps and hamstrings were
      measured with Isokinetic Rehabilitation and Testing System (Model No. Cybex 340)
      on 40 normal untrained subjects, 20 males and 20 females, ranging between the
      ages of 23 and 35 years. The mean peak isometric and isokinetic torque values of
      both muscle groups showed no significant differences between dominant (right) and
      nondominant (left) limbs in both sexes; however there were significant
      differences between the male and the female. As the angular velocity increased,
      the peak torque significantly decreased, and the point of peak torque output
      occurred significantly later in the range of motion for quadriceps and hamstrings
      (p less than 0.01). There were no significant changes in the hamstrings to
      quadriceps (H/Q) ratios as the angular velocity increased. However, there were
      significant differences of mean H/Q ratio between male and female (p less than
      0.01). Height had significant positive correlation with peak isometric and
      isokinetic torques for both quadriceps and hamstrings (p less than 0.01). Weight
      was found to correlate significantly with peak isometric and isokinetic torques
      (p less than 0.01). The mean isometric torques were significantly higher than the
      mean isokinetic torques for any joint angles in both sexes (p less than .01).

PMID- 1877254
TI  - Influence of nutrition on anti-tumor activity.
AB  - Nutritionally supporting the malnourished tumor bearing host may not benefit the
      disease outcome, but, rather, may preferentially "feed the cancer". We
      hypothesized that repletion is beneficial only when it augments an anti-tumor
      immune response. To support this hypothesis, 240 A/J mice were assigned to
      isocaloric dietary groups (24%, 5%, or 2.5% protein). On day 14 the mice received
      either immunogenic C1300- neuroblastoma (NB) or non-immunizing TBJ-NB. On day 21
      half of the restricted animals were repleted with 24% protein chow. At day 35,
      chromium-release cell-mediated cytotoxicity was measured. In the group of mice
      that received 2.5% protein chow, nutritional repletion specifically augmented
      anti-tumor activity for C1300-NB which elicits a host immune response (33.78 L.U.
      (repleted) vs 3.47 L.U. (depleted) p less than 0.01), in contrast, nutritional
      repletion was detrimental for non-immunizing TBJ-NB, where further depression of
      cytotoxicity was seen (1.37 L.U. (repleted) vs 2.06 L.U. (depleted) 0 less than
      0.01). This suggests that the influence of nutritional repletion in tumor nearing
      animals is dependent on the integrity of host's anti-tumor immunity.

PMID- 1877255
TI  - Neurosurgical application of fibrin adhesive.
AB  - We have tried fibrin adhesive, which mimics the end stage of plasmatic
      coagulation, in 26 patients with various neurosurgical problems such as: repair
      of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, sealing of the vascular anastomosis sites,
      reinforcements of aneurysmal clippings, and hemostasis after resection of brain
      tumors. Presented in this report are 11 intracranial aneurysms, 11 brain tumors,
      2 lipomyelo-meningoceles, and one each of cerebral arteriovenous malformation and
      torn dura resulting from a mastoidectomy. Procedures which seemed to be
      impossible or very difficult by conventional neurosurgical techniques could be
      accomplished in all cases without any complication. Our experience with fibrin
      adhesive suggests that it is a valuable adjuvant to various microneurosurgical
      procedures, and it may be potentially useful for protection of major cerebral
      veins and venous sinuses during cerebral retraction.

PMID- 1877256
TI  - Changes of cardiac output during treadmill exercise by impedance cardiography.
AB  - Nine athletes and ten nonathletes were selected randomly to study the changes of
      cardiac function during exercise by impedance cardiography. The speed of the
      treadmill was maintained at 3.4 mph, and its grade was increased by 1% (Balke
      protocol). The exercise was continued until the target heart rate (THR), 85% of
      maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). The measured parameters for pre- and post
      exercise were stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO).
      Average stroke volume of athletes at pre-exercise, 71.1 ml, was higher than that
      of nonathletes, 64.6 ml, and stroke volume of the former at post-exercise, 97.0
      ml, was also higher than that of the latter, 85.2 ml. Therefore, despite the
      lower heart rate, cardiac outputs of athletes at pre- and post-exercise, 4.98 and
      16.3 L/min, were higher than those of nonathletes, 4.87 and 14.2 L/min. For the
      second phase of the study, cardiac outputs of three subjects were measured during
      the continuous treadmill exercise with newly developed electrodes and shoes for
      minimizing motion artifact. Though there were several studies measuring cardiac
      output during continuous bicycle exercise, this is thought to be the first study
      in the world measuring cardiac output during continuous treadmill exercise
      without aid of ensemble averaging.

PMID- 1877257
TI  - Piriformis syndrome--a case report.
AB  - Piriformis syndrome, a term applied to an abnormal condition of the piriformis
      muscle, is characterized by symptoms and signs due to sciatic nerve entrapment at
      the greater sciatic notch. Recently we reviewed a case of unusual low back pain,
      radiating to the left lower extremity with tenderness particular in the left
      buttock. The patient was successfully treated by sectioning the piriformis
      tendon. We described the clinical features of a case of piriformis syndrome and
      reviewed the foreign literature.

PMID- 1877258
TI  - Two cases of nickel dermatitis showing vitiligo-like depigmentations.
AB  - The authors reviewed two patients showing "vitiligo-like depigmentations" where
      the skin had been in close contact with a metal spectacle frame made of nickel
      alloy. In spite of the hypersensitivity to nickel in both patients, they showed
      clinical and histologic findings indicate that the formation of "vitiligo-like
      depigmentation" does not result from posinflammatory hypopigmentation but from
      chemical hypomelanosis. We could not explain the underlying mechanisms; however,
      the speculation that the "vitiligo-like depigmentation" may come from the direct
      effect of the nickel itself, prompted us to report these cases.

PMID- 1877259
TI  - Giant malignant schwannoma of the diaphragm: CT and ultrasound findings.
AB  - A rare case of malignant schwannoma of the diaphragm is presented. The CT and
      ultrasound findings are described, correlated with the pathologic findings.
      During surgery, the tumor presented as a dumbbell shaped mass with central
      disruption of the right diaphragm.

PMID- 1877260
TI  - Congenital absence of pectoralis major: a case report and isokinetic analysis of
      shoulder motion.
AB  - Although pectoralis major plays an important role as a prime or assistant mover
      for the varied range of shoulder movement, there was no significant functional
      loss in ordinary activities in case of congenital absence of this muscle, because
      of compensation of surrounding muscles. This report describes a 22-year-old
      soldier with unilateral congenital absence of pectoralis major, who had
      difficulties in specific upper extremity movement, such as throwing or climbing.
      There was no visible or radiological evidence of associated anomalies of
      ipsilateral upper extremity. Electrodiagnostic study showed normal findings
      except delayed latency of medial pectoral nerve supplying rudimentary pectoralis
      minor of the involved side. On isokinetic study of movement for both shoulders,
      peak torque and average power for horizontal adduction were markedly-diminished
      on the involved side.

PMID- 1877261
TI  - An analysis of 2361 cases of renal biopsy in Korea.
AB  - To evaluate the distribution pattern of renal diseases based on needle biopsy, we
      analyzed 2361 cases of renal biopsy and necropsy material examined at the
      Department of Pathology from 1973 to 1988. The average age was 21.1 years for
      males and 23.7 years for females. The adult cases comprised 60.2% and the child
      cases 39.8%. The male to female ratio was 1.6: 1 in adults and 2.3:1 in children.
      Glomerular diseases were 97.8% of the total; primary glomerulonephritis (GN)
      59.8% and secondary GN 27.6% The major glomerular diseases, in descending order
      of frequency, were; minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS; 24.2%), IgA
      nephropathy (IgAN; 17.8%), benign recurrent hematuria (BRH; 8.8%), membranous GN
      (MGN; 7.9%), acute poststreptococcal GN (APSGN; 7.3%), mesangioproliferative GN
      (MspGN; 5.5%), minimal mesangiopathy (5.5%), membranoproliferative GN(4.1%), and
      focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS; 2.7%). GN of systemic disease included
      77 cases of lupus nephritis, 157 cases of Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis
      (HSPN) and 7 cases of systemic infection excluding Hepatitis B viral hepatitis.
      The most common glomerular diseases were MCNS, IgAN, MGN and MspGN in adults, and
      MCNS, BRH, HSP-N and APSGN in children. HBs antigenemia was found in 71 cases, of
      which MGN and IgAN were the most frequent. HBs antigenemia-associated MGN was
      prevalent in male children, whereas IgAN was prevalent in adults.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877262
TI  - Benign brainstem hemorrhage simulating transient ischemic attack.
AB  - A 48-year-old hypertensive man had sudden onset of symptoms suggesting
      vertebrobasilar insufficiency, which were transient in nature lasted for only 4
      hours. Brain computed tomography revealed a small hematoma in the pontomedullary
      junction. This is an uncommon presentation of benign brainstem hemorrhage
      simulating transient ischemic attack. We propose that computed tomographic scan
      using thin slices of 3mm to 5mm thickness at the level of brainstem is required
      before starting anticoagulation therapy for vertebrobasilar transient ischemic
      attack.

PMID- 1877263
TI  - Combined use of ciprofloxacin and sucralfate.
AB  - The effect of sucralfate on the bioavailability of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride
      was assessed in 12 healthy male volunteers. The study was a four-period crossover
      design where subjects were randomized to one of four treatment sequences at
      entry. Treatments A, B, and C included sucralfate 2 g q12h for five doses. For
      treatment A, the fifth dose sucralfate was administered concurrently with
      ciprofloxacin 750 mg. For treatment B, 750 mg of ciprofloxacin was administered
      two hours before the fifth dose of sucralfate. Treatment C consisted of
      ciprofloxacin 750 mg six hours before the fifth dose of sucralfate. A 750-mg dose
      of ciprofloxacin was administered alone for treatment D. Blood and urine samples
      were collected at predetermined time intervals for 24 hours. Ciprofloxacin
      concentrations were determined by HPLC. The area under the concentration versus
      time curve from zero to infinity and the urinary recovery of ciprofloxacin were
      used for determining relative bioavailability. Concurrent administration of
      ciprofloxacin and sucralfate (treatment A) resulted in a significant decrease (p
      less than 0.05) in ciprofloxacin absorption. The relative bioavailabilities for
      treatments A, B, and C were 0.0429 +/- 0.0202, 0.829 + 0.21, and 0.965 + 0.32,
      respectively, relative to ciprofloxacin alone. In normal volunteers,
      ciprofloxacin may be administered between two and six hours before sucralfate,
      allowing sufficient time for ciprofloxacin absorption prior to the sucralfate
      dose and thereby minimizing the chance of a significant interaction. In patients
      with decreased gastric emptying the interaction may be more difficult to avoid.

PMID- 1877264
TI  - Comparative study of fluconazole and clotrimazole in the treatment of
      vulvovaginal candidiasis.
AB  - Fluconazole is a new oral triazole antifungal with good activity against Candida
      spp. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness and tolerability of a three
      day course of treatment with fluconazole compared with clotrimazole vaginal
      tablets in nonpregnant women with acute Candida vaginitis. Of the 90 evaluable
      patients who received fluconazole, 76 (84 percent) were asymptomatic seven to ten
      days after treatment compared with 84 of 95 (88 percent) treated with
      clotrimazole. An additional ten patients in the fluconazole group (11 percent)
      and seven in the clotrimazole group (7 percent) had improvement in their signs
      and symptoms. Only four patients in each group (4 percent) were considered
      treatment failures. Mycological cures were obtained in 89 and 93 percent of
      patients treated with fluconazole and clotrimazole, respectively, seven to ten
      days posttreatment. Clinical cure rates remained high one month posttreatment: 79
      percent in the fluconazole group and 83 percent in the clotrimazole group. Both
      therapies were well tolerated. One patient discontinued treatment after she
      developed diarrhea while receiving fluconazole. The most common adverse effects
      associated with fluconazole use were nausea (six percent) and diarrhea (three
      percent). No clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed. In
      this investigation, oral fluconazole therapy was found to be as safe and
      effective as clotrimazole vaginal tablets in women with acute vulvovaginal
      candidiasis.

PMID- 1877265
TI  - Patient acceptance of Nordiject: a new drug delivery system for growth hormone.
AB  - Twenty-seven children, aged 5-20 years, with growth retardation were enrolled in
      an open study to evaluate the acceptability of a new injection pen (Nordiject 24,
      Novo Nordisk A/S) for administration of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH).
      Prior to this study, 17 of the patients had been receiving treatment with r-hGH
      administered via syringes and vials; their experiences with this conventional
      technique have been used for comparison with Nordiject. The injection pen is
      provided with a replaceable 27-gauge needle and a cartridge containing 24 IU of
      reconstituted r-hGH (12 IU/mL). A benzyl alcohol 0.9% solution is used as the
      solvent for the reconstitution. The pen can be regulated for doses from 0.5 to 8
      IU per injection; regulation is accomplished by a turning movement. The patients
      had no problems with the dissolving procedure or handling the pen. Nearly two
      thirds of the patients experienced less injection pain with the pen as compared
      with the syringe. Special attention was paid to local tolerability, which was
      reported to be good. The thigh was the preferred injection site. The residual
      contents from 68 cartridges returned by the patients were analyzed for microbial
      contamination. Contamination was detected in only one cartridge, which could not
      be confirmed in a repeated test. Because of the simplification of the injection
      procedure afforded by the injection pen, 20 of 27 patients were able to perform
      the injections themselves and hence assume a more active role in their treatment.
      The patients who previously had been using conventional syringes strongly
      preferred the pen, and all patients wished to continue using the device.

PMID- 1877266
TI  - Aztreonam-induced myelosuppression during treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
      pneumonia.
AB  - Aztreonam is a synthetic, monobactam antibiotic structurally related to the beta
      lactam class of drugs. It has inhibitory activity against many aerobic gram
      negative bacteria, although it does not inhibit gram-positive or anaerobic
      bacteria. Administration of aztreonam occasionally is associated with minimal and
      transient adverse effects. This case report describes a patient we believe
      experienced bone marrow suppression approximately ten days after aztreonam was
      given for treatment of pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This untoward
      effect primarily was manifested as neutropenia, although normochromic, normocytic
      anemia and thrombocytopenia were noted as well. One week after aztreonam was
      discontinued, the patient's bone marrow suppression resolved spontaneously.
      Although the mechanism responsible for myelosuppression is unclear, aztreonam may
      be implicated as the offending agent based on the temporal relationship between
      the development of neutropenia and its administration, and the resolution of
      neutropenia upon its discontinuation.

PMID- 1877267
TI  - Decreased hypoprothrombinemic response to warfarin secondary to the warfarin
      nafcillin interaction.
AB  - Patients who are receiving multiple medications must be screened for significant
      drug interactions. The specific mechanism of a drug interaction determines
      whether the patient may experience a subtherapeutic effect or a potentially toxic
      reaction. Three cases of relative warfarin resistance, possibly related to high
      dose nafcillin, are described in this report. Several reports have suggested that
      penicillinase-resistant penicillins, such as nafcillin and dicloxacillin, exert
      an important enzyme-inducing effect in patients receiving warfarin. This
      potential interaction must be appropriately recognized and managed in order to
      maintain adequate anticoagulation in this patient population.

PMID- 1877268
TI  - Flutamide-induced methemoglobinemia.
AB  - The authors report a case of clinical methemoglobinemia occurring one year after
      a patient began receiving flutamide 750 mg/d for prostate cancer with bone
      metastasis. The patient presented with severe cyanosis involving his lips and
      proximal extremities and moderate dyspnea. Methemoglobinemia was 16.2 percent of
      the total hemoglobin and intravenous ascorbic acid was administered. Clinical
      examination and laboratory analysis revealed no other cause. There was no
      biochemical evidence of congenital methemoglobinemia and no other regular drug
      use or chemical exposure was found. Moreover, clinical improvement and
      normalization of the methemoglobin level after the drug was discontinued is
      highly suggestive of flutamide-induced methemoglobinemia. Due to its chemical
      structure derived from anilide, flutamide may be considered as a potential
      methemoglobin-inducing agent.

PMID- 1877269
TI  - Chemical peritonitis associated with intraperitoneal vancomycin.
AB  - A case of chemical peritonitis associated with intraperitoneal vancomycin is
      reported. A 23-year-old woman presented with signs and symptoms consistent with a
      chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheter exit-site infection.
      Intraperitoneal vancomycin (Vancoled) 1 g was given, followed by 25 mg/L into
      each subsequent exchange. On day 4 the patient developed abdominal pain and
      cloudy dialysis effluent. The vancomycin was discontinued, and the dialysate
      cleared by day 8. Fluid cultures were negative, and Staphylococcus aureus was
      isolated from the exit site. Subsequent intravenous vancomycin, and smaller
      intraperitoneal doses, failed to repeat the event. Fluid and serum white blood
      cell count, serum immunoglobulins and complement, culture results, and the
      temporal relationship are strongly suggestive of a vancomycin-induced chemical
      peritonitis.

PMID- 1877270
TI  - Dextran inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus.

PMID- 1877271
TI  - Fluoxetine and suicidal ideation.

PMID- 1877272
TI  - The controversy of heparin therapy as an adjunct to thrombolysis in acute
      myocardial infarction.
AB  - Heparin is used routinely in the US as adjunct therapy for prevention of
      reocclusion after thrombolysis during acute myocardial infarction. A review of
      the literature shows controversy over the efficacy of heparin following
      thrombolysis. Both beneficial and a lack of beneficial effects have been reported
      with heparin. From a pathophysiologic viewpoint, there appears to be a need for
      full heparinization in the postlytic period because the residual stenosis is
      highly thrombogenic. However, optimal dose, time, and mode of heparin therapy has
      not been defined. Despite a lack of definitive data, it seems reasonable to
      administer intravenous heparin immediately after thrombolytic therapy to achieve
      a partial thromboplastin time 1.5-2.0 times control that is concurrent with an
      antiplatelet agent such as aspirin. These recommendations are consistent with the
      consensus opinion of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart
      Association.

PMID- 1877273
TI  - Three-point versus two-point method for early individualization of aminoglycoside
      doses.
AB  - An approach using two serum concentrations following the initial dose of an
      aminoglycoside was retrospectively evaluated using the first and third samples
      from all three-point studies conducted by the pharmacokinetic consult service in
      1988. The same Sawchuk and Zaske method was used for the three-point and two
      point studies. Although the predicted peaks and troughs from the two-point study
      were statistically different from those of the three-point study, it is the
      authors' opinion that the root mean squared error of 0.38 mg/L (95% confidence
      interval [CI] 0.31-0.45) for the peaks and 0.09 mg/L (95% CI 0.06-0.11) for
      troughs is well within the limits of acceptable clinical error for gentamicin and
      tobramycin. Eliminating one-third of initial aminoglycoside concentrations could
      result in significant time and cost savings.

PMID- 1877274
TI  - Optimizing drug delivery from metered-dose inhalers.
AB  - Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) are being used with increasing frequency to
      administer medication used in the treatment of respiratory tract disorders.
      Inhaled medication is delivered directly to the tracheobronchial tree, allowing
      for a rapid and predictable onset of action. Studies show that only about ten
      percent of the dose from an MDI actually reaches the lung. The site of deposition
      within the lung is influenced by the aerosol characteristics, interpatient
      variability, and the technique by which the patient uses the inhaler. Spacer
      devices have been designed to overcome some of the problems encountered with MDIs
      and may be beneficial in certain groups of patients. The studies reviewed in this
      article suggest ways to alter the variables affecting inhalation in order to
      optimize drug delivery so that the patient will obtain the most benefit from the
      inhaled medication.

PMID- 1877275
TI  - Pharmacokinetic simulation of the effect of multiple-dose activated charcoal in
      phenytoin poisoning--report of two pediatric cases.
AB  - Activated charcoal is commonly used to inhibit the absorption of phenytoin after
      acute overdose. There are also reports of multiple-dose activated charcoal (MDAC)
      increasing the clearance of phenytoin in adults. We describe our experience
      modeling phenytoin pharmacokinetics during therapy with MDAC in the treatment of
      two cases of acute phenytoin poisoning in children. After extensive attempts at
      modeling the serum phenytoin concentrations, simulations were performed to
      identify the possible consequences of MDAC administration. Phenytoin elimination
      was more rapid than was expected, based on previously reported phenytoin
      pharmacokinetic parameters. Moreover, the time to peak phenytoin concentration
      and time course of phenytoin intoxication appeared to be shorter than available
      reports of phenytoin intoxication treated with a single dose of activated
      charcoal. MDAC may prevent continued phenytoin absorption and increase phenytoin
      elimination rate via gastrointestinal dialysis. The effect of MDAC on the
      clearance of phenytoin can be described by a first-order elimination rate
      constant of approximately 0.02-0.04/h.

PMID- 1877276
TI  - Tuberculosis in the elderly: incidence, manifestations, PPD skin tests, and
      preventive therapy.
AB  - Tuberculosis is a chronic infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The
      incidence of tuberculosis has declined dramatically over the past decades, but it
      is still highly prevalent in the geriatric population. This report describes the
      etiology, clinical manifestations, and immunologic changes of tuberculosis in the
      elderly. The basis for tuberculin skin testing and its interpretation in patients
      over 65 years of age are discussed, as well as the controversies regarding
      preventive therapy with isoniazid in the elderly. Guidelines for tuberculosis
      screening in long-term care facilities are proposed.

PMID- 1877277
TI  - Adverse effects and drug interactions associated with fluoxetine therapy.
AB  - Fluoxetine, an inhibitor of serotonin reuptake, was released by the Food and Drug
      Administration in 1988 and was among the most prescribed drugs for that year.
      Although fluoxetine has been promoted as a safe antidepressant, a recent
      literature search revealed a number of case reports of adverse effects and drug
      interactions attributed to its use. This review familiarizes healthcare
      professionals with some of the currently known interactions and adverse effects
      and suggests ways of avoiding such events in clinical practice.

PMID- 1877278
TI  - Use of restricted antibiotics in primary care.
AB  - The objective of this study was to detect and evaluate the use of restricted
      antibiotics (RAs) in our ambulatory care site. We retrospectively analyzed 1084
      treatments of a selected group of intramuscularly administered antibiotics that
      are usually considered restricted for use in hospitals. Five cephalosporins, four
      aminoglycosides, and one acylureidopenicillin were analyzed. The study was
      conducted in 47 primary health centers over six months. We reported the
      information on a special order form for parenteral prescriptions and evaluated
      the selection and the dosing interval of each antibiotic. Of the 1084 treatments,
      cefonicid was the antibiotic most frequently prescribed (61.3 percent), followed
      by tobramycin (15.3 percent), cefotaxime sodium (6.7 percent), amikacin (3.8
      percent), cefuroxime (3.8 percent), mezlocillin (3.7 percent), netilmicin sulfate
      (3.7 percent), ceftizoxime sodium (0.8 percent), cefoxitin (0.5 percent), and
      streptomycin sulfate (0.4 percent). Based on our survey criteria, 59 percent of
      the 710 orders that indicated diagnosis had a correct or possibly correct
      indication; the remaining percentage was considered unnecessary therapy or poor
      drug choice. Of the 1050 orders that indicated a dosing interval, 75.4 percent
      showed an appropriate dosing interval. We assume that most of the infections
      treated in our ambulatory care site could be resolved with or without common
      antibiotics. In this study we obtained objective data of the use of ten RAs in
      order to determine if their use in ambulatory patients was justified. We observed
      that a small number of prescriptions agreed with the recommended criteria stated
      in this survey for use of these antibiotics in outpatient infections.

PMID- 1877279
TI  - Asthma, aerosols, and patient education.

PMID- 1877280
TI  - Research productivity and funding.

PMID- 1877281
TI  - Probable famotidine-induced thrombocytopenia.

PMID- 1877283
TI  - Comment: Pharm.D.: all or some?

PMID- 1877282
TI  - Gastric obstruction with extended-release tablets.

PMID- 1877284
TI  - Correction: clonidine patch toxicity.

PMID- 1877285
TI  - Primary acquired sideroblastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome from a
      geriatric point of view.
AB  - The median age of occurrence of primary acquired sideroblastic anemia is 74.4
      years, with a range of 12 to 96 years (calculated from 452 cases). Of 445 cases,
      60.4% were male, and 39.6% female. Not only primary acquired sideroblastic
      anemia, but the entire myelodysplastic syndrome must be considered as a disease
      of old age.

PMID- 1877286
TI  - [Biology of aging in Europe].

PMID- 1877287
TI  - [Biology of aging in Europe].

PMID- 1877288
TI  - The change in the supply with reduction equivalents in different organs of the
      rat during aging.
AB  - The rate of metabolic kinetics and the frequency of biological cycles may be
      correlated with the rate of aging and the maximum life-span potential. Therefore,
      investigation either into changes with age of such parameters within one species
      or into differences between species may give some information about the genetic
      programming of the aging process. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 3.5, 7, 12, 17,
      23, and 33 months (m) were used to determine the changes with age of those
      metabolic pathways mentioned in the title, using the liver (LI), kidney (KI),
      brain (BR), heart (HE) and the skeletal muscle (SM). The maximum percentage of
      glucose utilization via the pentose pathway, compared to the total glucose
      utilization, was calculated after intravenous administration of D-[1-14C]- and D
      [6-14C]glucose by the determination of the trioses (as lipids) 3 hours after the
      application. Furthermore, in rats aged 13 and 25 m the kinetics of both glucoses
      was measured in liver, kidney, heart, brain, skeletal muscle, spleen (SP), and
      testes (TE) during the first 3 hours after application. Pentose pathway values
      were calculated. The results indicate a decrease in the glucose utilization via
      the pentose pathway in the course of aging in liver, kidney, heart and skeletal
      muscle and a decrease from 3.5 months on in brain, younger rats exhibit a higher
      rate of glucose utilization via the pentose pathway as do old ones, the reduction
      of the pentose pathway may possibly be the cause of higher lipofuscin
      accumulation in the cells of some organs, lacking sufficient reduction
      equivalents for lipid metabolism.

PMID- 1877289
TI  - Modifications of the biosynthesis of type-I and type-III collagens and
      fibronectin during diabetes and atherosclerosis.
AB  - Results show that diabetes, which is a major risk factor for arterio
      atherosclerosis, mimicks an accelerated aging, at least as far as the thickening
      of basement membranes and fibronectin and collagen biosynthesis are concerned. A
      similar sequence of events could be demonstrated in human atherosclerotic plaque
      formation. In conclusion, we could demonstrate a disregulation of extracellular
      matrix components biosynthesis (type-III collagen and fibronectin) in diabetes
      and atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1877290
TI  - Atherosclerosis starts in childhood--fact, myth or insinuation?
AB  - There is evidence that atherosclerotic vascular disease is observed already in
      childhood. The data on epidemiology, geographical variation and incidence is
      incomplete, and several risk factors have been identified and described. It is
      hoped that international collaborative research studies such as that on the
      effect of differences in nutrition or diabetes control in children, between our
      clinic and the Valle Hebron Children Hospital in Barcelona (sponsored by the
      Child Health Foundation) will generate knowledge on how to prevent premature
      atherosclerosis in childhood diabetes.

PMID- 1877291
TI  - Assessment of the age of atherosclerosis risk in population studies using a two
      factorial mathematical model.
AB  - The risk of atherosclerosis was assessed using a mathematical model of
      competition between LDL and HDL on 365 randomly selected persons. The results
      speak for the fact that the risk falls between the ages of 30 and 40 years for
      males, and 40 and 50 years for females. We are of the opinion that our procedure
      may be valid for sex comparison studies attempting to objectify the prevalence of
      atherosclerosis in population studies.

PMID- 1877292
TI  - Effect of smoking on different biological parameters in aging mice.
AB  - To investigate the harmful effect of smoking three groups of CBA/Ca male mice of
      different ages were subjected to smoking for different time durations. Body
      weight changes and acute cold tolerance were measured throughout the experiment.
      Thyroid hormone levels (T4, T3), TSH and lipid peroxidation products (as
      malondialdehyde and lipofuscin) were determined from either the blood or some
      organs. There was a decrease in body weight related to aging and it was most
      pronounced in the oldest animals (Group III). However, significant body-weight
      loss due to smoking was found in the youngest animals (Group I). Similarly,
      smoking resulted in a body-weight loss of the other two older groups (Groups II
      and III) as well. The greatest change in withstanding cold stress was measured in
      Group I and less so in Group II, as a consequence of smoking. Simultaneously, the
      youngest animals (Group I) showed the most remarkable changes in thyroxine (T4)
      and 3,3,4-triiodothyronine (T3) serum concentrations. Both hormone levels were
      significantly lower in the smokers. The T3 serum levels of the oldest animals
      (Group III) did not differ, while the T4 levels apparently increased. The TSH
      blood level in the oldest group was lower (by 20%) in the smokers compared to
      controls. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipofuscin content in most of the organs were
      considerably higher in the aging animals than those of the younger ones. The most
      significant elevations of these lipid peroxidation products were found in the
      smokers compared to the age-matched controls. The present results indicate that
      smoking probably accelerates the aging process.

PMID- 1877293
TI  - The influence of twelve weeks of aerobic training on the blood lipids of middle
      aged men.
AB  - Lipoprotein profiles revealed a significant increase in total cholesterol between
      trained and control groups and an increase of HDL-C in both groups after
      exercise. There were no significant differences in resting cholesterol levels,
      nor in LDL-C after exercise in both groups. The results of the study suggest that
      improvement in work capacity as a result of training is not necessarily
      accompanied by changes in the lipid profile.

PMID- 1877294
TI  - [Dementia and internal diseases: incidence of internal diseases in Alzheimer
      dementia, vascular dementia and other dementing diseases].
AB  - The medical histories and postmortems of 30 patients with neuropathologically
      verified Alzheimer's disease were compared with a group of 20 patients suffering
      from vascular dementia and a group of 10 patients with other forms of dementia.
      The total numbers of clinically or pathologically diagnosed medical disorders did
      not show significant differences between the different forms of dementia.
      Metabolic, infectious, degenerative, and malignant disorders occurred with
      similar frequency in all investigated groups. Cardiovascular diseases were only
      slightly more common in patients with vascular dementia. In contrast to several
      earlier clinical or epidemiological studies, it has to be concluded that patients
      with Alzheimer's dementia cannot be considered physically "healthier" than
      patients with other forms of dementia. Therefore, they need the same medical
      attention as do other elderly demented patients.

PMID- 1877296
TI  - [Analysis of the self concept of independently living senior citizens].
AB  - The analysis of research on self-concept of the elderly shows a need for more
      complex methods that measure not only self-esteem and subjective age identity,
      but also those that reflect the specificity of life in the elderly. The self
      concept of 140 elderly living in one community (65-93 years) was analyzed by an
      age-specific, self-concept interview. Factor-analysis resulted in a 10-factor
      assessment with the main factor being "bodily competency and purpose of life".
      Other factors were subjective age identity, composure, social integration,
      resignation, etc.. The subjects were cluster-analyzed. The first cluster
      contained almost 50% of the elderly who had a positive self-concept of
      competency, social integration, mood, and self-esteem; they were younger, often
      married, and in good health. Some clusters identified elderly with a moderate
      self-concept and some problems regarding health and activities of daily life. A
      very negative self-concept was shown by two groups of socially isolated (7.14%)
      and strongly physically and/or psychologically handicapped (5.71%) elderly, who
      had a generally negative self-concept and needed psychosocial therapy.
      Implications for further research are discussed.

PMID- 1877297
TI  - [From HSAN reports (Health and Nursing Care Liability Committee): 1,400 liability
      cases per year].

PMID- 1877295
TI  - Changes of the glycosaminoglycan metabolism in human lung fibroblasts and porcine
      aortic endothelium cells influenced by the number of subcultures in vitro and by
      lipids in the medium.
AB  - In vitro aging fibroblasts and porcine aortic endothelium cells were treated with
      a commercial soy-bean lipid emulsion and incubated in 35S-sulfate or 3H
      glucosamine respectively. The glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were characterized by
      enzyme digestion following proteolysis. Uronic acid concentrations were
      determined in fibroblast cultures. The GAG content is lower in the last possible
      passage than in the foregoing ones. Lipid treatment leads to an increase,
      especially in early passages. The incorporation of radiolabeled precursors
      decreases with increasing in vitro age in both cell types. By lipid treatment the
      heparansulfate (HS) radioactivity of fibroblasts is increased insignificantly,
      while the GAG radioactivity of endothelium cells and the chondroitinsulfate (CS)
      radioactivity of fibroblasts are decreased. The in vitro age-related reduction of
      the precursor incorporation is more pronounced in CS as compared to HS, whereby
      the HS radioactivity shows a percentual increase, especially following lipid
      treatment. The effect of lipids shows changes related to in vitro aging. The role
      of cellular GAG metabolism and lipid loads in arteriosclerosis is discussed. Even
      in the arterial wall different cell types may react differentially.

PMID- 1877298
TI  - [Researcher on future negotiations. The government should not interfere in it.
      Interview by Jan Thomasson].

PMID- 1877299
TI  - [Life after heart surgery is easier with good information. Interview by Gunilla
      Lindberg].

PMID- 1877300
TI  - [Kirsten Stallknecht, Danish Nursing Council: we are well-organized--this will
      give us power in the EEC. Interview by Christer Hansson].

PMID- 1877301
TI  - [How shall we have it?].

PMID- 1877302
TI  - [Quality work gives appetite in Halmstad. Interview by Carina Roxstrom].

PMID- 1877303
TI  - [Nurse led relief action to Romania. Interview by Jan Thomasson].

PMID- 1877304
TI  - [Lidkoping, a safe and secure community. Interview by Stefan Samuelsson].

PMID- 1877305
TI  - [Fredrika Bremer (1801-1865)].

PMID- 1877306
TI  - [Eva's research is down to earth and useful. Interview by Elisabet Forslind].

PMID- 1877307
TI  - [Bohus district introduces new measuring method for cost and quality].

PMID- 1877308
TI  - [Good working environment--a question of body and soul. Interview by Jan
      Thomasson].

PMID- 1877309
TI  - [SHSTF protest in Dalarna--physicians' wage increase an affront against all
      others. Interview by Jan Thomasson].

PMID- 1877310
TI  - [Histo-Center--the laboratory is always open. Interview by Elisabet Forslind].

PMID- 1877311
TI  - [Research activities are on track].

PMID- 1877312
TI  - [Hildegard is school children's health enterprise. Interview by Carina Roxstrom].

PMID- 1877313
TI  - [Dea Trier Morch, 1941-].

PMID- 1877314
TI  - [Psoriasis--the great hidden widespread disease].

PMID- 1877315
TI  - [Malignant melanoma--nurses can make a contribution in preventive activities].

PMID- 1877316
TI  - [Condyloma--laser treatment gives positive results].

PMID- 1877317
TI  - [Neonatal care--when you were small].

PMID- 1877318
TI  - [A revolutionary in maternal care. Interview by Elisabet Forslind].

PMID- 1877319
TI  - [To be a midwife is a natural choice for me].

PMID- 1877320
TI  - [Say helloh to the public].

PMID- 1877321
TI  - [Need written orders!].

PMID- 1877322
TI  - [In neonatal medicine there is a risk of giving too big a dose. Interview by
      Elisabet Forslind].

PMID- 1877323
TI  - [Reduced interest in agreement with profession].

PMID- 1877324
TI  - [Investing in education].

PMID- 1877325
TI  - [Red pencil affects education reform. Swedish nurses are no good in the EEC in
      continuing education either].

PMID- 1877326
TI  - [Care for the aged according to the Danish model: in Strand patients are boarding
      guests with a personal life].

PMID- 1877327
TI  - [Svava Jakobsdottir (1930-)].

PMID- 1877328
TI  - [Administration of prostaglandin E1 in diabetics and non-diabetic patients with
      severe Fontaine stage IIb arterial occlusive disease].
AB  - The success in therapy of prostaglandin E1 intra-arterially and intravenously
      applied to diabetics and non-diabetics with PAOD, stages IIb-IV according to
      Fontaine, was scrutinized in a city hospital primarily concerned with geriatrics,
      metabolism, and angiology. All the patients included were examined in
      retrospective studies with regard to the improvement of their situations during
      their stays in hospital and--in addition to that--a part of them prospectively
      some time after their stays in hospital. In all, 99 patients were included in the
      retrospective examination of which there were 60 diabetics and 39 non-diabetics.
      Of the 60 diabetics 53 were in stage IV, 5 in stage III, and 2 in stage IIb while
      in case of non-diabetics 26 were in stage IV, 10 in stage III, and 3 in stage
      IIb. 50 of the diabetics and 27 of the non-diabetics were treated intra
      arterially. The prospectively orientated post-observation included 38 diabetics
      and 24 non-diabetics. The results of the retrospective examination revealed a
      significantly superior efficiency of intra-arterially applied PGE1 compared with
      the intravenous application, both, with regard to the reduction of needed
      analgesics and the improvement of the clinical situation. A comparison between
      intra-arterially treated diabetics and non-diabetics showed a significantly
      higher rate of success of the diabetics regarding to the improvement of the
      clinical situation. Concerning the prospective post-examination: due to their
      PAOD the diabetics took significantly more often analgesics at the time of their
      post-examination than the non-diabetics. Also concerning the development of their
      clinical situations the diabetics turned out to have worse results than the non
      diabetics, however, the differences were not significant in this case.

PMID- 1877329
TI  - [Effect of stepwise hypervolemic versus isovolemic hemodilution in patients with
      intermittent claudication on muscle oxygen pressure during exercise].
AB  - In patients with intermittent claudication and concomitant high hematocrit values
      a stepwise hypervolemic hemodilution versus isovolemic hemodilution (intravenous
      infusion of 500ml 10% hydroxyethylstarch solution (HES)(mean molecular weight
      200.000/substitution degree 50%) or vensection and subsequent infusion of 10% HES
      (200/0.5)) were performed intraindividually. Measurements of muscle tissue oxygen
      pressure (pO2) values using a standardized pedalergometric exercise test as well
      as the pain free walking distance using a standardized treadmill were performed.
      Optimal results of muscle tissue oxygen pressure (pO2) behaviour after
      pedalergometric exercise test as well as muscular performance on the treadmill
      were found using isovolemic hemodilution at an average hematocrit value of
      40.60%. In contrast, hypervolemic hemodilution at a comparable hematocrit level
      (40.50%) induced a "retarded reactive hyperoxia" and only a moderate increase of
      painfree walking distance.

PMID- 1877330
TI  - [Incidence and symptomatology of lung embolism in relation to the site of deep
      venous thrombosis].
AB  - The uncertainty about the true incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in connection
      with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) becomes evident when comparing the results of
      autopsy--vs. clinical studies, with the former showing a three-fold elevated rate
      of embolisation. In order to evaluate the percentage of clinically inapparent PE,
      all patients (65 females, 54 males, mean age 61.3 years) hospitalized between
      April 1989 and March 1990 with suspected DVT and/or PE underwent duplex
      sonography and pulmonary scintigraphy. In 108 cases, DVT could be ascertained,
      whereas 11 patients only suffered from PE. In 57.4% of all DVT, PE was diagnosed.
      Of the 73 cases with PE, only 53.4% of the patient stated typical symptoms
      primarily. In more than 1/4 of the patients with primary symptoms of PE, no DVT
      could be diagnosed. There was no significant difference between the occurrence of
      PE in relation to the localisation of DVT, with 1/3 to 1/2 being asymptomatic.
      1/4 of the patients with leg-thrombosis and 1/7 with thrombosis of the iliac vein
      did not complain of typical symptoms of thrombosis. Furthermore, an increased PE
      rate seems to occur with an elevated ultrasound echogenity of the thrombus. As a
      result of the study pulmonary szintigrams seem to be indicated in all cases of
      DVT in order to evaluate the total PE risk.

PMID- 1877331
TI  - Visceral ischemia following aortic surgery.
AB  - Intestinal ischemia after aortic surgery is a rare (1-5%) complication, often
      with a fatal outcome (greater than 50%). During the period 1974-1987, 554
      abdominal aortic operations were performed in our department. 17 patients (3%)
      were reoperated due to bowel ischemia, ten of these patients died. 12 patients
      were operated on due to aortic aneurysm (9 emergency operations) and 5 due to
      occlusive disease. A retrospective analysis of the files of the 17 patients was
      performed to try to identify the risk patient. Preoperative investigations
      demonstrated that the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) was patent in 3 patients
      and occluded in 5 patients. As to the other 9 patients no information could be
      found (all with aneurysm). After the primary operation, 11 patients had
      persistent circulation via at least one of the hypogastric arteries and none of
      them had persistent circulation via the IMA. 11 patients had bloody diarrhea
      before reoperation and in 6 patients peritonitis was observed. Rectoscopy was
      performed in 8 patients and in 7 there was indication of ischemia. The most
      common finding among the laboratory tests was a rise in the creatinine level
      which was observed in 10 patients. Other laboratory tests such as blood gases,
      leucocytes, thrombocytes or temperature were of little predictive value per se.
      Patients operated on due to ruptured aortic aneurysm are risk patients. No other
      predictive symptom or sign was found to preoperatively identify the patient at
      risk for intestinal ischemia. An intraoperative method for evaluating the
      intestinal blood flow would be of great value when considering selective
      intestinal vascular reconstruction.

PMID- 1877332
TI  - [Mid-term results of our first 53 "in situ" bypasses].
AB  - The "in situ" bypass technique was adopted by our group in 1986. A total of 53
      "in situ" bypasses were carried out until June 1989. The worst symptoms were
      incapacitating claudication, rest pain or ischemic necrosis, each in about one
      third of the patients. The site of the distal anastomosis was the popliteal
      artery below the knee in 40 instances, the peroneal artery in 7 and other
      infrapopliteal vessels in 6. Valve incisions were performed uneventfully with re
      usable instruments featuring a sharp-edged blade and an indicator for rotation
      control of the blade ("Insitutom RG"). Vein branches were located mostly by
      angiography, but residual arterio-venous fistula remained a vexing problem. In
      the beginning they were ligated under local anaesthesia. Later on they were dealt
      with successfully using transluminal embolization. Patients were last examined in
      July 1990 when the follow-up time ranged from 12 to 51 months. 5 patients had
      died and 5 were lost to follow-up. Patency rates were evaluated according to the
      life-table method. They were gratifying for femoro-popliteal bypasses with 87%
      after one year and 83% after two and three years. Femoro-tibial-peroneal bypasses
      performed below average, but their number was too small to draw conclusions.

PMID- 1877333
TI  - [Infra-inguinal arterial reconstruction: in situ or reversed venous bypass?].
AB  - Since 1984 one of our surgeons treated 154 patients for infrainguinal arterial
      insufficiency. The patients had a mean age of 72 years and suffered from multiple
      concomitant diseases. The indication for operation consisted in a chronic
      critical ischemia in every case. 98 reversed (RV) and 56 in situ (IS) vein
      bypasses had to be implanted. No statistical significant differences could be
      found concerning survival, graft patency and limb salvage (life table analysis).
      Nearly half of our patients died during the 5 year observation period. The
      cumulative 5 year graft patency and limb salvage rate was 86% and 89% in the RV
      and 80% and 84% in the in situ group.

PMID- 1877334
TI  - [Peri-capillary fibrin cuffs--an O2 diffusion block?].
AB  - In 42 patients with a chronic venous insufficiency Stage I-III transcutaneous
      oxygen tension was measured above the medial ankle and the leg ulcer edges
      respectively at 44 degrees C. The measurement point was biopsied and evaluated
      immunfluorescencehistologically for pericapillary fibrin cuffs (PCF). Fibrin
      cuffs are associated with decreased tcpO2-tensions. All PCF-positive biopsies
      were from areas with a tcpO2 less than 35 mmHg. The difference of PCF-positive
      and PCF-negative biopsies concerning the mean tcpO2 was significant (Wilcoxon-U
      Test; p less than 0.001). The evidence of pericapillary fibrin cuffs associated
      with tcpO2 tensions up to 33 mmHg proves that this phenomenon alone cannot be a
      diffusion barrier.

PMID- 1877335
TI  - A single blind randomized, controlled trial of hydrotherapy for varicose veins.
AB  - Sixty-one patients suffering from primary varicosity were divided into 2 groups,
      one receiving regular hydrotherapy, the other no such treatment for 31/2 weeks.
      Objective evaluation of the venous competence showed an apparently greater
      benefit in the control group in respect to light reflex rheographic venous
      filling time. The leg volume changes, however, indicated a stronger and more
      persistent reduction in the experimental group. The same applied for ankle and
      calf circumferences, which were reduced significantly only in patients treated
      with hydrotherapy. Furthermore some (but not all) of the subjective symptoms
      yielded significantly more frequent improvement in this group. In conclusion this
      controlled study implies that hydrotherapy may help patients suffering from
      primary varicose veins, a notion which was previously often stated but so far not
      scientifically verified.

PMID- 1877336
TI  - Recurrent bleeding from a hepatic artery aneurysm feeding a large cavernous
      hemangioma of the liver.
AB  - We describe a patient with an aneurysmatic dilatation of the hepatic artery
      feeding a giant cavernous hemangioma. The 51-years-old man presented with massive
      gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to chronic rupture of the aneurysm into the
      pancreatic duct. The patient died 25 days after resection of the aneurysm in
      liver failure and septic shock. We think that this cavernous hemangioma was
      responsible for a high blood flow within the hepatic artery for many years. This
      high blood flow caused the degenerative alterations in the wall of the artery,
      resulting in aneurysm formation and rupture. This is the first case mentioned in
      literature with rupture of a hepatic aneurysm generated by high blood flow.

PMID- 1877337
TI  - [Arteriovenous fistula of the superior mesenteric artery after resection of the
      ileum].
AB  - Acquired arterio-venous fistulas of the superior mesenteric artery are a rare
      event following abdominal injuries or surgery. Clinical symptoms present as
      cramplike abdominal pain and diarrhea with a history of previous laparatomy or a
      penetrating abdominal trauma. The clinical examination may reveal a paraumbilical
      pulsation with flow murmur. The exact localization and the extent of the a.-v.
      fistula may be established by selective arterial mesentericography. An urgent
      vascular reconstruction is indicated in order to prevent secondary alterations
      due to portal hypertension. Apart from vascular surgery, successful percutaneous
      catheter embolization has been reported.

PMID- 1877338
TI  - [Secondary aorto-duodenal fistulas as a cause of massive gastrointestinal
      hemorrhages].
AB  - Aorto-duodenal fistulas represent a rare but highly dangerous complication
      following reconstructive aortic interventions. They may be the source of severe
      gastrointestinal hemorrhages. The recognition of cause and localization of the
      latter may be difficult. Only an immediate diagnosis permits urgent surgical
      intervention and may prevent the otherwise fatal outcome. The importance of an
      early diagnosis is underlined by two case reports.

PMID- 1877339
TI  - Upper extremity aneurysms.
AB  - Five cases of upper extremity aneurysms are reported in 4 male and 1 female
      patients. Four were of traumatic and one of arteriosclerotic origin. Diagnosis
      and treatment are discussed.

PMID- 1877340
TI  - [Vascular lesions in Behcet's disease].
AB  - Vascular lesions in Behcet's disease are generally localized in the venous
      system: up to 24% of the cases reported in the literature are accompanied by
      thrombosis/thrombophlebitis. Reports of arterial involvement are rare but have
      increased during the last decade. Surgical treatments of arterial aneurysms and
      occlusions are often followed by recurrences due to progression or relapses of
      the inflammatory vessel wall lesions. Aneurysms of the pulmonary artery are rare.
      They may be complicated by thrombosis within the aneurysm and massive hemoptysis
      due to bronchial erosion and formation of an arterio-bronchial fistula. 27 cases
      of Behcet's disease are reported.

PMID- 1877342
TI  - [A histo-anatomical study on the spleens of a frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus
      anguineus].
AB  - The spleens of a frilled shark, Chlamydoselachus anguineus was histo-anatomically
      studied. The results were as follows. 1. Two independent spleens, one in the
      dorsal mesogastrium and the other in the ventral mesenterium (Ligamentum
      hepatoduodenale), are noted. Splenic branches are provided either from a.
      lienogastrica for the former or from Truncus coelomesentericus for the latter.
      The venous system holds a non-collateral position to the arterial system and
      drains the intrasplenic blood by complicate routes. The vascular architecture of
      the intestinal tract of Chlamydoselachus is same as that of the sixgill shark,
      Hexanchus. 2. Histologically, both spleens consist of the white pulp (arteries
      and periarterial lymphatic sheath) and the red pulp. No active hemopoiesis is
      noted. Ellipsoids are present around arterial terminals. Arterial terminals
      communicate directly to venous vessels of the red pulp. Both incompletely-formed
      collateral veins of intrasplenic arteries and capsular drainage veins are noted.
      These features are essentially same as those of other elasmobranch spleens.

PMID- 1877341
TI  - [Hypothenar hammer syndrome].
AB  - The relatively rare Hypothenar Hammer Syndrome is presented and discussed,
      illustrated by two cases. Percutaneous blockage of the stellate ganglion is
      suggested in order to prevent the amputation of the affected finger or fingers.

PMID- 1877343
TI  - [A case of the persistent sciatic artery].
AB  - During the dissecting practice of students at Gifu University School of Medicine
      in 1989, a rare developmental anomaly showing the sciatic artery was found in the
      left lower limb of a cadaver of 88-year-old Japanese female. The left sciatic
      artery (5 mm in diameter) arose from the internal iliac artery and appeared at
      the buttock between the piriformis and superior gemellus muscles through foramen
      infrapiriforme. The femoral artery (6 mm in diameter) of the left lower limb was
      normal in distribution and belonged to the type III by Adachi's classification
      (1928). The terminal vessel of the femoral artery was joined to the sciatic
      artery at the popliteal fossa.

PMID- 1877345
TI  - Topographical anatomy for sinus surgery.

PMID- 1877344
TI  - [The relationship between the sympathetic nerves and immunocytes in the spleen].
AB  - Ever since Galen, the ancient Greek physician, said "Melancholic women develop
      disease more than sanguine women," it has been said that the mental condition
      affects the physical condition. However, there is hardly any scientific
      verification. About half a century ago, Selye (1936) proposed a relationship
      between stress and immune function, and it is becoming increasingly clear that
      the nervous system and immune system interact with each other. Also researchers
      have strongly hoped to demonstrate the existence of specific pathways by which
      immunocytes can be directly regulated by the nervous elements instead of by the
      humoral influence of immunomodulators. In this study, the author showed by
      electron microscopic observation how the immunocytes in the guinea pig spleen are
      directly innervated. The sustentacular supporting element of the guinea pig
      spleen is the connective tissue system which includes the capsulo-trabecular,
      peri-vascular and reticular systems. The latter system is composed of the outer
      sheath of the reticular cell or its cellular processes which have abundant
      microfilaments and the inner minute connective tissue space in which lamina densa
      like material, collagenous fibrils, elastic fibers and nervous elements are
      present. The sympathetic adrenergic nerves for the spleen enter the organ, and
      scatter around the arterial walls. All components of the connective tissue system
      are continuous with each other, and the nervous elements appearing in the
      reticular system are the elongated ones from other connective tissue systems,
      especially peri-vascular connective tissue. Thus, the adrenergic nerves are more
      abundant in the white pulp, into which the central artery penetrates, than in the
      red pulp which arterioles or capillaries pass through. The minute connective
      tissue space of the reticular system may be called the noradrenalin (NA) canal
      because catecholamine released from the naked adrenergic nerve terminals in this
      tissue diffuses and is stored in this enclosed space. The reticular system in the
      spleen divides the parenchyma into small non-endothelial vascular spaces owing to
      its meshwork, and free mobile immunocytes, such as T-cells, B-cells and
      macrophages, stagnate in these spaces. This stagnation of the mobile immunocytes
      and the presence of the adrenergic nerves in the NA canals provide the chance for
      the immunocytes and nerves to meet each other in the following fashion; the
      reticular cell sheaths show the exposed phenomena owing to the contraction of the
      microfilament-rich reticular cell processes, caused by noradrenalin in the NA
      canal, and the nervous elements in the NA canals can face the nonendothelial
      vascular spaces where mobile immunocytes pass freely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1877346
TI  - Hyperresponsiveness to tussive stimuli in cigarette smoke-exposed guinea-pigs: a
      role for capsaicin-sensitive, calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing nerves.
AB  - Environmental pollutants may induce airway hyperresponsiveness to
      bronchonconstrictor stimuli, but if there is a concomitant change in other
      defensive reflexes, like the cough reflex, is not known. We have examined how two
      weeks' exposure to cigarette smoke influences airway sensitivity to inhaled
      irritants acting mainly through capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons (citric acid,
      capsaicin) or rapidly adapting stretch receptors (cigarette smoke, histamine).
      Guinea-pigs were exposed, over a period of one hour, to cigarette smoke or room
      air, twice daily for 2 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the end of the smoke
      exposure coughing produced by nebulized citric acid (0.40 M) and capsaicin (30
      microM) was enhanced 3.7 (P less than 0.001) and 2.5 (P less than 0.05) times,
      respectively, whereas the cigarette smoke-induced cough was unchanged. The
      enhanced responsiveness gradually returned to normal over a period of three weeks
      and was not mediated by cyclo-oxygenase products since it was not affected by
      indomethacin (3 mumols kg-1). In contrast, the broncho-constrictor responses to
      citric acid, capsaicin, cigarette smoke and histamine (0.70 mM) were not altered
      by inhalation of cigarette smoke. Smoke-exposed animals had a significantly (P
      less than 0.05) increased amount of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material
      (CGRP, contained in capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons) in tracheal tissue,
      suggesting that chronic irritation stimulates peptide synthesis. The amount of
      neuropeptide Y-like material (in autonomic motor nerves) in pulmonary tissue was
      not changed indicating some 'specificity' in the irritative effect of smoke. It
      is concluded that prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke produces a tussive
      hyperresponsiveness that seems to involve specifically capsaicin-sensitive, CGRP
      containing sensory neurons mediating cough. The present data demonstrate the
      development of a 'sensory' hyperresponsiveness, separate from airway
      hyperresponsiveness to bronchoconstrictor agents.

PMID- 1877347
TI  - Dual effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on leucocyte migration.
AB  - Vasoactive intestinal peptide, at different concentrations, was tested on the
      migration of leucocytes by using the sealed capillary migration test. Vasoactive
      intestinal peptide, at 10(-7)-10(-9)M, inhibited, while at 10(-12)-10(-14)M,
      stimulated mononuclear leucocyte migration. The migration of polymorphonuclear
      leucocytes was inhibited by vasoactive intestinal peptide at 10(-6)-10(-9)M, a
      stimulation was found at 10(-13)-10(-14)M. The inhibiting effect of vasoactive
      intestinal peptide on leucocyte migration was abolished when vasoactive
      intestinal peptide was split into C- and N-terminal fragments, while a
      stimulating effect was retained in the N-terminal fragment, at 10(-14)M, for
      mononuclear cells. Helodermin and peptide T, as well as two other members of the
      secretin-glucagon family, secretin and gastric inhibitory peptide, had no effect
      on the migration. When VIP antiserum was tested, it had an inhibiting effect,
      which was not seen with control serum, supporting a physiological effect of the
      lower vasoactive intestinal peptide concentrations. Vasoactive intestinal peptide
      seems to have dual effects on mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leucocyte
      migration and, generally, intact vasoactive intestinal peptide seems to be needed
      for these effects.

PMID- 1877348
TI  - The contribution of ultrafiltration pressure for glomerular hyperfiltration in
      young nephrectomized rats.
AB  - Ablation of renal tissue in infancy is followed by increased ultrafiltration
      pressure, enlarged filtering area and decreased hydraulic conductivity of the
      glomerular capillaries. This study examines the effect of a calcium channel
      blocker, felodipine, on ultrafiltration pressure and renal function in rats uni
      nephrectomized at 5 days of age. The rats were treated with felodipine from 24 to
      60 days of age or left untreated. Sham-operated untreated rats were used as
      controls. Arterial blood pressure levels were similar in the three groups of
      rats. Glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow in the left kidney were
      significantly higher in treated and untreated rats than in sham-operated
      untreated rats; significantly higher values were also found in treated than in
      untreated rats. Single nephron glomerular filtration rate was significantly
      higher in treated and in untreated than in sham-operated untreated rats, but was
      not different in treated and untreated rats. Ultrafiltration pressure was
      significantly higher in untreated rats than in treated and in sham-operated
      untreated rats. Ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf) was significantly higher in
      treated rats than in untreated and sham-operated untreated rats. Hydrolic
      conductivity of the glomerular capillaries was significantly lower in untreated
      than in treated and in sham-operated rats, but was not different in treated and
      sham-operated rats. Glomerular volume was higher in treated and untreated rats
      than in sham-operated rats. CONCLUSION: high ultrafiltration pressure is not an
      absolute requirement for the hyperfiltration that follows infant nephrectomy.

PMID- 1877349
TI  - Oedema-preventing mechanisms in a low-compliant tissue: studies on the rat tail.
AB  - The long-term effect of elevated tail venous pressure (Pv) on interstitial fluid
      pressure (Pi) and colloid osmotic pressure (COPi) was studied in rats.
      Measurements were performed on different rats after 1-5 days of congestion, and
      on a sham operated control group. Two different degrees of venous stasis were
      obtained by means of graded ligation of tail veins and skin. Moderate degree of
      ligation (group 1) caused no visual oedema. More extensive ligation (group 2)
      gave marked oedema already on day 1 and further progression and exudation from
      the skin during the following 3 days. Tail venous pressure was measured by
      micropuncture and interstitial fluid pressure by the wick-in-needle technique.
      Interstitial fluid was sampled by a dry wick method, and colloid osmotic pressure
      was measured with a membrane osmometer. In group 1, Pv had increased from 6.5 to
      21.5 mmHg on day 1, and thereafter remained unchanged. Interstitial fluid
      pressure increased from 3.4 to 16.9 mmHg after ligation and to 19.2 mmHg on day
      1. Colloid osmotic pressure fell from 11.7 to 5.8 mmHg. From day 1, both
      interstitial fluid pressure and colloid osmotic pressure remained largely
      unchanged. In group 2 rats, tail venous pressure increased to 33.0 and 36.3 mmHg
      on day 1 and 2 and then fell towards control level during the following 3 days.
      Interstitial fluid pressure increased to 22.9 and 31.4 mmHg before a rapid
      decline towards control level. Colloid osmotic pressure was reduced from 11.7 to
      5.6 mmHg. We conclude that hydrostatic counterpressure may provide an oedema
      preventing effect of up to about 15 mmHg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877350
TI  - Transmural fibre direction in the anterior wall of the feline left ventricle:
      theoretical considerations with regard to uniformity of contraction.
AB  - Previous studies of non-uniform performance of a myocardial region have indicated
      that measurement of local contraction is vectorial. Myocardial performance in one
      direction mainly, but not exclusively, depends on performance of the wall fibres
      in this same direction irrespective of wall depth. In this study we therefore
      determined fibre direction across the anterior wall of the left ventricle in
      twelve cats. Based on the fibre configuration a simple model is developed to
      analyse and predict the degree of uniformity of contraction. Fibre direction
      shifted continuously across the wall, from almost alignment with global apex-to
      base axis in the endocardium (90 degrees), to close to the equatorial direction
      (0 degrees) in the midwall, and finally to about -50 degrees in the epicardial
      layer. The model predicts less uniformity with reduction of preload, and in the
      event of subendocardial ischaemia, which fits well with experimental data.
      Analysis of uniformity based on the integrated vectorial contribution of all
      myocardial layers thus provides a way to quantify regional uniformity/non
      uniformity as a regulatory mechanism of cardiac function.

PMID- 1877351
TI  - Is the humoral renal antihypertensive activity of the spontaneously hypertensive
      rat (SHR) reset to the high blood pressure?
AB  - The kidneys have a humoral antihypertensive system, located in the renal medulla
      and presumably antagonizing the pro-hypertensive renin-angiotensin system.
      Medullipin I and II and maybe platelet activating factor (PAF), seem to be the
      mediators of this system, known to be activated after reversal of renovascular
      hypertension or when the perfusion pressure to a normotensive kidney is suddenly
      elevated. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether this system is
      functioning also in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), and if it is then
      reset in proportion to the increased mean arterial pressure (MAP). Isolated
      kidneys from spontaneously hypertensive rats and from Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY)
      were cross-perfused in vivo from anaesthetized intact Wistar Kyoto rat 'donors'.
      After 30 min of perfusion at 100 mmHg the perfusion pressure to the isolated
      kidneys were, for 60 min, either kept unaltered at 100 mmHg or, for the Wistar
      Kyoto rat kidneys, increased to 150-200 mmHg and, for the spontaneously
      hypertensive rat kidneys, raised to 200 or 250 mmHg. The results show that the
      humoral antihypertensive system is present also in spontaneously hypertensive rat
      kidneys, but is here reset upwards to or even beyond the elevated MAP level.
      Furthermore, all mean arterial pressure reductions caused by high-pressure
      perfusion of Wistar Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rat kidneys were
      accompanied by reductions in heart rate (HR) in the 'donors', in agreement with
      previous observations after reversing renal hypertension and after i.v.
      medullipin I injection. In fact, in spontaneously hypertensive rat kidneys, the
      'incretory' depressor mechanism appears to be more markedly reset upwards than is
      the 'excretory' depressor mechanism inherent in pressure diuresis with consequent
      salt-volume elimination. In conclusion spontaneously hypertensive rats, like
      Wistar Kyoto rats and Wistar rats, have a humoral antihypertensive system in the
      kidneys, but it is reset upwards even beyond the elevated mean arterial pressure
      level in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The combination of a depressor response
      and reduced heart rate in the 'donors' renders further evidence that the
      medullipins are the principal, though probably not the only, humoral
      antihypertensive factors released from the cross-circulated kidneys.

PMID- 1877352
TI  - Effect of felodipine on the myogenic response to dynamic stretch in vascular
      smooth muscle.
AB  - In the present experiments we examined the effect of felodipine, a vasoselective
      dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, on contractile responses to dynamic and
      static stretch of the isolated portal vein of the rat. Dynamic stretch was
      applied to the vascular smooth muscle at graded rates (from 0.5-1.5% muscle
      length s-1). Earlier observations (Johansson & Mellander 1975) of a rate
      dependent excitation of the vascular smooth muscle by dynamic stretch were
      confirmed. Addition of felodipine, 3 nM, reduced the spontaneous activity at
      static lengths to about 50% but resulted in much stronger inhibition of the
      dynamic stretch responses. Particularly the rate-dependent increase in active
      force was no longer evident since the response at high rates of passive
      lengthening was most clearly reduced by felodipine. By contrast, lowering of the
      extracellular Ca2+ concentration resulted in a comparable attenuation of the
      spontaneous contractile activity and of the dynamic stretch responses which still
      showed the typical rate dependence. Therefore, the pronounced inhibition by
      felodipine of the dynamic myogenic reactivity of the rat portal vein appeared to
      be a specific effect and not simply related to the overall reduction in
      contractile activity. We suggest that felodipine, in addition to its inhibition
      of action potentials and excitation-contraction coupling may exert a special
      negative influence on the mechano-electrical coupling, i.e. the process that
      couples dynamic stretch of the vascular smooth muscle to membrane excitation.

PMID- 1877353
TI  - Passive avoidance conditioning and unitary activity in the basolateral amygdaloid
      nucleus of the rat.
AB  - Single unit activity was recorded in the basolateral nucleus of amygdala in rats
      in a passive avoidance test. Simultaneously, visual control of exploratory
      behaviour was carried out. Prior to establishing the conditioning, the mean
      frequency of the unit discharge was 14 Hz (SD = 9) and 1 minute after
      conditioning this unit activity decreased to values close to zero; later on (24
      and 48 hours), a progressive recovery of the discharge was observed. Behavioural
      changes were also detected. The long term recovery of unit activity follows the
      time course of the extinction process. The possible significance of these
      findings is discussed in relation to some of the functional roles of this
      nucleus.

PMID- 1877354
TI  - Strenuous prolonged exercise elevates resting metabolic rate and causes reduced
      mechanical efficiency.
AB  - Resting O2 consumption, net mechanical efficiency during cycling exercise and
      excess postexercise O2 consumption (EPOC) was measured in 15 army cadets after 3
      or 4 days of continuous simulated combat exercises (estimated energy demand: 40
      MJ day-1), no organized sleep and virtually no food intake (stress experiment).
      They exercised for 30 minutes at a work load corresponding to about 50% of
      maximal O2 uptake. An identical test using the same absolute work load was
      repeated when the cadets were completely recovered from the combat course
      (control experiment). Resting O2 consumption increased by 15% from 279 +/- 7 ml
      min-1 (control) to 320 +/- 8 ml min-1 (stress, P less than 0.001). Mechanical
      efficiency decreased from 24.6 +/- 0.4% (control) to 20.9 +/- 0.2% (stress, P
      less than 0.001). EPOC1h increased from 0.58 +/- 0.41 l (control) to 2.24 +/-
      0.2% (stress, P less than 0.05). Glucose infusion during exercise (0.20 g kg-1
      body weight) had no effect on mechanical efficiency or EPOC. About 1/5 of the
      increase in exercise O2 uptake can be explained by a substrate shift from
      carbohydrates to fat, as evidenced by a reduction in R-value during exercise from
      0.90 +/- 0.012 (control) to 0.80 +/- 0.010 (stress). Hence, after severe physical
      stress combined with sleep deprivation and food restriction, O2 uptake is
      increased both at rest and during submaximal exercise.

PMID- 1877355
TI  - Glucose and ketone body turnover in fasting grey seal pups.
AB  - Concentration and metabolic replacement (turnover) rate of glucose and ketone
      bodies were determined at intervals during a 52 day postweaning fast in five grey
      seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups, using bolus injections of radiotracers. Blood
      glucose was maintained at a high level throughout the fast, while beta
      hydroxybutyrate increased 26 times from day 3 to day 37, whereafter it by and
      large was maintained. Glucose replacement rate decreased to 56% of the day 9
      value at day 37 and dropped further to only 32% of the day 9 level at day 52 in
      two seals, while in another 2 seals it increased at this late stage. The average
      ketone body replacement rate ranged between 8.6 and 13.8 mumols min-1 kg-1, but
      did not change significantly (P greater than 0.05) during the fasting period.
      These results suggest a reduced gluconeogenesis from protein and increased
      production of ketone bodies, which may in part replace glucose as energy source
      during fasting.

PMID- 1877356
TI  - Evidence in the sheep for an interaction between systemic angiotensin II and
      cerebral angiotensinergic mechanisms.

PMID- 1877357
TI  - Effect of longstanding venous stasis and hypoproteinaemia on lymph flow in the
      rat tail.
AB  - This study was performed to provide information on the determinants of lymph flow
      by comparing the effect of venous stasis and hypoproteinaemia in the rat tail.
      This low-compliant tissue was chosen in an attempt to induce preferential changes
      in interstitial pressure or volume. The removal rate (kAlb) of 125I-labelled
      human serum albumin (I-HSA) injected subcutaneously was monitored with external
      gamma-counting equipment and used as a measure of lymph flow. Interstitial fluid
      hydrostatic pressure (Pi) was measured with wick-in-needle technique, and
      interstitial fluid was collected post mortem by dry wicks. Colloid osmotic
      pressure of plasma (COPp) and wick fluid (COPi) was measured with a colloid
      osmometer. In a separate group of experiments, 51Cr-EDTA and [125I]HSA were used
      to measure the interstitial fluid volume. Venous stasis, induced by bilateral
      ligation of the external tail veins, increased interstitial fluid hydrostatic
      pressure from 1.7 to 16 mmHg and kAlb from 0.030 to 0.063 h-1, whereas tail
      circumference was nearly constant. Interstitial volume averaged 1.17 ml/g dry
      weight in control animals and 1.27 ml/g during increased venous pressure. Daily
      injections of aminonucleoside in salt-loaded rats (0.3% NaCl as drinking water)
      reduced colloid osmotic pressure of plasma from 19.1 to 8.5 mmHg and of wick
      fluid from 11.2 to 2.9 mmHg, while interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure
      increased to 5.2 mmHg. The removal rate of 125I-labelled human serum albumin
      increased to 0.113 h-1, compared to 0.051 h-1 in salt-loaded controls. The
      interstitial volume showed a marked increase in salt-loaded hypoproteinaemic
      rats, 1.75 ml/g dry weight, compared to 1.30 ml/g in salt-loaded
      controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877358
TI  - Burst firing of mesencephalic dopamine neurons is inhibited by somatodendritic
      application of kynurenate.
AB  - Midbrain dopamine neurons of the zona compacta substantia nigra (SN) and ventral
      tegmental area (VTA), giving rise to the nigrostriatal and mesolimbocortical
      midbrain dopamine pathways, respectively, typically display a spontaneous
      activity consisting of single spikes and bursts. Previously,
      intracerebroventricular administration of the excitatory amino acid (EAA)
      antagonist kynurenate has been shown to inhibit burst firing and induce a
      regular, pacemaker-like firing of ventral tegmental area midbrain dopamine
      neurons. In the present experiments, zona compacta substantia nigra and ventral
      tegmental area midbrain dopamine neurons were recorded in the chloral hydrate
      anaesthetized male rat. Kynurenate was administered locally, either by micro
      iontophoresis or by pneumatic (micropressure) ejection. Both forms of local
      kynurenate application produced an immediate inhibition of burst firing and a
      slightly increased regularity of firing in both zona compacta substantia nigra
      and ventral tegmental area midbrain dopamine neurons. The present results
      indicate that excitatory amino acid nerves tonically modulate midbrain dopamine
      neuronal burst firing directly on the midbrain dopamine cell bodies, further
      stressing the importance of excitatory amino acid innervation in the
      physiological function of midbrain dopamine neurons, particularly in the dynamic
      aspects involved in the behavioural modulation and pharmacological responses of
      these psychopharmacologically important neurons.

PMID- 1877359
TI  - Cardiac cell membrane repolarization is required for onset of mechanical
      restitution in papillary muscle.
AB  - In 10 voltage clamped ferret papillary muscles at 37 degrees C (single sucrose
      gap), the duration of resting (diastolic, holding) potential was varied in order
      to define the mechanical restitution process. Following a period of steady state
      voltage clamp depolarizations to +20 mV, a single test depolarization clamp of
      200 or 500 ms duration was introduced. Then, the following period at resting
      (holding) potential was varied. All the mechanical restitution curves for the 500
      ms clamps were delayed by 300 ms compared with the 200 ms clamps. When mechanical
      restitution was plotted as the relationship between contractile force and test
      electrical diastolic interval, all processes started from zero interval (i.e. the
      time of repolarization). Variation of diastolic holding potential between -70 mV
      and -40 mV did not affect the starting time, but the final force values at full
      restitution were approached faster and were higher for -70 mV than for -40 mV.
      There was an inverse relationship between force and second inward current during
      mechanical restitution after an initial phase of restitution of current.
      Mechanical restitution is postulated to be due to passage of contractile calcium
      with time from an uptake to a release compartment within the sarcoplasmic
      reticulum. Thus the rise of contractile force with increasing test cycle duration
      should have been independent of whether a 200 or 500 ms depolarization was used.
      In order to accommodate the discrepancy, we postulate either that (1)
      sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release channels require sarcolemmal
      repolarization to begin to be reactivated or (2) that trigger calcium (calcium
      induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum) is derived from the
      sarcolemma.

PMID- 1877360
TI  - Cigarette smoke-induced changes in guinea-pig airway responsiveness to histamine
      and citric acid.
AB  - The effect of 50 min cigarette smoke exposure on airway responsiveness to the
      bronchoconstrictor and tussive effects of histamine and citric acid has been
      examined in guinea-pigs. Intravenous histamine increased intratracheal pressure
      (ITP) in anaesthetized guinea-pigs and the dose-response curve was significantly
      (P less than 0.05) steeper in cigarette smoke- than in air-exposed animals. ED50
      values were 11.4 nmol kg-1 (7.4-16.8, 95% confidence interval) and 42.5 nmol kg-1
      (28.8-61.4, 95% confidence interval), respectively (P less than 0.05) in smoke-
      and air-exposed guinea-pigs indicating an enhanced reactivity. However, the
      sensitivity to intravenous histamine was not changed by the cigarette smoke
      exposure, and the maximum increase in intratracheal pressure was the same as in
      control animals (air: 247 +/- 21%, n = 4; smoke: 223 +/- 18%, n = 7). The
      cigarette smoke-induced hyperresponsiveness to intravenous histamine was not
      altered by pretreatment with nebulized lidocaine (0.20 M), ipratropium bromide
      (0.30 mM) or cromoglycate (0.06 M), suggesting that a neural reflex is unlikely
      to be involved in the development of hyperresponsiveness. Conscious, smoke
      exposed guinea-pigs had a significantly (P less than 0.001) reduced
      responsiveness to citric acid (0.40 M) and cigarette smoke. Both cough and
      bronchoconstriction were suppressed for about 1 h, but unchanged 24 h after
      exposure. The hyporesponsiveness to citric acid was inhibited by atropine (1.4
      mumol kg-1 i.p.) and may therefore, at least in part, be due to increased airway
      secretions. The present data demonstrate that inhalation of cigarette smoke may
      alter guinea-pig airway responsiveness to tussive and bronchoconstrictor
      stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877361
TI  - Interaction between antisecretory opioid and sympathetic mechanisms in the rat
      small intestine.
AB  - The putative existence of an endogenous opioid antisecretory mechanism in the
      small intestine was tested in anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Cholera
      secretion was elicited with cholera toxin and net fluid secretion was measured in
      vivo using a gravimetric technique allowing on line registrations. Opioid
      blockade with naloxone (10 mg kg-1 i.v.) increased the cholera secretion
      significantly but had no effect on control absorption. Pretreatment with
      phentolamine (2 mg kg-1 i.v.) eliminated the effect of opioid blockade indicating
      an interaction between the opioid and the adrenergic mechanisms. The effect of
      naloxone on cholera secretion was unchanged after acute division of the
      sympathetic nerves to the intestine and removal of the adrenals. Chronic
      sympathetic denervation of the small intestine, on the other hand, abolished the
      effect of opiate blockade on the secretion. The antisecretory effect of
      sympathetic nerve stimulation was unchanged by opiate blockade. CONCLUSION: An
      intrinsic antisecretory opioid mechanism has been demonstrated in the small
      intestine of the rat. This endogenous opioid mechanism seems to decrease
      secretion indirectly via peripheral activation of the sympathetic antisecretory
      system.

PMID- 1877362
TI  - Effects of cervical sympathetic nerve stimulation and neuropeptide Y (NPY) on
      cranial blood flow in the cat.
AB  - Effects of cervical sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS) at 10 Hz and intravenous
      infusion of neuropeptide Y (NPY), 10 and 100 pmol x kg body wt-1 x min-1 for 5
      min, on regional blood flow in the cat were investigated with radioactive
      microspheres. Sympathetic nerve stimulation caused significant reductions in
      blood flows in the facial tissues including the eye. Alpha-adrenoceptor blockade
      with phenoxybenzamine and combined beta- and alpha-adrenoceptor blockade with
      propranolol and phenoxybenzamine abolished the effects of sympathetic nerve
      stimulation in most facial tissues except in the tongue, upper eyelid and
      masseter muscle. In most cranial tissues, neuropeptide Y reduced regional blood
      flow and increased vascular resistance. No effect of neuropeptide Y on vascular
      resistance was observed in the choroid. In the present study, evidence for a non
      adrenergic component in sympathetic vasoconstriction was found in the tongue,
      upper eyelid and masseter muscle but not in the majority of feline facial
      tissues. Neuropeptide Y was a potent vasoconstrictor in many cranial tissues,
      while in parts of the uvea, the effects of neuropeptide Y were less pronounced.

PMID- 1877363
TI  - The effect of meal size on postprandial increase in cardiac output.
AB  - Heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and mean arterial blood pressure were
      followed from the resting pre-meal situation and for 2 hours after intake of
      standardized meals in four healthy individuals. Continuous records of stroke
      volume and cardiac output were achieved with an improved method of Doppler
      ultrasonography. A smallish meal and one 2 1/2 times larger were both given twice
      and in random order to each of the four test persons. The consumption of a meal
      invariably resulted in a cardiac output increase, which developed gradually to
      reach a maximum level 30 to 60 min after end of the meal. The postprandial
      cardiac output increase resulted from significant increases in both heart rate
      and stroke volume. There were distinct and significant differences between the
      circulatory responses to small and large meals. The increase in cardiac output
      after a large meal was considerably larger and lasted for longer than the
      increase after a small meal. Two hours after a small meal cardiac output was
      nearly or fully back to pre-meal values, while cardiac output was still markedly
      elevated 2 hours after a large meal. Consequently, the total 'extra' amount of
      blood delivered by the heart over 2 post-meal hours was significantly--about 100%
      -larger after the large meal than after the small one. Mean arterial blood
      pressure either fell or remained almost unchanged in the hour after a meal, so
      that total peripheral resistance was consistently and significantly reduced in
      the postprandial period--and considerably more so after a large meal than after a
      small one.

PMID- 1877364
TI  - Pulmonary vascular pressure profile in adult ferrets: measurements in vivo and in
      isolated lungs.
AB  - We have determined the vascular pressure profile in lungs of adult ferrets
      utilizing an anaesthetized open chested preparation and have compared the
      pressure profile in vivo with that in isolated, perfused lungs. Ten adult
      ferrets, mean body weight 980 +/- 108 g, were studied. For in vivo measurements,
      five ferrets were anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated and the left chest wall
      resected. Pressures were measured in the pulmonary artery, left atrium and by
      micropuncture, in 20-50 microns diameter subpleural arterioles and venules.
      During micropuncture, ventilation was stopped for 1-2 min and the lungs kept
      distended at an airway pressure of 6 cmH2O. Left atrial pressure was raised to
      approximately 8 cmH2O with saline infusion so that lungs were in Zone 3. Cardiac
      output was measured by thermodilution. Lungs of five other ferrets were isolated
      and perfused with a steady flow roller pump. In these lungs blood flow was
      adjusted so that pulmonary artery pressure was similar to that in anaesthetized
      ferrets, with airway and left atrial pressures at 6 and 8 cmH2O respectively
      (Zone 3). Blood haematocrit (35 +/- 7%) was similar in the two groups. In lungs
      of anaesthetized ferrets total arteriovenous pressure drop was 12.1 +/- 1.9
      cmH2O, with cardiac output being 210 +/- 80 ml kg body weight-1 min-1. Fractional
      resistance in arteries was 37%, 37% in microvessels and 26% in veins. In isolated
      ferret lungs, though blood flow was only 48 +/- 10 ml kg body wt-1 min-1 for the
      same total arteriovenous pressure drop as in vivo, the longitudinal distribution
      of vascular resistance was similar to that in live ferrets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877365
TI  - A comparison of laser Doppler flowmetry with the radiolabelled microsphere
      reference flow technique to measure tracheal blood flow in dogs.
AB  - Measurements of tracheal wall blood flow were made in anaesthetized, ventilated
      dogs during resting ventilatory conditions, during application of positive end
      expiratory pressure (PEEP) and during eucapnic hyperventilation of dry air, using
      laser Doppler flowmetry and the radiolabelled microsphere reference flow
      technique. Six regions of the trachea were studied in each dog, and the average
      laser Doppler flowmetry measurement derived from 12 sites within each region was
      compared with the reference flow measurement, obtained using 15 microns diameter
      microspheres labelled with 113Sn, 103Ru, 141Ce or 151Gd. Under each set of
      ventilatory conditions, there was a weak, but significant, correlation between
      laser Doppler flowmetry and reference flow values (baseline r = 0.44,
      hyperventilation r = 0.44, and PEEP r = 0.74). Average laser-Doppler flowmetry
      and reference flow values showed a similar reduction from baseline during
      application of PEEP. The mean (SD) change from baseline, expressed as a
      percentage, was -63 (15)% for laser-Doppler flowmetry values, and -63 (21)% for
      reference flow values. However, there was no correlation between the magnitude of
      change measured in individual regions using the two techniques. During
      hyperventilation, laser Doppler flowmetry measurements showed variable changes
      from baseline, and the mean change was -12 (45)%, which was not significantly
      different from zero. Reference flow values increased during hyperventilation, the
      mean change being 87 (77)%. The results indicate that laser Doppler flowmetry and
      reference flow measurements of airway wall blood flow are not directly
      comparable.

PMID- 1877366
TI  - Potassium homeostasis during and following exhaustive submaximal static handgrip
      contractions.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to follow local potassium homeostasis during and
      after exhaustive contractions. Eight subjects performed static handgrip with
      their right forearm at 10%, 25% and 40% maximal voluntary contraction. Blood flow
      (venous occlusion plethysmography) and the venous effluent plasma potassium
      concentration were followed during the contractions and during a 60-min recovery
      period. Electromyography was registered during exercise (frequency analysis).
      With all three protocols the blood flow increased significantly during the
      contractions and the same was true of the effluent plasma potassium
      concentrations. In the recovery period blood flow and the venous effluent plasma
      potassium concentration returned to base values within 30 min following 40%
      maximal voluntary contraction while following 10% and 25% maximal voluntary
      contraction, venous effluent plasma potassium concentration was still
      significantly below resting values one hour after the exercise had ceased,
      indicating a long-lasting uptake of potassium from the blood into the muscles. In
      line with this a significant potassium deficit was still seen after 1 hour of
      recovery following 10% and 25% maximal voluntary contraction. It is concluded
      that the recovery of potassium homeostasis following prolonged low-intensity
      contractions is a slow process. This may be due to either sequestration of
      potassium in other tissues with a subsequent slow release and/or insufficient
      sodium/potassium pump activation. The contraction induced potassium loss may play
      a major role in muscle performance since it may impair mechanical force
      production, and it is hypothesized that this may be the origin of low-frequency
      fatigue.

PMID- 1877367
TI  - Potential-dependent potassium currents in the rapidly adapting stretch receptor
      neuron of the crayfish.
AB  - The outward current was analysed in the rapidly adapting stretch receptor neuron
      of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus with a two-micropipette potential clamp
      technique and K(+)-selective microelectrodes in an attempt to establish if the
      properties of this current could explain the difference in adaptive behaviour
      compared to the slowly adapting receptor. A fast activating outward current
      carried by K+ was revealed. The time constant of activation(tau n) was dependent
      on potential and had a mean value of 0.5 ms at potential steps to 0 mV.
      Activation followed a second-order process according to the Hodgkin-Huxley model.
      The potential dependence of activation (n infinity) followed by a sigmoid curve n
      infinity = 1/(1 + exp/[(E - En)/a]) with a half maximal activation potential En =
      -44 mV and a = -13 mV. When long pulses were applied the outward potassium
      current decreased with two time constants, one that was potential independent
      (0.2 s) and one that was potential dependent (2-8 s). The latter could be
      explained by accumulation of K+ in the extracellular space of the neuron. The
      potential dependence of inactivation followed a sigmoid function infinity = 1/(1
      + exp[(E - Ek)/+a]) with Ek = -36 mV and a = 13 mV. The inactivation properties
      are different from those of the classical fast transient (IA) current. The
      transport system for the outward potassium current during depolarizing potential
      steps in the rapidly adapting stretch receptor is similar to the current found in
      the slowly adapting receptor neuron. However, the activation is faster and seems
      to occur at potentials more negative than in the slowly adapting receptor. These
      differences can contribute to but not entirely explain the difference in adaptive
      behaviour between the slowly and rapidly adapting receptor.

PMID- 1877368
TI  - Extracellular levels of adenosine and its metabolites in the striatum of awake
      rats: inhibition of uptake and metabolism.
AB  - The level of purines in the striatum of awake, freely moving rats was studied
      using microdialysis. The calculated extracellular concentration of adenosine and
      its metabolites inosine and hypoxanthine was very high immediately after
      implantation of the dialysis probe but decreased within 24 h to a level which
      remained stable for two days. Using in vitro calibration to determine the
      relative recovery of the dialysis probes we estimated resting levels in the
      striatal extracellular space to be 40, 110 and 580 nM, respectively. Inhibition
      of adenosine deaminase by deoxycoformycin produced a significant 1.4-fold
      increase in extracellular adenosine levels and a fall in inosine and
      hypoxanthine. A combination of three uptake blockers (dipyridamole, lidoflazine
      and nitrobenzylthioinosine), caused a 4.5-fold increase in extracellular
      adenosine levels without any change in inosine or hypoxanthine levels. After
      uptake inhibition deoxycoformycin did not have any significant effect. The
      present results show that the microdialysis technique can be used to determine
      levels of purines in the extracellular fluid of defined brain regions in awake
      animals. The high levels recorded during the first several hours after
      implantation may be artefactually high and reflect trauma. The results also show
      that adenosine levels can be altered in vivo by inhibitors of adenosine transport
      and adenosine deaminase. The present results indicate that the physiological
      adenosine level in striatal extracellular space is in the range 40-460 nM.

PMID- 1877369
TI  - Low ambient temperature increases baroreflex-governed sympathetic outflow to
      muscle vessels in humans.
AB  - Microelectrode multi-unit recordings of muscle nerve sympathetic activity,
      primarily involved in blood pressure regulation, were made from the right
      peroneal nerve in 10 healthy subjects during exposure to cold inside a box used
      for hypothermic surgery. Blood pressure was monitored by an automatic cuff
      applied to the left arm. Heart activity (ECG) and the temperature inside the box
      were monitored. Muscle nerve sympathetic activity outflow and blood pressure were
      stable during 15 minutes initial rest at 22.7 +/- 0.3 degrees C (mean +/- SEM).
      All subjects increased muscle nerve sympathetic activity and blood pressure with
      lowering of ambient temperature. The box temperature was 10.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C
      at the end of the cooling period. With rewarming the changes in muscle nerve
      sympathetic activity and blood pressure were reversed. Mean outflows of muscle
      nerve sympathetic activity during initial rest, final phase of cooling period,
      and post-rewarming were 20.3 +/- 2.7, 26.6 +/- 3.2 and 20.2 +/- 2.8 burst min-1,
      respectively. Systolic blood pressure during the same periods was 118 +/- 3, 131
      +/- 4 and 120 +/- 4 mmHg, respectively, whereas corresponding values for
      diastolic blood pressure were 73 +/- 2, 82 +/- 2 and 75 +/- 2 mmHg (P less than
      0.001 for all variables; (ANOVA). It is concluded that muscle nerve sympathetic
      activity, while not regarded as being involved in body temperature regulation, is
      under the influence of ambient temperature and contributes to blood pressure
      elevation in a cold environment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877370
TI  - The action of 2,3-butane-dionemonoxime on the inotropic state in guinea-pig
      myocardium.
AB  - Isolated papillary muscles from guinea-pig right ventricles were used
      (temperature 33 degrees C, stimulation frequency 0.5 Hz). Isometric twitch and
      action potentials were recorded. Upon addition of 2,3-butane-dionemonoxime (BDM)
      (2 mM) the peak twitch force was reduced from 4.17 +/- 0.4 mN/mm2 to 1.68 +/- 0.3
      mN/mm2 (n = 9, P less than 0.001). The time course of the isometric twitch was
      slightly altered. Time to peak tension (TPT) was reduced by 12.0 +/- 3% (n = 9, P
      less than 0.001) whereas time to half relaxation (THR) was left unaffected. The
      rate of rise of force was reduced by 35 +/- 3.2 mN/mm2s i.e. 46 +/- 3%. The
      action potential duration and amplitude was not significantly changed by the
      drug. The shape of the curve relating peak twitch force of an extra beat to the
      preceding test interval, i.e. mechanical restitution, was affected by 2 mM 2,3
      butane-dionemonoxime. The curve reached its maximum faster after addition of the
      drug. Maximum postextrasystolic potentiation (force in response to the
      prepreceding test interval) was 3.2 +/- 0.4 mN/mm2 in 2 mM 2,3-butane
      dionemonoxine and 7.6 +/- 0.7 mN/mm2 in control (n = 6). However the percentage
      potentiation was very similar in control (82%) and in presence of 2,3-butane
      dionemonoxime (91%). Peak twitch force in relation to peak force of the preceding
      potentiated contraction during decay of postextrasystolic potentiation was
      analysed. There was a linear relation between the variables, the slope being 0.34
      +/- 0.04 in control and 0.30 +/- 0.02 in 2,3-butane-dionemonoxime. This suggests
      that the drug is without an action on the fraction of calcium recirculating
      within the cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877371
TI  - Lesions of bulbo-spinal serotonergic or noradrenergic pathways reduce nociception
      as measured by the formalin test.
AB  - Intrathecal administration of the neurotoxins 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine (5,6-DHT)
      and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in rats selectively lesioned the descending spinal
      serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways, respectively. Four days after neurotoxin
      administration the behaviour was evaluated in the formalin test. Several
      behavioural variables were recorded. The statistical analysis of the results was
      supplemented using a multivariate statistical method (partial least squares
      projection to latent variables, PLS) in addition to traditional analysis of
      variance. The described methods for recording and statistical analysis of
      behaviour appear to be useful in describing drug-induced differences in
      behavioural patterns in the formalin test. Both types of lesion reduced the pain
      related behaviour in the formalin test (protection of the paw, biting and
      licking). The results indicate that the descending monoaminergic pathways are
      parts of a network which maintains adequate nociceptive responses to a chemical
      stimulus, or to stimuli lasting several minutes, as in the formalin test.

PMID- 1877372
TI  - The microsphere technique in anaesthetized and awake pregnant guinea-pigs:
      reproducibility of repeated blood flow measurements.
AB  - Repeated microsphere injections are extensively employed for measurements of
      uteroplacental blood flows in experimental animals. However, this technique has
      not been systematically validated in pregnancy. In the present series of
      experiments the effects of three consecutive microsphere injections on central
      haemodynamics and regional blood flows were studied in 43 late pregnant guinea
      pigs. In group A (n = 13) experiments were carried out in the awake chronically
      catheterized animal. In group B (n = 8) animals were studied under anaesthesia.
      In two additional anaesthetized groups reference withdrawal rate (C, n = 7) and
      the amount of injected spheres (D, n = 7) were increased 2-3 fold. Cardiac
      output, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate as well as regional blood flows
      to placenta, ovaries, kidneys, heart, liver and carcass remained unaltered in all
      protocols. Myoendometrial blood flow increased in group A and C and a similar
      pattern could be demonstrated in group B and D but was not statistically
      significant. Adrenal blood flow was enhanced in groups A and C and brain blood
      flow increased in group C and D. The gastrointestinal tract especially the
      stomach was sensitive to repeated microsphere injections since blood flow
      reductions were apparent in all groups but were statistically significant only
      for groups A and D. In group E (n = 8), the three microsphere labels were
      injected simultaneously. The coefficients of variability for these blood flow
      measurements were in the range of 3.6-6.8% for different organs. It is concluded
      that repeated microsphere injection in an ideal method to measure placental blood
      flow. However, the technique may provide inaccurate results with respect to the
      myoendometrium and gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1877373
TI  - Decreased insulin-stimulated 3-0-methylglucose transport in in vitro incubated
      muscle strips from type II diabetic subjects.
AB  - Peripheral insulin resistance in type II diabetes mellitus has been attributed to
      alterations in skeletal muscle glucose metabolism. However the direct dose
      response relationship between insulin and glucose transport has not yet been
      studied in human skeletal muscle. We investigated 3-0-methylglucose transport in
      in vitro incubated skeletal muscle strips from eight healthy controls (age 61 +/-
      6 yrs) and six lean type II diabetic patients treated with oral antidiabetic
      medication (age 73 +/- 3 yrs). Rectus abdominis muscle samples (approximately 1
      g), obtained during elective abdominal surgery, were clamped at their resting
      length in vivo, whereupon strips (20-50 mg) were prepared for in vitro
      incubation. Measurements of high-energy phosphates and glycogen levels revealed
      that the muscle strips maintained energy levels during the incubation period.
      Glucose transport responded to insulin in a dose-response manner in the control
      group, with a 2-fold increase following maximal stimulation. Muscle strips from
      the diabetic group demonstrated a marked decrease in the insulin dose-response
      curve (P less than 0.01), when compared to healthy muscle strips. At a maximal
      insulin concentration (10,000 microU x ml-1), the response of the diabetic muscle
      tissue was 50% less than that of the healthy control tissue (P less than 0.05).
      This report demonstrates a dose-response curve for insulin stimulated 3-0
      methylglucose transport in in vitro incubated human skeletal muscle strips.
      Furthermore, in type II diabetic muscle, our results provide evidence for one or
      several defects at a postreceptor level.

PMID- 1877374
TI  - The effects of hypobaric hypoxia (50.6 kPa) on blood components in guinea-pigs.
AB  - One hundred and five male (Hartley) guinea-pigs weighing 350-380 g and 30
      splenectomized guinea-pigs were exposed to simulated hypobaric hypoxia of 50.6
      kPa (equal to an altitude of 5486 m) for 14 days. The partial pressure of oxygen
      was set at half that at sea level. The white blood cell count increased
      significantly on day 3 of the simulated high altitude experiment but returned to
      normal on day 7, whereas the red blood cell count increased continuously. To
      study the effect of high altitude exposure on platelets, the platelet count in
      the splenectomized group was compared to that in a non-splenectomized group.
      Investigation of the resistance of red blood cell membranes to osmotic pressure
      under hypobaric conditions revealed a shift of the onset of haemolysis in the
      hyperosmotic direction. These findings may help to increase our understanding of
      the biochemical mechanisms of adaptation to hypobaric hypoxia.

PMID- 1877375
TI  - On the role of polyamines in bone resorption induced by parathyroid hormone.
AB  - In order to elucidate the possible role of polyamines in the mobilization of
      mineral from long-term bone cultures stimulated with parathyroid hormone we have
      measured the activity of ornithine decarboxylase in osteoblasts, the levels of
      polyamines in calvarial bone and determined the effect of added polyamines and
      inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis on calcium mobilization. Parathyroid hormone
      (10 nmol l-1) stimulated omithine decarboxylase activity by approximately 50% in
      both cultured bone cells of osteoblastic phenotype, UMR 106 and in mouse
      calvarial osteoblast-like cells. In mouse calvaria the levels of putrescine and
      spermidine were increased by parathyroid hormone after 24 hours. The levels of
      spermine were very low and were unchanged by parathyroid hormone. The two
      polyamine synthesis inhibitors alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; 2 mmol l-1)
      and methylglyoxal-bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG; 50 mu mol l-1) did not significantly
      affect the mobilization of 45Ca from parathyroid hormone-stimulated bones. All
      three polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, inhibited the mobilization
      of 45Ca induced by parathyroid hormone in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition
      induced by putrescine was reversible. In summary, we have shown that parathyroid
      hormone increases the accumulation of polyamines in bone, but the effect is
      small. Furthermore, inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis does not reduce
      parathyroid hormone-induced mineral mobilization and the addition of polyamines
      leads to a reduced rather than a stimulated mineral mobilization. Thus,
      polyamines do not seem to be critically involved in the changes in bone
      resorption induced by parathyroid hormone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877376
TI  - Changes in plasma hypoxanthine and free radical markers during exercise in man.
AB  - Eight men cycled for about 6 minutes at workloads corresponding to 44 and 72% of
      maximal oxygen uptake and to fatigue at 98% maximal oxygen uptake. Blood samples
      from a brachial artery and a femoral vein were taken at rest and during exercise.
      Hypoxanthine, xanthine and urate in plasma were significantly elevated at fatigue
      and after 10 minutes of recovery. Only hypoxanthine showed a significant arterio
      femoral venous difference. The release of hypoxanthine from the legs increased
      during the recovery period and was three-fold higher 10 minutes post exercise
      than at the end of exercise. It is concluded that the marked increase in plasma
      hypoxanthine which occurs during intensive exercise originates from the working
      muscle whereas the transformation to xanthine and urate may occur in other
      tissues. Glutathione, methemoglobin and malondialdehyd (MDA) were used as plasma
      markers of free radicals. Total glutathione (glutathione + glutathionedisulfide)
      in blood and plasma increased during intensive exercise and may be indicative of
      free radical formation. However, MDA was not detectable in plasma during any
      conditions (less than 0.1 mumol x l-1 plasma) and methemoglobin decreased
      slightly during exercise. Further studies using more specific techniques are
      required to determine whether the formation of free radicals is increased after
      brief intensive exercise.

PMID- 1877377
TI  - Intracellular cytosolic free calcium concentration in the macula densa and in
      ascending limb cells at different luminal concentrations of sodium chloride and
      with added furosemide.
AB  - The juxtaglomerular apparatus fulfils several important regulatory functions in
      the kidney, such as tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) control and control of renin
      release. The macula densa (MD) cells sense the fluid load by perceiving the
      distal NaCl concentration via a Na-K-2Cl cotransport system in the luminal cell
      membrane. It has been proposed that macula densa cell activation may involve
      changes in intracellular cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), as one
      link in the chain of events activating TGF or releasing renin. We therefore
      investigated the changes in the intracellular calcium concentrations with fura-2,
      using a video system, in macula densa cells, and compared them with the changes
      in the corresponding concentrations in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle (c
      TAL). The results show that our technique for analysing intracellular cytosolic
      free calcium in isolated perfused tubules is valid for this purpose, and the Kd
      value obtained was similar to that found by Grynkiewicz et al. (1985). The
      intracellular cytosolic free calcium concentration was about 90 nM both in the
      macula densa and c-TAL cells, and the macula densa cell intracellular cytosolic
      free calcium concentration increased by about 20 nM when the tubular lumen was
      perfused with Na and Cl at low concentrations. No significant changes were noted
      when furosemide was added to the perfusion solutions. We consider it hardly
      likely that this small change in intracellular cytosolic free calcium
      concentration can be entirely responsible for full activation of renin release or
      full inactivation of the TGF control mechanism. It would seem that the signal
      transmission from the macula densa cells could occur by other routes than through
      activation of intracellular cytosolic free calcium concentration.

PMID- 1877378
TI  - Total muscle NADH during 30-min submaximal exercise: effects of endurance
      training.

PMID- 1877380
TI  - Microbial cytochromes P-450 and xenobiotic metabolism.

PMID- 1877379
TI  - Microbial transformations of herbicides and pesticides.

PMID- 1877381
TI  - Foodborne yeasts.

PMID- 1877382
TI  - High-resolution electrophoretic purification and structural microanalysis of
      peptides and proteins.

PMID- 1877383
TI  - An environmental assessment of biotechnological processes.

PMID- 1877384
TI  - Fate of recombinant Escherichia coli K-12 strains in the environment.

PMID- 1877385
TI  - Patterns of divergence in homologous proteins as indicators of secondary and
      tertiary structure: a prediction of the structure of the catalytic domain of
      protein kinases.
AB  - The secondary structure and elements of tertiary structure have been predicted
      for the catalytic domain of protein kinases using a method that extracts
      structural information from the patterns of conservation and variation in an
      alignment of homologous proteins. The central features of this structural
      prediction are: (a) the catalytic domains of protein kinases do not incorporate a
      Rossmann fold; (b) the core of the structure is founded on beta sheets built from
      pairs of bent antiparallel beta strands; (c) five helices, including an
      especially long helix (alignment positions 129-152) that lie on the outside of
      the folded core. These proteins are important in many aspects of metabolic
      regulation.

PMID- 1877386
TI  - Thymidylate synthase inhibitors: the in vitro activity of a series of
      heterocyclic benzoyl ring modified 2-desamino-2-methyl-N10-substituted-5,8
      dideazafolates.
AB  - Heterocyclic para-aminobenzoate modifications of 2-desamino-2-methyl-5,8
      dideazafolic acid and a series of its N10-substituted analogs have produced a
      number of interesting compounds that have enabled a deeper understanding of the
      biochemical events required for activity in this class of antimetabolite. There
      is a relationship that has become apparent between compound potency and both
      uptake via the reduced-folate carrier and FPGS substrate activity. Rapid cellular
      uptake and metabolism of polyglutamate forms that are approximately 100-fold more
      potent as inhibitors of TS can translate a modest TS inhibitor such as ICI D1694
      into a very potent inhibitor of cell growth (approximately 500- and approximately
      10-fold more potent than CB3717 or ICI 198583, respectively). Polyglutamation may
      therefore act as an almost essential activation step and ICI D1694 may be highly
      specific for tumors expressing both the reduced-folate carrier and FPGS.
      Polyglutamation of folate analogs also leads to drug retention which may play a
      major role in the pharmacodynamics of TS inhibition by ICI D1694 in vivo. Current
      studies with 3H-ICI D1694 are aimed at demonstrating metabolism to polyglutamates
      in tumor cells. The serious toxic limitations of CB3717, i.e., liver and kidney
      toxicities, are not seen with ICI D1694 reflecting the good water solubility of
      the drug compared with CB3717. The toxicities observed in mice are however to
      hematological tissues and are due to its TS inhibitory effects. Thus ICI D1694
      may elicit toxicities in man more typical of an antimetabolite than of CB3717.
      The clinical evaluation of ICI D1694 may further our understanding of the role
      that metabolism to polyglutamates may have in therapeutic activity.

PMID- 1877387
TI  - Regulation of gene expression by insulin.
AB  - Insulin after binding to its plasma membrane receptor regulates many cellular
      processes as well as the expression of several genes. These effects of insulin
      can be temporarily classified as short-term (minutes) and long-term (hours-days).
      The different steps of gene expression that may be under insulin control are
      reviewed. The main focus of the review is on the regulation of gene transcription
      by insulin. A putative insulin negative regulatory sequence is proposed based on
      the comparison of the 5'-upstream regions of the phosphoenolpyruvate
      carboxykinase and protein disulfide isomerase genes and compared with a recently
      identified positive insulin regulatory element located in the 5'-upstream region
      of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene.

PMID- 1877388
TI  - The biological significance of lipoprotein lipase modulation by phenobarbital and
      heparin.
AB  - When confluent cultures of 3T3 F442A cells were treated with insulin,
      differentiation occurred within 6 days as indicated by LPL secretion followed by
      increased intracellular levels of protein and triacylglycerol. PB increased LPL
      secretion 2- to 3-fold and intracellular LPL 3- to 10-fold in a time-dependent
      manner; these increments were less in proportion to the length of the time
      interval between confluence and initiation of PB treatment. These results are
      consistent with the notion that PB promotes conversion of adipocyte precursors to
      mature adipocytes by increasing the proportion of the former that become
      susceptible to the differentiating stimulus. Human subjects treated with heparin
      by continuous i.v. infusion over 4 days showed an initial decrease in serum
      triacylglycerol concentration in response to the initial bolus injection,
      accompanied by sharp increases in circulating LPL and HTGL, but the
      triacylglycerol concentration returned to normal within 24 hr. Rats infused with
      heparin by means of peritoneal implantation of osmotic minipumps demonstrated
      dose-dependent increases in circulating LPL, accompanied by reduction in heart
      muscle LPL but inconsistent changes in other tissues examined. Heparin had no
      effect on the clearance of circulating LPL but did reduce the total body pool of
      endothelial-bound enzyme. No changes in fasting triacylglycerol and free glycerol
      were observed, but exogenous VLDL were cleared at a faster rate in heparinized
      animals. Since the latter also manifested a decrease in de novo fatty acid
      synthesis, it seems that the heparinized rat is able to maintain circulating
      levels of triacylglycerol by efficient re-esterification of preformed fatty acids
      despite the enhanced lipolysis consequent upon higher plasma LPL activity.

PMID- 1877389
TI  - Application of metabolic-control logic to fuel utilization and its significance
      in tumor cells.
AB  - The importance and the value of applying metabolic-control logic to the question
      of fuels, their rates of utilization and their significance to the process of
      proliferation are presented. Application of the recently developed quantitative
      theory of metabolic control of branched pathways provides a hypothesis to account
      for the high rate of both glycolysis and glutaminolysis in lymphocytes,
      macrophages and, in particular, in tumor cells. Both glycolysis and
      glutaminolysis provide metabolic intermediates for biosynthetic pathways: for
      example, glucose-6-phosphate for the formation of ribose-5-phosphate, and
      glutamine, ammonia and aspartate which are required for the synthesis of purine
      and pyrimidine nucleotides. However, the rates of both glycolysis and
      glutaminolysis are greatly in excess (greater than 400-fold) of the requirements
      for the biosynthetic processes. If energy formation per se was the major reason
      for the high rate of glutamine utilization, why is the oxidation only partial?
      The ability of the cell to divide will require the synthesis of all the DNA, RNA,
      phospholipids, etc., at precise times in the cell cycle. Hence very high and
      accurate sensitivity of the processes that provide the precursors for these
      compounds to their specific regulators will be expected. Maintenance of high
      rates of glycolysis and glutaminolysis at all times can be seen therefore as a
      device to allow intermediates to be "tapped off" at the precise rate required
      whenever they are needed for biosynthesis. Maximal activities of some key enzymes
      of glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and glutaminolysis from a variety of
      normal, neoplastic and suppressed cells are presented. The relative activities of
      hexokinase and 6-phosphofructokinase suggest that, particularly in neoplastic
      cells, in which the capacity for glucose transport is high, hexokinase could
      approach saturation in respect to intracellular glucose; consequently, hexokinase
      and phosphofructokinase could play an important role in the regulation of
      glycolytic flux in these cells. The activity of pyruvate kinase is considerably
      higher in tumorigenic cells than in nontumorigenic cells and higher in metastatic
      cells than in tumorigenic cells: for nontumorigenic cells the activities range
      from 28.4 to 574, for tumorigenic cells from 899 to 1280, and for metastatic
      cells from 1590 to 1627 nmol/min per mg of protein. The ratio of pyruvate kinase
      activity to 2 x phosphofructokinase activity is very high in neoplastic cells.
      The mean is 22.4 for neoplastic cells, whereas for muscle from 60 different
      animals it is only 3.8.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1877391
TI  - Structural and functional diversities of a family of signal transducing protein
      kinases, protein kinase C family; two distinct classes of PKC, conventional cPKC
      and novel nPKC.
AB  - Recent molecular cloning and biochemical experiments on the nature of protein
      kinase C (PKC) have revealed the existence of two distinct classes of phorbol
      ester (and diacylglycerol) receptor/protein kinase, conventional PKC (cPKC) and
      novel PKC (nPKC). Each of these classes contains multiple related molecules
      expressed in tissues and cells in a type-specific manner. Although nPKC does not
      show the typical PKC activity ascribable to conventional PKCs and thus was
      neglected in earlier studies, several lines of evidence suggest that nPKCs are
      involved in a variety of cell responses to physiological stimuli and phorbol
      esters. It is possible that in some cases nPKC is the major mediator of the so
      called PKC-activators, such as phorbol esters, mezerein, and bryostatins. In
      addition to the clear difference between cPKC and nPKC, functional diversity
      among conventional PKCs has also been demonstrated; PKC gamma differs in its
      competence to mediate the signal toward transcriptional activation through TPA
      responsive cis-acting elements from cPKC alpha and nPKC epsilon. The differences
      between cPKC and nPKC and among the individual members of each of these two
      classes, and their specific pattern of distribution in tissues and cells, provide
      a rationale by which to explain the specificity and diversity of cellular
      responses to external stimuli generating DAG and to phorbol esters. The results
      presented here also provide a means to dissect the complex signaling pathway in
      cells and to analyze the molecular basis underlying the signal transduction
      processes mediated by this family of protein kinases.

PMID- 1877390
TI  - Alternative splicing is an efficient mechanism for the generation of protein
      diversity: contractile protein genes as a model system.
AB  - Alternative splicing has emerged in recent years as a widespread device for
      regulating gene expression and generating protein diversity. Its analysis has
      provided some mechanistic understanding of this form of gene regulation and, in
      addition, has provided new insights into some fundamental aspects of splicing.
      This mode of regulation is particularly prevalent in muscle cells, where genes
      such as troponin T are able to generate up to 64 different isoforms from a single
      transcriptional unit. Alternative splicing has the potential to raise the coding
      capacity of the small multigene families that code for the contractile proteins
      so that several million structurally different sarcomeres can be generated. The
      mammalian alpha-tropomyosin gene has proved particularly useful for the analysis
      of the mechanisms involved in this type of regulation. In particular, the
      mutually exclusive splicing of exons 2 and 3 has provided answers about the
      processes involved in the three main regulatory steps: (a) establishment of
      mutually exclusive behavior; (b) the elements involved in setting up the default
      pattern of splicing, and (c) the switch from the default to the regulated
      splicing pattern in some cell types.

PMID- 1877392
TI  - Construction and chemotherapeutic potential of carboxypeptidase-A/monoclonal
      antibody conjugate.
AB  - Carboxypeptidase-A and a monoclonal antibody (KS1/4) directed against a human
      lung carcinoma cell line (UCLA-P3) were derivatized by treatment with
      succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate and N-succinimidyl 3
      (2-pyridyldithio)propionate, respectively. Admixture of these entities produced a
      stable conjugate containing 4 to 5 enzyme molecules per molecule of antibody. The
      conjugate (Mr approximately equal to 300 kDa) was purified to homogeneity by HPLC
      gel filtration and HPLC ion-exchange chromatography. Neither the catalytic
      activity of the enzyme nor the antigen-binding capacity of the monoclonal
      antibody was impaired in the conjugate. UCLA-P3 cells that had been exposed to
      the conjugate and then washed thoroughly were extremely sensitive to methotrexate
      alpha-alanine (MTX-Ala), a prodrug form of MTX. At 10(-5) M, MTX-Ala was almost
      as effective as free MTX in blocking the replication of conjugate-treated cells.
      These results demonstrate the chemotherapeutic potential of enzyme-monoclonal
      antibody conjugates used in conjunction with prodrugs.

PMID- 1877393
TI  - Platinum coordination complexes which circumvent cisplatin resistance.
AB  - In the search for a platinum complex capable of oral administration, the poor
      bioavailability of established drugs has been circumvented by the discovery of a
      novel class of platinum (IV) ammine/amine dicarboxylate dichlorides. These
      compounds, when administered orally to mice carrying the ADJ/PC6 plasmacytoma,
      exhibit antitumor selectivities far superior to those of cisplatin or carboplatin
      (given intraperitoneally). Oral activity comparable to that of intraperitoneal
      cisplatin and carboplatin has also been demonstrated in a panel of human ovarian
      tumor xenografts. Platinum (IV) ammine/amine dicarboxylates retain cytotoxicity
      in cultures of L1210/cisplatin and L1210/tetraplatin acquired resistant cells.
      This property does not translate into a cisplatin-resistant variant of the
      ADJ/PC6 tumor, in the example of JM221. This result reflects experience with
      tetraplatin, a drug currently in phase I study, which is comparably ineffective
      against an ADJ/PC6/cisplatin variant. It is a moot point whether either L1210 or
      ADJ/PC6/cisplatin-resistant variants are clinically predictive screening models,
      since this issue must be determined ultimately by clinical study. We have
      attempted to resolve this dichotomy through the establishment of human ovarian
      carcinoma lines, both in vitro and in vivo, where there is evidence that response
      to platinum coordination complexes in the several models reflects that of the
      donor patient's tumor to platinum-based clinical therapy. The data herein for
      platinum (IV) ammine/amine dicarboxylates in these models gives encouragement to
      the notion that these novel compounds may be of value as oral therapeutic agents,
      whilst also providing an important lead to the discovery and development of a new
      generation of platinum drugs possessing broad clinical utility.

PMID- 1877394
TI  - Enhanced expression of the cellular oncogene MYCN and progression of human
      neuroblastoma.
AB  - A central issue in cancer research is how tumors evolve and acquire a more
      aggressive phenotype. It is a widely discussed hypothesis that tumor cell
      populations progress by evolutionary change as a result of the generation of a
      variant cell through genomic instability followed by selection of particular
      variant clones having a growth advantage within the particular tissue
      environment. Genetic instability appears to be characteristic of neoplastic
      cells, but no consistent increase in instability seems to accompany progression
      of the malignant phenotype of the tumor. It is reasonable to assume that
      quantitative or qualitative changes of cellular oncogenes contribute to the
      emergence of more malignant phenotypes. Although any one of the molecular changes
      of cellular oncogenes identified over the past years is a good candidate as an
      element in progression, amplification appears particularly frequently as a
      correlate to advanced tumor stage. The fact that amplification does not show up
      in all progressing tumors of a particular type, for instance in only 50% of
      advanced-stage neuroblastomas, is often construed as speaking against a role in
      progression. One should be aware, however, that it is the enhanced expression of
      a gene consequent to amplification and not amplification per se that affects the
      cellular phenotype. There are alternative molecular pathways by which expression
      of a particular gene may become deregulated. During the past decade much
      information has accrued about genetic alterations in tumor cells. The activation
      of the oncogenic potential of cellular genes can take different routes among
      which mutational alteration, translocation and amplification predominate. In
      particular, amplification has found its way to practical use due to its
      association with more aggressively growing types of human cancer. MYCN
      amplification in neuroblastoma is a paradigm for the prognostic significance of
      oncogene alteration, and at the same time has represented the clinical debut of
      oncogene research. The full significance of oncogene amplification as a predictor
      for poor prognosis became clear with the more recent identification of amplified
      ERBB2 in aggressively growing breast cancers. The state of the art is that
      amplified cellular oncogenes define cancer patients who have a poor prognosis and
      require a specific therapeutic regimen.

PMID- 1877395
TI  - The heterologous expression of the cytochromes P450: a new approach for the study
      of enzyme activities and regulation.
AB  - The superfamily of cytochrome P450s encompasses a vast arena of biologically
      important reactions. The ever-increasing numbers of P450s and the diversity of
      their enzymatic properties dictate the need to develop new approaches for
      studying their chemical, physical and catalytic properties. The heterologous
      expression of P450s in various cell systems (e.g., COS cells, yeast, E. coli,
      etc.) now provides a means of producing recombinant proteins for such studies.
      The example is presented of the expression of P450(17)alpha in COS cells and the
      use of this technique for the comparison of the enzymatic properties of the rat,
      bovine and human enzymes. Further, studies are described whereby cotransfection
      results in the simultaneous expression of more than one P450 permitting the
      construction of 'designer membranes' for assessing protein-protein interactions
      and the reconstruction of complex pathways of metabolism. Recent advances with
      genetically engineered systems point to the power of the transfection technique
      for the study of structure-function relationships with this class of important
      hemoproteins.

PMID- 1877396
TI  - Inositol lipid phosphorylation in the cell nucleus.
AB  - Inositol lipid metabolism has been analyzed in isolated rat liver nuclei and
      nuclear fractions, in order to determine the subcellular distribution of the
      sites of lipid phosphorylation and breakdown. Lipid kinases and phosphoesterases
      appear to be tightly bound nuclear components, and can utilize exogenous
      substrates administered to membrane-depleted structures. The possible involvement
      of specific carrier protein in the nuclear metabolism of inositol lipids has also
      been analysed by studying the uptake and processing of phosphatidylinositol
      transferred to the isolated nuclei by phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PI
      TP). PI-TP greatly stimulates the incorporation of phosphatidylinositol from
      microsomal membranes and synthetic vesicles, and the lipid taken up is available
      for phosphorylation and breakdown by enzymes associated to the nucleus. The
      results obtained support previous data on the metabolic and structural role of
      nuclear lipids, and suggest that the cell nucleus is a site of lipid
      phosphorylation, not necessarily involving enzymes and substrates located on the
      nuclear membrane. They also indicate that an integrated signalling pathway can
      exist at the nuclear level utilizing inositol lipid-derived second messengers and
      PKC to control replication and transcription.

PMID- 1877397
TI  - Hydrophobized antiviral antibodies and antisense oligonucleotides.
AB  - A method of suppressing virus reproduction in cells has been proposed. The
      approach consists of affecting the cells with antiviral antibodies artificially
      hydrophobized with fatty acid residues. Reproduction of influenza viruses in MDCK
      cells and respiratory-synticial virus in HeLa cells was used as a model to
      demonstrate that poly- and monoclonal antibodies, modified by 1 or 2 stearic acid
      residues, are potent, unlike the non-modified antibodies, at inhibiting viral
      reproduction. The observed phenomenon is apparently due to penetration of
      hydrophobized antibodies into the cells. Thus, in particular, considerable
      antiviral activity is exhibited by monoclonal antibodies against NP-protein of
      influenza virus, which is an antigen accessible to antibodies only inside the
      infected cells. Hydrophobized antibodies do not affect the kinetics of viral
      protein synthesis; they block the virus withdrawal from the cells, probably by
      interfering with the assembling and budding of virus particles. To enhance
      penetration of oligonucleotides ("oligos") into cells, chemical modification of
      the former at the 5'-end phosphate group by fatty radicals has been suggested.
      The undecanol-modified oligo namely an oligo complementary to the protein binding
      sites located at the influenza virus polymerases encoding RNA, was synthesized
      using a DNA-synthesator. The above modified oligo effectively suppressed the
      influenza A/PR8/34 virus reproduction and inhibited synthesis of the virus
      specific proteins in MDCK cells. The non-modified antisense oligo and the
      modified nonsense oligo did not affect the virus development under the same
      conditions.

PMID- 1877398
TI  - Properties of purine and pyrimidine analogs.

PMID- 1877399
TI  - Regulation of de novo and salvage pathways in chemotherapy.
AB  - An overview was presented of our approach of inhibition of de novo and salvage
      pathways in pyrimidine and purine metabolism. 1. Combination of acivicin, an
      inhibitor of de novo biosynthesis, and dipyridamole, a transport inhibitor,
      provided synergistic cytotoxicity in hepatoma and colon carcinoma cells. 2. AZT,
      a competitive inhibitor of the salvage enzyme, thymidine kinase, and 5-FU or MTX
      provided synergistic cytotoxicity in hepatoma 3924A. In human colon carcinoma HT
      29 cells AZT and methotrexate yielded synergistic cytotoxicity and thymidine and
      hypoxanthine together provided protection from the action of these drugs. 3.
      These observations are significant because in rat hepatoma 3924A and in human
      cell lines HT-29, HL-60 and K562 thymidine kinase activity was 16- to 67-fold
      higher than that of dTMP synthase. Therefore, inhibition of dTMP synthase
      activity alone may provide poor responses because the salvage pathways can
      circumvent this block. 4. In leukemic patients treated with tiazofurin, an
      inhibitor of IMP dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting enzyme of GTP biosynthesis, and
      with allopurinol, which inhibits GPRT activity through raising plasma
      hypoxanthine levels, synergistic therapeutic results were obtained. The responses
      in sensitive patients entailed a decrease in IMP dehydrogenase activity and GTP
      concentration in leukemic cells and down-regulation of the ras and myc oncogenes.
      The down-regulation of the ras oncogene by tiazofurin through the decrease of GTP
      concentration has now been shown in K562, HL-60 and hepatoma cells and in
      patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia in blast crisis. Tiazofurin may be
      useful in studies on selective depression of the expression of the ras oncogene.
      5. In 27 consecutive patients 50% responded positively to tiazofurin treatment.
      From this group, 10 out of 12 patients (83%) with chronic granulocytic leukemia
      in blast crisis responded to tiazofurin treatment.

PMID- 1877401
TI  - [Optic disc and glaucoma].

PMID- 1877400
TI  - Studies on the mechanisms of inhibition of L1210 cell growth by 3,4
      dihydroxybenzohydroxamic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzamidoxime.
AB  - Didox and Amidox inhibit L1210 cell growth in culture. At least one of the
      mechanisms in the mode(s) of action of the compounds is directed at the
      ribonucleotide reductase site. Partially purified preparations of ribonucleotide
      reductase activity are inhibited by Amidox and Didox. The formation of
      deoxycytidine nucleotides from [14C]cytidine in intact L1210 cells is also
      blocked. Didox and Amidox cause the decrease in the intracellular pools of the
      four dNTPs. Hydroxyurea-resistant L1210 cells are not cross-resistant to either
      Didox or Amidox. These data suggest that Didox and Amidox are not inhibiting
      ribonucleotide reductase through a mechanism similar to hydroxyurea.

PMID- 1877402
TI  - [Extracellular matrix of the optic nerve lamina cribrosa in monkey eyes with
      experimentally induced glaucoma].
AB  - The changes of immunoreactivity and immunolocalization of the extracellular
      matrices (ECM), collagen type I through VI, laminin, fibronectin and alpha
      elastin, of optic nerve lamina cribrosa in argon laser induced glaucoma in monkey
      eyes were examined using a immunohistochemical method, biotin-streptavidin
      system. The results were consistent with the previous findings that in the
      experimental glaucoma eyes, diffuse immunoreactivity of collagen type I, III, V,
      VI, fibronectin were detected in the thickened and irregular laminar beams, while
      linear staining for collagen type IV and laminin were seen around the laminar
      beams and vascular walls were densely, thickly and irregularly, and furthermore
      immunoreactivity for alpha-elastin was reduced markedly in the glial columns and
      moderately in the lamina cribrosa. In the lamina cribrosa with optic disc cupping
      in laser-induced monkey glaucoma, the immunoreactivity for alpha-elastin was
      changed most greatly, and no qualitative differences were detected in comparison
      with normal fellow eyes for the other ECM components.

PMID- 1877403
TI  - [The distribution and characterization of sulfated-proteoglycans in the normal
      human lamina cribrosa].
AB  - The distribution and morphological characterization of the sulfated-proteoglycans
      in the normal human lamina cribrosa under the electron microscope after staining
      with cationic-dye (Cuprolinic-Blue) in critical electrolyte condition were
      studied. Three types of Cuprolinic-Blue positive filaments were identified
      associated with collagen in the lamina cribrosa according to their size, electro
      density and their relation to the collagen fibrils. The thin and short Cuprolinic
      Blue positive filaments (referred to as CB-1 filament in this communication)
      distributed over the collagen fibers in relatively regular fashion. The
      intermediate-sized Cuprolinic-Blue positive filaments (CB-2) were seen randomly
      associated with collagen fibers. The clusters of large CB-3 filaments were seen
      unevenly associated with loosely packed collagen fibers. The higher electron
      density of CB-2 and CB-3 filaments than those of CB-1 filaments were also
      demonstrated. Cuprolinic-Blue positive dots and blots as well as various sizes of
      filaments could be identified in the basal lamina surrounding the collagen beams
      and in the basement membrane of the blood vessels.

PMID- 1877404
TI  - [Scanning electron microscopic observation of the collagen fibrillar network in
      Bruch's membrane by cell maceration].
AB  - Cellular elements, including retinal pigment epithelia, were removed by the cell
      maceration method to obtain a three-dimensional view of the collagen fibrillar
      networks of Bruch's membrane. A bird's eye view of the inner collagenous zone of
      Bruch's membrane was obtained using the eyes of albino rabbits and Japanese
      monkeys. The eyes were treated with a low concentration of NaOH for several days
      and then observed with a scanning electron microscope. This procedure allowed the
      exposed inner collagenous zone of Bruch's membrane to be observed. In addition,
      the outer collagenous zone was also be observed in some of the specimens. Both
      zones were formed by dense lattices of fine collagen fibrils, and these fibrils
      frequently formed bundles in the outer collagenous zone. In the posterior poles
      of the eyes obtained from Japanese monkeys, a network of wavy fine collagen
      fibrils was observed. In both outer and inner collagenous zones, most of the
      collagen fibrils ran parallel to the retina. Fenestration of the sheet-like
      elastic layer was frequently observed through gaps in the thin collagen fibrillar
      network of the inner collagenous zone. The method employed in this study was
      considered suitable to obtain a wide bird's eye view of the collagenous zone of
      Bruch's membrane.

PMID- 1877405
TI  - [Three-dimensional observation of elastic tissue in Bruch's membrane by formic
      acid extraction].
AB  - Japanese monkey and albino rabbit choroid were treated with hot-formic acid to
      remove the cellular elements and the extracellular matrices excluding the elastic
      tissues so that both three-dimensional and bird's eye views of the elastic layer
      of Bruch's membrane could be obtained. The only elastic layer was extracted and
      observed with a scanning electron microscope. Elastic layers were frequently
      extracted as translucent monolayered sheets with oval, sector-shaped
      fenestrations of varying sizes. Elastic fibers of 100-200nm in diameter crossed
      each other in these fenestrations. Other fine fibers connecting these elastic
      fibers and their sheet-like elastic plate were also observed. In Japanese monkey
      eyes, lattice structures formed by thick elastic fibers, 200-300nm in diameter,
      were conspicuous. This method proved suitable for the observation of the three
      dimensional structure of the elastic layer of Bruch's membrane.

PMID- 1877406
TI  - [Lectin binding in the interphotoreceptor matrix in neuraminidase-induced retinal
      detachment].
AB  - Binding sites of fluorescence isocyanate-labeled lectins, peanut agglutinin (PNA)
      and Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 (RCA-1), were studied in the interphotoreceptor
      matrix (IPM) of adult rat retinas that were pretreated with an intravitreous
      injection of neuroaminidase. The localization of binding sites to the subretinal
      IPM differed significantly between the two lectins. PNA bound to the subretinal
      IPM components in a cord-like fashion that formed a bridge between the apical
      photoreceptor outer segments and the surface of the RPE. On the other hand, RCA-1
      showed homogeneously prominent binding to the subretinal space IPM, the intensity
      of which appeared to inversely correlate with the extent of neuraminidase-induced
      retinal separation. The results suggest that the IPM may consist of mucin-type
      glycoconjugates as recognized by PNA and serum-type ones as bound by RCA-1, and
      that these IPM components may play different roles in the maintenance and
      organization of photoreceptor-RPE complex, e.g. the mucin-type for the retinal
      adhesion and the serum-type for the transport of metabolites.

PMID- 1877407
TI  - [A comparative study of optic disc appearances in progressive and non-progressive
      low-tension glaucoma].
AB  - The relation between the optic disc appearances and the progression of visual
      field defects was studied by retrospective case review of 148 eyes of 74 patients
      with a diagnosis of low-tension glaucoma (LTG). Visual fields were tested by a
      Goldmann perimeter and the subjects were divided into two groups, i.e. 43 eyes
      (29.1%) with progression and 105 eyes (70.9%) without progression, according to
      Esterman's scale. In the group which showed progression, mean IOP (p less than
      0.05), level of change in IOP and maximum of IOP (p less than 0.01) were
      significantly higher. No differences were observed in any of the following
      parameters: prevalence of peripapillary hemorrhage or crescent, rim pallor,
      disc/arteriole ratio, number of rim-crossing vessels. Mildly hypoplastic disc,
      however, was statistically more frequent in the progressive group (p less than
      0.05). The authors suspect that not only IOP but some inherent factors concerning
      the optic nerve head may play an important role in the progression of LTG.

PMID- 1877408
TI  - [Reproducibility of three-dimensional point by point measurements on the optic
      nerve head surface using a computerized image analysis system].
AB  - The reproducibility of topographic measurements of the optic nerve head was
      studied using a prototype Humphrey Retinal Analyzer system (Allergan Humphrey
      SKB, San Leandro, CA). Digital simultaneous stereographic images were obtained
      using programs in the Analyzer. The analyzer expressed the results in terms of
      microns of elevation at approximately 300 locations on the optic nerve head
      surface. At least 3 separate stereoscopic digital images were made of each of 8
      eyes of 5 subjects. One randomly selected image of each disc was analyzed twice
      in order to determine intra-image reproducibility, and topographic analyses of
      two randomly selected images of each disc were compared to estimate the inter
      image variability. We calculated the coefficients of variation (CV) of
      measurements at the center point of the optic disc. Further, we computed the
      absolute value of the difference in the degree of elevation among the measured
      locations on the optic disc and calculated the median and 95 percentile value of
      that group of approximately 300 differences. The CV, medians, and the 95
      percentile values thus obtained for the 8 discs ranged from 0 to 6.1%, from 6 to
      20 microns, and from 20 to 69 microns, respectively for intra-image
      reproducibility. Those for inter-image reproducibility ranged from 1.5 to 59.1%,
      from 6 to 33 microns, and from 36 to 92 microns, respectively.

PMID- 1877409
TI  - [Color vision defects of macular diseases].
AB  - Patients with macular diseases such as x-linked juvenile retinoschisis, cone
      dystrophy, and age-related macular degeneration were studied regarding color
      vision defects. In 9 of 15 eyes of patients with x-linked juvenile retinoschisis,
      blue-yellow defects were demonstrated. In the older patients with this dystrophy,
      color vision defects were more severe than in younger ones. Fluorescein
      angiography revealed retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) atrophy at the macular area
      in these older patients. Therefore, it was suggested that the color vision
      defects were due to dysfunction of the outer sensory retina, occurring
      secondarily to the inner sensory retina. In patients with cone dystrophy, all the
      examined eyes showed severe color vision defects. It was proved that the size of
      the atrophic lesion which when ophthalmoscopically evaluated was found to have
      some relationship with the degree of color vision defects. In patients with age
      related macular degeneration, most of the examined eyes showed color vision
      defects. Moreover eyes with soft drusen formation and/or RPE detachment usually
      showed more severe color vision defects than the eyes with hard drusen formation
      and/or RPE atrophy.

PMID- 1877410
TI  - [The investigation of the stereoacuity in infants measured by the TV-Random Dot
      Stereo Test].
AB  - Evaluation of the level of stereoacuity in infants as early as possible is very
      important to detecting abnormalities and preventing further disturbance in visual
      functions. We developed a new instrument which permits the quantitative
      measurement of stereoacuity in infants. A total of 217 ophthalmologically normal
      infants were tested and stereoacuity was detected in 141 infants. Stereopsis is
      likely to arise at 3-4 months of age and develops as the infant grows. It can
      develop rapidly after the age of one year. The rate of detection was 48% in
      infants below 6 months old, and 65% as an overall mean among all age groups under
      3 years of age. This new instrument, the TV-Random Dot Stereo Test, is very
      important to quantitatively measure stereoacuity of infants aged under 3 years,
      more simply and with greater reliability than other kinds of stereo tests for
      infants.

PMID- 1877411
TI  - [Endophthalmitis in Japan--a nationwide study with reference to type and
      etiology].
AB  - A nationwide clinical study on bacterial and fungal endophthalmitis was done with
      special reference to their type and etiology. Two hundred and eighty cases of
      endophthalmitis were reviewed. All cases were divided into two categories such as
      exogenous (trauma, surgery, and ulcer) and endogenous (metastasis). Penetrating
      trauma was responsible for 93 cases (33.2%), surgery for 88 cases (31.4%), ulcer
      for 11 cases (3.9%) and metastasis for 88 cases (31.4%). Out of the 280 cases, 79
      cases (28.2%) were microbiologically diagnosed through aqueous or vitreous tap or
      biopsy. The total numbers of isolated organisms amounted to 87 consisting of 43
      Gram-positive bacteria, 30 Gram-negative bacteria and 14 fungi. The positive
      isolation was 31 out of 86 (36%) from the aqueous and 52 out of 103 (50%) from
      the vitreous. Exogenous types associated with trauma, surgery or ulcer were
      mainly caused by Gram-positive bacteria of 37 strains, led by coagulase-negative
      staphylococci in 14 cases. On the other hand, endogenous cases were mainly due to
      Gram-negative bacteria of 14 strains including Klebsiella pneumoniae in 5 cases,
      E. coli in 4 cases and fungi of 11 strains including candida spp in 9 cases.

PMID- 1877412
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of modifications of the SRK formula].
AB  - It was previously reported that the axial length and the refractive error were
      analyzed in selecting intraocular lens powers which were calculated by the SRK
      formula. Moreover, the predicted postoperative refraction was compared with the
      actual postoperative refraction. Two modifications of the SRK formula were
      derived from these relationships as follows; Modified SRK formula 1: R = 0.98 (P
      I)-0.16L + 4.48, Modified SRK formula 2: R = 0.82 (P-I)-0.21L + 5.39. The
      modifications of the SRK formula were evaluated in 200 other eyes after posterior
      chamber lens implantation. As a result, the average refractive error was + 0.397
      +/- 0.585D by the standard SRK formula, but it decreased by an average numbers of
      + 0.037 +/- 0.557D and + 0.047 +/- 0.547D respectively by modified SRK formulae 1
      and 2. While the incidence of deviation within +/- 1.0D was 87.0% for the
      standard SRK formula, it was 94. 5% for both modified SRK formulas. The
      refractive errors, moreover, were less dependent on the axial length with both
      modified SRK formulae. The predicted postoperative refraction was more accurate
      by modified SRK formulae, especially between emmetropia and myopia up to 0.5
      diopters.

PMID- 1877413
TI  - [A case of lacrimal gland malignant lymphoma, associated with Sjogren's
      syndrome].
AB  - A 64 year-old female complained of left upper lid swelling. Painless mass lesions
      were found in her bilateral lacrimal gland areas. She also complained of a dry
      sensation in both eyes and her mouth. The rose bengal test, Schirmer's test and
      fluorescein dye test were positive. Lip biopsy revealed chronic sialoadenitis and
      rheumatoid factor titer was elevated. Anti-nuclear and anti-RNP antibodies were
      positive. Anti-SS-A and anti-SS-B antibodies were both negative. Left pre-and
      post auricular, cervical and inguinal lymph nodes were palpable. Excisional
      biopsies of bilateral orbital lesions and an inguinal lymph node revealed the
      presence of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the right orbit, and B cell type,
      diffuse, large cell lymphoma, in the left orbit and inguinal lymph node.
      Intensive chemotherapy resulted in complete remission. Lacrimal gland lymphoma
      must be considered when examining cases of Sjogren's syndrome.

PMID- 1877415
TI  - Is organized medicine dying?

PMID- 1877414
TI  - [A case of central retinal vein occlusion accompanied by central retinal artery
      occlusion].
AB  - A 81-year-old woman developed central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in her left
      eye subsequent to central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). She noticed sudden
      visual loss in the left eye. At initial examination, her left visual acuity was
      0.03, and only a small visual field was preserved at temporal area. The left
      fundus showed findings of mild non-ischemic CRVO. In addition white clouded
      retina was recognized at the left posterior pole which indicated CRAO. FAG showed
      remarkably prolonged arterial circulation, but no retinal capillary obliteration.
      Then retinal hemorrhage increased rapidly and her left eye developed hemorrhagic
      retinopathy. Two weeks after initial examination, FAG showed extensive retinal
      capillary obliteration. In this case it was supposed that central retinal artery
      occlusion due to arteriosclerosis produced ischemic capillaropathy and venous
      thrombosis, after which restoration of arterial circulation caused hemorrhagic
      retinopathy.

PMID- 1877416
TI  - Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis in community hospitals.
AB  - We compared 13 cases of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis from community
      hospitals to previous series all of which originated from university or tertiary
      care hospitals. In our experience Staph. aureus was the third leading cause of
      endocarditis and accounted for 20% of cases. The infection presented as one of
      three syndromes: native valve endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis and
      endocarditis in drug addicts. Laboratory data revealed leukocytosis; infiltrates,
      nodules, congestive heart failure and cardiomegaly were seen on chest x-ray; and
      echocardiography infrequently detected vegetations. Criteria which favored the
      diagnosis of endocarditis in staphylococcemic patients were: absence of a primary
      site of infection, community acquisition of infection, metastatic infectious
      sequelae and vegetations documented by echocardiography. Treatment requires
      prolonged intravenous administration of high dose bactericidal antimicrobial
      agents; commonly nafcillin or oxacillin combined for a variable period with
      gentamicin. The mortality rate in our series was 23% and complications occurred
      in 70% of cases.

PMID- 1877417
TI  - The FDA as an information source for family physicians.

PMID- 1877418
TI  - ACOG issues report on induction and augmentation of labor.

PMID- 1877419
TI  - Good news from Washington, D.C.: medical malpractice reform proposals.

PMID- 1877420
TI  - Senate adopts two amendments on HIV and health professionals.

PMID- 1877421
TI  - Medicare, geriatrics and the family physician.

PMID- 1877422
TI  - Storage of poliovirus vaccine.

PMID- 1877423
TI  - The meaning of basic health care.

PMID- 1877424
TI  - Front-line attack on STD epidemic.

PMID- 1877425
TI  - Esophageal foreign bodies.
AB  - An impacted esophageal foreign body is most often an urgent, rather than a life
      threatening, medical situation. Pharmacologic or mechanical methods can be used
      to relieve the impaction, depending on the patient, as well as the location and
      physical properties of the foreign body. Flexible fiberoptic esophagoscopy is the
      accepted standard of care for removal of an object that is not smooth,
      radiopaque, inert or recently impacted. Although controversial, balloon catheter
      extraction may be an acceptable alternative in selected cases of esophageal
      impaction. Intravenous glucagon is useful in relieving distal impaction.

PMID- 1877426
TI  - Testicular torsion: a surgical emergency.
AB  - Testicular torsion is caused by twisting of the spermatic cord, which results in
      compromised testicular blood flow. The degree of ischemic injury is determined by
      the severity of arterial compression and the interval between the onset of
      symptoms and surgical intervention. Torsion usually occurs at puberty, and an
      anatomic defect known as "bell-clapper" deformity is usually present. Typical
      symptoms include acute scrotal pain with associated nausea and vomiting. Up to
      one-half of patients report previous similar episodes. On examination, the testis
      is high-riding, tender, swollen and firm. Testicular scan or Doppler ultrasound
      examination can be helpful in distinguishing torsion from acute epididymitis.
      Prompt surgical treatment is indicated to reduce the torsion, and bilateral
      orchiopexy is performed to prevent recurrence. Exocrine function, as determined
      by semen analysis, is often abnormal after unilateral torsion.

PMID- 1877427
TI  - Office dermatologic testing: the Tzanck preparation.
AB  - Whether a vesicobullous disease is intraepidermal or subepidermal is often
      difficult to determine from the clinical examination. The Tzanck preparation can
      provide clues that aid in the diagnosis of a number of diseases. It is
      particularly helpful in confirming the diagnosis of herpes infection. This
      article outlines the materials and steps for performing this valuable test.

PMID- 1877428
TI  - Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis: current criteria.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory connective tissue
      disorder with major effects on the articular system. Causative mechanisms remain
      unknown, and no specific diagnostic tests are available. Descriptive criteria
      form the basis of disease classification and diagnosis. Either the 1987 American
      College of Rheumatology criteria for classification of rheumatoid arthritis or
      the new rheumatoid arthritis classification tree may be used to diagnose and
      classify this disease.

PMID- 1877429
TI  - Idiopathic hemochromatosis.
AB  - Hemochromatosis is a rare disorder in which about four times the normal amount of
      iron is absorbed in the intestine, resulting in the accumulation of iron in the
      skin, liver, pancreas and heart. Radiographic features may include a small liver
      on plain abdominal films, increased hepatic density on computed tomographic
      imaging, and loss of liver signal on magnetic resonance imaging as a result of
      the strong paramagnetic effect of iron. Management includes phlebotomy and
      supportive treatment of damaged organs.

PMID- 1877430
TI  - Serious soft tissue infections of the head and neck.
AB  - The head and neck contain a number of spaces that can be invaded by organisms of
      the mouth or by spread of cervical osteomyelitis. Infection in these spaces may
      progress from superficial infection to cellulitis to the formation of an abscess
      requiring immediate drainage. Spread of infection between spaces depends on
      anatomic location. Most patients require hospitalization and intravenous
      antibiotic therapy. Because a deep space infection may be occult, a high index of
      suspicion is required for diagnosis. Early recognition is necessary to avoid
      tissue damage, bacteremia or airway compromise. The possibility of deep space
      infection should be considered in any patient who does not respond to the usual
      treatment of an abscessed tooth or tonsillitis. This type of infection also
      should be considered in a toxic patient who has a fever of unknown origin, with
      or without blood cultures that show anaerobic organisms. Computed tomography or
      magnetic resonance imaging is usually necessary to locate the infection and to
      detect suppuration that will be amenable to surgical exploration and drainage.

PMID- 1877431
TI  - Techniques for antepartum fetal surveillance.
AB  - Deciding when to intervene in a pregnancy can be a complicated problem. Several
      methods of antepartum fetal surveillance can be helpful in the assessment of
      fetal well-being. The nonstress test is an effective screening tool for fetal
      well-being. Newer techniques such as the biophysical profile, fetal vibroacoustic
      stimulation and Doppler velocimetry are also available.

PMID- 1877432
TI  - Alcoholism in women.
AB  - Women differ from men in their drinking patterns and in the biologic consequences
      of alcohol use. Women more often drink at home and conceal their drinking
      behavior. Because women have a higher percentage of body fat and a lower
      percentage of body water than men, the same amount of alcohol causes more severe
      toxic effects in women than in men. Heavy alcohol consumption in women is
      associated with gynecologic dysfunction and fetal alcohol syndrome. Depression,
      anxiety or other psychiatric illness is also common in women alcoholics. Family
      physicians should be alert to the subtle behaviors that suggest alcoholism and be
      familiar with the available community resources and treatment options.

PMID- 1877433
TI  - Treatment of diabetes in the elderly.
AB  - Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common medical problems in elderly patients.
      There is a strong rationale for therapy in most patients with diabetes, even
      those who are asymptomatic. Family physicians should be aware of several age
      associated differences in the management and treatment of diabetes in older
      patients. For elderly patients, dietary modifications may include an increase in
      the percentage of carbohydrates and a decrease in the percentage of fat. For
      obese patients, dietary therapy should also emphasize a decrease in overall
      calories. Oral hypoglycemic agents are generally used as the initial drug
      therapy. Insulin therapy should be instituted when oral agents fail to reduce the
      blood glucose level, when the blood glucose level is very high and in other
      special circumstances. A careful choice of medications for other common problems
      associated with diabetes, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and peripheral
      neuropathy, is also essential.

PMID- 1877434
TI  - Adenosine for paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
AB  - Adenosine is the most recent drug approved for the treatment of paroxysmal
      supraventricular tachycardia. Its advantage is that it is just as effective as
      verapamil and is far less toxic. The lack of toxicity is due to the extremely
      short half-life (one to seven seconds). The mechanism of action of adenosine is
      different from that of other antiarrhythmic agents. For the specific purpose of
      ameliorating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, adenosine appears to be an
      ideal antiarrhythmic drug.

PMID- 1877435
TI  - HIV can be transmitted from asymptomatic carriers.

PMID- 1877436
TI  - Frequency of late reversibility in stress-redistribution thallium-201 SPECT using
      an early reinjection protocol.
AB  - To assess the efficacy of an early thallium-201 reinjection protocol for reducing
      the need for late redistribution imaging, the frequency of thallium-201 late
      reversibility was prospectively assessed in 62 patients who had stress
      redistribution thallium-201 studies by single-photon emission computerized
      tomography (SPECT), and who received 1 mCi of thallium-201 reinjection
      immediately following stress tomographic acquisition. These patients also
      demonstrated greater than or equal to 2 segments with nonreversible defects at 4
      hour imaging and underwent late (18-to 72-hour) redistribution imaging. When the
      criterion of late reversibility was defined as greater than or equal to 1 segment
      with a 4-hour nonreversible defect demonstrating late reversibility, late
      reversibility was present in 36 (58%) of the 62 patients and in 88 (24%) of 368
      SPECT segments. When the criterion of greater than or equal to 2 segments was
      used, late reversibility was found in 21 (34%) of the 62 patients and in 73 (20%)
      of the 368 segments. Of the 21 patients who had greater than or equal to 2 late
      reversible segments, 12 (57%) exhibited late reversibility in greater than or
      equal to 3 segments. The frequency of detected reversible defects increased from
      32% by 4-hour imaging to 48% by combined 4-hour and late imaging (p less than
      0.0001). The patients who demonstrated late reversibility could not be
      distinguished from those who had only late nonreversible defects by analysis of
      the clinical, exercise, and electrocardiographic (ECG) variables.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877437
TI  - Long-term angiographic follow-up after angioplasty of venous coronary bypass
      grafts.
AB  - From April 1981 to June 1987, 57 patients underwent venous coronary bypass graft
      percutaneous angioplasty and had a minimal follow-up of 18 months. The procedure
      was elective for 28 patients, urgent for 19, and was considered as an emergency
      for 10. A total of 64 grafts were dilated that had been bypassed 58 +/- 48 months
      previously (range 2 to 184 months); lesions were located on the aortic
      anastomosis in 12 grafts, on the body in 38, and on the coronary anastomosis in
      14. Technical success was 95.3% (61 of 64) per lesion; clinical success was 84.4%
      (54 of 64) per lesion and 82.5% (47 of 57) per patient. Thrombotic complications
      with images of a lacunar defect occurred in 11 grafts (17.2%). Predictive factors
      for these complications were: age of grafts 38.5% for greater than 60 month
      grafts versus 2.6% for less than 60 month grafts (p less than 0.01); site of
      lesion, body lesion 28.9% versus anastomosis none (p less than 0.01); type of
      lesion, concentric and short 6% versus other 29% (p less than 0.05); and recent
      fibrinolysis in 66% versus 10.6% (p less than 0.05). Long-term follow-up is
      available in the 47 successful patients and the three limited non-Q wave
      myocardial infarction patients. Two patients died at 13 and 17 months. Long-term
      angiographic follow-up is available in 45 of 48 patients or 94%. At the end of
      the study, 35 of 57 (61.4%) venous bypass grafts in 32 patients (64%) were patent
      after one or more percutaneous transluminal angioplasties.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877438
TI  - A comparison of multilesion percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in
      elderly patients (greater than 70 years) and younger subjects.
AB  - Results of multilesion percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) were
      compared in 210 elderly patients (70 to 92 years, [group I] and 210 younger
      patients (40 to 69 years, [group II]. The elderly patients included more women
      (43% versus 24%) and patients with unstable angina (73% versus 55%). PTCA was
      successful in 87% of lesions in group I and in 94% in group II (p less than
      0.001). Only circumflex artery dilatation was less successful in group I (78%
      versus 91%, p less than 0.002). PTCA was successful in all lesions of at least
      one vessel in 89% of group I patients and in 94% of group II patients (p less
      than 0.06). Successful dilatation of all lesions was achieved in 77% of group I
      and in 85% of group II patients (p less than 0.05). Complication rates were
      similar for both groups. These data demonstrate a high rate of success and safety
      in elderly patients undergoing multilesion PTCA despite the presence of several
      risk factors (advanced age, female sex, unstable angina). The lower PTCA success
      rate in these patients compared with younger subjects is almost entirely
      attributable to reduced success for circumflex artery lesions.

PMID- 1877439
TI  - Inability of coronary blood flow reserve measurements to assess the efficacy of
      coronary angioplasty in the first 24 hours in unselected patients.
AB  - To determine functional and anatomic changes in the first 24 hours after coronary
      angioplasty, we studied at random 15 patients (9 men, mean age 60 years) who
      underwent coronary angioplasty of 16 coronary arteries. Quantitative coronary
      angiography and coronary flow reserve measurements from digitized coronary
      angiograms were performed before, immediately after, and 24 hours after coronary
      angioplasty. Calculated were the minimal luminal diameter, obstruction area, and
      percentage diameter stenosis from two preferably orthogonal projections. Prior
      myocardial infarction in the myocardial region of interest was present in four
      patients. Seven patients had multivessel disease. Collateral vessels supplying
      the compromised flow region were observed in three patients. Six patients had
      refractory unstable angina pectoris. After coronary angioplasty, angiographically
      visible dissection was noted in six patients, whereas side branch occlusion was
      observed in one. Minimal luminal diameter before, immediately after, and 24 hours
      after was 0.93 +/- 0.18 mm, 1.53 +/- 28 mm, and 1.53 +/- 0.21 mm, respectively;
      obstruction area was 0.70 +/- 0.26 mm2, 1.92 +/- 0.69 mm2, and 1.87 +/- 0.51 mm2,
      respectively; diameter stenosis was 60.4 +/- 8.0%, 36.8 +/- 11.4%, and 37.6 +/-
      5.3%, respectively. The coronary flow reserve (lower limit of normal with this
      technique 3.4) was essentially the same before and immediately after coronary
      angioplasty (1.26 +/- 0.59 vs 1.30 +/- 0.42, p = NS) with a slight improvement to
      1.78 +/- 0.90 (p less than 0.05) 1 day later. Coronary artery dimensions
      correlated poorly with coronary blood flow reserve before and after
      angioplasty.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877440
TI  - The coronary artery response to implantation of a balloon-expandable flexible
      stent in the aspirin- and non-aspirin-treated swine model.
AB  - Intracoronary stents may potentially alleviate some of the problems associated
      with coronary angioplasty. Since the anatomy and physiology of swine coronary
      arteries closely resemble those of humans, the response to implantation of the
      Glanturco-Roubin, balloon-expandable, flexible stent was studied in this model.
      Additionally, the effect of aspirin, 1 mg/kg/day orally, on this response was
      evaluated. Eighteen Hanford minature swine underwent stenting of the left
      anterior descending coronary artery. Two died within 24 hours of stent
      implantation. The 16 survivors were put to death at 4 (n = 4), 11 (n = 4), 28 (n
      = 4), 56 (n = 3), and 180 (n = 1) days. Angiographically, reduction of stent
      lumen diameter of 0.1 to 1.3 mm was observed and was maximum at 11 days, with
      gradual improvement at subsequent time periods. Scanning electron microscopy,
      transmission electron microscopy, and light microscopy showed early disruption of
      subjacent endothelium, and adherence of platelets to exposed subendothelium and
      stent wires. Microthrombi were readily apparent. At 11 days, intimal thickening,
      made up predominantly of smooth muscle cells with abundant extracellular matrix,
      was observed and covered the stent wires. At 28 days, regression of intimal
      thickening was apparent and a confluent endothelium with flow-directed
      orientation was seen. At 56 and 180 days, the luminal surface was smooth; intimal
      thickening averaged 525 microns over the stent wires and 55 microns away from the
      wires. Findings in aspirin-treated animals were similar to results in those that
      did not receive aspirin. Thus in this swine model, stent implantation results in
      a time-dependent and self-limited vascular response.

PMID- 1877441
TI  - Attenuation of circadian variation by combined antianginal therapy with
      suppression of morning and evening increases in transient myocardial ischemia.
AB  - The circadian variation of total ischemic activity was examined during 3289 hours
      of ambulatory ECG monitoring in 101 patients with stable angina pectoris and
      proved coronary artery disease, who were not receiving any prophylactic
      antianginal therapy. The 101 patients displayed 411 episodes of ischemia, 312
      (76%) of which were silent; a circadian rhythm was noted for the occurrence of
      total and silent ischemia. Thirty-eight percent of the ischemic episodes occurred
      between 6 AM and 12 noon, and total and silent ischemia were significantly more
      frequent during this period compared with the other three 6-hour periods (p less
      than 0.01); a lesser peak was noted in the evening. The effects of metoprolol and
      combined therapy with metoprolol and nifedipine on the circadian variation of
      ischemic activity were studied in two subgroups of patients in a random, double
      blind study design (31 patients receiving metoprolol and 42 receiving combined
      therapy). During therapy with metoprolol the morning increase in ischemic
      activity was attenuated, and the highest frequency of ischemia was then noted in
      the evening (6 AM to 12 noon compared with 6 PM to 12 midnight; p less than
      0.05). Combined therapy abolished the morning peak as did metoprolol monotherapy,
      but even the evening increase in ischemic activity was attenuated (p less than
      0.05). The diurnal distribution of the mean heart rate at the onset of ischemia,
      when patients were off therapy, showed a morning increase similar to the increase
      in ischemic activity but no second peak in the evening.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1877442
TI  - Transmural distribution of myocardial edema by NMR relaxometry following
      myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.
AB  - To determine the distribution and extent of myocardial edema resulting from
      ischemia and reperfusion, seven open-chest dogs underwent occlusion of the left
      circumflex coronary artery for 2 hours (group I), and 10 underwent occlusion for
      2 hours and reperfusion for 2 hours (group II). Proton nuclear magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy (T1 and T2 relaxation times) and percent water content were
      determined to quantitate the amount of edema. There was a transmural increase of
      the T1 relaxation time of the central ischemic zone in groups I and II, although
      this increase was significantly greater in group II in both the subendocardium
      (group I = 707.8 +/- 12.5 msec, group II = 813.2 +/- 36.2 msec; p less than 0.01)
      and subepicardium (group I = 641.7 +/- 20.5 msec, group II = 760.5 +/- 34.7 msec;
      p less than 0.01). These increases were also observed in the T2 weighted
      relaxation time in the subendocardium (group I = 54.7 +/- 0.8 msec, group II =
      78.7 +/- 6.3 msec; p less than 0.005) and subepicardium (group I = 54.0 +/- 1.4
      msec, group II = 73.1 +/- 4.0 msec; p less than 0.001). Transmural differences
      were evident between the myocardial layers with increased T1 relaxation times (p
      less than 0.01) in the subendocardium in both groups. Similar increases were
      noted in the percent water content of the myocardium. Thus T1 and T2 relaxation
      times lengthened with an increase in myocardial water content following
      occlusion, and these relaxation times were augmented by reperfusion. We conclude
      that ischemia-induced edema occurs in a transmural distribution from
      subendocardium to subepicardium following occlusion, and this edema is further
      enhanced by reperfusion.

PMID- 1877443
TI  - Functional recovery of hibernating myocardium after coronary bypass surgery: does
      it coincide with improvement in perfusion?
AB  - To determine the relationship between functional recovery and improvement in
      perfusion after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), 49 patients were
      studied. Radionuclide angiography was performed before, 1 month after, and 6 to
      12 months after CABG to evaluate regional wall motion. Exercise thallium-201
      myocardial perfusion imaging was done before and 1 month after CABG to assess
      regional perfusion. Preoperative asynergy was observed in 108 segments, and 74 of
      them showed an improvement in wall motion 1 month after CABG (segment A). Sixty
      six of these segments (89%) were associated with an improvement in perfusion.
      Eight segments that had not improved 1 month after CABG demonstrated a delayed
      recovery of wall motion 6 to 12 months after CABG (segment B). However, seven of
      eight segments (88%) already showed an improvement in perfusion 1 month after
      CABG. A total of 82 segments exhibited functional recovery after CABG and were
      considered hibernating segments. In the preoperative study segment B more
      frequently had areas of akinesis or dyskinesis than segment A (75% vs 34%, p less
      than 0.05). The mean percent thallium-201 uptake in segment B was lower than that
      in segment A (74% +/- 9% vs 83% +/- 8%, p less than 0.05). Functional recovery of
      hibernating myocardium usually coincided with an improvement in perfusion.
      However, delayed functional recovery after reperfusion was observed in some
      instances. Severe asynergy and severe thallium-201 defects were more frequently
      observed in these segments with delayed recovery. Hibernating myocardium might
      remain stunned during those recovery periods.

PMID- 1877444
TI  - U74006F, a novel 21-aminosteroid, inhibits in vivo lipid peroxidation but fails
      to limit infarct size in a canine model of myocardial ischemia reperfusion.
AB  - Peroxidation of membrane lipids has been suggested to play a role in the
      pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. We therefore assessed the
      efficacy of U74006F, a potent in vitro vitamin E-like inhibitor of lipid
      peroxidation, in limiting infarct size in a canine model of transient coronary
      artery occlusion. Twenty dogs underwent 2 hours of occlusion of the left anterior
      descending coronary artery and 6 hours of reperfusion. U74006F or saline solution
      was administered continuously from 1 hour of occlusion to the end of the
      experiment. U74006F blunted any increase in production of conjugated dienes (an
      index of lipid peroxidation) at both 30 minutes (1.73 +/- 0.16 mol/L x 10(-4) vs
      2.62 +/- 0.22 in control dogs, p less than 0.05) and 6 hours (1.39 +/- 0.22 vs
      2.06 +/- 0.18 in control dogs, p less than 0.05) after reperfusion. Furthermore,
      6 hours after reflow vitamin E levels tended to be lower than baseline values in
      control dogs and higher than baseline values in dogs treated with U74006F.
      However, analysis of infarct size indicated no statistically significant
      difference between the two groups when expressed either as a percentage of the
      left ventricle (10.4 +/- 1.8% in U74006F vs 15.2 +/- 2.4% in control dogs) or as
      a percentage of the area at risk (33.0 +/- 5.5% in U74006F vs 37.8 +/- 4.5% in
      control dogs). Although U74006F appeared to be a potent in vivo inhibitor of
      lipid peroxidation, it failed to limit infarct size after 2 hours of occlusion
      and 6 hours of reperfusion in this canine model.

PMID- 1877445
TI  - Positive and negative exercise test results with and without exercise-induced
      angina in patients with one healed myocardial infarction: analysis of baseline
      variables and long-term prognosis.
AB  - The prognostic implications of exercise test results with and without exercised
      induced angina are not completely understood. In the Program On the Surgical
      Control Of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH), 838 subjects with hyperlipidemia who had
      one healed myocardial infarction were studied and followed for 6 to 13 years
      (mean 8.6). Of the 417 control subjects, 279 had a treadmill exercise test result
      that was definitely positive or negative. Angina was also induced by exercise in
      30% (45/150) and 8% (10/129) of those with a positive and a negative test result,
      respectively (p less than 0.0001). The data showed no difference between subjects
      with a positive or a negative test result with or without angina as regards
      levels of blood lipids, type of myocardial infarction (Q or non-Q wave), left
      ventricular function, or prognosis as defined by death, atherosclerotic coronary
      heart disease death, or myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1877446
TI  - Time course of creatine kinase release after termination of sustained ventricular
      dysrhythmias.
AB  - Differentiation between primary and secondary (caused by acute myocardial
      infarction) ventricular fibrillation has important therapeutic and prognostic
      implications. The diagnosis of myocardial infarction is based on clinical, ECG,
      and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (MBCK) activity. Enzymatic criteria might not be
      able to confirm the diagnosis of myocardial infarction after recent
      cardioversion. The routine use of electrophysiologic studies involving the
      induction and termination of ventricular dysrhythmias provides a setting in which
      enzyme release as a result of cardioversion alone can be examined. Therefore a
      systematic investigation of the magnitude and time course of creatine kinase (CK)
      and MBCK release was performed after termination of ventricular dysrhythmias in
      57 patients undergoing electrophysiologic studies. Of patients requiring external
      cardioversion, only 50% had an elevation in CK and MBCK activity. Elevation when
      present corrected with the number of shocks and cumulative energy delivered. The
      magnitude of MBCK release exceeded 10% of the total CK activity in 9% of
      observations. Pace-termination of ventricular tachycardia did not result in
      enzyme release. Arrhythmia characteristics, coronary artery disease, and left
      ventricular function did not affect the magnitude of the time course of enzyme
      release. These data suggest that cardioversion with multiple shocks may result in
      a component of MBCK release, and thus a false positive diagnosis of primary acute
      myocardial infarction may be made by relying exclusively on the enzyme release
      pattern.

PMID- 1877447
TI  - Effects of electrophysiologic testing of the automatic implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator on left ventricular systolic function and diastolic filling.
AB  - We investigated the effects of electrophysiologic testing of the automatic
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) on left ventricular systolic
      function and diastolic filling in 12 patients. Ventricular tachycardia or
      ventricular fibrillation was induced by programmed electrical stimulation and
      alternating-current, respectively. Patients were studied before and immediately
      after, 10 minutes after, and 1 hour after defibrillation by the AICD using M
      mode, two-dimensional, and pulsed Doppler echocardiography. Immediately after
      defibrillation, increases were found in the peak early filling velocity (70 +/-
      10 cm/sec to 84 +/- 24 cm/sec, p less than 0.01), peak early-to-atrial filling
      velocity ratio (1.05 +/- 0.21 to 1.29 +/- 0.26, p less than 0.005), and maximum
      rate of diastolic chamber enlargement (82 +/- 26 mm/sec to 102 +/- 44 mm/sec, p
      less than 0.05). These changes were not evident at 10 minutes and 1 hour. Cardiac
      output and ejection fraction were unchanged after defibrillation. Heart rate and
      diastolic filling time were unchanged. We conclude that electrophysiologic
      testing of the AICD does not impair left ventricular function in the immediate to
      1-hour period after defibrillation. Left ventricular systolic function is
      unchanged and diastolic filling is enhanced.

PMID- 1877448
TI  - Effects of long-term amiodarone therapy on the defibrillation threshold and the
      rate of shocks of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
AB  - The effects of long-term amiodarone therapy on the defibrillation thresholds and
      the rate of shocks were evaluated in 62 patients who had implantation of an
      automatic cardioverter-defibrillator (n = 53) or prophylactic implantation of
      patch electrodes (n = 9) who were survivors of sudden cardiac death (n = 34) or
      had refractory rapid ventricular tachycardia (n = 28). There were 53 men and 9
      women, with ages ranging from 18 to 76 years (mean +/- SD, 60 +/- 12). Coronary
      artery disease occurred in 50 patients (80.6%), cardiomyopathy occurred in six
      (9.7%), valvular heart disease developed in two (3.2%), primary electrical
      disease developed in two (3.2%), hypertensive heart disease materialized in one
      (1.6%), and Ebstein's anomaly occurred in one (1.6%). The left ventricular
      ejection fraction varied from 10% to 75% (mean, 37 +/- 17%). All patients had
      failed a mean of 3.9 +/- 1.6 antiarrhythmic drugs prior to implantation of the
      device. Twenty-eight patients (45%) were taking amiodarone up to the time of
      surgery, with a mean daily dose of 406 +/- 147 mg (range 200 to 800) and for a
      mean duration of 6.0 +/- 6.7 months (range 1 to 36 months). The mean
      defibrillation threshold (DFT) was 12.0 +/- 4.4 joules (range 5 to 20) in the
      group taking amiodarone and was not significantly different from that of the
      group not taking amiodarone (n = 32) (mean DFT 12.3 +/- 5.5 joules, range 5 to
      30; p = 0.77).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877449
TI  - Single- versus dual-chamber sensor-driven pacing: comparison of cardiac outputs.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that single-chamber sensor-driven pacing improves
      exercise tolerance for patients with chronotropic incompetence. However, long
      term single-chamber pacing has a number of inherent problems that limit its
      usefulness. Although sensor-driven dual-chamber pacing largely obviates the
      problems inherent with single-chamber sensor-driven pacing, the physiologic
      benefit of dual-chamber sensor-driven pacing has not yet been demonstrated.
      Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to compare exercise-induced cardiac
      output for patients with chronotropic incompetence, after programming their
      pacemakers to either a simulated sensor-driven single or simulated dual-chamber
      mode. Cardiac output was measured noninvasively at rest and peak exercise using
      standard Doppler-derived measurements, obtained in a blinded fashion. At rest the
      Doppler-derived resting VVI and DDD cardiac outputs were 4.49 +/- 0.3 L/min and
      4.68 +/- 0.3 L/min, respectively. At peak exercise, the DDD cardiac output was
      5.07 +/- 0.5 L/min, whereas the simulated activity VVI and DDD cardiac outputs
      were 6.33 +/- 0.6 L/min and 7.41 +/- 0.70 L/min, respectively. Analysis of
      variance showed that there was an overall significant difference in cardiac
      output from rest to peak exercise (p less than 0.001). However, only the
      simulated activity DDD cardiac output was significantly different from its
      respective control value (p less than 0.05). Thus this study shows for the first
      time that the addition of rate responsiveness to dual-chamber pacing results in a
      significant improvement in cardiac output for patients with chronotropic
      incompetence.

PMID- 1877450
TI  - Mixed venous oxygen saturation for differentiating stable from unstable
      tachycardias.
AB  - Current antitachycardia systems are incapable of adequately distinguishing stable
      from unstable tachycardias. Previously, integration of a pressure sensor or an
      impedance sensor, together with electrogram analysis, has been investigated as an
      improved method of identifying unstable arrhythmias. A mixed venous oxygen
      saturation sensor was investigated for differentiating stable from unstable paced
      and induced tachycardias in 10 patients. During rapid pacing at 600, 500, 400,
      350, 300, and 250 msec cycle lengths, mixed venous oxygen saturation decreased as
      cycle length decreased. For any given cycle length, rapid ventricular pacing
      tended to result in greater mixed venous oxygen desaturation compared with atrial
      pacing. Mixed venous oxygen saturation decreased similarly during induced
      ventricular tachycardias at cycle lengths greater than 230 msec. However,
      ventricular tachycardias at cycle lengths less than or equal to 230 msec and
      ventricular fibrillation had no effect on mixed venous oxygen saturation until
      after termination. Subsequently, a mixed venous oxygen saturation-tiered therapy
      algorithm (cycle length less than or equal to 230 msec = unstable; cycle length
      greater than 230 msec and MVO2 greater than or equal to 6% over 30 seconds =
      unstable) was developed and was tested retrospectively in 113 paced and induced
      tachyarrhythmias in these 10 patients for detecting unstable tachycardias
      (defined as a decrease from baseline systolic arterial pressure of greater than
      or equal to 50 mm Hg at 15 seconds). The mixed venous oxygen algorithm had 93%
      sensitivity and 96% specificity compared with rate-only (rate greater than or
      equal to 170 beats/min) detection with 93% sensitivity and 71%
      specificity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877451
TI  - Age-related changes in the clinical and electrophysiologic characteristics of
      patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: comparative study between young and
      elderly patients.
AB  - The natural history of patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome remains
      an intriguing question with respect to clinical decision-making, since serial
      electrophysiologic data spread over several decades in the same patient are not
      available in the literature. To study the age-related changes in WPW syndrome, we
      compared two separate groups of patients referred to this Medical Center for
      electrophysiologic studies because of a clinical presentation with significant
      arrhythmias. An elderly group of 42 patients aged 50 years or more were compared
      with a younger group of 51 patients aged 15 to 30 years. The groups were
      comparable in terms of clinical presentation, including the number of patients
      who had reported syncopal episodes and those requiring cardioversion of their
      tachyarrhythmias. Baseline electrophysiologic variables such as sinus rate;
      sinoatrial conduction time; corrected sinus node recovery time; AH interval; and
      effective refractory periods of the right atrium, atrioventricular (AV) node, and
      right ventricular muscle, were significantly greater in the elderly group.
      Similarly, the anterograde effective refractory period of the bypass tract, the
      shortest atrial pacing cycle length with 1:1 anterograde conduction via the
      bypass tract, retrograde effective refractory period of the bypass tract, the
      shortest ventricular pacing cycle length with 1:1 retrograde conduction via the
      bypass tract, the shortest consecutive preexcited R-R interval during atrial
      fibrillation, and the cycle length of orthodromic atrial ventricular
      reciprocating tachycardia were significantly greater in the elderly
      group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877452
TI  - Abnormal responses to orthostatic testing in children and adolescents with
      recurrent unexplained syncope.
AB  - Syncope in the pediatric age group is a frequent event. Most often the cause is
      readily apparent--i.e., orthostatic hypotension or a vasovagal event. However,
      there are a large number of children with frequent recurrent unexplained syncope.
      Neither history, physical examination, nor standard testing reveals a cause. One
      hundred four consecutive patients were evaluated by orthostatic testing after
      standard methods found no cause for the recurrent syncope. Forty-seven (44%) of
      these 104 patients had syncope produced by orthostatic testing. Twenty-six of the
      47 (55%) became syncopal within 5 minutes of testing initiation and 21 of the 47
      (45%) after 5 to 11 minutes of testing. These patients had an average decrease of
      81.5 mm Hg in blood pressure and a 25 beat/min decrease in heart rate. Of 12
      control subjects, none lost consciousness with standing times as long as 14
      minutes. Pacing was ineffective in preventing syncope, as two patients with a
      previously implanted normally functioning pacemaker had recurrent syncope
      clinically. Syncope was also induced by orthostatic testing, with the pacemaker
      showing a normal response with pacing as the patient became bradycardic. The
      syncopal event produced by orthostatic testing occurred with a downward blood
      pressure trend and a narrowing of the pulse pressure without a significant
      increase in heart rate. This was followed by a sudden drop in blood pressure and
      then by bradycardia. There is a group of children and adolescents with recurrent
      unexplained syncope due to abnormal orthostatic control mechanisms. Orthostatic
      testing appears helpful in identifying these patients.

PMID- 1877453
TI  - Dilated cardiomyopathy with mitral regurgitation: decreased survival despite a
      low frequency of left ventricular thrombus.
AB  - Ninety-one patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were studied by two-dimensional,
      pulsed, and color Doppler echocardiography (1) to detect and quantify mitral
      regurgitation (MR), (2) to record apical flow velocities in systole and diastole,
      and (3) to detect the presence of left ventricular thrombi. MR was detected in
      57% of the patients and thrombi were present in 40%, but the occurrence of both
      MR and thrombus was rare (8%). Apical flow velocity was significantly higher
      throughout the cardiac cycle in the group with MR (diastole 15 +/- 7 vs 9 +/- 7
      cm/sec; systole 29 +/- 12 vs 16 +/- 13 cm/sec; p less than 0.001 for both),
      accounting for the rarity of thrombi in this group. Follow-up data on 89% of the
      patients showed markedly decreased survival in the group with MR (22% vs 60% at
      32 +/- 6 months, p less than 0.005), and this was evident even in patients with
      mild MR. Thus although MR is a noninvasively obtainable marker of a large
      subgroup of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy "protected" from left
      ventricular thrombus formation, it is a sensitive marker of decreased survival.

PMID- 1877454
TI  - Characteristics of serial electrocardiograms in heart transplant recipients.
AB  - To characterize "normal electrocardiogram patterns" after transplantation, serial
      surface 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) taken 2 weeks, 1 month, and 1 year
      postoperatively in a group of 50 heart transplant recipients were analyzed and
      were correlated with clinical parameters. Some recipient atrial activity was
      evident in 40% of patients at 2 weeks, but in only 16% at 1 year; donor atrial
      activity was normal in 90% to 94% of patients at all times. ECG intervals
      generally were normal and did not change over time. The most prevalent
      abnormality was the presence of incomplete (IRBBB) or complete right bundle
      branch block (RBBB) patterns (14% at 2 weeks, 16% at 1 month, and 22% at 1 year).
      In patients with hemodynamic measurements available approximately at the time of
      the ECG recording 1 year following transplantation, there was a significant
      correlation between the presence of IRBBB and RBBB patterns and somewhat higher
      levels of right atrial mean pressure (6.8 versus 3.9 mm Hg, p = 0.01), pulmonary
      artery systolic pressure (32.5 versus 24.5 mm Hg, p = 0.001) and diastolic
      pressure (16.2 versus 11.2 mm Hg, p = 0.004), and right ventricular systolic
      pressure (31.4 versus 26.9 mm Hg, p = 0.019) and pulmonary artery wedge mean
      pressure (11.3 versus 7.9 mm Hg, p = 0.010). Repolarization changes were also
      common but decreased in frequency over time (78% at 2 weeks to 34% at 1 year) and
      did not correlate with the presence or absence of rejection. We conclude that ECG
      abnormalities in heart transplant recipients are generally mild and that IRBBB
      and RBBB patterns correlate with increased right heart pressures.

PMID- 1877455
TI  - Chagas' cardioneuropathy: effect of ganglioside treatment in chronic dysautonomic
      patients--a randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled study.
AB  - To date, there is no effective pharmacologic treatment for Chagas'
      cardioneuropathy, one of the most common causes of congestive heart failure and
      sudden death in the world. Fifty-eight adults with positive serology for Chagas'
      disease and abnormal autonomic nervous system tests participated in this placebo
      controlled clinical trial with Cronassial (mixed gangliosides), 40 mg daily
      intramuscular injection for 4 or 8 weeks. We measured postural response (heart
      rate, systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure changes in response to
      standing); heart rate changes induced by cough and hyperventilation reflex tests;
      dizziness on standing; number of stress-induced arrhythmias; and periodic acid
      Schiff (PAS)-positive T-lymphocyte percentage in blood samples. Cronassial is
      safe and significantly improves systolic blood pressure (p = 0.050) and double
      product responses to postural stress (p = 0.028), hyperventilation heart rate
      response (p = 0.007), frequency of dizziness episodes (p less than 0.001), number
      of arrhythmias (p = 0.033), and percentage of PAS-positive T-lymphocyte counts (p
      less than 0.001) compared with placebo.

PMID- 1877457
TI  - Altered myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolites in patients with dilated
      cardiomyopathy.
AB  - Myocardial high-energy phosphate metabolism in patients with dilated
      cardiomyopathy (DCM) of ischemic or idiopathic etiology was assessed at rest by
      one-dimensional phase-encoded 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
      studies performed in conjunction with 1H imaging in 20 patients with DCM and in
      12 normal volunteers. The measured values of anterior myocardial
      phosphocreatine/beta-adenosine triphosphate (PCr/beta-ATP), corrected for partial
      saturation and contamination of the spectra by blood metabolites, averaged 1.80
      +/- 0.06 (mean +/- SE) in normal volunteers and 1.46 +/- 0.07 in the patients
      overall, a highly significant (p less than 0.001) decrease. In patients with DCM
      accompanied by coronary artery disease (n = 9), the PCr/beta-ATP ratio averaged
      1.53 +/- 0.07, while in those with DCM alone it was 1.41 +/- 0.12 (n = 11), a
      value that was not significantly different. There was no significant correlation
      (r = 0.34) between myocardial PCr/ATP ratio and left ventricular ejection
      fraction in patients. These studies demonstrate that myocardial PCr/ATP ratios
      are reduced at rest in human ischemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

PMID- 1877456
TI  - Angiotensin II and phorbol esters depress cardiac performance and decrease
      diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]i in isolated perfused rat hearts.
AB  - Both angiotensin II and the protein kinase C activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13
      acetate (PMA), significantly depressed developed pressure, oxygen consumption,
      and coronary flow in isolated perfused rat hearts and caused a decrease in
      diastolic and systolic [Ca2+]i and [Ca2+]i transients. PMA and angiotensin II did
      not change the levels of cAMP but moderately decreased PCr/Cr. The decrease in
      systolic [Ca2+]i and amplitude of [Ca2+]i transients caused by PMA and
      angiotensin II resulted in depressed cardiac function. Hearts perfused with PMA
      and angiotensin II had a decreased sensitivity to extracellular calcium.
      Depressed developed pressure and oxygen consumption in the PMA- and angiotensin
      II-treated hearts may have been due to a decrease in amplitude of effective
      [Ca2+]i transients, because the [Ca2+]i threshold for cross-bridge interaction
      was presumably higher than the diastolic [Ca2+]i in these hearts.

PMID- 1877458
TI  - Tricuspid atresia: association with persistent truncus arteriosus.
AB  - Clinical, echo-Doppler, and pathologic data of a rare case of tricuspid atresia
      in association with truncus arteriosus are presented. There are only six patients
      (including the patient reported here) with this anomaly in whom detailed
      pathologic and/or clinical descriptions are available in the literature. An
      additional six cases were mentioned in the literature but without any details. A
      prevalence rate of 1.4% among tricuspid atresia cases is estimated. All infants
      presented with symptoms of cyanosis and/or congestive heart failure within a few
      days to 2 months after birth and died shortly thereafter. Cardiomegaly and
      increased pulmonary vascular markings on the chest x-ray film and left axis
      deviation with left ventricular hypertrophy on the ECG are usually present.
      Echocardiographic, catheterization, and angiocardiographic studies are helpful in
      documenting anatomic and physiologic features of this anomaly. Pathologically,
      the muscular type of tricuspid atresia, type I or II truncus arteriosus, a large
      subtruncal VSD, and a hypoplastic right ventricle are present. It is concluded
      that coexistence of tricuspid atresia and truncus arteriosus is rare; clinical,
      laboratory, and pathologic features are distinctive; the clinical presentation
      early in life with rapid demise is common; and prompt palliative surgery
      immediately after recognition of this anomaly should be undertaken.

PMID- 1877459
TI  - Comparative angiographic quantitative analysis of the immediate efficacy of
      coronary atherectomy with balloon angioplasty, stenting, and rotational ablation.
AB  - Interventional cardiology has branched in two directions: devices that primarily
      dilate coronary stenoses and those that debulk coronary tissue. Presently the
      optimum coronary intervention has not been found. While patients are awaiting
      randomized trials, a comparison based on matched quantitative coronary analysis
      may be useful to evaluate results of new interventional techniques. Therefore we
      compared 51 patients undergoing atherectomy with individually matched patients
      who were undergoing balloon angioplasty and stenting. The lesions were matched
      according to location of stenosis and reference diameter. Atherectomy and
      stenting resulted in larger gains in minimal luminal diameter compared with
      conventional balloon angioplasty. The minimal luminal diameter was increased from
      1.2 +/- 0.4 mm to 2.6 +/- 0.4 mm in the atherectomy group and from 1.2 +/- 0.3 mm
      to 1.9 +/- 0.4 mm in the angioplasty group (p less than 0.00001). Atherectomy and
      stenting resulted in similar gains in minimum luminal diameter (1.4 mm vs 1.3 mm,
      p = NS). In addition, atherectomy and stenting appear to be more effective in
      resisting elastic recoil because of tissue removal and an intrinsic dilating
      effect, respectively. In matched populations directional atherectomy and stenting
      appear to be more effective intracoronary interventional devices than balloon
      angioplasty based on the immediate results. However, atherectomy is limited in
      smaller coronary vessels because of its larger size.

PMID- 1877460
TI  - Atrial antitachycardia pacing in children and young adults.
AB  - Atrial antitachycardia pacing was tested in 23 children and young adults. The
      majority of these patients had had operative repair of congenital cardiac defects
      and had both bradycardia and tachycardia. Pacemakers were usually implanted by
      the transvenous technique using bipolar leads. In each patient it was possible to
      find a tachycardia termination algorithm that successfully converted the
      tachycardia. In some patients very complex algorithms were necessary. In each
      patient it was also possible to find an algorithm that successfully
      differentiated the abnormal tachycardia from sinus tachycardia. Twelve patients
      required no antiarrhythmic drugs after pacemaker implantation, while 10 patients
      required one drug and one patient required two drugs. Eight of 23 patients had
      symptomatic tachycardias that required reprogramming the pacemaker to a different
      tachycardia termination sequence. Seven patients required reoperations, five for
      adapter problems and two for infection or erosion. Cardiac function improved in
      15 of the 23 patients. Antitachycardia pacing is a viable option for management
      of tachycardias in children and young adults.

PMID- 1877461
TI  - Echocardiographic evidence that regional right ventricular dysfunction occurs
      frequently in anterior myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1877462
TI  - Focal basal perfusion defects: an unusual location of ischemia after coronary
      artery bypass grafting.

PMID- 1877463
TI  - Impending paradoxical embolism: echocardiographic diagnosis of an intracardiac
      thrombus crossing a patent foramen ovale.

PMID- 1877464
TI  - Echocardiographic detection of transient right heart thrombus: now you see it,
      now you don't.

PMID- 1877465
TI  - Cardiomyopathy with mitochondrial DNA mutations.

PMID- 1877466
TI  - Mitral regurgitation after ventricular tachycardia surgery.

PMID- 1877468
TI  - Preoperative detection of pericardial angiosarcoma by transesophageal
      echocardiography.

PMID- 1877467
TI  - Isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection: echocardiographic
      diagnosis and a new color Doppler method to assess shunt volume.

PMID- 1877469
TI  - Prolapsing right atrial myxoma evaluated by transesophageal echocardiography.

PMID- 1877470
TI  - Cholesterol pericarditis causing cardiac tamponade.

PMID- 1877471
TI  - Percutaneous pericardial biopsy under echocardiographic guidance.

PMID- 1877472
TI  - Use of guiding catheters to target pericardial and endomyocardial biopsy sites.

PMID- 1877473
TI  - Is hypertension an insulin-resistant state? Metabolic changes associated with
      hypertension and antihypertensive therapy.
AB  - In this review, the relationship between hypertension and abnormal carbohydrate
      metabolism is explored. A review of the current literature reveals that people
      with hypertension are also likely to suffer from insulin resistance, glucose
      intolerance, and hyperinsulinemia. Likewise, hypertension is prevalent in obese
      and diabetic patients. Deficiency of insulin at the cellular level may be a
      common mechanism in the development of hypertension in patients with type I or
      type II diabetes mellitus. Essential hypertension appears to be an insulin
      resistant state. Insulin resistance may engender hypertension by increasing
      peripheral vascular resistance as well as by increasing salt retention at the
      level of the kidney. Therefore effective antihypertensive therapy should include
      agents that do not adversely affect carbohydrate metabolic abnormalities.
      Commonly used antihypertensive agents, such as thiazide, thiazide-like diuretics,
      and beta-blockers, are associated with glucose intolerance and increased insulin
      resistance. In contrast, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium
      antagonists, and peripheral alpha-blockers (such as prazosin and terazosin) do
      not adversely affect glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity. In addition, alpha
      blockers have a positive effect on the serum lipid profile. The entire
      multifactorial cardiac risk profile must be considered when choosing therapeutic
      agents for conditions that have an impact on cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1877474
TI  - Comparison of chest pain, electrocardiographic changes and thallium-201
      scintigraphy during varying exercise intensities in men with stable angina
      pectoris.
AB  - This study was performed to evaluate the presence of angina pectoris,
      electrocardiographic changes and reversible thallium-201 defects resulting from 2
      different levels of exercise in 19 patients with known coronary artery disease
      and evidence of exercise-induced ischemia. The exercise protocols consisted of a
      symptom-limited incremental exercise test (Bruce protocol) followed within 3 to
      14 days by a submaximal, steady-state exercise test performed at 70% of the
      maximal heart rate achieved during the Bruce protocol. The presence and time of
      onset of angina and electrocardiographic changes (greater than or equal to 0.1 mV
      ST-segment depression) as well as oxygen uptake, exercise duration and pressure
      rate product were recorded. Thallium-201 (2.5 to 3.0 mCi) was injected during the
      last minute of exercise during both protocols, and the images were analyzed using
      both computer-assisted quantitation and visual interpretations. Incremental
      exercise resulted in anginal symptoms in 84% of patients, and
      electrocardiographic changes and reversible thallium-201 defects in all patients.
      In contrast, submaximal exercise produced anginal symptoms in only 26% (p less
      than 0.01) and electrocardiographic changes in only 47% (p less than 0.05), but
      resulted in thallium-201 defects in 89% of patients (p = not significant). The
      locations of the thallium-201 defects, when present, were not different between
      the 2 exercise protocols. These findings confirm the sequence of the ischemic
      cascade using 2 levels of exercise and demonstrate that the cascade theory is
      applicable during varying ischemic intensities in the same patient.

PMID- 1877475
TI  - Usefulness of technetium-99m-MIBI and thallium-201 in tomographic imaging
      combined with high-dose dipyridamole and handgrip exercise for detecting coronary
      artery disease.
AB  - Forty-two patients with known stable coronary artery disease, referred for
      coronary angiography, were examined with technetium-99m-hexakis-2-methoxy-2
      methylpropyl-isonitrile (MIBI) tomography combined with a high-dose dipyridamole
      infusion (0.7 mg/kg) and handgrip stress. MIBI tomography was unable to show
      coronary artery disease only in 2 patients, thus yielding a sensitivity figure of
      95%. MIBI tomography correctly identified 27 (82%) of 33 stenotic lesions
      (greater than or equal to 50% diameter stenosis) of the left anterior descending
      artery, 17 (61%) of 28 of those of the left circumflex artery, and 28 (90%) of 31
      of those of the right coronary artery. The overall vessel sensitivity was 78%.
      The computed lumen diameter stenoses were more advanced in cases detected than in
      those not detected with MIBI tomography: 87 +/- 14 vs 76 +/- 14% (p less than
      0.01). The 50 to 69% stenoses did not show any tendency to produce less positive
      findings than those with greater than or equal to 70% stenoses. In the subgroup
      of 21 patients who also presented for thallium scintigraphy, the overall diseased
      vessel identification rate was 76% for thallium tomography and 83% for MIBI
      tomography (p = not significant). Minor noncardiac side effects related to the
      dipyridamole-handgrip test occurred only in 5% of 63 study sessions. A high-dose
      dipyridamole combined with isometric exercise is a safe stress method, and when
      used during scintigraphy, MIBI tomography is at least as efficient a tool as
      thallium tomography in detecting diseased vessel territories in patients in
      coronary artery disease.

PMID- 1877476
TI  - Comparison of intravenous urokinase plus heparin versus heparin alone in acute
      myocardial infarction. Urochinasi per via Sistemica nell'Infarto Miocardico
      (USIM) Collaborative Group.
AB  - In a randomized trial of the effects on in-hospital mortality of intravenous
      urokinase plus heparin versus heparin alone, 2,531 patients with acute myocardial
      infarction in 89 coronary care units were enrolled for greater than 30 months.
      Patients admitted within 4 hours of the onset of pain were randomized to receive
      either intravenous urokinase (a bolus dose of 1 million U repeated after 60
      minutes) plus heparin (a bolus dose of 10,000 U followed by 1,000 IU/hour for 48
      hours) or heparin alone (infused at the same rate). Complete data were obtained
      in 2,201 patients (1,128 taking urokinase and 1,073 taking heparin). At 16 days,
      overall hospital mortality was 8% in the urokinase and 8.3% in the heparin group
      (p = not significant). Among patients with anterior infarction, mortality was
      10.3% in the urokinase and 13.9% in the heparin group (p = 0.09; relative risk =
      0.73). The incidence of major bleeding (urokinase 0.44%, heparin 0.37%) as well
      as the overall incidence of stroke (urokinase 0.35%, heparin 0.20%) was similar
      in the 2 groups. The rates of major in-hospital cardiac complications
      (reinfarction, postinfarction angina) were also similar.

PMID- 1877477
TI  - Prediction of major cardiac events after peripheral vascular surgery using
      dipyridamole echocardiography.
AB  - Patients undergoing peripheral vascular surgery are at increased risk of
      postoperative cardiac complications. To evaluate the role of dipyridamole
      echocardiography in predicting major cardiac events, 109 unselected patients
      undergoing elective peripheral vascular surgery were prospectively studied.
      Preoperative dipyridamole echocardiograms were interpreted by an
      echocardiographer unaware of all clinical data. Patients were followed up until
      hospital discharge by research physicians without knowledge of dipyridamole
      echocardiography results. Outcomes were classified using strict predefined
      criteria by reviewers unaware of other clinical and echocardiographic data. Of
      the 109 patients, 9 (8%) had positive studies defined as development of new
      regional wall motion abnormalities or worsening of preexistent wall motion
      abnormalities. Of these 9 patients, 7 had postoperative events, including 3
      cardiac deaths, 1 nonfatal myocardial infarction, 2 with unstable angina, and 1
      with pulmonary edema. Only 1 event occurred among the 100 patients with negative
      studies. The sensitivity and specificity of dipyridamole echocardiography for
      predicting cardiac events after vascular surgery were 88 and 98%, respectively;
      the positive and negative predictive values were 78 and 99%. The relative risk of
      having a cardiac event if dipyridamole echocardiography was abnormal was 78 (95%
      confidence interval, 11 to 564; p less than 0.0001). If these results are
      extended and confirmed by other investigators, preoperative dipyridamole
      echocardiography may be an important screening test for patients undergoing
      elective peripheral vascular surgery.

PMID- 1877478
TI  - Dispersion of ventricular repolarization in the long QT syndrome.
AB  - To identify markers of dispersion of the ventricular repolarization in the
      idiopathic long QT syndrome, body surface potential maps were analyzed in 40 such
      patients (mean age +/- standard deviation 21 +/- 11 years) and in 30 healthy
      control subjects (mean age 24 +/- 7 years). In each subject, 117 chest leads were
      recorded and maps of the integral values of the QRST interval were calculated. A
      multipolar distribution of the values, a marker of gross electrical inequalities
      of repolarization, was found only in 4 patients. To detect minor regional
      disparities of ventricular recovery, all the ST-T waveforms were analyzed in each
      subject. The ST-T waves were represented by a discrete series of potential
      values. The "similarity index" was computed by applying a principal component
      analysis, which represents (in percent) to what extent 1 fundamental pattern of
      ST-T reproduces all the recorded waveforms. The mean value of the similarity
      index was significantly lower in patients with long QT syndrome than in control
      subjects (49 +/- 10 vs 77 +/- 8%, p less than 0.0001). A value less than 61%
      (corresponding to 2 standard deviations below the mean value for controls) was
      found in 35 of 40 patients and in only 1 control subject (sensitivity 87%,
      specificity 96%). Thus, the similarity index is a more sensitive marker than the
      multipolar distribution of QRST integral maps in revealing electrical disparities
      of the ventricular recovery times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877479
TI  - Dimensions of the human posterior septal space and coronary sinus.
AB  - Accurate anatomic localization of accessory pathways during preoperative
      electrophysiologic study and during operative mapping depends on a knowledge of
      the dimensions of the posterior septal space and the left free wall. These
      dimensions were therefore studied in 48 human cadaver hearts. Mean distance from
      the coronary sinus orifice to the left margin of the posterior septal space was
      2.3 +/- 0.4 cm and mean length of the left free wall was 5.0 +/- 1.0 cm. The
      posterior septal space at the level of the valve anuli extended a mean of 3.4 +/-
      0.5 cm around the epicardium. The width of the posterior septum measured in the
      coronary sinus was related to heart weight and a combination of body weight and
      patient age (p less than 0.05). The probability of an accessory pathway being
      located in the left free wall or the posterior septum during catheter mapping was
      calculated for various distances from the coronary sinus orifice for adults of
      different ages and body weights. In adults, accessory pathways located in the
      proximal 1.5 cm of the coronary sinus are almost always in the posterior septum.
      Those located between 1.5 and 3 cm from the coronary sinus orifice may be in
      either the left free wall or the posterior septum, and those located greater than
      3 cm from the coronary sinus orifice are almost invariably in the left free wall.

PMID- 1877480
TI  - Stability over time of variables measuring heart rate variability in normal
      subjects.
AB  - Both time and frequency domain measures of heart rate (HR) variability have been
      used to assess autonomic tone in a variety of clinical conditions. Few studies in
      normal subjects have been performed to determine the stability of HR variability
      over time, or the correlation between and within time and frequency domain
      measures of HR variability. Fourteen normal subjects aged 20 to 55 years were
      studied with baseline and placebo 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiograms performed
      3 to 65 days apart to assess the reproducibility of the following time domain
      measures of cycle length variability: the standard deviation of all normal cycle
      intervals; mean normal cycle interval; mean day normal cycle interval; night/day
      difference in mean normal cycle interval; root-mean-square successive cycle
      interval difference; percentage of differences between adjacent normal cycle
      length intervals that are greater than 50 ms computed over the entire 24-hour
      electrocardiographic recording (proportion of adjacent intervals greater than 50
      ms); and the frequency domain measures of high (0.15 to 40 Hz), low (0.003 to
      0.15) and total (0.003 to 0.40) power. The mean and standard deviations of these
      measures were virtually identical between placebo and baseline measurements and
      within the studied time range. Variables strongly dependent on vagal tone (high
      frequency, low-frequency and total power, root-mean-square successive difference,
      and percentage of differences between adjacent normal cycle intervals greater
      than 50 ms computed over the entire 24-hour electrocardiographic recording) were
      highly correlated (r greater than 0.8). It is concluded that measures of HR
      variability are stable over short periods of time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1877481
TI  - Comparison of allografts and prosthetic valves when used for emergency aortic
      valve replacement for active infective endocarditis.
AB  - Aortic valve replacement (AVR) using allografts is an established method of
      treating aortic valve disease. It is uncertain, however, whether the increased
      technical demands of allograft AVR can be justified in emergency operations. This
      study reports 15 patients treated between 1987 and 1990 for acute bacterial or
      fungal endocarditis involving the aortic valve. Patients underwent emergency AVR
      because of severe congestive failure, overwhelming sepsis or cerebral emboli.
      Eight patients received prosthetic valves (group I: 4 mechanical, 4 porcine) and
      7 received human allografts (group II: 5 aortic and 2 pulmonary). The groups were
      comparable in age (group I, 55 years; group II, 51 years), intravenous drug abuse
      (group I, 1; group II, 3), and previous AVR (group I, 3; group II, 2). One group
      I and 4 group II patients had septal abscesses. Additional procedures in group I
      included mitral valve replacement (2), tricuspid valve replacement (1) and aortic
      root replacement (1). Additional procedures in group II were mitral valve repair
      (1), root replacement (1), atrial septal defect closure (1) and aortocoronary
      bypass (1). Mean bypass times (group I, 189 minutes; group II, 204 minutes) and
      cross-clamp times (group I; 108 minutes; group II, 121 minutes) were similar.
      Operative deaths occurred in 4 of 8 group I and 1 of 7 group II patients. All
      surviving patients have been successfully followed (group I, 28 months; group II,
      18 months). No group I patient has required reoperation. One group II patients
      required reoperation for recurrent infection affecting the allograft, and another
      group II patient died 10 months postoperatively from noncardiac causes.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877482
TI  - Electrocardiographic correlates with left ventricular morphology in idiopathic
      dilated cardiomyopathy.
AB  - The purpose of the present study was to verify whether the electrocardiographic
      pattern of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) might be useful
      in predicting measurements of left ventricular (LV) morphology. A total of 12
      electrocardiographic criteria for LV enlargement were evaluated in 67 patients
      with IDC, aged 14 to 68 years (mean 48), and were correlated to LV wall
      thickness, volume and mass, as assessed at angiography (all patients) and
      echocardiography (50 patients). Linear regression analysis showed weak
      correlations between multiple electrocardiographic criteria and LV wall
      thickness, volume and mass. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that
      total 12-lead QRS amplitude, voltage criteria of Sokolow and Lyon, overshoot and
      U-wave inversion were the variables significantly related to LV wall thickness,
      as assessed by angiography (r = 0.55, p less than 0.005) and echocardiography (r
      = 0.43, p less than 0.025). The sum of T/R-wave ratios, the RV6/RV5 ratio and the
      Romhilt-Estes score were predictors of LV end-diastolic volume, as determined by
      angiography (r = 0.83, p less than 0.001) and echocardiography (r = 0.77, p less
      than 0.005). Total 12-lead QRS amplitude and the sum of T/R-wave ratios were the
      only independent predictors of LV mass, either angiographically (r = 0.81, p less
      than 0.001) or echocardiographically measured (r = 0.71, p less than 0.025). It
      is concluded that a single electrocardiographic criterion for prediction of LV
      morphology in patients with IDC is barely effective. Multiple
      electrocardiographic criteria should be utilized to better predict LV mass and
      distinguish reliably between LV wall thickening and dilatation.

PMID- 1877483
TI  - Factors influencing Doppler indexes of left ventricular filling in healthy
      persons.
AB  - Ninety-three healthy persons aged 11 to 91 years were studied to assess the
      factors influencing Doppler indexes of left ventricular (LV) diastolic filling.
      The effects of physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking were tested in
      addition to those of age, sex, heart rate, body mass index, blood pressure, left
      atrial diameter, and LV end-diastolic diameter, wall thickness, mass and
      fractional shortening. The data were fitted stepwise into multiple linear
      regression models both in the total population and in 3 groups aged less than 40,
      40 to 60 and greater than 60 years. In the total population, age explained 45 to
      68% of the variation in the peak early and late diastolic velocities, their
      ratio, deceleration of the early velocity, atrial filling fraction and peak
      filling rate normalized to mitral stroke volume. With advancing age--and with
      increases in either body mass index, heart rate, diastolic blood pressure or LV
      mass--the indexes of early filling decreased, whereas with regular modest use of
      alcohol or regular aerobic exercise they increased (p less than 0.05 for all). In
      the middle-aged subjects, gender explained 32 to 57% of the variation in the peak
      atrial velocity, early to atrial peak velocity ratio and atrial filling fraction;
      the peak velocity ratio measured 1.4 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- standard deviation) in men
      vs 1.0 +/- 0.2 in women (p less than 0.001). In conclusion, many constitutional
      and physiologic factors and even life-style can influence the Doppler indexes of
      LV filling. This demonstrates the exquisite sensitivity of the method but
      indicates also that individual measurements must be interpreted with caution.

PMID- 1877484
TI  - Bivariate genetic analysis of left ventricular mass and weight in pubertal twins
      (the Medical College of Virginia twin study).
AB  - Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy in adults is a recognized risk factor for the
      subsequent development of cardiovascular morbidity. To make informed preventive
      health decisions it is important to understand the interaction of genes and
      environment on LV mass. In both children and adults, weight is a strong correlate
      of LV mass. We hypothesized that genetic influences common to both of these
      variables could in part explain the strong relation between weight and LV mass in
      children. In a population of 341 twins (11 years old), these questions were
      asked: (1) How much of the total variance of LV mass is under genetic control?
      (2) After accounting for weight and weight adjusted for sexual maturity, how much
      of the remaining variance is genetic? (3) Of the total genetic variance, what
      proportion is specific for LV mass and what proportion is common to both weight
      and LV mass? (4) How much of the correlation between these 2 variables is
      explained by genes common to both LV mass and weight? Univariate genetic analyses
      documented that genes operating at different magnitudes in boys (63%) and girls
      (71%) explain a significant proportion of the variance of LV mass. After removing
      the effect of weight and sexual maturity by regression methods, genes remain an
      important influence. Bivariate genetic analyses confirmed that genes common to LV
      mass and weight significantly influence the covariation of these variables and
      that greater than 90% of the correlation of LV mass and weight is due to common
      genes.

PMID- 1877485
TI  - Left ventricular ejection fraction measured with Doppler color flow mapping
      techniques.
AB  - To determine if left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) can be accurately
      measured from the color Doppler examination, 11 patients (aged 0.4 to 22 years)
      underwent 2-dimensional and color Doppler examinations within 24 hours of cardiac
      catheterization. With use of a biplane Simpson's rule, LV end-diastolic volume,
      end-systolic volume and EF were measured from cineangiograms, 2-dimensional
      echocardiograms and color Doppler examinations. The 2-dimensional
      echocardiographic and color Doppler measurements were obtained from apical 4
      chamber and long-axis views. The color Doppler examinations were performed by
      placing the color sector over the left ventricle only. The velocity scale was set
      at the lowest possible Nyquist limit (less than 0.17 m/s), and the highest
      possible carrier frequency was used to obtain this limit. With these settings,
      all flow signals in the LV chamber were aliased so that the entire chamber was
      filled with mosaic color Doppler signals. Motion of the surrounding LV walls gave
      rise to nonaliased (pure red-blue) signals. With use of an off-line analysis
      system equipped with a color frame grabber, the border of the mosaic color flow
      area was traced to obtain volumes and EF. End-diastolic and end-systolic volumes
      measured with color Doppler correlated well with those measured from 2
      dimensional echocardiography (r = 0.99, standard error of the estimate [SEE] =
      11.9 ml; r = 0.99, SEE = 4.4 ml, respectively) and cineangiography (r = 0.92, SEE
      = 16.8 ml; r = 0.90, SEE = 9.9 ml, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1877486
TI  - Dipyridamole sesta MIBI myocardial imaging.

PMID- 1877487
TI  - Anatomy of the "posterior septal space".

PMID- 1877488
TI  - Usefulness of serum creatinine as a marker for coronary events in elderly
      patients with either systemic hypertension or diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1877489
TI  - Usefulness of placement of intraoperative epicardial wires during automatic
      implantable cardioverter-defibrillator insertion to preclude the need for
      transvenous catheters at the predischarge electrophysiology study.

PMID- 1877490
TI  - Electrophysiologic effects of intravenous propafenone at rest, during
      isoproterenol infusion and during exercise in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

PMID- 1877491
TI  - Urinary kallikrein excretion in congestive heart failure.

PMID- 1877492
TI  - Comparison of mitral valve area results of balloon mitral valvotomy using the
      Inoue and double balloon techniques.

PMID- 1877493
TI  - Transesophageal echocardiographic features of stenotic bioprosthetic valves in
      the mitral and tricuspid valve positions.

PMID- 1877494
TI  - Diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus in adults by biplane transesophageal color
      Doppler flow mapping.

PMID- 1877495
TI  - Echo-Doppler study of right ventricular filling in asymptomatic patients with
      Senning operation for transposition of the great arteries.

PMID- 1877496
TI  - Incidence and significance of a "step-down" in oxygen saturation from superior
      vena cava to pulmonary artery.

PMID- 1877498
TI  - Medical demobilization in wartime Russia, 1917 to 1918.

PMID- 1877497
TI  - Mitral and pulmonary venous flow under influence of positive end-expiratory
      pressure ventilation analyzed by transesophageal pulsed Doppler echocardiography.

PMID- 1877499
TI  - Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack and its maxims on physicians,
      medicine and nutrition.

PMID- 1877500
TI  - A major error in nomograms for estimating body mass index.
AB  - The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health and Diet and Health include
      a nomogram for determining body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2) when the subject's
      weight and height are known. I regret to report that the BMI in nomograms in
      these books are highly inaccurate when compared with direct calculations of BMI.
      Anyone wishing to use a nomogram for the rapid estimation of BMI should be
      cautioned against relying on the versions that appear in these books.

PMID- 1877501
TI  - The nature and individuality of within-subject variation in energy intake.
AB  - Examinations of observed within-subject variation in the energy intake of 29
      adults participating in the Beltsville One-Year Dietary Intake Study suggest that
      individuals possess characteristic patterns of variability in total food intake
      (expressed as energy intake). Although the day-to-day variation appears to
      contain a sizable random component, significant nonrandom components were
      detected in the observed variation of all but one subject. Up to 37% of the total
      variance observed for a subject could be explained by the long- and short-term
      patterns identified in food intake. Both the shape and the amplitude of these
      patterns were unique to the individual subject, suggesting that observed within
      subject variance is a function of the particular combination of environmental and
      biological pressures on the individual's total food intake at any one time and of
      the methodological errors inherent in the estimation of this intake.

PMID- 1877502
TI  - Estimation of deep abdominal adipose-tissue accumulation from simple
      anthropometric measurements in men.
AB  - Equations have been developed for the prediction of deep abdominal adipose-tissue
      (AT) accumulation from anthropometric measurements in a sample of 110 men. An
      equation including the waist circumference and age could predict 74% of the
      variance in the amount of deep abdominal AT with an SEE of 29.6 cm2 (29.2% of the
      mean deep abdominal AT value), whereas another equation including the sagittal
      diameter, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and age explained 76.6% of its variance
      with an SEE of 28.1 cm2 (27.7%). Equations excluding age as an independent
      variable were also developed. These results indicate that equations in which
      simple anthropometric measurements are used can provide further information in
      the assessment of the risk of cardiovascular disease in men. However, we must
      remember that our ability to predict the amount of deep abdominal AT from
      anthropometry is limited.

PMID- 1877503
TI  - Dietary intake and biochemical indices of nutritional status in an elderly
      population, with estimates of the precision of the 7-d food record.
AB  - Nutritional status was assessed in 82 healthy, free-living elderly subjects aged
      65-89 y through anthropometric measurements, a 7-d dietary record, and selected
      serum indicators. The percentage of elderly subjects reporting intakes below two
      thirds of recommended intakes was highest for folate, vitamin D, calcium,
      magnesium, and zinc and varied from 23% to 72%. Of the nutritional indicators
      only serum zinc concentrations were deficient. The 7-d food record accurately
      classified individuals by usual or habitual intake for all nutrients except
      cholesterol. Dietary predictors of nutritional status were explored by using
      multiple regression. Iron status was predicted by protein and vitamin C intake
      and protein status, by dietary zinc. Serum concentrations of folate, vitamin C,
      and zinc were positively correlated to the dietary intake of the respective
      nutrients. The 7-d record was sufficiently precise to describe the intake of this
      healthy elderly population and to demonstrate evidence of clear relationships of
      dietary intake to serum nutritional indicators.

PMID- 1877504
TI  - Intracellular potassium and membrane potential in rat muscles during malnutrition
      and subsequent refeeding.
AB  - Nutrition alters total body potassium (TBK) and muscle potassium but little is
      known about in vivo intracellular K+. We measured free intracellular potassium
      ion activity (aKi+), membrane potential (Em), and total potassium (Kt) and
      calculated intracellular potassium concentration [K+]i in predominantly slow-
      (soleus) and fast- (extensor digitorum longus) twitch muscles in rats undergoing
      underfeeding and subsequent refeeding. After underfeeding, aKi+ and Em decreased
      (P less than 0.025 and P less than 0.006, respectively) only in soleus muscle
      with restoration after refeeding, whereas [K+]i decreased in both muscles (P less
      than 0.005) and remained low after refeeding. K+ supplementation did not
      significantly change these indices or the ratio of free to total intracellular
      potassium (gamma Ki+). The data show that aKi+ behaves differently from [K+]i
      during malnutrition and that changes in aKi+ occur especially in slow-twitch
      fibers, suggesting that previously observed changes in TBK and muscle function
      are the result of fundamental alterations in muscle-cell energetics and membrane
      functions, not just mass.

PMID- 1877505
TI  - Dietary energy requirements of young adult men, determined by using the doubly
      labeled water method.
AB  - We examined the hypothesis that current recommendations on dietary energy
      requirements may underestimate the total energy needs of young adult men, by
      measuring total energy expenditure (TEE) and resting energy expenditure (REE) in
      14 weight-maintaining healthy subjects leading unrestricted lives. TEE and body
      composition were measured by using 2H(2)18O, and REE was measured by using
      indirect calorimetry. All subjects had sedentary full-time occupations and
      participated in strenuous leisure activities for 34 +/- 6 (SE) min/d. TEE and REE
      were 14.61 +/- 0.76 and 7.39 +/- 0.26 MJ/d, respectively, and 202 +/- 2 and 122
      +/- 2 kJ.kg-1.d-1. There were significant relationships between TEE and both body
      fat-free mass (r = 0.732, P less than 0.005) and measured REE (r = 0.568, P less
      than 0.05). Measured TEE:REE values were significantly higher than the
      recommended energy requirement (1.98 +/- 0.09, compared with 1.55 or 1.67, P less
      than 0.005). These results are consistent with the suggestion that the current
      recommended energy intake for young adult men may underestimate total energy
      needs.

PMID- 1877506
TI  - Energy requirements of a postobese man reporting a low energy intake at weight
      maintenance.
AB  - Three experiments were performed to test the validity of the low reported energy
      intake of weight maintenance in a postobese man. In the first experiment the
      subject reported a mean energy intake of 8008 kJ/d during 16 d and he maintained
      a stable body weight. This finding was not reproduced in the second experiment,
      which consisted of a 6-d inpatient study during which the subject was confined to
      a whole-body calorimeter for 5 d. Indeed, he lost weight when fed a controlled
      energy intake of 7950 kJ/d. Moreover, this experiment showed that direct and
      indirect calorimetry provided comparable energy-expenditure measurements during
      this period. Finally, when the subject was refed a controlled energy intake of
      7950 kJ/d for 21 d, body weight and fat losses were observed. Therefore, these
      observations do not support the validity of the low energy intake that may be
      reported by people predisposed to obesity.

PMID- 1877507
TI  - Skeletal muscle density: effects of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus.
AB  - Obesity is associated with increased lean mass but its effects on lean-tissue
      density are less clear. To examine the effects of obesity and non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) on lean-tissue composition and density, cross
      sectional computed tomography (CT) scans of the midthigh were obtained in 20 men
      of various weights. Obesity was associated with increases in thigh-adipose (r =
      0.75) and lean-tissue volumes (r = 0.52) and with reduced density of lean tissue
      (r = -0.73). The increased lean tissue in obesity was due to a nonadipose tissue
      component with a density below the normal range of muscle, an effect compounded
      by NIDDM, whereas normal-density muscle volume was unchanged.

PMID- 1877508
TI  - Decreased stature associated with moderate blood lead concentrations in Mexican
      American children.
AB  - The relationship of blood lead concentration to stature was evaluated by
      examining data from a sample of 1454 Mexican-American children aged 5-12 y,
      derived from the data sets of the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination
      Survey (HHANES) conducted in 1982-1984. The results indicate that there is an
      inverse relationship between blood lead concentration in the range 0.14-1.92
      mumol/L with stature. The present finding suggests that growth retardation may be
      associated even with moderate concentrations of blood lead. Therefore,
      permissible exposure levels of lead for children deserve reexamination in light
      of the present analysis.

PMID- 1877509
TI  - A new procedure to assess the energy requirements of lactation in Gambian women.
AB  - The combined 24-h energy expenditure (24-h EE) of mother and child was measured
      with a respiratory chamber (indirect calorimeter) in a group of 16 lactating
      Gambian women and was compared with that of a control group of 16 nonpregnant,
      nonlactating (NPNL) Gambian women. Breast-milk production (738 +/- 47 g/d: mean
      +/- SE) was adequate to allow a normal rate of growth of their 2-mo-old babies
      (28.0 +/- 2.4 g/d). The combined 24-h EE (mother and child) was higher (8381 +/-
      180 kJ/d. P less than 0.001) than that of NPNL women (6092 +/- 121 kJ/d). Two
      thirds of this differences could be attributed to the child's EE and one-third to
      a greater spontaneous physical activity of lactating women. The energy retained
      by the child for growth in conjunction with the calorimetric measurements allowed
      the calculation of the extra energy requirements for lactation, which were found
      to be 2100 kJ/d. These results confirm the values of the current dietary
      recommendations for lactation, based on the energy cost of milk production.

PMID- 1877510
TI  - Digestion of bovine milk proteins in patients with a high jejunostomy.
AB  - Digestion of milk proteins was studied in short-bowel patients. After ingestion
      of water, purified beta-lactoglobulin (beta-Ig), or skim milk, effluents were
      collected at the stoma. The flow rate of the effluent peaked in the first 30-min
      period after ingestion and returned to the basal value within the first 60 min.
      After milk ingestion 1) the nitrogen concentration of effluents peaked in the
      first 30 min, 2) SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot
      indicated the presence of beta-Ig and alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-lac) in jejunal
      effluents but only during the first 30 min whereas caseins were detected during
      the initial 1-2 h effluents, and 3) immunoenzymo metric assay indicated that 64%
      and 44% of the beta-Ig and alpha-lac, respectively, were recovered in an intact
      antigenic form. Results indicate that the digestion of milk proteins in humans
      differs quantitatively. Digestion appeared partially incomplete in the upper
      jejunum, suggesting the importance of the ileum for completion of digestion.

PMID- 1877511
TI  - Plasma response to oral beta-carotene in Guatemalan schoolchildren.
AB  - The response to oral doses of beta-carotene (0 mg, n = 10; 15 mg, n = 20; and 30
      mg, n = 21) was studied in 51 Guatemalan children aged 8-15 y, with mean fasting
      plasma retinol concentrations of 1.72 +/- 0.38 mumol/L. Beta-carotene was
      delivered with a chocolate drink containing 8.4 g fat. Serial blood sampling was
      performed at intervals up to 48 h. Circulating retinol concentrations remained
      relatively constant. The maximum increases in plasma beta-carotene after the 30-
      and 15-mg doses for all subjects occurred at 24 h and were 0.29 and 0.23 mumol/L,
      respectively. Time of maximum increase for individuals varied and average maxima
      over the 48-h period for individuals were 0.13 and 0.26 mumol/L for the 15- and
      30-mg-treatment groups, respectively. Increased plasma beta-carotene
      concentrations were not predicted by recent intake of dietary vitamin A, fasting
      plasma concentrations, or anthropometric measurements.

PMID- 1877512
TI  - Diarrhea, respiratory infections, and growth are not affected by a weekly low
      dose vitamin A supplement: a masked, controlled field trial in children in
      southern India.
AB  - Incidence, duration, and severity of diarrhea and respiratory symptoms were
      monitored weekly for 1 y in 15,419 children 6-60 mo of age in a randomized,
      placebo-controlled, masked clinical trial conducted in southern India. Half the
      children received weekly doses of 8.7 mumol (2500 microgram) vitamin A and 46
      mumol (20 mg) vitamin E (treated) and the other half, 46 mumol vitamin E
      (control). Medical and ocular examinations and anthropometric measurements were
      obtained before and after 52 wk of intervention. Ocular examinations also were
      obtained after 26 wk. Supplements were delivered weekly from calibrated dispenser
      bottles by community health volunteers who also recorded each mother's recall of
      daily morbidity of her child during the previous week. Baseline characteristics
      of treated and control subjects were similar and documented a prevalence of 11%
      xerophthalmia and 72% undernutrition. Weekly treatment with the low-dose vitamin
      A supplement did not influence the incidence, severity, or duration of diarrhea
      or respiratory infections and did not influence linear or ponderal growth.

PMID- 1877513
TI  - Nutritional status of infants with cystic fibrosis associated with early
      diagnosis and intervention.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to characterize the nutritional status of infants
      diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) through neonatal screening and to determine
      if they would achieve normal nutrition when managed with early intervention. In
      addition, nutrient intake was assessed to determine energy and macronutrient
      consumption patterns. Evaluation of growth revealed that normal patterns could be
      achieved with mean energy intake values at ages 6 and 12 mo of 481 and 426 kJ/kg
      body wt (115 and 102 kcal/kg body wt), respectively. Biochemical assessment
      demonstrated low alpha-tocopherol and linoleic acid values at diagnosis in the
      majority of infants whereas one-third had abnormal indices of protein nutriture.
      Essential fatty acid deficiency was also demonstrated at diagnosis by abnormal
      triene-tetraene ratio values in 27% of screened infants. With predigested formula
      and dietary supplementation, there was improvement in all indices of nutritional
      status and only a low percentage of patients showed mild biochemical
      abnormalities at age 12 mo.

PMID- 1877514
TI  - Carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus: effects of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet vs a diet high in
      monounsaturated fatty acids.
AB  - Nineteen patients affected by non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), in
      good glycemic control (fasting plasma glucose 7.2 +/- 0.3 mmol/L, glycosylated
      hemoglobin 6.3 +/- 0.2%), underwent three isocaloric dietary phases. In phases 1
      and 3 the diet was rich in complex carbohydrates (Carbo) whereas in phase 2 it
      was rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (Mono). Plasma glucose concentrations
      were 7.1 +/- 0.3 and 7.2 +/- 0.3 mmol/L for the two Carbo phases and 7.5 +/- 0.4
      mmol/L for the Mono phase (NS). Plasma total cholesterol values for the Carbo
      phases were 6.2 +/- 0.2 and 6.4 +/- 0.2 mmol/L, respectively, and 6.5 +/- 0.2
      mmol/L on the Mono phase (NS). Similarly, no significant changes were noticed for
      plasma triglycerides and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Thus, both
      diets were well-tolerated and did not alter glucose homeostasis or worsen plasma
      lipid concentrations. Consequently, these results suggest that a wider dietary
      choice can be made available to NIDDM patients without producing unwanted side
      effects.

PMID- 1877515
TI  - Coronary-heart-disease risk-factor status of the Cretan urban population in the
      1980s.
AB  - The traditional Cretan diet has been associated with low coronary-heart-disease
      (CHD) mortality rates. This study reports on the prevalence of CHD risk factors
      among 387 Cretan bank employees. Mean cholesterol concentration has risen by 36%
      over 26-y; dietary intake has changed: consumption of meat, fish, and cheese has
      increased and consumption of bread, fruit, and potatoes has decreased. Although
      the percentage contribution of fat to total energy intake has decreased from 40%
      to 36%, there has been a reduction in monounsaturated fatty acid consumption and
      an increase in the consumption of saturated fatty acids whereas the consumption
      of polyunsaturates has not been altered. Exception for diminished physical
      activity, the prevalence of other risk factors (smoking, blood pressure, and body
      mass index) remained relatively stable over this period. These changes in the CHD
      risk-factor status of the Cretan urban population occurred over a period in which
      CHD mortality rates are reported to have increased.

PMID- 1877516
TI  - Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee effects on plasma lipoprotein cholesterol,
      apolipoproteins, and lipase activity: a controlled, randomized trial.
AB  - Coffee consumption has been associated with elevated plasma cholesterol. One
      hundred eighty-one men consumed a standard caffeinated coffee for 2 mo followed
      by randomization to continue caffeinated coffee (control), change to
      decaffeinated coffee or no coffee for 2 mo. Plasma low-density-lipoprotein (LDL)
      cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations increased significantly (0.12 +/-
      0.65 mmol/L, P less than 0.025; 0.06 +/- 0.12 g/L, P less than 0.0004,
      respectively) in the group that changed to decaffeinated coffee. In a subgroup (n
      = 51), post-heparin lipoprotein lipase decreased significantly more (-270 mmol
      free fatty acids.L-1.h-1, P less than 0.003) in the decaffeinated-coffee group.
      Resting heart rate and blood pressure did not change significantly. Change from
      caffeinated to decaffeinated coffee increased plasma LDL cholesterol and
      apolipoprotein B whereas discontinuation of caffeinated coffee revealed no
      change. This finding suggests that a coffee component other than caffeine is
      responsible for the LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and lipase activity
      changes reported in this investigation.

PMID- 1877517
TI  - Iodine and selenium deficiency.

PMID- 1877518
TI  - Fish-oil feeding decreases tumor growth? Odeleye and Watson revisited.

PMID- 1877519
TI  - Calcium supplementation and iron absorption.

PMID- 1877520
TI  - Protein turnover, experimental diets, and bed rest.

PMID- 1877521
TI  - Dietary supplements and work performance.

PMID- 1877522
TI  - Beta-carotene's effects on serum lipoproteins and immunologic indices in humans.

PMID- 1877523
TI  - Measurement of knee height in frail, elderly nursing home residents.

PMID- 1877524
TI  - Are the FAO/WHO/UNU predictive equations for resting metabolic rate accurate?

PMID- 1877525
TI  - The coming era of cytologic automation.

PMID- 1877526
TI  - Immunophenotyping of hematologic malignant conditions: to flow or not to flow?

PMID- 1877527
TI  - The efficacy of an automated preparation device for cervical cytology.
AB  - A new automated method for collecting and preparing cells for cytologic screening
      (termed the ThinPrep process) was tested. Four hundred forty-nine specimens
      prepared by ThinPrep and conventional methods were evaluated. This study compared
      specimen adequacy and detection of disease with the two methods. For the ThinPrep
      method, exfoliated cells were collected in suspension, gently dispersed,
      collected on a polycarbonate filter, and transferred to a glass slide. The
      ThinPrep method reduced the number of smears that lacked endocervical columnar
      cells by 24%. Significant improvement with the ThinPrep, versus the conventional
      method, also was found for detection of low-grade cervical intraepithelial
      lesions. Thus, the ThinPrep method improved specimen quality and reliability of
      cytologic detection of cervical neoplasia.

PMID- 1877528
TI  - Distribution of BCA-225 in adenocarcinomas. An immunohistochemical study of 446
      cases.
AB  - BCA-225 is a glycoprotein identified in human breast carcinoma cells that has
      been reported to show a restricted distribution in other human tissues. To
      further define the presence of BCA-225 in human carcinomas, the authors performed
      an immunohistochemical study, applying a commercially available monoclonal
      antibody to BCA-225 to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of 446
      adenocarcinomas from a variety of sites. BCA-225 expression was found to be
      common in adenocarcinomas of the breast (98%), kidney (94%), ovary (80%), and
      lung (74%) but was infrequent in adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract
      (10-16%). Adenocarcinomas of the prostate, bile ducts, thyroid, endometrium,
      endocervix, and pancreas showed an intermediate frequency of BCA-225 expression
      (36-68%). Although rare tumor cells in three hepatocellular carcinomas showed
      reactivity for BCA-225, staining of more than 10% of the tumor cells was not seen
      in any of the 23 hepatocellular carcinomas that were studied. The authors
      conclude that BCA-225 is expressed commonly in human adenocarcinomas and that it
      is not a breast-specific antigen. Antibodies to BCA-225 may have utility in
      helping one to exclude hepatocellular carcinoma in certain clinical settings.

PMID- 1877529
TI  - Geographic variations in the histologic characteristics of the gastric mucosa.
AB  - Histologic sections of 205 gastrectomy specimens, which were obtained for benign
      and malignant diseases, were reviewed. All patients were Mexican nationals. The
      following histologic features were recorded: intestinal metaplasia, intramucosal
      cysts, ciliated gastric cells, and different types of pyloric cells ("ordinary";
      with granular cytoplasm; with small cytoplasmic vacuoles; with large cytoplasmic
      vacuoles; or with homogeneous "glassy" cytoplasm). The percentage of specimens
      showing intestinal metaplasia was similar in those containing gastric ulcers
      (42.7%) or adenocarcinomas (50.0%). Intestinal metaplasia was decreased in men 59
      years of age or older and in women 69 years of age or older. Diffuse-type
      adenocarcinoma accounted for 90% of the gastric tumors. Only 3 of the 205
      specimens (1.9%) contained intramucosal cysts, and only 1 (0.4%) showed ciliated
      cells. Pyloric cells with granular cytoplasm were observed in 21.2% of the
      specimens, and pyloric cells with small cytoplasmic vacuoles were seen in 1.9%.
      Pyloric cells with large vacuoles or "glassy" cytoplasm were not found in any
      case. These results indicate differences in the proportions of several
      histopathologic findings in the gastric mucosa, between Mexicans and other ethnic
      groups that have been investigated in previous surveys. The authors' findings
      support the hypothesis that different environmental factors, acting in disparate
      geographic regions, may account for dissimilarities in the histologic appearance
      of "normal gastric mucosa."

PMID- 1877530
TI  - Primary carcinoid of the common bile duct. Immunohistochemical characterization
      of a case and review of the literature.
AB  - A 39-year-old woman with a primary carcinoid of the common bile duct is
      presented. The tumor showed argyrophilia; and, by immunohistochemical studies,
      chromogranin, serotonin, and somatostatin were demonstrated. The patient has no
      symptoms 42 months after surgical treatment. To the authors' knowledge, this is
      the first report of a carcinoid of the common bile duct as studied by
      immunohistochemistry. When six choledochal carcinoids were reviewed, the
      following characteristics were observed: in none of the cases were endocrine
      symptoms present; women were affected more frequently than men; the carcinoids
      occurred in younger patients than did adenocarcinomas; metastases were present in
      half of the patients; and, as a group, carcinoids seemed to have a better
      prognosis than adenocarcinomas in this location.

PMID- 1877531
TI  - Uterine leiomyoma with skeletal muscle differentiation. Report of a case.
AB  - Skeletal muscle differentiation is reported in a uterine leiomyoma from a 54-year
      old woman. Evidence of rhabdomyoblastic features included a typical light
      microscopic appearance, immunoreactivity with antimyoglobin antibodies by
      immunoperoxidase studies, and the presence of myofibrils by electron microscopic
      examination. The patient is well more than two years after surgery.

PMID- 1877532
TI  - Frozen sections of cellular lymphoid proliferations provide adequate DNA for
      routine gene rearrangement analysis.
AB  - Optimal use of frozen tissue procured as part of a thorough diagnostic workup of
      suspected lymphoma is important, and conservation of similar samples is a
      prerequisite for maintaining a large and varied frozen archive repository. The
      authors have evaluated a simple tissue-conserving method for the preparation of
      cellular lymphoid specimens for immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene
      rearrangement analysis. Initially, 16-microns-thick frozen tonsil sections were
      examined to determine adequacy for DNA extraction. Specimens containing three,
      six, and nine sections each were evaluated separately. DNA quantitation disclosed
      yields ranging from 84 to 204 micrograms (mean, 156 micrograms). The authors have
      used this technique on 24 cellular lymphoid proliferations from their frozen
      archives. Six to ten 16-microns sections were used, depending on tissue size. DNA
      quantitation ranged from 0 to 520 micrograms (mean, 135 micrograms). Twenty-one
      of 24 cases yielded adequate DNA for analysis; each showed appropriate germline
      or rear-ranged bands with respect to the particular morphologic diagnosis.
      Attempts to obtain adequate DNA with the use of this technique on skin biopsy
      specimens with lymphoid infiltrates resulted in overall poor yields; this may be
      because of dermal collagen or small sample size. This method of sample
      preparation provides adequate DNA for routine Southern blot hybridization
      analysis of cellular lymphoid tissues and offers the additional advantage of
      allowing preservation of frozen tissue for future study.

PMID- 1877533
TI  - An evaluation of three commercial fecal transport systems for the recovery of
      enteric pathogens.
AB  - Twenty-five isolates, including six strains of Shigella species, six strains of
      Salmonella species, five strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, six strains of
      Campylobacter jejuni, and two strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, were inoculated
      at a concentration of 1.5 x 10(4) colony-forming units/mL into the following
      transport systems: Fekal Enteric Plus (Trend Scientific, Inc., St. Paul, MN),
      Cary Blair Transport Medium (Remel, Inc., Lenexa, KS), and Para-Pak C & S
      (Meridian Diagnostics, Inc., Cincinnati, OH). The Fekal Enteric Plus system
      showed a greater than or equal to 50% recovery of the original bacterial inoculum
      after 96 hours for all Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia strains tested and
      after as long as 72 hours for Vibrio strains. The Cary Blair Transport System
      showed greater than or equal to 50% recovery of the initial inoculum at 96 hours
      for five of six Salmonella strains, four of six Shigella strains, all Yersinia
      strains, and one of two Vibrio strains. With the use of the Para-Pak C & S,
      greater than or equal to 50% recovery of the original inoculum after 96 h was
      demonstrated for five of six Salmonella strains, four of six Shigella strains,
      all Yersinia strains, and one of two Vibrio strains. All three systems did not
      demonstrate even 10% recovery of the initial C. jejuni inoculum at 24 hours when
      held at room temperature.

PMID- 1877534
TI  - Allergic fungal sinusitis. Report of three cases associated with dematiaceous
      fungi.
AB  - Most reported cases of allergic sinusitis have been attributed to Aspergillus,
      based on the morphologic features of the organisms in tissue sections. However,
      in most cases, cultures have not been done. This is a report of three cases of
      non-Aspergillus allergic fungal sinusitis. The patients' ages were 11, 16, and
      43; two were male and one was female. Histopathologic study disclosed fungal
      organisms resembling Aspergillus. However, cultures of these patients' nasal
      secretions grew Drechslera, Exserohilum, and Bipolaris fungal organisms. The non
      Aspergillus nature of these infections was further supported by positive Fontana
      Masson melanin staining. The authors conclude that allergic fungal sinusitis most
      likely results from non- Aspergillus organisms. For definitive fungal
      identification, tissue culture is mandatory. When tissue is not cultured or no
      organisms grow, a Fontana-Masson stain can be a useful adjunct in fungal
      identification.

PMID- 1877535
TI  - Immunohistochemical expression of galactomannan in the cytoplasm of phagocytic
      cells during invasive aspergillosis.
AB  - The monoclonal antibody EB-A1 to galactomannan is apparently specific for
      detecting Aspergillus species and Penicillium marneffei in formalin-fixed,
      paraffin-embedded tissues. It reveals hyphae, remnants of filaments, and
      organisms in the cytoplasm of some phagocytic cells.

PMID- 1877536
TI  - The impact of a clinic for adults with HIV infection on the microbiology
      laboratory.
AB  - The Infectious Diseases Clinic (IDC) discussed serves adults who are seropositive
      for human immunodeficiency virus. The authors reviewed the outpatient and
      inpatient microbiology tests of a three-month period during 1989 for a systematic
      sample of IDC patients. The 249 patients in the sample had 682 microbiology tests
      performed during the period (mean 2.7 tests per patient). Tests most frequently
      requested were mycobacterial culture, routine blood culture, and cryptococcal
      antigen determination. Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (43% of
      IDC patients) accounted for 63% of the requested IDC tests. IDC patients
      comprised about 2.4% of patients served but accounted for 3.9% of the requested
      microbiology tests and 6.6% of the microbiology work load for reported tests.
      Using Centers for Disease Control case projections, the authors estimated that
      services to IDC patients in 1993 would comprise 6.6% of all microbiology tests
      and 10.6% of the microbiology work load. The implications of these data for
      microbiology probably also apply to other laboratory testing and emphasize the
      need for more efficient ways to use and perform diagnostic studies required by
      patients with HIV infection.

PMID- 1877537
TI  - Failure of dithiothreitol and pronase to reveal a false-positive cryptococcal
      antigen determination in cerebrospinal fluid.
AB  - A patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and a serum rheumatoid factor
      (RF) of 1:1,280 had a positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) latex agglutination test
      (LAT) for cryptococcal antigen, in culture-negative, India-ink-negative CSF.
      Pretreatment of the sample of CSF with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) ablated the
      antigen titer and established the presence of a false-positive LAT, whereas CSF
      pretreated with dithiothreitol (DTT) and pronase continued to yield a false
      positive result. The differing ability of pronase, DTT, and 2-ME to eliminate
      interfering substances from CSF has not been previously described. Moreover,
      because RF is unlikely to cross the blood-brain barrier, the authors postulated
      that malignant disease was responsible for the patient's false-positive LAT in
      CSF. Hence, the authors report the case to emphasize that false-positive LAT
      results in CSF are unlikely to be produced by RF and to underscore the benefit of
      using enzymatic and sulfhydryl-reducing agents when the validity of the initial
      test results are in doubt. Such a procedure will optimize the chances of
      accurately identifying false-positive LAT results in CSF.

PMID- 1877538
TI  - Rapid removal of heparin from plasma by affinity filtration.
AB  - Coagulation test abnormalities caused by the presence of heparin are not uncommon
      and frequently result in additional laboratory investigation and unwarranted
      therapy. Methods to neutralize the effect of heparin include the addition of
      polyanions, enzymes, or resins to the clinical samples. These techniques are time
      consuming and cumbersome and produce inconsistent results. As an alternative, use
      of a positively charged porous filtration medium to remove heparin from the
      sample is described. The filtration procedure requires less than one minute and
      provides a consistent and total removal of heparin at plasma concentrations in
      excess of therapeutic levels. Chromogenic substrate analysis for residual heparin
      activity confirms total removal of the drug at levels greater than one unit/mL of
      plasma. In clinical trials, filtration normalized the activated partial
      thromboplastin time (APTT) of all patient specimens containing heparin (n = 41).
      Filtration did not shorten the coagulation assay times of patients receiving
      warfarin (n = 36) or of those with a variety of acquired coagulopathies (n = 14).
      The level of coagulation factors adsorbed to the filter medium compares favorably
      to that adsorbed by other commercially available heparin-binding resins. Routine
      use of the filter in the clinical laboratory allows for the rapid and definitive
      identification of heparin in specimens with prolonged coagulation times and
      provides clinically meaningful data.

PMID- 1877539
TI  - Plasmapheresis. A therapeutic option in the management of heparin-associated
      thrombocytopenia with thrombosis.
AB  - Heparin-associated thrombocytopenia with thrombosis (HATT) is an uncommon
      syndrome that is estimated to occur in 1-5% of patients with heparin-induced
      thrombocytopenia. Early diagnosis requires careful clinical surveillance, and the
      management of these patients can be complex. Cessation of heparin therapy and
      substitution or addition of oral anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, dextrans,
      and prostacyclin analogues have been advocated. The authors are aware of only two
      case reports in the literature that examine the use of plasmapheresis as a
      therapeutic alternative. The authors report a case of a 53-year-old white man who
      developed HATT after a single protamine-reversed exposure to heparin. Controlled
      platelet aggregation studies performed before and after apheresis sessions
      documented a dramatic response and rapid normalization of platelet number and
      function in the patient. The authors conclude that plasmapheresis could be a
      valuable adjunct in the successful management of patients with HATT. When done in
      conjunction with platelet aggregation studies, an objective measurement of
      therapeutic efficacy can be achieved.

PMID- 1877540
TI  - Air-exposed urine dipsticks give false-positive results for glucose and false
      negative results for blood.
AB  - Urine dipstick jars often are left uncapped, which led the authors to wonder what
      effect prolonged air exposure might have on dipstick accuracy. Unexpired Ames
      Multistixs (Miles Inc., Elkhart, IN) were exposed to ambient air for intervals of
      up to eight weeks and were used to test urine for the presence or absence of
      blood, protein, and glucose. Multistixs were read by a blinded participant. A
      urine sample reading negative for glucose with unexposed (control) Multistixs
      tested trace positive with three of three Multistixs exposed for 7 days, and 1+
      (three of six) or trace positive (three of six) (P less than 0.05) with
      Multistixs exposed for 28 days. A urine sample reading 1+ for blood with controls
      tested negative with five of six (P less than 0.05) and six of six (P less than
      0.05) Multistixs exposed for 28 and 56 days, respectively. Protein detection was
      accurate up to 56 days. The authors conclude that urine dipstick jars should be
      recapped to avoid prompting needless evaluations of glucosuria or delaying
      detection of important causes of microscopic hematuria.

PMID- 1877541
TI  - How should bromodeoxyuridine labeling be counted?

PMID- 1877542
TI  - Gene rearrangements in the diagnosis of lymphoma/leukemia.

PMID- 1877543
TI  - Chromosomal abnormalities in a low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated
      lymphoid.

PMID- 1877544
TI  - Nasal considerations in orthognathic surgery.
AB  - The functional correction of dentofacial deformities by orthognathic surgery
      produces major changes in facial appearance. Facial esthetics must therefore be
      equally appreciated by the orthodontist and the maxillofacial surgeon. The
      orthodontist must perform a thorough esthetic facial evaluation along with his
      usual orthodontic evaluation. The treatment plan must then be based on the
      esthetic evaluation and knowledge of the facial changes caused by orthodontic
      treatment and skeletal jaw surgery. Central to facial form is the nose. This
      article will outline the proper functional and esthetic evaluation of the nose in
      relation to the face. Nasal and upper lip changes associated with maxillary
      procedures will also be covered in detail. In light of these two areas, proper
      treatment planning and sequencing will be discussed.

PMID- 1877545
TI  - Consistency of orthodontic treatment decisions relative to diagnostic records.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate how incremental information obtained
      from different types of diagnostic records contributes to the determination of
      orthodontic treatment decisions. Pretreatment records of 57 orthodontic patients
      were assessed by five orthodontists who were part-time faculty members and also
      in private practice. This sample consisted of dental school orthodontic patients
      who had Class II malocclusions and included patients at three different dental
      developmental stages. The following diagnostic records were used: study models
      (S), facial photographs (F), a panoramic radiograph (P), a lateral cephalogram
      (C), and its tracing (T). Five combinations of diagnostic records were presented
      to the orthodontists in the following sequence: (1) S; (2) S + F; (3) S + F + P;
      (4) S + F + P + C; and (5) S + F + P + C + T. The simultaneous interpretation of
      all diagnostic records (S + F + P + C + T) was used as the "diagnostic standard."
      There was a diagnostic standard for each of the patients and for each of the
      orthodontists. The diagnostic standard was achieved: (1) S = 54.9%, (2) S + F =
      54.2%, (3) S + F + P = 60.9%, and (4) S + F + P + C = 59.9%. Thus, in a majority
      of cases (55%), study models alone provided adequate information for treatment
      planning, and incremental addition of information from other types of diagnostic
      records made small differences.

PMID- 1877546
TI  - The nature of Class II relapse after Herbst appliance treatment: a cephalometric
      long-term investigation.
AB  - The purpose of this investigation was to assess the number of, and the
      interrelation between, skeletal and dental components that contribute to Class II
      relapse after Herbst treatment. A comparison was made between 15 relapse and 14
      stable cases at least 5 years after treatment. Lateral cephalograms taken before
      and immediately after Herbst treatment, as well as 6 months and 5 to 10 years
      after treatment, were analyzed. The results revealed that relapse in the overjet
      and sagittal molar relationship resulted mainly from posttreatment maxillary and
      mandibular dental changes. In particular, the maxillary incisors and molars moved
      significantly (p less than 0.05) to a more anterior position in the relapse group
      than in the stable group. The interrelation between maxillary and mandibular
      posttreatment growth was favorable and did not contribute to the occlusal
      relapse. It is hypothesized that the main causes of the Class II relapse in
      patients treated with the Herbst appliance were a persisting lip-tongue
      dysfunction habit and an unstable cuspal interdigitation after treatment.

PMID- 1877547
TI  - Perception of personal dental appearance in young adults: relationship between
      occlusion, awareness, and satisfaction.
AB  - Information about the individual perception of a patient's own occlusion is
      considered of importance in orthodontics. One hundred thirty young adults (mean
      age, 18.1 years) were clinically examined and interviewed with the purpose of
      relating self-awareness and satisfaction to the actual occlusal status and
      determining whether dissatisfaction is based on realistically perceived
      anomalies. From study casts taken at the time of examination, six anterior traits
      were recorded as either malocclusion, minor deviation, or near-ideal occlusion
      according to two sets of criteria. Self-awareness was assessed by analyzing
      agreement between the subjects' reports on the presence of the six traits and the
      corresponding recordings. Satisfaction was evaluated from three questions with
      fixed alternative answers. The majority of the young adults (63%) were
      characterized as having near-ideal occlusion or only minor deviations. Only mild
      and moderate malocclusions were present in the sample since severe malocclusions
      are routinely treated during childhood. The subjects were generally aware of
      anterior traits. Almost all the subjects (98%) with near-ideal occlusion or minor
      deviations expressed satisfaction. Malocclusion was present in 14 of the 16
      subjects who were dissatisfied, and dissatisfaction was based on realistically
      perceived anomalies. However, traits rated as malocclusion were present in 30% of
      the satisfied subjects, which may in part be explained by the mild degree of
      malocclusion in the sample. Awareness of occlusal traits varied among the
      satisfied subjects.

PMID- 1877548
TI  - Comment on a review article.

PMID- 1877549
TI  - Comment on malpractice suits.

PMID- 1877550
TI  - Nitinol alloys: so, who's on first?

PMID- 1877551
TI  - Shear, torsional, and tensile bond strengths of ceramic brackets using three
      adhesive filler concentrations.
AB  - The effect of changes in adhesive filler concentration on the shear, torsional,
      and tensile bond strength of a chemical, a mechanical, and a chemical/mechanical
      retained ceramic bracket was evaluated. Two hundred ten bovine teeth were bonded
      with one of three ceramic brackets using a 30%, 55%, or 80% filled adhesive. The
      brackets were debonded with a shear, torsional, or tensile force to test the bond
      strength and the site of bond failure. No significant difference was found in the
      shear, torsional, or tensile bond strength of each ceramic bracket type in
      relation to changes in the adhesive filler concentration. However, there was a
      trend toward increased bond strength with increasing filler concentration.
      Combining the data according to adhesive type revealed that the 80% filled
      adhesive displayed a significantly greater shear bond strength than the 30% or
      55% filled adhesive and a greater torsional bond strength than the 30% filled
      adhesive. This supports the hypothesis of increased bond strength with increased
      adhesive filler concentration. The mechanically retained ceramic bracket showed
      greater shear bond strength and maximum shear bond strength in torsion than the
      chemical or chemical/mechanical retained ceramic bracket. The tensile bond
      strength of the mechanically retained ceramic bracket was similar to that of
      metal brackets reported in other studies, and the failure site was at the bracket
      adhesive interface.

PMID- 1877552
TI  - Alterations of hyoid bone position and pharyngeal depth and their relationship
      after surgical correction of mandibular prognathism.
AB  - The present investigation studied changes of hyoid bone position and pharyngeal
      depth at the levels of the second and fourth cervical vertebrae and their
      relationships in mandibular prognathism patients who received combined
      orthodontic-surgical treatment. The material consisted of presurgical and 1-year
      postsurgical profile cephalograms of 52 adult orthognathic surgery patients (40
      females and 12 males) who initially had mandibular prognathism and had undergone
      bilateral vertical ramus osteotomy through an extraoral incision in the
      retroangular area. Hyoid bone position and pharyngeal depth were assessed on the
      profile radiographs with 10 cephalometric variables. Paired t tests were used to
      evaluate the operative changes in all cephalometric parameters. The relationships
      between pairs of variables describing hyoid bone position and pharyngeal depth
      were assessed by means of Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis.
      Significant differences (p less than 0.01) were observed for the distances of the
      hyoid bone to the maxilla and the mandible. The distances of the hyoid bone with
      the anterior cranial base, the vertebral column, and the anterior pharyngeal
      wall, and the measurements representing pharyngeal depth exhibited no significant
      changes (p greater than 0.05). Moderate correlations were seen between (1) the
      depth of the pharynx at the fourth cervical vertebra and the hyosymphyseal
      distance (r = 0.34) and the distance between the point of the projection of the
      hyoid bone to the mandibular line with its posterior border (r = -0.34), and (2)
      the depth of the pharynx at the second cervical vertebra and the distance of the
      hyoid bone with the anterior pharyngeal wall at the level of the fourth cervical
      vertebra (r = -0.33).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877553
TI  - Adaptability of the adult primate craniofacial complex to asymmetrical lateral
      forces.
AB  - The adaptability of the adult craniofacial skeleton to altered functional
      relationships has been reported. An experimental quantification of these changes
      is lacking, however, and the possible underlying mechanisms of the alterations
      have not been explained. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the
      effect that lateral displacement of the mandible has on the dentoalveolar,
      craniofacial, and neuromuscular system in the adult rhesus monkey. Ten adult
      monkeys were studied; five served as controls, three were fitted with bilaterally
      inclined mandibular splints designed to deviate the mandible toward the left on
      closure, and two animals had flat splints to provide even occlusal contact.
      Pretreatment and posttreatment assessment of dentoalveolar and craniofacial
      change was made from mounted study casts, cephalometric head films,
      electromyograms and computed tomograms. Axial computed tomographic scans were
      used to evaluate potential changes in bone density at the lower part of the
      mandible, the condyle, the coronoid process, the neck of the condyle, and the
      zygomatic arch by means of a one-way analysis of variance. Changes in the
      measured variables were not observed in the control animals or in the animals
      with flat splints. Animals with inclined splints, however, demonstrated attrition
      and intrusion of maxillary molars and mild proclination of the maxillary
      incisors. Posttreatment computed tomographic scans in these animals showed
      significantly increased bone density in the right coronoid process (p less than
      0.05) and bilaterally at the necks of the condyles (p less than 0.005). Resting
      electromyographic activity remained low and was not significantly different among
      the three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877554
TI  - Skeletal, dental, and functional effects of headgear-activator therapy on Class
      II malocclusion in Japanese: a clinical case report.
AB  - Ten orthodontic patients in whom a headgear-activator appliance was used in the
      first phase of treatment for Class II malocclusion were clinically evaluated. All
      patients had abnormal perioral muscle function at the initial examination.
      Myofunctional methods were used before and during active treatment. Pretreatment
      and posttreatment cephalometric tracings were evaluated to examine the effect of
      the appliance on dental, skeletal, and soft tissue structures. Five of the 10
      cases illustrated distal movement of the lower first molar, a phenomenon not
      mentioned previously in the literature. Growth stimulation of the mandible was
      also observed in this patient sample, with some subjects demonstrating above
      average mandibular growth when compared with a control group of normal subjects.
      Abnormal oral function was eliminated, and all patients had clinically acceptable
      results at the end of the treatment period. The headgear-activator appliance can
      be considered an effective tool for the control of vertical growth problems in
      growing mixed-dentition patients.

PMID- 1877555
TI  - In memoriam. Earl has gone home.

PMID- 1877556
TI  - Support services for pediatric trainees. A survey of training program directors.
AB  - We conducted a survey of pediatric training program directors (75% response rate)
      regarding program support services for house staff, directors' attitudes about
      stress in training, and program plans to ameliorate such stress. Support services
      included explicit measures to alleviate stress, policies that may minimize
      stress, evaluation of house staff performance, feedback regarding career
      concerns, and benefits (eg, medical insurance and child care). Most programs
      offered services to reduce stress from training, but few offered preventive
      services. Support policies were reported to be inadequate, especially in the
      areas of coverage for leaves of absence. Maternity leave represented most leaves
      of absences, as 10% of the female house staff and 11% of the male house staff
      members became parents. Program directors' terms were short, and only 30%
      perceived these roles to be their primary roles. Male directors believed that
      female house officers had a harder time adjusting to their programs. We suggest
      changes and present a simple way for program directors to evaluate their support
      services.

PMID- 1877557
TI  - Optimal positioning of endotracheal tubes for ventilation of preterm infants.
AB  - Accurate knowledge of upper-airway dimensions is required to prevent
      malpositioning of endotracheal tubes in preterm infants. We measured vocal cord
      carina, oral-carina, and nasal-carina distances in situ at autopsy of two groups
      of infants (less than 1000 and greater than or equal to 1000 g). In all 24
      infants, crown-heel length, crown-rump length, and occipitofrontal circumference
      were better than weight in predicting upper-airway dimensions. Flexion of the
      neck decreased and extension increased both nasal-carina and oral-carina
      distances. Lateral rotation produced no significant changes. The postmortem data
      were not different from nasal-carina distances measured radiologically in 40
      living, nasally intubated and ventilated infants, confirming the clinical
      validity of our findings. Regression equations were derived to predict optimal
      endotracheal tube lengths based on the external measurements of crown-rump length
      and crown-heel length.

PMID- 1877558
TI  - Evaluation of auditory brain-stem response in full-term infants of cocaine
      abusing mothers.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the association between perinatal
      cocaine exposure and the prevalence of hearing deficit in the newborn. Auditory
      brain-stem response testing was performed on 50 infants of cocaine-abusing
      mothers and 50 control infants. All infants were born at full term. Cocaine
      exposed infants had lower birth weights and a greater incidence of maternal
      tobacco and alcohol use. No differences were found in size, method of delivery,
      Apgar scores, or use of other illicit substances. Four infants of cocaine-abusing
      mothers and two control infants failed initial auditory brain-stem response
      testing. There were no differences in absolute or interpeak latencies of
      waveforms noted between the two groups. These data suggest that there is no
      increased incidence of hearing deficit as determined by auditory brain-stem
      response in newborns of cocaine-abusing mothers born at term and without other
      risk factors.

PMID- 1877559
TI  - Ductal patency in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome. A randomized
      surfactant trial.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate in a controlled study the effect of
      exogenous surfactant on various manifestations of ductal patency. Premature
      infants with respiratory distress syndrome were randomized to receive surfactant
      (Survanta) (n = 22) or air (n = 14). In neonates receiving surfactant, there was
      a greater tendency for an audible murmur to develop (13 of 22 vs four of 14). In
      spite of this, the clinical use of indomethacin was similar for the two groups,
      10 (45%) of 22 vs six (43%) of 14. Excluding neonates given indomethacin early, a
      comparable number of surfactant-treated neonates (9/17 [53%]) vs control neonates
      (6/12 [50%]) demonstrated spontaneous closure of the ductus within a physiologic
      time frame (on or before day 4). For the gestational ages studied, the beneficial
      effects of exogenous surfactant were not associated with either an increased risk
      for delayed closure of the ductus arteriosus or a greater incidence of
      indomethacin usage. Utilization of exogenous surfactant does not appear to have
      an adverse impact on ductal patency.

PMID- 1877560
TI  - Safety of a preadolescent basketball program.
AB  - A preadolescent youth basketball program was prospectively studied to determine
      injury rates and the kinds of injuries sustained. The overall injury rate was
      7.6% (39 injuries among the 510 children aged 5 to 12 years). Girls had a higher
      injury rate than boys (P less than .02). Only 12 children (2.4%) suffered
      significant injuries as defined by the inability to play for at least one
      session. Most injuries were contusions (35.9%), followed by strains or sprains
      (28.2%), epistaxis (12.8%), lacerations (5.1%), and one finger fracture (2.6%),
      the most significant injury. Games were more likely to produce injuries than
      practice sessions; most injuries occurred in the second half of game play. This
      study documents a low injury rate in an organized preadolescent basketball
      program.

PMID- 1877561
TI  - Decreasing severity of chronic uveitis in children with pauciarticular arthritis.
AB  - We compared the current prevalence and severity of chronic uveitis in children
      with pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Seattle, Wash, with that of
      children with the same condition in the same area in 1975. The prevalence of eye
      disease decreased from 45% in 1975 to 13% in 1989, and the proportion of patients
      with severe visual loss decreased from 21% in 1975 to none in 1989. We could not
      attribute these findings to differences in known risk factors for iritis, such as
      age, sex, or presence of antinuclear antibodies. There was no difference in the
      duration of follow-up between the two groups. It is possible that the decline in
      prevalence of uveitis reflects a referral bias for eye disease in the 1975
      population. However, the decrease in disease severity remains unexplained and may
      represent more effective treatment, earlier surveillance for ocular disease, or a
      change in the frequency of ocular manifestations of this disease in the 1989
      group.

PMID- 1877562
TI  - Family history of myocardial infarction and hemodynamic responses to exercise in
      young black boys.
AB  - The influence of family history of coronary artery disease on children's
      hemodynamic responses to exercise was examined with 25 black boys aged 7 to 10
      years. Blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, and total
      peripheral resistance were evaluated during preexercise, peak exercise, and
      recovery stages. Children with a family history of CAD exhibited greater systolic
      blood pressure and total peripheral resistance during preexercise and peak
      exercise stages than did those without a family history of coronary artery
      disease. After controlling for preexercise differences, the group with a family
      history of coronary artery disease exhibited greater increases in systolic blood
      pressure and less attenuation of total peripheral resistance to peak exercise
      than the group without a family history of coronary artery disease. Cardiac
      output indexed by body surface area and stroke volumes were higher at all times
      in the group without a family history compared with the group with a family
      history of coronary artery disease. Findings are compared with those of adult
      studies in terms of influence of family history of coronary artery disease on
      cardiovascular reactivity to stress.

PMID- 1877563
TI  - Physiologic responses to playing a video game.
AB  - The displacement of sports and other physical activities by television and video
      may contribute to the associations among television viewing, obesity, and reduced
      physical fitness. Because video games are widely played by children and
      adolescents, we assessed the metabolic and cardiovascular responses to video game
      playing. Heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption were measured
      serially over 30 minutes in 32 males and females aged 16 to 25 years (mean +/-
      SEM, 20 +/- 1 years) while they played the "Ms Pac-Man" video game under standard
      laboratory conditions and compared with measurements made in a standing but
      inactive position. Playing the video game significantly increased heart rate,
      systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. Energy expenditure
      increased from 6.08 +/- 0.24 kJ/min while the subjects stood inactive to 10.94 +/
      0.49 kJ/min while they played. The increase in metabolic rate and cardiovascular
      stimulation was similar in magnitude to mild-intensity exercise.

PMID- 1877564
TI  - Arterial catheter-related infections in children. A 1-year cohort analysis.
AB  - To determine the incidence of infection secondary to arterial catheterization in
      children as well as the risk markers, we prospectively evaluated, during a 1-year
      period, all arterial catheters installed in children admitted to the pediatric
      intensive care unit. A total of 340 cannulas were placed in 310 children aged 80
      +/- 4 months (mean +/- SEM) for a period of 64 +/- 4 hours. Most catheters were
      inserted percutaneously (99%) in the radial artery (86.5%). Ninety-two percent
      (313/340) of the catheters were sterile (group 1), 5% (17/340) were contaminated
      (less than 10 colony-forming units on semiquantitative culture) (group 2), and 3%
      (10/340) were considered either locally infected (ie, greater than or equal to 10
      colony-forming units) (eight of 10) or associated with a possible catheter
      related sepsis (two of 10) (group 3, or infected group). The incidence of local
      inflammation at the insertion site was higher in group 2 than in group 1 (18% vs
      2.9%) but not statistically different between groups 3 and 1 (10% vs 2.9%). The
      duration of arterial catheterization was longer in group 3 than in group 1 (125
      +/- 31 vs 61 +/- 4 hours). The risk of infection was nonexistent in the first 48
      hours of catheterization. Thereafter it was calculated as being 6.2% (10/161),
      but it correlated poorly with the duration of arterial catheterization. These
      results confirm the very low incidence of infection related to arterial
      catheterization in children. Thus, routine catheter reinsertion is, in our
      opinion, unjustified.

PMID- 1877565
TI  - Radiological case of the month. Congenital syphilis.

PMID- 1877566
TI  - Picture of the month. Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn.

PMID- 1877567
TI  - Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in children.
AB  - The symptoms, findings, associated conditions, and treatment of lichen sclerosus
      et atrophicus were studied in 10 girls and one boy. Lichen sclerosus et
      atrophicus is a benign but chronic condition of the anogenital area of girls and,
      less frequently, of boys. The characteristic lesions are hypo-pigmented plaques
      in a figure-of-8 pattern surrounding the vulva and anus and often involving the
      natal cleft. The affected hypopigmented skin is sharply demarcated from the
      normal skin. Hemorrhagic, bullous lesions are uncommon. Fissures and ulcers are
      seen on the labia, between the labia, and on the perineum, anus, and natal cleft
      in many children and on the glans penis in boys. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus
      causes painful defecation and anal and vulval bleeding. In two patients, one girl
      and one boy, anal stenosis due to lichen sclerosus et atrophicus and laxative
      treatment developed. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus mimics sexual abuse and has
      led to false accusation and investigations. The anogenital lesions cleared in
      three patients at the ages of 9, 11, and 12 years, but lesions can persist into
      adulthood.

PMID- 1877568
TI  - Treatment of ulcerated hemangiomas with the pulsed tunable dye laser.
AB  - Hemangiomas are the most common tumor of infancy and are characterized by rapid
      growth during the first 6 months of life. During the rapid growth phase,
      approximately 5% to 10% of the hemangiomas ulcerate. Ulcerated lesions are
      painful, may bleed, and are at risk for bacterial infection. Previous therapy has
      included daily local wound care, topical antibiotics, and local and systemic
      steroids. We treated nine infants (eight female and one male) with ulcerated
      hemangiomas by means of a vascular-specific (585-nm) pulsed (450-microsecond)
      tunable dye laser. Eight of the nine patients had a single ulceration, whereas
      one patient had two ulcerations within a large hemangioma. Six of the ulcerations
      healed with a single laser treatment. One ulceration required two treatments to
      heal, and the remaining two required three treatments. Pain was subjectively
      decreased within 2 to 3 days in all patients after a single treatment. The pulsed
      tunable dye laser should be considered in the treatment of all ulcerated
      hemangiomas.

PMID- 1877569
TI  - Family physicians and neonatology.

PMID- 1877570
TI  - Misdiagnosis of Reye's-like illness.

PMID- 1877571
TI  - Congenital syphilis associated with negative results of maternal serologic tests
      at delivery.

PMID- 1877572
TI  - Response of seronegative adults to measles immunization.

PMID- 1877573
TI  - Improvement of leukemic hyperleukocytosis with only fluid and allopurinol
      therapy.

PMID- 1877574
TI  - Myopathy associated with ketoconazole treatment.

PMID- 1877575
TI  - Gallstones in children.

PMID- 1877576
TI  - Obesity and body-mass index.

PMID- 1877577
TI  - The clinic attending: teaching strategies for patient encounters.

PMID- 1877578
TI  - Water intoxication. A prevalent problem in the inner city.

PMID- 1877579
TI  - Oral water intoxication in infants. An American epidemic.
AB  - Between 1975 and 1990, a total of 34 patients with water intoxication were
      treated at St Louis (Mo) Children's Hospital, 24 of these in the last 3 years,
      indicating a marked increase in incidence of this previously rare condition.
      Thirty-one were infants living in poverty who ingested excessive amounts of water
      offered at home by their caretakers. Exhaustion of the supply of infant formula
      was the most common reason given for this substitution. Infants were treated by a
      single infusion of hypertonic saline or a slow infusion of isotonic saline.
      Central pontine myelinolysis was not observed as a complication of hypertonic
      saline therapy. Modification of the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
      Infants, and Children to provide sufficient formula for the growing infant and
      better education of mothers as to the hazards of excessive water ingestion might
      reduce the incidence of this preventable and life-threatening condition.

PMID- 1877580
TI  - Vasopressin levels in infants during the course of aseptic and bacterial
      meningitis.
AB  - We measured urine vasopressin (VP) once daily on days 1 through 3 in 18 patients
      hospitalized with meningitis. Urine VP values were 215 +/- 100, 116 +/- 44, and
      69 +/- 23 pg/mL on days 1 through 3, respectively, for children with bacterial
      meningitis and 34 +/- 14, 20 +/- 4, and 15 +/- 4 pg/mL for those with aseptic
      meningitis. Urinary VP levels of infants with bacterial meningitis were
      significantly greater than those of healthy ambulatory subjects (n = 18) on all
      three study days; VP values of infants with bacterial meningitis were also
      greater than those of infants with aseptic meningitis on study days 2 and 3. The
      VP levels for the subjects with aseptic meningitis were significantly greater
      than those of the controls on day 1 only. None of the infants exhibited the
      clinical syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.

PMID- 1877581
TI  - Demographic and risk factors associated with chronic dieting in adolescents.
AB  - A comprehensive, school-based survey was administered to 36,320 Minnesota public
      school students in grades 7 through 12 during the 1987-1988 school year. Self
      reported chronic dieting was much higher in girls than in boys (12.1% of all
      girls vs 2.1% of boys). For girls, the percentage of chronic dieters was
      significantly less in grades 7 and 8 (7.8%) than in grades 9 and 10 (13.5%) or
      grades 11 and 12 (14.3%). There were no differences among urban, suburban, or
      rural youth. Black girls were less likely to diet compared with white girls.
      Chronic dieters were more likely than other students to report maladaptive weight
      loss techniques, such as self-induced vomiting (relative risk, 9.92 for girls and
      9.40 for boys), laxative use (relative risk, 7.18 for girls and 11.00 for boys),
      ipecac use (relative risk, 8.33 for girls and 11.00 for boys), and diuretic use
      (relative risk, 7.30 for girls and 13.5 for boys). It is suggested that chronic
      dieting may serve as a screening marker for more severe eating and weight-loss
      behaviors.

PMID- 1877582
TI  - The effect of valproic acid on plasma carnitine levels.
AB  - Plasma total, free, and acyl carnitine levels were determined in four groups of
      children: (1) those treated with valproic acid as monotherapy (n = 43), (2) those
      treated with valproic acid plus other antiepileptics as polytherapy (n = 91), (3)
      those treated with other antiepileptic drugs alone (n = 43), and (4) normal
      patients (n = 89). The mean free carnitine level was significantly lower in both
      the valproic acid monotherapy (29.9 mumol/L) and polytherapy (21.4 mumol/L)
      groups compared with normal subjects (36.8 mumol/L); it was also significantly
      lower than that in patients treated with other antiepileptic drugs (36.7
      mumol/L). Comparison of valproic acid polytherapy and monotherapy yielded
      significantly lower free carnitine levels in the polytherapy group. The ratios of
      acyl to free carnitine for monotherapy (0.41) and polytherapy (0.45) were
      significantly higher than that in the normal group (0.25). This study indicates
      that a general decrease in the carnitine pool should be anticipated in patients
      taking valproic acid polytherapy and, to a lesser degree, monotherapy. Carnitine
      levels in the group taking other drugs did not differ from normal.

PMID- 1877583
TI  - Effect of long-term community health education on body mass index. The Stanford
      Five-City Project.
AB  - Being overweight is a risk factor for cardiovascular heart disease and other
      medical problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a
      community-wide cardiovascular risk reduction trial (the Stanford Five-City
      Project) on body mass index. In the Stanford Five-City Project, two treatment
      cities (n = 122,800) received a 6-year mass media and community organization
      cardiovascular risk reduction intervention. Changes in the treatment cities were
      compared with two control cities (n = 197,500) for changes in knowledge of risk
      factors, blood pressure, plasma cholesterol level, smoking rate, body mass index,
      and resting pulse rate after 5-1/3 years of the education program. Both cohort
      and cross-sectional (independent) samples were used in the study. In the
      independent surveys, subjects in the treatment communities gained significantly
      less weight than subjects in the control communities (0.57 kg compared with 1.25
      kg) over 6 years. In the cohort, there were no significant overall differences.
      The study provides some evidence that a community health education program may
      help reduce weight gain over time, but more effective methods must be developed
      if this important risk factor is to be favorably affected in broad populations.

PMID- 1877584
TI  - Carotid atherosclerosis measured by B-mode ultrasound in populations:
      associations with cardiovascular risk factors in the ARIC study.
AB  - To assess whether carotid atherosclerosis measured by B-mode ultrasound is
      related to cardiovascular risk factors, 386 cases with carotid artery wall
      thickening and an equal number of controls free of arterial intima-media
      thickening were drawn from the cohort of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities
      (ARIC) Study examined in four communities in the United States between 1988 and
      1990. Cases and controls were individually matched on sex, race, age group, study
      center, and date of examination. The mean values of total cholesterol, low
      density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, total triglyceride, blood pressure, and
      pack-years of cigarette smoking were higher in cases than controls. Mean high
      density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was lower in cases than controls. Case
      control differences were all statistically significant. Multivariable-adjusted
      odds ratios point to differences of considerable magnitude in the risk of carotid
      atherosclerosis between groups defined by clinical and public health-oriented
      risk factor cut-points.

PMID- 1877585
TI  - Serum copper and the risk of acute myocardial infarction: a prospective
      population study in men in eastern Finland.
AB  - The authors investigated the association of serum copper concentration with the
      risk of acute myocardial infarction in 1,666 randomly selected men aged 42, 48,
      54, or 60 years who had no symptomatic ischemic heart disease at entry. Baseline
      examinations in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in Eastern
      Finland were done during 1984 to 1988. In Cox multivariate survival models
      adjusting for age, examination year, ischemic electrocardiogram in exercise,
      maximal oxygen uptake, diabetes, family history of ischemic heart disease,
      cigarette-years, mean systolic blood pressure, serum high density lipoprotein
      (HDL) cholesterol subfraction HDL2 and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
      concentrations and blood leukocyte count, serum copper concentration in the two
      highest tertiles (1.02-1.16 mg/liter and 1.17 mg/liter or more) associated with
      3.5-fold (95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.3-9.4, p less than 0.05) and 4.0-fold
      (95 percent Cl 1.5-10.8, p less than 0.01) risk of acute myocardial infarction.
      These data indicate that high copper status, reflected by elevated serum copper
      concentration, is an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease.

PMID- 1877586
TI  - Effects of urban air pollution on emergency room admissions for chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease.
AB  - The authors assessed the relation between sulfur dioxide and other air pollutants
      (black smoke, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone) and daily emergency
      room admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Barcelona, Spain,
      during 1985-1986. Barcelona is a Mediterranean city of 1.7 million inhabitants
      that has air pollution levels lower than standard values. A weak but
      statistically significant association between emergency room admissions and
      levels of sulfur dioxide, black smoke, and carbon monoxide was observed. Daily
      emergency room admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increased by
      0.02 and 0.01 for each microgram of sulfur dioxide and black smoke per cubic
      meter, respectively, and 0.11 for each milligram of carbon monoxide per cubic
      meter, after adjusting for meteorologic and temporal variables. Similar
      estimations were obtained after controlling for the autocorrelation effect by
      means of time series analysis. In addition, when the data were stratified by
      season, the effects remained in summer. This strengthened the conclusion that the
      relation observed in winter, spring, and throughout the study period was indeed
      real. After truncating the data according to sulfur dioxide or black smoke
      levels, the authors still found effects for these pollutants at levels below the
      air quality guideline of 100 micrograms/m3 established by the World Health
      Organization. The consistency of these results with other recent toxicologic and
      epidemiologic observations suggest that current air pollution standards do not
      totally protect public health with a margin of safety in specific places.

PMID- 1877587
TI  - The risk of Vibrio illness in the Florida raw oyster eating population, 1981
      1988.
AB  - In the period 1981-1988, 333 cases of bacteriologically confirmed Vibrio illness
      were reported in Florida adult residents. A total of 197 patients (59.2%) had
      consumed raw oysters the week prior to becoming ill, and among those 197, 38
      (19.3%) had a liver disease, 13 (6.6%) had past gastric surgery, and 15 (7.6%)
      were diabetic. To calculate a population-based incidence rate, the authors
      obtained prevalence estimates of annual raw oyster consumption, liver disease,
      previous gastric surgery, and diabetes through a random telephone survey of
      Florida adult residents and applied them to the January 1985 Florida population.
      The estimated age-standardized annual incidence of Vibrio illness per million was
      95.4 for raw oyster eaters with liver disease, 9.2 for raw oyster eaters without
      liver disease, and 2.2 for non-raw oyster eaters. Those with prior gastric
      surgery had a moderately increased risk of Vibrio illness. The annual incidence
      for Vibrio septicemia was 82.8 for raw oyster eaters with liver disease, 2.0 for
      raw oyster eaters without liver disease, and 0.4 for non-raw oyster eaters. While
      estimates on which these data are based are subject to a number of potential
      biases, this is the first study to provide estimates of the risk of Vibrio
      illness in raw oyster eaters, and it supports the recommendation that raw oyster
      consumption should be avoided by persons with liver disease.

PMID- 1877588
TI  - Control for environmental risk factors in assessing genetic effects on disease
      familial aggregation.
AB  - A probabilistic model was developed to assess the impact of two independent
      dichotomous familial risk factors on familial aggregation of a disorder in pairs
      of relatives where one member was ascertained as a proband or index subject
      (i.e., a case or control). Under this model, one risk factor is of primary
      interest (i.e., a susceptibility gene), while the effect of the other is to be
      controlled (i.e., an environmental risk factor). Familial aggregation was
      examined within strata defined by the status of proband and relative with respect
      to the environmental factor. The findings suggest that for proband-relative
      pairs, under both the additive and multiplicative models, an environmental factor
      can be controlled in the analysis based solely on the status of the proband. If
      the relation between the genetic and environmental factors is neither additive
      nor multiplicative, however, the analysis must take account of environmental risk
      factors in both proband and relative.

PMID- 1877590
TI  - Re: "Depressed mood and development of cancer".

PMID- 1877589
TI  - Estimating the relation between dietary intake obtained from a food frequency
      questionnaire and true average intake.
AB  - Knowledge of the regression relation between dietary intake reported on a food
      frequency questionnaire and true average intake is useful in interpreting results
      from nutritional epidemiologic studies and in planning such studies. Studies
      which validate a questionnaire against a food record may be used to estimate this
      regression relation provided the food record is completed by each subject on at
      least two occasions. Using data collected from women aged 45-69 years during 1985
      1986 in the pilot study of the Women's Health Trial, the authors show how
      variation in diet over time and intraindividual correlation between a
      questionnaire and food record obtained close together in time affects the
      estimation of the regression. The authors' method provides estimates of the
      regression slope and the questionnaire "bias" that are corrected for these
      effects, together with standard errors. A computer program in the SAS language,
      for carrying out the analysis, is provided.

PMID- 1877591
TI  - Re: "Predictors of sudden cardiac death among Hawaiian-Japanese men".

PMID- 1877592
TI  - Re: "Hyperinsulinemia and elevated blood pressure: cause, confounder, or
      coincidence?

PMID- 1877593
TI  - Temporal trends in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 seroconversion 1984-1989.
      A report from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS).
AB  - The 5-year temporal trends in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
      seroconversion between 1984 and 1989 among homosexual/bisexual men participating
      in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) are reported. Of 3,262 initially
      seronegative men, 368 (11.3%) had seroconverted by December 31, 1989. Although
      the incidence of seroconversion declined precipitously during the first 3 years
      of follow-up (from 4.1% to 0.9% per 6 months), no evidence for a further
      substantial reduction was noted after mid-1987, since 6-month incidence rates
      ranged between 0.5% and 1.2%. The Chicago cohort experienced an increase in HIV-1
      seroconversion during both semesters of 1989; 2.1% and 1.6% per 6 months,
      respectively, became newly infected. Other MACS centers did not report such an
      increase. Center-specific differences were observed by race; black men were at
      higher seroconversion risk than white men in Baltimore/Washington (relative risk
      (RR) = 3.4) and Chicago (RR = 2.4), while Hispanic men were at higher risk than
      white men in Chicago (RR = 3.3). Younger age (less than 35 years) was also
      associated with HIV-1 seroconversion (RR = 1.5). It is disturbing to report an
      overall annual seroconversion rate of 1.2% for the 2 years prior to December 31,
      1989, as well as evidence for a sustained recent increase in Chicago during 1989.
      Long-term maintenance of safe-sex behaviors should be the cornerstone of acquired
      immunodeficiency syndrome prevention among homosexual/bisexual men.

PMID- 1877594
TI  - Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields and breast cancer in men.
AB  - Data from a population-based case-control study of breast cancer in men were used
      to examine the hypothesis that occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields
      increases the risk of breast cancer. Incident cases (n = 227) diagnosed between
      1983 and 1987 were obtained from 10 population-based cancer registries of the
      Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of the National Cancer
      Institute. Controls (n = 300) were selected by random digit dialing and from
      Medicare eligibility lists. Exposure status, defined as ever having been employed
      in a job which has been classified as involving potential exposure to
      electromagnetic fields, was assigned without knowledge of case/control status. An
      elevated risk was found for any job with exposure (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8, 95
      percent confidence interval (CI) 1.0-3.7), and risk was highest among
      electricians, telephone linemen, and electric power workers (OR = 6.0, 95 percent
      CI 1.7-21) and radio and communications workers (OR = 2.9, 95 percent CI 0.8-10).
      Risk did not vary with duration of exposed employment. The risk was highest among
      subjects who were first employed in jobs with exposure before the age of 30 years
      and who were initially exposed at least 30 years prior to diagnosis. These
      results lend support to the theory that electromagnetic fields may be related to
      breast cancer in men. The hypothesis warrants evaluation in women.

PMID- 1877595
TI  - Comparability of data obtained from farmers and surrogate respondents on use of
      agricultural pesticides.
AB  - Information from surrogates is increasingly being used in case-control studies to
      evaluate cancer risks from pesticides; however, little is known about the quality
      of this type of information. To address this concern, the authors compared
      interview data collected in 1987 from 95 male Iowa farmers and their wives or
      other surrogates on the use of specific agricultural pesticides. Agreement
      between direct and surrogate interviews was excellent (83-100%) for responses to
      dichotomous (yes/no) questions regarding past agricultural use of specific
      pesticides. Although there were more discrepancies for detailed questions (e.g.,
      the number of days per year on which each pesticide was handled), responses from
      spouses appear to be adequate for epidemiologic studies of pesticides and cancer.

PMID- 1877596
TI  - Serum micronutrients and risk of cancers of low incidence in Finland.
AB  - The associations between serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol, retinol
      binding protein, and selenium levels and the subsequent occurrence of different
      cancers of low incidence were investigated in a nested case-control study of
      39,268 men and women participating in the Social Insurance Institution's Mobile
      Clinic Health Examination Survey in Finland. During follow-up from the baseline
      in 1968-1972 to the end of 1977, a total of 115 cancers of the lip, oral cavity,
      pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, kidney, urinary bladder, brain,
      and skin were reported to the nationwide Finnish Cancer Registry. Alpha
      tocopherol, beta-carotene, retinol, retinol-binding protein, and selenium
      concentrations were determined from stored serum samples collected from these
      cancer cases and matched controls at baseline. Several sites indicated an
      elevated risk of cancer at low levels of the serum variables, although only a few
      of these associations were statistically significant. Only melanoma patients had
      significantly lower serum alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene levels than
      corresponding controls. Since the numbers of cancer cases were small, no firm
      conclusions can be drawn from these results until they have been confirmed in
      studies based on larger cohorts or on pooled data from several small samples.

PMID- 1877597
TI  - Tubal sterilization, hysterectomy, and the subsequent occurrence of epithelial
      ovarian cancer.
AB  - Several hypotheses predict that tubal sterilization and hysterectomy may
      influence a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. To examine the relation
      between these surgeries and epithelial ovarian cancer, the authors analyzed data
      from the Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study, a case-control study of women aged 20
      54 years. Eight population-based cancer registries in the United States
      identified women with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer during 1980-1982
      (n = 494). A comparison sample of female residents of these eight areas (n =
      4,238) was identified through random digit dialing. Women who had had tubal
      sterilization (relative risk (RR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 0.50
      0.95), a hysterectomy only (RR = 0.55, 95% Cl 0.38-0.81), or a hysterectomy with
      unilateral oophorectomy (RR = 0.60, 95% Cl 0.31-1.17) had lower risks of ovarian
      cancer than did women who had never had any sterilization surgery. However, the
      negative associations with tubal sterilization and hysterectomy only appeared to
      wane after two decades. These findings may be partly explained by the screening
      for occult ovarian pathology that often accompanies pelvic surgery: Women whose
      ovaries screen as "negative" may be temporarily at low risk of being diagnosed
      with ovarian cancer. However, because the decreased risks persisted for so long,
      it is conceivable that hormonal, mechanical, or circulatory sequelae of these
      sterilization procedures may act to lower ovarian cancer risk.

PMID- 1877598
TI  - Blood pressure in Mexican Americans, whites, and blacks. The Second National
      Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey.
AB  - Previous studies of Mexican Americans have shown mean diastolic and systolic
      blood pressures and prevalence rates of hypertension which are either lower than
      or similar to those for non-Hispanic whites despite the predominance of obesity
      in Mexican Americans. However, those results are based on restricted samples from
      California and Texas. Using data from the Second National Health and Nutrition
      Examination Survey (1976-1980) and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination
      Survey (1982-1984), the authors examined ethnic differences in blood pressure and
      hypertension. Regression analyses, stratified by sex, were used to compare mean
      blood pressures and rates of hypertension in Mexican Americans with those for
      whites and blacks. Mean diastolic and systolic blood pressures, as well as the
      prevalence of hypertension, were lower in Mexican Americans than in non-Hispanic
      whites or in blacks, with whom they shared a remarkably similar risk profile.
      This effect was unchanged after adjustment for age, body mass index (weight
      (kg)/height (cm)2 x 100), and education, indicating that blood pressure
      differences between Mexican Americans, whites, and blacks were not explained by
      the established correlates of high blood pressure. There are several possible
      reasons for lower blood pressure in Mexican Americans, including genetic, life
      style, and cultural factors.

PMID- 1877599
TI  - The Hypertension Prevention Trial: assessment of the quality of blood pressure
      measurements.
AB  - Blood pressure variability is an important consideration in hypertension trials
      for determining required sample size and consequently making accurate outcome
      statements. The Hypertension Prevention Trial was a randomized controlled trial
      carried out in 1983-1986 in four US clinics on men and women with high normal
      diastolic blood pressure. This trial provided an opportunity to assess conditions
      affecting blood pressure measurement variability. Trained blood pressure
      observers measured systolic and diastolic blood pressures twice, 30 seconds
      apart, using a random-zero sphygmomanometer. The quality of blood pressure
      measurements was assessed by computing the variability of the two readings per
      participant-visit for each blood pressure observer at each study clinic. Other
      sources of variability investigated included observer digit preference, time of
      day, and ambient temperature. On the basis of data from this population, it is
      estimated that the standard deviation of blood pressure values can be reduced by
      5% by taking two measurements per participant-visit. An additional reduction of
      variability can be effected by having the duplicate blood pressure measurements
      made by different blood pressure observers. In special instances where the range
      of blood pressure values is very restricted, use of the random-zero
      sphygmomanometer can increase or decrease the among-participant variability in
      blood pressure values, depending upon where the distribution of blood pressure
      values is centered.

PMID- 1877600
TI  - White-black differences in cardiovascular malformations in infancy and
      socioeconomic factors. The Baltimore-Washington Infant Study Group.
AB  - Cardiovascular malformations were examined for white/black variation in the
      Baltimore-Washington Infant Study. In this population-based case-control study,
      cases (n = 2,087) were live births with cardiovascular malformations ascertained
      through pediatric cardiology centers and 53 hospitals in Maryland, the District
      of Columbia, and northern Virginia between 1981 and 1987. Controls (n = 2,721)
      were a random sample of infants from the live-birth cohort that gave rise to the
      cases. The proportion of infants that were white was similar for all cases as a
      group and controls (0.68 and 0.67, respectively). Subgroup analysis, however,
      revealed an excess of white infants among cases with Ebstein's anomaly (odds
      ratio (OR) = 3.7, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.1-12.5), aortic stenosis (OR =
      3.6, 95% Cl 1.7-7.6), pulmonary atresia (OR = 2.5, 95% Cl 1.0-6.1), coarctation
      of the aorta (OR = 2.2, 95% Cl 1.4-3.5), and D-transposition of the great
      arteries (OR = 1.6, 95% Cl 1.1-2.5), and a deficit of white infants among cases
      with pulmonary stenosis (OR = 0.6, 95% Cl 0.4-0.8) and heterotaxia (OR = 0.4, 95%
      Cl 0.3-0.8). These associations remained when cases were stratified by infant's
      age or by method of diagnosis. Controlling for socioeconomic factors attenuated
      the white excess for Ebstein's anomaly (OR = 3.0, 95% Cl 0.9-10.5), disclosed a
      white excess among cases of L-transposition of the great arteries (OR = 2.8, 95%
      Cl 1.0-8.0), and revealed that the white excess for aortic stenosis was limited
      to low and middle socioeconomic strata. These results highlight racial variations
      in cardiovascular malformations, suggest that socioeconomic factors account for
      some of this variation, and identify malformation subgroups for which further
      evaluation of sociocultural, environmental, and familial factors is needed.

PMID- 1877601
TI  - Risk of death from Alzheimer's disease in a community population of older
      persons.
AB  - A random sample of 467 persons over age 65 years from the population of an urban
      US community, stratified by age, sex, and performance on a brief memory test,
      underwent clinical evaluation for dementing illness in 1982-1984. Of these
      persons, 134 had probable Alzheimer's disease, 166 had possible Alzheimer's
      disease, and 167 had no evidence of Alzheimer's disease. Over a median follow-up
      period of 4.9 years following evaluation, 165 (35%) died. Overall, persons with
      probable Alzheimer's disease had a relative risk of death 1.44 (95% confidence
      interval (Cl) 1.05-1.96) times that of the unaffected. Level of cognitive
      impairment and the presence of cachexia upon physical examination both strongly
      and independently modified risk of death. Among those with probable Alzheimer's
      disease, mortality for those with mild or moderate cognitive impairment and no
      evidence of cachexia was comparable to that of the unaffected. However, among
      those with probable Alzheimer's disease and either severe cognitive impairment or
      cachexia, the risk of death was substantially higher. Persons with probable
      Alzheimer's disease who had both severe cognitive impairment and clear cachexia
      had a risk of death 4.60 (95% Cl 1.63-13.1) times that of unaffected persons.

PMID- 1877602
TI  - Randomized recruitment in case-control studies.
AB  - A new sampling approach for case-control studies offers a flexible alternative to
      frequency matching. In the "randomized recruitment" method, subjects are
      individually randomized to be recruited or not on the basis of investigator
      imposed recruitment probabilities that can depend on both disease status and
      values of covariates already available or ascertained in a screening interview.
      When there is prior information about the odds ratios associated with the
      screening variables, such a design can achieve "probability matching," without
      the well-known disadvantages that encumber traditional matching. The method can
      also be used to enlarge the relative size of subsamples of interest. Following
      randomized recruitment, a modified logistic regression analysis allows unbiased
      estimation of effects associated with all variables studied, including the
      "matching" variables. One can also readily fit an additive model. The method is
      illustrated by developing the recruitment probabilities required for probability
      matching on age, sex, and cigarette smoking status in an ongoing study of lung
      cancer and exposure to radon progeny in which smoking cases are undersampled.

PMID- 1877603
TI  - Blind assignment of exposure does not always prevent differential
      misclassification.
AB  - The authors argue that one can never be certain whether an exposure variable
      which is measured with error is subject to differential misclassification in
      either a case-control study or a cohort study. They present hypothetic examples
      that demonstrate that even when misclassification is nondifferential in a 2 x 3
      table, the observed odds ratios in the 2 x 2 table created by collapsing over two
      exposure levels can be either in the opposite direction from or more extreme than
      the odds ratio that would be obtained if exposures were classified correctly. The
      anomalies are explained by the observation that the 2 x 2 tables exhibit
      differential misclassification. In general, collapsing over categories which have
      different risks of disease and different probabilities of exposure
      misclassification can induce differential misclassification and even
      nonconservative estimates of relative risk. Collapsing of exposure levels can
      occur in the analysis or at the exposure assessment stage. Since
      indistinguishable categories can be collapsed implicitly, blind assessment of
      exposure, i.e., assignment without knowledge of disease status, does not
      guarantee that misclassification is nondifferential.

PMID- 1877604
TI  - Re: "Does nondifferential misclassification of exposure always bias a true effect
      toward the null value?".

PMID- 1877605
TI  - Re: "Associations are not effects".

PMID- 1877606
TI  - Foreword: the human genome initiative: genetics' lightning rod.

PMID- 1877607
TI  - Patents for critical pharmaceuticals: the AZT case.
AB  - Patents and other statutory types of market protections are used in the United
      States to promote scientific research and innovation. This incentive is
      especially important in research intensive fields such as the pharmaceutical
      industry. Unfortunately, these same protections often result in higher monopoly
      pricing once a successful product is brought to market. Usually this consequence
      is viewed as the necessary evil of an incentive system that encourages costly
      research and development by promising large rewards to the successful inventor.
      However, in the case of the AIDS drug Zidovudine (AZT), the high prices charged
      by the pharmaceutical company owning the drug have led to public outcry and a re
      examination of government incentive systems. This Note traces the evolution of
      these incentive programs--the patent system, and, to a lesser extent, the orphan
      drug program--and details the conflicting interests involved in their
      development. It then demonstrates how the AZT problem brings the interest of
      providing inventors with incentives for risky innovative efforts into a sharp
      collision with the ultimate goal of such systems: ensuring that the public has
      access to the resulting products at a reasonable price. Finally, the Note
      describes how Congress and the courts have attempted to resolve these problems in
      the past, and how they might best try to solve the AZT problem in the near
      future.

PMID- 1877608
TI  - Prenatal genetic testing and screening: constructing needs and reinforcing
      inequities.
AB  - This Article considers the influence and implications of the application of
      genetic technologies to definitions of disease and to the treatment of illness.
      The concept of "geneticization" is introduced to emphasize the dominant discourse
      in today's stories of health and disease and the social construction of
      biological phenomenon is described. The reassurance, choice and control
      supposedly provided by prenatal genetic testing and screening are critically
      examined, and their role in constructing the need for such technology is
      addressed. Using the stories told about prenatal diagnosis as a focus, the
      consequences of a genetic perspective for and on women and their health care
      needs are explored.

PMID- 1877609
TI  - Rehabilitation Act--choice of law--Glanz v. Vernick.

PMID- 1877610
TI  - Classify and control: genetic information in the schools.
AB  - Recent advances in molecular and behavioral genetics are providing theoretical
      models to explain complex behavior--learning disabilities and behavioral problems
      -in simple biological terms. There are intrinsic difficulties in interpreting
      genetic information. Yet genetic explanations are particularly appealing in
      school systems pressed by demands for efficiency and accountability. Thus,
      genetic explanations are affecting the way children are categorized in the
      schools. This Article reviews genetic advances bearing on educational issues and
      their implementation through biological tests. It suggests the social
      consequences and legal implications of the growing prevalence of genetic
      assumptions.

PMID- 1877611
TI  - Confidentiality of genetic information in the workplace.
AB  - This Article analyzes existing legal protections for the confidentiality of
      information collected through genetic screening or genetic monitoring in the
      workplace. It notes that there are a variety of protections, such as ethical
      codes for occupational physicians, statutes protecting health care information in
      the hands of the employers, and tort, contract and constitutional principles. It
      describes defenses to suits based on improper disclosure of medical information.
      The Article then analyzes legal bases for employee and third party access to the
      employee's genetic information. In response to gaps in existing legal
      protections, it suggests parameters for a model law protecting the
      confidentiality of genetic information collected in the workplace.

PMID- 1877612
TI  - Congenital myopathy with oculo-facial abnormalities (Marden-Walker syndrome).
AB  - Marden-Walker syndrome present in the neonatal period is characterized by oculo
      facial abnormalities, congenital myopathy, and contractures. A newborn infant
      with a similar pattern of anomalies is reported, and further evidence for
      autosomal recessive inheritance as well as new neuropathological findings are
      included.

PMID- 1877613
TI  - Familial occurrence of esophageal atresia with and without tracheoesophagel
      fistula: report of two unusual kindreds.
AB  - We describe 2 unique kindreds with familial occurrence of esophageal atresia (EA)
      with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and reviewed the literature on
      familial EA +/- TEF. EA +/- TEF appears to be causally heterogeneous with
      evidence pointing to the existence of non-genetic developmental and
      multifactorial forms. The literature suggests that the parents of a single
      affected child should be given an empiric recurrent risk between 1/2 and 2%,
      rising to 20% if more than one sib is affected. The empiric risk of an affected
      child born to an affected parent is 3-4%. Empiric risk figures are useful in
      counseling families at the present time; however, the 2 kindreds presented here
      raise the possibility of autosomal dominant transmission in certain families. A
      third generation of affected offspring, or additional family reports should help
      to clarify this issue in the future.

PMID- 1877614
TI  - Statistical approaches for the detection of heterozygotes for biotinidase
      deficiency.
AB  - We applied and evaluated 3 statistical approaches for the detection of
      heterozygotes for biotinidase deficiency in a randomly selected population of
      French adults. The first method, which used a cutoff value to dichotomize the
      population, lacked sensitivity. The second approach calculated the probability of
      heterozygosity for a given enzyme activity through the application of Bayes
      theorem to the normal density functions of the enzyme distributions of the
      obligate heterozygote and the test populations. A priori values of the means and
      standard deviations (SDs) of the genotypic distributions were used. This method
      was sufficiently sensitive for both population screening and genetic counseling,
      but requires prior knowledge of the frequency of the deficient gene (q). The
      third approach was similar to the second, however, maximum likelihood estimates
      of the means and SDs of the genotypic distributions were calculated and used to
      determine the probability of heterozygosity for a given enzyme activity. This
      method was as sensitive as the second method and is appropriate for screening
      populations for which there is little prior information about the gene frequency
      and the genotypic distributions. This method can also be used to estimate the
      gene frequency of the disorder within a given ethnic or racial population. Using
      this method, we estimated the frequency of heterozygotes (2pq) in the French
      population to be 0.012, which was similar to that estimated from the results of
      neonatal screening for biotinidase deficiency. These methods can be used to
      detect heterozygotes and to estimate the gene frequency of other inherited enzyme
      deficiencies.

PMID- 1877615
TI  - Phenotypic and phoniatric findings in mosaic cri du chat syndrome.
AB  - We report on mosaic 46,XY/46,XY,del(5)(p15) cri du chat syndrome. The clinical
      findings are compared with those compiled from a literature survey. A phoniatric
      evaluation was performed and compared with that of a cri du chat patient without
      mosaicism previously observed by the authors.

PMID- 1877616
TI  - Complementation by two non-homologous recombinant chromosomes 3.
AB  - The first example known to us of complementation by two non-homologous
      chromosomes 3 is present in the karyotype of a phenotypically normal brother of
      an inv(3)(p25q21) carrier. The normal chromosomes 3 are replaced by two
      complementary recombinant chromosomes 3. The longer recombinant duplicates 3q21
      qter and is deficient for 3p25-pter. It is identical to the recombinant inherited
      by infants born with multiple congenital anomalies to inv(3)(p25q21) carriers.
      The shorter recombinant duplicates 3p25-pter and is deficient for 3q21-qter. This
      recombinant has previously been observed only in prometaphase spreads from sperm
      of an inv(3) carrier from the same kindred. Theoretically it is possible for the
      carrier of these complementary recombinant chromosomes 3 to produce sperm
      carrying either a normal 3, or the inversion 3, which could then fertilize an egg
      carrying a normal 3 followed by normal fetal development. However, the spouse of
      our propositus reported one first trimester spontaneous abortion, followed by no
      recognized pregnancy over the next 12 years of marriage.

PMID- 1877617
TI  - PI polymorphism in Israel: report on six Jewish population groups.
AB  - A total of 1148 Israeli Jews was typed for PI and divided by areas of origin into
      six groups: Eastern Europe (n = 236), Central Europe (n = 156), Rumania (n =
      158), Bulgaria (n = 215), North Africa (n = 229), and Middle East (n = 154).
      Frequencies of PI*M1 (0.74-0.77) in Jews of European countries were higher than
      0.68 in Jews of N. Africa and 0.62 in Jews of the Middle East. PI*M2 frequencies
      were correspondingly lower in European Jews: 0.11-0.14 vs 0.19 and 0.20 in non
      European Jews. PI*M3 frequency range was 0.07-0.11 in European Jews and was
      highest in Middle Eastern Jews (0.17). PI*Z was found in one MZ individual. PI*S
      was low (less than 0.01) except in Sephardi Jews of Bulgaria and N. Africa (0.016
      and 0.015). A rare variant, PI*Elemberg, was observed in five individuals from
      different countries of origin. The present results are in accord with those of a
      previous study on some Israeli Jewish groups and on some other Middle Eastern
      groups.

PMID- 1877618
TI  - Ullrich-Turner syndrome in mother and daughter: prenatal diagnosis of a
      46,X,del(X)(p21) offspring from a 45,X mother with low-level mosaicism for the
      del(X)(p21) in one ovary.
AB  - A woman with Ullrich-Turner syndrome but with normal secondary sex
      characteristics became pregnant on two occasions (ages 23 and 24). She had a 45,X
      karyotype in 100/100 lymphocytes and 50/50 skin fibroblasts. The first pregnancy
      ended in a miscarriage at 2 months of gestation. In the second pregnancy cultured
      amniocytes showed a 46,X,del(X)(p21) karyotype. This pregnancy resulted in an
      apparently normal girl. Biopsies of the mother's ovaries were obtained at the
      time of cesarean section. Grossly the ovaries appeared normal, and histologically
      the number of primordial follicles appeared normal. In the right ovary, 5/100
      cells were 46,X,del(X)(p21), while all 100 cells in the left ovary were 45,X.

PMID- 1877619
TI  - Ectrodactyly of hands and feet in a child with a complex translocation including
      7q21.2.
AB  - A three-way translocation involving a break point of 7q21.2 was found in a boy
      with tetramelic ectrodactyly.

PMID- 1877620
TI  - Interstitial tandem direct duplication of the long arm of chromosome 4 (q23-q27)
      and possible assignment of the structural gene encoding human
      aspartylglucosaminidase to this segment.
AB  - We report on a girl with a previously undescribed de novo direct tandem
      duplication 4q involving the segment q23----q27. Clinical manifestations included
      postnatal growth and psychomotor retardation, microcephaly, hirsute forehead,
      epicanthic folds, strabismus, depressed nasal bridge, long philtrum, small mouth,
      tetralogy of Fallot, and sacral dimple. Her phenotype is compared with that of
      previously reported cases of duplication 4q. An increased activity of the enzyme
      aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA) in cultured fibroblasts was demonstrated. This
      suggests possible assignment of the AGA gene to the chromosomal segment 4q23---
      4q27.

PMID- 1877621
TI  - Mouse major histocompatibility complex and lung development: haplotype variation,
      H-2 immunolocalization, and progressive maturation.
AB  - The association of the mouse major histocompatibility complex (H-2), lung
      maturation, and corticosteroid responsiveness has recently been demonstrated in
      congenic B10 (H-2b) and B10.A (H-2a) mice (Hu et al.: American Journal of Medical
      Genetics 35:126-131, 1990). We have investigated additional haplotypes [B10.BR (H
      2k) and B10.D2 (H-2d)] to confirm that there is a strong association between H-2
      haplotype variation and the degree of pulmonary maturation. Lungs of B10.D2,
      B10.BR, B10, and B10.A congenic mice achieve haplotypic specific maturation:
      B10.D2 lungs greater than B10 lungs = B10.BR lung greater than B10.A lungs. It
      appears that the expression of these developmental potentials is under
      corticosteroid regulation. Further, to test the hypothesis that H-2 antigens
      would be expressed earlier in embryonic lungs with the H-2b (B10) or H-2k
      (B10.BR) haplotype than with the H-2a (B10.A) haplotype, we investigated the
      spatiotemporal patterns of H-2 antigen localization in B10, B10.BR, and B10.A
      congenic mouse strains with and without corticosteroid treatment. The spatial
      patterns of H-2 antigen localization was similar in the B10, B10.BR, and B10.A
      mouse lungs; however, these patterns appeared earlier in both untreated and
      treated B10 and B10.BR mice as compared with untreated B10.A mice, suggesting an
      H-2 haplotype associated rate of pulmonary maturation. Following corticosteroid
      treatment, all congenic strains had a temporally comparable spatial distribution
      of H-2 antigens. Our results provide preliminary evidence suggesting that both a
      lung "developmental gene(s)" and a "glucocorticoid responsiveness gene(s)" are
      most likely outside the K-D subregions of the H-2 complex. A model of the H-2
      regulation of lung maturation and corticosteroid responsiveness is discussed.

PMID- 1877622
TI  - Apparent association of mental retardation and specific patterns of deletions
      screened with probes cf56a and cf23a in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
AB  - A total of 162 Duchenne (DMD) patients and two girls with a DMD phenotype were
      analysed for deletions in the central region of the dystrophin gene in order to
      determine if there was a correlation between mental retardation (MR) and the
      pattern of deletion. Approximately 43% of the patients studied had deletions with
      two dystrophin cDNAs, cf23a and cf56a, and among 148 patients who were mentally
      assessed, 50% were mentally retarded. The average IQ in the group of patients
      with DNA deletions did not differ significantly from those patients with no
      detectable deletions. However, six unrelated DMD boys with MR showed an identical
      pattern of deletion. Our observations in the group of patients who had detected
      DNA deletions suggest that exon 52 of the dystrophin gene may be functionally
      significant in the manifestation of MR: 70% (19/27) of patients with a deletion
      of this exon were mentally retarded, whereas only 38% (15/39) of MR patients had
      deletions not involving exon 52. This difference was statistically significant.

PMID- 1877623
TI  - Biochemical and clinical characterization of prealbuminCHICAGO: an apparently
      benign variant of serum prealbumin (transthyretin) discovered with high
      resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis.
AB  - We report identification, biochemical, clinical, and genetic studies of an
      apparently benign, electrophoretic variant of serum prealbumin (PALB,
      transthyretin, TTR) in a North American kindred of Swedish ancestry. The variant
      polypeptide stems from a C to T point mutation in exon 4 which results in
      methionine instead of threonine at position 119 of the mature molecule. It was
      discovered incidentally in a girl with classic alpha-1-anti-trypsin (A1AT)
      deficiency and her father during diagnostic A1AT phenotyping by ISO-DALT high
      resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). Twelve relatives in the four
      generation paternal kindred, including five individuals who were heterozygous for
      the variant prealbumin, were studied. In each of these five heterozygotes, the
      variant allele product was equimolar and isoelectric with the normal protein, yet
      migrated with an apparently lower mass in the SDS-PAGE dimension. The inheritance
      pattern was consistent with autosomal dominant transmission. Histories and
      physical examinations showed no evidence of amyloidosis, as has been observed
      with other variants of prealbumin. Mean values of serum prealbumin and retinol
      binding protein levels were higher in the carriers as compared to the normal
      relatives in the family, but the difference was not statistically significant.
      Thyroid hormone levels and distribution of thyroxine and triiodothyronine among
      binding proteins in serum were within reference limits. Four members of the
      lineage had dominant, scalp-restricted keratinaceous cysts, yet only three of
      these four individuals had the variant. We counseled the family that this is
      likely a benign variant with regard to amyloidosis-related morbidity or shortened
      life span, although senile effects cannot be entirely ruled out. The provisional
      designation assigned to this allele is PALBCHICAGO. The substitution of
      methionine at position 119, as predicted by the DNA sequence, was confirmed by
      amino acid sequencing of CNBr and tryptic peptides. This substitution occurs at a
      CpG dinucleotide that may be a point mutational "hot spot," as has been
      postulated for the methionine-30 and isoleucine-122 PALB variants. The apparently
      lower mass of the variant probably results from a more compact conformation in
      SDS. With the exception of histidine-58, a charge substitution, all other
      amyloidosis-related prealbumin variant polypeptides had normal mobility in the
      ISO-DALT 2DE system.

PMID- 1877624
TI  - Acardiac amorphous twin with prune belly sequence in the co-twin.
AB  - We describe a twin with acardia acephalus or "Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion
      Sequence" and prune belly sequence in the co-twin. In a former quite similar case
      a prune belly appearance of the co-twin of an acardiac fetus was found to be
      secondary to the ascites caused by cardiac failure. In the present case, we are
      dealing with the prune belly sequence as a separate condition, given the fact
      there were no signs of ascites or cardiac failure. We also found associated
      anomalies: agenesis of the left ureter and kidney, dysplastic right kidney and
      anal atresia. Urinary tract obstruction has never been described in the co-twin
      of an acardiac amorphous fetus.

PMID- 1877625
TI  - Prenatal sonographic documentation of cystic hygroma regression in Noonan
      syndrome.
AB  - Prenatal diagnosis of a posterior nuchal cystic hygroma was made at 13 weeks of
      gestation in a fetus diagnosed at birth with Noonan syndrome. Through serial
      sonographic evaluation during pregnancy, the embryologic evolution of cystic
      hygroma into nuchal skin thickening was appreciated and later correlated with
      postnatal findings of nuchal skin fold redundancy and pterygium colli in a
      patient with Noonan syndrome. These observations support the concept of the
      jugular lymphatic disruption sequence as pathogenesis of the nuchal findings in
      severely affected Noonan syndrome patients.

PMID- 1877626
TI  - Molecular analysis of Gaucher disease in a Vietnamese-Czechoslovak patient with
      high residual glucocerebrosidase activity.
AB  - A Vietnamese-Czechoslovak type 1 Gaucher disease patient with mild hematological
      complications was found to have approximately 20% of the normal level of
      fibroblast glucocerebrosidase activity. Using primers that recognize exon 9
      sequences of the glucocerebrosidase structural gene absent in the pseudogene,
      genomic DNA sequences flanking exons 9 and 10 of the glucocerebrosidase
      structural gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Allele-specific
      oligonucleotide hybridization to amplified genomic DNA sequence of exons 9 and 10
      showed an A----G transition in exon 9 that resulted in the 370Ser----370Asp
      substitution in one of the alleles. In the other allele, a T----C transition in
      exon 10 resulted in the 444Leu----444Pro substitution, creating a NciI cleavage
      site. The heterozygote status of the patient's parents was confirmed
      biochemically by the detection of intermediate levels (42-55% of normal) of
      fibroblast glucocerebrosidase activity. Allele-specific oligonucleotide
      hybridization to amplified parental genomic DNA showed that the exon 9 mutation
      was present in the Czechoslovak father, whereas the exon 10 mutation was
      inherited from the patient's Vietnamese mother. This is the first report of the
      exon 10 mutation in a person of Vietnamese origin.

PMID- 1877627
TI  - Sex identification by polymerase chain reaction using X-Y homologous primer.
AB  - A method of sex identification using the polymerase chain reaction technique is
      described. Using a pair of nucleotide primers from an X-Y homologous region, both
      the X and the Y sequences can be amplified simultaneously, and more importantly,
      they result in fragments of different lengths. The success of the procedure is
      therefore monitored by the presence of a X-specific band while sex is identified
      by the presence or absence of a Y-specific band.

PMID- 1877628
TI  - New X-linked syndrome of mental retardation, short stature, and hypertelorism.
AB  - We present a three-generation family with five retarded, abnormally appearing
      males and two abnormally appearing females (presumably manifesting carriers). The
      phenotype of the patients is different from that of all other previously
      described types of X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). The patients had prominent
      forehead, frontal bossing, hypertelorism, broad nasal tip, and anteverted nares.
      Chromosomes were normal including fragile X analysis. Skeletal roentgenograms
      were normal.

PMID- 1877629
TI  - Genetic epidemiology of hereditary motor sensory neuropathies (type I).
AB  - Patients affected with hereditary motor sensory neuropathy (HMNS) type I were
      traced through hospital records. Each case was re-examined, a family history was
      drawn, and EMG examination was performed in those members of the family who could
      have inherited the trait. In the prevalence year 1987, in a population of
      1,067,130 inhabitants of 2 contiguous provinces of northeast Italy, 100 living
      cases were recorded in 30 families, giving a minimal prevalence rate estimate of
      9.37/100,000. HMSN I is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, when clinical
      evaluation includes EMG. No difference may be established clinically between the
      2 subtypes (Ia, linked to chromosome 1 and Ib, linked to chromosome 17). Sporadic
      cases are very rare and the mutation rate, including both the subtypes, is
      estimated between 3 and 6 X 10(-6).

PMID- 1877630
TI  - Renal tubular dysgenesis and very large cranial fontanels in a family with
      acrocephalosyndactyly S.C. type.
AB  - We describe the first case of renal tubular dysgenesis in a newborn female who
      survived 15 days. The immunohistochemical and lectin binding studies confirmed
      the lack of proximal tubule differentiation. Electron microscopy showed
      undifferentiated tubular epithelium. Widely patent cranial fontanels were present
      in the proposita. The father and sister showed acrocephalosyndactyly Saethre
      Chotzen type. The parents were not related and there was no familial history of
      renal pathology.

PMID- 1877631
TI  - Angular homeostasis VII: non-monotonic correction systems.
AB  - We extend our model of angular homeostasis to correction functions that have a
      single maximum at a discrepant angle less than pi radians. We find that there are
      stable, and asymptotically stable, solutions that in general consist of self
      intersecting curves. We investigate conditions for these curves to be periodic,
      and describe their symmetries. One typical pattern of such a closed curve
      involves a finite number of loops, each having a reflection axis of symmetry,
      with the complete curve having a cyclic rotation group. These bear a close
      resemblance to patterns found in lobulated biological structures (such as the
      petals of a flower or the primitive fetal hand). We further discuss implications
      for morphogenesis.

PMID- 1877632
TI  - On the genetic imprinting suggested in Angelman syndrome.

PMID- 1877633
TI  - Diaphragmatic hernia and epidermolysis bullosa in two sibs.

PMID- 1877634
TI  - Postaxial polydactyly as heterozygote manifestation in Ellis-Van Creveld
      syndrome?

PMID- 1877635
TI  - Occupational therapy: an endangered species or an academic discipline in the 21st
      century?

PMID- 1877636
TI  - The contribution of motor skills and playfulness to the play performance of
      preschoolers.
AB  - Consideration of a child's motor proficiency, intrinsic motivation, internal
      locus of control, and freedom to suspend many of the constraints of objective
      reality were proposed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of play than
      would an assessment of play performance alone. For empirical validation of this
      conceptual model of play, 29 subjects (15 nondisabled children and 14 children
      with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) between the ages of 4 years 6 months and 6
      years 6 months were given four assessments: (a) the Preschool Play Scale (Bledsoe
      & Shepherd, 1982, Knox, 1974); (b) the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor
      Proficiency (Bruininks, 1978); (c) the Preschool and Primary Internal-External
      Locus of Control Scale (Nowicki & Duke, 1974); and (d) tests of associative
      fluency (Wallach & Koogan, 1965; Ward, 1968). Multiple regression procedures
      revealed that, when considered together, scores on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test
      of Motor Proficiency, tests of associative fluency, and the Preschool and Primary
      Internal-External Locus of Control Scale predicted scores on the Preschool Play
      Scale, thereby supporting the usefulness of the proposed theoretical model.
      Further, there was no significant difference in the mean scores of the two groups
      on the Preschool Play Scale. Although this finding may be an artifact of the
      small sample size, it also may support the authors' belief that children with
      motor impairments are able to compensate for their limitations by developing
      areas of relative strength that allow them to play normally. When this belief was
      further tested with Pearson product-moment correlations and Fisher's Z
      transformations, it was found that correlations between the test scores of the
      nondisabled children were not significantly different from those of the children
      with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Clearly, further research is needed.

PMID- 1877637
TI  - Ventilatory and cardiometabolic responses to unilateral sanding in elderly women
      with ischemic heart disease: a pilot study.
AB  - This study was undertaken to investigate how 8 elderly women with ischemic heart
      disease would respond to a unilateral sanding activity. Three ventilatory
      measures-expiratory tidal volume, respiratory rate, and expiratory volume--and
      four cardiometabolic measures--metabolic equivalent, systolic blood pressure,
      heart rate, and pressure rate product--were continuously recorded during the
      sanding activity. The two independent variables were angle of the sanding board
      and sanding velocity. The activity was graded to yield five conditions: (a)
      sitting at rest; (b) 0 degrees at 15 cycles per min (cpm); (c) 0 degrees at 30
      cpm; (d) 15 degrees at 15 cpm; and (e) 15 degrees at 30 cpm. The findings
      indicated that increasing the angle of the board while holding the velocity
      constant did not always increase the mean values of the ventilatory and
      cardiometabolic measures. However, increasing the velocity while holding the
      angle constant always increased the mean values of the dependent variables. The
      data also indicated that the metabolic equivalent reached during the sanding
      activity was no greater than 2, which corresponds to a light activity, such as
      playing a musical instrument. Replication of the study with a larger sample size
      may further elucidate the behavior of these two functions during a graded sanding
      activity. In the present study, a unilateral sanding activity by elderly patients
      with cardiac impairment was shown to provide valuable data on ventilatory and
      cardiometabolic functions. The study also demonstrated that a unilateral sanding
      activity can be safely used as a graded activity in occupational therapy for the
      cardiac rehabilitation of elderly women.

PMID- 1877638
TI  - Comparison of pencil-grip patterns in first graders with good and poor writing
      skills.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare nondysfunctional children with and
      without handwriting difficulties for an examination of grip and hand preference.
      Additionally, in the group of children with handwriting difficulties, the
      children with decreased proprioceptive-kinesthetic finger awareness were compared
      with the children without such a decrease. The results suggest that children with
      handwriting difficulties may demonstrate a lower grip score than children without
      handwriting problems. In addition, among children with poor handwriting, those
      with decreased proprioceptive-kinesthetic finger awareness may demonstrate a
      lower grip score than those with good proprioceptive-kinesthetic awareness.
      Children with poor hand-writing also show less hand preference than those with
      good handwriting.

PMID- 1877640
TI  - The use of technical aids among community-based elderly.
AB  - The growing elderly population will increase the need for assistive technology in
      the form of technical aids and housing adaptations to facilitate independence in
      activities of daily living. In this study, which was undertaken to facilitate a
      better understanding of the life-styles of the disabled elderly and the role of
      technical aids, 57 disabled persons over 74 years of age were studied. All of the
      subjects were residents of a rural Swedish community. The subjects had a total of
      422 aids, an average of 7.4 per person. Seventy-five percent of the aids were
      being used, and 42 persons had at least one aid that granted autonomy. This
      finding illustrates the importance of technical aids in home care. It is
      recommended, therefore, that information about assistive technology be
      disseminated to personnel at all levels of community-based care.

PMID- 1877639
TI  - Toy Control Program evaluation.
AB  - The Toy Control Program for the Apple IIe microcomputer is a software and
      hardware package developed for the training of single-switch scanning skills. The
      specially designed scanning programs provide on screen visual feedback and
      activate a battery-powered toy to reinforce performance. This study examined
      whether the training of preschool subjects in single-switch scanning skills with
      the Toy Control Program would result in increased task completion scores and
      increased levels of attention to task, as compared with conditions of toy
      activation only and microcomputer programs with screen reinforcement only. The
      results showed that the subjects paid significantly more attention to the toys as
      reinforcers (p less than .01). No significant difference was found for the
      performance results of the three conditions. These findings support the use of a
      program like the Toy Control Program, which integrates the instructional
      capabilities of a computer with the reinforcement potential of a toy and the
      creativity of a therapist.

PMID- 1877641
TI  - The effects of a short thumb opponens splint on hand function in cerebral palsy:
      a single-subject study.
AB  - An AB single-subject research design was used to assess the effectiveness of a
      short thumb opponens splint on hand function in a 4-year-old girl with cerebral
      palsy. Baseline data for active range of motion, grip and pinch strength, grasp
      patterns, the Box and Block Test of manual dexterity (Mathiowetz, Voland,
      Kashman, & Weber, 1985), and 1-in. cube stacking were collected twice a week for
      4 weeks. The child was fitted with a short thumb opponens splint, which was worn
      6 hr during the day and all night for 4 weeks. The twice-weekly measures of the
      dependent variables continued during the treatment phase. Visual and statistical
      analysis of the data indicate that the child showed a clinically significant
      improvement in palmar and radial abduction, thumb opposition, grip strength,
      performance on the Box and Block Test scores, cube stacking, and lateral pinch.
      These results suggest that for this child with cerebral palsy, the use of a short
      thumb opponens splint improved underlying aspects of hand function as well as
      hand function itself. Replication of this study with a more complex single
      subject design involving more subjects is recommended to confirm these results.

PMID- 1877642
TI  - Occupational therapy service: individual and collective understandings of the
      founders, Part 2.
AB  - This inquiry continues to explore the understandings of patient, therapist, and
      occupation held by the founders of the National Society for the Promotion of
      Occupational Therapy. The first part of this search, published in the April 1991
      issue of AJOT, discussed personal narratives and anecdotes about George Edward
      Barton, Susan Elizabeth Tracy, and William Rush Dunton, Jr. This second part
      extends that discussion through an examination of the shaping influence of World
      War I on Dunton's beliefs and through consideration of the views held by Eleanor
      Clarke Slagle, Herbert J. Hall, Susan Cox Johnson, and Thomas Bessell Kidner.
      Influenced by contemporary historical forces as well as their personal
      experiences, the founders shared a common understanding that the right occupation
      could help persons in need. Personal narratives found within the early
      occupational therapy literature illustrate each founder's unique understanding of
      the manner in which occupation might address contemporary problems. Each view
      contributed to the development of a multifaceted therapy. Exploration of the
      multiple interpretations that shaped a common idea may help current therapists to
      better understand their heritage of caring and to compare it with current
      practices.

PMID- 1877643
TI  - Occupational therapy intervention for overuse syndrome.

PMID- 1877644
TI  - An assistive eye-drop mold.

PMID- 1877645
TI  - A system for involving patients in program planning.
AB  - Although standards exist that require occupational therapists and other health
      care professionals to include patients in the treatment planning process, our
      observations lead us to believe that patient involvement is not being maximized.
      The Patient Participation System allows therapists to actively involve patients
      in a systematic goal-setting process. The initial results of the use of this
      system indicate that patients can be effectively involved in establishing
      personalized, specific goals; identifying outcomes; and evaluating treatment
      effectiveness.

PMID- 1877646
TI  - Role of leukocytes in metabolic and functional derangements of experimental
      glomerulonephritis.
AB  - Nephrotoxic nephritis (NTN) is characterized by an influx of leukocytes into the
      glomerulus, with accompanying glomerular dysfunction and a marked increase in
      glomerular eicosanoid production. We examined the relationship between the
      glomerular inflammatory cell infiltrate and the concomitant metabolic/functional
      changes in this model of renal disease using a combination of in vivo immunologic
      strategies to both decrease [X-irradiation and cobra venom factor (CVF)] and
      increase (preimmunization with rabbit immunoglobulin G or accelerated NTN) the
      inflammatory cell infiltrate. With the use of these manipulations, a close
      correlation between glomerular leukocytes and the proteinuria of NTN was
      observed. The ablative strategies (X-irradiation and CVF) also attenuated the
      increase in leukotriene B4 (LTB4) generation seen with NTN and virtually
      completely prevented the increase in thromboxane B2 (TxB2) production (basal and
      angiotensin II elicited). Accelerated NTN, in contrast, increased and prolonged
      the rise in glomerular LTB4 production and exacerbated the increase in TxB2
      production. Glomerular prostaglandin E2 production was not altered by the
      induction of nephritis nor any of the aforementioned immunologic manipulations.
      Regression analysis established that glomerular TxB2 production correlated
      significantly with the leukocyte influx at both 3 and 24 h. Glomerular LTB4
      production correlated only with the presence of leukocytes at 3 h. Both
      glomerular TxB2 and LTB4 production were closely correlated with the renal
      dysfunction as assessed by proteinuria. These data suggest that leukocytes play a
      direct critical role in both the functional and metabolic alterations that occur
      in the setting of NTN. They further imply that leukocytes are crucial to the
      observed increase in glomerular eicosanoid production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1877647
TI  - Endothelin synthesis by rabbit renal tubule cells.
AB  - Endothelins regulate nephron sodium and water transport, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
      synthesis, and phospholipid metabolism. Recent studies suggest that renal tubule
      cells synthesize endothelins. To determine which nephron sites have such
      potential, endothelin production by cells derived from different nephron segments
      was examined. Immunoreactive endothelin 1 (ET-1) and endothelin 3 (ET-3) were
      measured in supernatants of cultured rabbit proximal tubule (PT), medullary thick
      ascending limb (MTAL), cortical collecting tubule (CCT), and inner medullary
      collecting duct (IMCD) cells. All cell types released immunoreactive ET-1 and ET
      3. However, the amounts of endothelin produced differed as follows: IMCD greater
      than MTAL greater than CCT much greater than PT for ET-1 and IMCD greater than
      MTAL = PT = CCT for ET-3; in all cases ET-1 much greater than ET-3. To confirm de
      novo ET-3 synthesis, IMCD cells were labeled with [35S]cysteine, and the
      supernatant was immunoprecipitated with anti-ET-3 antibody. Sample and standard
      ET-3 eluted at identical positions on high-performance liquid chromatographs,
      confirming de novo synthesis of ET-3 by cultured IMCD cells. These data raise the
      possibility of an important functional role for nephron-derived endothelin and,
      in particular, endothelin produced by tubule cells in the medulla.

PMID- 1877648
TI  - Effects of maleic acid on renal phosphorus transport: role of dietary phosphorus.
AB  - The effects of maleic acid on renal phosphate (Pi) transport were examined by
      clearance and brush-border membrane vesicle (BBMV) transport studies. In normal
      rats, maleic acid 50 mg.kg body wt-1.h-1 increased the phosphaturia (P less than
      0.001). Intraperitoneal administration of a similar dose of maleic acid decreased
      the BBMV uptake of Pi but not glucose. In rats fed a low-phosphate diet (0.03%),
      the maleic acid-induced phosphaturia was blunted, but the inhibitory effect on
      the BBMV transport of Pi persisted. In chronic parathyroidectomized rats fed a
      low-phosphate diet, where the filtered load of Pi was higher than in the previous
      groups, the phosphaturia was abolished, but the inhibition of the BBMV transport
      of Pi was sustained. Both the in vitro incubation of BBMVV and in vivo
      administration of maleic acid were associated with a competitive inhibition of Pi
      transport. These studies indicate that the maleic acid-induced phosphaturia is
      expressed at the apical membrane entry step of Pi, and the enhanced distal
      tubular reabsorption accounts for the lack of phosphaturia in dietary Pi
      deprivation.

PMID- 1877649
TI  - Pathogenesis of glomerular sclerosis in subtotally nephrectomized analbuminemic
      rats.
AB  - The Nagase analbuminemic rat (NAR), a mutant of the Sprague-Dawley (SD) strain,
      exhibits persistent hypercholesterolemia, thrombocytosis, and enhanced platelet
      aggregation, abnormalities possibly involved in the genesis of glomerular
      sclerosis (GS). Previous observations suggest that these rats never develop aging
      GS. We studied the development of GS in NAR after 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx). Fifteen
      days after Nx, marked glomerular hypertension was observed in NAR, compared with
      only mild elevations in SD rats. Glomerular hypertrophy was more marked in SD
      rats than in NAR. Enalapril normalized glomerular volume and partially reversed
      glomerular hypertension in NAR without altering platelet function or cholesterol
      levels. Glomerular endothelial injury and intraluminal fibrin deposition were
      seen only in NAR. Two months after Nx, severe GS and massive glomerular lipid
      deposition were seen in NAR, whereas only mild glomerular injury occurred in SD
      rats. Enalapril attenuated GS and prevented lipid deposition in NAR. Glomerular
      hypertension may be a key factor in the genesis of GS in this model in
      association with endothelial injury, intracapillary coagulation, and lipid
      accumulation.

PMID- 1877650
TI  - Indirect Na+ dependency of urate and p-aminohippurate transport in pig
      basolateral membrane vesicles.
AB  - Membrane vesicles were used to study the basolateral transport of urate and p
      aminohippurate (PAH) in the proximal tubule of the pig kidney. Consistent with a
      cooperation between a Na(+)-2-oxoglutarate cotransporter and a 2-oxoglutarate
      urate or a 2-oxoglutarate-PAH exchanger, urate and PAH uptakes were stimulated in
      presence of extravesicular 2-oxoglutarate when an inwardly directed Na+ gradient
      was applied. Both transports exhibited, however, different characteristics. The
      optimal 2-oxoglutarate concentration for stimulating uptakes was 10 microM for
      PAH and 150 microM for urate. Extravesicular chloride was required to observe a
      stimulation of PAH uptake but not of urate uptake. Transports of both PAH and
      urate exhibited different affinity sequences for various organic anions.
      Stimulated PAH uptake was inhibited by probenecid greater than cold PAH greater
      than urate = pyrazinoate greater than lactate, whereas stimulated urate uptake
      was inhibited by probenecid greater than cold urate greater than PAH and not by
      pyrazinoate or lactate. These results are consistent with independent transport
      processes for urate and PAH in pig basolateral membrane vesicles, both being
      indirectly driven by an inwardly directed Na+ gradient.

PMID- 1877651
TI  - Vasoconstrictor effect of angiotensin and vasopressin in isolated rabbit afferent
      arterioles.
AB  - The present studies were performed to examine the vasoconstrictor effect of
      angiotensin II (ANG II), angiotensin III (ANG III), and vasopressin in isolated
      afferent arterioles of the rabbit kidney. Afferent arterioles were dissected
      together with their glomerulus and perfused with a pressure head of 120 cmH2O.
      Changes in vasomotor tone were assessed as diameter changes on videotaped
      recordings. Afferent arterioles responded to the angiotensins and vasopressin
      with dose-dependent reductions in vascular diameters with half-maximum responses
      being observed at concentrations between 10(-9) and 10(-8) M. Responses to ANG II
      and III were inhibited by saralasin. Contractile responses to ANG II and
      vasopressin were not altered by prior occlusion of the efferent arteriole,
      suggesting that afferent vasoconstriction does not represent a myogenic reaction
      to an increase in efferent resistance. The vasoconstrictor response to ANG II was
      largely eliminated by removal of the glomerulus and the distal-most portion of
      the afferent arteriole, whereas the response to vasopressin remained intact. Our
      data are consistent with the notion that the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA)
      and/or glomerulus may control proximal afferent arteriolar contractility by
      electrotonic or myogenic coupling mechanisms or by producing cofactors that
      modulate vasomotor responses.

PMID- 1877652
TI  - Neurogenic regulation of rate of achieving sodium balance after increasing sodium
      intake.
AB  - Evidence that the renal sympathetic nerves have direct effects on renal tubular
      function suggests that neurogenic mechanisms may play an important role in the
      daily regulation of sodium balance. We evaluated the influence of the renal
      nerves on the rate of elevating urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) after a step
      increase in fixed sodium intake. Conscious rats with innervated (INN) or
      denervated (DNX) kidneys were placed on low-sodium intake (LNa = 0.3 meq/day) or
      a normal sodium intake (NNa = 1.0 meq/day) by intravenous infusion. Hourly
      changes in UNaV were determined 24 h before and 72 h after increasing sodium
      intake to either NNa or high-sodium intake (HNa = 5.0 meq/day). Switching from
      LNa to NNa, INN rats increased UNaV within 24 h; however, DNX rats did not begin
      to increase UNaV until hour 60. Cumulative sodium balance over 72 h was more
      positive in DNX rats (INN = 1.29 +/- 0.29 meq; DNX = 2.06 +/- 0.21 meq, P less
      than 0.05). During the LNa-to-HNa switch, both INN and DNX rats increased UNaV
      equally for 12 h; however, at this time INN rats continued to increase UNaV,
      whereas DNX rats did not. DNX rats had a net accumulation of 2.54 meq more sodium
      than INN rats over 72 h. Significant inhibition of plasma renin activity within
      the first 24 h occurred only in rats receiving the LNa-to-HNa switch in sodium
      intake, and this response was not different between rats with innervated and
      denervated kidneys. These data suggest that the renal nerves provide a rapid
      sodium excretory response to step increases in sodium intake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877653
TI  - Augmented bidirectional HCO3 transport by rat distal tubules in chronic
      alkalosis.
AB  - Free-flow micropuncture studies show both augmented net HCO3 reabsorption in the
      distal tubule of rats with chronic metabolic alkalosis and higher HCO3 delivery
      to this nephron segment. The present studies in rats used in vivo microperfusion
      of surface distal tubules to investigate whether the augmented net reabsorption
      1) was due to decreased HCO3 secretion and/or to increased proton secretion or 2)
      depended on the higher HCO3 delivery to the distal tubule. Artificial perfusates
      were designed to simulate in situ deliveries of HCO3 to the distal tubules of
      both alkalotic and control animals and to represent extremes of in situ Cl
      deliveries. Rather than being decreased, both measured and calculated HCO3
      secretion were higher in the alkalotic animals for each perfusate used.
      Similarly, calculated proton secretion (difference between net HCO3 reabsorption
      and calculated HCO3 secretion) was higher for the alkalotic animals using each
      HCO3-containing perfusate. Augmented net HCO3 reabsorption by alkalotic animals
      was more clearly demonstrated using higher HCO3 deliveries and Cl-free
      perfusates. These studies demonstrate that both the reabsorptive and secretory
      components of net HCO3 transport are increased in the distal tubule of animals
      with chronic metabolic alkalosis.

PMID- 1877654
TI  - Effects of acute nitric oxide inhibition on rat glomerular microcirculation.
AB  - Endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), recently identified as nitric oxide
      (NO), has been shown to be released by glomerular endothelial cells and might
      influence the glomerular microcirculation. To examine this hypothesis, we studied
      in rats the renal effect of acute administration of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L
      NMMA), a specific inhibitor of NO synthesis. Adult male Munich-Wistar rats were
      studied before and after intravenous administration of either pure saline or a
      bolus injection of L-NMMA (20 mg) followed by a continuous infusion of the
      inhibitor (0.4 mg/min). Although saline alone had no effect on systemic or
      glomerular hemodynamics, L-NMMA promoted marked systemic hypertension, glomerular
      arteriolar vasoconstriction, and glomerular hypoperfusion. Since efferent
      resistance was disproportionately increased, glomerular hydraulic pressure was
      also markedly elevated. The glomerular ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf) fell to
      42% of control. Single-nephron glomerular filtration rate was unaffected.
      Striking polyuria was also observed. These findings suggest that EDRF exerts a
      basal relaxing effect on the glomerular microcirculation.

PMID- 1877655
TI  - Opposed responses of large and small coronary arteries to propranolol during
      exercise in dogs.
AB  - This study was carried out to determine the relative role of alpha- and beta
      adrenoceptors at the level of large epicardial and small resistance coronary
      arteries when sympathetic tone is increased by exercise. The responses of left
      circumflex coronary diameter and blood flow were examined at rest and during
      treadmill exercise in seven chronically instrumented dogs during control
      conditions (saline) and after propranolol administration (1 mg/kg) either alone
      or in combination with phentolamine (1.5 mg/kg). In control conditions, graded
      treadmill exercise (5, 10, and 12 km/h) resulted in a progressive increase in
      coronary artery diameter and decrease in coronary vascular resistance. After
      propranolol, coronary vascular resistance slightly increased at rest and then
      progressively decreased during exercise. Surprisingly, coronary artery diameter
      significantly decreased at rest as well as throughout the exercise period.
      Phentolamine significantly reduced the propranolol-induced effects on coronary
      arterial diameter but did not restore the exercise-induced dilation of the large
      coronary arteries observed during control conditions. In addition, phentolamine
      prevented the propranolol-induced increase in coronary vascular resistance at
      rest and reinforced the exercise-induced decrease in coronary vascular resistance
      observed under propranolol. Thus beta-adrenoceptors are essential in the
      mediation of exercise-induced dilation of large coronary arteries. In contrast,
      activation of beta-adrenoceptors is only partially responsible for the decrease
      in coronary vascular resistance during exercise. Finally, constriction of large
      coronary arteries after propranolol is mainly explained by the unmasking of alpha
      adrenergic tone at rest, but other mechanisms are involved during exercise.

PMID- 1877656
TI  - Effect of blood flow rate and blood flow history on newborn pulmonary
      microcirculation.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether increased pulmonary blood flow
      and/or the history of pulmonary blood flow alters microvascular pressures in
      lungs of newborns. Using the direct micropuncture technique, we measured
      pressures in 20- to 60-microns-diameter arterioles and venules in isolated lungs
      of newborn rabbits at consecutive blood flow rates of 50 (baseline), 100, and/or
      200 ml.min-1.kg-1. Then in some lungs we returned blood flow rate to baseline and
      repeated microvascular pressure measurements. We kept left atrial pressure the
      same at all blood flow rates. When blood flow rate increased and left atrial
      pressure was maintained constant, pulmonary arterial, 20- to 60-microns-diameter
      arteriolar, and 20- to 60-microns-diameter venular pressures increased such that
      the percentage of total pressure drop that occurred across veins increased. When
      we returned blood flow to baseline, venular pressure returned to baseline, but
      arteriolar and pulmonary arterial pressures returned to values less than baseline
      so that the percentage of the total pressure drop that occurred across
      microvessels decreased. Thus both blood flow rate and blood flow history are
      important determinants of the longitudinal distribution of pulmonary vascular
      pressures across newborn lungs. These findings also suggest that in newborn lungs
      venules greater than 60 microns diameter are poorly distensible such that higher
      blood flow rates result in increased microvascular pressures. Hence, under
      conditions of increased pulmonary blood flow, such as occurs with left to right
      shunts, the tendency for edema formation will increase in newborn lungs even if
      left atrial pressure does not increase.

PMID- 1877657
TI  - Quantitation of dynamic AV nodal properties and application to predict rate
      dependent AV conduction.
AB  - A number of functional properties of the atrioventricular (AV) node have been
      described in response to changes in the atrial input rate. The purpose of this
      study was 1) to develop quantitative descriptors of these properties, and 2) to
      determine whether they can account for rate-dependent changes in AV nodal
      conduction. The delay in AV nodal conduction of single premature beats (recovery)
      was found to be an exponential function of coupling interval with a time constant
      of 66 +/- 2 (+/- SE) ms. A single abbreviated (facilitation) cycle did not alter
      the time constant of recovery or basal conduction for a subsequent beat but
      shifted its recovery curve to the left to an extent exponentially related to the
      facilitation cycle length. The induction of a tachycardia with HA interval fixed
      so as to control the recovery and facilitation variables resulted in a first
      order onset of AV conduction slowing (fatigue). The fatigue process had a time
      constant in the range of 70 beats and a magnitude that was a decaying exponential
      function of HA interval. An equation incorporating quantitative descriptors of
      recovery, facilitation, and fatigue accurately predicted rate-dependent changes
      in AH interval. We conclude that 1) the AV nodal properties of recovery,
      facilitation, and fatigue are amenable to quantitative characterization, and 2)
      rate-dependent changes in AV nodal conduction time can be well described in terms
      of these underlying properties.

PMID- 1877658
TI  - Ischemia and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in rabbits with chronic heart
      failure.
AB  - The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias occurring during acute myocardial
      ischemia and reperfusion was studied in anesthetized rabbits with chronic heart
      failure. Cardiac failure was induced by volume and pressure overload and was
      characterized by marked hypertrophy (84%) and lower systolic aortic blood
      pressure (112 +/- 3 mmHg) than in controls (124 +/- 2 mmHg, P less than 0.01).
      During the first 20 min postcoronary artery ligation, the incidence and duration
      of ventricular fibrillation were greater in the heart failure group (76% and 485
      +/- 77 s, respectively) compared with the control group (27% and 86 +/- 37 s,
      respectively, P less than 0.01). Reperfusion-induced arrhythmias after various
      ischemic durations were also more frequent in the heart failure group than in the
      control group. Papillary muscles taken from rabbits with heart failure showed a
      reduced diastolic potential and a prolonged action potential duration (APD90)
      compared with the control group (by 7 and 46%, respectively), but there was no
      change in maximum upstroke velocity. The present study established that rabbits
      with pronounced morphological signs of chronic heart failure have an enhanced
      susceptibility to ischemia and reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. As already
      described in situations of uncomplicated cardiac hypertrophy, a delay in the
      repolarization process could represent an arrhythmogenic mechanism in this model.

PMID- 1877659
TI  - Collagen remodeling and changes in LV function during development and recovery
      from supraventricular tachycardia.
AB  - Chronic supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) causes left ventricular (LV)
      dYsfunction and dilatation. Termination of SVT appears to improve symptoms of
      congestive heart failure. However, the structural events that occur during
      development and regression of SVT-induced cardiomyopathy are unknown.
      Accordingly, LV function (simultaneous echocardiogram-catheterization) and
      collagen content and distribution were measured in pigs (23-25 kg) assigned to
      three groups: 1) rapid atrial pacing (240 beats/min) for 3 wk (SVT, n = 10); 2)
      SVT for 3 wk, followed by deactivation of the pacemaker and a 4-wk recovery
      period (PST, n = 9); and 3) sham-operated controls (CON, n = 10). LV fractional
      shortening was 30 +/- 2% in CON, fell to 13 +/- 2% with SVT (P less than 0.05),
      and returned to CON values with PST (31 +/- 2%). SVT resulted in significantly
      increased LV end-diastolic dimension compared with CON (4.9 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.5 +/-
      0.2 cm, P less than 0.05) and no change in LV wt/body wt (2.7 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.6 +/-
      0.2 g/kg, P = 0.85). Termination of SVT (PST) resulted in development of
      hypertrophy, LV mass increased to 3.50 +/- 0.3 g/kg (P less than 0.05 vs. CON).
      With the use of pressure-dimension-thickness relations during diastole, the
      regional chamber stiffness constant (Kc) was computed. Kc was unchanged by SVT
      compared with CON (5.3 +/- 1.4 vs. 3.7 +/- 0.5, P greater than 0.35) but
      increased with PST (7.4 +/- 0.6, P less than 0.05). LV hydroxyproline content
      significantly fell with SVT compared with CON (2.24 +/- 0.58 vs. 2.68 +/- 0.45
      mg/g dry wt, P less than 0.05, respectively) and significantly increased with PST
      (3.68 +/- 0.85 mg/g dry wt, P less than 0.05). With the use of transmission
      electron microscopy, collagen fibril diameter was reduced with SVT compared with
      CON (1.45 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.7 +/- 0.5 microns, P less than 0.05) and increased with
      PST (3.3 +/- 1.4 microns, P less than 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy
      revealed disruption of collagen struts between adjacent SVT myocytes and a
      thickened collagen weave with PST. Thus chronic SVT resulted in systolic and
      diastolic dysfunction and reduced collagen support of adjoining myocytes. Early
      recovery from SVT was associated with LV hypertrophy, increased collagen, and
      increased LV stiffness.

PMID- 1877660
TI  - Correlation of myocardial necrosis with kinetics of 111In-labeled myosin-specific
      antibody in isolated rabbit septum.
AB  - Radiolabeled monoclonal antibody fragments to myosin, specifically 111In-labeled
      antimyosin, have been shown to be effective for imaging areas of myocardial
      infarct. To determine if 111In-labeled antimyosin can be used to assess the
      extent of necrosis, we compared the tissue retention fraction of 111In-labeled
      antimyosin with the amount of creatine kinase (CK) released from the isolated,
      perfused, interventricular rabbit septum after an intervention to induce tissue
      necrosis. 111In-labeled antimyosin was injected and tissue radioactivity was
      monitored for a 60-min period under control conditions. Effluent samples were
      also collected during this period and assayed for CK content. After a period of
      Ca2+ depletion followed by Ca2+ repletion, 111In-labeled antimyosin was again
      injected, and washout and CK data were collected. Comparison of the changes in
      111In-labeled antimyosin retention fraction from control to intervention with the
      corresponding increase in CK released during intervention resulted in a
      correlation coefficient of 0.83. To corroborate the findings of the Ca2+
      depletion followed by repletion experiments, further experiments were conducted
      in which zero-flow ischemia followed by reperfusion was used as a means of
      introducing necrosis in the septum. The resulting correlation coefficient between
      CK release and 111In-labeled antimyosin retention fraction was 0.82. The results
      of these experiments indicate that 111In-labeled antimyosin can be used to
      quantitatively estimate the extent of necrosis in the rabbit septum, as
      determined by CK release, and endorse the potential use of tracer kinetics in
      humans for quantitation of myocardial necrosis in vivo.

PMID- 1877661
TI  - Activated oxygen species do not mediate hypercapnia-induced cerebral vasodilation
      in newborn pigs.
AB  - In newborn pigs, vasodilation in response to hypercapnia is dependent on
      prostaglandin (PG) H synthase. We investigated the contribution of activated
      oxygen by-products to hypercapnia-induced PGH synthase-dependent dilation of pial
      arteries and arterioles in anesthetized newborn pigs. Activated oxygen species
      were generated on the cerebral surface using xanthine oxidase and hypoxanthine.
      Catalase, H2O2, and iron or N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (MPG) were used to
      separate effects of superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. All the activated
      oxygen species tested caused vasodilation of both arteries and arterioles.
      Vasodilation to all activated oxygen species was largely reversible with only the
      hydroxyl radical encouraging combination of xanthine oxidase, hypoxanthine, H2O2,
      and FeCl3, causing significant dilation 20 min after removal of treatment.
      Cotreatment with MPG blocked this residual dilation. Neither pretreatment with
      the extracellular superoxide anion radical scavenger, superoxide dismutase (SOD),
      the intracellular superoxide anion radical scavenger, Tiron, the H2O2 scavenger,
      catalase, nor hydroxyl radical scavengers, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and MPG,
      altered vasodilation of pial arteries or arterioles in response to hypercapnia.
      Furthermore, the increase in cerebral prostanoid synthesis in response to
      hypercapnia was not affected by pretreatment with SOD, Tiron, catalase, DMSO, or
      MPG. We conclude that the progressively reduced forms of oxygen that would be
      produced during PGH synthase metabolism of arachidonic acid can dilate pial
      arteries and arterioles of newborn pigs. However, these activated oxygen species
      are not responsible for the vasodilation to hypercapnia in the newborn pig,
      suggesting that eicosanoids cause the dilation.

PMID- 1877662
TI  - Effect of skin concavity on subcutaneous tissue fluid pressure.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that mechanical factors associated, with a skin
      concavity can cause the local tissue fluid pressure to become more negative.
      Perforated Teflon collars, 26 mm in diameter and having various heights (5, 10,
      13, and 16 mm), were implanted into the fascial plane of the inguinal and
      abdominal areas of six sheep. After several weeks, visible signs of edema were no
      longer apparent, and the skin formed a concavity within the center of each
      collar. The depth of each concavity was measured using an electronic micrometer,
      and the tissue fluid pressure beneath the concavity was measured using a needle
      method. Over the entire range of collar heights, the average depth of the
      concavities ranged from 1.1 to 4.7 mm in the abdominal tissues and from 1.8 to
      5.5 mm in the inguinal tissues. The respective values of tissue fluid pressure
      averaged -4.6 to -13.0 and -5.7 to -12.8 mmHg. The results therefore indicate
      that implanting deeper collars leads to the formation of deeper concavities in
      the skin and also to greater negativity in the free tissue fluid pressure beneath
      the skin. Linear regression extrapolation to a collar height of 0 mm corresponded
      to a tissue fluid pressure of -1.0 mmHg in the abdominal tissue and -2.4 mmHg in
      the inguinal tissues. A model based on excessive pumping of the lymphatic system
      in the vicinity of a concavity is provided to explain this newly described
      phenomenon. We conclude that mechanical factors associated with the formation of
      a skin concavity cause or permit the tissue fluid pressure to reach levels of
      negativity far greater than those that exist in the absence of a concavity.

PMID- 1877663
TI  - NMR studies of beta-oxidation and short-chain fatty acid metabolism during
      recovery of reperfused hearts.
AB  - The effects of beta-oxidation on the contractile recovery and metabolic activity
      of postischemic (10 min) rabbit hearts were examined during reperfusion with the
      short-chain fatty acid butyrate. Hearts received either 13C-enriched butyrate or
      acetate to evaluate metabolic targeting with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
      spectroscopy. Acetate and butyrate supported similar contractility (rate of
      pressure development, dP/dt) and 31P-NMR-detected, high-energy phosphate (HEP)
      levels during normal perfusion. In postischemic hearts, butyrate sustained a
      greater percentage of preischemic dP/dt (83 +/- 4%) than did acetate reperfusion
      (44 +/- 6%, P less than 0.05) with no differences in HEP. The efficiency of
      oxygen consumption per unit of work was greater in hearts reperfused with
      butyrate (2.8 +/- 0.2 microM.g-1.mmHg-1) vs. acetate (3.4 +/- 0.1). Inhibition of
      butyrate oxidation with 4-bromocrotonic acid (4-BCA) during normal perfusion
      severely reduced dP/dt and HEP. Acetate supported normal dP/dt and HEP levels
      during perfusion with 4-BCA and butyrate, but contractile recovery during
      reperfusion with acetate, 4-BCA, and butyrate (46 +/- 6%) was similar to that
      with acetate alone. With acetate and butyrate combined at reperfusion, acetate
      accounted for 56% of substrate entering oxidative metabolism at acetyl CoA and
      delayed contractile recovery (57 +/- 5% at midpoint and 80 +/- 6% at end). Thus
      improved respiratory efficiency of contraction in reperfused hearts was related
      to the activity of beta-oxidation.

PMID- 1877664
TI  - Afferent vascular resistance control during hemorrhage in normal and
      autonomically blocked rabbits.
AB  - We examined the role of the arterial and cardiac baroreceptors on the hindquarter
      conductance and heart rate responses of conscious rabbits bled at approximately
      3% blood volume (BV)/min to 80% BV (i.e., 20% BV removed). We used rabbits with
      both sets of baroreceptors working and when only one or neither sets was working.
      Each animal was studied with normal effector function and during autonomic
      blockade (hormonal + local effectors), where release of arginine vasopressin
      (AVP) and renin (angiotensin II, ANG II) were enhanced. The local response (LR)
      to hemorrhage was determined in a separate group of neurohumorally blocked
      rabbits. The estimated constrictor response (ECR) was the difference between the
      LR and net conductance response. In normal rabbits, the ECR was 49 units, with
      the estimated arterial-to-cardiac barorecptor drive ratio approximately 2.8:1 and
      with the two receptor groups acting by simple addition. Both barorecptors
      contributed to the rise in heart rate, with the relative arterial-to-cardiac
      baroreceptor drive ratio approximately 4:1. When hemorrhage was performed during
      autonomic blockade, ECR was 84 units (compared with normal rabbits, P less than
      0.01), but blood pressure was poorly maintained and the constrictor effect was
      not under baroreceptor control. Although the baroreceptors were critical for AVP
      release during autonomic blockade, they played no role in renin release (ANG II
      production); the latter was released in large amounts, producing near-maximum
      constriction, which was unrelated to the afferent input. Thus neurally mediated
      regulation during hemorrhage has substantial advantages over that mediated
      primarily through the pressor hormones.

PMID- 1877665
TI  - Effects of spatial dispersion of acetylcholine release on AV conduction responses
      to vagal stimulation in dogs.
AB  - We determined the effects on atrioventricular (AV) conduction of changing the
      spatial dispersion of acetylcholine (ACh) release from vagal nerve fibers in
      anesthetized dogs. We paced the atria at a constant rate and stimulated the vagus
      nerves with one stimulus burst per cardiac cycle. We varied the spatial
      heterogeneity of ACh release in the cardiac tissues by changing the stimulus
      voltage, and we varied the quantity of ACh release from each excited nerve fiber
      by changing the number of pulses per stimulus burst. We slightly changed the
      stimulus timing with each heartbeat to scan the entire cardiac cycle. We
      constructed phase-response curves (PRCs) by plotting the changes in AV conduction
      time as a function of the timing of vagal stimulation. We found that the
      amplitude of the PRC varied directly with average AV conduction time (AV),
      whereas the minimum-to-maximum phase difference of the PRC varied inversely with
      AV. However, for any given change in AV, the specific characteristics of the PRCs
      did not depend on whether we varied the number of pulses per burst or the
      stimulus voltage. Therefore, the phase-dependent characteristics of the
      dromotropic responses appear to be unaffected by the spatial dispersion of ACh
      release from the vagal nerve endings. The effects of vagal activity on the AV
      conduction time are determined by those conducting fibers that are the least
      restrained by neurally released ACh.

PMID- 1877666
TI  - Influence of hyperglycemia on cerebral adenosine production during ischemia and
      reperfusion.
AB  - We hypothesized that systemic hyperglycemia would alter cerebral adenosine
      concentrations during ischemia and reperfusion. In the present study, we analyzed
      brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from hyperglycemic and normoglycemic
      rats before ischemia, after 15 min of incomplete forebrain ischemia, and during
      60 min of reperfusion. Hyperglycemic rats received 3 g/kg of 17% D-glucose
      intraperitoneally, which increased blood glucose to 357 +/- 23 mg/100 ml compared
      with 128 +/- 12 mg/100 ml in normoglycemic rats. Brain tissue was sampled by the
      freeze-blow technique, and CSF was obtained by collecting cortical perfusate from
      the closed cranial window. Tissue and CSF were analyzed for adenosine and its
      metabolites inosine and hypoxanthine, and tissue was also analyzed for adenine
      nucleotides. Hyperglycemia significantly attenuated the increase in brain tissue
      and CSF adenosine and its metabolites during ischemia while preserving adenine
      nucleotide concentrates. This attenuation of ischemic adenosine production
      persisted after 5 min of reperfusion in tissue and throughout 60 min of
      reperfusion in CSF. Because adenosine, a cerebral vasodilator, can inhibit the
      release of neuronal excitotoxins as well as affect neutrophil-endothelial
      interactions, adenosine has been proposed as an endogenous neuroprotector. Thus
      the attenuation of adenosine and its metabolites may be a factor in the
      pathogenesis of increased ischemic brain injury associated with systemic
      hyperglycemia.

PMID- 1877667
TI  - Evidence of a role for compounds derived from arginine in coronary response to
      serotonin in vivo.
AB  - Recent studies have demonstrated that a nitroso compound derived from L-arginine
      (Arg) may be the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) released from
      vascular endothelium. Synthesis of EDRF from L-Arg is inhibited by analogues of
      Arg such as NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L
      NNA). We tested the role of compounds derived from Arg in the constriction of the
      proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to serotonin in vivo by
      measuring responses before and during infusion of L-NMMA or L-NNA. In open-chest
      anesthetized dogs the LAD was perfused at constant pressure (80 mmHg) from a
      reservoir. Large-artery diameter was measured with piezoelectric crystals, and
      coronary flow was measured with an in-line electromagnetic flow probe.
      Intracoronary serotonin (5 and 50 micrograms/min) caused a dose-dependent
      constriction of the proximal LAD and increase in coronary flow. Intracoronary L
      NMMA (2 mg/min) or L-NNA (2 mg/min) augmented the constriction to serotonin,
      whereas the increase in coronary flow was blunted only by L-NNA. L-Arg (10
      mg/min, intracoronary) alone did not alter either the large-artery constriction
      or the increase in flow to serotonin; however, it prevented the enhanced
      constriction to serotonin following L-NMMA. Constriction to the endothelium
      independent agent prostaglandin F2 alpha was not affected by L-NMMA. We conclude
      that a metabolite of L-Arg modulates the large coronary artery response to
      serotonin in vivo.

PMID- 1877668
TI  - Prevention of the oxygen paradox in hypoxic-reoxygenated hearts.
AB  - Reoxygenation after 60 min substrate-free hypoxic perfusion (modified Tyrode
      solution, 37 degrees C) caused isolated Langendorff hearts (from rats) to rapidly
      develop hypercontracture and sarcolemmal disruptions indicated by massive and
      sudden loss of enzymes ("oxygen paradox"). Reoxygenation (30 min) caused an
      augmented loss of creatine kinase by 25.8% (lactate dehydrogenase by 40.1%) of
      the initial total tissue activity. It was investigated whether a temporary
      contractile blockade by 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM; 20 mM) can prevent
      reoxygenation-induced injury. In the presence of BDM, reoxygenation no longer
      caused hypercontracture or increased enzyme release. Instead, ultrastructure
      recovered, and contents of creatine phosphate (CrP) were partially restored (60
      min hypoxia: 0.4 mumol CrP/g dry wt; after subsequent 60 min reoxygenation in
      presence of BDM: 7.8 mumol CrP/g dry wt). When BDM was eluted after first 20 min
      of reoxygenation, an attenuated but distinct increase in enzyme release was still
      observed. When BDM was eluted after 60 min of reoxygenation, ultrastructure did
      not deteriorate and increase of enzyme release remained virtually absent. During
      first 30 min after removal of BDM, the increased loss of creatine kinase amounted
      to only 5.7% (lactate dehydrogenase to 6.9%) of the initial total tissue
      activity. The results demonstrate that the oxygen paradox can be prevented in the
      hypoxic-reoxygenated heart when the contractile apparatus is temporarily
      paralyzed during the initial phase of reoxygenation.

PMID- 1877669
TI  - Periodicities of cardiac mechanics.
AB  - Using a finite-difference equation to model cardiac mechanics, we simulated the
      stable action of the left ventricle. This model describes the left ventricular
      end-diastolic volume as a function of the previous end-diastolic volume and
      several physiological parameters describing the mechanical properties and
      hemodynamic loading conditions of the heart. Our theoretical simulations
      demonstrated that transitions (bifurcations) can occur between different modes of
      dynamic organization of the isolated working heart as parameters are changed.
      Different regions in the parameter space are characterized by different stable
      limit cycle periodicities. Experimental studies carried out in an isolated
      working rat heart model verified the model predictions. The experimental studies
      showed that stable periodicities were invoked by changing the parameter values in
      the direction suggested by the theoretical analysis. We propose in the present
      work that mechanical periodicities of the heart action are an inherent part of
      its nonlinear nature. The model predictions and experimental results are
      compatible with previous experimental data but may contradict several hypotheses
      suggested to explain the phenomenon of cardiac periodicities.

PMID- 1877670
TI  - Skeletal muscle metabolism in heart failure in rats.
AB  - 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to examine the metabolism of
      skeletal muscle in rats 6-8 wk after myocardial infarction (MI). These in vivo
      measurements were supplemented by measurement of creatine, phosphocreatine (PCr),
      and ATP in freeze-clamped muscle using high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) and assays of key muscle enzymes to better define the muscle abnormality
      observed in heart failure. Resting PCr/(PCr + Pi) and pH were similar in MI rats
      and controls. Rats with MI had lower pH and PCr/(PCr + Pi) than controls during
      sciatic nerve stimulation at 1 and 2 Hz. These changes were more severe in rats
      with large (greater than or equal to 46%) infarcts, and changes in pH and
      PCr/(PCr + Pi) were correlated with infarct size. Free [ADP] in vivo was
      estimated from the NMR and HPLC measurements. [ADP] was increased in rats with
      large infarcts during nerve stimulation, implying a defect in oxidative
      metabolism. Citrate synthase, a mitochondrial enzyme, was reduced in rats with
      large MI. Citrate synthase levels were correlated with changes in PCr/(PCr + Pi)
      at 2 Hz. The NMR changes in skeletal muscle can be explained by reduced oxidative
      capacity of skeletal muscle, and this proposition is supported by the
      demonstration of reduced citrate synthase levels in skeletal muscle of rats with
      large infarcts.

PMID- 1877671
TI  - Activation of brain adenosine receptors evokes vasodilation in skin arterioles.
AB  - Metabolically stable adenosine (ADO) agonists were infused into cannulas
      chronically implanted in the lateral cerebral ventricle intracerebroventricularly
      (icv) while responses in skin microcirculation of pentobarbital-anesthetized
      hamsters were observed with intravital microscopy. Cyclohexyladenosine (CHA; A1
      receptor selective; 0.0001-1 pmol) and N-ethylcarboxoamidoadenosine (NECA; A2
      receptor selective; 0.01-0.05 pmol) were delivered in 10 microliters of
      bicarbonate-buffered Ringer vehicle. Mean systemic arterial blood pressure, heart
      rate, skin arteriolar diameter, and red blood cell velocity were continuously
      monitored. Blood flow was calculated from measurements of arteriolar diameter (20
      40 microns) and red blood cell velocity. CHA icv caused dose-related decreases in
      blood pressure and heart rate, as well as increases in cutaneous perfusion.
      Comparable amounts of CHA administered intravenously evoked no response.
      Pretreatment with an A1-selective antagonist xanthine amine congener (XAC, 5 pmol
      icv or 1 mg/kg iv) had no effect on the depressor response but antagonized the
      bradycardia. In contrast, a nonselective antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline (8pTHEO,
      5 pmol icv or 0.3 mg/kg iv) had no effect on the bradycardia but attenuated the
      depressor response. By either route, both antagonists prevented the cutaneous
      microcirculatory responses evoked by icv CHA. NECA icv produced hypotension but
      no change in the skin, and the depressor response was not altered by icv XAC.
      These observations provide direct evidence that chemical stimulation of central
      nervous system (CNS) ADO receptors is linked to a cutaneous vascular response
      that can be dissociated from other cardiorespiratory depressant actions of CNS
      ADO.

PMID- 1877672
TI  - Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide enhances automaticity of supraventricular
      pacemakers in anesthetized dogs.
AB  - Effects of the cardiac neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and
      isoproterenol (ISO) were compared on sinus nodal, subsidiary atrial, and
      atrioventricular junctional pacemaker automaticity in pentobarbital sodium
      anesthetized dogs (n = 14). Autonomic cardiac nerves were decentralized by
      bilateral vagotomy and stellectomy. VIP and ISO (30, 100, and 300 pmol/kg iv)
      were administered during sinus rhythm and either after crushing the sinus node to
      unmask a latent subsidiary atrial pacemaker (n = 7 dogs) or after injecting
      pentobarbital sodium into the sinus node artery to elicit an atrioventricular
      junctional pacemaker (n = 7). Spontaneous sinus nodal, subsidiary atrial, and
      atrioventricular junctional pacemaker rates (after autonomic nerve
      decentralization) were 142 +/- 4, 114 +/- 3, and 79 +/- 4 beats/min (means +/-
      SE), respectively. Both VIP and ISO dose dependently increased the rates of all
      three pacemaker sites. Combined muscarinic-cholinergic (atropine; 0.11 mg/kg iv)
      and beta-adrenergic receptor blockade (nadolol; 0.5 mg/kg iv) abolished the
      stimulatory effects of ISO on subsidiary atrial and atrioventricular junctional
      pacemakers but did not affect the responses to VIP. We conclude that exogenous
      VIP enhances the automaticity of sinus nodal, subsidiary atrial, and
      atrioventricular junctional pacemakers independently of muscarinic-cholinergic
      and beta-adrenergic receptors. Based on the previous demonstration of VIP
      immunoreactive nerves throughout the heart, our findings also suggest that
      endogenous VIP may be involved in cardiac pacemaker regulation.

PMID- 1877673
TI  - Ischemic contracture begins when anaerobic glycolysis stops: a 31P-NMR study of
      isolated rat hearts.
AB  - The relationships among myocardial ATP, intracellular pH, and ischemic
      contracture in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were investigated by 31P nuclear
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy during total global normothermic ischemia while
      the left ventricular pressure was recorded continuously via an intraventricular
      balloon. Glucose-perfused hearts (n = 63) were divided into five groups based on
      the time of onset of contracture (TOC), and three other groups of hearts were
      treated to vary the ischemic glycogen availability. ATP levels, which showed no
      evidence of accelerated ATP depletion during contracture, were significant and
      variable at TOC. Intracellular pH initially declined and then leveled off at TOC,
      with lower final pH in hearts with later TOC. We conclude that contracture began
      when anaerobic glycolysis (and thus glycolytic ATP synthesis) stopped. These
      results, though consistent with the concept that ischemic contracture in normal
      hearts results from rigor bond formation due to low ATP levels at the myofibrils,
      suggest that TOC is more closely related to glycolytic ATP production than to
      total cellular ATP content, thus providing evidence of some degree of subcellular
      compartmentation or metabolite channeling. In glycolytically inhibited hearts,
      the quite early contracture may have a Ca2+ component.

PMID- 1877674
TI  - Sustained effects of endothelin-1 on rabbit, dog, and rat pulmonary circulations.
AB  - Effects of endothelin-1 (10(-8) M) on the pulmonary vascular resistance
      compliance profile were examined in isolated blood-perfused rabbit, dog, and rat
      lungs using occlusion techniques. Capillary permeability was assessed by
      filtration coefficient (Kfc). Cyclooxygenase products were assessed by
      radioimmunoassay. In rabbit lungs, endothelin-1 increased all resistances except
      large vein; ibuprofen reversed the constriction. Endothelin-1 decreased total
      vascular compliance (CT), which was reversed by ibuprofen. Cyclooxygenase
      products were unchanged by endothelin-1 or endothelin-1 plus ibuprofen. In dog
      lungs, large vein resistance increased after endothelin-1; ibuprofen increased
      large arterial resistance. Endothelin-1 decreased CT and middle compartment
      compliance, and endothelin-1 plus ibuprofen decreased large vessel compliance
      (CLV). Ibuprofen reversed the endothelin-1 increase in plasma 6-oxo-prostaglandin
      F1 alpha. In rat lungs, ibuprofen reversed the endothelin-1 increase in small
      arterial resistance. Endothelin-1 decreased CLV, and endothelin-1 plus ibuprofen
      returned the compliance to baseline values. Ibuprofen potentiated the endothelin
      1 increase in plasma prostanoids. Endothelin-1 plus indomethacin increased
      vascular resistance and blocked prostaglandin production. Kfc was increased only
      in rat lung after endothelin-1 plus ibuprofen. In summary, endothelin-1 increased
      pulmonary vascular resistance, which was attenuated by prostacyclin in dogs and
      rats. In rabbits, the resistance increase was reversed by ibuprofen.

PMID- 1877675
TI  - Whole body vascular capacitance response to vasopressin is mediated by autonomic
      function.
AB  - Effects of intravenous infusions of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on whole body
      vascular capacitance were determined in anesthetized cats when autonomic nervous
      system function was intact and, in other cats, when reflexes were blocked by the
      ganglionic blocking agent pentolinium. With the use of the constant cardiac
      output-reservoir technique, changes in reservoir volume were assumed to reflect
      reciprocal changes in whole body vascular capacitance. Relationships between the
      dose of AVP and the plasma concentration of the peptide achieved during infusions
      were not significantly different in the two groups of animals. Blood pressure
      responses to AVP were greater, whereas heart rate responses to the peptide were
      abolished in ganglion-blocked cats. In cats with intact autonomic function,
      reservoir volume decreased by 1.6, 4.2, and 7.8 ml/kg at AVP doses of 1, 10, and
      100 ng.kg-1.min-1, respectively. In contrast, in ganglion-blocked cats, reservoir
      volume did not change significantly at 1.0 and 10 ng.kg-1.min-1 of AVP, and the
      highest dose caused a much smaller change in volume (3 ml/kg) than that observed
      in cats with intact autonomic function (7.8 ml/kg). Systemic compliance was
      unchanged by AVP in both groups of animals, suggesting that the increases in
      whole body vascular capacitance were likely due to changes in unstressed volume.
      The results suggest that reflexively mediated changes in autonomic function
      increase whole body vascular capacitance during elevations in the circulating
      levels of AVP to plasma concentrations that are biologically relevant. These
      findings may explain how AVP decreases cardiac output in animals with an intact
      autonomic nervous system.

PMID- 1877676
TI  - Subendocardial coronary compression in beating dog hearts is independent of
      pressure in the ventricular lumen.
AB  - Ventricular decompression has been shown to have little effect on either the
      magnitude or transmural distribution of the extravascular resistance in the small
      hearts of the cat or rabbit. This study tests whether that independence from
      ventricular pressure also occurs in the large heart of the dog, which should be
      more representative of the human. We measured regional myocardial flow in each in
      situ dog heart during three conditions: normally beating, vented beating, and
      arrest. Hearts were perfused at constant pressure and maximally dilated with 0.4
      1.0 mg/min ic adenosine. Total coronary blood flow was measured with an
      electromagnetic flowmeter, and regional flow was assessed with radiolabeled
      microspheres. Although arrest resulted in more than a doubling of flow to the
      inner layer, greatly reducing ventricular pressure by venting had no significant
      effect on subendocardial flow. Subepicardial flow was minimally affected by
      either venting or arrest. We conclude that both the magnitude and the transmural
      distribution of extravascular resistance in the large heart of the dog is
      unrelated to the pressure in the ventricular lumen.

PMID- 1877677
TI  - Segmental vascular resistance during pulsatile and steady perfusion in 3- to 5-wk
      old rabbit lungs.
AB  - To determine the mechanisms by which pulsatile perfusion reduces vascular
      resistance in isolated lungs, we compared the effects of pulsatile versus steady
      perfusion on total and segmental vascular resistance in isolated lungs of 3- to 5
      wk-old rabbits. Lungs were perfused alternately with steady and pulsatile flow
      for 45-min periods at a constant total arteriovenous pressure drop. Blood flow
      was adjusted to keep mean pulmonary arterial pressure at 20 cmH2O, when left
      atrial and airway pressures were 8 and 6 cmH2O, respectively. We partitioned the
      pulmonary circulation into three longitudinal vascular segments, i.e., arteries,
      microvessels, and veins, by measuring pressures in 20- to 50-microns-diameter
      subpleural arterioles and venules by the micropipette servo-nulling method. We
      found that in the isolated, perfused 3- to 5-wk-old rabbit lung, in which
      arteries and veins are the main sites of resistance, pulsatile flow results in a
      20-36% reduction in total vascular resistance, mainly due to a reduction in
      arterial and venous resistances. The decrease in total vascular resistance was
      similar in lungs that were untreated or treated with papaverine, indicating that
      the effect of pulsatile flow was not due to active vasomotion. The reduction in
      arterial resistance was greater than that in veins (31-55 vs. 19-22%), especially
      when pulse amplitude was high (5-10 vs. 20-30 cmH2O). Total vascular resistance
      was also lower after 45 min of pulsatile perfusion with a pulse rate of 200
      pulses/min than 80 pulses/min (0.126 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.154 +/- 0.059 cmH2O.min.ml
      1.kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877678
TI  - Differential effects of intra- and extraluminal endothelin on cerebral
      arterioles.
AB  - The differential effects of intraluminal and extraluminal application of
      endothelin, the endothelium-derived constricting factor, were studied in isolated
      intracerebral arterioles that were cannulated and perfused in vitro. Extraluminal
      and intraluminal application of 10(-8) M endothelin constricted the arterioles to
      38.2 +/- 6.7 and 75.1 +/- 5.7% of the control diameter, respectively.
      Constrictions induced by either the intraluminal or the extraluminal application
      of endothelin were inhibited in a Ca(2+)-free solution. Nimodipine attenuated,
      but did not completely abolish, the constriction induced by the extraluminal
      application of endothelin, but it did abolish the constriction induced by the
      intraluminal application. The duration of vasoconstriction also differed between
      intra- and extraluminal application. Vessel diameter quickly returned to the
      control value as soon as intraluminal perfusion of endothelin was terminated. In
      contrast, the constriction induced by extraluminal application of endothelin
      lasted much longer and was difficult to reverse. The differential effect of
      intraluminal and extraluminal endothelin application appears to reflect the
      important barrier-function of the cerebrovascular endothelium of intracerebral
      arterioles.

PMID- 1877679
TI  - Regional function, blood flow, and oxygen utilization relations in repetitively
      occluded-reperfused canine myocardium.
AB  - Temporary coronary occlusion followed by reperfusion severely reduces contractile
      function in the involved segment. We tested whether an uncoupling exists between
      O2 utilization (MVO2) and systolic shortening in the ischemic-reperfused segment
      subjected to repetitive coronary occlusion and reperfusion. In 10 anesthetized
      open-chest dogs, left ventricular pressure and segment length (sonomicrometry)
      relations were measured in the left anterior descending (LAD, ischemic
      reperfused) segment and circumflex coronary artery (nonischemic segment). Four 12
      min LAD occlusions were each followed by 30 min reperfusion. MVO2 was determined
      in both segments by transmural blood flow (15 microns microspheres) and regional
      coronary arterial-venous O2 extraction after each occlusion-reperfusion period.
      The four occlusion-reperfusion periods did not produce necrosis by staining with
      triphenyltetrazolium chloride. LAD occlusion produced dyskinesis [control = 16 +/
      3.0% systolic shortening (SS) vs. -8.8 +/- 1.5%, P less than 0.0001]. The first
      reperfusion restored SS only to 2.3 +/- 2.0%, which progressively deteriorated to
      -3.9 +/- 1.1% (P less than 0.05) with subsequent occlusion-reperfusion episodes.
      Relative to the nonischemic segment, MVO2 in the ischemic-reperfused segment
      decreased by only 18% despite dyskinesis. Pressure-length analysis showed
      systolic stiffening during reperfusion with displacement of the passive ischemic
      pressure-length loop to the left. Segment work (integral of each loop) continued
      to be generated at 34.5% of control levels after the last occlusion-reperfusion
      event in contrast to the negative SS. We conclude that 1) MVO2 in the ischemic
      reperfused segment without necrosis remains elevated despite severe reductions in
      systolic shortening, and 2) the discrepancy between systolic shortening and MVO2
      is partially due to persistent development of segment work.

PMID- 1877680
TI  - Polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase fails to blunt postischemic
      reactive hyperemia.
AB  - We tested the hypothesis that superoxide dismutase (SOD) conjugated with
      polyethylene glycol (PEG-SOD) would alter hyperemia following complete global
      cerebral ischemia. Thirty minutes before ischemia pentobarbital-anesthetized
      piglets were assigned to receive 3 ml of either PEG-SOD (10,000 U/ml; n = 10), an
      equivalent concentration of PEG (n = 10), or saline (n = 10) in a randomized and
      blinded manner. Cerebral ischemia was sustained for 10 min by cross-clamping the
      ascending aorta. Measurements of cerebral blood flow (radiolabeled microspheres)
      and oxygen consumption were made before ischemia and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 15 min
      of reperfusion. Plasma SOD activity was higher in PEG-SOD-treated piglets (134 +/
      8 U/ml) than in PEG or saline-treated piglets (less than 5 U/ml). All groups and
      all brain regions demonstrated postischemic hyperemia. There were no differences
      in blood flow between groups at any time point in any region. At 2 min of
      reperfusion, blood flow to cerebrum rose from 31 +/- 4 to 88 +/- 9 ml.min-1.100 g
      1 (saline), 44 +/- 6 to 102 +/- 17 ml.min-1.100 g-1 (PEG), and 31 +/- 3 to 83 +/-
      16 ml.min-1.100 g-1 (PEG-SOD). During reperfusion cerebral oxygen consumption was
      not different from preischemic values in any group. In conclusion, we
      demonstrated that exogenously administered PEG-SOD raises serum SOD activity but
      does not alter the patterns of early cerebral blood flow or metabolic recovery
      after 10 min of complete global cerebral ischemia in piglets.

PMID- 1877681
TI  - Vasorelaxant effects of short chain fatty acid salts in rat caudal artery.
AB  - Acetate relaxes rat caudal artery and increases tissue adenosine 3',5'-cyclic
      monophosphate (cAMP) levels. The present study's purpose was to determine whether
      related ultrashort chain (volatile) fatty acids, propionate (C3), butyrate (C4),
      and octanoate (C8) would do so as well. It was found that butyrate and propionate
      had very similar vasorelaxant profiles to acetate; they relaxed caudal artery
      strips precontracted with KCl, phenylephrine, arginine vasopressin, and
      prostaglandin F2 alpha. The vasorelaxation was endothelium independent, was not
      blocked by indomethacin, and was associated with a rise in tissue cAMP levels but
      not in guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) levels. The mean effective
      concentration for butyrate (0.8 mM) was lower than that for acetate (2.0 mM) or
      propionate (1.9 mM). Propionate-mediated relaxation was blocked by the stilbene
      inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). Vasorelaxant
      effects of octanoate were also not dependent on endothelium and were not affected
      by indomethacin. Maximal vasorelaxant effect of octanoate was greater than that
      of acetate, propionate, or butyrate; vasorelaxant effect of octanoate was only
      slightly attenuated by DIDS and was associated with only a minimal effect on
      tissue cAMP levels. Results suggest that vasodilatory effects of acetate
      generalize to propionate and butyrate, but that vasorelaxant effects of octanoate
      may be occurring via a separate mechanism.

PMID- 1877682
TI  - Efficacy of Cushing response during development in sheep.
AB  - Mean aortic pressure (MAP) increases (Cushing response) when intracranial
      pressure (ICP) approaches MAP. We elevated ICP to levels equivalent to normal
      baseline MAP with infusion of mock cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the lateral
      cerebral ventricles and contrasted responses in near-term fetal sheep, 1-wk-old
      lambs, and adult sheep anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium. With CSF infusion
      1-wk-old lambs and adults produced sustained increases in MAP of 16 +/- 1 and 22
      +/- 2 mmHg, respectively, over a 40-min period. However, cerebral blood flow fell
      66 and 57%, and cerebral O2 uptake fell 34 and 37%, respectively. In the near
      term fetus, MAP increased by 11 +/- 1 mmHg and cerebral blood fell 49% at 3 min
      of elevated ICP. However, by 15 min MAP had increased further (+17 +/- 2 mmHg)
      and cerebral blood flow was nearly restored. In contrast to postnatal sheep,
      cerebral O2 uptake was maintained throughout in the fetus. The mechanism of
      increased MAP differed among groups. In adults total peripheral resistance fell
      significantly, whereas in the fetus and lamb it remained constant. Cardiac output
      increased in each group, but, because of the fall in peripheral resistance,
      increased cardiac output was relatively more important to the rise in MAP in
      adults. In addition, marked vasoconstriction occurred in intestines and skin in
      the fetus. The Cushing response is well-developed in near-term fetal sheep. After
      birth it may lose its effectiveness in providing for the basal metabolic demand
      of the brain.

PMID- 1877683
TI  - Two new inbred rat strains derived from SHR: WKHA, hyperactive, and WKHT,
      hypertensive, rats.
AB  - Two new strains of inbred rats have been developed. One, WKHA, exhibits
      hyperactivity, and the other, WKHT, exhibits hypertension. Both of these traits
      are expressed in the SHR. By crossing spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) with
      Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls, followed by recombinant selected inbreeding, we
      succeeded in genetically separating the hyperactivity from the hypertension in
      two new strains. Longitudinal studies indicate a persistence of hypertension
      without hyperactivity in WKHTs, and hyperactivity without hypertension in WKHAs,
      over at least 1 year. Ventricular enlargement, another characteristic of SHRs,
      was observed in adult WKHTs after the onset of hypertension; however, ventricles
      were already enlarged in normotensive WKHAs at 6 wk. The emergent behavioral
      profile of WKHAs indicates that they retain the hyperactivity trait and
      hyperreactivity to stress, and not some of the other behaviors of SHRs, such as
      poor habituation. Studies in WKHTs suggest that they are an improvement over SHRs
      as a model of genetic hypertension as they lack some prominent behavioral
      abnormalities. Nevertheless, the four genetically related strains (WKHA, WKHT,
      SHR, and WKY), used together, are considered most appropriate for seeking
      correlations of biological differences with either hypertension or hyperactivity.

PMID- 1877684
TI  - Oxygen metabolite effects on creatine kinase and cardiac energetics after
      reperfusion.
AB  - Noninvasive 31P nuclear magnetic resonance measurements indicate that during the
      initial reperfusion phase myocardial tissue contents of phosphocreatine (PCr)
      recover rapidly, while ATP levels remain low and recover slowly. There is also a
      burst of H2O2 during the first 10 min of reperfusion, as indicated by the in vivo
      inactivation of catalase that occurs only when H2O2, and the inactivator 3
      aminotriazole (AMT), are simultaneously present. Neither H2O2 production nor CK
      inactivation was discernable after ischemia alone. In excitable tissue the PCr
      and ATP pools are equilibrated by the enzyme creatine kinase (CK), but myocardial
      CK activity is decreased by 20% after reperfusion, though not by simple washout.
      Extrapolating from the well-known air sensitivity of CK, we find that limited
      exposure in vitro to small concentrations of H2O2 can markedly diminish CK
      activity. We postulate that failure of certain CK isoenzymes at energy-using
      termini may decouple the relative rates of PCr production and ATP regeneration
      and hence cause elevated PCr-to-ATP ratios. The assumptions of 1) CK equilibrium
      during the reperfusion period to calculate free ADP levels and 2) cardiac
      recovery deduced from the elevation of PCr levels may require reexamination.

PMID- 1877685
TI  - Pentobarbital produces dissimilar changes in glucose influx and utilization in
      brain.
AB  - The effects of pentobarbital sodium on local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU)
      and 3-O-methylglucose (3-MG) influx were measured by quantitative autoradiography
      in 52 brain areas of control and treated rats. Pentobarbital (50 mg/kg ip)
      lowered LCGU to a relatively uniform rate (approximately 35 mumol.100 g-1.min-1)
      in 24 of 25 forebrain areas. Among the 18 hindbrain areas, LCGU was decreased by
      pentobarbital by 15-55% (range 50-157 and 28-110 mumol.100 g-1.min-1 in control
      and treated rats, respectively). In contrast, pentobarbital lowered the 3-MG
      influx rate constant and permeability-surface area product by 20-30% in nearly
      all brain structures. The 3-MG results fit a model in which both the half
      saturation constant and the maximal velocity of the glucose carrier are decreased
      by pentobarbital. After pentobarbital treatment, the ratio of local cerebral
      plasma flow (LCPF) to LCGU was the same as in controls for brain areas in which
      LCGU was less than 35 mumol.100 g-1.min-1 but was higher in brain areas where
      LCGU exceeded 35 mumol.100 g-1.min-1. Pentobarbital produced dissimilar changes
      in LCGU, 3-MG influx, and LCPF; these processes may thus not be closely linked
      during pentobarbital anesthesia.

PMID- 1877686
TI  - Sympathetic nerve activity and renal responses during continuous negative
      pressure breathing in humans.
AB  - A stretch stimulus of the cardiopulmonary receptors results in a diuresis and
      natriuresis in dogs due to a suppression of renal sympathetic nerve activity. In
      the present experiment, the stretch stimulus in humans was given by means of
      continuous negative-pressure breathing (CNPB), and muscle sympathetic nerve
      activity (MSNA), renal responses, and hormones were measured to examine whether
      MSNA response during CNPB correlated with the usual renal and hormonal responses
      for stretch stimulus of the cardiopulmonary receptors. Nine healthy males were
      subjected to CNPB at -11 mmHg for 60 min. MSNA in the peroneal muscle nerve
      fascicles was measured continuously before (pre-CNPB), during, and after CNPB
      (post-CNPB). A step and sustained decrease (P less than 0.05) in MSNA (30 +/- 6%
      for burst frequency and 37 +/- 4% for total activity from pre-CNPB level) was
      observed during CNPB and it returned to pre-CNPB level at post-CNPB. Urinary
      excretion increased by 58 +/- 18% (P less than 0.05) during CNPB, and the
      diuresis was entirely osmolal in nature because of a significant increase (P less
      than 0.05) in Na excretion and a constant free-water clearance. The plasma level
      of norepinephrine decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) during CNPB and
      remained decreased (P less than 0.05) at post-CNPB. A twofold increase (P less
      than 0.05) in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and a 35 +/- 9% reduction (P less
      than 0.05) in plasma renin activity were observed during CNPB, whereas no change
      was observed in plasma aldosterone and arginine vasopressin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877687
TI  - Physiological consequences of NaCl ingestion by Na(+)-depleted rats.
AB  - We investigated the temporal relationships between NaCl intake, gastrointestinal
      Na+ content, and plasma concentrations of Na+, aldosterone, and plasma renin
      activity (angiotensin). Rats depleted of approximately 2.2 mmol Na+ by combined
      dietary Na+ restriction and furosemide injection (10 mg sc) drank a preload of 1,
      2, or 3 mmol 0.5 M NaCl. Intake of a test 0.5 M NaCl solution given 15, 30, 60,
      or 120 min later was reduced by approximately 50% of the preload content,
      irrespective of the interval between preload and test. At 15 min after starting
      to drink, 61-71% of ingested Na+ remained in the stomach, 15-18% in the small
      intestine, approximately 5% was calculated to be in extracellular fluid, and less
      than 1% was excreted. Rates of gastric and gastrointestinal clearance of Na+ were
      related to the quantity of NaCl ingested. Whereas gastric emptying was initially
      very rapid (30-61 mumol/min) and decreased with time, gastrointestinal clearance
      was constant (16-39 mumol/min). Drinking 3 mmol NaCl reliably reduced plasma
      aldosterone concentrations within 15 min and renin activity within 30 min.
      Drinking 1 or 2 mmol NaCl reliably reduced levels of these hormones within 30-60
      min. The results describe for the first time the distribution of Na+ after Na(+)
      depleted rats drink NaCl. They suggest that the rat determines the quantity of
      Na+ it requires within the first 15 min of ingestion and thus does not depend on
      signals generated by the prolonged influence of Na+ in the gastrointestinal tract
      or the fall in plasma concentrations of aldosterone and angiotensin.

PMID- 1877688
TI  - Arterial baroreflex control of cardiac and renal sympathetic nerve activities is
      uniform in frequency domain.
AB  - To investigate wideband dynamic properties of arterial baroreflex control of
      cardiac and renal sympathetic nerve activities, we assessed the transfer function
      using a "white-noise technique." In pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized cats, we
      simultaneously recorded, as the output, cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA)
      and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), while aortic pressure (AP) was
      randomly perturbed to impose input pressure changes with broad frequencies. We
      calculated the transfer function from AP to CSNA or to RSNA over the frequency
      range of 0.01-5 Hz through the spectral analysis of the input and output. We
      found that the gain, phase shift, and coherence of those transfer functions were
      statistically indistinguishable. The gain was rather flat below 0.05 Hz, steadily
      increased above 0.05 Hz, and plateaued above 0.3 Hz. The phase shift was out of
      phase up to 0.05 Hz and led by approximately 4 degrees above 0.05 Hz. The
      coherence was high (above 0.7) below 0.3 Hz and became lower above 0.3 Hz. These
      results suggest that arterial baroreflex control is uniform and similar between
      the two activities in the frequency range of 0.01-0.7 Hz.

PMID- 1877689
TI  - Intravenous nutrient-induced satiety depends on feeding-related gut signals.
AB  - To determine whether feeding-generated gut signals act in conjunction with
      intravenous nutrients to suppress food intake, nutrients were infused
      intravenously to dark-fed rats during different portions of the 12:12 h light
      dark cycle. During 4-day test periods rats received 35.5-37 kcal/day of a
      solution containing 25% glucose-4.25% amino acids. Food intakes were reduced by
      40.5 +/- 1.1 and 30.7 +/- 1.8 kcal or 110 and 87% of the calories infused in the
      dark (fed) phase over 8 and 12 h, respectively. When administered in the light
      phase while rats were fasted, 8- and 12-h infusions reduced food intake
      significantly less than in the dark: 21.3 +/- 1.1 and 19.6 +/- 0.7 kcal/day or
      only 57 and 55% of the infused calories, respectively. With 24-h infusions, as in
      previous studies, food intake was reduced by 24.5 +/- 2.1 kcal/day or 68% of the
      infused calories. These results suggest that gut signals generated by concurrent
      feeding act with intravenous glucose and amino acids to produce a more
      compensatory reduction in daily food intake.

PMID- 1877691
TI  - Amiloride sensitivity of chorda tympani response to NaCl in Fischer 344 and
      Wistar rats.
AB  - Fischer 344 (F-344) rats fail to prefer NaCl solutions to water at any
      concentration and avoid NaCl solutions preferred by other strains, including
      Wistar rats. Behavioral and electrophysiological responses of the mammalian
      gustatory system to NaCl have been shown to depend on a sodium transport system
      that is specifically blocked by lingual application of the sodium-transport
      blocker amiloride. The present study examined whether strain differences exist
      between F-344 and Wistar rats in the amiloride sensitivity of the chorda tympani
      (CT) electrophysiological response to NaCl. Whole nerve CT recordings were
      obtained from adult F-344 and Wistar rats during chemical stimulation of the
      anterior tongue. Responses to NaCl solutions ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 M were
      examined both before and after pretreatment with amiloride hydrochloride.
      Integrated whole nerve responses to NaCl solutions were expressed relative to the
      response to 0.5 M NH4Cl. Strain differences in the response to NaCl solutions
      emerged, with F-344 animals showing a significantly larger amplitude of the tonic
      response to NaCl, relative to NH4Cl, than Wistars. F-344 rats were also more
      sensitive to the sodium-channel blocker amiloride. These results suggest that
      strain differences in amiloride sensitive signals mediated by the CT nerve may
      contribute to the NaCl aversion displayed by F-344 rats.

PMID- 1877690
TI  - Endothelium-derived relaxing factor in regulation of basal cardiopulmonary and
      renal function.
AB  - The endothelium has emerged as an important modulator of vascular tone by
      producing both vasodilating and vasoconstricting substances. In vitro studies
      have demonstrated that endothelial cells produce endothelium-derived relaxing
      factor (EDRF), which promotes vasodilation via the stimulation of intracellular
      guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). However, the role of EDRF in the
      basal regulation of cardiopulmonary and renal function is not well defined. The
      present study was therefore designed to assess the function of EDRF by studying
      two groups of normal anesthetized dogs, of which one received a competitive
      inhibitor to EDRF generation, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 50 micrograms.kg
      1.min-1 iv), and the other received a vehicle. The L-NMMA infusion produced no
      significant increase in mean arterial pressure but marked increases in systemic,
      pulmonary, and renal vascular resistances compared with the vehicle group.
      Although renal blood flow decreased with L-NMMA, no changes were observed in
      glomerular filtration rate or sodium excretion. Associated with the
      cardiopulmonary and renal responses with L-NMMA was a modest increase in plasma
      endothelin (7.9 +/- 1.3 to 10.2 +/- 1.8 pg/ml, P less than 0.05), an endothelium
      derived vasoconstrictor. No alteration was observed in plasma or urinary cGMP
      with EDRF inhibition. These cardiopulmonary and renal responses with L-NMMA may
      be attributed not only to EDRF inhibition but to an imbalance between endothelium
      derived relaxing and contracting factors.

PMID- 1877692
TI  - Drinking after osmotic challenge depends on circadian phase in rats with free
      running rhythms.
AB  - Rhythmic phase-dependent modulation of the amount of water intake of rats occurs
      after several types of dipsogenic treatments. Previous studies conducted on rats
      in light-dark cycles confound direct effects of the light-dark cycle with the
      effects of circadian rhythmicity entrained to the light-dark cycle. The present
      study isolates the effect of circadian phase on the amount of drinking induced by
      injection of hypertonic saline. Free-running rhythms were induced in rats, and
      then water intake was measured after injections of both hypertonic and isotonic
      saline at different phases of the rats' circadian cycle. After injections of
      hypertonic saline, rats drank more water in their active phase than in their
      inactive phase. No difference in the amount of intake was found in rats that
      received isotonic saline at different phases of their circadian rhythms. The
      results indicate a circadian modulation of the drinking induced by cellular
      dehydration.

PMID- 1877693
TI  - Influence of fatty acid oxidation in lateral hypothalamus on food intake and body
      composition.
AB  - This study tested the concept that the level of fatty acid oxidation in the
      ventrolateral hypothalamus (VLH) reflects peripheral energy stores and elicits
      compensatory responses to changes in energy balance status. Fatty acid oxidation
      rates in the VLH were chronically altered over a 14-day period by infusing into
      the VLH either 0.1 mM 4-pentenoic acid (4-PA; 5 ng/h) or 1.0 mM L-carnitine (L
      Carn; 98 ng/h). Fatty acid oxidation rates in the VLH were altered to a similar
      extent as by overfeeding (reduced 37% by 4-PA) and dietary restriction (increased
      28% by L-Carn). Diffusion of infusates was limited, since there were normal rates
      of fatty acid oxidation in the ventromedial hypothalamus and cortex. There were
      no significant effects of altering fatty acid oxidation in the VLH on food
      intake, body weight, body composition, or serum levels of glucose, insulin, and
      free fatty acids. The results of this experiment indicate that the level of fatty
      acid oxidation in the VLH is unlikely to independently elicit changes in food
      intake or peripheral metabolism.

PMID- 1877694
TI  - Association between decreased splenic ATP levels and immunodepression:
      amelioration with ATP-MgCl2.
AB  - Although it is known that decreased ATP levels in liver and kidney contribute to
      organ dysfunction after shock, it remains unknown whether there is any
      association between decreased splenocyte ATP levels and splenic immune functions.
      Moreover, although studies have shown that ATP-MgCl2 treatment after shock
      improves hepatic and renal ATP levels and organ function, it remains unknown
      whether splenocyte ATP levels and immune functions are similarly affected by this
      agent. To study this, C3H/HeN mice were bled to a mean blood pressure of 35 mmHg,
      maintained at that pressure for 60 min, resuscitated with shed blood and Ringer
      lactate, and treated with ATP-MgCl2 (80 mumol/kg) or vehicle (saline).
      Splenocytes (SPL) were harvested at various intervals after hemorrhage, ATP
      levels were assessed by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, and
      functions were determined by measuring proliferative capacity and interleukin
      (IL)-2, and IL-3 synthesis. Hemorrhage depleted SPL ATP levels to 1.7 +/- 0.8% of
      control levels. However, there was a significant increase in ATP levels of ATP
      MgCl2-treated mice (77 +/- 11%, P less than 0.05) compared with vehicle-treated
      animals (13 +/- 4.1%) at 1 h after resuscitation. SPL ATP levels returned to
      control by 2 h after resuscitation in the ATP-MgCl2 group, whereas ATP levels of
      the vehicle-treated mice remained significantly depressed (P less than 0.05) for
      up to 12 h after resuscitation. At 1 h after resuscitation, SPL proliferative
      capacity and IL-2 and IL-3 synthesis were all profoundly depressed in the vehicle
      treated group (P less than 0.05 vs. control).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877695
TI  - Pethidine (meperidine) inhibition of oxytocin secretion and action in parturient
      rats.
AB  - Pethidine (also known as meperidine and as Demerol) injected subcutaneously at 10
      mg/kg into parturient rats on the birth of the second pup resulted in a marked
      slowing of the progress of parturition, associated with reduced plasma oxytocin
      concentrations. Injection of the opiate antagonist naloxone counteracted the
      inhibition of oxytocin secretion and largely prevented the slowing of
      parturition. In vitro, pethidine inhibited spontaneous, oxytocin-induced and
      acetylcholine-induced contractions of uteri from rats immediately post partum,
      and these effects were not reversed by naloxone. In anesthetized lactating rats,
      pethidine inhibited the suckling-induced milk-ejection reflex and attenuated
      oxytocin-induced contractions of mammary myoepithelium. Finally, pethidine
      depressed plasma oxytocin concentrations in rats given 2% saline to drink for 24
      h to stimulate oxytocin secretion. Thus pethidine inhibits oxytocin secretion in
      all three conditions; this inhibition is probably mediated by central opioid
      receptors. In addition, however, pethidine depresses the oxytocin responsiveness
      both of mammary myoepithelium and of myometrium. The latter effect at least is
      not opioid mediated.

PMID- 1877696
TI  - Loss of integrative control of peripheral circulation during desynchronized
      sleep.
AB  - Regional blood flow (BF) changes during sleep were measured in rabbits at low,
      neutral, and high ambient temperatures (Ta) with radioactive microspheres. At
      both low and high Ta, peripheral vasomotor changes at the onset of desynchronized
      sleep (DS) were incompatible with thermoregulatory homeostasis. At low Ta, BF
      decreased in muscle (with the disappearance of shivering), whereas it increased
      in the arteriovenous anastomoses (AVA) and in the splanchnic bed. At high Ta, BF
      decreased in muscle (with the disappearance of panting) and in the AVA, whereas
      it increased in the splanchnic bed. An impaired central nervous regulation
      underlies the disruption of peripheral circulation patterns in this sleep stage.
      The lack of adaptive vasomotor adjustments in DS, which has little consequence in
      normal conditions, may become relevant in cardiovascular pathophysiology when BF
      redistribution through increased neurogenic vasomotor activity becomes a major
      compensating mechanism.

PMID- 1877697
TI  - Myocardial aging: antioxidant enzyme systems and related biochemical properties.
AB  - The effects of aging on myocardial antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid
      peroxidation, and other related biochemical properties were investigated in male
      Wistar-Furth rats at 4, 26, and 31 mo of age at rest and after an acute exercise
      bout. The results showed that resting heart cytosolic superoxide dismutase (CuZn
      SOD) activity was significantly decreased in the heart with aging (66 +/- 6.5
      U/mg protein at 4 mo vs. 49 +/- 3.8 U/mg protein at 31 mo) and was elevated in
      all age groups after exercise. Mitochondrial Mn SOD activity was almost doubled
      in both 26- and 31-mo-old rats compared with that at 4 mo. Myocardial catalase
      and cytosolic glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities were significantly
      decreased with age, whereas mitochondrial GPX was 29% higher (P less than 0.05)
      in 31- than 4-mo-old rats. Glutathione S-transferase activity in the heart also
      declined with age (P less than 0.05 at 31 mo). Malondialdehyde contents in both
      heart homogenate and mitochondria were significantly increased at old age.
      Activity of several enzymes related to myocardial energy production, e.g.,
      citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as
      myocardial protein content showed an age-related decline. These data indicate
      that myocardial antioxidant capacity is weakened during aging and that the
      compensatory increases of mitochondrial SOD and GPX may be an important mechanism
      in coping with free radical damage in senescent heart. Findings in the present
      investigation seem to support the free radical theory of aging.

PMID- 1877698
TI  - Fetal fluid responses to long-term 5 M NaCl infusion: where does all the salt go?
AB  - The fetus must obtain Na and Cl ions in order to grow. However, the regulation of
      electrolyte acquisition by the fetus is not well understood. To explore fetal
      electrolyte balance, we intravenously infused 5 M NaCl at a rate equal to 80% of
      the total fetal body Na+ and Cl- content per day (240 mM/day) for 3 days into
      late-gestation fetal sheep. We hypothesized that the increase in fetal osmolality
      resulting from the infusion would cause a transplacental water movement into the
      fetal compartment, leading to hydrops fetalis and/or polyhydramnios. The fetal-to
      maternal osmotic gradient was initially -2.8 +/- 0.9 (SE) mosmol/kgH2O and rose
      by 4.8 +/- 1.8 mosmol/kgH2O during the infusion. Fetal plasma [Na+] and [Cl-]
      increased (3.0 +/- 0.4 and 5.5 +/- 0.5 meq/l, respectively), but the normal
      maternal-to-fetal transplacental concentration gradients for these ions were not
      reversed. Most of the infused Na+ (92 +/- 14%) and Cl- (82 +/- 12%) was excreted
      by the fetus in large volumes of hypotonic urine. Amniotic fluid osmolality and
      [Na+] were unchanged, but amniotic [Cl-] increased 5.7 +/- 2.4 meq/l. The
      amniotic plus allantoic fluid volume, as estimated by ultrasonography, was
      increased (43.5 +/- 14.5%) at day 2 and returned to control by day 3 of infusion.
      There was no fetal edema during the study or at autopsy. In light of these
      results, we propose a novel and somewhat complex mechanism for transplacental
      fluid and electrolyte movement in which placental capillary permeability
      increases along the length of the capillary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877699
TI  - Interactions between brain acetylcholine and prostaglandins in control of
      vasopressin release.
AB  - We have examined in conscious rats the interaction between centrally acting
      prostanoids and acetylcholine in the stimulation of vasopressin secretion. The
      intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of carbachol (25 ng) resulted in
      marked transient increases in the plasma vasopressin concentration and mean
      arterial blood pressure and a transient reduction in heart rate. Central
      cyclooxygenase blockade by pretreatment icv with either meclofenamate (100
      micrograms) or indomethacin (100 micrograms) virtually completely blocked these
      responses. Prostaglandin (PG) D2 (20 micrograms icv) caused transient increases
      in the plasma vasopressin concentration (much smaller than after carbachol) and
      heart rate, whereas mean arterial blood pressure rose gradually during the 15-min
      course of the experiment. Pretreatment with the muscarinic antagonist atropine
      (10 micrograms icv) decreased the peak vasopressin response to icv PGD2 by
      approximately one-third but had no effect on the cardiovascular responses. We
      conclude that the stimulation of vasopressin release by centrally acting
      acetylcholine is dependent on increased prostanoid biosynthesis. On the other
      hand, stimulation of vasopressin release by icv PGD2 is partially dependent on
      activation of a cholinergic pathway.

PMID- 1877700
TI  - Functional evidence for sympathetic nerve activity in conscious cervical spinal
      rats.
AB  - Experiments in anesthetized animals have demonstrated sympathetic nerve activity
      after cervical spinal cord transection (CST), yet little evidence exists for
      sympathetic nerve activity in conscious spinal animals. We determined the effect
      of CST on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and plasma renin
      activity (PRA) in conscious rats. Next, we tested for the presence of
      functionally significant sympathetic nerve activity 24 h after CST by measuring
      MAP, HR, urine flow, urinary sodium excretion (UNaV), urinary potassium excretion
      (UKV), and PRA before and for 2 h during administration of adrenergic antagonists
      (propranolol + phentolamine) or vehicle. CST resulted in significant decreases in
      MAP (100.0 +/- 1.6 to 75.0 +/- 1.4 mmHg), HR (353 +/- 7.5 to 315 +/- 6.6
      beats/min), and PRA (2.2 +/- 0.3 to 1.2 +/- 0.2 ng angiotensin I.ml-1.h-1).
      Subsequent adrenergic blockade resulted in a further drop in HR (-52 +/- 21
      beats/min), as well as two- to threefold increases in UNaV and UKV. We conclude
      that CST causes an overall decrease in sympathetic drive. However, sympathetic
      nerve activity to the heart and kidney remains after CST and is responsible for
      support of HR and retention of sodium and potassium.

PMID- 1877701
TI  - Developmental changes in ovine cerebral artery composition and reactivity.
AB  - We have examined age-related changes in segments of common carotid (Com), basilar
      (Bas), posterior communicating (PC), and middle cerebral (MC) arteries taken from
      14 near-term fetal lambs, 62 newborn lambs 3-7 days old, and 42 adult nonpregnant
      sheep. Transition from fetal to newborn life was associated with a decreased
      water content in all arteries ranging from 0.6% (Com) to 2.3% (Bas), no change in
      the relative content of cellular protein, an increase in wall thickness ranging
      from 4% (MC) to 26% (Com), an increase in maximum contractile tension ranging
      from 18% (MC) to 82% (Com), an increase in stiffness, an increase in the maximum
      active stress ranging from 6% (Bas) to 43% (Com), a decrease in the amine-to
      potassium ratio (calculated as the maximum response to 10 microM serotonin with
      20 microM histamine divided by the maximum response to 122 mM K+) ranging from 8%
      (Bas) to 51% (Com), and a decrease in the norepinephrine-to-potassium ratio
      ranging from 2.1% (Bas) to 56% (Com). Thus developmental changes associated with
      the transition from fetal to newborn life were much more pronounced in the
      larger, more proximal Com than in the smaller, more distal cerebral arteries,
      suggesting that, at term, the cerebral arteries are more mature both functionally
      and structurally than the Com arteries. Similarly, the transition from newborn to
      adult life was associated with much greater changes in Com characteristics than
      with those of the cerebral arteries. These studies demonstrate that the effects
      of aging vary considerably along the cerebrovascular tree and that conclusions
      based on developmental studies of large systemic arteries cannot be freely
      extrapolated to the smaller arteries of the circle of Willis.

PMID- 1877702
TI  - Endometrial transport generates the maternal-fetal electrical potential
      difference in guinea pigs.
AB  - These studies examined the transport characteristics of the uterine endometrium
      with respect to the origin and mechanism of generation of the maternal-fetal
      electrical potential difference (PD) in pregnant guinea pigs. Late-gestation
      animals were used in two experimental preparations. In vivo, a sealed uterine
      pouch that preserved blood flow to the endometrium was prepared by removal of the
      fetus, placenta, and fetal membranes from the uterus and replacement with Earle's
      solution, a balanced electrolyte solution. In vitro, sections of uterine wall
      comprised of myometrium and endometrium without fetal membranes were mounted in
      Ussing chambers. Transuterine PDs (fetal side negative) were indistinguishable in
      vivo and in vitro, averaging 29.6 +/- 4.5 and 32.6 +/- 6.1 (95% confidence
      interval) mV in the respective preparations. Both values are within the range of
      maternal-fetal PD measured in intact guinea pigs, indicating that the
      fetoplacental unit is not essential in generating an intrauterine PD. The
      maternal-fetal PD, therefore, is likely a passive result of the fetus and
      placenta being immersed in fluids at the intrauterine potential. In vitro, both
      PD and short-circuit current (Isc) were completely inhibited by ouabain (10(-3)
      M) at the serosal (maternal) side of the uterine wall but unaffected by the
      inhibitor from the luminal (fetal) side. Amiloride (10(-5) M) and valinomycin
      (10(-5) M) caused decreases in the PD when added to the luminal side, both in
      vivo and in vitro, and were both ineffective from the serosal side in vitro. Isc
      was reduced 83% from 315 +/- 24 to 53 +/- 6 (SE) microA/cm2 after luminal
      amiloride (5 x 10(-4) M), indicating that Na+ is the predominant ion actively
      transported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877703
TI  - Angiotensin II does not contribute to rapid reflex control of arterial pressure.
AB  - Pharmacological blockade of the renin-angiotensin converting enzyme reportedly
      alters the heart rate (HR) power spectrum in conscious dogs, suggesting that
      these hormones contribute to the short-term regulation of arterial blood
      pressure. We tested this possibility using four independent procedures. First, HR
      power spectrum was determined in seven awake dogs before and after administration
      of enalaprilat (300 ng/kg), a converting-enzyme inhibitor. There were no
      significant changes in the average amplitude for the spectral peak between 0.003
      and 0.1 Hz (i.e., the "low-frequency peak"). Second, the HR power spectrum was
      measured in 11 awake rabbits before and after treatment with deoxycorticosterone
      acetate (1 mg.kg-1.day-1) and salt (0.9% saline ad libitum) for 7 days to depress
      plasma renin levels. There were no significant changes in the amplitude of the HR
      power spectrum, although mean HR decreased from 206 +/- 3 to 184 +/- 4 beats/min
      after treatment. In the third experiment, another group of rabbits (n = 8) was
      tested after 2 wk on a low-salt diet to elevate plasma angiotensin levels and
      then after 2 wk on a normal salt diet. Once again there were no significant
      effects on the HR power spectrum. Finally, tranquilized dogs (n = 9) were
      subjected to sinusoidally varying lower body negative pressure at selected
      frequencies of 0.008-0.12 Hz. Tests were conducted in the control state and after
      administration of an angiotensin receptor antagonist (saralasin, 1 microgram.kg
      1.min-1). Lower body negative pressure-induced fluctuations in arterial blood
      pressure were similar in both states. We find no evidence for the role of the
      renin-angiotensin system in the moment-to-moment regulation of arterial pressure
      and HR.

PMID- 1877704
TI  - Regional blood-brain barrier transport of cationized bovine serum albumin in
      awake rats.
AB  - Regional blood-brain barrier permeability-surface area products (PAs) of
      cationized bovine serum albumin (cBSA) with isoelectric point (pI) approximately
      8 or greater than or equal to 11 and of native bovine serum albumin (nBSA;pI
      approximately 4) were determined in awake male Sprague-Dawley rats after bolus
      intravenous injection. The albumins were labeled with 125I. Brain uptakes were
      assessed by autoradiography and by direct assay of radioactivity in brain
      regions. nBSA uptake into brain was statistically insignificant over 3 h, whereas
      cBSA uptake was significantly even at 6 min. Mean PA values of cBSA with pI
      approximately 11 (1.69-2.65 x 10(-5) ml.s-1.g-1) in most brain regions were
      twofold higher than PAs of cBSA with pI approximately 8 (0.98-1.37 x 10(-5) ml.s
      1.g-1), whereas mean PA for nBSA did not differ significantly from zero.
      Autoradiographs of brain slices and net distributions in brain compartments at 6
      and 30 min after injection suggested that cBSA entered the brain parenchyma via
      blood vessels and cerebrospinal fluid but that the former was the main route. The
      results quantitate for the first time regional brain PA values for cationized
      proteins and suggest specific mechanisms at cerebral blood vessels that
      distinguish transport of cationized from noncationized macromolecules.

PMID- 1877705
TI  - Activation of renal mechanoreceptors increases vasopressin release in rabbits.
AB  - Electrical stimulation of afferent renal nerves increases plasma vasopressin
      (AVP) concentration, but the role of these nerves in the control of AVP release
      is not known. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of
      activation of renal mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors on plasma AVP
      concentration in anesthetized rabbits. Intrapelvic pressure was increased to
      activate renal mechanoreceptors, and the renal pelvis was perfused with 1.0 M
      NaCl, 0.1 M KCl, and 1.0 M mannitol solutions to activate R2 chemoreceptors. With
      increased pelvic pressure, plasma AVP concentration increased from 12.4 +/- 3.8
      to 36.2 +/- 16.1 pg/ml at 5 min and to 37.4 +/- 16.1 pg/ml at 10 min (P less than
      0.01). Plasma renin activity increased from 15.7 +/- 4.0 to 22.1 +/- 3.3 ng.ml
      1.2 h-1 (P less than 0.05), but blood pressure and heart rate did not change
      significantly. Similar increases in plasma AVP concentration occurred during
      perfusion of the renal pelvis with 1.0 M NaCl (17.6 +/- 8.1 to 53.7 +/- 24.0
      pg/ml), 0.1 M KCl (9.2 +/- 2.1 to 39.7 +/- 17.3 pg/ml), and 1.0 M mannitol (27.5
      +/- 10.9 to 77.5 +/- 30.8 pg/ml) solutions. However, because pelvic pressure
      increased by 40-50 mmHg during the perfusions, the experiments were repeated with
      use of a different perfusion method in which pelvic pressure increased by less
      than 5 mmHg. Under these conditions, plasma AVP concentration did not change
      significantly during perfusion with any of the solutions. To determine whether
      the mechanoreceptor-induced increase in AVP release is mediated by the renal
      nerves, pelvic pressure was increased in another group of rabbits after renal
      denervation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877706
TI  - Phase response curves to light in young and old hamsters.
AB  - The phase-shifting effects of 1-h light pulses on the circadian rhythm of
      locomotor activity were measured in young (less than 12 mo old) and old (greater
      than 16 mo old) hamsters. Phase response curves (PRCs) for both age groups showed
      an inactive region [approximately circadian time (CT) 0 through CT12], a delay
      region (CT12 through CT16), and an advance region (CT16 through CT24) as has been
      reported for young animals. Significant age group differences in the amplitude of
      phase shifts were measured, with older animals showing larger shifts limited to
      the region of the "break point" at CT16. The free-running period of the activity
      rhythm was measured before the first light pulse; age-related decreases of period
      length consistent with previous reports were measured. The findings indicate that
      the response of the circadian clock to the major environmental synchronizing
      agent, light, is different in old hamsters compared with young adults.

PMID- 1877707
TI  - Characterization of electroencephalographic state in fetal baboons.
AB  - Long-term recordings of the electroencephalograms (EEGs) from the non-human fetal
      primate have been visually scored for state. Data were obtained from three
      fetuses using recently developed techniques for chronic instrumentation of the
      pregnant baboon. Seven days or more after surgery, nine chart records of 4-5 h in
      duration were analyzed. These records were made during an interval in gestation
      from 143 to 153 days (term = 175 to 185 days). Criteria for differentiation of
      EEG state were based on the presence (state 1) or absence (state 2) of trace
      alternant, which is the predominant characteristic of EEG activity during quiet
      sleep in human preterm and term infants. Two patterns of EEG activity were
      readily distinguished at both standard (30 mm/s) and compressed (30 mm/min) EEG
      chart speeds. On a minute-by-minute basis, there was an overall concurrence of
      82.9% for EEG state when scored from compressed and standard EEG records. From
      the compressed records, state 1 was present on average 38.3% of the time, with a
      mean epoch duration of 15.1 min, while epochs of state 2 averaged 25.9 min. We
      conclude that at least two EEG states are present at this gestation in the fetal
      baboon. These two states can be reliably defined visually by scoring methods
      directly comparable to those used for EEG recognition of sleep states in the
      human newborn infant. To validate the conclusion that these fetal state
      assignments based on patterns of EEG activity correspond to sleep states, it will
      be necessary to determine if the oscillations of other physiological parameters
      are coherent with these patterns.

PMID- 1877708
TI  - Glucagon in physiological concentrations stimulates brown fat thermogenesis in
      vivo.
AB  - Our aims were to further characterize the stimulatory effect of glucagon on brown
      fat and to test the hypothesis that physiological levels of hyperglucagonemia
      would stimulate brown fat thermogenesis. In the first set of experiments,
      glucagon (1 mg/kg sc twice daily) or vehicle control was administered three times
      in 26 h. This large dose of glucagon produced increases in GDP binding to brown
      fat mitochondria. In addition, Scatchard analysis indicated a glucagon-induced
      increase in number of GDP binding sites without evidence for alteration in
      binding site affinity. No consistent increase in brown fat mitochondrial GDP
      binding was produced 2 h after a single injection of glucagon (1 mg/kg). In the
      second set of experiments, glucagon was administered intraperitoneally by
      constant osmotic minipump infusion. Glucagon in a dose of 150 micrograms.kg-1.day
      1 for 5 days produced significant increases in GDP binding to brown fat
      mitochondria, whereas glucagon serum levels were increased but stayed within the
      usual physiological range. A larger dose of glucagon administered by constant
      infusion virtually eliminated body weight gain over 7 days while significantly
      increasing nucleotide binding (GDP) to brown fat mitochondria. An important role
      for glucagon in thermogenic regulation is suggested.

PMID- 1877709
TI  - Failure to demonstrate that accelerated gastric emptying after VMH lesions is
      secondary to excess weight gain.

PMID- 1877710
TI  - Dengue-1 virus envelope glycoprotein gene expressed in recombinant baculovirus
      elicits virus-neutralizing antibody in mice and protects them from virus
      challenge.
AB  - In order to test the feasibility of baculovirus (Autographa californica nuclear
      polyhedrosis virus, AcNPV) expression vectors for making immunogens against
      dengue-1 (DEN-1) virus, a portion of the envelope (E) glycoprotein gene of DEN-1
      virus was cloned and expressed. The recombinant baculovirus contains 107
      nucleotides from the 3' terminus of the DEN-1 matrix (M) gene, which encodes a
      hydrophobic signal peptide and extends through the first 1, 245 nucleotides of E,
      terminating 243 nucleotides before the 3' terminus of E. When the recombinant
      virus was grown in Spodoptera frugiperda cells, about 1 mg of E antigen was made
      per 10(9) cells. Recombinant E antigen reacted with E protein-specific monoclonal
      antibodies and stimulated production of DEN-1 virus neutralizing antibody in
      BALB/c mice. Mice immunized with recombinant E antigen or with heat-inactivated
      DEN-1 virus were protected significantly against lethal DEN-1 virus challenge. A
      dose/response effect was observed, with increasing amounts of recombinant antigen
      leading to increased survival. These results demonstrate the utility of
      baculovirus for producing immunogens against DEN-1 virus.

PMID- 1877711
TI  - Efficacy of ivermectin for control of microfilaremia recurring after treatment
      with diethylcarbamazine. I. Clinical and parasitologic observations.
AB  - We compared the efficacy of a single dose of ivermectin with that of a standard
      course of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for the control of microfilaremia in 60
      patients with bancroftian filariasis who had developed recurrent microfilaremia
      after each of three or more prior treatments with DEC. The study was done as a
      randomized, double-blind trial. Complete, but in some cases, transient clearance
      of microfilaremia was observed in both treatment groups. At one year, recurrent
      microfilaremia was present in seven patients treated with ivermectin and in five
      treated with DEC. Pretreatment levels of microfilaremia were significantly higher
      in patients who relapsed within one year after treatment than in those who
      remained amicrofilaremic. Side effects with both treatments were common, but
      mild. Febrile reactions were more frequent in the ivermectin group; localized
      reactions consistent with a flare-up of acute filarial disease occurred mostly in
      the DEC group. We conclude that ivermectin is an effective and practical
      alternative to DEC for treatment of recurrent microfilaremia due to bancroftian
      filariasis.

PMID- 1877713
TI  - Alveolar hydatid disease of the liver: a report on thirty-nine surgical cases in
      eastern Anatolia, Turkey.
AB  - The charts of 39 consecutive patients who underwent surgery between 1979 and 1989
      with a diagnosis of alveolar hydatid disease (AHD) of the liver were reviewed.
      The analysis of these cases from eastern Anatolia, which is the endemic region in
      Turkey, was undertaken to determine the current experience for AHD lesions. Of
      these patients, 33 (84.6%) had unresectable disease and the remaining six
      patients (15.4%) were treated by hepatic resection of the primary lesion. In the
      unresectable cases, laparotomy with biopsy was the most commonly used surgical
      procedure (56.4%), followed by tube drainage of the necrotic cavity (18.0%),
      marsupialization (5.1%), and cystojejunostomy (5.1%). Diagnostic studies and
      operative findings were useful in detecting the AHD lesions. Differential
      diagnosis was established mainly by histopathologic examination of a biopsy
      specimen or resected tissue. Pulmonary metastases were seen in two cases, and
      mortality occurred due to brain metastases in two other cases. Mebendazole was
      administered postoperatively to 19 patients with indications for 1) advanced AHD,
      2) adjuvant therapy to radical and palliative surgical procedures, and 3)
      recurrences of disease after hepatic resection. The patients were treated with
      daily doses of approximately 50 mg/kg for periods of one and six years (median
      3.2 years). Encouraging results were obtained in 11 of nineteen patients. Five
      year survival was seen in 8 of the patients with AHD in this series. There were
      18 deaths (46.2%) in our 39 patients. Long-term follow-up was not possible in
      four cases, and 17 patients (43.6%) were still living. The causes of mortality
      were advanced AHD in 14 cases, brain metastases in two, and acute myocardial
      infarction in another two.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877712
TI  - Efficacy of ivermectin for control of microfilaremia recurring after treatment
      with diethylcarbamazine. II. Immunologic changes following treatment.
AB  - We compared the effect of a single dose of ivermectin with that of a standard
      course of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) on several parameters of the host's
      antifilarial immune response in 60 patients with bancroftian filariasis enrolled
      in a double-blind drug trial. All participants had measurable serum levels of
      antifilarial antibodies and parasite antigens at the onset of the study. Drug
      induced clearance of microfilaremia was associated with a temporary increase in
      HC 11 antigenemia and a decrease in serum levels of antibodies to soluble
      filarial antigens. Antigenemia progressively declined in patients who remained
      amicrofilaremic after treatment, but declined and then increased in persons with
      recurrent microfilaremia. Treatment triggered a sustained increase in serum
      levels of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-6 in all patients
      studied. Although ivermectin and DEC are believed to exert their antiparasite
      activity via different mechanisms, the same pattern of serologic changes was
      observed in patients treated with either drug.

PMID- 1877714
TI  - Eosinophil-rich, granulomatous inflammatory response to Plasmodium berghei
      hepatic schizonts in nonimmunized rats is age-related.
AB  - Inflammatory responses to Plasmodium hepatic schizonts within the livers of non
      immunized animals have long been assumed to be initiated only after the parasites
      have matured and begun to burst. However, recent reports of inflammatory
      responses around hepatic schizonts suggested a re-examination of this issue. We
      injected Norway-Brown rats of various ages intravenously with Plasmodium berghei
      sporozoites and studied subsequent liver histopathology. We found that the
      ability of these rats to mount an inflammatory response is age-dependent. Young
      (4 weeks) rats had weak inflammatory responses against hepatic schizonts, whereas
      older (8-10 weeks) rats mounted a strong response. Older rats had many
      granulomatous reactions within the liver; eosinophils represented a pioneer
      component of the cellular infiltrate. There was a reduction in the numbers of
      surviving hepatic schizonts in the older rats, suggesting that these
      granulomatous and eosinophilic reactions had effectively destroyed some of the
      hepatic schizonts. We found clear evidence of inflammatory cells (eosinophils)
      infiltrating hepatic schizonts as early as 40 hours post-injection with
      sporozoites, a time well before any hepatic schizonts could have burst within the
      liver. This presents histological evidence that inflammatory cells can recognize
      and infiltrate intact hepatocytes containing schizonts in immunologically naive
      animals.

PMID- 1877716
TI  - Hypnozoites of Plasmodium simiovale.
AB  - Hypnozoites of Plasmodium simiovale were detected in liver biopsies from a rhesus
      monkey (Macaca mulatta) inoculated eight days previously with sporozoites from
      heavily infected anopheline mosquitoes. The tissue forms, 6 mu in diameter, were
      found within the cytoplasm of hepatic parenchymal cells by immunofluorescence and
      restained with Giemsa. This is the first report of latent, pre-erythrocytic
      stages from an ovale-type relapsing malaria.

PMID- 1877715
TI  - Infection of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with dengue parent and
      progeny candidate vaccine viruses: a possible marker of human attenuation.
AB  - Dengue (DEN-1) and DEN-4 parent (P) and progeny candidate vaccine (CV) viruses
      were compared in their abilities to infect and to replicate in Aedes aegypti and
      Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The DEN CV clones were temperature sensitive (ts)
      and had small plaque morphology. The DEN-1 and DEN-4 CV viruses differed in their
      ability to infect, to replicate in, and to be transmitted by mosquitoes. The DEN
      1 CV virus was not attenuated for the vector mosquitoes; oral infection rates
      with the CV virus were as high as or higher than the P virus, and the CV virus
      replicated efficiently in mosquitoes after oral infection. The DEN-4 CV virus was
      attenuated; it was less efficient than its P virus in infection and replication
      in mosquitoes. Thus, the ts phenotype and small plaque morphology are not
      reliable biological markers for prediction of vector attenuation. Similar results
      were reported by others for attenuation in man and monkeys. These studies with
      DEN-1 and DEN-4 viruses, and previously reported studies with DEN-2 virus and
      with DEN-3 virus suggest that vector and vertebrate host attenuation are
      genetically linked. Thus, vector attenuation may be a biological marker for human
      attenuation.

PMID- 1877717
TI  - Anopheline ecology and malaria infection during the irrigation development of an
      area of the Mahaweli Project, Sri Lanka.
AB  - A study on adult anopheline ecology and malaria vector incrimination was carried
      out from 1986 to 1989 during irrigation development in an area of the Mahaweli
      Project in eastern Sri Lanka. Eleven potential vector species were collected
      resting indoors or by using human or bovid bait, and from light trap catches.
      Overall, Anopheles vagus (Donitz), An. annularis (van der Wulp), and An.
      subpictus (Grassi) were the most prevalent, and An. culicifacies (Giles) and An.
      barbirostris (van der Wulp) were the least prevalent species. The abundance of
      An. aconitus (Donitz), An. jamesii (Theobald), An. pallidus (Theobald), and An.
      subpictus increased after irrigation development, while An. annularis, An.
      barbirostris, An. culicifacies and An. varuna (Iyengar) decreased. Populations of
      An. nigerrimus (Giles), An. tessellatus (Theobald), and An. vagus did not change
      substantially. Seven species were infected with malaria parasites, as determined
      by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) done on mosquito head-thorax
      triturates. The main species involved were An. annularis, at peak abundance
      during the 1986-1987 period of development leading to the onset of irrigation,
      and An. subpictus, during times of seasonal abundance in the post-irrigation
      period of 1988 to 1989. Although occurring at low abundance, An. culicifacies was
      involved in malaria transmission irregularly throughout the study period. While
      there was strong ELISA-based evidence implicating An. subpictus as a major post
      irrigation vector, confirmation of its vector status must await dissection and
      ELISA-based evidence of P. vivax and P. falciparum sporozoite infection rates in
      salivary glands.

PMID- 1877718
TI  - Strain specificity in the liver-stage development of Plasmodium falciparum in
      primary cultures of new world monkey hepatocytes.
AB  - Primary cultures of Aotus and Saimiri monkey hepatocytes were infected with
      sporozoites of the Plasmodium falciparum NF 54 strain from mosquitoes fed on
      gametocyte cultures, and with sporozoites of the P. falciparum Santa Lucia strain
      from mosquitoes fed on an infected Aotus monkey. After 4-8 days, one
      exoerythrocytic (EE) parasite per 30,000 sporozoites was detected in one of three
      experiments performed with the P. falciparum NF54 strain. However, numerous EE
      parasites were detected in Aotus and Saimiri cells infected with sporozoites of
      the P. falciparum Santa Lucia strain. At day 6, most of the parasites contained
      several hundred nuclei, and were morphologically similar to those previously
      described in vivo using light or electron microscopy. A monoclonal antibody
      directed against the repeat region of the circumsporozoite protein of P.
      falciparum labeled the plasma and parasitophorous vacuole membrane of five-day
      old EE parasites by immunoelectron microscopy, thus supporting previous
      observations by immunofluorescence indicating that the CS protein persists
      throughout the EE development of P. falciparum. These results demonstrate that
      liver stages of P. falciparum can be obtained in Aotus and Saimiri monkey cells,
      they also suggest a parasite strain specificity for hepatocytes.

PMID- 1877719
TI  - Prevalence of antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae in dogs from
      southeastern Australia.
AB  - Recent epidemiologic data suggests that Rickettsia australis, the cause of
      Queensland tick typhus, is present in southeastern Australia. In order to further
      confirm this observation, a canine serosurvey was undertaken to determine if
      naturally occurring antibodies were present in pet and farm dogs from this newly
      recognized endemic area. Thirty-five of 312 surveyed dogs (11.2%) had indirect
      immunofluorescent antibody titers of 1:64 or greater against R. australis
      antigen. Positive control sera were obtained from two dogs experimentally
      inoculated with R. australis. One of these dogs was serially sampled and a
      rickettsemia could not be documented. None of 26 control sera obtained from dogs
      from South Australia, New Zealand, western Victoria, or North Carolina had
      antibody titers greater than or equal to 1:64. These results suggest that spotted
      fever group rickettsiae are present in Southeastern Australia.

PMID- 1877720
TI  - Enterobius egg granuloma of the vulva and peritoneum: review of the literature.
AB  - Two cases of Enterobius granuloma containing eggs only are reported. The first
      case involved the vulva, where no such granuloma has been reported previously.
      The coexistence of peritoneal granuloma and rectal adenocarcinoma in the second
      case suggests the possibility of direct penetration of the damaged colonic wall
      by the parasite, as emphasized by several previous reports of neoplastic
      involvement and perforation of the intestinal wall in cases of ectopic
      infections. The diagnostic criteria of Enterobius eggs granuloma, which might be
      a diagnostic dilemma for pathologists who are not familiar with such criteria,
      are described herein.

PMID- 1877721
TI  - Standard and reduced doses of mefloquine for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum
      in Tanzania: whole blood concentrations in relation to adverse reactions, in vivo
      response, and in vitro susceptibility.
AB  - Fifty-three asymptomatic Tanzanian school children with 400-31,000 asexual
      Plasmodium falciparum parasites/microliter of blood were given standard, one
      half, one-quarter, or one-eighth of the recommended mefloquine treatment dose of
      25 mg base/kg body weight. Mefloquine and main metabolite concentrations were
      determined in 100 microliters of capillary blood using a high performance liquid
      chromatographic method. In the standard, one-half, and one-quarter dose groups,
      all children cleared the parasites within three days after treatment.
      Reappearance was noted in one of the children in the one-quarter dose group
      during 49-56 days of followup. Among the children given one-eighth of a dose, two
      had an RII response and four had an RI response with early recrudescence. All 24
      hour in vitro micro-tests (n = 30) showed full susceptibility for mefloquine.
      Adverse gastrointestinal reactions were reported by eight children on the first
      day after treatment, four of whom had been given a standard dose. These children
      had higher mefloquine concentrations one day after treatment than the other
      children in this group (P less than 0.05). In the standard dose group (n = 13),
      the area under the curve of capillary whole blood concentrations of mefloquine
      versus time was 52.4-112.1 mumol/liter x days. The highest concentration on day 1
      was 2.75-7.20 mumol/liter and the median terminal half-life was 17.4 days. The
      highest concentrations of the main metabolite were observed 1-2 weeks after
      treatment and the median half-life was 18.9 days. The concentrations in the other
      groups were approximately proportional to those in the standard dose group both
      for mefloquine and the metabolite.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877722
TI  - Pre-travel health, immunization status, and demographics of travel to the
      developing world for individuals visiting a travel medicine service.
AB  - It is estimated that five million Americans will travel to the developing world
      over the next year. This study examines the demographic profile, past medical and
      immunization history, itinerary, and reason for travel of 2, 445 travelers to the
      developing world seen at a travel medicine service from 1984 through 1989. The
      travelers age ranged from three months to 85 years (mean age 43). A chronic
      medical condition was reported by 654 (27%). Four percent of all travelers were
      intolerant of sulfonamides, and 9% had contraindications to mefloquine for
      malaria prophylaxis. Many travelers were due to receive the primary series or
      updatings of routinely recommended immunizations: 43% for tetanus/diphtheria, 55%
      of those born after 1956 for measles, and 70% for polio if their travel itinerary
      included a polio risk. Most travel (71%) was for vacations, 13% was for teaching
      or study, 11% for business, and 5% for missionary activities. The median duration
      of travel was 21 days; 5% traveled for more than one year. While over 150
      countries were visited, 52% of all travel was to 10 countries in East Africa, the
      Indian subcontinent, the Far East, and South America. Information about the
      epidemiology of travel to the developing world can help physicians and travel
      medicine services develop more effective preventive measures for travelers.

PMID- 1877723
TI  - Species-diagnostic differences in a ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer
      from the sibling species Anopheles freeborni and Anopheles hermsi
      (Diptera:Culicidae).
AB  - Approximately 460 base pairs (bp) of DNA sequence that included the second
      internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) and some flanking 5.8S and 28S ribosomal RNA
      coding regions were compared between the two closely related and morphologically
      indistinguishable mosquito species Anopheles freeborni and A. hermsi and a third
      related species, A. occidentalis. Sequences were determined from 14 clones of
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified DNA obtained from four colonies of A.
      freeborni, two colonies of A. hermsi, and one individual A. occidentalis. Four
      clones showed independent single bp differences from the consensus for the
      relevant species. Eleven sites differed between the consensus sequences of A.
      hermsi and A. freeborni; 28 sites differed between A. hermsi and A. occidentalis.
      With the exception of a single bp mismatch in the 5.8S and two single bp
      mismatches near the undetermined junction of the ITS2 and 28S regions, all
      differences were confined to the ITS2 region. A PCR-based species-diagnostic
      assay for the cryptic species A. hermsi and A. freeborni was developed; it uses
      four synthetic oligonucleotides, two derived from areas of interspecies sequence
      difference in the ITS2, and two derived from highly conserved regions in the
      flanking coding sequences. Small amounts of mosquito DNA amplified in the
      presence of these four primers produce fragments of diagnostic size for each
      species: 900 bp for A. freeborni, 350 bp for A. hermsi, and approximately 1.2-1.4
      kb for various other Anopheles species tested. We believe that this general
      approach to the development of species-diagnostic assays can be extended easily
      to other complexes of closely related, morphologically indistinguishable species.

PMID- 1877724
TI  - Acetate metabolism: new mysteries from old data.

PMID- 1877725
TI  - Ethanol consumption inhibits fetal DNA methylation in mice: implications for the
      fetal alcohol syndrome.
AB  - Acute ethanol administration (3 g/kg twice a day) to pregnant mice, from the 9th
      thru the 11th day of gestation, resulted in hypomethylation of fetal
      deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Nuclei isolated from the fetuses of the ethanol
      treated mice had lower levels of methylase activity relative to controls even in
      the presence of excess S-adenosylmethionine, which serves as the methyl donor for
      the enzyme DNA methyltransferase. Acetaldehyde, at concentrations as low as 3 to
      10 microM, inhibited DNA methyltransferase activity in vitro. Since DNA
      methylation is thought to play an important role in the regulation of gene
      expression during embryogenesis, ethanol-associated alterations in fetal DNA
      methylation may contribute to the developmental abnormalities seen in the fetal
      alcohol syndrome.

PMID- 1877726
TI  - Chronic tolerance and sensitization to alcohol in sons of alcoholics.
AB  - In view of conflicting results concerning differences between sons of alcoholics
      and sons of nonalcoholics in response to a single alcohol challenge (with a given
      dose), we exposed these high and low risk groups to several sessions in which
      they drank alcohol at the same dose in order to measure the development of
      chronic tolerance or sensitization with repeated doses. Sons of alcoholics and
      sons of nonalcoholics received a moderate dose of alcohol (0.5 g/kg) in three
      sessions with alcohol, followed by a placebo session. Sons of alcoholics
      developed reverse tolerance or chronic sensitization to repeated dosings of
      alcohol in finger pulse amplitude, while sons of nonalcoholics did not. Sons of
      alcoholics failed to show chronic tolerance in skin conductance and finger
      temperature, while sons of alcoholics did show the development of tolerance. Sons
      of alcoholics demonstrated greater motor activity throughout the sessions, both
      before and after alcohol. These results indicate that high and low risk groups
      differ in terms of their developmental adaptation to alcohol, as well as in the
      temperamental trait of behavioral activity.

PMID- 1877727
TI  - Ro15-4513 attenuates the consumption of ethanol in deprived rats.
AB  - This research investigated the effects of Ro15-4513 (Ro15), a partial inverse
      benzodiazepine agonist, on the drinking behavior of 23-1/2 hr fluid deprived
      rats. Water-deprived rats were maintained on a two-bottle regimen of a saccharin
      ETOH solution along with tap water available for 30 min/day for several days.
      Following this acclimation period, animals were pretreated with either Ro15 (1.0,
      2.5, and 5.0 mg/kg) or Tween-80 vehicle injections. Pretreatment with Ro15 at all
      doses tested resulted in a significant reduction of the saccharin-ETOH solution;
      however, Ro15 did not alter the rats' consumption of water. The effects of Ro15
      on general fluid consumption was investigated in Experiment 2. Following
      acclimation to a two-bottle regimen of a saccharin-solution and tap water 30
      min/day, naive animals were pretreated with Tween-80 vehicle or Ro15 injections.
      Ro15 failed to alter saccharin or water consumption. The results of this study
      support previous reports suggesting that Ro15 attenuates the oral consumption of
      ETOH; however, this effect does not appear to be due to a general suppression of
      fluid intake.

PMID- 1877728
TI  - Reduced cerebral grey matter observed in alcoholics using magnetic resonance
      imaging.
AB  - Twenty-eight chronic alcoholics and 36 age- and sex-matched non-alcoholic
      controls were examined with magnetic resonance imaging and brain morphometric
      analyses. Results confirmed large increases in subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) volume and mild ventricular enlargement in the alcoholics and revealed
      associated volume reductions of localized cortical and subcortical cerebral
      structures. Volume losses in the diencephalon, the caudate nucleus, dorsolateral
      frontal and parietal cortex, and mesial temporal lobe structures were the most
      prominent. Significant correlations between increments in cortical and
      ventricular CSF and decrements in the volume of cortical and subcortical grey
      matter were noted. Although there was little evidence for relationships between
      performance on neuropsychological tests and volume of grey matter structures,
      significant correlations between some cognitive measures and subcortical and
      cortical fluid volumes were found. The parallels between this pattern of affected
      structures and recent neuropathological findings are discussed.

PMID- 1877729
TI  - Changes with age in the proliferative response of splenic T cells from rats
      exposed to ethanol in utero.
AB  - The fetal alcohol syndrome is associated with altered immunity. Several
      laboratories have confirmed that rodents exposed to ethanol in utero demonstrate
      both diminished proliferative responses of T cells to mitogens and diminished
      proliferative responses of T-blast cells to human recombinant interleukin 2
      (rIL2). We examined the developmental time course of these altered immune
      responses by testing the immune function of in utero ethanol-exposed rats at
      various ages. We found that while diminished splenic T cell proliferative
      responses could not be detected at 2 weeks, they were present at 6 weeks after
      birth and suppression was maximal at 6 weeks and 3 months. Thereafter, at 5 and 7
      months, the altered immune responses gradually declined and normalized at 8
      months of age. Thus, both altered T cell mitogenesis and the blunted IL2-induced
      proliferative response of T-blast cells could serve as biomarkers of fetal
      exposure to ethanol.

PMID- 1877730
TI  - Trauma in cirrhosis: an indicator of the pattern of alcohol abuse in different
      societies.
AB  - While some morbidities associated with the excessive use of alcohol are related
      to the total amount of alcohol consumed--cirrhosis being an example--other
      pathologies, such as trauma and those of psycho-social origin, are mainly related
      to the frequency of acute alcoholic intoxication rather than to the total amount
      consumed. The balance between these two types of alcohol-associated morbidities
      can provide an indication of the relative frequency of intoxication, and thus of
      the pattern of alcohol abuse in a population. Since trauma is highly associated
      with acute alcoholic intoxication, the prevalence of bone fractures was
      determined in cirrhotics in nine countries. The prevalence of rib and vertebral
      fractures on routine chest x-rays showed a 17-fold variation in the different
      countries, from 2% and 6% in Spain and Italy to 30% and 34% in Canada and the
      USA, suggesting marked differences in the pattern of alcohol abuse to
      intoxication. Conversely, the prevalence of cirrhosis is twice as high in Spain
      and Italy than in Canada and the USA. A strong positive correlation between per
      capita consumption and cirrhosis mortality (r = 0.86; p less than 0.01) exists
      among the nine countries studied, while the correlation between per capita
      alcohol consumption and the prevalence of trauma is not statistically significant
      (r = 0.40). Supporting a strong association between trauma and alcoholic
      intoxication, the prevalence of trauma was found to be highly correlated: r =
      0.88, p less than 0.002, with the degree of concern for the psycho-social
      consequences of alcohol abuse in the different countries. Data indicate that
      trauma can be used as an objective indicator to assess the pattern of alcohol
      abuse in a population.

PMID- 1877731
TI  - Personality stability and adolescent substance use behaviors.
AB  - Several personality needs have consistently been identified as placing
      adolescents at heightened risk for the relatively intensive use of alcohol and
      other drugs. At the same time, little is known about the natural history of
      personality change during adolescence as it relates to substance use behaviors.
      Yet, this question is of clear importance to our understanding of personality
      risk factors for substance use because personality needs appear less temporally
      stable during adolescence than later in the life span. In this study, we use
      prospective longitudinal data to investigate the relation of high-risk
      personality needs to substance use in two groups of adolescents: those who
      maintained a temporally stable personality need structure across 3 years and
      those who showed considerable changes in personality needs during the same time
      interval. Subjects were 12, 15, or 18 years old at the first test time and 15,
      18, or 21 years old, respectively, at the second test time. For subjects of both
      sexes, only those who maintained a temporally stable, low-risk personality
      profile showed quite conservative substance use patterns across time compared
      with all others. Generalized personality changes were linked to more intensive
      substance use behaviors in males, especially among those who had high levels of
      risky personality needs at the first test time. In contrast, personality change,
      per se, did not appear as relevant to females' alcohol and other drug use
      behaviors until combined with information regarding their level of high-risk
      personality needs. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for
      prevention and future research.

PMID- 1877732
TI  - Blood pressure dysregulation associated with alcohol withdrawal.
AB  - Alcoholics' blood pressures (BP) are typically elevated during withdrawal. Do
      such elevations predict future blood pressure dysregulation or are they simply a
      transitory effect of alcohol toxicity? Thirty-two patients admitted to the
      hospital for alcohol detoxification were tested to examine the relationship
      between admission BP and response to isometric handgrip administered 4 to 5 days
      (session 1) and 3 to 4 weeks (session 2) postdetoxification. Alcoholics were
      divided into three groups based on admission BPs: Hypertensive (HT, greater than
      or equal to 160/95 mmHg), Borderline Hypertensive (BHT, 140/90-159/94 mmHg), and
      Normotensive (NT, less than 140/90 mmHg). In sessions 1 and 2, the groups no
      longer differed on resting BP or heart rate (HR) but did differ on BP and HR
      response to handgrip: Compared with the NT group, the HT and BHT groups had
      greater rises in systolic and diastolic BP and HR. There was a trend for HT
      alcoholics to report a positive parental history of hypertension (91%) compared
      to BHT and NT alcoholics (64% and 60%, respectively), suggesting the existence of
      premorbid factors to this exaggerated cardiovascular response. Further, alcohol
      consumption, based on a quantity-frequency index, was significantly higher in the
      HT group than in the NT group. The results suggest that transitory elevations in
      blood pressure observed during alcohol withdrawal may predict future BP
      abnormalities.

PMID- 1877733
TI  - Ethanol inhalation and dietary n-6, n-3, and n-9 fatty acids in the rat: effect
      on platelet and aortic fatty acid composition.
AB  - The effects of 18-carbon n-6, n-3, and n-9 fatty acid diets and ethanol exposure
      on the fatty acyl composition of platelets and vascular tissue were examined. An
      experimental design was devised to control the dietary content of 18-carbon fatty
      acids. The levels of 18:3n6, 18:3n3 and 18:1n9 were varied by a formulation of
      dietary oils which contained similar proportions of 18:2n6. Male Sprague-Dawley
      rats were fed a purified diet containing 11% by weight of either borage oil (BOR)
      rich in 18:3n6, linseed/safflower oil (LSO) rich in 18:3n3, or sesame oil (SES)
      rich in 18:1n9 for 7 weeks and exposed to ethanol vapors by means of inhalation
      for the final 6 days of the dietary regimen. Moderate blood ethanol levels of 118
      +/- 6.6 mg/dl were obtained. Total lipids were extracted from platelets and
      aortae, and the fatty acid distributions were analyzed by gas chromatography. BOR
      feeding resulted in increases in the proportion of n-6 fatty acids (18:3n6,
      20:3n6, 20:4n6) in platelets and aorta. Animals fed the LSO diet had increased
      levels of n-3 fatty acids (18:3n3, 20:5n3, 22:6n3). The SES-based diet resulted
      in an increase in 18:1n9 in both aorta and platelets. Following ethanol exposure
      alone, the most marked change in the fatty acid profile was a decrease in 20:4n6
      in the platelet. This effect was not observed in rats supplemented with BOR. No
      significant changes were observed in the aortic fatty acid content at this level
      of ethanol exposure. The results suggested that, in the rat, a diet enriched with
      BOR effectively prevented ethanol-induced alterations in platelet fatty acid
      composition.

PMID- 1877734
TI  - Estimation of blood alcohol concentrations in young male drinkers.
AB  - This research examined individual differences in the ability to self-monitor the
      effects of alcohol. Thirty-nine male subjects consumed 0.75 ml/kg alcohol and
      estimated their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at peak BAC and on the
      ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol curve. Family history of
      alcohol dependence did not affect the accuracy of estimation of BACs. Subjects
      who reported lower levels of subjective intoxication underestimated their BACs
      more than did subjects who reported higher levels of subjective intoxication.
      Subjects with less behavioral impairment underestimated their BACs more than
      subjects with greater behavioral impairment on the ascending limb of the blood
      alcohol curve. Accuracy was better on the ascending limb compared with peak BAC
      and the descending limb, and accuracy became worse over time on the descending
      limb. It appears that cues to the effects of alcohol rapidly become unavailable
      on the descending limb, which may contribute to decisions concerning further
      alcohol consumption and driving after drinking.

PMID- 1877735
TI  - Alterations of ATP levels and of energy parameters in the blood of alcoholic and
      nonalcoholic patients with liver damage.
AB  - Blood adenine nucleotides were determined in patients with alcoholic and non
      alcoholic liver diseases. They included patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH),
      alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC), non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis (NALC), and
      amoebic liver abscess (ALA) (28 patients). A decrease of 28% to 39% in blood ATP
      levels was observed among the patients with AH and the cirrhotic groups,
      respectively (p less than 0.05), whereas no significant changes in blood ATP
      levels were detected in the ALA group. Although total blood adenine nucleotides
      were significantly diminished in AH, ALC, and NALC groups, the AH patients
      retained their energy relationships within normal range. On the other hand, the
      cirrhotic groups, independently of their etiology, failed to maintain an adequate
      ATP/ADP ratio, energy charge, and phosphorylation potential in the blood,
      suggesting a decreased energy availability in their blood cells. Nevertheless,
      the mechanism involved in these effects remains to be elucidated, a failure of
      the damaged liver to supply purines to extra-hepatic tissues might be a major
      event altering the blood energy parameters.

PMID- 1877736
TI  - In vivo microdialysis study of brain ethanol concentrations in rats following
      oral self-administration.
AB  - Using intracerebral microdialysis, the time-course of ethanol absorption was
      determined in the striatum of rats after oral self-administration of an ethanol
      solution. Microdialysis samples were collected every 10 min for 1 hr before and 1
      hr after consumption of ethanol over a 5-min period. Substantial levels of
      ethanol were detected in the brain in the first sample taken after self
      administration although these levels did not correlate with the amount of ethanol
      consumed. Striatal ethanol levels reached maximum or near maximum by the second
      sample and remained constant for the time points between 20 and 60 min; at these
      times, brain ethanol levels correlated significantly with the amount consumed.
      This study demonstrates that oral consumption of ethanol leads to measurable
      brain levels within a relatively short time. Results suggest that experimental
      animals may experience the central effects of ethanol during the course of
      drinking and this could play a role in alcohol preference or avoidance behavior.

PMID- 1877737
TI  - Individual mood profiles in alcohol withdrawal.
AB  - Daily self-reports of moods, using a Swedish Mood Adjective Check List with six
      bipolar dimensions, were performed in patients with alcohol dependence. One group
      (n = 13), consisting of inpatients in late withdrawal at a home for addicts, was
      studied for 6 weeks; another group (n = 12), consisting of outpatients in full
      remission, was studied for 1 week. The results of the ratings on the check-list
      were used to test a statistical model for its capacity to describe the individual
      courses of mood states during the recovery process. Time Series Analysis revealed
      that the individual courses of moods fitted an autoregressive statistical model
      and could thereby be summarized in numerical measures for individual baselines,
      amplitudes, and lengths of recovery. Such individual profiles of the alcohol
      recovery process, may be useful for both clinical and research purposes, making
      it possible, for instance, to predict points in time for an individual's recovery
      with respect to his total well-being, as well as the various dimensions of his
      mood states.

PMID- 1877738
TI  - A revised conservative estimate of the incidence of FAS and its economic impact.
AB  - We have conducted a new analysis of the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
      and its economic impact based on prospectively gathered data of consecutive
      pregnancies. This more conservative analysis reflects our concern over possible
      inclusion of "false positives" in our previous estimate and now puts the overall
      rate in the western world at 0.33 cases per 1000. The estimate among whites is
      0.29 per 1000 compared with 0.48 per 1000 for blacks. We did not include
      estimates for native Americans owing to the absence of prospectively gathered
      data on FAS for this group. Retrospective studies suggest larger disparities.
      Both prospective and retrospective studies may be influenced by examiner bias
      especially for minorities since minorities are often evaluated against standards
      derived from whites. Based on our estimates and the number of black and white
      children born each year, we estimate that about 1200 children are born with FAS
      each year in the United States. This is a probable lower limit based on
      considerations of ascertainment and absence of relevant information for other
      minorities such as native Americans. In calculating economic costs, we have now
      adjusted our estimates to take into account costs that would be incurred whether
      cases were FAS or not, and also have now included estimated costs for anomalies
      in FAS cases not considered in previous estimates. Based on these considerations,
      we now estimate the incremented annual cost of treating this disorder at $74.6
      million. About three-quarters of this economic burden is associated with care of
      FAS cases with mental retardation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877739
TI  - Suppression of immune responsiveness: sex differences in prenatal ethanol
      effects.
AB  - Exposure to ethanol in utero results in changes in the offspring's developing
      immune system, including thymus lymphocyte subpopulation shifts and functional
      lymphocyte changes that persist in adult animals. The present study was designed
      to define further the extent of changes in the immune system that result from
      fetal ethanol exposure and to compare effects in male and female offspring. In
      adulthood, male and female offspring from Sprague-Dawley dams fed an ethanol
      containing liquid diet (alcohol, A), an isocaloric liquid control diet (pair-fed,
      PF), or laboratory chow and water (control, C) during pregnancy were tested for
      several measures of immune competency. Prenatal ethanol exposure differentially
      affected male and female offspring. Fetal ethanol-exposed males exhibited a
      decrease in thymocyte number as well as a decreased splenic lymphocyte
      proliferative response to the T-cell mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A), with a
      concomitant decrease in recoverable blast cells, when compared with PF and C
      males. Further, the defect in T-cell proliferation of A males was not due to an
      inability to produce the critical growth factor, interleukin-2 (IL-2), but to an
      inability of lymphoblasts to utilize exogenous IL-2. Fetal ethanol-exposed
      females showed some suggestion of lower thymocyte counts and decreased splenic T
      cell proliferative responses to Con A compared to PF and C females. For most of
      the immune measures, however, no significant differences occurred among A, PF,
      and C females. In utero ethanol exposure did not significantly alter spleen cell
      counts or IL-2 production, splenic B-cell proliferation to bacterial
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or thymocyte response to IL-2 in animals of either
      sex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877740
TI  - Disulfiram implant: a double-blind placebo controlled follow-up on treatment
      outcome.
AB  - Seventy-six alcohol-dependent patients participated in a study of the clinical
      effect of implanted disulfiram (DS). The patients were randomized to a DS group
      (n = 40), receiving a subcutaneous abdominal implantation of 10 x 100 mg DS
      tablets and a placebo group (PL group) receiving an implantation of 9 x 100 mg
      calcium phosphate tablets together with one calcium phosphate tablet containing 1
      mg DS. Both groups believed they were receiving DS. At admission there was no
      significant difference between the DS and PL groups with regard to demographic
      characteristics, psychosocial adjustment, drinking variables, medical disorders,
      or laboratory results. After a study period of approximately 300 days, 63
      patients (33 DS; 30 PL) were assessed using a battery of tests. There was no
      significant difference between the groups with regard to reduction in average
      alcohol consumption, number of days to the first alcohol intake after
      implantation, or level of psychosocial function. Nevertheless, both groups
      reduced their ethanol consumption significantly, probably due to the
      psychological deterrent effect. The DS implant did result in a significantly
      higher incidence of wound complications. This study does not support the idea
      that a 1-g DS implant has any significant clinical effect different from the
      implant containing only 1 mg DS (placebo).

PMID- 1877741
TI  - Response of three hormones to diazepam challenge in sons of alcoholics and
      controls.
AB  - This study evaluates the hypothesis that the decreased reaction to ethanol
      reported for sons of alcoholics will also be observed following infusions of a
      benzodiazepine. The investigation compared 37 men who were family history
      positive for alcoholism with 37 family history negative controls on postinfusion
      levels of cortisol, prolactin, and growth hormone following 0.12 and 0.20 mg/kg
      of diazepam given IV over 7 minutes. The results demonstrated no evidence of a
      decreased response for the sons of alcoholics on the levels of these three
      hormones.

PMID- 1877742
TI  - Vitamin B12 and folate status in rats after chronic administration of ethanol and
      acute exposure to nitrous oxide.
AB  - The chronic administration of ethanol or brief exposure to nitrous oxide (N2O)
      decreases the activity of hepatic methionine synthase and disrupts normal
      metabolic processes that require folate and vitamin B12. This combination of
      drugs has clinical relevance since alcoholic patients often require surgery and
      receive N2O as a component of their anesthetic. To assess this clinical problem
      using a rodent model, rats were given a liquid ethanol diet (35% of calories as
      ethanol) and control rats were pair-fed a liquid diet with carbohydrate
      substituting for the caloric content of ethanol. After receiving liquid diets for
      6 weeks, rats were exposed to 60% N2O/40% O2 for 6 hr. Urinary excretions of
      formic acid and formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU) were used as indirect markers of
      folate status. In both the ethanol-fed and control groups, excretion of formic
      acid and FIGLU markedly increased the first day after N2O and returned towards
      background values by the second day after N2O exposure. Ethanol treatment alone
      decreased methionine synthase activities in liver, but not kidney or brain.
      Exposure to N2O further decreased methionine synthase activities, and recovery of
      methionine synthase activity after N2O occurred over a period of 4 days at the
      same rate in both the ethanol-fed and control groups. Ethanol treatment for 6
      weeks combined with acute exposure to N2O did not deplete the rats of vitamin B12
      in blood, liver, kidney, or brain. We conclude that in this animal model, chronic
      treatment with ethanol does not markedly exacerbate the disturbances in
      folate/vitamin B12 metabolism caused by brief exposure to N2O.

PMID- 1877743
TI  - Plasma norharman (beta-carboline) levels are elevated in chronic alcoholics.
AB  - Based on the hypothesis that condensation products of neurotransmitters with
      aldehydes are involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholism, aromatic beta
      carbolines (norharman and harman) were measured in the blood plasma of alcoholics
      and nonalcoholics. The identity of the extracted compounds was confirmed by
      various elution conditions of the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),
      newly developed radioreceptor assays, and the mass spectrum of norharman. The
      levels of norharman and harman in nonalcoholics were unchanged after a load with
      ethanol (1 g/kg body weight). The norharman levels of the alcoholics were
      significantly higher than that of the nonalcoholic controls (99.5 +/- 26.6 pg/ml
      vs. 26.9 +/- 10.7 pg/ml; p less than 0.001) and did not change significantly
      during a 3-week detoxication period. In the subgroup of alcoholics with delirium
      or hallucinosis, a slight increase of norharman during detoxication could be
      detected while in alcoholics with vegetative withdrawal symptoms norharman levels
      dropped slightly over time (p = 0.07). No difference was found with respect to
      harman between nonalcoholics and alcoholics. These results suggest disturbed
      regulatory processes in the formation and/or metabolism of norharman in
      alcoholics. Further investigations are needed to reveal a possible marker
      function of norharman in alcoholic patients.

PMID- 1877744
TI  - Inhibition of retinoic acid synthesis and its implications in fetal alcohol
      syndrome.

PMID- 1877745
TI  - Hypothesis: prenatal ethanol-induced birth defects and retinoic acid.
AB  - A hypothesis is presented to explain the biochemical basis of ethanol-induced
      birth defects. Prenatal ethanol exposure causes central nervous system and limb
      abnormalities in humans and in animals. Retinoic acid and didehydroretinoic acid
      are known to play an important role in the central nervous system and limb
      developments. Ethanol is known to inhibit the formation of retinoic acid from
      retinol and deplete hepatic retinoid levels. It is hypothesized that ethanol
      reduces the levels of retinoic acid in the developing embryo either by inhibiting
      conversion of retinol to retinoic acid and/or by depleting the level of retinol,
      thereby causing central nervous system and limb abnormalities.

PMID- 1877746
TI  - A hypothetical mechanism for fetal alcohol syndrome involving ethanol inhibition
      of retinoic acid synthesis at the alcohol dehydrogenase step.
AB  - Ethanol acts as a teratogen causing brain, craniofacial, and limb abnormalities
      in those suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome. Normal embryonic development of
      the vertebrate nervous system and limbs has recently been shown to be governed by
      retinoic acid, the active form of vitamin A. Retinol dehydrogenase is an enzyme
      needed to convert vitamin A (retinol) to retinoic acid, a molecule that specifies
      embryonic pattern formation by controlling gene expression. Ethanol acts as a
      competitive inhibitor of the retinol dehydrogenase activity attributed to
      mammalian alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), an enzyme that uses both retinol and
      ethanol as substrates. An hypothesis is presented in which many of the
      abnormalities observed in fetal alcohol syndrome may be caused by high levels of
      ethanol acting as a competitive inhibitor of ADH-catalyzed retinol oxidation in
      the embryo or fetus. This would presumably result in a reduction of retinoic acid
      synthesis in embryonic tissues such as the nervous system and limbs that require
      critical levels of this molecule to specify spatial patterns.

PMID- 1877747
TI  - Selectivity of membrane electrodes based on derivatives of dibenzyltin
      dichloride.
AB  - Selectivity properties are established for membrane electrodes prepared by
      incorporating bis(p-methylbenzyl)tin dichloride, dibenzyltin dichloride, and
      bis(p-chlorobenzyl)tin dichloride in plasticized polymer membranes. These
      electrodes display an unusually high level of selectivity for dibasic phosphate
      over many common anions. Electrodes prepared with the p-chloro derivative possess
      the best detection limit and the highest degree of selectivity for phosphate.
      Selectivity coefficients are calculated for phosphate relative to the following
      groups of anions: salicylate, benzoate, thiocyanate, iodide, nitrate, bromide,
      chloride, acetate, fluoride, pyrophosphate, arsenate, adenosine 5'-cyclic
      monophosphate, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, adenosine 5'-diphosphate, and
      adenosine 5'-triphosphate. Tin-carbon hyperconjugation within the organotin
      compound is hypothesized to be critically important in the selective response to
      phosphate. Enhancement of tin-carbon hyperconjugation by increasing the electron
      withdrawing power of substituents on the benzyl ring is predicted to provide even
      higher levels of selectivity for phosphate.

PMID- 1877748
TI  - On-column sample gating for high-speed capillary zone electrophoresis.
AB  - High-speed zone electrophoresis in a fused-silica capillary is described.
      Elevated electric fields and short capillary lengths allow a mixture of
      fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled amino acids to be separated in times as
      short as 1.5 s. Formation of the analyte zone at the head of the capillary is
      controlled by laser-induced photolysis of a tagging reagent. This gating
      procedure allows rapid and automated introduction of sample into the capillary.
      Ultimately, Joule heating of the buffer limits the speed and efficiency of the
      separation.

PMID- 1877749
TI  - Sample gating in open tubular and packed capillaries for high-speed liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - A new liquid chromatography instrument is described that employs small-diameter
      capillary columns and an optically controlled sample gating procedure to separate
      a mixture of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled amines in as few as 6 s.
      Efficiency of the separation, expressed as the number of theoretical plates, is
      observed to increase linearly with column length and thus analysis time. The
      combination of short analysis time and automated sample introduction allows
      signal averaging to be used to enhance the precision of the measurement.

PMID- 1877750
TI  - Determination of molecular weight distributions of tert-octylphenol ethoxylate
      surfactant polymers by laser desorption Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance
      mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - Triton polymers are commercial surfactants whose molecular weight distributions
      are conventionally determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC). However, in the case of the important octylphenol ethoxylates [p-C8H17
      C6H4-O-(CH2CH2O)n-H], HPLC cannot resolve individual oligomers of high molecular
      weight Triton surfactants (e.g., greater than 2000 u or so; u = unified atomic
      mass unit). In this paper, we show that laser desorption Fourier transform ion
      cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LD/FT/ICR/MS) provides a simple and
      accurate measure of such Triton surfactant molecular weight distributions up to
      at least 3500 u, based on a single-shot laser pulse measurement of a few seconds
      duration. Comparison of LD/FT/ICR/MS and HPLC molecular weight distributions of
      low molecular weight surfactants shows that laser desorption/ionization produces
      minimal fragmentation and thus offers an accurate measure of the relative
      abundances of the neutral oligomers, without the need for prior chromatographic
      separation of the components. Moreover, for all Triton polymer molecular weight
      distributions (700-3000 u), LD/FT/ICR/MS provides much more highly resolved
      profiles of oligomer relative abundances. Finally, LD/FT/ICR/MS reveals the
      presence of poly(ethylene oxide) side products of the polymerization process,
      which are not observed by HPLC with conventional ultraviolet absorption
      detection.

PMID- 1877751
TI  - Quantitative retention-biological activity relationship study by micellar liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - In a previous paper, the usefulness of micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) in
      predicting octanol-water partition coefficients of organic compounds was
      reported. This paper is the first successful report of a quantitative retention
      activity relationship study using the retention factor in MLC for predicting the
      biological activity of a group of phenolic compounds. Excellent correlation was
      obtained between the capacity factor in MLC and the bioactivity (measured as log
      1/C, where C is the 50% inhibitory growth concentration) of 26 para-substituted
      phenols. A single MLC retention parameter is capable of describing the
      bioactivity of phenols, while three conventional molecular descriptors (log
      P(ow), pKa, and R) are needed to achieve a similar correlation. This indicates
      that both hydrophobic and electronic interactions are incorporated in a single
      MLC retention parameter, which is due to the amphiphilic nature of surfactants in
      the system. In situations like this, QRAR is a suitable alternative to QSAR since
      measuring MLC retention is much easier than measuring different molecular
      descriptors needed to build the QSAR model. Addition of 10% 2-propanol to a
      micellar system (hybrid system) proved to be the best chromatographic system for
      the best estimation of the phenols bioactivity. Other chromatographic factors
      such as pH and stationary phase also showed significant effect on the correlation
      between capacity factor k' and log 1/C.

PMID- 1877752
TI  - pH dependence of hydrochloric acid diffusion through gastric mucus: correlation
      with diffusion through a water layer using a membrane-mounted glass pH electrode.
AB  - Solute diffusion coefficients (D) can indicate a dependence upon actual solute
      concentrations. Here a single compartment has been utilized, in which effective
      HCl diffusion to a membrane-mounted glass pH electrode can be measured across the
      pH spectrum. The study has investigated HCl diffusion through both mucus and
      water layers as a function of HCl concentration. The observed dynamic responses
      of a liquid-film and mucus-coated electrodes over a range of HCl concentrations
      suggest that the speed at which equilibrium is attained is pH dependent;
      equilibrium was reached rapidly under more acidic and alkaline conditions.
      Estimated values of DHCl also indicate a strong pH dependence for both liquid
      film and mucus. In both instances, a greater than 10-fold reduction in DHCl at pH
      7.5 as compared with that at pH 3.5 has been demonstrated. Furthermore, estimated
      values of DHCl are approximately 4-fold smaller through the mucus gel, as
      compared with a water layer. The findings indicate that the most powerful
      influence on diffusional resistance is pH itself, whereby a marked drop in H+
      diffusion is likely to occur towards neutral pH irrespective of the composition
      of the gel barrier. Possible implications of the findings are discussed in
      relation to mucosal protection from acid.

PMID- 1877753
TI  - Simplified sample preparation for fluoride determination in biological material.
AB  - A simple and rapid preparation method for the determination of fluoride in
      biological materials (blood and food) of various origins, is described. A
      homogenized sample was placed in a plastic diffusion cell and calcium phosphate
      added, it was then dried at 55 degrees C and treated with 70% HClO4 and 40%
      AgClO4. After digestion for 24 h at 55 degrees C, the fluorides released were
      fixed on the upper part of a diffusion cell containing a thin layer of NaOH. The
      analyses of the diffused fluoride were carried out with an ion-selective
      electrode. The proposed microdiffusion method, without mineralization, enables
      quantitative separation of the fluoride from the biological samples.

PMID- 1877754
TI  - Evaluation of microwave digestion and solvent extraction for the determination of
      trace amounts of selenium in feeds and plant and animal tissues by electrothermal
      atomic absorption spectrometry.
AB  - A sensitive method for the accurate determination of Se in agricultural products
      at sub-ppm levels is described. The proposed procedure involves the wet oxidation
      of samples by using a mixture of nitric, sulphuric and perchloric acids, co
      extraction of Se and added Pd with diethylammonium N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate in
      chloroform, and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of
      Se in the organic extract. Atomization and extraction conditions are discussed.
      Special attention is given to the wet oxidation step, and its advantages in speed
      and simplicity over conventional heating have been evaluated using an automated
      microwave digestion system. The results reported, obtained from several reference
      materials, confirm the accuracy of the method with which a detection limit of
      0.002 micrograms g-1 of Se can be achieved.

PMID- 1877755
TI  - Duodenal glands of the pony (Equus caballus).
AB  - The ultrastructure and histochemistry of the duodenal glands of the pony (Equus
      caballus) was examined in four horses. Unlike that of most species except for the
      rabbit, the submucous glands of the horse contain two distinct cell types, serous
      and mucous. These cells are described.

PMID- 1877756
TI  - [The development of the bovine stomach: morphologic and morphometric analysis.
      II. Observations of the morphogenesis associated with the omasum and abomasum].
AB  - This study represents a continuation of part 1 of a study of the development of
      the bovine stomach. Material and methods are more fully described in part i of
      the study. In this part 2 of the study further developmental stages and
      morphometric analysis is presented.

PMID- 1877757
TI  - [The development of the bovine stomach: morphologic and morphometric analysis.
      III. Spatial and morphometric reconstruction].
AB  - This work represents a summary of the study presented in parts I and II,
      previously published in this journal. The data collected in those studies is
      presented in three dimensional reconstructions of the stomach of the developing
      calf.

PMID- 1877758
TI  - Arthrographic observations of the equine distal interphalangeal joint
      (Articulationes interphalangeae distalis manus) and navicular bursa (Bursa
      podotrochlearis).
AB  - Twenty cadaver limbs of adult horses were examined by arthrographic examination
      of the distal interphalangeal joint. The joint capsule and space is described.
      Comparison is made with existing descriptions.

PMID- 1877759
TI  - Left cranial vena cava in a horse.
AB  - A complete left cranial vena cava (LCVC) was found in a normal horse. The LCVC
      was well developed, but there was a complete absence of the right cranial vena
      cava. The azygous vein was normally distributed on the right side of the thoracic
      vertebral bodies but passed ventral to the aortic arch to empty into the cranial
      vena cava on the left close to the origin of the aortic arch. The LCVC passed
      over the dorsal aspect of the left atrium to reach the coronary sulcus on the
      caudal aspect of the heart. The LCVC opened into the right atrium via a 5 cm
      diameter orifice (orifice of coronary sinus). The vena cordis magna joined the
      LCVC 6 cm from the orifice of the coronary sinus. Complete dissection of the
      horse revealed no other developmental abnormalities. This case is compared with
      similar cases in the literature.

PMID- 1877760
TI  - [Histomorphometric study of the morphological variations of the thyroid follicles
      in the rat as a function of age and sex].
AB  - The thyroid glands of male and female rats (Sprague Dawley) 10 to 60 weeks of age
      were examined histomorphometrically. The results show a clear sex dimorphism. The
      thyroid follicles in the male animals show a greater functional activity than in
      the female animals. But while the morphology of the follicles in the females was
      constant throughout the period of observation, in the males the activity
      gradually diminished.

PMID- 1877761
TI  - Development of the bovine duodenum with reference to enterochromaffin cells.
AB  - The present light microscopic study describes the morphological changes which
      occur in the duodenal mucosa of the bovine fetus from the third month of
      gestation until birth with regard to the sequence of appearance and morphology of
      enterochromaffin cells. The mucosa of the duodenum is prepared for digestive
      activity during the first months of development. This becomes obvious in the
      early differentiation of the fetal intestinal mucosa. The enterocytes in villus
      epithelium contain glycogen in the early months. These glycogen pools seem to
      shrink during the following months. They may provide a metabolic reserve for the
      fetus, which derives all of its nutrition from carbohydrates. Enterochromaffin
      cells appear in the three month old bovine fetus with two cell-types situated in
      the epithelial lining of crypts and villi. The density of enterochromaffin cells
      increases during gestation. There were no findings to indicate that the fetal
      enterochromaffin cells did not originate from endoderm. The early appearance from
      enterochromaffin cells (which are the producers of serotonin, 5
      hydroxytryptamine) correlates with first gastrointestinal movements, which are
      known to commence in the first third of gestation, leading us to believe that 5
      HT represents the chemical inducer of muscular motility in the developing
      intestine.

PMID- 1877762
TI  - [The deciduous hoof capsule (Capsula ungulae decidua) of the equine fetus and
      newborn foal].
AB  - The term Eponychium is used to describe the deciduous hoof capsule in veterinary
      medical and embryological literature. In other aspects of veterinary medicine,
      the term is generally reserved for the perioplic corium of the permanent hoof. In
      order to clarify this double usage, the structure and origin of the hoof
      epidermis from 10 equine fetus at different stages of development and 4 newborn
      foals were investigated and described using light microscopical techniques.
      Epidermal tubules and lamellae are already present in the non-cornified fetal
      hoof epidermis. These structures, along with the formation of a white line, allow
      this epidermis to be divided into the same segments as are commonly used when
      referring to the permanent hoof. The greatest part of the deciduous hoof
      epidermis consists of the sole and frog, with significant portions forming in the
      coronary corium and that of the hoof wall as well. The perioplic corium only
      makes up insignificant portions of the fetal hoof capsule, however. Between the
      second half of the gestation period and birth, this deciduous (primary) hoof
      capsule is continually being replaced from below by newly-forming, cornified
      permanent hoof capsule. On the basis of its structure and origin, we therefore
      suggest that the term "deciduous hoof capsule (Capsula ungulae decidua)" be used
      as a replacement for the word "Eponychium" when referring to the primary hoof
      epidermis.

PMID- 1877763
TI  - [Myology of the pelvic limb of the domestic turkey Meleagris gallopavo].
AB  - Pelvic limbs of 150 turkeys from a normal farmer's strain and from a Broad
      Breasted strain were examined by dissection to determine growth from birth to
      adulthood. Schematic figures and photographs show the course of the dissection.
      The pictures show how the muscles are related to the skeleton of the pelvic limb
      in the farmer's strain as well as demonstrate the surfaces upon which the muscles
      insert. The configuration of the muscles in the turkey are similar to the
      generally known model in birds. It is necessary, however, to describe the
      musculature and its relations to the skeleton before functional conclusions can
      be drawn or before studies of deficiencies in movements related to the selection
      of broad breasted strains can be made.

PMID- 1877764
TI  - Relationship of temperature pattern and serious bacterial infections in infants 4
      to 8 weeks old 24 to 48 hours after antibiotic treatment.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: A new management approach to selected febrile infants 4 to 8
      weeks old evaluated for possible sepsis is outpatient ceftriaxone therapy, with
      subsequent re-evaluation 24 to 48 hours after presentation. This study assessed
      whether the temperature profile of such infants during the 24- to 48-hour period
      after treatment distinguished those with from those without serious bacterial
      infections (SBIs). DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive clinical study. PARTICIPANTS:
      One hundred sixty-one febrile infants 4 to 8 weeks old. SETTING: An urban
      pediatric emergency department and hospital. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All
      infants underwent a sepsis evaluation (lumbar puncture, CBC/blood culture, and
      urinalysis/urine culture) and were hospitalized for at least 48 hours.
      Temperatures were measured on presentation and then every four hours during
      hospitalization. All infants received parenteral third-generation cephalosporin
      antibiotic therapy, and none received antipyretic medication unless fever was
      documented. Fever (rectal temperature of more than 38.0 C) was documented during
      the 24- to 48-hour period after presentation in 28 infants (17.6%)--one of a
      total of 18 infants (5.6%) with SBI and 27 of a total of 143 infants (19%)
      without SBI (alpha, more than .2: power .30). All bacterial isolates in cases of
      SBI were susceptible to third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics. All repeat
      blood and urine cultures that were performed in infants with bacteremia or
      urinary tract infections, respectively, were negative 24 hours after
      presentation. CONCLUSION: Infants 4 to 8 weeks old who remain febrile during the
      24 to 48-hour period after presentation and initiation of parenteral antibiotic
      therapy are less likely to have SBI. This study did not have sufficient power for
      this difference to be statistically significant.

PMID- 1877765
TI  - Diazepam and intubation in emergency treatment of seizures in children.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of
      endotracheal intubation after the use of diazepam compared with phenobarbital or
      phenytoin in emergency treatment of seizures in children. DESIGN: The records of
      all children (98) were reviewed in a case-control fashion. A logistic regression
      model was used to determine whether there was an association between diazepam
      administration and intubation, adjusting for all other covariates (age, weight,
      convulsion time before first anticonvulsant was given, response latency,
      diagnosis, and therapy). SETTING: All children were treated in an emergency
      department and then transported to a tertiary pediatric center by a pediatric
      transport team. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: All patients were children, with a median
      age of 2.7 years (range 0.17 to 15.3 years). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS
      AND MAIN RESULTS: Only the use of diazepam was found to be significantly
      associated with intubation after adjusting for all other covariates (adjusted
      odds ratio, 49.4; P less than .001). In the comparison of diazepam versus
      phenobarbital or phenytoin used as the first anticonvulsant, median response
      latency did not differ (27.0 vs 32.5 minutes, P greater than .83). CONCLUSION: A
      significant association was found between diazepam use and intubation. Response
      latency was not shorter when diazepam was used as the initial anticonvulsant
      compared with phenobarbital or phenytoin.

PMID- 1877766
TI  - Pediatric emergency department complaints: a three-year analysis of sources and
      trends.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence and major causes of patient and
      parental complaints in a pediatric emergency department. DESIGN: Retrospective
      analysis of complaints received regarding patients seen between January 1987 and
      December 1989. SETTING: ED of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. PARTICIPANTS:
      All complaints received during the three-year period. INTERVENTIONS: Complaints
      were reviewed for reason, validity, and location at which patient was seen.
      MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: One hundred seventy-six complaints from a total of
      154,648 ED visits yielded a frequency of 1.1 complaints per 1,000 patient visits.
      Main reasons for dissatisfaction were misdiagnosis, billing, and inadequate
      treatment; 49% of complaints were judged valid. There were 0.69 complaints per
      1,000 patient visits in the nonurgent medical portion of the ED. Patients seen
      emergently (critical care and trauma) had a significantly lower complaint
      frequency of 0.08 per 1,000 patient visits (P less than .001 by chi 2 analysis).
      CONCLUSION: Assessment of ED complaints is useful to highlight areas of patient
      dissatisfaction and develop plans for improving patient care.

PMID- 1877767
TI  - Respiratory effects of spinal immobilization in children.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the restrictive effects of two spinal immobilization
      strapping techniques on the respiratory capacity of normal, healthy children.
      DESIGN: Prospective study with each subject serving as his own control.
      PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-one healthy children 6 to 15 years old. INTERVENTIONS:
      Participants' forced vital capacity (FVC) measurements were first obtained with
      children standing and lying supine and then in full spinal immobilization using
      two different strapping configurations, cross straps and lateral straps. Straps
      were tightened to allow one hand to fit snugly between the strap and child.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Supine FVC was less than upright FVC (P less than
      .001). FVC in spinal immobilization ranged from 41% to 96% of supine FVC (80 +/-
      9%). There was no difference in FVCs between strapping techniques (P = .83).
      CONCLUSION: Spinal immobilization significantly reduced respiratory capacity as
      measured by FVC in healthy patients 6 to 15 years old. There is no significant
      benefit of one strapping technique over the other.

PMID- 1877768
TI  - Narrow-angle glaucoma presenting as acute, painless visual impairment.
AB  - A 42-year-old woman presented with the acute onset of bilateral blurred vision
      that occurred immediately after bending over. She denied pain or any other
      associated symptoms. Markedly increased intraocular pressure readings were found.
      Treatment for acute narrow-angle glaucoma was initiated, and normal vision
      returned. This case represents an atypical presentation of acute narrow-angle
      glaucoma, a true ophthalmological emergency. The pathophysiology and treatment
      options of this disease process are summarized.

PMID- 1877769
TI  - Trauma-precipitated migrainous hemiparesis.
AB  - Migraine is a pleomorphic condition in which neurologic manifestations may be
      absent or a minor or a major feature. Similarly, head injury may range from
      trivial to lethal with regard to neurologic morbidity. Migraine may be
      precipitated by a variety of stimuli, including head trauma, significant or
      trivial. Presented is the case of a patient with migrainous hemiparesis
      precipitated by minor head injury. The clinical features and laboratory and
      radiological findings of trauma-precipitated migraine are reviewed.

PMID- 1877770
TI  - Permanently imbedded subcutaneous acupuncture needles: radiographic appearance.
AB  - During the evaluation of a victim of a motor vehicle accident, routine
      radiographs of the patient's cervical spine, chest, and pelvis revealed multiple
      radiopaque foreign bodies along his posterior neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
      Repeat examination of the patient disclosed no evidence of foreign bodies.
      Further questioning revealed that the patient had received acupuncture therapy
      five years earlier in Korea. We discuss the radiographic findings of permanently
      imbedded subcutaneous acupuncture needles and their differential diagnosis. The
      medical complications of acupuncture are reviewed.

PMID- 1877771
TI  - Adenosine use during pregnancy.
AB  - Adenosine is a naturally occurring endogenous nucleoside that suppresses
      atrioventricular nodal conduction time, terminates supraventricular tachycardia,
      and restores sinus rhythm. Its use has been reported in children and adults but
      not in pregnant patients. This case documents the successful termination of a
      supraventricular tachycardia in a 39-week pregnant hypotensive patient. Emergency
      physicians may wish to consider adenosine use in pregnant patients needing
      emergency therapy or when conventional therapy fails.

PMID- 1877772
TI  - Stroke following oral trauma in children.
AB  - Stroke after oral trauma in children is a rare but catastrophic event. We
      describe two cases of stroke in children after each child fell with a writing
      instrument in the mouth. Both children had a latent period prior to the onset of
      neurologic symptoms. Ischemic infarction in the distribution of the middle
      cerebral artery was present in both cases. Both children were left with permanent
      hemiparesis. The case reports are reviewed and diagnosis and therapy are
      discussed. Emergency physicians should be aware of the risk of neurologic
      complications following apparently asymptomatic oral trauma.

PMID- 1877773
TI  - Dissections of the cervicocerebral arteries.
AB  - We present four cases of cerebral ischemia secondary to dissections of
      cervicocerebal arteries. The majority of patients presented with transient
      ischemic attacks and strokes, although one patient presented with headache and
      focal seizure. In addition to history and physical examination, the diagnostic
      evaluation of these patients included computed tomography scan, carotid duplex
      studies, angiogram, and, in some cases, magnetic resonance imaging studies.
      Initially, the patients were anticoagulated with heparin and then with warfarin
      for a period of six to eight weeks. The emergency physician must consider such
      dissections in younger patients with sudden neurologic deficits and no or few
      risk factors for cerebrovascular disease. In our experience, these are not rare
      syndromes; with proper workup, prompt diagnosis, and therapy, the prognosis is
      usually excellent.

PMID- 1877774
TI  - Carl Jelenko III, MD 1931-1991.

PMID- 1877775
TI  - Preventable sudden death in children with sickle hemoglobinopathies and fever:
      the need for a protocolized approach.

PMID- 1877776
TI  - Injury prevention: can we meet the challenge?

PMID- 1877777
TI  - Bias in searching ED patients.

PMID- 1877778
TI  - UC Irvine graded response system.

PMID- 1877779
TI  - Sunflower seed syndrome: a prickly proctological problem.

PMID- 1877780
TI  - The potential utility of a rapid CK-MB assay in evaluating emergency department
      patients with possible myocardial infarction.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive
      values of a new rapid creatine kinase-MB (R-CK-MB) assay compared with a standard
      CK-MB (S-CK-MB) assay and to determine its potential use in the evaluation of
      emergency department patients with possible myocardial infarction. DESIGN:
      Retrospective patient identification with subsequent testing of excess sera for
      CK-MB and total CK using an identity-unlinked procedure. SETTING: Large, urban,
      teaching hospital ED. PARTICIPANTS: All adult patients with excess sera and one
      of several defined presentations chosen to identify those with possible
      myocardial ischemia or infarction. Patients with clearly documented noncardiac
      etiologies of their symptoms or signs were excluded. MAIN RESULTS: The
      sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 271
      patient specimens for the R-CK-MB assay compared with the S-CK-MB assay were
      100%, 96.8%, 75.0%, and 100%, respectively. The R-CK-MB assay was positive for 32
      patients (11.8%). Of these, eight (25.0%) were admitted to unmonitored beds, and
      five (15.6%) were discharged home. All of these 13 patients had initial ECGs
      without evidence of ischemia or infarction. On follow-up, at least eight of the
      13 had evidence of infarction. CONCLUSION: The R-CK-MB assay demonstrated high
      sensitivity and specificity compared with the S-CK-MB assay. When used for
      patients in whom a cardiac care unit admission is not considered, the rapid assay
      may identify some patients with unsuspected myocardial infarction and prevent
      inadvertent discharge or admission to unmonitored beds.

PMID- 1877781
TI  - Transesophageal electrocardiography using a temporary pacing balloon-tipped
      electrode in acute cardiac care.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of
      obtaining esophageal ECGs using resterilized 3F temporary pacing balloon-inflated
      electrodes in place of the more expensive pill-electrode and its associated
      expensive preamplifier. SETTING: Tests were conducted in the emergency department
      and ICU. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were 12 acutely ill patients for whom
      standard 12-lead surface ECGs were insufficient to afford accurate, immediate
      arrhythmia diagnosis. INTERVENTIONS: Reasonable quality esophageal ECGs were
      obtained by use of the electrodes, generally with minimal patient discomfort. The
      test never required more than ten minutes. Of the 12 patients who participated in
      this preliminary study, esophageal ECGs enabled definitive diagnoses to be made
      in ten cases. CONCLUSION: The use of resterilized temporary pacing balloon
      inflated electrodes enables esophageal ECGs to be obtained in an acute care
      setting.

PMID- 1877783
TI  - The HIV-1 seroprevalence rate of injured patients admitted through California
      emergency departments. California HIV-1 Emergency Department Seroprevalence Study
      Group.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To measure the HIV seroprevalence of injured emergency
      department patients in a number of California hospitals and to examine the
      relationship between ED seroprevalence and local AIDS incidence. DESIGN:
      Prospective blinded testing for HIV-1 antibody was performed on routinely
      collected blood samples. SETTING: Ten California hospitals; group 1 included
      three hospitals from counties of high AIDS incidence (more than 40 cases per
      100,000 population), group 2 included three hospitals from counties of
      intermediate AIDS incidence (20 to 40 cases per 100,000 population); and group 3
      included four hospitals from counties of low AIDS incidence (less than 20 cases
      per 100,000 population). TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Eligible patients were all adult
      trauma victims admitted to a participating hospital through the ED during a
      consecutive three-month period occurring between June and November 1989.
      MEASUREMENTS: HIV-1 antibody testing was done using enzyme immunoassay confirmed
      by immunofluorescence assay. Equivocal results were confirmed by Western blot.
      Mann-Whitney U test, chi 2 test, and multiple logistic regression were used where
      appropriate. RESULTS: There were 2,264 patients with adequate blood samples for
      serologic testing. The seroprevalence rates for hospitals in groups 1, 2, and 3
      were significantly different (chi 2 = 8.44, P = .02): Group 1, 2.5% (19 of 756:
      95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5% to 3.9%); group 2, 0.9% (10 of 1,078; CI, 0.5%
      to 1.7%); and group 3, 0.5% (two of 430; CI, 0.06% to 1.7%). CONCLUSION: This
      study suggests that local AIDS incidence rates do not necessarily predict the
      seroprevalence rates of injured patients who are admitted through local EDs.

PMID- 1877782
TI  - Prediction of electrolyte abnormalities in elderly emergency patients.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the operating characteristics of a previously
      published decision rule (Lowe's criteria) for the ordering of the stat serum
      electrolyte panel (SEP) and to identify features from the history and physical
      examination that are predictive for clinically significant electrolyte
      abnormalities (CSEA) in older emergency patients. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study
      using a physician questionnaire, record review, and telephone follow-up. SETTING:
      An urban, university hospital emergency department with approximately 70,000
      patient visits a year. TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of patients 55
      years of age or older who presented for care for any reason were identified by a
      research associate stationed in the ED. INTERVENTIONS: Physicians managing 1,766
      patients were interviewed to determine the presence or absence of 20 dichotomous
      clinical variables, ten of which constitute Lowe's criteria set. All patients
      were followed by chart review and/or telephone interview. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN
      RESULTS: The determination of clinical significance was made on record review
      using pre-established guidelines. The SEP was ordered on 800 of the patients on
      the index visit. The yield of CSEA in this group was 16%. Lowe's criteria
      operated with a sensitivity of 0.95 (95% confidence intervals, 0.89-0.98) and a
      specificity of 0.10 (95% confidence intervals, 0.07-0.12) for predicting CSEAs in
      this population. Logistic regression analysis showed that impaired ability to
      communicate, acute seizures, vomiting, and prior abnormal electrolytes were
      independent predictors for CSEA. CONCLUSION: Lowe's criteria showed useful
      sensitivity but poor specificity in this population. The criteria may be used to
      encourage selective test ordering by physicians when a low pretest probability
      for CSEA exists and as part of an algorithm for emergency nurses who order tests
      to expedite patient care.

PMID- 1877784
TI  - Emergency departments and crowding in United States teaching hospitals.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent and distribution of hospital and emergency
      department crowding nationally. DESIGN: The research design consisted of a mailed
      questionnaire disseminated in the fall of 1988 to the member institutions of the
      National Association of Public Hospitals (NAPH) and the Council of Teaching
      Hospitals (COTH). TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Study participants included hospital
      administrators and ED directors from 239 of the non-Veterans Administration,
      general acute care, US members of COTH and NAPH. MEASUREMENTS: Key measures of
      hospital and ED crowding including mean ED holding times for floor and ICU beds.
      MAIN RESULTS: Three fourths of responding hospitals reported increases in ED
      visits over the preceding three years. Mean ED holding times for admitted
      patients were 3.5 hours (median, 2.0 hours) for a floor bed and 2.9 hours
      (median, 1.5 hours) for an ICU bed. Half of all hospitals noted maximum waits for
      floor and ICU beds of ten hours or more and seven hours or more, respectively.
      Measures taken by hospitals to manage crowding during August 1988 included
      restricting access to some types of patients (mean, 3.6 days), actively
      transferring patients to other hospitals (mean, 2.2 days), transfer refusal
      (mean, 2.8 days), and total ambulance diversion (mean, 1.6 days). CONCLUSIONS:
      Our study strongly suggests that ED crowding is not an isolated phenomenon; ED
      crowding and its attendant problems appear to affect hospitals with similar
      adverse effects regardless of ownership. Although our results suggest that ED
      crowding is concentrated in metropolitan areas and in a smaller subset of
      hospitals, we found instances of crowding among hospitals nationwide.

PMID- 1877785
TI  - Medical problem solving and uncertainty in the emergency department.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic processes of experienced emergency
      physicians with those of novices. DESIGN: Prospective, convenience sample of
      patients. SETTING: Emergency department of a county university medical center in
      a large southwestern urban community. PARTICIPANTS: Experienced emergency
      physicians (attending and senior residents) and novice clinicians (junior
      residents and senior medical students). INTERVENTIONS: Participants developed
      initial diagnostic impressions after reviewing the chief complaint, nurse triage
      notes, and vital signs. Tests were then selected, and a final diagnostic
      impression was identified after results were known. Clinicians also marked a
      visual analog scale corresponding to their estimate that each diagnostic
      possibility was correct. RESULTS: Experienced physicians increased their
      certainty more than novices (P = .014). They deviated from a standard history
      physical-laboratory sequence more often than novices (P = .008). CONCLUSION:
      Expertise in medical decision making is characterized by a moderate initial level
      of certainty concerning a diagnosis that significantly increases as the
      experienced clinician follows a flexible strategy of testing to arrive at a final
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1877787
TI  - Computers free nurses for care.

PMID- 1877786
TI  - Work-related stress and depression among physicians pursuing postgraduate
      training in emergency medicine: an international study.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of work-related stress and depression
      reported by physicians-in-training in emergency medicine in three survey sites
      and to determine the effects of gender and marital status on stress and
      depression among these physicians. DESIGN: Cross-sectional mail surveys. SETTING
      AND TYPE OF PARTICIPANTS: Physicians-in-training in the United States, United
      Kingdom, and Australasia. INTERVENTION: Questionnaires requesting demographic
      information and including scales assessing work-related stress and depression
      were administered. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: A 3 x 2 x 2 multivariate analysis of
      variance in which survey site, gender, and marital status were independent
      variables and stress and depression scale scores were dependent variables
      revealed significant differences when stress and depression were analyzed
      simultaneously. Univariate analyses of variance revealed significant differences
      in stress by survey site and gender and in depression for all three independent
      variables. Comparison of adjusted means revealed that respondents from the United
      Kingdom reported significantly higher levels of stress than did respondents from
      the United States and that women reported significantly higher levels than men.
      Respondents from the United States reported significantly higher levels of
      depression than did respondents from the other countries, women reported higher
      levels than men, and unmarried respondents reported higher levels than married
      respondents. CONCLUSION: Despite limitations resulting from self-report bias,
      cross-sectional survey methodology, sampling error, and differences in training
      among the three survey sites, the respondents experienced similar levels of
      stress and depression attributable to anticipated sources.

PMID- 1877788
TI  - ANA voices opposition to 'gag rule'.

PMID- 1877789
TI  - Bank gathers malpractice data.

PMID- 1877790
TI  - Caring is the key to critical care.

PMID- 1877791
TI  - Law restores bargaining rights.

PMID- 1877793
TI  - Technology improves patient care.

PMID- 1877792
TI  - The political nurse.

PMID- 1877794
TI  - Mandatory HIV testing opposed.

PMID- 1877795
TI  - Inadequate staffing threatens care, RNs say.

PMID- 1877797
TI  - Some systems change, some don't.

PMID- 1877796
TI  - You've decided to change jobs--now what?

PMID- 1877798
TI  - Computers--practical application of a vision.

PMID- 1877799
TI  - Crowding threatens emergency care. As I see it.

PMID- 1877800
TI  - Stint in Saudi Arabia was challenging.

PMID- 1877801
TI  - [Practical indications for anorectal manometry].
AB  - Anorectal manometry has taken on an important role in the investigation of
      functional anorectal disorders. This investigation studies the two factors, the
      resistive system and the capacitive system, involved in anorectal function,
      continence and defecation. Practical indications can be grouped into three
      categories concerning different aspects of physiopathological, diagnostic and
      therapeutic interest. Manometry is essential in the investigation of disorders of
      pelvic static function, is useful in colorectal surgery and of interest in a wide
      range of proctological diseases.

PMID- 1877802
TI  - [Defecography or dynamic rectography].

PMID- 1877803
TI  - [Practical indications for biofeedback type rehabilitation].

PMID- 1877804
TI  - [Carcinomas of the anal canal. Chemotherapy].

PMID- 1877805
TI  - [Gastro-esophageal symptoms in cirrhosis].

PMID- 1877807
TI  - The dynamics of linear growth in distance, velocity and acceleration.
AB  - Growth of body, leg, trunk and arm length from birth to adulthood is studied in
      the subjects of the First Zurich Longitudinal Growth Study, using a recently
      developed technique, the 'structural average curve'. In this way truly
      longitudinal average curves are obtained for velocity, acceleration and
      distances, and various phases of growth are analysed not only graphically, but
      also by descriptive parameters in terms of timing, intensity and duration. These
      phases consist of the pubertal spurt (PS), the mid-growth spurt (MS) and growth
      in infancy. The overall pattern is the same in all variables studied: velocity
      drops sharply after birth, followed by a kink between 7 and 12 months, and a more
      gradual decrease until the MS, which peaks around 7 years. In girls the PS
      immediately follows the MS, while in boys a 'latency period' of approximately
      constant growth velocity precedes the PS, which occurs almost 2 years later, and
      is more intense than in girls. There are no appreciable sex differences in the
      MS, but the PS is later and more intense for boys, even when accounting for the
      smaller adult size of girls. When comparing linear variables the PS turns out to
      be earlier for the legs than for the trunk, whereas the trunk has an earlier MS.
      The trunk starts high in relative distance and in velocity after birth, whereas
      the legs have a high velocity throughout childhood. In adolescence the trunk
      again shows more intense growth. Surprisingly, the growth of the arms in many
      ways resembles more that of the trunk and not that of the legs.

PMID- 1877806
TI  - [Primary malignant melanoma of the rectum. A case report].
AB  - The authors report a case of primary malignant melanoma of the rectum seen in an
      84-year-old woman. This blackish tumour measuring 3 cm in diameter and situated 8
      cm from the anal margin was treated by surgical excision. The patient died during
      the immediate postoperative period.

PMID- 1877808
TI  - Menarcheal age for Norwegian women born 1830-1960.
AB  - Data from birth records from the maternity hospitals in the three main cities in
      Norway have been used to study the trend in menarcheal age for women born from
      about 1830 to about 1960. The investigation is based on a sample of 200-300
      records around every 10th year from each of the three clinics in partly
      overlapping time periods relating to a total of 9152 women. The recollected age
      at menarche fell from just above 16 years for women born around 1830 to just
      above 13 years for those born around 1960, the decrease being not totally linear.
      These results correspond closely with a previously published investigation from
      Oslo from about the same period of time (Brudevoll, Liestol and Walloe, 1979),
      but our results, which cover more of Norway, show a more linearily shaped curve
      than the results covering only Oslo. We have also analysed the relationships of
      several independent variables to menarcheal age, using multivariate linear
      regression methods. Besides the woman's year of birth, which was the most
      important variable throughout the whole period of time, various geographical
      variables were found to be of moderate importance. Being born in the countryside
      and in towns other than Oslo and Bergen led to a slightly higher age at menarche.
      No significant difference between Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim was detected except
      for the period up to about 1880 where the Bergen women had about 2.6 months
      earlier menarche than the Oslo women. Married women amongst the sample had
      experienced menarche a little earlier than the unmarried, and among married women
      there was an association between occupation and menarcheal age, women from the
      lowest social classes having the latest ages at menarche. The importance of these
      socially related parameters declined with time, and for women born after 1945 the
      difference seemed to have disappeared. The age at menarche was found to be
      positively related to a woman's age at first birth; the further back in time the
      stronger the relation. In addition, delayed age at menarche was also found to be
      associated with irregularities in the menstrual cycles in later life.

PMID- 1877809
TI  - Characterization of digital dermatoglyphic features in Salazar Valley: comparison
      with other Basque valleys.
AB  - Digital dermatoglyphics of a sample from the Basque Valley of Salazar, situated
      in the West of the Pyrenees, were analysed. The results showed bimanual
      differences in both sexes, and also sexual differences for both hands. The
      comparative study with other Basque valleys showed that, in spite of their
      supposed common origin, the geographic barriers and the isolation have generated
      a genetic/dermatoglyphic and linguistic differentiation.

PMID- 1877810
TI  - Ethnic and environmental factors affecting fetal growth in Papua New Guinea.
AB  - We studied 738 live singleton births in Papua New Guinea to examine the
      contribution of ethnic origin and environmental factors to birth weight and
      gestation. Maternal history, examination and post-partum anthropometry, infant
      anthropometry and clinical gestational assessment were performed, and placental
      blood slides and histology were examined. Mothers from Highlands provinces who
      delivered on the coast had larger babies (mean birthweight 3.34 SD 0.48 kg) than
      either indigenous coastal mothers (mean 3.10 SD 0.51 kg) or those migrating to
      Port Moresby from other coastal regions (mean 3.14 SD 0.51 kg). This was due to a
      combination of longer gestation and better intrauterine growth (assessed by
      birthweight standard deviation scores). Gestation was slightly longer in
      Highlands mothers delivering on the coast compared with those delivering in the
      Highlands, but birthweight standard deviation scores were unchanged. Malarial
      infection of the placenta was almost never found. Stepwise regression analysis
      showed that parity, maternal height, Highlands origin and maternal body mass
      index (weight/height2) were all significant predictors of birthweight standard
      deviation score, while maternal body mass index and Highlands origin were
      predictors of gestational length. We conclude that Highland mothers have a
      tendency to deliver heavier babies, and do not demonstrate the fetal growth
      retarding effects of altitude seen in other races. Although the incidence of low
      birthweight was only 7.1% in our study, we found that indices of maternal
      nutrition were predictors of birth weight.

PMID- 1877811
TI  - Basal metabolic rate and physique of Gurkha and British soldiers stationed in
      Britain.
AB  - Measurements of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physique were made on Gurkha
      soldiers stationed in Britain, and on British controls matched by body weight and
      occupational background. Gurkhas were significantly shorter, with greater body
      mass index, calf circumference and subscapular skinfold thickness than the
      European controls, although there was no difference in BMR between the two
      groups. For the Gurkhas, linear regression analysis incorporating factors which
      may influence BMR showed a positive relationship between the length of time since
      leaving Nepal and BMR, supporting the view that Asians living in temperate
      regions have higher BMR than those living in the tropics.

PMID- 1877812
TI  - Family resemblance in body circumferences and their ratios: the Nancy family
      study.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the familial resemblance for
      individual body circumferences (suprailiac, waist, thigh and arm) and for the
      waist/suprailiac (as surrogate for the waist/hip) and the waist/thigh
      circumference ratios, in a sample of 216 unselected nuclear families with
      children aged 10-25 years. Familial correlations were jointly computed, using the
      maximum-likelihood method. The highest familial resemblance was observed for the
      waist circumference and for the waist/suprailiac and the waist/thigh
      circumference ratios. There was no significant difference between father
      offspring and mother-offspring correlations when considering individual body
      circumferences. In contrast, when considering the two ratios there was a stronger
      mother-child than father-child similarity. Furthermore, there was a higher
      resemblance of the mother with her daughter than with her son, but no significant
      sib sex difference in the father-offspring relationship. There was also a
      heterogeneity of sibling correlations for the two ratios, the like-sex pairs
      exhibiting higher correlations than the unlike-sex pairs. Lastly, the similarity
      observed between spouses, of similar magnitude to the father-offspring
      correlation, suggests the contribution of environmental rather than genetic
      factors for explaining the familial resemblance of the two ratios. In conclusion,
      the great family resemblance for the waist/suprailiac and the waist/thigh
      circumference ratios (correlations ranging from 0.23 to 0.68) appears remarkable,
      and should be taken in consideration, given the predictive value of these indices
      for disease in adulthood.

PMID- 1877813
TI  - [A comparative study of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy and systemic
      chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer].
AB  - A comparative randomized study of intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy (IA) and
      systemic chemotherapy (IV) was carried out on 41 patients with locally advanced
      breast cancer, and the following results were obtained. 1) The response rate of
      primary lesions to IA (63.2%) was better than that of IV (40.9%). 2) In the
      patients treated with IA, grade of leukopenia, as well as the percentage of
      gastro-intestinal disorders, was low. 3) More prolonged follow-up studies are
      required on the therapeutic effects on micrometastasis. The author confirmed that
      IA was an efficacious neoadjuvant therapy in terms of down staging of locally
      advanced breast cancer.

PMID- 1877814
TI  - [Clinical study of drug accumulation in gastric cancer after preoperative intra
      arterial EAP II injection therapy].
AB  - Preoperative intra-arterial injection therapy using etoposide, epirubicin and
      carboplatin (EAP II) was done for patients with resectable advanced gastric
      cancer. Twenty-six patients (14 males and 12 females) were treated. The
      concentrations of adriamycin (ADM) and platinum (Pt) were measured in cancer
      tissue, normal mucosa and regional lymph-nodes which were obtained operatively
      and in sera just before operation. But the concentration of etoposide was not
      measured, because when we used preoperative intra-arterial injection therapy
      using etoposide, epirubicin and cisplatin (EAP I), the mean concentration of
      etoposide was less than the detectable limit in all tissues and in sera. There
      were no significant differences among the mean concentrations of ADM in all
      tissues and in sera. And the mean concentration of ADM in cancer tissue was not
      higher than that of intra-arterial EAP I injection therapy. The mean
      concentration of platinum in sera was significantly lower than in cancer tissues,
      normal mucosa and lymph-nodes. And the mean concentrations of platinum in cancer
      tissues and lymph-nodes were higher than those of intra-arterial CDDP or EAP I
      injection therapy. It was concluded that preoperative intra-arterial EAP II
      injection therapy may be an effective method to improve the usefulness of
      preoperative intra-arterial injection therapy for gastric cancer.

PMID- 1877815
TI  - [Evaluation of effective neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (FLEP therapy) in the
      treatment of advanced gastric cancer].
AB  - Ten patients with non-resectable gastric cancer were subjected to a neo-adjuvant
      chemotherapy (FLEP therapy), consisting of 4 drugs (leucovorin and 5-FU i.v.,
      CDDP and etoposide i.a.) combination therapy from August 1989 to April 1991. The
      response rate of this therapy with primary lesions, metastatic lymph-nodes
      (mainly paraaortic lymph nodes), metastatic liver tumor and peritoneal
      dissemination were 50, 50, 25 and 33%, respectively. Five cases underwent total
      gastrectomy. Pathological evaluation of these cases was Grade 1 or 2. Side
      effects were mainly gastrointestinal disturbances, namely stomatitis, nausea,
      vomiting and anorexia, along with bone marrow suppression. Performance status of
      these patients improved to a significant degree by the therapy. This therapy
      seemed to be effective in controlling paraaortic lymph-node metastasis. The
      advantage of i.a. delivery was investigated by Tc-MAA scintigraphy. The
      distribution of Tc-MAA after i.a. injection suggested that i.a. chemotherapy
      enhanced intraabdominal drug concentration. There is no established treatment for
      far advanced cases, so this therapy seems to be worth a try.

PMID- 1877817
TI  - [Effects of preoperative local administration of BRM on cellular immunity and
      prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer].
AB  - We studied the effects of OK-432 administered preoperatively on the cellular
      immunity and prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer. The preoperative
      injection of OK-432 was effective to preserve the NK activity in the peripheral
      blood. Especially the local priming and eliciting with OK-432 seemed to
      contribute to the activation of NK cells in the regional lymph nodes and to the
      improved prognosis of the patients.

PMID- 1877816
TI  - [Hyper-thermo chemotherapy of esophageal cancer with thermosensitive liposome,
      TAC-1043].
AB  - Antitumor activity of the thermosensitive liposome, TAC-1043, was examined. The
      TAC-1043, produced by Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., contained entrapped
      cisplatin in a large unilamellar vesicle (LUV). LUV is composed of
      dipalmitoylphosphatidyl choline (DPPC) and distearoylphosphatidyl choline (DSPC)
      in the ratio of 9:1. The in vitro sensitivity of TAC-1043 was examined by SDI
      assay with MTT, using human esophageal cancer cell lines (TE-2, KY). TAC-1043 was
      effective at the concentration of 10 micrograms/ml, 41 degrees C and 43 degrees
      C. The in vivo effect of TAC-1043 together with hyperthermia was examined using
      mouse tumor MM 48. TAC-1043 combined with hyperthermia significantly suppressed
      the tumor proliferation.

PMID- 1877818
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics following intraperitoneal infusion of cisplatinum with and
      without sodium thiosulfate rescue in carcinomatous peritonitis in advanced
      gastric cancers].
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of ip cisplatinum (100 mg/body) was studied in 10 patients
      with advanced gastric cancer. Five patients were administered ip-cisplatinum with
      STS and another 5 patients were given the same without STS. As a result, 1) the
      level of free-CDDP in ascites fluid was significantly elevated after
      administration, showing that free-CDDP possessing anti-tumor activity persisted
      in the ascites fluid for a long time and reached the peak concentration 30
      minutes after administration. 2) The free-CDDP transferred into the blood after
      administration also persisted for a long time in parallel with changes in the
      free-CDDP level in the ascites fluid. 3) The AUC, MRT and VRT of the free-CDDP
      concentration in the peritoneal cavity after ip administration of CDDP were high,
      clearly indicating the direct effect on peritoneal concentration. 4) The AUC, MRT
      and VRT of free-CDDP in the venous phase after ip administration of CDDP were
      higher than after its iv administration, suggesting that effects equivalent to or
      greater than those of the iv route drug can be expected in the venous phase. 5)
      The frequency of side effects induced by the combination of STS was lower than
      that of side effects induced by the administration without combined STS. Much
      larger doses of CDDP may be given ip by combining with STS.

PMID- 1877819
TI  - [Evaluation of carboplatin administration into the serous cavity in the treatment
      of malignant effusion].
AB  - Carboplatin, a new analogue of cisplatin, was administered into the serous cavity
      in nine primary lung cancer patients with malignant effusion, consisting of six
      malignant pleural effusions, two malignant pericardial effusions and one
      malignant ascites. Clinical effects, toxicities and pharmacokinetics were
      studied. The doses of carboplatin were 300 mg/m2 in seven patients, 200 mg/m2 in
      one patient and 1,100 mg/body in one patient. In seven evaluable patients,
      consisting of four non-small cell lung cancers and three small cell lung cancers,
      the response rate was 85.7% with 3 CR cases, 3 PR cases and 1 NR case. As
      toxicities, thrombocytopenia was observed in 57.1%, leukopenia in 57.1%, anemia
      in 71.4%, anorexia in 42.9%, nausea or vomiting in 28.6%, and low grade fever in
      14.3%. However local pain, renal or liver dysfunction were not observed. The
      pharmacokinetics of free platinum concentration was analyzed with a two
      compartment model (t1/2 beta = 18.60 hours) and 14.8% of total platinum remained
      free in effusion 24 hours after intracavitary administration. A high level of
      free platinum in effusion was maintained over a long period after carboplatin
      administration. This method was considered to be effective for the treatment of
      malignant effusion from the viewpoint of pharmacokinetics and less toxicity.

PMID- 1877820
TI  - [Chemotherapy in malignant gynecologic tumors using intraperitoneal catheter with
      a subcutaneous reservoir].
AB  - Malignant gynecologic tumors are liable to encourage intraperitoneal
      dissemination and liver metastasis. Using an implantable reservoir (R), we
      undertook intraperitoneal (ip) administration of CDDP (P) and etoposide (E).
      After the ip injection of 150 mg of P, 300 mg of E was diluted with 1,500 ml of
      saline solution through the R. P and E of the intraperitoneal fluid and blood
      were measured after the administration, and the therapeutic results were
      evaluated. The blood concentration of P and E reached peaks at 30-60 minutes and
      at about 4 hours, respectively, after administration. Detectable levels of both P
      and E were observed at up to 48 hours after administration. In the first
      treatment of patients who showed severe peritonitis carcinomatosa and high
      intraperitoneal levels of proteins, the transfer to blood of P from the
      peritoneal cavity was slow, but as the treatment progressed (second and third
      administrations) protein binding P decreased and peritoneal permeability
      improved. Both maximum blood P concentrations and the concentrations of free P
      were also increased 48 hours after administrations. The area under the curves
      (AUC) of the blood free P and E concentrations were 8.0 and 274.0 (microgram/ml x
      h), respectively, which were higher than those following intravenous
      administration. The results showed 3 CR and 6 PR. This ip regimen obtained a
      64.3% response rate for measurable lesions. A patient in stage IV of ovarian
      cancer showed marked remission of a liver metastatic focus. Repeated ip
      administration through R proved to be effective by means of systemic therapy.

PMID- 1877821
TI  - [Intraperitoneal cancer chemotherapy using an implantable reservoir in patients
      with peritonitis carcinomatosa].
AB  - Intraperitoneal cancer chemotherapy using an implantable reservoir has been
      recognized as an effective treatment. In this report, we evaluate treatment
      results in 20 cases undergoing this chemotherapy and the correlation between
      reservoir-use period and cumulative survival rates. Twenty patients with an
      average age of 59.3 years were all observed to have peritoneal dissemination
      during operations in the period of January 1987 through January 1991. Their
      primary diseases were 10 cases of gastric cancer, 8 cases of colorectal cancer, 1
      case of appendiceal carcinoma, and 1 case of malignant tumor of retroperitoneum.
      Intraperitoneal reservoirs were implanted in surgically-made pockets in
      subcutaneous lower abdomen, and their catheters were inserted into Douglas cul de
      sac. Medications used were CDDP, MMC, and 5-FU. The average number of
      administration was about 6 or 7, but, the maximum number was 67 in one case.
      Contrast media or RI infused via reservoirs was recognized to diffuse widely
      within the peritoneal cavity. Eighteen of 20 cases (90%) obtained good conditions
      to undergo ambulant treatments. The longest survival records were 827 days in a
      gastric cancer group, 639 days in a colorectal cancer group, and 326 days in a
      malignant tumor of retroperitoneum group. Two cases having the former two
      survival records are still alive at this writing. One case with appendiceal
      carcinoma is PS 0 and now under out-patient treatment at 2 years and 6 months
      after operation. The 50% survival period, and 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year
      cumulative survival rates were 8.8 months, 60%, 40.5%, and 37%, respectively in
      the gastric cancer group; and 13.5 months, 75%, 63%, and 31.5%, respectively, in
      the colorectal cancer group. On the contrary, 50% using period, and 6-month, 1
      year, and 2-year cumulative using rates were 5.3 months, 40%, 10%, and 10%,
      respectively, in the gastric cancer group; and 7.9 months, 58%, 0%, and 0%,
      respectively, in the colorectal cancer group. Evaluation of the correlation
      between the reservoir use periods and cumulative survival rates has led to the
      conclusion that cumulative survival rates are extended significantly p = 0.0011
      in each cancer group with more than 6 months treatment period compared to within
      each cancer group with less than 6 months treatment. 1) Intraperitoneal cancer
      chemotherapy using an implantable reservoir enables patients to receive treatment
      at outpatient clinics. 2) The continuous treatment for more than 6 months
      suggests the possibility for longer survival.

PMID- 1877822
TI  - [Antitumor Effector mechanism of plant alkaloid preparation, cepharanthin, by
      intratumoral administration].
AB  - The antitumor effect of biscoclaurine alkaloids, at a distant site was examined
      in the double grafted tumor system, in which mice received simultaneous
      intradermal inoculations of Meth-A in both right (10(6) cells) and left (2 x
      10(5) cells) flanks and were then injected with 0.5 mg of CR in the right tumor
      on days 3, 4 and 5. CR inhibited the growth of not only the right but also the
      left, non-treated tumor. In order to examine the role of lymph nodes in the
      antitumor activity of CR, regional (axillary and inguinal) lymph nodes were
      resected. Since in resected mice the antitumor activity of CR against the left
      tumor was weakened, the regional lymph nodes have a very important role in the
      antitumor effect of intratumoral administration of CR at a distant site. Spleen
      cells prepared from CR treated mice were examined for Lyt-1, Lyt-2 and L3T4
      phenotypes. The number of Lyt-1 positive lymphocytes increased in the spleen
      after intratumoral administration of CR. Isolated tumor cells obtained from the
      right tumor treated with CR and the left side tumor on day 6 were cultured for 24
      h. The culture supernatants were harvested and tested for the presence of
      chemotactic activity for neutrophil or macrophage. Significant neutrophil
      chemotactic factor (NCF) activity was detected in the culture media from CR
      treated right tumor tissue, and macrophage chemotactic factor (MCF) activity was
      detected in the culture media from left tumor tissue. CR-induced NCF was
      partially neutralized by treatment with anti-human IL-8 IgG, and might be murine
      IL-8 factor. These results suggest that intratumoral administration of CR first
      induces neutrophils in the right tumor, then Lyt-1 positive cells in the spleen,
      and subsequently induces cytotoxic macrophages in the left, non-treated tumor,
      thus bringing about the regression of distant tumors.

PMID- 1877823
TI  - [A loco-regional cancer chemotherapy, using a fibrin clot as a drug carrier--the
      oncolytic effects and putative mechanisms].
AB  - Anticancer drug (AD), adriamycin (ADM) or cisplatinum (CDDP) were individually
      encapsulated into an insoluble fibrin clot (FC), using our own technique. FC-ADM
      or FC-CDDP was intraabdominally placed in AH 130-bearing rats, and ADM or CDDP
      solution was intraabdominally injected (IP) into other cancer-bearing rats. The
      survival time was recorded and related oncolytic mechanisms were investigated.
      Eleven of 14 rats treated with FC-CDDP, and four of eight rats given FC-ADM,
      survived for more than 200 days. In these animals, the ascites disappeared within
      10 to 14 days after the treatment, and there was neither a recurrence of ascites
      nor metastases. Eight of these rats underwent challenge of AH 130 cells. All the
      challenged animals revealed no evidence of recurrence of the cancer and showed a
      killing activity against the AH 130 cancer cells. Survival time in the other
      cancer-bearing rats was shorter than three weeks, and the direct cause of death
      was cachexia. Our newly devised FC-AD showed high activity against implanted AH
      130 tumors. These activities are attributed to both a sustained release of AD and
      immunoresponses induced with FC-AD.

PMID- 1877824
TI  - [Endoscopic injection of liposomal adriamycin targeting lymph node metastasis of
      gastric cancer].
AB  - Gastric submucosal injection of 5 mg liposomal adriamycin (L-ADM) close to the
      main gastric cancer tumor was done in 15 patients by endoscopy. This approach was
      based on the idea that preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy targeting lymph node
      metastasis in patients with gastric cancer may be effective for prevention of
      lymph node recurrence. ADM concentrations in the regional lymph nodes were
      assessed and compared with those in patients who were administered 5 mg of free
      adriamycin (F-ADM) i.v. preoperatively. ADM concentrations in Group 7 lymph nodes
      (according to the General Rules for Gastric Cancer Study) were: After 2 days;
      7.21 +/- 5.98 micrograms/g (n = 2) in the L-ADM group and 0.59 +/- 0.23
      micrograms/g (n = 3) in the F-ADM group. After 4 days; 4.93 +/- 3.93 micrograms/g
      (n = 2) in the L-ADM group and 0.36 +/- 0.0 micrograms/g (n = 2) in the F-ADM
      group. After 6 days; 2.08 +/- 0.49 micrograms/g (n = 2) in the L-ADM group and
      0.05 +/- 0.05 micrograms/g (n = 3) in the F-ADM group. L-ADM group: those who had
      L-ADM injected into the side of the lesser curvature of the stomach. F-ADM group:
      those who had F-ADM administered i.v. These data demonstrate that gastric
      submucosal injection of L-ADM is well suited for specific delivery to the
      regional lymph nodes, suggesting that this type of administration may prevent
      lymph node recurrence of gastric cancer by targeting lymph node metastasis.

PMID- 1877825
TI  - [Enhanced effect of intraperitoneal administration of CDDP combined with caffeine
      against peritoneal metastasis].
AB  - The enhanced effect of CDDP combined with caffeine against P-388 leukemia was
      investigated. No synergistic effect was shown after one hour simultaneous
      treatment with CDDP and caffeine. But the growth inhibition was enhanced by the
      addition of caffeine after one hour treatment with CDDP. It is suggested that
      caffeine inhibits DNA repair by the reduction of CDDP-induced elongation of G2 +
      M phase. The increase in life span of mice after ip transplantation was observed
      by frequent ip injections of caffeine after CDDP injection. It is suggested that
      the effect of intraperitoneal administration of CDDP against peritoneal
      metastasis is enhanced by combination with caffeine.

PMID- 1877826
TI  - [Development of slow releasing anticancer drug based with absorbable biomaterial
      chitin].
AB  - To have a comparatively more slowly releasing anticancer drug with effectiveness,
      Plachitin was prepared by chemical combination of CDDP and chitin (poly-N-acetyl
      D-glucosamine). Chitin is absorbed by the living body over several months. To
      investigate the slow releasing property, it was implanted in thigh muscle of mice
      and rabbit. Pt level in different organs and in urine was measured at regular
      intervals. Pt level in implanted muscles was higher in comparison to low serum
      level in mice. It was released slowly over 1 to 2 months in mice, whereas in
      rabbit it took about three weeks. Pt releasing period of the Plachitin was
      different according to the adopted method of implantation. Anticancer effect of
      Plachitin was investigated by injecting 180 sarcoma cells in mouse peritoneal
      cavity and subsequent implantation of Plachitin. In control groups chitin was
      used instead of Plachitin. The survival rate of mice in the Plachitin group after
      14 days was higher than in the chitin group, and the anticancer effect of the
      Plachitin was confirmed.

PMID- 1877827
TI  - [Loco-regional cancer therapy for hepatic metastasis].
AB  - We undertook a clinical evaluation of chemotherapy for hepatic metastasis of
      gastric, colorectal and breast cancer. Between 1980 and 1989, chemotherapy for
      hepatic metastasis of gastric cancer was performed in 96 cases. Between 1973 and
      1989, chemotherapy for hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer and breast cancer
      was performed in 40 and 14 cases. RESULTS: (1) In hepatic metastasis of gastric
      cancer, the 50% survival period was 149 days in local injection therapy, 132 days
      in arterial infusion therapy and 117 days with no chemotherapy. There was no
      significant difference in the survival period in gastric cancer. (2) In hepatic
      metastasis of colorectal cancer, the 50% survival period was 445 days in arterial
      infusion therapy, 206 days in local injection therapy and 96 days with no
      chemotherapy. The survival period with hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer
      that had undergone chemotherapy was longer than for no chemotherapy. (3) In
      hepatic metastasis of breast cancer, arterial infusion therapy was more
      effective, and the survival period was prolonged significantly.

PMID- 1877828
TI  - [Trans-arterial infusion chemotherapy through the inferior epigastric artery for
      malignant abdominal tumors without laparotomy].
AB  - A new technique of intra-arterial catheterization through the inferior epigastric
      artery using a subcutaneously-implanted silicon reservoir was tried for arterial
      infusion chemotherapy in patients with cancer located in specific lesions. Eight
      surgically uncontrollable tumors, consisting of 6 hepatic metastasis, one
      surgically incurable gastric cancer and one recurrent rectal cancer, were treated
      by continuous arterial infusion of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) using this
      new method. Clinical antitumor effect was evaluated by CT scan, sonography or
      operation. CR, PR and NC were observed in 3, 3 and 2 patients, respectively. No
      significant difference in CDDP levels in serum was found between CR plus PR and
      NC cases. Since this method can be done without laparotomy, more patients may
      benefits from arterial infusion chemotherapy.

PMID- 1877829
TI  - [Five-hour hepatic arterial infusion of high-dose 5-FU on weekly schedule for
      liver metastases from colorectal cancer].
AB  - The study of 5-hour hepatic arterial infusion of high-dose 5-FU on a weekly
      schedule (weekly high-dose 5-FU HAI: WHF) was conducted to reveal a new pump-free
      regimen to avoid the reduction of QOL due to continuous infusion pumps. By the
      phase I study, the recommended dose was determined to be 1.000 mg/m2/5 hrs qw.
      Thus far, 20 cases entered the phase II study of this regimen, and 1 CR and 10
      PRs were observed in 15 evaluated cases without major toxicity. This regimen is
      highly effective for liver metastases from colorectal cancer without reduction of
      QOL in patients by pumps. A study of this regimen involving a large number of
      cases is required.

PMID- 1877831
TI  - [An experimental study on portal infusion of 5-fluorouracil].
AB  - We conducted these experiments to investigate the differences between continuous
      portal and one shot portal infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using male Donryu
      rats. Continuous portal infusion of 5-FU (20 mg/kg/day x 5 days) revealed no
      remarkable side effects on the rats with significant decrease in the number of
      liver metastases generated by intraportal inoculation of ascites hepatoma AH60C.
      Consecutive 5-day administration of 5-FU (20 mg/kg x 5) by one shot method via
      spleen resulted in no metastases but caused death in 75% of rats because of
      severe leukopenia and dehydration. The rats receiving one shot infusion of 5-FU
      (33.3 mg/kg x 3, day 1, 3, 5) via spleen showed a significant decrease in the
      number of metastases without lethal side effects. Continuous portal infusion of 5
      FU would be a safe and effective therapy to prevent liver metastases, whereas one
      shot portal infusion of 5-FU may give rise to severe side effects while
      preventing liver metastases.

PMID- 1877830
TI  - [Clinical application of chemotherapy via the portal vein with liposome
      encapsulated adriamycin in inoperable metastatic liver cancer].
AB  - We studied the effects of liposome-entrapped adriamycin (L-ADM) administered via
      the portal vein and the clinical application of this treatment in the therapy and
      inhibition of liver metastasis, experimentally and clinically. Liposomes composed
      of egg phosphatidylcholine (cholesterol 50 mol%) were used as drug carriers. We
      examined the distribution in tissues and antitumor effect of freeze-dried L-ADM
      administered via the portal vein to rabbits bearing VX2 tumors. The liver
      concentration of ADM increased after delivery and cardiac uptake decreased
      compared with free drug treatment. The life span was prolonged by L-ADM treatment
      compared with the control group and the free ADM group. This L-ADM administration
      was confirmed to be safe and revealed a decrease in the heart toxicities compared
      with free adriamycin. Nineteen cases were studied from Jan. 1986 to May 1991 via
      the portal vein and the clinical effects were evaluated. From Mar. 1988 to date,
      10 cases were treated with L-ADM (20-30 mg every 2 weeks/body) in patients with
      inoperable cases using subcutaneously implanted reservoir. The median survival
      was 450 days; 275 days for colon cancer, 492 days for gastric cancer, and 1,052
      days for uterine cancer (range: 136-1,152 days), compared with 141 days (range:
      52-253 days) in 9 cases of historical control treated with free-ADM via the
      portal vein. These results suggest that chemotherapy via the portal vein with L
      ADM for metastatic liver cancer may increase survival time.

PMID- 1877832
TI  - [Experimental studies on prevention of liver metastases by continuous intraportal
      chemotherapy].
AB  - Our experiment was designed to elucidate the efficacy of continuous intraportal
      chemotherapy (CIPC) for the prevention of liver metastases. Catheter was
      introduced into ileocecal vein of white rabbit for administration of adriamycin
      (ADM). VX2 cells were inoculated into portal vein to form liver metastases. Three
      experiments were designed as follows: 1) Immediately after inoculation of tumor
      cells, ADM was administered continuously for 7 days. 2) Continuous administration
      of ADM started on the 3rd day after inoculation of tumor cells. 3) Immediately
      after inoculation of tumor cells, ADM was administered by CIPC or systemically
      for 7 days. The same number of tumor cells were inoculated into portal vein and
      no treatment was given in control group. The rabbits were sacrificed on the 14th
      day. Number and size of liver metastases were calculated. Results were as
      follows: In 1) and 2), the metastases in CIPC group were significantly decreased
      in number and size compared with those in control group. In 3), no metastasis was
      observed in CIPC group, but a third of the rabbits developed metastases in
      systemic group. These results suggest that CIPC is effective for prevention of
      liver metastases and its efficacy is greater than for systemic chemotherapy.

PMID- 1877833
TI  - [Comparative study on the comparative efficacy of hepatic arterial or portal
      venous infusion of adriamycin to control hepatic carcinoma growth].
AB  - To compare the efficacy of intrahepatic arterial and intraportal venous infusions
      of anticancer drugs, the following two experiments were performed. 1. Adriamycin
      (3 mg kg) aqueous solution (ADR) was administered into hepatic artery (HA group)
      and portal vein (PV group) of a rabbit with 2 cm diameter VX2 liver tumor. The
      ADR levels of the tumor tended to be about 3-fold higher in HA than in PV group
      (p less than 0.1) one hour after ADR infusion. No significant difference was seen
      in the ADR levels of liver, heart, kidney, and bone marrow between the two
      groups. The ADR concentration ratio of tumor to liver was significantly higher in
      HA group than in PV group. 2. VX2 tumor cells (1 x 10(7) cells) were transplanted
      through the portal vein of the rabbit. ADR aqueous solution (1 mg/kg, 5 ml) was
      infused into the rabbit liver via HA and PV, at 3, 5, and 7 days after tumor
      inoculation. The rabbits were killed and the livers were excised 21 days after
      tumor implantation. The number of VX2 tumor nodules on the liver surface was less
      in HA group than in PV group. These results suggest that hepatic arterial
      infusion of anticancer drug is more useful to inhibit the growth of liver tumor
      than portal venous infusion.

PMID- 1877834
TI  - [An experimental study of ethanol injection on VX2 liver cancer].
AB  - Ethanol injection therapy for rabbit VX2 cancer of the liver was performed to
      measure the extent of ethanol infiltration using normal hepatic tissue as
      control, to observe the serial histological findings after ethanol injection, and
      to determine the influence of the ethanol on survival days with VX2 cancer of the
      liver. The necrotic area caused by ethanol showed a significant dose-dependent
      correlation in the range of 0.1-1.0ml in the normal liver, and a significant
      correlation in the range of 0.2-1.0ml also in VX2 cancer of the liver. Further,
      VX2 cancer of the liver showed a significant extension in the number of survival
      days in the injection group after ethanol injection; 39.5 +/- 5.7 days in the
      injection group, against 29.3 +/- 2.9 days in the control group. In the
      successive observation of histological findings after injection, fibrosis started
      from the 3rd-5th day after ethanol injection and showed acceleration after the
      7th day. Eosinophilic infiltration was seen in the VX2 cancer group but not among
      the controls. Since ethanol causes direct necrosis of the injected region, it is
      suggested that ethanol injection therapy is a potentially effective method of
      treating cancer of the liver.

PMID- 1877835
TI  - [Evaluation of continuous intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy after hepatic
      resection of liver metastases in colorectal cancer].
AB  - We retrospectively evaluated continuous intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy
      after hepatic resection for hepatic metastases of colorectal cancer. From 1982 to
      1990, we treated 22 patients with continuous intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy
      after hepatic resection, and 43 patients with only hepatic resection. 5-FU (250
      mg/day) was administered continuously through implantable reservoir immediately
      after hepatic resection, and continued as long as possible. The total dose of 5
      FU administered was 1.75-46.0 g (mean 17.4 g). We divided the patients into three
      groups: the first was administered a total dose of 5-FU more than 15 g, the next
      with less than 15 g, and the last with only hepatic resection was not given 5-FU.
      The 5-FU group receiving more than 15 g showed the lowest rate of hepatic
      metastasis recurrence. We compared the group showing recurrence within six months
      after hepatic resection (early recurrent group) with the group evidencing
      recurrence on and after six months (late recurrent group). In the former group,
      extra-hepatic recurrence significantly increased, whereas in the latter group
      hepatic recurrence significantly increased (p less than 0.05). In the early
      recurrent group, moderately or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma significantly
      increased (p less than 0.01). According to the pathological result of pre
      operative biopsy, one should check for extra-hepatic lesion as much as possible,
      and choose systemic chemotherapy for the early recurrent group.

PMID- 1877836
TI  - [Significance of radionuclide examination in hepatic arterial infusion
      chemotherapy using implantable reservoir].
AB  - Technetium 99m macroaggregated albumin (Tc-MAA) perfusion scintigraphy has been
      performed during hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using implantable
      reservoir. A total of 40 radionuclide (RI) studies were performed on 25 patients
      with liver metastasis of colorectal origin. Of 40 RI studies, 12 (30%) showed
      impaired liver perfusion. Three studies showed no perfusion of the liver, 3
      increased radiotracer accumulations at liver hilus, 2 extrahepatic distributions,
      2 catheter occlusions, 1 extravasation and 1 unilobar distribution. The
      accumulation of Tc-MAA in the tumor was graded from Grade I (tumor uptake
      decreased or similar relative to liver) to Grade III (tumor uptake remarkably
      increased). The response to chemotherapy was evaluable in 14 cases. A case with
      Grade I resulted in NC. Of 6 cases with Grade II, 1 resulted in MR, 3 in NC and 1
      in PD. Of 8 cases with Grade III, 2 resulted in PR, 1 in MR and 5 in NC. Tumor
      response was observed in cases showing increased uptake of Tc-MAA. SPECT was
      performed in 7 cases, and revealed that hepatic tumors were hypervascular. We
      concluded that RI examination reveals not only hepatic perfusion, but also tumor
      microcirculation.

PMID- 1877838
TI  - [A case of malignant hemangioendothelioma effectively treated with intra-arterial
      continuous infusion of interleukin-2].
AB  - An 82-year-old female presented with a tumor in the right-frontal region and was
      diagnosed as MHE, based on the clinical and pathological findings. Increased LAK
      (lymphokine-activated killer cell) activity was observed during treatment with
      intraarterial continuous infusion of rIL-2. In addition, the decrease in tumor
      size was started when LAK activity became high. Treatments for MHE and mechanism
      of these therapies were discussed using data from this case and other authors'
      reports.

PMID- 1877837
TI  - [Role of oxygen species and lipid peroxidation for anti-tumor effect of intra
      arterial injection with degradable starch microspheres].
AB  - The role of superoxide and lipid peroxidation for anti-tumor effect of intra
      arterial injection with degradable starch microspheres (DSM) was investigated in
      rabbits. The anti-tumor effect of intra-arterial injection with DSM was studied
      in rabbits with VX2 carcinoma of the hind leg. The tumor growth in rabbit treated
      with DSM 5 times was completely suppressed, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA)
      reactive substances in the tumor tissue treated with DSM were significantly
      increased. But the anti-tumor effect of DSM and the increase in TBA reactive
      substances in the tumor tissue treated with DSM were significantly inhibited by
      treatment with superoxide dismutase combined with catalase. These results suggest
      that the anti-tumor effect of intra-arterial injection with DSM may be due to
      ischemia-reperfusion injury and that active oxygen species and lipid peroxidation
      may play an important role in the anti-tumor effect of intra-arterial injection
      with DSM.

PMID- 1877839
TI  - [Prevention of local recurrence after sphincter-saving resection for rectal
      cancer].
AB  - The main cause of local recurrence after curative operation for rectal cancer is
      intra-operative implantation of viable shed cancer cells. The present study was
      undertaken to investigate whether irrigation of remnant rectum prior to
      anastomosis would prevent local recurrence in rectal cancer. Remnant rectum was
      irrigated 20 times with physiologic saline using 30 ml enema syringe. One hundred
      thirty-five patients with rectal cancer underwent sphincter-saving resection for
      cure. Twenty-six of these patients, received irrigation with physiologic saline,
      and the remainder received no irrigation. Viable cancer cells were still present
      in remnant rectum after irrigation 10 times, but absent after 20 times.
      Distribution by age, sex, stage and the distal clearance margin was similar in
      both groups. Local recurrence occurred in none of the irrigation-treated patients
      and in 11 percent of the untreated ones (p less than 0.05). Our results indicate
      that irrigation 20 times with 30 ml of physiologic saline of the remnant rectum
      prior to anastomosis is an effective method of preventing local recurrence after
      resection of rectal cancer.

PMID- 1877840
TI  - [Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer using
      implantable reservoir connected with catheter inserted in recurrent radial
      artery].
AB  - Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy through a catheter incubated at the
      recurrent radial artery and connected to an implantable reservoir was performed
      in eight patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastasis including four
      locally advanced recurrent breast cancers and two inflammatory breast cancer.
      Clinical response in breast cancer patients was 1 CR, 3 PR, 1 NC, and 1 PD. There
      was no complication related with catheter insertion. Therefore from the aspect of
      quality of life, this system was considered useful for treatment of advanced
      breast cancer, especially locally advanced recurrent breast cancer.

PMID- 1877841
TI  - [Two cases of stage IV breast cancer with locally advanced lesion treated by
      intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy using implantable reservoir].
AB  - Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy was used for 2 cases of Stage IV breast
      cancer with locally advanced lesions using implantable reservoir. The first case
      is a 64-year-old female who had multiple bone metastases with locally advanced
      breast lesion. A total dose of 220 mg ADM was injected via reservoir at
      outpatient department. The other case is a 66-year-old female who had multiple
      bone metastases with locally advanced breast lesions. A total dose of 235 mg ADM
      was injected via reservoir. After obtaining satisfactory response of local
      lesions, a standard radical mastectomy was performed for both cases. It was
      concluded that this method was useful for controlling locally advanced lesions of
      Stage IV breast cancer and beneficial for patient QOL.

PMID- 1877842
TI  - [Infusion of LAK cells and anticancer drugs with a total implantable port to a
      patient with metastatic liver and spleen tumors].
AB  - A case of hepatic and splenic metastases of lung cancer infused with LAK cells
      and anticancer drugs from hepatic artery with total implantable port (Port-A
      Cath: Pharmacia, Incorp.) was reported. A 56-year-old male was admitted to our
      hospital because of general fatigue, jaundice, pleural effusion and elevation of
      transaminase caused by hepatic and splenic metastases of lung carcinoid.
      Abdominal ultrasonography revealed 6 hepatic metastatic foci 10-35 mm in diameter
      and splenic metastases. The patient received 5 courses of MMC infusion, CPA (2
      courses) and epirubicin, CDDP (3 courses), and 5 courses of LAK cells (total 1.4
      x 10(10)) with IL-2 and OK-432. Eight months after initiation of treatment,
      jaundice and pleural effusion disappeared, transaminase returned to the normal
      level and the condition of the patient improved. Although the response of hepatic
      metastases to the treatment was NC, the size of a splenic metastasis decreased
      from 35 x 55 mm to 24 x 35 mm (PR).

PMID- 1877843
TI  - [Regional immunochemotherapy for liver metastasis of esophageal cancer in a
      patient with variant hepatic artery].
AB  - A patient with metastatic liver tumor from esophageal cancer having an anomaly of
      the hepatic artery was treated by regional immunochemotherapy using two
      infuserports, which were implanted transfemoral to the right and the left hepatic
      artery, respectively. The schedule of this therapy was as follows: CDDP (30
      mg/m2) on day 1 and 8, 5-FU (1,000 mg/m2) on day 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 22, and OK
      432 (1 KE/body) on day 3-6, 10-13 and 16-20 were administered via the hepatic
      artery; and OK-432 (5 KE/body) was also injected intramuscularly three times a
      week. After the first course of this therapy was performed via the left hepatic
      artery, metastatic foci in the left lobe regressed, while those in the right lobe
      progressed markedly. Thereafter, the second course was performed via the right
      hepatic artery, and then the third course was via both right and left hepatic
      artery. Following these trials, metastatic foci of the right and the left lobes
      showed remarkable regression. These results suggest that the effect of
      immunochemotherapy is closely related with the local concentration of anti-cancer
      agents.

PMID- 1877844
TI  - [Superior mesenteric arterial infusion chemotherapy against intestinal
      obstruction caused by peritoneal carcinomatosis].
AB  - For 4 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis who had severe abdominal pain and
      vomiting, intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy, via the superior mesenteric
      artery was performed. After the treatment, all patients were free of their
      symptoms and began to eat again. Severe complications such as superior mesenteric
      arterial thrombosis did not occur. It is concluded that our treatment is
      clinically useful because the quality of life of these patients at the end stage
      was improved.

PMID- 1877845
TI  - [Interstitial hyperthermia (MINERVE) for perineal local recurrence of rectal
      cancer].
AB  - Interstitial hyperthermia (MINERVE) was performed for 2 patients with perineal
      local recurrence of rectal cancer. The MINERVE was a 20 W generator of 550-610
      kHz with 4 pairs of probes creating an electromagnetic field (Odam Co., France).
      The basic regimen was five irradiation treatments of 2 Gy per week, with two
      hyperthermia treatments (for 60 minutes at more than 43.5 degrees C) a week, 500
      mg of 5-FU or 25 mg of CDDP per hyperthermia treatment, and 3 g/day of PSK. The
      radiation therapy was performed prior to hyperthermia, the chemotherapy at the
      same time. Perineal tumors and symptoms disappeared completely in 1 patient and
      were reduced in 1 patient. This treatment is expected to be clinically as a part
      of multidisciplinary treatment for superficial malignant tumors.

PMID- 1877846
TI  - [Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer and prostate
      cancer using reservoir system].
AB  - Eight patients with bladder cancer and two patients with prostate cancer were
      given intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy using the reservoir system. The tip of
      the catheter was inserted through the femoral artery to the common iliac artery
      and we compressed both femoral arteries during infusion. Five patients with
      locally advanced bladder cancer and two patients with prostate cancer were
      evaluated for the clinical and pathological efficacy of the treatment.
      Clinically, the efficacy of four of the five patients with bladder cancer was CR
      or PR and pathologically (according to Shimosato's criteria), the efficacy was
      two in IVb or III, and three in IIb. Clinically, the efficacy in two patients
      with prostate cancer was CR or PR, and pathologically the efficacy was IVb or
      IIb. Three patients had complications of the reservoir system. These results
      suggest that good therapeutic efficacy and an improved quality of life can be
      obtained by intra-arterial chemotherapy using the reservoir system.

PMID- 1877847
TI  - [Assessment of tissue platinum concentration, X-ray computed tomogram, and
      microangiography after CDDP intraperitoneal administration in VX2 ovarian tumor].
AB  - After intraperitoneal administration of cis-diamine-dichloroplatinum, tissue Pt
      concentration, dynamic CT, and microangiography were estimated in white rabbit
      model having been transplanted with VX2 ovarian tumor. The high Pt concentration
      resulting from CDDP intraperitoneal administration was recognized in kidney,
      liver, and VX2 ovarian tumor. CT scans demonstrated that CDDP administration
      inhibited the development of VX2 tumor, revealing the appearance of small areas
      with no enhancement corresponding to necrotic regions in the tumor external rim.
      A tumor time-density curve showed a significantly delayed washout of the
      excretory phase following CDDP administration. Regarding microangiography models,
      tumor vessels of less than 30 microns decreased. It was suggested that the tumor
      microcirculation diminished because of the increased tissue pressure concomitant
      with tumor necrosis.

PMID- 1877848
TI  - [Intraperitoneal chemotherapy through implantable injection port in patients with
      advanced ovarian (or tubal) carcinoma].
AB  - A total of 38 cycles of intraperitoneal chemotherapy through implantable
      injection port were carried out in 9 patients with advanced or recurrent ovarian
      (tubal) carcinoma. The combination chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin 100 mg or
      carboplatin 450 mg, 5-FU 500 mg and OK-432 10 KE was administered every four
      weeks for a total of six cycles. Clinical response was evaluated after
      chemotherapy. Of the eight evaluated patients (in one patient chemotherapy is not
      completed yet), 1 had complete response, 3 partial response, 2 stable disease and
      2 progressive disease. Therapy-related toxic effects were moderate, consisting
      chiefly of myelosuppression that seemed dose limiting.

PMID- 1877849
TI  - [Prevention of scald injury due to intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion for far
      advanced gastric cancer].
AB  - In an attempt to prevent scald injury on the peritoneo-serosal surface due to
      intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion (IPHP) for far-advanced gastric cancer
      patients, a histamine H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine, was prescribed for 9
      patients. The IPHP treatment was carried out with a closed circuit using a heated
      perfusate, and intra-abdominal temperature was kept over 44 degrees C throughout
      IPHP, for 120 minutes. Of 18 patients given IPHP, 9 were administered
      intravenously cimetidine at a dose of 50 mg/kg just before IPHP (cimetidine
      group) and the remaining 9 were prescribed IPHP and not given cimetidine (control
      group). Amounts of exudate and protein from peritoneal cavity and serum histamine
      were compared between the two groups. The amount of intra-abdominal exudate was
      768 +/- 95 ml for 24 hours in the control group, against 408 +/- 75 ml in the
      cimetidine group. The protein amounts in exudate throughout IPHP were 62.5 +/-
      23.5 g in the control group, against 15.9 +/- 5.4 g in teh cimetidine group. Both
      the exudate and protein amounts were significantly decreased in the cimetidine
      group, compared with the controls (p = 1.416 x 10(-7), p = 5.358 x 10(-5)). Serum
      histamine levels in the cimetidine group increased 2.5 to 6.5 fold for over 12
      hours after IPHP, compared to those in the control group. These findings suggest
      that cimetidine suppresses scald injury on the peritoneo-serosal surface by
      competitive inhibition with histamine. Consequently, histamine originated from
      the scald region was released into the circulating blood. Thus, cimetidine helped
      to prevent thermal injury due to the IPHP.

PMID- 1877850
TI  - Future of specialist journals.

PMID- 1877852
TI  - Clinical signs of early osteoarthritis: reproducibility and relation to x ray
      changes in 541 women in the general population.
AB  - The definition and classification of early clinically apparent osteoarthritis
      both in clinical situations and in epidemiological surveys remains a problem. Few
      data exist on the between-observer reproducibility of simple clinical methods of
      detecting hand and knee osteoarthritis in the population and their sensitivity
      and specificity as compared with radiography. Two observers first studied the
      reproducibility of a number of clinical signs in 41 middle aged women. Good rates
      of agreement were found for most of the clinical signs tested (kappa = 0.54-1.0).
      The more reproducible signs were then tested on a population of 541 women, aged
      45-65, drawn from general practice, screening centres, and patients previously
      attending hospital for non-rheumatic problems. The major clinical signs used had
      a high specificity (87-99%) and lower sensitivity (20-49%) when compared with
      radiographs graded on the Kellgren and Lawrence scale (2+ = positive). When
      analysis was restricted to symptomatic radiographic osteoarthritis, levels of
      sensitivity were increased and specificity was lowered. These data show that
      certain physical signs of osteoarthritis are reproducible and may be used to
      identify clinical disease. They are not a substitute for radiographs, however, if
      radiographic change is regarded as the 'gold standard' of diagnosis. As the
      clinical signs tested seemed specific for osteoarthritis they may be of value in
      screening populations for clinical disease.

PMID- 1877851
TI  - Dietary fish oil and the severity of symptoms in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus.
AB  - A prospective, double blind, cross over study assessing the effects of a low fat,
      high marine oil diet in 27 patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus has
      been performed. The patients were given 20 g daily of MaxEPA (eicosapentaenoic
      acid) or 20 g of olive oil (placebo) in matching capsules added to a standardised
      isoenergetic low fat diet. When individual outcome measures of the 17 patients
      who completed the full 34 week study were considered 14 who were receiving MaxEPA
      achieved useful or ideal status, whereas 13 receiving placebo were rated as worse
      or no change. The difference between the two types of capsule was statistically
      significant. No major side effects were noted, and it is suggested that dietary
      modification with additional marine oil may be a useful way of modifying disease
      activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

PMID- 1877853
TI  - Two methods of assessment of methotrexate hepatotoxicity in patients with
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Serial liver biopsy specimens from 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis
      receiving a weekly dose of methotrexate 7.5-20 mg for a minimum of 12 months were
      assessed semiquantitatively and by a microcomputer image analysis system. The
      semiquantitative histological method showed a significant increase in
      pericellular collagen and in overall disease while morphometry showed a
      significant increase in pericellular, perivenular, and portal tract collagen.
      There was a significant correlation between the two methods, but morphometry had
      the advantage of objectivity and efficiency. There was no correlation between the
      increase in collagen and the accumulated dose of methotrexate, which suggests
      that other factors in addition to methotrexate may contribute to liver injury.

PMID- 1877854
TI  - Different training patterns and bone mineral density of the femoral shaft in
      elite, female athletes.
AB  - The effects of sporting activity and of menstrual status on the bone mineral
      content of the femoral mid-shaft were investigated. The cohort consisted of 67
      elite, female athletes comprising 21 runners, 36 rowers, and 10 dancers. Twenty
      five of these athletes were amenorrhoeic, 27 eumenorrhoeic, and 15 were taking
      the oral contraceptive. The bone mineral content was also measured in 13
      eumenorrhoeic, sedentary women. The mean (95% confidence interval) bone mineral
      content in the runners was 1.51 (1.47 to 1.55) g/cm2, which was significantly
      higher than in the rowers, dancers, and sedentary controls whose values were 1.43
      (1.40 to 1.47), 1.39 (1.33 to 1.45), and 1.40 (1.34 to 1.45) g/cm2 respectively.
      There was no significant difference in the bone mineral content between the
      amenorrhoeic, eumenorrhoeic, and oral contraceptive taking athletes. These
      results may have implications for devising exercise strategies to reduce the
      possibility of fractures in later life.

PMID- 1877855
TI  - High prevalence of systemic disease and mortality in Asian subjects with systemic
      lupus erythematosus.
AB  - All patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (American Rheumatism
      Association criteria with positive antinuclear antibody titre) and who attended
      any of the three general hospitals in Leicester over a 10 year period were
      ascertained using several complementary sources. Eighty seven subjects (26 Asian,
      61 white) were identified. The estimated prevalence of SLE in Leicester is
      0.4/1000 for Asian and 0.2/1000 for white subjects. Mean age of onset of the
      disease was 24 years in Asian and 31 years in white subjects, with both groups
      showing a female preponderance. Proteinuria (greater than 1 g/24 h) was noted in
      15 (58%) Asian and 21 (35%) white subjects; neuropsychiatric disease in 10 (38%)
      Asian and 8 (13%) white subjects; myalgic symptoms with raised muscle enzymes in
      9 (35%) Asian and 3 (5%) white subjects. Nineteen (73%) Asian subjects were
      positive for extractable nuclear antigens as well, at some stage of their
      disease, compared with 6 (10%) white subjects. Immunosuppressive treatment was
      required in 12 (46%) Asian and 12 (20%) white subjects, and deaths of seven Asian
      and five white subjects were attributed to SLE. These findings show that Asian
      subjects have a higher prevalence of SLE with greater systemic disease and
      mortality.

PMID- 1877857
TI  - Rheumatology in the past.

PMID- 1877856
TI  - Distribution of type VI collagen expression in synovial tissue and cultured
      synoviocytes: relation to fibronectin expression.
AB  - Type VI collagen has recently been shown to be an important component of
      connective tissue. Double label immunofluorescence procedures were used to
      immunolocalize type VI collagen in normal and rheumatoid synovium and its
      distribution was compared with that of fibronectin. In normal synovium type VI
      collagen is expressed in the synovial membrane but not in the interstitium of the
      villus. In rheumatoid synovium, however, type VI collagen is extensively
      deposited in both the interstitial connective tissue and along the lining of the
      synovial membrane. Cultured rheumatoid and normal synoviocytes produce type VI
      collagen and fibronectin and incorporate them into their extracellular matrix.
      These data suggest that type VI collagen may play a part in matrix remodelling of
      the inflamed joint.

PMID- 1877858
TI  - Rheumatology in the future.

PMID- 1877859
TI  - Combination chemotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1877860
TI  - A note on the history of the journal.

PMID- 1877861
TI  - History of books and journals and periodicals in rheumatology.

PMID- 1877862
TI  - Art, history, and rheumatism: the case of Erasmus of Rotterdam 1466-1536
      suffering from pustulotic arthro-osteitis.
AB  - Pustulotic arthro-osteitis probably associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis has
      been diagnosed in Erasmus of Rotterdam, based on paintings of Quentin Massys
      (1517) and Hans Holbein the younger (1523), historical letters of Erasmus, and
      postmortem examination of the skeleton. This case report is a description of the
      earliest known case of pustulotic arthro-osteitis, a syndrome reported for the
      first time in 1967 and seen more commonly in Japan than in Europe. Works of art
      of many different kinds may provide an important source of evidence of disease
      and contribute to a better understanding of the natural history of a disease.

PMID- 1877864
TI  - Cryptosporidial enteritis complicated by conjunctivitis.

PMID- 1877863
TI  - Quality assurance and audit: lessons from North America.

PMID- 1877865
TI  - Drugs and the elderly.

PMID- 1877866
TI  - Raised plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 in systemic lupus erythematosus.

PMID- 1877867
TI  - Mycoplasmas and human arthritis.

PMID- 1877868
TI  - [Effect of low molecular weight regulators on the biosynthesis of rifamycin B by
      Amycolatopsis mediterranei strains].
AB  - Formation of differentiation regulators of the A-factor group in representatives
      of Nocardia and Nocardia-like actinomyces: N. asteroides, N. brasiliensis,
      Amycolatopsis mediterranei and "Streptomyces listeri" was observed. The effect of
      the regulators of different nature (barbital, A-factor and B-factor) on
      biosynthesis of rifamycin B by A. mediterranei strains was studied. It was shown
      that the A-factor stimulated rifamycin B production in the adifferentiated low
      active variant isolated from a natural population of the active strain VNIIA 1713
      of the rifamycin B-producing culture. B-Factor insignificantly inhibited
      biosynthesis of rifamycin B in the studied strains of A. mediterranei.

PMID- 1877869
TI  - [A system for screening natural immunosuppressors].
AB  - Criteria for directed screening of antibiotics with immunosuppressive action were
      defined. The first stage included screening of cultures producing
      antiaspergillous antibiotics. At the second stage, the antibiotics whose
      antifungal activity decreases in the presence of insulin (at the background of
      calcium salts) and erythromycin and increases in the presence of verapamil were
      selected. The screening of antibiotic-producing cultures among 123 strains of
      mycelial fungi and 181 strains of actinomycetes resulted in isolation of 3 fungal
      cultures and 2 actinomycetes which produced antibiotics corresponding to
      cyclosporine A as evidenced by thin-layer and high performance liquid
      chromatographies.

PMID- 1877870
TI  - [A new approach to the search for antineoplastic compounds].
AB  - The necessity of using microbial test systems with regular reproduction of
      associated impairments in cell differentiation and division in screening of
      antitumor compounds is substantiated. Conditions for induction of such
      impairments during secondary growth in prokaryotic and eukaryotic mycelial
      microorganisms were developed. The fungal culture, Fusarium bulbigenum var.
      blasticola, the growth of whose secondary colonies was selectively inhibited by
      representatives of various classes of antitumor agents such as alkylating agents,
      antimetabolites, antibiotics, plant preparations, etc. was isolated.

PMID- 1877871
TI  - [Structure-activity relationship in cephalosporin antibiotics. I. Impact of
      nitrogen functions on biological activity of cephalosporins--7
      aminocephalosporanic acid derivatives].
AB  - The impact of the nitrogen containing functional groups of the radical at
      position 7 in the cefem nucleus on antimicrobial activity of cephalosporins
      against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms was studied. 235 compounds were
      tested. It was shown that the presence or absence of the above mentioned
      functional groups could not be used as the only factor for estimating the
      pharmacological properties of the antibiotics under investigation. There were
      different and, occasionally, diametrically opposite effects of the spatial
      arrangement of the nitrogen-containing descriptors on gram positive and gram
      negative organisms. It was concluded that prediction of the biological activity
      of cephalosporins by the pattern recognition according to the presence and
      spatial arrangement of the functional groups was possible. A way for designing
      novel compounds with the required biological activity is proposed.

PMID- 1877872
TI  - [Structure of heliomycin produced by Streptomyces heliomycini and antibiotic 11
      98 produced by Streptomyces olivocinereus].
AB  - The data on UV, 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy confirmed that heliomycin produced
      by S. heliomycini and antibiotic 11-98 produced by S. olivocinereus were
      identical with resistomycin. The major minor component produced by S. heliomycini
      was shown to be resistoflavin which was also confirmed by physicochemical
      methods.

PMID- 1877874
TI  - [Aminoglycoside-inactivating enzymes in strains of Salmonella and genes encoding
      them].
AB  - Aminoglycoside resistance patterns of 56 strains isolated from man, cattle and
      environment were determined. 34 out of 42 gentamicin-resistant strains were shown
      to produce AAC(3)-II and 7 strains produced ANT(2"). All the 48 kanamycin
      resistant strains produced APH(3')-I. Spot hybridization of the 42 gentamicin
      resistant strains with the inner fragment of the aacC2 gene revealed positive
      signals for all the strains. Hybridization of the 48 kanamycin-resistant strains
      with the aphA1 gene probe provided positive results in all the strains. The
      AAC(3)-IV encoding gene was not detected by DNA-DNA hybridization in the strains
      studied.

PMID- 1877873
TI  - [Prospects for using DNA probes for rapid diagnosis of antibiotic resistance in
      clinical strains of enteric bacteria].
AB  - Aminoglucoside resistance patterns of clinical strains of enteric bacteria
      isolated from inpatients of Moscow clinics were determined. APH(3')-I and AAC(3)
      II were shown to be the most frequent. The aphA1 and aacC2 genes encoding the
      enzymes were cloned from the R plasmid of the transconjugant of the E. coli
      clinical strains. DNA probes based on the determined nucleotide sequences of the
      cloned genes were constructed and used in DNA-DNA hybridization experiments. The
      results on the occurrence of APH(3')-I and AAC(3)-II in the strains tested were
      confirmed by the DNA-DNA hybridization. Prospects for developing a set of DNA
      probes for rapid diagnosis of antibiotic resistance are discussed.

PMID- 1877875
TI  - [Some aspects of antibiotic resistance of oligotrophic bacteria].
AB  - Antibiotic resistance spectra of a large group of oligotrophic and eutrophic
      bacteria from the open soil and aquatic ecosystems were studied. It was shown
      that sometimes antibiotic resistance of the oligotrophs was of plasmid nature. A
      possible transfer of plasmid antibiotic resistance from oligotrophs to pathogenic
      eutrophic soil and aquatic bacteria in the natural ecosystems is discussed. It
      was demonstrated that there was no insurmountable transcription/translation
      barriers between oligotrophic and eutrophic bacteria though the two bacterial
      groups are taxonomically and evolutionally very distant. A hypothesis was
      proposed that oligotrophic bacteria are likely to be one of the possible pools of
      plasmid antibiotic resistance for pathogenic microbes. Plasmid-free strains of
      some oligotrophic bacteria were selected. With the method of antibioticograms,
      taxonomic patterns for oligotrophic bacteria of the central group were developed.

PMID- 1877876
TI  - [High performance rapid method for estimating the sensitivity of viruses to
      synthetic compounds].
AB  - A high performance semiautomatic microprocedure was used. It provided reliable
      quantitative estimation of antiviral and toxic properties of synthetic compounds.
      The procedure is rapid, technologically simple and cost-effective.

PMID- 1877877
TI  - [Comparative study of the effect of daunorubicin and its nitroxyl derivative on
      in vitro function of rat liver mitochondria].
AB  - The effect of rubomycin (daunorubicin) and its nitroxyl derivative, ruboxyl, on
      respiration and oxidative phosphorylation of the rat liver mitochondria was
      comparatively studied. It was shown that ruboxyl had a more pronounced uncoupling
      effect than rubomycin, especially during respiration in the presence of the
      glutamate mixture with malate. Unlike rubomycin, ruboxyl in concentrations of
      0.05 to 0.5 mM induced stimulation under metabolic conditions rather than
      respiration. When the antibiotic concentration increased ruboxyl started to
      inhibit the respiration as compared to the control and the inhibition level
      appeared to be higher than that induced by rubomycin. Possible mechanisms for
      decreasing rubomycin toxicity by its modification with the nitroxyl radical are
      discussed.

PMID- 1877878
TI  - [Multifactorial experiment on the combined action of doxycycline and a low
      molecular weight immunomodulator of microbial origin in experimental anthrax
      infection].
AB  - Chemotherapeutic efficacy of combined therapy of experimental anthrax infection
      with subtherapeutic doses of doxycycline and a low molecular weight
      immunomodulator of microbial origin was studied with mathematical design of the
      experiment and multifactorial analysis. A marked synergistic effect of oral
      doxycycline and the immunomodulator was observed. The results of the
      multifactorial experiment were computer processed and polynomial statistic models
      (the second order equations) describing the survival rate and mean lifespan (MLS)
      were derived. The equal level lines characterizing the survival rate and MLS were
      plotted against the fixed values of the time factor of administering the
      immunomodulator and the dose of the antibiotic. The doses of the immunomodulator
      and the time of its administration were optimized with respect to the maximum
      therapeutic effect with doxycycline subtherapeutic doses.

PMID- 1877879
TI  - [Experimental study of the pharmacokinetics of an amphotericin B derivative].
AB  - Absorption, distribution and excretion of a new water soluble derivative of
      amphotericin B (NWSDA) were studied after its administration by different routes.
      After the antibiotic intravenous administration the therapeutic concentrations in
      blood, organs and urine were shown to remain for prolonged periods. The likely
      sites of NWSDA deposition were detected with microbiological and radionuclide
      methods. The most prolonged periods of antibiotic preservation were stated in the
      renal cortex, spleen and lungs. The ways of NWSDA excretion were studied in
      operated animals. Only 3.5 per cent of the antibiotic was excreted with urine and
      bile for 24 hours. The pharmacokinetic parameters of NWSDA after its intravenous
      administration were estimated. The bioavailability of the antibiotic after its
      intramuscular and oral administration was found to be low.

PMID- 1877880
TI  - [Validation of a new procedure for calculating tissue/blood distribution
      coefficient].
AB  - An economic procedure for calculating the tissue/blood distribution coefficient
      (Kp) for physiological models of pharmacokinetics is substantiated. It stems from
      evaluation of Kp vs. the drug concentration in tissue and blood specimens. The
      estimate of the time for collecting biosubstrates for assay of the drug content
      in them is inverse of the constant of the blood drug elimination rate: Kp =
      Ct/Cb, where Ct and Cb are the drug concentrations in tissues and blood at the
      time moment equal to 1/kel. In this procedure the estimates of Kp agree with the
      values calculated by the AUC procedure which is the most exact but much more
      labour-consuming.

PMID- 1877881
TI  - [Impact of nitrogen assimilation on regulation of antibiotic production in
      Streptomyces hygroscopicus 155].
AB  - The enzymes of the assimilation pathways in cultures of S. hygroscopicus grown in
      the presence of various nitrogen sources were investigated. No assimilation
      activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was observed. Activities of alanine
      dehydrogenase (ADH), GDH, glutamine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (GOGAT) and
      glutamate synthetase (GS) were studied. High concentrations of ammonium and
      alanine induced ADH formation. The levels of GS remained low in media with NH4Cl.
      Various nitrogen sources had no impact on the activity of GOGAT which suggested
      the involvement of constitutive synthesis. ADH was likely to play an alternative
      role. Determination of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the free
      amino acids confirmed the involvement of the GS-GOGAT pathway in nitrogen
      assimilation. The concentration of ammonium ions in the media with one amino acid
      or in the presence of several amino acids lowered the antibiotic activity while
      in the media with alanine and the other nitrogen compounds it increased the
      antibiotic activity.

PMID- 1877882
TI  - [Biological sensors, their use in medicine and biotechnology].

PMID- 1877883
TI  - [Cytologic control of protoplast formation and regeneration in Streptomyces
      erythraeus, strain BTCC-2].
AB  - Experiments on protoplast formation and regeneration in S. erythraeus, strain
      BTCC-2 (Saccharopolyspora erythrae) were performed under microscopic control at
      all the stages. It was shown that the highest protoplast titer was provided by
      the mycelium grown in one step in the absence of glycine. For characterizing the
      protoplasts formed by the mycelium grown under different conditions, their
      regeneration capacity was estimated by microscopic examination of the protoplasts
      after 15-20-hour growth in microchambers and evaluation of the regeneration
      efficiency 7-10 hours later. Of interest was the fact of spontaneous development
      of colonies consisting of the protoplast-like cells (L-cells) in 15-20 hours.
      Such colonies were formed only by the protoplasts grown from the mycelium
      incubated in one step in the absence of glycine or in the presence of 0.1 per
      cent of glycine. Such conditions provided also the maximum efficiency of the
      protoplast regeneration. The long-term storage of protoplasts led to a decrease
      in their viability.

PMID- 1877884
TI  - The free nucleocapsids of the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus contain two
      antigenically related nucleoproteins.
AB  - A protein of 34 kDa (Nx) was induced in vitro by the infection of fish cell
      cultures with the rhabdovirus agent of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) of
      the trout. This protein only appeared as a major component in concentrated or
      intracellular labeled VHS virus but not in purified VHS or in the related
      infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus. That Nx protein is antigenically
      related to the nucleoprotein of purified virus was shown by its reaction with
      four anti-nucleoprotein monoclonal antibodies (at least 3 of them reacting non
      competitively against different epitopes) and by immunoprecipitation with
      polyvalent international reference sera. The Nx protein was shown to be
      specifically associated with free non-infective particles isolated by
      ultracentrifugation which were confirmed to be nucleocapsids by electron
      microscopy.

PMID- 1877885
TI  - Eye pathology associated with measles encephalitis in hamsters.
AB  - Measles encephalitis was produced in 41 hamsters by intracerebral injection of
      the hamster-neuroadapted Mantooth HBS viral strain. Group I (n = 10) included 2
      day old (newborn) hamsters, each inoculated with 0.02 ml of 1:20 diluted virus.
      This group was sacrificed 4 days postinoculation (DPI). Group II (n = 31)
      included 25-day old hamsters, each inoculated with 0.03 ml of 1:10 diluted virus.
      This group was sacrificed 6, 13, 17, and 31 DPI. Clinical and histological
      evidence of measles encephalitis was present in all infected hamsters. Retinal
      lesions varied with the age of the animals at the time of inoculation. Retinal
      folds were observed in the 2-day old group and represented one form of retinal
      dysplasia. In the 25-day old group, however, earliest retinal involvement was in
      the form of hemorrhages, followed by focal retinitis in animals sacrificed 6-17
      DPI. Measles keratitis was noted only in animals sacrificed 6 DPI. In 25-day old
      hamsters, measles keratitis and retinal hemorrhages represented the acute
      manifestations, whereas retinitis occurred later. However, ocular involvement did
      not correlate with the degree of severity of measles encephalitis.

PMID- 1877886
TI  - A comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of sialodacryoadenitis virus,
      Parker's rat coronavirus, and mouse hepatitis virus-infected cells as a source of
      antigen for the detection of antibody to rat coronaviruses.
AB  - Sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV) and Parker's rat coronavirus (PRC) are two
      recognized viral strains which cause spontaneous disease in the laboratory rat.
      Currently there is no recognized practical procedure which will accurately
      differentiate infections with these strains. Using SDAV- and PRC-infected L-2
      cells as the source of antigen, and sera from rats collected post inoculation
      with either of these viral strains, the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA)
      procedure was used to determine whether antibody titers could be used to
      differentiate infections from the homologous and heterologous virus. There was no
      detectable difference in the sensitivity or specificity of these systems in
      detecting antibody to the homologous or heterologous virus. Thus there was no
      evidence that SDAV- and PRC-infected cells would serve to differentiate antibody
      to the homologous virus using the IFA technique. In addition, antibody titers
      were similar when mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-infected cells were used as the
      source of antigen for the IFA technique. However, using MHV or SDAV-infected
      cells as the source of antigen, there was a significant difference in antibody
      titers to the homologous virus detected using the immunoenzyme technique.

PMID- 1877887
TI  - Analysis of bovine herpesvirus 4 (DN 599) major antigens with monoclonal
      antibodies and polyclonal immune serum.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and polyclonal immune sera were produced and used to
      identify the major antigens of bovine herpesvirus type 4 (BHV-4). SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of immunoprecipitates of radiolabeled lysates
      from infected cells resolved 24 peptide bands varying from 12 kDa to over 300
      kDa. Six peptides were identified as major viral antigens by immunoprecipitation.
      Based on the pattern of radioimmunoprecipitation, MAbs were assigned into four
      groups. Group 1 precipitated a tunicamycin-sensitive glycoprotein complex which
      contained six components (245, 190, 152, 123, and 48/46 kDa). Deglycosylation
      with endoglycosidase F revealed two peptides with Mr of 93 and 38 kDa as the
      basic peptides of the glycoprotein complex. In addition, a 115 kDa glycopeptide
      containing glycan-peptide bonds of mixed type was identified. Group 2
      precipitated a non-glycosylated protein complex consisting of three monomers
      (33/31/30 kDa). Groups 3 and 4 reacted with single monomeric non-glycosylated
      peptides with Mr of 48 and 14 kDa, respectively. Although none of the MAbs
      exhibited significant neutralizing activity, some reacted strongly in
      immunosorbent and/or immunohistochemical assays, suggesting they may be good
      candidates for use in diagnostic assays.

PMID- 1877888
TI  - Amantadine inhibits an early, M2 protein-dependent event in the replication cycle
      of avian influenza (H7) viruses.
AB  - Analysis of the effects of amantadine during a single cycle of replication of
      A/FPV/Rostock virus in vitro showed that, as with other influenza A viruses, an
      M2 protein-dependent step early in infection was inhibited. No effect was
      observed on later steps in replication under the conditions used.

PMID- 1877889
TI  - Proposal for a procedure for complete inactivation of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob
      disease agent.
AB  - We have examined complete inactivation conditions on brain homogenates from mice
      affected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease agent, and recommend for routine use a
      reliable procedure first treating the affected materials with 1 N NaOH for 60 min
      and then autoclaving at 121 degrees C for 30 min.

PMID- 1877890
TI  - Ultrastructure of inter-odontoblastic fibres in the rat molar.
AB  - Radially directed inter-odontoblastic collagen fibres were observed in ultra-thin
      sections of the radicular pulp/predentine complex of rat molars. Bundles of
      fibres crossed the distal junctional complexes of the odontoblasts, went through
      the whole thickness of the predentine and were incorporated into the mineralized
      dentine. Scanning electron microscopy showed that bundles of radial fibres are
      not found between the coronal odontoblasts of the rat molar but only in the root.
      The radial fibres were inserted into the predentine along vertical long-axial
      crests. The intercrest interval was not tightly fixed and the pattern of fibre
      bundle insertion did not show a regular periodicity.

PMID- 1877891
TI  - Temperature dependence of water transport into the mineralized matrix of freeze
      dried human dentine.
AB  - Ten dentine sections cut perpendicular to the dentinal tubules from human mature
      non-carious third molars, were freeze-dried and then rehydrated by immersion in
      water at four temperatures, 10, 25, 40 and 70 degrees C. The uptake of water by
      the sections was assessed as a function of rehydration time. The data were
      analysed using a theoretical model in which the uptake is ascribed to two
      processes. The first is capillary suction of water into the dentinal tubules, the
      second is the diffusion of water from the two faces of the section into the
      mineralized matrix. By fitting theory to experiment the diffusion coefficient of
      water in intertubular dentine at the different temperatures was found. Using the
      Arrhenius relation the activation energy of diffusion of water in intertubular
      dentine was calculated as Ea = 29.5 +/- 2.2 kJ/mol, which is of the order of the
      strength of a hydrogen bond. Transport of water in the mineralized matrix during
      rehydration is thus most likely a hopping of water molecules along the surfaces
      of the collagen and/or mineral, each jump involving the breaking of one hydrogen
      bond.

PMID- 1877892
TI  - Functional disturbances of the masticatory system in relation to articulatory
      disorders of speech in a group of 6-8-year-old children.
AB  - In the sample of 208 children, clinical signs and symptoms of craniomandibular
      disorder were mild, somewhat more common in boys than in girls, and clearly more
      common in children referred for speech therapy than in the control group. Of
      variables measured in millimetres, the differences indicate sexual dimorphism
      rather than differences between boys and girls in the occurrence of
      craniomandibular disorders. The differences may also reflect later maturing of
      neuromuscular control in boys rather than true differences between boys and girls
      in the prevalence of craniomandibular disorder. Logistical regression showed that
      children with articulatory speech disorders had more subjective symptoms and
      retrusive interferences, smaller maximal opening, and larger maximal
      laterotrusion and protrusion movements of the mandible than the controls. Thus
      different dysfunctions of the orofacial region tend to coexist in the same
      individuals. Subjective symptoms and clinical signs are mild in 6-8-yr-old
      children and may reflect immaturity of fine motor control.

PMID- 1877893
TI  - A study of human jaw movements deduced from scratches on occlusal wear facets.
AB  - In a previous investigation, scratches on tooth wear facets provided information
      about functional movements of the mandible in the occlusal range. Depending on
      the type of facet observed, two or three main directions were found. The aim now
      was to answer two questions: (1) how long does it take for a newly formed scratch
      to disappear? and (2) do the observed orientations of the scratches change over a
      long period of time? Eleven wear facets from lower first molars were analysed in
      four subjects with good natural dentition. Scratches recorded on cellulose
      replicas were observed under an interference microscope. The same wear facets
      were recorded one, two, three and six months later. From the photographs of the
      replicas, a sample of scratches was selected at random and their direction was
      measured. In the first part of the study, scratches absent at the time of the
      first observation appeared one month later; 87% of the new scratches had
      disappeared after one month. Ninety-six percent of the same group of scratches
      had disappeared after two months. In the second part of the study the angle made
      by each scratch with the sagittal plane was recorded. It was found that: (1) jaw
      movements in their occlusal phase can take any possible direction and (2) the
      distribution of the observed scratches was not random; preferential orientations
      exist and those present on the working facets are different from those on the non
      working facets. Similar orientations were identified 6 months later.

PMID- 1877894
TI  - Growth potential of the rat mandibular condyle as an isogeneic transplant
      traversing the interparietal suture.
AB  - The mandibular condyle of 5-, 10- or 20-day inbred male rats was transplanted
      across the interparietal suture of male litter-mates and the transverse dimension
      of the neurocranium was measured from dry skulls at 25 or 35 days. The width of
      the neurocranium had increased significantly from days 5 or 10 to 25 in the rats
      with the transplants, whereas the difference from controls was small or non
      existent by 35 days. Histological examination showed that the cartilaginous zone
      was reduced in the transplants at 25 days but that there were still layers of
      chondrocytes at 35 days. It is suggested that the rat mandibular condyle is
      endowed with a tissue-separating, interstitial growth potential that, to some
      extent, is unrelated to mobility, and essentially effected by chondrocyte
      hypertrophy.

PMID- 1877895
TI  - Cyclical changes in pH in bovine developing enamel as sequential bands.
AB  - Developing enamel was stained with pH indicators and a banded colour pattern
      exhibiting alternate acidic (5.8-6.0) and neutral (7.0-7.2) staining was clearly
      visualized. The pH values of the enamel samples scraped from respective bands
      were confirmed by measuring them in suspensions with a pH meter. Neutral bands
      corresponded to red stripes of glyoxal bis(2-hydroxyanil) staining and acidic
      bands to unstained ones, suggested a correlation of the acidic and neutral
      stripes with the zones of ruffle-ended and smooth-ended ameloblasts.

PMID- 1877896
TI  - Predicting foodstuff from jaw dynamics during masticatory crushing in man.
AB  - In previous in vitro experiments using an Instron instrument, each test food was
      found to have characteristic textural properties. In vivo experiments were now
      made (1) to determine the degree to which variations in the vertical jaw
      movements during the crushing phase of mastication can be explained by the
      inherent properties of the foodstuff being chewed, and (2) to establish the
      degree to which the foodstuff being chewed can be identified by certain features
      of the jaw dynamics. Five adults were used for chewing tasks with standardized
      pieces of beef, carrot or peanut. Each subject made two trials with each
      foodstuff. The movement of the lower incisal point was monitored; features of
      movement associated with jaw closing in the first chewing cycle were considered.
      Five of these features were not suitable to categorize the various test foods.
      Each of the remaining 4, however, was able to distinguish either one food from
      the 2 others (2 cases), or one from another (2 cases). Pattern recognition
      techniques based upon principal component analysis could differentiate jaw
      closing patterns associated with chewing beef from those involving peanut or
      carrot. The extent to which peanut could be distinguished from carrot was not as
      predictable as the categorization of peanut or carrot versus beef. Cross
      correlation of in vitro force-time breakage characteristics and the jaw movement
      data showed that on average 52% of the variation in the vertical jaw movement
      during crushing of food could be explained by the inherent properties of the
      food.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877897
TI  - Infant-adult differences in unmasked thresholds for the discrimination of
      consonant-vowel syllable pairs.
AB  - Speech sound discrimination thresholds were obtained for two speech sound
      contrasts (/ba/ vs. /da/ and /ba/ vs. /ga/) for infant and adult subjects. The
      stimuli were computer-generated synthetic tokens. An adaptive (one-up, one-down)
      threshold procedure was used with the visual reinforcement infant speech
      discrimination procedure for the infant subjects. Adults were tested using the
      same apparatus and threshold-tracking protocol as the infants. There was a 28-dB
      difference in threshold for discrimination of /ba/ versus /da/ and a 25-dB
      difference in threshold for discrimination of /ba/versus/ga/ between the infants
      and the adults. The differences reveal that to reach a criterion level of
      performance on a simple speech perception task, infants require much greater
      stimulus intensity than do adults. This has implications for our understanding of
      normal auditory development, for our notions of hearing impairment in infants and
      for the role of intensity in research studies of infant speech perception.

PMID- 1877898
TI  - Objective measures of sentence level with respect to loudness.
AB  - The best method for objectively measuring the level of running speech has not yet
      been established. In the present study, subjective and objective measures of the
      level of sentence pairs were compared. Psychoacoustic judgments of the loudness
      of ten sentence pairs were made by ten listeners. The level of the sentences was
      measured using four objective methods. The purpose was to determine which of the
      objective measures best matched the psychoacoustic data. The objective methods
      included: Sound level meter (SLM), percentile level, average power level (Leq)
      and the loudness calculation procedure according to ISO 532 B. There were no
      significant differences between the estimates using the SLM set on either
      'Impulse', 'Fast' or 'Slow' settings, the Leq, the percentile level Lmax and the
      percentile loudness Nmax to N30 using conventional calculation techniques. The
      measures obtained using A-weighting on the SLM were not found to be superior to
      the unweighted measures. These findings have implications for the measurement of
      the level of sentences used in clinical audiology.

PMID- 1877899
TI  - Use and benefit of hearing aids in the tenth decade--and beyond.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use and benefit of hearing aids in
      185 hearing-disabled subjects born before 1900, consecutively fitted with a
      hearing aid during the first 6 months of 1989. Information from 138 (75%)
      subjects, 117 females and 21 males with a median age of 93 years (range 90-107),
      was obtained from a questionnaire, which was mailed 4-6 months after the fitting
      procedure. The questionnaire included questions concerning use of the hearing
      aid(s), self-reported benefit, handling problems, overall
      satisfaction/dissatisfaction, social and domiciliary situation and self-reported
      visual capacity. Among these elderly subjects 75% had previously been provided
      with hearing aids, while 25% were first-time users. The results demonstrate that
      76% use the hearing aid(s) at home and in small groups, and that 51% use the
      hearing aid(s) each day; however, 35% did not respond to this question. 64%
      expressed general satisfaction with their aid(s). Despite instruction and
      counselling, handling problems were frequently present. In those previously
      fitted with hearing aids a higher rate of time-related use and satisfaction was
      present, and handling problems were less frequent than in the first-time
      applicants. It is concluded that elderly hearing-impaired subjects in the tenth
      decade use and benefit from hearing aids; however, more problems concerning use
      and benefit of hearing aids are present in this age group than in the younger age
      groups.

PMID- 1877900
TI  - Clinical evaluation of a programmable three-channel automatic gain control
      amplification system.
AB  - This paper reports on the clinical evaluation of a commercially available head
      worn programmable 3-channel automatic gain control (AGC) hearing instrument
      (Siemens, Triton 3000). A preliminary fitting procedure is developed for the 3
      channel AGC amplification system, which is compared by 26 experienced hearing
      instrument wearers with their own single-channel AGC instruments. The benefits of
      both amplification systems are assessed by speech audiometry at different signal
      to-noise ratios utilizing German rhyme test speech material. In addition,
      subjective judgements concerning sound quality, speech intelligibility and
      comparison with the subject's own instrument are evaluated. The results indicate
      that the multichannel compression instrument is superior to single-channel aids
      in competitive speech situations. If the 3-channel AGC instrument is used as an
      automatic noise reduction system in patients requiring a certain amount of low
      frequency gain, a markedly better speech recognition can be achieved compared to
      the subject's personal aids.

PMID- 1877901
TI  - Test-retest variability in audiometric threshold with supraaural and insert
      earphones among children and adults.
AB  - The effect of age and earphone condition on test-retest intrasubject variability
      in audiometric threshold was investigated. Ten subjects in each of the following
      age groups were investigated: 6-9 years, 10-13 years and young adults. Test
      retest audiometric thresholds were collected at six frequencies (250, 500, 1,000,
      2,000, 4,000 and 8,000 Hz) under three earphone conditions (Telephonics TDH-50P
      supraaural and Etymotic Research ER-3A insert earphone coupled to an immittance
      probe cuff or a foam insert). No statistically significant differences were found
      in variability of test-retest differences as a function of age, earphone
      condition or test frequency (p greater than 0.05). The clinical application of
      the insert earphone is recommended with children and adults as it affords no
      greater test-retest variability and at the same time provides a solution to a
      number of limitations incurred with the use of the supraaural earphone.

PMID- 1877902
TI  - Binaural masking level differences in children with a history of otitis media.
AB  - The binaural hearing of children with and without a history of otitis media (OM)
      was assessed by determining their binaural masking level differences (BMLDs). The
      test was also administered to a group of adults. BMLDs for the non-OM children
      were not significantly different from those of adults. However the mean BMLD of
      the OM children was significantly lower than that of non-OM children. Some
      children in the OM group had small (15-25 dB HL) sensitivity deficits in one or
      both ears. However, no correlation was found between BMLD and hearing level in
      cases of either symmetric or asymmetric loss. Exclusion of OM children with
      residual middle ear abnormalities did not abolish the significant difference
      between the OM and non-OM groups. We suggest that the small BMLDs in the OM group
      may be associated with these children having difficulties detecting and attending
      to signals in noisy environments.

PMID- 1877904
TI  - A ten-year follow-up case report following surgical correction of anterior open
      bite.
AB  - A case is reported whereby an anterior open-bite was treated with the Kole
      osteotomy in an adult Chinese girl. This study documents cephalometrically the
      post-treatment changes occurring in the dento-alveolar complex over a ten year
      follow-up period and describes the possible mechanisms contributing to the
      remarkable stability of the open-bite correction.

PMID- 1877903
TI  - Minimal morbidity in outpatients undergoing oral surgical procedures under
      general anaesthesia in the dental surgery.
AB  - Economic pressures have resulted in an increased demand for surgical treatment
      under general anaesthesia on an outpatient basis. Previous studies have reported
      a high incidence of severe morbidity associated with general anaesthesia in both
      general dentistry and oral surgery. This is particularly marked with dento
      alveolar procedures. The ready availability of relatively inexpensive monitoring
      equipment together with upgraded standards recently announced by various
      authorities necessitates that all practitioners review their current practices in
      the areas of sedation and general anaesthesia. In addition to the ultimate
      importance of patient care and safety, the increased incidence of litigation
      leaves no latitude for complacency. This paper details a relatively simple, cost
      effective general anaesthetic technique suitable for outpatient oral surgical
      procedures in the dental surgery in which all relevant recommendations at the
      time of writing were observed or exceeded. Associated morbidity was considerably
      less than previously reported, with a high degree of patient satisfaction.

PMID- 1877905
TI  - Eosinophilic granuloma of the oral region: a potential diagnostic problem.
AB  - Eosinophilic granuloma is a condition which may initially present with oral
      symptoms. Its variable oral clinical manifestations can result in a potential
      diagnostic problem for the dental surgeon. Two cases are presented which
      illustrate the difficulties in making a definitive diagnosis. The importance of a
      biopsy in diagnosis and the use of a whole-body skeletal scan in formulating a
      treatment plan are highlighted.

PMID- 1877906
TI  - The effect of cheese on dental caries: a review of the literature.
AB  - The relationship between nutrition and dental health has been a topic of interest
      for many years. Recently, the cariostatic properties of cheese have been the
      subject of intensive research. Most of these studies suggest that the use of
      cheese as the final food in a meal will help to reduce caries. Several mechanisms
      by which cheese may reduce enamel demineralization have been proposed. Chewing
      cheese stimulates saliva flow. The alkaline nature of saliva buffers the acids
      formed in plaque. There is also an increased rate of sugar clearance due to the
      diluting action of cheese-stimulated saliva. Research has also suggested that
      chewing cheese may reduce the levels of cariogenic bacteria. This may be
      secondary to the reduced incidence of caries as conditions within a carious
      lesion tend to promote the growth of these organisms. The high calcium and
      phosphorus content seems to be another factor in the cariostatic mechanism of
      cheese. Both casein and whey protein seem to be involved in the reduction of
      enamel demineralization. Casein phosphopeptides may also be responsible for some
      anticariogenicity by concentrating calcium and phosphate in plaque. An overview
      of the effect of milk on dental caries is also presented in this review.

PMID- 1877907
TI  - The range of functional mandibular movement in bruxists. 3. Results.
AB  - Part 3 presents the results of the examination carried out in Part 2. A summary
      of the tooth tapping task and the chewing task is given with comment on the
      coronal, sagittal, and horizontal plane of bruxists and non-bruxists.

PMID- 1877908
TI  - Endurance of jaw elevator muscles during cementation of a single molar crown.
AB  - Muscle activity of four jaw-closing muscles was monitored in 19 healthy subjects
      by EMG, under conditions associated with cementation of a crown restoration. Each
      subject performed two maximum voluntary contractions (MVC), each of two minutes
      duration, separated by a thirty-minute time interval. There was no visual
      feedback of muscle activity. Local analgesia, psychologic reinforcement and
      actual cementation were other conditions tested. All muscles fatigued as a
      function of time. For this experimental procedure the ipselateral muscles
      demonstrated less endurance than contralateral muscles. Psychologic reinforcement
      did not alter muscle activity. The effect of local analgesia was inconclusive and
      requires further investigation.

PMID- 1877909
TI  - Severe abrasion of composite and amalgam restorations in a patient with lupus
      erythematosus systemic. Case report.
AB  - A case of repeated severe abrasion of amalgam and composite resin restorations in
      a patient under treatment for Lupus erythematosus systemic is reported. The
      patient had a history of audible nocturnal bruxism. Severe roughening occurred
      within three weeks of placement of the restorations and was related precisely to
      surfaces in contact with the opposing restored dentition. Examination by SEM
      revealed an unusual wear pattern of the amalgam restorations.

PMID- 1877910
TI  - The dental profession in Hong Kong.

PMID- 1877911
TI  - Comparison between two procion dyes and alizarin red to assess marginal leakage
      in resin restorations. A laboratory study.
AB  - To assess the width of the gaps that may occur in resin restorations bonded to
      dentine, buccal and lingual cavities were prepared in 18 caries- and restoration
      free extracted molar teeth. All teeth were restored with composite resin. Nine of
      the teeth were then thermocycled for five hours. All teeth were stained with 0.5
      per cent, 1.0 per cent or 1.5 per cent solutions of chloro-s-triazinyl dyes
      (Reactive Red and Reactive Orange 14) or Alizarin Red in order to assess the
      effectiveness of each stain in detecting marginal leakage. Quantitative
      assessment indicated that Reactive Orange 14 was superior to the other two stains
      as it more clearly defined the marginal gaps of the restorations. This
      superiority was evident for both thermocycled and nonthermocycled teeth.

PMID- 1877912
TI  - Soft tissue calcifications in the differential diagnosis of opacities
      superimposed over the mandible by dental panoramic radiography.
AB  - Not all opacities observed on panoramic dental radiographs are associated with
      the jaws. Two thousand six hundred and twenty-eight panoramic radiographs
      obtained from a single dental health clinic were evaluated for the presence of
      opacities associated with the mandible. Opacities were observed in 4 per cent of
      cases. The radiographic features of these opacities are presented. The importance
      of including soft tissue calcifications which may be superimposed over the
      mandible on panoramic views in the differential diagnosis is discussed.
      Information on the various soft tissue calcifications which can occur in this
      region is presented.

PMID- 1877913
TI  - The treatment of facial disharmony and malocclusion by jaw surgery. Case reports.
AB  - Examples are given of the Australian Cranio-Facial Unit's methods of dealing with
      facial disharmony and malocclusion by orthognathic surgery. Members of the Unit
      specialize in different aspects of craniofacial structure and function, and their
      teamwork is described. Treatment planning and assessment are illustrated by
      traditional cephalometric and other analytical procedures, and by pattern profile
      analysis. An appraisal is made of the Unit's increasing use of computer
      technology to facilitate these analyses, and to integrate various sources of
      information about facial disharmony.

PMID- 1877914
TI  - A large dermoid cyst of the neck. Case report.
AB  - An elderly patient presented with a large asymptomatic submental swelling which
      had been present for about fifteen years. The clinical diagnosis was a dermoid
      cyst and the lesion was removed in toto. Histological examination confirmed the
      clinical diagnosis. Unless such lesions are very large and cause displacement of
      the tongue, there is usually no associated dyspnoea, dysphagia or dysphonia.

PMID- 1877915
TI  - Transmigration of permanent mandibular canines. Case report.
AB  - Transmigration is the migration of a tooth across the midline of the jaw. This
      phenomenon is found only in relation to the permanent mandibular canines. Two
      cases are reported. In both, the cause of this deviation was an odontome found in
      the site normally occupied by the mandibular canine. The literature on
      transmigration is reviewed.

PMID- 1877916
TI  - The range of functional mandibular movement in bruxists. 4. Discussion and
      conclusions.
AB  - A study of some kinesiological characteristics of the mandible of non-bruxist and
      bruxist subjects was carried out using a closed circuit television point movement
      tracking system. The use of incandescent light bulbs attached to the incisor
      teeth of the maxilla and mandible as the point movement source allowed records to
      be made without head restraint of the subjects examined. Records were stored on
      magnetic tape. Mandibular movement was studied using the vertical, lateral and
      anteroposterior components of movement. Two components of movement were combined
      electronically for all three combinations of the components and the signals
      produced were used to prepare envelopes of motion graphically, on an X-Y
      recorder, in the coronal, sagittal and horizontal planes. Qualitative analysis of
      envelopes of motion in three planes mutually at right angles proved useful in
      providing information which demonstrated trends to minor differences between non
      bruxist and bruxist subjects. However, variations of patterns of movement
      occurred frequently enough in each test of each group to negate any possibility
      at present of using these techniques in the development of diagnostic procedures.

PMID- 1877917
TI  - Replacement of low copper amalgams by a group of general dental practitioners.
AB  - The replacement of low copper amalgams was studied in a number of general
      practices in Adelaide in 1975 duplicating, by design, the method of a similar
      Canadian study. The results of this study are in surprising agreement with the
      Canadian data, and are still relevant to modern practice as the high copper
      alloys have not proven to have greatly superior longevity. This study involved 60
      dentists who, over 271 working days, replaced an average of 6.7 amalgam
      surfaces/dentist/day. This is equivalent to 1541 amalgam surfaces
      replaced/dentist/year. In addition, the reasons given for the removal of existing
      amalgam restorations were closely congruent with those given by the Canadian
      dentists. This study also indicated that many of these restorations increased in
      size. This is evident through restorations extending from two surfaces to involve
      three surfaces.

PMID- 1877918
TI  - Comparison of dental needs with the treatments actually received.
AB  - The main purpose of the study was to determine the types, causes, dental needs,
      and follow-up treatments of the chief complaints of a socioeconomically
      disadvantaged population of patients attending a public dental hospital. Around
      half of the 301 patients examined were 45 years of age and older, and the vast
      majority were of caucasian origin. The most common dental complaints in 259
      patients were toothache, broken teeth, lost fillings, and painful, broken or
      loose dentures. The most frequent causes of the chief complaints were judged to
      be dental caries, and inadequate restorations and removable prostheses. On
      examination, most of the patients also had one or more other unsatisfactory
      restorations or removable prostheses, especially in the 35 years and over age
      group. Deep periodontal pockets were also found most often in this age group.
      After four to six months, of the 259 patients with chief complaints, 113 had had
      their complaints treated and 45 had not, 47 patients were given a different form
      of treatment from that proposed, while 31 treatments were uncompleted, and 23
      patients could not be followed up.

PMID- 1877920
TI  - The effects of temperature on the setting of glass ionomer (polyalkenoate)
      cements.
AB  - Glass ionomer (polyalkenoate) cements have proved to be superior to zinc
      phosphate cements as orthodontic luting agents. Setting behaviours at different
      temperatures were recorded by an oscillating rheometer under controlled
      conditions. The working time of these cements can be increased by mixing on a
      chilled glass slab with setting time at mouth temperatures remaining rapid. Where
      more than one orthodontic band is cemented per mix, the authors recommend
      refrigeration of the glass slab for at least one hour prior to mixing the cement.

PMID- 1877919
TI  - Effects of pulsing with xylitol on mixed continuous cultures of oral
      streptococci.
AB  - Continuous culture is a means whereby organisms can be grown at rates approaching
      those occurring naturally. Moreover, the effect of adding transient excesses of
      various nutrients to the culture vessel ('pulsing') simulates the effect of
      dietary challenge on dental plaque organisms. Mixed cultures of Streptococcus
      mutans T8 and Streptococcus milleri B448 were grown glucose-limited in a
      chemically defined medium under an atmosphere of 5 per cent carbon dioxide in
      nitrogen, at a dilution rate of D = 0.1 h-1 and controlled pH of 7.0. The level
      of arginine in the medium reservoir was adjusted so that Strep. milleri
      predominated over Strep. mutans in a stable coexistence. After equilibration, the
      culture vessel was pulsed with various carbohydrates to a final concentration of
      5 x 10(-2)mol/L. Samples were then taken at regular intervals and differential
      viable counts of Strep. mutans and Strep. milleri were done on mitissalivarius
      agar. Results demonstrated that pulsing with glucose, fructose, 'coupling sugar',
      lactose, xylose and sorbitol gave Strep. mutans a clear ecological advantage. In
      direct contrast, pulsing with xylitol resulted in a marked antimicrobial effect
      on Strep. mutans while Strep. milleri was essentially unaffected. This supports
      recent findings by other workers that uptake of this pentitol by Strep. mutans in
      batch culture sets up a 'futile cycle', leading to depressed growth or even cell
      death.

PMID- 1877921
TI  - Dentist-patient relations.

PMID- 1877922
TI  - Insisting on policy and protocol.

PMID- 1877923
TI  - The need for a national task force on dementia.

PMID- 1877924
TI  - Expert nursing care: some reflections.

PMID- 1877925
TI  - Used sharps: a hazard in household rubbish.

PMID- 1877926
TI  - An expensive hobby.

PMID- 1877927
TI  - Nurse and the law. Disclosing the risks.

PMID- 1877928
TI  - The third age. Don't give CAM back!

PMID- 1877929
TI  - Pentamidine.

PMID- 1877930
TI  - RACS Lecture. The collegiate role in the development of professionalism in the
      modern community.

PMID- 1877931
TI  - Comparative study of the role of endo-urological manipulation in the treatment of
      ureteric calculi using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
AB  - The results of treatment of 115 patients with upper and mid-ureteric calculi,
      using endo-urological manipulation and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy were
      reviewed. The number of shocks administered, the kilovoltage used, the radiation
      exposure time and the degree of fragmentation achieved were evaluated.
      Complications occurring in the course of this treatment were also reviewed. A
      significantly lower number of impulses was required for fragmentation to be
      apparent at 24 h post-treatment, when the ureteric calculus was able to be
      manipulated back into the renal pelvis. However, at 6 weeks post-extracorporeal
      shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) satisfactory fragmentation was apparent in
      approximately equal percentages of patients who had undergone successful and
      unsuccessful manipulation. In addition, a significantly greater mean radiation
      exposure was used in the treatment of mid-ureteric calculi that could not be
      successfully manipulated and required treatment in situ within the ureter. These
      results suggest that treatment of a ureteric calculus in situ within the ureter
      provides a satisfactory method of fragmentation, although fragmentation takes
      longer to become apparent than when treatment is undertaken upon a calculus
      within the renal pelvis. The greater radiation exposure for patients in whom
      ureteric calculi were treated in in situ within the ureter may reflect the
      operators' attempts to visualize a change in configuration of the calculus
      similar to that seen when treatment is given to a stone that has been
      successfully manipulated. However, since the absence of fragmentation at 24 h
      post-surgery does not indicate a failed treatment in this group, prolonged
      screening of the calculus with fluoroscopy may be unnecessary. The complication
      rate of this method of treatment was low.

PMID- 1877932
TI  - Radiation therapy for the management of localized prostate carcinoma.
AB  - Radiation therapy has been reported as an effective modality for the curative
      management of localized prostate carcinoma. In a 6 year period (1982-87), 141
      patients with localized prostate carcinoma were treated at Auckland Hospital.
      Most patients were given radiation to the prostate alone. The overall local
      failure rate was 14%, with 57 patients developing distant metastases at the time
      of analysis. Toxicity was generally acceptable but was clearly related to the
      size of the treatment volume. The 5 year actuarial survival for all patients was
      69.5%. Relapse-free survival rate was 39% at 5 years. Clinical stage and
      histological differentiation were significant factors affecting survival.
      Histology was a significant factor in local control. Radiation therapy for
      localized prostate carcinoma is effective, with a high rate of local control and
      low morbidity.

PMID- 1877933
TI  - Polytef paste for urinary incontinence.
AB  - A series of 28 patients injected with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) (Polytef,
      Mentor) paste for urinary incontinence is presented. The cystoscopic method of
      injection was used in 25 patients. Twenty-four adult females with stress
      incontinence were treated: 10 of these were long-term cures and five improved.
      Success rates were higher in those who had had previous gynaecological surgery
      (10 of 12: P less than 0.05) or who had well supported vaginal walls (5 of 5: P
      less than 0.05). Three adult males were treated, but all failed. Complications
      including the risk of micro-embolization are discussed. Low morbidity is an
      attraction and it is concluded that this treatment may have a place for older
      women with stress incontinence and a well-supported, preferably scarred, anterior
      vaginal wall. It may be performed under topical local anaesthetic if desired. The
      availability of a more suitable agent would widen the application of the
      technique. Subject to long-term experience vindicating early trials,
      glutaraldehyde cross-linked collagen may be a suitable replacement for PTFE in
      this role.

PMID- 1877934
TI  - Detection of gonadal carcinoma in situ in childhood and implications for
      management.
AB  - Cells with the characteristic features of carcinoma in situ (CIS) were detected
      in histological sections of the gonads of three of seven children with clinical
      syndromes associated with a high risk of gonadal neoplasia. It is suggested that
      early detection of these cells may be useful in resolving problems of management,
      including gonadectomy and decisions about sex of rearing. Early detection of CIS
      cells may have a place in the management of the undescended testis.

PMID- 1877935
TI  - Preliminary results of conservative treatment of early breast cancer with
      tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy. A retrospective
      review of 107 patients.
AB  - A consecutive series of 107 patients with early breast cancer treated by
      tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy was
      retrospectively reviewed. The average age at presentation was 48, range 30-79.
      Only 23.4% of women were post-menopausal. Average follow-up time was 48 months,
      range 19-94 months. Eight-three per cent had palpable lesions, the remaining
      16.8% had needle localization. Ninety-four patients (88.7%) had lesions less than
      2 cm in diameter clinically. One patient had a lesion greater than 3 cm in
      diameter clinically. Seventy-two per cent had invasive duct carcinoma. Twenty
      (18.9%) had invasive disease at the margins and fifteen were re-excised. Of the
      20 patients who had invasive disease at the margins, three developed local
      recurrence. True loco-regional recurrence rate (i.e., loco-regional recurrence
      rate without distant metastasis) was 2.8%. All had level I and II axillary
      dissections and 26.4% were up-staged from clinical stage 1 to pathological stage
      II. Five patients died, three with recurrences and two with unrelated disease.
      Tumourectomy, axillary dissection and postoperative radiotherapy is an acceptable
      regimen for early carcinoma of the breast.

PMID- 1877937
TI  - Open subtalar dislocation.
AB  - Open subtalar dislocation is a rare injury, accounting for about 0.1% of all
      dislocations and, consequently, the natural history and outcome of this injury
      and their relevance to treatment are not well documented. A retrospective study
      at Westmead Hospital revealed 10 patients who presented with this injury between
      1978 and 1988. We had the opportunity to review all of these patients in 1987 and
      again in 1989. We found a high incidence (60%) of poor results, and that the only
      factor that influenced the outcome was infection. It is concluded that the poor
      prognosis is due to the nature of the injury itself, rather than any particular
      factors in the subsequent management. Specifically, there was no relation to the
      direction of the dislocation, the presence of fractures in the foot, the time
      elapsed before reduction, or the period of immobilization.

PMID- 1877936
TI  - Gastrointestinal cancer follow-up: the effectiveness of sequential CEA, TPA and
      Ca 19-9 evaluation in the early diagnosis of recurrences.
AB  - One-hundred and seventy-four consecutive patients who underwent curative
      resection for gastric and colorectal cancer between 1983 and 1985 were studied
      prospectively to evaluate the roles of sequential carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),
      tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and Ca 19-9 determinations and independent
      clinical examinations, in the early diagnosis of resectable recurrences. Sixty
      six recurrences (33 from gastric and 33 from colorectal cancer) were detected
      between 6 and 42 months after primary surgery. In gastric cancer CEA, TPA and Ca
      19-9 showed a sensitivity of 64%, 73% and 60% respectively and a specificity of
      67%, 65% and 54% respectively. Nine patients (27%) underwent surgical treatment
      for recurrent disease, and four of these (44.4%) had resectable recurrence, for a
      total resectability rate of 12%. Of these four patients, three are still living
      after 12, 36 and 44 months respectively from re-operation without evidence of
      neoplastic disease. In one of these patients, re-operation was performed on the
      basis of the elevation of the three markers, without any other clinical sign of
      disease. This patient had a resectable solitary hepatic recurrence. In colorectal
      cancer. CEA, TPA and Ca 19-9 showed a sensitivity of 73%, 73% and 49%
      respectively, and a specificity of 77%, 87% and 97% respectively. Fourteen
      patients (42.4%) underwent surgical treatment for recurrent disease and eight of
      these (57%) showed resectable recurrence, for a total resectability rate of
      24.2%. Six patients are still living after 9, 16, 21, 31, 41 and 53 months
      respectively from re-operation without evidence of neoplastic disease.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877938
TI  - Physics and function of operating room suction.
AB  - A study was done to evaluate the performance of suction apparatus in the
      operating room. The investigation was prompted by perceived poor suction
      performance in a suite of new operating rooms built in accordance with Standards
      Australia (SA) specifications. SA performance tests were conducted on each of
      four suction outlets in nine operating rooms. All 36 outlets complied with SA
      standards for flow-rate (minimum 40 L/min) and occluded negative pressure (ONP;
      minimum -60 kPa). However, 24 collection units failed to comply with standards
      (ONP) of -40 kPa achieved in less than 4 s when a 4 L disposable suction
      apparatus was connected (mean time to ONP: 6.1 s, 95% confidence interval: 4.9,
      7.3). When smaller capacity suction jars were substituted, more units met SA
      standards. The standards therefore need revision to include specification of the
      capacity of the collecting apparatus. Other factors that were found to degrade
      suction performance significantly were air leakage and defective shut-off valves.
      The physical principles involved in operating room suction are described.
      Surgeons and anaesthetists should understand these principles, and it is
      recommended that a simple pre-operative check of the suction apparatus should be
      carried out, as follows: (1) Turn the wall control knob fully on, and disconnect
      the suction apparatus. The gauge should register zero. (2) Connect the suction
      jars. If the indicated gauge pressure is in excess of -15 kPa, investigate the
      equipment for excessive resistance, particularly in the shut-off valve, which
      should be replaced with a new unit if necessary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877939
TI  - A comparison of standard and rapid infusion methods of liver preservation during
      multi-organ procurement.
AB  - The standard and rapid infusion techniques of liver preservation during multi
      organ procurement were compared in the porcine model of orthotopic liver
      transplantation. Group I (n = 48) had the standard method of procurement while
      group II (n = 34) underwent the rapid infusion method. Donor liver function was
      compared between the two methods using the criteria of survival, liver function
      tests and histology. No statistically significant difference was evident between
      the two groups. Because of logistical advantages, the rapid infusion method is
      recommended as the technique of choice during multi-organ procurement.

PMID- 1877940
TI  - Prognostic significance of nuclear DNA content in phaeochromocytoma.
AB  - Nuclear DNA content of 27 phaeochromocytomas was measured by image analysis of
      thin sections and monolayer smears of nuclei extracted from thick sections
      (cytospins) using archival paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Recurrence was
      assessed on the basis of clinical follow-up or urinary catecholamine levels. The
      mean follow-up was 5.0 years, with a range of 4 months to 15 years. Although it
      is not possible to differentiate accurately malignant tumours using DNA analysis,
      prediction of benign tumours is possible. Using thin sections, all tumours were
      benign when the percentage of cells with a DNA content of 2.5 c (2 c = diploid)
      was less than 40% and the DNA content of 5 c was less than 4%. Using the cytospin
      preparation, all diploid tumours were benign. Thus, patients with diploid tumours
      may be saved intensive long-term follow-up. Aneuploid and tetraploid tumours,
      however, continue to require careful lifelong follow-up.

PMID- 1877941
TI  - Free flap from a non-replantable digit for microvascular digital reconstruction
      in a multi-digital hand injury.
AB  - Multi-digit hand injuries require assessment of possible methods of repair and
      consideration of long-term function to determine the most appropriate management
      for the individual patient. A case is presented in which an amputated non
      replantable digit was used as a source of a free flap to cover a large defect on
      another injured digit.

PMID- 1877942
TI  - Iatrogenic spinal subdural haematoma.
AB  - Spinal subdural haematoma is a rare condition, usually seen in association with
      lumbar puncture or a bleeding disorder. It carries a high morbidity and
      mortality, and successful treatment requires prompt surgical intervention. We
      present a case of mixed spinal subarachnoid and subdural haemorrhage complicating
      failed spinal anaesthesia combined with anti-coagulation in an elderly woman,
      together with a review of the literature.

PMID- 1877943
TI  - Multiple hepatic abscesses due to Yersinia enterocolitica.

PMID- 1877944
TI  - An unusual cervico-laryngeal haemangioma.

PMID- 1877945
TI  - Hamartoma of the breast.
AB  - A case of hamartoma of the breast is reported and the literature reviewed. The
      clinical, radiological and pathological features of this rare condition are
      discussed, together with the difficulties in diagnosis. Familiarity with this
      lesion should enable it to be recognized more frequently in future.

PMID- 1877946
TI  - Torsion of the gall-bladder: rare, unrecognized or under-reported?
AB  - Four cases of torsion of the gall-bladder are reported. The clinical features
      closely mimic those of acute cholecystitis. Although conservative management was
      initially instituted, close monitoring of our patients led to appropriate
      surgical intervention. Review of the literature suggests that torsion is
      uncommon. Four surgical registrars at busy district general hospitals seeing four
      cases in one year suggests that it is under-reported. Acute torsion can develop
      after a period of recurrent abdominal pain--retrospectively diagnosed as 'chronic
      torsion'. A prospective study using currently available imaging procedures to
      assess gall-bladder mobility, itself associated with torsion, could reveal
      whether this leads to chronic pain.

PMID- 1877947
TI  - Primary squamous carcinoma of the liver: clinical and histopathological features.
AB  - A case of primary squamous carcinoma of the liver is analysed in the light of 21
      previously reported cases. Symptoms of abdominal pain, weight loss and
      intermittent fever were in keeping with those most frequently recorded for the
      tumour type. Histopathological evaluation suggested metaplastic origin from a
      cholangiocarcinoma. A squamous carcinoma found in the liver need not reflect
      metastatic spread and primary tumours can be resected if well localized.

PMID- 1877948
TI  - Fatal haemoperitoneum due to liver metastases from nasopharyngeal cancer.
AB  - Spontaneous rupture of hepatic metastases is rare, there being only 22 cases
      documented in the literature. We report here the first such case due to
      nasopharyngeal carcinomatous metastases. This is of interest because in South
      East Asia ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma is the usual cause of spontaneous
      fatal haemoperitoneum.

PMID- 1877949
TI  - Quality assurance project: treatment outlines for schizoid and schizotypal
      personality disorders.

PMID- 1877950
TI  - Psychiatric care of the elderly.

PMID- 1877951
TI  - Forensic psychiatric services in Victoria.

PMID- 1877952
TI  - Depression subtyping: unitary, binary or arbitrary?

PMID- 1877953
TI  - Culture and behaviour of East Asians.

PMID- 1877954
TI  - Suicide in New Zealand 1957-1986: the influence of age, period and birth-cohort.
AB  - New Zealand suicide rates from 1957 to 1986 were analysed for age, period and
      cohort effects. Cumulative suicide rates were relatively stable but more complex
      patterns were revealed by detailed analysis. There was a steadily increasing rate
      in young men and a recent increase in elderly men. Reduced mortality rates in
      equivalent categories of accidental and "undetermined" deaths could have
      accounted for only a proportion of these increases. A cohort effect was noted in
      men, with increasing risks of suicide in the young for successive birth-cohorts
      born from 1947 onwards. In women a period effect was likely, with increasing
      rates for all age-groups between 1957-61 and 1962-66, followed by a decline
      recently among all except the youngest age-groups. These trends in women may have
      been largely due to changes in barbiturate prescribing. In both sexes poisoning
      declined as a method of suicide, while hanging and carbon monoxide poisoning
      increased. Firearm suicides also increased in men. The implications of these
      results for prevention are considered.

PMID- 1877955
TI  - Sir Burton G. Burton-Bradley.

PMID- 1877956
TI  - An examination of recent suicides in remote Australia: further information from
      the Kimberley.
AB  - Aboriginal suicide has emerged as an issue of public concern only within the
      recent past. Within the last decade there has been a substantial increase from
      levels that were previously low. Under the shadow of the Royal Commission into
      Aboriginal Deaths in Custody these increases, involving primarily young adult
      males, raise serious questions. Two years ago the author examined a series of
      suicides that had occurred in one area of remote Aboriginal Australia, the
      Kimberly region of Western Australia. This paper examines suicides that have
      occurred in the following two years, with comparisons both with the previous
      suicides, and with a group of age-matched Aborigines from the general Kimberly
      population drawn from a random sample survey.

PMID- 1877957
TI  - The social and family context of aboriginal self-harmful behaviour in remote
      Australia.
AB  - In the preceding paper information was presented on a series of recent Aboriginal
      suicides in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In this paper the author
      proceeds to an examination of the social and historical context of these events,
      which have occurred in conjunction with increases in other violent behaviours.
      Drawing from information generated by a survey of a stratified random sample of
      Aborigines from across the region, the rapidly changing environment of childhood
      is discussed, with particular attention to the structural and functional changes
      in caretaking roles. The inter-cultural context of these, as yet, largely intra
      cultural manifestations of disadvantage, are emphasised.

PMID- 1877958
TI  - Biopsychosocial psychiatry and the criminal justice system: a case report.
AB  - In criminal proceedings a psychiatrist may be called upon to give evidence as to
      the state of mind of an accused at the time an alleged crime was committed.
      Seldom is the psychiatrist able to examine the person at or before the time of
      the offence and therefore arrives at an opinion by examining the person at some
      later time. Information gained by this examination is combined with all relevant
      reports and transcripts concerning the accused, collateral history from friends,
      relatives or other treating health professionals and the results of any clinical
      investigations. The psychiatrist ultimately forms an opinion as to the probable
      state of mind of the accused at the material time.

PMID- 1877960
TI  - Clonazepam in acute mania: a double blind trial.
AB  - In a double-blind trial involving acutely manic patients, clonazepam was compared
      to placebo, both groups receiving chlorpromazine as needed. The group receiving
      clonazepam showed significantly more improvement in their manic but not their
      psychotic symptoms compared to the placebo group. This effect was not primarily
      related to the sedative effects of clonazepam. Clonazepam tended to reduce the
      need for phenothiazine medication. Side effects related to sedation were more
      common to the clonazepam group. These findings are the first to indicate that
      clonazepam may have a specific antimanic effect over and above that of
      phenothiazines alone.

PMID- 1877959
TI  - Attitudes of psychiatric patients and their relatives to involuntary treatment.
AB  - In 1979 a Guardianship Board assumed responsibility in South Australia for the
      welfare of those mentally ill or handicapped people unable to look after their
      own health or safety, or to manage their own affairs. This study examines the
      attitudes to guardianship and involuntary treatment of 79 patients referred to
      the Board from a psychiatric hospital, all of whom were under guardianship at the
      time of the study. Forty-seven of their relatives took part in the project, which
      included measures of patients' psychiatric symptoms and relatives' punitiveness.
      Although almost 70% of patients objected to Guardianship in principle, they made
      more positive than negative statements about it. Nearly 60% rated involuntary
      treatment, including medication, as helpful. Patients reported a level of
      psychiatric symptoms less than half of that of a psychiatric outpatient sample.
      Relatives were strongly in favour of Guardianship, stating frequently that it
      allowed an improved relationship between themselves and the patient. Patients who
      believed that they were suffering from a mental illness were comparatively happy
      about being under Guardianship, and a belief that the patient was mentally ill
      was significantly associated with reduced extrapunitiveness in relatives.

PMID- 1877961
TI  - Concordance with recommendations in a consultation-liaison psychiatry service.
AB  - We studied the concordance of physicians with the recommendations of psychiatric
      consultants in a sample of 270 consultations in a 400-bed general hospital. Of
      the patients about whom a consultation was sought, 37% had a past psychiatric
      history, and 67% were on psychotropic drugs. Twelve percent had Organic Mental
      Disorder, 35% Affective Disorder, and for 24% no DSM-III diagnosis could be made.
      The psychiatrist made psychotropic drug recommendations in 62%, and the
      physicians' concordance with this recommendation was 86%. The physician's
      discharge summary included a diagnosis which concorded with the psychiatrist's
      diagnosis in 53% of files. The psychiatrist recommended further investigations in
      only 5.2% of files.

PMID- 1877962
TI  - Propofol as an anaesthetic agent for ECT: effect on outcome and length of course.
AB  - Recent reports of reduced seizure duration with ECT under propofol anaesthesia
      have led to concerns that propofol may diminish the efficacy of this treatment.
      To investigate the effect of propofol on the response to ECT, we reviewed records
      of 66 patients with primary depression treated with ECT, 37 of whom had been
      assessed prospectively with pre- and post-ECT Hamilton and Zung depression
      severity ratings. Despite demonstrating that the individual seizure duration was
      significantly reduced with propofol compared to thiopentone we found no evidence
      of reduced ECT efficacy with propofol. Courses under propofol anaesthesia were on
      an average two treatments longer than with thiopentone. Although this difference
      was not statistically significant this may have been due to a type II error.
      These results suggest that it is premature to abandon the use of this new
      anaesthetic agent in ECT without controlled prospective outcome studies.

PMID- 1877963
TI  - Authoritarianism among medicine and law students.
AB  - This study assessed the effects of gender, faculty, and year (level) on
      "authoritarianism" among university students within the faculties of law and
      medicine. A questionnaire, using the Ray Adapted F Scale to measure
      authoritarianism, was administered to 454 students at the University of Western
      Australia. The first, third and sixth year medical students were compared with
      first, third and final year law students. Gender alone was responsible for a
      significant source of variance, with males more authoritarian than females.
      Faculty alone showed a strong trend towards significance with medicine more
      authoritarian than law. Although no other 2- or 3- way interactions were
      significant a trend was apparent in which females became more and males less
      authoritarian with increasing level.

PMID- 1877964
TI  - A 13 year follow-up of child psychiatry training.
AB  - The graduates from two child psychiatry training programmes over a 13 year period
      responded to a questionnaire designed to elicit their retrospective evaluations
      of various aspects of their educational experience. Information is presented
      about areas of knowledge judged important, specific experiences which were
      helpful and unhelpful, and current patterns of practice of these graduates. Their
      attitudes toward supervision and supervisors are discussed, as are implications
      for recruitment of future trainees and teachers/faculty.

PMID- 1877965
TI  - The self-organization of human psychological functioning.
AB  - This article describes the traditional model of human psychological functioning
      which dominates current theorizing, contrasts it with the new, emerging
      perspective of self-organizing processes, and applies this new approach to a
      theory of human psychological functioning. In the traditional model there is an
      assumption that processes of functioning are discretely different from physical
      structure. This assumption is shown to be intrinsic to a linear conceptual
      framework which implies that (a) stability of functioning derives from physical
      structure; (b) functioning is determined by the effects of enduring, antecedent
      components; (c) the environment can selectively influence structure; and (d)
      observational methods are capable of accessing and revealing processes of
      functioning. In the contrasting self-organizational perspective, structure and
      functioning are assumed to be given in one another at the level of organizational
      process. This formulation implies that as a system functions (a) its orderliness
      and stability are being determined by the ongoing functioning itself; (b) at the
      level or organizational functioning there are no antecedent structures separate
      from consequent activity; (c) systemic functioning exists as a unitary and
      continuous organizational process; and (d) organizational functioning cannot be
      instructed by environmental events. The work of Prigogine and of Maturana are
      examined as a basis for a theory of human psychological functioning as a self
      organizing system. The theory that is proposed describes how attentional and
      experiential functioning evolve as a system of organizational continuity and
      coherence and how the process by which people recognize and identify their
      functioning secures this organizational functioning.

PMID- 1877966
TI  - Beneficial effects of bradykinin on porcine ischemic myocardium.
AB  - Exogenous bradykinin was administered to pigs in which an experimental infarction
      was evoked by ischemia and reperfusion. Ischemia (45 min) was induced in a closed
      chest model with a balloon catheter in the left anterior descending artery,
      reperfusion by deflating and removing the balloon. The pigs were treated with
      saline (n = 11) or bradykinin (0.1 mg/kg in 30 min) infusion (n = 10) during the
      last 15 min of the ischemic period and the first 15 min of reperfusion. During
      ischemia, heart rate increased in the saline group to 120 +/- 9% of the initial
      value (p less than 0.05) and in the bradykinin group to 155 +/- 13% (p less than
      0.05). After reperfusion, the rate-pressure product was increased in both groups.
      The increase of arterial creatine kinase levels was significantly less in the
      bradykinin-treated group. However, the catecholamine and purine levels were
      increased, as was the plasma renin activity when compared with the saline group.
      Two weeks after the infarction, six pigs had died in each group. In three out of
      five surviving saline-treated pigs and one out of four surviving bradykinin
      treated pigs, a sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia was inducible after
      programmed electrical stimulation. In conclusion, although systemically
      administered bradykinin caused a temporary increase in myocardial ischemia, it
      did reduce the (enzymatic indices of) infarct size. Therefore, the beneficial
      effects, previously found for ACE-inhibitors might at least partially be related
      to the potentiation of endogenous bradykinin.

PMID- 1877968
TI  - Coronary artery anomalies and bicuspid aortic valves in the Syrian hamster.
AB  - The condition of coronary arteries and aortic valves was studied in 552 Syrian
      hamsters belonging to a single family subjected to high endogamous pressure. The
      study was carried out using a corrosion-cast technique. In 178 hamsters the
      aortic valve was bicuspid. In 138 specimens, 54 of them with normal aortic valves
      and 84 with bicuspid aortic valves, anomalies in the origin of the coronary
      arteries could be classified in three morphologic types: left coronary artery
      from the pulmonary trunk (36 cases); single right coronary artery (84 cases);
      left coronary artery from the dorsal aortic sinus (18 cases). Results of a chi 2
      contingency test show that the frequency of left coronary artery from the
      pulmonary trunk and single right coronary artery significantly increases when the
      aortic valve is bicuspid. The present findings suggest that there is a
      developmental complex consisting of biscuspid aortic valve and anomalous origin
      of the coronary arteries.

PMID- 1877967
TI  - Lack of significant effects of superoxide dismutase and catalase on development
      of reperfusion arrhythmias.
AB  - It has been reported that agents having the ability to scavenge oxygen-derived
      free radicals reduce the severity of ventricular arrhythmias that occur after
      brief coronary occlusion and reperfusion. Superoxide dismutase plus catalase (SOD
      + CAT) or placebo was administered in a blinded randomized fashion prior to
      coronary occlusion in rats (n = 25 each group) undergoing a 5-min left coronary
      occlusion followed by 15 min of reperfusion. During reperfusion, ventricular
      tachycardia (VT) developed in 96% of animals in both groups. Reperfusion
      ventricular fibrillation (VF) developed in 60% of the placebo group vs 56% in the
      SOD + CAT group (p = 1.0). Irreversible VF occurred in 40% of the placebo group
      vs 20% in the SOD + CAT group (p = 0.22). Atrioventricular block occurred in 12%
      of placebo and 4% of SOD + CAT animals (p = 0.61). There were no significant
      difference between groups in duration of VT (85 +/- 15 s (mean +/- SEM) placebo
      vs 81 +/- 14 s SOD + CAT, p = 0.81), total duration of VT plus VF (391 +/- 76 s
      placebo vs 256 +/- 64 SOD + CAT, p = 0.45) or numbers of single ventricular
      ectopic beats (65 +/- 15 placebo vs 97 +/- 18 SOD + CAT, p = 0.18). Heart rate at
      reperfusion was slightly higher in control than SOD + CAT animals (340 +/- 33 vs
      319 +/- 32, p = 0.02). Risk zone size, determined by Monastral blue injection,
      was equal in both groups (34 +/- 2% of ventricular mass). The occurrence of
      reperfusion VF in this model could not be predicted by heart rate at reperfusion
      (331 +/- 33 VF animlas vs 328 +/- 36 no VF, p = 0.77), or by risk zone size (34
      +/- 2%, VF and no VF groups).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1877969
TI  - The interaction of the Bainbridge and Bezold-Jarisch reflexes in the conscious
      dog.
AB  - Experiments were undertaken to determine the efferent path of the Bainbridge
      reflex and to investigate the interaction of the Bainbridge reflex with the
      Bezold-Jarisch reflex in conscious, chronically instrumented dogs. The Bainbridge
      reflex was elicited by distending the left atrium by inflating a chronically
      implanted balloon catheter. The Bezold-Jarisch reflex was elicited using chemical
      stimulation of left ventricular receptors with infusions of veratridine (0.1-0.8
      micrograms/kg/min) into the left circumflex coronary artery. Heart-rate responses
      to left atrial balloon inflation were compared before and after either beta-1
      antagonism with metoprolol or cholinergic antagonism with atropine, and before
      and during left ventricular receptor stimulation with intracoronary veratridine.
      Left atrial balloon inflation alone caused a significant increase in heart rate
      (70.1 +/- 5 bpm), left atrial pressure (14 +/- 3 mmHg) and mean arterial blood
      pressure (10 +/- mmHg). Heart-rate responses to left atrial distension were
      inhibited, but not abolished by either cholinergic or beta-1 antagonism. Left
      atrial distension after both cholinergic and beta-1 antagonism abolished the
      heart-rate response to balloon inflation. These results indicate that the
      efferent component of the Bainbridge reflex has both a vagal and a sympathetic
      component in conscious dogs. Left atrial distension during simultaneous left
      ventricular receptor stimulation resulted in a significantly decreased
      tachycardia than did left atrial distension alone (26 +/- 3 bpm compared to 68 +/
      8 bpm in the control experiments). In addition, the slope of the heart rate vs
      left atrial pressure relationship was significantly inhibited by left ventricular
      receptor stimulation (1.8 +/- 0.2 bpm/mmHg compared to 5.7 +/- 0.3 bpm/mm Hg in
      the control experiments). There were no significant differences in either the
      left atrial pressure or arterial blood pressure changes between the two groups.
      These data suggest an interaction between these two reflexes that may be
      occurring in the central nervous system.

PMID- 1877970
TI  - Significance of geometrical reference models of the left ventricle for a new
      concept of evaluation of cardiac pumping function.
AB  - A methodological approach based on Frank's pressure-volume (P-V) diagram and
      model calculations for analyzing the determinants of stroke volume (SV) under
      conditions of altered ventricular geometrical configuration is discussed with
      respect to the underlying geometrical models. The approach is generalized in the
      sense that alterations in myocardial elasticity are considered. In addition,
      simplifying assumptions on which the stress-length (sigma-1) diagram in previous
      studies was based are now discarded. It can be shown that calculated stroke
      volume is only slightly affected by the choice of the models when referring to
      average wall stress. However, if we use the formula for midwall stress
      recommended by Mirsky, then the influence of the geometrical model becomes more
      important. Based on the example of a rat with experimental aortic stenosis in the
      decompensated stage it is demonstrated that this methodological approach is an
      indispensible completion of O. Frank's concept when evaluating ventricular
      dynamics, and could gain clinical significance in future.

PMID- 1877971
TI  - Cell culture systems to study progression and inhibition of intimal
      proliferations.
AB  - Vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts are the main
      cellular constituents of artery walls. Mass cultures and clone cultures of these
      cell types have meanwhile become valuable tools in the research of the genesis,
      pathophysiology, and therapy of vessel-wall diseases. With transfilter co-culture
      systems the three-layered construction of the artery wall can be imitated in
      vitro, and it has become possible to induce smooth muscle cell proliferates in
      these in vitro system which resemble, in many respects, intimal proliferates as
      they often occur after angioplasty, stent- or bypass operations in the form of
      secondary stenoses. With this technique the interaction of the three cell species
      of artery walls can be easily studied. The time-course of the development of
      smooth muscle cell proliferates in vitro resembles the in vivo scenario. Addition
      of oxidized lipoproteins and monocytes to the culture medium of transfilter
      cultures leads to atheroma-like proliferates. Culturing whole artery segments is
      another in vitro technique for induction of intimal proliferates, and enables the
      production of intimal proliferates in a way similar to transfilter culture
      systems. Because of the striking similarities of the cellular responses of
      transfilter- and organ-culture systems with in vivo processes in atherogenesis,
      and in the development of secondary stenoses after angioplasty, the described co
      culture systems are suitable for studying the genesis, pathophysiology, and
      therapy of stenosing artery processes, as well as to obtain further insight into
      basic problems of cell interaction in vessel walls.

PMID- 1877973
TI  - S'-subsite mapping of endoproteinase Glu/Asp-C from Actinomyces sp.
AB  - The S'-subsite specificity of the endoproteinase Glu/Asp-C from Actinomyces sp.
      was studied by acyl transfer reactions using amino-acid- and peptide-derived
      nucleophilic amino components. The following results were obtained: 1. The enzyme
      prefers amino acid amides with hydrophobic side chains in P'i position. In
      addition, positively charged functions in this position favour S'-P' interactions
      significantly. 2. Stereospecific binding is a prerequisite for nucleophilic
      efficiency. 3. Dipeptide amides are more efficient amino components in comparison
      to free dipeptides whereas oligoglycines show a poor nucleophilic behaviour
      independent of chain length.

PMID- 1877972
TI  - Adaptive protection of the heart and stabilization of myocardial structures.
AB  - Adaptation of animals to short-term stress exposure (ASE) protected the heart
      against arrhythmias in acute ischemia and reperfusion and eliminated the decrease
      in threshold of fibrillation and arrhythmias is acute myocardial infarction and
      postinfarction cardiosclerosis. Cardioprotective effect of ASE was provided not
      only by the activation of GABAergic, opioidergic and cholinergic stress-limiting
      system but also by a mechanism formed at the level of heart itself. Isolated
      hearts of animals adapted to short-term stress exposure possessed a strikingly
      enhanced resistance to toxic doses of catecholamines, Ca2+, and to reperfusion
      damage following total ischemia. Contracture-inducing and arrhythmogenic effects
      of these factors and the release of CK into the perfusate were manifold reduced
      in ASE. Mitochondria and elements of SR Ca-pump isolated from the hearts of
      adapted animals were much more resistant to autolysis. This phenomenon of
      adaptive stabilization of structures (PhASS) was accompanied by the accumulation
      of HSP 71 and a simultaneous increase in the heart thermal stability. In the
      coronary artery ligation the PhASS lacked the anti-ischemic effect, but it
      provided a decrease of the necrotic zone by more than 40%, the ischemic zone
      being unchanged, due to its cytoprotective effect.

PMID- 1877974
TI  - Determination of osteocalcin in serum by an ultramicro-ELISA with alkaline
      phosphatase as marker enzyme.
AB  - A competitive ELISA for osteocalcin in 10 microliters samples has been developed
      with alkaline phosphatase as a marker enzyme. The assay for osteocalcin has an
      inter-assay and intra-assay variability of 13% and 12%, respectively; the limit
      of detection is 3.6 pg per assay. The assay was used to measure osteocalcin serum
      levels in patients with chronic hemodialysis and several bone diseases. The
      method for the purification of osteocalcin is also described.

PMID- 1877975
TI  - Preparation of a neoglycoprotein using a homobifunctional reagent and its
      applicability for protein blotting and electron microscopy.
AB  - A new method for the preparation of a neoglycoprotein (chemically mannosylated
      bovine serum albumin, D-Man.BSA) is described using the homobifunctional reagent
      divinylsulphone.D-Man.BSA purified by affinity chromatography on ConA-Sepharose
      4B shows microheterogeneity as demonstrated by immunoaffinity electrophoresis
      with free ConA in the first-dimension gel. The dissociation constant K for the
      neoglycoprotein-ConA complex has been calculated to be 2.5.10(-5) M. Biotinylated
      D-Man.BSA is a useful reagent to detect carbohydrate binding proteins of L1210
      leukemia cells on blots. The neoglycoprotein labelled with colloidal gold may be
      used to demonstrate L1210 cell surface D-Man binding proteins by preembedding
      electron microscopy.

PMID- 1877976
TI  - Influence of white blood cells on the filterability of human erythrocytes:
      modelling of the filtration process and experimental results.
AB  - In medical research and clinical practice, the increasing application of
      filtration measurements, to characterize the erythrocyte deformability has
      aroused an intensive discussion about possible erroneous interpretations of
      measured values (filterability indices). In the present paper the influence of
      white blood cells (WBC) on these indices is described and discussed in relation
      to a mathematical model of the filtration process. We found for two gravity
      filtration systems, using cellulose filters and concentrated erythrocytes
      suspensions sensitivities of their filterability indices of (1 +/- 0.1)% per 100
      WBC/microliter (initial filtration rate measurement) and (3 +/- 0.3)% per 100
      WBC/microliter (hemofiltrometer). In comparison to Nuclepore filtration systems
      with sensitivities of 5-12% per 100 WBC/microliters, cellulose filters were much
      less sensitive to WBC. The necessity, advantages and disadvantages of additional
      procedures for WBC removal are discussed. A standardization of residual WBC-count
      in limits of 500 +/- 300 WBC/microliters at a hematocrit of 60% is proposed.
      Fitting of the filtration curves of the hemofiltrometer to a model function may
      either improve the accuracy of estimation of filterability indices or divide them
      into two model parameters with different WBC-sensitivities: the initial
      filtration rate parameter having a low WBC-sensitivity ((0.9 +/- 0.2)% per 100
      WBC/microliter) and the occlusion related parameter having a 12 times higher
      sensitivity ((11 +/- 1)% per 100 WBC/microliter). Interpretation, advantages and
      disadvantages of the model parameters are discussed also in comparison to the
      filterability index.

PMID- 1877977
TI  - Disturbance of brightness discrimination and active avoidance learning after
      lesions of nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (NRTP) of rats are related to
      impairment of goal-directed behaviour.
AB  - Long-Evans hooded rats were not able neither to reach criterion of active
      avoidance tasks in a Y-maze and in a jump test, nor in brightness discrimination
      after lesions of the NRTP without preoperative experience in these tests. After
      preoperative consolidation of active avoidance, the retention of Y-maze avoidance
      performance was zero and of jump test avoidance at 25%. The Y-maze avoidance was
      again relearned except in the task with 2:2 alternation of goals whereas
      retention of brightness discrimination was not affected. In the jump test,
      avoidance relearning was evidently retarded. Ambulatory and exploratory behaviour
      in the open field were significantly reduced after NRTP lesions. The NRTP is
      evidently involved in the establishment and control of goal-directed behaviour.

PMID- 1877978
TI  - Natriuresis secondary to carotid chemoreceptor stimulation with almitrine
      bismesylate in the rat: the effect on kidney function and the response to renal
      denervation and deficiency of antidiuretic hormone.
AB  - Almitrine bismesylate simulates the effects of arterial hypoxia in producing a
      specific and long-lasting excitation of the peripheral arterial chemoreceptors.
      Previous work has shown that almitrine produces a diuresis and natriuresis when
      given intravenously to anaesthetised rats in a stable mannitol induced diuresis.
      This response is abolished by glossopharyngeal nerve section implying that it is
      afferently mediated via the carotid body chemoreceptors. We have studied further
      the efferent limb of this response. The diuresis and natriuresis occurs without
      significant detectable changes in effective renal plasma flow and glomerular
      filtration rate suggesting that it is produced mainly by inhibition of renal
      tubular sodium and water reabsorption. Almitrine produces a diuresis and
      natriuresis in rats after bilateral nephrectomy and transplantation of a kidney
      from a donor rat. This effect is not therefore efferently mediated by the renal
      nerves and probably involves a humoral agent. Almitrine produces a diuresis and
      natriuresis in rats after bilateral adrenalectomy and in rats with congenital
      hypothalamic diabetes insipidus indicating that neither adrenal hormones nor
      changes in antidiuretic hormone levels are implicated.

PMID- 1877979
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of almitrine in healthy volunteers and patients with essential
      hypertension.
AB  - Pharmacokinetic studies with the arterial chemoreceptor stimulant almitrine (100
      mg per os) were performed in 12 healthy volunteers and 8 patients with essential
      hypertension stage I in order to evaluate the suitability of the drug for
      physiological tests. The parent compound was determined gas-chromatographically.
      Almitrine was absorbed with maximal serum levels after 1.8 +/- 0.4 h in healthy
      volunteers and 1.5 +/- 0.3 h in patients. The elimination proceeded
      biexponentially with terminal half-lives from 14.6 to 43.4 h in volunteers and
      12.5-45.0 h in patients. Further characteristics were large distribution volumes
      (16.1 +/- 4.5 ml/g in healthy volunteers, 13.9 +/- 4.7 ml/g in patients) and
      large interindividual variations of all pharmacokinetic parameters by a factor of
      2 to 6. Significant differences between healthy individuals and patients were not
      observed. The drug was well tolerated. The pharmacokinetic properties of
      almitrine should be included into its evaluation as a test compound.

PMID- 1877980
TI  - Incisor growth acceleration after lesions in the lateral pontine reticular
      formation of rats.
AB  - The length of upper and lower incisors of Long-Evans hooded rats between gingiva
      and top were measured before and after small bilateral symmetric electrolytic
      lesions of the pontine reticular formation between the ventromedial parabrachial
      nucleus and the motor trigeminal nucleus. Ten days after lesions of this region
      8.5 mm posterior to bregma the length of upper incisors was 13.4 +/- 0.7 mm
      compared with 6.1 +/- 0.2 mm before lesion (p less than 0.01) and the length of
      the lower incisors 17.1 +/- 0.4 mm compared with 10.2 +/- 0.2 mm before lesion (p
      less than 0.01). A second group with a smaller lesion of this region 9.0 mm
      posterior to bregma reached upper incisor length of 13.2 +/- 0.4 mm (p less than
      0.05) and lower incisor length of 14.7 +/- 0.5 mm (p less than 0.05) at the 20th
      postoperative day. Sham-operated controls had no tooth growth acceleration.

PMID- 1877981
TI  - Mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex subunits as autoantigens in human
      primary biliary cirrhosis.
AB  - Primary biliary cirrhosis is an evolutive and chronic human liver disease
      characterized by presence of antimitochondrial autoantibodies in the serum. We
      present the biochemical definition of these autoantigens and show that purified
      pyruvate dehydrogenase complex contains three of the major mitochondrial antigens
      of M2 type i.e. the E2 subunit (dihydrolipoamide acetyl transferase), the X
      subunit and the E1 alpha subunit (pyruvate dehydrogenase), by immunoblotting
      experiments and inhibition of enzyme activity with several types of serums.

PMID- 1877982
TI  - Phosphamidon, methylparathion and dichlorvos impact on tissue oxidative
      metabolism in penaeid prawn, Metapenaeus monoceros.
AB  - Changes in oxidative metabolism of hepatopancreas and muscle tissues of penaeid
      prawn, Metapenaeus monoceros was studied, following its exposure to selected
      organophosphorous insecticides phosphamidon, dichlorovos and methylparathion. The
      OPI are found to inhibit the activity levels of acetylcholinesterase, succinate
      dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, lactate
      dehydrogenase and cytochrome-c-oxidase and cause accumulation of acetylcholine in
      the hepatopancreas and muscle tissues. These changes in the activity levels of
      selected oxidative enzymes during insecticide exposure in these tissues of prawn
      indicates the shift in the metabolic emphasis from aerobic to anaerobic
      conditions and is interpreted as a functional adaptation to insecticide induced
      metabolic stress. These observed changes at cellular level pave way for
      successful survival of prawns in insecticide polluted environ.

PMID- 1877983
TI  - Purification and characterization of the glycoprotein allergen from Prosopis
      juliflora pollen.
AB  - Highly active glycoprotein allergens have been isolated from pollen of Prosopis
      juliflora by a combination of Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and Sodium dodecyl
      sulphate-Poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The glycoprotein fraction was
      homogeneous, and had molecular weight 20,000. The purified glycoprotein allergen
      contained 20% carbohydrate, mainly arabinose and galactose. Enzymatic digestion
      of glycoprotein with protease released glycopeptides of molecular weight ranging
      from less than 1,000 to more than 5,000 on Sephadex G-25 gel filtration.
      Antigenicity or allergenicity testing of these glycopeptides by immunodiffusion,
      immunoelectrophoresis, and radioallergosorbent test indicated complete loss of
      allergenic activity after digestion with protease whereas incubation with beta-D
      galactosidase and periodate oxidation had little affect on the allergenic
      activity of the glycoprotein fraction. But incubation with alpha-D-glucosidase
      did not affect the allergenic activity significantly. All these tests indicated
      that protein played significant role in allergenicity of P. juliflora pollen.

PMID- 1877984
TI  - Insulin mimetic role of vanadate on plasma membrane insulin-receptors.
AB  - Vanadate possesses insulin-mimetic effects, and has been reported to correct the
      metabolic imbalances in streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Rats were made diabetic
      by a single i.v. injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body weight) in citrate
      buffer. After the onset of diabetes, the diabetic rats were treated with sodium
      orthovanadate (0.3 mg/ml) for 15 days. The increased percentage of 125 I insulin
      binding to the liver plasma membrane insulin receptors and increased plasma
      membrane phospholipids were found to be reduced significantly in vanadate treated
      diabetes. Hence the mode of action of vanadate may be similar to that insulin.

PMID- 1877985
TI  - B--Z conformational transition in d(CGCGCGTTAATT), d(CGCGCGTTAA) and d(CGCGCGTT).
AB  - Conformational studies on three DNA-oligomers (d(CGCGCGTTAATT), d(CGCGTTAA) and
      d(CGCGCGTT) in solution by circular dichroism spectroscopy are reported. In low
      salt solution, all three DNA oligomers exhibit a characteristic B-conformation.
      However, under the influence of high salt concentration i.e. 5M NaCl, the octamer
      d(CGCGCGTT) exhibits 'A' conformation whereas the decamer and dodecamer retain B
      conformation. On addition of millimolar amount of NiCl2 to the 5M NaCl, solution
      of oligodeoxynucleotides a B-Z transition is observed in octamer, decamer and
      dodecamer. However, NiCl2 titrations show that mid point of transition for
      dodecamer is at 2.25 mM, for decamer is at 13 mM NiCl2 and for octamer is 17 mM
      at NiCl2. In 60% alcohol all three oligonucleotides remain in the B-conformation.
      The melting temperatures of oligonucleotides at various salt concentration are
      also reported. Thermodynamic parameters calculated by melting profile using a two
      state model show that dodecamer and decamer are most stable in their 5M NaCl, B
      form. However, octamer is more stable in its Z form than that of its 'A' form.

PMID- 1877986
TI  - Fenvalerate induced changes in evoked potentials from the ventral nerve cord
      (VNC) of cockroach, Periplaneta americana.
AB  - Changes in evoked potentials from the VNC of P. americana were recorded under in
      vitro and topical application of sublethal doses of fenvalerate. In this study
      significant changes in physical characteristics of action potentials like
      threshold voltage, duration, latency and amplitude were noticed. In in vitro
      studies the effects were found to be dose dependent, while in topical exposure
      maximum effect was noticed at 3h, followed by recovery during subsequent periods
      of exposure. Moreover, changes were more pronounced in in vitro than topical
      exposure.

PMID- 1877987
TI  - Characterization of a hexammineruthenium-stimulated external NADH oxidase from
      rat liver mitochondria.
AB  - The existence of an external hexammineruthenium-stimulated NADH oxidase in rat
      liver mitochondria is postulated. This enzyme is localized on the outer surface
      of the inner mitochondrial membrane, is specific for NADH and requires oxygen.
      The apparent affinity of the enzyme for NADH amounts to about 4 microM.
      Furthermore, the enzyme is characterized by an alkaline pH optimum and a linear
      Arrhenius plot (14 kJ/mol). The electron transfer from NADH to oxygen is not
      linked with the respiratory chain but is connected with the formation of
      superoxide radicals.

PMID- 1877988
TI  - Cultured bovine endothelial cells convert big endothelin isopeptides to mature
      endothelin isopeptides.
AB  - The incubation of big endothelin-1 (big ET-1), big ET-2 or big ET-3 with cultured
      bovine endothelial cells (ECs) resulted in their conversions to mature
      endothelins (ETs). These conversions apparently exhibited Michaelis-Menten
      kinetics as a function of each big ET isopeptide. The conversions of big ETs were
      abolished by phosphoramidon. These results indicate that vascular endothelium can
      convert exogenous big ET-1 to mature ET-1 through a phosphoramidon-sensitive
      metalloprotease, and that this enzyme has also high affinities for big ET-2 and
      big ET-3.

PMID- 1877989
TI  - Subacute physiological stress induced by phosphamidon on carbohydrate metabolism
      in midgut gland of prawn, Penaeus indicus.
AB  - Midgut gland carbohydrate metabolism of penaeid prawn, Penaeus indicus was
      studied on acute and acclimation to sublethal concentration of phosphamidon. The
      midgut gland tissue of acclimated prawn showed inhibited glycolysis with an onset
      of gluconeogenesis. In general acclimation to sublethal concentration resulted in
      the elevation of the synthetic phase of midgut gland carbohydrate metabolism.

PMID- 1877990
TI  - Charge forms of serum and whey transferrin in rat differ in the sialic acid
      content of their glycan chains: immunological implications.
AB  - Transferrin has been purified from both rat whey and rat serum. Both proteins
      migrated as the same size on electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl
      sulphate but when electrophoresed under native conditions showed the presence of
      multiple charge forms. The patterns observed were not altered by iron binding or
      removal and all forms were shown to bind iron. Treatment with neuraminidase
      tended to condense all bands into a single species common to both transferrins
      whereas treatment with a peptide N-glycosidase resulted in a complex pattern of
      bands consistent with removal of one of the two glycan chains of the
      transferrins. A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was set up to
      examine the transferrins. Iron binding and removal and treatment with peptide N
      glycosidase all modified the ELISA signal obtained. Neuraminidase, however, did
      not affect the ELISA signal.

PMID- 1877991
TI  - Effect of polyunsaturated (PUFA n-6) and saturated fatty acids-rich diets on
      macrophage metabolism and function.
AB  - Previous reports of our laboratory have shown that PUFA (n-6)-rich diets cause
      important changes of the metabolism of the immune tissues. In this study,
      alterations of macrophage metabolism and function were examined in rats fed
      polyunsaturated (UC) or saturated (SC) fatty acids-rich diets during 6 weeks. The
      UC group decreased intraperitoneal cell migration and macrophage phagocytosis.
      These changes were related to modifications of macrophage metabolism. The UC
      group showed also increased G-6-PDh in inflammatory macrophages. These findings
      suggest that pentose-phosphate pathway is not the unique metabolic factor to
      control phagocytosis. PUFA-rich diet reduced glutaminase activity. Therefore,
      this amino acid might be one of the possible metabolic reasons for the impaired
      macrophage function observed.

PMID- 1877992
TI  - Influence of antioxidants on SOD activity in bovine sperm.
AB  - SOD activity and susceptibility to peroxidation on spermatozoa from frozen and
      fresh bovine semen were determined either in presence or not of synthetic (BHA)
      or natural (vitamin E) antioxidants. In sperm suspensions incubated with vitamin
      E, SOD activity was higher than in the control samples and the ones treated with
      BHA. It was found a highly significative correlation between malondialdehyde
      production and SOD activity. SOD activity could be used in bovine spermatozoa as
      a metabolic indicator of membrane integrity.

PMID- 1877993
TI  - Altered [3H]ryanodine binding is not associated with malignant hyperthermia
      susceptibility in terminal cisternae preparations from swine.
AB  - Based on comparisons between Pietrain malignant hyperthermia susceptible swine
      and Yorkshire control swine, other investigators have reported a 3-fold lower Kd
      for [3H]ryanodine binding to terminal cisternae in the malignant hyperthermia
      swine. However, the Kd of [3H]ryanodine binding did not correlate with malignant
      hyperthermia susceptibility when examined within the same strain (a
      Yorkshire/Duroc cross) in the present study. The values of Kd for the malignant
      hyperthermia susceptible and control swine in the present study were similar to
      those previously reported for the Pietrain strain, suggesting that the control
      strain chosen, not malignant hyperthermia susceptibility, accounts for what
      appeared to be a low Kd in Pietrain muscle.

PMID- 1877994
TI  - Some biochemical properties of human lymphoblastoid Namalwa cells grown
      anaerobically.
AB  - Using cultured lymphoblastoid Namalwa cells, we have demonstrated that humans
      cells can be grown for long periods in the absence of oxygen. Such anaerobic
      growth occurs at the same rate as that of aerobic cultures, but is characterized
      by a strict dependence on pyruvate. Cells in anaerobic culture undergo a severe
      loss of mitochondrial cytochromes, that is reversible on reaeration.
      Anaerobically grown cells show a two-fold increase in glucose consumption,
      consistent with anaerobic glycolysis providing the source of ATP for cellular
      maintenance and growth. The requirement for pyruvate is explained by the
      necessity for these cells to re-oxidise NADH derived from metabolic reactions.
      Detailed study of anaerobically grown human cells provides a new framework for
      investigating tissues depleted in mitochondrial functions, as occurs in
      mitochondrial diseases and the ageing process.

PMID- 1877995
TI  - Studies on the changes in plasma lipids and lipoproteins in patients with benign
      and malignant breast cancer.
AB  - Experimental studies and epidemiological data suggest that, high fat diet
      increases the risk of developing breast cancer, both in animal and in human
      population. Cases of postmenopausal, untreated women with malignant and benign
      breast tumors, were compared for their age, body weight, plasma lipid fractions
      and lipoproteins. There was a significant increase in body weight, total plasma
      lipids, total cholesterol, LDL--cholesterol, VLDL--cholesterol, phospholipids,
      triacylglycerols, free fatty acids in malignant breast cancer patients. HDL-
      cholesterol had been significantly decreased in benign and malignant patients
      when compared with the control subjects.

PMID- 1877996
TI  - Effect of atrazine on some aspects of lipid metabolism in fresh water fish.
AB  - The impact of atrazine, a triazine herbicide, on the lipid metabolism of fish,
      Sarotherodon mossambica was studied. Significant changes were reported in the
      lipid profiles of liver and muscle as a function of exposure period.

PMID- 1877997
TI  - Alteration of the ecto-protein phosphorylation profile of intact goat spermatozoa
      during epididymal maturation.
AB  - Intact cauda-epididymal mature and caput-epididymal immature goat spermatozoa
      were assessed for their capacity to phosphorylate the outer surface proteins upon
      incubation in a modified Ringer's solution containing [delta-32P]ATP. The
      immature spermatozoa possessed markedly greater (approximately 7-fold) efficacy
      to phosphorylate the ecto-proteins than the mature cells. Autoradiographic
      analysis of the 32P-labelled proteins resolved by SDS-PAGE, showed that multiple
      sperm ecto-proteins are phosphorylated by an endogenous ecto-cyclic AMP
      independent protein kinase (CIK) and the phosphorylation profile of these
      proteins underwent marked alteration during the epididymal sperm maturation. The
      intact caput-sperm as well showed nearly 4-fold higher specific activity of ecto
      CIK than the cauda-sperm when the kinase activity was estimated using phosvitin
      as the exogenous protein substrate. The data suggest that the ecto-CIK and its
      specific protein substrates located on the sperm outer-surface, may have
      important roles in regulating the epididymal maturation of the male gametes.

PMID- 1877998
TI  - We are part of the planet, you know!

PMID- 1877999
TI  - Risk management. Turning liabilities into manageable responsibilities.

PMID- 1878000
TI  - May you live with "interesting" laws. Government regulation in the 1990s.

PMID- 1878001
TI  - Sign language.

PMID- 1878002
TI  - The consultive model with computers. An innovation in service delivery.
AB  - As the field of communication disorders continues to evolve, it must look beyond
      itself to bring together all the resources available in a community to maximize
      the process of remediation. The consultive model effectively does this by
      extending the amount of stimulation and feedback available to the client. The
      addition of the computer to the process provides a structure for agents of change
      that can be controlled by the supervising clinician. The computer also enhances
      accountability and improves report-generation capabilities. Although there are
      still many factors to consider, the consultive model using computers promises to
      be an efficient, effective service delivery system for the treatment of
      communication disorders.

PMID- 1878003
TI  - Adults with neurological impairment from multicultural populations. Results of a
      clinical survey.

PMID- 1878004
TI  - A profile of clinical coordinators in ESB-accredited training programs.

PMID- 1878005
TI  - Characterization of the fluorescent morphological structures in human arterial
      wall using ultraviolet-excited microspectrofluorimetry.
AB  - In this study, the fluorescent morphological structures in normal coronary
      artery, normal aorta, and atherosclerotic aorta were histochemically identified
      and spectroscopically characterized in situ using ultraviolet-excited
      microspectrofluorimetry. Excitation wavelengths of 290 nm and 310/312 nm were
      employed to observe two distinct fluorescence bands, with peak emission
      wavelengths near 335 nm and 380 nm, respectively. Emission of the short
      wavelength 335 nm band, previously assigned to tryptophan residues in tryptophan
      containing proteins, was observed from all the morphological structures in the
      vessel walls and was isolated in groups of smooth muscle cells in aorta and
      coronary artery media. The long wavelength 380 nm band was assigned to distinct
      fluorophores associated with the structural proteins collagen and elastin and was
      observed in collagen fibers and elastic fibers, respectively. The corresponding
      morphological structures in normal aorta, normal coronary artery, and
      atherosclerotic aorta exhibited similar fluorescence lineshapes. In
      atherosclerotic plaque, a distinct fluorescence band, peaking near 370 nm, was
      observed in the emission from both ceroid granules and necrotic core. Using a
      simple, quantitative model, differing contributions of collagen, elastin, and
      tryptophan-containing protein fluorescence were shown to account for over 95% of
      the emission from the intima, media, and adventitia layers of non-necrotic aorta
      and coronary artery.

PMID- 1878006
TI  - Apolipoprotein E deficiency with a depressed mRNA of normal size.
AB  - We studied a 39-year-old man who had palmar xanthomas complicated with marked
      hyperlipidemia. His serum cholesterol and triglyceride were 2000 and 6300 mg/dl,
      respectively. Serum apolipoprotein E (apo E) was undetectable in the patient by
      the methods of single radial immunodiffusion, sodium dodecyl sulfate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and radioimmunoassay. Serum apo E
      concentrations of his father and sister were low. This evidence is consistent
      with a diagnosis of familial apo E deficiency. We studied the synthesis of apo E
      in cultures of peripheral blood monocyte macrophages (M-M cultures) obtained from
      the patient, and detected no secretion of apo E in the culture medium and no
      newly synthesized apo E in the cell lysate. There were only trace amounts of apo
      E mRNA of the M-M cultures and the size of the mRNA appeared the same as normal
      apo E mRNA, indicating a different mutation of the gene from that of the case
      reported by Zannis et al. (J. Biol. Chem., 260 (1985) 12891).

PMID- 1878007
TI  - Hemorheological disturbances, metabolic parameters and blood pressure in
      different types of obesity.
AB  - Body fat distribution characterized by a high waist/hip ratio (WHR) has been
      described as a risk factor in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and
      associated mortality. Hemorheological changes have been shown to accompany
      several risk factors. Gynoid and android obese women were compared in the present
      study with respect to hemorheological and metabolic variables and blood pressure.
      The android obese women had a significantly higher hematocrit and red blood cell
      count and showed higher blood viscosity at both high and low shear rates than
      women with the gynoid obesity type. Blood pressure was also higher in the android
      group. No significant differences were shown in concentration of cholesterol or
      triglycerides in serum nor in the microrheological properties of the red blood
      cells. The filterability index, which mirrors the number of rigid erythrocytes in
      the blood, was found to correlate with the plasma insulin concentration (r =
      0.78, P less than 0.05) in the android but not in the gynoid obese women. It is
      concluded that the pathological changes in blood rheology observed in the android
      obese women may contribute to the high rate of cardiovascular events and
      associated mortality reported in this type of obesity.

PMID- 1878008
TI  - Hyperlipoproteinemia in one-year-old analbuminemic rats.
AB  - Plasma lipoprotein distribution and apolipoprotein concentrations, as well as
      kidney function and histopathology of heart, aorta, liver and kidney were
      investigated in 1-year-old Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR) and control Sprague
      Dawley rats (SDR). The NAR, particularly the females, were found to be severely
      hyperlipidemic. Plasma total cholesterol in non-fasted animals was 6.1 +/- 0.3 mM
      in the female NAR vs. 2.5 +/- 0.2 mM in the female SDR (P less than 0.01). Most
      of the cholesterol was located in the LDL (1.019-1.063 g/ml) and HDL2 (1.063
      1.125 g/ml) density range. Plasma triglycerides were 6.1 +/- 0.6 mM in the female
      NAR vs. 1.3 +/- 0.3 mM (P less than 0.01) in the female SDR. Plasma phospholipids
      were raised up to 5.4 +/- 0.3 mM vs. 2.4 +/- 0.1 mM (P less than 0.01). NAR have
      increased concentrations of plasma apolipoproteins A-I (about 3-4-fold) and B
      (about 2-fold), but the levels of apolipoproteins A-IV and E are not increased.
      There was less proteinuria in the male NAR than in the male SDR (P less than
      0.01). Relevant histopathological findings in the NAR included hepatocytic
      lipofuscinosis and hemosiderosis in Kupffer cells. Tubular lesions were more
      common in kidneys from NAR than from SDR, and included protein casts, cortical
      lipofuscinosis, proximal tubular hyperplasia and proliferative interstitial
      nephritis. Glomerular changes were similar in both strains. Calcinosis of the
      aortic media and the corticomedullary region of the kidney was characteristically
      present in the female SDR but absent in the female NAR. Atherosclerotic lesions
      were not observed. In summary, 1-year-old NAR maintained on standard rat chow,
      are hyperlipoproteinemic. The increased levels of plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol
      are not associated with an increase in the incidence or severity of
      atherosclerotic or glomerular lesions.

PMID- 1878009
TI  - Effect of drinking pattern on plasma lipoproteins and body weight.
AB  - The effect of drinking pattern on plasma lipoproteins and body weight was
      examined in three groups of squirrel monkeys: (1) controls fed isocaloric liquid
      diet; (2) regular drinkers given liquid diet containing ethanol (EtOH)
      substituted isocalorically for carbohydrate at 12% of calories daily; and (3)
      binge drinkers fed 6% EtOH calories daily for a four-day period followed by three
      days of 20% EtOH to mimic a weekend bout drinking cycle. The number of calories
      offered per day was the same for all groups, and the average weekly EtOH
      consumption (12% calories) was identical for the two alcohol treatments. The
      entire study lasted six months. There were no significant differences in plasma
      cholesterol, triglyceride or liver function tests. Regular drinkers had the
      highest high density lipoprotein2/high density lipoprotein3 (HDL2/HDL3) protein
      and apolipoprotein A-I/B ratios of any group and exhibited a significant
      elevation in the molar plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) rate
      (nmol/min/ml). Binge drinking produced a selective increase in low density
      lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, and a depression in the
      fractional LCAT rate (% esterified/min). During the course of the study, controls
      ate 92% of their diet while the alcohol groups each consumed 95% of the liquid
      diet. Despite this difference, body weight and Quetelet index (weight/height2)
      decreased progressively in the order controls greater than regular drinkers
      greater than binge drinkers. Results from our study indicate that moderate,
      regular daily consumption of EtOH at 12% of calories causes a modest reduction in
      body weight and produces a coronary protective lipoprotein profile (increases
      HDL2/HDL3, increases apolipoprotein A-I/B, low LDL cholesterol). By contrast,
      when this same average weekly dose is concentrated in a binge cycle, unfavorable
      alterations in lipoprotein composition (increases LDL cholesterol, increases
      apolipoprotein B) and metabolism (decreases LCAT activity) occur along with
      weight loss and depletion of body fat. These studies point to the value of the
      squirrel monkey model in evaluating both favorable and pathophysiological effects
      of chronic EtOH intake.

PMID- 1878010
TI  - Homocysteine content of lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - In order to study the connection between homocysteine and lipid metabolism in
      atherosclerosis, homocysteine was determined in lipoprotein fractions from men
      with hypercholesterolemia. All lipoprotein fractions contain a considerably
      higher level of homocysteine in hypercholesterolemia, compared to normolipemic
      men, varying from 2.2 to 7.2 times higher estimated per unit volume of serum used
      for lipoprotein isolation, and from 2.4 to 4.1 times higher, estimated per gram
      protein. The largest difference in homocysteine content, estimated per gram
      protein, is present in the LDL fraction, amounting to 4.1 times higher in the
      hypercholesterolemic than the normolipemic group. In contrast, cholesterol is not
      higher in hypercholesterolemic than normolipemic men in any lipoprotein fraction,
      estimated per gram protein, and cholesterol is higher in hypercholesterolemic men
      only in the LDL fraction, estimated per unit volume. In both LDL and VLDL
      fractions homocysteine is correlated with cholesterol (r = 0.78, P less than
      0.001; r = 0.59, P less than 0.01, respectively) and with protein (r = 0.72, P
      less than 0.01; r = 0.78, P less than 0.001, respectively). The atherogenic index
      for homocysteine, LDLHCy/HDLHCy, is 3.5 times higher in the hypercholesterolemic
      than the normolipemic group. The atherogenic index for cholesterol,
      LDLChol/HDLChol, is 2.2 times higher in the hypercholesterolemic than the
      normolipidemic group. The results suggest that analysis of the homocysteine
      content of the serum and lipoprotein fractions may prove to be useful for
      assessing risk, prognosis and response to therapy in persons with
      atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1878011
TI  - Effect of probucol on triglyceride turnover in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
AB  - The long-term effect of probucol on triglyceride turnover was examined in
      streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) diabetic rats. Two diabetic groups were prepared: one
      group received a probucol-containing (1%) diet (probucol-treated diabetic) and
      the other standard diet (diabetic control). After 4 months of probucol diet,
      triglyceride turnover was estimated using Triton WR1339. In diabetic control
      rats, glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations in plasma and in the
      very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction were markedly elevated and plasma
      insulin was suppressed compared to non-diabetic control rats. There was no
      significant difference in body weight, plasma glucose and insulin between the 2
      diabetic groups. However, the probucol-treated diabetic group showed
      significantly suppressed levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in total plasma
      and in the VLDL fraction compared to each corresponding diabetic control value.
      On the other hand, there were no significant differences in triglyceride
      secretion rate between the 2 diabetic groups. Newly secreted VLDL particles after
      Triton injection from diabetic control rats were significantly cholesterol
      enriched and triglyceride-depleted compared to those from non-diabetic control
      rats. However, the composition of those from probucol-treated diabetic rats was
      similar to that of non-diabetic control group. Prominent hypertriglyceridemia
      without increase in triglyceride secretion rate in diabetic control group
      indicates triglyceride removal defect in diabetic rats. Significant suppression
      of plasma triglyceride level without changes in the triglyceride secretion rate
      in the probucol-treated diabetic group suggests that probucol stimulated
      triglyceride removal in diabetic rats. Thus, probucol might normalize VLDL
      composition, thereby contributing to accelerated triglyceride removal from the
      circulation of streptozotocin diabetic rats without affecting glucose metabolism.

PMID- 1878012
TI  - Platelet hypersensitivity in cholesterol-fed rabbits: enhancement of thromboxane
      A2-dependent and thrombin-induced, thromboxane A2-independent platelet responses.
AB  - Hypercholesterolemia (mean plasma cholesterol: 15 mM) was induced in rabbits by
      the feeding of a chow diet enriched with a low amount (0.25%, w/w) of cholesterol
      only. Platelet size and protein content decreased significantly, but the whole
      blood platelet count did not change. The platelets became enriched in
      cholesterol, as indicated by a significant increase in the
      cholesterol:phospholipid molar (C/P) ratio. Specific responses of washed
      platelets stimulated with various agonists were studied to determine the effects
      of hypercholesterolemia on the various pathways of platelet aggregation in the
      absence of plasma components. In platelets from hypercholesterolemic rabbits
      compared with controls: aggregation induced by ADP was not altered; collagen
      induced responses (aggregation, secretion of [14C]serotonin from prelabelled
      platelets, thromboxane A2 (TXA2) formation, mobilization of [3H]arachidonate from
      prelabelled platelets) were enhanced; with aspirin-treated platelets, aggregation
      induced by the TXA2 mimetic U46619 was enhanced: and thrombin-induced responses
      of both untreated platelets (aggregation, secretion of granule contents, TXA2
      formation) and aspirin-treated platelets (aggregation) were enhanced. Thus,
      platelets from cholesterol-fed rabbits not only form more TXA2, but they
      aggregate more extensively when stimulated by its mimetic. In addition, it has
      not been previously recognized that these platelets are also hypersensitive to
      thrombin-induced aggregation that is independent of TXA2.

PMID- 1878013
TI  - Foam cells of the rabbit atherosclerotic plaque arrested in metaphase by
      colchicine show a macrophage phenotype.
AB  - Proliferative activity of smooth muscle cells and foam cells characterizes
      experimental atherosclerotic plaques as they first appear. Immunohistochemical
      and ultrastructural methods were applied to cells arrested in metaphase by
      colchicine and the phenotype of cells in mitosis was detected. Most of the
      metaphase arrested FC found in aortic plaques of cholesterol fed New Zealand
      rabbits were positive to the anti-macrophage monoclonal antibody and negative to
      the anti-smooth muscle actin monoclonal antibody. Moreover, most of the metaphase
      blocked FC had the ultrastructural features of macrophages. These preliminary
      results further strengthen previous observations on rabbit plaques that the FC
      pool is mainly constituted by macrophages and show, for the first time, that the
      dimension of this pool depends not only on migration of circulating monocytes but
      also on the in situ proliferation of macrophages.

PMID- 1878014
TI  - Body fat distribution affects responses to high fat cholesterol containing diet
      in male cynomolgus monkeys.

PMID- 1878015
TI  - Homocysteine content of plasma in ischemic heart disease, the reducing effect of
      pyridoxine, folate, cobalamin, choline, riboflavin and troxerutin. Correction of
      a calculation error.

PMID- 1878016
TI  - Searching for clues to effective use of biologic response modifiers.

PMID- 1878017
TI  - Psychiatric intervention after the Piper Alpha disaster.

PMID- 1878018
TI  - Regional anaesthesia and cough effectiveness. A study in patients undergoing
      caesarean section.
AB  - We report the results of a study of the effects of spinal and epidural
      anaesthesia for Caesarean section on commonly used indicators of a patient's
      ability to cough effectively. Both spinal and epidural anaesthesia, after the
      achievement of a block adequate for surgery, were associated with statistically
      significant decreases (p less than 0.05) in all the respiratory variables
      recorded: forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak
      expiratory flow rate and maximum expiratory pressure. We conclude that although
      the observed changes are unlikely to impair the normal patient's ability to cough
      effectively in these circumstances, there may be clinically significant
      impairment in the presence of an inadvertently high block or in a patient with
      pre-existing pulmonary disease.

PMID- 1878019
TI  - Deafness in children.

PMID- 1878020
TI  - Dose-related effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha isopropylester on intraocular
      pressure, refraction, and pupil diameter in monkeys.
AB  - Topical application of Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) to the eye reduces
      intraocular pressure (IOP) in all mammalian species studied thus far, including
      humans. The L-isopropylester derivative is currently the one most commonly used
      in experimental and clinical studies. Dose-response relationships were determined
      between PGF2 alpha-IE and IOP, pupillary diameter, and refraction in ketamine
      anesthetized ocular normotensive cynomolgus monkeys. Single doses of 10 and 30
      micrograms had smaller and less consistent but longer lasting IOP-lowering
      effects than repeated doses (twice daily for 3 days) of 1-5 micrograms. For
      repeated dosing in this manner, the just-maximal dose is probably between 2-5
      micrograms, producing a approximately 70% reduction in IOP to a final IOP of
      approximately 5 mm Hg. Continuing treatment for up to 18 days did not further
      enhance the efficacy of twice daily treatment with a submaximal 1-microgram dose.
      Partial reversal of anesthesia-induced tonic accommodation occurred with single
      10- and 30-micrograms doses and with repeated 1-microgram doses, but additional
      myopia of 0.5-1.5 diopters was induced with repeated higher doses. These
      physiologic findings and previous morphologic data are consistent with a proposed
      dual PG action on the ciliary muscle, one involving a short-onset long-lasting
      direct effect on the muscle fibers (causing relaxation and narrowing of the
      muscle bundles) and the second involving a slowly developing but shorter duration
      dissolution of the intermuscular connective tissues.

PMID- 1878021
TI  - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills of preregistration house officers: five
      years on.

PMID- 1878022
TI  - The reproducibility of the self-report of occupational exposure to asbestos and
      dust.
AB  - The reproducibility of self-reported exposure to asbestos and dust was examined
      in 116 male veterans who completed an initial mail survey and subsequent
      occupational clinic questionnaire a mean of 213 +/- 68 days later. For the 114
      subjects who answered the asbestos question of the mail survey, 68 (60%) gave
      concordant replies, while 46 (40%) gave discordant answers later in the clinic.
      Of 51 subjects who answered yes to asbestos exposure in the clinic, 11 (22%) had
      answered no and 13 (26%) had answered not sure. Failure to note asbestos exposure
      could not be blamed exclusively on past, relatively low-level of exposure because
      many of the respondents had significant exposure histories. For dust exposure, 31
      (29%) had discordant replies and 77 (71%) had concordant answers. Self-reported
      history of occupational exposure to asbestos and dust were not as reproducible as
      the smoking history and may be underreported when mail survey methods alone are
      used.

PMID- 1878023
TI  - Community obstetric care in West Berkshire.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a revised obstetric booking policy whereby
      all low risk pregnant women received their antenatal care entirely in the
      community. DESIGN: Comparison of the distribution of antenatal clinic
      attendances, transfers, and perinatal mortality rates for 1987 and 1989, before
      and after introduction of the revised policy. SETTING: West Berkshire Health
      District. SUBJECTS: All women who delivered with a registrable birth in the
      district in 1987 (5817 women) and 1989 (5372). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attendances
      at community and consultant antenatal clinics; bookings transferred from
      community care to consultant care; perinatal mortality rates. RESULTS: Of 5372
      women delivering in West Berkshire in 1989, 3185 (58.3%) were originally booked
      for general practitioner-midwife care, of whom 1567 (49.2% of general
      practitioner-midwife bookings) were transferred to consultant care. 1618 women
      (30.1% of all women delivered) received their entire obstetric care from general
      practitioners and midwives. Attendance at hospital antenatal clinics was reduced
      by 16%. In 1989 the perinatal mortality rates (1987 values) for the district were
      6.3 (7.6) per 1000 births overall; 8.2 (8.3) per 1000 consultant bookings; 5.0
      (4.7) per 1000 for community bookings; and 10.2 (14.4) per 1000 for women
      transferred to consultant care. CONCLUSION: Antenatal care of low risk pregnant
      women may safely be provided by their general practitioner and midwife.

PMID- 1878024
TI  - Suicide among men in the highlands of Scotland.

PMID- 1878025
TI  - Accuracy of the clinical assessment of thyroid size.
AB  - A number of clinical decisions regarding treatment of thyroid diseases are
      influenced by the evaluation of thyroid size. In order to evaluate the accuracy
      of clinically estimated thyroid size, two experienced specialists in
      endocrinology and two junior doctors independently examined 53 patients. The
      ultrasonically-determined size was used as standard. An average error of 39%
      (range 0-566%) was demonstrated, the experienced doctors being more accurate than
      the younger ones. No relation was found between type of gland and accuracy of
      clinical estimation. In conclusion, palpation of the thyroid should not be used
      when an accurate size evaluation is considered of importance, e.g. in the
      estimation of radioiodine dose.

PMID- 1878026
TI  - Fluoridated water in day-care centers.

PMID- 1878027
TI  - Blood pressure control in primigravid women with mild hypertension.

PMID- 1878028
TI  - Esophagography and esophagoscopy.

PMID- 1878029
TI  - 'Reattachment of a fractured central incisor tooth fragment'.

PMID- 1878030
TI  - Management of bleeding in early pregnancy.

PMID- 1878031
TI  - Racism and psychiatry.

PMID- 1878032
TI  - Panic attacks in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1878033
TI  - A survey of dog bites in Thanet.

PMID- 1878034
TI  - Pulmonary dirofilariasis.

PMID- 1878035
TI  - Molteno implant surgery in refractory glaucoma.

PMID- 1878036
TI  - Gut blood flow velocities in the newborn.

PMID- 1878037
TI  - Management of endobronchial hemorrhage.

PMID- 1878038
TI  - Toxic shock syndrome.

PMID- 1878039
TI  - IUPAC Medicinal Chemistry report.

PMID- 1878040
TI  - Suggested refinements to the Vitez QA model.

PMID- 1878041
TI  - Amantadine for influenza A.

PMID- 1878042
TI  - Regulation of nickel exposure.

PMID- 1878043
TI  - Adolescent pregnancy.

PMID- 1878044
TI  - Scleral fixated intraocular lenses.

PMID- 1878045
TI  - Latent rabies.

PMID- 1878046
TI  - Papillary cystic neoplasm of the pancreas.

PMID- 1878047
TI  - The finding among AIDS patients of paradoxical hypouricemia in the presence of
      volume depletion combined with hyponatremia and high fractional excretion of
      sodium.

PMID- 1878048
TI  - A method to prevent tampering with an infusion pump.

PMID- 1878049
TI  - Sudden cardiac arrest during epidural anesthesia: venous air embolism?

PMID- 1878050
TI  - A retractor for cholecystectomy.

PMID- 1878051
TI  - Medication compliance in epilepsy.

PMID- 1878052
TI  - Superior oblique palsy as a complication of anterior ethmoidal artery ligation.

PMID- 1878053
TI  - Acute angle-closure glaucoma following botulinum toxin.

PMID- 1878054
TI  - Chemoprophylaxis for haemophilus influenzae type b.

PMID- 1878055
TI  - Endoscopic and histological findings in subjects with dyspepsia.

PMID- 1878056
TI  - Posttraumatic gustatory rhinorrhea.

PMID- 1878057
TI  - Effect of oral high frequency oscillation.

PMID- 1878058
TI  - 24-hour intragastric acidity and plasma gastrin after omeprazole treatment and
      after proximal gastric vagotomy in duodenal ulcer patients.

PMID- 1878059
TI  - Industrial veterinary medicine.

PMID- 1878060
TI  - Meanings of conception rate.

PMID- 1878061
TI  - Plasma von Willebrand factor levels and congestive heart failure.

PMID- 1878062
TI  - Count-based ratios for determining left ventricular volume.

PMID- 1878063
TI  - Myocardial viability.

PMID- 1878064
TI  - Periodic physician recredentialing.

PMID- 1878065
TI  - MRI quantification.

PMID- 1878066
TI  - Amiodarone-acenocoumarin interaction.

PMID- 1878067
TI  - Barium enema retention catheters.

PMID- 1878068
TI  - Residency training and abortion.

PMID- 1878069
TI  - Should routine liver biopsy be done for the definite diagnosis of acute fatty
      liver of pregnancy?

PMID- 1878070
TI  - Regional anaesthesia and cough effectiveness.

PMID- 1878071
TI  - Failure of hydrocortisone to prevent postoperative sore throat.

PMID- 1878072
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of 5-ethylpyrimidines and 5
      methylpyrimidines in plasma.
AB  - A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method employing a C18 reversed
      phase column, a mobile phase of sodium acetate and methanol, and an ultraviolet
      detector was developed for the analysis of 5-ethylpyrimidines and 5
      methylpyrimidines in plasma. Samples were prepared for HPLC by sequential cation
      exchange and anion-exchange column chromatography. Linear standard curves were
      obtained for samples containing 0.05-50 micrograms/ml 5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine and
      5-ethyluracil, 0.05-10 micrograms ml 5-(1-hydroxyethyl)uracil, and 0.1-50
      micrograms/ml thymidine, thymine and 5-hydroxymethyluracil. Applicability of the
      method to determination of the kinetics of 5-ethyl-2'-deoxyuridine elimination by
      the isolated perfused rat liver was demonstrated; clearance of the drug was 1.29
      ml/min.

PMID- 1878073
TI  - MDL 72222, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, suppresses voluntary ethanol
      consumption in alcohol-preferring rats.
AB  - The effect of the selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist MDL 72222 on voluntary
      ethanol consumption was examined in Sardinian ethanol-preferring (SP) rats in a
      free choice (10% ethanol and water) experiment. SP rats consumed 8.1 +/- 1.1 g/kg
      ethanol daily. MDL 72222 treatment (3.0, 5.0 and 7.0 mg/kg i.p. 3 times daily for
      6 days) inhibited ethanol consumption during the 6 days of treatment by 25%, 50%
      and 75%, respectively, without modifying total fluid intake. We suggest that 5
      HT3 receptor activation plays a permissive role in alcohol preference.

PMID- 1878074
TI  - The value of brainstem auditory evoked potentials in early diagnosis of
      Wernicke's encephalopathy.
AB  - Statistical analysis of the interpeak latencies of brainstem auditory evoked
      potentials (BAEP) shows that a delayed IPL I-V is a very sensitive indicator for
      an early diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy. In cases of uncomplicated
      delirium tremens no significant deviations of BAEP were found.

PMID- 1878075
TI  - Do alcoholic beverages have an additional effect on the postprandial gastrin
      response in humans?
AB  - The hormone gastrin plays an important role in the regulation of acid secretion
      in the stomach which, in turn, stimulates the digestion of food. Previous studies
      reported that administration of beer and wine but not ethanol and spirits
      increases gastrin secretion in fasting volunteers. It is not known whether
      alcoholic beverages combined with a normal meal have an additional effect on the
      postprandial gastrin response. We therefore measured the gastrin response in
      eight volunteers who received either alcoholic beverages (40 g alcohol) in the
      form of beer, red wine or spirits, or mineral water as control in combination
      with a dinner. Two glasses were drunk before the meal, two glasses during the
      meal. Plasma gastrin concentrations were twofold increased at one hour after the
      dinner as compared to predinner values. However, no additional effect of beer,
      wine or spirits on this postprandial response was seen. The present study does
      not support the hypothesis that the consumption of beer or wine during a meal has
      a positive effect on the release of gastrin and therefore most probably does not
      contribute to an improved digestion of food by stimulation of acid secretion.

PMID- 1878076
TI  - Hepatic transmethylation and blood alcohol levels.
AB  - Golden Syrian hamsters that have elevated hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity
      were divided into four groups and group-fed on four different liquid diets for
      five weeks. Group I was fed a control diet formulated for hamsters. Group II was
      fed the control diet containing 20 micrograms of 4 methylpyrazole per litre.
      Group III was fed the hamster ethanol liquid diet (ethanol amounting to 36% of
      total calories). Group IV was fed the ethanol diet to which 4-methylpyrazole (20
      micrograms/litre) was added. Groups I, II and III were group-fed the amount
      consumed by Group IV on a daily basis. Upon killing the animals, blood alcohol
      levels were found to be elevated in Group IV but not in Group III. Hepatic
      methionine synthetase (MS) was inhibited in Group IV. Betaine-homocysteine
      methyltransferase was induced in this group to compensate for the MS inhibition
      and liver betaine was lowered reflecting this induction. None of these changes
      were seen in Group III. Since none of the animals showed an aversion to their
      respective diets and gained weight normally, these data indicate that it was the
      elevated blood levels of ethanol rather than nutritional factors that were
      related to the changes in methionine metabolism.

PMID- 1878077
TI  - Alcohol-induced depression: involvement of serotonin.
AB  - We examined tryptophan and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) levels in the blood
      after consumption of alcohol. Forty-five minutes after drinking, whole blood
      serotonin concentration was significantly reduced, whereas no changes were
      observed in tryptophan level. The diurnal rhythm of 5-HT in subjects who the day
      before had drunk alcohol was quite different from the control group, but very
      similar to that of patients with depression. The results strongly suggest that
      the mechanism of depression after alcohol drinking may be related to serotonin.

PMID- 1878078
TI  - Intracerebral grafting impedes hippocampal cell loss during withdrawal after long
      term alcohol consumption in rats.
AB  - We previously found that, in the hippocampal formation as well as other central
      nervous system regions, withdrawal from alcohol following long periods of
      ingestion did not impede the ethanol-induced degenerative changes, including cell
      loss: on the contrary, neuronal degeneration was found to be increased in
      withdrawn rats. By grafting withdrawn rats either with immature hippocampal
      blocks or with suspensions of cultured astrocytes, we hoped to arrest the process
      of cell loss or even reverse it, because it is known that grafted material might
      display trophic and eventually protective effects in conditions of brain damage.
      The dentate granule and hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells were counted both in the
      grafted hemisphere and in the contralateral one. Grafts of astrocyte suspensions
      did not interfere with the ongoing process of cell death in withdrawn rats.
      Conversely, grafts of hippocampal tissue impeded the degeneration observed in the
      granule and pyramidal cells of the grafted hemisphere, although in the
      contralateral one the cell loss persisted. We therefore conclude that the
      protective effect displayed by solid grafts might be a local process dependent on
      the release of diffusible trophic agents. We cannot explain the absence of any
      effect displayed by astroglial grafts, inasmuch as in different experimental
      situations such an effect was described.

PMID- 1878079
TI  - The urinary excretion of the collagen degradation markers pyridinoline and
      deoxypyridinoline in an experimental rat model of alcoholic bone disease.
AB  - (1) The effect of chronic (6 weeks) ethanol feeding on whole-body skeletal tissue
      in the rat was studied by analysis of the urinary pyridinium crosslinks of
      collagen, pyridinoline (PYD; found predominantly in the collagens of cartilage
      and bone and to a lesser extent in other tissues) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD;
      found only in type I collagen of bone and dentine). (2) The urinary
      concentrations of total, free and conjugated PYD were unaltered by ethanol
      feeding. In contrast, there were significant reductions in total and conjugated
      DPD concentrations. The reduction in the concentration of free DPD did not
      achieve statistical significance. The urinary PYD/DPD molar ratios, of total and
      conjugated forms, were increased. (3) Alcohol feeding caused the total 24 hr
      urinary PYD excretion to fall slightly, by 15%. There were no statistically
      significant effects on excretion of free and conjugated forms of PYD, nor on the
      free/total, free/conjugated and conjugated/total molar ratios. In contrast, the
      24 hr urinary excretion of total, free and conjugated DPD was significantly
      reduced by 25-55%. Furthermore, the free/total and free/conjugated molar ratios
      were significantly increased by 40% and 80%, respectively, and the
      conjugated/total molar ratio was significantly reduced by 16%. (4) Data from the
      analysis of plasma electrolytes, enzymes and metabolites did not support the
      contention that the effects on collagen degradation were a result of secondary
      organ dysfunction due to alcohol consumption. (5) The results suggest that
      chronic ethanol feeding for 6 weeks is having a primary effect on skeletal
      tissue. A reduction in the absolute rate of bone resorption is implicated and
      ethanol may inhibit the normal formation of the mature crosslinks.

PMID- 1878080
TI  - Alcohol consumption of patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias other than
      atrial fibrillation.
AB  - We studied the recent alcohol consumption and other possible precipitating
      factors in 99 consecutive patients (53 men and 46 women) all under 65 years of
      age with sustained re-entry and automatic supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and
      compared them with those of two groups of controls. One control group was derived
      from the Emergency Room patients and matched for age and sex; the other group (44
      men, 22 women, mean age 48.7 years) was randomly selected from the general out-of
      hospital population. There were 50 patients with supraventricular tachycardia, 30
      with atrial flutter, and 19 with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. Coronary heart
      disease (14% of patients), hypertension (10%), and dilated cardiomyopathy (6%)
      were the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases associated with the arrhythmias.
      The self-reported alcohol consumption of patients with arrhythmias during the
      week preceding the arrhythmia did not differ significantly from that of hospital
      or population controls, although significantly more patients than controls had
      liver enzyme levels above normal; neither were there any significant differences
      between the groups regarding prevalence for alcoholism as judged by the CAGE
      questionnaire. The results were essentially similar when patients with
      supraventricular tachycardia and those with intra-atrial tachyarrhythmias
      (flutter and paroxysmal tachycardia) were separately compared with the controls.
      We conclude that alcohol consumption, although a risk factor for atrial
      fibrillation, is not associated with the induction of other supraventricular
      tachyarrhythmias in patients of working age.

PMID- 1878081
TI  - The relationship between social skills and adolescent drinking.
AB  - Studies of the drinking patterns of Australian youth have revealed the widespread
      use of alcohol, with substantial numbers of high school students drinking on a
      daily basis and regularly becoming intoxicated. The present research investigated
      the relationship between social skills and drinking behaviour in teenagers. The
      Adolescent Alcohol Involvement Scale was administered to 82 males and females
      aged between 13 and 16 to distinguish among drinkers, problem drinkers and non
      drinkers. To measure social skills, the Adolescent Problem Inventory was
      administered to boys and the Problem Inventory for Adolescent Girls to girls.
      There were significant group differences on the social skills measures with non
      drinkers receiving the highest scores, indicating the most social skills,
      followed by drinkers and problem drinkers. An analysis of results showed that 11%
      of drinkers and 50% of problem drinkers were in the incompetent range of social
      skills performance while no non-drinkers scored in this range. None of the
      problem drinkers scored in the highly competent range of performance whereas 22%
      of drinkers and 40% of non-drinkers did. Results are discussed in terms of
      linking a number of problem behaviours in adolescence, such as drinking, smoking
      and delinquent behaviour, to deficits in social skills.

PMID- 1878082
TI  - Alcohol consumption patterns in a primary care population.
AB  - Over a one-year period the authors administered the Diagnostic Interview Schedule
      to 459 randomly selected patients attending an urban general medicine practice.
      Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence disorders were diagnosed as current in 12%
      of the patients, while 19% of the patients met criteria for a past disorder. In
      addition, 11% and 3%, respectively, reported a history of previous or current
      heavy consumption. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol consumption disorders is
      significantly higher in males than females, while current disorders are
      significantly more common in younger than older individuals. Based upon the
      number of reported symptoms, patients reporting current disorders appear to have
      a more serious form of disease than patients reporting a past disorder. We
      conclude that disorders of alcohol consumption are common in our medical
      practice. Moreover, our findings suggest that many patients do recover from
      alcohol consumption disorders (i.e. are currently symptom-free by self-report)
      and disease severity may be an important factor in this process.

PMID- 1878083
TI  - Relative kindling effect of detoxification and non-detoxification admissions in
      alcoholics.
AB  - We reviewed the histories of 340 men and 60 women who were admitted for alcohol
      detoxification to determine if hospitalizations unrelated to detoxification
      increased the prevalence of seizures observed in these patients. Previous
      investigations on this cohort suggested that recurrent detoxification admissions
      increased the probability of seizure histories. Detoxification and non
      detoxification hospitalizations were calculated from patient reports and chart
      reviews on patients admitted for alcohol detoxification. Discriminant analysis of
      each type of hospitalization and total hospitalizations for each sex revealed an
      increased risk of seizure activity correlating with non-detoxification
      hospitalizations, but the correlation was weaker than that observed for
      detoxification admissions and for total admissions. This correlation between
      hospitalizations and seizure prevalence supports the hypothesis that recurrent
      alcohol withdrawal may have a kindling effect.

PMID- 1878085
TI  - [Dysplasia in the digestive tract].

PMID- 1878084
TI  - Tumour necrosis factor and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in alcoholic hepatitis.

PMID- 1878086
TI  - [Gleason's classification of prostatic adenocarcinomas].

PMID- 1878087
TI  - [Muir-Torre syndrome. Multiple visceral cancers associated with an isolated
      sebaceous epithelioma].
AB  - One case of Muir-Torre Syndrome (MTS) is reported. It is characterized by an
      unusual association of an unique cutaneous sebaceous epithelioma and multiple
      visceral adenocarcinomas. The patient was a 67 year-old white woman, from a
      family with inherited cancer syndrome, who developed previously four colic and
      one endometrial carcinomas. The morphologic spectrum of the cutaneous tumors
      observed in the MTS is represented by kerato-acanthoma and/or sebaceous tumors as
      in the original case described by Torre. The cutaneous tumors are usually
      multiple and follow after numerous visceral cancers such as colic, endometrial,
      urinary, or gastric carcinomas. The visceral cancers are remarkable because of
      the familial character, the multiplicity of tumors and the low-grade malignancy.
      Our case highlights the difficulty to make an accurate diagnosis for rare
      histological variants of cutaneous tumors in the MTS.

PMID- 1878088
TI  - [Association of a pheochromocytoma and a homolateral clear cell renal carcinoma].
AB  - A 61 years old man had a clear cell type carcinoma of the right kidney and a
      small asymptomatic homolateral adrenal pheochromocytoma. A von Hippel-Lindau
      disease suggested by this association was not confirmed in this case. However the
      measurement of plasma and urinary catecholamines, VMA and Iodine 131 MIBG (meta
      iodo-benzyl-guanidine) scans are usefull in case of clinical doubt in patients
      with renal adenocarcinoma. This observation and others in medical literature
      demonstrate the interest of resection of adrenal glands during a nephrectomy for
      adenocarcinoma.

PMID- 1878089
TI  - [Presentation of standardized forms for studying surgical specimens of digestive
      tract carcinomas].

PMID- 1878090
TI  - [A case of erythema elevatum diutinum mimicking Kaposi's sarcoma].

PMID- 1878091
TI  - [Inguinal hibernoma. A case report].

PMID- 1878092
TI  - [Multiple stenoses in the biliary tract].

PMID- 1878093
TI  - [Arterial pathology of competition cyclists].

PMID- 1878094
TI  - Long-term consequences of CNS treatment for childhood cancer, Part I: Pathologic
      consequences and potential for oncogenesis.
AB  - The pathologic changes associated with the treatment of cancer of the nervous
      system are reviewed. Computed tomographic, magnetic resonance imaging, and
      positron emission tomographic findings of these abnormalities are described,
      followed by discussion of the known histopathologic features. For the most part,
      pathologic effects are primary vascular and/or demyelinating. We review each of
      these effects at all levels of the neural axis. This review concludes with a
      discussion of the risk of developing second malignancies. Although this
      complication is infrequent, the likelihood that survivors of childhood cancer
      will develop a second malignancy is 10 times that of age-matched controls. This
      phenomenon in part relates to genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and
      host susceptibility. These qualifications not withstanding, most studies
      implicate central nervous system radiation with and without chemotherapy as the
      primary etiology for second malignancies.

PMID- 1878095
TI  - MRI following severe perinatal asphyxia: preliminary experience.
AB  - In 30 children suffering from severe perinatal asphyxia an attempt was made to
      determine the early prognostic signs of severe hypoxic-ischemic brain injury with
      magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten early (1-4 days of age), 16 intermediate (2
      4 weeks of age), and 38 late MRI (older than 1 month of age) procedures were
      performed on a 2.35 T MR-system. Severe cerebral necrosis was suspected by T2
      hyperintensity of the white matter, with blurred limits to the cortex in early
      MRI, and was confirmed by T1 hyperintensity of the cortex in intermediate MRI.
      Severe cerebral necrosis was established at 3 months of age. Of the 11 children
      with this pattern (group A), 8 had severe and 3 had moderate cerebral palsy on
      subsequent examination. Thirteen children (group B) had normal late MRI scans;
      none developed severe cerebral palsy or marked mental retardation. Two children
      (group C) had focal ischemic lesions. Four children had intracranial hemorrhage
      (group D). Groups A and B did not differ in the severity of their perinatal
      histories and findings, suggesting that MRI during the first 3 months is of
      significant prognostic value.

PMID- 1878096
TI  - Tentorial subdural hemorrhage in term newborns: ultrasonographic diagnosis and
      clinical correlates.
AB  - Tentorial subdural hemorrhage with its supratentorial and infratentorial
      extensions were diagnosed by cranial ultrasonography and computed tomography in 9
      term newborns. Vacuum extraction or forceps delivery was used in 6 patients.
      Abnormal neurologic manifestations developed after a period of normality in 8
      patients. Increased intracranial pressure was the most common presentation. All
      patients had hemorrhage at the falcotentorial junction near the incisura; 5 also
      had hemorrhage around the tentorial leaflet. Posterior fossa retrocerebellar
      subdural hemorrhage developed in 5 patients and posterior interhemispheric
      subdural hemorrhage developed in 4. All 6 patients who received conservative
      treatment had normal neurodevelopmental outcomes. Of the other 3 patients upon
      whom suboccipital craniotomies were performed, only 1 had a normal outcome.
      Although it localized the tentorial subdural hemorrhage either at the incisura
      area or at the tentorial leaflet, ultrasonography failed to identify all patients
      with retrocerebellar or posterior interhemispheric subdural hemorrhage.
      Parturitional tentorial subdural hemorrhage may not be uncommon. Ultrasonography
      and computed tomography are complementary in the diagnosis. Surgical
      decompression of the posterior fossa subdural hematoma is necessary only in the
      presence of acute hydrocephalus or signs of brainstem compression.

PMID- 1878097
TI  - Cortical blindness in children: a study of etiology and prognosis.
AB  - Thirty-four children (20 boys, 14 girls) with congenital and acquired cortical
      blindness were analyzed for visual outcome in relation to etiology, visual evoked
      potentials, electroencephalography, and cranial computed tomography. All 7
      children with congenital cortical blindness remained blind on subsequent
      examination. Of the 27 children with acquired blindness, 16 (59%) had poor visual
      outcome. Poor visual outcome occurred in those with cardiac arrest, hypoxia,
      status epilepticus, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral thrombosis, and head
      trauma. Good visual outcome occurred in children with hypotensive episodes after
      cardiac surgery. Of the 12 children with recovery of vision, the interval from
      acute loss of vision to partial or total recovery was 2 weeks to 5 months. Seven
      children had complete recovery of vision with no residual visual field defect.
      The majority of children (87%) had focal or multifocal spike-and-waves and slow
      sharp-wave discharges on electroencephalography. None had photic recruitment
      response or occipital spike-and-wave discharges. Flash visual evoked potential
      studies performed during acute episodes of cortical blindness documented 11 with
      absent response, 10 with bilateral increases in latency, and 6 with normal
      responses. There was no correlation between normal visual evoked potentials and a
      good visual outcome. Only 2 of 6 children with normal responses had normal
      vision. Abnormal or absent responses are more predictive of a poor recovery of
      vision because only 3 of 21 (14%) had normal vision on subsequent examination.
      Abnormal electroencephalographic findings with focal or multifocal spike-and-wave
      discharges or cerebral atrophy on cranial computed tomography are also poor
      prognostic signs.

PMID- 1878098
TI  - Membrane cerebral lipids in Rett syndrome.
AB  - The lipid membrane composition of cerebral tissue from 5 patients with classic
      Rett syndrome, ages 12-30 years, and from 14 age-matched controls was studied.
      The results demonstrated a selective loss of myelin-associated lipids and an
      enrichment of gangliosides in temporal white matter. The ganglioside pattern
      revealed an increase of astroglial cell-associated gangliosides and reduced
      proportions of gangliosides GD1a and GT1b. This latter finding may be crucial in
      synaptic function. The fatty acid compositions of ethanolamine phosphoglyceride,
      choline phosphoglyceride, and galactosylceramide were normal.

PMID- 1878099
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging in preterm infants.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 9 preterm infants at 37-43 weeks
      postmenstrual age. They all were born at 26-35 weeks gestation. Myelination was
      graded according to its most cephalic location. Myelination pattern 2
      (myelination observed in the posterior limb of the internal capsule and adjacent
      structures of the thalamus and lenticular nucleus) was demonstrated in 2 infants,
      pattern 3 (myelination of the corona radiata) in 3 infants, and pattern 4
      (myelination of the centrum semiovale) in 4 infants. Bilateral low intensity
      areas were found on T1-weighted images in 7 infants and a ribbon-like, high
      intensity was observed in 5. These findings revealed a wide variety of magnetic
      resonance imaging appearance in apparently normal preterm infants. Caution is
      needed in interpreting the pathologic nature of such features in preterm infants
      during the perinatal period.

PMID- 1878100
TI  - Phasic sleep components in infants with cyanosis during feeding.
AB  - Although brainstem immaturity has been postulated as one of the pathogenesis
      underlying cyanosis during feeding (CDF), there has been no widely accepted
      physiologic parameter that reflects brainstem function. We recently proposed that
      the dissociation index (DI), one of the phasic sleep parameters, is a reliable
      and quantitative sleep parameter for assessing brainstem maturation during early
      infancy. In the present study, we evaluated brainstem impairment in infants with
      CDF using phasic sleep components. Polysomnographies were obtained for 12 infants
      with CDF who were equally divided into 2 groups: one had or subsequently
      experienced apparent life-threatening events or sudden infant death syndrome
      (ALTE-SIDS group) and the other did not (CDF group). Rapid eye movement density
      and the number of gross movements (body movements, including the trunk, lasting
      greater than or equal to 2 sec) in the patients were identical to those in the
      controls. In the CDF group, the decrease of the average DI value from the
      controls was significantly less than the decrease in the ALTE-SIDS group. CDF may
      be a mild expression of brainstem immaturity. DI appears to be useful when
      evaluating infants with cyanosis during feeding.

PMID- 1878101
TI  - Acute hemiplegia associated with HIV infection.
AB  - An acute hemiplegia secondary to a large cerebral infarct is described in a 16
      month-old infant with congenitally-acquired human immunodeficiency virus
      infection. Serial imaging studies during the next year documented improvement in
      his hemiplegia and a static underlying human immunodeficiency virus
      encephalopathy. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome should be included in the
      differential diagnosis of children with acute hemiplegia.

PMID- 1878102
TI  - Ultrasonographic findings in thalamus and basal ganglia in term asphyxiated
      infants.
AB  - Three severely asphyxiated term neonates demonstrated bilateral hyperechogenicity
      in the thalamus and basal ganglia. During evolution, areas of attenuated
      echogenicity appeared in these structures at the same time as periventricular
      cysts were evident in 2 patients with coexistent periventricular leukomalacia.
      All 3 patients developed ventricular dilatation; in the 2 patients with
      periventricular leukomalacia, the ventricular border was irregular in the outer
      (dorsal) margin, and interhemispheric fissures were widened as a manifestation of
      cerebral atrophy. Furthermore, the thalamic inner (ventral) margins of the
      lateral ventricles were irregular in all 3 patients. This previously unrecognized
      finding points to a particular form of cerebral atrophy localized in the
      gangliothalamic region that contributes to the development of ventriculomegaly.
      The reported sonographic sequence implies profound damage in the thalamus and
      basal ganglia in asphyxiated infants which undoubtedly has contributed to the
      poor outcomes of our patients.

PMID- 1878103
TI  - Acute dyskinesias in young asthmatics treated with theophylline.
AB  - Two young children, 5 and 30 months of age, developed acute transient
      dyskinesias. The novel features of these patients were classic orobuccal-lingual
      dyskinesias, their young ages, and the association with asthma and theophylline.
      The movements resembled tardive dyskinesias of older patients on neuroleptics,
      but neither patient had any exposure to neuroleptic drugs. Choreiform movements
      were moderately severe and remitted several hours after discontinuation of
      theophylline or over days in the patient who remained on the drug. No symptomatic
      treatment of dyskinesia was required. Both infants otherwise had normal
      neurologic examinations with no clinical evidence of meningoencephalitis,
      seizures, or stroke. Both infants required hospitalization for respiratory
      distress, but not intensive care. The highest theophylline levels measured in
      these patients were 22 and 25 micrograms/ml and levels determined closest to the
      appearance of dyskinesias were lower. Urine toxicology screen for other drugs and
      routine blood work were normal. The infants, examined subsequently for 1 1/2-2
      years for asthma, have demonstrated no reappearance of dyskinesias or other
      neurologic abnormalities. We propose an interaction of theophylline, hypoxemia,
      or other factors related to asthma in the pathophysiology of reversible
      dyskinesia in our patients.

PMID- 1878104
TI  - Monomelic amyotrophy in siblings.
AB  - Monomelic amyotrophy is a rare, benign motor neuron disorder. Electrophysiologic
      studies are suggestive of localized chronic anterior horn cell disease. Two young
      siblings are reported with monomelic amyotrophy who had proximal muscle weakness
      confined to one arm. We propose that monomelic amyotrophy, at least in this
      family, is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait.

PMID- 1878105
TI  - Leber congenital amaurosis in siblings with diffuse dysmyelination.
AB  - Two brothers are described with the previously unrecognized combination of Leber
      amaurosis and abnormal myelin detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Both have
      evidence of delayed psychomotor development and one has autistic features. A
      possible relationship with infantile autism or a peroxisomal dysfunction syndrome
      is explored. No peroxisomal defect was found in these patients.

PMID- 1878106
TI  - Marine biosurfactants, I. Screening for biosurfactants among crude oil degrading
      marine microorganisms from the North Sea.
AB  - Three bacterial strains of marine origin were isolated during a screening for
      biosurfactants among n-alkane degrading microorganisms. One strain-identified as
      Alcaligenes sp. MM1-produced a novel glucose lipid. In the case of Arthrobacter
      sp. EK 1 the well-known trehalose tetraester was found as major component. From
      another pure culture classified as Arthrobacter sp. SI 1, extracellular
      emulsifying agents with properties indicating high molecular weight substances
      were detected. Furthermore trehalose corynomycolates were found at up to 2 g/l.
      The isolated biosurfactants showed good interfacial and emulsifying properties.

PMID- 1878108
TI  - Marine biosurfactants, III. Toxicity testing with marine microorganisms and
      comparison with synthetic surfactants.
AB  - Eight synthetic and nine biogenetic surfactants were tested on their toxicity.
      Because of their possible application as oil dispersants against oil slicks on
      sea, the test organisms used were marine microorganisms (mixed and pure cultures
      of bacteria, microalgae, and protozoa). Bacterial growth was hardly effected or
      stimulated, whilst that of algae and flagellates was reduced. All substances
      tested were biodegraded in sea water. The bioluminescence of Photobacter
      phosphoreum (Microtox test) was the most sensitive test system used. A ranking
      shows that most biogenetic surfactants were less toxic than synthetic
      surfactants. No toxicity could be detected with the glucose-lipid GL, produced by
      the marine bacterium Alcaligenes sp. MM1.

PMID- 1878107
TI  - Marine biosurfactants, II. Production and characterization of an anionic
      trehalose tetraester from the marine bacterium Arthrobacter sp. EK 1.
AB  - Within a screening for biosurfactants we could isolate various n-alkanes
      utilizing marine bacteria which were capable of synthesizing glycolipids. One
      strain was identified as Arthrobacter sp. EK 1 which produced trehalose lipids.
      After purification by column and thick layer chromatography the main fraction, an
      anionic 2,3,4,2'-trehalose tetraester, was obtained. The chain lengths of fatty
      acids ranged from 8 up to 14, furthermore succinate could be detected. Since the
      place of substitution of succinate has so far not been cited in literature, a
      definitive structural elucidation was carried out chemically by hydroboration and
      by 1H, 2D1H, 13C and 13C-1H correlation NMR measurements. All investigations
      confirmed the exact position of succinate at C 2 atom of trehalose. After
      improvement of growth conditions the production of the trehalose tetraester
      increased up to 4.8 milligrams during a fermentation in 20 l bioreactor under
      nitrogen limitation.

PMID- 1878109
TI  - Synthesis and biological behavior of a boronated analogue of the antiestrogen U
      23,469-M.
AB  - A boronated analogue of the antiestrogen U 23,469-M (D. Lednicer, D. W. Emmert,
      S. C. Lyster, and G. W. Duncan, J. Med. Chem. 12, 881 (1969] was prepared, for
      possible use in neutron capture therapy of estrogen receptor-positive tumors. In
      this analogue, the terminal OH group was replaced by a B-decachloro-o-carboranyl
      residue. This compound showed a large, non-specific uptake in ZR 75-1 breast
      cancer-derived cells. It could partially inhibit the uptake of estradiol in these
      cells. Accumulation in the cells at physiologically obtainable concentrations
      was, however, too low to envisage a therapeutic effect following thermal neutron
      irradiation.

PMID- 1878110
TI  - Characterization of two thioredoxins in pig heart including a new mitochondrial
      protein.
AB  - Heart tissue contains two different thioredoxins. One is a specific mitochondrial
      protein and is best prepared from pre-isolated, intact heart mitochondria (mt
      thioredoxin) whereas mitochondria-depleted tissue homogenates contain the major
      cellular thioredoxin of cytoplasmic origin (c-thioredoxin). Both heat-stable
      proteins are clearly differentiated chromatographically. They exhibit slightly
      different molecular weights (12,300 vs. 12,000) and isoelectric points (4.7 vs.
      4.8) but differ remarkably in their cysteine content: mt-Thioredoxin has two
      cysteine residues like the bacterial proteins, and c-thioredoxin possesses six
      cysteines. Heart extracts were also shown to contain a NADPH-specific thioredoxin
      reductase of the known mammalian type. A specific function or target enzyme of mt
      thioredoxin has not as yet been established.

PMID- 1878111
TI  - Cataract induction by 1,2-naphthoquinone. I. Studies on the redox properties of
      bovine lens proteins.
AB  - Conditions of oxidative stress may lead to cataract formation. Reaction of
      certain flavoproteins, the NADH: oxidoreductases, with different quinones is well
      known to form hydrogen-peroxide. This reaction was investigated to get more
      information on cataract induction by naphthalene and its quinone metabolites.
      Protein extracts from bovine lens cortex exhibit "diaphorase" activity, indicated
      as dye reduction in the presence of NADH and dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP) or
      ferricyanide. Different redox cycling compounds are shown to be active in this
      "diaphorase" reaction by lens protein extract (LCE): Oxygen consumption can be
      detected in the presence of pyrroloquinoline quinone and juglone whereas 1,4
      naphthoquinone, menadione and paraquat are no redox cyclists in this flavoprotein
      catalyzed reaction.

PMID- 1878112
TI  - Cataract induction by 1,2-naphthoquinone. II. Mechanism of hydrogenperoxide
      formation and inhibition by iodide.
AB  - Naphthalene cataract is probably due to peroxide production through
      naphthoquinone (NQ) redox cycling and/or glutathione conjugation. Both mechanisms
      yield losses of essential SH-groups in cristallins and are thus probably involved
      in protein modification finally visible as lens opacity. 1,2-Naphthoquinone
      produces H2O2 in the presence of either ascorbate, glutathione, NADH or--to a
      lesser extend--by homogenates of lens protein preparations. In the presence of
      1,2-naphthoquinone and the above reductive additions, both, oxygen uptake and
      H2O2 formation can be observed. Reductive oxygen activation in these systems are
      diminuated by iodide in a concentration-dependent manner. Since maleimide-treated
      proteins are less capable to activate oxygen by 1,2-naphthoquinone, a direct
      oxygen activation by the interactions of 1,2-naphthoquinone with protein-SH is
      indicated. Catalysis of "diaphorase"-type (dia) enzymes via NADH--dia--1,2-NQ--O2
      seems not to operate in hydrogenperoxide production during 1,2-naphthoquinone
      lens toxicity.

PMID- 1878113
TI  - On the relationships between the genetic code coevolution hypothesis and the
      physicochemical hypothesis.
AB  - This paper analyzes the relationships between the genetic code coevolution
      hypothesis and the physicochemical hypothesis by means of a comparative study of
      the precursor-product amino acid pairs on which the former hypothesis is based.
      Even if the coevolution between the biosynthetic relationships of amino acids and
      the organization of the genetic code is not questioned in this paper, the results
      and the arguments used lead us to believe that the selective pressures considered
      essential by the physicochemical postulates, played a more active role than that
      of the precursor-product relationships in defining the allocation of these amino
      acids in the genetic code. It is furthermore pointed out that the two
      evolutionary hypothesis might be aspects of the same selective pressure, and thus
      difficult to differentiate.

PMID- 1878114
TI  - Partial characterization of anti-HLA class II antibodies isolated by aid of
      sepharose-peptide immunoadsorbents.
AB  - Synthetic peptides selected from HLA-DQ and HLA-DP glycoproteins were coupled to
      Sepharose, and used for the isolation of anti-HLA Class II antibodies from the
      immune sera of rabbits immunized with human lymphoblastoid cells expressing Class
      II antigens. Antibodies from early and late bleedings displayed remarkable
      differences in affinity for peptides and for soluable membrane proteins: these
      differences might be due to an early immune response directed preferentially
      against surface linear determinants, and to a late response to assembled
      (discontinuous) sites. The possibility that such antibodies might be used for the
      identification of amino acid stretches involved in the formation of the same
      assembled determinant is considered.

PMID- 1878115
TI  - Legislative decisions: death and taxes.

PMID- 1878116
TI  - Topical wound management. A discussion of the use of povidone-iodine.

PMID- 1878117
TI  - Collaboration with a vendor.

PMID- 1878118
TI  - Clinical evaluation of a polymeric membrane dressing in the treatment of dermal
      ulcers.

PMID- 1878119
TI  - Financial repercussions of incontinence management.

PMID- 1878120
TI  - Convincing the non-compliant patient to change his behavior.

PMID- 1878121
TI  - The management of selected complications following ileo-anal anastomosis with
      pouch reservoir. Part I: Complications following stage I procedure.

PMID- 1878122
TI  - Resolving the dressing dilemma: selecting wound dressing by category.

PMID- 1878123
TI  - Achieving a state of urinary continence for residents of nursing facilities. Part
      I: The history and physical examination.

PMID- 1878124
TI  - Phospholipase A2--a mediator between proximal and distal effectors of
      inflammation.
AB  - Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is known to play an important intracellular role in
      inflammatory processes but does it also perform a vital function extracellularly?
      Here, W. Pruzanski and P. Vadas marshall the evidence supporting PLA2 as a
      mediator of inflammation, specifically in linking local and systemic effects.

PMID- 1878125
TI  - Staphylococcal-enterotoxin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
AB  - T cells equipped with sophisticated TCR and MHC recognition structures, an
      efficient cytokine communication network and lethal cytotoxic effector functions
      constitute one of the bulwarks of the mammalian immune system. However, infective
      agents have developed strategies to undermine T-cell immunity; for example,
      certain bacterial toxins serve as 'superantigens' by binding to preserved
      determinants on MHC class-II-encoded proteins and activating T cells expressing
      particular sequences of TCR V beta gene products. In this paper, Mikael Dohlsten
      and colleagues present evidence suggesting that these bacterial superantigens
      direct T cells to eradicate MHC class-II-expressing antigen-presenting cells,
      thus counteracting specific T-cell functions.

PMID- 1878126
TI  - Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy--a model for the association of organ-specific
      autoimmune disorders.
AB  - The development of a characteristic ophthalmopathy is a feature of autoimmune
      diseases of the thyroid. The link between the conditions has not yet been
      discovered, but here Jack Wall and colleagues develop the theory that an
      autoimmune response to a 64 kDa antigen expressed on both thyroid and eye muscle
      membranes is responsible for this thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

PMID- 1878127
TI  - Second generation immune networks.
AB  - Network approaches have had little impact on immunology because they have
      addressed the wrong questions. They have concentrated on the regulation of clonal
      immune responses rather than on the supraclonal properties of the immune system
      that emerge from its network organization, such as natural tolerance and memory.
      Theoretical advances, observations in unimmunized mice and humans, and the
      success of novel therapeutics in autoimmune diseases have recently promoted a new
      burst of research on the structure, temporal dynamics and metadynamical
      plasticity of immune networks.

PMID- 1878128
TI  - The discovery of thyroid autoimmunity.

PMID- 1878129
TI  - Allelic variations of human TCR V gene products.

PMID- 1878130
TI  - HIV and idiotypic T-cell regulation.

PMID- 1878131
TI  - Tolerance and immune regulation.
AB  - Understanding of both the phenomenon of immunological tolerance and the
      mechanisms by which it is achieved is rapidly advancing, as was evident from a
      recent meeting. This report summarizes key developments in both T- and B-cell
      biology.

PMID- 1878132
TI  - Immunotherapy of rheumatic diseases--practice and prospects.
AB  - Present treatments for rheumatic diseases are both toxic to patients and largely
      ineffective in modifying the disease process. This report, based on a meeting
      recently held in London, investigates how far recent molecular and immunological
      advances can be converted into more effective, less toxic and, above all, more
      specific therapies.

PMID- 1878133
TI  - Primitive cytokines: harbingers of vertebrate defense.
AB  - The evolution of the immune system has awarded cytokines a key role as
      coordinators of the immune response. The exquisite action of cytokines in fine
      tuning and controlling the response raises the question of whether or not these
      molecules have been highly conserved through evolution. Gregory Beck and Gail
      Habicht have isolated and characterized two major cytokines, interleukin 1 and
      tumor necrosis factor, from invertebrates. In this article, they speculate on the
      possible function of these molecules and on the existence of other cytokines in
      invertebrates.

PMID- 1878134
TI  - The synergy between naive and memory T cells during activation.
AB  - Naive and memory T-cell subsets differ in their ability to synthesize and respond
      to a variety of cytokines in vitro and each subset can produce cytokines that
      amplify the response of the other subset. The significance of these interactions
      to antigen responsiveness has, until now, been unclear. In this article Arne
      Akbar and colleagues point out that both subsets are activated to the same extent
      by alloantigen and suggest that synergy may be an important event in initiating
      potent responses against transplanted allografts.

PMID- 1878135
TI  - The B-cell antigen receptor complex.

PMID- 1878136
TI  - Development of lectin-based idiotype vaccines for polysaccharide antigens.

PMID- 1878137
TI  - The effects of glucocorticoids on lymphocyte numbers.

PMID- 1878138
TI  - Immunology, inflammation and asthma.

PMID- 1878139
TI  - T cells, macrophages and platelets in asthma.
AB  - The role of T cells, macrophages and platelets in asthma is discussed. Peripheric
      T cell populations are normal as well in atopic as in non atopic. Macrophages can
      release histamine releasing factors and PAF in presence of allergens. Platelets
      stimulated by contact with allergens or PAF decreased the aggregation pattern
      induced by common inducers. These data show that different cells can play a role
      in the inflammatory process in asthma.

PMID- 1878140
TI  - Bronchoalveolar lavage cell data in drug-induced pneumonitis.
AB  - In an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic help of bronchoalveolar lavage cell data
      in drug-induced pneumonitis (D.I.P.), we collected through the world literature
      167 cases of D.I.P. In 122 cases, data were available for individual analysis (68
      associated with amiodarone prescription and 54 with other drugs). 28 drugs were
      incriminated. Apart from 13 cases with normal BAL cell profile, the most
      prominent feature in the other 109 was a lymphocyte alveolitis either pure or
      associated with neutrophil and/or eosinophil alveolitis along with an imbalance
      in T-lymphocyte phenotype. These characteristics closely resembled those observed
      in hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to inhalation of organic dust. Nonetheless,
      about one third or more of cases displayed no lymphocytosis but neutrophil and/or
      eosinophil alveolitis. Taken together, these findings are in no way specific for
      D.I.P. but could be of interest to help diagnosis and understanding of iatrogenic
      alveolitis, especially when a provocation test coupled with sequential BAL is
      performed.

PMID- 1878141
TI  - [Thursdays of allergy. The drug allergy].

PMID- 1878142
TI  - Studies on bio-antioxidants--prooxidation of vitamin E on the autoxidation of
      linoleic acid in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles.
AB  - The reaction of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) with linoleic acid containing
      peroxidized linoleic acid has been studied. No significant reaction was found in
      ethanol solution, whereas in sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles vitamin E reacted
      rapidly with peroxidized linoleic acid, and thereby induced the peroxidation of
      linoleic acid, leading to oxygen absorption. The reaction kinetics was studied in
      detail by u.v. spectroscopy, HPLC and ESR spectroscopy. It was found that the
      main product was alpha-tocopherone with alpha-tocopheroxy radical as the reaction
      intermediate. A mechanism involving two consecutive bimolecular reactions between
      peroxidized linoleic acid and alpha-tocopherol and between peroxidized linoleic
      acid and alpha-tocopheroxy radical, with rate constant 2.93 and 6.21 mol/L-1s-1
      respectively is proposed. The micellar effect on the reaction is discussed.

PMID- 1878143
TI  - Correlation of annual change of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH)
      with gonadal development in amphioxus.
AB  - The present study demonstrates for the first time by RIA that LH-RH is present in
      the heads as well as the bodies of the amphioxuses of both sexes. Gonadoliberin
      increases gradually during the course of gonadal development. At the time of
      gonadal maturity, LH-RH content reaches a maximum. The annual change of LH-RH
      correlates well with gonadal development and the gonadosomatic index (GSI). The
      reproductive season of the amphioxus covers about three months from May to July,
      and LH-RH content starts to increase in May (66.89 +/- 5.26 ng) and reaches the
      peak in June (158.57 +/- 3.17 ng), indicating that LH-RH is likely also to be
      involved in the reproductive activity of the chordate. This finding is of
      significance in understanding the evolutionary process of the reproductive
      endocrine in the vertebrate.

PMID- 1878144
TI  - Inhibitory property characterization and reactive site exploration of the
      arrowhead proteinase inhibitor.
AB  - Affinity chromatography was used to separate two components A and B of the
      crystalline arrowhead proteinase inhibitor. Both A and B are double-headed and
      multifunctional proteinase inhibitors. Inhibitor A is capable of inhibiting
      equimolarly trypsin and chymotrypsin simultaneously, and has a weak inhibitory
      activity toward kallikrein; whereas inhibitor B can inhibit two molecules of
      trypsin simultaneously, and shows rather higher inhibitory activity toward
      kallikrein than inhibitor A, but its inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin is
      much weaker than that of inhibitor A. The results of chemical modification and
      the competitive binding of trypsin and chymotrypsin with inhibitor A showed that
      the two reactive sites of both inhibitors A and B are Lys and Arg residues. Among
      them the Lys reactive site is specific for inhibiting mainly trypsin, whereas the
      active domain composed of the Arg reactive site appears to be multifunctional and
      capable of inhibiting many different Ser proteinases. Based on the structural
      characteristics of inhibitors A and B, it was predicated that the two reactive
      sites should be located in the positions Lys-Ser (44-45) and Arg-Tyr-Lys (76-78),
      respectively. In inhibitor A, there exists another hydrophobic residue involved
      in inhibiting chymotrypsin. This residue might be situated in the reactive region
      composed of the Arg reactive site.

PMID- 1878145
TI  - Internalization of gap junctions between neuron and glial cell and formation of
      annular lamellar bodies in Chinese leech Whitmania pigra.
AB  - This paper reveals the formation of annular lamellar body (ALB) in the ganglion
      of leech by means of in situ fixation and the lanthanum nitrate tracer technique.
      This formation involves both wrapping and internalization of the gap junctions
      between glial processes themselves, as well as between neuron and glial process.
      The results indicate that there is probably an active process of internalization
      of membrane structures involving gap junctions between neuron and glial cell in
      the central nervous system in leech. The functions of ALB are discussed.

PMID- 1878146
TI  - [Metabolic regulation of ingestion in monogastric animals].
AB  - Evidence has accumulated over the past 2 decades to show that the regulation of
      the fat body mass is integrated in the control of food intake. It was suggested
      long ago that the metabolic stimulation to eat originated from a shortage of
      available circulating metabolites; particularly, glucose uptake and utilization
      has been a central feature of many hypotheses since Mayer's glucostatic theory.
      In the first section of this contribution, evidence is presented that in rats and
      man a premeal decline in blood glucose concentration is causally related to meal
      initiation. The origin of the decline and the possible role of "glycemia
      sensitive" neurons located in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) as central sensors of
      this metabolic stimulus to eat are discussed. In the second section, it is
      suggested that LH energy utilization and ventro-medial hypothalamus (VMH) energy
      storage reflect metabolic change at the periphery and also determined the
      neuronal activity which monitors storage or mobilization of fuels into and from
      stores. Since glucose is a precursor of triglycerides deposited in adipose tissue
      and since oxidation of fatty acids in peripheral tissues has a glucose-sparing
      effect, circulating glucose seems a likely candidate for the signal mediating the
      effect of fat deposits on food intake.

PMID- 1878147
TI  - Age-related changes in plasma porcine growth hormone (GH) profiles and insulin
      like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations in Large White and Meishan pigs.
AB  - Plasma GH profiles and IGF-I concentrations were determined in Large White intact
      male (LW-M), female (LW-F) and castrated male (LW-C) and in Meishan intact male
      (MS-M) pigs between 10 and 140 d of age. Mean GH levels slightly increased
      between 10 and 45 d of age in LW pigs, in connection with an alteration in the
      temporal distribution of GH peaks, whereas neither interpulse GH level nor
      maximum GH level were affected. Mean GH levels decreased after 45 d of age, in
      connection with a decline in maximum and interpulse GH levels. IGF-I
      concentrations were low between 10 and 45 d of age and increased thereafter. GH
      secretory profiles did not differ significantly between LW-M and LW-F at either
      age. Castration had no effect at 45 d of age whereas LW-C exhibited lower mean,
      maximum and interpulse GH levels and smaller sum of GH pulse areas and widths
      than LW-M or LW-F at 140 d of age. IGF-I was lower in LW-C or LW-F than in LW-M
      at 140 d of age. The pattern of age-related changes in GH and IGF-I was similar
      in MS and LW pigs. However, interpulse GH level was higher and sum of GH pulse
      widths was smaller in MS-M than in LW-M, whatever the age. The results indicate
      that: i), GH and IGF-I secretions were similar in Meishan, and Large White pigs;
      ii), in both breeds, GH secretion declined after 45 d of age, due to decreased
      maximum and interpulse GH levels; iii), sex and/or castration effects on GH and
      IGF-I secretion were observed after 45 d of age only.

PMID- 1878148
TI  - Hepatic and portal-drained viscera balances of amino acids, insulin, glucagon and
      gastrin in the pig after ingestion of casein or rapeseed proteins.
AB  - Hepatic and intestinal balances of amino acids, insulin, glucagon and gastrin
      were studied in 6 non-anaesthetized Large White pigs (mean body weight 64 +/- 4.8
      kg) after ingestion of casein or rapeseed proteins. The animals were fitted with
      permanent catheters in the portal vein, the brachiocephalic artery and the right
      hepatic vein. In addition, 2 electromagnetic flow probes were implanted, one
      around the portal vein and the other around the hepatic artery. After a
      preliminary adaptation to each diet the animals received at 1-wk intervals and
      according to a double latin square design, 3 test meals of 800 g each, one
      containing 23.2% of rapeseed concentrate (diet RA 12) and the others 13.9 or
      27.8% of hydrochloric casein (diets CA 12 and CA 24). Each observation period
      lasted 12 h. Amino acids from all diets were very well absorbed. In 12 h, the
      absorption of total amino acids as a percentage of the ingested quantities was
      99% for CA 12, 102% for CA 24 and 104% for RA 12. Hepatic uptake of total amino
      acids in 12 h expressed as a percentage of the absorbed quantities was 13% for CA
      12, 66% for CA 24 and 25% for RA 12. Differences in the hepatic extraction rate
      of essential amino acids appeared between the 2 levels of casein ingestion and
      for Arg between the 2 protein sources. Whatever the nature of the ingested
      protein or the level of casein, the liver showed a net production of Asp and Glu.
      The production and hepatic balance of insulin were the lowest after ingestion of
      RA 12. No differences were noted in the same parameters for glucagon and gastrin.
      Independently of the nutritional situation, the hepatic extraction rate of
      insulin appeared to be higher than those of glucagon and gastrin. Our results
      showed that the nature as well as the level of dietary proteins have large
      effects on the sequence and volume of absorptive phenomena, the hepatic
      metabolism of nutrients, the production of gastrointestinal hormones and the non
      hepatic tissue disposal of absorbed nutrients.

PMID- 1878149
TI  - Influence of suckling and continuous cow-calf association on the resumption of
      post-partum ovarian function in Bos indicus cows monitored by plasma progesterone
      profiles.
AB  - The effect of suckling on post-partum ovarian function was monitored by weekly
      plasma progesterone determinations using enzyme immunoassay in 16 Small East
      African Zebu (Bos indicus) cows maintained with a fertile bull. Five cows
      continuously suckled their calves (COS), but starting 30 d after calving 6 cows
      remained with their calves which were prevented from suckling using nose plates
      (NOS) while 5 calves were separated and penned (PEN). The mean (+/- SE) interval
      from calving to first behavioural oestrus was 81 +/- 11 d and was significantly
      (P less than 0.001) shorter for PEN (43 +/- 10 d) than NOS (72 +/- 9 d) or COS
      cows (133 +/- 11 d). COS cows nonetheless weaned heavier (P less than 0.001)
      calves at 5 months. Ovarian activity determined by plasma progesterone levels
      greater than or equal to 1.3 ng/ml indicated that "silent ovulation" was
      initiated in 44% of cows by 40 +/- 6 d post-partum. The results indicate that
      continuous suckling or constant cow-calf interaction extend the post-partum
      anoestrous interval in Ethiopian Zebu cows. However, early-weaned calves or those
      on restricted suckling would need extra nutritional supplementation to ensure
      continued growth.

PMID- 1878150
TI  - In situ evaluation of the ruminal and intestinal degradability of extruded whole
      horse beans.
AB  - Four rumen and proximal duodenum fistulated non-lactating Holstein cows were used
      to determine the effect of extrusion at 120 degrees C of whole horse beans (Vicia
      faba cv Talo) on in vitro nitrogen (N) solubility and in situ degradation of dry
      matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) in the rumen and intestine. Cows were fed a
      ration of 30% whole horse beans (WHB) and 70% Italian rye-grass hay. The
      degradation of DM and CP was estimated using nylon bags suspended in the rumen
      for 2, 4, 7, 16, 24 and 48 h; the effective ruminal degradability of DM and CP
      was evaluated assuming a ruminal outflow rate of 0.06/h. Bags incubated in the
      rumen for 16 h were introduced into the small intestine through the duodenal
      cannula and subsequently recovered in the feces. Extrusion of WHB reduced N
      solubility in buffer solution (21.1 vs 74.9%). Processing diminished the
      effective rumen degradability of DM (74.6 vs 80.4%) and CP (70.2 vs 89.2%).
      Meanwhile, the amounts of DM and CP digested in the intestine increased: 9.6 vs
      1.4% and 25.2 vs 3.0% respectively. Therefore, feeds containing extruded WHB
      increase the availability of dietary proteins in the intestine compared with
      diets containing raw WHB.

PMID- 1878151
TI  - [Angiotensin II receptors in the human placenta are type AT1].
AB  - Membrane angiotensin II receptors were measured in human placenta by means of
      125I [Sar1 Ile8] All (angiotensin II antagonist) and characterized by using 2
      other antagonists of angiotensin II: Dup 753 and CGP 42112A. These are specific
      and selective ligands which enable identification of AT1 and AT2 receptor
      subtypes respectively. The [Sar1 Ile8] All affinity is similar (Kd approximately
      1 nmol.l-1) in the 3 different placental structures examined. However, the Bmax
      of villous tissues is approximately 9 times higher than that observed in
      chorionic plate but remains near that found in basal plate. In the central area
      of the placenta, mean values of 125I [Sar1 Ile8] All binding observed at a single
      concentration of 0.15 nmol.l-1 are 242 +/- 31 fmol/mg proteins in basal plate,
      300 +/- 35 in villous tissues and 36 +/- 8 in chorionic plate. The umbilical vein
      and arteries respectively have 8.8 +/- 4.8 and 4.0 +/- 1.7 fmol/mg protein. The
      subtype analysis shows that only AT1 receptor is present in placental tissues.
      The Bmax values as well as those obtained by the relative measurement performed
      at a fixed 125I [Sar1 Ile8] All concentration of 0.15 nmol.l-1 indicate that the
      highest concentrations of angiotensin II receptors are found in placental villous
      tissues.

PMID- 1878152
TI  - [Effect of vasopressin and indomethacin on provoked diuresis in pregnant and non
      pregnant Meriones crassus].
AB  - The dynamics of induced diuresis was studied in Meriones crassus, a desert rodent
      species, during estrus and pregnancy. In response to hydration, pregnant Meriones
      crassus excrete excess water more rapidly than non pregnant females. Diuresis
      appears earlier in pregnant females indicating a more rapid inactivation of
      vasopressin. The possible interaction between vasopressin and prostaglandins, and
      its effect on renal excretion during pregnancy, was studied during arginine
      vasopressin treatment and after inhibition of endogenous AVP and prostaglandins.
      Results show a decrease in renal response to endogenous vasopressin during
      pregnancy in Meriones crassus, which may be due to the increase in renal
      prostaglandin levels.

PMID- 1878153
TI  - [Training: the tool against diarrhea in Mexico].

PMID- 1878154
TI  - [Patterns in the household acceptance of oral rehydration therapy in a cohort of
      rural mothers].
AB  - The household acceptance of oral rehydration solution salts was studied in a
      cohort of 75 rural mothers over a two year period. The study was carried out in a
      rural Mexican village between August 1985 and February 1988. There were 636
      episodes of diarrhea, with an average of four episodes per child per year. There
      were no deaths due to diarrhea or its complications and only 2% of these episodes
      required the use of parenteral solutions. Acceptance of oral rehydration remained
      around 50% during subsequent bouts of diarrhea. Variables such as a medium high
      socioeconomic level of the family, and the reading of journals and newspapers by
      the mother and the presence of water supply in the home were significantly
      associated with the acceptance of oral rehydration treatment. On the other hand,
      families classified as traditional rejected the procedure with significantly
      higher frequency. The data presented indicates the need for redesigning oral
      rehydration, treatment programs to increase their impact at the community level.

PMID- 1878155
TI  - [A follow-up during the first year of life of newborn infants with very low
      weight at birth].
AB  - Groups of low-weight neonates, especially those under 1,500 g, discharged from
      the Intensive Care Unit, have a greater frequency of having psychoneurologic,
      audiologic, language and ophthalmologic scars in comparison with those neonates
      who suffered no complications. These frequencies vary considerably depending on
      different authors, the type of sequela and the duration of the follow-up. It is
      difficult to identify early on, which of these children will be affected in his
      later development. The currently used prognostic indexes have shown the
      importance of combining the child's psychoneurologic and biologic evolution as
      well as his surrounding environmental factors. Thirty-eight newborns were
      studied. Each weighted 1,500 g or less and were discharged from the Neonatal
      Intensive Care Unit. All of the patients were subsequently evaluated by
      specialists in Neurology, Psychology, Social Communication, Neuromotor
      Rehabilitation and Ophthalmology at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age (37 weeks) and
      included in a study conducted by the Program for Pediatric Follow-up at the
      National Institute of Perinatology. In general, the number of abnormalities found
      in each of the specialties during the first months of life was notorious, which
      later decreased as the child got older. For example, Neurology found
      abnormalities at 3 months in a proportion of 0.61 and at 12 months, it decreased
      to 0.19 (P less than 0.001). During neuromotor stimulation something similar was
      seen at three months a proportion of 0.39 abnormalities were recorded while at 12
      months this decreased to 0.18. The human communication tests showed a proportion
      of 0.32 at 3 months and 0.10 at 12 months (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878156
TI  - [The neurological and psychomotor evolution at 2 years of age of newborn infants
      who underwent assisted ventilation].
AB  - It is important to evaluate the development of neonates submitted to assisted
      ventilation since it is one of the most commonly used procedures in patients with
      respiratory failure. A group of 50 neonates who had been submitted to assisted
      ventilation were studied and compared to another group of 50 children with the
      same inclusion criteria, except for the fact that they had not needed
      ventilation. They were each evaluated since birth and thereafter every two months
      during their first year of life and every three months in the second year. The
      Amiel Tison Neurological Assessment was used to evaluate the children during the
      first year while the Mayo Clinic General Neurological Exploration adapted for
      nursing children was applied during the following year. In assessing psychomotor
      development, the Brunette Lezine Scale, standardized for Mexican children, was
      used. For practical purposes, a sample of the results obtained during the second
      year are presented while some pertinent variables are commented on. For those
      included in the ventilated group, results show a higher frequency of hyaline
      membrane disease (27 cases), intraventricular hemorrhage (19), pneumonia (18),
      and arterious duct persistence (13). The control group showed the following
      frequencies, respectively: 0, 4, 5, and 4 cases. The ventilation group was found
      to have a statistically significant higher relative risk rate (P less than 0.05)
      and a higher risk for neurologic sequelae (P less than 0.001) when compared to
      the control group. Asphyxia and hemorrhaging were factors associated and present
      in the ventilated group (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878157
TI  - [Anthropometry at birth of the child of a mother with a change in glucose
      metabolism].
AB  - The study compares 156 newborns whose mothers had an endocrinological diagnosis
      of various glucose metabolism disorders, and a control group of 42 newborn whose
      mothers had no glucose metabolism disorder. The entire sample including the
      control group had 98 males and 100 females. The study group with 156 newborns was
      divided into 4 groups, depending on the degree of the mother's disorder. In group
      1, the baby's mothers suffered diabetes mellitus type 1; group 2, diabetes type
      2; group 3, gestational diabetes; and group 4, pregnancy disorders of glucose. We
      observed that there were no differences among the groups in the weight/height
      ratio. Nevertheless there was great variability in the correlation between height
      and weight among the study groups. Multiplex box and whisker plots conform that
      intergroup dispersions in the weight height ratio was greater for the
      experimental group than for the control group. The pattern results was similar
      for the weight-head circumference ratio. We concluded that adequate control of
      glucose metabolism disorder during pregnancy results in product with normal
      growth indices.

PMID- 1878158
TI  - [The evolutionary anthropometric profile of the child of a mother with a change
      in glucose metabolism].
AB  - There is not sufficient information about the follow up of children belonging to
      mothers with some degree of glucose metabolism disorder. At The National
      Institute of Perinatology were studied 151 newborn. The babies were divided into
      four groups. The group 1 consisting of babies born from mothers with diabetes
      mellitus type I; group 2 of babies born from mothers with diabetes mellitus type
      II; group 3 including babies from mother with gestational diabetes and group 4
      babies from mothers who presented alteration in glucose metabolism during
      pregnancy. After the evaluation of the somatic indicator we found an harmonic
      behavior in group 3 in weight, height and head circumference again. The most
      important finding was the low correlation in anthropometry at birth and one year
      of age. Finally we conclude that a strict control on the follow-up of the somatic
      growth of children, must be achieved because the hypertrophy during the first
      year of age depends on sociocultural and economic patterns.

PMID- 1878159
TI  - [Congenital lobar emphysema].
AB  - This article includes the way cases of congenital lobe emphysema were treated at
      the Hospital Infantil de Mexico "Federico Gomez" during 1971 to 1989. A total of
      17 cases were gathered, 13 were males and 4 were females; admittance age varied
      from 13 days to 3 years. The children's main symptoms were respiratory failure
      and cyanosis. The diagnosis was enhanced by a chest X-ray where lobe hyperclarity
      was detected, as well as a deviation of the mediastinum and a collapsed lung. A
      lobectomy was performed in all cases. The upper left lobe was seen to be the most
      affected. Two of the children died. It is important to recognize this disease
      early on and conduct prompt surgical treatment.

PMID- 1878160
TI  - [Child abuse in a Costa Rican community].
AB  - Included in this article is a summary of the information gathered during 1989,
      after conducting a community project dealing with the prevention and care for
      abused children in Canton de la Union, Provincia de Cartago. Sixty-five cases of
      child abuse were cared for during this period 58.5% dealt with physical harm
      while 41.5% included diverse forms of sexual abuse. Cases of physical abuse were
      equally represented in both sexes while a higher incidences of female victims was
      seen in cases of sexual abuse. We found that there was a greater number of types
      of abusers among the females (totalling 12) than among the male children
      (totalling 6). In over half of the cases, the children came from homes where both
      a paternal as well as a maternal figurehead was represented, only in 12% of the
      cases were the mothers single.

PMID- 1878161
TI  - [A comparative study between the use of the Spicer-Edwards method and the
      coagglutination reaction for identifying Salmonella antigens].
AB  - A comparative study between tube agglutination using Spicer-Edwards antisera and
      a coagglutination method using Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1 (NCTC 8530) protein
      A to detect Salmonella flagellar antigens was carried out. A total of 39
      Salmonella strains belonging to eight serogroups of the Kauffmann-White scheme
      were typed by both methods. Each serogroup include monophasic and biphasic
      strains. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the coagglutination
      method was more sensitive and specific that the classic tube agglutination method
      normally used in different laboratories. The use of less antiserum in the
      coagglutination method to detect Salmonella antigens without loss of specificity
      or sensitivity represents an important saving for clinical laboratories and for
      epidemiologic research that require the identification of these antigens.

PMID- 1878162
TI  - [The consistency and validity of a measurement in clinical pediatric research.
      Its definition, evaluation and interpretation].
AB  - In clinical pediatric research as in all research, one of the fundamental
      characteristics is the measurement of the studied features, either clinical, of
      laboratory or cabinet. A measurement must have two fundamental characteristics,
      for it to be considered as scientific: consistency and validity. The first one is
      centered on the variability of the measurement, which is due to the measuring
      instrument, to the subject or entity which is measured and to the individual or
      individuals who carry out the measuring, this is known as intra or interobserver
      variability, respectively. Validity is the fact of "actually" measuring what we
      want to measure. Both characteristics of measurement, are often mixed, between
      them and with other concepts, and this is the reason of not having a clear idea
      of what is the real meaning. This paper discusses the different terms that have
      been used for consistency and validity of a measurement. Also it points out how
      to assess consistency, from the validity, taking into account the measuring scale
      of the variables and the number of observers. Easy examples are used for the
      application of different formulas and for the interpretation of the results.

PMID- 1878163
TI  - [Intestinal malacoplakia in childhood].

PMID- 1878164
TI  - Low-frequency parameterization of hydrogen bonding.
AB  - We review the model of the hydrogen bond developed by Lippincott and Schroeder
      and discuss the frequency range in which it is valid, specifically in the optical
      and near infrared range. We then show why and how to modify the Lippincott and
      Schroeder formulate to apply to the far infrared and lower ranges. The contrasts
      between the old and modified systems, particularly with respect to the effective
      force constants are worked out and plotted for an example.

PMID- 1878165
TI  - Theory of low-frequency vibrations in DNA macromolecules.
AB  - To describe low-frequency dynamics of DNA macromolecules a model is developed
      taking into account the hydrogen bond stretching in base pairs, the backbone
      flexibility and intranucleoside mobility. For double-stranded DNA the normal
      vibrations are found and the structure of low-frequency spectrum is determined.
      The agreement between theory and Raman spectroscopy data for B-DNA is
      demonstrated. Conformational dependences of vibration spectrum during the B----A
      and helix----coil DNA transitions are studied. The contribution coming from low
      frequency mobility to the nucleic-protein recognition processes is discussed.

PMID- 1878166
TI  - An algorithm for the DNA sequence generation from k-tuple word contents of the
      minimal number of random fragments.
AB  - An algorithm is described for generation of the long sequence written in a four
      letter alphabet from the constituent k-tuple words in the minimal number of
      separate, randomly defined fragments of the starting sequence. It is primarily
      intended for use in sequencing by hybridization (SBH) process- a potential method
      for sequencing human genome DNA (Drmanac et al., Genomics 4, pp. 114-128, 1989).
      The algorithm is based on the formerly defined rules and informative entities of
      the linear sequence. The algorithm requires neither knowledge on the number of
      appearances of a given k-tuple in sequence fragments, nor the information on
      which k-tuple words are on the ends of a fragment. It operates with the mixed
      content of k-tuples of the various lengths. The concept of the algorithm enables
      operations with the k-tuple sets containing false positive and false negative k
      tuples. The content of the false k-tuples primarily affects the completeness of
      the generated sequence, and its correctness in the specific cases only. The
      algorithm can be used for the optimization of SBH parameters in the simulation
      experiments, as well as for the sequence generation in the real SBH experiments
      on the genomic DNA.

PMID- 1878167
TI  - Synthesis and characterization of stereoisomers of 5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy
      thymidine.
AB  - Six products were isolated by reverse phase HPLC from the reaction of thymidine
      with osmium tetroxide. Four of the products were identified as stereoisomers of
      5,6-dihydro-5,6-dihydroxy-thymidine (TG). The absolute configurations of these
      four compounds (from the shortest to the longest HPLC retention times) were
      determined by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to be (-)
      trans-5S,6S-, (+)-trans-5R,6R-, (-)-cis-5R,6S-, and (+)-cis-5S,6R-5,6-dihydro-5,6
      dihydroxy-thymidine. The other two products were dimers with unknown linking
      sites. Parameters of the mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra are reported
      and discussed.

PMID- 1878168
TI  - The wac gene product of bacteriophage T4 contains coiled-coil structural
      patterns.
AB  - The bacteriophage T4 late gene wac (whisker antigen control) encodes the protein
      which forms the fibrous structure on the neck of the virion called whiskers.
      Amino acid sequence analysis of wac gene product, as deduced from the nucleotide
      sequence, indicate ten alpha-helical domains (19-40 residues long) with coiled
      coil structural patterns. These regions comprise about 70% of the entire 486
      amino acid sequence. The alpha-helices are separated by short stretches of
      polypeptide chain which are similar to the loop regions of the globular protein
      sequences. We propose a structural model for the dimer of wac gene product
      molecule, that we call fibritin in which two polypeptide chains associate in a
      parallel fashion and form a segmented alpha-helical coiled-coil rod similar to
      epidermal keratins.

PMID- 1878169
TI  - A transition from a twice-folded structure to a hairpin in oligo(dG) in the
      presence of magnesium ions.
AB  - A long (dG)n stretch can fold twice forming an intramolecular tetrahelix
      stabilized by guanine tetrads and stacking interactions between them (G
      structure). In this paper, we show that magnesium ions induce a transition of the
      (dG)n stretch from the G-structure to the hairpin stabilized by Hoogsteen-like
      G.G base pairs (G-hairpin). This transition between the G-structure and the G
      hairpin is detected by chemical probing. The characteristic time of the
      transition for a (dG)28 at 4 degrees C exceeds five hours, which allowed us to
      separate these two forms by electrophoresis at low temperature. We believe that
      the slowness of the transition is due to the fact that half of the
      deoxyguanosines in the insert must change their conformation from syn to anti or
      vice versa.

PMID- 1878170
TI  - Polyelectrolyte effects on 9-aminoacridine-DNA binding.
AB  - The 9-aminoacridine-DNA binding curve is analyzed in two ways: with
      polyelectrolyte effects neglected and with polyelectrolyte effects included. It
      is found that the analysis which includes polyelectrolyte effects is consistent
      with the violation of neighbor exclusion displayed by diacridine complexes as
      observed by Atwell et al. and by Zimmerman and coworkers. However the analysis
      which neglects polyelectrolyte effects is inconsistent with the diacridine
      results. This comparison supports the necessity of including polyelectrolyte
      effects in the analysis of drug-DNA binding curves.

PMID- 1878171
TI  - Design and synthesis of sequence-specific DNA-binding peptides.
AB  - Design, synthesis and DNA binding activities of two peptides containing 32 and
      102 residues are reported. A nonlinear 102-residue peptide contains four modified
      alpha helix-turn-alpha helix motifs of 434 cro protein. These four units are
      linked covalently to a carboxyterminal crosslinker containing four arms each
      ending with an aliphatic amino group. From CD studies we have found that in
      aqueous buffer in the presence of 20% trifluoroethanol the peptide residues
      assume alpha-helical, beta-sheet and random-coiled conformations with the alpha
      helical content of about 16% at room temperature. Upon complex formation between
      peptide and DNA, a change in the peptide conformation takes place which is
      consistent with an alpha - beta transition in the DNA binding alpha helix-turn
      alpha helix units of the peptide. Similar conformation changes are observed upon
      complex formation with the synthetic operator of a linear peptide containing
      residues 7-37 of 434 cro repressor. Evidently, in the complex, residues present
      in helices alpha 2 and alpha 3 of the two helix motif form a beta-hairpin which
      is inserted in the minor DNA groove. The last inference is supported by our
      observations that the two peptides can displace the minor groove-binding
      antibiotic distamycin A from poly(dA).poly(dT) and synthetic operator DNA. As
      revealed from DNase digestion studies, the nonlinear peptide binds more strongly
      to a pseudooperator Op1, located in the cro gene, than to the operator OR3. A
      difference in the specificity shown by the non-linear peptide and wild-type cro
      could be attributed to a flexibility of the linker chains between the DNA-binding
      domains in the peptide molecule as well as to a replacement of Thr-Ala in the
      peptide alpha 2-helices. Removal of two residues from the N-terminus of helix
      alpha 2 in each of the four DNA-binding domains of the peptide leads to a loss of
      binding specificity.

PMID- 1878172
TI  - Over-the-shoulder medicine.

PMID- 1878173
TI  - A comparison of changes in the transcutaneous oxygen tension and capillary blood
      flow in the skin with increasing compressive weights.
AB  - Two measures are being advocated to evaluate physiologic changes associated with
      compression of skin: transcutaneous oxygen tension (tcO2) and laser-Doppler blood
      flow. This study asked: 1) What changes occur in tcO2 and laser-Doppler blood
      flow with increasing compressive weight; and 2) do these measures respond
      differently to increasing weight? An indenter was used to apply incremental
      weight to the trochanter of healthy volunteers. During the first session, tcO2
      was measured, and laser-Doppler blood flow was measured during the second
      session. The mean values of tcO2 and laser-Doppler blood flow were analyzed for
      significant changes over the range of applied weight. If significant change
      occurred, the polynomial that best described the data was determined. Mean values
      for tcO2 showed a significant decrease with increasing compressive weight. Its
      decrease was described by a second degree polynomial (quadratic). The weight that
      resulted in the tcO2 reaching zero for individual subjects ranged from 400-1000.
      Mean values for laser-Doppler blood flow showed a significant decrease with
      increased weight. The decrease was best described by a first degree polynomial
      (line), which is a different pattern from the tcO2. Laser-Doppler blood flow
      continued to decline with increasing weight beyond the point where tcO2 reached
      zero. During low-flow states, tissue oxygen utilization may exceed oxygen
      delivery and lead to ischemia even though capillary closure has not occurred.

PMID- 1878174
TI  - Delayed presentation of a carotid-cavernous sinus fistula in a patient with
      traumatic brain injury.
AB  - Carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas are rare complications of traumatic brain
      injury, facial trauma and postorthognathic surgery. A high level of clinical
      suspicion is necessary, particularly for patients who are unable to communicate,
      to establish the diagnosis. A case of delayed presentation of a carotid-cavernous
      sinus fistula after traumatic brain injury is presented. This case illustrates
      that early recognition of this disorder is crucial to prevent significant
      morbidity.

PMID- 1878175
TI  - The effect of ice on intra-articular temperature in the knee of the dog.
AB  - The effect of surface cooling on intra-articular temperature was examined in
      dogs' knees. Four treatment protocols were examined: local ice compress
      application for 5, 15 and 30 min and local ice bath immersion for 15 min. Intra
      articular temperatures were recorded using a needle microprobe inserted into the
      knee and continuous temperature recordings were made before, during and after the
      treatment. Rectal temperatures were also simultaneously recorded. Intra-articular
      temperatures rapidly dropped during icing. Five minutes of ice compress
      application resulted in a 2.2 +/- 1.2 degrees C intra-articular temperature drop
      with no change in rectal temperature. After 15 min of ice compress application,
      the joint temperature fell 4.1 +/- 1.3 degrees C with no change in rectal
      temperature. Thirty minutes of local ice compress application dropped the knee
      temperature 6.5 +/- 4.0 degrees C with a slight 0.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C drop in
      rectal temperature. Fifteen minutes of ice water immersion caused a much greater
      drop in intra-articular temperatures (20.2 +/- 8.4 degrees C) than could be
      achieved with ice compress. Rectal temperatures fell slightly during immersion
      (1.6 +/- 0.3 degrees C). After the removal of any type of cryotherapy, intra
      articular temperatures continued to drop for several minutes and then a prolonged
      rewarming period commenced. The mean time required to return to baseline intra
      articular temperature varied from 22-60 min, depending on the type and duration
      of cryotherapy. We conclude that brief periods of topical cold application to a
      dog's knee can induce significant and long lasting depression of intra-articular
      temperatures and that this is a local effect not dependent on core temperature
      cooling.

PMID- 1878176
TI  - Electromyographic feedback for learning to activate thoracic inspiratory muscles.
AB  - The utility of EMG feedback for modifying the muscular pattern of breathing was
      investigated in twenty-four subjects divided into two groups (feedback, no
      feedback. Each took part in three 20-min training sessions, 24 h apart. All the
      subjects were instructed to increase the thoracic contribution of inspired gas.
      The feedback subjects were shown an EMG signal of the inspiratory muscles of the
      upper thorax and a signal indicating their current breathing phase (inspiration
      or expiration). The no feedback subjects only saw the breathing phase signal. The
      subjects' ability to control muscular activity was assessed as the relative
      increase in EMG from expiration to the subsequent inspiration. Analysis of
      variance with group and session as factors showed that feedback subjects
      performed significantly better, although the improvement in performance over the
      sessions by the two groups was not significantly different. These results lend
      some support to the clinical use of EMG feedback in breathing therapy aimed at
      changing the thoracoabdominal distribution of ventilation. However, further
      research for improving learning is necessary.

PMID- 1878177
TI  - Motor unit firing rates in postpolio and control subjects during submaximal
      contraction.
AB  - Postpolio patients have a deficit in strength recovery after isometric activity.
      The cause for this is unknown, but may be the result of higher motor unit firing
      rates during the activity, which leads to excessive fatigue of the motor units.
      The purpose of this study was to determine whether postpolio subjects recruited
      motor units at higher firing rates than control subjects. Twelve control and
      seven postpolio subjects were tested for maximal voluntary contraction of the
      quadriceps isometrically. Randomly, subjects performed isometric contractions for
      five 10-s periods freely against gravity (threshold) and at 20% and 40% of
      maximal voluntary contraction. Decompositional motor unit electromyographic
      analysis was used to measure motor unit amplitude, motor unit firing rate and
      counted number of motor units identified. Analysis was by univariate analysis of
      variance. Motor unit firing rate was not significantly greater (P greater than
      0.05) in postpolio subjects than control subjects at all three levels of
      contraction. Thus, it is unlikely that an increased motor unit firing rate leads
      to the deficit in recovery of strength in postpolio subjects.

PMID- 1878178
TI  - Experience with rehabilitation in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) represent a novel
      referral population for rehabilitation services. Limited information about the
      rehabilitation needs of individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection
      is available. We reviewed 51 consecutive patients with AIDS referred to a
      rehabilitation consult service. Common problems encountered included generalized
      deconditioning (27%) and neurologic dysfunction (45%). Neurologic presentations
      were diverse and included hemiparesis, diffuse cognitive dysfunction and
      dementia, myelopathy, myopathy and peripheral neuropathy. Other patients were
      referred for wound care as well as the management of the local effects of
      Kaposi's sarcoma, various musculoskeletal syndromes and new onset blindness.
      Problems identified included impaired mobility (76%), difficulty with self-care
      (57%), impaired cognition (29%) and uncontrolled pain (37%). Among the
      rehabilitation interventions utilized were therapeutic exercise (73%), gait aids
      (45%), bathroom and safety equipment (45%), orthotics (29%), vocational
      counseling (4%), pain management (29%) and whirlpool treatments (10%). Five
      patients were too ill or refused treatment. We conclude that AIDS patients
      referred for rehabilitation have a wide variety of physical deficits, demonstrate
      a considerable degree of functional impairment and may require multiple
      rehabilitation interventions.

PMID- 1878179
TI  - A comparison of contractile properties in the preferred and nonpreferred leg in a
      mixed sample of dystrophic patients.
AB  - No study of how muscle contractile function is related to limb preference in
      human muscular dystrophy is presently available. The purpose of this study was to
      determine if the ankle plantarflexor (PF) and dorsiflexor (DF) muscle groups of
      the preferred leg are more or less affected than the nonpreferred one in a mixed
      sample of myotonic and limb-girdle patients. Measurements of lower limb
      preference were made as well as of PF and DF evoked and voluntary contractile
      responses. Isometric contractile properties and peak values for torque production
      during maximum isometric twitch and voluntary contractions were measured. No
      significant difference was found in terms of contractile properties between the
      preferred and nonpreferred leg for both DF and PF muscle groups, except for the
      large PF twitch torque observed in the nonpreferred side (P less than 0.05).
      These results, however, reveal a clear tendency for both muscle groups on the
      preferred side to be weaker than those on the nonpreferred side. This last
      finding, in conjunction with the equally if not presumably stronger PF/DF muscles
      on the preferred leg of healthy adult subjects, would suggest that the equivalent
      bilateral muscle force observed in the present study may be interpreted as giving
      support to the hypothesis that overwork or overuse of dystrophic muscles may be
      harmful in weakening the musculature.

PMID- 1878180
TI  - Invariant characteristics of gait initiation.
AB  - Studies were undertaken first to describe the invariant characteristics of gait
      initiation and second to better understand the function of each limb in the
      process of gait initiation. Analysis of variance indicated significant main
      effects for speed for time to onset of EMG activity and force plate recordings,
      time to swing toe-off and heel-strike and stance toe-off. However, when the
      dependent variables were expressed as a percentage of the initiation cycle, no
      significant main effects were noted. For the second study, two force plates were
      utilized, and reflective markers were placed on the sacrum and anterior superior
      iliac spines. The timing of heel-strike of the swing limb and toe-off of the
      stance limb showed a high degree of coordination in both experiments (r = 0.95
      and 0.98). It was concluded that the relative invariance of selected parameters
      indicates that gait initiation is centrally programmed. It also appears that the
      swing limb, although forces were very small, is responsible for the initial
      weight shift to the stance limb and that the stance limb is then primarily
      responsible for the generation of momentum.

PMID- 1878181
TI  - Tethered cord syndrome complicating spina bifida occulta. A case report.
AB  - The insidious onset of back and/or leg pain, weakness and spasticity of the lower
      limb, sensory deficits and neurogenic bladder and bowel in a child with spina
      bifida might represent a tethered cord syndrome. A case report of a child with
      sudden neurologic deterioration describes this condition. The successful
      management in children and adults with tethered cord syndrome is improved with
      early recognition and careful monitoring.

PMID- 1878182
TI  - Recurrent severe traumatic brain injury. Series of six cases.
AB  - Six of 141 persons treated for severe traumatic brain injury at the Medical
      College of Virginia were found to have a history of similar previous injury.
      These cases are presented in the context of the phenomenon of recurrent severe
      traumatic brain injury, which has received no systematic attention in
      epidemiologic studies of trauma.

PMID- 1878183
TI  - The use of transdermal scopolamine to control drooling. A case report.
AB  - Drooling is a serious social handicap experienced by some neurologically impaired
      patients. No one method has been identified to control drooling for all patients,
      however, anticholinergic drugs recently have been utilized. In the case study
      described, transdermal scopolamine patches were found to be effective for
      controlling drooling in a traumatic brain-injured patient for whom more
      conservative methods failed. From a baseline saliva flow rate, saliva flow
      decreased an average of 30% with one-patch and 59% with two-patch dosing. No
      significant side effects were observed with treatment, and the decrease in
      drooling was maintained for a 4-month period. Although transdermal scopolamine
      may represent one acceptable facet of long-term treatment, it must be stressed
      that efficacy is variable across patient populations and that treatment
      approaches must be individualized.

PMID- 1878184
TI  - Positive effects of interaction coaching on infants with developmental
      disabilities and their mothers.
AB  - Modification of maternal responsivity was attempted in a study of the effects of
      interaction coaching. Twenty-three mothers and their infants with developmental
      disabilities participated in an interaction coaching component that consisted of
      six sessions of providing feedback to mothers about incidence of overstimulation
      observed on videotapes. Suggestions were given for ways to interact in a more
      contingently responsive manner. Compared with a control group of 17 mother-infant
      pairs, the interaction coaching group mothers increased responsibility and
      decreased stimulation. The infants were less fussy and performed better on
      standardized developmental assessments.

PMID- 1878185
TI  - Recognition of affective facial expressions by children and adolescents with and
      without mental retardation.
AB  - Children and adolescents with mental retardation were compared with children and
      adolescents without mental retardation on their ability to recognize facial
      expressions. The groups were matched for either chronological age (CA) or mental
      age (MA). Children and adolescents with mental retardation recognized facial
      expressions less accurately than did subjects without retardation who were
      matched on CA. The MA-matched groups showed no differences in accuracy at the
      younger MA but a difference was found at the older MA. However, subjects
      categorized as having cultural-familial retardation did not differ from subjects
      without retardation matched for MA at either the younger or older MA. Results
      suggest that children with mental retardation are less able than children without
      retardation to develop emotional recognition skills by observational learning.

PMID- 1878187
TI  - Some developmental implications of a disturbance in responding to complex
      environmental stimuli.
AB  - From infancy, normally developing children exhibit a preference for certain
      stimuli, such as those that contain a particular amount of complexity. As
      children increase in age, they become more proficient in responding to more
      complex multicomponent instructional stimuli. In contrast, the literature abounds
      with examples of children with developmental delays and handicaps who exhibit
      varying degrees of a disturbance in responding to complex stimuli, and research
      and theory suggest that the presence of a disturbance in responding to complex
      multicomponent stimuli may deleteriously influence their development. Based on
      recent research, it appears that the effects of this disturbance may be altered
      by teaching such children a generalized set to respond to complex multicomponent
      stimuli.

PMID- 1878186
TI  - Recognition of facial expressions of emotion by persons with mental retardation.
AB  - A sample of 511 children and adults with mental retardation or borderline
      intelligence (1 SD below the mean IQ) and children of average intelligence were
      tested on their ability to recognize the six basic facial expressions of emotion
      as they are exemplified in Ekman and Friesen's (1975) normed photographs. Each
      subject was shown four sets of six photographs, one of each emotion. Subjects
      were read 24 short stories; after each one they were asked to point to the
      photograph that depicted the emotion described. Children and adults with mental
      retardation or borderline intelligence were less proficient at identifying facial
      expressions of emotion than were children of average intelligence. Among
      individuals with mental retardation or borderline intelligence, recognition of
      accuracy of facial emotion increased with IQ. Among individuals with average
      intelligence, recognition accuracy increased with age.

PMID- 1878188
TI  - Typical and atypical repetitive motor behaviors in young children at risk for
      severe mental retardation.
AB  - A sample of children, ages 1 to 3 years, identified as being at risk for severe
      mental retardation, was observed in a semi-longitudinal study to assess their
      pattern of typical repetitive movements topographically similar to aberrant,
      stereotyped behaviors and to determine the prevalence of atypical stereotypies at
      this age. Frequency scores, collected using a partial-interval time-sampling
      procedure, were analyzed on three variables (age, time of measurement, and
      environmental condition) using repeated measures analysis of variance. Results
      were discussed in light of similar studies of infants without disabilities.

PMID- 1878189
TI  - Assessing the acquisition of incidental information by secondary-age students
      with mental retardation: comparison of response prompting strategies.
AB  - The effectiveness and efficiency of four response prompting conditions
      (progressive time delay, progressive time delay with a descriptive consequent
      event, system of least prompts, and system of least prompts with a descriptive
      consequent event) were compared. Students with moderate to severe mental
      retardation were taught to read functional recipe words. Maintenance and
      students' acquisition of incidental information were assessed when it was (a)
      embedded in the prompts of the system of least prompts procedure, (b) included in
      the descriptive praise statements following correct performance with the
      progressive time delay and system of least prompts procedures, and (c) not
      presented. A multiple probe design across behaviors, replicated across subjects,
      was used. Results indicated that (a) each of the procedures produced criterion
      level responding: (b) efficiency data on traditional measures were roughly equal;
      (c) maintenance checks showed no differential effects related to the
      instructional condition; and (d) incidental information was acquired, although it
      was not directly targeted for instruction.

PMID- 1878190
TI  - The self-injury hypothesis: addressing a neurologist's concerns.
AB  - Coulter (1991) concluded that a "poor study design" (p. 81) was used and my
      hypothesis was unproven. My article was not an experimental study in the sense of
      presenting experimental data intended to confirm or deny my hypothesis. Rather,
      it: 1. Described remarkable similarity between movements in patients with mental
      retardation during self-injury episodes and reports in the literature of
      involuntary movements during confirmed frontal lobe seizures; 2. Pointed out that
      the movements by some patients with mental retardation were so frequent and/or
      forceful that self-injury resulted; 3. Presented the hypothesis that the
      movements by patients with mental retardation may, in some cases, be involuntary
      and due to undiagnosed frontal lobe seizures; and 4. Suggested that if this
      hypothesis were correct, then one ought to consider what sort of treatment
      approaches might reduce the incidence/severity of frontal lobe seizure episodes.
      I agree that a well-designed experimental study to test my hypothesis would be
      very desirable. The preceding literature review has shown how difficult it would
      be using present methods to do a definitive study that rigorously confirms or
      rejects my hypothesis. Other approaches might be considered for testing my
      hypothesis with persons who are unable to give informed consent. One approach
      using rigorous observable criteria was suggested. In the interim, it seemed
      worthwhile to present my hypothesis to mental retardation professionals with the
      hope that others would consider this possibility and its implications for
      diagnosis and treatment, and the hope that some patients might benefit sooner
      rather than later. I appreciate Coulter's (1991) comments because they provided
      an opportunity to clarify potential misunderstandings. It is possible that other
      readers have had similar concerns, and I trust that this is the appropriate forum
      for addressing such matters.

PMID- 1878191
TI  - Ecological validity revisited: a 10-year comparison of two journals.

PMID- 1878192
TI  - What's in a name: a comment on Goldfarb's guest editorial.

PMID- 1878193
TI  - The effects of neuromuscular stimulation on muscle tone at the knee in
      paraplegia.
AB  - Resting muscle tone of the leg was measured in terms of thigh muscle stiffness
      and knee resonant frequency in muscles of spinal cord injured subjects who had
      been involved in an electrical neuromuscular stimulation training programme of
      the thigh muscles over at least 2 months. The thigh circumference of these
      patients was 6.6% larger than before training commenced (P less than 0.001) and
      showed increased muscle stiffness and resonant frequency compared to a similar
      group of paralysed subjects who had not used any neuromuscular stimulation.
      Resonant frequency and stiffness after the long-term training were similar to
      those of non-injured controls and therefore the stimulation programme seemed to
      reverse the effects of paralysis on muscle tone. Short periods of rest (30 min)
      caused increased muscle stiffness in non-injured controls and paralysed muscles
      trained by neuromuscular stimulation. Additional 15 min periods of neuromuscular
      stimulation further increased muscle stiffness in the trained muscles but also in
      the muscles of paralysed subjects who had no long-term neuromuscular training. In
      contrast, 15 min sessions of passive movement of the knee decreased muscle
      stiffness in long-term trained paralysed muscles and untrained paralysed muscles.
      Knee resonant frequency was also significantly decreased in the trained paralysed
      muscles. Results show that muscle tone varies depending on the amount of previous
      movement or rest and that although neuromuscular stimulation of paralysed muscles
      increases muscle stiffness and knee resonant frequency, it is in fact restoring
      such properties of the muscle to a state approaching that of non-injured
      controls.

PMID- 1878194
TI  - Similarities between some properties of the soma and sensory receptors of primary
      afferent neurones.
AB  - The electrical properties of the somata of neurones associated with low
      threshold, cutaneous mechanoreceptors were studied in young, anaesthetized rats.
      The adaptation properties of slowly and rapidly adapting afferents were compared
      by recording from the somata during mechanical stimulation of the skin and during
      the injection of depolarizing current pulses through the recording electrode.
      Membrane potential and action potential conformation were recorded from each
      cell, together with the axonal conduction velocity. Axonal conduction velocities
      were in the ranges 62-18 m/s (A alpha/beta) and 7-4 m/s (A delta). Somata with A
      alpha/beta-axons which were associated with slowly adapting receptors gave
      sustained discharges when depolarized by injected current, whereas those
      associated with rapidly adapting receptors gave a brief discharge only (median
      response: five impulses). Somata with A delta-axons had similar characteristics
      to fast-conducting, rapidly adapting afferents. In a separate study it was shown
      that, for neurones which gave an adapting response to intracellular current
      injection, action potentials recorded from the somata were able to follow
      electrical stimulation of their axons at frequencies up to 100 Hz, indicating
      that the adaptation of responses to mechanical stimulation in the other
      experiments was not due to failure of impulses to invade the somata. The results
      suggest that the adaptation properties of a mechanoreceptor may be due to the
      presence of a particular type of ionic channel in the terminals of the nerve
      which is also present in the membrane of its soma.

PMID- 1878195
TI  - Regulation of mouse mammary cell differentiation by extracellular milk proteins.
AB  - Differentiation of mammary epithelial cells prepared from pregnant mice was
      stimulated by culture on floating collagen gels in the presence of lactogenic
      hormones. Differentiation was measured by the induction of casein synthesis and
      fatty acid synthase activity, both of which increased by up to 15-fold during 12
      days of culture. Addition of a 10-30 kDa fraction of goat whey proteins to
      culture medium from day 3 inhibited casein synthesis by greater than 20% compared
      with control cultures on days 4-12, and prevented further induction of fatty acid
      synthetase activity. Inhibition of secretory cell differentiation by this
      fraction, which is known to inhibit milk synthesis acutely in explant culture and
      lactating goats, suggests that similar autocrine mechanisms may mediate the
      sequential local effects on milk yield and cell differentiation elicited by
      manipulation of milking frequency or efficiency.

PMID- 1878196
TI  - Kinetics of lactate and glucose metabolism in the pregnant ewe and conceptus.
AB  - Two monotocous and two ditocous ewes were infused at 124-130 days of gestation
      with a mixture of L-[U-14C]lactate and D-[6-3H]glucose via a maternal or
      umbilical catheter, separate days being used for each infusion. Plateaux-specific
      radioactivities of plasma lactate and glucose were used to derive a four-pool
      model describing the fluxes between the lactate and glucose pools of the infused
      conceptus and mother. The average turnover rate of lactate was 23.3 and 13.2 mg
      carbon min-1 in the conceptus and 32.0 and 44.0 mg carbon min-1 in the mother for
      monotocous and ditocous ewes, respectively. Glycolysis rates within both
      conceptus and mother in all sheep were high, accounting for about 80 and 60% of
      the respective rates of lactate turnover. The synthesis of glucose from lactate
      accounted for 13 and 31% of the glucose turnover in the mother in monotocous and
      ditocous ewes, respectively, but was insignificant in the conceptus. Glycolysis
      within the conceptus used only glucose which had entered and mixed with the
      conceptus glucose pool; there was no direct transfer of carbon from the maternal
      glucose pool to the conceptus lactate pool. This finding is an important
      validation for the use of tracer methods to determine glucose use within the
      whole conceptus rather than within fetal corporeal tissues alone.

PMID- 1878197
TI  - The effect of distension of the urinary bladder on coronary blood flow in
      anesthetized dogs.
AB  - To determine whether distension of the urinary bladder reflexly affects coronary
      blood flow, experiments were performed in eleven dogs anaesthetized with sodium
      pentobarbitone. Both ureters were cannulated and the urinary bladder was
      distended with warm Ringer solution at a steady intravesical pressure. Arterial
      blood pressure was prevented from changing by a pressurized reservoir of warm
      Ringer solution connected to the femoral arteries. Coronary blood flow was
      measured with an electromagnetic flowmeter positioned around the origin of the
      left circumflex coronary artery. When the reflex increase in heart rate was
      prevented by atrial pacing in seven dogs, distension of the urinary bladder
      always caused a decrease in mean coronary blood flow. Similar results were
      obtained in all eleven dogs after administration of propranolol. The decrease in
      mean coronary blood flow was significantly reduced by atropine or bilateral
      cervical vagotomy, and was abolished by bretylium tosylate. The results showed
      that distension of the urinary bladder reflexly decreased mean coronary blood
      flow, a response involving efferent cardiac vagal and sympathetic pathways.

PMID- 1878198
TI  - Components of transmembrane potassium (86Rb+) flux during evoked tension
      development in dog saphenous vein: contribution of the Na(+)-K+ pump.
AB  - The relationship between the concurrent increase in net K+ efflux and isometric
      tension development has been studied in perifused dog saphenous vein strips using
      86Rb+ as a marker for K+. Noradrenaline, acting through alpha-adrenoceptors, or
      depolarization induced by raised extracellular K+ (in the presence of an alpha
      adrenoceptor antagonist) increased both 86Rb+ efflux and isometric tension.
      However, even with a high concentration of K+ (120 mmol l-1) the evoked changes
      in 86Rb+ efflux and tension were small compared with those produced by
      noradrenaline. There was a linear relationship between 86Rb+ efflux and tension
      maintained throughout the time course of each evoked response. This linear
      relationship was the same for each response evoked throughout the concentration
      range of noradrenaline (1-100 mumol l-1) or K+ (30-120 mmol l-1) used.
      Substitution of extracellular Ca2+ by Ba2+ did not alter either basal tension or
      86Rb+ efflux; nor did it alter either the magnitude of noradrenaline-evoked
      changes in 86Rb+ efflux or tension, or the slope of the relationship between the
      two seen with Ca2+. The cardioactive steroid, acetylstrophanthidin, altered the
      evoked response to exogenous noradrenaline and to K+ depolarization in that there
      was now a significant increase in 86Rb+ efflux relative to tension, although the
      linear relationship between the two was maintained. In the nominal absence of
      extracellular Ca2+ the increase in 86Rb+ efflux produced by exogenous
      noradrenaline was maintained but the evoked increased in tension was reduced. The
      data shows for dog saphenous vein: (a) that gross evoked 86Rb+ efflux is
      attenuated by an active backflux mediated by the sodium-potassium pump and (b)
      that 86Rb+ efflux can occur through a membrane potential-activated pathway and
      through an independent alpha-adrenoceptor-activated pathway but although the
      linear relationship between 86Rb+ efflux and tension can be best explained by
      their co-dependence upon Ca2+, the present experiments provide no objective
      evidence for an internal calcium-activated pathway.

PMID- 1878199
TI  - The effects of cholesterol depletion on the sodium pump in human red cells.
AB  - Sodium pump function has been studied in human erythrocytes depleted of membrane
      cholesterol by incubation with phosphatidylcholine liposomes. The cells were
      sodium loaded by incubation in alkaline sodium phosphate and sodium pump activity
      was assessed by measurements of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake at 37 degrees C.
      Cholesterol depletion had a biphasic effect; depletion by 5-25% increased sodium
      pump activity by a mean of 16.1% (S.D. 3.2%), whereas depletion by 35-50%
      decreased sodium pump activity by a mean of 14.8% (S.D. 3.8%). Cholesterol
      depletion had no reproducible effect on the ouabain-insensitive uptake of Rb.
      These results support the hypothesis that there may be an optimum membrane
      cholesterol content for sodium pump function.

PMID- 1878200
TI  - Absorption and intestinal catabolism of fatty acids in the rat: effect of chain
      length and unsaturation.
AB  - Simultaneous portal blood absorption and intestinal mucosal catabolism of
      labelled fatty acids were investigated. Anaesthetized adult Wistar rats were
      infused intraduodenally either with 90 mumol of capric (C10:0), oleic (C18:1),
      linoleic (C18:2) or arachidonic (C20:4) 1-14C acids or with 30 mumol of each
      labelled fatty acid in addition to 30 mumol of oleic acid and 30 mumol of
      monopalmitin. For mixed infusates, experiments were carried out with two
      additional long-chain fatty acids: palmitic (C16:0) and erucic (C22:1) 1-14C
      acids. Radioactivity was quantified in the lipids and in the catabolic products
      in portal blood recovered at 5 min intervals for 1 h after infusion. At the end
      of the experiment, the disappearance of radioactivity from the mucosa was
      quantified. When labelled fatty acids were infused alone, 49% of the
      radiolabelled lipid disappearing from the mucosa was recovered in the blood for
      C10:0, but only 7.8% for C18:1, 6.4% for C18:2 and 10.6% for C20:4. With mixed
      infusates, 41% of the radiolabelled lipid disappearing from the mucosa was
      recovered in the blood for C10:0 compared with 12% for C18:1, 10.2% for C18:2,
      10.5% for C20:4 and 2.7% for C16:0 and 2% for C22:1. Labelled catabolites appear
      with the same profiles as those of the respective fatty acids in blood. These
      studies confirm a minor absorption into blood of long-chain fatty acids compared
      to the medium-chain fatty acids and highlight differences in the catabolism of
      the fatty acids according to their chain length and their degree of unsaturation.
      The differences might be related to the differences in the fatty acid
      hydrosolubility and to their different affinities for the I- and L-cytosolic
      fatty acid binding proteins. These phenomena may be important in nutrition in
      relation to the availability of essential fatty acids.

PMID- 1878201
TI  - Arginine vasopressin stimulation of chloride secretion in Madin-Darby canine
      renal epithelial layers.
AB  - Arginine vasopressin (AVP) at a concentration of 0.1 microM stimulates an inward
      short-circuit current (SCC) in voltage-clamped Madin-Darby canine kidney
      epithelial layers with a mean peak of 3.1 +/- 0.8 microA cm-2 (n = 6). The
      response to AVP is markedly attenuated when inward SCC is stimulated with
      forskolin or prostaglandin E1, in Cl(-)-free media and by the Cl(-)-transport
      inhibitors, bumetanide and 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoic acid,
      consistent with an AVP-stimulated basal to apical Cl- secretion. Endogenous
      release of prostaglandins may contribute to AVP stimulation of Cl- secretion.

PMID- 1878202
TI  - Automated purification of synthetic oligonucleotides.
AB  - We have automated the trityl-on purification of oligonucleotides by use of an XYZ
      axis robotic solid-phase extraction system. This greatly decreased the
      preparation time required for oligonucleotide purification. After about 15 min
      for set up of the samples and instrument, the oligonucleotides are automatically
      purified with a 15-min run time per sample. Thus, for example, the purification
      of 15 oligonucleotides requires only about 15 min of preparation time and 4 h of
      machine time. Yields and purity are equivalent to manual methods.

PMID- 1878203
TI  - Heparin-mediated transformation of Escherichia coli with Ustilago maydis DNA.
AB  - The inhibiton of Escherichia coli transformation caused by simple preparations of
      Ustilago maydis plasmid and genomic DNA can be efficiently overcome by the use of
      the linear polyanion heparin. Techniques using heparin have been derived that
      should facilitate the production and isolation of plasmids passed through
      Ustilago maydis and may be of benefit in other systems where similar inhibitory
      phenomena or low transformability are observed.

PMID- 1878204
TI  - 96-well plates for recombinant library maintenance and dot-blot production.

PMID- 1878205
TI  - Isolation and purification of specific, overlapping mRNA species by
      electroelution from agarose gels.

PMID- 1878206
TI  - DNA fragment purification: removal of agarose 10 minutes after electrophoresis.

PMID- 1878207
TI  - Accurate determination of pH in organic phenol and phenol:chloroform.

PMID- 1878208
TI  - Protein B: a versatile bacterial Fc-binding protein selective for human IgA.
AB  - Protein B, a selective bacterial IgA Fc-binding protein isolated from group B
      streptococci, has been used to quantify fluid phase and immobilized human IgA.
      Protein B detects both human IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses and is also reactive with
      secretory IgA. Protein B can be used immobilized to microtiter plates to capture
      IgA or following biotinylation as a tracer for fluid phase or immobilized human
      IgA. The studies presented here suggest protein B will prove to be a valuable
      reagent for quantitative immunochemical procedures involving human IgA antibodies
      and facilitate a variety of studies of IgA responses in man.

PMID- 1878209
TI  - Computer software for molecular biology.

PMID- 1878210
TI  - A program for computer-assisted scoring of Southern blots.
AB  - SCORE, a program for computer-assisted scoring of Southern blots of clone DNA,
      retains the use of expert human judgment while taking over much of the drudgery
      of the scoring task. The primary functions of the program are to help make an
      aligned overlay of the fluorescence gel image and the autoradiogram blot image,
      to keep track of band and lane locations and to store the resulting data directly
      into a database. Use of SCORE has resulted in greatly increased efficiency and
      accuracy.

PMID- 1878211
TI  - A computer program that simulates cloning of DNA.
AB  - Easy Cloner is a computer program that manipulates DNA sequences as in cloning
      experiments and produces maps of the resulting plasmids. The program runs in the
      graphics mode of an IBM PC or compatible computer and is operated by using a
      mouse to point to the required actions. The program is available in the public
      domain.

PMID- 1878212
TI  - Computer-aided cell colony counting.
AB  - Counting cell colonies is a tedious task when performed with the light
      microscope. Moreover, unless strict double-blind protocols are adhered to, biased
      counts are difficult to avoid. Presented here is a computer software application
      that performs accurate, reproducible cell colony counts with a minimum of user
      generated bias. The application is based upon the Apple IICX computer system with
      Image software and AppleScan. Colonies are grown on 24-well plates and prepared
      in such a way as to permit good quality scanning. The scans are then transferred
      to Image and the individual colonies in each well are counted. Good correlation
      with counts done by light microscopy is achieved.

PMID- 1878213
TI  - Estimation of sample size and assurance probability in library screening.

PMID- 1878214
TI  - A computer program to assist in the preparation of oligonucleotide solutions.

PMID- 1878215
TI  - A Macintosh computer program for designing DNA sequences that code for specific
      peptides and proteins.
AB  - A computer program (PINCERS) is described for use in the design of synthetic
      genes and mixed-probe DNA sequences. A protein sequence is reverse translated
      with generation of synonymous codons at each position producing a degenerate
      sequence. In order to locate potential restriction enzyme sites, the degenerate
      sequence is searched with a library of restriction enzymes for sites that utilize
      any combination of synonymous codons. These sites are indicated in a map so that
      they may be incorporated into the synthetic gene sequence. The program allows the
      user to select the appropriate codon usage table for the organism of interest and
      then to set a threshold usage frequency below which codons are not generated.
      PINCERS may also be used to assist in planning the synthesis of mixed-probe DNA
      sequences for cross-hybridization experiments. It can identify regions of
      specified length with the protein sequence that have the least overall
      degeneracy, thereby minimizing the number of probes to be synthesized and,
      therefore, maximizing the concentration of a given probe sequence.

PMID- 1878216
TI  - Image processing software for enhanced visualization of faint or noisy
      autoradiographic images.
AB  - A computer program for digital image processing is described which can be
      implemented using scanning densitometer hardware pre-existing in most biology
      departments plus computer video hardware which may either pre-exist in the
      biology department or would represent a moderate upgrade over an already planned
      computer purchase. The primary purpose of this computer program is to provide
      contrast enhancement of faint or low contrast autoradiograph images and to
      implement background subtraction and digital smoothing methods which permit
      visualization of blurry electrophoresis bands against noisy backgrounds. However,
      the program also has modest editing capabilities that allow its use in the
      routine preparation of images for publication. Finally, the program has
      facilities for deblurring, edge enhancement and multiple image averaging, which
      give it usefulness in other forms of photographic analysis.

PMID- 1878217
TI  - Electrophoretic gel image analysis software for the molecular biology laboratory.
AB  - We present GelReader 1.0, a microcomputer program designed to make precision,
      digital analysis of one-dimensional electrophoretic gels accessible to the
      molecular biology laboratory of modest means. Images of electrophoretic gels are
      digitized via a desktop flatbed scanner from instant photographs, autoradiograms
      or chromogenically stained blotting media. GelReader is then invoked to locate
      lanes and bands and generate a report of molecular weights of unknowns, based on
      specified sets of standards. Frequently used standards can be stored in the
      program. Lanes and bands can be added or removed, based upon users' subjective
      preferences. A unique lane histogram feature facilitates precise manual addition
      of bands missed by the software. Image enhancement features include palette
      manipulation, histogram equalization, shadowing and magnification. The user
      interface strikes a balance between program autonomy and user intervention, in
      recognition of the variability in electrophoretic gel quality and users'
      analytical needs.

PMID- 1878218
TI  - Pro-Search, Biblio-Links and Pro-Cite: software to gather and manage scientific
      and technical information.
AB  - Pro-Search, Biblio-Links and Pro-Cite combine to form a system for managing
      scientific information on the desktop. Pro-Search provides access to over 400
      databases (500 on the IBM PC), Biblio-Links converts records downloaded from
      online, CD-ROM and diskette information services into Pro-Cite records. Pro-Cite
      is a full-featured bibliographic database for managing scientific literature.

PMID- 1878219
TI  - Nucleocytoplasmic translocation of ribosomal RNA in the rabbit blastocyst:
      participation of sulfhydryl groups.
AB  - The release of ribosomes from the nucleus in the rabbit blastocyst was
      investigated by pulse-labeling embryos to within 5 min of the earliest appearance
      of radiolabeled ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in the cytoplasmic fraction. The
      accumulation of radiolabeled 4.7 and 1.9 kilobase mature rRNA species in the
      cytoplasm was then followed during a 2 hour chase period, using polyacrylamide
      gel electrophoresis to identify the rRNAs. Colchicine, cytochalasin B, KCN, and
      EDTA were found to have no effect on the release of radiolabeled rRNA from the
      blastocyst nucleus during the 2 hour chase. Oligomycin, a known inhibitor of the
      nuclear envelope nucleoside triphosphatase, and the protein synthesis inhibitors
      puromycin and cycloheximide blocked rRNA release after a short delay. In
      contrast, actinomycin D and the sulfhydryl-reactive agents N-ethylmaleimide and
      diamide produced an abrupt and complete block to further rRNA release. The
      results indicate that ribosomes leave the nuclear compartment by an energy
      dependent process. They further underscore the importance of reduced sulfhydryl
      groups in a rapidly growing blastocyst with a high level of oxidative metabolism.

PMID- 1878220
TI  - Nuclear transplantation in bovine embryo: fine structural and autoradiographic
      studies.
AB  - Nucleolar fine structure, "blebbing" activity of nuclear envelope, and activation
      of heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) synthesis were studied in bovine
      reconstructed embryos obtained by electrofusion of a single eight-cell blastomere
      with an enucleated oocyte. Developmental progress of nucleolar fine structure and
      hnRNA synthesis are arrested during three cell cycles following fusion. The
      activation of both appears during the eight-cell stage of the reconstructed
      embryo, after the same number of cell cycles after fusion as in nonmanipulated
      bovine embryos after fertilization. "Blebbing" activity of nuclear envelope,
      which is already absent in original blastomeres, reappears after fusion and
      continues for the next two cell cycles. From the present results, it can be
      concluded that the donor nuclei are arrested after fusion in morphology and
      function. Their reactivation corresponds to the developmental pattern typical for
      normal bovine embryos.

PMID- 1878221
TI  - Embryonic transcription in in vitro cultured bovine embryos.
AB  - The rate of cleavage and the onset of embryonic transcription of bovine embryos
      cultured in vitro (IVC) has been investigated. Embryos were derived from in vitro
      matured, in vitro fertilized oocytes (IVM/IVF) to improve developmental
      synchrony. The rate of cleavage was assessed by morphological evaluation between
      the one- and eight- to 16-cell stage. The rate of cleavage was found to be
      equivalent to that reported for in vivo recovered embryos. To assess the onset of
      embryonic transcription, embryos were cultured to the eight- to 16-cell stage in
      the presence of alpha-amanitin for various periods of time followed by two
      dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Embryos readily cleaved to the
      eight- to 16-cell stage in the presence of inhibitor. alpha-Amanitin-sensitive
      protein synthesis was first detected at 36-48 h post-insemination (hpi) and
      continued up to 84 hpi. We conclude that bovine embryos produced by IVM/IVF/IVC
      are competent to initiate embryonic transcription at 36-48 h post-insemination
      and suggest that in vitro-induced cleavage arrest is not due to failure of the
      embryonic genome to initiate transcription.

PMID- 1878222
TI  - Analysis of proteins expressed at the time of murine organogenesis.
AB  - Two-dimensional electrophoretograms were prepared from wild-type C57BL/6J embryos
      from day 7.5 through day 9.0 of development. This time period encompasses a
      critical window of development as the embryo traverses from an egg cylinder
      through major organogenesis. Consequently, we term this resource MOPED (for mouse
      organogenesis protein electrophoresis database). By resolving and analyzing the
      behavior of approximately 1,000 polypeptides per time point, we were able to
      track many of these polypeptides through this time period in development. Of
      special note was a burst of induced protein synthesis that was observed in mouse
      embryos development. Polypeptides observed in mouse embryos that match those
      identified previously in mouse fibroblasts were noted. Two of them (the
      intermediate filament-associated protein and tropomyosin-4) were significantly
      altered in 8.5 day embryos. As more polypeptides are designated, it will be
      possible to expand the known proteins in the database. MOPED establishes the
      patterns of synthesis of a large number of polypeptides during a crucial period
      of development. Thus MOPED is designed to analyze proteins relevant to mouse
      embryogenesis in the future.

PMID- 1878223
TI  - Situs inversus in the developing mouse: proteins affected by the iv mutation
      (genocopy) and the teratogen retinoic acid (phenocopy).
AB  - To decipher genes that are important in the determination of laterality, we
      compared two-dimensional protein gels from wild-type C57BL/6J mice and C57BL/6J
      mice that carried the iv mutation, which confers random determination of visceral
      situs. To span the time period(s) during which laterality determination occurs,
      we compared computer-analyzed two-dimensional protein gels from wild-type mouse
      embryos and iv/iv mouse embryos at 7.5, 8.0, and 8.5 days post-coitum. One
      polypeptide that was expressed only on day 8.0 of development and only in wild
      type embryos represents a particular candidate for determination of laterality.
      Day 8.5 postcoitum represents the earliest time in murine development that
      laterality is manifest. Two-dimensional gels were compared from 8.5 day embryos
      that were C57BL/6J wild-type, C57BL/6J iv/iv, or C57BL/6J wild-type and exposed
      to the teratogen retinoic acid late on day 7. Reproducible alterations of protein
      synthesis were observed in both the iv genocopy and retinoic acid phenocopy,
      yielding abnormal laterality determination. The intersection of these peptide
      changes identifies a protein likely to play a role in the determination of
      laterality.

PMID- 1878224
TI  - Effects of pH on the reactivation of human spermatozoa demembranated with Triton
      X-100.
AB  - The aim of this work was to study the role of different parameters involved in
      the motility of human spermatozoa. Human spermatozoa were totally demembranated
      with 0.05% Triton X-100, and the demembranation was checked using electron
      microscopy. We have shown that, with a concentration of ATP-Mg lower than 2 mM, a
      pH effect was observed with a dose-dependent motility reactivation at pH 7.1,
      with 14% +/- 2.0% motile cells at 1 mM ATP-Mg and a straight line velocity (VSL)
      of 12.0 +/- 1.4 microns/sec. However, at pH 7.8, more than 65% of the spermatozoa
      were reactivated with as low as 0.02 mM ATP-Mg and 77.8% +/- 2.5% of them were
      motile at 1 mM ATP-Mg and had a VSL of 23.4 +/- 3.9 microns/sec. The depletion of
      free calcium by the addition of 0.5 mM EGTA in the reactivation medium (RM)
      improved the percentage of motile cells and the VSL most markedly at low ATP-Mg
      and low pH. If no MgSO4 was added in RM, cells were not motile at pH 7.8, but 30
      40% reactivated at pH 7.1. If 5 mM Ca2+ was added to the RM, up to 88% of the
      cells became reactivated at both pHs, but the beat frequencies were very low,
      suggesting different mechanisms of reactivation when Mg2+ or when Ca2+ is present
      in the RM.

PMID- 1878225
TI  - Complement component C1q and its receptor are involved in the interaction of
      human sperm with zona-free hamster eggs.
AB  - C1q is a component of the classical complement pathway that can react with the Fc
      fragment of immunoglobulins and with other proteins, such as fibronectin,
      laminin, and a specific C1q receptor present on several cell types. Given its
      role in many adhesion systems, mainly related to phagocytosis, we tested the
      effects of C1q on the interaction between human spermatozoa and zona-free hamster
      eggs. The presence of C1q in the medium used for gamete coincubation resulted in
      promotion of sperm-oolemma adhesion and an inhibition of penetration. The number
      of adherent sperm per egg at 5 micrograms/ml concentration was 90 +/- 35 vs. 29
      +/- 7 for the control (P less than 0.001). At 1 microgram/ml, the lower
      concentration at which C1q had an effect, the number of penetrating sperm/egg was
      0.6 vs. 1.7 for the control without C1q (P less than 0.01), and the percent of
      penetrated eggs was 28% vs. 85%. At 50 micrograms/ml, the percent of penetrated
      eggs was 7%, with a penetration index of 0.07. The addition of C1q to the medium
      resulted in sperm agglutination, which varied between sperm donors. The presence
      of C1q receptors, as detected by anti-C1qR monoclonal antibodies (Mabs), was
      demonstrated both on zona-free hamster eggs by immunobead rosetting and on human
      spermatozoa by immunobead binding and indirect immunofluorescence. Mabs directed
      against different epitopes of C1qR had different effects on gamete interaction,
      with a partial inhibition of penetration mediated by some of them. The binding of
      C1q to antibody-free human spermatozoa was also demonstrated both by means of
      indirect immunofluorescence and utilizing 125I-C1q.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1878226
TI  - Proteasome (multicatalytic proteinase) of sea urchin sperm and its possible
      participation in the acrosome reaction.
AB  - The egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction of the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus
      intermedius, was inhibited by succinyl-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-4-methyl-coumaryl-7-amide
      (Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA), but not by Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-MCA. The proteases with
      hydrolytic activity toward the former were purified from sperm extract by DEAE
      Sephacel and hydroxylapatite chromatographies, Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration,
      and heparin-Sepharose CL-6B chromatography. Two types of protease were separated,
      and the molecular weights were estimated to be 65 and 700 kDa, respectively, by
      gel filtration. The former was accompanied by hydrolytic activity toward Suc-Ala
      Ala-Pro-Phe-MCA, which was not hydrolyzed by the latter. Polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis of 700 kDa protease gave a single protein band under
      nondenaturing conditions and at least eight bands in the range of 22-33 kDa in
      the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The substrate specificity and the
      inhibitor sensitivity of 700 kDa protease indicate that it contains two types of
      the activity, one is chymotrypsin-type and the other trypsin-type. The former
      activity was enhanced by poly-L-lysine or SDS. These properties of 700 kDa
      protease are similar to those of proteasomes (multicatalytic proteinases)
      isolated from various eukaryotic sources. We had previously shown that inhibitors
      of chymotrypsin-like proteases inhibit the increase of intracellular Ca2+
      concentration by egg jelly, resulting in the inhibition of the acrosome reaction
      of St. intermedius (Matsumura and Aketa, Gamete Res 23:255-266, 1989). Bringing
      these findings together, we suggest that the chymotrypsin-like activity of sperm
      proteasome participates in the onset of the acrosome reaction of St. intermedius.

PMID- 1878227
TI  - Cross-linking a maturation-dependent ram sperm plasma membrane antigen induces
      the acrosome reaction.
AB  - ESA152 is a highly hydrophobic 18 kDa sialoglycoprotein, which becomes expressed
      on ram sperm in the proximal cauda epididymis. ESA 152 is expressed on all
      regions of the sperm surface, most strongly on the posterior region of the head,
      most weakly on the anterior region of the head. In this paper, we show that
      induction of the acrosome reaction with Ca2+ ionophore causes ESA152 to be
      redistributed from the posterior to the anterior region of the head plasma
      membrane. Cross-linking ESA152 with bivalent antibody causes similar
      redistribution and induces the acrosome reaction. Induction of the acrosome
      reaction with ESA152 antibody requires Ca2+ but is insensitive to (10 ng/ml)
      pertussis toxin.

PMID- 1878228
TI  - Ribosomal gene amplification in oocytes of the lizard Podarcis sicula.
AB  - In order to provide cytological evidence of amplification, Podarcis sicula
      oocytes were studied by cytophotometry, thymidine incorporation and in situ DNA
      DNA hybridization. Our results show that DNA replication is completed during the
      preleptotene stage, the leptotene oocytes having the typical 4C nuclear DNA
      content. Between the zygotene and the mid-pachytene stages further DNA synthesis
      occurs with consequent increase of the ribosomal nuclear DNA content. These
      results and the variations in nucleolar organization observed during
      differentiation give clear evidence of the existence of ribosomal gene
      amplification in Podarcis sicula oocytes.

PMID- 1878229
TI  - Anesthesia at sea: initial experience aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort
      during the Iraqi crisis.

PMID- 1878230
TI  - Anesthesiology in Germany.

PMID- 1878231
TI  - The effectiveness of oral clonidine as a sedative/anxiolytic and as a drug to
      blunt the hemodynamic responses to laryngoscopy.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of oral clonidine premedication on
      sedative, anxiolytic, and hemodynamic responses during the immediate preoperative
      period, laryngoscopy/intubation, and postanesthetic recovery. DESIGN: Randomized
      double-blind assignment to one of four treatment groups (clonidine 0.1 mg,
      clonidine 0.2 mg, triazolam 0.25 mg, or placebo); n = 10 per group. SETTING:
      Inpatient surgery in a university-staffed tertiary center. PATIENTS: Forty ASA
      physical status I and II adults of both sexes scheduled for a variety of
      procedures requiring general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Anxiety and sedation
      scored on ordinal scale at time of treatment and 90 minutes later, just prior to
      anesthetic induction. Standardized induction protocol with automated hemodynamic
      monitoring at 1-minute intervals and a 45-second laryngoscopy to ensure a
      vigorous stress response. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Triazolam and both doses
      of clonidine increased sedation at 90 minutes both absolutely and compared with a
      placebo. Clonidine 0.2 mg decreased anxiety absolutely at 90 minutes but no more
      than a placebo. Clonidine 0.2 mg decreased systolic, mean, and diastolic blood
      pressures (BPs) but not heart rate (HR) at 90 minutes. Clonidine 0.2 mg also
      blunted the increase in systolic blood pressure (SP) [but not in diastolic blood
      pressure (DP) or HR] that accompanied laryngoscopy. There were no treatment
      differences in postanesthetic hemodynamics or duration of recovery. CONCLUSIONS:
      Oral clonidine 0.2 mg was effective in reducing the level of behavioral and
      hemodynamic responses preoperatively and in blunting systolic hypertension
      produced by prolonged laryngoscopy.

PMID- 1878232
TI  - Postoperative pain management and respiratory depression after thoracotomy: a
      comparison of intramuscular piritramide and intravenous patient-controlled
      analgesia using fentanyl or buprenorphine.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the analgesic efficacy of fentanyl, buprenorphine,
      and piritramide and to define the respiratory risk during conventional
      postoperative pain management and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). DESIGN:
      Randomized, single-blind study. SETTING: Department of anesthesiology of an urban
      hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty patients (ASA) physical status II and III) recovering
      from unilateral thoracotomy performed under standardized general anesthesia
      including intercostal blockade. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated with
      intramuscular (IM) piritramide (7.5 to 15 mg as needed) or intravenous (IV) PCA
      with fentanyl (demand dose 34 micrograms) or buprenorphine (demand dose 80
      micrograms) during the early postoperative period, using the On-Demand Analgesia
      Computer (ODAC, Janssen Scientific Instruments, Beerse, Belgium). MEASUREMENTS
      AND MAIN RESULTS: The mean postoperative observation period was 24 to 25 hours.
      During this time, patients requested 55.8 +/- 23.2 mg of piritramide, 1.04 +/-
      0.54 mg of fentanyl, or 1.81 +/- 0.78 mg of buprenorphine. Analgesia in all
      groups was judged mostly good to excellent, with a preference for PCA. Side
      effects were only of minor intensity in all groups; euphoria or dysphoria
      occurred only with buprenorphine. Two patients using PCA and five patients having
      IM analgesia developed short periods of respiratory depression (respiratory rate
      less than or equal to 8 breaths/minute and/or oxygen (O2) desaturation less than
      or equal to 90%), which promptly responded to commands to breathe deeply.
      Respiration rates did not differ, and frequent arterial blood sampling showed
      normal mean partial pressures of oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2) and
      arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in all subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Opioid-induced
      respiratory depression occurred infrequently during postoperative pain management
      whether by conventional means or using PCA, even though high doses of opioid
      analgesics were required intermittently for adequate postoperative pain relief by
      either technique.

PMID- 1878234
TI  - Trial of labor: a study of 110 patients.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine whether epidural
      analgesia is unsafe for trial of labor (TOL). DESIGN: Retrospective chart review.
      SETTING: Inpatient obstetric department at a university medical center. PATIENTS:
      One hundred ten ASA physical status I and II term parturients who attempted a TOL
      between December 1987 and June 1988. INTERVENTIONS: All the parturients
      previously had low transverse uterine incisions and received continuous
      electronic fetal and uterine pressure monitoring throughout labor. All the
      parturients were offered epidural analgesia during labor with bupivacaine 0.25%.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of the parturients had
      successful vaginal delivery. Fifty-one of the 110 parturients had epidural
      analgesia for labor. There were two complete uterine ruptures; neither had
      epidural catheters. Both of the complete ruptures presented with monitored fetal
      distress rather than abdominal pain. Both mothers and their infants recovered
      uneventfully. CONCLUSIONS: Uterine rupture presents as monitored fetal distress
      rather than abdominal pain. Thus, epidural analgesia can be used in patients
      attempting a TOL.

PMID- 1878233
TI  - Effect of preanesthetic rectal famotidine on pH and volume of gastric contents in
      pediatric outpatients.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility and effects of preanesthetic rectal
      famotidine on gastric fluid pH and volume in pediatric patients. DESIGN:
      Randomized, prospective, double-blind, controlled study. SETTING: Operating room
      at a medical center. PATIENTS: Eighty patients undergoing minor surgery under
      general anesthesia randomly allocated to one of two groups. INTERVENTIONS: Thirty
      four patients in Group 1 were given 0.5 mg/kg of diazepam rectally 30 to 120
      minutes before anesthesia induction. Thirty-eight patients in Group 2 received 1
      mg/kg of famotidine, a new histamine (H2) blocker, and 0.5 mg/kg of diazepam
      through the same route. Six patients in Group 1 and two patients in Group 2 were
      excluded from the study due to gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. MEASUREMENTS AND
      MAIN RESULTS: Patients with gastric pH less than 2.5 or volume of gastric
      contents greater than 0.4 ml/kg were considered to be at risk for pulmonary
      aspiration. Thirty-five (92%) of the Group 2 patients had gastric contents with
      pH greater than 2.5 and gastric volume less than or equal to 0.4 ml/kg. Only 13
      (38%) of the patients in Group 1 had similar gastric pH and volume. Rectal
      administration did not cause the children pain, and no anorectal problems of
      famotidine were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Famotidine 1.0 mg/kg administered rectally
      30 minutes prior to general anesthesia appears to result in a satisfactory
      increase in gastric pH.

PMID- 1878236
TI  - Atracurium use in a patient with familial periodic paralysis.
AB  - We describe a patient with the hypokalemic type of familial periodic paralysis
      (FPP) who received atracurium for muscle relaxation as required for diagnostic
      laparoscopy. Electrocardiographic (EKG) T-wave changes suggestive of hypokalemia
      were not supported by blood determinations. Arterial blood measurements of
      potassium (K+), pH, and arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) and the patient's
      esophageal temperature were maintained within normal limits. The degree of muscle
      relaxation was closely monitored by a peripheral nerve stimulator and train-of
      four (TOF) measurement of muscle twitch height. At the conclusion of the surgical
      procedure, no reversal to the muscle relaxant was needed or given. The patient
      regained preoperative muscle strength, and her postoperative course was
      uneventful.

PMID- 1878235
TI  - The clinical effectiveness of epidural bupivacaine, bupivacaine with lidocaine,
      and bupivacaine with fentanyl for labor analgesia.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of bupivacaine alone and in combination
      with lidocaine or fentanyl for epidural analgesia during labor. DESIGN:
      Randomized, single-blind study. SETTING: Labor and delivery unit at a university
      medical center. PATIENTS: Forty-five primiparas requesting epidural analgesia.
      INTERVENTIONS: Following epidural placement at L3-4 interspace, patients received
      either bupivacaine 0.5% (Group 1, n = 15), bupivacaine 0.25% with lidocaine 1%
      (Group 2, n = 15), or bupivacaine 0.5% with fentanyl 50 micrograms in 10 ml of
      saline (Group 3, n = 15). Patients in Groups 1 and 2 received 6 to 10 ml of local
      anesthetic depending on patient height, while patients in Group 3 received 5 ml
      of local anesthetic plus 50 micrograms of fentanyl in 10 ml of saline. All
      solutions contained epinephrine 1:200,000. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
      Patients were assessed at regular intervals following administration of the
      epidural solution. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were used to measure onset of
      analgesia, time to complete pain relief, duration of analgesia, and patient
      satisfaction with therapy. The frequency of shivering and pruritus and the extent
      of sensory/motor block also were evaluated. There were no intragroup differences
      in time to complete pain relief or patient satisfaction. However, patients in
      Group 3 noted the most rapid onset and longest duration of pain relief. Patients
      in Group 3 also experienced significantly less shivering and had the lowest
      degree of motor block. Two patients in Group 3 experienced mild pruritus.
      CONCLUSIONS: Epidurally administered fentanyl safely extended the duration of
      labor analgesia while reducing bupivacaine dose requirements and magnitude of
      motor block. In this setting, the combination of bupivacaine and lidocaine
      offered no clinical advantage over bupivacaine alone.

PMID- 1878237
TI  - Bilateral tension pneumothorax due to a defective anesthesia breathing circuit
      filter.
AB  - A 25-year-old healthy patient developed bilateral tension pneumothorax during
      general endotracheal anesthesia due to a defective anesthesia breathing circuit
      filter. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the pneumothorax was facilitated by the
      use of capnography and pulse oximetry. The manufacturing process of the breathing
      circuit and filter that made this accident possible has since been corrected by
      the manufacturer. Anesthesiologists must be alert to the possibility of such
      accidents with any breathing system using bacterial filters.

PMID- 1878238
TI  - History of anesthesia in Germany.
AB  - The first ether anesthetic was administered in Germany by J.F. Heyfelder (1798
      1869) at the Erlangen University Hospital on January 24, 1847. Thereafter, famous
      discoveries occurred in the field of pharmacology. Albert Niemann isolated
      cocaine from the coca shrub in 1860; Emil Fischer synthesized the first
      barbiturate, Veronal, in 1902; and Helmut Weese promoted the first ultra-short
      acting barbiturate, hexobarbital (Evipan), in 1932. The local anesthetic effect
      of cocaine was reported by Koller at the Congress of the German Society for
      Ophthalmology on September 15, 1884, in Heidelberg. Many new techniques were
      tried first in German hospitals. Friedrich Trendelenburg carried out, by
      tracheotomy, the first operation with endotracheal intubation in 1869, and Franz
      Kuhn promoted and clinically practiced endotracheal intubation in Heidelberg
      beginning in 1900. August Bier performed the first operation under spinal
      anesthesia at the Kiel University Hospital on August 16, 1898. Carl Ludwig
      Schleich (1859-1922) standardized the methods of infiltration anesthesia by using
      a cocaine solution in sufficient dilution. The development of anesthesia machines
      was greatly influenced by Heinrich Drager (1847-1917) and his son Bernhard Drager
      (1870-1928). The Drager Company in Lubeck built the first anesthesia machine with
      a carbon dioxide (CO2) absorber and circle system in 1925. Paul Sudeck and Helmut
      Schmidt worked with this system at the Hamburg University Hospital and reported
      their results in 1926. The first Drager anesthesia machine was produced in 1902
      and introduced into clinical use by Otto Roth (1863-1944) in Lubeck. Before the
      Second World War, three universities in Germany carried out research in the field
      of anesthesia: the University of Freiburg with H. Killian, the University of
      Hamburg with P. Sudeck and H. Schmidt, and the University of Wurzburg with C.G.
      Gauss. Killian and Gauss established the first journals, Der Schmerz and Narkose
      und Anaesthesie, in 1928. After the Second World War, the field of anesthesia in
      Germany rapidly regained international standards. The journal Der Anaesthesist
      was founded in 1952, and the German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive
      Medicine was established in 1953.

PMID- 1878239
TI  - History of emergency medicine in Germany.
AB  - The beginnings of organized emergency care can be traced through military history
      dating back to the Middle Ages. In 1769, the first civilian rescue society was
      established to look after shipwrecked persons. Sociological and technical
      requirements of the late 19th century led to the formation of different rescue
      associations and to writing of regulations for rescue and ambulance services. The
      development of quality assurance was interrupted by World War I. Around 1930, the
      rescue service was mostly the responsibility of the Red Cross and fire brigades
      but included the first actions of emergency physicians. Today the rescue service
      functions to bring a physician, often an anesthesiologist, to the victim as
      quickly as possible. Modern rescue laws fix a lead time of 5 to 15 minutes for a
      professional rescue service to reach the scene. The medical equipment and
      qualifications of personnel treating life-threatening trauma and diseases have
      improved, and in this context, the role of the anesthesiologist is important.

PMID- 1878240
TI  - Anesthesia training in West Germany.
AB  - The specialty of anesthesia was established in German medicine in 1953 with the
      founding of the Germany Society of Anaesthesia and the inclusion of a "specialist
      in anesthesia" as part of the German medical training requirements. Anesthesia
      training is offered to students and residents and as a part of continuing
      education. A residency training program lasts at least 4 years, including 6
      months of intensive care unit (ICU) training, and ends with an oral examination.
      About 900 anesthesia departments in West Germany are accredited for residency
      training programs. Of those, about 320 are fully accredited. Continuing education
      in West German anesthesia is very similar to that offered in the United States.

PMID- 1878241
TI  - Development of intensive care medicine in Germany.
AB  - As of 1991, intensive care medicine in Germany is not an independent medical
      specialty but a part of other main medical specialities such as anesthesiology,
      internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics. Accordingly, there is neither formal
      training nor a separate board examination in intensive care medicine. As in other
      countries, intensive care units (ICUs) were established during the 1950s and
      1960s, triggered by the positive experience with consolidation of polio victims
      in special respiratory care units. Surgical (or operative) ICUs predominantly are
      operated by anesthesiology departments, as anesthesiologists' expertise in
      respiratory and hemodynamic support qualifies them for the management of the
      critically ill patient in the perioperative phase. This article gives a brief
      review of the development of intensive care medicine in Germany, thereby
      providing the historical background for its present national and regional
      organization, facilities, and education and training programs.

PMID- 1878242
TI  - Medical equipment ordinance and lack of personnel: two contrary factors
      influencing anesthesia patient safety.
AB  - In January 1986, West German legislators enacted the Medical Equipment Ordinance
      (MedGV) to define specific regulations for both manufacturers and operators of
      medical equipment and to offer a measure of safety to patients. We describe the
      history of MedGV, its regulations, and the mechanisms developed to enforce those
      regulations. We also evaluate its impact on clinical practice in light of the
      current staff shortages in anesthesia practice and research in Germany. Finally,
      we focus our discussion on the distinction between improved equipment as a minor
      factor in critical-incidents and the inadequate manpower as a major factor in
      anesthesia mishaps. It is unclear what will develop after 1993, when the national
      states in Europe form a common market.

PMID- 1878243
TI  - Citropten and bergapten suction blister fluid concentrations after solar product
      application in man.
AB  - Citropten (5,7-dimethoxycoumarin) and bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) are present
      in bergamot oil which is used as a cosmetic tanning product. The aim of this
      study was to quantify, using HPLC, the amount of citropten and bergapten in the
      skin after the application of suntan products (emulsion and oil formulations). A
      suction blister technique, performed on the volar aspect of the forearm,
      permitted the collection of these two molecules. The blister fluid concentrations
      were 37 and 51 ng/ml (emulsion) and 26 and 23 ng/ml (oil), respectively, for
      citropten and bergapten. Our results show that the suction blister technique
      could be used for comparing transepidermal penetration of several compounds in
      vivo in man.

PMID- 1878244
TI  - Efficacy of topical dimetindene in experimentally induced pruritus and weal and
      flare reactions.
AB  - Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were performed to assess the effect of
      0.1% dimetindene gel on the itch threshold to intracutaneous histamine and on the
      weal and flare reaction after intracutaneous injection of histamine in normal
      volunteer subjects. Treatment of the forearm skin in 20 volunteers resulted in an
      increase in itch threshold with dimetindene gel compared to placebo. Treatment of
      the forearm skin with dimetindene gel in 32 volunteers had no significant effect
      on weal thickness in subjects treated for 10, 30 or 60 min, but there was a
      significant reduction in weal thickness in those subjects treated for 120 min.
      Topical dimetindene may be of value in treating conditions mediated through
      histamine release.

PMID- 1878245
TI  - Automatic scanner for multi-point laser Doppler flux recordings on human skin.
AB  - A computer-driven device is described which moves the probes of a laser Doppler
      flowmeter linearly back and forth over the skin and stops precisely at
      preselected points to measure capillary perfusion. It offers extended
      possibilities to record the spatio-temporal flux changes in response to a local
      stimulus (e.g. injection of a vasoactive substance).

PMID- 1878246
TI  - Transforming growth factor alpha: in vivo release by normal human skin following
      UV irradiation and abrasion.
AB  - Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha) is a keratinocyte-growth-stimulating
      factor which may have a role in epidermal hyperproliferation, psoriasis, and
      wound healing. Since increased epidermal proliferation occurs in response to UV
      radiation, we have measured the amount of TGF alpha in exudates from normal and
      UVB-irradiated human skin. Cutaneous exudates were obtained using the skin
      chamber abrasion technique from one side of the back of volunteers (n = 10) with
      normal skin (collected following skin contact times of 2 and 30 min). Exudates
      were similarly obtained from the contralateral side of the back at sites
      irradiated 2 h previously with 3 x the minimum erythemal dose UVB. Levels of TGF
      alpha were measured by radioimmunoassay. Normal human skin released TGF alpha
      immediately after abrasion: unirradiated, 63 +/- 18 ng/ml; irradiated, 89 +/- 15
      ng/ml. Levels of TGF alpha increased within 30 min to 110 +/- 14 ng/ml in
      unirradiated skin and to 190 +/- 17 ng/ml in irradiated skin. Irradiated sites at
      30-min time points were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) than all other
      samples. The presence of releasable TGF alpha in normal skin suggests a role for
      TGF alpha in wound repair mechanisms.

PMID- 1878247
TI  - Transepidermal water loss modifications in rats and humans treated with
      cyclosporin.
AB  - Modifications of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) of rat and human skin induced
      by oral administration of cyclosporin (CS) were investigated. The integrity of
      the cutaneous barrier was evaluated using TEWL measurement which is a relatively
      simple and noninvasive means of assessing the functional state of the cutaneous
      barrier. After 12 weeks, the TEWL of treated rats decreased significantly and
      this difference was still present after the 16 weeks of treatment. In humans,
      there was a statistically significant decrease of TEWL on both forearm and thigh
      in CS-treated patients compared to non-CS-treated patients and controls (p less
      than 0.05). These results suggest that CS causes skin modifications, particularly
      concerning its barrier status. The nature of these skin modifications still
      remains to be determined.

PMID- 1878248
TI  - Ciclopiroxolamine cream 1%: in vitro and in vivo penetration into the stratum
      corneum.
AB  - Studies were conducted to assess the penetration of 1% ciclopiroxolamine cream,
      establishing the concentrations of the antimycotic compound in different layers
      of the stratum corneum with two skin models. Results of in vitro studies using
      skin from domestic pigs indicate that ciclopiroxolamine has the ability to
      penetrate fast into the epidermis, by inhibiting and killing inoculated
      Trichophyton mentagrophytes. In vivo investigation of the stratum corneum has
      been performed in healthy human volunteers by 20 strippings collected in four
      layers. Fungicidal concentrations of ciclopiroxolamine were determined after
      extraction from the strippings. These studies demonstrate that the concentrations
      reached levels which are sufficient to inhibit and kill pathogenic fungi.

PMID- 1878249
TI  - One gene encoding three proteins with different functions.

PMID- 1878251
TI  - Surfactant proteins and SP-D.

PMID- 1878250
TI  - Developmental expression of pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP-D).
AB  - Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a collagenous, surfactant-associated, carbohydrate
      binding protein that is synthesized by pulmonary epithelial cells. In the present
      studies, we examined the expression of SP-D and SP-D mRNA during late fetal (day
      17, 19, 21) and early postnatal (day 5) rat lung development using
      immunochemical, cell-free translation, and Northern hybridization assays. SP-D
      mRNA and immunoreactive SP-D protein were first detected in guanidine extracts of
      whole rat lung at 21 days of gestation and reached even higher concentrations
      during the postnatal period. Likewise, immunoperoxidase studies of rat lung using
      affinity-purified antibodies to SP-D showed no staining at day 17 or 19, but
      demonstrated strong cytoplasmic staining of cuboidal epithelial cells lining
      immature airspaces at day 21 and strong cytoplasmic staining of type II and
      nonciliated bronchiolar cells in adult lung. SP-D also appeared in amniotic fluid
      by day 21 and was partially purified by affinity chromatography on maltosyl
      agarose under conditions used for the isolation of rat lung SP-D. These studies
      indicate that the production of SP-D is increased shortly prior to birth, and
      that the increases in total lung SP-D and SP-D mRNA are temporally correlated
      with SP-D secretion and the appearance of SP-D in amniotic fluid.

PMID- 1878252
TI  - Changes in lipid structure produced by surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C.
AB  - Pulmonary surfactant phospholipids may assume several different structures
      including tubular myelin, unilamellar and multilamellar vesicles, and others.
      These populations of materials appear to have similar phospholipid compositions
      but may differ in their association with surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, or SP-C.
      We have used electron microscopy to determine the changes in structure of simple
      lipid mixtures (phosphatidylglycerol, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) produced by
      adding one or combinations of the three proteins. Adding SP-A to lipids generated
      multilamellar structures composed of membranes with fuzzy or particulate
      surfaces. In contrast, SP-B or SP-C generated discoidal particles and structures
      that appeared to be sheets of membrane formed by associated particles. Used
      together, SP-A and SP-B reorganized some of the lipid into tubular myelin, a
      structure that was not observed in SP-A, SP-C recombinants. These observations
      confirm the in vitro formation of tubular myelin reported by others and support
      the possibility that surfactant materials with defined structure can be produced
      in vitro for analyses of their molecular organizations.

PMID- 1878253
TI  - In vivo regulation of surfactant proteins by glucocorticoids.
AB  - Surfactant proteins have key roles in regulating surfactant secretion, in
      recycling, and in the assembly of the surfactant monolayer but little is known
      about their regulation in vivo. Surfactant proteins SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C have
      been shown to be upregulated by glucocorticoids in vitro, but the role of
      glucocorticoids in the physiologic regulation of surfactant protein synthesis
      remains unknown. We have studied the effects of exogenously administered
      glucocorticoids on the regulation of steady-state surfactant protein mRNA
      accumulation. We have also studied the effects of adrenalectomy on the
      accumulation of the surfactant protein mRNAs. Surfactant protein genes appear to
      have quantitatively different responses to exogenously administered
      glucocorticoids, with SP-C mRNA increasing at the lowest dose, SP-A and SP-B mRNA
      increasing in response to similar glucocorticoids doses but with SP-B yielding
      the highest maximum response. Adrenalectomy, however, does not alter surfactant
      protein mRNA levels. These observations support a minor role for glucocorticoids
      in maintaining the steady-state accumulation of surfactant protein mRNA.
      Adrenalectomy decreases total pulmonary SP-A when compared to sham-operated
      animals in the absence of changes in its mRNA. Therefore, glucocorticoids may
      have translational or post-translational effects that regulate total pulmonary SP
      A accumulation, but the effects appear to be minor. These findings support a
      potential role for the adrenal in the pulmonary response to stress and
      demonstrate for the first time differential accumulation of the surfactant
      protein mRNAs to glucocorticoids in vivo.

PMID- 1878254
TI  - Use of a monoclonal antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure human
      respiratory glycoprotein production in vitro.
AB  - High-molecular-weight glycoprotein from human airway cultures was used to
      generate murine monoclonal antibodies, one of which recognizes a high-molecular
      weight, hyaluronidase-resistant glycoprotein localized by immunofluorescent
      microscopy and immunogold electron microscopy to the secretory granules of human
      airway submucosal gland mucous cells and goblet cells. This monoclonal antibody
      was used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that was adapted
      to the study of respiratory glycoprotein secretion from human airways in vitro.
      Using the assay, the effect of a known mucus secretagogue, the cholinergic
      agonist methacholine, was studied on explant cultures of tissue from human
      bronchus or from human nasal mucosa. In studies of human bronchus explants,
      methacholine, 100 and 10 microM, stimulated increased secretion of respiratory
      glycoprotein (RGP) by 109 +/- 8% (n = 14; P less than 0.001) and 96 +/- 14% (n =
      9; P less than 0.001), respectively, above control values. In studies of human
      nasal turbinate mucosal explants, methacholine, 100 and 10 microM, stimulated
      increased secretion of RGP by 75 +/- 28% (n = 7; P less than 0.01) and 70 +/- 21%
      (n = 4; P less than 0.01) above control values. An ELISA for the measurement of
      RGP secretion may provide a sensitive and more specific method for the
      performance of in vitro studies of RGP secretion from human tissues.

PMID- 1878255
TI  - Temporal segregation of surfactant secretion and lamellar body biogenesis in
      primary cultures of rat alveolar type II cells.
AB  - Pulmonary alveolar type II cells synthesize and secrete the phospholipids of
      surfactant. However, type II cells isolated from adult rat lungs rapidly lose
      their characteristic morphology and differentiated functions (such as surfactant
      specific phospholipid and protein biosynthesis) when maintained on tissue culture
      plastic. In this study, phospholipid secretion and its regulation by type II
      cells grown on tissue culture plastic were examined up to 8 days after isolation.
      Type II cells were preincubated with [3H]choline for varying 24-h periods during
      culture prior to examining phosphatidylcholine ([3H]PtdCho) secretion. Type II
      cells cultured for 4 days and incubated with [3H]choline 24 h before the
      secretion experiment failed to show significant basal and tetradecanoyl phorbol
      acetate (TPA, 100 nM)-stimulated [3H]PtdCho secretion (basal, 0.29 +/- 0.01%;
      TPA, 0.48 +/- 0.04%). In contrast, type II cells incubated with [3H]choline for
      the first 24 h during culture and then cultured for 3 more days showed
      significant [3H]PtdCho secretion (basal, 1.27 +/- 0.19%; TPA, 6.24 +/- 0.82%).
      Subcellular fractionation of type II cells revealed that [3H]choline was
      incorporated into phosphatidylcholines in a lamellar body-enriched fraction
      during the first 24 h of culture but that the assimilation of phosphatidylcholine
      into the lamellar body fraction progressively declined with increasing time in
      culture. Radiolabel incorporated into the lamellar body fraction labeled during
      the first 24 h of culture was detectable for up to 8 days in culture. The
      [3H]PtdCho incorporated into the lamellar body during the first 24 h of culture
      was lost gradually over 8 days, suggesting the continuous secretion or turnover
      of the lamellar bodies during culture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878256
TI  - Release of tumor necrosis factor in guinea pigs upon acute inhalation of cotton
      dust.
AB  - In guinea pigs, inhalation of cotton dust results in an acute pulmonary response
      with symptoms of increased breathing rate, cough, bronchoconstriction, and
      periods of apnea. These symptoms resemble those noted in individuals upon
      exposure to cotton and other organic dusts. A major contaminant of cotton dust is
      bacterial endotoxin. Because endotoxin, or lipopolysaccharide, is recognized to
      be a potent stimulator of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), it was postulated that TNF
      might be released in the lung following cotton dust exposure and associated with
      the pulmonary inflammatory response. Groups of guinea pigs were exposed to an
      atmosphere of 33 mg/m3 cotton dust for up to 6 h. At 3, 6, 7.5, and 24 h, lungs
      were isolated and lavaged to assess cell populations and production of TNF.
      Neutrophil infiltration was apparent by 3 h as was a marked increase in TNF in
      bronchial alveolar lavage fluid. Alveolar macrophages (AM) isolated at 3 h showed
      enhanced release of TNF upon in vitro culture when compared with those isolated
      at the other time points. AM were found to be primed to release TNF upon ex vivo
      stimulation with lipopolysaccharide. The greatest effect was noted with AM
      isolated 1.5 h after the 6-h cotton dust exposure. These results demonstrate the
      ability of cotton dust to cause release of TNF in the lung and suggest a role for
      TNF in the inflammatory response to cotton dust.

PMID- 1878257
TI  - Staphylococcal enterotoxins and the immune system.

PMID- 1878258
TI  - The effect of Mycoplasma arthritidis infection on the phagocytic activity of
      macrophages in rats and mice.
AB  - The phagocytic activity of mononuclear phagocytes of A/J mice and Wistar rats was
      estimated by the carbon clearance test following injection of Mycoplasma
      arthritidis. In mice, the overall phagocytic activity was significantly increased
      at the end of the first week (P less than 0.0001), but the increase was marginal
      by the third and fourth weeks after injection. A significant increase in the
      relative weight of liver and spleen was observed even when phagocytic activity
      had returned to levels similar to those of controls (P less than 0.001). In rats,
      the overall phagocytic activity was significantly increased until the fourth week
      (P less than 0.00001). There was not, however, an increase in the relative weight
      of liver and spleen as observed for the mice. The results are discussed in the
      context of factors contributing to the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for
      differences in the patterns of arthritis due to mycoplasma observed in mice and
      rats.

PMID- 1878260
TI  - Neonatal tetanus despite protective serum antitoxin concentration.
AB  - Using the ELISA technique to estimate serum antibodies against tetanus toxin,
      seven neonates with clinical tetanus were found to have antibody levels 4-13
      times higher than the presumed minimum protective level of 0.01 IU/ml. All but
      one of their mothers had been vaccinated with tetanus toxoid in pregnancy. In two
      other neonates, whose mothers had received multiple booster doses of toxoid
      during pregnancy, the anti-toxin concentrations were 100- and 400-times the
      presumed protective level. Therefore the toxin dose may overwhelm the pre
      existing anti-toxin level and produce disease. Furthermore, multiple booster
      injections of tetanus toxoid may not only enhance serum anti-toxin titres, but
      could also lead to an ineffective immune response.

PMID- 1878259
TI  - Potentials of Shigella flexneri Y strain TSF21 as a candidate vaccine against
      shigellosis: safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy in Bonnet monkeys.
AB  - A thymine-requiring and temperature-sensitive mutant of Shigella flexneri Y was
      tested in Bonnet monkeys for safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy. A
      dose of 10(11) cells when fed orally mimicked natural infection in having invaded
      epithelial cells, but was otherwise clinically non-reactogenic. Animals immunized
      with two oral doses, each dose consisting of 1 x 10(11) mutant bacteria, were
      fully protected when challenged, with respect to the lack of any clinical
      symptoms or detectable histological abnormalities in the intestinal mucosa.
      Unimmunized animals when similarly challenged developed frank dysentery and the
      intestinal mucosa showed severe histological abnormalities. Titres of serum
      antibodies increased by about 11-fold of the base level in animals immunized with
      a dose of 10(11) cells, but not with lower doses. The challenge bacteria appeared
      to be phagocytised by macrophages. In some monkeys of a particular group,
      congestive patches were seen in the stomach, but not in any other part of the
      gut, after the animals were fed with the virulent parent strain. The lesions were
      relatively severe in the immunized groups of animals.

PMID- 1878261
TI  - Genetic analysis of the polymorphism of the human apolipoprotein E using
      automated solid-phase sequencing.
AB  - A direct sequencing approach has been used to analyze the polymorphism in the
      human apolipoprotein E gene. A method is described, in which the DNA is amplified
      by the polymerase chain reaction, immobilized, and sequenced by a semi-automatic
      procedure adaptable to clinical diagnosis. The three alleles of the
      apolipoprotein E gene, which differ from each other by two nucleotide
      substitutions and which influence serum cholesterol levels, were analyzed. The
      solid-phase method was able to resolve the correct nucleotide sequence in samples
      from both homozygous and heterozygous individuals. No cloning steps are needed
      and the immobilization and separation of the DNA is accomplished using magnetic
      beads.

PMID- 1878262
TI  - A simple, effective method for the construction of subtracted cDNA libraries.
AB  - A simple method is described for the construction of subtracted cDNA libraries.
      The technique was used to create a human pancreatic tumor cDNA library that was
      screened using either hybridization with cDNA probes or antibodies. cDNA from a
      well-differentiated tumor cell line (CD-11) was subtracted against RNA from an
      undifferentiated tumor cell line (Panc-1). The subtracted cDNA was purified from
      RNA-cDNA hybrids by oligo-dA cellulose affinity chromatography. Single-stranded
      subtracted cDNA was used as a template for random primed second-strand synthesis
      using the Klenow's fragment of DNA polymerase. After ligation with Eco R1
      adapters, cDNA was inserted into lambda gt11. A library of 140,000 primary pfu
      was obtained that contained 92% recombinants. A small portion of this library
      (40,000 pfu) was subjected to probe screening with a mucin cDNA probe known to be
      differentially expressed by CD-11 cells. The ratio of mucin cDNA clones to actin
      cDNA clones was increased by greater than 300-fold in the subtracted cDNA library
      compared to a standard cDNA library from the same cell line. The absolute number
      of mucin cDNA clones per 40,000 pfu was also increased 32-fold in the subtracted
      library. Pancreatic tumor mucin cDNAs were also identified in the subtracted
      library by antibody screening. The subtraction procedure yielded a 50-fold
      enrichment in differentially expressed cDNA detected by antibodies, compared to a
      nonsubtracted library from the same cell line.

PMID- 1878263
TI  - A test of human cDNA synthesis by the polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - A fast and efficient method to test the quality of human cDNA synthesis based on
      the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is described. An aliquot of the cDNA reaction
      is used as a template for PCR amplification of a segment of the human histidyl
      tRNA synthetase gene. The presence of an intron of approximately 300 bp in that
      region of the gene permits the identification of any genomic contamination in the
      cDNA sample. The same protocol has also been used with other mammalian DNAs with
      similar results.

PMID- 1878264
TI  - Moving forward on research.

PMID- 1878265
TI  - Statistics--with confidence?

PMID- 1878266
TI  - Good general practice--fellowship of the RCGP by assessment.

PMID- 1878267
TI  - Longer booking intervals in general practice: effects on doctors' stress and
      arousal.
AB  - A controlled trial was carried out to determine whether longer booking intervals
      at surgeries affected general practitioners' self-assessed levels of stress and
      arousal. Sixteen general practitioners from 10 practices took part. Surgery
      sessions with patients booked at 10 minute intervals (experimental sessions) were
      compared with the doctors' usual booking intervals of between 7.5 and 5.0 minutes
      (control sessions). Stress and arousal were assessed by the general practitioner
      before and after each surgery session using a mood adjective check list. The
      study included 109 experimental and 184 control sessions. The median consultation
      length increased from six minutes in the control sessions to seven minutes in the
      experimental sessions. At the end of the experimental sessions, stress scores
      were lower, and arousal scores higher than at the end of the control sessions (P
      less than 0.001). There were no significant differences between experimental and
      control sessions in stress or arousal at the start of the sessions. Favourable
      mood changes were seen more consistently in the experimental sessions than
      control sessions, with less than a quarter of doctors showing increased stress or
      decreased arousal after sessions relative to before. It is concluded that longer
      booking intervals are of psychological advantage to general practitioners.

PMID- 1878268
TI  - The potential and limitations of opportunistic screening: data from a computer
      simulation of a general practice screening programme.
AB  - Given the continuing emphasis on preventive medicine in general practice, there
      is considerable interest in the relative effectiveness of different ways of
      inviting patients to attend for screening. Recently, opportunistic methods have
      been advocated as being particularly useful but these methods often fail to reach
      a high proportion of the target population. Many patients do not consult and when
      they do they are not always invited to attend for screening. In this study a
      computer simulation model has been used to examine the effects of these variables
      in more detail. The notes of a random sample of 190 patients (97 women, 93 men)
      aged 30-50 years, registered with one general practitioner, were used to provide
      data for the model. The simulation model showed that increasing the number of
      screening appointments available each week has only a small effect on screening
      rates and that a ceiling is reached when 25 appointments per 1000 patients are
      available. In contrast, increasing the proportion of eligible consulting patients
      who are invited has a substantial effect such that it could take nearly 12 years
      to screen 90% of a target population if only one out of every four patients were
      invited compared with under four years if three out of every four patients were
      invited. The results suggest therefore that opportunistic screening methods are
      unlikely to achieve desired screening rates within acceptable time limits. It is
      argued that to achieve target levels of screening, practices will need to combine
      opportunistic methods with more formal methods of invitation.

PMID- 1878269
TI  - Determinants of forearm bone density in premenopausal women: a study in one
      general practice.
AB  - Predictors of distal and proximal forearm bone density, measured by photon
      absorbtiometry, were investigated in 248 premenopausal women aged 39-56 years.
      Only one strong predictor of lower bone density was found--history of previous
      fracture at any site (P less than 0.001). Two other factors showed a weaker
      association with density, but only at the distal site--history of diuretic use
      showed a positive association (P less than 0.02) whereas alkaline phosphatase
      level was inversely correlated with density (P less than 0.01). Other factors
      were not significant predictors: these included age, calcium intake, level of
      exercise, anthropometric measures of obesity, serum calcium level, parity,
      lactation history, a menopausal symptom history, use of the contraceptive pill,
      smoking and alcohol intake. These results contrast with the far stronger
      predictors found for postmenopausal women and suggest that genetic endowment
      rather than lifestyle may be the major determinant of bone density before the
      menopause.

PMID- 1878270
TI  - Patient participation in general practice: who participates?
AB  - A postal survey of 4066 men and women aged between 16 and 64 years was carried
      out in a general practice in Oxfordshire which had a patient participation group,
      established in 1972. The aim of the survey was to ascertain the knowledge and use
      of the group among adults aged 16-64 years. The adjusted response rate was 73%.
      Despite the length of the group's existence only 45% of these patients were aware
      of it and only 7% had ever attended a meeting. Awareness of the group and
      sometime attendance were significantly less in men, patients aged between 16 and
      29 years, those in social classes 4 and 5, single people and those who smoked.
      Patients who consulted more than four times per year were more likely to be aware
      of the group than less frequent consulters. The possible reasons for the
      unrepresentative nature of the patients attending the group are discussed,
      together with implications for practice policies and development. Various
      strategies for making the group more representative are proposed, including
      advertising within the practice and elsewhere, and the formation of special
      interest groups for patients with defined medical and social needs, in the hope
      that this will make the concept of patient participation more relevant.

PMID- 1878271
TI  - Changes in practice morbidity between the 1970 and 1981 national morbidity
      surveys.
AB  - The primary aim of the study was to evaluate practice differences in reported
      morbidity in the second and third national morbidity surveys (1970/71, 1981/82)
      and to discuss their cause. A secondary aim concerned the validation of trends
      identified from analysis of the data from the total populations in the practices.
      Altogether 19 practices participated in both surveys. Annual prevalences (that
      is, the number of patients attending the general practitioner with a condition
      per 1000 persons at risk) were examined for: all conditions; each of three
      categories of seriousness of disease; diseases aggregated by chapter of the
      International classification of diseases; and each of 130 rubrics of the disease
      classification. Annual prevalence for 'all conditions' was approximately the same
      for males in both surveys, whereas for females there was an increase. In both
      sexes, annual prevalence for 'serious conditions' increased slightly and for
      'trivial conditions' increased substantially. For 'intermediate conditions',
      there was a modest decrease in males. In the analysis at ICD chapter level,
      substantial increases in prevalence occurred in infectious diseases, nervous
      system diseases, circulatory diseases, genitourinary diseases, musculoskeletal
      diseases, symptoms, signs and ill-defined conditions, injuries and poisonings.
      Decreases were found in blood diseases, mental disorders and digestive diseases.
      Among 130 individual conditions examined, increased annual prevalence was found
      for mumps, fungal infections, hypothyroidism, diabetes, gout, senile dementia,
      angina, left heart failure, catarrh, hay fever and asthma, orchitis, acne,
      osteoarthritis and for some symptoms. Decreases were found for iron deficiency
      anaemia, anxiety state, refractive errors, haemorrhoids, chronic bronchitis,
      functional disorders of the stomach, carbuncle and skin infections.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878272
TI  - Patients' views of the consultation: comparison of a prison and general practice
      population.
AB  - Prisoners' perceptions of why they consulted the doctor, how ill they thought
      they were and what happened during the consultation were studied in Bedford
      prison using a questionnaire. Patients' perceptions were compared before and
      after the consultation and with the perception of the doctor. The figures from
      this study were compared with comparable groups in a similar general practice
      survey. Prisoners perceived themselves to be more ill than comparable groups
      living in the community and both doctor and prisoners perceived that the
      prisoners received less reassurance. Prisoners were less likely to attend the
      doctor because their treatment had not worked, or because the doctor had asked
      them to return than comparable groups living in the community. The perception of
      the doctor and the prisoners about what occurred in the consultation diverged.
      The doctors perceived that they provided more advice and support than the
      prisoners felt they received. These perceptions may reflect a more difficult
      doctor-patient relationship and poorer continuity of care in prison medicine.
      These problems might be overcome if the prison medical service were run by the
      National Health Service and prison doctors had no role in the management of
      prisoners.

PMID- 1878274
TI  - Treatment of skin cancers in general practice.

PMID- 1878273
TI  - Out of hours attendance in an army practice.
AB  - There is some evidence that rates of out of hours calls in army general practices
      are higher than the average for the NHS. In an attempt to reduce out of hours
      demand a programme of preventive and educational initiatives for patients was
      introduced at an army practice in Hohne, West Germany early in 1985. This
      included regular child development clinics, well woman clinics, a practice
      booklet and leaflets about the management of simple illnesses, a library of books
      and videos for patients and health education videos in the waiting room. The
      project was complemented by an audit of doctors' prescribing habits followed by
      drawing up agreed protocols for the treatment of common disorders such as sore
      throat. Annual attendance rates per registered patient were recorded for 1984-86
      to compare use of out of hours services by patients before and after the
      introduction of the project. Out of hours attendance rates fell by 35% (from 0.17
      per annum to 0.11 per annum) overall and by 61% in young children. The total
      annual attendance rate dropped by 14% (from 5.13 to 4.43) during the same period,
      but fell by only 1% over the same period at a similar practice in Osnabruck. The
      decrease was particularly marked for out of hours attendances which the doctor
      classified as lower urgency: attendances classed as very low urgency decreased by
      78% between 1984 and 1986 but those classed as medium urgency decreased by only
      2%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878275
TI  - General practitioners' opinions of hospice care.

PMID- 1878277
TI  - Screening for glaucoma in general practice.

PMID- 1878276
TI  - Ultrasound in the diagnosis of symptomatic breast disease.

PMID- 1878279
TI  - The family history and the family doctor.

PMID- 1878278
TI  - Calculation of the underprivileged area score.

PMID- 1878280
TI  - Silver tolerance and accumulation in yeasts.
AB  - Debaryomyces hansenii (NCYC 459 and strain 75-21), Candida albicans (3153A),
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae (X2180-1B), Rhodotorula rubra (NCYC 797) and
      Aureobasidium pullulans (IMI 45533 and ATCC 42371) were grown on solid medium
      supplemented with varying concentrations of AgNO3. Although Ag+ is highly toxic
      towards yeasts, growth on solid media was still possible at Ag concentrations of
      1-2 mM. Further subculture on higher Ag concentrations (up to 5 mM) resulted in
      elevated tolerance. The extent of Ag tolerance depended on whether Ag-containing
      plates were exposed to light prior to inoculation since light-mediated reduction
      of Ag+ to Ag0 resulted in the production of a less toxic silver species.
      Experimental organisms exhibited blackening of colonies and the surrounding agar
      during growth on AgNO3-containing medium especially at the highest Ag
      concentrations tested. All organisms accumulated Ag from the medium; electron
      microscopy revealed that silver was deposited as electron-dense granules in and
      around cell walls and in the external medium. X-ray microprobe analysis indicated
      that these granules were metallic Ag0 although AgCl was also present in some
      organisms. Volatile and non-volatile reducing compounds were produced by several
      test organisms which presumably effected Ag+ reduction to Ag0.

PMID- 1878281
TI  - Reduced hepatic iron uptake from rat aglycotransferrin.
AB  - Rat aglycotransferrin (rAgTf) was produced from the disialosyl diantennary
      fraction of rat transferrin (rTf) by treatment with peptide: N-glycosidase F.
      Following removal of the enzyme by gel filtration and isolation of the
      deglycosylated protein by lectin chromatography, rAgTf was compared to rTf both
      in vitro and in vivo. No significant differences were found between the two
      proteins with respect to affinity for iron and kinetics of Fe release from the N
      lobe and C-lobe. The fluorescence emission spectrum of apo-rTf was red-shifted by
      approximately 3 nm relative to diferric rTf; however, no spectral difference was
      detected between rTf and rAgTf when the analogous forms (apo or diferric) were
      compared. Plasma clearance of radioactive iron administered to rats as either rTf
      or rAgTf was comparable. Reticulocytes took up iron from rAgTf slightly faster
      than from rTf. In contrast, Fe acquisition by the liver from rAgTf was
      significantly reduced relative to rTf. This finding contrasts sharply with
      earlier observations with asialotransferrin (rAsTf) and provides a basis for
      discounting charge loss as the mechanism of enhanced hepatic Fe uptake from
      rAsTf. It is suggested that the glycan complement of rTf, while unimportant for
      interaction of the protein with specific receptors, probably plays a role in the
      interaction with low-affinity hepatic binding sites.

PMID- 1878282
TI  - The location of exon boundaries in the multimeric iron-storage protein ferritin.
AB  - The nature of the amino acids whose codons border introns in ferritin genes is
      novel; the disposition of these intron boundaries within the three-dimensional
      structure of the 24-subunit molecule differs significantly from that of other
      proteins. These observations are discussed in relation to the functions of
      isoferritins.

PMID- 1878283
TI  - The cortical potential related to sensory feedback from voluntary movements shows
      somatotopic organization of the supplementary motor area.
AB  - In topographic EEG mapping, the peak negativity of movement-related cortical
      potentials (MRCPs) occurs after the onset of movement and appears anterior to
      motor cortex, over the region of the supplementary motor area (SMA). This peak,
      referred to as the frontal peak of the motor potential (fpMP), may well be
      related to sensory feedback from the movement. The somatotopic organization of
      the SMA is such that the upper extremity is anterior to the lower extremity. We
      mapped the MRCPs close to the onset of EMG activity relating to finger and toe
      movements. The fpMP of finger movements mapped more anteriorly than that of toe
      movements. These maps offer additional evidence that fpMP originates in the SMA.

PMID- 1878284
TI  - Quantitative representation of the upper surface of the human head.
AB  - A three dimensional digitizer was used to locate 62 positions on an electrode cap
      placed on the heads of nine subjects. Nonlinear regression methods were used to
      obtain the best fit sphere, ellipsoid, and perturbed ellipsoid. RMS errors varied
      from approximately 1 cm to 2 mm, depending on subject and surface chosen. The
      spherical coordinates of the standard 10/20 electrodes on best fit spheres were
      obtained. A method to estimate ellipsoid axes using only three standard EEG head
      dimensions with an ordinary tape measure is derived from the data. The results
      have at least two potential applications: the forward/inverse problem in EEG and
      MEG, and the estimation of surface Laplacians from EEG data.

PMID- 1878285
TI  - Partitioning of deep versus superficial intracranial sources using current source
      densities is not valid.
AB  - An analytic method has recently been proposed for partitioning scalp-recorded EEG
      and evoked potential (EP) data into parts arising from deep (i.e., subcortical)
      vs. superficial (i.e., cortical) sources. The method is based on the observation
      that the current source density (CSD) is selectively sensitive to electrical
      activity arising from superficial sources, and the conjecture that the residual
      potential which remains after subtracting the CSD from the scalp potentials,
      represents activity from deep sources. We investigated the validity of this
      procedure by simulating scalp potential data for superficial and deep dipole
      sources with known locations and orientations. Our single-dipole simulations
      demonstrated that, when the actual location of the source was superficial, the
      partitioning procedure erroneously attributed a sizeable proportion of the total
      topographic variance to the activity of deeper sources. This produced a
      consistent bias in the simulations with two dipoles, when both superficial and
      deep sources were present. In such cases, the relative contribution of the deeper
      source was consistently overestimated, and the scalp topography of the deep
      source activity was profoundly misrepresented by the residual which results from
      subtracting the CSD from the scalp potential. We conclude that the proposed
      method for partitioning EEG and EP data into components arising from deep vs.
      superficial intracranial sources is not valid.

PMID- 1878286
TI  - EEG laterality in the era of structural brain imaging.
AB  - Bilateral EEG recording is a common practice when brain laterality needs to be
      assessed in cognitive neurophysiology and psychiatry research. Its precision and
      validity remain uncertain. With structural brain imaging methods, it is possible
      to examine EEG electrode placements according to the 10-20 system and the
      validity of inferences made on derived data. Frequent sources of placement errors
      are examined along with important factors that contribute to EEG imbalance.
      Examples are mentioned where asymmetries of EEG/ERP caused by cranial and
      parenchymal brain asymmetries may be mistaken for cognition-related laterality
      changes. Because external skull landmarks are not reliable predictors of cranial
      and parenchymal brain asymmetries, laterality assessment cannot be guaranteed by
      the 10-20 system. Consequently, a return, on a case-to-case basis, to nonstandard
      montages, assisted by structural brain imaging is seen as an acceptable
      alternative.

PMID- 1878287
TI  - Global field power measurement versus classical method in the determination of
      the latency of evoked potential components.
AB  - The Global Field Power measurement (GFPM) was proposed as a method for the
      determination of component latency in multichannel evoked potential (EP)
      recordings (Lehmann and Skrandies 1980). In contrast to the classical method (CM)
      of peak latency determination using only two or three electrodes, multichannel
      recordings deal with data from twenty or more recording electrodes. We compared
      the GFPM and CM in evoked potential recordings. Sixty five subjects volunteered
      for 3 different response tasks. In a P3 oddball paradigm targets consisted of
      2000 Hz tonebursts, nontargets of 1000 Hz tonebursts. Flash and Pattern Visual
      Evoked Potentials (VEP) also were recorded. At peak GFPM latency we found steeper
      voltage gradients than at CM latency. Both N200 and P300 had a significantly
      different topography at latencies determined by GFPM than at latencies determined
      by CM. For VEP we did not find a significant difference between CM and GFPM. Our
      Data suggests that multichannel recording adds additional dimensions to EP
      measurements and that only GFPM leads to an unbiased data-reduction as it
      determinesone momentary map in time which has maximal field strength.

PMID- 1878288
TI  - Desensitization of the EGF receptor alters its ability to undergo EGF-induced
      dimerization.
AB  - Treatment of A431 cells with EGF has been shown to induce the formation of EGF
      receptor dimers. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation as well as surface radio
      iodination followed by crosslinking were used to study further the properties of
      EGF receptor monomers and dimers as well as the regulation of dimer formation. We
      have shown previously that treatment of A431 cells with high doses of EGF at 37
      degrees C leads to the desensitization of the EGF receptor without a significant
      loss of cell surface 125I-EGF binding [Kuppuswamy and Pike (1989) J. biol. Chem.
      264, 3357-3363; Cunningham et al. (1989) J. biol. Chem. 264, 15351-15356].
      Desensitization of the EGF receptor led to a decrease in the ability of receptor
      monomers to be induced to form dimers by EGF both in vivo and in vitro. These
      data suggest that the sensitivity of a cell to EGF may be modulated by altering
      the capacity of the EGF receptor to form oligomers.

PMID- 1878289
TI  - Epidermal growth factor and phorbol ester actions on the TSH induced down
      regulation of the isoenzyme I (PKA I) of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases in
      dog thyroid cell primary cultures.
AB  - In dog thyroid cell primary cultures the prolonged presence (up to 4-6 days) of
      TSH induced down regulation of the isoenzyme I (PKA I) of cAMP-dependent protein
      kinases. In the simultaneous presence of TSH and EGF this down regulation of PKA
      I was maintained, although it was slightly smaller than in assays without EGF. In
      contrast, the simultaneous presence of TPA, totally inhibited the TSH induced
      down regulation of PKA I. These results partly explain the previously observed
      additivity of TSH and EGF, and the non-additivity of TSH and TPA actions on cell
      proliferation in these cells.

PMID- 1878290
TI  - Clinical significance of retrograde flow in the vertebral artery.
AB  - Although retrograde vertebral artery flow was described over 100 years ago, its
      relationship to symptoms remains unclear. We documented 43 patients who were
      found by duplex scanning to have reverse flow in the vertebral artery. Of this
      group, seven patients (16%) were found to have symptoms described as typical for
      the "subclavian steal" syndrome. Nearly one-third were asymptomatic. Of the
      remaining patients, 13 (30%) presented with nonhemispheric symptoms while nine
      (21%) had hemispheric symptoms. Nine patients had "to and fro" flow in the
      vertebral artery. This variant was not found in subclavian steal patients but
      correlated with nonhemispheric symptoms. During follow-up (mean: 19 months) none
      of the asymptomatic patients became symptomatic, and there were no strokes or
      stroke-related deaths. Surgical procedures which restored antegrade vertebral
      artery flow did not necessarily improve symptoms of posterior circulation
      ischemia. In some patients improvement in posterior circulation symptoms was
      noted following carotid endarterectomy. It is concluded that retrograde flow in
      the vertebral artery is, per se, a benign entity. Accurate selection of surgical
      candidates remains imprecise. It will require not only identification of
      vertebrobasilar disease but as yet undefined tests to assure symptoms are due to
      these stenoses.

PMID- 1878291
TI  - Physician practices in the diagnosis and management of patients with pulmonary
      embolism.
AB  - To examine the diagnostic work-up and subsequent management of patients with
      pulmonary embolism, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 60
      patients who had arteriographically proven pulmonary embolism. Ventilation
      perfusion scans were utilized in 47 patients and were classified as showing a
      high (55.3%), moderate (14.9%), low (8.5%), or indeterminate (21.3%) probability
      of pulmonary embolism. Of the 33 patients treated with anticoagulation,
      complications occurred in 10 (30.3%). Of the 39 patients treated with inferior
      vena cava filters, complications occurred in 16 (41.0%) patients, with the most
      clinically significant complication being recurrent pulmonary embolism, found to
      occur in one (2.6%) patient. For patients treated with anticoagulation, heparin
      was started an average of 0.3 (+/- 0.5) days following the initial suspicion of a
      pulmonary embolism. The average time to reach a therapeutic partial
      thromboplastin time level was 2.0 (+/- 1.8) days, and warfarin was started an
      average of 6.2 (+/- 4.1) days after heparin was begun. Among the 60 patients,
      five (8.3%) died from the pulmonary embolism, and two of these had at least a
      five day delay before diagnosis was made by pulmonary arteriography. Since the
      ventilation-perfusion scan had a sensitivity of 70.2% and a false negative rate
      of 8.5%, it is not always sufficiently accurate in making final treatment
      decisions, so there should be less hesitation in attaining pulmonary
      arteriograms. Therapeutic partial thromboplastin time levels should be more
      aggressively sought. Warfarin should be started within the first few days of
      heparin therapy. Inferior vena cava filters should be utilized in patients who
      have a contraindication to anticoagulation therapy or a complication from
      anticoagulation therapy.

PMID- 1878292
TI  - Local anesthesia for surgery on the foot: efficacy in the ischemic or diabetic
      extremity.
AB  - The efficacy, risks, and benefits of the use of local anesthesia for surgery on
      the foot were assessed in 75 patients who underwent 127 procedures with lower
      calf, ankle, metatarsal-ray, and digital blocks. There were 23 procedures on
      digits alone, 97 forefoot operations (transmetatarsal amputations, wound
      debridements, closures, osteotomies, joint resections), six ankle or hind-foot
      amputations, and one open ankle disarticulation. There were no complications
      directly related to the use of local anesthesia; specifically, no extension of
      preexisting infection or ischemia due to injection in the foot. There were three
      deaths (30-day mortality 4%). The procedures were uniformly well tolerated, even
      in patients with ongoing myocardial ischemia or severe metabolic disorders. Local
      anesthesia is a safe and effective method to perform local debridement or
      amputation of the foot in an ischemic or diabetic extremity.

PMID- 1878293
TI  - Late results of small untreated abdominal aortic aneurysms.
AB  - We report our experience with 73 patients who were initially selected for
      nonoperative management of an abdominal aortic aneurysm less than 5 cm in
      diameter. Size of the aneurysm was determined by ultrasound (34); arteriography
      (16); computerized tomography (17); plain x-ray (4); and magnetic resonance
      imaging (2). End points of the study were subsequent elective resection, rupture,
      death from cause other than rupture, or an intact aneurysm followed for a minimum
      of three years. Overall, 28 (38%) aneurysms were subsequently resected on an
      elective basis; four (5%) ruptured; 15 (21%) were intact at the time of the
      patient's death; and 26 (36%) remained intact during follow-up of 3 to 6.5 years.
      Indications for elective resection were aneurysm enlargement (21); symptoms
      suggesting impending rupture (3); and improvement in medical condition (4). In
      the 43 aneurysms initially less than 4 cm diameter, 16 (37%) had elective
      resection and one (2%) ruptured, and in the 30 that were 4-4.9 cm, 12 (40%) were
      resected and three (10%) ruptured. The four aneurysms that ruptured had enlarged
      to greater than 5 cm prior to rupture. We conclude that aneurysms less than 4 cm
      can be safely followed. Aneurysms 4-4.9 cm should be considered for operation,
      depending upon the size of the aneurysm, patient's life expectancy, and risk
      factors for surgery. Any aneurysm that enlarges should be resected, especially if
      the aneurysm becomes larger than 5 cm in diameter.

PMID- 1878294
TI  - Simultaneous resection of renal carcinoma and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
AB  - A 62-year-old man with a 6.5 cm abdominal aortic aneurysm and coexistent left
      renal cell carcinoma was treated by simultaneous radical left nephrectomy and
      abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Care was taken to avoid potential infection of
      the bypass graft by inadvertent contamination with urine. Pathologic examination
      of the left kidney revealed a renal cell carcinoma, clear cell type, with no
      evidence of invasion into the renal vein or lymph node metastases. The patient
      had an uncomplicated recovery and is well and free of disease four years after
      operation. In cases of equivalently life threatening surgical diseases,
      simultaneous resection is warranted.

PMID- 1878295
TI  - Acute pancreatitis following aortic aneurysm repair: report of three cases.
AB  - This paper reports three cases of acute pancreatitis that occurred after repair
      of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysms were ruptured in two patients and
      asymptomatic in one. No patient had biliary disease or history of pancreatitis or
      alcohol abuse. Two of the patients required operation for drainage and
      debridement; one died. The etiology and diagnosis are discussed.

PMID- 1878296
TI  - Acute arterial insufficiency of the male genitalia.
AB  - Three patients developed severe ischemia of the penis or scrotum from acute
      arterial occlusion. In one case, nonhealing ulceration of the glans developed
      after atheroembolism to the dorsal penile artery. One patient had penile ischemia
      after ligation of pelvic and femoral collateral circulation during repair of an
      aorto-bilateral-iliac artery aneurysm. A third patient had ischemia of the penis
      and scrotum from thromboembolism to the iliac arteries during repair of an
      aortoenteric fistula. Only seven patients have been described with acute arterial
      occlusion and severe ischemia of the male genitalia. A rare phenomenon because of
      rich collateral circulation, acute ischemia of the genitalia nevertheless must be
      recognized as a sign of severe vascular disease and a consequence of major
      arterial ligation or occlusion in the pelvis and groins.

PMID- 1878297
TI  - Late upper extremity embolic complications of occluded axillofemoral grafts.
AB  - The use of axillary femoral grafting in the treatment of patients at high risk
      for aortoiliac reconstruction has become a widely accepted treatment modality.
      Ischemia and even loss of the donor upper extremity have been reported to occur
      early after graft occlusion. This report describes three patients who developed
      emboli to the upper extremity at nine, 15, and 34 months following occlusion of
      their axillary femoral graft. Based on our experience, we consider an occluded
      axillofemoral graft a permanent threat to the viability of the donor upper
      extremity. Anatomic changes suggestive of potential ischemia include: presence of
      a blind pouch in the graft stump, or "Y" elongation of the artery with
      proliferative changes in the intima.

PMID- 1878298
TI  - Intraaortic balloon pump entrapment.
AB  - Catheter entrapment is a rare complication of intraaortic balloon
      counterpulsation caused by the formation of hard blood clot within the balloon
      itself. We present two cases of intraaortic balloon pump entrapment seen at the
      University Hospital, Boston. This phenomenon usually presents as a limb
      threatening vascular emergency. The entrapped catheter becomes stuck fast within
      the iliac system during withdrawal of the device, occluding arterial flow at that
      level. The etiology of this phenomenon, and a proposed management scheme is
      discussed. Preoperative radiographic determination of the level of entrapment may
      be necessary. We feel it is necessary to control the abdominal aorta prior to
      removal of an entrapped intraaortic balloon.

PMID- 1878299
TI  - Complications of anomalous origin of the right subclavian artery: case report and
      review of the literature.
AB  - A 35-year-old black woman presented with thrombosis of an anomalous right
      subclavian artery and distal arterial embolization. Initially, her right
      subclavian artery was reimplanted onto the common carotid artery, and a brachial
      artery embolectomy plus intraoperative thrombolytic therapy were used to reopen
      her distal arterial circulation. When her brachial artery repair thrombosed the
      following day, a distal ulnar artery bypass and repeat thrombolytic therapy were
      required to restore arterial patency. Six months later, she returned with severe,
      progressive, neointimal hyperplasia of her brachial artery and a second attempt
      at arterial reconstruction was unsuccessful. She eventually required a right
      below-elbow amputation. This patient demonstrated an anomalous right subclavian
      artery that presented with distal embolization without an antecedent history of
      severe atherosclerotic disease or the development of a right subclavian artery
      aneurysm. A review of the medical literature relating to complications of this
      anomaly is provided.

PMID- 1878300
TI  - An unusual cause of transient ischemic attacks: case report.
AB  - A 42-year-old black man, a physician, presented with a three week history of
      intermittent right arm and leg numbness and weakness, lasting about five minutes.
      This was not associated with headache, visual changes, seizures, aphasia or loss
      of consciousness. There was no history of head trauma, migraines, or previous
      attacks. Positive findings on physical examination were confined to a blood
      pressure of 182/80; evidence of hypertensive retinopathy; normal carotid pulses
      without bruits; and a Grade II/VI systolic ejection murmur with normal sinus
      rhythm. Initial hematocrit was 25.7%; white blood cell count 14,000 cu/mm with a
      normal differential; platelet count 532,000 cu/mm. An electrocardiogram showed
      left ventricular hypertrophy. Duplex scan demonstrated normal carotid
      bifurcations bilaterally, and arteriogram revealed no carotid or intracranial
      pathology. Hemoglobin electrophoresis revealed sickle cell disease of the SS
      type. He was treated with transfusion therapy and has remained asymptomatic at 40
      months. Approximately 20% of children with the SS type sickle cell disease will
      have cerebrovascular symptoms caused by small intracranial artery occlusion due
      to sludging of the abnormal hemoglobin. This unusual cause of transient ischemic
      attacks can occur in older patients of African-American ancestry and must be
      recognized to enable early and effective therapy with exchange transfusion.

PMID- 1878301
TI  - Celiac artery aneurysm.
AB  - Aneurysms of the celiac artery are unusual lesions and account for only 4% of all
      splanchnic aneurysms. In recent years, the incidence has been noted to rise
      because of the increased use of sonography, computerized tomography, and
      arteriography. Although patients are often asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis,
      the risk of rupture is high; therefore, surgical resection should be undertaken
      in acceptable candidates. We report the case of a large celiac artery aneurysm
      treated with distal pancreatectomy and celiac artery aneurysmectomy.

PMID- 1878302
TI  - Hyperparathyroidism presenting as an unusual cause of lower extremity gangrene.
AB  - Vascular surgeons are often consulted on the management of lower extremity
      ulcerations and gangrene which are commonly due to atherosclerotic arterial
      occlusive disease or to chronic venous insufficiency. The following report
      describes an unusual case of severe lower extremity cutaneous gangrene associated
      with secondary hyperparathyroidism and a review of the literature.

PMID- 1878303
TI  - Ischemia/reperfusion injury in skeletal muscle.
AB  - Ischemia/reperfusion injury to skeletal muscle may be explained by a cascade of
      cellular and systemic events initiated by an ischemic period followed by
      reperfusion. During the period of ischemia there is a gradual reduction of
      intracellular energy stores. Adenosine triphosphate is gradually depleted despite
      the buffering effect of creatine phosphate which is present in large stores in
      muscles. As well, glycogen stores are depleted with resultant production of small
      amounts of energy and large accumulations of lactate. Upon reperfusion there is a
      reactive hyperemia, resulting in an overall increase in muscle blood flow,
      despite the fact that areas may continue to be underperfused. Results of this
      blood flow are mixed with the beneficial effects of removing metabolic by
      products and supplying exogenous substrates and oxygen. However, this blood flow
      also causes harmful effects by washing out necessary precursors for adenine
      nucleotide resynthesis. Production of oxygen free radicals occurs with resultant
      membrane lipid peroxidation, and calcium influx occurs upon reoxygenation with
      resultant disruption of oxidative rephosphorylation in the mitochondria. The
      sequestration of white blood cells in the muscle due to up regulation of both
      neutrophil receptors and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecules results in a
      prolongation of the reperfusion injury. This subsequently results in damage to
      remote organs, including lung, heart, and kidneys. The future for therapeutic
      interventions aimed at reducing this injury lie mostly in the ability to modulate
      the reperfusion effect.

PMID- 1878304
TI  - Intestinal ischemia.

PMID- 1878305
TI  - Assessing school-related stressors and coping mechanisms in adolescents.
AB  - Despite a plethora of instruments used to measure stressors and coping mechanisms
      in adolescents little attention has been paid to issues of reliability and
      validity. In an endeavour to overcome this problem, a statistical methodology was
      implemented to develop scales from existing item sets. Items from Kohn and
      Frazer's (1986) Academic Stress Scale were combined with Strutynski's (1985) list
      of problems and, together with items from Patterson and McCubbin's (1987)
      Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences, were administered to 1699
      secondary school students in Australia. Two scale, the School Stressors Inventory
      for Adolescents (SSIA) and the Coping Inventory for Adolescents (CIA), were
      produced with five and four subscales respectively. Both have strong face and
      factorial construct validity, and high to modest reliability.

PMID- 1878306
TI  - A prospective study in the Australian petroleum industry. I. Mortality.
AB  - This paper reports the mortality experience of employees of the Australian
      petroleum industry from 1981 to 1989. Two surveys by personal interview
      incorporated more than 15,000 employees representing 92% of the eligible
      population. Subjects were included in the analysis after completing five years of
      service in the industry. At the time of this report the cohort does not include
      sufficiently large numbers of women for useful analysis; results presented are
      restricted to men. By 31 December 1989, 76,529 person-years of observation had
      accumulated for male mortality with 241 deaths. The standardised mortality ratio
      (SMR) analysis showed a favourable mortality experience for most causes with
      overall cancer rates slightly lower than those of the national population.
      Whereas deficits were seen in some cancer sites, notably lung cancers (SMR 0.5,
      95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.3-0.8), mortality for lymphohaematopoietic
      cancers, notably leukaemia (SMR 1.6, 95% CI 0.6-3.4) suggested increased risk.
      The SMR for cancers of the pleura was 3.9 (95% CI 0.8-11). Two of the three cases
      seen had previous employment, however, in industries with likely exposure to
      asbestos.

PMID- 1878307
TI  - A prospective study in the Australian petroleum industry. II. Incidence of
      cancer.
AB  - This paper reports incidence of cancer in employees of the Australian petroleum
      industry from 1981 to 1989. Two surveys by personal interview incorporated more
      than 15,000 employees, representing 92% of the eligible population. Subjects were
      included in the analysis after completing five years of service in the industry.
      At the time of this report the cohort did not include sufficiently large numbers
      of women for useful analysis; results presented are restricted to the men. On 31
      December 1989, 50,254 person-years of observation had accumulated in the men with
      152 incident cancers reported. The standardised incidence ratio (SIR) analysis
      showed overall cancer rates close to those of the national population. Whereas
      deficits were seen in some cancer sites, notably lung cancer (SIR 0.5, 95%
      confidence internal (95% CI) 0.3-0.9), incidence rates for some other cancer
      sites suggested increased risk. An excess of observed over expected cases was
      present in all subcategories of lymphohaematopoietic cancer except Hodgkin's
      disease (no cases), and was most apparent in myeloid leukaemia (SIR 4.0, 95% CI
      1.6-8.2). The other major site with a raised number of cases observed over
      expected was melanoma (SIR 1.4, 95% CI 0.8-2.1).

PMID- 1878308
TI  - Retrospective cohort mortality study of workers at an aircraft maintenance
      facility. I. Epidemiological results.
AB  - A retrospective cohort study of 14,457 workers at an aircraft maintenance
      facility was undertaken to evaluate mortality associated with exposures in their
      workplace. The purpose was to determine whether working with solvents,
      particularly trichloroethylene, posed any excess risk of mortality. The study
      group consisted of all civilian employees who worked for at least one year at
      Hill Air Force Base, Utah, between 1 January 1952 and 31 December 1956. Work
      histories were obtained from records at the National Personnel Records Centre,
      St. Louis, Missouri, and the cohort was followed up for ascertainment of vital
      state until 31 December 1982. Observed deaths among white people were compared
      with the expected number of deaths, based on the Utah white population, and
      adjusted for age, sex, and calendar period. Significant deficits occurred for
      mortality from all causes (SMR 92, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 90-95), all
      malignant neoplasms (SMR 90, 95% CI 83-97), ischaemic heart disease (SMR 93, 95%
      CI 88-98), non-malignant respiratory disease (SMR 87, 95% CI 76-98), and
      accidents (SMR 61, 95% CI 52-70). Mortality was raised for multiple myeloma (MM)
      in white women (SMR 236, 95% CI 87-514), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in white
      women (SMR 212, 95% CI 102-390), and cancer of the biliary passages and liver in
      white men dying after 1980 (SMR 358, 95% CI 116-836). Detailed analysis of the
      6929 employees occupationally exposed to trichloroethylene, the most widely used
      solvent at the base during the 1950s and 1960s, did not show any significant or
      persuasive association between several measures of exposure to trichloroethylene
      and any excess of cancer. Women employed in departments in which fabric cleaning
      and parachute repair operations were performed had more deaths than expected from
      MM and NHL. The inconsistent mortality patterns by sex, multiple and overlapping
      exposures, and small numbers made it difficult to ascribe these excesses to any
      particular substance. Hypothesis generating results are presented by a variety of
      exposures for causes of death not showing excesses in the overall cohort.

PMID- 1878309
TI  - Retrospective cohort mortality study of workers at an aircraft maintenance
      facility. II. Exposures and their assessment.
AB  - Methods are presented that were used for assessing exposures in a cohort
      mortality study of 15,000 employees who held 150,000 jobs at an Air Force base
      from 1939 to 1982. Standardisation of the word order and spelling of the job
      titles identified 43,000 unique job title organisation combinations. Walkthrough
      surveys were conducted, long term employees were interviewed, and available
      industrial hygiene data were collected to evaluate historic exposures. Because of
      difficulties linking air monitoring data and use of specific chemicals to the
      departments identified in the work histories, position descriptions were used to
      identify the tasks in each job. From knowledge of the tasks and the chemicals
      used in those tasks the presence or absence of 23 chemicals or groups of
      chemicals were designated for each job organisation combination. Also, estimates
      of levels of exposure were made for trichloroethylene and for mixed solvents, a
      category comprising several solvents including trichloroethylene, Stoddard
      solvent, carbon tetrachloride, JP4 gasoline, freon, alcohols, 1,1,1
      trichloroethane, acetone, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, methylene chloride, o
      dichlorobenzene, perchloroethylene, chloroform, styrene, and xylene.

PMID- 1878310
TI  - Asphalt and risk of cancer in man.
AB  - Epidemiological publications regarding the carcinogenic potential of asphalt
      (bitumen) are reviewed. In 1984 the International Agency for Research on Cancer
      (IARC) stated that there is "inadequate evidence that bitumens alone are
      carcinogenic to humans." They did, however, conclude that animal data provided
      sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of certain extracts of steam refined
      and air refined bitumens. In the absence of data on man, IARC considered it
      reasonable to regard chemicals with sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in
      animals as if they presented a carcinogenic risk to man. Epidemiological data for
      man accumulated since the IARC report do not fulfil the criteria for showing a
      causal association between exposure to asphalt and development of cancer. The
      studies cited all suffer from a lack of data on exposure or potential
      confounders, which are necessary to establish whether or not such an association
      may or may not exist. In view of the evidence (or lack thereof) regarding asphalt
      today, an appropriate public health attitude suggests at least that action be
      taken to protect those working with asphalt by monitoring the workplace, taking
      whatever steps are possible to minimise exposures and to inform workers of
      potential hazards. At the same time, a need exists for well designed analytical
      epidemiological studies to determine whether a risk of cancer in man exists from
      exposure to asphalt.

PMID- 1878311
TI  - Risk assessment using exposure intensity: an application to vermiculite mining.
AB  - Estimation of exposure-response relations from epidemiological data is
      complicated by the fact that exposures usually vary in intensity over time.
      Cumulative exposure indices, which do not separate the effects of intensity and
      duration, are commonly used to circumvent this problem. In this paper the
      estimation of relative risk for specific ranges of exposure intensity from such
      data is considered using existing statistical methods for fitting multivariate
      relative risk models. This has the advantage that it does not assume that
      exposure intensity and duration have equivalent effects on risk. It also throws
      light on the possible existence of a threshold. The procedure was applied to data
      from a cohort of 406 vermiculite miners to examine the lung cancer risk
      associated with exposure to fibrous tremolite, which contaminated the
      vermiculite. The pattern of exposure-response differed substantially from that
      obtained using a cumulative exposure index to assess risk.

PMID- 1878312
TI  - Effects of consumption of ethanol on the biological monitoring of exposure to
      organic solvent vapours: a simulation study with trichloroethylene.
AB  - This study illustrates possible influences of consumption of ethanol on the
      pharmacokinetic behaviour of inhaled trichloroethylene (TRI) in relation to
      biological monitoring of exposure. The results were obtained for a standard male
      worker of 70 kg by physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling. Depending on
      the pattern of consumption of ethanol, enzyme inhibition or induction was assumed
      to prevail in this worker. The inhibition and induction were modelled by assuming
      competitive metabolic interaction between TRI and ethanol and increased maximum
      velocity (Vmax) of TRI metabolism respectively. Ingestion of moderate amounts of
      ethanol before the start of work or at lunch time, but not at the end of work,
      caused pronounced increases in blood TRI concentrations and decreases in the
      urinary excretion rates of TRI metabolites, this effect lasting until the next
      day. The effects were smaller the higher the exposure concentration of TRI.
      Induction of TRI metabolism, supposedly by consumption of ethanol the previous
      evening, caused only small changes in the pharmacokinetic profile at 50 ppm, but
      appreciable changes at 500 ppm.

PMID- 1878313
TI  - New perspectives in biomonitoring liver function by means of serum bile acids:
      experimental and hypothetical biochemical basis.
AB  - The functional activity of the liver and the variety of its responses to injury
      makes the choice of appropriate tests of function a difficult task. Because of
      the highly efficient uptake of bile acids by the normal hepatocyte, the
      determination of serum bile acid (SBA) concentration has been proposed as a test
      to detect early changes of liver function not associated with cytotoxicity.
      Several biomonitoring studies have been carried out on subjects occupationally
      exposed to hepatotoxic substances, by evaluating SBAs as indicators of early
      liver dysfunction. Even though these studies are not exactly comparable because
      of the different protocols adopted, most of them show a significant increase in
      SBA concentrations among the exposed subjects compared with unexposed controls.
      Furthermore, higher prevalences of subjects with abnormal SBA concentrations
      occur in those exposed to mixtures of organic solvents. Increased SBA
      concentrations among the subjects exposed to various xenobiotics have been
      explained by assuming a change in function of hepatocytes. As regards the nature
      of the mechanisms involved in the increase in SBA concentrations, recent
      experimental observations pointed out that some chlorinated aliphatics were able
      to inhibit cell membrane ATPases and alter cytosolic calcium homeostasis. The
      lack of any relation, however, between exposure and SBA concentrations remains an
      important point to clarify and at present prevents the use of measurement of SBA
      concentrations as an index of effect.

PMID- 1878314
TI  - Inter and intraindividual variations in plasma cholinesterase activity and
      substance concentration in employees of an organophosphorus insecticide factory.
AB  - During a period of 10 months, inter and intraindividual variations in plasma
      cholinesterase (ChE) activity were studied in 331 employees of an
      organophosphorus insecticide factory, and in 193 healthy volunteers without
      occupational exposure to known ChE inhibitors. Repeated (n = 6) measurements of
      ChE activity and ChE substance concentration were performed in 410 subjects. The
      study showed substantial intraindividual variations of ChE activity and ChE
      substance concentration (up to 40%) in the employees and in the reference group.
      When effects due to sex, ChE-1 phenotype, body weight, and height were
      considered, one subgroup of employees of the organophosphorus insecticide factory
      showed a significantly lower average ChE activity than other subgroups; as ChE
      substance concentrations were found to be proportionally decreased, it was
      concluded that the low ChE activity was unrelated to occupational exposure. A
      combined determination of ChE activity and ChE substance concentration is
      recommended as a rational diagnostic tool when an unexpected decrease of plasma
      ChE activity is registered in people joining organophosphorus insecticide health
      surveillance programmes.

PMID- 1878315
TI  - Determination of urinary 2,5-hexanedione concentration by an improved analytical
      method as an index of exposure to n-hexane.
AB  - 2,5-Hexanedione is a main metabolite of n-hexane and is considered as the cause
      of n-hexane polyneuropathy. Therefore, it is useful to measure 2,5-hexanedione
      for biological monitoring of exposure to n-hexane. The analytical methods
      existing for n-hexane metabolites, however, were controversial and not
      established enough. Hence, a simple and precise method for determination of
      urinary 2,5-hexanedione has been developed. Five ml of urine was acidified to pH
      0.5 with concentrated hydrochloric acid and heated for 30 minutes at 90-100
      degrees C. After cooling in water, sodium chloride and dichloromethane containing
      internal standard were added. The sample was shaken and centrifuged. 2,5
      Hexanedione concentration in an aliquot of dichloromethane extract was quantified
      by gas chromatography using a widebore column (DB-1701). Urinary concentration of
      2,5-hexanedione showed a good correlation with exposure to n-hexane (n = 50, r =
      0.973, p less than 0.001). This method is simple and precise for analysis of
      urinary 2,5-hexanedione as an index of exposure to n-hexane.

PMID- 1878316
TI  - A cohort mortality study and a case-control study of workers potentially exposed
      to styrene in the reinforced plastics and composites industry.

PMID- 1878317
TI  - Blinks as an index of cognitive activity during reading.
AB  - Horizontal and vertical EOG recordings of eye movements were analyzed to
      determine the spatial and temporal distribution of blinks and the patterns of eye
      movements (saccades and fixation pauses) exhibited by six subjects during the
      reading of stories presented in two formats (on paper and on a VDT). The
      frequency and placement of blinks was not affected by the presentation condition.
      Blinks were determined to be non-randomly distributed during reading.
      Significantly more blinks (36%) occurred in conjunction with saccades than the
      proportion of time consumed by saccades (12%) would predict. Significantly more
      blinks (36%) occurred in the vicinity of line change saccades, which accounts for
      15% of reading time, and with fixation pauses associated with regressions (42%),
      which accounts for 26% of reading time, than with fixation pauses during normal
      reading (22%), which accounts for 60% of reading time. The results of the study
      suggest that blink behavior during reading is under perceptual and cognitive
      control.

PMID- 1878319
TI  - Blocking observed in human eyelid conditioning.
AB  - The status of blocking in human eyelid conditioning was examined in a series of
      four experiments modelled on rabbit nictitating membrane (NMR) procedures to
      ensure comparability with the animal literature. The first three employed Tones
      and Lights as CSs and a preliminary experiment established equivalent salience of
      these stimuli. The fourth employed all light conditioned stimuli (CSs). Each of
      the experiments balanced order of presentation of blocked and non-blocked stimuli
      in extinction; each yielded reliable evidence of blocking tested in extinction.
      However, the blocking effects were attenuated or abolished in those groups
      receiving the to-be-blocked stimulus on the first trial in extinction. The
      results show blocking to be a relatively weak, easily disrupted phenomenon
      compared with rabbit studies. They suggest that rapid re-appraisal of stimulus
      significance plays a more important role in human subjects than has been observed
      in animal studies.

PMID- 1878318
TI  - The fear potentiated startle effect. Blink reflex modulation as a result of
      classical aversive conditioning.
AB  - A differential conditioning study examined whether an acoustic startle probe,
      presented during extinction of an aversively conditioned visual stimulus,
      potentiated the reflex eyeblink response in humans and whether this potentiation
      varied with the change in affective valence of the conditioned stimulus. Sixty
      college students were randomly assigned to view a series of two slides, depicting
      either unpleasant/highly arousing, unpleasant/moderate arousing, neutral/calm,
      pleasant/moderate arousing or pleasant/highly arousing scenes and objects
      (duration: 8 sec). During preconditioning (8 trials) and extinction (24 trials)
      acoustic startle probes (white noise bursts [50 ms; 95 dBA] were administered
      during and between slide presentation). During acquisition (16 trials) CS+ was
      reinforced by an electric shock. Startle response magnitudes significantly
      increased from preconditioning to extinction and were substantially larger to
      CS+. Conditioned startle reflex augmentation linearly increased with the
      pleasantness of the slides. Furthermore, subjects showed a greater post
      conditioning increase of judged aversiveness to slides that they had previously
      reported to be more pleasant, exactly paralleling the startle reflex results.

PMID- 1878320
TI  - Blocking and unconditioned response diminution in human classical autonomic
      conditioning.
AB  - This paper summarizes the results of three experiments on blocking and
      unconditioned response diminution in human SCR conditioning. Recent theories of
      conditioning propose that reduced processing of the unconditioned stimulus due to
      conditioning results in reduced unconditioned response magnitude and in blocking
      of conditioning of a second conditioned stimulus when it is in compound with the
      previously conditioned stimulus. In these experiments, clear evidence of
      diminution of the unconditioned response was obtained in all three studies, but
      blocking was found only in the third study, which employed a within-subject
      design and in which the blocking was observed only after at least one extinction
      trial on both the blocked and nonblocked stimuli. Order of testing was not a
      factor in this delayed blocking effect. These results do not support the view
      that blocking occurs because of reduced processing of the unconditioned stimulus
      in the unconditioned response diminution sense.

PMID- 1878321
TI  - Component summation or configuration in human eyelid conditioning depends upon
      stimulus properties.
AB  - The experiment reviewed here merges Garner's (1974) distinction of separable and
      integral stimulus properties with the field of Pavlovian eyelid conditioning with
      human subjects. According to one rule, two sets of stimuli (separable vs
      integral) were constructed. A differential compound conditioning procedure was
      used with one group of subjects being trained with a subset of the separable
      material and then tested with a new subset. The same procedure was used with a
      second group but with integral material. The experiment showed a reversal of
      conditioning effects, depending on the properties of stimuli. Separable compounds
      showed results as predicted by elementistic conditioning theories: the
      associative values of the elements summed up. With integral compounds, the
      associative values of the elements were irrelevant. Instead, integral compounds
      were processed and classified primarily on the basis of similarity.

PMID- 1878322
TI  - The quality of evidence.

PMID- 1878324
TI  - Sucking habits: clinical management in dentistry.
AB  - Excellent results were obtained by using the classical palatal crib for the
      patient, who is appraised as having morphological, functional and psychological
      changes resulting from finger and/or pacifier sucking habits.

PMID- 1878325
TI  - Interceptive correction of anterior crossbite.
AB  - The purpose of this paper was to evaluate a passive method to correct anterior
      crossbite of only one incisor by creating a composite inclined plane. A total of
      15 children were selected, aged 6 to 8. The results at the end of one week showed
      that in all cases the incisor was in normal position.

PMID- 1878323
TI  - Blood pressure hyperreactivity in non-human primates during dietary sodium
      combined with behavioral stress.
AB  - The potential for behavioral stress alone or combined with dietary salt to
      augment pressor reactivity to the onset of daily experimental sessions was
      examined in normotensive, intact baboons over the course of four months. During
      twice daily experimental sessions, adult male baboons experienced food/shock
      conflict such that lever pulling not only served to earn food, but was also
      occasionally punished with cued mild electric shock. Blood pressure and heart
      rate were measured during a baseline period of fixed-ratio food reinforcement (3
      weeks), during conflict stress (2 weeks), and after dietary salt was added to the
      daily conflict protocol (CONFLICT + SODIUM, 3 weeks). Reactivity, i.e., acute
      changes in blood pressure and heart rate to the daily experimental sessions, was
      not evident during food reinforcement sessions nor during the CONFLICT stress
      alone condition. The addition of a high salt diet virtually doubled blood
      pressure increases and heart rate decreases to the onset of experimental
      sessions. Average reactivities during CONFLICT + SODIUM periods were 11.2/7.9%
      delta for SBP/DBP (systolic/diastolic blood pressure, mmHg), and -5.65% delta for
      HR (heart rate, BPM). Neither atenolol nor hydrochlorothiazide diuretic
      significantly altered cardiovascular reactivity during CONFLICT + SODIUM in
      comparison to a preceding non-drug CONFLICT + SODIUM period. When atenolol and
      diuretic effects were directly compared, atenolol mildly augmented, while
      diuretic mildly decreased DBP but not SBP reactivity during CONFLICT + SODIUM.
      Reactivity was eliminated after salt loading and behavioral sessions were
      terminated. These findings provide evidence that enhanced salt ingestion may
      synergistically act with behavioral stress to produce pressor hyperresponsiveness
      to otherwise benign environmental events.

PMID- 1878326
TI  - Primary impaction of primary teeth: a review and report of three cases.
AB  - Primary impaction of primary teeth is rare. Only ten cases have been found in the
      world literature. It affects almost always second molars and the finding is
      usually occasional. Three cases of this abnormality, two of the upper jaw and one
      of the mandible, are presented. The analysis of the characteristics of these
      cases and the cases in the literature, suggests that ankylosis has probably a
      leading role in the etiopathogenesis. The following criteria for a correct
      diagnosis is presented: 1) deep retention into the bone; 2) absence of caries,
      restorations and resorptions; 3) frequent passing of the corresponding permanent
      premolar; and possible retention of the corresponding adjacent tooth. More
      attention is recommended in the study of the lesion for the future.

PMID- 1878327
TI  - Comparison of craniofacial morphology in monozygotic twins with their siblings.
AB  - Lateral cephalometric radiographs from 33 families of monozygotic twins and their
      siblings were digitized. Eight skeletal parameters were measured: FA to SN, SNA,
      SNB, ANB, angle of convexity, mandibular plane to SN angle, Y axis and pogonion
      to NB distance. Monozygotic twin pairs and their siblings showed a normal
      distribution pattern for all the skeletal parameters, except the pogonion to NB
      distance measurement. There was found to be a statistically significant
      correlation between age and facial angle and ANB. A familial aggregation effect
      was found for SNA, ANB and angle of convexity. Some genetic influence was found
      for FA, mandibular plane angle and Y axis, while the Pg to NB distance showed
      neither genetic influence, nor a familial aggregation.

PMID- 1878328
TI  - Background factors of enamel focal demineralization in groups of Finnish and
      Russian children.
AB  - The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of EFD lesions in relation to
      some background factors in Finnish and Soviet children. Children aged 7, 9 and 12
      years (n = 1187) were examined clinically in Helsinki, Kuopio (Finland), Moscow
      and Leningrad (USSR). A questionnaire sent to the parents was used to collect
      data on toothbrushing frequency, use of sweets, cakes, soft drinks, sugar
      sweetened tea/coffee and mother's education. In addition to bivariate analysis,
      log-linear regression models were used for comparing the simultaneous association
      in two ethnic groups. In general, the Finnish children had more EFD lesions than
      the Soviet children did. Among the Finns no consistent associations were found
      between the number of EFD lesions and the use of different sugar products or
      differences in toothbrushing habits. The number of EFD lesions decreased
      consistently according to mother's education with the Finnish children, but not
      with the Soviet children. The final multivariate model for Finnish children
      included age, toothbrushing frequency, place of residence (Kuopio) and use of
      soft drinks. The respective model for the Soviet children included age and place
      of residence (Leningrad). Evidently, the demineralization process or tooth
      resistance differs in these two ethnic groups.

PMID- 1878330
TI  - The effect of acid etching times on ground primary enamel.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of etching times on
      the effect of acid etching on the ground primary enamel with respect to the
      quality of etching patterns. Labial surfaces of 40 extracted or exfoliated caries
      free primary anterior teeth were used. The outer, middle and inner enamel layers
      were ground without water cooling with a carbide bur from the distal to the
      mesial direction on the same labial surfaces of the enamel. Each layer was
      divided into incisal, central and cervical areas. Forth percent phospholic acid
      gel was used for each etching time group, 10, 20, 30 and 60 seconds. All
      specimens were washed with an air spray for 30 seconds. The following
      observations were obtained using the SEM: 1. Over-etching was evident in all
      cases etched for 60 seconds and this characteristic was particularly prominent in
      the inner enamel layers. 2. Thirty seconds was the optimal time for etching on
      the ground primary enamel.

PMID- 1878329
TI  - Effect of the mineralizing agent on the permanent teeth.
AB  - In a two-year pragmatic clinical trial, the effect of the mineralizing agent was
      evaluated on permanent teeth of the first eruption group among Finnish children
      (7-years old at the beginning of the study) with a low prevalence of DFS. In the
      test group (n = 123, biweekly mouthrinsing with a 2% solution of mineralizing
      agent and 0.2% NaF solution) the percentage reduction in increment of both EFDS
      and DFS was high, whereas in the control group (n = 123, biweekly mouthrinsing
      with placebo and 0.2% NaF solutions) the incidence for symptoms of caries disease
      did not differ from that normally found in this age cohort. Positive clinical
      effect of tested solution was age-related and was associated with
      remineralization of old and inhibition of occurrence of new EFD lesions.

PMID- 1878331
TI  - Designing dental health education materials for schoolteachers: formative
      evaluation research.
AB  - In the past, many school based dental health education programs have appeared to
      fail to bring about changes in children's behavior or measureable improvements in
      oral health. The reasons why this has been so are not always clear, but part of
      the explanation may be that inadequate attention has been paid to the research
      preceding the development of the dental health education materials used in the
      programs. This paper describes a rational planning cycle for evaluation research,
      which includes problem definition research, planning research, audience pre
      testing and post-production audience testing for acceptability. Further stages
      involve post-dissemination evaluation, which include measures of effectiveness
      and implementation, but this paper argues that the four phases described above
      constitute a logical means of providing target groups with appropriate,
      acceptable and efficacious material.

PMID- 1878332
TI  - An unusual case of hypodontia with extensive caries: a multidisciplinary
      treatment approach.

PMID- 1878333
TI  - Parotitis in a three-year-old.
AB  - Facial swelling cannot routinely be attributed to dento-alveolar infections until
      a thorough head, neck and oral examination has been completed. Facial swelling
      from parotitis is not commonly encountered in the pediatric patient. The purpose
      of this report was to document a case of unilateral parotid gland infection
      presumably secondary to traumatic obstruction of Stenson's duct. The parotitis
      resolved following a course of oral penicillin VK and lemon juice to stimulate
      salivary flow. Several parotid gland disorders which involve facial swelling were
      discussed.

PMID- 1878334
TI  - Calcium channel blocker prevents stress-induced activation of renin and
      aldosterone in conscious pig.
AB  - A considerable amount of data suggest the involvement of calcium-mediated
      processes in the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) cascade.
      To investigate the effect of calcium-channel inhibition on the RAA system, we
      studied 21 conscious pigs. Blood renin and aldosterone levels increased by
      subjecting animals to 24 hours of immobilization stress. Renin and aldosterone
      levels were repeatedly measured by radio-immunoassay in blood samples taken
      periodically over 24 hours from a chronically implanted arterial cannula.
      Pretreatment of the animals (N = 11) with nisoldipine, 2 x 20 mg p.o. daily for 2
      days before and on the day of immobilization, transiently attenuated the stress
      induced increase of plasma renin activity and completely prevented the rise of
      aldosterone, as compared to nontreated controls (N = 10). The finding that
      nisoldipine suppresses RAA activation induced by a nonpharmacologic stimulus in
      the conscious intact animal may have clinical implications.

PMID- 1878335
TI  - Double-blind, randomized comparative study of the antihypertensive effect of
      nicardipine slow-release and nifedipine slow-release in hypertensive patients
      with coronary heart disease.
AB  - The main aim of this study was to investigate whether a new slow-release
      formation of nicardipine can control hypertension and whether its
      antihypertensive effect is manifest throughout the dose intervals. In a
      randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, the antihypertensive effect of
      two calcium antagonists (Type II) was investigated in two independent groups of
      hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease. One group of patients
      received 40 mg nicardipine slow-release b.i.d. and the other 20 mg nifedipine
      slow-release b.i.d. The effect of the active drugs on blood pressure (BP), heart
      rate, and hemodynamics was compared with placebo within each group. In addition,
      a group comparison was made to establish whether nicardipine had any advantage
      over nifedipine. Twenty-eight patients [27 female, 1 male; 55 (41-72) years old],
      18 with previous myocardial infarction (MI) entered the study (nicardipine, 15
      patients; nifedipine, 13 patients). A placebo period of 3 days was followed by a
      13-day drug treatment period. From the first to last trial day, BP and heart rate
      were measured three times daily. At the end of the placebo and the active drug
      periods, the following measurements were carried out: ambulatory BP monitoring by
      half-hourly recording for 12.5 hours with the Remler system, ergometric tests
      with ECG, and right heart catheterization. Both drugs lowered the BP at rest,
      during exercise, and during usual daily activities. The antihypertensive effect
      of nicardipine was significant for the daytime mean arterial BP (MAP) and for
      systolic BP and diastolic BP at various stages of the exercise tests. The
      difference between the effect of nicardipine and nifedipine was not
      significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878336
TI  - Subcellular localization of prostaglandin-E2 in rat heart tissue.
AB  - It has been reported that isolated rat heart myocytes and cardiac mesenchymal
      cells convert arachidonic acid mainly into three types of prostaglandins (PGs):
      PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and PGI2. In addition, we have demonstrated that fresh atrial
      slices of patients with heart-valve disease contain appreciable quantities of
      PGE2 and PGF2 alpha. However, there have been no reports on the subcellular
      localization of the prostaglandin system in heart muscle tissue. The present
      study was performed to define the distribution of PGE2 in mitochondrial,
      microsomal, and cytosolic fractions, isolated by differential centrifugation from
      homogenates of fresh normal rat atrium and ventricle slices. In addition, we
      determined whether differences exist in PGE2 levels between atrial subcellular
      fractions and those of ventricular fractions. The results showed that PGE2 was
      located mainly in the high-speed cytosolic supernatant fraction of the heart
      homogenates analyzed. Furthermore, PGE2 concentrations (ng/mg protein) were
      significantly higher in fractions obtained from atrial than those of ventricular
      tissue.

PMID- 1878337
TI  - Murine polymorphonuclear leukocytes synthesize and secrete the third component
      and factor B of complement.
AB  - Complement proteins in serum are synthesized mostly by hepatocytes and many other
      cell-types have also been shown to synthesize complement in various tissues.
      However, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) have never been reported to secrete
      complement. This paper demonstrates the synthesis and secretion of C3 and factor
      B by murine peritoneal exudate PMNs elicited with OK432 (Streptococcus
      preparation). Using [35S]methionine incorporation and immunoprecipitation, C3 and
      factor B produced by PMN are found to be antigenically and physically identical
      to macrophage C3 and factor B. ELISA analysis reveals that culture supernatant of
      PMN--free of macrophage contamination--contains C3 antigen, and both flow
      cytometric analysis and immunoperoxidase staining also demonstrate the presence
      of intracellular C3 using special precautions to eliminate non-specific staining.
      The role of complement produced by PMN is currently unknown, but it is very
      important to take this new finding into consideration for further clarification
      of the roles of complement in extravascular inflammatory sites.

PMID- 1878338
TI  - Identification and characterization of a prolactin-like polypeptide synthesized
      by mitogen-stimulated murine lymphocytes.
AB  - Previously, we have reported that concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated murine
      splenocytes synthesize and secrete into the medium a substance with prolactin
      (PRL)-like properties. Western blot analysis of the culture medium of Con A
      stimulated murine splenocytes identified a PRL-like polypeptide (Ly-PLP) with an
      apparent molecular weight (Mr) of 46 kd. Rabbit anti-rat PRL antibody (S-9,
      NIDDK) was used for immunostaining. Specificity was proved by the absence of a
      band in properly preabsorbed primary and secondary antibodies. Electroeluted Ly
      PLP enhanced the mitogenic response of lymphocytes to Con A. In situ
      hybridization analysis of dispersed lymphocyte smears demonstrated the presence
      of an mRNA that hybridized with a rat PRL cDNA probe. The size of the mRNA
      species was 1.4 kb on Northern blot analysis. Two-dimensional peptide map
      analysis of pituitary PRL and Ly-PLP showed three peptides with identical
      migration characteristics. Western blot analysis of lymphocyte culture medium
      following Con-A-affinity column treatment provided evidence that the Ly-PLP was a
      non-glycoprotein. Therefore, we conclude that Ly-PLP represents a structural
      variant of pituitary-PRL (Pit-PRL), and provide evidence to strongly suggest that
      it is a novel lymphokine.

PMID- 1878339
TI  - TNF inhibits malaria hepatic stages in vitro via synthesis of IL-6.
AB  - We examined the capacity of murine recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rmTNF) to
      induce an inhibitory effect at the hepatic stage on malaria induced by Plasmodium
      yoelii sporozoites. When injected three times, 1.0 micrograms of rmTNF was found
      to protect 78% of mice against a sporozoite challenge. In contrast, whatever the
      dose and the schedule of administration, no inhibition was observed when purified
      hepatocyte cultures were infected with P. yoelii. The addition of non-parenchymal
      hepatic cells to hepatocyte cultures restored the capacity of TNF to modulate
      hepatic stage development, leading to up to 44% inhibition. Antibodies to
      interleukin 6 reversed the anti-parasite activity in the co-culture system.

PMID- 1878340
TI  - Alternative complement pathway activation by HIV infected cells: C3 fixation does
      not lead to complement lysis but enhances NK sensitivity.
AB  - HIV infected T and monocytic cell lines could activate and fix C3 fragments when
      incubated in human serum under conditions allowing for activation of the
      alternative complement pathway. Normal T lymphocytes incubated with HIV could
      also activate and fix C3. This activity was, at least in part, the property of
      the virus itself since cell-free HIV could efficiently activate C3. The C3
      activating HIV infected cells were resistant to complement-mediated lysis, even
      after prolonged incubation periods. However, their sensitivity to cell-mediated
      natural killing increased, presumably due to their interaction with complement
      receptor bearing NK lymphocytes. The results suggest that the alternative
      complement pathway may contribute to the depletion of CD4+ T lymphocytes during
      HIV infection in vivo.

PMID- 1878341
TI  - Human complement component factor B rescues HIV-1-infected leukemic T cells from
      cytopathic death.
AB  - The addition of 5-10% of fresh normal human serum (NHS) from normal individuals
      into a culture of primarily HIV-1-infected CD4+ leukemic T-cell lines CEM and MT4
      was found to rescue the infected cells from cytopathic death, enabling the cells
      to achieve growth within 10 days. The HIV-1-infected cells cultured in ordinary
      medium with fetal calf serum (FCS) all died within 10 days. The effect of NHS was
      ascribed to human complement component factor B and one or more factor B
      dependent heat-labile co-factors. The cells which survived in the presence of NHS
      rapidly lost surface expression of CD4 and became completely resistant to
      rechallenge by HIV-1. Viral genomes were dramatically reduced in surviving cells
      within 30 days, and one cell-line CEM completely expelled them during this
      period. The results suggest that factor B has protective and potential
      therapeutic significance in HIV-1 infection.

PMID- 1878342
TI  - Expression of medial class I histocompatibility antigens on RMA-S mutant cells.
AB  - The RMA-S mutant T cell line is defective in H-2b restricted antigen presentation
      and has markedly reduced surface expression of Kb and Db. We examined RMA-S for
      the expression of the medial class I histocompatibility antigens Qa1b and Mta.
      While RMA-S targets varied in their susceptibility to lysis by cytotoxic T
      lymphocytes (CTL) specific for Qa1b, Mta levels were detectable but consistently
      low compared to the parent RMA cell line. Addition of synthetic ND1 alpha 1-26 or
      ND1 alpha 1-17 peptides that mimic MTF alpha (the ligand of Mta) increased
      killing of RMA-S by anti-Mta alpha CTL to levels comparable to or better than
      RMA, with 300 nM peptide being fully effective. None of the MTF peptides
      increased the killing of RMA-S by anti-H-2b or anti-Qa1b CTL, even at the highest
      (1 microM) peptide concentrations. RMA-S cells treated with 100 microM of either
      the ND1 alpha 4-26 or ND1 alpha 1-26 peptides showed a small increase in the
      fluorescent staining for beta 2-microglobulin but not for H-2Kb or H-2Db. These
      results show that Mta and Qa1b, although affected, are not obliterated by the
      defect in RMA-S cells; that the association of MTF peptides with HMT is
      exclusive; and that MTF enters the endoplasmic reticulum in the same fashion as
      other endogenous peptides.

PMID- 1878343
TI  - HLA and epidermolysis bullosa: evidence for independent assortment of Weber
      Cockayne subtype of epidermolysis bullosa and HLA complex.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the genetic linkage (but not the
      association) between HLA complex and Weber-Cockayne Subtype of epidermolysis
      bullosa (EBS-WC). We HLA typed 44 members of three multi-generation families in
      which 24 members have the clinical evidence of EBS-WC. The patterns of
      inheritance of various HLA haplotypes and the disease were mathematically
      analyzed to estimate frequency of recombination (i.e. genetic distance) between
      HLA complex and the disease by calculating Lod Scores for each family separately
      as well as all for three families combined. Our results show that only one family
      had a positive Lod Score. The Lod Scores for the remaining two families as well
      as the combined Lod Score for all three families were negative. These data
      suggest that odds are against the genetic linkage between HLA complex and Weber
      Cockayne Subtype of epidermolysis bullosa and in favor of independent assortment
      of the disease and HLA complex.

PMID- 1878344
TI  - Autocrine secretion of an EGF-like substance by a cell line (HSC-1) derived from
      a human skin squamous cell carcinoma.
AB  - The presence of EGF-autocrine secretion was investigated in a cell line derived
      from a human squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-1). The cell line was found to secrete
      the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like substance. Meanwhile, normal human and
      uninvolved and involved psoriatic epidermal cells did not show any evidence of
      EGF secretion in culture. Not was any evidence of EGF secretion observed in vitro
      in several malignant cell lines other than HSC-1 derived from human squamous cell
      carcinomas, adenocarcinoma and melanoma. The addition of EGF did not stimulate,
      but rather inhibited, the growth of HSC-1 cells in GIT medium as well as
      Dulbecco's modified essential medium with low concentrations of fetal calf serum
      (0.5-1%) in vitro. Overexpression of EGF receptors is known to occur in HSC-1.
      The results suggest that HSC-1 cells exhibit autocrine secretion of the EGF-like
      substance but not autostimulation in anchorage-dependent cell culture.

PMID- 1878345
TI  - Proliferation and collagen synthesis by human dermal fibroblasts cultured from
      different body sites.
AB  - Distal areas in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), such as the dorsal skin of the
      hand are more frequently involved and more indurated than proximal areas. On the
      contrary, the observation often made after surgical excision or trauma is that
      distal body areas heal more slowly than proximal areas. A possible explanation
      may be that dermal fibroblasts from distal body parts are more capable, when
      stimulated, to synthesize greater or lesser amounts of collagen and proliferate
      at different rates than dermal fibroblasts from more proximal skin. In this
      study, cultures of dermal fibroblasts from three different body sites (arm,
      forearm, and hand) of healthy volunteers were investigated for their
      proliferative activity and collagen synthesis after stimulation in 3% or 10%
      fetal bovine serum. No significant differences were observed in cell
      proliferation or in the relative or absolute collagen synthesis by fibroblasts
      cultured from the hand, forearm or upper arm. We conclude that other in vivo
      factors are responsible for the observed differences in fibrosis and healing at
      different body sites. Moreover, if clonal expansion of different fibroblast
      phenotypes occurs in these physiologic or disease states, it must be of a
      magnitude that overcomes the fundamental proliferative and biosynthetic baseline.

PMID- 1878346
TI  - Immunohistochemical study of lepromin reaction in healthy adults.
AB  - Lepromin reaction was studied with immunoperoxidase techniques using monoclonal
      antibodies. The skin reactions were induced by injecting Mitsuda antigen into
      healthy adults without a family history of leprosy. Both early (48 hours) and
      late (3 weeks and 2 months) reactions were examined. In the late reaction, focal
      collections of epithelioid cells had formed, and not only T- but also B
      lymphocytes were observed around the granuloma. CD1a+ cells were also confirmed
      to have increased in the late reaction.

PMID- 1878347
TI  - Abstracts for the XVIth annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Investigative
      Dermatology. July 10-12, 1991, Nagasaki, Japan.

PMID- 1878348
TI  - Gold out of lead? The NIH's new "financial management plan".

PMID- 1878349
TI  - Interleukin-2: counteracting pleiotropy by compartmentalization.
AB  - Interleukin-2 (IL-2) belongs to a series of mediators that are produced by T
      cells and exert multiple, pleiotropic effects in an autocrine or paracrine
      fashion. IL-2 plays a fundamental role in the ontogeny of developing T cells in
      the thymus and supports the growth or effector function of a wide array of
      immunologically relevant cells, including macrophages and B and NK lymphocytes,
      as well as a variety of different T-cell subpopulations. Nonetheless, the
      function of this lymphokine must be highly controlled in vivo to avoid systemic
      effects that might endanger the specificity of an immune response and result in
      autoimmune reactions. Accordingly, various mechanisms guarantee
      compartmentalization of IL-2, that is, chronological and spatial restriction of
      IL-2 production, bioavailability, and state of responsiveness. The secretion of
      IL-2, as well as the expression of the two components of the high-affinity IL-2
      receptor (IL-2R), are developmentally controlled during ontogeny and, within the
      cellular immune system, are restricted to defined pre- and intrathymic stages of
      immature T cells or T-cell precursors. In the peripheral lymphoid organs, IL-2 is
      produced by a defined population of mature CD4+ T lymphocytes in which the IL-2
      gene is transcribed or silenced, depending on the combination of antigenic and
      nonspecific activation signals to which the cell is exposed. Thus, the absence of
      certain costimulatory signals leads to a long-lasting inactivation of the IL-2
      gene, a phenomenon that accompanies nondeletional T-cell tolerance. IL-2 has a
      short half-life and is secreted in apposition to the cell with which the T cell
      interacts. Expression of the high-affinity IL-2R is activation-dependent in most
      cell types. Thus, different mechanisms, intervening in all compartments relevant
      for the action of IL-2, together contribute to a restriction of IL-2 effects,
      conferring a relative specificity to this pleiotropic mediator.

PMID- 1878350
TI  - The role of the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-kappa B in the recognition of cognate
      sequences.
AB  - An important regulatory element for expression of the MHC class I gene H-2Kb is a
      palindromic 11-bp enhancer sequence, 5'-GGGGATTCCCC-3', which was shown to
      interact with the constitutive factor(s) KBF1/H2TF1 and the inducible nuclear
      factor NF-kappa B, a multisubunit transcription activator. Recent data from
      molecular cloning and biochemical analyses of KBF1 and NF-kappa B have shown that
      KBF1 corresponds to the dimerized DNA-binding subunit of NF-kappa B (p50) and
      that NF-kappa B forms a DNA-binding heterodimer of one p50 and one p65 subunit.
      In this study, we investigated differences in the binding specificity of the p50
      dimer and p50-p65 by using mutants of the H-2Kb motif in binding competition
      assays. Both forms of NF-kappa B bound with high affinity to a wild-type H-2Kb
      motif. In contrast to the p50 dimer, p50-p65 had a strongly reduced requirement
      for an 11th base pair to efficiently recognize the motif. Only in the presence of
      spermine could the p50 dimer also efficiently bind to motifs altered in positions
      1 or 11, suggesting that DNA bending was important for protein-DNA recognition.
      An H-2Kb motif mutated in one half site such that the frequently found kappa B
      motif 5'-GGGACTTTCC-3' is created was efficiently recognized only by p50-p65. The
      decameric kappa B motifs of reduced symmetry, which are most frequently found as
      cis-acting elements in promoter and enhancer sequences, seem to be bound
      preferentially by the p50-p65 heterodimer. It thus appears that p65 extends the
      DNA-binding specificity of NF-kappa B and thereby allows efficient recognition of
      a wider spectrum of binding motifs.

PMID- 1878351
TI  - Differential regulation of hepatocyte-enriched transcription factors explains
      changes in albumin and transthyretin gene expression among hepatoma cells.
AB  - To investigate the regulation of genes whose expression is enriched in liver we
      studied expression of the albumin and transthyretin (TTR) genes in a series of
      rat hepatoma cell lines (FaO, C2, C2rev7, and H5) that express these genes at
      different rates. The level of expression of albumin and TTR was compared to the
      expression and DNA-binding activity of four transcription factors, HNF1/LFB1,
      C/EBP, HNF3, and HNF4, that are found at high concentrations in liver. We
      conclude that the levels of these factors are controlled both transcriptionally
      (HNF-3, HNF-4, and C/EBP) and post-transcriptionally (HNF-1/LFB1), and that the
      cellular concentration of these DNA-binding proteins helps explain the level of
      transcriptional activity observed for the genes they regulate.

PMID- 1878352
TI  - Nutrient intakes of different social-class groups: results from the Scottish
      Heart Health Study (SHHS).
AB  - Food frequency questionnaire and socio-demographic data were collected from over
      10,000 Scottish men and women aged 40-59 years in a cross-sectional study of
      coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Dietary intake, including the
      antioxidant vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, was assessed for different socio
      economic groups. Trends in nutrient intakes were found with social-class
      (occupational) groups I-V. The non-manual-manual distinctions were clear even
      after standardizing for serum cotinine, and alternative classification by housing
      tenure and level of education did not confound the social-class effect. Total
      energy intake was significantly higher in the manual (men 10,363 KJ, women 7507
      KJ) than in the non-manual (men 9156 KJ, women 7169 KJ) groups, and all nutrient
      amounts except for vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and fibre were
      significantly higher in the manual than the non-manual groups. Alcohol intake was
      lower in manual women, but higher in manual men compared with their respective
      non-manual groups. Sex and social-class differences were maintained after
      adjusting for total energy. Women in general, and manual women in particular, had
      the highest percentage energy from total fat (40.2) and saturated fat (18.2),
      while the percentage energy from polyunsaturated fat was lower in men than women,
      and lowest in manual men (4.4). The polyunsaturated:saturated fat (P:S) ratios
      were, for non-manual and manual men 0.32 and 0.31, and for non-manual and manual
      women 0.31 and 0.28. Fibre and antioxidant vitamin intakes, when expressed as
      nutrient densities, were lower in men than women, and lowest in manual men.
      Overall, men and women in manual occupations had a poorer-quality diet than did
      those in non-manual occupations. The coincident low P:S ratios and low
      antioxidant vitamin intakes in manual groups may contribute to an increased risk
      of CHD. Thus, the findings are compatible with the view that poor diet may be a
      contributory factor to the higher mortality rates for CHD which occur in the
      lower socio-economic groups.

PMID- 1878353
TI  - Antioxidant vitamin intakes assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire:
      correlation with biochemical status in smokers and non-smokers.
AB  - The increasing interest in the possible role of antioxidant vitamins in many
      disease states means that methods of assessing vitamin intakes which are suitable
      for large-scale investigations are now required. The suitability of the food
      frequency questionnaire, which was developed by the Medical Research Council -
      Cardiff Group, for determining dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins in
      epidemiological studies was investigated in 196 Scottish men. The validity of the
      dietary data was assessed by comparison with serum vitamin concentrations, and
      separate analyses were performed for current smokers and non-smokers. The results
      showed that total energy intake and the percentage of energy derived from sugar
      were higher in smokers, and that both dietary and serum values of vitamin C, beta
      carotene and vitamin E were lower in smokers than non-smokers. After adjustment
      for serum lipids, energy intake and body mass index, correlation coefficients
      between dietary and serum vitamins C and E were similar for smokers (r 0.555 and
      0.25 respectively) and non-smokers (r 0.58 and 0.32 respectively). Correlation
      between dietary and serum carotenes was reduced from 0.28 in non-smokers to 0.09
      in smokers and correlations for retinol and total vitamin A were weakly
      significant only for non-smokers. The food-frequency questionnaire assigned
      greater than 70% of subjects correctly into the upper or lower plus adjacent
      tertiles of serum vitamin values, with the exception of beta-carotene and total
      vitamin A for smokers. Thus, the food-frequency questionnaire appeared to be an
      adequate tool for assigning individuals into tertiles of serum antioxidant
      vitamins with the main exception of beta-carotene for smokers. Marked differences
      do occur between the vitamins and between the smoking groups which may reflect
      reduced accuracy of reporting on the food-frequency questionnaire or differential
      absorption and metabolism of the vitamins.

PMID- 1878354
TI  - The effect of nutritional intake on outcome of pregnancy in smokers and non
      smokers.
AB  - The relationship between nutrient intake and pregnancy outcome (adjusted birth
      weight and gestational age) was investigated in randomly selected non-smokers
      (n97) and in heavy smokers (15 + cigarettes/d) (n72) booking for ante-natal care
      at a hospital in South London. Weighted dietary intakes (7d) were obtained at 28
      and 36 weeks gestation. Birth weight was adjusted for gestational age, maternal
      height, parity and sex of infant. Compared with non-smokers, intakes of
      micronutrients and fibre were lower in smokers at both 28 and 36 weeks, and
      smokers reduced their intakes more in late pregnancy. The babies of smokers had a
      lower adjusted birth weight but there was no difference in length of gestation
      between smokers and non-smokers. After controlling for smoking, social class and
      alcohol consumption, nutrient intakes at 28 weeks were found to have no effect on
      adjusted birth weight. However, intakes of protein, zinc, riboflavin and thiamin
      at 36 weeks, and the change in intakes of these nutrients (plus iron) between 28
      and 36 weeks, had independent positive effects on birth weight. Some of the
      effect of smoking on birth weight appeared to be mediated through differences in
      nutrient intakes. Smoking explained 14.3% of the variance in birth weight in this
      population and a further 2.4-7.2% was explained by change in nutrient intakes
      between 28 and 36 weeks. It is recommended that women in pregnancy do not reduce
      their dietary intakes in late pregnancy.

PMID- 1878355
TI  - The efficiency of chewing during eating and ruminating in goats and sheep.
AB  - The total amounts of time spent eating and ruminating per 24 h by goats and sheep
      were determined. The efficiencies of chewing during eating (mean value of C.EAT)
      and chewing during ruminating (mean value of C.RUM) on the breakdown of feed
      particles to below the critical size required to leave the rumen (less than 1.0
      mm) were investigated. All studies were done with the animals fed on a chaffed
      lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay diet. Goats spent more time eating (+3.1 h; P less
      than 0.01), and less time ruminating (-2.2 h; P less than 0.05) per 24 h, than
      sheep, when fed hourly at ad lib. intake. The efficiency of chewing during eating
      (mean value of C.EAT) in breaking down feed particles to less than 1.0 mm was
      greater in goats (85%; P less than 0.01) than sheep (48%). The process of
      rumination in sheep served to reduce the feed particles which were greater than
      1.0 mm in the rumen to less than 1.0 mm. Sheep tended to be more efficient in
      this process than goats (59 v. 48%), with the difference not attaining
      significance (P greater than 0.1). The greater frequency of chews (number of
      total jaw movements/min) during eating in goats (P less than 0.01), or during
      ruminating in sheep (P less than 0.001), was the major component explaining
      differences in efficiency between the two species in both the eating and
      rumination processes. When corrected for the number of chews/min, the differences
      in mean value of C.RUM and mean value of C.EAT were not significant between goats
      and sheep.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878356
TI  - The effect of a nutritionally-balanced cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) diet on
      endocrine function using the dog as a model. 1. Pancreas.
AB  - Growing dogs were divided into three groups and were fed on a control (rice)
      diet, a diet in which cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz; gari) was used as the
      carbohydrate source, and the rice diet to which cyanide (equivalent to that
      present in gari) was added. Each group consumed its diet for 14 weeks, during
      which plasma thiocyanate concentration and plasma lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) activity
      were monitored. Plasma free amino acids were determined from pooled samples taken
      at the end of the experimental period, and the insulin status of the dogs was
      evaluated using the gluconeogenic index. The dogs were killed and the pancreas
      examined for histopathology. Dogs fed on both gari diet and the rice + cyanide
      diet generated significant amounts of thiocyanate when compared with the
      controls, with the rice + cyanide group having higher plasma thiocyanate than the
      gari group (P less than 0.01). Plasma lipase activity rose significantly at the
      end of the experimental period in the dogs fed on gari (P less than 0.05).
      Gluconeogenesis from protein was greatest in the dogs fed on gari, five times
      greater than that in the control dogs, while gluconeogenesis from protein in the
      dogs fed on rice + cyanide was approximately twice as high as that of the control
      dogs. Histopathological examination of the pancreas showed haemorrhage, necrosis,
      fibrosis and atrophy of the acinar tissue and fibrosis of the islets of
      Langerhans in the dogs fed on gari. The pancreas of the dogs fed on rice +
      cyanide showed similar lesions but haemorrhage was not prominent and fibrosis was
      more marked.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878357
TI  - The effect of a nutritionally-balanced cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) diet on
      endocrine function using the dog as a model. 2. Thyroid.
AB  - Growing dogs were divided into three groups and were fed on nutritionally
      balanced diets. Control dogs were fed on a rice diet, the cassava (gari) group
      ate a diet in which gari provided the carbohydrate source, while the rice +
      cyanide group consumed the rice diet to which hydrocyanic acid (equivalent to
      that present in gari) was added. Each group consumed its diet for 14 weeks,
      during which plasma thiocyanate concentration and total serum triiodothyronine
      (T3) were monitored. At the end of the experiment the concentrations of the
      plasma free amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, the thyroid weights and
      histology were determined. While plasma thiocyanate remained undetectable in
      control dogs, animals consuming both gari and rice + cyanide generated
      significant amounts. In the control dogs and the gari group, total serum T3
      increased 40 and 38.8% respectively from the basal level by the end of the period
      (P less than 0.02). In contrast there was a decrease in T3 by 36% in the dogs fed
      on rice + cyanide (P less than 0.05). This group also showed significant thyroid
      enlargement and a histological picture consistent with parenchymatous goitre,
      whereas the gari group was essentially normal. The relatively low mean thyroid
      weight, the rise in total serum T3 level and the normal histological appearance
      of the gland indicate that dogs that consumed the gari diet were essentially
      normal with respect to their thyroid function, in spite of their high blood
      thiocyanate content. In contrast, dogs that consumed rice with cyanide suffered
      from hypothyroidism and goitre.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878358
TI  - Plasma 65Zn kinetics in the rat.
AB  - The amount of 65Zn in the plasma of rats after intravenous injection was found to
      decline following closely two-compartment kinetics over a period of 90 min.
      Comparative analysis of the amount of 65Zn present in the two kinetic pools at
      various time-intervals post-injection with the actual physiological location of
      the 65Zn, revealed that the initial pool (Qa) is primarily the blood plasma,
      while the second pool (Qb) is primarily within the liver. The plasma Zn
      concentration and Qa were both found to fall reproducibly during Zn depletion,
      whereas Qa and Qb increased following injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin in
      contrast to the decline in plasma Zn concentration. Further investigation of the
      nature of Qb indicates that it represents in part a metabolic pool within the
      liver which varies substantially in response to Zn status in a manner similar to
      metallothionein.

PMID- 1878359
TI  - Iron absorption during normal human pregnancy: a study using stable isotopes.
AB  - The absorption of iron has been determined in nine healthy women studied serially
      during pregnancy and once post delivery. Following the oral administration of 5
      mg aqueous 54FeSO4 plus ascorbic acid and the intravenous injection of 200
      micrograms 57FeSO4, the isotope ratios of 54Fe: 56Fe and 57Fe: 56Fe in serum were
      measured by the use of inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry whereby metal
      ions are vaporized into an argon plasma without previous blood sample
      preparation. Mean oral Fe absorption was 7.6 (range 1-22)% at 12 weeks gestation,
      21.1 (range 9-58)% at 24 weeks, 37.4 (range 18-56)% at 36 weeks and 26.3 (range 8
      54)% at 12 weeks post delivery. All the other biochemical and haematological
      indices were within normal limits for pregnancy. The significant increase (P less
      than 0.01) in Fe absorption during normal pregnancy suggests that most women
      would have the potential to meet the Fe demands of pregnancy without the need for
      supplementation if dietary Fe has similar availability to the aqueous
      preparation.

PMID- 1878360
TI  - Disposition kinetics and dosage regimen of vitamin E administered intramuscularly
      to sheep.
AB  - Three experiments were conducted to estimate the effects of single intramuscular
      (IM) administrations of vitamin E on blood plasma and tissue concentrations of
      alpha-tocopherol in sheep. In Expt 1, plasma kinetics of alpha-tocopherol in
      sheep (n 30) were investigated following IM administration of three doses (ten
      sheep/dose) of DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg live weight).
      Plasma profiles of alpha-tocopherol consisted of a lag phase followed by an
      apparent first-order absorption and elimination phase. The rate of absorption and
      elimination, as well as the lag phase, were independent of the dose, but the
      extent of absorption was directly proportional to dose. In Expt 2 (eighteen
      experimental and five control sheep), the animals were injected as in Expt 1 and
      were killed at 0, 80 and 176 h. Increases in alpha-tocopherol levels in organs
      were much higher than in plasma. Some tissues such as liver, spleen, lung and
      adrenal appeared to exhibit rapid absorption and elimination phases. The amount
      absorbed was proportional to the dose administered. Other organs such as heart,
      kidney and pancreas had a slow elimination rate. In Expt 3, D-alpha-tocopherol
      was injected IM into ten sheep at either 604 mg or 1208 mg. The mean hepatic
      alpha-tocopherol concentrations in both groups rose rapidly and after 4 weeks of
      dosing its concentrations were higher than the predosing levels. The increase in
      hepatic tocopherol concentrations were higher following 1208 mg dosing than 604
      mg D-alpha-tocopherol. No simple relationship existed between plasma and hepatic
      alpha-tocopherol concentrations. This suggests a difference in body mechanisms
      controlling vitamin E in blood and liver.

PMID- 1878361
TI  - Riboflavin deficiency in the rat: effects on iron utilization and loss.
AB  - Iron absorption and daily loss of Fe were measured in riboflavin-deficient (B2-)
      Norwegian hooded rats and controls (B2+). Animals were fed on a test meal
      extrinsically labelled with 59Fe and whole-body radioactivity measured for 15 d.
      Riboflavin deficiency led to a reduction in the percentage of the 59Fe dose
      absorbed and an increased rate of 59Fe loss. All post-absorption 59Fe loss could
      be accounted for by faecal 59Fe, confirming that the loss was gastrointestinal.
      Fe concentrations and 59Fe as a percentage of retained whole-body 59Fe were
      higher in the small intestine of riboflavin-deficient animals than their
      controls, 14 d after the test meal. A separate experiment demonstrated that
      riboflavin deficiency was associated with a significant proliferative response of
      the duodenal crypts of the small intestine. These observations may explain the
      enhanced Fe loss in riboflavin deficiency.

PMID- 1878362
TI  - Carrageenan-induced granuloma and iron status in rats with dietary
      polyunsaturated fatty acid deficiency.
AB  - Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 4 months on a control diet or a polyunsaturated
      fatty-acid (PUFA)-deficient diet. The combined effects of iron overload (Fe
      dextran) or Fe deficiency (desferrioxamine) on carrageenan-induced granuloma were
      studied. PUFA deficiency induced changes in Fe metabolism, but no alterations in
      lipid peroxidation variables were observed. Inflammation implied an increase in
      lipid peroxidation, Fe storage and caeruloplasmin concentration, together with
      symptoms of anaemia. PUFA deficiency in inflamed rats gave rise to a lower
      inflammatory response (granuloma weight and prostaglandin E2 concentration) and
      ethane exhalation. Fe overload potentiated inflammatory and lipid peroxidation
      processes, whereas Fe deficiency decreased them.

PMID- 1878363
TI  - Issues relating to nutrient analysis.

PMID- 1878364
TI  - Membrane vesicles in the study of transport processes: a critical analysis of the
      experimental procedure.
AB  - A critical analysis of the use of membrane vesicles in the study of cotransport
      processes is presented. Transport experiments were simulated according to two
      different models, stressing those conditions that seemed more relevant in
      affecting the measurements. In particular, we observed that the experimental Vmax
      values were underestimated. This underevaluation depended on the incubation time
      employed to measure the initial uptake rate and on the time necessary to wash the
      vesicles. Also the temperature and the composition of the washing solution,
      together with the Q10 of the transport process taken into consideration, had a
      consistent influence on the uptake. All the above mentioned effects were affected
      by the vesicle volume: the smaller the volume, the greater the underestimate of
      the uptake. This theoretical analysis underlines, on the one side, that the
      experimental data should be interpreted with some caution, on the other, that the
      examined procedure allows an internal check of its validity by adopting suitable
      simulations of the experiments. The use of the presented models as a tool for the
      planning and the critical analysis of the experimental results is suggested.

PMID- 1878365
TI  - Influence of phloretin and alcohols on barrier defects in the erythrocyte
      membrane caused by oxidative injury and electroporation.
AB  - Oxidative damage by diamide, periodate and oxygen-derived reactive species, but
      also exposure to electroporation induce in the erythrocyte membrane dynamic,
      presumably fluctuating, defects having the properties of aqueous holes with
      definable radii and selectivities. These leaks, which can be quantified by
      measuring tracer fluxes or rates of colloid-osmotic lysis, are here shown to be
      inhibited by phloretin and a small number of related phenol compounds
      (phenolphthalein, hydroxyacetophenones, nitrophenol), while a host of other
      'membrane-active' agents is not effective in this respect. I50 values range from
      about 200 microM for phloretin and phenolphthalein to about 10 mM for 4
      nitrophenol. Inhibition by phloretin is reversible, not competitive and not
      related in its extent to the extent of leakiness. In contrast, the enhancement of
      transbilayer mobility of amphiphilic lipid probes, which invariably goes along
      with leak formation of the type described, is not affected by phloretin.
      Aliphatic alcohols (hexanol, butanol) have an amplifying effect on leaks induced
      by oxidative damage but do not affect leaks induced by electroporation. The
      alcohol-amplified leaks maintain the properties of aqueous holes as indicated by
      a low activation energy of leak fluxes. Since both, inhibition and stimulation of
      leak fluxes do not go along with appreciable changes of the apparent radii of the
      aqueous holes, changes in the dynamics (opening and closing) of the defects are
      proposed to underly the effects of phloretin and alkanols. The membrane lipid
      domain is likely to be the site of the leaks and of their modulation.

PMID- 1878366
TI  - pH-dependent lipid packing, membrane permeability and fusion in
      phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
AB  - We have studied the rate of membrane fusion, the lipid dynamics and order and the
      membrane permeability of phosphatidylcholine vesicles as a function of pH.
      Acidification induced very different effects depending on the state of the
      bilayer. In liquid-crystalline bilayers, acidification decreased the rate of
      membrane fusion, the acyl chain motion and disorder and the rate of K+ release,
      whereas in solid bilayers acidification increased the rate of membrane fusion,
      the lipid acyl chain disorder and the rate of K+ release. These pH-dependent
      modifications are interpreted in terms of conformational and/or packing changes
      of the phosphatidylcholine head group in the membrane. In solid bilayers, these
      changes are not easily accommodated by the rigid structure, and the resulting
      stress leads to an unstable bilayer.

PMID- 1878367
TI  - Changes of the compositional asymmetry of phospholipids associated to the
      increment in the membrane surface potential.
AB  - The contribution of phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylserine (PS) to the
      outer negative membrane surface potential was studied in normal, PS-rich and PI
      rich yeast cells. Under carefully defined conditions; PS and PE were quantified
      by using the non-penetrating chemical probe trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)
      and the PI by degradation with a specific phospholipase C. An asymmetric
      distribution of phospholipids in the plasma membrane with more PS (80-90%), PI
      (70-85%) and PE (70-85%) in the inner leaflet was found. When compared to normal
      cells there were 3-times more PI and 2-times more PS in the outer leaflet of the
      PI-rich and PS-rich cells. These values are consistent with the two-times
      increased surface potential in these cells. Interestingly, the contribution of PI
      was around twice the contribution of PS to the surface potential in the cells
      studied. When compared to normal cells there was a two-times increased
      accessibility of PS to TNBS in the PI-rich cells and the accessibility of PI to
      phospholipase C was also increased two-times in the PS-rich cells, while the
      proportion of derivatized PE was similar in all cells. Taking into account that
      the amount of PI is similar in normal cells and PS-rich cells and the amount of
      PS is similar in PI-rich cells and normal cells, a charge driven transbilayer
      transport of acidic phospholipids can be proposed.

PMID- 1878368
TI  - Uptake and endocytic pathway of transferrin and iron in perfused rat liver.
AB  - Uptake and distribution of transferrin and iron in perfused rat liver are
      dependent on perfusion temperature, time and uptake affinity. Transferrin passes
      at least two different compartments on its receptor-mediated recycling pathway,
      which are separable by centrifugation in a shallow Nycodenz gradient. Perfusion
      at lowered temperature (16 degrees C) is sufficient for internalization of
      transferrin and iron. Passage of radiolabelled iron to other than endosomal
      compartments as well as recycling of labelled transferrin are largely suppressed
      at this perfusion temperature, as much less is released by further perfusion with
      unlabelled transferrin than at 4 degrees C where the ligand is largely washed off
      the surface, or 37 degrees C, where the recycling pathway is operating. But also
      at lowered temperature only a part of the iron in endosomal fractions can be
      assigned to transferrin. A considerable part of the total uptake of transferrin
      and iron can be attributed to low-affinity mechanisms even at very low
      transferrin concentrations. Transferrin receptors are concentrated in endosomal
      fractions in comparison to fractions representing different plasma membrane
      domains of the liver. Endosomal fractions specifically display detergent
      activated NADH-acceptor oxidoreductase which may be part of the iron uptake
      system.

PMID- 1878369
TI  - Phase transition of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol bilayers induced by electric
      field pulses.
AB  - The phase transition of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) bilayers has been
      studied by measurements of light scattering under high electric field pulses.
      Midpoints of phase transitions have been identified by a clear discontinuity of
      field induced relaxation amplitudes. We show that the phase transition of DMPG
      suspensions in monovalent salt is virtually independent of the electric field
      strength up to approx. 35 kV/cm. A shift of the lipid phase by electric field
      pulses has been observed, however, for DMPG suspensions in the presence of Ca2+
      ions. DMPG suspensions exhibit a jump of the phase transition temperature from 17
      degrees C at Ca/DMPG molar ratios r less than 1/7 to 32 degrees C at r greater
      than 1/7. Field pulses of 60 to 100 microseconds applied to DMPG suspensions with
      Ca2+ at r greater than 1/7 induce discontinuities of relaxation amplitudes in the
      temperature range 15 to 22 degrees C in addition to the 'standard' one at 32
      degrees C, when the electric field strength is above 15 kV/cm. These results
      indicate that electric field pulses induce a transition from the phase formed at
      'high' Ca(2+)- to the one formed at 'low' Ca(2+)-ion concentrations. Our results
      are consistent with a dissociation field effect on Ca(2+)-lipid complexes which
      drives the phase transition.

PMID- 1878370
TI  - A study on peroxidative damage of the porcine intestinal brush-border membranes
      using a fluorogenic thiol reagent, N-(1-pyrene)maleimide.
AB  - To examine the effects of lipid peroxidation on the protein conformation in the
      porcine intestinal brush-border membranes, a fluorogenic thiol reagent, N-(1
      pyrene)maleimide (NPM) was employed. By treatment of NPM-labeled membranes with
      100 microM ascorbic acid/10 microM Fe2+ in the presence of various concentrations
      of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), the fluorescence intensity of the complex
      decreased with the formation of conjugated diene, depending on the hydroperoxide
      concentration. The temperature dependence profile of the fluorescence intensity
      of NPM-labeled control membranes showed a thermal transition of the NPM
      fluorescence at 27-28 degrees C. The transition phenomenon of the NPM
      fluorescence in the membranes around this temperature disappeared by treatment of
      the labeled membranes with 100 microM ascorbic acid/10 microM Fe2+/0.6 mM t
      BuOOH. The difference in response of the fluorescence characteristics of the
      bound NPM for temperature variation between the control and peroxidized membranes
      was also observed in the quenching efficiency with acrylamide. Measurement of the
      fluorescence polarization revealed that the harmonic mean of the rotational
      relaxation times of the bound NPM molecules to the membrane proteins increased
      from 1.96 to 4.93 microseconds by lipid peroxidation of the membranes. This
      indicates that the movement of the region containing NPM-labeled SH groups in the
      membrane proteins is restricted by lipid peroxidation. Treatment of NPM-labeled
      peroxidized membranes with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) resulted in a restoration
      of the intensity of the NPM fluorescence to the level of the control ones. In
      addition, the temperature dependence profile of the fluorescence intensity of NPM
      labeled peroxidized membranes in the presence of SDS also showed an appearance of
      a transition phenomenon around 30 degrees C. The result of SDS-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis of the peroxidized membranes revealed that high-molecular-weight
      aggregates of the membrane proteins were not formed by lipid peroxidation. On the
      basis of these results, changes in the environmental properties around NPM
      labeled SH groups in the membrane proteins by lipid peroxidation are discussed.

PMID- 1878371
TI  - Comparisons of steady-state anisotropy of the plasma membrane of living cells
      with different probes.
AB  - We have used an extended Perrin equation which was in agreement with literature
      data for steady-state anisotropy (rSS) for a wide variety of artificial and
      isolated biological membranes labeled with various probes (Van der Meer et al.
      (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 854, 38-44 to obtain the static component (r
      infinity) for the intact plasma membranes of living cells. We show that lipid
      structural order parameters can be obtained for DPH and TMA-DPH in the plasma
      membranes of intact cells. We have examined the relationship between 'fractional
      limiting hindered anisotropy', r infinity/r0, which is related to the lipid
      structural order parameter, of DPH, TMA-DPH, DPHpPC, and a series of depth
      dependent probes (n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acids, with n = 2-16), using data from
      19 cell types. There was a linear relationship between r infinity/r0 values of
      DPH and TMA-DPH, but the relationship between either of these probes was non
      linear with respect to DPHpPC or the series of fatty acid probes. The
      relationship between r infinity/r0 values of DPHpPC and the series of fatty acid
      probes was linear, suggesting that they not only undergo similar motions in the
      membrane, but also experience similar types of restriction to motion, a type
      which is different from that experienced by DPH and TMA-DPH. We show that for the
      plasma membranes of living cells, 'second degree' order parameters can be
      estimated for DPH and TMA-DPH, and propose that the parameter r infinity/r0, or
      the 'fractional limiting hindered anisotropy', analogous to a 'first degree'
      order parameter, can be estimated for DPHpPC and the depth-dependent fatty acid
      probes to evaluate the density of membrane packing.

PMID- 1878372
TI  - Active and monomeric human red cell glucose transporter after high performance
      molecular-sieve chromatography in the presence of octyl glucoside and
      phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylcholine.
AB  - The human red cell glucose transporter (Glut 1) was purified by ion-exchange
      chromatography in the presence of octyl glucoside. The state of association of
      the protein was studied, and the transport activity was determined after exchange
      of copurified membrane lipids for phosphatidylserine (PS) or phosphatidylcholine
      (PC). The purpose was to analyze the Glut 1 preparation for homogeneity and
      activity prior to attempts at crystallization. Analyses by high performance
      molecular-sieve chromatography showed that the Glut 1 was monomeric immediately
      after the ion-exchange purification: the Mr of the Glut 1 polypeptide was
      estimated to be 49,000 +/- 6000 by TSKgel G3000SW chromatography monitored by low
      angle laser light-scattering photometry, differential refractometry and UV
      photometry. This required determination of the absorption coefficient of the Glut
      1, which was measured to be 1.13 +/- 0.03 ml mg-1 cm-1 at 280 nm, referring to
      the polypeptide concentration. The Mr value is consistent with the cDNA-deduced
      Mr 54,117 of the very similar HepG2 glucose transporter polypeptide. At 2 degrees
      C, pH 7 and an ionic strength of 0.06 M, the Glut 1 associated gradually during
      three days to form oligomers. These formed much more rapidly at room temperature
      or at high ionic strength. Freshly prepared Glut 1 retained high activity after
      separation from membrane lipids on a TSKgel G3000SW column in the presence of 40
      mM octyl glucoside and 1 mM PS or PC. In contrast, most of the activity was lost
      when the membrane lipids were separated from the protein in the absence of eluent
      lipids. The presence of a phospholipid was thus essential for retention of high
      activity of the Glut 1 in octyl glucoside and PC was nearly as effective as PS.

PMID- 1878373
TI  - Purification of a K(+)-channel protein of sarcoplasmic reticulum by assaying the
      channel activity in the planar lipid bilayer system.
AB  - A K(+)-channel protein of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) was purified by
      assaying the channel activity in a planar lipid bilayer system. The light
      fraction of SR vesicles was solubilized in 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]
      1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) and fractionated by an anion-exchange chromatography
      and followed by gel filtration chromatography and affinity chromatography with
      concanavalin A. All fractions in each steps were mixed with asolectin solubilized
      in CHAPS and reconstituted into vesicles by dialysis. The channel activity of
      each fraction was assayed after the reconstituted vesicles had been fused into a
      planar lipid bilayer. The final fraction which showed the K(+)-channel activity
      contained only 100 kDa protein in a silver-stained gel after SDS-PAGE and an anti
      Ca(2+)-ATPase antibody did not recognize the protein. The characteristics of the
      K(+)-channel were identical to those observed in native SR vesicles when using
      the same method. The channel showed a single-channel conductance of 120 pS in 0.1
      M KCl and marked voltage dependence. The channel did not permeate Ca2+ and Cl-
      and was blocked by neomycin B.

PMID- 1878374
TI  - Comparative electrophysiological study of reconstituted giant vesicle
      preparations of the rabbit skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum K+ channel.
AB  - Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle were
      reconstituted into two types of giant vesicles: (1) Giant proteoliposomes
      prepared by freeze-thawing of a mixture of SR vesicles and sonicated phospholipid
      vesicles without the use of detergent. (2) Giant SR vesicles prepared by fusion
      of SR vesicles using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a fusogen and without the
      addition of exogenous lipid. These giant vesicles were patch-clamped and
      properties of the single voltage-dependent potassium channel in the excised patch
      were studied. Single-channel conductance in a symmetrical solution of 0.1 M KCl
      and 1 mM CaCl2 was 140.0 +/- 10 pS (n = 5) for freeze-thawed vesicles and 136.4
      +/- 15 pS (n = 7) for PEG vesicles. Both types of vesicles exhibited a sub
      conductance state having 55% of the fully open state conductance. The voltage
      dependence of open-channel probability could be expressed in terms of
      thermodynamic parameters of delta Gi = 0.95 kcal/mol and z = -0.77 for freeze
      thawed vesicles and delta Gi = 0.92 kcal/mol and z = -0.87 for PEG vesicles.
      These values correlated well with previous data obtained by fusion of native SR
      vesicles with a planar lipid membrane. Channel orientation was found to be
      conserved in both types of vesicles used in the present study.

PMID- 1878375
TI  - The effects of density fluctuations on the partitioning of foreign molecules into
      lipid bilayers: application to anaesthetics and insecticides.
AB  - An extensive computer-simulation study is performed on a simple but general
      molecular model recently proposed (Jorgensen et al. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Acta
      1062, 277-238) to describe foreign molecules interacting with lipid bilayers. The
      model is a multi-state lattice model of the main bilayer transition in which the
      foreign molecules are assumed to intercalate at interstitial lattice positions.
      Specific as well as non-specific interactions between the foreign molecules and
      the lipid acyl chains are considered. Particular attention is paid to the
      fluctuating properties of the membrane and how the presence of the foreign
      molecules modulates these fluctuations in the transition region. By means of
      computer-stimulation techniques, a detailed account is given of the macroscopic
      as well as microscopic consequences of the fluctuations. The macroscopic
      consequences of the fluctuations are seen in the thermal anomalies of the
      specific heat and the passive trans-membrane permeability. Microscopically, the
      fluctuations manifest themselves in lipid-domain formation in the transition
      region which implies an effective dynamic membrane heterogeneity. Within the
      model it is found that certain anaesthetics and insecticides which are
      characterised by specific interactions with the lipids have a strong effect on
      the heterogeneity of the membrane inducing regions of locally very high
      concentration of the foreign molecules. This leads to a broadening of the
      specific heat peak and a maximum in the membrane/water partition coefficient.
      These results are in accordance with available experimental data for volatile
      general anaesthetics like halothane, local anaesthetics like cocain derivatives,
      and insecticides like lindane.

PMID- 1878376
TI  - Evidence for the activity of a phospholipid exchange protein in vivo.
AB  - Liposomes containing a self quenching concentration of a fluorescent
      phosphatidylethanolamine analog, were microinjected into Chinese hamster ovary
      cells. Immediately after microinjection, little intracellular fluorescence was
      observed. 10 min post-injection, labeling of the nuclear envelope and
      mitochondria became evident. Combined with control studies, our results suggest
      that phospholipid exchange protein(s) facilitates phosphatidylethanolamine
      movement in vivo.

PMID- 1878377
TI  - [Film-screen combinations for mammography].
AB  - Optimizing and standardizing mammography as well as its quality assurance are
      gaining in importance with regard to the screening programmes that are being
      initiated for the early detection of breast cancer. In Germany, the guidelines of
      the Bundesarztekammer, the directives implementing section 4 and section 16 of
      the Rontgenverordnung and the standards DIN 6868, Part 7 and 52 are available.
      The data in these standards concerning tolerances and guide values for physical
      variables of the imaging system are only partially consistent. This also applies
      to the comparison with the document "Quality criteria for x-ray exposures in
      medical diagnostics" of the Commission of the European Communities. The different
      statements concerning the switch-off value of the dose in particular, reflect an
      uncertainty as to how unsharpness and noise of the image receptor impair the
      medical value of the images. With regard to the increased demands for visual
      resolution capacity, it can be stated that the "Medical quality requirements" and
      the "Radiographic guide-lines" harmonize with one another only inadequately.
      Contrast is one of the most important image quality parameters in mammography.
      Practically no statement is made on this in the available documents. One reason
      for the present unsatisfactory situation is certainly the especially high demands
      placed on image quality in mammography. In the present paper, these points of
      criticism are discussed in detail and proposals for closer specification and
      better delineation of the physical image quality parameters are submitted.

PMID- 1878378
TI  - [A modified radiographic technique for the x-ray study of the paranasal sinuses].
AB  - A cassette frame holder enabling two partial radiograms of the paranasal sinuses
      in different projections on a single x-ray film is described.

PMID- 1878379
TI  - [Genetic injuries caused by radiation and other harmful environmental
      pollutants].
AB  - Cancer may be induced by chemicals, ionizing radiation and certain viruses. The
      first causal relationships between occupation and increase in cancer have been
      reported two and half centuries ago. In the meantime, many other occupational
      toxicants have been identified as cancer inducing agents. However, quantitative
      risk estimates can be established in a few cases only. On the other hand, modern
      epidemiological investigations have brought about the main causes of cancer in
      highly civilized populations as certain life-styles; approximately 35% are
      attributed to inadequate diet and nutrition, 30% to tobacco, 7% are hormone
      related in context with human reproduction, 4% due to occupational exposures, 3%
      may be caused by alcohol consumption, 1,5% by UV radiation and 1% by medicines
      (cytostatics included). Cancer risks from radiation exposure are comparatively
      very low. Although radiation can be measured precisely and reliably as physical
      units, cancers induced by nuclear weapon fallout and precipitation from the
      accident of Chernobyl will never be detected by epidemiological methods due to
      their minimal proportions. The attribution of causes obtained in this way allows
      for the conclusion: human cancers are mostly due to chemically definable factors,
      and thus are avoidable.

PMID- 1878380
TI  - [Balloon dilatation and local thrombolysis in massive pulmonary embolism--initial
      results of a new therapy concept].
AB  - The high mortality rate among patients suffering from massive pulmonary embolism
      makes it imperative to act quickly. The first and foremost goal must be to lower
      the pulmonary pressure rapidly and to relieve the right ventricle. In three
      patients with massive pulmonary embolism we therefore tried to crush the thrombus
      by means of a balloon catheter. The diameters of the balloons were adapted to the
      size of the vessels to be treated; the balloon diameters were between 10 and 20
      mm. Recanalisation resulted in a rapid improvement of perfusion and haemodynamic
      relief of the right ventricle. This was clinically documented by the drop in
      pulmonary pressure levels and an impressive improvement of general well-being.
      Dilation was followed by thrombolytic therapy adapted to the relevant situation.
      This method of thrombus crushing by means of balloon catheters is indicated in
      case if massive thrombi in the main stem of the a. pulmonalis, with elevated
      pulmonary pressure levels, and corresponding clinical signs and symptoms. It can
      follow alternatively as a first possibility of pressure relief directly after
      diagnostic pulmangiography. The initial clinical results of this new treatment
      method are most encouraging. Complications have not been observed so far.

PMID- 1878381
TI  - [Thoracic intervertebral disk prolapse--the place of imaging procedures].
AB  - MR tomography is now considered to be the examination method of choice in
      diagnosis of thoracic vertebral disk prolapses, since all the other imaging
      methods do not lend themselves easily to this task. The advantages of MR are that
      it is non-invasive, that the soft parts yield strong contrasts, and that
      multiplanar sections are possible; sagittal section is particularly useful in the
      preoperatively important correct localisation of the height. CT proved of equal
      value only in calcified disk prolapse. However, since calcification does not
      entail any additional therapeutic consequences, MR can be used in this case too
      as a leading imaging method. If MR can be applied, myelography and myelo-CT
      should be set aside.

PMID- 1878382
TI  - [Sonographic findings in trauma-induced liver injuries].
AB  - In 12 of 49 patients operated on for liver injuries we performed sonographic
      examination of the abdomen on admission to hospital within the framework of
      emergency diagnostics. The most sensitive finding was the identification of the
      presence of intraabdominal free fluid. The liver injury itself was
      sonographically diagnosed in only 5 patients. Sonographically, an additional
      injury of the spleen was found in 2 of 3 patients; in one patient it was possible
      to detect an injury of the kidney.

PMID- 1878383
TI  - [Atypical bone metastases in prostate cancer].
AB  - Two cases of prostatic cancer with single bone metastasis in the tibia are
      discussed. The intense uniform involvement of a solitary limb bone with high
      perfusion and blood pool activity in the 3-phase bone scan and the positive white
      blood cell scan (observed in one case) were not typical for a metastatic bone
      lesion. Conventional radiomorphology--lamellar, periosteal reaction, disseminated
      medullar sclerosis, no localized lesion--also led to other differential
      considerations such as osteomyelitis and malignant lymphoma, which could not be
      specified by CT and MRI. Even if there is no typical morphology in scintigraphic
      and radiologic imaging, biopsy should be performed to exclude bone metastasis in
      prostatic cancer.

PMID- 1878384
TI  - [Diagnostic imaging and treatment of an invasive thymoma together with myasthenia
      gravis].
AB  - A 40-year old woman with an invasive thymoma and myasthenia gravis is described
      in this article. Chest-x-ray, CT and MRI of the mediastinum could not offer
      definite results on tumour malignancy. Radical surgical removal was the
      consequence. This revealed a tumour infiltration of the pleura and pericardium;
      hence an adjuvant irradiation must have been performed. Mestinon--treatment was
      afterwards gradually reduced.

PMID- 1878385
TI  - [Observations on the same or different conditions as the cause of the same or
      different overload damage].
AB  - Under identical conditions, the same changes develop if the spinal column is
      overstrained/overburdened. Under varying conditions, varying changes develop if
      the spinal column is overstrained/overburdened. Conversely, on presentation of an
      x-ray conclusions can be drawn from which conditions the changes have resulted.

PMID- 1878386
TI  - [Digital archiving and communication in hospitals].
AB  - Different concepts and already available components of a HIS (Hospital
      Information System) for archiving all data in a hospital are described. Using the
      example of the Kiel University Hospital, it is shown that a complete HIS-system
      can be made from already commercially available components.

PMID- 1878387
TI  - [Techniques, results and risks of chemoembolization of malignant liver tumors].
AB  - This is a report on 55 chemoembolizations (ChE) in 31 patients with primary (n =
      10) and secondary (n = 21) liver malignomas. Probing of the segmental arteries
      was always possible by means of a coaxially placed 3F catheter system.
      Chemoembolization was effected with a mixture of ivalon particles, 20 mg
      mitomycin or 40-60 mg epirubicin and an ethibloc solution. More than 75% of the
      patients showed a decrease in tumour size and/or tumour density. The proportion
      of surviving patients was 80.6% after 6 months. Within this period, extrahepatic
      metastases were seen for the first time in 19.4% of the patients. References in
      literature on techniques and results of chemoembolization are discussed.

PMID- 1878388
TI  - Three-dimensional imaging of the anal sphincter: a new approach to anorectal
      manometry.
AB  - Anorectal dysfunction can be an extreme embarrassment and inconvenience to
      persons afflicted with the condition, disrupting their lifestyle. Evaluation of
      the anal sphincter and the distinction between muscular and neural etiology is
      essential. Three-dimensional imaging of the anal sphincter by use of anorectal
      manometry with an eight-port perfused catheter combined with computer analysis
      aids in defining anal sphincter function. The use of three-dimensional imaging is
      valuable to the physician in the determination of the presence of a muscular
      defect, the location of the defect and the appropriateness of surgical
      intervention to resolve the anal dysfunction.

PMID- 1878389
TI  - Practical considerations of the gastrostomy button.
AB  - Low-profile gastrostomy replacement devices (LPGRDs), also called gastrostomy
      buttons, provide patients with a desirable alternative to traditional catheters.
      Contraindications to LPGRDs include acutely angled gastrostomy tracts, tracts
      created with a mucosa lining, the need for jejunal feedings or significant
      decompression, planned retroesophageal dilation and tracts that are longer than
      the LPGRDs. Gastrostomy and patient considerations lead to a variety of
      scheduling practices. Management adaptations help maintain LPGRD patency and
      functioning of the anti-reflux valve and plug. Other adaptations are necessary
      for patients receiving thickened feedings or medications per gastrostomy, needing
      intermittent decompression or having high intra-abdominal pressure. Determining
      the correct LPGRD size and dilating the tract or cauterizing conclude this
      discussion which is summarized in a checklist following the text.

PMID- 1878390
TI  - Position statement. Responsibilities of the gastroenterology registered nurse
      related to conscious sedation.

PMID- 1878391
TI  - Position statement. Manipulation of endoscopes during endoscopic procedures by
      gastroenterology nurses and associates.

PMID- 1878392
TI  - A new approach to esophageal varices: endoscopic variceal ligation.
AB  - Bleeding from esophageal varices is a devastating complication of portal
      hypertension and is associated with a high mortality rate. The management goals
      for this group of patients are to achieve hemostasis in the acute phase, reduce
      variceal size, reduce the potential of rebleeding and eliminate varices with a
      follow-up program. For the past two decades, the gold standard of treatment has
      been endoscopic sclerotherapy but at the expense of many complications, which
      often cause serious morbidity. Endoscopic variceal ligation was developed as an
      alternative to endoscopic sclerotherapy. The experience to date shows that the
      goals of therapy can be achieved with fewer complications than those associated
      with sclerotherapy.

PMID- 1878393
TI  - The transition to video: considerations for the GI laboratory manager.
AB  - During the past few years, endoscopic technology has moved increasingly toward
      the use of video equipment. As a GI laboratory manager, one is confronted with
      many tasks in converting the unit practice from fiberoptic equipment to video
      equipment. This article will examine the steps in that process.

PMID- 1878394
TI  - Techniques in performing continuous distal esophageal pH monitoring in infants.
AB  - Clinically significant gastroesophageal reflux in infants can be diagnosed
      accurately by using sophisticated recording equipment and standardized procedure
      methods. Consistency in the performance of continuous distal esophageal pH
      monitoring will provide precise, reliable and accurate results.

PMID- 1878395
TI  - Blood and blood product administration.

PMID- 1878396
TI  - Towards a process evaluation model for community-based initiatives aimed at
      preventing the spread of HIV amongst injecting drug users.
AB  - An action research model is presented for the evaluation of community-based
      interventions. The short- and long-term application of this model is illustrated
      by means of a study of a community drug team which was initiated to prevent the
      spread of HIV infection amongst substance misusers in south-west London. A client
      caseload of 155 was monitored over a year-long period and the results used to
      evaluate the extent to which the CDT had achieved its stated aims and objectives.
      Other tools used in the evaluation and monitoring were surveys of generic,
      specialist and general practitioner services, and needs assessment of samples of
      drug users. The potential of the model is explored, both in terms of its research
      role and in facilitating service development. The value of action research
      methodology in assessing HIV/AIDS prevention is stressed.

PMID- 1878397
TI  - Stressors and rewards of being an AIDS emotional-support volunteer: a scale for
      use by care-givers for people with AIDS.
AB  - This study describes scales which can be used to identify the levels of stress
      and reward associated with being a AIDS emotional-support volunteer. Four
      categories of stressors were identified. These were 'emotional overload', 'client
      problems', 'lack of support' and 'lack of training'. The reward categories were
      'personal effectiveness', 'emotional support', 'social support' and 'empathy/self
      knowing'. There were low, but positive correlations between these stressor scales
      and other measures of psychological morbidity, the 28-item General Health
      Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Levels of stress and
      reward were positively correlated and, taken together, the scales may be of use
      as a measure of the degree of involvement of volunteers in the AIDS care-giving
      process. Although these scales were derived from items provided from AIDS
      emotional-support volunteers many of the items may also be relevant to other
      health workers providing care for people with AIDS.

PMID- 1878398
TI  - Compulsory HIV antibody testing, universal precautions and the perceived risk of
      HIV: a survey among medical students and consultant staff at a London teaching
      hospital.
AB  - Routine screening of patients and health care staff for HIV has not been endorsed
      by the medical profession. Instead universal precautions have been recommended as
      being the most effective way of minimizing the occupational risk of HIV
      infection. Consultant staff and undergraduate medical students at the Royal Free
      Hospital and School of Medicine, London, were asked about their attitudes towards
      compulsory HIV antibody testing, their compliance with universal precautions and
      their perceived risk of HIV infection. A substantial proportion of staff and
      students supported compulsory HIV antibody testing for patients, health care
      workers and certain subgroups of the population. Most of the clinical students
      and about half the consultants failed to comply with universal precautions. Staff
      and students saw themselves at greater risk of HIV infection in the hospital than
      in their personal lives. Clearly, these beliefs and practices must be taken into
      account when introducing a policy of universal precautions.

PMID- 1878399
TI  - Counselling patients with HIV infection about laboratory tests with predictive
      values.
AB  - Laboratory tests, including CD4 counts, p24 antigen, raised levels of B2
      microglobulin, neopterin and CMV antibodies, have been established as important
      predictive markers of disease progression in patients with HIV infection. As HIV
      antibody testing becomes more accepted in medical practice, counselling about
      these laboratory predictors of progression can help patients and doctors plan
      together the patients' care and treatment. Addressing patients' main concerns at
      each stage of investigation and illness may help them to plan ahead of crises,
      reduce stress, and enhance communication between patients and health care
      providers.

PMID- 1878400
TI  - HIV infection in persons with prior mental retardation.
AB  - This paper presents five case studies of persons who were mentally retarded prior
      to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Particular emphasis is
      placed on neuropsychological functioning, and its interaction with management and
      treatment. The effects of HIV on neurological functioning in such persons has not
      been previously documented. Although it may be hypothesized that mentally
      retarded people are at increased risk for developing neurological complications,
      these preliminary data suggest this is not so and that the development of HIV
      related encephalopathy is no different in the mentally retarded, manifesting in
      the AIDS-related complex (ARC) and AIDS stages of illness. Within the context of
      HIV infection, the cognitive status of the mentally retarded creates unique
      treatment and management difficulties, and some guidelines are presented.

PMID- 1878401
TI  - Dimensions, content and validation of the fear of AIDS schedule in health
      professionals.
AB  - We examined the structure of the Fear of AIDS Schedule (FAIDSS) in a sample of
      134 health care workers. Factor analysis indicated that there were five discrete
      dimension of fear of AIDS: fears of loss of control, of sex, of HIV infection
      through blood and illness, of death and medical interventions, and of contact
      with outsiders. These dimensions had low to moderate intercorrelations. The
      dimensions of fear of HIV infection through blood or illness, was significantly
      correlated with desired personal social distance from people with AIDS, and this
      dimension along with fear of death and medical interventions were correlated with
      desired public social distance. Fear of infection through blood and illness were
      predictors of both desired personal social distance and public social distance
      from people with HIV infection. The data suggest greater discrimination of AIDS
      fears with greater closeness of interaction with people with HIV disease, and
      that these dimensions of the FAIDSS are both reliable and valid measures of AIDS
      fears.

PMID- 1878402
TI  - Quantitative analysis of burnout and its associated factors in AIDS nursing.
AB  - A study was conducted to examine burnout and associated factors in the nursing
      care of AIDS patients in the hospital setting. Oncology nurses served as a
      comparison group and 64 subjects completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
      Although nurses working in the area of Oncology suffered burnout with greater
      frequency, nurses working in the area of AIDS showed greater intensity of burnout
      after adjustment for frequency of burnout. The study identified hospital
      differences in burnout scores, lending support to the environmental model of
      burnout proposed by Maslach. Male nurses were as likely to suffer burnout as
      female nurses. Having previously worked in other stressful areas did not
      influence burnout scores. On the other hand nurses who had worked in a particular
      unit for a greater length of time were more likely to suffer burnout, and age
      significantly influenced burnout inversely.

PMID- 1878403
TI  - The impact of HIV upon injecting drug users: a longitudinal study.
AB  - This paper provides quantitative and qualitative material relating to concern
      about HIV infection and AIDS, HIV status and patterns of drug use, and sexual
      behaviour amongst 14 injecting drug users. It is part of a longitudinal study
      involving interviews with 115 regular illicit drug users conducted between
      December 1987 and June 1988, of whom 21 were current injectors. Follow-up
      interviews with 14 of these injectors were conducted between September 1989 and
      April 1990. Whilst there are some encouraging signs of behaviour change in
      relation to needle-sharing, sexual behaviour change was less apparent. It is
      concluded that there is still a long way to go in terms of encouraging,
      facilitating and supporting continued safer practices.

PMID- 1878404
TI  - The development of a community-based HIV/AIDS counselling service in a rural area
      in Uganda.
AB  - This paper describes the evolution of a counselling service in the context of an
      HIV/AIDS research programme in rural Uganda. The background to AIDS counselling
      both in Europe/America and in Africa is outlined first, and the cultural context
      of the programme explained. The evolution of the counselling procedure is then
      described and village case studies are used to illustrate the development and the
      difficulties that have been faced in finding an appropriate counselling model. It
      is noted that the Euro-American model of person-to-person counselling needs to be
      adapted to the rural African setting, by placing the emphasis on support for the
      family. It is emphasized that the approach to counselling needs to remain
      flexible and sensitive to the sociocultural context in which it is developed.

PMID- 1878405
TI  - World Health Organization Global AIDS Statistics.

PMID- 1878406
TI  - Sequence-selective DNA recognition by synthetic ligands.

PMID- 1878407
TI  - (N-succinimidyl 4-pentynoate)hexacarbonyldicobalt: a transition-metal carbonyl
      complex having similar uses to the Bolton-Hunter reagent.
AB  - The synthesis of the transition-metal carbonyl complex (N-succinimidyl 4
      pentynoate)hexacarbonyldicobalt [[(C4H4O2N)O(CO)CH2CH2C identical to CH]Co2(CO)6]
      is described. This cobalt carbonyl complex is structurally similar to the Bolton
      Hunter conjugation reagent and has been successfully employed as a nonradioactive
      tracer for labeling the drug carbamazepine. The metal carbonyl tracer can be
      detected at extremely low concentrations (ca. 1 pmol) by FT-IR spectroscopy in
      the v(CO) region (2150-1800 cm-1). The cobalt carbonyl labeled carbamazepine
      retains good recognition for anti-carbamazepine antibodies. This novel labeling
      procedure, which can be broadly termed carbonylmetalloimmunoassay (CMIA), has
      considerable potential for assaying a wide range of biological materials.

PMID- 1878408
TI  - Production of macrophage-derived cytotoxic factor by N-[3
      [(carbamoylmethyl)thio]propionylated] neoglycoproteins.
AB  - 6-Phosphomannosylated bovine serum albumin (Man6P-BSA), a neoglycoprotein
      endocytosed by macrophages, bearing either 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionyl or 3
      [(carbamoylmethyl)thio]propionyl residues coming from alkylation of thiol
      residues by iodoacetamide were prepared and tested for their immunomodulator
      properties. The supernatants of mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated with Man6P
      BSA bearing 3-[(carbamoylmethyl)thio]propionyl groups, and by a lesser extent 3
      (2-pyridyldithio)propionyl groups, were cytotoxic to L929 cells, suggesting the
      presence of a tumor necrosis factor like compound. This macrophage-activation
      process is linked to the capacity of Man6P-BSA to be endocytosed via membrane
      lectins of macrophages, because the supernatants of macrophages incubated with
      unglycosylated conjugates were not cytotoxic. The cytotoxic activity induced by 3
      [(carbamoylmethyl)thio]propionyl groups bound onto Man6P-BSA was similar to that
      induced by Man6P-BSA bearing muramyl dipeptide, indicating that endocytosed
      neoglycoproteins bearing 3-[(carbamoylmethyl)thio]propionyl residues are potent
      macrophage activators.

PMID- 1878409
TI  - Immunoadsorbents with synthetic oligosaccharide hapten representing blood group A
      substances.
AB  - Immunoadsorbents with a synthetic oligosaccharide hapten representing human blood
      group A specific substances are prepared. The synthetic hapten, known as A
      trisaccharide, which carries a space arm, is chemically attached to various solid
      supports, either directly through a suitable functional group at the end of the
      spacer arm or indirectly via a protein conjugated to the hapten. The preparation
      involves simple and mild procedures for the activation and/or derivatization of
      the supports. The latter includes naturally occurring polyhydroxy materials such
      as agarose, cellulose, or cellulose derivatives, and other particulate materials
      such as inorganic diatomites and a synthetic organic copolymer. The methods used
      for the coupling concern specifically the preparation of controlled-capacity and
      high-efficiency immunoadsorbents, with limited incorporations, which may be
      prepared easily and used for the selective removal, or affinity chromatographic
      separation, of specific antibodies from plasma environment or blood. It has been
      found that while hapten incorporation to the support may be varied rather easily,
      the physical nature of the support as well as the form of the hapten is important
      in determining the efficiency of an immunoadsorbent.

PMID- 1878410
TI  - Fluorine-18 labeling of monoclonal antibodies and fragments with preservation of
      immunoreactivity.
AB  - A new method is reported for labeling proteins with the positron-emitting nuclide
      18F. Initially, 4-[18F]-fluorobenzylamine was prepared in two steps from aqueous
      [18F]fluoride in high yield. The 18F acylation agent was formed by reaction of
      this product with disuccinimidyl suberate. Overall yields for the 4
      [18F]fluorobenzylamine succinimidyl ester ([18F]SFBS), decay corrected to the end
      of cyclotron bombardment, were about 30% in a synthesis time of 60 min. After a
      15-min reaction, 30-45% (decay corrected) of the [18F]SFBS could be coupled to
      intact antibodies and their F(ab')2 and Fab fragments. Coupling yields were
      dependent on protein concentration but not reaction time. HPLC purification of
      [18F]SFBS was necessary to obtain optimal coupling efficiency and
      immunoreactivity. The immunoreactivities of 18F-labeled F(ab')2 and Fab fragments
      of an antimyosin antibody were 89 +/- 5% and 75 +/- 9%, respectively.
      Biodistribution studies in normal mice demonstrated similar in vivo behavior of
      18F-labeled antibody fragments and those labeled with 125I by using N
      succinimidyl 3-[125I]iodobenzoate. These results indicate that this method may be
      useful for labeling monoclonal antibodies and other proteins and peptides with
      18F.

PMID- 1878411
TI  - N-succinimidyl 5-(trialkylstannyl)-3-pyridinecarboxylates: a new class of
      reagents for protein radioiodination.
AB  - N-Succinimidyl 5-(trialkylstannyl)-3-pyridinecarboxylates (alkyl = Me, Bu) have
      been prepared and used as a precursor to label N-succinimidyl 5-[131I]iodo-3
      pyridinecarboxylate (SIPC). SIPC was obtained in greater than 80% yield from
      either the methyl or butyl precursor with N-chlorosuccinimide and heating at 60
      65 degrees C. Significantly lower yields were observed with tert-butyl
      hydroperoxide. After a 30-min incubation with [131I]SIPC at pH 8.5, goat IgG, an
      intact monoclonal antibody (MAb), and a MAb F(ab')2 fragment were labeled in 60
      65% yield. Specific binding of the MAb and MAb fragment after SIPC labeling was
      identical with that observed with N-succinimidyl 3-iodobenzoate and higher than
      that reported previously for these MAbs after labeling by using the Iodogen
      method. When 5-[131I]iodonicotinic acid was injected into normal mice, thyroid
      uptake was less than 0.2% of the injected dose, reflecting the inertness of this
      compound to deiodination. Paired-label biodistribution studies indicate that for
      both the MAb and the F(ab')2 labeled by using SIPC, accumulation of activity in
      the thyroid and other tissues is comparable to that observed when these proteins
      were labeled by using N-succinimidyl 3-iodobenzoate. The results of this study
      suggest that SIPC may be a reagent for labeling MAbs with halogen nuclides.

PMID- 1878412
TI  - Models of membrane resonance in pigeon semicircular canal type II hair cells.
AB  - Pigeon vestibular semicircular canal type II hair cells often exhibit voltage
      oscillations following current steps that depolarize the cell membrane from its
      resting potential. Currents active around the resting membrane potential and most
      likely responsible for the observed resonant behavior are the Ca(++)-insensitive,
      inactivating potassium conductance IA (A-current) and delayed rectifier potassium
      conductance IK. Several equivalent circuits are considered as representative of
      the hair cell membrane behavior, sufficient to explain and quantitatively fit the
      observed voltage oscillations. In addition to the membrane capacitance and
      frequency-independent parallel conductance, a third parallel element whose
      admittance function is of second order is necessary to describe and accurately
      predict all of the experimentally obtained current and voltage responses. Even
      though most voltage oscillations could be fitted by an equivalent circuit in
      which the second order admittance term is overdamped (i.e., represents a type of
      current with two time constants, one of activation and the other of
      inactivation), the sharpest quality resonance obtained with small current steps
      (around 20 pA) from the resting potential could be satisfactorily fit only by an
      underdamped term.

PMID- 1878413
TI  - The role of structural symmetry in linearizing ocular reflexes.
AB  - This work presents a simulation study using an anatomically relevant model of the
      vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). The aim is to explore the functional properties of
      a bilateral structure in the premotor circuits of the oculomotor system. The
      major conclusions using sinusoidal inputs are: A bilateral structure in a sensory
      motor system improves its linear range beyond expected central limits, if
      provided with symmetric interconnections. Given a bilateral (push-pull) sensory
      arrangement, non-linear sensor characteristics are actually advantageous. The
      greatest improvement in linear range of the reflex (here VOR) relies on intact
      sensors on both sides. In the case of a single sensor (unilateral head velocity
      input), or unmatched bilateral sensors, this study predicts a decrease in the
      linear range and the appearance of a variable bias. These implications are
      compatible with available data and can be tested in a clinical environment.

PMID- 1878414
TI  - Probability density function of successive intervals of a nonhomogeneous Poisson
      process under low-frequency conditions.
AB  - The probability density function (pdf) of successive intervals of a truncated,
      nonhomogeneous Poisson process was examined under both low- and high-frequency
      conditions. In general, if the instantaneous rate contains a single frequency
      component, then the phase of this component is not represented in the interval
      pdf. However, if the instantaneous rate contains harmonically related components,
      with fundamental frequency of the same order as, or less than, the mean rate,
      then the phases of these components do appear in the interval pdf. Correction
      formulae for estimating synchronization indices under low-frequency conditions
      are derived.

PMID- 1878415
TI  - Simulation of local evolutionary dynamics of small populations.
AB  - A simple stochastic model assuming continuous traits, normally distributed
      modifications, selection for fertility and multiplicative fitness was used to
      simulate phenotypic evolution by "reproducing individuals" in a given fitness
      landscape. Of particular interest was how small populations cross saddles
      separating distinct adaptive peaks. The simulated evolution exhibits a strong
      dualism: at the same level of reproductive errors, sexual reproduction provides
      significantly better local adaptation and asexual reproduction provides
      significantly better adaptive dynamics.

PMID- 1878416
TI  - On the rate of convergence in topology preserving neural networks.
AB  - A formal analysis of the neighborhood interaction function selection in the
      topology preserving unsupervised neural network is presented in this paper. The
      definition of the neighborhood interaction function is motivated by anatomical
      evidence as opposed to what is currently used, which is a uniform neighborhood
      interaction set. By selecting a neighborhood interaction function with a
      neighborhood amplitude of interaction which is decreasing in spatial domain the
      topological order is always enforced and the rate of self-organization to final
      equilibrium state is improved. Several simulations are carried out to show the
      improvement in rate between using a neighborhood interaction function vs. using a
      neighborhood interaction set. An error measure functional is further defined to
      compare the two approaches quantitatively.

PMID- 1878417
TI  - Controlling the dynamics of a two-joined arm by central patterning and reflex
      like processing. A two-stage hybrid model.
AB  - It is demonstrated, that a two-joined arm performing goal directed movements is
      controllable (a) by two central pattern generators (CPG) representing sampled
      data control, each referring to one joint, initiated for exactly one period, and
      producing the angular movement width about this joint, and (b) by reflex-like
      processes operating continuously with respect to time. The latter eliminate the
      effects of dynamic coupling, gravity, inertia, and mechanical impedance on the
      movement by 'proprioceptive feedforward' of position, velocity and acceleration
      signals, thus enabling the CPGs to handle the arm segments as if they were
      independent and free from forces. Higher ordered centers (with respect to the
      CPGs) therefore only need to control the kinematics, not dynamics, of the arm.

PMID- 1878418
TI  - On the dynamic organization of memory. A mathematical model of associative free
      recall.
AB  - The interaction of memory structures and retrieval dynamics is discussed. A
      mathematical model for associative free recall is presented to support the view
      that the organization of simple processing units plays an important role in the
      retrieval of memory traces. Computer simulations show that "flexibility" and
      "fidelity" of the dynamics strongly depend on the network structure, the
      amplification and decay parameters, and the noise term.

PMID- 1878419
TI  - Treatment of early stage-B chronic lymphocytic leukemia with alpha-2b interferon
      after chlorambucil reduction of the tumoral mass.
AB  - Eleven patients with early CLL (two in Rai's stage 0, seven in stage I, and two
      in stage II) received aIFN (3 MU subcutaneously three times a week for a median
      of 8 months; range, 4-12) after their tumor mass had been reduced with
      intermittent chlorambucil. Following chlorambucil/aIFN administration, a
      significant reduction in blood lymphocyte counts (from 25.1 +/- 12.0 x 10(9)/l to
      6.3 +/- 5.32 x 10(9)/l; p less than 0.001) and in CD 19-positive cells (from 21.0
      +/- 12.0 x 10(9)/l to 3.8 +/- 2.3 x 10(9)/l; p less than 0.001) was observed.
      Three of seven patients with stage-I and one of two with stage-II disease moved
      to stage 0, and a complete response (CR) was observed in two patients with stage
      I at diagnosis. Overall, there were eight patients who, after treatment, had
      either a CR (2 cases) or stage-0 disease (6 cases), which compares favorably with
      two patients with stage-0 disease before entering the study (p = 0.015). In five
      patients (including the two who achieved a CR) aIFN further improved the disease
      status achieved with chlorambucil.

PMID- 1878420
TI  - The influence of blood donation on iron stores assessed by serum ferritin and
      hemoglobin in a population survey of 1359 Danish women.
AB  - The general impact of blood donation on iron status was studied in a population
      survey comprising 1359 nonpregnant Danish women in age cohorts of 30, 40, 50, and
      60 years; 809 were premenopausal and 550 postmenopausal; 180 (13%) were blood
      donors. Iron stores were assessed by serum (S)-ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb). Hb
      levels were not significantly different in donors: mean 137 +/- 10 (SD) g/l (8.5
      +/- 0.6 mmol/l) compared with nondonors, 139 +/- 11 g/l (8.6 +/- 0.7 mmol/l).
      Values less than 121 g/l (7.5 mmol/l) were observed in 3.3% of donors vs 3.8% of
      nondonors. Correlations between S-ferritin and Hb were without practical
      relevance: rs = 0.29, p less than 0.0001 in donors vs rs = 0.22, p less than
      0.0001 in nondonors. Blood donation had a profound influence on iron status,
      especially in the premenopausal women population. Donors had lower S-ferritin
      than nondonors in all age-groups and in pre- and postmenopausal groups (p less
      than 0.001 in all groups). Premenopausal donors had a median S-ferritin of 31
      micrograms/l vs 39 micrograms/l in nondonors, postmenopausal donors of 47
      micrograms/l vs 72 micrograms/l in nondonors. S-ferritin values less than 15
      micrograms/l (i.e., depleted iron stores) were observed in 31.7% of premenopausal
      donors vs 15.2% of nondonors, and in 7.0% of postmenopausal donors vs 2.9% of
      nondonors. Iron deficiency anemia (i.e., S-ferritin less than 15 micrograms/l and
      Hb less than 121 g/l) was seen in 2.8% of donors vs 1.5% of nondonors. Donors
      using oral contraceptives had higher S-ferritin, median 33 micrograms/l compared
      with nonusers, 22 micrograms/l, and a lower frequency of depleted iron stores,
      29% vs 39%. Ideally, the frequency of phlebotomy should be adjusted according to
      S-ferritin as well as Hb levels. If Hb is used as single criterion for donation,
      only donors with predonation values greater than or equal to 124-125 g/l should
      be allowed to undergo phlebotomy.

PMID- 1878421
TI  - Hepatic and splenic abscesses--a common complication of intensive chemotherapy of
      acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A prospective study.
AB  - In order to determine the frequency of hepatosplenic abscesses in AML patients
      during chemotherapy and to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics
      of this complication we performed a prospective study over a 28-month period.
      Fifty-five consecutive patients with de novo AML or relapse who received
      intensive chemotherapy underwent regular ultrasound examinations. In 16 patients
      (29.1%) hepatic and/or splenic abscesses were detected sonographically.
      Histopathological evidence for abscess formation was obtained in five of these 16
      patients. In three patients granulation tissue and in one patient necrotizing
      granulomas were found. Causative micro-organisms were proven in only three
      patients: Candida hyphae were demonstrated in one patient, gram-positive cocci in
      another. Bacteria and fungi were seen in the tissue specimen of the third
      patient. Patients with hepatosplenic abscesses had significantly prolonged fever
      after neutrophil recovery but did not differ from patients without abscesses in
      any other laboratory or clinical features. Due to the absence of specific
      alerting clinical and laboratory signs and symptoms of hepatosplenic abscesses,
      routine ultrasound examination is required for detection of this complication.
      The presence of hepatic and/or splenic abscesses does not necessarily worsen the
      prognosis, but it may influence the decision on further chemotherapy and
      antimicrobial treatment.

PMID- 1878422
TI  - A Czechoslovakian teenager with Hb E-beta zero-thalassemia [IVS-I-1 (G----A)]
      complicated by the presence of an alpha-globin gene triplication.
AB  - We have examined the molecular basis of three inherited hemoglobin (Hb) disorders
      present in a Czechoslovakian girl with a severe, transfusion-dependent, hemolytic
      anemia. She is heterozygous for Hb E (on a genetic background specific for
      Czechoslovakian families), heterozygous for the beta zero-thalassemia (thal)
      allele IVS-I-1 (G----A), and heterozygous for an alpha-globin gene triplication.
      The combination of these three undesirable traits results in a severe chain
      imbalance that is the basis of the serious hemolytic disorder observed in this
      teenager.

PMID- 1878423
TI  - Effects of suramin on phagocytes in vitro.
AB  - In the therapeutically important range (100-200 micrograms/ml), suramin was found
      to increase the phagocytic activity of human monocytes (measured by the uptake of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae and sensitized sheep red blood cells) in vitro. Suramin
      itself was a chemotactic signal for monocytes and increased the chemiluminescence
      of neutrophil granulocytes. Suramin seems to act via the ATP-binding P2 receptors
      of human phagocytes.

PMID- 1878424
TI  - Studies on the role of recombinant human erythropoietin in the growth regulation
      of human nonhematopoietic tumor cells in vitro.
AB  - Recombinant human (rh) erythropoietin (EPO) is attracting increasing interest as
      an agent for treating cancer-related anemia. Thus, we have tested the effects of
      rhEPO on the clonal growth of 22 different cell lines derived from a wide range
      of human solid tumors (head and neck 3, lung 2, breast 2, stomach 1, colorectal
      3, hepatocellular 1, pancreas 1, ovary 1, choriocarcinoma 1, osteogenic sarcoma
      1, glioblastoma 2, neuroblastoma 1, prostate 1, renal 2) in vitro. RhEPO (dose
      range 0.01-100 U/ml) caused no significant and reproducible stimulation of clonal
      growth as measured by a capillary modification of the human tumor cloning assay
      in agar in any of the cell lines tested. In particular, there was no sensitivity
      for rhEPO of those cell lines which were shown to be responsive to interleukin-3
      and GM-CSF. On the other hand, there were no growth inhibitory effects of rhEPO
      on the cell lines of this study. Finally, neutralizing anti-human EPO antibody
      had no effect on the clonal growth of two kidney carcinoma cell lines, making
      autocrine growth regulation by hEPO in these lines unlikely.

PMID- 1878425
TI  - Immune hemolytic anemia and renal failure associated with rifampicin-dependent
      antibodies with anti-I specificity.
AB  - A 50-year-old woman with primary biliary cirrhosis developed immune hemolytic
      anemia and renal failure while receiving rifampicin for the treatment of
      refractory pruritus. Serological studies revealed the presence of rifampicin
      dependent antibodies of the IgM class that, when tested against a wide panel of
      erythrocytes, had anti-I specificity. Subsequently, rifampicin was withdrawn and
      prednisone treatment instituted, this resulting in a rapid resolution of the
      hemolysis, whereas hemodialysis was required for recovery of the renal function.
      A role is suggested for the anti-I specificity of the antibodies in the
      development of renal failure associated with rifampicin therapy.

PMID- 1878426
TI  - Synchronization of the circannual reproductive rhythm of the ewe by discrete
      photoperiodic signals.
AB  - Although many species display endogenous circannual rhythms of biological
      activity that are synchronized by day length, the specific photoperiodic
      requirements for synchronizing such rhythms are not established for any species.
      We tested the hypothesis that the circannual reproductive rhythm of sheep can be
      synchronized by exposure to just one or two discrete blocks of photoperiodic
      information each year. Ewes were pinealectomized to prevent their ability to
      transduce photoperiodic information into altered reproductive neuroendocrine
      activity. During the 53/4 yr following pinealectomy, specific photoperiodic
      signals were restored for discrete periods of time via replacement of 24-h
      patterns of melatonin, the pineal hormone that transmits photic information to
      the reproductive neuroendocrine axis. The ewes were kept in a 12-mo photoycycle
      that alternated between short (8L:16D) and long (16L:8D) days every 6 mo and that
      was 6 mo out of phase with the geophysical year. Pineal-intact control ewes
      exhibited synchronous annual reproductive cycles. Noninfused pinealectomized
      control ewes did not exhibit synchronous cycles. Pinealectomized ewes infused
      with alternating 70-day blocks of short- and long-day patterns of melatonin every
      6 mo for the first 21/2 yr of the experiment exhibited synchronous annual
      reproductive cycles that were 6 mo out of phase with those of ewes maintained
      outdoors. This synchrony persisted when the frequency of the melatonin treatment
      was reduced to just one 70-day block of a long-day pattern of melatonin each 365
      days. Cycle period was 368 +/- 3 days; standard deviation of the date of onset of
      reproductive induction averaged only 3 days. Our study provides the first direct
      evidence that a single block of photoperiodic information a year can synchronize
      a circannual rhythm.

PMID- 1878427
TI  - Direct pituitary effects of estradiol and progesterone on luteinizing hormone
      release, stores, and subunit messenger ribonucleic acids.
AB  - To determine the direct, chronic actions of progesterone (P4) and estrogen
      (estradiol, E2) on anterior pituitary synthesis and release of LH, 24 western
      range ewes underwent hypothalamic-pituitary disconnection (HPD) and ovariectomy
      (OVX) during the breeding season and were pulsed with exogenous GnRH with or
      without steroid replacement. Sequential blood samples were collected before
      infusion of GnRH and on Days 7 and 14 of GnRH infusion. Silastic capsules of P4
      and/or E2 were implanted s.c. on Day 7 and remained in place throughout the
      experiment. Control ewes received only GnRH infusion. Blood sampling was centered
      around three exogenous GnRH pulses. After the final blood sampling, pituitaries
      were collected and stored at -70 degrees C. Concentrations of LH in serum and
      pituitaries were determined by RIA. Relative concentrations of LH subunit mRNAs
      were determined by Fast Blot analysis. Simultaneous implantation of P4 and E2
      lowered LH pulse amplitude 70% and mean serum levels 30% compared with controls.
      Neither steroid alone affected LH release. E2 alone or in combination with P4
      lowered LH-beta subunit mRNA concentrations 40% compared with controls while
      alpha-subunit levels were unchanged. Only E2 alone altered the pituitary content
      of LH, causing a 60% decrease. We conclude that the combination of P4 and E2 is
      necessary for inhibition of GnRH-stimulated LH secretion. E2 inhibits GnRH
      stimulated LH-beta subunit mRNA concentrations but does not affect alpha-subunit
      mRNA concentrations. The control of pituitary LH content by P4 and E2 is the
      result of changes in both LH-beta subunit mRNA concentrations and LH secretion.

PMID- 1878428
TI  - Insulin-like growth factors in sheep uterine fluids: concentrations and
      relationship to ovine trophoblast protein-1 production during early pregnancy.
AB  - Uterine luminal fluids (ULFs) from Days 10, 12, 14, and 16 cyclic (C) and
      pregnant (Px) ewes were analyzed for presence of insulin-like growth factors (IGF
      I, IGF-II) and other mitogenic factor(s). IGF content and non-IGF mitogenic
      activity were measured by IGF RIAs after removal of IGF binding proteins and by
      stimulatory effects on DNA synthesis of density arrested AKR-2B cells,
      respectively. ULF IGF-I content was not different between days, but differences
      in IGF-I between C and Px groups at Day 16 (C greater than Px) were found (p less
      than 0.05). ULF IGF-II content was not different between C and Px ewes; however,
      differences among days (p less than 0.01) were apparent. In both C and Px ewes,
      Day 14 ULF had highest IGF-II content (C: 4.60 +/- 0.98 ng/ml, Px: 5.39 +/- 1.38
      ng/ml). In Day 12 and Day 14 (C and Px) ULF, IGF-II concentration was about 10
      fold greater than that of IGF-I. AKR-2B mitogenic activity in ULF differed among
      days (p less than 0.01), but not between C and Px ewes. Highest activity was
      observed for Day 14 and Px ULF, whereas lowest activity was for Day 10 C and Day
      16 Px ULF. Sephadex G-200 gel-filtration chromatography of ULF from Day 14 Px
      ewes demonstrated mitogenic activity in the column void volume fractions and in
      the 30-kDa size range of eluted proteins. Day 13 conceptuses were cultured in
      serum-free medium to define the effect of exogenous IGFs on ovine trophoblast
      protein-1 (oTP-1) secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878429
TI  - Human chorionic gonadotropin treatment prevents depressed 17 alpha
      hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase activities and serum testosterone concentrations in
      2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-treated rats.
AB  - It is known that administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)
      causes decreased serum testosterone concentrations in the rat. Previous studies
      in this laboratory have shown that in rats TCDD exposure results in decreased 17
      alpha-hydroxylase and C17-20 lyase activities. The decreases in these activities
      paralleled decreases in testicular microsomal heme and cytochrome P450 contents.
      As reported herein, neither testicular mitochondrial cytochrome P450 content nor
      the activity of cholesterol side-chain cleavage was altered in rats exposed to
      TCDD. Since the production of testosterone in the testis is dependent on LH, it
      is important to determine the early effects of TCDD on serum LH concentrations in
      the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given a single, oral dose of TCDD (50
      micrograms/kg). Serum LH concentrations were determined by RIA on Days 1, 2, 3,
      5, and 7 following TCDD treatment. Rat serum LH concentrations were decreased to
      60% of controls as early as Day 1 and continued to be depressed on Days 2 and 3
      at 53% and 59% of control values, respectively. Rat serum LH returned to control
      values by Day 5 in spite of continued depression of serum testosterone
      concentrations. The early depression in serum LH levels caused by TCDD may be
      related to the subsequent androgenic deficiency in the rat. Treatment of rats
      with hCG was found to be able to prevent the depression of the activities of
      testicular microsomal 17 alpha-hydroxylase and C17-20 lyase and serum
      testosterone concentrations caused by TCDD. These data indicate that TCDD
      decreases serum testosterone by decreasing P450(17 alpha) and C17-20 but not
      P450sec activities and that hCG treatment prevents the TCDD-induced decrease.

PMID- 1878430
TI  - Effects of neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol on early mouse embryo
      development in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - Eight-week-old female mice of the NMRI strain that had been treated neonatally
      with diethylstilbestrol (DES, 5 micrograms/day for five days) or not (controls)
      were treated with gonadotropins to induce ovulation and then were artificially
      inseminated. Ova or young embryos were recovered from the oviducts on the morning
      after insemination and on Days 2, 3, and 4. In other experiments, ova were
      obtained from inseminated females on the morning after ovulation and cultured in
      vitro. In DES-treated females, a few zygotes developed to the 4-cell stage, but
      no more advanced stages were seen. Under in vitro conditions, zygotes from DES
      treated females developed into blastocysts and to the implantation stage, but the
      incidence of these stages was lower than with zygotes from controls. Our results
      point to an abnormal oviductal function in DES-treated females that is not
      compatible with early embryo survival, even though an additional zygote factor
      contributing to degeneration of early cleavage stages cannot be excluded.

PMID- 1878431
TI  - Fertility of transgenic female mice expressing bovine growth hormone or human
      growth hormone variant genes.
AB  - Although growth hormone (GH) exerts various direct and indirect stimulatory
      effects on gonadal development and function, excessive levels of GH in
      acromegalic patients and in transgenic animals are often associated with
      reproductive disorders. We have examined reproductive performance of transgenic
      female mice expressing the following hybrid genes: mouse metallothionein-1
      (MT)/human placental GH variant (hGH.V), MT/bovine GH(bGH), and
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK)/bGH. This allowed us to evaluate the
      effects of chronic GH excess in three animal models and to obtain some
      information on the significance of the lactogenic activity of the foreign GH
      (hGH.V vs. bGH) and on the developmental stage of transgene expression (MT vs.
      PEPCK). Transgenic animals from each line had elevated plasma insulin-like growth
      factor-I levels and greatly increased adult body weight. Plasma bGH levels were
      significantly higher in PEPCK/bGH than in MT/bGH transgenic mice. Approximately
      20% of transgenic MT/hGH.V and MT/bGH females and over 60% of transgenic
      PEPCK/bGH females were infertile. Transgenic females that did reproduce ovulated
      either a normal or increased number of eggs but exhibited a variety of
      reproductive disorders including increased interval between pairing with a male
      and conception, increased interval between litters, reduced number of litters,
      reduced fetal growth, increased pre- and postnatal mortality, and alterations in
      sex ratio. Among adult offspring of these females, the proportion of transgenic
      animals was significantly less than the expected 50%. While some characteristics
      (e.g., fetal crown-rump length and weight on Day 14 of pregnancy) were affected
      to a comparable extent in transgenic females from all three lines, MT/hGH.V and
      PEPCK/bGH females were, in general, more severely affected than the MT/bGH
      animals. Sterility of PEPCK/bGH females appeared to be due to luteal failure
      since treatment with progesterone led to pregnancy. Greatly increased intervals
      between successive litters appeared to be due to failure to mate during
      postpartum estrus and to sterile matings during this period. Reduced fetal size
      and weight may have been due to chronic glucocorticoid excess because comparable
      changes could be induced in normal females by injections of dexamethasone during
      pregnancy, and plasma corticosterone levels were previously shown to be elevated
      in transgenic mice from each of these lines. Comparison of these results with
      data obtained from matings of normal female mice to transgenic males from the
      same lines suggests that reduced fetal growth is due primarily to maternal
      genotype, while reduced "transmission" of the hybrid genes is not, and presumably
      reflects increased mortality of transgenic progeny at various stages of
      development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1878432
TI  - Testosterone inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse frequency in the male
      sheep.
AB  - The objective was to determine the effect of chronic testosterone (T) treatment
      on GnRH and LH secretion in wethers. Rams were either castrated only or castrated
      and immediately treated with Silastic implants containing T. Several weeks later,
      a device for collecting hypophyseal-portal blood was surgically implanted. Six to
      seven days later, blood samples were collected simultaneously and continuously
      from the portal vessels and jugular vein of pairs of conscious animals. Samples
      were divided at 10-min intervals for 6-12 h. One hour before the end of
      collection, all animals received i.v. injections of 250 ng of GnRH. In samples
      collected simultaneously from 6 pairs of animals, T reduced the frequency of both
      GnRH pulses (1.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 0.9 +/- 0.3/h, p less than 0.03) and LH pulses (1.6
      +/- 0.1 vs. 0.8 +/- 0.3/h, p less than 0.03). T did not alter amplitude of either
      GnRH or LH pulses. Testosterone reduced mean GnRH (9.7 +/- 0.6 vs. 7.9 +/- 0.5
      pg/ml, p less than 0.05), whereas mean LH was not significantly reduced (9.6 +/-
      1.4 vs. 6.1 +/- 1.8 ng/ml, p = 0.16). These results support the hypothesis that T
      reduces GnRH pulse frequency.

PMID- 1878433
TI  - Localization of sulfated glycoprotein-2 (clusterin) on spermatozoa and in the
      reproductive tract of the male rat.
AB  - Sulfated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) is one of the major proteins secreted by rat
      Sertoli cells and epididymal cells in culture. The disulfide-linked dimeric
      protein secreted by Sertoli cells and found in seminiferous tubule fluid is
      composed of monomers of Mr 47 000 and 34 000 whereas the epididymal protein
      exhibits monomers of Mr 40 000 and 29 000. When both forms were chemically or
      enzymatically deglycosylated, they yielded proteins of similar molecular weight.
      No modification of the higher molecular weight testicular form by epididymal
      cells or fluids could be detected in incubation media. SGP-2 mRNA was localized
      in epididymal epithelium by in situ hybridization. Northern blot analysis
      indicated the testicular and epididymal mRNAs were of similar size. These
      findings suggest that the two forms of the protein occur because of tissue
      specific post-translational modifications. The detergent-extracted protein from
      washed testicular spermatozoa is of the higher molecular weight form while
      epididymal sperm carry the lower molecular weight form. Immunohistochemical
      evidence suggests that the testicular form is removed prior to the initial
      segment of the epididymis and the epididymal form is applied in the proximal
      caput epididymidis. SGP-2 was immunolocalized to the sperm membrane at the
      ultrastructural level and was distinctly different from the immunolocalization of
      outer dense fiber proteins and fibrous sheath proteins.

PMID- 1878434
TI  - Estrous cycle-related changes in mast cell numbers in several ovarian
      compartments in the rat.
AB  - The absolute number of mast cells in several ovarian compartments was studied
      during the estrous cycle of the rat. The number of mast cells significantly
      increased on proestrus (either in the morning or in the evening) in the ovarian
      medulla and cortex, whereas no significant changes were found in the ovarian
      bursa. During proestrus, abundant mast cells were present in the bursal cavity
      along with eosinophil and mononuclear leucocytes. Mast cells in the different
      ovarian compartments corresponded to mature mast cells, and degranulated or
      immature cells were only rarely found. These results seem to indicate that
      migration from an extraovarian source could be the mechanism underlying cyclic
      changes in ovarian mast cells.

PMID- 1878435
TI  - Regulation of placental low-density lipoprotein uptake in baboons by estrogen:
      dose-dependent effects of the anti-estrogen ethamoxytriphetol (MER-25).
AB  - In the present study, increasing amounts of the anti-estrogen 1-(p-2
      diethylaminoethoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-2-p-methoxyphenoletha nol (MER-25) were
      administered to pregnant baboons (Papio anubis) to block the action of endogenous
      estrogen and to determine effect on placental low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
      uptake. Pregnant baboons were untreated (n = 8) or received MER-25 orally at a
      dosage of 25 (n = 10), 50 (n = 8), or 75 (n = 4) mg/kg BW daily on Days 140-170
      of gestation (term = 184 days). Placentas were removed on Day 170 of gestation
      and villous tissue was dispersed with 0.1% collagenase. Placental cells (10(6]
      were incubated in Medium 199 for 12 h at 37 degrees C with increasing amounts of
      125I-LDL, with or without a 100-fold excess of unlabeled baboon LDL. Mean (+/-
      SEM) placental uptake (ng/micrograms cell protein) of 125I-LDL was 55% (6.4 +/-
      1.0), 75% (3.6 +/- 0.7), and 81% (2.7 +/- 0.2) lower (p less than 0.001) in
      baboons that received MER-25 in doses of 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg BW, respectively,
      than in untreated baboons (14.2 +/- 1.3 ng/micrograms cell protein). Maximal
      effect occurred with 50 mg MER-25, because LDL uptake was not further decreased
      with greater levels of MER-25. Dissociation constants for placental LDL uptake,
      as determined by Scatchard analysis, were unaltered by anti-estrogen treatment.
      The amount of 125I-LDL degradation by placental cells of untreated and MER-25
      treated baboons was proportional to LDL uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878436
TI  - Immunological and molecular characterization of plasminogen activator inhibitors
      1 and 2 in baboon (Papio anubis) placental tissues.
AB  - Two major plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI-1 and PAI-2) increase in the
      peripheral circulation during pregnancy in humans. PAI-1 is of vascular
      endothelial origin whereas PAI-2 is produced primarily by human placental
      tissues. This study was undertaken to determine a) if PAI-1 and PAI-2 are also
      present in the baboon and b) their association with pregnancy. Citrated plasma
      was obtained from pregnant baboons sequentially at 15 +/- 3-day intervals between
      Days 30 and 140 of pregnancy. PAI activity increased significantly (p less than
      0.05) at Day 120 (15.3 IU/ml) and 140 (21.8 IU/ml) of gestation and returned to
      baseline (2.6 IU/ml) 48 h post cesarean section. Placental tissues obtained at
      cesarean section during the third trimester were either placed in explant
      culture, fixed for immunocytochemistry, or frozen for RNA extraction. Western
      blot analysis of tissue culture media (TCM) indicated that the polyclonal
      antibody to PAI-1 reacted with a major band (Mr 47 000) in TCM from placental
      tissues while the PAI-2 antibody reacted primarily with a doublet (Mr 67 000 and
      69 000) in these same media. PAI-1 was immunocytochemically localized primarily
      in the chorioamniotic tissue (CAM-D) and PAI-2 was found predominantly in
      placental villi. Slot blot hybridization with cDNAs to PAI-1 and PAI-2 indicated
      that the mRNA for PAI-2 was found primarily in placental villi, whereas the mRNA
      for PAI-1 was present in all three tissue compartments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1878437
TI  - Regulation of uterine progesterone receptors by the nonsteroidal anti-androgen
      hydroxyflutamide.
AB  - We have recently reported that the anti-androgen hydroxyflutamide causes delayed
      implantation and exhibits antideciduogenic activity in the rat. The present
      experiments were conducted to examine whether hydroxyflutamide binds to the
      uterine progesterone receptors and/or alters the progesterone binding sites in
      the uterus. Cytosol and nuclear fractions from decidualized rat uterus were
      incubated with [3H]-R5020 without or with increasing concentrations of radioinert
      R5020, RU486, dihydrotestosterone, or hydroxyflutamide. From the log-dose
      inhibition curves, the relative binding affinity of both hydroxyflutamide and
      dihydrotestosterone was less than 0.1% and 2%, compared with R5020 (100%) for
      displacing [3H]-R5020 bound to uterine cytosol and nuclear fractions,
      respectively. Injection of estradiol-17 beta (1 microgram/rat) to ovariectomized
      prepubertal rats induced a 1.85-fold increase in uterine weight by 24 h.
      Hydroxyflutamide at 2.5 or 5.0 mg did not significantly alter the estrogen
      induced increase in uterine weight. Compared to vehicle alone, estrogen induced
      an approximately 5-fold increase in uterine cytosolic progesterone binding sites.
      Hydroxyflutamide at both 2.5- and 5.0-mg doses significantly attenuated the
      estrogen-induced elevation in uterine progesterone binding sites. These studies
      demonstrate that hydroxyflutamide does not bind with high affinity to
      progesterone receptors, but suppresses the estrogen-induced elevation in
      progesterone receptor levels in the uterus.

PMID- 1878438
TI  - The timing of neuroendocrine sexual maturity in the male lamb by photoperiod.
AB  - In spring-born female lambs, the long days of summer, followed by their gradual
      decrease, provide the seasonal cue necessary to time puberty to early autumn
      (approximately 30 wk of age). Male lambs begin spermatogenesis during mid-summer,
      some 20 wk before puberty occurs in females. Unlike young female lambs, male
      lambs attain puberty at the same age under a variety of photoperiodic
      manipulations, raising the possibility that sexual maturation in males is not
      affected by photoperiod. We have reinvestigated the role of photoperiod on
      puberty in the male lamb, using a more precise indicator of reproductive
      activation--the decreased sensitivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis to
      inhibitory steroid feedback leading to increased LH secretion. To test whether
      photoperiod can influence the onset of neuroendocrine sexual maturation in male
      lambs, this study compared the timing of the decrease in sensitivity to
      inhibitory steroid feedback in two groups of males under opposite photoperiodic
      conditions. Eight males were reared indoors from 2 wk of age under conditions
      simulating the natural increasing and decreasing day lengths around the summer
      solstice; an additional 7 males were exposed to a reversed simulated natural
      photoperiod in which the changes in day length were amplified and accelerated
      relative to outdoor conditions. Both groups of lambs were castrated and received
      s.c. implants of Silastic estradiol capsules to provide a constant steroid
      feedback signal. The timing of reduction in sensitivity to estradiol negative
      feedback, measured as a sustained increase in circulating of LH above 1.0 ng/ml,
      was used to define neuroendocrine sexual maturity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1878439
TI  - In vitro maturation of ovarian oocytes from unstimulated rhesus monkeys:
      assessment of cytoplasmic maturity by embryonic development after in vitro
      fertilization.
AB  - One-hundred and sixty-six cumulus-enclosed oocytes, obtained from ovaries of
      unstimulated rhesus monkeys, were subjected to six different treatments in vitro-
      two types of media (simple = TALP; complex = CMRL) x three levels of
      gonadotropins (none, FSH, FSH + hCG)--to assess their ability to undergo
      maturation, fertilization, and embryo development. A summary of development in
      culture for all experimental treatments is as follows: 58% of oocytes underwent
      germinal vesicle breakdown; 37% extruded a first polar body; 17% had more than
      one pronucleus and/or two polar bodies after insemination (i.e., were
      activated/fertilized); and 12% cleaved (i.e., developed) to at least the 2-cell
      stage in vitro. Of 45 oocytes incubated only in medium (either simple or complex)
      without gonadotropins, only 3 were activated/fertilized (6.7%), and only one
      embryo developed to at least the 2-4-cell stage (2.2%). There were no differences
      between oocytes incubated with only FSH and oocytes incubated with FSH + hCG.
      Activation/fertilization (20.7% vs. 6.7%) and embryo development (greater than or
      equal to 2 cells; 15.7% vs. 2.2%) were significantly higher in treatments with
      than without gonadotropin supplementation. There were no statistically
      significant differences attributable to incubation in different media during
      oocyte maturation. Cumulus-enclosed oocytes recovered from unstimulated ovaries
      of rhesus monkeys can resume maturation during culture in vitro, as shown by
      their ability to be fertilized and by the cleavage in vitro of the resultant
      zygotes.

PMID- 1878440
TI  - Slowed transcription and rapid messenger RNA turnover contribute to a decline in
      synthesis of ovine trophoblast protein-1 during in vitro culture.
AB  - Ovine trophoblast protein-1 (oTP-1) is produced in massive amounts by conceptuses
      during the Day-12-20-period of early pregnancy. The rate of production of oTP-1
      declines during culture of conceptuses, however, suggesting a role for critical
      intrauterine factors for continued production. The present study was conducted to
      define the mechanism responsible for the in vitro decline in oTP-1 synthesis.
      Over 24 h culture, synthesis of oTP-1 was initially rapid but then declined such
      that there was little increase in either the protein or its antiviral activity
      after 12 h. By contrast, the release of total protein into the medium continued
      at an approximately linear rate for the entire 24-h period of culture. By using
      in situ hybridization to tissue sections and dot-blot analysis of tissue extracts
      with labeled cDNA probes, it was shown that the quantity of oTP-1 mRNA fell 3- to
      5-fold during culture, whereas the amount of actin mRNA remained relatively
      constant. To determine whether this selective fall in levels of oTP-1 mRNA
      resulted from decreased transcription rate and/or high turnover rate of existing
      mRNA, conceptuses were either provided continuously with [3H]uridine for 24 h or
      labeled for 9 h and then exposed to medium enriched in unlabeled uridine and
      cytidine for a further 15 h. Specific incorporation of 3H into oTP-1 mRNA was
      assessed by hybridization to excess oTP-1 cDNA immobilized on nitrocellulose
      membranes. In the continuous labeling study, 3H in total RNA increased at an
      approximately linear rate for at least 18 h, whereas the content of 3H in oTP-1
      mRNA peaked at 9 h and declined about 10-fold by 24 h.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1878441
TI  - Drug-induced disturbances of carbohydrate metabolism.

PMID- 1878442
TI  - Drug-induced hypertension.

PMID- 1878443
TI  - Toxicity of comfrey.

PMID- 1878444
TI  - Toxicology of oximes used in treatment of organophosphate poisoning.

PMID- 1878445
TI  - Blood interactions with novel polyurethaneurea hydrogels.
AB  - The influence on blood of polyurethaneurea hydrogels in vitro was investigated
      based on poly(ethylene oxide). A hydrogel was compared with the regenerated
      cellulose membrane Cuprophan in terms of complement activation, as determined by
      measurement of C3a concentration. The hydrogel induced less complement activation
      and the presence of poly(ethylene oxide) is likely to be beneficial to platelet
      reactivity. The ability to vary the polymer composition and the solubility of the
      polymers in organic solvents makes the polyurethaneurea hydrogels strong
      candidates for composite biomaterials.

PMID- 1878446
TI  - Interaction between phospholipids and biocompatible polymers containing a
      phosphorylcholine moiety.
AB  - Random and block copolymers containing a phospholipid polar group in their side
      chain were synthesized by the copolymerization between 2-methacryloyloxyethyl
      phosphorylcholine and styrene. These copolymers showed amphiphilic character,
      especially poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-block-styrene) formed
      stable polymer micelles in water. The interaction between natural phospholipid,
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine
      copolymers was investigated. The amount absorbed of
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine from its liposomal solution on to the
      poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-styrene) surface increased with
      increase of methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine composition. Moreover, when
      poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-block-styrene) was added to
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine solution, organization of
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine molecules and stabilization of bilayer structure
      of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine liposome were found. This means that
      methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine moieties in the copolymer have a strong
      affinity to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine molecules. The blood compatibility of
      methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine copolymers was also investigated with
      particular attention to the aggregation ability of platelets after contacting
      methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine copolymers; this ability decreased when
      platelets were put in contact with polymers without a methacryloyloxyethyl
      phosphorylcholine moiety. On the other hand, aggregation ability remained at
      almost the same level to that of original platelets after contact with
      methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine copolymers. From these findings, we
      concluded that methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine copolymers show excellent
      blood compatibility due to adsorption of lipids from plasma and the formation of
      an organized adsorption layer of lipids on the surface of the
      methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine copolymers.

PMID- 1878447
TI  - New surface modification for Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy: oxygen diffusion hardening (ODH).
AB  - PVD-TiN coating and N+ implantation of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy resulted in surface
      hardening to a depth of less 3 microns. The new oxygen diffusion hardening (ODH)
      treatment increased the hardness gradually to 50 microns. PUD-TiN showed an
      improvement in the tribological properties, while N+ implantation increased the
      PE wear rate. The wear rate of the ultrahigh-molecular-weight as well as the
      friction coefficient were reduced to one-half of the values achieved with the
      combination of CoCrMo-alloy when paired against the ODH-treated surface. In
      pairing with ZrO2-containing bone cement the ODH-treated surface showed only a
      minimal reaction.

PMID- 1878448
TI  - Adhesion of endothelial cells and adsorption of serum proteins on gas plasma
      treated polytetrafluoroethylene.
AB  - From in vitro experiments it is known that human endothelial cells show poor
      adhesion to hydrophobic polymers. The hydrophobicity of vascular prostheses
      manufactured from Teflon or Dacron may be the reason why endothelialization of
      these grafts does not occur after implantation in humans. We modified films of
      polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) by nitrogen plasma and oxygen plasma treatments
      to make the surfaces more hydrophilic. Depending on the plasma exposure time,
      modified polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces showed water-contact angles of 15-58
      degrees, versus 96 degrees for unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. ESCA
      measurements revealed incorporation of both nitrogen- and oxygen-containing
      groups into the polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces, dependent on the plasma
      composition and exposure time. The thickness of the modified surface layer was
      approximately 1 nm. The adhesion of cultured human endothelial cells from 20%
      human serum-containing culture medium to modified polytetrafluoroethylene
      surfaces with contact angles of 20-45 degrees led to the formation of a monolayer
      of cells, which was similar to the one formed on tissue culture polystyrene, the
      reference surface. This was not the case when endothelial cells were seeded upon
      unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. Surface-modified expanded
      polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis material (GORE TEX soft tissue) also showed
      adhesion of endothelial cells comparable to cell adhesion to the reference
      surface. The amounts of serum proteins, including fibronectin, adsorbed from
      serum-containing medium to modified polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces were larger
      than those adsorbed to unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. Moreover, the modified
      surfaces probably allow the exchange of adsorbed serum proteins with cellular
      fibronectin.

PMID- 1878449
TI  - Ion implantation effects on friction and wear of joint prosthesis materials.
AB  - The literature contains many results from in vitro friction and wear tests for
      simulating the behaviour of human joint prostheses. However, they are difficult
      to correlate, even when they are not contradictory. In friction tests, several
      friction-mechanisms occur when the Ti-6AI-4V titanium alloy rubs against the
      UHMWPE polyethylene. Corrosion effects which increase wear happen when the 316L
      stainless steel is used in Ringer's solution. Ion implantation surface treatments
      have been performed on these three materials. When the operating conditions were
      optimized, an important reduction of wear and corrosion was observed. The
      property improvements are due to structural modifications in a thin layer of the
      materials.

PMID- 1878450
TI  - Bioactive glass ceramics: properties and applications.
AB  - Heat treatment of an MgO-CaO-SiO2-P2O5 glass gave a glass ceramic containing
      crystalline apatite (Ca10(PO4)6O,F2] and beta-wollastonite (CaO,SiO2) in an MgO
      CaO-SiO2 glassy matrix. It showed bioactivity and a fairly high mechanical
      strength which decreased only slowly, even under load-bearing conditions in the
      body. It is used clinically as artificial vertebrae, iliac bones, etc. The
      bioactivity of this glass ceramic was attributed to apatite formation on its
      surface in the body. Dissolution of calcium and silicate ions from the glass
      ceramic was considered to play an important role in forming the surface apatite
      layer. It was shown that some new kinds of bioactive materials can be developed
      from CaO,SiO2-based glasses. Ceramics, metals and organic polymers coated with
      bone-like apatite were obtained when such materials were placed in the vicinity
      of a CaO,SiO2-based glass in a simulated body fluid. A bioactive bone cement
      which was hardened within 4 min and bonded to living bone, forming an apatite,
      was obtained by mixing a CaO,SiO2-based glass powder with a neutral ammonium
      phosphate solution. Its compressive strength reached 80 MPa comparable to that of
      poly(methyl methacrylate) within 3 d. A bioactive and ferromagnetic glass ceramic
      containing crystalline magnetite (Fe3O4) in a matrix of CaO,SiO2-based glassy and
      crystalline phases was obtained by a heat treatment of a Fe2O3-CaO.SiO2-B2O3-P2O5
      glass. This glass ceramic was shown to be useful as thermoseeds for hyperthermia
      treatment of cancer.

PMID- 1878451
TI  - Glass ceramic approach to controlling the properties of a glass-ionomer bone
      cement.
AB  - Glass-ionomer dental cements have potential as bone cements in joint replacement
      surgery. However, commercially available glasses used in dental cements suffer
      from the loss of fluorine during the melting procedure and from phase separation
      of the glass upon quenching, giving rise to inter- and intra-batch variation. A
      model glass was examined in which minimal loss of fluorine is observed. This
      results in a glass whose composition is reproducible between batches. This glass
      will crystallize both above and below the glass transition temperature following
      heat treatments. Cements can be produced whose properties vary with the degree of
      crystallinity of the glass-ceramic. A commercial glass was also examined and was
      found to crystallize to an apatite phase.

PMID- 1878452
TI  - Reactions of cells at implant surfaces.
AB  - The surface of implants is an important parameter in host-implant integration.
      Several strategies can be used to obtain integration, such as the application of
      grooves or pores at the implant surface. Most of these surface alterations,
      however, will lead to an increase of total implant surface area which might
      influence the inflammatory response to an implant. As far as integration with
      bone is concerned several biomaterials have been successful in mimicking this
      material, by having similar crystals at their surface (calcium phosphate
      ceramics) or by containing a certain amount of calcium and phosphorus.
      Polyactive, a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(butylene terephthalate) segmented
      copolymer, also possesses favourable integration properties with bone, but
      initially lacks calcium and phosphorus. It is proposed that the application of
      hydrogels as biomaterial may add a new dimension to integration capacity.

PMID- 1878453
TI  - Modulation of the membrane surrounding particulate cement and polyethylene in the
      rabbit tibia.
AB  - Twenty-nine mature New Zealand white, female rabbits were divided into four
      groups. Using sterile technique, a 6 mm drill hole was made in the tibia 1 cm
      distal to the knee joint. The marrow was scooped out underneath the hole. The
      right tibia received Simplex particulate cement polymer (PMMA) (groups 1 and 2)
      or polyethylene particles (UHMWP) (groups 3 and 4). The left leg functioned as a
      prepared but non-implanted control. All animals were fed a standard diet; those
      in groups 1 and 3 received plain water, while groups 2 and 4 drank water in which
      sodium naproxen was dissolved (1.375 mg/ml). Animals were killed after 16 wk. The
      implant area was harvested and grown in tissue culture. The cumulative collection
      of tissue culture supernatants over 3 d was assayed for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
      via radioimmunoassay. PGE2 production was significantly higher in the membrane
      harvested from the right side containing particulate cement with no sodium
      naproxen (group 1) compared with controls (P less than 0.05). The ratio of PGE2
      values for the right divided by the left side yielded higher values in group 1,
      compared with groups 2, 3 or 4 (P less than 0.01). Previous studies have
      suggested that particulate debris and PGE2 production are associated with
      arthroplasty loosening. This experiment has demonstrated that PGE2 production by
      the membrane surrounding particulate debris can be suppressed by the
      administration of oral sodium naproxen. Because non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
      drugs are known to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis in man, these agents may prove
      useful in retarding the bone loss associated with early prosthetic loosening.

PMID- 1878454
TI  - Interactions of copolymeric poly(glyceryl methacrylate)-collagen hydrogels with
      neural tissue: effects of structure and polar groups.
AB  - In a previous study we developed copolymeric glyceryl methacrylate-collagen
      hydrogels for implantation in surgical lesions of the rat brain. Such materials
      provide porous matrices that can serve as support systems for oriented growth of
      scar tissue and axonal growth. In the present work, we have investigated the
      effect of structural modifications (studied by mercury porosimetry) of polymeric
      matrices and the effect of polar groups on the response of the brain tissue. The
      findings show that the fractional porosity and the pore size distribution of
      matrices are critical for tissue ingrowth and that negative charges, i.e.
      carboxylic acid groups, incorporated in the polymer have a strong influence on
      reactive astrocytosis.

PMID- 1878455
TI  - Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of hydroxyapatite-glass-titanium composite.
AB  - To determine whether hydroxyapatite(HA)-containing glass would exhibit the
      desired stability and activity under in vivo conditions, electrochemical
      corrosion behaviour of HA-glass-titanium composites was estimated by anodic
      polarization measurement in a simulated body fluid, 0.001 N HCl solution, 0.1 M
      NaCl solution, 0.1% albumin solution, and 0.1% fibrinogen solution.
      Potentiostatic anodic polarization measurements were made from each rest
      potential to +2 V versus s.c.e. with an increasing rate of 1 mV/s. Anodic
      polarization curves for pure titanium provided typical passive corrosion
      behaviour in HCl solution. The breakdown potentials were +1.4 V in HCl solution
      and +1.2 V in other solutions. The glass-coated specimens showed extremely low
      current density, less than 0.001 microA/cm2, from rest potential to about +1.8 V,
      and showed a slight increase in current density over +1.8 V. The polarization
      curves for the HA-glass-Ti composites were quite different from those for Ti and
      the glass-coated specimens. The current density for 50-90% HA -glass-Ti
      composites increased drastically from less than 0.001 to 10 microA/cm2 around
      rest potential (about -0.5 V), and continued to rise slightly up to +2 V.
      Addition of protein in NaCl solution exhibited little effect on anodic
      polarization curves for Ti and HA-glass-Ti composites.

PMID- 1878456
TI  - In vitro degradation of a PHB/PHV copolymer and a new technique for monitoring
      early surface changes.
AB  - The use of polyhydroxbutyrate and its copolymers as degradable materials for
      surgical use is showing increasing promise due to their long degradation profile.
      Of considerable interest were the interfacial changes and their role in affecting
      the overall or bulk degradation pattern. The role of pH and its effect on the
      degradation pattern were examined as polymer degradation significantly altered,
      depending on whether it was subjected to an alkaline or an acidic medium. In
      vitro surface changes were monitored using two techniques (scanning electron
      microscopy and goniophotometry); bulk changes were monitored by gravimetric,
      mechanical and molecular weight techniques. It was concluded that the bimodal
      molecular weight distribution plays a significant part in the degradation pattern
      and that this pattern is also considerably altered by pH.

PMID- 1878457
TI  - Micro-observation and characterization of bonding between bone and HA-glass
      titanium functionally gradient composite.
AB  - Bioactive composite implants consisting of hydroxyapatite (HA)-glass (G) ceramic
      layer and Ti-6AI-4V alloy, so-called HA-G-Ti functionally gradient implant, were
      provided for investigating the bonding behaviour of bone to the implant in vivo.
      The HA-G-Ti composites were implanted in femur and tibia of dog for various
      periods (1-12 month). Microstructural appearance of the interface between bone
      and the HA-G coating layer as well as the transverse sections of the HA-G coating
      layer and further apposition of bone to the implant have been studied in detail
      with SEM. The ingress of collagen fibres into the HA-G coating layer and the
      deposit of apatite on the collagen fibres and HA crystal grains being containing
      within the HA-G coating layer have been observed. Radiographical experiments
      indicate that the reparative process in the bone tissue surrounding the implants
      is markedly ahead even at one month after implantation. FT-IR measurement and X
      ray diffraction were carried out for studying the characterization of the
      calcified bone matrix around the implants and the new bone proliferated along the
      HA-G-coated face (surface).

PMID- 1878458
TI  - Rat peritoneal immune response to carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite
      implants.
AB  - The aim of this paper was to evaluate the histocompatibility of differently cured
      carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites, studying their potential to induce an
      intolerance reaction in neighbouring tissues after peritoneal implantation in the
      rat. According to the microscopic and scanning electron microscope findings, the
      inductive capacity to generate connective tissue and cellular reaction was
      greatest in the partially cured material compared to the fully cured material. In
      addition, only the partially cured material implants appeared totally coated by
      macrophages at various stages of activation. The differences in the cellular
      reactions and scar tissue deposition in the interstices of these two composites
      are probably related to the chemical surface properties rather than to the
      structural characteristics of the materials.

PMID- 1878459
TI  - Partially biodegradable polyacrylic-polyester composites for internal bone
      fracture fixation.
AB  - New partially resorbable composite formulations based on components used in
      surgery were synthesized in rod form (length 15-20 mm, diameter 4 mm). The
      biostable components were poly(methyl methacrylate) in hydrophobic implants and
      poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) in hydrophilic ones. The biodegradable
      components were commercially available suture yarn made from poly (alpha-hydroxy
      esters): polyglycolide, a polyester derived from glycolic acid; and a copolyester
      of glycolic and lactic acids, polyglactin 910. Biodegradation in phosphate
      buffered solution at pH 7.0 and 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C was analysed
      gravimetrically. There was no measurable loss of mass after treatment for 20-25
      d. Composite microstructure was examined by phase-contrast, cross-polarized light
      microscopy.

PMID- 1878460
TI  - Calcification of soft tissue employed in the construction of heart valve
      prostheses: study of different chemical treatments.
AB  - Biological heart prostheses present medium and long-term problems, owing to
      progressive deterioration and calcification of the tissue. To study the latter
      problem, we compared the effectiveness of anticalcification treatments in calf
      pericardium samples implanted into female Wistar rats after the following
      procedures: group I, control group (glutaraldehyde 0.2%); group II, proteoglycans
      group, group III, control group (glutaraldehyde 0.625%); groups IV and V,
      subjected to lipid removal with chloroform/methanol and SDS; group VI,
      pericardial tissue treated with 0.1 M AI3+ for 24 h; and group VII, chemical
      treatment with 0.1 M La3+ for 24 h. Positive results were obtained with lipid
      removal and chemical treatment with AI3+. The selective extraction of
      proteoglycans resulted in considerable accumulation of calcium salts in the
      tissue.

PMID- 1878461
TI  - Osteogenic potential of culture-expanded rat marrow cells as assayed in vivo with
      porous calcium phosphate ceramic.
AB  - It has been established that, when whole marrow is introduced into porous calcium
      phosphate ceramic, bone forms on the walls of the pores. To extend earlier
      studies, bone marrow cells derived from the femora of inbred rats were introduced
      into tissue culture and the adherent cells cultivated, mitotically expanded,
      passaged, harvested, placed in small cubes of porous calcium phosphate ceramics
      and grafted into subcutaneous sites of syngeneic rats. Marrow-derived, cultured
      mesenchymal cells introduced into ceramics showed strong osteogenic potential,
      with bone forming in the pore regions of ceramics as early as 2 wk after
      implantation. Osteogenesis could be observed after the eighteenth passage. With
      increasing passage number, the initiation of osteogenesis and the apparent rate
      of bone formation declined and the course of osteogenesis was delayed. In the
      future, it may be possible to culture marrow cells as a source for reparative
      cells for implantation back into autologous in vivo sites.

PMID- 1878462
TI  - Influence of surface texture of polymeric sheets on peripheral nerve regeneration
      in a two-compartment guidance system.
AB  - Synthetic guidance channels are useful tools to study the mechanisms underlying
      peripheral nerve regeneration. In the present study, the lumen of silicone
      elastomer tubes was divided into two compartments by a polymer strip 10 mm long
      placed along the tube length. The influence of varying the surface texture of
      hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer strips on the morphology of the regenerated
      neural tissue was analysed. Hydrophilic nitrocellulose (NC) and hydrophobic
      polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films with smooth (S-NC and S-PVDF) or rough (R
      NC, R-PVDF) surface texture were used. Five channels of each type were used to
      repair transected rat sciatic nerves and analysed after 4 wk. Tissue strips
      bridged the nerve stumps in all R-NC and R-PVDF tubes, in five of the S-NC and
      three of the S-PVDF tubes. In R-NC and R-PVDF tubes, bell-shaped tissue adhering
      to the polymer strip was observed, whereas in S-NC and S-PVDF tubes round, free
      floating nerve cables were seen. All the cables contained myelinated and
      unmyelinated axons and Schwann cells grouped in microfascicles and surrounded by
      an epineurial layer. For both rough strips, the initial cell layer consisted of
      macrophages adhering to the polymer surface. The epineurial nerve tissue
      contacting the rough surface was significantly thinner for PVDF compared with NC
      strips. No difference in epineurial thickness was observed for nerves facing the
      silicone tube or for smooth NC and PVDF strips. S-PVDF tubes contained
      significantly more myelinated axons than S-NC tubes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1878463
TI  - Modern metal processing for improved load-bearing surgical implants.
AB  - A review of modern methods for preparing metallic alloys that could be useful for
      the fabrication of load-bearing metallic biomaterials is presented. The use of
      rapid solidification processing and surface modification of metals by ion
      implantation or surface coatings and variations thereof is used currently for the
      formation of novel metallic alloys in other high-tech fields, notably the
      optoelectronics industry. Further studies to explore potential benefits for
      surgical implant fabrication through the application of these technologies is
      recommended.

PMID- 1878464
TI  - [Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with low degree of malignancy].

PMID- 1878465
TI  - [Chronic myeloid leukosis. Current status].

PMID- 1878466
TI  - [Role of aluminum in osteodystrophy and anemia in chronic renal failure].

PMID- 1878467
TI  - [Erythropoietin in the treatment of anemia in chronic renal insufficiency].

PMID- 1878468
TI  - [Cyclosporin in the treatment of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome].

PMID- 1878469
TI  - [Endoscopic therapy in the digestive system].

PMID- 1878470
TI  - [Neurologic disorders in alcoholism].

PMID- 1878471
TI  - [Neurologic manifestations of vasculitis].

PMID- 1878472
TI  - [Digital angiography in the central nervous system].

PMID- 1878473
TI  - [Community-acquired pneumonia].

PMID- 1878474
TI  - [Current status of osteomyelitis].

PMID- 1878476
TI  - [Silent ischemic cardiopathy].

PMID- 1878475
TI  - [Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in the cirrhotic patient].

PMID- 1878477
TI  - [Arterial hypertension and insulin resistance].

PMID- 1878478
TI  - [Thrombolysis in pulmonary thromboembolism].

PMID- 1878479
TI  - [New findings on the etiopathogenesis of diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1878480
TI  - [Hypertension of endocrine origin].

PMID- 1878481
TI  - [Therapeutic approach in hyperthyroidism].

PMID- 1878482
TI  - [Reactive arthritis].

PMID- 1878483
TI  - [Pulmonary involvement in HIV infection].

PMID- 1878484
TI  - Antiarrhythmic effect of L-propionylcarnitine in isolated cardiac preparations.
AB  - The effects of L-propionylcarnitine on reperfusion-induced ventricular
      arrhythmias were studied in isolated hearts from spontaneously hypertensive rats.
      During reperfusion, 60% (n = 15) of the hearts from control spontaneously
      hypertensive rats hearts developed irreversible ventricular fibrillation. In
      contrast, irreversible ventricular fibrillation did not occur in hearts from
      normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (n = 11, p less than 0.01). In a second group of
      spontaneously hypertensive rats, the addition of 10(-6) M L-propionylcarnitine to
      the medium during ischemia and reperfusion reduced the incidence of irreversible
      ventricular fibrillation to 14% (n = 14, p less than 0.05 versus control
      spontaneously hypertensive rats, NS versus Wistar Kyoto rats). Concentrations of
      L-propionylcarnitine from 10(-6) to 10(-2) M were tested on isolated guinea pig
      papillary muscles using microelectrodes. Resting potential, action potential
      amplitude, action potential duration and active tension were not modified by L
      propionylcarnitine; and 10(-3) M L-propionylcarnitine did not influence the
      oscillatory afterpotentials induced by digitalis. We conclude that reperfusion
      ventricular arrhythmias are more severe in spontaneously hypertensive rats than
      in Wistar Kyoto rats and that the antiarrhythmic effect of L-propionylcarnitine
      in spontaneously hypertensive rats is mediated by myocardial protection from
      damage induced by reperfusion.

PMID- 1878485
TI  - Relation between epicardial electrograms and signal-averaged electrocardiograms
      after acute myocardial infarction in dogs.
AB  - Signal-averaged electrocardiograms allow the non-invasive detection of late
      potentials which represent locally delayed conduction in the myocardium. To
      validate this method, it is necessary to compare the signal-averaged data with
      electrograms recorded directly from the heart. However, the studies performed to
      date involve only a consecutive collection of the invasively and non-invasively
      obtained data. To obtain a more direct comparison, we examined this relation at
      operation by simultaneous epicardial and signal-averaged measurements. Acute
      infarction in animals was chosen, because the ischemic area is a zone of delayed
      conduction whose presence can be verified in a signal-averaged electrocardiogram.
      For this purpose, the left anterior descending artery, proximal of large septal
      and diagonal branches, was tied off in nine mongrel dogs after thoracotomy.
      Before infarction, a signal-averaged electrocardiogram was recorded from the body
      surface. At the same time, epicardial electrograms were performed using bipolar
      electrodes both from the supply area of the left anterior descending artery and
      from that of the circumflex artery. Five minutes after coronary ligation, both
      the epicardial measurements and the signal-averaged electrocardiogram were
      repeated on the open thorax. Before occlusion of the left anterior descending
      artery, narrow activation complexes occurred in general in the epicardial
      electrograms and no late potentials were recorded in any dog by the signal
      averaged electrocardiogram. Five minutes after coronary ligation, fractionated
      and prolonged electrograms occurred in the epicardial recordings from the
      ischemic zone, while the activation complexes in the uninfarcted supply area of
      the circumflex artery remained unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878486
TI  - Reflex effects of descending colon distension on coronary blood flow in
      anesthetized dogs.
AB  - To find out whether distension of the descending colon reflexly affects coronary
      blood flow, experiments were performed in nine dogs anesthetized with
      pentobarbitone. The descending colon was isolated between ligatures and distended
      with warm Ringer solution at a steady intraluminal pressure. Arterial blood
      pressure was prevented from changing by withdrawing blood from the left femoral
      artery. In two of the nine dogs the arterial blood pressure was also kept
      constant by tightening a plastic snare round the thoracic aorta. The reflex
      increase in heart rate was prevented by atrial pacing. Distension of the
      descending colon at constant heart rate and arterial blood pressure always caused
      a decrease in mean coronary blood flow, amounting to 2.44 +/- 1.8 ml/min (mean +/
      SD), equal to a percent decrease of 14.3 +/- 10.5. This response was completely
      abolished by section of the hypogastric nerves, thus demonstrating that a reflex
      mechanism is involved.

PMID- 1878487
TI  - Temporal relations of the endocrine response to exercise.
AB  - We have followed the hormonal response to exercise in twelve normal males cycling
      at a constant moderate load for ten minutes. Plasma concentrations of a variety
      of hormones were measured at set times before and during exercise and for twenty
      minutes afterward. The plasma concentration of norepinephrine and epinephrine and
      plasma activity of renin rose to a maximum at the end of exercise and then
      declined. The plasma concentrations of neurotensin and atrial natriuretic peptide
      followed a similar course. Plasma vasopressin rose to a peak at the end of
      exercise and then fell transiently below the initial value ten minutes after
      exercise. The plasma concentrations of aldosterone, prolactin and
      adrenocorticotropin increased during exercise but continued to do so, reaching a
      peak at ten minutes after exercise. Plasma growth hormone increased during
      exercise and continued to increase throughout the period of twenty minutes'
      recovery. Cortisol did not change during exercise but rose progressively during
      the recovery period. Plasma concentrations of glucagon did not change while that
      of insulin decreased during exercise. The plasma concentration of bombesin slowly
      increased during exercise and declined during recovery, reaching a basal value 10
      minutes later.

PMID- 1878488
TI  - A comparison of contractile function between papillary muscles and isolated
      myocytes from the same human hearts.
AB  - The contractile function in response to increasing extracellular calcium and
      isoprenaline has been investigated using papillary muscles from seven human
      hearts (failing and non-failing) obtained at the time of transplant. Myocytes
      have been enzymatically isolated from adjacent myocardium, and their contractile
      characteristics measured in parallel to those of the intact papillary muscle.
      Similar experiments were performed on rabbit hearts, but in this case separate
      animals were used for the papillary muscles and cells. For human myocardium, the
      EC50 (concentration for half-maximal effect) for calcium, and the percentage
      increase in amplitude between basal (1.3mM) and maximally activating calcium, was
      similar between papillary muscle and cells. Variability of absolute responses was
      4-5 times greater for papillary muscle than for myocytes. Isoprenaline
      accelerated the time to peak tension, time to 50% relaxation and time to 90%
      relaxation in papillary muscle; a similar effect on shortening was seen for time
      to peak tension and time to 50% relaxation in cells. Time to peak tension and
      time to 50% relaxation were not significantly different between the human
      preparations with isoprenaline, but the time to 50% relaxation with high calcium
      was faster for myocytes than for papillary muscle (p less than 0.05).
      Isoprenaline induced after-contractions in some cells, prolonging the time to 90%
      relaxation. This was not observed in papillary muscle preparations. Papillary
      muscles were less sensitive to the stimulatory effects of isoprenaline than cells
      taken from the same hearts. EC50 values were higher (p less than 0.05) and
      increases in contraction were lower (p less than 0.05) in whole tissue. This
      difference between cells and papillary muscle was not seen in rabbit
      hearts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878489
TI  - NADPH oxidase activity in the monocytes and neutrophils of patients with
      rheumatic fever.
AB  - The enzyme NADPH oxidase is involved in the production of oxygen free radicals.
      We measured its activity in neutrophils and monocytes obtained from patients with
      acute rheumatic fever, chronic rheumatic heart disease, acute streptococcal
      pharyngitis and normal controls. Follow up studies were made at 15 days, 3 months
      and 6 months. Streptococcal membrane antigen, carbohydrate antigens and latex
      were used to stimulate the oxidative activity in the neutrophils and monocytes.
      These three agents caused a significant increase in the enzyme activity of the
      phagocytes of patients with acute rheumatic fever and chronic rheumatic heart
      disease (p less than 0.001) but not in acute pharyngitis. Maximal NADPH oxidase
      enzyme activity was observed in patients with acute rheumatic fever. During the
      follow-up, there was a significant decline in the enzymatic activity in patients
      with acute rheumatic fever but not in those with chronic rheumatic heart disease.
      Enzymatic activity was greater when the phagocytic cells were triggered with
      membrane as compared to carbohydrate antigen and latex in all the groups and at
      all intervals. The enzymatic response of neutrophils and monocytes was similar
      although the magnitude of the NADPH oxidase activity was significantly higher in
      neutrophils than in monocytes.

PMID- 1878490
TI  - Vulvar malignancy.
AB  - Treatment of invasive vulvar malignancy has become more individualized during the
      past decade. In the past, radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinofemoral
      lymphadenectomy was the standard therapy for invasive squamous cell carcinoma and
      melanoma of the vulva. This is no longer always the case. The treatment of stage
      I and stage II invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva has become more
      individualized. Less radical surgery appears to produce the same results as
      ultraradical surgery. Wide local excision of early lesions associated with
      ipsilateral lymph node dissection appears to be adequate therapy in many cases.
      Likewise, treatment of early melanoma (0.75 mm in thickness) can be managed by
      wide local excision with or without groin dissection of the ipsilateral side.
      This more conservative approach has resulted in significantly fewer postoperative
      complications and has improved the self-image of many women undergoing treatment
      for vulvar malignancy.

PMID- 1878491
TI  - Maternal/fetal medicine.

PMID- 1878492
TI  - Gynecologic oncology.

PMID- 1878493
TI  - Drug therapy during pregnancy.
AB  - Fetal dysmorphic syndromes have been described with exposure to most commonly
      used anticonvulsants, most recently carbamazepine (Tegretol, Ciba-Geigy, Basel,
      Switzerland). Fetal genetic susceptibility may determine which infants are
      affected. Long-term use of heparin in pregnancy may cause significant
      osteoporosis, which appears to be reversible. Pharmacokinetic studies of
      ritodrine have resulted in recommendations for more appropriate infusion
      regimens, including a role for intramuscular therapy for patients undergoing
      maternal transport. Nifedipine shows promise as a tocolytic with fewer side
      effects than ritodrine but equivalent efficacy. Indomethacin is also an effective
      tocolytic, and clinically significant side effects have not been seen with 48
      hours or less of treatment. Indomethacin has also been used successfully for
      treatment of polyhydramnios.

PMID- 1878494
TI  - Medical disorders in pregnancy, including hypertensive diseases.
AB  - Medical disorders, including hypertensive diseases, may exist prior to pregnancy
      (eg, connective tissue diseases, chronic hypertension, thyroid disease) or may
      manifest themselves for the first time during pregnancy (eg, gestational
      diabetes, gestational hypertension). The outcome for a particular pregnancy will
      depend on the nature of the disease, the severity of the disease process at onset
      of pregnancy, and the quality of obstetric and medical management used.
      Management of pregnancies with preexisting medical disorders should begin before
      conception. These women should be evaluated to determine the severity of the
      disorder and to establish the presence of possible target organ damage. In
      addition, they should be counseled regarding the potential adverse effects of the
      disease on pregnancy outcome and the effects of pregnancy on their disease. These
      women should be instructed regarding the importance of early onset of prenatal
      care and compliance with frequent prenatal visits.

PMID- 1878495
TI  - The very tiny baby, multiple births, and other questions about preterm
      deliveries.
AB  - The progressive change of the limit of viability accepted for very preterm babies
      has resulted in a progressive improvement of survival, but also in costs for days
      spent in intensive care and for numbers of severely handicapped babies. Multiple
      births, including twins but especially triplets and quadruplets, result in
      severely premature births, high death rates, high costs, and severe risk of
      handicap. As most supermultiple pregnancies are the result of ovulation-inducing
      drugs, this rise has to be limited. More than acute care, prevention is the only
      good solution, from both an ethical and an economical standpoint.

PMID- 1878496
TI  - Fetal assessment in postterm pregnancy.
AB  - There is considerable disagreement over the management of postterm pregnancies.
      The main controversy is whether to adopt a policy of routine induction or one of
      selective induction allied to frequent fetal surveillance. Current evidence
      suggests that routine induction at 42 weeks' gestation does not increase the risk
      of instrumental delivery or cesarean section. To adopt the former approach, it is
      important that gestation is confirmed by early ultrasound examination, which has
      reduced the true incidence of postterm pregnancy to less than 6%. There have been
      no recent significant advances regarding methods of fetal surveillance in the
      postterm pregnancy.

PMID- 1878497
TI  - Cervical malignancies.
AB  - Articles published between August 1989 and July 1990 related to squamous cell
      carcinoma of the cervix are reviewed. A discussion of new histopathologic
      findings is given along with current hormonal receptor studies. The host
      immunocompetence with an immunologic staging system is presented. Recent studies
      of the clinical application of the serum squamous cell antigen are reviewed. The
      finding of positive pelvic nodes at the time of a radical hysterectomy is
      investigated within literature review. The advantages and risks of radical
      surgery, radiation therapy, and combined treatments are presented with no clear
      conclusion being found. Advanced or recurrent cervical cancers may be treated
      with radiation, chemotherapy, or ultraradical surgery depending on the clinical
      setting. Early studies of combination therapies are given for these difficult
      situations.

PMID- 1878498
TI  - Breast malignancy.
AB  - Risks associated with oral contraceptive use have been shown for women who begin
      using them before age 25 and before their first full-term pregnancy. The
      effectiveness of chemoprevention is being studied. Screening may reduce mortality
      by 30% in women aged 50 to 69. Breast-conserving lumpectomy is indicated for
      small tumors. In some postmenopausal node-positive patients, a combination of
      hormonal and chemotherapy may be useful. In metastatic breast cancer, dose
      intensification of chemotherapy has been investigated. Palliative treatment
      involves tamoxifen. Analysis of steroid hormone receptor status involves fine
      needle aspiration, enzyme immunoassay, and a new autoradiographic procedure using
      radiolabeled estrogens. Prognostic factors under study include oncogene
      amplification, urokinase plasminogen activator level, expression of growth
      factors and growth factor receptors, proliferation parameters such as ploidy and
      S-phase fraction, mutations, and cathepsin D levels.

PMID- 1878499
TI  - Ovarian malignancy.
AB  - Despite major advances in the management of ovarian cancer over the last two
      decades, overall prognosis remains poor. Attempts to improve early detection by
      screening with sonography and tumor markers have thus far been unsuccessful. The
      tumor marker CA-125 has, however, proven to be useful in indicating
      responsiveness to chemotherapy, and in turn predicts survival. Patients with well
      or moderately well-differentiated stage IA-1 and IB-1 ovarian cancers have
      excellent survivals and do not require adjuvant therapy. In contrast, patients
      with poorly differentiated stage I and II tumors have a 20% failure rate and
      should be treated. Carboplatinum, with its favorable spectrum of toxicities, is
      becoming the platinum analogue of choice. Taxol is a new active agent for ovarian
      cancer and may prove efficacious in combination with platinum for ovarian cancer.
      Second-look surgery should no longer be performed routinely. Recent data suggest
      that tumor heterogeneity may compromise immunotherapy that targets cell surface
      antigens.

PMID- 1878500
TI  - Vaginal malignancy.
AB  - Various malignant neoplasms, either primary or secondary, can affect the vagina.
      The most common primary malignant tumors of the vagina are squamous cell cancers;
      however, they are among the most uncommon of all primary gynecologic cancers.
      Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia is being diagnosed with increasing frequency
      and continues to be a challenging problem. Laser therapy and topical 5
      fluorouracil are the preferred treatment methods reported in the current
      literature. Invasive cancer of the vagina is primarily a disease of the older
      woman and presents most commonly with abnormal bleeding. Radiotherapy continues
      to be used as external beam or intracavitary treatment for the majority of women
      with this problem. Vaginal melanomas are a special group of vaginal neoplasms and
      appear to have a much poorer prognosis than their vulvar counterparts. It would
      appear that early diagnosis is the most favorable factor affecting outcome, with
      treatment modality being secondary.

PMID- 1878501
TI  - Neonatal and infant problems of low birth weight.
AB  - New therapies are being developed to improve survival of low-birth-weight
      infants, especially those weighing less than 1000 g. The most exciting new
      development is the use of surfactant replacement therapy for treatment of
      respiratory distress syndrome. This therapy results in less severe acute lung
      disease and has decreased mortality from respiratory distress syndrome. As more
      infants survive, consideration of long-term sequelae including chronic lung
      disease and neurologic outcome are of paramount importance. This review covers
      strategies for prevention and treatment of respiratory distress syndrome
      (including surfactant replacement). New and evolving treatments for amelioration
      of chronic lung disease and issues in neurologic outcome for the low-birth-weight
      infant (including prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage) are addressed.

PMID- 1878502
TI  - Endometrial malignancy.
AB  - This article reviews published papers on endometrial carcinoma from August 1989
      to July 1990. The hypothesis of two different pathogenic types of endometrial
      carcinoma, which are well correlated with favorable and unfavorable prognosis,
      has been established. The prognosis for patients under 21 years of age with well
      differentiated endometrial carcinoma is excellent; for them, a conservative,
      fertility-preserving treatment is possible. The characteristics of carcinomas
      with unfavorable prognoses are also discussed. These prognostic factors are
      measurable in tissue from preoperative curettage. Measurement of myometrial
      invasion by vaginal sonography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging is possible
      with a high degree of safety preoperatively as well. At least intraoperatively,
      an exact measurement of depth of invasion can be obtained by frozen-section
      diagnosis. In an optimal preoperative examination, it should be possible to
      select patients with a high rate of metastases for intraoperative
      lymphadenectomy. For adjuvant postoperative therapy, percutaneous radiotherapy is
      indicated in high-risk patients in whom no optimal lymphadenectomy has been done.
      Vaginal irradiation, however, used in all cases up until now, is known to bring
      about more local complaints. Adjuvant progestagen treatment in low-risk patients
      is dangerous because it can cause a higher rate of cardiovascular disease and
      does not reduce death by recurrent disease. The profit for high-risk patients
      seems very small. Analysis of endometrial carcinoma tissue shows a high rate of
      receptors for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and analogues. Adjuvant
      chemotherapy in high-risk patients until now has been without measurable effect.

PMID- 1878503
TI  - Barrier contraceptives, spermicides, and periodic abstinence.
AB  - Although barrier contraceptives were among the first methods of preventing
      unwanted pregnancy ever described for human use, with the advent of the non
      coitally related oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices, they gradually
      fell into relative disuse. However, for a variety of reasons, this is no longer
      the case. There is a renewed interest in these techniques both as a major form of
      birth control and also as our best protection against the transmission of
      sexually transmitted diseases, many of which are now occurring in epidemic form.
      This latter reason has stimulated fresh approaches to both physical barriers and
      spermicidal agents. In addition, attempts have also been made to assess the true
      effectiveness of periodic abstinence and ways in which to make its use more
      accurate and acceptable.

PMID- 1878504
TI  - Intrauterine devices.
AB  - Approximately 60 million women use the intrauterine device (IUD) worldwide;
      however, owing primarily to nonmedical reasons, the IUD is far less popular in
      the United States. Although the contraceptive mechanism of action is unknown, it
      appears that spermicidal activity may be important. Overall, the efficacy of the
      copper devices is quite good, such that the overall lifespan can probably be
      extended. Possible pelvic infection remains the greatest potential risk, although
      in properly selected women the risk is quite low. Use of prophylactic antibiotics
      at the time of insertion may offer additional protection against this risk.
      Although IUD users may have more nonspecific vaginal inflammation than do other
      women, the clinical significance is probably limited. Further, users do not
      appear to have elevated risks for cervical infections. Although menometrorrhagia
      persists as a potential problem, the mechanism for such bleeding is not well
      understood. Finally, the retroflexed uterine position does not appear to increase
      the risk of abnormal outcomes.

PMID- 1878505
TI  - Combined progestin and estrogen (oral), and other forms of hormonal
      contraception.
AB  - This review examines controversies concerning serious side effects of oral
      contraceptives. Current concerns about the pill are with either relatively small
      excess risks or with very long-term effects, which need not be small. The main
      outstanding questions are the effects on cardiovascular disease of lowering doses
      and the effects on breast cancer of oral contraceptive use at a young age. In the
      end, the possible effects on breast cancer incidence cause the most concern. It
      is argued that most epidemiologic studies are too small to reliably detect
      effects among particular subgroups and it is possibly too soon to know what the
      long-term effects of using oral contraceptives while young on breast cancer
      actually are. However, complacency is contraindicated.

PMID- 1878506
TI  - Experimental methods of contraception.
AB  - While most new contraceptives currently in development incorporate existing
      contraceptive agents into new delivery systems, several types of contraceptives
      with novel mechanisms of action are making steady progress. The antiprogestin
      mifepristone (better known as RU 486) is being tested as an ovulation inhibitor,
      as a once-a-month pill, and as a postcoital contraceptive. An antiestrogen,
      Centchroman (Hindustan Latex, India), is in use in India as a once-a-week,
      nonsteroidal pill. The development of more potent pituitary gonadotropin
      antagonists has improved their potential to block ovulation in women and to
      inhibit spermatogenesis in men (which requires concurrent administration of
      testosterone). Another promising male contraceptive is an intraluminal vas
      occlusion plug tested extensively in China that can be removed with no apparent
      detriment to future fertility. Finally, several types of immunocontraceptives
      could become the most specific form of fertility control by directing an antibody
      response against the fertilized or unfertilized egg or against sperm.

PMID- 1878507
TI  - Abortion.
AB  - In 1990 abortion literature was characterized by articles relating to 1) the
      safety of surgical abortion procedures, 2) advances in knowledge and experience
      with medical abortifacients such as mifepristone (RU 486), and 3) reviews of
      psychologic and ethical considerations. Although technical methods differ greatly
      between countries and continents, there is increasing similarity between
      termination protocols in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The
      advent of mifepristone will make this even more so. Surgically, although
      dilatation and evacuation procedures are far more common in the United States
      than in other countries, the literature reflects a fine-tuning of analysis and
      technique, with safety the major consideration. Knowledge about the effectiveness
      of mifepristone continues to grow, and the effective dose for early first
      trimester termination appears established. There is increasing evidence that at
      least in the short term, the negative psychologic sequelae of abortion are
      infrequent and are inconsequential as a public health issue.

PMID- 1878508
TI  - Sterilization.
AB  - Sterilization has become the most widely used method of family planning in both
      the developed and developing world. This article discusses the importance of
      presterilization counseling and describes the timing of the procedure, methods of
      anesthesia, and occlusion techniques (eg, tubal ligation and the use of rings and
      clips) in female sterilization. Other topics covered in sterilization of women
      are long-term follow-up and complications, reversal of sterilization, impact of
      national sterilization policies, and nonsurgical sterilization. The article
      includes a short section on surgical contraception for men.

PMID- 1878509
TI  - Investigative procedures in urogynecology.
AB  - History and physical examination do not always correlate with final urodynamic
      diagnoses in incontinent women. A large number of diagnostic procedures are
      available to help the clinician establish the correct diagnosis. The importance
      of urine culture, Q-tip test, ultrasound, pessary test for potential
      incontinence, neurophysiologic testing, endoscopy, urethral pressure profiles,
      stress/pad tests, uroflowmetry, and cystometry are discussed. The physician
      should understand the importance and limitations of each of the different
      investigative procedures.

PMID- 1878510
TI  - Urge incontinence and stress incontinence.
AB  - Urinary incontinence remains a common problem that adversely affects the quality
      of life of millions of women. In detrusor instability, treatment measures often
      lack efficacy or are accompanied by unacceptable side effects. In this review,
      standard treatments are discussed, together with recent pharmacologic advances
      and the introduction of newer techniques including maximal electrical
      stimulation. The nonsurgical treatment options currently available for genuine
      stress incontinence are considered in the light of recent advances.

PMID- 1878511
TI  - Choice of operation for genuine stress incontinence.
AB  - Surgery, the definitive treatment for most patients with genuine stress urinary
      incontinence, continues to evolve, as does the rationale for choice and
      application of given operations. The history of surgical progress to the present
      is well covered by Kohorn (Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 1989, 16:841-852) and
      includes those operations that have progressively supplanted the anterior
      colporrhaphy on which the gynecologist traditionally depended. Emphasis on the
      secure retropubic placement of the bladder neck has led to the development of a
      number of modifications of open retropubic cystourethropexy, minimal incision
      needle suspension techniques, and various sling operations; recently reported
      modifications are acknowledged. The rationale of curing incontinence by restoring
      normal anatomy in the course of identifying and repairing discrete fascial
      defects has led to increased acceptance and use of the paravaginal or obturator
      shelf repair.

PMID- 1878512
TI  - Urinary tract infections in women.
AB  - Factors influencing urinary tract infections depend on a balance between
      bacterial virulence (bacterial adhesion to tissues, hemolysin, and aerobactin)
      and on the host's defenses (local immunoglobulin production). Predisposing
      factors for the development of urinary tract infections in women are physiologic
      changes with aging, use of catheters, and genitourinary operations. Therapy for
      uncomplicated urinary tract infections usually consists of a single dose of
      medication for 3 to 7 days, although the 1-day regimen was proved to be quite
      effective. Treatment of complicated urinary tract infections is by intravenous
      medications. New drugs for treatment of urinary tract infections are also
      reviewed.

PMID- 1878513
TI  - Pathology of the fallopian tube.
AB  - Tubal carcinoma and serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary are remarkably similar in
      biologic characteristics and tumor markers, which suggests that the management
      for tubal carcinoma would be based on that for ovarian carcinoma. The cases with
      rare histologic features, including endometrioid carcinoma, mixed mullerian
      tumor, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma have been reported. In the genesis of
      tubal pregnancy, microscopic evidence of silent inflammation has attracted
      special interest recently. With the development of sophisticated diagnostic tests
      and the progress of medical management, it has become possible to treat
      unruptured tubal pregnancies by pharmacologic approaches, laparoscopy, or
      transvaginal sonographic control. This review briefly outlines the conspicuous
      pathologic and etiologic features of neoplasms, ectopic pregnancy, and
      abnormality of the fallopian tube, and discusses some recent observations
      regarding these disorders.

PMID- 1878514
TI  - Pathology of the ovary.
AB  - Recent medical articles on pathology of the ovary have contributed to a better
      understanding of ovarian cancer. Postmenopausal women with ovarian neoplasms,
      especially bilateral ones, are at great risk that they are malignant. Methods for
      histologic and frozen-section sampling of ovarian neoplasms may vary from one
      pathology laboratory to another. Primary peritoneal cancer is a distinct clinical
      entity and all physicians operating on women with pelvic cancers should be alert
      for its presence. Serum CA 125 analysis may be of value in determining whether to
      carry out a second-look operation in women with epithelial ovarian cancer. The
      influence of rupture of the capsule of epithelial ovarian tumors, hydronephrosis,
      and disease limited to the ovaries and survival are discussed.

PMID- 1878515
TI  - Benign breast disease.
AB  - Perhaps the most remarkable trend relevant to benign breast disease during the
      past year is the relative paucity of new investigations. This interesting trend
      is reflected in one of the most remarkable recent texts on this subject. In The
      Breast: Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Disorders (Bland et al.,
      eds. WB Saunders, 1991), only 70 of 1100 pages are devoted to benign breast
      disease. The majority of recent reports have focused on three issues: symptomatic
      treatment of breast pain, expectant management of clinically benign masses in
      younger women, and cytologic differentiation of benign and precancerous cystic
      lesions.

PMID- 1878517
TI  - Family planning.

PMID- 1878516
TI  - New developments in breast cancer research.
AB  - The last few years have shown an extraordinary development of laboratory and
      clinical research in breast cancer. The areas which appear particularly important
      for possible clinical application are many and diversified. In this review we
      will update the present knowledge regarding four major issues: 1) biologic and
      molecular tests of prognostic significance in operable breast cancer patients; 2)
      detection of breast cancer cells in the bone marrow; 3) the endocrine aspects of
      breast cancer treatment; and 4) the indication of conservative treatments.

PMID- 1878518
TI  - Gynecologic urology.

PMID- 1878519
TI  - Gynecologic pathology.

PMID- 1878520
TI  - Audit of diagnostic accuracy of FNA cytology specimens taken by the
      histopathologist in a symptomatic breast clinic.
AB  - One thousand and two patients with palpable breast lumps have had fine needle
      aspiration at a surgical symptomatic breast clinic where the pathologist takes,
      stains and immediately reports the aspiration cytology smears. High levels of
      complete sensitivity (95.7%) and specificity (100%) have been maintained with a
      combined complete sensitivity for aspiration cytodiagnosis, mammography and
      clinical assessment of 99.7%. Significant reductions of unnecessary biopsies and
      out-patient revisits have allowed major resource savings to be made. In view of
      the high degree of accuracy obtained by this approach to the investigation of
      palpable breast lesions, combined clinics with their benefits for the patient,
      both physical and psychological, should be encouraged.

PMID- 1878521
TI  - Evaluation of the cost effectiveness of establishing a fine needle aspiration
      cytology clinic in a hospital out-patient department.
AB  - In an attempt to reduce the number of inadequate smears processed by our
      laboratory and the false negative rate of fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis,
      we have introduced a fine needle aspiration cytology service where aspirates are
      taken by the cytopathologist in a clinic. In the 12 month period since the
      introduction of this service, the number of inadequate smears fell sharply. Nine
      per cent of the specimens were inadequate compared with 43% of specimens from
      other sources. The establishment of the clinic resulted in a threefold reduction
      in the cost of diagnosing breast lesions.

PMID- 1878522
TI  - Comparative ploidy studies using cytological and paraffin section preparations.
AB  - The ploidy profiles of benign and malignant tumours can be obtained using image
      analysis. However, the results of ploidy studies have varied according to the
      type of specimen used. We compared the ploidy profiles of paraffin embedded thin
      sections, cytospin preparations of disaggregated cells, and cytological smears
      from the same specimen as defined by image analysis. Ten benign breast lesions,
      10 breast carcinomas and 10 malignant melanomas were investigated in this way.
      Preparations stained by the Feulgen technique were examined using the MD20 video
      image analysis densitometry system. Ploidy profiles were obtained by measuring
      the integrated optical density of at least 200 nuclei. By paying proper attention
      to the quality of fixation and presence or absence of cytoplasm around cells,
      comparable results were found for all preparations in each case. We therefore
      conclude that if careful attention is paid to the technical quality of the
      material, reliable ploidy results can be obtained by image analysis.

PMID- 1878523
TI  - Does microhistology improve the cytological diagnosis of liver and pancreatic
      tumours?
AB  - Guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of the liver,
      retroperitoneum and pancreas was performed in 197 patients. In 42 cases, material
      left after the smears were prepared was embedded in paraffin wax for histological
      examination. Six liver tumours and seven pancreatic tumours were identified in
      this material. In two cases the diagnosis of liver cell carcinoma was made only
      after microhistological examination. Re-examination of the cytological material
      in both cases disclosed features of liver cell carcinoma which were
      underestimated in the first examination and diagnosed only broadly as cancer
      cells. On the other hand, in another case cancer cells were present only in the
      smear and absent in the microhistological preparation. Diagnosis of pancreatic
      tumours was generally not improved by microhistological examination. In one case
      cancer cells were present only in the cytological material. In another case a
      cytological diagnosis of suspected cancer was confirmed as adenocarcinoma by
      microhistology. The diagnosis of non-neoplastic material in the remaining 29
      cases were identical by cytopathology and microhistology. It is concluded that
      the microhistology of needle aspirate material complements cytological
      examination and can refine diagnosis although it increases cost.

PMID- 1878524
TI  - The significance of nuclear grooves and phagocytosis in the diagnosis of
      metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.
AB  - A 57-year-old patient presented with a lesion of the iliac bone. Cytological
      smears prepared from material aspirated from the lesion revealed cells with
      longitudinal nuclear grooves and haemosiderin within their cytoplasm. These
      observations led to a diagnosis of metastatic thyroid papillary carcinoma which
      was confirmed by histological examination.

PMID- 1878526
TI  - Terminology: fine needle aspiration cytology and biopsy.

PMID- 1878525
TI  - Metastatic renal clear cell carcinoma in the thyroid gland diagnosed by fine
      needle aspiration cytology.
AB  - An 81-year-old woman presented with a mass in the right lobe of the thyroid. Fine
      needle aspiration of this lesion showed metastatic clear cell carcinoma. This was
      subsequently confirmed histologically. In patients with metastatic carcinoma,
      tumour deposits are frequently found in the thyroid. The most common metastatic
      tumour to masquerade as a primary thyroid tumour is a renal cell carcinoma. In
      patients with this tumour the possibility that a thyroid mass may be a metastatic
      deposit should always be considered.

PMID- 1878527
TI  - Carcinoid tumour of breast diagnosed by FNA.

PMID- 1878528
TI  - Fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis as a pre-requisite for primary medical
      treatment of breast cancer.
AB  - The accurate non-surgical diagnosis of breast lumps allows assessment of breast
      cancer patients for conservation or neoadjuvant primary treatment before surgical
      intervention. We have analysed the accuracy of clinical assessment, fine needle
      aspiration cytology (FNAC), and mammography in over 868 women seen in a
      symptomatic breast clinic. Clinical examination by an experienced breast
      physician, together with FNAC, detected over 99% of the cancers with a 12% false
      positive rate. A cytological diagnosis of definite carcinoma was obtained in 69%
      of women with breast cancer with no false positive result from the women with
      benign conditions producing a 100% positive predictive value. These results
      indicate that it would be acceptable to give pre-surgical systemic endocrine or
      chemotherapy to women with positive cytology which is therefore a prerequisite
      for a neoadjuvant therapy programme.

PMID- 1878529
TI  - Stability of diltiazem in different biological fluids.
AB  - The hydrolysis of diltiazem in biological fluids: whole blood, plasma, and
      gastric fluid was investigated under conditions considered close to the
      physiological situation. The most significant rate of hydrolytic degradation was
      found in whole blood (half-life of 27 h), followed by plasma (half-life of 88 h),
      while the least significant degradation rate was observed in gastric fluid (half
      life 153 h). The kinetic profiles of diltiazem hydrolysis indicate that
      hydrolytic degradation in the biological fluids makes a minimal contribution to
      the clearance and disposition of the drug.

PMID- 1878530
TI  - A method for calculating the mean residence times of catenary metabolites.
AB  - A method for calculating the mean residence times of metabolites in the body,
      systemic circulation, and peripheral tissue is described. The calculations
      require the AUC, AUMC, and derivatives of the plasma concentration versus time
      curves of the metabolite and its precursor. The method is applicable to
      metabolites with any precursor order and does not require separate administration
      of the metabolite. The approach is applied to published data for the primary and
      secondary metabolites of ketamine.

PMID- 1878531
TI  - Endogenous plasma N-acetylcysteine and single dose oral bioavailability from two
      different formulations as determined by a new analytical method.
AB  - A method to quantitate N-acetylcysteine in plasma using reductive cleavage with
      tributylphosphine and post-HPLC column derivatisation with omicron-phthalaldehyde
      is described. Using this method, endogenous average concentrations of 0.08 microM
      were measured in 10 volunteers participating in a crossover study to compare the
      bioavailability of two different formulations of N-acetylcysteine. The drug was
      detected in plasma for up to 12 h after administration of a single oral dose (200
      mg); the Cmax values were up to 20 times the endogenous levels. The sensitivity
      and selectivity of the method should thus enable the behaviour of N
      acetylcysteine after oral administration to be properly described and
      bioavailability studies to be performed.

PMID- 1878532
TI  - Kinetics of acetaminophen after single- and multiple-dose oral administration as
      a gradient matrix system to healthy male subjects.
AB  - The in vivo characteristics of two formulations of a recently developed
      controlled-release system, the Gradient Matrix System (GMS-1 and GMS-2), with
      acetaminophen as a model drug compound have been determined in healthy volunteers
      both after separate single- and multiple-dose administration. Values for the mean
      residence time (MRT) were increased from 5.2 h for an oral solution to 10.2 and
      13.3 h for two GMS formulations after single dosing. Peak plasma concentrations
      were lower for the two GMS formulations after single dosing compared to the oral
      solution. The bioavailability, relative to the oral solution, was 91 per cent and
      84 per cent for the two GMS formulations tested. After multiple dosing of one of
      the GMS formulations over 5 days, no change in AUC compared to the single dose
      AUC occurred. Steady state was reached within 2-3 days of twice daily dosing of
      the GMS formulation. The peak-trough-fluctuation (per cent PTF) was 44 per cent.
      No signs of dose dumping were observed in fasted subjects. A plateau-like plasma
      drug concentration profile at steady state was maintained with the GMS
      formulation.

PMID- 1878533
TI  - Comparison of in vitro and in vivo release characteristics of acetaminophen from
      gradient matrix systems.
AB  - An effort was made to correlate the in vivo and in vitro release data of
      acetaminophen from two formulations of a recently developed controlled-release
      system, the Gradient Matrix System (GMS-1 and GMS-2). The in vivo release curves,
      obtained by deconvolution of the plasma concentration time plots, showed a small
      inter-subject variability. GMS-1 with fastest in vitro release also showed
      fastest in vivo release. A good relationship was only found after time-scaling of
      the release data.

PMID- 1878534
TI  - Disposition and pharmacodynamics of dichloroacetate (DCA) and oxalate following
      oral DCA doses.
AB  - Healthy volunteers received intravenous and/or oral doses of sodium
      dichloroacetate (DCA) in various single and multiple dose regimens. A crossover
      bioavailability study proved abortive because second and subsequent doses showed
      significantly longer terminal elimination half-lives (means 3.64 h and 9.9 h,
      respectively) than was the case for initial doses (1.58 h). A parallel
      bioavailability comparison failed to show that oral doses were significantly
      different from 100 per cent bioavailability (AUCoral, 604 micrograms h-1 ml-1;
      AUCi.v., 489 micrograms h-1 ml-1). The time required to elapse between individual
      doses, in order to prevent second doses having relatively long half-life values,
      varied in different individuals from 1 week to greater than 3 months. No cardiac
      or central nervous system effects were recorded by echocardiography and digit
      symbol substitution tests, respectively. The mean renal clearance of DCA was 42.9
      ml h-1. No differences were observed in DCA kinetics between male and female
      subjects.

PMID- 1878535
TI  - Bioavailability of diltiazem as a function of the administered dose.
AB  - Diltiazem undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism; extrapolation from single to
      repeated administration thus underestimates plasma concentration values. In order
      to validate the hypothesis of a partially saturable first-pass effect, four
      single doses of diltiazem (10, 20, 40, and 120 mg) were administered at weekly
      intervals to eight healthy volunteers. Results showed that: (a) the inter-subject
      variability was highest at the lowest dose at the highest dose; (b)
      bioavailability was almost nil in 3 of 8 of the subjects after the administration
      of the 10 mg dose; (c) the mean bioavailability increased with the dose from 11.8
      +/- 2.5 per cent after 10 mg to 28.2 per cent after 120 mg; (d) the elimination
      half-life was dose-related; (e) the renal excretion of diltiazem increased with
      the administered dose from 1.0 +/- 0.3 per cent after 10 mg to 3.0 +/- 0.5 per
      cent after 120 mg; (f) the greatest amounts of circulating metabolites were
      present after the lowest doses. These results are consistent with a partially
      saturable first-pass effect for diltiazem.

PMID- 1878536
TI  - [The value of NMR tomography in the planning of HDR-afterloading brachytherapy in
      cervical carcinomas. The experiences with 41 patients].
AB  - In 41 patients with inoperable cervical carcinomas, afterloading brachytherapy
      was used in combination with radiotherapy after planning with MRI (1.5 T spin
      echo multislice technique). In 27 women, phantoms neutral to MRI were introduced
      into the uterus to create a topographic situation comparable to that during
      brachytherapy; at the same time, the position of the applicators was marked.
      Under the circumstances, MRI demonstrated the position of the uterus and the
      tumour, the vagina, the bladder, the rectosigmoid and the applicator phantoms in
      every case. In 88% it was possible to demonstrate the margin of the tumour and
      normal myometrium. In 18% of the patients, the technique lead to a significant
      and, in a further 30%, to a marginal improvement in brachytherapy technique.

PMID- 1878537
TI  - [The diagnosis of bladder carcinomas by NMR tomography: an improvement with Gd
      DTPA?].
AB  - 85 patients suffering from urinary bladder carcinoma were examined by magnetic
      resonance imaging in a prospective study. Following precontrast diagnosis, 15
      patients were given an intravesicular application of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA).
      Another 35 patients received an intravenous bolus of GD-DTPA. A diagnostic
      advantage was achieved in only 2 of 15 tumours by using intravesicular contrast
      application. Compared to the precontrast diagnosis, a 14% improvement from 69%
      (precontrast) to 83% (contrast medium) was seen with Gd-DTPA applied
      intravenously in the diagnosis of the tumour stage. The diagnostic gain lies in
      the improved tumour recognition, the improved demarcation of papillary, non
      muscle-infiltrating tumours and in the more definite diagnosis of infiltration
      into neighbouring organs and the pelvic wall. Demarcation of perivesicular fatty
      infiltration is rendered more difficult by Gd-DTPA.

PMID- 1878538
TI  - [The current status of the diagnosis and therapy of nonocclusive intestinal
      ischemia (NII)].
AB  - Nonocclusive gut ischaemia is a disease of advanced age. Its causes are reduced
      cardiac output or shock, facilitated by digitalis, adrenaline, ergotamine and
      diuretics. The persisting microcirculation and development of gut necrosis leads
      to an increase in certain serum enzymes, such as lactate, LDH and CK-NB. The
      early application of mesenteric angiography using a DSA technique reveals four
      grades of underperfusion. Early and correct diagnosis of the disease should lead
      to intra-arterial treatment with prostaglandin. In ten out of 42 cases,
      conservative therapy led to reperfusion of the gut.

PMID- 1878539
TI  - [Transhepatic balloon dilatation of the ductus choledochus and the removal of
      choledochal calculi].
AB  - In eight patients with stones in the bile duct, the concretions were removed
      percutaneously; in six, they were pushed into the duodenum following dilatation
      of the papilla and in two patients they were removed percutaneously by a
      transhepatic route using a Dormier basket. In two patients a stenosis at a
      choledocho-jejunostomy was successfully dilated by a percutaneously introduced
      balloon catheter. In five patients stenoses due to tumours of the bile duct were
      dilated percutaneously and an endoprosthesis introduced. There were no serious
      complications. The percutaneous transhepatic approach for the treatment of bile
      duct stones and of malignant obstruction is a valuable alternative to endoscopic
      and surgical treatment.

PMID- 1878540
TI  - [MR tomography of the liver at 1.5 tesla. The value of T1-weighted imaging with a
      fast multislice gradient-echo sequence during respiratory standstill].
AB  - The diagnostic value of a fast multislice gradient-echo sequence was compared
      with that of conventional spin-echo sequences in a prospective study of 76
      patients. With the multislice gradient-echo sequence, the entire liver can be
      examined in less than 3 minutes since five sections can be imaged during one
      breath-holding period. The strongly T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (GRE
      100/5/80 degrees) yields a significantly better T1-contrast than the T1-weighted
      spin-echo sequence (SE 500/15) (p less than 0.01) and thus improves the
      visualization of liver lesions. Another major advantage of the fast gradient-echo
      sequence is the pronounced reduction of motion artefacts.

PMID- 1878541
TI  - [The optimization of chondromalacia patellae diagnosis by NMR tomography. The use
      of an apparatus for cartilage compression].
AB  - The aim of this study was to improve the MRI diagnosis of CMP, with special
      reference to the early stages and accurate staging. For this purpose, the
      retropatellar cartilage was examined by MRI while compression was carried out,
      using 21 patients and five normal controls. The compression was applied by means
      of a specially constructed device. Changes in cartilage thickness and signal
      intensity were evaluated quantitatively during FLASH and FISP sequences. In all
      patients the results of arthroscopies were available and in 12 patients,
      cartilage biopsies had been obtained. CMP stage I could be distinguished from
      normal cartilage by reduction in cartilage thickness and signal increase from the
      oedematous cartilage during compression. In CMP stages II/III, abnormal protein
      deposition of collagen type I could be demonstrated by its compressibility. In
      stages III and IV, the method does not add any significant additional
      information.

PMID- 1878542
TI  - [The estimation of the effective dose in bone mineral measurements with photon
      absorptiometry and computed tomography].
AB  - There is still some uncertainty in the assessment and comparison of patient dose
      which results from bone mineral measurements on the lumbar spine by photon
      absorptiometry and x-ray computed tomography (CT). In the literature, skin dose
      values are offered in almost all cases. These are not meaningful, however, as the
      size of the irradiated volume and the radiation sensitivities of the respective
      organs are not taken into account. Here, the concept of effective dose has to be
      applied. An assessment of effective dose resulted in approximately 1 mu Sv for
      absorptiometry and approximately 30 mu Sv for computed tomography with low kV and
      mAs values. For lateral lumbar spine films which are often taken in connection
      with absorptiometry, at least 700 mu Sv have to be added. In CT, additional 30 mu
      Sv result from the lateral topogram which is required for positioning. The
      concept of effective dose, the data and assumptions used in its assessment and a
      comparison to other risk factors, as for example natural background radiation of
      approximately 2400 mu Sv per year, are discussed in detail.

PMID- 1878543
TI  - [The comparative measurement of the bone marrow dose in quantitative computed
      tomography (QCT), dual-photon radiography (DPX) and conventional x-rays of the
      LS].
AB  - One of the issues in the discussion on the best method for measuring the bone
      mineral content is the relevance of the applied dose. We used highly sensitive
      thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) to directly compare bone marrow doses in a
      human phantom. DPX gave a bone marrow dose in the lumbar spine of 4 mu Gy, in QCT
      the dose corrected to the same amount of irradiated marrow was about 1 mGy. This
      value is in the same range as conventional a.p. plus lateral view x-rays of the
      lumbar spine. Corrected to the total body dose, the QCT dose is as low as 10% of
      the yearly background irradiation. It should therefore be radiobiologically
      irrelevant.

PMID- 1878544
TI  - [The diagnostic accuracy of MRT in cruciate ligament injuries].
AB  - Lesions of the anterior cruciate ligaments may be demonstrated by MRI with an
      accuracy of 99%. Standardised technique with sagittal and coronal projections
      produces excellent results. Localisation of the site of rupture can be achieved
      in 95% of cases. MRI provides a valuable method for diagnosing lesions of the
      cruciate ligaments.

PMID- 1878545
TI  - [The x-ray morphology of parosteal osteosarcoma (POS)].
AB  - 31 cases of parosteal osteosarcoma (POS) including both the differentiated and
      dedifferentiated variant were reviewed. Most patients were in the second and
      third decades of life. The tumours usually arose in the meta-diaphyseal (52%) and
      diaphyseal (33%) portion of long bones with a predilection for the knee (55%).
      Twenty-seven percent of patients showed involvement of the medullary cavity. 68%
      of lesions affected the bone cortex. A periosteal reaction was observed in 24% of
      patients. The characteristic but not pathognomic sign of a fine radiolucent line
      separating the tumour from the cortex was seen in only 48%. No characteristic
      radiographic features were evident that allowed a differentiation between the
      differentiated and the dedifferentiated POS. The presence or absence of medullary
      involvement was no a reliable diagnostic criterion. In all dedifferentiated POS,
      however, we observed a periosteal reaction.

PMID- 1878546
TI  - [A 3-dimensional reconstructive procedure in lumbar computed tomography].
AB  - In this study, 50 patients were examined by a Siemens' "Somatom Plus"; continuous
      2 mm sections between the third lumbar and first sacral vertebra were obtained.
      The accuracy of the 3-D reconstruction software programme was checked by
      measuring a polyethylene phantom of a second lumbar vertebra. Reconstruction was
      carried out with a threshold definition of 150 Hu. In each case, four standard
      projections and medio-sagittal, medio-lateral and coronary sections were
      reconstructed, photographed and compared with axial CT sections and conventional
      radiographs. All these imaging procedures were suitable for the diagnosis of
      osteochondrosis and chondrosis. Spondylosis was diagnosed more frequently on 3-D
      CT. Spondylarthrosis, with narrowing of the intervertebral foramina and root
      canals is shown particularly well by 3-D CT, since the entire extent of these
      structures can be seen. 3-D surface reconstruction of the lumbar spine is useful
      in the diagnosis of lumbar spondylarthrosis with narrowing of the root canals and
      of the spinal canal. This method of axial Ct is superior to conventional
      radiography of the lumbar spine in the usual two planes.

PMID- 1878547
TI  - [A rare location of aseptic bone necrosis].

PMID- 1878548
TI  - [Acute calcifying tendinitis of the musculus longus colli].

PMID- 1878549
TI  - [A combination of multiple cerebral aneurysms, fibromuscular dysplasia and
      multiple spinal hemangioblastomas. A random or a dysontogenetically explicable
      coincidence?].

PMID- 1878550
TI  - [Variability and reproducibility in the determination of left-ventricular heart
      volume by cine-MR. A comparison of measurement methods].
AB  - Sixteen normal individuals were examined on a 1.5 T instrument using gradient
      echo sequences (cine-MR). The results of various computations were tested with
      respect to agreement and reproducibility of the methods. The ejection fractions
      calculated from bi-plane and 3-dimensional reconstructed volumes showed very low
      standard deviations of mean values (SD less than 2%). Volumes calculated from a
      single plane produced the greatest scatter of mean values (SC approximately 5%).
      In all sixteen subjects, the MR findings showed good reproducibility. There was
      very little inter-observer variability (variability less than 5%). A comparison
      of various methods showed that bi-plane and monoplane volume calculations
      obtained by MR in the cardiac axis are more accurate than those obtained by
      echocardiography (MR:R greater than 0.75, p less than 0.001; echo:R less than
      0.75, p greater than 0.05).

PMID- 1878551
TI  - [Arrhythmogenic effect of acoustic cavitation in isolated rat heart perfused with
      physiological solution].
AB  - In experiments on isolated rat hearts the effects of focused continuous and
      impulse ultrasound (543 Hz, with intensity up to 7.8 W/cm2 at a focal region) on
      a pressure developed by left ventricle and electrograms were studied. In all
      experiments ultrasound induced extra-excitations of the heart, which appeared
      when intensity was 1.35 +/- 0.21 W/cm2 (n = 9). Simultaneously with the extra
      excitations the cavitation bursts were recorded at intensity of 1.52 +/- 0.18
      W/cm2 (n = 6). Acoustic cavitation (after 30 sec of exposure) resulted in a
      significant decrease of the developed pressure (from 100.8 +/- 3.8 mm Hg to 95.1
      +/- 4.3 mm Hg, p 0.001), measured in 2 min after the end of the exposure. In the
      absence of cavitation the ultrasound was found to have no effects on cardiac
      performance. Electrograms recorded during acoustic pacing show that a pattern of
      the heart excitation changed from stimulus to stimulus.

PMID- 1878552
TI  - [Synchronization effects in the pacemaker during high-frequency atrial
      stimulation].
AB  - The succession of intra-impulse intervals in venous sinus of isolated frog heart
      was studied during suprathreshold atrial stimulation at a frequency exceeding the
      initial pacemaker rate by l5-200%. Near to the initial and multiple frequency
      pacemaker synchronization takes place with the stimulator rhythm. With the
      stimulation of frequency increase atrial impulses begin to conduct retrogradely
      and regular ectopic rhythm is established. A unilateral pacemaker acceleration
      with the unilateral frequency drawing together is revealed in intermediate areas.
      Different effects appear to accompany it including asymptotic and cyclic
      synchronization proving in the form of arrhythmias.

PMID- 1878553
TI  - [Effects of dephosphorylated core of 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2',5'-ApApA) on the
      electric activity of snail neurons].
AB  - On nervous ganglion of snail Helix pomatia was shown the effect of
      dephosphorylated core of 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2',5'-ApApA) on pacemaker
      electrical activity of RPa2 snail neurons. In experiments, solution of 2',5'
      ApApA in concentration 5 x 10(-5) mol/l effected snail nervous ganglion in the
      course of 2 min then it was washed in the course of 2 hours.

PMID- 1878554
TI  - [Postsynaptic potentiation of end plate currents in the rat diaphragm at
      different levels of synaptic acetylcholinesterase activity].
AB  - Nerve-evoked end-plate currents were recorded intracellularly in rat diaphragm
      when acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was intact or in the presence of galanthamine
      which reduces AChE activity up to 50% or 75%. Coefficient of correlation of the
      dependence between half-decay time and amplitude of end-plate currents during
      short tetanic stimulation pulse (20, 50 and 100 impulses per second) of motor
      nerve and the slope of this dependence were used to estimate the postsynaptic
      potentiation. Our results indicate that postsynaptic potentiation shows up
      clearly when AChE is fully active and grows significantly when AChE activity is
      slightly reduced. It is proposed that the modulation of the synaptic transmission
      can be performed by means of postsynaptic potentiation and synaptic AChE can take
      part in such way of modulation when varying its own activity under the influence
      of any endogenous factors.

PMID- 1878555
TI  - [Adaptation of the body to the effects of stress increases the resistance of
      cardiac nuclei to damaging effects of single-chain exogenous DNA].
AB  - The effect of adaptation to stress exposure on the resistance of nuclear DNA to
      damaging effect of one-chain exogenous DNA was investigated by flow cytometric
      fluorescence method. It was shown that after the administration of one-chain DNA
      in concentration of 50 micrograms/ml into the nuclei suspension almost half of
      nuclear DNA was damaged in control. In adaptation this phenomenon was 5.5 times
      less pronounced. When the one-chain DNA concentration was increased, this
      protective effect of adaptation remained. The possible mechanism of the DNA
      protective effect of adaptation is under consideration.

PMID- 1878556
TI  - [Functional activity of the venous system in the development of hypertension in
      rats].

PMID- 1878557
TI  - [Post-resuscitation toxemia and possibilities of its correction by albosorb].
AB  - Albumin with enhanced sorption capacity (albosorb) was infused in animals after
      10 min long clinical death caused by blood loss to correct endogenic
      intoxication. The albosorb infusion enhanced the blood plasma astringency both
      with respect to hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules.

PMID- 1878558
TI  - [Study of eye proteoglycans by means of infrared spectroscopy].
AB  - The infrared spectra of standard hyaluronic acid, proteochondroitin sulfate,
      aggregates of proteoglycans and spectra of the vitreous body, cornea and sclera
      were obtained in the region of 4000-400 cm-1. The comparative analysis of the
      spectra of these tissues and spectra made it possible to identify greater
      absorption bands of these biopolymers.

PMID- 1878559
TI  - [Mechanism of antioxidant action of carnosine].
AB  - The comparative study of the antiradical activity of carnosine and vitamin C was
      carried out by the means of the evaluation of quenching of ESR signals of 2,2
      diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DFPH) and semiquinone radical of alpha-tocopherol. It
      was shown that carnosine is not able to quench the ESR signals of the stable
      radical of DFPH and semiquinone radical of alpha-tocopherol. It permits to
      conclude that: a) carnosine does not interact directly with highly active free
      radicals; b) carnosine is unable to regenerate the radical of alpha-tocopherol to
      form the antiradical synergistic couple. The data obtained are consistent with
      the idea that there is a difference between on the antioxidant mechanism action
      of vitamin C and carnosine due to the difference in the antiradical activity of
      these compounds.

PMID- 1878560
TI  - [Platelet activating factor inhibits irritant-induced leukocyte migration into
      mouse peritoneal cavity].
AB  - The effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on the leucocytes accumulation
      into mouse peritoneal cavity, that induced by high-molecular irritants
      carrageenan and polyacrylic acid pentaerytritol (carbopol) was studied. It was
      found that injection of PAF into peritoneal cavity one hour before i.p. injection
      of the irritants did not change their effects. On the contrary the injection of
      PAF simultaneously with the irritants or 3 and 6 hours after these injections
      inhibited the leucocyte accumulation into the peritoneal cavity and/or these
      injections increased the leucocyte adhesion to the peritoneal covering. It was
      supposed that finding effects are mediated by the change of leucocytes adhesion
      under action of PAF.

PMID- 1878561
TI  - [Effects of high-density lipoproteins on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation].
AB  - Using new-developed method of aggregates radius measurement in suppression of
      washed human platelets, it has been shown, that HDL, in concentration of 190
      ug/ml and in higher ones, totally inhibited aggregation, induced by 0.075 U/ml
      thrombin. For the same effect on aggregation, induced by 0.225 U/ml thrombin, HDL
      in concentration of 1320 ug/ml were needed.

PMID- 1878562
TI  - [Effects of lipid peroxidation stimulation and inhibition on myoglobin and
      creatine kinase kinetics in uncomplicated and complicated forms of myocardial
      infarct].

PMID- 1878563
TI  - [Neutrophil motility in patients with early infection (rapid analysis using
      automatic image processing system, Magiscan)].
AB  - The authors studied the dependence of blood neutrophil motility on the physical
      state of patients with infected wounds. Neutrophil motility was recorded and
      analyzed with the help of Magiscan-2a system of automatic image processing. A
      special software was developed for monitoring the movement of cells and measuring
      their displacements. Motility of each separate cell and a mean motility of the
      neutrophil population were determined on the glass in the microscope field (512 x
      512 microns). Velocity of each neutrophil was shown to be nonuniform but
      approximately constant. Cell velocities in each probe were distributed in a
      continuous manner. Mean velocity of neutrophils in the probe was a stable index
      of the population motility. Decrease in neutrophil motility in the blood of
      patients with infected wounds was probably due to the adverse effect of serum
      factors. The application of the system of image processing makes it possible to
      carry out express analysis of neutrophil motility to estimate the efficiency of
      medical treatment.

PMID- 1878564
TI  - [Detection of nootropic activity indicated by acute inhibition of orientation
      reaction].
AB  - Exploratory locomotor activity was studied in the experiments on adult male mice.
      It was shown that routine nootropic drugs as well as newly synthesized nootropic
      compounds were able to facilitate the development of inhibition during one
      registration session. Inhibition may be used for revealing only selective
      nootropic drugs devoid of sedative and stimulating effects.

PMID- 1878565
TI  - [Anti-ischemic action of a 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine derivative
      from a series of nitroxyl bioantioxidants].
AB  - The experiments have been performed on 216 Wistar rats to examine anti-ischaemic
      action of the 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine derivative (I), whose
      antioxidant properties were, earlier shown for model systems. Introduction of I
      (10(-4) M) into the perfusion medium and the subsequent storage (37 degrees C) of
      isolated liver was shown to decrease the accumulation of lipid peroxidation
      products (MDA). Compound I administrated (5 x 10(-6)-10(-5) M) in perfuse medium
      of isolated (Langendorff method) and ischemized (30 min, 37 degrees C) heart
      improves contractile function (Pmax) and decreases end-diastolic pressure at
      postischaemic period. In vivo injection of I increases (12 mg/kg, i.p.) the
      number of rats survival after sublethal time (2.5 h) of liver total ischaemia,
      increase (35 mg/kg, i.p.) the number of rats survival and improves parameters of
      heart function after ischaemic shock (6 h ischaemia and reperfusion of limbs).
      The analog of I, corresponding amine, possessing no antioxidant properties also
      fails to exhibit any anti-ischaemic effect.

PMID- 1878566
TI  - [Experimental assessment of the effectiveness of modified polyhemoglobin in the
      model of extreme hemodilution].
AB  - The efficacy of the modified polyhemoglobin suggested as an artificial oxygen
      transporting substitute was estimated in the model of extreme hemodilution in
      dogs. It was shown that O2 consumption in dogs had been supported on the normal
      level during 4 hours after total exchange transfusion with the polyhemoglobin
      solution. Index of hemodynamics testifies that preparation has hemodynamics
      action. The conclusion was made that this modified polyhemoglobin has been
      effective O2 carrying blood substitute.

PMID- 1878567
TI  - [Study of antimutagenic properties of bio-ginseng in mammalian cells in vitro and
      in vivo].
AB  - The impact was studied of bio-ginseng produced from ginseng callus cells on the
      rate of chromosome rearrangements in Chinese hamster cells and in continuous
      tumor cells of mice (Ehrlich strain). Bio-ginseng reduced rate of spontaneous SCE
      as well as the level of mitomycin C-induced chromosome aberrations in Chinese
      hamster cells. It protected ascitic tumor cells (Ehrlich strain) against the
      mutagen action of urea nitrosomethyl.

PMID- 1878568
TI  - [Immunosuppression induced by respiratory viruses (influenza virus, adenovirus)
      in mice].
AB  - The influence of respiratory viruses (adenovirus, influenza virus) on humoral
      immune response to heterologous T-dependent and T-independent antigens was
      studied. It was shown that inoculation of mice by the influenza virus (A/PR8/34
      A/PR/8) 3 days before sheep red blood cells administration led to the inhibition
      of antibody forming cell (AFC) and immunoglobulin, forming cell (IFC) increase on
      69% and 59% respectively. Adenovirus type 6 induced the similar suppression of
      AFC and IFC formation. Thus, viruses induced immuno-suppression, which was
      polyclonal. It was also shown that virus of one strain (type) could inhibit
      immune response to another strain (type) of virus. The immune response to T
      independent antigen was not suppressed. The virus-induced immunosuppression was
      dependent on: 1) the infectivity of respiratory viruses, 2) the route of virus
      and heterologous antigen injection, and 3) the interval between the viruses and
      antigen inoculation.

PMID- 1878569
TI  - [Dynamics of local defensive reactions in the lungs in acute experimental
      inflammatory process induced by respiratory syncytial virus].
AB  - Study has been made of broncho-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT), the number and
      functional activity of lung phagocytes, with 42 mice BALB/c, induced by
      respiratory-syncytial virus. With virus inflammation a decreased number of lung
      macrophages, their stronger attraction and increased lung chemotaxis have been
      observed. The addition of bacterial infection was accompanied by an increase in
      lung neutrophil, lymphocyte and macrophage, a decrease in lung neutrophil
      chemotaxis, an increase in macrophage phagocytosis and BALT hyperplasia.

PMID- 1878570
TI  - [Study of the action of tumor cell immunosuppressive factors on the production of
      cytokines by lymphocytes and macrophages and the mitogenic activity of
      interleukin-2].
AB  - The effect of immunosuppressive factors (ISF) derived from tumor cell lines
      (mastocytoma P-815, leukosis EL-4 and melanoma B16) on the production of
      interleukin-1 (IL-1) by macrophages and of interleukin-2 (IL-2) by splenocytes of
      BALB/C mice was investigated. We could show that treatment of above cells by the
      tumor products resulted in strong decrease of IL-2 production but did not affect
      IL-1 secretion. ISF inhibited the proliferation of BALB/C lymphoblasts caused by
      recombinant IL-2. Thus, one of the significant mechanisms of ISF action seems to
      be disturbance of monolymphokine cascade of lymphocyte activation.

PMID- 1878571
TI  - [Increase in the quantity of highly repetitive sequences in extrachromosomal
      circular DNAs under inhibition of translation by cycloheximide].
AB  - Small polydispersed circular DNA(spcDNA) was isolated from cultivated HeLa cells.
      Cells were treated by cycloheximide in concentrations of 1 and 50 micrograms/ml.
      Gradient fractions were dot blotted to nitrocellulose filters and were hybridized
      with different repetitive DNAs. The pool of repetitive DNA sequences in fraction
      of spcDNA increased for cycloheximide treated cells. The content of Alu sequences
      increased by 1.5-2.5 times, "classical" satellite DNA--by 5-7 times, alpha
      satellite--by 3-5 times.

PMID- 1878572
TI  - [Decrease of incidence of chromosome aberrations after a course of hyperbaric
      oxygenation].
AB  - The influence of the course of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) on the peripheral
      blood lymphocytes chromosomes of 7 patients with different pathology and of 3
      healthy volunteers was studied. It is proved that after HBO course the frequency
      of chromosome, aberrations of chromatid type hasn't been practically changed
      whereas the frequency of aberrations of chromosome type significantly decreases
      by three times on the whole.

PMID- 1878573
TI  - [Effects of strophanthin K and beta-acetyldigoxin in vitro on energy
      transformation of myocardial contractile protein system in toxic-allergic lesions
      of the cardiac muscle].
AB  - Strophanthin K and beta-acetyldigoxin in vitro in concentration of 10(-6) M in
      TAM sharply increased the force generated by isolated myocardial contractile
      protein system (MCPS), and normalized the work performed by the system. This was
      accompanied by increase of ATP internal energy release (enthalpy) intensity,
      while a portion of energy, dissipating into heat did not increase proportionally.
      The mechanical efficiency of contractile process was normalized due to beta
      acetyldigoxin, and exceeded the normal level due to strophanthin K effect.
      Strophanthin K proved a positive effect on quantitative and qualitative economy
      of MCPS energy utilization, while beta-acetyldigoxin effected, on the whole,
      extensively.

PMID- 1878574
TI  - [Extrathymic localization of thymalin-containing cells in the epithelium of
      organs morphogenetically analogous to the thymus in prenatal human ontogenesis].

PMID- 1878575
TI  - [Development of traumatic shock is accompanied by increased activity of
      polyspecific antibodies reacting with DNA and endotoxins].

PMID- 1878576
TI  - [Seasonal changes in cardiovascular indices and monoamine content in the brain of
      rabbits].
AB  - In our previous studies a rather substantial difference between the initial
      values of the cerebral blood flow was found. On the other hand the brain
      monoamine content varies in different months of the year when studied.
      Comparative analysis of these parameters in rabbit brain was the aim of this
      paper. The content of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in
      cortical and subcortical structures and the local cerebral blood flow (ICBF), the
      systemic arterial pressure (SAP) and pulse rate (PR) were studied. There were
      found seasonal variations in all parameters. A certain LCBF retardation in
      subcortical structures and cortex and the weakest effect of the stimulation was
      observed in May. There was a drop in SAP and some PR increase in the spring
      (April-May). Brain NA and 5-HT content showed seasonal changes with the lowest
      values near the winter months and reaching maximum in May as the PR does. Content
      of DA was low in May. So it seams possible that the ion ICBF in May can be
      explained by the decrease of brain DA at that time. The ICBF and the reactivity
      of cerebral microvessels seem to depend on the monoamine content and show
      seasonal variability.

PMID- 1878577
TI  - [Allotransplantation of cultured fibroblasts on non-healing wounds after
      autodermatoplasty].
AB  - An allograft from man cultured fibroblasts has been received. Results of its
      transplantation on long not-healing donor wounds in 13 patients after
      autodermatoplastic operations have been studied. Expressed stimulating influence
      of cultured fibroblasts on donor wound epithelialization processes has been
      stated. In spite of allograft applications there has been no tearing away
      reactions. It has been connected with elimination of superficial cell antigens
      during cultivation. Microbe contamination of more than 10(2) is the
      contraindication for grafting.

PMID- 1878578
TI  - [Correlation between activity of tissue basophils and leukocytes and permeability
      of mesenteric venules of rats in experimental peritonitis].
AB  - Calculation of adhered leukocytes, degranulated mast cells and leaked mesentery
      venules have been prepared in 1, 2, 4 and 8 hours after induction of
      inflammation. Number of adhered to the venular walls leukocytes enhanced with
      constant speed for the first 4 hours. The speed of the appearance of new mast
      cells with the signs of the degranulation in the period was raised. Alteration of
      the number (share) of leak vessels had parallel dynamic. This data show that in
      this model of inflammation the main role in disturbances of the permeability is
      played by products of the degranulation of must cells. In 4 hours and more
      predominant significance in genesis of disturbances of transport function of
      vessels wall begin to acquire metabolites of activated leukocytes--free radicals
      of the oxygen. Apparently this substances played an important role in the
      mechanism of releasing of the thrombosis.

PMID- 1878579
TI  - [Changes in interneuronal connections in the sensory-motor cortex of the
      offspring of moderately alcoholized female rats].

PMID- 1878580
TI  - [Parameters of lens protein fluorescence quenching in early stages of hereditary
      cataract].
AB  - Several physico-chemical parameters of lenses were investigated in IOR/Hab mice
      with hereditary cataract aged 4, 6, 8 weeks, i.e. at the stage preceding the
      development of cataract. The level of restored glutathione in the IOR/Hab lenses
      /2.0 mM/ was the lowest as compared to other lines but almost the same as in
      CBA/J /2.3 mM/. In the process of studying protein fluorescence quenching in
      cortex homogenates by nitrate anions a significant increase of the quenching
      constant was discovered in IOR/Hab mice: 10.4 M-1 in four-week animals and up to
      32.3 M-1 in eight-week animals. The data obtained suggest that a progressing
      growth of the quenching constant in line IOR/Hab lenses is related to a decreased
      density of the protein negative charge resulted from their decreased
      phosphorylation.

PMID- 1878581
TI  - [Characteristics of morphological changes in ovary wounds after the use of steel
      and plastic scalpels].
AB  - A comparative study of steel and plasma scalpel use in ovary operations is
      carried out in an experiment. 25 fertile female rabbits were operated on, in each
      one ovary was dissected by a steel scalpel, the other--by a plasma one. Sampling
      was performed on the 3-d, 7, 14, 21, 28-30-th day. At the relaparotomy of
      appendages operated on with the help of plasma scalpel, commissuring process was
      less prominent. Histological picture analysis has also shown plasma scalpel
      advantages--smaller tissue injuries, speeding up of wound healing process, drop
      in inflammatory reaction in response to influence.

PMID- 1878582
TI  - Does the breakpoint within the major breakpoint cluster region (M-bcr) influence
      the duration of the chronic phase in chronic myeloid leukemia? An analytical
      comparison of current literature.

PMID- 1878583
TI  - Six-year experience with a comprehensive approach to the treatment of recurrent
      childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL-REZ BFM 85). A relapse study of the
      BFM group.
AB  - Between April 1985 and March 1987 130 children and adolescents up to 18 years of
      age with first relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were registered on
      the stratified and randomized multicentric trial ALL-REZ BFM 85 designed for
      patients pretreated with intensive front-line therapies. Stratification criteria
      were time and site of relapse: bone marrow (BM) relapse on or up to 6 months
      after stopping front-line therapy (group A), BM relapse beyond 6 months after
      therapy (group B), and isolated extramedullary relapse at any time (group C).
      Treatment consisted of alternating courses of polychemotherapy including randomly
      administered high- or intermediate-dose methotrexate (HDMTX:12 g/m2 as 4-hour
      infusion; IDMTX: 1 g/m2 as 36-hour infusion). During maintenance therapy the
      patients received daily oral thioguanine and biweekly intravenous (IV) MTX. The
      overall second complete remission (CR) rate was 92% (groups A, B, and C: 88%,
      92%, and 100%), and the probability of event-free survival (EFS) at 6 years is
      0.31 +/- 0.04 (groups A, B, and C: 0.18 +/- 0.05, 0.30 +/- 0.07, and 0.72 +/-
      0.11). HDMTX did not prove to be superior to IDMTX, which led to premature
      stopping of randomization. Risk factor analyses showed early relapse,
      particularly BM relapse within 18 months, and T-cell phenotype to be independent
      predictors of poor outcome. The incidence of central nervous system (CNS)
      relapses following BM relapse was 19%, indicating that reprophylaxis to the CNS
      with IV/intrathecal (IT) MTX was insufficient. For 17 children who received bone
      marrow transplantation in second CR from HLA-compatible siblings the EFS was 0.53
      +/- 0.12 at 5 years. Their outcome was not influenced by the above-mentioned risk
      factors. With the proposed treatment regimen long-lasting second remissions can
      be achieved in about one third of patients even after intensive front-line
      treatment.

PMID- 1878584
TI  - Phase I trial of H65-RTA immunoconjugate in patients with cutaneous T-cell
      lymphoma.
AB  - H65-RTA is an immunoconjugate that consists of the A chain of ricin (RTA), a
      ribosomal-inhibiting protein, coupled to a murine monoclonal antibody (H65)
      directed against the pan-T-cell antigen CD5. The CD5 antigen is heterogeneously
      expressed on cutaneous T-cell lymphoma tumor cells, but is not expressed on
      normal cells except lymphocytes. A phase I trial was therefore conducted in which
      14 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma progressive on other therapies were
      treated with up to three cycles of H65-RTA. The maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of
      H65-RTA was 0.33 mg/kg/d administered intravenously for 10 days as defined by
      dyspnea at rest at higher doses. Other reversible side effects included myalgia,
      mild hypoalbuminemia with weight gain, pedal edema, fatigue, fevers, and chills.
      Six patients received more than one cycle of H65-RTA without increased side
      effects compared with the first cycle. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that peak
      serum drug levels were dose-dependent, and ranged from 1.13 to 5.56
      micrograms/mL, with a terminal half-life ranging from 1.0 to 2.9 hours. The
      development of antibodies against the immunoconjugate was associated with a lower
      peak drug level, but not with enhanced side effects. Partial responses lasting
      from 3 to 8 months were documented in four patients. Three of the responding
      patients received more than one cycle of H65-RTA in the presence of anti
      immunoconjugate antibodies. The results from this phase I trial suggest that H65
      RTA is an active drug in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The
      immunoconjugate may be safely administered repeatedly, even in the presence of
      anti-immunoconjugate antibodies, with responses noted. Additional studies at the
      MTD are needed to define the response rate in this disease.

PMID- 1878585
TI  - Enzyme replacement therapy for Gaucher disease.
AB  - Four patients with moderately severe type I Gaucher disease were treated with
      commercially available mannose terminated glucocerebrosidase (Ceredase; Genzyme,
      Boston, MA) for up to 13 months. The enzyme was administered at the rate of three
      to four times weekly at one fourth the total recommended dosage, greatly
      decreasing the cost. Marked regression of hepatomegaly and improvement in liver
      function tests, peripheral blood counts, and serum angiotensin-converting enzyme
      levels were documented. The two patients with pulmonary involvement manifested
      improvement in pulmonary function tests. Skeletal disease remained unchanged.

PMID- 1878587
TI  - Phase I-II trial of pentoxifylline for the prevention of transplant-related
      toxicities following bone marrow transplantation.
AB  - Disease relapse and transplant related toxicities have limited the application of
      bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in the treatment for hematologic malignancies.
      Because elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) have been
      correlated with the development of transplant related complications, we conducted
      a phase I-II trial of pentoxifylline (PTX), a xanthine derivative capable of down
      regulating TNF-alpha production, in patients with hematologic malignancies
      undergoing BMT. Thirty consecutive adult patients (median age, 34) were entered
      and received either an allogeneic (n = 26) or autologous (n = 4) BMT. Patients
      were enrolled at increasing dose levels (1,200, 1,600, and 2,000 mg/d) from day 
      10 through day +100 posttransplant. PTX was well tolerated with no significant
      adverse side effects noted at any of the dose levels administered. The actuarial
      day 100 survival for these 30 patients was 90% (95% confidence interval 79% to
      100%). When compared with a good risk control group, PTX recipients experienced
      less mucositis (3.7 +/- 1.1 v 18.7 +/- 1.1 days, P = .004), less hepatic
      venocclusive disease (10% v 65%, P = .001), a lower incidence of renal
      insufficiency (3% v 65%, P = .0003), required less days of total parenteral
      nutrition (TPN) (24.0 +/- 1.3 v 35.0 +/- 2.4, P = .001) and were discharged from
      the hospital earlier than controls (day 26.0 +/- 1.8 v 37.0 +/- 3.8, P = .01). In
      addition the incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) greater than or equal
      to grade II was also reduced among the PTX recipients (35% v 68%, P = .03). PTX
      at doses in excess of 1,200 mg/d further reduced the severity of mucositis, and
      TPN requirements resulting in earlier hospital discharge than patients receiving
      1,200 mg/d of PTX. In this study oral administration of PTX in doses up to 2,000
      mg/d was well tolerated and associated with a reduction in morbidity and
      mortality in patients undergoing BMT. Prospective randomized trials are currently
      in progress to test these preliminary observations.

PMID- 1878586
TI  - Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor after
      chemotherapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia at higher age or after
      relapse.
AB  - To reduce critical neutropenia after chemotherapy (CT) for acute myeloid leukemia
      (AML) we administered recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating
      factor (GM-CSF) to patients over the age of 65 years with newly diagnosed AML and
      to patients with early or second relapse. CT was 9-day 6-thioguanine, ara-C, and
      daunorubicin (TAD9) in newly diagnosed AML and sequential high-dose ara-C and
      mitoxantrone (S-HAM) for relapse. In patients whose bone marrow was free from
      blasts a continuous intravenous infusion of GM-CSF 250 micrograms/m2/d started on
      day 4 after CT. Thirty-six patients entered the study and 30 of them did receive
      GM-CSF. For comparison, a historical control group of 56 patients was used.
      Complete remission rate was 50% (18 of 36) versus 32% in controls (P = .09), and
      early death rate was 14% versus 39% (P = .009). Treatment with GM-CSF was not
      associated with major adverse events. Two patients showed a marked leukemic
      regrowth that was completely reversible in one patient and appeared to be GM-CSF
      independent in the other patient. Remission duration does not seem to be reduced
      after GM-CSF. Under GM-CSF the blood neutrophils recovered 6 and 9 days earlier
      in the TAD9 (P = .009) and S-HAM (P = .043) groups associated with a rapid
      clearance of infections in most patients. We conclude that GM-CSF was of
      therapeutic benefit to our patients and this provides a basis for larger
      controlled trials.

PMID- 1878588
TI  - Use of recombinant human interleukin-2 in conjunction with syngeneic bone marrow
      transplantation in mice as a model for control of minimal residual disease in
      malignant hematologic disorders.
AB  - Unlike allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), autologous BMT is not
      accompanied by immune-mediated graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects; hence, the
      relapse rate observed after autologous BMT in malignant hematologic disorders is
      higher than that observed after allogeneic BMT. Autologous BMT represents a much
      safer medical procedure available for many patients in need in situations where
      allogeneic BMT is not feasible or risky. The present experiments were designed to
      investigate whether it might be possible to combine the therapeutic benefits of
      autologous BMT with additional immunotherapy after BMT. The tumor model used for
      investigating GVL effects was the murine B-cell leukemia (BCL1), a spontaneous,
      nonimmunogenic, highly lethal leukemia of BALB/c origin. BALB/c mice inoculated
      with 10(3) BCL1 leukemia cells were treated on day-1 with cyclophosphamide 100
      mg/kg and transplanted with normal syngeneic BM cells on day 0. High-dose
      recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) (100,000 Cetus units x 3/day intraperitoneally
      x 5 consecutive days) was initiated on day +1, +7, or +21 after BMT. Kinetics of
      lymphocyte reconstitution after syngeneic BMT indicated a steep increase in the
      absolute number of peripheral blood lymphocytes on days 17 through 24. All
      experimental groups were observed for relapse. Mice receiving no rIL-2 therapy
      relapsed and died within 50 days after BMT, whereas mice receiving rIL-2 showed
      long-term disease-free survival. Optimal time for administration of rIL-2 was
      noted at 3 weeks post-BMT, with 90% of the mice surviving with no evidence of
      disease for more than 1 year. Similarly, when 10(4) BCL1 cells were given 1 day
      after syngeneic BMT to simulate minimal residual disease after syngeneic BMT, rIL
      2 therapy administered at 14 days post-BMT seemed effective in prolonging disease
      free survival in contrast to the same regimen given at 1 day after BMT. Our data
      suggest that immunotherapy with rIL-2 should be further investigated as a new
      immunotherapeutic tool for decreasing the relapse rate after BMT for hematologic
      malignancies.

PMID- 1878589
TI  - Demonstration of osteonectin mRNA in megakaryocytes: the use of the polymerase
      chain reaction.
AB  - Platelets have been shown to release osteonectin on thrombin stimulation. The
      origin of platelet osteonectin was unclear as it may have been synthesized by
      megakaryocytes or it may have been endocytosed from plasma as other platelet
      alpha-granule constituents are. Platelet osteonectin has a larger apparent
      molecular size than the bone species, although the molecular basis for this
      difference has not been elucidated. These two issues have been addressed here by
      (1) examining the potential for osteonectin biosynthesis in human megakaryocytes
      by demonstrating the presence of osteonectin mRNA in purified megakaryocytes, and
      (2) comparing the coding portion of osteonectin transcript in megakaryocytes to
      the size of its bone counterpart. Because of the limitations of cell population
      purity and in obtaining sufficient numbers of megakaryocyte cells for Northern
      analysis, we have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence
      of human osteonectin mRNA in megakaryocyte and megakaryocyte-depleted bone marrow
      cells. Isolation of RNA, cDNA synthesis, and PCR were performed on human
      osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cells, enriched megakaryocytes, and megakaryocyte-depleted
      cells. Restriction enzyme analysis of PCR DNA products confirmed the identity of
      the products as those encoding osteonectin for all three cell populations
      studied. In addition, the sizes of DNA indicate that osteonectin genomic DNA,
      nuclear RNA, or altered transcript were not amplified, and that the transcript
      from megakaryocytes is the same size as that from bone cells. These data suggest
      that the difference in protein size between platelet and bone osteonectin is due
      to posttranslational modification. To overcome the possibility that megakaryocyte
      signal originated from contaminating cells (less than 5% by cell count), all
      three cell populations were diluted to less than one cell per tube and PCR
      amplification was performed. Limiting dilution analyses demonstrated the presence
      of osteonectin mRNA in single megakaryocytes as well as in single cells from the
      cell population depleted of megakaryocytes, suggesting the capacity for
      osteonectin biosynthesis in all cells studied. The procedure we describe in this
      report can be used to examine specific characteristics of mRNA molecules in
      heterogeneous cell populations and in situations where only small quantities of
      cells can be obtained.

PMID- 1878590
TI  - Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in human long-term bone
      marrow cultures: endogenous production in the adherent layer and effect of
      exogenous GM-CSF on granulomonopoiesis.
AB  - This study was designed to assess the presence of endogenous granulocyte
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) within adherent layers of human
      Dexter-type cultures and to investigate the effect on granulomonopoiesis of
      adding exogenous GM-CSF to the culture medium. The presence of GM-CSF was
      demonstrated using a bioassay, in which adherent layers from normal bone marrows
      gave rise to endogenous granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) that
      were specifically inhibited by increasing amounts of an anti-GM-CSF neutralizing
      antibody. Using an immunoassay, the estimated amounts of GM-CSF were less than or
      equal to 40 pg per flask in adherent layers, while remaining undetectable in
      supernatants. The addition of 10 ng or purified recombinant GM-CSF per milliliter
      of culture medium increased slightly the CFU-GM output over a 5-week culture
      period. The addition of 50 ng/mL decreased significantly the CFU-GM output after
      5 weeks of culture. This decrease was associated with major modifications of the
      adherent layer cell composition. Large round or ovoid macrophages were generated
      at the expense of the interdigitated and elongated stromal cells and the
      extracellular fibronectin network was no longer observed. These studies suggest
      that GM-CSF production by accessory cells (stromal cells and/or monocytes) is
      almost equal to its consumption by hematopoietic cells, a situation similar to
      that found in long-term cultures of murine marrows. They also show that the
      maintenance of granulomonopoiesis is decreased by adding more than 10 ng/mL of
      exogenous GM-CSF to the culture medium, which is related to the induction of
      adherent macrophages, the disappearance of the major smooth-muscle-like stromal
      cell component of the adherent layer, and that of the fibronectin extracellular
      matrix.

PMID- 1878591
TI  - Most primitive hematopoietic stem cells are stimulated to cycle rapidly after
      treatment with 5-fluorouracil.
AB  - To test whether primitive hematopoietic stem cells (PHSC) cycle rapidly during
      recovery from an initial 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment, two doses of 5-FU were
      administered 1, 3, 5 or 8 days apart. Cells from treated marrow donors were mixed
      with untreated competitor marrow that would produce genetically distinguishable
      erythrocytes and lymphocytes, using hemoglobin (Hb) and glucosephosphate
      isomerase (GPI) transplantation markers. These cell mixtures were injected into
      lethally irradiated hosts. Functional abilities of donor marrow populations were
      assessed after 3, 6, and 12 months as percentages of donor type Hb and GPI in the
      host's circulating erythrocytes and lymphocytes, respectively. Bone marrow from
      mice treated with two doses of 5-FU 3 to 5 days apart was severely affected,
      producing circulating erythroid and lymphoid cells an average of only 25% of
      normal for doses 3 days apart, and 14% of normal for doses 5 days apart. Two
      doses of 5-FU administered 1 day or 8 days apart had much smaller effects,
      producing circulating cells 75% or 58% of normal. Thus, most PHSC are stimulated
      to proliferate rapidly 3 to 5 days after treatment with 5-FU, but far fewer PHSC
      proliferate as early as 1 day, or as late as 8 days, after the 5-FU treatment.

PMID- 1878592
TI  - Administration of erythropoietin to newborn rats results in diminished neutrophil
      production.
AB  - Very high concentrations of erythropoietin (epo), in clonogenic cultures, result
      in reduced production of neutrophils, and fetal progenitors are more sensitive to
      this effect of epo than are those of adults. However, the significance of this
      observation is unclear because no evidence of reduced neutrophil production has
      been presented following administration of recombinant epo to human or animal
      subjects. In the present study we injected newborn rats, beginning on the first
      day of life, with 20, 200, or 2,000 U epo/kg body weight, and measured serum epo
      concentrations after 2, 8, 24, or 48 hours. After selecting a dose that resulted
      in serum concentrations greater than 1,000 mU/mL (a concentration that resulted
      in down-modulation of neutrophil production from neonatal rat progenitors in
      vitro) other newborn rats were treated for 3 days with that dose (1,000 U epo/kg)
      or a vehicle control. Administration of epo resulted in increased hematocrits (P
      less than .001), reticulocyte counts (P less than .001), normoblasts/femur (P
      less than .05), and normoblasts/spleen (P less than .001). Recipients of epo also
      had more erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-E) (P less than .001) and higher CFU
      E tritiated thymidine suicide rates (P less than .01) than did controls. However,
      femurs and spleens of epo recipients contained fewer postmitotic neutrophils
      (femur, P less than .01; spleen, P less than .01), proliferative neutrophils
      (femur, P less than .01; spleen, P less than .02), granulocyte-macrophage colony
      forming units (CFU-GM) (P less than .005), and lower CFU-GM tritiated thymidine
      suicide rates (P less than .01). Seven and nine days after twice-daily
      administration of 2,000 U epo/kg, blood neutrophil concentrations had diminished
      (P less than .05). Thus, administration of high doses of recombinant epo to
      newborn rats resulted in diminished neutrophil production accompanying
      accelerated erythropoiesis.

PMID- 1878593
TI  - The role of interleukin-1 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in
      the paracrine stimulation of an in vivo-derived murine myeloid leukemia.
AB  - WEHI-274.3 is a cell line isolated from an in vivo-derived, murine myelomonocytic
      leukemia. Although the survival and growth of WEHI-274.3 cells in vitro is
      absolutely dependent on the addition of exogenous growth factors such as
      interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF),
      or colony-stimulating factor-1, when injected into syngeneic mice the cell line
      is tumorigenic. Sera from normal mice contain low levels of an activity that
      sustains survival of WEHI-274.3 but does not stimulate growth. In contrast, sera
      from mice bearing the WEHI-274.3 leukemia contained levels of CSF-1 and GM-CSF
      that stimulated the growth of WEHI-274.3 cells. Supernatants of cultures of WEHI
      274.3 cells contained an activity that stimulated 3T3 fibroblasts to release an
      activity that stimulated the growth of the WEHI-274.3 cells. The 3T3-stimulatory
      activity released by the WEHI-274.3 cells was neutralized completely with an
      antiserum specific for murine IL-1 alpha, but not with antiserum specific for IL
      1 beta. Moreover, WEHI-274.3 cells both in vitro and in vivo contained high
      levels of IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta mRNAs. The leukemia-stimulatory activity
      released by the 3T3 cells was neutralized by an antiserum specific for GM-CSF. We
      postulate that the IL-1 alpha constitutively released by the WEHI-274.3 cells
      stimulates the production of GM-CSF from host cells such as fibroblasts or
      endothelial cells. A similar paracrine mechanism of growth stimulation may occur
      in acute myeloid leukemias in humans.

PMID- 1878594
TI  - Characterization of childhood acute leukemia with multiple myeloid and lymphoid
      markers at diagnosis and at relapse.
AB  - To define the clinical and biologic significance of childhood acute mixed-lineage
      leukemia diagnosed by stringent criteria, we studied 25 cases of acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia expressing greater than or equal to 2 myeloid-associated
      antigens (My+ ALL), and 16 cases of acute myeloid leukemia expressing greater
      than or equal to 2 lymphoid associated antigens (Ly+ AML). These cases
      represented 6.1% of 410 newly diagnosed ALLs (two treatment protocols) and 16.8%
      of 95 AMLs (two protocols). T-lineage--associated antigens were identified in 9
      of the My+ ALL cases and in 14 of those classified as Ly+ AML; all but 1 of the
      19 cases that could be subclassified had an early thymocyte stage of
      differentiation. The My+ ALL cases had an increased frequency of French-American
      British (FAB) L2 morphology (36%); the Ly+ AML cases were characterized by FAB M1
      or M2 morphology, low levels of myeloperoxidase reactivity and combined
      populations of myeloperoxidase-positive large blasts and small blasts generally
      of hand-mirror morphology. Karyotypic abnormalities included t(9;22)(q34;q11) in
      three cases of My+ ALL, 11q23 translocations in two cases of My+ ALL, and 14q32
      translocations in three My+ ALL and five Ly+ AML cases. Mixed-lineage expression
      lacked prognostic significance in either ALL or AML; however, the findings
      indicate that some patients with Ly+ AML may respond to prednisone, vincristine,
      and L-asparaginase after failing on protocols for myeloid leukemia. At relapse,
      two My+ ALLs had converted to AML and two Ly+ AMLs to ALL; one case in each group
      showed complete replacement of the original karyotype. Acute mixed-lineage
      leukemia does not adequately describe the heterogeneity of the cases identified
      in this study and should be replaced by a set of more restrictive terms that
      indicate the unique biologic features of these leukemias.

PMID- 1878595
TI  - An inherited defect of neutrophil motility and microfilamentous cytoskeleton
      associated with abnormalities in 47-Kd and 89-Kd proteins.
AB  - A 2-month-old male Tongan infant presented with fever, severe skin and mucosal
      infections, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and normal neutrophil counts.
      While polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) morphology was normal, several
      neutrophil motile functions were found to be altered in the patient. Furthermore,
      two siblings had died in infancy with a similar clinical picture, raising the
      possibility of an inherited neutrophil defect. Random migration and chemotaxis,
      assessed by the under agarose method, were profoundly impaired. Actin
      polymerization, as measured by flow cytometry of N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol
      4-yl)phallacidin (NBD-phallacidin)-stained PMNs, showed lower basal F-actin and a
      1.75-fold increase in response to 10(-7) mol/L formyl-methionyl-leucyl
      phenylalanine (FMLP) compared with a 4.51-fold increase in control. Microscopic
      examination of NBD-phallacidin-stained PMN spread on glass showed decreased area
      of spreading and F-actin-rich filamentous projections distinct from control. The
      early phase of FMLP-induced right angle light scattering was absent, similar to
      the effect caused by cytochalasin-B (CB), an inhibitor of actin polymerization.
      Accordingly, FMLP induced secretion of elastase without the addition of CB.
      Staphylococcus aureus killing was 50% of control whereas superoxide production
      response to FMLP and surface expression of CD11b were greater than twice normal.
      Partial defects in actin polymerization and scatter were seen in the parents and
      release of elastase, in the absence of CB, was also increased in both parents.
      Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis of whole cell proteins from
      the patient showed a marked decrease in an 89-Kd protein (8% of control) and a
      marked increase in a 47-Kd protein (4.2-fold). Both mother and father had
      decreased 89-Kd (77% and 42% of control) and increased 47-Kd proteins (2- and 3.4
      fold), although neither had recurrent infections or chemotactic defects. These
      studies describe a new inherited actin dysfunction syndrome associated with
      severe propensity to fungal infection and draw attention to the proteins of
      apparent molecular weights of 89 Kd and 47 Kd, which may be of great importance
      in the regulation of actin polymerization in human PMNs.

PMID- 1878596
TI  - Regulation of human fetal and adult globin genes in mouse erythroleukemia cells.
AB  - We have examined whether transfected mouse erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells can be
      used to examine differential expression of human gamma- and beta-globin genes.
      These cells, which express only their adult globin genes, will transcribe the
      human adult beta gene but not the fetal gamma genes when they are introduced on
      an intact human chromosome 11 by cell fusion. However, MEL cells stably
      transfected with the human A gamma gene attached to one of the active elements
      (HS2) of the beta-globin locus control region (LCR) readily produce gamma-globin
      mRNA in amounts equivalent to those seen with a comparable beta gene insert. When
      both beta and gamma genes are attached to HS2, equal amounts of beta A gamma
      mRNAs are produced, irrespective of the gene order. Furthermore, when HS2 is
      inserted into the 5' end of a 40-kb cosmid containing the G gamma A gamma-117
      delta beta genes in their normal chromosomal organization (but with the Greek
      HPFH -117 A gamma gene mutation), it directs expression of readily detectable
      amounts of G gamma A gamma and beta-globin mRNAs in MEL cells. Therefore, under
      these circumstances we have observed no competition between beta and gamma genes
      for expression in MEL cells. These findings suggest that MEL cells are capable of
      perpetuating regulatory information involved in developmental control when it is
      provided by an intact chromosome, but are incapable of reconstructing such
      information on transfected DNA.

PMID- 1878597
TI  - Heterogeneity of the molecular basis of hereditary pyropoikilocytosis and
      hereditary elliptocytosis associated with increased levels of the spectrin alpha
      I/74-kilodalton tryptic peptide.
AB  - Hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) and hereditary elliptocytosis are closely
      related, congenital disorders of the red blood cell usually associated with
      defective spectrin self-association and abnormal limited tryptic digestion of the
      N-terminal of domain of spectrin. Enhanced cleavage by trypsin of spectrin from
      affected individuals at arginyl residue 45* and lysyl residue 48* frequently
      yields increased amounts of an alpha 1/74-Kd fragment at the expense of the
      normal alpha 1/80-Kd parent fragment. Limited tryptic digestion of three
      unrelated individuals with HPP showed the alpha 1/74 defect. To ascertain the
      molecular defect responsible for the abnormality, the structure of exon 2 of the
      alpha-spectrin gene was examined. Genomic DNA from the subjects was amplified by
      the polymerase chain reaction using primers flanking exon 2. Restriction
      endonuclease digestion of amplified products showed the loss of the HindIII site
      at codons 47 and 48 in one allele of subject 1 and abolished the AhaII site at
      codons 27 and 28 in one allele of subjects 2 and 3. Nucleotide sequence analysis
      of subcloned amplified DNA from the HPP subjects showed three novel amino acid
      substitutions. In subject 1 (a black individual), a single base substitution (AAG
      ---AGG) at codon position 48 changes amino acid residue lysine to arginine. In
      subject 2 (a white individual), a single base substitution (CGT----AGT) at codon
      28 changes arginine to serine. In subject 3 (a black individual), a different
      base substitution at position 28 (CGT----CTT) changes arginine to leucine. These
      mutations occur at positions of the alpha l domain where other mutations have
      also been described, indicating that the normal residues at these positions play
      an important role in spectrin dimer self-association and thus, in membrane
      stability.

PMID- 1878598
TI  - Hairy cell leukemia: splenectomy after alpha 2b-interferon therapy.

PMID- 1878599
TI  - Rapid functional assay for the detection of multidrug-resistant cells using the
      fluorescent dye rhodamine 123.

PMID- 1878600
TI  - Diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease.

PMID- 1878601
TI  - Inhibition of interleukin-2-induced tumor necrosis factor release by
      dexamethasone: does it reduce the antitumor therapeutic efficacy?

PMID- 1878602
TI  - [Trends in cancer mortality].

PMID- 1878603
TI  - [Estimation of cancer incidence in France].
AB  - National cancer incidence rates are not available in most countries. An
      estimation of the national cancer incidence from regional incidence data in
      France is proposed here. National cancer incidence rates (1978-1982) were
      estimated from the incidence and the mortality observed during the same period in
      five French departments with a cancer registry and from national mortality data.
      The cancer registries used for this estimation are: Bas-Rhin, Calvados, Cote
      d'Or, Doubs and Isere. The estimation was performed assuming that, for a given
      cancer site, sex and age group, the mortality/morbidity ratio is the same in the
      aggregate of the five departments and in France as Crude, age-specific and
      standardised on world population incidence rates were estimated for the most
      frequent cancer sites and for each sex. An estimation of the annual number of
      cases in France between 1978 and 1982 for the main cancer sites is also given.

PMID- 1878604
TI  - Genetic and molecular approach for breeding and use of laboratory fish for the
      detection of agents with carcinogenic and/or promoting activity.
AB  - Xiphophorine fish from wild populations are insusceptible to develop neoplasia.
      In contrast, certain backcrosses of Xiphophorus maculatus (platyfish) with
      Xiphophorus helleri (swordtail) as the recurrent parent, produce offspring that
      develop neoplasia in a Mendelian fashion. We concentrated our research on
      melanoma. The starting signal for the development of melanoma comes from an
      accessory v-erbB-related oncogene, x-erbB*, which is highly homologous to the
      human EGF receptor gene, and is part of a platyfish-specific tumor gene-complex
      designated as Tu. Normally, the platyfish is protected from its own Tu by Tu
      specific regulatory gene systems. The swordtail has neither evolved the Tu
      complex nor the regulatory gene systems. Therefore, the backcross procedure
      dismantles the regulatory gene systems thus permitting Tu-directed melanoma
      formation. x-erbB* derived from the platyfish, together with the swordtail
      derived oncogenes src, sis, pdgf-r, ras, myc, erbA are expressed or overexpressed
      in the melanoma, and inositol lipid turnover is considerably elevated. x-src and
      inositol lipid turnover have also been found elevated in the healthy tissues (eg
      brain) of the tumourous fish. To construct a fish strain which is highly
      susceptible to mutagenic carcinogens, we introduced a particular regulatory gene,
      ie an oncosuppressor gene (Bs), into the genome of the animals developing
      Mendelian inherited melanoma, by introgressive breeding. Bs prevents the strain
      from germ line-inherited melanoma but, following carcinogen-induced impairment in
      a somatic cell gives rise to the Tu-directed development of clonal melanoma in a
      particular fish, x-src activity and inositol lipid turnover are elevated in the
      tumor but, in contrast to the animals bearing the inherited melanoma, are not
      elevated in the brain. Promoting carcinogens (tumor promoters) do not induce
      melanoma in this strain. Similarly, in order to breed a fish strain susceptible
      to tumor promoters, we introduced a regulatory gene (the oncostatic gene g,
      golden) coding for a pre-transformational arrest of pigment cell differentiation
      in the stem cell stage of the fish that develop the Mendelian inherited melanoma.
      The new strain is incapable of developing melanoma. Its x-src activity and
      inositol lipid turnover is elevated in the brain indicating that the biochemical
      processes which were found to be correlated with the hereditary melanoma
      formation, are running in the new strain without the occurrence of melanoma.
      Following treatment with tumor promoters that overcome the arrest of pigment cell
      differentiation, melanoma develops within a very short latent period.

PMID- 1878605
TI  - [Tumor regression as a prognostic factor in breast cancer].
AB  - Two hundred and fifty evaluable patients with breast cancer entered a protocol
      combining neoadjuvant and consolidation therapy by vinblastine (V), thiotepa (T),
      methotrexate (m) and 5-fluorouracil (f) (VTMF) with or without Adriamycin (A)
      (Doxorubicin; Adria Laboratories, Colombus, OH USA), and radiation therapy as
      exclusive locoregional treatment. Tamoxifen was given to 195 patients, 130 post
      menopausal and 65 pre-menopausal, and was omitted in 55 patients (31
      postmenopausal and 24 pre-menopausal). There were 19 stage I, 86 IIa, 51 IIB, 36
      IIIA and 58 IIIB. Primary chemotherapy induced tumor volume regression of more
      than 75% in 41% of the patients and complete clinical regression in 30% of the
      patients. The 5 years DFS rates were 100% for stage I, 82% for stage IIA, 61% for
      stage IIB, 46% for stage IIIA and 52% for stage IIIB patients. Among the 72
      primary relapses there were 39 distant metastases, 6 locoregional and distant
      metastasis and 27 isolated locoregional metastases. The actuarial rate of
      locoregional recurrence is 13% for T2, 18% for T3, 19% for T4. At 5 years the
      rate of breast preservation was 94%. Cosmetic results are excellent or good for
      most patients. The 5 years overall survival (OS) were 95% for stage I, 94% for
      stage IA, 80% for stage IIB, 60% for stage IIIA and 58% for stage IIIB. In
      multivariate analysis tumor regression appears as an independent and significant
      factor. This parameter should be preserved in many patients with infiltrative
      breast cancer.

PMID- 1878606
TI  - [Concomitant association of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in inflammatory breast
      cancer. Initial results of phase II trial].
AB  - Between 01/1986 and 12/1987, 15 patients displaying inflammatory breast
      carcinoma, were included in a phase II trial. The aim of the treatment was to
      increase the local response by the potentiation of radiotherapy by concomitant
      chemotherapy (continuous infusion 5 FU, vindesine, Cyclophosphamide). This
      treatment consisted of four series of radiotherapy: 18 Gy/10 fractions/12 days
      spaced by a 2-week rest period between series, to a total dose of 72 GY to the
      breast tumor. Chemotherapy was undertaken over the first 5 days of radiotherapy
      in each series. Two patients had metastatic disease (bone-liver). Seven patients
      had not responded to an initial standard chemotherapy treatment. Six patients
      were initially treated with the concomitant association. The treatment was very
      well tolerated by all 15 patients. Inflammation disappeared in all patients
      within 6 weeks after the beginning of the association. A tumor decrease was
      observed in all patients, complete in 60%. All 7 patients who had failed initial
      chemotherapy recurred 8 to 19 months after the association, despite a good
      response; 3 died of disease and 4 were in local or metastatic evolution on last
      follow up. The 6 patients treated initially with the association
      Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy were all alive with a 27 months median follow up (24
      40). 2/6 mastectomies were performed: one for breast recurrence and one for
      persistent residual mass. In this latter patient histologic examination showed no
      residual active tumor. 4/6 patients have their breast preserved without sequelae.
      High local response rates were observed with the concomitant combination of
      radiotherapy and chemotherapy, specially when administered as initial treatment.

PMID- 1878607
TI  - [Fotemustine: a pilot phase II trial in sarcoma of the soft tissues].
AB  - Fotemustine has been administered to 10 patients with metastatic or redux soft
      sarcoma in a phase II pilot study. The main inclusion criteria were: at least one
      measurable site, Karnofsky index (KI) higher than 60%, no specific treatment
      within the last 4 weeks, correct haematological status. Induction treatment
      comprised fotemustine 100 mg/m2 D1-D8-D15 in a 1 h intravenous infusion protected
      from light, followed by a 5-week rest period. In patients with no progressive
      disease, maintenance treatment comprised fotemustine 100 mg/m2 D1 q 3 weeks,
      until progression or toxicity. Patients characteristics were: 9 M/1 F; median
      age: 51 years [26-66]; median KI 90% [60-100]; median number of previous drugs: 5
      [2-8]; 6 patients had two or more metastatic sites and one patient had developed
      a sarcoma following chest radiotherapy. Evaluation was carried out in weeks 4 and
      8, following the first fotemustine injection. One case of minor response and one
      case of stabilisation were observed, but they were of short duration. The main
      toxicity was haematological with delayed leucopenia and thrombopenia (nadir: week
      6). In patients who have undergone previous chemotherapy, fotemustine is not
      efficient according to the first step of the Gehan statistical guidelines.

PMID- 1878608
TI  - [Secretion by Candida albicans of substances stimulating the proliferation of a
      cell line of malpighian epithelioma of the mouth].

PMID- 1878609
TI  - Burnout as a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
AB  - During the preparation of a prospective study of exhaustion as a precursor of
      myocardial infarction (MI), the authors found that many coronary patients said
      that they had been burned out at some time in their lives. Therefore, the
      question, "Have you ever been burned out?" was included in the study. The cohort
      was formed by 3,877 men, aged 39 to 65, and was followed up on for 4.2 years.
      Among the men who were free of coronary heart disease (CHD) at screening, 59
      subjects experienced a fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction during follow-up.
      Those who endorsed the above question when they entered the study were found to
      be at increased risk for myocardial infarction when the authors controlled for
      age, blood pressure, smoking, and cholesterol; RR (relative risk) = 2.13; p less
      than .01. About one third of those who were exhausted before myocardial
      infarction had been burned out at some time in their lives, chi 2 = 7.09, p less
      than .01. The data indicate that a state of exhaustion before myocardial
      infarction is often a reactivation of earlier periods of breakdown in adaptation
      to stress.

PMID- 1878610
TI  - Work resumption and leisure activities after cardiac rehabilitation: the
      development of criteria to measure social recovery.
AB  - In a multicentered trial, the authors investigated 280 cardiac patients to
      determine the level of recovery of their social life after they had completed a
      physical training program. Data on work and leisure activities (sports, hobbies,
      social contacts, and odd jobs) were obtained immediately before and after
      rehabilitation and again 12 months later by means of semistructured interviews
      and an inventory of leisure activities. For the analysis of leisure variables,
      they developed a classification procedure to assign patients to one of five
      categories indicating an unchanged good outcome, significant recovery,
      nonparticipation, significant deterioration, or an unchanged poor outcome. The
      results after rehabilitation showed that some patients had benefited more than
      others. In addition, improvement or deterioration in one aspect of social
      recovery appeared to be independent from other aspects. Further systematic
      research is needed to determine which factors influence the amount of benefit
      derived from rehabilitation.

PMID- 1878611
TI  - Immunological and psychosocial predictors of disease recurrence in patients with
      early-stage breast cancer.
AB  - Ninety women with recently diagnosed stage I or stage II breast cancer who had
      been admitted to the NIH Clinical Center and were participating in a randomized
      trial were entered onto this behavioral immunology protocol. Patients were
      immunologically and psychosocially assessed at baseline (approximately 5 days
      after surgery) and again at 3 and 15 months post surgery. All of the patients
      were followed up for a minimum of 5 years, and 60% of the patients were followed
      for 7 years or longer. Twenty-nine women in the study group reported disease
      recurrences over the entire follow-up period. Causal path modeling statistical
      techniques showed that natural killer (NK) cell activity was a strong predictor
      of disease outcome when the outcome variable was defined as recurrence v
      nonrecurrence of disease (chi 2 = 6.9, p less than .001). Higher NK cell activity
      at follow-up predicted disease-free survival over the follow-up period. When the
      disease outcome variable was operationally defined as time to recurrent disease,
      the psychosocial factors were more strongly predictive of the rate of disease
      progression for those who had a recurrence (chi 2 = -4.1, p less than .01), but
      NK cell activity was seemingly less relevant in this latter case. Overall, these
      findings suggest that including mood and potentially relevant immunological
      variables, along with important biological prognostic variables, in multivariate
      and prospective models such as those examined in this study, potentially
      contributes more to the explanation of greater outcome variance of early-stage
      breast cancer than has been believed in the past.

PMID- 1878612
TI  - Effectiveness of a videotaped behavioral intervention in reducing anxiety in
      emergency oral surgery patients.
AB  - This study evaluated the effectiveness of a videotaped behavioral treatment
      program in reducing dental anxiety in emergency oral surgery patients. It
      compared a videotaped placebo program and a no-treatment control condition.
      Anxiety, measured for two periods during the study (an anticipatory phase just
      before oral surgery and a post oral surgery phase), was evaluated by means of
      self-report, physiological, and behavioral observation measures. Results revealed
      significant treatment group as well as Group X Sex interaction effects for the
      heart rate index of physiological arousal. Results also revealed that the
      treatment program was reported by subjects to be significantly more helpful than
      the placebo program. Overall, these results suggest that a short, videotaped
      behavioral intervention can have a positive effect on the oral surgery patient,
      and that the sex of the subject may be an important variable to be incorporated
      in evaluating the effectiveness of this type of treatment program.

PMID- 1878613
TI  - Psychosocial and physiological correlates of male gender role stress among
      employed adults.
AB  - Previous research has identified male gender role stress (MGRS) as a construct
      that leads men, as a function of traditional socialization processes, to appraise
      certain situations in ways that produce psychosocial and physiological distress.
      Because the initial research was based on college undergraduates, the current
      study explored the relationship of MGRS to psychosocial and physiological risk
      factors for cardiovascular disease among employed adults. As predicted, men
      obtained significantly higher scores than women on a measure, the MGRS Scale,
      developed to assess this construct. Women with elevated MGRS Scale scores,
      however, experienced undesirable outcomes much the same as their male
      counterparts. Specifically, MGRS Scale scores were significantly associated with
      Type A behavior, hostility, personal loss, life dissatisfaction, and elevated
      systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The authors discuss possible environmental
      contributors to the development and maintenance of MGRS, including organizational
      factors associated with male-dominated work environments.

PMID- 1878614
TI  - Impulsive artistic creativity as a presentation of transient cognitive
      alterations.
AB  - A 27-year-old right-handed male mosaic artisan who had not shown any interest in
      drawing or artistic activity was admitted to the Department of Neurology for
      attacks of bizarre behavior and convulsive disorder. The patient reported feeling
      "waves" engulfing him during the attacks, leaving him floating helplessly. During
      some attacks, the patient impulsively initiated drawing activity. Interictal
      sleep-deprivation EEG showed a left frontotemporal focus of paroxysmal discharge.
      Brain tomography with SPECT showed low 99Tc-HMPAO uptake in the left
      frontoparietal region. Psychodiagnostic tests gave evidence of dysfunction of the
      left frontal region, with preference of the right hemisphere. It is suggested
      that the attacks of altered cognitive state were, in this case, provoked by
      spreading depression of the left hemisphere, while the integrative functions of
      the right hemisphere remained intact. Thus, the impulsive artistic creativity
      during the attacks may represent a "release phenomenon" of the complex
      visuospatial skills of the right (subdominant) hemisphere. This symptomatology of
      transient cognitive alterations is unique and, to the best of our knowledge, has
      not been previously reported.

PMID- 1878615
TI  - Smoking policies in hospitals.

PMID- 1878616
TI  - The practical business of treatment--16. Can't treat, won't treat? Alcoholic
      liver disease.
AB  - An alcohol intake of more than 35 units per week will predispose to alcoholic
      liver disease, although not all patients with alcohol-induced liver damage have a
      dependency syndrome and only about 20% of those with an unremitting heavy alcohol
      intake will develop liver disease. In those with evidence of chronic liver
      disease, a liver biopsy is the most important investigation because it confirms
      the diagnosis and is indicative of the prognosis. Abstinence remains the mainstay
      of treatment and a multi-disciplinary approach is the best way to achieve this in
      most cases. In patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, specific therapies such
      as high dose corticosteroids and propylthiouracil have shown promising results
      but are still under evaluation. Liver transplantation has been used successfully
      in patients with recurrent complications arising from portal hypertension, but
      whether a minimum period of abstinence should be a requirement remains the
      subject of debate.

PMID- 1878617
TI  - Tobacco addiction and control in Spain.
AB  - In Spain there is a high prevalence of smokers: 39.2% in the general population,
      61.9% of the working population, and 35% of doctors. At the same time, health
      education on smoking is inadequate, and tobacco is cheap. As a result, it is
      difficult to implement legislation which bans or restricts smoking in some areas.
      It is clear that more education on smoking and health is needed at every level of
      the Spanish population.

PMID- 1878618
TI  - Tobacco prevention in hospitals needs prolonged and sustained effort.
AB  - The smoking control, policy implemented at a Barcelona hospital over a 3-year
      period resulted in a reduction of smoking in the hospital and a raised awareness
      of the exemplary role health professionals can have. However, participation by
      health professionals in the project decreased over the 3-year period. Although
      reduced, the smoking rate in the hospital still is at a high level; this should
      trigger health professionals to further exploit their potential in smoking
      reduction efforts.

PMID- 1878619
TI  - Hospital smoking policies: examples of good practice?
AB  - Health services should be taking a lead in implementing smoking policies which
      promote smoke-free environments for patients, visitors and staff, and ensure that
      patients and staff are provided with information and advice about smoking and how
      to give it up. Yet the evidence suggests that the implementation of such policies
      is patchy, particularly in countries where there are high smoking rates amongst
      health workers, including doctors. This article discusses, in the light of
      experience from Spain and the UK, some of the factors which are important in
      determining the success of such programmes. It is argued that such programmes
      will be of benefit to the future health of both patients and staff.

PMID- 1878620
TI  - Tobacco prevention in hospitals. The British experience.
AB  - There are three themes in this paper of interest to a UK audience. The first
      draws attention to the importance of congruity between the hospital environment
      and education about the harmfulness of smoking. A smoking policy is an integral
      part of the education process. Secondly, there are clear benefits to accrue from
      combining several educational elements in one smoking control programme, which
      has a synergistic effect. Thirdly, hospital staff are health promoters, too, and
      their training should reflect the importance of their public health role.

PMID- 1878621
TI  - Tobacco prevention in hospitals: long-term follow-up of a smoking control
      programme.
AB  - This paper presents the results of a smoking control programme carried out in
      Sant Jaume i Santa Magdalena Hospital in Mataro (Barcelona, Spain) involving the
      entire hospital staff. The general objectives of the programme were: (1) to
      reduce tobacco consumption among hospital staff and (2) to create an awareness of
      their exemplary role as health professionals. In order to achieve these aims,
      different activities were carried out: lectures on the consequences of smoking;
      restrictions on smoking in hospital areas; and smoking cessation help for those
      who wished to give up smoking. To measure the effectiveness of the intervention,
      a survey of smoking habits and attitudes among the hospital staff was conducted
      before the start of the programme in 1986 and repeated two and a half years later
      in 1989. The population studied in both surveys (n = 298 and n = 304) was similar
      by sex, age, and professional status. Regarding tobacco consumption there was the
      same proportion of never smokers, while the percentage of current smokers was
      reduced by 11 between the two surveys (51 to 40%), and the ex-smokers group
      showed an increase (16 to 23%). These differences were significant. There was
      also a remarkable change in attitudes among the health professionals, especially
      with regard to their disposition to give advice to stop smoking. The results show
      a reduction of the prevalence of smoking among the hospital staff and a positive
      change in their attitudes towards smoking.

PMID- 1878622
TI  - Increased severity of alcohol withdrawal in in-patient alcoholics with a co
      existing anxiety diagnosis.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether alcoholics with a co-existing
      anxiety disorder (dual-diagnosed group) experienced different withdrawal
      symptomatology from alcoholics without an anxiety disorder (alcohol-only group).
      Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal were measured on admission to an in-patient
      treatment program and throughout treatment (days 0, 2, 7, 14 and 21) using the
      revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA-Ar) scale. The
      dual-diagnosed group exhibited more severe alcohol withdrawal, as indicated by
      higher total CIWA-Ar scores, at all time points than the alcohol-only group. The
      possibility that anxiety disorders and alcohol withdrawal share a common
      neurochemical basis and that the CIWA-Ar scale may be useful as a screening
      instrument for anxiety disorders in alcoholics is discussed.

PMID- 1878623
TI  - The motivation for change from problem alcohol and heroin use.
AB  - This paper provides an overview of the first study in Switzerland on spontaneous
      remission from substance abuse, conducted 1988. After a rigourous screening
      process, 60 practically treatment-free remitters could be identified. While 14 of
      the 30 alcohol cases reduced their consumption almost to abstinence, all but two
      heroin remitters stopped their consumption altogether. No selection bias could be
      detected when comparing the groups studied with clinic populations, survey data
      and police records. The qualitative analysis of the collected extensive life
      histories led to a typology of the autoremission process. The motivation to
      change, the implementation of the decision, the maintenance and the negotiation
      of a new identity or meaning in life represent the three major stages. This paper
      focuses on the first stage and the role of negative vs positive experiences in
      setting off subsequent changes in alcohol or heroin consumption. The variation in
      the motivational background is illustrated by a close look at the rich life
      history accounts as well as by quantitative data on life events and cognitive
      prerequisites of change. Methodological drawbacks of this first exploratory
      study, such as recall problems and a narrow definition of addiction excluding
      psychological problems, are discussed and the necessity of future prospective
      studies is underlined.

PMID- 1878624
TI  - Like parent like child? Associations between drinking and smoking behaviour of
      parents and their children.
AB  - This paper examines the association between the smoking and drinking behaviours
      of parents and their adolescent children, and the effect of gender and social
      class upon this association. It is based on data collected from a cohort of young
      people and their parents, resident in the west of Scotland. Both social class and
      parental smoking behaviour were independently associated with young people's
      smoking, with young people from lower social class households or whose parents
      smoked being most likely to smoke. Social class and gender were independently
      associated with young people's drinking, with males and young people from non
      manual households being most likely to drink. Parental drinking behaviour was
      associated positively with young people's drinking only in non-manual classes and
      among daughters. We conclude that it is important to take social class and gender
      into account since it may influence whether or not there is an association
      between the behaviour of young people and that of their parents, and it may
      influence young people's behaviour in addition to influences from parental
      behaviour.

PMID- 1878625
TI  - Symptoms and correlates of anabolic-androgenic steroid dependence.
AB  - Forty-nine male weight lifters, all users of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs),
      completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire to investigate addictive
      patterns of use. At least one DSM-III-R symptom of dependence was reported by 94%
      of the sample. Three or more symptoms, consistent with a diagnosis of dependence,
      were reported by 57%. Dependent users (n = 28) could be distinguished from non
      dependent users (n = 21) by their use of larger doses, more cycles of use, more
      dissatisfaction with body size, and more aggressive symptoms. Multiple regression
      analysis revealed that dosage and dissatisfaction with body size were the best
      predictors of dependent use. Patterns of other substances used, although not
      predictive of AAS dependence, revealed very low cigarette use and at the same
      time high alcohol consumption. These data support the notion that AASs are
      addicting, and suggest that dissatisfaction with body size may lead to dependent
      patterns of use. The implications for both prevention and treatment are
      discussed.

PMID- 1878626
TI  - Drinking on television: a content analysis of recent alcohol portrayal.
AB  - The portrayal of alcohol on British television was examined in a systematic
      sample of 50 programmes broadcast in 1988. Nearly three-quarters of the
      programmes contained visual or verbal references to alcohol. On average, there
      was a reference to alcohol in every six and a half minutes of programming.
      Alcohol was most prominently featured in fictional programmes, particularly in
      one soap opera, Eastenders. A third of the programmes showed specific brands of
      alcohol. It is estimated that the portrayal of alcohol in Britain's most popular
      programmes is worth pounds 487 million of free promotion to the alcohol industry
      per annum. Nevertheless, in comparison with an earlier study, carried out in
      1986, there appeared to be fewer alcohol images. A number of recommendations are
      made for further action and monitoring of alcohol portrayal.

PMID- 1878627
TI  - Sharing spoons: a risk factor for HIV-1 infection in Vienna.
AB  - Sharing of needles and syringes plays a central role in HIV-1 transmission among
      intravenous drug users (IVDUs). There have been several suggestions to protect
      the injecting population from further harm, but focused mainly on the use of
      sterile needles and syringes as well as information about safer sexual behavior.
      This study examined a total of 366 IVDUs at the drug dependence out-patient ward
      of the Psychiatric University Clinic of Vienna. HIV-1 antibodies were found in
      29.7% (58) in 1989 and in 26.9% (42) in 1990. The results show that in 1989 14%
      and in 1990 5% IVDUs who never shared needles or syringes or other drug
      paraphernalia were found to be HIV-1 positive. In spite of the high information
      standard among Viennese drug addicts on risk reduction, the underestimated co
      factors during drug administration might be responsible for a further HIV-1
      transmission. Educational interventions on this subject should address even IVDUs
      who do not share needles and have adjusted to 'safer sex' practices.

PMID- 1878628
TI  - Cannabis use in a large sample of acute psychiatric admissions.
AB  - A sample of 908 patients drawn from two London Psychiatric Hospitals is described
      in terms of age, sex, self-reported drug and alcohol history, drug urinalysis
      results and initial psychiatric diagnosis. Some (34.5%) of respondents admitted
      to using cannabis at least once in their lifetime and 13% of those tested had
      urines positive for cannabis on admission. Cannabis use is commoner in young
      males. These is a higher likelihood that an initial diagnosis of 'psychosis' will
      be made at admission if patients either report use of cannabis or present a urine
      sample positive for cannabis.

PMID- 1878629
TI  - Familial history of opium use and reported problems among opium addicts in
      Pakistan.
AB  - One-hundred and twenty-nine opiate addicts on a monthly maintenance regimen were
      studied. Subjects with a positive family history of opium use had an earlier age
      of onset than the subjects without a family history of opium use. Self-reported
      psychosocial problems resulting from opium use were documented in only seven
      subjects. Individuals who began opium use after 1979, when it became illegal to
      use the drug, had a significantly later age of onset than subjects who began
      before 1979, suggesting that negative legal sanctions can delay initiation of
      opium consumption.

PMID- 1878630
TI  - Abuse of neuroleptic drugs.

PMID- 1878631
TI  - Cigarette sales in New Zealand.

PMID- 1878632
TI  - Outpatient treatment for alcohol abusers.

PMID- 1878633
TI  - The consequences of child sexual abuse.

PMID- 1878634
TI  - What now for IPPNW?

PMID- 1878635
TI  - The practice manager.

PMID- 1878636
TI  - Helen Mackay, another iron lady.

PMID- 1878637
TI  - New dietary reference values.

PMID- 1878638
TI  - Comparison of breast carcinomas diagnosed in the 1980s with those diagnosed in
      the 1940s to 1960s.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To find out if breast carcinomas diagnosed in the 1980s differ from
      those diagnosed a few decades ago. DESIGN: Retrospective comparative cohort
      study. SETTING: City of Turku, south western Finland. PATIENTS: 439 patients with
      breast carcinoma diagnosed in 1945-65 with a median follow up of 27 years (95% of
      all those histologically diagnosed in Turku); and 370 patients with breast
      carcinoma diagnosed in 1980-4 with a median follow up of 6 years (94% of all
      those histologically diagnosed in Turku). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Breast cancer
      incidence, mortality from breast cancer, age at diagnosis, stage of cancer, seven
      histological factors, DNA ploidy. RESULTS: Age adjusted incidence of breast
      cancer increased from 30.8/100,000 person years in 1953-7 to 62.2/100,000 in 1983
      7; mortality in breast cancer increased from 16.7 to 17.2/100,000 person years.
      Survival of patients with stages II to IV (but not with stage I) improved. The
      mean age at diagnosis increased from 55.5 years in 1945-55 to 62.5 years in 1980
      4 (p less than 0.0001); the proportion of patients with T0-1 carcinomas increased
      from 13% to 41% (p less than 0.0001) and with pN0 carcinomas from 43% to 55% (p =
      0.003) from 1945-65 to 1980-4. There was no change in histological type or DNA
      ploidy of breast cancer, but in the 1980-4 cohort carcinomas were more often well
      differentiated, had lower mitotic counts and less nuclear pleomorphism, more
      often had a well defined tumour margin, and had less tumour necrosis. There was,
      however, no difference between the two cohorts in these histological
      characteristics except for tumour necrosis when they were compared in a
      multivariate log linear model at a given size of primary tumour. CONCLUSION:
      Improved survival with breast cancer can at least partially be explained by
      detection of increased numbers of small carcinomas with favourable histological
      characteristics.

PMID- 1878639
TI  - Insulin dependent diabetes in childhood and material deprivation in northern
      England, 1977-86.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in the
      Northern region of England in children less than 16 years old in the period 1977
      to 1986 and to relate the incidence data to an index of deprivation. DESIGN:
      Retrospective analysis of hospital case records identified from the regional
      health authority's computer; validation of the primary source with hospital
      clinic registers and community paediatric registers. SETTING: Northern region,
      excluding South Cumbria District Health Authority (659,300 children under 16 in
      1981). PATIENTS: All children diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes before
      the age of 16 and resident in the region at time of diagnosis. MAIN OUTCOME
      MEASURES: Incidence rates for the 10 year period and analysis of incidence rates
      within categories of deprivation. RESULTS: 919 incident cases were identified.
      The validation procedure covered 54% of all cases identified and gave 95%
      completeness of ascertainment. The average annual incidence over the 10 year
      period was 14.8/100,000 for girls and 13.4/100,000 for boys. The annual incidence
      for the most and least deprived areas of the region was 18.7/100,000 (95%
      confidence interval 16.2 to 21.5) for boys and 7/100,000 (5.6 to 8.8) for girls.
      There was a highly significant trend (p less than 0.001) of decreasing incidence
      with decreasing level of deprivation. CONCLUSIONS: In the north of England the
      incidence of childhood diabetes is related to material deprivation.

PMID- 1878640
TI  - Renal disease, epidermal necrosis, and epithelial cell antibodies.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To describe the association between epithelial cell IgM, which has
      previously been associated with an increased incidence of loss of renal graft in
      children, with a novel cutaneous eruption and unexplained native renal disease.
      DESIGN: Observational study on children with epithelial cell antibody presenting
      with unexplained renal or skin disease. SETTING: General paediatric department
      and regional paediatric nephrology unit. PATIENTS: Six children (five girls, one
      boy), who presented to the unit in 1989-90. RESULTS: Three children, two of whom
      had a history of a hyperpigmented rash, presented with hypertension, proteinuria,
      and impaired renal function. Renal biopsy specimens from two of these children
      showed severe arteriolar endothelial cell swelling with arteriolar occlusion.
      These children fully recovered after treatment with antihypertensive drugs. The
      third child developed end stage renal failure and required dialysis. Three other
      children presented with an unusual cutaneous eruption but no evidence of renal
      disease. Histology of the skin lesions showed acute epidermal necrosis and
      features consistent with a viral infection. CONCLUSIONS: The aetiology and
      pathogenesis of the epithelial cell antibody are unknown. These cases indicate
      that it may have a role in native kidney disease and focal epidermal necrosis.
      Clinical and histological features suggest that the antibody may be associated
      with a viral infection.

PMID- 1878641
TI  - Growth of asthmatic children during treatment with budesonide: a double blind
      trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the inhaled glucocorticosteroid budesonide has
      any adverse effect on short term linear growth in children with mild asthma.
      SETTING: Outpatient clinic in secondary referral centre. PATIENTS: 15 children
      aged 6-13 years with normal statural growth velocity during the previous year, no
      signs of puberty, and no use of systemic or topical steroids in the two months
      before the study. DESIGN OF INTERVENTIONS: Double blind, randomised crossover
      trial with two active periods in which budesonide was given in divided daily
      doses of 200 micrograms and 800 micrograms. During run in and two washout periods
      placebo was given. After the second washout period the children received open
      treatment with 400 micrograms budesonide daily. All periods were of 18 days'
      duration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Growth of the lower leg as measured twice a week
      by knemometry. RESULTS: Mean growth velocity of the lower leg was 0.63 mm/week
      during run in and during washout 0.64 mm/week. Budesonide treatment was
      associated with a significant dose related reduction of growth velocity: the mean
      reduction in growth velocity during treatment was 0.11 (95% confidence interval 
      0.15 0.36 (0.13 to 0.59) mm/week with 800 micrograms budesonide (p less than
      0.05; Page's test). During treatment with 400 micrograms budesonide a reduction
      of 0.17 (-0.10 to 0.45) mm/week was found. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with inhaled
      budesonide is associated with a dose related suppression of short term linear
      growth in children with mild asthma.

PMID- 1878642
TI  - Increased birth weight in northerly islands: is fish consumption a red herring?

PMID- 1878643
TI  - In praise of non-fundholding practices.

PMID- 1878644
TI  - Variations in budgets of fundholding practices.

PMID- 1878645
TI  - Fundholding and cash limits in primary care: blight or blessing?

PMID- 1878646
TI  - Controlled trials in single subjects. 1. Value in clinical medicine.

PMID- 1878647
TI  - Controlled trials in single subjects. 2. Limitations of use.

PMID- 1878648
TI  - ABC of antenatal care. Vital statistics of birth.

PMID- 1878649
TI  - The health of the nation.

PMID- 1878650
TI  - Surgeons who are hepatitis B carriers.

PMID- 1878651
TI  - Limiting the number of oocytes and embryos transferred in GIFT and IVF.

PMID- 1878652
TI  - Birth weight as a risk factor for raised blood pressure.

PMID- 1878653
TI  - Wheezing or asthma.

PMID- 1878654
TI  - Daughters of stilboestrol.

PMID- 1878655
TI  - Diagnosing pancreatic masses.

PMID- 1878656
TI  - Genetics and lung disease.

PMID- 1878657
TI  - Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and blood transfusion.

PMID- 1878658
TI  - Complications of pregnancy and delivery and psychosis in adult life.

PMID- 1878659
TI  - Anaesthetists' role in introducing audit into surgery.

PMID- 1878660
TI  - Target payments for cervical smears.

PMID- 1878662
TI  - Proceedings of the seventeenth annual meeting of the European Group for Bone
      Marrow Transplantation. 27-31 January, 1991, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

PMID- 1878661
TI  - Uptake of cervical smear testing among travellers.

PMID- 1878663
TI  - Donor cell leukaemia after bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic
      anaemia.

PMID- 1878664
TI  - Androgen dependence in patients with severe aplastic anemia after antilymphocyte
      globuline therapy.

PMID- 1878665
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acquired severe aplastic anaemia (SAA):
      long term follow-up of 107 consecutive patients.

PMID- 1878666
TI  - New approach of treatment of severe aplastic anemia. Cooperative Group on the
      Treatment of Aplastic Anemia.

PMID- 1878667
TI  - How do BMTs cure leukaemia? New directions.

PMID- 1878668
TI  - What is graft versus host disease?

PMID- 1878669
TI  - Unrelated bone marrow transplant. Use of IL2 receptor monoclonal antibody (IL2-R
      Ab) in prophylaxis of GVHD. The GEGMO Group.

PMID- 1878670
TI  - Study on the hematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

PMID- 1878671
TI  - Mother as HLA haploidentical marrow donor for children with advanced leukemia.

PMID- 1878672
TI  - Unrelated donor marrow transplantation: an interim analysis of the international
      marrow unrelated search and transplant (IMUST) Study. II.

PMID- 1878673
TI  - Improvement of communications between existing European registries by use of
      telematic system.

PMID- 1878674
TI  - Bone marrow donors worldwide (BMDW).

PMID- 1878675
TI  - The dose of total body irradiation (TBI), and GvHD prophilaxis have a crucial
      role on relapse risk and survival after BMT for leukaemia.

PMID- 1878676
TI  - VP16 and TBI as conditioning regimen for allogeneic BMT in patients with high
      risk and relapsed ALL and NHL.

PMID- 1878677
TI  - Allogeneic BMT versus autologous BMT in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      (ALL): an Italian cooperative study of vincristine (VCR), F-TBI and
      cyclophosphamide. AIEOP (Associazione Italiana Ematologia ed Oncologia
      Pediatrica) Italy.

PMID- 1878678
TI  - Relative toxicity of two different conditioning regimens in patients undergoing
      allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1878679
TI  - BAVC regimen in CR AML patients.

PMID- 1878680
TI  - Variation in statistical reports and analysis on one and the same medical
      question. The Leukemia Working Partly.

PMID- 1878681
TI  - Documentation of the EBMT solid tumor registry (STR) data. A "crux (? or X) for
      doctors"?

PMID- 1878682
TI  - Effect of IL-1 and TNF-alpha on early progenitor cells: implications for bone
      marrow purging.

PMID- 1878683
TI  - Liquid marrow serum-free culture in patients acute lymphoblastic leukemia a
      potential application to purge marrow for autologous transplantation.

PMID- 1878685
TI  - High-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow rescue: haematopoietic
      reconstitution by non-cryopreserved marrow.

PMID- 1878684
TI  - The Parma international randomized study in relapsed non Hodgkin lymphoma: 1st
      interim analysis of 128 patients (as 15 January 1991: 153 patients).

PMID- 1878686
TI  - IL-2 treatment after autologous bone marrow transplantation in poor prognosis
      Hodgkin's disease: defective IL-2-induced LAK activity?

PMID- 1878687
TI  - Use of recombinant IL-2 (RU49637) after autologous bone marrow transplantation
      (BMT) in patients with hematological neoplasias: a phase 1 study.

PMID- 1878688
TI  - Monoclonal anti TNF alpha antibody in the treatment of acute GvHD refractory both
      to corticosteroids and anti IL-2 R antibody.

PMID- 1878689
TI  - Prospective randomized study of GVHD prevention using an anti IL2 receptor (CD25)
      MoAb after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

PMID- 1878690
TI  - The dose-response effect: a critical analysis.

PMID- 1878691
TI  - European Bone Marrow Registry in solid tumors: 7 years of experience.

PMID- 1878692
TI  - Kinetics of relapse of leukemia after bone marrow transplantation: cytogenetic
      follow up of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

PMID- 1878693
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation for leukaemia in Europe. Report from The Working
      Party Leukaemia.

PMID- 1878694
TI  - Patterns of relapse after bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid
      leukaemia.

PMID- 1878695
TI  - Cytogenetic follow-up after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for Ph+ CML:
      update of the European Cooperative Study.

PMID- 1878696
TI  - Alloimmune effects of bone marrow transplantation for leukaemia on the leukaemic
      diseases.

PMID- 1878697
TI  - Karyotype and BCR studies after bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid
      leukaemia.

PMID- 1878698
TI  - An assessment of chimeric transcript detection in CML patients after bone marrow
      transplantation.
AB  - The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate minimal residual disease
      in 21 Ph+ CML patients at various intervals after allogeneic bone-marrow
      transplantation (ABMT) by amplification of bcr-abl cDNA. All patients were
      cytogenetically Ph- at the moment of molecular analysis. Of these 76% were PCR
      negative, 24% positive for bcr-abl transcripts. 100% of the Cyclosporine
      A/Methotrexate treated patients (7/7) were negative. Severe chronic GvHD was
      twice as frequent in PCR positive patients (60%) than in negative ones (31%). The
      only patient who relapsed during follow up was PCR positive. The two longest
      survivors were PCR negative. These data are still insufficient for assessing the
      predictive value of PCR analysis in CML. Patients. 25 patients with Ph+ CML at
      diagnosis were enrolled in this study. Two died soon after BMT because of
      infection for failure of engraftment/early relapse, two were Ph chromosome
      positive and PCR+, and were therefore dismissed from this study. All remaining 21
      patients were cytogenetically Ph- at the time of molecular analysis and underwent
      ABMT from matched donors. All patients were conditioned with cyclophosphamide and
      TBI: 330 cGy the three days prior to transplantation (990 cGy total, treatment
      B), or 200 cGy two times daily for three days (1200 cGy total, treatment A). In 3
      cases the marrow was treated for GvHD prophilaxis with Campath alone or Campath
      plus BT 5/9 monoclonal antibodies (1). All patients were treated with Cyclosporin
      A (CS) 5 mg/kg i.v. from the day prior to transplantation until 25-30 days after;
      9 of these were treated with CS plus Methotrexate (MTX).

PMID- 1878699
TI  - BCR-ABL transcripts detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after allogenic
      BMT for CML: analysis of 32 longterm disease free patients.

PMID- 1878700
TI  - Persistence of BCR/ABL transcripts after BMT for CML detected by PCR reflects a
      high risk of relapse.

PMID- 1878701
TI  - Effects of alpha-IFN on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) hematopoiesis maintained
      in long-term cultures.

PMID- 1878702
TI  - Is graft versus leukaemia separable from graft versus host disease?

PMID- 1878703
TI  - Intensive therapy for high grade multiple myeloma (MM).

PMID- 1878704
TI  - Autologous bone marrow transplantation with immunotoxin purged marrow for
      multiple myeloma. Long term results in 14 patients with advanced disease.

PMID- 1878705
TI  - Allogenic BMT for multiple myeloma (MM). The Italian experience.

PMID- 1878706
TI  - Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in multiple myeloma using HLA-compatible
      sibling donors--an EBMT Registry Study.

PMID- 1878707
TI  - Methodology of evaluation in EORTC trials including BMT in acute myelogenous
      leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR). EORTC Leukemia Cooperative Group
      (LCG) and GIMEMA.

PMID- 1878708
TI  - Time intervals influence outcome of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in patients
      with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The Leukemia Working Party of EBMT.

PMID- 1878709
TI  - Allogeneic versus autologous bone marrow transplantation versus chemotherapy for
      treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission (BGM 84 and BGMT
      87 studies). The BGMT Group.

PMID- 1878710
TI  - Autologous marrow transplantation in first remission acute myeloid leukemia using
      marrow purged with mafosfamide.

PMID- 1878711
TI  - Idarubicin plus ARA-C followed by allogeneic or autologous bone marrow
      transplantation in advanced acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PMID- 1878712
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation for myelodysplastic syndrome and secondary leukemia:
      outcome of 86 patients.

PMID- 1878713
TI  - Prognostic variables in bone marrow transplantation for secondary leukaemia and
      myelodysplastic syndromes: a survey of the working party on leukaemia.

PMID- 1878714
TI  - Immunological response in vitro by Candida after allogeneic bone marrow
      transplantation.

PMID- 1878715
TI  - Late marrow failure occurring after HLA identical bone marrow transplant.

PMID- 1878716
TI  - Levels of soluble low affinity IL2 receptors (s-IL2 R) and TNF in the serum after
      BMT.

PMID- 1878717
TI  - Male sexual function following bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1878718
TI  - Hepatic veno-occlusive disease following bone marrow transplantation treated by
      prostaglandin E1.

PMID- 1878719
TI  - Haemostatic changes in uncomplicated bone marrow transplants.

PMID- 1878721
TI  - Strategies for acute myelogenous leukemia.

PMID- 1878720
TI  - Early deaths in children after bone marrow transplantation: data of the AIEOP BMT
      Group.

PMID- 1878722
TI  - Progress in allogeneic and autologous BMT for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
      (ALL).

PMID- 1878723
TI  - Effects of treatment regimens in patients allografted for acute and chronic
      myelogenous leukemia.

PMID- 1878724
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation for chronic myeloid leukaemia.

PMID- 1878725
TI  - The rationale of autologous bone marrow transplantation.

PMID- 1878726
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation from unrelated donors for genetic diseases following
      conditioning with Busulphan and Cyclophosphamide.

PMID- 1878727
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation in children and in adults with thalassemia.

PMID- 1878728
TI  - Bone marrow transplantation for adult patients with thalassemia major.

PMID- 1878729
TI  - Endocrine function after bone marrow transplantation for thalassemia.

PMID- 1878730
TI  - Persistence of mixed chimerism in class 3 thalassemic patients following BMT.

PMID- 1878731
TI  - Randomised placebo controlled study of RH-GM-CSF following ALG in the treatment
      of aplastic anaemia.

PMID- 1878732
TI  - The use of GM-CSF as an adjunct to autologous/syngeneic bone marrow
      transplantation: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

PMID- 1878733
TI  - RHU GM-CSF shortens aplasia duration after ABMT in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a
      randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study.

PMID- 1878734
TI  - Successful stimulation of autologous bone marrow recovery by GM-CSF and IL-3
      after an unrelated donor BMT for juvenile CML complicated by graft failure.
AB  - We report the case of a boy with juvenile chronic myeloid leukemia (jCML), who
      after initial treatment with interferon alpha-2 (IFN) and hydroxyurea underwent
      bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from a matched unrelated donor complicated by
      graft failure. Subsequent stimulation of hematopoiesis by GM-CSF and IL-3
      promoted autologous recovery. In contrast to the course of disease pre-BMT, the
      boy is now off any therapy remaining in complete remission more than 500 days
      after BMT.

PMID- 1878735
TI  - Human recombinant GM-CSF in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for leukaemia:
      double-blind placebo controlled trial.
AB  - A double-blind randomised trial compared 20 patients with leukaemia receiving
      human recombinant granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM CSF), with
      20 patients receiving placebo for 14 days after allogeneic matched sibling bone
      marrow transplantation. The median neutrophil count at 14 days was significantly
      higher in the GM CSF group (1.90 vs. 0.46 x 10(9)/l). The duration of hospital
      stay, the number of antibiotic days, and the number of fever days was the same
      for both patient groups. The lymphocyte count was significantly higher in the GM
      CSF group than in the placebo group between days 10 and 15 after transplantation.
      The GM-CSF group had lower haemoglobin concentrations and platelets counts, and
      higher plasma urea creatinine and bilirubin, than the placebo group. There was no
      evidence that GM CSF was associated with a greater incidence of leukaemic
      relapse.

PMID- 1878736
TI  - Serum erythropoietin levels in allogeneic, non T-depleted bone marrow
      transplantation, and the effects of rhEpo administration.

PMID- 1878737
TI  - How do allogeneic bone marrow transplants cure leukaemia? The role of graft
      versus host disease.

PMID- 1878738
TI  - The role of BMT for neuroblastoma relapse patients. A report of the EBMT-STR.

PMID- 1878739
TI  - Single or double consolidation treatment according to remission status after
      initial therapy in metastatic neuroblastoma: first results of LMCE 3 study in 40
      patients.

PMID- 1878740
TI  - Unpurged ABMT for neuroblastoma: AIEOP-BMT experience.

PMID- 1878741
TI  - A single center experience with bone marrow transplantation for high risk
      neuroblastoma.

PMID- 1878742
TI  - The effects of probucol on the progression of atherosclerosis in mature Watanabe
      heritable hyperlipidaemic rabbits.
AB  - 1. Probucol was administered to mature Watanabe heritable hyperlipidaemic (WHHL)
      rabbits (approximately 9 months old). Groups of WHHL rabbits were randomly
      selected and treated as follows: Group 1 killed at 9 months (n = 9); Group II
      placed on sham-treated diet at 9 months and followed for 6 months (n = 8); Group
      III placed on probucol at 9 months and followed for 6 months (n = 8). Probucol
      was administered by mixing 1% wt/wt drug with standard laboratory diet. 2. Plasma
      concentrations of probucol increased to 93 +/- 11 micrograms ml-1 in Group III
      during the initial 2 weeks and increased further to 149 +/- 24 micrograms ml-1 at
      the end of the treatment period. 3. Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol,
      unesterified cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly reduced overall by
      probucol, while triglycerides were not affected. 4. No statistically significant
      differences were observed in the presence of oxidized products in low density
      lipoproteins (LDL) isolated from plasma of controls compared to probucol-treated
      rabbits. However, LDL from probucol-treated animals was resistant to oxidation in
      the presence of Cu2+ (3 microM). 5. Group I had aortic atherosclerosis covering
      70 +/- 5% of intimal area of thoracic aortae, that increased to 91 +/- 3% in
      Group II. This was associated with cholesterol contents of aortae increasing from
      1.4 +/- 0.2 microgram mg-1 in Group I to 2.7 +/- 0.3 microgram mg-1 in Group II.
      Probucol administration did not produce a statistically significant reduction of
      atherosclerotic lesion area (78 +/- 7%). However, probucol treatment reduced
      cholesterol content to 1.9 + 0.3,ugmg-' (P < 0.01). Collagen content of aortae
      was not affected by probucol treatment. 6. Thus, while probucol did not promote
      regression, the drug did retard the continued deposition of cholesterol esters
      into atherosclerotic lesions of mature WHHL rabbits.

PMID- 1878743
TI  - The diverse effects of cromakalim on tension and 86Rb efflux in canine arterial
      smooth muscle.
AB  - 1. To characterize further the K+ channels opened by cromakalim in arterial
      smooth muscle, the effects of cromakalim on tension and 86Rb efflux were compared
      in endothelium-denuded strips of coronary, mesenteric and middle cerebral (MC)
      arteries of the dog. 2. Cromakalim relaxed strips precontracted with 20.9 mM K+.
      The maximum relaxation induced by cromakalim varied in the arteries used; 94% in
      the coronary artery, 60% in the mesenteric artery and only 38% in the MC artery.
      Cromakalim failed to relax arterial strips precontracted with 65.9 mM K+. 3. When
      the effects of cromakalim on 86Rb efflux were determined in 20.9 mM K(+)
      contracted strips, cromakalim-induced relaxations were accompanied by a large
      increase in 86Rb efflux in the coronary artery, by a small increase in the
      mesenteric artery but by an apparent decrease in the MC artery. 4. When 10(-7) M
      nifedipine was added to 20.9 mM K(+)-contracted strips, to inactivate Ca2(+)
      activated K+ (KCa) channels, cromakalim produced a greater increase (measured
      from the point at which cromakalim was administered) in 86Rb efflux than in the
      absence of nifedipine, suggesting that the effects of cromakalim on 86Rb efflux
      from the 20.9 mM K(+)-contracted strips may be the resultant of two opposing
      effects: an increased 86Rb efflux perhaps due to the opening of ATP-sensitive K+
      (KATP) channels, and a decreased efflux due to the closing of KCa channels. 5.
      After the inactivation of Kca channels in 20.9mM K+-contracted strips, the
      cromakalim-induced increase in 86Rb efflux measured as area under the curve was
      eight times greater in the coronary artery than in the MC artery. The increase in
      86Rb efflux in the mesenteric artery was intermediate between these extremes. 6.
      Cromakalim also increased the 86Rb efflux from 65.9 mm K+-contracted strips. This
      increase was not augmented by the addition of nifedipine. Under these conditions,
      a similar variation in efflux response (as area under the curve) for cromakalim
      was noted in the arteries used. 7. The relaxant responses of each artery to
      cromakalim were competitively antagonized by glibenclamide, a blocker of KATP
      channels. The cromakalim-induced increase in 86Rb efflux was also inhibited by
      glibenclamide. 8. These results suggest that cromakalim-opened K+ channels in the
      three arteries may differ in terms of their frequency of occurrence in the
      plasmalemma, their permeability to 86Rb and their ability to modulate tension
      development. On the other hand, the activities of Kca and voltage-sensitive K+
      channels, estimated from the effects of nifedipine, were similar in the three
      arteries.

PMID- 1878744
TI  - P2 purinoceptor regulation of mucin release by airway goblet cells in primary
      culture.
AB  - 1. The effects of adenine analogues on mucin release by airway goblet cells have
      been examined in a hamster primary tracheal epithelial cell culture. 2.
      Adenosine, a P1 receptor agonist, had no effect on mucin release even at 2 mM,
      while ATP, a P2 receptor agonist, stimulated mucin release in a dose-dependent
      fashion with an apparent EC50 of 20 microM. The relative potency order among
      adenine nucleotides was ATP greater than ADP greater than AMP = adenosine. 3. ATP
      gamma S, a non-hydrolyzable analogue of ATP, was equipotent with ATP in
      stimulating mucin release. The potency order among some ATP analogues was ATP
      greater than 2-methylthio ATP greater than alpha, beta-methylene ATP greater than
      beta, gamma-methylene ATP. Reactive blue 2, a putative P2 gamma-purinoceptor
      antagonist, did not block the ATP-induced mucin release. 4. The present results
      indicate that mucin release by airway goblet cells is stimulated by extracellular
      ATP via P2 receptor-mediated mechanism. We suggest that this mechanism may be
      important in the physiological regulation of airway goblet cell mucin release in
      vivo.

PMID- 1878746
TI  - Investigation into the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor mediating smooth muscle
      relaxation in the rat oesophagus.
AB  - 1. An investigation has been made into the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor
      mediating relaxation of rat oesophagus in preparations precontracted with
      carbachol. 2. In tissues treated with pargyline (100 microM) and in the presence
      of corticosterone (30 microM) and cocaine (30 microM) the potency of 5-HT and 5
      methoxytyramine (5-MeOT) was not changed but the maximum response to these
      agonists was reduced. Thus there was no evidence of metabolism and/or uptake
      through an amine depleting mechanism. 3. The relaxant concentration-effect curves
      to 5-HT were shifted to the left in a concentration-related manner by
      isobutylmethylxanthine (1 and 10 microM), suggesting the involvement of adenosine
      3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in these responses. 4. 5-HT produced concentration
      related relaxations of rat oesophagus with an EC50 value of 0.24 microM. Several
      indole agonists were tested and the following rank order of potency of key
      agonists obtained: 5-HT greater than alpha-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine = 5
      carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) greater than 5-MeOT. In contrast, 2-methyl-5
      hydroxytryptamine, sumatriptan and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin were
      weak or inactive. 5. The substituted benzamides, metoclopramide, cisapride,
      renzapride and R,S-zacopride acted as partial agonists, producing 60-70% of the 5
      HT maximum. 6. The relaxation responses to 5-HT were neither inhibited by
      antagonists selective for 5-HT1 or 5-HT2 receptors nor by the 5-HT3 receptor
      antagonists, ondansetron, granisetron or MDL 72222. 7. The relaxation responses
      induced by 5-HT, 5-CT, 5-MeOT and renzapride were selectively inhibited by high
      concentrations of ICS 205-930 with pKB values of approximately 6. 8. The 5-HT
      receptor mediating relaxation in rat oesophagus cannot be designated 5-HT1, 5-HT2
      or 5-HT3 under the current 5-HT classification, but the observed effects are
      consistent with stimulation of the putative 5-HT4 receptor.

PMID- 1878745
TI  - Pulse exposure to protein synthesis inhibitors enhances vascular responses to des
      Arg9-bradykinin: possible role of interleukin-1.
AB  - 1. The modulation of the spontaneous increase in contractile responses to des
      Arg9-bradykinin (des-Arg9-BK) of rabbit aortic strips incubated in vitro was
      studied. Rapid hypotensive responses to exogenous kinins were also measured in
      rabbits anaesthetized 5 h following pretreatment. 2. Continuous exposure to the
      protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide (71 microM) or anisomycin (3.8 microM)
      profoundly inhibited the sensitization to des-Arg9-BK in incubated aortic strips.
      However, temporary (3 h) inhibition of protein synthesis in vitro followed by
      further incubation (3 h) of tissues without inhibitor, paradoxically enhanced
      both the maximal contractile responses to des-Arg9-BK (1.7 microM) and the
      apparent affinity of the kinin without affecting contractions to noradrenaline
      (NA, 100 nM) at 6.5 h. 3. The stimulatory activity of the short treatment (pulse)
      with cycloheximide was abolished in the presence of dexamethasone sodium
      phosphate (100 microM throughout the incubation). The function of receptors for
      kinins did not appear to be altered directly by the steroid treatment. 4.
      Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), applied at low concentrations (100-250 pg ml-1)
      on aortic strips between 3 h and 6.5 h of incubation time, mimicked the selective
      stimulatory effect of the cycloheximide pulse on responses to des-Arg9-BK. Higher
      concentrations of IL-1 beta (0.5-5 ng ml-1) did not further amplify the responses
      to des-Arg9-BK but decreased the contractile responses to NA. 5. The modulation
      by IL-1 beta of vascular sensitivity to des-Arg9-BK and to NA was prevented by
      blockade of protein synthesis. 6. The induction in vivo by IL-1 beta (5
      micrograms kg-1) or by cycloheximide (10 mg kg-1) of cardiovascular
      responsiveness to des-Arg9-BK was demonstrated with a blood pressure assay of
      exogenous kinins or with tissues isolated ex vivo 5 h after pretreatment of
      animals. Evidence of active disposition of cycloheximide in vivo was also
      obtained. 7. We propose the production of endogenous IL-1 as a possible mechanism
      for the enhancement of responsiveness to des-Arg9-BK observed in tissues pulsed
      with a protein synthesis inhibitor and for the inducing effect of cycloheximide
      or E. coli lipopolysaccharide in vivo. These results suggest that effects
      mediated by the BK1 receptor for kinins are potentially present in pathological
      conditions associated with IL-1 production.

PMID- 1878747
TI  - The role of endogenous thromboxane in contractions to U46619, oxygen, 5-HT and 5
      CT in the human isolated umbilical artery.
AB  - 1. The effects of selective thromboxane antagonists and a thromboxane synthase
      inhibitor on the contraction to 9,11-dideoxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-epoxymethano
      prostaglandin F2 alpha (U46619) and oxygen in the human umbilical artery (HUA)
      were examined. The effect of the antagonists on contractions to both 5
      hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT) were also examined.
      2. U46619 (0.3 nM-10 microM) contracted the HUA. This contraction was antagonized
      by two selective thromboxane receptor antagonists EP092 (10 nM-1 microM) and
      GR32191B (10 nM-1 microM). The contraction was not affected by the selective
      thromboxane synthase inhibitor, dazoxiben (10 nM-1 microM). 3. When the oxygen
      tension was increased from 16 mmHg to 120 mmHg, the HUA transiently contracted.
      Both thromboxane antagonists inhibited this contraction in a concentration
      dependent manner with 1 microM almost completely abolishing the response (the
      oxygen-induced contraction of the control preparation normally increases with a
      second exposure to 120 mmHg oxygen). 4. In low (16 mmHg) oxygen, responses to
      both 5-HT and 5-CT were unaffected by both thromboxane receptor antagonists at
      concentrations up to 1 microM. In high oxygen (120 mmHg) responses to both 5-HT
      and 5-CT were biphasic in nature, with an additional initial high sensitivity
      phase, which was abolished by a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor. In high oxygen, EP092
      and GR32191B blocked this initial phase in a concentration-dependent manner,
      returning sensitivity to 5-HT and 5-CT to that seen in low oxygen. 5. The
      thromboxane synthase inhibitor, dazoxiben, at concentrations greater than 10 nm
      inhibited the contraction to 120 mmHg oxygen and at 1 microM, dazoxiben almost
      abolished the response. In low oxygen, the response to 5-HT was unaffected by
      dazoxiben at concentrations up to 10 microM. In high oxygen, the initial phase of
      the contraction to 5-HT was inhibited by concentrations greater than 10 nm, with
      no effect on the maximum response. 6. The results show that thromboxane receptor
      antagonism or blockade of thromboxane synthesis selectively attenuates oxygen
      induced contractions and those responses to 5-HT and 5-CT which are dependent on
      high oxygen for their expression. This suggests that the contractions caused by
      high oxygen tension, and the enhancement of the contractile effects of low
      concentrations of 5-HT and 5-CT in the presence of high oxygen tension are
      mediated by endogenously released thromboxane A2.

PMID- 1878748
TI  - Adenosine-induced dilatation of the rabbit hepatic arterial bed is mediated by A2
      purinoceptors.
AB  - 1. This study was carried out in order to identify the receptor responsible for
      adenosine-induced dilatation of the hepatic arterial vascular bed. 2. Livers of
      10 New Zealand White rabbits were perfused in vitro with Krebs-Bulbring buffer
      via the hepatic artery and the portal vein at constant flows of 26 and 77 ml min
      1 100 g-1 liver respectively. The tone of the preparation was raised by the
      presence of noradrenaline in the perfusate (concentration: 10(-5) M). 3. Dose
      response curves for adenosine and its analogues 5'-N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine
      (NECA), the 2-substituted NECA analogue CGS 21680C, and R- and S-N6-phenyl
      isopropyl-adenosine (R- and S-PIA) were obtained after their injection into the
      hepatic arterial supply. 4. The order of vasodilator potency of these agents was:
      NECA greater than CGS 21680C greater than adenosine greater than R-PIA greater
      than S-PIA. Their potency, expressed relative to that of adenosine, was in the
      approximate ratio 10:3:1:0.3:0.1, consistent with that resulting from activation
      of P1-purinoceptors of the A2 sub-type (which mediate vasodilatation due to
      adenosine). 5. The P1-purinoceptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline (10(-5) M)
      caused significant attenuation of the vasodilatation to adenosine and analogues.
      6. It is concluded that adenosine-induced dilatation of the hepatic arterial
      vascular bed is mediated by P1-purinoceptors of the A2 sub-type.

PMID- 1878749
TI  - Characterization of P2X- and P2Y-purinoceptors in the rabbit hepatic arterial
      vasculature.
AB  - 1. Responses to adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and its agonists were studied in
      the isolated liver of the rabbit dually perfused through the hepatic artery and
      the portal vein. 2. In the hepatic arterial vascular bed at basal tone, ATP and
      its agonists elicited vasoconstrictor responses with the rank order of potency
      alpha,beta-methylene ATP greater than 2-methylthio ATP greater than ATP,
      consistent with their action at the P2X-purinoceptor. 3. When tone was raised
      with noradrenaline (10(-5) M), vasodilator responses were produced with ATP and 2
      methylthio ATP; alpha,beta-methylene ATP produced only further constriction. The
      rank order of vasodilator potency was 2-methylthio ATP greater than ATP much
      greater than alpha,beta-methylene ATP, consistent with their action at the P2Y
      purinoceptor. 4. Methylene blue (10(-5) M) antagonized vasodilator responses to
      acetylcholine and ATP, but not those to adenosine or sodium nitroprusside.
      Addition of 8-phenyltheophylline (10(-5) M) antagonized responses to adenosine
      but not those to sodium nitroprusside. Responses to ATP remaining after
      antagonism with methylene blue were not further antagonized by 8
      phenyltheophylline. 5. These results present evidence for discrete P2X- and P2Y
      purinoceptors in the rabbit hepatic arterial bed which mediate vasoconstrictor
      and vasodilator responses respectively. 6. Vasodilatation produced by ATP was
      entirely due to direct action at the P2Y-purinoceptor, and not at a P1
      purinoceptor following breakdown to adenosine. The antagonism of these responses
      by methylene blue is consistent with the view that vasodilatation by ATP takes
      place largely via endothelial P2Y-purinoceptors that lead to release of
      endothelium-derived relaxing factor. However, we cannot exclude the possibility
      that P2y-purinoceptors located on the vascular smooth muscle play a contributory
      role in ATP-induced vasodilatation.

PMID- 1878750
TI  - Endothelins: vasoconstrictor effects and localization in canine cerebral
      arteries.
AB  - 1. The vascular effects of endothelin and localization of endothelin-like
      immunoreactivity were characterized in isolated cerebral arteries of dogs. 2.
      Endothelin-like immunoreactivity was detected in a few populations of endothelial
      cells of dog basilar artery. 3. Endothelin-1, endothelin-2 and endothelin-3
      contracted isolated ring preparations of cerebral arteries in a dose-dependent
      manner independently of the presence of endothelium. The ED50 values (and 95%
      confidence intervals) for the contraction were 411 pM (242-697 pM) and 478 pM
      (295-776 pM) for endothelin-1 and endothelin-2, respectively. Endothelin-3
      induced vascular contraction at a higher concentration (ED50 = 26.5 nM, 95%
      confidence interval = 15.7-45.7 nM). 4. The increases in tone induced by
      endothelin-1 and endothelin-2 did not return to the resting level after repeated
      washings, while a rinse with Krebs solution reversed the vasoconstrictor response
      to endothelin-3. The endothelins did not cause any vasodilator response in
      arteries precontracted with uridine 5'-triphosphate even in the presence of
      intact endothelial cells. 5. NiCl2 (1 mM) attenuated the contractions induced by
      endothelin-3 (10-300 nM) and those to relatively low doses (1 nM) but not higher
      doses (10-100 nM) of endothelin-1 and endothelin-2. The contractions in response
      to endothelin-1, endothelin-2 and endothelin-3 were greatly attenuated in Ca(2+)
      free solutions although high concentrations of endothelin-1 and endothelin-2
      still evoked contractions. 6. These results suggest that the vasoconstriction
      induced by endothelin-3 and lower doses of endothelin-1 and endothelin-2, largely
      depends on the influx of Ca2+ ions. The apparent insensitivity to Ni2+ shows that
      additional distinct mechanisms also operate in the vasconstrictor responses to
      high concentrations of endothelin-1 and endothelin-2. 7. The presence of
      endothelin-like immunoreactivity in endothelial cells suggests that endothelin is
      a potential endogenous spasmogen.

PMID- 1878751
TI  - Rapid decrease in neuropeptide Y gene expression in rat adrenal gland induced by
      the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine.
AB  - 1 The mechanism of regulation of the neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene by pharmacological
      treatment with the alpha 2-adrenenoceptor agonist, clonidine, was investigated by
      quantitative Northern blot analysis of the effects of this drug on the NPY mRNA
      levels in rat adrenal gland and medulla oblongata/pons. 2 In the adrenal gland,
      clonidine-treatment (50 microgram kg-1, s.c., once daily) resulted in decrease in
      the amount of NPY mRNA to 44 +/- 10% of the control level in 24 h and then its
      increase to 162 +/- 16% of the control level after 5 days. Concomitant changes in
      putative NPY pre-mRNA species (7.0 and 3.3 kb) were observed, probably due to
      changes at the level of NPY gene transcription. 3 The short-term (24 h) effect of
      clonidine was blocked by yohimbine (5 mg kg-1, i.p., once daily). Yohimbine alone
      tended to increase the NPY mRNA level after 24h. 4 The recovery/increase in the
      NPY mRNA level in the adrenal gland after 5 days treatment with clonidine was
      similar to its increase after treatment with reserpine (0.5 mg kg-1, i.p., once
      daily). 5 NPY gene expression in the medulla oblongata/pons was not changed by
      short- or long-term treatment with clonidine. 6 These results suggest that
      clonidine suppresses NPY gene expression in the adrenal gland, probably at the
      level of transcription, by activation of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor.

PMID- 1878752
TI  - Comparison of the effects of the K(+)-channel openers cromakalim and minoxidil
      sulphate on vascular smooth muscle.
AB  - 1 The actions of the potassium channel openers, cromakalim and minoxidil
      sulphate, were compared in a range of isolated blood vessel preparations. 2
      Cromakalim and minoxidil sulphate inhibited spontaneous mechanical activity of
      the guinea-pig portal vein and relaxed the noradrenaline precontracted rat aorta
      with similar potency. In contrast, minoxidil sulphate was less potent than
      cromakalim in inhibiting spontaneous activity in the rat portal vein and was
      essentially inactive in the noradrenaline precontracted rat mesenteric artery and
      rabbit aorta. 3 Minoxidil sulphate did not antagonize the effects of cromakalim
      in the rabbit aorta indicating it was not acting as a partial 'agonist'. 4
      Charybdotoxin, noxiustoxin and rubidium failed to discriminate between cromakalim
      and minoxidil sulphate indicating that the apparently selective effects of
      minoxidil sulphate were not mediated by either Ca(2+)-activated potassium
      channels, delayed rectifiers or rubidium impermeable potassium channels. 5
      Glibenclamide antagonized the effects of cromakalim in an apparently competitive
      manner whereas the effects of minoxidil sulphate were antagonized in a non
      competitive manner. The involvement of subtypes of ATP-sensitive potassium
      channels is discussed.

PMID- 1878753
TI  - Modulation by the epithelium of the extent of bronchial narrowing produced by
      substances perfused through the lumen.
AB  - 1 Airway narrowing was determined in vitro as a measure of bronchial reactivity.
      A bronchial segment from pig lung was perfused with a Krebs solution and the
      change in flow rate to drugs and small ions perfused intraluminally was compared
      with that obtained by application to the serosal surface. 2 The sensitivity
      (EC50) to acetylchloline was 30 times greater on the serosal surface than on the
      luminal surface. Concentrations of histamine and carbachol which had threshold
      responses on flow rate when perfused intraluminally virtually stopped flow on the
      serosal surface. Potassium depolarizing solutions (containing either KCl or
      K2SO4) and vanadate (VO3-) had little or no effect intraluminally but completely
      stopped flow through the bronchial segment when applied to the serosal surface,
      i.e. they closed off the airway. 3 After removal of the epithelium the
      sensitivity to drugs and K+ perfused intraluminally was increased to equal that
      on the serosal surface. 4 No evidence for suppression of smooth muscle
      contraction by a putative epithelium-derived inhibitory factor (EpDIF) could be
      obtained: no inhibition of smooth muscle contractility was seen when the agents
      listed above were perfused intraluminally and their perfusion continued while
      they were applied to outside. 5 It was concluded that the epithelium plays a
      crucial role as an impermeant barrier in modulating the responsiveness of the
      airways smooth muscle.

PMID- 1878754
TI  - Evidence for prejunctional inhibitory muscarinic receptors on sympathetic nerves
      innervating guinea-pig trachealis muscle.
AB  - 1 Relaxation responses induced by stimulation of the postganglionic sympathetic
      nerve trunk were studied in the isolated, fluid-filled, innervated tracheal tube
      preparation of the guinea-pig. 2 The thromboxane-mimetic U46619, prostaglandin F2
      alpha and histamine each caused concentration-dependent increases in the
      intraluminal pressure (ILP) of the fluid-filled tracheal tube, reflecting
      contraction of the trachealis muscle. Sympathetic nerve stimulation in the
      presence of the spasmogens caused relaxations which increased with increasing
      ILP. Relaxant responses evoked in the presence of these three spasmogens were
      comparable at any given ILP. 3 Muscarinic agonists caused concentration-dependent
      increases in ILP, pilocarpine being more potent than acetylcholine. Sympathetic
      nerve-induced relaxations were reduced in the presence of pilocarpine and
      acetylcholine when compared to those obtained at the same ILP in the presence of
      U46619. This inhibitory effect of muscarinic agonists on sympathetic nerve
      induced responses was concentration-dependent. 4 Exogenously applied
      noradrenaline opposed the contractile effect of U46619 and acetylcholine to a
      similar extent, indicating that a comparable degree of postjunctional functional
      antagonism exists between the sympathetic neurotransmitter noradrenaline and both
      spasmogens. 5 The selective M2 muscarinic antagonists, gallamine and
      methoctramine, altered neither the postjunctional contractile action of
      acetylcholine nor its inhibitory effect on sympathetic nerve-induced relaxations.
      In addition, the inhibitory effect of acetylcholine was not modified by
      concentrations of pirenzepine known to block M1 muscarinic receptors. 6 The
      postjunctional contractile action of acetylcholine and its inhibitory effect on
      sympathetic neuro-transmission were antagonized by atropine, by the M3 muscarinic
      antagonist hexahydrosiladiphenidol and by higher concentration of pirenzepine. 7.
      These results suggest that in the guinea-pig trachea, muscarinic cholinoreceptor
      agonists inhibit sympathetic neurotransmission via activation of muscarinic
      receptors located on the sympathetic nerve endings. These inhibitory
      prejunctional muscarinic heteroreceptors are of the M3 subtype.

PMID- 1878755
TI  - The effect of E. coli STa enterotoxin on the absorption of weakly dissociable
      anti-malarial drugs from rat intestine in vivo.
AB  - 1. The effect of E. coli heat stable (STa) enterotoxin on the absorption of
      radiolabelled anti-malarial weak bases and their appearance in peripheral blood
      was assessed in vivo by a recirculation procedure in rat intestinal loops. 2.
      Enterotoxin increased the jejunal disappearance of quinine (P less than 0.05),
      trimethoprim (P less than 0.05), proguanil (P less than 0.05) and chloroquine (P
      less than 0.001) and left pyrimethamine disappearance unaltered. Peripheral blood
      levels of trimethoprim (P less than 0.02) and proguanil (P less than 0.05) were
      higher after STa exposure. 3. In the ileum, enterotoxin increased the luminal
      disappearance (P less than 0.05) and peripheral blood appearance (P less than
      0.001) of chloroquine. The luminal disappearance rate of trimethoprim was reduced
      (P less than 0.05) and that of pyrimethamine unchanged. 4. The increased jejunal
      absorption of the anti-malarial drugs occurred despite STa causing a reduction in
      the amount of net fluid absorption. It seems likely that the enhanced absorption
      with STa exposure is related to the effect of STa on the microclimate pH. An
      elevation in the microclimate pH would increase the amount of undissociated weak
      base available for non-ionic diffusion. 5. The favourable elevation of
      microclimate pH by STa seemed to be outweighted by the reduced fluid absorption
      in the ileum. Only chloroquine still showed enhanced absorption in the ileum and
      this may have been because unlike the other antimalarial drugs, chloroquine has
      two dissociable groups likely to be affected by the mucosal surface pH changes.

PMID- 1878756
TI  - Short-term effects of administration of anticonvulsant drugs on free carnitine
      and acylcarnitine in mouse serum and tissues.
AB  - 1. The short-term evolution of concentrations of free carnitine and acylcarnitine
      was studied in the serum, liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscle of mice after
      administration of single therapeutic doses of the anticonvulsant drugs, valproic
      acid (VPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT) and phenobarbitone (PHB). 2. The
      effects of the drugs were immediate but transitory, control levels of free
      carnitine and acylcarnitine having been recovered or almost recovered in serum
      and in all tissues 8 h post administration (p.a.). 3. VPA was the only drug that
      significantly reduced free carnitine concentration in serum, which recovered
      control levels by 4 h p.a. 4. All the drugs studied brought about marked deficits
      of serum acylcarnitine, which had disappeared 2 h p.a. in the case of VPA and not
      until 8 h p.a. for CBZ, PHT or PHB. 5. The minimum concentrations of free
      carnitine and acylcarnitine in serum were invariably associated with the maximum
      concentration of drug in serum. 6. Free carnitine concentration was not affected
      by VPA in any tissue, PHT and PHB brought about significant deficits in heart and
      kidney, and CBZ a significant deficit in muscle. 7. Acylcarnitine concentration
      was significantly reduced in heart, kidney and muscle by CBZ, PHT and PHB, but in
      liver the effects of all drugs were very small. 8. These results are compatible
      with the hypothesis that the primary cause of anticonvulsant-induced alteration
      of carnitine metabolism is interference with renal reabsorption of carnitine.

PMID- 1878757
TI  - An electrophysiological study of the actions of angiotensin II at the sympathetic
      neuroeffector junction in the guinea-pig vas deferens.
AB  - 1. The effects of angiotensin II on sympathetic neuroeffector transmission in the
      guinea-pig vas deferens have been investigated by the use of intracellular and
      focal extracellular recording techniques to measure indirectly, the release of
      adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). 2. Angiotensin II (10-100 nM) did not alter the
      amplitude of the first excitatory junction potential (e.j.p.) in a train but
      increased the amplitude of subsequent e.j.ps. There was a corresponding increase
      in the probability of occurrence of extracellularly recorded evoked excitatory
      junction currents (e.j.cs). Spontaneous quantal transmitter release was
      unaffected by angiotensin II. 3. The enhancement of transmitter release produced
      by angiotensin II was prevented by the angiotensin receptor antagonist,
      saralasin. 4. The increase in transmitter release produced by angiotensin II was
      due to an increase in the probability of transmitter release from individual
      varicosities and not due to any detectable change in the configuration of the
      nerve terminal impulse or to the induction of repetitive firing. 5. There was no
      overall enhancement of e.j.ps or e.j.cs by angiotensin II in reserpinized
      tissues. Surprisingly, the predominant effect of angiotensin II in reserpinized
      vasa deferentia was to inhibit evoked transmitter release, an effect reversed by
      indomethacin (3 microM). 6. The results show that angiotensin II increases the
      release of sympathetic transmitter by activating prejunctional angiotensin II
      receptors. However, when the co-transmitter noradrenaline was depleted,
      angiotensin II now inhibited transmitter release indirectly, presumably by
      stimulating prostaglandin formation in the smooth muscle cells which then
      inhibited release transjunctionally.

PMID- 1878758
TI  - Characterization of endogenous noradrenaline release from intact and epithelium
      denuded rat isolated trachea.
AB  - 1. Overflow of endogenous noradrenaline (NA) from the in vitro incubated rat
      trachea evoked by two periods of electrical field stimulation (S1, S2 at 3 or 15
      Hz) or by high potassium (60 mM) was determined by high performance liquid
      chromatography (h.p.l.c.) with electrochemical detection. 2. In the presence of
      the neuronal uptake inhibitor desipramine, the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist,
      yohimbine, enhanced the overflow of NA evoked by stimulation at 3 Hz by about
      100% suggesting the presence of presynaptic inhibitory autoreceptors on the
      sympathetic nerves innervating the trachea. 3. When desipramine and yohimbine
      were present throughout the experiments, the overflow of NA evoked by the second
      period of electrical stimulation (S2) was significantly smaller than that evoked
      by the first (S1). This decline of overflow was prevented when the NA precursor,
      tyrosine, was additionally present throughout the experiments. 4. After removal
      of the epithelium, the tissue content of NA was reduced by about 30%, suggesting
      that part of the NA may be present and released within the epithelium. However,
      the overflow of NA evoked by stimulation at 3 Hz or 15 Hz was reduced by 70-80%,
      indicating that the epithelium may additionally exert a permissive role on the
      release of NA within the airways, possibly by suppressing inhibitory factors. 5.
      Stimulation by high potassium (60 mM for 10 min) caused a large overflow of NA
      (about 45% of the tissue NA), both from epithelium-free and epithelium-denuded
      tracheae. Thus the 'endogenous inhibition' of NA release after removal of the
      epithelium is surmountable when a high potassium stimulus is applied.

PMID- 1878759
TI  - Effects of pretreatment with caffeine or ryanodine on the myocardial response to
      simulated ischaemia.
AB  - 1. The cytoplasmic calcium concentration ([Ca]c) of rat isolated atrial
      myocardium was assessed with the dye indo-1. Dye-loaded atria were superfused
      with physiological salt solution and excited with radiation at 360 nm, while
      epifluorescence emissions were collected simultaneously at 400 nm and 500 nm. The
      ratio of these emissions was used as a measure of [Ca]c. 2. Dye-loaded atria
      showed a phasic rise and fall in [Ca]c with each applied electrical pacing
      stimulus. The amplitude of these oscillations was reduced by the presence of
      caffeine (10(-3)-10(-2) M) or of ryanodine (10(-8)-10(-6) M) in a concentration
      dependent manner. 3. Atria superfused with a solution the composition of which
      resembled that found extracellularly in regions of myocardial ischaemia rapidly
      lost systolic increments in [Ca]c, while end-diastolic [Ca]c values gradually
      rose. 4. Pretreatment with caffeine (10(-2) M) or ryanodine (10(-7) M) protected
      atria against the rise in end-diastolic [Ca]c that occurred when the tissue was
      exposed to conditions of simulated ischaemia.

PMID- 1878760
TI  - Haemodynamic effects of human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide following
      administration of endothelin-1 or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in conscious
      rats.
AB  - 1 We investigated the peripheral haemodynamic effects of human alpha-calcitonin
      gene-related peptide (CGRP) following administration of endothelin-1 or NG-nitro
      L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide production, in
      conscious, chronically-instrumented, Long Evans rats. 2 Infusion of endothelin-1
      (3 nmol kg-1 h-1) caused hypertension, bradycardia and renal, mesenteric and
      hindquarters vasoconstrictions. Co-infusion of human alpha-CGRP (1.5 nmol kg-1 h
      1) reduced the hypertension and abolished the hindquarters vasoconstriction
      caused by endothelin-1 but the renal and mesenteric vasoconstrictor actions of
      endothelin-1 were not affected. 3 Infusion of human alpha-CGRP (15 nmol kg-1 h-1)
      in the presence of endothelin-1 caused hypotension and hyperaemic vasodilatation
      in the hindquarters; the mesenteric vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 were
      diminished, but there was only a transient reversal of the renal vasoconstrictor
      effects of endothelin-1. 4 Pretreatment with the non-peptide angiotensin II
      receptor antagonist, DuP 753 (10 mg kg-1), caused slight hypotension associated
      with renal, mesenteric and hindquarters vasodilatations, but DuP 753 did not
      affect responses to endothelin-1 infusion. However, under these conditions co
      infusion of human alpha-CGRP (15 nmol kg-1 h-1) caused a sustained reversal of
      the renal vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1. 5 These results indicate that
      the failure of human alpha-CGRP to cause sustained reversal of the renal
      vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 in the absence of DuP 753 was due to
      activation of the reninangiotensin system (possibly as a consequence of the
      hypotension). 6. In the second experiment, L-NAME (l0mgkg-1) caused renal,
      mesenteric and hindquarters vasoconstrictions similar to those seen in the
      presence of endothelin-1. However, the renal vasoconstrictor effects of L-NAME
      were reversed completely by human alpha-CGRP (l5nmolkg- h-1), even though the
      latter caused hypotension comparable to that seen in the presence of endothelin
      1. These results are consistent with a lack of functional activation of the renin
      angiotensin system by human alpha-CGRP in the presence of L-NAME. 7. The
      vasoconstrictor effects of L-NAME on the hindquarters were completely reversed by
      infusion of human alpha-CGRP, but hindquarters flow and vascular conductance did
      not rise above baseline levels. Hence these results indicate the hindquarters
      hyperaemic vasodilator effects of human alpha-CGRP seen in the presence of
      endothelin-1 were contributed to by nitric oxide-mediated mechanisms.

PMID- 1878761
TI  - Effect of capsaicin on PAF-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary
      cell accumulation in the rabbit.
AB  - 1 Platelet activating factor (PAF), but not the carrier molecule bovine serum
      albumin (BSA) induced bronchoconstriction in the anaesthetized rabbit. This
      bronchoconstriction was not altered by prior treatment with capsaicin. 2 Rabbits
      demonstrated increased airways responsiveness to histamine 24h after exposure to
      PAF but not to BSA. PAF failed to increase airways responsiveness to histamine in
      animals pretreated with capsaicin (80 mg kg-1). 3 A significant increase in
      inflammatory cells was obtained in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 24h after PAF
      exposure in vehicle-treated rabitts. This was associated with an increase in the
      numbers of neutrophils and eosinophils. Capsaicin treatment inhibited the PAF
      induced influx of inflammatory cells found in BAL, although this was not
      associated with an inhibition of PAF-induced pulmonary eosinophilia. 4 Capsaicin
      induced motor effects were modest in epithelium-intact rabbit bronchial
      preparations, but were significantly enhanced in epithelium-denuded preparations
      in the presence of thiorphan. The contractile response to capsaicin was
      significantly inhibited in tissues exposed to a consecutive dose of capsaicin.
      Furthermore, ruthenium red abolished capsaicin-induced contraction in epithelium
      denuded preparations. 5 Tissue content of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like
      immunoreactivity and substance P-like immunoreactivity was not reduced in
      bronchus and iris obtained from capsaicin-treated rabbits, although capsaicin
      induced contractile responses in rabbit bronchus obtained from animals previously
      treated with capsaicin were significantly reduced. Furthermore, airway responses
      to histamine, methacholine and electrical field stimulation in vitro, were not
      altered by pretreatment of rabbits in vivo for 3 days with capsaicin. 6. In
      conclusion, PAF-induced airways responsiveness and pulmonary cell accumulation is
      inhibited by in vivo capsaicin pretreatment in the rabbit, via a mechanism that
      may not involve depletion of sensory neuropeptides.

PMID- 1878762
TI  - Stereoselective effects of the enantiomers of bupivacaine on the
      electrophysiological properties of the guinea-pig papillary muscle.
AB  - 1 Direct myocardial effects of the S(-)- and R(+)-enantiomers of bupivacaine were
      compared in the guinea-pig isolated papillary muscle by recording transmembrane
      action potentials with the standard microelectrode technique. 2 In 5.4 mM K+, at
      a stimulation rate of 1 Hz, the maximal rate of depolarization (Vmax) was reduced
      to 59.9 +/- 1.4% (n = 10) of control (mean +/- s.e.mean) in the presence of 10
      microM R(+)-bupivacaine, and to 76.7 +/- 1.2% (n = 14) in the presence of the
      same concentration of S(-)-bupivacaine. This was mainly due to a difference in
      time constant at which block dissipated during the diastolic period. Recovery was
      slower in the presence of R(+)-bupivacaine. The slower recovery in the presence
      of R(+)-bupivacaine resulted also in a more pronounced frequency-dependent block
      of Vmax. 3 Time constants for recovery from use-dependent block became
      significantly faster for both enantiomers on hyperpolarization, while no
      significant change was observed at depolarization. At all membrane potentials
      recovery was slower in the presence of R(+)-bupivacaine. 4 The action potential
      duration (APD) was shortened to a greater extent in the presence of R(+)
      bupivacaine over a large range of stimulation frequencies. 5 We conclude that S(
      )-bupivacaine affects Vmax and APD in the guinea-pig papillary muscle less than
      the R(+)-enantiomer at different rates of stimulation and resting membrane
      potentials.

PMID- 1878763
TI  - Social images of suicide.
AB  - Emile Durkheim's analysis of historical attitudes of societies toward suicide led
      him to claim that (1) the social disapproval of suicidal conduct increased
      constantly from ancient times to the present; (2) such increased disapproval was
      generated by the growing emphasis put on the dignity and sacredness of the
      individual; (3) the condemnation of suicidal conduct was therefore essentially
      moral, and it expressed the strong reaction of the collective conscience against
      offenses to the cult of the individual. In this study we show that Durkheim's
      interpretation of the historical evidence is erroneous: not increasing
      condemnation of suicide, but rather tolerance or mild aversion is the typical
      social response to suicide. Also, when confronted with the historical evidence,
      Durkheim's claim that increased disapproval of suicide accompanied increased
      consideration for the dignity of the individual is shown to be unfounded. Our
      argument develops in four steps. First, we survey the historical evidence on
      views of suicidal conduct from classical times to the nineteenth-century; second,
      we present the moral statistics literature on suicide which flourished during
      Durkheim's lifetime; third, we analyze Durkheim's own theory of anomic suicide.
      In the conclusion we propose an alternative interpretation of the historical
      evidence on attitudes on suicide, and a different framework in which to highlight
      their significance in contemporary society.

PMID- 1878764
TI  - The effects upon helping behaviour of wearing pro-gay identification.
AB  - Shoppers were approached either by an ostensibly pro-gay person, wearing a tee
      shirt bearing a pro-gay slogan, or by a person wearing an unmarked tee-shirt,
      asking for change of a pound. Help was less likely to be given to the ostensibly
      pro-gay person. This effect was not attenuated when the request was justified by
      a socially acceptable reason for needing change (although, overall, help was more
      likely to be given when requests were so justified). There were no effects of the
      sex of the subject or the sex of the person asking for change; nor were there any
      interactions involving those variables. The results suggest that the negative
      attitudes towards homosexuals reported in other studies have clear behavioural
      correlates and that 'homophobia' may be widespread in the general population.

PMID- 1878765
TI  - The representation of self in multidimensional cognitive space.
AB  - A number of studies point to the efficiency with which people process self
      relevant trait information. The derivative models of self-cognition account for
      many judgement latency and memory effects. These models tend to limit themselves,
      however, by neglecting the cognitive representation of the traits themselves. In
      contrast, research on implicit personality theory has focused on the cognitive
      representation of trait information, but has not always addressed the
      relationship between self and the judged traits. These two research domains were
      linked in an effort to specify the cognitive representation of self. A method for
      locating individuals and traits within the same spatial representation was
      developed and validated in two studies. In Study 1, subjects exhibited superior
      recall for traits located closest to self. In Study 2, subjects rapidly selected
      which of two traits better or least described self. 'Better' judgements were
      faster with increasing closeness to self of selected traits whereas 'least'
      judgements were faster with increasing closeness to self of non-selected traits,
      supporting the view of self as fixed anchor in self-relevant decision making.
      Taken as a whole, these two studies provided further evidence for the self as an
      evaluative organization of knowledge.

PMID- 1878766
TI  - Growth rates and patterns of organs and tissues in the bovine fetus.
AB  - Ninety-two purebred Jersey fetuses from clinically normal dams derived from a
      variety of sources but unexposed to experimental infection, were killed between
      80 and 260 days after conception and dissected to provide basic parameters of a
      normal population. Organs and tissues were weighed and measured and the equations
      for the regression of the values on fetal age evaluated. Growth followed a
      sigmoid curve with rapid changes in growth rate between 140 and 170 days'
      gestation. While a few variables increased their growth rate over the late fetal
      period, the majority maintained a low even rate of growth. Thyroid and cerebellum
      weights showed a marked reduction in growth rate at this time. Long bone length
      and crown-anus length were the most predictable parameters for a given
      gestational age.

PMID- 1878767
TI  - Disposition of tylosin in goats.
AB  - The disposition kinetics of tylosin was studied in goats after intravenous (i.v.)
      or intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 15 mg/kg body wt. Following i.v. injection,
      tylosin was rapidly and widely distributed with a distribution half-life of 0.2 h
      and volume of distribution of 1.7 l/kg. It was slowly eliminated with a mean
      elimination half-life of 3.04 h and a total body clearance rate of 6.8 ml/kg/min.
      Following i.m. injection, tylosin was slowly absorbed (tau 1/2 ab of 1.82 h).
      Tylosin concentration in serum was greater than 1 microgram/ml after 1 h and
      persisted up to 12 h post-injection. The peak concentration (Cmax 2.38
      micrograms/ml) was obtained after 4.19 h. The systemic bioavailability of tylosin
      injected intramuscularly was 72.6% and the serum protein bound fraction was
      37.59% of the total drug. Tylosin was excreted in milk and urine at
      concentrations much higher than that in serum. Low concentrations of tylosin were
      reported in ruminal juice of goats. In conclusion tylosin should be injected
      every 14 h to obtain an appreciable concentration in serum, milk and urine.

PMID- 1878768
TI  - The microflora of the lower respiratory tract of the horse: an autopsy study.
AB  - A series of 31 thoroughbreds and 18 non-thoroughbreds was examined post mortem to
      assess what bacteria might be present in the lower respiratory tract, and to
      assess their significance by correlating the bacteriological findings with
      histological changes in the lung. The distal trachea and seven representative
      lung sites were swabbed in each case. Sixty-six per cent of the sites were
      sterile with remaining sites producing scanty growths of mainly coagulase
      negative Staphylococcus spp., E. coli, Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp.
      Anaerobes, mainly Clostridium perfringens, Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides
      oralis, were only recovered on enrichment media and were isolated more frequently
      from the right lung than the left. More bacterial species were isolated from
      thoroughbreds than non-thoroughbreds. Significant inflammation was absent in the
      majority of lungs examined and this correlated well with the large percentage of
      sterile sites and low number of potential pathogens. The results indicate that
      the lower respiratory tract of horses is normally sterile or may contain small
      numbers of bacteria of low pathogenicity. Chlamydia and respiratory viruses were
      not isolated from any horse.

PMID- 1878769
TI  - Pyaemia in pigs.
AB  - Pyaemia is by far the most important cause of condemnation in pigs slaughtered in
      Singapore abattoirs. Between 1983 and 1987, 1757 from a total of 4,899,731 pigs
      were condemned by meat inspectors for pyaemia, accounting for 0.036% of the total
      condemnations. The common post-mortem findings of affected pigs during the 5-year
      period are presented. Abscesses were most commonly seen in the liver (22%),
      spleen (21%), gastrohepatic lymph node (20%) and bronchial lymph node (17%).
      Pseudomonas pseudomallei was the most predominant organism isolated, accounting
      for 39% of the pyaemic cases. The public health significance of abscesses in pigs
      is discussed with particular reference to melioidosis.

PMID- 1878770
TI  - Effect of electrical stunning on somatosensory evoked responses in the turkey's
      brain.
AB  - The effects of head only or waterbath electrical stunning on somatosensory evoked
      responses in the brain of turkeys were examined. When head only stunning with a
      sinusoidal AC of 50 Hz was followed within 15 s by neck cutting the evoked
      responses were absent following the stun. When neck cutting was not performed,
      the evoked responses returned from 30 s after the stun. When currents between 120
      and 250 mA were used in a waterbath stunner some birds retained their evoked
      responses immediately after the current was applied. The proportion of birds that
      retained their responses after the stun was not related to the level of the
      current that was applied.

PMID- 1878771
TI  - The production performance of imported Friesian cattle under heavy Trypanosoma
      challenge in a rain forest zone of Nigeria.
AB  - The productivity of 76 newly imported pregnant Friesian cattle and two bulls
      under heavy trypanosome challenge in the rain forest belt of Nigeria is reported.
      At the first visit in August 1989 and within 7 months of arrival of the heifers,
      the herd population had reduced by 26 (33.3%) as a result of deaths (six animals)
      and culls/salvages (20). The surviving 52 animals were generally in poor health
      with classical symptoms of trypanosomiasis. Thirty-one (40.8%) of the pregnancies
      were unsuccessful because of abortions (13 animals), premature births (seven),
      embryonic deaths (five) and death of heifers (six). Of the 45 successful
      calvings, 16 perinatal deaths occurred. All serum samples were negative for
      brucellosis. Only 41 (63.1%) of the 65 productive heifers lactated of which 24
      (58.5%) yielded milk only for 6 months and less. The remaining 17 (41.5%) heifers
      were still at different stages of lactation ranging from 3 to 7 months within the
      period of analysis. Treatment with isometamidium (Samorin) at 0.5 mg/kg body
      weight cured the infection and prevented reinfections and/or relapses within 3
      months of administration. A rise in the haematocrit and milk production after
      Samorin treatment was recorded. Careful analysis of the outbreak indicated that
      the reproductive wastages and poor lactational performance may have been induced
      by the severe trypanosomiasis diagnosed in the herd.

PMID- 1878772
TI  - Radiographic investigation of dystocia in the West African dwarf goat.
AB  - Lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs were obtained from 30 West African dwarf
      goats with dystocia. The pelvic size was estimated from the ventrodorsal
      radiographs as the product of the transverse and conjugate diameters of the
      pelvic inlet. Radiography clearly showed the number of fetuses present, their
      presentation and position. The posture was clearly defined in singletons but not
      in twins and triplets. The commonest abnormal fetal disposition was bilateral
      flexion of the forelimbs with the head in the pelvic canal. The major maternal
      abnormality was small pelvic area. Of 19 dead fetuses, 13 showed radiographic
      signs of intrauterine death including free intracavity gas, tissue emphysema,
      abnormal fetal disposition and overlapping cranial bones. It was concluded that
      radiography is useful during examination of goats with dystocia especially small
      sized goats that cannot be manipulated easily.

PMID- 1878773
TI  - An abattoir survey of female genital disorders of imported camels (Camelus
      dromedarius) in Kano, Nigeria.
AB  - An abattoir survey of 850 female genital organs of imported camels was conducted
      at the Kano abattoir between October 1987 and April 1988. An incidence of 4.49%
      of disorders was recorded, including follicular cystic degeneration (0.12%),
      ovarian haemorrhagic cysts (0.47%), pyometra (0.35%), early embryonic mortality
      (0.12%), endometrial haemorrhages (0.47%), fetal maceration (0.12%), abscess
      (0.24%), vulvar tick infestation (1.77%) and cervical hypoplasia (0.12%).

PMID- 1878774
TI  - Number and distribution of retinal ganglion cells in anubis baboons (Papio
      anubis).
AB  - The number of retinal ganglion cells in Papio anubis was determined from light
      microscopic observations of wholemounted and vertically sectioned retinal tissue
      and electron microscopic examination of optic nerve cross sections. The total
      number of ganglion cells ranged from 1.41 to 1.81 million (mean 1.58 million, n =
      6, SD = 169,927) per retina. The distribution of ganglion cells in cresyl violet
      stained wholemounts was also examined. Isodensity contours were almost circular
      perifoveally, but became horizontally elongated outside of the central retina,
      providing strong evidence for a visual streak. Ganglion cell somata within the
      streak were found to be significantly smaller than those outside of the streak in
      comparing regions of equal density. Finally, the distribution of blood vessels
      within the retina formed a watershed pattern with its crux centered on the ridge
      of this horizontally oriented high-density zone. Combined, these features
      indicate that anubis baboons possess a visual streak specialization as reported
      for lagomorphs, felines, and several primate species. Further, the visual streak
      appears more pronounced in anubis baboons than in any other primate species
      studied to date, with the possible exception of Homo sapiens, a similarly ground
      dwelling/foraging and secondarily terrestrial species.

PMID- 1878775
TI  - Inter- and intrasexual dimorphisms in the vocal control system of a teleost fish:
      motor axon number and size.
AB  - In one species of vocalizing fish, the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus),
      large, nest-guarding males ('type I') use striated muscles to produce acoustic
      communication signals that include short duration (less than 1 s) 'burps'
      important in agonistic encounters and long duration (in the order of minutes)
      'hums' which function in attracting females to nest sites during the breeding
      season. Females, and a second group of smaller reproductively active males ('type
      II') that 'sneak' spawn, do not generate hums, although they produce burps.
      Differences in vocal behavior are paralled by a relative increase of 6-fold in
      the sonic muscle of type I males. Inter- and intrasexual dimorphisms in sonic
      muscle mass were matched by those in the cross-sectional area of sonic motor
      axons, but not by those in number of axons. Thus, axon size was 2- to 3-fold
      larger in type I males than in females, type II males, or juveniles, none of
      which differed significantly from each other. Axon number was similar between
      type I males and females of a similar body size, despite the extreme dimorphism
      in sonic muscle mass. Axon number, however, was slightly greater (0.1-fold) in
      type I males and females compared to the smaller-sized juveniles and type II
      males. Type II males, in comparison to the non-reproductive juvenile males, have
      gonads that are about 20-fold larger and produce mature sperm. Nevertheless, the
      two groups resemble each other in body and swimbladder size, as well as sonic
      motor axon size and number. This suggests that type II males represent a subset
      of juvenile males that undergo precocious gonadal hypertrophy and spermiogenesis,
      but retain juvenile-like nongonadal traits. The results are discussed within the
      context of the development of vertebrate motor systems as well as the evolution
      of alternative reproductive tactics among teleost fishes.

PMID- 1878776
TI  - A brain atlas of the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in stereotaxic
      coordinates.
AB  - The brain of a procellariiform bird, the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), is
      presented in the form of a stereotaxic atlas. The Northern Fulmar is especially
      interesting because both field and laboratory evidence support olfaction as one
      of its major sensory systems. The nasal cavity and olfactory bulb of most
      procellariiforms are among the largest of all avian orders; the central olfactory
      pathways may be more extensive as well. A brain atlas of the Northern Fulmar, a
      relatively accessible procellariiform species on which several studies have
      already been done, can provide reference for research both on neural mechanisms
      underlying olfaction and on comparative neuroanatomical data within Aves and
      between avian and nonavian groups.

PMID- 1878777
TI  - Read but not write "idea": evidence for a third reading mechanism.
AB  - Most information processing accounts of reading incorporate either two or three
      mechanisms by which oral reading may be accomplished. The existence of a "third"
      mechanism by which words may be read lexically but without semantic mediation
      remains controversial. We report data from a patient (W.T.) with an infarction
      involving Wernicke's area who was unable to write, repeat, or comprehend words of
      low imageability yet read these and other words reliably; the patient could not,
      however, read nonwords. As the patient was unable to read on the basis of
      sublexical print-to-sound correspondences and, at least for words of low image
      ability, was unable to read by means of a semantically mediated process, the data
      from this patient are most readily accommodated by models of reading
      incorporating three mechanisms.

PMID- 1878778
TI  - Understanding of relational time terms before and after in Parkinsonian patients.
AB  - The role of the relational time terms before and after in language comprehension
      was investigated using patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and normal controls
      (NC) in Greek. Results lead to the following four conclusions: (a) Comprehension
      by PD patients of before and after constructions displaying syntactic, semantic,
      and cognitive constraints equivalent to those of English is significantly
      different from that of NC matched on chronological age, sex, education, and
      socioeconomic status. (b) Before is better understood than after. (c) Syntactic
      variables, when semantic effects are partialed out, do not affect performance.
      The same is true of semantic effects when syntactic variables are partialed out.
      (d) Order of mention of events is a predominant source of errors when syntax and
      semantics are controlled. The data are discussed in relation both to findings
      with aphasics and to developmental results on the same time terms.

PMID- 1878779
TI  - Aphemia after a penetrating brain wound: a case study.
AB  - The speech of a patient with aphemia (pure anarthria) resulting from a
      penetrating brain wound was studied using linguistic and acoustic observations as
      well as electromyographic recordings from four labial muscles. The results are
      discussed in relation to phonetic disintegration's syndrome and apraxia of speech
      which, respectively, enhance linguistic disorders and motor programming
      disturbance.

PMID- 1878780
TI  - Word identification in isolation and in context by college dyslexic students.
AB  - College dyslexic students (DYS) were compared to chronological age (CA)-matched
      and to reading age (RA)-matched control groups on tasks assessing naming of words
      and nonwords, regular and irregular words, and the use of context in word
      identification. The DYS group had the slowest naming latency for words in all
      tasks. In addition, they had extreme difficulty in naming nonwords, which in
      terms of the dual-route model for word recognition indicates impairment in the
      indirect route to the lexicon. However, they displayed a regularity effect in
      reading regular and irregular words and thus apparently utilized the indirect
      route in reading words. Correlational data supported the conclusion that the data
      are in conflict with the traditional dual-route model, and an alternative
      conceptualization is suggested. The use of context is discussed in terms of the
      interactive-compensatory model (Stanovich, 1980) and findings were generally
      supportive of the model. The DYS subjects of the present study appeared to be
      different from the RA controls and their performance did not support a
      developmental-lag model for explaining their reading problems.

PMID- 1878781
TI  - Early lexical development in children with focal brain injury.
AB  - Early lexical development in 27 children with focal brain injury was studied
      cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Data were obtained from children between 12
      and 35 months of age who acquired their lesion prenatally or within the first 6
      months of life. Results for the group as a whole provide clear evidence for
      delays in lexical comprehension and production, and for a larger number of
      comprehension/production dissociations than would be expected by chance. In
      addition, a significant number of children were observed having unusual
      difficulty mastering predication and/or using an atypically high proportion of
      closed class words (suggesting reliance on holistic/formulaic speech). Analyses
      by lesion type revealed no effect of lesion size. Analyses according to side of
      lesion revealed that children with right-hemisphere damage produced a higher
      proportion of closed class words, suggesting heavy reliance on well-practiced but
      under-analyzed speech formulae. Children with left-hemisphere damage were
      slightly better in comprehension than children with right-hemisphere damage. In
      addition, left posterior lesions were associated with greater delays in
      expressive language, and delays were more protracted in children with left
      posterior damage. No differential effects of left posterior damage were found for
      lexical comprehension.

PMID- 1878782
TI  - Evolution of chemotherapy.

PMID- 1878783
TI  - Cancer chemotherapeutic and biologic agents.

PMID- 1878784
TI  - The American Cancer Society Guidelines for the cancer-related checkup: an update.

PMID- 1878785
TI  - The role of the pathologist in the management of breast cancer.
AB  - The pathologist is a consultant in breast cancer management whose responsibility
      is to establish the histologic diagnosis of cancer as well as its anatomic extent
      once sufficient tissue has been provided. The consultation also provides data
      that may be used to aid in selecting primary or adjuvant therapy, evaluating new
      therapies, estimating prognosis, and assessing outcome. Examples of such data are
      the TNM histopathologic classification of the anatomic extent of the cancer used
      for the stage grouping (T = the extent of the primary tumor, N = the absence or
      presence and extent of regional lymph node metastasis, and M = the absence or
      presence of distant metastasis); tumor size, histologic type, and histologic
      and/or nuclear grade; assessment of blood vessel and lymphatic vessel invasion;
      analysis of steroid receptors, and other special studies as appropriate.

PMID- 1878786
TI  - The process of metastasis.

PMID- 1878787
TI  - The relationship between circumcision and cancer of the penis.

PMID- 1878788
TI  - Questionable cancer practices in Tijuana and other Mexican border clinics.
AB  - Tijuana, Mexico, has become a refuge for cancer patients who have been convinced
      that they may be cured of their terminal illness by unconventional, unproved, and
      disproved methods offered in the border clinics. About a dozen United States
      promoters have joined with Mexican colleagues to offer a variety of treatments.
      Some patients are diagnosed using standard methods prior to arrival at the
      clinics, but many healthy individuals are misdiagnosed as having cancer or
      "precancer" and are then treated there. Others are told they have been cured or
      are improving even though they still have active disease. The modalities and
      regimens used are often referred to as "metabolic therapy" and, for the most
      part, are either not based on sound scientific principles or have been shown in
      controlled clinical trials to be useless or even dangerous. A basic metabolic
      regimen consists of three phases: detoxification with fasting and bowel
      cleansing, strengthening the immune system with numerous "supplements," and
      attacking cancer with "natural and non-toxic" chemicals. Popular treatments
      include injections of hydrogen peroxide, large quantities of pressed liver and
      carrot juice, coffee enemas, infusions of Laetrile mixed with massive doses of
      vitamins and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), special diets, and a host of other
      pseudoscientific regimens. Unfortunately, no evidence exists that any of these
      modalities is more effective than no treatment at all. Patients traveling to the
      Mexican border clinics for metabolic therapy are subjecting themselves to costly
      and hazardous regimens, especially if they forgo responsible medical care in the
      process. The American Cancer Society, therefore, strongly urges individuals with
      cancer not to seek treatment with metabolic therapies in the Mexican border
      clinics.

PMID- 1878789
TI  - Teaching of behavioural sciences: Nuffield ten years on.

PMID- 1878790
TI  - The prevalence of enamel mottling on incisor teeth in optimal fluoride and low
      fluoride communities in England.
AB  - The prevalence of enamel mottling in optimal and low fluoride areas of the West
      Midlands was studied in March 1989 using the Al-Alousi index and the TF index. A
      total of 600 children aged 8-10 years, in three groups of 200 each, formed the
      study group. Significantly more mottling was found in the optimal fluoride area,
      according to both indices, although the TF index demonstrated the difference more
      clearly. Social class had no effect upon the prevalence of mottling in the
      optimal fluoride area.

PMID- 1878791
TI  - Reasons given for tooth extraction in Hong Kong.
AB  - Two hundred and seventy dentists, systematically selected from the membership
      lists of the Hong Kong Dental Association, were sent forms on which they were
      invited to record the reasons for tooth extraction in all patients aged 16 years
      and above over a period of five to six weeks. Third molars were excluded. Fifty
      five per cent of the recording sheets dispatched were returned with usable data.
      Data were provided on 8516 extractions performed for 6331 patients. Overall
      caries was the reason given for 60 per cent of extractions; periodontal disease
      for 28 per cent; prosthetic indications for six per cent; trauma (which included
      tooth wear) for four per cent; and orthodontic and other reasons for two per
      cent. Extractions for periodontal reasons were more common in those aged 40 years
      and above, but periodontal disease did not exceed caries as a reason for
      extraction even in those aged 60 years and over. The tooth type most frequently
      extracted was the first molar. Mandibular incisors were the teeth most commonly
      extracted for periodontal reasons. In this community, which has benefited from
      water fluoridation since 1961, caries was the dominant reason given by dentists
      for tooth extractions in all age groups of the subjects studied.

PMID- 1878792
TI  - Deprivation and dental health. The benefits of a child dental health campaign in
      relation to deprivation as estimated by the uptake of free meals at school.
AB  - The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the overall effect of the
      1989 Lothian dental health education campaign on 8-year-old school children's
      dental health knowledge and behaviour and to examine the relationship between
      free meals and the children's benefit from the campaign. Altogether 874 children
      were randomly selected and included in the study. Sugar-free meals and drinks
      were provided in all primary schools throughout the campaign week. Dental
      officers held 30-minute information sessions with each class and encouraged
      teachers to continue dental health activities. Dental knowledge and behaviour
      were evaluated by interviews immediately before and after the campaign. The
      results showed a significant increase in knowledge about diet and dental health
      and a significantly higher proportion of children claimed to choose non
      cariogenic foods and drinks as a result of the campaign. Toothbrushing frequency
      also increased significantly. Ninety-eight per cent of the children enjoyed the
      campaign and 66 per cent discussed it with their family. Each school was
      classified according to the proportion of children receiving free school meals,
      and this showed a statistically significant negative correlation with the
      proportion of children who chose non-cariogenic meals and drinks before the
      campaign but not afterwards. Toothbrushing frequency showed a significant
      negative correlation with free meals both before and after the campaign. A
      positive correlation was found between free meals and the proportion of children
      who claimed to have received new information during the campaign and ate
      healthier food because of it.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878793
TI  - Oral hygiene practices, oral cleanliness and periodontal treatment needs in 12
      year old urban and rural school children in Ghana.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to inquire into oral cleaning practices, and to
      determine levels of oral cleanliness and periodontal treatment need among 12-year
      old Ghanaian school children living in urban and rural areas. Of the 985 children
      examined, 38 per cent claimed to use a toothbrush, 31 per cent chewing sticks, 17
      per cent plantain and 14 per cent the chewing sponge. In rural areas, traditional
      methods were preferred, and only 8 per cent used a toothbrush. On examination,
      oral debris was present in 84 per cent of the sample, and more than three
      quarters had calculus deposits. Children in urban areas, and particularly those
      attending private schools, had the cleanest mouths and the lowest periodontal
      treatment need. Multiple regression analysis showed that the social class
      background of the child, which reflects motivation and awareness for good oral
      health, was the most significant predictor for levels of oral cleanliness and
      CPITN, whereas the method or frequency of cleaning employed were not significant
      variables.

PMID- 1878794
TI  - Dental caries and dental attendance patterns in Vietnamese children aged 11-12
      years resident in three inner London boroughs, UK.
AB  - Ninety-one Vietnamese children aged 11-12 years were examined in schools in
      Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. Their dental caries prevalence and attendance
      for dental care were compared with 464 Caucasians, Negroes and Asians. Vietnamese
      children had a greater caries experience than all except Asians. Although most
      caries was treated, over a third of Vietnamese children were symptomatic
      attenders.

PMID- 1878795
TI  - Caries susceptibility of first permanent molars and treatment needs in Sri Lankan
      children, aged 13-16 years, in 1986.
AB  - The caries status of the permanent first molar was studied in 683 school children
      (aged 13-16 years) selected from six schools in Kandy. Radike (1972) criteria
      were used for the examination. Of 2732 first molars examined, 37 per cent were
      found to be carious, filled or missing. Susceptibility to caries was higher in
      mandibular molars (47 per cent) than in maxillary molars (25 per cent). In 36 per
      cent of the children all four molars were sound, while in 11 per cent they were
      all affected by caries. Of 998 DMF units, 676 (68 per cent) were decayed, 189 (19
      per cent) filled and 133 (13 per cent) extracted. Seventy-nine per cent of the DF
      sites were occlusal. Results suggest that a high proportion of carious permanent
      molars have been neglected without the seeking of professional care. Approaches
      for preventive and restorative care for the permanent first molar tooth,
      appropriate in Third World countries, are suggested.

PMID- 1878796
TI  - Quality assurance. A project on patient waiting times at appointment in an
      orthodontic department.
AB  - A quality assurance project to establish patient waiting time at appointments was
      undertaken over a four-week period during the spring of 1989. The Orthodontic
      Department was selected as one of two departments in the Birmingham General
      Hospital/Birmingham Dental Hospital unit site that was to participate in the
      programme initiated at the District Health Authority management level. Patient
      waiting periods for a total of 142 clinical sessions were assessed. Fifty per
      cent of patients were kept waiting and 50 per cent were seen either earlier or at
      their appointed time. The mean period of time that patients were kept waiting
      past their appointment time was 9.4 min (+/- 10.9). On clinics for which patients
      arrived late the mean time that they were kept waiting increased to a mean of
      18.9 min (+/- 9.1). Data from 92 patient questionnaires established that they
      considered a reasonable mean time of waiting to be 16.1 min (+/- 7.9). Five
      recommendations were proposed as a result of this quality assurance initiative
      and their implementation is discussed.

PMID- 1878797
TI  - Evaluation of a postal reminder system for the attendance of patients.

PMID- 1878798
TI  - The research experience: from Agassiz to the Victoria embankment.

PMID- 1878799
TI  - "If preventable why not prevented?".

PMID- 1878800
TI  - The dental caries experience of 5-year-old children in Great Britain. A survey
      coordinated by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in
      1989-90.

PMID- 1878801
TI  - [The clinical observation and follow-up of acute rheumatic fever].
AB  - There were 15 patients under 15 years of age with cases of acute rheumatic fever
      diagnosed by revised Jones criteria admitted to pediatric department, Chang Gung
      Memorial Hospital of Kaohsiung from Jan. 1986 through Dec. 1989. There were 11
      boys and 4 girls. The age of onset was more commonly between 13 and 15 years old.
      Carditis was the most common clinical presentation, noted in 13 cases. Eleven
      cases had valvular involvement: mitral regurgitation (MR) and mitral valve
      prolapse (MVP), 5 cases; MR and aortic regurgitation (AR), 4 cases; MR, 1 case;
      and MVP, 1 case. One case with MR + AR also suffered transient acute
      glomerulonephritis, which presented with gross hematuria but improved one week
      later. And one case with severe MR expired due to severe congestive heart
      failure. Eleven of the 14 survivors had regular follow-up at our clinic with an
      interval of 3 months to 38 months, and received parenteral benzathine penicillin
      for prophylaxis. During follow-up, the murmur in 4 cases with MR + MVP and 2
      cases with MR + AR disappeared within 2 months. One of the three cases who had
      not received secondary prophylaxis had recurrence of rheumatic fever 3 years
      later after the initial diagnosis.

PMID- 1878802
TI  - [Pilomatricoma-a clinicopathological analysis of 22 cases, including 2 cases of
      bullous pilomatricoma].
AB  - Twenty-two patients with pilomatricoma seen from January 1986 to October 1990
      were analyzed retrospectively. The incidence of pilomatricoma in our
      dermatopathologic material is 1 in every 50 cases of skin tumors. Male to female
      ratio is 1:2. Half of the tumors appeared before the age of 30. Most of the
      tumors develop in the head, neck and upper extremities. Two pilomatricomas
      appeared with overlying bullae. Pathologically, multiple dilated lymphatics in
      the dermis were found above the typical nests of shadow cells and basophilic
      cells. Clues to clinical diagnosis are summarized below. The stony hard, deep
      seated tumor, covered by normal skin, is usually located in the upper extremity.
      Tumors with blue-red discoloration, firm or elastic, frequently found in eyelid
      and face, are located more superficially, clinically they should be
      differentiated from epidermal cysts. Erythematous protruding tumors occur in the
      scalp or face. Bullous pilomatricoma is characteristically manifested as a
      flaccid, thick-walled bulla with an underlying palpable hard nodule, usually seen
      in the shoulder, upper arm or the head.

PMID- 1878803
TI  - [Emergency obstetric hysterectomy: report of fifteen cases].
AB  - From June 1978 to June 1990, there were 41,989 deliveries, 13,396 cesarean
      sections and 15 emergency obstetric hysterectomies at Taipei Chang Gung Memorial
      Hospital. The incidence of emergency obstetric hysterectomy is 36/100,000
      deliveries. The mean age of patients is 31.7 years old. The indications for
      hysterectomy were placental disorder (60.0%), uterine atony (26.7%), and uterine
      rupture (13.3%). The present series showed that 14 cases had total abdominal
      hysterectomy, while only one case had a subtotal hysterectomy. Total hysterectomy
      should generally be performed unless maternal instability mandates a more
      expeditious subtotal hysterectomy. The most common postoperative complication
      included unknown fever and urinary tract infection. For those four cases of post
      cesarean hysterectomy, conservative treatment was tried but failed. All cases
      presented with hypotension (less than 80/60 mmHg), tachycardia (greater than 100
      times/min) and with a mean hemoglobin of 9 mg% during the observation period. In
      these patients, blood loss, operating time and length of hospitalization was
      increased when compared with a group of 7 patients undergoing cesarean
      hysterectomy. In patients with placenta accreta, who are candidates for cesarean
      hysterectomy, initial hypotension, tachycardia and shock developed during
      cesarean section. It must be emphasized that conservative aggressive measures to
      control obstetric hemorrhage remain the mainstay of therapy, but emergency
      hysterectomy played the life-saving role with which every practitioner of
      obstetrics must be familiar and keep in mind.

PMID- 1878804
TI  - [Usage of antidepressants in public hospitals in 1984 and 1986 fiscal years in
      Taiwan].
AB  - Prescription of psychotropic medications, especially anxiolytics and
      antidepressants, has been increasing steadily since the late 60's. From the
      survey conducted in the developed countries, prescription of psychotropic
      medications by nonpsychiatric physicians in general hospitals and private
      practices has significantly increased. This study analysed the usage of
      antidepressants in public hospitals in 1984 and 1986 fiscal years as reported by
      Department of Health, the Executive Yuan. The amount of antidepressants increased
      from 1,928,585 tablets to 2,348,281 tablets, an increase of 21.8%. The total cost
      increased from 6,052,732 N.T. $ to 7,488,374 N.T. $, an increase of 23.8%. The
      amount of antidepressants used ranked between 2 common G-I drugs, Biscodyl
      (Dulcolax) and Cimetidine.

PMID- 1878805
TI  - A comparison of CT and MR images in migration disorders of brain. Report of four
      cases.
AB  - Migration disorders are congenital brain malformations. These anomalies may be
      overlooked in CT studies. We present four cases with migration disorders. All
      have both CT and MRI studies. Comparison of the images of CT and MRI at
      corresponding levels is demonstrated. The superiority of MR images to CT in
      delineating the migration and sulcation disorders is discussed.

PMID- 1878806
TI  - Transferring the location of a parasagittal lesion in CT to the scalp. Report of
      two cases.
AB  - By referring to the curve connecting the parietal eminences across the vertex, it
      is possible to transfer the location of a parasagittal lesion in the computed
      tomography (CT) scans to the scalp. The successful use of this new technique in 2
      patients is reported.

PMID- 1878807
TI  - Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma arising from osteochondromatosis. A case report.
AB  - Multiple hereditary osteochondromata has a higher incidence (5%-25%) of malignant
      change into chondrosarcoma than solitary osteochondroma (1%-2%); but only less
      than 10% of all chondrosarcomas may undergo dedifferentiated change into
      fibrosarcoma or malignant fibrous histiocytoma. We have a case presented here
      with osteochondromatosis who was found to have dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma
      arising from pelvic osteochondroma. Radical extra-compartmental resection was
      done and followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recurrence was found 3 months
      later. Early recognition of malignant change and adequate surgical resection with
      adjuvant therapy may prevent local recurrence and increase the survival rate.

PMID- 1878808
TI  - [Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage. A case report].
AB  - Neonatal adrenal hemorrhage is frequently associated with large fetal size, birth
      trauma owing to difficult labor or delivery, perinatal asphyxia, fetal hypoxia,
      septicemia or coagulation defect. A case of giant baby with perinatal asphyxia
      and birth injury complicated with adrenal hemorrhage is presented. The baby was
      admitted at five days of life due to profound jaundice. Right adrenal hematoma
      was found by abdominal sonography. The hematoma resolved gradually under
      supportive management by three months of age as documented by serial sonography.
      No complication was found. We conclude that abdominal sonography is the modality
      of choice for initial diagnosis and follow-up of neonatal adrenal hemorrhage, and
      conservative management is the mainstay of treatment.

PMID- 1878809
TI  - Effects of endogenous and exogenous hyperglycemia on renal glucose transport in
      the rat.
AB  - As acute renal glucose loading requires intravenous infusion of a large quantity
      of hypertonic glucose solution, we performed free-flow micropuncture studies in
      nine streptozotocin diabetic rats to evaluate renal tubule glucose transport in
      hyperglycemic state and the results were compared with those of 10 normal rats in
      which comparable hyperglycemia was induced by exogenous glucose loading. Despite
      hyperglycemia with a mean plasma glucose concentration at 19.2 mmol/l,
      glomerulotubular balance in the proximal tubule of the diabetic rats was well
      maintained with a mean proximal tubule fluid-to-plasma inulin ratio at 2.08 +/-
      0.15 as compared with that of the normal control at 2.16 +/- 0.11. Acute glucose
      loading in the normal rats raised plasma glucose to a similar mean of 19.6
      mmol/l, significantly inhibited proximal fluid and glucose reabsorption,
      increased their reabsorption in the intermediate segment (between late proximal
      tubule and early distal tubule) and led to natriuresis and exaggerated glycosuria
      (fractional sodium excretion 1.32% and fractional glucose excretion 14.8%
      compared with 0.47% and 7.3%, respectively, for the diabetic control).
      Administration of insulin to normalize plasma glucose in the diabetic rats also
      inhibited proximal fluid and glucose reabsorption and resulted in modest
      natriuresis. This observation is consistent with the existence of sodium-glucose
      cotransport in the proximal tubule with sodium transport being reduced along with
      glucose transport following insulin administration. It is concluded that acute
      glucose loading, as performed in the conventional glucose titration study, leads
      to artifactual inhibition of proximal sodium and glucose transport.

PMID- 1878810
TI  - Changing trends of forceps delivery in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
AB  - Two hundred and fifty-five patients underwent forceps deliveries in Chang Gung
      Memorial Hospital from January 1, 1985 to June 30, 1990. There was neither
      maternal nor perinatal mortality related to this procedure during this period;
      and the perinatal outcome was good without sequela. In the past three years,
      cesarean section took the place of forceps delivery in some cases with acute
      fetal distress and malposition. As a result, maternal problems became the most
      common indication for forceps delivery during that period. Fourth degree
      laceration of the perineum was the major maternal complication, occurring in
      22.4% of total forceps deliveries. Postpartum voiding problems continued to be
      another complication after forceps delivery, accounting for 7.0%. Either fourth
      degree laceration of the perineum or postpartum voiding difficulty could be
      prevented to a certain extent if the forceps were handled delicately in an
      experienced hand and there was early diagnosis with prompt management of voiding
      dysfunction.

PMID- 1878811
TI  - Preliminary experience with growth factor and porcine graft-young collagenous
      wettable membrane in the treatment of chronic diabetic ulcer.
AB  - Chronic ulcers are well-known complication of diabetes mellitus, often compounded
      by infection. Healing of lesions is problematic in some cases using conventional
      treatment. We have treated a group of six hospitalized diabetic patients with
      chronic ulcer by a combined regimen consisting of metabolic control, parenteral
      antibiotics, growth factor and porcine graft-young collagenous wettable membrane
      (YCWM) treatment. Five of our uncontrolled group had their ulcers improved at 87
      +/- 37.6 hospital days after 45.8 +/- 20.2 days of growth factor and YCWM
      treatment. In conclusion, growth factor and porcine graft-YCWM therapy may be
      promising as an alternative choice in treatment of chronic diabetic ulcer.

PMID- 1878812
TI  - [Pseudomembranous colitis: a clinical analysis and review of literatures].
AB  - Clostridium difficile has been well known to be a pathogen of pseudomembranous
      colitis. It is characterized by the formation of elevated plaques and
      pseudomembranes which result in varying degree of diarrhea. This series analysed
      20 cases of pseudomembranous colitis diagnosed at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
      between January 1985 and December 1989. The male to female ratio was 1:3. Their
      ages ranged between 13 and 81 years, with a mean of 53.7 years. Sixteen of our
      patients claimed to have taken antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection,
      pneumonia, cellulitis or acute pelvic inflammatory disease within six weeks
      before onset of symptoms. The antibiotics were mainly in the penicillin group and
      cephalosporin group. Clinical presentations included diarrhea of varying degree,
      fever, and abdominal pain. The diagnosis was made by the typical colonic mucosal
      changes under sigmoidoscopic or colonoscopic examination and pathological
      findings. The lesions were prominent in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Eleven
      cases were treated with vancomycin. Of these, one failed and died, and two
      recurred. The two recurrences were again treated with the same dose of vancomycin
      and with complete remission. Three of our patients responded to metronidazole.
      The other six cases with milder symptoms were successfully controlled by using
      cholestyramine (2 cases) or by supportive treatment (4 cases).

PMID- 1878813
TI  - Manitoba virus, a new rhabdovirus isolated from Culex tarsalis mosquitoes
      collected in Manitoba, Canada.
AB  - A rhabdovirus, Mn 936-77, was isolated from a pool of two Culex tarsalis
      collected on August 16, 1977, from Morris, Manitoba. Isolate Mn 936-77 was not
      pathogenic for suckling Swiss white mice inoculated by the intracerebral route.
      The virus propagated in three vertebrate cell lines (Vero, primary chick embryo,
      mouse neuroblastoma), but apparently not in Aedes albopictus C6/36 cells. Isolate
      Mn 936-77 did not react by amplified enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay with 230
      viruses of proven or possible arbovirus etiology or by immunofluorescence with 88
      members of the family Rhabdoviridae. Isolate Mn 936-77 appears to be a newly
      discovered virus for which the name Manitoba virus is proposed.

PMID- 1878814
TI  - Evidence of peroxisomes and peroxisomal enzyme activities in the oleaginous yeast
      Apiotrichum curvatum.
AB  - The presence of peroxisomes and peroxisomal enzyme activities were investigated
      in the oleaginous yeast Apiotrichum curvatum ATCC 20509 (formerly Candida curvata
      D.) Catalase, a marker enzyme for peroxisomes, was measured in cell-free extracts
      prepared by sonication. The nature of the carbon and nitrogen sources in the
      growth medium greatly affected catalase activity. Cells grown on corn oil had
      high specific activity of catalase, but those grown on glucose, sucrose, or
      maltose had low specific activity. High specific activity of catalase was
      measured in cultures grown on media that supported poor growth (with soluble
      starch as carbon source or with methylamine, urea, or asparagine as nitrogen
      source). Peroxisomes from cells grown on corn oil were separated from other
      subcellular fractions in a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Major peaks of
      activity of fatty acid beta-oxidation and of two key enzymes in the glyoxylate
      cycle were found in fractions containing peroxisomes, but not in fractions
      corresponding to the mitochondria. Peroxisomal beta-oxidation showed equivalent
      activity with palmitoyl CoA or n-octanoyl CoA as substrate. Mitochondria did not
      seem to contain NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase. Peroxisomes with a
      homogeneous matrix and core surrounded by a single-layer membrane were observed
      with an electron microscope in cells grown on corn oil, but not in those grown on
      glucose. Staining with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine revealed that catalase activity was
      located in peroxisomes. Peroxisomes in this oleaginous yeast play important roles
      in lipid metabolism.

PMID- 1878815
TI  - The stability of outer-membrane protein and antigen profiles of a strain of
      Bacteroides intermedius grown in continuous culture at different pH and growth
      rates.
AB  - The stability of the outer-membrane proteins and antigens of a strain of
      Bacteroides intermedius (VPI 8944 group genotype II) grown in continuous culture
      at varying pH and growth rates (D = 0.025-0.2 h-1, pH 6.0-7.3) has been measured.
      The membranes showed nine major proteins (greater than 67-19.55 kilodaltons) and
      six major antigens (65-28 kilodaltons). Membrane proteins and antigens were
      stable under the conditions tested; the major proteins were detected in all
      membranes, and the antigen profiles tested with different antisera showed maximum
      similarities of 82-95%. Differences did occur in the amounts of membrane proteins
      synthesized; cells at high growth rates and those growing on the surfaces in the
      chemostat showed increased amounts of two proteins (40 and 32 kilodaltons) and
      possibly novel proteins of 24 and 25 kilodaltons. In addition, these membranes
      reflected increased synthesis or a change to increased reactivity of antigens
      between 20.5 and 24 kilodaltons. The results indicate stability of the expression
      of outer-membrane proteins and antigens in environments of differing pH and under
      different growth rates. However, the amount of these molecules synthesized can
      vary, and increases in certain proteins and antigens occur as the growth rate
      increases and the organisms grow on surfaces.

PMID- 1878816
TI  - Cleavage of proteins of reproductive secretions by extracellular proteinases of
      Tritrichomonas foetus.
AB  - Cleavage of host defense proteins from reproductive secretions was investigated
      as a potential virulence mechanism for Tritrichomonas foetus extracellular
      proteinases. Three categories of susceptibility to digestion were found among the
      defense proteins tested. Cleavage of fibrinogen, fibronectin, and albumin
      occurred rapidly with more than 50% of these digested within 30 min. Lactoferrin,
      immunoglobulin G1, and immunoglobulin G2 were more than 50% digested after 4 h.
      Transferrin, immunoglobulin M, and immunoglobulin A were the most resistant to
      the Tritrichomonas foetus extracellular proteinases, since 50% or more of the
      parent molecule remained after 24 h. The responsible proteinases were classified
      as cysteine (thiol) proteinases because cleavage was inhibited by the cysteine
      proteinase specific inhibitor, trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-(4
      guanidino)butane and not by the serine proteinase specific inhibitor,
      phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. In addition, alpha 2-macroglobulin, but not alpha
      1-antitrypsin, inhibits the action of the proteinases. The ratio of this
      naturally occurring inhibitor to the quantity of proteinases released may
      determine whether the above substrates are cleaved in vivo. Since these
      substrates are implicated in iron acquisition, cell adherence, and acquired
      immunity, Tritrichomonas foetus proteinases are likely to play a role in host
      parasite interactions.

PMID- 1878817
TI  - Characterization of interspecific hybrids within the Aspergillus nidulans group
      by isoenzyme analysis.
AB  - A comparison of interspecific hybrids within the Aspergillus nidulans species
      group was made by isoenzyme analysis. The gel electrophoretic patterns of the
      parental species were distinct for most of the enzymes tested. The hybrids were
      distinguishable from their parents by isoenzyme patterns. The appearance of novel
      bands in all the interspecific hybrids indicated that nuclear fusion could have
      occurred. In most hybrids the appearance of the parental bands showed
      nonpreferential, partial chromosome loss or repressive interaction between the
      genomes. The isoenzyme composition of the haploid segregants of the Aspergillus
      nidulans x Aspergillus rugulosus hybrid differed for some of the enzymes studied
      from that of the hybrid, suggesting that during segregation further interaction
      of the chromosomes took place. The results indicate a certain degree of genetic
      homology among the members of the Aspergillus nidulans species group.

PMID- 1878818
TI  - Role of cations in the flocculation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and
      discrimination of the corresponding proteins.
AB  - Asexual yeast flocculation was studied using strong flocculents of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae. The inhibitory effect of cations on flocculation is considered to be
      caused by competition between those cations and Ca2+ at the binding site of the
      Ca(2+)-requiring protein that is involved in flocculation. Inhibition of
      flocculation by various cations occurred in the following order: La3+, Sr2+,
      Ba2+, Mn2+, Al3+, and Na+. Cations such as Mg2+, Co2+, and K+ promoted
      flocculation. This promoting effect may be based on the reduction of
      electrostatic repulsive force between cells caused by binding of these cations
      anionic groups present on the cell surface. In flocculation induced by these
      cations, trace amounts of Ca2+ excreted on the cell surface may activate the
      corresponding protein. The ratio of Sr2+/Ca2+ below which cells flocculated
      varied among strains: for strains having the FLO5 gene, it was 400 to 500; for
      strains having the FLO1 gene, about 150; and for two alcohol yeast strains, 40 to
      50. This suggests that there are several different types of cell surface proteins
      involved in flocculation in different yeast strains.

PMID- 1878819
TI  - Growing number of asthma cases, deaths baffles physicians.

PMID- 1878820
TI  - Helping patients travel by air.

PMID- 1878821
TI  - Nutrition and osteoporosis.

PMID- 1878822
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis: the medical genetics perspective.

PMID- 1878823
TI  - Recommended guidelines for uniform reporting of data on out-of-hospital cardiac
      arrests: the "Utstein style".

PMID- 1878826
TI  - Blood pressure during pregnancy in Canadian Inuit: community differences related
      to diet.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess a possible relation between the incidence of hypertension
      during pregnancy and the consumption of fatty acids found in fish and sea
      mammals. DESIGN: Retrospective survey of pregnancy-induced hypertension;
      prospective diet survey. SETTING: Inuit women from seven communities in the
      Keewatin region of the Northwest Territories. PATIENTS: All women from Arviat
      (formerly Eskimo Point), Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, Repulse
      Bay, Sanikiluaq and Whale Cove who gave birth between Sept. 1, 1984, and Aug. 31,
      1987. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All blood pressure measurements recorded during the
      pregnancy, incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension in the seven communities,
      harvest of country food (food obtained from the land or sea rather than bought in
      a store) for six of the communities, self-reported consumption of fish, sea
      mammals and terrestrial mammals by a subgroup of the subjects and levels of
      phospholipid fatty acids in cord serum samples from a subgroup of the infants.
      MAIN RESULTS: Significantly lower mean diastolic blood pressure values during the
      last 6 hours of pregnancy were noted for the women from the three communities
      with a higher consumption of fish and sea mammals (78.2 [95% confidence limits
      (CL) 76.6 and 79.9] mm Hg) than for those from the four communities with a lower
      consumption of such food (81.5 [95% CL 80.1 and 82.9] mm Hg) (p less than 0.005).
      The relation between community diet type and blood pressure was independent of
      other factors. Correspondingly, the women from communities with a lower
      consumption of marine food were 2.6 times more likely to be hypertensive during
      the pregnancy than those from communities with a higher consumption of marine
      food (p less than 0.007). Parity (p less than 0.05) and prepregnancy weight (p
      less than 0.005) were also significantly associated with pregnancy-induced
      hypertension; however, the relation between hypertension and community diet type
      remained significant in logistic regression analysis (odds ratio 2.56, p = 0.03).
      The differences between the community groups were substantiated by the results of
      the diet survey, the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in the cord serum
      phospholipids and the harvest data. CONCLUSIONS: Increased consumption of fish
      may be beneficial for women at risk for hypertension during pregnancy. A
      prospective randomized trial of fish or EPA supplementation during pregnancy is
      warranted.

PMID- 1878824
TI  - Periodic health examination, 1991 update: 3. Secondary prevention of prostate
      cancer. Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination.

PMID- 1878827
TI  - Comparison of search strategies on CD Plus/MEDLINE.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To compare two strategies for searching MEDLINE using the CD
      Plus/MEDLINE program on compact disc. DESIGN: Comparison study. INTERVENTIONS:
      Two search strategies were designed and executed for each of two topics (patient
      recruitment to clinical trials and attitudes of patients, the public and health
      care professionals toward clinical trials). Strategy A: searches based on key
      words selected from the medical subject heading (MeSH) tree structure. Strategy
      B: searches based on MeSH terms most frequently used to index a known set of
      relevant articles. Defined search restrictions were then applied. The effects of
      the restrictions on the absolute number of citations retrieved and on the
      proportion of relevant citations were assessed. OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of
      articles retrieved, number of relevant articles, precision and recall of each
      search strategy and overlap between strategies. MAIN RESULTS: Strategy A produced
      more citations than strategy B (recruitment 147 v. 38, attitude 366 v. 57) but
      had more inappropriate citations (recruitment 75 v. 17, attitude 265 v. 25). Both
      strategies produced 73 relevant recruitment citations and 101 relevant attitude
      citations. In the recruitment search although the precision did not differ
      significantly between strategies A and B the difference in recall was significant
      (98.6% v. 28.8% respectively, p less than 0.0001). In the attitude search
      strategy A had a lower precision than strategy B (27.6% v. 56.1%, p less than
      0.0001) but a much higher recall (100% v. 31.7%, p less than 0.0001).
      CONCLUSIONS: Strategy A would be more valuable to researchers doing extensive
      reviews, whereas strategy B would be useful for the busy clinician who simply
      wants a few appropriate references quickly and is willing to sacrifice
      comprehensive retrieval in the interest of efficiency.

PMID- 1878825
TI  - Mechanisms and management of stroke in the elderly.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To highlight the mechanisms, common causes and management of stroke in
      the elderly. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE was searched for articles published from 1967
      to 1990. The following key words were used: "stroke," "cerebrovascular disease,"
      "elderly," "aging," "hypertension," "drug interactions," "etiology,"
      "evaluation," "management" and "recovery of function." Original articles with
      large series of patients were reviewed in detail. STUDY SELECTION: Of about 750
      original articles reviewed 116 were finally selected for detailed analysis. Those
      that dealt with cause, pathophysiologic features and management of stroke with
      emphasis on the elderly were chosen. DATA SYNTHESIS: With increasing age the
      incidence of stroke increases, cardiovascular reserve decreases, catecholamine
      responsiveness diminishes and cardiac arrhythmias become more common. Blood
      pressure, especially systolic, rises, and the benefits of its treatment become
      both more difficult to assess and less certain. In the elderly population embolic
      stroke, particularly that due to nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, is seen with
      increasing frequency. Because of postural hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias and
      overmedication, watershed infarction occurs more frequently with increasing age.
      Amyloid angiopathy now represents the most common cause of spontaneous
      intracerebral hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the altered drug metabolism and
      pharmacodynamics in the elderly the therapeutic armamentarium is growing, and so
      are the risks of such treatments. Stroke in the elderly poses unique problems
      that deserve distinctive solutions. Further research is needed to study the
      effect of cerebral ischemia to understand better how the older brain handles the
      stress of the ischemic insult.

PMID- 1878828
TI  - Statement on influenza vaccination for the 1991-92 season.

PMID- 1878829
TI  - Monounsaturated fatty acids and heart health.

PMID- 1878830
TI  - Influenza and vaccination. 1919.

PMID- 1878831
TI  - Treatment of influenza. 1919.

PMID- 1878832
TI  - Relations between Alberta midwives, MDs appear to be thawing despite high-profile
      trial.

PMID- 1878833
TI  - Case involving prominent BC psychiatrist puts medical profession on trial.

PMID- 1878834
TI  - Ethical issues concerning the HIV status of physicians and patients.

PMID- 1878835
TI  - Bill C-69: an obscure piece of legislation could spell doom for our health care
      system.

PMID- 1878836
TI  - When government demanded his charts, Newfoundland doctor demanded court date.

PMID- 1878837
TI  - Coping with schizophrenia: "when we are gone, what will become of our son?".

PMID- 1878838
TI  - Historic aspects of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.
AB  - The earliest preparations of immunoglobulins (Ig) decreased the susceptibility of
      agammaglobulinemic patients to infections caused by pneumococci, Haemophilus
      influenzae, meningococci, streptococci, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Intramuscular
      administration of such preparations was painful and traumatic, especially for
      children. Ethanol-fractionated Ig could not be administered intravenously (IV)
      because the IgG molecules tended to aggregate and thus were more likely to
      produce anaphylactoid reactions. New Ig preparations, isolated at low pH (e.g.,
      pH 4) in the presence of traces of pepsin to inhibit reaggregation, were well
      tolerated when administered IV. Thus a new era of treatment and prophylaxis of
      disease using IV Ig (IVIG) was launched. The IVIG preparations revolutionized the
      management of virtually all immunodeficiency syndromes characterized by failure
      of antibody responses. Amelioration of antibody deficiency secondary to certain
      chronic diseases or surgical trauma can be achieved with these preparations.
      Newer uses of IVIG include treatment of some autoimmune diseases; in some
      conditions, the beneficial influences may be attributable to antiidiotype
      antibodies present in the IVIG. Another likely explanation is that IVIG inhibits
      damage to cells and tissues by antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity or blocks
      phagocytosis that is facilitated by Fc receptor mechanisms. The value of IVIG in
      preventing infection in patients undergoing bone marrow or organ transplantation
      and in the treatment and prophylaxis of life-threatening infections in neonates
      and premature infants also is reviewed.

PMID- 1878839
TI  - Recent advances in intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. A symposium held in
      conjunction with the 15th International Cancer Congress. Hamburg, Germany, August
      1990.

PMID- 1878840
TI  - Immune thrombocytopenic purpura and intravenous immunoglobulin.
AB  - The observation, in 1980, of a rapid increase in platelet counts as a result of
      administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in a patient with immune
      thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was followed by clinical studies confirming the
      efficacy of this new treatment alternative in ITP. Simultaneously, new sensitive
      assays using monoclonal antibodies against platelet glycoproteins showed that
      chronic ITP in adults and children is often an autoimmune disorder. There seem to
      be both immediate and long-term effects of IVIG in ITP which may be explained by
      mechanisms of action other than immunoglobulin G substitution. The mode of action
      of IVIG could correspond to interference with Fc receptors on phagocytes or be a
      result of antiidiotypic antibodies in IVIG that may induce secondary changes in
      the complex immunologic network. These immunomodulatory effects were the basis
      for the use of IVIG in the treatment of patients with other immune-related
      disorders. New aspects regarding definition and treatment of ITP, the possible
      mechanisms of action of IVIG, and the implications thereof are discussed and
      updated.

PMID- 1878841
TI  - Mechanisms of action of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and potential use in
      autoimmune connective tissue diseases.
AB  - It has been almost 10 years since the observations on the efficacy of intravenous
      immunoglobulin (IVIG) in patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. Over
      the next decade, IVIG was used in other types of autoimmune diseases. Much work
      has also been done on gaining a better understanding of the mechanism(s) by which
      IVIG exerts its effects in these autoimmune diseases. This review examines the
      proposed mechanisms of action of IVIG and establishes a rationale for the use of
      this type of therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune
      connective tissue disorders. Currently, only anecdotal reports are available on
      the treatment of SLE with IVIG. Nevertheless, studies thus far suggest that IVIG
      may be useful in selected SLE patients with cytopenias and cutaneous vasculitis
      and may have a steroid-sparing effect in patients with SLE and juvenile
      rheumatoid arthritis. In SLE patients with renal disease, it should be used
      cautiously because some patients have worsening of their renal function with IVIG
      infusions. These preliminary experiences suggest that multicenter controlled
      trials on the therapeutic use of IVIG in SLE and other connective tissue
      disorders would be important.

PMID- 1878842
TI  - Use of intravenous immunoglobulin in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A brief
      review.
AB  - Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disorder with multiple defects leading to
      an increased susceptibility to infection. Hypogammaglobulinemia is present in
      about 20% to 70% of patients with CLL. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
      supplementation (400 mg/kg body weight every 3 weeks) prevented bacterial
      infections in these patients. An ongoing study is being conducted to compare
      doses of 250 mg/kg/mo with those of 500 mg/kg/mo in 36 patients included so far.
      As of this writing, the rate of infection in the two treatment groups was not
      significantly different, and no substantial loss of protection against bacterial
      infection was found in the lower-dose group. It seems likely that the lower dose
      is almost as effective as the standard therapy. If this is so, cost savings would
      be substantial.

PMID- 1878843
TI  - Use of intravenous immunoglobulin in acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
AB  - Patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have an
      antibody deficiency and a deficiency of cellular immunity. Intravenous
      immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparations may benefit HIV-infected children and adults
      with recurrent bacterial infections at doses of 200 to 400 mg/kg every 2 to 4
      weeks. In addition, IVIG (1 to 2 g/kg) is effective at raising platelet counts to
      hemostatic levels in HIV-infected patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic
      purpura and life-threatening bleeding. Indirect evidence also suggests that IVIG
      may be effective in preventing Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Finally, recent
      studies suggest that specific anti-HIV antibody preparations may have a
      therapeutic role, either as immunoglobulin concentrates or as immunoadhesions and
      immunotoxins. However, further investigations are needed to exclude antibody
      enhancement of HIV infection by the Fc receptor or the complement receptor.

PMID- 1878844
TI  - Use of intravenous immunoglobulin in various medical conditions. A Japanese
      experience.
AB  - The main clinical indications for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in
      Japan are severe bacterial and viral infections as a result of primary and
      secondary immunodeficiencies, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP),
      autoimmune diseases, hematologic disorders, acquired immune deficiency syndrome,
      and Kawasaki disease. Experiences using IVIG to treat patients with severe
      infectious diseases, Kawasaki disease, and ITP are reported in this article. In
      patients with severe infections, IVIG showed some clinical benefits. In patients
      with Kawasaki disease, combined administration of IVIG and aspirin reduced the
      incidence of coronary artery lesions below that of aspirin alone or without
      therapy, and persistence of these lesions also decreased in patients who received
      combination therapy. Organ platelet sequestration, measured with indium 111
      labeled platelets, showed a splenic pattern in good responders to IVIG, a hepatic
      pattern in fair responders, and a splenohepatic pattern in poor responders. These
      patterns might provide some insight into the use of IVIG. Some reaction
      mechanisms also are discussed.

PMID- 1878846
TI  - Preparing for war in the gulf.

PMID- 1878845
TI  - Recent advances in intravenous immunoglobulin therapy: Concluding remarks.
      Current trends and future directions.

PMID- 1878847
TI  - Nursing and war: transforming our legacy.

PMID- 1878848
TI  - No simple answer.

PMID- 1878849
TI  - A dilemma called Ellen.

PMID- 1878850
TI  - Street smarts.

PMID- 1878851
TI  - Canadian nurses and smoking.

PMID- 1878852
TI  - Success stories needed, now!

PMID- 1878853
TI  - Putting culture into curricula.

PMID- 1878854
TI  - Travel nursing.

PMID- 1878855
TI  - [Cohabitation].
AB  - Even though it can be an attractive proposition for an elderly person, the idea
      of living with a family, or even their own family, should not be undertaken
      lightly. The author suggests three ways in which nurses can help; communication,
      sharing of responsibilities and coping with the burden. The main goal is to curb
      abuse of the elderly, a result of the enormous burden that falls on the shoulders
      of the caregiver. The solution to this situation is not easy. However, a simple
      tool in the form of a contract between the two parties, could be helpful. The
      author maintains that, regardless of pre-existing family relationships, it's best
      to look at this contract from a strictly objective point of view. All the factors
      that could come into play should be clearly stated by both parties. In this way,
      they will be better able to avoid misunderstandings and head off potential
      conflicts.

PMID- 1878856
TI  - [Transcultural validation of a measurement scale].
AB  - This monography presents the validation study results of a new scale to measure
      family needs: The Family Needs Inventory (IBF) (Chartier and Coutu-Wakulczyk,
      1988). The scale is available in both French and English from the Departement des
      sciences infirmieres of the Universite de Sherbrooke. Based on a perceptual
      framework, the IBF is a self-report scale composed of 33 items. It offers three
      different subscores of the importance of needs: the global score of needs, the
      intensity need index and the total number of needs. The IBF was validated on a
      sample of 400 subjects. These subjects were drawn from the adult population of
      immediate family members visiting a patient in surgical or medical intensive care
      units in three different geographical regions, in Quebec, northeast Ontario and
      France. The reliability yielded a 0.90 Cronback Alpha coefficient and the
      homogeneity coefficient for Spearman-Brown and Guttman procedures were 0.88
      respectively. The principal component factor analysis and factorial matrices lead
      to examine the conceptual structure of five independent factors.

PMID- 1878857
TI  - [Altruism and the donor].
AB  - On December 20, 1988, the government of France passed a law to protect people who
      voluntarily participate in biomedical research. This article makes extensive
      reference to a major study, titled From Biology to Ethics, by Jean Bernard, a
      well-respected authority in the field of bioethics. The author looks at models
      proposed by Bernard, as examples for health volunteers, in particular, the blood
      donor and the self-experimenter. To set the tone of the article, she recalls the
      concept of altruism, as first proposed by Auguste Comte, then makes a linkage
      between his philosophy and Bernard's point of view. By trial and error, in their
      discussions, various ethics committees and the French State Council have agreed
      upon what constitutes fair compensation under the law. Unlike their Canadian
      counterparts, medical researchers in France have free access to volunteers who
      are not in perfect health--e.g., the elderly, people suffering from kidney
      deficiency, cirrhosis of the liver, etc.--but these "experimental subjects"
      receive no monetary compensation. Thus, healthy and less-than-healthy volunteers
      do not receive equal treatment under the law. This inequity, added to the fear of
      what amounts to a tax on the human body and the difficulty of ensuring just
      compensation, is giving rise to a great deal of uncertainty.

PMID- 1878858
TI  - Rectal epithelial proliferation in persons post sporadic colorectal neoplasia.
AB  - Some studies have shown diffuse large bowel epithelial hyperproliferation in
      persons having colorectal neoplasia. Thus, measurements of rectal epithelial
      proliferation (REP) could be useful as a screening biomarker of risk for sporadic
      neoplasia. We examined REP, by autoradiography with tritiated thymidine, in 84
      persons: 32 healthy volunteers, 37 who had had sporadic adenomas and 15 post
      cured sporadic colorectal cancer. Measurements of the labelling index (ratio of
      labelled to total number of crypt cells) showed a statistically insignificant but
      increasing gradient of hyperproliferation related to degree and invasiveness of
      neoplasia. However, this became significant when examining the proportion of
      labelled crypt compartments in each group and by comparing combined compartments
      3 and 4 of cancer patients to non-cancer patients. Gender and age were found to
      be parameters that influenced the results. Using standard methods of analysis of
      REP, the lack of clear separation between risk groups limits the usefulness of
      REP measurements as a screening biomarker of risk for sporadic large bowel
      neoplasia.

PMID- 1878859
TI  - Identification of genes that exhibit increased expression after flat reversion of
      NIH/3T3 cells transformed by human activated Ha-ras oncogene.
AB  - By differential hybridization, we have isolated 14 cDNA clones corresponding to
      genes that are more highly expressed in the flat revertant cell line R1 than in
      the parental human Ha-ras oncogene-transformed NIH/3T3 cell line (EJ-NIH/3T3).
      From cross-hybridization experiments, we determined that 5 sequence families
      accounted for the 14 clones. DNA sequencing revealed that four out of five
      selected cDNA clones represented mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b, cytochrome c
      oxidase subunit II, NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1 and 4, respectively), whereas
      one cDNA clone was homologous to the alpha 2 (type I collagen gene. Although a
      Southern blot analysis of the studied cell lines showed similar copy numbers of
      mitochondrial genomes, the transcript levels of the mitochondrial genes were high
      in R1, intermediate in NIH/3T3 and low in EJ-NIH/3T3 and partially revertant R2
      cell lines. alpha 2 (type I) collagen mRNA levels were high in R1 and NIH/3T3,
      intermediate in R2 and low in EJ-NIH/3T3 cells. These results suggest that a
      complex alteration of the expression of mitochondrial and extracellular matrix
      components may be closely associated with the flat reversion of the transformed
      cells.

PMID- 1878860
TI  - Effects of bombesin on the development of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-induced
      pancreatic lesions in hamsters.
AB  - Bombesin (BBS) has been shown to promote pancreatic growth as well as the
      development of pancreatic (pre)neoplasia in rats. The present study was carried
      out to determine the effects of bombesin on pancreatic growth and on the
      development of pancreatic (pre)neoplastic lesions in hamsters treated with N
      nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP). Bombesin caused an increase in growth of the
      pancreas accompanied by a decrease in the number of (pre)neoplastic ductular
      pancreatic lesions. Lorglumide (CR-1409) did not influence these effects of
      bombesin. It is concluded that in BOP-treated hamsters the effect of bombesin on
      the pancreas is not mediated by cholecystokinin (CCK). These data support the
      existence of species difference between rats and hamsters with regard to the
      effect of bombesin on pancreatic carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1878861
TI  - Modulation of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1 butanone demethylation and
      denitrosation by rat liver microsomes.
AB  - The nicotine-derived N-nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1 butanone
      (NNK) is abundant in tobacco smoke and is a potent carcinogen in laboratory
      animals. We have characterized and compared methyl hydroxylation leading to
      formaldehyde formation (activation pathway) and denitrosation (putative
      deactivation pathway) of NNK using rat liver microsomes. Methyl hydroxylation was
      linear between 10 and 50 min and denitrosation was linear between 20 and 65 min.
      The ratio of nitrite/formaldehyde formation was smaller with 4 mM NNK (0.016)
      than with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) (0.037). Liver microsomes exhibited at
      least two apparent Km values (0.005 and 0.534 mM) for NNK methyl hydroxylation.
      In vitro methyl hydroxylation of NDMA and NNK were induced by pretreatment of the
      rat with isopropanol. Butylated hydroxytoluene pretreatment doubled the rate of
      microsomal denitrosation but did not affect the rate of methyl hydroxylation (+)
      Catechin is a flavonoid present in tea, wine and apple skin. We observed that
      0.10 mM (+)-catechin inhibited methyl hydroxylation and denitrosation of 4 mM NNK
      by 40% and 62%, respectively. These results indicated that NNK could be
      deactivated by denitrosation. Hydroxylation of the NNK methyl group by rat liver
      microsomes was 34 times more extensive than denitrosation.

PMID- 1878862
TI  - Modifying role of Phyllanthus emblica and ascorbic acid against nickel
      clastogenicity in mice.
AB  - Nickel, a major environmental pollutant is known for its clastogenic and
      carcinogenic potential. Dietary inhibitors of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis are
      of particular importance since they may have a role in cancer prevention. In the
      present investigation, aqueous extract of edible dried fruits of Phyllanthus
      emblica, a well known medicinal plant, was fed to Mus musculus for seven
      consecutive days prior to treatment with different doses of nickel chloride (10,
      20 and 40 mg/kg body wt.); the fruit extract significantly reduced the frequency
      of CA/cell, the percentage of aberrant cells and the frequency of micronuclei
      induced by all doses of nickel in the bone marrow cells of mice. Ascorbic acid, a
      major constituent of the fruit, fed for 7 consecutive days in equivalent
      concentration as that present in the fruit, however, could only alleviate the
      cytotoxic effects induced by low doses of nickel; at the higher doses it was
      ineffective. The greater efficacy of the fruit extract could be due to the
      interaction of its various natural components rather than to any single
      constituent. The study assumes importance in view of the widespread human
      exposure to nickel compounds.

PMID- 1878863
TI  - Suprasellar teratoma.

PMID- 1878864
TI  - In utero diagnosis of cerebro-oculomuscular syndrome.

PMID- 1878865
TI  - Learning disability and impairment of synaptogenesis in HTX-rats with arrested
      shunt-dependent hydrocephalus.
AB  - Using HTX-rats with congenital hereditary hydrocephalus, we used
      neuropathological methods, including quantitative Golgi study and neurobehavioral
      evaluation, to investigate the following problems. (1) What kind of damage does
      congenital hydrocephalus cause to developing brain tissue? (2) How much can the
      damage be repaired by ventriculoperitoneal shunting if performed at 4 weeks of
      age, enabling 4-week-old hydrocephalic rats to survive beyond sexual maturation?
      (3) What is the status of learning ability of long-term surviving rats with
      arrested shunt-dependent hydrocephalus? The findings of our study suggest that
      congenital hydrocephalus impairs the development and formation of the dendrites
      and spines of the cerebrocortical neurons. Following ventriculoperitoneal
      shunting, we confirmed that rats with arrested shunt-dependent hydrocephalus
      demonstrated learning disability in a light-darkness discrimination test using a
      Y-maze. The development of the dendrites and spines of the cerebrocortical
      neurons seemed to take place to some degree after shunting, but normal spine
      density could not be restored. Also suggested was a possible relationship between
      learning disability and a decrease in spine density, i.e., impairment of
      synaptogenesis.

PMID- 1878866
TI  - Spontaneously healed vein of Galen aneurysms. Clinical radiological features.
AB  - Vein of Galen aneurysms demonstrate a high tendency to thrombose, as extensive
      thrombophlebitis of the dural sinuses and deep venous system occurs frequently.
      This may be explained by the frequent detection of venous anomalies and retention
      of embryonic venous patterns such as the median prosencephalic vein. Twenty-one
      cases were reviewed (19 from the literature, 2 of our own cases): no typical
      syndrome for thrombosed aneurysm of the vein of Galen could be found; therefore,
      a preliminary diagnosis of clotted vein of Galen aneurysm was made in only half
      the cases. In all the remaining ones, pineal or III ventricle masses were
      suspected. Nevertheless, crescentic rimlike calcifications in the region of the
      vein of Galen can be found in 50% of cases. Only in half of the cases did
      angiography demonstrate the malformation filled by contrast medium, while in the
      remaining cases not only the aneurysm but also the deep Galenic venous system
      failed to opacify. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance scans demonstrated
      masses with high density/intensity values, with varying degrees of calcification.
      Knowledge of this pathological entity is important in order to avoid unnecessary
      surgical procedures.

PMID- 1878867
TI  - Cerebral cavernous malformations (cavernomas) in the pediatric age-group.
AB  - Cavernomas are vascular malformations composed of a compact mass of sinusoidal
      type vessels that are immediately contiguous with one another and have no
      intervening parenchyma. Cavernous malformations were previously held to be a rare
      pathology occurring predominantly in adults. New neuroradiological techniques
      such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      demonstrate, on the contrary, that these lesions are also more frequent during
      childhood than was previously thought. In our institution we observed 17 cases of
      cavernous malformations in patients aged between 18 months and 16 years, 16 of
      whom were diagnosed after 1982. In 4 of these cases there was a documented
      familial history; in 2 multiple malformations were present. The most common site
      was the subcortical frontal region, but in 1 case the malformation was located in
      the pineal region. The most frequent (in 12 cases) initial symptom was
      hemorrhage, with the characteristics of an intracerebral hematoma. In 4 cases the
      initial symptom consisted of epileptic fits and 2 of these patients subsequently
      suffered hemorrhage. In one case the symptoms observed were those of an expansile
      process. All our patients underwent cerebral angiography and only in 1 case did
      this show a vascular abnormality. CT, performed in 16 patients, gave positive
      results in all cases. MRI, performed in 12 patients, gave highly significant
      images in all cases. Radical surgical removal of the malformation was performed
      in 15 of the 17 patients, and the results can be considered excellent in the
      majority of cases. Cavernous malformations are, therefore, more frequent lesions
      than had previously been thought, especially in pediatric patients.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878868
TI  - Ocular complications of head injury in children.
AB  - Ocular complications occurred in 28% of children with head injury. Neuro
      ophthalmological lesions made up one-third of these complications, mostly
      involved the optic nerve, and were associated with other focal neurological signs
      more frequently than non-neural ocular complications. Lesions of the posterior
      visual pathways were rare but tended to be permanent.

PMID- 1878869
TI  - Intracranial tumors of the first year of life. A cooperative survey of the 1986
      1987 Education Committee of the ISPN.
AB  - The introduction of new diagnostic tools for neuroimaging has resulted in the
      early recognition of congenital brain tumors. In the present report the authors
      describe an International Multicenter Series of 886 children with brain tumor, in
      whom the diagnosis was obtained during the first 12 months of life. Most of the
      tumors were located within the supratentorial compartment. In spite of a
      relatively high operative mortality, surgery still appears to be the more
      effective therapy. Radiotherapy in this age group is of little value due to the
      vulnerability of the infantile brain. At the present time, the use of
      chemotherapy is still controversial.

PMID- 1878870
TI  - Cerebral hydatid cysts in children.
AB  - Twelve children with intracranial cysts of Echinococcus granulosus underwent
      surgery during a period of 5 years and constituted 19% of all children operated
      on for intracranial space-occupying lesions. The more common symptoms were raised
      intracranial pressure (8 cases) and hemiparesis (7 cases). The total number of
      procedures was 14, with a standard craniotomy approach in 13. In 6 the cysts were
      removed without puncture or rupture, in 5 puncture and drainage were carried out
      before removal of capsule, and in 3 the cyst ruptured accidentally. Recurrence of
      multiple cysts occurred in 1 case and another patient was reoperated on twice for
      recurrent cysts after an operation in another center. There was no mortality. Non
      bacterial meningitis occurred in 2 cases. Although drainage of the cyst contents
      greatly facilitates removal, it also carries a risk of contamination; thus a
      traditional approach via a large craniotomy seems to be the safest choice.

PMID- 1878871
TI  - Posterior fossa cysts: clinical, neuroradiological and surgical features.
AB  - Various types of neuroimaging investigations were performed in 26 patients with
      posterior fossa cysts. The results were retrospectively analyzed to facilitate
      differential diagnosis and clarify indications for surgery. Four major findings
      were obtained in this study. First, posterior fossa intra-arachnoid cysts were
      encountered more frequently than expected and were found to be surgically
      treatable. Second, although IV ventricular cysts were categorized as Dandy-Walker
      malformation, Dandy-Walker variant, and persistent Blake's pouch in this study,
      the distinctions of neuroimaging findings between these three types are
      uncertain. Third, the diagnostic criteria for mega cisterna magna were
      established, and it was found to be a surgically untreatable condition. Finally,
      in cases with the following neuroimaging findings, surgery appears to be
      indicated: (1) occipital bossing or petrosal scalloping with distortion or
      obliteration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cisterns of the posterior fossa; (2)
      compression and deformity of the brain surrounding the cyst; (3) radioisotope
      and/or computed tomography cisternographic findings suggestive of disturbance of
      intracystic CSF circulation; (4) a non-communicating cyst.

PMID- 1878872
TI  - Posterior fossa cysts: supratentorial shunt placement with ultrasound guidance.

PMID- 1878873
TI  - Burkitt's lymphoma: an unusual cause of childhood paraplegia.
AB  - In this paper we present two paraspinal Burkitt's lymphomas, with paraplegia.
      This entity is very rare in our country. In the evaluation of a paraplegic child,
      we believe that Burkitt's lymphoma should always be kept in mind.

PMID- 1878875
TI  - Nuclear Overhauser effects and the flexibility of saccharides: methyl beta
      xylobioside.
AB  - The behavior of methyl beta-xylobioside has been analysed by 1H-n.m.r.
      spectroscopy for solutions in water and methanol in the range - 15 degrees to 85
      degrees. Experimental n.O.e. values did not change with temperature and solvent
      in contrast to the inter-glycosidic 3JC,H values. Experimental n.O.e. data
      accorded with the values calculated from time-averaged cross-relaxation terms.
      The tumbling times were determined from relaxation data and were in the sub-ns
      range.

PMID- 1878874
TI  - Primary intracranial extradural Burkitt-type lymphoma. A unique presentation with
      unilateral loss of vision in a child.
AB  - An unusual case of primary extranodal Burkitt's-type lymphoma of the frontal base
      dura and adjacent bone with intradural invasion is reported in a 5-year-old child
      who presented with unilateral loss of vision in the left eye. Tissue diagnosis
      was obtained through a craniotomy and the patient received radiotherapy plus
      intravenous and intrathecal chemotherapy. The tumor regression and improvement in
      vision was well documented by means of CT and visual evoked potential studies
      (VEP). A review of the literature on this exceptionally rare tumor is presented.

PMID- 1878876
TI  - Partial purification of esterases from rabbit serum and their use in
      regioselective deacylations of sugars.
AB  - 14C-Labelled methyl 2,6-di-O-pivaloyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside was used as a
      substrate for the detection of esterase activity in the isolation of esterase II
      from rabbit serum. On treatment of methyl 2,6-di-O-pivaloyl-alpha-D
      glucopyranoside with rabbit serum and esterase II, the 6-O-pivaloyl group was
      removed selectively. Likewise, the 6-O-pivaloyl group was removed selectively
      from methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3,4,6-tri-O-pivaloyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside.

PMID- 1878877
TI  - Synthesis and n.m.r. analysis of branched trisaccharide and pentasaccharide
      haptens of the beta-hemolytic streptococci group A and the preparation of
      synthetic antigens.
AB  - The synthesis of branched trisaccharide and pentasaccharide portions of the cell
      wall polysaccharide of the beta-hemolytic Streptococci Group A is described. The
      key dissaccharide acceptors, allyl or 8-(methoxycarbonyl)ocytol 3-O-(3,4,6-tri-O
      benzyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-4-O -benzyl - alpha-L
      rhamnopyranoside, in conjunction with a selectively blocked alpha-L
      rhamnopyranosyl chloride under Koenigs-Knorr conditions, afforded the branched
      trisaccharides in 81 and 62% yield, respectively. Analogously, glycosylation of
      the 8-(methoxycarbonyl)octyl disaccharide with a protected beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1---
      3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1----3)-alpha-L-Rhap chloride gave the pentasaccharide in 43%
      yield. The key disaccharide acceptors were obtained, in turn, from the allyl or 8
      (methoxycarbonyl)octyl rhamnoside acceptors and 3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2
      phthalimido-beta-D-glucopyranosyl chloride under Koenigs-Knorr conditions. The
      latter glycosyl donor has not been described previously. Removal of the
      protecting groups afforded the trisaccharide haptens as their 1-propyl and 8
      (methoxycarbonyl)octyl glycosides and the pentasaccharide as its 8
      (methoxycarbonyl)octyl glycoside. The compounds have been subjected to detailed
      analysis by two-dimensional n.m.r. methods. Preparation of the synthetic antigens
      followed coupling of the 8-(methoxycarbonyl)octyl glycosides to bovine serum
      albumin via the acyl azide intermediates.

PMID- 1878878
TI  - Deoxygenated and alkylated furanoses: Thorpe-Ingold effects on tautomeric
      equilibria and rates of anomerization.
AB  - 2-Deoxy-D-glycero-tetrose, 3-deoxy-DL-glycero-tetrose, 3-deoxy-3,3-di-C-methyl-DL
      glycero-tetrose, 3-C-methyl-DL-erythrose, 3-C-methyl-DL-threose, 2-deoxy-5-O
      methyl-D-erythro-pentose and 3-deoxy-5-O-methyl-D-erythro-pentose have been
      prepared, in some cases with 13C-substitution at the anomeric carbon, and
      characterized by 1H-(300 and 620 MHz) and 13C-n.m.r. (75 MHz) spectroscopy. The
      proportions of cyclic (alpha and beta furanoses) and acyclic (aldehyde and
      hydrate) forms were determined in aqueous (2H2O) solution, and ring-opening
      (kopen) and ring-closing (kclose) rate constants were measured by 1H and 13C
      saturation-transfer n.m.r. spectroscopy at p2H 5.0 (acetate buffer) and 60
      degrees. The degree of furanose ring substitution was found to significantly
      affect both the thermodynamics and kinetics of furanose anomerization. Increased
      substitution enhances the proportion of cyclic forms in solution by stimulating
      furanose kclose. In contrast, furanose kopen was less affected by the degree of
      substitution; however, kinetic studies of 2-deoxyfuranose anomerization implicate
      furanose ring conformation as a potential determinant of kopen.

PMID- 1878879
TI  - Synthesis of 3'-deoxy-3'-fluorokanamycin A and 3',4'-dideoxy-3'-fluorokanamycin
      A.
AB  - 3'-Deoxy-3'-fluorokanamycin A (14) has been prepared by condensation of 6-azido
      2,4-di-O-benzyl-3,6-dideoxy-3-fluoro-alpha-D-glucopyranlsyl++ + bromide (8) and 6
      O-(2-O-acetyl-4,6-O-cyclohexylidene-3-deoxy- 3-tosylamino-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)
      2-deoxy-1,3-di-N-tosylstre ptamine (10). Compound 8 was obtained from 3-deoxy-3
      fluoro-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-D-glucofuranose in seven steps. 3',4'-Dideoxy
      3'-fluorokanamycin A (22) has been prepared from 12 through selective 4'
      chlorodeoxygenation, a key reaction. Both 14 and 22 were more active than 3'
      deoxykanamycin A against both sensitive and resistant bacteria.

PMID- 1878880
TI  - Structural studies of the extracellular polysaccharide elaborated by Azotobacter
      vinelandii strain 1484.
AB  - The structure of the extracellular polysaccharide from Azotobacter vinelandii
      strain 1484 has been investigated, specific degradations and n.m.r. spectroscopy
      being the main methods used. It is concluded that the polysaccharide is composed
      of tetrasaccharide repeating-units having the following structure, [sequence: see
      text] in which Sug is 3-deoxy-D-threo-hexulosonic acid. The polysaccharide also
      contains a non-stoichiometric amount of O-acetyl groups, distributed over at
      least two positions.

PMID- 1878881
TI  - Structural features of the cell-wall polysaccharides of Asparagus officinalis
      seeds.
AB  - The fine structure of a beta-)1----4)-linked glucomannan from Asparagus
      officinalis has been determined by n.m.r. analysis of the oligosaccharides
      obtained by acidic and enzymic hydrolyses. Cleavage of the glucomannan with beta
      D-mannase from Aspergillus niger and purification by h.p.l.c. gave
      oligosaccharide fractions that contained Man (mannose), GlcMan (beta
      glucopyranosylmannose), Man2, Glc2Man, and Glc3Man as the major components.
      Simulated digestion of a polymer composed of randomly distributed monomers with
      the same Glc:Man ratio as glucomannan from A. officinalis led to the same
      polysaccharides. The random distribution of the monomers of glucomannan from A.
      officinalis was corroborated by the diffraction diagram of the raw flour, which
      indicated that the "in situ" glucomannan was amorphous, whereas both cellulose
      and mannans are crystalline.

PMID- 1878882
TI  - Chemical methods for the analysis of sulphated galactans from red algae.
AB  - Methods are reported that facilitate the structural characterization of complex
      sulphated galactans of the red algae. Two procedures have been developed for the
      production of alditol acetates from carrageenans and agaroids. Both procedures
      generate 3,6-anhydrogalactitol acetate from the easily destroyed 3,6
      anhydrogalactosyl residues in near quantitative yield. The "double hydrolysis
      reduction" method involves preliminary hydrolysis under conditions sufficient to
      cleave all of the 3,6-anhydrogalactosidic bonds, but mild enough to avoid
      significant further degradation. The "reductive hydrolysis" method uses the acid
      stable 4-methylmorpholine-borane to reduce the 3,6-anhydrogalactose end groups as
      they are released during acid hydrolysis. An alditol acetate sample can be
      prepared from a polysaccharide in a single tube, ready for g.l.c. analysis, in
      less than 2.5 h, i.e. more quickly than by any previous procedure. Problems
      associated with incomplete methylation of sulphated carrageenans and agaroids by
      the Hakomori procedure have been overcome by first converting the sulphated
      polysaccharide into its triethylammonium salt form. The reductive hydrolysis
      method is effective for the production of partially methylated alditol acetates
      from the methylated polysaccharides, enabling the rapid determination of the
      substitution pattern of these polysaccharides. These improved analytical methods
      have been applied successfully to kappa-, iota-, and lambda-carrageenans, as well
      as some agars.

PMID- 1878883
TI  - Sulfation of some chemically-modified heparins. Formation of a 3-sulfate analog
      of heparin.
AB  - A modified form of heparin containing residues of nonsulfated alpha-L
      idopyranosyluronic acid (7) in place of the normal 2-sulfate (1) was sulfated
      with sulfur trioxide-trimethylamine in dimethylformamide at 0 and 25 degrees.
      Examination of the reaction products by n.m.r. spectroscopy showed that sulfation
      occurred selectively at C-3 of residue 7, to give a new polymer that may be
      described as a 3-sulfate analog of heparin. A slower substitution reaction led
      subsequently to sulfation at C-3 of 2-deoxy-2-sulfamino-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl 6
      sulfate residues (2), although this was accompanied by partial N-desulfation of
      2. An analogous pattern of O-sulfation-N-desulfation was observed for the
      residues of 2 in two other modified heparins, one containing residues of 2,3
      anhydro-alpha-L-gulopyranosyluronic acid and the other residues of alpha-L
      galactopyranosyluronic acid, in place of residues of 1. The galacto diastereomer
      exhibited relatively low regioselectivity, as it was found to be sulfated at C-2
      or C-2.3, or both. Selective resulfation of free amino groups gave the products
      that were examined for anticoagulant activity and susceptibility to enzymolysis
      by heparinase. Antithrombin-binding affinity measurements were also carried out.
      Although none of the materials had significant anti-Xa activity, nor were they
      affected by heparinase, their patterns of binding to antithrombinagarose were not
      dissimilar to that of heparin.

PMID- 1878884
TI  - A short synthesis of 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-azido-2-deoxy-beta-D- glucopyranose
      and the corresponding alpha-glucosyl chloride from D-mannose.

PMID- 1878885
TI  - Structural analysis of a second acidic exopolysaccharide of Rhizobium meliloti
      that can function in alfalfa root nodule invasion.

PMID- 1878886
TI  - Vibrational Raman optical activity of carbohydrates.
AB  - Vibrational Raman optical activity (R.o.a.) spectra of a range of carbohydrates
      in aqueous solution, measured in back-scattering between 700 and 1500 cm-1, are
      presented. Features were revealed that appear to be characteristic of details of
      the stereochemistry. Effects associated with the glycosidic linkage in di- and
      oligo-saccharides are prominent.

PMID- 1878887
TI  - The structure of bergenin.
AB  - X-ray analysis of the 3,4,8,10,11-penta-acetate (3) of bergenin has confirmed the
      earlier structural assignments.

PMID- 1878888
TI  - Hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure of the tetrasaccharide stachyose
      hydrate: a 1:1 complex of two conformers.
AB  - The crystal structure of stachyose hydrate, O-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----6)-O
      alpha-D-galactopyrano- syl-(1----6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl beta-D
      fructofuranoside tetrahydrate, has been refined using X-ray data at 119 K. The
      crystal structure is a 1:1 complex of conformers which differ in the
      fructofuranosyl and glucopyranosyl residues. Each conformer has an associated
      hydrogen-bond structure which includes different sites for the water molecules.
      When superimposed in the crystal, this gives rise to two sites of 0.5 occupancy
      for one carbon and one oxygen atom of the fructofuranose component, and for three
      oxygen atoms of the glucopyranose component. The corresponding three carbon atoms
      of the glucopyranose component have anomalous thermal motion parameters. The four
      water molecules are distributed over nine sites, six with occupancy 0.5, two with
      occupancy 0.4, and one with occupancy 0.2. Four of the water sites are associated
      with one conformer, and four with the other. The hydrogen bonding includes
      infinite chains which are linked to form irregular ribbons, extending in the
      direction of the alpha axis. All hydroxyl, ring, and linkage oxygen atoms are
      involved in the hydrogen bonding, which includes two-centered, three-centered,
      and four-centered hydrogen bonds.

PMID- 1878889
TI  - Differences between the catabolism and tumour distribution of intact monoclonal
      antibody (791T/36) and its Fab/c fragment in mice with tumour xenografts revealed
      by the use of a residualizing radiolabel (dilactitol-125I-tyramine) and
      autoradiography.
AB  - Radioiodine-labelled 791T/36 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and its Fab/c fragment,
      consisting of one Fab arm and the Fc portion, have identical whole-body survival
      curves in BALB/c mice (t1/2 = 3.75 days). Therefore, these two forms of this
      antibody provide a suitable model for studying the role of valency in the
      targeting efficiency of antibodies to tumours in vivo. 791/T36 antibody and its
      Fab/c fragment were labelled either by direct iodination using the iodogen method
      (125I) or by dilactitol-125I-tyramine (125I-DLT), a residualizing label, which
      accumulates in the cells involved in degradation of the carrier protein. In
      tumour-bearing nude mice, the percentage of injected dose of mAb or Fab/c
      fragment reaching the specific 791T tumour was similar, and these proteins
      appeared to be catabolized at a similar rate in this tissue. mAb, but not the
      Fab/c fragment, was found to be very actively catabolized by the liver and spleen
      of tumour-bearing mice compared to control nude mice, this probably resulting
      from clearance of immune complexes. This effect was most pronounced when the mAb
      was labelled with 125I-DLT, the percentage of injected dose of mAb reaching the
      spleen and liver being higher than the percentage of injected dose reaching the
      tumour. This effect was not seen with the Fab/c fragment. Autoradiographic
      studies on tumour sections, which exhibit antigenic sites throughout the tumour
      mass, showed that the Fab/c fragment was already homogeneously distributed in the
      tumour 12 h after injection whereas the whole antibody was mainly localized at
      the periphery of the tumour. Those results suggest a "binding site barrier"
      effect. Overall, these results indicate that the highest valency and affinity may
      not be the optimal choice for mAb to be used for therapeutic purposes.

PMID- 1878890
TI  - Adriamycin(hydrazone)-antibody conjugates require internalization and
      intracellular acid hydrolysis for antitumor activity.
AB  - Adriamycin hydrazone (ADM-Hzn) immunoconjugates have previously been shown to
      exhibit antibody-directed antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. In this
      report, the biological and biochemical properties of the mAb and linker were
      investigated. Conjugates prepared with two antibodies 5E9 [anti-(transferrin
      receptor)] and G28.1 (anti-CD37), (which internalize from the surface of target
      cells following binding) were more cytotoxic in vitro and had greater antitumor
      activity against Daudi B lymphoma tumor xenografts than a non-internalizing
      immunoconjugate prepared with mAb 2H7 (anti-CD20). In addition, the 13
      acylhydrazone bond linking the drug to the mAb was labile at pH 5 and released
      unmodified ADM at a rapid rate (t1/2 = 2.5 h). Immunoconjugates prepared with an
      oxime linkage at the C-13 position were stable to acid and were not cytotoxic.
      These findings suggest that internalization of ADM-Hzn immunoconjugates and
      release of free ADM from the mAb in acidic intracellular compartments were
      important steps in the mechanism of action of ADM-Hzn immunoconjugates.

PMID- 1878891
TI  - In situ activation of mouse macrophages and therapy of spontaneous renal cell
      cancer metastasis by liposomes containing the lipopeptide CGP 31362.
AB  - We determined whether the intravenous administration of multilamellar vesicle
      liposomes (MLV) containing a lipopeptide analogue of a fragment from the cell
      wall of gram-negative bacteria (CGP 31362) can render BALB/c mouse alveolar
      macrophages tumoricidal in situ and reduce the incidence of spontaneous lung
      metastasis of syngeneic renal carcinoma (RENCA) cells. Alveolar macrophages (a)
      incubated in vitro with MLV containing CGP 31362 (MLV-31362) and (b) harvested
      from mice injected i.v. with MLV-31362 were rendered cytotoxic against the RENCA
      cells. Maximum cytotoxic activity of the macrophages was induced by injecting 5
      mumol MLV consisting of 250 mg phospholipids and 0.5 mg CGP 31362. The single
      i.v. injection of 5 mumol MLV-31362 produced activation of macrophages that
      lasted for up to 4 days. Repeated i.v. injections of MLV-31362 produced a
      continuous antitumor activity in alveolar macrophages. To study the lipopeptide's
      effects on metastasis, we injected the left kidneys of BALB/c mice with RENCA
      cells. The kidney with growing tumor was resected 10 days later and, after a
      further 2 days, groups of mice were injected i.v. with MLV-31362 or with MLV-HBSS
      (twice weekly for 3 weeks). Treatment with MLV-31362 significantly decreased the
      median number of spontaneous lung metastases. These data demonstrate that the
      systemic administration of MLV-31362 can activate murine lung macrophages in situ
      and reduce the incidence of spontaneous RENCA lung metastases.

PMID- 1878892
TI  - Cytotoxic activity and phenotypic characteristics of lymphocyte subsets after
      therapy of cancer patients with interleukin-2.
AB  - After a 5-day period of continuous intravenous infusion of recombinant
      interleukin 2 (rIL-2) in seven patients with malignant melanoma or gastric or
      pancreatic cancer, different lymphocyte subsets were separated from patients'
      blood and tested ex vivo for cytotoxic activity against various tumour cell
      lines. Lytic activity was mediated by CD3+CD56+, CD3-CD56+, CD3-CD2+ and
      CD8+CD56+ lymphocytes. No cytotoxic activity could be observed within the
      CD3+CD56-, CD3+CD2+ or CD4+ T cell subsets. To characterize CD56+ cytotoxic cells
      further, the expression of other antigens on this population was analysed before
      and after IL-2 therapy. CD3, CD4, CD16 and CD57 antigens were weakly expressed,
      and the IL-2 receptor (CD25) was not detectable on these cells either before and
      after treatment with IL-2. In contrast, increased expression of CD2. CD8 and HLA
      DR antigens occurred following therapy. The divergence of CD3 and CD8 antigen
      expression after IL-2 therapy was caused by an increase in CD3-CD8+ cells,
      detectable as a low-density CD8+ subset. This study shows that cytotoxic activity
      of in vivo IL-2-activated killer cells is predominantly, but not exclusively,
      mediated by CD3-CD56+ lymphocytes, partially coexpressing the CD8 antigen and
      lacking the expression of CD16 antigens.

PMID- 1878894
TI  - Presence of activated lymphocytes in the urine of patients with superficial
      bladder cancer after intravesical immunotherapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin.
AB  - To study the mode of action of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
      immunotherapy in the prevention and cure of superficial bladder cancer, flow
      cytofluorometric analysis of the cellular immunological reaction in the urine of
      patients was performed. Fresh urine-derived leucocytes were obtained from eight
      patients before (t0) and 24 h (t24) and 48 h (t48) after repeated intravesical
      BCG instillations (at least 5 instillations). For two patients urine-derived
      leucocytes were investigated at the first BCG instillation. The number of
      leucocytes in the urine was markedly increased 24 h after repeated BCG
      instillations, indicating a local cellular immunological reaction induced by BCG.
      The mean number of cells per milliliter of urine at that time was 2.9 x 10(6) +/-
      3.6 x 10(6) (n = 8). These leucocytes consisted mainly of granulocytes (75 +/-
      11%, n = 8). In addition monocytes/macrophages (4 +/- 2%, n = 8) and T
      lymphocytes were present (1 +/- 1%, n = 5). The relative increase of
      monocytes/macrophages in the urine after BCG application tended to be higher
      compared to the other leucocyte subtypes. As T lymphocytes may play an important
      role in the BCG-mediated anti-tumour activity, subsets of lymphocytes were
      further characterized at t0, t24, and t48 after repeated BCG instillations. The
      lymphocyte population consisted mainly of T cells (86% CD3+, t0). Most of the T
      cells were CD4+ (helper/inducer) and were significantly decreased at 48 h (62 +/-
      9% at t0 vs 49 +/- 6% at t48). Lymphocytes partly expressed HLA-DR antigens (44%,
      t0). The percentage of lymphocytes with interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors (CD25+)
      was significantly increased at 24 h and 48 h, compared to pre-instillation values
      (19 +/- 11% and 10 +/- 4% vs 3 +/- 3% respectively). Natural killer cells (CD16+
      and/or CD56+) and B cells (CD19+) were less numerous (10% and 19% at t0
      respectively). After the first BCG instillation the increase in the number of
      leucocytes in urine seemed to be less compared to the numbers after repeated BCG
      instillations. Lymphocytes could not be detected in the urine collected before or
      after the first BCG instillation. In conclusion, we demonstrated the presence of
      considerable numbers of leucocytes in the urine 24 h after repeated BCG
      instillations, i.e. shortly after immunological activation. The antigen
      expression of the lymphocytes suggested that they may represent the lymphocytes
      in the bladder wall. Expression of HLA-DR and IL-2 receptors on lymphocytes
      indicated activation of T cells by the intravesical BCG treatment.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1878893
TI  - Prospective assessment of the role of five tumour markers in breast cancer.
AB  - Retrospective analysis previously identified significant elevation of five tumour
      markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), ferritin, orosomucoid. C-reactive
      protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), in patients with systemic
      breast cancer and showed that changes in each of these markers individually
      correlated significantly with therapeutic response. In this study we have
      prospectively tested these findings. None of the five markers was significantly
      elevated in primary breast cancer compared to normal control or benign breast
      disease groups. They therefore appear to have no role either in screening or in
      the differential diagnosis of breast cancer. There was a significant elevation of
      all five markers in patients with systemic breast cancer (P less than 0.0001:
      analysis of variance) but sequential changes in CEA and ESR only correlated
      significantly with the UICC-assessed response. Prospective confirmation of the
      correlation between changes in serum CEA and ESR provides the basis for using
      these markers in the assessment of response to therapy in patients with systemic
      breast cancer.

PMID- 1878895
TI  - Lymphocyte activation in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. Evidence for the
      presence of myeloblast antigen?
AB  - A group of 27 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), 15 with active disease
      and 12 in complete remission, were investigated for evidence of T cell
      activation. The parameters of T cell activation measured were the serum levels of
      soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), soluble CD4 (sCD4) and soluble CD8
      (sCD8) molecules and the proportions of T cells expressing the cytotoxicity
      linked cytoplasmic serine esterase. All patients studied with active disease had
      elevated sIL-2R and sCD8 molecules and an elevated proportion of T cells
      expressing serine esterase. Patients studied in complete remission also had
      elevated sIL-2R. sCD8 and serine-esterase-positive T cells, but values were lower
      than those studied in active disease. These patients were all studied in the
      absence of any ongoing or recent infection or exposure to homologous blood
      products, either of which could potentially affect these parameters. In the
      absence of any obvious alternative cause, we suggest these data indicate that AML
      leukaemia blast cells may be immunogenic and lead to the activation of cytotoxic
      T cells.

PMID- 1878897
TI  - Thrombolytic therapy: state of the art.

PMID- 1878896
TI  - Effect of advanced aging on ability of mice to cause regression of an immunogenic
      lymphoma in response to immunotherapy based on depletion of suppressor T cells.
AB  - This study shows that two therapeutic agents, anti-CD4 mAb and vinblastine,
      capable of causing T-cell-mediated regression of an established L5178Y lymphoma
      in 3-month-old mice, are incapable of causing regression of this tumor in 20- to
      22-month-old mice. It is known that both agents are immunoaugmentative because of
      their ability to destroy tumor-induced CD4+ suppressor T cells preferentially.
      Therefore, the results indicate, that aged mice, unlike young mice, are not
      capable of generating therapeutic numbers of CD8+ effector T cells in the absence
      of suppressor cells.

PMID- 1878898
TI  - [Blood acceleration is the principal factor in coronary flow increase during
      exercise test].
AB  - Continuous wave Doppler evaluation of the blood flow velocity in the internal
      mammary artery anastomosed to the left anterior descending coronary artery is a
      technique for assessing human coronary flow that shows a good reproducibility and
      lower change in Doppler angle between resting and supine exercise conditions. In
      this study the reciprocal changes which occur in coronary blood flow, coronary
      stroke volume, coronary resistance and blood pressure have been studied. During
      supine exercise coronary stroke volume remains constant and the increase of blood
      cells acceleration is necessary to have the shortening of cardiac cycle. This
      parameter is inversely dependent on the coronary resistances and directly
      dependent on blood pressure. As a consequence it plays the main role in
      increasing coronary blood flow during exercise.

PMID- 1878899
TI  - [Value of serial exercise tests after coronary angioplasty in relation to
      extension of heart disease and the degree of revascularization].
AB  - With the aim of investigating the functional result of the coronary angioplasty
      (PTCA) and verifying the predictive value of the exercise test for detecting
      restenosis, 165 patients who underwent successful PTCA were evaluated through
      exercise stress tests performed 10, 75 and 165 days after PTCA and through
      coronary angiography performed 5 to 6 months after PTCA. The percentage of
      negative tests and the rate-pressure product (RPP) increased significantly with
      respect to the tests performed before PTCA, both in patients with single-vessel
      and those with multivessel disease. Maximal ST segment depression and ST/HR were
      significantly reduced only in patients with complete revascularization. The
      percentage of positive tests 10 days after PTCA was lower in patients with single
      vessel than in those with multivessel disease (2.5% versus 10.8%) and, of the
      latter, in patients with complete rather than incomplete revascularization (0%
      versus 13.5%). In patients with complete revascularization, the mean exercise
      time rose significantly (703 s versus 538 s). The percentage of positive tests
      increased progressively with time, in accordance with probable increasing
      restenosis. In comparison with the results of angiography, sensitivity of the
      exercise stress test proved to be poor (59%), especially in patients with single
      vessel disease (45%), while the specificity was very high (98%). The predictive
      value of a negative test was 77% in patients with multi-vessel and 87% in
      patients with single-vessel disease. The predictive value of a positive test was
      over 90% in both groups of patients.

PMID- 1878900
TI  - [Echocardiographic and cardioangiographic evaluation of non-Q infarction with
      isolated stenosis of the anterior descending artery].
AB  - We studied with two-dimensional echocardiography and coronary angiography 2
      groups of patients with one-vessel stenosis located on anterior descending (IVA)
      and previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI; means 19 days): 23 patients with
      spontaneous non-Q infarction (Group I), and 23 patients with Q infarction (Group
      II). Left ventricular function was better in Group I (echo score: 2.04 +/- 2.64,
      angiographic ejection fraction: 65.65 +/- 9.7 in Group I, echo score: 4.78 +/-
      3.14, angiographic ejection fraction: 49.47 +/- 9.1 in Group II, p less than
      0.001). Percent occlusion of IVA was lower in Group I and angiographic IVA
      caliper was significantly higher (p less than 0.05). Differences between groups
      were much more evident in subgroups with proximal stenosis of IVA: patients of
      non-Q subgroup had very good left ventricular function but frequently had post
      IMA unstable angina (78%). Our results underline usefulness of aggressive
      diagnostic and therapeutic approach in non-Q AMI, because of higher amount of
      myocardial a risk.

PMID- 1878901
TI  - [Syndrome of multiple cholesterol embolism after parenteral streptokinase therapy
      of acute myocardial infarct: description of an autopsy case].
AB  - Syndrome caused by multiple cholesterol embolism can be seen as a complication in
      patients affected by acute myocardial infarction, treated with streptokinase
      thrombolytic therapy. Fragments of atheromatous plaques may embolize and occlude
      arterial vessels in different organs. Only the histological examination can give
      a reliable diagnosis, because symptomatology changes according to different
      localization of the emboli. An emblem case of this pathology observed by the
      Authors is described in this article.

PMID- 1878902
TI  - [Primary pulmonary hypertension: a review].

PMID- 1878903
TI  - [Radiography of a congress and significance of a society].

PMID- 1878905
TI  - Scanning electron microscopy of intrahepatic microvasculature casts following
      experimental hepatic artery embolization.
AB  - The initial site of occlusion of the intrahepatic microvasculature in rats
      following hepatic artery embolization was studied by scanning electron microscopy
      of microvasculature casts. The rats were divided into four groups: embolization
      with gelatin powder (n = 3), polyvinyl alcohol (n = 3, 125-150 microns), gelatin
      sponge (n = 3, 212-250 microns), and ionized oil. Not only the hepatic arteries
      but also vessels in the peribiliary plexus were occluded. However, the size of
      the hepatic arteries and vessels of the peribiliary plexus occluded correlated
      with the size of the embolic material, except in the case of the gelatin powder
      which occluded vessels smaller than the particle size.

PMID- 1878904
TI  - Percutaneous abscess and fluid drainage: a critical review.
AB  - Pertinent radiologic and surgical literature regarding abscess drainage was
      reviewed. Noted is the heterogeneity of disorders categorized as abscesses, and
      the variety of therapeutic approaches presently available. Specific abscesses are
      discussed based on body location and/or associated organ system.

PMID- 1878906
TI  - Ferromagnetism and magnetic resonance artifacts of platinum embolization
      microcoils.
AB  - We performed in vitro tests of ferromagnetism of platinum microcoils of two
      manufacturers. In addition, we performed in vitro magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) on these two devices to determine their levels of magnetic susceptibility
      artifact production. We found that both devices were nonferromagnetic and
      produced a very low level of artifact during MRI. In vivo MRI of a dog and 2
      patients having previous placement of platinum microcoils was performed without
      coil migration or significant artifact production. Platinum microcoils are highly
      MR-compatible.

PMID- 1878907
TI  - Aneurysm formation in distal saphenous vein bypass grafts as a cause of graft
      failure.
AB  - Aneurysms of a reversed saphenous vein femoropopliteal bypass graft developed in
      two patients. In both patients, the aneurysm led to thrombosis and occlusion of
      the graft. One graft was reopened by intraarterial thrombolysis followed by local
      graft revision; the other required complete regrafting. This uncommon cause of
      graft occlusion should be considered before thrombolysis.

PMID- 1878908
TI  - Percutaneous reconstruction of the aortic bifurcation with Palmaz stents: case
      report.

PMID- 1878909
TI  - Embolization of an intraparotid false aneurysm of the external carotid artery:
      case report.
AB  - A case of posttraumatic false aneurysm of the terminal part of the main external
      carotid artery involving the entire parotid gland is presented. Embolization with
      two microcoils allowed immediate thrombosis of the false aneurysm. The lumen of
      the external carotid artery remained open. Facial paralysis resolved. The
      atypical clinical presentation and the therapeutic steps in such a case are
      described.

PMID- 1878910
TI  - Embolic control of lumbar artery hemorrhage complicating percutaneous renal
      biopsy with a 3-F coaxial catheter system: case report.
AB  - A case is presented in which massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage from the left
      first lumbar artery complicating a percutaneous renal biopsy was successfully
      controlled by superselective embolization with microcoils. An anterior
      radiculomedullary artery (artery of Adamkiewicz) originated from the lumbar
      artery. To minimize the risk of ischemic damage to the spinal cord from
      embolization, the extravasating branch of the lumbar artery had to be
      superselectively catheterized using a 3-F coaxial catheter system. Computed
      tomography (CT) scan localized the hematoma within the left posterior pararenal
      space in the retroperitoneal space.

PMID- 1878911
TI  - Cystic artery pseudoaneurysm: a rare cause of hemobilia.
AB  - Gallstone-induced cystic artery pseudoaneurysm is a rarely encountered cause of
      hemobilia. A few reports have appeared in the radiologic literature. We report
      such a case as a reminder of its uncommon occurrence.

PMID- 1878912
TI  - Intermittent hydronephrosis as a cause of a false-negative pressure-flow study.
AB  - A case is reported of a negative pressure-flow study in a patient with
      intermittent hydronephrosis. This is the first known report of a properly
      performed pressure-flow study failing to diagnose obstruction due to the
      intermittent nature of the obstruction itself. This case also supports the
      concept that the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) can be intrinsically normal in
      patients with intermittent hydronephrosis secondary to a crossing renal vessel.
      It also reaffirms the need to study these patients while they are symptomatic.

PMID- 1878913
TI  - Angiodysplasia associated with Meckel's diverticulum: case report.

PMID- 1878914
TI  - A device for CT-guided needle punctures: technical note.
AB  - A device is presented to increase placement accuracy and to reduce localization
      scans during CT-guided biopsies. The device provides an accurate anticipation of
      the needle path by external radiopaque landmarks.

PMID- 1878915
TI  - Effects of fluoride, lithium, and strontium on growth and acid production of
      mutants streptococci and Actinomyces viscosus.
AB  - Eight strains of mutants streptococci and two strains of Actinomyces viscosus
      were studied to determine (1) their relative sensitivities to fluoride, lithium,
      and strontium and (2) whether lithium or strontium interact to enhance the known
      antimicrobial effects of fluoride. Analyses of variance of the data revealed a
      major inhibition of growth and acid production by fluoride, but not by lithium or
      strontium. Fluoride (5 mg/l) inhibited cell growth of all strains tested by a
      mean of 17% and total titratable acid production by a mean of 31%. However, there
      were marked differences between the strains. Mean total titratable acid was
      inhibited by fluoride least with the A. viscosus strains (15%) and most with the
      mutans streptococci (34%). Although interactions among the elements were
      statistically significant, they were generally slight in magnitude.

PMID- 1878916
TI  - Interactions of sanguinarine and zinc on oral streptococci and Actinomyces
      species.
AB  - Sanguinaria extract, which contains benzophenanthridine alkaloids, has been used
      as a folk medicine for many years. Minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal
      concentrations (MIC and MBC values) for sanguinarine were determined for common
      and etiologically important plaque bacteria. Because the efficacy of sanguinarine
      is believed to be enhanced by zinc, isobolograms were assessed to determine their
      mode(s) of interaction. Hydrogen ion concentration influenced the inhibitory
      activity of both sanguinarine and zinc. For sanguinarine, at the optimum pH
      (6.5), MIC values were 4 or 8 micrograms/ml for Streptococcus mutans,
      Streptococcus sobrinus, Streptococcus sanguis, Actinomyces viscosus and
      Actinomyces naeslundii. MIC values were 0.125-0.50 mmol Zn/ml. MBC values ranged
      from 1 to 8 mmol Zn/ml at pH 5.5. Isobologram data revealed that sanguinarine and
      zinc interacted synergistically. Viadent oral rinse, which contained 300
      micrograms sanguinaria extract/ml and 0.2% zinc chloride (14.9 mmol Zn/l), was
      inhibitory to all strains tested. MIC values were 1 or 2% (ml Viadent oral
      rinse/100 ml aqueous solution) for all strains except A. viscosus for which the
      MIC value was 12% (vol/vol).

PMID- 1878917
TI  - A computer program designed for the analysis of data from rat caries studies.
AB  - The Keyes method for scoring dental caries in the rat animal model has been used
      as the basis for a computer-assisted scoring system on the Apple Macintosh
      personal computer that is described here. The program provides the ability to
      draw on diagrams of the rat molar dentition and to enter enamel lesion scores (L,
      E) and dentinal lesion scores (Ds, Dm, and Dx) for all aspects of the molars. The
      scores and drawings may be changed at any time. Total carious teeth and totals of
      L, E, Ds, Dm, and Dx are automatically calculated and presented upon user
      command. Error trapping for typographical errors is provided. In addition, the
      program provides automatic storage of the collected information, searching and
      sorting on any of the experimental parameters and on-disk help files that can be
      accessed from any place within the program. The capacity to obtain printed copy
      of any or all of the stored information is provided in the program. The program
      also enables the creation of external data files containing totals for carious
      teeth, in addition to L, E, Ds, Dm, and Dx totals for each animal of each group
      represented in the data base. These files are suitable for the transfer of data
      to commercially available programs for graphical and statistical analyses. The
      programming technique we describe could be extended to other model systems with
      standardized scoring for oral disease.

PMID- 1878918
TI  - Extracellular administration of lactate dehydrogenase and its effects on human
      plaque pH and acid anion concentrations.
AB  - The effect of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) on human plaque pH and acid anion
      concentrations in vivo was investigated. Rinsing with sucrose solutions
      supplemented with LDH (1 or 2 U/ml) gave rise to reduced pH fall, decreased cH
      area and an increase in the mean minimum pH when compared with rinsing with
      sucrose only (p less than 0.05). Mean acid anion estimations showed that plaque
      fluid concentrations of lactate, acetate and proprionate significantly decrease
      (p less than 0.05) following rinsing with sucrose containing LDH at both levels
      and decreases in succinate when 1 U/ml LDH was present, whereas formate
      concentrations were only significantly lower when 2 U/ml LDH was added to sucrose
      rinses. It is thought that the ability of LDH to produce an alteration in the
      acid end-products of plaque metabolism may provide some protection against dental
      caries.

PMID- 1878919
TI  - Oral sugar clearance in children compared with adults.
AB  - The aim of the present investigation was to study oral sugar clearance of various
      types of foodstuffs in children of different ages in comparison with adults.
      Thirty children and 20 adults were selected constituting five groups, each
      containing 10 individuals: 3-, 7-, 15-years-olds and adults, all with normal
      salivary secretion rate, and adults with low salivary secretion rate (dry mouth
      patients). Oral sugar clearance was studied using three glucose-containing
      products: solution, tablet and biscuit. Repeated saliva samples were collected
      every other minute, between 1 and 11 min after the intake, with a convenient
      method suitable for very young children. For that purpose, a small circular paper
      disc, absorbing approximately 20 microliters of saliva, was placed under the
      tongue for 10 s. The glucose concentration of the samples was then analyzed
      enzymatically. The results showed that, in children, the oral sugar clearance
      became faster with increasing age. The adults and the 15-year-olds had similar
      patterns of clearance, while the dry mouth patients had the slowest oral
      clearance of all groups. The 3- and 7-year-olds showed the greatest variation in
      oral clearance between the various foodstuffs; the solution had faster clearance
      than both the biscuit and the tablet. The main conclusion from this study is that
      young children (3- and 7-year-olds) have both slower salivary sugar clearance and
      larger variation in clearance among various foodstuffs than older children and
      adults.

PMID- 1878920
TI  - Effect of different fluoride levels in dentifrice on the development of
      approximal caries.
AB  - The development of approximal carious lesions was monitored on annual bite-wing
      radiographs obtained from 315 children, participating in a controlled dentifrice
      trial; 157 of these children had used a dentifrice containing 250 ppm F and 158 a
      dentifrice containing 1,000 ppm F (both as NaF) during a 3-year period as the
      sole fluoride supplement. The total number of surfaces recorded was 6,099 at the
      baseline and 7,358 at the final examination. In the 250-ppm F group 393
      approximal lesions (297 in the outer half, 96 in the inner half of the enamel)
      and in the 1,000-ppm F group 399 lesions (319 and 80, respectively) were
      diagnosed at the baseline examination. After 3 years the fraction of sound
      surfaces had decreased from 79% at baseline in both groups to 54% in the low-F
      group and to 58% in the high-F group. Concurrently, the relative number of enamel
      lesions had increased from 13% in both groups to 26% in the low-F group and 24%
      in the high-F group. 66% of the surfaces in the low-F group and 60% in the high-F
      group remained sound, and the relative proportion of static enamel lesions was 26
      and 28%, respectively. The differences did not reach statistical significance.
      The results imply that higher fluoride levels in the dentifrice are more
      effective in retarding the initiation of caries, while they do not differ with
      respect to the progression of radiographically detectable approximal carious
      lesions.

PMID- 1878921
TI  - Ornithine decarboxylase immunoreactivity in the pituitary gland. A comparative
      lightmicroscopical study.
AB  - In the present study efforts are made to localize ornithine decarboxylase enzyme
      protein--the key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis--in the adenohypophysis of
      different vertebrates by means of immunocytochemistry. The antigenic expression
      of ornithine decarboxylase was revealed in the pituitary of the clawed frog
      (Xenopus laevis D.), but not in rat and human adenohypophysis. The
      immunocytochemical results are compared with the staining pattern of the periodic
      acid-Schiff-reaction. No correlation between these results and the
      immunocytochemically obtained data has been found. Conclusions are drawn from the
      location of the enzyme and possible phylogenetic and humoral regulation
      mechanism.

PMID- 1878922
TI  - Comparative study of the lethal effects of near-UV light (360 nm) and 8
      methoxypsoralen plus near-UV on plasmid DNA.
AB  - We have studied the lethality produced on pBR322 by near-UV radiation and by 8
      Methoxypsoralen plus near-UV (PUV treatment). Samples of pBR322 DNA were
      irradiated with increasing fluences of 360 nm-light either in the absence or
      presence of 400 molecules of 8-Methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) per plasmid molecule. We
      have estimated to what extent the global lethality of PUVA treatment is due to
      the presence of psoralen adducts in DNA or to radiation itself. In order to
      analyse the involvement of DNA repair mechanisms in the removal of plasmid
      lesions, several strains of E. coli (differing in their repair capacities) were
      used as recipients of the treated plasmids. Results showed that excision and
      recombination participate in the repair of near-UV-induced plasmid lesions.
      Repair of PUV-induced lesions showed an even greater requirement of the excision
      pathway. Besides, a slight increase on plasmid mutation frequencies was observed
      after near-UV or PUV treatment in wild type and uvrA cells. Estimation of the
      contribution of 8-MOP to the global lethality of PUV treatment showed that only
      the excision pathway was involved in removing psoralen adducts from plasmid DNA,
      suggesting the involvement of the recombinational pathway in the repair of near
      UV-derived lesions.

PMID- 1878923
TI  - Presence of meprobamate-like molecules in rat neuromuscular junction.
      Immunohistochemical demonstration at light- and electron-microscopic levels.
AB  - The localization of meprobamate-like (MPB-like) molecules in the neuromuscular
      junction of rats has been investigated at light- and electron- microscopic levels
      with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immunohistochemical method, using a
      purified antiserum obtained from rabbits immunized with a meprobamate-bovine
      serum albumin (MPB-BSA) conjugate. The immunoreaction was found surrounding
      synaptic vesicles and in protuberant deposits situated in the post-synaptic
      membrane. These facts suggest the existence of endogenous MPB-like molecules in
      neuromuscular junction and that the immunostained protuberant deposits should
      mark the receptors of those molecules.

PMID- 1878924
TI  - X-ray microanalysis of cerium in mouse spleen cells demonstrating acid
      phosphatase activity using high voltage electron microscope.
AB  - An X-ray microanalytical study was carried out on mouse spleen cells
      demonstrating acid phosphatase (AcP-A) activity, using cerium (Ce) as the capture
      agent at different accelerating voltages. The enzyme reaction products were
      localized in the lysosomes and appeared dense and homogeneous. The presence of
      cerium was confirmed by X-ray microanalysis. The main spectral line of cerium was
      present at La = 4.84 keV. The result showed that the X-ray count of Ce and the
      background (B) decreased significantly with increasing accelerating voltage
      between 100 and 400 kV. The change was more pronounced between 100 and 200 kV and
      thereafter, minimal change was noted. Consequently, the computed P/B ratio
      increased appreciably with increasing accelerating voltage. Thus, significant P/B
      ratio in X-ray microanalysis of biological specimens could be achieved by using a
      medium voltage transmission analytical electron microscope at accelerating
      voltage between 300 and 400 kV.

PMID- 1878925
TI  - Ultrastructural analysis of asialoglycoprotein receptor mediated endocytosis in
      cultured newborn hepatocytes.
AB  - We examined the receptor-mediated endocytosis of asialoglycoproteins in thick
      sections of cultured hepatocytes of newborn rats by high voltage electron
      microscope. The organelles involved in endocytosis are revealed ultrastructurally
      using colloidal gold particles coupled to lactosylated bovine serum albumin.
      Keeping the cells at 4 degrees C the marker binds to the cell surface showing
      microvilli, and is not internalized. Increasing the temperature to 37 degrees C,
      we observed that within 5-15 min. the marker enters the intracellular endocytic
      organelles close to the cell surface. After 60 min. the marker is found in the
      larger and deeper endocytic organelles and in large lisosome-like vesicles. We
      find that the process of endocytosis in newborn cultured hepatocytes is similar
      to that found in cultured cells of adult rats, but the process of internalization
      is slower.

PMID- 1878926
TI  - Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein subunits (alpha and beta) in
      dorsal root ganglia of the rat.
AB  - The distribution of S-100 protein and their subunits (alpha and beta) in lumbar
      dorsal root ganglia of adult rat was investigated immunohistochemically using
      monoclonal antibodies against the S-100 protein, alpha-subunit and beta-subunit
      of S-100 protein. The conventional S-100 protein antibody stained both neurons
      (large and intermediate in size; 20.3% and 41 +/- 3.2 microns of diameter) and
      glial cells (satellite cells and Schwann cells). The immunoreaction for the alpha
      subunit was observed in the perikarya of some large and intermediate sized
      neurons (17.2%, 45.6 +/- 6.1 microns of diameter), satellite cells and Schwann
      cells, whereas the beta-subunit immunoreactivity was found principally in glial
      cells, and in a scarce number of large and intermediate sized neurons (2.8%, 43.3
      +/- 5 microns of diameter) Our results demonstrate that a subpopulation of large
      and intermediate sized neurons of lumbar DRG contain alpha- and beta-subunits of
      S-100 protein, being alpha-subunit predominant. Furthermore, the satellite glial
      and Schwann cells contain also the two subunits but mainly beta-subunit. These
      data confirm previous studies about the presence of S-100 protein in neurons of
      the central and peripheral nervous system.

PMID- 1878927
TI  - Discrepancy between biochemical normalization and morphological recovery of
      jejunal mucosa during postischemic reperfusion in presence of the xanthine
      oxidase inhibitor oxypurinol.
AB  - An increased formation of oxygen free radicals in the reperfused rat small
      intestine is concluded from accumulations of oxidized glutathione, of
      thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and of 4-hydroxynonenal. Xanthine oxidase
      inhibition prevented these biochemical changes. The histological and
      electronmicroscopic studies of intestinal sucosa showed significant structural
      deteriorations already at the end of the ischemic period obviously due to
      disturbances of cellular energy metabolism. The extent of dosage was increased
      during the reperfusion without qualitative changes of the pattern of structural
      dosage. The beneficial effects of oxypurinol on biochemical criteria which
      occurred already in the early phase of reperfusion were not reflected in
      significant morphological differences within the first hour of reperfusion.
      Differences of morphological findings between oxypurinol-treated and untreated
      animals could be observed after longer periods of reperfusion--during the
      regeneration of the tissue.

PMID- 1878928
TI  - Experimental changes in the amount of maternally stored ribosomes affect the
      translation efficiency of ribosomal protein mRNA in Xenopus embryo.
AB  - The amount of maternal free ribosomes in developing Xenopus embryos has been
      experimentally modified; an increase was obtained by microinjection of purified
      ribosomes into fertilized eggs, and a decrease was induced by treatment with a
      drug which reduces the amount of free ribosomes. The effect of this manipulation
      on the partition of the ribosomal protein mRNA (rp-mRNA) was analyzed during
      embryo development; it was observed that when ribosomes available for translation
      are in excess, polysome loading with rp-mRNA decreases. Conversely, when
      ribosomes are scarce, polysome loading of rp-mRNA increases. These experiments,
      which artificially stress events observed in the course of development, indicate
      that there is a relationship between the availability of ribosomes in the cells
      and the utilization of rp-mRNA for synthesis of ribosomal proteins, as already
      suggested by previous observations on r-protein synthesis during embryogenesis.

PMID- 1878929
TI  - Changing ultrastructure of thyrotrophs in the rat anterior pituitary after
      thyroidectomy as studied by immuno-electron microscopy and enzyme cytochemistry.
AB  - The characteristic ultrastructure of thyrotrophs of the rat anterior pituitary
      was observed by immuno-electron microscopy and enzyme cytochemistry with
      increasing time after thyroidectomy (TX). The rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
      became dilated, the intracisternal granules reacted to serum raised against
      thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) around 21 days after TX, and lysosomes and
      peculiar structures with positive acid phosphatase activity were present. The
      administration of thyroxine (T4) to the thyroidectomized rats resulted in the
      reformation of secretory granules, a reduction of dilated cisternae of rough ER
      and the activation of the lysosomal systems. Morphological features indicating
      that the TX-cells might be derived from growth hormone (GH) cells or cells other
      than TSH cells, previously suggested by some researchers, were not recognized in
      the present study. The amount of serum and pituitary TSH was measured by
      radioimmunoassay (RIA), and correlated well with the morphological changes. These
      results indicate that the TX-cells are hypertrophied hyperfunctioning TSH cells
      that have been affected by the lack of negative feedback of thyroid hormone.

PMID- 1878930
TI  - Localization of hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase-synthesizing cells in bovine
      epithalamus: immunocytochemistry and in-situ hybridization.
AB  - Hydroxyindole O-methyltransferase (HIOMT)-immunoreactive cells and melatonin
      synthesis were demonstrated in bovine epithalamus (including the pineal gland)
      with monoclonal antibodies and cRNA probes to HIOMT. The HIOMT-immunoreactive
      product was present in the cytoplasm of pinealocytes. All identifiable
      pinealocytes were clearly labeled in the pineal gland. The expression of the
      HIOMT gene was first identified in pinealocyte cytoplasm by in-situ hybridization
      (ISH). The distribution of the hybridization-positive cells in the pineal gland
      was compatible with that revealed by immunocytochemistry using the monoclonal
      antibody to HIOMT. In addition, HIOMT transcripts were found in the medial
      habenular nucleus, and the habenular and posterior commissure; they may
      correspond to S-antigen-immunoreactive cells demonstrated in the same regions of
      the hamster and the mouse. In these regions, the hybridization-positive cells did
      not exhibit HIOMT-immunoreactivity; thus, cells devoid of immunoreactivity may
      synthesize but rapidly transport the newly synthesized proteins. These results
      indicate (1) that the conversion of N-acetylserotonin into melatonin takes place
      in the cytoplasm of pinealocytes, (2) that some epithalamic cells in the
      habenular area may synthesize melatonin, and (3) that melatonin may act as a
      chemical messenger in centrally directed processes, as shown by using S-antigen
      immunocytochemistry.

PMID- 1878932
TI  - Pentosome--a new connective tissue component--is a subunit of amyloid P.
AB  - A new minute connective tissue structure, referred to as "pentosome", has been
      investigated by electron microscopy and its nature has been examined by
      immunoperoxidase tests. Pentosomes are 3.5-nm wide, particulate structures that
      have been observed in the posterior chamber of the eye, the connective tissue
      spaces of the mouse foot-pad and the matrix of the mouse EHS tumor. They are
      usually found in the vicinity of microfibrils whether they are free or associated
      with elastic fibers. They tend to be organized into groups forming a three
      dimensional semi-crystalline lattice at 10-nm intervals, but are connected by
      fine filaments. At high magnification, pentosomes appear as hollow structures
      composed of two parallel pentagons, which respectively measure 2.7 and 3.5 nm,
      and are held together by a cross-bar. A series of immunoperoxidase tests has only
      shown antigenicity against a serum protein, the amyloid P component. However,
      pentosomes are only about one-third the size of the 8.5-nm wide, disk-like
      segments of the amyloid P molecule. Since they could be subunits of these
      molecules, such subunits were prepared and compared with pentosomes; they
      appeared to be identical. It is concluded that the pentosomes found in connective
      tissue are AP subunits.

PMID- 1878931
TI  - Chicken cardiac myofibrillogenesis studied with antibodies specific for titin and
      the muscle and nonmuscle isoforms of actin and tropomyosin.
AB  - Myofibrillogenesis was studied in cultured chick cardiomyocytes using indirect
      immunofluorescence microscopy and antibodies against alpha- and gamma-actin,
      muscle and nonmuscle tropomyosin, muscle myosin, and titin. Initially,
      cardiomyocytes, devoid of myofibrils, developed variable numbers of stress fiber
      like structures with uniform staining for anti-muscle and nonmuscle actin and
      tropomyosin, and diffuse, weak staining with anti-titin. Anti-myosin labeled
      bundles of filaments that exhibited variable degrees of association with the
      stress fiber-like structures. Myofibrillogenesis occurred with a progressive, and
      generally simultaneous, longitudinal reorganization of stress fiber-like
      structures to form primitive sarcomeric units. Titin appeared to attain its
      mature pattern before the other major contractile proteins. Changes in the
      staining patterns of actin, tropomyosin, and myosin as myofibrils matured were
      interpreted as due to longitudinal filament alignment occurring before ordering
      in the axial direction. Non-muscle actin and tropomyosin were found with
      sarcomeric periodicity in the initial stages of sarcomere myofibrillogenesis,
      although their staining patterns were not identical. The localization of the
      "sarcomeric" proteins alpha-actin and muscle tropomyosin in stress fiber-like
      structures and the incorporation of non-muscle proteins in the initial stages of
      sarcomere organization bring into question the meaning of "sarcomeric" proteins
      in regard to myofibrillogenesis.

PMID- 1878933
TI  - Cytoskeletal filaments in embryonic chick myocardial cells as revealed by the
      quick-freeze deep-etch method combined with immunocytochemistry.
AB  - The three-dimensional organization of cytoskeletal filaments associated with the
      myofibrils and sarcolemma of the myocardial cells of early chick embryos was
      studied by the rapid-freeze deep-etch method combined with immunocytochemistry.
      In the endoplasmic region of saponin-treated myocardial cells, 12-14 nm filaments
      formed a loose network surrounding nascent myofibrils. These 12-14 nm filaments
      attached to the myofibrils and some of them converged into Z disc regions. In the
      non-junctional cytocortical region thinner 8-11 nm filaments composed a dense
      network just beneath the sarcolemma. In myofibril terminating regions at the
      sarcolemma, i.e., the fascia adherens, 3-5 nm cross-bridges were observed among
      the thin filaments. In Triton-permeabilized and myosin subfragment 1 (S1)-
      treated samples, subsarcolemmal 8-11 nm filaments proved to be S1-decorated actin
      filaments under which there was a loose network of S1-undecorated filaments.
      Subsarcolemmal S1-decorated actin filaments had mixed polarity and attached to
      the sarcolemma at one end. A loose network of S1-undecorated filaments among
      myofibrils in the endoplasmic region was revealed to consist of desmin-containing
      intermediate filaments after immuno-gold staining for desmin. These networks
      connecting myofibrils with sarcolemma were assumed to play an important role in
      integrating and transmitting the contractile force of individual myofibrils
      within early embryonic myocardial cells.

PMID- 1878935
TI  - Maturation-related changes in mass and elemental contents of secretory granules
      as measured by electron-microprobe.
AB  - The relationship between granule density, protein content, and Ca and S contents
      were studied in two secretory granule fractions, from parotid glands of the rat,
      previously shown to constitute different stages in granule maturation. The
      density of the lighter fraction was between 1.133 and 1.142 g/ml, while that of
      the heavier fraction was greater than 1.142 g/ml. The mean protein content of the
      denser granules was 12% greater than that of the lighter granules (P less than
      0.03), while the dry-mass elemental concentrations in the two granule fractions
      were unchanged. These results indicate that protein is added to granules during
      the maturation process (presumably by vesicular traffic), and that the resulting
      increase in granule density is not driven simply by decrease in water content
      and/or increased concentrations of inorganic Ca or S in the granules. The
      elemental concentration values also indicate that the diffusible elements
      permeate the granule membrane during the fractionation procedures.

PMID- 1878934
TI  - Patterns of mineralization in vitro.
AB  - Various patterns of mineralization are found in the organism during fetal and
      postnatal development. Different findings and theories have been published in the
      literature with regard to the mechanisms of mineralization, many of which are
      controversely discussed. In the present study the different patterns of
      mineralization observed in the organoid culture system of fetal rat calvarial
      cells were investigated by electron microscopy. In organoid culture, calvarial
      cells grow and differentiate at high density, and deposition of osteoid and
      mineralization of the matrix occur to a very high extent. Different types of
      mineralization could be observed more or less simultaneously. It was found that
      hydroxyapatite crystals were formed at collagen fibrils as well as in the
      interfibrillar space. Mineralization was frequently seen in necrotic cells and
      cellular remnants as well as in extra- and intracellular vesicles. Addition of
      bone or dentin matrices or the artificial hydroxyapatite Interpore 200 to the
      cells caused an increased mineralization in the vicinity and on the surface of
      the matrices with and without participation of collagen. On previously formed
      mineralized nodules, an apposition of mineralizing material appeared due to
      matrix secretion by osteoblasts. It is concluded that initiation of
      mineralization occurs--at least in vitro--at every nucleation point under
      appropriate conditions. These mineralization foci enlarge by further apposition
      as well as by cellular secretion of a mineralizing matrix. Furthermore, cell
      necroses may liberate mineralizable vesicles. All these patterns of
      mineralization are the result of different activities of one cell type.

PMID- 1878936
TI  - Immunoreactive Tamm-Horsfall protein in the kidney and skin of the frog Rana
      temporaria.
AB  - Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is the main protein in normal human urine, and is
      found in the thick limb of the Loop of Henle in human kidney, and in other
      mammalian species. The skin of the frog. Rana temporaria, has similar
      physiological properties to this mammalian kidney tissue. In the present study,
      an immunohistological method involving an antibody to human THP was used to
      investigate the distribution of this distinctive protein in frog kidney and skin,
      and to compare its distribution with that found in the kidney tubules of rat and
      rabbit. THP-positive material was detected in the distal renal tubules and
      nephric duct of frogs, and was also located in the superficial epidermis of skin.
      It is suggested that its presence in amphibian skin is consistent with the
      hypothesis that THP is an important component of tissues that absorb sodium and
      chloride ions, but remain impermeable to water.

PMID- 1878937
TI  - Dissociation of photoreceptor cells from the pineal organ of the lamprey,
      Lampetra japonica.
AB  - Photoreceptor cells, nerve cells and supporting cells were dissociated from the
      pineal organ of the river lamprey, Lampetra japonica, by the use of 10 U/ml
      papain solution at 28 degrees C for 20 min, followed by repeated trituration.
      With the aid of Nomarski interference-contrast optics, photoreceptor cells, nerve
      cells and supporting cells were readily identified. Electron-microscopic
      examination revealed that isolated photoreceptor cells display an outer segment
      endowed with a few lamellar disks and connected to the inner segment (ellipsoid)
      via a connecting cilium. The structural features of the dissociated photoreceptor
      and supporting cells strongly resemble the morphology of the respective cellular
      elements in situ. We succeeded in culturing dissociated cells for time periods up
      to 48 h when the procedure described in detail was applied.

PMID- 1878938
TI  - Calcium content and concretions of pineal glands of young and old rats. A
      scanning and X-ray microanalytical study.
AB  - Calcium content and pineal concretions were studied in young (2-3 months) and old
      (28 months) Wistar rats. Samples, deep-frozen by liquid propane isopentane and
      freeze-dried were analysed by means of X-ray microanalysis in a scanning electron
      microscope. Total semi-quantitative measurements revealed that pineals of old
      rats showed a marked increase of calcium compared with the pineals of young rats.
      It is thus suggested that a calcium-rich environment is responsible for the
      growth of pineal concretions, which only appear in old rats. Pineal
      calcifications in rats could thus be an indicator of aging and/or of a
      degenerating state.

PMID- 1878939
TI  - The fine structure of lamellate cells in the brain of amphioxus (Branchiostoma
      lanceolatum, Cephalochordata).
AB  - The lamellate cells of amphioxus have round nuclei, and cytoplasm with many
      mitochondria and a large amount of glycogen. Each of these cells projects a
      highly modified, branched cilium into the central canal, where it
      characteristically forms lamellar structures. Primary branches and secondary
      lamellae often contain accessory microtubules that are not derived from the
      axonema. The functional and evolutionary significance of this cell type is
      discussed in relation to the ciliary photoreceptors found in other chordates.

PMID- 1878940
TI  - Calretinin and calbindin in the retina of the developing chick.
AB  - Calretinin and calbindin-D28k are two calcium-binding proteins that are present
      in largely different sets of nerve cells in the central nervous system. Their
      appearance during development of the chick retina was studied by
      immunohistochemistry and Western blots. The patterns are mature one day before
      hatching. Each cell type acquires its characteristic calcium-binding protein
      several days after its differentiation has started, but in most cases before
      morphological maturation is complete. There is also an early phase of calbindin
      immunoreactivity in many immature amacrine cells, and of calretinin
      immunoreactivity in the presumptive photoreceptor layer, suggesting that these
      proteins may have distinct functions in differentiating cells.

PMID- 1878941
TI  - Clusters of nerve cell bodies enclosed within a common connective tissue envelope
      in the spinal ganglia of the lizard and rat.
AB  - A careful search for groups of nerve cell bodies enclosed within a common
      connective envelope was made in the spinal ganglia of the lizard and rat using a
      serial-section technique. Nerve cell bodies sharing a common connective envelope
      were found to be more common in the lizard (9.4%) than in the rat (5.6%). These
      nerve cell bodies were arranged in pairs, or, less frequently, in groups of
      three. At times, they appeared to be in immediate contact, with no intervening
      satellite cells; at others, they remained separated from one another by a
      satellite cell sheet. The clusters of nerve cell bodies enclosed within a common
      connective envelope probably result from the arrest of developmental processes in
      the spinal ganglion. It is possible that, as a result of the cell arrangement
      here described, certain neurons electrically influence other sensory neurons at
      the level of the ganglion.

PMID- 1878942
TI  - Ultrastructural study of a cytoplasmic bridge connecting a pair of erythroblasts
      in mice.
AB  - A unique cytoplasmic connection between erythroblasts was studied by electron
      microscopy in mouse hemopoietic tissues (fetal liver, fetal and neonatal spleen
      and adult bone marrow). Many pairs of interphase erythroblasts were connected by
      a "cytoplasmic bridge" that was very thin and sometimes long in comparison with
      telophase bridges. The stage of maturation of the cells in a pair was similar.
      Small numbers of microtubules ran along the cytoplasmic bridge; a mid-body was
      not seen. The plasma membrane at approximately the middle of the bridge bulged to
      form a ring-shaped ridge filled with dense amorphous substances; this was called
      a "bulging ring." Thus, the cytoplasmic bridge between erythroblasts did not
      morphologically correspond to the telophase bridge in the usual cytokinesis.
      Cytoplasmic bridges were observed in various differentiating stages of
      erythroblasts, whereas other cell types of the hemopoietic lineage did not have
      such a bridge. The cytoplasmic bridge is unique to erythroblasts and provides an
      evidence for the atypical cytokinesis of the erythroblastic lineage.

PMID- 1878944
TI  - Islets of preadipocytes highly committed to differentiation in cultures of
      adherent rat adipocytes. Light- and electron-microscopic observations.
AB  - Cultures of adherent mature adipocytes, obtained from collagenase-digests of
      adipose tissue of the rat, invariably contain rapidly proliferating, fibroblast
      like cells despite the washing and centrifugation procedures employed during
      isolation of the fat cells. Such spindle-like cells originate from low-density
      structures, which we term "islets", that are present, together with the mature
      adipocytes, in the floating layer of the digest of adipose tissue. Islets are
      found in preparations from adult (3-4 months old) as well as aging (17-24 months
      old) rats. By light- and electron microscopy, the islets appear as clusters of
      closely associated cells containing a variable amount of lipid-like material.
      Cells of endothelial or pericytic origin are also present in the islets. Within a
      few hours of culture, the islets give rise to those spindle-like cells that have
      been seen to proliferate in the cultures. By 36-48 hours, such cells begin to
      accumulate lipid droplets and, by 150 hours, assume the morphology of small
      mature adipocytes (diameter 20-35 microns) with a large central lipid droplet.
      The pattern of differentiation of these cells recalls that of preadipocytes
      derived from the stromal-vascular fraction of adipose tissue digests.
      Nonetheless, the extent and rapidity of their adipose conversion, as well as the
      culture conditions necessary for differentiation, are different and suggest that
      these cells are a substantially uniform subpopulation of adipocyte-precursor
      cells highly committed to differentiation.

PMID- 1878943
TI  - Immunoreactivities for chromogranin A and B, and secretogranin II in the guinea
      pig entero-endocrine system: cellular distributions and intercellular
      heterogeneities.
AB  - The family of the chromogranin/secretogranin proteins consists of three major
      subtypes: chromogranin A (CgA), chromogranin B (CgB) and secretogranin II (SgII).
      These proteins are present in various endocrine cells and organs. Using
      immunohistochemistry on serial semithin sections, we have investigated ten
      endocrine cell types of the guinea pig gastro-intestinal tract for their content
      of chromogranin/secretogranin proteins. The gastrin cell was the only cell type
      containing immunoreactivities for all three chromogranin subtypes. The majority
      of entero-endocrine cells showed immunoreactivities for CgA and SgII.
      Somatostatin cells lacked immunoreactivities for any of the chromogranins.
      Moreover, the densities of the corresponding immunoreactivities varied among the
      different endocrine cell types or even among endocrine cells of a given
      population. Aminergic endocrine cells (e.g., enterochromaffin and
      enterochromaffin-like cells) regularly exhibited strong immunoreactivities for
      CgA but failed to react for SgII. In peptidergic endocrine cells, the
      immunoreactivities for both CgA and SgII ranged from dense to faint. This was
      also true for CgB in gastrin cells. Hence, only CgA and SgII can be considered as
      regular constituents of entero-endocrine cells. The intercellular differences in
      immunoreactivities for all three chromogranin subtypes indicate that every
      endocrine cell has its own composition of chromogranin/secretogranin proteins.
      This may be due to differences in the regulation of biosynthesis or processing of
      the chromogranins in individual endocrine cells; this in turn might be related to
      the functional states of endocrine cells.

PMID- 1878945
TI  - Autoradiographic evidence that transport of newly synthesized neuropeptides is
      directed to release sites in the X-organ--sinus gland of Cardisoma carnifex.
AB  - Sections of isolated X-organ--sinus gland neurosecretory systems of the crab,
      Cardisoma carnifex, were studied by light- and electron microscopy with
      conventional and autoradiographic procedures. The somata only were exposed to a
      pulse of 3H-leucine (5 min-5 h) and the entire system perfused with chase medium
      for various times (1-72 h) before fixation. Within 1 h, radiolabel is
      concentrated in Golgi complexes and nascent granules of both large and small
      somata. Label is undetectable in the terminal region following a 10 h chase. It
      is found in the nerve tract near terminals at 14 h, while after a 19 h chase,
      label is concentrated in terminal profiles abutting blood sinuses of the
      neurohemal organ (sinus gland). Following a 72 h chase, label is distributed
      throughout the terminal region. Each of the six morphologically distinguishable
      terminal types shows labelling. These observations show that the vast majority of
      newly formed granules are initially transported to release sites of the perisinus
      terminals. They thus provide an explanation for previous analyses indicating that
      newly synthesized peptides are preferentially secreted.

PMID- 1878946
TI  - The three-dimensional cytoarchitecture of the interstitial tissue in the rat
      kidney.
AB  - The cytoarchitecture of the interstitial tissue of the rat kidney was studied by
      combined scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The renal interstitium is
      composed of an elaborate network of stellate sustentacular cells. In the cortex,
      sustentacular cells radiate thin branching processes to form a fine reticulum,
      which supports intertubular spaces. In the medulla, these cells extend thick
      processes horizontally along the basal surfaces of the thin limbs or vasa recta,
      reinforcing their attenuate walls. The horizontal processes connect with each
      other at their terminals, compartmentalizing the interstitial space into thin
      layers. The medullary sustentacular cells contain abundant small lipid droplets.
      The network of sustentacular cells houses vasa recta, keeping them in parallel
      position to each other and to the tubules. The arterial vasa recta are
      accompanied by pericytes, which frequently contain lipid droplets larger in size
      than those in the sustentacular cells. Venous vasa recta extend numerous basal
      microvilli, which anchor the venous wall to adjacent tubules or vessels. Numerous
      free cells, round in shape, are found in the sustentacular cell network,
      especially in the cortex. They consist of macrophages and occasional lymphocytes.
      Some macrophages extend long pseudopodia, while others make intimate contact with
      lymphocytes, suggesting their high level of activity.

PMID- 1878947
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide and opioids activate distinct populations of Mytilus edulis
      immunocytes.
AB  - Studies in Mytilus edulis have indicated that immunoregulatory activities
      comparable to those in vertebrates also exist in invertebrates. Mytilus
      immunocytes resemble cells of the vertebrate monocyte/macrophage lineage and are
      activated by similar substances. We searched for differential effects of opioids
      on these cells in comparison with those of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in order to
      determine if different subpopulations of immunoactive hemocytes are involved. We
      showed that Mytilus immunocytes respond to LPS in a fashion similar to that in
      vertebrate granulocytes by flattening, and increasing in cellular perimeter and
      mobility, that LPS administered in vivo results in a lowering of the number of
      free hemocytes that can be obtained from the animal, and that distinct
      immunoactive cell populations seem to exist since apparently different subsets of
      cells react when exposed to LPS or opioids and the opioid antagonist naloxone.

PMID- 1878948
TI  - Ontogenetic changes in the regenerative ability of chick retinal ganglion cells
      as revealed by organ explants.
AB  - Whereas mature neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) of birds lack the
      capability of regenerating axons after injury, embryonic nerve cells are able to
      do so. The time course of this decline of regenerative ability was investigated
      in ganglion cells from embryonic chick retinae. Retinal strips from 7- to 19-day
      old embryos (E7-E19) were explanted and cultured in vitro. The numbers of retinal
      ganglion cell (RGC) neurites that had extended during the first 22-23 h
      incubation, their elongation rates, and morphometric parameters of the growth
      cones were measured to characterize the regenerative behavior. We observed two
      periods of decline in neuritic growth: the first from E7 to E9, and another from
      E14 to E19. The first decrease may reflect a gradually disappearing portion of
      neurons which produced their axons de novo. The second decline coincides with the
      major period of synaptogenesis by ganglion cell axons in ovo. The time required
      for initiation of axonal outgrowth increased, accordingly, from less than 3 h in
      explants from younger retinae (E7-E16) to 10-12 h for E17 and E19 explants.
      Axonal elongation rates ranged between 36 micron/h and 56 micron/h (mean values)
      for E7-E13 explants, but were significantly lower for cells from E14-E19 retinae
      (13-21 microns/h). Morphologically, neurites and growth cones for RGC explanted
      before E17 were characterized by their high variability. They possessed more
      filopodia than mature neurons (E17, E19), fasciculated to a higher degree and
      branched more frequently. In addition, older neurites appeared "stiffer" and were
      morphologically simpler.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1878950
TI  - Ultrastructural visualization of exocytosis in the pig pineal gland.
AB  - The pinealocytes of the pig contain conspicuous dense bodies, the nature and role
      of which are not yet fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to demonstrate
      whether or not these structures are involved in the secretion process. The tannic
      acid-Ringer incubation (TARI)-method, which allows a clear-cut ultrastructural
      study of secretory discharge by exocytosis, has been used. The results indicate
      that pig pinealocytes release the content of the dense bodies with an amorphous
      inner structure into the extracellular space via exocytosis and that this
      secretion is quantitatively important. The secreted material is proteinaceous in
      nature; this indicates that polypeptides are released by the pineal.

PMID- 1878949
TI  - Effect of cytokines on thymic hematopoietic precursors. Phenotypic and electron
      microscopic study.
AB  - We have previously shown that the interaction of thymocytes with thymic accessory
      cells (macrophages and/or interdigitating cells) is one of the factors required
      for thymocyte activation. Precursors of both thymic accessory cells and
      thymocytes are included in the CD4- CD8- Mac-1- Ia- subpopulation, and their
      respective maturation and/or activation may be modulated by granulocyte
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin 1 and interleukin 2. When CD4-
      CD8- thymic cells are activated with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating
      factor plus interleukin 2, both macrophages and interdigitating-like cells are
      present, as shown by electron microscopy. When activated with interleukin 1 plus
      interleukin 2, the interdigitating-like cell is the only accessory cell present.
      In both culture conditions, large clusters are formed between interdigitating
      cells and lymphoid cells. These results have led us to propose two-step signals
      for thymocyte proliferation: first, the maturation of macrophages under
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor control and the production of
      interleukin 1, and secondly, the maturation of interdigitating cells under
      interleukin 1 control, their clustering with thymocytes which are then activated.

PMID- 1878951
TI  - Three-dimensional model of tight junction fibrils based on freeze-fracture
      images.
AB  - To study the three-dimensional structure of tight junction fibrils, the epithelia
      of the jejunum and epididymis of adult mice were examined by the freeze-fracture
      technique in unfixed and in aldehyde-fixed specimens. The fibrils have a stronger
      affinity for the protoplasmic (P) face of the lipid bilayer in fixed material,
      and for the external (E) face in unfixed and rapidly frozen material. Therefore
      we can observe the fibrils both from the outside and inside of the cell. Fibrils
      appearing on the P-face are smoothly contoured ridges and rows of hemispherical
      particles, while those appearing on the E-face are exclusively rows of
      hemispherical particles. Based on these observations, we wish to propose a new
      fibril model for the tight junction. There are two distinctive types of
      junctional elements. One type is composed of a smooth and continuous strand in
      the external view of the cell, but is studded with hemispherical bulgings in its
      internal view. This type will be referred to as the "continuous type". The other
      type is bead-like, and will be referred to as the "particle type". The relative
      proportion of these two types of elements appearing within a tight junction
      network differs among tissues.

PMID- 1878952
TI  - Distribution of anionic sites in gut tissue: an electron-microscopical study.
AB  - A new one-step incubation method using cationic gold colloid was applied to
      reveal anionic moieties in rat colonic mucosa. Gold particles were detected in
      all cellular nuclei, basement membranes, mast cell granules and collagen fibres,
      while the luminal surfaces of all vascular endothelial cells were devoid of gold
      label. Application of the method for detection of anionic domains under various
      conditions is discussed.

PMID- 1878953
TI  - [The discover of Lyme disease in Fujian Province].
AB  - By means of indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA), Borrelia burgdorferi B31
      strain was used for antigen, to detect the 2579 serum specimens from forest area
      in 9 counties of Fujian province, 47 cases in 8 counties were detected positive,
      positive rate was 1.82%. By epidemiological investigation, we found that peoples
      who infected with Lyme disease, 91.67% of them (22/24) have been bited by Ixodes,
      and 6 cases suffer typical clinical symptoms of Lyme disease, 9 cases have the
      similar or somewhat typical symptoms. We found Lyme disease could be cross
      reaction to leptospirosis, in this paper the serum specimens which Lyme disease
      and leptospirosis all positive, we were not consider them to Lyme disease for
      time being, no matter the patients may be have suffer double infection. The
      indentification of the cross-reaction between Lyme disease and leptospirosis
      should be further studied.

PMID- 1878954
TI  - [A preliminary study on the behavior of 225 drug abusers and the risk factors of
      HIV infection in Ruili county Yunnan Province].
AB  - We carried out the investigation on 225 drug abusers in L village, Ruili county
      in March 1990, and tested blood specimens of intravenous users (IVDUs) for HIV
      infection. Of 225 drug abusers, 153 (68.0%) were by inhaling and 72 (32.0%) were
      by intravenous. In the recent two years, the proportion of IVDUs in drug abusers
      sharply increased from 13.5% in 1988 to 30.5% in 1989, and 32.0% in spring 1990.
      Blood specimen were collected from 64 out of 72 IVDUs, among them 51 (79.7%) were
      HIV-positive. The findings of relation between HIV infection and drug abuse
      suggested that the sharing common syringes with others and failure of their
      sterilization were independent risk factors.

PMID- 1878955
TI  - [A case-control study of stomach cancer in Changle, Fujian Province--by the risk
      state analysis].
AB  - In order to detect the risk factors of stomach cancer in Changle county, a case
      control study was undertaken. The present paper reports on the results of risk
      state analysis. It showed that taking mildewed and heavily salty food, having bad
      eating habits, family history of tumour, less consumption of fresh vegetables,
      meat and bean products were the risk factors of stomach cancer in this county.

PMID- 1878956
TI  - [Ten-year longitudinal observation on malaria epidemiology in Shandong Province].
AB  - This paper reports the results of 10-year longitudinal observation on malaria
      epidemiology at 11 malaria surveillance stations in areas with different
      epidemiological types in Shandong province, by the blood examination of patients
      with fever, the observation of mosquito density and the malaria IFAT etc. It was
      shown that the method, through analysing the epidemic trend of malaria, could
      evaluate fairly the reliability of the comprehensive measures with particular
      emphasis on controlling the source of infection in malaria control.

PMID- 1878957
TI  - [Distribution of serotypes and biotypes of Campylobacter jejuni/coli strains from
      ten provinces/cities in China].
AB  - The Lior's schemes were used for serotyping and biotyping 301 C. jejuni/coli
      strains isolated from different hosts in ten provinces/cities of China. No
      difference was found between the serotype distributions of the strains isolated
      from various areas. Forty-one serotypes were detected. Of the isolates, 86.71%
      were typable and 3 new serotypes, LIO N-1, N-2 and N-3, were developed. The
      differences were proved among the serotype distributions of the isolates from
      different areas. It was shown that one host could be infected by two (or more)
      strains belonging to different serotypes at the same time. No association between
      a particular biotype and serotype was observed.

PMID- 1878958
TI  - [Endogenous posterior uveitis and toxoplasma infection: a case-control study].
AB  - The present study was first carried out to evaluate the effects of toxoplasma
      infections on endogenous posterior uveitis in Tian in city. In this report, 118
      cases of endogenous posterior uveitis and 236 clinical and health controls were
      studied by 1:2 pair match case-control method. The clinical controls were OPD
      patients without uveitis and the health controls were normal persons. The
      prevalence rate of toxoplasma infection in three groups were 31.4%, 11.9% and
      9.3% respectively. The differences of three groups was higher significant. The
      odds ratio (OR) of toxoplasma infection in posterior uveitis was 3.72 (2.17
      6.39). The difference of the two controlled groups was not significant. The odds
      ratio of toxoplasma infection in central exudative retinochoroiditis and
      panuveitis were 4.78 and 3.33. The toxoplasma infection was not significantly
      related to the optic retinitis. The results suggest that toxoplasma infection as
      a suspect agent of endogenous posterior uveitis.

PMID- 1878959
TI  - [Transplacental transmission of hepatitis B virus].
AB  - Thirteen fetuses from terminated pregnancies were collected. The age of gestation
      ranged from 20 to 32 weeks. Nine mothers of these fetuses were positive for
      HBsAg, 5 of them were also positive for HBeAg, HBV DNA. Four mothers were
      negative for HBsAg. DNA was extracted from fetal leukocytes, liver, heart,
      spleen, kidney, etc. HBV DNA was detected by dot hybridization. The results
      showed that HBV DNA was positive in leukocytes and liver of a fetus whose mother
      was positive for HBsAg, HBeAg. The liver HBV DNA of the fetus was about 23.1 kb
      by Southern blot. When digested by Hind II, it was about 3.2 kb 13.4 kb and 23.1
      kb. So our data might serve as an evidence of transplacental transmission of HBV
      infection. Transplacental transmission seemed to be related to serum HBsAg,
      HBeAg, HBV DNA and leukocyte HBV DNA of mother.

PMID- 1878960
TI  - [The specificity of plague antigen FI in PHA].
AB  - It were inoculate a total of the 15 type and 13 group Leptospira strains to the
      Rattus flavipetus and Rattus lose 137 rates in Lei Zhou peninsula. As the
      antisera acquired, it has been examined the lyso-agglutinative test in Leptospira
      strains. Up to standard serum it was to test for PHA of plaque, employing the
      sensitized blood cell by FI from 4 antiplague institutes. All of tests are
      negative. In addition to test for 3 immune sera, Hemorrhagic Fever antisera
      (Immunized animals Apodemus agraius, Rattus norvegicus, Mouse and Rabbit),
      anthrax antiserum, there were be negative by PHA of plague test, at same time by
      RIA test also be negative. Therefore all of the other antisera would not be
      interfering with specificity of the plague FI antiserum in PHA or RIA test.

PMID- 1878961
TI  - [Study of prevention technique of fluorosis caused by burning coal containing
      fluoride-reducing fluoride content of indoor air with the help of sesled range].
AB  - Effects of reducing fluoride content of indoor air by the Mushan improve coal
      range, and the heated bed designed and made by these authors are quantitatively
      evaluated in this paper. The result shows that only heated bed can be effective
      to prevent fluorosis caused by burning coal containing fluoride.

PMID- 1878962
TI  - [Detection of C-reactive protein in patients with epidemic cerebrospinal
      meningitis by solid phase radioimmunoassay].
AB  - A modified solid phase RIA was developed for the quantification of C-reactive
      protein in human serum and CSF. The lowest measurable amount detected by this
      method was 5 ng/ml (0.25 ng/well). The serum levels in 68 healthy blood donors
      were with in the range from 0.028-3.4 micrograms/ml, with a median value of 0.166
      micrograms/ml (mean = 1.57 micrograms/ml); whilst those in 63 patients with
      epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis were up to 520 micrograms/ml with a median
      value of 77.5 micrograms/ml (mean = 88.46 micrograms/ml). This is 400-500-fold
      higher than that of the normal. The levels of CRP in the sera collected during
      acute stage of the infection (ranged from 28.5-540 micrograms/ml, with a median
      value of 200 micrograms/ml, mean = 200.6 micrograms/ml) were 400-fold higher than
      that after recovery (ranged from 0.1-54 micrograms/ml, with a median value of
      0.53 micrograms/ml). In addition, lower levels (0.07-150 micrograms/ml, median =
      2.07 micrograms/ml) of CRP were detected in CSF. These results markedly revealed
      that the CRP reflected the characteristics of an acute phase protein in the
      infection, and would be usefull for the differential diagnosis of bacterial and
      nonbacterial meningitis, and in monitoring the clinical course of the illness.

PMID- 1878963
TI  - [Strategy of eliminating poliomyelitis worldwide].

PMID- 1878964
TI  - [Epidemiologic study of risk factors in polio--case-control study on 117 pairs.
      Zhang Rongzhen and Shandong Collaboration Group of Poliomyelitis].
AB  - In Oct. 1989 we carried on the case-control study on children with polio in a few
      years, matched with 1:1 in two districts in Shandong province. According to the
      results of data of 117 pairs condition logistic stepwise regression was analysed.
      The major risk factors on polio are: no oral poliovaccine, distance between the
      place of vaccination and the house hygiene knowledge, type of drinking and annual
      revenue of the family. It was showed in order to prevent polio, we must
      strengthen propaganda on hygiene knowledge and improve hygiene environment when
      enhancing oral polio vaccine rate increasingly.

PMID- 1878965
TI  - [Uses of analysis of bacterial DNA in epidemiological survey].

PMID- 1878966
TI  - [An epidemiological study on HIV infection in Ruili county Yunnan Province].
AB  - The study of 2530 persons in Ruili county for HIV infection showed that the high
      risk population were drug users and the wives of infected persons. The
      introvanous drug users (IVDUs) have been seriously infected by the highest rate
      of 67.98%. The sexual transmission male to female have occurred, and 2 out of 64
      wives of infected husbands (3.13%) were affected. Seventy-five Burmese were
      examined and 10 (13.3%) were positives. No positive was found in other population
      including prostitutes, waiters and waitress of hotel, doctors, clinic patients
      and blood donors etc.

PMID- 1878967
TI  - Oncogenic conversion of transcription factors by chromosomal translocations.

PMID- 1878968
TI  - Induction of epithelial tubular morphogenesis in vitro by fibroblast-derived
      soluble factors.
AB  - We have designed an in vitro system in which Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK)
      epithelial cells are cocultured in collagen gels with fibroblasts under
      conditions precluding heterocellular contact. Using this experimental approach,
      we have obtained evidence that fibroblast-derived soluble factors play a crucial
      role in the control of epithelial morphogenesis. First, MDCK cells suspended
      alone in collagen gels form spherical cysts, whereas in the presence of
      fibroblasts they form branching tubules. Second, MDCK cells grown as a monolayer
      on fibroblast-containing collagen gels invade the underlying matrix, within which
      they form a network of tubules. Third, fibroblast-conditioned medium mimics the
      effects of coculture by eliciting tubulogenesis by MDCK cells. These results
      demonstrate the involvement of diffusible paracrine factors in morphogenetic
      epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and provide a strategy for their molecular
      characterization.

PMID- 1878969
TI  - Region-specific differentiation of the hippocampal stem cell line HiB5 upon
      implantation into the developing mammalian brain.
AB  - Proliferating precursors to the distinct cell types constituting the mammalian
      brain can be identified by the presence of the nestin intermediate filament. We
      report the establishment of a nestin-positive cell line, HiB5, from embryonic
      precursor cells to the rat hippocampus. Since it was immortalized using the
      temperature-sensitive allele tsA58 of SV40 large T antigen, these cells grow
      continuously at 33 degrees C, but not at 39 degrees C, the body temperature of
      rodents. To test their developmental capacity, HiB5 cells were implanted into
      both the neonatal hippocampus and cerebellum. The cells integrated into the host
      tissue and acquired morphologies characteristic of the neurons and glial cells
      found at the implant site. HiB5 cells might thus be useful in characterizing the
      signals regulating cell type determination in the mammalian brain.

PMID- 1878970
TI  - A novel poly(A)-binding protein acts as a specificity factor in the second phase
      of messenger RNA polyadenylation.
AB  - Polyadenylation of mRNA precursors by poly(A) polymerase depends on a specificity
      factor, CPF, recognizing the polyadenylation signal AAUAAA. This paper describes
      an apparently novel poly(A)-binding protein that acts as a second specificity
      factor, mediating the recognition of the growing poly(A) tail. A transition from
      a slow initiation phase of polyadenylation to rapid elongation occurs when the
      growing tail is long enough to serve as a binding site for the poly(A)-binding
      protein. Elongation of an RNA carrying a tail of 10 or more adenylate residues
      can occur independently of CPF. A sharp decrease in the poly(A) chain growth rate
      after the addition of approximately 200 adenylate residues invites speculations
      about a role of the poly(A)-binding protein in poly(A) tail length control.

PMID- 1878971
TI  - The act cluster contains regulatory and antibiotic export genes, direct targets
      for translational control by the bldA tRNA gene of Streptomyces.
AB  - The actII region, flanked by biosynthetic genes in the 25 kb act cluster of S.
      coelicolor, consists of four open reading frames, including a transcriptional
      activator for the biosynthetic genes, and genes controlling antibiotic export. A
      TTA codon (extremely rare in Streptomyces) is present both in actII-ORF2
      (encoding a putative transmembrane export protein) and actII-ORF4 (the
      transcriptional activator gene). Change of the TTA in ORF4 to TTG reverses the
      normal interruption of actinorhodin synthesis caused by mutation in the
      pleiotropic regulatory gene bldA (which encodes the cell's tRNA(Leu)(UUA)). We
      conclude that initiation of actinorhodin synthesis via the actII-ORF4 product,
      and the final step in production, antibiotic export, are twin targets via which
      bldA exerts developmental control of actinorhodin production.

PMID- 1878972
TI  - lac repressor acts by modifying the initial transcribing complex so that it
      cannot leave the promoter.
AB  - RNA polymerase engaged in the joint complex with the lac repressor at the lac UV5
      promoter cannot escape into elongation but generates abortive RNA oligomers. The
      joint complex actively transcribes a few initial base pairs in a reaction
      unusually sensitive to a decrease in the substrate concentration. The joint
      complex, however, fails to traverse a point in the initial transcribed sequence
      that normally requires a high concentration of the elongating substrate. Thus,
      the repressor acts by augmenting a natural high "kNTP" site (pause site) embedded
      in the promoter. A lethal RNA polymerase mutation that mimics the effect of the
      repressor leads to an analogous block of promoter clearance and shortened
      abortive product pattern on several promoters, reflecting the widespread
      occurrence of high kNTP sites in promoters.

PMID- 1878973
TI  - Absence of expression of the FMR-1 gene in fragile X syndrome.
AB  - We previously reported the isolation of a gene (FMR-1) expressed in brain at the
      fragile X locus. One exon of this gene lies within an EcoRI fragment that
      exhibits length variation in fragile X patients. This exon also contains the CGG
      repeat within the CpG island hypermethylated in fragile X patients. To study the
      involvement of the FMR-1 gene in the fragile X syndrome, its expression was
      studied in lymphoblastoid cell lines and leukocytes derived from patients and
      normal controls. FMR-1 mRNA was absent in the majority of male fragile X
      patients, suggesting a close involvement of this gene in development of the
      syndrome. Normal individuals and carriers all show expression. The methylation
      status of the BssHII site at the CpG island was also studied by Southern blot
      analysis of DNA from patients, carriers, and controls. The minority of fragile X
      affected males that show expression of FMR-1 demonstrated an associated
      incomplete methylation of the BssHII site.

PMID- 1878974
TI  - The effect of size of polystyrene particles on their retention within the rat
      peritoneal compartment, and on their interaction with rat peritoneal macrophages
      in vitro.
AB  - Polystyrene particles (size range 300 nm-3 microns diameter) were radioiodinated
      and their capture by rat peritoneal macrophages measured in vitro. For unmodified
      particles, most efficient accumulation was observed using a diameter of 600 nm
      (Endocytic Index (E.I.) = 16.4 +/- 2.9 microliters/10(6) cells/h). Particles (3
      microns diameter) which had been modified to become more hydrophilic by
      hydroxymethylation showed an increased rate of capture (E.I. = 136.6 +/- 91.2
      microliters/10(6) cells/h). Following intraperitoneal administration to rats,
      unmodified 3 micron particles showed selective accumulation in the omentum (18.4%
      injected dose/g), and this was increased for the hydroxymethylated bead (35.3%
      dose/g). The smaller (800 nm) particles were better able to leave the peritoneal
      compartment. Radiolabelled particles isolated from a peritoneal wash after 5 h
      were mostly cell-associated (72-86%, depending on the type of particle).

PMID- 1878975
TI  - Microinjection of intermediate filament proteins into living cells with and
      without preexisting intermediate filament network.
AB  - Human cells grown in monolayer culture were microinjected with intermediate
      filament subunit proteins. In fibroblasts with a preexisting vimentin network,
      injected porcine glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) co-localized with the
      vimentin network within 24 hours. Phosphorylated GFAP variants were found to
      become dephosphorylated concomitantly with their incorporation into filamentous
      structures. After microinjection of either porcine GFAP or murine vimentin into
      human carcinoma cells lacking cytoplasmic intermediate filaments, we observed
      that different types of filament networks developed. Whereas vimentin was
      incorporated into short filaments immediately after injection, GFAP was found to
      aggregate into rodlike structures. This may indicate a differential filament
      forming ability of these intermediate filament proteins in vivo.

PMID- 1878976
TI  - CCCP in acidic medium and high sodium concentration causes inhibition of human
      neutrophil locomotion.

PMID- 1878977
TI  - L6 myoblast proliferation in response to muscle-derived extracts and serum from
      exercise-trained rats.
AB  - Serum and skeletal muscle-derived extracts (MDE) were bioassayed for their
      ability to promote [3H]thymidine incorporation in L6 myoblasts to determine if
      exercise-training increases mitogenic growth factor activity. Rats were trained
      by climbing a 60 cm vertical grid with progressively greater weight for 7 and 28
      days. Serum from 7 day trained rats and vastus MDE from 7 and 28 day trained
      rats, but not rectus femoris MDE, had increased mitogenic activity compared to
      serum and MDE from untrained rats. These data suggest that exercise may increase
      mitogenic growth factors in some skeletal muscles.

PMID- 1878978
TI  - Soluble glutathione transferases in the mouse hepatoma derived established BW7756
      cell line.

PMID- 1878979
TI  - Neural crest cell galvanotaxis: new data and a novel approach to the analysis of
      both galvanotaxis and chemotaxis.
AB  - The galvanotaxis response of neural crest cells that had migrated out of the
      neural tube of a 56-hr-old quail embryo onto glass coverslips was observed using
      time-lapse video microscopy. These cells exhibit a track velocity of about 7
      microns/min and actively translocate toward the negative pole of an imposed DC
      electric field. This nonrandom migration could be detected for fields as low as 7
      mV/mm (0.4 mV/cell length). We find that this directional migration is
      independent of the speed of migration and have generated a rather simple
      mathematical equation that fits these data. We find that the number of cells that
      translocate at a given angle, phi, with respect to the field is given by the
      equation N(phi) = exp(a0 + a1cos phi), where a1 is linearly proportional to the
      electric field strength for fields less than 390 mV/mm with a constant of
      proportionality equal to KG, the galvanotaxis constant. We show that KG = (150
      mV/mm)-1, and at this field strength the cellular response is approximately half
      maximal. This approach to cellular translocation data analysis is generalizable
      to other directed movements such as chemotaxis and allows the direct comparison
      of different types of directed movements This analysis requires that the response
      of every cell, rather than averages of cellular responses, is reported. Once an
      equation for N(phi) is derived, several characteristics of the cellular response
      can be determined. Specifically, we describe 1) the critical field strength (390
      mV/mm) below which the cellular response exhibits a simple, linear dependence on
      field strength (for larger field strengths, an inhibitory constant can be used to
      fit the data, suggesting that larger field strengths influence a second cellular
      target that inhibits the first); and 2) the amount of information the cell must
      obtain in order to generate the observed asymmetry in the translocation
      distribution (for a field strength of 100 mV/mm, 0.3 bits of information is
      required).

PMID- 1878980
TI  - Recent insights into the assembly, dynamics, and function of intermediate
      filament networks.

PMID- 1878981
TI  - A component of the interphase cytoskeleton is cyclically recruited into spindle
      poles during mitosis.
AB  - During the transition from interphase to mitosis, proteins are recruited into
      forming spindle poles [Leslie, Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 16:225-228, 1990].
      Antibodies which recognize these recruited components clearly label spindle poles
      during mitosis but the location and character of such proteins during interphase
      remain a mystery. Competition assays using an antibody to a recruited spindle
      pole protein show that in its disperse form the spindle pole protein is a highly
      insoluble component of the cytoskeleton which is dispersed to such an extent
      during interphase that it is difficult to identify by immunolocalization. The
      function of recruited spindle pole proteins is unknown but the
      aggregation/dispersion cycle and the antigen are highly conserved, appearing in
      sea urchin embryos and tissue culture cells.

PMID- 1878982
TI  - An automated assay for quantifying the swimming behavior of Paramecium and its
      use to study cation responses.
AB  - Paramecium tetraurelia is a ciliated protist that alters its swimming behavior in
      response to various stimuli. Like the sensory responses of many organisms, these
      responses in Paramecium show adaptation to continued stimulation. For
      quantitative studies of the initial response to stimulation, and of the time
      course of adaptation, we have developed a computerized motion analysis assay that
      can detect deviations from the normal swimming pattern in a population of cells.
      The motion of an average of ten cells was quantified during periods ranging from
      15 to 60 seconds, with a time resolution of 1/15 seconds. During normal forward
      swimming, the maximum deviation from a straight-line path was less than 17
      degrees. Path deviations above this threshold value were defined as changes in
      swimming direction. The percentage of total path time that cells spent deviating
      from forward swimming was defined as percent directional changes (PDC). This
      parameter was used to construct dose-response curves for the behavioral effects
      of various externally added cations known to induce behavioral changes and also
      to show the time course of adaptation to a depolarizing K+ stimulus. This assay
      is a valuable tool for studies of chemoeffectors or mutations that alter the
      swimming behavior of Paramecium and may also be applicable to other motile
      organisms.

PMID- 1878983
TI  - Effects of interferon-beta on the translocation rate and stationary time in human
      fibroblasts in culture.
AB  - The rate of translocation and the percent of the time that cells are stationary
      have been measured by computer-assisted time-lapse cinemicrography in over 1,000
      freshly planted human foreskin fibroblasts (FS-4 cell strain) for periods of up
      to a week and the effects of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) on these parameters have
      been determined. Cells were planted at 2.5 X 10(3) cells/cm2 in Eagle's minimal
      essential medium (MEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Frames were taken every
      2 or 4 minutes and data were collected on both cell location and cell division as
      a function of time. After planting FS-4 cells require approximately 48 hr to
      reach maximum motility both with respect to the translocation rate when moving
      and percent time cells are moving. Recombinant human INF-beta (800 mu/ml) caused
      a marked increase in the fraction of time cells were stationary and a decrease of
      lesser magnitude in the translocation rate, as quantitated during the period
      during which the stationary fraction for control cells was at a minimum. IFN-beta
      also decreased the rate of cell proliferation, without any evidence of
      degeneration or death of cells. Our results contribute new evidence that the
      fraction of time cells spend moving directionally is an important determinant of
      their locomotory behavior and that this determinant is responsive to modulation
      by cytokines.

PMID- 1878984
TI  - Beta VLDL uptake by pigeon monocyte-derived macrophages: correlation of binding
      dynamics with three-dimensional ultrastructure.
AB  - Endocytosis of pigeon beta migrating very-low-density lipoprotein (beta VLDL) by
      monocyte-derived macrophages (monocyte/macrophages), cultured from Random Bred
      White Carneau (RBWC) pigeons, occurs by both coated and non-coated regions of the
      plasma membrane (Henson et al.: Exp. Mol. Pathol. 51:243-263, 1989). Secondary to
      binding, the beta VLDL is translocated to lysosomes for degradation. Ultimately
      these events lead to foam cell formation in vitro. Utilizing video-enhanced
      contrast light microscopy in conjunction with whole mount intermediate-voltage
      transmission electron microscopy (IVEM) and high-resolution scanning EM, the
      dynamics of beta VLDL binding have been correlated with ultrastructure. Beta VLDL
      conjugated to gold colloids was visualized at the surface of living cells by
      using Allen video-enhanced contrast-differential interference contrast microscopy
      (AVEC-DIC). Subsequent to AVEC-DIC, direct observation of the identical cells by
      IVEM and SEM was facilitated through the use of gold finder grids, and these EM
      observations confirmed identification of the video-observed beta VLDL particles.
      Upon addition of beta VLDL, pigeon monocyte/macrophages underwent gross
      morphological changes. These changes were recorded by video as movements at the
      cytoplasmic periphery, and the movements involved extension of microvilli,
      expression of retraction fibers, and elaboration of membrane ruffles. When
      secondarily observed by stereo (3-D) IVEM and SEM, the identification of
      microvilli, retraction fibers, and membrane ruffles was confirmed and the
      lipoprotein-gold conjugates were associated with these ligand-induced membrane
      structures. Beta VLDL-gold conjugates were also associated with pit-like regions
      at the base of microvilli, while at the base of ruffles, beta VLDL-gold
      conjugates were located in membrane invaginations and cytoplasmic vesicles.

PMID- 1878985
TI  - Pseudopodial activity at the active edge of migrating fibroblast is decreased
      after drug-induced microtubule depolymerization.
AB  - It is known that depolymerization of microtubules by colcemid or other similar
      drugs abolishes polarization of pseudopodial activity in migrating fibroblasts.
      In this work the effect of colcemid on the intensity of protrusion and retraction
      of lamellipodia at the active edges of human fibroblasts migrating into the wound
      was investigated with video-enhanced contrast microscopy. To characterize the
      pseudopodial activity quantitatively the outlines of the active edges in the
      pairs of frames taken at adjacent 20-sec intervals were compared and mean areas
      of protrusions and retractions per unit length of the perimeter of the edge were
      measured. The mean rates of protrusions and retractions were 4-6 times less in
      colcemid-treated cells than in controls. Thus, microtubules depolymerized by
      colcemid, and/or intermediate filaments undergoing perinuclear collapse in the
      presence of this drug, are essential not only for the restriction of pseudopodial
      activity to one particular zone of the cell edge but also for the development of
      maximal activity in this zone.

PMID- 1878986
TI  - A quantitative study of the role of F-actin in producing neutrophil shape.
AB  - Neutrophils change shape from round to polar and sequentially
      polymerize/depolymerize actin following chemotactic peptide activation in
      suspension. To study the relationship between changes in F-actin content and
      shape we altered the kinetics/extent of actin polymerization and depolymerization
      with tBOC peptide, cytochalasin D (CD), and low-dose FMLP, and determined the
      effect of these alterations on the temporal sequence of changes in neutrophil
      shape. F-actin was measured by FACS analysis of NBDphallacidin-stained cells and
      expressed as relative fluorescent intensity (RFI) compared to control (RFI =
      1.00). Shape was determined by scanning electron microscopy. FMLP causes serial
      polymerization/depolymerization of actin (RFI = 1.00 +/- 0.04, 1.60 +/- 0.21,
      1.10 +/- 0.18, and 1.05 +/- 0.14) associated with four distinct shapes (round
      smooth, round-ruffled, blebbed, and polar) noted at 0, 30, 90, 300 sec
      respectively. Since blebbed and polar shapes appear concurrent with
      depolymerization and following polymerization, we determined whether
      depolymerization is required for polarization of cells. The kinetics of
      depolymerization were: (1) accelerated by tBOC addition at 45 sec, and (2) slowed
      by high concentrations of FMLP (greater than 10-7M) (300 sec RFI = 1.46). Neither
      change altered the time course of shape change. To determine whether duration of
      actin polymerization defines shape, polymerization was halted by addition of tBOC
      at 5, 10, 20, 30 sec after FMLP to block actin polymerization and shape was
      monitored at 300 sec. TBOC added 5-20 sec after FMLP limited neutrophil shape
      change to the blebbed form, while tBOC addition 30 sec following FMLP resulted in
      a polar shape at 300 sec. To determine whether the extent of actin polymerization
      affects the shape change sequence, polymerization was limited by (1) inhibition
      of polymerization with CD, (2) exposure of cells to low concentrations of FMLP
      (less than 10-9 M), and (3) interruption of polymerization with tBOC. Actin
      polymerization to RFI less than 1.35-fold basal results in blebbed shape;
      polymerization greater than 1.35-fold basal yields polar shape. The data show:
      (1) the human neutrophil demonstrates intermediate shapes when activated by
      chemotactic peptide, (2) depolymerization of F-actin does not determine shape,
      and (3) blebbed shape appears when actin polymerizes for greater than 5 sec;
      polar shape with polymerization greater than or equal to 30 sec to RFI greater
      than 1.35-fold basal. The data suggest actin polymerization is required for, and
      extent of polymerization determines, the shape of human neutrophils.

PMID- 1878987
TI  - Discrete subcellular localization of a cytoplasmic and a mitochondrial isozyme of
      creatine kinase in intestinal epithelial cells.
AB  - Two isozymes of creatine kinase have been purified differentially from
      mitochondrial and cytoplasmic subfractions of intestinal epithelial cells. These
      intestinal epithelial cell creatine kinases were indistinguishable from the
      cytoplasmic (B-CK) and mitochondrial (Mi-CK) creatine kinase isozymes of brain
      when compared by SDS-PAGE, cellulose polyacetate electrophoresis, and peptide
      mapping. In intestinal epithelial cells, immunolocalization of the Mi-CK isozyme
      indicates that it is associated with long, thin mitochondria, which are excluded
      from the brush border at the apical end of each cell. In contrast,
      immunolocalization of the B-CK isozyme indicates that it is concentrated
      distinctly in the brush border terminal web domain. Although absent from the
      microvilli, B-CK also is distributed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm. Terminal
      web localization of B-CK was maintained in glycerol-permeabilized cells and in
      isolated brush borders, indicating that B-CK binds to the brush border structure.
      The abundance and localization of the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic creatine
      kinase isozymes suggest that they are part of a system that temporally and/or
      spatially buffers dynamic energy requirements of intestinal epithelial cells.

PMID- 1878988
TI  - Metabolic regulation in mammalian sperm: mitochondrial volume determines sperm
      length and flagellar beat frequency.
AB  - In the absence of glycolytic support, mammalian sperm derive their energy for
      motility from a densely packed array of mitochondria at the base of the flagellum
      known as the midpiece. Using data on the morphometric dimensions of over 200
      mammalian species, we found that an allometric relationship exists between
      midpiece length (Lm) and flagellum length (Lf). Specifically, the length of the
      mid-piece varies approximately as the 3/2 power of the flagellar length although
      the proportionality constant is different for eutherian and marsupial sperm. In
      contrast, when we corrected for the fraction of the midpiece that was taken up by
      mitochondria, a single linear correlation between mitochondrial volume and
      flagellar length for all mammals was found. These allometric relationships were
      used along with basic flagellar hydrodynamic theories to establish a unifying
      equation that predicted flagellar frequencies for any mammalian sperm between 40
      microns and 200 microns in length. These findings imply that, at least in
      mammals, the mechanisms for energy production and dissipation in sperm flagella
      are highly conserved.

PMID- 1878989
TI  - Subcellular compartmentalization of myosin isoforms in embryonic chick heart
      ventricle myocytes during cytokinesis.
AB  - Embryonic chick heart ventricle myocytes retain the ability to alternate between
      proliferation and functional differentiation. A cytoplasmic isoform of myosin is
      present in cleavage furrows of various nonmuscle cells during cytokinesis,
      whereas one or more of the cardiac myosin isoforms are localized in sarcomeres of
      beating cardiomyocytes. Antibodies were employed to reveal the subcellular
      localizations of cytoplasmic and cardiac myosin isoforms in embryonic chick
      ventricle cardiomyocytes during cytokinesis. Monoclonal anticytoplasmic myosin
      antibodies were prepared against myosin purified from brains of 1-day-posthatched
      chickens and shown to react with chick brain myosin heavy chain by Western blots
      and/or ELISA tests. One monoclonal antibrain myosin antibody also cross-reacted
      with chick cardiac myosin but not with skeletal or smooth muscle myosins. Two
      antichick cardiac myosin monoclonal antibodies and one antichick skeletal myosin
      polyclonal antibody that cross-reacts with cardiac myosin were employed to
      identify cardiac sarcomeric myosin. Cells were isolated from day 8 embryonic
      chick heart ventricles, enriched for myocytes, grown in vitro for 3 days, and
      then examined by immunofluorescence techniques. Monoclonal antibodies against
      cytoplasmic myosin preferentially localized in the cleavage furrows of both
      cardiofibroblasts and cardiomyocytes in all stages of cytokinesis. In contrast,
      antibodies that recognize cardiac myosin were distributed throughout
      cardiomyocytes during early stages of cytokinesis, but became progressively
      excluded from the furrow area during middle and late stages of cytokinesis. These
      data suggest that in cells that contain both cytoplasmic and sarcomeric myosin
      isoforms, only cytoplasmic myosin isoforms are mobilized to from the contractile
      ring for cytokinesis.

PMID- 1878991
TI  - [The effect of piperidinoethylesters of n-alkoxyphenyl-carbamic acids on
      bacterial cells].
AB  - The inhibitory effect of local anaesthetic agents of this type on the bacteria
      Escherichia coli were evaluated. The dependence between antimicrobial activity
      and structure (log 1/MIC = f/m) was studied with the use of a bilinear model. In
      the positional paraisomers a lower effect of spherical and electron effects than
      in the case of ortho- and meta-isomers is assumed. The efficacy of these agents
      depends on their lipophilicity. Membrane activity of these agents was confirmed.
      In subinhibitory concentrations they cause leakage of cytoplasmic material lysis
      of spheroplasts, they increase the permeability of the membrane for protons and
      inhibit dehydrogenase activity of cells. The mode of action of heptacainium
      chloride and its positional isomers on cells is identical and is similar as in
      organic ammonium salts and amine oxides.

PMID- 1878990
TI  - Unidirectional microtubule assembly in cell-free extracts of Spisula solidissima
      oocytes is regulated by subtle changes in pH.
AB  - Most, if not all, microtubules in vivo grow unidirectionally from a nucleation
      site such as the centrosome. This organized growth of microtubules can generate
      and maintain the radially symmetrical array of interphase microtubules as well as
      the bipolar mitotic apparatus. To investigate the regulation of polarized
      microtubule growth, we have prepared a cell-free extract from surf clam oocytes
      that exhibits unidirectional microtubule assembly. Immunofluorescence microscopy
      was used to visualize the net assembly of microtubules onto the fast (plus)- and
      slow (minus)- growing ends of isolated ciliary axonemes. All detectable
      microtubule growth in these cytoplasmic extracts occurred at the plus (+) ends
      and the extent of (+) end growth was regulated by subtle changes in pH.
      Microtubule assembly in these crude extracts was highly favored at pH 7.3, the pH
      of the post-fertilization cytoplasm. In contrast, when tubulin was purified from
      these oocyte extracts, integral components were lost, and microtubule growth
      became predominantly bidirectional and was favored at acidic pH. These results
      indicate that cytoplasmic factors may inhibit bidirectional growth in vivo and
      that temporal or local changes in cytoplasmic pH may influence microtubule
      assembly during the cell cycle.

PMID- 1878992
TI  - [Determination of Lonazolac in blood using liquid chromatography with
      fluorescence detection and use of this method in a comparison of Lonazolac
      Irritren preparations].
AB  - An analytical method was worked out to determine Lonazolac in human plasma based
      on precipitation of human plasma with a precipitating agent and methanol. This
      deproteinized plasma was analyzed by liquid chromatography with the use of a
      reverse phase and fluorimetric detection. The described method is sufficiently
      sensitive (the limit of detection under 0.1 microgram/ml of plasma) and precise
      (error of the method = 9%). The precision of the method, recovery from the plasma
      (100 +/- 3%) and stability in frozen plasma (minimally one month) are presented.
      Application of the method in a comparison of the newly developed Czechoslovak
      preparation Lonazolac and the foreign preparation Irritren is shown. Results are
      documented by the course of the levels of both preparations in dependence on time
      and principal pharmacokinetic parameters derived from the one-compartmental
      model.

PMID- 1878993
TI  - [Densitometric determination of piroxicam in plasma].
AB  - Piroxicam was extracted from acid medium into chloroform and isolated on a thin
      layer of silica gel with the use of the system chloroform - absolute ethanol -
      benzene - aqueous ammonia (20:15:15:0.5). The intensity of fluorescence of stains
      was measured densitometrically (an Hg lamp, a filter FL - 39, 330 nm). The limit
      of detection of the stain is 0.020 microgram/ml of plasma.

PMID- 1878994
TI  - [Advances in the laboratory diagnosis of diseases of the thyroid gland. III.
      Determination of free thyroxine and "ultrasensitive" determination of TSH].

PMID- 1878995
TI  - Hyper-resistance to nitrogen mustard in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is caused by
      defective choline transport.
AB  - The recessive hnm1 mutant allele is responsible for hyper-resistance to nitrogen
      mustard in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transformation with a single-copy HNM1 wild
      type allele of such hyper-resistant mutants will restore wild-type sensitivity to
      nitrogen mustard. By contrast the presence of multi-copy vectors containing HNM1,
      in either a hyper-resistant hnm1 mutant or an HNM1 wild-type, will lead to a
      novel, mustard-sensitive phenotype unrelated to defects in DNA repair genes. Gene
      disruption of HNM1 revealed that this gene is non-essential for cells
      prototrophic for choline (CHO1) but lethal for cells with a cho1 genotype.
      Sensitivity to nitrogen mustard of wild-type HNM1, but not of hnm1 mutants,
      depends on the choline content of the growth medium, with cells grown in choline
      free medium exhibiting the highest sensitivity. Sequencing of a 300 bp DNA
      fragment of HNM1 revealed the identity of this gene with the CTR locus, which is
      responsible for choline transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PMID- 1878997
TI  - Synchronized meiosis and recombination in fission yeast: observations with pat1
      114 diploid cells.
AB  - The mutation pat1-114 has been used to synchronize meiosis in the fission yeast
      Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We have investigated several aspects of such
      synchronized meiotic cultures. In both pat1-114 and pat1+ diploids, meiotic
      landmark events are initiated at the same time after meiosis induction, but
      synchrony is much more pronounced in the pat1-114-driven meiosis. Commitment to
      recombination and to meiosis have been timed at 2 h after meiotic induction. Due
      to a seven-fold reduction of intragenic recombination frequency in the ade6
      region of pat1-114 diploids, physical analysis of recombination has not been
      possible. We have distinguished three factors that influence intragenic
      recombination frequencies: temperature, azygotic versus zygotic meiosis, and the
      nature of the pat1 allele. Differences and similarities in the timing of meiotic
      landmarks in S. cerevisiae and S. pombe are discussed.

PMID- 1878996
TI  - The SNQ3 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae confers hyper-resistance to several
      functionally unrelated chemicals.
AB  - A multi-copy plasmid containing the SNQ3 gene confers hyper-resistance to 4
      nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4NQO), Trenimon, MNNG, cycloheximide, and to sulfometuron
      methyl in yeast transformants. Restriction analysis, subcloning, and DNA
      sequencing revealed an open reading frame of 1,950 bp on the SNQ3-containing
      insert DNA. Gene disruption and transplacement into chromosomal DNA yielded 4NQO
      sensitive null mutants which were also more sensitive than the wild-type to
      Trenimon, cycloheximide, sulfometuron methyl, and MNNG. Hydropathic analysis
      showed that the SNQ3-encoded protein is most likely not membrane-bound, while the
      codon bias index points to low expression of the gene.

PMID- 1878998
TI  - Antisuppressor mutations reduce misreading of the genetic code in Aspergillus
      nidulans.
AB  - Antisuppressor mutations were isolated in a strain containing the omnipotent
      suppressor suaC109. The antisuppressors reduce the activity of translational
      suppressors in vivo and counteract most aspects of the pleiotropic phenotype
      associated with the suaC and the suaA suppressor mutations. Using an homologous
      system for cell-free translation, we have measured translational accuracy in two
      antisuppressor strains with the genotype suaC109 and either the asuB11 or the
      asuD14 antisuppressor mutation. Ribosomes from antisuppressor mutants have higher
      levels of translation accuracy than those from the suppressor strain (suaC109,
      asu+). Mistranslation levels depended solely on the source of the sucrose-cleaned
      ribosomes. However, the increased accuracy associated with sucrose-cleaned
      ribosomes from antisuppressor strains can be nullified by salt-washing,
      suggesting that the component responsible can be washed off.

PMID- 1878999
TI  - Expression and sequence comparison of the Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus
      tubigensis genes encoding polygalacturonase II.
AB  - The structure and expression of the polygalacturonase-encoding pgaII genes of two
      recently recognized species, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus tubigensis, was
      investigated. While the structure of the pgaII genes is very similar, showing 83%
      DNA sequence identity and 94% identity at the amino acid level, they have
      diverged significantly. The NH2-terminal sequence suggests that these PGs are
      made as pre pro-proteins and the secretory propeptide of the PGII precursors
      shows sequence homology with some other fungal pro-peptides. The expression of
      the pgaII genes is strongly regulated by the carbon source and the A. tubigensis
      gene is expressed and regulated in A. niger transformants. The low similarity of
      the fungal PGs with those of bacterial and plant origin is discussed in relation
      to the possible functional role of specific amino acids.

PMID- 1879000
TI  - Isolation, characterization and sequence of a gene conferring resistance to the
      systemic fungicide carboxin from the maize smut pathogen, Ustilago maydis.
AB  - A gene which confers resistance to the systemic fungicide carboxin (Cbx) has been
      isolated from the maize pathogen, Ustilago maydis, by transferring a plasmid gene
      library from a Cbx-resistant mutant strain into a sensitive strain and selecting
      for expression of the resistance gene. Five plasmids, rescued from transformants
      which exhibited enhanced resistance to Cbx, were shown to have DNA inserts with
      common restriction enzyme fragments. All the plasmids transformed a sensitive U.
      maydis strain to Cbx resistance. The gene (Cbxr), sub-cloned on a 3.2 kb EcoR1
      HindIII fragment, transformed U. maydis to Cbx resistance at frequencies similar
      to those obtained with the bacterial Hygromycin B resistance (HygBr) gene. The
      sequence of the Cbxr gene showed a high degree of homology to succinate
      dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1) iron-sulphur subunit genes from other organisms.

PMID- 1879001
TI  - Homology between mitochondrial DNA of Agaricus bisporus and an internal portion
      of a linear mitochondrial plasmid of Agaricus bitorquis.
AB  - Agaricus bisporus, the cultivated mushroom, contains a mitochondrial fragment
      (50H) which was previously demonstrated by Southern hybridization to have
      sequence similarity to an internal region of pEM, a linear mitochondrial plasmid
      of Agaricus bitorquis. The nucleotide sequence of 50H was determined and compared
      to the sequence of the corresponding pEM fragment. The region of sequence
      homology on pEM is contained within an open reading frame (ORF) that may encode
      an RNA polymerase, but 50H is neither an intact nor a complete copy of the ORF.
      pEM also contains an ORF with characteristics of genes for virus-encoded DNA
      polymerases. pEM appears to be very similar to other linear mitochondrial
      plasmids (in fungi and higher plants) reported to contain ORFs that may encode
      the same types of polymerases. The potential functionality of the pEM sequence
      suggests that it has diverged less than the mitochondrial fragment from a common
      ancestor.

PMID- 1879002
TI  - Evidence for multiple xenogenous origins of plastids: comparison of psbA-genes
      with a xanthophyte sequence.
AB  - When only plastidic features are considered, it is difficult to distinguish
      between monophyletic and polyphyletic xenogenous origins of plastids. We suggest
      that a direct comparison of nuclear and plastidic sequence-similarity pattern
      will help to solve this problem. The D1 amino acid sequence of six major groups
      of photosynthetic eukaryotes and of the two groups of photosynthetic prokaryotes
      are now available, including the psbA-gene product from Bumilleriopsis
      filiformis, which is the first molecular sequence reported for a xanthophycean
      alga. Evidence is provided for an independent and polyphyletic origin of plastids
      from five out of the six major taxa of photosynthetic eukaryotes. This conclusion
      is reached by comparing a plastid-based pattern of D1 similarity with a nucleus
      based similarity pattern published recently. Furthermore, the availability of D1
      sequences from five eukaryotic algae led to a re-evaluation of the taxonomic
      position of Prochlorothrix.

PMID- 1879003
TI  - [The profile of T-lymphocyte subsets' populations in 4 different kinds of
      pulmonary disorders].
AB  - By using the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) technique, the authors observed the
      distribution of T-lymphocyte subsets both in peripheral blood and BAL fluid from
      4 different kinds of pulmonary disorders (44 cases). It was shown that the
      percentage of lymphocytes in BAL fluid was increased, the CD+3 and CD+4 cells
      were elevated and 4/8 ratio was also significantly elevated in the sarcoid
      patients (11 cases); the CD+4 cells decreased but the CD+8 cells increased and
      the 4/8 ratio decreased significantly in the patients of idiopathic pulmonary
      fibrosis (7 cases) and the patients with thoracic malignant tumors (20 cases).
      This special profile of T-lymphocytes indicates that the cell-mediated immune
      function may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the above illnesses.

PMID- 1879004
TI  - [Preliminary observation on lymphocyte function with radioisotope incorporation
      in asthmatic patients].
AB  - Twenty-five asthmatic patients and 54 normal subjects were included in this
      study. The results of our study showed that among the asthmatic group, no obvious
      decrease was observed in the uptake of 3H-TdR by T-lymphocyte stimulated with
      PHA, whereas there was markedly depressed uptake of 14C-UR by T-lymphocyte. The
      latter finding demonstrated that the asthmatic patients had a decrease of RNA
      synthesis during the course of T-lymphocyte transformation. The mean 3H-TdR
      uptake by T-lymphocyte was less in the patients whose first attack of asthma
      occurred after 30 years of age, when compared to those before 30 years of age,
      but statistically not significant. There was a slightly lower uptake of 3H-TdR by
      T-lymphocyte in the mild attack group than that in the remission group. B
      lymphocyte transformation ability reflected in the uptake of 3H-tyrosine by B
      lymphocyte stimulate with LPS was apparently increased in the asthmatic group, as
      compared to normal subjects. This study supports the hypothesis that the abnormal
      function of cell-mediated immunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

PMID- 1879005
TI  - [The nature of chronic asthmatic bronchitis].
AB  - In order to study the nature of chronic asthmatic bronchitis, we compared the
      clinical features of patients with chronic asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma
      and simple chronic bronchitis. We also measured FEV1 on these patients before and
      after inhaling 1% isoproterenol aerosol as well as after administration of oral
      prednisone (40 mg/day) for a week. The results showed that there was little
      difference in terms of precipitating factors, attacking features, premonitory
      symptoms, developing course and relieving measures between the patients with
      chronic asthmatic bronchitis and bronchial asthma. The improved percentage of
      FEV1 (more than 15%) on the patients with chronic asthmatic bronchitis after
      inhalation of bronchodilator aerosol and administration of oral prednisone showed
      no significant difference from that of bronchial asthma. We suggest that the
      former term be replaced by the term of chronic bronchitis associated with asthma.
      It can probably avoid the confusion on the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and
      bronchial asthma.

PMID- 1879006
TI  - [Drug monitoring in the treatment of 72 patients with aminophylline].
AB  - The drug monitoring of serum concentration of Aminophylline by means of HPLC and
      FPIA to 72 patients suffering from bronchial asthma and asthmatic bronchitis; the
      relations among the quantities, serum drug concentrations, effects and side
      effects of Aminophylline were reported. The results showed that it is necessary
      to take Aminophylline individually under the guide of drug monitoring. The
      monitoring should be combined with clinical observation and comprehensive
      treatment of the diseases. The major values of effective serum concentration of
      Aminophylline range from 8 to 20 mg/L, while above the value of 20 mg/L, its side
      effects will significantly increase. It is safe and effective for asthmatic adult
      patients (over 55 Kg weight) if the oral dose of Aminophylline is not more than
      200 mg Q8h, or for others with continuous asthmatic attacks to be given with 250
      mg of Aminophylline intravenously in drip followed by oral dose of the drug 200
      mg Bid.

PMID- 1879007
TI  - [CT diagnosis in primary lung cancer (a correlative study of roentgenogram CT,
      surgical and pathological findings)].
AB  - A correlative study of roentgenogram, CT, surgical and pathological findings was
      investigated on 40 cases with primary lung cancer to evaluate differences between
      x-ray and CT of the chest in imaging pathological changes of lung cancer. The
      study revealed that CT was more sensitive than roentgenogram in showing
      lobulation, speculate and internal structure of SPN or masses, hilar and
      mediastinal adenopathy, invasion to neighbouring tissues and soft tissues of
      chest wall and abnormal pattern of the bronchus in cross section. Abnormal
      findings in CT was 67.4% higher than that in roentgenogram, CT provided more
      information in diagnosis of primary lung cancer. Some limitations of CT in
      diagnosis of primary lung cancer were also discussed.

PMID- 1879008
TI  - [A study on the problems of the radiologic manifestations in sarcoidosis].
AB  - Unilateral hilar adenopathy, which is considered as an atypical manifestation of
      sarcoidosis, appeared only on the initial stage, and eventually became bilateral.
      The adenopathy may occur in all groups of the mediastinal lymph nodes. The
      roentgenological findings of the pulmonary parenchymal lesions include
      interstitial, alveolar, miliary and fibrous lesions. The alveolar involvement,
      and the pathological consideration of pseudoalveolar manifestations in X-ray film
      were discussed.

PMID- 1879009
TI  - [Application and examination of bioluminescent technique in the quality
      identification of BCG vaccines].
AB  - (1) The average viable rates of BCG Vaccines (Japan Strain/Danmark Strain) which
      were kept at 37c for 4 weeks were 69.4% and 57.8% respectively by BL method,
      while the average viable rates of the same BCG Vaccines were obtained to be 16.8%
      and 21.7% by CFU method. The coefficients of variation (CV) in the average viable
      rates of BCG vaccines were found to be 6.6% and 6.4% by BL method, while the CV
      were found to be 13.7% and 36.5% by CFU method. (2) The clinical immunization
      effects showed the positive transformation rates of skin test were 90.9% and
      88.9% (P greater than 0.05) in the control group and test group by PPD check
      respectively. It indicated that there was no distinct difference. Because the
      test group was immunized with the BCG vaccine qualified only by BL method,
      clinical immunization effects were conformed with the detecting results of BL
      method.

PMID- 1879010
TI  - [Severe pulmonary tuberculosis and multiple organ failure].
AB  - Thirty four cases of severe pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by multiple organ
      failure were reported. The failure usually started firstly from the lung (70.6%).
      The various organ failures occurred successively to the heart, brain, liver,
      kidney, stomach and intestines. The death rate is 58.8 percent. The standard of
      diagnosis and the measures of prevention and treatment were suggested.

PMID- 1879011
TI  - [Advances in the treatment of pneumothorax with pleural adhesion therapy].

PMID- 1879012
TI  - [Clinico-pathological analysis of 100 autopsy cases of massive or submassive
      pulmonary thrombo-obstruction in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases].
AB  - A clinico-pathological analysis of 100 autopsy cases of thrombo-obstruction in
      the segmental and those bigger arteries of the lungs caused by cardiovascular and
      pulmonary disease was reported. These complications of pulmonary thrombosis
      and/or embolism were more commonly observed in rheumatic heart disease (29% of
      the same disease in autopsies), congestive cardiomyopathy (26%) and cor pulmonale
      (19%). There were 2-4% of the autopsy cases of other cardiovascular and pulmonary
      diseases. The pulmonary thrombo-obstruction and/or infarction were more frequent
      in right lower lobes of the lungs and they were often multiple. The pulmonary
      infarction occurred in 76% of these cases. 35% of 100 cases occurred with sudden
      death. Only 13% of 100 patients with pulmonary thrombosis and/or embolism were
      diagnosed before autopsy. The causes of pulmonary thrombo-obstruction and the
      diagnostic suggestion were discussed in this paper.

PMID- 1879013
TI  - [Prediction of one second forced expiratory volume after lung resection using
      multiple view lung perfusion images and "regions of interest" quantitative
      analysis].
AB  - In 17 patients mostly with bronchial carcinoma undergoing pneumonectomy (N = 2)
      or lobectomy (N = 15) multiple view lung perfusion images with 99mTc-MAA and
      "regions of interest" quantitative analysis of functional distributions to each
      lung or lobe (MV-ROI) were used for predicting postoperative FEV1. For
      comparison, other two methods were also conducted, i.e. the split function study
      by lung perfusion images combined with subtraction of segmental function (SF+SS)
      and the simple subtraction of segmental function (SSS). The correlation between
      predicted postoperative FEV1 and actual FEV1 measured 3-6 months after lung
      resection was better by MV-ROI method than by the other two. In all patients the
      correlation coefficient (r) was 0.957, 0.923 and 0.887 by three methods
      respectively; in lobectomy patients the (r) was 0.948, 0.907 and 0.869 by three
      methods respectively (all P less than 0.001). The mean error (liters), mean
      percent error and median of percent error between predicted and observed FEV1 in
      MV-ROI were less than in SF+SS or SSS. The difference between error of MV-ROI and
      error of SF+SS or SSS was significant, while the difference between error of
      SF+SS and error of SSS was insignificant. The number of cases having the error
      greater than 10% was 3,5,8 in all patients and 3,5,7 in lobectomy patients by
      three methods respectively. There was a tendency of overestimation in MV-ROI,
      which was attributed to the old age of our patients whose pulmonary functions
      recovered slowly and to the short period of the follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879014
TI  - [Effects of inhaled prostaglandin E1, salbutamol and verapamil on the bronchial
      reactivity in asthmatics].
AB  - After inhaling prostaglandin E1(PGE1) by 10 asthmatic patients, the FEV1 and
      V50rose significantly. The bronchial reactivity reduced markedly, which was not
      related to the improvement in the FEV1. The bronchodilatation and effect of PGE1
      on bronchial reactivity were similar to those of salbutamol.

PMID- 1879015
TI  - [Diaphragmatic fatigue and respiratory failure in patients with chronic
      obstructive pulmonary diseases].

PMID- 1879016
TI  - [Measurement of fluidity of membrane lipids in lymphocytes from patients with
      pulmonary tuberculosis].
AB  - The degree of fluidity of cellular membranes was determined by fluorescence
      polarization analysis using fluorescent probe 1,6-Dipheny-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH),
      when embedded in membrane lipid region of intact cells. Results have shown that
      lymphocytes isolated from patients have a more fluid lipid layer in their
      cellular membrane (eta = 2.69 +/- 0.77 poise chi +/- s) than lymphocytes isolated
      from normal health (eta = 3.11 +/- 0.95 poise chi +/- s)(P less than 0.05).
      Increase in degree of membrane microviscosity was closely correlated with the
      rise in cells number.

PMID- 1879017
TI  - [Differential diagnosis between tuberculosis and cancer of lung. Analysis of 65
      tuberculosis cases diagnosed by fiber-bronchoscopy].
AB  - A series of 65 broncho-pulmonary TB simulating lung cancer with negative AFB in
      sputum were diagnosed by fiber-bronchoscopy. 60% of the cases were at the age of
      forty and over. According to the radiographic features, they could be divided
      into 3 varieties: (1) 31 cases showed mass or nodal shadow. 7 of the 11 cases
      with cavities mimicked cancer origin in appearance. (2) 30 cases showed
      atelectasis and segmental shadows with 16 cases in nonpredisposing location of
      TB. (3) 4 cases with diffuse interstitial and micronodular shadows were different
      from miliary TB. Of a total of 65 cases, 7 accompanied with hilar/mediastinum
      adenopathy. Using fiber-bronchoscopy, bronchial lesions were found in 24 cases
      (36.9%). TB diagnosed by pathological and bacteriological examination were 89.2%
      and 32.2% respectively. TB combined with squamous cell cancer of the lung was
      found in one patient. These data indicated that TBB and TBLB provided an
      effective method in the differential diagnosis of TB and cancer of lung.

PMID- 1879018
TI  - [Evaluation of administrative practices for the registration of outpatients with
      pulmonary tuberculosis].
AB  - In this paper, the register state, regular therapy rate and sputum conversion
      rate for outpatients have been analysed. 30.5% of outpatients from other region
      were not registered. In these patients, regular therapy rate and sputum
      conversion rate were 10.9% and 53.7%, respectively. Comparing with above data,
      there were 97.3% and 96.8% for above 2 parameters in outpatients of Changhun
      region, 40.2% and 61.7% in outpatients of other region with register, under the
      management or control by hospital.

PMID- 1879019
TI  - [Miliary tuberculosis. Report of 4 cases proved by autopsy].
AB  - Four cases of acute miliary tuberculosis, including one case of nonreactive
      tuberculosis, are reported in this article. Final diagnoses were proved by
      autopsy. Literature review shows that symptoms of the disease vary greatly in
      different cases, but fever with unknown causes and overwhelming infection is the
      constant features. Nonreactive tuberculosis is common in the patients with low
      immunity and correct diagnosis depends on autopsy in most cases. Anti
      tuberculosis drugs for nonreactive tuberculosis is not very effective and the
      prognosis is unfavourable. This article provides for the doctors with the
      experience of mis-diagnosis of acute miliary tuberculosis, especially nonreactive
      tuberculosis.

PMID- 1879020
TI  - [The effects of passive smoking on health].
AB  - Our experiments were conducted on rabbits. In order to study the effects of
      passive smoking on the health, smokers were exposed to cigarette smoke for 30
      days. Cigarette dosimetry is equivalent to two packs per day in man. The
      experimental results as follows. 1. There is a significant amount of Cotinine
      (0.69 microgram/ml) in the blood of passive smoking rabbits. 2. There is a lot of
      Benzpyrene (0.59 microgram/ml) in the BALF of passive smoking rabbits. 3. The
      level of histamine in BALF increased more than that of control group. 4. The
      level of TXB2 increased and the level of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha decreased in the blood
      of passive smoking rabbits more than that of the control group. 5. The level of
      elastase in the blood and the O2- production of alveolar macrophages of passive
      smoking rabbits are more than that of the control group. These results showed
      that passive smoking may increase the occurrence and development of COPD and
      cardiovascular disease as well.

PMID- 1879021
TI  - [Frequency of seroreactors to Legionella among the patients with pulmonary
      infections].
AB  - A prospective study was conducted with patients with pulmonary infections who
      were consecutively admitted to the three community hospitals in Benghu from July
      1986 to May 1987, and to the children's hospital in Nanjing from September 1986
      to January 1987. Antibodies to Lpi-8, Lm, Ld, and Lg were measured by the micro
      agglutination test. During the study period, 150 adult patients (100 pairs sera)
      and 212 control healthy people and 110 pairs sera of childhood patients and 173
      children without respiratory tract infections were investigated. The diagnosis of
      legionellosis was based on seroconversion (fourfold rise in titer to greater than
      1:32 or static titer of greater than 1:32) and clinical and radiographic features
      of legionnaires' disease. About 11% legionella infection in hospitalized adult
      patients with pulmonary infections, and about 5.45% in children with atypical
      pneumonias.

PMID- 1879022
TI  - [Pulmonary artery pressure estimated by Doppler echocardiography in patients with
      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
AB  - Doppler echocardiography and right heart catheterization were performed in 18
      patients with COPD. The pulmonary blood flow pattern were analysed by the pulsed
      doppler flowmeter. The pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAT) showed
      significant inverse correlation with pulmonary artery mean pressure (mPAP) (r = 
      0.84, P less than 0.001) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (sPAP) (r = 
      0.89, P less than 0.001). In fifteen of 18 patients, continuous wave doppler
      could be used to measure the maximal velocity of the regurgitant jet through the
      tricuspid valve (Vmax), and the right ventricle to the right atrium pressure
      gradient (PG) was calculated by means of simplified bernoulli equation (PG =
      4V2max). PG correlated well with sPAP (r = 0.89, P less than 0.001) and mPAP (r =
      0.92, P less than 0.001). We considered that doppler echocardiography was useful
      for noninvasive estimation of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with COPD.

PMID- 1879023
TI  - [Research on impedance pulmonary rheogram for calculating pulmonary artery mean
      pressure].
AB  - A simultaneously comparative study of IPR and right catheter examination for
      measurement of PAMP has been done on 71 patients with COPD. The results show that
      the similar average value of PAMP of the examined group could be calculated by
      any representative equation, but at present time, an accurate predetermining
      value of PAMP can not be obtained by any noninvasive technique for each
      individual patient with COPD who has pulmonary hypertension of mild to moderate
      degree.

PMID- 1879024
TI  - [Inspiratory muscle strength and endurance in patients with chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease].
AB  - The maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and the sustainable inspiratory maximal
      pressure (SIPm) in 79 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
      which were divided into the mild group (MG) and the mid-severe group (MSG) were
      measured. The results showed that MIP and SIPm were significantly lower in MSG
      than the prediction and in MG, the inspiratory fatigue in MSG was taken place in
      lower load and shorter time. We considered: MIP and SIPm fallen significantly in
      COPD patients might play a very important role in developing patients'
      respiratory failure.

PMID- 1879025
TI  - [The hemodynamic changes in the course of the development from chronic
      obstructive pulmonary disease to cor pulmonale].
AB  - Swan-Ganz catheterization was done in 36 cases of COPD (19 cases) and chronic cor
      pulmonale (17 cases) patients diagnosed clinically. The results showed that
      exercise might greatly increase the rate of early diagnosis of chronic cor
      pulmonale in 47.4%, which is significant in clinical practice, together with
      gamma-camera, echocardiography and vectorcardiography, it can further increase
      the early diagnostic rate of cor pulmonale. In these 36 cases, 13 cases had no
      pulmonary hypertension and in 7 cases of them pulmonary arterial mean pressure
      were still in normal range even after exercise. If only right heart
      catheterization was used to diagnose cor-pulmonale without above three
      noninvasive examinations mentioned above, a high rate of misdiagnosis cor
      pulmonale would be possible.

PMID- 1879026
TI  - [Pulsed Doppler echocardiography assessment of acute hemodynamic effects of
      nifedipine on pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive lung disease].
AB  - To observe acute hemodynamic effects of pulmonary hypertension in chronic
      obstructive lung disease by nifedipine, we studied 16 patients with pulsed
      doppler ultrasound. Pulsed doppler ultrasonogram was employed to measure
      hemodynamic parameters before and 45 minutes after nifedipine 20 mg (give po) in
      16 patients. Results indicate that PAMP decreased significantly (P less than
      0.01) from 5.5 +/- 1.6 to 4.0 +/- 1.5 kPa. We conclude that nifedipine reduces
      pulmonary artery pressure, at least acutely, in patients with hypoxic pulmonary
      hypertension.

PMID- 1879027
TI  - [Ultrasonically nebulized hypertonic saline as a provocation agent in
      asthmatics].
AB  - We investigated nonspecific reactivity to inhaled aerosol of hypertonic saline.
      Hyperosmotic challenge carried out with NaCl solution of 0.9-fold increasing
      concentration from 2.7 to 7.2%. Each aerosol inhalation at different
      concentration was carried out for 5 min. An ultrasonic nebulizer was used to
      generate aerosol of NaCl solution that was delivered by tubing to a two-way
      valve. FEV1 was measured 1.0, 1.3 and 2 min after each concentration and did
      further at 5 min intervals until the value reached a plateau or began to rise.
      The challenge was terminated when the percentage fall in FEV1 was greater than
      20%. The response to HS was expressed as PC20. In the 26 subjects with stable
      asthma 23 were responsive to HS. The PC20-HS was from 1.65 to 6.06%. The peak
      bronchoconstrictor effect of HS inhalation occurred 3 min after inhalation and
      its mean duration was 45 min. We also compared bronchial response to HS with that
      to methacholine (MCH). There was a significant correlation between PC20-HS and
      PC20-MCH (r = 0.538, P less than 0.01). The method used for HS challenge is
      simple, rapid, inexpensive and provide a new means for determination of bronchial
      hyperreactivity.

PMID- 1879028
TI  - [Primary research on the clinical significance of ventricular late potentials
      (VLPs), and the impact of mexiletine, lidocaine and Astragalus membranaceus on
      VLPs].
AB  - The body surface signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) was recorded on 316
      cardiac patients, 84% (266 patients) of whom were also taken 24-hour Holter ECG.
      VLPs were detected positively in 6.1%, 25%, 25.7%, 14.3% and 5.5% of patients
      with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy and
      arrhythmia of unknown origin respectively, and the patients with complex
      ventricular arrhythmia had more VLPs positive determination definitely (P less
      than 0.05). The specificity of VLPs in the prediction of complex ventricular
      arrhythmia was greater than 80%, and the positive predictive accuracy was 70-80%.
      5, 5 and 10 patients with VLPs were treated with Mexiletini Hydrochloridum,
      Lidocaini Hydrochloridum and Injection of Astragalus membranaceus respectively.
      As a result of treatment, the transfer of VLPs positive to negative was
      unsuccessful, but only the intervention of Astragalus membranaceus Injection made
      the duration of VLPs shortened significantly (39.8 +/- 3.3 ms versus 44.5 +/- 5.9
      ms, P less than 0.01).

PMID- 1879029
TI  - [A preliminary study on hemodynamic changes of the heart-asthenia syndrome].
AB  - In this paper, hemodynamic changes of 254 subjects were observed by using
      impedance cardiogram in a double-blind control method. The subjects were divided
      into 5 groups: heart-asthenia syndrome (98 cases), lung-asthenia syndrome (23
      cases), spleen-asthenia syndrome (23 cases), kidney-asthenia syndrome (10 cases)
      and normal group (100 cases). The results showed that hemodynamic abnormalities
      occurred in the patients with heart-asthenia syndrome only, the changed
      regularities were that deficiency of both vital energy and Yin greater than
      deficiency of heart-Yang greater than deficiency of heart-energy greater than
      deficiency of heart-Yin. When stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), cardiac
      index (CI), stroke volume index (SVI), heather index (HI), vascular compliance
      (C) and ejection fraction (EF) were decreased and total peripheral resistance
      (TPR) and systolic time interval (STI) were increased, the signs and heart
      asthenia syndrome could be found in clinical practice. In conclusion, the above
      parameters had certain diagnostic value for heart-asthenia syndrome and could be
      subjective quantitative indices for evaluating effects of treating the heart
      asthenia syndrome.

PMID- 1879030
TI  - [Clinical and experimental study of tablet cucumber vine compound in treating
      essential hypertension].
AB  - 389 patients with essential hypertension were divided into two groups randomly.
      241 patients were treated by tablet of cucumber vine compound and 148 patients by
      tablet of hypotension compound as control. The symptomatic marked improvement and
      total effective rate were 63.1% and 81.7% in the treated group and 39.2% and
      67.0% (P less than 0.01) in the control group respectively. The marked effective
      rate in decrease of blood pressure and total effective rate were 52.7%, 90.9% and
      58.1%, 92.6% (P greater than 0.05) respectively. Experiments with animals showed
      that tablet cucumber vine compound possessed persistently decreasing effect on
      the blood pressure and marked effect on increasing coronary blood flow and
      improving myocardial contraction. Clinical observation and toxicological test
      proved that tablet cucumber vine compound had no toxicity and had few side
      effects and that it was an effective, safe medicine for essential hypertension.

PMID- 1879031
TI  - [Long-term changes in the different types of coronary diseases treated with
      traditional Chinese and Western medicine].
AB  - 64 cases with TCM differential types of CHD treated with TCM-WM in long term (an
      average of 10.5 years) were divided into four types according to deficiency of
      Yang [including weakness of Q1], deficiency of Yin, blood stasis and disorder of
      Qi and phlegm. Compared with pre-treatment 42 cases (65.62%) with TCM
      differential types showed improvement or no change in group I, II (clinical total
      effective rate 92.86%, the significantly effective rate 40.98%). While 22 cases
      (34.38%) with TCM differential type became aggravated or worse (clinical total
      effective rate 54.54%, the significantly effective rate 13.63%). The report
      indicated that the results in comparing group I, II with group III, IV were
      statistically significant; age (P less than 0.01), course of disease (P less than
      0.01), impairment of myocardium (P less than 0.05), complication (P less than
      0.05), ratio of deficiency of Yang (P less than 0.01), blood stasis (P less than
      0.01) and high coagulation of blood (P less than 0.01). Therefore the author
      suggests that it is necessary to protect Yang-Qi and prevent and treat the
      complication of the CHD patients.

PMID- 1879032
TI  - [Effect of eleutherosides on ventricular late potential with coronary heart
      disease and myocarditis].
AB  - The article studied the curative effect of eleutherosides in patients with
      coronary heart disease and myocarditis whose ventricular late potential (VLP)
      were positive by means of control study. All the 57 patients were randomly
      divided into two groups. The 31 patients were classified as therapeutic group
      including male 25 and female 6, the ages ranged from 18-65 years old (mean 51.8).
      The other 26 patients were defined as control group including male 21 and female
      5, the ages ranged from 16-63 years old (mean 50.8). The therapeutic group was
      treated with injectio acanthopanacis senticosi 40 ml dissolved in 5% dextrose
      injection 300 ml by intravenous drop once daily. The control group was given
      insulin injection 12 u and potassium chloride injection 1 g dissolved in 10%
      dextrose injection 500 ml also by intravenous drop once daily. Both courses of
      treatment were 15 days. The rates of changing positive VLP into negative in two
      groups were 74.29% vs 34.6% (P less than 0.005). The results proved that
      eleutherosides is an effective drug to patients with positive VLP.

PMID- 1879033
TI  - [Experimental and clinical study of tong jing bao and Angelicae complex injection
      in treating fallopian tube obstruction].
AB  - Twenty-two female rabbits with fallopian tube obstruction as the model, were made
      by 25% Phenol-Tragacanth Mucilage in the laboratory study. Eight rabbits were
      treated by taking Tong Jing Bao and giving transcervical intrauterine injecting
      of Angelicae complex injection. Seven were treated with the latter and other
      seven with 0.9% saline only as the control group. The study showed that in the
      opening fallopian tube, anti-inflammation, limiting the hyperplasia of fibro
      connective tissue and improving the regeneration of epithelial tissue, the first
      group was more effective than the other two groups (P less than 0.05). Forty
      eight infertile women, in whom the fallopian tube obstruction were proved by
      hysterosalpingography, were divided into two groups for the clinical study.
      Thirty patients were treated as same as the first group of rabbits. As the
      control group, other eighteen women were treated with transcervical intrauterine
      injecting of gentamycin and 0.9% saline in 3 to 6 months. The effective rates
      were 94.6% and 56.6% (P less than 0.01) and the subsequent pregnancy rates were
      46.7% and 27.8% respectively in the different two groups.

PMID- 1879034
TI  - [Protective effect of sheng mai injection on myocardial injury induced by
      adriamycin in cultured myocardial cells].
AB  - The effect of sheng mai injection (SMI) on adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity in
      cultured myocardial cells was examined. Adriamycin treatment (1 mg/L) for 4 h of
      culture age, increased remarkably the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from
      the myocardial cells, and induced the damage of ultrastructure. SMI (30 mg/L, 100
      mg/L, 300 mg/L) had no effects on these changes induced by adriamycin. The
      results showed that SMI had no direct protective effect on adriamycin
      cardiotoxicity in cultured myocardial cells. It's protective effect on adriamycin
      cardiotoxicity seems to be in whole body level, the mechanism of which was
      relating to the metabolism of the drug in organism, and is worthy of further
      research.

PMID- 1879035
TI  - [Effects of ursodeoxycholic acid on mechanical and electric activities in
      isolated guinea pig heart muscles].
AB  - Using electromechanical transducer and conventional microelectrodes in isolated
      guinea pig heart muscles, the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on the
      mechanical and electric activities were firstly observed. The results showed
      that, UDCA in dose of 0.05 mg/ml decreased contractile force by 36% (P less than
      0.001) and shortened action potential duration (n = 3). It is inferred that UDCA
      may block inward calcium current. The results suggest that the action of UDCA is
      similar to that of bear bile and may be an effective composition of bear bile
      which acts on heart muscle. Our findings provide the experimental basis for the
      clinical application of UDCA.

PMID- 1879036
TI  - [Integration of macro and micro syndrome differentiation].

PMID- 1879037
TI  - [Progress in pharmacological research on radix Astragali].

PMID- 1879038
TI  - [Advance in drug treatment of primary and familial hypercholesterolemia].

PMID- 1879039
TI  - Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of SIgA in whole saliva of healthy subjects and
      patients with oral diseases.
AB  - The author tried to determine the secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) level in the
      whole saliva of healthy subjects and patients with oral diseases by the enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. An ELISA system that was previously
      developed for determining the SIgA level in the pancreatic juice was modified and
      was proved to be applicable for the SIgA in the whole saliva. It was found that
      the SIgA in the whole saliva could be determined with excellent reproducibility
      and linearity when the samples were diluted 1,000-fold. This assay method was
      superior to the conventional techniques in terms of accuracy, covering a wide
      range SIgA levels in the saliva. In the 74 healthy subjects, the SIgA level in
      the whole saliva did not show any major age- or sex-related difference. However,
      patients with leukoplakia, lichen planus and carcinoma in the oral cavity showed
      higher levels of SIgA. The elevated levels of SIgA in the saliva of these
      patients suggested that some local changes in immunological competence might
      occur due to prolonged exposure to the antigen in the oral cavity.

PMID- 1879040
TI  - Antitumor activities and schedule dependence of orally administered MST-16, a
      novel derivative of bis(2,6-dioxopiperazine).
AB  - We studied bioavailability, treatment schedule dependence, and therapeutic
      efficacy of orally administered MST-16, a novel derivative of bis(2,6
      dioxopiperazine), against murine tumors and human tumor xenografts. The rate of
      its intestinal absorption was about 50%, and it was immediately metabolized to
      its parent compound, ICRF-154. Therapeutic efficacy of MST-16 was heavily
      dependent on the treatment schedule: 9 daily oral administrations and treatment
      every 4 h on day 1 only were much more effective against s.c.-implanted L1210
      leukemia than a single dose or five daily administrations giving the same total
      dose. Orally administered MST-16 showed potent life-prolonging effects (196%,
      219% and 148%) in mice inoculated i.p. with P388, L1210 leukemia, and C-26 colon
      adenocarcinoma, respectively, but had no effect on B16 melanoma inoculated in the
      same way. MST-16 inhibited more than 80% growth of Lewis lung carcinoma, B16
      melanoma, and C-38 colon adenocarcinoma implanted s.c., but had only a minor
      effect on M5076 fibrosarcoma. Lung metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma was also
      effectively suppressed. Furthermore, MST-16 significantly inhibited growth of
      human colon, lung and breast cancers implanted s.c. in nude mice. We also made a
      kinetic analysis of the in vitro cell-killing effect by ICRF-154, the active form
      of MST-16 in vivo. It demonstrated a cell cycle phase-specific and time-dependent
      action, providing a reasonable explanation for the schedule-dependent therapeutic
      effect of MST-16.

PMID- 1879041
TI  - Increased cytotoxicity of low-dose, long-duration exposure to 5-fluorouracil of V
      79 cells with hyperthermia.
AB  - We examined the cytotoxic effects of combined low dose and long exposure to 5
      fluorouracil (5-FU) and hyperthermia on Chinese hamster V-79 cells with reference
      to timing and sequence of administration. The survival rate following
      hyperthermia at 42 degrees C for 2 h alone was 95.4%, and that after exposure to
      1.0 micrograms/ml/5-FU alone for 48 hours, 94.2%. With respect to the combination
      of 5-FU and heat, the survival rate of cells exposed to hyperthermia at 42
      degrees C for 2 h followed by 1.0 micrograms/ml 5-FU treatment for 48 h followed
      by hyperthermia led to a survival rate of 10%. Flow cytometric analysis of V-79
      cells after exposure to 1.0 micrograms/ml 5-FU for 48 h revealed an accumulation
      of cells in the S-phase; the percentage of S-phase exponential growing cells was
      65% and the plateau phase was 38%. The former were more sensitive to heat than
      the latter cells according to the MTT assay. V-79 cells pretreated with 5-FU were
      more sensitive to hyperthermia than were those not pretreated with 5-FU.
      Therefore, when 5-FU plus heat is to be used to treat a patient with a
      malignancy, the sequence of 5-FU followed by hyperthermia may be more effective
      than the reverse.

PMID- 1879042
TI  - Quercetin inhibits the growth of a multidrug-resistant estrogen-receptor-negative
      MCF-7 human breast-cancer cell line expressing type II estrogen-binding sites.
AB  - It has been demonstrated that the flavonoid quercetin (3,3',4',5,7
      pentahydroxyflavone; Q) inhibits the growth of several cancer cell lines. There
      is evidence suggesting that the antiproliferative activity of this substance is
      mediated by the so-called type II estrogen-binding site (type II EBS). We looked
      for the presence of type II EBS and the effect of Q on the proliferation of an
      Adriamycin-resistant estrogen-receptor-negative human breast-cancer cell line
      (MCF-7 ADRr). By whole-cell assay using estradiol labelled with 6,7-tritium [(
      3H]-E2) as a tracer, we demonstrated that MCF-7 ADRr cells contain type II EBSs.
      Competition analysis revealed that diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Q competed with
      similar potency for [3H]-Es binding to type II EBSs. The antiestrogen tamoxifen
      (TAM) competed for type II EBSs, albeit to a lesser extent than either DES or Q.
      Growth experiments demonstrated that Q and DES exerted a dose-dependent
      inhibition of cell proliferation in the range of concentrations between 10 nM and
      10 microM, whereas TAM was less effective. Q could also inhibit colony formation
      in a clonogenic assay. Our results indicate that multidrug-resistant estrogen
      receptor-negative MCF-7 cells express type II EBSs and are sensitive to the
      inhibitory effect of Q. This substance could be the parent compound of a novel
      class of anticancer agents.

PMID- 1879043
TI  - Effects of pirarubicin, an antitumor antibiotic, on the cardiovascular system.
AB  - In the present study we examined the effects of pirarubicin [(2"R)-4'-O
      tetrahydropyranyladriamycin, THP] on a cardiovascular system. An injection of THP
      (0.39-3.13 mg/kg, i.v.) reduced the mean blood pressure and caused an increase in
      the respiratory air rate in anesthetized rats. At 1.5 x 10(-6)-1.5 x 10(-5) M,
      THP markedly relaxed a contraction induced by 10(-7) M norepinephrine in rat
      aorta with endothelium but not in that without endothelium. At a dose of 0.02-0.5
      mg, THP produced an increase in the contractile force and the perfusion flow of
      isolated perfused guinea pig hearts. At a higher concentration (4.5 x 10(-5)-1.5
      x 10(-4) M), it produced a slight increase in the contractile force of the left
      atria in guinea pigs. This positive inotropic action of THP was inhibited by
      diphenhydramine (10(-6)-5 x 10(-5) M), chlorpheniramine (3 x 10(-7)-3 x 10(-5)
      M), and tripelennamine (3 x 10(-7)-3 x 10(-5) M) but not by propranolol (10(-6)
      M), cimetidine (10(-5) M), diltiazem (10(-6) M), or ryanodine (10(-8) M). THP
      given i.v. at 2.5 mg/kg elevated the plasma histamine level in anesthetized dogs.
      From these data, we conclude that THP mainly relaxed the rat aorta in the
      presence of endothelium and that at higher concentrations, it increased the
      contractile force in the cardiac muscle, probably mediated through the release of
      histamine.

PMID- 1879044
TI  - Differential properties of cisplatin and tetraplatin with respect to cytotoxicity
      and perturbation of cellular glutathione levels.
AB  - We compared the cytotoxicity and the effects on the levels of cellular
      glutathione (GSH) of cisplatin and tetraplatin in the mouse mammary tumour cell
      line EMT6/P and a cisplatin-resistant variant. EMT6/CPR. EMT6/CPR showed a 2.5
      fold resistance to cisplatin but no cross-resistance to tetraplatin. Basal
      cellular GSH levels in the resistant line were 1.7-fold those in the parent cell
      line. On exposure of cells to cisplatin, cellular GSH levels initially dropped in
      both cell lines but subsequently rose. At between 1 and 4 h after the onset of
      drug exposure, GSH levels were up to 2-fold the baseline levels. The cisplatin
      resistant subline displayed higher GSH levels than the parent cell line at all
      time points. Tetraplatin failed to influence cellular GSH levels in either of the
      cell lines.

PMID- 1879045
TI  - The effects of cisplatin on the concentration of protein thiols and glutathione
      in the rat kidney.
AB  - The effect of a nephrotoxic dose of cisplatin (5 mg/kg) on the concentrations in
      the rat kidney of both glutathione and protein-bound thiols was investigated.
      Total glutathione and oxidised glutathione were measured in the cortex and outer
      medulla using specific enzyme-based assays. The high-molecular-weight thiols were
      quantified in cells of the proximal tubule using a cyto-chemical technique. The
      concentration of total glutathione (oxidised and reduced) in the kidney cortex
      and outer medulla was significantly higher than that of controls at 1 h following
      cisplatin administration. The amount by which the concentration in treated
      animals exceeded that in controls increased to 50% at 72 h and remained
      significantly elevated for 120 h following treatment. This increase was mainly
      attributable to an increase in the concentration of reduced glutathione. In
      contrast, the concentration of protein thiols in the proximal tubules decreased
      significantly at 8 h after dosing, reaching a nadir 29% below that of controls at
      120 h, thus coinciding with the maximal functional disturbance in the kidney as
      reflected by the concentration of blood urea. The decrease in protein thiols
      could not be correlated stoichiometrically with the platinum concentration in the
      cortex and outer medulla, which reached a peak of 16.3 +/- 0.3 micrograms/g wet
      tissue at 72 h after treatment. Evidently cisplatin perturbs the equilibrium that
      is said to exist between the concentration of reduced glutathione and that of
      protein thiols. This perturbation occurs well before the onset of overt
      functional disturbance of the kidney and is evident before the point at which the
      damage to the kidney caused by cisplatin becomes irreversible.

PMID- 1879046
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of fotemustine and BCNU in plasma, liver and tumor tissue of
      rats bearing two lines of Walker 256 carcinoma.
AB  - The plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics of fotemustine (diethyl-1-[3-(2
      chlorethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-ethylphosphonate+ ++) and BCNU (1,3-bis-[2
      chlorethyl]-1-nitrosourea) were investigated in healthy control rats and in
      animals bearing either the nitrosourea-sensitive line A (W256/A) or the
      nitrosourea-resistant line B (W256/B) of Walker 256 carcinoma. The antitumor
      activities of these nitrosoureas were similar following i.v. doses ranging from
      10 to 40 mg/kg. For both drugs, the survival of tumor-bearing rats was lower in
      the W256/B than in the sensitive W256/A line. Some sex differences were observed,
      female rats being more responsive than males to both drugs. Nitrosourea
      concentrations were assayed in plasma and tissues by differential pulse
      polarography so as to assess whether the pharmacokinetics could explain the
      differences in antitumor activity. The antineoplastic effects of fotemustine
      seemed to be influenced by its pharmacokinetics. The plasma AUC of the intact
      nitrosourea was higher in females than in males. Fotemustine was cleared 2-5
      times more slowly than BCNU from tumor tissue, and its clearance was higher in
      W256/B- than in W256/A-bearing rats. This suggests that the antitumor activity in
      the responsive line might partly be due to longer exposure of the growing tumor
      to the drug. The distribution volume of both nitrosoureas in plasma was higher in
      tumor-bearing animals than in healthy controls, indicating that the tumor tissue
      probably constitutes an additional distribution space.

PMID- 1879047
TI  - Comparative pharmacokinetics of doxorubicin given by three different schedules
      with equal dose intensity in patients with breast cancer.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics of doxorubicin given according to three different schedules
      with a similar dose-time intensity have been studied and compared in 16 women
      with metastatic breast cancer. Six patients were treated with doxorubicin 75
      mg/m2 by i.v. bolus repeated every 3 weeks; 5 patients received doxorubicin by 4
      day continuous infusion every 3 weeks (4 at 75 mg/m2 and 1 at 60 mg/m2); 5
      patients received 25 mg/m2 by i.v. bolus given weekly. Timed blood samples were
      collected and plasma levels of doxorubicin and its metabolite doxorubicinol were
      measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
      Peak plasma concentrations were measured, and areas under the concentration-time
      curves calculated. Peak plasma levels of doxorubicin were significantly lower
      with the 4-day infusion than with either of the bolus injections. The 4-day
      infusion, however, gave significantly greater total exposure to doxorubicin and
      doxorubicinol, as indicated by area under the concentration-time curve, than
      weekly or 3-weekly bolus treatment. A single bolus injection of doxorubicin 25
      mg/m2 yielded a total exposure to doxorubicin approximately half that achieved
      with a 75 mg/m2 bolus injection. Over a 3-week period, therefore, total exposure
      to doxorubicin would be greater with the weekly low-dose schedule than with the 3
      weekly administration. We conclude that drug scheduling has significant effects
      on doxorubicin pharmacokinetics.

PMID- 1879048
TI  - Experimental basis for increasing the therapeutic index of carboplatin in brain
      tumor therapy by pretreatment with WR compounds.
AB  - We tested an experimental strategy to decrease the dose-limiting hematotoxicity
      of carboplatin without compromising its activity against brain tumors. The effect
      of pretreatment with WR-1065, a chemomodifier that penetrates brain poorly, on
      carboplatin's cytotoxicity was evaluated in human hematopoietic granulocyte
      monocyte progenitor cells and in three human glioblastoma cell lines. WR-1065
      reduced bone marrow toxicity without decreasing carboplatin's activity against
      glioblastoma cells. These results suggest that the therapeutic index of
      carboplatin might be increased in the treatment of malignant brain tumors.

PMID- 1879049
TI  - The use of nasal calcitonin spray in the treatment of hypercalcaemia of
      malignancy.

PMID- 1879050
TI  - Comparative intraperitoneal pharmacokinetics of three platinum analogues.
AB  - The pharmakokinetic profiles of intraperitoneally infused platinum analogues were
      determined in 13 women exhibiting minimal residual disease following surgery and
      systemic chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer or fallopian tube carcinoma
      by following the disposition of tracer doses of 195mPt radiolabel. Six patients
      received iproplatin, four were given cisplatin and three received carboplatin.
      The present data demonstrate no difference in the disposition of total platinum
      between these three analogues, but differences in the kinetics of free platinum
      may exist.

PMID- 1879051
TI  - EEG in early HIV-1 infection is characterized by anterior dysrhythmicity of low
      maximal amplitude.
AB  - We analyzed the EEGs of 67 HIV-1-infected patients at various stages of the
      disease and of 35 HIV-1-seronegative controls. The most common EEG abnormality in
      HIV-1 infection was an increased amount of generalized episodic or persistent,
      predominantly anterior slow activity, associated with a low level of maximal
      amplitude. When compared to the controls, a lower maximal amplitude of dominant
      background activity (p less than 0.001), and more marked generalized (p less than
      0.01) and anterior (p less than 0.001) disturbances were already seen in early
      stages of HIV-1 infection. EEG abnormalities were more severe in patients with
      advanced HIV-1 infection than in those at early infection (p less than 0.001 to p
      less than 0.05). The presence of a more marked, posteriorly (p less than 0.01)
      accentuated, generalized slow activity (p = 0.02) was found more often in
      patients with T-helper cell counts lower than 0.4 x 10(9) (p = 0.05) than in
      those with higher numbers of T-helper cells. No clear associations were found
      between the severity of EEG abnormalities and the duration of HIV-1 infection.
      Our results suggest that EEG is a sensitive method in detecting subclinical
      functional cerebral disturbances caused by HIV-1.

PMID- 1879052
TI  - Recovery of cognition from persistent vegetative state in a child with normal
      somatosensory evoked potentials.
AB  - The absence of bilateral early cortical SEPs in a PVS due to nontraumatic coma is
      usually associated with failure to recover cognition or awareness, although
      rarely patients with bilaterally absent cortical SEPs in posttraumatic PVS may
      regain cognition. On the other hand, normal cortical SEPs in nontraumatic coma
      may be related to favorable outcomes as shown in this patient and other reports.
      Our patient is unique in that he had had serial normal SEPs, was in a PVS for 7
      1/2 months, and recovered cognition, but not without cost in terms of damage to
      intellectual capability. Further long-term clinical follow-up studies to
      correlate clinical outcome with serial SEP data may be indicated.

PMID- 1879053
TI  - Sleep spindles in epilepsy.
AB  - Spindles are a ubiquitous phenomenon in sleep, but their physiology and the
      effects of neurologic disorder on their frequency and amplitude are incompletely
      understood. We compared the incidence of three commonly defined spindle types (14
      15 Hz, 12-13 Hz, and 10 Hz) and the frequency and amplitude of spindles during
      Stage II sleep in 50 patients with complex partial, partial and secondarily
      generalized, and primary generalized seizures, with and without interictal
      behavioral symptoms. All patients had 12-13 Hz and 14-15 Hz spindles of symmetric
      character in C3-A1 and C4-A2 derivations during prolonged sleep-deprived EEG
      recordings, which were normal except for partial or generalized epileptiform
      activity. Seventy-one per cent of complex partial seizure patients had 10 Hz
      spindles, and they occurred in 50% of the other two groups, predominating among
      those with interictal behavioral symptoms in all groups. Spindle frequency was
      significantly less in patients with generalized epilepsy than with partial
      seizures, and patients with complex partial seizures and partial seizures with
      secondary generalization differed significantly in spindle frequency. Spindle
      frequency was significantly lower with polypharmacy than with monotherapy.
      Patients whose regimens included phenobarbital had significantly lower spindle
      frequencies and spindle frequencies differed significantly between phenytoin and
      carbamazepine. Differences in spindle frequency may be due to residual medication
      effects, underlying encephalopathy or physiological differences between partial
      and generalized epilepsy.

PMID- 1879054
TI  - The effect of spikes and spike-free epochs on topographic brain maps.
AB  - Maps of foci, when no discharges nor obvious slow activity were included in the
      map, usually (84%) showed changes within the focus itself and also in adjacent
      areas (58%) and often (47%) in the mirror region. An increase in activity was
      more often seen in the more active foci, especially in the delta and beta 2
      ranges, and decrease in activity was usually seen with inactive foci. When
      discharges were included in the maps, an increasing number was associated with an
      increase at the main focus in all ranges, especially in delta and beta 1, but
      much less often in beta 2. The amount of electrical charge required for a change
      in the map with spikes was approximately 40 nanocoulombs (nC) for the first and
      second changes, increasing to around 50 nC with adjacent or separate foci.
      "Artificial" spikes produce more delta activity than other frequency ranges and
      the FFT of various pulses show maximal amplitudes at the slowest frequencies.

PMID- 1879055
TI  - Considerations of secondary temporalization.
AB  - In generalized forms of epileptic seizure disorder, secondary focal involvement
      of the temporal lobe may gradually develop. Such signs of "secondary
      temporalization" may manifest themselves in the seizures type (occurrence of
      complex partial seizures) and in the EEG. Fourteen observations of secondary
      temporalization are reported: 3 of them in cases of primary generalized epilepsy
      and 11 in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. In 9 patients, additional depth
      implants were carried out in order to detect a primary focal epileptogenic
      lesion. Secondary temporalization is likely to be caused by independent
      paroxysmal activity evolving in the limbic structures (amygdala, hippocampus) due
      to their role of "low threshold areas." Postconvulsive hypoxic damage of the
      hippocampus is possible but a much less likely cause of secondary temporal lobe
      manifestations.

PMID- 1879056
TI  - Quantitative measurement of delta activity in Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - Quantitative measurements of delta activity were made in 10 healthy elderly
      controls and 31 subjects with Alzheimer's disease. Delta activity did not
      discriminate between the healthy elderly controls and the early mild Alzheimer's
      disease subjects. However, delta activity was a significantly greater percentage
      of total EEG power in the moderate-to-advanced Alzheimer's subjects when compared
      to either the healthy controls or mild Alzheimer subjects. In the T3 and T4
      electrodes, delta activity in the moderate-to-advanced Alzheimer subjects was
      78.3% and 47.6% higher, respectively, than in control subjects. Furthermore,
      delta activity was an excellent predictor of dementia severity within the 31
      subjects with Alzheimer's disease.

PMID- 1879057
TI  - Tooth pulp evoked potentials (TPEPs) in multiple sclerosis patients.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine possible changes of the tooth pulp
      evoked potentials in patients with multiple sclerosis, and to compare these with
      other types of evoked potentials, in the same patients. The results showed TPEP
      changes in all multiple sclerosis patients. In 12 patients the changes were
      observed on both sides, while in 6 on one side only. It is interesting to note
      that the second negative wave was characterized by two peaks. The first peak
      possessed latency of approximately 125 ms that was significantly shorter than in
      the control group. The second peak appeared after about 195 ms. The significant
      prolonged latency of the second negative wave was observed in 100% of TPEPs, 95%
      VEPs and 72% AEPs. In only one case the changes were observed in TPEPs, while
      VEPs and AEPs were normal. It could be concluded that TPEPs, as well as other
      types of evoked potentials, are a sensitive indicator of the demyelination
      process.

PMID- 1879058
TI  - Auditory evoked potentials in borderline personality disorder.
AB  - Borderline personality disorder is an increasingly recognized condition and
      frequent management problem in psychiatric and nonpsychiatric practice.
      Paroxysmal changes in affect and behavior, high incidence of soft neurologic
      signs and frequent EEG alterations, and evidence of clinical response to
      antiepileptic drugs have suggested cerebral dysfunction, particularly involving
      the limbic system or reticular activating system. We recorded early latency
      brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and long-latency auditory event
      related potentials (ERPs) in 20 patients fulfilling DSM-III-R criteria for this
      disorder. BAEPs were recorded from Cz to ipsilateral and contralateral ear
      reference, with rarefaction clicks presented at 11.1 per second and 70 dB SL. Two
      thousand averages were recorded and replicated for each ear, with filter band
      pass of 150-3000 Hz and 10 ms analysis time. ERPs utilized binaural stimulation
      with 1000 and 3000 Hz tones in an 80:20 ratio, with interstimulus interval 1.1
      second, analysis time 1000 ms, and filter band pass 1-100 Hz. Two hundred
      averages were recorded and replicated from Cz with linked ear reference. No
      differences were evident in I-III, III-V, and I-V interpeak latencies between
      borderline patients and age-matched neurologically and audiologically normal
      controls. N1, P2, and N2 components of the AEPs were longer in latency and lower
      in amplitude in borderline patients, while P3 latency was longer and amplitude
      was attenuated in borderline patients as compared to controls. These findings may
      suggest differences from normals in attention maintenance and in limbic system
      function.

PMID- 1879059
TI  - Growth characteristics and response to growth hormone therapy in patients with
      hypochondroplasia: genetic linkage of the insulin-like growth factor I gene at
      chromosome 12q23 to the disease in a subgroup of these patients.
AB  - Hypochondroplasia, a heterogeneous and usually mild form of chondrodystrophy, is
      a common cause of short stature. It often goes unrecognized in childhood and is
      diagnosed in adult life when disproportionate short stature becomes obvious. We
      performed restriction enzyme analysis of the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)
      gene on the families of 20 white British Caucasian children with short stature
      attributed to hypochondroplasia by radiological and clinical criteria, who were
      undergoing human growth hormone (r-hGH) treatment, in 60 children with isolated
      growth hormone deficiency and in 50 normal individuals. The frequency of the
      heterozygous pattern (Hind III: 8.2, 5.2, 4.8, 3.2 kb fragments, Pvu: 8.4, 5.1,
      4.7, 2.5 kb fragments) in children with hypochondroplasia was significantly
      higher (chi2: P less than 0.05) than in the control groups. The
      hypochondroplastic children whose response to r-hGH treatment was characterized
      by a proportionate increase in both spinal and subischial leg length were all
      heterozygous for two co-inherited IGF-I gene restriction fragment length
      polymorphism (RFLP) alleles (Hind III: 5.2, 4.8 kb; Pvu II: 5.1, 4.7 kb).
      Children whose response was characterized by accentuation of the body
      disproportion by r-hGH treatment were all homozygous for these alleles (Hind III:
      4.8, 4.8 kb; Pvu II: 4.7, 4.7 kb). Their response to r-hGH treatment is
      significantly different (P less than 0.01). Studies of the families of the
      heterozygous affected children demonstrated strong linkage (lod score 3.311 at
      zero recombination) of the IGF-I gene locus at chromosome 12q23 to this subgroup
      of hypochondroplasia. The 5.2 kb Hind III and 5.1 kb Pvu II alleles are in strong
      linkage disequilibrium with this trait. These data indicate that IGF-I gene may
      be a candidate gene for involvement in the aetiology of short stature presenting
      with hypochondroplastic features and a proportionate response to r-hGH treatment;
      they also provide support for the concept of genetic heterogeneity in
      chondrodystrophy.

PMID- 1879060
TI  - d-fenfluramine/prolactin response throughout the menstrual cycle: evidence for an
      oestrogen-induced alteration.
AB  - The prolactin (PRL) response to fenfluramine (FEN), a serotonin (5-HT) releasing
      agent, is used as an index of 5-HT sensitivity in studying disorders associated
      with central 5-HT abnormality. Plasma oestrogen levels are known to augment PRL
      responses to a variety of stimuli. In order to examine the effect that ovarian
      steroids have on this response nine, healthy women were tested twice at three
      time points in the menstrual cycle: early follicular, mid-cycle and late luteal
      phase with either d-FEN, a more specific 5-HT agent than the racemic mixture, or
      placebo. Responses to d-FEN were maximal at mid-cycle, lowest during the early
      follicular phase, with responses premenstrually being intermediate between the
      two. Responses to placebo did not vary. Plasma oestradiol levels fluctuated in
      parallel with neuroendocrine responses to d-FEN. The possible mechanisms are
      discussed, including an effect that oestradiol may exert at central serotonin
      sites.

PMID- 1879061
TI  - Glucose metabolism in patients with Cushing's syndrome.
AB  - Glucose intolerance, sometimes severe enough to cause frank diabetes mellitus, is
      a frequent feature of Cushing's syndrome. The primary cause of the
      hyperglycaemia, whether due to glucose over-production or under-utilization,
      remains unresolved. We therefore measured glucose turnover using an intravenous
      bolus of 3-3H glucose in 14 normoglycaemic patients with Cushing's syndrome and
      14 control subjects. Seven of the patients with Cushing's syndrome were also
      restudied post-operatively. Plasma glucose concentrations were similar in all
      three groups whereas glucose metabolic clearance rate (MCR) (1.80 +/- 0.06
      ml/min/kg) and glucose turnover rate (9.09 +/- 0.36 mumol/min/kg) were
      significantly reduced in patients with Cushing's syndrome compared to normal
      subjects (2.21 +/- 0.1; P less than 0.001; 10.90 +/- 0.50; P less than 0.01) and
      rose post-operatively to normal values (2.35 +/- 0.14 ml/min/kg; 11.07 +/- 0.48
      mumol/min/kg). We conclude from these results that the hyperglycaemia sometimes
      found in Cushing's syndrome may be primarily due to decreased utilization rather
      than increased glucose production.

PMID- 1879062
TI  - The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.

PMID- 1879063
TI  - The value of medical treatment in nasal polyps.

PMID- 1879064
TI  - Blood transfusion and laryngeal cancer.
AB  - Evidence exists to suggest a detrimental effect of blood transfusion on survival
      after resection for malignant disease. Immune suppression due to transfusion has
      been implicated, though this remains unproven. We have conducted a retrospective
      study of 69 patients (38 transfused, 31 not transfused) with squamous carcinoma
      of the larynx to assess the effect of blood transfusion on survival after
      laryngectomy. Patients were compared for age, sex, smoking habit, tumour site and
      stage, grade of operating surgeon, preoperative haemoglobin, tumour nucleolar
      organizer region status, and operation time. The minimum follow-up was 5 years.
      In the transfused group 21/38 died as a result of their malignant disease and
      only 4/31 in the untransfused group. This difference was highly significant (P
      less than 0.001, chi-squared test) and using a multivariate analysis the only
      variable associated with a decreased survival time was whether a blood
      transfusion had been received. We conclude that peri-operative blood transfusion
      is associated with decreased survival after laryngectomy. However, whether this
      association is causal remains unproven.

PMID- 1879065
TI  - The management of peritonsillar sepsis by needle aspiration.
AB  - 172 consecutive patients admitted with suspected unilateral peritonsillar sepsis
      were studied. Needle aspiration of the peritonsillar space was performed, and
      they were all then treated with intravenous antibiotics (usually
      benzylpenicillin). Any pus obtained was cultured. The aspiration was repeated if
      the patient was not improving after 24 h. A quantity of pus was aspirated at the
      first attempt from 91 patients (53%); 82 of these required no further aspiration
      but 7 required a further single aspiration and 2 required a further 2 aspirations
      before resolution of the sepsis. 71 of the 81 patients (88%) from whom pus had
      not been aspirated, and who were therefore initially considered to have
      peritonsillar cellulitis, required no further aspirations. However, 6
      subsequently drained pus spontaneously and 4 produced a positive aspirate on a
      second occasion. Four patients required a change in their antibiotic therapy. We
      have found the combination of needle aspiration and parenteral antibiotics to be
      an effective treatment of peritonsillar sepsis. All patients were spared the
      unpleasant and painful experience of an incision and drainage procedure.

PMID- 1879066
TI  - Cough intensity in patients with a vocal cord palsy.
AB  - This study assesses the effect a paralysed cord has on the intensity of coughing.
      The air flow pattern during coughing of 10 patients with a vocal cord palsy was
      compared with a control group, using a computerized pneumotachograph system.
      There was no significant difference in the value of the peak air flow but the
      time taken to reach the maximum value was prolonged in the vocal cord palsy
      group. This non-invasive test may aid diagnosis of vocal cord palsies but the
      laterality of the lesion cannot be predicted from the airflow pattern alone.

PMID- 1879067
TI  - Surgery for chronic ear disease in a non-university hospital: open cavity,
      obliteration and intact canal wall techniques.
AB  - The long-term results of surgery for chronic suppurative middle ear disease at a
      non-university ENT-clinic (Vasa Central Hospital, Finland) are reported. The
      material consisted of 273 ears, 65 of which had been operated on by open cavity
      techniques, 178 by the original Palva obliteration method, and 30 by the intact
      canal wall method. Post-operative cholesteatoma occurred equally frequently with
      the two canal wall down methods (7.7 and 7.3%, respectively) but was more
      frequent after intact canal wall surgery (23.3%). Hearing was better and the
      infection rate lower with obliteration than with open cavity techniques. Post
      operative infection was the least frequent and the hearing result best in the
      intact canal wall ears, but compared to the other two groups the extent of
      disease found at surgery was considerably less in this group. The obliteration
      operation proved to be a safe method in the hands of a practising otologist
      outside university clinics.

PMID- 1879068
TI  - Is laterality important in neck node metastases in head and neck cancer?
AB  - We present a series of 2219 previously untreated squamous carcinomas of the head
      and neck, 141 (6.5%) of whom had bilateral nodes at presentation. Bilateral nodes
      became progressively less common with increasing age but were not related to
      other host factors. They were also strongly related to the site of the primary
      tumour, its T-stage and its histological grade, being more common in tumours of
      the oro or naso-pharynx, in poorly or moderately differentiated tumours, and in
      tumour stages T3 or T4 at presentation. There were also interactions between
      these tumour factors, and patients with all three factors had a 25% incidence of
      bilateral nodes. 126 of these patients could be matched for the main prognostic
      factors with 126 patients with unilateral neck node disease. The survival rate of
      the latter group was 9% better than that of the unilateral group. Further
      breakdown showed that the survival of patients with nodes smaller than 6 cm is
      not affected by laterality, whereas it is for patients with massive nodes.

PMID- 1879069
TI  - Secretory otitis media: a review of management by consultant otolaryngologists.
AB  - A questionnaire concerning various aspects of secretory otitis media was
      completed by a random sample of Consultant Otolaryngologists in the United
      Kingdom. The replies to questions associated with the management of this
      condition are presented. The results suggest only a moderate degree of agreement
      between Consultants in many areas of management and these findings are discussed
      in the light of current research.

PMID- 1879070
TI  - Is a single quinsy an indication for tonsillectomy?
AB  - There has recently been some discussion on whether a single quinsy is an
      indication for tonsillectomy. This paper presents a retrospective study of 36
      patients who presented with a quinsy over the past 37 years but did not have
      interval tonsillectomy. Prolonged follow-up shows that the rate of recurrence of
      a quinsy can double compared to the recurrence rate under 5 years. Despite this
      it remains relatively low and an uncomplicated quinsy does not warrant
      tonsillectomy.

PMID- 1879071
TI  - The protective effect of a conductive hearing loss in workers exposed to
      industrial noise.
AB  - There is controversy as to whether a conductive hearing loss protects the inner
      ear from the effects of loud noise. A retrospective study was carried out on 24
      patients with a combination of unilateral conductive hearing loss and noise
      induced hearing loss. This allowed subjects to act as their own controls. There
      was no statistical difference in thresholds between the two ears; possible
      explanations for this finding are discussed.

PMID- 1879072
TI  - The role of bupivacaine in post-tonsillectomy pain.
AB  - The peritonsillar tissues on one side of 45 consecutive patients undergoing
      tonsillectomy were infiltrated with bupivacaine and adrenaline, the opposite side
      serving as a control. Although a significant difference was noted between the two
      sides this was not a substantial difference in terms of pain relief.

PMID- 1879073
TI  - An analysis of the aetiology of early childhood deafness.
AB  - It is generally believed that one in every thousand children is profoundly deaf.
      An understanding of the aetiology of early childhood deafness and timely
      detection is crucial in rehabilitation of these children. This study analyses the
      aetiology of early childhood deafness and shows that deafness is more often
      acquired than inherited. Non-syndromic deafness, especially occurring on its own,
      usually produces profoundly deaf children and thus there is the need for genetic
      studies--in the child, laterally, and longitudinally into generations. Meningitis
      appears to be the commonest cause of acquired deafness, especially if due to
      pneumococcus. Only 40 of the 80 cases presented before the age of 2 years. It was
      therefore interesting to note what factors invoked awareness of deafness to
      facilitate early presentation.

PMID- 1879074
TI  - Ultrasonography as a method of examination of the frontal sinus.
AB  - This prospective study was performed to evaluate the reliability of
      ultrasonography for the detection of fluid and mucosal swelling in the frontal
      sinus. The evaluation was based on a comparison of the preoperative
      ultrasonographic results with the surgical findings in 27 frontal sinuses.
      Ultrasonography was found to be a reliable method for the demonstration or
      exclusion of mucosal swelling and accumulated fluid (sensitivity 92%; specificity
      93%).

PMID- 1879075
TI  - Clinical investigation of hearing loss in the elderly.
AB  - The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age. Epidemiological and
      histopathological studies relating hearing loss to age are reviewed and clinical
      evidence presented suggesting that hearing loss is due not only to age but also
      to disease processes known to be associated with hearing threshold deterioration.
      80 elderly patients presenting with a hearing problem at hospital have been
      studied and compared with 287 'non-complainers'. 83% of the study group were
      found to have factors, additional to age, contributing to their hearing loss; 50%
      had a medical condition previously unrecognized; 30% were taking potentially
      ototoxic drugs. Audiometric measurements indicate that hearing thresholds of the
      elderly are influenced by numerous disease processes. Patients attending hospital
      with hearing impairment are at greater risk of having a vascular or biochemical
      abnormality than a group of elderly 'non-complainers'. Elderly patients
      presenting with hearing loss should therefore be adequately investigated before
      being labelled as having presbyacusis.

PMID- 1879076
TI  - Function and morphology of respiratory cilia in situs inversus.
AB  - The activity and ultrastructure of respiratory cilia were studied in 13
      individuals with situs inversus but without serious respiratory complaints, in 8
      patients with Kartagener's syndrome and in 50 healthy controls without situs
      inversus. In 3 individuals with situs inversus abnormal ciliary activity was
      found, comparable in every aspect to the ciliary activity in patients with
      Kartagener's syndrome. In 4 individuals with situs inversus a dynein arm
      deficiency was present in the cilia, with abnormal ciliary activity in 3 of them.
      The number of outer dynein arms per cilium differed significantly between the 3
      groups (P less than 0.02). Apparently, situs inversus without serious respiratory
      complaints can be associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Based on the
      findings in this study, the incidence of primary ciliary dyskinesia in the
      Caucasian population appears to be 1:12,500.

PMID- 1879077
TI  - The effect of frequency on combined glottography.
AB  - This study investigates the relationship between frequency and the open quotient
      (OQ) and speed quotient (SQ) values of combined glottography. Simultaneous
      electroglottography and photoglottography were performed on 20 healthy male
      subjects. Regression analysis showed that neither OQ nor SQ was dependent upon
      frequency. The technique is therefore still valid despite the inability to
      control this variable.

PMID- 1879078
TI  - The spontaneous course of nasal obstruction in patients with normal nasal airway
      resistance.
AB  - Sixty-seven patients, candidates for septoplasty in the years 1976-1978 because
      of nasal obstruction and deviated nasal septum, but not having surgery because
      their nasal airway resistance was normal, were reviewed in 1982 and again in
      1989. Between 1982 and 1989, 6% of the patients became free of their respective
      nasal complaints, and 18% of their nasal obstruction, the corresponding overall
      figures for the period between 1976 and 1978, and 1989, being 20 and 36%. In
      fact, the majority of the patients were suffering from vasomotor rhinitis and
      because in so many cases nasal obstruction tends to disappear as time goes on, a
      conservative waiting policy would seem to be an appropriate approach to
      treatment.

PMID- 1879079
TI  - Surgical anatomy of the singular nerve.
AB  - The course of the posterior ampullary (singular) nerve has been studied in 30
      preserved human temporal bones. In 17 dissections (57%), the nerve was readily
      accessible in the floor of the round window niche without undue risk to the round
      window membrane or the ampulla of the posterior semicircular canal. In 5 bones
      (16%), the nerve was closely related to the round window membrane and could not
      have been approached without significant risk of damage to the membrane. In 8
      (27%), the nerve ran more or less directly medially to the internal auditory
      meatus without entering the round window niche. The ampulla of the posterior
      semicircular canal would therefore have been at risk if the nerve were approached
      surgically.

PMID- 1879080
TI  - Inverted papilloma of the nose and paranasal sinuses: a study of 67 patients.
AB  - Retrospectively, 67 patients with inverted nasal papillomas were studied. In 12,
      the lesions were localized exclusively on the nasal septum. In 55, the lesion
      involved the lateral wall and/or the paranasal sinuses. There was a male
      predominance of 3:1. After histological revision the most dominating epithelial
      type was found to be transitional. Inverted papilloma was in one patient
      associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Ten per cent suffered recurrences from 6
      to 37 months after the primary surgical procedure. We found that limited septal
      lesions could be managed by an intranasal procedure but lateral rhinotomy is
      recommended as the procedure of choice in the treatment of inverted papilloma of
      the lateral wall.

PMID- 1879081
TI  - The P. Rambotti Lecture. Biology of autoimmunity: a review.

PMID- 1879082
TI  - A study of synovial membrane of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
AB  - In this study, 30 percutaneous synovial knee biopsies were taken from patients
      with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that had been diagnosed in accordance
      with ARA criteria. Acute articular involvement was present in 16 cases. The
      synovial membrane was then examined using routine histological techniques and by
      direct immunofluorescent methods. The most frequently observed histological
      picture was comprised of: a) synoviocyte hyperplasia, b) scarce inflammatory
      infiltrate, c) vascular proliferation, d) oedema and congestion, e) fibrinoid
      necrosis and intimal fibrous hyperplasia of blood vessels, g) presence of fibrin
      on the synovial surface and fibrin-like deposits in the chorion. It is concluded
      that immunofluorescence can be used in the characterization of typical cases but
      is not specific.

PMID- 1879083
TI  - The role of interleukin 1, erythropoietin and red cell bound immunoglobulins in
      the anaemia of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Since interleukin 1 (IL-1) and erythropoietin (Epo) are believed to play a role
      in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) anaemia we measured IL-1 alpha
      and Epo concentrations in 10 RA patients with chronic disease anaemia (CDA) and
      in 14 RA patients without anaemia. Anaemic RA patients had significantly higher
      IL-1 alpha concentrations than patients without anaemia. IL-1 alpha correlated
      negatively with haemoglobin and correlated positively with ESR. The results of a
      multivariate analysis showed that the best predictors of the presence and absence
      of anaemia were IL-1 alpha and ESR. No clinical parameters permitted a
      distinction between these two groups of patients. Epo levels were not different
      in anaemic and non-anaemic RA patients. No correlation was found between Hb and
      Epo, indicating the presence of an impaired Epo response in RA patients with CDA.
      We completed our study with the determination of the mean red cell lifespan and
      with the quantification of IgG and IgM bound to the surfaces of red blood cells
      (RBC-IgG and RBC-IgM) using a sensitive ELISA method. We observed a modest
      reduction in red cell survival in anaemic RA patients compared to normal
      controls. We did not find any correlation between Hb and red cell lifespan and
      between Hb and RBC-IgG. RBC-IgG and RBC-IgM were not found to be more elevated in
      anaemic RA than in non-anaemic patients.

PMID- 1879084
TI  - Calcium influx into red blood cells: the effect of sera from patients with
      systemic sclerosis.
AB  - The rheology of red blood cells in patients with systemic sclerosis is abnormal.
      To investigate this further we have examined the effect of sera from patients
      with systemic sclerosis on the handling of calcium ions by the erythrocyte
      membrane. Normal erythrocytes were filled with a photoprotein (aequorin) which
      emits light on contact with calcium. These photoprotein loaded normal
      erythrocytes were then incubated overnight with serum from: normal subjects (n =
      20), from patients with systemic sclerosis (n = 27) or from patients with primary
      Raynaud's disease (n = 10). There was no significant difference in basal calcium
      leakage, as measured by the amount of light produced following the addition of
      triton X-100. Induced calcium influx, as measured by the amount of light produced
      following the addition of ionophore A23817, was significantly greater in the
      photoprotein loaded erythrocytes incubated overnight with serum from patients
      with systemic sclerosis compared to those incubated with serum from normal
      subjects (p less than 0.02) or patients with primary Raynaud's disease (p less
      than 0.01). This modulation of Ca2+ handling in erythrocytes by a serum factor
      from patients with systemic sclerosis could account for the alterations in
      erythrocyte function, such as red cell deformability, observed in systemic
      sclerosis.

PMID- 1879085
TI  - Male lupus: prevalence of IgA deficiency, 7S IgM and abnormalities of
      reticuloendothelial system Fc-receptor function.
AB  - Serological studies conducted on sera from a group of 31 male SLE patients
      revealed a 32% prevalence of 7S IgM and a 9.7% prevalence of IgA deficiency.
      Previous reports using similar methods indicated a higher (43-50%) prevalence of
      7S IgM than was found in studies involving predominantly females with SLE (15
      18%), and an overall prevalence of IgA deficiency ranging from 0.95% to 4.6%.
      Males resembled females in the prevalence of Fc-receptor specific
      reticuloendothelial system dysfunction, correlating with levels of circulating
      immune complex-like material and disease activity.

PMID- 1879086
TI  - The pharmacological effects of cicaprost, an oral prostacyclin analogue, in
      patients with Raynaud's syndrome secondary to systemic sclerosis--a preliminary
      study.
AB  - Prostacyclin (PGI2) and its analogues are useful treatments for patients with
      secondary Raynaud's syndrome (RS). However, they have to be given intravenously,
      causing inconvenience to patients. Cicaprost is an orally available analogue of
      PGI2 and has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation in both in vitro and
      animal studies. We recently investigated the effects of cicaprost on whole blood
      platelet aggregation, red cell deformability, white cell function
      (polymorphonuclear cell aggregation, elastase release and free radical activity)
      and plasma fibrinolysis in 14 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and
      secondary RS. Patients received cicaprost (2.5 micrograms or 5 micrograms t.i.d.)
      or matching placebo tablets orally for 10 days. Blood samples were taken at
      baseline and 2 hours after administration of the last treatment for the above
      mentioned assays. No changes were observed in any of the cellular elements and
      parameters measured in the 3 groups of patients studied. Our study suggests that
      cicaprost, at doses up to 5 micrograms t.i.d., fails to modify the blood
      coagulation elements and factors in patients with RS secondary to SSc. Further
      studies using higher doses and longer study periods are planned.

PMID- 1879087
TI  - Raised epidermal phospholipase A2 activity in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Epidermal phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in RA patients was significantly higher than in
      normals (p less than 0.0001) but lower than in psoriatic patients (p less than
      0.05). No relationship was observed between PLA2 activity and commonly used
      measures of rheumatoid disease activity in a cross-sectional study. However, in a
      longitudinal study change in PLA2 activity correlated strongly with changes in
      disease activity.

PMID- 1879088
TI  - Ischemic encephalopathy in ANA-negative systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - A woman with a nine-year history of Raynaud's phenomenon developed
      photodermatitis and a sudden neurological syndrome characterized by transient
      focal disorders accompanied by wide and persistent cerebral lesions demonstrated
      by CT, NMR and SPECT imaging. A careful evaluation of the clinical manifestations
      of neurological SLE along with the detection of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies prompted
      us to reconsider the diagnosis of SLE. Moreover, the discrepancy observed between
      the poor neurological picture and the widespread encephalic alterations shown by
      CT, NMR and SPECT imaging suggests that it may be useful to conduct these
      investigations in patients affected by SLE with modest neurological signs and
      symptoms. A further interesting aspect of this case is represented by the
      differential diagnosis with two other diseases, such as Sneddon's syndrome and
      multiple sclerosis, which are characterized by the presence of certain clinical
      and instrumental findings also observed in neurological SLE.

PMID- 1879089
TI  - Dermatomyositis associated with the recurrence of transitional cell carcinomas
      and Kaposi's sarcoma.
AB  - A 76-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of dermatomyositis (DM).
      Fourteen years earlier a transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder was
      diagnosed. Following repeated resections of the neoplasm, he was free of the
      disease for the last two years. Six weeks after starting treatment with steroids
      and azathioprine for DM, he has developed Kaposi's sarcoma of the skin which
      subsided upon discontinuation of the immunosuppressive drugs. Four months after
      the diagnosis of DM, a local recurrence of the bladder carcinoma was found. This
      patient illustrates the importance of a thorough search for neoplasms or
      recurrence in elderly patients with dermatomyositis. The case also emphasizes the
      need for caution in immunosuppressive treatment of autoimmune disorders in such
      patients. Still, discontinuation of these medications resulted in a significant
      improvement of the skin neoplasm.

PMID- 1879090
TI  - HLA class III molecules and autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

PMID- 1879091
TI  - Evaluation of methotrexate in the treatment of juvenile chronic arthritis
      according to the subtype.
AB  - Methotrexate therapy was evaluated in 30 children with juvenile chronic arthritis
      according to the type of onset. The systemic form seemed less responsive than the
      ANA positive form with a polyarticular course or polyarticular onset. The
      clinical improvement, particularly in the ANA positive polyarticular course was
      confirmed by a significant decrease in the values of the ESR. Side effects
      occurred in 12 patients and consisted of gastrointestinal upset, mouth ulcers,
      slight leucopenia and elevated transaminases. They led to discontinuation of the
      treatment in only one child. Concomitant therapy could be stopped in 50% of the
      patients with an ANA positive polyarticular course, but remained necessary in the
      two other groups. These results indicate a differential effect of MTX therapy
      according to the type of JCA.

PMID- 1879092
TI  - Chorea as a manifestation of the antiphospholipid syndrome in childhood.
AB  - Chorea has been related to the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (a-PL) in
      the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we report the case of a
      13-year-old girl with a-PL antibodies, who had developed thrombophlebitis at the
      age of 11 years and chorea two years later, in the absence of clinically evident
      SLE. Serological tests revealed a false positive test for syphilis, a prolonged
      activated partial thromboplastin time, hypocomplementaemia and positive anti-DNA
      antibodies.

PMID- 1879093
TI  - A limited form of the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

PMID- 1879094
TI  - Uses and limitations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in clinical
      pharmacokinetics.

PMID- 1879097
TI  - The spectrum of eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Report of six pediatric cases and
      review of the literature.
AB  - Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology
      characterized by infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract with eosinophilic
      leukocytes, accompanied by varying abdominal symptoms and usually by peripheral
      blood eosinophilia. We report our experience with six pediatric cases presenting
      to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation over the past eight years. Unusual findings in
      our patients included ascitic fluid without eosinophilia and eosinophilic
      pericarditis (one patient), and eosinophilic cholecystitis (one patient).
      Endoscopic examination and biopsy helped to establish the diagnosis in all
      patients. Bone marrow aspiration supported the diagnosis by demonstrating
      eosinophilia and identifying reactivation of the disease, even in cases without
      peripheral eosinophilia. All six patients responded promptly to prednisone.
      Diagnosis is challenging and eosinophilic gastroenteritis may be more common than
      is recognized. This series of cases significantly expands the spectrum of the
      disease in children, and documents the usefulness of diagnostic endoscopy in this
      condition.

PMID- 1879098
TI  - Multiple personality disorder: a risk indicator, diagnostic marker and
      psychiatric outcome for severe child abuse.
AB  - Recent studies suggest that multiple personality disorder (MPD) is not as rare as
      previously believed. Indeed, it may represent a relatively common (as many as 25%
      of cases) outcome of severe physical and sexual abuse of children. Because
      diagnosis and treatment offer the best prognosis, it is important for the
      pediatric clinician to become familiar with both the at risk situations (such as
      cult practices and multigenerational sexual abuse) as well as the more unusual
      behavioral presentations of this disorder.

PMID- 1879096
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of newer drugs in patients with renal impairment (Part II).
AB  - Cardiovascular diseases occur frequently in patients with renal failure. Any
      pharmacokinetic impairment in these diseases should be considered when
      individualizing drug therapy. The pharmacokinetics of new cardiovascular drugs in
      uraemic patients are reviewed: alpha- and beta-blocking agents, ACE inhibitors,
      centrally acting antihypertensive agents, calcium antagonists, antiarrhythmic
      agents and inotropic agents. Guidelines are proposed for adjustment of dosage
      regimens as a function of renal impairment. Renal or extrarenal elimination of
      drugs and their metabolites, and the activity of the latter, are taken into
      account. The disposition of new drugs such as flestolol, alacepril, delapril,
      propafenone, milrinone or enoximone, is not well documented in patients with
      renal failure. Further characterizations of the elimination of these compounds
      are needed and the potential therapeutic or toxic effects of the metabolites
      require evaluation to determine whether the dosage needs to be adjusted. Until
      such investigations are performed, those drugs should not be used in uraemic
      patients; if no therapeutic alternative is available, clinical controls are
      necessary at regular intervals. Relationships between pharmacological or
      therapeutic effects and drug plasma concentrations should be evaluated for such
      long term use drugs. The knowledge of a plasma concentration therapeutic window
      is important to provide information which will be useful in determining
      appropriate drug dosage in renal failure.

PMID- 1879099
TI  - Pain in neonatal circumcision.
AB  - Because newborn circumcision is a quick and safe surgical procedure, any method
      to relieve pain must be almost risk-free in order to be acceptable. General
      anesthesia and narcotic analgesia are not appropriate. Dorsal penile nerve block
      (DPNB) with lidocaine hydrochloride is probably the most effective and safest
      form of anesthesia for newborn circumcision currently available, but it can cause
      significant local and systemic reactions. Only a limited number of cases of DPNB
      have been reported and we feel that this procedure should be used cautiously
      until there is more published evidence of its safety. Alternative methods of pain
      relief including oral acetaminophen and topical anesthesia should also be
      studied. Of special interest is recent evidence that a sucrose-flavored pacifier
      is an effective analgesic during newborn circumcision.

PMID- 1879095
TI  - Ethnic differences in drug disposition and responsiveness.
AB  - Interethnic differences are important factors accounting for interindividual
      variations in drug responsiveness. However, these differences in drug response
      have been a relatively neglected area of investigation, so that similar doses are
      prescribed to different ethnic populations without consideration of interethnic
      pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variation. With the increased recognition of
      genetically determined polymorphism in metabolising ability as an important
      factor in drug disposition, concern has developed for the importance of
      individualising drug dose to account for racial differences. The recognition of
      these differences in drug disposition and responses calls into question the
      failure of drug licensing authorities to demand information on dosage, efficacy
      and toxicity in different ethnic groups, and to accept data from limited ethnic
      groups such as Caucasians. This article reviews the evidence for ethnic
      differences in drug disposition and sensitivity and should encourage further
      investigations to elucidate the extent of such differences, their causes and
      their therapeutic impact.

PMID- 1879100
TI  - Gastroesophageal reflux in the older child: presentation, response to treatment
      and long-term follow-up.
AB  - Much attention has been focused on the natural history of gastroesophageal reflux
      (GER) in neurologically normal infants which generally resolves by two years of
      age. In contrast, little is known of the outcome of GER diagnosed in normal older
      children. The charts of 32 children (21 males) without neurologic or esophageal
      anatomic abnormalities, age 3.5 to 16 years (mean = 9.8) at the time of
      diagnosis, were reviewed. Diagnosis was based on suggestive presenting symptoms
      and evaluation of prolonged intraesophageal pH monitoring. Esophagitis was
      diagnosed by histologic criteria in 16 of the 32 patients. Medical treatment
      consisted of prokinetic agents (metoclopramide, bethanechol) and H2-receptor
      antagonists. After a one to eight year follow-up period (mean +/- SD - 3.4 +/-
      2.1), the symptoms in 13 children had resolved or were sufficiently improved to
      discontinue medication. In 13 patients, symptoms were improved but medication was
      required for adequate control. Four children were symptomatic without improvement
      in spite of medical therapy and two others required fundoplication for continued
      severe symptoms and refractory esophagitis. In summary, less than 50% of
      otherwise normal older children with GER undergo spontaneous resolution of marked
      improvement in symptoms and the remainder require continued long-term medical
      and/or surgical management.

PMID- 1879101
TI  - The effect of beta blockade on stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in
      adolescents.
AB  - Test anxiety is severely disabling to students whose fear of examinations causes
      cognitive dysfunction that paralyzes their thinking the way stage fright impairs
      actors ability to act. In studies using subjective evaluations among actors and
      musicians, beta-blockade relieved stage fright and has been used informally to
      treat test anxiety in students without objective measures of effectiveness. The
      Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was chosen as an objective test instrument to
      confirm the effect of beta-blockade on test anxiety and performance. Thirty-two
      high school students who had already taken the SAT before enrolling in this study
      and who had stress-induced cognitive dysfunction on exams were given 40 mg of
      propranolol one hour before they retook those tests. Mean SAT scores with beta
      blockade were 130 points higher than on the initial SAT done before entering the
      study without medication (p = less than .01). A single dose of propranolol
      immediately before the SAT permitted improved performance in students prone to
      cognitive dysfunction due to test anxiety.

PMID- 1879102
TI  - "The effect of beta blockade on stress-induced cognitive dysfunction in
      adolescents".

PMID- 1879103
TI  - The value of the autopsy in congenital heart disease.
AB  - We reviewed autopsies in 50 consecutive cases of congenital heart disease between
      1980 and 1988. Autopsy results were compared to premortem clinical diagnosis. The
      patients ranged in age from two days to 66.5 years with a mean age of 6.42 years;
      68% were less than one year of age. The most common diagnoses were hypoplastic
      left heart syndrome in 16 (32%) and ventricular septal defect in five (10%).
      Other common diagnoses included coarctation of the aorta, hypoplastic right heart
      syndrome, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great vessels and tricuspid
      atresia. No patient had a missed diagnosis that would have changed survival
      (Class 1). Four (8%) of the patients had one missed major diagnosis that did not
      change their survival because they were already being symptomatically treated or
      because no clinical treatment was available (Class 2). The majority of autopsy
      derived data were missed minor diagnoses that were related [14 (28%)-Class 3] or
      unrelated [12 (24%) - Class 4] to the terminal disease process. However, despite
      the small percentage of autopsy findings that would have directly affected
      survival, the autopsy provided important additional clinical information in 30
      (60%) patients. This information could be used to correct management errors and
      to develop protocols for prophylaxis against known complications. The pediatric
      autopsy can provide useful clinical data that may be a guide to altering clinical
      therapy and is essential in providing genetic counseling.

PMID- 1879105
TI  - Neonatal sepsis.

PMID- 1879104
TI  - Current issues in neonatal herpes simplex virus infection.
AB  - Significant progress has been made in the recognition and treatment of herpes
      simplex disease in the newborn. This review discusses four current issues
      surrounding this severe and important infection. First, the reasons underlying
      the failure of antenatal screening programs to identify high-risk pregnancies for
      herpes simplex are analyzed. Second, typical and atypical clinical manifestations
      of neonatal herpetic infection are reviewed. Third, determinants of disease,
      particularly the immune status of the mother and child, and their therapeutic
      implications are discussed. Finally, controversies surrounding antiviral therapy
      are examined.

PMID- 1879106
TI  - Perinatal human immunodeficiency virus infection.
AB  - Infection with HIV is rarely clinically apparent in the newborn period. At
      present, there is no satisfactorily sensitive and specific test to diagnose
      infection in the newborn nursery. Identification of women at risk for
      transmission of HIV to their infants and of infants at risk for vertically
      transmitted HIV infection, so that early diagnosis and treatment can be
      instituted, is the currently recommended approach.

PMID- 1879108
TI  - Neonatal candidiasis: the current challenge.
AB  - The current challenge of neonatal candidiasis arises from the increased survival
      of very low birthweight infants. It is important to understand those factors
      affecting normal colonization of the neonate, concomitant with those factors that
      predispose to fungal invasiveness. Disseminated candidiasis may present with
      subtle signs and symptoms, but has the potential for a wide variety of organ
      system involvement. Early initiation of aggressive therapy, with careful
      monitoring, can lead to a successful outcome.

PMID- 1879107
TI  - Perinatal mycoplasmal infections.
AB  - Maternal infections are known to play a major role in perinatal morbidity and
      mortality. Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis are sexually
      transmissible microorganisms associated with a number of pathologic conditions in
      the pregnant woman including chorioamnionitis and postpartum fever. They are
      rapidly gaining recognition as significant causes of perinatal infection,
      especially in infants born prematurely. This review summarizes current knowledge
      regarding the epidemiology, pathology, disease spectrum, and clinical
      manifestations of mycoplasmal and ureaplasmal perinatal infections and presents
      guidelines for proper diagnosis and treatment.

PMID- 1879109
TI  - Coagulase-negative staphylococcal infection in the neonate.
AB  - During the last decade, improved neonatal care has permitted the survival of
      extremely low birthweight infants who are at increased risk for the development
      of nosocomial infection. The coagulase-negative staphylococci currently represent
      the most frequent nosocomial pathogen isolated from infants in the newborn
      intensive care unit. This article details pathogenesis, clinical manifestations,
      diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neonatal infection with this organism.

PMID- 1879110
TI  - Rational principles for immunoglobulin prophylaxis and therapy of neonatal
      infections.
AB  - Immunotherapy was a common method of treating infectious diseases in the
      preantibiotic era. Serotherapy was a popular approach to serious infections and
      employed hyperimmune globulins harvested from various large animals. Such
      antisera needed to be administered early in the course of the disease and
      unfortunately was associated with significant risks of anaphylaxis and serum
      sickness. Because of the allergic risks associated with animal immunoglobulin
      preparations, the development of methods to isolate human immunoglobulins
      heralded a new era in immunotherapy. This article examines the uses of
      immunotherapy in the treatment of neonatal infections.

PMID- 1879111
TI  - Therapeutic administration of fibronectin: current uses and potential
      applications.
AB  - Fibronectins are a class of multifunctional glycoproteins that exist in soluble
      and insoluble forms. These glycoproteins are found in nearly all body fluids and
      in tissue extracellular matrices. Alterations in the normal synthesis, release,
      and distribution of fibronectins are characteristic features of certain human
      pathophysiologic conditions. The therapeutic administration of plasma fibronectin
      to human patients with defects in corneal wound healing and critically ill adult
      patients with multisystem organ failure appears clinically beneficial, although
      confirmation is needed from additional trials in progress. In vitro data suggest
      a role for fibronectin in enhancing (directly and indirectly) the function of
      phagocytes isolated from the blood of newborn infants. Although as yet untested,
      it is possible that fibronectin administration to the immunologically immature
      human neonate may improve host defenses and reduce the risk of nosocomial
      infection. Additional research is needed to define the factors that regulate the
      synthesis, isoform expression, and clearance of endogenous fibronectins during
      normal fetal and neonatal development. Continued research to define the role of
      endogenous fibronectins in augmenting the inflammatory response of the neonatal
      host is also required before rational immunotherapeutic interventions can be
      initiated.

PMID- 1879112
TI  - Cytokines: a new immunotherapy.
AB  - Numerous abnormalities in neonatal host-defense mechanisms have been documented
      over the past decade. Profound disturbances in myeloid progenitor proliferation,
      bone marrow neutrophil storage pools, a tendency to peripheral neutropenia and
      significant in vitro abnormalities of mature neutrophil cell effector function
      all predispose the neonate to a high mortality rate during bacterial sepsis. The
      recent use of hematopoietic CSFs and other cytokines to enhance host defense
      mechanisms in the adult has suggested a role for this new form of immunotherapy
      in the newborn. Several studies over the past 2 years have indicated that a
      number of these cytokines may in fact enhance neonatal myeloid progenitor
      proliferation, modulate neonatal bone marrow neutrophil storage and proliferative
      pools, induce peripheral neutrophilia and protect against the high mortality rate
      associated with experimental bacterial sepsis to enhance neonatal host defense
      against overwhelming bacterial infection.

PMID- 1879113
TI  - Clinicopathologic approach to the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.
AB  - Perinatally acquired bacterial neonatal sepsis is a low-incidence, high-risk
      disease with a relatively benign treatment. Accurate diagnosis is difficult
      because there is no definitive diagnostic test; even blood cultures have an
      unacceptably low sensitivity. Therefore, the clinician must accept that a number
      of neonates will have treatment initiated for sepsis who do not have the disease.
      In order to treat rapidly all infants with sepsis and to minimize therapy for
      those without infection, historical, clinical, and laboratory data can be used
      together in a management approach to achieve optimal results.

PMID- 1879114
TI  - Medical imaging in acute abdominal pain.

PMID- 1879115
TI  - Role of the central nervous system in stress ulcers.

PMID- 1879117
TI  - Diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

PMID- 1879116
TI  - Current drug therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.

PMID- 1879118
TI  - Immediate and follow-up management of hepatic trauma.
AB  - There has been a considerable evolution in the management of patients with
      hepatic injuries in the past 5-10 years. CT is now the mainstay of diagnosis for
      stable patients with blunt hepatic injuries. This allows for nonoperative therapy
      in many patients with lacerations, intrahepatic hematomas, or subcapsular
      hematomas. Simple operative techniques are used in 60% of patients with blunt
      injuries, and any deaths in this group are usually due to associated injuries. In
      patients requiring advanced techniques of repair, postoperative management
      emphasizes basic techniques including correction of hypothermia and
      coagulopathies and early use of enteral feeding. Postoperative complications are
      not rare when Class III, IV, or V hepatic injuries have been treated, but can be
      managed with the assistance of the interventional radiologist, blood bank, or by
      use of early reoperation. Mortality depends on mechanism of injury and magnitude
      of hepatic injury, and ranges from 14-31% for patients with blunt trauma.

PMID- 1879119
TI  - The clinical management of cirrhosis.
AB  - The discipline of hepatology is being rapidly advanced by several methods of
      investigation, most notably those of molecular and genetic biology. The
      polymerase chain reaction holds very great promise in unraveling the implications
      of hepatic virus infections. At the present time, we have no method of reversing
      established cirrhosis, and those with life threatening impairment of liver
      function can only look to liver transplants for salvage. The clinician can
      therefore best serve by identifying liver disease before cirrhosis and its
      complications occur. With effective case finding, and the continued development
      of therapeutic interventions directed toward known or suspected etiologic and
      pathogenic factors, many productive, high-quality years can be added to the
      lifespans of many patients.

PMID- 1879120
TI  - Some practical advice concerning Helicobacter pylori.

PMID- 1879121
TI  - Advances in etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gastric disorders.

PMID- 1879122
TI  - Effort thrombosis of the axillosubclavian vein: a disabling vascular disorder.
AB  - In the natural history of this disorder, resumption of normal activity after a
      period of recuperation (following an episode of thrombosis) frequently leads to
      symptoms of upper extremity venous hypertension exacerbated by using the arms in
      the overhead position. This position can be demonstrated venographically to
      further occlude collateral vessels in thoracic outlet. A number of patients
      develop more extensive symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.
      Anticoagulation may protect the collateral vessels and interrupt the period of
      active clot propagation resulting in a better functional result than would be
      expected from the natural history of the thrombotic event. In our experience,
      local Urokinase was the most effective means for reestablishing venous patency.
      With clot dissolution the underlying compression of the vein at the thoracic
      outlet can be demonstrated. Balloon angioplasty should not be undertaken in the
      acute setting nor prior to relieving the tendinous compression. The acute
      phlebitic process should resolve under the protection of Coumadin for three
      months. At that time it can be determined more effectively which patients require
      additional therapy. Removal of the first rib will decompress the axillosubclavian
      vein and the thoracic outlet collaterals permitting the vein to regain its normal
      configuration particularly in younger patients with more acute onset of
      compression. In those patients with more chronic compression the vein becomes
      stenotic. Improvement of the luminal configuration has been accomplished with
      transvenous balloon angioplasty without the necessity for venous reconstructive
      procedures in this series. Patients with Paget-Schroetter syndrome have a symptom
      complex which often reflects more extensive neurovascular compression at the
      thoracic outlet than that which might result from venous hypertension alone.
      Although thrombolytic therapy can restore patency of the axillosubclavian vein,
      first rib resection is necessary to relieve the external compression. This
      procedure was very effective in patients who had restoration of subclavian vein
      patency, and to a lesser degree in those with residual occlusion.

PMID- 1879124
TI  - On the role of genetic factors in coronary heart disease.

PMID- 1879123
TI  - Prevention and treatment of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

PMID- 1879125
TI  - Control of cardiac transplant rejection.

PMID- 1879126
TI  - Declining mortality from cardiovascular disease.

PMID- 1879127
TI  - Update: drug therapy for acute myocardial infarction.
AB  - Acute myocardial infarction is potentially a highly treatable disease. Immediate
      interventions are directed to decreasing tissue hypoxia with oxygen and improving
      bloodflow to ischemic myocardium using nitrates and thrombolytic agents. Cardiac
      workload should be reduced by eliminating endogenous catecholamine release with
      analgesia and sedation, and beta blockade in patients without CHF to decrease
      heart rate and myocardial oxygen demand. Treatment of the complications of AMI
      include dysrhythmia prophylaxis, monitoring and specific therapy. Treatment of
      pump failure includes using vasodilators, vasopressors and positive inotropic
      agents. Early recognition and timely initiation of appropriate therapy should be
      every physician's goal.

PMID- 1879128
TI  - Update: current role of thrombolytic therapy.

PMID- 1879129
TI  - The renin-angiotensin system: renal actions and blood pressure regulation.
AB  - The RAS is part of an extremely powerful feedback system for long-term control of
      blood pressure and volume homeostasis. Disturbances that tend to lower blood
      pressure, such as heart failure, cirrhosis, and peripheral vasodilation, cause
      sodium and water retention until blood pressure returns to normal due, in large
      part, to the combined actions of ANGII and reduced arterial pressure. In response
      to increased sodium intake, decreased ANGII formation greatly amplifies the
      effectiveness of pressure natriuresis, thereby preventing large increases in body
      fluid volumes and blood pressure. In circumstances in which the RAS is
      inappropriately activated, the sodium retaining effects of ANGII necessitate
      increased blood pressure to maintain sodium balance via pressure natriuresis.
      Because the RAS is so powerful in regulating blood pressure, blockade of the
      system with ACE inhibitors offers a powerful therapeutic tool in diseases such as
      hypertension and congestive heart failure. The control of sodium excretion and
      blood pressure by ANGII is exerted through multiple intrarenal as well as
      extrarenal effects, including stimulation of aldosterone secretion, which can
      influence renal excretion. Current evidence suggests that the intrarenal effects
      of ANGII are quantitatively more important than those mediated by aldosterone in
      controlling blood pressure and renal excretion. The most important intrarenal
      effects of ANGII include efferent arteriolar constriction as well as direct
      effects on sodium transport. The constrictor effect on efferent arterioles also
      is important in preventing reductions in GFR in circumstances associated with
      impaired renal perfusion. Therefore blockade of ANGII formation in circumstances
      such as renal artery stenosis may caused marked reductions in GFR. However, in
      many patients efferent arteriolar vasodilation caused by ANGII blockade may not
      lower GFR markedly because of other autoregulatory mechanisms that compensate by
      causing parallel reductions in afferent arteriolar resistance. In these
      individuals, chronic ACE inhibition may prove to be beneficial in slowing the
      progression of renal disease because a reduction in glomerular hydrostatic
      pressure may help to prevent glomerular damage.

PMID- 1879130
TI  - Image operations in quantification of atherosclerosis from digitized angiograms.
AB  - This report describes a method of quantifying the inner volume (lumen volume) of
      a contrast medium-filled femoral artery from a roentgenogram by computerized
      image analysis. The various factors influencing the accuracy of the volume
      determination are analyzed and an image-processing procedure for the elimination
      of artifacts due to crossing arteries is described and evaluated. The presented
      methods have been used in a large study of 281 patients and the short-term
      reproducibility has been found to be 1.00.

PMID- 1879131
TI  - A PC data-base with analytical applications for evoked potentials.
AB  - Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) are gaining ground in the research for diagnosis
      of neurological disorders and visual defects, as a non-invasive diagnostic tool.
      Yet, the methods used towards these goals are not universal and far from able to
      provide a common ground among researchers in collecting, analyzing and comparing
      their results. This paper is an attempt to close the gap. We have developed a PC
      data-base and a set of analysis programs with graphic capabilities, frequency
      analysis, as well as an objective way of describing the signals obtained during
      VEP experiments.

PMID- 1879132
TI  - A full-to-empty mode controller for the pneumatically-driven blood pump.
AB  - Presented in this paper is a microprocessor-based controller developed based upon
      the theory of finite state automata to activate the pneumatically-driven
      diaphragm blood pump in the full-to-empty mode. Under normal situations, each
      pumping cycle of the blood pump can be divided into several phases in a proper
      sequence, and such phase information is contained in the driving air pressure
      waveform. The controller tries to match the sequential phases with the pressure
      waveform sampled at real time in an attempt to search for the end-ejection or end
      filling of the blood pump. If either the end-ejection or the end-filling can be
      found, the controller sends triggering signals to the driving unit, and if the
      sampled pressure waveform can not be matched with the sequential phases or the
      controller fails to detect the end-ejection or end-filling, the controller
      activates the driving unit by the parameters of the last measured pumping cycle;
      thus, the driving unit triggers the blood pump without any stop. The result of
      laboratory bench tests demonstrates its ability in finding the end-ejection and
      end-filling points and the reliability of the fail-safe measure.

PMID- 1879133
TI  - Precision of hemodialysis urea kinetic modeling: empirical data and Monte Carlo
      simulation.
AB  - To examine the precision of variable volume urea kinetic modeling (UKMv) 15
      stable hemodialysis patients were followed with repeated sampling for 5 weeks.
      Samples were frozen and later submitted to careful batch analysis. On average,
      the index for dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) varied 6.1% and normalized protein
      catabolic rate (pcr) varied 10.5%. Immediate routine analysis correspondingly
      rendered 8.6% and 13.2%. A simpler, fixed volume model (UKMf) had an almost
      similar variation and results correlated highly with UKMv. The duration of the
      preceding interval does not affect Kt/V, but per is lower during longer
      intervals. Computer simulation demonstrated that most of the variation of
      calculated pcr could be explained by fluctuations of urea generation, i.e.,
      secondary to dietary changes. Fluctuations in the efficiency of dialysis may
      cause most variation of Kt/V, but the imprecision of the urea analysis also
      contributes. Precise knowledge of effective dialyzer clearance is not important
      for the calculation of Kt/V and pcr. It is concluded that calculating these
      variables with a simple model, employing a reasonable estimate of dialyzer
      clearance will suffice for routine use. The slightly higher accuracy of a more
      sophisticated model is overshadowed by day-to-day variations.

PMID- 1879134
TI  - Identification of peptides within a known protein sequence using COMSEQ analysis
      of data containing multiple sequences.
AB  - Modern methods of automated protein sequence analysis can provide high-quality
      data with which unambiguous amino-acid sequences can be determined, but analyses
      are more difficult when the sample is not pure. COMSEQ and auxillary programs
      were written to facilitate reconciliation of multiple amino-acid sequences
      potentially contained in noisy data with the known amino-acid sequence of the
      parent protein. The COMSEQ program prints a matrix in which the first vertical
      column represents the known amino-acid sequence of a selected protein. Each row
      of the matrix contains the sequencer yield corresponding to the amino acid in the
      first column, with each column corresponding to the sequencing reaction cycle. A
      diagonal which contains net increases of amino acids for each amino acid in the
      known sequence identifies a peptide potentially contained within the data. The
      number of matches for each diagonal over the entire known sequence are tabulated
      and presented as an aid to locating comparisons of greatest interest. The RNDSEQ
      program conducts multiple analyses using randomized versions of the known amino
      acid sequence and tabulates the cumulative frequencies of potential sequence
      matches irrespective of the true known sequence. TRANSEQ is a utility program
      that translates edited sequence data from common databases into files that can be
      used by COMSEQ and RNDSEQ. The programs have been used successfully to identify
      two co-sequenced peptides from bovine serum albumin, an albumin peptide sequence
      in the presence of hemoglobin, and to identify two sequences of rat alpha-2u
      globulin that differ in their amino termini.

PMID- 1879135
TI  - Randomization tests: statistics for experimenters.
AB  - Randomization (permutation) tests free the experimenter from the constraints of
      random sampling, a known error distribution and equal variances, to give a direct
      answer to the question "how likely is such a large (or small) result if the
      applied treatments had no effect?" The "result" may be the difference in mean
      responses, a correlation coefficient or any other value of interest. A
      randomization test is not a different statistical test but a different, and
      always valid, method of determining statistical significance. The familiar t-test
      and F-test can be carried out by data permutation without any parametric
      assumptions being fulfilled. A particular advantage of this method is that
      unbalanced designs and missing values are easily accommodated. Even with only a
      small number of subjects the number of permutations will be large and a computer
      is necessary if the randomization test is to be of practical value. To make this
      method of determining statistical significance generally available an interactive
      microcomputer program, forming a comprehensive package for the design and
      analysis of experiments, has been prepared.

PMID- 1879136
TI  - Algorithm for point-to-point correlation of geometrically nearly similar
      microscopic objects.
AB  - An algorithm is presented that compares two quasi similar images by correlating
      selected points on them--assuming their coordinates are available. The procedure
      involves translational, magnificational and rotational operations to find
      corresponding point pairs on the pictures. The algorithm automatically
      compensates for slight dissimilarities between images and constructs a reference
      point database for correlation during the evaluation process. Establishment of
      the reference point networks on the images prior to the examination is avoided.

PMID- 1879137
TI  - A structured visual language for a knowledge-based front-end to statistical
      analysis systems in biomedical research.
AB  - Within the last few years, several knowledge-based systems for statistical
      analysis systems have been proposed (see Refs. 1-4 for references). Most of these
      systems provide so-called 'natural-language' interfaces for acquisition and
      application of meta-data. Since graphics have been very efficient in displaying
      results (e.g., as scatter, QQ and residual plots), some attempts have been made
      (cf. Refs. 5,6) to use graphics also to display knowledge of the statistical
      strategy. In the present paper I will concentrate on the visualization of
      knowledge of the experimental design and its impacts on the design of a
      structured visual syntax language for acquisition and application of this
      knowledge in the field of biomedical research.

PMID- 1879138
TI  - The role of endometrial swabs in the diagnosis (and pathogenesis?) of
      endometritis.

PMID- 1879139
TI  - Bone abscess in the mandible of a quarter horse gelding.
AB  - A 4-year-old Quarter horse gelding presented with a swelling in the soft tissues
      over the junction of the body and ramus of the left mandible. Radiography showed
      a well circumscribed lytic area within the mandible surrounded by sclerosis
      unassociated with any tooth. Aspiration of the lesion yielded pus. The abscess
      cavity was opened, curetted and lavaged. A Penrose drain was placed in the
      abscess cavity for 10 days. Bacteriological culture of the exudate and soft
      tissues from the abscess produced a few colonies of Staphylococcus intermedius.
      Histopathology showed chronic pyogenic infection. The horse recovered well and
      was normal 1 year after treatment.

PMID- 1879141
TI  - Prolonged gestation in a Holstein cow: adenohypophyseal aplasia and skeletal
      pathology in the offspring.
AB  - A Holstein fetus was delivered by Caesarean section at a gestational age of 441
      days. The pituitary pars distalis was aplastic and the adrenal and thyroid glands
      were severely hypoplastic. Arrested or retarded cartilage cell maturation
      resulted in absence or minimal development of epiphyseal ossification centers,
      delayed ossification of carpal bones, and arrest of longitudinal growth of bones.
      The pathophysiology of prolonged gestation and of skeletal pathology is
      discussed.

PMID- 1879140
TI  - Dexamethasone reduces endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor activity production
      in vitro by equine peritoneal macrophages.
AB  - This study evaluated the effect of dexamethasone on endotoxin-induced production
      of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activity in vitro by equine peritoneal
      macrophages. Peritoneal macrophages from adult horses were cultured in the
      presence of dexamethasone (1-100 microM) for various time periods (2 hour, 0.5
      hour, 0 hour) prior to the addition of endotoxin (5 ng/ml), then the secretion of
      TNF activity was evaluated. Macrophage supernatant concentrations of TNF activity
      were estimated by a modified in vitro cytotoxicity bioassay using the murine
      fibrosarcoma cell line, WEHI 164 clone 13. An experiment was performed to
      determine whether dexamethasone interfered with the cytolytic bioassay's ability
      to detect TNF activity. The endotoxin-induced TNF activity production by equine
      peritoneal macrophages was significantly reduced by co-incubation with 100 microM
      dexamethasone, but not by tested concentrations of dexamethasone less than 100
      microM. This concentration of dexamethasone greatly exceeds those generally
      attained by therapeutic use of dexamethasone in horses. Preincubation time did
      not affect the ability of 100 microM dexamethasone to reduce TNF production by
      equine macrophages. The quantitation of equine TNF activity by its cytolytic
      bioassay was not altered by dexamethasone.

PMID- 1879142
TI  - Squamous cell carcinoma as a cause of dyspnea and blindness in a horse.
AB  - An 8-year-old Quarter Horse mare was examined for chronic nasal discharge and
      obstruction of both nasal passages. A solid mass lesion was identified in the
      maxillary sinuses, soft palate, nasal and pharyngeal cavities. Palliative surgery
      was used to debulk the lesion and facilitate nasal airflow. Squamous cell
      carcinoma was diagnosed from surgical biopsies. Approximately 7-8 weeks after
      surgery, the mare was observed to be acutely blind. Ophthalmologic examination
      revealed central origin blindness and active retinitis. The squamous cell
      carcinoma had reobstructed the nasal passages. Pressure by the expanding tumor
      deformed the ethmoid and sphenoid bones resulting in compression of the optic
      tracts. No bony invasion by the tumor was present.

PMID- 1879143
TI  - Unilateral optic nerve hypoplasia and hydrocephalus in a Pekingese.
AB  - A 3-year-old, castrated male Pekingese was examined 2 days after automobile
      induced trauma. Multiple pelvic injuries and visual deficits in the right eye
      were identified. During a subsequent postmortem examination, multiple pelvic
      fractures were confirmed; however, there was no evidence of head injury. Both
      globes were bilaterally symmetrical and grossly normal. The intraorbital and
      intracranial portions of the right optic nerve were threadlike and rudimentary in
      appearance, while the left optic nerve was grossly normal. Moderate dilatation of
      the left lateral ventricle was noted. Microscopically the right optic nerve and
      left nerve tract contained few identifiable nerve fibers. The right optic disc
      was depressed, and there was thinning of the optic nerve fiber and ganglion cell
      layers of the retina. No microscopic abnormalities were evident in the left optic
      nerve, optic disc, retina and right optic tract. The histologic changes in the
      right eye are consistent with optic nerve hypoplasia. The relationship between
      the optic nerve/optic tract lesions and the hydrocephalus is unknown.

PMID- 1879144
TI  - The bovine oviduct and its role in reproduction: a review of the literature.
AB  - The bovine oviduct provides the environment for sperm transport and capacitation,
      oocyte transport and maturation, fertilization and early embryonic cleavage.
      Gamete interactions in the tube occur in contact with both the tubal epithelium
      and the oviduct fluid secreted by these cells. Current research continues to
      reveal the active role of the oviduct and its products play in normal
      fertilization and embryo development. This paper reviews the anatomy and
      physiology of the oviduct of the cow, including the specific events of
      reproduction which occur in this organ.

PMID- 1879145
TI  - Disseminated infection with Neospora caninum in a ten-year-old dog.
AB  - Naturally-occurring neosporosis with multiple organ involvement was identified in
      a 10-year-old neutered male Basset hound dog. Clinical signs were first noticed 3
      weeks prior to referral and consisted of crouched stance and mild pelvic limb
      ataxia. Dexamethasone administration had provided transient improvement. On
      presentation to the teaching hospital, clinical signs included depression, pelvic
      limb ataxia, inability to stand without assistance, and pain on deep palpation of
      the cervical and lumbar vertebral column. Lesions were found in the myocardium,
      liver, spleen, adrenal glands, brain, and spinal cord. Tachyzoites of Neospora
      caninum were found in the myocardium and adrenal glands. Organisms stained with
      anti-Neospora caninum, but not to anti-Toxoplasma gondii serum in an
      immunohistochemical test.

PMID- 1879146
TI  - A role for the left hemisphere in spatial processing.
AB  - This study extended our recently reported evidence of a left hemisphere (LH)
      contribution to spatial processing on standard visuospatial tasks. The present
      investigation compared performance on these standard tasks with that on 'purer'
      experimental tasks. Two tasks of line orientation, two of shape rotation and a
      shape matching task were administered to 50 men with stable unilateral post
      Rolandic missile injuries and 32 control subjects. A LH deficit was found on the
      standard task of line orientation but not the 'purer' task, suggesting that the
      LH plays a role in eliminating extraneous information, presented only in the
      standard test. As for shape rotation, the LH group was impaired on both tasks. On
      the shape matching task, both experimental groups were significantly slower than
      control subjects. It is proposed the LH makes an important contribution to mental
      rotation and the understanding of Euclidean geometrical shapes.

PMID- 1879147
TI  - Case studies in working memory: a case for single cases?
AB  - Patterns of cognitive deficit in single neuropsychological cases are common
      sources of evidence for theories of normal cognition. In particular, the working
      memory model has benefited from data obtained from a number of contrasting
      patients, in some cases resulting in modifications of the working memory model.
      In this paper, patterns of data from short-term memory patients and anarthric
      patients are compared with patterns of data from normal subjects. The patterns of
      patient data that were unlike those patterns typically found for groups of normal
      subjects, could be incorporated within a modified version of the articulatory
      loop component of the working memory model. However a small number of individual
      normal subjects also did not show the pattern that is reported on the basis of
      average performance of groups of normal subjects. This causes some difficulty in
      interpreting those data from such 'aberrant normal' patterns, and those data from
      single patients with functional cognitive deficits. The implications of these
      findings for the interpretation of neuropsychological data are discussed in the
      context of the working memory model, but with the intention of making a general
      point pertaining to the development of functional models of cognition. It is
      argued that single case studies should continue to provide a useful source of
      evidence, providing that care is exercised in considering the implications of
      such data for models of normal cognition.

PMID- 1879148
TI  - Right hemisphere advantage for evaluating emotional facial expressions.
AB  - The ability to evaluate the intensity of emotional facial expressions was
      investigated in patients undergoing the intracarotid sodium amytal procedure. It
      was found that when the hemisphere non-dominant for language (usually right) was
      anesthetized, the patients' ratings of the intensity of emotional expressions in
      photographs were lower than baseline ratings of these expressions. Such an effect
      was not seen with anesthetization of the hemisphere dominant for language
      (usually left). Ratings of shades of gray (which served as control stimuli)
      showed no such effect. The findings are interpreted in terms of a right
      hemisphere superiority in the perception and evaluation of emotional expression.

PMID- 1879149
TI  - Mental programming after frontal lobe lesions: results on digit symbol
      performance with self-selected goals.
AB  - The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the inability to set adequate sub
      goals in a cognitive task is a sensitive indicator of programming deficit after
      frontal lobe lesion. Sixty-one patients with focal cerebral lesions and 25
      control subjects were studied with a modified Digit Symbol task, in which the
      score depended on the adequacy of the sub-goals set by the subject. This score
      was compared to that on the standard condition, in which the subject was
      requested to work as quickly as possible without self-selected goals. The results
      confirmed the prediction that patients with anterior lesions set less adequate
      sub-goals than patients with posterior lesions and, unlike the latter patients,
      have a more pronounced deficit on the performance with self-selected goals than
      on the standard condition. In particular patients with left frontal lobe lesions
      underestimated their capabilities in relation to task requirements.

PMID- 1879150
TI  - Apperceptive and associative forms of prosopagnosia.
AB  - Three prosopagnosic patients were given four face tests, two perceptual (an
      unknown face identification test and an age estimation test) and two also
      implying memory (a familiarity check test and a famous face recognition test).
      The patients' performance was assessed with reference to the score distribution
      of the normal population. A patient was found to fail both perceptual and mnestic
      tests, without any noticeable difference between them. Also the second patient
      had poor scores on both kinds of tests, but his impairment was significantly
      greater on the perceptual ones. The third patient, on the contrary, showed no
      perceptual deficit and only failed the mnestic tests. His inability to recognize
      the individuality of an item among members of the same category was strictly
      confined to faces and never present for other classes of stimuli (cars, coins,
      personal belongings). This finding is supportive of the thesis that in a few
      patients the deficit underlying prosopagnosia is face specific.

PMID- 1879151
TI  - Handedness effects in the detection of dichotically-presented words and emotions.
AB  - Left-handed and right-handed subjects were given two dichotic listening tasks
      using identical material. In one task, they were asked to determine whether or
      not a specific target word was present (verbal task). In the other task, subjects
      were asked to indicate whether or not one of the dichotically-competing words was
      spoken in a particular affective tone (emotion task). Overall, a right-ear
      advantage (REA) was found with the verbal task and a left-ear advantage (LEA)
      with the emotion task. Left-handers showed a slightly smaller REA than right
      handers on the verbal task, but a slightly larger LEA on the emotion task. This
      finding suggests that left- and right-hemispheric functions are not related in a
      complementary fashion and that handedness effects for nonverbal tasks are
      different from those seen with verbal tasks. The emotional LEA was much larger
      for angry stimuli than for happy, sad, or neutral stimuli. Rather than providing
      evidence for a hemisphere by affective valence interaction, such results suggest
      a stimulus-specific effect.

PMID- 1879152
TI  - The effect of contextual constraint on semantic judgments by Alzheimer patients.
AB  - Subjects (Alzheimer patients, normal young and elderly individuals) heard a
      sentence the last word of which was missing. A visual word then appeared and the
      subjects decided whether it made a sensible ending to the sentence. Sentences
      varied in the degree to which their semantic context constrained possible endings
      to the sentence. The degree of contextual constraint greatly influenced response
      time--the greater the constraint, the faster subjects made their decisions. While
      Alzheimer patients were slower than normals, their decision time was affected by
      contextual constraint to the same degree as that of normals. Thus, the
      performance of Alzheimer patients was sensitive to the amount of semantic context
      present in sentences, and this context facilitated their ability to make
      conscious semantic judgements. These findings suggest that Alzheimer patients are
      capable of using semantic information in a task requiring attention-dependent
      processes.

PMID- 1879153
TI  - Right brain damage impairs recognition of negative emotions.
AB  - Patients with right or left hemisphere-damage and normal control groups were
      asked to judge facial emotions from photographs presented in two orientations-
      upright, inverted. Responses were elicited with a matching and a verbal labelling
      task. Normal controls were significantly superior in the judgment of facial
      emotions than left hemisphere-damaged patients, who in turn were significantly
      superior than right hemisphere-damaged patients. Negative-aroused (fear, anger)
      and negative-nonaroused (sadness, disgust) facial expressions were recognized
      with significantly greater accuracy by left hemisphere-damaged patients compared
      to right hemisphere-damaged patients; the group difference in performance was
      nonsignificant for positive (happiness, surprise) emotions.

PMID- 1879154
TI  - Strategies in comprehension of relative clauses by parkinsonian patients.
AB  - Twenty patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and twenty normal control subjects
      (NC) matched on age, sex, education and socio-economic status (SES) were tested
      for comprehension of four types of relative clauses with complex thematic roles
      (syntax) and no semantic and pragmatic constraints (reversible) in a sentence
      picture matching task. The results show a clear language impairment for PD
      patients compared to NC. Additional evidence from testing school children in
      grade 1 (G1) and grade 6 (G6) indicates that G1 children perform similar to PD
      patients and G6 children perform as high as NC. The overall picture of the
      findings suggests: (1) PD patients process sentences with complex thematic roles
      and semantic reversibility on a heuristic and not on an algorithmic basis, a type
      of behavior assumed to be associated with frontal lobe dysfunction; (2) PD
      patients display some patterns of language behavior similar to those observed in
      aphasics. Similarities in language behavior between PD patients and G1 children
      are discussed with regard to the "regression hypothesis" (Jacobson, 1968).

PMID- 1879155
TI  - Handedness for eating in gorillas.
AB  - Observations of spontaneous reaching for food in 31 captive lowland gorillas
      found a full range of hand preferences between strong left and strong right, with
      most animals showing intermediate levels of preference. There was a high degree
      of consistency between observations made on different occasions for the same
      animal, showing that degrees of relative preference tend to be stable in
      individuals. The findings agree with the majority of previous studies of apes and
      other primates in showing no species bias to one side, with about half the
      animals left and half right preferent.

PMID- 1879156
TI  - A study of plane bisection in four cases of visual neglect.
AB  - We report four case studies of bisection performance in patients with severe left
      neglect consequent upon right hemisphere lesion. The stimuli to be bisected range
      from a horizontal line through horizontally oriented rectangles to a square; the
      stimuli are displayed on a VDU and bisections made by moving a 'mouse' that
      controls a cursor line on the screen. For one of the patients, both the starting
      position of the cursor (left or right) and the shape of the stimulus have a major
      effect upon bisection accuracy. One patient shows an effect of starting position
      but not stimulus geometry; two patients show an effect of stimulus geometry but
      not starting position. For 3 out of 4 patients, the estimated midpoint of a line
      is thus not equivalent to that of a plane with the same horizontal extent. A
      putative 'attentional' interpretation of the results is provided.

PMID- 1879157
TI  - Brain activation during a linguistic task in conduction aphasia.
AB  - In order to investigate functional cortical reorganization during recovery from
      conduction aphasia, regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) were measured by the two
      dimensional 133 Xenon inhalation method in ten stroke patients. rCBF measurements
      were performed at rest and during the performance of a linguistic task, one month
      and three months after onset. The analysis of flow changes from rest to test
      condition indicates an increasing contribution of the right hemisphere as time
      goes on. The absence of flow increase in Broca's region suggests that this region
      is definitively disconnected from posterior language "centers" by the arcuate
      fasciculus lesion.

PMID- 1879158
TI  - Hand preference in homosexual men.
AB  - The present study examined the distribution of hand preference and its
      relationship to immune system functioning and performance on neuropsychological
      tests in a sample of 993 homosexual men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study
      comprising 502 HIV-1 seronegatives, 436 asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositives, and 55
      men with diagnoses of AIDS or AIDS Related Complex. The prevalence of left
      handedness in all of the groups (13.1-14.5%) was consistent with prior published
      reports of prevalent left-handedness in the general population. The distribution
      of hand preference scores (on a 5-item self-report questionnaire) was J-shaped
      and shifted to the right as in the general population. There were no differences
      between right- and left-handers in the immune system parameter of CD4 counts, nor
      was there any increase of self-reported allergies among the left-handers. We
      found a significantly larger number of 'outliers' on the neuropsychological
      measures for left-handers than for right-handers, both for HIV-1 seronegatives
      and seropositives. These results failed to replicate Lindesay's (1987) report of
      a leftward shift in manual preference among homosexual men, and failed to support
      Geschwind and Galaburda's (1985b) hypothesis of a link between homosexuality,
      handedness and autoimmune disorder. The differences between right- and left
      handers on neuropsychological measures, independent of HIV-1 serostatus, are
      discussed in terms of Satz's (1972) model of pathological left-handedness.

PMID- 1879159
TI  - Varieties of sentence comprehension deficits: a case study.
AB  - In recent publications, Grodzinsky (1984, 1986, 1990) has offered a new theory of
      the disruption of sentence comprehension in so-called agrammatic aphasics. In
      these works Grodzinsky contends that his account, which is based in various ways
      on the formal apparatus of current syntactic theory (Chomsky, 1981), is an
      accurate and explanatory characterization of the preserved language of all those
      who present with both agrammatic sentence production and asyntactic sentence
      comprehension. We argue that this claim is not in accord with the facts. We
      present a detailed case study of the sentence comprehension performance of a
      patient who is clinically categorized as agrammatic. This patient's performance
      on full and truncated passives, and on subject- and object-cleft sentences fails
      each of Grodzinsky's predictions for these sentence types. We argue that whether
      there exists any patient who does exhibit the predicted performance pattern is
      also in serious doubt.

PMID- 1879160
TI  - Long-term recency effects and phonological short-term memory. A
      neuropsychological case study.
AB  - Long-term recency effects were investigated in a left brain-damaged patient, PV,
      who had a pathologically low auditory-verbal span and a lack of the normal
      recency effects in immediate free recall of auditorily presented lists of words,
      attributed to the abnormally reduced capacity of the phonological short-term
      store component of memory (Vallar and Papagno, 1986). In a task requiring the
      delayed free recall of a list of anagram solutions the patient showed both a
      recall performance level and a long-term recency effect comparable to the control
      group. These findings dissociate long and short-term recency phenomena, which
      would reflect the operation of different memory components. A collateral finding
      was PV's difficulty in anagram solving, which may be traced back to the defective
      function of her phonological short-term store.

PMID- 1879161
TI  - Disturbances of cross-localization of fingertips in a callosal patient.
AB  - If defective cross-localization of fingertips (CLF) in callosal patients is due
      to a deficit in the interhemispheric transfer of somesthetic information, when
      the patient's eyes are open, CLF should be affected when the stimulated hand is
      excluded from vision, not when the responding hand is excluded from vision. In
      order to investigate this hypothesis, a patient with a callosal lesion was
      subjected to CLF with eyes closed and open. With eyes closed, the CLF score in
      the left-to-right direction was significantly lower than that in the right-to
      left direction. With eyes open, the CLF performance in the right-to-left
      direction was impaired when it was the responding hand to be excluded from
      vision, not when it was the stimulated hand to be excluded from vision. It would,
      therefore, appear that the patient's CLF disturbance was not due to a somesthetic
      transfer deficit, but to left unilateral apraxia for the right-to-left direction
      errors and to left tactile finger anomia for the left-to-right direction errors.

PMID- 1879162
TI  - Severe negative emotional reactions in intracarotid sodium amytal procedures:
      further evidence for hemispheric asymmetries?
AB  - Intracarotid sodium amytal (ISA) procedures are commonly used to determine the
      lateralization of language and memory functions in presurgical evaluation of
      epileptic patients. Besides, they provide a means for studying putative
      hemispheric asymmetries in the organization of emotional behavior. In this study,
      we report the incidence of negative emotional reactions in eighty epileptic
      patients undergoing ISA procedures as a part of presurgical evaluation. There
      were only four such reactions in a total of 159 tests (2.5%), all in right-handed
      patients with left cerebral dominance for language functions. In one case,
      emotional outbursts occurred with barbiturization of the nondominant hemisphere.
      This observation invalidates the hypothesis that a loss of left-hemispheric
      functions generally leads to negative emotional reactions due to a right
      hemisphere specialization for the processing of negative emotions. Rather than
      pointing to fixed hemispheric asymmetries, our findings suggest that severe
      negative emotional reactions result from a flexible cognitive evaluation of the
      organism's overall situation.

PMID- 1879163
TI  - Unilateral spatial neglect in visual and tactile modalities.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a unilateral spatial neglect
      phenomenon occurs in the tactile modality in the absence of visual information.
      Ten patients with clinically confirmed visual spatial neglect and 10 normal
      controls bisected lines visually, or by touch when blindfolded. In visual
      presentation, the rightward deviation of the subjective midline was significantly
      more prominent in patients with visual spatial neglect than in normal controls.
      However, in the tactile tasks, there was no significant difference between the
      patient group and controls. From these results it was concluded that visual input
      may play an important role in the occurrence of the unilateral spatial neglect
      phenomenon.

PMID- 1879164
TI  - Limitations of interhemispheric extracallosal transfer of visual information in
      callosal agenesis.
AB  - A 57-year-old patient with callosal but not anterior commissure agenesis was
      investigated with a visual interfield comparison and a naming task. Stimuli were
      presented tachistoscopically either bilateral-simultaneously or unilaterally in
      the LVF and/or RVF. The stimuli presented bilaterally differed with respect to
      their degree of similarity. Whereas the patient was able to detect gross
      differences between stimuli presented in the left and right half-field, he was
      impaired at discriminating similar and identical stimuli across the half-fields.
      Identification by naming was correct on unilateral presentation of a stimulus,
      while with bilateral presentation of two stimuli, errors increased considerably
      with the stimulus named second. The data are thought to indicate a limited
      capacity of the extracallosal commissures, probably the anterior, for the
      transfer of visual information.

PMID- 1879165
TI  - Suicide notes and their implications for intervention.
AB  - Suicide is a complicated human phenomenon. Various points of view on the study of
      suicide and suicidal phenomena are warranted. Suicide notes are one such
      approach. This paper briefly summarizes the author's research on suicide notes
      and draws conclusions for preventive work with highly lethal individuals. It is
      hoped that these implications for intervention can be useful and life-saving,
      although it is concluded that there is no singular universal response to suicide.

PMID- 1879166
TI  - Interviews with survivors of suicides: procedures and follow-up of interview
      subjects.
AB  - In a series of 104 suicides in women, 91 primary informants were interviewed face
      to-face. Sixty-two informants participated in a follow-up interview by phone,
      conducted by an independent investigator in order to determine their attitudes
      toward the initial interview. One third thought that the initial interview shed
      new light on the suicide, and two thirds considered the interview emotionally
      beneficial. In all, the initial interview was a positive or neutral experience
      for 54 informants and negative for 6. All but one of these were recognized as
      problematic interview subjects at the initial interview. The remaining two
      subjects could not be judged at the follow-up. In order to avoid negative
      consequences of the interviews, the investigator should adjust the procedures and
      provide support in the crisis reaction.

PMID- 1879167
TI  - The increase of suicides in psychiatric hospitals in southwestern Germany
      according to diagnostic subgroups.
AB  - In this paper, results are shown of a study on suicides committed by psychiatric
      inpatients in four state mental hospitals in Baden-Wurttemberg, Federal Republic
      of Germany during the 15 years from January 1, 1970 up to the end of 1984. There
      was a mean suicide rate of 195 per 100,000 admissions. A comparison of 5-year
      sequences showed a significant increase of so-called hospital suicides in two of
      the hospitals at the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties. A
      statistical analysis of a trend of increase using nonparametric methods (Spearman
      rho, Kendall tau) showed a significant increase in the number of suicides and
      suicide rates in all four hospitals. In a second step, the same statistical
      procedure testing for an increase in the fifteen years was used for the group of
      schizophrenic (N = 106) and depressed (N = 55) inpatients who committed suicide.
      An impressive and highly significant increase was found especially in
      schizophrenic male inpatients with the ICD-9 diagnosis 295.3 (paranoid
      schizophrenia), and within that group, in inpatients with 3 or more inpatient
      treatments. There was also an increase in the depressed group, especially in
      female depressives, but only significant at the 5% level in the trend analysis.

PMID- 1879168
TI  - A longitudinal follow-up study of 583 attempted suicides, based on Hungarian
      material.
AB  - The author reports on a study conducted in three county districts, the first
      investigation in Hungary to also entail a follow-up study. The investigation
      includes all cases of attempted suicide in a 10-year period. The follow-up period
      was 6-16 years, an average of 11.6 years. The authors points out that in Hungary,
      as elsewhere, persons who have already attempted suicide are at a higher risk of
      committing suicide later. The distribution of this risk, however, is
      inhomogeneous. The subpopulation of adolescents clearly differs from the other
      groups, and the author tries to find the causes of this fact. He examines the
      lives of the persons he terms "serious attempters" after their attempt, taking
      into account in his sample the epidemiologic-demographical characteristics of the
      persons, whom he categorizes as nonserious, serious, and completed suicides.

PMID- 1879169
TI  - Vulnerable phases in adolescence represented by means of committed suicide.
AB  - This study deals with suicides of children and adolescents in the region of
      Tyrol, Austria from 1976-1984. The upper age limit was set at 19 years. During
      the time period stated above, 54 suicides were registered for the relevant age
      group, using police records as a source of information. Special attention was
      paid to the distribution of age, sex and occupation, as well as to the suicide
      methods. As far as age distribution is concerned, a significant increase of
      suicides was registered at the age of 15 and again at the age of 19. According to
      the authors, the reason for this increase is pronounced psychosocial changes
      which occur especially in these age groups and weaken social integration. The
      various implications ensuing from the available data are discussed.

PMID- 1879170
TI  - The role of depressive disorder in the suicidal behavior of alcoholics.
AB  - In order to examine the role depressive disorders play in the genesis of suicidal
      behavior of alcoholics, 330 alcoholic inpatients were examined. Within the total
      sample, 41% had distinct suicidal tendencies, and of those, 15% had made at least
      one serious suicide attempt. The MADRS and MMPI scales were used to obtain
      objective evaluation of the depressive disorders. The subjects were classified
      according to DSM-R criteria. The results show that suicidal alcoholics have
      statistically significantly more depressive characteristics.

PMID- 1879171
TI  - Patients' experience of the therapeutic process in a crisis intervention unit.
AB  - To all patients hospitalized in 1986 in the Crisis Intervention Unit in
      Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, an inventory was sent. In this way, we tried to find out
      how the patients experience the treatment and stay on the Unit, what is most
      helpful in solving their problems and what are, in their opinion, the direct
      gains of hospitalization. On the basis of the results, we determined what should
      be changed or improved to make the treatment in our Unit more effective.

PMID- 1879172
TI  - A dermatologic diary. Portrait of a practice.

PMID- 1879173
TI  - Allergic cheilitis due to castor oil in lipsticks.

PMID- 1879174
TI  - Accidental intravascular injection during infiltration anesthesia of the skin.
AB  - Accidental intravascular injection of lidocaine during the induction of
      infiltration anesthesia for dermatologic surgery is an occasional and harmless
      occurrence. The author noted nine such episodes in a three-year period of full
      time private dermatologic practice. A very brief, sharp, stinging pain lasting
      only seconds and immediately followed by blanching in a vascular distribution
      characterized these episodes. The blanching, resulting from the 1:200,000
      epinephrine solution used in the lidocaine solution usually disappeared within
      five to ten minutes. Patients experienced no ill effects. The standard textbooks
      and reviews caution practitioners to aspirate before injecting a local
      anesthetic; this is unnecessary when performing infiltration anesthesia of the
      skin.

PMID- 1879175
TI  - Cutaneous lesions of histoplasmosis with transepidermal elimination in a patient
      with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
AB  - Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic pathogenic fungus that produces a variety
      of self-limiting disease syndromes in healthy persons, but commonly disseminates
      in immunocompromised hosts. Although histoplasmosis has been recently described
      in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, it is an uncommon finding,
      occurring in fewer than 0.5 percent of patients with acquired immunodeficiency
      syndrome. We are reporting a second case of disseminated histoplasmosis
      presenting as keratotic papules with transepidermal elimination of Histoplasma
      capsulatum. Our case demonstrates the importance of including histoplasmosis in
      the differential diagnosis of keratotic papules occurring in patients with
      acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

PMID- 1879176
TI  - Squamous cell carcinoma of the scrotum.
AB  - A patient with psoriasis was found to have a large mass on his scrotum. He was at
      increased risk for the occurrence of skin cancer, both from the treatments he
      received for control of his psoriasis and from previous occupational exposure. We
      present his case and review the risk factors involved.

PMID- 1879177
TI  - Ichthyosiform sarcoidosis: report of a case.
AB  - Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease of undetermined cause, with
      cutaneous manifestations occurring in up to 35 percent of patients. We report a
      case of the rare form of ichthyosiform sarcoidosis occurring in a young black
      woman.

PMID- 1879178
TI  - Sudden appearance of multiple keratoacanthomas three weeks after thermal burns.
AB  - The sudden appearance of multiple keratoacanthomas in a patient who has sustained
      a thermal burn is extremely uncommon. This case report describes a sixty-four
      year-old man who noted multiple keratoacanthomas within three weeks after being
      involved in a gasoline explosion. Multiple keratoacanthomas appear to be a rare
      complication of thermal cutaneous injury in predisposed persons.

PMID- 1879179
TI  - Eruptive vellus hair cysts and neurologic abnormalities: two related conditions?
AB  - A fifteen-year-old white boy with a history of seizure disorder, borderline
      cognitive function, academic difficulty, and explosive temper outbursts was
      evaluated for asymptomatic flesh-colored papules appearing on his chest, abdomen,
      and axillae. Examination of a biopsy specimen showed eruptive vellus hair cysts;
      results of genetic, endocrinologic, and neuropsychiatric evaluation revealed
      abnormalities suggestive of a previously undescribed neurocutaneous syndrome.

PMID- 1879180
TI  - Nonvenereal sclerosing lymphangitis of the penis.

PMID- 1879181
TI  - Considerations in comparing intravenous and intramuscular antibiotics.
AB  - With the implementation of prospective payment (e.g. diagnosis-related groups
      [DRGs] and cost containment efforts, physicians and pharmacists have had to
      reevaluate current drug delivery systems in the search for the least costly means
      of administering parenteral products. The following describes a three-phase
      approach to fully assess relative antibiotic cost and to assess economic
      efficiencies of intramuscular and intravenous administration of antibiotics.
      Relative costs of therapy consist of acquisition cost, administration cost and
      total cost of self-administration. Various intravenous administration systems are
      described, as are considerations for intramuscular administration. Comparisons
      are made using intravenous and intramuscular administrations of cefazolin,
      gentamicin, penicillin and imipenem. Using a 'best case' scenario, the
      intramuscular route was found to be up to one tenth the expense of the
      intravenous route in certain instances. Also, the intramuscular route may
      facilitate early discharge and self-administration in the home. Antibiotics
      available for intramuscular injection should therefore be considered as an
      economically efficient alternative to intravenous injections, in appropriate
      patients.

PMID- 1879182
TI  - Parenteral antibiotic therapy in outpatients: quality assurance and other issues
      in a protohospital.
AB  - Antibiotics can be administered parenterally to outpatients in order to achieve
      adequate serum levels to treat such infections as endocarditis, osteomyelitis and
      diabetic foot infections, and to eradicate such difficult-to-treat organisms as
      methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, cephalothin-resistant gram-negative
      bacilli and invasive fungal infections. At Intracare, a free-standing clinic for
      such therapy, 3,247 outpatients have been treated to date. Besides the type of
      infection, criteria for patient selection include improvement in the patient's
      condition, a desire to leave the hospital, an adequate support structure at home,
      patient compliance and adequate insurance coverage. The most frequently treated
      infections have been osteomyelitis, followed by infection of skin and skin
      structure. Ceftriaxone and cefazolin are the two most frequently utilized
      antibiotics. The program at Intracare is used to examine such issues of quality
      assurance as patient compliance, therapeutic outcome, adverse events and patient
      satisfaction in this largely unregulated multibillion dollar industry. It is
      likely that such infusion centers will evolve into protohospitals, day care
      centers for present-day medical-surgical patients not occupying intensive care
      beds.

PMID- 1879183
TI  - Imipenem/cilastatin: evolution of the sustained-release intramuscular
      formulation.
AB  - Since 1983, numerous studies have confirmed the efficacy of imipenem/cilastatin
      as monotherapy for polymicrobial and multiresistant infections. Doses range from
      1 to 4 g/day, usually given in 3-4 intravenous infusions. Recently, a sustained
      release, intramuscular formulation of imipenem/cilastatin sodium has been
      developed. Investigations in both animals and healthy human volunteers have shown
      that this formulation maintains plasma concentrations of imipenem above
      susceptibility breakpoints for nearly twice the duration provided by similar
      intravenous doses. Although peak concentrations are lower with the intramuscular
      formulation, current research suggests that the efficacy of beta-lactam
      antibiotics is more closely related to the duration that levels are sustained
      above minimum inhibitory concentrations, rather than to the magnitude of peak
      concentrations over minimum inhibitory concentrations. Hence, the intramuscular
      formulation of imipenem/cilastatin sodium holds promise as an efficient,
      effective regimen in patients with serious infections of mild to moderate
      severity.

PMID- 1879184
TI  - Twice daily intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin in the treatment of skin and soft
      tissue infections.
AB  - One hundred and two patients were enrolled in an open-label evaluation of
      intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin using doses of either 500 or 750 mg every 12 h
      in the treatment of mild to moderately severe skin and soft tissue infections.
      Seventy-four of 102 patients were clinically evaluable. Thirty-one patients had
      abscesses, 20 had cellulitis and 23 had wound infections. One hundred seventy
      eight isolates were recovered from these 74 patients (average 2.4
      isolates/patient). Sixty of 74 evaluable patients (82%) were cured; 12 of 74
      (16%) were improved. Two patients failed to improve. Therapy was well tolerated.
      Adverse effects occurred in 8 patients. All of these effects were minor, and none
      required discontinuation of therapy. Eighty-two percent of patients reported no
      pain with injections. Therapy did not need to be interrupted or discontinued in
      the remaining 18% of patients reporting moderate local pain with injections. Peak
      and trough serum imipenem levels were measured in 15 patients receiving a 500-mg
      intramuscular dose of imipenem/cilastatin. The mean peak imipenem concentration
      in 15 patients was 10.7 micrograms/ml (range 3.3-17.8); the mean trough
      concentration was 2.1 micrograms/ml (range 0.8-4.9). The trough levels were
      higher than those found in healthy volunteers and may reflect the age and mild
      renal dysfunction in this group of treated patients. Imipenem/cilastatin used for
      mild or moderate skin and soft tissue infections was both efficacious and well
      tolerated. Intramuscular therapy with this agent offers advantages over
      intravenous therapy because of its long apparent half-life and pharmacokinetics.

PMID- 1879185
TI  - Intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin treatment of upper reproductive tract infection
      in women: efficacy and use characteristics.
AB  - We evaluated the efficacy, patient and medical staff acceptance, and costs of
      intramuscular therapy with imipenem/cilastatin for mild to moderate upper
      reproductive tract infection in hospitalized women in an open study. Thirty-five
      patients were enrolled, and 29 successfully completed the protocol. Of these, 90%
      were satisfactorily treated with imipenem/cilastatin given intramuscularly.
      Twenty-eight of 29 subjects tolerated the intramuscular injections well, although
      7 women noted mild to moderate discomfort during injection. All patients who had
      previously received intravenous therapy (24/29) stated that they preferred the
      intramuscular injections to continuation or reinitiation of intravenous
      treatment. Therapy with intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin (assuming a marketed
      price per gram of approximately $30) was associated with cost savings in
      comparison with other regimens offering similar antibacterial coverage. Initial
      care provider resistance to treatment with intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin was
      overcome due to patient satisfaction. Intramuscularly administered
      imipenem/cilastatin was effective, generally well tolerated, and resulted in cost
      saving. Intramuscular administration of imipenem/cilastatin may be a preferred
      antibiotic treatment in patients with mild to moderate infection due to
      susceptible microorganisms.

PMID- 1879186
TI  - Intramuscular imipenem as adjuvant therapy for acute cholecystitis and perforated
      or gangrenous appendicitis.
AB  - An open-label prospective study was performed employing intramuscularly
      administered imipenem as an adjunct to surgery in 20 patients with acute
      cholecystitis and 24 patients with perforated or gangrenous appendicitis. Three
      (12.5%) septic failures occurred in appendicitis patients and 2 (10%) failures in
      cholecystitis patients. There were no deaths. Adverse effects were minor, and
      there was no toxicity. Although failures were not associated with in vitro
      resistance, Pseudomonas spp. were recovered from 2 of 3 appendicitis failures.
      Intramuscular imipenem appeared to be an effective single-drug antimicrobial when
      used as an adjunct to surgery in patients with acute cholecystitis or perforated
      appendicitis. It should be a more cost-effective alternative to the current
      multiple-drug therapy frequently employed in patients with intra-abdominal
      sepsis.

PMID- 1879187
TI  - Intramuscular imipenem/cilastatin in multiple-dose treatment regimens: review of
      the worldwide clinical experience.
AB  - Multicenter noncomparative trials of intramuscular administration of
      imipenem/cilastatin for the treatment of a variety of infections requiring
      multiple-dose therapy are reviewed. Fourteen centers in the United States and 18
      centers elsewhere participated in these studies. A total of 686 patients (461
      evaluable) were treated worldwide. The severity of the infection was rated as
      moderate in 58.9%, mild in 37.2% and severe in 0.6%. The most common sites of
      infection were the skin and soft tissue (36.2%) and intra-abdominal (17.6%).
      Polymicrobial infections were relatively common (27%). Dosing regimens in
      evaluable patients were 500 mg every 12 h (45.1%), 750 mg every 12 h (36.2%) and
      500 mg every 8 h (18.6%). The overall clinical outcome was favorable (clinical
      cure or improvement) for 95% or more of the evaluable patients with the various
      body system infections, except in gynecologic infections where 89% of the
      evaluable patients had a favorable outcome and for sepsis where the favorable
      outcome was 76%. Where data were available for analysis (skin and soft tissue
      infections) there was no difference in favorable clinical outcome among patients
      with moderate infection treated with 1.0 g/day (95% favorable) compared with 1.5
      g/day (94% favorable). The overall bacteriologic eradication rate was 91%.
      Clinical adverse effects were similar in type but less common in frequency than
      those noted in other studies with the intravenous formulation, with nausea,
      vomiting and diarrhea being most common; no instances of seizures or confusion
      were observed. The laboratory adverse effects were similar to those seen in other
      studies with the intravenous formulation, with increased liver enzyme values the
      most common. The intramuscular injection was well tolerated in 87% of the
      patients and moderately well tolerated in 6.6%. The efficacy and low incidence of
      side effects of the intramuscular formulation of imipenem/cilastatin are
      significant advantages in the cost-effective treatment of infections.

PMID- 1879188
TI  - Overall clinical utility of the intramuscular preparation of imipenem/cilastatin.
AB  - Imipenem is the broadest-spectrum antibiotic currently available but requires
      frequent intravenous dosing for efficacy. A recently formulated finely milled
      preparation can be given intramuscularly in small volumes and demonstrates
      kinetics favorable for 12-hourly intramuscular administration. The intramuscular
      imipenem formulation has been proven to be effective for mild to moderate
      infections of many body sites, as demonstrated by other papers in this symposium.
      The advantages of intramuscular administration include: less frequent dosing,
      avoidance of the complications of intravenous administration (phlebitis,
      bacteremia, fluid overload, nursing time), ability to use the drug in settings
      where intravenous administration is either undesirable or impossible and,
      surprising to medical personnel, greater patient satisfaction.

PMID- 1879189
TI  - Study of the identification of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli by LT-DNA gene
      hybridization.
AB  - Reference strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), non-ETEC, and other
      enteropathogenic bacteria were used to prove the reliability of LT-DNA gene
      hybridization. In the test, LT-DNA gene hybridization was compared with plate
      immunohemolytic test (PIHT) in identifying LT-ETEC. The results obtained by both
      methods showed no significant differences. 791 strains of E. coli isolated from
      1,875 children with acute diarrhea in Taiyuan Children's Hospital were examined
      for LT-ETEC by LT-DNA gene hybridization and PIHT. 289 strains examined by LT-DNA
      gene hybridization were LT positive, while 205 strains examined by PIHT were LT
      positive. Three different assays were done: colony hybridization, PIHT and fecal
      direct blot hybridization on each of 74 fecal specimens from children with acute
      diarrhea. It was found that identification of LT-ETEC using fecal direct blot
      hybridization is a simple, sensitive and more practical method.

PMID- 1879190
TI  - Causes of death and long-term prognosis after myocardial infarction in patients
      with diabetes mellitus.
AB  - The long-term prognosis and causes of death of myocardial infarction (MI) in 62
      diabetics were studied. The mean follow-up time was 6.2 years, 11 patients died
      in the acute stage of MI, 9 of them (81.8%) had anterior infarction and their
      major causes of death were ventricular fibrillation and cardiogenic shock
      (72.2%). 19 died in the follow-up period, 14 of them (73.68%) had inferior and
      anterior septal infarction; and most died of reinfarction and sudden death. The
      cumulative survival rate 1, 2 and 5 years after MI was 80.7%, 71.9% and 57.9%,
      respectively. The results suggest that treatment and prevention of MI in patients
      with diabetes be more attentive to prevent ventricular fibrillation and
      cardiogenic shock during the acute stage and in the later stage more attention
      should be paid to preventing reinfarction. At any stage of the disease, strict
      diabetic control is of vital importance.

PMID- 1879191
TI  - Case-control study on pathogenesis of pneumonia in children aged 0-2 years.
AB  - In order to know the incidence of risk factors predisposing children to
      pneumonia, case control study was carried out in six MCH Model Counties in 1986.
      Single factor analysis showed 29 factors were responsible for the increasing
      incidence of pneumonia. 13 of 29 factors were major pneumonia risk factors by the
      standard of means greater than 15 and OR greater than 3. They were malnutrition,
      anemia, riskets, pneumonia history, repeated colds, chronic diarrhoea, congenital
      malformation, asphyxia neonatorum, amniotic fluid aspiration, artificial feeding,
      too much clothing, family member with acute respiratory illness (ARI) and contact
      with ARI patients. Among them 7 factors were related to individual health
      condition. Therefore, it is important to improve general health of children so as
      to reduce the incidence of pneumonia.

PMID- 1879192
TI  - Experimental and clinical trial of albendazole in the treatment of Clonorchiasis
      sinensis.
AB  - Rats and dogs experimentally infected with Clonorchias sinensis metacercariae
      were treated orally with albendazole. Necropsy done seven days after treatment
      revealed that the worm reduction rates were 83.6% and 96.8% respectively.
      Clinically, 131 patients were treated with 3 different dosage regimens in 3 study
      groups. In patients receiving 5 mg/kg b.i.d. for 7 consecutive days, the stool
      egg negative conversion rates 1-month and 6-month post treatment were 90% and
      92.6%, while in patients receiving 10 mg/kg b.i.d. for 7 consecutive days the
      rate were both 100%. In another group of patients receiving 10 mg/kg b.i.d. for 3
      consecutive days, the 1-month and 3-month average stool egg conversion rates
      after treatment were only 40.0% and 28.3% respectively. The side reactions of
      albendazole were mild and transient. The liver and renal function tests,
      electrocardiography and blood and urine examinations showed no remarkable changes
      before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect of albendazole is comparable
      to praziquantel. It has the advantage of clearing various intestinal helminthic
      infections simultaneously, very low toxicity, excellent tolerance and relatively
      low cost, though its treatment course for clonorchiasis needs 7 days.

PMID- 1879193
TI  - Protein kinase C in the promyelocytic leukemia cell differentiation of
      granulocytes.
AB  - When the leukemia cells in 14 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)
      were induced by all-trans retinoic acid (RA) treatment, the activity of protein
      kinase C (PKC) increased with the differentiation. In the control cells, the
      activity of PKC was only 47 +/- 39.3 pmol.mg-1/min, while it was 149.3 +/- 150.1
      pmol.mg-1/min after differentiation. There were 90.1 +/- 7.2% promyelocytes in
      the control group, and 8.9 +/- 5.6% in the induction group. Therefore, we think
      that there is a close correlation between PKC and the differentiation of
      promyelocytic leukemia cells.

PMID- 1879194
TI  - Diagnostic value of quantitative mapping of atrial activation for the cardiac
      accessary pathway location.

PMID- 1879195
TI  - Relation between changes of TXB2 and PGF1 alpha and the severity of the disease
      and pathological lesions in cases of severe icteric hepatitis.
AB  - Clinically, 32 cases of intrahepatic cholestasis and 30 cases of severe chronic
      hepatitis with a bilirubin level higher than 171 mumol/L were studied. The
      results showed that bilirubin was 420 mumol/L in the first group, and 480 mumol/L
      in the second group (P greater than 0.05); TXB2 was 306 pg/ml and 271 pg/ml (P
      greater than 0.05) while PGF1 alpha was 253 pg/ml and 494 pg/ml (P less than
      0.05) respectively, both were higher than their normal values (P less than 0.01).
      The cases were divided into acute, moderate and severe types according to their
      pathological lesions. Experimentally, intra- and extrahepatic cholestasis and
      necrotic liver tissues were induced by ANIT, ligation of common bile duct, and
      carbon tetrachloride respectively. Bilirubin was 629 mumol/L, 124.8 mumol/L, and
      lower than 17.1 mumol/L (P less than 0.01); plasma TXB2 was 634 pg/ml, 1036
      pg/ml, and 239 pg/ml (P less than 0.01); PGF1 alpha was 186 pg/ml, 218 pg/ml, and
      868 pg/ml (P less than 0.01) in the three groups respectively. No statistic
      difference was found in their TXB2 and PGF1 alpha. Our studies suggested that
      plasma TXB2 and PGF1 alpha in the liver was not related to the severity of liver
      lesions. TXB2 and PGF1 alpha are positively correlated with the increase of
      bilirubin while TXB2 is negatively correlated with PGF1 alpha, which might serve
      as an index for cholestasis, and be a cause for deepening jaundice.

PMID- 1879196
TI  - Duration of appearance of Vi antigen and Salmonella typhi in blood and urine of
      infected models.
AB  - Salmonella typhi (S typhi) infected models were established to evaluate the latex
      agglutination test (LAT) and staphylococcal coagglutination test (SCT) for the
      detection of S typhi Vi antigen in blood and urine. Antigens in serum or urine
      were detected within 7 days after infection with positive cultures, and decreased
      in 2 weeks. LAT and SCT were positive in 7 mice with no bacteria isolation from
      blood and urine but their spleen aspirates yielded S typhi. Both tests are rapid
      and sensitive and may be used for the diagnosis of typhoid infection, especially
      in partially treated patients when their blood cultures are negative.

PMID- 1879197
TI  - Indirect lymphography with Isovist-300 in various forms of lymphedema.
AB  - Twenty patients with various forms of lymphedema were studied by indirect
      lymphography. Isovist, a new non-ionic, water-soluble, dimeric contrast media,
      was used for intradermal infusion. Simultaneous indirect lymphography showed
      characteristic patterns of lymphatics. The initial lymphatics were visualized by
      intradermal infusion of the newly developed isovist. However, they were not
      opacified with direct lymphography unless in the presence of valvular
      insufficiency. No systemic side-effects were observed except for a feeling of
      discomfort at the injection site. The results showed that indirect lymphography
      with intradermal infusion of Isovist is useful for demonstrating dermal lymph
      vessels and for the diagnosis of lymphedema.

PMID- 1879198
TI  - Studies of rhinitis medicamentosa.
AB  - Nasal mucous membrane of patients with rhinitis medicamentosa caused by prolonged
      use of decongestants (privine) was studied by measurement of nasal mucus
      clearance time and observation of pathological changes under both optical and
      electron microscopes. It was found that privine destroyed the nasal cilia and
      mitochondria of epithelial cells, and disturbed their function so that they were
      damaged and dropped. Pathologically, the nasal epithelia were swollen, the
      arterioles dilated, and the glands proliferated. Twenty-two patients with
      rhinitis medicamentosa were treated by topical dexamethasone or triamcinolon in
      normal saline for 1-2 weeks followed by normal saline as regular nasal drops.
      Eight patients were treated effectively by oral ATP 20mg tid. The results were
      evaluated by nasal mucus clearance time measurement and rhinomanometry.

PMID- 1879199
TI  - Lumbar spinal synovial cysts. Review and case reports.

PMID- 1879200
TI  - Gynandroblastoma of the ovary. A case report.
AB  - An ovarian gynandroblastoma was found in a 59-year-old woman. The tumor
      consisting of mixed Sertoli-Leydig cells and granulosa-theca cells demonstrated
      no malignant features. Bisexual cells in gynandroblastoma derived from a common
      gonadal mesenchyme precursor or indifferent cell. The excision of appendages with
      tumor or hysterectomy was sufficient.

PMID- 1879201
TI  - Multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma. Radiological diagnosis.
AB  - Multilocular cystic renal cell carcinoma (MCRCC), and its pathological
      characteristics and roentgenological and B-mode ultrasonographic appearances are
      described. MCRCC, a special renal carcinoma, can be divided into localized and
      diffused forms.

PMID- 1879202
TI  - Management of HIV disease in China.

PMID- 1879203
TI  - Captopril as a component of cardioplegia in protecting the myocardium from global
      ischemia during open heart surgery. A preliminary clinical report.
AB  - It was demonstrated recently that a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) exists
      in the heart and coronary vessels, and the angiotensin converting enzyme
      inhibitors can protect the heart from ischemia. Eight patients with NYHA class II
      IV subjected to valve replacement were studied in protecting the heart from
      global ischemia with captopril during open heart surgery. After the ascending
      aorta was clamped, 500-1000 ml 4 degrees C modified St. Thomas No 1 cardioplegic
      solution containing 0.058-0.23 mmol/L captopril was perfused into coronary
      arteries under pressure until the electrocardiogram showed disappearance of
      myocardial electroactivity. The cardioplegic perfusion was repeated every 30
      minutes thereafter during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). All the hearts rebeat
      after reperfusion either spontaneously or from defibrillation without any
      trouble. Three patients developed an A-V dissociation which returned to sinus
      rhythm or atrial fibrillation after a tiny dose of dopamine or isoprenaline
      intravenously. All the patients weaned from the CPB easily with a stable heart
      rate and a reasonable MAP. None of them needed inotropic support, even those with
      severe heart failure before operation did not either, and all recovered
      uneventfully.

PMID- 1879204
TI  - Plastic surgery in China.

PMID- 1879205
TI  - Myocardial infarction due to isolated left circumflex or right coronary artery
      occlusion.
AB  - The electrocardiographic (ECG) patterns related to clinical spectrum and
      angiographic features were assessed in 41 patients with first myocardial
      infarction due to isolated left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) occlusion, and
      compared to those in 45 patients with right coronary artery (RCA)-related
      infarction. The occurrence of inferior Q waves was similar in patients with LCX
      and RCA occlusion, but lateral Q waves and an abnormal R wave in lead V1 were
      more frequently seen in patients with LCX-related infarction (46% vs 7% and 51%
      vs 4%, respectively). Compared with patients with LCX-related infarction without
      an abnormal R wave in lead V1 and those with RCA occlusion, patients with LCX
      related infarction and an abnormal R wave in lead V1 associated with inferior
      and/or lateral Q waves had larger left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic
      volumes, lower ejection fraction, higher incidence of total occlusion of a
      dominant LCX without collaterals, and more cardiac events during follow-up. The
      study suggests that the presence of lateral Q waves and an abnormal R wave in
      lead V1 after myocardial infarction may be a useful marker of LCX occlusion, and
      that patients with LCX-related infarction may have different status of left
      ventricular function depending on the size of circulation and the status of
      residual flow to the infarct region during LCX occlusion.

PMID- 1879206
TI  - Effects of antihypertensive factor from erythrocyte of spontaneously hypertensive
      rats on the blood pressure and Ca2+ influx of arterial smooth muscle in rats.
AB  - The effects of a partially purified antihypertensive factor (AHF) from
      erythrocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) on the blood pressure (BP)
      and Ca2+ influx of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) in rats were studied. The results
      indicated that AHF could produce a marked prolonged depressor effect and
      significantly inhibit the Ca2+ influx dose-dependently on both SHR and renal
      hypertensive rat (RHR) either in acute or in chronic experiments, but not on
      normotensive rats. It suggested that the inhibition of Ca2+ influx might be one
      of the important mechanisms for AHF as an endogenous depressor substance.

PMID- 1879207
TI  - CT-guided stereotactic evacuation of hypertensive intracerebral hematoma.
AB  - From January 1986 to June 1989, the CT-guided stereotactic evacuation was
      performed in 38 cases of hypertensive intracerebral hematoma with satisfactory
      result. 24 patients were male and 14 female. The age ranged from 37 to 78 years,
      with an average of 55. 24 cases had their hematoma in internal capsule, 7 in
      cerebellum, 5 in subcortex, and 2 in brain stem. The interval between the
      occurrence of hemorrhage and evacuation of hematoma was 24 hours or less in 18
      cases, 2-3 days in 14 and 4-7 days in 6. The volume of hematoma was estimated by
      CT scanning being more than 100 ml in 6 cases whereas much less in 2 cases of the
      brain stem.

PMID- 1879208
TI  - Lymphonodovenous anastomosis in the treatment of chyluria.
AB  - Thirty cases of chyluria were treated by means of lymphonodovenous anastomoses
      according to the principles of lymphovenous shunt. A conical tissue of lymph node
      close to the greater saphenous vein in the inguinal region was removed and the
      remaining tunnel-shaped node was anastomosed to the vein to drain the lymph into
      the venous system. Twenty-one cases were followed up for six months after the
      operation. Among them, 16 (76.2%) showed disappearance of chyluria, and 2 (9.5%)
      were improved, giving an effective rate of 85.7%. This operation avoids damage to
      both the afferent and efferent lymphatic vessels, and affords a large anastomotic
      stoma for free passage of the lymph into the vein.

PMID- 1879209
TI  - Anti-lipid peroxilative effect of ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1.
AB  - It has been reported that Ginsenoside can increase body resistance to many
      harmful factors and protect tissues from damage when an organism is in stress. To
      understand the mechanism of this action, a study on the antioxidative effect of
      Ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 was carried out. Results showed that Ginsenoside Rb1 and
      Rg1 could inhibit lipid peroxidation of rat liver and brain microsomes and that
      Rb1, at the final concentration of 10(-4)-10(-3) mol/L, could scavenge O2-.
      induced by liver microsome-NADPH-gossypol system. In in vivo experiment, Rb1, at
      a dose of 50 and 25 mg/kg/day x 3 ip, inhibited MDA formation in liver homogenate
      of rats by 26.8% (P less than 0.05) and increased the activities of catalase and
      GSH peroxidase by 47.2% (P less than 0.001) and 96.4% (P less than 0.001),
      respectively. However, no change in the activity of superoxide dismutase was
      found in liver cytosol of rats treated with Rb1.

PMID- 1879210
TI  - Effect of ginsenopolypeptide on the 3H-TdR integration of human blood lymphocyte.
AB  - This paper reports the study of the effect of ginsenopolypeptide on 3H-TdR
      integration in normal human blood lymphocytes in vitro with micro-blood culture
      method of 3H-TdR integration. The results showed that the effect of
      ginsenopolypeptide on 3H-TdR integration in normal human peripheral blood
      lymphocytes which can be activated by phytoagglutinin was enhanced at low dosage
      and inhibited at high dosage, and its stimulating spike was 10(-6) micrograms/ml
      (P less than 0.01).

PMID- 1879211
TI  - Magnetic transcranial motor and somatosensory evoked potentials in cervical
      spondylitic myelopathy.
AB  - Fourteen cervical spondylitic myelopathy (CSM) patients were clinically diagnosed
      and proved by MRI and surgery. The results of 11 patients showed that 8 (72.7%)
      had motor evoked potential (MEP) abnormality with prolongation of central motor
      conduction time (CMCT) in 7, and absence of motor action potentials after C7
      stimulation in one. Five of the 11 patients showed normal somatosensory evoked
      potentials (SEPs) along the same arm. The short term (2-4 weeks) follow-up study
      in 10 patients showed normalization of the prolonged CMCT in one and reappearance
      of MEPs with C7 stimulation in another. Non-invasive and painless magnetic
      transcranial stimulation of the motor pathways is useful in the assessment and
      management of CSM patients, and is better than electrical stimulation.

PMID- 1879212
TI  - Cepholosporium acremonium. A new strain of fungus causing white piedra.
AB  - A strain of fungus (CZ408) was isolated from white piedra of a female child.
      Mycological identification showed that it is the first case in the world.
      Asymptomatic white nodules were noted on the hair of the scalp, and they were
      distributed irregularly along the shaft 4-10 cm from the scalp. The nodules,
      hard, not easily broken or removed, consist of hyphae, spores and metabolic
      materials around the hair. Oral antimycotic drugs are effective in treating this
      disease.

PMID- 1879213
TI  - Hypothalamic encephalitis with oligodendrocytic glial nodules. Case report of a
      Chinese boy.
AB  - A case of hypothalamic encephalitis proved by postmortem examination is reported.
      The patient was a three-year-old Chinese boy who had complained of obesity for
      one year and fever for half a year. Three days after admission to a hospital, the
      patient suddenly died of allergic reaction to intramuscular penicillin, without
      additional complaints. Autopsy revealed severe bilateral outfall of neurons in
      the ventromedian hypothalamic nuclei with diffuse hyperplasia of astrocytes and
      some glial nodules consisting chiefly of oligodendroglias and perivascular
      cuffing. Similar changes were noticed in hypothalamus at the level of optic
      chiasm, but the posterior hypothalamic nuclei and lateral hypothalamic nuclei
      were intact. This article provides significant data for the study of hypothalamic
      function.

PMID- 1879214
TI  - Treatment of cleft lip and cleft palate.
AB  - The first case of cheiloplasty recorded was in China at about 200 BC. The
      technique of course has been vastly improved over the centuries. Cleft lip and/or
      cleft palate are among the most common congenital anomalies in China and the
      world. There is controversy over some of the surgical techniques used and age for
      operation, especially in cleft palate, but the condition requires surgery.
      Unilateral cleft lip is operated on at 3-6 month of age and bilateral cleft lip
      at 6-12 month of age. Views on palatoplasty are: 1. Cleft palate should be
      repaired at an early age; 2. Supplementary orthodontic treatment to expand the
      upper arch postoperatively is necessary, and orthognathic surgery is performed if
      needed when the patient has matured. This is the best choice at present.

PMID- 1879215
TI  - Monitoring of filarial antigens in jirds and patients after treatment.
AB  - We developed a sandwich ELISA with monoclonal antibodies to monitor filarial
      antigens in animals and patients after infection and treatment. Levels of
      antimicrofilarial antibodies and parasite antigens were measured periodically in
      40 B. malayi infected jirds. In all animals L3 HC11 antigen was detected earlier
      than Mf ES34 antigen, while antimicrofilarial antibodies appeared much more
      slowly. These serologic changes precede the onset of patent infections. After 3
      courses of treatment with DEC and M170, the levels of parasite antigen in sera
      and of Mf in peritoneal cavities were monitored in 23 infected jirds. In 8 jirds
      Mf became negative, no adult worms were found in 7 jirds and a single
      degenerating female worm was present in 1 jird. ES34 and HC11 were undetectable
      in 8/8 and 6/8 necropsy sera. Mf persisted in 11 animals, 9 jirds were
      necropsied, 8 contained adult worms. Detectable levels of ES34 or HC11 antigen
      were present in 7/9 and 8/9 from these animals. In sham-treatment, few changes
      were noted in control animals. Thus, parasitological findings at necropsy are
      correlated with the results of antigen detection assay. We analyzed serial serum
      samples from 32 bancroftian microfilaremia collected 1-42 months after DEC
      therapy. Mf resolved rapidly in all treated individuals. ES34 disappeared faster
      than HC11, 3 months after treatment. Levels of ES34 and HC11 antigens remained
      detectable or rising after treatment in 8 and 10 individuals. Four patients' Mf
      recurred 20-42 months after treatment. These findings show that the remaining or
      a rise in serum levels of antigen after therapy predicts recurrent microfilaremia
      in patients and additional treatment is needed.

PMID- 1879216
TI  - Adrenal autotransplantation with A-V anastomosis for treatment of Cushing's
      disease. A follow-up study of 31 cases.
AB  - Thirty-one patients with Cushing's disease were treated with bilateral
      adrenalectomy and partial left adrenal autotransplantation with A-V anastomosis.
      They were followed up for 1 to 5 years. Three patients failed after adrenal
      autotransplantation to the abdominal muscle with the left gland's central vein
      anastomosed to the inferior epigastric artery. Twenty-eight patients underwent
      adrenal autotransplantation to the omentum with the gland's vein anastomosed to
      the gastroepiploic artery. Steroid could be omitted a short period after
      operation and life-long replacement therapy was avoidable in most patients. A few
      patients subsequently developed hypocorticalism. Two died and one had recurrence
      of Cushing's disease. Clinical and animal experimental results showed that the
      omentum is suitable for adrenal autotransplantation with A-V anastomosis.
      Transabdominal bilateral adrenalectomy and adrenal autotransplantation to the
      omentum with A-V anastomosis are acceptable in the treatment of Cushing's
      disease. The subsequent development of hypocorticalism and recurrence of
      Cushing's syndrome are also discussed.

PMID- 1879217
TI  - Suppressive effect of high energy shock waves on tumor cells.
AB  - Suppressive effect on tumor cells of high energy shock waves (HESW) has aroused
      the interest of physicians in recent years. We assessed experimentally the
      cytotoxic effects of HESW on tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo and determined
      whether a Chinese domestic lithotriptor is capable of generating effective HESW,
      which has the potential to break tumor cells, reduce cell viability, retard cell
      growth, delay doubling time, impair cell attachment and cell clonogenicity. In
      nude rats, HESW was able to delay tumor growth and reduce tumor size without
      evidence of metastasis. The nature of HESW in the induction of cell damage and
      its clinical application need to be further investigated.

PMID- 1879218
TI  - The use of corticotropin releasing factor (CRE) for the treatment of post
      operative cerebral edema. A preliminary study.
AB  - Synthetic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) was administered pre-operatively
      to five patients who underwent craniotomy for brain tumors, acute subdural and
      intracerebral hematomas. After craniotomy, an intraventricular catheter is placed
      in the ventricle, on the normal side of brain. This is for intracranial pressure
      monitoring. The data obtained were pooled and compared with the saline group (n =
      6). The CRF group was found to have statistically significant difference (P less
      than 0.01). This preliminary study showed that CRF decreases postoperative edema.

PMID- 1879219
TI  - Verapamil and ventricular tachycardias.
AB  - In the absence of myocardial ischaemia, ventricular tachycardias occurring in
      patients with structural heart disease rarely respond to calcium antagonists like
      verapamil. In contrast, verapamil is markedly effective in the acute management
      of "supraventricular" tachycardias. Thus, intravenous verapamil has often been
      used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes in patients with wide QRS complex
      tachycardias. This report details two unusual cases of ventricular tachycardia
      that are verapamil-sensitive. They highlight two major categories of "idiopathic"
      ventricular tachycardia, namely fascicular tachycardia and catecholamine-mediated
      ventricular tachycardia. The risks of verapamil administration for wide complex
      tachycardias are also reviewed.

PMID- 1879220
TI  - Changes of negative charge on RBC and glomeruli and its relation to the
      proteinuria of adriamycin nephrosis in rats.
AB  - The depth and area-percentage of Alcian blue (AB) staining of glomeruli, the
      ability of RBC to bind AB and the onset of proteinuria in adriamycin nephrosis in
      rats were studied. The results showed that the negative charge (NC) on RBC and
      glomeruli decreased significantly after injection of adriamycin and there was a
      positive correlation between them (r = 0.77, P less than 0.01). There was a
      negative correlation between the amount of NC on the RBC and the amount of
      urinary protein (r = -0.5231, P less than 0.01), and also between the amount of
      NC on the glomeruli and the amount of urinary protein (r = -0.5140, P less than
      0.05).

PMID- 1879221
TI  - Clinical features and comprehensive treatment of late stage radiation skin
      injuries.
AB  - 105 patients with late stage radiation skin injury were treated from 1970 to
      1986, using drugs combined with surgical intervention according to the clinical
      features of the injury. Drug therapy consisted of topical application of urea,
      antibiotics, trypsin and elastase, and systematic use of alpha 2-Macroglobulin.
      Of 62 patients receiving medication, 55 (88.7%) were completely or basically
      treated and 7 failed. Of 51 lesions of 43 patients receiving surgical treatment,
      47 healed by first intention. In 4 patients, necrosis of partial and/or
      peripheral skin flaps healed after renewed repair.

PMID- 1879222
TI  - Study on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China.

PMID- 1879223
TI  - Pure sensory stroke confirmed by CT scan.
AB  - Five cases of pure sensory stroke, including two cases of cheiro oral syndrome,
      are reported. Of the 5 cases, 2 presented thalamic lacunar infarcts, 2 basal
      ganglia hemorrhages, and 1 dorsal midbrain hemorrhage on computed tomography
      scan.

PMID- 1879224
TI  - Re-appraisal of treatment of congestive heart failure.

PMID- 1879225
TI  - [Ultrastructural changes in joint capsule in TMJ disturbance syndrome].
AB  - The joint capsule is one of component parts of joint. In order to clear the
      changes of the capsule in TMJ disturbance syndrome, we studied 3 normal capsules
      and 7 patient's capsules by light microscope and electron microscope. The results
      are: under LM, some fibrous materials are found on the surfaces of synovial
      membranes in TMJ disturbance syndrome. The synovial membranes in disease become
      thicker than usual. The connective tissue shows hyaline degeneration. Under EM,
      the surfaces of synovial membranes are covered by an irregular granulated or
      filamentous substance. Collagens are denatured or dissolved. Among fibrils
      amorphous moderate-electron dense materials are present. The authors think that
      these changes are associated with the autoimmune reaction in TMJ disturbance
      syndrome and increase the destruction of TMJ in this disease.

PMID- 1879226
TI  - [Primary study of condylo-pterygomaxillo-oblique projection in CT and magnetic
      resonance images].
AB  - The literature is reviewed that we have not yet seen in the TMJ examination by X
      ray, CT and MR associated with the study of lateral pterygoid muscle
      simultaneously. In this paper we observed the CT and MR images of condylo-pterygo
      maxillo-oblique projection (the origin and insertion plane of the lateral
      pterygoid muscle), In which we can see the relationship between TMJ structures
      and lateral pterygoid muscle under different functional states clearly. All of
      the X-ray, CT and MR images were compared with each other for clinical reference.

PMID- 1879227
TI  - [Treatment of cross-bite of anterior teeth with rare earth magnetic appliance
      with double rails].
AB  - In this paper, the rare earth magnets (Nd-Fe-B) were used for treatment of cross
      bite of anterior teeth. Eight patients were selected. In an attempt to achieve
      the labial movement of upper anterior teeth, removable appliance with repelling
      magnetic force were used. The treatment results are satisfactory. The following
      facts were discussed: (1) the direction of the repelling magnetic force can be
      controlled well with the double rails; (2) the time for treatment was short and
      there was no manifestation of unfavorable reaction and (3) no adverse bioeffects
      have been reported in regard to the use of this kind of device.

PMID- 1879228
TI  - [Measurement of blood flow in labial and palatal mucoperiosteal flap after
      sectioning the greater palatine arteries and with a labial mucosal arcuate
      incision].
AB  - This article describes a study of determining blood flow of labial and palatal
      mucoperiosteal flap with radionuclide Xe-133 clearance technique before and after
      anterior maxillary osteotomies. The main purpose of the study was to investigate
      the dynamic change of blood flow. The greater palatine arteries were ligated. The
      studies show that compensative increasing of the blood flow of labial pedicle is
      seen after the operation, and that decreasing of the blood flow of palatal
      mucoperiosteal flap is temporary. It is suggested that the section of the greater
      palatine arteries is feasible. Xe-133 clearance technique is easy to operate and
      sensitive.

PMID- 1879229
TI  - [Cephalometric study of normal occlusion for functional appliance therapy].
AB  - Lateral cephalograms of 140 growing subjects with normal occlusion from Beijing
      were computerized and analyzed. Cephalometric standards of three occlusion
      developmental stages, Hellman's IIA, IIIB and IVA, were obtained and evaluated in
      three groups as facial skeleton, jaw bases and dentoalveolar relationship, which
      are specifically useful for diagnosis and treatment planning with functional
      appliances.

PMID- 1879230
TI  - [Treatment of tooth sensitivity by Nd-YAG laser].

PMID- 1879231
TI  - [Ultrastructural study of adenolymphoma].
AB  - Ultrastructure of 10 adenolymphomas of parotid gland were studied. The neoplastic
      epithelium consists of "oncocytes" which are arranged in pseudostratified
      pattern. Their cytoplasm is almost totally packed with a large numbers of
      hypertrophic mitochondria showing a variety of peculiar forms. The amount and
      alteration of the mitochondria gradually increase in the order of pyramidal cell,
      common columnar cell and degenerated columnar cell. This might be a process of
      transposition representing degeneration due to metabolic disorder in the tumor.
      The obvious alterations of mitochondria are found in the cases with not only
      "hot" nodule but also "cold" nodule shown in the studies of 99mTc scintigraphy.
      There seems no relationship between "hot" nodule and alteration of mitochondria.

PMID- 1879232
TI  - [Replantation of frozen and boiled autogenous mandible].
AB  - Mandibles devitalized by freezing or boiling after being removed from animals
      were reimplanted to evaluate their potentials of reunion and growth with X-ray
      and histological methods. The results suggested that the osteo-induction may play
      a partial role in the bone healing of frozen bone graft besides "creeping
      substitution", while the boiled one only provided a scaffold into and around
      which bone formation can occur. According to the rate and degree of bone graft
      repair, the frozen was better than the boiled which was resorbed and replaced at
      a slower rate.

PMID- 1879233
TI  - [In vitro test of influence of catechin in tea to the growth, acid production and
      adhesion of streptococci mutans].

PMID- 1879235
TI  - [The polymerization shrinkage of light cure composite resin].
AB  - The polymerization shrinkage of a number of commercially available composite
      resin (Starfiil, Durafill, VLC-1 and GD) and an experimental composite #1 which
      contains 16% DMSOC (a new monomer which expands on polymerization) has been
      determined using a water-filled dialometer. The results indicated that GD
      displayed the largest shrinkage value at 2.62 +/- 0.20%, while VLC-1, Durafill
      and Staifill had smaller values at 2.10 +/- 0.10%, 1.84 +/- 0.20% and 1.42 +/-
      0.16%, respectively. The experimental composite. #1 underwent least contraction
      during setting (0.14 +/- 0.13%). The polymerization shrinkage was influenced by
      the filler loading and the duration of the exposure to the activating light
      source. There was little influence of shade of materials on the polymerization
      shrinkage for VLC-1.

PMID- 1879234
TI  - [Studies on microleakage of three kinds of dental restorative materials].
AB  - In this article we studied the microleakage of three kinds of dental restorative
      materials by using 131I label compounds and 3H label compounds. The results
      revealed that the radioactive isotope reverse diffusion method has the advantages
      of which it is quantitative and sensitive. It is an acceptable and feasible
      measuring method. Under the condition described in this article, microleakage
      phenomenon exists in all the test materials and the margin sealing ability of EB
      composite resins is superior to the others.

PMID- 1879236
TI  - [Histologic observation of upper central incisors after surgical immediate
      torsion].
AB  - The purpose of this study is to verify the treatment results of rotated teeth by
      using surgical immediate torsion method. Seven upper central incisors in four
      monkeys were chosen in our experiment. The surgical treatment was accomplished by
      rotating the teeth in about 45 degree. The animals were sacrificed at 2, 3, 4 and
      12 weeks after operation. The results showed that two of seven dental pulps were
      necrosis, three were injured and two were normal. Absorption of dental cementum
      and dentine occurred at the apex and the middle third of the root. There was no
      evidence of ankylosis between the tooth and bone tissues. According to our
      experiment, we think that the surgical immediate torsion method for treating
      rotated teeth is not available.

PMID- 1879237
TI  - [The x-ray examination of periodontium].

PMID- 1879238
TI  - [Clinical diagnosis of aplastic anemia].
AB  - A study on the clinical diagnosis of aplastic anemia (AA) was carried out by
      using 5 different laboratory techniques including bone marrow aspiration and
      smear. Diagnosis of AA was established in 238 patients. Results with different
      methods were listed below: (1) Typical picture of AA was found in bone marrow
      smear of 196 patients. The positive rate was 82.4%. (2) Evaluation of marrow
      speckles might raise the positive rate to 89.9%. (3) Diagnosis of AA in 103 out
      of 110 patients was confirmed with bone marrow biopsy. The positive rate was
      93.6%. (4) Typical 3-dimensional marrow tissue structure of AA was found in 68
      out of 72 patients under scanning electron microscope, with a positive rate of
      94.4%. (5) Total body bone marrow gamma-scintigraphy was performed in 56
      patients; diagnosis of AA was reconfirmed in 54 patients with a positive rate of
      96.4%. (6) 4 or 5 diagnostic techniques were used simultaneously in 30 patients
      with a positive diagnostic rate of 100%. The methodology of different techniques
      of bone marrow examination, the typical picture of AA and the causes of missing
      diagnosis were discussed with certain recommendations on each technique.

PMID- 1879239
TI  - [Clinical study of 63 patients with aplastic anemia by using in vitro culture of
      BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM and of the relation between pathogenesis and treatment].
AB  - 63 patients with aplastic anemia were studied by using in vitro assay for
      committed erythroid and granulomonocytic progenitors from the bone marrow. The T
      cell-mediated effects of suppression of normal hematopoiesis were observed by
      PBMNC of the patients when cocultured with normal bone marrow. The stimulated
      effects of androgen on BFU-E and CFU-E with methyl testosterone were also
      studied. The results showed that the PBMNC of 44.4% of the 63 patients suppressed
      normal hematopoiesis. 41.3% of the patients responded to methyl testosterone (MT)
      and 14.3% of the patients had very obvious decrease or absence of BFU-E, CFU-E
      and CFU-GM without evidence of immunological effects or response to androgen.
      According to these findings, it may be useful for clinicians to choose better
      therapeutic regimens for aplastic anemia. Such as BMT for the patients with
      hematopoietic stem cells deficiency; immuno-suppression treatment or splenectomy
      may be of benefit for those who suffered from immune mediated aplastic anemia
      (IMAA) and androstenones chosen for those sensitive to MT in vitro. There were 15
      patients with IMAA treated with immuno-suppressive agents and 19 patients
      sensitive to MT treated with androgens. All of them had satisfactory results.

PMID- 1879240
TI  - [Clinical features of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in China as
      compared with those in United Kingdom].
AB  - The clinical features of 26 patients of PNH in Sheffield Blood Centre, UK and 50
      cases in our hospital, observed in the same period, were compared. Each case was
      analysed according to the same criteria, and then comparison was made between the
      two groups. Results showed that in our group: male patients were more common;
      patients usually had mild or moderate bleeding tendency; the appearance of
      hemoglobinuria was delayed; abdominal pain was mostly related to hemoglobinuria
      but not thrombosis; pancytopenia was encountered more frequently and leucopenia
      as well as thrombocytopenia more remarkable; the incidence of thrombosis was not
      rare, but occurred rather late: thrombosis was mainly seen in superficial veins,
      but not veins of viscera; the major cause of death was not thromboembolism but
      infection. About 25% of the patients achieved long term clinical remission in
      both groups. None of the patients in these two series transformed to
      myeloproliferative disorders including acute leukemia. PNH can be considered a
      benign and chronic hematologic disease.

PMID- 1879241
TI  - [Investigation of the relation of impedance rheopneumogram with pulmonary
      hemodynamics and right ventricular function in patients with chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease].
AB  - In order to investigate the relation of impedance rheopneumogram with pulmonary
      hemodynamics and right ventricular function in patients with chronic obstructive
      pulmonary disease (COPD), we measured impedance rheopneumogram and did right
      heart catheterization in 150 COPD patients simultaneously both at rest and after
      exercise. The results showed that impedance rheopneumogram was mainly influenced
      by right ventricular after-load, while the influences of right ventricular pre
      load, right ventricular contraction, right ventricular stroke work index and
      cardiac output were rather small, suggesting that in COPD patients impedance
      rheopneumogram is valuable in predicting pulmonary arterial pressure
      noninvasively, but not so use in judging the right ventricular function.

PMID- 1879242
TI  - [Determination of the rate of micronucleus formation in lymphocytes in liver
      diseases and its clinical significance].
AB  - The rate of micronucleus formation in lymphocytes was determined in 42 patients
      (including 10 acute icteric hepatitis B, 15 chronic active hepatitis B (CAH), 8
      liver cirrhosis and 9 liver cancer) and 13 normal subjects. The results showed
      that the rate of micronucleus formation in lymphocytes in the patients with CAH
      (12.267 +/- 5.298%), liver cirrhosis (12.375 +/- 8.551%) or liver cancer (19.444
      +/- 13.324%) was markedly higher than that in those with acute icteric hepatitis
      B (5.400 +/- 1.430%) or normal subjects (3.308 +/- 1.284%) (P less than 0.01).
      The rate of micronucleus formation in lymphocytes is higher in the liver cancer
      group than that in the CAH group or cirrhosis group (P less than 0.05). The rate
      of presence of two or more micronuclei in the lymphocytes was obviously higher in
      the liver cancer group (3.667 +/- 4.743%) than that in the liver cirrhosis group
      (1.500 +/- 1.690%), CAH group (1.467 +/- 1.807%), acute icteric hepatitis B group
      (0.600 +/- 1.075%) or healthy group (0.462 +/- 0.660%) (P less than 0.01 or less
      than 0.05). This method is much simpler than the measurement of chromosomal
      damage, and its reliability is as good as the latter. Measurement of micronuclei
      in lymphocytes can reflect the degree of liver damage in patients with the
      infection of hepatitis B virus. It may be used as the subclinical marker of the
      patients with liver cancer too.

PMID- 1879243
TI  - [Changes in levels of leucocytic estrogen receptor in patients with menopausal
      type II diabetes and its significance].
AB  - The number of estrogen receptors (ER) in human peripheral leucocytes in 12 women
      with menopausal type II diabetes was measured with radio-ligand binding method.
      The results were compared with those of 12 menopausal women without diabetes and
      12 normal women of childbearing age. It was found that the number of ER in the
      patients was significantly decreased. Our data indicate that decrease of ER level
      in leukocytes may be related to the pathogenesis of type II diabetes in
      menopausal period.

PMID- 1879244
TI  - [Current status of the drug therapy of sever aplastic anemia].

PMID- 1879245
TI  - [The nervous system involvement in Lyme disease].

PMID- 1879246
TI  - Does prophylactic use of bovine surfactant change drug utilization in very
      premature infants during neonatal period?
AB  - The efficacy of a bovine surfactant preparation (SF-RI 1) to increase survival
      without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was studied in very premature infants in
      a multicenter, randomized sequential trial. Thirty-four infants were randomized
      to surfactant treatment, whereas 35 infants served as controls. As part of the
      study, pharmacotherapy with antibiotics, sedatives, catecholamines, diuretics,
      methylxanthines, mucolytics, muscle relaxants, digoxin, and indomethacin was
      registered during week 1 and weeks 2-4. As to the endpoint of the study a
      significantly increased survival rate without BPD was observed in surfactant
      treated infants (76%) compared to controls (40%). Significant differences
      concerning drug utilization were found through week 1 with increased use of
      methylxanthines in surfactant-treated infants, which persisted during weeks 2-4
      as well as a reduced incidence of diuretic therapy in surfactant-treated infants
      during weeks 2-4. These differences may be attributed to the shorter interval of
      mechanical ventilation in surfactant-treated infants (11 days) compared to
      controls (27 days), and to the above mentioned increased survival rate without
      BPD.

PMID- 1879247
TI  - Absorption of intramuscular vitamin E in premature babies. Italian Collaborative
      Group on Preterm Delivery.
AB  - Vitamin E (alpha-toxopherol) is widely used, at different dosages and schedules
      and in different formulations, in neonatal intensive care units to prevent
      intraventricular hemorrhage, retrolental fibroplasia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia
      and hemolytic anemia of preterm infants. As part of a wider project to assess the
      effect of vitamin E, the present study was designed to determine whether the only
      intramuscular formulation available today in Italy and in other European
      countries (olive oil solution), and widely used in all Italian neonatal intensive
      care units according to a standard schedule, achieves and maintains suggested
      therapeutic levels, compared to the colloidal aqueous solution used in clinical
      trials in England and Canada, which contained the acetate ester of alpha
      tocopherol and as used in the USA, which contained the free tocopherol, but is
      not yet available in Italy. Forty-four babies, of less than 32 weeks' gestation,
      670-1,800 g birth weight, were randomly allocated to one of the two formulations.
      We gave 20 mg/kg of vitamin E intramuscularly on 3 consecutive days starting
      within 8 h of birth (day 0), 24 and 48 h later (days 1 and 2). Blood, plasma, red
      blood cells after transfusions and milk were sampled up to the sixth day of life.
      Clinical data were collected up to discharge from the neonatal intensive care
      unit. Plasma concentrations of vitamin E (free tocopherol) averaged 1.1 at 24 h
      and 3.3 mg/dl at 72 h after the colloidal aqueous solution, and were about 6
      times lower after the oil solution. Plasma vitamin E levels did not rise above
      baseline after injection of the olive oil preparation. The acetate ester of
      vitamin E was measured only after use of the colloidal aqueous preparation, and
      the highest plasma concentration averaged 1.01 mg/dl 72 h after injection. These
      findings have far-reaching implications related to the current clinical practice
      in Italy of prophylaxis with intramuscular vitamin E, using the scantily
      bioavailable olive oil formulation currently on the market.

PMID- 1879248
TI  - Human fetal tracheal smooth muscle produces spontaneous electromechanical
      oscillations that are Ca2+ dependent and cholinergically potentiated.
AB  - Although the electromechanical properties of, and the cholinergic innervation to
      adult airway smooth muscle has been extensively studied, the little information
      is available on developing human airway smooth muscle, and the role of
      cholinergic mechanisms in regulating bronchomotor tone. A total of 7 tracheae
      obtained at the time of elective abortion and between 12-16 weeks of gestational
      development were used in this study. For each trachea, muscle tension and
      transmembrane potentials were measured simultaneously using an isometric force
      transducer and a standard 3-M KCl-filled glass microelectrode. All preparations
      showed spontaneous electrical oscillations approximately 8 mV in amplitude, which
      could be increased using electrical field stimulation, or exogenously applied
      acetylcholine. This was accompanied by a corresponding increase in muscle
      tension. Atropine (0.1 microM) abolished this potentiation, but had no apparent
      effect on the oscillations. Slow-wave activity was completely suppressed in the
      absence of extracellular Ca2+, or in the presence of verapamil (1 microM) or
      quinidine (1 microM). It appears that these oscillations of membrane potential
      may be potentiated by cholinergic mechanisms which regulate cell membrane ion
      channels, thus serving to change excitability in a rhythmic manner.

PMID- 1879249
TI  - Suction blisters technique in amikacin diffusion through interstitial fluid in
      cystic fibrosis.
AB  - Modifications in the pharmacokinetics of aminoglycosides have been reported among
      patients with cystic fibrosis. We obtained suction blister fluid (SBF) to study
      the tissue diffusion of amikacin in cystic fibrosis in 2 children (a 9-year-old
      boy and a 7-year-old girl) over the course of bronchopulmonary infection.
      Amikacin was administered intravenously using a single dose of 5 mg/kg. The peak
      plasma concentrations were 24.5 and 11.2 mg/l, and the peak SBF concentrations
      were 8.3 and 3.2 mg/l. The ratio of the area under the curve in SBF and plasma
      was 58 and 60%, respectively. These results suggest a good penetration of
      amikacin through SBF and a good tissue diffusion of amikacin. The preliminary
      data suggest that the suction blister method may be useful to assess the tissue
      diffusion of drugs.

PMID- 1879250
TI  - Binding of furosemide to albumin isolated from human fetal and adult serum.
AB  - Albumin was isolated from pooled fetal serum from 58 placentas obtained at normal
      delivery at term and from pooled adult plasma from 8 individuals. Albumin
      isolation was carried out by means of PEG precipitation followed by ion-exchange
      chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A 50 and then on SP-Sephadex C 50. The
      electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels showed only one spot that comigrated
      with commercial human albumin. Binding to albumin was measured by equilibrium
      dialysis of an aliquot of albumin solution (0.7 ml) against the same volume of
      0.13 M sodium orthophosphate buffer (pH 7.4). At a total concentration of 2
      micrograms/ml (therapeutic range), the unbound fraction of furosemide was 2.71%
      (fetal albumin) and 2.51% (adult albumin). Two classes of binding sites for
      furosemide were observed in fetal and adult albumin. The number of binding sites
      (moles of furosemide per mole of albumin) was 1.22 (fetal albumin) and 1.58
      (adult albumin) for the high-affinity site and 2.97 (fetal albumin) and 3.25
      (adult albumin) for the low-affinity site. The association constants (M-1) were
      3.1 X 10(4) (fetal albumin) and 2.6 X 10(4) (adult albumin) for the high-affinity
      set of sites and 0.83 X 10(4) (fetal albumin) and 1.0 X 10(4) (adult albumin) low
      affinity site. The displacement of furosemide from albumin was studied with
      therapeutic concentrations of several drugs. Valproic acid, salicylic acid,
      azapropazone and tolbutamide had the highest displacing effects which were
      significantly higher with fetal than with adult albumin.

PMID- 1879251
TI  - Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of morphine in infant monkeys.
AB  - We report the pharmacokinetics of morphine administered as intravenous boluses in
      newborn (less than 7 days) and 3- to 4-month-old macaque monkeys. Morphine was
      administered in a series of bolus doses until PaCO2 was elevated greater than 50
      mm Hg. In newborns less than 7 days of age, a mean dose of 1.4 mg/kg was required
      (range 0.75-2.8 mg/kg), and in the 3-month-olds, a mean dose of 1.88 mg/kg was
      required (range 1.5-2.5 mg/kg). The respiratory effects measured by PaCO2 and
      respiratory rate did not correlate with declining serum or cerebrospinal fluid
      morphine levels. Both newborn and 3- to 4-month-old macaque monkeys show only
      mild respiratory depression after intravenous morphine, at serum concentrations
      as high as 300-400 ng/ml. Infant and young macaque monkeys appear to be less
      sensitive to the respiratory depressant effect of morphine than humans.

PMID- 1879252
TI  - Effect of ethanol on 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity in the brain
      stem of the near-term fetal sheep.
AB  - The effect of in vitro incubation with ethanol (10-80 mM) on 15
      hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-OH-PGDH) activity was determined in the
      brain stem (pons and medulla) of the fetal sheep at a mean gestational age of 126
      days (term: about 147 days). Enzyme activity was determined by measuring the rate
      of oxidation of PGE2 to 15-keto-PGE2 using a radiometric assay. There was no
      statistically significant ethanol-induced inhibition of 15-OH-PGDH activity. The
      data apparently do not support the hypothesis that acute in vitro exposure to
      ethanol directly inhibits 15-OH-PGDH activity in the near-term fetal brain stem.

PMID- 1879253
TI  - Alfentanil pharmacokinetics in piglets with increased intra-abdominal pressure.
AB  - Increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) occurs in pediatric patients with end
      stage liver disease and ascites, as well as in children following surgery for
      diaphragmatic hernia, omphalocele, gastroschisis and orthotopic liver
      transplantation. Although the hemodynamic response to increased IAP is well
      described, little information is available regarding the effects of IAP on drug
      distribution and elimination. We studied the effects of increased IAP (20 mm Hg)
      on the pharmacokinetics of alfentanil in piglets and compared these findings with
      those in control animals. Increased IAP appears to have no significant effect on
      the volume of distribution (0.46 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.61 +/- 0.23 liter/kg), mean
      residence time (68.8 +/- 27.8 vs. 62.3 +/- 27.8 min) and elimination half-life
      (47.7 +/- 19.0 vs. 43.2 +/- 19.3 min).

PMID- 1879254
TI  - Effect of a traditional Chinese medicine, yin zhi huang, on bilirubin clearance
      and conjugation.
AB  - Oral administration of Yin Zhi Huang (YZH) daily for 3 days in rabbits
      accelerated plasma clearance of infused unconjugated bilirubin. A similar but
      less dramatic effect resulted from 3 days pretreatment with phenobarbital, 70
      mg/kg/day orally. Similar doses were injected intraperitoneally in rats for 3
      days, following which the bile ducts were ligated and bilirubin infused
      intravenously. Plasma clearance of unconjugated bilirubin and plasma appearance
      of conjugated bilirubin were faster, and hepatic bilirubin content was higher in
      both YZH- and phenobarbital-treated rats than in control animals. These
      observations indicate that YZH is as effective as phenobarbital in stimulating
      bilirubin metabolic pathways and suggest that the drugs may share common
      mechanisms of action.

PMID- 1879256
TI  - Communication and cytopathology--Part II: Malpractice.

PMID- 1879255
TI  - Probenecid pharmacokinetics in cystic fibrosis.
AB  - Probenecid pharmacokinetics were studied in 5 cystic fibrosis (CF) subjects and 5
      control subjects at oral dosages of 5, 15, and 30 mg/kg. Serum and urine samples
      were collected for 8 h after administration and assayed by reverse phase high
      performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by
      model-independent methods. All parameters were compared by 2-tailed analysis of
      variance with two major groupings: patient and dose. Both CF subjects and
      controls demonstrated dose-dependent kinetics, i.e., decreased elimination
      constant and decreased total body clearance with increasing dosage. The volume of
      distribution and time to peak were the only parameters that were not
      significantly dose dependent. At all dosages studied, we found no significant
      difference in total body clearance by CF subjects. Urinary recovery in an 8-hour
      period was not significantly different between CF subjects and controls nor was
      the percentage of dose recovered in the urine at each dosage level. Time to peak
      concentration varied widely between 0.5 and 4 h in both CF subjects and controls.
      We conclude, that CF patients have normal probenecid clearance, and that the
      standard dose for a CF patient is sufficient to attain a serum area under the
      curve equivalent to that of controls.

PMID- 1879257
TI  - Cytomorphologic features of sputum samples from marijuana smokers.
AB  - Histopathologic evidence in recent literature suggests that habitual, heavy
      marijuana smoking causes changes in the bronchial airways similar to changes seen
      in older, habitual cigarette smokers. The cytologic effects of marijuana smoking
      on the bronchial airways were investigated utilizing a quantitative analysis of
      sputum. Levels of macrophages (pigmented and nonpigmented), neutrophils, mucus,
      mucous spirals, and columnar and benign metaplastic cells were measured. The
      presence or absence of dysplasia, "purse" cells, eosinophils, reactive bronchial
      lining cells, and benign bronchial hyperplasia was noted. Results were compared
      across three groups of 25 subjects each: never cigarette or marijuana smokers:
      marijuana only smokers: and in cigarette only smokers. Results indicate that
      cytomorphologic changes observed in habitual marijuana smokers are similar to
      changes observed in tobacco smokers and much different than those observed in
      nonsmokers. These cytologic findings are similar to those described in other
      studies from specimens obtained at bronchoscopy.

PMID- 1879258
TI  - Cytologic interpretation of fine-needle aspiration biopsies from clinically
      occult breast masses.
AB  - Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed on 39 occult breast masses of
      soft tissue density using standard mammographic guidance. All malignant tumors
      were diagnosed as either positive or suspicious for carcinoma, and there were no
      false-positive or false-suspicious diagnoses. These excellent results can be
      attributed to accurate cytologic interpretation based on consideration of
      problems unique to these lesions and the sampling method, such as scantier
      cellularity, potentially less confidence in needle placement, and the nature of
      the occult mass itself. The team approach between pathologist, radiologist, and
      clinician is emphasized.

PMID- 1879259
TI  - Intraocular fine-needle aspiration biopsy of coronal adenomas.
AB  - The cytologic findings from intraocular biopsy of coronal adenomas of three
      previously surgically enucleated eyes were studied. Cohesive clusters of
      nonpigmented epithelial cells were observed. Clusters of epithelial cells were
      surrounded by characteristic intercellular matrix material. Coronal adenomas have
      been clinically mistaken for intraocular melanomas. It is important for
      pathologists to be familiar with the aspiration cytology of the coronal adenoma
      to avoid unnecessary enucleation or iridocyclectomy.

PMID- 1879260
TI  - Cytologic findings in microglandular hyperplasia of the cervix.
AB  - A case of florid microglandular hyperplasia of the uterine cervix that contained
      cells with severe atypia suggesting malignancy on a Papanicolaou smear is
      reviewed. Findings from 25 additional smears from patients with microglandular
      hyperplasia are reported. These sometimes contained glandular cells with varying
      degrees of atypia, but demonstrated no features specific for microglandular
      hyperplasia. The distinction between markedly atypical endocervical cells
      sometimes exfoliated from microglandular hyperplasia and those of adenocarcinoma
      is discussed.

PMID- 1879261
TI  - Fine-needle aspiration cytology of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (eosinophilic
      granuloma) of bone in children.
AB  - Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of three cases of Langerhans' cell
      histiocytosis (eosinophilic granuloma [EG]) of bone in children (mean age--8.3
      yr; range 5-11 yr) is presented. Two patients presented with vertebral lesions
      and the third had a femoral mass. Cytomorphologic features of EG were seen in all
      cases including Langerhans' cell histiocytes having oval to reniform shape nuclei
      with nuclear grooving and abundant pale cytoplasm. The background showed a
      polymorphic population of cells including neutrophils, lymphocytes, foamy
      histiocytes, and osteoclasts. Moderate numbers of eosinophils were seen in two
      cases, while eosinophils were sparse in the third case. Ancillary
      immunocytochemical (ICC) studies performed on the aspirated material demonstrated
      positive staining for S-100 protein (all three cases) and T-6 antigen (one case).
      Ultrastructural examination (EM) performed in one case demonstrated
      characteristic Birbeck granules in the histiocytes. A specific cytologic
      diagnosis was made in all cases, enabling proper chemotherapy in one case,
      surgical excision in another and spontaneous resolution in the third case. Our
      experience demonstrates that FNA cytology can make a definitive diagnosis of EG,
      especially when coupled with ancillary studies such as ICC and EM on the
      aspirated material.

PMID- 1879262
TI  - Diagnosis of salivary gland tumors by fine-needle aspiration cytology: a review
      of clinical utility and pitfalls.
AB  - Fine-needle aspiration cytology has become a frequently used technique for the
      diagnosis of neoplasms of the head and neck. While the method has a high
      sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of salivary gland lesions,
      important pitfalls for the cytologic diagnosis of these lesions exist. This paper
      discusses the diagnostic pitfalls and investigates strategies for the evaluation
      of salivary gland masses.

PMID- 1879263
TI  - Clear-cell change in follicular adenoma mimicking Hurthle-cell tumor on thyroid
      aspiration biopsy cytology.
AB  - We present a case of follicular adenoma with clear-cell change, which on fine
      needle aspiration biopsy mimicked a Hurthle-cell tumor. Papanicolaou-stained
      smears revealed a monomorphic pattern of loosely cohesive groups of cells with
      abundant cytoplasm and centrally placed round nuclei with single prominent
      nucleoli. The cytoplasm was granular or finely vacuolated with occasional
      intracytoplasmic brown pigment. Subsequent surgical histology of the partial
      thyroidectomy specimen revealed a follicular adenoma composed of macro- and
      microfollicles. The microfollicular areas showed clear-cell change: these cells
      appeared identical to those seen on cytology. No Hurthle-cell change was present
      in the surgical specimen. Follicular cells with clear-cell change of the granular
      type must be added to the list of differential diagnoses when cells with Hurthle
      like features are seen on aspiration biopsy of the thyroid.

PMID- 1879264
TI  - Aspiration cytology and immunocytochemistry of sacral chordoma with liver
      metastases: a case report.
AB  - We present the cytologic features and immunocytochemical profile of a case of
      sacrococcygeal chordoma metastatic to the liver. Cytologic diagnosis was
      suspected from the aspiration biopsy smears of the primary sacrococcygeal tumor
      and confirmed by histology. Further aspirates failed to reveal diagnostic
      physaliferous cells, and only undifferentiated spindle cells were obtained.
      Chordoma may lack physaliferous cells: in such cases, immunocytochemistry studies
      can greatly facilitate the diagnosis. This study confirms the utility of
      immunocytochemistry in the differential diagnosis of chordoma and tumors with
      similar cytologic characteristics.

PMID- 1879265
TI  - Granulomatous mastitis secondary to histoplasmosis: report of a case diagnosed by
      fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
AB  - A case of unilateral histoplasmal "granulomatous" mastitis diagnosed by fine
      needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is presented. The clinical presentation and
      mammographic findings were strongly suspicious for carcinoma. FNAB cytology
      showed a picture of necrotizing granuloma secondary to histoplasmosis. The lesion
      was treated with surgical excision and appropriate antifungal therapy. The
      differential diagnosis of granulomatous mastitis is discussed.

PMID- 1879266
TI  - Fine-needle aspiration of a solitary pulmonary nodule following treatment of
      metastatic giant-cell tumor of bone.
AB  - Giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a local, variably aggressive neoplasm with high
      local recurrence and occasional pulmonary metastases. Radiographically guided
      fine-needle aspiration (FNA) plays a large role in establishing a tissue
      diagnosis of lung metastases prior to therapeutic intervention. We present a
      patient with histologically proven pulmonary metastases from a femoral grade II
      GCT. These lesions were obliterated with combination HT-CT (hyperthermia and
      chemotherapy). The patient subsequently developed another pulmonary nodule at a
      site previously occupied by a GCT metastatic deposit. Radiographically guided FNA
      revealed that this new lesion was an adenocarcinoma, apparently of pulmonary
      origin. We suggest that this second neoplasm arose within a scar that developed
      after HT-CT ablation of one of the metastases. Additional intriguing features of
      this case are the effective HT-CT therapy of GCT metastatic to lung and the
      extended temporal course (some 16 yr from initial diagnosis to death).

PMID- 1879267
TI  - Extracranial metastasis of an astrocytoma detected by fine-needle aspiration: a
      case report.
AB  - Extracranial metastasis of gliomas is rare, and the documented cases of
      extracranial metastasis are based on histological material. A case of metastatic
      astrocytoma to the soft tissue of the neck and back detected by fine-needle
      aspiration is reported. Demonstration of glial fibrillary acidic protein by
      immunoperoxidase technique on aspirated material helped to confirm the diagnosis.

PMID- 1879268
TI  - Fine-needle aspiration cytology of alveolar soft-part sarcoma.
AB  - Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare soft-tissue tumor. Few cases have
      been reported in the aspiration cytology literature. We discuss the fine-needle
      aspiration (FNA) cytologic features of ASPS in four patients. The smears were
      characterized by single cells and clusters of cells associated with thin-walled
      vasculature, resulting in a distinct pseudoalveolar pattern. The cells had
      abundant granular cytoplasm and large round nuclei with prominent central
      nucleoli. Binucleated and occasional multinucleated cells were present. Numerous
      stripped tumor nuclei were a consistent feature. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)
      positive diastase-resistant granules were demonstrable within the intact and
      fragmented cytoplasm. Electron microscopy of aspirated material identified
      granules and crystals with the characteristic lattice pattern. To conclude, the
      FNA cytologic features of ASPS are characteristic. Confirmation by special stains
      and electron microscopy of FNA material is possible. The differential diagnostic
      considerations include renal cell carcinoma, paraganglioma, granular cell tumor,
      clear cell sarcoma, and epithelioid sarcoma.

PMID- 1879269
TI  - Occult thyroid cancer discovered by fine-needle aspiration cytology of cervical
      lymph node: a report of three cases.
AB  - Three cases of occult thyroid cancer measuring 10, 6, and 3 mm in diameter were
      discovered by fine-needle aspiration cytology of cervical lymph nodes. In these
      three cases, thyroid tumors were not palpable, and scintigraphic, echographic,
      and soft-tissue radiologic examinations demonstrated no abnormalities of the
      thyroid glands. Cytologically, the presence of intranuclear cytoplasmic
      inclusions, nuclear grooves, and colloid was characteristic in aspirated
      materials. Histologically, all three cases were diagnosed as papillary carcinoma.
      Fine-needle aspiration cytology of cervical lymph node was very useful to find
      occult carcinoma of the thyroid gland.

PMID- 1879270
TI  - Solitary pleural amyloid nodules occurring as coin lesions diagnosed by fine
      needle aspiration biopsy.
AB  - Solitary pleural amyloid nodule is rare and radiologically can mimic neoplastic
      lesions. This report describes two cases of this entity diagnosed by fine-needle
      aspiration biopsy in patients without systemic amyloid deposits. The histologic,
      ultrastructural, and cytologic features are described.

PMID- 1879271
TI  - Sampling accuracy of the modified Ayre spatula/Zelsmyr Cytobrush versus the
      modified Ayre spatula/bulb aspirator in the collection of cells from the uterine
      cervix.
AB  - An 8-mo (August 1988 through April 1989) study was performed to evaluate the
      efficacy of the modified Ayre spatula/Zelsmyr Cytobrush versus the modified Ayre
      spatula/bulb aspirator in the collection of cells, both normal and abnormal, from
      the uterine cervix. The majority (78%) of the 192 patients, ranging in age from
      18 to 82 yr, were referred to the gynecologic/oncologic clinic for follow-up of
      an atypical Papanicolaou smear or of a previously diagnosed and treated cervical,
      vulvar, or endometrial lesion. Of the 192 patients, 149 were premenopausal (15 of
      whom were pregnant), 12 were perimenopausal, and 31 were postmenopausal. Patients
      were randomized into one of two groups based on the collection of samples for
      their cervical smears: 1) modified Ayre spatula (exocervix) plus Zelsmyr
      Cytobrush (endocervix: 90 cases) and 2) modified Ayre spatula (exocervic) plus
      bulb aspirator (endocervix; 102 cases). Of the smears prepared with the
      spatula/Cytobrush (90 cases), only 2 (2.2%) lacked endocervical cells. Within
      this group, the smears of 5 of 5 pregnant patients (100%) and 13 of 13
      postmenopausal patients (100%) contained endocervical cells. Cytologic
      abnormalities were present in 15 of these cases; koilocytosis in 4, cervical
      intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)-I in 5, CIN-II in 4, and CIN-III in 2. Five of
      the 15 cytologically positive cases had histologic verification; the cytologic
      findings were predictive of the histologic findings in all. Of the smears
      prepared using the spatula/bulb aspirator (102 cases), 26 (25.5%) lacked
      endocervical cells. Within this group, the smears of only 4 of 10 pregnant
      patients (40%) and 14 of 18 postmenopausal patients (78%) contained endocervical
      cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879272
TI  - Massive necrosis: a pitfall in the cytopathologic diagnosis of primary
      mediastinal seminoma.

PMID- 1879273
TI  - Aspiration cytology of metaplastic Warthin's tumor mimicking squamous-cell
      carcinoma.

PMID- 1879274
TI  - Older adults with diabetes.

PMID- 1879275
TI  - Nutrition education: the older adult with diabetes.
AB  - The dietitian, working with other members of the health care team, plays a very
      important role in developing a care plan for the older person with diabetes.
      Often individuals in this age group have so many health care needs that nutrition
      intervention may be low on the priority list. Optimum nutrition is essential to
      maintain health and well-being as well as to keep blood glucose levels in the
      target range. The dietitian who works with this population must be very skilled
      at multifaceted assessment. He or she must be able to correlate all the
      information gained to creatively design, with the patient and caregivers, a
      workable dietary intervention, and be able to adapt instruction techniques and
      tools for a wide variety of educational needs and abilities. Knowledge, skill,
      experience, confidence in judgment and, most important, sincere caring are all
      important to the process. Nutrition education should be individually tailored and
      incorporate patience, kindness, humor, understanding, and above all a respect for
      the differences that make each older person an individual.

PMID- 1879276
TI  - Content, construct, and criterion-related validity.

PMID- 1879277
TI  - Psychosocial contexts of diabetes and older adulthood: reciprocal effects.
AB  - The present study was conducted to assess the reciprocal effects between the
      psychosocial contexts of diabetes and older adulthood. Data were collected from
      191 community-dwelling adults over the age of 60 with non-insulin-dependent
      diabetes mellitus. Results indicate that older adults with diabetes reported
      higher rates of selected chronic illnesses, lower self-rated physical health, and
      higher levels of depression than did comparison samples of older adults without
      diabetes. Compared with younger adults with NIDDM, the present sample of older
      adults perceived fewer impacts of diabetes, including fewer symptoms of poor
      metabolic control, less emotional impact, fewer barriers to adherence, and less
      complex regimens. Overall levels of social support and regimen adherence were
      high. Older adults in this sample reported wanting minimal help from their family
      and friends with self-management activities and receiving more help than desired
      with following a meal plan and taking medications. Implications of the unique
      context of older adulthood for diabetes self-management are discussed.

PMID- 1879278
TI  - Hardiness and compliance in elderly patients with diabetes.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of the hardiness
      personality characteristic influences compliance. The sample (N = 50) for this
      study was obtained from a hospital in a large metropolitan area of the United
      States. The majority of subjects were white, male, married, and diagnosed with
      type II diabetes. Instruments used to collect data were the Health-Related
      Hardiness Scale and the Self-Management Compliance Questionnaire. Results
      indicated that a significant correlation existed between the hardiness and
      compliance variables. Thirty-six percent of the variance in the compliance score
      was explained by the total health-related hardiness scores. Findings suggest that
      the degree of hardiness in individuals with diabetes may predict compliance to a
      prescribed diabetic regimen.

PMID- 1879279
TI  - Participation in outpatient diabetes education programs: how many patients take
      part and how representative are they?
AB  - Little research has been conducted on the role of participation in programs that
      teach diabetes self-management skills. This paper reviews recent studies on
      diabetes educational programs to determine what is known about participation, and
      then reports our experience in recruiting patients for a program that teaches
      diabetes self-care skills to persons age 60 and older. Few studies have reported
      data on participation rates in such programs, and only one study provided
      information on characteristics of patients who participated versus those who did
      not. In our study, patients over age 70, and those with whom we initiated contact
      by means of a letter from their health care provider, were less likely to
      participate than were younger patients and those who initiated contact with us.
      It is recommended that future research include information on the percentage and
      representativeness of patients who participate in diabetes education programs.
      Studies should also describe their target population, procedures used to recruit
      participants, and program characteristics that might affect participation.

PMID- 1879280
TI  - Barriers to the effective use of capillary blood glucose monitoring in extended
      care facilities.
AB  - Elderly residents of extended care facilities have an increased prevalence of
      diabetes compared with age-matched individuals living in the community, and are
      more prone to uncontrolled hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Capillary blood
      glucose monitoring can provide essential data for managing patients with
      diabetes, yet blood glucose monitoring is not used consistently by many
      institutions that provide long-term care. Among the barriers to its use are a
      perceived lack of validity, a perceived or actual lack of reliability, a failure
      by staff to use monitoring results consistently, a belief that good control is
      not necessary for the elderly, and the cost. Educational programs need to be
      offered to extended care facilities emphasizing the significance of glucose
      monitoring in the management of diabetes in elderly patients.

PMID- 1879281
TI  - Exercise: Part II. Translating the exercise prescription.
AB  - Exercise comes in many forms and uses different substrates (fuels) for adenosine
      triphosphate (energy) production. The greater the intensity of exercise, the
      greater the relative contribution of carbohydrate as a fuel source. However, as
      intensity exceeds the anaerobic threshold, anaerobic glycolysis is inhibited,
      forcing a decrease in exercise intensity. Proper manipulation of the exercise
      prescription components can create the desired health and fitness benefits,
      provide a high level of carbohydrate utilization, and control exercise risks
      while maintaining exercise intensity at aerobic levels. The calculation of target
      heart rate zones and proper monitoring of exercise heart rates allows for greater
      compliance to exercise prescriptions. Individual responses to various exercise
      intensities and modalities require regular assessments. Monitoring blood glucose
      levels before and after exercise assists in prescribing exercise duration and
      exercise times in relation to the medication and dietary regimen.

PMID- 1879282
TI  - Increasing referrals to diabetes outpatient classes.

PMID- 1879283
TI  - Diabetes support groups: structure, function, and professional roles.

PMID- 1879284
TI  - Oral hypoglycemic agents in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus among the elderly.
AB  - Management of NIDDM among elderly patients is complex due to existing chronic
      illnesses. Patient education of the potential side effects and drug interactions
      with oral hypoglycemic agents, as well as good assessment skills help to prevent
      complications among the elderly population.

PMID- 1879285
TI  - [Gastric mucosal lesions and their transition rates in high risk population of
      gastric cancer].
AB  - Endoscopic and pathologic examinations were conducted in a randomly chosen
      population in a high risk area of gastric cancer, Linqu County, Shandong
      Province. A high prevalence of chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia
      and dysplasia was found. Gastric mucosal lesions changed from mild to severe with
      a decline in transition rate. The prevalence rate of severe dysplasia was close
      to that of gastric cancer. The study indicates that gastric precancerous lesions
      are related to malignant changes implying that gastric cancer develops on the
      damaged gastric mucosa. It is also shown that the progression from chronic
      atrophic gastritis to dysplasia may take an average of 20 years.

PMID- 1879286
TI  - [Detection of cancer-associated antigen in feces of patients with gastric cancer
      by monoclonal antibodies].
AB  - Detection of cancer-associated antigen in feces was performed by ELISA binding
      inhibition method using monoclonal antibody in 25 patients with gastric cancer,
      70 with non-malignant gastrointestinal diseases and 100 healthy individuals.
      Monoclonal antibodies used were CL-4, PS-9, PS-10 and a "cocktail" of the three.
      The level of cancer-associated antigens detected in feces was significantly
      higher in patients with gastric cancer than in healthy individuals. PS-9 and PS
      10 were also significantly higher in gastric cancer than in non-malignant
      gastrointestinal diseases. The positive rates of CL-4 were 62.5% vs 7.0%, PS-9
      44.0% vs 3% and PS-10 64.0% vs 7.0% in patients with gastric cancer and healthy
      individuals. When the cocktail of the three was used, the positive rates
      increased to 88.0% and 14% in the above two groups and 26.6% in gastritis group.
      These results indicate that the detection of cancer-associated antigen in feces
      is of value in diagnosis of gastric cancer.

PMID- 1879287
TI  - [Flow cytometric DNA content analysis in thyroid carcinoma].
AB  - DNA content and proportion of Phase S cells in 69 paraffin embedded thyroid
      tumors (15 adenomas and 64 adenocarcinomas) were analysed by flow cytometry. The
      results showed that 14/15 adenomas were diploid; DNA content was abnormal in 1
      papillary adenoma (DNA index 1.14). In the 64 cases of adenocarcinomas, 53 were
      aneuploid and 11 near diploid. The DNA content and proportion of Phase S cells
      were closely related to degree of malignancy and prognosis.

PMID- 1879288
TI  - [Induction of differentiation of human T-cell leukemic cell line (CEM) by phorbol
      ester].
AB  - In the present study, we investigated the effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13
      acetate (PMA) on induction of differentiation of human T-cell leukemic cell line
      (CEM). The results showed that uninduced cells were T1+, T4+, T9+, T10+, T3- and
      TcR-, representing thymus stage II differentiation. When culturing in vitro with
      PMA for 5 to 7 days, CEM cells expressed mature T-cell marker (T3) whereas the
      percentage of cells expressing proliferation-association antigen (T9) was
      markedly decreased. In addition, PMA could significantly inhibit the growth of
      CEM cells. We also found that after co-culture with PMA for 2 to 3 days, CEM
      cells showed distinct morphologic changes. These findings indicate that PMA may
      induce CEM cells to differentiate towards mature stage.

PMID- 1879289
TI  - [Killing activity of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells on fresh acute
      leukemia cells].
AB  - In this study, the killing activity of LAK cells on fresh acute leukemia (AL)
      cells of 13 patients was examined. The LAK cells were prepared from the
      peripheral blood lymphocytes of 70 normal healthy donors. The results showed that
      LAK cells have obvious killing activity on AL cells, especially, the acute
      lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. The killing activity varies significantly on
      the same type of AL cells from different patients. Probably, age of patients is
      one of the influencing factors on this phenomenon. Moreover, the results
      indicated that the killing activity of LAK cells on AL cells was closely related
      to the rate of proliferation of AL cells.

PMID- 1879290
TI  - [Treatment of primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].
AB  - Fifty-five patients with primary gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated in
      our hospital from 1970 to 1986. The overall 5-year survival rate was 70.5%. For
      patients with Stages IE and IIE, the 5-year survival rates were 90.5% and 57.1%,
      respectively. No significant relation to survival was observed concerning sex,
      age and course of disease. The important prognostic factors of primary gastric
      non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were: stage, histologic type, depth of invasion and mode
      of management. Postoperative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy was
      better than surgery alone. Total 60Co abdominal irradiation by moving strip
      technique was better than multifield irradiation. While no evidence was in favor
      of post-operative radiotherapy plus chemotherapy for stage IE and IIE lesions,
      multi-disciplinary approach should be considered for patients at high risk of
      recurrence and metastasis.

PMID- 1879291
TI  - [Choice of radical gastrectomy type II or III (R2, R3) for gastric cancer and its
      5-year survival rate].
AB  - Of 453 patients with primary gastric cancer, 364 were treated from 1979 to 1988
      by radical gastrectomy type R2 or R3. The 1-year survival rate was 96.2%
      (329/342), 3-year survival rate 83.2% (283/286) and 5-year survival rate 58.5%
      (86/147). This 5-year survival rate has significantly been improved as compared
      with that of our previous reports in 1964 (19.6%) and 1972 (39.5%) as well as
      those from other institutes in China (30-40%). The improvement of treatment
      result is due to: 1. Adequate selection and application of radical gastrectomy,
      Type II or III operation and thorough resection of lymph node (N2, N3) metastasis
      and abdominal wall invasion, 2. Increased incidence of early lesions, and 3.
      better follow-up. TNM classification, histologic growth pattern, lymph node
      metastasis, gross type and site of primary cancer all play significant roles in
      prognosis.

PMID- 1879292
TI  - [Clinical characteristics and prevention of positive stump in gastric cancer].
AB  - This paper summarizes 80 cases with positive stump among 946 cases of gastric
      cancer treated by gastrectomy from 1962 to 1986. The positive stump rate was much
      higher at the esophageal than the duodenal end (12.5% vs 4.5%). It was related to
      gross type and size of cancer (P less than 0.01). In lesions larger than 5 cm in
      diameter and of infiltrating type, especially the superficially spreading early
      cancers by which the gastric mucosa was infiltrated extensively without any clear
      margin, it was difficult to identify the extent of infiltration and cancer
      residue due to inadequate resection was likely. In order to avoid a positive
      stump, 1. total gastrectomy is indicated for cancer of the gastric body or
      infiltrating type, 2. super-subtotal gastrectomy including the whole lesser
      curvature or total gastrectomy is indicated for localized lesions larger than 5
      cm in diameter at the antrum, and 3. for proximal cancers, the resection line
      should be set in the esophagus 5 cm beyond the tumor margin and routine
      examination of the resected specimen should be done during the operation.

PMID- 1879293
TI  - [Surgical treatment of primary cardiac carcinoma of remnant stomach--a report of
      9 cases].
AB  - From April 1977 to May 1989, 15 patients with primary cardiac carcinoma of
      remnant stomach were seen, comprising 1.96% of all carcinoma of gastric cardia
      during the same period. Thirteen patients were treated by operation and the tumor
      was resected in 9-1 total gastrectomy with end-to-side esophagojejunostomy and 8
      partial cardiectomy with end-to-side esophagogastrostomy. Operative procedure for
      primary cardiac carcinoma of remnant stomach is discussed with review of
      literature.

PMID- 1879294
TI  - [Treatment of advanced liver cancer by autologous and/or homologous LAK cells
      combined with human natural LL-2].
AB  - Ten patients with advanced liver cancer, primary in 5 and metastatic in the other
      5, were treated with lymphokine-activated killer cells, autologous (aLAK) and/or
      homologous (hLAK) combined with human natural IL-2. Each course of treatment
      lasted 10 days. For aLAK/IL-2 treatment, white cells were collected from the
      patients to be treated by a cell separator on Day 4 and after 3-day culture of
      the mononuclear cells in vitro in the presence of IL-2 (500 units/ml), the aLAK
      cells (1-2 x 10(9)) were transferred back to the patient on Day 7 via the hepatic
      artery by selective catheterization. IL-2 (20-30 x 10(4) units) was given i.v.
      daily on Days 1, 2, 8, 9 and 10. For hLAK/IL-2 treatment LAK cells from healthy
      donors (0.5-1 x 10(9)) were administered i.v. on Days 1, 4, and 7 and IL-2 (20-30
      x 10(4) units) i.v. daily on Days 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. Patients with primary
      liver cancer were all treated with aLAL/IL-2, followed by hLAK/IL-2 in 3.
      Patients with metastatic cancer in the liver were either treated with hLAK/IL-2
      alone or in combination with aLAK/IL-2. The results of the treatment as monitored
      by B ultrasonography, CT scan and digital selective angiography are as follows:
      CR in 2 (with metastatic liver cancer), PR in 4 (3 with primary and 1 with
      metastatic liver cancer), MR in 2 and no response in 2. On follow-up, 7 patients
      survived greater than 6 months and 1 (a complete responder) for greater than 12
      months. Side effects were mild with transient fever up to 38.5 degrees C and
      general malaise.

PMID- 1879295
TI  - [Corticosteroid for hemangioma in infants and young children].
AB  - 500 infants and young children suffering from hemangioma treated by
      corticosteroid (Prednisone) are reported. This disorder is most commonly seen in
      the head and neck (64.2%). Clinically there are 3 types of hemangioma:
      intradermal (34.1%), subdermal (11.3%), and mixed (51.5%). Our patients were
      treated with steroid (Prednisone 20-40 mg/QOD at 8 am). All patients were
      responsive. In 411 evaluated patients, 151 (36.7%) gave CR, 83 (20.1%) gave CR
      with residual telangiectasis, 172 (41.5%) gave PR, and in 5 patients, the lesion
      remained or slightly faded. During and within 3 years of treatment, none
      developed undesirable side effects, though the treatment was protracted to 2
      years.

PMID- 1879296
TI  - [Multiple primary colo-rectal carcinoma--an analysis of 28 cases].
AB  - Of 226 cases with colo-rectal carcinoma treated, 21 (7.89%) had synchronous and 7
      (2.63%) had metachronous multiple primary lesions. In these 28 cases, 13 (46.43%)
      were complicated by adenomatous polyp, in which 7 cases (53.85%) became
      malignant. The tumor in 9 cases (18.75%) of synchronous carcinoma was less than 1
      cm in diameter and could not be palpated during operation. The early metachronous
      carcinoma could be detected by fiberendoscopy during follow-up. Its diagnostic
      accuracy can be improved by fiberendoscopy before operation and during follow-up.

PMID- 1879297
TI  - [Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of subarachnoid extraspinal neurilemoma an
      analysis of 22 cases].
AB  - The clinical manifestations of 22 subarachnoid extraspinal neuilemomas are
      presented and problems related to its diagnosis discussed. Among the 15 cases
      followed for 5-6 years, 10 were completely cured, 4 cured and resumed work with
      only some mild symptoms, and one with partial improvement. No recurrence was
      found. It was emphasized that neurilemomas in the spinal canal may often be
      confused with protrusion of intervertebral disc because of similar clinical
      manifestations. The author's suggestion is that in patients with progressively
      increasing severe pain, scattered points of tenderness on the back, multiple
      nerve root symptoms or even with saddle numbness, and repeated poor treatment
      results, further examinations such as CSF, myelography, and if necessary, CT scan
      should be undertaken for proper diagnosis.

PMID- 1879298
TI  - [Inhibitory effect of monoclonal antibody PD4 on Ha-ras transformed cells Rat3
      3].
AB  - McAbPD4 could inhibit the proliferation of transformed cells Rat3-3 with an
      inhibition rate of 72.3% in vitro. Moreover, McAbPD4 decreased the Rat3-3's
      colony forming ability on soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice. By Flow
      Cytometry, it was indicated that the inhibitory effect was due to a blockade
      between G1 and S phase. It was shown by Western Blotting that the McAbPD4-defined
      antigen was a 40 KD protein, named p40, which was located on the membrane of
      target cells MGC803 and transformed cells Rat3-3 by immunofluorescence assay. The
      antigen p40 was highly expressed on Ha-, Ki-, Nb- and Src oncogene transfected
      cells, but was undetectable or at the best only faintly on cells transformed with
      mos or raf. The antisense oligonucleotide AS-1 of Ha-ras distinctively inhibited
      the proliferation of Rat3-3, the level of Ha-ras oncogene product p21 and p40
      were decreased by 47.8%, 36.5%, and 52.0%, respectively. The inhibitory effect of
      AS-1 to GCM3T3 was more marked, each with 54.2%, 47.9% and 65.9%. It is suggested
      that p40 not only is a tumor-associated antigen, but also a transformation
      related cell surface protein, which is closely associated with and might be
      regulated by the activation of ras or Src oncogene and its product. For the
      inhibitory effect of McAbPD4 to Rat3-3 cells, it is deduced that p40 might be a
      growth factor receptor mediating autocrine growth of Ha-ras transformed cells.

PMID- 1879299
TI  - [Immunoelectron microscopic study on the localization of monoclonal antibodies on
      gastric cancer cells].
AB  - The localization of three monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against gastric cancer was
      studied on two human gastric cancer cell lines by immunoelectron microscopic
      technique. It was shown that the corresponding antigens of mAb 3G9 and 3H11 were
      distributed on the microvilli (M) and non-microvillous (NM) plasma membrane of
      target cells, with varying M to NM ratios depending on the mAbs and target cells
      used. However, the corresponding antigens of mAb, PD4 was only localized on the
      surface of round or finger-like bulges of target cells and never on the
      microvilli and non-microvillous plasma membrane. Since the nature and function of
      these tumor antigens are yet to be identified, the implication of the different
      distributions of these tumor antigens remains to be claifated.

PMID- 1879300
TI  - [Unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) induced by N-methyl-N'nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
      (MNNG) in human gastric mucosal cells].
AB  - DNA repair synthesis as estimated by the unscheduled incorporation of tritiated
      thymidine (3H-TdR) is a useful, economical, and rapidly performed bioassay for
      detecting DNA-damaging agents. The purpose of this study was to establish the
      method of MNNG induction and measurement of UDS in human gastric mucosal cells
      for further study of gastric carcinogenesis and its prevention. Normal gastric
      mucosal cells isolated from surgical specimens were exposed to various
      concentrations of MNNG in the presence of 5mM hydroxyurea and 10uCi/ml 3H-TdR in
      1% FBS DMEM-F12 medium for 4 hours at 37 degrees C. Immediately following
      exposure to MNNG the capacity of gastric mucosal cells to undergo DNA synthesis
      was assayed by autoradiography. The results of the present study indicated that
      the gastric epithelial cells are capable of repairing MNNG-induced DNA damage.
      The UDS positive cells were revealed by increased 3H-TdR incorporation into each
      nucleus, and the UDS level was MNNG dose-dependent.

PMID- 1879301
TI  - [Serum and tissue copper, zinc and selenium levels in patients with gastric
      carcinoma].
AB  - Serum and tissue copper, zinc and selenium levels were measured in patients with
      gastric carcinoma. The mean level of serum copper in patients with gastric
      carcinoma (42 cases) was 950 +/- 130 ug/L, which was higher than 800 +/- 70 ug/L
      of the control (30 cases, P less than 0.05). The serum selenium level in patients
      with gastric carcinoma was lower than that in the control (63 +/- 15 ug/L vs 85
      +/- 8 ug/L, P less than 0.05). No significant difference in serum zinc level was
      found between the patient and control groups. In cancer tissues, the mean
      concentration of copper was 13.5 +/- 2.6 micrograms/g dry weight, which was much
      higher than 7.1 +/- 1.6 micrograms/g dry weight in the intact gastric mucosa (P
      less than 0.01). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in cancer tissue was
      95 +/- 10 u/mg-protein, which was lower than 124 +/- 12 u/mg-protein in the
      intact gastric mucosa (P less than 0.05). The above changes may facilitate
      production of free radicals, tissue damage and carcinogenesis.

PMID- 1879302
TI  - Leukocytosis at the onset of diabetes in crosses of inbred BB rats.
AB  - Inbred lymphopenic, diabetes-prone (DP) and non-lymphopenic, diabetes-resistant
      (DR) BB rats in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) colony were subjected to a cross
      intercross breeding experiment which showed diabetes to segregate as a recessive
      trait. All DP rats, but none of the DR and F1 rats, developed diabetes. In
      contrast, about 25% of the F2 rats developed diabetes which made it possible to
      study these rats without maternal influence of diabetes. All rats were bled at
      regular intervals between 30 and 150 days of age, and the samples analyzed for
      numbers of leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and eosinophils.
      Leukocyte numbers tended to increase with age until about 100 days, and to
      decline thereafter. Males had more leukocytes than females. Coinciding with the
      time of onset of overt diabetes, there was a large increase in eosinophils, along
      with smaller increases in neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. These data in
      SPF DP and DR BB rats and their cross-intercross offspring demonstrate that the
      overt onset of diabetes is associated with a significant leukocytosis.

PMID- 1879303
TI  - The prevalence of microalbuminuria in diabetes: a study from north India.
AB  - Geographic/population variation in the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy is well
      recognised. In a study of 'native' Indians, we screened 102 non-proteinuric
      diabetes mellitus patients (64 NIDDM, 38 IDDM; mean age and diabetic duration
      48.7 and 6.5 years, 21.6 and 6.2 years, respectively) with blood pressure less
      than or equal to 170/105 and without congestive heart failure, ketonuria or
      urinary tract infection, for the presence of microalbuminuria (albumin excretion
      rate greater than 20 micrograms/min). Fifty-six patients (34 NIDDM, 22 IDDM) also
      underwent detailed fundus examination. Seventeen NIDDM (26.6%) and 3 IDDM (7.9%)
      patients had microalbuminuria. Glycated hemoglobin was significantly higher in
      microalbuminurics in the NIDDM group (P less than 0.05). Diabetic retinopathy
      tended to occur more frequently in microalbuminurics (NIDDM and IDDM).

PMID- 1879304
TI  - Management of newly diagnosed non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus: a
      retrospective audit.
AB  - A retrospective survey of the case records of 130 patients with newly diagnosed
      non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was performed to assess the
      effect of 1 year of clinical attendance on blood glucose control, body weight,
      lipid profile and blood pressure. The mean age of these patients was 63 +/- (SE)
      0.1 years and 45% were 65 years or older. Body mass index (BMI) was 28.3 +/- 0.49
      kg m-2 and 72% were overweight or obese. Sixty-seven percent of the patients were
      hypertensive (WHO criteria). Serum cholesterol was 6.0 +/- 0.2 mmol/l, HDL
      cholesterol 1.0 +/- 0.0 mmol/l and triglycerides 3.14 +/- 0.29 mmol/l (non
      fasting). Seventy-two percent of the patients were managed on diet alone and 23%
      by diet plus sulphonylurea. The remaining 5% were treated by metformin or a
      combination of metformin plus sulphonylurea. After one year, glycated haemoglobin
      (HbA1) decreased from 10.7 +/- 0.3% to 8.2 +/- 0.2% (P less than 0.01; normal
      less than 7.5%). The sulphonylurea groups showed similar decreases in HbA1.
      Overall there was a small but significant fall in BMI (-0.5 +/- 0.2 kg m-2; P
      less than 0.05). However, the diet treated patients showed a significant decrease
      in BMI (-0.8 +/- 0.3 kg m-2; P less than 0.01) whilst BMI increased in the
      sulphonylurea treated group (+0.7 +/- 0.2 kg m-2; P less than 0.01). Serum lipid
      concentrations remained unchanged in both groups. The proportion of patients with
      hypertension remained the same. Hence after one year of clinical attendance, HbA1
      improved but there was minimal change in the associated cardiovascular risk
      factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879305
TI  - A case of insulin allergy: the crystalline human insulin may mask its
      antigenicity.
AB  - We report an unusual case of insulin allergy. A 48-year-old man with non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus receiving biosynthetic isophane human insulin
      (Humulin N) developed itchy wheal-and-flare reactions at the sites of injection.
      When Humulin N was changed to a semi-synthetic crystalline human insulin zinc
      (Novolin U), the allergic reactions completely disappeared. Evaluation of his
      serum showed a high level of insulin-specific IgE. Skin testing with all
      commercially available insulins showed immediate local reactions to all agents
      tested except for Novolin U. In addition, decrystallized Novolin U prepared by
      lowering the pH with acetic acid also induced a positive reaction. These
      observations suggest that the crystallized structure of human insulin may mask
      its antigenicity for allergic reactions.

PMID- 1879306
TI  - Intranasal administration of insulin to humans.
AB  - The purpose of this review is to summarize the information and experience at
      present available on the intranasal administration of insulin to human subjects
      and to describe some of the anatomical, physiological, pharmaceutical and
      technological factors which can affect the absorption of insulin. An overview is
      given of those absorption promoters which have been used in clinical insulin
      studies, and the possible absorption-promoting mechanisms are discussed. This
      review shows that the nasal route offers a promising alternative to parenteral
      administration. The easier administration and the acceptance by the patients is
      encouraging the development of new intranasal insulin preparations.

PMID- 1879307
TI  - Low prevalence of microalbuminuria in normotensive patients with insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - We studied the prevalence of microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion rate
      [UAER] greater than 20 micrograms/min less than or equal to 200 micrograms/min)
      as determined in a single, timed, overnight urine collection in 156 normotensive
      (BP less than 140/90), Albustix negative subjects with type 1 diabetes and its
      association with arterial blood pressure, the duration of diabetes, levels of
      glycosylated hemoglobin, body mass index, daily insulin dose and serum
      cholesterol. Nineteen subjects (12.2%) had a UAER in the microalbuminuric range.
      The microalbuminuric patients had a significantly longer duration of diabetes, 21
      +/- 2 vs 15 +/- 1 years (P less than 0.01), higher diastolic blood pressure, 80
      +/- 2 vs 76 +/- 1 mmHg (P less than 0.05) and serum cholesterol concentration,
      206 +/- 11 vs 186 +/- 3 mg/dl (P less than 0.05) than did the normoalbuminuric
      subjects. There were no differences between the normoalbuminuric and
      microalbuminuric subjects in terms of age, systolic blood pressure, body mass
      index, daily insulin dose or glycosylated hemoglobin levels. These data indicate
      that the prevalence of microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetes has probably been
      overestimated in previous studies due to the inclusion of patients with
      hypertension. Thus, microalbuminuria, rather than being a predictor of the
      development of diabetic renal disease, may indicate the presence of diabetic
      nephropathy with rising blood pressure levels. Further investigation is needed to
      clarify the relationship between microalbuminuria and coronary risk factors such
      as serum cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure levels.

PMID- 1879308
TI  - Decreased hepatic insulin extraction in upper body obesity: relationship to
      unbound androgens and sex hormone binding globulin.
AB  - Hyperinsulinemia is a well-recognized entity of simple obesity. It is
      demonstrated that hyperinsulinemia is associated with upper body fat and fat cell
      hypertrophy. Androgen excess and lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin
      (SHBG) may produce fat cell hypertrophy and hyperinsulinemia as well. We measured
      serum insulin and C-peptide levels during an OGTT in two groups of obese
      premenopausal women to determine whether the hyperinsulinemia is due to
      hypersecretion or due to a diminished hepatic extraction of insulin. In this
      study, we found no correlation between the insulin and C-peptide levels or their
      ratio and the degree of obesity. However, a significant correlation was found
      between the waist-to-hip circumference ratio (WHR), used as an index of body fat
      distribution, and the areas of insulin (r = 0.55; P less than 0.001) and C
      peptide (r = 0.51; P less than 0.001). SHBG and free androgen index (FAI) were
      also significantly related to these areas. The peripheral C-peptide/insulin molar
      ratio has been assumed to reflect changes in hepatic insulin extraction while the
      corrected C-peptide response reflects beta-cell function. WHR was negatively
      related to this ratio (r = -0.44; P less than 0.005) and SHBG showed a positive
      correlation (r = 0.34; P less than 0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis
      revealed that the 2-h insulin and C-peptide values and both curve areas can be
      explained up to 40-80% by sex hormones and anthropometric variables. Also the C
      peptide/insulin molar ratio is dependent in a first step on WHR (r2 = 0.23; P
      less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879309
TI  - [The effects of nifedipine, diltiazem, and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. on
      atherogenesis in rabbits].
AB  - The effects of nifedipine, diltiazem, and Paeonia lactiflora Pall (PLP) on serum
      lipids. Plasma lipid peroxides (LPO), TXB2, and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in cholesterol
      fed rabbits have been investigated. Oral administration of nifedipine (15
      mg/kg.d), diltiazem (30 mg/kg.d), and PLP (5 g/kg.d) caused 60.8%, 45.2%, and
      74.2% reduction in the area of atherosclerosis in the aorta respectively. The
      levels of plasma LPO and TXB2 and the contents of cholesterol, phospholipid, and
      calcium in the intimal-media of the aorta in the treated groups were
      significantly lower than those in the cholesterol group, but the level of plasma
      6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the treated groups was significantly higher. The appearance
      of cholesterol-induced TXB2 elevation and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha decrease in the
      treated groups was delayed. There are positive correlation between plasma TXB2
      and the followings: serum lipids, plasma LPO, and the content of calcium in the
      intimal-media of the aorta, and the percentage of area of lesion in the aorta,
      while plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha showed significantly negative correlation with the
      above data. TXB2/6-keto-PGF1 alpha was found to be positively correlated with the
      percentage of lesion area of the aorta. It was shown that Ca2+ metabolism plays
      an important role in thromboxane, prostaglandin, and LPO metabolism. In
      conclusion, the inhibition of LPO production and regulation of TXA2-PGI2 balance
      may be one of the main mechanisms of the antiatherogenic effects of calcium
      antagonists and PLP.

PMID- 1879310
TI  - [The effect of nisoldipine on ischemic myocardial injury in monkeys].

PMID- 1879312
TI  - [Clinical types of trifascicular block and a follow-up study of pacemaker
      application].
AB  - Thirty five patients (pts) with trifascicular block (TFB) were followed up for 5
      years, and indication of pacemaker and clinical types of TFB were discussed. All
      of the 35 pts were diagnosed with clinical, ECG monitoring and His bundle
      electrogram (HBE) and classified into 4 groups: (1) acute transient TFB (3 cases)
      characterized by RBBB + LAHB + I or II AVB, caused by acute myocarditis or AMI,
      recovered with medicinal treatment; (2) 4 cases of acute advanced TFB
      characterized by RBBB + LAHB or LAPB + III AVB with severe symptoms such as
      syncope and Adams-Stokes syndrome; (3) 12 cases of chronic TFB characterized by
      RBBB + LAHB or LPHB + I, II or III AVB, with 40 beats/min lower heart rate and
      severe symptoms; (4) 18 cases of chronic advanced TFB characterized by RBBB +
      LAHB or LPHB + 1, 11 or III AVB, with severe symptoms. The 32 pts in groups 2, 3,
      and 4 were treated with implanted pacemakers and recovered very well. 29 pts are
      still well with pacemakers, and 5 cases with cardiomyopathy died due to chronic
      heart failure during the follow-up period of 5 years. CONCLUSION: all of the pts
      with TFB and severe symptoms treated with pacemakers were appropriate, and are
      living well except those with chronic heart failure.

PMID- 1879311
TI  - [Electrophysiological properties of atrial fibrillation with WPW syndrome and the
      role of procainamide in conversion].
AB  - Fifty one patients with recurrent episodes of atrial fibrillation associated with
      WPW syndrome were studied by pre-operative clinical electrophysiogical testing.
      The results showed that: these patients had an markedly prolonged intra-atrial
      conduction time (PA intervals: 42.22 +/- 10.93 ms) than the patients only with
      attack of atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (AVRT) (PA intervals: 17.21 +/-
      9.68ms, P less than 0.001). The attack of atrial fibrillation related to an
      markedly prolonged atrial vulnerable phase and the retrograde conduction of
      accessory pathway (AP). The clinical results of atrial fibrillation were decided
      by the antegrade effective refractory period (AERP) of AP. When the shortest R-R
      (V-V) intervals during attack of atrial fibrillation was shorter than 180ms, the
      atrial fibrillation spontaneously turned to the ventricular fibrillation. The
      conversion of atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm showed that procainamide not
      only prolonged AERP of AP, which were 248.57 +/- 15.74ms and 388.57 +/- 63.9 ms
      (P less than 0.001) respectively before and after intravenous procainamide
      infusion, but also prolonged intra-atrial conduction time significantly, the PA
      interval before and after intravenous procainamide infusion were 42.22 +/- 10.93
      ms and 57.14 +/- 11.12 ms (P less than 0.025) respectively.

PMID- 1879313
TI  - [The effects of mexiletine on paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia].

PMID- 1879314
TI  - [The experimental ablation of ventricular tachycardia in dogs with intracoronary
      ethyl alcohol injection].
AB  - In 15 anesthetized dogs, a diagonal branch of the left anterior descending
      coronary artery was cannulated. Localized ventricular tachycardia (VT) was
      induced by injecting aconitine solution into the left ventricular wall perfused
      by the cannulated diagonal branch. In 6 untreated control dogs, VT lasted 17.6 +/
      8.3 minutes, 3 of them degenerated into ventricular fibrillation. The VTs were
      eliminated in 8 of the 9 dogs (88.9%) 1.2 +/- 1.4 minutes after injection of 96%
      ethyl alcohol. The pathologic examination revealed that transmural myocardial
      necrosis was present in 7 of 9 dogs receiving alcohol injection. Fibrin or
      thrombus was present in the diagonal coronary branch in 5 dogs. The conclusion
      was that the intracoronary injection of 96% ethyl alcohol ablated aconitine
      induced ventricular tachycardia effectively. This approach may become a promising
      new method to treat ventricular tachycardia or other arrhythmia.

PMID- 1879315
TI  - [Experimental study of laser ablation on lethal arrhythmias in dogs].
AB  - To study the effect of laser ablation on arrhythmogenic ventricular myocardium,
      we applied aconitine on 36 local epicardial sites of ventricles (22 in LV, 14 in
      RV) in 12 dogs. Severe monographic persistent VTs or VFs were induced by
      aconitine and then these foci were irradiated by Nd: YAG laser. RV refractoriness
      (RVR) and local epicardial pacing threshold (LEPT) were measured by programmed
      electrical stimulation (PES) before aconitine applying and after resuming sinus
      rhythm. That VT or VF could not be induced by PES and the heart had persistent
      sinus rhythm was considered success. Aconitine doses were 7.9 +/- 4.8 micrograms
      in LV, 3.3 +/- 1.9 micrograms in RV, P less than 0.01. The data of time from
      aconitine applying to the appearance of VT were 237 +/- 228 s in LV and 148 +/-
      101 s in RV, P less than 0.05. VF incidence rate was 75% (27/36). All of VT, VF
      could be abolished by mapping-guided laser irradiation on VT foci. The mean laser
      energy was 1542 +/- 893 joules (n = 36). RVR and LEPT increased significantly (P
      less than 0.001) after tests. Results showed that: (1) Lethal ventricular
      arrhythmias could be induced by giving little aconitine on the ventricular
      epicardium; (2) Mapping-guided lasering on arrhythmogenic myocardium could
      eradicate VT and VF; (3) RVR and LEPT would increase greatly after ablation.

PMID- 1879316
TI  - [1:2 atrioventricular conduction of dual pathway in atrioventricular node].

PMID- 1879317
TI  - [A case of focal resection in refractory ventricular tachycardia].

PMID- 1879318
TI  - [Clinical application of image processing system and quantitative analysis of
      left ventriculogram and coronary arteriogram].
AB  - Currently cine left ventriculography and coronary arteriography are still one of
      the most important methods in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease and other
      coronary arterial diseases. An image processing system, called "IA-87 Medical
      Image Processing System", for quantitative analysis of cine-coronary and left
      ventricular angiograms has been developed using IBM-PC/AT computer. The major
      functions of this system are: (1) left ventricular volume determination, i.e.
      left ventricular contour can be drawn automatically or semi-automatically, the
      systolic and diastolic volume of the left ventricle are calculated by Simpson's,
      length-area and chord-length methods. (2) left ventricular segmental wall motion
      analysis, using rectilinear and polar method, the segmental ejection fraction and
      normalized segmental contraction are determined. (3) dynamic display of the
      cardiac cycle. (4) coronary arterial lesion, such as stenosis, can be
      quantitatively analysed. In a series of cases free from cardiac disease the
      normal coronary artery (40 cases) and left ventricle (30 cases) were
      quantitatively analysed using "IA-87 Medical Image Processing System", and the
      normal value of coronary artery diameter and left ventricular function among
      Chinese obtained. At the same time, in a series of 45 cases with coronary heart
      disease (including anterior, posterior wall infarction, and left ventricular
      aneurysm in 15 respectively), quantitative analysis of the left ventricle was
      made. The results showed that the system is of significant value for quantitative
      diagnosis of ischemic heart disease as well as evaluation of therapeutic effect
      and prediction of prognosis.

PMID- 1879319
TI  - [Quantitative analysis of coronary arteriogram by a computer-assisted method].
AB  - A computer-assisted method for quantitating coronary arteriograms was applied to
      measure the diameter of major epicardial coronary arteries in 58 normal subjects
      and 25 hypertensive patients, and to determine the percentage of relative
      stenosis of coronary lesions in 109 patients with coronary artery disease.
      Average coronary size was larger than normal in patients with hypertension. The
      left coronary artery was larger than the right coronary artery in the majority of
      patients. The degree of coronary stenosis can be measured accurately with good
      reproducibility. Thus this inexpensive microprocessor system provides rapid
      quantitation of coronary artery diameter and lesions.

PMID- 1879320
TI  - [Management of postoperative arrhythmia after open heart surgery in complex
      congenital heart disease].
AB  - The incidence of postoperative arrhythmia was 35.2% in 264 cases with complex
      congenital heart diseases underwent open heart surgery between Feb, 1988 and Aug,
      1989. Postoperative arrhythmia was closely related to preoperative hematocrit,
      cardiomegaly, prolonged aortic occlusion, ratio of RV/LV systolic pressure
      greater than 0.75, hypokalemia and low cardiac output syndrome. Infusion of
      colloid solution and both potassium and magnesium as well as successful surgery
      and the preventive administration of antiarrhythmic agent played an important
      role in the prevention and treatment of postoperative arrhythmia.

PMID- 1879321
TI  - [Long-term culture and a morphological study of endothelial cells from human
      aorta].
AB  - Endothelial cells from human aorta were successfully cultured first in this Lab
      in our country. Cells survived and passed through 10-15 generations. Long term
      cultured endothelial cells from human aorta were observed under phase-contrast
      microscope, scanning, transmission electron microscope, and investigated
      immunocytochemically by immunofluorescence of specific antibody against Factor
      VIII related surface antigen, and ABC method using monoclonal antibody 9B9
      against human angiotensin-converting enzyme. Medium RPMI-1640 supplemented with
      20% human serum, endothelial cell growth factor 200 micrograms/ml, heparin 100
      micrograms/ml and gelatin coated flasks were very important conditions for long
      term culture of human endothelial cell.

PMID- 1879322
TI  - [Gallstone treatment by electrohydraulic extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy].
AB  - Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) with an electrohydraulic system was
      performed in 124 patients (33 men, 91 women; mean age 50.1 +/- 12.7 years).
      Sufficient stone fragmentation was achieved in 122 patients (98.3%). ESWL was
      repeated in 29 patients (23.3%), twice in 7 patients (5.6%). Average shockwave
      application per patient was 1,441 +/- 414 impulses, at a mean energy of 20.0 +/-
      1.6 kV. Mean stone diameter before ESWL was 16.2 +/- 4.2 (7-30) mm, 7.1 +/- 4.1
      (0-19) mm after ESWL. Computed tomography, performed immediately after ESWL in 88
      patients demonstrated hypodense thickening (3-10 mm) of the gallbladder wall in
      28.4% of patients. This was interpreted as wall oedema, reversible in all. One
      patient had a covered gallbladder rupture and two had biliary pancreatitis. None
      of the patients required emergency surgery. 93 patients (74.9%) had no stones 12
      months later. A high success rate can be achieved if certain criteria are adhered
      to and suitable patients are selected.

PMID- 1879323
TI  - [The clinical course of coumarin-induced necrosis].
AB  - In three patients painful reddening of a well-circumscribed area of the skin
      occurred within five days of starting anticoagulant treatment with phenprocoumon
      (Marcumar), and within a short time it developed into a full-blown picture of
      coumarin necrosis. The indication for phenprocoumon was, in the first patient (a
      29-year-old mother lying-in after her second child had been born) an increased
      platelet count and the presence of high risk factors for thromboembolism. In the
      second patient (25-year-old man) and the third one (45-year-old woman) it was
      secondary prophylaxis after pulmonary embolus and deep-vein thrombosis,
      respectively. All three patients were very obese and had a drug allergy, as well
      as other allergies (bronchial asthma in Cases 1 and 2; allergic rhinitis in Case
      3). Phenprocoumon was at once discontinued in all three patients and low-dose
      heparin administration (Cases 1 and 3) or dextran infusion (Case 2: heparin
      intolerance) started. All three needed excision of the necrotic tissue with
      grafting to the skin defect. The coexistence of obesity and allergic diathesis
      may thus present an especially high risk for coumarin necrosis.

PMID- 1879324
TI  - [The diagnosis of arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

PMID- 1879325
TI  - [The pathophysiology, clinical picture and treatment of coumarin-induced
      necrosis].

PMID- 1879326
TI  - [Mitral valve prolapse: a risk in the sauna?].

PMID- 1879327
TI  - [Molds in the masonry].

PMID- 1879328
TI  - [Dioxins].

PMID- 1879329
TI  - [Complete anuria in unilateral renal artery obstruction and ischemic
      nephropathy].

PMID- 1879330
TI  - [An allergy to mistletoe extract].

PMID- 1879331
TI  - [Bone marrow transplantation in AL amyloidosis?].

PMID- 1879332
TI  - [Metastasizing breast carcinoma].

PMID- 1879333
TI  - Colonization of the post-umbilical bowel by cells derived from the sacral neural
      crest: direct tracing of cell migration using an intercalating probe and a
      replication-deficient retrovirus.
AB  - Experiments were done to test the hypothesis that the avian gut is colonized by
      cells derived from both vagal and sacral regions of the neural crest. A
      fluorescent dye, diI (1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine
      perchlorate), and a replication-deficient retrovirus (LZ10; Galileo et al. 1990)
      were employed as tracers. Since LZ10 was constructed with lacZ of E. coli as a
      reporter gene, infected cells were identified by demonstrating beta-galactosidase
      immunoreactivity. DiI and LZ10 were injected between the neural tube and surface
      ectoderm (before the migration of crest cells away from the injection sites) at
      vagal, truncal (diI only), or sacral axial levels. The bowel was examined 4 days
      later in order to allow crest-derived cells sufficient time to migrate to the
      gut. Following injections of either tracer into the vagal crest, labelled cells
      were found in the gizzard and duodenum. When diI or LZ10 was injected into the
      sacral crest, labelled cells were seen in the post-umbilical bowel and ganglion
      of Remak. In the hindgut, marked cells were concentrated in the mesenchyme, just
      internal to the serosa, and were never observed rostral to the umbilicus. No
      fluorescent cells were ever found in the bowel following truncal injections of
      diI, although such cells were observed in sympathetic ganglia. Labelled cells
      were always found in dorsal root ganglia, no matter which tracer or level of the
      crest was injected. In embryos injected with LZ10, infected cells in the gut and
      dorsal root ganglia displayed a neural crest marker (NC-1 immunoreactivity).
      These observations confirm that the gut is colonized by cells from the sacral as
      well as the vagal region of the neural crest and that the emigres from the sacral
      crest are confined to the post-umbilical bowel.

PMID- 1879334
TI  - Positioning and maintenance of embryonic body wall muscle attachments in C.
      elegans requires the mup-1 gene.
AB  - As part of a general study of genes specifying a pattern of muscle attachments,
      we identified and genetically characterised mutants in the mup-1 gene. The body
      wall muscles of early stage mup-1 embryos have a wild-type myofilament pattern
      but may extend ectopic processes. Later in embryogenesis, some body wall muscles
      detach from the hypodermis. Genetic analysis suggests that mup-1 has both a
      maternal and a zygotic component and is not required for postembryonic muscle
      growth and attachment. mup-1 mutants are suppressed by mutations in several genes
      that encode extracellular matrix components. We propose that mup-1 may encode a
      cell surface/extracellular matrix molecule required both for the positioning of
      body wall muscle attachments in early embryogenesis and the subsequent
      maintenance of these attachments to the hypodermis until after cuticle synthesis.

PMID- 1879335
TI  - Mitogenic activity of chicken chorioallantoic fluid is temporally correlated to
      vascular growth in the chorioallantoic membrane and related to fibroblast growth
      factors.
AB  - The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) is one of the most vascularized tissues in the
      chicken embryo. Capillary growth proceeds until day 10 of development and
      thereafter abruptly regresses. As it is generally accepted that the formation of
      new blood vessel is regulated by growth factors, we have investigated the
      presence of angiogenic and mitogenic factors in the chicken chorioallantois. In
      the present study, we show that chorioallantoic fluid (CAF) contains angiogenic
      substances that are probably synthesized in the CAM or the embryonic kidney. When
      applied in the chorioallantoic membrane assay, CAF from 9 day chicken embryos
      elicits a strong angiogenic response. This angiogenic activity of CAF is
      associated with pronounced mitogenic effects in vitro. Comparison of different
      embryonic fluids reveals that mitogenic activity is particularly evident in the
      CAF but not detectable in embryonic serum and amnion fluid. Expression of
      mitogenic activity is found to be temporally correlated with vascular growth in
      the CAM. High activity is detected in CAF prior to day 10 and then sharply
      decreases, thus preceding termination of capillary growth by one day. Heparin
      sepharose affinity chromatography suggests that the biological activities of CAF
      probably correspond to the presence of acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor
      (aFGF and bFGF). In Western blot analyses of CAF, an immunoreactive bFGF-like
      protein of about 17 x 10(3) Mr is recognized by a monospecific anti-bFGF
      antiserum. This protein elutes at 2.4 M NaCl from the heparin-sepharose. The
      mitogenic activity of the CAF can be specifically blocked by the anti-bFGF
      antibody indicating bFGF to be the active mitogenic principle of the CAF. These
      results strongly suggest that basic and probably acidic FGF play an important
      role in the regulation of chorioallantoic vascular growth.

PMID- 1879336
TI  - Differential expression of type I and type III collagen genes during tooth
      development.
AB  - Collagen gene expression during mouse molar tooth development was studied by
      quantitative in situ hybridization techniques. Different expression patterns of
      type I and type III collagen mRNAs were observed in the various mesenchymal
      tissues that constitute the tooth germ. High concentration for pro-alpha 1(I) and
      pro-alpha 2(I) collagen mRNAs were found within the osteoblasts. We found that
      the cellular content of type I collagen mRNAs in the odontoblasts varies
      throughout the tooth formation: whereas mRNA concentration for pro-alpha 1(I)
      collagen decreases and that of pro-alpha 2(I) increases, during postnatal
      development. Moreover, different amounts of pro-alpha 1(I) and pro-alpha 2(I)
      collagen mRNAs were observed in crown and root odontoblasts, respectively. Type
      III collagen mRNAs were detected in most of the mesenchymal cells, codistributed
      with type I collagen mRNAs, except in odontoblasts and osteoblasts. Finally, this
      study reports differential accumulation of collagen mRNAs during mouse tooth
      development and points out that type I collagen gene expression is regulated by
      distinct mechanisms during odontoblast differentiation process. These results
      support the independent expression of the collagen genes under developmental
      tissue-specific control.

PMID- 1879338
TI  - The spatial and temporal distribution of polarizing activity in the flank of the
      pre-limb-bud stages in the chick embryo.
AB  - The presence of polarizing activity in the limb buds of developing avian embryos
      determines the pattern of the anteroposterior axis of the limbs in the adult.
      Maps of the spatial distribution and the strength of the signal within limb buds
      of different stages are well documented. Polarizing activity can also be found in
      Hensen's node in the early embryo. We have mapped the distribution of polarizing
      activity as it emerges from Hensen's node and spreads into the flank tissue of
      the embryo. There is a clear change in the local pattern of expression of
      polarizing activity between stage 8 and 18. Almost no activity is measured for
      stages 8 and 9. More or less uniform levels of around 10% are spread along the
      flank lateral to the unsegmented somitic mesoderm from somite position 12 to 22
      in stage 10 embryos. Some 6 to 8 h later at stage 12, there is a distinct peak of
      activity at somite position 18, the middle of the wing field. This peak increases
      at stages 13 to 15 and its position traverses to the posterior edge of the wing
      field. Full strength of activity is reached shortly before the onset of limb bud
      formation at stage 16 to 17. Stages 16 to 18 were investigated for polarizing
      activity in the wing and the leg field. Low levels of polarizing activity are
      present in the anterior leg field at stages 16 and 17 but have disappeared by
      stage 18 and all activity is confined to the posterior part of the leg bud.

PMID- 1879337
TI  - The relationship between cell proliferation and the transcription of the nuclear
      oncogenes c-myc, c-myb and c-ets-1 during feather morphogenesis in the chick
      embryo.
AB  - We have described the expression of three nuclear protooncogenes, c-myc, c-myb
      and c-ets-1 during feather morphogenesis in the chick embryo. In parallel with
      the expression patterns obtained by in situ hybridization, we have mapped the
      spatial distribution of S-phase cells by monitoring the incorporation of 5
      bromodeoxyuridine. We do not detect c-myc or c-myb transcripts during the early
      stages when S-phase cells are scattered in the dermis and in the epidermis.
      Rather c-ets-1 transcripts are abundant in the dermal cells which divide and
      accumulate under the uniform epidermis. At the onset of the formation of the
      feather bud, cells within each rudiment cease DNA replicative activities and c
      myc transcripts are detected both in the epidermis and in the underlying dermis.
      This expression precedes the reentry into the S phase. The transcription of c
      myb, which has been previously tightly linked to hemopoietic cells is also
      detected in the developing skin. This expression is essentially located in
      proliferating epidermal cells on and after the beginning of feather outgrowth. As
      feather outgrowth proceeds, the distribution of c-myc and c-myb transcripts is
      restricted to the highly proliferating epidermis. In contrast c-ets-1 transcripts
      are never detected in the epidermis. During the later stages of skin
      morphogenesis, the transcription of c-ets-1 is restricted to the endothelial
      cells of blood vessels, as previously described. We suggest that the differential
      expression of these nuclear oncogenes reflects the activation of different
      mitotic controlling pathways during the development of the skin.

PMID- 1879339
TI  - The effect of a heterochronic mutation, Teopod2, on the cell lineage of the maize
      shoot.
AB  - Teopod2 (Tp2) is a semi-dominant mutation of maize that prolongs the expression
      of characteristics normally confined to the juvenile phase of development. Two of
      the many dramatic morphological effects of this mutation are an increase in the
      number of vegetative nodes, and a reduction in the overall size of the shoot. To
      determine the cellular basis of these phenotypes, the technique of clonal
      analysis was used to compare the cell division patterns of wild-type and Tp2
      plants. Our results indicate that Tp2 increases the number of vegetative nodes
      produced by the apicalmost cells in the meristem but does not affect the cell
      lineage of the basal, juvenile, part of the shoot. This result demonstrates that
      Tp2 does not act uniquely in a 'juvenile' domain of the meristem, but instead
      causes cells that are normally destined to produce adult structures to express
      juvenile traits inappropriately. Clonal analysis also demonstrates that Tp2 does
      not affect the size of the meristem prior to germination, nor does it affect the
      cell lineage of the basic structural unit of the stem, the phytomer. Thus the
      effects of this mutation on the size of the shoot are the result of changes in
      cell fate late in development.

PMID- 1879340
TI  - Genetically identical parthenogenetic mouse embryos produced by inhibition of the
      first meiotic cleavage with cytochalasin D.
AB  - The microfilament inhibitor cytochalasin D inhibits extrusion of the first polar
      body when present during the first meiotic division of mouse oocytes; however, it
      does not interfere with anaphase movement of chromosomes, and thus induces the
      formation of tetraploid oocytes. After the separation of chromosomes in anaphase,
      two spindles start to assemble. However, they merge rapidly and a single meiotic
      spindle forms. During the transition between metaphase I and metaphase II, in the
      presence of cytochalasin D, a drop in histone kinase activity takes place
      demonstrating a transitional decrease in the activity of the maturation promoting
      factor. These oocytes can be activated parthenogenetically a few hours after
      washing out the inhibitor. After completion of the second meiotic division and
      extrusion of a polar body, they contain a diploid number of chromosomes. They are
      genetically identical to each other and to their mother. Such eggs develop to the
      blastocyst stage and can implant in the uteri of foster mothers. Most of these
      fetuses die before the 9th day of gestation, as do diploid control fetuses
      treated with cytochalasin D during the second meiotic division. The heterozygous
      state of the experimental embryos obtained after activation of eggs recovered
      from heterozygous females and treated with cytochalasin D during the first
      meiotic division was confirmed using a glucose-phosphate isomerase assay. This
      technique allows the production of genetic clones of parthenogenetic embryos by
      simple means.

PMID- 1879341
TI  - An analysis of culmination in Dictyostelium using prestalk and stalk-specific
      cell autonomous markers.
AB  - The ecmA (pDd63) and ecmB (pDd56) genes encode extracellular matrix proteins of
      the slime sheath and stalk tube of Dictyostelium discoideum. Using fusion genes
      containing the promoter of one or other gene coupled to an immunologically
      detectable reporter, we previously identified two classes of prestalk cells in
      the tip of the migrating slug; a central core of pstB cells, which express the
      ecmB gene, surrounded by pstA cells, which express the ecmA gene. PstB cells lie
      at the position where stalk tube formation is initiated at culmination and we
      show that they act as its founders. As culmination proceeds, pstA cells transform
      into pstB cells by activating the ecmB gene as they enter the stalk tube. The
      prespore region of the slug contains a population of cells, termed anterior-like
      cells (ALC), which have the characteristics of prestalk cells. We show that the
      ecmA and ecmB genes are expressed at a low level in ALC during slug migration and
      that their expression in these cells is greatly elevated during culmination.
      Previous observations have shown that ALC sort to surround the prespore cells
      during culmination (Sternfeld and David, 1982 Devl Biol. 93, 111-118) and we find
      just such a distribution for pstB cells. We believe that the ecmB protein plays a
      structural role in the stalk tube and its presence, as a cradle around the spore
      head, suggests that it may play a further function, perhaps in ensuring integrity
      of the spore mass during elevation. If this interpretation is correct, then a
      primary role of anterior-like cells may be to form these structures at
      culmination. We previously identified a third class of prestalk cells, pstO
      cells, which lie behind pstA cells in the slug anterior and which appeared to
      express neither the ecmA nor the ecmB gene. Using B-galactosidase fusion
      constructs, which give more sensitive detection of gene expression, we now find
      that these cells express the ecmA gene but at a much lower level than pstA cells.
      We also show that expression of the ecmA gene becomes uniformly high throughout
      the prestalk zone when slugs are allowed to migrate in the light. Overhead light
      favours culmination and it may be that increased expression of the ecmA gene in
      the pst 'O' region is a preparatory step in the process.

PMID- 1879342
TI  - Expression of a novel Muller glia specific antigen during development and after
      optic nerve lesion.
AB  - To generate monoclonal antibodies, immunogen fractions were purified from
      embryonic chick retinae by temperature-induced detergent-phase separation
      employing Triton X-114. Under reducing conditions, the monoclonal antibody (mAb)
      2M6 identifies a protein doublet at 40 and 46 x 10(3) Mr, which appears to form
      disulfide-coupled multimers. The 2M6 antigen is regulated developmentally during
      retinal histogenesis and its expression correlates with Muller glial cell
      differentiation. Isolated glial endfeet and retinal glial cells in vitro were
      found to be 2M6-positive, identified with the aid of the general glia marker mAb
      R5. mAb 2M6 does not bind to any other glial cell type in the CNS as judged from
      immunohistochemical data. Cell-type specificity was further substantiated by
      employing retinal explant and single cell cultures on laminin in conjunction with
      two novel neuron-specific monoclonal antibodies. MAb 2M6 does not bind either to
      neurites or to neuronal cell bodies. Incubation of retinal cells in vitro with
      bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and subsequent immunodouble labelling with mAb 2M6 and
      anti-BrdU reveal that mitotic Muller cells can also express the 2M6 antigen. To
      investigate whether Muller cell differentiation depends on interactions with
      earlier differentiating ganglion cells, transections of early embryonic optic
      nerves in vivo were performed. This operation eliminates ganglion cells. Muller
      cell development and 2M6 antigen expression were not affected, suggesting a
      ganglion-cell-independent differentiation process. If, however, the optic nerve
      of juvenile chicken was crushed to induce a transient degeneration/regeneration
      process in the retina, a significant increase of 2M6 immunoreactivity became
      evident. These data are in line with the hypothesis that Muller glial cells, in
      contrast to other distinct glial cell types, might facilitate neural
      regeneration.

PMID- 1879343
TI  - H beta 58, an insertional mutation affecting early postimplantation development
      of the mouse embryo.
AB  - The generation and analysis of insertional mutations affecting mouse
      embryogenesis provides a powerful method to identify new genes that function in
      early development. In this paper, we describe an insertional mutation that
      interferes with postimplantation mouse development beginning at the time of
      gastrulation. Embryos homozygous for the H beta 58 transgenic insertion developed
      normally through the early postimplantation, egg cylinder stage (day 6.5 of
      development). At the primitive streak stage (day 7.5), however, they began to
      display characteristic abnormalities, including a retardation in the growth of
      the embryonic ectoderm (the earliest identifiable defect), and in some cases
      abnormalities of the amnion and chorion. Homozygotes continued to develop for 2-3
      more days, reaching the size of a normal 8.5 day embryo, and formed tissues
      representative of all three germ layers, including several differentiated cell
      types. The site of insertion was mapped, by a combination of cytogenetic and
      genetic methods, to chromosome 10, and it appeared to define a new genetic locus.
      The inserted transgene provided a probe to clone and characterize the mutant
      locus, as well as the corresponding wild-type locus. In addition to an insertion
      of 10-20 copies of the transgene, the mutant locus contained a deletion of 2-3 kb
      of DNA found at the wild-type locus, and possibly an insertion of mouse
      repetitive DNA. However, genomic sequences on both sides of the insertion site
      remained co-linear in the wild-type and mutant genomes, and no chromosomal
      abnormalities could be detected. Five single copy DNA probes spanning the
      insertion site were tested for their ability to hybridize to RNA from 8.5 day
      embryos; one of the probes (located within the region deleted from the mutant
      chromosome) hybridized to a 2.7 kb mRNA encoded at the H beta 58 locus, thus
      identifying a gene whose disruption appears to be responsible for the mutant
      phenotype.

PMID- 1879344
TI  - Tyrosine phosphorylation of p34cdc2 and p42 during meiotic maturation of Xenopus
      oocyte. Antagonistic action of okadaic acid and 6-DMAP.
AB  - The tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of p34cdc2 was estimated by
      immunoblotting with antiphosphotyrosine antibody during meiotic maturation of
      Xenopus oocytes. At the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), p34cdc2 is
      tyrosine dephosphorylated whereas a p42 protein, which might correspond to a MAP2
      kinase, becomes tyrosine phosphorylated. No modification in the level of tyrosine
      phosphorylation of either proteins was noticed during the whole maturation
      process from GVBD until metaphase II. When added to prophase oocytes, 6-DMAP (6
      dimethyl-aminopurine) blocks GVBC, M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) activation and
      H1-histone, kinase activation induced by either progesterone, MPF transfer or
      okadaic acid microinjection. In each case, the tyrosine dephosphorylation
      reaction of p34cdc2 is inhibited. In meiosis I oocytes (just after the initiation
      of GVBD), 6-DMAP provokes the rephosphorylation of p34cdc2 on tyrosine
      residue(s), inactivation of MPF and H1-histone kinase and re-entry of the cell
      into an interphase-like state. These processes are reversible by simply removing
      the agent. In contrast to the observations in prophase oocytes, okadaic acid is
      able to reverse the inhibitory effect of 6-DMAP in meiosis I oocytes on MPF and
      H1-histone kinase activities and to initiate dephosphorylation of p34cdc2 on
      tyrosyl residue(s) even in the presence of 6-DMAP. Altogether, our results show
      that 6-DMAP and okadaic acid antagonistically control in vivo the level of
      tyrosine phosphorylation of p34cdc2.

PMID- 1879345
TI  - Differential expression of two cadherins in Xenopus laevis.
AB  - Using a cadherin fraction from Xenopus tissue culture cells as an immunogen, two
      monoclonal antibodies were obtained that allowed the characterization of two
      distinct cadherins in the Xenopus embryo. The two cadherins differ in molecular
      weight, in their time of appearance during development and in their spatial
      pattern of expression. One of the antigens was identified as E-cadherin. It
      appears in the embryonic ectoderm during gastrulation when epidermal
      differentiation commences and it disappears from the neural plate area upon
      neural induction. The second antigen could not be allocated to any of the known
      cadherin subtypes and was termed U-cadherin. It is present in the egg and becomes
      deposited in newly formed inner cell membranes during cleavage, the outer apical
      membranes of the embryo remaining devoid of the cadherin throughout development.
      U-cadherin is found on membranes of all cells up to the late neurula stages. A
      conspicuous polarized expression of the antigen on the membranes of individual
      inner cells suggests its participation in the segregation of cell layers and
      organ anlagen. These findings are discussed in the context of current hypotheses
      on the role of cadherins in establishing the spatial structure of the embryo.

PMID- 1879346
TI  - XY follicle cells in the ovaries of XO/XY and XO/XY/XYY mosaic mice.
AB  - XO/XY and XO/XY/XYY mosaic hermaphrodites were generated from crosses involving
      BALB/cWt males. The distribution of Y-bearing cells in the gonads of these mice
      was studied by in situ hybridisation using the Y-specific probe pY353B. XY cells
      were found to contribute to all cell lineages of the ovary including follicle
      cells. The proportion of XY follicle cells was not significantly different from
      the XY contribution to other gonadal or non-gonadal cell lineages. However, this
      proportion was consistently low, all the hermaphrodites having a low XY
      contribution to the animal as a whole. Because the XO- and Y-bearing cell
      lineages are developmentally balanced, the XY follicle cells cannot have formed
      as a result of a 'mismatch' in which the Y-directed testis determination process
      is pre-empted by an early acting programme of ovarian development. These results
      are discussed with respect to the hypothesis that Tdy acts in the supporting cell
      lineage, the lineage from which Sertoli cells and follicle cells are believed to
      be derived.

PMID- 1879347
TI  - Plasma membrane localization of the Toll protein in the syncytial Drosophila
      embryo: importance of transmembrane signaling for dorsal-ventral pattern
      formation.
AB  - Formation of the Drosophila embryo's dorsal-ventral pattern requires the maternal
      product of the Toll gene. DNA sequence and genetic analyses together suggested
      that the Toll gene product is a transmembrane protein which communicates
      information from an extracytoplasmic compartment to the cytoplasm. Using
      antibodies as probes, we show that the Toll protein is a 135 x 10(3) Mr
      glycoprotein which is tightly associated with embryonic membranes. During the
      syncytial stage when dorsal-ventral polarity is established, the maternal Toll
      protein is associated with the plasma membrane around the entire embryo. During
      later embryonic stages, the Toll protein is expressed zygotically on many cell
      surfaces, possibly to promote cell adhesion. The plasma membrane localization of
      the Toll protein in the syncytial embryo suggests that transmembrane signaling
      from the extracellular perivitelline space to the cytoplasm is required for
      establishment of the embryonic dorsal-ventral pattern.

PMID- 1879348
TI  - The segment polarity gene armadillo interacts with the wingless signaling pathway
      in both embryonic and adult pattern formation.
AB  - The segment polarity genes of Drosophila were initially defined as genes required
      for pattern formation within each embryonic segment. Some of these genes also
      function to establish the pattern of the adult cuticle. We have examined the role
      of the armadillo (arm) gene in this latter process. We confirmed and extended
      earlier findings that arm and the segment polarity gene wingless are very similar
      in their effects on embryonic development. We next discuss the role of arm in
      pattern formation in the imaginal discs, as determined by using a pupal lethal
      allele, by analyzing clones of arm mutant tissue in imaginal discs, and by using
      a transposon carrying arm to produce adults with a reduced level of arm.
      Together, these experiments established that arm is required for the development
      of all imaginal discs. The requirement for arm varies along the dorsal-ventral
      and proximal-distal axes. Cells that require the highest levels of arm are those
      that express the wingless gene. Further, animals with reduced arm levels have
      phenotypes that resemble those of weak alleles of wingless. We present a
      description of the patterns of arm protein accumulation in imaginal discs.
      Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for the role of arm and
      wingless in pattern formation.

PMID- 1879349
TI  - Xwnt-8, a Xenopus Wnt-1/int-1-related gene responsive to mesoderm-inducing growth
      factors, may play a role in ventral mesodermal patterning during embryogenesis.
AB  - In amphibian embryos, formation of the basic body plan depends on positional
      differences in the mesoderm. Although peptide growth factors involved in mesoderm
      induction have tentatively been identified, additional signals are required to
      generate pattern in this tissue. We have isolated a Xenopus cDNA for a Wnt-1
      related gene, designated Xwnt-8, which is activated in response to mesoderm
      inducing growth factors. Xwnt-8 transcripts are transiently expressed, being most
      abundant during gastrulation at which time expression is confined primarily to
      ventral mesodermal cells. Embryos dorsoanteriorized by exposure to lithium
      exhibit greatly reduced levels of Xwnt-8 mRNA, supporting a correlation between
      Xwnt-8 expression and a ventral mesodermal cell fate. Surprisingly, ectopic
      expression of Xwnt-8 in embryos causes a dorsoanterior-enhanced phenotype. These
      findings suggest that Xwnt-8 may be a secondary signalling agent which is
      produced in response to mesoderm-inducing factors and is involved in the early
      steps of mesodermal patterning.

PMID- 1879350
TI  - Proliferation and differentiation potential of rat forebrain oligodendroglial
      progenitors both in vitro and in vivo.
AB  - We have followed the development of the O-2A progenitor cell from the neonatal
      rat forebrain, both in dissociated cell culture and in cryostat sections, using
      immunocytochemical techniques employing a panel of antibodies that recognise the
      cells at different stages of their development. This included the monoclonal
      antibody LB1, which binds to the surface ganglioside GD3 expressed on O-2A
      progenitor cells. In secondary cultures enriched for O-2A progenitors maintained
      in a serum-free chemically defined medium, a large proportion of the cells are
      primed to differentiate into oligodendroglia and go on to express the
      oligodendroglial specific surface glycolipid galactocerebroside (GC) and then the
      myelin proteins CNP and MBP. However, a significant proportion of immature
      bipolar GD3+ cells remained after 6 days in secondary culture. It appears that
      not all the O-2A progenitors in our cultures differentiate immediately and some
      cells remain in an undifferentiated state and divide to replenish progenitor
      numbers. We have also identified in our cultures a small apolar GD3- cell, which
      when isolated differentiated into a GD3+ bipolar O-2A progenitor cell. We have
      termed this cell type a preprogenitor. The differentiation of this cell type into
      O-2A progenitors may be the source of the immature GD3+ cells present at the
      later stages of our secondary cultures. The proliferative profile of the cultures
      was studied using 5'bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation as an index of
      mitosis. Only the immature, bipolar O-2A progenitors were seen to divide at any
      time in serum-free culture. Neither the more mature multipolar O-2A cells nor the
      oligodendroglia were seen to divide. The developmental profile of the O-2A cells
      in the rat forebrain in vivo showed a largely similar progression to that in
      culture, with a time lag of at least 6 days between GD3 expression and the onset
      of myelination. BrdU incorporation studies in vivo also showed that the GD3+
      progenitor cell is mitotic whereas the GC(+)-expressing oligodendroglia is not.
      We have shown that there are several significant alterations in the timing of
      antigen expression in both O-2A progenitors and oligodendroglia in vitro compared
      to that seen in vivo.

PMID- 1879351
TI  - Complex regulation of TGF beta expression by retinoic acid in the vitamin A
      deficient rat.
AB  - We report the results of a histochemical study, using polyclonal antipeptide
      antibodies to the different TGF beta isoforms, which demonstrates that retinoic
      acid regulates the expression of TGF beta 2 in the vitamin A-deficient rat. Basal
      expression of TGF beta 2 diminished under conditions of vitamin A deficiency.
      Treatment with retinoic acid caused a rapid and transient induction of TGF beta 2
      and TGF beta 3 in the epidermis, tracheobronchial and alveolar epithelium, and
      intestinal mucosa. Induction of TGF beta 1 expression was also observed in the
      epidermis. In contrast to these epithelia, expression of the three TGF beta
      isoforms increased in vaginal epithelium during vitamin A deficiency, and
      decreased following systemic administration of retinoic acid. Our results show
      for the first time the widespread regulation of TGF beta expression by retinoic
      acid in vivo, and suggest a possible mechanism by which retinoics regulate the
      functions of both normal and pre-neoplastic epithelia.

PMID- 1879352
TI  - The emergence of sense organs in the wing disc of Drosophila.
AB  - We have examined the origin of a set of precisely located sense organs in the
      notum and wing of Drosophila, in transformant flies where lacZ is expressed in
      the progenitor cells of the sense organs (the sensory mother cells) and in their
      progeny. Here we describe the temporal pattern of appearance and divisions of the
      sensory mother cells that will form the eleven macrochaetes and the two trichoid
      sensilla of the notum, and five campaniform sensilla on the wing blade. The
      complete pattern of sensory mother cells develops in a strict sequence that
      extends over most of the third larval instar and the first 10 h after puparium
      formation. The delay between the onset of lacZ expression and the first
      differentiative division ranges from 30 h, in the case of the earliest mother
      cells, to 2 h for the latest mother cells. The first division shows a
      preferential orientation which is also specific for each sensory mother cell. Up
      to this stage, there is no marked difference between the three types of
      mechanosensory organs.

PMID- 1879353
TI  - Timing of paternal Pgk-1 expression in embryos of transgenic mice.
AB  - In mouse development, the paternal allele of the X-linked gene Pgk-1 initiates
      expression on day 6, two days later than the maternal allele, which is activated
      on day 4. The different timing of expression of the maternal and paternal alleles
      may be determined by (i) imprinting of the chromosome region in which the gene
      resides, but not aimed specifically at the Pgk-1 gene; (ii) gene specific
      imprinting, acting on Pgk-1 irrespective of the chromosomal localization of the
      gene; (iii) an interplay between embryo cell differentiation, timing of X
      inactivation and Pgk-1 expression, without the involvement of imprinting at the
      Pgk-1 locus itself (Fundele R., Illmensee, K., Jagerbauer, E. M., Fehlau, M. and
      Krietsch, W. K. (1987) Differentiation 35, 31-36). Our findings in transgenic
      mouse lines, carrying Pgk-1 on autosomes, indicate the importance of the X
      chromosomal location for the delayed expression of the paternal Pgk-1 allele, and
      are in agreement with the first of the explanations listed above. We propose that
      the late activation of the paternal Pgk-1 locus is a consequence of imprinting
      targeted at, and centered around, the X chromosome controlling element.

PMID- 1879354
TI  - Mis-regulating segmentation gene expression in Drosophila.
AB  - We have used the hunchback (hb) gap-gene promoter to drive ectopic expression of
      the pair-rule genes fushi tarazu (ftz), even-skipped (eve) and hairy (h).
      Unexpectedly, flies transformed with such constructs are viable, despite spatial
      and temporal mis-regulation of pair-rule expression caused by the fusion genes.
      We show that fusion gene expression is transcriptionally regulated, such that
      ectopic expression is suppressed when pattern is established, and present
      evidence indicating that interstripe hb-ftz expression is repressed by eve. These
      results are considered in terms of redundant control of pair-rule gene striping.
      We also discuss the potential dangers of using mis-regulated gene expression to
      analyse normal function.

PMID- 1879355
TI  - Survival of XO mouse fetuses: effect of parental origin of the X chromosome or
      uterine environment?
AB  - Using a recombinant product from the structurally abnormal Y chromosome, Y*,
      female mice with a single X of either maternal or paternal origin were generated.
      The two types of females were produced on the same genetic background and differ
      only in the origin of the X chromosome. Hence it has been possible to assess the
      effect of parental origin of the X on survival of females with a single X
      chromosome. A highly significant prenatal loss of females with a single X of
      paternal origin, but no comparable loss of females with a single X of maternal
      origin was observed. The reduced viability of females with a paternally derived X
      could be mediated by the parental origin of the X (i.e. X chromosome imprinting)
      or alternatively, since the mothers of females with a single paternally derived X
      have only a single X chromosome, the effect could be mediated by the genotype of
      the mother (i.e. maternal uterine effect).

PMID- 1879356
TI  - Deep cytoplasmic rearrangements during early development in Xenopus laevis.
AB  - The egg of the frog Xenopus is cylindrically symmetrical about its animal-vegetal
      axis before fertilization. Midway through the first cell cycle, the yolky
      subcortical cytoplasm rotates 30 degrees relative to the cortex and plasma
      membrane, usually toward the side of the sperm entry point. Dorsal embryonic
      structures always develop on the side away from which the cytoplasm moves.
      Details of the deep cytoplasmic movements associated with the cortical rotation
      were studied in eggs vitally stained during oogenesis with a yolk platelet
      specific fluorescent dye. During the first cell cycle, eggs labelled in this way
      develop a complicated swirl of cytoplasm in the animal hemisphere. This pattern
      is most prominent on the side away from which the vegetal yolk moves, and thus
      correlates in position with the prospective dorsal side of the embryo. Although
      the pattern is initially most evident near the egg's equator or marginal zone,
      extensive rearrangements associated with cleavage furrowing (cytoplasmic
      ingression) relocate portions of the swirl to vegetal blastomeres on the
      prospective dorsal side.

PMID- 1879357
TI  - Vital dye labelling demonstrates a sacral neural crest contribution to the
      enteric nervous system of chick and mouse embryos.
AB  - We have used the vital dye, DiI, to analyze the contribution of sacral neural
      crest cells to the enteric nervous system in chick and mouse embryos. In order to
      label premigratory sacral neural crest cells selectively, DiI was injected into
      the lumen of the neural tube at the level of the hindlimb. In chick embryos, DiI
      injections made prior to stage 19 resulted in labelled cells in the gut, which
      had emerged from the neural tube adjacent to somites 29-37. In mouse embryos,
      neural crest cells emigrated from the sacral neural tube between E9 and E9.5. In
      both chick and mouse embryos, DiI-labelled cells were observed in the rostral
      half of the somitic sclerotome, around the dorsal aorta, in the mesentery
      surrounding the gut, as well as within the epithelium of the gut. Mouse embryos,
      however, contained consistently fewer labelled cells than chick embryos. DiI
      labelled cells first were observed in the rostral and dorsal portion of the gut.
      Paralleling the maturation of the embryo, there was a rostral-to-caudal sequence
      in which neural crest cells populated the gut at the sacral level. In addition,
      neural crest cells appeared within the gut in a dorsal-to-ventral sequence,
      suggesting that the cells entered the gut dorsally and moved progressively
      ventrally. The present results resolve a long-standing discrepancy in the
      literature by demonstrating that sacral neural crest cells in both the chick and
      mouse contribute to the enteric nervous system in the postumbilical gut.

PMID- 1879358
TI  - Origins and patterning of avian outflow tract endocardium.
AB  - Outflow tract endocardium links the atrioventricular lining, which develops from
      cardiogenic plate mesoderm, with aortic arches, whose lining forms collectively
      from splanchnopleuric endothelial channels, local endothelial vesicles, and
      invasive angioblasts. At two discrete sites, outflow tract endocardial cells
      participate in morphogenetic events not within the repertoire of neighboring
      endocardium: they form mesenchymal precursors of endocardial cushions. The
      objectives of this research were to document the history of outflow tract
      endocardium in the avian embryo immediately prior to development of the heart,
      and to ascertain which, if any, aspects of this history are necessary to acquire
      cushion-forming potential. Paraxial and lateral mesodermal tissues from between
      somitomere 3 (midbrain level) and somite 5 were grafted from quail into chick
      embryos at 3-10 somite stages and, after 2-5 days incubation, survivors were
      fixed and sectioned. Tissues were stained with the Feulgen reaction to visualize
      the quail nuclear marker or with antibodies (monoclonal QH1 or polyclonals) that
      recognize quail but not chick cells. Many quail endothelial cells lose the
      characteristic nuclear heterochromatin marker, but they retain the species
      specific epitope recognized by these antibodies. Precursors of outflow tract but
      not atrioventricular endocardium are present in cephalic paraxial and lateral
      mesoderm, with their greatest concentration at the level of the otic placode.
      Furthermore, the ventral movement of individual angiogenic cells is a normal
      antecedent to outflow tract formation. Cardiac myocytes were never derived from
      grafted head mesoderm. Thus, unlike the atrioventricular regions of the heart,
      outflow tract endocardial and myocardial precursors do not share a congruent
      embryonic history. The results of heterotopic transplantation, in which trunk
      paraxial or lateral mesoderm was grafted into the head, were identical, including
      the formation of cushion mesenchyme. This means that cushion positioning and
      inductive influences must operate locally within the developing heart tubes.

PMID- 1879359
TI  - The restricted spatial and temporal expression of a nervous-system-specific
      antigen involved in axon outgrowth during development of the grasshopper.
AB  - To identify molecules important for pathfinding by growing axons, monoclonal
      antibodies (mAb) have been generated against embryonic grasshopper tissue. One
      mAb, 2B2, shows labeling exclusively in the nervous system. It recognizes a
      surface epitope on neuronal growth cones, filopodia and axons in the central
      nervous system (CNS). Initially, the antigen is expressed on all processes of the
      CNS; after 70% of embryonic development, localization of the 2B2 mAb is
      restricted to a small subset of axon tracts within the ganglia.
      Immunoprecipitation from embryonic membrane extracts with the 2B2 mAb reveals a
      unique band of 160 x 10(3) Mr. Functional studies with the 2B2 mAb demonstrate
      that the antigen is important in growth cone-axon interactions during process
      outgrowth. Growth cones that extend along axonal substrata are either blocked in
      growth or grow along an aberrant pathway when embryos are cultured in the
      presence of the 2B2 mAb. However, pioneer neurons that extend processes on non
      neuronal substrata grow normally.

PMID- 1879360
TI  - Retarded nuclear migration in Drosophila embryos with aberrant F-actin
      reorganization caused by maternal mutations and by cytochalasin treatment.
AB  - Three X-linked mutations of Drosophila melanogaster, gs(1)N26, gs(1)N441 and
      paralog, had a common maternal-effect phenotype. Mutant embryos show reduced egg
      contraction that normally occurs at an early cleavage stage in wild-type embryos.
      In addition, the mutants exhibited retarded nuclear migration while synchronous
      nuclear divisions were unaffected. The retarded migration causes nuclei to remain
      in the anterior part of the embryo retaining their spherical distribution even in
      a late cleavage stage. This consequently results in an extreme delay in nuclear
      arrival in the posterior periplasm. A mutant phenocopy was induced in wild-type
      embryos that were treated with cytochalasin B or D at a very early cleavage
      stage. Remarkable differences were noticed in the organization of cortical F
      actin between the mutants and the wild type throughout the cleavage stage:
      obvious F-actin aggregates were dispersed in the cortex of mutant embryos, in
      contrast to the wild type where the cortical F-actin layer was smooth and
      underlying F-actin aggregates were smaller than those in the mutants; the
      transition of the distribution pattern of F-actin in the yolk mass, from the
      centralized to the fragmented type, occurred later in the mutants than in wild
      type. The results suggest that these mutations affect the mechanism underlying
      establishment and transition of F-actin organization required for normal egg
      contraction and nuclear migration in the cleavage embryos.

PMID- 1879361
TI  - Control of cell fate in the tail region of C. elegans by the gene egl-5.
AB  - The tail region of C. elegans contains a number of blast cell and neuron types
      that either are found only in the tail, or are different from more anterior
      homologues. In egl-5 mutants, the fates of many of these tail cells are abnormal
      or transformed to those of anterior homologues. The affected cells are related
      only by position and not by ancestry. egl-5 is also required for normal
      development of the somatic gonad and sex muscles in males. The function of egl-5
      in all these tissues is cell autonomous. By genetic mapping, egl-5 lies very
      close to mab-5, a gene with an analogous role in the immediately anterior body
      region. egl-5 and mab-5 may constitute a 'mini-cluster' of regional determination
      genes, similar to those described in other animal phyla.

PMID- 1879362
TI  - The expression of NG2 proteoglycan in the developing rat limb.
AB  - NG2 is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan previously found to be expressed by
      glial progenitor cells of the O2A lineage. We have examined the expression of NG2
      in the developing rat limb by immunohistochemistry and northern blot analysis.
      Staining of embryonic day 14 (E14) rat limb bud sections with polyclonal and
      monoclonal anti-NG2 antibodies reveals reactivity in the precartilaginous
      mesenchymal condensation. The staining intensity increases with the
      differentiation of chondrocytes until E16. NG2 staining is not detected in the
      mature hypertrophic chondrocytes of E17 and postnatal day 3 (P3) limbs even after
      treatment of the sections with hyaluronidase or collagenase. Immuno
      precipitations with anti-NG2 antibody using 125I-labeled limb cells in culture
      showed a 400 to 800 x 10(3) Mr proteoglycan species with a core protein size of
      300 x 10(3) Mr, comparable to NG2 from O2A cells and neural cell lines. Northern
      blot analysis reveals the expression of an 8.9 kb mRNA in E16 limbs and at a
      lower level in P1 cartilage. The northern blot analyses also show that NG2 is
      distinct from the large aggregating proteoglycan of the cartilage. Our results
      indicate that in the developing limb cartilage, as in the differentiating
      oligodendrocytes, NG2 is present on immature cells in the process of
      differentiating, but its expression is downregulated as terminal differentiation
      of chondrocytes takes place.

PMID- 1879363
TI  - Expression of the mouse alpha 1(II) collagen gene is not restricted to cartilage
      during development.
AB  - The mouse alpha 1(II) collagen gene has been isolated and a 5' portion of the
      gene which has low homology to other collagen genes was used to study the pattern
      of expression during mouse embryogenesis. In situ hybridization studies show that
      in the mouse, like the chick, alpha 1(II) collagen is expressed in chondrogenic
      tissues in advance of chondrocyte differentiation. The gene is expressed early in
      embryogenesis at 9.5 days both in the cranial mesenchyme destined for the
      chondrocranium, and the sclerotome of the somites, and at 12.5 days in the
      primordia of the hyoid and the laryngeal cartilage. Type II collagen gene
      transcripts were found in all the chondrogenic tissues of the axial and
      appendicular skeleton until the onset of endochondral ossification. Expression of
      alpha 1(II) collagen mRNA was also observed in non-chondrogenic tissues such as
      the notochord which may be responsible for inducing chondrogenesis in somitic
      mesoderm, neural retina, the corneal and conjunctival epithelia and sclera of the
      developing eye. Expression in the tail tendon was late, at 16.5-18.5 days.
      Transient expression was also found in the heart at 9.5-12.5 days, the epidermis
      at 10.5-14.5 days, the calvarial mesenchyme at 12.5-16.5 days, the inner ear at
      14.5 days and the fetal brain from 9.5-14.5 days. Within the neural tube, alpha
      1(II) collagen mRNA was localized in the proliferative ventricular cells of the
      forebrain and midbrain of 9.5- to 10.5-day embryos. Subsequently, transcription
      of the alpha 1(II) collagen gene was confined to restricted areas of the
      rhombencephalic basal plate, the ventricular layer of the hindbrain and the
      cervical spinal cord. These examples of expression of the type II collagen gene
      in the developing nervous system seem to suggest that active transcription of
      this gene might be associated with early stages of neuroblast differentiation.
      Type II collagen may therefore have additional roles in development unrelated to
      chondrogenesis.

PMID- 1879364
TI  - The transient expression of type II collagen at tissue interfaces during
      mammalian craniofacial development.
AB  - Using immunocytochemical techniques, the spatiotemporal distribution of the major
      collagen isoform of cartilage, type II collagen, has been investigated during
      early craniofacial development in the mouse embryo. Early and transient
      expression was associated with the otic and optic vesicles, the ventrolateral
      surfaces of the developing brain, olfactory conchi, endocardial and mesocardial
      tissues, the lateral and basal surfaces of the pharyngeal endoderm and beneath
      the ectoderm of the branchial arches. A number of these locations are sites of
      epithelial-mesenchymal tissue interaction believed to generate the component
      parts of the chondrocranium; here, type II collagen appears transiently in
      advance of overt chondrogenesis in the mesenchyme. At such sites,
      immunofluorescence is typically localised along the basal surface of the
      epithelial partner, with the strongest reaction detected between the basal
      aspects of the otic and rhombencephalic epithelia. Immunoelectron microscopy,
      using pre-embedding immunostaining and a protein G-gold technique, reveals that
      the type II collagen is adjacent to, but not integral with, the basal laminae.
      Gold particles are clearly associated with 10-15 nm fibrils of the extracellular
      matrix in the reticulate lamina region. The pattern of type II collagen
      expression in the mouse closely correlates with that demonstrated previously in
      the quail, indicating a high degree of phylogenetic conservation between these
      two vertebrate species. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that
      the pattern of epithelial secretion of type II collagen, or a coexpressed matrix
      molecule, constitutes a morphogenetic signal, realised as a matrix-mediated
      tissue interaction, and specifying the form of the vertebrate chondrocranium.
      Three-dimensional reconstruction of early type II collagen distribution, and of
      the subsequent chondrocranial cartilages, reveals that chondrocranial form can be
      derived from a 'pre-pattern' of epithelially derived type II collagen expressed
      at epithelial-mesenchymal tissue interfaces.

PMID- 1879365
TI  - A novel retrovirally induced embryonic lethal mutation in the mouse: assessment
      of the developmental fate of embryonic stem cells homozygous for the 413.d
      proviral integration.
AB  - A genetic screen of transgenic mouse strains, carrying multiple copies of an MPSV
      neo retroviral vector, has led to the identification of a recessive embryonic
      lethal mutation, termed 413.d. This mutation is associated with a single proviral
      insertion and when homozygous, results in the failure of the early
      postimplantation embryo at the gastrulation stage of development. Embryonic stem
      cell lines (ES cells) were derived from 413.d intercross embryos. Genotyping,
      with respect to the 413.d integration site, identified wild-type, heterozygous
      and homozygous ES cell lines. The differentiation abilities and developmental
      potential of the ES cell lines were assessed using a number of in vitro and in
      vivo assays. Results indicate that the ES cell lines, regardless of genotype, are
      pluripotent and can give rise to tissue and cell types derived from all three
      germ layers. Furthermore, analysis of midgestation conceptuses (10.5 p.c.) and
      adult chimeras generated by injecting mutant ES cells into host blastocysts,
      provides strong evidence that the mutant cells can contribute to all
      extraembryonic tissues and somatic tissues, as well as to functional germ cells.
      These results indicate that the homozygous mutant cells can be effectively
      'rescued' by the presence of wild-type cells in a carrier embryo.

PMID- 1879367
TI  - Positional cues governing cell migration in leech neurogenesis.
AB  - The stereotyped distribution of identified neurons and glial cells in the leech
      nervous system is the product of stereotyped cell migrations and rearrangements
      during embryogenesis. To examine the dependence of long-distance cell migrations
      on positional cues provided by other tissues, embryos of Theromyzon rude were
      examined for the effects of selective ablation of various embryonic cell lines on
      the migration and final distribution of neural and glial precursor cells
      descended from the bilaterally paired ectodermal cell lines designated q
      bandlets. The results suggest that neither the commitment of q-bandlet cells to
      migrate nor the general lateral-to-medial direction of their migration depend on
      interactions with any other cell line. However, the ability of the migrating
      cells to follow their normal pathways and to find their normal destinations does
      depend on interactions with cells of the mesodermal cell line, which appears to
      provide positional cues that specify the migration pathways.

PMID- 1879368
TI  - Schmidt syndrome due to idiopathic accessory nerve paralysis.
AB  - A patient with Schmidt syndrome due to idiopathic accessory neuropathy has had
      paralysis of soft palate and larynx as well as trapezius and sternocleidomastoid
      muscles, reflecting involvement of cranial and spinal roots, respectively. In
      addition to vocal cord paralysis on the laryngoscopy, videofluoroscopy confirmed
      diminished mobility of the soft palate. Electrodiagnosis showed accessory
      neuropathy at the proximal segment. Furthermore, the accessory nerve innervated
      not only upper but also middle and lower portions of the trapezius muscles.

PMID- 1879366
TI  - The snail gene required for mesoderm formation in Drosophila is expressed
      dynamically in derivatives of all three germ layers.
AB  - The zygotic effect gene snail (sna) encodes a zinc-finger protein required for
      mesoderm formation in Drosophila embryos. By in situ analysis, sna transcripts
      are first detected at syncytial blastoderm and persist until very late stages of
      embryogenesis. Expression of sna is transient and is observed in tissues derived
      from all three germ layers. Prior to germband elongation, sna RNA accumulation is
      consistent with its genetically determined role in mesoderm formation. Starting
      at germband elongation, a second phase of sna expression appears to be initiated,
      characterized by a highly dynamic accumulation of transcripts in the developing
      central and peripheral nervous systems. Translation of sna RNA is apparently
      delayed as the sna protein is not detected before the onset of gastrulation. Its
      regional distribution generally correlates with that of sna transcripts. The
      complex pattern of sna expression strongly suggests that the function of the gene
      is not restricted to mesoderm formation.

PMID- 1879369
TI  - Biocybernetic investigations of pursuit and posture motor control--a strategy for
      a detailed characterization of movement disorders in brain-damaged children.
AB  - By means of a biocybernetic approach the pursuit and posture motor control of
      brain-damaged children with spastic hemiparesis and disturbed motor coordination
      of mild extent were investigated. The postural motor control system was loaded by
      pseudostochastic binary torque sequences applied to the wrist. The dynamics of
      this system were characterized on the basis of the parameters forearm
      displacement as well as surface-EMG of M. Biceps and Triceps (calculations of
      weight functions). The pursuit motor control was analyzed by a pursuit tracking
      method. By this way the motor capacity for fine and rough motor coordination,
      motor rhythm, motor adaptation, the maximal speed of movements and motor reaction
      time could be tested. Considering these results a characterization of movement
      control on different levels of motor regulation was possible (dynamics of
      muscular, spinal, and supraspinal components of motor control).

PMID- 1879370
TI  - Abnormal brainstem evoked potentials in diabetes mellitus. Evoked potential
      testings and magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and median nerve somatosensory
      evoked potentials (MN-SEPs) were measured in 53 diabetic patients. Magnetic
      resonance imaging (MRI) was performed 12 patients with abnormal BAEPs and/or MN
      SEPs in order to confirm the existence of lesions in the central nervous system.
      Twenty-six percent of the diabetic patients had abnormal BAEPs and three had a
      prolongation of the central conduction time in the MN-SEPs. MRI findings of ten
      of the 12 patients with abnormal BAEPs or MN-SEPs showed multiple small lesions
      in the pons, thalamus, and centrum semiovale etc. Two of them showed small lesion
      in the pontine basis which could induce prolonged interpeak latencies of BAEPs.
      Our MRI study might suggest that abnormal brainstem evoked potentials in diabetic
      patients were induced by diabetic macroangiopathy or microangiopathy.

PMID- 1879371
TI  - Proceedings of the fourth conference on the adrenal cortex. June 17-19, 1990,
      Atlanta, Georgia.

PMID- 1879372
TI  - Regulation of steroid hydroxylases in normal and SV40 T antigen-transfected
      bovine adrenocortical cells in long-term culture.
AB  - Over long periods of growth in culture, bovine adrenocortical cells lose the
      ability to express the steroid hydroxylase genes. For 17 alpha-hydroxylase, cells
      show a stochastic pattern of phenotypic switching from a state in which they
      express this gene in response to cyclic AMP to a state in which the gene is no
      longer inducible. Introducing SV40 T antigen into bovine adrenocortical cells
      greatly increases their replicative potential; steroid hydroxylase expression in
      these clones resembles that of the precursor cells before transfection. The other
      steroid hydroxylases (21-hydroxylase and 11 beta-hydroxylase) appear to undergo
      phenotypic switching like 17 alpha-hydroxylase. The loss of expression of these
      genes appears to be more rapid, but there are differences in the requirements of
      21-hydroxylase and 11 beta-hydroxylase versus 17 alpha-hydroxylase for induction
      by cyclic AMP; additionally, growth of cells in extracellular matrix Matrigel was
      required for expression of 21-hydroxylase and 11 beta-hydroxylase in long-term
      cultures of either normal or SV40 T antigen-transfected cells. Understanding the
      molecular basis for the phenotypic switching of steroid hydroxylases that occurs
      in bovine adrenocortical cells may elucidate mechanisms for cellular senescence
      and for maintenance of tissue-specific functions during long-term growth in
      culture.

PMID- 1879373
TI  - Synthesis of aldosterone by mitochondria and homogeneous 11 beta-hydroxylase from
      beef and pig.
AB  - It was found that homogeneous 11 beta-hydroxylase from bovine and porcine
      adrenals catalyzes the conversion of DOC to aldosterone. Mitochondria from both
      glomerulosa and fasciculata also convert DOC to aldosterone but glomerulosa is
      much more active than fasciculata. Cholate extracts of mitochondria from the two
      zones were equally active in converting DOC to aldosterone. Moreover all the
      enzyme activities of 11 beta-hydroxylase (including 18-hydroxylation and aldehyde
      synthetase) were precipitated by a polyclonal antibody raised in rabbit against
      the pure 11 beta-hydroxylase. It is concluded that in beef and pig a single
      adrenocortical 11 beta-hydroxylase is responsible for the synthesis of
      aldosterone. To determine the influence of the mitochondrial membrane from
      glomerulosa and fasciculata on the activities of 11 beta-hydroxylase we examined
      the activities of rotenone-insensitive reductase enzymes in mitochondria from the
      two zones. Semidehydroxyascorbate reductase and NADH-cytochrome C reductase
      activities are considerably more active in glomerulosa than in fasciculata
      mitochondria. Moreover ascorbate plus NADH (but not ascorbate alone) greatly
      increases the ability of malate and NADPH to support synthesis of aldosterone
      without affecting 11 beta- or 18-hydroxylations in mitochondria. It is proposed
      that maximal synthesis of aldosterone by adrenocortical mitochondria requires in
      addition to the usual electron transport system (NADPH- greater than ADR- greater
      than ADX- 11 beta-OHase) an auxilliary system in the outer mitochondrial
      membrane: NADH- greater than Fp- greater than cyt b- greater than
      semidehydroascorbate reductase.

PMID- 1879374
TI  - Molecular nature of aldosterone synthase, a member of cytochrome P-450(11 beta)
      family.
AB  - The molecular nature of the aldosterone synthesizing enzymes of cattle and rat is
      discussed. In bovine adrenal cortex, one molecular species of cytochrome P-450(11
      beta) catalyzes aldosterone synthesis as well as 11 beta-hydroxylation. The
      intactness of the mitochondrial membrane surrounding P-450(11 beta) in the zonae
      fasciculata-reticularis is essential to keep the aldosterone synthesizing
      activity of the cytochrome in these zones latent. In rat adrenal cortex, two
      distinct molecules belonging to a P-450(11 beta) family exist. One is 11 beta
      hydroxylase, and the other aldosterone synthase.

PMID- 1879375
TI  - Two forms of cytochrome P-450(11 beta) in rat zona glomerulosa cells: a short
      review.
AB  - Aldosterone, the major mineralocorticoid hormone, is produced exclusively in the
      zona glomerulosa of the mammalian adrenal cortex. In the rat species, this zonal
      specificity of aldosterone biosynthesis appears to be due mainly to the existence
      of a second form of cytochrome P-450(11 beta), which differs from the major form
      of the enzyme (molecular weight 51,000) by (1) a lower molecular weight (49,000),
      (2) a broader range of catalytic activities, which include corticosterone methyl
      oxidation 1 and 2, (3) an exclusive occurrence in the zona glomerulosa, and (4) a
      crucial dependence on sodium and potassium intake. The 49K form of the enzyme can
      be induced by potassium ions in vivo (potassium repletion of potassium-deficient
      rats) or in vitro (primary cell culture). The biosynthesis of this protein is
      controlled most likely at the level of transcription. According to indirect
      evidence, ACTH induces only the 51K form of the enzyme in vitro. Prolonged
      treatment of rats with a high dose of ACTH has a repressive effect on the 49K
      form of the enzyme.

PMID- 1879376
TI  - Succinate stimulation of isocitrate supported deoxycorticosterone metabolism in
      rat adrenal mitochondria by a synergistic mechanism.
AB  - The relative effectiveness of succinate and isocitrate in supplying NADPH for
      cholesterol and deoxycorticosterone (DOC) metabolism by rat adrenal mitochondria
      has been investigated. As previously seen for cholesterol metabolism, isocitrate
      supported DOC metabolism at a higher rate than succinate. Maximal rates of DOC
      metabolism, however, required 10 times more precursor (10mM) than cholesterol
      metabolism. Addition of DOC to mitochondria inhibited cholesterol metabolism,
      indicating competition for NADPH between these pathways. Coaddition of these
      reducing precursors resulted in a substantially greater than additive rate of DOC
      hydroxylation, but not cholesterol metabolism. The synergistic effect was seen
      with both 11 beta- and 18 hydroxylation. For both precursors, the synergism was
      maximal upon addition of only 1 mM of the second precursor. The synergistic
      effect was far more resistant to added KCN and malonate than succinate supported
      DOC metabolism, and neither inhibitor affected isocitrate supported DOC
      metabolism. These results suggest that while cytochromes P450scc and P450(11
      beta) use a common supply of NADPH generated by each precursor, there is a pool
      of NADPH that is only effectively synthesised upon coaddition of precursors and
      only utilised by cytochrome P450(11 beta). This second NADPH pool may be produced
      in response to potentiated isocitrate dehydrogenase activity or activation of a
      different NADPH generating system.

PMID- 1879377
TI  - On the solvent accessibility of substrate binding site of cytochrome P450C-21 in
      bovine adrenocortical microsomes.
AB  - The present study offers evidence indicating that acrylamide a polar molecule
      inhibits substrate-binding to P450C-21 in a competitive manner and quenches
      tryptophanyl fluorescence in bovine adrenocortical microsomes, similar to that in
      the purified lipid-free enzyme. Resolution of tryptophanyl fluorescence of the
      microsomes revealed an acrylamide quenching constant (K2 = 9.9M, is the
      association constant for the quencher-fluorophore complex) which was similar to
      the reciprocal of its inhibition constant (1/Kj = Ka = 8.3 +- 0.9M) for substrate
      binding. The substrate inhibited the fluorescence quenching by acrylamide which
      was in accordance with partial competition. In addition the substrate
      dissociation, acrylamide inhibition and fluorescence quenching constants and
      tryptophanyl fluorescence maximum (340-342nm) were essentially the same in the
      microsomes and the purified enzyme. These results suggest that, similar to that
      in the purified enzyme, a tryptophan in a polar environment in the membrane-bound
      P450, may serve as a reporter group for the substrate binding site and the site
      in the membrane-bound enzyme, is accessible to the substrate in aqueous phase.

PMID- 1879378
TI  - Transforming growth factor beta 1: an autocrine regulator of adrenocortical
      steroidogenesis.
AB  - Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) is a member of a large family of
      structurally related regulatory polypeptides which comprises both functionally
      similar (TGF beta 1, TGF beta 2, TGF beta 3, TGF beta 4 and TGF beta 5) and
      functionally distinct proteins. In the past few years, TGF beta 1 has emerged as
      a multifunctional protein. One of its remarkable properties is its capacity to
      negatively modulate the differentiated, steroidogenic adrenocortical functions.
      We present here a review of the results from our recent work related to the
      effects of TGF beta 1 on bovine adrenocortical cell (zona fasciculata
      reticularis) functions. We identified the steroid 17 alpha-hydroxylase (P-450 17
      alpha) biosynthetic enzyme and the angiotensin II receptor as major targets whose
      expression are negatively regulated by TGF beta 1 in these cells. We
      characterized TGF beta 1 receptors at the surface of adrenocortical cells (mainly
      type I and type III receptors) and observed that their number is increased under
      ACTH treatment. Furthermore, we could detect the presence of immunoreactive TGF
      beta 1 in the bovine adrenal cortex whereas it was undetectable in the adrenal
      medulla and in the capsule. We also observed that adrenocortical cells secrete
      TGF beta 1 under a latent form together with large amounts of alpha 2
      macroglobulin, a protease inhibitor known to be implied in the latency of TGF
      beta in serum. Taken together, these observations led us to a working hypothesis,
      proposing TGF beta 1 as an autocrine and/or paracrine regulator of adrenocortical
      steroidogenic functions. This concept points out the physiological activation of
      the latent TGF beta 1 complex as the important limiting step controlling its
      action in the adrenal cortex.

PMID- 1879379
TI  - Inhibition of mitochondrial cholesterol side-chain cleavage by structural analogs
      of cholesterol sulfate.
AB  - Cholesterol sulfate inhibits cholesterol side-chain cleavage in adrenal
      mitochondria. In this study, analogs of cholesterol sulfate were evaluated for
      their ability to inhibit steroidogenesis. Structural requirements for inhibitory
      activity included a planar A-B ring junction, an intact side chain, and a 3 beta
      ester group containing a single negative charge. This structural specificity
      argues against cholesterol sulfate acting solely as a membrane perturbing agent
      or a detergent, and also differs in some features from the specificity for
      binding to cytochrome P-450scc.

PMID- 1879380
TI  - Chemical synthesis, initial conformational studies, and activity of rat
      steroidogenesis activator peptide and a truncated analog.
AB  - A 30-residue peptide corresponding to the amino acid sequence of steroidogenesis
      activator peptide (SAP) from rat Leydig tumor cells has been synthesized by the
      solid-phase method using Boc protection. SAP is the putative cycloheximide
      sensitive, cAMP-regulated mediator of ACTH-stimulated conversion of cholesterol
      to pregnenolone in adrenal cortex. N alpha-acetyl-SAP(11-30), an NH2-terminally
      truncated steroidogenesis activator peptide analog that is missing the most
      hydrophobic portion of SAP, was also prepared. In addition to these two peptides,
      N alpha-acetyl-(Cys0)SAP was synthesized in both non-radiolabeled and tritiated
      forms for coupling to carrier proteins for use as an immunogen to raise anti-SAP
      antibodies. Chain elongation during synthesis of SAP on PAM resin proceeded with
      an average coupling yield of 99.3% as determined by quantitative ninhydrin tests.
      After HF cleavage at -7 degrees, the crude products were purified by semi
      preparative HPLC. Peptides were analyzed by analytical HPLC, amino acid analysis,
      tryptic peptide mapping, and by UV and CD spectroscopy. As determined by CD
      spectra, SAP showed little evidence of preferred structure either in aqueous
      solution in the presence of divalent cations or in micelles of reduced Triton X
      100 in the absence or presence of either cholesterol or phosphatidylcholine. SAP,
      in conjunction with GTP, enhanced side chain cleavage activity in isolated
      adrenal mitochondria.

PMID- 1879381
TI  - Salt sensitive human hypertension.
AB  - Heterogeneity exists among humans in the responses of blood pressure to
      alterations in sodium and extracellular fluid volume status. A variety of
      approaches have been utilized to characterize sodium responsivity of blood
      pressure including rapid volume expansion and contraction and dietary sodium
      manipulation. Studies conducted in our laboratories over the past 15 years have
      enabled us to examine salt sensitivity of blood pressure in different ways and to
      characterize this phenomenon as well as to define neurohumoral, demographic and
      genetic factors associated with it in normotensive and hypertensive humans.

PMID- 1879382
TI  - Clinical, biochemical and molecular aspects of 17-hydroxylase deficiency.

PMID- 1879384
TI  - Intestinal absorption and losses of copper measured using 65Cu in zinc-deprived
      men.
AB  - The absorption and intestinal losses of endogenous Cu in response to a low Zn
      diet were studied in five young male subjects using stable 65Cu as an oral
      tracer. The subjects received a semi-purified formula diet providing 85 mumol
      (5.6 mg) Zn/d during 15-day baseline and repletion phases and 12 mumol (0.8 mg)
      Zn/d during an intervening period of 25 days. Thirty-eight mumol (2.4 mg) Cu/d
      was provided throughout the study. In four of the subjects, the mean +/- SEM
      luminal disappearance of 65Cu was 37 +/- 4 per cent during the baseline phase and
      was unaffected by Zn deprivation (32 +/- 7 per cent) or repletion (30 +/- 7 per
      cent) as were intestinal losses of endogenous Cu [7 +/- 4, 8 +/- 3, 8 +/- 3
      mumol/d (0.4 +/- 0.1, 0.5 +/- 0.1, 0.5 +/- 0.1 mg/d) during baseline, Zn
      deprivation and Zn repletion phases, respectively]. In a fifth subject, who had
      some evidence of a resolving alcohol-induced hepatitis, the luminal disappearance
      of 65Cu was 31, 44 and 42 per cent and the intestinal losses of endogenous Cu 11,
      2 and 6 mumol/d (0.7, 0.1 and 0.4 mg/d) during the baseline, Zn deprivation and
      Zn repletion phases respectively. Plasma Cu concentrations, however, fell
      throughout the study in all the subjects, despite consistently positive Cu
      balances. There may be subtle effects of a low dietary intake of Zn on Cu
      metabolism which were not revealed by the methods used in this study.

PMID- 1879383
TI  - Defects in cortisol metabolism causing low-renin hypertension.
AB  - Deficiency of steroid 11 beta-hydroxylase, which is a mitochondrial cytochrome
      P450 required for cortisol and aldosterone synthesis, causes hypertension as well
      as virilization. In addition, abnormal regulation of this enzyme or a closely
      related isozyme may be involved in an autosomal dominant form of inherited
      hypertension, dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism. An enzyme that
      catalyzes the interconversion of cortisol and cortisone, 11 beta-hydroxysteroid
      dehydrogenase, may be defective in an autosomal recessive form of hypertension
      termed apparent mineralocorticoid excess. The molecular bases of these forms of
      hypertension will be elucidated by identifying mutations in the 11 beta
      hydroxylase and 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase genes and expressing normal
      and mutagenized enzymes in cultured cells.

PMID- 1879385
TI  - Iron status in non-pregnant women of child-bearing age living at Greater Buenos
      Aires.
AB  - This survey was conducted in Greater Buenos Aires to assess the iron nutritional
      status of non-pregnant women of child-bearing age. One hundred and eighty-four
      subjects aged 16-44 years were studied. The prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin
      concentration less than 120 g/l) was 25.8 per cent. According to the multiple
      criteria approach, 21.6 per cent of women presented two or three abnormal values
      of iron status indicators (free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum ferritin and/or
      mean corpuscular volume). Prevalences of anaemia were 19.2 per cent, 51.8 per
      cent and 100 per cent in women with 0-1, 2 or 3 indicators in the abnormal range,
      respectively. The haemoglobin shift analysis showed a prevalence of anaemia of
      19.5 per cent. Frequency distribution of iron stores was calculated as described
      by Cook & Finch, with slight modifications; median value of iron stores was
      estimated at 180 mg iron. Depletion of iron stores was significantly associated
      with the socio-economic status, prevalences being 5.3 per cent, 34.2 per cent and
      43.2 per cent for the high, middle and low socioeconomic groups, respectively.

PMID- 1879386
TI  - Is colonic fermentation minimized by increasing meal frequency?
AB  - It has been suggested that, although increasing meal frequency has metabolic
      advantages in terms of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, the efficiency of small
      intestinal absorption may be enhanced, thus reducing the extent of colonic
      fermentation. Since this may be undesirable, we have tested whether increasing
      meal frequency reduces the amount of carbohydrate fermented into the colon.
      Accordingly, seven healthy male volunteers took, in random order, two identical 2
      week metabolic diets divided into either seventeen or three meals daily. On day
      13 of each period measurements were made throughout the day of breath H2 and
      serum acetate, as markers of colonic fermentation. Mean levels of both breath H2
      and acetate were similar on both diets, being lower on nibbling by 3.2 +/- 0.8
      ppm and 25 +/- 9 mumols/l respectively (not significant). This study failed to
      demonstrate an effect of more efficient carbohydrate absorption with increased
      meal frequency.

PMID- 1879387
TI  - High blood pressure and marital discord: not being nasty matters more than being
      nice.
AB  - Theories linking anger and blood pressure (BP) reactivity to cardiovascular
      disease must be able to identify naturally occurring stressors that arouse
      emotion with sufficient frequency to cause chronic physiologic stress. We examine
      the impact of normal family arguments on 43 patients (24 women, 19 men) with
      essential hypertension. Patients and their partners discussed a threatening
      disagreement for 10 min while BP and conversation were recorded. Discussing
      problems increased BP, but the causal pathways differed by sex. In women, hostile
      interaction and marital dissatisfaction were associated with increased BP;
      "supportive" or "neutral" exchanges were unrelated to BP. In men, BP fluctuations
      were related only to the patient's speech rate. These findings are consistent
      with other research on sex differences in communication and social problem
      solving styles and implicate different mechanisms (frequent anger, active coping)
      through which marital discord could increase risk. Implications for intervention
      are considered.

PMID- 1879388
TI  - Mediating mechanisms in a school-based drug prevention program: first-year
      effects of the Midwestern Prevention Project.
AB  - Describes (a) the effects of a social-influences-based drug prevention program
      (the Midwestern Prevention Project) on the mediating variables it was designed to
      change and (b) the process by which the effects on mediating variables changed
      use of drugs (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana). Students in 42 middle schools and
      junior high schools in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, were
      measured in the fall of 1984 (N = 5,065) and again 1 year later (N = 5,008) after
      24 of the schools had been through the program. Compared to students in control
      schools, students in program schools became less likely to express belief in the
      positive consequences of drug use, less likely to indicate that they would use
      such drugs in the future, more likely to report that their friends were less
      tolerant of drug use, and more likely to believe that they were better able to
      communicate with their friends about drug or school problems. Change in
      perceptions of friends' tolerance of drug use was the most substantial mediator
      of program effects on drug use. There was evidence that intentions to use and
      beliefs about the positive consequences of use may also mediate program effects
      on drug use.

PMID- 1879389
TI  - Effects of reviewing risk-relevant behavior on perceived vulnerability among
      women marines.
AB  - People generally underestimate their own vulnerability to negative events such as
      illness or accidents. It has been suggested that this illusion of "unique
      invulnerability" is due to selective focus on one's own risk-reducing behaviors,
      to the exclusion of others' risk-reducing behaviors and one's own risk-increasing
      behaviors. The current study examined the effects of reviewing sexual and
      contraceptive behavior on perceived vulnerability to unplanned pregnancy. Our
      results indicated that review of pregnancy-related behaviors decreased perceived
      vulnerability among two groups of subjects: those who considered unplanned
      pregnancy to be most undesirable and those who had the most confidence in the
      efficacy of their contraceptive behavior. The data also support the hypothesis
      that selective focus is a source of the illusion of invulnerability.

PMID- 1879390
TI  - Daily moods and symptoms: effects of awareness of study focus, gender, menstrual
      cycle phase, and day of the week.
AB  - Evaluated changes in daily ratings of moods and symptoms in 30 normally cycling
      women and 23 men. Women were randomly assigned to two groups for manipulating
      awareness of the study focus (aware vs. unaware). Principal-components analysis
      revealed six factors (Dysphoric Moods, Well-being, Physical Symptoms, Personal
      Space, Food Cravings, Depression) that accounted for 70% of the variance in daily
      ratings. Repeated-measures analyses revealed cyclic variation on each factor and
      no significant differences between aware and unaware women during premenstrual or
      menstrual phases on any measure. Unaware women reported less well-being than men
      during the premenstrual phase but did not differ on any other measure. Aware
      women did not differ from men in premenstrual or menstrual ratings on any
      measure. The way these findings relate to retrospective symptom reports,
      menstrual attitudes, and changes in moods and symptoms across the week was
      examined.

PMID- 1879392
TI  - Assessing daily management of childhood diabetes using 24-hour recall interviews:
      reliability and stability.
AB  - Conducted 24-hr recall interviews concerning daily diabetes management with
      seventy-eight 6- to 19-year-old patients and their parents. Patients and parents
      were interviewed independently nine times over 3 months. Data obtained were used
      to construct 13 adherence measures. All measures yielded statistically
      significant estimates of parent-child concordance. Parent-child agreement was
      higher for weekday versus weekend behaviors and when based on nine versus three
      interviews. For the sample as a whole, parent-child concordance remained stable
      over the course of the study. Compared to the older patients, the 6- to 9-year
      olds exhibited poorer parent-child agreement on measures involving time (e.g.,
      injection and exercise-duration measures). This deficit disappeared, however, as
      the children became more practiced with the interview procedure. The dietary and
      glucose-testing measures exhibited moderate stability over the 3-month study.
      Lower stability estimates were obtained for the exercise and injection measures.

PMID- 1879391
TI  - Changes in condom use among homosexual men in San Francisco.
AB  - Employed data from two longitudinal surveys of gay men in San Francisco (a) to
      examine for cohort (Study 1) and attrition (Studies 1 and 2) bias effects on
      reported changes in condom use by gay men and (b) to investigate predictors of
      condom use (Study 2). Substantial increases in condom use were observed, and
      these changes were unrelated to attrition and cohort bias. In terms of predictors
      of condom use, men who always used condoms had higher levels of social support
      from informal sources of help, had more positive expectations that condoms would
      have positive interpersonal and personal consequences, and were more likely to be
      HIV positive than men who used condoms occasionally or never. The results are
      discussed in terms of their implications for HIV-prevention research.

PMID- 1879393
TI  - Fluid noncompliance and symptomatology in end-stage renal disease: cognitive and
      emotional variables.
AB  - Fluid noncompliance in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a
      widespread problem with severe consequences for health. In addition, ESRD
      patients report considerable stress in relation to their illness and dialysis
      treatment. The present study examined the role of cognitive and emotional
      variables in fluid noncompliance, symptomatology, and stress. Fifty hemodialysis
      patients were assessed (a) on the cognitive variables of locus of control, self
      evaluations of their past compliance, and self-efficacy to resist fluid intake
      and (b) on the emotional variables of depression, anger, and anxiety. Results
      showed that cognitive variables accounted for fluid noncompliance and predicted
      future adherence. Patients high in negative emotions complied equally as well as
      patients low in negative emotions but were found to report substantially more
      symptomatology and distress associated with their treatment. The implications of
      these findings for treatment of ESRD patients and future research are discussed.

PMID- 1879394
TI  - Weight gain and withdrawal symptoms after smoking cessation: a preventive
      intervention using d-fenfluramine.
AB  - Directly measured food intake in 31 overweight female smokers to test whether (a)
      calorie and carbohydrate intakes increase after smoking cessation and (b) double
      blind d-fenfluramine (30 mg), a serotonin-releasing drug, suppresses weight gain,
      overeating, and dysphoric mood associated with stopping smoking. Placebo-treated
      patients grew dysphoric after smoking withdrawal and ate 300 kcal/day more from 2
      to 28 days after, showing a 3.5-lb weight gain. Fat and protein intakes did not
      change, but carbohydrate intake increased (30% to 40%). D-fenfluramine prevented
      postcessation dysphoria. Although drug-treated patients ate more carbohydrate
      snacks just after quitting, they returned to baseline by 4 weeks, showing a 1.8
      lb weight loss. Agents that enhance brain serotonin-mediated neurotransmission
      may help prevent weight gain, overeating, and dysphoric mood after smoking
      withdrawal.

PMID- 1879396
TI  - New aspects of adrenal cortical disease.

PMID- 1879395
TI  - Is response adaptation a threat to the high-low reactor distinction among female
      college students?
AB  - Examined cardiovascular-response adaptation patterns in high- versus low
      cardioreactive women. Responses to a mental-arithmetic-plus-noise task were
      compared within trials (3 min each), across trials (three per session), and
      across two sessions separated by a 4-week interval. Forty-four normotensive women
      (mean age = 22.5 years) completed the study. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood
      pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were monitored. Analyses of
      variance were employed to analyze the repeated-measures design and indicated
      consistent decreases in HR, SBP, and DBP response magnitudes across visits,
      trials, and minutes. Decreases in HR were greatest from Minute 1 to Minute 2
      within each trial and, similarly, from Trial 1 to Trial 2 within each visit. BP
      responses showed a delayed onset of within-trial adaptation. Reactivity groups
      were formed for (a) SBP reactivity for HR and DBP analyses and (b) HR reactivity
      for SBP analyses. Although high reactors (top tercile) showed greater adaptation
      to task repetition in all responses compared to low reactors (lowest tercile),
      they also consistently displayed greater responses. Even during the final task,
      SBP and HR responses discriminated between high and low reactors.

PMID- 1879397
TI  - Diagnosis of hyperaldosteronism.
AB  - Hyperaldosteronism is associated with hypertension, potassium depletion, and
      suppressed plasma renin activity. It may involve one or both adrenal glands. This
      article reviews the different types of hyperaldosteronism and the diagnosis and
      management of each.

PMID- 1879398
TI  - 17 alpha-hydroxylation deficiency.
AB  - Cases of sexual immaturity and male pseudohermaphroditism due to disorders such
      as androgen resistance, 5 alpha-reductase deficiency, cholesterol desmolase
      deficiency, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency, and testicular and
      ovary dysgenesis can easily be distinguished from 17 alpha-OHD. None of these
      disturbances result in hypertension. In the only other form of juvenile
      hypertension due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, 11 beta-OHD, androgen excess
      leads to female pseudohermaphroditism and precocious puberty in the male patient.
      Patients with dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism present with no
      sexual abnormalities. A diagnosis of 17 alpha-OHD can be readily assumed in the
      female patient with primary amenorrhea, hypertension, and hypokalemia. The
      absence of aldosterone, a measurement that is readily available, establishes this
      diagnosis even without the measurement of DOC.

PMID- 1879399
TI  - Two uncommon causes of mineralocorticoid excess. Syndrome of apparent
      mineralocorticoid excess and glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism.
AB  - Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism is an inherited form of mineralocorticoid
      excess associated with moderate overproduction of aldosterone, in which
      biochemical and clinical remission is dramatically induced by small amounts of
      glucocorticoids. The disorder is associated with characteristic overproduction of
      18-hydroxycortisol and 18-oxocortisol, which must now be regarded as an essential
      diagnostic feature and also as an aid in the detection of the disorder in the
      face of partial clinical expression.

PMID- 1879400
TI  - Congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Its molecular
      basis and its remaining therapeutic problems.
AB  - This article discusses congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by a
      deficiency of 21-hydroxylase, which represents 90% of all cases of CAH. As in
      other genetic disorders of metabolism, the symptoms of CAH are related to both
      the decrease of the final products of metabolism and the accumulation of
      precursors that are not normally secreted or that are secreted in only very small
      amounts. The biochemistry, pathophysiology, treatment, genetics, and long-term
      follow-up (including fertility and sexual orientation) of both the simple
      virilizing form and the salt-losing form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency are
      presented, as well as the possibility of prenatal treatment.

PMID- 1879401
TI  - Adrenoleukodystrophy.
AB  - X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a disorder of very long chain fatty acid
      (VLCFA) metabolism that can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased levels of
      VLCFA in plasma and, prenatally, by similar assays in cultured amniocytes or
      chorionic vilus samples. ALD causes Addison disease frequently in men and
      occasionally in women. Prompt diagnosis is important for genetic counseling and
      for the institution of therapies aimed to prevent or ameliorate the progressive
      neurologic disability that often is associated with this illness.

PMID- 1879402
TI  - Dysregulation of aldosterone secretion and its relationship to the pathogenesis
      of essential hypertension.
AB  - The level of sodium intake has a reciprocal influence on the vascular and adrenal
      responses to angiotensin II, with sodium restriction enhancing the adrenal
      responses and reducing vascular, and particularly renal vascular, responses. In
      two subgroups of the essential hypertensive population, this relationship is
      abnormal. Both subgroups have sodium-sensitive hypertension. One is a subset of
      the low renin essential hypertensive subgroup and its abnormality is an enhanced
      aldosterone response to angiotensin II with sodium loading, ie, a failure to down
      regulate the aldosterone response. The other subgroup, termed nonmodulators, is a
      subset of the normal-high renin essential hypertensive subgroup. In these
      patients, sodium intake modifies either adrenal or vascular responses, including
      renal vascular responses, to angiotensin II--resulting in a reduced aldosterone
      response to angiotensin II with sodium restriction. Of clinical importance, the
      nonmodulator's abnormality is corrected by the administration of converting
      enzyme inhibitors--this class of drugs therefore being a specific form of therapy
      in these patients.

PMID- 1879403
TI  - Sex and strain differences in the hepatocyte primary culture/DNA repair test.
AB  - The hepatocyte primary culture (HPC)/DNA repair test was developed using
      hepatocytes isolated from male F-344 rats. A number of genetic polymorphisms have
      been shown to occur in inbred strains of rats, which may lead to variation in
      biotransformation of xenobiotics resulting in differences in susceptibility to
      genotoxins. The effect of the strain utilized as a source of hepatocytes was
      investigated with female Lewis, F-344, and DA rats. Variation was observed when
      hepatocytes from the three strains were exposed to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1).
      Hepatocytes from female Lewis rats were more sensitive to AFB1 genotoxicity than
      cells from F-344 or DA rats. DNA repair was induced by a concentration as low as
      10(-8) M AFB1 in the Lewis strain while 10(-4) M was needed for hepatocytes from
      female F-344 or DA rats. Sex-related differences were also observed with AFB1;
      DNA repair was induced at 10(-8) M in hepatocytes from male F-344 rats. No
      clearcut strain differences were seen when cells were exposed to
      diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or 2-acetylaminofluorene, although 10(-2) M DEN was only
      cytotoxic to hepatocytes from DA rats. These results demonstrate that both the
      strain and the sex of the animal used as a source of hepatocytes can affect the
      HPC/DNA repair test.

PMID- 1879404
TI  - Comparison of hprt variant frequencies and chromosome aberration frequencies in
      lymphocytes from radiotherapy and chemotherapy patients: a prospective study.
AB  - The autoradiographic 6-thioguanine-resistant mutant lymphocyte assay and a
      chromosome aberration assay were used to determine the time-course of appearance
      and persistence of elevated frequencies of hprt variants and dicentric
      chromosomes in patients receiving x-irradiation therapy. Twelve cancer patients,
      treated with 180-200 cGy/day, 5 days/wk, for 3-7 wk, were studied before
      treatment, at various weekly intervals during treatment, and after treatment. The
      hprt mutation assays were done with frozen/thawed lymphocytes isolated from
      aliquots of the same blood samples used for the chromosome aberration assays. The
      hprt variant frequencies (Vfs) of only 4 of the 7 patients assayed at 2 wk of
      treatment were elevated over pre-treatment Vfs, but during the 3rd and 4th weeks
      of treatment there were significant (P less than 0.01) 5- to 15-fold increases in
      all Vfs. By 6-32 wk after treatment Vfs had fallen to levels only slightly higher
      than the mean pre-treatment Vf. The frequencies of cells with dicentric
      chromosomes were significantly increased (P less than 0.01) after 1 wk of
      radiotherapy, continued to increase during therapy, and remained elevated after
      treatment. Five multiple sclerosis patients were also studied before and at 2 and
      4 wk intervals after treatment with monthly i.v. doses of 750 mg/m2 of
      cyclophosphamide (CP). There were no significant elevations in chromosome
      aberrations at these post-treatment sample times. Previous assays for hprt
      mutants, done with aloquots of the same blood samples (Ammenheuser et al.: Mutat
      Res 204:509-520, 1988), had shown 8- to 20-fold increases in Vfs 2 wk after the
      1st CP treatment. Our results demonstrate the complementary nature of these two
      human monitoring assays and emphasize the importance of careful selection of
      optimal sampling times.

PMID- 1879405
TI  - Frequency of sister chromatid exchange in peripheral lymphocytes of male
      pesticide applicators.
AB  - In the present study 61 male pesticide applicators who worked in cotton fields
      and regularly sprayed pesticides such as DDT, BHC, endosulfan, malathion, methyl
      parathion, phosphamidon, dimethoate, monocrotophos, quinalphos fenvelrate, and
      cypermethrin were analyzed for sister chromatid exchanges, mitotic index, and
      cell cycle kinetics in peripheral lymphocytes. Subjects who handled pesticides
      were non-smokers and teetotalers and the data were compared with the matched
      control group. Statistical analysis revealed that the frequency of sister
      chromatid exchanges was significantly higher among the pesticide applicators at
      all the durations of exposure when compared to controls. Subjects exposed to
      pesticides also showed cell cycle delay and decrease in mitotic index when
      compared to the control group.

PMID- 1879406
TI  - Flow cytometric evaluation of cell-cycle progression in ethyl methanesulfonate
      and methyl methanesulfonate-exposed P3 cells: relationship to the induction of
      sister-chromatid exchanges and cellular toxicity.
AB  - In order to determine the relationships among the reduction in relative cloning
      efficiency (RCE), sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) formation, and interference
      with progression through the cell-cycle, human teratocarcinoma-derived (P3) cells
      were exposed to either ethyl methanesulfonate or to methyl methanesulfonate. The
      relationship between SCE and toxicity was quantified, the progression through the
      cell-cycle was evaluated with flow cytometric methods, and the effects of these
      chemicals on cell growth and average generation time (AGT) were determined. A
      strong correlation existed between RCE and SCE (r = -0.978, p less than .001)
      which was accompanied by an inhibition of growth as evidenced by a significant (p
      less than .0001) negative linear effect of concentration on the relative cell
      count from 24 to 72 hours after exposure and by a concentration-dependent
      increase (p less than .0001) in the AGT. Delays in the transit through S-phase
      were evident 4 hours after exposure to toxic concentrations of either carcinogen
      and by 8 to 12 hours post-exposure at the lower concentrations. Increases in the
      percentage of nuclei in G2 + M, indicative of G2 arrest, occurred from 12 to 24
      hours after exposure. One interpretation of these results is that those effects
      of EMS and MMS exposure which result in S-phase delay and G2 arrest may be those
      elements common to the induction of SCE and cellular toxicity.

PMID- 1879407
TI  - Cytogenetic damage induced in vivo to mice by single exposure to cesium chloride.
AB  - Female laboratory bred albino mice (2n = 40) were orally administered cesium
      chloride (CsCl) in aqueous solution as a single dose and the damage induced at
      the chromosomal level was observed in bone marrow cells after 6, 12, 18, and 24
      hours of exposure. The concentrations of the chemical given were calculated as
      fractions of the LD50, namely 1/5, 1/10, and 1/20. The cytogenetic endpoints
      screened for were chromosomal aberrations (CA) and divisional frequency or
      mitotic index (MI). The frequency of chromosomal aberrations induced was directly
      proportional to the concentration of the chemical administered. The highest dose
      was the most toxic and was considered to be the maximum tolerance level. Effects
      on divisional frequency were variable, the highest concentration being
      significantly mitostatic, the middle one ineffective, and the lowest slightly
      mitogenic. In general, the observations indicate that CsCl is clastogenic when
      administered orally to mice in vivo and the effects are dose-dependent.

PMID- 1879409
TI  - The Laryngeal Mask--a non-invasive airway.

PMID- 1879408
TI  - Effect of pentachlorophenol on the activation of 2,6-dinitrotoluene to genotoxic
      urinary metabolites in CD-1 mice: a comparison of GI enzyme activities and urine
      mutagenicity.
AB  - 2,6-Dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are used for industrial
      purposes and are found in the environment as hazardous contaminants. Because
      concurrent exposure to both compounds can occur, it is of interest to determine
      if organochlorine compounds potentiate the effect of nitroaromatic chemicals. CD
      1 mice were treated with PCP (42.8 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. On weeks 1, 2, and 4 after
      the initial PCP dose, mice were treated p.o. with 2,6-DNT (75 mg/kg) and 24 hr
      urines were collected. After concentration, the urines were tested for their
      mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 without metabolic
      activation in a microsuspension bioassay. A significant increase (P less than
      .05) in mutagenicity was observed in urines from mice treated with 2,6-DNT alone
      and in combination with PCP. By week 4, mice that received both 2,6-DNT and PCP
      excreted urine that was more mutagenic than that from animals which received only
      2,6-DNT. At weeks 2 and 4, mice were sacrificed and intestinal enzyme activities
      (nitroreductase, azo reductase, beta-glucuronidase, dechlorinase, and
      dehydrochlorinase) were quantitated. The enhanced genotoxicity observed in urines
      from 2,6-DNT/PCP-treated mice coincided with a decrease in nitroreductase and an
      increase in beta-glucuronidase activities in the small intestine.

PMID- 1879410
TI  - The Laryngeal Mask--an overview.
AB  - New equipment, like a new drug, encourages a high level of reporting of adverse
      events, which can lead to the very rapid identification of even relatively rare
      complications. When considering the merit of one drug versus another, unless
      either have major defects, then the result will depend upon the overall picture,
      i.e. the sum of the morbidities associated with one versus the sum associated
      with another. Other factors such as availability, purity, and cost will also be
      taken into consideration. The LM is very recent in the time scale of the history
      of 'anaesthesia', but it would appear to have survived the 'major defect' stage,
      and to have entered the trial by morbidity stage. A definite answer on the
      question of regurgitation and aspiration is not yet available. Present evidence
      indicates, however, that where there is no contra-indication to it and provided
      that meticulous attention is paid to mode of use, the LM can be helpful in a wide
      variety of situations. It is an extremely innovative, and occasionally life
      saving piece of equipment, and the relatively small effort necessary to acquire
      skill in its use worth making. A future review will be able to incorporate the
      results of on-going and planned studies, and may more accurately define its place
      in anaesthesia and resuscitation.

PMID- 1879411
TI  - Radiological study of the Laryngeal Mask.
AB  - Lateral soft-tissue radiography was used to determine the location of the
      Laryngeal Mask (LM) in relation to the larynx and surrounding structures in 24
      elderly male patients undergoing general anaesthesia. In a majority of cases (16
      of 24) the epiglottis was within the cuff of the mask but without causing
      discernable airway obstruction in any case. One case of backfolding of the cuff
      occurred, and there was one case of gross misplacement (also clinically
      undetected). Supplementary information was obtained in 13 patients by the use of
      fibre-optic endoscopy, via the lumen of the LM, confirming the inclusion of the
      epiglottis within the mask and demonstrating a characteristic distortion by the
      LM of the normal laryngeal anatomy. It is concluded that inclusion of the
      epiglottis within the LM is commonplace, and misplacements may occur without
      clinical evidence of a compromised airway.

PMID- 1879412
TI  - Endotracheal intubation through the Laryngeal Mask--helpful when laryngoscopy is
      difficult or dangerous.
AB  - The correctly placed Laryngeal Mask will act as a guide to endotracheal
      intubation in over 90% of adult patients. Although the size of tube is limited to
      a 6-mm-internal-diameter cuffed oral or nasal pattern tube the technique is easy
      to learn and can provide a rapid solution when endotracheal intubation is
      necessary but conventional laryngoscopy is unexpectedly difficult or dental
      restorations are at risk. Application of cricoid pressure reduces the success
      rate of the technique; therefore, if this manoeuvre is indicated to reduce the
      risks of regurgitation, anaesthetists are advised to arrange for its momentary
      relaxation during the final stages of placement of the Laryngeal Mask and of the
      endotracheal tube.

PMID- 1879413
TI  - Difficult intubation and the Laryngeal Mask.
AB  - The Laryngeal Mask (LM) can be used to intubate patients in whom conventional
      direct laryngoscopy is difficult. Tracheal intubation can be achieved using the
      LM alone but the use of a fibre-optic laryngoscope increases the chances of
      success.

PMID- 1879414
TI  - The development of the Laryngeal Mask--a brief history of the invention, early
      clinical studies and experimental work from which the Laryngeal Mask evolved.
AB  - The history of the invention and development of the Laryngeal Mask in the East
      End of London during the years 1981-88 is briefly described. The concept evolved
      from home-made prototypes built from the Goldman Dental Mask through a complex
      series of one-off latex models culminating in a primitive factory-made silicone
      cuff in 1986. This work defined the design parameters necessary to reconcile the
      needs for safety, reliability and ease of insertion while at the same time
      exploring the limits to possible use. In early 1988 the final version was tested
      by the inventor who had by this time used the device in more than 7500 patients
      undergoing routine surgery. From this experience a number of important lessons
      were learned relating to safe and effective use, which are summarized in the
      inventor's Instruction Manual. The importance of referring to this volume before
      use is stressed.

PMID- 1879415
TI  - The Laryngeal Mask in dental anaesthesia.

PMID- 1879416
TI  - Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA encoding two crustacean hyperglycemic
      hormones from the lobster Homarus americanus.
AB  - Using the polymerase chain reaction with degenerated oligonucleotides, we have
      isolated cDNA clones that encode two structurally different (92% identity)
      crustacean hyperglycemic hormones (CHH) from the lobster Homarus americanus. The
      deduced amino acid sequences fully agree with previously published data on
      partial amino acid sequences, amino acid compositions and molecular masses of
      hyperglycemic peptides in the lobster. A comparative analysis between the deduced
      primary structure of two lobster CHH and the crab CHH sequence reveals a
      phylogenetic relationship and allows the prediction of biologically important
      regions within the structures of these novel neuropeptides.

PMID- 1879417
TI  - The primary structure of hevamine, an enzyme with lysozyme/chitinase activity
      from Hevea brasiliensis latex.
AB  - The primary structure of hevamine, an enzyme with lysozyme/chitinase activity
      from Hevea brasiliensis latex, has been determined predominantly with
      conventional non-automatic methods. The positions of three disulfide bridges have
      been determined. The sequence has about 60% identity with that of a chitinase
      from cucumber and 95% with the N-terminal sequence of the lysozyme/chitinase of
      Parthenocissus quinquefolia. The half-cystine residues in hevein and cucumber
      chitinase are located at identical positions. Hevamine is a basic protein from
      the lutoids (vacuoles) of rubber latex and may have a role in plugging the latex
      vessels and cessation of latex flow. The differences in cellular location, charge
      properties and sequence between hevamine and cucumber chitinase are similar to
      those between class I and class II chitinases from tobacco and other plant
      species.

PMID- 1879418
TI  - Purification and characterization of a chicken egg white cystatin variant
      expressed in an Escherichia coli pIN-III-ompA system.
AB  - A synthetic gene coding for a chicken egg white cystatin variant was cloned and
      expressed using the pIN-III-ompA Escherichia coli expression system. After
      osmotic shock of the E. coli cells, the cysteine proteinase inhibitor was
      isolated from periplasm and purified by S-carboxymethylpapain affinity
      chromatography. The resulting inhibitory material was characterized by SDS/PAGE,
      reversed-phase HPLC, peptide mapping and amino acid sequencing. The recombinant
      variant chicken AEF-[S1----M, M29----I, M89----L]cystatin shows strong inhibitory
      activity and displays Ki values in the complex with papain, actinidin and
      cathepsin B similar to those found for natural chicken cystatin. The purified
      variant showed a native-chicken-cystatin-like conformational state, as determined
      by NMR spectroscopy, if the NMR data of 15N-labelled recombinant inhibitor were
      compared with those of the natural inhibitor.

PMID- 1879419
TI  - Characterization of wild-type and mutant M13 gene V proteins by means of 1H-NMR.
AB  - Recording of good quality NMR spectra of the single-stranded DNA binding protein
      gene V of the bacteriophage M13 is hindered by a specific protein aggregation
      effect. Conditions are described for which NMR spectra of the protein can best be
      recorded. The aromatic part of the spectrum has been reinvestigated by means of
      two-dimensional total correlation spectroscopy. Sequence-specific assignments
      were obtained for all of the aromatic amino acid residues with the help of a
      series of single-site mutant proteins. The solution properties of the mutants of
      the aromatic amino acid residues have been fully investigated. It has been shown
      that, for these proteins, either none or only local changes occur compared to the
      wild-type molecule. Spin-labeled oligonucleotide-binding studies of wild-type and
      mutant gene V proteins indicate that tyrosine 26 and phenylalanine 73 are the
      only aromatic residues involved in binding to short stretches of single-stranded
      DNA. The degree of aggregation of wild-type gene V protein is dependent on both
      the total protein and salt concentration. The data obtained suggest the
      occurrence of specific protein-protein interactions between dimeric gene V
      protein molecules in which the tyrosine residue at position 41 is involved. This
      hypothesis is further strengthened by the observation that the solubility of
      tyrosine 41 mutants of gene V protein is significantly higher than that of the
      wild-type protein. The discovery of the so-called 'solubility' mutants of M13
      gene V protein has finally made it possible to study the solution structure of
      gene V protein and its interaction with single-stranded DNA by means of two
      dimensional NMR.

PMID- 1879420
TI  - The endo-1,4-beta-glucanase I from Trichoderma reesei. Action on beta-1,4
      oligomers and polymers derived from D-glucose and D-xylose.
AB  - The reaction mechanism of the non-specific endo-1,4-beta-glucanase from
      Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 (endoglucanase I) was investigated using both reducing
      end3H-labelled and universally 14C-labelled cellooligosaccharides, as well as
      reducing-end3H-labelled xylooligosaccharides. The bond cleavage frequencies of
      cellooligosaccharides proved to be dependent upon the substrate concentration,
      especially in the case of cellotriose. In addition to simple hydrolytic cleavage,
      the enzyme catalyzes reactions along alternative pathways, including
      transglycosylations leading to products larger than the substrate. Some of these
      pathways were shown to be reversible. During cellotriose or cellopentaose
      degradation, substrate resynthesis was demonstrated by incorporation of added
      radioactive D-glucose or cellobiose. The endoglucanase I is active on xylan and
      xylooligosaccharides, but less than on soluble cellulose derivatives (e.g.
      hydroxyethylcellulose) and cellooligosaccharides. The fact that for these
      different types of substrates the same active site is operative is proven by the
      ability of the enzyme to utilize cellooligosaccharides and xylooligosaccharides
      as both glycosyl donors and acceptors. The mixed substrate reactions lead to
      products composed of D-glucosyl and D-xylosyl residues. The kinetic parameters
      for cellooligosaccharide degradation can be used for the description of an
      extended substrate binding site. Of the four putative glycosyl subsites, -II and
      +II show the highest affinities, 16.7 kJ.mol-1 and 7.1 kJ.mol-1, respectively.

PMID- 1879421
TI  - Amino acid alterations essential for increasing the catalytic activity of the
      nylon-oligomer-degradation enzyme of Flavobacterium sp.
AB  - The structural genes of two homologous enzymes, 6-aminohexanoate-dimer hydrolase
      (EII; nylB) and its evolutionally related protein EII' (nylB') of Flavobacterium
      sp. KI72 have an open reading frame encoding a peptide of 392 amino acids, of
      which 47 are different, and conserved restriction sites. The specific activity of
      EII towards 6-aminohexanoate dimer is about 1000-fold that of EII'. Construction
      of various hybrid genes obtained by exchanging fragments flanked by conserved
      restriction sites of the two genes demonstrated that two amino acid replacements
      in the EII' enzyme, i.e. Gly181----Asp (EII type) and His266----Asn (EII type),
      enhanced the activity toward 6-aminohexanoate dimer 1000-fold.

PMID- 1879423
TI  - Catabolism of platelet-activating factor and its acyl analog. Differentiation of
      the activities of lysophospholipase and platelet-activating-factor
      acetylhydrolase.
AB  - Recent investigations have shown the presence of 1-acyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphocholine, i.e. the acyl analog of platelet-activating factor (PAF), in
      unstimulated tissues as well as its formation along with platelet-activating
      factor upon stimulation of a variety of cells. We demonstrate here that this acyl
      analog of PAF can be catabolized by purified lysophospholipases I and II from
      bovine liver with near stoichiometric formation of 2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3
      phosphocholine. Lysophospholipase II also deacetylated PAF to lysoPAF and
      evidence is presented to show that this is an intrinsic activity of this enzyme.
      This suggested that some lysophospholipases may contribute to intracellular
      inactivation of PAF by deacetylation. Anion-exchange chromatography of rat liver
      cytosol confirmed this possibility. However, similar experiments with rat kidney
      cytosol and rat and human platelet cytosol clearly separated lysophospholipase
      activities without PAF acetylhydrolase activity from specific PAF
      acetylhydrolases not having lysophospholipase activity. Thus, lysophospholipases
      are clearly involved in the metabolism of the acyl analog of PAF and in some
      tissues, such as liver, may even contribute to abolishing the biological activity
      of PAF through deacetylation.

PMID- 1879422
TI  - Evidence for a peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation involving D-3-hydroxyacyl
      CoAs. Characterization of two forms of hydro-lyase that convert D-(-)-3
      hydroxyacyl-CoA into 2-trans-enoyl-CoA.
AB  - A novel D-(-)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA hydro-lyase, forming 2-trans-enoyl-CoA and
      formerly designated as epimerase (EC 5.1.2.3), was extracted from fat-degrading
      cotyledons of cucumber seedlings. The enzyme, called D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA hydro
      lyase or D-specific 2-trans-enoyl-CoA hydratase, is shown to be required for the
      degradation of unsaturated fatty acids that contain double bonds extending from
      even-numbered C atoms. The D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA hydro-lyase was exclusively
      localized within peroxisomes. A 10,000-fold purification by chromatography on a
      hydrophobic matrix, a cation exchanger, on hydroxyapatite and Mono S led to two
      proteins of apparent homogeneity, both exhibiting Mr of 65,000. The D-3
      hydroxyacyl-CoA hydro-lyases are homodimers with slightly differing isoelectric
      points around pH = 9.0. They catalyze the conversion of 2-trans-enoyl-CoA into D
      3-hydroxyacyl-CoA. The reverse reaction was observed but no reaction with 2-cis
      enoyl-CoAs or L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoAs. 2-trans-Decenoyl-CoA was converted 10-times
      faster than 2-trans-butenoyl-CoA. The conversion of 4-cis-decenoyl-CoA into
      octenoyl-CoA was demonstrated in vitro with purified proteins with an assay
      mixture containing acyl-CoA oxidase, multifunctional protein, thiolase and the D
      3-hydroxyacyl-CoA hydro-lyase. Comparisons of enzyme activities present in the
      cotyledons or isolated peroxisomes clearly show that the pathway via dienoyl-CoA
      reductase is much less effective than the sequence involving D-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA
      hydro-lyase.

PMID- 1879424
TI  - Molecular cloning and analysis of two tandemly linked genes for pyruvate kinase
      of Trypanosoma brucei.
AB  - In Trypanosoma brucei (stock 427) genes encoding the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate
      kinase are present on two homologous chromosomes. We have cloned and
      characterized one of the alleles. Two large, tandemly arranged open reading
      frames were found, each coding for a pyruvate kinase polypeptide of 498 amino
      acids. The gene sequences differ at 15 positions, resulting in five amino acid
      substitutions. The calculated molecular masses of the polypeptides are 54,378 Da
      and 54,363 Da. These values are somewhat smaller than those reported for the
      subunit molecular mass of the purified protein, which is 57-59 kDa. However, in
      vitro translation of the DNA region corresponding to the open reading frame, and
      translation of the RNA in a wheat-germ lysate, yielded a product that comigrated
      exactly with the native polypeptide in SDS/PAGE. The overall identity between the
      sequences of the trypanosomal enzyme and the enzymes from other sources is 41
      51%. The conserved residues are not equally distributed over the polypeptide. The
      primary structure of domains A and, to a lesser extent, B, which constitute the
      active site, are rather well conserved. In contrast, the sequence of domain C,
      which supposedly is involved in the regulation of the enzyme activity, is much
      more variable. The cytosolically located pyruvate kinase of T. brucei lacks the
      specific features found in the majority of the glycolytic enzymes of this
      organism that are sequestered in a microbody-like organelle, the glycosome. It
      has neither a relatively high subunit molecular mass, due to unique insertions or
      terminal extensions, nor a high excess of positively charged amino acids. The
      polypeptide is shorter than that of most other pyruvate kinases and the
      calculated net charge is only +3.

PMID- 1879425
TI  - Inhibition of the Na+/I- symporter by harmaline and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H
      pyrido(4,3-b)indole acetate in thyroid cells and membrane vesicles.
AB  - Novel inhibitors of the Na+/I- symporter were identified using rat-thyroid
      derived FRTL-5 cells and sealed vesicles from calf thyroid as model systems.
      Na(+)-dependent 125I- uptake was inhibited by the hallucinogenic drug harmaline
      and by a chemically related convulsive agent, 3-amino-1-methyl- 5H-pyrido(4,3
      b)indole acetate (TRP-P-2). TRP-P-2 (Ki = 0.25 mM) was tenfold more effective as
      an inhibitor than harmaline (Ki = 4.0 mM). Inhibition by TRP-P-2 was competitive
      with respect to Na+ and was fully reversible. Although TRP-P-2 is a relatively
      low-affinity inhibitor, its affinity for the Na+ site of the Na+/I- symporter is
      over 100 times higher than that of Na+ (Km = 50 mM). 45Ca(2+)-efflux rates in
      calf thyroid membrane vesicles were not affected by TRP-P-2, indicating that
      membrane integrity is not disrupted by the drug. These findings show that TRP-P-2
      may be a potentially useful tool for the identification and characterization of
      the Na+/I- symporter.

PMID- 1879426
TI  - Characterization of a quinole-oxidase activity in crude extracts of Thermoplasma
      acidophilum and isolation of an 18-kDa cytochrome.
AB  - A quinol-oxidase activity was detected in crude extracts of the thermoacidophilic
      archaebacterium Thermoplasma acidophilum. The activity was optimal at pH 5.4 and
      50 degrees C. The Km for ubiquinol-10 was 18 microM. The enzyme was inhibited by
      2n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide with a Ki of 150 nM. Ubiquinols with
      different side-chain lengths were oxidized at similar rates, whereas menaquinols
      were converted at 6-12-fold higher rates compared to ubiquinols. Membranes from
      T. acidophilum contain cytochromes of b, d and a1 types, as shown by optical
      spectroscopy. CO difference spectroscopy suggests the existence of a cytochrome
      o. A b-type cytochrome with an apparent molecular mass of 18 kDa was purified in
      the presence of high detergent concentrations. It readily forms dimers on
      SDS/PAGE. This cytochrome also contains Cu, as shown by atomic-absorption
      spectroscopy. Redox titration suggests that the 18-kDa cytochrome may contain 2
      heme groups; b558 with a midpoint potential of 75 mV and b562/553 with a midpoint
      potential of -150 mV.

PMID- 1879427
TI  - Quantitative assessment of regulation in metabolic systems.
AB  - We show how metabolic regulation as commonly understood in biochemistry can be
      described in terms of metabolic control analysis. The steady-state values of the
      variables of metabolic systems (fluxes and concentrations) are determined by a
      set of parameters. Some of these parameters are concentrations that are set by
      the environment of the system; they can act as external regulators by
      communicating changes in the environment to the metabolic system. How effectively
      a system is regulated depends both on the degree to which the activity of the
      regulatory enzyme with which a regulator interacts directly can be altered by the
      regulator (its regulability) and on the ability of the regulatory enzyme to
      transmit the changes to the rest of the system (its regulatory capacity). The
      regulatory response of a system also depends on its internal organisation around
      key variable metabolites that act as internal regulators. The regulatory
      performance of the system can be judged in terms of how sensitivity the fluxes
      respond to the external stimulus and to what degree homeostasis in the
      concentrations of the internal regulators is maintained. We show how, on the
      level of both external and internal regulation, regulability can be quantified in
      terms of an elasticity coefficient and regulatory capacity in terms of a control
      coefficient. Metabolic regulation can therefore be described in terms of
      metabolic control analysis. The combined response relationship of control
      analysis relates regulability and regulatory capacity and allows quantification
      of the regulatory importance of the various interactions of regulators with
      enzymes in the system. On this basis we propose a quantitative terminology and
      analysis of metabolic regulation that shows what we should measure experimentally
      and how we should interpret the results. Analysis and numerical simulation of a
      simple model system serves to demonstrate our treatment.

PMID- 1879428
TI  - 2,4-diamino-7-hydroxy-pteridines, a new class of catabolites of methotrexate.
AB  - Methotrexate remains a commonly used drug in the chemotherapy of various
      malignancies. The known catabolites are 7-hydroxy-methotrexate, formed in the
      liver, and diamino-methyl-pteroic acid formed in the gut. We report for the first
      time evidence that 2,4-diamino-7-hydroxy-pteridine derivatives are present in the
      biological fluids of patients on high-dose methotrexate protocols. So far, two
      major derivatives have been identified as 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxymethyl-7-hydroxy
      pteridine and 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-7-hydroxy-pteridine. In regard to the actual
      knowledge of the catabolism of pteridines, these compounds are presumably formed
      by intestinal bacteria during enterohepatic circulation of the drug. Their slow
      clearance from the body raises the question of possible interference of these
      compounds on pteridine-dependent enzymes, which might explain in part some of the
      toxic effects of methotrexate.

PMID- 1879429
TI  - Effects of ethanol and clofibrate on expression of cytochrome P-450 enzymes and
      epoxide hydrolase in cultures and cocultures of rat hepatocytes.
AB  - Cultured and cocultured rat hepatocytes were used to study the effects of ethanol
      and clofibrate on cytochrome P-450 (P-450) enzymes and epoxide hydrolase. We
      showed that in the presence of ethanol, clofibrate or both compounds, rat
      hepatocytes were able to express, after 3 days of pure culture, quantitatively
      and qualitatively reasonable levels of most cytochrome P-450 enzymes and epoxide
      hydrolase, compared to freshly isolated hepatocytes. However, ethanol induced the
      P-450IA subfamily, and clofibrate the P-450-IVA subfamily. In cocultures, after 6
      days, most P-450 enzymes were still expressed while P-450IIC11 was completely
      lost. Ethanol and clofibrate had the same effect as in pure culture. These
      results show, by modifying culture medium conditions and cell-cell interactions,
      that it is possible to maintain reasonable xenobiotic-metabolizing-enzyme
      expression; however, these conditions have to be improved in order to preserve
      better P-450 expression. The mechanism of these effects and the inducibility of
      these systems remain to be elucidated by a study at molecular level.

PMID- 1879430
TI  - Interference with myosin subfragment-1 binding by site-directed mutagenesis of
      actin.
AB  - Three N-terminal double mutants of beta-actin expressed in the yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been characterized with respect to DNase-I
      interaction, N-terminal post-translational modification, polymerizability and
      myosin subfragment-1 binding. The results strongly support earlier suggestions
      that the acidic residues at the N-terminus of actin are part of the myosin
      binding site, while they seem to be of no importance for the other aspects of
      actin biochemistry tested. The suitability of this expression system for
      production of recombinant actin in general is discussed.

PMID- 1879431
TI  - Purification and properties of F420- and NADP(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases
      of Methanogenium liminatans and Methanobacterium palustre, specific for secondary
      alcohols.
AB  - The F420-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) of Methanogenium liminatans and
      the NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Methanobacterium palustre were purified to
      homogeneity. The native F420-dependent ADH of Mg. liminatans had a molecular mass
      of 150 kDa and consisted of four (presumably identical) subunits with a mass of
      39 kDa. The temperature optimum was 42 degrees C, the optimum pH 6.0 and NaCl or
      KCl were inhibitory. The NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Mb. palustre had a molecular
      mass of 175 kDa and consisted also of four (presumably identical) subunits with a
      mass of 44 kDa. The temperature optimum was 60 degrees C, the optimum pH 8.0 and
      optimal activity was observed in the presence of 500 mM NaCl or KCl. The ADHs of
      both organisms catalysed the oxidation of various secondary and cyclic alcohols
      to the corresponding ketones and the reverse reaction. No primary alcohols were
      apparently oxidized. The NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Mb. palustre contained 4-8 mol
      atoms zinc/mol enzyme and was inhibited by low concentrations of iodoacetate and
      4-hydroxymercuribenzoate, whereas the F420-dependent ADH of Mg. liminatans
      presumably contained no zinc ions and was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline or
      high concentrations (e.g. 100 microM) of 4-hydroxymercuribenzoate. Polyclonal
      antibodies against the NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Mb. palustre precipitated only
      the homologous ADH. A precipitation of the NADP(+)-dependent ADH of
      Methanocorpusculum parvum required a 10-fold higher antibody concentration,
      showing at least a distant relationship of both ADHs. Antibodies against the
      NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Mcp. parvum, however, formed precipitates with the
      homologous ADH of Mcp. parvum and with the NADP(+)-dependent ADH of Mb. palustre.
      They also formed precipitates with the ADH of Thermoanaerobium brockii, which is
      not related to methane bacteria. Antibodies against the F420-dependent ADH of Mg.
      liminatans reacted only with the homologous enzyme and did not form precipitates
      with NADP(+)-dependent ADHs. No immunological relation of the NADP(+)- or F420
      dependent ADHs of methanogens with ADH of yeast or horse liver was found. In
      accordance with the immunological data, the N-terminal amino acid sequences of
      the NADP(+)-dependent ADHs of Mb. palustre and Mcp. parvum had a high degree of
      similarity, whereas the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the ADH of Mg.
      liminatans revealed no similarity with the two NADP(+)-dependent enzymes.

PMID- 1879432
TI  - The mouse S-antigen gene. Comparison with human and Drosophila.
AB  - We have characterized a gene for mouse S-antigen and compared its sequence with
      that of corresponding human and two recently published Drosophila S-antigen
      genes. The mouse S-antigen gene was approximately 50 kbp in length and consisted
      of 16 exons and 15 introns. The length of most exons was less than 100 bp and the
      smallest one was only 10 bp. In contrast, the length of most introns was larger
      than 2 kbp and the gene consisted of 97% intron and 3% exon. Both splice sites
      for donor and accepter were in good agreement with the GT/AG rule. S-antigen
      genes in human and mouse were highly conserved. In contrast, genes for the
      Drosophila 49-kDa arrestin homolog and arrestin consist of three introns and four
      exons and two introns and three exons, respectively. The 5'-flanking region of
      the mouse S-antigen gene, approximately 1.0 kbp long, had no regulatory elements
      for transcription such as the TATA, CAAT and GC boxes, while a Drosophila
      arrestin gene has TATA and CAAT boxes. Interestingly, the 5'-flanking region of
      the mouse gene had promoter activity in an in vitro transcription assay using a
      nuclear extract of rat brain. A major transcription start site was found at 387
      bp upstream from the translation start codon ATG in mouse. From our results, and
      those of others, we suggest that the S-antigen gene has evolved from a common
      ancestor gene by either insertion or deletion of introns. Such an alteration of
      gene structure may have played a role in the evolution of the S-antigen.

PMID- 1879433
TI  - Differential and specific labeling of epithelial and vascular endothelial cells
      of the rat lung by Lycopersicon esculentum and Griffonia simplicifolia I lectins.
AB  - In the rat lung, we found that the Lycopersicon esculentum (LEA) lectin
      specifically binds to the epithelium of bronchioles and alveoli whereas Griffonia
      simplicifolia I (GS-I) binds to the endothelium of alveolar capillaries. The
      differential binding affinity of these lectins was examined on semithin
      (approximately 0.5 microns) and thin (less than 0.1 (microns) frozen sections of
      rat lung lavaged to remove alveolar macrophages. On semithin frozen sections, LEA
      bound to epithelial cells lining bronchioles and the alveoli (type I, but not
      type II epithelial cells). On thin frozen sections, biotinylated Lycopersicon
      esculentum (bLEA)-streptavidin-gold conjugates were confined primarily to the
      luminal plasmalemma of type I cells. bGS-I-streptavidin-Texas Red was detected on
      the endothelial cells of alveolar capillaries and postcapillary venules but not
      on those of larger venules, veins or arterioles. By electron microscopy, GS-I
      streptavidin-gold complexes were localized primarily to the luminal plasmalemma
      of thick and thin regions of the capillary endothelium. Neither lectin labeled
      type II alveolar cells, but both lectins labeled macrophages in the interstitia
      and in incompletely lavaged alveoli.

PMID- 1879434
TI  - A comparison of the fibrinogen receptor distribution on adherent platelets using
      both soluble fibrinogen and fibrinogen immobilized on gold beads.
AB  - The distribution of fibrinogen receptors was determined on the surface of
      adherent platelets using both direct labeling with the ligand fibrinogen which
      was immobilized on gold particles (Fg-Au) and indirect immunogold (Ig-Au)
      labeling of bound soluble fibrinogen identified with a rabbit polyclonal anti
      fibrinogen antibody. Two distinctly different patterns of labeling were obtained
      and appeared to depend on whether solid phase fibrinogen (Fg-Au) or soluble phase
      released fibrinogen were bound to the membrane receptor. The membrane-bound Fg-Au
      reorganized in patterns that closely mimicked the organization of the underlying
      cytoskeleton. In approximately 18% of the adherent platelets, Fg-Au was seen in
      channels or vesicle-like structures lying deep to the platelet surface suggesting
      internalization into the open canalicular system and/or endocytosis. The labeling
      pattern obtained when identifying the location of membrane-bound soluble released
      fibrinogen by Ig-Au was diffuse and lacked the organizational patterns
      characteristic of Fg-Au. Unlike the Fg-Au probe, early dendritic platelets were
      heavily labeled by the soluble phase fibrinogen using the Ig-Au technique.
      Although the label covered the entire exposed platelet membrane in fully spread
      platelets, labeling over the peripheral web was more dense than that over the
      intermediate or granulomere zone. The diffuse organization and heavier peripheral
      distributional pattern of the glycoprotein IIb-IIIa (GP IIb-IIIa) receptor in
      fixed, adherent platelets, was also seen with the GP IIb-IIIa receptor-specific
      antibody AP-2. The binding of both the Fg-Au and Ig-Au were inhibited using the
      tetrapeptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) (93% and 98% inhibition, respectively), AP-2
      (98% and 97%, respectively) and platelets from patients with Glanzmann's
      thrombasthenia (GT) (99% and 98%, respectively). The data presented provides the
      first report that receptor reorganization, following binding of fibrinogen,
      appears to be related to the state of the ligand. Substrate bound fibrinogen
      (i.e., Fg-Au or fibrinogen bound to another platelet) induces receptor
      translocation toward the platelet granulomere in a capping-like phenomenon. On
      the other hand, the binding of soluble released fibrinogen results in formation
      of microclusters and short linear arrays in a diffuse distribution but does not
      induce central movement of receptors. Furthermore, double labeling studies
      clarify that Fg-Au does not identify all available fibrinogen receptors as many
      are occupied by soluble released fibrinogen. The data presented provides an
      interesting new perspective on what constitutes an appropriate ligand-receptor
      stimulus sufficient to induce receptor reorganization.

PMID- 1879435
TI  - Adhesive interactions between fibroblasts and polymorphonuclear neutrophils in
      vitro.
AB  - Although the in vivo interaction between polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and
      fibroblasts may be important, these pathways have not been well studied. We have
      investigated the adherence of PMN to monolayers of human fetal lung fibroblasts,
      using a microtiter plate assay based upon the uptake by cells of the vital stain
      Rose Bengal. Stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) caused a
      significant increase of adherence over basal levels which was rapid in onset and
      plateaued at 5 min. Adhesion was dependent on the leucocyte integrin family of
      glycoproteins, notably on Mac-1, since monoclonal antibodies toward the beta
      chain (CD18) and alpha chain (CD11b) of Mac-1 almost completely suppressed PMA
      induced PMN adhesion (88% and 77% inhibition, respectively). Adhesion was also
      inhibited by the peptides RGDS and GRGDS (24.2% and 26.6%, respectively using 1
      mM peptide). Prestimulation of fibroblasts for longer time periods (5 and 24 h)
      with interleukin 1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor alpha, but not transforming
      growth factor beta, also resulted in a significant increase in adhesion of
      unstimulated PMN (after 24 h preincubation, 10 U/ml IL1 alpha stimulated adhesion
      by 179% of control, 500 U/ml TNF alpha by 157%). This indicated that there are
      both PMN- and fibroblast-dependent pathways for PMN adhesion. Components of the
      extracellular matrix of fibroblasts do not appear to play important roles in the
      adhesion process since addition of fibronectin and type IV collagen, or of
      purified antibodies to fibronectin and types I and IV collagen, did not affect
      PMA-induced PMN adhesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879436
TI  - Differential response of cultured rabbit articular chondrocytes (RAC) to
      transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta)-evidence for a role of serum factors.
AB  - We show that addition of TGF-beta (0.01-10 ng/ml) to proliferating rabbit
      articular chondrocytes in presence of low level of fetal calf serum (FCS, 2%)
      results in a sustained decrease of cell number and DNA synthesis up to 72 h. In
      contrast, incubation with high serum concentration (10% FCS) induces a transient
      increase of cell number after 48 h without elevation of DNA synthesis. Moreover,
      when the factor is added in 10% FCS-containing medium, a differential effect is
      observed at 48 h (either increase or decrease of cell number) depending on the
      serum level (2 or 10%) present between 24 and 48 h. Recruitment of cells in late
      S-phase occurred under TGF-beta-treatment in both 2 and 10% FCS. These arrested
      cells may then be released by further exposure to 10% FCS-containing medium. The
      data show that factor(s) from the serum modulate(s) the action of TGF-beta on
      chondrocyte proliferation. Addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to the
      cultures in presence of 2% FCS mimicks the effects observed with 10% serum,
      suggesting that the serum component(s) involved in the mechanism could be of EGF
      type.

PMID- 1879437
TI  - Conversion of a rabbit proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) into a cell monolayer:
      ultrastructural study of cell dedifferentiation and redifferentiation.
AB  - The evolution of a primary culture of kidney proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
      cells was followed step by step from the plating time of an isolated tubule to
      the 39th day of culture. During the first 48 h, the structural remodeling of PCT,
      leading to the formation of a cell monolayer without cell division, is
      accompanied by intracytoplasmic changes indicating cell dedifferentiation.
      Numerous autophagic vacuoles are observed inside the cells, and the
      ultrastructural features characteristic of in situ PCT cells are progressively
      lost. Despite these drastic modifications, cell polarity, as observed by
      immunocytochemical detection of the leucine aminopeptidase, remains unaltered.
      Starting at 48 h, the peripheral cells divide, and the culture proliferates in a
      centrifugal direction while newly formed cells differentiate. From 6 days
      onwards, glycogen granules, never encountered in in situ PCT cells, appear in
      cultured cells and progressively accumulate. At the optimal stage of the culture
      (12-17 days old), cells somewhat resemble PCT cells, but their apical brush
      borders remain rudimentary, and basal cytoplasmic interdigitations surrounding
      densely packed mitochondria are poorly developed. Subsequently, the cells become
      overloaded with glycogen and lipid inclusions and resemble degenerating cells.

PMID- 1879438
TI  - The effects of estramustine on metaphase and anaphase in DU 145 prostatic
      carcinoma cells.
AB  - The chemotherapeutic drug, estramustine, has been shown to cause the disassembly
      of microtubules via binding to microtubule-associated proteins. In this report,
      estramustine is shown to be a potent inhibitor of mitotic progression in the
      human prostatic carcinoma cell line, DU 145. Examination of individual living
      cells via video-enhanced differential interference contrast (DIC) optics shows
      that the drug delays the onset of anaphase, reduces anaphase spindle-pole
      elongation (anaphase B), and delays cytokinesis. In addition, immunofluorescent
      studies demonstrate that estramustine causes a rapid disorganization of the
      mitotic apparatus at significantly lower concentrations than those reported
      previously. Electron microscopic studies show that microtubule bundles are
      present in drug-treated mitotic cells in association with kinetochores and
      centrioles.

PMID- 1879439
TI  - Microtubule polarity in Sertoli cells: a model for microtubule-based spermatid
      transport.
AB  - Bundles of microtubules occur adjacent to ectoplasmic specializations (ESs) that
      line Sertoli cell crypts and support developing spermatids. These microtubules
      are oriented parallel to the direction of spermatid movement during
      spermatogenesis. We propose a model in which ESs function as vehicles, and
      microtubules as tracks, for microtubule-based transport of spermatids through the
      seminiferous epithelium. Microtubule polarity provides the basis for the
      direction of force generation by available mechanoenzymes. As part of a more
      general study designed to investigate the potential role of microtubule-based
      transport during spermatogenesis, we have studied the polarity of cytoplasmic
      microtubules of Sertoli cells. Rat testis blocks were incubated in a
      lysis/decoration buffer, with and without exogenous purified bovine brain
      tubulin. This treatment results in the decoration of endogenous microtubules with
      curved tubulin protofilament sheets (seen as hooks in cross section). The
      direction of curvature of the hooks indicates microtubule polarity; that is,
      clockwise hooks are seen when viewing microtubules from the plus to the minus
      end. We found that, in Sertoli cells, most of the hooks were orientated in the
      same direction. Significantly, when viewed from the base of the epithelium, hooks
      pointed in a clockwise direction. The clockwise direction of dynein arms on
      axonemes of sperm tails, in the same section, provided an internal check of the
      section orientation. Electron micrographs of fields of seminiferous epithelium
      were assembled into montages for quantitative analysis of microtubule polarity.
      Our data indicate that Sertoli cell cytoplasmic microtubules are of uniform
      polarity and are orientated with their minus ends toward the cell periphery.
      These observations have significant implications for our proposed model of
      microtubule-based transport of spermatids through the seminiferous epithelium.

PMID- 1879440
TI  - Effects of daunomycin on the microtubular network: a cytochemical study on a
      human melanoma cell line.
AB  - The interaction of daunomycin (DAU), an anthracyclinic antibiotic employed as
      antitumoral agent, with microtubules, has been investigated by cytochemical and
      morphological methods on a human melanoma cell line (H14). Results obtained
      indicated that DAU was able to modulate the microtubule reassembly in cells
      treated with colcemid; such an effect proved to be dose-dependent. In particular,
      it has been observed that a low dose of DAU (0.05 microM) seemed to favor the
      microtubule reassembly whereas a higher dose (0.10 microM) impaired this process.
      In addition, when the anthracyclinic antibiotic was employed together with
      colcemid, both the cell detachment and the depolymerization of microtubules
      induced by the mitotic poison were hampered. These effects were dose-dependent
      and were better accomplished when DAU was used at an equimolar or at higher dose
      than that employed for the antimicrotubular agent. Moreover, the treatment of
      cells with DAU alone induced the stabilization of the microtubules, making them
      more resistant to the action of antimicrotubular agents. This effect could in
      part explain the antagonistic action exerted by DAU against colcemid. These
      observations seem to confirm that the microtubular network is an important target
      involved in the mechanism of action of the anthracyclinic antibiotics.

PMID- 1879442
TI  - The EEC and radiopharmaceuticals.

PMID- 1879441
TI  - Exocytosis in living salivary glands: direct visualization by video-enhanced
      microscopy and confocal laser microscopy.
AB  - Although exocytosis is widely believed to involve granule movement, membrane
      fusion and the emptying of granule content, direct study of these processes has
      been difficult in living cells because of the limited resolution of conventional
      light microscopy. Using video-enhanced microscopy and confocal laser microscopy,
      we have now studied these processes in living rat parotid and submandibular gland
      acinar cells. Under a differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope
      equipped with a CCD camera and a high speed image processor, secretory granules
      were in general stationary even after secretory stimulation with isoproterenol
      (IPR). Following IPR stimulation, however, there were abrupt changes in light
      intensity of secretory granules, and many granules disappeared. Confocal
      microscopy was then performed to confirm whether the observed changes in granules
      were related to membrane fusion and content release. For this, cells were
      perfused with the fluid-phase tracer Lucifer Yellow; confocal images thus
      obtained clearly demonstrated the appearance of fluorescence in omega-shaped
      invaginations of the apical plasma membrane which corresponded to the sites at
      which changes were observed in DIC images. The time sequence analyses of confocal
      images showed that there was a repetitive appearance and disappearance of omega
      shaped fluorescent foci at the apical plasma membrane until most of the granules
      were depleted. During this time, there did not appear to be any significant
      expansion of the apical plasma membrane and if endocytic uptake of the tracer
      occurred, it was below the limit of detection. These observations provide new
      insights into the exocytotic process in salivary glands and are at variance in
      some respects with previous interpretations made from electron microscopy.

PMID- 1879443
TI  - A method for measuring the absolute sensitivity of positron emission tomographic
      scanners.
AB  - A need exists to measure the absolute sensitivity of a positron emission
      tomographic (PET) scanner in units of counts.s-1.MBq-1. At present sensitivity is
      generally determined by measurement of a radionuclide of known concentration
      distributed in a water-filled cylindrical phantom, usually 20 cm in diameter. The
      measurement is confounded by self-attenuation of the source and scatter within
      the cylinder and does not give a true absolute sensitivity measurement. Due to
      variations in the magnitude and treatment of these factors, meaningful comparison
      between different manufacturer's scanners is difficult, as are comparisons
      between different acquisition geometries (e.g. with and without interplane septa
      present). A method has been developed in our laboratory that provides
      measurements of absolute sensitivity in air for a scanner independent of
      attenuation and scatter within the source. The method involves measurements of a
      thin-line source of fluorine 18 contained within an aluminium housing to which
      successive aluminium sleeves are added. The extrapolation of these measurements
      allows an effective counts.s-1.MBq-1 measurement to be made for zero thickness of
      aluminium. Measurements have yielded absolute sensitivities of 3926 +/- 61
      counts.s-1.MBq-1 (0.39% efficiency), 5079 +/- 26 counts.s-1.MBq-1 (0.51%), and
      32312 +/- 544 counts.s-1.MBq-1 (3.2%) for a whole-body PET scanner with
      interplane septa and for a NeuroPET operating with and without interplane septa,
      respectively.

PMID- 1879444
TI  - Technetium-99m carboxymethylcellulose: a newly developed fibre marker for gastric
      emptying studies.
AB  - We report a study of technetium-99m-labelled carboxymethyl-cellulose (99mTc-CMC)
      as a newly developed non-digestible marker of the solid phase of gastric
      contents. The radiosynthesis is simple and shows a high labelling efficiency. In
      vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated stability of the marker in the
      gastrointestinal tract during the process of gastric emptying. The gastric half
      emptying time in ten healthy volunteers of both sexes was 105 +/- 17 min (mean +/
      SD). This rate of gastric emptying is similar to that of non-digestible solid
      phase markers such as in vivo labelled 99mTc-chicken liver or radio-iodinated
      cellulose. In comparison with digestible solid-phase markers such as 99mTc
      labelled pancake or 99mTc-cooked egg, gastric emptying of 99mTc-CMC occurred more
      slowly, confirming the expected behaviour of a non-digestible solid-phase marker.
      We conclude that 99mTc-CMC has the advantage of a simple and rapid labelling
      procedure and may be useful for clinical studies of gastric emptying.

PMID- 1879445
TI  - Normalisation of glomerular filtration rate measurements.
AB  - The result of a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurement on a particular
      patient is of limited use to the referring physician since normal GFR values vary
      widely with the patient's age and build, etc. To overcome this problem, it is
      usual to normalise the measured GFR by dividing it by the patient's surface area
      and multiplying the result by the surface area of a 'standard' man. This
      transforms the measurement onto a scale which applies to all patients, young and
      old, large and small, where normal values fall within a well-defined range and
      where the degree of renal impairment can be quantified. We have examined the
      generally accepted surface area (SA) and the less well-known extracellular volume
      (ECV) normalisation methods of GFR measurements in a series of 110 patients. The
      results show that both methods produce essentially the same result; however, ECV
      normalisation is theoretically more correct, can be found directly without the
      patient's ECV being measured and does not require the use of empirical formulae.
      Mathematical justification for ECV normalisation is presented, and a proposed
      distribution pattern for the normalised measurement is introduced. A simple
      mathematical model shows that accurate GFR measurements can be made in the
      presence of an enlarged ECV, but normalisation of these will produce misleading
      low values.

PMID- 1879446
TI  - Comparison of technetium 99m polyclonal human immunoglobulin and technetium 99m
      monoclonal antibodies for imaging chronic osteomyelitis. First clinical results.
AB  - The accuracy of technetium-99m human immunoglobulin (HIG) for the detection of
      chronic osteomyelitis (OM) was compared with white blood cell scintigraphy using
      99mTc-labelled monoclonal mouse antibodies (MAB). Seventeen patients suspected of
      having OM in 20 lesions went through three-phase skeletal scintigraphy, HIG
      scintigraphy and MAB scintigraphy. The final diagnosis was established by open
      surgery, histology and bacteriology. Chronic OM was proved in 14/20 lesions. Six
      of these 14 infections were located in peripheral areas without active bone
      marrow and 8/14 in central areas with active bone marrow. In peripheral OM, 5/6
      with HIG and 6/6 with MAB were true positives. In the central skeleton all 8/8
      infections appeared as cold lesions in the MAB study, which were defined as being
      false negative due to their non-specificity. Using HIG, 5/8 central infections
      were determined to be truly positive by showing photon-rich lesions. These 5
      lesions were located in the hip region and in the pelvis, whereas 3 lesions of
      the spine were missed. There were no false-positive results in either studies. In
      conclusion, MAB was superior to HIG in peripheral OM concerning sensitivity,
      anatomical landmarks and differentiation of soft tissue versus bone infection. In
      central OM MAB detected all lesions accurately, but no differential diagnosis was
      possible due to the non-specificity of photon-low areas. In this respect HIG
      seems to be more specific due to the increased accumulation even in central
      infection sites.

PMID- 1879448
TI  - Importance of intra-therapy single-photon emission tomographic imaging in
      calculating tumour dosimetry for a lymphoma patient.
AB  - The dosimetry for two, similarly sized tumours in a lymphoma patient being
      treated with non-bone marrow ablative, monoclonal antibody therapy is reported.
      The 45-year-old man was infused with 2.48 GBq (67 mCi) of 131I-labelled MB-1.
      Prior to therapy, a time series of diagnostic conjugate-view images and a
      radionuclide transmission scan were obtained and processed to obtain time
      activity curves. Starting 2 days after the therapeutic infusion of radioactivity,
      a second conjugate-view time series was obtained. At that time, a quantitative
      single-photon emission tomography (SPET) acquisition was also carried out. Pre-
      and post-therapy X-ray computed tomography scans demonstrated a percentage
      reduction in volume for the right tumour which was 3.8 times that for the left
      tumour. In contrast, diagnostic conjugate views by themselves estimated the
      absorbed dose to be the same for the two tumours. Addition of therapy conjugate
      view data increased the right-over-left ratio but only to 1.22. Normalizing
      either time-activity series by the intra-therapy SPET results increased the ratio
      to greater than 1.5. We assume here that a differential dose is correct according
      to the differential tumour shirnkage. One can further assume that the largest
      ratio corresponds most certainly to the most accurate dosimetric method. Other
      assumptions are possible. While additional study is essential, data from this
      patient suggest that the preferred dosimetric method is intra-therapy SPET
      normalization of either time series.

PMID- 1879449
TI  - [25th meeting of the German Society for Electron Microscopy together with the DGE
      work groups cryo-electron microscopy, electron microscopic surface imaging and
      analysis, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Darmstadt, 1-7 September 1991.
      Abstracts].

PMID- 1879450
TI  - Ninth meeting of the Italian Association for Cell Biology and Differentiation.
      Cefalu (Palermo), 30 September-3 October 1991. Abstracts.

PMID- 1879447
TI  - Radionuclide therapy revisited.
AB  - Apart from its use in endocrinology and rheumatology, therapeutic nuclear
      medicine is developing rapidly as an additional treatment modality in oncology.
      Many different specific tumour-seeking radiopharmaceuticals are being applied
      both for diagnostic scintigraphy and treatment, using multiple routes and
      mechanisms to target radionuclides at tumours. After a brief introduction of some
      basic principles of radionuclide targeting, the therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals
      available are reviewed according to the accumulation site in relation to the cell
      nucleus; the results of their current clinical use for therapy are also reviewed.
      The response observed to a number of these applications, the non-invasiveness of
      the procedure and the relative lack of toxicity and late effects in comparison
      with chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy make radionuclide therapy an
      attractive and realistic alternative in the management of malignant disease, as
      well as in the treatment of a few benign disorders.

PMID- 1879451
TI  - Cold ischemic and reperfusion injury in a model of small bowel transplantation in
      the rat.
AB  - Following 0, 5, or 18 h of cold ischemia in the University of Wisconsin or Sacks'
      solution syngenic small bowel transplantation was performed to the renal vessels.
      Mucosal injury during ischemia or at reperfusion was evaluated microscopically
      using a grading scale from 0 to 8. The series subjected to small bowel
      transplantation without cold ischemia showed superficial damage to the tips of
      the villi (median grade 2) with no further exacerbation at reperfusion and
      complete healing 24 h thereafter. Moderate villous injury (median grade 3) was
      demonstrated following 5 h of cold ischemia. This injury was exacerbated to grade
      4 (p less than 0.05) following reperfusion but was almost completely healed 24 h
      later. Grade 4 tissue injury was seen following 18 h of cold ischemia without
      further exacerbation at reperfusion and no clear tendency to healing 24 h later.

PMID- 1879452
TI  - Effects of thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor on postischemic liver injury in
      rats.
AB  - This study was designed to clarify the mechanism of a reversal of the ischemia
      induced decrease in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in relation to the changes in
      liver blood flow. All vessels to the left and median lobes were occluded for 15
      or 30 min and then reperfused for 15 or 30 min, respectively. Ischemia led to a
      significant decrease in the ATP level. ATP levels recovered fully after 30 min of
      reperfusion following 15 min of occlusion. However, a significantly low ATP level
      was observed even after 30 min of reperfusion following 30 min of occlusion.
      Premedication with CV-4151 (5 mg/kg, i.v.), a thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthetase
      inhibitor, significantly improved the recovery of ATP levels after 30 min of
      reperfusion following 30 min of occlusion. Liver blood flow was restored fully
      immediately after reperfusion following 15 min of occlusion. In contrast a
      significantly low liver blood flow was observed after 30 min of reperfusion
      following 30 min of occlusion. Premedication with CV-4151 accelerated the
      recovery of liver blood flow after reperfusion. Morphological studies revealed
      that microthrombi were formed during ischemia, and CV-4151 mitigated the
      formation of microthrombi. These results indicate that the formation of
      microthrombi, which might be associated with TXA2 synthesis during ischemia,
      inhibited the restoration of liver blood flow, which might be responsible for the
      obstruction of the recovery of ATP.

PMID- 1879453
TI  - Energy metabolism of porcine liver during a 72-hour hypothermic perfusion with UW
      solution.
AB  - Porcine livers were preserved for 72 h using continuous hypothermic perfusion
      with UW solution and fluorocarbon emulsion (FC-43). They were then recirculated
      with human blood for 2 h at 37 degrees C for the evaluation of their viability.
      During hypothermic perfusion and recirculation, the main metabolites of the
      perfusate and adenine nucleotide concentrations were measured in order to examine
      the energy metabolism of the livers. This study revealed that hypothermically
      perfused livers, which mainly utilize endogenous fatty acids as an energy
      substrate during this time were adequately preserved for 72 h. In terms of energy
      metabolism, it is suggested that when using the method of continuous hypothermic
      perfusion with UW solution and FC-43, the administration of adequate amounts of
      certain fatty acids might prolong the preservation period.

PMID- 1879454
TI  - Partial replacement of the oesophageal muscle layers by a carbon-fibre
      prosthesis.
AB  - In the present study we report on the surgical replacement of the thoracic
      portion of oesophageal muscularis by a synthetic carbon fibre (CF) prothesis in a
      rabbit model. Our results, as corroborated by the oesophagograms and the post
      operative weight gain, showed that this prothesis functioned satisfactorily for
      up to 6 weeks observation period. When the observation period was extended to 12
      and 24 weeks after surgery, dilatation of the oesophagus at the prosthetic site
      was observed. All animals tolerated this dilatation and survived their intended
      observation period in good condition. In all these animals the body weight loss
      of -11.23 +/- 3.97% (p = 0.005) noted during the 1st week after the operation
      stopped and the body weight returned to its preoperative level within 3 weeks, as
      in the control groups. When the CF protheses were wrapped with a non
      biodegradable polyurethane ether material with an elasticity of 19.2 g/mm, all
      rabbits died within 3 weeks or had to be sacrificed because of complications due
      to stagnation of food. In these rabbits the body weight decreased dramatically by
      -27.40 +/- 5.41% (p less than 0.001). In any similar future studies using the
      rabbit model, the post-operative body weight should provide a simple, sensitive
      and reliable monitoring tool for the functional assessment of the reconstructive
      procedure.

PMID- 1879455
TI  - Effect of local hemostatics on platelet aggregation.
AB  - The platelets play an important role in the normal hemostasis, and it is known
      that both natural and synthetic macromolecules may induce platelet activation and
      aggregation. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the
      platelet aggregating effect of five different local hemostatics. Platelet
      aggregation was assessed by aggregometry. Unwoven fleece of bovine collagen
      polymer in fibrillar form induced aggregation in combination with small amounts
      of platelet agonists; ADP and adrenaline. Ordinary, nonabsorbable bone wax also
      induced aggregation in combination with the agonists, but larger concentrations
      of agonists were needed. Bioerodible polyorthoester with physical properties such
      as bone wax, oxidized cellulose and gelatin sponge did not promote platelet
      aggregation.

PMID- 1879456
TI  - A new surgical model of acute liver failure in the pig: experimental procedure
      and analysis of liver injury.
AB  - In this research, the effects of portocaval shunt plus 70% partial hepatectomy
      were evaluated in 11 pigs. Hepatic coma and death from progressive liver failure
      occurred in 5 pigs between 14 and 64 h from surgery, whereas 3 pigs, which also
      showed symptoms of progressive liver failure, died of presumed gastric hemorrhage
      between 17 and 19 h after surgery. In 3 pigs, transient liver failure was
      followed by complete recovery, as judged by clinical, electroencephalographic and
      biochemical parameters. No case of death occurred among the pigs treated with
      portocaval shunt alone or 70% partial hepatectomy alone as controls. This new
      model for acute liver failure is reproducible, seems to be potentially
      reversible, causes death due to hepatic failure after a time period sufficiently
      long to allow for the institution of support procedures, is applied to a large
      animal and lacks relevant biohazard. Therefore, this model may be used to
      evaluate possible support procedures during acute liver failure.

PMID- 1879457
TI  - Effects of long-acting superoxide dismutase on liver metabolism after major
      hepatic resection in rats with cirrhosis.
AB  - The aim of this study is to clarify the liver metabolic changes after major
      hepatic resection. The survival rate after 70% hepatectomy of rats with cirrhosis
      was significantly depressed compared with that of the control group.
      Mitochondrial function in the cirrhotic liver was disturbed compared with the
      control group. Tissue levels of hypoxanthine and xanthine increased both in the
      cirrhotic group and the control group. The increase in xanthine levels was
      remarkable and was prolonged in the cirrhotic group compared with the control
      group. Decreases in adenine nucleotides were observed after resection both in
      normal and cirrhotic livers. These were remarkable and were prolonged in rats
      with cirrhosis. Administration of polyoxyethylene-modified superoxide dismutase
      improved the survival rate and lessened decreases in adenine nucleotide levels.
      Moreover, it accelerated the recoveries of serum glutamic oxaloacetic and pyruvic
      transaminase levels after resection in rats with cirrhosis. These results
      indicate that disturbances in energy metabolism and increases in oxygen free
      radical formation are more remarkable in the cirrhotic liver than in the normal
      liver, which contributes to a low survival rate in rats with cirrhosis.

PMID- 1879458
TI  - Early indicators of allograft rejection in a porcine pancreatic transplantation
      model.
AB  - Urine cytology and blood lymphocyte blastogenesis were evaluated as indicators of
      allograft rejection in a porcine pancreatic transplantation model. The percentage
      of activated lymphocytes and/or blasts was significantly increased during the
      rejection phase. Positive cytology was present in all rejection episodes. An
      increased thymidine uptake of blood lymphocytes and a decreased uridine/thymidine
      uptake quotient were seen prior to the onset of rejection. The reported
      dissociation of anionic and cationic trypsin levels in serum and urine after
      transplantation was not seen after simple urinary diversion of the pancreatic
      juice. This supports the hypothesis that a decreased synthesis of cationic
      trypsinogen compared with anionic trypsinogen occurs after porcine pancreatic
      transplantation.

PMID- 1879459
TI  - Interaction of mianserin, amitriptyline and haloperidol with guinea pig cerebral
      histamine H2 receptors studied with [125I]iodoaminopotentidine.
AB  - Tricyclic antidepressants were previously shown to potently inhibit the histamine
      induced activation of H2 receptors linked to adenylate cyclase in cerebral
      membranes, and this effect was postulated to represent the mechanism of their
      therapeutic activity. However, these drugs were found to be much less potent (up
      to more than hundred-fold) at H2 receptors mediating cyclic AMP responses in
      intact cells. We have presently assessed whether this large difference in potency
      of antidepressants, also observed with haloperidol, results from a modified
      pharmacological specificity of the H2 receptor according to the medium
      composition. We have studied the binding of [125I]iodoaminopotentidine (125I-APT)
      to striatal or hippocampal membranes under various experimental conditions. At
      equilibrium the Kd of 125I-APT, a highly selective ligand for H2 receptors, was
      six times higher in a supplemented Tris buffer used for adenylate cyclase assays
      in cell-free systems than in a Krebs-Ringer medium used in studies with intact
      cells. The medium composition also variously affected the Ki values of the four
      compounds studied amitriptyline, mianserin, haloperidol and tiotidine. Whereas
      the Ki value of amitriptyline was little affected, that of the other compounds
      was four to five times lower in the supplemented Tris buffer than in the Krebs
      Ringer medium. With the exception of tiotidine, the Ki values of other compounds
      in the binding test performed in this medium, were intermediate between those
      derived from the antagonism of histamine-induced cyclic AMP responses in
      membranes and intact cells. These data indicate that the difference between the
      two test responses is diversely attributable to several factors according to the
      compounds, the main ones being medium composition and possibly cell disruption.

PMID- 1879460
TI  - Chronic mianserin treatment decreases 5-HT2 receptor binding without altering 5
      HT2 receptor mRNA levels.
AB  - Rats were injected with 15 mg/kg (i.p.) mianserin or vehicle (saline) for 4, 10
      or 21 days and 5-HT2 receptor binding and mRNA levels measured. Treatment with
      mianserin induced a substantial decrease in 5-HT2 radioligand binding (44-59%
      decrease; P less than 0.05 vs. control). No changes in the amount of 5-HT2 or, as
      a control, beta-actin mRNAs were found (P greater than 0.05 vs. control). These
      results indicate that mianserin decreases 5-HT2 radioligand binding without
      altering steady-state 5-HT2 mRNA levels.

PMID- 1879461
TI  - Quisqualate and carbachol-induced increases in intrasynaptosomal free calcium are
      mediated by different products of phospholipid hydrolysis.
AB  - The mechanisms by which quisqualate and carbachol increase intrasynaptosomal free
      calcium ([Ca2+]i) were studied in rat cortical synaptosomes. Quisqualate (0.01
      100 microM) and carbachol (100-1000 microM) increased [Ca2+]i in Fura-2
      acetoxymethyl ester (Fura-2 AM)-loaded synaptosomes. The resting level of [Ca2+]i
      was 118 nM. The maximum increase (55%) was produced by 10 microM quisqualate
      which had an EC50 of 0.2 microM. The maximum increase (28%) elicited by carbachol
      occurred at 1000 microM and the EC50 was 30 microM. The stimulatory effects of
      quisqualate on [Ca2+]i were blocked by heparin (100 I.U.) but not by
      staurosporine (1 microM), nifedipine (1 microM) or omega-conotoxin fraction GVIA
      (omega-CgTx) (0.5 microM). On the other hand, the effects of carbachol on [Ca2+]i
      were abolished by staurosporine, nifedipine or omega-CgTx but not by heparin.
      Carbachol (100 microM) also significantly increased 45Ca accumulation into either
      resting or K+ (30 mM)-depolarised synaptosomes and these effects were inhibited
      by staurosporine and nifedipine. Quisqualate (10 microM) had no effect on 45Ca
      accumulation under resting or depolarised conditions. When quisqualate and
      carbachol were used in combination, there were apparently additive effects on
      [Ca2+]i but not on 45Ca accumulation. It is concluded that carbachol increases
      [Ca2+]i by facilitating Ca2+ entry through L-type Ca2+ channels via a 1,2
      diacylglycerol (DAG)-protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway while quisqualate
      mobilizes Ca2+ from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive stores.

PMID- 1879462
TI  - DNA strand break metabolism in human lymphocytes: a reevaluation.
AB  - Recent findings concerning the presumed existence of single-strand breaks (SSB)
      in quiescent human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) are discussed in relation
      to the role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in DNA strand break metabolism. It is
      argued that the activation of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (ADPRP) by a DNA
      damaging agent is not indicative of an obligatory role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation
      in DNA repair. From this it follows that SSB induced by different strand-breaking
      agents might be removed by either ADPRP-dependent or ADPRP-independent DNA repair
      pathways.

PMID- 1879463
TI  - Effects of type-beta 1 transforming growth factor on the proliferation and
      differentiation of mouse myelomonocytic leukemia cells (M1).
AB  - Murine myelomonocytic leukemia M1 cells have been used to examine the effects of
      type-beta 1 transforming growth factor (TGF-beta 1) on cellular proliferation and
      differentiation in monocyte-macrophage lineage. TGF-beta 1 inhibited immature M1
      cell growth due to a general slowdown of the cell cycle, without arrest at any
      specific point. Ten nanograms per milliliter TGF-beta 1 completely suppressed
      phagocytic activity and adhesion to the dish surface and partially inhibited the
      expression of Fc receptors and vimentin during the differentiation of M1 cells
      induced by IL-6. IL-6-induced declines in the expression of c-myc mRNA and in the
      accumulation of G0/G1 cells were also partially blocked by TGF-beta 1. When
      treated concurrently with IL-6 and TGF-beta 1, approximately 50% of M1 cells were
      morphologically converted to promonocyte or monocyte-like cells, which did not
      exhibit the characteristics of mature macrophages. Although pretreatment with TGF
      beta 1 also inhibited the IL-6-induced phagocytic activity, this inhibition was
      reversible. Once TGF-beta 1 was removed from the culture medium after 72 h of
      incubation with IL-6, the kinetics of differentiation induced by IL-6 were faster
      in pretreated cells than in nonpretreated cells. TGF-beta 1 appears to inhibit
      the IL-6 induced conversion of M1 cells at the intermediate stage of monocytic
      differentiation.

PMID- 1879464
TI  - Marked stimulation of growth and motility of human keratinocytes by hepatocyte
      growth factor.
AB  - Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on normal human epidermal keratinocytes
      cultured under conditions of low Ca2+ (0.1 mM, growth-promoting condition) and
      physiological Ca2+ (1.8 mM, differentiation-promoting condition) was
      investigated. In low Ca2+, HGF markedly enhanced the migration of keratinocytes
      while it suppressed cell growth and DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. In
      contrast, HGF enhanced the migration, cell growth, and DNA synthesis of
      keratinocytes cultured under conditions of physiological Ca2+. The maximal
      stimulation of DNA synthesis (2.4-fold stimulation) in physiological Ca2+ was
      seen at 2.5-5 ng/ml HGF and the stimulatory effect of HGF was suppressed by
      transforming growth factor-beta 1. Analysis of the HGF receptor using 125I-HGF as
      a ligand showed that human keratinocytes expressed a single class of specific,
      saturable receptor for HGF in both low and physiological Ca2+ conditions,
      exhibiting a Kd = 17.3 pM and approximately 690 binding sites/cell under
      physiological Ca2+. Thus, HGF is a potent factor which enhances growth and
      migration of normal human keratinocytes under conditions of physiological Ca2+.
      HGF may play an important role in epidermal tissue repair as it enhances both the
      migration and growth of keratinocytes.

PMID- 1879465
TI  - 4-Hydroxynonenal reduces junctional communication between endothelial cells in
      culture.
AB  - The effect of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), a lipid peroxidation product, on junctional
      communication (JC) among cultured vascular endothelial cells was assessed by both
      study of the transfer of microinjected 6-carboxyfluorescein between neighboring
      cells and measurement by a "cut-loading and dye transfer" technique. Both methods
      indicated that at concentrations higher than 10(-9) M and testing times between 6
      and 8 h HNE reduces endothelial cell junctional communication. At 10(-8) M, a
      gradual development of HNE effect appears during 6-8 h of exposure but is
      followed by a slow recovery completed at 20 h. The reduction in junctional
      communication is not produced by the inhibition of protein synthesis, as tested
      by radiolabeled leucine incorporation. The HNE effect might be relevant to
      pathological processes in which lipid peroxidation is associated with
      uncontrolled cell proliferation, as in atherogenesis and promotion of
      carcinogenesis by chronic inflammation.

PMID- 1879466
TI  - Both cross-links and monoadducts induced in DNA by psoralens can lead to sister
      chromatid exchange formation.
AB  - The relative importance of DNA-DNA cross-links and bulky monoadducts in sister
      chromatid exchange (SCE) formation was investigated in three human fibroblast
      cell lines with different repair capabilities. These cell lines included normal
      cells, which can repair both classes of lesions; xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)
      cells, which cannot repair either psoralen-induced cross-links or monoadducts;
      and an XP revertant that repairs only cross-links and not monoadducts. SCEs were
      induced by two psoralen derivatives, 4'-hydroxymethyl-4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen
      (HMT) and 5-methylisopsoralen (5-MIP). After activation with long-wave
      ultraviolet light, HMT produces cross-links and monoadducts in DNA, whereas 5-MIP
      produces only monoadducts. In normal human cells both psoralens induced SCEs, but
      if cells were allowed to repair for 18 h before bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) was
      added for SCE analysis, the SCE frequency was significantly reduced. XP cells
      showed an SCE frequency that remained high regardless of whether SCEs were
      analyzed immediately after psoralen exposure or 18 h later. In the XP revertant
      that repairs only cross-links, both psoralens induced a high yield of SCEs when
      BrdUrd was added immediately after psoralen treatment. When XP revertant cells
      were allowed 18 h to repair before addition of BrdUrd, the SCEs induced by HMT
      were greatly reduced, whereas those induced by 5-MIP were only slightly reduced.
      These observations indicate that both cross-links and monoadducts are lesions in
      DNA that can lead to SCE formation.

PMID- 1879467
TI  - TGF beta elicits opposite responses in clonal subpopulations of NRK-49F cells.
AB  - Clonal subpopulations of NRK-49F cells were isolated and characterized for their
      responses to transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta). Two fibroblastic clones,
      N1 and N4, were found to have opposite TGF beta responses. TGF beta inhibits EGF
      induced proliferation in growth-arrested, subconfluent monolayer cultures of N1
      but not N4 cells. In contrast, TGF beta stimulates DNA synthesis and an increase
      in cell number in N4 but not N1 cells. The inhibitory effect of TGF beta on DNA
      synthesis in N1 cells is due not to modulation of the EGF receptor or other early
      G1 events. EGF-induced myc mRNA accumulation is not inhibited, and the action
      point for TGF beta inhibition of the entry into S of N1 cells is at the G1-S
      boundary.

PMID- 1879468
TI  - Comparative effects of cytosine arabinoside and a prostaglandin E2 antagonist,
      AH6809, on chondrogenesis in serum-free cultures of chick limb mesenchyme.
AB  - The present study was designed to compare effects of an established inhibitor of
      cell proliferation and growth, cytosine arabinoside (Ara C), with that of a
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) antagonist, AH6809, on chondrogenesis in cultured
      mesenchyme derived from stage 25 chick limb buds. Continuous treatment of cell
      cultures with 10(-4) M AH6809 prevented completely the twofold increases in DNA
      content of control cultures which occurred between Day 1 and Day 5 of culture and
      also produced 90% inhibition of chondrogenesis occurring in control cultures
      during this same period. Treatment of cells with Ara C (0.1-0.5 microgram/ml)
      produced equivalent inhibition of DNA content during the same time period;
      however, chondrogenesis, as evaluated on Day 5 of cell culture, remained at
      approximately 90% of control cultures. These results indicate that the inhibitory
      effect of PGE2 receptor blockade on cell growth in these cultures cannot account
      for the potent inhibitory effects observed on differentiation of cartilage and
      provide further evidence in support of the notion that PGE2 plays an important
      initiating role in the process of chondrocyte differentiation within limb
      mesenchyme.

PMID- 1879469
TI  - Effects of sodium butyrate on the rearranged c-myc expression in mouse
      plasmacytoma cells.
AB  - The expression of c-myc mRNA was examined after 4 h of sodium butyrate treatment
      in a mouse plasmacytoma (MPC) cell line (S194). Steady-state levels of rearranged
      c-myc mRNA were suppressed by the agent in S194 cells. Run-on assay demonstrated
      that the suppression of the rearranged c-myc mRNA in the MPC was correlated with
      the transcriptional downregulation of the gene. The suppression was also
      accompanied by the reduced DNase I sensitivity of the gene. These findings
      suggest that the rapid downregulation of c-myc mRNA by sodium butyrate is subject
      to regulation at the transcriptional level following the alteration of the DNase
      I sensitive chromatin structure in mouse plasmacytoma cells.

PMID- 1879470
TI  - Restoration of daunomycin retention in multidrug-resistant P388 cells by
      submicromolar concentrations of SDZ PSC 833, a nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporin
      derivative.
AB  - Overexpression of P-glycoprotein may cause increased efflux of a variety of
      anticancer drugs (ACD) leading to multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumor cells. Two
      sublines of murine monocytic leukemia P388 cells were used, one parental (Par
      P388) and one multidrug resistant (MDR-P388). In cell growth inhibition assays in
      vitro, the Par-P388 cells showed a normal sensitivity to daunomycin (DAU) while
      the MDR-P388 cells were 200-fold resistant. In cellular fluorescence assays, DAU
      retention in MDR-P388 cells reached only 5% of the level achieved in Par-P388
      cells. This cell line pair was used to compare the nonimmunosuppressive
      cyclosporin analog PSC 833 with several resistance-modifying agents (RMAs) for
      their in vitro chemosensitizing activity and for their restoration of DAU
      retention. PSC 833 sensitized the MDR-P388 cells 60- and 140-fold when used at
      0.1 and 0.3 micrograms/ml (0.08 and 0.25 microM), respectively, a complete
      restoration of sensitivity being obtained at 1.0 micrograms/ml PSC 833. Similarly
      as little as 0.1 micrograms/ml (0.08 microM) PSC 833 was sufficient to restore
      intracellular DAU retention to 60% of the level found in Par-P388 cells, a 3-fold
      higher concentration restoring virtually the whole DAU retention. For both these
      activities, PSC 833 was at least one order of magnitude more active than CsA,
      which was itself an order of magnitude stronger than verapamil, another RMA
      already used in clinic. Since PSC 833 had no effect on the PAR-P388 cells,
      neither on chemosensitization nor on drug retention, it is assumed that it acts
      on the P-glycoprotein, which is highly expressed on the membrane of the MDR-P388
      cells, by inhibiting the function of the P-glycoprotein pump and thus restoring a
      normal ACD-sensitivity of the MDR-P388 cells.

PMID- 1879471
TI  - Mammary organoids from immature virgin rats undergo ductal and alveolar
      morphogenesis when grown within a reconstituted basement membrane.
AB  - We have recently described a primary culture system which allows for extensive
      proliferation and functional differentiation of immature mammary epithelial
      cells. Herein, these findings are extended to demonstrate that a distinct pattern
      of ductal and alveolar morphogenesis can be induced within the mammary organoids
      isolated from virgin female rats and cultured within an Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm
      sarcoma-derived reconstituted basement membrane under defined serum-free
      conditions. The lobular and multilobular organoids that emerged resemble the
      alveoli of the mammary gland in gross form, multicellular architecture, and
      cytologic and functional differentiation, while the ductal organoids expressed
      characteristics typical of mammary gland ducts in vivo. The epithelial cells
      within the alveolar- and duct-like organoids displayed the capability of
      secreting two morphologically distinct milk products, casein and lipid, into the
      luminal compartment. The expression of histiotypic morphogenesis and mammary
      specific functional differentiation by the cultured mammary organoids proceeded
      in the absence of a morphologically distinct basal lamina. We illustrate that
      development highly reminiscent of that which naturally occurs in the mammary
      gland in vivo can be induced and supported in vitro under defined serum-free
      conditions. In addition, the methodologies are available to simultaneously
      monitor mammary organoid morphogenesis, growth, and functional differentiation.
      This system should serve as a unique model in which the regulation of branching
      morphogenesis, development, gene expression, and transformation can be examined.

PMID- 1879472
TI  - Inhibition of murine melanoma cell-matrix adhesion and experimental metastasis by
      albolabrin, an RGD-containing peptide isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus
      albolabris.
AB  - Albolabrin, a 7.5-kDa cysteine-rich protein isolated from the venom of
      Trimeresurus albolabris, contains the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) cell
      recognition sequence found in many cell adhesion-promoting extracellular matrix
      proteins, such as fibronectin and laminin. Albolabrin belongs to a family of RGD
      containing peptides, termed disintegrins, recently isolated from the venom of
      various vipers and discovered to be potent inhibitors of both platelet
      aggregation and cell-substratum adhesion. Here we report that albolabrin
      inhibited the attachment of B16-F10 mouse melanoma cells to either fibronectin or
      laminin absorbed on plastic. When immobilized on plastic, albolabrin promoted B16
      F10 melanoma cell attachment; this was inhibited by either RGD-serine (RGDS) or
      antibodies to integrins, suggesting that albolabrin binds via its RGD amino
      sequence to integrin receptors expressed on the melanoma cell surface. In an in
      vivo experimental metastasis system, albolabrin at a concentration of 300-600 nM
      inhibited C57BL/6 mouse lung colonization by tail vein-injected mouse melanoma
      cells and was at least 2000 times more active than RGDS in this assay. We propose
      that albolabrin inhibits tumor cell metastasis by inhibiting integrin-mediated
      attachment of melanoma cells to RGD-containing components of the extracellular
      matrix in the mouse lung.

PMID- 1879473
TI  - Laminin synthesized by stationary and migrating rat liver epithelial cells lacks
      the A chain.
AB  - The expression of laminin chains was analyzed in normal and Ha-ras1-transformed
      rat liver epithelial cells. The normal, nontumorigenic cells were induced to
      migrate by epidermal growth factor, whereas the Ha-ras1-transformed, malignant
      derivatives migrate constitutively. None of these cells express a typical (EHS
      like) laminin A chain. Immunoprecipitation of [35S]-methionine-labeled liver cell
      lysates with an antibody against EHS-laminin revealed B1 and B2 chains and, in
      addition, two high Mr polypeptides. These polypeptides were not recognized by the
      antibody in immunoblots, suggesting that they might constitute alternative
      laminin A chains. Analysis of the expression of all three laminin chains at the
      RNA and protein level revealed that the pattern of expression of the stationary
      cells does not differ from that of the migratory ones and is also not influenced
      by epidermal growth factor. These results indicate that expression of a typical
      laminin A chain by rat liver epithelial cells is not required for the secretion
      and deposition of the protein in the extracellular matrix. The data also indicate
      that an EHS-like laminin A chain is not required for the migration of these
      epithelial cells.

PMID- 1879474
TI  - Expression of carbohydrate binding protein 35 in human fibroblasts: variations in
      the levels of mRNA, protein, and isoelectric species as a function of replicative
      competence.
AB  - We have compared the expression and localization of carbohydrate binding protein
      35 (CBP35) in human SL66 fibroblasts of different replicative capacities. When
      serum-starved, quiescent young (passage 11, corresponding to approximately 18
      cumulative population doublings) SL66 cells were treated with serum, there was a
      marked stimulation in the expression of CBP35. This was revealed both by an
      increase in the percentage of cells positively stained with anti-CBP35 under
      immunofluorescence and by an increase in the amount of the protein in
      immunoblots, as well as by an increase in the level of accumulated mRNA in
      Northern blots. The rise in the expression of CBP35 in proliferating cells was
      manifested most clearly in the nuclear fraction, with elevation in the levels of
      the nonphosphorylated (pI8.7) protein, as well as the phosphorylated (pI8.2)
      derivative. In contrast, older (passage 27-35, 55-68 cumulative population
      doublings) cultures of SL66 fibroblasts appear to have lost the normal
      proliferation-dependent regulation of CBP35 expression. The level of CBP35 was
      high in quiescent high-passage cells and decreased somewhat after serum
      stimulation. Furthermore, the unphosphorylated (pI 8.7) form of the lectin could
      not be detected in either the nucleus or the cytoplasm of high-passage SL66
      cells. Finally, the level of the mRNA for CBP35 was high in quiescent cultures of
      high-passage cells, but undetectable 17 h after serum stimulation. These results
      establish that the expression of CBP35 becomes altered as human fibroblasts
      acquire reduced replicative capacity.

PMID- 1879475
TI  - Nonradioactive, sequence-specific detection of RNA in situ by primed in situ
      labeling (PRINS).
AB  - A new method for the detection of RNA in situ is presented. It is based on
      sequence-dependent annealing of unlabeled specific oligonucleotide primers to
      intracellular RNA and subsequent chain elongation catalyzed by reverse
      transcriptase. Under the conditions described, biotin-labeled nucleotides can be
      incorporated and the cDNA synthesized in situ can thus be detected using
      fluorescein-conjugated avidin. Compared to traditional in situ hybridization the
      use of short oligonucleotide primers has the potential advantage of being better
      to discriminate between closely related RNA transcripts. Compared to in situ
      transcription with radioactive precursors we find it more attractive to use
      fluorescein-conjugated avidin as detection system because it allows a more
      detailed study of cell and signal simultaneously.

PMID- 1879476
TI  - Congenital cataract following German measles in the mother. 1941.

PMID- 1879477
TI  - Laboratory diagnosis of rubella: past, present and future.

PMID- 1879478
TI  - A longitudinal study of natural infection of piglets with Streptococcus suis
      types 1 and 2.
AB  - Streptococcus suis types 1 and 2 were detected in nasal swabs taken from five
      litters of piglets sampled twice weekly from birth. The two types had been
      detected in all pigs by the time they were 38 and 25 days old respectively with
      mean ages of first detectable infection being 13.5 and 8.5 days. The prevalence
      of infection was not affected by housing conditions or the population density of
      pigs. Piglets originating from a sow with vaginal swabs positive for S. suis type
      2 were infected earlier than piglets from non-vaginal carriers. It is concluded
      that infection of piglets with S. suis type 2 may occur during the birth process.

PMID- 1879479
TI  - Incrimination of an environmental source of a case of Legionnaires' disease by
      pyrolysis mass spectrometry.
AB  - Following a case of Legionnaires' disease Legionella pneumophila of the same
      serogroup was isolated from the hot water system of the hotel which had been
      epidemiologically implicated as the source of the infection. Pyrolysis mass
      spectrometry (PyMS) was used to compare 11 isolates from the hotel water sample
      with the patient's strain. Epidemiologically unrelated isolates, both clinical
      and environmental, of the same serogroup and monoclonal antibody type of L.
      pneumophila were included in the same analysis, together with relevant reference
      strains. The patient strain was shown to be indistinguishable from seven of the
      hotel water isolates, but clearly different from other unrelated clinical
      isolates, the reference strains and some of the other environmental isolates.
      PyMS is a rapid and cheap method for inter-strain comparison for L. pneumophila.

PMID- 1879480
TI  - An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Gloucester.
AB  - Fourteen people living in or near the city of Gloucester fell ill with
      Legionnaires' disease caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup (SG) 1 between
      27 August and 27 October 1986. Another patient had fallen ill on 30 May. Nine of
      the 15 were diagnosed retrospectively during a case finding exercise. There were
      three deaths. Three cases of Pontiac fever were also diagnosed. The source was
      probably one or more wet cooling towers. Nineteen premises in the city with such
      towers were identified, and three just outside Gluocester. Samples from 11 of the
      22 premises grew Legionella spp.; from nine of these L. pneumophila SG 1
      (Pontiac) was isolated. The efficacy of regular addition of biocide in addition
      to hypochlorite added at the time of disinfection in inhibiting the growth of
      Legionella spp. was demonstrated. A survey of patients' movements during their
      likely incubation period showed that there was no single building that all
      patients had visited, but there were two areas of the city which nearly all had
      visited or passed through by car. A case-control study demonstrated an
      association with one of these areas. Cooling towers near both areas may have been
      sources but the evidence is insufficient to incriminate any single one. The
      unexpected finding of L. pneumophila SG 1 (Pontiac) in nine towers supports the
      hypothesis that there may have been multiple sources. Cooling towers may have
      been contaminated by mains water or by drift from other towers.

PMID- 1879481
TI  - Antigens recognized by the human immune response to severe leptospirosis in
      Barbados.
AB  - Serum samples obtained from patients hospitalized in Barbados with severe
      leptospirosis were tested by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), enzyme
      immunoassay (EIA) and immunoblotting with leptospires that had been isolated from
      these patients. While serum samples taken a few days after onset of symptoms
      often showed no apparent correlation between MAT and EIA, later sequential serum
      samples produced similar profiles in both tests during the course of infection.
      Immunoblotting sonicate from Leptospira interrogans serovars arborea, copenhageni
      and bim with patients' sera, revealed reactions with a number of bands that
      corresponded with outer envelope components. These components included
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS), flagella and other outer membrane proteins, in addition
      to a low-molecular-weight (MW) carbohydrate cross-reactive with members of the
      Leptospiraceae. IgM antibodies elicited in the first to second week after
      infection reacted mainly with LPS and the low-MW cross-reactive carbohydrate.
      Comparative analysis of isolates of the same serovar by sodium dodecyl sulphate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting showed that while two
      serovar arborea isolates were identical, serovar bim isolates differed
      significantly from each other. This difference was also observed in comparative
      MAT testing.

PMID- 1879483
TI  - Cockroaches (Blattella germanica) as carriers of microorganisms of medical
      importance in hospitals.
AB  - A study was conducted to isolate and identify microorganisms of medical
      importance from cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and to ascertain their vector
      potential in the epidemiology of nosocomial infections. Bacteria, fungi and
      parasites of medical importance were isolated and identified. Important bacterial
      pathogens responsible for wound infections, were further studies by antibiograms.
      One hundred and fifty-eight out of 159 (99.4%) cockroaches collected from
      hospital (test) and 113 out of 120 (94.2%) cockroaches collected from residential
      areas (control) were carrying medically important microorganisms (P less than
      0.05). significantly higher (P less than 0.001) number of test cockroaches were
      carrying a higher bacterial load (1 x 10(4) and 1 x 10(5] as compared to control
      cockroaches. Multiple drug-resistant bacterial were isolated from test
      cockroaches. The diversity of drug-resistant bacterial species isolated from test
      cockroaches suggests their involvement in the transmission of drug-resistant
      bacteria. Various fungi and parasitic cysts of medical importance were also
      isolated from the test and control cockroaches, but the carriage rates were low.
      The findings suggest that cockroaches, in hospitals, can act as potential vectors
      of medically important bacteria/parasites/fungi.

PMID- 1879482
TI  - Rubella vaccines: past, present and future.

PMID- 1879484
TI  - The prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis and other Salmonella sp. among Canadian
      registered commercial chicken broiler flocks.
AB  - A nation-wide survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella
      enteritidis and other salmonellas among Canadian commercial broiler flocks.
      Environmental (litter and/or water) samples from 226 of 294 (76.9%) randomly
      selected flocks were contaminated with salmonellas. Litter samples were more
      often contaminated with salmonellas than water samples (47.4 v. 12.3%). Fifty
      different salmonella serovars were isolated. The most prevalent serovars were S.
      hadar, S. infantis, and S. schwarzengrund; they were isolated from samples of
      98/294 (33.3%), 26/294 (8.8%), and 21/294 (7.1%) flocks, respectively. Feed
      samples of 39/290 (13.4%) flocks were contaminated with salmonellas. Salmonella
      enteritidis was isolated from the environmental samples of 9/294 (3.1%) flocks.
      Salmonella enteritidis phage type (PT) 8 was isolated from seven flocks, and PT
      13a from two flocks.

PMID- 1879485
TI  - Gentamicin-resistant Salmonella typhimurium phage type 204c: molecular studies
      and strain diversity in a putative bovine outbreak.
AB  - As part of the investigation of a putative bovine outbreak, 13 isolates of
      Salmonella typhimurium phage type 204c were subjected to plasmid analysis.
      Plasmid profiles suggested that several distinct strains were involved and these
      observations were supported by minor variations in antibiotic resistance pattern.
      Restriction enzyme fingerprinting and conjugational segregation of the plasmids
      confirmed these findings. Although 12 of the 13 isolates were resistant to
      gentamicin, resistance was conferred by 4 distinct plasmids; 3 of these belonged
      to Inc I and were distantly related on the basis of restriction fingerprints and
      the fourth was a resistant derivative of the 60 MDa S. typhimurium serotype
      specific plasmid. The molecular evidence refuted the hypothesis that geographical
      and temporal clustering of these gentamicin-resistant isolates could be explained
      on the basis of a single epidmiological episode.

PMID- 1879486
TI  - Genetic diversity among toxigenic and nontoxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated
      from the Western Hemisphere.
AB  - Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to examine genetic relationships among
      and between toxigenic and non-toxigenic isolates of Vibrio cholerae O1 obtained
      from patients and the environment in the US Gulf Coast and surrounding areas. A
      total of 23 toxigenic and 23 non-toxigenic strains were examined. All the
      toxigenic and 7 of the non-toxigenic strains had the same alleles at 16 enzyme
      loci, whereas the balance of the nontoxigenic strains had 9 distinct combinations
      of alleles. This study suggests that all of the toxigenic strains belong to a
      single clone, and that while some of the non-toxigenic isolates were related,
      most were of diverse origin.

PMID- 1879487
TI  - The isolation of Listeria species from fresh-water sites in Cheshire and North
      Wales.
AB  - We report a study to determine the presence of Listeria species in surface
      waters. One hundred ml volumes of 30 water samples taken from 21 different sites
      were analysed. Most of the samples examined were from ponds and lakes. Listeria
      species were isolated on eight (27%) occasions, six of these isolates were L.
      seeligeri, one was L. innocua and one L. welshimeri. Although not statistically
      significant, coliform and Escherichia coli counts were higher in waters that were
      positive than were negative for Listeria spp. It is suggested that the low
      isolation rate of listeria in this study reflects the fact that most waters
      examined did not receive sewage outfalls. Water sports activities are unlikely to
      be a risk factor for listeriosis.

PMID- 1879488
TI  - Rubella in the United Kingdom.

PMID- 1879489
TI  - Rubella in Europe.

PMID- 1879490
TI  - Rubella in the United States: toward a strategy for disease control and
      elimination.

PMID- 1879491
TI  - Rubella in the developing world.

PMID- 1879492
TI  - Civil war and the spread of AIDS in Central Africa.
AB  - Using ordinary least squares regression techniques this paper demonstrates, for
      the first time, that the classic association of war and disease substantially
      accounts for the presently observed geographical distribution of reported
      clinical AIDS cases in Uganda. Both the spread of HIV 1 infection in the 1980s,
      and the subsequent development of AIDS to its 1990 spatial pattern, are shown to
      be significantly and positively correlated with ethnic patterns of recruitment
      into the Ugandan National Liberation Army (UNLA) after the overthrow of Idi Amin
      some 10 years earlier in 1979. This correlation reflects the estimated mean
      incubation period of 8-10 years for HIV 1 and underlines the need for cognizance
      of historical factors which may have influenced current patterns of AIDS seen in
      Central Africa. The findings may have important implications for AIDS forecasting
      and control in African countries which have recently experienced war. The results
      are compared with parallel analyses of other HIV hypotheses advanced to account
      for the reported geographical distribution of AIDS in Uganda.

PMID- 1879493
TI  - A large outbreak of gastroenteritis associated with a small round structured
      virus among schoolchildren and teachers in Japan.
AB  - In March 1989 a large outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred simultaneously
      among schoolchildren and teachers at nine elementary schools in Toyota City,
      Japan. Illness was observed in 3236 (41.5%) of 7801 schoolchildren and 117
      (39.4%) of 297 teachers. The main clinical symptoms were diarrhoea, vomiting,
      nausea and abdominal pain. Gastroenteritis was significantly associated with the
      consumption of school lunch served by one particular lunch preparation centre.
      One food handler at the centre suffered from gastroenteritis during the outbreak.
      Small round structured virus (SRSV) was detected in 4 of 8 stool specimens from
      sick persons. The school lunch contaminated by the infected food handler is the
      most probable source of this outbreak due to SRSV.

PMID- 1879494
TI  - Actin filaments in the photoreceptor cilium of the rds mutant mouse.
AB  - An actin filament meshwork was recently demonstrated within the ciliary axoneme
      at the base of the photoreceptor outer segment (OS) in rat retina. Individual
      filaments of a uniform polarity extended from the cilium and entered into the
      bottom of the OS disc stack where they associated with the plasma membrane in the
      region of new disc assembly. This and other studies have indicated that an actin
      mediated mechanism may regulate OS disc morphogenesis. The homozygous rds mouse
      exhibits an absence of OS formation, although cilia do develop and opsin is
      contained within the ciliary plasma membrane. The rds abnormality is believed to
      result from a defect in OS disc assembly. Immunogold labeling has shown that
      actin is situated within the distal end of rds photoreceptor cilia, as well as in
      the distal cilium of normal mice prior to the onset of OS differentiation.
      However, anti-actin antibodies do not distinguish between monomer and filamentous
      actin. In the current study, neural retinas from rds and control mice were
      permeabilized with saponin, incubated with myosin subfragment-1 (S-1), and
      prepared for electron microscopy. Following this treatment, a meshwork of myosin
      S-1 decorated actin filaments could be observed within the axoneme in the distal
      end of each rds photoreceptor cilium. As in normal visual cells, actin filaments
      exited the axoneme by passing between pairs of microtubule doublets. These
      filaments had the correct polarity, with all arrowheads pointing toward the
      axoneme, and they associated with the ciliary plasma membrane in the region where
      OS disc morphogenesis would normally occur. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879495
TI  - Temporary impairment of Muller cell metabolism in the rat retina by intravitreal
      injection of fluorocitrate.
AB  - Fluorocitrate was injected in the vitreum of rats in order to define the
      experimental conditions for a temporary impairment of Muller cell metabolism in
      the retina. Injection of 16 nmol of fluorocitrate appeared to fulfil this
      requirement since this dose resulted in a large decrease in retinal endogenous
      glutamine and a smaller decrease in glutamate within 6 hr of administration. The
      reversible nature of the effect was attested by a substantial recovery of the
      retinal levels of the two amino acids within 24 hr of injection. In vitro
      experiments of carbon incorporation from different substrates, carried out with
      retinas dissected from eyes previously injected with fluorocitrate, were
      consistent with a metabolic impairment of glial cells, since carbon incorporation
      from [14C]acetate into glutamine was almost completely abolished in the
      fluorocitrate-treated retinas. Electron microscopic examination in fluorocitrate
      poisoned retinas demonstrated essentially selective ultrastructural alterations
      of Muller cells at times corresponding to their maximal metabolic impairment.
      Since Muller cells are by far the largest glial population of the rat retina,
      common astrocytes being only scattered in the nerve fibre layer, the present
      experimental model may be used to study the role of Muller cells in the
      metabolism of retinal neurotransmitters.

PMID- 1879496
TI  - Glutathione and related indices in rat lenses, liver and red cells during
      riboflavin deficiency and its correction.
AB  - Biochemical changes in lenses and at other sites in adult rats were investigated
      during the induction and correction of riboflavin deficiency. Riboflavin
      deficient (D), 1-day-repleted (R1), 2-days-repleted (R2), 16-days-repleted (R3),
      food-restricted, weight-matched controls (CFR) and ad libitum-fed controls (CAL)
      were compared. Activation coefficients of erythrocyte and lens glutathione
      reductase, which became abnormal in the deficient (D) animals, were corrected to
      varying extents in the repleted (R) groups. Hepatic flavin concentrations were
      lowered in the groups with raised glutathione. Inter-group differences in hepatic
      glutathione concentrations were not simply related to tissue flavin depletion or
      its reversal, but were complicated by changes in liver: body-weight ratios. Inter
      group differences in lenticular glutathione levels were very small. In both liver
      and lens, sorbitol concentrations were lowest in group R3 and highest in groups
      D, R1 and R2. Lens ascorbate levels and the lens enzymes, aldose reductase,
      sorbitol dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, were not
      significantly affected by diet. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were
      increased in riboflavin-deficient rat lenses but were lowered in riboflavin
      deficient plasma samples. The results suggest overall that while riboflavin
      deficiency may affect certain biochemical indices, such as sorbitol and
      thiobarbituric-reactive substances, in the lens and other tissues, these changes
      are not the result of lowered glutathione levels. They also clearly demonstrate
      the importance of inanition as a confounding factor in the interpretation of
      changes resulting from riboflavin deficiency in experimental animals.

PMID- 1879497
TI  - Insulin and IGF-I binding in developing chick neural retina and pigment
      epithelium: a characterization of binding and structural differences.
AB  - We have characterized insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) binding
      sites in developing chick retina and pigment epithelium (10- and 14-day
      embryonic, and 2-week post-hatched). For comparison, binding sites in brain and
      liver were also examined. Both the retina and pigment epithelium (PE) contain
      separate, specific, high affinity binding sites for insulin and IGF-I. In both
      tissues, IGF-I binding exceeds insulin binding by two to threefold. Insulin and
      IGF-I binding in the retina is four to six times greater than in PE. Insulin and
      IGF-I binding in the retina and PE exhibit independent developmental regulation.
      In the retina, the number of binding sites decreases by approximately 50% between
      embryonic day 10 and 2 weeks post-hatching. In the PE, binding decreases slightly
      between embryonic day 10 and 14 and then, in the 2-week post-hatched chick,
      increases threefold. Insulin receptor binding subunits in the retina and brain
      are similar in that both are neuraminidase insensitive and have apparent
      molecular weights of 116 kD. In contrast, binding subunits in the PE and liver
      have higher molecular weights (about 126 kD), and are sensitive to neuraminidase.
      At the embryonic stages examined, the levels of retinal insulin and IGF-I binding
      exceed those of the brain by five to 13-fold. Taken together, these data suggest
      that the retina is a major target of insulin and IGF-I and that the binding of
      these growth factors is developmentally regulated.

PMID- 1879498
TI  - One member of the gamma-crystallin gene family, gamma s, is expressed in birds.

PMID- 1879499
TI  - Age-dependent changes in resistivity and electrolytes related to lens development
      and growth in the rat.
AB  - Alterations in resistivity measurements of lens homogenates, lens percent water
      and cation concentrations of sodium and potassium show a complex pattern in the
      Sprague-Dawley rat during lens development and maturation. During the neonatal
      period, the data provide evidence for three distinct periods: days 5-12, a pre
      critical maturation period (pre-CMP), a steep decline in cation concentration and
      a minimal change in percent water were accompanied by an expected sharp rise in
      resistivity; days 12-16, critical maturation period (CMP), a further decrease in
      ion concentration and water was concomitant with the unexpected observation of no
      significant change in resistivity; and days 16-30, post-CMP, no significant
      changes were observed for cation concentrations, percent water, or resistivity.
      From 30 to 100 days, an adult nuclear maturation period (NMP), a decrease in
      cation concentration and percent water was reflected in a rise in resistivity. A
      comparison of 100 and 500 day lenses revealed that the concentrations of Na and
      K, and percent water are essentially unchanged. The K/Na ratio, which had
      decreased from an initial value of 5.9 at 5 days, stabilized at approximately 4
      by day 100. A comparison of the resistivity measured in both lens homogenates and
      KCl solutions at identical molar strengths revealed that, for the ages studied,
      ion concentration and ion mobility play important roles in determining this
      parameter. The underlying cause for age related variations in lens susceptibility
      to cataractogenic insult is most likely related to complex changes in composition
      and resistivity which undoubtedly reflect adjustments in molecular organization.
      The proposition that the lens is a 'free flowing' syncytium of cells appears
      unwarranted.

PMID- 1879500
TI  - The 1990 Endre Balazs Lecture. Effects of some neuropeptides on the uvea.
AB  - This lecture summarizes studies on the effects of some of the neuropeptides which
      seem to be present in somatosensory and autonomic nerves in the uvea. Release of
      these peptides is likely to explain nerve induced effects in the eye which are
      not due to classical transmitters. Trigeminal nerve fibres in the eye seem to
      contain substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and
      cholecystokinin (CCK), parasympathetic nerve fibers from the facial nerve seem to
      contain vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and peptide with histidine and
      isoleucine terminals (PHI), and sympathetic nerves seem to contain neuropeptide Y
      (NPY). Retrograde trigeminal nerve stimulation in rabbits causes hyperemia,
      miosis, a breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier to plasma proteins and a rise in
      intraocular pressure (IOP). There is release of SP and CGRP or related peptides.
      The miosis seems to be due to SP and the other effects to CGRP and small amounts
      of arachidonic acid metabolites released by the peptides. SP has no miotic effect
      in monkeys and cats. However, CCK is a potent miotic in monkeys and causes
      contraction of the human pupillary sphincter muscle. It has no such effect in the
      lower species. The effect of CCK in primates seems to derive from the presence of
      CCK receptors of the A-type on the pupillary sphincter muscle, and can be blocked
      by lorglumide. Miosis can be produced in cats by the peptide endothelin; this
      effect is due to release of arachidonic acid metabolites. Facial nerve
      stimulation causes vasodilation in the uvea of rabbits, cats and monkeys. The
      effect cannot be abolished by muscarinic blocking agents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT
      250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879501
TI  - Comparative histogenesis of Bruch's membrane (complexus basalis).
AB  - We documented the comparative histogenesis and timing of development of Bruch's
      membrane (complexus basalis) in five mammalian models with different lengths of
      gestation. Retinas with attached choroid from the central posterior pole of the
      eye were obtained from hamster, vole, rabbit, ferret and cat, from mid-gestation
      onward until the time at which all components of Bruch's membrane could be
      detected. The sequence of events in the development of Bruch's membrane was
      similar among species, however the time of appearance of the components varied.
      At mid-gestation, the basement membrane of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)
      was present to some degree in all species and microfibrils were developing in the
      connective tissue space external to the RPE basement membrane. The appearance of
      an initially scant endothelial basement membrane around the choriocapillaries
      occurred on post-natal (P) day 1 (P1) in hamster, pre-natal (E) day 20 (E20) in
      vole, E16 in rabbit, P2 in ferret, and E48 in cat. Among the microfibrils within
      the connective tissue space external to the RPE, electron-dense islands presumed
      to be elastin were detected on P7 in hamster, P9 in vole, E24 in rabbit, P19 in
      ferret, and P1 in cat. Relative to birth date and eye opening, the components of
      Bruch's membrane in the ferret were detected at a later date than that of the
      other species studied. However, relative to the interval from conception to the
      appearance of the components of Bruch's membrane, the ferret and cat are similar,
      paralleling their similar intervals from conception to eye opening.

PMID- 1879502
TI  - Development of light-evoked changes of the interphotoreceptor matrix in normal
      and RCS rats with inherited retinal dystrophy.
AB  - The interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) has recently been shown to undergo a change
      in distribution following the transition between light and dark [IPM light
      response: Uehara et al., (1990 b) Science 248, 1633-36]. In the present study,
      the development of light-evoked IPM changes has been examined histochemically in
      the retinas of normal and Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats with inherited
      retinal dystrophy between the ages of post-natal day (P) 12 and 40. In normal
      rats at P12 and P14, the IPM was uniformly and intensely stained with the
      colloidal iron reaction in both light- and dark-adapted retinas. The capacity of
      the IPM to undergo the light-evoked distributional change shown previously in
      adults appeared between P14 and P16. At P16 and older ages, the IPM in light
      adapted rats was concentrated in bands at the apical and basal regions of the
      outer segment zone, whereas the IPM remained uniformly stained in dark-adapted
      rats. In RCS rats, the light-evoked change developed at the same age as in normal
      rats, although it was lost between P20 and P25. Correlations of the time of onset
      and loss (in RCS rats only) of the light-evoked IPM distributional change with
      other developmental events suggest that mature, organized photoreceptor outer
      segments are necessary for the IPM light response to occur, and that in RCS rats
      the disruption of the IPM light response may contribute to the characteristic
      accumulation of IPM in the basal outer segment zone and photoreceptor cell death
      in this form of retinal degeneration.

PMID- 1879503
TI  - Interaction and aggregation of lens crystallins.
AB  - Crystallins of the normal eye lens have a specific structure that maintains lens
      transparency. This structure reportedly arises from a short-range order. The age
      related post-translational changes and high molecular weight (HMW) aggregation
      disrupt the normal structure and decrease lens transparency. In the current
      study, we have carried out fluorescence measurements (polarization and extrinsic
      probe binding) in an attempt to understand protein interaction and aggregation.
      Based on polarization measurements of dansyl chloride (DCl) labeled gamma
      crystallin, there is a hetero-interaction among crystallins (alpha-gamma, beta
      gamma, etc.) but no self-interaction in gamma-crystallin (gamma-gamma) (less than
      30 mg ml-1). Alpha-crystallin is rich in hydrophobic region and possibly has a
      self-interaction through hydrophobic interaction. Hydrophobic probes, ANS (1
      anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid) and DPH (1,6-diphenyl 1,3,5-hexatriene)
      measurements show that alpha-crystallin is a very hydrophobic protein. HMW alpha
      crystallin appears to be even more hydrophobic, indicating that the post
      translational unfolding exposes more hydrophobic groups which facilitate HMW
      aggregation. The HMW aggregation results from highly hydrophobic proteins which
      tend to become thermodynamically more stable.

PMID- 1879504
TI  - The effect of white light exposure on the rabbit eye lens as measured by
      fluorophotometry and spectrophotometry.
AB  - Fluorophotometry and spectrophotometry of the rabbit lens were performed after
      white light exposure to detect possible changes in the lens before damage could
      be seen by biomicroscopic slit lamp examination. In nine rabbits the lens of one
      eye was exposed to white light and that of the fellow eye was used as a control.
      The incident light power was 240 mW for 90 min on a lenticular area of 3 mm2.
      Slit lamp examination of lens and cornea prior to, 1 hr after and 2 days after
      light exposure did not reveal any sign of damage. The mean in vivo
      autofluorescence ratio between exposed lens and non-exposed fellow lens was found
      to increase significantly from 1.0 +/- 0.08 S.D. (n = 9) before exposure to 3.3
      +/- 0.8 S.D. (n = 9; P less than 0.004) 1 hr after exposure and hereafter to
      decay exponentially with a half time of 0.8 days to the ratio before exposure
      (correlation coefficient: -0.97, P = 0.0013). Three additional rabbits were
      exposed as described above with subsequent in vitro spectrophotometry of the
      lenses between 400 and 800 nm revealing an absorbance peak at 468 nm with a half
      width of 10 nm. The ratio between the absorbance peak of exposed lens and non
      exposed fellow lens was found to increase from 1.1 before exposure to 2.8 1 hr
      after exposure and then to decrease to 1.4 at 1 day after exposure. The
      corresponding autofluorescence ratios measured in vivo before spectrophotometry
      were 0.93, 2.6 and 1.5, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879505
TI  - Identification of prostaglandins and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids in kitten
      retina: comparison with other species.
AB  - Conversion of arachidonic acid to eicosanoids by kitten retinae was investigated
      to evaluate whether the pattern of kitten retinal eicosanoids simulates that
      found in the human and other animal species. Freshly isolated kitten retinae were
      incubated with 20 microM radiolabeled arachidonic acid, and the metabolites were
      analysed by reverse phase-high pressure liquid chromatography, thin-layer
      chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Kitten retinal tissues
      converted arachidonic acid into prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxane (Tx) and
      hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). The major eicosanoid identified was 6kPGF1
      alpha--the stable non-enzymatic hydrolysis product of prostacyclin. Other
      eicosanoids identified included TxB2, PGE2, PGF2 alpha, 12-hydroxy
      heptadecatrienoic acid, 12-HETE, and 15-HETE. The spectrum of kitten retinal
      cyclooxygenase metabolites is similar to those obtained from bovine retina and
      human retinal vascular endothelium with prostacyclin being the major
      cyclooxygenase metabolite produced.

PMID- 1879506
TI  - Glycation-induced crosslinking of calf lens crystallins.
AB  - To investigate the possible role of glycation in the onset of diabetic cataract
      we used calf lens crystallins as a model. After incubation with reducing sugars,
      the proteins were investigated by high-pressure gel permeation chromatography,
      SDS-PAGE and analytical ultracentrifugation. Glucose-6-phosphate incubation
      resulted in an increase in mean molecular weight of all crystallin fractions and
      the occurrence of high-molecular weight material, partly formed by disulphide
      bonds. The glycated crystallins showed a decrease of tryptophan fluorescence and
      an increase of a specific non-tryptophan fluorescence. This fluorescence was,
      however, not exclusively associated with the high molecular weight protein, but
      was present in all protein fractions.

PMID- 1879508
TI  - Immune reactions against rabies viruses--infection and vaccination.

PMID- 1879507
TI  - Thrombin is a stimulator of retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation.
AB  - Two preparations of bovine thrombin were found to stimulate DNA synthesis in
      cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. DNA synthesis was assessed by
      both [3H]thymidine incorporation into TCA precipitable material and nuclear
      labeling with [3H]thymidine. Cultures grown in the presence of thrombin for 48 hr
      showed a significant increase in cell number. When the concentrations of the two
      thrombin preparations were normalized for clotting activity, they had almost
      identical dose-response curves and both caused a tenfold maximal stimulation of
      [3H]thymidine incorporation. The EC50 for the preparation with higher specific
      activity was 20 ng ml(-1). Hirudin, a specific high affinity inhibitor of
      thrombin, completely blocked the mitogenic effect. When a maximally effective
      concentration of thrombin was used in combination with maximally effective
      concentrations of other growth factors (insulin, acidic fibroblast growth factor,
      platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor), they were found to be
      strongly synergistic in stimulating DNA synthesis. These data suggest that
      thrombin may act as an endocrine mediator of retinal pigment epithelial cell
      proliferation and participate in normal and exaggerated ocular wound healing.

PMID- 1879509
TI  - A comparative study of cultured vascular and lymphatic endothelium.
AB  - There is comparatively little knowledge of the structure and function of cultured
      lymphatic endothelium. A study was carried out to compare the intrinsic growth
      characteristics of cultured lymphatic endothelial cells with cultured endothelial
      derived from blood vessels. It was found that cultured lymphatic endothelium has
      growth requirements and growth characteristics similar to vascular endothelium.
      It also possesses FVIIIRA and Weibel-Palade bodies for specific identification.
      The results of this study have provided important base line data for subsequent
      studies of the pathobiology of lymphatic endothelium.

PMID- 1879510
TI  - Nephrotoxic effects of diethylene glycol (DEG) in rats.
AB  - Diethylene glycol (DEG) is a widely used substance with various risks of
      intoxication. In adult rats influences of DEG on functional parameters are
      characterized, indicating early signs of nephrotoxicity. A dose dependent
      proteinuria, an oliguric effect, an increased excretion of free hydrogen ions and
      a compensated impairment of renal tubular transport processes can be stated
      (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ml DEG/100 g b.m. i.p.). Following a single dose of 0.5 ml
      DEG/100 g b.m. i.p. the maximally expressed nephrotoxic effect is measurable 4 to
      8 days after administration.

PMID- 1879511
TI  - Blood histamine level in rabbits experimentally immunized with soluble elastin.
AB  - Experimental immunization of rabbits with soluble porcine elastin was performed.
      An increase in histamine level in blood of immunized animals was observed.

PMID- 1879512
TI  - The diabetogenic and acidotropic effects of chelators.
AB  - Diabetogenic and acidotropic effects of dithizone, 8-(p-toluenesulfonylamino)
      quinoline and 8-(benzenesulfonylamino)-quinoline were studied in experiments on
      cats, rabbits, golden hamsters and mice. Selective damage of insulin producing
      cells, phase glycemic fluctuations and permanent diabetes development were shown
      to be connected with chelator zinc binding in the lysosome-segregation apparatus
      of these cells.

PMID- 1879513
TI  - Gap junctional vesicles in the neointimal smooth muscle cells of balloon injured
      carotid artery.
AB  - After balloon injury of the carotid artery in the rat, gap junctional vesicles
      were frequently detected in neointimal smooth muscle cells. They represent
      spherical structures confined by pentalamellar membrane containing a fine
      filamentous and granular material inside. Since gap junctional vesicles are not
      typical for the medial smooth muscle cells their occurrence in the intimal cells
      may be related to their secretory function and/or proliferative capacity.

PMID- 1879514
TI  - Influence of vasoactive substances on uremic bleeding in rats.
AB  - Bleeding time is prolonged following resection of kidney tissue as well as after
      ureteral occlusion. Bilateral nephrectomy raises bleeding time from 17 to 67 min,
      and blood loss can be increased from 2 to 12 microliters/min. Plasmatic
      coagulation factors remain unchanged in uremic rats. There is no influence of
      various surgical interventions producing uremia on function of thrombocytes. In
      rats with intact kidney function and following bilateral nephrectomy a diminution
      of bleeding time is demonstrable after administration of histamine or captopril.
      Shortening of bleeding time by the antifibrinolytic substance p
      aminomethylbenzoic acid seems to indicate an increased fibrinolytic activity in
      uremic rats.

PMID- 1879515
TI  - Elastin and collagen content in the aorta of rabbits experimentally immunized
      with soluble elastin.
AB  - Experimental immunization of rabbits with soluble porcine elastin was performed.
      A statistically significant decrease in the level of insoluble elastin in the
      aorta of the immunized animals was observed. Estimations of soluble collagen
      fractions showed the rise of both salt-soluble and acid-soluble collagen in the
      aorta of rabbits immunized with soluble porcine elastin.

PMID- 1879516
TI  - Leptospiral antigens (L. interrogans serogroup ictero-haemorrhagiae) in the
      kidney of experimentally infected guinea pigs and their relation to the
      pathogenesis of the renal injury.
AB  - The search for leptospiral antigens (L. interrogans serogroup
      icterohaemorrhagiae) was carried out in 24 guinea pigs experimentally inoculated
      with 1 ml of culture containing 10(7)-10(8) leprospires and sequentially
      sacrificed from the first until the 6th day of infection. Semiquantitative
      analysis of histopathological variables comprising kidney interstitium, tubules
      and glomeruli was done in 1 micron sections of tissue embedded in
      glycolmetacrylate. Leptospiral antigen (LAg) and its glycolipoprotein (GLP)
      expression were detected through PAP in paraffin embedded tissue. The mild
      interstitial involvement of the kidney, manifested chiefly by oedema and focal
      interstitial nephritis seen at the 4th day, progressed to tubular damage at the
      6th day, characterized by either swelling or cytoplasmic acidophilia of
      epithelial cells with loss of cell cohesion and sloughing of cells into the
      tubular lumina. Brush border alterations and mitochondrial changes were observed.
      Endothelial cell injury was noted in the interstitial vessels. LAg expression was
      parallel to the kidney changes: small deposits of elongated forms of LAg were
      detected at the 4th day either within the vascular lumen or free in the
      interstitium. A rise in the antigen expression was observed at the 5th day when
      it was seen either around tubules or in their walls. LAg was detected inside the
      tubular lumina at the 6th day of infection when granular LAg and GLP were
      abundant. This sequence reproduces the pathway of leptospires in the kidney and
      the crescent amounts of antigens detected toward the end of the experiment, with
      antigen concentration in cases of major tissue damage suggesting a direct action
      of the microorganisms and/or their products in the pathogesis of the lesions.

PMID- 1879517
TI  - Lead induced ultrastructural changes in the testis of rats.
AB  - Oral lead administration (250 ppm lead acetate through drinking water) to weaning
      male rats for 70 days resulted in the marked accumulation of this metal in blood
      and testicular tissue. No marked changes were evident in light microscopy.
      Ultrastructural changes were revealed in the form of vacuolisation of Sertoli
      cell cytoplasm and increase in the number and size of lysosomes. Some of the
      vacuoles contained vesicle like structures. Although there was no impairment of
      spermatogenesis, the changes in the Sertoli cells may lead to changes in
      spermatogenesis after chronic exposure.

PMID- 1879518
TI  - The potency of amide protons for assignments of NMR spectra of carbohydrate
      chains of glycoproteins, recorded in 1H2O solutions.
AB  - Three glycoprotein N-glycans, namely, a disialylated diantennary carbohydrate
      chain linked to Asn, a monosialylated, fucosylated diantennary glycopeptide with
      bisecting N-acetylglucosamine, and a tetrasialylated, fucosylated tetra-antennary
      oligosaccharide, have been investigated by two-dimensional NOE and HOHAHA
      spectroscopy in 1H2O as solvent. The amide protons of all N-acetylglucosamine and
      sialic acid residues could readily be assigned. The large chemical-shift
      dispersion of the amide resonances of the N-acetylglucosamine residues, allowed
      the unambiguous assignment of every N-acetyl methyl signal, via strong NOEs.
      Subspectra could be obtained of all N-acetylglucosamine residues in HOHAHA
      spectra. These results have as main implication that several biologically
      important large glycans will now [corrected] become amenable for conformational
      studies by multidimensional NMR in 1H2O solution.

PMID- 1879519
TI  - Localization of surface peptide from ribosomal protein L7 on 80 S ribosome by
      biotinylation.
AB  - A surface topography of ribosomal peptides on ribosome particles was conducted by
      using N',Hydroxysuccinimido-biotin (NHS-biotin) modification. All rat ribosomal
      proteins, except proteins L3 and L8, are biotinylated when the ribosome particle
      is the substrate. A surface peptide from protein L7 was determined from
      biotinylated ribosomes by high performance liquid chromatography and cyanogen
      bromide peptide mapping. It was found that only the tandem repeats of the NH2
      terminal segment of protein L7 are accessible to biotinylation. It is concluded
      that the NH2-terminal-end of protein L7 should be exposed on the surface of
      ribosomal particles.

PMID- 1879520
TI  - Geometry of binding of the N alpha-tosylated piperidides of m-amidino-, p-amidino
      and p-guanidino phenylalanine to thrombin and trypsin. X-ray crystal structures
      of their trypsin complexes and modeling of their thrombin complexes.
AB  - The X-ray crystal structures of the complexes formed with bovine trypsin and the
      N alpha-tosylated piperidides of m-amidino-, p-amidino- and p-guanidino-D,L
      phenylalanine (3-TAPAP, 4-TAPAP and 4-TGPAP) were determined with data to 1.8 A
      resolution. The L-stereoisomer of 3-TAPAP binds as a compact entity into the
      active site of trypsin, with the amidino and the carbonyl groups of the central
      amidinophenylalanyl residue hydrogen-bonded to Gly216 of trypsin. According to
      modeling and energy minimization, 3-TAPAP fits perfectly in this conformation to
      the more restrictive thrombin active site also (Bajusz et al. (1978) Int. J.
      Pept. Prot. Res. 12, 217-221); the piperidine moiety extends into the cage-like
      S2 subsite of thrombin, but leaves room for additional substituents which might
      help to improve binding and pharmacological properties. In contrast, 4-TAPAP and
      4-TGPAP bind only weakly and in an extended conformation to trypsin; their
      considerably enhanced affinities for thrombin would suggest a more compact
      binding to thrombin.

PMID- 1879521
TI  - The role of lipid peroxidation products in cumene hydroperoxide-induced Ca2+
      efflux from mitochondria.
AB  - Cumene hydroperoxide-induced calcium release from mitochondria has been studied.
      Activation of lipid peroxidation by increasing concentrations of cumene
      hydroperoxide does not enhance calcium efflux induced by low (up to 50 microM)
      concentration of cumene hydroperoxide. It is concluded that cumene hydroperoxide
      induced calcium release depends mainly on processes coupled to hydroperoxide
      reduction by an endogenous enzyme system.

PMID- 1879522
TI  - Dynamics of the excited state of the primary electron donor in reaction centers
      of Rhodopseudomonas viridis as revealed by hole burning at 1.7K. Different
      conformational states.
AB  - The spectra of absorbance changes (delta A) due to the formation of P+Q- (P,
      primary electron donor, Q, primary quinone acceptor) at 1.7K in Rhodopseudomonas
      viridis reaction centers (RCs) excited at 1014 nm has been shown to include,
      besides a progression of broad (170-190 cm-1) Gaussian vibronic bands separated
      by 150 cm-1, a 'narrow' structure near 1014 nm which can be simulated by a
      Lorentian zero-phonon hole (ZPH) and Lorentian one-mode (26.8 cm-1) phonon wings.
      The widths of ZPH of approximately 17 cm-1 for delta A reflecting the formation
      of P+Q- decaying in the ms time domain and of 6.8 +/- 0.4 cm-1 for P+Q- decaying
      in the min time domain at 1.7K, seems to correspond to different conformations of
      RCs with a relaxation time of P* of approximately 0.6 ps (in agreement with
      measurements in this time domain) and 1.6 +/- 0.1 ps, respectively. The
      comparison of the spectra of delta A in the region of the BL band for slow (min)
      and fast (ms) decaying components suggests a different mutual arrangement of P
      and BL for different conformations of RCs. It is assumed that the broad and
      narrow structures of the P band reflect the transitions to two configurations
      with different P-protein interactions. 'Narrow' structure of delta A spectrum
      with essentially the same phonon wings and ZPH (width of 3.8 +/- 0.4 cm-1) was
      observed within the P band when HL was photoreduced at 1.7K.

PMID- 1879523
TI  - Evolutionary origin of numerous kringles in human and simian apolipoprotein(a).
AB  - Human apolipoprotein(a) has a great size heterogeneity and consists of 38 kringle
      domains in the amino terminal and a serine protease domain in the carboxyl
      terminal. All but one kringle of apolipoprotein(a) are homologous to the fourth
      kringle of plasminogen. However, the 38th kringle resembles the fifth kringle of
      plasminogen and its seems to have been deleted in simian species. The
      phylogenetic trees suggest that an ancestral apolipoprotein(a) may have started
      with a duplicate of a plasminogen type protein. It also implies that deletion of
      the three kringles in the amino terminus followed, and that one of the remaining
      two kringles was duplicated in both human and simian species and the other was
      processed by a deletion in simian species after species separation. Thus, the
      number of kringles in other mammals not yet studied may vary considerably from
      species to species.

PMID- 1879524
TI  - O-H stretching vibration in Fourier transform difference infrared spectra of
      bacteriorhodopsin.
AB  - FTIR difference spectroscopic studies of M intermediate and LA bacteriorhodopsin
      in the O-H stretching region show bands at 3671 and 3641 cm-1, respectively. The
      O-H stretching bands in this region may reflect protonation-deprotonation changes
      or environmental change in the tyrosine residues in bR.

PMID- 1879525
TI  - Inhibition of aspartic proteinases by propart peptides of human procathepsin D
      and chicken pepsinogen.
AB  - Two propart peptides of aspartic proteinases, the propart peptide of chicken
      pepsin and human cathepsin D, respectively, were investigated from the point of
      view of their inhibitory activity for a set of aspartic proteinases. These
      peptides display a very broad inhibitory spectrum. The strongest inhibition was
      observed for pepsin A-like proteinases where propart peptides can be used as
      titrants of active enzymes.

PMID- 1879526
TI  - Crystallographic investigations of the tryptophan-derived cofactor in the
      quinoprotein methylamine dehydrogenase.
AB  - A model of tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ), recently proposed by McIntire et
      al. (Science (1991) 252, 817-824) to be the prosthetic group of the quinoprotein
      methylamine dehydrogenase, has been compared with electron density maps of this
      dehydrogenase from Thiobacillus versutus and Paracoccus denitrificans. The
      comparison shows that the TTQ model can be neatly accommodated, providing strong
      supportive evidence that TTQ is indeed the cofactor for this group of
      quinoproteins.

PMID- 1879527
TI  - Purification and characterization of E37, a major chloroplast envelope protein.
AB  - We have purified to homogeneity E37, the second major polypeptide of the inner
      membrane of the chloroplast envelope. The protein was retained on a Mono S column
      at pH 7, indicating it is a basic protein. After cyanogen cleavage, the protein
      was partially sequenced at 2 different sites. The sequence is compared with the
      deduced amino acid sequence of a cDNA coding for a 37 kDa envelope polypeptide
      recently published by Dreses-Werringloer et al. (Eur. J. Biochem. (1991) 195, 361
      368.)

PMID- 1879528
TI  - Induction of differentiation of human leukemia cells by inhibitors of myosin
      light chain kinase.
AB  - Inhibitors of myosin light chain kinase, 1-(5-chloronaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1H
      hexahydro-1,4-diazepine hydrochloride (ML-9) and 1-(5-iodonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)
      1H-hexahydro-1,4-diazepine hydrochloride (ML-7), induced Nitroblue tetrazolium
      reducing activity, lysozyme activity and morphological maturation of human
      monoblastic U937, THP-1 and promyelocytic HL-60 cells, but not of erythroblastic
      K562 cells. However, three analogs of ML-9, which are an inhibitor and an
      activator of protein kinase C, and a calmodulin antagonist, respectively, did not
      induce differentiation of the cells.

PMID- 1879529
TI  - Uniform labeling of a recombinant antibody Fv-fragment with 15N and 13C for
      heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - The expression of functional antibody fragments in Escherichia coli enables a
      detailed analysis by NMR spectroscopy. This is demonstrated with the uniform
      labeling of an Fv-fragment (25 kDa) comprising the antigen binding site of an
      antibody against 2-phenyloxazolone with 15N and 13C. The antigen-complexed Fv
      fragment was analysed for a potential assignment by heteronuclear multi
      dimensional NMR spectroscopy. For almost all backbone amides 15N/1H crosspeaks
      and for 80% of them TOCSY crosspeaks were observed. In a 13C-edited-HCCH-2D
      experiment 17 out of 18 threonine spin-systems were identified. Thus detailed
      assignments are possible, but some amino acid specific labeling in addition to
      uniform labeling will be required for complete assignments of Fv-fragments.

PMID- 1879530
TI  - Low-density lipoproteins interact with liposome-binding sites on the cell
      surface.
AB  - Under physiological conditions significant amounts of low-density lipoprotein LDL
      particles ar taken up by cells independently of specific high-affinity LDL
      receptors (apo-B receptors). Previously it was established that some cells
      contain surface sites capable of binding liposomes. We proposed that liposome
      binding sites could contribute to LDL interaction with the cell surface via
      phospholipid molecules of LDL particles. To check this hypothesis we studied the
      competitive interaction of human LDL and DPPC liposomes with mouse embryo
      fibroblasts depleted of apo-B receptors by preliminary incubation with LDL. We
      have found that after removal of the liposome-binding sites from cell lamellae
      these areas of the cell surface lose their ability to bind LDL.

PMID- 1879531
TI  - Daily amylin replacement reverses hepatic glycogen depletion in insulin-treated
      streptozotocin diabetic rats.
AB  - In streptozotocin-diabetic rats treated with insulin replacement, liver glycogen
      is some 35% depleted. Five consecutive daily subcutaneous injections with amylin
      dose-dependently restored liver glycogen to normal levels. Significant increases
      over insulin-only therapy occurred with amylin doses of 10, 30 and 100
      micrograms/day, representing amylin: insulin ratios of 0.22, 0.75 and 2.79.

PMID- 1879532
TI  - Reversible expression of sm alpha-actin protein and sm alpha-actin mRNA in cloned
      cerebral endothelial cells.
AB  - The expression of smooth muscle (sm) alpha-actin was studied in cloned capillary
      cerebral endothelial cells of two phenotypes. Type I cells were cultured in
      medium containing 10% FCS, heparin and ECGS (or alpha-ECGF) and stained positive
      for a specific endothelial cell marker (Bandeiraea simplicifolia). Depletion of
      heparin and ECGS resulted in a smooth muscle-like appearance after 2-3 days.
      Cells of this phenotype, (type II) stained positive for the endothelial cell
      marker and for sm alpha-actin. In contrast to type I cells, type II cells
      expressed sm alpha-actin protein and mRNA as evidenced by Immunoblots and
      Northern blots. This phenotypic switch was shown to be reversible and so was the
      expression of sm alpha-actin.

PMID- 1879533
TI  - Penicillin acylase-catalyzed protection and deprotection of amino groups as a
      promising approach in enzymatic peptide synthesis.
AB  - Penicillin acylase from E. coli is able to catalyze both the introduction and the
      removal of the phenylacetyl group. We have established that phenylacetyl
      derivatives of amino acids and peptides can be used in protease-catalyzed peptide
      synthesis. Here the synthesis of leucine-enkephalin using enzymes for N-terminal
      amino group protection, peptide bond formation and deprotection is described.

PMID- 1879534
TI  - Complete down-regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor activity in human
      liver parenchymal cells by beta-very-low-density lipoprotein.
AB  - The effect of LDL and beta-VLDL on the expression of the LDL receptor is studied
      in cultured human parenchymal cells. The high affinity binding of [125I]LDL to
      cultured human parenchymal cells was down regulated to 37.3 +/- 2.9% and 24.0 +/-
      2.6% of the control value, after preincubation with LDL or beta-VLDL for 22 h,
      respectively. When LDL receptor synthesis was blocked at 22 h a residual receptor
      activity of 29% is noticed, indicating a half-life of LDL receptors in human
      parenchymal cells of 12 h. It is concluded that LDL receptor expression on human
      liver parenchymal cells is subject to complete down-regulation by beta-VLDL,
      which may be held responsible for the cholesterol-rich diet induced down
      regulation of LDL receptors, in vivo.

PMID- 1879535
TI  - Cerebellar granule cells in culture exhibit a ganglioside-sialidase presumably
      linked to the plasma membrane.
AB  - Cerebellar granule cells differentiated in culture were incubated with
      ganglioside [3H-Sph]GD1a in order to have it inserted into the plasma membrane,
      internalized by endocytosis, and metabolized. The metabolites formed included
      GM1, product of GD1a desialosylation. No GM1 or other metabolites were present in
      the incubation medium, whereas with the lysosomal apparatus blocked by
      chloroquine, or GD1a endocytosis prevented at 4 degrees C, the only metabolite
      formed was GM1. These results suggest that GD1a desialosylation did not occur
      either extracellularly or intracellularly but likely, at the membrane level.
      Similar results were obtained with [3H-Gal]GD1b, whereas no degradation of [3H
      NeuAc]GM1 took place in the presence of chloroquine or at 4 degrees C. In
      conclusion, cerebellar granule cells express in vivo a sialidase, presumably
      located on the cell surface, that affects GD1a and GD1b but not GM1.

PMID- 1879536
TI  - Pericentral expression pattern of glucokinase mRNA in the rat liver lobulus.
AB  - The spatial distribution of glucokinase mRNA (GK mRNA) in rat liver was studied
      by in situ hybridization under normal and inducing conditions. GK mRNA was first
      detectable in the liver parenchyma of neonatal rats of 1.5 days. The density of
      grains decreases in a central-portal direction. This pattern remains essentially
      unchanged up to 15 days, after which the adult type of distribution gradually
      starts to develop, i.e. low density of grains indicating low levels of GK mRNA,
      in which no gradient of expression could be visualized. Within 2 h after an oral
      glucose load to starved animals, the GK mRNA expression pattern changed from
      hardly detectable to a clear gradient with the highest grain density around the
      terminal central venules. Within 6 h relatively high levels of grains, almost
      homogeneously distributed across the liver lobule, were observed.
      Glucocorticosteroid treatment also induced GK mRNA in the pericentral area. It is
      concluded that the observed induction pattern qualifies GK mRNA as a pericentral
      mRNA suggesting that the pericentral expression pattern of the protein is
      primarily regulated at the pretranslational level.

PMID- 1879537
TI  - Molecular cloning of the ecotin gene in Escherichia coli.
AB  - The nucleotide sequence of a 876 bp region in E. coli chromosome that encodes
      Ecotin was determined. The proposed coding sequence for Ecotin is 486 nucleotides
      long, which would encode a protein consisting of 162 amino acids with a
      calculated molecular weight of 18,192 Da. The deduced primary sequence of Ecotin
      includes a 20-residue signal sequence, cleavage of which would give rise to a
      mature protein with a molecular weight of 16,099 Da. Ecotin does not contain any
      consensus reactive site sequences of known serine protease inhibitor families,
      suggesting that Ecotin is a novel inhibitor.

PMID- 1879538
TI  - Comparative analysis of mitochondrial and amyloplast adenylate translocators.
AB  - Structurally intact and metabolically competent mitochondria isolated from liquid
      culture cells of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) were shown to incorporate
      ADPglucose. Employing the double silicone oil layer filtering centrifugation
      method, we examined the kinetic properties of the uptake of various adenylates as
      well as the inhibitory effects exerted by carboxyatractyloside, atractyloside and
      bongkrekic acid, known specific inhibitors of the mitochondrial adenylate
      translocator. Immunoblot patterns of peptides derived from the partial
      proteolytic digestion of the mitochondrial and plastid adenylate translocators
      were shown to be essentially the same. We conclude that the molecular entities
      engaged in the adenylate transport system operating in two different organelles,
      mitochondria and amyloplasts, are very similar.

PMID- 1879539
TI  - Changes in mitochondrial and microsomal rat liver coenzyme Q9 and Q10 content
      induced by dietary fat and endogenous lipid peroxidation.
AB  - The influence of different kinds of dietary fat (8%) and of endogenous lipid
      peroxidation with regard to coenzyme Q9 (CoQ9) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
      concentrations in mitochondria and microsomes from rat liver has been
      investigated by means of an HPLC technique. Although the different diet fats used
      did not produce any effect on microsomes, it was possible to show that each
      experimental diet differently influenced the mitochondrial levels of CoQ9 and
      CoQ10. The highest mitochondrial CoQ content was found in case of a diet
      supplemented with corn oil. An endogenous oxidative stress induced by adriamycin
      was able to produce a sharp decrease in mitochondrial CoQ9 levels in the rats to
      which corn oil was administered. The results suggest that dietary fat ought to be
      considered when studies concerning CoQ mitochondrial levels are carried out.

PMID- 1879540
TI  - Novel structurally distinct family of leucocyte surface glycoproteins including
      CD9, CD37, CD53 and CD63.
AB  - Several of the recently described leucocyte surface (glyco)-proteins with
      significant amino acid sequence similarity (human CD9, CD37, CD53, CD63, TAPA-1,
      CO-029 and R2 and several homologues of other species) are distinguished by the
      polypeptide chain apparently four times crossing the membrane. Although the
      biological role of none of these molecules is known, their structure,
      associations with other membrane components and the effects of specific
      monoclonal antibodies suggest that they may constitute a family of ion channels
      or other transport molecules.

PMID- 1879541
TI  - The lac repressor and its N-terminal headpiece can bind a mini-operator
      containing a hairpin loop made of a hexaethylene glycol chain.
AB  - The binding of the lac repressor and the lac repressor N-terminal headpiece to a
      mini-operator with a hairpin loop made of a hexaethylene glycol chain was
      investigated using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The lac repressor's headpiece
      binds to the modified mini-operator with the same affinity as to a mini-operator
      of the same sequence without the hexaethylene glycol loop. The conformational
      effect due to the binding is not affected by the presence of the hexaethylene
      loop. It is also shown that the entire lac repressor binds to this modified mini
      operator inducing a conformational change.

PMID- 1879542
TI  - Melatonin binding proteins identified in the rat brain by affinity labeling.
AB  - N-Bromoacetyl-2-iodo-5-methoxytryptamine (BIM), a novel derivative of the
      biologically active melatonin analog, 2-iodomelatonin, was prepared and used to
      identify melatonin binding proteins in rat brain synaptosomes. Incubation of the
      synaptosomes with BIM resulted in a time and concentration dependent,
      irreversible inhibition of 2-[125I]iodomelatonin binding. In parallel, the
      radioactive form of BIM, N-bromoacetyl-2-[125I]iodo-5-methoxytryptamine
      ([125I]BIM) became incorporated into the synaptosomes. The incorporation of
      [125I]BIM was inhibited by BIM, 2-iodomelatonin and melatonin but not by 5
      methoxytryptamine or N-acetyl serotonin. [125I]BIM became covalently attached to
      three polypeptides with apparent molecular weight values of 92, 55 and 45 kDa;
      the labeling of all three proteins was markedly inhibited by melatonin. These
      results indicate that the 92, 55 and 45 kDa polypeptides are melatonin binding
      proteins.

PMID- 1879543
TI  - Probing the secondary quinone (QB) environment in photosynthetic bacterial
      reaction centers by light-induced FTIR difference spectroscopy.
AB  - The photoreduction of the secondary electron acceptor, QB, has been characterized
      by light-induced Fourier transform infrared difference spectroscopy of Rb.
      sphaeroides and Rp. viridis reaction centers. The reaction centers were
      supplemented with ubiquinone (UQ10 or UQ0). The QB- state was generated either by
      continuous illumination at very low intensity or by single flash in the presence
      of redox compounds which rapidly reduce the photooxidized primary electron donor
      P+. This approach yields spectra free from P and P+ contributions making possible
      the study of the microenvironment of QB and QB-. Assignments are proposed for the
      C...O vibration of QB- and tentatively for the C = O and C = C vibrations of QB.

PMID- 1879544
TI  - Supramolecular structure of the recombinant murine small heat shock protein
      hsp25.
AB  - The size and shape of the recombinant murine small heat shock protein, hsp25,
      have been analyzed by hydrodynamic and electron microscopic methods. According to
      these studies recombinant hsp25 exists in large complexes with a sphere-like
      shape and diameters of 15-18 nm. The molecular mass of these complexes amounts to
      about 730 kDa indicating that they are composed of about 32 monomers.

PMID- 1879545
TI  - The phospholipid analogue hexadecylphosphocholine inhibits phosphatidylcholine
      biosynthesis in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.
AB  - The influence of the phospholipid analogue hexadecylphosphocholine on
      phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis was investigated in Madin-Darby canine kidney
      (MDCK) cells. It inhibits the incorporation rate of [methyl-3H]choline into
      phosphatidylcholine at a concentration of 50 microM by about 50%. The
      radiolabelled precursor accumulates in the phosphocholine pool indicating that
      hexadecylphosphocholine inhibits the formation of phosphatidylcholine via the CDP
      choline pathway at the level of the rate-limiting enzyme. CTP:phosphocholine
      cytidylyl transferase (EC 2.7.7.15). This was verified by the determination of
      the activity of the enzyme in vitro. In consequence of its inhibitory effect it
      could be shown that the treatment of MDGK cells for 24 h with 50 microM
      hexadecylphosphocholine induces alterations of the phospholipid composition.
      Whereas in treated cells the relative phosphatidylcholine content was decreased
      from the control level of 36.0 +/- 0.9% to 29.9 +/- 0.2%; in contrast, the
      relative content of phosphatidylethanolamine was increased from 19.3 +/- 0.9% to
      24.3 +/- 0.9%.

PMID- 1879546
TI  - The dynamics of the expression of C/EBP mRNA in the adult rat liver lobulus
      qualifies it as a pericentral mRNA.
AB  - A hybridocytochemical approach has been applied to establish whether the gene for
      the C/EBP mRNA might be involved in the topographical regulation of gene
      expression in adult rat liver. To that end the spatial distribution of the mRNA
      of C/EBP has been compared to that of the mRNAs of glutamine synthetase (GS),
      phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucokinase (GK) in normal adult
      livers, in livers from dexamethasone-treated animals and in livers from starved
      animals refed with glucose for 4 h. In normal rat liver, in situ hybridization
      with a probe for C/EBP mRNA revealed a low density of apparently homogeneously
      distributed grains, indicating low levels of C/EBP mRNA. In contrast, the livers
      of the experimentally-treated animals revealed a zonal distribution of the mRNA
      of C/EBP with the highest density of grains around the central venules. The
      dynamics of the pattern of expression of C/EBP mRNA are virtually identical to
      that of the GK mRNA. These data qualify C/EBP mRNA as a pericentral mRNA and
      suggest a role for the C/EBP protein in the topographical regulation of the
      expression of the GK mRNA.

PMID- 1879547
TI  - The amino acid sequence of rusticyanin isolated from Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.
AB  - The amino acid sequence of rusticyanin, a copper protein, purified from the iron
      oxidizing bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was determined. Rusticyanin
      contained 154 amino acid residues in a single polypeptide chain and its molecular
      weight was calculated to be about 16,400 based on the amino acid sequence. The N
      terminal sequence up to the 20th residue of the protein apparently resembled
      those of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 amicyanin and poplar leaf plastocyanin
      rather than those of azurin family proteins. In the C-terminal region of the
      sequence, rusticyanin had one cysteine, one histidine and one methionine which
      are conserved through many copper proteins. In the middle region of the sequence,
      rusticyanin was not similar to any other copper protein. The sequence nearby
      His84 of rusticyanin was similar to those of other copper proteins to some
      extent. However, Asn which follows His84 and is highly conserved in other copper
      proteins did not exist in rusticyanin. Therefore, it seemed difficult to conclude
      on the basis of the results obtained in the present study that His84 in
      rusticyanin was the fourth ligand to the copper atom.

PMID- 1879548
TI  - Shaw-like rat brain potassium channel cDNA's with divergent 3' ends.
AB  - The complete amino acid sequence of a potassium channel protein of rat brain,
      Kv3.2b, plus a partial sequence of a related channel, Kv3.2c, are deduced from
      molecular cloning of the respective cDNA's. Kv3.2b and Kv3.2c share extensive
      amino acid sequence identity with a previously identified channel, RKShIIIA[1],
      before diverging to unique carboxy termini. Probes specific for Kv3.2b and
      RKShIIIA detect similarly sized mRNA's on Northern blots. These two proteins are
      encoded by a single gene based on genomic Southern blotting, and therefore arise
      by alternative splicing. In vitro transcribed mRNA for Kv3.2b induces the
      expression of outward K+ currents in Xenopus oocytes under voltage-clamp
      conditions.

PMID- 1879549
TI  - Deletion of exon 8 causes glycosylasparaginase deficiency in an African American
      aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) patient.
AB  - We have indentified a GT-to-TT transversion at the splice donor site of intron 8
      in the glycosylasparaginase gene from an African American aspartylglucosaminuria
      (AGU) patient. This mutation causes abnormal splicing of glycosylasparaginase pre
      mRNA by joining exon 7 to 9 and excluding 134 bp exon 8. The effect of the
      mutation is compounded by a frame shift that occurs after the deletion site
      resulting in premature translational termination. The truncated AGU protein was
      neither catalytically active nor processed into mature alpha and beta subunits.
      Both this and a previously characterized Finnish AGU mutation appear to affect
      folding of the single-chain precursor of glycosylasparaginase and thereby prevent
      transport of the enzyme to lysosomes.

PMID- 1879550
TI  - Occurrence of bifurcated three-center hydrogen bonds in proteins.
AB  - Analysis of 13 high-resolution protein X-ray crystal structures shows that 1204
      (24%) of all the 4974 hydrogen bonds are of the bifurcated three-center type with
      the donor X-H opposing two acceptors A1, A2. They occur systematically in alpha
      helices where 90% of the hydrogen bonds are of this type; the major component is
      (n + 4)N-H ... O = C(n) as expected for a 3.6(13) alpha-helix, and the minor
      component is (n + 4)N-H ... O = C(n + 1), as observed in 3(10) helices;
      distortions at the C-termini of alpha-helices are stabilized by three-center
      bonds. In beta-sheets 40% of the hydrogen bonds are three-centered. The frequent
      occurrence of three-center hydrogen bonds suggests that they should not be
      neglected in protein structural studies.

PMID- 1879551
TI  - Internal deletions of amino acids 29-42 of human interleukin-6 (IL-6)
      differentially affect bioactivity and folding.
AB  - Internal deletions of the human interleukin-6 (IL-6) cDNA have been generated in
      the region encoding residues 29 to 42. Mutant proteins were produced by in vitro
      transcription-translation or in Escherichia coli and tested for their biological
      activity using the hybridoma growth factor (HGF) assay or a transcriptional
      activation assay on human hepatoma cells. The folding of the mutants was also
      checked by immunoprecipitation with conformation-specific monoclonal antibodies.
      The results show that only residues 29 to 34 are crucial for IL-6 activity and
      that the first two amino acids are probably involved in the definition of the IL
      6 active site.

PMID- 1879552
TI  - Thyroid hormone increases glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene
      expression in rat liver.
AB  - Livers from hypophysectomized rats had low levels of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
      dehydrogenase mRNA. Administration of L-triiodothyronine increased these levels
      over 20-fold. The peak response was seen 72 h after hormone administration. A
      half-maximal response was obtained with 5 micrograms of T3 per 100 g of body
      weight. Thus the expression of hepatic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase
      appears to be regulated by thyroid hormone.

PMID- 1879553
TI  - Pentasialogangliosides of human brain.
AB  - A pentasialoganglioside fraction of the ganglio series of glycosphingolipids has
      been isolated from human cerebellar cortex with a yield of 8.8 nmol NeuAc per g
      fresh tissue. The structural analysis showed that the material was a mixture of
      GP1b and GP1c gangliosides.

PMID- 1879554
TI  - Inhibition of 5S RNA transcription in vitro by nucleosome cores with low or high
      levels of histone acetylation.
AB  - Nucleosomes exert strong inhibitory effects on gene transcription in vitro and in
      vivo. Since most DNA is packaged in nucleosomes, there must exist mechanisms to
      alleviate this inhibition during gene activation. Nucleosomes could be
      destabilized by histone acetylation which is strongly correlated with gene
      expression. We have compared the effects of nucleosomes cores with low or high
      levels of histone acetylation on 5S RNA transcription with Xenopus nuclear
      extracts in vitro. Little or no difference was observed over a range of 1 to 15
      nucleosome cores per plasmid template. This result suggests that nucleosomal DNA
      is not more accessible to transcription factors and to the transcription
      machinery in acetylated nucleosomes.

PMID- 1879555
TI  - 6-Hydroxymellein synthetase as a multifunctional enzyme complex in elicitor
      treated carrot root extract.
AB  - Synthetic activity of a polyketide compound 6-hydroxymellein was induced in
      elicitor-treated carrot root tissues. The activity was significantly inhibited by
      an antiserum raised against the acyl carrier protein (ACP) of fatty acid
      synthetase, suggesting that the enzyme(s) for 6-hydroxymellein synthesis
      require(s) a functional unit similar to ACP. However, the synthetic activity was
      not stimulated by the addition of ACP purified from Escherichia coli and was not
      lost even after fractionation by gel-filtration chromatography. The active
      fraction obtained by gel-filtration (136 kDa) was subjected to immunoblot
      analysis, and a 128 kDa polypeptide in the fraction was found to cross-react with
      anti-ACP serum. These observations suggest that the biosynthesis of 6
      hydroxymellein in carrot cells is catalyzed by an enzyme consisting of a single
      peptide chain.

PMID- 1879556
TI  - Differences between embryonic and adult Torpedo acetylcholine receptor gamma
      subunit.
AB  - Antibodies to a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues 346-359 of the
      Torpedo acetylcholine receptor (AChR) gamma subunit, were employed to compare the
      adult and embryonic receptor. This peptide contains a consensus phosphorylation
      site for cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). The anti-peptide antibodies
      discriminated between adult and embryonic AChRs, and reacted preferentially with
      the adult gamma form. These observed immunological differences did not seem to
      stem from different phosphorylation states. Our results suggest that the
      embryonic Torpedo AChR may have a gamma-like subunit that differs from the known
      adult form of this subunit, at least in the specific region that contains the
      phosphorylation site for PKA.

PMID- 1879557
TI  - Induction of heat-shock proteins by glutamine. The 'feeding effect'.
AB  - Subconfluent, log-phase Chinese hamster ovary cells induced the major heat-shock
      proteins (hsp) when cells were refed, 40 hours after seeding. This method of
      inducing heat-shock proteins was also obtained by refeeding with fresh serum-free
      media, but not with media with a long shelf life or with media prepared without
      glutamine. It was observed that addition of glutamine alone to cultures at 40
      hours post-seeding induced heat-shock proteins. Addition of ammonium chloride,
      however, had no discernible effect on heat-shock protein synthesis. Northern blot
      analysis indicated that this phenomenon reflected an increase in the levels of
      message for the constitutive/inducible member of the hsp 70 family, but not the
      non-constitutive member. To determine the effect of this induction on heat
      sensitivity, unfed and 'heat-shock-induced' refed cultures were heated at 45
      degrees C. No significant difference in cell survival was observed. Therefore
      glutamine is the necessary ingredient required for the induction of heat-shock
      proteins and this method of inducing heat-shock proteins does not alter heat
      sensitivity.

PMID- 1879558
TI  - Significant correlations between atmospheric spectra according to Baumer and the
      in vitro incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the nuclear DNA of C6-glioma cells.
AB  - Significant correlations between certain spectra of atmospherics (spherics)
      according to Baumer (a.t.B), i.e. naturally occurring electro-magnetic impulses
      in the range of 4-50 kHz, and several diseases or biological parameters have been
      published earlier. Now we show that there exists a highly significant negative
      correlation (r = -0.61, P greater than 0.004) between the occurrence of 28 kHz
      impulses (a.t.B.) and the in vitro incorporation of thymidine into the nuclear
      DNA of C6-glioma cells. The positive correlation with the 10 kHz impulses (a.t.B)
      (r = 0.39), however, is statistically not significant (P greater than 0.055).

PMID- 1879559
TI  - Studies on the distribution of cellular myosin with antibodies to isoform
      specific synthetic peptides.

PMID- 1879560
TI  - Enhanced cellular uptake of biotinylated antisense oligonucleotide or peptide
      mediated by avidin, a cationic protein.
AB  - The cellular uptake of a model antisense oligonucleotide complementary to 21
      bases of the bovine GLUT-1 glucose transporter mRNA and a model vasopressin
      peptide that were biotinylated, was markedly stimulated by the presence of
      avidin, a cationic protein. Conversely, the bacteria homologue of avidin,
      streptavidin, which is a slightly acidic protein, did not facilitate cellular
      uptake. The avidin-mediated uptake of biotinylated derivatives was competitively
      inhibited by another cationic protein, protamine, with a Ki of 5 micrograms/ml;
      was saturable, temperature- and time-dependent; and was associated with
      endocytosis. The use of the avidin-biotin system provides a new approach to
      increasing the cellular uptake of antisense oligonucleotides or peptides.

PMID- 1879561
TI  - Lipoprotein lipases and vitellogenins in relation to the known three-dimensional
      structure of pancreatic lipase.
AB  - A 106-residue region of high similarity between lipoprotein/pancreatic/hepatic
      lipases and Drosophila vitellogenins encompasses four beta-strands with all
      residues but one strictly conserved or conservatively replaced between the
      structures, and enclosing the putative active site Ser-152. The properties
      suggest a common folding pattern but the region probably does not function as an
      'interface recognition site' in the lipases, although it might well bind fatty
      acid esters of ecdysteroids or single lipid molecules in the vitellogenins. C
      terminally of this 106-residue region, a surface loop ('flap') covers the active
      site. No residue within this loop is conserved through all lipases, but adjacent
      segments exhibit 60-70% residue identity. Hepatic and lipoprotein lipases
      probably hydrolyze both soluble and emulsified substrates at the same site. They
      lack residues corresponding to a second active site postulated in pancreatic
      lipase to account for hydrolysis of soluble substrates. In addition, due to
      structural differences the flap could prevent entry of soluble substrate
      molecules into the active site of pancreatic lipase.

PMID- 1879562
TI  - Purification and characterization of the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein from
      rat liver.
AB  - alpha-Tocopherol transfer protein was purified from the 10,000 x g supernatant of
      rat liver. Two isoforms of the transfer protein exist, of which the isoelectric
      points are 5.0 and 5.1 as determined by chromatofocusing. These two isoforms have
      the same molecular weight; both showed molecular weight of approx. 30,500 on SDS
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They cannot be distinguished from each other
      by amino acid composition or substrate specificity.

PMID- 1879563
TI  - Suppression by staurosporine of Ca(2+)-mobilization triggered by ligation of
      antigen-specific receptors on t and B lymphocytes. An essential role of protein
      tyrosine kinase in the signal transduction.
AB  - It is known that the receptor for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) activates
      phospholipase C (PLC) by phosphorylating the gamma 1 isoform of PLC with the
      receptor protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK), whereas a guanine nucleotide-binding
      protein participates as a transducer in the PLC activation through the receptors
      for vasopressin, bombesin and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha). We have shown
      in a rat fibroblast line that staurosporine is a potent PTK inhibitor capable of
      clearly discriminating the two types of receptor-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization
      and, by inference, PLC activations the response triggered by PDGF was completely
      inhibited, whereas the responses triggered by vasopressin, bombesin and PGF2
      alpha were not affected at all. The Ca2+ mobilization in human T and B cell lines
      induced by anti-CD3 and anti-immunoglobulins (Ig) was completely suppressed by
      staurosporine. The results indicate that the PTK activity plays an essential role
      in the PLC activation through the T cell receptor/CD3 complex and through
      membrane Ig.

PMID- 1879564
TI  - Activation of the PKC-isotypes alpha, beta 1, gamma, delta and epsilon by phorbol
      esters of different biological activities.
AB  - Phorbol esters, tetradecanoylphorbolacetate, sapintoxin-A, 12-deoxyphorbol
      phenylacetate, 12-deoxyphorbol-phenylacetate-20-acetate, thymeleatoxin and
      resiniferatoxin were investigated for their abilities to activate the PKC
      isotypes alpha, beta 1, gamma, delta and epsilon. PKC-isotypes were grouped into
      two classes on the basis of Ca2+ requirements for activation by phorbol esters;
      alpha, beta 1, and gamma being Ca(2+)-dependent forms and delta and epsilon being
      Ca(2+)-independent. PKC-isotype selective activation by phorbol esters was
      observed in that SAPA failed to activate PKC-delta up to a concentration of 1000
      ng.ml-1 and DOPPA only activated PKC-beta 1 over the same range of
      concentrations.

PMID- 1879565
TI  - Heterogeneity in the Xenopus ribosomal transcription factor xUBF has a molecular
      basis distinct from that in mammals.
AB  - The Xenopus polymerase I transcription factor xUBF is an HMG-box protein which
      has been purified as two polypeptides of approximately 82 and 85 kDa. Recently a
      cDNA sequence predicted an xUBF protein (xUBF1) of 677 amino acids (79 kDa)
      containing five tandem HMG-boxes. Here a second and distinct xUBF cDNA has been
      isolated and characterised. This cDNA codes an xUBF protein (xUBF2) of 701 amino
      acids (82 kDa), having 93% homology with xUBF1 but containing an insertion of 22
      amino acids between HMG-boxes 3 and 4. In vitro translation of synthetic mRNAs
      derived from the xUBF1 and 2 cDNAs was used to show that the electrophoretic
      mobility of the gene products accounted for the major xUBF molecular weight
      heterogeneity noted in vivo. It is also shown that the Xenopus laevis genome
      contains 3 or 4 distinct loci which hybridise with xUBF coding sequences, leaving
      open the possibility of yet further unrecognised heterogeneity in xUBF.

PMID- 1879566
TI  - Expression and functional assembly into bacterial ribosomes of a nuclear-encoded
      chloroplast ribosomal protein with a long NH2-terminal extension.
AB  - Chloroplast ribosomal protein L13 is encoded in the plant nucleus and is
      considerably larger than its eubacterial homologue by having NH2- and COOH
      terminal extensions with no homology to any known sequences (Phua et al., J Biol.
      Chem. 264, 1968-1971, 1989). We made two gene constructs of L13 cDNA using the
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and expressed them in Escherichia coli. Analysis
      of the ribosomes and polysomes from these cells, using an antiserum specific to
      chloroplast L13, shows that the expressed proteins are incorporated, in the
      presence of the homologous E. coli L13, into functional ribosomes which
      participate in protein synthesis (i.e. polysomes). Evidence is obtained that the
      large NH2-terminal extension probably lies on the surface of these 'mosaic
      ribosomes.' This first report of the assembly into E. coli ribosomes of nuclear
      coded chloroplast ribosomal protein with terminal extensions thus suggest an
      extraordinary conservation in the function of eubacterial type ribosomal
      proteins, despite the many changes in protein structure during their evolution
      inside a eukaryotic system.

PMID- 1879567
TI  - Immunochemical identification of branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase kinase.
AB  - Branched-chain 2-oxo acid dehydrogenase kinase was characterized using anti
      kinase polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies were purified from rabbit antiserum
      by an epitope selection method. The antibodies bound only to a 44 kDa polypeptide
      in the dehydrogenase-kinase complex and inhibited the kinase activity,
      substantiating that the 44 kDa polypeptide is the catalytic subunit of the
      kinase. The purified liver dehydrogenase-kinase complex, but not either the
      purified heart complex or the partially purified liver complex, contained 2
      additional polypeptides of lower molecular weight which also reacted with the
      anti-kinase antibodies, suggesting that the liver kinase is subject to
      proteolytic degradation during purification.

PMID- 1879568
TI  - General principles of healing pertinent to the periodontal problem.
AB  - The healing process involves a series of coordinated procedures initiated by
      injury and directed toward restoring structural and functional integrity of the
      disrupted tissues. Wound healing begins immediately after tissue injury occurs
      and requires close control of degenerative and regenerative processes, which
      involve numerous cell types and complex interactions between multiple biochemical
      cascades.

PMID- 1879569
TI  - Reconstructive periodontics.

PMID- 1879570
TI  - Biology of tooth-cell adhesion.
AB  - Guided tissue regeneration appears to be a very promising approach to achieve the
      regeneration of periodontal tissue. Several important questions remain, such as
      the role of bone-derived cells, the length of time the physical barriers should
      be left in place, and whether anatomic factors, such as the morphology of
      periodontal defects, affect the outcome of the procedure. Potential applications
      of this procedure include combining bone grafting techniques with guided tissue
      regeneration, the use of growth factors to enhance periodontal tissue
      regeneration, and the repairing of bone defects around endosseous implants.
      Future research in this area is needed to address some of the present concerns
      and to improve the predictability of this procedure.

PMID- 1879571
TI  - Healing and repair of osseous defects.
AB  - This article has discussed most of the modalities currently in use for the
      filling of bony defects. No one modality or combination of methods or materials
      has yet surfaced as the definitive means of treatment for filling these defects.

PMID- 1879572
TI  - Principles and techniques of guided tissue regeneration.
AB  - Guided tissue regeneration is an accepted technique to promote new attachment in
      periodontal therapy. It is supported by sound basic research indicating that the
      definitive factor in the obtainment of regeneration is the source from which the
      cells repopulating the exposed root surface originate. These studies have
      indicated that cells proliferating from the periodontal ligament have the
      greatest potential for achieving new attachment. The use of barriers during
      periodontal surgery permits the possibility of periodontal ligament proliferation
      toward the exposed root at the same time that epithelial and gingival connective
      tissue proliferation is blocked. Studies in which Gore-Tex periodontal material
      has been used as a barrier have shown positive results in animal and clinical
      studies. Histologically, the formation of new cementum, bone, and periodontal
      ligament has been demonstrated. Clinically, beneficial results have been
      documented in the treatment of intrabony defects with three-wall, two- to three
      wall, or funnel-shaped topography. Also, Class II furcations with or without a
      vertical component have been treated successfully by guided tissue regeneration.

PMID- 1879573
TI  - Coronally displaced flaps in reconstructive periodontal therapy.
AB  - This article reviews the approach taken by the Loma Linda University Group in
      treating molars with Class II and Class III furcation lesions. The surgical
      technique used is detailed for Class II furcations. The modification of the
      technique for lingual furcation of lower molars and the postsurgical behavior of
      a crown-attached flap are also discussed.

PMID- 1879574
TI  - Freeze-dried bone allografts in periodontal reconstructive surgery.
AB  - The objectives of a bone graft are reversal of the disease process, probing depth
      reduction, clinical attachment gain, clinical repair of lost bone, and histologic
      reconstruction of the attachment apparatus consisting of new bone, cementum, and
      periodontal ligament in an area previously exposed to bacterial plaque. The
      article discusses the current clinical and histologic state-of-the-art with
      regard to undermineralized freeze-dried bone allograft and demineralized freeze
      dried bone allograft. Specific conclusions about the use of freeze-dried bone
      allograft are listed.

PMID- 1879575
TI  - Alloplastic materials in reconstructive periodontal surgery.
AB  - Alloplastic implants, especially those made with calcium phosphate ceramics, are
      being increasingly used in reconstructive periodontal surgery. Despite attractive
      generic features such as good biocompatibility, these ceramic implants differ
      significantly from each other in terms of biologic profile. Variations in source
      material used, manufacturing process, and physical and chemical properties
      determine the clinical utility of these implants. Porous hydroxyapatites
      currently are favored, especially those with natural morphologic characteristics.
      These ceramic implants appear to serve as biocompatible fillers that accelerate
      bone healing when used for the right clinical indications. It is anticipated that
      alloplastic implants eventually will form a part of the periodontist's
      armamentarium.

PMID- 1879576
TI  - Surgical techniques for reconstructive periodontics.
AB  - The careful selection of the "graftable" case and the attention to details in the
      surgical technique increase the predictability of results in reconstructive
      periodontal therapy. When choosing a surgical technique for reconstructive
      periodontal therapy, the clinician must carefully consider the following: 1. Flap
      and incision design to best avoid exposure and contamination of the graft
      material. 2. Thorough debridement of the osseous lesion for intimate graft
      contact with the osseous walls. 3. Careful and complete planing of the root
      surface to the apical end of the vertical osseous lesion. 4. Suturing technique
      to prevent contamination of the graft material and to obtain a seal between the
      flap and the root surface. 5. Careful hygiene methods postsurgically to prevent
      infections during the healing process.

PMID- 1879577
TI  - Current status of periodontal therapy for furcation involvements.
AB  - The treatment of furcation involvements is difficult because of the anatomic
      problems that interfere with the clinician's accessibility in treating the area
      and the patient's ability in maintaining adequate plaque control afterwards. The
      goal of traditional methods of treatment is to arrest the progression of bone
      loss; the rate of success with these methods has been poor, except for Grade I
      involvements. Advances in the last decade have resulted in the development of
      treatment techniques that attempt to reconstruct the lost periodontal structures.
      These techniques have greatly improved the prognosis of Grade II furcation
      involvement. The recommended technique combines the principles of guided tissue
      regeneration using polytetrafluoroethylene membranes with grafting with porous
      hydroxyapatite. The use of decalcified freeze-dried bone instead of
      hydroxyapatite also may be a successful method. Grade III and IV furcation
      involvements still have a poor long-term prognosis because predictable
      reconstructive techniques for their treatment have not been demonstrated. When
      possible, a root resection approach may be advisable.

PMID- 1879578
TI  - Supportive periodontal therapy after reconstructive periodontal surgery.
AB  - Clinical practice and research have established the value of supportive
      periodontal treatment after reconstructive periodontal surgery. The clinical
      procedures and the rationale for developing individualized treatments are
      discussed in general and for specific types of reconstructive procedures. The
      application of adjunctive diagnostics and chemotherapeutic agents to supplement
      traditional methods is described.

PMID- 1879579
TI  - Bone growth around dental implants.
AB  - For the complete understanding of stimulation of bone growth around dental
      implants, a thorough knowledge is necessary regarding the reaction of bone to
      trauma and to a variety of implant materials. The atraumatic preparation of the
      bony implant bed serves to create the most favorable situation for the formation
      of bone around any implant material. Some implant materials are more likely to
      result in soft tissue encapsulation despite the most careful handling of bone;
      others result in different amounts of implant-bone contact zones. From the
      character and the amount of bone formation around different implants, it can be
      concluded whether the used materials are biocompatible. Titanium-surfaced
      implants may not demonstrate the biocompatibility that is seen with
      hydroxyapatite-coated implants. However, the results seen with hydroxyapatite
      coated implants have to be viewed critically because the biointegrity of these
      coatings has not been demonstrated until now. On the other hand, titanium
      surfaced implants have success rates for as long as 25 years and enable the
      implantologist to rely on a well-accepted implant material. The use of guided
      tissue regeneration and the sinus augmentation technique appear to enable the
      implantologist to stimulate bone formation around dental implants. These
      techniques may extend the limits for the successful placement of dental implants
      into bone-deficient sites.

PMID- 1879580
TI  - A new syndrome is born.

PMID- 1879581
TI  - Borrelia burgdorferi and different types of morphea.
AB  - Thirty patients with different clinical manifestations of morphea (circumscribed
      scleroderma) were investigated for serum antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi
      determined by ELISA and Western blot analysis. Forty-six percent of the patients
      were seropositive. Western blots confirmed the ELISA results in 10 of 25 patients
      (40%), showing a reactivity pattern which can be seen in the course of Lyme
      borreliosis. In some cases the outcome after antibiotic treatment suggests a
      direct correlation between the further development of skin lesions and Borrelia
      infection. Because of these findings we suggest some morphea types to be possibly
      due to a B. burgdorferi infection.

PMID- 1879582
TI  - Porphyria cutanea tarda associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection. A
      study of four cases and review of the literature.
AB  - We report the cases of 4 male subjects, 29, 32, 41 and 44 years old, presenting
      isolated seropositivities for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or full
      blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, associated with a typical porphyria
      cutanea tarda (PCT). The 4 patients are in the usual risk groups for HIV
      infection. Viral hepatitis was observed in 3 of the 4 cases. Over the past 3
      years, 15 cases associating HIV infection and PCT have been reported; almost all
      had the usual risk factors for HIV infection and hepatopathy. We speculate that
      HIV infection may have favored the occurrence of early PCT in these cases by
      altering the metabolism of the porphyrins, either directly or by means of the
      associated hepatopathy.

PMID- 1879583
TI  - Complement allotypes in Japanese patients with pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid.
AB  - The allotypes of C6, C7, factor B (BF) and factor I (IF) of the human complement
      system were studied in 11 Japanese patients with pemphigus (5 with pemphigus
      vulgaris and 6 with pemphigus foliaceus) and 17 with bullous pemphigoid (BP) to
      investigate the genetic background of these diseases. The allotypes were detected
      by using isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting. The frequency for IF*A allele
      in the pemphigus patients was significantly higher (p = 0.009) than that in
      healthy controls (n = 60). A significant association of IF A allotype with
      pemphigus was also observed (p = 0.027), with a relative risk of 6.3. There was
      no association between the C6, C7, BF or IF allotypes and BP. These data suggest
      that IF A allotype may be an etiological genetic factor in the development of
      pemphigus.

PMID- 1879584
TI  - Study of the primary crest 'pavement' structure in healthy skin.
AB  - The primary crest surface of the healthy skin may have a smooth appearance or
      form a 'pavement'-like picture because of the presence of circular or polygonal
      subunits. In this study, the primary crest pavement structure was examined in
      different sites of healthy skin. The pavement structure was found in 70-100% of
      the adjacent areas of the palms and soles, and also on the skin of the elbows and
      knees. This pavement formation is absent on the skin surface of other areas or
      may be found in a small percentage of 5-20%. It is possible that the pavement
      structure could represent modified dermatoglyphics in the hairy skin.

PMID- 1879585
TI  - Pili torti and onychodysplasia. Report of a previously undescribed hidrotic
      ectodermal dysplasia.
AB  - Ectodermal dysplasias are a large and heterogeneous groups of clinically and
      genetically distinct syndromes. We studied a family suffering from dystrophies of
      the distal part of the nails and trichodysplasia. Scalp, beard, pubic and
      axillary hair were broken off leaving a stubble 1-10 mm in length. Eyebrows,
      eyelashes and body hair were completely absent. Serum levels of copper and plasma
      levels of amino acids were within the normal range. Inheritance was autosomal
      recessive. Previous reports of ectodermal dysplasias and other complex syndromes
      with pili torti are reviewed.

PMID- 1879586
TI  - Unusual form of melanocytic nevus associated with Turner's syndrome.
AB  - An 11-year-old girl with Turner's syndrome developed a combined nevus on the
      back. The examination of the excised specimen revealed the combination of common
      compound nevus and a component of Spitz's nevus. Numerous melanocytic nevi are a
      feature of Turner's syndrome, but this appears to be the first case of a combined
      nevus with Spitz's component.

PMID- 1879587
TI  - Verrucous carcinoma of a leg amputation stump.
AB  - Verrucous carcinoma of the skin is a rare cancer which tends to appear on the
      soles of the feet, although it can appear elsewhere on the cutaneous surface. It
      has not, to our knowledge, been previously reported on a leg amputation stump.

PMID- 1879588
TI  - Persistent light reaction associated with photoallergic contact dermatitis to
      musk ambrette and allergic contact dermatitis to fragrance mix.
AB  - A 57-year-old man suffering from persistent light reaction with photocontact
      allergy to musk ambrette and contact allergy to fragrance mix was evaluated. A
      lowered minimal erythema dose to UV-B (MED-UV-B) was seen. Reactions to long-wave
      UV-A and visible radiation were normal. A skin biopsy from one MED-UV-B, taken 24
      h after irradiation, showed acute spongiotic dermatitis.

PMID- 1879589
TI  - Green hair caused by copper present in cosmetic plant extracts.

PMID- 1879590
TI  - Darier's disease and corneal opacity.

PMID- 1879591
TI  - Breech presentation and cesarean section.

PMID- 1879592
TI  - Safety of term vaginal breech delivery.
AB  - Of 247 women who were pregnant of one healthy child in breech presentation at
      term, 13 (5.3%) were delivered by a primary cesarean section. The other 234
      (94.7%) were allowed to attempt vaginal birth. In these women, the only factor to
      determine the possibility of a vaginal delivery was normal progression of labor
      during the first stage, without secondary arrest or signs of fetal distress. 109
      Women (44.1%) were delivered spontaneously according to Bracht, 87 (35.2%) had an
      assisted breech delivery, and 38 (15.4%) underwent a secondary cesarean section.
      There were two perinatal deaths (0.8%). One of them was directly related to the
      trial of labor. Two children with a birth trauma had an uneventful recovery. The
      1 min Apgar score in all breech delivery groups was more often lower than in a
      control group of children, who were born spontaneously at term in vertex
      presentation. However, the 5 min Apgar score and the mean umbilical artery pH
      were within normal limits in all groups. The secondary cesarean section rate was
      inversely related to vaginal parity of the mother, and directly related to the
      newborns' birth weight. There was no relation between the secondary cesarean
      section rate and the type of breech presentation. It is concluded, that a trial
      of labor in carefully selected patients with a child in breech presentation at
      term is a safe procedure, that can be successfully completed in almost 80% of
      cases. In retrospect, low vaginal parity and high birth weight of the newborn
      have a negative influence on normal progression of labor.

PMID- 1879593
TI  - Placental morphology in relation to umbilical artery blood velocity waveforms.
AB  - The association between umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms, placental
      morphology and arterial vascular pattern was investigated in 30 pregnant women at
      risk for intra-uterine growth retardation. The blood velocity waveform was
      assessed in the umbilical arteries with pulsed Doppler ultrasound. Placentas from
      fetuses with an end-diastolic zero flow were small and thick with an extrachorial
      configuration, marginal cord insertion, magistral or mixed allantochorial vessel
      pattern and few cotyledons. The incidence and the extension of gross lesions were
      slightly increased in these placentas compared to placentas from fetuses with a
      normal S/D ratio (peak systolic velocity/minimum diastolic velocity). Placentas
      from fetuses with an increased S/D ratio (greater than +2SD) were large and thin
      with a high maximum diameter/maximum thickness ratio. Heavily smoking mothers
      were overrepresented in the group, with an increased S/D ratio and corresponding
      SGA infants. End-diastolic zero flow in the umbilical artery was strongly
      correlated with placental developmental abnormalities.

PMID- 1879594
TI  - Assessment of tobacco-exposure during pregnancy; behavioural and biochemical
      changes.
AB  - Smoking-behavior during pregnancy and the reliability of an interview were
      prospectively investigated. The tobacco-exposure was assessed a) by an intake
      interview b) by a smoking diary and c) by maternal thiocyanate and carboxy
      hemoglobin concentrations. Of the 115 nulliparous women, 66 smoked (57.4%).
      Seventeen women (25.8%) quit and 39 women (59.1%) reduced smoking. Directly after
      intake, in the first week of the diary, significantly more cigarettes were smoked
      than stated during the intake interview. According to the diaries, the number of
      cigarettes increased during the first half of pregnancy. In the 24th week
      significantly more cigarettes were smoked than in the first week after intake.
      Also a significant increase of thiocyanate between the measurements at intake and
      in the 24th of amenorrhea was found. The maternal carboxy-hemoglobin levels did
      not significantly change during pregnancy. Investigators should be aware of
      changes in smoking behavior during pregnancy and the potential bias of self
      reported smoking behavior at the beginning of pregnancy. The tobacco-exposure
      should be assessed (anamnestic or biochemical) several times during pregnancy,
      anyway it should include the second half of pregnancy.

PMID- 1879595
TI  - The use of micronized progesterone in the treatment of menace of preterm
      delivery.
AB  - The results of a study concerning the treatment of acute menace of preterm labor
      are given: beta-mimetics were administered intravenously in all cases (44) and
      micronized progesterone or placebo was administered orally after classical double
      blind randomization (22 cases in each group). The mean index of pregnancy
      prolongation was the same in both groups. However the mean duration of the
      intravenous perfusion and the mean quantity of beta-mimetics administered
      intravenously were significantly reduced in the progesterone group (P less than
      0.01). The mean duration of hospital stay was also significantly reduced (P less
      than 0.05). Cost and risks are finally significantly lessened.

PMID- 1879596
TI  - Sex ratio of spontaneously aborted fetuses and delivered neonates in second
      trimester.
AB  - The author investigated in patient material from 12 years 251 cases involving
      spontaneous abortion and delivery in the second trimester. The material included
      28 sets of twins and one set of triplets, thus the total number of fetuses and
      neonates was 281. The sex ratio was 136.1, higher than that documented natural
      sex ratio in the second trimester or at term. The ratio approaches that
      experienced in cases of perinatal death.

PMID- 1879597
TI  - Increased plasma levels of the novel vasoconstrictor peptide endothelin in severe
      pre-eclampsia.
AB  - Plasma endothelin levels were studied in 29 pregnancies. Levels were found to be
      increased in 9 pregnancies complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertensive disease
      and/or pre-eclampsia as compared to levels in 14 normotensive pregnancies with
      gestational age varying between 24-40 weeks with normal Doppler flow velocity
      waveforms of the uterine arcuate arteries, and 6 normotensive pregnancies with
      abnormal Doppler flow velocity waveforms at 24 weeks' gestation. Two patients
      with severe pre-eclampsia showed a rise in plasma endothelin levels, suggesting a
      correlation between plasma endothelin levels and the disease process. Endothelin
      is produced by endothelial cells of blood vessels; it is the most potent
      vasoconstrictor known to date. For this reason it has been suggested that
      endothelin might be important in the control of systemic blood pressure and local
      blood flow, both disturbed in pre-eclampsia. The conclusion of this study is that
      the venous plasma level of endothelin would seem to be a marker for severe
      disease, however, without any predictive value.

PMID- 1879598
TI  - Placental passage of azathiothymidine (AZT) during the second trimester of
      pregnancy: study by direct fetal blood sampling under ultrasound.
AB  - AZT-therapy during pregnancy is actually contraindicated. Two HIV-positive
      pregnant women who were due to have an induced abortion in the second trimester
      of pregnancy, were treated with AZT. Blood samples from mothers and fetuses and
      amniotic fluid samples were taken simultaneously. AZT crossed the placental
      barrier in the two patients. AZT and GAZT concentrations from the two fetuses
      were close to those obtained in the two women and in six non-pregnant volunteers.

PMID- 1879599
TI  - Prenatal diagnosis of an abdomino-pelvic hydrometrocolpos; a case report.
AB  - The authors describe a case of prenatal diagnosis of hydrometrocolpos performed
      at 35 weeks of ammenorhea. Diagnosis was based on fetal images of a rounded,
      solid, pelvic mass increasing rapidly, which evoked vaginal and uterine
      distension. No associated anomaly was found. This very unusual genital
      malformation required treatment at birth. This case shows that hydrometrocolpos
      can be evidenced by prenatal ultra-sonography allowing early treatment and
      prevention of complications.

PMID- 1879600
TI  - Idiopathic thrombocythemia and pregnancy; a case report.
AB  - A 28-year-old women with idiopathic thrombocytosis was treated with melphalan
      before pregnancy, which resulted in a normal platelet count. During pregnancy 80
      mg acetylsalicyclic acid was given daily to prevent microcirculatory thrombotic
      complications. Fetal outcome was normal.

PMID- 1879601
TI  - Ultrasonic features of an ovarian cystohemangioma; a case report.

PMID- 1879602
TI  - Cerebral infarction after caesarean section due to heterozygosity for
      homocystinuria; a case report.
AB  - Eleven days after a caesarean section cerebral infarction was diagnosed. The
      underlying cause appeared to be a heterozygous form of homocystinuria. This
      inborn error in methionine metabolism increases the risk of premature
      arteriosclerosis, even in heterozygotes. The biochemical abnormalities can be
      prevented in most of the patients by treatment with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).

PMID- 1879603
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor regulates the ability of astrocytes to support
      hypothalamic neuronal survival in vitro.
AB  - The putative neurotrophic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were
      tested on embryonic hypothalamic neurons in dissociated cell culture. Basic FGF
      dramatically increased the survival of embryonic hypothalamic astrocytes plated
      on a poly-L-lysine (PLL) substrate. Basic FGF treatment also increased the number
      of hypothalamic neurons surviving in vitro; however, no neurotrophic effects were
      observed when astrocyte proliferation was prevented by using serum-free N2 medium
      or by using the mitotic inhibitor cytosine arabinoside. In contrast to effects
      when PLL was used as a substrate, bFGF reduced the survival of hypothalamic
      neurons plated on a confluent, contact-inhibited monolayer of astrocytes. This
      effect appears to be due to the direct actions of bFGF on astrocytes: treatment
      of confluent astrocytes with 5 ng/ml bFGF caused the protoplasmic astrocytes to
      develop a fibrillar morphology and reduced the ability of the astrocyte monolayer
      to promote neuronal survival after a further 24 hr in bFGF-free medium. It is
      concluded that in addition to its mitogenic effects, bFGF acts as a
      differentiation factor for protoplasmic astrocytes in vitro, and these
      morphological and functional changes may reflect the process of normal astrocytic
      development and response to brain injury in vivo.

PMID- 1879604
TI  - Occurrence of H1 subtypes specific to pronuclei and cleavage-stage cell nuclei of
      anuran amphibians.
AB  - Male pronuclei were induced in vitro by incubating the lysolecithin-permeabilized
      sperm nuclei of anuran amphibians Bufo japonicus and Xenopus laevis with the
      extracts from homologous eggs, and nuclear basic proteins were analyzed by two
      dimensional gel electrophoresis. By 5 min after the incubation, the sperm nuclei
      had completely lost sperm-specific proteins but possessed a whole set of
      nucleosomal core histones, except that H2A was mostly replaced by a putative
      H2A.X. The pronuclei did not possess any H1 histone subtypes found in
      differentiated somatic cell nuclei, but instead possessed components showing
      electrophoretic mobilities distinct from other H1 histones. This protein,
      designated as H1X, was regarded as an H1 subtype on the basis of its solubility
      in acids or salt and its lysine-rich amino acid composition. Peptide mapping
      using V8 protease further indicated that H1X is not a post-transcriptionally
      modified form of other somatic type H1 histones. By the time of chromosome
      condensation, pronuclear histones comprised H1X, H2A.X, H2B, H3, and H4. During
      embryonic development, H1X persisted in the nuclei up to the blastula stage, but
      mostly disappeared at the gastrula stage concomitant with the appearance of H1
      subtypes of differentiated cells and the replacement of H2A.X by H2A. We conclude
      that H1X represents a maternally stored histone variant specific to nuclei of
      cleaving embryos.

PMID- 1879605
TI  - Xylose-linked proteoglycan synthesis does not have a primary role in the control
      of secretory cell differentiation in salivary glands.
AB  - Xylose-linked proteoglycans, particularly chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, have
      been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of salivary gland
      morphogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine if xylose-linked
      proteoglycans are involved in the regulation of differentiation of salivary gland
      secretory cells. Embryonic rat submandibular salivary gland rudiments were
      cultured for 120 hr in the presence or absence of 0.75 to 1.0 mM p-nitrophenyl
      beta-D-xylopyranoside (beta-D-xyloside), an inhibitor of xylose-linked
      proteoglycan assembly. beta-D-Xyloside has been shown to block submandibular
      gland morphogenesis (Thompson and Spooner, 1982). In the present study glandular
      morphogenesis was blocked in 93.3% of the rudiments cultured in the presence of
      beta-D-xyloside. However, secretory cell differentiation was observed in 71.4% of
      those rudiments in which morphogenesis had been inhibited. Biochemical evaluation
      confirmed that xylose-linked proteoglycan assembly had been inhibited by
      xyloside. These results indicate that while xylose-linked proteoglycans play a
      significant role in the control of salivary gland morphogenesis these molecules
      are not primary regulators for secretory cell differentiation within developing
      salivary glands.

PMID- 1879606
TI  - The bases for and timing of regional specification during larval development in
      Phoronis.
AB  - A fate map has been constructed for Phoronis vancouverensis. The animal pole of
      the egg gives rise to the apical plate in the hood of the actinotroch larva. The
      vegetal pole of the egg marks the site of gastrulation. During the initiation of
      gastrulation the cells of the animal pole of the embryo are directly opposite
      those at the vegetal pole of the embryo. The plane of the first cleavage always
      goes through the animal-vegetal pole of the egg. In about 70% of the cases the
      plane of the first cleavage is perpendicular to the future anterior-posterior
      axis of the actinotroch larva; in the remaining cases the plane of the first
      cleavage is either oblique with reference to, or occurs along, the future
      anterior-posterior axis of the larva. Following gastrulation catecholamine
      containing cells first make their appearance in the apical plate and gut cells
      first produce esterase. The timing of regional specification in these embryos has
      been examined by isolating animal or vegetal, anterior or posterior, or lateral
      regions at different time periods between the initiation of cleavage and
      gastrulation and examining their ability to differentiate. Animal halves isolated
      from early cleavage through late blastula stages do not gastrulate and do not
      form catecholamine-containing cells. When animal halves are isolated with
      endoderm during gastrulation, they differentiate catecholamine-containing cells.
      Vegetal halves isolated at the 8- to 16-cell stage gastrulate and form normal
      actinotroch larvae with esterase-positive gut and catecholamine-containing apical
      plate cells. When this same region is isolated at blastula stages it does not
      gastrulate and does not differentiate these cell types. Vegetal halves isolated
      during gastrulation subsequently form esterase-positive gut cells, but they do
      not form catecholamine-containing apical plate cells. When presumptive anterior,
      posterior, or lateral halves are isolated from early cleavage through blastula
      stages, each half forms a normal actinotroch larva. Lateral halves isolated
      during gastrulation also form normal larvae. Anterior halves isolated during late
      gastrulation differentiate only the anterior end of the actinotroch larva. These
      isolates have a hood with catecholamine-containing apical plate cells and the
      first part of an esterase-positive gut but lack the anlagen of the intestine and
      protonephridia. Posterior halves isolated during late gastrulation differentiate
      only the posterior end of the actinotroch which lacks a hood with catecholamine
      containing cells but has an esterase-positive gut, protonephridia, and the
      anlagen of the intestine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1879607
TI  - Immunohistochemical localization of growth factors in fetal wound healing.
AB  - Fetal wound healing occurs rapidly, in a regenerative fashion, and without scar
      formation, by contrast with adult wound healing, where tissue repair results in
      scar formation which limits tissue function and growth. The extracellular matrix
      deposited in fetal wounds contains essentially the same structural components as
      that in the adult wound but there are distinct differences in the spatial and
      temporal distribution of these components. In particular the organization of
      collagen in the healed fetal wound is indistinguishable from the normal
      surrounding tissue. Rapidity of healing, lack of an inflammatory response, and an
      absence of neovascularization also distinguish fetal from adult wound healing.
      The mechanisms controlling these differing processes are undefined but growth
      factors may play a critical role. The distribution of growth factors in healing
      fetal wounds is unknown. We have studied, by immunohistochemistry, the
      localization of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor
      beta (TGF beta), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), in fetal, neonatal,
      and adult mouse lip wounds. TGF beta and bFGF were present in neonatal and adult
      wounds, but were not detected in the fetal wounds, while PDGF was present in
      fetal, neonatal, and adult wounds. This pattern correlates with the known effects
      in vitro of these factors, the absence of an inflammatory response and
      neovascularization in the fetal wound, and the patterns of collagen deposition in
      both fetal and adult wounds. The results suggest that it may be possible to
      manipulate the adult wound to produce more fetal-like, scarless, wound healing.

PMID- 1879608
TI  - Rapid and slow mechanisms for loss of cell adhesiveness during fertilization in
      Chlamydomonas.
AB  - Although vegetative cells, gametes, and zygotes of the biflagellated alga
      Chlamydomonas bear flagella, only the flagella of mt+ and mt- gametes are
      adhesive. The molecules responsible for adhesiveness, mt+ and mt- agglutinins,
      are long rod-shaped glycoproteins displayed on the flagellar membrane. These
      flagellar agglutinins, which gametes use both as adhesion and signaling molecules
      during the early events of fertilization, are lost from the flagella during
      adhesion. Flagellar adhesiveness can be maintained, however, by recruitment and
      activation of preexisting, inactive agglutinins from the plasma membrane of the
      cell body (Hunnicutt et al, 1990, J. Cell Biol. 111, 1605-1616) unless the
      gametes of opposite mating types fuse to form zygotes. Upon cell fusion,
      flagellar adhesiveness is lost. In the studies presented here, we have employed
      an in vitro bioassay to measure agglutinins in both cell bodies and flagella at
      various times during gametogenesis, during fertilization, and after zygote
      formation. By use of the bioassay, which can detect agglutinins that are
      functionally inactive in vivo, we found that vegetative cells are devoid of
      agglutinins. These adhesion molecules appear only after gametogenesis is underway
      with the cell body agglutinins appearing first and then the flagellar
      agglutinins. Surprisingly, 30 min after zygote formation, when the zygotes'
      flagella are no longer adhesive, the flagellar agglutinin activity detectable
      with the bioassay remains high. One interpretation of these results is that
      zygotes continue to recruit agglutinins from the cell body to the flagella, but
      cell fusion abrogates activation of the agglutinins. Within 45-90 min after
      fusion both the cell body and flagellar agglutinins are lost and can be detected
      in the medium. These mechanisms, which render the zygotes nonadhesive to other
      zygotes and unmated gametes, contribute to the Chlamydomonas equivalent of a
      block to polyspermy.

PMID- 1879609
TI  - Spatial domains in the developing forebrain: developmental regulation of a
      restricted cell surface protein.
AB  - We have isolated a monoclonal antibody, mAb 52G9, that recognizes a 55-kDa cell
      surface protein restricted to the early embryonic rat forebrain and to placode
      derived structures. In the central nervous system (CNS), 52G9 immunoreactivity
      appears at Embryonic Day 11 (E11) in the rostral-most area of the telencephalon.
      It then spreads to the neuroepithelium of the telencephalon and basal
      diencephalon. Most strikingly, it appears at E14 in a distinct zone at the caudal
      end of the ventral diencephalic neuroepithelium. This area is sharply defined by
      strong 52G9 immunoreactivity bounded by unlabeled neuroepithelium. The pattern
      revealed by 52G9 is the first biochemical demonstration of spatial domains in the
      forebrain at a time prior to neuronal differentiation. By E18, 52G9
      immunoreactivity has progressively disappeared from the forebrain; the glomerular
      layer of the olfactory bulb is the only 52G9-positive area in the CNS. The
      olfactory, otic, and hypophyseal placodes, which can be identified as early as
      E10, are also 52G9 positive as are their derivatives, the sensory epithelial of
      the nasal passage and inner ear, and also Rathke's pouch. The distribution and
      regulation of the 52G9 protein suggests that this novel cell surface molecule may
      be involved in the formation of spatial domains in the developing forebrain.

PMID- 1879610
TI  - Localization of insulin-like growth factor-1 mRNA in murine central nervous
      system during postnatal development.
AB  - Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is believed to play a role in the regulation
      of brain growth. The identity of cells responsible for its synthesis in the
      immature brain, however, has not been established. To identify potential sites of
      IGF-1 synthesis, in situ hybridization has been utilized to localize IGF-1 mRNA
      in the murine brain during the first postnatal month. Although IGF-1 mRNA was
      detected in all regions of the neonatal brain, there was considerable regional
      variation in the level of expression. Neurons were the principle sites IGF-1 mRNA
      expression and expression was typically restricted to one or two neuronal cell
      types within each region. In the cerebellar cortex, for example, only Purkinje
      cells hybridized to the IGF-1 probe. In contrast to gray matter, IGF-1 labeled
      cells were rarely found in presumptive white matter tracts of the forebrain. The
      hybridization signal was most prominent in regions where neurogenesis persisted
      after birth, including the cerebellum, olfactory bulb, and hippocampal complex.
      The timing of IGF-1 mRNA expression appeared to be temporally related to local
      neuronal proliferation. The number of labeled cells and intensity of
      hybridization signal was greatest during the first 2 postnatal weeks, a period of
      rapid neuronal proliferation in these regions. At the end of the first month,
      when neurogenesis had essentially ceased, IGF-1 signal strength had declined to
      background levels. The temporal and spatial pattern IGF-1 mRNA expression in the
      immature CNS was consistent with a role for locally produced IGF-1 in the
      regulation of brain development.

PMID- 1879611
TI  - Development of functional sex differences in the larynx of Xenopus laevis.
AB  - Three laryngeal properties associated with the production of masculine song-
      laryngeal muscle tension, fiber twitch type, and fiber recruitment--are markedly
      sexually dimorphic in adult Xenopus laevis frogs. To elucidate the pattern of
      sexual differentiation, tension and fiber recruitment in male and female larynges
      and fiber twitch type in male larynges were examined throughout postmetamorphic
      development. Masculinization of male laryngeal properties begins early in
      postmetamorphic development and continues until adulthood. In contrast, tension
      and fiber recruitment in females do not change after the end of metamorphosis.
      Laryngeal muscle tension and fiber type are gradually and progressively
      masculinized; the temporal pattern of masculinization is very similar for these
      properties. Fiber recruitment, on the other hand, appears to masculinize in a
      stepwise manner. Masculinization of all three properties is highly correlated
      with larynx weight in males. We have used this relation to divide postmetamorphic
      development into seven stages associated with key events in sexual
      differentiation. This staging scheme provides an important experimental tool for
      studying the hormonal regulation of sexual differentiation, the subject of the
      accompanying paper.

PMID- 1879612
TI  - Temporal constraints on androgen directed laryngeal masculinization in Xenopus
      laevis.
AB  - Temporal constraints on androgen regulated masculinization of three sexually
      dimorphic laryngeal properties--tension, fiber type, and fiber recruitment--were
      examined in Xenopus laevis frogs. Endocrine state was manipulated at PM0 when the
      larynx is similar in males and females, at PM2 when the larynx begins sexual
      differentiation, and at PM6 when sexual differentiation is complete. Removing the
      testes in developing males (PM0 or PM2) completely arrests laryngeal
      masculinization. Masculinization resumes when testosterone is replaced later in
      development (PM2 or PM6, respectively). Thus, testicular secretions, in
      particular androgens, are required for laryngeal masculinization. The ability of
      androgens to masculinize tension, fiber type, and fiber recruitment in developing
      and adult larynges was also determined. Five weeks of testosterone treatment in
      PM0 or PM2 males and females completely masculinizes laryngeal tension and fiber
      type, but only partially masculinizes fiber recruitment. However, fiber
      recruitment can be fully masculinized in PM6 males castrated at PM2. We conclude
      that androgen induced masculinization of tension and fiber type are not
      temporally constrained but that androgen induced masculinization of fiber
      recruitment is. Prolonged androgen treatment can override the temporal
      constraints on masculinization of the larynx. Testosterone treatment for more
      than 6 months fully masculinizes fiber recruitment in developing (PM0 or PM2)
      females. In addition, prolonged treatment (greater than 9 months) completely
      masculinizes tension, fiber type, and fiber recruitment in adult females; these
      properties were not fully masculinized by shorter (1-3 months) treatments in
      adult females. Testosterone induced masculinization in females is maintained for
      up to 8 months following testosterone removal; thus androgen effects are long
      lasting and possibly permanent.

PMID- 1879613
TI  - Monitoring by epifluorescence microscopy of organelle DNA fate during pollen
      development in five angiosperm species.
AB  - The fates of mitochondrial and plastid nucleoids during pollen development in six
      angiosperm species (Antirrhinum majus, Glycine max, Medicago sativa, Nicotiana
      tabacum, Pisum sativum, and Trifolium pratense) were examined using
      epifluorescence microscopy after double staining with 4',6-diamidino-2-
      phenylindole (DAPI) to stain DNA and with a potentiometric dye (either DiOC7 or
      rhodamine 123) for visualization of metabolically active mitochondria. From the
      pollen mother cell stage to the microspore stage of pollen development,
      mitochondria and plastids both contained DNA detectable by DAPI staining.
      However, during the further maturation preceding anthesis, mitochondrial DNA
      became undetectable cytologically in either the generative or the vegetative cell
      of mature pollen; even in germinated pollen tubes containing hundreds of
      metabolically active mitochondria undergoing cytoplasmic streaming, vital
      staining with DAPI failed to reveal mitochondrial DNA. By the mature pollen
      stage, plastid DNA also became undetectable by DAPI staining in the vegetative
      cell. However, in the generative cell of mature pollen the timing of plastid DNA
      disappearance as detected by DAPI varied with the species. Plastid DNA remained
      detectable only in the generative cells of pollen grains from species known or
      suspected to have biparental transmission of plastids. The apparent absence of
      cytologically detectable organelle genomes in living pollen was further examined
      using molecular methods by hybridizing organelle DNA-specific probes to digests
      of total DNA from mature pollen and from other organs of A. majus and N. tabacum,
      both known to be maternal for organelle inheritance. Mitochondrial DNA was
      detected in pollen of both species; thus the cytological alteration of
      mitochondrial genomes during pollen development does not correspond with total
      mtDNA loss from the pollen. Plastid DNA was detectable with molecular probes in
      N. tabacum pollen but not in A. majus pollen. Since the organelle DNA detected by
      molecular methods in mature pollen may lie solely in the vegetative cell, further
      study of the basis of maternal inheritance of mitochondria and plastids will
      require molecular methods which distinguish vegetative cell from reproductive
      cell organelle genomes. The biological effect of the striking morphological
      alteration of organelle genomes during later stages of pollen development, which
      leaves them detectable by molecular methods but not by DAPI staining, is as yet
      unknown.

PMID- 1879614
TI  - Temporal and spatial expression of the yellow gene in correlation with cuticle
      formation and dopa decarboxylase activity in Drosophila development.
AB  - The yellow (y) gene of Drosophila is required for the formation of black melanin
      and its deposition in the cuticle. We have studied by immunohistochemical methods
      the temporal and spatial distribution of the protein product of the y gene during
      embryonic and pupal development and have correlated its expression with events of
      cuticle synthesis by the epidermal cells and with cuticle sclerotization. Except
      for expression in early embryos, the y protein is only found in the epidermal
      cells and may be secreted into the cuticle as it is being deposited. The amount
      of y protein in various regions of the embryo and pupa correlates directly with
      the intensity of melanization over any section of the epidermis. Expression of
      the y gene begins in the epidermal cells at 48 hr after pupariation and is well
      correlated with the beginning deposition of the adult cuticle. At this stage the
      adult cuticle is unsclerotized and unpigmented and dopa decarboxylase levels, a
      key enzyme in catecholamine metabolism which provides the crosslinking agents as
      well as the precursors for melanin, is low. As a separate event 26 hr after the
      onset of y gene expression, the first melanin deposition occurs in the head
      bristles and pigmentation continues in an anterior to posterior progression until
      eclosion. This melanization wave is correlated with elevated dopa decarboxylase
      activity. Crosslinking of the adult cuticle also occurs in a similar anterior to
      posterior progression at about the same time. We have shown by imaginal disc
      transplantation that timing of cuticle sclerotization depends on the position of
      the tissue along the anterior-posterior axis and that it is not an inherent
      feature of the discs themselves. We suggest that actual melanization and
      sclerotization of the cuticle by crosslinking are initiated at this time in pupal
      development by the availability of the catecholamine substrates which diffuse
      into the cuticle. Intensity of melanization and position of melanin pigment is
      determined by the presence or absence of the y protein in the cuticle, thus
      converting the y protein prepattern into the melanization pattern.

PMID- 1879615
TI  - The dynamics of compartmentalization of embryonic muscle by extracellular matrix
      molecules.
AB  - In order to delineate the role of proteoglycans in muscle development, the
      immunohistological localization of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycan core
      proteins was studied in embryonic chick leg at Hamburger-Hamilton stages (St.)
      36, 39, 43, and 46, and at 2 weeks posthatching. A specific anatomical landmark
      was chosen (the junction between the pars pelvica and the pars accessoria of the
      flexor cruris lateralis muscle) in order to ensure the study of anatomically
      equivalent sites. Frozen cross sections were immunostained with monoclonal
      antibodies to chondroitin-4-sulfate, chondroitin-6-sulfate, dermatan sulfate, and
      keratan sulfate glycosaminoglycans; to the core proteins of muscle/mesenchymal
      chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, dermatan sulfate proteoglycan, and basement
      membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan; and to laminin and tenascin. Extracellular
      matrix zones corresponding to the endomysium, perimysium, epimysium, basement
      membrane, and myotendinous junction each show characteristic immunostaining
      patterns from St. 36 to St. 46 and have unique matrix compositions by St. 46. In
      some cases, there is a sequential or coordinate expression of epitopes, first in
      the epimysium, then the perimysium, and last in the endomysium. Dermatan sulfate
      proteoglycan is detected in the epimysium at St. 36, in the perimysium at St. 39
      (there is no perimysium structure at St. 36), and is not detected in the
      endomysium until St. 43. A putative mesenchymal proteoglycan core protein
      (reactive to the monoclonal antibody MY-174) is detected at St. 39 in both
      epimysium and perimysium, but is not detected in the endomysium until St. 43.
      Keratan sulfate antibody immunostains epimysium at St. 39 and perimysium at St.
      46, but is never detected in the endomysium. Some epitopes are expressed
      independently in each of the extracellular matrix zones: antibody to tenascin
      stains only a subset of the epimysium, at the myotendinous junction; and heparan
      sulfate proteoglycan and laminin are detected only in the endomysium. Between St.
      36 and St. 39, the muscle/MY-174-reactive proteoglycan core protein staining
      decreases in intensity in the endomysium and becomes positive in the epimysium
      and perimysium. An inverse relationship is found between (1) the disappearance of
      muscle/MY-174-reactive proteoglycan core protein staining at the surface of
      myotubes from St. 36 to St. 39 and (2) the infiltration of laminin and heparan
      sulfate proteoglycan staining encompassing groups of myotubes (St. 36) to
      circumferential staining of all myotubes (St. 39).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1879616
TI  - Pronuclear formation in starfish eggs inseminated at different stages of meiotic
      maturation: correlation of sperm nuclear transformations and activity of the
      maternal chromatin.
AB  - Changes in sperm nuclei incorporated into starfish, Asterina miniata, eggs
      inseminated at different stages of meiosis have been correlated with the
      progression of meiotic maturation. A single, uniform rate of sperm expansion
      characterized eggs inseminated at the completion of meiosis. In oocytes
      inseminated at metaphase I and II the sperm nucleus underwent an initial
      expansion at a rate comparable to that seen in eggs inseminated at the pronuclear
      stage. However, in oocytes inseminated at metaphase I, the sperm nucleus ceased
      expanding by meiosis II and condensed into chromosomes which persisted until the
      completion of meiotic maturation. Concomitant with the formation and expansion of
      the female pronucleus, sperm chromatin of oocytes inseminated at metaphase I
      enlarged and developed into male pronuclei. Condensation of the initially
      expanded sperm nucleus in oocytes inseminated at metaphase II was not observed.
      Instead, the enlarged sperm nucleus underwent a dramatic increase in expansion
      commensurate with that taking place with the maternal chromatin to form a female
      pronucleus. Fusion of the relatively large female pronucleus and a much smaller
      male pronucleus was observed in eggs fertilized at the completion of meiotic
      maturation. In oocytes inseminated at metaphase I and II, the male and female
      pronuclei, which were similar in size, migrated into juxtaposition, and as
      separate structures underwent prophase. The chromosomes in each pronucleus
      condensed, intermixed, and became aligned on the metaphase palate of the mitotic
      spindle in preparation for the first cleavage division. These observations
      demonstrate that the time of insemination with respect to the stage of meiotic
      maturation has a significant effect on sperm nuclear transformations and
      pronuclear morphogenesis.

PMID- 1879617
TI  - Homeogenetic neural induction in Xenopus.
AB  - Neural induction is known to involve an interaction of ectoderm with dorsal
      mesoderm during gastrulation, but several kinds of studies have argued that
      competent ectoderm can also be neutralized via an interaction with previously
      neuralized tissue, a process termed homeogenetic neural induction. Although
      homeogenetic neural induction has been proposed to play an important role in the
      normal induction of neural tissue, this process has not been subjected to
      detailed study using tissue recombinants and molecular markers. We have examined
      the question of homeogenetic neural induction in Xenopus embryos, both in
      transplant and recombinant experiments, using the expression of two neural
      antigens to assay the response. When ectoderm that is competent to be neuralized
      is transplanted to the region adjacent to the neural plate of early neurula
      embryos, it forms neural tissue, as assayed by staining with antibodies against
      the neural cell adhesion molecule, N-CAM. Transplants to the ventral region, far
      from the neural plate, do not express N-CAM, indicating that neuralization is not
      occurring as a result of the transplantation procedure itself. Because this
      response might be occurring as a result of interactions of ectoderm with either
      adjacent neural plate tissue, or with underlying dorsolateral mesoderm,
      recombinant experiments were performed to determine the source of the neuralizing
      signal. Ectoderm cultured in combination with neural plate tissue alone expresses
      neural markers, while ectoderm cultured in combination with dorsolateral mesoderm
      does not. We conclude that neural tissue can homeogenetically induce competent
      ectoderm to form neural tissue and argue that this induction occurs via planar
      signaling within the ectoderm, a mechanism that, in normal development, may be
      involved in interactions within presumptive neural ectoderm or in specifying
      structures that lie near the neural plate.

PMID- 1879618
TI  - Distinctive patterns of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) distribution in
      degenerating and regenerating areas of dystrophic (mdx) striated muscles.
AB  - Mdx mice uniquely recover from degenerative dystrophic lesions by an intense
      myoproliferative (regenerative) response. To investigate a potential role of
      endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in injury-repair processes, we
      investigated its localization in several striated muscles of mdx and control mice
      using immunofluorescence labeling with specific antibodies. Basic FGF was
      localized consistently to the myofiber periphery and nuclei of intact myofibers,
      as well as in single, dystrophin-positive cells in close association with the
      myofibers (potential myosatellite cells). In mdx mice, actively degenerating
      skeletal or cardiac muscle fibers presented intense cytoplasmic anti-bFGF
      staining prior to mononuclear infiltration. Small regenerating fibers in mdx
      skeletal muscle exhibited greater bFGF accumulation than adjacent larger
      myofibers. Strong nuclear anti-bFGF immunolabeling was frequently observed in mdx
      cardiac myocytes at the borders of necrotic regions. In agreement with
      differences in intensity of immunolabeling, extracts from slow-twitch muscles
      contained higher levels of bFGF compared to those from fast-twitch muscles, in
      both control and mdx mice. In addition, bFGF levels were consistently higher in
      extracts from all mdx tissues compared to those derived from their control
      counterparts. Our data suggest that bFGF participates in the degenerative and
      regenerative responses of striated muscle to dystrophic injury and also indicate
      a potential involvement of this factor with the physiology of different striated
      muscles.

PMID- 1879619
TI  - The Bobaths.

PMID- 1879620
TI  - The development of independent walking in children with cerebral palsy.
AB  - Electromyographic and kinematic data were collected during treadmill locomotion
      by normal infants and infants with cerebral palsy. Locomotor patterns of the
      infants with cerebral palsy were similar to those of normal infants during the
      stage of supported locomotion, but as they matured, some of the characteristics
      of the infant stepping pattern, such as synchronous muscle activity with
      excessive muscular co-contraction and short-latency reflexes at foot contact,
      were retained. The normal plantigrade features of adult gait did not develop in
      these children.

PMID- 1879621
TI  - Comparison of subjective and objective measures of movement performance of
      children with cerebral palsy.
AB  - The outcome of an eight-week period of additional occupational therapy, aimed at
      improving fine motor skills, was assessed by accelerometry and a rating scale
      based on the Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assessment. 10 children with
      cerebral palsy received their regular occupational therapy, while a similar group
      had an additional 30-minute session each day. No difference was found between
      groups at the end of the study. The difficulties of designing this type of
      project are discussed and the assessment methods described.

PMID- 1879622
TI  - Quantitative measurement of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy.
AB  - Spasticity was quantified in nine children with spastic diplegia, using a
      sinusoidal displacement of the foot at frequencies from 3 to 12Hz. Ankle-joint
      stiffness was separated into elastic (energy-storing) and viscous (energy
      dissipating) components. 'Path length' was used to represent the variation in
      stiffness over this frequency range. Compared with 11 unaffected children, a
      significant difference in path lengths was demonstrated for the children with
      spasticity. An age-dependent effect was demonstrated when path lengths of
      unaffected children were compared with those of 10 unaffected adults. A modified
      path-length measure is proposed which minimizes age dependency, yet enables
      detection of spasticity. Passive stiffness properties of unaffected adults showed
      higher elastic stiffness, viscosity and friction than unaffected children. A
      method was developed to evade the need for temporary nerve blocks to calculate
      inerital properties of the foot in persons with spasticity.

PMID- 1879623
TI  - Assessment of gestational age: modification of a simplified method.
AB  - A simplified method of six features for gestational age assessment was modified
      to include scored measurements for head circumference and mid-arm circumference,
      in order to improve reliability. The modified model had better correlation with
      gestational age than the simplified method, comparable accuracy to the Dubowitz
      system and was also more rapid. Preterm, low-birthweight, appropriate for
      gestational-age infants and term, low-birthweight, small for gestational-age
      infants were reliably identified by the model.

PMID- 1879624
TI  - Crying in !Kung San infants: a test of the cultural specificity hypothesis.
AB  - The pattern of crying and fretting behavior during the first two years is
      described for 46 !Kung San infants from a hunter-gatherer society in northwestern
      Botswana. Despite markedly different caretaking practices predisposing to quieter
      infants, crying and fretting were significantly greater during the first three
      months, and a peak pattern was present. Measurement of crying 'intensity'
      indicated that it was predominantly short and fretful. The results support the
      concept that the early peak pattern is not specific to infants in western
      industrialized societies, and may represent a behavior universal to the human
      species. The caretaking differences between societies primarily appear to affect
      crying duration rather than its frequency and pattern in early infancy.

PMID- 1879625
TI  - Infantile spasms treated with high doses of sodium valproate: initial response
      and follow-up.
AB  - A long-term follow-up study of 42 patients with West syndrome treated with high
      doses of sodium valproate is presented. Control of the hypsarrhythmic EEG pattern
      was achieved after two weeks for over three-quarters of the patients with sodium
      valproate doses of 100 to 300mg/kg/day. Recurrence of hypsarrhythmia was observed
      most often in patients treated with doses lower than 200mg/kg/day. Other types of
      seizures appeared in half of the patients followed beyond two years of age.
      Monotherapy throughout follow-up was possible for 30 patients. Autism occurred in
      only one infant, and 12 achieved normal mental status. The most common side
      effects were asymptomatic thrombocytopenia, vomiting and mild somnolence. Hepatic
      enzymes were not altered.

PMID- 1879626
TI  - Massage for very severe self-injurious behaviour in a girl with Cornelia de Lange
      syndrome.
AB  - The authors report the use of massage in a case of severe self-injurious
      behaviour in a girl with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, after failing to elicit a
      response to conventional management for 10 years. Improvement was dramatic and
      the possible mechanisms are discussed.

PMID- 1879627
TI  - Left unilateral neglect in a preschool child.
AB  - The authors present a case of transient left hemispatial inattention following
      traumatic brain injury in a three-year-old child. Computed tomographic scan
      revealed a small right frontal and a right temporo-parietal contusion. Stimuli
      were developed to quantify the response difference between hemifields in this pre
      literate child. Hemispatial inattention showed resolution at 19 days post-trauma
      and had completely resolved six months later. These findings suggest that right
      hemisphere systems subserve visually guided attention before six years of age.

PMID- 1879628
TI  - Head movements of visually impaired children.

PMID- 1879629
TI  - Functional sitting for children with cerebral palsy.

PMID- 1879630
TI  - Respiratory training in Duchenne dystrophy.

PMID- 1879631
TI  - Impact of the small bowel study on patient management.
AB  - Medical records of 528 consecutive patients who had a peroral small bowel
      examination or enteroclysis were reviewed. Clinical indications, efficacy of the
      small bowel examinations, and patient outcome were correlated to determine the
      impact of the small bowel examination on patient management. The most frequent
      indications were abdominal pain (19%), diarrhea (15%), obstruction (12%),
      bleeding (11%), postsurgical evaluation (10%), and assessment of Crohn's disease
      (8%). Two thirds of the studies (67%) were normal, and 33% of the examinations
      were abnormal, with similar results in all age groups. Small bowel obstruction
      (13%), miscellaneous results primarily including diffuse small bowel diseases
      (7%), adhesions (6%), and Crohn's disease (5%) were the most common abnormalities
      detected. The effects of small bowel studies on patient management were exclusion
      of serious pathology (67%), diagnosis that changed therapy (32%), and incidental
      findings (1%). Small bowel enteroclysis had a higher yield of positive
      examinations than the peroral small bowel examination, most likely due to patient
      selection.

PMID- 1879632
TI  - Transhepatic cholangiography in patients with suspected biliary disease and
      nondilated intrahepatic bile ducts.
AB  - Transhepatic cholangiography (THC) was performed in 107 patients who had
      nondilated intrahepatic bile ducts on computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound. The
      cholangiogram was diagnostic in 72 patients (67%). Thirty-one (43%) of the 72
      diagnostic studies were abnormal and showed poor emptying, stones, or strictures.
      Twenty-three (21%) complications occurred, including two deaths. Sixteen patients
      experienced acute pain, requiring additional narcotics. There was one case of
      peritonitis and pancreatitis, and two of bacteremia. We compared our success and
      complication rates to those of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)
      reported in the literature. We conclude that when a bile duct abnormality is
      clinically suspected, the incidence of pathology is sufficiently high to warrant
      direct visualization of the ducts in order to make an anatomic diagnosis, even if
      the intrahepatic ducts are not dilated. However, ERC has a better success rate
      and fewer complications than THC and it should be the initial invasive procedure.

PMID- 1879633
TI  - Congenital gallbladder duplication: preoperative diagnosis by ultrasonography.
AB  - Congenital gallbladder duplication, an uncommon but potentially complicating
      malformation, is rarely diagnosed preoperatively. A case in which the diagnosis
      was achieved by real-time ultrasonography is presented and correlated with
      hepatobiliary scintigraphy. The efficacy of these diagnostic modalities is
      discussed, and the available literature is reviewed.

PMID- 1879634
TI  - Angiographic management of massive hemobilia due to iatrogenic trauma.
AB  - Ten patients with massive hemobilia in shock or preshock status were treated with
      angiography. The hemobilia had been induced by iatrogenic trauma: biliary
      drainage in seven patients, and surgery, liver biopsy, and angiography in one
      patient each. Angiography was performed on all patients. Embolization was
      performed in nine, and in the one remaining patient, spasm of the right anterior
      hepatic artery and catheter manipulation injured the intima and obliterated the
      artery. In seven patients with hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm, gelfoam particles
      were injected in five, however, extravasation could not be prevented in four of
      these patients. Permanent embolic materials were added and complete hemostatis
      was obtained. Hemobilia never recurred in any patient. Emergency embolization
      should be considered as the initial treatment of choice for hemobilia and when
      pseudoaneurysms are discovered, they should be obliterated by permanent embolic
      materials. Moreover, tumor thrombus in the portal vein is not a contraindication
      for this procedure.

PMID- 1879635
TI  - Relation of size and number of common duct calculi to success of sphincterotomy
      and stone extraction.
AB  - Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) for common bile duct calculi (CBDC) was performed
      on 210 patients, and 190 of these were available for follow-up. One hundred
      seventy-three patients (91%) were successfully treated with ES alone, whereas 17
      patients required operation. Stone size was of importance to attain complete
      clearance of CBDC as larger stones (greater than 1 cm) were significantly more
      difficult to extract endoscopically than smaller stones (p less than 0.01). A
      comparison between patients with one CBDC and those with two or more show a
      statistically significant difference in that the former group is easier to treat
      successfully (p less than 0.001).

PMID- 1879636
TI  - Alcoholic liver disease: value of the left-to-right portal vein ratio in its
      sonographic diagnosis.
AB  - A study group of 50 patients in whom the left portal vein diameter was equal to
      or greater than the right portal vein diameter (LPVD greater than or equal to
      RPVD) was prospectively compared on ultrasonography with a control group of 50
      patients with LPVD less than RPVD. Clinical and laboratory data indicating
      chronic alcoholic liver disease (CALD) were observed with a significantly higher
      frequency in the study group than in the control group. It emerges from this
      study that LPVD greater than or equal to RPVD represents a useful
      ultrasonographic sign of CALD, corresponding to a relative enlargement of the
      left hepatic lobe compared with the right.

PMID- 1879637
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of macroscopic intrahepatic portal-hepatic venous
      shunts.
AB  - Direct communication between portal branches and the hepatic vein [macroscopic
      intra-hepatic portal-hepatic venous shunt (IPHVS)] is a rare entity. We have
      recently studied five patients with this condition. Magnetic resonance imaging
      (MRI) clearly demonstrated in each case the portal-hepatic venous shunt due to
      "flow void." Multiple diffuse shunts were present in one case and a solitary
      shunt was demonstrated in the others. The solitary shunt was either tubular,
      focally dilated or racemose in configuration. The MRI findings and clinical
      significance of this rare entity are discussed.

PMID- 1879638
TI  - MRI of hepatic iron deposition in patients with renal transplant.
AB  - Excess hepatic iron deposition was found in five of 15 (33%) renal transplant
      patients undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) screening for avascular necrosis of
      the femoral heads. Only one of these patients had overt liver disease. The number
      of prior blood transfusions was a significant factor for this deposition, whereas
      the age and sex of the patients, number and type of transplants,
      histocompatibility alleles (HLA), and years of hemodialysis and of chronic renal
      failure were not significant etiological factors. Liver/fat intensity ratios of
      less than 0.29 on T1-weighted images and ratios of less than 0.21 on T2-weighted
      images and a calculated T2 value of less than 35 ms were the best indicators of
      iron overload. Renal transplant patients are at great risk for excess hepatic
      iron deposition and MR imaging is a promising tool for the diagnosis of iron
      overload in this patient population.

PMID- 1879639
TI  - MR findings in liver adenomatosis.
AB  - Liver adenomatosis is a rare entity in which multiple hepatic adenomas (more than
      10) occur in patients with no prior history of oral contraceptives or androgenic
      steroid use. This report describes findings of this entity on magnetic resonance
      imaging (MRI) and discusses the differential diagnosis of this disease.

PMID- 1879640
TI  - Nodular focal fatty infiltration of the liver in acquired porphyria cutanea
      tarda.
AB  - A case is reported of acquired porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) due to administered
      valproate acid in an epileptic patient. Sonography (US) and computed tomography
      (CT) showed multiple nodular, well-defined lesions of the liver. Biopsy confirmed
      the diagnosis of focal fatty infiltration and revealed additionally the signs of
      hepatic involvement in PCT. Focal fatty infiltration should be considered in
      patients with multiple liver lesions if there is a predisposing condition. PCT
      can be a further cause of this type of infiltration.

PMID- 1879641
TI  - Amoebic liver abscess: rupture into retroperitoneum.

PMID- 1879642
TI  - Caroli disease: computed tomographic diagnosis.
AB  - Computed tomographic (CT) scan findings in patients with cavernous ectasia of the
      biliary tract (Caroli disease) have been described. Our patient had the isolated
      form of Caroli disease characterized by saccular dilatation of intrahepatic bile
      ducts and no evidence of portal hypertension. CT scan of the liver showed tiny
      dots with strong contrast enhancement within dilated intrahepatic bile ducts (the
      central dot sign). This finding when correlated with sonogram indicated portal
      radicles surrounded by dilated intrahepatic bile ducts.

PMID- 1879643
TI  - Portal vein thrombosis in Crohn's disease.
AB  - Thromboembolic complications of inflammatory bowel disease are a well-recognized
      occurrence. Portal vein thrombosis has been reported in patients with ulcerative
      colitis but to date has not been reported in patients with Crohn's disease. We
      present the first case of portal vein thrombosis in a patient with Crohn's
      disease.

PMID- 1879644
TI  - Pancreatic lymphangioma: CT, MRI, and angiographic features.
AB  - An unusual case of pancreatic lymphangioma presenting as a large mid-abdominal
      mass with sunburst pattern of calcification is herein described. The findings
      noted on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and
      mesenteric angiography are illustrated.

PMID- 1879645
TI  - Immunoscintigraphy of colorectal carcinoma utilizing 111In-labeled monoclonal
      antibody conjugate CYT-103.
AB  - Twelve presurgical patients with colorectal carcinoma received a single
      intravenous infusion of 0.5-20.0 mg of the radiolabeled monoclonal antibody
      conjugate CYT-103. This product is an immunoconjugate of B72.3 labeled with
      Indium-111 (111In). Patients underwent preoperative gamma camera imaging and
      computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the abdomen and pelvis. Fifteen
      intraabdominal sites of tumor were found at surgery. Monoclonal antibody imaging
      detected 87% of these lesions, whereas CT of the abdomen and pelvis detected 47%.
      Monoclonal antibody imaging identified tumor in 27% of the patients in which CT
      did not identify any sites of tumor. The results of this study indicate that
      monoclonal antibody imaging using [111In]CYT-103 is useful for the preoperative
      evaluation of colorectal carcinoma patients and the results are complimentary to
      CT of the abdomen and the pelvis.

PMID- 1879646
TI  - Lymphoma of the appendix.
AB  - A rare case of appendiceal lymphoma in a patient who presented with lower
      gastrointestinal bleeding is reported. The findings on double-contrast barium
      enema, computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound are described and the clinical
      features of the few previously reported cases of appendiceal lymphoma are
      discussed.

PMID- 1879647
TI  - Transrectal ultrasound and computed tomography in preoperative staging of lower
      rectal adenocarcinoma.
AB  - A comparison of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and computed tomography (CT) for
      staging of rectal carcinoma was performed. Thirty-two patients were examined by
      TRUS and 30 by CT. The results of these preoperative examinations were compared
      with postoperative histopathological findings. TRUS had an accuracy of 81% and it
      predicted perirectal tumor growth with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of
      67%, whereas the corresponding figures for CT were 52%, 67%, and 27%. These
      findings indicate that TRUS is more efficient than CT in staging local tumor
      growth in rectal cancer. Neither technique, however, can reliably identify lymph
      node metastases, since no correlation was found between lymph node size as
      observed on CT and TRUS and tumor involvement as evaluated histopathologically.

PMID- 1879648
TI  - Computed tomography in adult intussusception.
AB  - Computed tomographic (CT) changes of intussusception include the early target
      mass with fascial planes around the mass retained; with progress and bowel wall
      thickening, the characteristic mass with layering effect occurs (i.e., areas of
      high density with curvilinear low-density zones). Traction on the associated
      mesenteric vasculature may be noted. Scattered air-fluid levels indicate the
      associated presence of bowel obstruction. As edema of the bowel progresses, the
      layering effect is obscured, and the compromised bowel assumes an amorphous shape
      surrounded by intraperitoneal fluid. The presence of intramural air is indicative
      of vascular compromise of the intussuscepting bowel.

PMID- 1879649
TI  - Invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the anus arising in condyloma acuminatum: CT
      demonstration.
AB  - We present two cases of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the anus complicating
      long-standing anal condyloma acuminatum. The computed tomographic (CT) findings
      are reviewed, and the increasing importance of malignant transformation of anal
      condylomas is discussed.

PMID- 1879650
TI  - Seasonal changes in plasma prostaglandin F2 alpha and sex hormones in the male
      water frog, Rana esculenta.
AB  - Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), progesterone, androgens (testosterone +
      dihydrotestosterone), and 17 beta-estradiol were measured in the plasma of male
      frogs, Rana esculenta, by radioimmunoassays. Plasma concentrations of PGF2 alpha
      were higher from October to December and peaked in March (prereproduction) and in
      June (postreproduction). Plasma progesterone levels were relatively low but
      showed an increase from October to December and in June. Plasma androgen titres
      rapidly increased in early spring, started to fall during the reproductive period
      (May), and were lowest in July. 17 beta-Estradiol levels peaked in March and in
      June. The annual profile of the plasma PGF2 alpha levels was positively
      correlated with those of progesterone and androgens, while it was not correlated
      to the estradiol plasma pattern, except in March and June. The increase in plasma
      PGF2 alpha in the autumn may be related to gonadal recovery. The simultaneous
      increases in PGF2 alpha and 17 beta-estradiol, both in March and June, suggest a
      PGF2 alpha-dependent estradiol synthesis, a possibility also supported by the
      increased plasma 17 beta-estradiol previously observed in PGF2 alpha-treated
      postreproductive females. The effects of captivity and castration on plasma PGF2
      alpha concentrations were also studied during the annual cycle. Captivity was
      associated with a reduced PGF2 alpha titre, while castration did not modify
      prostaglandin synthesis, which may point to an extragonadal source of plasma PGF2
      alpha.

PMID- 1879651
TI  - Sex steroid profile and plasma vitellogenin during the annual reproductive cycle
      of the crested newt (Triturus carnifex Laur.).
AB  - The annual reproductive cycle of the crested newt, Triturus carnifex, has been
      studied in the field. Temperatures, rainfall, humidity, and photoperiod were
      recorded throughout the year. Adult male and female newts were sampled monthly;
      snout vent lengths, crest heights of males, and body ovarian, oviducal,
      testicular, and abdominal gland weights were recorded. Plasma samples were
      assayed for androgen, estradiol-17 beta, and progesterone by radioimmunoassay and
      for vitellogenin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Air, deep water, water
      surface, and soil temperatures were low from October to March, but increased in
      April and May without consistent summer variations. Ovarian and oviducal weights
      increased in October to reach maximum values between January and March
      (reproductive period). Crest height and abdominal gland weight in males mirrored
      the ovarian and oviducal pattern, while testicular weights were maximal in
      October and November. In females, plasma androgens were high during the
      reproductive period, and plasma estradiol peaked sharply in March, while plasma
      progesterone changed little. In the males plasma androgen and estradiol
      concentrations were similar to those of females, while plasma progesterone was
      significantly correlated with the cycle in testicular weight. In both sexes
      androgens showed a significantly negative correlation with air and water surface
      temperature. Plasma vitellogenin peaked in March but it did not correlate with
      either ovarian weight or plasma estradiol concentrations. These data support and
      confirm those previously reported for newts under laboratory conditions. The
      negative correlation between androgens and temperature suggests that this hormone
      may trigger the reproductive process. Moreover the correlations between plasma
      progesterone and testicular weight may indicate that this hormone is involved in
      male newts reproduction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879652
TI  - Circadian time dependence of erythropoietic and respiratory responses of Indian
      garden lizard, Calotes versicolor, to mammalian urinary erythropoietin and
      thyroxine.
AB  - The circadian stage-dependent effects of mammalian urinary erythropoietin (Ep)
      and thyroxine (T4) on tissue energy metabolism (in vivo and in vitro) and
      erythropoiesis were examined in the Indian garden lizard. Both T4 and Ep
      increased erythropoiesis and also affected hepatic and muscle energy metabolism.
      Although both treatments increased circulating RBC count, irrespective of the
      timing of the treatment, the maximum erythropoietic stimulation was achieved only
      in the late photophase (9 hr after light onset, HALO). Hepatic oxygen uptake was
      significantly elevated at 3 and 9 HALO following in vivo Ep administration and 3,
      9, and 15 HALO following in vivo T4 injection. In contrast, in vitro addition of
      either Ep or T4 to hepatic homogenates of untreated lizards significantly
      elevated respiratory rate, irrespective of the time of tissue collection. The
      rate of muscle tissue respiration was statistically elevated when Ep was
      administered in vivo at 9 and 15 HALO. The oxygen uptake was stimulated by T4
      only at 15 HALO. While in vitro addition of Ep to tissue homogenates
      significantly depressed the respiratory rate of muscle collected at 3 HALO,
      addition of T4 stimulated oxygen uptake by the muscle tissue collected at 9 and
      15 HALO. It is concluded that the effectiveness of Ep or T4 largely depends upon
      the phase of the organism's circadian system(s).

PMID- 1879653
TI  - Changes in cortisol and thyroid hormone concentrations during early development
      and metamorphosis in the Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus.
AB  - Both cortisol and thyroid hormones were detected in newly fertilized eggs of the
      Japanese flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Mean cortisol levels ranged around 2.5
      ng/g wet weight. Cortisol concentrations declined to about one-tenth of their
      initial levels by 2 days before hatching. The concentrations of triiodothyronine
      (T3; 7 ng/g) were greater than those of thyroxine (T4; 0.4 ng/g). The T3 levels
      decreased gradually in the eggs until the time of hatching and then decreased
      rapidly to undetectable levels within 2 days, whereas T4 remained at more or less
      constant levels during early development. The significance of the "selective"
      clearance of the three hormones from eggs remains unclear. Tissue concentrations
      of cortisol during premetamorphosis were about 4 ng/g and increased to a peak
      level of 11 ng/g at climax. After climax, cortisol declined by 50%. The changes
      in thyroid hormone levels were in parallel with the changes in cortisol. T4
      remained below 1 ng/g during prematamorphosis but increased gradually during
      prometamorphosis, reaching peak levels (12 ng/g) during metamorphic climax, and
      then declined by approximately 50%. T3 remained at low levels through most of the
      metamorphosis. Histologically, the interrenal tissue was activated during the
      metamorphosis. The coincident increases in cortisol and thyroid hormones support
      previous results of a synergistic action of both hormones during metamorphosis in
      the flounder.

PMID- 1879654
TI  - Plasma melatonin levels in Japanese quail exposed to dim light are determined by
      subjective interpretation of day and night, not light intensity.
AB  - Plasma melatonin levels were measured in male Japanese quail exposed to lighting
      schedules consisting of combinations of bright light (2000 or 1500 lx), darkness,
      or dim light (2 lx) or to constant dim light. Melatonin levels in dim light were
      dependent upon the relative intensity of accompanying phases, being significantly
      higher when dim light was subjective night than when it was subjective day. There
      was no significant melatonin rhythm in constant dim light, even on the first day
      of constant dim light exposure. Melatonin levels were intermediate when dim light
      was accompanied by both bright light and darkness. These results indicate that
      melatonin secretion in birds does not depend solely on light intensity.
      Furthermore, these results suggest that the avian circadian system may be more
      sensitive to environmental cues than its mammalian counterpart.

PMID- 1879655
TI  - Cuticle deposition and ecdysteroid titers during embryonic and larval development
      of the argasid tick Ornithodoros moubata (Murray, 1877, sensu Walton, 1962)
      (Ixodoidea:Argasidae).
AB  - Timing of embryonic and larval molts at the ultrastructural level and presence of
      ecdysteroids (ES) during embryonic and larval development of the argasid tick
      Ornithodoros moubata were studied. Embryonic "cuticles" A, B, and C were
      deposited 24-30 hr, 48-56 hr, and 6 days after oviposition, respectively.
      Deposition of the larval cuticulin layer started on Day 8 of embryonic
      development and procuticle deposition continued after hatching until apolysis of
      the larval cuticle 40 hr posthatch. Plaques of cuticulin formed on tips of
      microvilli 48-56 hr after hatching and procuticle was deposited until after
      ecdysis. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to determine the ES titer in methanolic
      extracts of various ages of embryos and larvae. No peaks of RIA-positive material
      were detected during deposition of envelopes A, B, and C. However two peaks of ES
      were observed during embryonic development, one which coincided with the
      shortening of the germ band and a second which coincided with the deposition of
      the larval epicuticle on Day 8. During larval development, a peak of ES was
      observed on Day 3 (48-56 hr posthatch) and was correlated with nymphal epicuticle
      deposition. HPLC-RIA revealed that these last two peaks consisted mainly of 20
      hydroxyecdysone together with a small quantity of ecdysone. Conjugated RIA
      positive material was present in freshly laid eggs and an augmentation of this
      esterase hydrolysable material was noted at the appearance of each ES peak. Thus
      the embryos did not appear to be hydrolyzing the maternal apolar conjugates to
      release ES during embryonic development; on the contrary, they appeared to be
      conjugating the newly synthesized hormones.

PMID- 1879656
TI  - Patterns of breeding in two species of agamid lizards in the arid subtropical
      Pilbara region of Western Australia.
AB  - The reproductive cycles of two annual species of desert agamids have been studied
      over a 7-year period in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia in an effort
      to identify proximate factors influencing their disparate modes of reproduction.
      Amphibolurus (= Ctenophorus) nuchalis breeds regularly in spring (September
      October in the southern hemisphere) in the southern parts of its range, following
      reliable winter rainfall which stimulates insect abundance sufficient to sustain
      their reproductive effort. In the Pilbara region, however, winter rainfall is
      small and erratic and total rainfall is influenced primarily by summer cyclones.
      A. nuchalis breeds in spring in the Pilbara in those years when winter rain is
      substantial, but defers breeding until after the cyclonic rains in late summer in
      very dry years. The physiological condition of A. nuchalis in spring in such
      years is depressed, suggesting that resources sufficient to sustain the
      reproductive effort are lacking, but they show no obvious signs of stress. In
      years where adequate winter rainfall has been followed by early cyclonic rains,
      the A. nuchalis population breeds continuously for a 6-month period between
      October and March of the following year. Although circulating levels of androgens
      rise significantly in spring in the second species, A. caudicinctus, the gonads
      remain regressed and this species displays an inflexible pattern of reproduction,
      breeding only following cyclonic rain in March-April each year, no matter what
      rains fall in the preceding winter. A. nuchalis thus appears to be an
      opportunistic vernal breeder, limited only by the availability of resources,
      whereas A. caudicinctus, which apparently displays the greater reproductive
      effort of the two species, has a typical aestival pattern of breeding which is
      uniquely attuned to the enormous burst of productivity occurring in this arid
      region following the substantial and predictable summer cyclonic rains. Although
      environmental temperature has often been seen as the primary factor determining
      reproductive cycles in reptiles, this study suggests that temperature is a
      necessary but not a sufficient condition for successful reproduction and that the
      availability of adequate resources may assume an overriding importance,
      especially in arid habitats where annual rainfall may be highly unpredictable.

PMID- 1879657
TI  - Steroid hormone binding in the Harderian gland of birds: characteristics of the
      androgen, estrogen, and progestin receptors of Anas platyrhynchos and Gallus
      domesticus.
AB  - A series of experiments was carried out in immature female chicks and ducks to
      establish whether the avian Harderian gland contains specific receptors for sex
      steroids. Cytosol preparations of Harderian glands were submitted to hormone
      saturation analysis using radiolabeled estradiol, ORG-2058, and
      dimethylnortestosterone as ligands. In addition, the sedimentation
      characteristics of the hormone-receptor complexes were studied by
      ultracentrifugation of linear sucrose gradients. The presence of high affinity
      binding sites for estrogens (Kd = 2.4 and 1.6 nM), progestins (0.8 and 1.0 nM),
      and androgens (1.0 and 1.0 nM) was indicated in the chick and duck glands,
      respectively. The sedimentation coefficients were 7-7.5 S, 7-8 S, and 8 S for
      estrogen, progestin, and androgen receptor-ligand complexes, respectively. The
      concentration of the androgen receptor was significantly higher in chick than in
      duck Harderian glands whereas the estrogen and progestin receptor concentrations
      were similar in both species. A striking finding was the presence of progestin
      receptors, which apparently do not exist in the glands of many mammals. Priming
      with estrogens did not modify the concentration of ORG-2058 binding sites in
      either species studied, indicating that gland progestin receptor is not estrogen
      regulated. Overall the data suggest intracellular mechanisms whereby circulating
      gonadal hormones regulate avian Harderian gland function.

PMID- 1879658
TI  - Avian LHRH during embryonic development: measurement by competitive ELISA with a
      monoclonal antibody.
AB  - A mouse monoclonal antibody directed against chicken Gln8-luteinizing hormone
      releasing hormone (cLHRH-I) was developed and characterized. This antibody was
      used for the development of a competitive microtiter plate enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay for avian LHRH. The assay was validated for use with tissue
      and was used at a working range between 5 pg and 10 ng per sample. Using this
      procedure, cLHRH-I and II were assayed in whole brain extracts of Japanese Quail
      embryos. Samples were taken at regular intervals between Day 6 of incubation
      through Day 1 posthatch. There were 10 samples taken at each age with 2
      replicates of the entire sampling regime. Data from males and females were
      pooled. LHRH concentrations were low, then rose to higher levels (15 pg/mg
      tissue) between Days 10 through 13 and decreased thereafter. These changes are
      likely to be correlated with the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal
      axis. This is particularly apparent in later embryonic development.

PMID- 1879659
TI  - The acute effects of alteration in the dietary concentrations of carbohydrate,
      protein, and lipid on plasma T4, T3, and glucose levels in rainbow trout,
      Oncorhynchus mykiss.
AB  - The acute (4 hr) postprandial effects of a single isocaloric meal varying in the
      proportions of either carbohydrate (C)/lipid (L), C/protein (P), or L/P on plasma
      levels of glucose, T4 (L-thyroxine) and T3 (3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine) were
      examined in rainbow trout starved for 3 days. Relative to starved controls,
      plasma T3 was generally uninfluenced by feeding but was increased by diets
      containing the highest C/L and P/L ratios. Plasma T4 was elevated only in
      instances where there was sufficient available dietary C to raise plasma glucose
      to at least 126 mg/100 ml. High dietary P or L levels in combination with low C
      levels and a postprandial plasma glucose level below 126 mg/100 ml did not
      elevate plasma T4. For fish fed an acaloric alpha-cellulose diet, plasma T4 was
      unchanged indicating that gastric filling alone does not contribute significantly
      to the T4 surge. It is concluded that the previously demonstrated postprandial
      elevation in plasma T4 is determined mainly by the level of dietary C and the
      available glucose, and not by P, L, total caloric content, or bulk properties of
      the ingesta.

PMID- 1879660
TI  - Effects of stanniectomy and experimental hypercalcemia on plasma calcium levels
      and calcium influx in American eels, Anguilla rostrata, LeSueur.
AB  - Intraperitoneal injection of CaCl2 in intact, sham-stanniectomized, and
      stanniectomized American eels, Anguilla rostrata (LeSueur), resulted in a rapid
      elevation of plasma calcium level which was more marked and of longer duration in
      the stanniectomized eels. The same treatment reduced whole body calcium influx
      (JinCa2+) in the intact and sham-stanniectomized groups for the first but not the
      second of two 4 hr flux periods. The same treatment did not affect JinCa2+ in the
      stanniectomized eels. We conclude that calcium loading in eels with intact
      stannius corpuscles (CS) results in the release of a CS hormone (stanniocalcin)
      which inhibits the uptake of calcium from the environment and that this
      facilitates the return to normocalcemia. These data provide direct evidence for a
      relationship between stanniocalcin release in vivo and a hypocalcemic response
      and the first evidence concerning the functional turnover time of this hormone.

PMID- 1879661
TI  - Insulin binding to liver plasma membranes of coho salmon during smoltification.
AB  - Smoltification of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is accompanied by
      characteristic changes in plasma insulin levels, with peak values attained at the
      beginning of the transformation period (the parr to transitional stage). To
      relate these changes to responsiveness of target tissues a study was made of
      binding of homologous insulin to liver plasma membranes in coho salmon undergoing
      the parr-to-smolt transformation. In general, parameters of specific insulin
      binding to the preparations of liver plasma membranes were similar to same
      parameters of insulin binding in other teleost fishes investigated so far and in
      mammals. The total binding capacity of insulin, a value that reflects the total
      number of binding sites, was higher in smolts than in parrs. The number of high
      affinity, low capacity binding sites in the liver membranes steadily increased as
      smoltification progressed, reached a maximum in early smolts, and declined
      thereafter. Another increase in the numbers of high affinity binding sites was
      observed in smolts transferred from fresh water to seawater. The specific binding
      of insulin in salmon at particular developmental stages was probably related to,
      and determined by, both the quantity of binding sites and their relative
      affinities. In smolts the highest levels of specific binding of insulin to the
      liver plasma membranes were coincident with the low levels of insulin in the
      peripheral blood that passed through the liver.

PMID- 1879662
TI  - Calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in a crustacean Nephrops
      norvegicus and correlation with calcitonin.
AB  - Immunoreactive calcitonin-gene-related peptide (ir-CGRP) was detected in the
      crustacean Nephrops norvegicus. High levels of ir-CGRP were present in the
      foregut and hepatopancreas (3 +/- 0.7 and 4.6 +/- 1.0 micrograms eq per 100 mg of
      fresh organ, respectively). Molecular sieving of acidic extracts of anterior gut
      of Nephrops norvegicus showed a high molecular weight immunoreactive peptide in
      the range 15,000 to 25,000 Da. Immunoreactivity related to salmon calcitonin was
      present in the high molecular weight fraction.

PMID- 1879663
TI  - Plasma growth hormone levels during sexual maturation in diploid and triploid
      rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
AB  - Plasma growth hormone concentrations were determined in diploid and triploid
      rainbow trout of both sexes during sexual maturation. Diploid females grow large
      ovaries, whereas triploid female trout show no ovarian development. The plasma
      growth hormone concentration in triploid female trout remained low and unchanged
      throughout the study, whereas it rose slightly, but significantly, in the diploid
      females that matured, but not in those that remained immature. On the other hand,
      triploid males do develop tests like their diploid counterparts. In both groups
      spermiation was accompanied by a steady rise in the plasma growth hormone
      concentration. The results suggest that the elevated growth hormone concentration
      in mature male trout was a consequence not of reproduction per se, but of the
      loss of condition that accompanied spawning. This hypothesis was supported by the
      results from the females. Apart from a temporary loss in the mature diploids
      caused by stripping of the eggs, female trout did not lose condition, neither did
      they show any change in the plasma growth hormone concentration during the period
      when they ovulated. These results suggest that it was the nutritional
      insufficiency accompanying reproduction in male fish that caused the elevation in
      growth hormone concentration. In fact, a strong negative correlation between the
      plasma growth hormone concentration and the condition factor of the fish was
      observed.

PMID- 1879664
TI  - Ecdysteroids in relation to the molt cycle of the American lobster, Homarus
      americanus. II. excretion of metabolites.
AB  - Ecdysteroid (Ecd) excretion patterns were followed during the molt cycle of adult
      male and female lobsters. Homarus americanus. Urine was the major route of Ecd
      elimination, amounting to greater than or equal to 96% of the excreted
      radioimmunoassay activity for all molt stages. The other identified route of Ecd
      elimination from the hemolymph was the feces, which accounted for the remaining
      4% of the total Ecd excretion. High polarity metabolites (HP), including 20,26
      dihydroxyecdysone (2026E) and 20-hydroxyecdysonoic acid (20EA), were the major
      types of Ecds found in the urine. Other urinary Ecd components included 20
      hydroxyecdysone (20E), ecdysone (E), and ponasterone A (P). The major portion of
      urinary HP was composed of conjugates of 2026E, 20E, E, P, and other unidentified
      metabolites. The fecal Ecds were predominately HP and apolar metabolites. Apolar
      fecal Ecds were hydrolyzable to release 20EA, 2026E, 20E, E, P, and other
      metabolites. By means of intubation, [3H]E was placed directly into the cardiac
      stomach of lobsters. The gut pathway formed an apolar conjugate of [3H]E which
      was found exclusively in the feces. Lobsters are therefore capable of excreting
      ingested Ecds without absorption.

PMID- 1879665
TI  - Effect of background color and low temperature on skin color and circulating
      alpha-MSH in two species of leopard frog.
AB  - Circulating levels of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in two
      species of leopard frog, Rana pipiens and R. chiricahuensis, were measured by
      radioimmunoassay to reveal the correlation between skin color change induced by
      background color and by low temperature. High levels of alpha-MSH were found in
      both species of frog on a black background, but R. chiricahuensis had eight times
      higher levels than R. pipiens, R. chiricahuensis also exhibited the ability to
      darken its ventral surface, whereas the ventral surface of R. pipiens remained
      white. Neither skin color nor plasma alpha-MSH of R. pipiens was affected by
      cold. Low temperature did, however, darken dorsal and ventral skin of R.
      chiricahuensis in vivo, which corresponded to increased levels of plasma alpha
      MSH. Dorsal and ventral skin of R. chiricahuensis, in vitro, darken in a dose
      dependent manner to alpha-MSH, but not to cold.

PMID- 1879666
TI  - Distribution and characterization of immunoreactive growth hormone (GH) in the
      pituitary of the frog Rana ridibunda using an antiserum against purified bullfrog
      GH.
AB  - The presence of growth hormone (GH) in the pituitary of the frog Rana ridibunda
      was investigated using an antiserum raised against purified bullfrog GH. The
      immunofluorescence technique revealed that GH-containing cells are exclusively
      located in the dorsal area of the distal lobe of the pituitary. The relative
      abundance of these GH-positive cells, which correspond to acidophilic type 2
      cells, was 18 +/- 1% of the total population of endocrine cells of the pars
      distalis. Frontal sections of the distal lobe indicated that GH-producing cells
      are distributed in an arc of a circle occupying all of the dorsal part of the
      lobe. At the electron microscopic level, GH-immunoreactive material was
      sequestered in large polymorphic granules (200-700 nm). GH was quantified in R.
      ridibunda pituitary extracts using a radioimmunoassay for bullfrog GH. The
      displacement curves obtained with serial dilutions of pars distalis extracts were
      not strictly parallel to the standard curve made with purified bullfrog GH. In
      contrast, Western blot analysis revealed that GH from R. ridibunda had a
      molecular weight (22 kDa) similar to that of bullfrog GH. In the pars distalis,
      the apparent amount of GH was 0.61 +/- 0.14 microgram per lobe, corresponding to
      0.92 +/- 0.17% of total proteins in the extracts. In contrast, frog
      neurointermediate lobe or hypothalamus did not contain significant concentrations
      of immunoreactive GH (less than 0.006% of total proteins in the extracts). Taken
      together, these results validate the use of an antiserum to bullfrog GH to
      investigate the regulation of GH secretion in R. ridibunda.

PMID- 1879667
TI  - Circadian rhythms of melatonin secretion from superfused goldfish (Carassius
      auratus) pineal glands in vitro.
AB  - A flow-through, whole-organ culture (superfusion) system was developed, and
      goldfish pineal glands were maintained at 25 degrees under light-dark (LD) 12:12
      cycles, reversed LD 12:12 cycles, continuous dark (DD), or continuous light (LL)
      conditions for 48 hr. Under LD 12:12 and reversed LD 12:12 cycles, superfused
      pineal glands showed a rhythmic melatonin secretion: Scotophase was associated
      with high titers and photophase with low titers. The melatonin secretion rhythms
      persisted for two cycles under DD conditions, whereas nocturnal rises were
      suppressed under LL conditions. After the transition from LL to DD conditions on
      the third day, melatonin showed a nocturnal increase. These results indicate that
      melatonin secretion from the superfused goldfish pineal gland is directly
      photosensitive and that the goldfish pineal gland harbors a circadian oscillator
      which generates melatonin secretion rhythms.

PMID- 1879668
TI  - In vitro metabolism of progesterone by peripheral blood of rock hyrax (Procavia
      capensis).
AB  - In vitro metabolism of progesterone by hyrax whole blood, erythrocytes, or plasma
      in the presence or absence of NADPH was investigated. In the presence of NADPH,
      whole blood metabolized progesterone to 5 alpha-pregnanedione and 5 beta
      pregnanedione, but in the absence of NADPH, only 5 beta-pregnanedione was
      produced. Erythrocytes in the presence and the absence of NADPH produced only 5
      beta-pregnanedione. The plasma component of blood metabolized progesterone to
      give 5 alpha-pregnanedione, but only in the presence of NADPH. These results
      suggest the presence of two types of steroid reductases found in plasma and
      erythrocytes. The extent of progesterone metabolism by the blood of animals in
      different reproductive states is in the order of pregnant females greater than
      nonpregnant females greater than male.

PMID- 1879669
TI  - Cloning of a turkey prolactin cDNA: expression of prolactin mRNA throughout the
      reproductive cycle of the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).
AB  - A cDNA-encoding turkey prolactin (PRL) has been isolated from a turkey pituitary
      library. The 953-base pair cDNA clone contains a 229-amino acid open reading
      frame which consists of a 30-amino acid signal peptide followed by a 199-amino
      acid mature PRL. The deduced amino acid sequence of turkey PRL shows greater than
      90% homology to chicken PRL and 54-78% homology to other mammalian prolactins. A
      mRNA of 1100 nucleotides was detected in total RNA extracted from turkey
      pituitaries. Levels of PRL mRNA increased approximately 10-, 20-, and 100-fold in
      photostimulated, laying, and incubating hens, respectively, relative to that
      found in nonphotostimulated hens. The corresponding increases in plasma PRL
      levels were 2-, 5.5-, and 50-fold and in pituitary PRL content were 2-, 4-, and
      13.4-fold, respectively. The transition from incubation to the photorefractory
      phase resulted in a 10-fold reduction in PRL mRNA, a 3.7-fold decrease in
      pituitary PRL, and a dramatic 50-fold decrease in plasma PRL. The changes in the
      abundance of pituitary PRL mRNA appear to be related to the changes in PRL
      releasing activity observed at each of the reproductive stages. This study
      provides the first characterization of pituitary PRL mRNA and its comparison with
      plasma and pituitary PRL levels during the avian reproductive cycle.

PMID- 1879670
TI  - Circadian regulation of synthesis of ecdysteroids by prothoracic glands of the
      insect Rhodnius prolixus: evidence of a dual oscillator system.
AB  - Rhythmic synthesis of moulting hormones (ecdysteroids) by prothoracic glands
      (PGs) of the insect Rhodnius prolixus during the last larval instar was studied
      in vitro following explantations every 4-5 hr for up to 96 hr. Ecdysteroid
      synthesis was measured by radioimmunoassay as the quantity of ecdysteroid
      produced during 4 hr in vitro. A massive daily rhythm is seen, with synthesis at
      night being three- to fivefold higher than during the day. This rhythm of
      ecdysteroid synthesis by PGs free-runs in continuous darkness with a temperature
      compensated period length close to 24 hr and is therefore controlled by a
      circadian system. This is the first report of circadian regulation of synthesis
      of an invertebrate hormone. The synthesis rhythm also free-runs in continuous
      light, but with an inverted phase and shorter period length. It is argued that
      the circadian system controlling synthesis comprises two oscillators which free
      run in antiphase, occupy different anatomical locations, and are coupled by a
      humoral factor, possibly prothoracicotropic hormone. The ecdysteroid synthesis
      rhythm in PGs appears to drive the previously reported circadian rhythm in the
      haemolymph ecdysteroid titre. It is concluded that the circadian system
      controlling synthesis of ecdysteroids constitutes a pacemaker which drives
      various rhythms in the target cells of ecdysteroids via the rhythm in the
      haemolymph titre. Ecdysteroids are viewed as "hormonal Zeitgebers," imposing
      temporal order on development.

PMID- 1879671
TI  - Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone and androgens in relation to age and
      breeding status among cooperatively breeding Australian magpies (Gymnorhina
      tibicen Latham).
AB  - Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T), and 5 alpha
      dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured in relation to age and social/breeding
      status among free-living male Australian magpies. Magpies live in territorial
      groups of up to 20 individuals and due to a largely age-related dominance
      hierarchy among males, many individuals are prevented from breeding. Adult
      plumage is not attained until the fourth year, but males can produce motile sperm
      in their first year. Plasma levels of LH and T peaked just prior to egg-laying
      among breeding males, but DHT levels remained steady or declined slightly during
      the breeding period. Adults (greater than 3.5 years) had significantly higher
      levels of both LH and androgens than did subadults (less than 3.5 years) during
      the breeding season. Nonbreeding adults had similar levels to those found among
      the breeding adults, but breeding subadults had higher levels of both LH and
      androgens than the nonbreeding subadults. These results are interpreted in terms
      of the opportunities for each of these classes to obtain copulations and are
      discussed in relation to age-related hormonal secretion in other species.

PMID- 1879672
TI  - The loss of 45Ca2+ associated with prolactin release from the tilapia
      (Oreochromis mossambicus) rostral pars distalis.
AB  - The relationship between tritium 3H-labeled prolactin (PRL) release and the loss
      of tissue-associated 45Ca2+ was examined in the tilapia rostral pars distalis
      (RPD) using perifusion incubation under conditions which inhibit or stimulate PRL
      release. Depolarizing [K+] (56 mM) and hyposmotic medium (280 mOsmolal) increased
      both the release of [3H]PRL and the loss of 45Ca2+. The responses to high [K+]
      were faster and shorter in duration than those produced by reduced osmotic
      pressure. The depletion of Ca2+ from the incubation medium with 2 mM EGTA
      suppressed the [3H]PRL response evoked by high [K+] or reduced osmotic pressure.
      Exposing the tissues to Ca(2+)-depleted medium in the absence of high [K+] or
      reduced osmotic pressure produced a sharp, but brief, increase in 45Ca2+ loss.
      Cobalt (10(-3) M), a competitive inhibitor of calcium-mediated processes,
      inhibited the [3H]PRL response to hyposmotic medium and to high [K+]. Cobalt also
      diminished the increased loss of 45Ca2+ evoked by exposure to reduced osmotic
      pressure, but was ineffective in altering responses to high [K+].
      Methoxyverapamil (D600; 10(-5) M), a blocker of certain voltage-sensitive Ca2+
      channels, did not alter either the [3H]PRL or the 45Ca2+ responses to high [K+]
      and reduced osmotic pressure. Taken together with our earlier studies, the
      present findings suggest that exposure to high [K+] or hyposmotic medium produces
      rapid changes in the Ca2+ metabolism of the tilapia RPD that are linked to the
      stimulation of PRL secretion. Nevertheless, the increased 45Ca2+ loss, but not
      [3H]PRL release, upon exposure to Ca(2+)-depleted media suggests that Ca2+ loss
      may not always reflect intracellular events that lead to PRL release.

PMID- 1879673
TI  - Pituitary and plasma arginine vasotocin levels in teleost fish.
AB  - The role of arginine vasotocin (AVT) in teleostean osmoregulation is unclear. Its
      administration may produce dose-dependent effects on renal fluid loss though the
      physiological significance of such effects is unknown due to the paucity of data
      on the normal range in pituitary and plasma AVT levels. The present study
      addresses these questions by examining the pituitary AVT activity in the flounder
      and plasma AVT concentrations in the flounder, trout, and carp following
      alterations in environmental tonicity. Flounder pituitary AVT content, measured
      by bioassay, was elevated in freshwater (FW)-acclimated compared to seawater (SW)
      acclimated fish and rapidly fell or rose, respectively, following transfer from
      FW to SW or from SW to FW to attain a new steady state. Plasma levels of AVT were
      higher in FW than in SW in both flounder and trout and it would, therefore,
      appear that the synthesis, storage, and secretion of AVT may be enhanced in FW.
      In the stenohaline carp plasma levels of AVT were unchanged on acclimation from
      FW to 40% SW. In SW flounder there was a significant positive correlation between
      plasma osmolality and plasma AVT concentration. Such a relationship was not
      apparent in FW fish, which may reflect differing roles for the hormone in these
      two extremes of osmotic environment.

PMID- 1879674
TI  - The development of a noncompetitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for
      oncorhynchid growth hormone using monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - The development of a sensitive and specific two-site, or sandwich, noncompetitive
      enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for oncorhynchid growth hormone (GH)
      using monoclonal antibodies (MCAs) is reported. The MCAs were generated by the
      fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice that had been immunized with
      chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) recombinant GH. The MCAs specifically recognized
      the GH-secreting acidophils in the proximal pars distalis of immature male
      rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) pituitaries. Affinity chromatography using
      one of the MCAs isolated a single protein with a molecular weight of 22,500 from
      a rainbow trout pituitary extract. The ELISA recognized recombinant chum salmon
      GH and the affinity-purified protein but did not recognize chum salmon prolactin,
      gonadotropin I or II, nor several mammalian hormone preparations. The ELISA
      recognized GH in rainbow trout, coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and chinook
      salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) pituitary extracts, but not in goldfish
      (Carassius auratus) extracts, and recognized GH in rainbow trout, coho salmon,
      lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), and bowfin (Amia calva) plasma, but not in
      goldfish, yellow bullhead (Ictalurus natalis), or lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
      plasma. The sensitivity of the ELISA was less than 1.56 ng/ml and circulating
      levels of GH in the plasma of coho salmon and rainbow trout plasma were measured
      as 75 and 35 ng equivalents/ml, respectively.

PMID- 1879675
TI  - Development and validation of a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for chinook
      salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) growth hormone.
AB  - This study describes the development of a highly specific and very sensitive
      radioimmunoassay for salmonid growth hormone. Antiserum raised against chinook
      (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) GH2, which did not recognize 125I-sPRL and 125I-sGTH
      (at 1:1000 initial dilution), was able to inhibit growth when injected into
      rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). 125I-sGH2, used as tracer, was not
      recognized by anti-sGTH or by anti-sPRL. Mammalian GH and ACTH and salmonid GTH,
      TSH, and PRL did not cross-react in the sGH assay. The inhibition curves for
      pituitary extracts and plasma from salmonids were parallel to the salmon GH
      standard, whereas those from carp, tilapia, and catfish showed no significant
      cross reactivity. The RIA ED90 and ED50 values were 0.2 and 1.5 ng/ml,
      respectively. Using this RIA for measuring GH release by cultured pituitary cell
      we observed a strong inhibiting effect of SRIF (10(-6) M) and a stimulatory
      effect of hGRF (10(-6) M). This RIA allowed us also to detect daily fluctuations
      in the plasma GH concentration in cannulated rainbow trout.

PMID- 1879676
TI  - The effect of starvation on growth and plasma growth hormone concentrations of
      rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.
AB  - Two experiments, one using 0+ the other 1+ rainbow trout, were conducted to
      investigate the effect of prolonged starvation on plasma growth hormone levels.
      The results from both experiments were essentially the same. As expected,
      starvation resulted in cessation of growth and in a lower coefficient of
      condition, whereas fed fish continued to grow and remained in good condition.
      Starvation had relatively little effect on the plasma cortisol level; in one
      experiment levels were elevated temporarily in starved fish, although by the end
      of the experiment there was no longer any difference between starved and fed
      fish, and in the other experiment plasma cortisol levels remained very low
      throughout the course of the experiment in both starved and fed fish. In
      contrast, in both experiments starvation had a pronounced effect on the plasma
      growth hormone level, which rose steadily during both experiments, such that it
      was six times higher after 1 month of starvation in 0+ fish, and five times
      higher after 6 weeks of starvation in 1+ fish. Thus, paradoxically, fed fish had
      very low plasma growth hormone levels and grew rapidly, whereas starved fish had
      elevated plasma growth hormone levels but did not grow. In both experiments a
      strong negative correlation was observed between the plasma growth hormone level
      and the coefficient of condition of the fish. The results are discussed with
      regard to the well-established metabolic changes that occur during starvation,
      and it is suggested that a major role of growth hormone during starvation is to
      aid in the mobilisation of fatty acids and glycerol from adipose stores.

PMID- 1879677
TI  - [Cloning of the Arthrobacter globiformis fcbA gene for dehalogenase and
      construction of a hybrid pathway of 4-chlorobenzoic acid degradation in
      Pseudomonas putida].
AB  - The Artrobacter globiformis KZT1 fcbA gene responsible for dehalogenase (4
      chlorobenzoate-4-hydroxylase) activity was cloned in Escherichia coli and
      Pseudomonas putida cells. The character of the fcbA gene expression was studied.
      Notwithstanding amplification of the gene dose and control of the inducible Plac
      promoter, the level of substrate dehalogenation by recombinant E. coli strains
      was lower, as compared with that in the original KZT1 strain. Cloning of the fcbA
      gene in P. putida KZ6R cells utilizing 4HBA resulted in a recombinant pathway of
      4CBA degradation, which proved more effective for substrate consumption, in
      comparison with the original KZT1 strain.

PMID- 1879678
TI  - [Cloning of the locus encoding synthesis of an outer membrane protein (Omp2) of
      the calcium dependence plasmid of Yersinia pestis (Lehmann, Neumann)].
AB  - The genetic locus of Yersinia pestis encoding synthesis of a 46-kDa heat
      inducible outer membrane protein (Omp2) was cloned into pBR322 plasmid. The Omp2
      was shown to be analogous to previously described YopH and Yop2b proteins. The
      fifth HindIII fragment of 48-MDa calcium dependence plasmid pCad358 mediates
      production of 31- and 28-kDa proteins, irrespective of orientation of the
      insertion. A 31-kDa polypeptide seems to correspond to the YopJ described
      elsewhere. The maps of BamHI and HindIII of pCad358 region studied differed from
      those described for pCD1 plasmid of Y. pestis KIM. The products encoded by genes
      from the fragment cloned in the Pgm+ background give rise to considerable growth
      of Y. pestis within mouse peritoneal macrophages but were not sufficient to cause
      lethal infectious process.

PMID- 1879679
TI  - [Rearrangements of yeast chromosomes revealed by pulsed field gel
      electrophoresis].
AB  - Electrophoretic karyotypes of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae integrant strains
      containing the pYF91 plasmid integrated into the chromosomes I, III, VI, IX, XI
      were studied. A possibility was demonstrated of visual identification of the
      chimaeric chromosomes via the molecular weight increase by 13200 bp (the plasmid
      size) determined by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Several gamma-rays induced
      rearrangements of the yeast chimaeric chromosome I causing instability in hybrids
      were also studied. The deletions induced in the I chromosome were analysed and
      their size estimated. The technique of pulsed field gel electrophoresis is
      recommended for determination of insertions and deletions in the chromosomes of
      yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PMID- 1879680
TI  - [Genetic mapping of genes regulating synthesis of acid phosphatases in the yeast
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae of the Peterhoff yeast collection].
AB  - Genetic mapping of yeast genes ACP5, acp83 and ACP82 was performed. According to
      the results obtained, ACP5 and acp83 are located in the chromosome VI and ACP82-
      in the chromosome XVI. Based on identity of chromosome location and phenotypes of
      mutations arising, it was proposed that ACP5 and acp83 are homologous to PHO4 and
      pho82 genes, respectively, and ACP82--to PHO85 in the yeasts of the same line.

PMID- 1879681
TI  - [Genetic control of tryptophan hypersynthesis in regulatory mutants of
      Pseudomonas putida].
AB  - The 6-fluorotryptophan resistant MR1 mutant was obtained from Pseudomonas putida
      M30 (Tyr- Phe-) strain. The mutant was able to excrete tryptophan (60
      micrograms/ml) and has derepressed aroF gene encoding 3-deoxy-D
      arabinoheptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase. The mutation isolated was identified
      as aroR with the help of cloning early aroF gene of P. putida. On the next step
      of selection, regulatory mutant MR2 was obtained producing 240 micrograms/ml of
      tryptophan. The MR2 has derepressed unlinked trpE and trpDC genes and represents
      a mutant of the trpR type. Expression of the trpE gene of P. putida MR2 weakened
      in the presence of tryptophan excess in the medium, which points to attenuation
      of this gene. From the prototrophic variant of P. putida MR2 the MRP3 mutant
      producing 850 micrograms/ml of tryptophan was obtained. This mutant was
      characterized by twofold increase in the activity of the anthranilate synthase
      encoded by the trpE gene. The assay of the activity of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthase
      in P. putida MRP3 demonstrated that the mutant has TrpS+ phenotype.

PMID- 1879682
TI  - [Alteration in the content of biogenic amines in two stocks of Drosophila virilis
      and their hybrids in ontogenesis and under heat stress].
AB  - The levels of dopamine and serotonin in two stocks of D. virilis and their F1
      hybrids throughout ontogenesis and under heat stress (for 60 min at 32 degrees C)
      were examined. Sharp increase in dopamine levels was reported under pupariation
      and with emergence of adults; alterations in serotonin levels were not so
      obvious. The concentration of dopamine in adults was shown to be considerably
      higher (more than twice) in the stock 147 than that in the stock 101. Significant
      increase of dopamine quantity in both stocks was observed under heat stress
      (serotonin remaining unchanged), while the level of response in the stock 101 was
      twice as high as in adults of the stock 147. The response typical of the stock
      147 was prevailing in the hybrids F1 (147 x 101).

PMID- 1879683
TI  - [Translocation of chromosome 1/29 and its various phenotypic manifestations in
      Ala-Tau breed cattle].
AB  - 117 heads of Ala-Tau breed cattle were studied cytogenetically. The 1/29
      translocation was present in 13 animals of unusual for this breed light-grey
      colour. Chimerism 2n = 59/2n = 60 was found in twins. Dominant mutation
      transforming dark brown colour to the light-grey seemed to be present in the 1/29
      chromosome locus, near the centromere region.

PMID- 1879684
TI  - [Genetic polymorphism of the erythrocytic enzymes in the Buryat populations].
AB  - Polymorphism of seven erythrocytic enzymes PGM1, ESD, CLO1, PGD and PGP were
      studied in five samples of Buryats. The main investment into differentiation
      between populations has been made by the following systems: CLO1, PGD and PGM1.
      Analysis of genetic distances between populations demonstrated that there was
      some parallelism among the genetic and anthropological differentiation in the
      Buryat populations. The groups of the Agingsky county (the area to the east from
      the Baikal Lake) have probably the largest proportion of the Caucasian genes as
      compared to other populations studied. One of the characteristics of the Buryats,
      especially for the population to the east from the Baikal Lake, is high frequency
      of the PGD allele. The rate of the genetic variability on the intra-population
      level is higher than the difference between populations. This means that the
      divergence between the Buryats populations is not very strong. Consideration of
      the genetic variability on the intra-population level seems to be more
      perspective for ecogenetic estimation of the adaptive genetic processes than
      analysis of the differences between populations studied.

PMID- 1879685
TI  - [Marriage structure of the Kharkov population according to nationality and
      birthplace].
AB  - Positive assortative mating for birthplace and nationality has been revealed by
      means of sample analysis of couples married in two districts of Kharkov in 1960
      and 1985. The contingency coefficient measuring the association between birth
      places of husband and wife was K = 0.15 in one district in 1960 and K = 0.18 in
      the other, these values being K = 0.16 and K = 0.18 for these districts,
      respectively, in 1985. A higher degree of assortative mating was observed for the
      nationality character: K = 0.40 and K = 0.21 in 1960 and K = 0.23 and K = 0.25 in
      1985. The mean marriage substance increased from 578 to 699 km for 25 years.

PMID- 1879686
TI  - [Serological study of BoLA class I antigens].
AB  - Typing reagents were prepared determining the class I antigens of the main
      histocompatibility complex in cattle (BoLA). The microcytotoxic test was applied
      to analyse 450 sera (reagents) obtained from cows postpartum. Testing these sera
      on the panel of lymphocytes from unrelated animals and calculating mutual
      correlations of the reactions, we determined 113 groups of similarly reacting
      sera (clusters) which determine 13 specificities of Class I BoLA complex. The
      majority of these correspond to the internationally approved BoLA antigens.

PMID- 1879687
TI  - Characteristic features of the sonicated DNA of Agama agama agama L. (Reptilia,
      Agamidae) on hydroxyapatite columns, using mouse DNA as a reference.
AB  - Hydroxyapatite column chromatography has been used to study some properties of
      the extensively sheared DNA of the Rainbow lizard, Agama agama agama.
      Reassociation studies show that the genome has a Cot1/2 of 370. Approximately 15%
      of the genome is highly repetitive in nature. This repetitive fraction is
      resolved into thermally stable and less stable fractions. The stable fraction has
      a base composition of 47% GC, higher than the 40.2% GC for the native DNA. This
      stable fraction is believed to be of recent origin. Chromatography of the total
      DNA of the lizard with linear gradients of phosphate buffer containing 1 M urea
      resolves it into two components which were shown by thermal fractionation, also
      in the presence of 1 M urea, to vary in base composition. This behaviour may be
      characteristic of reptilian genomes and may be used as a basis for studying the
      structural organisation of the reptilian genome.

PMID- 1879688
TI  - Comparative cytogenetic studies in Sus verrucosus, Sus celebensis and Sus scrofa
      vittatus (Suidae, Mammalia).
AB  - Chromosome studies on the Javan warty pig (Sus verrucosus), the Sulawesi warty
      pig (S. celebensis) and a subspecies of the wild boar, S. scrofa vittatus, have
      revealed diploid chromosome numbers of 38. The morphology and C-band size of
      chromosome 10 are different in S. verrucosus and the two other species. Both S.
      verrucosus and S. celebensis have a Y chromosome that is larger than the Y
      chromosome of domestic and wild S. scrofa, and is submetacentric rather than
      metacentric. There are differences between all three species in the G-banding
      pattern of the long arm of the Y chromosome. The presence of 2n = 38 chromosomes
      in the Javan warty pig and the Sulawesi warty pig provides new strong evidence
      that the basic chromosome number in the genus Sus is 38. The differences in
      karyotype between these pigs (chromosome 10 and the Y chromosome) confirm that
      they are separate species.

PMID- 1879689
TI  - The karyotype of the middle-African hedgehog Atelerix albiventris Wagner, 1841
      and its cytotaxonomical relationships to other Erinaceinae (Insectivora:
      Erinaceidae).
AB  - Like other hedgehog species investigated hitherto, also the Middle African
      species Atelerix albiventris has a diploid number of 48 chromosomes. However,
      Aethechinus and Atelerix display quite distinct cytogenetic characteristics
      compared to the hedgehog genera Erinaceus, Hemiechinus and Paraechinus.
      Individual chromosome structures and reactivities permit the recognition of
      similarities to the Algerian hedgehog Aethechinus algirus and indicate their
      close relationship. Nevertheless, the proposal by Corbet (1988) to merge the two
      taxa into one genus, which is contrary to Robbins and Setzer (1985) remains to be
      clarified by further investigations.

PMID- 1879690
TI  - Restriction endonucleases in the study of eukaryotic chromosomes.

PMID- 1879691
TI  - Functional and structural units in the chromomere.
AB  - Electron microscopic observations demonstrate the existence of several DNA
      packing levels in the chromomere. A linear DNA molecule forms a big (chromomere)
      loop anchored to the chromosomal scaffold. The loop forms a set of smaller loops
      in the rosette pattern. Packing of the DNA by the histone octamer particles
      results in nucleosomes and nucleomeres. To establish the possible correspondence
      between the structural units of a chromomere and the genetical units (genes,
      exons, introns) in it, we compared the lengths of the units. Statistical analysis
      of the 315 sequenced genes indicate that the average gene size corresponds to the
      average length of a rosette loop. It means that a chromomere contains one or more
      genes. Assuming that exon-intron boundaries cannot bind nucleosomes we
      constructed DNA-packing models of the 88 genes. They demonstrate that the first
      (in 77.8 per cent of the genes) and the last (in 52.7 per cent) exons of the
      genes are too short to bind nucleosomes. Many genes contain long (nucleosome
      binding) pieces of DNA. Long packed pieces are introns in vertebrates; they are
      exons in invertebrates and plants. The average size gene contains two
      nucleomeres.

PMID- 1879692
TI  - Analysis of the cbhE' plasmid gene from acute disease-causing isolates of
      Coxiella burnetii.
AB  - A gene termed cbhE' was cloned from the QpH1 plasmid of Coxiella burnetii.
      Expression of recombinants containing cbhE' in vitro and in Escherichia coli
      maxicells, produced an insert-encoded polypeptide of approx. 42 kDa. The CbhE
      protein was not cleaved when intact maxicells were treated with trypsin.
      Hybridizations of total DNA isolated from the six strains of C. burnetii indicate
      that this gene is unique to C. burnetii strains associated with acute disease,
      i.e., Hamilton[I], Vacca[II], and Rasche[III]. The cbhE' gene was not detected in
      strains associated with chronic disease (Biotzere[IV] and Corazon[V]) or the
      Dod[VI] strain. The cbhE' open reading frame (ORF) is 1022 bp in length and is
      preceded by a predicted promoter/Shine-Dalgarno (SD) region of TCAACT(-35)-N16
      TAAAAT(-10)-N14-AGAAGGA (SD) located 10 nucleotides (nt) before the presumed AUG
      start codon. The ORF ends with a single UAA stop codon and has no apparent Rho
      factor-independent terminator following it. The cbhE' gene codes for the CbhE
      protein of 341 amino acid (aa) residues with a deduced Mr of 39,442. CbhE is
      predominantly hydrophilic with a predicted pI of 4.43. The function of CbhE is
      unknown. No nt or aa sequences with homology to cbhE' or CbhE, respectively, were
      found in searches of a number of data bases.

PMID- 1879693
TI  - An improved transformation vector for the lignin-degrading white rot
      basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium.
AB  - In this study, a lignin peroxidase-encoding gene (LIP) of Phanerochaete
      chrysosporium was disrupted by inserting into its coding region the kanamycin
      resistance determinant from Tn903. The resulting recombinant plasmid, pUGLG1:
      kan, was transformed into P. chrysosporium with the expectation that the
      disrupted gene might replace the homologous LIP gene in the chromosome. However,
      the results showed that pUGLG1: kan sequences do not integrate into the
      chromosome; instead, the plasmid is maintained intact in the transformants in an
      extrachromosomal state. Our data also show that pUGLG1: kan undergoes replication
      in P. chrysosporium, is maintained as a circular element, is recoverable from
      meiotic and mitotic progeny, although at a low frequency, and can be recovered
      intact by Escherichia coli transformation. These results suggest that the GLG1
      component of pUGLG1: kan contains as yet unidentified sequences that allow its
      autonomous replication in P. chrysosporium transformants.

PMID- 1879694
TI  - M13plex vectors for multiplex DNA sequencing.

PMID- 1879695
TI  - Sequence of the phosphomannose isomerase-encoding gene of Salmonella typhimurium.
AB  - The pmi gene, encoding phosphomannose isomerase, of Salmonella typhimurium, was
      cloned in Escherichia coli K-12, and the protein product visualised in minicells.
      The cloned gene was sequenced; there was 77.4% nucleotide homology between the
      cloned pmi gene and the analogous manA gene of E. coli K-12, and 86.2% amino acid
      sequence homology between their presumptive gene products.

PMID- 1879696
TI  - Participation of the histone-like protein HU and of IHF in minichromosomal
      maintenance in Escherichia coli.
AB  - The closely related Escherichia coli genes, hupA, hupB, himA and himD (hip),
      encode the bacterial histone-like protein subunits, HU-2, HU-1, IHF chi and IHF
      beta, respectively. We report here that E. coli minichromosomes [plasmids (2.7
      12.2 kb) with oriC] carrying the intact mioC region were unable to transform
      mutants deficient in both HU and integration host factor (IHF), whereas they
      could transform mutants deficient in either HU or IHF as efficiently as the wild
      type strain. Minichromosomes carrying a deletion of the proximal part of mioC or
      a DnaA box just upstream from mioC could not transform cells deficient in IHF,
      but could transform cells deficient in HU. These results suggested that HU and
      IHF participate in minichromosomal replication from oriC in E. coli.

PMID- 1879697
TI  - Characterization of an Escherichia coli gene encoding betaine aldehyde
      dehydrogenase (BADH): structural similarity to mammalian ALDHs and a plant BADH.
AB  - An open reading frame of 1476 nucleotides, cloned from a region of the
      Escherichia coli genome encoding betaine biosynthesis functions, was shown to
      encode a betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH; EC 1.2.1.8). Either of two
      adjacent codons (5'-GTGATG) could function as a start codon, producing a
      presumptive polypeptide of 491 or 490 amino acids. The deduced primary structure
      of the E. coli BADH showed 39-43% positional identity, over its entire length, to
      aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH: EC 1.2.1.3) of mammalian origin. This similarity
      increased to 75-77% when conservative aa substitutions were also taken into
      consideration. Spinach BADH was also similar to the bacterial BADH, showing 38%
      identity and 80% overall similarity. Other homologs included a fungal and a
      putative bacterial ALDH. Although E. coli BADH was specific for the substrate,
      betaine aldehyde, it showed the highest levels of similarity to the prototype
      human ALDH-2. Only one gap in each sequence had to be introduced for optimal
      alignment. The conservation between E. coli BADH and the ALDHs was also evident
      in the predicted secondary structures and hydrophilicity profiles of the
      polypeptides, suggesting a similarity in the overall folding patterns of ALDH and
      BADH. These observations suggest a common ancestry for BADH and ALDH, preceding
      prokaryote-eukaryote divergence.

PMID- 1879698
TI  - Vectors for inserting selectable markers in vector arms and human DNA inserts of
      yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs).
AB  - To facilitate studies of gene expression and homologous recombination, plasmids
      have been developed which permit the insertion of neomycin resistance-encoding
      gene (NmR) into either the human DNA insert or the vector arm of a yeast
      artificial chromosome (YAC). To integrate into the YAC arm, the plasmid pRV1
      contains a LYS2 (encoding alpha-aminoadipate reductase) gene for selection in the
      yeast host, and a NmR gene for subsequent selection after transfection of
      mammalian cells. These two sequences are bracketed by fragments of the URA3 gene
      (encoding orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase) that can disrupt the URA3 gene in
      the YAC arm by homologous recombination in yeast. To integrate a selectable
      marker into the insert, the plasmid pRV2 contains a NmR gene and an intact copy
      of the URA3 gene, bracketed by segments of an L1 (LINEs) repetitive element. In
      this case, the vector has been designed for use with YACs that have already been
      fitted in the vector arm with a different marker (i.e., TK) that has disrupted
      the URA3 gene in the vector arm. Selection is for the restoration of URA3 gene
      activity attendant on recombination into an L1 element in the YAC insert. Use of
      the vectors is illustrated with a YAC clone containing ribosomal DNA.

PMID- 1879699
TI  - Cloning and structure of the mono- and diacylglycerol lipase-encoding gene from
      Penicillium camembertii U-150.
AB  - A gene (mdlA) encoding mono- and diacylglycerol lipase (MDGL) from Penicillium
      camembertii U-150 has been cloned using a 0.9-kb DNA fragment, generated by mixed
      oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo)-primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as a
      probe. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of the gene and its cDNA clone,
      obtained by PCR, revealed the presence of two short introns (56 and 53 bp). Two
      transcription start points (tsp) were localized by primer extension analysis at
      37 and 30 bp upstream from the ATG start codon and were preceded by the canonical
      TATAAA and CAAT sequences. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence corresponds to
      305 aa including a putative signal peptide of 26 aa. Despite significant
      differences in substrate specificity, the primary structure of the mature region
      shows homology (29% and 40%) to the triacylglycerol lipases from Mucor miehei and
      Humicola lanuginosa. Furthermore, the three residues presumed to form the
      catalytic site, serine, aspartic acid and histidine, are conserved. Primary
      structure comparisons of MDGL and triacylglycerol lipases are shown.

PMID- 1879700
TI  - A marker-coupled method for site-directed mutagenesis.
AB  - A marker-coupled method for site-directed mutagenesis (SDM) has been developed.
      In this method, target DNA is first cloned into a plasmid vector which carries an
      inactivated tetracycline-resistance (TcR)-encoding tet gene. Using this cloned
      plasmid as template, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is performed with a
      mutagenic primer and a marker primer. The mutagenic primer contains the desired
      mutations to be introduced into the target DNA, and the marker primer contains a
      mutation for restoring the activity of the inactivated tet gene. The PCR product
      is annealed with a gapped duplex plasmid template, extended and ligated in vitro.
      The resulting uni-strand-mutated plasmid is converted into the gapped duplex
      form, transformed into Escherichia coli JM109 and spread on yeast
      extract/tryptone culture medium + Tc plates. The TcR colonies grown on these
      plates all carry active tet genes. Due to the 'tight coupling' between the marker
      primer and the mutagenic primer formed in the PCR product, these TcR colonies
      should also carry the mutagenic primer, e.g., the desired mutations in the target
      DNA. In fact, practically all of the TcR colonies have been found to be the
      desired mutants in the present experiments. Therefore, this method provides a
      very efficient approach for SDM.

PMID- 1879701
TI  - A procedure for amino acid sequencing in internal regions of proteins.
AB  - We describe a novel procedure for determining the amino acid (aa) sequence of the
      internal regions of proteins. This procedure has been implemented by directly
      determining the sequence of aa 65-75 of the product of the trpR gene of
      Escherichia coli, the trp repressor. This method is based on the insertion of the
      cleavage site of a specific protease (factor Xa) into the protein immediately
      before the region to be sequenced by Edman degradation. The simplicity of the
      procedure makes it appealing for studies of protein structure-function
      relationships, and of the expression of genetic information. The method is
      particularly useful when there is ambiguity concerning the co-linearity of the aa
      and nucleotide sequences.

PMID- 1879702
TI  - Cys184 and Cys187 of NifL protein of Klebsiella pneumoniae are not absolutely
      required for inhibition of NifA activity.
AB  - The sequence Cys184-Ala-Asp-Cys187 in the NifL protein of Klebsiella pneumoniae,
      for which a role in oxygen sensing and/or metal binding has been proposed, was
      altered by introducing two mutations, Cys184----Ala and Cys187----Ala, using
      oligodeoxyribonucleotide-directed mutagenesis. Neither mutation abolished
      ammonium or oxygen control of nif transcription, although some impairment of
      function was apparent. The two Cys residues are therefore unlikely to have a
      direct role in oxygen sensing or metal binding, but probably make some
      contribution to protein folding or stability.

PMID- 1879703
TI  - Sequence of gene choB encoding cholesterol oxidase of Brevibacterium sterolicum:
      comparison with choA of streptomyces sp. SA-COO.
AB  - The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the cholesterol oxidase (Cho)-encoding gene
      (choB) cloned from Brevibacterium sterolicum ATCC21387 was determined. The
      sequence contained an open reading frame with a G + C content of 64.9 mol% that
      would encode a protein of 552 amino acids (aa). Comparison of the nt sequence of
      choB and deduced aa sequence to those of the Cho-encoding gene (choA) of
      Streptomyces sp. strain SA-COO showed identities of 64% and 58%, respectively. N
      terminal aa sequence analysis of the extracellular enzyme of B. sterolicum
      confirmed that the mature enzyme consisted of 507 aa with a predicted Mr of
      54,902, and was preceded by a 45-aa signal sequence.

PMID- 1879704
TI  - A thiostrepton-inducible expression vector for use in Streptomyces spp.
AB  - A shuttle expression vector containing the thiostrepton-inducible Streptomyces
      lividans promoter, ptipA, and the origin of transfer from plasmid RP4 was
      constructed. Cassettes containing a promoterless xylE gene upstream from a hyg
      gene were used to demonstrate thiostrepton-inducible expression from ptipA in
      both S. lividans and Streptomyces ambofaciens, ptipA was estimated to be induced
      60-fold or more in Streptomyces ambofaciens.

PMID- 1879705
TI  - Regulating the behavior of nursing homes through positive incentives: an analysis
      of Illinois' Quality Incentive Program (QUIP).
AB  - The Illinois Quality Incentive Program (QUIP) offers nursing homes a separate
      bonus payment per Medicaid day for achievement of each of 6 quality standards.
      Using data from 809 participating nursing homes between 1985-1988, this study
      found that over 90% of eligible facilities chose to participate annually. Success
      in achieving bonus payments in multiple standards increased over time, with 27%
      qualifying for 5 or 6 components by 1988. But the validity of the individual
      measures and the relationship between achievement of QUIP standards and resident
      quality was not firmly established. The resident satisfaction standard proved
      insensitive, with 92% of participating facilities qualifying on this standard.

PMID- 1879706
TI  - Agents of nursing home quality of care: ombudsmen and staff ratios revisited.
AB  - Many gerontologists have proposed that ombudsman programs and other forms of
      community presence should improve nursing home quality of care. This study
      compared these programs' effects on quality of nursing care on a random sample of
      134 Medicare/Medicaid-certified long-term care facilities in Missouri. The
      presence of an ombudsman program was found to be the most important factor
      associated with quality for intermediate-care facilities, and it was
      significantly associated with quality for skilled nursing homes where there was
      ample staffing of registered nurses.

PMID- 1879707
TI  - Assessing nursing assistants' knowledge of behavioral approaches to mental health
      problems.
AB  - Nurse's aides are the primary caregivers in nursing homes, a major receiving site
      for elders with behavioral and psychiatric problems. We describe the development,
      psychometric properties, and utility of a brief instrument designed to assess
      aides' knowledge of three specific mental health problems (depression, agitation,
      and disorientation) and behavioral approaches to them. The instrument was
      administered to 191 nurse's aides and 21 clinicians with training in behavioral
      management and experience with older residents. The nurse's aides averaged 11 of
      17 correct answers, and the clinicians averaged 15 of 17 correct answers.
      Implications for staff training and consultation activities in nursing homes are
      discussed.

PMID- 1879708
TI  - Senior centers and minority elders: a critical review.
AB  - This paper examines the literature on senior center participation and factors
      related to participation for minority elders. The extent of involvement of
      minority elders in senior centers is unclear due to lack of data for certain
      groups and methodological problems in some studies. Traditional and emerging
      factors that might affect minority elderly's senior center participation are
      identified and discussed. Suggestions are provided for expanding the knowledge
      base in this area.

PMID- 1879709
TI  - Family and community: changing roles in an aging society.
AB  - A holistic approach to the provision of social care of the elderly can best meet
      their future needs for assistance. In this paper, the concept of social care is
      delineated, and a systemwide model presented. This model emphasizes the
      interrelatedness of the component parts--informal, mediating, and formal--and the
      need for well-articulated linkages among them. Trends affecting future demand for
      care, and the ability of family and community to respond, are discussed. Although
      the family will retain an important role, some of its functions may shift to
      formal care in the decades ahead. Within the proposed framework, a research and
      policy agenda is suggested.

PMID- 1879710
TI  - Unfit survivors: exercise as a resource for aging women.
AB  - Some researchers have suggested that about 50% of aging decline is preventable
      through improved life-style habits such as participation in regular exercise, yet
      exercise as a resource for healthier survival is being ignored by many aging
      women. Though recent research findings highlight regular physical activity as a
      potent factor in combatting hypokinesis (the disease of inactivity), numerous
      real and perceived barriers to exercise stand between the older woman and her
      ability to achieve a better quality of life. Among strategies that have been
      developed to overcome these barriers are social empowerment initiatives that may
      encourage women to combat disability by engaging in regular exercise.

PMID- 1879711
TI  - Eliciting medical care preferences from nursing home residents.
AB  - We interviewed 44 residents of a nursing home to assess their preferences for
      care. Using case vignettes, we asked residents about resuscitation, hospital
      transfer, feeding tubes, and restraint use. Most were opposed to aggressive care
      unless the purpose was to enhance comfort or safety. However, sufficient
      diversity of opinions points to the need for advanced directives.

PMID- 1879712
TI  - Factors affecting decisions to institutionalize demented elderly.
AB  - This study followed 321 community-based patients with documented dementias, 22%
      of whom were institutionalized after 1 year. Multivariate analyses indicated that
      none of the patient characteristics, such as level of cognitive, psychiatric, or
      neurological impairment, predicted institutionalization. Social psychological
      characteristics, type and number of caregivers, and subjective caregiver distress
      did predict which patients were ultimately institutionalized. Implications for
      treatment planning are discussed.

PMID- 1879713
TI  - Time spent caregiving and help received by spouses and adult children of brain
      impaired adults.
AB  - Caregivers for brain-impaired adults differ in living arrangements, amount of
      time spent giving care, and assistance received from family and friends and from
      paid help depending on their kin relationship and employment status. Spousal
      caregivers devote large amounts of time to caregiving, and husbands spend no less
      time than wives. Most caregivers receive little assistance from other family
      members and friends, but husbands receive more than others. Employed spouses
      receive more paid help than those without jobs, but employment does not affect
      the amount of paid help received by adult daughters.

PMID- 1879714
TI  - Information and referral service usage among caregivers for dementia patients.
AB  - Questionnaires were mailed to 257 callers of a toll-free telephone "helpline"
      specializing in Alzheimer's disease and related dementing illnesses; 125 (48.6%)
      were completed and returned. On the average, 3.94 requests for information were
      made per call. The most common requests concerned services delivered to the home,
      general information about dementia, information about adult day care, and support
      group information. Results indicated that a telephone-based information and
      referral helpline is useful in disseminating knowledge about resources to
      caregivers of older community-residing adults with cognitive impairment.

PMID- 1879715
TI  - Relationships between caregiving daughters and their elderly mothers.
AB  - In this qualitative study of 29 pairs of widowed mothers and their caregiving
      daughters, we employ social exchange theory to identify three relationship types:
      intrinsic (45%), ambivalent (34%), and conflicted (21%). These types differ in
      the extent to which the women receive rewards from interacting with their
      partner, experience costs in their interaction, handle conflicts that arise in
      their relationship, and express feelings of concern for each other. They also
      differ in that daughters in intrinsic pairs have fewer children and shorter
      caregiving histories than daughters in ambivalent or conflicted pairs.

PMID- 1879716
TI  - The relationship among negative life events, cognitions, and depression within
      three generations.
AB  - This study investigates the extent to which cognitions mediate the relationship
      between negative life events and depression. College students and their same-sex
      parents and grandparents (N = 171) completed measures of stressful life events,
      automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, and depression. There was an
      interaction between negative life events and cognition for the young adults but
      not for either of the older groups.

PMID- 1879717
TI  - A program of friendly visitors as network builders.
AB  - The Sunshine Visitors program is an experimental, friendly visitor-type program
      that trains volunteers to function as network builders with their isolated,
      elderly visitees, working to strengthen their social support networks. A unique
      training program was developed and some success with this type of visiting was
      achieved, particularly with regard to meeting relational needs. The volunteers,
      though, tended to encourage network building rather than getting directly
      involved with the client's social network.

PMID- 1879718
TI  - Mental health services of the rural elderly outreach program.
AB  - This paper describes an elderly outreach program (EOP) designed to identify and
      provide mental health services to the rural elderly. The project integrates a
      variety of health, mental health, and human service agencies in the planning and
      delivery of services. Five referral sources are identified and described as well
      as the assessment, treatment, and referral process. Outcomes are discussed in
      terms of: characteristics of persons served, ability of the project to identify
      and deliver mental health services, treatment effectiveness, and cost
      effectiveness of the project. The EOP seems to have prevented an increase in need
      for mental health care among Iowans that might have occurred in the program's
      absence.

PMID- 1879719
TI  - Cognitive-behavioral interventions for treatment of depression in Alzheimer's
      patients.
AB  - This paper presents two strategies for treating depression in Alzheimer's
      patients. Cognitive therapy, used with mildly demented adults, challenges the
      patient's negative cognitions in order to reduce distortions and enable the
      patient to generate more adaptive ways of viewing specific situations and events.
      Behavioral intervention, used with more moderately or severely demented adults,
      attempts to modify person-environment interactions by increasing the level of
      positive activities and decreasing negative ones (Lewinsohn et al., 1984). Both
      theories have been used successfully in clinical settings.

PMID- 1879720
TI  - Vision ignored in study of falls.

PMID- 1879721
TI  - [Cryosurgery of the uterine cervix. Our experience in 3,184 cases].
AB  - An analysis is made of 3,184 cases of cryosurgery of the uterine cervix treated
      along 18 years for diverse types of lesions: 2,050 cases of ectropion of the
      cervix (64.38%), 811 chronic cervicitis (25.47%), 48 eversions of the cervical
      canal (1.51%), 24 of cervical condyloma acuminata (0.75%) and 251 of CIN (7.88%).
      A nitrous oxide cryosurgical system was used. This study evaluate the features of
      the cryolesion, correlating the freeze time, the size of the frosted area around
      the probe, the size of the resulting ice-ball and the depth of the epithelial
      tissue necrosis microscopically measured. For this study cryosurgery was applied
      to the cervix of 56 women, 1 to 7 days before hysterectomy was performed for
      benign disease. Statistical analysis was made using regression-correlation
      calculations to determine the correlation coefficient (r), concluding that the
      freezing effect and the depth of tissue necrosis are not correlated with the
      freeze time, but it was demonstrated that there is a reliable correlation between
      the width of the frosted area around the probe and the depth of tissue necrosis.
      The extension of cryolesion was influenced by the type of probe, the anatomical
      position in the cervix, shape of the external is and freeze time, which may be
      related with the pressure of the gas and the possible clogging of the tubes by
      pollution. In this paper it is studied too the histopathologic features of the
      cryolesion. The results obtained in the diverse groups of treated lesions were:
      1. In 92% of cases of mucous ectropion of the cervix, one treatment was enough to
      heal the lesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879722
TI  - [Postnatal transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). History of
      brief breast-feeding. (Presentation of a clinical case)].
AB  - We studied a case of a woman without previous risks of HIV infection. This woman
      was transfused for obstetric reasons in April, 1986. Two units of blood were
      provided by paid donors. The newborn was breastfed for only two weeks. After
      twelve months symptoms of HIV showed up. Resembling symptoms appeared in the
      daughter 36 months later breastfed. Both were classified as having AIDS 3 years
      after the birth. The husband remains negative ten months after his last sexual
      contact. In conclusion, vertical transmission of HIV through breastfeeding is
      possible and perhaps should be more closely evaluated.

PMID- 1879723
TI  - [Post-menopausal osteoporosis in Mexico].
AB  - A review of general aspects of osteoporosis and of the post-menopausal type
      specially; clinical appearance and hormonal mechanisms are briefly reviewed.
      Special emphasis is made upon sexual hormonal events. Demographic, socio-economic
      and epidemiological changes in Mexico, are analyzed; explaining their causes,
      present status of the problem and its possible future projection. Finally,
      several propositions are made in order to face the problem, as follows: 1)
      Promotion for more research studies as to incidence, risk factors, determination
      of population standards for bone mass, 2) Health education programs, and 3)
      Prevention and treatment programs.

PMID- 1879724
TI  - [Gestational trophoblastic disease. Prevalence and epidemiologic features at the
      IMSS Torreon Medical Center].
AB  - From August 1st, 1987, to August 31 1989, there were 18 patients with
      trophoblastic gestational disease (TGD). In that time there 12,263 births for a
      frequency of TGD of 1:681, the prevalence was 14.6 X 10,000 births. The most
      frequent symptom was nausea and the most frequent sign, abnormal uterine
      bleeding; uterine growth not accord to gestational age was not a constant sign.
      Ultrasound was the method of diagnosis and in all of the cases there were
      confirmation of diagnosis by tissue exam. The follow-up of the patients was done
      by standard protocol; oral contraceptives were used for family planning. Our
      findings are discussed and compared with those in the literature.

PMID- 1879725
TI  - [Importance of free intracellular calcium in the physiopathology of pre
      eclampsia].
AB  - Due to the participation of intracellular free calcium in the mechanisms of
      vascular smooth muscle contraction, and its importance in the physiopathology of
      essential arterial hypertension, its possible role in pre-eclampsia
      physiopathology, was investigated as a cellular model, platelets, were use, as
      they are similar to vascular smooth muscle cells. The study purpose was to
      investigate if intracellular concentration of ionized calcium is greater in the
      patients with pre-eclampsia than in normotensive pregnant women, and also, if
      there exists a correlation between intracellular calcium concentrations and
      arterial tension, Seven pre-eclamptic patients, diagnosed by the following
      criteria: arterial tension greater than or equal to 130/90 mmHg, edema and
      proteinuria, between 20 to 35 years of age, during the third trimester of
      gestation, without personal nor family antecedents of hypertension; none of them
      received treatment at the time, were studied. As control group seven normotensive
      pregnant women, equal by chronologic and gestational age, were included.
      Intracellular calcium in platelets was measured by Fluo-3-Am, and arterial blood
      pressure with conventional sphygmomanometer. Intracellular calcium and arterial
      blood pressure values, were compared, in both groups by Student's t, and analysis
      of lineal regression between intracellular calcium and mean arterial blood
      pressure, was done. Intracellular calcium was significantly greater in patients
      with pre-eclampsia, than the ones in the control group (142 +/- 5.6 vs 110 +/- 14
      p less than 0.0001). Mean arterial blood pressure was also significantly greater
      in patients with pre-eclampsia (114 +/- 5 vs 83 +/- 3 p less than
      0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879726
TI  - [Potentiation of vascular responses induced by placental water-soluble factors of
      women with pregnancy toxemia].
AB  - This study shows an experimental model in vitro useful to evaluate vasoactivity
      of EHP. The findings are consistent with other author's reports, as to the
      potentiation capacity of different vascular responses with biologic fluids in
      women with EHAE. As far as we know, this is the first report mentioning the
      placenta as the origin site of this type of substances.

PMID- 1879727
TI  - [Multifactorial analysis of patients with endometriosis in an institutional
      program of assisted reproduction].
AB  - It is a retrospective and transverse study with an analysis of results from
      patients submitted to intrauterine insemination (IIU), intratubal gamete transfer
      (GIFT) and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (FIVTE), at the Clinic of
      Assisted Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia in Mexico City. From
      134 cycles of patients submitted to IIU, 113 corresponded to women with diagnosis
      of sterility from non determined cause, and 21 to cases with endometriosis, and
      at least one permeable tube. From the first group, 22 pregnancies were obtained,
      for a monthly fertility rate of 19.4%; and from the second one, 12 pregnancies
      with a fertility rate of 56%. This, which is very high , may be explained by the
      relatively small number of cases in the second group, or else, by the influence
      of a previous medical treatment for endometriosis; the square Chi analysis shows
      a P less than 0.01 in the two groups. In the GIFT and FIVTE cases, from which 35
      cycles were analyzed, per each procedure, there were 10 pregnancies, 9 for GIFT
      and one for FIVTE; the amount is very limited in order to obtain conclusions, but
      it seems that there is a proportional tendency in GIFT to less amount of
      pregnancies in women with endometriosis. The analysis of hormonal follow up did
      not show differences in the groups, and the averages may be useful to determine,
      early, the cancellation, or not, of an stimulation cycle. Finally, in FIVTE cases
      there is a diminution of fertilization index in women with endometriosis (53%),
      as compared with the cases without disease (80%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1879728
TI  - [The mouse test. Correlation between the segmentation of murine embryos and the
      fertilization and segmentation of human ovocytes and pre-embryos].
AB  - The "mouse test" resulted to be an indispensable requisite in order to do, with
      security, although not complete, the serum selection, to use in the extracorporal
      phase of FIVTE. Because of the observations it is considered that it should be
      tried to addition the culture medium with good quality sera; which is evident
      with a 90% rate, or more, of segmentation in the embryonic system of mouse, of
      two cells.

PMID- 1879729
TI  - [Ultrastructural identification of human immunodeficiency virus in placenta,
      embryonic tissue and semen].
AB  - The objective of this paper was to evaluate, ultrastructurally the placental
      site, placenta, umbilical cord, embryonal tissues, and semen from 10 patients (5
      females and 5 males), seropositive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The
      tissue samples were processed by the routine techniques for electronic
      microscopy, and were examined with a Zeiss EM-10C Electronic, transmission
      microscope. Among the decidual cells of the placental site, macrophages were
      found, which contained vacuoles with particles similar to a virus, inside.
      Similar to virus, particles were found among microvilli of syncytiotrophoblast;
      it presented with a thick basal membrane and with calcifications. Hyperplasia of
      Hofbauer cells was seen, although there were not viral particles inside. In the
      membrane of fetal erythrocytes there particles, electron dense, possibly from
      viral origin. Viral particles were identified in the nuclei of endothelial cells
      of the brain and lung. In the semen budding areas were seen in immature
      spermatozoon; and similar particles were seen y spermatozoa, probable
      desquamation cells, and in seminal protein, in free form. It is concluded that
      the HIV may be transmitted via transplacental in very early stages of gestation.
      The hyperplasia of Hofbauer cells can be a response of local defense. And
      finally, the presence of viral particles in the different components of semen
      favor its transmission by sexual contact.

PMID- 1879730
TI  - [Synergistic reactions in the normal state and after exposure to vibration (data
      of the electromyographic studies)].

PMID- 1879731
TI  - [Hygienic significance of noise level in the development of diseases with
      temporary disability among petroleum-processing plant workers].
AB  - A correlation was established between morbidity with temporary disability among
      oil-processing plant workers and the levels of the noise dosages received in one
      working shift. The morbidity rate among the engine-drivers examined was generally
      higher than that in the group of operators. The correlational analysis of
      morbidity versus the complex hazard indices revealed that the latters' growth
      resulted into increasing morbidity rate, but the same correlation was less vivid
      in case with the workers affected with the smallest noise dosages (up to 1.0).
      The noise dosage increase (over 4.0) revealed no adequate correlation between
      morbidity and the complex hazard indices.

PMID- 1879732
TI  - [Characteristics of the blood lipoprotein spectrum in truck drivers from the
      rural Northern Caucasus areas].
AB  - Studies were performed of the blood lipoprotein spectrum in 20-59-year-old truck
      drivers working in Northern Caucasus rural areas, depending on the age, duration
      of work in the profession and nationality, in comparison with male workers of
      other professions in the same areas. It was established that, in indigenous male
      workers of other than truck-driver's profession, the average levels of different
      cholesterol lipoproteids were lower than in other ethnic groups, whereas the
      hypoalfacholesterolemia occurrence was two-fold. In truck-drivers of both
      indigenous and non-indigenous groups, the lipoprotein spectrum age-related
      changes were similar. In the non-indigenous drivers' group, hypercholesterolemia
      was highly prevalent, and hyperalfacholesterolemia was less prevalent than in
      other professional groups. Also, IHD cases were more characteristic of the
      indigenous drivers' group. The data obtained witnessed in favour of a
      differentiated approach in the planning of preventive activities with due account
      of the population's ethnic and occupational characteristics.

PMID- 1879733
TI  - [Activities and tasks of the journal "Gigiena truda i professional'nye
      zabolevaniia" ("Work hygiene and occupational diseases") in the new economic
      conditions].

PMID- 1879734
TI  - [Hygienic and physiological aspects of evaluation of new types of protective
      clothing for railroad workers].
AB  - In the Soviet rail-road transport system, timely provision of individual
      protective devices was authorized by a special instruction of the Rail-Roads
      Transport Ministry. New materials and overalls are being introduced to adapt the
      individual safety measures to new labour conditions and the new chemical
      substances used in the rail-road transport system. Hygienic, physiological and
      laboratory techniques are widely used to assess the properties of new devices.
      The evaluating techniques and approaches used and improved in the transport
      industry can be applied to in other branches.

PMID- 1879735
TI  - [Isolation of antigen-active biopolymers from Candida maltosa culture fluid for
      obtaining allergens of diagnostic value for examination of industrial
      microbiology workers].
AB  - The membrane filtration technique and column gel chromatography+ (with sepharose
      6B or sephacryl S-200) were used to receive fractions of KJ Candida maltosa,
      strain VSB 899, which were studied with highly effective liquid chromatography,
      immunochemical reactions and intracutaneous allergotesting on guinea-pigs
      sensibilized with VSB 899 live cultures. In the whole KJ strain VSB 899
      concentrate, 8 components were identified, six of which had molecular masses from
      350,000 to 18,000 and had no analogue in the surface antigen preparation (SAP)
      from the same strain of yeast-like fungi. It was shown that the SAP-related
      antigen determinants were present in predominantly polysaccharide-containing
      fractions. In intracutaneous allergotesting, chromatographic fractions with
      molecular masses of 50,000 and 18,000-35,000 were most manifesting. It was
      supposed that still further purification of the allergen will increase its
      specificity.

PMID- 1879736
TI  - [Synergistic effect of organic solvents and tobacco smoke on the indicators of
      humoral immunity in humans].
AB  - Medical examinations were performed among 49 non-smokers, 47 workers who had been
      smoking for more than 10 years, 19 non-smokers exposed to organic solvents and 41
      smoking persons occupationally exposed to organic solvents. Both cigarette
      smoking and the action of organic solvents. decreased the levels of IgA, AgG, IgM
      and that of lysozyme. In persons exposed to the actions of both cigarette smoking
      and benzol and its homologues, more significant decreases of IgA, AgG, IgM and
      lysozyme concentrations were revealed as compared to those affected by one of the
      factors. The same concerned the IgD level. The contributors proposed that
      cigarette smoking should be taken into account when evaluating the immunotoxic
      properties of industrial factors.

PMID- 1879737
TI  - [A method of quantitative analysis of bendiocarb in the air of the work area].
AB  - Proposed was a highly sensitive technique for a quantitative assessment of the
      newly developed insecticide bendiocarb++ in the working zone air (0.1 hg in the
      given air sample, or 0.025 mg/m3). The technique was tested in toxicological
      studies of bendiocarb++ contents in the working zone air.

PMID- 1879738
TI  - [Determining the level of yttrium oxide-coated silicon nitride in the air of the
      work area].
AB  - To measure the concentrations of yttrium-oxide-coated small-dispersed silicon
      nitride plasma powder, the air was aspirated at the amount of 10-15 litres per
      min through the AFA-XP filter. The filter was limed in a platinum crucible, the
      residuum being alloyed with Na2CO3, Na2B4O7, NaNO3 in ratio 10:5:1. The alloy was
      transferred into solution in which the silicon content was assessed through
      reactions with ammonium molybdate, and yttrium--through reactions with arsenaso
      III. The sensibility rate for silicon was at 0.07 mg/m3.

PMID- 1879739
TI  - [A method of determining the level of luminescence-producing additive (DHTI-150A)
      to zinc galvanic electrolytes in the air of the work area].
AB  - A photocolorimetric technique was proposed for determining the working zone air
      content of the glitter-additive (DXTU-150) used in galvanic zinc electrolytes.
      The technique was based on the phenomenon that the additive's particles, after
      coming into a contact with n-nitro-dyazobenzol, produced coloured chemical
      products.

PMID- 1879740
TI  - [Comparative toxic effect of mercury ion (II) as cation and complex anion on the
      body and cellular levels].

PMID- 1879741
TI  - [Results and prospects of scientific cooperation in the field of occupational
      hygiene between USSR and Finland].

PMID- 1879742
TI  - [Characteristics of physiological reactions during work in coal miners with
      hypertension].
AB  - Vegetative equilibrium disorders in hypertensive-diseased miners resulted from
      pathologic developments in the limbic -reticular structures. Those were
      characterized by a hyperfunction of the ergotropic nerve formations. The
      vegetative control reorientations were accompanied by narrowing the amplitude of
      the homeostatic regulation vegetative reactions and engaging the mechanisms of
      adaptation. The vegetative state stabilization in the diseased workers was
      attained through a partial avoiding ot the most labour-intensive forms of
      activity and choosing more preferable labour operations. But the latter did not
      entirely exclude the labour conditions which would result into inadequate
      vegetative reactions.

PMID- 1879743
TI  - [Predicting the development of vibration disease in coal miners exposed to local
      vibration combined with noise and dust].
AB  - The contributors proposed a differentiated diagnostic technique which included 10
      most informative physiologic, anthropometric and biochemical+ indices to provide
      the most reliable data (95% reliability) on the adaptation and compensatory
      mechanisms under local vibration and in combination with noise and dust, and with
      due account of the individual sensitivity to local vibration. Testing of the
      technique demonstrated its high accuracy in determining the levels of
      "exhaustion", and of "the normal state" of the adaptation-compensatory
      mechanisms, and its applicability for vibration disease prognosis in individual++
      workers, thus establishing corresponding in preventive medical examinations,
      occupational selection, preventive measures' planning, and in expert solutions
      requiring precise diagnostic techniques.

PMID- 1879744
TI  - [Basic achievements in the diagnosis and in the problems of the pathogenesis and
      clinical picture of respiratory organ diseases of dust etiology].
AB  - The article contains new data concerned with the respiratory pathologic processes
      caused by industrial aerosols of different compositions, as well as the
      mechanisms of their functioning and development. Current problems of occupational
      lung diseases' treatment are considered in this connection.

PMID- 1879745
TI  - [The dynamics of the psychophysiological indices of occupational fitness in the
      students of vocational training centers and in underground miners].
AB  - The psychophysiological indices of occupational fitness are characterized by
      stability in the age groups from 17 to 40 with subsequent diminishing. Lesser
      degrees of emotional stability were found in teenagers in vocational training
      schools. The professional fitness assessment of vocational school trainees should
      be performed with due account of the occupation-related intensive changes in
      sensomotor reactions and coordination.

PMID- 1879746
TI  - [Differences in morbidity between male and female machinery operators in chemical
      manufacture].
AB  - Statistical analysis of the rate of applying for medical advice, morbidity and
      the detailed medical examinations' data concerned with chemical industry machine
      operators, revealed considerably higher respective rates in men as compared with
      women. It was proposed that the different rates could be accounted for by the
      men's and women's social role differences, which influenced their functioning and
      hygienic behaviour in the occupational conditions.

PMID- 1879747
TI  - [The clinical picture and diagnosis of manganese-induced parkinsonism].
AB  - As a result of 5-year-long electromyographic observation of 144 persons engaged
      in ferroalloy production, the parkinsonism syndrome was diagnosed in 4 persons.
      The disease development was slow, gradual, with the muscular tension growth
      against the asthenovegetative symptoms. This particularity did not correspond to
      the traditional view of the three-stage development of chronic manganese
      intoxication prior to the acute phase of manganese parkinsonism. The contributors
      hold that the stretch reflex proved to be the most early-stage oriented,
      prognostically and diagnostically reliable among the other electromyographic
      techniques.

PMID- 1879748
TI  - [The toxicological hygienic evaluation of the manufacture of epoxy resins based
      on complex glycidyl ethers].
AB  - The workers engaged in the processing of the UP-671, UP-671D, UP-677, UP-680 and
      UP-682 epoxide resins are influenced by both initial and intermediate industrial
      products, as well as the resins' volatile components in MAC threshold
      concentrations. The workers engaged in major professions displayed upper
      respiratory allergic diseases, contact and allergic dermatitis, sensibilization
      to epichlorhydrine, staphylococci and kidney allergen. Euthyroid goiter was
      diagnosed in most workers, along with thriiodothyronine decrease in blood serum
      and a higher rate of chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes. The experimental
      studies performed revealed moderate-degree toxicity in the resins, their
      cumulation properties, as well as allergenic, irritating, mutagenic and
      embryotoxic characteristics. Basing on the results of the study, the USSR Health
      Ministry adopted the working zone air MAC for the resins at the level of 0.5
      mg/m3, vapours, 2nd degree of hazardousness.

PMID- 1879749
TI  - [Acute occupational poisonings in enclosed spaces].
AB  - The contributors provide an analysis of the conditions and reasons accounting for
      the acute occupational intoxications in closed environments, which occurred in
      Moscow in 1986-1989 and resulted in 18 deaths. Proposals are made with regard to
      a state standard act on the safety rules for working in closed environments with
      the texts of some paragraphs to this act.

PMID- 1879750
TI  - [The use of laser therapy in dust-induced bronchitis].
AB  - Low-intensive laser was used in the treatment of dust bronchitis with
      bronchospastic syndrome. As a result, bronchospasms were relieved, the external
      respiration function improved and corticosteroid preparation dosages were
      lowered. Stimulation of the immune system was performed through the T-cellular
      immunity.

PMID- 1879751
TI  - [A photometric method for measuring the concentration of caustic alkalies in the
      air].
AB  - The article contains a description of a new photometric technique of measuring
      caustic alkali content in the working zone air. The technique proved to be
      sensitive in the presence of carbonic acid gas (the lowest degree of measurements
      at 0.25 mg/m3 in 100 dm3 air sample).

PMID- 1879752
TI  - [The potentials of the ShVIL-01 device for the integral assessment of variable
      noise and local vibration].
AB  - The article is addressed to a broad range of experts and provides information on
      the design and serial production of a new device for automated measurements of
      energy-equivalent variable noise levels in combination with the phonometers
      produced both in the USSR and abroad. The technical characteristics of the device
      and description of its use are given, along with the tables of equivalent levels
      into the share dosage conversion and the conversion of the exposition levels into
      the share dosage for respective standards and hygienic norms-based values.

PMID- 1879753
TI  - [Problems in the further development of postgraduate training in industrial
      sanitary chemistry for the laboratory physicians of epidemiological health
      stations].
AB  - The article narrates on the domain of the sanitary inspection medical laboratory
      workers' supervision in the field of industrial chemistry and their experience in
      handling different physical and chemical analysis techniques. It is indicated
      that sanitary inspection medical laboratory personnel requires constant
      postgraduate training. Proposed is the respective training programme adopted at
      the Institute for Postgraduate Training of Physicians, Moscow, which includes
      samples' selection, physical and chemical analysis testing and application in
      specific conditions, statistical assessment of the results obtained. The
      programme also includes the hygienic aspects, e. i. current sanitary control,
      labour hygiene in different gas discharge-related conditions. Practical training
      is performed in small groups of 2 or 3 persons, thus facilitating adoption of
      skills in using various analysis techniques. Initial, current and intermediate
      control, tests and situational analysis are used in the training process.

PMID- 1879754
TI  - [The sanitary improvement of the working conditions for workers in the explosive
      forming of parts by excluding mercury fulminate from the technology].

PMID- 1879755
TI  - [The dynamics of the indices of lipid peroxidation and antioxidative activity in
      prolonged experimental exposure to epoxy compounds].

PMID- 1879756
TI  - [The evaluation of the enzymatic oxidation of pyrazolone derivatives in the liver
      of workers in the aluminum and chemical industries].

PMID- 1879757
TI  - [The use of enterosorption in treating experimental lead poisoning].

PMID- 1879758
TI  - [Conventions of the International Labor Organization of the UN and the
      participation of the USSR in their implementation].

PMID- 1879759
TI  - [The health status of the crew members of nuclear-powered icebreakers].
AB  - Established was the influence of neuroemotional stress on the health state of
      atomic-powered ice-breaker sailors working in Arctic autonomous navigation. No
      specific factors (ionizing radiation) were found.

PMID- 1879760
TI  - [A radiation hygiene assessment of the working conditions of angiography
      specialists working using image converters and x-ray TV sets].
AB  - Ever-growing bulk of medical equipment used in major health centres with
      consequent increase in the volume of the angiocardiographic procedures performed,
      result into greater dosages gained by the medical personnel involved. In this
      connection, the major dosage-forming factors in different professional medical
      groups were evaluated. The head, hands and feet were defined as "the critical
      zones" for angiographic unit personnel. The only possible way of protecting hands
      was proposed--by means of shortening the time of irradiation, e. i. by
      establishing hygienic standards for angiographic procedures and operations.

PMID- 1879761
TI  - [The evaluation of the efficacy of preventing cardiovascular diseases in the
      employees of central institutions].
AB  - Assessment was made of the health state of the administrative personnel in a
      ministry, with an analysis of morbidity based on the data of a year-long
      outpatient observation of the ministerial officers. Instrumental techniques were
      used in CVS examinations, and the current health improvement measures, with due
      account of their effectiveness and performance, were taken into consideration.
      Substantiated was the applicability of the hemodynamic indices as a criterion of
      the effectiveness of primary and secondary prophylaxis of cardiovascular
      diseases.

PMID- 1879762
TI  - [Evaluating parachute-drop stress by measuring blood lipids].
AB  - An attempt to evaluate parachute-drop related stress by determining the blood
      lipid profile (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, apo-A, apo-B, and triglycerides) is
      reported. Measurements were made on starting the parachute course, just before
      the first jump, and just after the third jump. On these 3 occasions 38 combat
      troops answered psychological questionnaires and 30 of them gave blood samples.
      While there were significant fluctuations in level of all blood lipids and their
      apoproteins, they could not be correlated selectively with presumed levels of
      stress. The well-known difficulties in field studies in controlling crucial
      factors such as the exact timing of the measurements and food intake (specific
      diet or fasting) make questionable the use of biochemical markers in measuring
      stress under the conditions of our study. It is possible that the high rate of
      refusal to give blood samples biased the findings.

PMID- 1879763
TI  - [Procurement of corneas for transplantation].
AB  - We prospectively studied all deaths in this hospital from July 1, 1989 through
      December 31, 1989 for possible eye donations. During this period 539 patients
      died, of whom, 219 were suitable candidates for donation, and 61 donations were
      obtained (11.3%). In the course of the study the procurement rate increased
      progressively as a result of a higher level of effort and awareness by the
      medical staff.

PMID- 1879764
TI  - [Early vs delayed cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis].
AB  - The timing of cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis is still controversial. A
      marked change toward early surgery has been noted in the past decade. In a
      retrospective study of 197 patients we evaluated the results of cholecystectomy
      in 117 who underwent elective cholecystectomy, and in 80 operated on during the
      acute phase of cholecystitis. The diagnosis of acute cholecystitis was by isotope
      scan (HIDA) or ultrasound. There was no case of misdiagnosis. 3 patients died
      postoperatively: 2 in the early operation group (1 had emergency cholecystectomy)
      and 1 in the elective group. Postoperative complications were more frequent in
      the early surgery group (p = 0.06). The highest morbidity was in early
      cholecystectomy in those older than 60 years who had cardiovascular disease (p
      less than 0.0002). Hernia in the scar was a unique complication of the early
      operation. According to most studies reviewed, early operation eliminates the
      need for emergency operation when conservative treatment fails, without
      increasing morbidity or mortality. Therefore, early operation during the acute
      phase of cholecystectomy is advised. For patients older than 60 years who have
      cardiovascular disease, we recommend delaying surgery until the acute
      inflammation subsides. The waiting period before surgery should be as short as
      possible in order to reduce the risk of recurrent cholecystitis and its
      complications.

PMID- 1879765
TI  - [Sedural toxicity].
AB  - Phenazopyridine (Sedural) is widely used in the treatment of dysuria. It is
      considered a benign drug and most physicians are unaware of its potential
      toxicity. A 24-year-old woman who developed methemoglobinemia, acute renal
      failure and hemolytic anemia following a single 1 g dose of the drug is
      presented.

PMID- 1879766
TI  - [Acute hypertrophic gastropathy of childhood].
AB  - Acute hypertrophic gastropathy of childhood is a rare disease characterized by
      gastrointestinal complaints and hypoalbuminemia due to protein loss from the
      stomach. The disease is benign, with complete recovery within a few months. We
      describe 2 girls with this condition, both 3 years old, in whom a detailed workup
      was performed, including upper gastrointestinal tract X-rays, ultrasound
      examination of the abdomen, and gastroscopy with mucosal biopsy. Gastrointestinal
      protein loss was demonstrated by measuring alpha 1 antitrypsin in the feces. Both
      children recovered spontaneously within a few weeks.

PMID- 1879767
TI  - [Spontaneous chylothorax in the neonate].
AB  - Chylothorax is a rare cause of respiratory distress in the newborn and is the
      most frequent type of neonatal pleural effusion. We report 3 cases of spontaneous
      chylothorax in neonates, 2 boys and 1 girl, all of whom suffered from respiratory
      distress and required intensive care, including repeated thoracocentesis and
      mechanical ventilation. Anticipation and prompt recognition of this neonatal
      emergency and appropriate therapy are essential to ensure its generally favorable
      prognosis.

PMID- 1879768
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of Hirschsprung's disease in adolescence].
AB  - Hirschsprung's disease is the most frequent cause of large intestinal obstruction
      in the neonatal period, during which the majority of cases are diagnosed. In
      about 5 of cases diagnosis is not established until adolescence. We present a 12
      year-old boy with Hirschsprung's disease, treated since childhood for
      constipation. Early diagnosis avoids complications.

PMID- 1879769
TI  - [Scurvy from self-imposed diet].
AB  - Scurvy, a rare disease, is still found today in malnourished patients. We
      recently diagnosed a case of scurvy in a 64-year-old woman resulting from a self
      imposed diet. She had severe anemia and the characteristic gingival and skin
      lesions, which responded dramatically to ascorbic acid therapy. We report this
      case to make physicians aware of the possibility of scurvy and of its clinical
      symptoms.

PMID- 1879770
TI  - [Kidney biopsy in systemic lupus erythematosus].

PMID- 1879771
TI  - [Thirty years of methotrexate treatment for psoriasis].

PMID- 1879772
TI  - [Pancreatic carcinoma, sex hormones receptors and treatment with tamoxifen].

PMID- 1879773
TI  - [Significance and management of non-Q wave myocardial infarction].

PMID- 1879774
TI  - [Congestive heart failure: some mechanisms and therapeutic implications].

PMID- 1879775
TI  - [Mollaret's syndrome: recurrent benign aseptic meningitis].

PMID- 1879776
TI  - [Pulmonary artery rupture from the Swan-Ganz catheter: incidence,
      pathophysiology, treatment, prevention].

PMID- 1879777
TI  - [New outlook on the mechanism of fluoride action in preventing caries].

PMID- 1879778
TI  - [Palpitation].

PMID- 1879779
TI  - [Pediatric AIDS: a special medical challenge].

PMID- 1879780
TI  - [Neonatal hypoglycemia and brain damage].

PMID- 1879781
TI  - [Ambulatory diagnostic heart catheterization].

PMID- 1879782
TI  - [Word recognition and confrontation naming in early diagnosis of dementia].
AB  - Since early identification of dementia is very important, a simple inexpensive
      examination for its diagnosis is needed. A naming and recognition test was
      formulated for: examining factors affecting naming performance, comparing naming
      and recognition performance, and sampling spontaneous speech. The results were
      compared with those of the mini-mental test. Subjects were 7 men and 14 women
      (mean age 80 +/- 4.7) in the early stages of dementia, living in a senior
      citizen's home. The short mini-mental test differentiated between the groups, as
      did the newly formulated test. Language tests were shown to be of value in the
      accurate detection of dementia in its early stages.

PMID- 1879783
TI  - [Determination of pancreatic size by ultrasound in diabetics].
AB  - Determination of pancreatic size by ultrasound in diabetics showed that the
      pancreas is smallest in Type 1 (IDDM) diabetes (7.15 +/- 0.55 cm), larger in Type
      2 (9.71 +/- 0.81 cm), but significantly greater in nondiabetics (15.17 +/- 0.79
      cm). In 10/12 patients referred because of reactive hypoglycemia there was
      insulin-resistance and the pancreas was smaller than 8 cm. There was no
      correlation between pancreatic size and duration of diabetes, body size, or body
      mass index. More normal controls of various ages are needed for definitive
      assessment.

PMID- 1879784
TI  - [Evaluation of a new Israel infant soy formula].
AB  - A new infant soy formula has recently been developed in Israel and is being
      produced (Materna Tsimchit, Trima Industries, Kibbutz Ma'aborot). We compared its
      efficacy with that of a well-known imported soy formula (Isomil, Ross
      Laboratories, USA) in a prospective, randomized, double-blind study. 45 normal
      infants, aged 1-6 months, were monitored for over 2 months after the soy formula
      was started either because of cow-milk allergy or lactose intolerance. 22
      received Materna Tsimchit and 23 Isomil. The study revealed no significant
      differences between the products with regard to compliance, behavior, symptoms,
      physical examination (including growth parameters and nutritional assessment),
      stool characteristics and complete blood counts. We conclude, given the
      limitations of the present study, that the new Israeli product is as effective as
      the foreign product.

PMID- 1879785
TI  - [Vascular injuries in children].
AB  - Vascular trauma in children differs in some respects from that in adults. In
      infants and children the total blood volume is smaller, and despite effective
      compensatory mechanisms, critical blood loss is also smaller. Gentle and
      meticulous technical skill is needed to correct injuries of minute vessels and
      allow adequate blood flow. The use of synthetic tubes and materials is not
      recommended, as they do not lengthen as the child grows. Ischemia is a major
      factor influencing limb growth and function. 3 different types of vascular
      injuries operated on in the past year are presented.

PMID- 1879786
TI  - [Penetrating neck injuries].
AB  - The frequency of penetrating neck injuries has increased in recent years. In 16
      patients with such injuries treated during the past 2 years, neck exploration was
      performed immediately. In 4 there was destruction of the throat or trachea, in 3
      a tear in the esophagus, in 1 a tear in the hypopharynx and in 1 a tear in the
      submandibular region penetrating the floor of the mouth. In 8 there was no damage
      to the neck organs. Of the 16, 1 died on the operating table from hemorrhage from
      multiple tears of the hypopharynx, the esophagus and the thyroid gland. 2
      different approaches are used in dealing with penetrating neck injuries:
      immediate exploration, or the use of imaging methods to diagnose the degree of
      damage, followed by close supervision. In the light of our experience we advocate
      immediate neck exploration.

PMID- 1879787
TI  - [Primary epiphyseal osteomyelitis in children].
AB  - A 4-year-old boy was hospitalized for suspected hematogenous osteomyelitis of the
      distal femur. Bone scan and repeated radiographs showed a rare condition, primary
      epiphyseal osteomyelitis. Needle biopsy and aspiration were negative. Penbritin
      and orbenil, 2 g of each, gave complete clinical and radiographic healing 7 weeks
      after initial treatment.

PMID- 1879788
TI  - [Renal effects of recombinant interleukin-2].

PMID- 1879789
TI  - [Endothelin: a new vasoconstrictor of endothelial origin].

PMID- 1879790
TI  - [Has schizophrenia an immunologic basis].

PMID- 1879791
TI  - [Psychiatry in medicine: how to save a lot of money with a small investment; or:
      how to waste a lot of money by trying to cut edges?].

PMID- 1879792
TI  - [Diagnostic evaluation and surgical treatment of stress incontinence in the
      female].

PMID- 1879793
TI  - [Cognitive changes associated with depression].

PMID- 1879794
TI  - [Pathophysiological changes in eating disorders].

PMID- 1879795
TI  - [Intraocular, orbital and ocular adnexal lymphoid neoplasms].

PMID- 1879796
TI  - [Diagnosing drinkers in general practice--secondary prevention by the family
      physician].

PMID- 1879797
TI  - [Amenorrhea in female athletes].

PMID- 1879798
TI  - [Soy-based formula in infant nutrition].

PMID- 1879799
TI  - [Menopause and hormone replacement therapy in relation to atherosclerotic heart
      disease].

PMID- 1879800
TI  - [Respiratory infections and the sudden infant death syndrome].

PMID- 1879801
TI  - [Eating disorders].

PMID- 1879802
TI  - [Effects of FOY-305 on post-operative reflux esophagitis in rats (I). Effects of
      FOY-305 on reflux esophagitis after total gastrectomy in rats].
AB  - We investigated the effect of camostat mesilate (FOY-305), an oral protease
      inhibitor, on reflux esophagitis after total gastrectomy followed by an end-to
      side esophago-jejunostomy (Billroth-II) in rats. Effects of FOY-305 were compared
      with those of sodium alginate (AL-Na) and cimetidine. On the basis that
      esophageal ulceration occurred from post-operative day 5 in this model, rodents
      were fed with special chows containing test drugs from day 2 for 5 or 12 days in
      order to examine the prophylactic effects (Exp. I) and from day 7 for two weeks
      in healing experiments (Exp. II). In Exp. I, FOY-305 significantly prevented
      esophageal ulceration on post-operative days 7 and 14. However, AL-Na
      significantly prevented esophageal ulceration on post-operative day 7 but not on
      day 14. In Exp. II, FOY-305 had a remarkable therapeutic effect on esophageal
      ulceration on day 21. Food intake and body weight of rodents in the FOY-305
      treated group were higher than those in the control group. In pathohistological
      studies, FOY-305 elicited an inhibitory effect on ulceration and induced
      esophageal mucosal regeneration at the ulceration sites. In contrast, AL-Na and
      cimetidine did not have any significant therapeutic effect. These results suggest
      that FOY-305 is an effective agent for the treatment of reflux esophagitis after
      total gastrectomy.

PMID- 1879803
TI  - [Effect of FOY-305 on post-operative reflux esophagitis in rats (II). Analysis of
      mechanism in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis after total gastrectomy in
      rats].
AB  - Esophagitis after total gastrectomy has been associated with biliary and
      pancreatic reflux into the esophagus. The purpose of this study is to clarify the
      effect of FOY-305 on these factors in the esophagitis. We initially produced
      esophagitis in rats with total gastrectomy followed by an end-to-side esophago
      jejunostomy (Billroth-II). After treatment of FOY-305 on post-operative day 7 in
      this model, esophageal washout samples were analyzed for increases in activity of
      trypsin and total bile acid concentration. FOY-305 completely inhibited increases
      of trypsin activity in 2 and 4 hr, and it significantly (P less than 0.05)
      reduced bile acid concentration in 4 hr after initiating treatment. In addition,
      we evaluated the injurious effect of trypsin and sodium taurocholate (Tc-Na) on
      isolated esophagus of rats by measuring released tyrosine in the medium and used
      it as an index of the degree of injury. Tc-Na (3-fold of enteral bile acid
      concentration) inflicted only a slight injurious effect with negligible tyrosine
      release increases, and it did not show synergistic action when concomitantly used
      with trypsin. However, trypsin clearly induced increased tyrosine release from
      the esophageal mucosa, and this effect was significantly (P less than 0.001)
      inhibited by FOY-305 (50 microM). These results indicate that trypsin is one of
      the important factors in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis after total
      gastrectomy, and FOY-305 exerts a therapeutic effect by eliciting an inhibitory
      action against trypsin activity.

PMID- 1879804
TI  - [Effects of cholinergic drugs on delayed discrimination disruption by AF64A in
      rats].
AB  - In a 2-lever operant chamber situation for food reinforcement, the effects of
      nicotine, arecoline and physostigmine on delayed discrimination responses in rats
      treated with ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion (AF64A) were investigated.
      AF64A at 6 nmol, i.c.v., decreased the percentage of correct choices (% CR) at
      the delay time of 4 sec, and this effect depended on the delay time. On the other
      hand, AF64A at the same dose shortened the latency (LAT: the period from the end
      of the delay time to the initiation of lever-pressing responses) at the delay
      time of 16 sec, but this effect didn't depend on the delay time. Nicotine at 0.25
      mg/kg, s.c., improved the decrease of % CR; and at 0.13-0.5 mg/kg, s.c., it
      shortened LAT at the delay time of 4 sec in rats treated with AF64A. Arecoline at
      4 mg/kg, s.c., and physostigmine at 0.06-0.5 mg/kg, s.c., extended LAT, but both
      drugs showed no effects on % CR at the delay time of 4 sec in rats treated with
      AF64A. These results suggest that the present procedure might be useful for the
      evaluation of drug effects on memory in rats, and nicotine improved the delayed
      discrimination disruption induced by AF64A.

PMID- 1879805
TI  - [Effects of cernitin pollen extract (CN-009) on the isolated bladder smooth
      muscles and the intravesical pressure].
AB  - Cernitin pollen extract (CN-009), extract from several pollen species, has been
      used for urinary dysfunction. As its mode of action has not been clarified, we
      investigated the action of CN-009 on the isolated bladder smooth muscles of rats,
      guinea pigs and cats and the intravesical pressure in female rats. CN-009
      contracted isolated detrusor muscles of rats, guinea pigs and cats in a
      concentration-dependent manner. In the guinea pig detrusor muscle, the
      contractile effect of CN-009 was depressed by atropine, diphenhydramine and
      increased by cimetidine. In the rat detrusor muscle, the CN-009-induced
      contraction was depressed by atropine. In adult rats (11-23 weeks old) and aged
      rats (2 years old), CN-009 showed a dose-dependent increase of intravesical
      pressure to the same extent in spite of the fact that the aged rats had a lower
      responsiveness to acetylcholine. In adult rats, the CN-009-induced increase of
      intravesical pressure was reduced completely by atropine and partly reduced by
      phentolamine and guanethidine. Three weeks consecutive oral administration of CN
      009 tended to increase the basal intravesical pressure and tended to elevate the
      isoproterenol-induced decrease and serotonin-induced increase in the intravesical
      pressure. These results suggest that CN-009 contracts the detrusor muscle, a
      process that is mainly mediated by muscarinic receptor activation. The
      contraction induced by CN-009 of detrusor muscle causes the increase of
      intravesical pressure.

PMID- 1879806
TI  - [Effects of 3-hydroxymethyl-2-methylimidazo [2, 1-b] benzothiazole (NIK-228) on
      gastric acid secretion and various experimental peptic ulcers in rats].
AB  - We examined the antisecretory and antiulcer activities of NIK-228 in rats. Male
      Wistar rats (200 to 250 g) were used under 24 to 48 hr fasted (without water)
      conditions. NIK-228 and famotidine were administered orally 1 hr before pylorus
      ligation, stress or each ulceration inducer. Both NIK-228 (10 to 100 mg/kg) and
      famotidine (0.3 to 3 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited gastric secretion in
      pylorus ligated rats. Water-immersion stress-, indomethacin- or pylorus ligation
      (Shay)-induced gastric ulcers were dose-dependently inhibited by NIK-228 (10 to
      100 mg/kg), but only water-immersion stress and indomethacin induced ulcers were
      dose-dependently inhibited by famotidine (0.03 to 3 mg/kg). Ethanol- and 0.6 N
      HCl-induced gastric lesions were remarkably inhibited by NIK-228 (ED50 = 2.7 and
      5.6 mg/kg), but tended to be inhibited also by famotidine (0.3 to 3 mg/kg).
      Cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer was inhibited significantly by NIK-228 (30, 100
      mg/kg) or famotidine (3 mg/kg). NIK-228 may produce its antiulcer effects via
      antisecretory and cytoprotective effects. These results suggest that NIK-228 has
      antisecretory and antiulcer activities.

PMID- 1879807
TI  - [Analysis of stress-strain curves in the rat molar periodontal ligament following
      administration of beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN)].
AB  - To understand the function of the periodontal ligament as a tooth support, stress
      strain curves obtained from the transverse section of the mesial root of the rat
      mandibular first molar were analyzed following administration of BAPN, known as
      an inhibitor of collagen cross-linking. An experimental group of rats took
      drinking water containing 0.2% of BAPN ad libitum for 20 days. Radiographs of the
      transverse section of the molar root were processed by an image analyzer.
      Mechanical testing was performed by pushing the tooth out of the surrounding
      alveolar bone at a loading speed of 7 mm/min in an extrusive direction. Doses of
      BAPN ranged from 19 to 29 mg/100 g bw/day during the experimental period. By the
      analysis of stress-strain curves, it was found that the maximum shear stress, the
      elastic stiffness and the failure strain energy density decreased respectively to
      42, 43 and 43 percent of the control values following administration of BAPN.
      However BAPN did not cause a significant change in the maximum strain. It is
      supposed that the changes in the mechanical properties of the ligament were
      caused by the inhibition of cross-linking of periodontal collagen fibers.

PMID- 1879808
TI  - Bone marrow trephine interpretation: diagnostic utility and potential pitfalls.
AB  - Good quality paraffin-embedded sections can be obtained from bone marrow
      trephines, allowing the routine use of these biopsies in diagnostic
      histopathology. Trephines are superior to aspirates, especially for the
      assessment of marrow cellularity, the extent and pattern of tumour infiltration
      and the cell type. Bone marrow biopsies are useful in several areas, e.g. non
      haematological disorders, myelodysplasia, the myeloproliferative group, lymphomas
      and leukaemias, which are briefly discussed below. Further advances in
      interpretation are likely with more frequent use of bone marrow trephines.

PMID- 1879809
TI  - Bone marrow diagnosis in lymphoproliferative disorders: comparison of results
      obtained from conventional histomorphology and immunohistology.
AB  - In this study we have investigated 313 bone marrow biopsies from 280 patients
      with lymphoproliferative disorders. Trephines were sectioned transversely to
      obtain one cylinder for cryostat sectioning and immunostaining and a second for
      histomorphological evaluation using a plastic-embedding technique. The results
      obtained by histomorphological and immunohistological evaluation were compared
      for their contribution to staging and classification. Using both techniques, bone
      marrow involvement was seen in 3/43 (7.0%) biopsies from patients with Hodgkin's
      disease and in 193/270 (71.5%) cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, including
      multiple myeloma and acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Immunohistology proved superior
      in detecting minimal mainly interstitial bone marrow infiltration in 15
      leukaemia/lymphoma cases. Biopsies showing infiltration with both methods (n =
      157) were re-examined for classification of lymphomatous infiltrates. Whereas
      immunohistology did not provide additional information in cases with Hodgkin's
      disease and myeloma, this method was crucial for establishing the definitive
      diagnosis in a number of cases with acute lymphocytic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's
      lymphoma. In all of six leukaemia cases, in which no or inadequate material was
      available for immunophenotyping of cell suspensions, immunohistology clearly
      defined the subtype. In the 140 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma the majority of
      cases (76.4%) were identically classified. In some cases, with important
      prognostic and therapeutic implications, immunohistology alone provided the
      definitive diagnosis: T-cell lymphoma (n = 2), hairy cell leukaemia (n = 2) and
      centrocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 3). Bone marrow immunohistology is,
      therefore, an important supplement for classical lymphoma/leukaemia diagnosis.
      The differences observed between histomorphology and immunohistology emphasize
      the importance of lymph node biopsy in lymphoma classification.

PMID- 1879810
TI  - Immunophenotyping of Nigerian cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas on paraffin
      sections.
AB  - One hundred cases of routinely fixed and processed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from
      Nigeria were immunostained with a small panel of monoclonal antibodies against B
      , T- and macrophage antigens. The aims of the study were to assess the
      suitability of stored material from a country like Nigeria for
      immunohistochemical examination and the ability of the antibody panel to evaluate
      the distribution of B- and T-cell neoplasms. Eighty-seven of the 100 cases gave
      interpretable immunostaining, with 75 being B-cell and 12 T-cell neoplasms.
      Eighty-seven of the 100 cases gave interpretable immunostaining, with 75 being B
      cell and 12 T-cell neoplasms. There were no tumours of macrophage lineage. Four
      cases gave satisfactory staining of reactive lymphoid cells but no reactivity
      with malignant cells and thus were not phenotyped. The remaining nine cases gave
      no staining of neoplastic or reactive cells, suggesting that they were unsuitable
      for immunohistochemical study, presumably because of inappropriate fixation and
      handling. We concluded that a panel of three monoclonal antibodies is suitable
      for routine immunostaining of conventionally fixed and processed blocks in Third
      World countries and will give diagnostically useful information in approximately
      95% of cases.

PMID- 1879811
TI  - Demonstration of oestrogen and progesterone receptors in freeze-dried, paraffin
      embedded sections of breast cancer.
AB  - Immunohistochemical evaluation of oestrogen and progesterone receptors is of
      importance in evaluating human breast tumours. Staining techniques can be
      performed on snap-frozen, cryostat-cut tissues or, as recently reported, on
      formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. These methods are, however, limited by
      several drawbacks, including difficulties in retrospective studies and in storage
      of the material, and the relatively high frequency of false negative results for
      chemically fixed specimens. We therefore investigated the application of freeze
      drying technology to assess the feasibility and reliability of this technique as
      an alternative method for diagnostic breast pathology. Morphological and
      immunohistochemical studies were performed on snap-frozen, freeze-dried and
      paraffin-embedded tissue obtained from 16 cases of benign and malignant breast
      neoplasms. Our results showed good preservation of tissue morphology, similar to
      standard formalin fixation, and excellent preservation of antigenic reactivity of
      nuclear receptors, comparable to that obtained with cryostat sections. We
      therefore suggest that freeze drying and paraffin embedding of frozen tissue
      blocks is equivalent or even preferable to formalin fixation for the
      demonstration of oestrogen and progesterone receptors, at least in the case of
      small tumours.

PMID- 1879812
TI  - Smooth muscle tumours of the external genitalia: clinicopathological analysis of
      a series.
AB  - Smooth muscle tumours of the external genitalia (vulva, scrotum and nipple) are
      uncommon and have received little attention in the literature. Given their
      purported close relationship to cutaneous (pilar) leiomyomatous lesions, we have
      studied 32 cases (18 vulva, 10 scrotum, four nipple) from 31 patients in order to
      compare clinicopathological features at the different sites. Only those in the
      nipple were comparable in size and histology to pilar leiomyomas. Vulval and
      scrotal tumours tended to be much larger and better circumscribed. Purely
      epithelioid lesions were only identified in the vulva (two cases) and at this
      site myxoid change and hyalinization were substantially more common. Almost all
      cases showed immunohistochemical evidence of muscle differentiation. On
      histological grounds, nine cases were classified as leiomyosarcoma (six scrotum,
      three vulva) but only one of the five with follow-up has led to the patient's
      death. With the exception of nipple lesions, which are particularly uncommon, we
      would not support the traditional inclusion of genital smooth muscle tumours
      under the general heading of cutaneous leiomyoma/sarcoma, as vulval and scrotal
      lesions are clinicopathologically quite different.

PMID- 1879813
TI  - Stereological estimates of nuclear volume in the prognostic evaluation of primary
      flat carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder.
AB  - Primary, flat carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder is rare and its behaviour
      is unpredictable. The aim of this retrospective study was to obtain base-line
      data and investigate the prognostic value of unbiased, stereological estimates of
      the volume-weighted mean nuclear volume, nuclear vv, in 78 bladder biopsies from
      22 patients with primary flat carcinoma in situ (Bergkvist grades III-IV). On
      average, nuclear vv was 77 microns 3 in nine biopsies with morphologically normal
      urothelium, 292 microns 3 in 56 isolated primary lesions and 266 microns 3 in
      lesions of luminal urothelium in 13 biopsies with co-existing invasive carcinoma.
      No recognizable developmental pattern of nuclear vv in relation to the time
      course of disease was found. Nuclear volume in the first biopsy was of the same
      magnitude in lesions with and without co-existing invasive carcinoma (2P = 0.55),
      and in lesions with short and long duration of invasion-free period (2P greater
      than 0.20). Nuclear vv in the first biopsy did not differ between patients who
      survived and those who died from their primary flat carcinoma in situ (2P =
      0.07). Dividing the patients on the basis of the group median of the first biopsy
      showing flat carcinoma in situ (nuclear vv = 261 microns 3), the survival was the
      same in patients with nuclear vv above and below the cut-off point (2P = 0.16).
      However, the survival curves showed a tendency to differ in the first 2-8 years
      of observation. Stereological estimates of nuclear vv provide objective,
      quantitative information, but their prognostic value in patients with primary
      flat carcinoma in situ of the bladder needs further clarification in larger data
      bases.

PMID- 1879814
TI  - Germ cell expression of placental alkaline phosphatase in male
      pseudohermaphroditism.
AB  - We have reviewed testes removed from 14 individuals with male
      pseudohermaphroditism (13 with androgen insensitivity and one with 17 alpha
      hydroxylase deficiency) and have studied staining for placental alkaline
      phosphatase in germ cells. Placental alkaline phosphatase positivity was
      identified in fetal and premature neonatal controls but not in cryptorchid males
      or normal autopsy control material from boys older than 6 months. It was present
      in autopsy testes younger than 6 months and cases of androgen insensitivity in
      boys younger than 8 months, suggesting immaturity. It was also expressed in two
      patients with male pseudohermaphroditism aged 5 years and 14 years, both of whom
      had intra-tubular germ cell neoplasia by morphological criteria. Our study
      confirms the use of placental alkaline phosphatase as a marker of germ cell
      neoplasia in this specific group who are at high risk of malignancy.

PMID- 1879815
TI  - Uterus-like mass of the ovary associated with endometrioid carcinoma.
AB  - We describe a solid and cystic right ovarian mass removed from a 38-year-old
      woman. The solid component, which had a central cavity lined by endometriotic
      tissue and surrounded by a thick muscle wall, strongly resembled a miniature
      uterus. The contiguous cystic mass was an endometrioid carcinoma. We review the
      literature and discuss the theories of histogenesis of uterus-like ovarian
      masses.

PMID- 1879816
TI  - The sweat gland in cutaneous vasculitis.
AB  - Cutaneous vasculitis commonly presents as palpable purpura, and the late stages
      may become nodular, bullous, infarcted and ulcerated. Involvement of sweat glands
      in vasculitic lesions has not been previously described. In a detailed study of
      48 cases of non-infarcted cutaneous vasculitis, 18 (36%) revealed morphologically
      abnormal sweat glands. Basal cell degeneration, necrosis, regeneration and basal
      cell hyperplasia were found in the excretory ducts. Necrosis of the secretory
      gland was seen either as apoptosis involving the clear cells or as a whole gland
      necrosis involving both cell types. This unusual feature has only been described
      in association with coma, commonly due to barbiturate and carbon monoxide
      poisoning. Its presence in non-infarcted vasculitis adds support to the
      hypoxia/ischaemia hypothesis. The functional impact of such lesions in widespread
      cutaneous vasculitides requires further study.

PMID- 1879817
TI  - Metastatic melanoma mimicking primary bronchial melanoma.
AB  - Primary malignant melanoma of the bronchus is an extremely rare neoplasm. The
      criteria required to establish a bronchial origin include junctional change and
      invasion of intact bronchial mucosa by melanoma cells. A case of metastatic
      melanoma demonstrating such changes is described, so casting doubt on the
      validity of these criteria.

PMID- 1879818
TI  - Pre-sacral carcinoid tumour.

PMID- 1879819
TI  - Immunolocalization of prealbumin (transthyretin) in renal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Fourteen primary and nine metastatic renal cell carcinomas were examined with a
      commercially available antibody against prealbumin (transthyretin) using the
      avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) technique. Twenty-two of the 23 tumours
      expressed prealbumin, and in 16 of them more than 50% of the tumour cells showed
      immunoreactivity. The same tumours were subjected to immunostaining with
      antibodies against low molecular weight keratin, carcino-embryonic antigen, S-100
      protein and epithelial membrane antigen for comparison. We conclude that
      prealbumin, which was absent in 14 adenocarcinomas from other organs, should be
      included in the panel of markers for differentiating metastatic adenocarcinoma of
      renal origin from those of other primary tumours.

PMID- 1879820
TI  - Helicobacter pylori in Barrett's oesophagus. Gruppo Operativo per lo Studio Delle
      Precancerosi Esofagee (GOSPE)--Precancerous Lesions of the Oesophagus Task Force,
      Italy.

PMID- 1879821
TI  - Subcutaneous sacrococcygeal ependymoma with incidental glomus coccygeum.

PMID- 1879822
TI  - Signet-ring cell melanoma: light microscopic, immunohistochemical and
      ultrastructural features.

PMID- 1879823
TI  - Multiple myeloma showing signet-ring cell change.

PMID- 1879824
TI  - Viral myocarditis.

PMID- 1879825
TI  - An intronic duplication in the alanine: glyoxylate aminotransferase gene
      facilitates identification of mutations in compound heterozygote patients with
      primary hyperoxaluria type 1.
AB  - We report here the identification of a duplication within the first intron of the
      gene encoding human alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT); this duplication
      is closely linked to two point mutations associated with peroxisome-to
      mitochondrion mistargeting of AGT in primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) patients.
      Polymerase chain reaction amplification of regions of the AGT gene including the
      insertion site from individuals heterozygous for this duplication, produces
      allele-specific fragments of different sizes. We have taken advantage of this to
      identify a nonsense mutation within a non-expressed allele of a compound
      heterozygote PH1 patient with mitochondrial AGT.

PMID- 1879826
TI  - Linkage mapping of D21S171 to the distal long arm of human chromosome 21 using a
      polymorphic (AC)n dinucleotide repeat.
AB  - An (AC)n repeat within the anonymous DNA sequence D21S171 was shown to be highly
      polymorphic in members of the 40 Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humaine (CEPH)
      families. Ten different alleles at this marker locus were detected by
      electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels of DNA amplified by the polymerase chain
      reaction (PCR) using primers flanking the (AC)n repeat. The observed
      heterozygosity was 66%. PCR amplification of DNA from somatic cell hybrids mapped
      D21S171 to human chromosome 21, and linkage analysis localized this marker close
      to the loci CD18, PFKL, D21S113 and D21S112 in chromosomal band 21q22.3. In CEPH
      family 12 a de novo allele has been observed in a maternally derived chromosome.

PMID- 1879827
TI  - Spinocerebellar ataxia: multipoint linkage analysis of genes associated with the
      disease locus.
AB  - Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) was studied in a seven-generation (Schut-Swier)
      kindred using linkage analysis to localize further the autosomal dominant, HLA
      linked, disease-producing SCA1 locus relative to four other loci that map to the
      short arm of human chromosome 6. Genotypes for each locus were determined in as
      many individuals as possible from a total of 162 affected and unaffected family
      members that were studied. A maximum pairwise lod score of 8.52 (theta m = 0.10,
      theta f = 0.22) for linkage between SCA1 and HLA-A was observed. Multipoint
      linkage analyses for the SCA1, HLA-A, F13A, D6S7, and GLO1 loci revealed that the
      SCA1 locus is most probably located telomeric to HLA-A, with a likely location
      between HLA-A and F13A.

PMID- 1879828
TI  - Persistence of two Y chromosomes through meiotic prophase and metaphase I in an
      XYY man.
AB  - Studies of spermatogenesis in an XYY male, presenting at a subfertility clinic,
      confirm the tendency for the germ cells to lose the second Y chromosome but for
      some XYY cells to reach metaphase I (MI). Light microscope studies of MI revealed
      the presence of YY bivalents and EM studies of microspread, silver-stained
      pachytene stages showed 30% of the cells to have two Y chromosomes; 13 out of 16
      of these showing a YY synaptonemal complex. Strikingly, the Y axes show only
      partial synapsis; in no case was synapsis of the long arm heterochromatic regions
      apparent.

PMID- 1879829
TI  - Orosomucoid (ORM 1) subtyping and formal genetics.
AB  - Orosomucoid (ORM) phenotyping has been performed in 141 families with 407
      children from southwest Germany. Eight families were observed in which duplicated
      ORM1 genes, F1F2, F1F3, segregated. The family data gave no information about the
      presence of tandemly duplicated ORM1 F1F4 and ORM1 F1F5 genes. To date, the
      segregation of the phenotypes of the children agrees with the extended formal
      model: two ORM1 loci with two common (*F1, *S) and several rare (*F1F2, *F1F3,
      *F4, *F5) alleles. The parental allele frequencies were calculated by gene
      counting as ORM1 *F1 = 0.5781, *S = 0.3901, *F1F2 = 0.0195, *F4 = 0.0053, *F1F3 =
      00.0035, *F5 = 0.0035.

PMID- 1879830
TI  - A polymorphic region defined by pCN2 (the 3' nontranslated region of N-ras) maps
      to chromosome 9cen-p12.
AB  - Abnormalities of chromosome 9p have been reported in human leukemias and
      lymphomas, and in cell lines lacking the enzyme methylthioadenosine
      phosphorylase. It has been shown pCN2, the 3' nontranslated region of the N-ras
      oncogene, crosshybridizes with unknown DNA segments on chromosome 6, 9p, and 22,
      in addition to the N-ras oncogene itself on chromosome 1p. To use pCN2 to study
      chromosome 9p abnormalities in malignancies, we undertook to localize the pCN2
      crosshybridizing region in chromosome 9p. By analyzing the copy numbers of the
      pCN2 crosshybridizing bands associated with chromosome 9p among various
      chromosomally aberrant human cell lines, we mapped the pCN2 hybridizing region to
      9cen-p12. Since there is no other available probe in this region, pCN2 should
      prove very useful in studying abnormalities of chromosome 9p in human
      malignancies.

PMID- 1879831
TI  - Cytogenetic studies in human sperm.
AB  - Sperm chromosome studies were performed in seven males. One of them had a history
      of exposure to lysergic acid (LSD) although he was free of the drug for 1 year
      before the study began. Sixteen ejaculates provided a total of 555 fully
      analyzable sperm cells. The overall frequency of hyperhaploid sperm cells was 2%
      and that of structural abnormality 3.6%. The most common structural abnormality
      was chromosome breaks followed by small chromosome fragments of unknown origin.
      Three chromosome breakpoints, 10q25, 2q21, and 9q21, were involved twice in
      different chromosome or chromatid type aberrations. Two of these, 10q25 and 2q21,
      correspond to chromosomal locations known as common fragile sites.

PMID- 1879832
TI  - Greig syndrome associated with an interstitial deletion of 7p: confirmation of
      the localization of Greig syndrome to 7p13.
AB  - An 11-month-old infant with Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome and mild
      developmental delay is described. High-resolution chromosomal analysis showed a
      de novo interstitial deletion of chromosome 7p with breakpoints located at p13
      and p14. Cytogenetic analysis of polymorphisms of the heterochromatin in the
      pericentromeric region suggested the deleted chromosome was of paternal origin.
      This case confirms the localization of Greig syndrome to 7p13 and emphasizes the
      importance of performing cytogenetic studies on patients with Mendelian disorders
      who have unusual findings or cognitive abnormalities in a disorder usually
      associated with normal intellect. Review of clinical features in published
      reports of patients with a deletion involving 7p13 showed a number to have
      features overlapping with Greig syndrome. Because of this, we suggest that
      cytogenetic aberrations, particularly chromosomal microdeletions, may represent a
      significant etiology for Greig syndrome.

PMID- 1879833
TI  - Mutation analysis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) variants in Costa
      Rica.
AB  - Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency has previously been reported
      among both the black and white populations of Costa Rica. All 28 G6PD A- samples
      were found to be of the common G6PD A-376G/202A type. A previously described
      mutation associated with nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia, G6PD Puerto Limon, was
      found to be due to a G----A transition at nucleotide (nt) 1192, causing a glu---
      lys substitution. Mutations in this region of the G6PD molecule seem invariably
      to be associated with chronic hemolytic anemia. G6PD Santamaria had been
      described previously in two unrelated white subjects. We found that both did,
      indeed, have the same mutations. In this variant the A----G substitution at nt
      376 that is characteristic of G6PD A was present, but an A----T mutation at nt
      542, apparently superimposed on the ancient G6PD A mutation, resulted in an asp--
      -val substitution. Thus, the gain of a negative charge at amino acid 126 was
      counterbalanced by the loss of a charge at amino acid 181, giving rise to a
      variant with the G6PD A mutation but with normal electrophoretic mobility.

PMID- 1879834
TI  - Status of the search for a major genetic locus for affective disorder in the Old
      Order Amish.
AB  - We have resumed the search for an autosomal linkage with affective disorder in
      the Old Order Amish and report the pairwise linkage results after screening 185
      marked loci. No positive evidence of genetic linkage was found, and we estimate
      that roughly 23% of the autosomal genome has been excluded from linkage.

PMID- 1879835
TI  - Labeling of the centromeric region on human chromosome 8 by in situ
      hybridization.
AB  - Probe DNA that binds preferentially to the centromeric region of human
      chromosomes 8 was synthesized. Alpha satellite probe DNA molecules were
      selectively amplified from sorter-purified human chromosomes 8 by in vitro DNA
      amplification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Probe labeling was
      performed during PCR by incorporation of biotinylated deoxyuridine. In situ
      hybridization of unpurified probe DNA comprised of alpha satellite monomer and
      higher molecular weight DNA fragments with metaphase chromosome spreads showed
      binding to the centromeric regions of numerous chromosomes. However, blocking
      with unlabeled total human alphoid DNA dramatically reduced crosshybridization to
      chromosomes other than 8. Under these conditions, the degenerate probe DNA
      allowed unambiguous visualization of domains occupied by centromeric DNA of
      chromosome 8 in metaphase spreads and interphase cell nuclei, thus greatly
      facilitating the detection of numerical chromosome aberrations in tumor cells. In
      situ hybridization of size-fractionated alpha satellite DNA identified the
      monomeric fraction as the major cause of crosshybridization. Alpha satellite
      dimers and higher molecular weight DNA fragments showed relatively high
      specificity for human chromosomes 8.

PMID- 1879836
TI  - Isodicentric X chromosome in a patient with Turner syndrome--implications for
      localization of the X-inactivation center.
AB  - Cytogenetic analyses have previously shown that the region Xq11.2-q21 is retained
      in all structurally abnormal X chromosomes. From these observations the
      conclusion has been drawn that this "critical region" on the proximal long arm of
      the X chromosome contains the locus controlling X-inactivation. Structurally
      abnormal X chromosomes without the X-inactivation center would allow nullisomy,
      disomy, or trisomy for genes on the X chromosome, and this condition is presumed
      nonviable. We studied a 28-year-old woman with primary amenorrhea and features of
      Turner syndrome who had an unusual isodicentric chromosome of the short arm of X.
      This patient provided us with the opportunity to more closely define the location
      of the X-inactivation center. High resolution chromosome analysis showed a
      46,X,idic(X)(pter----q13.2::q13.2----pter) chromosome pattern in 94% of her cells
      and a 45,X complement in 6%. Replication studies showed this derivative X
      chromosome to be late-replicating (inactive) in all cells analyzed. DNA analysis
      confirmed the breakpoint of the isodicentric chromosome to be proximal to PGK1.
      Based on these results, the locus for the X-inactivation center can be refined to
      be within Xq11.2-q13.2.

PMID- 1879838
TI  - Cytogenetic studies on MIC gas-exposed persons in Bhopal.

PMID- 1879837
TI  - Isolated lissencephaly sequence associated with a microdeletion at chromosome
      17p13.
AB  - DNA markers YNZ22.1, YNH37.3, 144D6 and VAW508 were studied in a patient with the
      isolated lissencephaly sequence (ILS). A normal karyotype was found in the
      patient. The DNA of the patient showed deletions of markers YNZ22.1 and YNH37.3.
      This is the first report of a case of ILS (with grade 3 lissencephaly) with a
      submicroscopic deletion. The presence of a microdeletion in 17p13 in an ILS
      patient indicates that Miller-Dieker syndrome and ILS have a common etiology.

PMID- 1879839
TI  - A controller for regulation of mean arterial blood pressure using optimum
      nitroprusside infusion rate.
AB  - Automation of drug delivery for control of mean arterial blood pressure is highly
      desirable in a number of clinical applications. An integrating self-tuning
      control strategy for control of mean arterial blood pressure using sodium
      nitroprusside is presented. Next to robust performance, the most attractive
      feature of the controller is its capability to optimize the quantity of infused
      medication without introducing a bias in the blood pressure level; a problem that
      existed in some of the other adaptive control strategies that have been proposed
      previously. Further, the controller design requires only the knowledge of the
      pure delay and the order of the transfer function describing the patient's
      response to the medication; it does not require that the entire transfer function
      be specified. The derivation of the controller is not based on the patient
      response to sodium nitroprusside; indeed, it is a general adaptive control
      strategy for control of systems with transport delay. The controller performs
      robustly in the presence of variations in the patient response and successfully
      controls the pressure at the desired level. The ability of this strategy to
      reduce the amount of infused medication makes it potentially attractive for use
      in clinical applications, as large doses or long term use of sodium nitroprusside
      can adversely affect central nervous system and hematopoietic tissues.

PMID- 1879840
TI  - A simple analytical solution to the three-compartment pharmacokinetic model
      suitable for computer-controlled infusion pumps.
AB  - The disposition of many drugs following an intravenous bolus injection can be
      described by a biexponential or triexponential equation. Computer-controlled
      infusion pumps have been developed which dose intravenous drugs based on models
      of drug disposition. These pumps can maintain steady plasma drug concentrations
      and facilitate controlled increases and decreases in drug concentration,
      enhancing titration of intravenous drugs. Several investigators have proposed
      analytical solutions to the biexponential and triexponential disposition
      functions for use in computer-controlled infusion pumps. Because of the
      complexity of these analytical solutions, other investigators have used numerical
      techniques to approximate the analytical solution. We have derived an extremely
      simple analytical solution to polyexponential disposition functions. This
      solution simplifies both the prediction of the plasma drug concentration by a
      computer-controlled infusion pump and the stepwise calculation of the infusion
      rate required to maintain constant plasma drug concentrations.

PMID- 1879841
TI  - Model studies of extracellular electrograms arising from an excitation wave
      propagating in a thin layer.
AB  - Extracellular potentials were calculated for a wave of activation propagating
      through a thin layer of tissue. Sources were represented on the basis of the
      bidomain model, with the observation point at the tissue surface. Calculated
      potentials were found to be insensitive to the length of the wavefront if it
      passed under the recording electrode provided its length exceeded 1 mm, but to
      decrease rapidly when the wave passed to a side of the electrode. Contributions
      of source regions with a lateral displacement from the electrode greater than
      about 0.3 mm were substantially diminished. The effects of the thickness of the
      layer and velocity of propagation on amplitude was investigated.

PMID- 1879842
TI  - A nystagmus strategy to linearize the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
AB  - This paper addresses two important aspects of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR).
      First, the linear range of ocular responses is much more extensive than expected
      from the characteristics of central pathways (CNS), and this is shown to result
      directly from early convergence of 'fast' and 'slow' premotor signals in the
      central processes, associated with significant and intermittent changes in
      functional connectivity (effective structural modulation). Second, the presence
      of such structural modulation implies that responses must be analyzed using
      transient analysis techniques, rather than previous steady state approaches, in
      order to properly evaluate reflex dynamics. Simulation results with a recent
      model of the VOR are used to illustrate the arguments. Relying on known inter
      connections between saccadic burst circuits in the brainstem, and the ocular
      premotor areas of the vestibular nuclei, a viable strategy for the timing of
      nystagmus events is proposed. The strategy easily reproduces the characteristic
      changes in vestibular nystagmus with the amplitude of head velocities, and with
      the frequency of passive head oscillation.

PMID- 1879843
TI  - The estimation of tube wall compliance using acoustic input impedance.
AB  - An acoustic-electric analog and transmission line theory have been used to
      examine acoustic wave propagation in a tube with a compliant wall. The input
      impedance (i.e., input pressure-flow) has been simulated using a distributed
      element model. A relative minimum and maximum, denoted by fr and f2,
      respectively, that are independent of tube length have been identified
      theoretically and confirmed experimentally from input impedance measurements on a
      compliant tube. A method has been devised which uses measured values of fr and f2
      to deduce the tube wall properties from the theoretical model. This method has
      been validated on a tube with known wall properties determined using standard
      methods. In practice, the input impedance is measured through a short section of
      rigid connecting pipe. In this case fr remains constant while f2 is reduced. This
      reduction can be accounted for by the volume compliance of the gas within the
      lumen of the rigid pipe. The theory could have useful applications such as
      estimating the wall properties of the airways from noninvasive measurements made
      through the mouth.

PMID- 1879844
TI  - A simple electrical-mechanical model of the heart applied to the study of
      electrical-mechanical alternans.
AB  - Recent evidence has shown that a subtle alternation in the surface ECG
      (electrical alternans) may be correlated with the susceptibility to ventricular
      fibrillation. This paper presents evidence that a mechanical alternation in the
      heart beat (mechanical alternans) generally accompanies electrical alternans. A
      simple finite-element computer model, which emulates both the electrical and
      mechanical activity of the heart, is presented. A pilot animal study is also
      reported. The computer model and the animal study both found that 1) there exists
      a regime of combined electrical-mechanical alternans during the transition from a
      normal rhythm towards a fibrillatory rhythm, 2) the detected degree of
      alternation is correlated with the relative instability of the rhythm, and 3) the
      electrical and mechanical alternans may result from a dispersion in local
      electrical properties leading to a spatial-temporal alternation in the electrical
      conduction process.

PMID- 1879845
TI  - A comparison of four new time-domain techniques for discriminating monomorphic
      ventricular tachycardia from sinus rhythm using ventricular waveform morphology.
AB  - Electrical management of intractable tachycardia via implantable antitachycardia
      devices has become a major form of therapy. Newly advanced methods of ventricular
      tachycardia detection propose examination of changes in intraventricular
      electrogram morphology in addition to or in combination with earlier rate-based
      detection algorithms. Unfortunately, most of the proposed morphology analysis
      techniques have computational demands beyond the capabilities of present devices
      or may be adversely affected by amplitude and baseline fluctuations of the
      intraventricular electrogram. We have designed four new computationally efficient
      time-domain algorithms for distinguishing ventricular electrograms during
      monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) from those during sinus rhythm using
      direct analysis of the ventricular electrogram morphology. All four techniques
      are independent of amplitude fluctuations and three of the four are independent
      of baseline changes. These new techniques were compared to correlation waveform
      analysis, a previously proposed method for distinction of VT from sinus rhythm.
      Evaluation of these four new algorithms was performed on data from 19 consecutive
      patients with 31 distinct monomorphic ventricular tachycardia morphologies. Three
      of the algorithms performed as well or better than correlation waveform analysis
      but with one-tenth to one-half the computational demands.

PMID- 1879846
TI  - Alignment methods for averaging of high-resolution cardiac signals: a comparative
      study of performance.
AB  - Accurate signal estimation by means of coherent averaging techniques needs
      temporal alignment methods. A known low-pass filtering effect is yielded when
      alignment errors are present. This is very critical in the estimation of low
      level high-frequency potentials in high-resolution ECG analysis. A comparative
      study of the performance of three alignment methods (the double-level method, a
      new time-delay estimation method based on normalized integrals, and matched
      filtering) is presented in this paper. A real signal and additive random noise
      for several signal-to-noise ratios (SNR's) are selected to make an ensemble of
      computer-simulated beats. The relation between the standard deviation of temporal
      misalignment versus SNR is discussed. A second study with real ECG signals is
      also presented. Several morphologies of QRS and P waves are tested. The results
      are in agreement with the computer simulation study. Nevertheless, the power
      spectrum of the noise process can affect the results. Matched filter estimation
      has been tested in the presence of power line interference (50 Hz), with poor
      results. An application of the three alignment methods as a function of the SNR
      is proposed. The new time-delay estimation method has been observed to be robust,
      even in the presence of nonwhite noise.

PMID- 1879847
TI  - Statistical analysis of collagen alignment in ligaments by scale-space analysis.
AB  - Injuries to ligaments in the knee are common in sports and other physical
      activities. Some clinical methods are available for qualitatively evaluating the
      degree of ligament injury and healing. It is, however, desirable to objectively
      assess the healing of ligaments and to predicate optimal treatment on
      quantitative measurements of their structure. Information such as areas of
      coverage and spatial orientations of collagen fibrils, for example, may provide
      important information about the internal structure of ligament tissues. Since
      normal ligament tissues are made up of collagen fibrils which are highly
      organized, they can be considered as oriented piecewise linear patterns. In this
      paper, we propose a computational technique for statistical analysis of collagen
      alignment in ligament images using the scale-space approach. In this method, a
      ligament image is preprocessed by a sequence of filters which are second
      derivatives of two-dimensional Gaussian functions with different scales. This
      gives a set of zero-crossing maps (the scale space) from which a stability map is
      generated. Significant linear patterns are captured by analyzing the stability
      map. The directional information in terms of orientation distributions of the
      collagen fibrils in the image and the area covered by the fibrils in specific
      directions are extracted for statistical analysis. Examples illustrating the
      performance of this method with scanning electron microscope images of the
      collagen fibrils in healing rabbit medial collateral ligaments are presented in
      this paper.

PMID- 1879848
TI  - Modern spectral analysis techniques for blood flow velocity and spectral
      measurements with pulsed Doppler ultrasound.
AB  - Four spectral analysis techniques were applied to pulsed Doppler ultrasonic
      quadrature signals to compare the relative merits of each technique for
      estimation of flow velocity and Doppler spectra. The four techniques were 1) the
      fast Fourier transform method, 2) the maximum likelihood method, 3) the Burg
      autoregressive algorithm, and 4) the modified covariance approach to
      autoregressive modeling. Both simulated signals and signals obtained from an in
      vitro flow system were studied. Optimal parameter values (e.g., model orders)
      were determined for each method, and the effects of signal-to-noise ratio and
      signal bandwidth were investigated. The modern spectral analysis techniques were
      shown to be superior to Fourier techniques in most circumstances, provided the
      model order was chosen appropriately. Robustness considerations tended to
      recommend the maximum likelihood method for both velocity and spectral
      estimation. Despite the restrictions of steady laminar flow, the results provide
      important basic information concerning the applicability of modern spectral
      analysis techniques to Doppler ultrasonic evaluation of arterial disease.

PMID- 1879849
TI  - Mean-square error due to gradiometer field measuring devices.
AB  - Gradiometers use spatial common mode magnetic field rejection to reduce
      interference from distant sources. They also introduce distortion that can be
      severe, rendering experimental data difficult to interpret. Attempts to recover
      the measured magnetic field from the gradiometer output will be plagued by the
      nonexistence of a spatial function for deconvolution (except for first-order
      gradiometers), and by the high-pass nature of the spatial transform that
      emphasizes high spatial frequency noise. Goals of a design for a facility for
      measuring biomagnetic fields should be an effective shielded room and a field
      detector employing a first-order gradiometer.

PMID- 1879850
TI  - Servo-controlled indenter for determining the transverse stiffness of ventricular
      muscle.
AB  - Regional ventricular wall stress is a critical determinant of cardiac function.
      There are, however, no validated methods for accurately estimating this stress.
      We have shown in the isolated ventricular septum that, during steady-state
      indentations, the transverse stiffness (the ratio of indentation stress [pressure
      acting on indenter face] to indentation strain [amount of indentation/nonindented
      thickness]) can be used as an estimate of the in-plane wall stress. Because of
      the long acquisition time for those transverse stiffness determinations, it was
      not possible to follow changes in wall stress over a single contraction. We
      recently developed a dynamic indentation system that can determine transverse
      stiffness in as little as 10 ms, allowing estimation of wall stress over a single
      contraction cycle. The apparatus consists of an indentation probe coupled to a
      linear motor. This indentation system was tested on two beating canine
      ventricular septa that were mounted in a biaxial system the could apply strains
      in the plane of the septa and measure the resulting in-plane stresses. The probe
      indented the septa with peak displacements of 0.1-0.5 mm at frequencies of 20 and
      50 Hz. The transverse stiffness was calculated as the slope of the relation
      between the indentation stress and indentation strain during each high-frequency
      indentation. Consistent with earlier studies, the transverse stiffness was
      related to the inplane stress. In contrast to earlier studies, however, these
      dynamic transverse stiffness determinations could be made during a single
      contraction. Thus, dynamic transverse stiffness determinations allow estimation
      of wall stress in the isolated septa by minimal surface contact, and may lead to
      methods for estimating wall stress in the intact heart.

PMID- 1879851
TI  - A programmable data acquisition and control system for magnetic resonance
      imaging: application to mutually coupled surface coil arrays and temperature
      monitoring.
AB  - A programmable data acquisition and control system was developed for use in
      conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The controller consists of two
      functional blocks: a host system and a remote system. The remote system resides
      inside the shielded room housing the magnet. The host, an IBM compatible personal
      computer, is located at the technician's console. Communication between these
      devices is implemented over a fiber optic RS-232 data link. This configuration
      allows experiments to be performed remotely by using a series of keyboard typed
      commands, by programming the host to send a series of commands, or by directly
      programming the remote system. As an example of its capabilities, the controller
      was used to tune and match arrays of receiver coils for localized imaging and to
      record the rectal temperature of a sedated rat during image acquisition.

PMID- 1879852
TI  - An active feedback system for isotonic studies of smooth muscle.
AB  - A feedback system used to perform isotonic studies of smooth muscle is presented.
      This system is capable of applying a constant force to muscle samples regardless
      of their contractile activities. The force applied to the tissue is controlled
      using a proportional integral control system that drives a linear motor. The
      device is integrated into a sucrose gap tissue bath apparatus where measurements
      of displacement and electrical activity are also possible. The frequency of
      canine colonic smooth-muscle electrical oscillations is positively related to
      applied force.

PMID- 1879853
TI  - An experimental study in electrical impedance tomography using backprojection
      reconstruction.
AB  - This paper reports on experiments designed to evaluate the performance of the
      equipotentials backprojection method under conditions modeling those of proposed
      applications of electrical impedance tomography. Small spherical targets were
      placed inside a saline-filled tank with dimensions similar to a human torso. Data
      were acquired with a computer-based instrument that applies current to pairs of
      electrodes located on two horizontal planes and records potential differences
      between electrodes of a third plane. The relative contrast produced by
      nonconducting spheres in a uniform saline background was measured on the
      reconstructed images and used to determine system sensitivity to target volume
      and to the radial and vertical positions of single spheres. Results show that for
      radial positions within a critical radius sensitivity is always maximum when the
      spheres center is on the recording plane and decreases gradually when the target
      is moved outside this plane. Localization of simple targets in 3-D, with data
      acquired from multiple recording planes, appears feasible. The results provide
      guidelines for the interpretation of images with complex 3-D conductivity
      distributions.

PMID- 1879854
TI  - Nonlinear receiver compression effects on the amplitude distribution of
      backscattered ultrasonic signals.
AB  - Nonlinear receiver compression effects on the amplitude distribution of
      backscattered ultrasonic signals are investigated by using digitized RF signals
      that have been compressed in a commercially made ultrasonic B-scan imaging
      instrument. Amplitude distributions of compressed RF and video signals were
      obtained from regions of B-scan images that correspond to approximately the same
      physical region in a random medium model with known backscatter amplitude
      characteristics. The amplitude distribution of the signal before compression was
      obtained by using a table constructed from measurements of the imaging instrument
      compression characteristics as a function of time gain compensation. While the
      results indicate the general form of the decompressed data agrees with single
      parameter model curves that are predicted by a widely employed Gaussian random
      process model, the signal-to-noise ratios of the decompressed envelope vary up to
      20% from the 1.91 value predicted that model. This implies that effects such as
      nonlinearities, envelope smoothing, and noise which all may be present in varying
      degrees in practical ultrasonic imaging instrumentation can cause appreciable
      departures from theoretical data even under highly controlled conditions.

PMID- 1879855
TI  - A spherical-section ultrasound phased array applicator for deep localized
      hyperthermia.
AB  - Computer simulation shows that a new ultrasound phased-array with nonplanar
      geometry has considerable potential as an applicator for deep localized
      hyperthermia. The array provides precise control over the heating pattern in
      three dimensions. The array elements form a rectangular lattice on a section of a
      sphere. Therefore, the array has a natural focus at its geometric center when all
      its elements are driven in phase. When compared to a planar array with similar
      dimensions, the spherical-section array provides higher focal intensity gain
      which is useful for deep penetration and heat localization. Furthermore, the
      relative grating-lobe level (with respect to the focus) is lower for scanned foci
      synthesized with this array (compared to a planar array with equal center-to
      center spacing and number of elements). This could be the key to the realization
      of phased-array applicator systems with a realistic number of elements. The
      spherical-section array is simulated as a spot-scanning applicator and, using the
      pseudo-inverse pattern synthesis method, to directly synthesize heating patterns
      overlaying the tumor geometry. A combination of the above two methods can be used
      to achieve the desired heating pattern in the rapidly varying tumor environment.

PMID- 1879856
TI  - Control of specific absorption rate distribution using capacitive electrodes and
      inductive aperture-type applicators: implications for radiofrequency
      hyperthermia.
AB  - A method of controlling the specific absorption rate (SAR) distribution in
      radiofrequency hyperthermia is proposed. The superposition of the current density
      associated with capacitively coupled electrodes and that associated with H-field
      coupled inductive aperture-type applicators modifies the actual current
      distribution in the heating material. Using a two-dimensional finite element
      method, we have shown that "focusing" is possible such that the SAR at the center
      of a phantom can be adjusted to be approximately twice that in superficial
      regions, even though the wavelength is considerably greater than the dimensions
      of the phantom.

PMID- 1879857
TI  - Magnetocardiographic functional localization using current multipole models.
AB  - High-resolution magnetocardiographic mapping was applied to localize the
      ventricular preexcitation site in ten patients suffering form Wolff-Parkinson
      White syndrome. Three different source models were tested, consisting of the
      dipole and quadrupole moments in a general multipole expansion. Noninvasive
      localizations were performed by computations based on measured magnetic maps
      without a priori assumptions of the source location and without imposing any
      constraints. In all cases, the computed results were compared with invasive
      localization results obtained by catheter mapping technique. Preoperative
      catheterization localizes the atrial end of the accessory pathway, while our
      method localizes the ventricular preexcitation site. Of the models used, the
      average three-dimensional difference between the invasive localization results
      and the HR-MCG results was smallest 2.9 cm for the source model consisting of the
      magnetic dipole. The preexcitation site was very deep in all cases. The current
      dipole alone was inaccurate in estimating the source depth, but inclusion of the
      quadrupole moments improved the results. Two of the patients underwent surgery to
      interrupt the accessory pathway, which provided further validation for the
      noninvasive localizations.

PMID- 1879858
TI  - Magnetocardiographic functional localization using a current dipole in a
      realistic torso.
AB  - We describe a fast and numerically effective biomagnetic inverse solution using a
      moving dipole in a realistic homogeneous torso. We applied the localization model
      and high-resolution magnetocardiographic mapping to localize noninvasively the
      ventricular preexcitation site in ten patients suffering from Wolff-Parkinson
      White syndrome. In all cases, the computed localization results were compared to
      the results obtained by invasive catheter technique. Using a standard-size torso
      model in all cases, the average 3-D distance between the computed noninvasive
      locations and the invasively obtained results was 2.8 +/- 1.4 cm. When the torso
      was rescaled to better match the true shape of the subject in five cases, the 3-D
      average was improved to 2.2 +/- 1.0 cm. This accuracy is very satisfactory,
      suggesting that the method would be clinically useful.

PMID- 1879859
TI  - A quasi-power theorem for bulk conductors: comments on rheoencephalography.
AB  - A special case of Tellegen's theorem, the quasi-power theorem, can be readily
      developed for bulk conductors, and a bulk conductor analog of Cohn's theorem
      follows which allows prediction of sensitivity of impedance plethysmographic
      measurements to tissue impedance changes in a system of bulk conductors. An
      example addressing the effects of scalp and cranium on the inference of regional
      blood flow in brain tissue begs additional questions about the origins of the
      rheoencephalogram.

PMID- 1879860
TI  - Polarized light scattering of nucleosomes and polynucleosomes--in situ and in
      vitro studies.
AB  - Nucleosomes, chromatin and nuclei, extracted from rat hepatocytes, are studied by
      a new "in house" experimental configuration which measures circular intensity
      differential scattering (CIDS) and other elements of the polarized light
      scattering matrix. The Mueller matrix elements, S14 and S34, that are related to
      the geometric parameters of the superhelical arrangement of polynucleosomes point
      to the existence of a quaternary structure at low ionic strength for chromatin
      prepared by the cold-water method, which is lost by shearing, and is not found in
      the soluble chromatin prepared through the nuclease method. Only salt addition to
      a final concentration of 5 mM MgCl2, 150 mM NaCl and 10 mM Tris HCl (pH 7) yields
      a sizeable (S14 + S34) signal in the latter chromatin, which is however still
      different from the corresponding signal of native nuclei and of "cold-water"
      chromatin. Comfortingly, the (S14 + S34) signal from isolated nucleosomes is
      consistently very low (nearly zero) as predicted by multiple dipole simulation
      within the framework of classical electrodynamics. Results are discussed in terms
      of the topological constraints present in the native long chromatin fiber, which
      are lost after limited nuclease digestion and after shearing.

PMID- 1879861
TI  - Perceived locus and intensity of electrocutaneous stimulation.
AB  - Two experiments investigated perceived locus and intensity for electrocutaneous
      stimulation. In Experiment 1, 21 subjects reported the perceived locus for
      various combinations of four electrode sites, two current directions, two pulse
      characteristics (single versus multiple), and two sensation levels (detection
      versus pain). In Experiment 2, 16 subjects reported the perceived locus and
      intensity for a wide range of current levels and two polarity conditions. The
      main results were 1) sensations were likely to be perceived under the cathode at
      detection levels, but under both electrodes at intense levels; 2) the "cathode"
      localization was gradually supplanted by "both" ("anode" and "cathode")
      localization with increasing current; 3) subjective intensity under the cathode
      was greater than that under the anode; 4) the effects of cathode position on
      perceived locus were found for only some pairs of electrodes. These results
      challenge the simple hypothesis that electrical stimulation of the skin through
      paired electrodes is perceived under the cathode.

PMID- 1879862
TI  - Feedback control of coronal plane hip angle in paraplegic subjects using
      functional neuromuscular stimulation.
AB  - This paper reports on an investigation of feedback control of coronal plane
      posture in paraplegic subjects who stand using functional neuromuscular
      stimulation (FNS). A feedback control system directed at regulating coronal plane
      hip angle in neutral position was designed, implemented, and evaluated in two
      paraplegic subjects. The control system included sensor mounting and signal
      processing techniques, a two-stage feedback controller, stimulation hardware, and
      a set of percutaneous intramuscular electrodes. The feedback controller consisted
      of two-stages in cascade: a modified discrete-time proportional-integral
      derivative (PID) stage and a nonlinear single-input, multiple-output stage to
      determine the stimulation to be sent to several muscles. The focus of this work
      was on evaluating the performance of the feedback controller by comparing the
      response of the feedback-controlled system to that of an open-loop stimulation
      system. In an evaluation based on temporal response characteristics the
      controlled system exhibited a 41% reduction in root-mean-squared (rms) error
      (where error is defined as the deviation from the desired angle), a 52% reduction
      in steady-state error, and a 22% reduction in hip compliance. In addition, the
      feedback-controlled system exhibited significant reductions in variability of
      these measures on several days. These results demonstrate the ability of the
      feedback controller to improve the temporal response characteristics of the FNS
      control system.

PMID- 1879863
TI  - Bayesian statistics as applied to hypertension diagnosis.
AB  - This paper deals with the following hypertension diagnoses: essential
      hypertension and five types of secondary hypertension: fibrodysplasic renal
      artery stenosis, atheromatous renal artery stenosis, Conn's syndrome, renal
      cystic disease, and pheochromocytoma. Only blood pressures, general information
      and general biochemical data are taken into account. Nineteen items were finally
      selected, by statistical investigation of experimental data, as being both
      discriminative and independent. The marginal density distributions of every item,
      and then joint density distribution functions were determined within six types of
      hypertension. The frequency of a given hypertension type within the hypertensive
      patients was used as prior probability of this state. The loss matrix was
      established by medical arguments. The expected loss corresponding to six possible
      decisions could thus be calculated for all cases. Both the ratio of secondary
      hypertensions that could be inferred from our set of data (not including the
      results of complementary tests) and that of correct "essential" hypertension
      diagnosis proved to be satisfactory.

PMID- 1879864
TI  - In-line lead connector for use with implanted neuroprosthesis.
AB  - The design, implementation, and preliminary testing of an implantable in-line
      connector for individual lead-wires is presented. The connector provides for
      replacement of implanted components without disturbing other elements of the
      implanted system. Its flexibility and size makes it suitable for implantation in
      neuromuscular applications.

PMID- 1879865
TI  - A microprocessor-based data-acquisition system for measuring plantar pressures
      from ambulatory subjects.
AB  - We have developed a portable microprocessor-based data-acquisition system to
      measure discrete plantar pressures within the shoe from ambulatory subjects. The
      system offers improved accuracy, repeatability, portability, and flexibility not
      available in current commercial systems. It consists of 14 conductive polymer
      pressure sensors, 14 analog amplifiers, an 8-bit analog-to-digital converter, a
      microprocessor, 120 kbytes of memory space, and a parallel I/O interface. Seven
      pressure sensors are embedded within each insole and located at the posterior
      heel, anterior heel, the four metatarsal heads, and hallux of each foot. The
      system is capable of continuously sampling 14 channels of pressure data for 7 min
      at a 20-Hz sample rate. The recorded data are downloaded into a microcomputer for
      further processing, analysis, and display. Foot pressures have been acquired from
      a sensate subject during multiple walking trials.

PMID- 1879866
TI  - A layer-recursive formula for the medium filter for volume conductor problems in
      radially symmetric layered media.
AB  - Simplified algorithms for the computation of the filter coefficients used in
      solutions of the forward and inverse volume conductor problems in a multilayered
      cylindrical geometry are derived. The new algorithms are layer-recursive, as
      opposed to previous algorithms which were specific for the structure studied. The
      new algorithms not only eliminate the need to derive algebraically cumbersome
      filter expressions, but also speed up their numerical evaluation.

PMID- 1879867
TI  - Isolation of a tripeptide showing weak acetylthiocholine hydrolysing activity
      from a soluble form of monkey basal ganglia acetylcholinesterase by limited
      trypsin digestion.
AB  - Acetylcholinesterase was purified from the soluble supernatant of monkey (Macaca
      radiata) brain basal ganglia by a three-step affinity purification procedure. The
      purified enzyme showed two major protein bands corresponding to molecular weights
      of approximately 65 kDa and approximately 58 kDa which could be labelled by
      [3H]diisopropylfluorophosphate. When the purified enzyme was subjected to limited
      trypsin digestion followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 or Sephadex G-25
      column, a peptide fragment of molecular weight approximately 300 Da having a weak
      acetylthiocholine hydrolysing activity was isolated. The amino acid sequence
      analysis of this peptide showed a sequence of Gly-Pro-Ser. When the [3H]DFP
      labelled enzyme was subjected to limited trypsin digestion and Sephadex G-75
      column chromatography, a labelled peptide corresponding to approximately 430 Da
      was isolated. The kinetics, inhibition characteristics and binding
      characteristics to lectins of this peptide were compared with the parent enzyme.
      A synthetic peptide of sequence Gly-Pro-Ser was also found to exhibit
      acetylthiocholine hydrolysing activity. The kinetics and inhibition
      characteristics of the synthetic peptide were similar to those of the peptide
      derived from the purified acetylcholinesterase, except that the synthetic peptide
      was more specific towards acetylthiocholine than butyrylthiocholine. The specific
      activity (units/mg) of the synthetic peptide was about 123700 times less than
      that of the purified AChE.

PMID- 1879869
TI  - Protein adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces: Part II--Adsorption from binary
      protein mixture.
AB  - Extent of adsorption of proteins at alumina-water interface from solutions
      containing binary mixture of beta-lactoglobulin and bovine serum albumin (BSA),
      beta-lactoglobulin and gelatin, and gelatin and bovine serum albumin has been
      estimated as functions of protein concentrations at varying pH, ionic strength,
      temperature and weight fraction ratios of protein mixture. The extent of
      adsorption (gamma lacw) of lactoglobulin in the presence of BSA increases with
      increase of protein concentration (Clac) until it reaches a maximum but a fixed
      value gamma lacw(m). Extent of adsorption gamma serw also initially increases
      with increase of protein concentrations until it reaches maximum value gamma
      serw(m). Beyond these protein concentrations, adsorbed BSA is gradually desorbed
      due to the preferential adsorption of lactoglobulin from the protein mixture. In
      many systems, gamma serw at high protein concentrations even becomes negative due
      to the strong competition of BSA and water for binding to the surface sites in
      the presence of lactoglobulin. For lactoglobulin-gelatin mixtures, adsorption of
      both proteins is enhanced as protein concentration is increased until limiting
      values for adsorption are reached. Beyond the limiting value, lactoglobulin is
      further accumulated at the interface without limit when protein concentration is
      high. For gelatin-albumin mixtures, extent of gelatin adsorption increases with
      increase in the adsorption of BSA. The limit for saturation of adsorption for
      gelatin is not reached for many systems. At acid pH, adsorbed BSA appears to be
      desorbed from the surface in the presence of gelatin. From the results thus
      obtained the role of electrostatic and hydrophobic effects in controlling the
      adsorption process has been analysed.

PMID- 1879868
TI  - Protein adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces: Part I--Affinities of proteins for
      alumina surface.
AB  - Extent of adsorption (gamma pw) of bovine serum albumin, beta-lactoglobulin,
      gelatin and myosin at the alumina-water interface has been measured as function
      of protein concentration (Cp) at several temperatures, pH, and ionic strengths of
      the medium. gamma pw for proteins in most cases increases with increase of
      protein concentration but it attains maximum value gamma pw(m) when Cp is high.
      Values of maximum adsorption have been examined in terms of molecular
      orientation, molecular size and shape and unfolding of the packed proteins at the
      interface. In few cases, gamma pw increases with increase of Cp without reaching
      a real state of saturation as a result of aggregation of molecules or extensive
      unfolding of the protein at the interface. In the case of beta-lactoglobulin at
      pH 5.2 and ionic strength 0.05, gamma pw in high concentration region decreases
      to zero value when Cp increases. For myosin at 45 degrees C and pH 6.4, and also
      at 27 degrees and pH 7.8, the values of gamma pw are all negative and these
      negative values increase with increase of Cp. All these results have been
      explained in terms of significant competitions of water and protein for binding
      to the surface sites of the powdered alumina. Adsorption of myosin has also been
      found to be affected in the presence of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, KI, Na2SO4, LiCl and
      urea. The relative affinities of the adsorption of various proteins for the
      surface of alumina at different physical conditions of the system have been
      compared in terms of maximum values of adsorption attained when gamma pw is
      varied with Cp. The affinities are shown to be compared more precisely in terms
      of the standard free energy decrease for the saturation of the surface by protein
      as a result of the change in its concentration from zero to unity in the mole
      fraction scale.

PMID- 1879870
TI  - Depolarization of synaptosomal membranes: a study of mechanism by which rhodamine
      6G measures membrane potential.
AB  - The fluorescence intensity of Rhodamine 6G in synaptosomal suspensions has been
      measured to monitor the membrane potential changes in pre-synaptic nerve
      terminals. The fluorescence response of the dye was seen to be a function of
      potential-dependent partitioning of dye molecules between the synaptosomes and
      the extracellular medium. Binding of dye molecules to the hydrophobic regions of
      membranes results in the quenching of fluorescence. Upon depolarization of the
      synaptosomal membrane, the dye molecules are released from the cells. The effect
      of changing extracellular ionic composition was also studied. The membrane
      potential increased linearly with log of [K]0. The resting membrane potential in
      buffer containing 5 mM K+ was calculated to be -60 mV. Raising the extracellular
      Ca2+ and Mg2+ from 1.2 mM to 10 mM did not change the membrane potential. Ca2+
      ionophore A23187, in the presence of Ca2+ was found to depolarize the membranes.

PMID- 1879871
TI  - Transformation of sitosterol to androsta-1, 4-diene-3, 17-dione by immobilized
      Mycobacterium cells.
AB  - Transformation of sitosterol to androsta-1, 4-diene-3, 17-dione was studied with
      Mycobacterium cells entrapped in various polymeric matrices. Of the three
      supports viz. alginate, carageenan, agarose and polyacrylamide, studied, the
      polyacrylamide immobilized cells showed optimum catalytic stability and
      reusability.

PMID- 1879872
TI  - Some physicochemical properties of human milk bile-salt activated lipase.
AB  - Influence of pH, deoxycholate and denaturing reagents on human milk bile-salt
      activated lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) has been studied. It appears that pH between 5.0
      8.0 has no significant effect on the secondary structure of this lipase, but its
      higher order structures are affected. Lipase-dependent 8-anilino-1-naphthalene
      sulphonate fluorescence has revealed that the deoxycholate activated form of
      lipase has a surface rich in hydrophobic amino acid residues. Circular dichroism
      and second derivative electronic absorption spectroscopic observations have also
      provided an evidence for deoxycholate-induced alterations in the surface
      conformation of this lipase.

PMID- 1879873
TI  - Methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of the bases of DNA of young and old
      rats.
AB  - The possibility of methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of the bases of
      DNA has been studied in vitro by incubating nuclei of the liver and cerebral
      hemisphere of young (18 wk) and old (120 wk) rats with radioactive donors, [3H]S
      approximately adenosyl methylmethionine, [3H]-acetyl approximately CoA and [32P]
      gamma-ATP for methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of the bases,
      respectively. Nuclei were also incubated with S approximately adenosyl
      homocysteine to inhibit methylation with sodium butyrate to stimulate acetylation
      and with alkaline phosphatase to remove phosphate groups incorporated into the
      bases. DNA was then extensively purified and incorporation of each type of label
      was estimated. The data show that both methylation and acetylation of DNA of old
      rats were significantly higher than those of young rats, and phosphorylation is
      lower in old rats. Such modifications may prevent base pairing between the two
      strands of DNA, alter its conformation and binding of trans-acting factors at
      specific sites, and thereby alter gene expression.

PMID- 1879874
TI  - Alterations in dendritic cell phenotype and function associated with
      immunoenhancing effects of a subcutaneously administered cyclophosphamide
      derivative.
AB  - A single systemic dose of cyclophosphamide (CY) has been shown to enhance
      cellular immunity in a variety of antigen models. The immunoenhancing effects of
      CY have been attributed to its ability to selectively abrogate suppressor cell
      function. Previous studies from our group have demonstrated that local
      administration of distinct cytostatic drugs at the sensitization site can induce
      a similar enhancement of delayed-type hypersensitivity as systemic CY, with the
      obvious advantage of avoiding systemic side-effects. In the present study we
      investigated the effects of local administration of an optimally
      immunopotentiating dose of the active CY-derivative Z 7557 and, in selected
      experiments, of etoposide (VP-16) and systemic CY on mononuclear cells in
      draining lymph nodes. Whereas CY caused a long-lasting and marked depletion of B
      cell areas, locally administered Z 7557 and VP-16 relatively spared B cells and
      even induced an increase in B- and T-cell numbers in (keyhole limpet haemocyanin
      ) sensitized mice. At Day 4 the CD4/CD8 ratio was slightly reduced in drug
      treated mice. Interestingly, drug treatment reduced the proportion of
      interdigitating cells staining with the monoclonal antibodies NLDC-145 and MIDC
      8. Upon isolation, dendritic cells (DC) from sensitized, Z 7557-treated mice
      showed longer dendritic protrusions and an enhanced accessory cell function
      compared to DC from saline-treated controls. These findings suggest that
      immunoenhancing effects of cytostatic drugs may occur via an effect on DC.

PMID- 1879875
TI  - C3- and T-cell-dependent adjuvant activity of in vivo formed immune complexes.
AB  - The effects of polyclonal antibodies to mouse serum components on the primary
      humoral immune response of mice in vivo were studied. It was observed that rabbit
      IgG to complement component C3 and albumin and mouse IgG to C5, but also heat
      aggregated non-immune rabbit IgG, enhanced the agglutinating antibody response to
      sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). Since the increase in response was only observed when
      antigen and antibodies were administered via the same route (i.p.), immunological
      adjuvant activity was implicated. Ineffectiveness of anti-C5 IgG in C5-deficient
      mice indicated that the antibody-induced adjuvant activity is mediated by in vivo
      formed immune complexes (IC). The adjuvant activity of IC was reduced by
      selective C3-depletion of animals, pointing to a requirement of C3. The effect of
      variations in other parameters was studied with anti-C3 and anti-C5 IgG as
      immunoadjuvant. The immunostimulatory effect was most pronounced when the
      antibodies were administered simultaneously with or shortly before antigen.
      Treatment of animals with antibodies one or two days before antigen, however,
      resulted in a suppression of the response. The response to thymus-independent
      antigens was not enhanced by anti-C3 nor by anti-C5 IgG. Optimal adjuvant
      activity of anti-C3 IgG was observed at low antigen doses. Nude mice were
      insensitive to the immunopotentiating effect of anti-C3 and so was the F1 progeny
      of BALB/c male and CBA/N female mice expressing a B-cell maturation defect. C5
      deficiency and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) non-responsiveness did not affect the
      adjuvant activity of in vivo formed C3-anti-C3 IC.

PMID- 1879876
TI  - Iccosomes and the secondary antibody response.
AB  - Iccosomes derived from follicular dendritic cells (FDC) are believed to play an
      important role in dispersion of antigen necessary for induction of anamnestic
      responses. Because FDC are aberrant and iccosome release has not been observed in
      aged mice, we hypothesized that these animals would be impaired in their ability
      to mount anamnestic responses. To test this, anamnestic responses were compared
      in aged and control mice. To ensure the presence of functional lymphocytes, some
      aged mice were reconstituted with T- and B-memory cells obtained from control
      mice. Anamnestic responses in aged mice were markedly depressed even when given
      functional memory cells. To more directly relate the impaired antibody response
      of aged mice to FDC function, antigen-bearing FDC from either aged or control
      mice were incubated with T- and B-memory cells from control mice to induce an
      anamnestic response. Antigen retained by FDC from aged mice was much less
      immunogenic than antigen retained by FDC from control mice. Since iccosome
      formation does not appear in aged mice, iccosome-like fragments were generated by
      sonicating FDC from aged mice and tested for their ability to induce an
      anamnestic response. This procedure restored the ability of antigen retained on
      FDC from aged mice to induce a normal anamnestic response. These data support the
      concept that the inability to form and disperse iccosomes contributes to the
      impaired ability of aged mice to mount anamnestic antibody responses and provides
      further support for the role of iccosomes in anamnestic responses.

PMID- 1879877
TI  - Monoclonal antibody-directed targeting of fluorescent polystyrene microspheres to
      Peyer's patch M cells.
AB  - The ability to deliver particulates to Peyer's patch M cells for uptake into gut
      associated lymphoid tissue was examined by administering simultaneously
      fluorescent green and red polystyrene microspheres into NZW rabbit intestinal
      loops containing Peyer's patches. Whereas green and red microspheres were taken
      up by M cells at equivalent concentrations (120 +/- 17 versus 125 +/- 18/mm
      length of dome), particles conjugated to the anti-M-cell monoclonal antibody 5B11
      (IgM, kappa) were internalized by M cells 3-3.5 times more efficiently than
      conjugates displaying IgM of unrelated specificity (TEPC 183) or native particles
      of the reciprocal colour inoculated into the same loop at a comparable load. The
      microspheres formed a concentration gradient from lumen to subepithelial dome,
      and localized on M-cell apical membranes, M-cell pockets, and subepithelial
      domes. The transport rate across M cells of 5B11 or TEPC 183 conjugates was
      similar to that of untreated microspheres. These observations show that
      intestinal uptake into Peyer's patches can be upregulated by targeting M-cell
      luminal membrane structures.

PMID- 1879878
TI  - Lymph-borne (veiled) dendritic cells can acquire and present intestinally
      administered antigens.
AB  - To investigate the ability of lymph-borne (veiled) dendritic cells (LDC) to
      acquire and present antigens in vivo, mesenteric lymphadenectomized rats were
      injected intra-intestinally with antigen and LDC were then purified from thoracic
      duct lymph. When used as antigen presenting cells with primed spleen cells as
      responders, the LDC could stimulate antigen-specific proliferation of the
      responder cells in the absence of exogenous added antigen. As little as 10 mg of
      ovalbumin (OVA) or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injected into the ileum and
      jejunum could sensitize LDC for presentation. LDC acquired antigen within 8 hr of
      its injection but cells collected more than 24 hr after injection were unable to
      stimulate a response. Non-dendritic cells (NDC) in the thoracic duct lymph, such
      as B cells, were unable to present antigen either following intraintestinal
      injection or after in vitro pulsing. The antigen-specific response was blocked by
      antibodies to CD4 and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and was
      totally dependent on the presence of CD4+ cells in the responding population.
      These studies show that dendritic cells can acquire antigens in vivo and provide
      a novel approach to the study of intestinal immune responses and oral tolerance.

PMID- 1879879
TI  - Interleukin-2-induced DNA synthesis and immunoglobulin secretion by resting human
      tonsillar B cells: effects of protein kinase C activation.
AB  - Responses to interleukin-2 (IL-2) of high-density human tonsillar B lymphocytes
      were examined in 20 microliters hanging drop microcultures. DNA synthesis and
      secretion of IgM and IgG were induced by IL-2 alone. Activation of calcium
      dependent protein kinase C (PKC) with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and ionomycin
      increased IL-2 driven DNA synthesis yet reduced IL-2 driven secretion of IgM and
      IgG. Forskolin, which increases cAMP, had no effect on the responses to IL-2.
      Intrinsic IL-6 played no role in IL-2-induced DNA synthesis but was partially
      responsible for the secretion of immunoglobulin. These data show that pre
      activation of the high-density human tonsillar B lymphocyte is not a prerequisite
      for IL-2-driven responses. They also show an asymmetry between the growth and
      differentiation induced by IL-2. This is reflected by opposite modulation on
      activation of PKC and by the role of the autocrine factor, IL-6.

PMID- 1879880
TI  - Human T-cell responses to ragweed allergens: Amb V homologues.
AB  - Specific IgE and IgG responses to highly purified Ambrosia (ragweed) allergens,
      Amb a V, Amb t V and Amb p V from the artemisiifolia (short), trifida (giant) and
      psilostachya (western) species are strongly associated with HLA-DR2 and Dw2
      (DR2.2) in allergic Caucasoid individuals. To investigate the molecular basis of
      these HLA associations, we examined the human T-cell responses to these Amb V
      homologues using three Amb a V-specific, DR alpha beta I 2.2-restricted T-cell
      clones from an atopic patient. We first examined the cross-reactivity of Amb a V
      specific T-cell clones upon challenge with the Amb a V homologues, Amb t V and
      Amb p V, in the presence of autologous antigen-presenting cells (APC). Neither
      Amb t V nor Amb p V was able to stimulate the T-cell clones directly. However,
      both Amb t V and Amb p V specifically blocked, in a dose-dependent fashion, the
      ability of APC to present Amb a V to all three T-cell clones. Taken together,
      these results suggest that Amb t V and Amb p V possess distinct T-cell epitopes,
      but that all Amb V homologues share similar or identical regions (agretopes)
      interacting with the DR alpha beta I 2.2 (DR alpha beta I 1501) heterodimer. The
      agretope was potentially localized to a 14-residue C-terminal Amb a V peptide
      (with Ala-Cys substitutions), which was able to block presentation of native Amb
      a V by the APC to the T-cell clones.

PMID- 1879882
TI  - Effect of antibiotics on polymorphonuclear function in iron deficiency anaemia
      patients & normal volunteers.
AB  - The effect of erythromycin and gentamicin on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)
      functions was assessed in normal individuals and in patients with iron deficiency
      anaemia (IDA) before and after treatment with iron. The PMN phagocytic function
      was investigated by the standard method. Erythromycin in vivo significantly
      increased the PMN phagocytic function from 44.18 +/- 2.08 to 57.0 +/- 1.5 at 8 h
      and the bactericidal activity from 48.33 +/- 1.97 to 56.7 +/- 0.89 at 8 h in the
      normal adult male volunteers. A significant increase in phagocytic and
      bactericidal function of PMNs from IDA patients was also observed after in vivo
      administration of erythromycin. Gentamicin in vitro reduced the bactericidal
      activity of PMN from normal volunteers (P less than 0.05) but increased the PMN
      phagocytic activity in normal volunteers and IDA patients.

PMID- 1879881
TI  - Increase in the intracellular free calcium concentration is not an obligatory
      early event in lipopeptide-induced B-cell activation.
AB  - We recently showed that synthetic lipopeptides, analogues of the N-terminal
      region of bacterial lipoprotein, induce DNA synthesis in B lymphocytes in the
      absence of enhanced phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis and protein
      kinase C translocation. Here we demonstrate that lipopeptides are capable of
      inducing enhanced expression of MHC class II molecules and early increases in the
      intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in B cells. However, they do
      not effect T cells. The increase in [Ca2+]i seen in B cells is due primarily to
      Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Since lipopeptides differ in their
      capability to induce early increases in [Ca2+]i and since the calcium response
      does not correlate with the ability of lipopeptides to induce proliferation and
      expression of MHC class II molecules, we suggest that this biochemical event may
      not be essential for lipopeptide-mediated B-cell activation.

PMID- 1879883
TI  - Influence of noise spectra on auditory frequencies & degree of temporary
      threshold shift.
AB  - Influence of noise spectra on auditory frequencies of 131 audiometrically normal
      human volunteers was assessed. Each subject was exposed to four different types
      of noise on different days for a period of 30 min. Noises utilized in this study
      were broadband noise (100 dBA), broadband noise (BBN) mixed independently with
      tones of 0.5, 1.2 and 4 kHz at three intensity levels (85, 95 and 105 dBA) and
      noises of different bandwidths (100 dBA) around the above tones as centre
      frequencies. BBN produced maximum TTS2 at 4 kHz (21.42 +/- 0.61 to 26.15 +/- 1.00
      dB), while concentration of sound energy around these tones, affected hearing at
      one-half octave above the point of concentration of sound energy. TTS2 produced
      by 4 kHz tonal component of 95 and 105 dBA and 2 kHz of 105 dBA were
      significantly higher than the one produced by BBN at 4 kHz. The single tones of 2
      and 4 kHz and noise of 1/3rd octave bandwidth (cf 4 kHz) produced TTS2s which
      were significantly higher as compared to that of BBN at 4 kHz. At the same centre
      frequency, noise concentrated in thinner bands was more injurious than that in
      the thicker bands. Lower frequencies of hearing appears to be more resistant to
      noise as for the same sound pressure level the TTS2 observed in low frequencies
      was less as compared to higher frequencies.

PMID- 1879884
TI  - DDT levels in human body fat & milk samples from Delhi.
AB  - A study of 45 human fat samples from autopsy and surgery specimens from Delhi
      showed a mean total DDT level of 6.37 micrograms/g (SE +/- 0.36; range 3.34-9.12
      micrograms/g). While these values compare well with those reported from India and
      abroad, they are much lower than those obtained from other areas of Delhi,
      confirming wide variation in the quantity of DDT sprayed in different pockets of
      this city. Twenty one human milk samples from Delhi showed a mean total DDT level
      of 0.144 ppm (micrograms/ml). Thus, many infants in Delhi appear to be consuming
      3 to 5 times the permissible 5 micrograms/kg/day quantity of DDT. This study too
      indicates the need of continuous monitoring of DDT and other insecticides
      commonly used in India.

PMID- 1879885
TI  - Effect of instant preparation of betel nut (pan masala) on the oral mucosa of
      albino rats.
AB  - Paste made out of an instant betel nut preparation was painted into the oral
      cavity of 21 albino rats on alternate days for a period of six months. Biopsies
      were taken from the oral mucosa at the beginning of the study and every two
      months there after and compared histopathologically with those obtained from a
      control group of 14 albino rats. Mild to moderate loss of nuclear polarity and
      increase in keratoses, parakeratoses, inflammatory cell infiltration and
      vascularity were noted when compared to the control group. The increase in
      mitotic figures was statistically insignificant and no definite changes in
      pigmentation or atypical cells were seen. These findings suggest the possibility
      of mild leukoplakia. Submucosal collagen increased steeply and steadily
      throughout the study period and at the end of six months, 88.23 per cent of
      biopsies showed thickened and condensed sub-mucosal collagen, indicating
      submucous fibrosis.

PMID- 1879886
TI  - Microalbuminuria in NIDDM patients in south India.
AB  - Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was estimated by radioimmunoassay in 316 non
      insulin dependent diabetic patients (NIDDM), with diabetes for 10 or more years
      and proteinuria less than 150 mg/24 h. Albuminuria was determined in 24 h
      collection of urine in 259 patients but in the other 57, a random sample was
      used. The mean UAE was 23 +/- 45.3 (SD) micrograms/mg creatinine in the patients
      against 4.4 +/- 2.7 micrograms/mg in the controls (30). Ninety patients (28.5%)
      had microalbuminuria i.e., the UAE exceeded, 20 micrograms/mg creatinine. A
      higher percentage (31.7%) of men had microalbuminuria than women (23.6%). The
      presence of microalbuminuria was similar in the insulin-treated and in oral drug
      treated patients (29.6% and 26.5% respectively). Stepwise multiple regression
      analysis using albumin/creatinine ratio as the dependent variable showed that
      factors such as blood pressure, blood glucose, HbA1, body mass index, sex, age,
      duration of diabetes and the association of vascular complications of diabetes
      did not have significant correlation to microalbuminuria. Creatinine clearance
      showed a significant inverse correlation to the albumin/creatinine ratio.
      Although the prevalence of microalbuminuria in NIDDM in this study is not
      significantly different from those reported from other countries, the morbidity
      index due to kidney disease could be high due to the large absolute number
      involved in our country. This underscores the need for early detection of the
      disease and institution of preventive measures to arrest its progression.

PMID- 1879887
TI  - Epidermal calmodulin levels in psoriasis before & after therapy.
AB  - Epidermal calmodulin (CaM) levels were measured in the involved and uninvolved
      skin in 26 psoriasis patients before and after treatment either with dithranol
      topically or methotrexate orally. The mean epidermal calmodulin levels (+/- SD)
      in the involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin before treatment were 21.99 +/-
      10.22 and 11.97 +/- 3.50 in the patients to be treated with short contact
      dithranol therapy (SCDT) while it was 19.46 +/- 8.13 and 11.27 +/- 7.23 in the
      patients to be treated with systemic methotrexate. Clearance of psoriatic lesions
      was associated with a significant fall (P less than 0.05) in epidermal
      calmodulin, activity irrespective of the treatment modality used. Also, there was
      a significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in the calmodulin levels in the
      epidermis of uninvolved skin following successful treatment.

PMID- 1879888
TI  - Effect of skim milk on cholesterol induced blood platelet hyperaggregability in
      rabbit.
AB  - Effect of high cholesterol diet on blood platelet aggregation, and the influence
      of skim milk on cholesterol induced platelet hyperaggregability were studied in
      rabbits. The level of aggregated platelets (AP) increased to 19900/mm3 and that
      of plasma cholesterol to 1605mg/dl, while platelet aggregate ratio (PAR)
      decreased to 0.32 in rabbits fed high cholesterol diet (0.5% cholesterol) for 12
      wk. The levels of AP (12500/mm3) and plasma cholesterol (1196mg/dl) were lower,
      and the PAR (0.46) was higher in rabbits which received the cholesterol diet
      supplemented with 16 per cent skim milk powder. In the second experiment,
      hypercholesterolaemia and platelet aggregation were induced in rabbits by high
      cholesterol diet given for 6 wk. The animals then received cholesterol-free diets
      for 8 wk, one group receiving the diet supplemented with 16 per cent skim milk
      powder and the other without milk served as the control group. The mean PAR in
      the milk powder supplemented group was restored to normal at 6 wk, while in the
      control group the level continued to be lower even up to 8 wk. The results thus
      demonstrate that the milk can prevent the process of cholesterol induced platelet
      aggregation.

PMID- 1879889
TI  - Effect of coconut oil & safflower oil on lipids in isoproterenol induced
      myocardial infarction in rats.
AB  - Effect of feeding safflower oil and coconut oil in experimental myocardial
      infarction induced by isoproterenol in rats was studied. Based on the survival
      rate and histopathological examination, safflower oil was found to offer better
      protection than coconut oil. Serum GOT levels also confirmed the protective
      activity of safflower oil. The concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in
      the heart and aorta were lower in the safflower oil fed group, while the level of
      phospholipids was higher.

PMID- 1879890
TI  - Central auditory toxicity of sisomicin in guineapigs.
AB  - The central auditory toxicity of sisomicin was studied in guineapigs administered
      sisomicin (135 mg/kg body weight) sc for 10 days. Total lipids, phospholipids and
      cholesterol were estimated in the pons, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate
      body and auditory cortex. While the total lipids were increased in a non
      preferential manner in all the regions studied, phospholipids and cholesterol
      levels registered no change. This study suggests the possible central auditory
      toxicity following sisomicin administration.

PMID- 1879891
TI  - Multicentric study on genetic causes of mental retardation in India. ICMR
      Collaborating Centres & Central Co-ordinating Unit.
AB  - A study on 1314 children with mental retardation (MR) without an obvious
      environmental cause was carried out at Bangalore, Bombay, Delhi and Lucknow to
      determine the extent and pattern of genetic causes of mental retardation in
      different parts of India. In all, 42.3 per cent patients had mild, 25.3 per cent
      moderate, 19.2 per cent severe and 13.1 per cent profound mental retardation.
      Among 1314 patients, the chromosomal anomalies were found in 23.7 per cent,
      metabolic defects in 5.0 per cent and an identificable genetic syndrome in 11.6
      per cent of the patients. In the remaining 59.7 per cent patients, no known
      genetic cause could be identified. However, 66.5 per cent of these patients had
      one or more of the following conditions: (i) congenital malformation with or
      without neurological deficit, (ii) history of consanguinity, (iii) positive
      family history of mental retardation or (iv) a positive screening test but
      without a confirmed diagnosis of metabolic defect (suggesting that there may be
      additional unidentified genetic causes of mental retardation).

PMID- 1879892
TI  - Learning disability in rural primary school children.
AB  - In rural primary school children observed for two years, 12.97 per cent of those
      having IQ greater than or equal to 90 were found to have poor achievement in
      arithmetic test and teacher's assessment. These learning disabled children had
      impaired perceptual maturity and conceptual grasp as observed on MISIC (Indian
      modification of WISC), Bender Gestalt test and Piaget's test. On WISC Bannatyne
      categories learning disabled children scored highest in verbal conceptualization
      (similarities, vocabulary, comprehension), followed by spatial (picture
      completion, object assembly, block design) and sequencing (arithmetic, digit
      span, coding) abilities. These children on Bender Gestalt test made more errors
      particularly distortions (distortion of parts, incorrect number of dots, shape of
      design lost etc). They also showed delayed development on Piagetian tasks class
      inclusion, conservation (for length, substance, liquid and number) ordinal
      relation and one to one correspondence. These observations indicate impaired
      perceptual maturity, conception and information processing deficit.

PMID- 1879893
TI  - Occurrence of systemic autoimmune disorders & autoantibodies in house-hold
      contacts of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Household contacts of 22 randomly selected patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE) were screened for autoimmune diseases and autoantibodies.
      Thirty nine consanguineous and 17 nonconsanguineous household contacts were
      studied. In the first group symptomatic SLE was seen in 5 per cent, rheumatoid
      arthritis in 2.5 per cent, antinuclear antibody (ANA) in 10 per cent and
      rheumatoid factor (RF) in 5 per cent while anti-dsDNA, anti-nRNP and anti-Sm
      antibodies were not detected in any individual. The second group showed total
      absence of any marker of autoimmunity. In normal controls only RF was detected in
      3 per cent. The occurrence of markers of autoimmunity only in consanguineous
      household contacts of patients with SLE further confirms the recognised role of
      genetic factors in the etiology of SLE.

PMID- 1879894
TI  - Child survival and child health development activities for the Eighth Five Year
      Plan in India (1990-1995)--Part II. Planning Commission, Government of India.

PMID- 1879895
TI  - On health and healing: community health care in India.

PMID- 1879896
TI  - Improving neonatal care in India: is there a place for developing neonatal
      intensive care units.

PMID- 1879897
TI  - Vitamin A during pregnancy in India: how much is safe for the fetus?

PMID- 1879898
TI  - Evolving concepts in the pre-operative management and surgical treatment of
      craniosynostosis.

PMID- 1879900
TI  - Epidemiology of diarrhea and its implications for providing services.
AB  - This study was conducted in children under the age of four years for a period of
      one year. By domiciliary visits the diarrheal episodes were recorded, analysed
      and presented. The findings are based on the diarrheal experience of 4860
      children. The attack rate was 2.6/child/year. Family with more than one child had
      more attacks. Mean duration was 5.76 days and 11.2% had lasted more than 7 days.
      All the age groups are similarly affected. 75.6% were just plain loose motions
      and only 4.9% had blood, mucus or fever associated with loose motions. Case
      fatality was 0.6%. Attack rate was more in June-August and December-February than
      the other quarters. 42.2% were shown to R.M.P.s. and 33.6% consulted friends or
      relatives. More than 2/3 gave mainly home made ORS. 69.9% restricted food during
      attack.

PMID- 1879899
TI  - An approach to respiratory distress and central nervous system emergencies.

PMID- 1879901
TI  - Growth performance of Bangladeshi affluent school children (5-14 years).
AB  - A cross sectional anthropometric survey of 2045 healthy children (5-14 years) of
      affluent society of Dhaka City was done with the aim to compare their growth with
      the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) standard. It was found that both
      weight and height of boys and girls of the studied children fall between 25th to
      50th percentile of NCHS standard. In case of boys, body weight deviates below
      25th percentile after 12 years whereas mean height is nearly parallel to 50th
      percentile up to 14 years. In case of girls, the pattern of growth is same except
      the fall below 25th percentile at the age of 8 and 9 years and the height remains
      above 25th percentile up to 12 years. It can be concluded that mean growth of
      affluent Bangladeshi school children is comparable to NCHS standard with minor
      variations.

PMID- 1879902
TI  - Serum levels of gentamicin at peak and trough in neonates and infants.
AB  - The peak and the trough levels of serum gentamicin were determined in 50 cases of
      neonates and infants by microbiological assay method. The peak levels in the
      neonates and the infants were 5.98 +/- 0.48 and 4.63 +/- 0.31 mcg/ml
      respectively. The trough levels in the corresponding group were 1.06 +/- 0.19 and
      0.94 +/- 0.23 mcg/ml. The mean values of the peak and trough levels of the
      antibiotic were 5.57 and 1.02 mcg/ml respectively. It was observed that there was
      a significant lower peak concentration in the infants than in the neonates. A
      significantly higher peak concentration of gentamicin was observed in babies aged
      under 7 days than in those above 7 days. The route of administration (between I/M
      and I/V) did not seem to have any effect on the peak and trough levels of the
      antibiotics.

PMID- 1879904
TI  - Residual poliomyelitis of lower limb-pattern and deformities.
AB  - The pattern of muscle paralysis and paresis in the lower limbs has been studied
      in 1356 children with 1800 poliomyelitic limbs, revealed that more than two-third
      (68 = 55%) muscles were affected, with the ratio of paresis and paralysed muscles
      were 1.89:1.00. The muscles most frequently affected were tibialis anterior
      (1516), quadriceps (1465) and tibialis posterior (1435) while tibialis anterior
      (1070), tibialis posterior (820) and quadriceps (766) were most commonly
      paralysed in descending order. The tibialis anterior which leads in paralysis
      group, has come last in order of frequency of paresis. The highest segmental
      incidence of affection of muscles found in second to fourth lumbar segments while
      muscle paralysis is found in fourth lumbar spinal segment. The commonest
      deformities encountered in residual poliomyelitis are flexion-abduction
      contracture hip, flexion contracture knee and valgus deformity foot.

PMID- 1879903
TI  - Detection of low birth-weight new born babies by anthropometric measurements in
      Bangladesh.
AB  - Birthweight is an important indicator of child survival. Appropriate and timely
      care of a newborn specially if he is born with low birthweight is important but
      this is difficult in developing countries since most of the deliveries are
      conducted at home where adequate facilities to weigh a new born does not exist.
      This study was conducted to find out a surrogate which could efficiently be used
      for detecting low birthweight babies at birth when no weighing machine is around.
      In this study 41% of the newborn babies were found to weigh less than 2,500 gm at
      birth. Out of this about 52% were females. The mean chest, thigh and mid-arm
      circumference at birth for males were 30.89 cm, 15.06 cm and 9.27 cm respectively
      with standard deviations of 1.83 cm, 1.30 cm and 1.04 cm. Corresponding figures
      for female babies were 30.69 cm, 15.14 cm and 9.25 cm respectively with standard
      deviations of 2.08 cm, 1.70 cm and 1.16 cm. Correlation co-efficient between
      normal birthweight and the chest, thigh and mid-arm circumference were 0.867,
      0.845 and 0.842 respectively. A liner regression analysis showed that a chest
      circumference of 30.14 cm, a thigh circumference of 14.56 cm and a mid-arm
      circumference of 8.90 cm corresponded well with a birthweight of 2,500 gm. On
      this basis sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the chest
      circumference was better than the other two measurements. However, the mid-arm
      circumference was observed to be more reliable than the other two measurements
      for detecting birthweight less than 2,000 gm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1879905
TI  - Survey of village informants--an alternate method to estimate paralytic
      poliomyelitis prevalence in rural area.
AB  - Lameness surveys were conducted among children of 0-14 year age group in 60
      villages of a Community Development Block of district Ambala in Haryana State.
      The methods used were: village informants survey and house-to-house survey.
      Village informants were village chief, school teachers, primary health care
      workers, traditional birth attendants and several prominent persons from each
      street/neighbourhood of the village. These informants located lame children in
      their locality. Subsequently, a house-to-house search for identification of lame
      children was made in all the 60 sampled villages. Physicians later on, examined
      the lame children to diagnose paralytic poliomyelitis. Estimate of the prevalence
      rate of lower extremity paralytic poliomyelitis in 0-14 year age group was found
      to be 7.9/1000 in village informants survey. This did not differ significantly
      from the rate of 8.8/1000 revealed by house-to-house survey in the same community
      (p greater than 0.05). Time required to complete village informants survey was
      almost one third and costs were also about half as compared to house-to-house
      survey. Therefore, village informants based lameness survey is a rapid and
      economical alternative for the estimation of poliomyelitis prevalence in rural
      communities.

PMID- 1879906
TI  - Congenital malformations--a retrospective study of 10,000 cases.
AB  - The frequency of congenital malformations in a retrospective study done on 10,000
      consecutive births from January 1983 to March 1989 was 3.6%. The predominant
      system involved was CNS. Major malformations constituted 79.7% of the total.
      Malformations were seen 4 times more often among still births. The common
      malformations in still births were also of CNS. The frequency of malformations
      was similar in both the sexes, though genitourinary anomalies were commoner among
      male, while anencephaly in female babies. A statistically significant increase in
      the frequency of congenital malformations was observed with decreasing gestation
      and birth weight. There was a significant correlation between maternal factors,
      like previous abortions, drug intake and fever during 1st trimester, diabetes
      mellitus, pre-eclamptic toxemia, antepartum hemorrhage and congenital
      malformations in the baby.

PMID- 1879907
TI  - Anthropometry for syndromology.
AB  - In diagnosing certain syndromes, abnormal facial features such as hypertelorism,
      low set ears or wide nasolabial distance are taken into consideration. Most often
      the description is from a visual impression, which may prove wrong as it is only
      relative. Detailed studies have, so far been only from the west, except for two,
      from northern India. These values may not suit us as facial features and
      measurements vary in different populations. This study was undertaken to set up a
      standard for the south Indian population, to detect deviations and to compare our
      figures with those from other studies. Measurements were taken in 850 children,
      from birth to 11 years of age (horizontal study). The parameters studied were the
      inner and outer canthal distances, from which interpupillary distance was
      calculated; nasolabial distance, ear length, ear set, hand length and AF/AT
      ratio. The average measurements for various features (50th percentile) 3rd and
      97th centile are presented in tables. Besides providing standards, this paper
      will aquaint the pediatricians on the need to actually measure the features
      rather than rely on ones impression on physical features in diagnosing syndromes.

PMID- 1879908
TI  - Facial anthropometry in newborns in Pondicherry.
AB  - Two hundred term healthy neonates were examined and 14 anthropometric
      measurements were taken in the face and ear region. Difference between the sexes
      was observed in ear length, ear breadth, and philtrum. Significant correlation
      was found between ear placement and ear length; and outer and inner canthal
      distances (p less than 0.001). The paper provides baselines data for facial
      growth measurements and discusses the utility of these measurements in detecting
      dysmorphogenesis in neonates.

PMID- 1879909
TI  - Influence of maternal literacy on the nutritional status of preschool children.
AB  - The impact of maternal literacy status on the nutritional status of pre-school
      children in Parbhani was studied. Results revealed that the children of literate
      mothers had better anthropometric measurements than children of illiterate
      mothers. Nutrient deficiency signs especially of protein energy malnutrition were
      more predominant among the children of illiterate mothers. Food consumption
      pattern was better in children with literate mothers as compared to children of
      illiterate mothers. The consumption of milk and milk products, fruits, sugar and
      jaggery was significantly greater in children with literate mothers.

PMID- 1879911
TI  - Fever phobia and the adaptive value of fever.

PMID- 1879910
TI  - Relation of childhood malnutrition to parental education and mothers' nutrition
      related KAP.
AB  - Severely malnourished children (26), weight for age 55.27 +/- 3.17, were
      identified in a colony of predominantly Muslim urban slum dwellers of low
      economic status. An equal number of normally nourished children matched for age,
      sex and per capita income were identified. A strong relation was found between
      nutritional status of the subjects and educational level of their mothers (P less
      than 0.025). Father's education was unrelated to childrens' nutritional status. A
      thirty seven point questionnaire was administered to the mothers to record their
      nutritional knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP). Analysis revealed that
      better KAP in relation to 16 of these 37 questions was not associated with better
      nutritional status. Seven questions were found to have only a weak association.
      The remaining 14 questions were identified as important for a nutrition education
      programme. Comparison of nutritional KAP score based on these 14 questions in
      case of mothers of normal and severely malnourished children revealed a
      significantly higher score in the former. Questions related to growth monitoring
      and breast feeding were not found to be important. No significant association was
      found between mothers' KAP and educational level. It is concluded that (i)
      Maternal education and KAP are significantly and independently associated with
      childrens' nutritional status. (ii) The content areas of knowledge, attitudes and
      practices significantly associated with nutritional status pertain to nutritional
      requirements of children, nutritional value of foods, immunisation, hygiene, oral
      rehydration and diarrhea.

PMID- 1879912
TI  - Fetal diagnosis of the Meckel syndrome.

PMID- 1879913
TI  - A family with translocation 1/13: index patient with history of spontaneous
      abortions.

PMID- 1879914
TI  - Mouse liver contains a Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A-binding protein.
AB  - The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces several potential
      virulence factors, including the ADP-ribosylating toxin, exotoxin A (PE). Studies
      using a burned mouse model have shown that PE consistently inhibits protein
      synthesis and depletes elongation factor 2 in mouse liver and variably in other
      organs. One reason for toxin sensitivity could be the presence of a PE receptor
      on the surface of cells. Therefore we examined detergent extracts of mouse
      tissues for the presence of toxin-binding proteins. Proteins which specifically
      bind PE were present in extracts from liver, kidney, lung, spleen, and heart.
      Because liver appears to be a prominent target for the toxin in a burned animal,
      we choose to isolate the PE-binding protein from mouse liver and compare this
      protein to the recently characterized toxin-binding protein from toxin-sensitive
      mouse LM fibroblasts. The toxin-binding proteins from both sources have a
      molecular mass of approximately 350 kDa, share similar protease digestion
      profiles, and are glycosylated. However the glycosylation patterns for the two
      species are quite different. Both glycoproteins bind toxin with high avidity. The
      toxin-binding moiety is located, at least in part, on the plasma membrane and
      thus could represent the receptor involved in internalization of toxin molecules
      responsible for cell death.

PMID- 1879915
TI  - Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae-induced thymic lesions in mice and pigs.
AB  - Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae produces several hemolysins/cytotoxins that may
      be important in the pathogenesis of acute lesions. Little is known, however,
      about the role of these virulence factors in chronic disease or the carrier
      state. We investigated the effects of live bacterial infection and transthoracic
      injection of a sterile culture supernatant on primary lymphoid organs and
      lymphocyte populations. Transthoracic inoculation of mice or intranasal
      inoculation of pigs with virulent A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 and 7 induced
      thymic cortical lymphoid necrosis. These lesions were reproduced in mice by
      transthoracic injection of a concentrated sterile culture supernatant. The
      cytotoxic effect of this culture supernatant was also demonstrated in vitro by
      using a tetrazolium dye reduction assay. Both porcine and murine thymic
      lymphocytes as well as splenic T lymphocytes were susceptible to the toxin.
      Porcine convalescent serum, but not preimmune serum, prevented thymic lesions and
      neutralized the in vitro cytotoxic effect of the culture supernatant on murine
      thymic lymphocytes. Thymic lesions also were reproduced in mice by using purified
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli O111:B4; however, LPS had no in
      vitro cytotoxic effect on either porcine or murine thymic lymphocytes. These
      results suggest that secreted A. pleuropneumoniae toxin(s) is capable of
      affecting host T-lymphocyte populations and may affect host immune function.

PMID- 1879916
TI  - Distribution of the invA, -B, -C, and -D genes of Salmonella typhimurium among
      other Salmonella serovars: invA mutants of Salmonella typhi are deficient for
      entry into mammalian cells.
AB  - Invasion of intestinal epithelial cells is an essential virulence factor of
      salmonellae. A group of genes, invABC and invD, that allow Salmonella typhimurium
      to penetrate cultured epithelial cells have previously been characterized (J. E.
      Galan and R. Curtiss III, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:6383-6387, 1989). The
      distribution of these genes among Salmonella isolates belonging to 37 different
      species or serovars was investigated by Southern and colony blot hybridization
      analyses. Regions of high sequence similarity to the invABC genes were present in
      all Salonella isolates examined, while regions of sequence similarity to the invD
      gene were present in all but one (S. arizonae) of the isolates tested, with
      little restriction fragment length polymorphism. Sequences similar to these genes
      were not detected in strains of Escherichia coli, Yersinia spp., or Shigella spp.
      invA mutants (unable to express the invABC genes) of several Salmonella species
      or serovars, including S. typhi, were constructed and examined for their ability
      to penetrate Henle-407 cells. All mutants were deficient for entry into cultured
      epithelial cells, indicating that the invABC genes were not only present in these
      strains but also functional.

PMID- 1879917
TI  - Persistence of Escherichia coli bacteriuria is not determined by bacterial
      adherence.
AB  - The role of bacterial adherence in the persistence of bacteria in the human
      urinary tract was analyzed. Women with chronic symptomatic urinary tract
      infections were subjected to deliberate colonization with nonvirulent Escherichia
      coli, after eradication of their current infections. E. coli organisms were
      instilled into the bladder through a catheter. The strain used for colonization,
      E. coli 83972, was isolated from a patient with stable bacteriuria. It lacked
      expressed adherence factors and did not belong to the uropathogenic O:K:H
      serotypes. Strain 83972 was transformed with the pap and pil DNA sequences
      encoding Gal alpha 1-4Gal beta- and mannose-specific (type 1) adhesins. Patients
      were colonized with a mixture of the wild-type and the transformed strains. E.
      coli 83972 caused stable bacteriuria for greater than 30 days in 7 of 12
      individuals. In contrast, the Gal alpha 1-4 Gal beta-recognizing or mannose
      binding transformants were eliminated within 48 h. The consistent superiority of
      the wild-type strain in establishing stable bacteriuria when compared with the
      adhesive transformants did not appear to be due to differences in growth rates or
      to plasmid segregation. Rather, the transformants expressing the adhesin
      determinants were selectively eliminated by the host. This suggested that the
      acquisition of adherence factors is not sufficient to increase the fitness of E.
      coli for survival in the urinary tract of humans.

PMID- 1879918
TI  - Live vaccine strain of Francisella tularensis: infection and immunity in mice.
AB  - The live vaccine strain (LVS) of Francisella tularensis caused lethal disease in
      several mouse strains. Lethality depended upon the dose and route of inoculation.
      The lethal dose for 50% of the mice (LD50) in four of six mouse strains (A/J,
      BALB/cHSD, C3H/HeNHSD, and SWR/J) given an intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation was
      less than 10 CFU. For the other two strains tested, C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J, the
      i.p. log LD50 was 1.5 and 2.7, respectively. Similar susceptibility was observed
      in mice inoculated by intravenous (i.v.) and intranasal (i.n.) routes: in all
      cases the LD50 was less than 1,000 CFU. Regardless of the inoculation route
      (i.p., i.v., or i.n.), bacteria were isolated from spleen, liver, and lungs
      within 3 days of introduction of bacteria; numbers of bacteria increased in these
      infected organs over 5 days. In contrast to the other routes of inoculation, mice
      injected with LVS intradermally (i.d.) survived infection: the LD50 of LVS by
      this route was much greater than 10(5) CFU. This difference in susceptibility was
      not due solely to local effects at the dermal site of inoculation, since bacteria
      were isolated from the spleen, liver, and lungs within 3 days by this route as
      well. The i.d.-infected mice were immune to an otherwise lethal i.p. challenge
      with as many as 10(4) CFU, and immunity could be transferred with either serum,
      whole spleen cells, or nonadherent spleen cells (but not Ig+ cells). A variety of
      infectious agents induce different disease syndromes depending on the route of
      entry. Francisella LVS infection in mice provides a model system for analysis of
      locally induced protective effector mechanisms.

PMID- 1879919
TI  - Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 enhances synthesis of endotoxin-induced tumor
      necrosis factor in mice.
AB  - Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) was tested for its ability to enhance the
      production of endotoxin-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in C3H/HeN mice. The
      TNF level in serum was quantified by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA). It was found that when mice were injected with 20 micrograms of TSST-1
      12 h before exposure to 1 micrograms of endotoxin, the serum endotoxin-induced
      TNF was 20 times as high as that found in mice exposed to endotoxin alone.
      Although 20 micrograms of TSST-1 did induce a maximum level of near 1 ng of TNF
      per ml of serum 1.5 h after exposure, the TNF concentration was greatly
      diminished after 5 to 6 h and was no longer detectable after 12 h. Pretreatment
      of mice with 20 micrograms of TSST-1 or 1 micrograms of endotoxin did not
      influence TNF induction by TSST-1 12 h later. Also, pretreatment of mice with 1
      micrograms of endotoxin did not enhance TNF induction by endotoxin 12 h later.
      Enhancement was achieved only when mice were exposed to TSST-1 more than 4 h and
      less than 24 h before injection of endotoxin. Despite the relatively high serum
      TNF levels (30 to 50 ng/ml), no mortality was observed in the mice treated with
      both TSST and endotoxin.

PMID- 1879920
TI  - Delineation of a segment of adsorbed salivary acidic proline-rich proteins which
      promotes adhesion of Streptococcus gordonii to apatitic surfaces.
AB  - Cells of several strains of Streptococcus gordonii attached in much higher
      numbers to experimental pellicles formed from samples of submandibular or parotid
      saliva on hydroxyapatite (HA) beads than to buffer controls. The nature of the
      salivary components responsible were investigated by preparing experimental
      pellicles from chromatographic fractions of submandibular saliva obtained from
      Trisacryl GF 2000M columns. Adhesion of S. gordonii Blackburn was promoted by two
      groups of fractions. The adhesion-promoting activity in the first group of
      fractions was associated with the family of acidic proline-rich proteins (PRPs),
      while that of the second group is as yet unidentified. Experimental pellicles
      prepared by treating HA with 2 micrograms of pure 150-amino-acid-residue PRPs
      (PRP-1, PRP-2, and PIF-s) promoted adhesion of S. gordonii Blackburn cells to an
      extent comparable to that obtained with unfractionated saliva. However, pellicles
      prepared from a 106-residue PRP (PRP-3) were significantly less effective, and
      those prepared from the amino-terminal tryptic peptide (residues 1 to 30) of the
      PRP and the salivary phosphoprotein statherin were completely ineffective in
      promoting adhesion. Although adhesion of several strains of S. gordonii was
      promoted by adsorbed PRP-1, the adhesion of several strains of Streptococcus
      sanguis or Streptococcus oralis was either not affected or only weakly enhanced
      by this protein. S. gordonii cells bound avidly to PRPs adsorbed onto HA beads,
      but the streptococci did not appear to bind PRPs in solution, since
      concentrations of PRP as high as 200 micrograms/ml did not inhibit binding of
      bacterial cells to pellicles prepared from pure PRP. S. gordonii cells also
      attached well to PRP or a synthetic decapeptide representing residues 142 to 150
      of the PRP when the peptide was linked to agarose beads. Studies with a series of
      synthetic decapeptides indicated that the minimal segment of PRP which promoted
      high levels of S. gordonii adhesion was the carboxy-terminal dipeptide Pro-Gln
      (residues 149 and 150).

PMID- 1879921
TI  - Molecular cloning of the secretory acid proteinase gene from Candida albicans and
      its use as a species-specific probe.
AB  - Candida albicans secretes an acid proteinase when grown with a protein as a sole
      nitrogen source. The gene encoding this proteinase was isolated from a genomic
      expression library of C. albicans constructed in lambda gt11 by screening with
      antiproteinase antibodies. The affinity-purified antibodies used to verify the
      clones are monspecific; these do not cross-react with any other protein in the
      culture supernatants or crude extracts of C. albicans but strongly react with
      fusion proteins encoded by recombinant clones, revealing that these are true
      proteinase clones. Genomic Southern blot analysis shows that the proteinase gene
      is present at a unique locus and that there is no other closely related gene in
      the C. albicans genome. The proteinase gene probe identified two transcripts on
      Northern blots (RNA blots), which are present at a much higher level in C.
      albicans cells induced for proteinase secretion than in uninduced cells. The
      aspartyl proteinase gene reported earlier (T.J. Lott, L.S. Page, P. Boiron, J.
      Benson, and E. Reiss, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:1779, 1989) is not that of secretory
      acid proteinase, since the N-terminal amino acid sequence of secretory acid
      proteinase does not correspond to the deduced amino acid sequence of the aspartyl
      proteinase gene. The secretory acid proteinase gene was used to probe Southern
      blots of genomic DNA of several medically important Candida species and
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Under hybridization and wash conditions of low
      stringency, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis, in addition to C.
      albicans strains, gave specific signals, implying that C. tropicalis and C.
      parapsilosis have homologous secretory acid proteinase genes. However, under
      under wash conditions of high stringency, signals were obtained only with C.
      albicans strains, suggesting that this gene can be used as a species-specific
      probe. A simple yeast colony hybridization technique is sufficient to distinguish
      C. albicans from other yeasts.

PMID- 1879922
TI  - Biodegradable and biocompatible poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres as an
      adjuvant for staphylococcal enterotoxin B toxoid which enhances the level of
      toxin-neutralizing antibodies.
AB  - Microspheres composed of biocompatible, biodegradable poly(DL-lactide-co
      glycolide) (DL-PLG) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) toxoid were evaluated
      as a vaccine delivery system when subcutaneously injected into mice. As measured
      by circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) antitoxin titers, the delivery of SEB
      toxoid via DL-PLG microspheres, 1 to 10 microns in diameter, induced an immune
      response which was approximately 500 times that seen with nonencapsulated toxoid.
      The kinetics, magnitude, and duration of the antitoxin response induced with
      microencapsulated toxoid were similar to those obtained when an equal toxoid dose
      was administered as an emulsion with complete Freund adjuvant. However, the
      microspheres did not induce the inflammation and granulomata formation seen with
      complete Freund adjuvant. The adjuvant activity of the microspheres was not
      dependent on the superantigenicity of SEB toxin and was equally effective at
      potentiating circulating IgG antitrinitrophenyl levels in response to
      microencapsulated trinitrophenyl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Empty DL-PLG
      microspheres were not mitogenic, and SEB toxoid injected as a mixture with empty
      DL-PLG microspheres was no more effective as an immunogen than toxoid alone.
      Antigen-containing microspheres 1 to 10 microns in diameter exhibited stronger
      adjuvant activity than those greater than 10 microns, which correlated with the
      delivery of the 1- to 10-microns, but not the greater than 10-microns,
      microspheres into the draining lymph nodes within macrophages. The antibody
      response induced through immunization with microencapsulated SEB toxoid was
      protective against the weight loss and splenic V beta 8+ T-cell expansion induced
      by intravenous toxin administration. These results show that DL-PLG microsphere
      vaccine delivery systems, which are composed of pharmaceutically acceptable
      components, possess a strong adjuvant activity for their encapsulated antigens.

PMID- 1879923
TI  - Human immune response to an iron-repressible outer membrane protein of
      Bacteroides fragilis.
AB  - Under conditions of iron starvation, Bacteroides fragilis expresses various iron
      repressible outer membrane proteins (IROMPs). A 44-kDa protein appears to be one
      of the major outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in B. fragilis under iron stress and
      plays a role in heme uptake by this bacterium. To determine whether the 44-kDa
      IROMP of B. fragilis is expressed in vivo and whether this protein is
      immunogenic, we used Western immunoblotting to examine serum samples from
      patients with an infection caused by Bacteroides species. All the serum samples
      from patients and from normal controls showed reactivity with several proteins of
      B. fragilis. Only serum samples from patients infected with B. fragilis showed
      immunoreactivity with the 44-kDa protein. We also used a rat infection model to
      study the immune response against this protein during the process of an intra
      abdominal infection in these animals. During the first 8 days of infection a
      gradual increase of antibodies to the 44-kDa protein in the rat was detected.
      These results suggest that the 44-kDa IROMP is expressed in vivo, since it
      induces an antibody response in patients and animals. We also analyzed 85 strains
      of the B. fragilis group for the presence of proteins antigenically related to
      the B. fragilis 44-kDa protein. The data indicate that this protein was conserved
      in B. fragilis strains and was absent in the other bacterial strains tested.

PMID- 1879924
TI  - Protective effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles against
      bactericidal activity of human serum.
AB  - The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Porphyromonas
      gingivalis outer membrane vesicles on the bactericidal activity of human serum.
      Human serum was pretreated with extracellular vesicles and then incubated with a
      cell suspension of Capnocytophaga ochracea. After 2 h at 37 degrees C, the
      percent viability of C. ochracea was determined by cultivation on blood agar
      plates. At a final concentration of 0.3 mg/ml, outer membrane vesicles completely
      inhibited the serum bactericidal activity against C. ochracea. Boiling the
      vesicles prevented this inhibition. However, partial inhibition of the serum
      lethal action was obtained when a higher concentration (1.5 mg/ml) of boiled
      vesicles was used, which indicates the involvement of both heat-labile and heat
      stable components associated with vesicles. Combining vesicles at a suboptimal
      concentration (0.1 mg/ml) with a reducing agent brought back inhibition of the
      bactericidal activity, whereas combining vesicles at an optimal concentration
      (0.3 mg/ml) with a thiol-blocking reagent caused a restoration of the
      bactericidal activity. When a purified preparation of P. gingivalis
      lipopolysaccharides was used instead of vesicles, inhibition of the bactericidal
      activity was also observed. These results indicate that the lipopolysaccharides
      and the proteolytic enzyme(s) associated with P. gingivalis outer membrane
      vesicles are likely to represent the heat-stable and the heat-labile components,
      respectively. It is possible that outer membrane vesicles released by P.
      gingivalis protect other bacterial species from complement action, thus favoring
      the pathogenic process of periodontal disease.

PMID- 1879925
TI  - Live but not heat-killed mycobacteria cause rapid chemotaxis of large numbers of
      eosinophils in vivo and are ingested by the attracted granulocytes.
AB  - We studied leukocyte chemotaxis triggered by a local injection of mycobacteria
      (Mycobacterium avium and M. smegmatis) in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Our
      experimental model consisted of the induction of a subcutaneous air pouch in the
      dorsal area of mice and inoculation 6 days later of 10(8) CFU of myocobacteria.
      Inflammatory exudates were harvested from the air pouch cavities 15, 30, and 45
      min after the injection of the inocula. Injection of the microorganisms resulted
      in the migration of an elevated number of eosinophilic granulocytes into the
      inflammatory cavities. At 30 min after the inoculation of the mycobacteria, the
      air pouches contained between (3.9 +/- 0.3) x 10(5) (M. avium) and (3.3 +/- 0.3)
      x 10(5) (M. smegmatis) eosinophils, corresponding to more than one-third (41.4 to
      38.3%) of the leukocytes present in the inflammatory cavities. Less than one-half
      of the eosinophils were attracted to the air pouches when the same number of heat
      killed mycobacteria were inoculated [(1.3 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) cells for M. avium and
      (1.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) cells for M. smegmatis]. Injection of gram-negative
      bacteria (Escherichia coli), of latex beads, or of casein resulted in the
      attraction of inflammatory eosinophils in numbers that were comparable to those
      attracted by the heat-killed mycobacteria. Our data document the fact that live
      mycobacteria exert a rapid chemotactic effect on eosinophils. We therefore
      postulate that mycobacteria either contain or induce the production of an
      eosinophilotactic factor. Because this chemotactic effect occurs during the acute
      inflammatory response to mycobacteria, it cannot be due to the formation of
      immune complexes (a major infection-associated chemotactic factor for
      eosinophils). The attracted eosinophils had an important role in the local
      phagocytosis of mycobacteria, as indicated by our finding, derived from thin
      section electron microscopy quantifications, that at 30 min after M. avium
      inoculation the inflammatory exudates contained (2.2 +/- 0.5) x 10(5)
      mycobacterium-bearing eosinophils (corresponding to 57% of the total
      eosinophils), as compared with (2.1 +/- 0.1) x 10(5) neutrophils and (1.5 +/-
      0.2) x 10(5) macrophages with ingested bacilli. We conclude that mycobacteria
      induce the attraction of eosinophils to inflammatory sites and that these
      granulocytes have the capacity to phagocytize these bacilli in situ.

PMID- 1879926
TI  - In vitro killing of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Capnocytophaga spp.
      by human neutrophil cathepsin G and elastase.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare the killing of Actinobacillus
      actinomycetemcomitans with that of Capnocytophaga spp. by purified cathepsin G
      and elastase in vitro. Both were sensitive to killing by purified cathepsin G,
      but only the Capnocytophaga spp. were killed by elastase. Killing by cathepsin G
      exhibited logarithmic kinetics, was enhanced slightly by alkaline pH, and was
      enhanced greatly under hypotonic conditions. Treatment of cathepsin G with
      diisopropyl fluorophosphate significantly reduced its bactericidal activity
      against Capnocytophaga spp. but not against Escherichia coli or A.
      actinomycetemcomitans. The bactericidal effects of cathepsin G against
      Capnocytophaga sputigena and A. actinomycetemcomitans were inhibited by alpha-1
      antichymotrypsin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, and alpha-2-macroglobulin but not by
      bovine serum albumin. We conclude that (i) cathepsin G kills Capnocytophaga spp.
      and A. actinomycetemcomitans, (ii) elastase kills Capnocytophaga spp., (iii) the
      bactericidal activity of cathepsin G is enzyme dependent against Capnocytophaga
      spp. and enzyme independent against A. actinomycetemcomitans, and (iv) natural
      plasma antiproteases may control both enzyme-dependent and enzyme-independent
      bactericidal activities of cathepsin G.

PMID- 1879927
TI  - Increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha- and interleukin-6-secreting cells in
      peripheral blood mononuclear cells from subjects infected with Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis.
AB  - We detected and quantified tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and
      interleukin-6 (IL-6) from monocytes/macrophages (M phi) in the peripheral blood
      of subjects from three different population groups, i.e., tuberculin-negative
      healthy subjects, tuberculin-positive healthy subjects, and patients with active
      pulmonary tuberculosis. TNF-alpha or IL-6 activity in the culture supernatant of
      these cells was determined by the cytotoxicity of murine L-929 cells or by enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Detection and enumeration of cells
      secreting either TNF-alpha or IL-6 were performed by an adaptation of the enzyme
      linked immunospot assay. Monocytes/M phi from tuberculin-positive healthy
      subjects or patients with tuberculosis showed higher TNF-alpha- and IL-6
      producing activities than those from tuberculin-negative healthy subjects. The
      number of TNF-alpha- and IL-6-secreting cells in either lipopolysaccharide- or
      muramyl dipeptide-stimulated mononuclear cells from tuberculin-positive healthy
      subjects and patients was significantly higher than that in cells from the
      tuberculin-negative healthy subjects.

PMID- 1879928
TI  - Nucleotide sequence of the hemolysin I gene from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.
AB  - The DNA sequence of the gene encoding the structural protein of hemolysin I
      (HlyI) of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 1 strain 4074 was analyzed.
      The nucleotide sequence shows a 3,072-bp reading frame encoding a protein of
      1,023 amino acids with a calculated molecular size of 110.1 kDa. This corresponds
      to the HlyI protein, which has an apparent molecular size on sodium dodecyl
      sulfate gels of 105 kDa. The structure of the protein derived from the DNA
      sequence shows three hydrophobic regions in the N-terminal part of the protein,
      13 glycine-rich domains in the second half of the protein, and a hydrophilic C
      terminal area, all of which are typical of the cytotoxins of the RTX (repeats in
      the structural toxin) toxin family. The derived amino acid sequence of HlyI shows
      42% homology with the hemolysin of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 5, 41% homology
      with the leukotoxin of Pasteurella haemolytica, and 56% homology with the
      Escherichia coli alpha-hemolysin. The 13 glycine-rich repeats and three
      hydrophobic areas of the HlyI sequence show more similarity to the E. coli alpha
      hemolysin than to either the A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 5 hemolysin or the
      leukotoxin (while the last two are more similar to each other). Two types of RTX
      hemolysins therefore seem to be present in A. pleuropneumoniae, one (HlyI)
      resembling the alpha-hemolysin and a second more closely related to the
      leukotoxin. Ca(2+)-binding experiments using HlyI and recombinant A.
      pleuropneumoniae prohemolysin (HlyIA) that was produced in E. coli shows that
      HlyI binds 45Ca2+, probably because of the 13 glycine-rich repeated domains.
      Activation of the prohemolysin is not required for Ca2+ binding.

PMID- 1879929
TI  - Endocytic mechanisms utilized by chlamydiae and their influence on induction of
      productive infection.
AB  - The microfilament-disrupting drug cytochalasin D and, initially, inoculation at
      20 degrees C were used to differentiate between phagocytosis (sensitive to both
      treatments) and pinocytosis (resistant to both treatments) to assess whether
      chlamydial uptake into McCoy cells occurred by one or both mechanisms and whether
      each could contribute to productive infection. Both treatments suppressed the
      infectivity of Chlamydia trachomatis L2/434/Bu and C. psittaci GPIC (the guinea
      pig inclusion conjunctivitis strain) following static inoculation by only 50%,
      indicating that there was simultaneous operation of both phagocytosis and
      pinocytosis during uptake that led to productive infection. Measurement of the
      entry of organisms by two separate assays established that both strains
      predominantly used a cytochalasin D-resistant (pinocytic) mechanism, implying
      that phagocytic uptake was coupled to a higher frequency of productive infection.
      Integration of the data on infectivity and entry allowed the potential for an
      organism to infect a host cell to be quantified. This synthesis revealed that for
      both strains the infectivity potential following phagocytic entry was ca. 10-fold
      greater than that following pinocytic entry. However, both entry mechanisms were
      exploited more efficiently by strain L2/434/Bu than by strain GPIC (unless the
      latter was inoculated with centrifugation), indicating that intrinsic strain
      properties are more important for infectivity potential than the endocytic
      mechanism utilized.

PMID- 1879930
TI  - Purification and characterization of three types of proteases from culture
      supernatants of Porphyromonas gingivalis.
AB  - Three types of caseinolytic proteases (Pase-A, Pase-B, and Pase-C) were isolated
      and purified from culture supernatants of Porphyromonas gingivalis 381 by the
      combined procedures of acetone precipitation, gel filtration, solubilization with
      octylthioglucoside followed by affinity chromatography on arginine-Sepharose 4B,
      high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on Biofine IEC-DEAE, and HPLC on
      TSK-G4000SW. By sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Pase-A
      and -B showed diffuse protein bands of 105 to 110 and 72 to 80 kDa, respectively,
      and Pase-C showed a clear band of about 44 kDa. Pase-B and -C hydrolyzed some
      synthetic substrates for trypsin, but Pase-B did not act on the carboxyl side of
      lysine in insulin chain B or on a synthetic substrate which trypsin and Pase-C
      acted on. Pase-A did not act on the synthetic substrates but cleaved the peptide
      bonds Glu-Ala and Ala-Leu of insulin. Leupeptin inhibition of the caseinolytic
      activity of both Pase-A and -B was similar to its inhibition of Pase-C.
      Phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and diisopropyl fluorophosphate strongly inhibited
      Pase-A, but no significant effect on the other enzymes was observed, suggesting
      that only Pase-A is a serine protease. The inhibitory characteristics of Pase-B
      and -C were very similar. Pase-A was not thiol dependent for enzyme activity, but
      Pase-B was strongly dependent, i.e., even more so than Pase-C. Pase-A inactivated
      the inhibitory activity of plasma alpha-1-antitrypsin, but the other two did not.
      These results show that P. gingivalis produces different types of proteases other
      than the trypsinlike protease generally reported.

PMID- 1879931
TI  - Adherence of Candida albicans to tissues from mice with genetic
      immunodeficiencies.
AB  - Ex vivo adherence comparisons were made between immunocompetent and
      immunocompromised mouse tissues, and the roles of serum immunoglobulin and
      macrophages in the adherence of Candida albicans were investigated. Spleen, lymph
      node, and kidney tissues were harvested from congenitally immunodeficient mice,
      including AKR/scid, C.B-17, C3Hscid, and N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice, and their normal
      counterparts into which the defects were bred (AKR/J, C3H/HeSnJ, and BALB/c-ByJ).
      Tissues were compared for the ability to bind C. albicans 219 in an ex vivo
      assay. In general, immunodeficiencies significantly decreased binding of C.
      albicans to spleen but not to lymph node or kidney tissue compared with
      immunocompetent mice. In C3Hscid and AKRscid mice, spleen tissues from "nonleaky"
      mice bound significantly fewer yeast cells (P = 0.0005 and 0.0009, respectively)
      than did those from C3H/HeSnJ or AKR/J mice. Numbers of adherent yeast cells were
      similar in "leaky" AKRscid and AKR/J mice. Yeast adherence to spleen tissue from
      N:NIH nu/bg/xid mice correlated with mouse age (P = 0.01). Measurements of total
      serum immunoglobulin indicated that the scid defect was most complete in C3Hscid
      mice and that yeast adherence in spleen tissue correlated with immunoglobulin
      titers. Results of adherence assays and macrophage-specific immunostains
      suggested that factors determining adherence differ among reticuloendothelial
      organs.

PMID- 1879932
TI  - Identification of hemolytic and cytotoxic proteins of Actinobacillus
      pleuropneumoniae by use of monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against extracellular hemolytic and
      cytotoxic proteins of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes 2 and 9. MAbs
      were tested for inhibition of hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of the reference
      strains of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 to 12. Five MAbs inhibited hemolytic
      or cytotoxic activities of one or more serotypes and were used to probe Western
      blots (immunoblots) of cytotoxic and hemolytic culture filtrates of serotypes 1
      to 12. The MAbs recognized three different proteins: (i) a protein of
      approximately 103 kDa that was associated with a weak hemolytic activity and a
      moderate cytotoxic activity, (ii) a protein of approximately 105 kDa that was
      associated with a strong hemolytic activity and a strong cytotoxic activity, and
      (iii) a protein of approximately 120 kDa that was associated with a strong
      cytotoxic activity but not with hemolytic activity. Serotypes 6, 7, and 12
      produced only the 103-kDa protein, and serotype 10 produced only the 105-kDa
      protein. The other serotypes produced two proteins: serotypes 1, 5, 9, and 11
      produced the 103- and 105-kDa proteins, and serotypes 2, 3, 4, and 8 produced the
      103- and 120-kDa proteins.

PMID- 1879933
TI  - Differential effect of aging on B-cell immune responses to cholera toxin in the
      inductive and effector sites of the mucosal immune system.
AB  - The age-associated primary immune response of B cells from the Peyer's patches
      (PP), the lamina propria (LP), the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and the spleen
      of mice following oral immunization with cholera toxin (CTx) was investigated.
      The induction of immune responses was assessed in 4-, 11-, and 24-month-old,
      individual C57BL/6J male mice by determining the number and isotype of anti-CTx
      ELISPOT-forming cells (SFC) in the PP, LPL, MLN, and spleen and the titer and
      isotype of serum anti-CTx antibody. The data indicate a significant age
      associated decline in immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA anti-CTx SFC in the LP B
      cells but only in IgA anti-CTx SFC in the PP. No decline was seen in the anti-CTx
      SFC response in the MLN and spleen. Peroral immunization of mice with CTx
      resulted in a serum anti-CTx antibody response which was predominantly of the IgG
      class in all three age groups of mice tested. There was no age-associated decline
      in anti-CTx IgM, IgG, or IgA titers in serum. Isoelectric focusing and affinity
      immunoblotting revealed several distinct new antibody clonotypes in the immune
      serum of old mice following oral immunization with CTx. The results indicate a
      loss of immune responsiveness to CTx following oral immunization in senescent PP
      and LP B cells. The MLN and spleen B-cell responses were found to be refractory
      to the loss of immune function with aging. These findings suggest a differential
      effect of aging in the inductive and effector sites of the mucosal immune system,
      and the loss of antigen-specific IgA responses at mucosal sites may have adverse
      effects on the host's defense against potential pathogens.

PMID- 1879934
TI  - Susceptibility of inbred mouse strains to infection with Serpula (Treponema)
      hyodysenteriae.
AB  - Several inbred strains of mice were inoculated with Serpula (Treponema)
      hyodysenteriae B204 to determine susceptibility to infection. Challenge doses of
      10(7) or 10(8) spirochetes induced cecal lesions in C3H/HeJ mice and other C3H
      strains of mice. However, more than a 100-fold difference existed between the
      dose required to induce lesions in 50% of the infected C3H/HeJ mice (8.3 x 10(7))
      and that required to induce them in 50% of the infected C3H/HeN mice (5 x 10(5)).
      C3H/HeJ mice lack a splenocyte mitogenic response to Escherichia coli
      lipopolysaccharide but exhibited a mitogenic response comparable to those of
      other C3H strains of mice when stimulated with S. hyodysenteriae endotoxin
      (butanol-water extract). Different inbred strains exhibited different
      susceptibilities to infection, with the strain C3H/HeN being the most susceptible
      on the basis of colonization and development of macroscopic cecal lesions. The
      ity gene had no apparent effect on susceptibility of mice challenged with S.
      hyodysenteriae. The involvement of the H-2 haplotype with susceptibility is
      unclear, but the mice bearing H-2k were more susceptible than mice with the H-2b,
      H-2d, or H-2q haplotype. These data support the hypothesis that the host's
      responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide influences the susceptibility to infection
      with S. hyodysenteriae. However, differences in susceptibility between inbred
      mice exist independent of the lps locus, suggesting that there are other inherent
      differences between mouse strains that affect susceptibility to infection by S.
      hyodysenteriae.

PMID- 1879935
TI  - Activation of bovine neutrophils by partially purified Pasteurella haemolytica
      leukotoxin.
AB  - In this study we developed a new method for the partial purification of
      Pasteurella haemolytica leukotoxin by size-exclusion high-performance liquid
      chromatography. The partially purified leukotoxin had a molecular weight of
      104,000, as estimated by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis, and reacted on an immunoblot with an antileukotoxin monoclonal
      antibody. As expected, high concentrations of the leukotoxin were inhibitory or
      lethal to bovine neutrophils. Incubation of bovine neutrophils with diluted
      leukotoxin, however, resulted in significant neutrophil activation that was
      comparable in magnitude to that obtained with standard activating agents such as
      opsonized zymosan or zymosan-activated serum. Dilute leukotoxin (1:128 to 1:8,192
      dilutions) stimulated an oxidative burst (luminol-dependent chemiluminescence) by
      bovine neutrophils that was comparable in magnitude to that obtained with
      opsonized zymosan. Preincubation with leukotoxin did not significantly prime the
      neutrophils for an enhanced oxidative burst when they were then exposed to
      opsonized zymosan as a second stimulus. Dilute leukotoxin (1:100 to 1:1,000
      dilutions) also stimulated cytoskeletal alterations in bovine neutrophils, as
      measured by a significant shape change response. Preferential release of
      secondary granule constituents (lactoferrin) occurred when neutrophils were
      incubated with 1:100 to 1:500 dilutions of leukotoxin. Significant release of
      primary granules, as measured by beta-glucosaminidase activity, was not observed
      except at low dilutions (1:20) of leukotoxin that resulted in significant release
      of cytosolic constituents (i.e., lactate dehydrogenase activity). The neutrophil
      activating activity of the leukotoxin was heat labile, unaffected by polymyxin B,
      and abrogated by a leukotoxin-neutralizing monoclonal antibody. These data
      indicate that P. haemolytica leukotoxin, like the closely related Escherichia
      coli hemolysin, is a potent neutrophil-activating agent. Leukotoxin-stimulated
      release of neutrophil oxygen intermediates and granule constituents may
      contribute to the intense inflammation that characterizes bovine pulmonary
      pasteurellosis.

PMID- 1879936
TI  - Cells within the vascular system capable of mediating trypanocidal activity in
      vitro.
AB  - Cure of Trypanosoma musculi infection involves an effector mechanism mediated by
      immunoglobulin G2a antibody, C3, and an unidentified effector cell. In the
      present study, experiments were designed to identify the cell(s) within the
      vascular system that may be responsible for cure of trypanosomiasis. The ability
      of various cell populations to mediate killing of trypanosomes in the presence of
      C3 and immune plasma (IP) was tested in vitro. Blood-derived platelets or
      leukocytes or Bio-Gel-elicited macrophages or neutrophils were incubated at
      various concentrations with T. musculi, C3, and IP diluted up to 1 in 8.
      Trypanocidal activity was dependent upon the presence and concentration of IP and
      on the number of cells in the wells. Macrophages, neutrophils, and platelets were
      shown to kill with different potencies. With a 2:1 cell-to-parasite ratio, both
      macrophages and neutrophils reduced parasite numbers by 2 log, while platelets at
      a 40:1 ratio mediated a 1 log decrease. In addition, even in the absence of C3,
      the phagocytes were capable of killing trypanosomes while platelet trypanocidal
      activity was abrogated. The time course of trypanocidal activity was monitored
      for macrophages and neutrophils. The number of parasites decreased by 0.5 log by
      4 h and 1 to 2 log by 8 h and by 20 h was reduced to zero. Cultured monolayers of
      endothelial cells were also tested for trypanocidal activity and shown to kill
      the parasites in the presence of IP and C3. The level of trypanocidal activity
      was dependent on the concentration of IP.

PMID- 1879937
TI  - Identification of two proteins associated with virulence of Streptococcus suis
      type 2.
AB  - The protein profiles of various cell fractions of 180 strains of Streptococcus
      suis type 2, which were isolated from diseased pigs, from healthy pigs when they
      were slaughtered, and from human patients, were analyzed by sodium dodecyl
      sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. The isolates from
      diseased pigs contained two proteins that were absent in most of the isolates
      from healthy pigs. One of these proteins was a 136-kDa protein that was
      previously identified as the muramidase-released protein (MRP). This protein was
      predominantly detected in protoplast supernatants and culture supernatants. The
      second protein was a 110-kDa protein that was detected only in culture
      supernatants and therefore was provisionally called extracellular factor (EF).
      Three phenotypes of S. suis type 2 strains were recognized. Isolates from organs
      of diseased pigs mainly belonged to the MRP+ EF+ phenotype (77%), while isolates
      from tonsils of healthy pigs mainly had the MRP- EF- phenotype (86%). Most of the
      isolates from human patients contained MRP (89%); 74% had the MRP+ EF- phenotype.
      These findings confirm the results of previous investigations which demonstrated
      that S. suis type 2 strains differ in virulence. Monoclonal antibodies raised
      against the 110-kDa EF recognized proteins with higher molecular weights in
      culture supernatants of all of the strains with the MRP+ EF- phenotype. However,
      none of the strains with the MRP+ EF+ phenotype produced these high-molecular
      weight proteins. Our results demonstrate that MRP and EF are associated with
      virulence. This suggests that one or both of these proteins are virulence factors
      that play a role in the pathogenesis of S. suis type 2 infections in pigs and
      human patients.

PMID- 1879938
TI  - The T-cell-stimulating 17-kilodalton protein of Francisella tularensis LVS is a
      lipoprotein.
AB  - A T-cell-stimulating, membrane-located 17-kDa protein of the live vaccine strain
      Francisella tularensis LVS has previously been cloned and sequenced. In the
      present study, it is shown to be a lipoprotein. When F. tularensis was grown in
      the presence of [3H]palmitate, several proteins of the organism, including a 17
      kDa protein, were radiolabeled. The labeled 17-kDa protein was found by Western
      blot (immunoblot) analysis to be identical to the cloned protein. It was located
      in the detergent phase after partitioning with the nonionic detergent Triton X
      114, thereby behaving like a hydrophobic integral membrane protein. The protein
      was predominantly hydrophilic and contained no putative transmembrane domain. The
      presence of fatty acids is therefore the probable explanation of the membrane
      location of the 17-kDa protein. The amino acid sequence of the 17-kDa protein
      contains the tetrapeptide Leu-Ala-Ser-Cys, which is a recognition sequence of the
      lipoprotein signal peptidase. Globomycin, a specific inhibitor of the peptidase,
      inhibited maturation of the 17-kDa lipoprotein. The protein incorporated
      [3H]palmitate also when expressed by Escherichia coli. The 17-kDa lipoprotein was
      recognized not only by T cells but also by serum antibodies of F. tularensis
      primed individuals.

PMID- 1879939
TI  - Isolation of an intracellular bacterium from hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) with
      proliferative ileitis and reproduction of the disease with a pure culture.
AB  - An intracellular bacterium was isolated from hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) with
      proliferative ileitis. The organism was isolated in Intestine 407 and GPC-16 cell
      cultures (incubated in a microaerophilic atmosphere) from isolated and lysed
      epithelial cells from hamsters with proliferative ileitis. The bacterium measured
      1.4 to 1.7 microns in length by 0.26 to 0.34 microns in width, was slightly
      curved, and had an irregular trilaminar cell wall. Inoculation of hamsters with a
      cell culture lysate containing the organism or a 0.65-microns-pore-size filtrate
      of an infected-cell lysate resulted in the typical lesions of proliferative
      ileitis in approximately 50% of the animals in 28 days. Hamsters inoculated with
      uninfected cells or a 0.2-microns-pore-size filtrate of an infected-cell lysate
      remained uninfected. Attempts to propagate the organism on cell-free media have
      been unsuccessful.

PMID- 1879940
TI  - Lethal effects of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin on human T
      lymphocytes.
AB  - The majority of strains of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolated from
      patients with periodontal diseases secrete a leukotoxin that destroys human
      myeloid cells within minutes but has no effect on viability of peripheral blood
      lymphocytes in culture for 1.5 h. However, since this organism persists in the
      gingival crevice and thus may continuously release toxin over extended periods of
      time, we assessed the viability of T cells cultured with leukotoxin (0 to 250
      ng/ml) for up to 2 days. Although the total numbers of cells recovered from
      cultures with or without leukotoxin were equivalent, leukotoxin killed up to 70%
      of the T cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Cell death was
      associated with uptake of propidium iodide, release of 51Cr from the cytoplasm,
      and morphological evidence of damage to the plasma membrane and apoptosis.
      Leukotoxin also induced increased cleavage of chromosomal DNA into nucleosome
      sized fragments, suggesting activation of an endogenous nuclease in the T cells.
      These data suggest that leukotoxin kills T cells by pathways resembling necrosis
      and programmed cell death. Leukotoxin-induced lymphotoxicity may represent a
      critical mechanism by which A. actinomycetemcomitans suppresses the host local
      immune response and contributes to the pathogenesis of diseases involving this
      microorganisms.

PMID- 1879941
TI  - Killing of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro by nitric oxide derivatives.
AB  - We have investigated the in vitro susceptibility of the human malaria parasite
      Plasmodium falciparum to killing by nitric oxide and related molecules. A
      saturated solution of nitric oxide did not inhibit parasite growth, but two
      oxidation products of nitric oxide (nitrite and nitrate ions) were toxic to the
      parasite in millimolar concentrations. Nitrosothiol derivatives of cysteine and
      glutathione were found to be about a thousand times more active (50% growth
      inhibitory concentration, approximately 40 microM) than nitrite.

PMID- 1879942
TI  - Inhibitory effects of human salivary histatins and lysozyme on coaggregation
      between Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus mitis.
AB  - The effects of histatins on coaggregation between Porphyromonas gingivalis 381
      and Streptococcus mitis ATCC 9811 were investigated by using a turbidimetric
      assay. The coaggregation activity was significantly inhibited by histatins 5 and
      8 and strongly by lysozyme. Tritium-labeled histatin 8 bound to P. gingivalis
      cells but not to S. mitis cells.

PMID- 1879943
TI  - Growth of Francisella spp. in rodent macrophages.
AB  - We examined the nature of the interactions between the facultative intracellular
      pathogens Francisella tularensis and F. novicida and rodent macrophages. Growth
      of F. tularensis LVS was observed in macrophage monolayers from mice, guinea
      pigs, or rats. In contrast, F. novicida grew in macrophages from mice and guinea
      pigs but not in macrophages from rats. Transmission electron microscopy studies
      indicated that both Francisella species survive within macrophage phagosomes that
      are unfused with lysosomes.

PMID- 1879944
TI  - Pathogenicity of Candida albicans auxotrophic mutants in experimental infections.
AB  - Auxotrophic and prototrophic control strain pairs of Candida albicans constructed
      by molecular biology methodologies were evaluated for pathogenicity in a systemic
      mouse model. Mutants that were auxotrophic for adenine, uracil, and heme each
      showed a lowered level of pathogenicity relative to control strains. It can be
      concluded from these experiments that decreased pathogenicity in each case is due
      to the auxotrophic mutation, because mutant and control strains were constructed
      so as to differ at a single locus. These observations suggest that new
      therapeutic agents for Candida infections might be designed based upon the
      inhibition of biosynthetic pathways that, in some cases, might be absent from the
      host.

PMID- 1879945
TI  - Rat model of congenital toxoplasmosis.
AB  - A rat model of congenital toxoplasmosis is described for the study of protective
      immunity and chemotherapy during pregnancy. Six Sprague-Dawley 7- to 15-day
      gestational rats were inoculated orally (three rats, trial A) or subcutaneously
      (three rats, trial B) with 10,000 infective oocysts of the CT-1 strain of
      Toxoplasma gondii. The tissues of rat pups born from these rats were bioassayed
      for T. gondii infection. T. gondii was recovered from 30 of 33 (90.9%, trial B)
      and 23 of 28 (82.17%, trial A) rat pups bioassayed at 1 to 134 days of age. Two
      10- to 14-day gestational pregnant rats were inoculated subcutaneously (trial C)
      with 10,000 infective bradyzoites from tissue cysts; 10 of 23 (43.8%) of the
      newborn pups were infected with T. gondii. Congenital infection occurred only
      when rats were infected during pregnancy. None of three rats in trial A that had
      given birth to congenitally infected rat pups produced congenitally infected rat
      pups during the second pregnancy.

PMID- 1879946
TI  - Protein and antigen heterogeneity among strains of Mycoplasma fermentans.
AB  - The proteins and antigens of three strains of Mycoplasma fermentans were compared
      with those of a mycoplasma, designated "Mycoplasma incognitus," recently
      identified in tissues of AIDS patients. Previous studies have shown that "M.
      incognitus" is most likely not a new species but rather a strain of M.
      fermentans. In the present study, one- and two-dimensional electrophoretic
      analysis demonstrated the expected similarity between these mycoplasmas, but it
      also demonstrated several distinct protein differences. Nine proteins were
      identified as strain variable by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Also,
      immunoblot analysis using rabbit antiserum against the type strain of M.
      fermentans (strain PG 18) documented the occurrence of size heterogeneity in at
      least one and possibly two other antigens.

PMID- 1879947
TI  - Blood proteins do not promote adherence of coagulase-negative staphylococci to
      biomaterials.
AB  - We studied the effects of in vitro and in vivo coating of catheters with human
      blood proteins on binding of coagulase-negative staphylococci. Coating resulted
      in no enhancement of binding. Catheters coated in vitro bound fewer organisms
      than uncoated catheters. Host proteins do not enhance adherence of coagulase
      negative staphylococci to biomaterials.

PMID- 1879948
TI  - Successive synovial Mycoplasma hominis isolates exhibit apparent antigenic
      variation.
AB  - The expression of surface proteins by 14 successive Mycoplasma hominis isolates
      obtained from the synovial fluid of a chronically infected septic arthritis
      patient was examined. Marked differences in the expression of surface proteins,
      as determined by monoclonal antibodies raised against the first isolate, were
      observed. However, identical restriction patterns and virtually identical
      hybridization patterns with probes containing the conserved genes of the
      Mycoplasma capricolum rRNA operon and the Escherichia coli elongation factor Tu
      suggest that the protein differences might reflect antigenic variation by M.
      hominis during infection.

PMID- 1879949
TI  - Distribution, expression, and long-range mapping of legiolysin gene (lly)
      specific DNA sequences in legionellae.
AB  - The legiolysin gene (lly) cloned from Legionella pneumophila Philadelphia 1
      confers the phenotypes of hemolysis and browning of the culture medium. An
      internal lly-specific DNA probe was used in Southern hybridizations for the
      detection of lly-specific DNA in the genomes of legionellae and other gram
      negative pathogenic bacteria. Under conditions of high stringency, the lly DNA
      probe specifically reacted with DNA fragments from L. pneumophila isolates; by
      reducing stringency, hybridization was also observed for all other Legionella
      strains tested. No hybridization occurred with DNAs isolated from bacteria of
      other genera. The lly gene was mapped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to the
      respective genomic NotI fragments of Legionella isolates. By using antilegiolysin
      monospecific polyclonal antibodies in Western blots (immunoblots), Lly proteins
      could be detected only in L. pneumophila isolates.

PMID- 1879950
TI  - Purification and characterization of Helicobacter mustelae urease.
AB  - Helicobacter mustelae is a urease-rich bacterium associated with gastritis in
      ferrets. The ureases of H. mustelae and Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium
      implicated in human gastritis, share many characteristics. Helicobacter sp.
      ureases appear to be unique among bacterial enzymes in exhibiting submillimolar
      Km values and in being composed of two subunits.

PMID- 1879951
TI  - Intracellular microorganisms: a particular problem for chemotherapy.
      Introduction.

PMID- 1879952
TI  - Intracellular survival and expression of virulence determinants of Legionella
      pneumophila.
AB  - Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease is able to
      live and multiply within macrophages as well as within protozoan organisms.
      Legionella strains inhibit phagosome-lysosome fusion and phagosome acidification.
      By using two different cell culture systems, one derived from human macrophages
      and the other from human embryo lung fibroblastic cells, it is demonstrated that
      Legionella strains lose their virulence following cultivation in the laboratory.
      In order to study the mechanisms involved in intracellular survival of Legionella
      a genomic library of strain Legionella pneumophila Philadelphia I was established
      in Escherichia coli K-12. By cosmid cloning technique we were able to clone five
      putative virulence factors, two of which exhibit hemolytic activities and three
      of which represent membrane-associated proteins of 19, 26 and 60 kilodalton. One
      of the hemolytic proteins, termed legiolysin, represents a new toxin which
      specifically lyses human erythrocytes. The other hemolysin exhibits proteolytic
      properties in addition and is cytolytic for Vero and CHO cells. Further studies
      will be necessary to determine the exact role of the cloned proteins in the
      pathogenesis of Legionella.

PMID- 1879953
TI  - Microbial strategies for intracellular survival.
AB  - Not only viruses but also certain bacteria, fungi as well as protozoa are able to
      reside and multiply within host cells; some of these microorganisms are
      facultative, others obligate intracellular hosts. They differ from each other in
      their mode of entry and in their strategies to survive intracellularly. Some
      remain in the phagocytic vacuole where they either block the fusion of lysosomes
      or resist the attack of the acidic milieu as well as the enzymatic digestion and
      multiply. Others escape from the vacuole to the cytoplasm where they travel
      around. This implies that chemotherapy has to respect these various intracellular
      life cycles. Therefore an antibiotic treatment can only be effective when the
      drug arrives in an active form at the special site of microbial residence.

PMID- 1879954
TI  - Molecular architecture and dynamics of the plasma membrane lipid bilayer: the red
      blood cell as a model.
AB  - The structural backbone of the erythrocyte membrane, as well as that of any other
      plasma membrane, is provided by a lipid bilayer which is composed of more than
      100 molecular species. The individual lipid classes are distributed over both
      halves of the bilayer in a highly asymmetric fashion: all glycolipids are
      exclusively confined to the outer membrane leaflet where we also find the
      majority of the two choline-containing phospholipids, sphingomyelin and
      phosphatidylcholine. The two amino-phospholipids are predominantly
      (phosphatidylethanolamine) or even exclusively (phosphatidylserine) localized in
      the cytoplasmic half of the bilayer. Glycolipids and sphingomyelin are not
      subject to transbilayer movements, a property that (under normal conditions) is
      shared by phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylcholine exhibits a relatively slow
      transbilayer movement, revealing half-time values from 3 to 27 h, whereas
      phosphatidylethanolamine is subject to an ATP-dependent "flippase"-catalyzed
      inward movement with a half-time of approximately 30 min. Probably much faster
      than that of any other lipid, is the transbilayer movement of cholesterol,
      revealing a half-time value in the order of seconds.

PMID- 1879955
TI  - In vitro studies of endocytic membrane traffic.

PMID- 1879956
TI  - Activity of intracellular antibiotics.
AB  - We have studied the intracellular bioactivity of several antimicrobial agents
      against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen sequestrated in
      phagolysosomes, using peripheral blood neutrophils from human volunteers. This
      was compared to the activity of cell-associated drugs also measured in vitro.
      Several discrepancies (high cellular association, low bioactivity) were observed
      (coumermycin, glycopeptides, erythromycin and clindamycin) which can be due to
      the binding of the drug to a particular cellular organelle, to intracellular
      metabolization or inactivation, to unfavourable conditions in the phagolysosome
      (pH drop), or to a toxic effect of the drug on the functions of the neutrophil.
      Addition of the antibiotic during ingestion was frequently associated with better
      neutrophil-dependent killing through several potential mechanisms: coingestion of
      the antibiotic with the inoculum, modification of opsonization, release of
      activating substances and fragilization of the microorganism to oxygen-dependent
      or -independent killing mechanisms.

PMID- 1879957
TI  - Liposomes and nanoparticles as vehicles for antibiotics.
AB  - Colloidal drug carriers such as liposomes and nanoparticles are easily taken up
      by phagocytic cells and accumulate in the organs of the reticuloendothelial
      system. Therefore, they hold promise as carriers for the treatment of
      intracellular infections with antibiotics that would normally not find easy
      access to intracellular sites. Consequently, in in vitro and in vivo experiments
      the therapeutic efficacy of substances such as amphotericin B,
      dihydrostreptomycin, amikacin, ampicillin, stibogluconate against a number of
      microorganisms including Leishmania donovani, Candida albicans, Staphylococcus
      aureus, Mycobacterium avium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella typhimurium
      was increased significantly by binding to liposomes and nanoparticles.

PMID- 1879959
TI  - Seminal plasma immunosuppressive activity: the achilles heel of reproduction.

PMID- 1879958
TI  - Therapeutic activities of antibiotics in listeriosis.
AB  - In vitro practically all common antibiotics except cephalosporins are active
      against nearly all natural isolates of Listeria monocytogenes; the therapeutic
      efficacy of antibiotic treatment is, however, rather limited, since up to 30%
      listeriosis patients will succumb to this infection. At least one reason for this
      low in vivo efficiency is the intracellular habitat of L. monocytogenes. In
      animal experiments ampicillin or amoxicillin, respectively, are still the most
      active drugs. In addition, rifampicin also has pronounced protective activity.
      Coumermycin, which unfortunately cannot be given to humans, is the most reliable
      drug in animals.

PMID- 1879960
TI  - LDH and LDH-X activity in sperm from normospermic and oligozoospermic men.
AB  - Total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured in washed sperm from 74
      oligozoospermic patients and 148 normospermic men. In the same samples, an
      additional iso-enzyme specific for germ cells, LDH-X was also measured. Both
      enzymatic activities were significantly higher in sperm from oligozoospermic
      patients than in those from normospermic men (P less than 0.001). In
      oligozoospermic patients, sperm LDH and LDH-X activities were related inversely
      to sperm concentration (r = -0.61 and r = -0.53, respectively). In normospermic
      men, this inverse relationship was less evident (r = -0.28 and r = -0.25,
      respectively). After separation of sperm on a discontinuous gradient of Percoll,
      LDH and LDH-X activities were increased in the non-migrated-sperm fractions and
      reduced in the migrated-sperm fractions in both groups of subjects when compared
      to the initial semen specimens. In addition, migrated sperm from oligozoospermic
      and normospermic men did not differ in their LDH and LDH-X activities. Although
      the possible contribution of immature germ-cells to these findings remains to be
      defined, the data suggest clearly that high levels of intracellular LDH and LDH-X
      are a biochemical feature of sperm from oligozoospermic subjects.

PMID- 1879961
TI  - An automated chemiluminescence test for diagnosis of leukocytospermia.
AB  - A new rapid and sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) test was developed for the
      analysis of leucocytes in semen. Opsonized zymosan induced luminol-dependent CL
      of diluted (1:500) semen was measured in samples from 64 fertile and infertile
      men with or without leukocytospermia, using an automated luminometer set-up. The
      white-blood-cell (WBC) count in semen was determined using a conventional
      leucocyte-peroxidase staining method. A good linear correlation (r = 0.932) was
      observed between the seminal white-blood-cell number and the CL response. The
      coefficients of inter-assay variations for the CL method were 9.6% and 1.8% for
      semen samples with 0.3 x 10(6) WBC ml-1 and 3.2 x 10(6) WBC ml-1, respectively.
      The results also suggest that the previously reported inhibitory effect of
      seminal plasma on CL activity of human phagocytes is due to the quenching of
      light-producing reactions and that this can be circumvented by using appropriate
      semen dilution. It is concluded that the simple and high-capacity CL test is an
      especially convenient method for routine diagnosis of leukocytospermia.

PMID- 1879962
TI  - 'Water-test': a simple method to assess sperm-membrane integrity.
AB  - The functional integrity of the membrane of sperm from semen samples collected
      from 10 fertile men (Group A) and from 50 infertile men (Group B) was assessed by
      studying the swelling reaction of sperm when suspended in a medium of distilled
      water ('Water-test'). The results were correlated with routine semen-analysis and
      with the results of Eosin-Y staining. The mean values for the 'Water-test' were
      significantly different (P less than 0.01) between Groups A and B (84.8 +/- 3.5
      versus 70.9 +/- 13.3, respectively). No significant correlations were observed in
      either Group A or B, between values for the 'Water-test' and values for the sperm
      count, the percentage of sperm with normal morphology and the percentage of
      motile sperm. There was a good correlation in both Group A (r = 0.86, P less than
      0.01) and Group B (r = 0.92, P less than 0.01) between values for the 'Water
      test' and those for the Eosin-Y test. These results indicate that the 'Water
      test' is a simple and reliable test for evaluating sperm membrane integrity.

PMID- 1879963
TI  - Effects of piperine on hamster sperm capacitation and fertilization in vitro.
AB  - The effect of piperine on the fertilizing ability of hamster sperm was
      investigated in vitro. Sperm were incubated in a capacitation medium for 3 h
      prior to co-incubation with hamster eggs in a fertilization medium for another 3
      h. Addition of 0.18-1.05 mM piperine to the capacitation medium reduced both the
      percentage of eggs fertilized and the degree of polyspermia in a dose-dependent
      manner. When piperine was added to the fertilization medium alone, a significant
      reduction in fertilization was observed only at high doses (0.70-1.05 mM). The
      presence of piperine in the capacitation medium inhibited the acrosome reaction
      in a dose-dependent manner but had no effect on sperm motility, whether this was
      measured quantitatively or qualitatively. Piperine also inhibited the influx of
      calcium into sperm during capacitation. It is suggested that such an inhibition
      might be a major cause of a reduction of the acrosome reaction and the subsequent
      impairment of fertilizing ability of sperm.

PMID- 1879964
TI  - Serological discrimination between HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibodies by ELISA using
      synthetic peptides as antigens.
AB  - Using the peptides from amino acids 100-130 of the HTLV-I gag protein, 175-199 of
      the HTLV-I env protein and the corresponding peptides of HTLV-II (amino acids 106
      to 135 of the gag protein and 171 to 196 of the env protein), we tested for
      reactivity against antibodies by enzyme immunoassay in sera from HTLV-I and HTLV
      II carriers. The peptides derived from the env proteins have high specificity for
      antibody binding. The peptide based on amino acids 175-199 of HTLV-I reacted with
      antibodies in sera from all HTLV-I carriers, and the peptide composed of amino
      acids 171-196 of HTLV-II reacted with antibodies in sera from all HTLV-II
      carriers. For the peptides derived from the gag proteins, we observed some cross
      reactivity in sera from persons with anti-HTLV-I and anti-HTLV-II, due to
      antibody binding to the peptide corresponding to 12 amino acids from the C
      terminal end of the gag protein. Separate enzyme immunoassays that used the four
      synthetic peptides as antigens clearly distinguished between serum with
      antibodies to HTLV-I or HTLV-II in various individuals and excluded false
      positive results using the particle agglutination assay that used a whole-virus
      lysate of HTLV-I as antigen.

PMID- 1879965
TI  - Incidence and prognostic significance of vascular invasion in 529 gastric-cancer
      patients.
AB  - The prognostic significance of blood-vessel invasion (BVI) and lymphatic-vessel
      invasion (LVI) was evaluated in a retrospective series of 529 gastric-cancer
      patients who underwent potentially curative surgery. Evidence for BVI was found
      in 127 patients (24.0%), while LVI was demonstrated in 245 patients (46.3%). The
      incidence of both BVI and LVI run parallel to increasing tumor size and tumor
      stage as well as to decreasing grade of tumor differentiation. The incidence of
      BVI and LVI was higher in lymph-node-positive patients than in lymph-node
      negative patients. The 5-year-survival rate was significantly lower (p less than
      0.0001) in patients with BVI or LVI (14.9% and 22.2% respectively) than in
      patients without BVI or LVI (54.7% and 64.1% respectively). Both BVI and LVI were
      shown to be prognostic factors independent of tumor stage, grade of
      differentiation or lymph-node involvement. In a multivariate Cox regression
      analysis, the gain of prognostic information provided by the evidence of BVI and
      LVI was shown to exceed the information obtained by the combination of tumor
      stage, grade of differentiation and lymph-node involvement. A careful search for
      vascular invasion in gastric cancer may therefore provide additional useful
      information for identifying patients who are at high risk and who may be
      candidates for adjuvant therapy in future clinical trials.

PMID- 1879966
TI  - Leanness and lung-cancer risk.
AB  - Body mass index (weight/height2) was studied for its prediction of lung cancer in
      Finnish men examined by the Social Insurance Institution's Mobile Clinic and
      followed up by the Finnish Cancer Registry. Among 25,994 participants aged 20 to
      75 years and free from cancer at the start of the study, 504 lung-cancer cases
      were diagnosed during a maximum follow-up of 19 years. There was a significant
      inverse gradient between body mass index and the incidence of lung cancer. This
      association was not due to confounding by age, smoking, social class, self
      perceived general health, history of stress symptoms, chronic cough or chest X
      ray findings, although these factors correlated with body mass index and were
      also significantly predictive of lung cancer. After adjustment for these factors,
      the relative risks of lung cancer were 1.0, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.8 (p for trend less
      than 0.001) from the highest to the lowest quartiles of body mass index. The
      association was noted among current smokers, but it was most obvious among men
      who had never smoked, the relative risk of lung cancer between the lowest and
      highest quartiles of body mass index being 7.6 (95% confidence interval = 2.0 to
      29.4). The inverse gradient persisted throughout the entire follow-up period, and
      was most distinct after the first 10 years of follow-up, the relative risks for
      the quartiles of body mass index being 1.0, 1.9, 2.3 and 2.6 (p less than 0.001).
      The present study shows that the thinner the man, the more liable he is to
      develop lung cancer. Leanness or some factor or cluster of factors closely
      correlated to it, may play an aetiological role in lung cancer.

PMID- 1879967
TI  - Diet and bladder cancer in Spain: a multi-centre case-control study.
AB  - A multi-centre case-control study on bladder cancer and diet was carried out in 5
      regions of Spain. We report results on 432 male cases and 792 matched controls.
      Usual dietary habits were investigated by means of an interview-based dietary
      history questionnaire. Bladder-cancer cases were selected from the registers of
      12 hospitals located in the study areas. Each case was matched by sex, age and
      area of residence to 2 controls, one identified in the same hospital and one
      drawn from population lists. Descriptive analyses indicated that the average
      dietary pattern was typical of Mediterranean populations: a high P/S ratio, high
      intake of fish, fruits and vegetables and moderate or low intake of meat and
      dairy products. Relative risks for specific foods and nutrients were adjusted for
      tobacco smoking and energy intake. Subjects in the highest quarter of intake of
      saturated fat had a significantly increased risk of bladder cancer (RR for
      highest quarter = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.42 to 3.55). Moderate increases in risk for
      high intake of mono-unsaturated fats and calcium, and a slight decrease for iron
      were also found, but these disappeared after adjustment for saturated fat. Intake
      of vitamin E was related to slightly reduced risk (RR for highest quarter = 0.72;
      95% CI = 0.48 to 1.09) which was not modified by adjustment for fat. No
      association was found with intake of retinol or carotene. These results, along
      with those of previous studies, suggest that saturated fat intake may influence
      the occurrence of bladder cancer.

PMID- 1879968
TI  - Differential susceptibility of BALB/c and DBA/2 cells to plasmacytoma induction
      in reciprocal chimeras.
AB  - Reciprocal chimeras were generated between BALB/c and DBA/2 mice by inoculating
      newborn recipients of either strain with bone-marrow (BM) cells of the other
      through the periorbital vein. DBA/2 mice inoculated with the BALB/c with proven
      chimerism will be referred to as C----D, the reciprocal as D----C. The BALB/c
      cells carried a Robertsonian 6;15 (Rb6;15) chromosome marker to facilitate
      identification. The chimeric mice contained between 5% and 70% of donor cells
      when examined at 4 to 5 weeks of age. Six of 10 C----D developed plasmacytomas
      (MPC) after 3 x 0.5 ml monthly pristane treatment (incidence 60%) and 8 of 25
      (incidence 32%) after 2 to 3 x 0.5 ml pristane followed by Abelson virus (A-MuLV)
      infection. Seven of 15 D----C developed MPC after pristane treatment (incidence
      47%) and 4 of 17 after pristane + A-MuLV (incidence 24%). All tumors that have
      arisen in both reciprocal chimeras originated from BALB/c cells independently of
      the degree of chimerism. All tumors contained an Ig/myc translocation. Among the
      C----D chimeras, 5 carried t(12;15) and I t(6;15) in the pristane-treated group,
      while 4 carried t(12;15), I t(6;15) and 3 t(15;16) in the pristane + A-MuLV.
      Among the D----C chimeras 6 carried t(12;15) and I t(6;15) in the pristane
      treated group, while 3 t(12;15) and I t(6;15) in the pristane + A-MuLV. No tumors
      developed in 18 pristane- and 22 pristane + A-MuLV-treated DBA/2 mice nor in 15
      pristane- and 17 pristane + A-MuLV-treated (BALB/c x DBA/2)F1 mice. The data
      indicate that BALB/c and DBA/2 cells differ in their propensity to transform into
      plasmacytoma in identical host environments after both pristane and pristane + A
      MuLV treatment. They also show that the oil granuloma can support MPC development
      in either type of chimeric host.

PMID- 1879969
TI  - Establishment of an IL-2 independent, human T-cell line possessing only the p70
      IL-2 receptor.
AB  - A continuous cell line was established from the blood of a patient (HH) with an
      aggressive cutaneous T-cell leukemia/lymphoma who lacked antibodies to human T
      lymphotrophic virus, type I. The immunophenotype of the cultured cells was CD2+,
      CD3+, CD4+, CD5+, CD8-, DR+ and CD25- (Tac, IL-2 receptor alpha chain). Southern
      blot hybridization analysis of T-cell-receptor beta chain DNA demonstrated the
      same rearrangement in freshly isolated blood cells and cultured cells, indicating
      that the cell line was derived from the patient's malignant clone. Since cultured
      T-cells grew in complete medium without added IL-2, we investigated whether HH
      cells could be producing and responding to IL-2 in an autocrine fashion. However,
      no IL-2 was detectable in supernatant from the cell line, while antibodies to IL
      2, or to the IL-2 receptor alpha or beta chains did not inhibit cell growth. In
      addition, no mRNA message for IL-2 was detectable in these cells. The results
      appear to exclude an autocrine IL-2-dependent mechanism of cell growth for this T
      cell line. Although cultured HH cells lacked detectable IL-2 receptor alpha
      chain, they did show increased proliferation to exogenous IL-2. Binding studies
      with 125I-IL-2 demonstrated an intermediate affinity receptor for IL-2, KD = 1.7
      nM, with 6400 binding sites per cell, suggesting the presence of an IL-2 receptor
      beta chain. Consistent with these findings 125I-IL-2 cross-linking studies
      demonstrated a single receptor calculated to be 75 kDa. Also, the beta chain of
      the IL-2 receptor was detected by immunofluorescence using specific monoclonal
      antibodies (MAbs). Nanomolar concentrations of an IL-2-diphtheria toxin fusion
      protein inhibited cellular protein synthesis, an effect abrogated by native IL-2.
      These findings indicate that the IL-2 receptor beta-chain was functional. This
      novel mature T-cell line may be useful in studies of IL-2 receptor regulation and
      in analysis of the mechanism of T-cell leukemogenesis.

PMID- 1879970
TI  - Selective induction of endothelial cell tissue factor in the presence of a tumour
      derived mediator: a potential mechanism of flavone acetic acid action in tumour
      vasculature.
AB  - Flavone acetic acid (FAA) is a potentially useful anti-tumour agent which has
      been reported to induce changes in tumour vasculature, in particular loss of
      bloodflow. This led us to examine whether endothelium could be a cellular target
      of FAA action, with resultant modulation of cell-surface coagulant properties
      leading to activation of coagulation and blockade of tumour blood flow.
      Incubation of endothelium with FAA led to the expression of functional tissue
      factor on the cell surface, in a time-dependent and dose-dependent (half-maximal
      at 0.6-0.7 mg/ml) manner. Induction of tissue-factor activity resulted from de
      novo translation of the tissue factor message. To explain the selectivity of
      FAA's action on tumour vasculature in vivo, we considered its interaction with
      tumour-derived factors. Starting with serum-free FO-I-melanoma cell-conditioned
      medium, a co-factor enhancing FAA-mediated induction of endothelial tissue factor
      (FO-I factor) was partially purified by sequential ion exchange and reverse phase
      chromatography, followed by preparative SDS-PAGE. The FO-I factor migrates with
      an apparent Mr of approx. 20 to 25,000 on non-reduced SDS-PAGE, is sensitive to
      protease K, and augments the effect of FAA on endothelial-cell-tissue factor.
      This activity is not found in supernatants from non-neoplastically transformed
      cell lines. These data lead us to hypothesize that FAA exerts its action, at
      least in part, by promoting activation of coagulation on the endothelial surface,
      and this effect is selective for the tumour bed by virtue of its interaction with
      a tumour-derived factor. The interaction of FAA with host factors may be
      important for optimizing its therapeutic efficacy for a particular tumour.

PMID- 1879971
TI  - Synergistic anti-tumor effects of combined IL-1/IFN-alpha/beta therapy in mice
      injected with metastatic Friend erythroleukemia cells.
AB  - Peritumoral injection of relatively low doses of either mouse interferon (IFN)
      alpha/beta (10,000-20,000 units/injection) or of recombinant human interleukin-1
      (IL-1) beta (125-250 ng/injection) in mice transplanted s.c. with Friend
      erythroleukemia cells (FLC) resulted in some inhibition of primary tumor growth,
      inhibition of liver and splenic metastases and increased survival time. A
      synergistic anti-tumor effect was observed in mice injected with both IL-1 and
      IFN-alpha/beta. Highly purified mouse IFN-beta also exerted a synergistic anti
      tumor effect when combined with IL-1-beta in mice injected with FLC. The anti
      tumor action of IL-1/IFN was markedly reduced in mice treated with antibodies to
      CD4 antigens. Antibodies to asialo-GM1 also diminished the anti-tumor effect by
      the combined cytokine treatment. The combined IL-1/IFN therapy was effective in
      NK-deficient bg/bg mice, although the extent of the anti-tumor response in these
      mice was less than that observed in bg/+mice.

PMID- 1879972
TI  - Subcellular localization, redistribution and photobleaching of sulfonated
      aluminum phthalocyanines in a human melanoma cell line.
AB  - Intracellular localization, intracellular translocation and photobleaching
      following non-lethal laser microirradiation of the fluorescing derivatives of
      sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanines (Al-PcSn, n = 1-4) in a human melanoma cell
      line (LOX) were studied by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM) and
      image processing. Use of confocal microscopy allowed 3-dimensional information to
      be obtained. Both Al-PcS1 and Al-PcS2 localized diffusely in the cytoplasm of the
      cells, while Al-PcS3 and Al-PcS4 exhibited a granular pattern in the extranuclear
      fraction of the cells. None of the Al-PcSn family was observed in the nuclei of
      the cells except that a small fraction of fluorescence was occasionally detected
      in nuclei of some cells treated with Al-PcS1 and Al-PcS2. Furthermore, exactly
      the same granular localization patterns and positions in the same cells were
      found after incubation initially with Al-PcS3 (or Al-PcS4) followed by acridine
      orange (AO) which emits red fluorescence from lysosomes of cells. Thus, the
      granular fluorescence of Al-PcS3 and Al-PcS4 is confined to the lysosomes of the
      LOX cells. Non-lethal laser exposure of cells incubated with high concentrations
      of the 2 dyes resulted in a translocation of the dyes from the lysosomes to the
      whole cytoplasm and an increase in total intracellular fluorescence intensity.
      Finally, a small fraction of the dyes localized into the nuclei of the cells. The
      laser exposure of cells incubated with low concentrations of the lysosomally
      localized dyes resulted in an increase in the intracellular fluorescence
      intensity with no translocation of the dyes. Under all conditions, high laser
      exposure resulted in a decrease in the total intracellular fluorescence
      intensity.

PMID- 1879973
TI  - Tumoricidal alveolar macrophage and tumor infiltrating macrophage cell lines.
AB  - Continuous alveolar macrophage (AM) and tumor-infiltrated (TIM) cell lines have
      been generated from C57B16J mice by in vitro infection with the J2 retrovirus
      carrying the v-raf and v-myc oncogens. Four cloned AM cell lines (AMJ2-C8, AMJ2
      C10, AMJ2-C11, AMJ2-C20) and 3 cloned TIM cell lines (TIMJ2-C4, TIMJ2-C7 and
      TIMJ2-C15) were expanded for further characterization. Flow cytometry detected
      the product of the raf gene in the cytoplasm of all these cell lines. Studies on
      the tumoricidal properties of these AM and TIM cell lines demonstrated
      differences in their response to a panel of known macrophage activators. Four of
      these cell lines (AMJ2-C8, AMJ2-C10, TIMJ2-C7 and TIMJ2-C15) were activated
      following exposure to recombinant murine interferon gamma (rMuIFN-gamma) but not
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or muramyl dipeptide (MDP). AMJ2-C20 was only activated
      by incubation with rMuIFN-gamma plus LPS. AMJ2-C11 and TIMJ2-C4 are the cell
      lines that most closely resembled the response pattern of the parental AM and
      TIM, since they could be activated by either the combination of rMuIFN-gamma plus
      LPS or rMuIFN-gamma plus MDP. Constitutive expression of MHC-class-II antigens
      was low on AMJ2-C11 or TIMJ2-C4 but was increased following exposure to rMuIFN
      gamma. Neither cell line secreted substantial amounts of IL-1 or TNF but both
      secreted large amounts of IL-6. Thus these cell lines could be powerful tools to
      study AM and TIM activation and cytotoxicity.

PMID- 1879974
TI  - Survival of leukemic cells in a dormant state following cyclophosphamide-induced
      cure of strongly immunogenic mouse leukemia (DL811).
AB  - The B-cell leukemia line, DL811, established in DDD mice, has been characterized
      by strong immunogenicity leading to occasional spontaneous cure with tumor
      dormancy. Cyclophosphamide (CY) is an available chemo-immunotherapeutic agent.
      The effects of CY on the cure and dormancy of DL811 leukemias were investigated.
      Simultaneous injection of DL811 cells and CY into athymic nude mice revealed that
      DL811 cells were sensitive to CY doses of 0.5 mg and more per mouse in a dose
      related manner. A single dose of 1 mg CY on day 7 after DL811 cell inoculation
      was most curative of disseminated leukemias (cure rate: 50-80%) as compared with
      other single CY doses at different times. Cured mice were strongly immune to
      DL811 leukemias. This therapeutic modality had no curative effect in athymic nude
      mice. Relapses occurred occasionally in CY-cured mice and most relapsed tumors
      had the same surface phenotype as that of the DL811 leukemia. In comparison with
      DL811 leukemias, however, relapsed tumors were less sensitive to rejection by
      cured mice and less frequently cured by a single dose of 1 mg CY on day 7 of
      inoculation, implying that they changed in antigenicity and drug sensitivity.
      Whole-body irradiation of 400 rad gamma-rays to cured mice raised the incidence
      of relapses from 22.9 to 44.7% and that of deaths from relapses from 8.6 to
      26.3%. Thus, leukemic cells may survive against host immune surveillance in a
      dormant state and relapse after changing their immunologic and chemotherapeutic
      natures. Lyt-2+, L3T4- T cells appeared to mediate host anti-tumor immunity to
      eradicate leukemic cells and maintain dormant state.

PMID- 1879975
TI  - Spontaneous rosetting of human T lymphocytes with breast cancer cells.

PMID- 1879976
TI  - Whither paediatric cardiology?

PMID- 1879977
TI  - Double-blind randomised placebo-controlled dose-efficacy study of sustained
      release verapamil in chronic stable angina.
AB  - The efficacy and tolerability of sustained release verapamil (Securon SR) was
      investigated in twenty-four patients with chronic stable angina. Patients entered
      four randomised, double-blind treatment periods, each lasting one week of
      verapamil-SR 240 mg once daily, 360 mg once daily, 240 mg twice daily, and
      matching placebo. Four patients were withdrawn, but in one instance this was
      attributable to side effects from verapamil. Among the remaining twenty patients,
      mean frequency of angina fell from 4.25 episodes during the last five days of
      placebo to 2.35, 2.6 and 1.3 episodes during respective active treatments (all P
      less than 0.001). Compared with placebo the median percentage increase in time to
      1 mV ST depression during treadmill exercise (12 hours post dose) was significant
      only with the regimen of verapamil-SR 240 mg given twice daily at +11% (P =
      0.04). Total duration of exercise was also significantly longer and maximum ST
      depression significantly less only with the twice daily treatment (704 + 186 sec
      vs 648 + 203 sec; P = 0.03, and 1.75 + 0.73 mm vs 2.15 +/- 0.62 mm; P = 0.02).
      Side effects, predominantly constipation, breathlessness, and swollen ankles,
      occurred most frequently with verapamil-SR 360 mg. Thus, sustained release
      verapamil is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of angina. A regimen
      of 240 mg given twice daily emerges as superior to once daily treatments for 24
      hour prophylaxis of angina.

PMID- 1879978
TI  - First dose hypotension with enalapril and prazosin in congestive heart failure.
AB  - Since the introduction of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors into the
      adjunctive treatment of patients with congestive heart failure, cases of severe
      hypotension, especially on the first day of treatment, have occasionally been
      reported. To assess the safety of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor
      enalapril a multicenter, open, randomized, prazosin-controlled trial was designed
      comparing the incidence and severity of symptomatic hypotension on the first day
      of treatment. Trial medication was 2.5 mg enalapril or 0.5 mg prazosin. Subjects
      were 1210 inpatients with New York Heart Association functional class (I)/II and
      III who were not adequately compensated with digitalis and/or diuretics. In the
      group receiving enalapril, 3 patients (0.5%) experienced severe hypotension on
      day 1 and 28 patients (4.7%) moderate hypotension. In those given prazosin, 15
      patients (2.6%) experienced severe hypotension and 60 patients (10.3%) moderate
      hypotension. The difference is statistically significant (P less than or equal to
      0.000012). All patients recovered. It was concluded that treatment of patients
      suffering from congestive heart failure New York Heart Association functional
      class (I)/II or III with enalapril is comparably well tolerated.

PMID- 1879979
TI  - Association between cigarette smoking and coronary arterial disease in patients
      in India: how quantitative is it? An assessment by selective coronary
      arteriography.
AB  - With a view to study the association between smoking and coronary arterial
      disease, and to identify any quantitative relationship, we undertook a cross
      sectional analysis of 1105 consecutive male patients investigated by selective
      coronary arteriography to confirm or exclude coronary arterial disease. Pattern
      and distribution of disease were evaluated in 3 groups of patients who never
      smoked; who smoked less than 5 cigarettes per day; and who smoked 6 to 60 or more
      cigarettes per day. Suitable statistical tests, including adjusting for
      confounders, were carried out. The prevalence of disease was higher amongst
      smokers even after adjustment for confounders. The number of cigarettes smoked,
      and whether the smokers had quit, made no difference to the angiographic
      appearance or extent of disease. There was no difference in the distribution and
      severity of disease amongst smokers and non-smokers. Rate ratio of disease
      amongst smokers in India was higher in those patients between 26 and 45 years of
      age than in other age groups. Smoking could be identified as a risk marker/risk
      factor that accelerated the disease process in those prone to develop the
      disease. It may be advantageous to initiate public health and preventive measures
      directed specifically at the group aged between 26 to 45 years, and later to
      address all others who smoke.

PMID- 1879980
TI  - Electropharmacological effects of sandostatin in human atrial fibers.
AB  - We studied the actions of sandostatin (0.1-1000 nM), an analogue of somatostatin,
      on human atrial tissues obtained from hearts of 20 patients undergoing corrective
      cardiac surgery. In 3 preparations showing fast response action potential in
      normal [K]0 Tyrode solution, sandostatin induced little effect, even at the
      highest concentration (1 microM). In 10 preparations showing a slow rate of phase
      0 depolarization when atrial fibers were depolarized (maximum diastolic potential
      near -40 mV) in high [K]0 (27 mM), sandostatin at concentrations as low as 1 nM
      decreased significantly the velocity of the upstroke, and the amplitude of slow
      response of the action potential as well as the force of contraction. In 6
      experiments on spontaneously active atrial fibers (maximum diastolic potential = 
      53.8 +/- 2.7 mV), sandostatin increased the spontaneous cycle length in a fashion
      dependent upon concentration. The decrease in spontaneous rate of firing was
      associated with an inhibition of the late diastolic slope, a change also induced
      by somatostatin. A longer period of washout, however, (30 min or longer) was
      required for complete recovery from the depressant effects. Sandostatin (0.1-100
      nM) also depressed triggered activity induced by cardiotonic agents. The present
      findings indicate that sandostatin induces a prolonged action in human atrial
      cells. Sandostatin may depress abnormal automatic rhythms through an inhibition
      of transmembrane influx of calcium.

PMID- 1879981
TI  - Constrictive pericarditis versus restrictive cardiomyopathy: the role of Doppler
      echocardiography in differential diagnosis.
AB  - Doppler ultrasound recordings of velocities of flow across the mitral and
      tricuspid valves and in the hepatic veins, and their variation with respiration,
      were recorded in seven patients with constrictive pericarditis and in six
      patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy. Deceleration of mitral and tricuspid
      flow was also evaluated during apnea. Color flow Doppler was performed in order
      to evaluate mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. Eight healthy adults served as
      controls. The patients with constrictive pericarditis showed higher peak
      diastolic velocities of mitral flow, as well as marked increase of velocity of
      flow at the onset of expiration and decrease at the onset of inspiration.
      Reciprocal respiratory variation of the velocities were also observed across the
      tricuspid valve. The patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy showed moderate or
      severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation. They also showed shorter deceleration
      of flow across the mitral and tricuspid valves during apnea. The pattern of flow
      in the hepatic veins showed reversal during systole with accentuated reversion
      during inspiration. These results suggest that patient with constrictive
      pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy can be differentiated by comparing
      Doppler echocardiographic data, along with changes induced by respiration.

PMID- 1879982
TI  - Morphometric data on the arterial duct in the human fetal heart.
AB  - In a total of 496 fetuses and newborns ranging in body weight from 60 to 5000 g,
      we performed a morphometric study of the ascending aorta, the descending aorta,
      the aortic isthmus, the right pulmonary artery, the left pulmonary artery and the
      arterial duct. In all, nine different parameters were measured in each specimen.
      The variations in the correlations between two measurable characteristics, namely
      body weight and each of the morphometric parameters, were analyzed. The minimum,
      normal and maximum patterns of normality for each parameter were obtained with
      regression equations. We compared statistically the diameter of the arterial duct
      with the diameter of the ascending and descending aorta, the aortic isthmus, the
      right pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery with one way analysis of
      variance, using Bonferroni's test in the pairwise comparisons. The diameter of
      the arterial duct was smaller than the diameter of the ascending and descending
      aortas, the aortic isthmus, the right pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary
      artery, and the diameter of the ascending aorta was larger than that of the
      descending aorta. These morphological data have immediate clinical and surgical
      applications in the treatment of fetal and perinatal cardiovascular disorders.

PMID- 1879983
TI  - Conduction disturbances induced by postural changes.
AB  - We report two patients in whom postural changes induced arrhythmias. The first is
      a 70-year-old patient in whom leg flexion caused severe bradycardia. The second
      is a patient of 42 in whom standing up abruptly caused ventricular tachycardia.
      The importance of considering the possibility of posturally induced arrhythmias
      is emphasised when symptoms suggestive of arrhythmia are found and conventional
      measures fail to disclose any pathology.

PMID- 1879984
TI  - Asymptomatic eosinophilic myocarditis: 2 + 2 = 4 or 5!
AB  - A twenty-eight year old man was admitted with a cerebrovascular accident and
      hypereosinophilia secondary to microfilarial infection. Endomyocardial biopsy
      revealed focal eosinophilic myocarditis. The intriguing presence of this
      asymptomatic myocarditis raises interesting possibilities.

PMID- 1879985
TI  - Feasibility of emergency surgery for the treatment of an echocardiographically
      detected right atrial thrombus in a patient over 80 years of age presenting with
      shock.
AB  - We report the case of an 83-year old woman, presenting with progressive shock, in
      whom a right atrial thrombus was diagnosed by cross-sectional echocardiography.
      Doppler echocardiography demonstrated diastolic interruption of tricuspid inflow.
      Emergency thrombectomy was successful and without major complications despite the
      advanced age.

PMID- 1879986
TI  - Spontaneous left atrial haematoma.
AB  - We present a woman with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and a mass in the left
      atrium. Cross-sectional echocardiography defined the lesion as cystic, while
      magnetic resonance imaging depicted it as a solid mass with areas of focal
      bleeding. Surgical resection showed a partially organized haematoma within the
      left atrial wall. The patient did well after surgery, although atrial
      fibrillation recurred. The presence of an atrial haematoma is rare, specially
      when spontaneous, and we stress the usefulness of magnetic resonance in reaching
      an aetiologic diagnosis.

PMID- 1879987
TI  - Filling of multiple vessels by injection of dye into a single bypass graft.
AB  - We describe the unusual filling of two coronary bypass grafts by a single
      injection in a patient who underwent coronary arterial bypasses surgery. The
      injection, made in the left internal mammary artery, filled the left anterior
      descending artery, a diagonal branch, and the graft of saphenous vein placed to
      that artery. In contrast, injection in the saphenous vein graft to the diagonal
      artery filled the diagonal artery, the left anterior descending artery and the
      left internal mammary to its point of origin. We emphasize the importance of this
      phenomenon.

PMID- 1879988
TI  - Syncope induced by propranolol in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
AB  - A patient with chest pain was found to have obstructive hypertrophic
      cardiomyopathy. After the first oral dose of propranolol, syncope developed
      together with atrioventricular block. An electrophysiologic study revealed an
      intermittent advanced (His-Purkinje) block within the atrioventricular conduction
      system. Caution is recommended when treatment is initiated in patients with
      hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in whom there is any suspicion of abnormalities in
      the atrioventricular conduction tissues.

PMID- 1879989
TI  - Competitive interactions of drugs with their targets: a computerized improvement
      of Dixon's algorithm.
AB  - Many drugs are competitive and reversible enzyme inhibitors. When the target
      enzyme kinetics follows the Michaelis-Menten equation, the enzyme affinity of the
      inhibitor is characterized by a single parameter: the Ki value. This parameter is
      usually determined via Dixon's procedure: (i). the rate of reaction (V) is
      measured in the presence of a few concentrations of the inhibitor (I); (ii.) 1/V
      versus I gives a straight line, which allows a graphic determination of the
      inhibitory constants, or better via a least-square fit the linear regression. The
      introduction of appropriate weighting factors in the linear regression may
      improve the accuracy of the Ki determinations.

PMID- 1879990
TI  - Effect and pharmacokinetics of netilmicin given as bolus intramuscular
      administration: an open comparative trial versus amikacin and fosfomycin in
      elderly patients affected by urinary tract infections.
AB  - A randomized comparative open clinical trial was performed on 96 hospitalized
      patients of both sexes, most of whom (84.4%) over 60 years of age, affected by
      simple and complicated urinary tract infections. Patients were divided in three
      unequal sized groups and treated with a single administration of netilmicin (5
      mg/kg intramuscularly), of amikacin (15 mg/kg i.m.) or of fosfomycin (3 g per
      os). Patients were evaluated clinically and microbiologically before the
      beginning of the therapy, 1, 7, 15, 30 days thereafter and at monthly intervals,
      up to the 18th month, after the drug administration. The pharmacokinetic study
      was performed in six elderly patients of both sexes, apparently in good general
      health, except for their urinary tract infections. Symptoms of urinary tract
      infection disappeared in 50 out of 53 (94.3%) patients treated with netilmicin
      14.48 +/- 9.6 hours after the drug administration, in 22 out of 23 (95.6%) of
      those treated with amikacin after 31.9 +/- 14.3 hours and in 16 (84.2%) out of 19
      of symptomatic patients treated with fosfomycin after 37.5 +/- 10.6 hours. The
      disappearance of symptoms in netilmicin-treated patients is significantly (p less
      than 0.01) faster than in the other two groups. Twenty-four hours after the
      administration, netilmicin and amikacin produced sterilization of the cultures in
      more than 95% of cases, fosfomycin in 90%. Of those patients in which
      sterilization of cultures was achieved about 70%, in the netilmicin group, and
      50% in the other two treatment groups had sterile urine cultures after one month.
      At the end of the study, 18 months later, more than 60% of the patients treated
      with netilmicin, the infection had not recurred in comparison with 39.1% and 50%
      in the amikacin and fosfomycin groups respectively. If only the patients with
      uncomplicated infections were considered, 88.9% and 83.3% had sterile cultures
      after 1 and 18 months respectively in the netilmicin group. The corresponding
      figures in other two groups were: 66.7% for both time intervals in the case of
      amikacin and 60% both for 1 and 18 months in the case of fosfomycin. The
      pharmacokinetic results indicate that netilmicin is rapidly absorbed and
      distributed from the injection site, possesses a beta half-life of about two
      hours and is mainly excreted by the kidneys. The single dose administration
      produces very high urinary concentrations of the drug in the first 24 hours and
      concentrations above 4 micrograms/ml, the 90% minimum inhibitory concentration
      cut-off point for netilmicin sensitive strains, for four days(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1879991
TI  - Chronotherapeutic study of furosemide in hypertensive subjects: a preliminary
      report.
AB  - In the present study, circadian influences of furosemide on serum electrolytes,
      lipids and glucose were evaluated in ten hypertensive subjects. A retard capsule
      (40 mg) of furosemide was given once a day in the morning (07 h 00) or in the
      evening (19 h 00) for eight weeks. The study was done through a cross-over
      design. Twenty-four hour urine was collected, and fasting blood samples were
      obtained during the control period and at the end of each treatment period. The
      24-hour urine volume was slightly increased by the repeated administration of
      furosemide in the morning and evening trials. Urinary excretion of sodium also
      slightly increased in the morning trial and significantly increased in the
      evening trial. Serum concentrations of potassium and chloride decreased, while
      serum uric acid and triglyceride were increased by furosemide treatment. No
      significant difference was observed in these parameters between morning and
      evening trials. Fasting blood glucose increased following furosemide. The
      increment in this parameter was greater in the evening trial than in the morning
      trial. These findings indicated that the influence of furosemide on glucose
      tolerance might vary with its time of administration.

PMID- 1879992
TI  - Influence of acetyl-L-carnitine infusion on haemodynamic parameters and survival
      of circulatory-shock patients.
AB  - The clinical use of acetyl carnitine in circulatory shock has its theoretical
      basis in the ability of this molecule to restore enzyme activity inhibited by
      hypoxia, acting as an acetyl donor. Moreover the action of carnitine on an
      injured myocardium encouraged us to examine the clinical effect of this drug
      during heart failure. A double-blind clinical study was performed in ten Italian
      intensive care units on 115 patients with septic, cardiac of traumatic shock, by
      using acetyl-L-carnitine infusion for 12 hours, with a previous single bolus
      intravenously. The results showed a good response to the drug in terms of blood
      oxygenation during the course of sepsis and heart failure. The heart rate as well
      as right atrial pressure decreased significantly in patients with cardiogenic
      shock. In septic patients systolic and mean arterial pressures increased also.
      The present data suggests the use of acetyl-L-carnitine as an adjuvant to the
      commonly used therapy in hypoxic conditions.

PMID- 1879993
TI  - Plasma morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide patterns in cancer patients after
      oral, subcutaneous, sublabial and rectal short-term administration.
AB  - Clinical studies on the effectiveness of morphine administered through different
      routes are contradictory. In order to further elucidate this point, the plasma
      concentrations of morphine and its 3- and 6-glucuronated metabolites were
      measured after short-term oral, sublabial, rectal and subcutaneous administration
      of the opiate. The bioavailability of free morphine and the 6-glucuronated active
      metabolite was comparable through the different routes. It was concluded that the
      choice of the route of morphine administration should be mainly guided by the
      needs of each individual patient.

PMID- 1879994
TI  - Dapiprazole compared with clonidine and a placebo in detoxification of opiate
      addicts.
AB  - The activity of dapiprazole, clonidine and a placebo were studied to reduce
      abstinence symptoms and modify the psychological outline during a withdrawal
      period in heroin addicts. Forty heroin addicts were treated in a double-blind
      design and, within two weeks, relapse in heroin use was higher in the placebo
      group (8/10) in comparison with the dapiprazole (1/20) and clonidine (0/10)
      groups. During treatment clonidine was able to reduce depression and paranoid
      ideas scores, whereas dapiprazole reduced depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic
      anxiety, obsessiveness and psychoticism. Side-effects were mild and it may be
      concluded that both dapiprazole and clonidine are effective and safe drugs for
      the treatment of opiate withdrawal syndrome.

PMID- 1879995
TI  - Systemic associations of retinal arterial obstructive disease.

PMID- 1879996
TI  - Systemic association of ocular disorders.

PMID- 1879997
TI  - Systemic associations of anterior uveitis.

PMID- 1879998
TI  - Systemic associations of exophthalmos.

PMID- 1879999
TI  - Systemic associations of retinal vein occlusion.

PMID- 1880000
TI  - Systemic associations of optic neuritis.

PMID- 1880001
TI  - Systemic associations of pigmentary retinopathy.

PMID- 1880002
TI  - Systemic associations of angioid streaks.

PMID- 1880003
TI  - Systemic associations of dry-eye syndrome.

PMID- 1880004
TI  - Systemic associations of corneal deposits.

PMID- 1880005
TI  - Genomic imprinting and nuclear totipotency during embryonic development.

PMID- 1880006
TI  - Molecular anatomy of the blood-brain barrier as defined by immunocytochemistry.
AB  - This review outlines the recent developments and improvements of our knowledge
      concerning the molecular composition of the BBB as revealed by
      immunocytochemistry. Data have been accumulated which show that the BBB exhibits
      a specific collection of structural and metabolic properties which are also found
      in tight transporting epithelia. This conclusion is substantiated by (i) the
      implementation of antibodies which recognize proteins of non-BBB origin, to show
      that these biochemical markers and the functions that they represent are
      localized in the BBB endothelium; and (ii) the characterization of target
      molecules to which polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies which have been generated
      to epitopes of the BBB endothelium or brain homogenates. According to these data
      the protein assemblies comprising the phenotypical appearance of the BBB can
      therefore be defined by the particular selection as well as topological
      expression of common epithelial antigens, rather than the expression of BBB
      unique molecular species. In this respect the immunocytochemical data corroborate
      the physiological assumption that the BBB possesses the character of a specific
      polarized epithelium. Attention is also given to the description of developmental
      expression of BBB-related immunomarkers. By collecting the data from different
      sources we introduce a classification of the BBB marker proteins according to
      their developmental appearance. Three groups of proteins are classified with
      respect to their sequential expression around the time of BBB closure: Phase E
      (early) markers which appear before BBB closure, phase I (intermediate) markers
      which are expressed at the time of BBB tightening, and phase L (late) markers
      which are detectable after the closure of the BBB. Such a scheme may to be useful
      in better defining the maturation process of BBB, which apparently is not a
      momentary event in brain development, but rather consists of a temporally
      sequenced process of hierarchically structured gene expression which finally
      define the molecular properties of the BBB. This process continues even after
      parturition, especially with regard to the achievement of immunological
      properties of the mature BBB. By examining the developmental spatio-temporal
      expression of different BBB markers we conclude that the mechanisms governing the
      pattern of BBB maturation are not limited to the interactions occurring between
      glial and endothelial cells. We therefore suggest a heuristic model in a
      triangular interrelationship that includes differentiation effects of neurons on
      glia and of glia cells on the BBB endothelium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880007
TI  - [Does internal medicine still exist today?].

PMID- 1880008
TI  - [Ambulatory medical care in Germany].

PMID- 1880009
TI  - [Lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage].

PMID- 1880010
TI  - [Epidemiology of colorectal cancers].

PMID- 1880011
TI  - [Colorectal cancer--diagnosis, early detection and staging].

PMID- 1880012
TI  - [Limits of endoscopic management of malignant colorectal polyps].

PMID- 1880013
TI  - [Chemo- and immunotherapy of colorectal cancer].

PMID- 1880014
TI  - [Excessive hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis in a 17-year-old pregnant
      patient].

PMID- 1880016
TI  - Meeting of the Membranes Group of the Italian Biochemical Society. June 1-2,
      1990, Ancona. Abstracts.

PMID- 1880015
TI  - [Traumatically-induced aneurysm of the arteria lienalis].

PMID- 1880017
TI  - Meeting of the Silica Group of the Italian Biochemistry Society. April 27, 1990,
      Catania. Abstracts.

PMID- 1880018
TI  - The role of monocytes and T cells in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 mediated inhibition
      of B cell function in vitro.
AB  - 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) inhibits immunoglobulin production by
      human mononuclear cells (MNC) in vitro. The present study was undertaken to
      evaluate the role of T cells and monocytes in 1,25-(OH)2D3 induced suppression of
      B cell functions. The synthetic vitamin D3 analogue MC 903 was examined in
      parallel. 1,25-(OH)2D3 and MC 903 showed a dose-related inhibition of IgM, IgG
      and IgA plaque-forming cells in poke-weed mitogen (PWM) activated cultures of
      MNC. This effect was most likely mediated through impairment of T cell and
      monocyte functions. First, the inhibitory effect was seen after PWM stimulation,
      but not after Epstein-Barr virus stimulation which activates B cells
      independently of T cells and monocytes. Second, 1,25-(OH)2D3 was not effective in
      T cell and monocyte-depleted cultures. Third, the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on PWM
      driven MNC was reversed by addition of the recombinant monokines: interleukin
      (IL)-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor alpha (rTNF alpha), rIL-6, as well as the
      lymphokines: lymphotoxin (rLT) and rIL-2. This is consistent with the finding
      that 1,25-(OH)2D3 also inhibited IL-1 alpha, TNF alpha and LT production in these
      cultures. The assumption that B cells are not directly affected by 1,25-(OH)2D3
      was further supported by the fact that 24 h of culture with 10(-8) M 1,25-(OH)2D3
      failed to reduce immunoglobulin production by in vivo activated B cells.

PMID- 1880019
TI  - Structure/function studies of T-2 mycotoxin with a monoclonal antibody.
AB  - A BALB/C murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the trichothecene
      mycotoxin T-2 was previously generated. The anti-T-2 antibody, designated HD11,
      can detect T-2 in the nanogram range employing an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent
      assay. The HD11 antibody at a concentration of 1 microgram/ml completely
      protected against the T-2-induced cytotoxicity of the human epidermoid carcinoma
      cell lines Hep-2 and KB. Fine specificity analysis was performed using 10
      structurally related T-2 metabolites to inhibit the specific binding of HD11 to T
      2 mycotoxin. The results suggest a binding specificity of the protective HD11
      antibody for the bulky hydrophobic alkyl side chain at position R5 and the acetyl
      groups at positions R2 and R3 of the T-2 mycotoxin molecule. HD11 anti-T-2 mAb,
      which bound to the T-2 metabolite acetyl T-2 (with a substituted acetyl group at
      R1 position), efficiently neutralized its in vitro cytotoxicity. On the other
      hand, the cytotoxicity of T-2 metabolites neosalaniol and 3' OH HT-2, both of
      which lack the alkyl side chain at position R5 and which did not bind to HD11,
      was unaffected by HD11.

PMID- 1880020
TI  - Toxicological and immunological evaluation of the immunosuppressant 15
      deoxyspergualin in BALB/c mice: an in vivo and in vitro study.
AB  - The toxicological aspects as well as the immunosuppressive mechanism of 15
      deoxyspergualin (DSP) were studied using BALB/c mice. Five-week-old animals were
      subcutaneously given phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; Group 1) or DSP at 0.5
      (Group 2) to 5.0 mg (Group 4) per kg body weight daily for 1 to 3 months. They
      were sacrificed to obtain blood for hematology and liver function studies. The
      spleen, taken simultaneously, was histologically examined, the T cell surface
      markers of splenocytes were flow cytometrically measured, and their interleukin 2
      (IL-2) production induced in vitro by Enterotoxin A (Ent A) was assayed using
      CTLL cells. Additionally, the in vitro effect of DSP on IL-2 generation and
      plaque forming cell (PFC) production was studied using splenocytes of non-treated
      mice. During the 3 months of treatment, the body weight slowly increased in
      Groups 1 and 2, while the body weight of the 2.5-mg DSP mouse group (Group 3) was
      significantly lower on days 28 and 56 of treatment compared with Group 1 of the
      same age (P less than 0.05). The administration of DSP at 5.0 mg/kg (Group 4)
      caused marked reduction in body weight of the animals. They were sacrificed on
      day 28 because of their worsening general condition. WBC and RBC counts decreased
      in Group 3 on days 57 and 93, and the platelet number increased on day 57. A
      liver function test was not affected by DSP treatment except for an elevated SGOT
      in Group 4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880021
TI  - Determining optimal protective actions for nuclear incidents.
AB  - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is revising its Protective Action Guides
      (PAGs), which specify recommended dose levels at which actions should be taken to
      protect the public during an accident at a nuclear facility. The appropriateness
      of these PAGs depends on the health risks that could be avoided by the protective
      actions relative to both the costs and adverse health impacts of taking the
      actions. According to the optimization principle of radiation protection, the
      cost of measures designed to protect people from ionizing radiation should be
      commensurate with the risks avoided. This article evaluates the recommended
      protective actions with respect to the optimization principle. The evaluation is
      based on both recent radiation risk estimates and a derivation of the monetary
      value of a reduction in risk. It is estimated that evacuation of a population
      sector should be carried out only if the evacuation will reduce the collective
      dose equivalent to the population by 1 person-Sv or more for every U.S. +34,000
      to +250,000 in net evacuation costs. Therefore, the decision to evacuate should
      be based on the dose that would be avoided by the evacuation and predetermined
      site-specific evacuation costs, rather than simply projected dose to the
      population. Findings further suggest that separate PAGs for the thyroid and skin
      are unnecessary for protecting against stochastic effects because use of the
      effective dose equivalent concept eliminates the need for these guides. Separate
      PAGs for specific organs need only ensure that significant nonstochastic effects
      are prevented.

PMID- 1880022
TI  - Catalog of risks extended and updated.
AB  - A large variety of risks are quantified in terms of the loss of life expectancy
      they cause in the United States. Risks considered include the following:
      diseases; accidents of various types at home, at work, in public, and in motor
      vehicles; unemployment; poor social connections; use of small cars; smoking; air
      pollution; other environmental pollutants leading to cancer and non-cancer
      effects; purposely ingested substances; sports participation; geography; medical
      care; epidemics; natural hazards; socioeconomic factors; Rn and other radiation;
      and energy conservation. A few suggestions for applications of this catalog of
      risks are offered.

PMID- 1880023
TI  - Plutonium- or americium-induced liver tumors and lesions in beagles.
AB  - Plutonium-239 or 241Am administered intravenously in the monomeric citrate form
      was initially deposited in beagle livers principally in the hepatocytes and to a
      much lesser extent in the sinusoidal macrophages and connective tissues. The
      initial distribution was quite uniform throughout the hepatic parenchyma;
      however, at later postinjection intervals, depending on the amount of injected
      activity, the liver burden became increasingly more focal due to: (1) a
      progressive shift of the radionuclide from the hepatic epithelium to the
      macrophages; (2) the movement of such macrophages toward the portal or central
      regions of the lobule; and (3) the displacement of the older more radioactive
      tissue by regenerating hepatocytes, which generally have a much lower
      radionuclide content. The hepatic lesions produced by Pu or Am included: (1)
      necrosis and degenerative changes that were clinically serious or fatal in some
      of the animals injected with approximately 107 kBq kg-1; (2) marked structural
      and circulatory changes resulting from necrosis and focal hepatocyte hyperplasia;
      (3) a significant incidence of both benign and malignant primary liver tumors. In
      both Pu- and Am-treated dogs, the most frequently appearing neoplasm was the bile
      duct adenoma, followed by the cholangiocarcinoma. The most obvious difference
      between Pu- and Am-induced liver neoplasia was the greater frequency of
      fibrosarcomas and mast cell sarcomas in the Am-treated groups. Hepatomas were of
      relatively low frequency in animals with Pu or Am burdens. Although the incidence
      of bone neoplasia was high among the dogs in these studies, the risk of liver
      tumors, especially in the Am-treated animals, exceeded that of the skeleton in
      some of the lower dosage levels where the survival times were long. A risk
      coefficient of approximately 1200 fatal liver malignancies (10(4) beagle Gy)-1,
      derived from the dosage groups with long survival times, was calculated for
      combined Pu and Am animals. The prominence of the liver syndromes in beagles with
      burdens of Pu or Am indicates that humans with body burdens of 239Pu, 241Am, or
      other actinide elements may be at risk from radiation effects in the liver,
      including neoplasia development.

PMID- 1880024
TI  - Fluence rate of radon from soil: effect of sorption barriers, moisture content,
      and temperature.
AB  - The effects of activated carbon (AC) and mordenite (termed additives here) on the
      fluence rate of Rn gas from soil over a range of moisture contents and
      temperatures were examined in an effort to develop mitigation strategies for Rn
      in indoor environments. It is possible that an additive--an effective sorbent for
      Rn--could be mixed with the layer of soil placed adjacent to the substructure of
      buildings during their construction. The following variables and levels within
      each variable were examined: additive--0, 25, and 50 wt% mixed with the top 20%
      of the soil in columns; degree of water saturation, S-5, 30, and 55%; and
      temperature--5, 13, and 21 degrees C. At any level, mordenite was not effective
      in decreasing the Rn fluence rate from soil. On the other hand, when AC was
      present at the 25% level (at S = 30% and temperature = 13 degrees C), the fluence
      rate was about 5 mBq m-2 s-1 compared to approximately 12 mBq m-2 s-1 for the
      soil with no additive or one containing mordenite. The fluence rate was even less
      for levels of AC greater than 25%. AC effectively reduced the Rn fluence rate
      over all moisture contents and temperatures that were examined. The fluence rate
      increased with increasing moisture content; this was likely due to an increase in
      the emanation coefficient for Rn with increasing moisture content. The fluence
      rate increased or decreased with increasing temperature depending on the amount
      of AC present in the soil. The results indicate the AC may be an effective
      additive to soil backfill materials to limit the migration of Rn from the soil
      into buildings.

PMID- 1880025
TI  - Monitoring underground radiation fields using powdered calcium sulfate
      thermoluminescent dosimeters.
AB  - Powered thermoluminescent dosimeters, CaSO4:Dy, were used to monitor underground
      radiation fields. Methods of monitoring at selected sites in Taiwan are
      described; exposure rates above ground at the monitoring sites are also included
      for comparison. Differences in exposure rates between above ground at 1 m and
      underground at -2 m may reach 0.516 nC kg-1 h-1. The key factor affecting
      exposure rates underground is the water content in soil or precipitation that may
      reduce the diffusion of Rn. The difference in exposure rates between rainy days
      and sunny days may reach 0.774 nC kg-1 h-1. An example of applying this
      monitoring technique at a radwaste repository is given.

PMID- 1880026
TI  - Incorporation of simulated waste raffinates containing 134Cs into cement-clay
      matrices.
AB  - Simulated waste solutions containing 134Cs were incorporated into cement matrices
      at varying compositions and in the presence and absence of various additive
      materials. Montmorillonite and kaolinite clay minerals, in addition to sand, were
      added for improving the properties of the cement composites. The leachability of
      134Cs was measured for different cement-clay mixtures. The effect of the presence
      of ions, such as borates, sulphate, and nitrates commonly found in waste
      raffinates, was also investigated. The results for compressive strength and
      leachability were explained in light of the effect of the presence of clay
      additives on cement matrices.

PMID- 1880027
TI  - Concept of a "lifetime dose" of 350 mSv.
AB  - After the Chernobyl accident, a number of radiation protection criteria for the
      early and intermediate phases of the accident were set up by the authorities to
      protect the public in affected areas. For the late phase, an intervention level
      of 350 mSv over a lifetime, the so-called 350-mSv concept, has been recommended
      by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) in the
      USSR. This concept has been strongly criticized by opponents in the affected
      republics as being far too high and therefore inhumane. However, a lifetime dose
      of 350 mSv would impose on an individual an average annual risk of the order of
      10(-4) y-1, which is lower than the annual individual risk due to nonradiation
      causes prevailing in many areas in the USSR. The basic radiation protection
      principles for nuclear accidents as recommended by the International Commission
      on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the International Atomic Energy Agency
      (IAEA) are at present very difficult to apply in the USSR because the concepts of
      risk and acceptable risk are rejected categorically. If, however, principles of
      justification and optimization had been used, the result might have shown that
      the present lifetime dose limit of 350 mSv, as an intervention level, is actually
      too low.

PMID- 1880028
TI  - Too little concern for breast cancer risk in radiation protection estimates?
AB  - Risk estimates of radiogenic breast cancer from recent consensus reports are
      found to depend as much on the models used as on the data. Some features of the
      models of BEIR V and the ICRP 1990 Recommendations are hardly supported in the
      literature and tend to underrate breast cancer risk in radioprotection.

PMID- 1880029
TI  - Year-to-year variations in annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations.
AB  - Annual average indoor 222Rn concentrations in 40 residences in and around Grand
      Junction, CO, have been measured repeatedly since 1984 using commercial alpha
      track monitors (ATM) deployed for successive 12-mo time periods. Data obtained
      provide a quantitative measure of the year-to-year variations in the annual
      average Rn concentrations in these structures over this 6-y period. A mean
      coefficient of variation of 25% was observed for the year-to-year variability of
      the measurements at 25 sampling stations for which complete data were available.
      Individual coefficients of variation at the various stations ranged from a low of
      7.7% to a high of 51%. The observed mean coefficient of variation includes
      contributions due to the variability in detector response as well as the true
      year-to-year variation in the annual average Rn concentrations. Factoring out the
      contributions from the measured variability in the response of the detectors
      used, the actual year-to-year variability of the annual average Rn concentrations
      was approximately 22%.

PMID- 1880030
TI  - Management of mixed wastes from biomedical research.
AB  - Mixed radioactive and chemical wastes generated by biomedical research were
      characterized, and various treatment methods for reducing their volume were
      evaluated. These wastes consist primarily of organic solvents used in the
      extraction and purification of radiolabeled biomolecules that are contaminated
      with low levels of the long-lived radionuclides, 3H and 14C. The Rockefeller
      University's mixed wastes fall into three broad chemical categories:
      phenol/chloroform, acetonitrile/water, and mixtures of miscellaneous solvents
      such as carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and other hazardous chemicals. Currently,
      with the exception of liquid scintillation cocktails (deregulated in 1981), there
      are no commercial disposal outlets for mixed wastes nor may they be stored
      legally for more than 90-180 d. Most of these mixed wastes can be effectively
      rendered into nonradioactive chemical and aqueous radioactive waste, both of
      which can be disposed of in accordance with existing regulations. However, to do
      so requires a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Part B permit for
      licensure as a treatment, storage, and disposal facility. For many university
      research facilities, this may require financial and personnel resources
      disproportionate to the small amounts of waste produced. Also, such treatment, if
      not done properly, presents potential occupational hazards from the direct
      handling of waste materials. Deregulation of certain mixed wastes would be the
      safest, most cost-effective, and practical method for dealing with many mixed
      wastes of biomedical origin. In any event, a national regulatory solution must be
      found.

PMID- 1880032
TI  - Say it loud.

PMID- 1880031
TI  - A list of nuclear medicine radionuclides and potential contaminants for operators
      of in-vivo counters.
AB  - Operators of in-vivo counters often encounter unusual photopeaks, some of which
      may be attributed to nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals recently received by
      the subject. This article lists the most common radiopharmaceuticals used in
      nuclear medicine, their common uses, their half-lives and principal decay
      energies, and the half-lives and decay energies of any contaminants or daughter
      products they may contain. The purpose is to help the in-vivo counter operator
      track down and eliminate causes of such unusual photopeaks.

PMID- 1880033
TI  - Infant death inquiry launched.

PMID- 1880034
TI  - Cheap or cheerful?

PMID- 1880035
TI  - School nurses. Hitting the vulnerable.

PMID- 1880036
TI  - Primary care. Back in the driving seat.

PMID- 1880037
TI  - Female circumcision. Should angels fear to tread?
AB  - Female circumcision has been banned in this country since 1985. But is statutory
      intervention an appropriate way to tackle an issue so highly charged with complex
      taboos of race, culture and sexuality? Are we talking about a religious rite--or
      about child abuse?

PMID- 1880038
TI  - In pursuit of excellence.
AB  - Health visitors must look beyond current challenges and pressures and continue to
      develop innovative practice based on identified client need, argues FRANCES
      APPLEBY. There is ample evidence that health visitor intervention is effective in
      improving child and maternal health and that of other client groups. Heath
      visitors should use this to promote their skills and role in health promotion and
      prevention of ill health.

PMID- 1880039
TI  - Are fathers' views important?
AB  - A survey by health visitors of the behaviour of children between the ages of
      three and eight revealed that mothers consistently rate children's behaviour as
      significantly more problematic and more intense than fathers do. Both mothers and
      fathers viewed the behaviour of boys as more difficult than girls. Pamela Mack,
      Karen Trew discuss the value of using a behaviour checklist as one aide in the
      assessment of childhood behaviour problems, with particular emphasis on the
      importance of involving fathers.

PMID- 1880040
TI  - The parents' group: a multidisciplinary project.
AB  - A regular group to support young mothers is an important resource, enabling them
      to share common concerns, write Wendy Birkinshaw, Pauline Darby and Susan
      Strasser. A multi-disciplinary approach, with ongoing management supervision,
      brings a broader perspective and reassurance through difficult periods.

PMID- 1880041
TI  - A professional visit to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.
AB  - Watford health visitor June Mitchell visited north east Pakistan and Azad Kashmir
      last year. Many health visitors have clients with close ties to Azad Kashmir. She
      describes three health initiatives she observed there.

PMID- 1880042
TI  - Men's health. Opening the flood-gates.
AB  - The health needs of adult men traditionally tend not to come high on health
      visitors' lists of priorities, if only because of difficulty of access. Few adult
      men would think to seek the advice of the health visitor. Cath Jackson reports on
      the last of the 1990 National health visitor week award-winning projects which
      successfully tracked this elusive client group to its lairs.

PMID- 1880043
TI  - Selecting a topic.

PMID- 1880044
TI  - Trusts. Re-negotiating the wheel.

PMID- 1880045
TI  - Sticking my neck out.

PMID- 1880046
TI  - Relationship between allozymes, heterozygosity and morphological characters in
      red deer (Cervus elaphus), and the influence of selective hunting on allele
      frequency distribution.
AB  - Morphological characters in red deer (Cervus elaphus), which serve as criteria
      for selective hunting, were examined in relation to electrophoretic variation in
      three populations from the Vosges in eastern France. From the polymorphic loci
      examined, certain alleles at Idh-2, Me-1 and Acp-1 showed significant
      associations with a special development of body and antler characters selected
      for by hunters. Idh-2(125) was associated with larger hind foot length in females
      and a higher number of antler points in males. Me-1(90) and Acp-1(100) were
      associated with small spikes. The populations studied differed from one another
      in the duration and intensity of selective hunting and the increase or decrease
      in the respective allele frequencies could be explained by selection for large
      body size, a high number of antler points and against small spikes in yearlings,
      rather than by genetic drift. Among other morphological characters examined, the
      length of the main beam was significantly associated with the allele Acp-2(100).
      In contrast, no associations could be detected between overall heterozygosity and
      the development or the degree of asymmetry (in paired structures) of any of the
      morphological traits in question. Although no obvious differences in the overall
      values of polymorphism or heterozygosity were found between the populations,
      selective hunting leads towards a change in allele frequencies and eventually to
      the loss of one or the other rare allele.

PMID- 1880047
TI  - Wrinkling of the eye in hybrids between Drosophila virilis and Drosophila lummei
      is caused by interaction of maternal and zygotic genes.
AB  - Hybrids of Drosophila virilis females and Drosophila lummei males have visible
      developmental anomalies in external adult structures. Reciprocal hybrids are
      normal, and the anomalies are not found in other interspecific F1 hybrids of the
      virilis subgroup. Antibiotic treatments with ampicillin, streptomycin and
      tetracycline did not cure the syndrome. The genetic basis of the wrinkling of the
      compound eye was analysed in detail. Both male and female F1 progeny of D.
      virilis mothers were affected, indicating that wrinkling of eyes is maternally
      determined. F1 hybrid females produced healthy progeny. Backcross hybrid females
      (D. virilis x F1) with 16 different combinations of autosomes, either
      heterozygous or homozygous for D. virilis, were crossed with D. lummei males. It
      was found that homozygous D. virilis chromosomes 2 and 5 together were necessary
      to induce the maternal effect. The hybrid zygote responded to the maternal effect
      when the chromosomes 2, 4 and/or 5 were heterozygous. Elimination of the small
      sixth (dot) chromosome of D. lummei from the hybrids was correlated with the
      wrinkling of eyes, but was not the cause, as the two phenomena had a different
      genetic basis and temperature response. Furthermore, the eyes were wrinkled in
      flies which presumably had had no D. lummei dot chromosome to lose.

PMID- 1880048
TI  - Multiple paternity in wild common shrews (Sorex araneus) is confirmed by DNA
      fingerprinting.
AB  - We have tested for the occurrence of multiple paternity in wild common shrews by
      karyotypic analysis and DNA-fingerprinting of five wild-caught females and their
      litters. Karyotypic data suggest that some litters were sired by more than one
      male, but provide no definitive evidence. By using DNA-fingerprinting, it was
      possible to establish that two males sired the litter of two females. The present
      report shows that multiple paternity is not a rare phenomenon in the common shrew
      and by using DNA-fingerprinting it is possible to assign individual offspring to
      different male parents even when none of the putative fathers are available for
      inspection.

PMID- 1880049
TI  - Microgeographic distribution of allele frequencies in populations of Calomys
      laucha (Rodentia, Cricetidae).
AB  - The microgeographic differentiation of allelic frequencies was analysed in two
      population samples of Calomys laucha, collected in a grid set in cultivated
      fields at Laguna Larga (Cordoba province, Argentina). One of the samples (n = 79)
      was obtained in May (Autumn), when the population density is at a maximum, and
      the other (n = 85) in November (spring), at the onset of reproductive activity.
      FST values for the November sample show significant differences between the six
      groups over which the sample was divided. FIT values show an excess of
      homozygotes for some loci in both samples. FIS reveals an excess of homozygotes
      within each of the groups. These results indicate the existence of subdivision in
      the population. Because C. laucha is a reservoir host of the Junin virus, an
      agent of endemic disease, this social organization may have epidemiological
      implications. Stratification of C. laucha populations into small breeding units
      could be one of the factors responsible for the high genic variability detected
      in this species.

PMID- 1880050
TI  - Positional control of chiasma distribution in the house mouse. Chiasma
      distribution in mice homozygous and heterozygous for an inversion in chromosome
      1.
AB  - An examination of the chiasma distribution in chromosome 1 of male mice
      homozygous and heterozygous for a distal inversion In(1) 12Rk and in normal males
      was carried out. No differences in chiasma distribution were found between
      homozygotes for the inversion and homozygotes for normal chromosome 1. A
      significant decrease in the frequency of bivalents bearing chiasmata in the
      pretelomeric region was found in heterozygotes. This, in its turn, produced a
      redistribution of chiasmata in the proximal non-inverted part of bivalent 1.
      These results could be interpreted as evidence for positional control of the
      chiasma distribution pattern: the distance of certain parts of the chromosome
      from the telomere and chiasmata interference are more important for determination
      of the chiasma frequency in a given region than its genetic content.

PMID- 1880051
TI  - Antiidiotypic antibodies to HLA class I alloantibodies in normal individuals: a
      mechanism of tolerance to noninherited maternal HLA antigens.
AB  - Recent reports indicate that 25%-50% of transplant patients exhibit B-cell
      nonresponsiveness to their noninherited maternal HLA antigens (NIMAs). To test
      the hypothesis that tolerance of NIMAs is mediated by antiidiotypic antibodies,
      sera from seven normal human subjects were tested for the capacity to inhibit the
      reactivity of HLA alloantisera directed to NIMAs. Five of seven sera inhibited
      (50%-100%) the cytotoxicity of monospecific alloantisera directed to their NIMAs.
      This inhibition was specific in that antisera directed to third-party HLA
      antigens were not inhibited. Cytotoxicity inhibition by normal sera was selective
      for antisera directed to HLA-B locus antigens. Absorption with an antibody
      specific for an HLA class I framework determinant eliminated the inhibitory
      activity of three of the five sera, suggesting that the inhibition was mediated
      by soluble HLA antigens in these cases. However, two of the sera retained
      inhibitory activity following soluble antigen depletion, suggesting that, in
      these cases, inhibition is mediated by antiidiotypic antibodies. This hypothesis
      was confirmed by purifying the immunoglobulin (Ig) fraction of one of these sera
      by anti-Ig affinity chromatography; the column eluate (Ig fraction) but not the
      effluent (Ig-depleted serum) was capable of inhibition. These data are consistent
      with the hypothesis that tolerance of NIMAs is mediated, at least in part, by
      antiidiotypic antibodies.

PMID- 1880052
TI  - Phylogeny of primate major histocompatibility complex DRB alleles.

PMID- 1880053
TI  - Major histocompatibility complex ancestral haplotypes in the chimpanzee:
      identification using C4 allotyping.
AB  - In humans, certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) supratypes mark unique
      DNA segments which have been conserved from a common but remote ancestor. In
      order to determine whether these ancestral haplotypes (AHs) exist in nonhuman
      primates, C4 allotyping was undertaken on 71 chimpanzees. Four large pedigrees
      were available. There are at least seven codominant C4 alleles at two loci. Null
      alleles are also present. It was possible to assign class I, class II, and C4
      alleles to 37 unrelated haplotypes; several supratypes occurred two or more
      times. These putative AHs included some with alleles which resemble those carried
      by certain human AHs. These data provide evidence that similar MHC AHs are
      present in the chimpanzee and human. The present approach provides a basis for
      comparative studies examining the evolutionary and functional significance of the
      MHC.

PMID- 1880054
TI  - Academic performance of mature-age and other students in a physiotherapy program.
AB  - Students enrolled in the physiotherapy undergraduate program of the University of
      Sydney comprise school leavers (students who have completed secondary school
      category A) and non-school leavers (category B), including mature-age students
      (23 years and older). Student selection is based upon academic performance
      (categories A and B) and personal interview (category B only). Statistical
      evaluations of the academic performance of 799 students who commenced the
      undergraduate course between 1982 and 1986 revealed a) no significant difference
      between the time taken to complete the undergraduate program; b) in 26 of 31
      compulsory subjects, category A and category B students performed equally well;
      in one subject category, B students performed significantly better; in three
      subjects, the mature-age students performed significantly better; and only in one
      subject did mature-age students perform less well; c) no difference in the
      academic performance of male and female students; d) the Higher School
      Certificate aggregate provided a poor to moderate indicator of academic
      performance. The results justify both the reservation of places offered to
      nonschool leavers and the system used for their selection.

PMID- 1880055
TI  - The need for policy-relevant research and the role of allied health researchers.

PMID- 1880056
TI  - The 1991 Deans' Memorial Lecture: a perspective on fund-raising with a liberating
      ideology.

PMID- 1880057
TI  - Community oriented primary care: an emerging health promotion strategy.

PMID- 1880058
TI  - Rethinking the promotion and tenure process.

PMID- 1880059
TI  - The impact of AIDS on recruitment in the health professions.
AB  - The occupational risk of AIDS has been identified as a possible factor in the
      decline of applicants to health professions programs. This study examined data
      obtained from 914 Philadelphia public and parochial high school students
      concerning their knowledge and attitudes about AIDS, and their knowledge and
      attitudes toward the health professions. The survey revealed that the majority of
      respondents demonstrated a good, basic understanding of the transmission of the
      virus. While fear of exposure to the virus may negatively impact some prospective
      students, the majority in this study did not express this concern. Rather, the
      results indicated that the respondents' lack of knowledge and understanding of
      the health professions is a major reason that they may not be selecting health
      careers. Notably, more than 50% of those surveyed responded that high schools do
      not provide enough information about the health professions. These findings
      reinforce the need for creative recruitment and career counseling programs that
      will foster an interest in the health professions.

PMID- 1880061
TI  - Isolation and characterization of new allosamidins.
AB  - Three of new allosamidins, termed glucoallosamidins A (5), B (6) and methyl-N
      demethyl-allosamidin (4), were isolated as yeast chitinase inhibitors from the
      mycelium of Streptomyces sp. SA-684.

PMID- 1880060
TI  - Antibiotic GE2270 a: a novel inhibitor of bacterial protein synthesis. II.
      Structure elucidation.
AB  - GE2270 A, produced by Planobispora rosea ATCC 53773, inhibits Gram-positive
      bacteria and anaerobes by acting on the bacterial protein synthesis. The
      structure has been determined by physico-chemical methods applied to the intact
      molecule and to the main hydrolysis products. Characterization by UV, IR, NMR
      (double quantum filter COSY), acid-base ionization, elemental analysis and FAB-MS
      indicated that GE2270 A is a highly modified peptide having MW 1,289 and formula
      C56H55N15O10S6, and a weak basic function, and that it belongs to the thiazolyl
      peptide group of antibiotics. Acid hydrolysis yielded a main product (MW 634),
      responsible for the chromophoric absorption, and a number of hydrolyzed products
      of lower MW. 13C NMR inverse techniques and MS studies (EI, positive ion chemical
      ionization, and collision induced dissociation FAB-MS-MS experiments) on GE2270
      A, the chromophoric compound, and the other hydrolysis products led to the
      complete identification of the various amino acid residues and their sequence.
      Two out of the six chiral centers have been determined. The structure is thought
      to originate from modification of a chain of 14 amino acids in a process which
      creates 6 thiazole rings and one pyridine. The modification process also closes
      the linear polypeptide to form a cyclic part with an attached side-chain. GE2270
      A plausibly has a similar biosynthetic origin to that of other thiazolyl peptide
      antibiotics such as nosiheptide and micrococcin.

PMID- 1880062
TI  - Herbicidal nucleosides from microbial sources.
AB  - The structures of five naturally-occurring herbicidal nucleosides have been
      determined by spectral analysis. Three (5'-deoxyguanosine, coaristeromycin and 5'
      deoxytoyocamycin) are novel natural products while the remaining two (coformycin
      and adenine 9-beta-D-arabinofuranoside) are known natural products which have not
      previously been reported to be herbicidal.

PMID- 1880063
TI  - Fluvirucins A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, new antibiotics active against
      influenza A virus. I. Production, isolation, chemical properties and biological
      activities.
AB  - Five unidentified actinomycete strains produced a series of novel antiviral
      antibiotics which have a unique 2,6-dialkyl-10-ethyl-3(or 9)-hydroxy-13
      tridecanelactam nucleus substituted with 3-amino-3,6-dideoxy-L-talose or 3-amino
      3,6-dideoxy-L-mannose(L-mycosamine). The antibiotic components exhibited potent
      inhibitory activity against influenza virus type A Victoria strain infection in
      Madin Darby canine kidney cells by the cytopathic effect reduction assay.

PMID- 1880064
TI  - Fluvirucins A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, new antibiotics active against
      influenza A virus. II. Structure determination.
AB  - A series of structurally related antiviral antibiotics, fluvirucins A1, A2, B1,
      B2, B3, B4 and B5 have been isolated from the fermentation broths of five
      unidentified actinomycete isolates. Based on spectroscopic analysis, partial
      degradation experiments and 13C-enriched acetic acid-fed biosynthetic studies,
      their structures were elucidated to be 2.6,10-trialkyl-3(or 9)-aminoglycosyl-13
      tridecanelactams.

PMID- 1880065
TI  - Fluvirucins A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4 and B5, new antibiotics active against
      influenza A virus. III. The stereochemistry and absolute configuration of
      fluvirucin A1.
AB  - Fluvirucin A1 was established as (2R,3S,6R, 10S)-3-[(3-amino-3,6-dideoxy-alpha-L
      talopyranosyl)-oxy]-2,6-dimethyl-10 -ethyl-13-tridecanelactam by chemical,
      spectroscopic, and X-ray crystallographic analyses.

PMID- 1880066
TI  - Pannorin, a new 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor
      produced by Chrysosporium pannorum.
AB  - Pannorin, a naphthopyrone that inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A
      (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, was
      isolated from a culture broth of Chrysosporium pannorum M10539 by solvent
      extraction, Bio-Gel P-6 column chromatography and reverse phase HPLC (Silica
      ODS). Spectroscopic analyses of the compound yielded 4,8,10-trihydroxy-5-methyl
      2H-naphtho[1,2-b]pyran-2-one as the proposed structure. Pannorin inhibited HMG
      CoA reductase and in vitro sterol synthesis 50% at a concentration of 160 microM.

PMID- 1880067
TI  - Synthesis and nematocidal activities of jietacin A and its analogs.
AB  - Simple, efficient syntheses of jietacin A, a nematocidal antibiotic, and its
      analogs have been developed in order to study structure-activity relationships. A
      series of alpha,beta-unsaturated azoxy compounds was prepared from
      phenylselenomethyl azoxy compounds as key intermediates and its nematocidal
      activity was determined.

PMID- 1880068
TI  - Inactivation of fusidic acid by resistant Streptomyces strains.
AB  - Streptomyces lividans and several other Streptomyces species are resistant to the
      steroid-like antibiotic fusidic acid. This resistance is mediated by structural
      modification of the antibiotic. Using TLC, CD, UV, IR, NMR and mass spectroscopy
      the structure of one of the resulting inactive compounds was determined. It is
      derived from fusidic acid by the loss of an acetyl group and the formation of a
      lactone ring between C-21 and C-16. In addition, helvolic acid, a compound
      closely related to fusidic acid, has been shown to be modified.

PMID- 1880069
TI  - Arabenoic acid, a natural product herbicide of fungal origin.

PMID- 1880070
TI  - Secondary metabolites by chemical screening. 4. Detection, isolation and
      biological activities of chiral synthons from Streptomyces.

PMID- 1880071
TI  - Revised structure and the chemical transformations of FR900148.

PMID- 1880072
TI  - Microbial conversion of milbemycins: 13 beta, 29-dihydroxylation of milbemycins
      by soil isolate Streptomyces cavourensis.

PMID- 1880073
TI  - Pure-tone overstimulation protects surviving avian hair cells from acoustic
      trauma.
AB  - It was found that intense pure-tones which damage hair cells in chicks, also
      result in damage to the tectorial membrane (TM). This study was designed to
      elucidate the effects of a second pure-tone insult on hair cells which survived a
      priming pure-tone exposure. Chicks were exposed to a pure-tone of 1.5 kHz at 124
      dB SPL. Lesion was found in both TM and hair cells, but the area of damage to the
      TM was much larger than that to the hair cells. Following this exposure, chicks
      were exposed to a second intense pure-tone at 2.2 kHz 124 dB SPL. The frequency
      of the second exposure corresponded to a region where the TM did, but hair cells
      did not appear to be injured by the first exposure. The second exposure caused
      significantly less hair cell damage in chicks already exposed to the 1.5 kHz pure
      tone than in controls which were not primed with the first exposure. This finding
      suggests that the first exposure provides a degree of protection for the
      surviving hair cells, perhaps by uncoupling them from the TM.

PMID- 1880074
TI  - Altered susceptibility of 2f1-f2 acoustic-distortion products to the effects of
      repeated noise exposure in rabbits.
AB  - Hearing sensitivity and the generation of acoustic-distortion products at 2f1-f2
      were examined systematically in behaviorally trained rabbits, before, during, and
      following regular exposure to a 95-dB SPL octave band of noise, centered at 1
      kHz. During the exposure period, the octave-band noise was interrupted once every
      24 h in order to monitor the progressive loss in auditory function using tests of
      behavioral threshold and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). When
      low-frequency DPOAEs from 1-4 kHz diminished to noise-floor levels, i.e., when
      their amplitudes were reduced by about 20-30 dB, the exposure was terminated.
      Subsequent recovery of behavioral thresholds and DPOAE amplitudes and detection
      'thresholds' was evaluated at regular intervals over a 3-week post-exposure
      period. Following the recovery period, the rabbits again received the identical
      exposure/recovery treatment until a permanent 10 dB or greater loss in DPOAE
      amplitudes was achieved for any point of measurement between 2-10 kHz. The
      primary result was that the number of days of overstimulation required for
      rabbits to reach the criterion loss in DPOAE amplitudes increased for each
      successive exposure session. In addition, DPOAEs accurately tracked the frequency
      pattern described by the behavioral threshold shifts during both the development
      and recovery stages of exposure.

PMID- 1880075
TI  - Same location of the source of P1 of BAEPs and N1 of CAP in guinea pig.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to point out the location of N1 and N2 of the
      compound action potential (CAP) and the first waves of the brainstem auditory
      evoked potentials (BAEPs) by the mean of the section of the eighth nerve at the
      porus acousticus in guinea pigs. Our results agree with most of the studies in
      the literature. In the absence of lesion of the internal auditory artery, the
      section of the cochlear nerve induced the persistence, alone, of the P1 of BAEPs
      in which latency was similar to initial P1 before section, and the subsequent
      waves disappeared. Simultaneously, a monophasic negative potential (N1) of the
      auditory nerve remained without N2. When the section included the internal
      auditory artery all BAEPs and CAP components disappeared simultaneously and very
      suddenly just after the section. These results definitively excluded a proximal
      contribution of the cochlear nerve in the N1 of CAP and P1 of BAEPs. The N2 of
      CAP and P2 of BAEPs are not generated, even in part, in the intracochlear or
      intrapetrous portion of the cochlear nerve.

PMID- 1880076
TI  - Rate/level functions of auditory-nerve fibers in young and quiet-aged gerbils.
AB  - Steady-state rate/level functions of single auditory-nerve fibers to
      characteristic frequency (CF) tone bursts were measured in quiet-aged (35-37
      months) and young control (4-7 months) gerbils. Rate/level functions of aged
      gerbils are different from those of young controls in that the thresholds are
      shifted to higher sound levels, but otherwise the shapes of the aged and young
      rate/level functions are similar. Specifically, there is little difference in the
      slope of the dynamic range portion of the rate/level functions when comparing
      aged gerbils to young controls. This is in contrast to whole-nerve input/output
      (I/O) functions of aged gerbils, which exhibit slopes that are less steep than
      those of the young controls (Hellstrom and Schmiedt, 1990b). Thus, it is likely
      that the deterioration of the CAP I/O function in aged animals is not due to a
      deterioration of rate/level functions in single units, but rather to other
      factors such as spiral ganglion cell degeneration or a loss of synchrony.

PMID- 1880077
TI  - The effects of DFMO on polyamine metabolism in the inner ear.
AB  - Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is a novel antineoplastic agent that was
      associated with an unexpected hearing loss in Phase II clinical trials. DFMO
      interferes with polyamine synthesis by inhibition of the enzyme ornithine
      decarboxylase (ODC). The objective of the current study was to establish a
      methodology to determine the effect of DFMO on polyamine levels and ODC activity
      in the cochlea. Guinea pigs received DFMO in their drinking water and were tested
      for auditory brainstem response threshold shifts. The organ of Corti, the lateral
      wall, and the acoustic nerve were assayed for both ODC activity and polyamine
      levels. In DFMO treated animals there was an inhibition of ODC activity in
      cochlear tissues as well as in intestinal mucosa. In addition, a significant
      depletion of cochlear polyamines was observed in the treatment animals. This
      study suggests that systemically administered DFMO inhibits ODC activity and
      interferes with polyamine synthesis in the cochlea.

PMID- 1880078
TI  - Effects of myelin or cell body brainstem lesions on 3-channel Lissajous'
      trajectories of feline auditory brainstem evoked potentials.
AB  - Auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABEP) were recorded from 16 awake cats to
      obtain 3-Channel Lissajous' Trajectories (3CLTs) using three orthogonal
      differential electrode configurations (nasion-midline nuchal ridge, left-right
      mastoids, vertex-midline under the mandible). Potentials, evoked by monaural 80
      dBnHL (re, human threshold) clicks, were studied before, and up to 7 weeks after
      inducing neuronal lesions localized to the cochlear nucleus (CN) or the superior
      olivary complex (SOC), or myelin lesions localized to the fibers of the trapezoid
      body connecting these two structures. Neuronal lesions were induced by injection
      of kainic acid (KA), while myelin lesions were induced by injection of L-alpha
      lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). With CN neuronal lesions the major changes in 3CLT
      were in the time domain of 'b', 'c' and 'd' (components P2, P3 and P4 of single
      channel ABEP). With SOC neuronal lesions the major changes were in 'c' and 'd' of
      3CLT (P3 and P4 of ABEP). With trapezoid body lesions the major change was in 'c'
      (P3 of ABEP). The results are compatible with the peripheral generation of the
      first ABEP components (P1a and P1b). The second component (P2) is generated by
      ipsilateral CN neurones and their outputs. The third component (P3) is generated
      primarily by ipsilateral SOC neurones and their outputs, with the ipsilateral CN
      providing input. The The fourth component (P4) is generated bilaterally by the
      SOC neurones and their outputs, receiving their inputs from ipsilateral CN. The
      fifth ABEP component (P5) is generated by structures central to the SOCs and
      their immediate outputs. Neither focal neuronal nor myelin lesions were
      sufficient to produce obliteration of any component, consistent with a set of
      generators for each of the ABEP components, consisting of both cell bodies and
      their output fibers, that is distributed spatially in the brainstem.

PMID- 1880079
TI  - The organ of Corti in the bat Hipposideros bicolor.
AB  - The bat Hipposideros bicolor (Hipposideridae, Microchiroptera) is the mammalian
      species with the highest upper limit of hearing in which the structure of the
      organ of Corti has been studied. H. bicolor emits pure tone echo-locating signals
      of 153 kHz, compensates for Doppler shifts in the echo and hears ultrasonic
      frequencies up to 200 kHz (Neuweiler et al., 1984). The organ of Corti was
      investigated qualitatively and quantitatively using the technique of semi-thin
      sectioning. Some complementary ultra-thin sections were also examined. Length,
      width and cross-sectional area of the basilar membrane, the tectorial membrane,
      the hair cells with their stereocilia and the organ of Corti were measured at
      equi-distant positions on the basilar membrane. The organ of Corti of H. bicolor
      is composed of elements similar to those found in the cochleae of other eutherian
      mammals studied. However, in H. bicolor some of these elements show species
      specific differences when compared to auditorily unspecialized mammals. The most
      basal region of the cochlea is characterized by miniaturization and re
      inforcement of macro- and micro-mechanically important elements. This is
      interpreted as an adaptation for hearing extremely high frequencies. Specialized
      structures as well as local maxima of 'normal' elements in the basal and middle
      cochlear region are associated with evaluation of the echos of emitted pure
      tones. Besides the basal specializations. Hipposideros also shows specializations
      in the apical, low frequency, region which can be correlated with passive
      acoustic orientation.

PMID- 1880080
TI  - Slow variations of the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous otoacoustic
      emissions.
AB  - Systematic, slow variations of the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous
      otoacoustic emissions in human ears, occurring over the first 20-30 min of
      recording, are described. Experimental observations suggest that these variations
      may arise from a centrally mediated, bilateral influence on the mechanics of the
      ear.

PMID- 1880081
TI  - Contacts between hair cells in the avian cochlea.
AB  - In the avian papilla basilaris, contacts between hair cells are a common feature.
      With few exceptions, they only occur between tall hair cells (THC), and they are
      more frequent in the apical half of the papilla. In this quantitative study, four
      types of contacts are defined: Protrusion contacts, touch contacts, fusion
      contacts and multiple contacts. There are strong indications that these contacts
      are dynamic structures. The fact that avian hair cells probably communicate with
      each other means that their function can only be fully understood if cell groups
      are studied.

PMID- 1880082
TI  - Cochlear cultures as a model system for studying aminoglycoside induced
      ototoxicity.
AB  - Light and electron microscopy have been used to evaluate the effects of treating
      mouse cochlear cultures with the ototoxic aminoglycoside antibiotic neomycin
      sulphate at concentrations of 0.2 mM and greater for periods of up to 1 hour.
      Neomycin rapidly induces the formation of numerous, membrane filled blisters on
      the apical surfaces of the sensory hair cells. Such morphological damage is
      restricted to the hair cells, and is not observed on the surfaces of supporting
      cells within the organ of Corti. Hair cells in apical-coil cultures are less
      sensitive than those in basal-coil cultures, and, at any given point along the
      cochlea, outer hair cells appear to be more extensively damaged by neomycin than
      inner hair cells. These morphological effects of neomycin are considerably more
      severe when the drug is applied in calcium/magnesium free saline, and can be
      blocked by elevating the saline concentration of either calcium or magnesium. The
      effects can also be blocked by lowering the temperature to 4 degrees C, but not
      by either K+ depolarization or the lectin Concanavalin A. The potential value of
      this culture system as a model for studying aminoglycoside induced ototoxicity is
      discussed.

PMID- 1880083
TI  - A primer on digital imaging--post production for still photography: Part I.

PMID- 1880084
TI  - Medical illustration in Saudi Arabia.

PMID- 1880085
TI  - Use of the FAX machine for client interface.

PMID- 1880086
TI  - The management of AIDS patients in the photographic studio.

PMID- 1880087
TI  - "1 HR PHOTO-MED"--the development of a rapid color print service for an academic
      health science center.

PMID- 1880088
TI  - Preparing color slides from color negatives.

PMID- 1880089
TI  - Photography of very small biomedical objects.

PMID- 1880090
TI  - Prediction of airway responsiveness to allergen from skin sensitivity to
      allergen, airway responsiveness to histamine and serum IgE levels.
AB  - Immediate allergic reaction of the skin, non allergic airway responsiveness of
      the bronchi, and serum IgE levels were estimated in 25 atopic non asthmatic
      subjects and 15 controls. A good correlation was observed between these three
      parameters i.e. patients with positive skin response to allergen had increased
      airway responsiveness and significantly increased levels of serum IgE. However,
      the serum levels of IgE provided a significantly better indication of the likely
      presence of bronchial allergic reactivity than did the skin reactivity. The
      results indicate that knowledge of the airway responsiveness to histamine, skin
      sensitivity to allergen and serum IgE levels can predict the presence of airways
      responsiveness to an allergen. In all atopic non asthmatic individuals with a
      significant correlation between these parameters, the relevant allergen could
      stand identified as having the potential to provoke attacks of clinical asthma.

PMID- 1880091
TI  - Role of oesophageal electrocardiograms in differentiation of old anteroseptal
      myocardial infarction from emphysema in cases with poor R wave progression in
      precordial leads.
AB  - R wave height, S wave depth and the R/S ratio on electrocardiograms obtained with
      unipolar oesophageal lead recorded at various levels were studied in 54 cases
      with emphysema without myocardial infarction and 46 cases with healeeed
      anteroseptal myocardial infarction. All patients had poor R wave progression in
      anterior precordial leads. The criterion of R wave height of greater than or
      equal to 7.5 mm at the ventricular level oesophageal electrocardiogram was most
      sensitive (85.7%), specific (80%) and accurate (82.4%) for the diagnosis of
      healed anteroseptal myocardial infarction.

PMID- 1880092
TI  - Comparative study of amoxycillin and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid in lower
      respiratory infections.
AB  - A comparison of oral amoxycillin (500 mg tds) with amoxycillin/clavulanic acid
      (Augmentin; 750 mg tds) for 7 to 10 days was completed in 76 patients with lower
      respiratory infection. In another 9 patients, intravenous Augmentin alone was
      administered (1.2 g 8 hourly) for 3 days followed by oral doses as above for 7
      days. In 50 (59%) patients the underlying chronic lung disease was
      bronchiectasis. Clinical improvement (1 + or more) was seen in 66% with
      amoxycillin, 60% with oral Augmentin and 56% with IV Augmentin. For radiographic
      improvement the respective figures were 47, 53 and 44 per cent.
      Bacteriologically, elimination was seen in 8% with amoxycillin and 45% with
      Augmentin (P less than 0.01), while partial success was seen in 16 and 24 per
      cent respectively. While for gram positive organisms, both drugs were similar in
      efficacy, for gram negative strains the overall success was 27% with amoxycillin
      and 67% with Augmentin. The main organisms isolated were Str pneumoniae (12),
      Klebsiella (41), Pseudomonas (21), E coli (9), Haemophilus (7) and Staph aureus
      (6). For bacteriologic sensitivity and consequent success, Augmentin may be
      superior in respiratory infections.

PMID- 1880093
TI  - Progressive systemic sclerosis in south India.
AB  - Seventy eight patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were seen over a
      period of 14 years. They were analysed after clinical, haematological,
      biochemical, immunological and radiological investigations for comparison with
      other Indian and Western studies. Nine of the 78 were cases of childhood PSS.
      There was a female preponderance (3.9:1) and the peak age of occurrence was the
      4th decade (32.1%). Arthralgia (53.8%) and skin thickening (70.5%) were the
      common presenting symptoms. Raynaud's phenomenon (28.2%) was less common.
      Involvement of the skin was present in all the patients and skin biopsy was
      positive in 96% of the cases. Joints were affected in 66.7%; internal organs were
      involved in 52.6%. Antinuclear antibody was positive in 56.8%. Abnormal
      echocardiography (37.6%) and barium studies (20.4%) were seen. Restrictive airway
      pattern by pulmonary function test was present in 55%. Death occurred in 5
      patients, of whom 3 died of severe pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 1880094
TI  - Idiopathic oedema--a missed entity.
AB  - Twenty nine patients were diagnosed to have idiopathic oedema; 27 (93.1%) of
      these were females. Associated psychological symptoms were observed in 86.2% of
      patients. The most common associated symptoms were related to autonomic
      dysfunction. Obesity and diuretic abuse were found in 48.3% and 41.4% of patients
      respectively. The association of bizarre symptoms with idiopathic oedema is a
      common feature.

PMID- 1880095
TI  - Lipid profile in enteric fever.
AB  - Lipid profile is known to alter in patients with severe sepsis, but few studies
      regarding the status of lipid levels in enteric fever are available. Twenty
      patients with enteric fever, belonging to different age groups and both sexes,
      along with an equal number of matched patients with fever due to non-enteric
      causes, were studied with regard to alterations in lipid profile. We observed a
      severe and protracted hypertriglyceridaemia, decrease in HDL-cholesterol levels
      and increase in LDL-cholesterol levels in patients with enteric fever at the peak
      of fever. The values returned to normal on recovery and convalescence. This study
      serves to highlight the complexity of lipid variation during Salmonella typhi
      infection.

PMID- 1880096
TI  - Ascitic fluid protein and cellular changes during diuretic therapy in cirrhosis
      of liver.
AB  - Thirty four patients with peritoneoscopy and/or biopsy proven uncomplicated
      cirrhosis of liver with ascites were studied for the effect of diuretic therapy
      on ascitic fluid protein and cell count. Renal function tests, liver function
      tests, ascitic fluid protein concentration and cell count were estimated prior to
      diuretic therapy and once every week till the end of therapy. There was no change
      in mean total serum protein (5.71 +/- 0.58 g/dl to 5.72 +/- 0.63 g/dl). The rise
      in mean ascitic fluid protein from 1.55 +/- 0.77 g/dl to 1.76 +/- 0.79 g/dl was
      not significant (P greater than 0.05). Twenty one patients (Group I) showed a
      rise in ascitic fluid protein concentration while 13 patients (Group II) did not
      show a rise or showed a fall in protein concentration during diuretic therapy.
      The rise in ascitic fluid protein concentration in Group I from 1.62 +/- 0.69
      g/dl to 2.05 +/- 0.67 g/dl was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).
      Group I patients had a mean weight loss of 6.21 +/- 3.66 kg as compared to 3.15
      +/- 2.00 kg in Group II patients (p less than 0.05). There was no other
      difference between Group I and Group II patients. Only 5 patients showed a rise
      in ascitic fluid cell count (more than 50 cell/mm3). It is concluded that
      diuretic therapy alters ascitic fluid protein concentration in a majority of
      patients but has no significant effect on cell count.

PMID- 1880097
TI  - Scintigraphic right-to-left liver lobe ratio and liver-to-spleen ratio in
      cirrhosis and non cirrhotic liver diseases.
AB  - Various criteria are used together for the scintigraphic diagnosis of cirrhosis
      as no single criterion may be reliable. However, low right-to-left hepatic lobe
      uptake ratio has been reported to be sensitive and specific for alcoholic
      cirrhosis. A low liver-to-spleen uptake ratio has also been reported in various
      hepatocellular disorders. We tested these ratios in patients with cirrhosis and
      non cirrhotic causes of portal hypertension. The right-to-left lobe uptake ratio
      was significantly lower (1.59 +/- 1.23 vs 2.36 +/- 0.63 in normals; p = 0.037) in
      only Child's C alcoholic cirrhosis, but the sensitivity of this ratio was low
      (40%) even in this subgroup of cirrhosis (mean +/- SD 1.72 +/- 1.08) as against 1
      of 10 patients with non cirrhotic portal hypertension (3.57 +/- 1.33; p =
      0.0005). We conclude that the right-to-left hepatic lobe uptake ratio is not a
      discriminatory scintigraphic sign in liver disease. A low liver-to-spleen uptake
      ratio can distinguish cirrhosis from non cirrhotic causes of portal hypertension.

PMID- 1880098
TI  - High density lipoprotein.
AB  - High density lipoprotein (HDL) is a discoidal particle comprising phospholipid,
      cholesteryl esters and several apolipoproteins. It serves in transporting
      cholesterol from the periphery to the liver by the process of "reverse
      cholesterol transport". Compatible with this is the finding that the mass of the
      tissue cholesterol pools is inversely related to plasma HDL concentration. The
      plasma levels of components of HDL are determined by various physiological and
      pathological factors. The serum HDL levels are lower with advancing age, male
      sex, and in genetically predisposed, obese, sedentary persons. The effect of diet
      on serum HDL levels is not established; mild to moderate alcohol intake is
      associated with high serum HDL level. The main diseases affecting serum HDL
      levels are uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, uraemia and hyperthyroidism. Anabolic
      steroids, sex hormones, oral contraceptives, hypocholesterolaemics and beta
      blockers have been shown to affect serum HDL level variably. There is increasing
      epidemiological evidence to show that high levels of HDL are protective against
      coronary heart disease (CHD). A low serum HDL cholesterol concentration (less
      than 35 mg/dl) is associated with a significant increase in coronary risk in both
      men and women. Guidelines published by the National Cholesterol Education
      Programme do not recommend routine measurement of HDL cholesterol and adaptation
      of therapeutic modalities aiming to raise the low HDL levels. They recommend
      hygienic means (i.e. smoking cessation, aerobic exercises and weight loss) to
      raise the HDL cholesterol levels.

PMID- 1880099
TI  - Statistics for clinicians. 4. Ordinal data.

PMID- 1880100
TI  - Congenital complete heart block.

PMID- 1880101
TI  - Ventricular septal defect with aortic regurgitation complicated by pulmonary
      valve endocarditis.

PMID- 1880102
TI  - Small bowel adenocarcinoma mimicking tubercular stricture. Role of enteroscopy in
      early diagnosis.
AB  - We report a patient with high jejunal stricture initially thought to be
      tubercular in origin. There was, however, no response to antitubercular treatment
      and enteroscopic biopsy revealed it to be an adenocarcinoma. This case
      illustrates the role of enteroscopy and biopsy in the definitive diagnosis of
      high small bowel strictures.

PMID- 1880103
TI  - Schmidt's syndrome.
AB  - Schmidt's syndrome is a condition where there is auto-immune Addison's disease
      associated with primary hypothyroidism. We present one such case in view of its
      rarity in Indian literature.

PMID- 1880104
TI  - Facial hemiatrophy. Report of two cases.

PMID- 1880105
TI  - Skeletal manifestations in beta-thalassaemia intermedia.
AB  - Thalassaemia intermedia with distressing complications is reported from India. An
      11 year old boy presented with recurrent fractures since 6 years of age.
      Investigations revealed that he had multiple healed fractures of long bones,
      hypersplenism, iron overload and a red blood cell half life (t1/2) of 17 1/2
      days. Splenectomy was planned.

PMID- 1880106
TI  - Correct terminology in leukaemia treatment.

PMID- 1880107
TI  - Klebsiella pneumonia with lung abscess.

PMID- 1880108
TI  - Splenic infarctions in mixed infection with kala azar and falciparum malaria.

PMID- 1880109
TI  - Hepatitis B seromarkers among medical and paramedical personnel.

PMID- 1880110
TI  - Ayurvedic drugs--no more innocent (cardiotoxic aconite)

PMID- 1880111
TI  - Inferior vena caval obstruction following burns.

PMID- 1880112
TI  - Yellow oleander poisoning.

PMID- 1880113
TI  - Interaction of sickle haemoglobin with malaria.

PMID- 1880114
TI  - Multi drug resistant typhoid fever: a therapeutic challenge.

PMID- 1880115
TI  - Proximal muscle weakness following snake bite is not rare.

PMID- 1880116
TI  - Atenolol induced hypotension.

PMID- 1880117
TI  - Endoscopic injection treatment of non-variceal bleeding.

PMID- 1880118
TI  - Tropical myositis an unusual presentation.

PMID- 1880119
TI  - Tropical myositis: complicated by arrhythmias and pleuritis.

PMID- 1880120
TI  - Hypokalaemic effect of salbutamol and terbutaline in bronchial asthma.

PMID- 1880121
TI  - Thermostable phenylalanine dehydrogenase of Thermoactinomyces intermedius:
      cloning, expression, and sequencing of its gene.
AB  - The gene encoding the thermostable phenylalanine dehydrogenase [EC 1.4.1.-] of a
      thermophile, Thermoactinomyces intermedius, was cloned and its complete DNA
      sequence was determined. The phenylalanine dehydrogenase gene (pdh) consists of
      1,098 nucleotides and encodes 366 amino acid residues corresponding to the
      subunit (Mr 41,000) of the hexameric enzyme. The amino acid sequence deduced from
      the nucleotide sequence of the pdh gene of T. intermedius was 56.0 and 42.1%
      homologous to those of the phenylalanine dehydrogenases of Bacillus sphaericus
      and Sporosarcina ureae, respectively. It shows 47.5% homology to that of the
      thermostable leucine dehydrogenase from B. stearothermophilus. The pdh gene was
      highly expressed in E. coli JM109, the amount of phenylalanine dehydrogenase
      produced amounting up to about 8.3% of that of the total soluble protein. We
      purified the enzyme to homogeneity from transformant cells in a day, with a 58%
      recovery.

PMID- 1880122
TI  - Interaction of melittin and phospholipase A2 with azobenzene-containing
      phospholipid.
AB  - Interactions of melittin and/or phospholipase A2 (PLA2) with circular dichroism
      (CD)-active phospholipid, bis(4'-n-octanoxyazobenzene-4-carboxyl)-L-alpha
      phosphatidylcholin e (CDPC), were studied. In the presence of melittin at a lipid
      to-melittin molar ratio (Ri) of 5, multilamellar dispersion, composed of CDPC and
      dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine with a molar ratio of 1, underwent morphological
      change to form small melittin-lipid particles. When PLA2 was added to the
      melittin-lipid particles at 37 degrees C, the CD band at 222 nm exhibited a
      remarkable enhancement depending on Ri, indicating the formation of melittin-PLA2
      lipid complex. After a 30 min incubation of melittin-PLA2-lipid complex at 45
      degrees C in the presence of Ca2+, the CD band at 222 nm was still enhanced and a
      new positive band at 356 nm was observed. On the other hand, in the absence of
      Ca2+, the CD enhancement characteristic of melittin-PLA2-lipid complex
      disappeared after the incubation at 45 degrees C. These results suggest that the
      melittin-PLA2-lipid complex did not undergo any drastic morphological change upon
      PLA2-catalyzed hydrolysis of lipid, and that Ca2+ is indispensable in order that
      the melittin-PLA2-lipid complex remains intact and PLA2 exerts efficient
      hydrolytic activity in the melittin-PLA2-lipid complex.

PMID- 1880123
TI  - Multi-functional property of rat liver mitochondrial cytochrome P-450.
AB  - To solve the problem of whether a common enzyme catalyzes both 5 beta-cholestane
      3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-triol 27-hydroxylation and 25-hydroxylation of 1 alpha
      hydroxyvitamin D3 (a synthetic compound used therapeutically for vitamin D
      deficient diseases) in rat liver mitochondria, enzymological and kinetic studies
      were performed. A cytochrome P-450 was purified from female rat liver
      mitochondria based on these catalytic activities and it was found that the two
      enzyme activities accompanied each other at all purification steps. The 5 beta
      cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-triol 27-hydroxylation activity of the final
      preparation had a turnover number of 36 min-1, and the value of the corresponding
      1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 25-hydroxylation activity was 1.4 min-1. When the
      enzyme was partially denatured by heating at different temperatures, both enzyme
      activities declined in a parallel fashion. Treatment of the enzyme with N
      bromosuccinimide decreased both enzyme activities in a similar manner. 5 beta
      Cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-triol competitively inhibited 25
      hydroxylation of 1 alpha-hydroxy-vitamin D3 and vice versa. From these results it
      was concluded that 5 beta-cholestane-3 alpha,7 alpha,12 alpha-triol 27
      hydroxylation and 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3 25-hydroxylation are catalyzed by a
      common enzyme in rat liver mitochondria.

PMID- 1880124
TI  - Detection of heat-stable delta 3,delta 2-enoyl-CoA isomerase in rat liver
      mitochondria and peroxisomes by immunochemical study using specific antibody.
AB  - The subcellular distribution of delta 3,delta 2-enoyl-CoA isomerase [EC 5.3.3.8]
      and the inducing effect of clofibrate, a peroxisomal proliferator, on the enzyme
      activity were examined in rat liver. From the results of spectrophotometric
      investigation of the fractions, which were prepared by sucrose discontinuous
      gradient centrifugation from the light mitochondrial fraction, the isomerase
      activity was found in the fractions enriched in mitochondria and those enriched
      in peroxisomes of the control and the clofibrate treated rat livers. The anti
      isomerase antibody reacted with both the mitochondrial isomerase and the
      peroxisomal isomerase, revealing a single band with an apparent molecular weight
      of 30,000. However, the isomerase was induced by clofibrate administration mainly
      in the mitochondrial fraction. These results suggest that delta 3,delta 2-enoyl
      CoA isomerase is located in the mitochondria and the peroxisomes of the normal
      rat liver, and that the isomerase in the mitochondria is induced by clofibrate
      administration.

PMID- 1880125
TI  - Drastic change in the level of actin mRNA in the course of synchronous division
      in Tetrahymena.
AB  - Change in actin mRNA level was investigated in the course of synchronous division
      in Tetrahymena induced by intermittent heat treatment. The level of actin mRNA
      decreased from just after the end of the heat treatment (EHT) to 45 min after
      EHT, and then promptly increased before synchronous division at 75 min after EHT.
      In contrast, levels of the total RNA and mRNAs of Tetrahymena calmodulin and
      calcium-binding protein of 25 kDa (TCBP-25) increased gradually from EHT to
      synchronous division. Drastic change in mRNA level before synchronous division
      seems to be unique to actin mRNA. From the effects of actinomycin D (50
      micrograms/ml) on both synchronous division and actin mRNA level, the increase in
      actin mRNA level starting from 45 min after EHT is speculated to be prerequisite
      for the oncoming synchronous division. The results of a nuclear run-off
      experiment supported the above speculation.

PMID- 1880126
TI  - Renaturation, purification, and characterization of human truncated macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor expressed in Escherichia coli.
AB  - A human truncated macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) encoding the amino
      acid residues from 3 to 153 of the native M-CSF was expressed by using a two
      cistron expression system in Escherichia coli. The truncated M-CSF found in
      inclusion bodies was renatured and had CSF activity. Purification, which included
      a QAE-ZeTa preparative cartridge concentration step followed sequentially by HPLC
      on TSK-gel Phenyl-5PW and TSK-gel DEAE-5PW columns, gave an overall yield of
      63.8%. The purified truncated M-CSF had a specific activity of 4 x 10(7) units/mg
      of protein. Peptide mapping of a lysylendopeptidase digest by reversed-phase HPLC
      confirmed the amino acid sequence predicted from the cDNA sequence. SDS-PAGE of
      the purified truncated M-CSF gave a single band at 17 kDa under reducing
      conditions and at 32 kDa under non-reducing conditions. Activated Thiol-Sepharose
      6B column chromatography and other experiments failed to detect any free cysteine
      residue in spite of the existence of 7 cysteine residues in the truncated M-CSF
      subunit. These results indicate that it is a dimeric structure linked by one or
      more intermolecular disulfide bonds.

PMID- 1880127
TI  - Examination of aglycone-binding site of human salivary alpha-amylase by means of
      transglycosylation reactions.
AB  - The active site of human salivary alpha-amylase is composed of tandem subsites
      (S3, S2, S1, S1',S2', etc.) geometrically complementary to several glucose
      residues, and the glycosidic linkage of the substrate is split between S1 and
      S1'. As a matter of convenience, the subsites to which the non-reducing-end part
      (glycone) and the reducing-end part (aglycone) of the substrate being hydrolyzed
      are bound are named the glycone-binding site (S3, S2, S1) and the aglycone
      binding site (S1', S2'), respectively. The features of the aglycone-binding site
      of human salivary alpha-amylase were examined by means of transglycosylation
      reaction using phenyl alpha-maltoside (GG phi: G-G-phi) and its derivatives (GAG
      phi: G-AG-phi, GCG phi: G-CG-phi, AGG phi: AG-G-phi, and CGG phi: CG-G-phi) in
      which one of the glucose residues (G) has been converted to 6-amino-6-deoxy
      glucose (AG) or glucuronic acid (CG) residue as the acceptor. A fluorogenic
      derivative of maltotetraose, p-nitrophenyl O-6-deoxy-6-[(2-pyridyl)amino]-alpha-D
      glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D -glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-O-alpha-D
      glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D- glucopyranosyl-(1----4)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside
      (FG4P, FG-G-G-G-P), was used as the substrate. HSA catalyzed both hydrolysis of
      FG4P to FG3 (FG-G-G) and p-nitrophenyl alpha-glucoside (G-P) and transfer of the
      FG3 residue of FG4P to the acceptors. Transfer to GAG phi occurred more
      effectively than to GG phi. Transfers to GCG phi and CGG phi were less than to GG
      phi and very little transfer to AGG phi occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1880128
TI  - Lysozyme-catalyzed reaction in continuous flow system.
AB  - The lysozyme-catalyzed reaction of chitooligosaccharide was carried out in a
      continuous flow system in which the solution of substrate, chitooligosaccharide
      [(GlcNAc)n], flowed into the lysozyme solution in an ultrafiltration apparatus
      and the products were filtered off. The filtrate was continuously collected in
      test tubes with the aid of a fraction collector. The product distribution in each
      fraction was analyzed by high performance gel filtration. Using (GlcNAc)5 as the
      substrate, the concentrations of products, (GlcNAc)1----4, increased gradually
      and came to the steady state when the volume of the outflow amounted to sixfold
      of the inside volume. Before reaching the steady state, the product distribution
      was quite different from that observed in the closed reaction system, in which
      the reaction species are not exchangeable through the boundary of the system. The
      outflows of (GlcNAc)3-5 were delayed in comparison with those of GlcNAc and
      (GlcNAc)2. The delay period increased with the decrease in substrate
      concentration, and was shortened by using the [Asp 101 or Trp 62]-modified
      lysozyme instead of the native lysozyme. These results suggest that the delay in
      the (GlcNAc)3-5 outflows is caused by the nonproductive binding of the
      oligosaccharide to the lysozyme molecule. The profile of the flow reaction yields
      information not only on the catalytic efficiency but also on the substrate
      binding efficiency of the lysozyme.

PMID- 1880129
TI  - Unilateral aminoacylation specificity between bovine mitochondria and eubacteria.
AB  - The present study shows unilateral aminoacylation specificity between bovine
      mitochondria and eubacteria (Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus) in five
      amino acid-specific aminoacylation systems. Mitochondrial synthetases were
      capable of charging eubacterial tRNA as well as mitochondrial tRNA, whereas
      eubacterial synthetases did not efficiently charge mitochondrial tRNA.
      Mitochondrial phenylalanyl-, threonyl-, arginyl-, and lysyl-tRNA synthetases were
      shown to charge and discriminate cognate E. coli tRNA species from noncognate
      ones strictly, as did the corresponding E. coli synthetases. By contrast,
      mitochondrial seryl-tRNA synthetase not only charged cognate E. coli serine tRNA
      species but also extensively misacylated noncognate E. coli tRNA species. These
      results suggest a certain conservation of tRNA recognition mechanisms between the
      mitochondrial and E. coli aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in that anticodon sequences
      are most likely to be recognized by the former four synthetases, but not
      sufficiently by the seryl-tRNA synthetase. The unilaterality in aminoacylation
      may imply that tRNA recognition mechanisms of the mitochondrial synthetases have
      evolved to be, to some extent, simpler than their eubacterial counterparts in
      response to simplifications in the species-number and the structural elements of
      animal mitochondrial tRNAs.

PMID- 1880130
TI  - A highly sensitive method for quantitative analysis of phospholipid molecular
      species by high-performance liquid chromatography.
AB  - A highly sensitive method was developed for quantitative analysis of phospholipid
      molecular species. Diradylglycerols prepared from phospholipids with
      phospholipase C were converted to the anthroyl-diradylglycerol derivatives, which
      could be separated into molecular species and sensitively quantified by reverse
      phase HPLC using a fluorescence detector. All the molecular species of the
      derivatives had the same peak area per mole, and the peak areas were proportional
      to the amounts of the derivatives. Quantification could be carried out at the
      femtomole level.

PMID- 1880131
TI  - Numerical method to analyze pH-profile from initial velocity data and semi
      empirical procedure to identify catalytic residues of enzymes using pK and heat
      of ionization.
AB  - A numerical computing method to estimate pK and heat of ionization directly from
      initial velocity data was developed for systematic analysis of rate parameters.
      Values of rate and thermodynamic parameters were determined together with
      standard deviations, without using Arrhenius and van't Hoff plots. Distributions
      of pK and heat of ionization of small-molecular derivatives of aliphatic
      carboxylates, imidazoles, thiols, and aliphatic amines as possible models for
      catalytic residues of enzymes were analyzed from a thermodynamic point of view.
      Each group was classified in a parallelogram without overlapping, except for a
      part of the imidazole and thiol groups. It was shown that values of pK and heat
      of ionization of carboxylates and histidine residues involved in the catalytic
      activity of enzymes determined from pH-profile experiments can be classified into
      similar, though somewhat extended, areas to those of the corresponding small
      molecular derivatives. Identification of catalytic residues using values of pK
      and heat of ionization is proved to be a reliable method when the procedure is
      properly used.

PMID- 1880132
TI  - Polyamine distributions in thermophilic eubacteria belonging to Thermus and
      Acidothermus.
AB  - Triamines such as norspermidine, spermidine, and homospermidine and tetraamines
      such as norspermine, spermine, thermospermine, and aminopropylhomospermidine were
      found to be distributed ubiquitously in the eight extremely thermophilic (growing
      at 70 degrees C) Thermus species tested. Three linear pentaamine (caldopentamine,
      homocaldopentamine, and thermopentamine), two linear hexaamines (caldohexamine
      and homocaldohexamine), two tertiary branched tetraamines (N4
      aminopropylnorspermidine and N4-aminopropyl-spermidine), and quaternary branched
      pentaamines such as N4-bis(aminopropyl)norspermidine and N4
      bis(aminopropyl)spermidine were detected in T. thermophilus HB8, T. filiformis
      Wai33 A1, T. flavus AT-62, and T. caldophilus GK24. The linear hexaamines and
      branched polyamines were absent in T. aquaticus YT-1, T. sp. X-1, T. sp. T2, and
      T. sp. T351, in which linear pentaamines were minor components. Moderately
      thermophilic Thermus ruber and Thermus sp. K-2 contained putrescine, spermidine,
      norspermidine, homospermidine, spermine, norspermine, thermospermine, and
      aminopropylhomospermidine. No pentaamines, hexaamines, or branched polyamines
      were found in these two moderately thermophilic Thermus species. On the other
      hand, moderately thermophilic, acidophilic Acidothermus cellulolyticus was devoid
      of all the polyamines.

PMID- 1880133
TI  - Quantitative analysis of the hemoglobin oxygenation state of rat brain in vivo by
      picosecond time-resolved spectrophotometry.
AB  - Through the use of a picosecond laser pulse of near-infrared light at 1,064 nm,
      the temporal profile of the transmitted light through the anesthetized rat head
      has been investigated. The light intensity at a certain time after the input
      pulse was exponentially attenuated by the hemoglobin concentration with
      hematocrit values from 1.5 to 50%, although the transmitted pulse broadened
      markedly due to scattering by the cerebral tissue. The optical pathlength, which
      is required for quantitation of the absolute absorbance change, was directly
      determined, by the time of flight measurement of the light pulses, as the product
      of the velocity of light in tissue and time. The mean concentration of hemoglobin
      in the brain could be determined quantitatively by the use of this pathlength.
      The oxygen saturation of venous blood determined by our time of flight
      measurement was very close to that in the internal jugular vein determined
      directly with a gas analyzer. Thus, the picosecond laser technique is useful for
      quantifying the blood oxygenation in tissues.

PMID- 1880134
TI  - Three-dimensional structure of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase from spinach at 2.0 A
      resolution.
AB  - The three-dimensional structure of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase from spinach leaves
      has been determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis. The atomic coordinates
      were refined at 2.0 A resolution using the Hendrickson and Konnert program for
      stereochemically restrained refinement against structure factors, which allowed
      the use of non-crystallographic symmetry. The crystallographic residual error for
      the refined model was 24.9%, with a root mean square deviation of 0.03 A from the
      ideal bond length and an average atomic temperature factor of 9.6 A. A dimeric
      molecule of the enzyme is comprised of two identical subunits related by a non
      crystallographic 2-fold axis. Each subunit of 154 amino acid residues is composed
      primarily of eight anti-parallel beta-strands that form a flattened cylinder,
      plus three external loops. The main-chain hydrogen bonds primarily link the beta
      strands. The overall structure of this enzyme is quite similar to that of the
      bovine dismutase except for some parts. The single disulfide bridge (Cys57
      Cys146) and the salt bridge (Arg79-Asp101) may stabilize the loop regions of the
      structure. The Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions in the active site lie 6.1 A apart at the
      bottom of the long channel. The Cu2+ ligands (ND1 of His-46, and NE2 of His-48, 
      63, and -120) show an uneven tetrahedral distortion from a square plane. The Zn2+
      ligands (ND1 of His-63, -71, and -80 and OD1 of Asp-83) show an almost
      tetrahedral geometry. The imidazole ring of His-63 forms a bridge between the
      Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880135
TI  - Reaction of a human head/neck/torso system to shock.
AB  - The purpose of this study is to predict human response to, and potential damage
      from, impact loading by using numerical and physical models to monitor the head
      and thoracic reactions, intervertebral disk pressures, muscle elongations, and
      some internal organ pressures. The numerical model consists of a three
      dimensional lumped-parameter system of ten rigid bodies connected by nine
      intervertebral joints and 28 muscle pairs. The masses represent the head;
      cervical vertebrae C1-C2, C3-C4, C5-C6, C7-T1 (the first thoracic vertebra); the
      entire thorax; lumbar vertebrae L1-L2, L3, L4-L5; and the pelvis. The physical
      model consists of: a water-filled cadaver skull, held in position by attached
      ligaments; plastic skeletal components involving vertebrae, sternum, ribs and
      pelvis; silicon rubber intervertebral disks; fabric muscles and ligaments; and
      water-filled containers replicating the liver, spleen and kidneys. The pelvis of
      the model is affixed to a plate mounted on a sled that runs on a track. Loading
      is applied by deceleration from a given velocity that occurs due to the impact of
      the sled with a fixed aluminum block. Results from the numerical model are
      compared with corresponding experimental information from the physical structure.
      Good correlation was obtained in these comparisons up to about 200-250 ms after
      impact. The results indicate that the head, cervical muscles and disks in the
      lumbar region are subjected to the greatest force changes and thus are most
      likely to be injured.

PMID- 1880136
TI  - The effect of ankle constraint on the torsional laxity of the knee during
      internal-external rotation of the foot.
AB  - The in vivo torsional laxity and stiffness of the knee joint are usually
      determined by rotating the foot and measuring the torque generated at the knee.
      However, when rotation is applied to the foot, significant three-dimensional
      forces and moments are produced at the knee. These forces and moments depend upon
      the external constraint of the ankle complex, and as a result, the observed
      laxity of the knee also depends on the ankle constraint. Tests are conducted with
      the foot of a subject in a shoe, with and without the ankle taped, and in a
      buckled and unbuckled (ski) boot that can effectively constrain ankle rotation.
      The average laxity of the primary (linear) region of the axial moment vs internal
      external rotation is 30% greater when the ankle is constrained by the buckled
      boot than it is in three other cases of lesser ankle constraint.

PMID- 1880137
TI  - A two-phase finite element model of the diastolic left ventricle.
AB  - A porous medium finite element model of the passive left ventricle is presented.
      The model is axisymmetric and allows for finite deformation, including torsion
      about the axis of symmetry. An anisotropic quasi-linear viscoelastic constitutive
      relation is implemented in the model. The model accounts for changing fibre
      orientation across the myocardial wall. During passive filling, the apex rotates
      in a clockwise direction relative to the base for an observer looking from apex
      to base. Within an intraventricular pressure range of 0-3 kPa the rotation angle
      of all nodes remained below 0.1 rad. Diastolic viscoelasticity of myocardial
      tissue is shown to reduce transmural differences of preload-induced sarcomere
      stretch and to generate residual stresses in an unloaded ventricular wall,
      consistent with the observation of opening angles seen when the heart is slit
      open. It is shown that the ventricular model stiffens following an increase of
      the intracoronary blood volume. At a given left ventricular volume, left
      ventricular pressure increases from 1.5 to 2.0 kPa when raising the intracoronary
      blood volume from 9 to 14 ml (100 g)-1 left ventricle.

PMID- 1880138
TI  - Non-homogeneous analysis of three-dimensional transmural finite deformation in
      canine ventricular myocardium.
AB  - A new method has been developed for analyzing transmural distributions of finite
      deformation in canine ventricular myocardium without the need to assume that the
      strain in a finite volume of the wall is homogeneous. The three-dimensional nodal
      geometric parameters of bilinear-cubic or bilinear-quadratic finite elements are
      fitted by least squares to the measured coordinates of 12-18 radiopaque markers
      implanted in the left ventricular free wall. For six dog hearts, root-mean
      squared errors in the fitted in-plane coordinates ranged from 0.079-0.556 mm in
      the end-diastolic reference state and 0.142-0.622 mm at end-systole. The
      corresponding error ranges in the radial coordinate were 0.042-0.264 mm at end
      diastole and 0.106-0.279 mm at end-systole. Smoothly continuous transmural
      profiles of wall strain computed as the element deformed during the cardiac cycle
      from end-diastole to end-systole showed good agreement with the discrete results
      of conventional homogeneous analysis. Using the kinematics of a thick-walled
      incompressible cylinder, overall absolute errors due to the non-homogeneity of
      myocardial deformation were found to be reduced in the new analysis by 30-35% for
      typical experimental parameters. Overall relative errors were also reduced (from
      23 to 20%). Since measurement errors in the reconstructed marker coordinates were
      spatially smoothed by the fitting procedure, noise in the computed deformations
      was also substantially attenuated, and transmural gradients of three-dimensional
      strain components could be obtained with improved accuracy. Hence physiological
      factors affected by transmural stress and strain distributions, such as
      myocardial blood flow, ischemia and hypertrophy, may be better understood.

PMID- 1880139
TI  - Velocity and turbulence measurements past mitral valve prostheses in a model left
      ventricle.
AB  - Thrombogenesis and hemolysis have both been linked to the flow dynamics past
      heart valve prostheses. To learn more about the particular flow dynamics past
      mitral valve prostheses in the left ventricle under controlled experimental
      conditions, an in vitro study was performed. The experimental methods included
      velocity and turbulent shear stress measurements past caged-ball, tilting disc,
      bileaflet, and polyurethane trileaflet mitral valves in an acrylic rigid model of
      the left ventricle using laser Doppler anemometry. The results indicate that all
      four prosthetic heart valves studied create at least mildly disturbed flow
      fields. The effect of the left ventricular geometry on the flow development is to
      produce a stabilizing vortex which engulfs the entire left ventricular cavity,
      depending on the orientation of the valve. The measured turbulent shear stress
      magnitudes for all four valves did not exceed the reported value for hemolytic
      damage. However, the measured turbulent shear stresses were near or exceeded the
      critical shear stress reported in the literature for platelet lysis, a known
      precursor to thrombus formation.

PMID- 1880140
TI  - On the anisotropy of the canine diaphragmatic central tendon.
AB  - We studied the mechanical and anatomical anisotropy of the canine diaphragmatic
      central tendon (CT). Dumb-bell-shaped strips with effective dimensions of 10 x 2
      mm (length x width) were cut from different regions of the canine diaphragmatic
      CT in two different orientations relative to the direction of neighboring muscle
      fibers. Specimens sampled with their long axial dimension oriented parallel to
      the neighboring muscle fibers were named Group-1 and those sampled with an
      orientation perpendicular to the neighboring muscle fibers were named Group-2.
      Results from one-dimensional stress-strain and tensile failure strength tests
      revealed that the CT is a nonlinear, inelastic, and anisotropic material. Group-1
      specimens were found to have a higher stiffness, higher failure strength and
      higher strain energy density at failure than Group-2 specimens. Polarized
      microscopy showed that multiple sheets of collagen fiber bundles formed an
      orthogonal network in the tendon. Collagen fiber bundles along Group-1 direction
      formed parallel trajectory lines connecting the neighboring costal and crural
      muscles; bundles along Group-2 direction were observed to orient 90 degrees away.
      At the central apex region of the CT, collagen bundles of Group-1 formed a fan
      like trajectory pattern. This collagen network architecture was compared
      favorably to the trajectories of an approximated principal stress field in the CT
      due to simulated contractile forces from its adjacent costal and crural muscles.
      These combined results suggest a structure-function relationship for the
      anatomical and mechanical anisotropy in the canine diaphragmatic CT.

PMID- 1880141
TI  - An angular velocity profile in cycling derived from mechanical energy analysis.
AB  - The contributions of this article are twofold. One is procedure for determining
      the angular velocity profile in seated cycling that maintains the total
      mechanical energy of both legs constant. A five-bar linkage model (thigh, shank,
      foot, crank and frame) of seated (fixed hip) cycling served for the derivation of
      the equations to compute potential and kinetic energies of the leg segments over
      a complete crank cycle. With experimentally collected pedal angle data as input,
      these equations were used to compute the total combined mechanical energy (sum of
      potential and kinetic energies of the segments of both legs) for constant angular
      velocity pedalling at 90 rpm. Total energy varied indicating the presence of
      internal work. Motivated by a desire to test the hypothesis that reducing
      internal work in cycling will reduce energy expenditure, a procedure was
      developed for determining the angular velocity profile that eliminated any change
      in total energy. Using data recorded from five subjects, this procedure was used
      to determine a reference profile for an average equivalent cadence of 90 rpm. The
      phase of this profile is such that highest and lowest angular velocities occur
      when the cranks are near vertical and horizontal respectively. The second
      contribution is the testing of the hypothesis that the reference angular velocity
      profile serves to effectively reduce internal work for the subjects whose data
      were used to develop this profile over the range of pedalling rates (80-100 rpm)
      naturally preferred. In this range, the internal work was decreased a minimum of
      48% relative to the internal work associated with constant angular velocity
      pedalling. The acceptance of this hypothesis has relevance to the protocol for
      future experiments which explore the effect of reduced internal work on energy
      expenditure in cycling.

PMID- 1880142
TI  - The possible role of poroelasticity in the apparent viscoelastic behavior of
      passive cardiac muscle.
AB  - This paper investigates the contribution of extracellular fluid flow to the
      apparent viscoelastic behavior of passive cardiac muscle. The muscle is modeled
      as an incompressible, isotropic, poroelastic solid saturated by an incompressible
      viscous fluid. Based on Biot's linear and nonlinear consolidation theories,
      solutions are presented for general time-dependent uniaxial loading of unconfined
      cylindrical muscle specimens. The nonlinear analysis includes the effects of
      large strain, material nonlinearity, and strain-dependent permeability. The
      computed results show that, for axial stretch ratios greater than 1.1, the
      changing permeability and the loading rate strongly affect the total stress
      relaxation and the short-time relaxation rate. Comparisons of theoretical and
      published experimental results show that extracellular fluid flow can account for
      several observed biomechanical features of passive myocardium, including the
      insensitivity of stress-strain curves to loading rate and of stress-relaxation
      curves to the amount of stretch. Theoretical hysteresis loops, however, are too
      small. Thus, both poroelastic and tissue viscoelastic effects must be considered
      in studies of passive cardiac muscle.

PMID- 1880143
TI  - Axial forces and normal distributed loads in twining stems of morning glory.
AB  - In analysing the mechanics of twining, we hypothesize that contact forces are
      important in maintaining the twining habit of viny stems. This hypothesis is
      formalized with a description of the force balance in the natural coordinate
      system associated with the Frenet vectors attached to the 'generative helix' of
      the vine. The force balance indicates that, if shear forces are neglected, an
      axial force within the stem is balanced by a normal load distributed along the
      line of contact between the supporting pole and the stem. Two kinds of empirical
      studies were conducted to verify the importance of the putative normal load.
      Firstly, vine geometry was measured on and off the supporting pole. When removed
      from the pole, the helical stem forms a coil of smaller radius, smaller
      wavelength and larger torsion. Next, forces were estimated from observations of
      the pressure exerted by a stem twining around a water-filled balloon. Twining
      around a dowel 0.95 cm in diameter, a typical stem of morning glory (Pharbitis
      nil) sustains a tension of 100 g balanced by a normal distributed load of -30 g
      cm-1. Thus the twining stem puts itself into tension and uses a helical geometry
      to generate contact forces which are large relative to the stem weight of 40 mg
      cm-1.

PMID- 1880144
TI  - A model of the alar ligaments of the upper cervical spine in axial rotation.
AB  - Although there are seven vertebrae in the human cervical spine, over 50% of the
      total axial rotation occurs between the first and second vertebrae, at the
      atlanto-axial joint. Such motion is possible because of the lack of an
      intervertebral disc and the shape of the articular facets. The limitation of
      axial rotation, essential because the spinal cord and vertebral arteries cross
      this joint, is achieved with ligamentous structures, of which the left and right
      alar ligaments are primary. When one of the alar ligaments was cut in previous
      tests of human cadaveric spine (n = 10), the axial rotation to both sides
      significantly increased. This result does not agree with the long-held hypothesis
      that axial rotation is limited only by the alar on the side opposite rotation.
      The purpose of this work was to develop a model of the alar ligaments in axial
      rotation that is consistent with recent experimental observations. This model
      predicts that both alars must be intact to limit axial rotation; if one alar is
      injured, the normal mechanism becomes nonfunctional. The model also predicts the
      observation that a significant percentage of rotation at the atlanto-axial joint
      occurs freely, without ligamentous resistance. A physical and a mathematical
      description of the model is presented. Cadaveric experimental data are
      demonstrated to support the model.

PMID- 1880145
TI  - Inertia and muscle contraction parameters for musculoskeletal modelling of the
      shoulder mechanism.
AB  - To develop a musculoskeletal model of the shoulder mechanism, both shoulders of
      seven cadavers were measured to obtain a complete set of parameters. Using
      antropometric measurements, the mass and rotational inertia of segments were
      estimated, followed by three-dimensional measurements of all morphological
      structures relevant for modelling, i.e. muscle origins and insertions, muscle
      bundle directions, ligament attachments and articular surfaces; all in relation
      to selected bony landmarks. Subsequently, muscle contraction parameters as muscle
      mass and physiological cross-sectional area were measured. The method of data
      collection and the results for inertia and muscle contraction parameters as
      prerequisities for modelling are described.

PMID- 1880146
TI  - The effect of test methodology on apparent compressive stiffness of tibiofemoral
      joint specimens.
AB  - Several investigators have analysed the compressive load bearing properties of
      the knee. Careful review of these force/displacement data showed considerable
      variation, with some investigators reporting displacements 12-15 x higher than
      others for nearly identical testing conditions using the same animal model. In
      this study, we sought to determine if this variability was inherent in the
      tibiofemoral joint or if differences in experimental methodology explained the
      variation. Compressive force/displacement curves were obtained from 39 normal
      canine tibiofemoral specimens mounted in a universal testing machine. Two
      commonly reported methods of measuring compressive displacement were used
      simultaneously. The testing machine crosshead displacement was used as one
      measure of displacement of the joint. The other method consisted of extensometers
      mounted to bone at the joint line. Resultant joint rotation in the parasagittal
      plane was also measured. Using either approach, we found comparatively little
      variation among the 39 specimens tested. However, the crosshead displacement
      measurements diverged from the extensometer measurements as the compressive load
      increased. At 770 N, the crosshead measurement was nearly twice the extensometer
      displacement. Further analysis showed that the compliances differed by a uniform
      amount. Parasagittal joint rotation, as measured by the extensometers, was
      minimal--less than one half of one degree. Although our loading fixtures were
      expected to be rigid under the loads used, these data suggest that the
      deformation of the bone and loading fixtures was responsible for the differences
      we observed, and may be responsible for the variation in compressive displacement
      results among several published studies. A model is presented which uses a simple
      elastic element to represent this deformation.

PMID- 1880147
TI  - Correction formulae for the misalignment of axes in the measurement of the
      orthotropic elastic constants.
AB  - In the experimental determination of the orthotropic elastic constants, one often
      encounters the situation in which the symmetry axes of the material are not
      coincident with specimen axes along which the material testing is accomplished.
      The problem of calculating the compliance coefficients in the symmetry coordinate
      system from measurements of the compliance coefficients made in an arbitrary,
      specimen fixed, coordinate system is considered here.

PMID- 1880148
TI  - Calculation of the instantaneous centre of rotation for a rigid body.
AB  - The mathematical procedure presented is used for the calculation of the
      instantaneous centre of rotation for a rigid body based on kinematic measurement
      data. For every rotation angle interval observed an average centre of rotation is
      calculated by an appropriate optimizing calculation similar to data approximation
      by moving average. Practical applicability of this procedure has been proved by
      means of two planar and one three-dimensional test measurements of known
      movements (pure rotation, rolling motion and motion of a ball-and-socket joint.

PMID- 1880149
TI  - A device for the application of known simulated orthodontic forces to human cells
      in vitro.
AB  - Connective tissues are responsive to mechanical forces. In orthodontic tooth
      movement it appears that the periodontal ligament (PDL) is the source of a
      pleuropotential cell population and extracellular matrix structure which
      translates mechanical perturbation information into a host of cellular events.
      These include proliferation, repair, differentiation, and shape change. We have
      designed, built, and tested a simple, adaptable machine which enables us to
      examine molecular changes or events in the cell nucleus, cell membrane, and the
      cytoskeleton of any eukasytic cell that will adhere to a membrane. These
      responses to clinically simulated forces applied to an in vitro system can be
      measured.

PMID- 1880150
TI  - Three forms of rat basic fibroblast growth factor are made from a single mRNA and
      localize to the nucleus.
AB  - The molecular weight of rat basic fibroblast growth factor is predicted to be 18
      kDa when the amino acid sequence is read from the single AUG initiation codon
      found in the cDNA. DNA sequencing upstream of this AUG codon indicated, however,
      that there was an extended open reading frame. In vitro translation of the rat
      cDNA for basic FGF gave three proteins of 18.0, 21.5, and 22.0 kDa in equal
      abundance. The same proteins were produced in vivo by COS cells transfected with
      the rat cDNA. Deletion of 81 base pairs from the reading frame upstream of the
      AUG codon resulted in the expression of only one protein observed at 18.0 kDa.
      These results indicated that the 22.0 and 21.5 kDa forms of rat basic FGF were
      formed when translation initiates at the alternative upstream non-AUG codons. Rat
      cell lines and tissues were found to express all three forms of basic FGF
      protein. The cDNA was used to analyze the subcellular distribution of the
      different forms of rat basic FGF. Subcellular fractionation and
      immunofluorescence of transfected COS cells showed that all three forms of the
      protein localized preferentially in the nucleus. Expression of a truncated cDNA
      from which 81 base pairs (27 amino acids) of the upstream reading frame had been
      deleted, showed localization of the smaller form of bFGF alone in the nucleus.
      These results demonstrated that although the amino acids that were deleted from
      the N-terminus of rat basic fibroblast growth factor have a sequence
      characteristic of nuclear localization motifs, they are not obligatory for the
      transport of the growth factor into the nucleus. Nuclear extracts taken from
      transfected cells also contained two smaller proteins of 16 and 12 kDa that were
      detected by Western blot analysis. It is possible that these are proteolytic
      products of bFGF.

PMID- 1880151
TI  - Growth modulation by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in human colonic carcinoma
      cells: constitutive expression of the human EGF gene.
AB  - The functional role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in epithelium-derived human
      colonic carcinoma cells was investigated by transfection with plasmid pUCDS3,
      which contained synthetic human EGF encoding sequences, into two human colonic
      carcinoma cell types with dissimilar phenotypic properties: the moderately
      differentiated and growth factor-responsive Moser and the highly metastatic
      KM12SM cells. The Moser cells exhibited a proliferative response to treatment
      with exogenous EGF, while the KM12SM cells did not. The constitutive expression
      of the human EGF gene in these colonic carcinoma cell types resulted in elevated
      expression of EGF mRNA, with concurrent production and secretion of a large
      amount of EGF, and downmodulation of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha)
      secretion. Growth stimulation and down-modulation of both high and low affinity
      EGF receptors were observed in the EGF-transfected Moser clones. Results of
      experiments using anti-EGF and anti-EGF-receptor antibody to block the
      proliferation of EGF-transfected Moser clones suggested that autocrine
      stimulatory mechanisms involving both EGF and TGF-alpha were operative in these
      cells. By comparison, a growth-inhibitory effect, with no apparent EGF receptor
      modulation, was observed in the EGF-transfected KM12SM clones. Both the parental
      and EGF-transfected KM12SM clones possessed fewer EGF receptors than the Moser
      cells, and anti-EGF or anti-EGF-receptor antibody did not affect the cells'
      growth properties. These results suggested that the mechanisms of growth
      inhibition in the EGF-transfected KM12SM clones were non-autocrine or
      intracellular in nature. Thus, constitutive expression of the human EGF gene in
      two phenotypically different, epithelium-derived human colonic carcinoma cells
      resulted in divergent altered growth characteristics.

PMID- 1880152
TI  - Differential regulation of the expression of transforming growth factor-beta s 1
      and 2 by retinoic acid, epidermal growth factor, and dexamethasone in NRK-49F and
      A549 cells.
AB  - Although most biological activities of transforming growth factor-beta s 1 and 2
      (TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2) examined in vitro are similar or identical, recent
      studies suggest that each of these factors may be independently regulated in
      vivo. In this study we have used highly sensitive and specific sandwich enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assays for TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 to examine the effects
      of a variety of treatments on expression of these two TGF-beta isoforms. We show
      that epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces secretion of TGF-beta 1 and not TGF
      beta 2, whereas retinoic acid (RA) induces secretion of TGF-beta 2 and not TGF
      beta 1 in NRK-49F normal rat kidney fibroblasts and A549 human lung carcinoma
      cells. Moreover, treatment with EGF diminishes the levels of TGF-beta 2, while RA
      decreases the levels of TGF-beta 1 in both cell lines. Dexamethasone (Dex), on
      the other hand, inhibits the secretion of both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 in A549
      cells, while selectively inhibiting TGF-beta 1 secretion in NRK-49F cells. The
      interactive effects of EGF, RA, and Dex on the production of TGF-beta 1 and TGF
      beta 2, which were studied on NRK-49F cells, demonstrate that EGF blocks the
      induction of TGF-beta 2 mRNA and peptide by RA, while Dex inhibits the induction
      of TGF-beta 1 mRNA and peptide by EGF. These results demonstrate that RA, EGF and
      Dex are each unique, differential, and interactive regulators of the expression
      of TGF-beta s 1 and 2.

PMID- 1880153
TI  - Heat shock induces two distinct S6 protein kinase activities in quiescent
      mammalian fibroblasts.
AB  - The regulation of S6 kinase activity was used to monitor perturbations of
      intracellular signaling activity during heat shock of quiescent murine and human
      fibroblasts. Previous reports on exponentially growing insect and plant cells had
      indicated that 40S ribosomal protein S6 is dephosphorylated during heat shock;
      thus inhibition of S6 kinase activity by heat shock was anticipated in NIH 3T3
      fibroblasts and human cells (HeLa, diploid embryonic fibroblasts MRC-5, and skin
      derived fibroblasts). Unexpectedly, two distinct S6 protein kinases were
      activated in quiescent fibroblasts after heat exposure. One of the enzymes was
      partially purified by sequential column chromatography and was determined to be
      equivalent to the enzyme activated by serum and other growth factors, referred to
      here as pp70-S6 protein kinase. The other protein S6 kinase, pp90rsk, was
      identified by a specific immunoprecipitation assay. Monitoring both enzymatic
      activities during heat shock revealed a temporal pattern of activation that was
      reversed when compared to non-stressed, mitogen-stimulated cells. Finally, heat
      shock stimulated protein S6 phosphorylation in cultured, quiescent mammalian
      cells. These data demonstrate that specific protein kinases can be activated
      during heat shock, and that some early mitogenic signals may also participate in
      the response of cells to physiologic stress.

PMID- 1880154
TI  - Apoptosis of murine BW 5147 thymoma cells induced by dexamethasone and gamma
      irradiation.
AB  - The mode and the kinetics of the death of T-thymoma cells upon dexamethasone
      treatment and gamma-irradiation (10Gy) have been studied using flow cytometry and
      biochemical analysis. It has been shown that the hormone and gamma-irradiation
      induce cell death by apoptosis. In both cases the cells are initially blocked in
      G2/M and die only after overcoming the blockage and cytokinesis. A short exposure
      to dexamethasone results in a cytostatic effect, whereas a cytotoxic effect is
      absent. Reducing serum concentration to 2% causes more rapid death both following
      gamma-irradiation and dexamethasone. These results are discussed in relation to
      cell death and proliferation.

PMID- 1880155
TI  - Heparanase activity in cultured endothelial cells.
AB  - This study was undertaken to identify a heparan sulfate (HS) degradation
      endoglycosidase (heparanase) in cultured endothelial cells (EC) and to
      characterize the requirements for its release and subsequent degradation of HS
      side chains in the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM). Intact EC, EC
      lysates, or EC conditioned media from different sources were incubated with
      metabolically Na2(35)SO4-labeled ECM produced by bovine EC. The released sulfated
      products were analyzed by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B. Human umbilical vein
      endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSVEC)
      lysates expressed heparanase activity as indicated by release of most of the
      radioactivity from ECM as HS fragments that are one-fifth to one-sixth the size
      of the intact HS side chains. These fragments were sensitive to deamination with
      nitrous acid and were not produced in the presence of heparin. Rabbit coronary
      microvascular EC and bovine brain capillary EC lysates showed less heparanase
      activity (30-35%), whereas bovine aortic and corneal EC showed no activity.
      Intact HUVEC, plated directly on the labeled ECM, expressed low enzyme activity
      that was not changed when cells were exposed to various agents. Exposure of HUVEC
      to interleukin-1, phorbol myristate acetate, tumor necrosis factor, endotoxin,
      thrombin, calcium ionophore A23187, fibroblast growth factor, or radiation did
      not induce release of the enzyme to the medium or degradation of HS in the ECM,
      as long as the cells remained viable. EC differ from various normal and malignant
      cells that degrade HS by virtue of their inability to release the enzyme. We
      suggest that heparanase release during vessel wall injury may regulate the growth
      of EC and smooth muscle by release of HS degradation products in processes such
      as wound healing, neovascularization, and atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1880156
TI  - Effect of trifluoperazine on renal epithelioid Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.
AB  - Following exposure to a number of hormones, the cell membrane in Madin-Darby
      Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells is hyperpolarized by increase of intracellular calcium
      activity. The present study has been performed to elucidate the possible role of
      calmodulin in the regulation of intracellular calcium activity and cell membrane
      potential. To this end trifluoperazine has been added during continuous recording
      of cell membrane potential or intracellular calcium. Trifluoperazine leads to a
      transient increase of intracellular calcium as well as a sustained
      hyperpolarization of the cell membrane by activation of calcium sensitive K+
      channels. Half-maximal effects are observed between 1 and 10 mumol/L
      trifluoperazine. A further calmodulin antagonist, chlorpromazine, (50 mumol/L),
      similarly hyperpolarizes the cell membrane. The effects of trifluoperazine are
      virtually abolished in the absence of extracellular calcium. Pretreatment of the
      cells with either pertussis toxin or phorbol-ester TPA does not interfere with
      the hyperpolarizing effect of trifluoperazine. In conclusion, calmodulin is
      apparently involved in the regulation of calcium transfer across the cell
      membrane but not in the stimulation of K+ channels by intracellular calcium.

PMID- 1880157
TI  - Enhanced inhibition of tissue factor by the extended form of an endothelial cell
      glycoprotein (an extrinsic pathway inhibitor).
AB  - We have identified, in the supernatant medium of cultured endothelial cells, an
      additional inhibitor of tissue factor that is eluted at higher salt
      concentrations during heparin-Sepharose chromatography and is a much more potent
      inhibitor of the activation of the coagulation cascade than the species we
      studied earlier (Colburn and Buonassisi: In Vitro Cellular and Developmental
      Biology 24: 1133-1136, 1988). The inhibitor we described earlier has been shown
      to be functionally and immunologically identical to a rabbit plasma extrinsic
      pathway inhibitor, EPI (Warn-Cramer et al.: Thrombosis Research 61:515-527,
      1991). The new species (molecular mass, 47 kDa) is susceptible to proteolytic
      cleavage which results in a sharp reduction of its ability to inhibit tissue
      factor and an increase in electrophoretic mobility compatible with a molecular
      mass of 45 kDa, the same as that of the inhibitor reported earlier. Based on
      these data, we suggest that the new inhibitor yields, through proteolytic
      cleavage of an amino acid sequence of about 25 residues, the N-glycan-sulfated
      compound previously described.

PMID- 1880158
TI  - Problems of the distal radioulnar joint.

PMID- 1880159
TI  - Classification of distal radioulnar joint disorders.
AB  - The wrist is one of the most complex articulations in the human body. The distal
      radioulnar joint (DRUJ) is particularly controversial, enduring as the area least
      understood with regard to anatomy and pathomechanics. The popular systems of
      classifying DRUJ disorders are based on etiology and treatment, but this approach
      has inspired schemes that are cumbersome, redundant, and incomplete. The need for
      an improved system prompted us to devise a simplified system that is based on the
      pathomechanics of dysfunction and the mechanical requirements for optimal joint
      function.

PMID- 1880160
TI  - Histologic anatomy of the triangular fibrocartilage.
AB  - Histologic examination of the TFC reveals parallel, longitudinally oriented
      collagen fibers peripherally, while the more central articular disc is made up of
      interweaving obliquely oriented sheets of collagen fibers. This suggests a
      peripheral region experiencing tensile loads between the region of origin from
      the radius and the area of insertion into the ulna. The fiber orientation in the
      central region is more compatible with a structure experiencing multidirectional
      stresses. The articular disc origin from the radius is reinforced by collagen
      bundles projecting out from the radius for 1 to 2 mm. A large number of traumatic
      tears are oriented parallel to the radial origin of the TFC and located
      approximately 1 to 2 mm from the origin site. This corresponds to the junction of
      the short, radially oriented fibers and the remainder of the articular disc. The
      inner 80% of the articular disc is avascular, as is its radial attachment.
      Traumatic tears in this region would have a low healing potential unless some
      method for introducing additional vascularity was undertaken, such as
      reattachment through drill holes in the radius, allowing neovascularization of
      this otherwise avascular region.

PMID- 1880161
TI  - Imaging of the distal radioulnar joint.
AB  - The distal radioulnar joint can be evaluated by many different imaging
      techniques, including plain radiography, arthrography, tomography, nuclear
      medicine bone scanning, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Each
      of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when
      determining the appropriate diagnostic evaluation for a particular patient.

PMID- 1880162
TI  - Arthroscopic treatment of TFCC lesions.
AB  - The TFCC bears axially applied load and stabilizes the distal radioulnar joint.
      Palmer's classification of TFCC lesions into traumatic and degenerative injuries
      allows a rational approach to treatment. Wrist arthroscopy provides both
      diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities in the treatment of these lesions.

PMID- 1880163
TI  - Acute injuries of the distal radioulnar joint.
AB  - Acute injuries of the distal radioulnar joint are common. They often are not
      treated aggressively owing to a failure to diagnose or the misconception that
      there is little functional impairment if left untreated. Early aggressive
      treatment with restoration of anatomic alignment and stability will yield optimum
      results. Acute treatment usually produces a better functional outcome than late
      reconstructive procedures.

PMID- 1880164
TI  - The ulnar impaction syndrome.
AB  - The ulnar impaction syndrome can be defined as the impaction of the ulnar head
      against the triangular fibrocartilage complex and ulnar carpus resulting in
      progressive degeneration of those structures. The differential diagnosis in
      patients who present with ulnar wrist pain and limitation of motion can also
      include ulnar impingement syndrome and arthrosis or incongruity of the distal
      radioulnar joint. Structural abnormalities involving the distal radioulnar joint,
      distal radius, and ulnar carpus must be carefully elucidated prior to developing
      a treatment plan. When such abnormalities are identified and appropriately
      addressed, surgical treatment can be expected to be effective in the majority of
      cases. It is important to remember that in the absence of obvious structural
      abnormalities, the ulnar impaction syndrome may result from daily activities that
      result in excessive intermittent loading of the ulnar carpus. In this group of
      patients, treatment is directed at decreasing ulnar load by shortening the distal
      ulna in any of several ways. If relative instability of the ulnar ligamentous
      complex is a factor, then ulnar shortening by recession is the treatment of
      choice. Malunion of the distal radius resulting in ulnar impaction syndrome is
      best treated by addressing the deformity; that is, corrective radial osteotomy.
      Patients who present with a combination of ulnar impaction syndrome along with
      distal radioulnar joint, abnormalities must have both of these abnormalities
      addressed at the time of surgery. The matched ulnar resection and the
      hemiresection interposition arthroplasty are both effective procedures; however,
      the Suave-Kapandji procedure also can be used to address relative ligamentous
      laxity at the ulnar aspect of the wrist. The Darrach procedure is presently not
      recommended as a first-line treatment in these cases; however, when used as a
      salvage procedure, satisfactory results can be obtained in properly selected
      patients. Careful preoperative evaluation and planning are therefore the key to
      successful treatment of the ulnar impaction syndrome.

PMID- 1880165
TI  - Instability of the distal radioulnar articulation.
AB  - This complex issue is addressed by a discussion of a classification of clinically
      observed instabilities. Experimental data and clinical observations are combined
      to provide a theoretical rationale for understanding the subject. Clinical
      usefulness is described.

PMID- 1880166
TI  - The treatment of chronic traumatic subluxation of the distal ulna by
      hemiresection interposition arthroplasty.
AB  - Dorsal and palmar subluxation of the distal ulna can be difficult to both
      diagnose and treat. Patients often present long after their initial injuries with
      posttraumatic arthritic changes in the distal radioulnar joint. Hemiresection
      interposition arthroplasty is a salvage procedure that is reliable for both pain
      relief and restoration of motion.

PMID- 1880167
TI  - Distal ulna resection, extensor carpi ulnaris tenodesis, and dorsal synovectomy
      for the rheumatoid wrist.
AB  - We conclude from this study that distal ulna resection coupled with stabilization
      by ECU tenodesis is a highly useful technique with a reproducibly successful
      outcome for DRUJ destruction resulting from rheumatoid arthritis. In this series,
      like those noted previously, alleviation of pain, preservation of wrist mobility,
      prevention of tendon rupture, and improved function have been consistently
      observed. Moreover, with adjunctive dorsal synovectomy this combined procedure
      has proved applicable to cases demonstrating not only mild but also moderate
      stages of radiocarpal disease, thereby avoiding the more extensive and less
      desirable surgical alternatives of complete wrist arthrodesis or total wrist
      arthroplasty. Recognizably, the long-term benefit of this surgery depends on
      maintaining stability of both the reconstructed radioulnar joint and the
      synovectomized radiocarpal joint. Although the data reported herein strongly
      support the efficacy of the tenodesis in preserving distal ulna stability and
      similarly indicate a favorable influence on maintenance of radiocarpal
      architecture, one must be cognizant that progressive radiocarpal deterioration is
      a characteristic, albeit somewhat unpredictable, manifestation of the chronic
      rheumatoid process, and is the principal factor apt to compromise an initially
      satisfactory result. In such cases demonstrating excessive carpal malalignment
      preoperatively and for those with an unremitting postoperative course of ulnar
      translocation or volar subluxation, additional radiocarpal stabilization,
      preferably by arthrodesis, is essential to salvage the benefits of distal ulna
      resection and ECU tenodesis.

PMID- 1880168
TI  - Stabilization of the distal ulna.
AB  - Stabilization of the remaining distal ulna following its resection for various
      disorders resulting in pain and instability of this joint is necessary for long
      term satisfactory results. The method described uses a distally based flap of the
      extensor carpi ulnaris to provide stability of the distal ulna and support to the
      carpus along its ulnar border.

PMID- 1880169
TI  - Tenodesis of the chronically unstable distal ulna.
AB  - Treatment of the chronically unstable distal ulna often requires reconstruction
      using tenodesis techniques. A review of described techniques for distal ulnar
      stabilization is presented, addressing chronic instability with and without
      distal radioulnar joint degenerative disease.

PMID- 1880170
TI  - The distal radioulnar joint complex in rheumatoid arthritis: an overview.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis frequently involves the distal radioulnar joint region and
      is progressive. Early recognition of involvement is paramount to offering
      patients appropriate and timely treatment. Early operative intervention should be
      considered preventative. Synovectomy, hemiresection interposition technique,
      matched distal ulna resection and distal radioulnar fusion with creation of a
      pseudarthrosis through the distal ulnar shaft have been advocated for patients
      with early involvement. Distal ulnar resection remains the most commonly used
      procedure for advanced disease. No soft tissue reconstructive procedure to
      stabilize the ulnar stump offers distinct advantages. They should be considered
      modifiers and augmentations to distal ulna resection. Judicious resection of the
      ulnar head minimizes instability of the ulnar stump. The use of an ulnar cap is
      not recommended for routine use.

PMID- 1880171
TI  - Excision of the distal ulna in rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Resection of the ulna is an effective operation in the treatment of rheumatoid
      disorders of the distal radioulnar joint. Tenosynovectomies of the overlying
      extensor tendons and synovectomy of the joint are integral parts of the
      procedure. Following resection, the ulna usually remains in alignment with the
      radius, although some dorsal displacement is common. Restoring stability to the
      ulna as well as reconstructing a new sheath for the extensor carpi ulnaris can be
      accomplished in most cases by using the extensor retinaculum. In those cases
      where the retinaculum has been destroyed by the disease process or when the
      distal ulna is severely displaced, stability can be restored using the extensor
      carpi ulnaris for a tenodesis.

PMID- 1880172
TI  - Radioulnar joint fusion for distal radioulnar joint instability.
AB  - Each one of this small group of patients illustrates a rare indication for the
      radioulnar joint fusion procedure in distal radioulnar joint instability. The
      case histories tell of a last ditch effort to salvage function in an extremity
      crippled by painful radioulnar instability after excision of the distal ulna. The
      fusions healed slowly and two required repeat surgery to achieve union. Today we
      would routinely add iliac bone graft to the fusion area to hasten healing. Rarely
      indicated, this is a salvage procedure that is done after failure of other
      procedures geared to preserve the rotation of the forearm. These patients all had
      successful salvage of their extremities for activities of daily living, but only
      one returned to his labor job. All were worker's compensation cases in physical
      jobs. Two patients had had prior radiocarpal fusions, making them even more
      restricted in function. This procedure should be kept in mind to be used in the
      rare cases of painful instability of the distal radioulnar joint when traditional
      motion-preserving procedures have failed.

PMID- 1880173
TI  - The Sauve-Kapandji procedure for the treatment of posttraumatic distal radioulnar
      joint problems.
AB  - The appropriate management of distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) problems has no
      consensus. Although the Sauve-Kapandji procedure is not new, little has been
      written on the indications for its use. Our experience shows that this operation
      is an effective treatment for patients with some combination of posttraumatic
      DRUJ problems that involve arthritis, instability of the distal ulna, and ulna
      plus variance.

PMID- 1880174
TI  - [Complicated solitary biliary cysts].
AB  - With development of ultra sound, solitary hepatic cyst (SHC) appears as a common
      and benign affection. Complications can occur in 10 per cent of cases. We report
      here four cases of complicated SHC: vena caval obstruction, intracystic bleeding,
      rupture, intracystic infection. Those four patients were successfully treated by
      partial excision of the cyst in the first 3 cases, and by percutaneous drainage
      with CT scan guidance in the latter. Complications of SHC occur only in large
      cysts, with a diameter up to 8 cm. So, small SHC do not require any treatment,
      while large SHC must be treated to avoid complications. Percutaneous aspiration
      and direct injection of alcohol can lead to recurrence. Surgical therapy by
      partial excision is successful, with low rates of mortality and morbidity.

PMID- 1880175
TI  - [Massive hemobilia. Review of the literature. Apropos of 2 cases].
AB  - Two cases of hemobilia are reported; the first caused by a liver biopsy
      procedure, and the second ensuing an accidental liver laceration. In both cases,
      arteriography led to diagnosis and the ligature of the right hepatic artery
      stopped the hemorrhage with complete success. A review of the literature
      emphasizes the nowadays leading prevalence of iatrogenic hemobilia followed by
      those resulting from blunt abdominal liver trauma. Diagnostic facilities are
      reviewed and selective arteriography is stressed as being the more useful
      technique. From a therapeutical standpoint interventional radiology and surgery
      are both given their own place.

PMID- 1880176
TI  - [Spontaneous rupture of the liver with hemoperitoneum during pregnancy. Apropos
      of a case, review of the literature].
AB  - We report the case of a patient who, at 28-week amenorrhea, presented with
      spontaneous hemoperitoneum in a pre-eclamptic syndrome. When caesarean section
      was performed, abdominal exploration revealed a liver hematoma which caused the
      rupture of Glisson's capsule. The related literature is reviewed.

PMID- 1880177
TI  - [A difficult therapeutic dilemma: pneumoperitoneum in severe blunt injuries
      treated by respiratory or cardiorespiratory resuscitation].
AB  - In the particular context of severe blunt trauma treated with cardiorespiratory
      resuscitation or, more simply, with positive-pressure ventilation, the occurrence
      of pneumoperitoneum always raises difficult problems of etiological diagnosis,
      which in turn lead to a difficult dilemma on the treatment to adopt. In fact,
      while the air released by the alveolar baro-trauma can, once a given pressure is
      exceeded, migrate into the retroperitoneum and produce a non-surgical pneumascos
      (for which the other possible causes are far more exceptional, and rather are
      unpleasant surprises, such as this orogenital induced PPT in Gantt's female
      patient, conversely the pressurized air from true ruptures of intraabdominal
      hollow organs may migrate into the mediastinum and cause a thoracic air leakage
      syndrome that perfectly simulates this pulmonary baro-trauma. Therefore all the
      paraclinical means required must be used to confirm--or rule out--this diagnosis
      of perforation, which demands emergency surgery. However, if there is any doubt,
      the consensus is that emergency surgery is recommended as it is better to accept
      blank laparotomy than to oversee a gastrointestinal rupture with all its severe
      complications of evolution.

PMID- 1880178
TI  - [Primary Salmonella brandenburg peritonitis in a non-immunosuppressed female
      patient].
AB  - Primary peritonitis is rare; the bacteria involved are mainly, by order of
      frequency: Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the other
      streptococci. Extraintestinal sites of minor salmonellosis are exceptional,
      although they are constantly progressing, especially since the spread of the HIV
      induced epidemic. We report one case of primary Salmonella brandenburg
      peritonitis, whose mechanism could not be explained, in a non-immunodepressive
      female patient.

PMID- 1880179
TI  - [Gas gangrene. Clinical considerations, prognosis and therapeutic prospects in
      our experience].
AB  - The prognosis of gas gangrene is changing as the means of treatment become more
      accurate and are implemented earlier. The authors, in their work referring to 10
      cases of gas gangrene, point out to the extreme fastness of debridement and
      immediate exeresis, of wide-spectrum antibiotic protection and of caloric
      balance, associated to a treatment using trace elements. The importance of
      hyperbaric oxygen therapy seems to be increasingly proven with time. Lastly, in
      their general experience of treatment, the authors suggest the use of a specific
      frequency soft laser therapy, which might speed up the process of tissue repair.

PMID- 1880180
TI  - [Compressive thigh hematoma. Apropos of a case of fissured superficial femoral
      aneurysm in megadolicho-arteries. Review of the literature].
AB  - An original case of fissured superficial femoral aneurysm in a context of
      arteriomegaly is reported. The analysis of the literature emphasizes the great
      latency of the disease, and the very low frequency of rupture, especially in this
      site. The key test for follow-up of the disease is Doppler ultrasound.

PMID- 1880181
TI  - [Pseudotumor form of hepatic tuberculosis. Apropos of a case].
AB  - The authors report about one new case of hepatic tuberculosis in a pseudotumoral
      form, and emphasize the diagnostic difficulties even in a country where
      tuberculosis is endemic. Hepatic puncture, either with sonographic monitoring or
      during laparotomy, is the paraclinical examination of choice. The histological
      study supports the diagnosis. The medical treatment is that of any form of
      tuberculosis. The surgical treatment is most often indicated when a diagnosis of
      liver tumor is assumed.

PMID- 1880182
TI  - [Time of disappearance of artificial pneumoperitoneum in children. Diagnostic
      value].
AB  - Postoperative pneumascos has always been interesting and provocative for surgeons
      because its "correct" disappearance time still remains ill-defined. Fifty-six
      children, for whom Golstein's intraoperative diagnostic pneumascos was carried
      out to demonstrate a contralateral hernia during the correction of a unilateral
      inguinal hernia, were followed up for disappearance of their pneumascos with
      abdominal radiographs taken at the 4th postoperative hour and on the 1st, 2nd,
      4th and 8th days. The children were divided up into three groups: 9 children were
      younger than 6 months, 20 were 6 to 24 months old, and 27 were older than age 2.
      The intraperitoneal free air present in all subjects 4 hours after surgery has
      completely disappeared from the radiographs of the children younger than 6 months
      on the fourth day, and on the eighth day for the children aged 6 to 24 months,
      while a trace of subphrenic air still persisted in the 7% (2 out of 27) of
      children who were older than age 2. This work is aimed at establishing a
      correlation between the child's age and the time of disappearance of the
      pneumascos.

PMID- 1880183
TI  - [Splenic abscess. Apropos of 5 cases].
AB  - Spleen abscesses are infrequent, and are encountered in 0.4 to 0.7%-of the
      autopsy series. They are diagnosed late and their prognosis is poor. The authors
      report about 5 cases of spleen abscesses observed at Dakar's University Surgical
      Clinic over a period of 30 years. The patients were young adults, including one
      case of sickle-cell anemia. In spite of numerous clinical signs in all cases, the
      abscess was diagnosed late. In three patients, ultrasound allowed establishing
      the diagnosis and initiating percutaneous treatment, with no success in two
      cases. The procedure had consisted in total splenectomy in all cases. One patient
      died 2 months after surgery, after the evacuation of a hematoma in the splenic
      compartment. The other 4 patients, seen 7, 4, 3 months and 15 years after total
      splenectomy, no longer presented with any symptom. The authors emphasize the
      rarity of spleen abscesses; the fact that the diagnosis is often established
      late, in spite of the progress made in non-invasive medical imaging, including CT
      and ultrasound; the physiopathology, etiology and treatment of the disease, the
      latter still being surgical.

PMID- 1880185
TI  - [Metachronous nodular leiomyosarcomatosis of peripheral vascular muscle cell in
      the systemic and regional circulation. A new nosological pattern?].
AB  - A patient with five different episodes of single or multiple leiomyosarcomatous
      nodules in 19 years is described. The nodules were subcutaneous, in the upper
      lobe of the right lung after 15 years, subcutaneous again after five years and
      one year later, in the left femoral diaphysis and in the 3rd and 5th abdominal
      vertebrae two years later. According to the authors, the five different lesions
      were primary because they were strictly limited to a single organ, they were
      identical from a histological point of view, no regional glands were affected,
      and there was no disseminated neoplasia. Finally, the authors emphasize the
      origin from peripheral vascular muscle cells because of the constant occurrence
      of peripheral vascular nodules and of signs of vascular muscle cell dysplasia
      near the neoplastic nodules. They believe to be faced with a new clinical picture
      which may be defined as: metachronous nodular leiomyosarcoma of peripheral
      vascular muscle cells in the systemic and lesser circulation.

PMID- 1880184
TI  - [For a conservative treatment of hydatid cyst of the spleen].
AB  - A retrospective study of 45 cases of spleen hydatic cyst. Operated on between
      January 1980, and December 1989 permitted the following commentary. Splenic
      hydatic cyst is characterized by its rarity and latency. It's diagnosis gives no
      rise to any problems. Echography data are essential in asymptomatic froms
      associated to other localisations. Surgical treatment can not be summarised to
      splenectomy; conservative methods are used as long as possible.

PMID- 1880186
TI  - [Papillary carcinoma on cyst of the thyroglossal tract. Apropos of 2 cases].

PMID- 1880187
TI  - Electrochemical detection of oligopeptides through the precolumn formation of
      biuret complexes.
AB  - The relatively slow kinetics of formation of the electroactive Cu(II)-peptide
      complexes from larger (greater than 6 amino acids) peptides requires relatively
      high temperature and long reaction times for a postcolumn reactor. The precolumn
      incubation of bradykinin, Tyr8-bradykinin and insulin A chain with biuret reagent
      for 20 min at 60 degrees C leads to the formation of biuret complexes which can
      be subjected to chromatography in acidic or basic eluents. These complexes are
      detected electrochemically with a sensitivity similar to the Cu(II)-(ala)3
      complex (1 nC/pmol at 1.0 ml/min). The influence of the column-packing material
      on the electrochemical detector response of the Cu-peptide complexes has also
      been studied.

PMID- 1880188
TI  - Separation of carbohydrate-mediated microheterogeneity of recombinant human
      erythropoietin by free solution capillary electrophoresis. Effects of pH, buffer
      type and organic additives.
AB  - Free solution capillary electrophoresis has been investigated as an alternative
      to isoelectric focusing for the separation of the glycoforms of recombinant human
      erythropoietin (r-HuEPO), a primary regulator of erythropoiesis. A systematic
      approach was used to study the effect of pH, buffer type and organic modifiers on
      the resolution of the microheterogeneity of erythropoietin. The main factors for
      improving the resolution were the regulation of the electroosmotic flow of the
      running buffer and the reduction of solute-wall interaction. The best resolution
      of the glycoforms of r-HuEPO was obtained with a mixed buffer pH 4.0 (100 mM
      acetate-phosphate, 10 h preequilibration time).

PMID- 1880189
TI  - Rapid isolation of a neurohormone from mosquito heads by high-performance liquid
      chromatography.
AB  - Methods were developed for the isolation of the egg development neurosecretory
      hormone, EDNH, from heads of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. This hormone stimulates
      ecdysone production by ovaries. Methods used for the successful isolation of
      insulin-like peptides from vertebrate tissues were modified to develop a four
      step procedure involving extraction in acidified ethanol, precipitation by
      neutralization, followed by sequential separation on size-exclusion, ion-exchange
      and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography columns.

PMID- 1880190
TI  - Gas chromatographic determination of aldicarb and its metabolites in urine.
AB  - A method is described for the determination of aldicarb and its metabolites (the
      sulphoxide and sulphone) in urine by gas chromatography with flame photometric
      detection (GC-FPD). The sample was concentrated with a column containing
      activated charcoal and Florisil, and then eluted with dichloromethane-acetone
      (1:1, v/v). The aldicarb and aldicarb sulphoxide in the eluate solution were
      oxidized to aldicarb sulphone and the total sulphone concentration was determined
      by GC-FPD after extraction with dichloromethane and clean-up with an activated
      charcoal column. The detection limit was 0.0024 mg/l. The mean recoveries from
      spiked urine in the range 0.04-0.12 mg/l were 90.9%, 86.6%, 92.6% for aldicarb,
      aldicarb sulphoxide and aldicarb sulphone, respectively.

PMID- 1880191
TI  - Chiral high-performance liquid chromatography of aromatic cyclic dipeptides using
      cyclodextrin stationary phases.
AB  - A series of enantiomers of cyclic and linear dipeptides containing aromatic amino
      acids was prepared and chromatographed on beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin (CD)
      columns. The retention times, separation factor alpha and resolution values were
      calculated. The relevance of the distance of the chiral center from the phenyl
      ring for chiral resolution was studied. A model was developed using X-ray
      crystallographic data for an inclusion complex of beta-CD and the enantiomers of
      cyclic (Phe-Gly).

PMID- 1880192
TI  - High-performance affinity chromatography of a chick lectin on an adsorbent based
      on hydrophilic polymer gel.
AB  - A mouse monoclonal antibody (SIA4-5) which reacts with a chick 14K lectin (C14K)
      was covalently attached to a new support for high-performance affinity
      chromatography, TSKgel Tresyl-5PW, which is a preactivated, polymer-based
      particle. The immobilized antibody (SIA4-5-5PW) thus prepared proved to be useful
      in measuring not only the molecular properties of C14K but also specific
      interactions of C14K with SIA4-5 and hapten sugars. The C14K preparation was
      fractionated according to the oligomeric structure and with slight differences in
      affinity to SIA4-5 although the former was homogeneous in sodium dodecyl sulphate
      polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Application of the method for quantitative
      analytical purposes was successful.

PMID- 1880193
TI  - Chromatographic and physical studies of tropomyosin in aqueous-organic media at
      low pH.
AB  - Non-cross-linked and disulfide-cross-linked two-chain molecules comprising the
      alpha and/or beta chains of rabbit skeletal tropomyosin were studied by
      electrophoretic, chromatographic and physical methods. Elution order on C4
      reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography depends markedly on the
      number and position of the cross-links. In the C4 reversed-phase elution medium,
      cross-linked and non-cross-linked species are greater than 85% helical by
      circular dichroism, but the non-cross-linked elute later from high-performance
      size-exclusion chromatography (G4000) and have molecular mass of 31,000-41,000
      dalton by equilibrium ultracentrifugation. The data suggest that in the C4
      reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography elution medium non-cross
      linked tropomyosin exists as amphipathic single-chain alpha-helices.

PMID- 1880195
TI  - Assay for both ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acid in dairy foods by high
      performance liquid chromatography using precolumn derivatization with methoxy-
      and ethoxy-1,2-phenylenediamine.
AB  - A procedure for the simultaneous determination of both ascorbic and
      dehydroascorbic acid in dairy foods by high-performance liquid chromatography
      using precolumn derivatization with 4-methoxy- and 4-ethoxy-1,2-phenylenediamine
      is presented. The derivatives are isolated by solid-phase extraction and analysed
      by fluorescence detection on a resin-type reversed-phase column at pH 9.
      Retention times are 2 and 3.2 min for the derivatives of ascorbic and
      dehydroascorbic acid, respectively. Relative standard deviations of the within-
      and between-assay tests are 7.1 and 5.5%, respectively, for ascorbic and 11 and
      9%, respectively, dehydroascorbic acid. The limits of detection are 50 and 70
      fmol per 5-microl injection for ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acid, respectively.

PMID- 1880194
TI  - Chiral copper-chelate complexes alter selectivities in metal affinity protein
      partitioning.
AB  - Proteins can be distinguished by exploiting complementarity between a histidine's
      microenvironment and a metal-chelate ligand in metal-affinity separations. The
      partitioning behavior of three myoglobins was investigated in aqueous two-phase
      polyethylene glycol-dextran systems containing polyethylene glycol derivatized
      with Cu(II) complexes of the L- and D-isomers of methionine and aspartate. TSK
      chromatographic supports derivatized with the methionine complexes were used to
      study retention of these proteins in metal-affinity chromatography. In the
      partitioning studies, the amino acid metal chelates exhibit selectivities for the
      myoglobins that are different from that of Cu(II)-iminodiacetate. Significant
      differences in selectivity based on the chiral nature of the amino acid complexes
      were also observed. The chromatographic selectivities of the chelating ligands
      exhibit little variation, however, suggesting that interactions occurring in
      solution but not on a surface play an important role in protein binding to the
      Cu(II)-amino acid-PEG complexes. In solution, the Cu(II)-amino acid complexes are
      sensitive probes of the microenvironments of surface histidines. The choice of
      the metal chelate affinity ligand offers a powerful means by which the
      selectivity of metal-affinity separations can be altered.

PMID- 1880196
TI  - Separation and microanalysis of growth factors by Phast system gel
      electrophoresis and by DNA synthesis in cell culture.
AB  - A simple, micro-scale method was established for the characterization of growth
      factors at picogram levels using Phast system gel electrophoresis followed by
      monitoring the mitogenic activity by DNA synthesis in cell culture instead of
      staining methods. The separations and bioassays were carried out with a procedure
      involving Phast polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing, gel
      slicing along the template, elution of growth factors through Transwell membranes
      and measurement of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of normal rat kidney
      (NRK) fibroblasts. Transwell cell culture chamber inserts separated sliced gel
      pieces from culture cells and also permitted the direct elution of growth factors
      into the culture medium. The lower limit of sensitivity for human epidermal
      growth factor (hEGF) and transforming growth factor type alpha (TGF-alpha) were
      about 50 and 200 pg, respectively. At these concentrations, they were not
      detectable by the current most sensitive silver staining technique. Iodinated
      hEGF and TGF-alpha were also used to demonstrate the feasibility of determining
      the isoelectric point and molecular weight of peptides at picogram levels. This
      method is reliable, reproducible and can improve current methods for the
      characterization of growth factors.

PMID- 1880197
TI  - [Present state of coronary revascularization in ischemic heart disease].

PMID- 1880198
TI  - [Purification and characterization of cytosol aminopeptidase from rat intestinal
      mucosa].
AB  - The isolation of cytosol aminopeptidase (CAP) from intestinal mucosa has involved
      difficult procedures because of low yield, instability of the enzyme and many
      other factors related to purification. The authors resolved these difficulties in
      the purification of the enzyme from intestinal mucosa of rats using hydrophobic
      chromatography on phenyl-TOYOPEARL 650S and ion exchange HPLC on Mono Q 5/5. In
      this procedure, a 60-fold purification was achieved and the purified enzyme
      revealed a single band with 56kDa molecular weight by SDS polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis. The purified enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed the Leucyl
      containing peptides of Leu-Gly and Leu-Gly-Gly. However, it showed no activity on
      synthetic substrates of Leu-beta-naphthylamide, Gly-p-nitroanilide, Phe-p
      nitroanilide or Met-beta-naphthylamide. The Km and Vmax for Leu-Gly were 0.91
      mmol/l and 16.4 mol/min/mg protein, while for Leu-Gly-Gly they were 0.77 mmol/l
      and 20.6 mol/min/mg protein. The purified enzyme was heat-labile and quickly
      became less active in highly concentrated ammonium sulfate. The optimum pH was
      6.5-10. The enzyme activity was stimulated by Mn2+ and Mg2+, while it was
      inhibited by EDTA, 1,10-phenanthroline, 2-mercaptoethanol and p
      hydroxymercuribenzoate. The results suggested the participation of metal ions and
      the SH group in the enzyme activity. Furthermore the cytosol aminopeptidase was
      distinct from the brush-border membrane aminopeptidase in molecular weight,
      immunoreaction to cytosol aminopeptidase antiserum and the specificities to the
      substrates.

PMID- 1880199
TI  - [Relationship between iron nutrition and nutriment intakes in the menstruating
      and menopausal women].
AB  - Medical examinations related to iron nutrition (hemoglobin concentration, serum
      ferritin concentration and transferrin saturation) and measurements of daily
      nutriment intakes based on three day dietary records were carried out for 440
      female subjects from adolescence to menopause, and the relationships between both
      parameters were compared. The subjects could be reasonably divided into 3 age
      groups of menstruating I (17-29 years), II (30-53 years) women and menopausal (48
      69 years) women by the one-way analysis of variance. The occurrence of iron
      deficiency including iron deficient anemia was above 45% both in menstruating I
      and menstruating II women. In addition, the average amounts of iron intake were
      8.7 and 10.2 mg/day in these groups, respectively. These values were below the
      recommended intake of iron (12 mg/day) for females of these ages in Japan. In
      menopausal women, the occurrence of iron deficiency decreased to 11.3%, which
      corresponded to the increase of average iron intake to 11.2 mg/day. Irrespective
      of age groups, there were almost no significant correlations between the results
      of medical examinations and the amounts of daily iron intake. Although no
      improvement in hemoglobin concentration and transferrin saturation was observed
      in 62 menstruating women, who received 10 mg iron daily as sodium ferrous citrate
      for 2 months, the average serum ferritin concentrations were significantly
      increased at 1 and 2 months after the supplement and 2 weeks after they stopped.
      These therapeutic trials indicate the relationship between iron deficiency and
      low iron intake in menstruating women.

PMID- 1880200
TI  - [Long-lasting changes in motoneuron discharges following 50 Hz tetanization of
      afferent nerves in cats].
AB  - The effects of 50 Hz tetanization on motoneuron discharges were studied in non
      immobilized, non-anesthetized, decerebrate cats. Motoneuron discharges were
      monitored by recording either muscle (hamstring muscles or foot extensors) action
      potentials or ventral root (L7 or S1) discharges. In the latter case both ventral
      and dorsal roots were cut and corresponding dorsal roots were stimulated. It was
      found that in 13 out of 32 cases the tetanization of the sciatic nerve at 4.0T
      for 5 s produced enhancement of monosynaptically evoked muscle action potentials
      (H-wave) for 20-25 min. Three categories of potentials were distinguished in
      ventral root discharge according to latencies and thresholds: monosynaptic,
      polysynaptic and late potentials. When the dorsal root was tetanized at 2.5-5.0T
      for 5 s, all of these 3 categories of potentials exhibited an enhancement of the
      potential lasting for more than 30 min. The late potential, which was the longest
      latency polysynaptic potential (4.7-6.5 ms), was the most sensitive to the
      tetanization. Its enhancement could develop slowly, yet the degree of the
      enhancement was the greatest, as compared with other two categories of
      potentials. In contrast, the enhancement of these potentials were always
      immediate. In 15 out of 46 cases at least one of the 3 categories of potentials
      exhibited the enhancement. Since the long-lasting changes were induced only with
      the strength enough to activate polysynaptic pathways, interneurons were
      considered to be responsible for these plastic changes. The monosynaptic
      potential could show a long-lasting depression following the tetanization.

PMID- 1880201
TI  - [Campylobacter enterocolitis complaining of melena].
AB  - A 38-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of 5 episodes of
      melena without abdominal pain or diarrhea. No abnormalities were noted through an
      upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, but a proctoscopy revealed a large amount of
      coagulated blood within the rectum immediately before his admission. A
      colonoscopy revealed spotty redness with dark-red coagulation in the region from
      the splenic flexure down to the rectum except oral colon beyond the transverse
      colon. A presumptive diagnosis of campylobacter enterocolitis was made by a
      microscopy performed on the stool specimen, then an oral administration of
      erythromycin was started. A colonoscopy done on the 5th hospital day proved
      improvement on the mucosal changes. The final diagnosis of campylobacter
      enterocolitis was made by the stool culture. The patient took a satisfactory
      course of hospitalization and was discharged on the 10th day. Bacteriological
      examination of stool specimen together with endoscopy has been confirmed to be
      useful for the diagnosis of melena cases without manifestation of infectious
      enterocolitis.

PMID- 1880202
TI  - [New approach to mechanism of atherosclerosis. Scavenger receptor].

PMID- 1880203
TI  - Field work of rubella attenuated live virus vaccine in Thailand.

PMID- 1880204
TI  - A comparative investigation on autologous mandibular and iliac crest bone grafts.
      An experimental study in sheep.
AB  - Nine Friesian sheep (age 1.5-2 years) were used to evaluate the quality of bone
      repair in artificial cleft-like maxillary defects repaired with autologous bone
      grafts of embryologically different origin. After bilateral extraction of the
      upper first deciduous molar the tooth socket was enlarged resulting in an open
      connection between the oral and nasal cavities. In the same session a graft,
      obtained from the iliac crest, was implanted in one of the two bilateral
      maxillary defects and on the opposite side a graft, obtained from the mandible,
      was inserted. During the experiment, serial radiographs were taken. After six
      months the sheep were sacrificed and the bone of the grafted areas was submitted
      to histological and histomorphometric investigation. Comparing both areas, it
      appeared that the quality of bone remodelling and alveolar reconstruction was
      independent of the origin of the grafts.

PMID- 1880205
TI  - Incidence of cleft lip, alveolus and palate forms.
AB  - The different cleft forms of 1,450 cleft lip, alveolus and/or palate patients
      have been analyzed. Randomized groups of 50 plus the next 50 patients and so
      forth have been examined. The resulting 29 groups reveal a maximum of 139
      different clinical cleft forms. The prediction of a possible maximum was made
      with the exponential formula y = a. (1-eb.x). The tendency of the prognosis
      levels at a maximum of 169 different cleft forms in and above 4900 patients.

PMID- 1880206
TI  - Slot osteosynthesis technique (SLOT) for sagittal ramus split osteotomies. A
      method to optimize occlusal control and condylar seating.
AB  - In the technique presented, a specially designed drill and bone holding forceps
      are used. These enable a horizontal slit to be cut in the condyle-bearing
      segment, at the site of the largest contact surface. One lag-screw is tightened
      in the centre of the slit at each side. By releasing the IMF (intermaxillary
      fixation) and untightening one or both screws, the condylar segments can be
      repositioned and the occlusion corrected before inserting the other tandem
      screws.

PMID- 1880207
TI  - A modified sagittal step osteotomy of the mandibular body. Technical note.
AB  - A modification of the osteotomy of the body of the mandible for elongation and
      rotation of its anterior part is presented. It allows these movements without the
      necessity for bone grafting, with a reduced risk of damage to the alveolar nerve
      and increased stability.

PMID- 1880208
TI  - Pterygoid plate separation using an oscillating saw in Le Fort I osteotomy.
      Technical note.
AB  - An oscillating saw is used to achieve pterygomaxillary separation. The procedure
      is quick and simple to perform and avoids the potentially hazardous use of
      osteotomes for this purpose. Down fracture of the maxilla allows visual
      confirmation of the integrity of the pterygoid plates.

PMID- 1880209
TI  - Benign mesenchymoma of the tongue. Report of a case, with review of the
      literature.
AB  - A benign mesenchymoma of the dorsal midtongue in an 88-year-old woman is
      presented. The tumour was excised under local anaesthesia, and microscopic
      examination revealed cartilage, bone, striated muscle, peripheral nerve, adipose
      and myxoid tissue, and blood vessels in addition to fibrous tissue. Eight cases
      including ours were found in the literature.

PMID- 1880210
TI  - Atypical multiple benign osteoblastomas accompanied by simple bone cysts. A case
      report.
AB  - A case of atypical benign osteoblastomas occurring at multiple sites in the
      maxilla and mandible of a 38-year-old woman, in association with simple bone
      cysts, is described. The tumors produced hazy or ground-glass-like
      semiradiolucent lesions with well-defined or poorly-defined margins on
      conventional radiographs. Histologically, the lesions were characterized by a
      proliferation of plump osteoblast-like cells forming trabeculae of osteoid and
      immature bone in a well-vascularized stroma. In addition, simple bone cysts
      associated with a radiolucent-radiopaque lesion consisting of lamellar bone and
      loose connective tissue were found next to one of the tumours. Possible
      pathogenesis of the tumours and cysts is discussed.

PMID- 1880211
TI  - Bilateral coronoid hyperplasia. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
AB  - Two cases of bilateral hyperplasia of the coronoid processes of the mandible are
      presented. The patients were men and first noticed their symptoms at 14 and 10
      years of age, respectively. They were treated successfully by intraoral bilateral
      coronoidectomies. A review of the literature revealed only forty-nine cases of
      the condition reported; 43 cases in western countries and 6 in Japan. As
      described previously, the majority of the cases were men and their symptoms
      occurred under the age of 19 years.

PMID- 1880212
TI  - Head and neck trauma in sporting activities. Review of 208 cases.
AB  - Head and neck injuries due to sports and games represent 22.7% of all injuries
      admitted to the E.N.T. Department of the University of Perugia between 1980 and
      1988. Epidemiological and causative factors of these injuries are examined by the
      authors, together with their treatment: the majority of accidents occurred during
      soccer games as a consequence of collisions between players. In these cases the
      most frequently recorded lesion was a nasal fracture. Other sporting activities
      were responsible for more serious injuries to the maxillo-facial bony,
      cartilaginous and soft tissue structures. Good results were achieved both on the
      anatomical and functional planes, except for a few cases of facial disruption and
      multiple mandibular fractures. The authors stress the importance of preventive
      measures, consisting of periodical medical check-ups, an adequate level of
      umpiring and the wearing of protective equipment, such as helmets and masks.

PMID- 1880213
TI  - Teaching courses in clinical trial research methods.
AB  - This article describes nine separate elements that are part of any course: 1) the
      teachers, 2) the students, 3) expectations and attitudes of the teachers, 4)
      expectations and attitudes of the students, 5) a strategy of how to achieve the
      expectations, 6) materials to use, 7) types of presentations, 8) organizing the
      individual sessions, and 9) time and place for the course and each of its
      sessions. The relationship of each of these elements to a course on clinical
      trial research methods is discussed. Approaches to use for designing an overall
      curriculum for a school, company, or regulatory authority also are discussed.
      Sixteen separate courses are identified and briefly described. Several methods to
      enhance the effectiveness of individual lectures or discussions are mentioned.
      Potential courses, as well as those currently offered, should be periodically
      evaluated by all institutions that are involved in the area of clinical-trial
      research methods.

PMID- 1880214
TI  - The QAU: friend, not foe.

PMID- 1880215
TI  - Lovastatin therapy in hypercholesterolemia: effect on fibrinogen, hemorrheologic
      parameters, platelet activity, and red blood cell morphology.
AB  - The effect of lovastatin therapy on blood rheology was investigated in 26
      hypercholesterolemic patients. Treatment with lovastatin was associated with a
      significant improvement in whole blood filtration time and a tendency toward
      normalization in red blood cell morphology. A significant increase was observed
      in fibrinogen level, in ADP-induced platelet aggregation, in the percentage of
      "big" platelets, and in platelet count. The viscosity of whole blood and plasma
      and the percentage of aggregated platelets did not change significantly. The
      cause for these hemorrheologic changes and their role in influencing the coronary
      risk of lovastatin-treated hypercholesterolemic patients should be further
      investigated.

PMID- 1880216
TI  - Effect of nifedipine on oxygen delivery in patients with angina pectoris:
      relation between blood viscosity and hematocrit.
AB  - The effect of nifedipine on blood viscosity and hematocrit was investigated.
      Blood was sampled from eight patients with angina pectoris (mean age: 59 +/- 8
      yr) treated with nifedipine (20-30 mg/day) for 5 months. Using a cone-plate type
      viscometer, blood viscosity was determined at the shear rates of 37.5 and 375 sec
      1 at 37 degrees C. Hematocrit was also measured at the same time. Since the ratio
      of hematocrit to blood viscosity at a shear rate of 375 sec-1 can be considered
      to reflect oxygen delivery, this ratio (oxygen delivery index) was also
      calculated. Blood viscosity at a shear rate of 37.5 sec-1 was significantly (P
      less than .05) decreased by nifedipine treatment, but hematocrit and the blood
      viscosity at a shear rate of 375 sec-1 were not changed. The oxygen delivery
      index, however, was significantly (P less than .01) increased after the
      administration of nifedipine. These results suggest that oxygen delivery
      increased by the treatment with nifedipine and inhibited erythrocyte aggregation
      by decreasing blood viscosity at low shear rate.

PMID- 1880217
TI  - Serum digoxin levels related to plasma propafenone levels during concomitant
      treatment.
AB  - Nine patients with supraventricular rhythm disorders were treated during 5-day
      periods with different oral doses (300, 450, 600, and 900 mg daily) of
      propafenone concomitantly to long-term digoxin treatment. A poor correlation (r =
      .398; P less than .05) was obtained when the difference between the mean digoxin
      serum level (calculated with the Cmin data determined each of the 5 days)
      observed during a given propafenone dose and the mean digoxin serum level
      observed before propafenone treatment, was correlated with the dose of
      propafenone; but an evident correlation (r = .778; P less than .01) was found
      when the difference in digoxin level was correlated with the plasma propafenone
      concentration. The propafenone effect of increasing digoxin blood levels was thus
      concluded to be poorly dose dependent but strongly concentration dependent. The
      association of propafenone to a long-term digoxin treatment can be considered
      with a low risk of toxicity when plasma propafenone concentration does not exceed
      about 1000 ng/mL. Propafenone plasma levels are unpredictable in view of their
      wide interindividual variation for a given dose, so their measurement is advised
      to detect high levels and consequently to prevent a rise in digoxin serum
      concentrations with the possibility of toxicity. In clinical practice, when
      propafenone concentration determinations are not readily available, digoxin serum
      levels at least have to be carefully monitored.

PMID- 1880218
TI  - Digoxin pharmacokinetics and spirapril, a new ace inhibitor.
AB  - As concurrent use of digoxin with the novel ACE inhibitor spirapril should be
      common, potential for spirapril to affect steady-state digoxin kinetics was
      studied. Fifteen healthy white male volunteers aged 22-42 and weighing 135-225
      lbs took digoxin tablets 0.25 mg every 12 hours for 5 weeks. In crossover design,
      each also received spirapril or matching placebo capsules during weeks 1 and 2,
      or 4 and 5. Dosage of spirapril was increased from 12 mg to 48 mg once daily.
      Spirapril produced no significant effect on mean (+/- SD) serum digoxin
      concentration in the steady state, area under curve for 12 hours, peak digoxin
      level, time to peak, or urinary digoxin excretion over 12 hours. No change in
      renal or whole body digoxin clearance was seen. Unlike some other cardiovascular
      drugs, spirapril does not alter steady-state digoxin kinetics in healthy adults.

PMID- 1880220
TI  - Interactions of clonidine and nifedipine in moderately severe hypertensive
      patients.
AB  - In ten patients (age: 47-59 yr) with moderately severe essential hypertension,
      the humoral and hemodynamic effects of a 4-day therapy with 2 x 75 micrograms
      clonidine, 2 x 20 mg nifedipine (slow-release), and their combination were
      investigated and compared with baseline values. The following measurements were
      observed under clonidine (C), nifedipine (N), and on combination (C/N),
      respectively: heart rate fell significantly under C from a mean of 79 to 67/min
      (P less than .05), increased to 73/min after N (P greater than .05) and fell
      again to 68/min under combination (P less than .05). Systolic blood pressure
      (Riva-Rocci method) decreased from a mean of 184 to 171 (C), 168 (N) and 161 mm
      Hg (C/N), respectively (P less than .01). Diastolic blood pressure was also
      significantly altered (113 vs. 104 (C), 107 (N), and 100 mm Hg (C/N); P less than
      .05). Stroke volume (ECHO) was not altered significantly (77 vs. 71 (C), 79 (N),
      and 80 mL (C/N), respectively), whereas cardiac output dropped from 5.9 to 4.9
      L/min (C; P less than .05), increased to 5.7 (N; P greater than .05), and dropped
      again to 5.3 L/min (C/N; P greater than .05). Peripheral vascular resistance
      increased from a mean of 2091 to 2297 (C), fell to 1933 (N), and increased again
      to 2138 dyn/sec/cm-5 (C/N). Plasma norepinephrine levels fell from 440 to 281 (C;
      P less than .01), increased to 391 (N; P greater than .05), and fell again to 404
      pg/mL (C/N; P greater than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880219
TI  - Lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in familial hypercholesterolemia
      treated with simvastatin and simvastatin plus low-dose colestipol.
AB  - In 19 patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), the effects
      of simvastatin (S) 20 mg/d, 40 mg/d, and 40 mg/d plus low-dose colestipol (10
      g/d) on plasma lipids, plasma lipoproteins, and plasma lecithin: cholesterol
      acyltransferase (LCAT) activity were investigated after an original dose-range
      escalation/descalation design. The drug regimen was changed every 8 weeks. A
      significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol was observed,
      reaching 39% and 54% for the drug combination (week 28), and total apoprotein B
      and LDL-apoprotein B were reduced by 39% and 50%, respectively. Triglycerides
      were significantly lowered by S alone (up to 29% with 40 mg/d). HDL-cholesterol
      increased during therapy but the cholesterol content in HDL2-HDL3 fractions
      (isolated by ultracentrifugation) did not change significantly during the
      different steps. The ratio LDL-C/HDL-C fell by 57% at week 28. Plasma LCAT
      activity expressed as FER was significantly enhanced by S alone (+33%), and a
      further increase on drug combination regimen (+58%) was observed. This effect
      could be considered as a consequence of the increased fractional clearance of LDL
      C. It tended to be sustained during the descalation part of the study.
      Biochemical adverse effects were scarce and transient. In conclusion, the
      combination therapy increased the plasma LCAT/FER activity without a preferential
      enhancement in HDL2-C concentration. This original design allowed to define the
      most appropriate individual cholesterol-lowering drug dosage in FH patients.

PMID- 1880221
TI  - Evaluation of labetalol in elderly patients with essential hypertension.
AB  - Labetalol was evaluated in a multicenter, placebo-controlled study of elderly
      patients (greater than or equal to 60 years) with mild to moderate essential
      hypertension. After a placebo-washout period, doses were titrated from 100 mg BID
      to a maximum of 400 mg BID over a 6-week period. Once blood pressure control
      (standing diastolic blood pressure [SDBP] less than 90 mm Hg and greater than or
      equal to 10 mm Hg reduction from baseline) was achieved or the maximum allowable
      dosage had been given, the dosage remained the same until the end of the study.
      The titration phase was followed by a 4-week maintenance period. Blood pressure
      control was achieved in 37/54 (69%) of the patients who were treated with
      labetalol compared with 21/58 (36%) of the patients who received placebo (P less
      than .001). Twenty-nine (78%) of those controlled on labetalol responded to doses
      of 200 mg or less BID, and there was no significant difference between groups
      with respect to orthostatic blood pressure changes. Adverse experiences were
      generally mild and occurred with similar frequency in the labetalol and placebo
      groups; six patients who received labetalol and five who received placebo
      withdrew from the study due to adverse experiences, but in only one case
      (labetalol) was the adverse experience considered drug-related. In summary,
      labetalol effectively and safely lowered diastolic blood pressure in the elderly
      without producing significant orthostatic changes.

PMID- 1880223
TI  - Serum/saliva correlations for theophylline in asthmatics.
AB  - Theophylline levels in mixed saliva (both stimulated and unstimulated) were
      compared with total and free (unbound) serum theophylline levels in 28 asthmatic
      outpatients using theophylline regularly. Stimulated saliva predicted both total
      and unbound serum theophylline concentrations within +/- 1 microgram/mL in 62.5%
      and 92.9%, respectively, of the samples examined. In addition, the total serum
      levels could be used to predict unbound serum concentrations to within +/- 1 mg/L
      in 100% of the cases that were examined. These results indicate that saliva
      levels predict the unbound serum theophylline levels with greater accuracy and
      precision than they predict total serum theophylline levels. In addition, total
      serum levels can be used to reliably predict unbound serum levels. The use of
      mixed stimulated saliva is recommended as a reliable non-invasive method for
      monitoring unbound serum theophylline levels. The therapeutic range for saliva,
      which corresponds to the accepted total serum concentration range of 10-20 mg/L,
      is approximately 5.6-11.3 mg/L.

PMID- 1880222
TI  - Albuterol extended-release products: effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of
      single oral doses of Volmax and Proventil Repetabs in healthy male volunteers.
AB  - The absorption of albuterol from a single 4-mg oral dose of Volmax and Proventil
      Repetabs was investigated under both fasting and fed conditions in an open-label,
      randomized, four-period, crossover study in 24 healthy male volunteers. Blood was
      collected for determination of albuterol plasma concentrations by HPLC over 30
      hours postdose. Twenty subjects were evaluable for data analysis. The mean Cmax
      for Volmax; administered after a meal was 19% lower than that of the drug
      administered in a fasting state (3.9 ng/mL vs. 4.8 ng/mL; P less than .01). An
      almost equivalent lowering of the mean Cmax (by 21%) was observed for Proventil
      Repetabs after administration with a meal versus fasting (4.2 ng/mL vs. 5.3
      ng/mL; P less than .01). There were no significant differences between the two
      formulations in the degree of Cmax reduction due to the presence of food. The
      tmax occurred significantly later during the fed treatment for Volmax only (4.9
      hours fasted vs. 6.4 hours fed; P less than .01). The lag time was significantly
      greater during the fed treatments for Volmax. No differences were observed in the
      area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) for either formulation under
      fasting versus fed conditions, suggesting that the extent of absortion was not
      altered by food. Overall, food caused a more sustained release of albuterol from
      both Volmax and Proventil Repetabs.

PMID- 1880224
TI  - Alprazolam in end-stage renal disease: I. Pharmacokinetics.
AB  - In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, the pharmacokinetics of
      alprazolam and its active metabolite, alpha-hydroxyalprazolam, were determined in
      12 normal subjects and 12 dialysis patients [7 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 5
      continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients]. Blood samples were
      collected over 48 hours after alprazolam 0.5 mg and alprazolam 2 mg
      administration. Alprazolam and alpha-hydroxyalprazolam concentrations and
      alprazolam free fraction were determined. The pharmacokinetics of alprazolam were
      similar in normal subjects and HD patients with the exception of higher free
      fraction in HD patients. Differences were detected, however, in the
      pharmacokinetics of alprazolam in CAPD patients when compared with normal
      subjects and HD patients. These differences included a higher free fraction and a
      lower apparent oral clearance and free clearance in CAPD patients than in normal
      subjects or in HD patients. There was also a tendency for a later Tmax and a
      longer elimination half-life in CAPD patients than in normal subjects or HD
      patients. Alpha-hydroxyalprazolam concentrations were less than 15% of
      corresponding alprazolam concentrations in normal subjects and dialysis patients.
      Thus, end-stage renal disease is associated with changes in absorption,
      distribution, and/or elimination of alprazolam.

PMID- 1880225
TI  - Comparison of adinazolam pharmacokinetics and effects in healthy and cirrhotic
      subjects.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of adinazolam were investigated in six
      patients with cirrhosis and six sex-matched control subjects. These subjects
      received a single 30-mg oral dose of adinazolam mesylate. Serial blood samples
      were collected for 24 hours after drug administration. Plasma was assayed for
      adinazolam and mono-desmethyl-adinazolam (NDMAD) concentrations by a specific
      HPLC technique. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by noncompartmental
      methods. Psychomotor effects of adinazolam were assessed using a digit-symbol
      substitution test (DSST) and aiming test (AIM). Memory effects were assessed by a
      modification of the Randt memory test (MEM); sedation was assessed using an
      observer-rated scale. Differences in pharmacokinetics of the parent drug were
      noted: adinazolam oral clearance was lower in patients with cirrhosis (35.0 +/-
      27.9 L/hr) than in normal subjects (73.7 +/- 22.1 L/hr; P = .024); Kel was
      significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis (.126 +/- .084 vs. .278 +/- .070;
      P = .007), whereas the mean t1/2 in patients with cirrhosis was 7.70 hours as
      compared with 2.67 hours in normal subjects. Cmax was higher in the group with
      cirrhosis (266 +/- 95.5 vs. 153 +/- 29.3 ng/mL; P = .019). For NDMAD, Kel was
      lower in cirrhotic subjects and resulted in a prolonged t1/2 in cirrhotic
      subjects compared with normal subjects (6.70 vs. 3.79 hr; P = .0152). NDMAD AUC
      tended to be higher in cirrhotic subjects (1515 +/- 254 vs. 1162 +/- 254
      ng.hr/mL; P = .064). No significant differences were noted in psychomotor
      performance, memory, or sedation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880226
TI  - A milestone in clinical pharmacology.

PMID- 1880227
TI  - Gender-related differences in xenobiotic metabolism.

PMID- 1880228
TI  - Role of the General Clinical Research Center in teaching clinical management.

PMID- 1880229
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of felodipine in chronic hemodialysis patients.
AB  - Five chronic hemodialysis patients (1 woman and 4 men, aged, 46-68 yr) were given
      an oral dose of 10 mg felodipine followed by 0.057 mg [3H] felodipine IV. After 5
      hours, a hemodialysis treatment lasting 4 hours was performed. Blood and
      dialysate flows were 200 mL/min and 500 mL/min, respectively. Capillary dialyzers
      with 1.3 m2 cellulose acetate membrane were used. The pharmacokinetic
      characteristics and reduction in diastolic BP were similar to those in
      hypertensive patients with normal renal function and in uremic patients who were
      not treated with dialysis. There was no measurable removal of felodipine by
      hemodialysis. Dialyzer clearance of radioactive metabolites was about 10 mL/min,
      and only 8.9% of the dose was eliminated by the treatment. The half-life of
      radioactive metabolites was 10 days (6-14 days) in three patients dialyzed thrice
      weekly. Since the metabolites are biologically inactive, no adjustment of dose is
      required in hemodialysis patients.

PMID- 1880230
TI  - Efficacy of cardioselective beta-adrenergic blockade with intravenously
      administered metoprolol in the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias.
AB  - The efficacy of intravenously administered metoprolol, a cardioselective beta
      adrenergic blocking agent, was evaluated in the treatment of supraventricular
      tachyarrhythmias in 16 patients. The arrhythmias that were treated were atrial
      fibrillation (11 patients), atrial flutter (2 patients), supraventricular
      tachycardia (2 patients), and multifocal atrial tachycardia (1 patient). Mean
      dose of metoprolol was 9.5 mg (range: 2-15 mg) administered in one or two
      separate infusions of up to 7.5 mg each over a cumulative maximum interval of 25
      minutes. In the 13 responders (81%), mean ventricular rate decreased from 134 +/-
      6 to 106 +/- 7 beats/min 10 minutes after metoprolol administration and was
      controlled for 40 to 320 minutes without further therapy. Minimum ventricular
      rate (98 +/- 6 beats/min) was reached 48 minutes after initiation of metoprolol.
      Metoprolol reduced ventricular rate by greater than 15% (decrease of 26-60
      beats/min) in 11 (69%) of 16 patients, including 9 (82%) of 11 patients with
      atrial fibrillation. In two other patients, one with atrial fibrillation and one
      with supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular rate was reduced by greater than
      12%. Hypotension, occurring in five patients, was the most frequent side effect
      but was transient and readily managed. Cardioselective beta-adrenergic blockade
      by metoprolol was rapidly effective in controlling ventricular rate in a majority
      of patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias and may be of particular use
      in selected patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in whom
      intravenous beta-adrenergic blockade is indicated. Hypotension is an important
      potential side effect.

PMID- 1880231
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone in liver-transplant recipients.
AB  - The disposition of ceftriaxone was studied after a single 2 g intravenous dose in
      seven patients 3 to 5 days after liver transplantation. Ceftriaxone
      concentrations in plasma, urine, and bile were measured by HPLC, and plasma
      protein binding was determined by equilibrium dialysis. Plasma protein binding
      was nonlinear, and the unbound fraction varied between 0.05 and 0.56. Both
      capacity and affinity were markedly different from reported values for normal
      subjects. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained were: total body clearance
      (TBC), 11.2 +/- 7.8 mL/hr/kg total and 44.8 +/- 29.1 mL/hr/kg unbound; volume of
      distribution (V(area)), 224 +/- 76 mL/kg total and 767 +/- 432 mL/kg unbound;
      steady-state volume of distribution (Vss), 212 +/- 68 mL/kg total and 651 +/- 368
      mL/kg unbound; terminal disposition half-life (t1/2), 21.6 +/- 14.3 hour total
      and 16.3 +/- 11.1 hour unbound. TBC for both total and free drug was considerably
      lower than literature values for normal subjects. V(area) for total drug was
      greater than normal, whereas the corresponding value for free drug was smaller
      than normal. The plasma ceftriaxone concentrations at 12 and 24 hours were above
      the reported minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The fraction of the
      administered dose excreted in urine over 24 hours was 38 +/- 29% and did not
      differ markedly from that reported for normal subjects. Less than 2% of the
      administered dose was excreted in 24-hour bile; however, biliary concentrations
      were always above MIC. Ceftriaxone can be administered once or twice daily at a
      dose of 2 g/day for prophylaxis in liver transplant recipients.

PMID- 1880232
TI  - A new clinical bioassay for antipyresis.
AB  - Three studies that describe antipyretic bioassay are detailed. Reference Standard
      Endotoxin (RSE) was used to induce fever in healthy male volunteers under
      randomized, single-dose, double-blind, parallel, and standard drug-control
      conditions. Thirty minutes before administering RSE, the subjects were medicated
      with test drug, and oral temperatures were recorded every 15 minutes for 6 to 8
      hours. Two NSAIDs and a centrally acting analgesic were evaluated. Both doses of
      a propionic derivative, three high doses of tebufelone (a new NSAID), as well as
      the high dose of flupirtine effectively obtunded the fever response to RSE.
      Adverse reactions consisting of flu-like symptoms such as myalgia, headache, and
      chills were also significantly reduced with the standard as well as test drugs.
      The authors conclude that the RSE model is a quick, safe, and reliable method to
      evaluate antipyresis and to predict other pharmacologic effects of these types of
      drugs, such as analgesia.

PMID- 1880233
TI  - Hypnotic efficacy of estazolam compared with flurazepam in outpatients with
      insomnia.
AB  - Estazolam is a new benzodiazepine hypnotic agent with an intermediate half-life
      of 12 to 15 hours. The authors designed an investigation to compare its hypnotic
      efficacy to that of flurazepam, generally considered the reference standard. The
      hypnotic efficacy of estazolam at two doses (1 mg and 2 mg) was compared with
      that of flurazepam (30 mg) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, 7
      night study that involved 223 outpatients with insomnia. On subjective
      assessments of the patients, no differences were noted between estazolam 2 mg and
      flurazepam 30 mg on any of six sleep parameters. Patients who were receiving
      estazolam 1 mg rated their sleep significantly better than did patients who were
      receiving placebo on all parameters except sleep latency. Global evaluation of
      the physicians indicated significant improvement in quality of sleep, sleep
      depth, sleep duration, and nocturnal awakenings in all three active treatment
      groups; estazolam 2 mg and flurazepam also decreased sleep latency significantly.
      The percentage of patients who reported any adverse experience was 68% for
      flurazepam, 58% for estazolam 2 mg, and 54% for estazolam 1 mg; the incidence of
      adverse events in the placebo group was 43%. In conclusion, estazolam 2 mg was
      found to be as effective a hypnotic as flurazepam 30 mg. Estazolam 1 mg is also
      effective in the treatment of outpatients with insomnia, but to a lesser degree.

PMID- 1880234
TI  - A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled comparison of the metabolic
      effects of low-dose hydrochlorothiazide and indapamide.
AB  - To compare the metabolic effects of indapamide (I) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)
      at equivalent hypotensive doses, 11 hypertensive patients (5 male, 8 black, aged
      56 +/- 8 yr--mean +/- SEM) having serum uric acid concentrations greater than 8.0
      mg/dL while receiving previous therapy with thiazides, received 28-day courses of
      placebo, indapamide (2.5 mg/d), and HCTZ (25 mg/d) in randomized, double-blind,
      double-crossover design. Supine and standing blood pressures, weight, pulse rates
      and sera were obtained after each 28 day period. Blood pressures and weights were
      lowered (P less than .001 and 0.01, respectively) equally by the diuretics:
      supine blood pressures fell from 168 +/- 4/104 +/- 2 (placebo) to 153 +/- 4/93 +/
      2 (HCTZ) and 155 +/- 4/94 +/- 2 mm Hg (I); standing blood pressures (after 2
      minutes upright) also decreased: 171 +/- 5/104 +/- 2 (placebo) to 156 +/- 5/93 +/
      2 (HCTZ) and 157 +/- 4/94 +/- 2 mm Hg (I). There was a statistically significant
      difference (P less than .05) across treatments by analysis of variance in both
      uric acid and potassium concentrations: serum urate (in mg/dL) was lowest with
      placebo (7.1 +/- 0.3), and rose to 8.3 +/- 0.2 with HCTZ (P less than .001
      compared with placebo by paired t test), and 8.1 +/- 0.2 with I (P less than .005
      vs. placebo). The urate concentration with I was significantly lower than that
      with HCTZ (P less than .02), but the magnitude of the difference was small (0.2
      mg/dL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880235
TI  - Hair anatomy for the clinician.
AB  - The rational evaluation of hair disorders requires familiarity with follicular
      anatomy. Hair structure can be easily examined by studying clipped hair shafts,
      entire hairs gently pulled or forcibly plucked from the scalp, and scalp biopsies
      (sectioned vertically or transversely). Anatomic features will be different
      depending on whether a given hair is in the anagen, catagen, or telogen phase.
      Follicle size will also vary, from the minute vellus hair to the long, thick
      terminal hair. Each follicle can be divided into distinct regions--bulb,
      suprabulbar zone, isthmus, and infundibulum. Activity growing (anagen) hairs are
      characterized by a hair matrix surrounding a dermal papilla; inner and outer root
      sheaths are present and well developed. A catagen hair can be identified by its
      markedly thickened vitreous layer and fibrous root sheath, which surrounds an
      epithelial column; above this column, the presumptive club forms. A telogen hair
      is distinguished by its fully keratinized club, which is surrounded by an
      epithelial sac. Below this lies the secondary hair germ and condensed dermal
      papilla, waiting for the mysterious signal that initiates a new life cycle.

PMID- 1880236
TI  - Pyoderma gangrenosum in infancy: the youngest reported patient.

PMID- 1880237
TI  - Livedo reticularis developing simultaneously with a syncopal attack in a patient
      with atrial myxoma.

PMID- 1880238
TI  - Telogen effluvium associated with eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.

PMID- 1880239
TI  - Erythema nodosum in HIV-infected patients.

PMID- 1880240
TI  - Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura with localized alopecia.

PMID- 1880241
TI  - Generalized lichen spinulosus in an HIV-positive man.

PMID- 1880242
TI  - Dermatology residency training in 1932 versus dermatology residency training in
      1990.
AB  - Dermatologic training programs and patient care in 1932 are compared with patient
      care, research, and residency training programs in 1990. The changes are due to
      development of newer diagnostic procedures and therapeutic agents, emergence of
      dermatopharmacology programs, research conducted by and supported by the
      pharmaceutical industry, and support of cutaneous research by the government. The
      excellence of teaching and patient care in 1932 was due to the "giants" who
      created interest in dermatology and by their dedication and ingenuity managed
      recalcitrant dermatoses without presently available drugs, chemotherapeutic
      agents, diagnostic techniques, basic information, and advances in cutaneous
      surgery.

PMID- 1880243
TI  - Clinical research in dermatology: can we achieve our potential?

PMID- 1880244
TI  - Dermatology awake--dermatopathology is in peril.

PMID- 1880245
TI  - Urticarial lesions and Lyme disease.

PMID- 1880246
TI  - Determination of UVA protection.

PMID- 1880247
TI  - Anticardiolipin antibodies in systemic sclerosis.

PMID- 1880248
TI  - Method to determine UVA protection for normal skin.

PMID- 1880249
TI  - Cutaneous manifestations of cryoglobulinemia: clinical and histopathologic study
      of seventy-two patients.
AB  - In the 72 cases of cryoglobulinemia reviewed, erythematous to purpuric macules or
      papules were present in 92%. Infarction, hemorrhagic crusts, and ulcers were
      present in 10% to 25% of the patients and were relatively more common in type I
      cryoglobulinemia than in the other types. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation was
      noted in 40%. Lesions on the leg were common in all types of cryoglobulinemia;
      however, lesions on the head and mucosal surfaces suggested type I
      cryoglobulinemia. Histopathologic features were classified as vasculitis in 50%,
      inflammatory or noninflammatory purpura in 15%, noninflammatory hyaline
      thrombosis in 10%, and postinflammatory sequelae in 10%. Noninflammatory hyaline
      thrombosis was relatively more frequent in type I. Thus erythematous to purpuric
      lesions on the legs and leukocytoclastic vasculitis are the common cutaneous
      findings in cryoglobulinemia. Type I cryoglobulinemia is suggested by
      noninflammatory hyaline thrombosis, cutaneous infarction, hemorrhagic crusts,
      skin ulcerations, and lesions of the head and neck and of oral or nasal mucosa.

PMID- 1880250
TI  - Studies of laminin and type IV collagen in blisters of porphyria cutanea tarda
      and drug-induced pseudoporphyria.
AB  - Blisters from five patients with porphyria cutanea tarda and two patients with
      drug-induced pseudoporphyria were examined by direct immunofluorescence and by
      immunofluorescence mapping with antibodies against laminin and type IV collagen
      to determine the level of subepidermal separation. Primary screening by direct
      immunofluorescence revealed the characteristic immune deposits in the vessel
      walls of the upper dermal plexus in all cases and at the dermoepidermal junction
      in five of seven cases. Type IV collagen and laminin were reactive in six and
      five cases, respectively, and appeared in the floor of the bulla. The findings
      were identical in porphyria and pseudoporphyria. In one case in which the bullous
      pemphigoid antigen could be detected, it appeared in the epidermal roof of the
      bulla. These findings indicate that the split in porphyria and pseudoporphyria
      occurs in the lamina lucida. We propose that a multistep mechanism involved in
      the induction of blisters may be similar in porphyria and pseudoporphyria.

PMID- 1880251
TI  - Cutaneous lymphomas of phenotypically undetermined lineage: contribution of
      genotypic analysis.
AB  - Genotypic analyses were performed in six primary cutaneous lymphomas whose
      lineage could not be assessed on the basis of histologic and phenotypic data. By
      immunophenotyping, these neoplasms expressed leukocyte common antigen and HLA-DR
      but did not show consistent immunostaining for B-cell or T-cell differentiation
      antigens. Expression of nonspecific histiocytic markers such as lysozyme and
      alpha 1-antitrypsin was found in three cases. By genotyping, three cases retained
      a germline configuration and immunoglobulin gene rearrangement was observed in
      one case, T-cell receptor gene rearrangement was found in one case, and both
      types of rearrangements in one case. Of the three patients in whom gene
      rearrangements were noted, two rapidly died and the other patient, with a dual
      genotype, is still alive 15 years after diagnosis. The three patients without
      gene rearrangements are alive and well after a mean follow-up of 2.5 years. It
      appears that cutaneous lymphomas with an uncertain phenotype include at least
      some cases of authentic B-cell or T-cell lymphomas. The germline configuration
      that we observed in cases with a chronic course remains difficult to explain. It
      may be related to a low malignancy form of histiocytic lymphoma, an atypical
      polyclonal hyperplasia, or even a low-grade lymphoma arising from a primitive
      cell without established commitment to either B- or T-cell lineage.

PMID- 1880252
TI  - The effect of electrical stimulation on the number of mast cells in healing
      wounds.
AB  - Many cutaneous disorders are associated with activation or increased numbers of
      mast cells. Electrical stimulation has been shown to be effective in treating
      many of these disorders. This study is designed to examine the effect of
      electrical stimulation on mast cells in acute wounds. Four pathogen-free pigs
      received 20 wounds, each of which was subjected to biopsy at various times after
      wounding. Half of the wounds were treated with electrical stimulation and the
      other half were treated with a sham electrode. The biopsy specimens were fixed in
      Carnoy's medium and stained with alcian blue and Nuclear Fast Red. Mast cells
      from both sets of wounds were counted and analyzed. Highly significant reductions
      in the number of mast cells were seen with electrical stimulation on days 1 and 2
      compared with nonstimulated control wounds. Electron microscopy was performed to
      compare the stimulated and control mast cells for characteristic features in
      morphology, location, and evidence of degranulation. Electrical stimulation did
      not appear to induce degranulation. The ability of electrical stimulation to
      decrease the number of mast cells may be related to a reduction of either
      proliferation or migration of these cells and may prove to be a valuable
      therapeutic technique.

PMID- 1880253
TI  - Nonhealing leg ulcers: a manifestation of basal cell carcinoma.
AB  - Seven patients with basal cell carcinomas presenting as nonhealing ulcers are
      reported. The importance of considering malignancy and taking biopsy specimens of
      leg ulcers that fail to respond to treatment is emphasized.

PMID- 1880254
TI  - Serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in psoriasis and psoriatic
      arthritis: relation to liver fibrosis and arthritis.
AB  - Levels of serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen were measured in
      170 patients with psoriasis (49% with coexistent psoriatic arthritis) who had
      liver biopsies performed during or before treatment with methotrexate or, in some
      cases, with retinoids. Psoriasis patients with fibrosis or cirrhosis in their
      liver biopsy specimens had a significantly higher mean serum aminoterminal
      propeptide of type III procollagen than did patients without fibrosis and without
      arthritis. Only 4% of patients without cirrhosis or fibrosis and no arthritis had
      an elevated serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen. In contrast,
      38% of patients with psoriatic arthritis had an increased aminoterminal
      propeptide of type III procollagen in the absence of detectable liver fibrosis.
      It is concluded that the number of liver biopsies performed on methotrexate
      treated psoriasis patients with or without arthritis may be reduced to a minimum
      as long as serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen is normal.
      Increased serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen in the absence
      of arthritis is a strong indicator of liver fibrogenesis and suggests the need
      for liver biopsy to monitor possible methotrexate-induced toxicity. In patients
      with psoriatic arthritis an increased aminoterminal propeptide of type III
      procollagen may be related to the joint disease. Patients with psoriatic
      arthritis and increased levels of aminoterminal propeptide of type III
      procollagen should therefore follow the established guidelines for the use of
      methotrexate in psoriasis.

PMID- 1880255
TI  - Papular mucinosis in L-tryptophan-induced eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome.
AB  - Five patients with the L-tryptophan-related eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome had a
      generalized eruption of flesh-colored papules. In all patients, histologic
      examination revealed a focal accumulation of mucin in the upper mid dermis,
      associated with increased dermal cellularity. The mucin was composed
      predominantly of hyaluronic acid, with small amounts of sulfated acid
      mucopolysaccharides. The cells within the lesion were fibroblasts. The lesions
      slowly regressed after L-tryptophan was discontinued. Proposed explanations for
      the L-tryptophan-related eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome have centered on
      contaminants, chemically related to L-tryptophan, introduced in the manufacturing
      process. Tryptophan metabolites have been linked with sclerotic cutaneous
      diseases but have not been previously implicated in cutaneous mucinoses.

PMID- 1880256
TI  - Photopatch testing: the 5-year experience of the German, Austrian, and Swiss
      Photopatch Test Group.
AB  - A cooperative photopatch test study was conducted by 45 dermatologic centers in
      Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Results obtained from 1985 to 1990 are
      presented. A standard photopatch test tray of 32 substances was applied to the
      back of patients with suspected photosensivity. After applications for 24 hours,
      test sites were irradiated with 10 joules/cm2UVA. Unirradiated controls were
      included. Readings were performed immediately and 24, 48, and 72 hours after
      irradiation; responses were qualitatively graded on a 4-point scale. All data
      were stored and processed by a computer. With computer-assisted analysis of
      reaction patterns photoallergic reactions were identified and distinguished from
      phototoxic reactions. Data of 1129 patients were evaluated. Among a total of 2859
      positive test reactions in 870 patients, 2041 in 778 patients were found to be
      photoinduced and 818 in 413 patients were contact reactions; 108 reactions in 83
      patients were classified as photoallergic. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
      disinfectants, sunscreens, phenothiazines, and fragrances caused most often
      photoallergic reactions. Many unspecific phototoxic reactions were induced by
      tiaprofenic acid, promethazine, carprofen, chlorpromazine, fenticolar, wood
      balsam of Peru, and perfumes. Despite the distinction between photoallergic and
      phototoxic responses, many test reactions lacked relevance for the patients'
      dermatoses.

PMID- 1880257
TI  - Toxic epidermal necrolysis: a review.
AB  - This article reviews the many facets of toxic epidermal necrolysis. Emphasis is
      placed on the importance of early diagnosis, burn unit placement, supportive
      care, and avoidance of systemic steroids. Discussion also includes other
      therapeutic options and the pathophysiology of the disease.

PMID- 1880258
TI  - Studies on the cellular origin of neurothekeoma: clinical, light microscopic,
      immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural observations.
AB  - The clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features of 11 cases of
      neurothekeoma are reported. One case was examined by electron microscopy. The
      mean age of the patients was 27.1 years; the study comprised eight female and
      three male patients. Most lesions were nondescript papules and located on the
      upper part of the body, seven cases of neurothekeoma on the head. Eight cases
      were classified as cellular neurothekeoma on the basis of a striking fascicular
      pattern and three cases as myxomatous neurothekeoma because of prominent myxoid
      stromal change. All cellular neurothekeomas failed to express S-100 protein,
      whereas the three myxomatous types were strongly positive for this marker. Other
      than vimentin, there was no significant immunoreactivity with other
      immunohistochemical markers. Ultrastructural study of one case of cellular
      neurothekeoma was inconclusive for cell type although a perineurial origin could
      not be excluded. On the basis of these results, we conclude that cellular
      neurothekeoma differs from myxomatous neurothekeoma not only by clinical and
      histologic findings but also by immunoreactivity with S-100 protein. These
      findings also suggest the existence of two distinct subtypes of neurothekeoma and
      possible origin of the two variants of neurothekeoma from different cell types or
      at least variation in phenotypic expression of a common cell type. On the other
      hand, it cannot be excluded that these two variants are different stages in the
      natural history of neurothekeoma.

PMID- 1880259
TI  - What dermatologists should know about digital imaging.
AB  - The digital imaging revolution that swept other medical specialties in the late
      1970s and early 1980s is beginning to find new and important roles in
      dermatology. This technology has a wide range of educational, clinical, and
      research applications. Dermatologists should understand certain basic concepts
      about images and imaging techniques to take advantage of progress in this field
      and eventually apply it to their own research and/or clinical practice.

PMID- 1880260
TI  - Evaluation of methods for the diagnosis of Streptococcus agalactiae intramammary
      infections in dairy cattle.
AB  - The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were
      compared for six methods of collecting or culturing milk samples for the
      diagnosis of chronic Streptococcus agalactiae intramammary infection. Cows in
      four dairy herds were cultured three times in 2 wk to determine infection status.
      At the second sample period, individual quarter and composite milk samples were
      taken before and immediately after milking, and two volumes of milk from the
      composite samples were streaked on culture plates. The sensitivity, specificity,
      and predictive values for these cultures ranged between 95 and 100% for all
      diagnostic methods, and no significant differences were found between methods.
      The results indicate that when either quarter or composite samples are collected
      before or immediately after milking, 95 to 100% of S. agalactiae culture-positive
      cows will be infected with S. agalactiae in herds with a prevalence of S.
      agalactiae between 35 and 55%. A similar proportion of culture-negative cows will
      be uninfected.

PMID- 1880262
TI  - N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, etiologic agent, and duration of clinical signs
      for sequential episodes of chronic clinical mastitis in dairy cows.
AB  - This study examined effects of repeated episodes of clinical mastitis in
      chronically infected quarters on milk N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity
      and duration of clinical signs. Milk samples were collected at each clinical
      onset from 49 chronic mastitis cases on a 1700-cow Michigan dairy farm. There
      were 49 first episodes of clinical mastitis, 49 second episodes, and 13 episodes
      of third or more. Agents isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (18.4%),
      Staphylococcus (7.3%), no growth (20.2%), environmental pathogens (streptococci
      other than agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., and
      Citrobacter spp.) (22.0%), other pathogens (Serratia spp., Bacillus spp.,
      diphtheroids [Corynebacterium spp. and Actinomyces pyogenes], Pseudomonas spp.,
      and Nocardia spp.) (11.9%), mixed pathogens (two agents isolated) (12.8%), and
      contaminated samples (7.3%). Etiologic agents, duration of clinical signs, and
      NAGase did not differ by episode number. The correlation between log of NAGase
      and log of time until clinical recovery was .34. The relationship between NAGase
      and duration of clinical signs was strongest for second episodes, and weakest for
      third and greater episodes of chronic mastitis.

PMID- 1880261
TI  - Endotoxin mastitis in cows milked four times daily.
AB  - As part of a project to identify the pathophysiological cause or causes of
      mastitic hypogalactia, midlactation cows were infused in two homolateral quarters
      with 10 micrograms of endotoxin while being milked four times daily to resolve
      better the temporal changes in mammary synthetic activity during endotoxin
      mastitis. Milk fat was decreased by the first milking (5 h) postinfusion and then
      recovered rapidly. In contrast, milk yield and the yields of protein and lactose
      were not significantly inhibited until the second milking, and these yields
      recovered slowly thereafter. The decline in milk yield by infused quarters was
      only 20% greater than the decline by uninfused quarters in this experiment.
      Mammary inflammation developed rapidly in infused quarters as milk serum albumin
      concentration was maximal at the first milking. Milk SCC and NAGase were also
      elevated at this time, and maximal levels occurred at milkings 2 to 4. Increased
      temperature, increased cortisol, and a mild anorexia were apparent at the first
      milking only. Endotoxin treatment had no effect on serum prolactin or glucose.
      These data suggest that the delayed hypogalactia is consequent to the mammary
      inflammation and systemic responses following endotoxin infusion. The results
      indicate that different pathophysiological events may inhibit synthesis of the
      different milk components.

PMID- 1880263
TI  - Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus from sites other than the lactating mammary
      gland.
AB  - The body sites of 163 heifers, bedding and feedstuff samples, flies, and hands
      and nares of the research personnel were sampled in order to determine the
      sources of Staphylococcus aureus in a dairy herd other than the lactating mammary
      gland. Lesions on the udder of lactating animals and the air in the milking
      parlor were also sampled. Staphylococci isolated from bedding samples were
      identified as to species. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from all sources
      examined except flies. An enrichment procedure was necessary for isolating S.
      aureus from two bedding samples although other Staphylococcus species were
      present in high numbers. The designation "environmental staphylococci" is
      proposed for Staphylococcus species that were apparently free-living in the
      environment.

PMID- 1880264
TI  - Mastitis prevalence in primigravid heifers at parturition.
AB  - Prevalence of intramammary infection was determined for 382 primigravid heifers
      within 3 d postpartum on 11 Vermont dairy farms. Data collected during a 5-yr
      period are summarized. Duplicate quarter milk samples were cultured on tryptose
      blood agar plates containing .1% esculin. Intramammary infections were diagnosed
      in 45.5% of the heifers and 18.7% of quarters. Staphylococcus species were the
      most prevalent bacteria isolated: they appeared in 25.4% of the heifers and 12.1%
      of quarters. Only 2.6% of the heifers were diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus;
      22.8% had udder infection caused by other staphylococcal species. Environmental
      mastitis pathogens, coliforms, and streptococci other than Streptococcus
      agalactiae were isolated from 14.9% of the heifers and 4.8% of quarters. The
      prevalence of mastitis among these primigravid heifers at parturition indicates a
      need to improve methods of diagnosis and control programs.

PMID- 1880265
TI  - Variation in somatic cell count, California mastitis test, and electrical
      conductivity among various fractions of ewe's milk.
AB  - Variation of three estimates of udder inflammation (SCC, California mastitis
      test, and electrical conductivity) among the foremilk, machine milk, and hand
      stripping samples were studied. Foremilk and hand stripping milks were taken from
      each individual teat; machine milk was taken from the entire udder. For this
      experiment a total of 30 Manchega ewes were subjected to machine milking during
      the 9th wk of lactation. Samples were taken in duplicate during two milkings on
      consecutive mornings. Significant differences were observed in the SCC and
      electrical conductivity, but not in California mastitis test, between foremilk
      and stripping milk. The stripping fraction had higher SCC (70 +/- 12%) and lower
      electrical conductivity (difference = .52 +/- .03 mS/cm) than did the foremilk
      fraction in both healthy and mastitic udders. Machine milk, foremilk, and
      stripping milk fractions in udders where both halves were healthy were compared.
      The electrical conductivity values for the machine milk were intermediate and
      significantly different from conductivity of foremilk and stripping fractions.
      The log SCC of the machine milk did not differ from that of the foremilk fraction
      but was significantly less than the stripping milk.

PMID- 1880266
TI  - Temporal patterns of lost milk production following clinical mastitis in a large
      Michigan Holstein herd.
AB  - Cows with three hundred and sixteen cases of clinical mastitis were sampled by
      microbiologic culture during a 6-mo period on a 1700-cow Michigan Holstein dairy
      farm. Daily milk weights were obtained on all cows before clinical onset and for
      60 d after onset. Predicted post-mastitis production, projected on the basis of
      premastitis production and the lactation curves of contemporary non-mastitic
      herdmates, was compared with actual daily milk production during the 60 d
      following clinical onset. Cows experiencing clinical mastitis produced
      approximately 341 kg less salable milk during the 60 d after clinical onset
      compared with projected production. This milk loss included both decreased
      production and milk withheld from market following antibiotic treatment.
      Pluriparous cows lost 2.06 times as much milk as first lactation cows, and cows
      with mastitis occurring before 150 d in lactation lost 1.40 times as much milk
      when compared with other cows. Cows with mastitis occurring in the winter showed
      a milk loss 1.37 times greater than cows with mastitis in summer. The identity of
      the mastitis agent isolated from the clinical case was not strongly associated
      with the drop in milk production in the 60 d following clinical onset.

PMID- 1880267
TI  - Effect of calf housing on plasma ascorbate and endocrine and immune function.
AB  - The effect of housing calves in indoor metal pens (1.2 m x 1.2 m) or commercial
      calf hutches was determined on plasma concentration of cortisol, antibodies, and
      ascorbate. Six calves per treatment were deprived of colostrum, assigned randomly
      to treatment, and fed a commercial milk replacer until 56 d of age. Calves housed
      in hutches had higher plasma IgG concentrations than calves in pens at 42 and 56
      d of age. Housing had no effect on plasma IgM concentration. Antibody titers to
      keyhole limpet hemocyanin injected at 14 and 28 d of age were higher in hutch
      housed calves from 21 to 56 d of age. Calves housed in hutches also had lower
      plasma cortisol concentrations, although cortisol decreased with age in both
      treatment groups. Plasma ascorbate and ascorbate plus dehydroascorbate were
      higher in hutch-housed calves. Regression analysis indicated a positive
      relationship between plasma ascorbate and IgG in metal penhoused calves and a
      negative relationship in hutch-housed calves. Housing in 1.2 m x 1.2 m metal pens
      decreases cortisol, plasma ascorbate, IgG, and specific antibody titers in dairy
      calves relative to calves housed in hutches.

PMID- 1880268
TI  - Serum immunoglobulin profiles of dairy cows chronically treated with recombinant
      bovine somatotropin.
AB  - The objective of this study was to determine the effects of exogenous
      somatotropin on blood profiles of the major bovine Ig isotypes. Holsteins were
      treated with either 0, 10.3, or 20.6 mg recombinant bST/d. Subcutaneous
      injections were started between wk 4 and 5 of lactation and continued for 266 d.
      Blood samples were collected by coccygeal venipuncture throughout lactation for
      serum IgG, G1, G2, A, and M concentration determination. Cows treated with 10.3
      mg of bST/d exhibited modest increases in mean blood concentrations of IgG
      (12.4%) and IgG2 (18.4%) relative to the other groups of cows. In addition,
      treated cows had 10.1% higher average concentration of IgA than controls.
      Somatotropin did not influence average lactational concentrations of IgG1 or IgM,
      although the group receiving 10.3 mg/d had higher late lactation concentrations
      of IgG1 than did the other two groups. However, treatment mean isotype
      concentrations were always within normal ranges, except for IgG2 from the 10.3
      mg/d group, which were higher. The practical significance of elevated serum Ig
      concentrations observed in the present study is not known. However, the present
      data do show that bST administered at doses that increased milk yield had no
      apparent detrimental effect on humoral immunity as measured by blood
      concentrations of Ig.

PMID- 1880269
TI  - Influence of rumen undegradable protein levels on feed intake and milk production
      of dairy cows.
AB  - Twenty-seven dairy cows in midlactation were utilized in two experiments using 15
      and 12 cows to determine effects of varying the delivery of ruminally undegraded
      protein on feed intake, milk production, and some rumen and plasma
      characteristics. In Experiment 1, cows consumed alfalfa silage ad libitum and one
      of three barley-based concentrates with either soybean meal (a rapidly rumen
      degraded protein source), corn gluten meal (a slowly degraded protein source), or
      an equal mixture of the two, fed at the rate of .36 kg/kg of milk produced. In
      Experiment 2, cows were fed total mixed diets based upon alfalfa silage, barley,
      and either soybean meal, corn gluten meal, or a mixture of soybean meal and whey
      powder (a protein source very rapidly degraded in the rumen). In sacco incubation
      procedures were used to estimate degradability of protein in all diets. All diets
      exceeded Agricultural Research Council recommendations for rumen degraded and
      undegraded protein as well as NRC recommendations for degraded protein. However,
      one to three of the six total diets, depending upon assumed ruminal turnover
      rates, did not meet NRC recommendations for undegraded protein. Production
      parameters, include DMI as well as milk yield and composition, were not
      influenced by diet in either experiment. Results do not support NRC
      recommendations for ruminally undegraded protein for midlactation dairy cows
      producing about 30 kg/d of milk and broadly support the lower recommendations of
      the Agricultural Research Council. Results also appear to question use of dietary
      energy intake to predict net rumen microbial protein yield.

PMID- 1880270
TI  - Effect of dietary rumen-protected choline in lactating dairy cows.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted to test the effects of graded amounts of rumen
      protected choline on milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cows fed 40%
      corn silage and 60% concentrate diets (DM basis). In Experiment 1, 48 Holstein
      cows were fed 0, .078, .156, and .234% rumen-protected choline (choline chloride
      basis) from wk 5 to 21 postpartum. Increasing choline had no effect on DMI and
      tended to increase milk yield only from 1 to 2.2 kg/d. Milk fat percentage was
      reduced in the .078% choline treatment and increased to control levels thereafter
      with .156 and .234% choline. In Experiment 2, 16 Holstein cows in midlactation
      were assigned randomly to either 13.0 or 16.5% dietary CP (DM basis). Within CP
      concentration, cows were fed 0, .08, .16, and .24% rumen-protected choline in a
      replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. Dietary protein had no effect on milk
      yield, although milk protein percentage and yield were increased .25 percentage
      units and 63 g/d, respectively, by increased dietary CP. Increasing dietary
      choline to .24% linearly increased milk yield 2.6 kg/d, although it had no
      consistent effects on milk fat or protein percentage. There was only a slight
      tendency for greater responses in milk yield to dietary choline with lower
      dietary CP. Data from these experiments confirm earlier results with postruminal
      choline infusions, suggesting that choline may be a limiting nutrient for milk
      production.

PMID- 1880271
TI  - Detection of bovine somatotropin treatment in dairy cattle performance records.
AB  - Effectiveness of cluster analysis in detecting application of bST was examined.
      Field data were manipulated by adding a specified percentage of the true
      performance to original test day records to simulate application of bST. The
      partly manipulated data then were analyzed using cluster analysis. Test day milk
      production data came from 42,779 cows of the Bretagne (Northwestern France) that
      had test days between 1986 and 1989. As criteria in the cluster analysis for
      differentiation between treated and untreated cows, parameters of the incomplete
      gamma function along with other variables calculated from test day records were
      used. The best differentiation was achieved when a persistency parameter, defined
      as the ratio of second divided by first trimester production, was used as a
      variable in the cluster analysis. For the assumed scenario of bST application,
      more than 80% of all cows were classified correctly under random use of bST.
      Systematic treatment led to improved results.

PMID- 1880272
TI  - Genotype by environment interaction for Holstein milk yield in Colombia, Mexico,
      and Puerto Rico.
AB  - Components of (co)variance and genetic parameters were estimated by REML
      procedures from first lactation mature equivalent Holstein milk records from
      54,604 Colombian, Mexican, and Puerto Rican cows and 198,079 US cows. The
      objective was to determine the cause of heterogeneous daughter response to sire
      selection for milk yield between the regions. Data from Latin America were
      partitioned by country and by herd-year SD class for milk to obtain five joint
      analyses between the US and Latin America, low herd-year SD, high herd-year SD,
      Colombia, and Mexico. Sire and residual variances for milk were 41 and 29%
      smaller in Latin America than in the US, 47 and 58% smaller for low than for high
      herd-year SD, and 31 and 49% smaller for Colombia than for Mexico. Resultant
      heritabilities ranged from .20 to .29. Genetic correlations for milk yield
      between the US and Latin America, low and high herd-year SD, Colombia, and Mexico
      were .91, .82, .89, .78, and .90. Expected correlated responses for milk in Latin
      America, low and high herd-year SD, Colombia, and Mexico were 70, 53, 79, 56, and
      78% of the direct response in the US. The scaling effects of heterogeneous
      variance resulted in smaller daughter milk responses in Latin America compared
      with the US even when herd-year SD was similar.

PMID- 1880273
TI  - Genetic analysis of dystocia in dairy cattle.
AB  - Breeding values and genetic parameters for dystocia were estimated in Normande
      and Holstein breeds. Dystocia scores were related to an underlying continuous
      variable via a threshold model. The underlying linear model included the effects
      of calving season, sex of calf by parity of dam, sire of calf, grandsire of calf,
      dam within maternal grandsire and herd-year effects. Typical results were found
      for the environmental effects, with a strong influence of dam parity on dystocia,
      a strong influence of sex of calf, and a small effect of calving season. Herd
      year variances were 32 and 40% of the residual variance in the Normande and
      Holstein breeds, respectively. Heritabilities for the Normande (Holstein) breed
      were .08 (.07) for direct effects and .11 (.07) for maternal effects.
      Correlations between sire and grandsire effects were .51 and .36 for the Normande
      and Holstein breeds, respectively. The corresponding correlations between direct
      and maternal effects were .15 and -.09. The results of this study show that a
      complete model for dystocia including the threshold concept and maternal effects
      can be applied for routine evaluation of dairy AI bulls. Maternal effects are
      important, and they should be considered in dystocia analysis, especially if
      nonrandom mating is present. Selection for reducing dystocia in calf and cow
      effects are not antagonistic.

PMID- 1880275
TI  - Additive and nonadditive genetic variance in female fertility of Holsteins.
AB  - Additive and nonadditive genetic variances were estimated for cow fertility of
      Holsteins. Measures of fertility were first lactation days open and service
      period as recorded and with upper bounds of 150 and 91 d, respectively. Six
      million inseminations from the Raleigh, North Carolina Processing Center were
      used to form fertility records of 379,009 cows. Data were analyzed with a model
      accounting for all additive, dominance, and additive by additive covariances
      traced through sires and maternal grandsires. Variance components were estimated
      by the tilde-hat approximation to REML. Heritability in the narrow sense was 2%
      for days open and .8% for service period. Dominance and additive by additive
      variance as a percentage of phenotypic variation strongly depended on imposition
      of upper bounds. Heritabilities in the broad sense ranged from 2.2 to 6.6% and
      were at least twice as large as heritabilities in the narrow sense. Effect of 25%
      inbreeding was only around an additional 3 d open. Specific combining abilities
      among bulls were estimated as sums of dominance and additive by additive
      interactions removing effect of inbreeding depression. Differences between
      maximum and minimum estimates were in the order of twice the estimated standard
      deviation, ranging from 1.5 to 6.7 d. Effects of inbreeding and specific
      combining ability could be jointly considered in mating programs following sire
      selection.

PMID- 1880274
TI  - Prepartum and peripartum reproductive performance of dairy heifers freshening at
      young ages.
AB  - Reproductive performance of five breeds (81% Holstein or Jersey) in the Florida
      Agricultural Experiment Station herd was evaluated from data collected over 20
      yr. Data represented 1144 parturitions after gestations greater than 250 d with
      all twin births excluded. Number of services per conception was not affected by
      age at first insemination. Mean age of exposure to first service was 414 d; mean
      age at first parturition was 25.8 mo. Overall, 39.7% of heifers calved at 23 mo
      or less. Intermediate ages, 24 to 27 mo, comprised 33.9% of heifers, whereas
      26.4% of heifers calved at greater than or equal to 28 mo. Overall incidences of
      problems at parturition were retained fetal membranes, 3.6%; dystocia, 3.8%;
      metritis, 10.5%; and stillbirth, 11.5%. Frequencies of stillbirth and retained
      fetal membranes apparently were not affected by age, but metritis increased
      linearly with age at first parturition. Holsteins experience higher incidences of
      all problems than did Jerseys. Heritability (from paternal half-sib correlation)
      of birth weights and gestation lengths were .31 and .24; genetic correlation was
      .14. Heritabilities of occurrence of stillbirth, retained fetal membranes,
      metritis, and dystocia were negative and considered to be 0. Heritabilities of
      age at first service, days from first service to conception, number of services,
      and age at first parturition were .22, .11, .05, and .43. Dairy producers can
      consider reducing age at first parturition to at least 22 mo, under environmental
      and management conditions of this study, without increased frequencies of
      problems at parturition.

PMID- 1880276
TI  - Inheritance of cow durability for linear type traits.
AB  - Final score and 14 linear type traits from appraisal by the Holstein Association
      were analyzed to assess inheritance of cow durability. Change of type scores from
      first to second parity (second minus first) was cow durability. Score for first
      parity, change of score from first to second parity, and FCM were simultaneously
      evaluated with a multiple-trait mixed model for each type trait. First analysis
      did not allow missing scores of cows for second parity, but subsequent analysis
      permitted missing data for second parity. When cows were required to have type
      scores for second parity, heritabilities for change of score were from zero (rear
      legs and foot angle) to 6% (final score). Genetic correlations of FCM and change
      of score were from -.35 (rump angle) to .24 (stature). When cows were not
      required to have type scores from second lactation, heritabilities for change of
      score were less than 8% for all traits except udder depth (17%). Except for dairy
      form and fore udder attachment, all genetic correlations of type scores from
      first lactation and change of score were positive. Seemingly, little new
      knowledge of linear type traits for ranking of sires was provided by appraisal of
      cows after first parity.

PMID- 1880277
TI  - The scanning acoustic microprobe: I. Analysis and synthesis of a spherically
      symmetric point spread function.
AB  - The scanning acoustic microprobe is a novel system which probes and
      characterizes, from a limited acoustic window, the fine-scale structural features
      of an object, point-by-point, using a multiplicity of acoustic pulses all aimed
      and focused at that point. Spherically symmetric, three-dimensional Gaussian
      pulses are synthesized to measure the backscatter diffraction pattern of the
      least-resolvable volume of scatterers centered at the point in question. The size
      and distribution of the scattering volume is forced to be constant, independent
      of frequency and angle. This method is analytically simple, compared with other
      pulse-echo techniques, and is applicable to scatterers ranging continuously in
      size from Rayleigh scatterers to specular reflectors. This is the first of a
      number of papers describing the development and application of systems based on
      these concepts. The analytical principles will be described herein for
      examination of one point at a time. In a companion paper appearing in this issue
      [F. E. Barber, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 90, 11-19 (1991)], application to measurement
      and characterization of a discrete, flat, circular "piston" will be presented.
      Application to human tissue imaging and tissue characterization will be described
      in a subsequent third paper. The primary features detected experimentally are the
      strength of nondirective patterns, and the strength, orientation, and directivity
      of angle-dependent echo functions associated with planar or layered structures.
      Fine-scale structural features of a scattering center are obtained either by
      pattern recognition in k(data) space or inverse Fourier transformation. It is
      shown that when the bandwidth criteria are met to produce a spherically symmetric
      point spread function, scattering phenomena are completely described by only two
      parameters, namely the center frequency of the pulse-echo system and the
      characteristic diameter of the Gaussian point spread function.

PMID- 1880278
TI  - The scanning acoustic microprobe: II. Application to the measurement and
      characterization of a piston reflector.
AB  - In a pulsed ultrasound beam, echoes detected from a flat, circular piston of
      arbitrary size depend on the time-space characteristics of the entire pulse-echo
      measurement system, being a function of as many parameters as it takes to
      accurately define the system. In the limiting case of a target that is small
      relative to the spatial extent of an interrogating plane wave, an echo pattern is
      known to be a relatively simple function of the dimensionless product k0b, where
      k0 is the wave number and b is the radius of the target. In a companion paper
      preceding this one [F. E. Barber, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 90, 8-17 (1991)], the
      author has described the scanning acoustic microprobe, a pulse-echo system in
      which the time-space properties of the interrogating waves are specified
      completely by k0 and a single additional parameter s0, which is the
      characteristic radius of a spherically symmetric, Gaussian-distributed scattering
      volume. In this system, the reflection pattern of a flat, circular piston of any
      arbitrary size is thus a function of two dimensionless parameters, namely k0b and
      b/s0. In this paper, this functional relationship is derived, a physical system
      is described, and analytical and experimental results are reported. It is shown
      that the diameter, orientation, and impedance mismatch properties of this simple
      target can be measured unambiguously over a range of target sizes from about a
      wavelength (2 pi/k0) to a beam diameter (about 3s0). For a typical ultrasound
      system, this is about a 5-1 range; i.e., a range extending to target sizes about
      five times smaller than can be detected in a simple B-mode imaging
      system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880279
TI  - Anticipatory velar lowering: a coproduction account.
AB  - Feature spreading and coproduction models make fundamentally different
      assumptions about the nature and organization of speech motor control, and yet
      each model is supported by some, but not all, of the existing empirical data.
      This has led some researchers to conclude that speakers probably use alternative
      strategies at different times. This study suggests that the identification of
      coarticulatory influences requires the concurrent identification of intrinsic
      articulatory characteristics of the segment. Moreover, the evidence for feature
      spreading or variable coarticulation strategies derives from the
      misidentification of such intrinsic characteristics as context effects. This
      velar coarticulation study used a controlled comparison between CVnN and CVnC
      minimal pairs, where C is an oral consonant, Vn is any number of vowels, and N is
      a nasal consonant. Vocalic string duration was manipulated by varying the number
      of segments and speech rate, allowing us to alter the time between the onsets of
      vocalic and subsequent consonantal gestures. Velar lowering occurred in CVn
      sequences, whether or not a nasal consonant followed, and similar vocalic
      gestures were observed across minimally contrastive environments with and without
      the nasal consonant. Moreover, velar lowering for the nasal consonant began in
      close temporal proximity to the nasal murmur. These results strongly support the
      coproduction model and provide insight into previously conflicting reports.

PMID- 1880280
TI  - The effects of external- and middle-ear filtering on auditory threshold and noise
      induced hearing loss.
AB  - A model of external- and middle-ear function is described that uses existing data
      to quantify the flow of sound power from the environment to the cochlea of
      humans, cats, and chinchillas. This model estimates the sound power produced at
      the entrance of the cochlea by an environmental sound stimulus, and can be used
      to predict the shape of the auditory threshold function and the relative potency
      of various traumatic acoustic stimuli. The shapes of the predicted and measured
      threshold functions in the three species are similar in best frequency,
      bandwidth, and low-frequency slope, and the model accurately predicts the
      hypersensitivity of the middle-frequency regions of the cochlea to acoustic
      trauma. The model assumes that the mechanics of the middle-ear system are linear
      even at high stimulus levels and does not include the effects of either middle
      ear or cochlear efferent loops. The effects of these simplifications on the model
      are discussed as are the implications of the model results for hearing protection
      and damage risk criteria.

PMID- 1880281
TI  - The structural and functional consequences of acoustic injury in the cochlea and
      peripheral auditory system: a five year update.
AB  - This presentation considers important developments and new trends related to
      acoustic injury in the peripheral auditory system reported during the past 5
      years. The discussion begins with the effect overstimulation has on the "active"
      cochlear process, and the associated loss in receptive field (tuning curve)
      selectivity. Exposure to intense sound also changes the structure and function of
      the tectorial membrane, sensory hair bundles, tip links, and intracellular
      organelles. All of these injuries may change the way in which energy is delivered
      to the transduction channels of the hair cell. Important new evidence describing
      the quantitative relation between hair cell loss and permanent hearing loss is
      reviewed, and the possibility that specific exposure conditions cause unique
      lesions to the inner or outer hair cells is explored. Finally, the importance of
      hair cell regeneration in the chick cochlea, changes in the CNS following
      acoustic injury, and the cochlear vascular system are considered.

PMID- 1880282
TI  - Human temporary threshold shift (TTS) and damage risk.
AB  - Information regarding the relation of human temporary threshold shift (TTS) to
      properties of steady-state and intermittent noise published since the 1966
      appearance of the CHABA damage risk contours is reviewed. The review focuses on
      results from four investigative areas relevant to potential revision of the CHABA
      contours including effects of long-duration exposure and asymptotic threshold
      shifts (ATS); equivalent quiet and/or safe noise levels; effects of
      intermittency; and use of noise-induced temporary threshold shift (NITTS) to
      predict susceptibility to noise-induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS). These
      data indicate that two of three major postulates on which the original contours
      were based are not valid. First, recovery from TTS is not independent of the
      conditions that produced the TTS as was assumed. Second, the assumption that all
      exposures that produce equal TTS2 are equally hazardous is not substantiated. The
      third postulate was that NIPTS produced by 10 years of daily exposure is
      approximately equal to the TTS2 produced by the same noise after an 8-h exposure.
      Based upon several TTS experiments showing that TTS reaches an asymptote after
      about 8 h of exposure, the third CHABA postulate can be reworded to state the
      hypothesis that ATS produced by sound of fixed level and spectrum represents an
      upper bound on PTS produced by that sound regardless of the exposure duration or
      the number of times exposed. This hypothesis has a strong, logical foundation if
      ATS represents a true asymptote for TTS, not a temporary plateau, and if
      threshold shifts do not increase after the noise exposure ceases.

PMID- 1880283
TI  - Recent studies of temporary threshold shift (TTS) and permanent threshold shift
      (PTS) in animals.
AB  - It is well known that excessive exposure to noise results in temporary and/or
      permanent changes in hearing sensitivity in both human and animal subjects. The
      purpose of this review is to describe the major findings from laboratory studies
      of experimentally induced hearing losses, both temporary and permanent, resulting
      from exposure to noise in animal subjects which have been published since the
      report of Kryter et al. (1966). The data reviewed support the following general
      statements: (1) The chinchilla is the most widely used and most appropriate
      animal model for studies of noise-induced hearing loss; (2) with continuous
      exposures to moderate-level noise, thresholds reach asymptotic levels (ATS)
      within 18-24 h; (3) permanent threshold shifts, however, depend upon the level,
      frequency, and the duration of exposure; (4) below a "critical level" of about
      115 dB, permanent threshold shift (PTS) and cell loss are generally related to
      the total energy in continuous exposures; (5) periodic rest periods inserted in
      an exposure schedule are protective and result in less hearing loss and cochlear
      damage than equal energy continuous exposures; and (6) under some schedules of
      periodic exposure, threshold shifts increase over the first few days of exposure,
      then recover as much as 30 dB as the exposure continues.

PMID- 1880284
TI  - The role of intermittence in PTS.
AB  - Exposure of chinchillas to noise that is continuous results in auditory damage
      that is a function of the total energy of the exposure, provided that a critical
      exposure is not exceeded. Breaking a continuous exposure into 45 exposure periods
      given once a day Monday through Friday for 9 weeks (an interrupted exposure) is
      shown to result in a slight reduction in damage, but breaking each of the 45
      daily exposures into short noise bursts presented at regular intervals
      (interrupted and intermittent exposures) reduces the damage more significantly.
      The shorter the noise bursts, the greater will be the reduction in damage. Too
      few data are available to establish a principle that will predict correctly the
      amount of reduction afforded by a particular temporal pattern; while the "equal
      energy" principle predicts no reduction at all, the "mean level" principle
      derived from studies of temporary threshold shifts (e.g., a noise at 80 dB half
      the time and at 100 dB half the time has a mean level of 90 dB and will have the
      same effect as a continuous 90-dB noise) predicts too much reduction.

PMID- 1880285
TI  - Field studies: industrial exposures.
AB  - The databases and models for the prediction of noise-induced permanent threshold
      shift (NIPTS) from industrial noise exposures are reviewed. Models available in
      1973, compared with later models and data, are shown still to be reasonable. The
      effect of hearing conservation procedures on the acquisition of new data is
      discussed. Because of the impact of hearing conservation, new research focus is
      recommended in three areas: sex differences, newly hired individuals exposed for
      the first time in occupational noise, and the contribution of nonoccupational
      noise through the use of questionnaires and dosimetry.

PMID- 1880286
TI  - Noise exposure from leisure activities: a review.
AB  - Over the past two decades there has been increasing concern about the role of
      nonoccupational, or leisure noise on hearing. This paper reviews published
      studies that detail the noise levels and potential effects of some noisy leisure
      activities. Considered are the most common sources of leisure noise: exposure to
      live or amplified rock, classical, or jazz music; exposures from personal
      listening devices ("walkman" type); noise around the home, and hunting and target
      shooting. Although all activities listed above have the potential for dangerous
      levels of noise exposure, the most serious threat to hearing comes from
      recreational hunting or target shooting.

PMID- 1880287
TI  - Modeling the interactions between noise exposure and other variables.
AB  - The interaction of noise exposure with other variables is reviewed. For the case
      of the interaction of noise with other variables that produce behavioral
      threshold shifts, the application of a newly developed model is described and
      demonstrated. This model, referred to as the modified power-law model, provides
      an accurate prediction of the combined effects of two threshold-elevating
      factors. The model accounts for the interaction of post-exposure a pre-existing
      pre-existing permanent loss or a pre-existing temporary loss. The model's
      application is demonstrated for multiple exposures to steady-state noise in which
      each exposure lasts as short as 12 min or as long as 6 h. Finally, implications
      of the model's application to the interaction long as 6 h. Finally, implications
      of the model's application to the interaction of noise with other ototraumatic
      agents are reviewed.

PMID- 1880288
TI  - Impulse noise: some definitions, physical acoustics and other considerations.

PMID- 1880289
TI  - The energy spectrum of an impulse: its relation to hearing loss.
AB  - Permanent threshold shifts obtained from 242 chinchillas that were exposed to
      various impulse noise paradigms have been related to the energy spectra of the
      impulses. The impulses were generated by three different shock tubes that
      produced impulse noise spectra whose A-weighted energies showed peaks at 0.25, 1,
      and 2 kHz. The results show that there is an increasing susceptibility to NIPTS
      as the audiometric test frequency increases from 0.5 to 16 kHz. This increase in
      susceptibility to NIPTS is further accentuated by approximately 5 to 10 dB for
      impulses whose spectra peak at 2 kHz.

PMID- 1880290
TI  - Effects of peak pressure and energy of impulses.
AB  - Peak pressure has been one of the key parameters of impulse noise used to assess
      the hazard to hearing. It is used in most international noise exposure limits.
      France uses an A-weighted energy limit. There is a rough correspondence between
      peak pressure and the hazard to hearing for a given type of impulse noise.
      However, when the effects of different types of impulses are compared, this
      correspondence breaks down. One of the alternate measures of impulse intensity is
      weighted energy. Weighted energy is appealing for a number of reasons. It does
      not depend on details of the pressure-time history such as the peak pressure and
      the more common duration measures. It should be easier to integrate with
      continuous or intermittent noise standards. It would make it easier to use
      standard hearing protector attenuation to estimate the hazard when a specific
      hearing protector is worn. Results of previously published articles and reports
      will be discussed. These reports lead to the conclusion that weighted energy is a
      more potent determiner of hearing hazard than peak pressure if spectral effects
      are controlled.

PMID- 1880291
TI  - The importance of "temporal pattern" in traumatic impulse noise exposures.
AB  - The equal energy hypothesis (EEH) was evaluated for impulse noise. Specifically,
      the experiments evaluated the importance of the temporal distribution of
      impulses; the trading relation between the number of impulses and peak level and
      the difference between continuous and impulse noise. Monaural chinchillas were
      exposed to one of seven conditions. Their hearing was evaluated before,
      immediately after, and 30 days after the exposure. Hair cell damage was reported
      in the form of a cochleogram. The experiments show that the EEH is more
      appropriate for low-level impulse (135-dB peak); for equal amounts of energy, 150
      dB impulses produce more hearing loss and hair cell damage than 135-dB impulses;
      for equal amounts of energy, impulses presented in rapid bursts cause less damage
      than impulses presented at "1/s" and 50 microseconds. Pairs of impulses presented
      at "1/s" produce the largest amount of damage. The results are discussed in terms
      of implications for the EEH.

PMID- 1880292
TI  - Insights into hazard from intense impulses from a mathematical model of the ear.
AB  - In order to provide insight into the mechanisms that operate in the ear when it
      is exposed to intense sounds, time and frequency domain mathematical models of
      the ear including significant nonlinearities in the middle ear were developed to
      trace energy flow from the free field to the inner ear and ultimately allow the
      calculation of basilar membrane displacement and a consequent hazard function.
      These models match the ear's behavior at low intensities and also reproduce many
      of the features of the data on hearing hazard from intense impulses. They provide
      critical insights into the loss mechanisms, suggest new strategies for protecting
      hearing as well as reducing hazard at the source and could also serve as a
      framework for a new, accurate, theoretically based method for rating hazard from
      intense sounds.

PMID- 1880293
TI  - The effect of pure-tone forward masking on overshoot.
AB  - The overshoot effect can be reduced by temporary hearing loss induced by aspirin
      or exposure to intense sound. The present study simulated a hearing loss at 4.0
      kHz via pure-tone forward masking and examined the effect of the simulation on
      threshold for a 10-ms, 4.0-kHz signal presented 1 ms after the onset of a 400-ms,
      broadband noise masker whose spectrum level was 20 dB SPL. Masker frequency was
      3.6, 4.0, or 4.2 kHz, and masker level was 80 dB SPL. Subject-dependent delays
      were determined such that 10 or 20 dB of masking at 4.0 kHz was produced. In
      general, the pure-tone forward masker did not reduce the simultaneous-masked
      threshold, suggesting that elevating threshold with a pure-tone forward masker
      does not sufficiently simulate the effect of a temporary hearing loss on
      overshoot.

PMID- 1880294
TI  - Auditory space expansion via linear filtering.
AB  - A signal-processing algorithm that modifies the interaural time delays associated
      with directional sources is described. Signals received at two microphones are
      processed by four linear filters arranged in a lattice configuration to produce
      two outputs, one for each ear. Since the processing is linear, the method is
      equally applicable to single or multiple directional sources. The filters are
      designed to minimize the average squared error between a user specified desired
      space warping function and the actual warping function that they implement. Two
      classes of filters are considered: filters whose frequency response is
      unconstrained and filters constrained to be causal with finite impulse response.
      In both cases the solution of the least-squares problem is given and properties
      of the actual space warping function are examined. Perceptual experiments and
      analysis of acoustic waveforms are utilized to demonstrate the effectiveness of
      the algorithm. Extension of this method for utilizing more than two microphones
      is described.

PMID- 1880295
TI  - Evaluation of orthogonal polynomial compression.
AB  - In orthogonal polynomial compression, the short-term speech spectrum is first
      approximated by a family of orthogonal polynomials. The coefficients of each
      polynomial, which vary over time, are then adjusted in terms of their average
      value and range of variation. These adjustments can be used to compress (or
      expand) temporal variations in the average level, slope, and various forms of
      curvature of the short-term speech spectrum. The analysis and reconstruction of
      the short-term speech spectrum using orthogonal polynomials was implemented using
      a digital master hearing aid. This method of compression was evaluated on eight
      sensorineurally hearing-impaired listeners. Speech recognition scores were
      obtained for a range of compression conditions and input levels with and without
      frequency shaping. The results showed significant advantages over conventional
      linear amplification when temporal variations in the average level of the short
      term spectrum were compressed, a result comparable to that obtained with
      conventional amplitude compression. A subset of the subjects showed further
      improvement when temporal variations in spectrum slope were compressed, but these
      subjects also showed similar improvements when frequency shaping was combined
      with level-only compression. None of the subjects showed improved speech
      recognition scores when variations in quadratic curvature were compressed in
      addition to level and slope compression.

PMID- 1880296
TI  - Phenomenological characterization of eardrum transduction.
AB  - A phenomenological description of the transduction effected by the eardrum is
      presented. That description is provided by a transfer matrix, whose elements
      define those measurements sufficient to characterize eardrum transduction.
      Causality provides constraints on the matrix elements. In addition, measurements
      of the matrix elements can determine whether they satisfy constraints imposed by
      minimum-phase behavior and the principle of reciprocity. Those constraints may be
      used either to reduce the number of measurements necessary to characterize the
      eardrum or to check the consistency of measurements that overdetermine the
      system. Within its region of validity, the transfer matrix of the eardrum
      provides a common ground for the comparison between theory and experiment. As an
      example, a simple model for the transduction characteristics of the eardrum,
      defined completely in terms of measurable quantities, is presented.

PMID- 1880297
TI  - Maturation of the traveling-wave delay in the human cochlea.
AB  - The maturation of the traveling-wave delay in the human cochlea was investigated
      in 227 subjects ranging in age from 29 weeks conceptional age to 49 years by
      using frequency specific auditory brain-stem responses (ABRs). The derived
      response technique was applied to ABRs obtained with click stimuli (presented at
      a fixed level equal to 60-dB sensation level in normal hearing adults) in the
      presence of high-pass noise masking (slope 96 dB/oct) to obtain frequency
      specific responses from octave-wide bands. The estimate of traveling-wave delay
      was obtained by taking the difference between wave I latencies from adjacent
      derived bands. It was found that the traveling-wave delay between the octave band
      with center frequency (CF) of 11.3 kHz and that with CF of 5.7 kHz decreased
      (about 0.4 ms on average) in exponential fashion with age to reach adult values
      at 3-6 months of age. This decrease was in agreement with reported data in kitten
      auditory-nerve fibers. The traveling-wave delays between adjacent octave bands
      with successive lower CF did not change with age.

PMID- 1880298
TI  - New approaches to nonlinear diffractive field propagation.
AB  - In many domains of acoustic field propagation, such as medical ultrasound
      imaging, lithotripsy shock treatment, and underwater sonar, a realistic
      calculation of beam patterns requires treatment of the effects of diffraction
      from finite sources. Also, the mechanisms of loss and nonlinear effects within
      the medium are typically nonnegligible. The combination of diffraction,
      attenuation, and nonlinear effects has been treated by a number of formulations
      and numerical techniques. A novel model that incrementally propagates the field
      of baffled planar sources with substeps that account for the physics of
      diffraction, attenuation, and nonlinearity is presented. The model accounts for
      the effect of refraction and reflection (but not multiple reflections) in the
      case of propagation through multiple, parallel layers of fluid medium. An
      implementation of the model for axis symmetric sources has been developed. In one
      substep of the implementation, a new discrete Hankel transform is used with
      spatial transform techniques to propagate the field over a short distance with
      diffraction and attenuation. In the other substep, the temporal frequency domain
      solution to Burgers' equation is implemented to account for the nonlinear
      accretion and depletion of harmonics. This approach yields a computationally
      efficient procedure for calculating beam patterns from a baffled planar, axially
      symmetric source under conditions ranging from quasilinear through shock. The
      model is not restricted by the usual parabolic wave approximation and the field's
      directionality is explicitly accounted for at each point. Useage of a harmonic
      limiting scheme allows the model to propagate some previously intractable high
      intensity nonlinear fields. Results of the model are shown to be in excellent
      agreement with measurements performed on the nonlinear field of an unfocused 2.25
      MHz piston source, even in the near field where the established parabolic wave
      approximation model fails. Next, the model is used to compare the water path and
      in situ fields of a medical ultrasound device. Finally, the model is used to
      calculate the spatial heating rate associated with a nonlinear field and to
      simulate the phenomenon of saturation-induced beam broadening.

PMID- 1880299
TI  - New approaches to the linear propagation of acoustic fields.
AB  - New algorithms are described that provide insight into linear field propagation
      and offer significant reductions in computational complexity. The developments
      presented here include the usage of a recently developed discrete Hankel
      transform to implement two single step, planar propagation algorithms for
      baffled, radially symmetric, acoustic pressure or velocity fields; an update on
      the single step approaches that reduce computational complexity through
      geometrically determined spatial frequency limitations; and algorithms for
      extending to multistep propagation. Two equivalent means of introducing arbitrary
      medium attenuation into the above schemes are presented. Finally, a planar
      boundary crossing algorithm that accounts for refraction and reflection (but not
      multiple reflections) is added to one of the multistep propagating algorithms.
      The resulting algorithm is then used to examine the differences between the
      corresponding fields of a focused piston source operating in water and in a
      layered fat/liver (biomedical imaging) medium. The results yield computationally
      efficient algorithms that can be used for linear propagation of focused or
      unfocused beams in attenuating, multilayer media, and also provide the basis for
      a novel nonlinear propagation algorithm.

PMID- 1880300
TI  - Comparing human and neural network lip readers.
AB  - Performance in identifying nine vowels from static images of a speaker's mouth
      was studied experimentally for neural networks and human subjects. Data obtained
      indicated that they had essentially the same rate of correct identifications
      overall and vowel by vowel. The estimate of the probability of correct
      identification and 95% confidence limits were determined for each of the nine
      vowels.

PMID- 1880301
TI  - Investigations in the amplitude of sounded piano tones.
AB  - The relationship between final hammer velocity and maximum amplitude of radiated
      piano sound was investigated. Piano tones with varying hammer velocities were
      produced by a computer-monitored acoustic piano containing optical sensors and
      solenoids, and the sounded tones were recorded and digitized for analysis.
      Maximum amplitudes over the duration of the sounded tones were linearly
      proportional to piano hammer velocities for a range of frequencies and hammer
      velocities. Changes in room acoustics did not alter the linear relationship.
      Measurements of maximum amplitudes of individual tones and combined tones (dyads)
      also indicated a linear relationship between the sum of the maximum amplitudes of
      the individual tones and the maximum amplitude of the dyads. These findings
      indicate that the principle of superposition holds for peak amplitudes of sounded
      piano tones. Findings are discussed with regard to production and perception of
      musical dynamics.

PMID- 1880302
TI  - Speaker normalization of static and dynamic vowel spectral features.
AB  - Two methods are described for speaker normalizing vowel spectral features: one is
      a multivariable linear transformation of the features and the other is a
      polynomial warping of the frequency scale. Both normalization algorithms minimize
      the mean-square error between the transformed data of each speaker and vowel
      target values obtained from a "typical speaker." These normalization techniques
      were evaluated both for formants and a form of cepstral coefficients (DCTCs) as
      spectral parameters, for both static and dynamic features, and with and without
      fundamental frequency (F0) as an additional feature. The normalizations were
      tested with a series of automatic classification experiments for vowels. For all
      conditions, automatic vowel classification rates increased for speaker-normalized
      data compared to rates obtained for nonnormalized parameters. Typical
      classification rates for vowel test data for nonnormalized and normalized
      features respectively are as follows: static formants--69%/79%; formant
      trajectories--76%/84%; static DCTCs 75%/84%; DCTC trajectories--84%/91%. The
      linear transformation methods increased the classification rates slightly more
      than the polynomial frequency warping. The addition of F0 improved the automatic
      recognition results for nonnormalized vowel spectral features as much as 5.8%.
      However, the addition of F0 to speaker-normalized spectral features resulted in
      much smaller increases in automatic recognition rates.

PMID- 1880303
TI  - Effects of first formant onset properties on voicing judgments result from
      processes not specific to humans.
AB  - Both first formant (F1) transition duration and F1 onset frequency have been
      proposed to be perceptually significant in categorization of voiced and voiceless
      syllable-initial stops. Transition duration per se may not, however, explain the
      fact that, for longer transitions, longer F1 cutback is required in order to
      perceive a stop as voiceless. Longer transitions result in lower F1 onsets at any
      duration of cutback greater than zero, and it is possible that the major effect
      of F1 is determined by its frequency at onset. In this study, F1-transition
      duration, onset frequency, and slope were varied across four types of F1
      transition in which one of the three variables (onset frequency, duration, slope)
      was held constant while the other two were allowed to vary. Each of the four F1
      types was used in syllables with higher formants appropriate for labial,
      alveolar, and velar places of articulation. By far, the best predictor of
      identification of these stimuli by human listeners was F1 onset frequency. F1
      duration, F1 slope, and place of articulation had little or no effect on labeling
      boundaries. In a second experiment using Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix
      japonica), birds were trained to respond differentially to voiced versus
      voiceless stops. The differential effects of F1 onset frequency on the "labeling"
      behavior of these birds was strikingly similar to that of humans listening to the
      same stimuli. These results are taken to provide strong evidence that F1 onset
      frequency is the primary determinant of shifts in voicing boundaries across place
      of articulation, and that general mechanisms not unique to humans appear adequate
      to account for the effects of F1 onset frequency on perception of voicing for
      syllable-initial stops.

PMID- 1880304
TI  - Suicide and panic disorder: a review.
AB  - This article reviews the risk of suicide in panic disorder beginning with early
      studies showing increased mortality, including suicide, among patients belonging
      to the broad category of neuroses. More recent follow-up studies of patients with
      anxiety disorders have found about 20% of deaths due to suicide, a proportion
      similar to that found in depressive disorders. Also, suicide attempts have been
      reported by similar proportions of subjects with panic disorder and major
      depression from the general population. Preliminary data indicate that more
      severely ill patients with coexisting depression and substance abuse are more
      likely to attempt or complete suicide. Thus, although limited, the data indicate
      that the risk of suicide in panic disorder is substantial. As a consequence,
      clinicians should alert themselves to this preventable outcome and approach
      treatment with added caution.

PMID- 1880305
TI  - The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS); changes in scores as a function of
      training and version used.
AB  - The co-existence of different versions of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
      (HDRS) may introduce a source of error in depression research. In a training
      procedure, based on 16 videotapes, over 900 scores were used to investigate
      differences between two prominent versions. The HDRS published by Bech et al. in
      1986 produced significantly lower total scores than the original HDRS presented
      by Hamilton in 1960. Previous experience of the raters, both in psychiatry and in
      the use of the scale, increased the scores in a nonsignificant way. During the
      training raters' scores increased significantly. These effects were small, one
      point each in the total scores, but they were consistent throughout our material.
      In depression research, training procedures and the exact version of the scales
      used should be specified.

PMID- 1880306
TI  - Organic mood disorder: a valid psychiatry consultation diagnosis?
AB  - To determine the validity of the DSM-IIIR category organic mood disorder, we
      compared 50 psychiatric consultations with this diagnosis to 50 psychiatric
      consultations diagnosed with major depression in the medically ill. Organic mood
      disorder patients were more likely to be in the index affective disorder episode
      and have a negative family history of depression. Despite similar pharmacologic
      treatment between groups, the organic mood disorder group was less likely to be
      completely recovered at 4 years follow-up. This study suggests organic mood
      disorder is a valid diagnosis in the psychiatry consultation service.

PMID- 1880307
TI  - Imipramine an effective treatment for illness phobia.
AB  - Ten subjects with illness phobia were treated with imipramine for 8 weeks. All of
      the eight subjects who remained on the drug for 4 weeks or more reported at least
      moderate improvement. Overstimulatory reactions occurred in four subjects causing
      two to discontinue medication. Imipramine appears to be a potentially useful
      treatment for this subtype of hypochondriasis.

PMID- 1880308
TI  - Menstrual cycle phase and psychiatric admissions.
AB  - Several surveys have demonstrated increased psychiatric admissions during the
      para-menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle (4-5 days before and during the
      onset of menses). We assessed menstrual cycle phase in 51 carefully diagnosed
      women at the time of emergency psychiatric admission and contrasted their cycle
      phase distribution with 113 normal hospital staff members assessed at random upon
      arrival at work. Consistent with other studies, 47% of psychiatric admissions
      occurred during the para-menstrual phase in contrast to 22% of staff controls
      (chi 2 = 9.27; df = 1; P = 0.002). Within the group of psychiatric patients,
      33.3% of admissions occurred within 4 days of the onset of menses (chi 2 = 12.45;
      df = 6; P = 0.052). There were no significant phase differences found between
      major depressive and schizophrenic patients, between acutely suicidal and non
      suicidal patients, and no significant correlation was noted with depression
      rating scales. Thus, it appears that menstrual cycle entrainment and associated
      late luteal phase biological changes may have additive effects which are
      sufficient to exacerbate the expression of psychiatric disorder in vulnerable
      patients, independent of their diagnosis.

PMID- 1880309
TI  - Measuring the severity of depression through a self-report inventory. A
      comparison of logistic, factorial and implicit models.
AB  - The present study investigates the psychometric adequacy of a self-report
      inventory of depression (the QD2) with respect to the severity of depressive
      symptoms, within the framework of a unidimensional model of depressive states.
      Responses to the 52 QD2 items, by 481 subjects divided into four groups
      (depressed, psychiatric, somatic and control), were subjected to a Rasch
      analysis. Results show that 15 items (QSD(R1] display a satisfactory goodness of
      fit for both items and persons, as defined by the Rasch model. This set of items,
      solely related to 'pure' depression, gives a measure of the severity of
      depression, free from anxiety symptoms. The discussion focuses upon the
      advantages of the Rasch model as compared to traditional tests. The Rasch 15-item
      solution should provide a parsimonious tool for future studies on the
      classification of depressive disorders.

PMID- 1880310
TI  - Validation of a computerised version of the 10-item (self-rating) Edinburgh
      Postnatal Depression Scale.
AB  - Twenty-nine women were obtained from two community-based facilities and
      administered the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS) in a
      computerised and 'pencil and paper' form. A high correlation (r = 0.98) was found
      between the two test types. The computerised test was found to be acceptable to
      all women in the study. Our findings suggest that the computerised form of the
      EPDS may be of use in screening women in community settings and may also be
      valuable in antenatal or postnatal clinics.

PMID- 1880311
TI  - Major depression in panic disorder: role of recent life events.
AB  - The authors assessed life events during the year before the onset of panic
      disorder in 57 panic patients with a lifetime history of major depression.
      Compared with a group of 43 panic patients without major depression, the group
      with depression had experienced more severe events. The clinical and theoretical
      implications of these results are discussed in the context of current concepts
      regarding the role of recent life events in comorbidity of panic disorder and
      major depression.

PMID- 1880312
TI  - Phenomenological comparisons of major depression following stroke, myocardial
      infarction or spinal cord lesions.
AB  - Patients with major depression admitted to hospital with acute stroke (n = 44),
      acute myocardial infarction (n = 25), or acute spinal cord injury (n = 12) were
      examined for differences in their phenomenological presentation of major
      depression. Depressed stroke patients were found to have significantly higher
      scores on the syndrome clusters for generalized anxiety and ideas of reference
      than depressed cardiac or spinal cord injury patients. In addition, significantly
      more stroke patients met diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder
      compared with the other two groups. Although spinal cord injury patients were
      younger, more likely to be treated with benzodiazepines, and less likely to be
      treated with beta-blockers, none of these factors distinguished stroke patients
      with anxious depression from stroke patients with depression only. These findings
      are consistent with the hypothesis that the etiology of depression following
      stroke may be different from that associated with myocardial infarction or spinal
      cord injury.

PMID- 1880313
TI  - EEG sleep of young adults with major depression: a controlled study.
AB  - The EEG sleep of 75 subjects aged 16-25 years was studied. Thirty-eight were in
      an episode of RDC major depression, and 37 were normal controls. Only one sleep
      continuity measure differed between the two groups: sleep latency was
      significantly longer in the depressive group. REM period latencies and other
      sleep variables did not differ between the groups. Subgroup analyses, within the
      depressed group with respect to inpatient status, revealed significantly higher
      REM density (P less than 0.03) and a marginally shortened REM period latency (P
      less than 0.07) among the inpatient depressives. Subgroup analysis across
      suicidal ratings revealed a significantly higher REM density (P less than 0.04)
      among suicidal depressives. Severity estimates of depression did not correlate
      with sleep findings. These results parallel another recent report on adolescent
      depressed subjects, suggesting that inpatient and/or suicidal status is an
      important variable in the expression of EEG sleep abnormalities in the
      adolescent/young adult age group.

PMID- 1880314
TI  - Sheldon Memorial Lecture. Medical management of nasal polyps and sinusitis.

PMID- 1880315
TI  - Glucocorticoid therapy for asthma: clinical pharmacology.

PMID- 1880316
TI  - Use of streptokinase as a recall antigen for lymphocyte proliferation testing in
      vitro.
AB  - The use of streptokinase (SK) as a recall antigen (Ag) for stimulation of human
      lymphocyte proliferation in vitro was evaluated. SK is a potent stimulant,
      inducing a greater response than three other Ags, tetanus toxoid, Candida
      albicans extract, or streptolysin. The optimum stimulatory concentration is 1000
      U/ml, and peak stimulation occurs between days 6 and 8. Human cord-blood
      lymphocytes do not respond to SK, suggesting that it is an Ag and not a mitogen.
      The response rate in an adult population was 82%, higher than the rate of two
      other Ags tested (tetanus toxoid or Candida). These findings demonstrate the
      ability of SK to act as a potent recall Ag for human lymphocyte proliferation in
      vitro.

PMID- 1880317
TI  - Identification of a major peanut allergen, Ara h I, in patients with atopic
      dermatitis and positive peanut challenges.
AB  - Peanuts are among the most common causes of immediate hypersensitivity reactions
      to foods. Serum from nine patients with atopic dermatitis and a positive double
      blind, placebo-controlled, food challenge to peanut were used to begin the
      process of identification and purification of the major peanut allergens.
      Identification of a major peanut allergen was accomplished by use of anion
      exchange column chromatography, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis, ELISA, thin-layer isoelectric focusing, and IgE-specific
      immunoblotting. Anion-exchange chromatography revealed several fractions that
      bound IgE from the serum of the challenge-positive patient pool. By measuring
      antipeanut-specific IgE in the ELISA and in IgE-specific immunoblotting, we
      identified an allergenic component with two Coomassie brilliant blue staining
      bands by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a mean
      molecular weight of 63.5 kd. Examination of this fraction by the IgE antipeanut
      ELISA with individual serum and by the ELISA-inhibition assay with pooled serum,
      we identified this fraction as a major allergen. Thin-layer isoelectric focusing
      and immunoblotting of this 63.5 kd fraction revealed it to have an isoelectric
      point of 4.55. Based on allergen nomenclature of the IUIS Subcommittee for
      Allergen Nomenclature, this allergen is designated, Ara h I (Arachis hypogaea).

PMID- 1880318
TI  - Effect of low-dose methotrexate on the disposition of glucocorticoids and
      theophylline.
AB  - Low-dose methotrexate (MTX) therapy has been recently proposed as alternative
      therapy for patients with severe steroid-requiring asthma. Several questions have
      been raised regarding the mechanism of action, including alteration of
      pharmacokinetics of two medications used in these patients, specifically,
      glucocorticoids and theophylline. To address this question, pharmacokinetic
      studies were performed at baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment with either
      intramuscular MTX or placebo (folic acid). Plasma concentrations of theophylline
      were measured by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (TDx, Abbott Diagnostics,
      Abbott Park, Ill.). Prednisolone, methylprednisolone, and cortisol concentrations
      were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Fifteen adults were
      enrolled in the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. No change in prednisolone
      pharmacokinetic parameters was found. Theophylline clearance decreased an average
      of 19% in patients randomized to receive MTX, from 48.0 +/- 2.0 ml/hr/kg to 38.9
      +/- 3.6 ml/hr/kg (p less than 0.05). This change resembles change observed with
      theophylline and phenobarbital clearance in which a high degree of interpatient
      variability is observed. The most likely explanation for the change in
      theophylline clearance is inhibition of hepatic microsomal enzyme activity. Three
      patients complained of adverse effects, and dosage was reduced in one patient.
      The variable effect of MTX on theophylline clearance indicates that theophylline
      concentration monitoring should be performed in patients receiving both drugs.

PMID- 1880319
TI  - Comparison of platelet-activating factor-induced chemotaxis of normodense and
      hypodense eosinophils.
AB  - Platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced eosinophil (EOS) migration is an
      important event in the development of tissue eosinophilia and allergic
      inflammation. EOSs are heterogeneous cells in that different states of activation
      have been ascribed to EOSs of varying densities. We therefore studied the ability
      of PAF to induce hypodense and normodense EOS chemotaxis. Both hypodense and
      normodense EOSs were isolated in pure form from seven subjects and studied
      concurrently. Dose-response and time-course experiments indicated no significant
      differences in PAF-induced hypodense versus normodense EOS chemotactic responses.
      Hypodense and normodense cells achieved maximal chemotaxis in response to 1
      mumol/L of PAF, and maximal chemotaxis was achieved at 2 hours. However, marked
      differences in PAF-induced EOS chemotactic responses existed between patients. We
      conclude that PAF is a potent EOS chemoattractant, and despite reported
      differences in metabolic activity, normodense and hypodense EOSs exhibit similar
      chemotactic responsiveness to PAF.

PMID- 1880320
TI  - Bee venom anti-idiotypic antibody is associated with protection in beekeepers and
      bee sting-sensitive patients receiving immunotherapy against allergic reactions.
AB  - Bee venom (BV) anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies (Abs) were studied in
      nonreactive beekeepers, patients receiving BV immunotherapy (IT), and in patients
      with bee-sting hypersensitivity. Detection of serum anti-BV was determined either
      by the Phadebas RAST test for IgE and IgG concentrations or by isoelectric
      focusing followed by capillary blotting onto nitrocellulose membranes. Clonotypic
      analyses of Ab were made with specific probes for BV or BV anti-Id; 13/14
      nonreactive multiple-sting beekeepers (93%; p = 0.00006) and 3/3 patients
      receiving BV IT (100%; p = 0.0026) had detectable amounts of BV anti-Id in serum,
      whereas five BV-sensitive patients (0%) and four ragweed-sensitive control
      patients (0%) did not. Beekeeper's serum containing BV anti-Id was found to
      recognize and bind to IgE anti-BV idiotype from two different patient sources and
      inhibit their reactions in a Phadebas RAST test in a dose-dependent manner.
      Nonreactive beekeepers generally had BV-specific IgE levels less than 0.35 PRU/ml
      in serum with detectable BV anti-Id. BV-allergic patients before IT had elevated
      BV-specific serum IgE levels, even in the presence of BV-specific IgG greater
      than 136 U/ml with no BV anti-Id present. These findings provide strong support
      for a protective role of BV anti-Id against bee sting--allergic reactions.

PMID- 1880321
TI  - Methotrexate in the treatment of steroid-dependent asthma.
AB  - A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was designed to compare
      steroid requirements between placebo and methotrexate (MTX) treatment in subjects
      with corticosteroid-requiring asthma. Subjects began with a steroid taper and
      then were randomized to a 3-month trial of drug or placebo therapy. Subjects
      received 15 mg of MTX a week or identical placebo. A 1-month washout period was
      completed before the crossover trial. Symptom scores, peak flow rates,
      spirometry, and beta-agonist frequency were closely monitored. Ten subjects
      completed the study. The average dose of prednisone during the placebo-treatment
      period was 11.97 mg/day compared to 8.37 mg/day while subjects were taking MTX.
      This was a 30% reduction in daily steroid requirement (p less than 0.01). Symptom
      scores and spirometry did not differ between the crossover trials, and overall
      clinical status was not altered. Complications from MTX were mild and included
      anorexia, alopecia, and stomatitis. All complications resolved with dose
      reduction or when MTX was stopped at the end of the study. No subjects withdrew
      from the study because of MTX complications. Low-dose MTX significantly reduced
      the steroid requirement in this group of subjects with steroid-dependent asthma.
      This reduction in steroid requirement was obtained without altering clinical
      status and without significant complication.

PMID- 1880322
TI  - Penicillin resensitization among hospitalized patients.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of resensitization to
      penicillin after oral or intravenous treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics in
      hospitalized patients with histories of penicillin allergy. Seventeen adults
      (aged 24 to 76 years) and one child (aged 10 years) were treated intravenously
      and/or orally with beta-lactam antibiotics after negative skin tests were
      obtained with benzylpenicilloyl polylysine, potassium penicillin G, and alkaline
      hydrolysis products of penicillin G as minor determinant mixture. Repeat skin
      testing was performed 1 to 12 months after the therapy. Three patients (16%)
      became skin test positive after the treatment. Two patients reacted to potassium
      penicillin G alone, and the other patient reacted to benzylpenicilloyl polylysine
      and minor determinant mixture. These three patients were among the 15 patients
      who were treated with intravenous antibiotics. This study reveals a high
      percentage of skin test conversion after intravenously administered penicillin
      therapy and confirms the present practice of advising patients with a history of
      penicillin allergy who have successfully completed penicillin treatment to have a
      repeat skin test before future exposure to beta-lactam antibiotics.

PMID- 1880323
TI  - Identification of the major activity derived from cultured human peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells, which enhances eosinophil viability, as granulocyte macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).
AB  - Eosinophils (EOSs) cultured in the presence of 50% peripheral blood mononuclear
      cell (PBMC)-derived culture supernatants remained 67% +/- 7% (mean +/- SEM; n =
      5) viable for 7 days. In the absence of PBMC supernatant, only 15% +/- 7% of
      cells remained viable for 7 days. PBMC supernatants from six atopic individuals,
      with eosinophilia, and six normal subjects, with no eosinophilia, were compared
      for EOS viability-enhancing activity with the same target EOSs. Optimal
      conditions for the production of viability-enhancing activity by mononuclear
      cells were established as a 24-hour culture period, with a concentration of 2 x
      10(6) cells per milliliter. Comparison of monocyte-enriched and lymphocyte
      enriched culture supernatants for the production of the EOS viability-enhancing
      activity indicated that both cell types released the factor. C-18 Sep-Pak
      separation of the PBMC culture supernatant yielded a major EOS viability
      enhancing activity in the aqueous eluent, suggesting a hydrophilic molecule. This
      major activity was neutralized by a specific antibody to granulocyte/macrophage
      colony-stimulating factor but was unaffected by specific antibodies to
      interleukin-3 and interleukin-5. A second, minor viability-enhancing activity was
      observed in the 100% methanol fraction, indicating the presence of a more
      hydrophobic molecule. The supernatants from the PBMCs of the atopic individuals
      consistently enhanced EOS survival to a greater extent than supernatants from the
      PBMCs of the normal, nonatopic individuals.

PMID- 1880324
TI  - An ELISA spot assay for quantitation of human immunoglobulin-secreting cells.
AB  - The elucidation of changes in populations of immunoglobulin-secreting cells has
      been a cumbersome process. We present a simplified method for the enumeration of
      human immunoglobulin-secreting cells with an ELISA spot assay (ESA). This method
      is specific, will detect all isotypes, including IgE, and is sensitive, detecting
      as little as 10 pg of antibody secreted. In this article, we describe the
      methodology for performing the ESA, demonstrate the kinetics for optimal use in
      both B-lymphoblastoid lines and fresh B cells, and determine the correlation
      between the ESA and immunoglobulin secretion under various experimental
      conditions. This assay permits an estimate of the level of immunoglobulin
      secreted per cell, thus distinguishing expansion of immunoglobulin-secreting cell
      populations from increases in average (per cell) immunoglobulin production. The
      combination of ESA and quantitation of immunoglobulin in supernatants of cultured
      cells provides an easy and reliable means for studying the regulation of
      immunoglobulin secretion.

PMID- 1880325
TI  - Intranasal fluocortin butyl in patients with perennial rhinitis: a 12-month
      efficacy and safety study including nasal biopsy.
AB  - Fluocortin butyl (FCB) is a recently developed topical intranasal corticosteroid
      that is inhaled as a powder and has been demonstrated to be well tolerated and to
      improve symptoms and signs of perennial rhinitis in previous short-term studies.
      This multicenter, open-label study evaluated the efficacy and safety of FCB
      during a 12-month treatment period in patients with perennial rhinitis. Treatment
      was initiated with one inhalation of FCB in each nostril three times a day (total
      dosage, 3 mg/day). In subsequent months, one third of the patients was maintained
      at the dosage of 3 mg/day, one third at a lower dosage of 2 mg/day, and the
      remaining one third of the patients at a larger dosage of 4 to 8 mg/day. Of 109
      patients enrolled in the study, 90 patients (82.6%) completed all 12 months of
      treatment. Symptom and sign scores decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) at
      the 2-month evaluation compared to scores at baseline, and the improvement was
      maintained throughout the 12-month study period. After 12 months, greater than
      80% of the patients had substantial control of symptoms. Specimens of nasal
      biopsies, performed at the beginning and end of treatment, revealed a decrease in
      eosinophils and other cellular infiltrates, a slight tendency of an increase in
      mast cell counts, and a trend toward normalization of the nasal mucosa. There
      were few adverse effects. Mean plasma cortisol levels were normal before and
      after corticotropin stimulation at baseline and after 12 months of FCB
      therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880326
TI  - Newly generated IgE antibodies to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in children are
      directed against components distinct from Der p I and Der p II.
AB  - The specificity of newly generated IgE antibodies (Abs) to the house dust mite,
      Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, in longitudinal serum samples from 18 young
      children with an increased risk for IgE-mediated allergy was studied. The first
      IgE Ab response to house dust mite was detected early in life (mean age, 32
      months; range, 11 to 60 months). For 83% of the children, more than half of the
      newly generated IgE Ab response to house dust mite was directed against
      components distinct from the major allergens, Der p I (Pl) and Der p II (DpX).
      These results suggest that the early IgE Ab response to house dust mite is
      induced by components distinct from the major allergens, Der p I and Der p II.

PMID- 1880327
TI  - Methotrexate and asthma.

PMID- 1880328
TI  - Abnormal liver-function tests associated with long-term systemic corticosteroid
      use in subjects with asthma.

PMID- 1880329
TI  - Metronidazole hypersensitivity and oral desensitization.

PMID- 1880330
TI  - In re: Letter by Kerrebijn in JACI.

PMID- 1880331
TI  - Clinical trial with ketotifen.

PMID- 1880332
TI  - In re: Van Bever HP, Stevens WJ. (JACI 1990;86: 141-6)

PMID- 1880333
TI  - The prevention of adsorption of interferents to radiolabelled protein by Tween
      20.
AB  - Radiolabels are often used to quantitatively determine the amount of protein
      immobilized on chromatographic supports, immunochemical plates and biosensor
      surfaces. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was chosen as a model protein for
      quantitative deposition studies. BSA was radioiodinated (125I-) or fluorescently
      labelled (fluorescein), then incubated with the following surfaces: quartz,
      quartz derivatized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (Qz-APTES), and Qz-APTES
      reacted with glutaraldehyde or tresyl chloride. The amounts of BSA immobilized to
      the different surfaces were compared using data from radioactivity and
      fluorescence assays. Irreproducible results were obtained with radioiodinated BSA
      due to adsorption/desorption behaviour of an unidentified radioactive species.
      When the non-ionic detergent Tween 20 was added to the protein/surface incubation
      mixture, radiolabelled BSA gave reproducible protein binding results which agreed
      with fluorescent protein binding patterns. The effect of Tween 20 was due to
      either the binding to BSA displacing the interferent and/or the solubilization of
      the interferent.

PMID- 1880334
TI  - Detection of FGF-beta mRNA in chondrosarcoma cells by a new in situ hybridization
      technique with synthetic oligonucleotide probes.
AB  - Fibroblast growth factor beta (FGF-beta) is a potent mitogenic and angiogenic
      factor produced by a large number of normal and transformed cells. In this paper
      we report a new application of the in situ hybridization procedure which has
      allowed the detection of FGF-beta mRNA in chondrosarcoma cells using 35S-labelled
      synthetic oligonucleotide probes.

PMID- 1880335
TI  - High-performance liquid chromatography of proteins on deformed nonporous agarose
      beads: immuno-affinity chromatography, exemplified with human growth hormone as
      ligand and a combination of ethylene glycol and salt for desorption of the
      antibodies.
AB  - An affinity chromatography column packed with nonporous agarose beads derivatized
      with human growth hormone via carbonyldiimidazol was used for the purification of
      antibodies against human growth hormone from antiserum. Desorption with 1 M
      sodium chloride in 60% ethylene glycol at pH 9.8 gave 100% total recovery of the
      antibodies, as measured by radioimmunoassay. The adsorption/desorption process is
      discussed in terms of hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction (these
      interactions may be involved in the bond between antibody and antigen in a
      cooperative fashion). The binding capacity of the column was estimated at about
      50 micrograms of antibodies per gram sedimented agarose beads.

PMID- 1880336
TI  - Effect of dimethyl sulphoxide and some antibiotics on cultured human T-lymphoma
      cells as measured by microcalorimetry.
AB  - The influence of dimethyl sulphoxide (I), penicillin/streptomycin (II),
      gentamicin (III), and amphotericin B (IV) on growing human T-lymphoma cells was
      measured by microcalorimetry. There was a dose-dependent decrease in the heat
      production rate of the cells after 24 h of incubation with I in concentrations
      ranging from 0-2% (v/v). At 3.6%, about half of the cells died. II and III had no
      effect on the cells after incubation for 6 days, at concentrations from 1 to 10
      times that of the normal (50-500 IU/ml; 50-500 micrograms/ml). IV was used in
      combination with II (50 IU/ml; 50 micrograms/ml) and III (50 micrograms/ml),
      respectively, at concentrations between 0.25 and 7.5 micrograms/ml. After 6 days
      of incubation, the results were similar to those obtained with II and III
      separately.

PMID- 1880337
TI  - [Moebius syndrome. Apropos of 2 cases].
AB  - Moebius syndrome is unusual and associates facial diplegia with a failure of
      lateral movements, and seems to be of nuclear or supranuclear origin, appearing
      during foetal life. Association with somatic malformations are frequent such as
      those of Poland syndrome. Surgery's envisaged when palsy of lateral movements is
      associated with deviation of the eyes.

PMID- 1880338
TI  - [Allergic granulomatous nodule of the conjunctiva disclosing onchocerciasis].
AB  - A new case of conjunctival allergic nodule is reported in a Guinean man. This
      lesion was first described by Ashton and Cook in 1979. Histologically, this
      nodule consists of amorphous eosinophilic material surrounded by epithelioid and
      giant cells arranged in a pallisade; some eosinophils are often found in the
      inflammatory reaction. This lesion usually resolves spontaneously. In documented
      cases, nematodes and particularly filaria such as Mansonella perstans are usually
      isolated. Our observation is the first documented case with Onchocerca volvulus.
      Microfilariae were detected by examination of normal saline containing the biopsy
      specimen. The new major antifilarial treatment ivermectin was associated.

PMID- 1880339
TI  - [Embolic retinitis in Haemophilus parainfluenzae endocarditis].
AB  - Infectious embolic retinopathy occurring secondary to a bacterial endocarditis is
      described in a 38-year-old woman with known aortic disease. The infectious
      organism was a haemophilus parainfluenzae confirmed by serial blood cultures and
      characterized by an embolic power equal to fungal infection. After four-weeks
      period of appropriate and intensive antibiotic therapy, blood cultures became
      negative but new emboli were observed in the fundus. This report describes ocular
      lesions rarely observed in endogenous bacterial retinitis. The delay between the
      bacterial endocarditis and the occurrence of the retinitis emphasizes the need
      for a long-term follow-up. Ophthalmologic examination can be acline for changing
      the heart valve.

PMID- 1880341
TI  - [Organotypic culture of human corneal epithelium. Preliminary results].
AB  - The authors compared the growth of limbal and central explants removed from human
      cornea. Epithelial growth began on the third day, was greater during the first
      week and was subsequently slightly invaded by fibroblasts. This study
      demonstrated that peripheral corneal epithelial cells growth better than central
      cells. In this study, the cytologic and histologic features of the cells were
      examined. However, epithelial immunofluorescence staining by anti-cytokeratin
      antibodies was rather poor. This in vitro system may provide a suitable model for
      epithelial human corneal cell culture, allowing further biocompatibility studies.

PMID- 1880340
TI  - [Familial form of gelatin drop corneal dystrophy].
AB  - We report 4 cases of gelatin drop dystrophy corneal amyloidosis in two brothers
      and two sisters of the same family. The age of onset is between 1 and 10 years.
      The corneal signs are described at different stages of development. Lesions are
      initially asymmetrical. The typical is a subepithelial nodule starting in the
      center and then expanding to involve the whole cornea. There is no relationship
      between extension and outcome of the disease. Diagnostic is confirmed by
      histological examination. There was no consanguinity between parents and no other
      cases were found in the family. An immunological study with HLA typing was
      performed. All patients were treated with lamellar or transfixing keratoplasty
      with a follow-up of 2 to 5 years.

PMID- 1880342
TI  - [Peripheral vitelliform lesions in vitelliform macular dystrophy].
AB  - We report an unusual case of vitelliform macular dystrophy due to the presence of
      bilateral peripheral vitelliform lesions. Multiple forms involving posterior pole
      only and peripheral non specific lesions have already been described but this is
      the first case published, to our knowledge, showing typical vitelliform lesions
      in the periphery. These lesions developed in the same way as macular lesions, but
      they were complicated by a schisis in the left eye. In addition to other
      electrical and histopathological evidence, this case provides clinical evidence
      of the diffuse involvement of the retinal pigment epithelium in this disease.
      This involvement is linked to the accumulation of lipofuscin and granular
      substance, produced by photoreceptors. The macular predominance of vitelliform
      lesions can be partly explained by the metabolic and vascular particularities of
      the macula, but a genetic factor may be involved in the topographic determination
      of lesions. The development of a schisis on the edge of one of the described
      lesions encourages systematic search of peripheral lesions in cases of
      vitelliform macular dystrophy.

PMID- 1880343
TI  - [Posterior fixation keratoprosthesis].
AB  - Keratoprosthesis is the last solution available to the corneal blind patient
      unsuitable for corneal graft. Keratoprosthesis by anterior fixation requires
      repeated operations and results are therefore variable. The concept of
      keratoprosthesis by posterior fixation is presented. This theoretically reduces
      the risk of expulsion. Only one operation is required and this reduces
      complications. Initial results, described here, are encouraging.

PMID- 1880344
TI  - [Influence of topical administration of diclofenac on the reduction of
      intraocular pressure induced by timolol in healthy subjects].
AB  - The presence or absence of an interaction between topical diclofenac
      (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent) and topical timolol (beta-blocker) was
      studied in 37 eyes. We instilled one drop of diclofenac several times into the
      patient's right eye and one drop of timolol into the same eye. We measured
      intraocular pressure in both eyes twice and compared the results in both eyes
      with the baseline intraocular pressure and with the pressure after administration
      of diclofenac alone and timolol alone. The joint use of both drugs did not modify
      the decrease in the ocular pressure induced by timolol. We can therefore use
      timolol and diclofenac together when a combination of antiinflammatory and beta
      blocker agents is required.

PMID- 1880345
TI  - [Surgical treatment of primary and secondary cataract in severe myopia].
AB  - Secondary cataract after extracapsular surgery is one of the main complications
      in aphakic eyes. In severely myopic eyes secondary cataract not only impairs
      visual acuity but also interferes with peripheral retinal exploration; in these
      eyes Nd-Yag laser capsulotomies are not recommended because of the high risk of
      retinal detachment and also because this technique does not solve problems
      related to peripheral retinal examination. For these reasons, in severely myopic
      eyes the authors perform extra capsular cataract extraction without IOL
      implantation and, if secondary cataract appears, they perform surgical cleaning
      of the capsule. The authors emphasise the good visualization of the peripheral
      retina obtained with this technique.

PMID- 1880346
TI  - [Value of very low voltage halogen lighting of desaturated panel D 15 test in
      established glaucoma].
AB  - The colour vision of a first group of glaucomatous patients was tested with the
      desaturated Panel D 15 test, first illuminated by a 300 lux Macbeth lamp, then
      with a very low voltage 1000 lux halogen lamp. In addition to the recording of
      80% cases of dyschromatopsia, in line with previously published data, we
      demonstrated a great number (33.3%) of red-green axis anomalies under Macbeth
      light and, paradoxically, even more under halogen light (53.3%). To explain this
      high percentage of red-green axes under halogen light, we discuss the influence
      of luminance and emission spectrum of the light source. We conclude that the use
      of high luminance halogen light is capable of revealing concealed Verriest type
      II dyschromatopsias probably due to a specific fragilisation of the red-green
      channels induced by the glaucoma disease. This original colour vision testing
      procedure applied on established glaucomatous patients enabled us to easily
      obtain a factor of severity in the course of the disease.

PMID- 1880347
TI  - Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Drug-related problems.
AB  - Drug reactions are generally related to the influence of age, toxicity, side
      effects, immunologic reactions, idiosyncratic reactions, drug-drug interactions,
      and drug-disease interactions. In addition to age-related changes, the elderly
      are susceptible to the incidence of adverse drug reactions because of
      polypharmacy, incorrect self-administration of drugs, omission of drugs, taking
      another's prescriptions, use of over-the-counter drugs, and medication errors by
      health-care personnel. To prevent or predict adverse drug reactions, the
      gerontologic nurse can obtain thorough drug histories, educate clients and health
      care providers, use nursing measures to alleviate symptoms, and be astute for the
      potential for problems through drug review.

PMID- 1880348
TI  - Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Contributors to falls.
AB  - Persons who are susceptible to falls can be identified before a fall occurs. A
      risk prediction tool must be evaluated for its usefulness; if a tool is not
      feasible, elderly persons who have fallen once are at high risk of falling again.
      Once high risk has been identified, strategies must be planned to prevent
      subsequent falls. One of the most important strategies is to communicate to all
      staff which patients are at high risk and the general circumstances surrounding
      any patient fall. Few interventions have been shown through rigorous clinical
      studies to be effective. Passive interventions, such as alarms, are usually more
      reliable than active interventions that staff must administer. Interventions must
      be individualized, based on the patient's deficits.

PMID- 1880349
TI  - Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Impaired skin integrity.
AB  - Risk factors that contribute to pressure ulcer formation include immobility and
      inactivity, age, malnutrition, fecal and urinary incontinence, and a decreased
      level of consciousness. Gerontological nurses should collaborate with other
      health disciplines (eg, the physician, physical therapist, and dietitian) to plan
      and provide preventive treatment measures for the elderly person with potential
      for impaired skin integrity: pressure ulcers. Gerontological nurses must continue
      the development and refinement of tools with which to predict the degree of risk
      for impaired skin integrity, as well as use a consistent method of grading
      pressure ulcers.

PMID- 1880350
TI  - Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Nosocomial infections.
AB  - The elderly are increasingly susceptible to nosocomial infection because of age
      related changes and the presence of multiple chronic illness. Epidemics
      frequently occur in long-term care facilities with upper respiratory infections,
      diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria the most common.
      Other common nosocomial infections are those of the respiratory tract,
      gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system, and integumentary system. Infection
      control programs, systematic surveillance, regular inservice programs on
      infection control (especially handwashing), and employee and resident health
      programs can be instituted to decrease the incidence of nosocomial infections.

PMID- 1880351
TI  - Nursing foot care for the aged.

PMID- 1880352
TI  - Iatrogenesis in the elderly. Factors of immobility.
AB  - Mobility of elderly patients is a consequence of the interaction between factors
      including biological health, sensory-perceptual capacity, motor skills, cognitive
      capacity, and ego-strength; and environmental resources including physical and
      architectural features, medical regimens, institutional policies, resident and
      staff characteristics, and social support availability. Impaired mobility,
      whether self- or other-imposed, places the elderly at risk for a multitude of
      negative physiological and psychological consequences that can affect health,
      well-being, and quality of life. Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying
      the physiological and psychological consequences of immobility, the relative time
      frame in which they can develop, and the concomitant changes associated with
      aging provides the basis for interventions aimed at preventing or minimizing
      them. A multitude of factors that influence the elderly's state of mobility are
      within nursing's realm of practice. Although elderly patients may present a
      special challenge, the negative consequences of immobility can be avoided, to a
      significant extent, with astute and vigilant nursing management.

PMID- 1880354
TI  - Further experience with the bipedicled neurovascular island flap in thumb
      reconstruction.
AB  - A procedure is described for the transfer of sensibility to the thumb by means of
      an island flap. The donor site is the dorsoradial surface of the index finger.
      The flap is supplied by two neurovascular pedicles. The palmar one includes the
      digital artery of the index and the dorsal branch of the palmar digital nerve.
      The dorsal pedicle includes the dorsoradial artery and nerve of the index and one
      or two superficial veins. This procedure was used in 29 patients without early
      postoperative complications. The advantages of the method are the resurfacing of
      the prehensile surface of the thumb by a flap with good arterial and venous
      supply while preserving the innervation and the palmar skin of the donor finger.

PMID- 1880353
TI  - Severe complex injuries to the upper extremity: revascularization and
      replantation.
AB  - Twenty-nine patients with an incomplete (26) or a complete (3) amputation of the
      upper extremity proximal to the wrist with revascularization or replantation were
      reviewed. Limb survival rates were very high (93%) despite the severity of the
      injuries. All patients regained some useful hand function, with 76% attaining a
      group I or group II (Chen criteria) functional result. Bone shortening
      osteotomies are a helpful way to reduce the soft tissue defect size. In contrast
      to earlier studies, clear correlations between the level of injury, degree of
      nerve lesion, bone pathology, and the number of major nerves involved, and the
      functional outcome achieved were not found. There was a weak correlation between
      the type of wound and the functional recovery ultimately obtained.

PMID- 1880355
TI  - The use of the lateral arm flap in upper limb surgery.
AB  - Twenty patients who had had upper limb reconstruction using the lateral arm free
      microvascular flap are reviewed. The size of the flap, modifications to the flap,
      and complications were documented. There was one flap failure, and nine flaps
      required surgical thinning at a second procedure. This sole disadvantage was
      outweighed in clinical usage by the advantages and versatility of the lateral arm
      flap.

PMID- 1880356
TI  - Revascularization of a finger with a thenar mini-free flap.
AB  - A devascularized index finger with a soft tissue defect on its palmar side was
      managed by using a small free flap raised at the level of the metacarpophalangeal
      joint of the thumb. The radial digital artery was included in the flap and used
      to revascularize the index finger, and a palmar vein was used to drain the flap.
      This resulted in minimal donor side morbidity.

PMID- 1880357
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma in the hand seen as an arteriovenous malformation.
AB  - A case of Kaposi's sarcoma, which was initially thought to represent an
      arteriovenous malformation, is described. Angiographic findings were misleading,
      and careful histopathological analysis of such lesions is advocated so that
      correct treatment may be carried out.

PMID- 1880358
TI  - Musculus lumbricalis pollicis.
AB  - In six cases of thumb hypoplasia, a muscle arose from the anomalous flexor
      pollicis longus tendon in the region of the metacarpophalangeal joint, passed
      across the narrowed first web space, joined the lumbrical belly of the index, and
      inserted into the extensor hood of that digit. Traction on the muscle at its
      origin in the thumb produced extension of the interphalangeal joints of the index
      finger. Because of its attachments and action, this muscle has been given the
      name musculus lumbricalis pollicis. Not previously described in this form, the
      muscle is significant in hypoplasia because its contraction will act to narrow
      the already deficient first web space. In all instances where it was present, the
      musculus lumbricalis pollicis was excised.

PMID- 1880359
TI  - Pollex abductus in hypoplasia and duplication of the thumb.
AB  - Pollex abductus is an anomaly in which the flexor pollicis longus attaches not
      only at its customary insertion, but also into the extensor by a tendon that
      passes around the radial aspect of the thumb. Contraction of the anomalous flexor
      abducts the thumb. In the original report, the anomaly occurred in thumb
      hypoplasia. A similar anomaly is reported in 11 hypoplastic thumbs (35.5% of all
      cases) and in 9 cases of radial polydactyly (21.4%). The common feature was poor
      definition of the interphalangeal skin crease, with complete absence of active
      flexion of that joint. All patients were treated surgically; 13 before the age of
      10 months, with correction of the duplication and the hypoplasia, and in the
      latter with elimination of the abduction deformity and restoration of opposition.
      The anomalous connection was excised in all patients. Active interphalangeal
      joint motion after reconstruction of the hypoplastic thumbs averaged 21 degrees.

PMID- 1880360
TI  - Cutaneous mesenchymal hamartoma in the palm.
AB  - A case of congenital, solitary, cutaneous mesenchymal hamartoma in the palm of
      the left hand is reported. The mass was composed mainly of an intimate mixture of
      fibrocollagenous bundles and islands of mature fat cells, distorted blood vessels
      with smooth muscle in the wall, and eccrine sweat glands. Many mast cells were
      scattered throughout the fibrocollagenous bundles. The mast cell may be an
      important cell in this hamartoma.

PMID- 1880361
TI  - Symptomatic congenital coalition of the pisiform and hamate.
AB  - Recent reports have shown that carpal coalition, previously regarded as an
      asymptomatic congenital anomaly, may be an unusual occult cause of wrist pain.
      Two cases are presented as the first reported examples of congenital piso-hamate
      fusion creating symptoms due to associated arthritis or occult fracture.

PMID- 1880362
TI  - Extra digit arising from the forearm.
AB  - A patient with an extra digit arising from the forearm is reported. This is the
      first such case reported in the English-language literature.

PMID- 1880363
TI  - Long-term follow-up of primary flexor pollicis longus tenorrhaphies.
AB  - This study retrospectively analyzes primary flexor pollicis longus repairs.
      Ninety-four patients were identified and had extensive chart review. Thirty
      patients returned for follow-up (mean of 6.8 years) interview, range of motion,
      and strength testing. At follow-up, interphalangeal active range of motion,
      metacarpophalangeal active range of motion, and carpometacarpal active range of
      motion was 68 degrees, 48 degrees, and 46 degrees, respectively. Comparisons
      between active range of motion for the injured and noninjured hands revealed
      percentage differences of 71, 82, and 96% for the interphalangeal,
      metacarpophalangeal, and carpometacarpal joints. The percentage differences
      between active range of motion and passive range of motion for the injured
      metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints were 71% and 75%. Injured thumbs
      had averages of 6.7, 7.0, 5.4, and 30.6 kg for the key, chuck, thumb-index
      pinches and JAMAR grip mean. The percentage differences of injured to uninjured
      hands in these tests were 91%, 84%, 92%, and 92%. Factors that appear to have a
      consistently negative effect on outcome include mechanism of injury and
      associated damage. Factors that did not uniformly affect outcome included zone of
      injury, age, sex, and postoperative splinting.

PMID- 1880364
TI  - A flexor tendon rupture in the palm of the hand.
AB  - Traumatic, subcutaneous ruptures of flexor tendons in the hand are infrequent
      findings in clinical practice. They usually occur at the bony insertion or at the
      musculotendinous junction. Intratendinous ruptures are reported almost only in
      association with underlying pathologic conditions. We report a case of
      subcutaneous rupture through the healthy substance of the profundus flexor tendon
      of the small finger in the palm of the hand, which was associated with a complete
      tendinous fusion between the deep flexor of the ring and small finger up to the
      lumbrical insertion.

PMID- 1880365
TI  - Tendon excursion and dehiscence during early controlled mobilization after flexor
      tendon repair in zone II: an x-ray stereophotogrammetric analysis.
AB  - The effect of different methods on early controlled mobilization of the flexor
      profundus tendon regarding tendon excursion and dehiscence was examined during
      treatment of 20 tendons in 18 patients. An application of radiographic
      stereophotogrammetric analysis on movements of tendon tissue was developed and
      the tendons studied during the early postoperative period. Considerable
      differences of tendon excursion were found between the various mobilization
      methods and were dependent on the level of injury within zone II. The use of a
      mobilization method that includes a component of controlled active flexion is
      suggested for injuries at the A3 and A4 levels. This radiographic
      stereophotogrammetric analysis method developed for tendon excursion and
      dehiscence is new and provides knowledge that cannot be obtained in any other
      way.

PMID- 1880366
TI  - Complications experienced in the rehabilitation of zone I flexor tendon injuries
      with dynamic traction splinting.
AB  - A retrospective review of all flexor tendon repairs done between January 1985 to
      June 1987 determined the complication rate with our method of rehabilitation. One
      hundred sixty-three flexor tendon lacerations in 83 patients were reviewed.
      Follow-up ranged from 6 to 42 months. All patients participated in the same 12
      week rehabilitation protocol. All patients had passive motion exercises of the
      interphalangeal joints in the first 2 weeks. We believe that passive stretching
      of zone I injuries during the first 2 weeks contributed to the zone I
      complication rate. Of the 20 patients with zone I tendon-to-tendon repairs, 7
      patients had significant complications. The 35% complication rate found with zone
      I injuries has prompted us to modify our postoperative rehabilitation protocol in
      zone I injuries.

PMID- 1880367
TI  - Fibroblast chemotaxis after tendon repair.
AB  - Healing canine flexor tendons were treated with early controlled passive
      mobilization. The repair site and proximal and distal tendon stumps were stained
      for fibronectin and examined by light microscopy at three, seven, eleven, and
      seventeen days. Fibronectin increased dramatically in the epitenon adjacent to
      the repair site seven days after repair, a time when epitenon cellular activity
      was at its peak. By seventeen days, fibronectin staining had decreased
      substantially, both at the repair site and in the tendon stumps. A delayed
      increase in fibronectin activity was noted in the endotenon adjacent to the
      repair site. Fibronectin production appears to be an important component of the
      early tendon repair process. Fibroblast chemotaxis and adherence to the
      substratum in the days after injury and repair appears to be related directly to
      fibronectin secretion. This study is the first to provide documentation of
      fibronectin localization in a clinically relevant tendon repair model.

PMID- 1880368
TI  - An experimental model for the study of canine flexor tendon adhesions.
AB  - An experimental model for the study of canine flexor tendon adhesions was
      designed using a standardized crush-abrasion injury, meticulous sheath closure,
      and three-week limb immobilization. Ten animals in the experimental protocol were
      evaluated for visible adhesion formation. With use of a flexor tendon adhesion
      rating scale, consistent adhesion formation was documented with an average score
      of 10.4 +/- 2.1 (range, 0 to 12). Five additional animals had biomechanical
      testing. Applying an increasing load to the proximally divided profundus tendon
      (0 to 10 Newtons), it was found that the angle of distal interphalangeal joint
      motion and the displacement of the toe were significantly decreased, and the work
      generated significantly increased in the experimental versus control digits (p
      less than 0.05). The consistent production of visible adhesions thus correlates
      with biomechanical impairments in toe motion and work. The study of agents aimed
      at diminishing flexor tendon adhesions will thus be facilitated by this reliable
      model. Systemic or intrasheath administration of agents will be possible.

PMID- 1880369
TI  - Cyclic stress analysis of flexor tendon repair.
AB  - A method of evaluating flexor tendon repair techniques with the use of cyclic
      testing is presented. This type of evaluation complements the presently used load
      to-failure tests by providing more detailed information about gap formation at
      the repair site. During load-to-failure testing in this study, core sutures alone
      demonstrated initial gap formation at 0.85 kg tensile force or more; yet on
      cyclic testing all techniques demonstrated gap formation of 1.9 mm or greater at
      0.5 kg tensile force. Thus cyclic testing demonstrated gap formation not readily
      apparent on load-to-failure testing. An epitenon stitch placed circumferentially
      around the laceration site added strength in both load-to-failure and cyclic
      tests, and significantly reduced gap formation regardless of the core suture
      technique.

PMID- 1880371
TI  - A second-stage flexor tendon reconstruction after 18 years.
AB  - A case of successful staged tendon reconstruction for treatment of a zone II
      flexor tendon injury with a delay of 18 years between Hunter rod placement and
      secondary tendon grafting is presented. In this case, the prolonged interval was
      not detrimental to a successful outcome.

PMID- 1880370
TI  - The plantaris tendon graft: an ultrasound study.
AB  - To assess the value of ultrasound in imaging the plantaris tendon, ultrasounds
      were done on 26 legs in 25 patients who had a variety of surgical procedures on
      the posterior leg. Eighteen ultrasounds were done and interpreted before
      operation and eight after operation by a radiologist. The sonographic results
      were compared with the status of the plantaris as determined at surgery. The
      plantaris was present in 21 of 23 patients for a prevalence of 91%. Eighteen
      plantaris tendons were well visualized on ultrasound for a sensitivity of 86%. Of
      the three false-negative results, two occurred with thinned plantaris tendons
      that were less than 2 mm thick and hence considered inadequate for grafting.
      Therefore, the sensitivity for detecting a tendon suitable for grafting was 95%.
      All patients with positive studies had a plantaris tendon present for a
      specificity of 100%. A learning curve for the radiologist was demonstrated.
      Ultrasound appears to be effective in the preoperative imaging of the plantaris
      tendon.

PMID- 1880372
TI  - Pathobiology of the human A1 pulley in trigger finger.
AB  - Eighty-nine A1 pulleys from 65 patients with trigger digits and 20 control A1
      pulleys from fresh-frozen cadavers were studied comparatively with histology,
      immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy. In both normal and
      pathologic specimens, the A1 pulley was composed of two layers: an outer,
      vascularized, convex layer and an inner, concave, friction, flexor tendon gliding
      layer. In the latter, the cells and adjacent matrix had several characteristics
      of fibrocartilage, including chondrocytes. In trigger digits, the number of
      chondrocytes and adjacent extracellular matrix was significantly increased when
      compared with controls. There was no evidence of a synovial cell layer on the
      surface of the A1 pulleys in either normal or trigger digits. We conclude that
      the underlying pathobiological mechanism for triggering at the A1 pulley is
      characterized by a fibrocartilage metaplasia.

PMID- 1880373
TI  - Biomechanics of pulley reconstruction.
AB  - The biomechanics of the reconstructed flexor retinacular pulley system are poorly
      defined. We used a mathematical theoretical model, confirmed by a cadaver model,
      and a clinical radiographic model to evaluate a variety of different joint and
      pulley combinations. We examined twenty-four sets of radiographs of 12 fingers in
      9 patients for whom excursion was measured and predicted by the mathematical
      model. The 30 pulley combinations evaluated in the in vitro cadaver model showed
      statistical correlation with the biomechanical mathematical model.
      Recommendations of clinical application on the basis of this information include
      the following: (1) Two pulleys should be placed, one proximal and one distal to
      each joint. (2) These two pulleys should be balanced about the joint axis both in
      distance from the axis and in pulley height. (3) They should be positioned at the
      edge of the flare of the metaphysis. (4) The three individual joints can be
      balanced, one to another, by maintaining minimal bowstringing at all three
      joints. In this way, the relative excursion at the joint and torque at the joint
      will be maintained in a physiological ratio as close to normal as possible.

PMID- 1880374
TI  - Compression syndromes in reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
AB  - Over an 8-year period we treated 93 cases of reflex sympathetic dystrophy. The
      initial treatment consisted of long-acting intramuscular corticosteroids and
      active exercises. Twenty-two patients who did not respond significantly to this
      treatment had carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition, five had cubital tunnel
      syndrome, one had ulnar tunnel syndrome, and one had a herniated disk of the
      cervical spine. All nerves were decompressed with significant improvement in the
      patient's condition. Pain was relieved in all except three who had mild pain.
      Motion of the proximal interphalangeal joint improved from an average of 35
      degrees before operation to 76 degrees after operation. Grip strength improved
      from an average of 4 pounds to 27 pounds.

PMID- 1880375
TI  - Accessory palmaris longus muscle causing ulnar nerve compression at the wrist.
AB  - An accessory palmaris muscle that arose from the base of the fifth metacarpal
      passed proximally and inserted into the palmaris longus tendon. In its course it
      compressed the ulnar nerve and vessels. It was detached proximally and folded on
      itself to provide hypothenar bulk. The entrapment symptoms were relieved.

PMID- 1880376
TI  - Ulnar nerve compression in Guyon's canal caused by calcinosis in scleroderma.
AB  - Calcium deposits in Guyon's canal secondary to scleroderma caused low ulnar nerve
      paralysis in a 70-year-old white woman. Excision of calcium deposits resulted in
      rapid alleviation of pain. After nerve regeneration, the patient's clawing
      disappeared, and she was able to abduct and adduct all digits.

PMID- 1880377
TI  - Radial nerve entrapment at the elbow: surgical anatomy.
AB  - The surgical anatomy of interest in the posterior interosseous nerve syndrome was
      studied to shed light on the ramifying pattern of the radial nerve, the number of
      its muscular branches and their branching levels, and to pinpoint the location of
      the fibrous bands that may cause radial nerve entrapment. The fibrous arch of the
      supinator muscle (arcade of Frohse) was found to lie 3 cm to 5 cm below Hueter's
      line, that of the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle lay 0.5 cm to 1 cm
      proximal to the arcade of Frohse. Symptom patterns in terms of muscle weakness
      caused by radial nerve entrapment at different levels were also evaluated.

PMID- 1880378
TI  - Radial nerve entrapment by the lateral head of the triceps.
AB  - A case of slowly progressive radial nerve entrapment of spontaneous onset is
      presented. Surgical exploration revealed compression of the radial nerve by a
      musculotendinous arch of the lateral head of the triceps. Relief of signs and
      symptoms did not ensue.

PMID- 1880379
TI  - Compression neuropathy of the motor branch of the median nerve caused by palmar
      ganglion.
AB  - We describe a palmar ganglion producing paralysis of the motor branch of the
      median nerve; such a case has not been reported previously. Ultrasonography was
      useful for preoperative diagnosis.

PMID- 1880380
TI  - Synovial histology in carpal tunnel syndrome.
AB  - This study investigates the relationship between idiopathic carpal tunnel
      syndrome and tenosynovial histology, specifically inflammation. Tenosynovial
      biopsy specimens from 177 wrists were obtained from patients at carpal tunnel
      release, and a control group of 19 specimens was also obtained. Inflammation was
      present in only 10% of the patient specimens and was correlated with only one of
      the clinical and histologic factors studied, i.e., nerve conduction impairment.
      Edema, observed frequently (85%), was not correlated with inflammation. Vascular
      sclerosis was also found consistently (98%) and was correlated with patient age
      and degree of edema. Edema and vascular sclerosis occurred with significantly
      greater frequency and severity in the specimens of patients than in the control
      group. Fibrosis (3%) and synovial hyperplasia (1%) were uncommon findings. It is
      concluded that tenosynovitis is uncommon in patients undergoing surgery for
      treatment of idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.

PMID- 1880381
TI  - A method of removing threaded external fixation pins from bone.

PMID- 1880382
TI  - Quick fixation of skin grafts.

PMID- 1880383
TI  - Method of tendon labeling in forearm injuries.

PMID- 1880384
TI  - Digital sheath excision.

PMID- 1880385
TI  - Partial purification and characterization of a soluble acid phosphatase from the
      tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta.
AB  - An acid phosphatase activity (APA; EC 3.1.3.2) was demonstrated in homogenates of
      adult Hymenolepis diminuta. The APA was soluble based on the observation that it
      did not sediment at 130,000 g. APA was partially purified using a combination of
      differential centrifugation, ammonium sulphate precipitation, chloroform
      extraction, and gel and fast-protein-liquid-chromatography. This combination of
      techniques resulted in a preparation with a specific activity approximately 500
      times greater than the crude enzyme preparation. The temperature and pH optima of
      the partially purified APA were 44 degrees C and pH 5.0. The enzyme appeared to
      be a monomer with a molecular weight of approximately 62,000. APA had a higher
      affinity for a greater activity towards aromatic than aliphatic phosphoesters,
      and phosphoryl transferase activity was demonstrable using 1-butanol and ethylene
      glycol as acceptors. APA was inhibited significantly by sodium dodecyl sulphate,
      fluoride, molybdate and tartrate, but CuSO4 and Fast Garnet GBC were poor
      inhibitors. The precise cellular localization and function of this enzyme remains
      unknown since it possesses characteristics of both cytoplasmic and lysosomal
      APA's of other organisms.

PMID- 1880386
TI  - Nonspecific immunomodulation influences resistance of mice to experimental
      infection with Mesocestoides corti and Ascaris suum.
AB  - The influence of nonspecific immunomodulation on the course of experimental
      infection was examined in larval cestodosis (Mesocestoides corti) and ascaridosis
      (Ascaris suum) in mice. Immunosuppressive treatment (with azathioprine or
      hydrocortisone) resulted in a decrease of resistance in both models. The
      subsequent administration of T-activin to immunosuppressed mice led to the
      restoration of resistance to a level equal to that of untreated control mice. The
      administration of different immunomodulators partially protected mice against M.
      corti (T-activin, thymomodulin) or A. suum (T-activin, thymomodulin, thymosin
      fr.5, bursa-activin) infection. The protective effect of different treatments did
      not correlate with the level of specific antibody in the sera of infected mice.
      These results, which confirmed the decisive role of T-cell immunity in the
      resistance to the helminth infections, raise the possibility of the use of
      immunomodulators (thymic preparations) in the immunoprophylaxis of helminthoses.

PMID- 1880387
TI  - In vitro effect of larval stages of Ascaris lumbricoides on human blood clotting.
AB  - The effects of larval stages of Ascaris lumbricoides on human blood clotting was
      studied in vitro. Extracts and excretory/secretory products of third-stage larvae
      (L3) and late third-stage larvae (LL3) cultured from ova obtained from infected
      patients were analysed for anti-coagulant activity. Prothrombin time (PT) was
      prolonged by the addition of either whole extract of L3/LL3 or ES products of
      L3/LL3 as compared to controls. Partial thromboplastin time with kaolin (PTTK)
      was also prolonged on the addition of either extracts of ES products of L3/LL3.
      The prolongation of PTTK was significantly higher with extracts/ES products of L3
      when compared to the extracts/ES products of LL3 (p less than 0.005). Thrombin
      time (TT) was prolonged by extracts of L3/LL3 and their ES products.

PMID- 1880388
TI  - Factors influencing the egg production of Ascaris lumbricoides: relationship to
      weight, length and diameter of worms.
AB  - Fifty children aged 6 to 13 years and infected with Ascaris lumbricoides were
      selected for the study. The number of eggs laid daily by a female Ascaris
      increased with increase in its length, weight and diameter. Female worms became
      mature and started laying eggs when they reached a length of 118 mm. Adult female
      worms measuring 3.7 mm or more in diameter were found to be mature. The minimum
      weight of a worm producing eggs was 1.1 g. On average the number of eggs produced
      by the female decreased with increase in the worm load.

PMID- 1880389
TI  - The effect of praziquantel on the ultrastructure of Schistosoma margrebowiei.
AB  - The effect of various concentrations of praziquantel at different time intervals
      post-treatment on the ultrastructure of Schistosoma margrebowiei using scanning
      and transmission electron microscopy has been examined. The major changes
      involved blebbing of the entire surface tegument of both sexes (although more
      marked in males) together with vacuolation of the basal membrane accompanied by
      the development of membraneous whorls. These effects were progressively more
      marked with increased concentration and time of exposure resulting in severe
      erosion of the tubercles and collapse of the sensory organelles. Exposure of the
      underlying tegumental tissue resulted and paralysis and contraction of the
      suckers and neck region was apparent. Disruption of the subtegumental musculature
      and the appearance of vacuolation and membraneous whorl formation were seen. The
      gastrodermis was similarly affected and the S4 cells of the vitelline gland
      showed protein disruption of the vitelline droplets. Host cells were seen
      adhering to the surface of the worms following drug treatment and the synergism
      between PZQ and the action of the hosts immune system has been discussed.

PMID- 1880390
TI  - A study of an outbreak of schistosomiasis in two resettlement villages near
      Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
AB  - Frequent reports of haematuria among resettlers at Ibaro and Abule-titun located
      close to a newly constructed reservoir, 20 km north-west of Abeokuta, Ogun State,
      Nigeria, prompted a pre-control survey to assess age and sex distribution of
      urinary schistosomiasis in the communities. 210 persons were examined at Ibaro
      and 145 at Abule-titun between April 1988 and February 1989. Overall prevalence
      was about 80% in both villages, and all age and sex groups examined were
      affected. The pattern of infection in both villages was similar, prevalence being
      high in all age and sex groups, and, unlike most endemic communities, the rate of
      infection was not significantly higher among the 5-14 year age groups. Intensity
      of infection was also high in all age and sex groups with mean range egg output
      of between 73 +/- 73 and 2016 +/- 3875 ova/10ml urine at Ibaro and between 231 +/
      122 and 1340 +/- 1786 ova/10ml urine at Abule-titun. This is attributed to an
      occupation-related high rate of human water contact in both villages.

PMID- 1880391
TI  - Evidence for selective differences in single-band polytene chromosome
      polymorphism in Sciara ocellaris.
AB  - Sciara ocellaris (Bradysia tritici) is a dipteran species characterized by an
      extensive polymorphism of structural modifications of single bands occurring in
      the polytene chromosomes. In this experiment we obtained estimates of egg-to
      adult viabilities in relation to the genotypes determined by 15 different loci.
      In spite of the presence of considerable levels of linkage disequilibrium
      possibly generated by random sampling genetic drift, it is suggested that at
      least one out of 15 polymorphic modified chromomeric loci is maintained in the
      population by an overdominance mechanism.

PMID- 1880392
TI  - Reappraisal of the genetic map of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
AB  - In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we have found that linkage groups XII and XIII
      define only a single linkage group and that linkage groups XVI and XVII also
      define a single linkage group. The interdigitation of the genetic maps of linkage
      groups XII and XIII and of XVI and XVII is presented. At present, 17 linkage
      groups that display Mendelian segregation have been identified in C. reinhardtii.

PMID- 1880393
TI  - Pollen migration in predominantly self-fertilizing plants: barley.
AB  - In barley, a heavily self-fertilizing species (approximately 99%), most
      outcrosses occur between plants that grow closely adjacent to each other.
      Outcrosses have been detected only rarely between plants that are separated by a
      meter or more. In this article we present evidence that outcrosses can occur at
      distances up to 60 m and we discuss the implications of this longer-distance
      pollen migration on the maintenance of the genetic integrity of pedigreed stocks
      and experimental populations.

PMID- 1880394
TI  - The chromosomes of three species of the Montium subgroup of Drosophila.
AB  - Chromosomes of Drosophila truncata, D. nagarholensis, and D. agumbensis of the
      montium subgroup were analyzed to record the divergence attained at the level of
      metaphase complement and the extent of inversion polymorphism. Results are
      presented in this article.

PMID- 1880395
TI  - Assignment of two enzyme loci to the X chromosome of Anopheles quadrimaculatus
      species A.
AB  - Analysis of isozyme variability in four natural populations of Anopheles
      quadrimaculatus Species A indicated that the loci for Malic enzyme (Me) and
      Mannose phosphate isomerase-1 (Mpi-1) are on the X chromosome. There were female
      heterozygotes, but no male heterozygotes were observed. Strains fixed for fast-
      and slow-migrating allozymes were devised and crossed. Progeny phenotypes
      conformed to expectations for sex linkage; female progeny were heterozygous, and
      male progeny were hemizygous for the maternal allele. The three-point cross,
      using the Me and Mpi-1 loci with the sex-linked mutant rose eye (ro), established
      the gene sequence Mpi-1-11.1-Me-40.8-ro.

PMID- 1880396
TI  - Two doses of the paternal Tme gene do not compensate the lethality of the Thp
      deletion.
AB  - The hairpin-tail (Thp) deletion in chromosome 17 is lethal when it is inherited
      from the mother, whereas heterozygotes with Thp deletion that is paternal in
      origin are viable. The lethal effect of maternal Thp is due to a deficiency of
      the Tme gene that is located in the Thp-deleted region. In this article we
      describe analysis of the viability of mice with tertiary trisomy of chromosome
      17, Ts(17(16]43H, with different doses of the paternal and maternal Tme alleles.
      We demonstrate that the presence of an additional copy of the region with the Tme
      gene in the female gamete entirely compensates maternal Thp lethality. We failed
      to compensate the absence of the Tme gene from the chromosome of maternal
      derivation by two doses of Tme derived from the father. Thus evidence was
      obtained indicating that there are significant differences between the activities
      of the paternal and maternal alleles of the Tme gene due to chromosome
      imprinting.

PMID- 1880397
TI  - COMPVAR: a computer program for iteratively estimating components of variance in
      crossbreeding experiments.

PMID- 1880398
TI  - A canon, a choirboy, and homosexuality in late sixteenth-century Italy: a case
      study.
AB  - Documents in the Archivio di Stato of Florence allow for the reconstruction of a
      case of clerical sodomy involving a canon and a choirboy of the Church of Our
      Lady of Loreto in the year 1570. The story can be followed in detail from its
      beginning to its tragic conclusion through letters sent to the Cardinal Protector
      of Loreto and transcripts of interrogations carried out in the town itself.

PMID- 1880399
TI  - The Biblical Prohibition of homosexual intercourse.

PMID- 1880400
TI  - Thoreau's sexuality.
AB  - Although Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) has often been described as lacking in
      sexual drive or at most a rather reluctant heterosexual, a close study of his
      life and writings indicates the presence of a pronounced vein of homoeroticism-
      although there seems to be no concrete evidence of any homosexual activity on his
      part. Cognizance of that homoeroticism helps one to understand many elements of
      his life and writings and suggests that his intense love of nature may have
      resulted from sublimation of that homoeroticism.

PMID- 1880401
TI  - Factors affecting the coming out process for lesbians.
AB  - Cass' model (1979) of identity development and her Stage Allocation Measure
      (1984a) were assessed to determine their utility in describing the subjective
      experience of coming out as a lesbian and whether proposed stages could be tied
      to behavioral correlates of the Openness Questionnaire (Graham, Rawlings, &
      Girten, 1985). The process was considered in terms of a woman's differentiation
      from her family, sex-role attitudes, and levels of internalized homophobia.
      Eighty-one lesbians anonymously completed questionnaires. The results suggest
      that subjective labeling and behavior are congruent, but that rate of progression
      through stages does not imply integration of behavior. Four patterns of identity
      development were identified which suggest that relevant stages, speed of
      development, and stage attainment are characteristic of certain women.
      Intergenerational intimidation was significantly related to stage development,
      sex-role attitudes, openness behavior, and levels of internalized homophobia.

PMID- 1880402
TI  - The relation of gender and sexual orientation to measures of masculinity,
      femininity, and androgyny: a further analysis.
AB  - Data from a survey of 58 gay men and 58 lesbians are compared to college men and
      women on Spence and Helmreich's (1978) Personality Attributes Questionnaire
      measures of masculinity, femininity, and androgyny. Lesbians had higher M scores
      than college women, and gay men had lower M scores than college men, with F
      scores being similar across sexual orientation groups, within gender. Androgyny
      measures differed only by gender, not by sexual orientation. Further analysis
      shows that lesbians' high M scores come largely from their high self-ratings as
      independent, while college men's high M scores reflect strong competitiveness.
      Questions are raised about the validity of these measures for comparing these
      groups.

PMID- 1880403
TI  - WHO issues new estimates on global AIDS situation. Paediatric AIDS cases send
      estimates soaring.

PMID- 1880404
TI  - Family studies in common variable immunodeficiency.
AB  - The occurrence of cancer, immunodeficiency, and diseases with possible autoimmune
      aetiology were studied in 355 blood relatives of 12 patients with common variable
      immunodeficiency (CVID). The family members were identified through the patients
      and interviewed after completing a questionnaire, their diseases were medically
      confirmed by local general practitioners. In two families consanguineous
      marriages were identified with the coefficients of inbreeding of 0.03125 and
      0.01563, respectively: one patient, a dizygotic twin of an unaffected sister, was
      a granddaughter of first cousins, the second patient was the third daughter of
      second cousins. These cases of CVID strongly support the autosomal recessivity of
      the underlying genes. One male patient with CVID was shown to be related to a
      patient with X-linked hypogammaglobulinaemia, both sharing a common carrier. The
      different clinical courses of their diseases suggest two genetically determined
      immunodeficiencies and genetic heterogeneity. No family had an unusual clustering
      of cancer. The occurrence of tumours in the blood relatives of CVID patients was
      not significantly higher than in the relatives of spouse controls. Immunological
      examination of 30 first degree relatives of the CVID patients revealed three
      children (2 males and 1 female) with selective IgA deficiency, in one boy
      combined with elevated serum IgE level. Four relatives with rheumatoid heart
      disease, 12 cases of gastric or duodenal ulcer, and 14 relatives with thyroid
      disease represented the most often encountered diagnoses with a possible
      autoimmune component in their aetiology.

PMID- 1880405
TI  - On the clinical importance of Dientamoeba fragilis infections in childhood.
AB  - Clinical and laboratory findings among 123 paediatric patients infected by
      intestinal protozoa were analysed. Dientamoeba fragilis (D. f) was found in 102
      cases. The other patients proved to be carriers of Giardia lamblia or of mixed
      infections with several protozoa. Acute and recurrent diarrhoea have been found
      to be the most common symptoms, whereas abdominal pain was most common in
      children with chronic infections. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was seen in a
      third of the children with dientamoebiasis. Metronidazole, oxytetracycline,
      doxycycline, and erythromycin were effective drugs in the treatment of D. f.
      infections. The therapy coincidentally led to the elimination of protozoal
      infections as well as the abdominal complaints. These results underline the
      pathogenic role of D. f. in children with gastrointestinal symptoms.

PMID- 1880406
TI  - A case of shigellosis caused by Shigella dysenteriae type 1 and Shigella flexneri
      type 5B.
AB  - Shigella dysenteriae type 1 and Shigella flexneri type 5b strains were isolated
      as causative agents of bacterial dysentery in a patient having visited South-East
      Asia. Both strains are a rare finding for Bulgaria. S. dysenteriae 1 strains have
      not been isolated since 1962, and there were only single isolates of S. flexneri
      5b. The strains were of the same antibiotic resistance patterns. Conjugation
      experiments showed that resistance is determined by transferrable R-plasmids
      having identical characteristics. It is assumed that in the patient's gut
      transfer of an R-plasmid occurs from E. coli of the normal flora to the
      pathogenic shigellae.

PMID- 1880407
TI  - T-2 toxin degradation by micromycetes.
AB  - The biodegradation of T-2 toxin was studied by strains of micromycetes which were
      isolated from the environment. The 26 tested strains were divided into three
      groups. Group contains strains which degraded T-2 toxin very fast. This toxin
      could not be chromatographically determined in the medium even after 48 hours of
      incubation and the antifungal activity of residua against Kluyveromyces fragilis
      CCY-51-1-2 was low or zero. There were strains of Alternaria sp., Ulocladium sp.,
      Aspergillus candidus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Rhodotorula sp., Aspergillus
      flavus and Cladosporium macrocarpum. Group II contains with a low activity and in
      group III the results were variable and non stable.

PMID- 1880408
TI  - Some differential growth characteristics of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio
      metschnikovii in liquid medium.
AB  - Some differential growth characteristics for Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio
      metschnikovii were examined in a liquid medium with reference to pH and ionic
      strength, as well as temperature and length of incubation. The purpose was to
      discover the combination of the above conditions which would enable selective
      replication of V. cholerae accompanied by suppressed growth of V. metschnikovii.
      Preliminary routine verification of one combination of conditions which involves
      a lengthening of incubation to 22 h at a heightened temperature of 41 degrees C
      in sewage water samples pointed to the possibility of rapid and simple
      quantitative demonstration of V. cholerae.

PMID- 1880409
TI  - Bacterial isolates and drug susceptibility tests at Kaffa Regional Public Health
      Laboratory, south west Ethiopia.
AB  - A two year period bacteriological data was analysed and the frequent bacterial
      isolates from different clinical specimens included: S. aureus, 25% E. coli, 15%;
      Proteus spp 14%; Citrobacter-Enterobacter group, 10% coagulase negative
      Staphylococcus species, 9%; and other miscellaneous bacteria each less than 9%.
      The majority of the bacterial isolates were resistant to commonly available
      antimicrobial agents like tetracycline, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol.

PMID- 1880410
TI  - Latex agglutination and hemagglutination tests for the rapid identification of
      methicillin sensitive and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
AB  - Ten latex agglutination (LA) and hemagglutination (HA) kits for the
      identification of Staphylococcus aureus were compared with reference methods for
      their reliability and performance. The ten commercial kits consisted of Accu
      Staph, Bacto-Staph, Hemastaph, Staphaurex, Staph-Latex, Staphylochrome,
      Staphyloslide, Staph-Rapid, Sero-Stat and Veri-Staph. The conventional methods
      included slide coagulase test, tube coagulase test (4 hr, 24 hr), thermonuclease
      and growth on mannitol salt agar (MSA). A total of 583 clinical isolates of
      staphylococci were used and all the kits correlated well with the conventional
      methods (93.1-99.4% sensitivity) in their ability to identify both methicillin
      sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Although all were
      rapid, easy to perform and simple to interpret, Staphaurex and Staphyloslide gave
      the best sensitivities and specificities.

PMID- 1880411
TI  - Typhoid fever survey in two localities in Vietnam.
AB  - As a part of multipurpose health survey of the population in Vietnam the
      antibodies against S. typhi were determined by the micromethod using
      haemagglutination test (O-antigen 9, 12) and agglutination test using standard H
      diagnostic antigen (d). Totally 292 sera were examined, 139 from Duyen Thai
      village and 154 from Mai Chau. The data on vaccination against typhoid fever are
      recorded only in 102 persons. The positivity on Vi antibodies is very high--70%
      in Duyen Thai and 47% in Mai Chau. This finding is significant according to the
      high titres in the carriers of S. typhi. The titres of all antibodies are lower
      in Mai Chau area situated in mountains then in crowded lowlands of Duen Thai. The
      level of antibodies is decreasing with age. The frequency distribution of
      antibodies by age proves endemicity of the disease in area, where a large part of
      population is infected already before reaching 20 years of age. The effectivities
      of vaccination is discussed.

PMID- 1880412
TI  - Antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in wild rodent sera in Egypt.
AB  - Specific antibodies to lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus were detected in
      sera of wild rodents trapped in different regions of Egypt. The highest
      proportion of positive sera (11.5%) was found in Sinaa Governorate of the Asian
      Continent, followed by Sharkia Governorate (5.6%) adjacent to Sinaa and Giza
      Governorate (1.8%). In Upper Egypt, however all 610 rodent sera collected in
      Aswan, Red sea Pernees and New Valley adjacent to Sudan were negative. The
      highest percentage of positive sera was in Rattus rattus frugivorus and Mus
      musculus species.

PMID- 1880414
TI  - Immunization with soluble murine CD4 induces an anti-self antibody response
      without causing impairment of immune function.
AB  - The T cell surface molecule CD4 (L3T4 in mouse) is important in the T lymphocyte
      response to Ag presented in association with MHC class II molecules. To examine
      the role of CD4 in immune function, we expressed a soluble form of murine CD4 by
      deleting the transmembrane and cytoplasmic regions of the L3T4 gene and
      transfecting the altered gene into Chinese hamster ovary cells. The recombinant
      soluble mouse CD4 (smCD4) retained the native conformation of the external
      portion, as indicated by the binding of L3T4 mAb. In vitro, smCD4 did not inhibit
      class II-dependent, Ag-specific, T cell proliferation or MLR, even at
      concentrations 300-fold greater, on a molar basis, than that of anti-CD4 mAb.
      Immunization of mice with smCD4 induced a strong anti-CD4 response. These
      antibodies showed some binding to native cell surface CD4, indicating that
      immunization with smCD4 generated an anti-self response. Analysis of lymphoid
      cells from spleen, lymph node, and thymus of smCD4-treated mice revealed no
      alteration in subset phenotypes. Also, Th cell function, as measured by response
      to soluble Ag, was not compromised. Thus, smCD4 did not inhibit T cell activity
      in vitro, and the autoimmune response arising from immunization with smCD4 had no
      apparent consequences for normal immune function.

PMID- 1880413
TI  - B cell triggering by bacterial lipopeptide involves both translocation and
      activation of the membrane-bound form of protein kinase C.
AB  - B cell activation by the lipopeptide trispalmitoyl-cysteinyl-alanyl-glycine
      (TPP), the biologically active moiety of bacterial lipoprotein, results in
      protein kinase C (PKC) translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane, as
      well as a significant increase in the activity of membrane-associated PKC that
      can be observed by in vitro incubation with TPP of partially purified PKC at
      calcium concentrations in the range of those prevailing in unstimulated B cells.
      TPP does not affect either the phosphoinositide turnover or the cytosolic-free
      calcium concentration, but promotes an increase in the intracellular pH that can
      be blocked by the PKC-inhibitors staurosporine or H-7. Moreover, incubation of B
      cells with staurosporine suppressed the proliferative response promoted by TPP at
      a half-maximum effective dose of 16 nM. Activation by TPP of PKC isoenzymes
      resolved after hydroxylapatite chromatography revealed that the resulting beta
      I/beta II isoenzyme was more sensitive than the alpha isoenzyme. These results
      suggest that TPP might mediate B cell activation via interaction with the
      membrane-associated fraction of PKC.

PMID- 1880415
TI  - Histologic analysis of T lymphocyte activation in reactive lymph nodes.
AB  - As an approach to defining the anatomic sites of T cell activation in situ, we
      have developed an immunocytochemical stain for IL-2, a T cell-derived cytokine
      synthesized shortly after Ag-induced activation. Analysis of lymph nodes from
      mice immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin emulsified in CFA demonstrates that
      the IL2+ cells appear in a perivascular location 4 days after antigenic
      challenge. After germinal centers develop, IL-2+ cells are situated in a
      parafollicular pattern. Serial sections stained for different types of APC,
      including B cells, interdigitating dendritic cells, and macrophages, demonstrate
      a close physical association between IL-2+ cells and macrophages. These findings
      may have important implications for defining how APC bearing processed Ag and Ag
      specific T cells interact in the complex environment of lymphoid tissues.

PMID- 1880416
TI  - Shedding as a mechanism of down-modulation of CD14 on stimulated human monocytes.
AB  - CD14, expressed on the surface of monocytes as a phospholipid-linked protein, is
      a receptor for serum LPS binding protein/LPS complex. It was specifically down
      modulated after stimulation of monocytes by physiologic
      activating/differentiating agents such as bacterial LPS and IFN-gamma, by the
      pharmacologic agents PMA and calcium ionophore A23187, and by anti-CD14
      antibodies. The down-modulation was almost totally blocked at 4 degrees C or at
      pH 4.5 and markedly inhibited by the protease inhibitors
      diisopropylfluorophosphate and PMSF. A soluble labeled CD14 was isolated from
      culture supernatant of surface iodinated monocytes after their activation,
      indicating that CD14 is shed from the cell surface rather than internalized. The
      size of the soluble CD14 shed from the monocytes in vitro was smaller than that
      of either the membrane-bound form or a soluble CD14 cleaved from the cell surface
      by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C, but identical to the size of
      one of the two major soluble CD14 forms normally found in human serum. These data
      suggest that CD14 shedding induced by monocyte stimulation may play an important
      role in the regulation of surface CD14 expression.

PMID- 1880417
TI  - Alpha-chains of IgM and IgD antigen receptor complexes are differentially N
      glycosylated MB-1-related molecules.
AB  - The major B cell Ag receptors, membrane (m) IgM and mIgD, are noncovalently
      associated with disulfide-linked heterodimers of alpha, beta, and gamma
      glycoproteins. The beta and gamma chains have apparent molecular masses of 37 and
      34 kDa, respectively, and are associated with both mIgM and mIgD. Receptor alpha
      chains, however, exhibit Ig isotype specificity. IgM-alpha and IgD-alpha have
      apparent molecular masses of 32 and 33 kDa, respectively. Recently, the alpha
      chain of the IgM Ag receptor complex was identified as the product of the mb-1
      gene, and the beta and gamma chains were characterized as products of the B29
      gene. The failure of mb-1 cDNA to hybridize with mRNA from J558 delta m2.6
      plasmacytomas expressing surface mIgD in association with IgD-alpha has led to
      the conclusion that IgM-alpha and IgD-alpha are not closely related. In this
      report we have used protein biochemical methods to characterize differences in
      the mIgM- and mIgD-associated alpha chains. In addition to a slightly greater
      apparent m.w., IgD-alpha was slightly more acidic than IgM-alpha. The alpha
      chains had nearly identical proteolytic peptide maps, and were also noted to have
      multiple loci of identity with MB-1 based on amino terminal sequencing and
      immunoblotting. In an attempt to determine whether the alpha chains differed as a
      result of differential posttranslational modification, they were compared after
      deglycosylation with N-glycanase. The results indicate that the apparent m.w. as
      well as isoelectric point differences are primarily due to differential N-linked
      glycosylation. These studies indicate that IgM-alpha and IgD-alpha are products
      of the mb-1 gene or closely related genes.

PMID- 1880418
TI  - Expression of stress proteins in human mononuclear phagocytes.
AB  - The heat shock/stress response is characterized by the induction of several
      highly evolutionarily conserved proteins during thermal stress, chemical stress,
      or glucose starvation. It has recently been recognized that members of the stress
      protein family are synthesized constitutively and subserve functions that are
      critical to protein folding during intracellular transport. In this study we
      examined the expression of heat shock/stress proteins in human mononuclear
      phagocytes, cells dependent on intracellular transport for Ag processing, Ag
      presentation, generation of reactive oxygen intermediates, and secretion of
      proinflammatory and antiinflammatory polypeptides. The results indicate that
      there are distinct patterns in expression of individual members of the highly
      homologous SP70, SP90, and ubiquitin gene families during different stress
      states. There is a marked increase in expression of the heat-inducible form of
      SP70 and SP90 in human monocytes during heat shock. Expression of GRP 78/BiP and
      GRP 94 increases predominantly during glucose starvation but also increases
      during heat shock. Ubiquitin gene expression increases during both heat shock and
      glucose starvation. There is no change in synthesis of the constitutive form of
      SP 70 or of the ubiquitin activating enzyme E1 during heat shock or glucose
      starvation. Synthesis of the constitutive form of SP 70 and novel SP 90-like
      polypeptides increase during endotoxin-mediated inflammatory activation. One
      intracellular transport process of the mononuclear phagocyte, secretion of
      specific proinflammatory and antiinflammatory polypeptides, is affected by
      glucose starvation and by heat shock.

PMID- 1880419
TI  - Mast cells are critical for the production of leukotrienes responsible for
      neutrophil recruitment in immune complex-induced peritonitis in mice.
AB  - Mast cells are secretory cells strategically located in the vicinity of blood
      vessels where they can readily initiate and modulate various inflammatory
      processes, including plasma exudation and leukocyte infiltration. We have
      previously shown that 50% of the neutrophil influx during immune complex
      peritonitis in mice is due to mast cells. Eicosanoids are important mediators of
      various inflammatory processes including neutrophil infiltration. The possibility
      that mast cells are essential for the production of leukotrienes (LT) involved in
      the elicitation of neutrophils in immune complex peritonitis was investigated in
      mast cell-deficient, WBB6F1-W/WV, and normal, WBB6F(1-)+/+, mice. The time course
      and amounts of immunoreactive PGE2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, and TX3B2 released into
      the peritoneal exudates were similar in both sets of mice. LTB4 and LTC4 levels,
      however, were twofold higher in +/+ than in W/WV mice 2 h after stimulation. HPLC
      analysis of the peritoneal exudate confirmed the presence of leukotrienes. The 5
      lipoxygenase inhibitor A-63162 blocked leukotriene production in a dose-dependent
      manner in both sets of mice. However, this compound caused a significant
      reduction (60%) of neutrophil infiltration only in WBB6F(1-)+/+ but not in the
      mast cell-deficient mice. Mast cell reconstitution of WBB6F1-W/WV mice restored
      the effect of A-63162 on PMN recruitment. These data suggest that mast cells in
      the vicinity of blood vessels are important for the synthesis of leukotrienes
      responsible for PMN recruitment.

PMID- 1880420
TI  - L-arginine-dependent macrophage effector functions inhibit metabolic activity of
      Mycobacterium leprae.
AB  - Recently, L-arginine has been shown to be a necessary substrate for murine
      activated macrophage-mediated tumor cytostasis and microbiostasis of certain
      fungi, bacteria, and intracellular protozoa. We report here the effects of the L
      arginine-dependent pathway of activated mouse macrophages (MO) on the obligate
      intracellular prokaryote, Mycobacterium leprae. Due to the inability to culture
      M. leprae in vitro, a simple, quantitative assay was employed to measure the
      metabolism/viability of M. leprae released from MO: the metabolic capacity of M.
      leprae to oxidize 14C-palmitic acid to 14CO2. Murine normal MO or MO activated in
      vitro with IFN-gamma or in vivo by injection with Corynebacterium parvum were
      infected with viable M. leprae freshly harvested from the footpads of nu/nu mice.
      Activated MO strikingly inhibited the metabolism of M. leprae; however, in L
      arginine-free medium or in medium containing L-arginase, the inhibitory effects
      of activated MO on M. leprae metabolism were abolished. The competitive inhibitor
      of L-arginine, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, also blocked the inhibitory effects of
      activated MO for M. leprae, but the addition of supplemental L-arginine overcame
      the NG-monomethyl-L-arginine-induced block. Furthermore, in the culture
      supernatants, the levels of NO2-, an end product of L-arginine degradation, were
      directly proportional to the ability of the activated MO to inhibit M. leprae
      metabolism. These data present five lines of evidence that suggest that activated
      MO utilize the L-arginine-dependent pathway to cope with M. leprae.

PMID- 1880421
TI  - Mouse NKR-P1. A family of genes selectively coexpressed in adherent lymphokine
      activated killer cells.
AB  - NK cells are a subpopulation of large granular lymphocytes. They are able to
      recognize and lyse a wide variety of virally infected or neoplastic target cells
      without previous sensitization or MHC restriction. The molecules involved in
      target recognition and subsequent triggering of the killing process are still
      undefined. Recently, a 30-kDa protein highly expressed on rat NK cells and
      capable of mediating transmembrane signaling was identified and the gene coding
      for it cloned and sequenced. To better understand the role of this protein in NK
      cell-mediated cytotoxicity, we cloned its mouse homologue by cross-hybridization
      of the rat gene to a cDNA library generated from highly purified mouse lymphokine
      activated NK cells. Three messages, differing in size and sequence and encoded by
      different genes, are specifically cotranscribed in mouse NK cells. The protein
      products of this gene family express the lectin-like motif characteristic of type
      II transmembrane molecules. Both the rat and mouse proteins have conserved
      tyrosine and serine residues in their cytoplasmatic portion that are potential
      phosphorylation sites. They also share a sequence that could be the binding site
      of the P56lck tyrosine kinase. These observations are consistent with the
      signaling function hypothesized for these proteins.

PMID- 1880422
TI  - An enzyme immunoassay for human defensins.
AB  - We developed and optimized an enzyme immunoassay for human neutrophil defensins,
      cationic cysteine-rich peptides that participate in host defense and
      inflammation. The assay utilizes a sandwich design with a monoclonal capture
      antibody and a biotinylated monoclonal detecting antibody. Cetrimonium bromide is
      employed to obviate non-specific binding of defensins to surfaces. The assay has
      a sensitivity of 0.04-0.05 ng/ml and a working range of 0.05-10 ng/ml.

PMID- 1880423
TI  - pH sensitive liposomes provide an efficient means of sensitizing target cells to
      class I restricted CTL recognition of a soluble protein.
AB  - Exogenous antigens are normally endocytosed and enter the class II pathway of
      processing and presentation. It had been shown earlier that soluble antigen could
      be introduced into the class I pathway of processing and presentation by osmotic
      loading. In this report, we have demonstrated that OVA containing liposomes that
      destabilize on exposure to low pH, referred to as pH sensitive liposomes, could
      sensitize target cells to lysis by class I MHC-restricted OVA-specific CTL.
      However, OVA-containing pH insensitive liposomes, native OVA, or OVA subjected to
      the same protocol as was used to make the liposomes, failed to sensitize targets
      to OVA-specific CTL lysis. The pH sensitive liposomal approach was less toxic and
      more efficient (about 20-fold) in delivering than the osmotic loading approach.
      The pH liposome approach may prove valuable to study CTL recognition
      characteristics of less available proteins such as viral proteins.

PMID- 1880424
TI  - A new method of gene transfer into hematopoietic progenitors using liquid culture
      with interleukin-3 and interleukin-6.
AB  - The technique of gene transfer into hematopoietic cells is expected to offer a
      new form of therapeutics. As a result of studies on a gene-delivery system using
      granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM), a type of hematopoietic
      progenitor, we have established a technique for efficient gene transfer into CFU
      GM. DGL, a retrovirus vector containing the SV40 promoter and the neomycin
      resistance gene, was constructed and found to transfer genes effectively into
      murine CFU-GM, which subsequently expressed the neomycin resistance gene. After
      gene transfer of murine non-adherent bone marrow cells precultured in liquid
      culture with recombinant murine IL-3 (rmIL-3) and recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6)
      for 6 days, gene transferred CFU-GM in bone marrow cells were able to proliferate
      5-10-fold and the ratio of gene transferred CFU-GM to total CFU-GM reached 70
      100% from less than 1% in the liquid culture with rmIL-3, rhIL-6 and neomycin for
      6 days. Using this protocol, we have been able to obtain large amounts of highly
      concentrated gene-transferred CFU-GM for fundamental research on CFU-GM gene
      delivery systems.

PMID- 1880425
TI  - Isolation of a 30 kDa immunoglobulin binding protein from Pseudomonas
      maltophilia.
AB  - We have demonstrated that Pseudomonas maltophilia (ATCC No. 13637) possesses an
      exposed, immunologically accessible protein which binds to the Fc region of
      several species of immunoglobulins. Whole bacteria suspensions were incubated for
      18 h with purified 125I-labelled antibodies with and without added non-labelled
      immunoglobulins. The suspensions were centrifuged for 30 min and the pellet
      containing bacteria was assessed for radioactivity. Using this crude assay, the
      whole organism bound 125I-labelled rabbit and mouse immunoglobulins and the
      purified Fc portion of human IgG. All of these labelled preparations were
      competitively displaced by unlabelled rabbit and mouse immunoglobulins, and Fc of
      human IgG, as well as human immunoglobulin subclasses. The organism was sonicated
      to solubilize this immunoglobulin binding protein. Using this sonicated
      preparation, it was shown that unlabelled Fc of IgG, unlabelled mouse and rabbit
      immunoglobulins, all competitively displaced 125I-labelled human Fc of IgG in a
      dose-response manner. A partially purified protein was prepared by Sephacryl S
      300 followed by Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. This preparation was
      incubated with 125I-Fc gamma and with the following purified unlabelled
      preparations: F(ab')2 of IgG, Fc of IgG, murine monoclonal IgA, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3,
      and IgG4. All except F(ab')2 of IgG produced dose response competitive
      displacement. The molecular weight, as estimated by SDS-PAGE and Western blot,
      was 30,000 daltons. In Western blots, Fc gamma, murine monoclonal IgA, and human
      immunoglobulin subclasses, all showed affinity for the immobilized protein. Human
      F(ab')2 fragments did not show affinity for the protein. Radioiodinated
      pseudomonal Ig-binding protein showed affinity for human IgG coupled to
      Sepharose, and was displaced by unlabelled pseudomonal Ig-binding protein.
      Scatchard analysis of binding showed two binding affinities: two distinct types
      of Ig-binding proteins were obtained, a high affinity with Kd = 1.54 x 10(-10)
      and a lower affinity with Kd = 2.36 x 10(-8). This immunoglobulin binding protein
      may be useful in immunoglobulin purification or identification.

PMID- 1880426
TI  - Measurement of affinity of viral monoclonal antibodies by ELISA titration of free
      antibody in equilibrium mixtures.
AB  - The binding affinity of a monoclonal antibody (Mab) to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
      was determined by measuring, in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the amount
      of free antibody present after ultracentrifugation of virus-antibody complexes at
      equilibrium. In antibody excess, univalent binding of Mabs was observed and the
      affinity constant was K = 3.2 +/- 0.4 10(8) l/mol; in antigen excess, bivalent
      antibody binding was observed and the antibody avidity was about 15 times higher.
      In antigen excess, it was imperative to correct experimental data for the
      presence of 0.55% inactive molecules in the immunopurified antibody preparation.
      Modelling studies suggest that in the case of antibodies of increasing affinity,
      it becomes increasingly important to correct for the presence of inactive
      antibody in the binding assay.

PMID- 1880427
TI  - Purification and characterization of human immunoglobulin IgA1 and IgA2 isotypes
      from serum.
AB  - A method is described for the simultaneous purification of IgA1 and IgA2 from
      human serum. Ammonium sulphate precipitation, gel filtration and ion-exchange
      chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel yielded a partially purified IgA preparation
      which was separated quantitatively into IgA1 and IgA2 by affinity chromatography
      on jacalin-Sepharose. The IgA1 which bound to the jacalin was eluted with 0.8 M D
      galactose. The IgA1 preparation was apparently homogeneous by SDS-PAGE but
      contained a trace of C1-inhibitor and a second protein detected by
      immunoelectrophoresis. The IgA2 which did not bind to the jacalin was purified to
      apparent homogeneity by chromatography on columns of Protein G-Sepharose,
      Fastflow-S Sepharose and Superose 6. Typical yields were 95% and 58% for IgA1 and
      IgA2 respectively or 253 mg and 24 mg per 100 ml serum. The IgA1 and IgA2 were
      characterised by their reactivity with isotype specific monoclonal antibodies and
      sensitivity to bacterial proteinases. The IgA2 preparation apparently contained
      both allotypes, IgA2m(1) and IgA2m(2).

PMID- 1880428
TI  - Isolation of human complement subcomponents C1r and C1s in their unactivated,
      proenzyme forms.
AB  - We have modified a standard isolation procedure for C1r and C1s, which employs
      IgG-Sepharose affinity chromatography followed by DEAE chromatography. As usual,
      all steps were performed at low temperature and two proteolytic inhibitors, PMSF
      and NPGB, were added during affinity chromatography on IgG-Sepharose. The novel
      condition was to keep the pH at pH 6.1 during the entire procedure, where
      activation was markedly depressed. In addition, purification was improved by
      washing the IgG-Sepharose column with a buffer free of added divalent cations
      immediately prior to elution of the C1r and C1s with EDTA. The final yields of
      highly purified C1r and C1s were about 20%; little or no activated material was
      detected in these highly purified fractions.

PMID- 1880429
TI  - Construction of representative immunoglobulin variable region cDNA libraries from
      human peripheral blood lymphocytes without in vitro stimulation.
AB  - We have developed a sensitive and specific method for preparation of
      representative IgM and IgG cDNA libraries of peripheral blood lymphocytes without
      in vitro stimulation of B cells and without primer-based bias. The procedure
      involves preparation of double-stranded cDNA from initial C mu and C gamma
      constant region primers. Linkers are attached to the cDNA and nonselective
      polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification is performed with the linkers as
      primers. This product is ligated to M13 RF DNA, and selective PCR amplification
      is achieved with a nested constant region primer and a vector primer. The product
      is cloned into M13 phage. More than 85% of the white plaques are positive with a
      JH probe. Diversity of the library is confirmed by hybridization with VH gene
      probes and by DNA sequencing. A sample of 7-30 ml of blood from a normal human
      adult can yield both mu and gamma cDNA libraries. Analysis of the libraries
      yields a picture of Ig variable gene usage at the time of sampling.

PMID- 1880430
TI  - An appraisal of polystyrene-(ELISA) and nitrocellulose-based (ELIFA) enzyme
      immunoassay systems using monoclonal antibodies reactive toward antigenically
      distinct forms of human C-reactive protein.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast two enzyme immunoassay
      systems: the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which utilizes
      polystyrene microtiter plates as the adsorptive surface and the enzyme-linked
      immunoflow assay (ELIFA), which utilizes nitrocellulose membranes. The principal
      parameter under scrutiny was the denaturing or unfolding effects caused by the
      interaction of the protein with the adsorptive surfaces in each assay system.
      These effects were monitored by utilizing two conformationally distinct forms of
      human C-reactive protein (CRP), the native form of CRP and a denatured form (M
      CRP), with a corresponding panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to
      either CRP or M-CRP. The results show that the ELIFA system was less sensitive
      than the ELISA system but that the ELIFA assay can be completed in less time than
      the ELISA. Also, adsorption of native CRP to the polystyrene surface in the ELISA
      system resulted in conformational changes of the adsorbed native CRP protein such
      that M-CRP reactive determinants were available for binding with anti-M-CRP MAbs,
      whereas native CRP adsorbed to the nitrocellulose membrane in the ELIFA system
      resulted in very limited conversion of CRP to M-CRP reactive epitopes. These
      results have important implications for development of immunoassays and screening
      of MAbs for proteins whose conformations may be affected by adsorption to various
      surfaces.

PMID- 1880431
TI  - A sensitive and efficient induction system for murine IgE. Single cell analysis
      at the clonal level.
AB  - A culture system is described which permits the analysis of IgE expression by
      single murine cells within clones of B cells. The system is based on the use of a
      CB5.1 stroma cell line as a feeder which optimally supports the IL-4-induced
      switch to IgE of LPS-stimulated B cells in culture. In this system 100 U/ml IL-4
      induces the switch to IgE, in 3-5% of B cells and the switch frequency to IgG1
      was as high as 2%. Five ng IgE or 12 ng IgG1 were produced per clone containing
      on average 13-15 PFC. The detection of single IgE secreting B cells was possible
      due to two newly developed, highly specific rat anti-mouse IgE antibodies used in
      a sandwich-ELISA. The frequency of IgE-secreting B cells was enhanced 2.5 times
      when the fibroblastoid CB5.1 cells rather than thymocytes were used as feeder
      cells. CB5.1 cells supported the differentiation of B cells to IgM-PFC almost as
      well as rat thymocytes (which have, to date, been used as the standard feeder
      layer) whereas the amount of secreted IgG1 was about 3 times lower than in
      thymocyte cultures. Optimal switching to IgE occurred at concentrations of IL-4
      which were 10-fold lower than that required for IgG1 expression, a situation
      quite opposite to that observed in the rat thymocyte-supported culture system. In
      confirmation of established data the switch of B cells to IgE or IgG1 occurred
      randomly. The advantages of CB5.1 cells as feeder cells are (1) the use of a
      homogeneous and defined cell line, (2) their limited release of defined
      lymphokines (IL-6 and GM-CSF), and (3) the low degradation and consumption of
      cytokine factors. The combination of the CB5.1 cell line with a highly specific
      IgE ELISA assay made it possible to analyse the appearance of IgE producing cells
      within a developing B cell clone.

PMID- 1880432
TI  - A rapid method to determine the isotype and specificity of coproantibodies in
      mice infected with Trichinella or fed cholera toxin.
AB  - A method was developed to isolate and test coproantibodies from mice infected
      with Trichinella or mice fed cholera toxin. It was rapid as results were obtained
      within 3 h, and it was applicable to a single faecal pellet. It reduced the
      number of experimental animals required 7-fold, and reduced variability, since
      samples were obtained from the same experimental animal over time. As it was
      noninvasive, it did not alter normal gut physiology, nor the course of the
      parasitic infection. The immune response was monitored over time in individual
      mice, and specific sIgA and IgG isotypes were detected for both Trichinella and
      cholera toxin by ELISA.

PMID- 1880433
TI  - Evaluation of a closed perfusion chamber for single cell fluorescence
      measurements.

PMID- 1880434
TI  - Year of girl child.

PMID- 1880436
TI  - Addiction fear increasing among nurses.

PMID- 1880435
TI  - Endoscopic surgery in its latest relevance.

PMID- 1880437
TI  - Symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
AB  - We describe the symptoms, physical findings, treatment interventions, risk
      factors, and length of survival in persons with pancreatic cancer referred to a
      palliative care service (PCS) in a tertiary care facility. Data were collected
      prospectively over a 2-yr period using a standard clinical assessment tool in 39
      patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Common symptoms include pain (82%),
      anorexia (64%), early satiety (62%), xerostomia and sleep problems (both 54%),
      and weight loss (51%). Analyzed retrospectively, 82% had at least one known risk
      factor for the development of pancreatic cancer. Twenty-five people presented to
      the PCS within 1 mo of diagnosis; in this group, length of survival was analyzed
      according to the presence of specific symptoms, and a significant inverse
      relationship between the presence of dyspnea and length of survival was found. As
      there is no effective treatment for surgically unresectable pancreatic cancer,
      palliation of common symptoms should be the primary emphasis of therapy.

PMID- 1880438
TI  - Piriformis muscle syndrome: an underdiagnosed cause of sciatica.
AB  - This is a retrospective review of 26 patients with sciatica due to the piriformis
      muscle syndrome. Most patients had pain in the buttock area and sciatica, and
      most experienced difficulty walking and sitting, even for short periods of time.
      Reproduction of the sciatica upon deep palpation, either by gluteal or rectal
      route, was diagnostic. Reproduction of sciatica occurred in 92% of the patients
      upon deep digital palpation and in 100% of the patients upon rectal or pelvic
      examination. Other signs were helpful but not consistent. After the appropriate
      diagnosis, the treatment was relatively easy and rewarding. This study emphasizes
      that the diagnosis of piriformis muscle syndrome is clinical; without the
      appropriate clinical examination, it can be easily misdiagnosed.

PMID- 1880439
TI  - Transdermal scopolamine use in the control of narcotic-induced nausea.
AB  - Nausea affects from 40% to 70% of cancer patients who received narcotics to
      manage their pain. This occurs more frequently when they are ambulatory than when
      they are recumbent and may be the result of narcotic-enhanced labyrinthine
      sensitivity to motion. Scopolamine has previously been found to be an effective
      antiemetic for motion sickness. In a prospective pilot study, 9 (69%) of 13
      cancer patients experienced rapid relief of their narcotic-induced nausea when
      they used Scopolamine Transderm-V patches alone. Only two patients experienced
      side effects with the scopolamine, and in one patient, the side effects may have
      been dose related. Although tolerance to the increased vestibular sensitivity may
      occur, this was not universal. Further prospective trials are necessary to
      establish whether transdermal scopolamine is useful in controlling the narcotic
      induced nausea experienced by cancer patients.

PMID- 1880440
TI  - [Studies on 15 seropositive cases to Lyme disease using immunoperoxidase test in
      Japan].
AB  - The serological survey, analyzing sera which were obtained from Lyme disease
      suspected subjects was performed using immunoperoxidase (IP) test between July,
      1987 and February, 1989. Fifteen seropositive subjects to Borrelia burgdorferi
      have been found in this survey, and these cases were considered to be true Lyme
      disease or highly suspected for this illness. Most of these seropositive cases
      geographically occurred in northern part of Japan, and both sexes and all age
      subjects were affected. In clinical manifestations, 5 cases developed a typical
      skin lesion of erythema chronicum migrans (ECM) followed by tick-bite. Neurologic
      manifestations were found in 6 cases, including one patient who also had ECM
      after a known tick bite. Of these neurologic manifestations, 4 cases had
      lymphocytic meningitis, 3 unilateral or bilateral facial palsy, and one
      encephalomyelitis. When 8 of these 15 sera were analyzed for antibodies to Lyme
      disease with ELISA, a poor agreement of serodiagnosis between IP test and ELISA
      has been found in the course of this study.

PMID- 1880441
TI  - [Studies on the enteropathogenic mechanism of non-O1 Vibrio cholerae. I.
      Enteropathogenicity of clinical and environmental isolates].
AB  - Enteropathogenicity and plasmid DNA of clinical and environmental isolates of non
      O1 V. cholerae were examined. Results were as follows: 1). The frequencies of
      enteropathogenic strains judged by the results from both ligated rabbit ileal
      loop (RIL) and suckling mouse tests were 36/38 (95%) for isolates from overseas
      travellers, 15/15 (100%) for isolates from food poisoning, 33/44 (75%) for
      isolates from fish and sea water, and 1/10 (10%) for isolates from river water.
      2). Plasmid DNA was detected in eight of the 40 isolates examined, but the
      presence of plasmid did not correlate with enteropathogenicity. These results
      indicate that approximately three fourths of the strains isolated from fish and
      sea water are enteropathogenic, and that the genes controlling the
      enteropathogenicity of this organism probably exist in chromosomal DNA.

PMID- 1880442
TI  - [Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli O121: H- isolated from travellers' diarrhea].
AB  - A lactose slow-fermenting, non motile Escherichia coli strain was isolated from a
      diarrheal patient returning from Indonesia. Examination of virulence of the
      strain showed that it penetrated into tissue culture cells, and were positive in
      Sereny test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of enteroinvasive
      E. coli. A large plasmid responsible for virulence was also detected. Thus the
      strain was confirmed to be a typical enteroinvasive E. coli. Analysis of O
      serotype using the antisera against E. coli O1-O170 revealed that the strain had
      O121 antigen, whose antiserum is not included in the commercial serotyping kit
      for the diagnosis of diarrheagenic E. coli.

PMID- 1880443
TI  - [Microbiological characterization of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus
      epidermidis].
AB  - As a result of recent development in medical practice including use of new
      antimicrobial agents, coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CNS) that were once
      considered nonpathogenic contaminants have captured attention as causes of
      disease. The 43 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis sensu stricto and
      7 isolates of S. epidermidis from the medical staffs were characterized with
      regard to (1) their biochemical profiles, (2) slime productivity, (3) beta
      lactamase productivity and (4) plasmid patterns. Most of the isolates have an
      identical biochemical profile code. The slime production was observed in the 9
      strains isolated from pleural effusions or the tubes used for pleural drainage.
      These strains had a similar antimicrobial susceptibility profile that are
      commonly seen in multi-resistant strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
      aureus (MRSA). In addition, most of these strains produced beta-lactamase. For
      the plasmid profiling, we selected 12 isolates that possessed 5 distinct
      antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Upon agarose gel electrophoresis, 8
      isolates were shown to possess a 1.9 kb plasmid. These 8 isolates had resistance
      against tobramycin (TOB) and erythromycin (EM). Emergence of S. epidermidis as
      causes of disease will increasingly necessitate the detailed microbiological
      characterization of the clinical isolates.

PMID- 1880444
TI  - [Effects of cefixime and cefaclor on pharyngeal flora in children].
AB  - Influences of cefixime and cefaclor, oral antibiotics, were studied in 50
      children (age range, 11 months to 13 years) with pharyngitis. Daily doses of
      cefixime were 6 to 10 mg/kg in 25 children and those of cefaclor were 40 to 50
      mg/kg in 25 children. Pharyngeal swabs were taken before and after 3 to 7 days of
      the antibiotic treatment. Pathogenic organisms, such as Streptococcus pyogenes,
      Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae, were isolated in 14 children
      before and in 1 child after cefixime use. But these bacteria were isolated in 15
      children before and in 9 children, and 3 strains of H. influenzae and 3 strains
      of S. pneumoniae were newly isolated after cefaclor use. An isolation rate of
      Gram-negative bacilli, such as Acinetobacter spp., were increased after use of
      cefixime. In both antibiotics, isolation rates of yeasts were slightly increased.
      An isolation rate of alpha-hemolytic streptococci was increased from 16% to 48%
      by cefixime treatment and from 24% to 52% by cefaclor treatment. The MIC50 of
      cefixime and cefaclor against alpha-hemolytic streptococci isolated after
      treatment was higher than that isolated before. Effects of cefixime and cefaclor
      was less extensive than that of ampicillin in previous reports.

PMID- 1880445
TI  - [Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies for direct
      serotyping of enteric adenoviruses in feces].
AB  - We were prepared three monoclonal antibodies in which the monoclone 12D was type
      specific for Adenovirus 40 (Ad40), 1F was type specific for Ad41 and 15D was
      group specific for Ads. For identification of enteric adenoviruses (EAd) in stool
      specimens, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test using monoclonal
      antibodies was developed. Results of identification by the ELISA tests using
      monoclonal antibodies to EAd on 15 fecal samples in which Ad particles were found
      by electron microscopy showed complete coincidence to those of Sma 1 restriction
      endonuclease cleavage. From these results, the ELISA tests employing EAds type
      specific monoclonal antibodies proved to be specific and this was a rapid
      technique for laboratory diagnosis of EAd in fecal specimens of viral
      gastroenteritis. Fifty-eight fecal samples with Ad particles positive by EM were
      serotyped by the ELISA using monoclonal antibodies. Eleven fecal samples were
      identified as Ad40, 25 as Ad41, 1 as double infection with Ad40 and Ad41, and 4
      as non-EAd. These results indicated that Ad41 was more dominant than Ad40 during
      April, 1986 to January, 1989 in Matsuyama city.

PMID- 1880446
TI  - [T-serotype distribution of group A hemolytic streptococci in a rapidly expanding
      residential area in Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, with reference to an outbreak
      of serotype T-28 in autumn, 1988].
AB  - In the fall of 1988, an outbreak of streptococcal infections was observed at 2
      pediatric clinics in Sanda City, Hyogo prefecture. The 2 clinics were independent
      of each other; one (clinic A) was located in the down town area, in the older
      part of the city, where there is little population turn over, while the other
      (clinic B) was in a newly developed-fast growing residential district. The
      strains and the distribution of T-serotypes isolated at each location are as
      follows: clinic A; 58 strains (34.5% serotype T-4, 31.0% serotype T-12, 10.3%
      serotype T-1, and 23.3% serotype T-28), clinic B; 43 strains (48.8% serotype T
      28, 23.3% serotype T-12, 11.6% serotype T-4 and 7.0% serotype T-1). According to
      the data from Kobe City infectious disease surveillance center, there were a
      total of 102 group A hemolytic streptococci strains isolated in 1988, the T
      serotypes distribution of which was as follows: 47.0% serotype T-4, 15.7%
      serotype the T-12, 10.8% serotype T-1 and 9.8% serotype T-28. Serotype T-4 was
      dominant here, as it was in location A of Sanda City. The epidemic proportion of
      serotype T-28 found at location B is considered to be due to the fact that
      location B has very little social interaction with location A and other areas. No
      difference was observed among the different serotypes on the drug susceptibility
      test: all strains showed a sensitivity to ampicillin and penicillin G, but were
      resistant to tetracycline and chloramphenicol.

PMID- 1880447
TI  - [Serum levels of healthy adult humans and changes of IgG subclass levels between
      infected and convalescent phase in respiratory infections].
AB  - We measured serum levels of IgG subclasses in 100 healthy adult humans and 64
      patients with respiratory infections by utilizing the enzyme linked immunosorbent
      assay (ELISA). The patients were composed of 18 patients with acute bacterial
      pneumonia and bacterial infection of 9 patients with pulmonary emphysema, 27
      patients with chronic bronchitis and 10 patients with bronchiectasis. In healthy
      adults, serum levels of IgG1 subclass decreased in proportion of age increase.
      Serum levels of IgG2 rose after 30 years of age. Serum levels of IgG3 and IgG4
      showed no remarkable changes by age. In patients with respiratory infectious
      disease, serum levels of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4 decreased significantly but IgG3
      increased significantly. We also measured serum levels of IgG subclasses in 10
      patients with acute bacterial pneumonia and bacterial infection of 5 patients
      with pulmonary emphysema, 12 patients with chronic bronchitis and 4 patients with
      bronchiectasis at both infected and convalescent phases. The serum levels of IgG2
      in patients with pneumonia and pulmonary emphysema at convalescent phase were
      significantly lower than those in the patients of infected phase. Other
      subclasses showed no significant change. We summarized that IgG2 was consumed at
      the infected phase by protecting against bacterial infections. IgG2 probably has
      an important role of protecting against bacterial respiratory infections among
      all IgG subclasses.

PMID- 1880448
TI  - Excretion of enterotoxin-producing Clostridium perfringens in feces by patients
      during and after diarrhea.
AB  - The excretion in the feces of Clostridium perfringens producing enterotoxin by 48
      patients in 3 cases of food poisoning was studied during the illness and 1 and 3
      months after the onset. Patients in the first outbreak excreted such strains
      mostly in the form of spores. In the second outbreak, spores and viable count
      cells were excreted in nearly equal numbers, and about 50% of the spores were
      enterotoxigenic. In the third outbreak, the strains were detected both as spores
      and as viable count cells during the illness. In all three groups, most fecal
      samples contained at least 10(3) spores per gram. About 1 month after the onset
      of the illness, (long after recovery from symptoms), 12 colonies producing
      enterotoxin were detected from five of the 22 samples of feces obtained from
      subjects in the three groups. There were few C. perfringens organisms, mostly
      spores, in the feces. Enterotoxin was not detected in the feces. About 3 months
      after onset, colonies producing enterotoxin could not be detected from feces of
      11 of the subjects in the first group. We conclude that persons affected by C.
      perfringens food poisoning might contaminate food for at least 1 month after the
      onset.

PMID- 1880449
TI  - [Comparative studies on immunogenicity of Chinese hamster ovary cell derived HB
      vaccine and plasma derived HB vaccine].
AB  - Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell derived HB vaccine (CDV) and plasma derived HB vaccine
      (PDV) were separately given to two groups of 131 and 112 medical stuff subjected,
      and both the anti-HBs responses were observed for 24 months from the time of
      first injection. The anti-HBs positive rate at the 7th month was 97% (mean
      geometric anti-HBs concentration 588 IU/L) in CDV group and 78% (83 IV/L) in PDV
      group, and the positive rate and mean titer of anti-HBs were always higher for 24
      months in CDV group. The differences were remarkable between both the subjects
      aged over 40 years. The decreasing curves of the anti-HBs titer in the two groups
      were almost parallel; accordingly, the protective efficacy was estimated to be
      far longer in CDV. Also, the rate of non-responder was less lower (2.8%) in CDV
      group than that (15.2%) in PDV group. Above results show that CDV has a higher
      immunogenicity than PDV.

PMID- 1880450
TI  - Pseudomonas aeruginosa endocarditis in a patient with acute leukemia: probable
      etiologic role of central line-induced endocardial damage.

PMID- 1880451
TI  - [A study on hepatic dysfunction associated with rubella infection].
AB  - We had 11 patients with rubella infection accompanied by hepatic dysfunction from
      1979 through 1989. The elevations of sGOT were moderate, but sLDH levels were
      high. Extra hepatic manifestations were suspected by analysis of LDH isozymes. In
      9 out of 11 patients, the sGPT levels returned to normal within 8 weeks. But
      prolonged courses of abnormal transaminase levels were observed in 2 patients.
      One was accompanied by underlying chronic hepatitis type non-A, non-B, and the
      other was supposed to have a prolonged rubella infection. Liver biopsy specimen
      taken from one patient in the acute phase demonstrated a non-specific reactive
      hepatitis. These observations suggest that rubella infection should be taken into
      consideration in making the diagnosis of sporadic hepatitis type non-A, non-B.

PMID- 1880452
TI  - [A case of postpartum fever caused by Mycoplasma hominis infection].
AB  - A 26-year-old housewife was admitted to our hospital with a history of high fever
      after previous cesarean delivery. She had premature rupture of the membrane on
      the 41st week of pregnancy and the amniotic fluid was found to be cloudy on the
      fourth day after rupture. Therefore, cesarean delivery was performed. On the
      first day of operation, her body temperature increased up to 38 degrees C in
      spite of the treatment with Latamoxef (LMOX), 3 g/day. A sample of intrauterine
      material yielded M. hominis in pure culture. After administration of Minocycline
      (MINO) with antimycoplasmal activity, the clinical symptoms improved by the 11th
      day of operation. Sera obtained after the infection showed antibodies to M.
      hominis in ELISA study. These results suggested that the cause of this postpartum
      fever was M. hominis infection.

PMID- 1880453
TI  - Treatment of menorrhagia by radiofrequency heating.
AB  - A new technique is described for the treatment of menorrhagia by heating the
      whole of the endometrial cavity of the uterus. A capacitively coupled probe at
      27.12 MHz is inserted into the uterine cavity, which causes the basilis layer to
      be raised to approximately 50-55 degrees C whilst the rest of the pelvic contents
      remain at approximately normal (body) temperature. A major advantage of the
      method is that no special hysteroscopic skills are required, unlike the two other
      techniques currently used for endometrial ablation: the Nd-Yag laser or the
      hysteroresectoscopic loop. Also no toxic flushing/distension fluids are
      necessary, as are required for all hysteroscopic surgery. The method, however,
      does require the application of a large amount of RF power to the probe and so
      care must be taken to position the probe correctly in order to prevent any
      serious complications. Of 32 patients given a single treatment at a power level
      of 550 W for 20 min, the 'success rate' was 84% with 31% becoming amenhorrhoiec
      and 53% showing significant reduction in menstrual bleeding. However, retreatment
      is possible and by this means, combined with improved treatment techniques, an
      even higher success rate could be achieved. In two of the earlier patients
      treated at 550 W a fistula was produced at the anterior vaginal wall which had to
      be surgically repaired. The probe was subsequently modified, since when this
      problem has not recurred. This new treatment approach offers an alternative to
      hysterectomy in the treatment of menorrhagia and may offer a number of
      significant advantages over methods currently used for endometrial ablation.

PMID- 1880454
TI  - Sensitization to hyperthermia by 3,3'-dipentyloxacarbocyanine iodide: a positive
      correlation with DNA damage and negative correlations with altered cell
      morphology, oxygen consumption inhibition, and reduced ATP levels.
AB  - The cyanine dye 3,3'-dipentyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC5(3)) (concentrations of
      0.5 microgram/ml to 5.0 micrograms/ml) was shown to be a potent sensitizer of
      Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to hyperthermic cell killing at 43.0 degrees C
      or 45.5 degrees C, while exhibiting no cytotoxicity at 37.0 degrees C.
      Sensitization to hyperthermic cell killing was accompanied by an increase in
      damage to the DNA, as measured by DNA unwinding. The increased DNA damage
      correlated qualitatively with the enhanced heat killing induced by DiOC5(3). This
      correlation was better in cells heated at 43.0 degrees C than in those heated at
      45.5 degrees C. DiOC5(3) is known to affect other cellular functions. It inhibits
      electron transport, uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, and inhibits calcium
      ATPases. The effects of DiOC5(3) on oxygen consumption and ATP content were
      therefore measured at 37.0 degrees C and at hyperthermic temperatures. The
      results demonstrated that inhibition of oxygen consumption and reduction of
      cellular ATP levels played no role in inducing heat sensitization in DiOC5(3)
      treated cells, or in causing cell death in cells treated with heat alone.

PMID- 1880455
TI  - Changes in hepatic blood flow during regional hyperthermia.
AB  - The influence of liver hyperthermia on hepatic arterial and portal venous blood
      flow to tumour and normal hepatic tissue was examined in a rabbit VX2 tumour
      model. Hyperthermia was delivered by 2450 MHz microwave generator to exteriorized
      livers in 18 rabbits. Blood flow was measured in both portal vein and hepatic
      artery using radioactive tracer microspheres before, during and 5 min after
      intense (greater than 43 degrees C) hyperthermia. During hyperthermia a decrease
      in total liver blood flow was composed primarily of a decrease in hepatic
      arterial blood flow to tumour tissue. Tumours were supplied almost exclusively by
      the hepatic artery and thus total tumour blood flow was significantly depressed
      during heating. The decreased tumour blood flow persisted after the cessation of
      hyperthermia and was indicative of vascular collapse in the tumour tissue.
      Temperature differentials in tumour compared to normal tissue ranged from 5
      degrees C to 8 degrees C during hyperthermia because of the lower tumour blood
      flow. The portal vein exerted minimal influence on temperatures attained in the
      tumour tissue during hyperthermia but would have mediated normal liver tissue
      heat loss.

PMID- 1880456
TI  - Potential for localized, adjustable deep heating in soft-tissue environments with
      a 30-beam ultrasonic hyperthermia system.
AB  - Initial heating rates (degrees C/min) along parallel tracks at depths of 1-14 cm
      in a static, muscle-like phantom were determined from time-temperature profiles
      obtained with 'Helios', a 30-beam ultrasonic hyperthermia system developed by
      Varian Associates. Data were taken at a single operating frequency of 556 kHz,
      for different sets of focal plane ring diameters of the four-ring array
      applicator, different levels of transducer driving power and two different focal
      plane depths, 6 cm and 9 cm. In each experiment, at each point of temperature
      measurement, analysis of temperature versus time data over a 2 min heating
      interval permitted separation of the desired phantom heating from artefactual
      heating resulting primarily from absorption of transverse (shear) waves produced
      at phantom-metal probe catheter interfaces. The results of the studies conducted
      suggest that in a non-translating carriage mode, Helios can produce axially and
      laterally localized deep heating in soft tissues for tissue volumes of lateral
      dimension up to a minimum of 4 cm and tissue depths of at least 11 cm. The
      results obtained also suggest that Helios can produce laterally localized heating
      to tissue depths of at least 11 cm without excessive heating of superficial soft
      tissue layers, for tissue volumes of lateral dimension up to a minimum of 8 cm.
      The methodology used in the phantom studies was applied to the production of
      localized heating in the right lobe of the liver of adult pigs. Temperature
      versus time profiles obtained in the in vivo studies indicated that, for the set
      of system parameters employed, concentration of ultrasonic power at greater
      depths in the liver (e.g. 10.5 cm versus 5 cm) could be achieved, suggesting that
      Helios should be able to produce localized heating of targeted hepatic volumes
      when its operating parameters are selected in accordance with effective treatment
      planning techniques.

PMID- 1880457
TI  - Development of an inductive, non-invasive RF applicator for studying hyperthermia
      in a rat brain tumour model.
AB  - A non-invasive inductive RF applicator has been designed specially for local
      heating of 6 mm diameter tumours growing in the brains of F344 rats (144-148
      MHz). It is shown that an inductive applicator is the choice for this particular
      case. The power deposition pattern is analysed by modelling the applicator with a
      three-dimensional array of magnetic dipoles. The total hyperthermia system is
      briefly described and results of phantom and in vivo experimental measurements
      are presented. These confirm the theoretical analysis.

PMID- 1880458
TI  - Optimal power deposition in hyperthermia. I. The treatment goal: the ideal
      temperature distribution: the role of large blood vessels.
AB  - Improved hyperthermia heating systems that have flexibility in their deposition
      patterns are becoming available commercially, and even more flexible systems are
      being developed in research laboratories. To best use these devices one must
      determine how to deposit the power optimally, for which one needs a clear thermal
      treatment goal including an ideal temperature distribution. This paper presents
      definitions for these quantities, and theoretically investigates the relative
      effects of thermal conduction and blood convection cooling on them. It is shown
      that both cooling mechanisms can be important clinically, and that the presence
      of 'large' blood vessels can have a major impact on the optimal power deposition
      patterns. In particular, an ideal heating system would deposit enough power both
      outside the treatment volume in order to preheat the incoming blood to the
      desired treatment temperature, and at the treatment volume boundary in order to
      overcome thermal conduction effects. The degree to which any heating system can
      approach the ideal temperature distribution is shown to be strongly influenced by
      the size and shape of its power deposition field, i.e. its conformability, or
      ability to conform to the boundary of the desired treatment volume.

PMID- 1880459
TI  - The effect of air cooling on the radial temperature distribution of a single
      microwave hyperthermia antenna in vivo.
AB  - Canine skeletal muscle was heated with a single microwave antenna within a
      brachytherapy catheter driven at 2000 MHz. The radial, steady-state temperature
      distribution was measured with and without air cooling of the antenna, as
      produced by room temperature air flowing in the catheter at 7.5 l/min. The axial
      temperature distribution was also measured with air cooling. In the antenna
      junction plane the area heated to a given temperature increased by a factor of
      four with air cooling when the same antenna temperature was enforced. With the
      same maximum temperature enforced, the area would increase by a factor of 2.5
      with air cooling. The axial temperature distribution was not compromised by air
      cooling.

PMID- 1880460
TI  - Visualization by a matrix of light-emitting diodes of interference effects from a
      radiative four-applicator hyperthermia system.
AB  - A simple, unique tool has been constructed at a very low cost for visualization
      of the electric field distribution in a phantom exposed to radiofrequency fields
      from a four-applicator hyperthermia system. The tool consists of a thin Perspex
      plate to which light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been attached in a regular
      pattern. The leads of these LEDs have been bent in the form of dipoles. Electric
      field distributions can be made visible, because the light intensity from an
      individual LED dipole in a RF field is a function of the local electric field
      strength. The LED dipoles were arranged in a 11 x 15 matrix with a mutual
      distance of 2 cm. Experiments have been performed in a cylinder with a length of
      100 cm and with an elliptical cross-section of 24 cm x 36 cm. The cylinder was
      filled with saline to simulate the electric properties of biological tissue. The
      matrix plate was shaped like the cross-section inside the phantom, and could be
      moved to any position under the externally applied antennae. In our department
      the applicators installed form a system of four coherent waveguide radiators
      operating at a frequency of 70 MHz. Photographs have been taken from the
      distribution of the light intensity through transparent windows at the outer ends
      of the phantom. The advantage of the LED matrix is the fact that the effect of
      changing phase relations, amplitudes or position of any applicator on the
      electric field distribution can be seen instantaneously. The interference effects
      of multiple fields, i.e. extinction and reinforcement, become easily visible.
      Typical examples demonstrate the necessity to obtain the field distribution not
      only along some previously chosen lines, but in the whole transversal midplane.
      The attenuation of field strength due to the presence of the matrix varies only
      slightly from the edge to the centre of the matrix, so the pattern of light
      intensity is in good qualitative agreement with the pattern of field strength.
      The LED matrix has been very useful in the verification of pretreatment planning
      calculations, and is already used for intercomparison and evaluation studies of
      similar hyperthermia equipment.

PMID- 1880461
TI  - Flow dependence of 2-D temperature distributions induced in the perfused canine
      kidney by ultrasound.
AB  - The influence of perfusate flow rate on the two-dimensional (2-D) temperature
      distributions induced by hyperthermia in the canine kidney was evaluated.
      Localized hyperthermia was induced by ultrasound (frequency 2.040 MHz, transducer
      diameter 6.7 cm) in the ex-vivo perfused kidney. Temperatures were mapped using
      shielded copper/constantan thermocouple sensors. The 2-D temperature distribution
      of the kidney was obtained by pulling these sensors through a planar array of
      eight stainless-steel trocars inserted along its longitudinal axis. The perfusion
      system allowed for the control of internal/external organ temperature and type of
      perfusate, and it simulated vasodilation and vasoconstriction by changing the
      arterial volume flow rate. The temperature data obtained at flow rates ranging
      from 0 to 570 ml/min and power levels from 0 to 150 W showed that acoustic power
      densities in excess of 1.5 W/cm2 were required to maintain therapeutic
      temperatures in this system. Contour maps for characterizing the 2-D temperature
      distributions induced in this system were analysed with the introduction of a
      quantitative measure based on the area within a given isotherm. They show the
      effects of tissue heterogeneity, flow rate, and non-uniform power deposition.
      Time constants computed from the exponentially decaying temperatures measured
      following power off ranged from 5 to 555 s. These findings provide a basis for
      comparison with temperature measurements being acquired in the in-vivo kidney
      system. Information acquired from this system may facilitate the process of
      developing tissue-equivalent dynamic phantoms for ultrasound-induced
      hyperthermia. The ex-vivo model presented in this paper might be used to study
      the performance of alternative heating applicators, the effect of haematocrit,
      blood viscosity, and the use of vasoactive drugs.

PMID- 1880462
TI  - Attempt to induce total-body hyperthermia by whole-abdominal hyperthermia using a
      radiofrequency capacitive-heating system: an experimental study in dogs.
AB  - The effects of whole-abdominal hyperthermia (WAH), using an 8 MHz radiofrequency
      capacitive-heating system, on the intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal
      distribution of heat and on the functions of visceral organs were studied. Eight
      female mongrel dogs were divided into two groups. Five were infused and three
      were not infused intraperitoneally with physiological saline. The mean increase
      in systemic temperature during WAH was 6.4 degrees C for the saline-infused group
      and 5.1 degrees C for the non-infused group. The systemic temperature reached 40
      degrees C about 50 min after the start of heating in four of five animals in the
      saline-infused group; three of the four animals died, and in these the maximum
      temperature of the liver exceeded 43.5 degrees C. The infusion of saline into the
      peritoneal cavity may facilitate the elevation of systemic temperature. The
      effects on the liver of WAH were very marked, as analysed by biochemical and
      histological techniques. Visceral organs tolerated heating to less than 43
      degrees C by WAH alone. It appears that elevation of the systemic temperature to
      40.5 degrees C or more can be safely achieved under conditions where the
      temperature in the peritoneal cavity is kept below 43.5 degrees C during WAH.

PMID- 1880463
TI  - Hyperthermia of pet animal tumours with self-regulating ferromagnetic
      thermoseeds.

PMID- 1880464
TI  - Conceptual issues in nursing ethics research.
AB  - Empirical studies that have attempted to describe nurses' ethical practice have
      used conceptual frameworks derived primarily from the disciplines of bioethics
      and psychology. These frameworks have not incorporated important concepts
      developed by nursing theorists over the past two decades. This article points out
      flaws in the past research frameworks and proposes a synthesis of ethical theory,
      nursing practice contexts, and empirical research methods to enrich theoretical
      development in nursing ethics.

PMID- 1880465
TI  - Separating care and cure: an analysis of historical and contemporary images of
      nursing and medicine.
AB  - This paper provides a philosophical critique of professional stereotypes in
      medicine. In the course of this critique, we also offer a detailed analysis of
      the concept of care in health care. The paper first considers possible
      explanations for the traditional stereotype that caring is a province of nurses
      and women, while curing is an arena suited for physicians and men. It then
      dispels this stereotype and fine tunes the concept of care. A distinction between
      'caring for' and 'caring about' is made, and concomitant notions of parentalism
      are elaborated. Finally, the paper illustrates, through the use of cases, diverse
      models of caring. Our discussion reveals the complexity of care and the
      alternative modes of caring in health care.

PMID- 1880466
TI  - Integrity and compromise in nursing ethics.
AB  - Nurses are often caught in the middle of what appear to be intractable moral
      conflicts. For such times, the function and limits of moral compromise need to be
      explored. Compromise is compatible with moral integrity if a number of conditions
      are met. Among these are the sharing of a moral language, mutual respect on the
      part of those who differ, acknowledgement of factual and moral complexities, and
      recognition of limits to compromise. Nurses are in a position uniquely suited to
      leadership in fostering an environment that makes compromise with integrity
      possible.

PMID- 1880467
TI  - Nursing responsibility for the placebo effect.
AB  - The placebo effect is a common phenomenon in therapy and research but has
      received very little attention as such in nursing research. This article reviews
      some of the literature which shows the placebo effect, which can be positive or
      negative, is a significant force. Then it is argued that, while all health
      professionals have a general obligation to benefit their patients, nursing has a
      special, specific obligation to enhance the placebo effect, to maximize a
      positive effect and minimize a negative effect. Nursing education, current policy
      statements, and circumstances of clinical practice explain this obligation.
      Nursing research is needed to clarify the multiple ways in which the social and
      physical environment can trigger a placebo effect. As nursing expands its
      knowledge of this effect, it can begin to educate patients to the self-care
      implications of this pervasive but misunderstood phenomenon.

PMID- 1880469
TI  - Endocrine physiology and the value of case studies.

PMID- 1880468
TI  - Common morality, virtue, and abortion.

PMID- 1880470
TI  - Steroidogenesis during postnatal development in the mouse ovary.
AB  - In the mouse, follicular formation and development is largely postnatal. Changes
      in ovarian steroidogenesis during early postnatal life are likely, therefore, to
      reflect changes in follicular activity during early folliculogenesis. In this
      study, basal progesterone and androstenedione production and responsiveness to
      gonadotrophins, dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) and 22R-hydroxycholesterol have
      been measured following short-term in-vitro incubations of ovaries from mice aged
      1, 3, 5, 7, 10 or 15 days. On the day of birth (day 1), basal and gonadotrophin
      stimulated progesterone and androstenedione production were undetectable although
      a response to dbcAMP and a low level of cholesterol side-chain cleavage (CSCC)
      activity (measured using 22R-hydroxycholesterol) were present. On day 3
      progesterone and androstenedione production were undetectable under all
      conditions. On day 5 only a low level of CSCC activity was detectable but on day
      7 there was an increase in ovarian steroid production. Basal progesterone and
      androstenedione were detectable and LH, but not FSH, increased the production of
      both steroids. These changes were associated with a marked increase of more than
      80-fold in CSCC activity. Basal steroid output increased from days 7 to 15 and LH
      continued to stimulate progesterone accumulation although no effect on
      androstenedione was seen. Addition of FSH had no effect on steroidogenesis on day
      10 but significantly increased progesterone production on day 15. Ovaries from
      the mice used in these studies contained primordial follicles and stromal tissue
      on day 1. By day 5 primary and secondary follicles were present and the major
      increase in steroid production between days 5 and 7 was associated with an
      increase in secondary follicles and increased differentiation of the thecal
      tissue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880471
TI  - Studies on the testicular source of inhibin and its route of secretion in rams:
      failure of the Leydig cell to secrete inhibin in response to a human chorionic
      gonadotrophin/LH stimulus.
AB  - To determine whether Leydig cells produce inhibin in the ram, Leydig cells were
      stimulated by administering human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) or raising the
      levels of endogenous LH by an injection of gonadotrophin releasing hormone
      (GnRH). Plasma concentrations of testosterone increased in the 72 h after either
      a single injection (P less than 0.05) or two injections (P less than 0.01) of
      hCG. Plasma concentrations of inhibin were not significantly influenced by either
      one or two injections of hCG. Administration of GnRH (1 microgram) caused an 11
      fold increase in plasma concentrations of LH but did not influence concentrations
      of inhibin in either the jugular or testicular veins (pampiniform plexus). In
      contrast, concentrations of testosterone were increased by about fourfold in both
      jugular (P less than 0.01) and testicular (P less than 0.05) veins. The
      concentrations of inhibin in the testicular vein were 1.3-fold higher than in the
      peripheral plasma (P less than 0.05) both before and following treatment with
      GnRH whereas the concentrations of testosterone were 18- to 21-fold greater than
      in peripheral concentrations. In view of the difference in concentrations of
      inhibin between testicular and jugular veins, in a further experiment a sample
      was taken from the jugular vein, a vein located in the tunica vasculosa of the
      testis (testicular vein) and from a vein (spermatic vein) and lymph vessels
      located in the spermatic cord. The mean (+/- S.E.M.) concentrations of inhibin
      were highest in the testicular lymph (45.93 +/- 4.21 micrograms/l; P less than
      0.001) compared with the peripheral (4.14 +/- 0.31 micrograms/l), spermatic (8.0
      +/- 1.17 micrograms/l) or testicular (6.4 +/- 0.82 micrograms/l) plasma.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880472
TI  - Stimulation of body weight gain of the mature female rat by bovine GH and bovine
      placental lactogen.
AB  - Mature female rats (200 g) were treated for 10 days with either recombinant
      bovine GH (bGH) or recombinant bovine placental lactogen (bPL) to compare the
      somatogenic responses elicited by these hormones. The treatments were
      administered by daily s.c. injection at four dose levels (0.19, 0.56, 1.67 and
      5.0 mg/day). Both bGH and bPL stimulated significant increases in weight gain,
      but the slopes of the dose-response curves were different (P less than 0.05).
      Bovine PL was more potent than bGH (P less than 0.01) at the lowest dose,
      although there were no differences between treatment groups at the three higher
      doses. Feed consumption was stimulated more by bPL than bGH at all doses (P less
      than 0.001). The concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in blood
      plasma was increased by bGH in a dose-responsive manner and was higher than
      control at doses of 1.67 and 5 mg/day (P less than 0.05). Low doses of bPL
      stimulated increases in IGF-I similar to those with bGH. At the highest dose of
      bPL, however, there was no concomitant increase in plasma IGF-I. Nevertheless,
      the growth rate of the animals in this group matched that of the group given the
      highest dose of bGH. Receptor binding studies indicated that bPL bound to both GH
      and prolactin receptors. This is consistent with the growth data which suggests
      that bPL stimulated weight gain through a somatogenic mechanism as well as by
      another route, possibly mediated by lactogenic receptors.

PMID- 1880473
TI  - Identification of circulating growth hormone-binding proteins in domestic
      poultry: an initial characterization.
AB  - Multiple growth hormone (GH)-binding proteins (GHBPs) were identified in serum
      and plasma samples from domestic chickens and turkeys. Proteins were separated by
      sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on 10% acrylamide,
      2.7% bis discontinuous gels under reducing conditions and electrotransferred to
      nitrocellulose paper. Western blots were incubated with 125I-labelled recombinant
      chicken GH (cGH) or bovine GH and GHBPs visualized by means of autoradiography.
      In fresh samples (less than 2 h from collection to gel electrophoresis), multiple
      minor high Mr bands were evident between approximately 72,000 and 175,000. Two
      major bands were observed at approximately 69,500 and 27,500. The latter is
      consistent with previous reports for the rat and mouse serum GHBPs based on
      nucleotide sequence analysis. The minor bands were essentially undetectable after
      storage at -25 degrees C for several months, and an additional major band at Mr
      approximately 52,500 appeared. The Mr-69,500 major protein contained N-linked
      carbohydrate, as determined by a reduction in molecular size by treatment with
      peptide N-glycosidase F. Binding of 125I-labelled GH was partially inhibited by
      co-incubation with 50 micrograms unlabelled pituitary-derived cGH/ml and excess
      unlabelled porcine GH as well as ovine prolactin, but not by bovine insulin. Non
      specific binding of 125I-labelled GH by serum albumin was also observed. A
      comparison was made between these GHBPs and the hepatic GH receptor (e.g.
      molecular weight estimates, affinity for homologous versus heterologous GHs,
      cross-reactivity with prolactin, presence of N-linked carbohydrate). The origin
      and relationship among the various molecular weight species of GHBPs identified,
      and their potential role in regulation of the biological activity of GH in birds,
      remain to be determined.

PMID- 1880474
TI  - A decline in prolactin levels in amniotic fluid and decidua at term pregnancy
      after the initiation of labour.
AB  - Prolactin is known to inhibit the production of prostaglandins, key substances in
      the initiation of labour. To explore a possible role of prolactin in human
      parturition, prolactin levels were therefore measured in amniotic fluid and
      decidua at full-term pregnancy. Prolactin levels in amniotic fluid before labour
      were about three times higher than those at labour and they tended to decrease
      with time during labour. Prolactin levels in decidua before labour were about
      twice as high as those at labour. These findings suggest a possible involvement
      of prolactin in human parturition.

PMID- 1880475
TI  - Do in-vivo suppression and stimulation of lipolysis influence thyroid hormone
      levels in man?
AB  - To determine whether increases in non-esterified fatty acids alter free thyroid
      hormone and TSH levels, the effect of endogenous activation of lipolysis by
      insulin-induced hypoglycaemia was examined in seven healthy volunteers pretreated
      with placebo or acipimox. Whilst levels of non-esterified fatty acid were very
      different in the two groups, levels of free thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine and TSH
      were unchanged. Thus, within the range of non-esterified fatty acid levels likely
      to be seen in clinical practice, any effect on thyroid hormone measurements can
      be safely ignored.

PMID- 1880476
TI  - Insulin-like growth factor-I production and action in porcine thyroid follicular
      cells in monolayer: regulation by transforming growth factor-beta.
AB  - The regulation of thyroid follicular cell growth in vitro involves autocrine or
      paracrine actions of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which are partially
      suppressed by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Using subconfluent
      monolayers of porcine thyroid follicular cells, the aims of this study were to
      establish whether the actions of TGF-beta involve changes in the synthesis of, or
      response to, IGF-I. We also investigated the extent to which inhibitory actions
      of iodide on IGF-I-dependent proliferation of thyroid follicular cells may be
      attributable to the production of TGF-beta by follicular cells, as opposed to
      iodide-mediated autoregulation events. Exposure of porcine thyroid follicular
      cells in subconfluent monolayer culture to TGF-beta over a 7-day period reduced
      both IGF-I release and the incorporation of [methyl-3H]thymidine into
      trichloroacetic acid-precipitable cellular material, while preincubation of cells
      with NaI (0.1 mmol/l) for 24 h prior to the addition of TSH reduced the
      stimulatory effect of the latter on IGF-I release over the following 7 days.
      Preincubation of cells with iodide also reduced basal (i.e. autonomous) [methyl
      3H]thymidine incorporation. This effect was partially reversed when, following
      initial exposure to follicular cells, iodide-containing preincubation medium was
      immunoadsorbed with a neutralizing TGF-beta antiserum, and subsequently re-added
      to the cells. Furthermore, similar immunoadsorption of iodide-free preincubation
      medium resulted in an enhancement of the control level of [methyl-3H]thymidine
      incorporation when the treated medium was returned to the original
      cultures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880477
TI  - Binding and bioactivity of ovine and porcine prolactins in porcine mammary
      tissue.
AB  - Differential binding of homologous and heterologous prolactin was investigated in
      porcine mammary tissue. Specific binding of ovine prolactin to porcine mammary
      membranes or tissue slices was significantly greater than specific binding of the
      homologous porcine prolactin. Ovine prolactin was also more potent than porcine
      prolactin in stimulating proliferation of Nb2 cells. In contrast, stimulation of
      glucose metabolism in porcine mammary explants by porcine prolactin was greater
      than that by ovine prolactin. Differences in specific binding were probably not
      due to damage during iodination, as low concentrations of iodinated prolactins
      were similar to unlabelled prolactins in their abilities to stimulate
      proliferation of Nb2 cells. Furthermore, electrophoretic analysis of medium from
      binding reactions suggested that differences in specific binding were not due to
      proteolytic cleavage of the homologous prolactin into large (greater than 10 kDa)
      fragments. These studies suggest that ovine prolactin either binds to sites in
      addition to the authentic lactogenic receptor in porcine mammary tissue or that a
      significantly higher affinity of ovine prolactin for the porcine lactogenic
      receptor has little effect on its biological activity.

PMID- 1880478
TI  - Influence of protein nutrition on the response of growing lambs to exogenous
      bovine growth hormone.
AB  - Interactions between protein supply and the anabolic response to exogenous bovine
      (b) GH have been examined in two experiments using 28-35 kg lambs sustained
      entirely by intragastric infusion of volatile fatty acids (700 kJ/kg W 0.75 per
      day) into the rumen and the casein (600 mg (low protein; LP) or 1200 mg (high
      protein; HP)/kg W 0.75 per day) into the abomasum. Sheep received continuous i.v.
      infusions of bGH for 6 days in experiment 1 and for 18 days in experiment 2.
      Nitrogen balances were determined daily throughout both experiments and blood
      samples, from indwelling catheters, were assayed for GH, insulin-like growth
      factor-I (IGF-I), insulin and glucose. Infusion of bGH increased plasma GH
      concentration by five- to sixfold in all animals. There was an increase in N
      retention in both HP and LP animals over the first 2-3 days of GH administration.
      HP animals sustained higher N retentions (31%; P less than 0.05) throughout the
      GH administration but LP animals did not. In contrast, plasma IGF-I
      concentrations increased progressively over the first 72 to 96 h of GH
      administration in all sheep and thereafter remained significantly (P less than
      0.05) elevated until termination of the GH infusion. In lambs which received both
      HP and LP infusion in experiment 1 the increase in IGF-I and LP infusions in
      experiment 1 the increase in IGF-I concentration by day 6 of GH administration
      was significantly (P less than 0.05) greater when they received the higher
      protein intake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880479
TI  - Osmoregulatory actions of insulin-like growth factor-I in rainbow trout
      (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
AB  - The ability of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin and GH to promote
      hypoosmoregulatory ability was examined in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus
      mykiss). Following adaptation to 12 parts per thousand (p.p.t.) seawater for 5
      days, fish were given a single injection of hormone or vehicle, then exposed to
      29 p.p.t. for 24 h and examined for changes in plasma osmolarity, ions and
      glucose. Ovine GH (oGH; 0.2 micrograms/g) significantly improved the ability of
      rainbow trout to maintain plasma osmolarity and sodium levels following transfer
      to 29 p.p.t. seawater. Recombinant bovine IGF-I (0.01, 0.05 and 0.02
      micrograms/g) also improved the hypoosmoregulatory ability of trout; the effect
      being dose-dependent and greater than that of oGH. Bovine insulin (0.01, 0.05 and
      0.2 micrograms/g) had no statistically significant effect on plasma ions. The
      results indicate that IGF-I is a potential mediator of the action of GH in
      seawater adaptation of salmonids.

PMID- 1880480
TI  - Whatever happened to Medicare reimbursement reform?

PMID- 1880481
TI  - Physician attitudes and behavior in response to changes in Medicare reimbursement
      policies.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Rapidly changing Medicare reimbursement policies since 1983 have
      affected every primary care physician. This study has attempted to quantify the
      attitudes and behaviors of Ohio primary care physicians toward these changes.
      METHODS: In Ohio, 1758 primary care physicians were surveyed by a mailed
      questionnaire about their attitudes toward recent changes in Medicare
      reimbursement policies and the resulting changes in their practices. RESULTS:
      More than 80% of respondents termed most Medicare policies as "objectionable" or
      "very objectionable." Fifty percent were limiting the number of Medicare patients
      in their practices. Family physicians and physicians who perceived their income
      to have decreased and their staff workload to have increased were also more
      likely to limit the number of Medicare patients in their practices. CONCLUSIONS:
      Ohio primary care physicians have a negative opinion of Medicare reimbursement
      policies and have limited their practices significantly as a result.

PMID- 1880482
TI  - A clinical trial of the American Heart Association step one diet for treatment of
      hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Although diet therapy is the primary treatment for
      hypercholesterolemia, a trial to determine the effectiveness of the new American
      Heart Association Step One Diet (AHA diet) in lowering cholesterol has to our
      knowledge never been carried out. METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted to
      assess the plasma lipids response and adherence to the AHA diet in 120 men and
      women with hypercholesterolemia. All subjects were advised to follow the AHA diet
      for 18 weeks. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of the AHA diet intervention, there were
      modest but significant reductions in plasma total cholesterol (-2.6%) and low
      density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (-3.5%), but no further significant
      reductions were observed thereafter. Rather, there was a tendency to return to
      and even exceed baseline levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol over the
      subsequent 12 weeks, in spite of the subjects' reported continued adherence to
      the AHA diet and maintenance of weight loss throughout the entire study period.
      Nevertheless, 51% of the subjects had experienced improvement (-0.2% to -26.3%)
      in their plasma LDL cholesterol levels by the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: A
      probable reason for the limited response of the diet was low baseline levels in
      intake of saturated fat and cholesterol by participants. The subjects who were
      older and had higher levels of plasma LDL cholesterol and total fat intake at
      baseline experienced better plasma LDL cholesterol response to the AHA diet.
      Thus, practicing physicians should consider assessing the baseline dietary fat
      and cholesterol intake of patients with hypercholesterolemia before starting the
      AHA diet, since patients may already be following a relatively prudent self
      selected diet. Additional dietary gains in lipid management might well require a
      more severe restriction of dietary fats and cholesterol. Long-term efficacy of
      the AHA diet should also be evaluated clinically with periodic lipid profiles.

PMID- 1880483
TI  - Recognition of depression in patients who smoke.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Depression is a common illness in family practice and is frequently
      missed by busy practitioners. Recent studies have suggested a relationship
      between smoking and depression in the general population. The purpose of this
      study is to determine whether a patient's smoking is related to the physician's
      recognition of a patient's depression. If so, smoking may serve as a cue used by
      physicians to recognize depression in their clinical decision-making process.
      METHODS: Adult patients presenting to the University of Oklahoma Family Practice
      Residency Clinic were screened for depression using the short form of the Beck
      Depression Inventory (BDI). After each patient visit, upper level residents or
      fellows completed response cards on which they recorded their assessment of the
      likelihood of a depression, their familiarity with the patient, and whether they
      had any knowledge of a depression history. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression
      as measured by the BDI among smokers (n = 232) and nonsmokers (n = 472) was 24.1%
      and 15.3%, respectively, a significant difference (P less than .001). Physicians
      identified depression at a significantly higher rate (75.0%) among depressed
      smokers than among depressed nonsmokers (48.6%) (P less than .0001). Smokers were
      2.06 times as likely to be labeled depressed when controlling for the presence of
      a current depression, physician knowledge of a depression history, and physician
      familiarity with the patient (P less than .0001, 95% CI = 1.44,2.94).
      CONCLUSIONS: Smoking may serve as a cue for the clinician in the recognition of
      depression. Further research is needed to determine how smoking or a related
      factor may be used by physicians to correctly identify depression.

PMID- 1880484
TI  - Serum cholesterol: attitudes and behavior of family practice residents.
AB  - BACKGROUND: Given the current health promotion efforts regarding coronary artery
      disease, more information is needed about residents' attitudes and behaviors that
      relate to identification and management of patients with elevated serum
      cholesterol levels. METHODS: Family practice residents from eight US programs (N
      = 128) were surveyed in 1989 to assess their attitudes and reported practice
      patterns. Resident survey data were compared, when feasible, to published data
      from 1986 and 1990 surveys of practicing physicians performed by the National
      Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. RESULTS: The use of faculty "key contacts"
      resulted in a 90% response rate (N = 115). Both residents and practicing
      physicians attributed a high degree of importance to cholesterol as a risk
      factor. Residents reported more frequent routine screening of middle-aged men
      than the routine screening rate of practicing physicians in 1986 (P less than
      .01). Residents reported less frequent screening of younger and older adults than
      of middle-aged men (P less than .001). Residents' threshold for the use of
      cholesterol-lowering medication was lower than that of practicing physicians
      surveyed in 1986, but higher than that of physicians surveyed in 1990. Compared
      with practicing physicians, residents did not believe they were as well prepared
      to counsel patients about dietary change or as successful when they tried to help
      patients make changes; residents reported a significantly higher rate of referral
      to dietitians (P less than .01). CONCLUSIONS: Residents may need more education
      regarding screening guidelines for children and young adults. A health promotion
      skills gap may exist that explains reported discrepancies between self-report and
      actual behavior and indicates that residency educators may need to pay more
      attention to fostering dietary assessment and counseling skills in their
      residents.

PMID- 1880485
TI  - An evaluation of a whole blood prothrombin analyzer designed for use by
      individuals without formal laboratory training.
AB  - BACKGROUND: The prothrombin time (PT) test, which is the most common coagulation
      test used in the outpatient setting, has not been recommended for office
      laboratory use because it has been technically difficult to perform.
      Consequently, serious errors in patient care could occur because of an erroneous
      result. The Coumatrak (E.I. Du Pont, Wilmington, Del) now allows nontechnically
      trained office staff to perform PT tests using a fresh capillary whole blood
      sample, individually packaged reagent cartridges, and a portable battery-operated
      instrument. METHODS: Coumatrak PT testing was compared with standard methods for
      both precision and accuracy, using protocols developed by the National Committee
      for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Reagent stability and operator
      variability were also studied. RESULTS: The results produced by a trained
      technologist and nontechnically trained staff were comparable. Test results
      obtained with the Coumatrak were approximately 10% higher than results obtained
      using standard laboratory equipment and methods using comparable blood samples
      from the same patients. It was found that the capillary blood specimen had to be
      rapidly transferred to the reagent cartridge in order to avoid factitiously low
      results. CONCLUSIONS: The Coumatrak can rapidly provide PT test results that are
      clinically useful for the office management of patients being treated with a
      warfarin anticoagulant and for the diagnosis of selected disorders. The system
      was found to be easy to operate, appropriate for use by individuals with little
      laboratory experience, and was subject to few operational problems during this
      study.

PMID- 1880486
TI  - Drug interactions software programs.
AB  - The value of a computer application is usually dependent on the program's ability
      to store, rearrange, and retrieve information in a format that is useful to the
      computer user. Based on a list of drugs (input), drug interactions programs
      search their databases for possible interactions between each drug pair in the
      input list. An output list specifies pairs of drugs that potentially interact.
      Since each program uses its own information database, results may differ slightly
      among programs. In general, however, the screen menus, appearance of the
      programs, and the "extras" included in each program differ more than the
      programs' drug interactions output. The software programs tested are all easy to
      use. Each of the three drug interactions programs reviewed has unique features
      that may appeal to certain users. The Medical Letter Drug Interactions Program is
      the least costly and provides the most academic output, allowing users to view
      citations for each specific interaction. The PDR Drug Interactions and Side
      Effects software includes a side effects index that allows either searching of a
      drug, which produces a list of the drug's side effects, or searching of a
      specific side effect, which produces a list of drugs associated with that side
      effect. Drug Interactions III is the only program that allows users to add drug
      interactions to its database.

PMID- 1880487
TI  - A critical review of labor and birth care. Obstetrical Interest Group of the
      North American Primary Care Research Group.
AB  - A critical review of the literature regarding important aspects of labor and
      delivery was conducted by members of the Obstetrical Interest Group of the North
      American Primary Care Research Group using computerized searches, personal
      communication, and literature exchange between group members. Each written topic
      summary was carefully reviewed by a second group member, and a consensus was
      reached regarding conclusions and recommendations by the group. The topics
      include family involvement, comfort measures, fetal heart rate monitoring, labor
      augmentation, birth positions, and episiotomies. Each topic summary is preceded
      by conclusions and recommendations given in the order of least invasive to most
      invasive of the woman in labor. The strength of these conclusions and
      recommendations is based on the amount and type of supportive data in the
      literature and is indicated by one to three stars preceding that statement. One
      star conclusions are not well supported in the literature but reflect a family
      practice style and were reached through consensus from the group. Three-star
      conclusions are supported by data from clinical trials.

PMID- 1880488
TI  - Reiter's syndrome and HIV infection.

PMID- 1880489
TI  - Conversion disorder in an adult incest survivor.

PMID- 1880490
TI  - Enalapril-induced immunologic impairment of hepatic function.

PMID- 1880491
TI  - Developing a patient education newsletter.

PMID- 1880492
TI  - Prozac and suicide.

PMID- 1880493
TI  - 'No narcotics' policy.

PMID- 1880494
TI  - Differential diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis using rapid, fully automated
      immunoassays.
AB  - We report the development of three rapid, fully automated immunoassays allowing
      the differential diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. These assays detect HBsAg,
      IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) and IgM antibody to
      hepatitis A virus (IgM anti-HAV) using the IMx instrument system. All IMx assays
      were run in less than 45 minutes and all steps were fully automated including
      specimen dilution steps. Specimens from blood donors, diagnostic and hospital
      patients, and individuals with a variety of infectious and immune diseases were
      tested for IgM anti-HAV (n = 1473) or for IgM anti-HBc (n = 1606) or for HBsAg (n
      = 9700) by the IMx and commercially available EIA and RIA. Each IMx assay showed
      99.8% agreement with current EIA. Reproducibility in all hepatitis IMx assays was
      significantly better than that observed with manual or semiautomated assays;
      within-run and between-run % CV ranged from 2.2 to 4.8 and 3.5 to 10.3
      respectively. In 29 acute hepatitis B patients studied, HBsAg and IgM anti-HBc
      were detected in the first available patient bleed collected from 0 to 4 week
      from the onset of symptoms. IgM anti-HBc persisted at reactive levels in the IMx
      assay for 1 to 24 weeks (mean 12.1 +/- 5.3 weeks) after the patient presented
      with symptoms. In individuals exposed to hepatitis A, IgM anti-HAV was detectable
      by IMx by 40 days post exposure (average 33.5 days) and IgM had declined to
      unreactive levels in IMx for all patients by from 3 to 6 months post exposure.
      These data demonstrate the use of these rapid IMx assays for differentiation of
      acute hepatitis A and B.

PMID- 1880495
TI  - Expression and characterization of the preS1 peptide of hepatitis B surface
      antigen in Escherichia coli.
AB  - The infectious particles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) contain 3 related surface
      antigens, i.e., small, medium, and large, all of which are encoded by one large
      open reading frame with multiple initiation codons. The large surface antigen (L
      Ag) contains preS1, preS2, and S regions while both the middle and small surface
      antigens lack preS1. Several lines of evidence suggested that the preS1 region is
      involved in the binding of HBV to human hepatocytes as shown by its binding to
      HepG2 cells and isolated human hepatocyte membranes. To obtain large quantity of
      preS1 peptide, an expression vector was constructed containing a lac promoter,
      the 5' half of the beta-galactosidase gene, the Factor Xa tetrapeptide
      recognition sequence, and the coding region of preS1 plus preS2. This recombinant
      plasmid constitutively produced high concentration of a fusion protein in
      inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. When the fusion protein was treated with
      Factor Xa, a peptide consisting of the N-terminal 91 amino acids of the preS1
      region was released. This preS1 fragment purified by anion exchange
      chromatography was able to bind specifically to the isolated plasma membranes
      from human liver. Hence, this recombinant preS1 peptide can be used to identify
      and isolate hepatocyte receptors for HBV.

PMID- 1880496
TI  - Measles virus specific antibody in infants in a highly vaccinated society.
AB  - Measles virus specific antibody levels were measured in infants from 2 to 12
      months of age. The sera were tested by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI),
      neutralization (NT), and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods. The results of this
      study indicate that in the population examined, infants at an early age have very
      low or no immunity of maternal origin to measles virus-93% of the infants were
      without detectable neutralizing antibody (NT titer less than or equal to 10) at 6
      months of age, and by the end of the first year of life 100% had no neutralizing
      antibody.

PMID- 1880497
TI  - Stability of molluscum contagiosum virus DNA among 184 patient isolates: evidence
      for variability of sequences in the terminal inverted repeats.
AB  - The stability of the Molluscum contagiosum virus Type 1 genome (188 kbp) was
      studied in 184 DNA isolates from 131 patients. Variability of up to 1.5 kbp at
      both ends of the genome symmetrically was observed using restriction analysis of
      the DNA isolates and by Southern Blot experiments using cloned and labeled
      HindIII terminal DNA fragments of MCV-1 prototype DNA. The variable sequences
      were mainly confined to the terminal fragments and parts of the MCV-1 terminal
      repeats. Labeled probes did not detect terminal sequences of MCV Type 2 under the
      applied stringency. A less marked instability of the central MCV-1 BamHI DNA
      fragment F was observed within the genome coordinates 0.431 to 0.454 mu.
      Reiteration of tandem repeats similar to those described for vaccinia virus might
      explain the variability of the terminal sequences and might be involved in viral
      replication.

PMID- 1880498
TI  - Inactivation of intestinal alkaline phosphatase by inositol hexaphosphate-Cu (II)
      coordinate complexes.
AB  - Alkaline phosphatase (APase) was greater than 99% inactivated upon incubation
      with myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) and Cu(II) ions. In the absence of
      Cu(II), IHP did not inactivate the enzyme. Likewise, cupric ions alone did not
      produce inactivation. Reactions of APase with IHP plus Cu(II) were competitively
      inhibited by zinc ions. In contrast to the marked effect of (IHP-Cu) chelate
      complexes on APase activity, the complexes of IHP with either Zn(II) or Mn(II)
      had no discernable effect. Both the extent and the rate of activity loss were
      dependent on the combined IHP and Cu(II) concentration. At an IHP to Cu(II) ratio
      of 11.6, the extent of inactivation was approximately proportional to the Cu(II)
      concentration with maximal inactivation attained above 10 microM. Under the same
      conditions, a nonlinear relation (saturation kinetics) was observed between the
      pseudo first-order rate constants for the reaction and the IHP and Cu(II)
      concentration. On the basis of adherence of the data to a mechanism involving an
      intermediate whose concentration was rate determining, it was suggested that a
      ternary complexes composed of the apoprotein, the catalytic site zinc ions, and
      one or more specific IHP-Cu(II) complex [( IHP-Cu]*) may be the first step along
      the reaction coordinate. Relevant to this possibility which assumes active site
      interaction is the fact that both IHP alone and (IHP-Cu) complexes are good
      competitive inhibitors of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis under the same
      solution conditions wherein APase inactivation occurs in the absence of
      substrate. Rates of enzyme inactivation are decreased with an increase in pH from
      6.5 to 8.0. They are also dependent upon buffer type and concentration,
      apparently related to their association constants for cupric ion binding. Over
      and above such specific effects, rates of inactivation are also reduced with an
      increase in ionic strength. Depending on the ratio and concentrations of IHP and
      Cu(II) used in the reaction with APase, subsequent exposure to EDTA followed by
      assay in the presence of Zn(II) gave recoveries of activity ranging from 60% to
      100%. Both the prior inactivated enzyme (containing IHP and cupric ions) in the
      presence of EDTA and the native APase upon simultaneous exposure to IHP, Cu(II),
      and EDTA were slowly and irreversibly inactivated. Correction for this effect
      gave reconstitution of activity of the (IHP-Cu)-inactivated APase by Zn(II)
      addition equivalent to that which could be obtained by EDTA-treatment of the
      native enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880499
TI  - Reversible inhibition of intestinal alkaline phosphatase by inositol
      hexaphosphate and its Cu(II) coordinate complexes.
AB  - The influence of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) and its cupric ion chelate
      complexes on alkaline phosphatase (APase) catalysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate
      hydrolysis at pH 7.2 has been determined. Both IHP and (IHP-Cu) complexes, but
      not Cu(II) alone, are effective inhibitors of the enzyme and are of the strictly
      competitive type with Ki values in the microM range. Without added inhibitors
      present, the kinetic parameters are kcat 5.7 x 10(3) min(-1); and KM, 18 microM.
      In the presence of 62 microM IHP, kcat was essentially unchanged with an apparent
      KM of 68 microM giving a Ki of 22 microM. In the presence of an (IHP-Cu) complex
      (62 microM IHP, 128 microM Cu(II], the apparent KM was 55 microM and Ki was 30
      microM. At a ratio of Cu(II):IHP of 6.0 (372:62 microM) the apparent KM was 30
      microM and Ki was 94 microM. The inhibitory effect of (IHP-Cu) complexes thus
      decreases as the IHP binding sites for cupric ions become saturated. A high ionic
      strength environment markedly reduces the inhibitory effect of IHP. Previous
      studies have also shown that rates of APase inactivation by (IHP-Cu) complexes
      are also ionic strength sensitive [1]. The inhibition of APase activity by either
      IHP or its coordinate complexes with cupric ions is evidence for their
      interaction at the enzyme's catalytic sites. Such results thus provide support
      for an essential element of the mechanism previously suggested for the reversible
      inactivation (as opposed to inhibition) of APase by (IHP-Cu) chelate complexes,
      viz., that it may be due to a metal ion exchange reaction leading to the
      formation of a Cu(II)-substituted enzyme.

PMID- 1880500
TI  - 1H NMR studies on lanthanides substituted transferrins.
AB  - The binding of lanthanide(III) ions to human serum apotransferrin has been
      investigated through 1H NMR spectroscopy. Several well resolved isotropically
      shifted signals have been observed between 100/-100 ppm for the Tm, Tb, Yb and Dy
      derivatives. Significant spectroscopic inequivalence of the two metal binding
      sites has been revealed. Differences in the behavior of signals assigned to the C
      and to the N-terminal site have been observed upon titration with sodium
      perchlorate.

PMID- 1880501
TI  - Competition between Li+ and Mg2+ for ATP and ADP in aqueous solution: a
      multinuclear NMR study.
AB  - We used 7Li NMR spin-lattice relaxation times and 31P NMR chemical shifts to
      study the binding of Li+ and Mg2+ to the phosphate moieties of ATP and ADP. To
      examine the binding of Li+ and Mg2+ to the base and ribose moieties, we used 1H
      and 13C NMR chemical shifts. The 7Li NMR relaxation times of Li+/Mg2+ mixtures of
      ATP or ADP increased with increasing concentrations of Mg2+, suggesting
      competition between the two ions for adenine nucleotides. No significant binding
      of Li+ and Mg2+ to the base and ribose moieties occurred. At the pH and ionic
      strength used, 2:1 and 1:1 species of the Li(+)-ATP and Li+-ADP complexes were
      present, with the 2:1 species predominating. In contrast, 1:1 species
      predominated for the Mg(2+)-ADP and Mg(2+)-ATP complexes. We calculated the Li(+)
      nucleotide binding constants in the presence and absence of Mg2+ and found them
      to be somewhat greater in the presence of Mg2+. Although competition between Li+
      and Mg2+ for ATP and ADP phosphate binding sites in solution is consistent with
      the 31P chemical shift data, the possibility that the Li+ and Mg2+ form mixed
      complexes with the phosphate groups of ATP or ADP cannot be ruled out.

PMID- 1880502
TI  - Lead (II)-dithiothreitol equilibria and their potential influence on lead
      inhibition of 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in in vitro assays.
AB  - Dithiothreitol (threo-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-dithiobutane = DTT) has recently been
      used to activate 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in kinetic studies for the
      inhibition of this zinc enzyme by lead. Since the DTT molecule contains donor
      groups capable of forming metal ion complexes, its presence in the experimental
      medium used for this kind of assay may largely influence the concentration of
      lead available for the active sites of the enzyme. Before any quantitative
      investigation of this phenomenon can be contemplated, all possible complexes
      formed by lead with DTT must first be identified and their stabilities
      determined. Accordingly, formation equilibria of DTT complexes with lead(II) have
      been investigated under physiological conditions (37 degrees C, NaCl, 0.15 mol.
      dm-3 using glass electrode potentiometry. Corresponding stability constants were
      refined with MINIQUAD and ESTA computer programs. DTT log protonation constants
      have been found equal to 9.811 +/- 0.002 and 18.672 +/- 0.002. The following lead
      dithiothreitol complexes have been characterized: ML (12.243 +/- 0.063), MLH-1
      (2.391 +/- 0.061), M2LH-1 (13.285 +/- 0.059), and M4L3 (51.668 +/- 0.157).
      Appropriate computer simulations show that the interactions of the two reactants
      are indeed most significant under the pH and concentration conditions used in the
      above mentioned biological investigations. In particular, the influence of
      lead(II)-DTT equilibria on the free concentration of lead available for the
      active sites of the enzyme is described.

PMID- 1880503
TI  - Adducts of nitroimidazole derivatives with rhodium(II) carboxylates: syntheses,
      characterization, and evaluation of antichagasic activities.
AB  - Adducts of several rhodium(II) carboxylates with two antiparasitic nitroimidazole
      ligands were prepared and characterized by elemental microanalysis,
      thermogravimetry, spectrophotometry (IR, UV, and visible), and proton magnetic
      resonance. Results of elemental and thermogravimetric analyses were consistent
      with the general formula Rh2(RCOO)4. 2L (R = aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic
      groups; L = metronidazole or benznidazole). The reddish-brown color of the
      adducts as well as their visible spectra suggest axial coordination of the
      nitroimidazole ligands through nitrogen atoms. NMR spectra indicate N3 as the
      coordinating atoms. Screening tests performed on cultures of T. cruzi indicate
      that aliphatic complexes--particularly propionate and acetate adducts--were more
      active than their aromatic counterparts, the same being observed with
      benznidazole adducts in relation to their metronidazole analogues. Evaluated for
      their usefulness as transfusion prophylactic agents against Chagas' disease,
      propionate derivatives failed to sterilize T. cruzi infected blood. An oral
      toxicity assay in mice showed mild toxic effects with daily doses of 5 mg/kg for
      20 days.

PMID- 1880504
TI  - Cellular uptake and toxicity study of cis-bis(6-aminoquinoline) dichloroplatinum
      (II).
AB  - A fluorescent analog of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II), cis-bis(6
      aminoquinoline)dichloroplatinum(II), was prepared from K2[PtCl4] and 6
      aminoquinoline (AQL). HPLC of the thiourea derivative of the new complex showed
      that it has the cis-configuration. The Pt-AQL complex and the parent ligand AQL
      were evaluated for biological activity and cellular uptake, using the ciliate
      Tetrahymena pigmentosa. The complex was relatively nontoxic at the tested levels
      below 5 x 10(-4) M, but did exhibit inhibition of culture growth at 5 x 10(-4) M.
      Measurement of cellular uptake of the Pt-AQL complex demonstrated incorporation
      into the cell, with localization primarily within the vacuoles of the cells.
      Comparable measurement of the parent ligand AQL showed little measurable cellular
      uptake.

PMID- 1880505
TI  - Shikimic acid complexes of platinum. Preparation, reactivity, and antitumor
      activity of (R,R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane) bis(shikimato) platinum(II). Evidence
      for a novel rearrangement involving platinum-carbon bond formation.
AB  - The complex (R,R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane)bis(shikimato)platinum(II) (shikimato =
      the anion of 3R,4S,5R-trihydroxy-1-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic acid), I, has been
      synthesized and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The
      complex is only moderately stable in aqueous solution. Its major hydrolysis
      product, also purified by HPLC, is proposed to be a unique complex type in which
      a single shikimate group is coordinated through both the carboxylate oxygen and
      the C(2) vinylic carbon of the shikimate moiety [Pt(R,R-dach)(O,C-shikimato)],
      II. In vitro, complex I is active against L1210 leukemia and against an L1210
      cell line with acquired resistance to cisplatin. In vivo, the complex is active
      against L1210, P388, and B16 melanoma; this activity is highly schedule
      dependent. Complex II is also active against L1210 leukemia.

PMID- 1880507
TI  - Rhazes (850-923).

PMID- 1880506
TI  - Diffuse axonal injury in non-missile head injury.

PMID- 1880508
TI  - MRI in the management of suspected cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
AB  - One hundred and two patients with suspected cervical spondylotic myelopathy were
      prospectively investigated using MRI as the initial imaging technique. The aim
      was to discover if clinicians could manage patients with MRI alone, or if they
      would find a second investigation necessary. Eighty two patients were managed
      using MRI alone, 34 of whom were treated surgically. Twenty patients had a second
      investigation: a myelogram in 18 and a CT myelogram in two. This was performed in
      nine patients to exclude structural pathology in the thoracic or lumbar region
      (which was not examined with MRI), and in 11 to obtain more specific information
      about the cervical region. Only five of these 20 patients had surgical treatment.
      The diagnosis changed after the second investigation in four patients, but
      management was not influenced in any of these. MRI is a satisfactory alternative
      to myelography for most patients with suspected cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

PMID- 1880509
TI  - Single photon emission computed tomography in patients with acute hydrocephalus
      or with cerebral ischaemia after subarachnoid haemorrhage.
AB  - Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), cerebral blood flow was
      studied in eight patients with gradual deterioration in the level of
      consciousness after subarachnoid haemorrhage. Four had cerebral ischaemia and
      four had acute hydrocephalus. In patients with cerebral ischaemia, single photon
      emission computed tomography scanning showed multiple regions with decreased
      uptake of technetium-99M labelled d,l-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime (99mTcHM
      PAO) mainly in watershed areas. In patients with acute hydrocephalus, decreased
      uptake was seen mainly in the basal parts of the brain: around the third
      ventricle, around the temporal horns of the lateral ventricles, and in the basal
      part of the frontal lobe. After serial lumbar puncture, there was improvement of
      the uptake of 99mTc HM-PAO in these basal areas in three (convincingly in two and
      slightly in the other) of the four patients accompanied by clinical improvement
      in these three patients. These results suggest that patients with acute
      hydrocephalus and impaired consciousness after SAH, in contrast to patients with
      cerebral ischaemia, have decreased cerebral blood flow predominantly in the basal
      parts of the brain.

PMID- 1880510
TI  - Neurosarcoidosis--demonstration of meningeal disease by gadolinium enhanced
      magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - Arriving at a firm diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis continues to pose serious
      problems, particularly when evidence of granulomatous disease outside the nervous
      system is lacking. The commonest mode of presentation of neurosarcoidosis is with
      cranial nerve palsies. Two cases of presumed neurosarcoidosis with cranial nerve
      palsies showed clear evidence of focal meningeal disease on gadolinium-DTPA
      enhanced MRI brain scans. Although not specific for sarcoidosis, this technique
      may be very useful in aiding the diagnosis in suspected cases.

PMID- 1880511
TI  - Wildervanck or cervico-oculo-acoustic syndrome and MRI findings.
AB  - In 1952, Wildervanck described the first case of what he styled the cervico-oculo
      acoustic (COA) syndrome. This comprises Klippel Feil's (KF) anomaly (congenitally
      fused cervical vertebrae), congenital sensorineural deafness and Duane's
      retraction syndrome (deficient abduction with retraction on adduction). Since
      that original paper, there have been further reports describing this triad,
      either completely or incompletely. A further case of this syndrome is reported
      and the first report of MRI head scan findings in this condition is presented. In
      addition, the origin of mirror movements observed as part of the KF syndrome are
      discussed.

PMID- 1880512
TI  - Central motor pathways in patients with mirror movements.
AB  - Central motor pathways were investigated in three patients with congenital mirror
      movements using magnetic motor cortex stimulation. Response thresholds,
      amplitudes and latencies were normal. The projection of the corticomotoneuronal
      pathways was assessed by placing the coil over the vertex and comparing the size
      of responses in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscles evoked by
      anticlockwise and clockwise [corrected] coil currents. In normal subjects, right
      FDI responses are larger with anticlockwise currents than with clockwise
      [corrected] currents at the same stimulation strength and vice versa. In two out
      of three patients with congenital mirror movements, this sensitivity of response
      amplitude to coil current direction was reversed. The third patient with
      congenital mirror movements and a fourth patient with acquired mirror movements
      had responses which were normally sensitive to current direction. These findings
      support the hypothesis that some cases of congenital mirror movements may be due
      to abnormal projection of corticomotoneuronal pathways.

PMID- 1880513
TI  - Diurnal variation of essential and physiological tremor.
AB  - Evaluations were made of the diurnal variations of tremor power at rest, after
      fatigue and after mass loading, and plasma norepinephrine in patients with
      familial essential tremor and normal subjects. Diurnal tremor power rhythms for
      both essential and physiological tremor pursued identical temporal profiles.
      Plasma norepinephrine levels followed a congruent diurnal pattern with later peak
      values than the peak values of tremor power. Sympathetic nervous system activity
      is unlikely to be the cause of diurnal tremor power variation. The consistent
      diurnal rhythm of tremor power may affect dosage schemes of tremorolytic drugs.

PMID- 1880514
TI  - Partial, non-thrombotic, superior sagittal sinus occlusion due to occipital skull
      tumours.
AB  - Two cases are described in which raised intracranial pressure occurred as a
      result of superior sagittal sinus (SSS) occlusion by an occipital skull tumour.
      One was a plasmacytoma, the other a metastatic deposit from a Ewing's sarcoma.
      The difficulties in diagnosis of this syndrome are illustrated together with the
      importance and success of appropriate treatment. From the literature it appears
      possible that these two tumours may be particularly likely to occlude the SSS and
      the reasons for this are discussed.

PMID- 1880515
TI  - Motor potentials of bulbocavernosus muscle after transcranial and lumbar magnetic
      stimulation: comparative study with bulbocavernosus reflex and pudendal evoked
      potentials.
AB  - Motor potentials of the bulbocavernosus muscle were recorded in 17 healthy
      subjects after transcranial and lumbar magnetic stimulation. The latencies (SD)
      were respectively: 22.9 (1.8) and 5.9 (0.4) ms. The central conduction time was
      17.0 (2.5) ms. The bulbocavernosus reflex presented an onset at 34.5 (3.3) ms and
      a negative peak at 43.1 (3.9) ms. The cortical pudendal evoked potential was W
      shaped: the first peak had a latency of 35.4 (2.8) ms. The concurrent recording
      of motor potentials, bulbocavernosus reflex, pudendal evoked potentials gives a
      measure of peripheral and central, afferent and efferent neurological pathways
      related to pudendal nerve function.

PMID- 1880516
TI  - Graded assessment and classification of impaired temperature sensibility in
      patients with diabetic polyneuropathy.
AB  - Thermal sensibility was quantitatively assessed in the feet of 46 diabetic
      patients. In subjects with sensibility deficits the perception threshold for
      warmth or cold, or of heat pain, was either increased or lost. Four stages of
      impaired thermal sensibility were defined, and a classification of dysfunction is
      proposed which could be useful in routine clinical examination of patients with
      diabetic polyneuropathy. The classification of impaired thermal sensibility
      correlated significantly with the results of a bedside screening examination
      aimed at describing the severity of the polyneuropathy in terms of its regional
      extent.

PMID- 1880517
TI  - Dementia presenting with aphasia: clinical characteristics.
AB  - Dementia, a disorder of multiple cognitive functions, may atypically present as
      an aphasia. The clinical characteristics are reported of 13 patients with up to
      14 years of progressive language impairment before developing dementia. In
      reviewing the literature, it was found that these patients were similar to those
      reported with progressive aphasia. It is concluded that dementia may present with
      an anomic, dysfluent language disorder due to the focal left sylvian onset of
      several dementing illnesses.

PMID- 1880518
TI  - The neuropsychological sequelae of attempted hanging.
AB  - Only one report on the neuropsychological sequelae of attempted hanging exists in
      the English language. Two cases of attempted hanging with subsequent isolated
      memory deficits are reported. Possible mechanisms for induction of this amnesia
      are discussed. In these two cases it is most likely that circulatory disturbance
      produced by the ligatures caused ischaemic hippocampal damage, which in turn led
      to amnesia.

PMID- 1880519
TI  - Different types of skew deviation.
AB  - Although all manifest skew deviations appear the same for the clinician, skew
      deviation can result from different combinations of dysconjugate vertical ocular
      deviations. Evidence is presented for three different types of skew deviation
      when it occurs as a feature of an ocular tilt reaction. In type 1 (utricle) there
      is upward deviation of both eyes with different amplitudes, as described for
      otolith Tullio phenomenon in humans. In Type 2 (dorsolateral medulla oblongata)
      hypertropia of one eye occurs while the other eye remains in the primary
      position, the hypothetical mechanism of skew deviation in Wallenberg's syndrome.
      In Type 3 (midbrain tegmentum) there is simultaneous hypertropia of one eye and
      hypotropia of the other eye, as described for electrical stimulation of midbrain
      tegmentum in monkeys and observed in clinical cases with a paroxysmal ocular tilt
      reaction.

PMID- 1880520
TI  - Post-traumatic syringomyelia following uncomplicated spinal fracture.
AB  - Two cases of post-traumatic syringomyelia presenting 10 and 41 years after spinal
      injuries that had caused lumbar vertebral fractures but no lasting neurological
      deficits are reported. In both patients the caudal end of the syrinx cavities, as
      shown by MRI, corresponded to the level of the previous vertebral fractures.
      Patients presenting with post-traumatic syringomyelia after uncomplicated spinal
      fracture are very rare, and the significance of the past history of spinal trauma
      may be overlooked.

PMID- 1880522
TI  - Shunt failure caused by valve collapse.
AB  - Shunt failure due to collapse of the Mini-Holter valve was observed 13 times in
      11 out of 179 children with an implanted Mini-Holter ventriculo-peritoneal (VP)
      or ventriculo-atrial (VA) shunt during a 10 year period. Intussusception of the
      proximal or distal end of the valve thus caused a shunt failure rate of 6% of the
      children in this series. Two children experienced this complication twice. All
      collapsed valves were part of a VP shunt system. Because of this experience use
      of the mini valve was abandoned and an adult Holter valve was implanted in
      children over the age of one month. Breakdown of this particular valve has not
      occurred in 102 children and two hundred adults with the adult Holter shunt
      system.

PMID- 1880521
TI  - Allele frequencies of the third component of complement (C3) in MS patients.
AB  - No difference was found in the allele frequency of C3 (third component of
      complement) in 129 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients compared with both 69
      controls or with similar reported controls from the published literature. An
      association cannot be confirmed between C3 and MS.

PMID- 1880523
TI  - Trapezius muscle atrophy after whiplash injury: accessory nerve or cervical
      plexus lesion?

PMID- 1880524
TI  - Cysticercus immunoblot assay in Indian patients with single small enhancing CT
      lesions.

PMID- 1880525
TI  - Chronic hemidystonia following acute dystonic reaction to thiethylperazine.

PMID- 1880526
TI  - Bilateral metastases in the cerebellopontine angle.

PMID- 1880527
TI  - Myasthenia gravis aggravated by pyrantel pamoate.

PMID- 1880528
TI  - Myxopapillary ependymomas arising from nerve roots of the spinal cord.

PMID- 1880529
TI  - Spinal extradural venous haemorrhage controlled by a drawing pin: a new technique
      in neurosurgery.

PMID- 1880530
TI  - Quantitative changes during the postnatal maturation of the human visual cortex.
AB  - Postnatal development of the human visual cortex is characterized by an
      overshooting growth pattern of its volume with a maximum at 8 postnatal months
      and by loss of a substantial proportion of its neurons. The highest rate of
      reduction in neuronal numbers is observed in layers II-IVa, with other layers
      showing a more gradual postnatal decrease.

PMID- 1880531
TI  - Intractable hiccup induced by brainstem lesion.
AB  - Four patients with brainstem lesions presented with intractable hiccup and mild
      to moderate neurological signs. Two of the patients had been initially diagnosed
      as having a psychogenic cause for their hiccup. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
      demonstrated brainstem infarction in one case, tuberculoma at the junction of the
      medulla oblongata and the cervical spinal cord in two, and a vermian tuberculoma
      compressing the brainstem in one. The brainstem infarct and one of the medullary
      tuberculoma were not detected on high resolution enhanced computed tomography.
      The 3 patients with CNS tuberculoma were free of hiccup 1-5 months after
      antituberculous chemotherapy. It is proposed that hiccup is not an abnormal
      reflex, but a myoclonus generated by repetitive activity of the "inspiratory
      solitary nucleus" due to release of higher nervous system inhibitory/-regulatory
      control. The neuroanatomical network and the mechanisms underlying the formation
      of intractable hiccup are outlined. The value of MRI in the initial diagnosis and
      follow-up of patients with intractable hiccup due to brainstem lesions is
      emphasised.

PMID- 1880532
TI  - Trophic effect of angiotensin II, vasopressin and other peptides on the cultured
      ventral spinal cord of rat embryo.
AB  - We studied trophic effects of angiotensin II, vasopressin, cholecystokinin, and
      oxytocin on explanted ventral spinal cord cultures from 13- and 14-day-old rat
      embryos. There was a significant neurite promoting effect of the spinal cord
      cultures by using angiotensin II, vasopressin, and cholecystokinin.
      Cholecystokinin had the most potent effect at any concentrations. The minimum
      effective concentration was 10(-8) M in angiotensin II and vasopressin and 10(
      12) M in cholecystokinin, respectively. The effect of angiotensin II and
      vasopressin was dependent on concentrations. However, the rate and grade of
      neurite appearance did not correlate with the concentrations of cholecystokinin.
      Oxytocin had no neurotrophic effect at any concentrations. Our results
      demonstrated that angiotensin II, vasopressin and cholecystokinin have
      neurotrophic effects on the ventral spinal cord in cultures, and may be
      candidates for therapeutic trials of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PMID- 1880533
TI  - Morphometric analysis of a model of spinal cord injury in guinea pigs, with
      behavioral evidence of delayed secondary pathology.
AB  - A model of spinal cord trauma in guinea pigs is described, based on the concept
      of compression to a set thickness, as an alternative to compression or contusion
      with a set force or displacement. The model is technically simple and reliable
      and circumvents some of the biomechanical problems of contusion techniques. It
      was designed initially to produce moderate injuries, allowing significant
      recovery of function. A pair of forceps was modified to form an instrument to
      compress the spinal cord laterally, over a 5-mm length, to a thickness of 1.2 mm.
      Such compression injuries of the lower thoracic cord were produced in 12
      anesthetized, adult guinea pigs, and the outcome monitored, using successive
      behavioral tests and morphometry of the lesion at 2-3 months. Chronic
      histopathology was examined quantitatively with line-sampling of axons in 1
      micron plastic sections through the lesion center, stained with toluidine blue.
      The type and distribution of damage to axons was similar to that seen following
      weight-drop contusion trauma in cats. Spinal cord function was examined by means
      of hindlimb reflex testing and motor behavior, vestibulospinal reflex testing,
      and mapping the receptive field of the cutaneus trunci muscle (CTM) reflex. These
      injuries characteristically resulted in a delayed onset of functional deficits at
      1-2 days after injury, followed by partial recovery over the course of several
      weeks. Overall, functional outcome correlated significantly with the number of
      surviving axons in the lesion. The phenomenon of "secondary" pathology was
      striking at the behavioral level, whereas evidence of delayed injury has been
      indirect in most animal models. The onset of this secondary process occurred with
      a longer delay than has been assumed or implied by most suggested mechanisms of
      secondary pathology. The time course of secondary loss and recovery may be
      related to that of the inflammatory response at the injury site, particularly the
      phagocytic activity of macrophages.

PMID- 1880534
TI  - Somatosensory evoked potentials following stimulation of median and tibial nerves
      in patients with localized intracerebral hemorrhage: correlations with clinical
      and CT findings.
AB  - Median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were performed on 38
      patients with localized intracerebral hemorrhage, 23 with thalamic hemorrhage and
      15 with putaminal hemorrhage. Of 65 arms and 62 legs examined, cerebral evoked
      responses of 60 arms and 50 legs were diagnosed as abnormal. The abnormal
      findings in scalp-recorded SEPs consisted of a reduction in amplitude, loss of
      waves and delay in peak latencies. The SEP abnormalities were not indicative of
      location of hemorrhage. Absence of SEPs was more frequently observed in large
      hemorrhages and at the early stage. Substantial improvement in SEPs was observed
      over several months after stroke in many limbs. Motor function as evaluated with
      Brunnstrom staging of the upper limbs whose SEPs were absent was lower than that
      whose SEPs were evoked, but that was not observed in the lower limbs because in
      some cases absence of SEPs coexisted with good motor function. Loss of SEP waves
      had a significant correlation with disturbed deep sensation. The median and
      tibial SEPs provided an excellent clinical correlation with the patients'
      improvement over several months.

PMID- 1880535
TI  - Tapia's syndrome caused by Paracoccidioidis brasiliensis.
AB  - Tapia's syndrome is due to extracranial involvement of the XIIth nerve and the
      recurrent laryngeal branch of the Xth nerve. There is ipsilateral paralysis of
      vocal cords, soft palate and tongue. The main causes are parotid and other tumors
      or injuries to the high neck. We describe here a Brazilian female patient who
      presented with a lesion in the nasal mucosa, and soon after had dysphagia and
      dysphonia. Examination revealed paralysis of the soft palate, vocal cords and
      tongue ipsilaterally. Microscopic examination of the lesion in the nasal mucosa
      revealed the presence of the fungus. The patient was treated with sulfonamide and
      ketoconasol.

PMID- 1880536
TI  - The role of complement in myelin phagocytosis during PNS wallerian degeneration.
AB  - Myelin removal in nerves undergoing wallerian degeneration mainly depends on
      invading, non-resident macrophages. The present study clarifies the role of serum
      complement components in this process in vitro and in vivo. Macrophages
      cocultured with degenerating nerves in vitro were unable to invade these nerves
      in the presence of C3-deficient serum. Application of C3-deficient serum
      subsequent to cellular invasion abolished the myelin phagocytic capacity of the
      invaded macrophages. This indicates that opsonization of myelin by complement
      components is necessary in myelin ingestion via macrophage receptors. In vivo, a
      monoclonal antibody to the macrophage complement receptor type 3 (CR3)
      significantly reduced myelin phagocytosis. Immunohistochemistry with anti-C3
      antibodies showed a marked reaction in degenerating nerves. Immunoelectron
      microscopy localized C3 particles at the degenerating myelin sheaths.
      Haematogenous cells, invading the degenerating nerves, also showed a strong
      reaction for C3 in their cytoplasm. These results indicate that complement
      components play a critical role both in macrophage invasion of degenerating
      nerves and in the ingestion of myelin by these cells.

PMID- 1880537
TI  - Physiological significance of fatty acid elongation system in
      adrenoleukodystrophy.
AB  - We studied the metabolism of radioactive fatty acids in cultured skin fibroblasts
      from patients with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and Zellweger syndrome (ZS) to
      clarify the physiological significance of the fatty acid elongation system in the
      accumulation of very long chain fatty acids (VLFA) in ALD. A substantial amount
      of radioactive C26:0 was synthesized from [18-14C]stearic acid by ALD and ZS
      fibroblasts, whereas radioactive C26:0 was not detected in control fibroblasts.
      Kinetic studies demonstrated that the production of radioactive C24:0 and C26:0
      in ALD fibroblasts is higher than that of ZS fibroblasts, which suggests that the
      fatty acid elongation activity plays an important role for the accumulation of
      VLFA in ALD, in addition to the decreased VLFA oxidation activities. The addition
      of monounsaturated fatty acids including oleic acid and erucic acid specifically
      lowered the formation rate of VLFA without any significant effect on degradation
      activities of VLFA both in ALD and control fibroblasts. The results suggest that
      the mechanism of decrease of VLFA by administration of monounsaturated fatty
      acids is based on the inhibition of fatty acid elongation activity.

PMID- 1880538
TI  - Hereditary spastic dystonia: a new mitochondrial encephalopathy? Putaminal
      necrosis as a diagnostic sign.
AB  - A large kindred, in which either Leber's hereditary optic atrophy, or a
      hereditary spastic dystonia, or a combination of both manifested over many
      generations was restudied after the first report on it in 1964. NMR scans
      revealed bilateral, and, in two patients with hemidystonia, unilateral necrosis
      with shrinkage of the putamen, in one case associated with total disappearance of
      the head of the caudate nucleus. Except for age-appropriate cortical atrophy in
      one instance, no other changes were observed in the brain, brainstem, and
      cerebellum. The putaminal necrosis appears as typical "striatal slits" on the NMR
      scans. It is argued that this rare disease, since the princeps description in
      1964 only reported in England (1986) and the U.S.A (1986), is most likely a
      singular type of mitochondrial encephalopathy: it is associated with Leber's
      optic atrophy, and the NMR changes observed have been signalled in other
      mitochondrial encephalomyelopathies, such as Leigh's disease and MELAS.

PMID- 1880539
TI  - Presence of serum anti-human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) IgM antibodies
      means persistent active replication of HTLV-I in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.
AB  - We investigated serum IgM antibodies against human T-lymphotropic virus type I
      (HTLV-I) in 29 HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM) patients and 34 HTLV-I
      carriers, using western blot analysis. Anti-HTLV-I IgM was detected in all 6 post
      transfusional HAM patients and in 19 of 23 (83%) HAM patients with no history of
      blood transfusion, but in only 4 of 21 (19%) HTLV-I carriers. In HAM patients,
      HTLV-I proviral DNA integrated into peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) was
      detected by Southern blot analysis in all of the 6 (100%) and 18 of the 23 (78%).
      In contrast, it was detected in only 2 of 25 (8%) HTLV-I carriers. For the serum
      anti-HTLV-I IgM and HTLV-I provirus in PBL, the differences between the HAM and
      HTLV-I carriers were statistically significant (P less than 0.01). Our data
      indicate that the increased HTLV-I proviral DNA in PBL is produced by the
      persistent active replication of HTLV-I in HAM. Furthermore, Southern blot
      analysis showed intense bands in HAM patients with histories of blood
      transfusion, in whom the progression of the disease had been rapid. We conclude
      that the persistent active replication of HTLV-I is an important factor in the
      pathogenesis of HAM.

PMID- 1880540
TI  - Affinity immunoblotting: rapid and sensitive detection of oligoclonal IgG, IgA
      and IgM in unconcentrated CSF by agarose isoelectric focusing.
AB  - Two methods for the investigation of oligoclonal immunoglobulin bands in
      cerebrospinal fluid are compared. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) in agarose gels
      combined with a highly sensitive affinity immunoblotting proved to be superior to
      PAGE-IEF and silver staining regarding detection sensitivity and expenditure of
      labour. The procedure presented here allows examination of oligoclonal bands not
      only of IgG, but also of IgA and IgM antibodies in less than 4 h. Oligoclonal IgM
      bands could be detected in 6 patients with neuroborreliosis or neurosyphilis as
      well as in one patient with a peripheral neuropathy where other electrophoretic
      methods, including immunoelectrophoresis, were negative. Oligoclonal IgA bands
      were demonstrated only in 2 patients with a bacterial infection of the CNS. In
      patients with multiple sclerosis amounts of IgM and IgA in the CSF were too low
      to allow investigation of oligoclonal IgM or IgA bands.

PMID- 1880541
TI  - Total ion content of skeletal and cardiac muscle in the mdx mouse dystrophy: Ca2+
      is elevated at all ages.
AB  - The mdx mouse has been shown to have a gene defect at the locus which is
      homologous to that which is defective in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and they
      both lack dystrophin, the protein product of this defective gene. The exact cause
      of myofibre necrosis in DMD is not known but there is evidence to support a
      causal relationship between elevated calcium and tissue necrosis. Since the mdx
      mouse exhibits age-dependent changes in the proportion of tissue necrosis, we
      have measured total ion content (Ca2+, Na+, K+, and Mg2+) in the heart and
      skeletal muscle of animals at different ages to determine if ionic changes
      correlate with reported periods of necrosis. Total calcium is elevated throughout
      the ages studied (10 days, 30 days and 254-347 days) in both tissues and does not
      correlate with necrosis, although it appears that pre-necrotic tissues do not
      exhibit such a wide variation in calcium content as is observed in tissues from
      older animals. These changes are discussed with reference to the other ions
      measured and to the regulation of intracellular calcium.

PMID- 1880542
TI  - Total biopterin levels in the ventricular CSF of patients with Parkinson's
      disease: a comparison between akineto-rigid and tremor types.
AB  - Total L-erythro-biopterin (T-BP) levels in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid
      (CSF) were measured in 43 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 12 age
      matched neurological controls. In 5 of the PD patients and 1 control, lumbar CSF
      T-BP values were also measured. The mean ventricular CSF T-BP level in the PD
      patients, 15.6 +/- 0.5 pmol/ml (mean +/- SE), was significantly lower than that
      in the controls (21.3 +/- 1.4 pmol/ml, P less than 0.0001). The mean T-BP
      concentration in the ventricular CSF was 1.9 times higher than that in the lumbar
      CSF (P less than 0.0005), indicating a rostrocaudal gradient for the T-BP value
      in the CSF. When the PD patients were classified according to their predominant
      clinical features into 24 akineto-rigid (A-R) type and 19 tremor (T) type, there
      was a significant negative correlation between the T-BP levels and duration of
      illness only for the A-R type patients (rho = -0.605, P less than 0.005). No such
      significant correlation was found in the T type patients. These results may
      indicate a difference of pathophysiological changes in the brain between the 2
      types of PD.

PMID- 1880544
TI  - Temporal patterns of muscle activation for arm movements in three-dimensional
      space.
AB  - Little is known about the patterns of muscle activation that subserve arm
      movement in three-dimensional space. In this study, activation patterns of seven
      arm muscles were related to the spatial direction of human arm movement. Twenty
      movement directions defined two orthogonal vertical planes in space. The arm
      movements were moderately paced; each movement lasted approximately 500 msec. New
      techniques of EMG analysis were developed to describe the temporal pattern of
      muscle activation. For each muscle, a principal component analysis revealed a
      common phasic and tonic waveform for all directions of movement, within one
      plane. A temporal shifting procedure based on best covariance values revealed
      activation delays associated with different movement directions. The results show
      a consistent pattern of temporal shifting of the common waveform for movements in
      different directions. Coupled with past results showing that activation amplitude
      is a function of the cosine angle of movement or force direction, the present
      results suggest a relatively simple control strategy for mechanically complex arm
      movements: neural circuits produce a common phasic and tonic activation waveform
      that is scaled in amplitude and delayed in time, depending on the desired
      movement direction.

PMID- 1880543
TI  - Does low intracellular pH stop the motion of the Bulla circadian pacemaker?
AB  - The eye of the mollusk Bulla has proven itself useful as an in vitro neural
      circadian pacemaker. Here, we report that treatments applied to lower
      intracellular pH may stop the motion of this circadian pacemaker in a phase
      dependent manner. Lowering the extracellular pH of the artificial seawater bath
      to 6.9, or application of the stilbene derivatives 4-acetamido-4'
      isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS) or 4,4-di-isothiocyanostilbene
      2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), abolishes the circadian rhythm in optic nerve
      compound action-potential frequency. Because these treatments are known to lower
      intracellular pH, these data suggest that the pacemaker may be inhibited by low
      intracellular pH. In order to assess the state of the pacemaker during low
      extracellular pH treatment, pulses of seawater at pH 6.8 were applied, and the
      phase of the rhythm subsequent to the pulse was observed. All pulses started 1 hr
      after subjective dusk [circadian time (CT) 13] and were applied to eyes in
      constant darkness; pulse lengths varied from 4 to 47 hr for different
      preparations. The phases of the eye rhythms following pulses that ended before
      subjective dawn (about CT 24) were not different from untreated preparations.
      However, for pulses longer than 11 hr and therefore ending after subjective dawn,
      the subsequent phase of the rhythm was a function of the ending time of the
      pulse. These data suggest that the pacemaker's motion was stopped at dawn during
      the low-pH treatment and resumed following restoration of normal pH. To
      distinguish between phase and duration dependence of this effect in the above
      experiment, phase shifts were obtained to 14-hr pulses of pH 6.8 seawater applied
      at three different phases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880545
TI  - Extracellular dopamine and neurotensin in rat prefrontal cortex in vivo: effects
      of median forebrain bundle stimulation frequency, stimulation pattern, and
      dopamine autoreceptors.
AB  - In vivo microdialysis coupled with HPLC and radioimmuno-assay techniques were
      used to analyze dopamine (DA) and neurotensin (NT) in prefrontal cortical
      extracellular fluid following electrical stimulation of mesocortical axons. The
      release (overflow into the extracellular fluid) of both DA and NT increased with
      increasing number of impulses and with frequency. At the lowest frequency tested
      (2.5 Hz), DA release was significantly increased, while there was no significant
      increase in the release of NT. As the frequency of stimulation was increased from
      2.5 to 20 Hz, the ratio of extracellular DA:NT decreased exponentially.
      Stimulation in a burst pattern produced greater release of both DA and NT than
      tonic stimulation when the number of impulses per second and the total number of
      impulses were held constant. Furthermore, blockade of DA autoreceptors with
      sulpiride stereoselectively increased the release of DA while decreasing the
      release of NT. These data suggest that the release of coexistent molecules (DA
      and NT) from mesocortical neurons can be influenced by physiological and
      pharmacological factors such that under certain conditions simultaneous or
      differential release may occur.

PMID- 1880546
TI  - Regulatory properties of brain glutamate decarboxylase (GAD): the apoenzyme of
      GAD is present principally as the smaller of two molecular forms of GAD in brain.
AB  - The apoenzyme of glutamate decarboxylase [enzyme without bound cofactor,
      pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (pyridoxal-P)] serves as a reservoir of inactive glutamate
      decarboxylase (GAD) that can be activated when additional GABA synthesis is
      required. We have investigated which of two molecular forms of GAD is present as
      apoenzyme in synaptosomes and in cortex, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, and
      cerebellum of rat brain. Endogenous glutamate apodecarboxylase (apoGAD) was
      labeled by incubating extracts of synaptosomes or punches of each region with 32P
      pyridoxal-P, followed by reduction with NaBH4, to link covalently the 32P
      pyridoxal-P to GAD. Proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE. Punches from all four
      brain regions and forebrain synaptosomes contained two forms of GAD with apparent
      Mrs of 63 and 65 kDa as identified by immunoblotting with four antiGAD sera.
      Punches and synaptosomes contained a major 32P-pyridoxal-P-labeled band with an
      apparent Mr of 63 kDa that was stained on immunoblots by the antiGAD serum 1440
      and the monoclonal antibody GAD-6, and a minor labeled band at 65 kDa that was
      stained by the 1440, 6799, and K2 antisera. Synaptosomes contained remarkably few
      other strongly labeled proteins, but punches contained several other labeled
      bands. Three additional lines of evidence indicate that the labeled 63-kDa
      protein is apoGAD: (1) it was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography with the
      GAD-1 monoclonal antibody; (2) it yielded one major labeled peptide when digested
      with chymotrypsin, and that peptide appeared identical in peptide-mapping
      experiments to the labeled active-site peptide isolated from chromatographically
      prepared rat brain GAD; and (3) its labeling was selectively blocked by 4
      deoxypyridoxine 5'-phosphate, a competitive inhibitor of the binding of pyridoxal
      P to GAD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880547
TI  - Protein kinase C alteration is an early biochemical marker in Alzheimer's
      disease.
AB  - Neuritic (senile) plaques are a hallmark of the pathology found in the brain of
      patients afflicted with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuritic plaques have been
      considered to be composed of an amyloid core surrounded by dilated neurites,
      although the use of anti-beta/A4-protein antibody revealed the presence of
      diffuse plaques without a nuclear-like central mass or surrounding paired helical
      filament (PHF)-containing neuritic components. The presence of diffuse plaques
      without PHF-containing neuritic components strongly suggests that the formation
      of amyloid precedes the degeneration of neurites that surround amyloid. Diffuse
      plaques are thus considered to be an early marker of AD pathology. In this
      article, we report that diffuse plaques, possible markers of early AD pathology,
      are immunostained with anti-protein kinase C(beta II) [anti-PKC(beta II)]
      antibodies. The PKC(beta II)-immunoreacting components of the diffuse plaques
      extend from neurons embedded in the plaques. Immunoelectron microscopy of diffuse
      and mature neuritic plaques shows that PKC(beta II)-like immunoreactivity in the
      plaques is closely associated with membranous structures of fine neuronal
      processes apposed to the amyloid fibers. These fine neuronal processes are
      distinct from classical neurites found typically in mature neuritic plaques.
      Furthermore, biochemical analysis demonstrates that PKC abnormalities, but not
      other AD markers (ubiquitin and A68), were found in the neocortex of clinically
      nondemented individuals with cortical plaques. Therefore, the PKC alteration in
      neurons might be involved in the early pathophysiology of AD.

PMID- 1880548
TI  - The response of area MT and V1 neurons to transparent motion.
AB  - An important use of motion information is to segment a complex visual scene into
      surfaces and objects. Transparent motions present a particularly difficult
      problem for segmentation because more than one velocity vector occurs at each
      local region in the image, and current machine vision systems fail in these
      circumstances. The fact that motion transparency is prevalent in natural scenes,
      and yet artificial systems display an inability to analyze it, suggests that the
      primate visual system has developed specialized methods for perceiving
      transparent motion. Also, the currently prevalent model of physiological
      mechanisms for motion-direction selectivity employs inhibitory interactions
      between neurons; such interactions would silence neurons under transparent
      conditions and render the visual system blind to transparent motion. To examine
      how the primate visual system solves this transparency problem, we recorded the
      activity of direction-selective cells in the first (area V1) and in a later (area
      MT) stage in the cortical motion-processing pathway in behaving monkeys. The
      visual stimuli consisted of random dot patterns forming single moving surfaces,
      transparent surfaces, and motion discontinuities. We found that area V1 cells
      responded to their preferred direction of movement even under transparent
      conditions, whereas area MT cells were suppressed under the transparent
      condition. These data suggest a simple solution to the transparency problem at
      the level of area V1. More than one motion vector can be represented at a single
      retinal location by different subpopulations of neurons tuned to different
      directions of motion; these subpopulations may represent the early stage for
      segmenting different, transparent surfaces. The results also suggest that
      facilitatory mechanisms, which unlike inhibitory interactions are largely
      unaffected by transparent conditions, play an important role in direction
      selectivity in area V1. The inhibitory interactions for different motion
      directions for area MT neurons may contribute to a mechanism for smoothing or
      averaging the velocity field, computations thought to be necessary for reducing
      noise and interpolating moving surfaces from sparse information.

PMID- 1880549
TI  - Mossy fiber synaptic reorganization induced by kindling: time course of
      development, progression, and permanence.
AB  - Recent studies have revealed that mossy fiber axons of granule cells in the
      dentate gyrus undergo reorganization of their terminal projections in both animal
      models of epilepsy and human epilepsy. This synaptic reorganization has been
      demonstrated by the Timm method, a histochemical technique that selectively
      labels synaptic terminals of mossy fibers because of their high zinc content. It
      has been generally presumed that the reorganization of the terminal projections
      of the mossy fiber pathway is a consequence of axonal sprouting and
      synaptogenesis by mossy fibers. To evaluate this possibility further, the time
      course for development of Timm granules, which correspond ultrastructurally to
      mossy fiber synaptic terminals, was examined in the supragranular layer of the
      dentate gyrus at the initiation of kindling stimulation with an improved scoring
      method for assessment of alterations in Timm histochemistry. The progression and
      permanence of this histological alteration were similarly evaluated during the
      behavioral and electrographic evolution of kindling evoked by perforant path,
      amygdala, or olfactory bulb stimulation. Mossy fiber synaptic terminals developed
      in the supragranular region of the dentate gyrus by 4 d after initiation of
      kindling stimulation in a time course compatible with axon sprouting. The induced
      alterations in the terminal projections of the mossy fiber pathway progressed
      with the evolution of behavioral kindled seizures, became permanent in parallel
      with the development of longlasting susceptibility to evoked seizures, and were
      observed as long as 8 months after the last evoked kindled seizure. The results
      demonstrated a strong correlation between mossy fiber synaptic reorganization and
      the development, progression, and permanence of the kindling phenomenon.

PMID- 1880550
TI  - The postsynaptic inhibitory control of lumbar motoneurons during the atonia of
      active sleep: effect of strychnine on motoneuron properties.
AB  - The present study examined the effects of strychnine on the tonic
      hyperpolarization and the changes in membrane properties of lumbar motoneurons
      that occur during active sleep. To carry out these studies, intracellular
      recordings from lumbar motoneurons were combined with the juxtacellular
      microiontophoretic application of strychnine in chronic, undrugged, normally
      respiring cats. During active sleep, compared to quiet sleep, motoneurons that
      were not exposed to strychnine exhibited tonic hyperpolarization, a decrease in
      cell excitability, and an increase in membrane conductance; they were also
      bombarded by high-frequency, large-amplitude IPSPs. In conjunction with the
      juxtacellular application of strychnine, there was a marked reduction in the
      degree of hyperpolarization during active sleep; motoneuron excitability was no
      longer suppressed, and there was a reduction in the increase in membrane
      conductance. In addition, the large-amplitude IPSPs were blocked. These results
      identify glycine as the neurotransmitter responsible for the state-dependent
      changes in membrane properties and the hyperpolarization of motoneurons that
      takes place during active sleep.

PMID- 1880551
TI  - Compensatory elevation of acetylcholine synthesis in vivo by cholinergic neurons
      surviving partial lesions of the septohippocampal pathway.
AB  - The present study characterized the effects of partial destruction of the
      cholinergic septohippocampal pathway on transmitter functions of surviving
      cholinergic neurons in the hippocampus. Partial and full fimbrial transections
      were performed, and 3 weeks after lesioning, cholinergic functions were assessed
      in vivo and in vitro. Hippocampal ChAT activity and the capacity of hippocampal
      slices to synthesize [3H]ACh in vitro decreased by 35% and 45%, respectively,
      following partial fimbrial lesions and by 68% and 85%, respectively, following
      full fimbrial lesions. [3H]ACh release from hippocampal slices in vitro was
      decreased by 57% and 87%, respectively, following partial and full fimbrial
      lesions. Partial lesions decreased high-affinity choline uptake into hippocampal
      synaptosomes by 52%. In contrast to the significant reductions in cholinergic
      parameters measured in vitro after partial fimbrial lesions, such partial lesions
      did not significantly alter in vivo measures of hippocampal cholinergic function.
      Levels of endogenous ACh and choline measured in the hippocampus following
      partial lesions were similar to that of control values. Also, the hippocampal
      content of newly synthesized [2H4]ACh and the [2H4]ACh synthesis rate were not
      significantly different from control values. However, following full fimbrial
      lesions, in vivo measures of hippocampal cholinergic function were decreased to a
      degree similar to that observed in vitro. Hippocampal levels of endogenous ACh
      and [2H4]ACh and the synthesis rate for [2H4]ACh were decreased by 73%, 72%, and
      83%, respectively. These results suggest that, following partial destruction of
      afferent cholinergic fibers that innervate the hippocampal formation, residual
      cholinergic neurons are able to upregulate their capacity to synthesize and store
      ACh in vivo, thus compensating for lesion-induced losses of cholinergic
      neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880552
TI  - Regulation of putative muscle-derived neurotrophic factors by muscle activity and
      innervation: in vivo and in vitro studies.
AB  - The normal embryonic development of spinal cord motoneurons (MNs) involves the
      proliferation of precursor cells followed by the degeneration of approximately
      50% of postmitotic MNs during the period when nerve-muscle connections are being
      established. The death of MNs in vivo can be ameliorated by activity blockade and
      by treatment with muscle extracts. Muscle activity and innervation have been
      suggested to regulate the availability of putative muscle-derived neurotrophic
      agent(s), and MNs are thought to compete for limited amounts of these trophic
      agents during normal development. Thus, activity and innervation are thought to
      regulate MN survival by modulating trophic factor availability. We have tested
      this notion by examining MN survival in vivo and ChAT development in spinal cord
      neurons in vitro following treatments with partially purified muscle extracts
      from normally active, paralyzed (genetically or pharmacologically), aneural,
      denervated, slow tonic, and fast-twitch muscles from embryonic and postnatal
      animals. Extracts from active and chronically inactive embryonic avian and mouse
      muscles were found to be equally effective in promoting the in vivo survival of
      MNs in the chick embryo. Similarly, extracts from fast-twitch and slow tonic
      postnatal avian muscles did not differ in their ability to promote both MN
      survival in vivo and ChAT activity in vitro. Although aneural and control
      embryonic muscle extract had similar effects on ChAT development in vitro,
      aneural muscle extract contained somewhat less MN survival-promoting activity
      when tested in vivo. By contrast, denervated postnatal muscle extract was more
      effective in promoting both MN survival in vivo and ChAT activity in vitro than
      age-matched control muscle extract.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880553
TI  - Outward currents in isolated ventral cochlear nucleus neurons.
AB  - Neurons of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) perform diverse information
      processing tasks on incoming activity from the auditory nerve. We have
      investigated the cellular basis for functional diversity in VCN cells by
      characterizing the outward membrane conductances of acutely isolated cells using
      whole-cell, tight-seal, current- and voltage-clamp techniques. The electrical
      responses of isolated cells fall into two broad categories. Type 1 cells respond
      to small depolarizations with a regular train of action potentials. Under voltage
      clamp, these cells exhibit a noninactivating outward current for voltage steps
      positive to -35 mV. Analysis of tail currents reveals two exponentially decaying
      components with slightly different voltage dependence. These currents reverse at 
      73 mV, near the potassium equilibrium potential of -84 mV, and are blocked by
      tetraethylammonium (TEA). The major outward current in Type I cells thus appears
      to be mediated by potassium channels. In contrast to Type I cells, Type II cells
      respond to small depolarizations with only one to three short-latency action
      potentials and exhibit strong rectification around -70 mV. Under voltage clamp,
      these cells exhibit a noninactivating outward current with a threshold near -70
      mV. Analysis of tail currents reveals two components with different voltage
      sensitivity and kinetics. A low-threshold current with slow kinetics is partly
      activated at rest. This current reverses at -77 mV and is blocked by 4
      aminopyridine (4-AP) but is only partly affected by TEA. The other component is a
      high-threshold current activated by steps positive to -35 mV. This current is
      blocked by TEA, but not by 4-AP. A simple model based on the voltage dependence
      and kinetics of the slow low-threshold outward current in Type II cells was
      developed. The model produces current- and voltage-clamp responses that resemble
      those recorded experimentally. Our results indicate that the two major classes of
      acoustic response properties of VCN neurons are in part attributable to the types
      of outward (potassium) conductances present in these cells. The low-threshold
      conductance in the Type II (bushy) cells probably plays a role in the
      preservation of information about the acoustic stimulus phase from the auditory
      nerve to central auditory nuclei involved in low-frequency sound localization.

PMID- 1880554
TI  - Evidence that protein constituents of postsynaptic membrane specializations are
      locally synthesized: analysis of proteins synthesized within synaptosomes.
AB  - Previous studies have led to the hypothesis that some proteins of the
      postsynaptic membrane are locally synthesized at postsynaptic sites. To evaluate
      this hypothesis, synaptosome fractions that included fragments of dendrites were
      allowed to incorporate labeled amino acid into protein. The labeled synaptosomes
      were then subfractionated to the level of the synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) and
      then the synaptic junctional complex (SJC). The specific activity (cpm/microgram
      protein) of the synaptosome fraction and its subfractions was assessed by
      scintillation counting and protein assay, and labeled polypeptides were
      characterized by SDS-PAGE and fluorography. The contribution of mitochondrial and
      eucaryotic protein synthesis to the overall incorporation was evaluated using
      cycloheximide (CYC), a eucaryotic protein synthesis inhibitor, and
      chloramphenicol (CAP), a mitochondrial protein synthesis inhibitor. Both the SPM
      and the SJC subfractions obtained from labeled synaptosomes contained labeled
      polypeptides. The SPM from labeled synaptosomes had a specific activity
      approximately equal to that of other nonmitochondrial membrane components of the
      synaptosome. Thus, labeling of the SPM was not due to contamination by these
      other labeled membrane components. The mitochondrial fraction had the highest
      specific activity of the membrane components of the labeled synaptosome, but the
      specific activity was reduced by 47% in mitochondrial fractions from CAP-treated
      synaptosomes, while the specific activity of the SPM was not reduced by this
      treatment. Thus, SPM labeling is not due to mitochondrial contamination. The
      specific activity of the detergent-insoluble SJC was comparable to that of the
      SPM from which it was derived. The possibility of labeling of SPM and SJC by
      contamination with soluble proteins was assessed by adding labeled soluble
      proteins to a cold synaptosome preparation that was then subfractionated to
      obtain the SPM and SJC. There was no detectable binding of labeled soluble
      proteins to the SPM or SJC. These results support the hypothesis that some
      synaptic proteins are locally synthesized. Fluorographs of SDS gels of SPM from
      labeled synaptosomes revealed labeled bands at approximate molecular weights of
      14, 18, 26, 28, 36, 38, 42, 45, 55, 60, and 116 kDa. Six of these labeled
      polypeptides at 38, 42, 45, 55, 60, and 116 kDa were still evident in
      fluorographs of the synaptic junctional complex from labeled synaptosomes. None
      of these labeled bands were seen in fluorographs of SPM and SJC from CYC-treated
      synaptosomes, whereas they were still present in fluorographs of CAP-treated
      synaptosomes. These labeled polypeptides are therefore produced by eucaryotic
      ribosomal systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880555
TI  - A comparative study of the behavioral deficits following lesions of various parts
      of the zebra finch song system: implications for vocal learning.
AB  - Song production in song birds is controlled by an efferent pathway. Appended to
      this pathway is a "recursive loop" that is necessary for song acquisition but not
      for the production of learned song. Since zebra finches learn their song by
      imitating external models, we speculated that the importance of the recursive
      loop for learning might derive from its processing of auditory feedback during
      song acquisition. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the effects on song in
      birds deafened early in life and birds with early lesions in either of two nuclei
      -Area X and the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (LMAN).
      These nuclei are part of the recursive loop. The three treatments affected song
      development differently, as reflected by various parameters of the adult song of
      these birds. Whereas LMAN lesions resulted in songs with monotonous repetitions
      of a single note complex, songs of Area X-lesioned birds consisted of rambling
      series of unusually long and variable notes. Furthermore, whereas song of LMAN
      lesioned birds stabilized early, song stability as seen in intact birds was never
      achieved in Area X-lesioned birds. Early deafness also resulted in poorly
      structured and unstable song. We conclude that Area X and LMAN contribute
      differently to song acquisition: the song variability that is typical of vocal
      development persists following early deafness or lesions of Area X but ends
      abruptly following removal of LMAN. Apparently, LMAN plays a crucial role in
      fostering the kinds of circuit plasticity necessary for learning.

PMID- 1880556
TI  - Amelioration of delayed neuronal death in the hippocampus by nerve growth factor.
AB  - Selective neuronal death in the CA1 sector of the hippocampus [delayed neuronal
      death (DND)] develops several days after transient global cerebral ischemia in
      rodents. Because NGF plays a potential role in neuronal survival, it was decided
      to study its effect in DND. We report here that intraventricular injection of NGF
      either before or after 5 min forebrain ischemia in the Mongolian gerbil
      significantly reduced the occurrence of DND. The tissue content of NGF in the
      hippocampus was decreased 2 d after ischemia and recovered to the preischemic
      level by 1 week. By the Golgi staining technique, changes first began in the
      dendrites of affected neurons as early as 3 hr. Such changes could be ameliorated
      by NGF treatment. Although previous knowledge of NGF is limited to the survival
      of cholinergic neurons in the CNS, it is assumed that other mechanisms must be
      operating in the hippocampus, for example, postsynaptic modification at dendrites
      or aberrant expression of NGF receptors possibly at the initial excitation period
      by glutamate. Furthermore, because previous work has shown that inhibition of
      protein synthesis reduces the occurrence of DND, a program leading to cell death
      might also be operating via de novo synthesis of certain protein(s), collectively
      termed "killer protein," because of a lack of NGF.

PMID- 1880557
TI  - Contribution of discography to the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc
      herniation.
AB  - In this study, based on 600 cases of lumbar disc herniation treated by
      chemonucleolysis, the authors underline the importance of performing good
      discography and interpreting its results. A discographic classification of
      intervertebral disc deterioration is suggested. A CT-discographic study is
      reported and its results are compared with those of standard discography. On the
      basis of these studies, the authors have established methodological data
      concerning the efficacy of chemonucleolysis and its evaluation.

PMID- 1880558
TI  - Cervical cord compression in scleroderma. One case.
AB  - The cervical spine is rarely involved in scleroderma. The lesions reported here
      consisted of osteolysis of the posterior arches disturbing vertebral statics, and
      exuberant calcifications responsible for spinal cord compression by stenosis of
      the vertebral canal.

PMID- 1880559
TI  - The perispinal spaces. Constitution, organization and relations with the
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
AB  - In this study the structures of the three meningeal membranes which surround the
      spinal cord and delineate the perispinal spaces are described. The pia mater is
      composed of a deep layer and a superficial layer. This structural arrangement
      accounts for the relations of the pia mater with the spinal vessels and the
      cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The morphology, structure and landmark value of the
      denticulate ligament are then defined. Following a brief description of the dura
      mater and the arachnoidea, the arrangement of the meningeal sleeves of the spinal
      nerves is detailed. Meningeal structures similar to the cranial arachnoidal
      granulations are described, and the question of CSF physiology is considered. The
      secretion and circulation of the CSF are briefly described, and the problem of
      spinal resorption is discussed. CSF resorption can be effected by ascending,
      lymphatic or venous routes.

PMID- 1880560
TI  - Intracerebral stenosing arteriopathies. Contribution of three radiological
      techniques to the diagnosis.
AB  - Fifty-one patients with intracerebral stenosing arteriopathy were studied by
      computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebral
      arteriography. Clinical symptoms were varied, included impaired cognitive
      functions, progressive neurological deficit, headache and vomiting, and were
      sometimes not suggestives of the diagnosis. CT scans of the brain were normal in
      25 percent of the cases or they were not probative because of various and non
      specific abnormalities (hypodensity of various types or haemorrhagic
      hyperdensity). MRI always showed abnormalities but in many cases the lesions
      observed on T2-weighted images consisted of non-specific focal areas of high
      intensity signal in the white matter. High-intensity signals in both white matter
      and cortex seemed to be more suggestive of the diagnosis. In this as in other
      studies, arteriography therefore remains the reference examination for stenosing
      arteriopathies. Inflammatory, infectious and atheromatous processes are the main
      causes of these arterial lesions. The aetiological value of radiological
      examinations is poor, and in most cases the morphology and distribution of the
      lesions does not point to any specific origin. However, herpes zoster arteritis
      usually affects the proximal segments of the anterior and middle cerebral
      arteries and spares the carotid siphon.

PMID- 1880561
TI  - Anterior and posterior hypopituitarism with pituitary stalk abnormalities.
AB  - Hypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus are often idiopathic conditions. A
      retrospective study of 6 cases of diabetes insipidus and 8 cases of partial or
      global idiopathic anterior hypopituitarism has shown that MRI is of considerable
      value to detect abnormalities of the pituitary stalk or hypothalamo-pituitary
      "relay". On the basis of MRI findings, some cases of idiopathic hypopituitarism
      can now be grouped together in a new entity which may be called hypopituitarism
      due to neonatal transection of the pituitary stalk.

PMID- 1880562
TI  - Hydrolysed microspheres from cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate (Hydrogel). A
      new embolic material for interventional neuroradiology.
AB  - Highly hydrophilic, perfectly smooth and spherical microspheres have been
      synthetized. These non-biodegradable microspheres absorb water in varying degrees
      and can be injected easily through microcatheters due to their slippery and
      compressible characteristics. The material was successfully used for embolization
      of 4 vascular intracranial tumours and 2 spinal vascular lesions in the cervical
      region, by superselective delivery. Histopathology confirmed absolute inertness
      of the microspheres.

PMID- 1880563
TI  - Antenatal diagnosis of pelvic hydronephrosis: assessment of renal function and
      drainage as a guide to management.
AB  - The optimal management of children with antenatally diagnosed unilateral
      hydronephrotic kidneys is unclear. We have monitored renal function and drainage
      using 99mTc-DTPA renography in 77 children with such kidneys presenting at 1-14
      mo of age with the aims of throwing light on the natural history of the condition
      and evaluating the response of the kidney to pyeloplasty. Since management was
      independent of the drainage criteria on renography, the opportunity also was
      presented to evaluate the efficacy of diuretic renography for diagnosing
      obstruction in these children. Follow-up ranged between 1 and 6 yr, during which
      renography was performed between 2 and 6 times in each patient. Thirty-nine
      patients were treated conservatively, while 30 patients underwent pyeloplasty at
      varying times after presentation. No overall significant change in function was
      observed either in the nonoperated children or as a result of surgery. This also
      applied to sub-groups of children with poor drainage. Function improved
      significantly, however, in a sub-group of nonoperated children who presented with
      impaired function in the hydronephrotic kidney. Surgery, although having no
      overall effect on function, significantly improved drainage. As a means of
      identifying obstruction, 99mTc-DTPA diuretic renography was unreliable,
      erroneously indicating obstruction in 24 nonoperated children in whom function of
      the hydronephrotic kidney never became abnormal and who could not, therefore,
      have been considered to have obstruction. This retrospective study underlines the
      importance of performing a randomized prospective study on the value of
      pyeloplasty in this group of children.

PMID- 1880564
TI  - Assessment of response to cancer therapy using fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose and
      positron emission tomography.
AB  - In order to evaluate the usefulness of 18F-FDG PET in the assessment of
      therapeutic effects, FDG-PET studies were performed both before and after therapy
      in 26 patients with miscellaneous malignant tumors. The change in FDG uptake by
      therapy was compared with the change in tumor size and prognosis. All 26 lesions
      had a high FDG uptake before therapy. Five of seven lesions which had a
      relatively low FDG uptake before therapy showed no change or increase in tumor
      size by therapy. The decreased FDG uptake after therapy was more prominent in the
      partial response group than in the no change group. FDG uptake before therapy in
      the non-relapse group was higher than that in the relapse group. However, a
      decreased FDG uptake did not necessarily indicate a good prognosis. One patient
      with no change in tumor size and a decreased FDG uptake had no recurrence. This
      suggests that FDG-PET has a complementary role in the assessment of therapeutic
      effects.

PMID- 1880565
TI  - Estimates of radiation absorbed dose for intraperitoneally administered iodine
      131 radiolabeled B72.3 monoclonal antibody in patients with peritoneal
      carcinomatoses.
AB  - Using a newly available model for determining estimates of radiation absorbed
      dose of radioisotopes administered intraperitoneally, we have calculated absorbed
      dose to tumor and normal tissues based on a surgically controlled study of
      radiolabeled antibody distribution. Ten patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis
      received intraperitoneal injections of the murine monoclonal antibody B72.3
      radiolabeled with 131I. Biodistribution studies were performed using nuclear
      medicine methods until laparotomy at 4-14 days after injection. Surgical biopsies
      of normal tissues and tumor were obtained. The marrow was predicted to be the
      critical organ, with maximum tolerated dose [200 rad (2 Gy) to marrow] expected
      at about 200 mCi (7.4 GBq). In patients with large intraperitoneal tumor
      deposits, the tumor itself is an important source tissue for radiation exposure
      to normal tissues. Local "hot-spots" for tumor-absorbed dose were observed, with
      maximum tumor-absorbed dose calculated at 11,000 rad (11 Gy) per 100 mCi (3.7
      GBq) administered intraperitoneal; however, tumor rad dose varied considerably.
      This may pose serious problems for curative therapy, especially in patients with
      large tumor burdens.

PMID- 1880566
TI  - Comparison of oral iodine-131-cellulose and indium-111-DTPA as tracers for colon
      transit scintigraphy: analysis by colon activity profiles.
AB  - In 11 normal subjects and 11 patients with a clinical diagnosis of constipation,
      oral 131I-cellulose and 111In-DTPA were compared simultaneously as tracers for
      radionuclide colon transit scintigraphy. Visual assessment of the images revealed
      no differences between tracers. Quantitation was performed using total and
      segmental percent retention and the derived value of clearance half-time. In
      addition, profiles of the activity distribution along the length of the colon
      were generated and the mean position of the activity in the colon calculated. For
      all indices, the results were similar in both normal subjects and constipated
      patients when comparing tracers, although marked differences were present between
      normal subjects and constipated patients for each tracer. Indium-111-DTPA was
      easy to administer and dosimetry was more acceptable than for 131I-cellulose,
      especially in constipated patients. It is concluded that 111In-DTPA is the
      preferred tracer for oral colon transit scintigraphy.

PMID- 1880567
TI  - Technetium-99m-d,1-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) uptake and glutathione
      content in brain tumors.
AB  - Technetium-d, HMPAO SPECT was performed in 70 patients suffering from
      intracerebral tumors of various histologic types (glioma n = 30, meningioma n =
      19, metastases n = 10, angioma n = 3, neuroma n = 2, lymphoma n = 2, neurocytoma
      n = 1, epidermoid n = 1, gliosis n = 1, cholesteatoma n = 1). Tumor
      classification was histologically verified in all subjects except in two cases
      with inoperable angiomas. SPECT was performed under resting state conditions with
      a dual-head rotating camera (SIEMENS ZLC 37) following intravenous injection of
      18-25 mCi 99mTc-d, 1-HMPAO. Regional tracer deposit was expressed in terms of a
      cerebellar index (CBI). Significantly higher regional HMPAO uptake was found in
      meningiomas when compared with gliomas of different malignancy (ANOVA p less than
      0.05). Within gliomas, regional uptake increased with malignancy (n.s.). In 23
      patients, a total of 32 tumor specimens were obtained for histochemical analysis
      of glutathione (GSH) content using high-pressure liquid chromatography. A
      significant correlation (least square method, p less than 0.001) between CBIs and
      GSH values was found, supporting the hypothesis that GSH is the predominant
      factor for the conversion of the lipophilic complex to hydrophilic derivates.

PMID- 1880568
TI  - Technetium-99m-HMPAO retention and the role of glutathione: the debate continues.

PMID- 1880569
TI  - An analysis of cerebral blood flow in acute closed-head injury using technetium
      99m-HMPAO SPECT and computed tomography.
AB  - Technetium-99m-hexamethylpropyleneamine (HMPAO) SPECT and x-ray CT were compared
      in 15 patients with acute closed-head injury. There were 44 focal lesions in all.
      Fifteen (34%) lesions were seen on both x-ray and SPECT. Seventeen (39%) lesions
      were seen only on SPECT. Twelve (27%) of the lesions were seen on x-ray
      tomography only. Of the lesions seen on x-ray tomography but not on SPECT, two
      were subarachnoid hemorrhage, two were thin subdural hematomas, and eight were
      contusions. This study shows that SPECT can detect focal disturbances of cerebral
      blood flow that are not seen on x-ray tomography. It also suggests that there are
      two types of contusions: those with a decreased cerebral blood flow (i.e.,
      detectable on SPECT) and those with a cerebral blood flow equal to that of the
      surrounding brain.

PMID- 1880570
TI  - Visual and quantitative analysis of interictal SPECT with technetium-99m-HMPAO in
      temporal lobe epilepsy.
AB  - Interictal 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT images were compared to ictal EEG localization in 51
      patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy to determine their usefulness
      for preoperative seizure focus localization. Both quantified temporal lobe
      asymmetry and blinded visual detection of temporal lobe hypoperfusion were
      employed. Visual analysis detected ipsilateral hypoperfusion in 18 (39%) of the
      46 patients with a unilateral focus and contralateral hypoperfusion in 3. None of
      the five patients with bitemporal foci had unilateral hypoperfusion. The positive
      predictive value of unilateral temporal lobe hypoperfusion was 86% (18/21).
      Quantified anterior temporal lobe asymmetry, greater than a previously derived
      normal range, correctly identified the focus in 22 (48%) but gave the wrong side
      in 5, resulting in a predictive value of 81%. The degree of asymmetry correlated
      inversely with age of seizure onset, but not with other clinical parameters,
      histology, or verbal and nonverbal memory. The usefulness of interictal 99mTc
      HMPAO SPECT for pre-operative seizure focus localization is limited by low
      sensitivity when performed with a conventional rotating gamma camera. This
      suggests that ictal or immediate postictal imaging may be necessary for this
      purpose.

PMID- 1880571
TI  - Cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy: detection of abnormal gallbladder motor
      function in patients with chronic acalculous gallbladder disease.
AB  - CCK cholescintigrams were performed in 374 patients with recurrent postprandial
      right upper quadrant pain, biliary colic, and a normal gallbladder sonogram
      and/or cholecystogram. The results of these examinations were correlated with the
      patients' final medical/surgical diagnoses. Twenty-seven patients recruited as
      control volunteers without objective clinical evidence of biliary disease also
      underwent CCK cholescintigraphy to determine if the degree of gallbladder
      contraction post-CCK differs in symptomatic versus asymptomatic subjects.
      Decreased gallbladder motor function was identified (maximal gallbladder ejection
      fraction response to CCK less than 35%) in 94% of patients with
      histopathologically confirmed chronic acalculous cholecystitis or the cystic duct
      syndrome and in 88% of patients clinically believed to have chronic acalculous
      biliary disease. Decreased gallbladder motor function does not distinguish
      symptomatic from asymptomatic gallbladder disease.

PMID- 1880572
TI  - Muscle perfusion with technetium-MIBI in lower extremity peripheral arterial
      diseases.
AB  - There have been several methods utilized in the diagnosis or assessment of
      medical or surgical treatments of peripheral arterial diseases. In this study,
      the diagnostic value of a new tracer: 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI)
      has been demonstrated in patients with leg claudication. We successively
      performed muscle perfusion scans in 6 normals and 18 patients with claudication
      pain during rest and after exercise on the same day. Muscle perfusion
      abnormalities in all patients were consistent with the defects in the arteries of
      the affected limbs. The results show that this is a simple and accurate
      diagnostic procedure and superior to those that have been previously used.

PMID- 1880573
TI  - Rest-injected thallium-201 imaging for assessing viability of severe asynergic
      regions.
AB  - To evaluate the utility of rest-injected 201Tl initial and delayed images for
      assessing the viability of severe asynergic regions, we studied 17 patients with
      apparently prior infarcted myocardium in combination with 99mTc ventriculography
      before and after revascularization. In 51 regions with severe asynergy, the
      percent 201Tl uptake was calculated as the ratio of counts on the segment with
      asynergy to the maximum counts on the normal segment. Eleven of 14 regions with
      resting 201Tl redistribution (Group 1) had improved wall motion after
      revascularization. However, 14 of 37 regions without redistribution also improved
      (Group 2). Twenty-three regions without redistribution or improved wall motion
      after revascularization (Group 3) had lower regional 201Tl uptake on their
      delayed images than those in Groups 1 and 2. Moreover, the initial regional
      uptake of Group 2 was higher than that of Group 3. These results suggest that
      redistribution on rest-injected 201Tl scans indicates reversibility of severely
      asynergic myocardium and that high 201Tl uptake in regions without redistribution
      may predict improvement in wall motion after revascularization. We conclude that
      201Tl uptake may be useful as a marker of viability of severe asynergic regions
      before revascularization.

PMID- 1880574
TI  - Metabolic asymmetries in asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive subjects: relationship
      to disease onset and MRI findings.
AB  - Fifteen male homosexual subjects (mean age 31.6 +/- 7.2 yr) who were
      asymptomatic, but HIV-1 seropositive (HIV+) were compared to 15 male age-matched
      HIV-1 seronegative (HIV-) subjects using resting PET/FDG studies and MR scans.
      Mean cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (mg/100 g/min) in the HIV+ and HIV-
      subjects were 7.7 +/- 1.7 and 7.0 +/- 2.1, (p = 0.44), respectively. An index of
      regional metabolic asymmetry for the whole brain was 5.8% +/- 3.2% in the HIV+
      and 2.7% +/- 2.3% in the HIV- (p = 0.002), and the difference was most prominent
      in the prefrontal area. Significant asymmetries were found in 10/15 HIV+
      subjects, primarily in prefrontal (7/15) and premotor (4/15) regions. MRI scans
      showed no abnormalities on clinical or quantitative evaluation in HIV+ subjects.
      Upon follow-up of HIV+ subjects over 18-40 mo, seven became symptomatic, of which
      two died. There was no relationship between the presence of PET scan
      abnormalities and earlier onset of symptomatic disease.

PMID- 1880575
TI  - Positron-labeled angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor: fluorine-18
      fluorocaptopril. Probing the ACE activity in vivo by positron emission
      tomography.
AB  - To evaluate the feasibility of probing the distribution of angiotensin-converting
      enzyme (ACE) in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET), 4-cis
      [18F]fluorocaptopril (18FCAP) was prepared by the reaction of the triflate 2 with
      K18F/Kryptofix 222 in MeCN followed by hydrolysis (2 N NaOH). The synthesis time
      was 1 hr with an average radiochemical yield (EOS) of 12% and a specific activity
      of greater than 300 Ci/mmol. In vivo biodistribution in rats at 30 min after
      administration showed high uptakes into organs known to have high ACE
      concentration (lung, kidney and aorta) and faster clearance of 18FCAP for lung
      and kidney, compared to the clearance from the aorta. When different amounts of
      unlabeled 4-cis-fluorocaptopril (SQ 25750) were coinjected in rats, a dose of
      greater than 5 micrograms/kg decreased the lung uptake by one-half while only 1
      microgram/kg decreased the kidney uptake by one-half. In general, the binding in
      the four tissues studied was saturable with the expected capacity. 18FCAP was
      administered to a human and displaceable uptake observed in the lung and kidney.
      The results demonstrate the feasibility of probing ACE in vivo using PET.

PMID- 1880576
TI  - Brief inhalation method to measure cerebral oxygen extraction fraction with PET:
      accuracy determination under pathologic conditions.
AB  - The initial validation of the brief inhalation method to measure cerebral oxygen
      extraction fraction (OEF) with positron emission tomography (PET) was performed
      in non-human primates with predominantly normal cerebral oxygen metabolism
      (CMRO2). Sensitivity analysis by computer simulation, however, indicated that
      this method may be subject to increasing error as CMRO2 decreases. Accuracy of
      the method under pathologic conditions of reduced CMRO2 has not been determined.
      Since reduced CMRO2 values are observed frequently in newborn infants and in
      regions of ischemia and infarction in adults, we determined the accuracy of the
      brief inhalation method in non-human primates by comparing OEF measured with PET
      to OEF measured by arteriovenous oxygen difference (A-VO2) under pathologic
      conditions of reduced CMRO2 (0.27-2.68 ml 100g-1 min-1). A regression equation of
      OEF (PET) = 1.07 x OEF (A-VO2) + 0.017 (r = 0.99, n = 12) was obtained. The
      absolute error in oxygen extraction measured with PET was small (mean 0.03 +/-
      0.04, range -0.03 to 0.12) and was independent of cerebral blood flow, cerebral
      blood volume, CMRO2, or OEF. The percent error was higher (19 +/- 37),
      particularly when OEF is below 0.15. These data indicate that the brief
      inhalation method can be used for measurement of cerebral oxygen extraction and
      cerebral oxygen metabolism under pathologic conditions of reduced cerebral oxygen
      metabolism, with these limitations borne in mind.

PMID- 1880577
TI  - Gamma imaging with negatively charge-modified monoclonal antibody: modification
      with synthetic polymers.
AB  - Antimyosin Fab has been modified to carry highly negatively charged synthetic
      polymers containing DTPAs (DTPA-PL) as chelating agents, of starting molecular
      weights 3.3 and 17 kD. The immunoreactivities of the modified antibodies were
      unaffected by the modification procedure. The isoelectric points (PI) of
      unmodified antimyosin (AM) Fab (PI range 7-9, Mr = 52kD) were changed to PIs
      predominantly between 4 and 5 (Mr = 59 kD for DTPA-PL3.3kD-AM-Fab and 67kD for
      DTPA-PL17kD-AM-Fab). These AM-Fab preparations were tested for specific target
      localization and visualization in vivo in an experimental canine model of acute
      myocardial infarction. The charge-modified 111In-labeled AM-Fab preparations
      showed enhanced target (necrotic myocardium) visualization within 30 min of
      intravenous infusion and decreased background activity in normal myocardium (mean
      %ID/g +/- s.e.m., 0.0076 +/- 0.0006, n = 164, and 0.0056 +/- 0.0004, n = 92, for
      111In-DTPA-PL3.3kD- and DTPA-PL17kD-AM-Fab respectively) relative to conventional
      111In-DTPA-AM-Fab (0.0263 +/- 0.0037, n = 135) (p less than 0.001) or
      radioiodinated AM-Fab (0.0098 +/- 0.0006, n = 256) (p less than or equal to
      0.001). Furthermore, the concentration of negatively charged 111In-labeled
      antimyosin Fab decreased in non-target organs such as the liver and kidneys. In
      diagnostic and therapeutic applications, charge-modified macromolecules may
      improve target localization and reduce non-target organ activity.

PMID- 1880578
TI  - Optimizing antibodies for use in nuclear medicine.

PMID- 1880579
TI  - Radioiodinated 1-(5-iodo-5-deoxy-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole
      (iodoazomycin arabinoside: IAZA): a novel marker of tissue hypoxia.
AB  - 1-(5-Iodo-5-deoxy-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole (IAZA) has been
      synthesised and labeled with 125I. Radioiodinated IAZA was shown to undergo
      hypoxia-dependent binding in EMT-6 cells in vitro and to have an initial binding
      rate of 284 pmole/10(6) cells/hr at a substrate concentration of 30 microM. This
      binding rate is more than three times that of the reference compound,
      misonidazole (89 pmole/10(6) cells/hr). The elevated binding rate was accompanied
      by in vitro cytotoxicity 30-40 times greater than that observed for misonidazole.
      Whole-body elimination and biodistribution studies in BALB/c mice bearing
      implanted, subcutaneous EMT-6 tumors showed a rapid excretion (greater than 98%
      in 24 hr) with moderate tissue levels which, in general, declined as a function
      of blood clearance. Tumor-to-blood ratios of 4.6 (4 hr) and 8.7 (8 hr), with
      respective tumor uptake values of 2.08% and 1.22% ID/g of tissue, form a rational
      basis for evaluation of this and related 2-nitroimidazole analogs as
      radiopharmaceuticals suitable for scintigraphic evaluation of tissue (tumor)
      hypoxia.

PMID- 1880580
TI  - An investigation of the magnitude and causes of count loss artifacts in SPECT
      imaging.
AB  - A quantitative evaluation and an investigation of the mechanism of the count
      losses that can occur in SPECT imaging is described. The most common clinical
      example of the artifacts which result from this is encountered when sections are
      taken through the femoral heads in skeletal studies of the pelvis. From some
      simple phantom studies, it was identified that the count losses were associated
      with the presence of a high dynamic range in the projection data. Further
      information was obtained from simulation studies. It was found that the count
      loss phenomenon is caused by the combined effects of the presence of a high count
      density area and a structure with a relatively high attenuation level. An
      appreciation of the presence, magnitude, and mechanism of this effect is
      important if erroneous clinical findings are to be avoided. This is particularly
      relevant because of the existence of a variety of techniques that can be used to
      remove the resulting artifacts.

PMID- 1880581
TI  - Isotopic findings in anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the
      pulmonary artery: report of an adult case.
AB  - Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the main pulmonary trunk
      results in myocardial ischemia or infarction, and may be a cause of death in the
      first months of life. Some patients, however, develop satisfactory coronary
      collateral circulation and remain asymptomatic into adulthood. In these patients,
      myocardial perfusion and left ventricular function are not well understood. We
      report the case of a 17-yr-old female patient, suffering from anomalous origin of
      the left coronary artery from the main pulmonary trunk, who underwent
      reimplantation of the left coronary artery to the aorta. The preoperative
      permanent 201Tl defect of the left antero-lateral ventricular wall and the
      abnormal regional wall motion induced by stress exercise testing were fully
      reversed after the operation.

PMID- 1880582
TI  - Gallium-SPECT in the detection of prosthetic valve endocarditis and aortic ring
      abscess.
AB  - A 52-yr-old man who had a bioprosthetic aortic valve developed Staphylococcus
      aureus bacteremia. Despite antibiotic therapy he had persistent pyrexia and
      developed new conduction system disturbances. Echocardiography did not
      demonstrate vegetations on the valve or an abscess, but gallium scintigraphy
      using SPECT clearly identified a focus of intense activity in the region of the
      aortic valve. The presence of valvular vegetations and a septal abscess was
      confirmed at autopsy. Gallium scintigraphy, using SPECT, provided a useful
      noninvasive method for the demonstration of endocarditis and the associated valve
      ring abscess.

PMID- 1880583
TI  - Reorientation of the left ventricular long-axis on myocardial transaxial
      tomograms by a linear fitting method.
AB  - A method is described for reorientating the left ventricular (LV) long-axis from
      myocardial transaxial tomographic data. On a midventricular transverse slice and
      on a midventricular sagittal slice, the apical and basal limits are selected
      successively by the operator. The linear activity profiles between these two
      limits are plotted line by line. In each profile, the two points with the maximum
      counts in the septal and lateral walls on the transverse slice, or in the
      anterior and inferior walls on the sagittal slice, are detected. The intermediate
      point with the minimum counts is then determined. The set of points with minimum
      counts are fitted by a straight line using the least squares method. This line is
      taken as the LV long-axis. In a series of 15 cases with stress-delayed 201Tl
      SPECT, the reproducibility of the reorientation with this semi-automatic method
      was compared with manual selection of the LV long-axis. In all patients, a
      successful reorientation was obtained with the present method. The
      reproducibility was significantly better with the semi-automatic method than with
      the manual selection of the LV long-axis.

PMID- 1880584
TI  - A theoretical comparison of first-pass and gated equilibrium methods in the
      measurement of systolic left ventricular function.
AB  - First-pass and gated equilibrium radionuclide studies of left ventricular
      function have proven extremely useful in the detection and management of patients
      with heart disease. Despite this practical experience, however, comparison of
      these methods generally has been confined to procedural differences that do not
      reflect the intrinsic properties of the methods. Here, we describe the results of
      a simple theoretical calculation from first principles that compares the methods
      based on their relative statistical precision. This analysis assumes that each
      procedure is carried out with the same tracer dose in the same hypothetical
      patient under identical conditions and with the same ideal imaging equipment.
      Results obtained with this model suggest that the imaging time required for a
      gated equilibrium study to achieve the same statistical precision as a first-pass
      study is typically less than 2 min in resting subjects and less than 1 min during
      stress. The analysis also indicates that gated equilibrium studies will tend to
      possess the greater statistical precision when cardiac output is elevated, such
      as when the heart is imaged during exercise. On the other hand, this analysis
      indicates that the first-pass method will tend to possess the greater precision
      when cardiac output is low and when imaging time is highly constrained.

PMID- 1880585
TI  - Cone-beam transmission computed tomography for nonuniform attenuation
      compensation of SPECT images.
AB  - This paper develops and tests cone-beam transmission computed tomography (CB-CT)
      for attenuation compensation of SPECT images. CB-CT was implemented on a rotating
      gamma camera with a point source (1-2 mCi) of 99mTc, and a light-weight aluminum
      source holder. A cone-beam collimator may be used but is not required. Since the
      point source is either located at the collimator focal point, or the camera is
      uncollimated, CB-CT has excellent sensitivity (at least 150 times that of a
      parallel-hole, high-resolution collimator). The predicted resolution is equal to
      the intrinsic gamma camera resolution (3-4 mm), which is much higher than for a
      high-resolution, parallel-hole collimator (10-20 mm). In the present study, CB-CT
      provided low noise, high-resolution attenuation maps for use in a nonuniform
      attenuation-weighted backprojection algorithm. The attenuation compensation
      accuracy was tested using basic geometries of line sources and nonuniform density
      models. For the appropriate scaling of the attenuation map, the attenuation
      compensation was accurate and removed the SPECT image distortion associated with
      nonuniform attenuation. Attenuation maps acquired either with cone beam
      collimator or without any collimator were both successful. Using CB-CT, SPECT can
      thus be made much more accurate without adding unduly to the imaging time,
      complexity, or cost.

PMID- 1880586
TI  - Simplified methods for renal clearance in children: scaling for patient size.
AB  - Development and validation of simplified renal clearance methods has required a
      research data base of multiple blood samples drawn over a substantial time
      interval, which is difficult to obtain for children. While the medical risks
      entailed in drawing multiple samples may be negligible, the problems of parental
      and institutional consent make such studies more difficult in the pediatric
      population. Scaling for patient size permits combining data from patients of
      different age and limits the number of studies required. A scaling technique is
      presented and evaluated here. With scaling, adult data can be used successfully
      to predict pediatric responses and to develop pediatric methods based on adult
      data alone. Inclusion of pediatric data improves the fit and permits development
      of generic methods that work with both adults and children.

PMID- 1880587
TI  - Geography and the human brain: representing the cortex on flat paper.

PMID- 1880588
TI  - Iodine-131 whole-body scan for post-surgical follow-up of differentiated thyroid
      carcinoma.

PMID- 1880589
TI  - Possible links between radioactive discharges and cancer.

PMID- 1880590
TI  - Three-phase bone scan in muscular sarcoidosis.

PMID- 1880591
TI  - Gallium-67/stable gadolinium antagonism.

PMID- 1880593
TI  - ART: Ambiguous Radioimaging Terminology.

PMID- 1880592
TI  - Nonuniformity in myocardial accumulation of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose in
      normal fasted humans.

PMID- 1880594
TI  - Determination of the physical structure of biological materials at biosensor
      interfaces by techniques of increasing magnification from microscopic to
      molecular scale.
AB  - Chemical selectivity of biosensors is derived from biological materials
      interfaced to the surface of transducing devices. Molecular recognition events
      lead to macroscopic function suitable for analytical measurements. The structure
      function relationships of biochemical species at interfaces must be established
      to characterize and optimize biosensor operation. The techniques of ellipsometry,
      fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy
      are used to investigate the structure of monolayers and multilayers of proteins
      and lipids at interfaces that are prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett techniques and by
      self-assembly from bulk solution. The relative merits and limitations of the
      measurement techniques in the determination of aspects of interfacial structure
      are considered.

PMID- 1880595
TI  - Tridimensional ultrastructure of perfusion fixed gastrointestinal epithelial
      cells by high resolution scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - Improvements in the design of modern scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and new
      methods of specimen preparation incorporating chemical removal of the cytosol and
      cytoskeleton, now make it possible to view cells and their organelles in three
      dimensions (3D) at high magnification. In this experiment, high resolution SEM
      (HRSEM) utilizing new methods of tissue preparation was used to study the
      intracellular structures of the mouse ileum. In addition, in vivo intestinal
      perfusion was used to further enhance cellular preservation. Using these
      modifications it was possible to visualize, in 3D, the fine structure of
      intestinal epithelial cells and intracellular organelles such as the nucleus,
      mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi complex, as well as microvilli and
      cell membrane. Whole mitochondria appeared as irregularly shaped organelles which
      contained tubular cristae. Plate-like cristae were not observed. The brush border
      was found to be closely packed array of cylindrical projections. The extensive
      folding and structural intricacy of lateral cell membranes between absorptive
      cells could only be appreciated by viewing this tissue with 3D HRSEM. The use of
      HRSEM to study 3D ultrastructure of cells and their organelles will improve our
      understanding of the structure-function relationships in both the healthy and
      diseased gastrointestinal tract.

PMID- 1880596
TI  - The structure of the developing chick retinal pigment epithelium revealed by high
      resolution scanning electron microscopy.
AB  - The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the developing eye of chick embryos has
      been studied during the early stages of development by high resolution scanning
      electron microscopy (HRSEM). Specimen preparation techniques which involve
      removal of the cytoplasmic matrix permitted visualization of organelles and other
      subcellular structures within RPE cells in detail and in three dimensional (3-D)
      stereo HRSEM. Using this technique, we were able to examine changes in melanosome
      structures during development and demonstrate that pigmentation in the RPE was
      present by day 4 of development. RPE plasma cell membranes showed extensive
      folding of the apical portion of the membrane closest to the developing neural
      retina by day 9. Examination of RPE photoreceptor junction revealed photoreceptor
      inner segments by day 6 and an outer segment by day 9. Mitochondria in the RPE
      were found to contain tubular cristae only. The ultra-structure in 3-D of the
      Golgi apparatus, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes and nuclear
      chromatin of the RPE, and Bruch's layer was revealed by the HRSEM method.

PMID- 1880597
TI  - Resolution limit of serial sections for 3D reconstruction of tubular cristae in
      rat liver mitochondria.
AB  - Following stereo, high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) of various
      rat tissue mitochondria prepared by mild glutaraldehyde fixation followed by
      freeze cleavage and extraction of the cytosol (Lea and Hollenberg, 1989a), a new
      model for the ultrastructure of mitochondrial cristae has been developed (Lea and
      Hollenberg, 1989b). The cristae mitochondriales, previously considered in most
      cells to have a shelf like structure, were found in many cell types including
      hepatocytes by HRSEM to be tubes which spanned the mitochondrial matrix and were
      continuous with the inner mitochondrial membrane at both ends. Despite computer
      aided, serial, reconstruction of serial thin sections examined in the
      transmission electron microscope (TEM), tubular cristae in mitochondria have not
      been resolved entirely, even though circular cross sectional profiles of cristae
      have been observed in the TEM. The current study was undertaken to probe this
      deficiency and to understand its cause. In this study, the problems of inherent
      contrast and resolution loss in the digitized image have been reduced by using a
      computer based, background, extraction process analogous in the computer to the
      chemical cytosol extraction process used for HRSEM (Lea and Hollenberg, 1988;
      Hollenberg et al., 1989). Despite the use of this membrane enhancement algorithm,
      it was still not possible to reconstruct entire tubular cristae, as observed by
      HRSEM, even when the micrograph negatives were digitized and reprocessed (Lea and
      Hollenberg, 1989b). A comparison of serial section thickness deduced from the
      diffraction colour of the respective section (60 nm) to the measured diameter of
      tubular cristae profiles (30 nm), with membrane thickness of 10 nm, suggested
      that this size disparity is responsible for the apparent loss of
      resolution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880598
TI  - A new computer-assisted three-dimensional reconstruction method provides accurate
      measurement of glomerular mesangial volume.
AB  - Many glomerulopathies are characterized by progressive mesangial (interstitial)
      expansion which can be quantitated by morphometric analysis. The purpose of this
      study was to analyze mesangial and glomerular volumes using a new computer
      assisted reconstruction (CAR) method. CAR was compared to two standard planar
      methods, point-counting and linear integration, for accuracy and time efficiency.
      In Phase I of the study, a computer-based model of the mesangial space was
      created by placing spherical and ellipsoidal objects of known volume into an
      enclosing volume mimicking the glomerulus. The simulated mesangium occupied
      approximately 10 percent of the glomerular volume. The model glomerulus was
      sectioned serially into ten sections of equal thickness and the three
      morphometric methods applied to determine the mesangial/glomerular volume. The
      complexity of the mesangial model was varied by increasing the number of
      mesangial regions from one to ten to 100. The CAR method estimated the model
      mesangial volume more accurately (1-9 percent error) through each level of
      complexity compared to point-counting (3-17 percent error) and linear integration
      (3-18 percent error). The point-counting method consistently overestimated (P
      less than 0.05) the fractional mesangial volume for the ten- and 100-region
      mesangium models. In Phase II of the study, a normal rat glomerulus was sectioned
      serially (215 sections) and a transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of every
      fifth section (n = 43) was obtained. Each TEM image (2% of glomerular surface)
      was digitized for analysis by CAR. Point-counting and linear integration were
      also performed on the whole glomerular TEMs (n = 10, randomly chosen). The
      estimated relative mesangial/glomerular volume was 6.6 +/- 0.1 percent by CAR
      (mean +/- SD), 9.7 +/- 1.5 by linear integration, and 14.9 +/- 3.4 by point
      counting. The point-counting method was most efficient, requiring 40 +/- 8
      sec/section, followed by CAR at 85 +/- 24 sec/section. Linear integration was
      least efficient (93 +/- 23 sec/section). We conclude that CAR is the most
      accurate morphometric method of the three compared for estimating mesangial and
      glomerular methods, although it is more time consuming than the point-counting
      method and requires more complex instrumentation. CAR is the only method that
      will analyze the shape and three-dimensional complexity of glomerular structures
      using TEMs.

PMID- 1880599
TI  - Image analysis of mineralized and non-mineralized type I collagen fibrils.
AB  - Turkey leg tendons at an early stage of mineralization have been thin sectioned
      and imaged by electron microscopy. At this stage collagen-associated mineral
      apatite was found to be present within both the gap and overlap zones. The
      earliest apatite occurs in a microcrystalline form which gives a rather
      generalized and characteristic density to both the gap and overlap zones; with
      subsequent development larger defined apatite crystals arise which span
      gap/overlap zones. Fourier transformation of such images revealed the major 67 nm
      axial repeat of the gap/overlap zone plus four other maxima corresponding to
      repeat spacings of 22, 16, 13, and 11 nm respectively. Computer imaging
      techniques were used to reconstruct images by using selected spatial frequencies
      from such transforms. In this manner the subperiodic distributions of mineral
      were visually enhanced. These subperiodicities are positioned in an asymmetric
      fashion over the entire D unit repeat aligning with the molecular orientation of
      the fibril. Analyses of both negatively stained collagen and computer-generated
      maps of collagen hydrophobicity were compared to the mineral distribution of
      collagen. Densitometric comparisons showed a positional correlation between the
      axial banding patterns of mineralized fibrils and those of negatively stained non
      mineralized fibrils. Comparable spatial frequencies were also present in
      transforms between hydrophobic maps and mineral distribution of collagen. These
      results suggest that the lateral clusterings of hydrophobic residues which span
      the fibril at specific sites in both the gap and overlap zones serve to prohibit
      early mineral deposition. This observed hydrophobic influence in combination with
      the gap space appear as contributing factors in the observed axial distribution
      of mineral within collagen.

PMID- 1880600
TI  - A fast image simulation technique for high resolution electron microscopy with
      multicomponent atomic species.
AB  - A new method has been developed for simulating high resolution electron
      microscope images of weak phase objects via a digital television frame store
      system and fast Fourier transforms of a graphical representation of structures
      containing several atomic species. Here masks are constructed which consist of
      circular disk regions whose areas are proportional to the scattering power of the
      different atom types. These masks represent the object transmission function. The
      method extends the previous work on image computations of monatomic species
      objects using small point-like model representations of atom positions. Several
      examples will be given to verify the relative scattering power from masks
      corresponding to different atomic species such as Y, Ba, Cu, and O, as well as
      the limitations of this method for representing objects. Image simulations, which
      are in agreement with experiments, will also be presented for superconducting
      oxide materials of the form YBa2Cu3O7 using the circular disk method.

PMID- 1880601
TI  - A study of protein A-gold resolution for immunoelectron microscopy.
AB  - For the purpose of investigating a topographical correlation between antigen
      molecules and protein A-gold(PAG) particles which localized as an
      immunocytochemical probe, the simplest model on a localization pattern of antigen
      molecules, which were arranged two-dimensionally on a plane surface of the resin,
      was used. Ultrathin sections of a G-actin layer, which was adsorbed on epoxy
      resin and was re-embedded subsequently in JB-4 resin, was stained indirectly with
      rabbit anti-actin antibody and subsequently by PAG. From this immunoelectron
      microscopy, a histogram (relative frequency, denoted by y vs. relative length,
      denoted by x) was obtained using a computer-assisted method. For this histogram,
      a fitting curve was calculated by a least squares optimization and three
      parameters (H, U, and W) of the curve which could be useful for a study on the
      topographical organization of antigen molecules were estimated. Parameter H
      (maximum y of the curve) would reflect the maximum amount of epitopes at x = U.
      Half width W, which is the width of the curve at y = H/2, would reflect a breath
      of epitope masses. This fitting curve was separated into two overlapping curves
      whose Ws were different from each other. The one constituent curve of which value
      W was smaller than the other was regarded as a unit curve and the other
      constituent curve could be resolved into many unit curves whose W values are the
      same. From these unit curves, the resolution power of the immunoelectron
      microscopy, using a post-embedding procedure of ultrathin sections, was estimated
      as 58-66 A degrees.

PMID- 1880602
TI  - Similar features in Z bands of both skeletal and cardiac muscle revealed by image
      enhancement.
AB  - We have shown previously that the small square (ss) and basket weave (bw) states
      of the Z band lattice in cardiac and skeletal muscle are related to the
      contractile state of the muscle. We have used two-dimensional image processing
      techniques on digitized electron micrographs to enhance the structural features
      of each projected lattice form in cardiac and skeletal muscle. Four different
      processing techniques were employed to assess the effect of enhancement artifacts
      on the resulting Z band images. We observed only slight differences between
      enhanced images of a particular Z band form produced by the four different
      techniques. Every enhanced image showed an approximate four-fold symmetry
      independent of muscle type or Z band lattice form. Each enhanced image showed
      four cross-connecting Z-filaments which appeared to connect each axial filament
      to the four nearest axial filaments. In bw images from both cardiac and skeletal
      muscle, axial filaments had a greater apparent diameter and a greater interaxial
      filament spacing than in the ss images. In both muscle types, the cross
      connecting Z-filaments appeared to overlap half-way between axial filaments in
      the ss images while the bw images showed no such overlap. These structural
      features are consistent with a dynamic Z band lattice that participates in muscle
      contraction.

PMID- 1880603
TI  - The use of freeze-substitution and LR gold in the study of rye grass (Lolium
      perenne) pollen.
AB  - Pollen grains of Lolium perenne (rye grass) were prepared for transmission
      electron microscopy by rapid freezing in liquid propane, substitution in acetone,
      methanol or diethyl ether, and embedment in the acrylic resin London Resin gold.
      These were compared to pollen chemically fixed (CF) in aldehyde/osmium tetroxide
      and embedded in the epoxy resin Quetol 651. Ultrastructural preservation was
      superior in freeze-substituted (FS) pollen, particularly with the use of acetone
      or methanol. Optimally preserved FS pollen displayed a homogeneous aspect of the
      cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, and smooth, uninterrupted contour or organelles. A
      striking difference was also seen in the preservation of inclusions in the
      intine. Varied forms and sizes of intine inclusions were evident in FS pollen but
      these were not discernible in the CF image. The FS scheme studied here presents
      enormous potential for both ultrastructural and immunolabelling studies in rye
      grass pollen. Problems discussed include artifacts associated with each of the
      substitution solvents used, and a gradient of freezing damage observed within the
      pollen grain.

PMID- 1880604
TI  - A technique for the preparation of cross-sectional TEM samples of ZnSe/GaAs
      heterostructures which eliminates process-induced defects.
AB  - Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation of
      ZnSe/GaAs epitaxial films is investigated. Conventional argon ion milling is
      shown to produce a high density (approximately 5-8 x 10(11)/cm2) of small
      (diameter approximately 60-80 A) extended defects (stacking faults, microtwins,
      double positioning twins, etc.). In addition, transmission electron diffraction
      results indicate a thin ZnO layer can also occasionally form upon ion milling or
      electron-beam irradiation although the exact conditions for ZnO formation are not
      well understood. Conventional TEM (amplitude contrast) and high-resolution TEM
      (phase contrast) imaging in combination with transmission electron diffraction
      studies were performed to determine the optimum method of removing the ion
      milling related damage and ZnO layers during sample preparation. HF/HCl,
      NaOH/H2O, H2SO4/H2O2/H2O and Br2/CH3OH etching mixtures as well as low voltage
      argon or iodine ion milling were studied. A low energy (2 keV) iodine or argon
      ion milling step was shown to remove the ZnO layer and reduced the density of the
      extended defects associated with Ar+ ion milling, but was unsuccessful in
      removing all of the defects. Auger electron spectroscopy results indicate
      residual iodine was either left on the surface or implanted beneath the surface
      during iodine ion milling. Etching the XTEM samples in HF/HCl was shown to be
      effective in removing the ZnO layer but had little or no effect on the ion
      milling induced defects. Etching the samples in a 0.5% Br2/CH3OH solution
      resulted in complete elimination of the ion milling induced extended defects
      including the residual defects associated with iodine ion milling. In addition
      the Br2/CH3OH etch produced the best surface morphology. Thus a brief (1-2
      seconds) Br2/CH3OH etch after conventional preparation (argon ion milling) of
      cross-sectional ZnSe/GaAs TEM samples appears to be an inexpensive and superior
      alternative to iodine ion milling.

PMID- 1880605
TI  - Simple method for the preparation of InP based samples for TEM investigation.
AB  - A novel, rapid, and simple method is described for the preparation of InP based
      samples for investigation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The key
      feature of the technique is Ar+ ion bombardment in an iodine ambient. Cross
      sectional micrographs of Au/InP samples are shown as an example. The technique
      developed produces a large area of transparent region.

PMID- 1880606
TI  - Hugh Sinclair (1910-1990).

PMID- 1880607
TI  - Diseases of civilisation and EFA.

PMID- 1880608
TI  - Modulation of lipid chylomicron-synthesizing enzymes in rats by the dietary (n
      6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio.
AB  - The effect of diets with various (n-6):(n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)
      ratios and a constant polyunsaturated: saturated fatty acid ratio on the basal
      activity of chylomicron lipid synthesizing enzymes was investigated in rat
      intestinal microsomes. Enzymes studied were: acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase
      (ACAT); acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (MGAT) and acyl-CoA:1,2
      diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT). Results showed that after a 4-wk feeding
      period, ACAT, ACLAT and DGAT basal activities were significantly enhanced by the
      dietary fatty acids of the (n-3) series, whereas MGAT activity was not affected.
      When the highest (n-6):(n-3) ratio (51.0) was compared with the lowest (0.8), the
      increase attained was about 58, 76 and 73% for ACAT, ACLAT and DGAT,
      respectively. Fatty acid composition of microsomal lipids was drastically altered
      by the diets because (n-3) PUFA replaced the (n-6) series as the dietary (n-6):(n
      3) ratio was lowered. These compositional changes could explain the observed
      modification in the membrane-bound enzyme activities. We suggest that (n-3) PUFA
      ingestion leads to an enhanced velocity of chylomicron synthesis in rats.

PMID- 1880609
TI  - Interrelationship of plasma triglycerides and HDL size and composition in rats
      fed different dietary saturated fats.
AB  - We investigated the relative effects of different dietary saturated fats on the
      size distribution, apolipoprotein (apo) and chemical composition of HDL in fasted
      rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (174 +/- 2 g) were fed diets containing 0.035%
      cholesterol and 16% fat (wt/wt) from corn oil (CO diet) or from 2% CO plus 14%
      butterfat (BF diet), beef tallow (BT diet), palm oil (PO diet) or coconut oil (CN
      diet) for 6 wk. Apparent lipid digestibility was significantly lower with the PO
      and BT diets vs. the CO, BF and CN diets. Plasma total cholesterol levels were
      significantly higher in rats fed the PO and BT diets than in rats fed the BF and
      CN diets but were not different among the PO-, BT- and CO-fed groups.
      Nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis immunoblot analysis indicated that HDL
      apo A-I and E resided on particles with significantly smaller modal diameters in
      rats fed all saturated fats compared with those fed the CO diet. Chemical
      analyses indicated that HDL generally contained proportionately less protein and
      more triglyceride, free cholesterol and apo E with saturated fat feeding than
      with CO diet feeding. Significantly higher plasma and VLDL triglyceride levels
      were noted with ingestion of the BT, PO or CN diet than with the CO diet.
      Butterfat feeding resulted in lower plasma triglycerides and HDL-esterified
      cholesterol than did feeding the other saturated fats. Very low density
      lipoprotein triglyceride concentrations were inversely correlated with HDL modal
      diameter of apo E containing lipoproteins (P less than 0.005). These data provide
      further evidence of the interrelationship of triglyceride and HDL metabolism and
      suggest that mechanisms independent of cholesterol ester transfer protein may
      mediate this response in rats.

PMID- 1880610
TI  - Dietary cholesterol and the origin of cholesterol in the brain of developing
      rats.
AB  - Milk substitutes containing cholesterol at concentrations lower, equal to or
      greater than the concentrations found in natural rat milk were fed to
      artificially reared rat pups from 5 d until 15 or 16 d after birth. Pups reared
      by their mother served as controls. In one experiment, D7-cholesterol was fed in
      the milk at four different concentrations. The purpose of the study was to
      determine whether cholesterol in milk influenced growth and the sterol
      composition of brain over the period of its most rapid accumulation in this
      organ. We found that body and brain weights were not different, irrespective of
      the concentration of cholesterol in the milk substitutes. High concentrations of
      cholesterol in milk caused a significant increase in cholesterol in liver and
      plasma, whereas the concentration of cholesterol in brain was not different from
      the concentration in the brain of controls. The amounts of D7-cholesterol in lung
      and liver, and in plasma and RBC that pass the brain, were consistent with the
      concentration fed in the milk and approached 70% of the total content of
      cholesterol in these organs at the highest concentration fed. Brain, by contrast,
      contained very small amounts of D7-cholesterol, which could readily be attributed
      to D7-cholesterol associated with the vascular system of the blood-brain barrier.
      We found that the sterol composition of brain is not influenced by the
      concentration of cholesterol in milk and that cholesterol exogenous to brain,
      even in a hypercholesterolemic condition, does not gain entry to the brain. We
      conclude that the brain biosynthesizes de novo all the cholesterol it requires.

PMID- 1880611
TI  - Dietary (n-3) fatty acids affect rat heart, liver and aorta protective enzyme
      activities and lipid peroxidation.
AB  - In a 16-wk study, weanling Wistar rats (32 males and 32 females) were fed a
      modified AIN-76 diet containing 20% fat with various (n-3) fatty acids. All
      dietary fats provided the same amount of saturates, monounsaturates, and total
      essential fatty acids [(n-6) + (n-3)]. The control diet contained lard/corn oil
      (L/CO). The other diets contained (n-3) fatty acids from linseed oil (LSO), from
      linseed oil + menhaden oil (LSO + MO) or from menhaden oil (MO). The (n-3) diets
      reduced total and HDL-cholesterol, particularly in rats fed the MO diet. Platelet
      thromboxane levels were equally depressed by the LSO and MO diets. Dietary (n-3)
      fatty acids significantly elevated docosahexaenoic acid in livers and hearts of
      male and female rats, with females reaching higher levels. This increase was
      accompanied by reduced arachidonic acid, except for hearts of females in which
      the major decrease was in linoleic acid. Overall, enzyme activities in the MO-fed
      group were decreased to the following levels (relative to the activity in the
      control group): heart Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD), 28%; liver CuZnSOD, 82%;
      aorta CuZnSOD, 32%. Greater reductions in these enzyme activities were seen in
      the female rats fed the MO diet compared with male rats. Lipid peroxidation,
      assessed by urinary, heart and liver thiobarbituric acid reactants, was increased
      by dietary (n-3) fatty acids (MO greater than LSO + MO greater than LSO greater
      than L/CO) and was higher in females than in males. These results indicate that
      enhanced lipid peroxidation occurs with the increased oxidative stress of
      elevated tissue (n-3) fatty acids accompanied by reduced SOD activity.

PMID- 1880612
TI  - Uptake and metabolism of L-2-oxo-[35S]thiazolidine-4-carboxylate by rat cells is
      slower than that of L-[35S]cysteine or L-[35S]methionine.
AB  - The uptake and metabolism of L-2-oxo-[35S]thiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTC) was
      compared with that of L-[35S]cysteine and L-[35S]methionine in studies with
      freshly isolated rat hepatocytes, renal cortical tubules and enterocytes. All
      three 35S-labeled substrates were metabolized to glutathione, inorganic sulfur
      and taurine by hepatocytes and to inorganic sulfur by renal tubules and
      enterocytes. The rate of metabolite production from OTC was always less than 30%
      of that from cysteine or methionine. The transport rate for uptake of [35S]OTC by
      hepatocytes was less than that observed for uptake of [35S]cysteine or
      [35S]methionine. The capacity of rat hepatocytes, renal cortical tubules and
      enterocytes to take up and metabolize OTC is substantially lower than that for
      uptake and metabolism of cysteine or its normal intracellular precursor,
      methionine.

PMID- 1880613
TI  - Protein deficiency suppresses bone resorption in sheep based on a short-term in
      vivo bone model.
AB  - Six sheep were fed protein-deficient and control diets for 40 d for each diet in
      a crossover design. Each sheep was intramuscularly injected with 120 pmol.d-1.kg
      body wt-1 of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol during the last 7 d of each dietary
      period. Approximately 100 mg of bone powder was implanted on the abdominal muscle
      on d 21 and d 28 of each dietary period. Plaques induced by the bone powder were
      harvested 12 d after the implantation. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TR
      ACP) activity was lower and the number of multinucleated cells was smaller in
      plaques of animals during the protein-deficient period than during the control
      period. The administration of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol increased the
      activity of TR-ACP and the number of multinucleated cells during both dietary
      treatments. However, TR-ACP activity was still lower and the cell number was
      still smaller during the protein-deficient period than during the control period
      when they were injected with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. These results suggest
      that protein deficiency reduces the activity of osteoclastic cell induction. The
      suppressive effect of protein deficiency on the induction and the activity of
      osteoclastic cells is not related to the action of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.

PMID- 1880614
TI  - Glutathione levels and related enzyme activities in vitamin B-6-deficient rats
      fed a high methionine and low cystine diet.
AB  - We examined the change in glutathione metabolism in vitamin B-6-deficient rats.
      Vitamin B-6-deficient rats were fed a vitamin B-6-deficient diet containing 0.56%
      methionine and 0.075% cystine for 8 wk. Controls were fed an identical diet
      supplemented with 10 mg pyridoxine hydrochloride/kg diet. Glutathione
      concentrations in each organ examined were similar in control and vitamin B-6
      deficient rats, and the values were comparably lower after intraperitoneal
      injection of diethylmaleate. However, buthionine sulfoximine caused a
      significantly greater decrease in glutathione levels in the liver and lungs of
      vitamin B-6-deficient rats relative to controls. Glutathione peroxidase activity
      in the liver of vitamin B-6-deficient rats was higher than in control animals;
      however, glutathione transferase activity in tissues other than liver of vitamin
      B-6-deficient rats was higher than in the controls. The activities of gamma
      glutamyl-transferase in the liver and spleen of vitamin B-6-deficient rats were
      significantly lower than control values. The holoenzyme activities of
      cystathionine beta-synthase and cystathionine gamma-lyase in the liver of vitamin
      B-6-deficient rats were markedly reduced. These findings indicate that although
      the activities of enzymes that synthesize cysteine from methionine were decreased
      by vitamin B-6 deficiency, the level of synthesis and supply of cysteine in
      vitamin B-6-deficient rats were sufficient to maintain the same glutathione level
      as in controls, and that glutathione utilization in the liver was accelerated by
      vitamin B-6 deficiency.

PMID- 1880615
TI  - Inhibitory effect of dietary soybean protein vs. casein on magnesium absorption
      in rats.
AB  - The effects of casein and soybean protein on magnesium absorption and magnesium
      concentration in the femur were investigated in rats. Purified diets containing
      either casein or soybean protein and three concentrations of added magnesium
      (0.82, 1.64 or 2.46 mmol/100 g diet) were used. The isonitrogenous diets were
      carefully balanced for the different mineral concentrations in the protein
      preparations. Absolute and percent magnesium absorption and urinary magnesium
      excretion were significantly decreased in rats fed soybean protein when compared
      with casein, irrespective of the dietary concentration of added magnesium. The
      magnesium content of femur was significantly lower in rats fed soybean protein,
      but this effect was seen only when the diet contained 0.82 mmol magnesium/100 g
      diet. The addition of sodium phytate to the casein diets, to a concentration
      identical to that in the diets containing soybean protein as provided by the
      soybean protein preparation, produced similar effects on magnesium absorption as
      the diets containing soybean protein. These results indicate that soybean
      protein, when compared with casein, decreases magnesium absorption through its
      phytate component.

PMID- 1880616
TI  - Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus utilization by rats fed sodium and potassium
      salts of various inorganic anions.
AB  - We hypothesized that urinary excretion of calcium would be affected by both
      urinary excretion of acid and of total fixed anions. Calcium, magnesium and
      phosphorus utilization was examined in rats fed semipurified diets supplemented
      with approximately 0.4 mol sodium/kg diet or approximately 0.4 mol potassium/kg
      diet as chloride, sulfate, bisulfate, carbonate or bicarbonate salts in two
      studies. The ingestion of supplemental fixed anions (chloride, sulfate or
      bisulfate) increased urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. It
      made no difference whether the anions were ingested as sodium or potassium salts.
      In Study 1, 80% of the variation in urinary calcium excretion could be explained
      on the basis of urinary excretion of sulfate, ammonia and total anions. In Study
      2, 77% of the variation in urinary calcium excretion could be predicted on the
      basis of urinary excretion of total anions and sulfate. Although bone and plasma
      calcium concentrations were not responsive to these dietary changes, less
      magnesium was retained in bones of rats fed any of the supplemental salts.

PMID- 1880617
TI  - Intestinal metallothionein gene expression and zinc absorption in rats are zinc
      responsive but refractory to dexamethasone and interleukin 1 alpha.
AB  - The effects of dexamethasone and interleukin 1 alpha on intestinal
      metallothionein gene expression and zinc absorption were studied. Rats given
      parenteral zinc served as positive controls. A single intraperitoneal or
      intravenous dose of dexamethasone, interleukin 1 alpha or zinc markedly increased
      liver metallothionein synthesis 3-9 h after injection. Intestinal metallothionein
      mRNA and metallothionein protein were not affected by dexamethasone or
      interleukin 1 alpha, but were markedly increased by parenteral zinc. Absorption
      of 65Zn from isolated duodenal segments was inversely related to intestinal
      metallothionein concentration in rats given zinc, but was not affected by
      dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha. Plasma zinc concentrations decreased in
      rats given dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha and increased in those given
      zinc, but they were not related to 65Zn absorption. Similarly, multiple
      intraperitoneal administration of either dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha, or
      oral administration of dexamethasone, for 7 d markedly increased liver
      metallothionein synthesis but did not affect intestinal metallothionein
      concentration or 65Zn absorption. These results suggest that intestinal
      metallothionein gene expression and 65Zn absorption are refractory to
      glucocorticoid hormone and interleukin 1 alpha.

PMID- 1880618
TI  - Energetic efficiency of rats fed low or high protein diets and grown at
      controlled rates from 80 to 205 grams.
AB  - Energetic efficiency of protein and lipid deposition was estimated based on the
      data from 53 rats fed purified diets. Intercepts of equations relating energy
      gain to metabolizable energy intake were different (P less than 0.002) for rats
      fed diets that contained 10 and 20% casein, so that metabolizable energy for
      maintenance was 118 and 108 kJ/day, respectively. Surprisingly, in view of the
      supposedly greater efficiency of lipid deposition, energetic efficiency above
      maintenance was constant at 0.38 +/- 0.02. Part of the reason is that composition
      of body gain was much less rigidly tied to daily energy intake--even across the
      wide range of data in this experiment--than is necessary to quantify reliably
      such an effect. Two methods of quantifying partial energetic efficiencies of
      protein and lipid deposition gave results that were comparable to previous
      estimates of about one-third and two-thirds, respectively. One of the methods
      used a more biological model but failed to fit data for rats fed the 10% casein
      diet. Because traditional statistical methods are unlikely to be extended much
      further to account for the many unsolved problems associated with estimating
      partial efficiencies, systems based at tissue and cellular levels are necessary
      to model detailed differences in energy utilization.

PMID- 1880619
TI  - Dietary glucose increases plasma insulin and decreases brown adipose tissue
      thermogenic activity in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine whether consumption of a high glucose
      diet would increase plasma insulin concentrations and decrease brown adipose
      tissue metabolism in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice previously fed a high starch
      diet. Male sham-operated and adrenalectomized ob/ob and lean mice were fed a high
      starch diet for 12 d, then switched to a high glucose diet for the last 2 or 4 d
      of the 14- or 16-d feeding trials. Adrenalectomized ob/ob mice consumed 16% more
      energy and gained 50% more weight without an increase in oxygen consumption when
      switched from a high starch diet to a high glucose diet. Within 2 d after the
      switch to the high glucose diet, plasma insulin concentrations increased by 70%
      without any change in plasma glucose concentrations; brown adipose tissue
      metabolism, as assessed by GDP binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria, was
      decreased by 26% 4 d after the diet switch. Sham-operated ob/ob and lean mice and
      adrenalectomized lean mice were minimally affected by the switch to the high
      glucose diet. The increase in plasma insulin concentrations in adrenalectomized
      ob/ob mice induced by the high glucose diet may contribute to the observed
      depression in brown adipose tissue metabolism.

PMID- 1880620
TI  - Lymphocyte subpopulations in the thymus, lymph nodes and spleen of iron-deficient
      and rehabilitated mice.
AB  - Three groups of weanling female mice were fed one of two iron-deficient diets (5
      and 12 mg Fe/kg diet) or a normal diet (30 mg Fe/kg diet) for 6 wk. A control
      pair-fed group was included. Seven mice received the 5 mg Fe/kg diet for 6 wk,
      then were rehabilitated using the 30 mg Fe/kg diet for 10 d. Mice fed the 5 mg
      Fe/kg diet were moderately iron-deficient, as shown by indices of iron status. No
      significant differences were observed in thymus weight or in the proportion and
      number of thymocyte subsets in thymuses of anemic, moderately iron-deficient and
      control mice. Thymus weight was decreased in pair-fed mice. No significant
      difference was found in lymph node subsets. In the spleen of anemic mice, the
      proportions and total number of Thy-1+ splenocytes, CD4-8+ and CD4+8- cells were
      very low compared with control (P less than 0.01) and iron-deficient (P less than
      0.02) mice. The decrease was not only observed for the percentage of subsets but
      also for the absolute number of cell subtypes per spleen. Thy-1+ splenocyte
      subpopulations were normalized after rehabilitation. These quantitative
      modifications could explain alterations in the blastogenic response of splenic
      lymphocytes described by other authors.

PMID- 1880621
TI  - Flow cytometric analysis of the phenotypic distribution of splenic lymphocytes in
      zinc-deficient adult mice.
AB  - Many immunodeficiency states create an imbalance in the ratio of T cells to B
      cells or in the subsets of lymphocytes found within these two major classes. A 30
      d period of suboptimal intake of zinc often caused a 50% decrease in the total
      number of splenic lymphocytes in young adult mice. One- and two-color flow
      cytometric analysis was made of the residual splenocytes of the zinc-deficient
      mice to determine whether the deficiency had also altered the composition or
      phenotypic distribution of any of the major subsets of T cells or B cells.
      Marginally zinc-deficient mice had a normal ratio of T cells to B cells with no
      notable change in the subsets of lymphocytes making up these two classes.
      Severely zinc-deficient mice that exhibited a significant degree of parakeratosis
      demonstrated a 20% increase in the overall ratio of T helper to T
      suppressor/cytotoxic cells as well as a modest decline in the percentage of B
      cells (5-8%). The latter decrease was not in the B cells bearing immunoglobulin M
      or D but in the minor subsets bearing other immunoglobulin isotypes. Thus it
      seems that, whereas zinc deficiency caused significant reductions in the total
      numbers of splenic lymphocytes, it caused no significant change in the
      composition of the splenic lymphocytes except in the most severe cases.

PMID- 1880622
TI  - Increased dietary branched-chain amino acids do not improve growth in developing
      rats with chronic biliary obstruction.
AB  - We studied dietary branched-chain amino acid enrichment in cholestatic weanling
      rats. Growth was assessed with body weight, muscle weight and nitrogen balance.
      Systemic metabolic measurements that reflect liver function were evaluated,
      including plasma ammonia, albumin, amino acids, glucose, triglyceride and
      branched-chain ketoacids, as well as urinary carnitine excretion. Twenty-two rats
      underwent bile-duct ligation at 14 d of age. At weaning, 11 rats were fed a
      control diet and 11 an isoenergetic, isonitrogenous branched-chain amino acid
      enriched diet for 3 wk, each with a sham-operated, pair-fed control. Body weights
      were similar in all four groups. Changes due to bile-duct ligation and not
      affected by the diet manipulation included lower plasma glucose, nitrogen balance
      and muscle weight, and higher triglyceride concentration, carnitine excretion and
      liver weight. Changes due to ligation that were normalized by dietary
      manipulation included plasma albumin, ammonia and total amino acid
      concentrations. The ratio of branched-chain to aromatic amino acids was decreased
      in ligated animals fed both diets; however, branched-chain amino acids were lower
      in the two groups fed more branched-chain amino acids.

PMID- 1880623
TI  - Dietary protein level and energy metabolism during treadmill exercise in horses.
AB  - Six conditioned Quarter Horse mares were used in a crossover design to assess the
      effect of the dietary protein level on intramuscular and hepatic glycogen and
      lactate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate, pyruvate and free fatty acids. After a
      2-wk adaptation period to either a 9.0% (control) or an 18.5% crude protein diet,
      each horse performed an exercise test. The horses were exercised for 15 min on an
      11% grade treadmill at 4.5 m/sec. The exercise test was performed 3-4 h after a
      meal. Venous, arterial and mixed-venous blood samples were taken simultaneously
      at rest and during exercise. Muscle and liver samples were taken at rest and
      after exercise. The dietary protein level did not affect hepatic or intramuscular
      glycogen utilization (P greater than 0.05). Exercise resulted in increased (P
      less than 0.001) lactate in venous blood, muscle and liver; however, dietary
      treatment did not affect (P greater than 0.05) lactate level. Venous blood
      lactate:pyruvate ratio was higher (P less than 0.05) in the control horses.
      Dietary protein level did not affect (P greater than 0.05) oxygen uptake or
      plasma free fatty acids; however, exercise increased (P less than 0.01) both.
      These results indicate the dietary protein did not affect substrate utilization
      during the absorptive phase of digestion in exercising horses; however, the
      higher lactate:pyruvate ratio in the control horses suggests that the
      intraconversion of lactate and pyruvate may be influenced by diet composition.

PMID- 1880624
TI  - Receptor-mediated lipoprotein transport in laying hens.
AB  - In laying hens, VLDL and vitellogenin (VTG) are secreted by the liver and
      eventually taken up by the growing oocyte via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Both
      macromolecules bind to the same receptor, termed the VLDL/VTG receptor, localized
      on the oocyte plasma membrane. Once taken up by the growing zygote,
      apolipoprotein B, the major protein constituent of VLDL, is proteolytically
      cleaved by a chicken-specific cathepsin-D. Systemic cholesterol homeostasis in
      the chicken is maintained by expressing a different apoprotein B-specific
      receptor in somatic cells, which in terms of its function is very similar to the
      mammalian LDL receptor. The phenotype of the Restricted Ovulator hen,
      characterized by hereditary hyperlipidemia and the absence of egg laying, was
      identified as a lack of expression of functional VLDL/VTG receptors in the
      oocytes without affecting somatic apoprotein B receptors.

PMID- 1880625
TI  - Importance of essential fatty acids and their derivatives in poultry.
AB  - More than thirty-five years have passed since essential fatty acid requirements
      were demonstrated for poultry. Subsequent studies were conducted to establish a
      recommended level of linoleic acid for growing poultry. Although a requirement of
      1% linoleic acid is suggested, a critical evaluation of the nutritional and
      metabolic significance of essential fatty acids is lacking. Perhaps alpha
      linolenic acid is also essential, but direct evidence is not yet available.
      Recent literature indicates that several individual fatty acids, including the
      polyunsaturates derived from essential fatty acids, are biologically active.
      Furthermore, the numerous eicosanoids biosynthesized from specific
      polyunsaturates act as either cellular autocrine or paracrine signaling agents.
      Formation of eicosanoids is ubiquitous in tissues and organs, and these compounds
      influence nearly all systems in mammalian species. However, although such
      compounds have been studied extensively in mammalian systems, the formation of
      polyunsaturates, the biosynthesis of eicosanoids and the biological effects of
      these compounds have not been intensely studied in domestic poultry.

PMID- 1880626
TI  - Adipose cellularity in Gallus domesticus: investigations to control body
      composition in growing chickens.
AB  - The domestic chicken, Gallus domesticus, is recognized as an efficient source of
      lean meat. Genetic selection has resulted in large body size strains that grow
      rapidly. Concomitant with development of these desirable characteristics is
      increased abdominal fat deposition and altered body composition. Adipose cellular
      development in different genetic groups shows that abdominal adipocyte cell
      number as a proportion of body mass decreases as body size increases, concurrent
      with increased adiposity. Adipocyte hypertrophy explains a large proportion of
      the variation in abdominal fat percentage. Growth hormone is correlated with the
      number and size of abdominal adipocytes across genotype, sex and age. Adipose
      tissue development and body composition are affected by hormone levels in growing
      chickens. Possible approaches to modulate fat deposition and adipose cellularity
      in poultry are reviewed.

PMID- 1880627
TI  - Future directions for the American Institute of Nutrition.

PMID- 1880628
TI  - Effects of vitamin E on toxicity by minute amounts of paraquat fed continuously
      to rats.
AB  - The effects of vitamin E on toxicity by minute amounts of paraquat fed
      continuously for some period to rats were investigated. Two experiments were
      carried out as experiments 1 and 2. In both experiments, weaning rats were
      divided at first into two groups; one group was given a vitamin E-deficient diet,
      and the other a vitamin E-supplemented control diet (50 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg of
      diet). They were fed on these diets for 40 days. After that, in both experiments,
      the rats that had been fed the vitamin E-deficient diet were further divided into
      two groups, which were either given a paraquat-added diet (+PQ-E) or continuously
      fed the same vitamin E-deficient diet (-E). The amount of paraquat added was 250
      mg of methyl viologen per kg of diet. After the addition of paraquat, these two
      groups were pair-fed. In experiment 1, paraquat was given to all the rats fed the
      vitamin E-supplemented control diet (+PQ+E). In experiment 2, rats fed the
      control diet were divided into paraquat-added (+PQ+E) and non-paraquat-added (+E)
      groups, similar to those of vitamin E-deficient rats. These two groups were also
      pair-fed thereafter. In both experiments, about 35 days after paraquat addition,
      they were sacrificed. Plasma and liver alpha-tocopherol contents were measured by
      HPLC, and liver peroxidation value was measured by chemiluminescence and the TBA
      method. And, as parameters of vitamin E deficiency, plasma pyruvate kinase and
      GOT activities and alpha-cysteine proteinase inhibitor (alpha-CPI) level were
      measured. When the analyzed values were compared between paraquat-added and the
      corresponding not-added control groups (+PQ-E vs. -E, +PQ+E vs. +E), the
      following results were obtained. In experiment 1, the values of plasma and liver
      alpha-tocopherol levels were significantly lower in the +PQ-E group than those of
      the -E group; however, liver peroxidation values and values of the three
      parameters of vitamin E deficiency were not different significantly. In
      experiment 2, the value of liver alpha-tocopherol level was significantly lower
      in the +PQ+E group than that of the +E group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880629
TI  - Binding form of vitamin B2 in bovine milk: its concentration, distribution and
      binding linkage.
AB  - The contents of total, free, and bound vitamin B2 (B2) in bovine milk and their
      distribution in four separate milk fractions, including milk during the early
      lactation stage, were estimated. The total B2 content in whole mature milk was
      179 +/- 25 micrograms/100 g (n = 16), and its distribution in the cream, whey,
      skim milk membrane, and casein fractions was 6, 67, 9, and 18%, respectively. The
      amount of flavins bound to protein in the total B2 was 13.6% in whole milk and
      rich in membrane fraction. The total B2 content (micrograms/100 g of milk) was
      higher in colostrum at 1-3 days (287 +/- 120) than in colostrum at 4-7 days (173
      +/- 27), in transitional milk (182 +/- 33), and in mature milk (179 +/- 44). The
      bound flavin content decreased slightly as lactation progressed (20-30
      micrograms/100 g), but the ratio of bound/total B2 did not vary (12-15%). Milk
      fat globule membrane (MFGM) contained 414 +/- 65 micrograms of B2/g of protein,
      most of it being bound to protein (92%). Market milks contained as much total B2
      as raw whole milk, but the amount of bound form was only 2%. Guanidine HC1, urea,
      sodium dodecyl sulfate, pH at 3.0-3.5, delipidation, and boiling released most of
      the B2 bound to protein, suggesting that bound flavins bind to milk proteins by a
      hydrophobic linkage.

PMID- 1880630
TI  - Effects of dietary fat and protein on the activity of alpha-amino-beta
      carboxymuconate-epsilon-semialdehyde decarboxylase and the urinary excretion of
      niacin metabolites in rats.
AB  - The effects of dietary protein and soybean oil on the metabolism of L-tryptophan
      through the NAD pathway and the activity of alpha-amino-beta-carboxymuconate
      epsilon-semialdehyde decarboxylase (ACMSD) [EC4.1.1.45] in rat liver and kidney
      were investigated. The animals were fed on the following niacin-free diets for 11
      days: group 1, a fat-free 20% casein diet (20% Cas); group 2, a fat-free 40%
      casein diet (40% Cas); group 3, a 40% casein diet containing 20% soybean oil (40%
      Cas + 20% F). After feeding on each diet for 7 days, the urine was collected
      during 48 h. On day 9, L-tryptophan was force-fed and the urine was collected
      during 48 h. Niacin metabolites such as N-methylnicotinamide (MNA), N-methyl-2
      pyridone-5-carboxamide (2-Py) and N-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide (4-Py) in the
      urine samples were analyzed by chromatography. The activity of ACMSD in the liver
      and kidney was assayed immediately after the last urine collection. The results
      indicate that the urinary excretion of the niacin metabolites in the 40% Cas
      group was lower than that of the 20% Cas group in spite of the more intake of
      tryptophan in the former group. On the other hand, in the 40% Cas+ 20% F group,
      tryptophan intake was lower and the excretion of the metabolites was
      significantly higher than that in the 40% Cas group. The hepatic ACMSD activity
      in the 40% Cas group was 5.8 times that of the 20% Cas group and that in the 40%
      Cas + 20% F group was one tenth that of the 20% Cas group. These results indicate
      that the ratio of the excreted metabolites to the tryptophan intake was reduced
      by the high dietary protein level, but increased by the addition of high soybean
      oil. The data analysis shows that the amount of urinary total niacin metabolites
      ([TNM]: MNA + 2-Py + 4-Py) could be expressed in the following equation in the
      rats fed on each diet: [TNM] = 0.090 ([Trp] -22.5.delta w) [1/(1 + 2.4 [ACMSD])],
      where [ACMSD] is the hepatic ACMSD activity, [Trp] the tryptophan intake, and
      delta w the body weight gain.

PMID- 1880631
TI  - The effect of milk and skim milk intake on serum lipids and apoproteins in young
      females.
AB  - The effect of milk and skim milk intake on serum lipid and apoprotein levels was
      investigated in young females with consideration of each subject's menstrual
      period. When milk and dairy products were not allowed, the serum cholesterol
      concentration tended to decrease in high density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low
      density lipoprotein (VLDL), the triglyceride concentration tended to increase in
      HDL and low density lipoprotein (LDL), the phospholipid concentration showed no
      change, and the apoB, apoC-III and apoE significantly decreased. In the milk
      group, VLDL cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations were increased with a
      significant increase in the apoB concentration after intake of 200 ml/day of milk
      for one menstrual period, and these levels did not change when the milk intake
      was doubled. VLDL phospholipid increased and apoE decreased after the intake of
      20 g/day of skim milk, and LDL cholesterol and HDL phospholipid concentrations
      tended to decrease when the skim milk intake was doubled.

PMID- 1880632
TI  - Ascorbic acid deficiency elevates serum level of LDL-cholesterol in a rat mutant
      unable to synthesize ascorbic acid.
AB  - The effect of ascorbic acid deficiency on serum levels of high density
      lipoprotein- (HDL-), low density lipoprotein- (LDL-), very low density
      lipoprotein- (VLDL-) and chylomicron-cholesterol was examined in ODS-od/od rat
      (ODS rat), that is a rat mutant unable to synthesize ascorbic acid. Male ODS rats
      were fed an ascrobic acid-free diet for 20 days. In another two groups, the diet
      supplemented with 300 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet was fed either ad libitum (ad
      libitum control) or in pair-feeding (pair-fed control). Pair-fed rats received
      the same amount of diet as rats fed the ascorbic acid-free diet. Serum level of
      total cholesterol in the ad libitum control rats, ascorbic acid-deficient rats,
      and the pair-fed control rats were 100.1 +/- 8.4 mg/dl, 92.8 +/- 6.2 mg/dl and
      72.2 +/- 4.8 mg/dl, respectively. The level of LDL-cholesterol in ascorbic acid
      deficient rats was significantly higher than that in the ad libitum control or
      that in the pair-fed control. The level of HDL-cholesterol in ascorbic acid
      deficient rats was lower than that in the ad libitum control, but was not changed
      as compared with that in the pair-fed control. Ascorbic acid deficiency did not
      affect serum level of VLDL-cholesterol or chylomicron-cholesterol as compared
      with those in the controls. These results demonstrate that ascorbic acid
      deficiency causes the elevation of serum level of LDL-cholesterol both in ad
      libitum feeding condition and pair feeding condition.

PMID- 1880633
TI  - Effects of dietary pantethine levels on contents of fatty acids and
      thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the liver of rats orally administered
      varying amounts of autoxidized linoleate.
AB  - The effects of dietary pantethine levels on the contents and compositions of
      fatty acids and on the levels of lipid peroxides were investigated with rat liver
      and its S-9 fraction under administration of 0 (non), 0.2 (low dose), and 0.35 ml
      (high dose) of autoxidized linoleate (AL) per 100 g body weight of the rats per
      day for 5 days. AL having 800 meq/kg of peroxide value (PV) and 1,700 meq/kg of
      carbonyl value (CV) was dosed to the rats of each group given drinking water
      containing 0 mg% (deficient), 6.25 mg% (adequate), and 125 mg% pantethine
      (excess). In the pantethine-deficient and -adequate groups, the contents of fatty
      acids both in the liver homogenate and in the S-9 fraction were correspondingly
      decreased by increasing dose levels of AL, and the decrease was remarkable
      especially in the pantethine-deficient group, but was not significant in the
      pantethine-excess group even by a high dose of AL. Particularly, in the high dose
      of AL, the notable decreases of oleic acid (C18:1) contents in both the liver and
      the S-9 fraction were observed in rats of the pantethine-deficient and -adequate
      groups. The thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values in the liver homogenate and the S-9
      fraction were increased correspondingly by increasing dose levels of AL, and the
      increases were repressed in the pantethine-excess group.

PMID- 1880634
TI  - Effect of vitamin B2 deficiency on rat liver dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase
      activity.
AB  - Effect of vitamin B2 deficiency on rat liver dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase was
      investigated. It was found that the purified enzyme contains 2 mol flavin per
      molecule, which consists of equal proportions of flavin-adenine dinucleotide
      (FAD) and riboflavin 5'-phosphate (FMN). When rats were fed on a vitamin B2
      deficient diet for 5 weeks, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity in the liver
      was diminished, followed by a decrease in enzyme concentration. Moreover, the
      addition of exogenous FAD or FMN did not restore the activity. Thus endogenous
      flavin may regulate the enzyme half-life or synthesis. Lowering of
      dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity in the livers of rats fed on a vitamin
      B2-deficient diet did not affect the uridine, uracil and sigma UMP (the sum of
      acid soluble uracil 5'-nucleotides) pool in liver.

PMID- 1880635
TI  - Kidney injury induced by lipid peroxide produced by vitamin E deficiency and GSH
      depletion in rats.
AB  - Four-week-old Wistar male rats were fed a vitamin E (VE)-deficient (0E) or a VE
      sufficient (10E) diet for 6 weeks and then intraperitoneally treated with
      buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) at 1 mmol/kg body weight once a day for 3 days.
      Glutathione (GSH) depletion by BSO treatment caused injuries especially in the
      kidneys of VE-deficient rats. The kidney weight increased in the VE-deficient
      rats after BSO treatment (0E-BSO). It was observed that the epithelial cells of
      the renal tubules in this group were strongly impaired and the injuries were
      necrosis and desquamation. No injury was observed in the kidneys of the BSO
      untreated 0E group and the 10E groups. The TBA value of the kidney of 0E-BSO
      group was lower than that of the BSO-untreated 0E group, but the lipofuscin
      content of the kidney of the 0E-BSO group was 10 times higher than that of the
      BSO-untreated 0E group. These results suggest that the kidney injuries in rats
      may be caused by lipid peroxidation induced by vitamin E deficiency and
      glutathione depletion.

PMID- 1880636
TI  - [Immunohistological study of the nasal mucosa in allergic rhinitis with reference
      to B cell, T cell subpopulation, activated T cell and Langerhans cell].
AB  - Distribution of B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes subpopulations, activated T
      lymphocytes and Langerhans cells of the nasal mucosa in 28 patients with nasal
      allergy ranging in age from 19 years to 54 years was studied. The specimens from
      inferior turbinates were frozen at -70 degrees C and sliced at a thickness of 4
      microns by cryostat. Monoclonal antibodies and peroxidase-antiperoxidase staining
      (Ortho) were used to detect these cells. OKT4, OKT8, OKT6 and OKB19 were used as
      markers of helper/inducer T cells, suppresser/cytotoxic T cells, Langerhans cells
      and B cells, respectively. OKDR was used as a marker of activated T cells, B
      cells, Langerhans cells and macrophages. Many OKT4 and OKT8 positive cells were
      observed in lamina propria. In every case, more OKT4 positive cells were detected
      in number than OKT8 positive cells. Some OKB19 positive cells and macrophages
      were observed in lamina propria, but OKT6 positive cells were not observed. OKDR
      positive cells were observed in high density, and more OKDR positive cells were
      detected than OKT4, OKT8 and OKB19 positive cells. Most of the OKDR positive
      cells were small in size and round in shape. From these results, many T
      lymphocytes were thought to be activated, and T lymphocytes were thought to play
      an important role in nasal allergy.

PMID- 1880637
TI  - [Follow-up study of secretory otitis media after adenoidectomy and
      tonsillectomy].
AB  - Questionnaires concerning the pre- and post- operative conditions were conducted
      on 92 patients with secretory otitis media who underwent adenotomy or adeno
      tonsillectomy. Fifty-three patients of them further received microscopic
      inspection of the eardrum and hearing tests. The questionnaires indicated that
      episodes of fever-up or cold decreased markedly after the operations. However,
      even after the operations, one-third of the patients experienced acute otitis
      media, and one-fourth complained of nasal symptoms such as nasal obstruction and
      nasal discharge. About a half of the patients showed normal findings of the
      eardrum after the operations. Secretory otitis media was cured in almost all
      cases; 80% of the ears showed type A tympanograms. However, about 35% of the ears
      showed unfavorable prognoses after the operations; recurrence and elongated cure
      were found in 75% and 25% of these ears, respectively. The younger the patients,
      the higher the incidence of unfavorable prognosis became. Recurrence was most
      frequently observed in patients younger than 6-year-old, and it usually occurred
      4-9 months after the operations mainly in winter. The present study suggested
      that patients must be followed for at least 1 year after operation and that nasal
      symptoms must be carefully treated in patients not older than 5 years.

PMID- 1880638
TI  - [A study on auditory disturbances after microvascular decompression for
      hemifacial spasm].
AB  - After establishing an operation of microvascular decompression by Jannetta in
      1975, an improvement rate of hemifacial spasm have increased. However,
      postoperative hearing deficits, equilibrium disturbances and facial paresis have
      been described in some publications. Fifty-seven of 119 patients with hemifacial
      spasm operated from 1982 to 1989, were examined by audiometry before and after
      operation. In patients with tinnitus at the time of facial spasm and closing
      eyelids, tinnitus improved almost in many cases. Of 57 patients, 8 (5 with
      sensorineural hearing loss, 3 with conductive hearing loss) had postoperative
      hearing impairments in operated ears, and 7 (7 with sensorineural hearing loss)
      had in the other ears, too. Of 7 patients having sensorineural hearing loss
      observed for several months, 4 having slight sensorineural hearing loss recovered
      at the same hearing level before operation. In 2 patients having profound
      sensorineural hearing loss, however, hearing improvement did not observed in each
      case.

PMID- 1880639
TI  - [Familial deafness showing hearing pattern of low-tone losses].
AB  - Clinical and electrocochleographic studies of low tone familial deafness were
      carried out in 19 patients of 10 families. These hearing impairments were
      characterized by an upward-sloping pure tone audiogram with 50dB to 60dB hearing
      threshold below 2000Hz and with normal or near-normal hearing threshold above
      this frequency. The type of inheritance in these families showed autosomal
      dominant mode and no associated malformation. In 7 patients, hearing tests were
      repeated, it was observed that hearing threshold was not elevated. The short
      increment sensitivity index (SISI) tests were positive suggesting a hair cell
      lesion in tested 7 patients. The caloric tests were normal in tested 3 patients.
      No abnormal internal ear configuration was found in both X-ray and high
      resolution computed tomography. Twelve patients with these familial low tone
      deafness (FLTD), 19 patients with Meniere's disease, and 9 patients with low tone
      sudden deafness (LTSD) were studied using the transtympanic electrode technique
      of electrocochleography. All patients of FLTD showed normal negative summating
      potential (-SP) amplitude, and the cochlear microphonics (CM) showed a nearly
      same detection threshold as hearing level of the pure tone audiogram at 1 kHz and
      0.5 kHz. The evidence suggested that the hearing impairment resulted from a
      localized abnormality of the cochlear apex, and without endolymphatic hydrops. On
      the other hand, patients with Meniere's disease and LTSD showed a high -SP
      amplitude and a satisfactory detection threshold of CM compared with hearing
      level of the pure tone audiogram. These findings suggest that both Meniere's
      disease and LTSD relate to endolymphatic hydrops.

PMID- 1880640
TI  - [Epidemiological analysis of otitis media with effusion in children].
AB  - A study was conducted on 153 children with otitis media with effusion to assess
      risk factors for otitis media with effusion. Information was collected by
      questionnaire survey, clinical examination and audiological tests including
      tympanography. We investigated two groups of children with otitis media with
      effusion. Group 1 consisted of 70 children with otitis media with effusion who
      had not undergone myringotomy. Group 2 consisted of 83 children with otitis media
      with effusion who had undergone myringotomy. Bottle feeding and adenoidal
      hypertrophy occurred more frequently in Group 2 than in Group 1. These
      observations provide an epidemiologic and clinical basis for further
      investigations of otitis media with effusion.

PMID- 1880642
TI  - [Morphological study of cochlea in experimental chronic serum sickness].
AB  - Relationship of circulating immune complexes to some inner ear disorders has been
      suggested recently. Thus, bovine serum albumin (BSA) nephritis, a model of
      chronic serum sickness, was made and morphological, immunological studies of
      cochlea were performed using light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy
      and immunofluorescent antibody methods. Group 1 consisted of animal sensitized
      with daily BSA injections for 90 days; in group 2, BSA was administered for 70
      days, daily, and after a three-weeks interval, injections were continued for
      another 21 days; group 3 consisted of animals sensitized with daily BSA
      injections for 100 days followed by BSA injection into the facial nerve via the
      stylo-mastoid foramen. The animals (group 3) were sacrificed on day 1 and 4
      following facial nerve sensitization for examination of cochlear morphological
      changes. No morphological changes were observed (group 1). Protrusion of marginal
      cells into endolymphatic space was seen, because of swelling of endoplasmic
      reticulum of the cells of stria vascularis's (group 2). Slight hydrops was
      present mainly in the basal turn (group 3). No IgG deposits were found in all
      groups. It appears that the changes in group 2 were caused by rather chronic
      nephritis than immune reaction. We conclude that damage induced in the cochlea is
      negligible compared to the extensive lesions observed in the kidney in chronic
      serum sickness.

PMID- 1880641
TI  - [Parapharyngeal space lesions: with a reference to biopsy].
AB  - We received seven cases of parapharyngeal space lesions and discussed on
      necessity of biopsy. Tumors originating in the parapharyngeal space were
      represented by parotid pleomorphic adenomas which showed bulging of soft palate
      and tonsillar fossa, and benign neurogenic tumors which showed bulging of the
      lateral wall of the meso-pharynx. In these cases, preoperative biopsy was not
      necessary unless the lesion was suspected, of malignancy by CT, MRI and so on. In
      the case of bulging of soft palate and tonsillar fossa, if CT or MRI finding
      shows that the tumor is localized in the median portion of the parapharyngeal
      space and is separated from greater vessels and nerves existing in the
      parapharyngeal space, therapeutic protocol might be planned after an
      establishment of histological diagnosis with biopsy. In the case of a bulging
      lateral wall of the meso-pharynx with a history of malignant neoplasm of the head
      and neck, lymph node metastasis should be thought about.

PMID- 1880643
TI  - [Use of a butterfly ventilation tube in the treatment of otitis media with
      effusion].
AB  - Sixty-three ears of 49 patients with serous otitis media were treated making use
      of butterfly ventilation tube in our 4 hospitals and 1 private office. The
      average time from intubation to extubation was 9 months and the longest case was
      33 months. Main complications were infection and spontaneous extubation. The rate
      of hearing improvement after tympanostomy was more than 80% in all cases. The
      frequency of the most improvement was observed in 1kHz on the average. It was
      cleared that the butterfly ventilation tube was easy to use for the wide age
      patients and at any clinics. It was concluded that the butterfly ventilation tube
      was useful as a long-term ventilation tube.

PMID- 1880644
TI  - [Visual scoring in the auditory brainstem response. Second report: determination
      of response threshold].
AB  - In the ABR audiometry we usually determine the threshold by visual scoring. The
      evaluation of visual scoring has been investigated in my laboratory for several
      years, using the traced samples of ABR obtained from 3 normal adults same as that
      described in my previous report. Stimuli were clicks of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30dBSL
      and without stimulus. Thresholds were calculated by the two psychophysical
      methods, "method of limits" and "up and down method". Scorers were two groups: 3
      experienced and 3 inexperienced. Results obtained were as follows: 1. In the
      method of limits, averages of thresholds measured by the experienced scorers were
      contained 6.0-9.8dB, their standard deviations being 3.82-6.40dB. 84-95% of all
      thresholds were contained 0-10dB or 5-10dB in the experienced group. 2. In the
      method of limits, the highest rate that all scorers of a group had the same
      threshold was 56% in the separate presentation in the experienced group. 3. In
      the up and down method averages of threshold were contained 4.6-9.1dB, which were
      smaller than the method of limits, and standard deviations were contained 1.77
      3.18dB, which were about 1/2 times in the method of limits. 92-99% of all
      thresholds were contained 0-5dB or 5-10dB.

PMID- 1880645
TI  - Neutrophil function disorders: pathophysiology, prevention, and therapy.

PMID- 1880646
TI  - Reference data on gains in weight and length during the first two years of life.
AB  - Serial data from studies of infants at the University of Iowa and from the Fels
      Longitudinal Study were used to develop sex-specific percentiles for increments
      in weight and recumbent length for selected intervals during the first 24 months
      of life. Weight increments are presented for 1-month intervals from birth to 6
      months, 2-month intervals from birth to 12 months, and 3-month intervals from
      birth to 24 months. Length increments are presented for 2-month intervals from
      birth to 6 months, and for 3-month intervals from birth to 24 months of age.
      Weights and lengths at the target ages were obtained for the Iowa data by simple
      interpolation, and for the Fels data by fitting families of three-parameter
      mathematical functions to the serial data from ages 1 to 24 months. The tabular
      presentations are based on the Iowa data from birth to 3 months of age, on the
      combined Iowa and Fels data from 3 to 6 months of age, and on the Fels data from
      6 to 24 months of age. We believe that these reference data will be useful in
      screening for deviations from normal growth and may aid in early detection of
      failure to thrive or excessive weight gain during early life.

PMID- 1880647
TI  - Relevance of common tests of cerebrospinal fluid in screening for bacterial
      meningitis.
AB  - This study tests the hypothesis that if cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has a nucleated
      blood cell count (NucBC) of less than 6/mm3, CSF tests other than bacterial
      culture need not be performed to exclude the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in
      patients not receiving antimicrobial agents. The results of tests performed on
      the first specimen of CSF obtained for a given hospital visit from children
      younger than 3 years of age, exclusive of newborn infants admitted to the
      hospital on their date of birth, were analyzed. Of 3356 CSF specimens evaluated,
      122 were from patients with bacterial meningitis; 460 specimens were analyzed
      separately because the erythrocyte count was greater than 1000/mm3. A negative
      CSF screening test result was defined as a CSF NucBC less than 6/mm3. In
      facilitating the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis, this screening test had a
      sensitivity of 98.4%, a specificity of 75.2%, and a negative predictive value of
      99.9%. The other CSF tests varied widely in screening effectiveness: a Gram
      stained smear had a sensitivity of 53% and a specificity of 97%. Receiver
      operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the screening
      relevance of CSF tests. The CSF NucBC and CSF segmented NucBC performed
      indistinguishably and superiorly compared with the CSF protein or glucose
      concentration and the ratio of CSF glucose to serum glucose concentration.
      Logistic regression analysis showed that the NucBC alone is superior to any
      combination of the other CSF tests. In a prospective study of 215 children
      younger than 3 years of age undergoing a lumbar puncture in our emergency
      department, 85% had empiric criteria identifying them as appropriate for an
      abbreviated CSF evaluation. The CSF NucBC was less than 6/mm3 in 70% of the 181
      patients who would have been eligible for an abbreviated CSF evaluation. These
      data suggest that a strategy for the sequential testing of CSF could be adopted
      that would exclude unnecessary determinations and thereby save time, effort, and
      health care dollars.

PMID- 1880648
TI  - Value of degenerative change in neutrophils as a diagnostic test for Kawasaki
      syndrome.
AB  - STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence of vacuoles and toxic
      granulation in neutrophils can be used as a diagnostic test to help differentiate
      children with Kawasaki syndrome from those with clinically similar illnesses.
      DESIGN: Peripheral blood smears of 23 patients with Kawasaki syndrome, 23 disease
      control patients, and 23 hematology laboratory control subjects were examined in
      random order by technicians unaware of either the diagnosis or the previously
      recorded laboratory results. SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital in
      Ottawa, Canada. PATIENTS: All 23 consecutive patients with Kawasaki syndrome
      satisfied established criteria for the diagnosis. Disease control patients were
      selected from the hospital registry of patients with other illnesses frequently
      considered as part of the differential diagnosis for Kawasaki syndrome.
      MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Compared with disease control patients, patients
      with Kawasaki syndrome had a higher percentage of neutrophils with vacuoles (mean
      +/- SEM, 31% +/- 5% vs 14% +/- 3%; p = 0.006) and toxic granulation (mean +/-
      SEM, 43% +/- 7% vs 14% +/- 4%; p less than 0.001). If the sum of the number of
      neutrophils with vacuoles and the number with toxic granulation (per 100 mature
      neutrophils examined) was at least 70, this "toxic neutrophil" test had a
      specificity of 0.96 and a likelihood ratio of a positive test result of 12.
      CONCLUSIONS: Degenerative change in neutrophils is common in the early stages of
      Kawasaki syndrome. The toxic neutrophil test is potentially a helpful adjunct to
      the clinical examination, particularly in the case of infants and other patients
      with subtle manifestations who might otherwise be at risk for delayed diagnosis.

PMID- 1880649
TI  - Asymptomatic constant isolated proteinuria in children.
AB  - The clinical features, renal biopsy findings, and subsequent course in 53
      children with asymptomatic constant isolated proteinuria were studied
      retrospectively (1) to determine the prevalence of renal pathologic abnormalities
      among these children, (2) to identify those clinical characteristics that may
      enable recognition of children with an increased likelihood of having renal
      pathologic abnormalities, and (3) to assess the clinical course. All biopsy
      specimens were examined by light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy.
      Twenty-five patients (47%) had significant glomerular changes (15 had focal
      segmental glomerulosclerosis, 4 IgA nephropathy, 3 diffuse mesangial
      proliferative glomerulonephritis without IgA deposition, and 3 membranous
      glomerulonephritis), and 28 had minimal glomerular changes. There were no
      differences between the patients with significant glomerular changes and those
      with minimal glomerular changes with regard to clinical and laboratory findings
      except for a predominance of boys in the former group. At the latest follow-up,
      seven patients with significant glomerular changes, but none with minimal
      glomerular changes, had chronic renal impairment. Because of the high incidence
      of significant glomerular changes and the high rate of progression to chronic
      renal impairment, we believe that a renal biopsy is indicated for a child with
      asymptomatic constant isolated proteinuria.

PMID- 1880650
TI  - High incidence of serum antibodies to Escherichia coli O157 lipopolysaccharide in
      children with hemolytic-uremic syndrome.
AB  - Because the classic hemolytic-uremic syndrome has been etiologically linked to
      intestinal infections by Escherichia coli O157 and other verotoxin-producing E.
      coli (VTEC), we examined 22 consecutive children with acute hemolytic-uremic
      syndrome for the presence of VTEC, using microbiologic methods, and for a
      specific immune response to O157 lipopolysaccharide in acute-phase and follow-up
      sera, using the indirect hemagglutination assay and the immunoblot procedure. Of
      22 children with enteropathic hemolytic-uremic syndrome, 15 (68%) had evidence of
      VTEC infection by culture of the pathogen or detection of free verotoxin in the
      feces, or both. Significantly elevated titers of short-lived agglutinins and IgM
      class antibodies against the O157 lipopolysaccharide were found in 20 (91%) of 22
      patients, but not in two of three patients with non-O157 E. coli isolates or in
      healthy children or children with diarrhea caused by other enteric pathogens (p
      less than 0.01). The combined microbiologic and serologic procedures provided
      evidence for VTEC infection in all 22 patients. The high incidence of anti-O157
      lipopolysaccharide antibodies in these patients indicates the predominance and
      the pathogenic potential of this serogroup. Both serologic techniques proved to
      be valuable tools to further characterize this form of hemolytic-uremic syndrome.
      Future studies on the induction of protective immunity seem warranted.

PMID- 1880651
TI  - Natural history of isolated atrial flutter in infancy.
AB  - To clarify the natural history of isolated (i.e., without associated congenital
      cardiac anomalies) atrial flutter in infancy, we reviewed the clinical course in
      nine patients who were seen with this arrhythmia in the first year of life (range
      1 day to 4 months). Atrial flutter was identified by the typical sawtooth pattern
      in leads II, III, and aVF of the surface electrocardiogram or the pattern of
      atrial flutter on an atrial electrogram recorded through the esophagus. The mean
      cycle length of the atrial flutter was 151 msec (atrial rate 397 beats/min). Six
      of the nine patients had other perinatal problems, such as immune and nonimmune
      hydrops fetalis (two patients), pneumonia (one patient), anemia (five patients),
      or low birth weight (one patient). In all patients the rhythm reverted to normal,
      either spontaneously (two patients), with overdrive pacing (four patients), or
      after oral digoxin therapy (three patients). No consistent temporal relationship
      between digoxin administration and conversion was observed; conversion was
      instantaneous in the four patients who received atrial overdrive pacing. Four
      patients were discharged receiving digoxin therapy (6 months to 1 year). One
      patient had supraventricular tachycardia after discharge that was controlled with
      digoxin. No recurrence of atrial flutter was observed among the nine patients
      during a mean follow-up of 6.8 years (range 0.2 to 20 years). We conclude that
      isolated atrial flutter in infancy is rare, has a good prognosis, may be related
      to transient perinatal events, and often spontaneously converts to normal sinus
      rhythm; however, when it does not, it will respond to transesophageal pacing.
      Acute and chronic digoxin therapy is probably unnecessary.

PMID- 1880652
TI  - Molecular analysis of X-linked agammaglobulinemia with growth hormone deficiency.
AB  - To address the relationship between the gene (or genes) that causes the syndrome
      of X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia with isolated growth hormone deficiency and the
      gene responsible for typical X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), we have used
      cytogenetics, examination of X chromosome inactivation patterns in potential
      carriers of the defect, and linkage analysis to study two unrelated families in
      which the affected males had isolated growth hormone deficiency and immunologic
      findings indistinguishable from those of typical XLA. A deletion could not be
      demonstrated in either family by G-banded karyotypes or flow cytometric analysis
      of metaphase chromosomes. Studies of X inactivation showed that mothers of
      affected boys from both families exhibited selective use of a single X chromosome
      as the active X chromosome in B cells but not T cells. This pattern is the same
      as that seen in obligate carriers of typical XLA. Linkage analysis demonstrated
      the most likely location for this gene (or genes) to be the midportion of the
      long arm of the X chromosome between DXS3 and DXS94. This segment of the X
      chromosome, which constitutes approximately 5% of the total X chromosome,
      encompasses the gene for XLA. These findings are consistent with the combination
      of XLA and growth hormone deficiency being caused by a small, contiguous, gene
      deletion syndrome involving the gene for XLA or an allelic variant of the gene
      for typical XLA.

PMID- 1880653
TI  - Hyperlipidemia and fatty acid composition in patients treated for type IA
      glycogen storage disease.
AB  - Because glycogen storage disease type IA (GSD-IA) is characterized by recurrent
      episodes of hypoglycemia that promote a marked elevation in blood triglyceride
      levels, we evaluated plasma lipid levels in 12 patients with GSD-IA on a regular
      basis. Six of the 12 patients had plasma fatty acid composition measured; because
      of possible essential fatty acid deficiency, urinary prostaglandin excretion was
      also measured. All patients had triglyceride levels between 1440 and 6120 mg/dl
      (16.25 to 69.09 mmol/L) before treatment. After treatment to promote blood
      glucose levels of 75 to 85 mg/dl (4.2 to 4.7 mmol/L), triglyceride levels in each
      of 11 patients were between 189 +/- 31 (2.13 +/- 0.35 mmol/L) and 510 +/- 60
      mg/dl (5.76 +/- 0.68 mmol/L). The lipoprotein fatty acid composition in six
      patients showed a substantial elevation in C16:0, C16:1 omega 7, and C18:1 omega
      9, but no increase in C20:3 omega 9 (the fatty acid that characteristically
      increases in essential fatty acid deficiency). In addition, each of the six
      patients had normal 24-hour urinary excretion of prostaglandin. One patient,
      whose triglyceride levels remained elevated despite dietary treatment, was given
      either clofibrate, lovastatin, niacin, or fish oil. With the exception of
      lovastatin, these agents produced a decrease in triglyceride values for 1 to 2
      months; however, by 3 months triglycerides reached pretreatment levels. Combined
      treatment with clofibrate and niacin resulted in a sustained decrease in plasma
      triglyceride levels for 4 months. The findings indicate that dietary management
      of GSD-IA is usually associated with improvements in triglyceride levels;
      however, patients maintain triglyceride values between 300 and 500 mg/dl (3.38 to
      5.65 mmol/L). No patient had biochemical evidence of essential fatty acid
      deficiency.

PMID- 1880654
TI  - Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis: a report of two severe cases.
AB  - Two unrelated children with a severe form of juvenile hyaline fibromatosis are
      described. In addition to painful flexion contractures of all of the large
      joints, oral and skin lesions, and typical radiologic appearance of osteolytic
      defects, both girls had marked growth retardation and recurrent infections. Both
      children died in early infancy of overwhelming infection.

PMID- 1880655
TI  - Effect of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis immunization on prolonged apnea or
      bradycardia in siblings of sudden infant death syndrome victims.
AB  - To determine whether the incidence of apnea or bradycardia increased after the
      first diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) immunization in 100 subsequent siblings
      of victims of sudden infant death syndrome, we examined data obtained from floppy
      disk recordings attached to apnea-bradycardia monitors for episodes of apnea
      lasting 15 seconds or longer and episodes of bradycardia lasting 10 seconds or
      longer. The data were divided into three periods: (1) 10 days before the first
      DTP immunization was received (pre-DTP period), (2) 10 days immediately after the
      DTP (DTP period), and (3) 10 days after the DTP period (post-DTP period).
      Seventeen infants had at least one episode of prolonged apnea or prolonged
      bradycardia either before or after the 30-day study period (eight before only,
      eight after only, and one before and after). None of the infants had episodes of
      apnea lasting 15 seconds or more or bradycardia lasting 10 seconds or more during
      the pre-DTP or DTP period. One episode of apnea, 16 seconds long, and one episode
      of bradycardia lasting 11 seconds occurred in the post-DTP period. These results
      failed to confirm the clinical impression that DTP immunizations are associated
      with an increased frequency and severity of prolonged apnea. They also place in
      question the utility of assessing an infant's response to a DTP immunization to
      determine continued risk of apnea and bradycardia before home monitoring is
      discontinued.

PMID- 1880656
TI  - Reference data for assessing growth of infants.

PMID- 1880657
TI  - New Ballard Score, expanded to include extremely premature infants.
AB  - The Ballard Maturational Score was refined and expanded to achieve greater
      accuracy and to include extremely premature neonates. To test validity, accuracy,
      interrater reliability, and optimal postnatal age at examination, the resulting
      New Ballard Score (NBS) was assessed for 578 newly born infants and the results
      were analyzed. Gestational ages ranged from 20 to 44 weeks and postnatal ages at
      examination ranged from birth to 96 hours. In 530 infants, gestational age by
      last menstrual period was confirmed by agreement within 2 weeks with gestational
      age by prenatal ultrasonography (C-GLMP). For these infants, correlation between
      gestational age by NBS and C-GLMP was 0.97. Mean differences between gestational
      age by NBS and C-GLMP were 0.32 +/- 1.58 weeks and 0.15 +/- 1.46 weeks among the
      extremely premature infants (less than 26 weeks) and among the total population,
      respectively. Correlations between the individual criteria and C-GLMP ranged from
      0.72 to 0.82. Interrater reliability of NBS, as determined by correlation between
      raters who rated the same subgroup of infants, ws 0.95. For infants less than 26
      weeks of gestational age, the greatest validity (97% within 2 weeks of C-GLMP)
      was seen when the examination was performed before 12 hours of postnatal age. For
      infants at least 26 weeks of gestational age, percentages of agreement with C
      GLMP remained constant, averaging 92% for all postnatal age categories up to 96
      hours. The NBS is a valid and accurate gestational assessment tool for extremely
      premature infants and remains valid for the entire newborn infant population.

PMID- 1880658
TI  - Immediate improvement in lung volume after exogenous surfactant: alveolar
      recruitment versus increased distention.
AB  - To determine whether changes in lung volume may be responsible for the clinical
      improvement in preterm infants given exogenous surfactant, we measured functional
      residual capacity (FRC), lung mechanics, and partial pressure of oxygen in seven
      ventilated neonates (birth weight 1080 +/- 361 gm (mean +/- SD); gestational age
      28.3 +/- 2.6 weeks) less than 9 hours of age who had findings typical of hyaline
      membrane disease. All patients received 100 mg/kg calf lung surfactant extract.
      FRC was measured by a closed-circuit helium-dilution technique, and lung
      mechanics were determined by least mean squares analysis. FRC increased in all
      patients (range 56% to 330%; p less than 0.03). Dynamic lung compliance and total
      airway conductance did not change. Mean +/- SEM specific lung compliance (dynamic
      lung compliance/FRC) decreased 55.93% +/- 4.27% (p less than 0.02) and mean
      specific conductance (total airway conductance/FRC) decreased 45.91% +/- 9.74% (p
      less than 0.009). Mean alveolar/arterial partial pressure of oxygen ratio
      decreased 51.0% +/- 8.67% (p less than 0.01). These data indicate that the
      immediate improvement in oxygenation after surfactant administration is related
      to increased lung volumes. The decrease in specific lung compliance and specific
      airway conductance is suggestive of increased distention rather than recruitment
      of functional alveoli.

PMID- 1880659
TI  - Tactile-kinesthetic stimulation effects on sympathetic and adrenocortical
      function in preterm infants.
AB  - The purpose of our study was to investigate the neuroendocrine response in
      preterm infants to a pattern of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation that facilitates
      their growth and development. Preterm infants (mean gestational age 30 weeks,
      mean birth weight 1176 gm) received normal nursery care or tactile-kinesthetic
      stimulation for three 15-minute periods at the start of three consecutive hours
      each day for 10 days. On day 1 and day 10 of the study, a 24-hour urine sample
      was collected for norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, cortisol, and creatinine
      assay and a blood sample was taken by heel stick for cortisol and growth hormone
      assay. Urine norepinephrine and epinephrine values increased significantly only
      in the stimulated babies. Urine dopamine and cortisol values increased in both
      groups, and serum growth hormone decreased in both groups. Individual differences
      in urine norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and cortisol values were highly
      stable across the 10 days despite a 10-fold range of values among the infants.
      The results of this study suggest that tactile-kinesthetic stimulation of preterm
      infants has fairly specific effects on maturation and/or activity of the
      sympathetic nervous system. In addition, this study has defined catecholamine and
      cortisol secretion across gestational age in normal preterm infants. Finally,
      these data suggest that highly stable individual levels of catecholamine and
      cortisol secretion are established by birth in humans.

PMID- 1880660
TI  - Changes in left ventricular output from fetal to early neonatal life.
AB  - Using pulsed Doppler and two-dimensionally directed M-mode echocardiographic
      techniques, we measured left ventricular (LV) output, stroke volume, heart rate,
      LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), LV end-systolic dimension, and LV percent
      fractional shortening (%FS) in 34 normal term infants 12 to 24 hours before
      parturition and thereafter serially 1, 24, and 96 hours after birth. Stroke
      volume was calculated as the product of the aortic flow velocity integral and
      aortic valve area. There was a twofold increase in LV output 1 hour after birth
      (fetal 170 +/- 46 ml/min/kg vs 1 hour 327 +/- 66 ml/min/kg; p less than 0.01)
      which was associated with significant increases in stroke volume, %FS, and LVEDD
      (stroke volume 1.21 +/- 0.33 ml/kg vs 2.25 +/- 0.37 ml/kg; %FS 34.3% +/- 5.8% vs
      37.7% +/- 5.4%; LVEDD 15.4 +/- 1.1 mm vs 17.7 +/- 1.4 mm). Heart rate did not
      change 1 hour after birth. During the subsequent hours after birth, LV output
      decreased significantly to a value of 245 +/- 56 ml/min/kg (p less than 0.01) at
      24 hours, which did not change 96 hours after birth. There were significant
      declines in stroke volume, LVEDD, and heart rate 24 hours after birth (stroke
      volume 2.02 +/- 0.42 ml/kg; LVEDD 17.0 +/- 1.1 mm; heart rate 121 +/- 11
      beats/min). The %FS remained unchanged within the first 96 hours of age. These
      results indicate that the major regulator of LV output immediately after birth is
      stroke volume and not heart rate. The increase in stroke volume is related to an
      increase in LV size and LV myocardial contractility. Our data provide a useful
      basis for the interpretation of abnormal LV function in the early neonatal
      period.

PMID- 1880661
TI  - Effects of surfactant therapy on outcome of infants with birth weights of 600 to
      750 grams.

PMID- 1880662
TI  - Group B streptococcal latex agglutination testing in neonates.

PMID- 1880663
TI  - Comparison of oral and parenteral vitamin K prophylaxis for prevention of late
      hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.

PMID- 1880664
TI  - Effect of high altitude on neutrophil counts in newborn infants.

PMID- 1880665
TI  - Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of midazolam in children during
      esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
AB  - We undertook a prospective study to evaluate the relationship between the onset
      and degree of sedation and the midazolam plasma concentration in children between
      6 and 18 years of age during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Thirteen boys and seven
      girls (median age 13.5 years) were studied. Midazolam was injected intravenously
      for 5 minutes, and the dose was titrated to sedation or a maximum dose of 0.1
      mg/kg was given. Plasma midazolam concentration was determined just before and at
      5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after the start of midazolam injection. The
      patient's level of sedation was evaluated by an assistant at each blood sampling
      time. Clearance, volume of distribution, and terminal elimination (beta) half
      life were estimated from a biexponential fit of the serial plasma midazolam
      concentrations. Mean beta half-life of midazolam was 47 +/- 26 minutes and mean
      clearance was 10.0 +/- 5.0 ml/min per kilogram of body weight. Maximum level of
      sedation occurred at 5 minutes after initiation of the injection and corresponded
      to a mean peak midazolam serum concentration of 229 +/- 39 micrograms/L.
      Thereafter, a decline of mean sedation scores paralleled the decrease in
      midazolam concentration. Mean oxygen saturation remained greater than 94% during
      the study. We conclude that children metabolize and excrete midazolam more
      rapidly than adults do and that sedation adequate for endoscopy is safely
      achieved in the majority of children with a midazolam dose of 0.05 to 0.1 mg/kg
      and a mean peak midazolam concentration greater than 200 microgram/L.

PMID- 1880666
TI  - Successful medical treatment of presumed Candida endocarditis in critically ill
      infants.
AB  - Few infants have been reported who survived fungal endocarditis; all have
      required both surgical and intensive antifungal therapy. We describe three
      infants, two weighing less than 1000 gm, who survived Candida endocarditis
      without surgery. Two had Candida parapsilosis, an agent not previously reported
      as a cause of neonatal endocarditis. All three infants were treated with
      amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine. Despite administration of 44, 38, and 48 mg/kg
      amphotericin B, respectively, no nephrotoxicity was noted; 5-flucytosine therapy
      was stopped in one infant because of thrombocytopenia. One infant died of an
      unrelated cause 6 months later; there was no evidence of Candida or endocarditis
      at autopsy. The other two infants are thriving 2 and 3 years after the completion
      of antifungal therapy; no remaining evidence of endocarditis is present on
      echocardiography. We conclude that antifungal therapy without surgery is an
      option for Candida endocarditis in critically ill infants.

PMID- 1880667
TI  - Effects of two different regimens of recombinant human growth hormone therapy on
      the bone mineral density of patients with growth hormone deficiency.

PMID- 1880668
TI  - Benefit of oral immune globulin therapy in patients with immunodeficiency and
      chronic diarrhea.

PMID- 1880669
TI  - Cutaneous lesions associated with cyclosporine therapy in pediatric renal
      transplant recipients.

PMID- 1880670
TI  - Treatment of cystinosis with cysteamine from early infancy.

PMID- 1880671
TI  - Antimicrobial treatment of acute otitis media.
AB  - No single antimicrobial drug is best suited for all patients with AOM.
      Amoxicillin and TMP-SMZ, however, remain first-line drugs in the initial
      treatment of uncomplicated AOM in the non-neonate. In other situations the drug
      selected depends on the patient's age, associated illnesses, recent history of
      otitis media, and drug hypersensitivity. Pharmacokinetic studies of AOM treatment
      are essential in generating more precise recommendations for antimicrobial drug
      use.

PMID- 1880672
TI  - Renal acidification during infantile diarrhea with acidosis.

PMID- 1880673
TI  - Dose dependency of time of onset of radiation-induced growth hormone deficiency.

PMID- 1880674
TI  - Blau syndrome versus sarcoidosis.

PMID- 1880675
TI  - Management of the febrile patient at risk of having bacteremia.

PMID- 1880676
TI  - Predicting the need for hospitalization of children with asthma.

PMID- 1880677
TI  - Ribavirin therapy for acute bronchiolitis: need for appropriate controls.

PMID- 1880678
TI  - The sub-specific numerical analysis of Candida albicans.
AB  - This paper reports the numerical analysis of 100 strains of Candida albicans
      using 96 physiochemical characters. Principal co-ordinate analysis and the
      modified multidimensional group analysis (MGA) method were used for the numerical
      analysis. MGA detected optimal solutions for five, 11, 15 and 17 groups. A single
      large swarm represented the majority of strains for the five- and 11-group
      solutions. Of the remaining two solutions only the 17-group solution was analysed
      further as the 15-group solution was close to the 17-group solution and contained
      less information. Of the 17 groups within the data, 10 "groups" contained only a
      single member, whilst the other groups contained 32, 24, 14, 13, three, two and
      two members each. Characters that tended to distinguish between the four larger
      groups included colonial fringe state, valerate assimilation, and resistance to
      borate, cetrimide, benzalkonium chloride, chlorhexidine, arsenate and salt. These
      larger groups appeared to form reasonably distinct clusters when tested by
      Sneath's overlap statistics. However, as the squared Euclidean distances between
      these group centroids were small, it would appear that most strains of C.
      albicans form a single swarm. It is suggested that these groups may represent
      "preferred phenotypes" for C. albicans, between which individual strains may
      switch.

PMID- 1880680
TI  - Sequence of the Candida albicans gene encoding the secretory aspartate
      proteinase.
AB  - The gene encoding the Candida albicans aspartate proteinase that is secreted by
      cells grown in protein-containing media was cloned from a C. albicans genomic
      bank. The base sequence of the insert shows a 1173 bp open-reading frame and
      indicates an amino acid sequence typical of aspartate proteinases, with amino
      acid sequence homology to other enzymes of this class and a putative signal
      peptide consisting of 50 amino acids upstream of the active enzyme.

PMID- 1880679
TI  - Deficient utilization of succinate in a sterol 14 alpha-demethylation mutant of
      Candida albicans.
AB  - Growth of a wild-type strain (KD14) started after a lag of approximately 15 h
      when glucose-grown cells of Candida albicans were incubated at 25 degrees C, with
      succinate as a sole energy/carbon source. No growth was observed, however, for a
      sterol 14 alpha-demethylation mutant (KD4900). During the lag period, the wild
      type cells retained their respiratory activity, as measured with glucose as an
      added substrate, and developed the capacity to incorporate labelled succinate. In
      contrast, incubation with succinate for 15 h resulted in diminished respiratory
      activity and failed to induce the succinate uptake capacity of the mutant cells.
      These two differences from the wild-type seem to account for the inability of the
      mutant to grow in the presence of a non-fermentable substrate.

PMID- 1880681
TI  - Biochemical and morphological effects of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors on
      Trichophyton and Microsporum.
AB  - The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of three known irreversible
      inhibitors of polyamine synthesis, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and
      monofluoromethyldehydroornithine methylester (MFMOme), inhibitors of ornithine
      decarboxylase (ODC) and alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), an inhibitor of
      arginine decarboxylase (ADC), were determined for 10 species of dermatophytic
      fungi. Trichophyton species were generally more sensitive to these inhibitors
      than Microsporum species. Both genera produced arginase, and treatment of members
      of either genus with DFMO or DFMA resulted in an inhibition of ODC activity and a
      depletion of cellular polyamines. However, conversion of labelled DFMA to DFMO,
      either in vivo or in vitro, could not be demonstrated in spite of both genera
      producing arginase. The ultrastructure of cells cultured in the presence of
      either DFMO or DFMA was similar, and revealed disruption of calcium metabolism,
      an increase in mitochondrial number and alterations to membrane systems. DFMA and
      DFMO also inhibited sporulation in Microsporum gypseum. Our findings indicate
      that DFMO limits the growth of dermatophytes by direct inhibition of ODC and
      lowering of cellular polyamine levels; in contrast, DFMA inhibits polyamine
      synthesis in an unspecified manner as ADC activity was undetected.

PMID- 1880682
TI  - Immunolocalization of Aspergillus fumigatus mycelial antigens.
AB  - Specific immunoglobulin from the sera of patients with antibodies to Aspergillus
      and from antisera raised in rabbits to Aspergillus fumigatus fractions bound
      almost exclusively to the mycelial wall, as shown by immunogold labelling of
      ultra-thin sections. Different layers of the wall were labelled, depending on the
      source of the antigen used to produce antibody. Internal, cytoplasmic components
      were generally not labelled, except with antisera raised to crude wall material
      and to a Concanavalin A (ConA)-binding fraction of a water-soluble preparation.

PMID- 1880683
TI  - Mannan estimation as a measure of the growth of Candida albicans.
AB  - Determination of Candida albicans mannan levels by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay was compared with dry weight measurement and viable counting as a means to
      estimate growth of the fungus in broth cultures. Levels of extracted mannan
      showed good correlation with fungal biomass (dry weight) (r = 0.984) and,
      although biomass and mannan levels correlated with viable counts, the correlation
      was not as strong (r = 0.954-0.959). The technique offered an accurate
      alternative to viable counts in the brain and kidney when mannan estimation was
      used to follow the distribution of C. albicans in an experimental model of
      systemic candidosis in mice. Mannan levels were less useful in following the
      course of the infection in the liver and spleen where accumulation of free and
      serum-bound mannan was a problem. Mannan estimation would therefore seem to offer
      an accurate alternative to viable counts for determining the quantity of Candida
      both in vitro and in certain infected organs of experimental animals, where
      measurement of fungal biomass is not feasible and viable counts can be grossly
      inaccurate.

PMID- 1880684
TI  - Agar disk diffusion susceptibility tests with cilofungin (LY 121019).
AB  - Cilofungin (LY 121019) is a semi-biosynthetic lipopeptide agent which is active
      both in vitro and in vivo against isolates of Candida species. The purpose of
      this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of experimental 10- and 20
      micrograms cilofungin disks in predicting probable in vitro susceptibility to
      this drug. Fifty-two isolates of pathogenic yeasts, which included 34 isolates of
      Candida albicans, 10 isolates of Candida tropicalis and eight isolates of Candida
      glabrata, were tested. Both agar dilution minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)
      tests and matched agar disk diffusion tests were performed using 14-h-old broth
      cultures grown in single strength yeast nitrogen base (YNB) supplemented with
      asparagine and dextrose. Both tests were incubated at 35 degrees C and the
      results were read after 24 h. Regression analysis was used to measure the degree
      of correlation between MIC values and matched averaged zones of inhibition, and
      demonstrated that both the 10-micrograms (r = 0.9278) and 20-micrograms (r =
      0.9082) disks can predict probable MIC values.

PMID- 1880685
TI  - Prevalence of Trichosporon beigelii. Colonization of normal perigenital skin.
AB  - Although the natural habitat of Trichosporon species is considered to be the
      soil, the role of normal skin in the carriage of Trichosporon beigelii is
      unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. beigelii
      colonization on normal perigenital skin. Inguinal skin scrapings were obtained
      from 322 asymptomatic volunteers. There were 261 males and 61 females ranging in
      age from 18 to 89; 136 were white, 134 were black, and 52 were Hispanic.
      Specimens were cultured on Sabouraud's glucose agar containing 500 micrograms ml
      1 chloramphenicol, and incubated at 23-26 degrees C for up to 4 weeks. The
      overall incidence of T. beigelii colonization was 12.4%. However, this varied
      with patient's age, sex, race and socioeconomic background. The highest
      prevalence (27.1%) was found in black males who attended a Veterans Affairs
      hospital. The prevalence was lowest in females (1.6%), and no patients who
      attended a private clinic were colonized. It was concluded that T. beigelii
      colonizes normal skin with some regularity.

PMID- 1880686
TI  - Proliposomes of indomethacin for oral administration.
AB  - Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug was encapsulated into
      liposomes composed of soyabean lecithin, cholesterol and stearylamine for oral
      administration. Liposomes of homogenous size distribution and higher entrapment
      efficiency were derived from effervescent granule based proliposomes. The
      efficacy of the oral route was studied by measuring ulcerogenic index and anti
      inflammatory activity using carrageenan induced paw oedema test in rats. The
      effervescent granule based liposomal products exhibited improved in vivo
      performance with reference to their cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory
      activities.

PMID- 1880687
TI  - Drug depots in lymph nodes: which carrier is most appropriate?
AB  - Different drug carriers for endolymphatic use (suspensions, emulsions, solutions,
      liposomes) were investigated in animal experiments to find the preparation which
      is best tolerated by lymph tissue, and which allows low release of highly
      concentrated drugs from nodal depots. The large unilamellar liposomes produced
      with detergent dialysis technique were found to be most appropriate for this
      purpose since they fulfill all the above criteria.

PMID- 1880688
TI  - Biopharmaceutical evaluation of a tablet dosage form made from ethyl cellulose
      encapsulated aspirin particles.
AB  - Ethyl cellulose encapsulated aspirin particles, suitable for preparation of
      direct compression tablets were prepared by the solvent evaporation method. Ethyl
      acetate was used as a solvent for the polymer in combination with a saturated
      solution of aspirin as the dispersing medium to prevent partitioning and drug
      loss. This resulted in a high yield of free-flowing, non-aggregated particles. In
      vitro-in vivo evaluations of the experimental aspirin tablets (made by direct
      compression of ethyl cellulose encapsulated particles) and three different
      commercial aspirin products (a conventional tablet, a timed-release tablet, and a
      timed-release caplet) were undertaken. Comparison of the dissolution in acidic
      media at pH 1.2 showed different release profiles for these products. While the
      conventional tablet and the timed-release caplet showed the highest and the
      lowest rate of release, respectively; the timed-release tablet and the
      experimentally made tablet revealed an intermediate rate and very similar release
      profiles. The cumulative urinary excretion data collected in a complete crossover
      study, using five healthy subjects further indicated that the experimental tablet
      has an in vivo availability identical to that of the timed-release tablet.

PMID- 1880689
TI  - Ampicillin-loaded liposomes and nanoparticles: comparison of drug loading, drug
      release and in vitro antimicrobial activity.
AB  - In this paper, we report the physico-chemical properties of negatively charged
      liposomes and of polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles loaded with ampicillin.
      Although the carriers were of the same size (200 nm), drug-loading capacity was
      20 times higher for nanoparticles than for liposomes. After freeze-drying or
      storage at +4 degrees C, no drug escaped from polymeric nanoparticles. On the
      other hand, in the same conditions, ampicillin leaked rapidly from liposomes.
      Drug release in foetal calf serum was gradual (of zero order) with nanoparticles,
      whereas it was rapid with liposomes. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of
      ampicillin-entrapped liposomes or nanoparticles was studied in vitro.

PMID- 1880690
TI  - Drug targeting using non-magnetic and magnetic albumin-globulin mix microspheres
      of mefenamic acid.
AB  - Optimum conditions for the preparation of non-magnetic and magnetic microspheres
      of albumin-globulin mix (alglomix) containing mefenamic acid have been
      standardized. The effect of various parameters has been investigated with regard
      to the appearance, yield, drug content and encapsulation efficiency. The
      physicochemical parameters of the microspheres such as density, particle size
      distribution, surface topography and wall thickness, as well as the magnetite
      contained within the magnetic microspheres, have been determined. The infrared
      spectroscopic analysis confirmed the encapsulation of the drug and absence of
      free drug on the surface of the microspheres. The X-ray diffraction analysis
      confirmed that the crystallinity of the drug remained unchanged indicating
      thereby that no complex formation had taken place between core and coat
      materials. The in vitro release profiles of the microspheres have been studied.
      An attempt has also been made to check the in vivo efficacy in rats.

PMID- 1880691
TI  - Interaction of poly(L-lysine-alt-terephthalic acid) microcapsules with
      fibrinogen.
AB  - Interaction of poly(L-lysine-alt-terephthalic acid) microcapsules with fibrinogen
      was investigated by measuring the degree of microcapsule disintegration,
      fibrinogen adsorption to microcapsules, and the zeta potential of microcapsules
      as a function of fibrinogen concentration in phosphate buffer solutions of pH 7.4
      at different ionic strengths. A minimum concentration was found to exist for
      fibrinogen to cause disintegration of the microcapsules at any ionic strength,
      and at this fibrinogen concentration the fibrinogen adsorption levelled off and
      the zeta potential exhibited an abrupt change. Increases in the ionic strength of
      the medium and the surface hydrophobicity of microcapsules produced an increase
      in the degree of microcapsule disintegration by fibrinogen. These findings were
      interpreted as showing that the interaction of the microcapsules with the protein
      is not of an ionic nature but of a hydrophobic nature.

PMID- 1880692
TI  - Effect of solvents on the characteristics of rosin walled microcapsules prepared
      by a solvent evaporation technique.
AB  - Rosin microcapsules were prepared by a solvent evaporation technique using
      solvents with different rates of evaporation. Sulphadiazine was used as a model
      drug. The microcapsules were studied for their size, drug content, wall
      thickness, surface characteristics and in vitro release. The mean diameter
      increased and the drug content decreased as the rate of evaporation of the
      solvent increased. Fast evaporating solvents produced thick walled microcapsules
      with innumerable surface pores/cracks compared with slow evaporating solvents.

PMID- 1880693
TI  - Effect of solid dispersing agents on the formation of rosin microcapsules.

PMID- 1880694
TI  - A study on the zeta potential of microcapsules during ageing.
AB  - Gelatin, methylcellulose and agar microcapsules were prepared with and without
      suphadiazine. The zeta potential of these microcapsules was measured at regular
      intervals during ageing at 45 degrees C. An initial sharp rise in zeta potential
      is followed by a progressive decrease. Zeta potential could prove to be a useful
      parameter to study the changes occurring in the encapsulating material of
      microcapsules during ageing.

PMID- 1880695
TI  - Localized rifampicin albumin microspheres.
AB  - Rifampicin bearing albumin microspheres were prepared. The process variables
      which could affect the physical characteristics and in vitro release of the drug
      from the microspheres were optimized. Changes in the original size of the
      microspheres, namely swelling on exposure to buffer solution pH 7.2 and serum,
      were monitored. In vivo distribution studies on prepared microspheres revealed
      that 62 per cent of the drug could be localized in the lungs by controlling
      microsphere size. Hence, rifampicin bearing albumin microspheres can behave as a
      reservoir to build up higher local drug concentrations.

PMID- 1880696
TI  - Hydroxy-urea bearing albumin microspheres--preparation, characterization and
      evaluation.
AB  - Hydroxy-urea bearing albumin microspheres were prepared using the polymer
      dispersion method. Glycerol was used successfully in place of water as an
      internal phase of w/o emulsion, to prepare HSA based albumin microspheres.
      Silicone coated magnetite of nanometeric size was incorporated in the drug
      bearing microspheres. The process variables which could affect the physical
      characteristics with respect to in vitro and in vivo performance of the prepared
      microspheres were studied. The in vitro release of the drug from the microspheres
      followed a linear relationship when commulative per cent drug release was plotted
      against square root of time. Microspheres of average size 1-4 microns were
      studied for in vivo distribution and localization. It was established that 67 per
      cent of the drug enveloped in magnetic albumin microspheres could be localized in
      a rat tail target segment, on applying an external magnetic field of strength
      8000 Oe. A remarkable stabilization of hydroxy urea in the prepared microspheres
      was recorded when t10% drug degradation was compared with the albumin
      microspheres prepared by a conventional emulsion polymerization method using
      water as an internal phase.

PMID- 1880697
TI  - Tantalum loaded silicone microspheres as particulate emboli.
AB  - Chloroform solutions of medical grade silicone resin were cured in an aqueous
      dispersion medium containing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the drop stabilizer at
      40-60 degrees C to generate smooth, spherical, elastic microspheres. The
      microspheres were encapsulated with tantalum powder to render them radiopaque.
      Tantalum loaded microspheres having diameter more than 1.00 mm could be prepared
      by this technique. Incorporation of radiopaques such as barium sulphate and
      methyl iothalamate resulted in the instability of the suspension giving rise to
      an agglomerated product. Microspheres were grafted with hydrophilic monomers such
      as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) using
      ionizing radiation from a 60Co source in an effort to make their surfaces
      hydrophilic. While the graft yield was very little when HEMA alone was used for
      grafting, a combination of HEMA/NVP in a 1:1 ratio produced better graft yields
      resulting in improved surface hydrophilicity. The tantalum loaded microspheres
      were found to be very resistant to surface modification. Microspheres could be
      dispersed in water with the aid of small quantities of surfactants such as Tween
      20. These microspheres may find use in particulate embolization.

PMID- 1880698
TI  - The next generation of moderator research in personality psychology.
AB  - The concept of a moderator variable has a long and checkered history in
      personality psychology. In this article I review the methodological and
      conceptual advances in recent moderator variable research. I then report the
      results of a number of empirical analyses of three newly proposed idiographic
      moderator variables: scalability, metatraits, and construct similarity, as well
      as the ipsatized variance index. The results of these analyses indicate that
      moderator effect sizes in personality can be expected to correspond to a
      correlation of about .10. I then consider two recent prescriptions, (a)
      aggregating trait-specific moderators into general ones, and (b) evaluating joint
      (e.g., triple interaction) moderator effects. Following these prescriptions did
      not increase the size of the moderator effects in these data. I conclude that
      moderator effects in personality will be small, and will thus be most reliably
      detected in very large samples with predictors that are strongly related to the
      criteria. Even small moderator effects can be important and interesting in the
      context of theory disconfirmation. However, moderator variables generally will
      not serve to transform weak relations among personality variables into strong
      ones.

PMID- 1880699
TI  - Narcissistic acts in everyday life.
AB  - This article presents a series of studies on narcissism, a personality syndrome
      receiving increasing theoretical and practical attention. Four empirical studies
      were carried out to (a) identify narcissistic acts in everyday life, (b) identify
      the acts subsumed by dispositions that are seen as central components of
      narcissism, (c) identify which acts and which dispositions are most and least
      central to narcissism, (d) test the hypothesis that the conceptually specified
      component dispositions of the narcissistic personality disorder indeed covary
      sufficiently to merit the designation of narcissism as a syndrome, (e) identify
      sex differences in the acts through which narcissism is manifested, (f) validate
      the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (a major personality instrument developed
      to assess narcissism), and (g) locate narcissistic act performance within each of
      three major taxonomies of personality psychology.

PMID- 1880700
TI  - The development of the sense of self in adolescence.
AB  - This study attempts to clarify the sense of self that may underlie the
      adolescent's subjective experience of identity. The initial orientation was
      provided by descriptions of three different modes of experiencing identity
      derived from a reanalysis of Loevinger, Wessler, and Redmore's (1970) ego
      development categories. Our goal was to replicate by a more direct method the
      Loevinger-derived descriptions. Specifically, we looked at whether the various
      aspects of the pre-identity mode ("Social Role Identity") and of the early
      identity mode ("Identity Observed") would in fact form different clusters and
      whether these clusters would differentiate early and middle adolescent groups.
      Participants were 24 sixth graders and 24 high-school seniors, equally divided by
      sex. In individual interviews they were asked questions concerning the main
      characteristics of the Identity Observed Mode. Six self scales were constructed
      from subjects' responses. Our two major hypotheses were strongly supported: (a)
      The two age groups differed dramatically on each of the self scales; and (b) the
      six self scales highly correlated with each other. Moreover, clusters of
      responses could be constructed that model the a priori descriptions of identity
      modes and that sharply separate the two grades.

PMID- 1880701
TI  - Adjustment, depression, and minimal goal setting: the moderating effect of
      performance feedback.
AB  - In this study I tested hypotheses about changes in expectancy and minimal goal
      statements and the relations of these variables to adjustment. Seventy-seven male
      college students completed the Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank and the Beck
      Depression Inventory and subsequently received success or failure feedback on
      tasks for which they provided expectancy and minimal goal statements.
      Expectancies and minimal goals changed differently, relative to each other, as a
      function of performance feedback. Modest relations of adjustment and dysphoria
      with minimal goals were found, but these were moderated by performance feedback:
      Under failure, poorer adjustment and greater dysphoria were associated with
      higher minimal goals; under success, poorer adjustment and greater dysphoria were
      associated with lower minimal goals, contrary to a widely held hypothesis.
      Moreover, although the effects of adjustment and dysphoria on minimal goal
      setting were similar in strength and direction, these effects were independent of
      each other. Thus, adjustment-minimal goal relations must be understood in light
      of situational parameters and may reflect two processes, only one of which is
      related to mood.

PMID- 1880702
TI  - An interpretation of the Hill equation: time course of diuretic response after
      furosemide administration in man.
AB  - Response function, which correlates pharmacologic response intensity and the drug
      concentration, is defined assuming that the biophase (or the site of action) is
      consisted of the elements responsive to the drug, each of which is in a
      responding or non-responding state depending on the drug concentration in the
      biophase. The Hill equation, which has been widely used without a definite
      rationale, for correlation between pharmacologic response intensity and drug
      concentration is revealed as an approximate equation of the response function.
      Diuretic data obtained after administration of furosemide and reported previously
      are used for conformity assessment of the response function.

PMID- 1880703
TI  - Hepatic drug metabolizing activity in rats with carrageenan-induced inflammation.
AB  - Effect of carrageenan-induced inflammation on hepatic drug metabolism was studied
      in male and female Wistar rats. One day after treatment of male and female Wistar
      rats with carrageenan (1%, 0.1 ml, s.c.) (i) a prolongation of the duration of
      sleeping time induced by hexobarbital (100 mg/kg, i.p.), (ii) decreases
      biotransformation of hexobarbital, aminopyrine and ethylmorphine in the hepatic
      9000 x g supernatants (S-9) and (iii) a decrease in cytochrome P-450 content were
      observed in males but not female rats. However, carrageenan treatment did not
      alter aniline hydroxylase activity in animals of either sex. Carrageenan also
      suppressed induction of hexobarbital, aminopyrine and ethylmorphine metabolism by
      phenobarbital treatment, and depressed the induction of hepatic S-9 cytochrome P
      450 content caused by phenobarbital treatment. These data show that there is a
      sex-related difference in the ability of carrageenan to alter hepatic drug
      metabolism, which is substrate-specific, in the rats.

PMID- 1880704
TI  - The relationship of salicylate lipophilicity to rectal insulin absorption
      enhancement and relative lymphatic uptake.
AB  - The sodium salts of the 3,5-dichloro, 3,5-dibromo-, 3,5-diiodo-, and 5-methoxy-
      analogs of salicylic acid have been evaluated as enhancers of rectal insulin
      absorption. A relationship was found between adjuvant potency and relative
      lipophilicity. Maximal adjuvant activity was obtained with 0.1 M 3,5
      dichlorosalicylate. Higher concentrations (0.15 M) of 3,5-diiodosalicylate
      produced a decline in adjuvant activity, which may be associated with extraction
      of specific cellular proteins. This may indicate the existence of an optimal
      salicylate lipophilicity for adjuvant efficacy. Relative adjuvant activity was
      found to be related to the lymph:plasma absorption ratio of [125I]insulin.
      Lymphatic uptake of insulin was not related to lymph flow rate.

PMID- 1880705
TI  - Bioavailability of cyclandelate from capsules in beagle dogs and dissolution
      rate: correlations with bioavailability in humans.
AB  - The bioavailability in beagle dogs and the dissolution rates of cyclandelate from
      five capsule preparations commercially available in Japan were measured. One of
      the capsules that showed an extremely low bioavailability in humans also showed
      the lowest bioavailability in beagle dogs, although the difference in
      bioavailability with the highest preparation was smaller than in humans. A
      significant correlation was obtained between the results of the studies in humans
      and beagles. However, the power of the test using beagles was extremely low in
      comparison with that in the human study. Food enhanced the bioavailability of
      cyclandelate from the capsules having the highest and lowest bioavailability in
      the fasted state in beagles as observed in the human study previously. The
      bioinequivalence of the cyclandelate capsules detected in the fasted state
      disappeared in the fed state in the beagle dog study, while the bioinequivalence
      still remained in the non-fasted state in human subjects. Thus bioequivalence
      testing in the fed state led to different results in both species. The most
      poorly bioavailable capsule in both species in the fasted state showed a slow
      dissolution rate by several dissolution methods with moderate stirring. In order
      to obtain a good correlation with in vivo bioavailability, a large volume of test
      solution and addition of Tween 80 were required. Extensive growth of whiskers
      (needle-like crystals) was observed in the entire capsule mass having the lowest
      bioavailability.

PMID- 1880706
TI  - Site-selective oxidation of strychnine by phenobarbital inducible cytochrome P
      450.
AB  - The metabolism of strychnine was studied using liver microsomes of rats treated
      with phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene (MC). The phenobarbital-treatment
      resulted in 7.9-fold and 4.8-fold increases in 2-hydroxylation and N-oxidation of
      strychnine, respectively. The formation of 16-hydroxystrychnine, strychnine 21,22
      epoxide and 22-hydroxystrychnine was induced about 2-fold. MC-treatment resulted
      in only 1.4-fold induction of each oxidation activity. In addition, strychnine 2
      hydroxylation activity was markedly induced in liver microsomes of phenobarbital
      treated mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs (2.5-10.5-fold). Induction of N
      oxidation activity was also higher than that of the three other oxidation
      activities. A reconstituted system of strychnine metabolism using cytochrome P
      450 isozymes, P-450I (P450IIB1) and P-450II (P450IIB2), purified from liver
      microsomes of phenobarbital-treated rats showed significantly high and selective
      activities towards 2-hydroxylation and N-oxidation of strychnine. This
      characteristic metabolism of strychnine appears to occur in common with
      interspecies P450IIB gene subfamily. The pH Optima of 2-hydroxylation and N
      oxidation of strychnine were between 8.4 and 8.6 in the microsomes of
      phenobarbital-treated rats, while that of N-demethylation of benzphetamine, a
      typical substrate of phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome P-450, was between 7.4
      and 7.6. In a reconstituted system with P-450I, strychnine oxidation was little
      affected by pH change, while benzphetamine N-demethylation activity was decreased
      in the alkaline side. Among several oxidations tested, only ethylmorphine N
      demethylation underwent the same pH effect as did strychnine oxidation with the
      microsomes and reconstituted system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880707
TI  - Melatonin-induced enhancement of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
AB  - Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is a lytic mechanism in which a
      specific antibody acts cooperatively with leukocytic effector cells to induce
      target cell lysis. In this paper, the effect of exogenous melatonin on ADCC was
      examined. It was found that two evening intravenous injections of melatonin (1
      mg/kg b.w.) was sufficient to enhance the capacity of splenocytes to mediate
      ADCC. This augmented activity returned to normal levels by day 6. Moreover, the
      opioid antagonist, naloxone, was unable to inhibit the ADCC enhancement,
      suggesting that melatonin did not operate through a naloxone-sensitive opiatergic
      mechanism. These results further support the modulatory action of melatonin on
      immune responses.

PMID- 1880708
TI  - Circadian and seasonal rhythms of melatonin production in mules (Equus asinus x
      Equus caballus).
AB  - The present study describes the patterns of melatonin production in the mule
      (Equus asinus x Equus caballus). Blood was sampled hourly for 24 h from eight
      mule mares in spring and fall. The data obtained show the presence of a circadian
      rhythm of production of melatonin, with highest values during the dark phase both
      in spring and fall. In fall the nightly rise of melatonin production begins
      earlier in the dark phase and reaches higher quantitative levels than in spring.
      The morning decline of melatonin production is similar in the two seasons.
      Maximal levels of nightly melatonin production in the mule are about 10 x higher
      than those described in the horse. The results reported here indicate the
      persistence of brain structures able to receive and transduce environmental
      signals in the mule, a genetically sterile mammalian hybrid.

PMID- 1880709
TI  - Melatonin, a suppressor of spontaneous murine mammary tumors.
AB  - The effect of prolonged, oral melatonin treatment on spontaneous mammary tumor
      development in female C3H/Jax mice was studied. Melatonin was administered at a
      dose of 25 micrograms/mouse/day from 21 to 44 days of age and 50
      micrograms/mouse/day from day 45 onwards. By the age of 12 months, 62.5% of
      control animals developed tumors as opposed to 23.1% in the melatonin treated
      group (P less than 0.02). In both control and treated mice, the thoracic pairs of
      mammary glands were obviously more susceptible to spontaneous mammary tumor
      development, as at least 50% of the total tumors developed in this region.
      Reduction in submaxillary and pituitary gland weights of treated animals was
      observed at necropsy (P less than 0.001). Decreased serum 17-beta-estradiol (E2)
      levels in melatonin treated mice (P less than 0.05) and a marked reduction in
      [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of melatonin-treated mammary glands (P less
      than 0.02) positively correlated with the sparse mammary gland development seen
      in these mice. These observations indicate that at the given dose level,
      melatonin modulates the degree of development of the mammary epithelium,
      subsequently reducing spontaneous mammary tumor incidence in these high risk
      mice.

PMID- 1880710
TI  - Urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin, an index of pineal function in the rat.
AB  - The objective of this study was to apply the radioimmunoassay for 6
      sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) to rat urine, and use it to study the source of
      aMT6s. The radioimmunoassay was found to have acceptable within- and between
      assay variation, excellent specificity, and good parallelism between the standard
      and unknown. Because urine is highly contaminated we assessed whether preliminary
      purification was required and established that it was unnecessary. Using this
      assay a 24-hr rhythm in 6-sulphatoxymelatonin output was seen in pools of urine
      harvested at 3-hr intervals from Wistar rats on LD 12:12. The nocturnal rise in
      aMT6s was abolished by constant light. In contrast pinealectomy lowered aMT6s
      output significantly throughout both dark and light. This study confirms previous
      studies indicating that the pineal is the major source of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin.
      It is concluded that urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin as measured by
      radioimmunoassay is a valid measure of pineal gland activity in the rat.

PMID- 1880711
TI  - Failure of single electroconvulsive shock to affect daytime melatonin production
      in rats.
AB  - It has been reported that, in the rat, different types of stressful procedures
      increase daytime melatonin production. Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) has been
      shown not to affect daytime pineal melatonin in rats killed 9 hr after its
      administration. It is possible that the long-lasting interval between the ECS
      administration and the sacrifice of the animals obscured an effect of the
      stressful procedure. In the present study, the effects of acute ECS on daytime
      melatonin production were evaluated in both ECS- and sham-treated rats killed 30,
      60, 120, and 240 min after treatment. As compared with the sham-treated animals,
      rats receiving acute ECS (80 mA, 0.5 sec) did not show any significant difference
      in either pineal or serum melatonin levels at any time point after treatment.
      These data indicate that single ECS does not affect daytime melatonin production
      in the rat and suggest that the pineal gland may respond differently to the
      various stressful procedures.

PMID- 1880712
TI  - The effects of benzodiazepines on basal and isoproterenol-stimulated N
      acetyltransferase activity by the rat pineal gland, in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - The present study examined the effects of "peripheral," "central," and "mixed"
      benzodiazepine agonists and antagonists on the nocturnal rise in rat pineal NAT
      activity in vivo and the isoproterenol-stimulated NAT activity of pineals in
      organ culture. Administration of the central agonist clonazepam or the mixed
      agonist-antagonist diazepam, 4 hr after dark, at a dose of 25 mg/kg each,
      inhibited nocturnally elevated NAT 20 min later, while this same dose of the
      peripheral agonist RO 54864 elevated NAT activity. In a second study these agents
      were administered in vivo 1 hr before dark, at a dose of 3, 10, or 25 mg/kg i.p.
      and tested 4 hr after dark for in vitro rat pineal NAT activity. None of these
      agents affected NAT activity at the 3- or 10-mg/kg dose, but RO 54864 25 mg/kg
      did induce elevated activity. In a third study, all of these agents prolonged the
      time period for NAT induction by isoproterenol in rat pineals cultured for 48 hr
      before stimulation. The data suggests that benzodiazepine stimulation of NAT
      activity in vitro is not specific to "central" or "peripheral" benzodiazepine
      receptors and that inhibition of melatonin production in vivo occurs either at
      some step before NAT induction or is involved with the inhibition of pineal HIOMT
      activity.

PMID- 1880713
TI  - Host-controlled modification and restriction as a criterion of evaluating the
      therapeutical potential of Pseudomonas phage.
AB  - The recently isolated phages phi ST3 and phi ST1 were compared as to their lysis
      behaviour in about 100 different P. aeruginosa strains. The growth of phi ST3
      varies greatly in different host strains. We demonstrated one case of "non
      classical", host-dependent modification and restriction. Here the capability to
      adsorb, and consequently to reproduce in a given host strain differs, depending
      on which modification the phage acquired in its former host. The DNA-containing
      phage phi ST1 displays stable lysis properties in the majority of the host
      strains. This makes phi ST1 a candidate for therapeutic phage preparations. One
      of the reasons for stable lysis properties is the apparent selection against
      recognition sites of restriction enzymes in its genome.

PMID- 1880714
TI  - Steric course of the N-methylation in the biosynthesis of ergot alkaloids by
      Claviceps purpurea.
AB  - Using the chiral methyl group methodology, the methylation step in the
      biosynthesis of ergot alkaloids catalyzed by the enzyme
      AdoMet:dimethylallyltryptophan N-methyltransferase was found to proceed with net
      inversion of methyl group configuration. The enzyme thus conforms to the majority
      of methyltransferases studied which mediate a direct SN2 transfer of the methyl
      group from AdoMet to the acceptor nucleophile in a ternary enzyme substrate
      complex.

PMID- 1880715
TI  - A solid-phase enzyme immunoassay for the detection of tetanus toxin using human
      and murine monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Three human and three murine monoclonal antibodies were tested for their
      reactivity to tetanus toxin and toxoid and used to establish an enzyme
      immunoassay specific for tetanus toxin. The dissociation constants of the
      monoclonal antibodies were between 3.91 x 10(-9) and 8.48 x 10(-12). Two human
      monoclonal antibodies recognized conformation determinants on the toxin, whereas
      the others reacted to the heavy chain. Only a combination of antibodies of the
      two species allowed the development of an enzyme immunoassay for the detection of
      tetanus toxin with a lower detection limit of 1.2 micrograms/l.

PMID- 1880716
TI  - Phyllosphere and phylloplane fungi of qat in Sana'a, Yemen Arab Republic.
AB  - Eighty six species belonging to thirty one genera were collected from the qat
      phyllosphere (30 genera and 78 species) and phylloplane (20 genera and 64
      species) of 24 varieties tested. In the phyllosphere the most frequent genera
      were Cladosporium, Aspergillus and Alternaria followed by Penicillium,
      Drechslera, Fusarium, Curvularia, Phoma and Chaetomium. From the preceding genera
      the most prevalent species were C. herbarum, C. macrocarpum, A. niger, A. flavus,
      A. alternata, A. phragmospora, P. citrinum, P. notatum, D. spicifera, D. halodes,
      D. hawaiiensis, F. oxysporum, F. moniliforme, C. lunata, P. humicola, P. herbarum
      and C. globosum. In the phylloplane the order of genera frequency was more or
      less the same, while the most common species were C. herbarum, C. sphaerospermum,
      A. niger, A. flavus, A. alternata and A. tenuissima.

PMID- 1880717
TI  - Disposition of methylprednisolone and its sodium succinate prodrug in vivo and in
      perfused liver of rats: nonlinear and sequential first-pass elimination.
AB  - The disposition of methylprednisolone (MP) and its prodrug succinate ester,
      methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MS), were examined both in vivo and in situ
      (perfused livers) in rats. In vivo studies included iv and oral dosing of 10 or
      50 mg/kg of MP in both forms, while liver perfusion involved initial perfusate
      concentrations of 5 and 25 micrograms/mL of either compound. Steroid
      concentrations were measured by HPLC. In the intact rat, clearance (CL) values of
      both compounds were high, twice the hepatic plasma flow, and decreased by one
      half after the high dose, indicating nonlinear kinetics. The volumes of
      distribution of MS and MP were essentially constant with dose. Incomplete
      availability of MP from iv MS (52-55%) and from the oral dose (10%) was found.
      Sequential first-pass metabolism was investigated in situ. Extensive hepatic
      extraction of MP (84%) occurred at the low dose, but decreased to 48% at the high
      dose, supporting in vivo observations of high CL and nonlinearity. Extraction of
      MS was also high (83%), but MP availability was slight (8%). The MS and MP data
      were fitted to a sequential first-pass model yielding an average fraction of MS
      metabolized-to-MP value of 0.22. The prodrug MS and the active metabolite MP thus
      demonstrate both systemic and hepatic nonlinearity in rats, and the low
      availability of MP from iv MS was due, in part, to sequential first-pass
      elimination. This factor is more extensive in rats than in other species.

PMID- 1880718
TI  - Characterization of the degradation products of luteinizing hormone releasing
      hormone.
AB  - The degradation products of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone [LH/RH; 1;
      gonadorelin releasing hormone (GnRH); less than Glu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg
      Pro-Gly-NH2] were determined in aqueous solution (pH 6.5) at 25, 37, 50, and 80
      degrees C. The predominant route of degradation involved the cleavage of the less
      than Glu-His and Trp-Ser peptide bonds to give peptides 5-9 and hydrolysis of the
      terminal Gly-NH2 to the free acid form in peptides 4 and 10. Racemization of the
      serine and histidine residues to give peptides 2 and 3 was a second route of
      degradation.

PMID- 1880719
TI  - Follicles play an important role in percutaneous absorption.
AB  - The relative importance of stratum corneum and follicles in percutaneous
      absorption is not fully understood. In order to quantitatively investigate the
      importance of the transappendageal route, we have previously developed a model of
      skin without follicles regrown dorsally on the hairless rat. Percutaneous
      absorption was compared, using a diffusion cell, in appendage-free skin relative
      to normal skin, and a predominant role of follicles for in vitro diffusion of
      [3H]hydrocortisone was noted. Results presented here of in vitro diffusion of
      tritiated hydrocortisone, niflumic acid, caffeine, and p-aminobenzoic acid,
      applied in acetone, confirm that appendageal diffusion is the major pathway in
      hairless rat skin. In the absence of follicles, the steady-state flux and the
      amounts diffusing in 24 or 48 h are 2-4 times lower than in normal skin. These
      results were confirmed in a second model in which diffusion of [3H]hydrocortisone
      was studied on skin samples taken one day after birth, at which time rat skin is
      still devoid of follicles, relative to five-day postnatal skin samples, in which
      follicles are fully developed. The steady-state flux and the total diffusion in
      24 h were fivefold lower in follicle-free skin. These results support the view
      that follicles may have a far greater importance in percutaneous absorption than
      is generally assumed.

PMID- 1880720
TI  - Lyotropic liquid crystals and the structural lipids of the stratum corneum.
AB  - Lipids were extracted from human stratum corneum and the remaining corneocytes
      were reaggregated with different lyotropic liquid crystals. Water transport
      through the reaggregated stratum corneum was determined using a diffusion chamber
      according to Smith and Blank. The permeability constant for the reaggregated
      stratum corneum with natural lipids was 25-40% lower than that with the
      surfactant liquid crystals, but there was no significant difference between
      different liquid crystals.

PMID- 1880721
TI  - Effect of food on bioavailability of pseudoephedrine and brompheniramine
      administered from a gastrointestinal therapeutic system.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine how a high-fat meal affects the
      delivery and absorption of pseudoephedrine and brompheniramine maleate when
      delivered from a gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS). This study was a
      randomized, complete crossover trial with 12 healthy male volunteers who were
      given single doses of the 24-h GITS under fed and fasted conditions.
      Pharmacokinetic parameters for both drugs were comparable between fed and fasted
      treatments, except for a shorter time to maximum concentration of pseudoephedrine
      for fed subjects (p = 0.002). Bioavailability of pseudoephedrine was 91% for fed
      relative to fasted treatment; for brompheniramine it was 89%. These results
      indicate that codelivery of the two drugs from the GITS is reliable and
      prolonged, and that the resulting absorption of pseudoephedrine and
      brompheniramine is minimally affected by food.

PMID- 1880722
TI  - Biodegradable microspheres. XIII: Immune response to the DNP hapten conjugated to
      polyacryl starch microparticles.
AB  - Polyacryl starch microparticles are being investigated for use as drug carriers,
      especially in the treatment of intracellular parasitic diseases. The purpose of
      this work was to investigate the possible immune response to drugs coupled to the
      microparticles, using the dinitrophenyl group (DNP) as a model. The humoral
      immunogenicity of DNP hapten-conjugated polyacryl starch microparticles has been
      examined in mice. Microparticle:hapten complexes with different biodegradability
      were tested, as well as different dosages and routes of administration. Two DNP
      derivatives, Lys(DNP) and Leu-Ala-Lys(DNP), were coupled to microparticles. It
      was shown that Lys(DNP) was released from the particles by lysosomal enzymes only
      from the conjugate with the tripeptide DNP derivative. The DNP conjugated to the
      particles via the biodegradable Leu-Ala-Lys arm induced only a weak immune
      response without memory. No response was detected after injection of the Lys(DNP)
      microparticles. Thus, there should be no major immunological obstacles in using
      drug:microparticle complexes in the treatment of, for example, parasitic
      diseases.

PMID- 1880723
TI  - Relation between structure and antimicrobial activity of 2-(N,N,N
      trialkylammonio)alkyl hydrogen phosphates.
AB  - A series of phosphobetaines [2-(N,N,N-trialkylammonio)alkyl hydrogen phosphates],
      having different alkyl chains and a methylene bridge separating the phosphate and
      ammonio group, was investigated in order to provide a new antimicrobial agent.
      Maximal activity was obtained with the compound having a hexadecyl group as a
      long-chained alkyl group, two methyl groups as short-chained alkyl groups, and a
      dimethylene bridge as an intercharge distance. In contrast, sodium 2-(N-hexadecyl
      N-methylamino)ethyl hydrogen phosphate, 2-(N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)-1
      hydroxyethyl iodide, and N-octadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio acetate showed decreased
      activity, indicating that the presence of a phosphobetaine moiety was essential
      for activity. Thus, 2-(N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)ethyl hydrogen phosphate
      has been found to possess strong antimicrobial activity and a broad antimicrobial
      spectrum against nine kinds of bacteria (e.g., fungi, yeast, gram-negative and
      gram-positive bacteria), which are comparable with those of chlorhexidine
      digluconate.

PMID- 1880724
TI  - Disposition of the diastereoisomers quinine and quinidine in the ovine fetus.
AB  - The disposition of the diastereoisomers quinine and quinidine was investigated in
      the near-term pregnant ewe. Five sheep were administered quinine and quinidine
      separately in random order by a combination of bolus and 30-h iv infusion. On a
      subsequent occasion, four of the five sheep were also administered the two drugs
      simultaneously. After separate dosage, systemic clearance of quinine tended to be
      greater than that of quinidine (714 +/- 299 versus 422 +/- 146 mL/min, p = 0.08).
      Maternal renal clearance exhibited no stereoselectivity and represented less than
      2% of total clearance. Simultaneous administration did not alter the disposition
      of either drug in the mother. After separate dosage, fetal total concentrations
      (Cf) of quinine and quinidine were substantially lower than maternal total
      concentrations, as reflected in Cf:Cm ratios of 0.15 +/- 0.06 versus 0.10 +/-
      0.08, respectively. Similarly, fetal unbound concentrations (Cfu) were
      substantially lower than maternal unbound concentrations (Cmu; Cfu/Cmu = 0.46 +/-
      0.09 for quinine and 0.23 +/- 0.09 for quinidine). This indicates the presence of
      fetal elimination of both isomers. Fetal renal clearances of quinine and
      quinidine were similar (0.34 +/- 0.24 mL/min versus 0.38 +/- 0.24 mL/min) and
      less than that of endogenous creatinine, indicating the absence of net renal
      tubular secretion. After simultaneous dosage of quinine and quinidine, Cf:Cm
      (0.48 +/- 0.24 and 0.31 +/- 0.19, respectively) and Cfu:Cmu (0.73 +/- 0.14 and
      0.52 +/- 0.20, respectively) were greater than for separate dosages. Fetal renal
      clearance of both drugs was unchanged, suggesting that the higher Cfu:Cmu ratios
      after simultaneous dosage were due to mutual inhibition of the fetal metabolism
      of these drugs.

PMID- 1880725
TI  - Prediction of solute sorption by polyvinyl chloride plastic infusion bags.
AB  - The time course of the sorption of drugs by polyvinylchloride infusion bags has
      been approximated using a diffusion model in which the plastic is assumed to act
      as an infinite sink. This model appears to be suitable for estimation of storage
      times relevant to clinical usage and enables the magnitude of the uptake in a
      specific time to be described by a single parameter, referred to as the sorption
      number. This parameter is defined by the plastic-infusion solution partition
      coefficient, the diffusion coefficient in the plastic, the fraction un-ionized in
      solution, the volume of the infusion solution, and the surface area of the
      plastic. An approximation of the model allows a ready estimation of the sorption
      number from the fraction remaining in solution at a given time. The sorption
      number can be extrapolated to allow prediction of the effects of time, plastic
      surface area, solution volume, and solution pH on fractional solute loss. A
      reasonable correlation was established between the logarithm of this parameter
      and the logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficients of various solutes.
      The model allows the fraction of a solute remaining in a plastic infusion bag at
      a given storage time to be estimated from the octanol-water partition coefficient
      of the solute and other readily available data.

PMID- 1880726
TI  - Determination of ibuprofen in ointments by reversed-phase liquid chromatography.
AB  - A selective reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of ibuprofen in
      different ointment bases is described. Following a simple dilution step, the drug
      was separated from interfering compounds on an octadecylsilica column protected
      by a precolumn. A mobile phase of aqueous tetrahydrofuran buffered by phosphate
      was used. Detection was monitored at 219 nm. After each 10 injections of
      lipophilic samples, the columns were washed with tetrahydrofuran and n-hexane.
      Recoveries of ibuprofen from a new pilot preparation spiked to contain 4, 5, and
      6% of the drug were 100.4, 100.3, and 99.7%, respectively. The precision at each
      concentration was less than 0.8%. The analysis of ibuprofen degeneration products
      showed that the method also provides an indication of the stability of the drug.

PMID- 1880727
TI  - Kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of diazepam, bromazepam, and flunitrazepam in
      aqueous and micellar systems.
AB  - A kinetic study of the acid hydrolysis of aqueous diazepam, bromazepam, and
      flunitrazepam was carried out at 25 degrees C using a spectrophotometric method.
      For diazepam and flunitrazepam, the experimental pseudo first-order rate constant
      decreased as the acid concentration was increased. The contrary behavior was
      found in the case of bromazepam. A kinetic scheme that includes the hydrolysis
      reaction of both protonated and nonprotonated species of the drug can account for
      these results. Also, the kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of the same drugs in the
      presence of micellar aggregates [nonionic polyoxyethylene-23-dodecanol (Brij 35);
      cationic cetyl trymethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); and anionic sodium decyl
      (SdeS), dodecyl (SDS), and tetradecyl (STS) sulfate] was studied at 25 degrees C.
      Negligible effects were observed in the cases of nonionic and cationic micelles.
      Anionic micelles produced an inhibitory effect in the reaction velocity. This
      effect increased as the hydrophobic nature of the surfactant increased. All these
      facts are interpreted quantitatively by means of a pseudophase model.

PMID- 1880728
TI  - Effect of formulation solubility and hygroscopicity on disintegrant efficiency in
      tablets prepared by wet granulation, in terms of dissolution.
AB  - The effect of tablet formulation solubility and hygroscopicity on the dissolution
      efficiency of three "super disintegrants" (sodium starch glycolate, crospovidone,
      and croscarmellose sodium) in tablets prepared by wet granulation was
      investigated. Lactose, calcium phosphate dibasic, sorbitol, and naproxen sodium,
      alone or in combination, provided varying degrees of solubility and
      hygroscopicity in the formulations. To monitor in vitro dissolution, 1% p
      aminobenzoic acid was added to the formulation as a tracer. The results indicate
      that highly soluble and/or hygroscopic ingredients decrease the effectiveness of
      super disintegrants in promoting in vitro dissolution. The greater the overall
      hygroscopicity and solubility of the tablet formulation, the larger the decrease
      in the efficiency of the super disintegrant.

PMID- 1880729
TI  - Influence of solute structure on deviations from the log-linear solubility
      equation in propylene glycol:water mixtures.
AB  - The solubilities of the methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl esters of p-hydroxy- and
      p-aminobenzoates have been determined in propylene glycol:water mixtures. The log
      of the observed solubility data in propylene glycol:water mixtures was examined
      for deviations from the following equation: In Xi = f In (Xc) + (1 - f) In (Xw),
      where Xi is the calculated mole fractional solubility of the solute, f is the
      volume fraction of cosolvent, Xc is the observed mole fractional solubility in
      the neat cosolvent, and Xw is the solubility in water. In each case, the
      deviations from the predicted solubilities demonstrated a characteristic pattern.
      Positive deviations were observed at high volume fractions of cosolvent, while
      negative deviations were observed at low volume fractions. The magnitude of the
      deviations at low volume fractions of cosolvent was related to the carbon chain
      length within each group of esters. A similar phenomenon was not observed at high
      volume fractions of cosolvent; however, the magnitude of the deviations was
      dependent on the nature of the polar group on the ester. The data are interpreted
      in terms of the possible effects of solvent structure on the solubility of the
      solutes.

PMID- 1880730
TI  - Enhancement of dissolution and absorption of mefenamic acid by egg albumin.
AB  - The dissolution behavior and absorption of mefenamic acid following oral and
      rectal administration from drug:egg albumin solid dispersions have been studied
      in comparison with those of the drug alone. The interaction of drug with egg
      albumin in aqueous solution and solid state were examined by solubility analysis,
      dialysis experiments, and X-ray diffractometry. The results showed that the
      dissolution rate of mefenamic acid, and also the release of drug from witepsol H
      15 suppositories, were significantly increased by using egg albumin:drug solid
      dispersions. Although egg albumin:drug solid dispersion enhanced the mean serum
      levels and the area under serum concentration-time curves after oral and rectal
      administration compared with those of the drug alone, no significant differences
      were found between the mean residence time values of drug and its solid
      dispersion. It was also noted that the extent of bioavailability of mefenamic
      acid and its solid dispersion following oral administration was significantly
      greater than that following rectal administration.

PMID- 1880731
TI  - A system approach to pharmacodynamics. III: An algorithm and computer program,
      COLAPS, for pharmacodynamic modeling.
AB  - Many pharmacodynamic (PD) models may be generalized in the form E(t) =
      N(L[c(t)]), where E(t) is a recorded effect response, c(t) is a sampled drug
      level, N is a nonlinear autonomic function, and L is a linear operator that
      commonly is a convolution operation. The NL class of PD models includes the
      traditional effect compartment PD models as a subclass, but is not limited to
      such models. An algorithm and computer program named COLAPS, based on system
      analysis principles and hysteresis minimization, that enable N and L to be
      empirically determined for the NL class of models without addressing specific
      kinetic structure aspects ("model independence") are presented. The kinetic
      concepts of biophase conduction and transduction functions are used by COLAPS.
      Such an approach is more general than the effect compartment approaches because
      it does not assume first-order transport principles. The pitfalls of hysteresis
      minimization in PD modeling are discussed and the procedures taken by COLAPS to
      avoid these pitfalls are outlined. A transformation technique prevents improper
      convergence to a point. A novel reparameterization scheme is introduced that
      maximizes the flexibility of the kinetic functions and extends the generality of
      the analysis. Inequality function constraints are maintained without the need for
      troublesome constrained nonlinear optimization procedures. Usage of the COLAPS
      program is illustrated in the analysis of the PD of amobarbital. The COLAPS
      program resulted in an excellent minimization of the effect versus biophase level
      hysteresis. The biophase conduction function, the biophase drug level
      (normalized), and the transduction curve were determined. The transduction curve
      showed clear biphasic behavior.

PMID- 1880732
TI  - Kinetics of transition of anhydrous carbamazepine to carbamazepine dihydrate in
      aqueous suspensions.
AB  - When suspended in water, anhydrous carbamazepine (C15H12N2O; 1) was transformed
      to carbamazepine dihydrate (C15H12N2O.2H2O; 2). Compound 1 was dispersed in water
      at 25 degrees C, and an aliquot of the slurry was taken at periodic intervals and
      immediately filtered under conditions which removed all the physically bound
      water from the solid. The weight fractions of 1 and 2 in the solid were
      quantified by two methods: (a) by determining the weight loss on drying the solid
      at 60 degrees C under reduced pressure to a constant weight and (b) by a
      quantitative powder X-ray diffraction technique. There was good agreement between
      the above two methods. More than 95% (w/w) of 1 was converted to 2 in 1 h and the
      decrease in the weight fraction of 1 with time was approximately a first-order
      process.

PMID- 1880733
TI  - A body surface area nomogram based on the formula of Gehan and George.

PMID- 1880734
TI  - A compartment model for percutaneous drug absorption.

PMID- 1880735
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of intranasal drug administration: the influence of some
      biological factors.

PMID- 1880736
TI  - Relationships between the area under the first moment curve after single bolus
      injection and the integral of plasma concentrations after constant-rate
      intravenous infusion.

PMID- 1880737
TI  - Cardiac disease.

PMID- 1880738
TI  - Postpartum maternal adaptation.

PMID- 1880739
TI  - Care of the pregnant patient with a pacemaker.
AB  - This article has reviewed cardiovascular adaptations to pregnancy and
      parturition. It has presented a basic overview of pacemaker supported
      cardiovascular function and related that to pregnancy. It has summarized 22
      previously reported cases of pregnancy among women with pacemakers and reported
      yet another such case. The following conclusions can be drawn: The pregnant woman
      with a pacemaker, especially one that is not rate-responsive, faces risks for
      destabilized cardiovascular adaptation during the course of pregnancy, labor, and
      delivery. Individualized, ongoing nursing assessment focusing on detecting early
      signs of compromised cardiac output is critical in order to avoid maternal as
      well as fetal distress. Pregnancy has a high probability of coming to successful
      conclusion when professionals anticipate potential complications and monitor for
      early signs of difficulty. Providing care for the woman with a pacemaker presents
      many challenges to the perinatal nursing staff providing antepartum, intrapartum,
      and postpartum care. The woman, the fetus or newborn, and the family are best
      cared for by a multidisciplinary team whose members bring specialized knowledge
      and skill to bear on the needs she and the fetus present.

PMID- 1880740
TI  - Valvular disease in pregnancy.
AB  - The hemodynamics of pregnancy make this a time of great risk for the cardiac
      patient. RHD is still the most commonly seen lesion in women of childbearing age.
      When the mitral valve becomes stenotic, it severely limits flow into the left
      ventricle, resulting in a buildup of pressure in the left atrium and possibly the
      pulmonary artery. These patients are at risk for pulmonary edema and a decrease
      in cardiac output. Intrapartum care must focus on meticulous fluid management and
      alleviation of pain and anxiety to avoid the tachycardiac effect.

PMID- 1880741
TI  - ECG interpretation for obstetric nurses.
AB  - Obstetric nurses are not routinely called on to perform continuous cardiac
      monitoring or ECGs. However, obstetric nurses will be caring for most pregnant
      women with cardiac complications. Basic and advanced ECG courses and Advanced
      Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses are offered at most hospitals. Obstetric
      nurses are encouraged to take advantage of these courses, as even nurses in Level
      I institutions are caring for patients on continuous ECG monitors. A basic
      understanding of the ECG is expected of all nurses. Obstetric nurses are
      encouraged to participate in an ACLS program. Full reviews of the anatomy,
      physiology, and electrical pathways are available in numerous texts.

PMID- 1880742
TI  - Myocardial infarction during pregnancy.
AB  - Although myocardial infarction during pregnancy is not a common event, its
      occurrence is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for both mother
      and fetus. Multidisciplinary collaboration is required to individualize care. The
      presence of two patients (mother and fetus) must be acknowledged and the
      cardiovascular stress imposed by pregnancy and birth must be recognized. Nurses
      who care for these patients are required to integrate both cardiac and
      obstetrical knowledge and attend to psychosocial as well as physical needs. The
      impact of MI on maternal tasks of pregnancy, coping ability, maternal-fetal
      attachment, and adjustment to parenthood are certainly great but are beyond the
      scope of this article.

PMID- 1880743
TI  - Cardiovascular assessment of the neonatal heart.
AB  - Identification of the newborn with CHD continues to be a challenge. Neonatal
      nurses are frequently the first to make an assessment suggestive of cardiac
      disease. Collaborative efforts to make a differential diagnosis begin with a
      thorough cardiac assessment.

PMID- 1880744
TI  - The postoperative cardiac infant: physiologic basis for neonatal nursing
      interventions.
AB  - The care of the postoperative cardiovascular neonate is complex and multifaceted.
      A comprehensive understanding of physiology, pathology, and appropriate
      interventions is necessary for a successful outcome. The neonatal nurse plays a
      pivotal role in the collaborative management of these neonates to support
      delivery of quality care.

PMID- 1880745
TI  - Pharmacologic interventions for the neonate with compromised cardiac function.
AB  - The developmental aspects of myocardial performance must be considered when
      pharmacologic agents are used to support the neonate with compromised cardiac
      function. Neonatal cardiovascular function is characterized by a limited preload
      reserve, decreased ventricular compliance, limited contractile reserve, and CO
      that is primarily dependent on the HR. Nurses caring for these neonates need a
      baseline understanding of normal cardiovascular physiology to evaluate the
      effectiveness of pharmacologic interventions to augment CO. Neonatal nurses play
      a pivotal role in the therapeutic management of pharmacologic interventions to
      provide safe, high quality care for the sick neonate.

PMID- 1880746
TI  - Analysis of a below-knee patellar tendon-bearing prosthesis: a finite element
      study.
AB  - In this study, a finite element (FE) model of a below-knee prosthesis of patellar
      tendon-bearing (PTB) design, and several altered variations of the model have
      been constructed. A load of approximately 1.5 times normal body weight (984 N)
      was applied at the heel of the model to simulate heelstrike conditions. The
      "base" model was then analyzed and revised iteratively until a model which
      provided consistency between soft tissue elastic modulus and socket displacement
      was developed. The interface normal and shear stresses obtained from the analysis
      of this revised base model were highest (about 961, and 463 KPa, respectively) at
      the distal anterior tip of the socket/stump. Proximally, higher normal stresses
      (72-78 KPa) were found medially and posteriorly. Proximal shear stresses were
      highest posteriorly (79 KPa), although shear stresses medially (51 KPa), and
      laterally (43 KPa), were also much higher than anteriorly (10 KPa). FE analyses
      were performed on the altered models to determine the relative effects on
      socket/stump interface stresses of altering the FE model of the prosthesis.
      Results of the analysis indicate that fabricating the prosthesis from a material
      with an elastic modulus ten times lower than that of the revised base model can
      produce reductions in the maximum pressure of up to 14 percent. Large decreases
      in maximum pressures (71 percent) resulted from the use of a suction socket
      rather than a conventional socket. Small changes in stump length (2 cm) caused
      relatively large pressure changes (16 to 18 percent).

PMID- 1880747
TI  - Equipment and methods for laboratory testing of ankle-foot prostheses as
      exemplified by the Jaipur foot.
AB  - A load deflection and a cyclic loading apparatus capable of measuring
      dorsiflexion/plantarflexion, pronation/supination, internal/external rotation,
      and cyclic dorsiflexion (60 cycles per minute) of ankle-foot prostheses are
      described. A test protocol was developed to assess the functional parameters of
      the Jaipur ankle-foot prosthesis before and after prolonged cyclic loading, with
      the simultaneous aim of evaluating these machines. The results on 26 Jaipur ankle
      foot prostheses revealed that: 1) the prosthesis enjoys considerable mobility in
      three planes, confirming its known versatility; 2) the prosthesis is robust; and,
      3) the testing machines deliver reproducible results and are suitable for in
      house testing of ankle-foot prostheses.

PMID- 1880748
TI  - Factors influencing rehabilitation of arteriosclerotic lower limb amputees.
AB  - This survey considered 598 arteriosclerotic amputees over a period of 9 years:
      267 below-knee; 81 Gritti-Stokes; 195 above-knee; and 55 double amputees. A
      walking ability index (WAI) ranging from 1 for a normal gait to 6 for inability
      to walk was determined for these amputees by clinical grading at 3, 6, 9, and 12
      months after prosthesis fitting. Amputees with the below-knee operation had
      better WAI at 3 and more months than those with either Gritti-Stokes or above
      knee operations. There was no statistical evidence for a difference between
      Gritti-Stokes and above-knee operations at any time of assessment of WAI. The 50
      59 year-old age group had significantly better WAI at 6, 9, and 12 months than
      did the 60-69 or 70+ age group, but the 60-69 year-old group was not
      significantly different from the 70+ age group. On an average, the 78 amputees
      (14 percent) with ischemic heart disease had a poorer WAI at 6 and more months
      than did those without it; the 46 amputees (8 percent) with hemiplegia were worse
      at 12 months than those without hemiplegia; and the 15 amputees (11 percent) with
      bronchitis were worse at 12 months than those without bronchitis. Double amputees
      had poorer WAIs at 12 months than those of single amputees.

PMID- 1880749
TI  - Dynamic characteristics of a sport wheelchair.
AB  - A single subject performed 36 coast-down trials on a hardwood floor in a sport
      model wheelchair with velocity ranging from 1.28 to 5.31 m/s (4.6 to 19.1 km/h).
      A portable computer attached to the wheelchair was used to record the time to the
      nearest 0.001-second of each half-revolution of a rear wheel. The deceleration
      during each trial was determined with an average coefficient of variation of 2.6
      percent from linear regression of velocity versus time values. A significant
      relationship (r = 0.97) between deceleration and the square of the velocity was
      noted in an analysis of the values from the 36 trials. Total drag force and power
      was calculated as a function of wheelchair velocity from this relationship,
      indicating that the power output needed to propel the wheelchair increased as a
      function of the velocity cubed. It is speculated that this noted exponential
      increase in the energy cost of wheelchair propulsion at higher speeds was due
      mainly to an increase in air drag.

PMID- 1880750
TI  - A technique for the determination of center of gravity and rolling resistance for
      tilt-seat wheelchairs.
AB  - A balance platform setup was defined for use in the determination of the center
      of gravity in the sagittal plane for a wheelchair and patient. Using the center
      of gravity information, measurements from the wheelchair and patient (weight,
      tire coefficients of friction), and various assumptions (constant speed, level
      concrete surface, patient-wheelchair system is a rigid body), a method for
      estimating the rolling resistance for a wheelchair was outlined. The center of
      gravity and rolling resistance techniques were validated against criterion values
      (center of gravity error = 1 percent, rolling resistance root mean square error =
      0.33 N, rolling resistance Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.995). Consistent
      results were also obtained from a test dummy and five subjects. Once the center
      of gravity is known, it is possible to evaluate the stability of a wheelchair (in
      terms of tipping over) and the interaction between the level of stability and
      rolling resistance. These quantitative measures are expected to be of use in the
      setup of wheelchairs with a variable seat angle and variable wheelbase length or
      when making comparisons between different wheelchairs.

PMID- 1880751
TI  - Development and testing of artificial low-frequency speech codes.
AB  - In a new approach to the frequency-lowering of speech, artificial codes were
      developed for 24 consonants (C) and 15 vowels (V) for two values of lowpass
      cutoff frequency F (300 and 500 Hz). Each individual phoneme was coded by a
      unique, nonvarying acoustic signal confined to frequencies less than or equal to
      F. Stimuli were created through variations in spectral content, amplitude, and
      duration of tonal complexes or bandpass noise. For example, plosive and fricative
      sounds were constructed by specifying the duration and relative amplitude of
      bandpass noise with various center frequencies and bandwidths, while vowels were
      generated through variations in the spectral shape and duration of a ten-tone
      harmonic complex. The ability of normal-hearing listeners to identify coded Cs
      and Vs in fixed-context syllables was compared to their performance on single
      token sets of natural speech utterances lowpass filtered to equivalent values of
      F. For a set of 24 consonants in C-/a/ context, asymptotic performance on coded
      sounds averaged 90 percent correct for F = 500 Hz and 65 percent for F = 300 Hz,
      compared to 75 percent and 40 percent for lowpass filtered speech. For a set of
      15 vowels in /b/-V-/t/ context, asymptotic performance on coded sounds averaged
      85 percent correct for F = 500 Hz and 65 percent for F = 300 Hz, compared to 85
      percent and 50 percent for lowpass filtered speech. Identification of coded
      signals for F = 500 Hz was also examined in CV syllables where C was selected at
      random from the set of 24 Cs and V was selected at random from the set of 15 Vs.
      Asymptotic performance of roughly 67 percent correct and 71 percent correct was
      obtained for C and V identification, respectively. These scores are somewhat
      lower than those obtained in the fixed-context experiments. Finally, results were
      obtained concerning the effect of token variability on the identification of
      lowpass filtered speech. These results indicate a systematic decrease in percent
      correct score as the number of tokens representing each phoneme in the
      identification tests increased from one to nine.

PMID- 1880752
TI  - Loneliness and psychological distress.
AB  - Research on relationships between loneliness and psychological symptoms has
      generally shown significant positive associations across a wide spectrum of
      psychopathologies. However, such results may be artificial, to some extent, given
      the high intercorrelations of typical psychopathology measures. In the current
      study, we examined associations between psychological symptoms, assessed by the
      Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90; Derogatis, Lipman, & Covi, 1973) and loneliness,
      as measured by the UCLA-R Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980), in
      college students. Using partial correlations to control for the confounding
      influence of generalized distress, relationships between loneliness and
      individual dimensions of distress were examined. Results indicate a significant
      association between loneliness and interpersonal sensitivity (low self-esteem)
      and depression. Other dimensions of distress were not significantly related to
      loneliness. In addition, no sex differences in patterns of association were
      observed. Results support the notion that self-blame and self-devaluation are
      strong correlates of loneliness.

PMID- 1880753
TI  - Masculinity, femininity, and women scientists' self-esteem and self-acceptance.
AB  - The literature suggests women scientists are a unique population. The present
      study investigated differences in self-esteem, self-acceptance, masculinity and
      femininity among several sample populations of women, including scientists (n =
      62), professionals (other than scientists) (n = 89), college students (n = 83),
      clients (n = 52), and victims of domestic violence (n = 57). The Personal
      Orientation Inventory (Shostrom, 1974) and Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974)
      were administered to subjects, together with a demographic data sheet. An ANOVA
      was used to investigate differences between women scientists and other groups of
      women, and correlations were used to examine the relationship of masculinity and
      femininity with self-esteem and self-acceptance. Masculinity was found to
      correlate with self-esteem for all but the student group and with self-acceptance
      for all but the student and scientist group. Self-acceptance scores were
      significantly lower for women scientists than for professional and student
      groups, and femininity scores were significantly lower for scientists than for
      all other groups of women.

PMID- 1880754
TI  - The relationship between interaction patterns and agoraphobic fears among college
      students.
AB  - In the present study, we investigated the relationships between self-reports of
      agoraphobic-like anxiety (fear of open, crowded places), panic experiences,
      childhood separation anxiety, and family interaction patterns in a college
      student population. The research was conducted in two parts. Correlational
      analyses of the results of Study 1 revealed significant relationships between
      anxiety, difficulties in managing life transitions, and measures of family
      interaction (intergenerational and peer individuation, intergenerational and peer
      intimacy) as measured by the Personal Authority in the Family System
      (Questionnaire (Williamson, Bay, Harvey, & Malone, 1985). In Study 2, we observed
      significant correlations between agoraphobic anxiety and measures of childhood
      separation anxiety, state and trait anxiety, and patterns of family enmeshment.
      The results were interpreted in the context of a broad perspective, which
      includes the role of developmental and interactional variables in the onset and
      maintenance of agoraphobic anxiety.

PMID- 1880755
TI  - Delusions and hallucinations of cocaine abusers and paranoid schizophrenics: a
      comparative study.
AB  - We compared delusions and hallucinations of 100 cocaine abusers and 100 paranoid
      schizophrenic subjects admitted to an East Texas state psychiatric hospital.
      Subjects in both groups feared that individuals or organized groups might harm
      them in some way, but delusions of the paranoid schizophrenic subjects were more
      often bizarre than those of the cocaine abuse subjects. "Cocaine bugs"
      (parasitosis) were more often found in the cocaine abuse subjects. Command
      hallucinations were found in both groups, but the commands of the schizophrenic
      group more often related to harming or killing others. Cocaine abusers had a
      greater frequency of visual hallucinations (47 to 7), distinguished by shadows,
      flashing lights ("snow lights"), objects moving and bugs crawling on the arm.
      Finally, the most distinguishing characteristics were identity delusions,
      possession delusions, grandiose delusions (other than identities and
      possessions), and delusions that their families were imposters (Capgras Syndrome)
      reported by paranoid schizophrenics. No such delusions were reported by the
      cocaine abusers.

PMID- 1880756
TI  - Psychobiology of the near-miss in fruit machine gambling.
AB  - Explanations involving the etiology of pathological gambling have tended to
      emphasize psychosocial factors. However, the possibility that psychobiological
      factors may be important in the development of pathological gambling behavior
      should not be ruled out. Psychobiological approaches are becoming ever more
      prominent with the three main lines of research being (a) a search for a
      physiological disposition and/or underlying biological substrate in pathological
      gamblers, (b) an examination of the role of arousal in gambling, and (c)
      speculation about endorphin-related explanations. The data from questionnaires
      and interviews with fruit machine gamblers suggest that both physiological and
      cognitive factors (e.g., the psychology of the near-miss) may be important in the
      explanation of excessive fruit machine gambling. Thus, if a gambler becomes
      physiologically aroused when he or she wins or nearly wins, it will stimulate
      further play, here termed the psychobiology of the near-miss.

PMID- 1880757
TI  - The axenic cultivation of insect forms of Trypanosoma (Duttonella) vivax and
      development to the infective metacyclic stage.
AB  - A method for axenic cultivation of epimastigote and metacyclic forms of
      Trypanosoma (Duttonella) vivax at 27 degrees C in vitro is described. Iscove's
      medium was supplemented with specific concentrations of foetal bovine serum, L
      proline, L-glutamine hypoxanthine, adenosine, pyruvate, and 2-mercaptoethanol.
      Bloodstream form parasites rapidly transformed into epimastigote forms that grew
      as surface-adherent colonies in plastic culture flasks. Transformation of
      epimastigotes to metacyclic forms was first observed 9-12 days after initiation
      of cultures. Percentages of metacyclics varied: East African T. vivax ranged up
      to 40% and West African T. vivax ranged up to 24%. Subcultures were made at two
      week intervals and maintained for several months. Transformation of bloodstream
      forms to epimastigotes depended on initial attachment to the bottom of culture
      flasks and the presence of L-proline. The number and maturity of metacyclic forms
      was influenced by the concentrations of foetal bovine serum, L-proline, L
      glutamine, and 2-mercaptoethanol. Trypanosomes from cultures were cryopreserved,
      revived, and used to re-establish fresh axenic cultures. These results represent
      a significant advance in cultivation of T. vivax insect forms that should enable
      studies to be accomplished on metabolism, differentiation, and pharmacology of
      this parasitic protozoan, free from the influence of extraneous cells.

PMID- 1880758
TI  - The effects of the methylating agent 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-methylhydrazine on
      morphology, DNA content and mitochondrial function of Trypanosoma brucei
      subspecies.
AB  - Repeated exposure of trypanosomes in vitro or in vivo to low concentrations of
      the methylating agent 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-methylhydrazine induces a series
      of moderately synchronous morphological and biochemical changes. Cell division
      halts and the long-slender bloodstream forms transform to short-stumpy forms via
      larger intermediate-stage cells which contain approximately double the normal G2
      content of DNA. In common with naturally occurring short-stumpy trypanosomes,
      drug-induced short-stumpy forms do not infect rodents and when transferred to
      Cunningham's medium, transform to and replicate as procyclics. Furthermore, these
      short-stumpy forms exhibit alpha-ketoglutarate supported motility and oxygen
      consumption, acquire the ability to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NADH diaphorase
      positivity) and appear to be in the G1 or G0 stage of the cell cycle based upon
      DNA content.

PMID- 1880759
TI  - A serum-free, partly defined medium, PDM-805, for axenic cultivation of Entamoeba
      histolytica Schaudinn, 1903 and other Entamoeba.
AB  - We describe the first serum-free, partly defined medium (PDM-805) for cultivating
      the human enteric pathogen, Entamoeba histolytica, and the reptilian amebae E.
      barreti, E. invadens, and E. terrapinae. PDM-805 was developed by the stepwise
      replacement of yeast extract, bovine serum, and a casein peptone digest in TYI-S
      33, a medium widely used for the axenic cultivation of these parasites. The
      defined components include amino acids, carbohydrates, B vitamins, ascorbic acid,
      tocopherol, thioctic acid, nucleic acid precursors, trace metals, and phosphate
      buffers. The undefined components include a highly purified bovine serum albumin,
      a lipoprotein-cholesterol solution from bovine serum, and a dialyzable,
      autoclavable, water-soluble growth factor(s) having a molecular weight of less
      than 3,500 prepared from casein peptone. To date, studies on the growth
      requirements of E. histolytica, strain 200:NIH, show the following are essential
      for sustained multiplication of this ameba: iron, glucose, biotin, folic acid,
      niacinamide, pantothenate, pyridoxal, riboflavin, thiamine, cysteine, an ammonium
      moiety (in addition to that present in cysteine), bovine serum albumin,
      lipoprotein-cholesterol, and casein peptone dialysate.

PMID- 1880760
TI  - A test for genetic exchange in mixed infections of Leishmania major in the sand
      fly Phlebotomus papatasi.
AB  - We tested if genetic exchange was observable between two strains of Leishmania
      major (Trypanosomatidae) during mixed infection of the sand fly Phlebotomus
      papatasi. Previous studies suggested that genetic exchange may occur in natural
      populations of Leishmania at a low frequency, but experimental crosses examining
      small numbers of progeny (less than 60) did not reveal hybrid parasites.
      Accordingly, a strategy was devised to increase the number of progeny that could
      be screened by 100-fold. Clonal derivatives from two strains that were infective
      to flies and contained numerous restriction fragment length polymorphisms were
      characterized and selected for resistance to methotrexate or tunicamycin by gene
      amplification. A successfully mixed infection of P. papatasi was obtained, and a
      method was developed for directly plating promastigotes from the gut contents of
      infected flies onto selective media. Twenty-five hundred independent progeny were
      scored for the presence of both drug resistance markers. No hybrid parasites were
      observed, indicating that the frequency of genetic exchange in this cross must be
      less than 4 x 10(-4). The lines and methods established in this work may prove
      useful in future studies of the mechanism and frequency of gene exchange in
      Leishmania.

PMID- 1880761
TI  - Trypanosoma cruzi: flow cytometric analysis of developmental stage differences in
      DNA.
AB  - Flow cytometry and DNA binding-specific fluorescent reagents were used to compare
      the total DNA, G-C, and A-T content of the epimastigote and trypomastigote stages
      of Trypanosoma cruzi stocks. Significant total DNA differences of 2-12% between
      epimastigotes and trypomastigotes were found in three of six stocks studied. The
      epimastigote G-C content of five of six stocks was 4-8% higher than
      trypomastigotes, whereas the trypomastigote A-T content was 2.5-13% higher than
      the epimastigote A-T content. Although no obvious developmental stage association
      between total DNA and base composition was found, intrastage associations do
      exist. These observations were unaffected by nucleoprotein extraction implying
      that the observed differences between trypomastigotes and epimastigotes are not a
      consequence of nucleoprotein interference with DNA-binding fluorochromes. The
      nuclei and kinetoplasts of four T. cruzi stocks were isolated and analyzed.
      Developmental stage differences in nuclear and kinetoplast DNA are stock
      dependent and base composition-dependent; both organelles contribute to the
      observed differences in DNA of intact cells. We found a nearly linear association
      between the percentage of total kinetoplast DNA, G-C, and A-T content. During
      metacyclogenesis, the G-C content decreases by approximately 7% as epimastigotes
      transform into metacyclic trypomastigotes. The decrease in G-C content precedes
      changes in morphology or in complement resistance. If the DNA changes are
      causally connected to developmental stage transformations in T. cruzi remains to
      be determined. However, our results could facilitate studies of the molecular
      genetic processes the parasite uses to successfully complete various phases of
      its life cycle and, consequently, the disease process it evokes.

PMID- 1880762
TI  - The putative mitochondrial genome of Plasmodium falciparum.
AB  - Intraerythrocytic stages of mammalian malarial parasites employ glycolysis for
      energy production but some aspects of mitochondrial function appear crucial to
      their survival since inhibitors of mitochondrial protein synthesis and electron
      transport have antimalarial effects. Investigations of the putative mitochondrial
      genome of Plasmodium falciparum have detected organellar rRNAs and tRNAs encoded
      by a 35 kb circular DNA. Some features of the organization and sequence of the
      rRNA genes are reminiscent of chloroplast DNAs. The 35 kb DNA also encodes open
      reading frames for proteins normally found in chloroplast but not mitochondrial
      genomes. An apparently unrelated 6 kb tandemly repeated element which encodes two
      mitochondrial protein coding genes and fragments of rRNA genes is also found in
      malarial parasites. The malarial mitochondrial genome thus appears quite unusual.
      Further investigations are expected to provide insights into the possible
      functional relationships between these molecules and perhaps their evolutionary
      history.

PMID- 1880763
TI  - Copy number control in the Tetrahymena macronuclear genome.

PMID- 1880764
TI  - Enterocytozoon salmonis n. sp.: an intranuclear microsporidium from salmonid
      fish.
AB  - The developmental stages of a recently described microsporidian from the nucleus
      of hematopoietic cells of salmonid fish were found to be unique among the
      Microsporida. All observed stages, including meronts, sporonts, and spores were
      in direct contact with the host cell nucleus (principally hematopoietic cells) of
      chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). There is no parasitophorous vacuole
      and sporogony does not involve formation of a pansporoblastic membrane as with
      other members of the suborder Apansporoblastina. The extrusion apparatus
      differentiates prior to division of sporogonial plasmodia. The spores are ovoid
      (1 x 2 microns) and uninucleate, and possess a coiled polar tube with 8-12 turns.
      Developmental stages of the salmonid microsporidian are similar to those
      described for Enterocytozoon bieneusi as found in the intestinal mucosa of human
      AIDS patients. However, the intranuclear development, different cell types, and
      host infected clearly separate the salmonid and human parasites. Accordingly, the
      intranuclear parasite of salmonids is given the name Enterocytozoon salmonis n.
      sp. within the suborder Apansporoblastina.

PMID- 1880765
TI  - Real-time examinations of lexical processing in aphasics.
AB  - We argue that the lesion localizing value of disruptions to modular information
      processing systems emerges most clearly from on-line analyses of processing. In
      this respect we seek to show that left anterior (but not left posterior) damage
      causes slowed information access and we discuss the manner in which this slowing
      might yield some of the specific syntactic limitations charted in Broca's
      aphasia. The general possibility we raise is that the cortical area implicated in
      Broca's aphasia is not necessarily the locus of syntactic representations, but
      rather sustains particular time-based operating characteristics that in turn
      sustain normal real-time parsing.

PMID- 1880766
TI  - [Value of echography in salivary pathology].
AB  - Major advances in echography techniques over the past few years include the
      development of simple high performance units adapted to investigating the
      salivary glands. This non-traumatic, painless and inexpensive technique offers a
      means of rapid examination and is fully complementary to X-ray and xero and
      sialographic imagery, particularly in tumor pathology. The author gives a review
      of normal images then presents different lesions of the salivary gland.

PMID- 1880767
TI  - [Tumor of the bone palate in tertiary syphilis. Contribution of x-ray computed
      tomography].
AB  - The authors report the case of two patients presenting with increased bone
      density and lytic lesions of the skull due to tertiary syphilis. A malignant
      tumor has late developed on these lesions. Only one patient was imaged with CT
      Scan which was very useful to determine the tumoral extension.

PMID- 1880768
TI  - [Current technique of myelography].
AB  - Myelography performed with fine needle technique has become virtually innocuous
      and can be more liberally used in conjunction with CT to produce the CT
      myelogram, a product of remarkable diagnostic precision. The authors contention
      is based on a series of 1,357 consecutive myelograms or CT-myelograms recently
      performed using exclusively 26-gauge spinal needles.

PMID- 1880769
TI  - [Contribution of scanner in the diagnosis of intestinal infarction].
AB  - The clinical expression of arterial mesenteric infarction is not always acute and
      typical. In venous thrombosis, clinical signs of aggravation occur after a long
      development. So, clinical pictures of bowel infarction use not be suggestive. For
      these patients, US performances are sometimes subject to doubt and deceptive.
      Therefore, CT findings are of the highest importance. In two cases, the authors
      remind us the CT characterization of vascular and intestinal abnormalities.

PMID- 1880770
TI  - [Chondrosarcoma of the femur neck simulating a normal variant. A difficult
      diagnostic pitfall].
AB  - We report a case of chondrosarcoma of the femoral neck wrongly considered as a
      normal variant during a long time due to the initial aspect on the plain films
      and its location. Precise radiological criteria must allow the differential
      diagnosis and will be detailed.

PMID- 1880771
TI  - [X-ray computed tomographic aspects of calcifying metastases. Apropos of 40
      cases].
AB  - The authors report the results of a study on 40 patients affected by metastases
      of the calcifying type detected during CT scan imaging for cancer of different
      origin (colorectum 18 cases, stomach 5, ovary 10, lung 2, bone 2, breast, skin,
      thyroid 1 case). The sites involved include liver (22), spleen (5), lymph nodes
      (10), peritoneum (7), diaphragm (2), pleura (2), ovary (1), soft tissue (3), lung
      (3). Calcification in metastases arises through a double mechanism: primary, with
      bone formation in osteoid neoplasia (orthoplastic calcification) or ossification
      of tumour cartilage (metaplastic calcification); secondary as a result of
      necrosis, hemorrhage and regressive changes (dystrophic and mucoid
      calcification), particularly after radiation or systemic treatment. Since
      calcified metastases can strongly mimic granulomatous, parasitic and other
      neoplastic disease, the clinical history is essential for the diagnosis.

PMID- 1880772
TI  - [MRI imaging in less than one second: Turbo flash].

PMID- 1880773
TI  - [Osteoarticular radiology at the 90 RSNA].

PMID- 1880774
TI  - [Report on the Inter-University Specialty Degree in Radiodiagnosis and Medical
      Imaging of Paris. Evaluation of the first 5 years (1985-1990)].

PMID- 1880775
TI  - [Radiology in China].

PMID- 1880776
TI  - [AIDS and cranio-encephalic imaging].

PMID- 1880777
TI  - [Prevention of allergic complications caused by iodinated opacifying media].

PMID- 1880778
TI  - [Venous study of the limbs with duplex Doppler and color Doppler. An iconographic
      review].

PMID- 1880779
TI  - [MRI, geometric distortion of the image and stereotaxy].
AB  - The MRI technology may be the starting-point of geometric distorsion. The
      mathematical preciseness of a spatial location may be disturbed and alter the
      guidance of an MRI interventionnal act, especially in stereotactic brain biopsy.
      A review of the literature shows errors of 1 to 1.5 mm. Our results show an error
      of 0.16 +/- 0.66 mm. The control of quality: homogeneity and calibration of
      magnetic-field gradients, permit an improve of the balistic preciseness and give
      permission to realize the guidance of a stereotactic brain biopsy with the alone
      MRI.

PMID- 1880780
TI  - [Current technique for the imaging of the face].
AB  - In this report, the authors evaluate the indications of the different imaging
      techniques of the face and the adjacent deep and superficial regions. Thus, CT
      stays the first examination of the paranasal sinuses completed by MRI especially
      when an inflammatory pathology is associated with a benign or malignant tumor.
      Traumatisms of the face must be investigated by CT with an emphasis on the
      frontal and sagittal reformated sections. The study of the superficial areas of
      the face (parotid gland) is best explored by US and MRI. MRI gives better results
      than CT in the exploration of the deep regions of the face. Arteriography remains
      obligatory in the study of certain tumours specially the nasopharyngeal
      angiofibroma.

PMID- 1880781
TI  - [Hemopigmented villonodular synovitis].
AB  - Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS) in an infrequent tumoral like disease and
      there are only a few MRI studies published. Concerning our series of five cases
      compared with the literature, the readers attention is drawn to the etiologies
      still under debate and to the respective contribution of the different imaging
      methods. MRI known for its high sensibility, but also for its low specificity in
      tumoral pathology, has turned out to be, in the case of PVNS, quite remarkable in
      both regards. The RMI aspect is quite well correlated to the histological
      structure of this synovial hyperplasia and to its evolution: highly vascular mass
      at the beginning and then low cellular density stroma, fibrous, with deposition
      of hemosiderin. In our five cases, as in almost all those previously reported in
      the literature, MR imaging shows heterogeneous areas of decreased signal
      intensity on T2 weighted sequences and on two of our cases after administration
      of gadolinium. Still the same MR aspects can be found in rheumatoid, hemophilic
      arthritis, as well as synovial chondromatosis, and therefore the clinical
      background and findings as well as plain films become essential. MR imaging
      should be the first examination to be undertaken after plain films, leading in
      most cases to a precise local preoperative assessment.

PMID- 1880782
TI  - [Clear definitions of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases. Imperative for
      pneumological practice, teaching and research].
AB  - Important divergences in the definition of bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis
      and pulmonary emphysema have persisted until the middle 1950's. Definitions were
      first standardized in 1958 by a group of British experts (CIBA symposium) and
      made clearer by the WHO Experts Group on Cor Pulmonale in 1961 and by the
      American Thoracic Society in 1962. The standardized questionnaire proposed by the
      British Medical Research Council has been widely adopted. For pulmonary
      emphysema, a precise definition based on anatomical data (dilatation of terminal
      air spaces with destruction of their walls) has been accepted. Chronic bronchitis
      is defined in clinical terms (almost daily productive cough 3 months each year,
      at least on 2 consecutive years; the terms "chronic cough" and "recurrent
      bronchitis" are still controversial. The greatest difficulties have been
      encountered in the definition of bronchial asthma; despite a second CIBA
      symposium (1971) devoted to this problem, it has not been possible to improve on
      the fairly wide physiological definition put forward in 1958 (bronchial
      obstruction that varies either spontaneously or under the influence of
      treatment). For about 15 years peripheral airways obstruction (PAO), sometimes
      called "small airways disease" has been recognized as a special anatomical and
      functional syndrome.

PMID- 1880783
TI  - [Imaging in the diagnosis of vascular complications after hepatic
      transplantation].
AB  - Twenty-nine vascular complications which occurred after 388 hepatic
      transplantations performed over a 5 year period (14 arterial thromboses, 4
      aneurysms and ruptures of the hepatic artery, 8 portal thromboses and 3 peri
      anastomosis portal stenoses) were investigated retrospectively in order to
      determine the role of imagery in diagnosing these vascular complications. The
      best screening examination for the diagnosis of hepatic artery thrombosis
      appeared to be pulsed Doppler coupled with echography. It provides a means of
      selecting candidates for arteriography, the only investigation allowing certain
      diagnosis of thrombosis. False aneurysms, suspected in cases of severe post
      operative sepsis should be investigated with arteriography even if CAT scans and
      echo-pulsed Doppler imagery is normal. The diagnosis of portal thrombosis and
      stenosis relies on echo-pulsed Doppler imagery. In these cases, arteriography is
      carried out before treatment to evaluate the extent of vascular involvement. Thus
      echography coupled with pulsed Doppler is the best first intention screening
      examination to be performed whenever a vascular complication is suspected after
      hepatic transplantation. Nevertheless, arteriography remains the key examination
      for the diagnosis and evaluation of these complications.

PMID- 1880784
TI  - [Cysts of the spleen. Spontaneous involution checked by imaging].
AB  - The splenic cysts are rare diseases and the diagnosis is now easier with modern
      imaging modalities. The authors report two cases of asymptomatic splenic cysts.
      The spontaneous involution in less than 3 years has been followed by CT Scan.
      This possible evolution which has never been described, the improvements of the
      splenic surgery and the risk of serious infectious complications after
      splenectomy, must modify the indications of the treatment. A US or CT follow up
      can be purposed for non symptomatic cyst and a partial splenectomy when these
      lesions are clinically symptomatic.

PMID- 1880785
TI  - Periportal hepatotoxicity due to allyl alcohol: a myriad of proposed mechanisms.

PMID- 1880786
TI  - Alteration in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis during uridine reversal of
      pyrazofurin-inhibited DNA synthesis.
AB  - Pyrazofurin, a pyrimidine nucleoside analogue with antineoplastic activity,
      inhibits cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in cells by inhibiting uridine 5'
      phosphate (UMP) synthase. It has been previously shown in concanavalin A (con A)
      stimulated guinea pig lymphocytes (23) that pyrazofurin-inhibited DNA synthesis
      could be selectively reversed by exogenous uridine (Urd). In this report, we have
      examined possible mechanisms for the Urd reversal with experiments that determine
      the ability of exogenous Urd to (a) interfere with either the intracellular
      transport of pyrazofurin, or the conversion of pyrazofurin to its intracellularly
      active form, pyrazofurin-5'-phosphate; (b) reverse the pyrazofurin block of
      [14C]orotic acid incorporation into DNA; and (c) alter the pattern of exogenous
      [3H]Urd incorporation into DNA-thymine (DNA-Thy) and DNA-cytosine (DNA-Cyt)
      during pyrazofurin inhibition of pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis. The results of
      these experiments showed that Urd reversal does not occur through altered
      pyrazofurin transport or intracellular conversion to pyrazofurin-5'-phosphate,
      nor does it alter the distribution of [3H]Urd in DNA-Thy and DNA-Cyt. Instead,
      these findings indicate that the primary mechanism for exogenous Urd reversal of
      pyrazofurin inhibition of DNA synthesis involves the reversal of pyrazofurin
      inhibition of UMP synthase, thus restoring orotic acid incorporation into
      lymphocyte DNA through the pyrimidine de novo pathway.

PMID- 1880787
TI  - Interaction of benzanthrone with cytochrome P450: altered patterns of hepatic
      xenobiotic metabolism in rats.
AB  - Benzanthrone, an anthraquinone dye intermediate, is commonly used for the
      synthesis of a number of polycyclic vat and disperse dyes. Our prior studies have
      shown that benzanthrone can be metabolized by rat hepatic microsomal cytochrome
      P450 (P450) (Biochem. Int., 18, 1989, 1237). In this study, the interaction of
      benzanthrone with rat hepatic microsomal P-450 and its effect on xenobiotic
      metabolism have been investigated. Parenteral administration of benzanthrone (40
      mg/kg body weight) for 3, 7, or 21 days caused no change in the relative body
      weight or organ weight of rats. The levels of P450 were found to be reduced (33%
      50%) in all the benzanthrone-exposed animals at all the time periods. In vitro
      addition of benzanthrone caused a spectral change with oxidized P450 and
      concentration-dependent reduction in the carbon monoxide spectrum of dithionite
      reduced P450. The addition of benzanthrone to hepatic microsomes prepared from
      phenobarbital-treated rats resulted in spectral changes characterized by an
      absorbance maximum at 397 nm indicative of type I binding. In vitro addition of
      benzanthrone showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of hepatic aminopyrine N
      demethylase (APD) and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (ERD) activities with
      respective I50 values of 9.5 x 10(-4) and 8.0 x 10(-5) M. However, the inhibition
      of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) even at the highest concentration of
      benzanthrone (10(-2) M), was of the order of only 29%. In vivo administration of
      benzanthrone also led to the inhibition of APD, AHH, and ERD activities at all
      treatment times although the magnitude of inhibition was of a lower
      order.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880788
TI  - Sublethal effects of pentachlorophenol in the abalone (Haliotis rufescens) as
      measured by in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - The sublethal biochemical effects of pentachlorophenol (PCP) were investigated in
      live, intact red abalones (Haliotis rufescens), using a flow-through exposure
      system, by in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy. Based on rangefinding tests (6-hr LC50 =
      1.6 mg/L; 6-hr no-observable-effect-level (NOEL) = 0.8 mg/L), three abalones were
      separately exposed to a sublethal concentration (1.2 mg/L) for 5 hr, followed by
      a 13 hr recovery period. Effects in foot muscle included both a decrease in
      phosphoarginine and an increase in inorganic monophosphate concentrations ([PA]
      and [Pi], respectively); both foot muscle concentrations of adenosine
      triphosphate [ATP] and intracellular pH (pHi) also declined. Parallel in vitro
      experiments revealed that concentrations of glycerol 3-phosphate, lactate,
      citrate, succinate, malate, and alanine (Ala) all increased, while those of
      glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and glutamine (Gln) remained stable. Also, these
      effects were not evident until 2 hr into exposure, possibly the time required for
      PCP to attain an effective concentration in foot muscle. During recovery, while
      Pi declined to pre-exposure levels, [PA] completely recovered in only one
      individual. Also, realkalinization of pHi was similar to recovery of [Pi], and
      ATP returned to near-initial levels, as did glycerol 3-phosphate, lactate,
      succinate, malate, and Ala; glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, citrate, and Gln levels
      declined. Recovery responses corresponded to the time for PCP clearance from foot
      muscle. The effects of PCP were similar to those of hypoxia, fatigue,
      hypersalinity, and arginine kinase inhibitors, and so sublethal PCP
      concentrations may also inhibit electron transport and arginine kinase as well as
      uncouple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in intact molluscs. Thus, the
      effects of pollutants on key biochemical processes may now be measured in intact
      aquatic organisms as they occur, improving our ability to accurately assess the
      environmental effects of pollutants in the laboratory.

PMID- 1880789
TI  - Molecular structure, polymorphism, and toxicity of lantadene A, the pentacyclic
      triterpenoid from the hepatotoxic plant Lantana camara.
AB  - Lantadene A (22 beta-angeloyloxy-3-oxo-olean-12-en-28-oic acid), a pentacyclic
      triterpenoid compound from lantana (Lantana camara) leaves has been obtained in
      two polymorphic forms I and II. Form I had white, fluffy, and rod-shaped uniform
      crystals. Form II particles were irregular, shining, and polyhedral. The two
      forms differed in melting behavior. The powder x-ray diffraction of form I showed
      sharp peaks whereas from II did not contain distinct peaks. From single-crystal
      three-dimensional x-ray structure determination, the molecular structure of form
      I has been established. A/B and B/C rings of the molecule are trans fused while
      D/E rings are cis fused. The packing of the molecule is stabilized by hydrogen
      bonding. Form I of lantadene A was non-toxic to guinea pigs on oral
      administration. Form II induced ictericity and toxicity associated with decrease
      in feed intake and fecal output, hepatomegaly, increase in plasma bilirubin, and
      acid phosphatase activity.

PMID- 1880790
TI  - Localization of the sulfur-cyanolysis site of serum albumin to subdomain 3-AB.
AB  - The results of kinetic experiments measuring the effects of a variety of ligands
      on the sulfur-cyanolysis reaction catalyzed by serum albumin point to the
      conclusion that the active site for cyanolysis is on subdomain 3-AB.
      Relationships among the inhibition by short-chain fatty acids, the activation by
      p-nitrophenyl acetate, and the influence of bilirubin and L-tryptophan on these
      effects indicate that the cyanolysis active site and the known primary binding
      site for indoles are both near, but on opposite sides of, tyrosine-409 of bovine
      albumin (tyrosine-411 of human albumin).

PMID- 1880791
TI  - A negative slope in the current-voltage relationship of the Na+/K+ pump in
      Xenopus oocytes produced by reduction of external [K+].
AB  - To investigate the voltage dependence of the Na+/K+ pump, current-voltage
      relations were determined in prophase-arrested oocytes of Xenopus laevis. All
      solutions contained 5 mM Ba2+ and 20 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to block K+
      channels. If, in addition, the Na+/K+ pump is blocked by ouabain, K(+)-sensitive
      currents no larger than 50 nA/cm2 remain. Reductions in steady-state current (on
      the order of 700 nA/cm2) produced by 50 microM ouabain or dihydro-ouabain or by
      K+ removal, therefore, primarily represent current generated by the Na+/K+ pump.
      In Na(+)-free solution containing 5 mM K+, Na+/K+ pump current is relatively
      voltage independent over the potential range from -160 to +40 mV. If external
      [K+] is reduced below 0.5 mM, negative slopes are observed over this entire
      voltage range. Similar results are seen in Na(+)- and Ca(2+)-free solutions in
      the presence of 2 mM Ni2+, an experimental condition designed to prevent Na+/Ca2+
      exchange. The occurrence of a negative slope can be explained by the voltage
      dependence of the apparent affinity for activation of the Na+/K+ pump by external
      K+, consistent with the existence of an external ion well for K+ binding. In 90
      mM Na+, 5 mM K+ solution, Na+/K+ pump current-voltage curves at negative membrane
      potentials have a positive slope and can be described by a monotonically
      increasing sigmoidal function. At an extracellular [K+] of 1.3 mM, a negative
      slope was observed at positive potentials. These findings suggest that in
      addition to a voltage-dependent step associated with Na+ translocation, a second
      voltage-dependent step that is dependent on external [K+], possibly external K+
      binding, participates in the overall reaction mechanism of the Na+/K+ pump.

PMID- 1880792
TI  - Assessing adaptive and maladaptive coping in the early phase of acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - We assessed retrospectively symptom management behaviors among 45 patients with
      acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Cluster analysis was conducted on data from
      the Structured Interview (SI), in order to group patients according to the global
      TABP, Anger-In, Potential for Hostility, and a newly derived measure of
      Behavioral Compensation for Stress (BEH-COMP). Two groups were identified.
      MALADAPT SI-copers (N = 24) had higher scores on Anger-In and Hostility and lower
      scores on BEH-COMP in comparison to the ADAPT SI-copers (N = 21), while no
      difference was observed on TABP. The SI groups were next compared on AMI symptom
      management behaviors. A hierarchical discriminant analysis found that the
      MALADAPT group reported greater distraction from AMI symptoms, were relief
      seeking behavior, and greater perceived vulnerability to reinfarction. AMI coping
      behaviors correlated meaningfully with delay in seeking medical assistance.
      Further research is warranted, given the potential for using the ADAPT/MALADAPT
      SI-profiles to predict adjustment to AMI.

PMID- 1880793
TI  - The factor structure and cross-sectional distributional properties of the Beth
      Israel/UCLA Functional Status Questionnaire.
AB  - The functional status of ambulatory patients is an important correlate of their
      emotional and physical well-being and is subject to influence by the delivery of
      health care. First, the present study obtains a profile on the FSQ for a large
      sample of young, healthy adults (N = 508 college undergraduates), for use as an
      "empirical standard" against which to evaluate the effect of disease or injury on
      an individual's functional status. Second, cross-sectional analyses contrast
      distributional features of responses to the FSQ between (a) the present younger,
      healthy sample and (b) a previously published, older ambulatory patient sample.
      These analyses suggest that the FSQ has acceptable discriminant validity for
      intergroup comparisons. Finally, confirmatory structural analyses suggest that
      the theoretical six-factor model hypothesized to underlie responses to the FSQ
      has a modest, yet acceptable, goodness of fit to actual data.

PMID- 1880794
TI  - The Pain Behavior Check List (PBCL): factor structure and psychometric
      properties.
AB  - The construct of "pain behaviors" as observable and measurable manifestations of
      pain occupies a central role in Fordyce's operant model of pain. The present
      study was designed to evaluate the multidimensional nature of the construct and
      to explore the psychometric properties of a newly developed self-report
      instrument called the Pain Behavior Check List (PBCL). Subjects were 126 chronic
      pain patients who completed an initial version of the PBCL and other standardized
      questionnaires as part of their evaluation by the West Haven VAMC. Factor
      analysis identified four factors labeled Distorted Ambulation, Affective
      Distress, Facial/Audible Expressions, and Seeking Help. Substantial reliability
      and stability estimates for the total PBCL and the subscales support the
      potential clinical and theoretical utility of the instrument.

PMID- 1880795
TI  - Control over uplifts and hassles and its relationship to adaptational outcomes.
AB  - The relationship of perceived control over daily uplifts and hassles to
      depression and restraint was examined in a sample of 140 middle-class sixth
      graders. Results indicated that greater control over uplifts was associated with
      better functioning and lower control over hassles with poorer functioning, even
      after partialing out the respective number of uplifts and hassles reported.
      Moreover, when directly compared, control over uplifts showed more powerful
      associations with adaptational outcomes than did control over hassles. In a
      separate analysis, the number of uplifts over which children reported high
      control showed opposite relationships to adaptational outcomes than did the
      number of uplifts over which children reported low control. A different pattern
      appeared for hassles. Although the number of hassles with low control was
      associated with poorer functioning, the number of hassles over which children had
      high control was unrelated to adaptational outcomes. The possibility that control
      operates somewhat differently for positive and negative events is discussed.

PMID- 1880796
TI  - Tryptophan and high-carbohydrate diets as adjuncts to smoking cessation therapy.
AB  - Treatments that reduce the immediate effects of smoking withdrawal have potential
      for helping smokers quit. Serotonin-enhancing substances, such as tryptophan and
      high-carbohydrate diets, have been used in clinical disorders to relieve negative
      affect, a classic symptom of cigarette withdrawal. This research project
      investigated the use of tryptophan (50 mg/kg/day) and high-carbohydrate diets,
      together with more traditional smoking cessation treatment techniques, to
      ameliorate the smoking withdrawal syndrome and to improve abstinence rates.
      Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either tryptophan (n = 16) or placebo
      (n = 15). Standard smoking cessation treatment was identical for the experimental
      and control groups and consisted of four 2-hr weekly sessions of multicomponent
      group therapy. Smoking behavior, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and negative
      affect were assessed during a 2-week withdrawal period. Tryptophan-treated
      subjects who could not fully abstain were able to smoke fewer daily cigarettes.
      Reported anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms were lower in the tryptophan group
      compared with control subjects. These data suggest that serotonin-enhancing
      substances show promise for use as an adjunct to existing smoking cessation
      programs.

PMID- 1880797
TI  - Ionic interactions with parvalbumins. Crystal structure determination of pike
      4.10 parvalbumin in four different ionic environments.
AB  - The crystal structure of the Ca-loaded form of pike 4.10 parvalbumin (minor
      component from pike muscle belonging to the beta phylogenetic series), with both
      its primary sites CD and EF occupied by Ca2+ ions and its third site occupied by
      an ammonium ion, as previously determined at 1.93 A resolution, has now been
      refined to a resolution of 1.65 A. The crystallization of this parvalbumin in
      different ionic environments has allowed three novel non-isomorphous crystalline
      forms to be obtained: (1) a first form, crystallized in the presence of a mixture
      of ammonium sulphate and manganese sulphate, for which all the cation binding
      sites in the protein are occupied by Mn2+; (2) a second form crystallized in the
      presence of MgSO4 as the precipitating agent, only differs from the Ca/NH4 form
      by the occupation of the third site by Mg2+, whereas the primary sites remain
      occupied by Ca2+; (3) a third form, also crystallized in the presence of MgSO4,
      corresponds to a well-defined molecular species with both the primary EF site and
      the third site occupied by Mg2+, whereas the primary CD site remains occupied by
      CA2+. The corresponding molecular structures reported here have been determined
      at resolutions between 1.8 and 2.4 A. The comparison of the different crystal
      structures allows the structural modifications accompanying the substitution of
      the primary sites by cations differing significantly in their ionic radii (Ca2+,
      Mn2+, Mg2+) to be investigated in detail, and it also leads to a precise
      description of the third site in a typical beta parvalbumin. The substitution
      Ca2+ by Mg2+ within the primary site EF is characterized by a "contraction" of
      the co-ordination sphere, with a decrease of the mean oxygen-metal distance by a
      value of 0.25 A and a decrease of the co-ordination number from 7 to 6, as a
      consequence of the loss of a bidentate ligand (Glu101), which becomes a
      monodentate one. Such an adaptation of the co-ordination sphere around a cation
      of smaller size involves, among others, the transformation of the Glu101 side
      chain from the stable gauche(+) form to the less stable gauche(-) form. The third
      site is clearly described as a satellite of the CD primary site, since both sites
      possess common protein ligands, such as Asp53 and Glu59. Furthermore, Asp61
      appears as a specific ligand of the third site in the different environments
      investigated in this work. We finally discuss the relevance of the third site to
      parvalbumin phylogeny.

PMID- 1880798
TI  - Effect of single amino acid replacements on the thermodynamics of the reactive
      site peptide bond hydrolysis in ovomucoid third domain.
AB  - We have measured equilibrium constants, Khyd, at pN 6 for the hydrolysis of the
      reactive site peptide bond (bond between residues 18 and 19) in 42 sequenced
      variants (39 natural, 3 semisynthetic) of avian ovomucoid third domains. The
      values range from 0.4 to approximately 35. In 35 cases the effect of a single
      amino acid replacement on Khyd could be calculated, 13 are without effect and 22
      range from a factor of 1.25 to 5.5. Several, but not all, of the effects can be
      rationalized in terms of residue-residue interactions that are affected by the
      reactive site hydrolysis. As the measurements are very precise it appears that
      additional measurements on designed rather than natural variants should allow for
      the precise measurement of side-chain--side-chain interaction energies.

PMID- 1880799
TI  - Multiple display of foreign peptides on a filamentous bacteriophage. Peptides
      from Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein as antigens.
AB  - We describe here two systems for encoding foreign amino acid sequences in the
      exposed N-terminal segment of the major coat protein of bacteriophage fd. Small
      peptides can be encoded directly; larger peptides are encoded in hybrid
      bacteriophage particles, in which the capsid is formed from a mixture of wild
      type and modified coat proteins. In both cases, the peptides are present in
      multiple copies per phage particle. Peptides that represent the circumsporozoite
      protein, the major surface antigen of the sporozoites of the malaria parasite,
      Plasmodium falciparum, were inserted in this way and found to be highly
      immunogenic. These systems should prove to be valuable in displaying specific or
      random peptides as antigens, and could lead to cheap and effective vaccines. They
      will also allow rapid screening of peptides as potential agents of other
      biological effects, with important applications in biomolecular design.

PMID- 1880800
TI  - Unidirectional replication as visualized by two-dimensional agarose gel
      electrophoresis.
AB  - Two-dimensional (2D) agarose gel electrophoresis is progressively replacing
      electron microscopy as the technique of choice to map the initiation and
      termination sites for DNA replication. Two different versions were originally
      developed to analyze the replication of the yeast 2 microns plasmid.
      Neutral/Neutral (N/N) 2D agarose gel electrophoresis has subsequently been used
      to study the replication of other eukaryotic plasmids, viruses and chromosomal
      DNAs. In some cases, however, the results do not conform to the expected 2D gel
      patterns. In order to better understand this technique, we employed it to study
      the replication of the colE1-like plasmid, pBR322. This was the first time
      replicative intermediates from a unidirectionally replicated plasmid have been
      analyzed by means of N/N 2D agarose gel electrophoresis. The patterns obtained
      were significantly different from those obtained in the case of bidirectional
      replication. We showed that identification of a complete are corresponding to
      molecules containing an internal bubble is not sufficient to distinguish a
      symmetrically located bidirectional origin from an asymmetrically located
      unidirectional origin. We also showed that unidirectionally replicated fragments
      containing a stalled fork can produce a pattern with an inflection point.
      Finally, replication appeared to initiate at only some of the potential origins
      in each multimer of pBR322 DNA.

PMID- 1880801
TI  - Structure and evolution of the cytotoxic cell proteinase genes CCP3, CCP4 and
      CCP5.
AB  - A family of serine proteinases is believed to be important in cell-mediated
      cytotoxicity. Presented here are the genomic sequences for three murine members
      of this cytotoxic cell proteinase (CCP) family: the CCP3, CCP4 and CCP5 genes.
      All three of these genes have introns inserted at the same codon sites and the
      same exon distribution of the active site residues. These characteristics are
      also shared with the CCP1 and CCP2 genes, the charter members of the CCP gene
      family. Phylogenetic analysis using intron and exon sequences suggests that all
      five genes arose by various duplication events. This analysis also indicates that
      the recently described HuCCPX and CCP2 genes originated from recombination events
      between genes of different lineages. A phylogenetic and Southern analysis of the
      recombinant HuCCPX gene suggests that the human genome contains an additional CCP
      gene that has yet to be described. Finally, evidence is presented suggesting that
      the cDNA clone originally describing the CCP5 gene was derived from an
      alternately spliced transcript.

PMID- 1880802
TI  - A new family of powerful multivariate statistical sequence analysis techniques.
AB  - A novel multivariate statistical approach is presented for extracting and
      exploiting intrinsic information present in our ever-growing sequence data banks.
      The information extraction from the sequences avoids the pitfalls of
      intersequence alignment by analyzing secondary invariant functions derived from
      the sequences in the data bank rather than the sequences themselves. Such typical
      invariant function is a 20 x 20 histogram of occurrences of amino acid pairs in a
      given sequence or fragment thereof. To illustrate the potential of the approach
      an analysis of 10,000 protein sequences from the National Biomedical Research
      Foundation Protein Identification Resource is presented, whose analysis already
      reveals great biological detail. For example, zeta-hemoglobin is found to lie
      close to amphibian and fish chi-hemoglobin which, in turn, is an important clue
      to the physiological function of this mammalian early embryonic hemoglobin. The
      multivariate statistical framework presented unifies such apparently unrelated
      issues as phylogenetic comparisons between a set of sequences and distance
      matrices between the constituents of the biological sequences. The Multivariate
      Statistical Sequence Analysis (MSSA) principles can be used for a wide spectrum
      of sequence analysis problems such as: assignment of family memberships to new
      sequences, validation of new incoming sequences to be entered into the database,
      prediction of structure from sequence, discrimination of coding from non-coding
      DNA regions, and automatic generation of an atlas of protein or DNA sequences.
      The MSSA techniques represent a self-contained approach to learning continuously
      and automatically from the growing stream of new sequences. The MSSA approach is
      particularly likely to play a significant role in major sequencing efforts such
      as the human genome project.

PMID- 1880803
TI  - Mutational analysis of the RNA pseudoknot component of a coronavirus ribosomal
      frameshifting signal.
AB  - The genomic RNA of the coronavirus IBV contains an efficient ribosomal frameshift
      signal at the junction of the overlapping 1a and 1b open reading frames. The
      signal is comprised of two elements, a heptanucleotide "slip-site" and a
      downstream tertiary RNA structure in the form of an RNA pseudoknot. We have
      investigated the structure of the pseudoknot and its contribution to the
      frameshift process by analysing the frameshifting properties of a series of
      pseudoknot mutants. Our results show that the pseudoknot structure closely
      resembles that which can be predicted from current building rules, although base
      pair formation at the region where the two pseudoknot stems are thought to stack
      co-axially is not a pre-requisite for efficient frameshifting. The stems,
      however, must be in close proximity to generate a functional structure. In
      general, the removal of a single base-pair contact in either stem is sufficient
      to reduce or abolish frameshifting. No primary sequence determinants in the stems
      or loops appear to be involved in the frameshift process; as long as the overall
      structure is maintained, frameshifting is highly efficient. Thus, small
      insertions into the pseudoknot loops and a deletion in loop 2 that reduced its
      length to the predicted functional minimum did not influence frameshifting.
      However, a large insertion (467 nucleotides) into loop 2 abolished frameshifting.
      A simple stem-loop structure with a base-paired stem of the same length and
      nucleotide composition as the stacked stems of the pseudoknot could not
      functionally replace the pseudoknot, suggesting that some particular
      conformational feature of the pseudoknot determines its ability to promote
      frameshifting.

PMID- 1880804
TI  - Organization and function of binding sites for the transcriptional activator NifA
      in the Klebsiella pneumoniae nifE and nifU promoters.
AB  - The interaction of the Klebsiella pneumoniae NifA protein, a sigma 54-dependent
      activator, with the nifE and nifU promoters was analysed. At these promoters NifA
      established contacts in addition to those predicted by the minimal formulation
      NifA binding site (5'-TGT-N10-ACA). The positions of the contacts indicate that
      bound NifA molecules could assemble to form an oligomer. At both promoters
      contacts with NifA are made predominantly on one face of the DNA helix, and all
      contacts appear necessary for full activation by NifA. The close contacts made by
      NifA appear to be made by the DNA-binding domain of NifA. This domain shows
      specific DNA-binding activity in vitro. The binding of NifA to one site in the
      nifU promoter depends upon occupancy of additional upstream sequences by NifA. At
      the nifE promoter NifA binds adjacent to an integration host factor (IHF) binding
      site, but in contrast to results obtained with the nifU promoter IHF does not
      diminish nifE promoter occupancy by NifA. The IHF requirement for efficient in
      vivo activation of the nifU promoter by NifA was greater than that of the nifE
      promoter. Accordingly, the affinity of IHF for the nifU promoter is higher than
      for the nifE promoter. Amongst promoters utilizing the sigma 54 holoenzyme, the
      nifE promoter appears somewhat atypical in having the activator bound at around
      position -74 rather than the usual 100 base-pairs or more upstream from the
      transcription start site.

PMID- 1880805
TI  - Mutational specificity of DNA precursor pool imbalances in yeast arising from
      deoxycytidylate deaminase deficiency or treatment with thymidylate.
AB  - Disruption of the dCMP deaminase (DCD1) gene, or provision of excess dTMP to a
      nucleotide-permeable strain, produced dramatic increases in the dCTP or dTTP
      pools, respectively, in growing cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The
      mutation rate of the SUP4-o gene was enhanced 2-fold by the dCTP imbalance and
      104-fold by the dTTP imbalance. 407 SUP4-o mutations that arose under these
      conditions, and 334 spontaneous mutations recovered in an isogenic strain having
      balanced DNA precursor levels, were characterized by DNA sequencing and the
      resulting mutational spectra were compared. Significantly more (greater than 98%)
      of the changes resulting from nucleotide pool imbalance were single base-pair
      events, the majority of which could have been due to misinsertion of the
      nucleotides present in excess. Unexpectedly, expanding the dCTP pool did not
      increase the fraction of A.T----G.C transitions relative to the spontaneous value
      nor did enlarging the dTTP pool enhance the proportion of G.C----A.T transitions.
      Instead, the elevated levels of dCTP or dTTP were associated primarily with
      increases in the fractions of G.C----C.G or A.T----T.A. transversions,
      respectively. Furthermore, T----C, and possibly A----C, events occurred
      preferentially in the dcd1 strain at sites where dCTP was to be inserted next. C-
      --T and A----T events were induced most often by dTMP treatment at sites where
      the next correct nucleotide was dTTP or dGTP (dGTP levels were also elevated by
      dTMP treatment). Finally, misinsertion of dCTP or dTTP did not exhibit a strand
      bias. Collectively, our data suggest that increased levels of dCTP and dTTP
      induced mutations in yeast via nucleotide misinsertion and inhibition of
      proofreading but indicate that other factors must also be involved. We consider
      several possibilities, including potential roles for the regulation and
      specificity of proofreading and for mismatch correction.

PMID- 1880806
TI  - Regulation of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase. Allosteric effects and co
      operative activation by calmodulin.
AB  - The activation of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (MLCKase) by calcium
      and calmodulin (CM) was investigated over a wide range of concentrations of the
      enzyme using myosin (MY) or its isolated phosphorylatable light chain (L20) as
      substrates. The enzyme showed allosteric behavior. The specific phosphorylation
      activity was dependent on the concentration of MLCKase as well as on the
      concentrations of both substrates. However, at the lower (nanomolar) range of
      kinase the corresponding substrate rate relationships were hyperbolic. A high
      positive level of co-operativity of kinase was also observed for activation by CM
      in the presence of Ca2+. There was a pronounced CM/Ca-dependent inhibition of
      MLCKase activity when its molar ratio to CM was four to one or more. These
      kinetic data suggested that MLCKase could exist in several oligomeric forms, with
      an inactive high molecular size form and an active low molecular size form
      (protomers and/or dimers). This conclusion was confirmed by gel filtration
      studies. CM was not directly involved in the oligomerization process but instead,
      the oligomeric kinase shared an increased affinity for CM.

PMID- 1880807
TI  - Refined crystal structure of lipoamide dehydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii
      at 2.2 A resolution. A comparison with the structure of glutathione reductase.
AB  - The structure of lipoamide dehydrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii has been
      refined by the molecular dynamics technique to an R-factor of 19.8% at 2.2 A
      resolution. In the final model, the root-mean-square deviation from ideality is
      0.02 A for bond lengths and 3.2 degrees for bond angles. The asymmetric unit
      comprises two subunits, each consisting of 466 amino acid residues and the
      prosthetic group FAD, plus 512 solvent molecules. The last ten amino acid
      residues of both chains are not visible in the electron density distribution and
      they are probably disordered. The operation required to superimpose the two
      chains forming the dimer is a rotation of exactly 180 degrees with no translation
      component. The final model shows the two independently refined subunits to be
      very similar, except for six loops located at the surface of the molecule. The
      structure of each subunit of the enzyme consists of four domains with the
      catalytic centre located at the subunit interface. The reactive disulphide
      bridge, 48-53, is oxidized with S gamma of Cys53 located 3.5 A away from carbon C
      4a of the isoalloxazine ring. The side-chain of His450' points its N epsilon 2
      towards S gamma of Cys48 and is hydrogen bonded to the carboxylate of Glu455'.
      The FAD is bound in an extended conformation and the isoalloxazine ring is not
      completely planar with an angle between the pteridine and the benzene ring of 7.3
      degrees in the first subunit and of 12.1 degrees in the second one. The overall
      folding of lipoamide dehydrogenase is very similar to that of glutathione
      reductase. However, a comparison of the two enzymes, which have only 26% sequence
      identity, reveals significant conformational differences. These concern the
      tertiary as well as the quaternary structure of the two molecules. In each
      subunit of lipoamide dehydrogenase the NAD-binding domain and the interface
      domain appear to be differently oriented with respect to the FAD-binding domain
      by 7.1 degrees and 7.8 degrees, respectively. The interface domain contains, in
      addition, major changes in tertiary structure. Furthermore, the two subunits
      forming the dimer appear to be shifted with respect to each other by more than 4
      A, when the lipoamide dehydrogenase dimer is compared with that of glutathione
      reductase. In spite of all these changes at the tertiary and quaternary level the
      active sites of the enzymes, which occur at the dimer interface, appear to be
      remarkably similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880808
TI  - Refined 1.83 A structure of trypanosomal triosephosphate isomerase crystallized
      in the presence of 2.4 M-ammonium sulphate. A comparison with the structure of
      the trypanosomal triosephosphate isomerase-glycerol-3-phosphate complex.
AB  - Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is a dimeric glycolytic enzyme. TIM from
      Trypanosoma brucei brucei has been crystallized at pH 7.0 in 2.4 M-ammonium
      sulphate. The well-diffracting crystals have one dimer per asymmetric unit. The
      structure has been refined at 1.83 A resolution with an R-factor of 18.3% for all
      data between 6 A and 1.83 A (37,568 reflections). The model consists of 3778
      protein atoms and 297 solvent atoms. Subunit 1 is involved in considerably more
      crystal contacts than subunit 2. Correlated with these differences in crystal
      packing is the observation that only in the active site of subunit 2 is a
      sulphate ion bound. Furthermore, significant differences with respect to
      structure and flexibility are observed in three loops near the active site. In
      particular, there is a 7 A positional difference of the tip of the flexible loop
      (loop 6) when comparing subunit 1 and subunit 2. Also, the neighbouring loops
      (loop 5 and loop 7) have significantly different conformations and flexibility.
      In subunit 1, loop 6 is in an "open" conformation, in subunit 2, loop 6 is in an
      "almost closed" conformation. Only in the presence of a phosphate-containing
      ligand, such as glycerol-3-phosphate, does loop 6 take up the "closed"
      conformation. Loop 6 and loop 7 (and also to some extent loop 5) are rather
      flexible in the almost closed conformation, but well defined in the open and
      closed conformations. The closing of loop 6 (167 to 180), as observed in the
      almost closed conformation, slightly changes the main-chain conformation of the
      catalytic glutamate, Glu167, leading to a change of the chi 1 angle of this
      residue from approximately -60 degrees to approximately 60 degrees and the
      weakening of the hydrogen bonds between its polar side-chain atoms and Ser96. In
      the closed conformation, in the presence of glycerol-3-phosphate, the main-chain
      atoms of Glu167 remain in the same position as in the almost closed conformation,
      but the side-chain has rotated around the CA-CB bond changing chi 1 from
      approximately 60 degrees to approximately -60 degrees. In this new position the
      hydrogen bonding to Ser96 is completely lost and also a water-mediated salt
      bridge between OE2(Glu167) and NE(Arg99) is lost. Comparison of the two
      independently refined subunits, showed that the root-mean-square deviation for
      all 249 CA atoms is 0.9 A; for the CA atoms of the beta-strands this is only 0.2
      A. The average B-factor for all subunit 1 and subunit 2 atoms is 20 A2 and 25 A2,
      respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880809
TI  - Magnesium inhibits the responses to neuropeptide Y in the rabbit coronary artery.
AB  - Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been shown to cause direct vasoconstriction of coronary
      arteries in many species, including dogs, rabbits and man, which is selectively
      inhibited by calcium-channel blocking agents. Recently, NPY has also been
      reported to inhibit the relaxation to noradrenaline in isolated rabbit coronary
      arteries, but the composition of the Krebs solution described in this study
      indicated that it contained no magnesium. Since magnesium is known to be a
      physiological antagonist of calcium and to have a profound influence on the
      contraction of coronary vascular smooth muscle, we examined the importance of
      magnesium in modulating both the direct vasoconstrictor response to NPY and the
      NPY-induced inhibition of relaxation to noradrenaline, using ring preparations of
      rabbit circumflex coronary artery.

PMID- 1880810
TI  - Isolation of rat cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum with improved Ca2+ uptake and
      ryanodine binding.
AB  - The instability of the oxalate-supported Ca2+ uptake activity of rat cardiac
      sarcoplasmic reticulum (CSR) in ventricular homogenates most likely accounts for
      the low specific activity of the rate of oxalate-supported Ca2+ uptake in
      previously reported fractions of isolated rat CSR. We have found that CSR
      vesicles with improved Ca2+ transport capabilities can be isolated if 1 M KCl is
      used to stabilize the CSR activity and to allow the extraction of the CSR from
      the cellular debris. The average rate of Ca2+ uptake by the isolated rat CSR in
      the presence of 10 mM oxalate at 37 degrees C was 0.45 mumols/min-mg in the
      absence of CSR Ca2+ channel blockers and 0.87 mumols/min-mg in the presence of 10
      microM ruthenium red. The Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase activity under the conditions
      of oxlate-supported uptake was 1.25 mumols/min-mg and 0.84 mumols/min-mg in the
      absence and presence of 10 microM ruthenium red, respectively. The rat CSR
      vesicles bound 3H-ryanodine with a Kd of 1.45 nM and a Bmax of 3.7 pmol mg. The
      level of phosphorylated intermediate was 0.30 nmol/mg. The values Bmax, EP and
      Ca(2+)-ATPase activity are from one-third to one-half of those previously
      reported for isolated canine CSR vesicles. These results suggest that the
      isolated rat CSR may be quite similar to dog CSR.

PMID- 1880811
TI  - Single-channel recording of inwardly rectifying potassium currents in developing
      myocardium.
AB  - Properties of the inwardly rectifying K+ channel, which contributes to the
      maintenance of the resting membrane potential, were studied in neonatal rabbit
      ventricular myocytes using the patch-clamp technique. Inward rectification was
      evident in single-channel current-voltage (I-V) relations at potentials positive
      to the potassium equilibrium potential (Ek = 0 mV with [K+]o = [K+]i = 150 mM,
      [Mg2+]i = 2 mM). The single-channel conductance was 3.2 +/- 0.1 pS in
      physiological (5.4 mM) [K+]o. The zero-current potential shifted 48.4 +/- 2.4 mV
      for a ten-fold change in [K+]o in neonatal cells. External Ba2+ blocked the
      current in a dose-dependent manner. The voltage dependence, open-state
      probability and channel density of this channel were compared between neonatal
      and adult ventricular myocytes isolated by similar techniques. The open-state
      probability of the channel was approximately the same in neonatal (0.39 +/- 0.06,
      n = 13) as in adult cells (0.4 +/- 0.05, n = 11). However, in symmetrical
      transmembrane K+ concentration [( K+]o = [K+]i = 150 mM), the single channel
      conductance was significantly smaller in neonatal (25 +/- 0.3 pS, n = 25) as
      compared with adult cells (31 +/- 0.4 pS, n = 12). In addition, the relationship
      between resting membrane potential and [K+]o was measured in neonatal and adult
      myocytes. The resting membrane potential in the neonate was less dependent on
      [K+]o than in the adult. These results are consistent with an age-related change
      in resting membrane K+ permeability which may result from a developmental change
      in the single-channel conductance properties of the inwardly rectifying K+
      channel.

PMID- 1880812
TI  - Calcium antagonists and cardiac noradrenaline release in ischemia.
AB  - The effects of the calcium antagonists verapamil, gallopamil, nifedipine,
      felodipine and diltiazem on noradrenaline release during ischemia were studied in
      isolated perfused rat hearts. Endogenous levels of noradrenaline and its
      intraneuronal metabolite dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DOPEG) were determined by
      high pressure liquid chromatography. Global isothermic ischemia of 20 min caused
      a release of endogenous noradrenaline amounting to 180 +/- 15 pmol/g. The calcium
      antagonists tested significantly suppressed ischemia-induced noradrenaline
      release (IC50 in mumols/l: verapamil 1, gallopamil 0.3, nifedipine 1, felodipine
      3). Noradrenaline release during ischemia and the inhibitory effect of the
      calcium antagonists, were independent of extracellular calcium, indicating a
      nonexocytotic release mechanism. Interaction of the calcium antagonists with the
      major components of nonexocytotic release, intraneuronal storage and carrier
      mediated transport, was tested in normoxic rat hearts. Vesicular storage was not
      stabilized by the calcium antagonists. In fact, verapamil, gallopamil, diltiazem
      and felodipine disturbed storage function, as indicated by an increased DOPEG
      release. Direct interaction with the noradrenaline carrier (uptake1) was
      demonstrated for verapamil, gallopamil, and diltiazem in a model of 3H
      noradrenaline uptake. In conclusion, the calcium antagonists investigated inhibit
      noradrenaline release in ischemia by a mechanism which is different from blockade
      of neuronal calcium influx, and is rather due to an interaction with carrier
      mediated transport of noradrenaline across the plasma membrane.

PMID- 1880813
TI  - Distribution of myosin heavy chain mRNA in normal and hyperthyroid heart.
AB  - Hyperthyroid treatment produces rapid cardiac cell hypertrophy with all
      subcellular components increasing in an orderly manner. We compare normal and
      hyperthyroid tissue in order to relate changes in distribution of myosin mRNA
      during rapid assembly of myofibrils. At the light microscopic level, in situ
      hybridization of the ventricular cells shows myosin heavy chain mRNA to be
      distributed in a spoke-like pattern radiating from the nucleus. Electron
      microscopy provides the higher resolution necessary to determine mRNA
      distribution with respect to adjacent sarcomeric and cytoskeletal structures.
      Papillary muscles were removed from hyperthyroid and normal rabbits, aldehyde
      fixed, and embedded in LR white. Biotinated riboprobe transcribed from 0.5 kb in
      the coding region of terminal portion of the rod of alpha-myosin was hybridized
      and detected by immunocytochemical methods using 5 nm immunoglobulin G gold
      conjugates. Electron microscopy in situ hybridization runs with same-sense and
      anti-sense riboprobes were processed and ten micrographs randomly taken from
      each. Specific cytoplasmic densities of myosin mRNA were calculated by counting
      clusters of five or more gold particles over respective tissue components after
      subtraction of background counts. For both normal myocytes and hyperthyroid
      myocytes, the density of myosin mRNA was about 15 times higher in the
      cytoskeletal-rich inter-myofibrillar space than in the myofibrils. About half of
      the myosin mRNA in this inter-myofibrillar region is found within 10 nm of the
      peripheral filament, but no excess sarcomeric accumulation was seen beside the A
      Band. It appears that most of the myosin is translated from mRNA within the inter
      myofibrillar space along the entire length of the myofibril periphery. The
      emerging myosin heavy chain is not directly anchored to the thick filaments in
      either normal or rapidly growing cardiac cells.

PMID- 1880814
TI  - Intracellular sodium during ischemia and calcium-free perfusion: a 23Na NMR
      study.
AB  - Accumulation of sodium-ions (Na+) in myocardial cells during both ischemia and
      calcium (Ca2+)-free perfusion has been suggested to play an important role in the
      damage occurring during subsequent reperfusion and calcium repletion,
      respectively. We have used 23Na NMR spectroscopy in combination with shift
      reagents to determine intracellular Na(+)-concentration [( Na+]i) in isolated rat
      hearts during either control perfusion followed by ischemia and reperfusion, or
      during control perfusion, Ca(2+)-free perfusion and subsequent ischemia. [Na+]i
      during control perfusion was found to be 10.5 +/- 0.6 mmol/l. During 30 min of
      ischemia [Na+]i rose substantially to 25.0 +/- 3.2 mmol/l. During 15 min of
      reperfusion [Na+]i initially decreased, but leveled off after approximately 3 min
      and was 17.9 +/- 3.7 mmol/l at the end of the reperfusion period. Most
      surprisingly, however, no significant increase of [Na+]i was observed during 30
      min of Ca(2+)-free perfusion, although severe calcium paradox damage was shown to
      occur under the used conditions, when calcium was readmitted to the heart. The
      absence of a rise of [Na+]i during Ca(2+)-free perfusion was substantiated when
      during subsequent ischemia a similar rise of [Na+]i was observed as during
      ischemia without previous Ca(2+)-depletion. We conclude that an increased [Na+]i
      during Ca(2+)-depletion is not a prerequisite for the calcium paradox to occur,
      but that increased [Na+]i during ischemia may influence the subsequent
      reperfusion damage through Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange.

PMID- 1880815
TI  - Effects of graded perfusion and isovolumic work on epicardial and venous
      adenosine and cytosolic metabolism.
AB  - Epicardial adenosine levels and venous adenosine release were measured in
      isovolumically contracting (ISO) and empty non-isovolumic (non-ISO) guinea-pig
      hearts subjected to graded perfusion (approximately 7.5, 5.5, 4.0, 2.0, and 1.0
      ml/min/g). Myocardial metabolism was monitored using 31P-NMR spectroscopy. At
      flows of 5.5 ml/min/g or higher epicardial adenosine levels were stable and
      comparable in ISO and non-ISO hearts (approximately 160 nM). At flows of 4.0
      ml/min/g or higher venous adenosine release was stable and comparable in ISO and
      non-ISO hearts (approximately 30 pmol/min/g). At lower flows, epicardial
      adenosine and venous adenosine release both increased and were significantly
      higher in ISO hearts, compared to non-ISO hearts, at each flow rate. Whereas
      epicardial adenosine increased linearly in ISO and non-ISO hearts at low flows,
      venous adenosine release stabilized in ISO hearts perfused at 1.0 ml/min/g.
      Epicardial adenosine, venous adenosine release, and log [ATP]/[ADP] [Pi] all
      displayed significant correlations with the O2 supply:demand ratio which were
      comparable in ISO and non-ISO hearts. Elevated levels of epicardial adenosine
      were linearly related to log [ATP]/[ADP] [Pi] and cytosolic [AMP] and these
      relationships were comparable in ISO and non-ISO hearts. Alternatively, changes
      in venous adenosine release did not display simple relationships with log
      [ATP]/[ADP] [Pi] and cytosolic [AMP] and they were not comparable in ISO and non
      ISO hearts. The data indicate that: (i) myocardial adenosine formation increases
      only below a metabolic threshold corresponding to log [ATP]/[ADP] [Pi] = 5.0 and
      O2 supply:demand = 1.5 in ISO and non-ISO guinea-pig hearts; (ii) stimulated
      epicardial adenosine levels appear to be consistently related to changes in
      cytosolic metabolism below this threshold in ISO and non-ISO hearts; (iii) more
      complex relationships exist between venous adenosine release and myocardial
      metabolism during graded perfusion, possibly reflecting the variety of factors
      modulating venous adenosine release.

PMID- 1880816
TI  - A novel positive inotropic substance enhances contractility without increasing
      the Ca2+ transient in rat myocardium.
AB  - We have investigated the mechanism of action of a novel positive inotropic agent,
      the thiadiazinone derivative 5-(1-(3,4-dimethoxybenzoyl)-1,2,3,4
      tetrahydrochinolin-6-yl)-6- methyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-1,3,4-thiadiazin-2-on (EMD
      53998). This substance inhibits phosphodiesterase III and, in skinned myocardial
      fibers, it increases myofilament sensitivity to Ca2+. However the effects of EMD
      53998 on intact myocardial preparations are still undefined. In isolated rat
      hearts EMD 53998 (0.5 to 5 microM) had a dose-dependent effect to increase left
      ventricular systolic pressure. In isolated left ventricular myocytes loaded with
      the ester derivative of the Ca2+ probe indo-1, EMD 53998 (0.5 to 5 microM)
      enhanced twitch amplitude without increasing the associated indo-1 transient. The
      myofilament responsiveness to Ca2+ was assessed as the relationship between
      twitch and the indo-1 transient amplitudes as the latter is varied by altering
      the bathing [Ca2+], or stimulation pattern. EMD 53998 reversibly shifted this
      relationship to the left which indicates that for indo-1 transients of the same
      amplitude in the absence and presence of the drug, twitch amplitude was enhanced
      by EMD 53998. In isolated myocytes studied in the absence of electrical
      stimulation, EMD 53998. (1.5 to 5 microM) had a concentration-dependent effect to
      markedly and reversibly decrease cell length without increasing indo-1
      fluorescence ratio. Thus, the cellular basis for the positive inotropic action of
      EMD 53998 in rat myocardium is related to the unique effect of this substance to
      enhance myofilament responsiveness to Ca2+ and not to an increase in the indo-1
      transient amplitude.

PMID- 1880817
TI  - The human atrial trabecula: effects of calcium and temperature.
AB  - The human atrial trabecular preparation is an in vitro model which has been used
      to evaluate drugs and conditions to which cardiac muscle is exposed
      perioperatively. During its development, modifications have been made to this
      preparation. Two important components affecting myocardial muscle contraction are
      temperature and calcium concentration of the muscle bath medium. Previously,
      these parameters were determined independently of one another and found to be 34
      degrees C and 2.5 mM calcium in a minimal Tyrode's buffer with glucose. This
      study was undertaken to define the optimal temperature and calcium concentration
      which would result in the highest yield of muscles that satisfied rigorous
      criteria for acceptability: developed force (DF) greater than 0.8 g, resting
      force (RF) less than 0.7 g, cross-sectional area less than or equal to 1.0 mm2).
      A total of 134 trabeculae were tested using a modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer,
      enriched with Eagles' medium and containing either 1.25 or 2.5 mM calcium at 34
      or 37 degrees C. The trabeculae contracting in 2.5 mM calcium at 37 degrees C
      resulted in the highest yield of 26% while those maintained at 34 degrees C in
      either 1.25 or 2.5 mM calcium led to 20 and 15% useful preparations respectively
      (P = N.S.). Trabeculae contracting at 37 degrees C in 1.25 mM calcium resulted in
      the poorest yield of 8% (P = 0.002). There is a small (5 to 7%), but significant
      (P = 0.02), decrease in DF in 1 h when all groups were analyzed together. The
      exclusion criteria which are applied eliminate variability due to disease and/or
      treatment, therefore only 20 to 25% are acceptable for study. In summary, with
      well-defined and stringently applied criteria, the human right atrial trabecular
      preparation can be a reliable and reproducible model functioning at 37 degrees C
      and 2.5 mM calcium for a variety of studies.

PMID- 1880818
TI  - Further studies on the influence of cAMP-dependent protein kinase on junctional
      conductance in isolated heart cell pairs.
AB  - The influence of the catalytic subunit (20 micrograms/ml) of cAMP-dependent
      protein kinase on junctional conductance (gj) of isolated rat ventricular cell
      pairs was investigated. It was found that gj was increased by 90% within 4 to 5
      min when the subunit was dialysed into both cells. The dialysis of the catalytic
      subunit into just one cell of the pair increased gj and generated rectification
      of junctional membrane. The regulatory subunit (20 micrograms/ml) of cAMP
      dependent protein kinase reduced gj by about 17% when dialysed into both cells of
      pairs. These results might indicate that the symmetric phosphorylation of
      junctional proteins in the two hemichannels increases gj without rectification
      while asymmetric phosphorylation generates rectification of junctional membrane.

PMID- 1880819
TI  - Coronary pressure determines regional glucose uptake in the left ventricular wall
      of the heart.
AB  - The effect of coronary and intraventricular pressures on the glucose uptake and
      its transmural distribution was studied in isolated, beating rat heart perfused
      using the Langendorff procedure. Left ventricular glucose uptake measured by the
      deoxyglucose method, and the effect of coronary (aortic) pressure was dissociated
      from intraventricular pressure development by draining the left ventricle. Left
      ventricular glucose uptake was 2.6 +/- 0.1 mumols/min per g protein (mean +/-
      S.E.M.) and 35 +/- 6% higher (P less than 0.001) in the subendocardium than in
      the subepicardium under control conditions (aortic pressure 80 cm H2O, non
      drained). Elimination of the intraventricular pressure development caused no
      significant change in the total left ventricular glucose uptake or its transmural
      distribution. Increase in the aortic pressure to 150 cmH2O accelerated glucose
      uptake in non-drained and drained hearts by 57-75%. The increase in the glucose
      uptake was more pronounced in the subepicardial layer than in the subendocardial
      layer, so that the transmural gradient decreased by 27-32% (P less than 0.001) in
      non-drained and drained hearts. The results indicate that in Langendorff-perfused
      heart the effect of aortic pressure on the total glucose uptake and its
      transmural distribution across the left ventricular wall is not mediated through
      intraventricular pressure development, but through the coronary pressure.

PMID- 1880820
TI  - Program and abstracts of the XIIth meeting, (European section) of the
      International Society for Heart Research, Leuven, Belgium, 10-13 September 1991
      and program and abstracts of the satellite meeting of the XIIth meeting (European
      section) of the International Society for Heart Research, Utrecht, The
      Netherlands, 9-10 September 1991.

PMID- 1880821
TI  - Study on the pH of ogi, Nigerian fermented weaning food, and its effect on
      enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi.
AB  - The pH values of both cooked and uncooked ogi samples were determined and the
      survival of nalidixic acid-resistant enteropathogenic Escherichia coli OB 26
      34/20, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi A when seeded into cooked ogi
      were studied. The pH values of ogi ranged from pH 3.0 to 3.9. Cooked ogi had a
      slightly lower pH value than uncooked ogi. Our survival experiments showed that
      the inoculated enteric pathogens were considerably inhibited in cooked ogi during
      storage for 24 h. The antibacterial effect of cooked ogi was more pronounced on
      enteropathogenic E. coli with a log10 5 decline in bacterial count within 6 h.

PMID- 1880822
TI  - Assessing diarrhoea-induced dehydration at the community level.
AB  - A community based study of children under 5 years of age in Nampula, Mozambique,
      assessed children with diarrhoea for the 12 signs and symptoms of dehydration
      listed in the World Health Organization's Diarrhoea Treatment Chart and for the
      additional indicators of observed thirst and reported fever. The point prevalence
      of diarrhoea was 13.1%. The signs and symptoms of dehydration reported by carers
      were compared with signs detected on physical examination at the time of the
      interview. The presence of four or more stools, a history of drinking either more
      or less than usual, and reported fever in the preceding 24 h had the highest
      sensitivities. Individual symptoms with the highest specificity were decreased
      urine output, vomiting, and the passing of 10 or more stools during the 24 h
      preceding the interview. The combination of fever or vomiting had a sensitivity
      of 68.3% and a specificity of 55.9%, whereas a combination of vomiting or
      drinking more than usual or fever had a sensitivity of 87.8% and a specificity of
      34.1%. These findings are compared with the results of similar studies conducted
      in different clinical and cultural settings.

PMID- 1880823
TI  - Consecutive stings by red scorpions evoke severe cardiovascular manifestations in
      the first, but not in the second, victim: a clinical observation.
AB  - Three pairs of scorpion sting victims ((1) daughter and mother, (2) brother and
      sister and (3) brother and sister) were admitted. In each pair, both were stung
      by the same scorpion. A patients from each pair were the first stung (initial
      sting), B patients the second. All A victims of the three pairs had
      cardiovascular manifestations: hypertension, with pulmonary oedema; hypotension
      bradycardia, pulmonary oedema; and hypertension respectively. B victims from the
      three pairs suffered no systemic or cardiovascular involvement, only severe
      excruciating local pain at the sting site. It is concluded that A victims
      received a large dose of venom, injected by the scorpion virtually evacuating the
      telson resulting in an 'autonomic storm' and severe cardiovascular involvement.

PMID- 1880824
TI  - Guinea-pig ileal loop assay: a better replacement of the suckling mouse assay for
      detection of heat-stable enterotoxins of Escherichia coli.
AB  - The suitability of guinea-pig ileal loop assay (GILA) for the assay of heat
      stable (ST) enterotoxin was confirmed. Secretory response against Escherichia
      coli heat-stable enterotoxin in this model was determined in terms of dilatation
      index (DI). DI equal to 0.50 or more was considered as a positive secretory
      response. Kinetics of fluid accumulation and the titration of toxin in guinea-pig
      ileal loop suggest uniform secretory response throughout the small intestine and
      31.5 microgram of crude ST toxin as the minimum effective dose to induce a DI of
      0.5. Guinea-pig intestine was found sensitive to both methanol soluble (STa) and
      methanol insoluble (STb) toxins of E. coli and so was considered superior to the
      existing suckling mouse assay (SMA), which is known to be sensitive only to STa
      toxin. In addition, GILA was also found to be more suitable and economical as at
      least 10 strains together with the positive and negative controls can be tested
      in one animal, whereas in SMA, four suckling mice were needed to test a single
      strain. Hence, in SMA individual susceptibility among mice cannot be ruled out.
      GILA was considered to be an alternative to the presently available test, SMA, in
      the determination of ST toxin of E. coli.

PMID- 1880825
TI  - Can anopheline-transmitted filariasis be eradicated?

PMID- 1880826
TI  - Threshold of transmission of Brugia malayi by Anopheles sinensis.
AB  - In an area of central China where Brugia malayi is transmitted by Anopheles
      sinensis, three villages were followed for 4 years without any control measures.
      Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) had been used in a control programme reducing the
      parasite rate in Shuiwa from 12.72 to 0.59%, in Gubomen from 3.18 to 1.55% and in
      Moshi from 5.62 to 2.81% (although this fell the following year to 2.23%) up
      until the start of the trial. The village populations, the human biting rate, the
      parous and the gonotrophic cycle were comparable for all the areas, yet the
      microfilariae rate dropped to 0.18% in Shuiwa, 0.31% in Gubomen, but not in Moshi
      where it increased from 2.23 to 2.43%. This indicated that Shuiwa and Gubomen
      were below the threshold of transmission. Due to the small number of positive
      cases remaining, the density measurements showed less change, but a separate
      study on 44 individuals followed for 6 years revealed that those above 13
      microfilariae per 60 mm3 remained unchanged or increased, while those below
      progressively decreased their densities. The threshold of transmission of B.
      malayi by An. sinensis was considered to be between 1.55 and 2.23% of the
      population, providing no individual had a higher density than 12 microfilariae
      per 60 mm3.

PMID- 1880827
TI  - Red blood cells' auto-agglutination as an indicator test in human
      trypanosomiasis.
AB  - Spontaneous red blood cells' auto-agglutination was assessed as an indicator for
      the diagnosis of human African trypanosomiasis. This test is easily carried out
      by health workers with minimum qualification. It presents a high sensitivity
      (0.91) and a high predictive value of a negative result (0.99). Although a
      positive result gives a low indication of infection, the health care workers
      should refer the patient to a screening centre.

PMID- 1880828
TI  - The relationship of microbial pathogens to acute infectious diarrhoea of
      childhood.
AB  - Bacterial, viral and parasitic enteric pathogens were detected in 692 of 916
      children below 36 months of age with acute diarrhoea and in 289 of 587 matched
      controls. The rates of identification of only four groups of pathogens,
      rotavirus, Shigellae, Salmonella typhimurium and enterotoxigenic E. coli, were
      significantly higher in the patients. The prevalence of a variety of other
      enteric pathogens was similar in controls of patients. Shigellosis had a
      characteristic clinical profile but none of the other agents could be suspected
      on clinical grounds. The high prevalence of pathogens in controls suggested that
      the population may be partially protected against a variety of enteric pathogens
      and that final common pathways leading to diarrhoea may be activated by changes
      in the microbial ecology of the gut lumen.

PMID- 1880829
TI  - The epidemiology of echinococcosis in Israel.
AB  - Shifts in population and employment patterns in Israel since 1948 have been
      accompanied by profound changes in the distribution of echinococcal disease.
      Formerly, it was most commonly imported with the mass immigration of Jews after
      1948 from the Arab countries of North Africa and Asia Minor, and appeared to be
      relatively uncommon in Israel-born Jews and Arabs. In 1980 the disease was made
      notifiable, and this paper presents a review of the years 1981-1989. The
      prevalence pattern that prevailed after the end of mass immigration has reversed
      so that cases are now twice as common in Arabs as in Jews. Among the Arabs the
      disease appears most commonly in the north of the country, especially among the
      Druze, less commonly among Christians and least in Muslims. We suggest that this
      prevalence pattern is related largely to home slaughter of sheep, to differing
      attitudes to dogs, and possibly also to the hunting of wild pig. Targetted
      education and better enforcement of existing regulations can lead to a reduction
      in disease.

PMID- 1880830
TI  - Utilization of village health workers within a primary health care programme in
      The Gambia.
AB  - The utilization of Village Health Workers (VHWs) was studied in a rural area of
      The Gambia 3 years after the introduction of a village-based Primary Health Care
      (PHC) programme. Of 23 children who died from conditions treatable at village
      level, only five were first seen by the VHW. Fourteen were seen elsewhere in the
      region by staff more qualified than the first tier workers. The implications of
      this pattern of utilization on the lack of impact of VHWs on mortality are
      discussed. Only half of the non-fatal illnesses were attended to by VHWs. Reasons
      for this included such factors as lack of knowledge of services available,
      shortages of money, absence of the VHW at critical periods and social or
      political disputes with VHWs. Attempts must be made to tackle these fundamental
      problems if VHWs are to be successfully incorporated into the health services.

PMID- 1880831
TI  - A standardized schedule for burden on the family of sickle-cell anaemia
      sufferers.
AB  - The chronicity and incurability of sickle cell anaemia reinforce the need to give
      particular attention to the psychosocial effect of the illness on the family. A
      22-item schedule of burden with very high inter-rater reliability and modest
      validity is constructed and should be useful in the assessment of other similar
      chronic disorders. The phylogenetic origin of sickle-cell anaemia makes it
      essential that a psychological understanding of the disorder should be a
      component of the therapy arsenal of health professionals serving populations of
      African extraction.

PMID- 1880832
TI  - A new realistic index of experimental transmission efficiency for Bancroftian
      filariasis.
AB  - An index for experimental transmission of filariasis infection was first
      introduced by Kartman and subsequently modified by Wharton who defined it as 'the
      number of infective larvae per mosquito when the microfilaria count is 1.0 mm-3
      of human blood'. Since mosquitoes may not imbibe the expected number of
      microfilariae from the donor's blood during feeding because of various
      interference phenomena and/or mechanisms, this paper presents the index mosquito
      meal (Index MM), based on the actual number of viable microfilariae that are
      observed in the mosquito gut immediately after feeding. The Index MM is defined
      as 'the number of infective larvae per mosquito when the microfilaria count is
      1.0 mm-3 of mosquito blood meal'. The Index MM proved to be a more valid
      indicator of transmission potential than the Wharton Index when applied to the
      data of two controlled field studies where groups of laboratory-reared Culex
      pipiens molestus, the primary vector of filariasis in Egypt, were fed on
      volunteers having different microfilaraemic densities.

PMID- 1880833
TI  - Results of a multicenter study of the modified hook-titanium Greenfield filter.
AB  - Initial efforts to modify the stainless steel Greenfield filter for percutaneous
      insertion led to development of a titanium Greenfield filter, which could be
      inserted by use of a 12F carrier. This device functioned well as a filter but had
      an unacceptable 30% rate of migration, tilting, and penetration. Therefore a
      titanium Greenfield filter with modified hooks was developed and has been tested
      in 186 patients at 10 institutions. Successful placement occurred in 181 (97%);
      placement of the remainder was precluded by unfavorable anatomy. A
      contraindication to anticoagulation was the most frequent indication for
      insertion (75%). All but two were inserted percutaneously, predominantly via the
      right femoral vein (70%). Initial incomplete opening was seen in four patients
      (2%), which was corrected by guide wire manipulation and asymmetry of the legs in
      10 (5.4%). Insertion site hematoma occurred in one patient, and apical
      penetration of the cava during insertion occurred in a second patient. Both
      events were without sequelae. Follow-up examinations were performed at 30 days at
      which time 35 deaths had occurred. Recurrent embolism was suspected in six
      patients (3%) and two of three deaths were confirmed by autopsy. Filter movement
      greater than 9 mm was seen in 13 patients, (11%) and increase in base diameter
      greater than or equal to 5 mm was seen in 17 patients (14%). CT scanning showed
      evidence of caval penetration in only one patient (0.8%). Insertion site venous
      thrombosis was seen in 4/46 (8.7%) patients screened. The modified hook titanium
      Greenfield filter is inserted percutaneously or operatively through a sheath,
      eliminating concern for misplacement from premature discharge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880834
TI  - Early and late geometric changes after carotid endarterectomy patch
      reconstruction.
AB  - This study examines the degree and location of vessel wall geometric changes
      after carotid endarterectomy-vein patch reconstruction. The external diameters of
      the proximal common carotid, common carotid bulb, and internal carotid arteries
      were measured during operation with a caliper after 349 carotid endarterectomies.
      There were 309 saphenous vein reconstructions, 31 synthetic patch
      reconstructions, and 9 primary closures. One or more B-mode ultrasound studies
      with cross-sectional views for common and internal carotid cursor measurements
      were performed from 3 months to 5 years after operation. The intraoperative-to
      postoperative common carotid diameters were unchanged for the three types of
      reconstructions. The internal carotid diameters increased 20% to 30% for both the
      vein and synthetic patched arteries. This dilation was present at 3 and 6 months
      and progressed slightly over 5 years. Wall thickening greater than or equal to 1
      mm was present in 62% of the carotid endarterectomies, with concentric stenosis
      in 3% and eccentric stenosis in 59%. Eccentric stenosis was present at 3 to 6
      months, located on the endarterectomized posterior-medial wall of the common and
      internal carotid arteries, was always less than 50%, and changed very little over
      5 years. No aneurysms or internal carotid occlusions were identified. Carotid
      endarterectomy-vein patch reconstruction results in early, mild, nonaneurysmal
      dilation of the internal carotid patched segment, frequent mild eccentric
      restenosis, and rare hemodynamically significant concentric restenosis.

PMID- 1880835
TI  - A prospective study of respiratory failure after high-risk surgery on the
      thoracoabdominal aorta.
AB  - From June 1960 to September 1990, 1414 patients underwent repair of
      thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, of whom 112 (8%) had pulmonary complications
      requiring respiratory support with tracheostomy; subsequently 45 (40%) died in
      the hospital. We determined by stepwise logistic regression analysis, in a
      prospective study of high-risk type I and II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms
      repairs, the independent predictors of respiratory failure, defined as
      respiratory ventilation exceeding 48 hours after operation. In 98 patients
      studied, 38 (39%) were women, 60 (61%) were men, 54 (55%) had type II
      thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, 34 (35%) had aortic dissection, 19 (19%) were
      nonsmokers, 40 (41%) exsmokers, and 39 (40%) active smokers. Before operation, 55
      (56%) had chronic pulmonary disease with respiratory failure developing in 58% (p
      = 0.0005 versus no chronic pulmonary disease, 10/43, 23%), and of the 26 patients
      in the lower quarter of forced expiratory volume (1 sec) (FEV1 less than or equal
      to 1.45 L) respiratory failure developed in 61% (p = 0.035). In-hospital survival
      was 98% and 83% (p = 0.008), respectively, and cumulative survival at 6 months by
      Kaplan-Meier analysis was 96% and 80% (p = 0.004, log-rank test), respectively,
      for patients without respiratory failure (N = 56/98, 57%) and with respiratory
      failure (N = 42/98, 43%). On univariate analysis, the following were associated
      with respiratory failure (p less than 0.05): FEV1, FEV1% predicted, FVC, FEF25,
      FEF25% predicted, FEF25-75, FEF25-75% predicted, PaCO2 Pao2, symptoms, smoking
      history, chronic pulmonary disease, cryoprecipitate volume, postoperative
      neuromuscular deficit, cardiac complications, reoperation for bleeding, renal
      complication, stress ulceration, postoperative creatinine level, postoperative
      dialysis, and postoperative encephalopathy. The independent predictors of
      respiratory failure were (p less than 0.05): chronic pulmonary disease, smoking
      history, cardiac and renal complications. In patients with chronic pulmonary
      disease, the only independent predictor was FEF25 (p = 0.030). These observations
      may be of value in selecting patients for elective operation.

PMID- 1880836
TI  - Value and limitations of secondary femoropopliteal bypasses with
      polytetrafluoroethylene.
AB  - Secondary femoropopliteal bypasses with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts are
      widely regarded to be of questionable value. This has prompted some to abandon
      all attempts at secondary revascularization with PTFE and others to recommend
      that primary femoropopliteal bypasses be performed preferentially with PTFE
      grafts so that vein may be used for secondary procedures. Because we questioned
      both of these views, we reviewed all femoropopliteal bypasses done at our
      institution in the past 12 years and identified 73 secondary PTFE femoropopliteal
      procedures performed after a failed ipsilateral infrainguinal bypass (69 failed
      femoropopliteal; 4 failed femorodistal). Seventy (96%) secondary bypasses were
      performed for limb salvage and 3 (4%) for severe disabling claudication.
      Insertion of grafts to the popliteal artery was above the knee in 26 (36%) and
      below the knee in 47 (64%). Primary life-table graft patency at 4 years was only
      38%. Forty-eight reinterventions in 34 limbs were required to restore or maintain
      graft patency in thrombosed or failing grafts. For thrombosed grafts, 20
      interventions consisted of 9 simple thrombectomies and 11 thrombectomies with
      additional revision procedures (5 distal or proximal extensions, 6 patch
      angioplasties). Twenty-eight lesions threatening graft patency were treated by
      percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in 3, proximal or distal extensions in 20,
      and patch angioplasty in 5. As a result of these reinterventions, the overall
      secondary patency rate was 55% at 4 years, and the limb salvage rate was 74% at 4
      years. Although aggressive follow-up and reintervention may be required, the use
      of secondary PTFE conduits in the femoropopliteal position is a viable option in
      patients undergoing limb salvage procedures who are at high risk.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880837
TI  - The natural history of superficial femoral artery stenoses.
AB  - Since the natural history of specific superficial femoral artery stenoses is not
      known, we examined progression rates of superficial femoral artery stenoses in 45
      lower extremities found when arteriograms were obtained of 38 patients for
      symptomatic atherosclerotic disease in the opposite leg or abdomen. These initial
      superficial femoral artery arteriograms were compared with later arteriograms in
      25 limbs, duplex scans in 27 limbs, and both modalities in 7 limbs. After a mean
      interval of 37 months, most superficial femoral artery stenoses (72%) did not
      progress. However, 12 superficial femoral artery stenoses progressed (28%; mean
      follow-up, 37 months, including 7 that occluded (17%). Superficial femoral artery
      stenoses progressed among patients who complained of symptom progression at a
      rate faster than that among asymptomatic patients (15.6%/year vs 3%/year; p =
      0.006). Superficial femoral artery lesions also progressed more rapidly among
      patients whose contralateral superficial femoral artery was occluded (10%/year vs
      1.6%/year; p = 0.04). By multivariate regression analysis, symptom progression
      and smoking history were predictive of superficial femoral artery stenosis
      progression. In the seven patients whose superficial femoral artery stenoses
      progressed to occlusion, the average rate of stenosis progression was 12%/year
      (maximum predicted rate, 30% per year by 95% confidence limit). These results
      indicate that superficial femoral artery stenoses usually progress with
      synchronous symptomatic deterioration. Other than symptom progression, only
      cumulative smoking history and contralateral superficial femoral artery occlusion
      could be associated with superficial femoral artery stenosis progression in this
      small series.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880838
TI  - Venous obstruction: an analysis of one hundred thirty-seven cases with
      hemodynamic, venographic, and clinical correlations.
AB  - One hundred thirty-seven limbs with venous obstruction were analyzed. The
      arm/foot venous pressure differential and reactive hyperemia tests were found to
      be useful techniques to diagnose and grade venous obstruction. Traditional
      techniques including venography and ambulatory venous pressure are inferior in
      this regard. The newer techniques have provided newer insights in venous
      obstruction which are detailed herein. The hand-held Doppler was surprisingly
      very sensitive in grade I as well as in more severe forms of obstruction. Neither
      anatomic locale of obstruction nor its extent determined hemodynamic severity.
      Extensive proximal lesions could be hemodynamically mild, and conversely distal
      crural obstructions and single segment lesions could be hemodynamically severe.
      Phlebographic appearance was a poor index of collateralization. The paradoxical
      venous pressure response to the reactive hyperemia test in grade IV obstruction
      was found to be due to suppression or delay of the reactive hyperemia response
      itself in the presence of severe venous obstruction. The pain of venous
      claudication may be related to this phenomenon. Skin ulceration in the presence
      of venous obstruction was related to the associated reflux rather than the
      hemodynamic severity of the obstruction itself. The Linton procedure was found to
      be useful in treating such skin ulcerations. After perforator disruption,
      obstruction did not become hemodynamically worse, but reflux as measured by the
      Valsalva test improved with ulcer healing. The improvement in reflux related to
      Valsalva offers for the first time a hemodynamic rationale for the Linton
      procedure.

PMID- 1880839
TI  - Vascular trauma as a result of therapeutic procedures for the treatment of
      malignancy.
AB  - Twenty-two iatrogenic vascular injuries caused by resection of tumors with local
      recurrences or adjuvant chemotherapy were treated over a 42-month period in 11
      female and 8 male patients with cancer (58% had documented metastases). Sixteen
      of 22 vascular injuries were caused by intraarterial administration of
      chemotherapy (8 emboli; 8 direct catheter trauma), and six were caused by
      resection of tumors with local invasion. The injuries were extremity ischemia (15
      extremities in 13 patients), pseudoaneurysm (4), expanding hematoma (3 injuries
      in 2 patients). Twenty-two surgical repairs included bypass of severely damaged
      arteries in five, embolectomy in five, interposition grafts in three,
      pseudoaneurysm resection and primary repair in three, primary repair of three
      vascular injuries, and one patch angioplasty. Leg amputation was required in two
      patients. Seventeen of 19 patients had successful vascular repairs with
      resolution of preoperative indications for vascular repair without intraoperative
      or postoperative deaths. Long term follow-up (mean, 17 months) showed no
      recurrence of vascular problems; however, two patients died of metastatic cancer
      at 6 and 24 weeks after vascular repair. This study supports an aggressive
      approach to the management of vascular injuries caused by therapeutic
      interventions for malignancy despite the presence of metastatic disease.

PMID- 1880840
TI  - Vascular rehabilitation: benefits of a structured exercise/risk modification
      program.
AB  - A vascular rehabilitation program was designed to increase exercise tolerance and
      reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with lower extremity
      arterial occlusive disease. Sixty-eight patients (32 men, 36 women); ages 55 to
      85 years (mean, 68 years) with claudication 30 (44%), or recovering from lower
      extremity revascularization 36 (53%), or endovascular procedures 2 (3%) entered
      the vascular rehabilitation program. Each underwent a physical examination, risk
      factor assessment, noninvasive arterial studies, and cardiac evaluation. A
      history was taken from each patient also. Six patients (9%) were excluded on
      recognition of silent myocardial ischemia. Sixty-two patients (91%) were accepted
      for exercise training in a program designed to offer 24 (1-hour) monitored
      exercise sessions, 12 (1-hour) personalized education lectures, and development
      of a home maintenance exercise program. No deaths or major morbidity occurred.
      Seventeen patients (27%) did not finish the program, eight (13%) because of
      development of significant cardiac, extremity, or cerebrovascular disease and
      nine for nonmedical reasons. Of the 45 patients (73%) who completed the program,
      38 (88%) had documented increases in walking distances of greater than 100% (122%
      to 450%). All 45 patients designed home exercise programs, and 88% of the smokers
      quit. Long-term follow-up was available on 100% of the patients. Thirty-eight
      patients (84%) have been followed for 2 years or more. Thirty-eight (84%)
      maintained or improved walking distances recorded on exit from the program.
      Thirty of the 36 patients (83%) who stopped smoking remained nonsmokers.
      Significant reductions in cholesterol were seen at 1 year, and significant
      reductions in triglycerides were seen at 12 weeks and 1 year.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880841
TI  - Natural history of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis associated with aortic
      disease.
AB  - The natural history of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis has not been well
      defined, particularly when discovered in conjunction with aortic disease
      requiring correction. To better define the natural history of such lesions, 194
      sequential aortograms in 48 patients were studied to define predictive criteria
      for stenoses at risk for progression. Sixty-six unsuspected atherosclerotic renal
      arterial stenoses were identified on the initial aortograms. Disease progressed
      in 42 arteries (53%), 14 bilateral and 28 unilateral. Seven arteries developed
      occlusion. All had stenoses averaging 80% (range 61% to 94%) noted on the most
      recent aortogram preceding occlusion. Risk factors including smoking, diabetes
      mellitus, elevated serum lipids, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial
      disease, or change in blood pressure or creatinine, did not correlate with degree
      or rate of progression of the renal artery stenosis. A difference in kidney size,
      although varying inversely with degree of stenosis, was not a statistically
      significant marker of disease progression. This analysis suggests that
      identification of renal arterial stenoses that will progress is best determined
      by sequential aortography. Highly stenotic vessels are more prone to occlude than
      those less stenotic. Consequently, individuals with preocclusive lesions should
      benefit from prophylactic renal revascularization during aortic reconstruction.

PMID- 1880842
TI  - Noninvasive diagnosis of vascular trauma by duplex ultrasonography.
AB  - Duplex ultrasonography was used prospectively in the initial evaluation of 198
      patients with 319 potential vascular injuries of the neck and extremities.
      Patients who were unstable or who had obvious arterial trauma were excluded.
      Injury was caused by gunshot in 104 (53%), blunt trauma in 42 (21%), stab wound
      in 34 (17%), and shotgun in 18 (9%). Duplex ultrasonography correctly
      characterized and localized vascular injuries in 23 patients: arterial
      disruptions (13), intimal flaps (4), acute pseudoaneurysms (3), arteriovenous
      fistulas (2), and shotgun pellet arteriopuncture (1). Nineteen other patients had
      vasospasm (13) or external compression (6) without evidence of intrinsic vessel
      injury, these 42 studies had true-positive results. Twenty patients underwent
      arterial repair (13 on the basis of duplex ultrasonography alone), one had
      primary amputation, three required fasciotomy, and 18 were observed. Two patients
      with false-negative results had minor shotgun pellet arteriopunctures that were
      missed by duplex ultrasonography, but neither needed repair. One hundred fifty
      three patients had true-negative results on duplex ultrasonography: all
      clinically had only proximity injuries and easily palpable distal pulses. The
      result of one duplex ultrasonography study was found to be false-positive on
      arteriography. The sensitivity of duplex ultrasonography was 95%, the specificity
      was 99%, and the overall accuracy was 98%. These results closely approximate
      those reported with the use of exclusion arteriography in the evaluation of
      similar vascular trauma patients. Furthermore, duplex ultrasonography has no
      interventional risks and is more cost-effective for screening such injuries than
      arteriography or exploration. Duplex ultrasonography is a reliable method of
      diagnosis in patients with potential peripheral vascular injuries.

PMID- 1880843
TI  - Quantitation of vascular outflow by measurement of impedance.
AB  - One of the most important determinants of graft patency is the degree and
      character of vascular outflow. This study was designed to evaluate input
      impedance as a functional assessment of the outflow bed of vascular grafts. Four
      distinct outflow environments were created for external jugular vein conduits in
      42 New Zealand white rabbits. Vein grafts (n = 14) were fashioned as end-to-side
      common carotid interposition bypass grafts. Arteriovenous fistulas (n = 15) were
      created by side-to-side anastomosis of the distal common carotid artery and
      linguofacial vein. Arteriovenous fistulas with outflow obstruction (n = 7) were
      fistulas with a metal clip partially obstructing the distal outflow channel (1 mm
      lumen). Vein graft/arteriovenous fistula combinations (n = 6) consisted of a vein
      graft and arteriovenous fistula in series. Pressure and flow in the external
      jugular vein were measured, and input impedance spectra were calculated by
      Fourier methods. By use of a PC-based acquisition and processing system,
      impedance results for 20 cardiac cycles could be obtained in approximately 10
      minutes. The results revealed that vein grafts typically demonstrated high
      resistance to steady state flow (Rin = 235 +/- 50 x 10(3) dyne . sec/cm-5) and
      steadily decreasing impedance to pulsatile flow resulting in a characteristic
      impedance (Z0; average of fourth to tenth harmonics) of 35.5 +/- 8.0 x 10(3) dyne
      . sec/cm-5. Phase angle values were usually negative, especially at low harmonics
      (first harmonic phase angle = -1.11 +/- 0.10 radians) indicating that flow led
      pressure. In contrast, arteriovenous fistula Rin was minimal (6.3 +/- 1.4 x 10(3)
      dyne . sec/cm-5; p less than 0.05 compared to vein graft, and the impedance was
      flat across the frequency spectrum (Z0 = 8.5 +/- 1.5 x 10(3) dyne . sec/cm-5; p
      less than 0.05) with pressure and flow nearly in phase (first harmonic phase
      angle = -0.05 +/- 0.10 radians). Creation of outflow obstruction in arteriovenous
      fistulas resulted in significantly elevated Rin (136 +/- 41 x 10(3) dyne/sec . cm
      5; p less than 0.05 compared to arteriovenous fistula and Z0 (23 +/- 9 x 10(3)
      dyne . sec/cm-5, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880844
TI  - Intraoperative duplex sonography during renal artery reconstruction.
AB  - To assess renal duplex sonography as an intraoperative study to detect technical
      defects during repair, 57 renal artery reconstructions in 35 patients were
      studied. Sixteen men and 19 women (mean age, 62 years) underwent unilateral (13
      patients) or bilateral (22 patients) renal artery repair to 57 kidneys. Methods
      of repair included aortorenal bypass grafting in 29 cases (20 saphenous vein, 5
      polytetrafluoroethylene, 4 Dacron), reimplantation in 7, transrenal
      thromboendarterectomy with patch angioplasty in 13, and transaortic extraction
      thromboendarterectomy in 8. Branch renal artery repair was required in six cases
      (five in vivo, one ex vivo). Fourteen patients had combined aortic replacement
      (11 patients: 8 abdominal aortic aneurysms, 3 aortic occlusions) or visceral
      artery reconstruction (three patients: three superior mesenteric artery
      thromboendarterectomies, one inferior mesenteric artery thromboendarterectomy).
      Intraoperative renal duplex sonography (mean scan time, 4.5 minutes) was complete
      in 56 of 57 repairs (98%), and renal duplex sonography was normal in 44 repairs
      (77%). Overall, B-scan defects were present in 13 repairs (23%). Six of these
      (11%) were defined as major B-scan defects by Doppler spectra with focal
      increases in peak systolic velocity greater than or equal to 2.0 meters/sec
      (major defect, mean renal artery peak systolic velocity, 3.1 m/sec), which
      prompted immediate operative revision. Seven B-scan defects were defined as minor
      by Doppler spectra (minor defect, mean renal artery, peak systolic velocity, 0.7
      m/sec) and were not revised. Postoperative evaluation (range, 1 to 22 months;
      mean follow-up, 12.4 months) of 55 renal artery repairs in 34 operative survivors
      (surface renal duplex sonography, 33 patients; renal angiography, 9 patients)
      demonstrated 42/43 renal artery repairs with normal intraoperative renal duplex
      sonography, and 6/6 repairs with minor B-scan defects were patent and free of
      critical stenosis. Of the 6 renal artery revisions prompted by major B-scan
      defects, 4 remained patent, 1 stenosed, and 1 occluded. Our experience suggests
      that intraoperative renal duplex sonography during renal artery repair provides
      valuable anatomic and physiologic information. Renal artery repairs with normal
      renal duplex sonography and minor B-scan defects without Doppler spectral changes
      demonstrated 98% patency without critical stenosis at 12.4 months of mean follow
      up. However, major B-scan defects defined by a focal increase in renal artery
      peak systolic velocity should be considered for immediate correction.

PMID- 1880845
TI  - Vascular complications of cardiac catheterization.
AB  - Femoral artery injury after diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization is
      a frequently encountered clinical problem. This study reviews 150 femoral artery
      injuries that occurred in 16,350 patients over a 5-year period. A prospective
      computerized cardiac catheterization data bank was used to determine significant
      risk factors associated with the occurrence of vascular injury. Logistic
      regression analysis revealed that congestive heart failure, female gender, and
      percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or valvuloplasty procedure were
      significantly associated with occurrence of vascular injury. Greater age, smaller
      body surface area, and smaller weight were also associated with injury.
      Recommendations for management include an aggressive approach to obstruction even
      if local vascular reconstruction is required. False aneurysms are studied by
      ultrasonography, and small ones may be observed expectantly. Larger aneurysms and
      aneurysms that persist beyond a few days are managed by use of general or
      regional anesthesia and by gaining proximal control of the iliac artery.
      Arteriovenous fistulas resulting from catheterization are rarely hemodynamically
      significant and often close spontaneously. Thus repair should be delayed.

PMID- 1880846
TI  - Postoperative vasospasm after antegrade mesenteric revascularization: a report of
      three cases.
AB  - Vascular reconstruction for chronic intestinal ischemia can be accomplished by
      endarterectomy or aortomesenteric bypass. In our practice, antegrade bypasses
      from the supraceliac aorta to the celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery are
      currently the most frequently used techniques. Such reconstructions often use
      multiple or bifurcated large diameter vascular prostheses and have demonstrated
      excellent long-term patency. Despite these salutory results, we have noted an
      unusual perioperative response in three of these patients, which is the subject
      of this report. All three patients underwent uncomplicated elective mesenteric
      revascularization with grafts (diameter greater than or equal to 6 mm)
      originating in the supraceliac aorta. Indications for operation included (1)
      history of postprandial pain, (2) documentation of weight loss, and (3)
      angiographic evidence of advanced atherosclerotic disease with appropriate
      collateral development. Episodes of abdominal pain occurred 5 to 20 days after
      operation when normal food intake was reinstituted. In two patients immediate
      angiograms revealed patent grafts with diffuse mesenteric vasospasm. Treatment
      with intravenous hyperalimentation and nifedipine for 10 days resulted in
      complete resolution of symptoms. In the third patient, symptoms were totally
      relieved by temporary reduction in oral intake and administration of nifedipine.
      A later angiogram revealed a patent graft. All patients have remained
      asymptomatic and regained normal weight. This pattern of postrevascularization
      pain has not been seen in our patients undergoing revascularization with small
      (i.e., venous) conduits originating in the infrarenal aorta. The cause appears to
      be a heightened myogenic response of a "protected" vascular bed when suddenly
      exposed to the high perfusion pressure and blood flow of large caliber antegrade
      conduits. Prophylaxis with calcium channel blockers and use of smaller diameter
      grafts (5 mm) may avoid this disturbing syndrome.

PMID- 1880847
TI  - Late results of two hundred seventeen femoropopliteal bypasses to isolated
      popliteal artery segments.
AB  - A 10-year-experience of 217 femoropopliteal bypasses to isolated popliteal artery
      segments in 207 patients is reported. Thirty-three femoropopliteal bypasses (15%)
      were performed with reversed saphenous vein and 184 (85%) with
      polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. Operative indications were gangrene in 121 (56%),
      nonhealing ulceration in 40 (18%), ischemic rest pain in 51 (24%), and
      claudication in 5 (2%) cases. The 5-year primary graft patency rate of these
      bypasses was 59% (reversed saphenous vein, 74%; polytetrafluoroethylene, 55%; p
      less than 0.05), the secondary 5-year graft patency rate was 61% (reversed
      saphenous vein, 79%; polytetrafluoroethylene, 56%; p less than 0.05), and the 5
      year limb salvage rate was 78% (reversed saphenous vein, 78%;
      polytetrafluoroethylene, 78%). The 30-day operative mortality rate was 10%, and
      the 5-year patient survival rate was 38%. Eleven patients (5%) required lower
      extremity amputation because of progressive gangrene or extensive infection
      despite a patent bypass to an isolated popliteal artery segment. We conclude that
      femoropopliteal bypasses to isolated popliteal artery segments (1) have
      acceptable 5-year graft patency and limb salvage rates; (2) should be performed
      with reversed saphenous vein grafts when possible; (3) may be performed with
      polytetrafluoroethylene grafts if necessary, with a resulting limb salvage rate
      equal to that of reversed saphenous vein grafts; and (4) require sequential
      extension to an infrapopliteal artery in up to 20% of patients. In addition, the
      presence of an isolated popliteal artery segment is associated with a high
      operative mortality rate and limited life expectancy because of coronary artery
      disease.

PMID- 1880848
TI  - Spontaneous carotid dissection: duplex scanning in diagnosis and management.
AB  - The clinical, duplex, and angiographic findings in six patients with seven
      spontaneous extracranial carotid artery dissections are reported. Four
      dissections resulted in internal carotid artery occlusion. These patients
      complained of ipsilateral headache followed by contralateral hemiplegia. The
      other three dissections involved the common carotid artery and resulted in dual
      (one true and one false) lumens. Two of these dissections were asymptomatic. All
      dissections were treated nonoperatively with anticoagulant therapy. Neurologic
      deficits improved or disappeared in all symptomatic patients. On follow-up
      studies, one of the four internal carotid occlusions completely resolved with
      normalization of the duplex examination. All three dual lumen dissections
      remained patent on serial studies. Diagnostic duplex characteristics, both
      conclusive and supportive, of carotid dissections are described. Duplex scanning
      is shown to be accurate in diagnosing and ideally suited for serially following
      spontaneous carotid dissections.

PMID- 1880849
TI  - Hip disarticulation: factors affecting outcome.
AB  - Hip disarticulation, especially in patients with peripheral vascular disease, has
      been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. This report describes
      patient characteristics that influence the clinical outcome of hip
      disarticulation. The medical records of all patients undergoing hip
      disarticulation from 1966 to 1989 were reviewed for surgical indication,
      perioperative wound complications, and postoperative deaths. Fifty-three patients
      underwent hip disarticulation for limb ischemia (10), infection (12), infection
      and ischemia (14), or tumor (17). The overall incidence of wound complications
      was 60%, and no significant differences were found among the groups. Prior above
      knee amputation and urgent/emergent operations were significantly associated with
      increased wound complications (p less than 0.05). The overall mortality rate was
      21%, ranging from 0% (tumor) to 50% (ischemia) and differed significantly among
      the groups (p less than 0.02). Mortality was significantly associated with
      urgent/emergent operations (p less than 0.01). Age, diabetes mellitus, and
      previous inflow procedures did not influence mortality rates. The presence of
      limb ischemia influenced mortality rates to a greater extent than did infection,
      and a history of cardiac disease was statistically predictive of death. Wound
      complications frequently accompanied hip disarticulation, regardless of operative
      indication, and were significantly increased by urgent/emergent operations and
      prior above-knee amputation. Hip disarticulation can be performed with low
      mortality rates in selected patients. Both limb ischemia and infection
      substantially increase operative mortality rates.

PMID- 1880850
TI  - Renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena caval involvement.
AB  - Renal cell carcinoma extends into the lumen of the inferior vena cava in
      approximately 4% of patients at the time of diagnosis. Surgical removal of the
      intracaval tumor thrombus with radical nephrectomy is the preferred treatment for
      this malignancy. From January 1977 to June 1990, 31 such patients were examined
      for combined problems of renal carcinoma and intracaval tumor extension. Twenty
      six of these patients underwent radical nephrectomy and vena caval thrombectomy.
      Ten patients had tumor thrombus confined to the infrahepatic vena cava, 11 had
      retrohepatic caval involvement, and 5 had extension to the level of the diaphragm
      or into the right atrium. Surgical approach was dictated by the level of caval
      involvement. Control of the suprahepatic vena cava plus temporary occlusion of
      hepatic arterial and portal venous inflow were necessary in some cases;
      cardiopulmonary bypass was required for transatrial removal of more extensive
      tumors. Five of the 26 patients had evidence before operation of distant
      metastatic disease; none of these survived beyond 12 months. The 5-year actuarial
      survival rate of the 21 patients without known preoperative metastatic disease
      was 57%. Complete surgical excision of all gross tumor appears to be critical for
      long-term survival in these patients.

PMID- 1880851
TI  - Restructuring general surgical residencies.

PMID- 1880853
TI  - Declining childhood immunization rates becoming cause for concern.

PMID- 1880852
TI  - Primary popliteal venous aneurysm with recurrent pulmonary emboli.

PMID- 1880854
TI  - Unique 'day hospital' offers bridge between hospitalization, return to
      independent living.

PMID- 1880855
TI  - Music not only has charms to soothe, but also to aid elderly in coping with
      various disabilities.

PMID- 1880856
TI  - Tissue bank expands facilities, efforts.

PMID- 1880857
TI  - Undifferentiated cell transplant techniques appear effective in treating leg
      ulcers, vitiligo.

PMID- 1880858
TI  - Implantable lung-assist device being tested on patients with acute respiratory
      failure.

PMID- 1880859
TI  - Space motion sickness, hearing loss, and bifocals meet their match in vestibular
      system's plasticity.

PMID- 1880860
TI  - Estrogen replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer.

PMID- 1880861
TI  - Estrogen and coronary heart disease in women.

PMID- 1880862
TI  - A meta-analysis of estrogen replacement and breast cancer.

PMID- 1880863
TI  - Braccio da gamba.

PMID- 1880864
TI  - Salty and bitter taste.

PMID- 1880865
TI  - Surgery, AIDS, and hepatitis B.

PMID- 1880866
TI  - Clinical and laboratory features of murine typhus in south Texas, 1980 through
      1987.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: --The clinical and laboratory features of patients with murine typhus
      have not been extensively reviewed since 1946. We have updated these findings in
      patients from south Texas who were examined by modern clinical and laboratory
      methods from 1980 through 1987. DESIGN: --Patients were identified by serological
      methods in this case series, and clinical, epidemiologic, laboratory, and
      therapeutic data were compiled and analyzed. SETTING: --The majority of patients
      (77 of 80) were identified in a primary care community hospital setting; the
      remainder (3 of 80) were ambulatory hospital outpatients. PATIENTS: --From 1980
      through 1987, a total of 345 patients were diagnosed with murine typhus; 90 of
      these patients were seen at four hospitals in south Texas; of these, 80 had
      clinical and laboratory data available for review. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: --The
      frequency of common clinical manifestations (eg, headache, fever, and rash) and
      laboratory findings (eg, leukocyte and platelet counts and serum chemistry
      abnormalities) of patients with infectious diseases was tabulated. Clinical
      severity was semiquantitatively assessed and was correlated with clinical,
      laboratory, and therapeutic results. RESULTS: --Most cases (69%) occurred from
      April through August. Rash occurred in 54%; the triad of fever, headache, and
      rash was observed in only 12.5% of patients when first examined by a physician;
      respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms were also frequent. Multiple organ
      involvement was documented by frequent abnormal laboratory findings of the
      hematologic, respiratory, hepatic, and renal systems. Disease severity was
      related to older patient age, the presence of renal dysfunction, leukocytosis,
      and hypoalbuminemia, and previous therapy with sulfa antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: -
      Infection by Rickettsia typhi causes a systemic illness with clinical and
      laboratory abnormalities not previously recognized or described. Early clinical
      diagnosis and treatment are needed to avoid undue morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1880867
TI  - Resident work hours and working environment in otolaryngology. Analysis of daily
      activity and resident perception.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: --To analyze the working environment and work hours of a cohort of
      otolaryngology--head and neck surgery residents. DESIGN: --Environmental analysis
      questionnaire and a log of daily activities. SETTING: --Residents were on a
      clinical rotation system. PARTICIPANTS: --Fifty-nine residents from six programs,
      including three public and three private institutions, from geographically
      diverse regions of the country were involved in the study. Residents were equally
      distributed from their second year through their fifth year of postgraduate work.
      All eligible residents participated in and completed the study. INTERVENTION: -
      The environmental analysis survey was designed to elicit resident perception of
      different aspects of their working environment. The daily activity log required
      the resident to report on activities for each half-hour period for 7 consecutive
      days. RESULTS: --Residents were on call an average of 52.8 hours (2.2 days) and
      worked 79.4 hours per week. Seventy-five percent believed that the level of
      faculty supervision and the degree of resident responsibility was about right.
      Two major inefficiencies were the time involved in completion of paperwork and
      the lack of nonmedical support services. Thirty-one percent of the residents
      responded that fatigue resulted in substandard patient care 10% of the time.
      Forty-seven percent responded that their educational experience was substandard
      25% of the time secondary to fatigue. Two thirds responded that the demands of
      residency training had a negative impact on their family and personal life.
      CONCLUSIONS: --Seventy percent of the otolaryngology--head and neck surgery
      residents surveyed at six institutions believe that an 80-hour workweek,
      including being on call every third night with no more than 24 hours of
      continuous work without sleep, approximates a reasonable, maximum work schedule.
      Residents working the longest hours expressed concern about rendering substandard
      care and developing negative attitudes toward patients. Noneducational
      inefficiencies were identified and solutions were proposed. Demands of residency
      training, even within guidelines established as reasonable, can have detrimental
      effects on residents' educational activities and personal life.

PMID- 1880868
TI  - Pathophysiology of upper airway closure during sleep.
AB  - While the upper airway normally remains patent during quiet breathing in
      wakefulness and sleep, patients with obstructive sleep apnea have repetitive
      periods of upper airway closure during sleep. The upper airway closures usually
      occur at various sites in the pharynx. The patency of the potentially collapsible
      pharynx during inspiration depends on the balance between subatmospheric pressure
      in the pharyngeal airway and airway dilating forces generated by pharyngeal
      muscles. The pressure required to collapse the upper airway in the absence of
      upper airway muscle activity, ie, closing pressure, is normally subatmospheric.
      In obstructive sleep apnea, positive pressures are required to maintain patency
      of the passive upper airway. The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying upper
      airway closures during sleep form the basis for the treatment of obstructive
      sleep apnea. In general, these treatment modalities attempt to (1) raise the
      pharyngeal pressure above the closing pressure, (2) decrease the closing
      pressure, or (3) increase upper airway muscle activity.

PMID- 1880869
TI  - Standardized patient encounters. A method for teaching and evaluation.
AB  - The primary goal of medical education is to foster development of clinical
      competence in trainees at all levels. Variable clinical experience, inconsistent
      methods of instruction, and ambiguous evaluation criteria undermine this goal.
      Standardized patients, trained to consistently portray a wide variety of clinical
      cases, can help overcome many of these educational problems. This article
      describes the development and application of standardized patients throughout
      medical training at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in the
      freshman interviewing course, the second-year physical diagnosis course, third
      year clerkships, a fourth-year final exercise, and residency training.
      Development of this program is discussed in the context of a broader literature
      in medical education, and investigation of variables affecting standardized
      patient and student performance is reported. Future directions for use of
      standardized patients in monitoring and promoting the development of clinical
      competence are discussed.

PMID- 1880870
TI  - The decedent affairs office.  A unique centralized service.
AB  - The success of a centralized decedent affairs office depends on support by
      clinicians, the department chairman, and hospital administration. The benefits to
      the institution include improved public relations with a decedent's family,
      compliance with state and federal laws, increased organ donations, and better
      risk management programs. The only drawback of establishing such an office is the
      additional personnel necessary for 24-hour coverage. However, modifications in
      the functions and staffing levels of a decedent affairs office may be made,
      depending on the needs of individual institutions. We hypothesized that consent
      for autopsy would be easier to obtain and cause less emotional upheaval for
      family members if procedures were well established and specially trained
      individuals were involved in the process. With these ideas in mind, we
      established a decedent affairs office at The University of Texas Medical Branch
      in 1984.

PMID- 1880871
TI  - The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Origins and beginnings.

PMID- 1880872
TI  - Physicians and medical education.

PMID- 1880873
TI  - UTMB is 100 years old. Looking back and at the road ahead.

PMID- 1880874
TI  - Medicine's arsenal in battling 'dominant dozen,' other AIDS-associated
      opportunistic infections.

PMID- 1880875
TI  - From the Food and Drug Administration.

PMID- 1880876
TI  - From the Centers for Disease Control. Nosocomial transmission of multidrug
      resistant tuberculosis among HIV-infected persons--Florida and New York, 1988
      1991.

PMID- 1880877
TI  - Ocular tuberculosis.

PMID- 1880878
TI  - A piece of my mind. Dr dad.

PMID- 1880879
TI  - Continuous emotional support during labor.

PMID- 1880880
TI  - The costs of doctoring, the distribution of physicians, and caring for the
      underinsured.

PMID- 1880881
TI  - Oral decontamination and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

PMID- 1880882
TI  - Substance use and abuse.

PMID- 1880883
TI  - The neonatal costs of maternal cocaine use.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: --To examine the added neonatal cost and length of hospital stay
      associated with fetal cocaine exposure. DESIGN: --All cocaine-exposed infants in
      the study population (n = 355) were compared with a random sample of unexposed
      infants (n = 199). Regression analysis was used to control for the independent
      effects of maternal age, smoking, alcohol consumption, prenatal care, race,
      gravidity, and sex of the infant. SETTING: --A large, public, inner-city hospital
      studied from 1985 to 1986. PATIENTS: --All infants were routinely tested for
      illicit substances, records were reviewed for maternal histories of substance
      abuse, and all known cocaine-exposed singleton infants were included. MAIN
      OUTCOME MEASURES: --Cost and length of stay until each infant was medically
      cleared for hospital discharge and cost and length of stay until each infant was
      actually discharged from the hospital. RESULTS: --Neonatal hospital costs until
      medically cleared for discharge were $5200 more for cocaine-exposed infants than
      for unexposed infants (a difference of $7957 vs $2757 [P = .003]). The costs of
      infants remaining in the nursery while awaiting home and social evaluation or
      foster care placement increased this difference by more than $3500 (P less than
      .0001). Compared with other forms of cocaine, fetal exposure to crack was
      associated with much larger cost increases ($6735 vs $1226). Exposure to other
      illicit substances in addition to cocaine was also associated with much larger
      cost increases ($8450 vs $1283). CONCLUSIONS: --At the national level, we
      estimate that these individual medical costs add up to about $500 million. The
      large magnitude of these costs indicates that effective treatment programs for
      maternal cocaine abusers could yield savings within their first year of
      operation.

PMID- 1880884
TI  - Evidence for major gene transmission of developmental dyslexia.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: --There is strong evidence that developmental dyslexia is both
      familial and heritable, but the mode of genetic transmission has remained
      unclear. In this article, we examine specific genetic hypotheses about the mode
      of transmission of developmental dyslexia by performing complex segregation
      analyses. DESIGN: --A family study method was applied, whereby the relatives of
      dyslexic probands were examined for dyslexia. The families studied represent four
      independently ascertained samples. SETTING: --The four samples of families were
      primarily from rural and suburban communities of Colorado, Washington State, and
      Iowa. PARTICIPANTS: --A total of 204 families and 1698 individuals in the four
      samples combined. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: --The complex segregation program,
      POINTER, was used to test competing genetic hypotheses of how a categorical trait
      (dyslexia) is transmitted in families. RESULTS: --The results were consistent
      with major locus transmission in three of four samples and with polygenic
      transmission in the fourth. In these three samples, the estimates of penetrance
      for the AA, Aa, and aa genotypes (where A is the abnormal allele) were,
      respectively, 1.000, 1.000, and 0.001 to 0.039 in males, and 0.560 to 1.000,
      0.550 to 0.897, and 0.000 in females. The estimated gene frequency of the major
      locus was between 3% and 5%. CONCLUSIONS: --Sex-influenced, additive, or dominant
      transmission occurs in a significant proportion of dyslexic families. Other
      evidence indicates, however, that dyslexia is etiologically heterogeneous and
      that there is genetic heterogeneity even among families selected for apparent
      dominant transmission. Thus, while no single major locus may account for all of
      dyslexia, it is important to pursue potential major loci for dyslexia using
      linkage techniques.

PMID- 1880885
TI  - Group- vs home-based exercise training in healthy older men and women. A
      community-based clinical trial.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: --To determine the effectiveness of group- vs home-based exercise
      training of higher and lower intensities among healthy, sedentary older adults.
      DESIGN: --Year-long randomized, controlled trial comparing (1) higher-intensity
      group-based exercise training; (2) higher-intensity home-based exercise training;
      (3) lower-intensity home-based exercise training; or (4) assessment-only control.
      SETTING: --General community located in northern California. PARTICIPANTS: --One
      hundred sixty women and 197 men 50 to 65 years of age who were sedentary and free
      of cardiovascular disease. One out of nine persons contacted through a community
      random-digit-dial telephone survey and citywide promotion were randomized.
      INTERVENTIONS: --For higher-intensity exercise training, three 40-minute
      endurance training sessions per week were prescribed at 73% to 88% of peak
      treadmill heart rate. For lower-intensity exercise training, five 30-minute
      endurance training sessions per week were prescribed at 60% to 73% of peak
      treadmill heart rate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: --Treadmill exercise test
      performance, exercise participation rates, and heart disease risk factors.
      RESULTS: --Compared with controls, subjects in all three exercise training
      conditions showed significant improvements in treadmill exercise test performance
      at 6 and 12 months (P less than .03). Lower-intensity exercise training achieved
      changes comparable with those of higher-intensity exercise training. Twelve-month
      exercise adherence rates were better for the two home-based exercise training
      conditions relative to the group-based exercise training condition (P less than
      .0005). There were no significant training-induced changes in lipid levels,
      weight, or blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: --We conclude that (1) this community
      based exercise training program improved fitness but not heart disease risk
      factors among sedentary, healthy older adults; (2) home-based exercise was as
      effective as group exercise in producing these changes; (3) lower-intensity
      exercise training was as effective as higher-intensity exercise training in the
      home setting; and (4) the exercise programs were relatively safe.

PMID- 1880886
TI  - Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid occurring as a sequela of Stevens-Johnson syndrome.
AB  - Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid is a chronic scarring inflammation of the ocular
      mucosae that can lead to blindness. Although cicatricial pemphigoid has been
      classified clinically, histopathologically, and immunopathologically, no definite
      initiating factor or precipitating factor has been identified. In this report, we
      describe five cases of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid that developed following an
      acute episode of severe ocular inflammatory injury secondary to Stevens-Johnson
      syndrome. The time lag between the onset of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and
      cicatricial pemphigoid ranged from a few months to 31 years. All five patients
      had linear immune deposits characteristic of cicatricial pemphigoid along the
      basement membrane zone of mucosal biopsy specimens as detected by either direct
      immunofluorescence microscopy or direct immunoperoxidase staining. In two
      patients whose serum was tested, a Western blot assay taken of keratinocyte
      antigens that had undergone electrophoresis reacted with the serum and identified
      a 120-kd epidermal antigen detected by the IgG class antibodies. All five
      patients were treated with systemic immunosuppressive therapy for cicatricial
      pemphigoid, and we obtained objective responses. Severe ocular mucosal injury
      such as that which occurs in Stevens-Johnson syndrome may be a precipitating
      factor in the development of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

PMID- 1880887
TI  - The measles epidemic. The problems, barriers, and recommendations. The National
      Vaccine Advisory Committee.
AB  - The nation has experienced a marked increase in measles cases during 1989 and
      1990. Almost one half of all cases have occurred in unvaccinated preschool
      children, mostly minorities. The principal cause for the epidemic is failure to
      provide vaccine to vulnerable children on schedule. Major reasons for the low
      vaccine coverage exist within the health care system itself, which creates
      barriers to obtaining immunization and fails to take advantage of many
      opportunities to provide vaccines to children. Ideally, immunizations should be
      given as part of a comprehensive child health care program. However, immunization
      cannot await the development of such an ideal system. Essential changes can and
      should be made now. Specific recommendations include improved availability of
      immunization; improved management of immunization services; improved capacity to
      measure childhood immunization status; implementation of the two-dose measles
      vaccine strategy; and laboratory, epidemiologic, and operational studies to
      further define the determinants of decreased vaccine coverage and to develop new
      combinations of vaccines that can be administered earlier in life. The measles
      epidemic may be a warning flag of problems with our system of primary health
      care.

PMID- 1880888
TI  - Surreptitious self-administration of epinephrine resulting in 'pheochromocytoma'.

PMID- 1880889
TI  - Mandatory treatment for drug use during pregnancy.

PMID- 1880890
TI  - The trials of Medicare physician payment reform.

PMID- 1880891
TI  - Whom can we trust?

PMID- 1880892
TI  - Drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and the neonate. Pay now or pay later.

PMID- 1880893
TI  - From the Office of the General Counsel. Occurrence vs claims-made medical
      professional liability insurance policies. Fundamental differences in the concept
      of coverage.

PMID- 1880894
TI  - Thyroid-stimulating hormone: reference range validity.

PMID- 1880895
TI  - Thyroxine: treatment for headache?

PMID- 1880896
TI  - Hemodynamic mechanism of the elevation in blood pressure following the
      improvement of anemia with recombinant human erythropoietin.
AB  - Following the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) to 18
      patients undergoing hemodialysis, the hematocrit (Ht) increased from 19.7 +/- 1.8
      to 31.0 +/- 2.0%. The incidence of hypertension according to the criteria of WHO
      was 11.1%. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased significantly from 120 +/-
      21 to 129 +/- 26 mmHg (p less than 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)
      increased from 67 +/- 14 to 73 +/- 12 mmHg (p less than 0.05). The cardiac index
      (CI) decreased significantly from 4.07 +/- 1.13 to 3.56 +/- 0.88 L/min/m2 (p less
      than 0.05). Total peripheral resistance index (TPRI) and blood volume (BV)
      increased significantly from 1,725 +/- 406 to 2,170 +/- 643 dynes/sec/cm-5/m2 (p
      less than 0.001) and from 78.9 +/- 11.2 to 87.8 +/- 14.8 ml/kg (p less than
      0.005) respectively. Pulse rate (PR) decreased significantly from 73.0 +/- 10.7
      to 65.9 +/- 7.8 beats/min (p less than 0.01). Patients who developed a blood
      pressure (BP) elevation of 10% or more for the mean blood pressure (MBP) showed a
      slight and insignificant decrease in CI from 3.65 +/- 1.12 to 3.49 +/- 1.06
      L/min/m2, which clearly contrasted to that in another group of patients who
      showed a reduced increase in MBP and a significant reduction in CI from 4.50 +/-
      1.03 to 3.63 +/- 0.72 L/min/m2 (p less than 0.05). Stroke volume index (SVI) was
      unchanged in both groups but PR decrease significantly in the latter group. A
      significant increase in TPRI or BV was observed equally in both groups.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880897
TI  - Increase in left ventricular chamber stiffness in patients with non-insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Indices of left ventricular ejection and diastolic filling were measured by
      cineventriculography in 11 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
      without significant coronary stenosis and 11 control subjects without diabetes
      mellitus. Indices of left ventricular ejection, such as ejection fraction and
      peak ejection rate, were the same in the two groups. The left ventricular end
      diastolic volume index and the rapid filling volume index were significantly
      smaller, the peak filling rate was lower, the left ventricular end-diastolic
      pressure was higher and the modulus of left ventricular chamber stiffness was
      larger in the diabetic patients than in the control subjects. These results
      indicate that left ventricular chamber stiffness is increased in patients with
      non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1880898
TI  - Acute and chronic stability of atrial screw-in leads.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic stability of the
      atrial screw-in lead. In this study, we used CPI model 4165, 4166, and 4266
      porous tip screw-in leads in 32 patients (12 for AAI pacing and 20 for DDD
      pacing). All of these leads were fixed to the free wall of the right atrium and
      used as the unipolar type. Acute voltage and current thresholds, lead impedance,
      P-wave amplitude, and chronic threshold were measured. Early and late
      complications were also investigated. The average acute stimulation thresholds at
      0.6 msec pulse width were 0.82 +/- 0.43 V and 1.1 +/- 0.6 mA. Mean lead impedance
      was 627.2 +/- 83.1 ohms, and mean P wave amplitude was 3.1 +/- 1.1 mV. After an
      average follow-up period of 32 months (range: 2-72 months), we found the results
      of the chronic threshold study to be satisfactory. The thresholds were usually
      below 0.1 msec pulse width with the nominally programmed pacemaker output. Only
      one patient required a higher output due to an increased threshold. With regard
      to complications, neither lead dislodgment nor cardiac perforation was observed.
      In conclusion, acute and chronic thresholds were satisfactory and no serious
      complications occurred. Therefore the atrial screw-in lead has long-term
      reliability and stability.

PMID- 1880899
TI  - Clinical experience in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
AB  - Forty patients (36 men and 4 women) with life-threatening arrhythmia received an
      implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Mean age was 63 years (range, 46 to
      80 years). All patients had structural heart disease, with coronary artery
      disease in 32 patients, idiopathic cardiomyopathy in 7 patients, and hypertensive
      heart disease in 1 patient. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 29 +/-
      13%. The clinical arrhythmia was out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in 14 patients
      (35%), symptomatic sustained ventricular tachycardia in 21 patients (53%), and
      episodes of syncope without documented spontaneous ventricular arrhythmia but
      ventricular tachycardia that was easily provoked at the time of
      electrophysiologic testing in 5 patients (13%). Sustained ventricular tachycardia
      was induced in 37 patients (93%) at basic electrophysiologic testing. The average
      number of drug failures was 2.9 +/- 1.4 per patient. One patient (2.5%) died
      perioperatively because of intractable ventricular tachycardia and ventricular
      fibrillation. During a median follow-up period of 5.5 months (range 2-21 months)
      2 sudden deaths occurred. No patient had a serious complication during the follow
      up period. Ten patients (25%) received antiarrhythmic drugs to suppress
      spontaneous ventricular tachycardia. Appropriate shock treatment was received by
      18 patients (45%), and inappropriate shock treatment was received by 2 patients
      (5%). Several issues regarding use of the ICD must be considered, but the device
      seems to be useful, and it is associated with an acceptable rate of complications
      and good long-term success at the present time.

PMID- 1880900
TI  - Comparative study of five preoperative methods for the localization of accessory
      pathways in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
AB  - One hundred and thirty-four cases of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were studied
      to evaluate the relative usefulness of electrocardiography (ECG),
      electrophysiological studies (EPS), body surface mapping (BSM), gated blood-pool
      phase analysis (nuclear studies), and vectorcardiography (VCG) in the
      localization of the accessory pathway (ACP). In comparison with the final
      localization verified by intraoperative studies, 93.4% in 8-region ACP
      localization (97.7% in 4-region ACP localization) could be correctly localized by
      ECG using our criteria, 83.9% (86.8%) by EPS, 82.6% (95.8%) by BSM, 78.8% (87.7%)
      by nuclear studies, and 67.3% (78.0%) by VCG. It was concluded that: (a) ACP can
      be localized preoperatively with considerable accuracy by using our simple ECG
      criteria. (b) The EPS method has some limitation, especially with respect to 8
      region ACP localization. (c) Our observation showed no evidence that BSM, VCG, or
      nuclear studies were superior to ECG in ACP localization. (d) Among the 5 methods
      studied, ECG and EPS appear to be the appropriate procedures for preoperative ACP
      identification.

PMID- 1880901
TI  - Unruptured aneurysm of the right coronary cusp.
AB  - A 44-year-old man with an unruptured aneurysm originating from the right coronary
      cusp is reported. The patient was asymptomatic and a heart murmur and abnormal
      electrocardiogram were discovered incidentally. Echocardiography and aortography
      showed an unruptured aneurysm of the right coronary cusp. Surgical correction was
      successful using a Dacron patch and aneurysmal wall.

PMID- 1880902
TI  - Progressive restrictive cardiomyopathy--a case report.
AB  - We present a case of restrictive cardiomyopathy which progressed over a 10 month
      period. A 69-year-old female was admitted because of acute inferior myocardial
      infarction; hemodynamically, she was in Forrester subset I. Cardiac
      catheterization performed 4 weeks post-infarction showed markedly increased left
      ventricular end-diastolic and pulmonary wedge pressures. Left ventricular
      ejection fraction was 66% with postero-basal akinesis and minimal mitral
      regurgitation. The right coronary artery was completely occluded with good
      collateral circulation from the intact left coronary artery. Doppler
      echocardiography 4 weeks post-infarction showed pseudo-normalization of the A/E
      ratio of peak mitral flow velocity in atrial systole (A) to peak mitral flow
      velocity in early diastole (E). Preload reduction by nitroglycerin increased the
      A wave. Ten months post-infarction, the patient was re-admitted due to congestive
      heart failure. The A/E ratio was unchanged, however the A wave no longer
      increased after the same dose of nitroglycerin. We have hypothesized that
      dehydration and/or the vigorous use of a nitrate, in the acute phase of
      myocardial infarction, masked an underlying restrictive cardiomyopathy which
      progressed in the 10 months post-infarction.

PMID- 1880903
TI  - Remnant valve of inferior vena cava dislodged by Swan-Ganz catheter.
AB  - We experienced a rare case of a patient with acute myocardial infarction. It was
      rare in that a piece of tissue, probably a remnant valve of the inferior vena
      cava in the right atrium, was dislodged by the Swan-Ganz catheter during a right
      heart catheterization study in the chronic phase of the disease. As far as we
      know, no other such case has been reported. Such remnants are considered to be
      present in 2 to 3% of the general population. Therefore, it is necessary to
      determine the presence or absence of a remnant before cardiac catheterization and
      to modify the procedure, such as by changing the catheter's approach, when a
      remnant is present.

PMID- 1880904
TI  - Transcoronary chemical ablation of atrioventricular node for the treatment of
      paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia--a case report.
AB  - We applied transcoronary chemical ablation of the atrioventricular (AV) node to a
      patient with uncontrollable paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT).
      Through an angioplasty dilatation catheter. 99% ethanol at a dose of 1.0 ml was
      selectively infused into the AV nodal artery. Complete AV block with junctional
      escape rhythm occurred. Two weeks later, the treadmill exercise test was
      performed according to a modified Bruce protocol. The patient tolerated for 12
      min, and the heart rate increased to 85 beats/min. His bundle electrocardiogram
      showed that the AV block resulted from atrio-Hisian block. Neither atrial nor
      ventricular extrastimulus could induce the tachycardia. It appeared that chemical
      ablation was a good method for controlling medically resistant PSVT. Elevation of
      serum creatine kinase was observed when ethanol overflowed during the ablation
      procedure. Occlusion of branches of the AV artery and mild hypokinesis in the
      inferobasal wall of the left ventricle were seen.

PMID- 1880905
TI  - Ischemic myocardial mitochondrial function and ultrastructural change--influence
      of regional myocardial blood flow.
AB  - Myocardial blood flow (MBF), tissue ATP content, mitochondrial respiratory
      function and mitochondrial ultrastructure were examined in 62 adult mongrel dogs
      weighing 6-14 kg in which acute myocardial ischemia had been produced under
      anesthesia. The left anterior descending coronary artery was dissected free for
      ligation before the first diagonal branch. MBF was measured before coronary
      ligation and 60 min following ligation. Then, samples of myocardium were taken
      and subjected to tissue ATP content assay, mitochondrial respiratory function
      measurement respiratory control index (RCI) and rate of oxygen consumption in
      state III (QO2III); and electron microscopic examination. Mitochondrial
      morphologic injury was evaluated quantitatively according to Schaper's criteria.
      MBF was significantly correlated with tissue ATP content, mitochondrial
      respiratory function and mitochondrial ultrastructural change. When MBF was less
      than 20 ml/min/100g, tissue ATP content (1.86 +/- 1.21 mumol/g wet weight) and
      mitochondrial respiratory function (RCI 2.51 +/- 0.59) were significantly lower
      than in the non-ischemic area (ATP 4.52 +/- 1.11, RCI 3.82 +/- 0.37), and
      mitochondrial ultrastructural injury had deteriorated significantly at an MBF
      below 40 ml/min/100 g. In conclusion, our findings show that when MBF is reduced,
      mitochondrial ultrastructural changes precede the depression in mitochondrial
      oxidative phosphorylation.

PMID- 1880906
TI  - The influence of left ventricular relaxation in determination of the intensity of
      the aortic component of the second heart sound.
AB  - In a study of the aortic component of the second heart sound (A2) intensity,
      using 10 dogs, miniature cardiac accelerometers were attached to the exposed left
      ventricle (LV) at the apex, and to the surface of proximal aorta, to obtain LV
      and aortic surface acceleration. Manometer tipped catheters were used to detect
      aortic systolic pressure and diastolic pressure and time constant of left
      ventricular pressure fall "T". Drugs (Nitroprusside, Dobutamine and Methoxamine)
      altered aortic pressure, LV contraction and LV relaxation. When T was +/- 35% of
      control, the aortic systolic pressure and diastolic pressure were good predictors
      of A2 intensity. When LV relaxation was impaired, increasing T greater than 135%
      of control, the A2 intensity for any given aortic pressure was reduced. When
      relaxation was hyperactive, decreasing T less than 65% of control, A2 intensity
      was increased. Aortic pressure/T which assessed both aortic pressure and
      relaxation ability, is a better determinant of A2 intensity than aortic systolic
      pressure or aortic diastolic pressure alone.

PMID- 1880907
TI  - [Cefodizime].

PMID- 1880908
TI  - Photochemical production of anthracycline antibiotic oxaunomycin from precursor
      metabolite D788-1.

PMID- 1880909
TI  - Anthracycline antibiotic 2-hydroxyaclacinomycins. I. 2-Hydroxyaclacinomycin
      producing recombinant obtained from aclacinomycin-blocked mutants of Streptomyces
      galilaeus by a technique of protoplast fusion.
AB  - The technique of protoplast fusion which optimized prototrophic recombination in
      aclacinomycin-producing Streptomyces galilaeus was studied and applied to the
      construction of new anthracycline analog-producing recombinant upon genetic cross
      of two specific mutants blocked in aclacinomycin biosynthesis. Thus, 2
      hydroxyaclacinomycin-producing recombinant was obtained by the protoplast fusion.

PMID- 1880910
TI  - Anthracycline antibiotic 2-hydroxyaclacinomycins. II. Production of 2
      hydroxyaclacinomycins A and B by a new recombinant strain and their antitumor
      activities.
AB  - Anthracycline antibiotics 2-hydroxyaclacinomycins A and B were isolated and
      purified from the culture broth of a recombinant strain which was produced by
      protoplast fusion of two aclacinomycin-blocked mutants. 2-Hydroxyaclacinomycin B
      is a new compound for which chemical structure and the biological activity in
      vitro were determined. 2-Hydroxyaclacinomycins had a stronger antitumor activity
      against murine leukemic L1210 cells in mice than the parent antibiotic
      aclacinomycins.

PMID- 1880911
TI  - [An evaluation of combination antibiotic therapy in infections with hematological
      disorders. Hyogo Cooperative Study Group of Infectious Diseases Complicating
      Hematological Disorders].
AB  - A clinical study was undertaken to determine the effects of combination
      antibiotic therapy in 104 patients with infections associated with hematological
      disorders. All patients were treated with sulbactam/cefoperazone (SBT/CPZ) plus
      an aminoglycoside as an empiric therapy for fever. The overall efficacy rate of
      the therapy was 63.5%. Efficacy rates were 61.2% and 71.9% when initial
      neutrophil counts were less than 500/mm3 and over 500/mm3, respectively. No
      significant difference was found between the cases in which initially used
      antibiotics were continued (efficacy rate 62.5%) and those in which antibiotics
      were switched during the course of therapy (65.6%). Antibiotic therapy with
      SBT/CPZ plus an aminoglycoside provides adequate antibiotic coverage against
      infections associated with hematological disorders. This combination was highly
      effective even in the neutropenic periods of febrile patients.

PMID- 1880912
TI  - [Clinical features and evaluation of initial antibiotic treatment in 125 cases
      with purulent meningitis in infancy and childhood].
AB  - A survey of purulent meningitis in infancy and childhood from 1980 through 1986
      was made by sending questionnaires to 32 pediatric institutions in Aichi, Gifu
      and Shizuoka prefectures. Case cards of 125 patients were collected and analyzed.
      The results are summarized as follows: 1. The sex ratio (male/female) was 1.78.
      The age distribution for all patients was as follows: younger than 1 month,
      24.8%; 1-12 months, 32.8%; 1 year, 19.2%; 2-5 years, 16.0%; older than 6 years,
      7.2%. Nearly 3/4 of all purulent meningitis cases occurred in infancy. 2. The
      isolation rate of causative organisms was 71.2%. The 4 major causative organisms
      were Haemophilus sp. (28 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae (14 cases),
      Streptococcus agalactiae (13 cases), and Escherichia coli (12 cases). Haemophilus
      sp. was dominant in patients over 3 months of age, and S. pneumoniae was noted in
      all age groups. The latter 2 were dominant under 3 months of age. 3. The outcome
      of 125 cases was as follows: cured, 73 cases (58.4%); improved, 26 cases (20.8%);
      dead, 15 cases (12.0%); unknown, 11 cases (8.8%). As to the outcome by age, the
      mortality of infants within 1 month old was the highest, 29.0%, and then
      decreased with increasing age. As to the outcome by causative organisms,
      Haemophilus sp. and E. coli were associated with good outcome, whereas S.
      pneumoniae and S. agalactiae with poor outcome. 4. Among several antibiotics,
      ampicillin was the most frequently used in 94 cases, followed by cefotaxime in 50
      cases. 5. As to the initial antibiotic treatment, 51 cases were treated with
      penicillins (PCs) (including PCs + aminoglycosides (AGs], 9 cases with
      cephalosporins group I, II, IV, (CEPs I, II, IV) (including CEPs I, II, IV +
      AGs), 25 cases with CEPs V (including CEPs V + AGs) and 31 cases with CEPs V +
      PCs (including CEPs V + PCs + AGs). No significant differences were observed in
      the outcome among these initial treatment group. 6. Compared with the initial
      treatments of CEPs V or CEPs V + PCs groups, other antibiotics were used more
      frequently in those of PCs + AGs and CEPs I, II, IV groups. In the light of this
      analysis, the initial treatments of purulent meningitis with PCs + AGs or CEPs I,
      II, IV were not so effective as those with CEPs V or CEPs V + PCs.

PMID- 1880913
TI  - [Treatment of severe infections in hematologic malignancies with piperacillin
      sodium].
AB  - Combination antibiotic therapies using piperacillin (PIPC) were evaluated in 60
      episodes of severe infections in 38 neutropenic patients with hematologic
      malignancies. 1. The overall efficacy rate was 46.7%. Efficacy rates were 30% in
      patients with pneumonia, 60% in patients with sepsis and 50% in patients with
      suspected sepsis in which causative organisms were not identified. 2. Eradication
      rates were 44.4% for Gram-negative bacilli, 50% for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and
      22.2% for Gram-positive cocci. 3. Efficacy rates were 33.3% in patients with
      initial count of neutrophil less than 100/microliters, 60% in patients with those
      100 to 500/microliters and 66.7% in patients with those higher than
      500/microliters. Initial neutrophil counts correlated well with efficacies of
      PIPC on severe infection in patients with hematologic malignancies. 4. Mild
      increases of transaminase were observed in 2 cases. From these results it is
      concluded that PIPC is one of the most important antibiotics in the treatment of
      severe infections in neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies.

PMID- 1880914
TI  - [Clinical effect of miconazole gel against upper digestive tract mycosis].
AB  - A total of 43 patients, comprising 41 patients with oral candidiasis and 2 with
      esophageal candidiasis, were treated with miconazole (MCZ) gel to assess its
      efficacy and safety in treating upper digestive tract mycosis. The efficacy of
      the drug was evaluable in 33 of them, consisting of 32 patients with oral
      candidiasis and 1 with esophageal candidiasis. The clinical efficacy rate of the
      drug against oral candidiasis was 87.5% (28/32 patients), and the clinical
      response was good in the 1 evaluable patient with esophageal candidiasis. The
      safety of the drug was assessed in 40 patients. In 3 (7.5%) of them, nausea
      occurred as an adverse event, but was not particularly serious in any of them. No
      abnormal laboratory test values caused by the drug were observed. The results
      suggested that MCZ gel would be a very useful drug in treating oral and
      esophageal candidiasis.

PMID- 1880915
TI  - [Clinical effect of the combined use of aztreonam, amikacin and clindamycin in
      infectious disease in obstetrics and gynecology].
AB  - Clinical effects of combined use of aztreonam (AZT), amikacin (AMK) and
      clindamycin (CLDM) in 46 cases with infectious diseases in obstetrics and
      gynecology were retrospectively studied in 2 groups, and the following results
      were obtained. 1. No significant difference in efficacy rates was noted between
      AZT plus CLDM treated group (n = 25) and AMK plus CLDM treated group (n = 21)
      (96.0% vs. 95.2%), while rate of excellent efficacy was slightly higher in AZT
      plus CLDM group than AMK plus CLDM group (24.0% vs. 14.3%). 2. No significant
      difference in bacteriological clinical effects was also noted between the 2
      groups, while bacteriological eradication rate was higher in the AZT plus CLDM
      group than in the other group (76.2% vs. 50.0%), and the difference was
      particularly clear in the eradication rates of aerobic, Gram-negative bacteria
      (88.9% vs. 30.0%). 3. Subjective and objective side effects, and abnormalities of
      clinical test results were not found in either group.

PMID- 1880916
TI  - [A study of the absorption and excretion of fosfomycin sodium in children].
AB  - Fosfomycin sodium (FOM-Na, Forocyle-S) was administered at 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg
      to 15 children between the ages of 3 and 15 through intravenous injection or
      through 1 hour intravenous drip infusion, and concentrations in blood serum and
      excretion through urine were examined and a pharmacokinetic analysis was carried
      out using the one-compartment model. 1. Average concentrations in the blood serum
      after injections with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg were 55.3 +/- 6.3 micrograms/ml and
      118.8 +/- 31.1 micrograms/kg 30 minutes after injection, respectively, and their
      half-lives were 1.04 +/- 0.15 hours and 0.98 +/- 0.17 hours, respectively. Six
      hours after injection, the levels were 2.7 +/- 1.6 micrograms/kg and 6.2 +/- 5.5
      micrograms/kg, respectively. With 1 hour intravenous drip infusion of 25 mg/kg
      and 50 mg/kg, average concentrations the blood serum were 34.2 +/- 14.9
      micrograms/ml and 89.7 +/- 6.7 micrograms/ml, respectively, and their half-lives
      were 0.87 +/- 0.24 hour and 0.69 +/- 0.10 hour, respectively. Six hours after the
      administration, the levels were 2.7 +/- 1.8 micrograms/ml and 6.7 +/- 0.8
      micrograms/ml. There was a clear dose response in the concentration levels in the
      blood in those given the drug at 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg in either method of
      administration. 2. Average levels in urine after injection of 25 mg/kg and 50
      mg/kg were 5,778 +/- 2,257 micrograms/ml and 6,268 +/- 3,329 micrograms/ml 0-2
      hours after administration, respectively, and average levels at 4-6 hours were
      701 +/- 765 micrograms/ml and 1,588 +/- 1,324 micrograms/ml, respectively.
      Average excretion, rates into the urine were 72.8 +/- 11.0 and 73.9 +/- 11.1%,
      respectively. In case of 1 hour drips infusion of 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, average
      concentrations in the urine 0-2 hours after administration were 3,570 +/- 1,540
      micrograms/ml and 11,800 micrograms/ml, respectively, and averages for 4-6 hours
      were 211 +/- 124 micrograms/ml and 1,300 micrograms/ml. Average rates of
      excretion into the urine for the first group was 57.9 +/- 16.3% and the second
      group was 78.4%. Clear dose response was observed in changes of drug
      concentration levels in the urine with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg doses through either
      administration method, and in terms of excretion into the urine, no noticeable
      differences were observed between the different amounts administered or different
      administration methods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1880917
TI  - [Susceptibility to miconazole (base) of isolates from the oral cavity and
      esophagus of patients with mycosis].
AB  - An antifungal agent of the imidazole class, miconazole (MCZ) (base), was
      investigated for its in vitro antifungal activities against isolates from the
      oral cavity and esophagus of patients with mycosis, and the following findings
      were obtained: 1. Those yeast-like fungi which were presumed to be the causative
      agents were isolated from the oral cavity and esophagus of patients with mycosis,
      and identified. Candida albicans was the most frequently occurring species,
      accounting for 71.4% of all the isolates. Less frequently, several other Candida
      species, such as Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Candida lusitaniae and
      Candida lipolytica were also isolated mostly from patients with polymicrobial
      infections. 2. The MICs of MCZ against the isolates of Candida species which were
      obtained from materials from patients with oral and esophageal candidiasis as the
      presumable causative agent distributed through such a wide range as less than or
      equal to 0.04 to 20 micrograms/ml, and susceptibilities of these isolates to MCZ
      proved to be no less than those to amphotericin B, which was used as the control
      drug. The results suggest that an appropriate preparation of MCZ (base) will be
      effective in treating mycosis of the oral cavity and esophagus.

PMID- 1880918
TI  - [New antimicrobial agent series XXXVII: potassium clavulanate/Ticarcillin
      sodium].

PMID- 1880919
TI  - [Bacteriological and clinical studies of cefodizime in pediatrics].
AB  - Bacteriological and clinical studies on cefodizime (CDZM, THR-221), a new cephem
      developed by Hoechst AG and Roussel Uclaf, were carried out and the results are
      summarized below: 1. Against Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus,
      Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae, antibacterial activities of
      CDZM were similar to those of cefotaxime (CTX), cefazolin, cefotiam and
      piperacillin. Against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia sp.,
      antibacterial activities of CDZM were similar to that of CTX, and superior to
      those of other tested antibiotics. Especially against Haemophilus influenzae and
      Branhamella catarrhalis, it showed an excellent antibacterial activity. 2.
      Although the clinical efficacy was poor in 1 patient with sepsis caused by
      Salmonella marcescens and in another with cervical lymphadenitis, in 5 patients
      with upper respiratory tract infection, 4 patients with bronchitis, 6 patients
      with bronchopneumonia, 18 patients with pneumonia, 5 patients with urinary tract
      infection and 1 patient with enteritis, the clinical efficacy was excellent or
      good and the efficacy rate was 95.1% (39/41) including excellent efficacies in 25
      cases. 3. Bacteriologically, all identified causative bacteria were eradicated
      except for 1 case of Salmonella sp., thus the eradication rate was 97.4% (38/39).
      Especially S. pneumoniae in 10 cases, H. influenzae in 12 cases and B.
      catarrhalis in 3 cases were eradicated totally. 4. Adverse reactions were studied
      in 46 cases, and digestive symptoms were observed in 9 cases (diarrhea 5 cases,
      loose stools 4 cases). Eruption and vascular pain were observed in 1 case each.
      As digestive symptoms in 9 cases were mild, the treatment were not suspended. In
      laboratory test values, elevation of GOT, elevation of GPT, elevation of
      bilirubin, and eosinophilia were observed in 1 case each. Influences on blood
      coagulation parameters were studied. No change was observed between the beginning
      and the end of the treatment. From above results, we have concluded that CDZM is
      a useful and safe antibiotic in pediatrics, administered at a daily dose of 20
      mg/kg divided into 3 or 4 doses and administered intravenously.

PMID- 1880920
TI  - [Influence of cefodizime on intestinal bacterial flora].
AB  - Effects of cefodizime (CDZM), a new injectable cephem antibiotic, on the
      intestinal bacterial flora were studied in tetra-contaminated mice and in
      pediatric patients. CDZM was intramuscularly administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg
      once a day for 5 consecutive days to mice contaminated with 4 different species
      of organisms: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides fragilis and
      Bifidobacterium breve. For 3 species except E. faecalis, bacterial populations in
      feces were markedly reduced after the start of the treatment. Subjects in the
      pediatric study were 5 children with bacterial infections (4 boys and 1 girl) at
      ages from 7 months to 9 years 6 months and with their body weights ranging from
      7.6 kg to 51.1 kg. CDZM was intravenously administered at a dose of 9.7 mg/kg to
      23.0 mg/kg 4 times a day for 5 to 15 days. Although some variations in the fecal
      bacterial flora were noticed among these subjects during the treatment,
      populations of main aerobes and anaerobes such as Enterobacteriaceae,
      Enterococcus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Eubacterium decreased markedly in
      most cases. Glucose non-fermenting Gram-negative rods and fungi tended to
      increase during or after the administration of CDZM, and they were the most
      predominant species in some cases. Although these changes tended to return to
      predosing states after the cessation of the treatment with CDZM, attention must
      be paid to possible occurrences of diarrhea, superinfection or bleeding tendency
      when treatment with the drug is continued for long periods of time. Fecal
      concentrations of CDZM considered to be closely related to the changes of the
      intestinal bacterial flora showed pretty high values in all cases.

PMID- 1880921
TI  - [Pharmacokinetic and clinical evaluation of cefpirome in the pediatric field].
AB  - Pharmacokinetic and clinical evaluations of cefpirome (CPR), a newly developed
      cephalosporin, were performed in the field of pediatrics. The results are
      summarized as follows. 1. Peak serum concentrations of CPR after a dose of 20
      mg/kg via 30 minutes and that via 60 minutes intravenous drip infusion and a dose
      of 40 mg/kg via 60 minutes intravenous drip infusion were 80.8, 63.7 and 128.8
      micrograms/ml, respectively, with half-lives being 1.41, 1.28 and 1.79 hours,
      respectively. Urinary excretion rates for CPR in the first 6 hours after
      administration ranged 66.7-77.1%. 2. The clinical efficacy rate in pediatric
      infections obtained at daily dose levels ranging 55.6-166.7 mg/kg was 95.7%. 3.
      The eradication rate for 22 strains identified in the study was 95.5%. 4. Side
      effects were found in 2 cases of diarrhea. The abnormal laboratory test results
      were observed in 5 cases with 7 test items (increased number of platelets; 2
      cases, increased activity of GOT; 2 cases and increased activity of GPT; 1 case).
      According to these results, CPR was considered to be a useful antimicrobial agent
      in pediatric infections.

PMID- 1880922
TI  - [Bacteriological, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies of cefpirome in the field
      of pediatrics].
AB  - Bacteriological, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies on cefpirome (CPR, HR 810),
      a new cephem antibiotic, were carried out in the field of pediatrics. The results
      obtained are summarized below. 1. Antibacterial activities of CPR against
      clinically isolated strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae,
      Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella
      pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae were superior
      to those of ceftazidime. 2. Plasma concentrations and urinary excretion rates
      after intravenous bolus injection of CPR at doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg for 5
      minutes in 2 cases each were determined. Mean peak plasma concentrations of CPR
      at these dose levels were 33.9, 62.9 and 96.0 micrograms/ml at 15 minutes with
      plasma half-lives of 1.58, 1.69, and 2.13 hours, respectively. Mean cumulative
      urinary excretion rates in the first 8 hours after administration were 51.2, 78.0
      and 74.9%, respectively. 3. Ten patients with bacterial infections (pneumonia 5
      cases, urinary tract infection 5 cases) were treated with CPR at a daily dose of
      16-79 mg/kg/day. The overall clinical efficacy and bacteriological eradication
      rates were both 100%. 4. No adverse reactions were observed except in 1 case of
      mild pain in blood vessels. Abnormal laboratory test results were also mild,
      slight elevation of GOT, GPT and thrombocytosis in 1 case and eosinophilia in 1
      case.

PMID- 1880923
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of cefpirome in children].
AB  - Cefpirome (CPR, HR 810) was clinically evaluated for its efficacy and safety in
      11 patients with ages from 4 months to 11 years with bacterial infection. The
      results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. CPR was administered to 6 patients
      with bronchopneumonia, a patient with pneumonia, a patient with tonsillitis, 2
      patients with acute pharyngitis and a patient with suppurative parotitis at daily
      dosage levels ranging 55.5-91.7 mg/kg, divided into 3 using intravenous bolus
      injection or 30 minutes drip infusion. Clinical responses of the 11 patients were
      as follows: excellent; 8 patients, good; 2 patients, poor; 1 patient, hence the
      efficacy rate was 90.9%. 2. Neither clinical adverse reaction nor abnormal
      laboratory test value was observed except slight elevation of GOT and GPT in a
      patient and leukopenia in another. 3. MICs of CPR against 18 beta-lactamase
      producing strains isolated from patients were as follows. MIC against a strain of
      Staphylococcus aureus was 1.56 micrograms/ml, MICs against 3 strains of
      Klebsiella pneumoniae were less than 0.025 microgram/ml, those against 3 out of 5
      strains of Enterobacter cloacae were less than 0.025 microgram/ml and those
      against the remaining 2 strains were 0.05 and 0.20 micrograms/ml. MICs against 2
      out of 3 strains Acinetobacter lwoffi were 1.56 micrograms/ml, and that of the
      remaining 1 strain was 0.39 microgram/ml. MICs against 2 strains of Pseudomonas
      cepacia were 1.56 micrograms/ml. MICs against a strain of Pseudomonas putida and
      a strain of Citrobacter diversus were 0.78 and less than 0.025 microgram/ml,
      respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880924
TI  - [Laboratory and clinical studies of cefpirome in pediatric field].
AB  - We have carried out laboratory and clinical studies on cefpirome (CPR, HR 810).
      The results are summarized as follows. CPR was given by 30-minute drip infusion
      to 3 children at a single dose of 20 mg/kg. After the 30-minute drip infusion,
      the mean peak serum level of CPR was 65.7 +/- 2.2 micrograms/ml at the end of
      infusion, and the mean half-life was 1.49 +/- 0.046 hours. The mean urinary
      excretion rate of CPR was 57.0 +/- 25.8% in the first 8 hours after the 30-minute
      drip infusion of 20 mg/kg. Treatment with CPR was made in 9 cases of pediatric
      bacterial infections; 1 case each of tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and
      bronchopneumonia, 4 cases of pneumonia, 2 cases of urinary tract infection.
      Results obtained were excellent in 6 cases, good in 3 cases. No significant side
      effects due to the drug were observed except one case of elevated GOT and GPT,
      and 3 cases of eosinophilia.

PMID- 1880925
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of cefpirome in pediatric field].
AB  - Cefpirome (CPR), a new synthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, was administered to 10
      patients with infectious diseases. The patients included 5 boys and 5 girls from
      1 month to 5 years of age. They were given the drug intravenously at dosages
      ranging 53-100 mg/kg/day for 4 to 10 days. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in 9
      patients: excellent in 2 patients, good in 6 patients and fair in 1 patient. The
      overall efficacy rate was 88.9%. No adverse effects were observed except in one
      patient who showed a slight increase of serum GOT and GPT.

PMID- 1880926
TI  - [Clinical studies on cefpirome in pediatrics].
AB  - Cefpirome (CPR, HR 810) was given intravenously to 10 children with acute
      bacterial infections including 8 with acute pneumonia, 1 each with acute
      pleuritis and urinary tract infections. Good to excellent clinical responses were
      obtained in all of the 10 patients and bacterial eradication were obtained for
      all 8 strains found in these cases. Slight elevation of GOT, GPT and eosinophilia
      were observed in 1 case each. From the above clinical results, it appears that
      CPR is a useful antibiotic for treatment of pediatric patients with various
      bacterial infections.

PMID- 1880927
TI  - [Clinical evaluation of cefpirome in pediatrics and a study on the penetration
      into cerebrospinal fluid].
AB  - Cefpirome (CPR, HR 810), a new cephem antibiotic, was investigated for its
      penetration into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and its clinical efficacy against
      bacterial infections. 1. CSF concentrations of CPR following intravenous
      injection was investigated in 2 patients with purulent meningitis. In one of
      them, the concentrations were 2.11 micrograms/ml and 1.31 micrograms/ml on 3 and
      8 days, respectively, after start of administration. In the other patient, they
      were 24.2 micrograms/ml, and 1.35 micrograms/ml on 2 days and 7 days after
      administration, respectively. 2. Antibacterial activities of CPR against clinical
      isolates, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus and
      Streptococcus pneumoniae, except those against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were
      clearly superior to those of ceftazidime. 3. Clinical efficacies evaluated in 15
      patients were "excellent" in 9, "good" in 5 and "unknown" in 1. The overall
      efficacy rate was 93.0%. 4. Clinical efficacies were "excellent" in 1 patient
      with bacteremia, "excellent" in 6 and "good" in one of 7 patients with pneumonia,
      and "good" in both of the 2 patients with purulent meningitis. Clinical
      efficacies against other diseases were "excellent" or "good", in 1 patient with
      pyothorax, 1 patient with purulent lymphadenitis, and 2 patients with facial
      cellulitis. In 1 patient with biliary tract infection, the results of treatment
      with CPR were "unknown" due to insufficient clinical data. 5. No adverse
      reactions were observed except in 1 patient who showed an increase in platelet
      count.

PMID- 1880928
TI  - [New antimicrobial agent series XXXVIII: Cefotiam hexetil].

PMID- 1880929
TI  - [New antimicrobial agent series XXXIX: Roxithromycin].

PMID- 1880930
TI  - [Clinical studies on ciprofloxacin in chronic respiratory tract infection].
AB  - Ciprofloxacin (CPFX), a new pyridone carboxylic acid, was administered orally to
      the patients with chronic respiratory tract infection and its clinical efficacy
      and safety were studied in a multicenter open trial. The results and summarized
      as follows. 1. The efficacy rate for the patients with acute exacerbation as
      52.5% (21/40) in 2 week-treatment, and 75.0% (24/32) in 4 week-treatment. 2. The
      efficacy rate for the patients with chronic phase was 23.1% (6/26) in 2 week
      treatment, and 26.9% (7/26) in 4 week-treatment, but acute exacerbation was not
      observed in any of the patients. 3. CPFX was administered to 6 patients over 60
      days for the prophylaxis of acute exacerbation. Only 2 patients had acute
      exacerbation in 2 and 3 months after the start of the therapy, respectively. 4.
      Bacteriological eradication rate was high except P. aeruginosa, for which the
      eradication rate was about 20%. 5. Side effects were observed in 3 patients, and
      abnormal findings of laboratory tests were observed in 5 patients, though they
      were not severe. These results show that CPFX is a useful antimicrobial agent for
      the treatment of chronic respiratory tract infections.

PMID- 1880931
TI  - [Laboratory and clinical studies on imipenem/cilastatin sodium plus amikacin
      sulfate in patients with severe infections complicating hematological disorders].
AB  - Imipenem/cilastatin sodium (IPM/CS) and amikacin sulfate (AMK) were administered
      to 111 patients with severe infections complicating hematological disorders. Of
      the 111 patients, 93 were included in the present analysis of efficacy and 108 in
      that of safety. Twenty patients were evaluated as excellent, 37 as good, 8 as
      fair, and 28 as poor, with an overall rate of effectiveness of 61.3% (57/93). The
      synergistic interaction of IPM and AMK against clinical isolates (6 strains) was
      assessed in vitro using the checker board technique. Synergistic and additive
      effects were observed in 66.7% and 33.3% of the samples, respectively. Side
      effects were observed in 9 patients and abnormal laboratory test results in 2.
      These disappeared or returned to normal values after completion of therapy or
      discontinuation of IPM/CS and AMK. From the above findings, IPM/CS with AMK is
      considered to be a useful antibiotic combination for the treatment of severe
      infections complicating hematological disorders.

PMID- 1880932
TI  - [Combined antibacterial activity of aztreonam and clindamycin against clinically
      isolated strains].
AB  - It has been reported in some studies that the combination of aztreonam (AZT) and
      clindamycin (CLDM) have high clinical effectiveness in the treatment of
      intractable infections. We, therefore, studied combined in vitro antibacterial
      activity of these 2 compounds using many freshly isolated strains. 1. AZT and
      CLDM in combination had synergistic effects on Staphylococcus aureus,
      Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae,
      which are sensitive or quasi-sensitive to CLDM, in the presence of CLDM at MIC or
      sub-MIC. 2. For Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii,
      Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are
      not sensitive to CLDM, the 2 drugs in combination showed synergistic effects on
      some species and additive or slightly additive effects on most species in the
      presence of CLDM at those concentrations which are usually maintained in blood.
      3. The 2 drugs showed no antagonism.

PMID- 1880933
TI  - [Clinical study on cefteram pivoxil in asymptomatic bacteriospermia].
AB  - In order to understand the clinical efficacy of cefteram pivoxil (CFTM) in the
      treatment of asymptomatic bacteriospermia, the following studies were performed.
      1. Concentrations of CFTM in the semen after oral administration of 200 mg to
      normal healthy adults (n = 5) reached a maximum level of 0.66 +/- 0.04
      microgram/ml in 5 hours after the administration, then decreased rapidly, and
      averaged 0.15 +/- 0.03 micrograms at 7 hours after administration. 2. Activities
      of CFTM, cefaclor (CCL) and lomefloxacin (LFLX) against bacteria which were
      detected in semen (n = 65) (11 aerobic bacterial strains and 48 anaerobic
      bacterial strains) were retrospectively studied. The study of activities of these
      3 agents against anaerobic bacteria showed that CFTM tended to be more active
      than CCL, LFLX, and similar tendency was noted in LFLX more than CCL against
      Peptostreptococcus sp. When penetration of antibiotic agents into semen is
      considered, however, some anaerobic bacteria as well as some aerobic bacteria may
      not be eradicated or inhibited, hence farther studies are needed to facilitate
      the selection of proper methods of administration as well as that of effective
      antibiotics.

PMID- 1880934
TI  - [Laboratory and clinical studies on cefpirome in pediatrics].
AB  - Laboratory and clinical studies on cefpirome (CPR, HR 810), a newly developed
      cephem antibiotic, were performed. The results obtained are summarized as
      follows: 1. Absorption and elimination of the drug were examined in a total of 7
      children including 3 cases of administered with 20 mg/kg intravenous bolus
      injection (i.v.), 2 cases with 20 mg/kg drip infusion (d.i.v.) for 60 minutes and
      2 cases with 40 mg/kg (d.i.v.) for 60 minutes. Maximum serum levels were attained
      immediately after i.v. or d.i.v. Cmax's were 233 +/- 7.6, 88.5 +/- 14.5, and 116
      +/- 15 micrograms/ml, respectively for the above 3 modes of administration. These
      values were determined using a bioassay method with Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633.
      T 1/2 (beta)'s were 1.18 +/- 0.17, 1.61 +/- 0.28 and 2.68 +/- 0.83 hours,
      respectively. Cumulative urinary recovery rates were 40.2-69.8% in a period of 0
      6 hours after admissions. 2. Clinical efficacies were evaluated in a total of 20
      patients with ages ranging from 9 months to 11 years. The treated cases were 6
      cases of acute pneumonia, 4 cases of acute bronchitis, 4 cases of acute purulent
      tonsillitis, 2 cases of acute urinary tract infections, 2 cases of cellulitis, 1
      case of purulent lympadenitis and 1 case of acute otitis media. The clinical
      efficacy rate was 94.7%. Adverse reactions occurred in no patients. Abnormal
      changes in laboratory test values involved only 1 case with elevated GOT and GPT.
      CPR was considered to be a safe and useful drug in treating various infectious
      diseases in children.

PMID- 1880935
TI  - [In vivo and in vitro antifungal activity of fluconazole].
AB  - We examined in vivo efficacy and in vitro activity of fluconazole, a novel
      triazole antifungal agent, and obtained results which are summarized as follows:
      1. Fluconazole showed a higher serum concentration than ketoconazole after oral
      administration to mice. The 50% effective dose of fluconazole administered orally
      to mice was similar to that of fluconazole injected to mice intraperitoneally in
      a systemic candidiasis model. 2. Prophylactic effects of fluconazole were
      excellent against systemic candidiasis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis in mice
      in comparison with those of ketoconazole and miconazole. 3. The multiple
      administration of fluconazole effectively decreased the number of viable cells of
      Candida albicans colonized in kidneys of mice when the serum level of fluconazole
      was kept to exceed its IC99 values against the inoculated pathogen. Thus, a good
      correlation between the in vitro activity of fluconazole and its in vivo efficacy
      was confirmed. In vivo efficacies of ketoconazole and miconazole, however, failed
      to reflect their marked in vitro activities. 4. C. albicans No. 32 developed no
      drug-resistance to fluconazole during transfers in medium containing fluonazole
      at a concentration of 1 micrograms/ml.

PMID- 1880936
TI  - [Metabolic disorders of lipoproteins--influences of compositional changes of
      lipoproteins upon their metabolic behavior].
AB  - Compositional changes of apoproteins and lipids in lipoproteins influence their
      affinities for receptors and enzymes. Decrease of apo C proteins and increase of
      apo E in chylomicron and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) during their
      catabolism might promote the binding to remnant receptor. On the other hand, the
      affinity for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gradually decreases and that for hepatic
      lipase increases. However, the responsiveness of VLDL to LPL might be under the
      control of triglyceride (TG)/surface component ratios but not of the apoprotein
      ratios in ordinary circumstances judging from the results of the releases of
      fatty acids from VLDL by LPL in vitro. Responses of VLDL from diabetic patients
      to LPL significantly decreased compared with those from non-diabetic subjects.
      Glycation of VLDL in vitro impaired their responses to LPL. Therefore, delayed
      catabolism of VLDL in diabetes might partially depend upon glycation of VLDL
      besides the decreased LPL activity. Low density lipoproteins (LDL), apoproteins
      of which consist mostly of apo B protein and had a low TG level, showed a high
      affinity to the LDL receptor. However, LDL from hypertriglyceridemic subjects, in
      which the TG contents was increased, had a low affinity to the receptor. Since
      high density lipoproteins (HDL) from patients in acute phases contain a large
      amount of serum amyloid A protein (SAA), the percentages of apo A proteins
      markedly decreased. When SAA-rich HDL were incubated with leucocytes, SAA were
      degraded rapidly, although other apoproteins remained to be unchanged. Therefore,
      such HDL become unstable, and this might induce low HDL levels in the acute
      phase.

PMID- 1880937
TI  - [Laboratory evaluation of the Sysmex NE-7000 flagging system; a tool for the
      recognition of abnormal cells in white cell differentials].
AB  - Sysmex NE-7000 flagging system was evaluated for the recognition of abnormal
      cells in white cell differentials. Six flags that could mark blasts, immature
      granulocytes, left shift, nucleated red blood cells, atypical lymphocytes, and
      platelet clumps were selected for evaluation. 182 morphologic abnormal samples
      were screened from the Kobe University Hospital patients, by means of the 600 eye
      counts differentials. Blasts flag missed 8 of 28 cases, and immature granulocytes
      flag missed 25 of 56 cases. These missed cases contained either relatively few
      abnormal cells; less than 3% immature granulocytes, or absolutely few cells; less
      than 201 per micro liter blasts. Platelet clumps flag missed only 2 of 23 cases.
      But nucleated red blood cells and atypical lymphocytes flags missed all of 7 and
      4 cases respectively. Left shift flag missed 36 of 64 cases, but it could help
      marking immature granulocytes or blasts. To use the NE-7000 as a screening tool,
      we compared the NE's all 35 flags versus abnormal cells or status based on the
      100 eye counts. 1,153 cases were analyzed. Full agreement; 1047 (90.8%), partial
      agreement; 61 (5.2%), distributional false normal; 7 (1.6%), and morphological
      false normal; 4 (4.6%), were obtained. The more flags were used, the less
      abnormal cases were missed. But it accompanied the increase of the flag positive
      cases that must be confirmed by eye.

PMID- 1880938
TI  - [Simultaneous detection of antibodies for 3 different retroviruses using
      retrovirus EIA (triple antigen kit)].
AB  - We evaluated Retrovirus EIA kit (Roche Co.), in which virus components of three
      different viruses, HIV-1, HIV-2, and HTLV-I were used antigens. All the specimens
      from the patients with ATL, HAM, HTLV-I carrier, AIDS and AC, and from HIV-2
      infected individuals were found to be positive. Four out of 40 specimens from
      hemophiliacs not infected with HIV-1 were found out to be positive. These
      specimens were confirmed to contain antibody against HTLV-I. Pseudo-negative or 
      positive reactions were not found in this study. Therefore, Retrovirus EIA kit
      should be evaluated more extensively, for the possible applications for screening
      of blood donors, and for selecting the sources of blood products as well as for
      clinical diagnoses.

PMID- 1880939
TI  - [A study of the determination of serum fucose concentrations].
AB  - We examined the biochemical properties of reaction products during the procedure
      for serum fucose determination (Dische & Shettles). The optical density at 396 nm
      (OD396) of the reaction products increased linearly with the increment of fucose
      concentrations, and was stable for at least 210-240 min at room temperature. The
      reaction products were destroyed with the addition of distilled water. Sephadex G
      200 gel chromatography of the mixed serum samples revealed a single peak of
      fucose in the void volume fractions. Of interest was the presence of trace
      amounts of fucose detected in the low-molecular weight fractions less than
      66,000, suggesting the presence of free fucose in the serum. Based on these
      observations, the method for serum fucose determination was modified so it was
      possible to use 100 microliters of the serum sample. The mean serum fucose
      concentration, measured by this modified method, was 561.0 +/- 191.1 mumol/l (9.1
      +/- 3.1 mg/dl) in normal healthy children. In patients with idiopathic nephrotic
      syndrome, the values were significantly higher both at relapse and in remission
      than those in normal healthy children.

PMID- 1880940
TI  - [Effects of long-term low dose radiation--relationship between chromosomal
      translocation and the cellular oncogenes].
AB  - To clarify the late effects of long-term exposure to low doses of radiation,
      chromosomal aberrations in the lymphocytes of radiological technologists (RT)
      were analyzed by the trypsin G-banding method. Structural aberrations were
      identified in 384 (2.5%) of 15,442 cells analyzed from 53 RT as compared to 177
      (1.6%) of 11,136 cells from 36 healthy controls. Most of structural aberrations
      in both groups was translocations, and this frequency was significantly higher in
      the RT than in the controls. Translocations of chromosomes, such as Nos. 1, 2, 7
      and 14 in RT and Nos. 1, 3, 7 and 14 in controls, was observed in over 7% of the
      cells. 7/14 translocations were the most frequent reciprocal translocations in
      RT. However, the frequency of 7/14 translocations was not significantly different
      between the RT and controls. In these cases, most of the break points were
      localized in band 14q11-12 and 7q32-36. At the chromosomal sites which were
      related to the sites of ski, abl, myb, mos, myc, N-myc oncogenes, very low
      incidences of translocation were detected in RT. However, none of the RT
      demonstrated abnormal clones of cells with identical chromosomal aberrations.

PMID- 1880941
TI  - [The development and the applications of clinical laboratory system by using of
      fuzzy set theory].
AB  - For clinical laboratory data to be used effectively in wide areas of clinical
      medicine, it must be stored in proper database systems. Moreover, the system must
      be installed in the hospital information system for easy access by the hospital
      staff in their routine activities. From this standpoint we have developed a
      clinical test relational database system at Hiroshima University Hospital, which
      provides the functions of easy on-line retrieval and statistical analysis. We
      have also improved the functions to incorporate fuzzy query processing based on
      the theory of fuzzy sets. This system enables us to use natural linguistic
      representation and leads to a medical knowledge-base.

PMID- 1880942
TI  - [FDP levels in the cerebrospinal fluid are elevated in patients with meningitis].
AB  - Since the level of fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) are elevated with
      severity of inflammation, we assumed that FDP in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
      could be a marker of meningitis. We, therefore, measured FDP in the CSF of 6
      patients with bacterial meningitis and 6 aseptic meningitis. The range of FDP
      levels in the CSF in patients without meningitis was 0.21 +/- 0.01 microgram/ml.
      While, the level of FDP in patients with aseptic meningitis (0.43 +/- 0.10
      microgram/ml) and in bacterial meningitis (1.78 +/- 0.42 micrograms/ml) was
      significantly elevated (p less than 0.05). The value was significantly (p less
      than 0.01) higher in the group of septic meningitis than in aseptic meningitis.
      In one patient with septic meningitis, we could measure FDP in the CSF several
      times during the course of the disease, in which the level of FDP got into the
      high range earlier than the changes in levels of protein, glucose and cell counts
      in the CSF. FDP in the CSF well correlated to the clinical course of the
      meningitis. Eventually, we found that FDP in the CSF was definitely elevated in
      patients with bacterial meningitis, whereas it was slightly elevated in patients
      with aseptic meningitis. The measurement of FDP in the CSF, therefore, is
      concluded to be useful for the differential diagnosis of meningitis, and to
      assess the clinical course of meningitis.

PMID- 1880943
TI  - [Histological differences between sternal and iliac bone marrow in various
      hematological diseases].
AB  - Even in normal state, hematopoietic activity is different in terms of the site of
      bone marrow as well as age. The activity may also differ with bone marrow site in
      various hematological diseases. We chose 32 cases with various hematological
      diseases and examined their bone marrow histologically at two different sites
      (sternum and posterior iliac crest) at almost the same time. We studied the
      histological differences in 5 cases of malignant lymphoma, 15 cases of aplastic
      anemia, 8 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome, 2 cases of myeloproliferative
      syndrome and 2 cases of acute leukemia. In malignant lymphoma, the iliac marrow
      was slightly hypoplastic compared with sternal marrow but there were no
      differences in the components of hematopoietic cells, that were thought to
      reflect normal hematopoietic activity for their respective ages. In 5 among 15
      cases of aplastic anemia, nodular hyperplastic areas were observed in sternal
      marrow even though iliac marrow was severely hypoplastic. The presence of a
      nodular hyperplastic area is useful for differential diagnosis between aplastic
      anemia and refractory anemia, because such a histological change was not observed
      in the cases of refractory anemia. In myeloproliferative syndrome and acute
      leukemia, there were no differences between sternal and iliac marrow. They were
      hyperplastic and had almost the same hematopoietic components.

PMID- 1880944
TI  - [Studies on 13 cases of double gammopathy].
AB  - By a combined use of immunoelectrophoresis and immunofixation, we detected 13
      cases of double gammopathy among 269 cases of monoclonal gammopathy investigated
      between 1986 and 1990. The incidence of double gammopathy (4.8%) was greater than
      that in previous studies. Double gammopathy was classified into 5 groups: (1)
      identical pairs of both heavy (H)- and light (L)-chains (1 case); (2) identical H
      chains and different L-chains (2 cases); (3) different H-chains and identical L
      chains (3 cases); (4) different pairs of both H- and L-chains (5 cases); and (5)
      monoclonal immunoglobulin and Bence Jones protein of different type (2 cases). An
      additional M-component was detected during the course of illness in 2 of the 13
      cases. As to H-chain combinations, a pair of IgG and IgA (46%) was most
      frequently encountered. Seven patients had myeloma, three benign double
      gammopathy and two macroglobulinemia. One case of benign double gammopathy
      developed IgA (lambda) myeloma three years after the diagnosis. Serum and urine
      immunofixation is a useful method to detect a trace amount of M-component and to
      follow up the clinical course of monoclonal gammopathy.

PMID- 1880945
TI  - [An autopsy case of primary lung leiomyosarcoma].
AB  - We report autopsy findings for a case of leiomyosarcoma originating in the right
      lung in an 86-year-old man. We surveyed current literatures and compared the
      immunohistochemical results in the present case with those reported previously in
      Japan. The solid tumor measured 6 x 7 x 7 cm sized and was located in the right
      lung. Its cut-surface appeared grayish to yellowish and contained areas of
      hemorrhage and necrosis. The lungs contained scattered nodular lesions less than
      2 cm in diameter. Metastatic lesions were also confirmed in other tissues such as
      the heart, pericardium, liver, spleen, left adrenal gland and thyroid.
      Microscopically, 14 mitoses were detected in every 10 high-power fields. An
      immunohistochemical study revealed positivity for smooth muscle myosin and actin,
      and negativity for CEA, and appeared to be important in differential diagnosis
      and determination of histogenetic type.

PMID- 1880946
TI  - [A case of paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) in the elderly found by severe
      anemia].
AB  - CASE: 69 year-old female. Two weeks before the admission, the patient had
      suffered from upper respiratory tract infection. Severe anemia was detected (Hb
      was 6.0 mg/dl) and she received a transfusion. Four days after the transfusion,
      she became icteric and was transferred to our hospital on Feb. 3, 1990 for
      evaluation of anemia. Laboratory data on admission are as follows; Hb 6.3 g/dl,
      reticulocytes 128%, total bilirubin 4.6 mg/dl, indirect bilirubin 3.4 mg/dl,
      urobilinogen in urine positive, WR negative, direct anti-globulin test positive,
      indirect of the test negative, and Donath-Landsteiner test positive (both direct
      and indirect). Her red blood cells were classified as P2-positive. From these
      findings, non-syphilitic PCH was diagnosed. She required bed rest and therapy to
      protect her from cold exposure. The hemoglobin recovered to 8.3 g/dl. The D-L
      test was positive for 9 months. This is a rare case of PCH because the patient
      fell ill in old age and PCH was found because of her severe anemia in spite of
      her unawareness of hemoglobinuria.

PMID- 1880947
TI  - [Epidemiological study on the risk of gastric cancer in patients with duodenal
      ulcer].
AB  - Patients who were diagnosed to have duodenal ulcer (DU) or duodenal ulcer scar
      (DUS) by gastric mass screening with X-Ray examination from April 1970 to Dec.
      1983 were followed up to Dec. 1983 by means of record linkage to the Osaka Cancer
      Registry, and incident patients of gastric cancer (GC) among the study subjects
      during the follow-up period were investigated almost completely. Standardized
      incidence rates (SIR) of GC for the groups categorized by diagnosis at the
      initial screening, i.e., DU or DUS group and normal group, were calculated by
      comparing the number of GC among the study groups with the expected number of GC.
      This expected number was obtained by multiplying the person-year of the study
      subjects with GC incidence rates for the whole population of Osaka prefecture
      according to sex and age group. SIR were calculated by sub-groups, i.e., male and
      female groups, under 5 year follow-up (from the initial screening to GC
      diagnosis) and 5 year follow-up or over groups, and direct X-Ray examination at
      the detection center and indirect X-Ray examination in the screening bus groups.
      The results were as follows. The SIR were 0.41 for the DU or DUS group and 0.74
      for the normal group. The risk for the DU or DUS group was lower than that for
      the normal group (R.R. = 0.55, chi 2 = 3.56, 0.1 greater than p greater than
      0.05). In all subgroups, the risk of GC for each DU or DUS group was lower than
      that for the normal group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880948
TI  - [Inhibition of gastric acid secretion normalizes interdigestive motor activity in
      the stomach in dogs].
AB  - Recently, intragastroduodenal acidity has been shown to play an important role in
      interdigestive gastrointestinal motility. In this study, gastrointestinal
      motility and intragastric pH changes were monitored simultaneously in dogs, to
      characterize 1) the relationship between intragastric pH changes and IMC, and 2)
      the effects of intragastric acidity on motilin-induced phase III contractions in
      the gastric antrum by using secretagogues and an H2 receptor antagonist
      (cimetidine). As a result, intragastric pH showed periodic changes with gastric
      IMC in conscious dogs. Furthermore, motilin-induced gastric phase III
      contractions were inhibited by gastric acidification. But inhibition of gastric
      acid secretion by cimetidine normalized both the motor index and migration of the
      contractions. In conclusion, gastric acid secretion may influence the sensitivity
      to motilin of the stomach, and play an important role in the regulation of
      interdigestive gastric motility.

PMID- 1880949
TI  - [Immunohistochemical study on the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor
      (EGFR) in human colorectal carcinomas].
AB  - The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was studied
      immunohistochemically in 92 colorectal carcinomas: 21 early and 71 advanced. EGFR
      immunoreactivity was detected in 15 cases (16.3%) of colorectal carcinomas. All
      EGFR-positive cases was advanced carcinomas, while no EGFR immunoreactivity was
      found in early carcinomas. EGFR-positive cases were macroscopically 3.4 type and
      more than 2 cm in diameter. No significant correlation of EGFR expression with
      tumor location, stage, lymph node metastasis, degree of differentiation, and
      prognosis was found. All EGFR-positive cases was synchronous positive for the
      expression of EGF. These results suggest that EGFR may play an important role in
      tumor progression in cooperation with EGF.

PMID- 1880950
TI  - [Distribution of glutathione S-transferase isozymes in rat small intestinal
      mucosa].
AB  - We have investigated the longitudinal distribution of glutathione S-transferase
      (GST) isozymes in the trisected small intestine mucosa of rats. Only GST subunits
      1 and 7 were detected by Western blot analysis of the intestinal cytosol using
      antiserum for GST1-1, 1-2, 3-4 and 7-7. Cytosolic GST1-1, 3-4 and 7-7 were
      assayed by the quantitative ELISA. There was a marked decline of the
      concentration of GST1-1 from proximal (35.17 nmol/g tissue) to distal intestine
      (1.67 nmol/g tissue). GST3-4 was hardly detected in the intestinal mucosa. Among
      the GSTs, GST7-7 existed in the highest concentration in any segment of
      intestine, i.e. 58.76 nmol/g tissue (61% of GSTs) in the proximal intestine and
      32.38 nmol/g tissue (93% of GSTs) in the distal intestine.

PMID- 1880951
TI  - [HLA-DR antigen expression on colonic epithelium of ulcerative colitis in
      comparison with infectious colitis and ischemic colitis].
AB  - We examined HLA-DR antigen expression on endoscopically biopsied colonic
      epithelium of ulcerative colitis (UC), infectious colitis and ischemic colitis.
      Since this monoclonal antibody (LN-3 ICN Immunobiological, USA) is available for
      usual formalin fixated materials, if the fixation is limited within 36 hours. 886
      samples from 55 UC cases, 91 samples from 19 infectious colitis cases, 63 samples
      from 15 ischemic colitis cases and 63 samples from normal cases were enough
      statistically, compared to DR antigen expression. UC expressed clearly
      statistical high positive DR staining rate than infections colitis and ischemic
      colitis. Further, samples from UC and infectious colitis were compared in the
      histopathologically each with the same grade of inflammation, UC expressed higher
      positive rates of DR antigen than infectious colitis, and both UC and infectious
      colitis showed increased positive rates of DR antigen with advance of
      histopathological grades of inflammation.

PMID- 1880952
TI  - [Experimental study on cell damage of ischemic liver in obstructive jaundiced
      rats].
AB  - The hepatic cellular damage induced by liver ischemia was investigated in rats
      with obstructive jaundice. Hepatic tissue blood flow in obstructive jaundice was
      decreased in the relation to the duration of jaundice. The value of lipid
      peroxide and cathepsin D activity of the hepatic tissue increased in the
      obstructive jaundice. Therefore, it was suggested that cell membrane and
      lysosomal membrane injury were induced in obstructive jaundice. The value of
      lipid peroxide of hepatic tissue in obstructive jaundice was more increased after
      partial liver ischemia. The survival rate following hepatic ischemia in jaundiced
      rats was remarkably lower than that of normal rats, and also it related to the
      duration of jaundice. In addition, histological changes of the liver after
      partial ischemia are severe in obstructive jaundiced liver. These data suggest
      that more remarkable hepatic cellular damage than in normal liver may be induced
      by liver ischemia in obstructive jaundice.

PMID- 1880953
TI  - [Changes of Cu, Zn-SOD and LPO in the regenerating liver after partial
      hepatectomy--effect of coenzyme Q10 administration].
AB  - We have investigated the effect of CoQ10 to lipid peroxide (LPO) and Cu, Zn-SOD
      in the regenerating liver in rats. Cu, Zn-SOD was investigated in biochemical
      activity, and immunohistochemical localization. In normal control liver, Cu, Zn
      SOD was diffusely stained throughout the hepatic lobules, with predominance in
      the centrilobular area and with vicinity of thick portal vein. In early stage of
      regenerating liver. LPO was increased and Cu, Zu-SOD was decreased. Destruction
      of the membrane of hepatocyte was confirmed by electron microscopy in the early
      stage of regenerating liver, Cu, Zn-SOD might be speculated to leak out into
      extra cellular spaces. CoQ10 suppressed the mentioned phenomenon in regenerating
      liver.

PMID- 1880954
TI  - [Hepatic resection under the Pringle maneuver induces endotoxemia and
      lipoperoxidative attack in the jaundiced rat liver].
AB  - Sixty percent hepatectomy under two times of the Pringle maneuver (temporal
      occlusion of the hepatic inflow of the hepatic artery and portal vein) for 25 min
      was carried out on rats with obstructive jaundice. Hepatic energy charge which
      was markedly decreased during the Pringle maneuver did not recover 3 hrs after
      release of the maneuver. In addition, systemic endotoxemia associated with
      increased level of malondialdehyde and decreased levels of total glutathione and
      alpha-tocopherol in the liver was demonstrated. These changes were more dominant
      in rats with obstructive jaundice for 3 weeks than those for 1 week. It can be
      said that deteriorated hepatic energy charge after release of the Pringle
      maneuver may partly be caused by the production of oxygen free radicals which may
      be enhanced by endotoxemia in resection of the jaundiced liver. In contrast,
      after release of the Pringle maneuver, deterioration of hepatic energy charge due
      to oxidative attack was not found in jaundiced rats without hepatic resection.

PMID- 1880955
TI  - [Hemorrhagic esophageal ulceration associated with slow-release morphine sulfate
      tablets].

PMID- 1880956
TI  - [A case report of primary microadenocarcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus].

PMID- 1880957
TI  - [A case of inflammatory fibroid polyp of the ileum--Review of inflammatory
      fibroid polyp of small intestine in Japan].

PMID- 1880958
TI  - [Ulcerative colitis associated with pyoderma gangrenosum and schizophrenia--a
      case report].

PMID- 1880959
TI  - [Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma: the investigation of domestic and foreign 34
      cases].

PMID- 1880960
TI  - [A case report of mucin producing carcinoma with precancerous acinar cell lesions
      of the pancreas].

PMID- 1880961
TI  - [Spontaneous rupture of the spleen in a case of infectious mononucleosis].

PMID- 1880962
TI  - [Development of posture measuring apparatus using goniometer and inclinometer. 1.
      Description of the apparatus and its usefulness].
AB  - A new posture measuring apparatus was developed for time and motion study in the
      field of industrial health. This apparatus can record and classify working
      postures by measuring the angles of joints and trunk inclination. The angles of
      joints are measured by newly developed goniometers which use the bending loss of
      rubber optical fibers. The trunk inclination is measured by an inclinometer which
      uses photointerrupters. The measured angle data stored in the memory of this
      apparatus are transferred to the host computer and analyzed. Postures are
      classified automatically and subjectively according to discriminant functions
      which are calculated from the preliminarily measured data by discriminant
      analysis. Test measurement was carried out to classify four postures; standing,
      forward bending, half sitting and sitting. The goniometers were set on the right
      hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint and the inclinometer was set on the right
      side of the trunk. The postures were changed in the order of standing, forward
      bending, half sitting, and sitting every 30 s. The angles were measured every
      second and a total of 120 sets of angles were measured. All data including data
      during posture changing were classified correctly by discriminant functions. The
      measurement during baggage lifting up and putting down was also carried out. Ten
      baggages (each 7 kg in weight) were lifted up from the floor onto a desk (75 cm
      in height), put down back to the floor, and again lifted on the desk. In 2 min,
      baggages were lifted up for a total of 20 times and put down for a total of 10
      times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880963
TI  - [Effects of aging on contingent negative variation and reaction time].
AB  - Contingent negative variations (CNV) were recorded at Cz for young, middle-aged
      and elderly groups of male and female subjects loaded with simple and
      discriminative sensory-motor tasks. Each task consisted of repeated single trials
      in which a warning signal (S1) of click tone was followed 4.0 s later by an
      imperative visual signal (S2) to which a quick motor response was required. The
      reaction time to S2 was also measured. In the simple task, a white circle of S2
      was presented at probability of 75% on CRT screen, whereas in the discriminative
      task the subject was given either a green or red circle of S2 on CRT and asked to
      respond only to a green S2 with key-pressing. The negative component of the S1-S2
      interval which was referenced as a baseline voltage during the 500 ms pre-S1
      epoch was averaged over at least 12 single trials in each task. The reaction
      times were averaged over the trials in each task and used as a mean reaction
      time. A whole mean CNV amplitude averaged over the S1-S2 interval and 16
      segmented CNV amplitudes of 250 ms epoch during the S1-S2 interval as well as the
      mean reaction time, number of erroneous responses and heart rates during both
      rest and task loading were obtained for each task. These parameters were
      submitted to 4-way ANOVA (age (3 levels) X gender (2) X task (2) X session (2)).
      The following age-related changes were observed: the whole mean CNV amplitude and
      the middle and late components of the segmented CNV decreased significantly with
      age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880964
TI  - [An experimental study on transmission of hand-arm vibration on the body of
      users].
AB  - Vibration forced into the hand-arm system was observed on the body surface during
      work with chain saw and under loading experiments by electrodynamic shaker in the
      laboratory, and factors related to transmission over joints were investigated
      using pig elbow joints constructed with ulna, radius and humerus. Vibration was
      measured according to IS 5349 and JIS C1511 between 8 and 1,000 Hz in vibration
      frequency. Vibration on the bone of pig foreleg conducted without attenuating its
      amplitude from the peripheral side to the central side between 8 and 1,000 Hz. On
      the other hand, vibration transmitted over joints damped its amplitude in higher
      frequency components rather than in lower frequency between 8 and 1,000 Hz. The
      decreasing ratio of transmitted vibration over joint was changed by the resonance
      of the soft tissues between the bones constructing the joint. The attenuation
      changed with the elastic modulus of the soft tissues. The peak frequency was
      considered to be the resonance because of the physical mass and elasticity. The
      harder the joint was tied, the stronger became the transmission, because the
      resonance moved to higher frequencies with increase in elastic modulus. In the
      loading test from the electrodynamic shaker to the hand-arm system of man,
      vibration on the soft tissues was transmitted on its surface as wave motion, when
      the vibration was observed over the skin on the soft tissues. Vibration reduced
      its amplitude at every joints especially above 100 Hz. The shape of the vibration
      attenuation curves varied according to the frequency and components of the chain
      saws.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1880965
TI  - [Assessment of occupational exposure to p-tert-butylphenol in synthetic resin
      factories].
AB  - Two cases of occupational vitiligo were observed in a resin factory where p-tert
      butylphenol (PTBP) has been used as a starting material or an intermediate of
      synthetic resin. In this resin factory (A shop) and another resin factory (B
      shop), occupational exposure to PTBP was assessed in workers charging this
      chemical into the reaction vessel by means of a gas-chromatographic measurement
      of the environmental PTBP concentration and their urinary PTBP excretion.
      Assessment in A shop was made after the working condition was partly improved.
      Geometrical mean values of 8 h-time-weighted-average (8 h-TWA) of PTBP in air
      near the charger's breathing zone (personal air) were 0.215 mg/m3 in A shop and
      2.12 mg/m3 in B shop. Continuous measurements of PTBP concentration in some
      stationary air of the shops showed that the maximum environmental PTBP values
      occurred during charging. Urinary PTBP concentration was increased to the maximum
      values 2 to 4 h after charging of this chemical and then rapidly decreased.
      Biological half-lives of urinary PTBP were estimated as 4.4 h in A shop and 4.8 h
      in B shop. The urinary PTBP concentration was correlated to 8 h-TWA of PTBP in
      the personal air. In particular, PTBP in urine collected at the end of the shift
      showed an excellent correlation to PTBP in the personal air (r = 0.84, n = 9, A
      shop; r = 0.88, n = 11, B shop). These results indicate that biological
      monitoring using urinary PTBP concentration is a suitable means of assessing
      exposure to this alkylphenol and the urine collected at the end of shift is the
      best sample for monitoring. In addition, the present environmental and urinary
      PTBP values were compared with those described in the literature and the relation
      of the occupational vitiligo with PTBP exposure is discussed.

PMID- 1880966
TI  - [Acute effect of 1,1,1-trichloroethane inhalation on ventricular fibrillation
      threshold].

PMID- 1880967
TI  - [Toxicity of isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Part 1. Single inhalation exposure in
      rats].

PMID- 1880968
TI  - [Toxicity of isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Part 2. Repeated inhalation exposures in
      rats].

PMID- 1880969
TI  - [Significance of diffuse slow washout in dipyridamole loading thallium-201
      myocardial perfusion scintigraphy].
AB  - To assess the significance of diffuse slow washout (DSW) in dipyridamole loading
      thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, 382 patients were studied. DSW
      were observed in 69 (24%) of 285 patients with perfusion defects, 5 (5%) of 97
      patients without perfusion defects. There was significant relation between DSW
      and perfusion defects (p less than 0.01). Coronary angiography showed multivessel
      disease in 84% single vessel disease in 12% of patients with DSW and multivessel
      disease in 28%, single vessel disease in 50% of patients without DSW. During a
      mean follow up period of 29 months, initial CABG or PTCA were done in 41%,
      cardiac death occurred in 12%, nonfatal cardiac events occurred in 7% of patients
      with DSW and perfusion defects. In patients without DSW, initial CABG or PTCA
      were done in 11%, cardiac death occurred in 7%, nonfatal cardiac events occurred
      in 5%. Patients without perfusion defects had good prognosis regardless of the
      presence or absence of DSW. In conclusion, DSW indicates serious cardiac ischemia
      in patients with perfusion defects. DSW does not indicate cardiac ischemia in
      patients without perfusion defects.

PMID- 1880970
TI  - [Usefulness of thallium-201 myocardial SPECT using dipyridamole infusion combined
      with low level exercise for the detection of the ischemic heart disease-
      comparison with SPECT images by maximum physical exercise in the same patients].
AB  - To evaluate the usefulness of thallium-201 myocardial SPECT using dipyridamole
      infusion combined with low level exercise (Dp-method) for the detection of the
      ischemic heart disease, we performed both Dp-method and maximum physical exercise
      SPECT (Ex-method) in the same 28 patients, and compared the results obtained by
      the two methods. In the visual evaluation, the detectability of each stenotic
      coronary territory by Dp-method tended to be higher than that by Ex-method
      (accuracy 71% vs 67%). The severity of the defect and the degree of the
      redistribution were higher by Dp-method than those by Ex-method. In the washout
      rate (WR) analysis in 14 angina pectoris patients, the detectability (accuracy)
      by Dp-method was significantly higher than that by Ex-method (86% vs 64%; p less
      than 0.05). In comparison of mean WR values in normal subjects (10 cases for Dp
      method and other 8 cases for Ex-method), mean WR by Dp-method was as high as that
      by Ex-method and the deviation of WR value among subjects was very small. This
      was probably due to the effect of the low level exercise. These results suggested
      that Dp-method was more excellent than Ex-method in the evaluation of the
      ischemic heart disease, and was a useful method of the daily routine work. The
      incidence of chest symptom and the electrocardiographic ST-depression was as high
      by Dp-method as that by Ex-method. The filling defects in Dp-method were thought
      to be induced not only by the difference in the relative increase of the
      myocardial perfusion, but also by the myocardial ischemia.

PMID- 1880971
TI  - [Basic evaluation of an ambulatory ventricular function monitor with a a cadmium
      telluride detector].
AB  - The reliability of a new ambulatory ventricular function monitor (VEST) with
      cadmium telluride (Cd-Te) detector was validated. No counting loss was observed
      under 20 kcps. In phantom study, more than 200 ml with 6 cm distance from the
      detector and more than 300 ml with 6-12 cm distance, underestimation of volume
      was observed. Ejection fraction (EF) calculated in phantom study showed close
      value to the true EF in 50-400 ml of end-diastolic volume. In 10 patients, 1-2 cm
      detector shift toward right upper, upper and left showed underestimation of EF.
      Good correlation of gamma camera EF (X) and VEST EF (Y) was obtained (Y = 0.96X +
      3.6(%), n = 37, r = 0.93, p less than 0.001). EF change from rest values,
      obtained from each comparable exercise and post exercise stage by gamma camera
      (X) and VEST (Y), showed good correlation (Y = 0.95X + 0.8, n = 20, r = 0.85, p
      less than 0.001). In conclusion Cd-Te VEST was considered as a reliable EF
      measurement technique similar to gamma camera.

PMID- 1880972
TI  - [Direct integral linear least square regression method for kinetic evaluation of
      hepatobiliary scintigraphy: theory, basic analysis and comparison with non-linear
      least square regression method].
AB  - In hepatobiliary scintigraphy, kinetic model analysis, which provides kinetic
      parameters like hepatic extraction or excretion rate, have been done for
      quantitative evaluation of liver function. In this analysis, unknown model
      parameters are usually determined using nonlinear least square regression method
      (NLS method) where iterative calculation and initial estimate for unknown
      parameters are required. As a simple alternative to NLS method, direct integral
      linear least square regression method (DILS method), which can determine model
      parameters by a simple calculation without initial estimate, is proposed, and
      tested the applicability to analysis of hepatobiliary scintigraphy. In order to
      see whether DILS method could determine model parameters as good as NLS method,
      or to determine appropriate weight for DILS method, simulated theoretical data
      based on prefixed parameters were fitted to 1 compartment model using both DILS
      method with various weightings and NLS method. The obtained parameter values were
      then compared with prefixed values which were used for data generation. The
      effect of various weights on the error of parameter estimate was examined, and
      inverse of time was found to be the best weight to make the error minimum. When
      used this weight, DILS method could give close parameter values to those obtained
      by NLS method and both parameter values were very close to prefixed values. With
      appropriate weighting, the DILS method could provide reliable parameter estimate
      which is relatively insensitive to the data noise. In conclusion, the DILS method
      could be used as a simple alternative to NLS method, providing reliable parameter
      estimate.

PMID- 1880973
TI  - [Direct integral linear least square regression method for kinetic evaluation of
      hepatobiliary scintigraphy: clinical application and evaluation of 170
      hepatograms].
AB  - Kinetic evaluation of 170 hepatobiliary scintigrams was performed using direct
      integral linear least square regression method (DILS method). Liver time-activity
      curve (TAC) data were fitted to 2 types of 1 compartment model using heart TAC as
      input function. One model was 1 compartment model with 2 parameters (extraction
      rate (ku) and excretion rate (ke)), the other had another parameter for
      representing non-specific volume of distribution (Vn) in liver. Obtained
      parameter estimate was then examined to see how they correlate with three major
      visual findings of scintigram; low tracer uptake, intrahepatic cholestasis,
      extrahepatic cholestasis. In both models, ku showed significant difference
      between low uptake positive and negative groups and ke showed significant
      difference between extrahepatic cholestasis positive and negative groups. Only
      mean uptake time (Vn/ku) by 3 parameter model showed significant difference
      between intrahepatic cholestasis positive and negative groups, although the other
      2 parameters (ku, ke) were insensitive to intrahepatic cholestasis in either
      model. Thus, the 3 parameter model was superior to the 2 parameter model because
      of its sensitivity to intrahepatic cholestasis and ability to differentiate
      extrahepatic and intrahepatic cholestasis as the difference of parameter values.
      Based on this 3 parameter model, parametric images were generated by calculating
      parameter value of each pixel using the DILS method. The DILS method could
      determine parameters by simple calculation, and hence was very powerful in
      processing parametric images, which processing otherwise required immense
      calculation.

PMID- 1880974
TI  - [Usefulness of 123I-IMP SPECT in patients with epilepsy].
AB  - N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine(123I-IMP)SPECT and electroencephalography
      (EEG) were evaluated in 21 epileptic patients at interictal stage. The findings
      of 123I-IMP were compared with those of clinical symptoms and EEG. In 11 cases
      (85%) of 13 patients with the partial seizure, and 6 cases (75%) of 8 patients
      with the generalized seizure had focal decreased perfusion of 123I-IMP. The mean
      number of focal decreased perfusion areas were 3.2 locations 1 case. There were
      no cases that was observed focal increased perfusion. Focal decreased perfusion
      area of 123I-IMP SPECT findings agreed with the focuses those were inferred from
      clinical findings in 8 cases (62%) out of 13 patients with the partial seizure,
      did not agree in 3 cases (23%) and did not detected in 2 cases (15%). Overall
      abnormality of 123I-IMP SPECT was observed in 17 cases (81%) out of 21 patients,
      on the other hand abnormality of EEG was observed in 12 cases (57%). 123I-IMP
      SPECT may provide useful information for evaluating foci in patients with
      epilepsy.

PMID- 1880975
TI  - [Experimental study on the accumulation of 125I-IMP in the cigarette-exposed
      lung].
AB  - In the experiment using guinea pigs, the accumulated portions of IMP after 125I
      IMP microautoradiography were compared in a normal control group and a group
      exposed to cigarette smoke. In the smoke-exposed lung, the accumulation of silver
      grains were observed in the alveolar spaces and alveolar macrophages, as well as
      in the pulmonary capillaries and the alveolar epithelia. After the broncho
      alveolar lavage (BAL), increases in alveolar macrophages, total counts of BAL
      fluid and counts of cell components were seen in the smoke-exposed lung. These
      results suggested that abnormal function of the pulmonary capillary or alveolar
      epithelium was wide spread in the smoke-exposed lung.

PMID- 1880976
TI  - [An adult case of the left coronary artery anomalously originating from the
      pulmonary artery (BWG syndrome), demonstrating remarkable improvement in
      postoperative thallium-201 myocardial imaging].
AB  - Stress thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy were performed in a 44-year-old
      female with BWG syndrome before and after aorto-coronary bypass surgery.
      Preoperative stress thallium-201 studies demonstrated anterior reversible
      perfusion defect and posterior persistent defect. But postoperative studies
      demonstrated no defects in both areas. These data suggest that preoperative
      anterior defect was due to transient myocardial ischemia, but the finding of
      posterior persistent defect wasn't due to infarction or scarring. Thus, stress
      thallium-201 myocardial imaging provided useful informations to clarify the
      myocardial perfusion patterns pre- and postoperatively.

PMID- 1880977
TI  - [Dose estimation of Tc-99m-DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin (Tc-99m-GSA) in
      the blood with nonlinear regression method].
AB  - Tc-99m-DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin (Tc-99m-GSA) was applied as an agent
      for receptor-binding hepatic scintigraphy. A single dose of 3-10 mg/185 MBq (5
      mCi) Tc-99m-GSA per body was administered in four healthy volunteers and three
      patients. Time-activity curves for 60 (40) min after injection were obtained from
      the regions-of-interest over the heart and lung (back-ground). Exponential
      regression curve was generated from the heart curve during 2-60 (40) min after
      background subtraction with nonlinear least squares method. Regression curve was
      well fitted to the heart curve and a significant correlation coefficient of 0.997
      +/- 0.003 was obtained between these two curves. Absolute dose of GSA in the
      blood was decided on the assumption that extrapolated value of regression curve
      at time 0 represented the total injected dose. The absolute dose differences
      between sample blood and regression curve were 1.4-4.3% (mean). Nonlinear
      regression analysis is useful for estimating quantitative dose of GSA in blood
      without any blood samples.

PMID- 1880978
TI  - [Analysis of I-125-IMP and its metabolites using a high performance liquid
      chromatography].

PMID- 1880979
TI  - Chronopharmacology of the new uricosuric diuretic S-8666 in rats.
AB  - A new loop diuretic with uricosuric activity, 6,7-dichloro-5-(N,N
      dimethylsulfamoyl)-2,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran carboxylic acid (S-8666), was given
      orally at 12:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. in rats. The diuretic of S-8666 and the
      urinary excretions of the drug and its active metabolite S-8680 (N-demethyl S
      8666) were greater at 12:00 a.m. than at 12:00 p.m. Thus, the present study
      indicates that the diuretic effects of S-8666 varies with its administration
      time. Time-dependent variations in the amount of urinary excretions of S-8666 and
      S-8680 might be involved in the mechanisms for this phenomenon.

PMID- 1880980
TI  - The external Ca(2+)-dependence of acetylcholine-induced contracture in single
      innervated and denervated skeletal muscle cells in mice.
AB  - We examined morphological differences and compared the Ca(2+)-dependence between
      acetylcholine (ACh)-contractures in normal and denervated skeletal muscle cells.
      ACh (1 microM - 1 mM) contracted the normal cells into a jackknife-shape. The
      higher the concentration of external Ca2+, the greater the ratio of responding
      cells/total cells observed and the sharper the angles of the "jackknives". ACh
      contracted the denervated cells into a compression-form, and the contraction was
      dependent on the external Ca2+. These results indicate that ACh-contractures in
      both normal and denervated cells are external Ca(2+)-dependent.

PMID- 1880981
TI  - Basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor promote survival of
      primary cultured cerebellar neurons from neonatal rats.
AB  - Neurotrophic effects of CS23, a mutein of human basic fibroblast growth factor
      (bFGF), and recombinant human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) were compared in
      dissociated cerebellar cultures from embryonic (E20) and early postnatal (P0-5)
      rats. Both CS23 and hEGF promoted the survival of cerebellar neurons without
      distinction of ages of animals used. The maximum effects of CS23 were always
      larger than those of hEGF. These results suggest that both bFGF and EGF also
      function as neurotrophic factors in postnatal cerebellum.

PMID- 1880982
TI  - Functional reinnervation of carotid artery by implanted preganglionic trunk in
      the cat.
AB  - The preganglionic trunk of the superior cervical ganglion was implanted
      chronically into the carotid artery. A helical strip of the carotid artery with
      nerve was prepared, and electrical stimulation of the nerve caused a definite
      contraction. Part of the contraction was attenuated by phentolamine, and the
      remaining part of the contraction was nearly abolished by tubocurarine but not by
      hexamethonium and atropine. The present results clearly demonstrate that the
      carotid artery is reinnervated by preganglionic cholinergic fibers.

PMID- 1880983
TI  - A difference in receptor mechanisms for muscarinic full and partial agonists.
AB  - Concentration-response curves of 4 muscarinic full agonists were progressively
      inhibited by 10 to 50-min treatments of the longitudinal muscle of guinea pig
      ileum with propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM, 3 x 10(-6) M). A 90-min
      treatment with PrBCM had no further significant inhibitory effect on their
      curves. The 50-min treatment with PrBCM (3 x 10(-6) M) completely inhibited the
      concentration-response curves of 6 partial agonists. The limiting effect of PrBCM
      observed on the concentration-response curves of the full agonists was not found
      on the curves of the partial agonists. These results suggest that there are two
      subtypes of M3-cholinoceptors, PrBCM-sensitive receptors and PrBCM-resistant
      ones. Pilocarpine, a partial agonist, shifted the concentration-response curve of
      carbachol, a full agonist, in a parallel fashion in the strips treated with PrBCM
      (3 x 10(-6) M) for 50 min, suggesting that an interaction of pilocarpine with
      PrBCM-resistant cholinoceptors does not induce contraction. The full agonists
      contract the longitudinal muscle through the interaction of two cholinoceptors,
      PrBCM-sensitive and -resistant ones, while the partial agonists produce the
      contraction through the activation of PrBCM-sensitive ones.

PMID- 1880984
TI  - Effects of brain biogenic amines of repeated treatments with calcium antagonists.
AB  - Discrete brain sections were obtained from rats once or repeatedly (once a day
      for 5 days) given i.p. nifedipine, verapamil or diltiazem at doses ranging from 5
      to 20 mg/kg. The biogenic amines and metabolites in the hypothalamus, brainstem,
      hippocampus, striatum, cortex and thalamus-midbrain were determined by high
      performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The drug
      induced changes, displaying regional specificity and differences according to the
      various compounds, suggested that: (a) serotonergic systems were activated,
      especially in fasted rats or after repeated treatment; (b) the dopaminergic
      system of the striatum was inhibited by nifedipine which did reduce the HVA
      levels and the HVA/DA, as well as the DOPAC/DA, ratio. These effects disappeared
      after repeated treatment. It was also speculated that the data obtained could be
      of great interest in view of the possible use of calcium antagonists to treat
      disorders of the central nervous system.

PMID- 1880985
TI  - Chronopharmacology of the new uricosuric diuretic S-8666 in rats: (II).
      Examination in aged rats.
AB  - We have previously demonstrated a time-dependent variability in the diuretic
      effects of S-8666, a new loop diuretic with uricosuric activity, in young rats.
      The present study was undertaken to determine whether such a daily variation in
      the effects of the agent exists in aged rats. S-8666 (30 and 90 mg/kg) was orally
      given at 12:00 a.m. (day trial) or at 12:00 p.m. (night trial) in young (10-11
      week old) and aged (23-24 month old) Wistar rats. Urine was collected for 8 hours
      after the agent; and urinary excretions of sodium, S-8666 and its active
      metabolite S-8680 were determined. Urinary excretions of volume and sodium
      following S-8666 at 12:00 a.m. were greater than those at 12:00 p.m. in the young
      and aged animals. Urinary excretions of S-8666 and S-8680 were also greater in
      the day trial compared to those in the night trial in both groups of rats. In the
      day and night trials, there were significant correlations between urinary S-8666
      + S-8680 and the diuretic effects in both groups of rats. These findings indicate
      that the diuretic effects of S-8666 also vary with its time of dosing in aged
      rats. The time-dependent variations in urinary S-8666 and S-8680 might be
      involved in this phenomenon.

PMID- 1880986
TI  - Decrease in muscle tension and reduced pyridine nucleotides of the guinea pig
      ileal longitudinal smooth muscle in high K+,Na(+)-deficient solution.
AB  - In the present experiment, we studied the inhibitory mechanism of Na+ depletion
      on high K(+)-induced contraction by simultaneously measuring reduced pyridine
      nucleotides (PNred) or oxidized flavoproteins (FPox) fluorescence and contractile
      tension of the guinea pig ileal longitudinal muscle. Tension, PNred and FPox were
      all reversibly increased by the addition of hyperosmotic 65 mM KCl (H-65K+). A
      high K+, Na(+)-deficient (Iso-154K+) solution induced a contraction followed by a
      gradual relaxation and gradually decreased PNred fluorescence. A hyperosmotic
      addition of NaCl to the Iso-154K+ solution prevented the decreases in tension and
      PNred fluorescence. Addition of pyruvate or oxaloacetate restored the decrease in
      Iso-154K(+)-induced contraction, but not the decrease in PNred fluorescence. In
      contrast to the PNred fluorescence, an application of the Iso-154K+ solution
      increased the FPox fluorescence which was not significantly changed by an
      addition of NaCl, pyruvate or oxaloacetate. These results suggest that the
      inhibitory mechanism of Na+ depletion on the Iso-154K(+)-induced contraction is
      an inhibition of glucose utilization.

PMID- 1880987
TI  - Effects of antiestrogens on ovarian aldo-keto reductase in relation to ovulation
      in rats.
AB  - The pharmacological effects of antiestrogens on ovarian aldo-keto reductase and
      ovulation were investigated in rats. The activities of reduction of 13,14-dihydro
      15-keto-PGF2 alpha, 4-benzoylpyridine and menadione in ovarian cytosol were
      significantly decreased by antiestrogen treatments, and the ovulation was
      completely inhibited. However, administration of luteinizing hormone-releasing
      hormone at 3:00 p.m. on the day of proestrus restored both enzyme activities and
      ovulation, which were inhibited by antiestrogens, to control levels. These
      results indicate that nonsteroidal antiestrogen inhibits the luteinizing hormone
      surge on the day of proestrus in 4-day cycling rats and that ovarian aldo-keto
      reductase may be closely involved in the ovulatory process in rats.

PMID- 1880988
TI  - Observation of the development of tolerance to and physical dependence on
      barbital by cortical evoked potential in rats.
AB  - To observe the dispositional and functional tolerance to and physical dependence
      on barbital, the influence of repeated administration of the drug on serum
      barbital levels, coordinative motion, body weight, and cortical evoked potential
      was assessed. Rats administered the first dose of barbital showed marked
      impairment of gross behavior and then loss of the righting reflex. While they
      were repeatedly treated with barbital for a 4-week period, the CNS depression
      became weaker and weaker, and loss of the righting reflex was no longer observed.
      Serum barbital levels after administration of barbital tended to decrease by the
      28th day of repeated drug administration. Coordinative motion was markedly
      impaired after administration of the first dose, but gradually recovered during
      the repeated administration period. Barbital at 100 mg/kg, i.p., prolonged the
      latent time of the evoked potential in normal untreated rats but not in tolerant
      rats. During the withdrawal period, no particular change was observed in the
      animals' gross behavior. However, body weight loss and shortening of the latent
      time of the evoked potential were observed at 60 to 72 hours of withdrawal. These
      results suggest that cortical evoked potential can serve as a useful method for
      observing tolerance to and physical dependence on barbital.

PMID- 1880989
TI  - Effects of NZ-107 on tracheal responses to adenosine in the guinea pig.
AB  - We have investigated the effect of NZ-107, an inhibitor of bronchoconstriction
      induced by slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), on tracheal responses
      to adenosine in the guinea pig. In the presence of an adenosine uptake inhibitor,
      dipyridamole (1 microM), NZ-107 (0.3-1 microM) enhanced adenosine-induced
      relaxation in 30 nM leukotriene D4 (LTD4)-precontracted trachea, whereas
      aminophylline (AP, 10-30 microM), an adenosine receptor antagonist, markedly
      inhibited it. NZ-107 (1 microM) also enhanced the relaxation induced by
      forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, but not that by nitroprusside (NP), a
      guanylate cyclase activator. AP (30 microM) affected neither forskolin- nor NP
      induced relaxation. NZ-107 (1 microM) and AP (30 microM) inhibited to about the
      same extent the contractile response to an adenosine A1 receptor agonist, the R(
      )-enantiomer of N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (R-PIA). The R-PIA-induced
      contraction was completely blocked by 5 microM indomethacin. NZ-107 (1 microM)
      did not affect the contraction induced by PGD2, but significantly reduced that of
      PGF2 alpha. AP (30 microM) had no effect on PGF2 alpha- and PGD2-induced
      contractions. These results suggest that NZ-107 may have a unique profile for
      adenosine responses in bronchial asthma.

PMID- 1880990
TI  - Changes in convulsion susceptibility of lidocaine by alteration of brain
      catecholaminergic functions.
AB  - Influences of the manipulation of brain catecholaminergic neuronal activity on
      the incidence of lidocaine-induced convulsions in mice were studied and compared
      with those of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced convulsions. alpha-Methyl-p
      tyrosine (alpha-MPT) decreased both brain noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA)
      levels, and disulfiram decreased the NA level and increased the DA level. The
      incidence of lidocaine-induced convulsions was decreased by treatments with alpha
      MPT and disulfiram, while that of PTZ was increased by either treatment. The
      incidence of lidocaine-induced convulsions was slightly, but not significantly
      increased by L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), although the brain DA level was
      increased by L-DOPA. Methamphetamine and desipramine increased the incidences of
      lidocaine-induced convulsions. These results may suggest that brain
      catecholaminergic neurons, differing from their role in inhibiting control of PTZ
      seizure, act to facilitate lidocaine-induced convulsions.

PMID- 1880991
TI  - The response to acoustic stimulation and the changes in brain amine levels after
      repeated administration of beta-phenylethylamine in rats.
AB  - Reverse tolerance to stereotyped behavior was induced after repeated
      administration of beta-phenylethylamine (PEA) (50 mg/kg, i.p., daily for 10 days)
      in rats. The reverse tolerance was maintained for at least 4 weeks after the last
      administration. We studied the effects of acoustic stimulation on locomotor
      activity 2 days and 4 weeks after withdrawal from PEA and measured the changes in
      brain monoamine levels 4 weeks after the withdrawal. Locomotor activity during
      acoustic stimulation was increased in the saline treated group, and this response
      was unaffected after repeated PEA treatment. Four weeks after withdrawal,
      significant increases in noradrenaline levels in the cerebral cortex and
      decreases in 5-hydroxytryptamine levels in the hypothalamus were found. The
      effects of acoustic stimulation on locomotor activity and the changes in brain
      monoamine levels were different from those of methamphetamine treatment obtained
      in our previous study. In conclusion, it may be suggested that the response to
      acoustic stimulation after repeated PEA administration in rats cannot be a model
      for abnormal responsiveness to environmental stimulation that is observed in
      chronic paranoid schizophrenics.

PMID- 1880992
TI  - Histological detection of lipid peroxidation following infusion of tert-butyl
      hydroperoxide and ADP-iron complex in perfused rat livers.
AB  - Lipid peroxidation was assessed histologically and biochemically in hemoglobin
      free perfused rat livers using two different types of stimulators. The Schiff
      reaction of fuchsin with cellular aldehydes was used as a histological index for
      lipid peroxidation. t-Butyl hydroperoxide (BHP, 0.8 mM) infusion caused a rapid
      and sustained release of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) into the
      effluent perfusate for up to 60 min, which was accompanied by lactate
      dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage after 30 min. The Schiff positive foci were initially
      restricted to periportal zones and spread with time to whole areas, accompanied
      by periportal necrosis. Coinfusion of diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine suppressed the
      TBARS release, with negative fuchsin staining, but the LDH leakage was
      unaffected. Under retrograde perfusion, BHP produced pericentral staining and
      necrosis. With 2.5 mM ADP-100 microM Fe3+, little TBARS was released up to 60
      min, even though the hepatic TBARS levels increased considerably by this time. By
      90 min, marked TBARS release occurred, but LDH leakage remained low. Irrespective
      of the direction of perfusion, pericentral hepatocytes became Schiff positive
      after 30 min. The fuchsin staining method may be useful for detecting peroxidized
      zones of the liver lobules.

PMID- 1880993
TI  - Histological evidence for dissociation of lipid peroxidation and cell necrosis in
      bromotrichloromethane hepatotoxicity in the perfused rat liver.
AB  - Bromotrichloromethane (CBrCl3)-induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and cell
      necrosis were studied histologically and biochemically, using isolated perfused
      livers from phenobarbital-pretreated rats. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by
      fuchsin staining of the liver slices and release of thiobarbituric acid reactive
      substances (TBARS) into the perfusate; necrosis was assessed by trypan blue
      uptake and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. A good correlation was observed
      between the Schiff-positive reaction and TBARS release under various experimental
      conditions, supporting the validity of the fuchsin staining method for
      histological detection of lipid peroxidation. Lobular localization of lipid
      peroxidation and necrosis was as follows: Under high oxygen supply (95% O2
      saturated buffer), infusion of CBrCl3 caused the Schiff-positive reaction in the
      pericentral to midzonal hepatocytes, irrespective of the direction of perfusion,
      but did not produce necrosis. Under low oxygen supply (20% O2) with retrograde
      perfusion, dissociation of lipid peroxidation and necrosis was observed, i.e.,
      trypan blue uptake in the periportal zones and Schiff-positive staining in the
      pericentral hepatocytes. Thus, lipid peroxidation by itself may have a relatively
      minor role in the development of CBrCl3-induced acute hepatic cell death.

PMID- 1880994
TI  - Propylbenzilycholine mustard (PrBCM)-sensitive cholinoceptors and contractile
      response to partial agonist in guinea pig ileal muscle.
AB  - Pilocarpine, a partial agonist, activates propylbenzilylcholine mustard (PrBCM)
      sensitive cholinoceptors in the guinea pig ileal longitudinal muscle, while
      carbachol, a full agonist, predominantly activates PrBCM-resistant ones.
      Carbachol behaves as a partial agonist in the preparation treated with
      phenoxybenzamine and mainly activates PrBCM-sensitive cholinoceptors, as
      phenoxybenzamine preferably blocks PrBCM-resistant ones. The receptor occupancy
      response curve for carbachol became a rectangular hyperbola, while pilocarpine
      showed a linear relation. After occlusion of cholinoceptors with
      phenoxybenzamine, carbachol showed a linear receptor occupancy-response relation,
      suggesting that its contraction mechanisms after occlusion of cholinoceptors
      resemble those for pilocarpine. Both the agonists induced an increase in
      cytosolic Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]i) and tension development in a
      concentration-dependent manner under the conditions used herein. The slopes of
      the regression lines between [Ca2+]i and tension development for pilocarpine in
      the untreated preparation and for carbachol in the preparation treated with
      phenoxybenzamine were significantly steeper than that for carbachol in the
      untreated preparation, suggesting that carbachol in the phenoxybenzamine-treated
      preparation and pilocarpine induced a greater tension for a given increase in low
      [Ca2+]i than did carbachol. Thus an activation of PrBCM-sensitive cholinoceptors
      might enhance the Ca2+-sensitivity of the contractile elements.

PMID- 1880995
TI  - The inhibitory effect of a novel antiatheromatous agent, E5050, on the intimal
      thickening of aorta in cholesterol-fed rabbit in vivo.
AB  - The development of atheromatous lesions in the aortic arch of 0.5% cholesterol
      fed rabbits was biochemically and morphologically examined. The animals were
      killed at week twelve (Cont-12W) or sixteen (Cont-16W). Both the micrographic and
      biochemical studies showed that the main atheromatous lesions in the Cont-12W
      group were fatty streaks, whereas those in the Cont-16W group were fibrous
      plaques. In these models, oral ingestion of 0.2% and 0.4% E5050, which has an
      antiproliferative effect on smooth muscle cells, had no effect on the surface
      involvement or the lipid content of the aortic arch at the sixteenth week, but
      reduced the degree of intimal thickening and the DNA content in the aortic arch
      in a dose-dependent manner. These results strongly suggest that E5050 suppresses
      the intimal thickening through its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of
      smooth muscle cells.

PMID- 1880996
TI  - The effects of saikosaponin-d on yeast phagocytosis and degradation in peritoneal
      macrophages: related increase in Fc receptor expression and altered cytoplasmic
      organization.
AB  - The effects of saikosaponin-d (ssd), isolated from Bupleurum radix, on phagocytic
      functions of mouse peritoneal macrophages were investigated in macrophage
      cultures after treatment in vivo. We also compared the ultrastructural
      appearances of macrophages from ssd-treated mice with those from control mice.
      The macrophages from ssd-treated mice showed a significant increase in
      phagocytosis, intracellular killing of yeast and acid phosphatase activity.
      Treatment of mice with ssd also induced the Fc receptor expression in
      macrophages. The macrophages from ssd-treated mice showed more intense spreading
      on a glass surface than those from the control mice after a 60 min-incubation.
      Furthermore, the macrophages from ssd-treated mice seemed to possess a well
      developed Golgi apparatus and the large vacuoles. The data suggest that the
      functional changes in the macrophages from ssd-treated mice are brought about by
      a modification in the surface membrane and the intracellular distribution.

PMID- 1880997
TI  - Anti-nicotinic and anti-muscarinic actions of eperisone in the isolated canine
      atrium.
AB  - The effects of eperisone, an antispastic agent, on the chronotropic and inotropic
      responses to acetylcholine, nicotine or stimulation of intracardiac autonomic
      nerves were evaluated in isolated, blood-perfused canine atrium. Eperisone (10
      300 micrograms) injected into the sinus node artery of the isolated atrium
      produced dose-related negative chronotropic and inotropic effects, which were not
      affected by atropine. In the same doses, eperisone inhibited the negative
      chronotropic and inotropic responses to an injection of acetylcholine and
      intracardiac parasympathetic stimulation. Eperisone also suppressed the negative
      followed by positive cardiac responses to nicotine, but did not modify the
      positive responses to intracardiac sympathetic stimulation or norepinephrine. The
      inhibitory effect persisted much longer for the responses to nicotine or
      parasympathetic stimulation than for those to acetylcholine. These results
      suggest that eperisone at doses that induce direct cardiac depressant effects
      exerts its blocking action on nicotinic receptors at parasympathetic ganglia and
      sympathetic nerve terminals and on muscarinic receptors at the effector cells in
      the dog heart.

PMID- 1880998
TI  - Inhibitory effect of a biscoclaurine alkaloid, cepharanthin, on lung metastasis
      of Lewis lung carcinoma.
AB  - The antimetastatic effect of cepharanthin with or without 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
      was examined in an experimental model of lung metastasis induced by Lewis lung
      carcinoma (3LL) in C57BL/6crSlc mice. Injection of cepharanthin i.p. after
      removal of the implanted primary tumor inhibited the development of lung
      metastases. Combination therapy with cepharanthin plus 5-FU inhibited
      significantly the lung metastases. Lung metastases were inhibited by i.v.
      injection of peritoneal macrophages activated with cepharanthin. Cepharanthin
      depressed aniline hydroxylase and aminopyrine demethylase activities of the
      hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing system in tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, the
      concentration of 5-FU in the tissues (lung, liver, kidney, spleen and blood) was
      increased significantly by coadministration of cepharanthin. A possible mechanism
      of the inhibition of lung metastases by treatment with cepharanthin may be that
      this drug acts through macrophage activation and depression of the hepatic
      microsomal drug-metabolizing system. These findings raise the possibility that
      combination therapy with cepharanthin plus 5-FU may have clinical value in the
      prevention of cancer metastasis.

PMID- 1880999
TI  - Inhibitory regulation of serum factor(s)-caused ornithine decarboxylase induction
      by the protein kinase C system in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells.
AB  - Replacement of the culture medium with fresh medium containing 10% fetal calf
      serum caused ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) induction in A431 human epidermoid
      carcinoma cells. Two peaks of ODC activity were observed at 5 and 14 hr after the
      medium replacement. The peak activity observed at 5 hr was more prominent than
      that at 14 hr. The first peak of ODC induction was suppressed by a potent protein
      kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), in a
      concentration-dependent manner. The second peak, however, was not suppressed by
      TPA. Other potent protein kinase C activators, such as mezerein and 12-O
      retinoylphorbol-13-acetate, also suppressed the first peak of ODC induction.
      Synthetic diacylglycerols, 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol and 1-oleoyl-2
      acetylglycerol, did not inhibit the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction. Phorbol
      13-acetate, an inactive phorbol ester, also failed to inhibit the ODC induction.
      The growth of A431 cells was slightly suppressed by TPA. In protein kinase C down
      regulated cells, TPA failed to inhibit the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction.
      These results suggest that the serum factor(s)-caused ODC induction in A431 cells
      is negatively regulated by the protein kinase C system, which may not be
      activated by exogenous diacylglycerols.

PMID- 1881000
TI  - Withdrawal like responses of rat hippocampal slices following brief exposure to
      morphine.
AB  - An acutely acquired dependence was investigated in rat hippocampal slices after
      brief exposure to morphine. Morphine augmented the population spike amplitude.
      Naloxone not only reversed the augmentation but decreased the amplitude to a
      level below that of the control. The inhibitory effect of naloxone correlated
      with the period of preincubation with morphine. These results suggested that the
      decreased response may indicate the withdrawal state acquired in vitro.

PMID- 1881001
TI  - Exacerbation of doxorubicin toxicity by chlorpromazine in male ddY mice.
AB  - We examined whether chlorpromazine (CPZ) modulates the lethality of doxorubicin
      (DOX, 12 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice treated with CPZ (6 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 hr before
      administration of DOX. Pretreatment with CPZ produced: 1) earlier deaths and 2)
      an increase in the number of deaths, compared to the controls. Potentiation of
      the bone marrow toxicity of DOX by CPZ was also reflected in the drug lethality
      towards the animals.

PMID- 1881002
TI  - Prolonged inhibition of vascular contraction and calcium influx by the novel 1,4
      dihydropyridine calcium antagonist cinaldipine (FRC-8653).
AB  - We examined the effects of FRC-8653, a novel dihydropyridine calcium antagonist,
      on the contraction of an arterial preparation and the calcium influx into
      vascular smooth muscle cells to clarify the long-lasting hypotensive activity of
      this drug. Inhibition by FRC-8653 persisted for more than 7 hr after its removal,
      whereas nifedipine and nicardipine exhibited shorter durations of suppressive
      activity. These results suggest that prolonged inhibition of calcium influx
      through L-channels contributes to the long-lasting vasodilative and
      antihypertensive activity of FRC-8653.

PMID- 1881003
TI  - Effects of bifemelane hydrochloride, a brain function improver, on muscarinic
      receptors in the CNS of senescence-accelerated mouse.
AB  - Senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM-P/8) is known as a murine model of aging and
      memory dysfunction, compared with control mouse (SAM-R/1). In the hippocampus of
      9-month-old SAM-P/8, the Bmax of [3H]QNB binding was decreased compared with that
      of SAM-R/1 at the same age. Single and repeated administrations of bifemelane to
      SAM-P/8 induced an increase in the Bmax of [3H]QNB binding in the hippocampus.
      From these results, bifemelane seems to exert pharmacological effects through
      possible activation of the cholinergic system in the hippocampus of SAM.

PMID- 1881004
TI  - Diurnal variation in the diuretic effects of nitrendipine in saline loaded rats.
AB  - We have previously reported that the responsiveness of blood pressure to
      nitrendipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, varies with its time of
      administration. The present study was undertaken to examine whether the diuretic
      effects of the agent also show diurnal variation. Nitrendipine was given orally
      at 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. to rats, and urine was collected for 8 hours after
      administration. The urine volume and urinary sodium excretion were greater at 12
      p.m. than at 12 a.m. These data indicate that the cardiovascular as well as renal
      effects of nitrendipine vary with its time of administration.

PMID- 1881005
TI  - Intracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ regulation for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into
      mouse diaphragm muscles.
AB  - We investigated whether the changed levels of intracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ in
      mouse skeletal muscles affected insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Insulin alone
      had no effect on 45Ca2+ efflux and uptake. A23187 at 20 microM increased 45Ca2+
      influx and inhibited insulin-stimulated 14C-glucose uptake with normal external
      concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ or in the absence of both cations. These results
      suggest that the increase in Ca2+ influx into, and in Mg2+ efflux from, skeletal
      muscles may inhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake.

PMID- 1881006
TI  - Difference in pressor responses to NG-monomethyl-L-arginine between conscious and
      anesthetized rats.
AB  - NG-Monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 0.1-10 mg/kg, i.v.), a selective inhibitor of
      nitric oxide (NO) synthesis derived from L-arginine, elicited a greater increase
      in blood pressure in urethane/alpha-chloralose- and pentobarbital-anesthetized
      rats than in conscious Wistar rats. The pressor response to phenylephrine was
      almost equivalent in both conscious and anesthetized rats. These findings suggest
      that the experimental conditions (anesthetized or conscious) modify the
      spontaneously released NO's contribution to blood pressure regulation in vivo.

PMID- 1881007
TI  - [Clinical study on occupational uroepithelial cancer].
AB  - We experienced 32 cases of occupational uroepithelial cancer at Jichi Medical
      School Hospital from 1974 to 1990. All of them were dyestuff workers who had been
      engaged in production or handling of benzidine, beta-naphthylamine or alpha
      naphthylamine. In these 32 cases, upper urinary tract tumors were found in 7
      cases, one of these having bilateral lesions. The mean age when the tumor of the
      urinary tract was first disclosed was 48 years old, with a range of 36 to 66
      years old. The mean age of this occupational group was about 16 years younger
      than that of the spontaneous urinary tract tumor group in our hospital. We
      divided our cases into two groups according to duration of carcinogen exposure;
      less than 5 years and 5 years or more. However we did not obtain significant
      difference in the grade of tumors or prognosis between the two groups. But when
      we divided them into two groups according to the type of work; production group
      and handling group, 18 of 21 production workers had high grade tumors. On the
      other hand, only 3 of 11 handling workers had high grade tumors, which was a
      significant difference. Besides, 10 of 21 production workers or only one of 11
      handling workers were fatal. The difference was also significant. There was no
      significant correlation among the type of work, the duration of exposure and the
      age of onset. In our study, we showed that the type of work was quite important
      to predict the grade of tumors and the prognosis in occupational uroepithelial
      cancer patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881008
TI  - [A study of the metabolism of vitamin D in patients with renal cell carcinoma-
      with special reference to serum concentration of 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D and its
      clinical significance].
AB  - Recently it has been known that the active form of vitamin D, 1 alpha, 25
      dihydroxyvitamin D (1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D), plays some immunological roles in
      controlling cell differentiation and carcinogenesis. Moreover, 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D
      is said to have some effects in the changes of several numbers of oncogenes. In
      this study, the serum concentrations of 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D
      (25-(OH)2D) were measured in 30 patients with renal cell carcinoma. The two
      vitamin D metabolites were separated and purified using high performance liquid
      chromatography, and each fraction was subjected to competitive protein binding
      assay using vitamin D deficient rat serum for 25-(OH)2D and chick embryo
      intestinal receptors for 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D as the binder. The average
      concentration of serum 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D was 28.9 +/- 5.2 pg/ml for controls
      whereas the average in patients with renal cell carcinoma was 19.7 +/- 5.9 pg/ml.
      The concentration of 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D was significantly lower in the patients
      with renal cell carcinoma compared to in the controls (p less than 0.01). The
      average concentrations of serum 25-(OH)2D had no significant differences between
      the two groups. Comparison between the stage I + II and stage III + IV, T1 + T2
      and T3 + T4, rapid type and slow type groups showed that the average serum 1
      alpha, 25-(OH)2D concentrations was significantly lower in the stage III + IV, T3
      + T4, and rapid type groups compared to the other groups (p less than 0.01, p
      less than 0.05, p less than 0.01). And besides there were no significant
      correlations between the concentration of serum 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D and creatinine
      clearance in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Taken together, it is suggested
      that the serum concentration of 1 alpha, 25-(OH)2D is in some way correlated with
      the progression of renal cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1881009
TI  - [The significance of bacillus Calmette-Guerin in the therapy of carcinoma in situ
      of the bladder].
AB  - We treated ten patients with carcinoma in situ of the bladder (primary type, 6
      and secondary type, 4) by intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy. All
      patients received 8 weekly instillation, and among them 3 patients were followed
      by additional instillation monthly for 7 months. Complete regression (negative
      biopsies and cytology study) was observed after 8 weekly instillation in all
      patients. To elucidate the mechanism of action of BCG on carcinoma in situ, the
      biopsied specimens after BCG instillation were examined light and
      electronmicroscopically. It was speculated that BCG might act on cancer cells in
      two ways: one was sloughing and denudation of the cancer cells by acute
      tuberculous cystitis, and the other was a role of the macrophages through immune
      reaction. In our study, the toxicity and complications seemed to be much severer
      than previously reported. Vesicoureteral reflux was observed in 6 patients.
      Decreased bladder capacity noted in all patients, among them radical cystectomy
      and colocystoplasty were performed in 2 patients under the diagnosis of bladder
      contracture. Although complete regression was observed in all patients after 8
      weekly BCG instillation, the duration being free from cancer cells was variable.
      And we also discussed on the additional therapy in such patients in the
      literature.

PMID- 1881010
TI  - [Studies on the multiple-drug induction immunosuppressive therapies with
      cyclosporine after renal transplantation].
AB  - Our induction immunosuppressive therapies were carried out on patients split into
      three groups. The first group of 25 recipients were treated with regimen I
      [cyclosporin (CsA); 12 mg/kg/day and prednisolone (Pred)]. The second group of 16
      recipients were treated with regimen II [CsA; 6 mg/kg/day, Pred and mizoribine
      (MIZ) or azathioprine (AZA)]. The third group of 14 recipients were treated with
      regimen III [CsA; 10 mg/kg/day, Pred and MIZ or AZA]. There was no significant
      difference among the three groups in renal function three months after renal
      transplantation. The frequency and grade of rejection were significantly higher
      in Group II than in the other groups. One of group I had CsA nephrotoxicity and
      none of group III had liver dysfunction three months after renal transplantation.
      Group I had a higher incidence of posttransplant hypertension. Hypertension of
      group I was very severe. We concluded that the triple-drug therapy on group III
      was the best induction immunosuppressive therapy after renal transplantation of
      the above three.

PMID- 1881011
TI  - [Percutaneous management of benign ureteroileal anastomotic strictures after
      ileal conduit urinary diversion].
AB  - We report our experience with the endourological treatment of 4 patients with 5
      benign ureteroileal anastomotic strictures after ileal conduit urinary diversion.
      The treatment was successful in 4 of the 5 renal units without restenosis with a
      mean follow up of 10 months. The strictures were dilated by ureteral dilators
      and/or balloon dilation catheters using guide wires through percutaneous
      nephrostomies in an antegrade fashion. A 9 or 12 Fr. percutaneous splint catheter
      or a 12 Fr. double pig tail catheter was placed for 3-8 weeks after a successful
      dilation. Two renal units underwent repeated dilations. In 1 renal unit, a guide
      wire was hardly passed through the stricture and the treatment was unsuccessful.
      No serious complications were encountered. Percutaneous endourological
      managements of ureteroileal anastomotic strictures seemed to be quite versatile
      techniques which should be tried as the initial approach in many cases.

PMID- 1881012
TI  - [Effects of olfactory tubercle stimulation on efferent activities in the vesical
      branch of the pelvic nerve and in the urethral branch of the pudendal nerve in
      dogs].
AB  - Experiments were performed to elucidate the effects of stimulation of the
      olfactory tubercle on the urinary bladder and external urethral sphincter in 31
      dogs anesthetized with ketamine and alpha-chloralose and immobilized with
      gallamine. The hypogastric nerve was severed in all dogs, and the bladder was
      filled with Tyrode's solution under constant pressure (15-20 cmH2O). The outflows
      of the pelvic vesical branch (PV) and the pudendal urethral branch (PU) and
      isotonic vesical contractions were recorded simultaneously. Stimulation (5-100
      Hz, 3 msec, 0.2 mA) was applied through a unipolar platinum electrode (50
      microns, in diameter) inserted into the olfactory tubercle from the ventral
      surface. Olfactory tubercle stimulation elicited PV excitation (bladder
      contraction) and concomitant PU inhibition (urethral relaxation), but no reverse
      effect. Electrical stimulation was applied to the excitatory points at varied
      frequencies (5-100 Hz). PV excitation and bladder contraction were produced at
      10, 20, 50 and 100 Hz, but not at 5 Hz. In another group, the vesicopressor
      pathway from the tubercle was investigated by partial sectioning of the brain
      stem in dogs from which the left fore- and mid-brain had been previously removed.
      The vesicopressor response induced by tubercle stimulations was not abolished by
      sectioning of the medial preoptic area, medial hypothalamus or periaqueductal
      grey, but was abolished by sectioning of the lateral preoptic area, lateral
      hypothalamus or ventral mesencephalic tegmentum, respectively. At the rostral
      pontine level, the response was abolished by partial sectioning of the lateral
      part of the pontine reticular formation ipsilateral to the stimulation.

PMID- 1881013
TI  - [Study of satellite tumor nodules in renal cell carcinoma].
AB  - Topography and histological types of main tumor and satellite tumor nodules (STN)
      were investigated on 60 cases of renal cell carcinoma by gross and microscopic
      study by making whole area histological sections. 30-100 histological slides were
      made from the median sagittal section and multiple horizontal sections of renal
      cell carcinoma. STN were observed in 28 cases of the 60 cases (46.7%) and could
      be classified into 3 types according to their location relative to the main
      tumor. STN could not be observed in some cases despite the large main tumor of 10
      cm or more, while STN were observed in some cases with the main tumor of only 2.5
      cm or less. High grade and high stage cases showed a high incidence of STN. It is
      considered that, only in cases, with the tumors of low grade, low stage and has
      only 1 STN or less, conservative surgery on renal parenchyma is possible. When
      the case is of low grade and low stage and has a possibility of preserving normal
      renal parenchyma, conservative surgery on renal parenchyma may be justified even
      if the tumor is large.

PMID- 1881014
TI  - [Clinical studies of bacteriuria in renal transplantation recipients. Correlation
      with pyuria and symptomatic genitourinary tract infection].
AB  - The clinical state of bacteriuria and its correlation with pyuria and symptomatic
      genitourinary tract infection (GUTI) were studied in 42 renal transplantation
      recipients who were followed up in the Kidney Center of Tokyo Women's Medical
      College over 6 months and who showed bacteriuria more than 3 times between
      January and December in 1987. The results were as follows. 1) Of the 42
      recipients, bacteriuria was found less than 5 times in 19 patients, 6 to 10 times
      in 18 patients and more than 11 times in 5 patients. There was a tendency for the
      same bacteria to be isolated several times from the same patient. The most
      commonly isolated bacterias were Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Serratia and E.
      coli. 2) Bacteriuria was accompanied by pyuria in 33 patients (79%) and by
      symptomatic GUTI in 12 patients (29%). Bacteriuria without pyuria was shown in 9
      patients (21%) without symptomatic GUTI and it was suggested that bacteriuria did
      not result in graft hypofunction after two years. 3) Of 16 patients with
      bacteriuria accompanied by pyuria, symptomatic GUTI occurred in 9 patients (56%).
      Of these, one patient was found to have VUR of the transplanted kidney, another
      was found to have VUR of the native kidney, and a third patient died due to
      interstitial pneumonitis presumably as a result of overimmunosuppression.
      Transplantation recipients with bacteriuria accompanied by pyuria develop
      symptomatic GUTIs frequently and should be treated with proper antibacterial
      agents. When bacteriuria continues, further examination should be performed for
      an organic disease of the urinary tract or an overimmunosuppressed state. When a
      patient shows bacteriuria without pyuria, chemotherapy is not needed and it is
      sufficient to observe the course carefully.

PMID- 1881015
TI  - [Continuous monitoring of penile rigidity and tumescence in Japanese without
      erectile dysfunction].
AB  - Continuous monitoring of penile rigidity and tumescence has been proved to be of
      use for accurate diagnosis of erectile impotence, since it provides objective
      recording of penile rigidity as well as circumferential expansion. Prior to
      clinical use of this procedure in Japan, a study was performed to clarify normal
      features of nocturnal penile tumescence of Japanese and to ensure safety of this
      procedure. The subjects consisted of 16 normal volunteers, aged from 24 to 44
      years. With fully informed consent of the volunteers, nocturnal penile rigidity
      and circumferential expansion were simultaneously measured for three consecutive
      nights by means of RigiScan at the base of the penis (base) and at about five
      millimeters proximal to the coronary sulcus (tip). The minimum circumference of
      the penis was 62.7 +/- 4.6 mm (mean +/- SD) at the tip and 65.4 +/- 9.3 mm at the
      base. The maximum circumference, which meant full erection in the normal
      volunteers, was 102.5 +/- 14.2 mm at the tip and 108.6 +/- 14.7 mm at the base.
      The mean duration of tumescence, i.e. circumference expansion more than 10 mm,
      was 23.0 +/- 6.9 minutes at the tip and 38.3 +/- 12.0 minutes at the base. The
      mean rate of episodes of circumference expansion more than 10 mm was 0.75 +/-
      0.27 per hour at the tip and 0.70 +/- 0.26 per hour at the base. The maximum
      rigidity lasting more than 10 minutes was 82.9 +/- 10.1% at the tip and 85.4 +/-
      8.4% at the base.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881016
TI  - [The meanings of the papaverine test].
AB  - Intracavernous administration of papaverine is now commonly employed for
      diagnosis and therapy of impotence. To assess the pharmacokinetics of papaverine,
      we recorded its concentration in peripheral blood and also in cavernous blood
      after intravenous and intracavernous injection of 40 mg of papaverine. Peripheral
      blood was sampled serially after injection. Plasma was immediately extracted and
      then kept at at -40 degrees C until analysis. High pressure liquid chromatography
      was used to record the concentration of papaverine. The maximum serum
      concentration of papaverine measured after intracavernous injection was 7.7
      ng/ml, which was considerably lower than the average serum concentration of 24.0
      ng/ml after intravenous injection. Peak serum concentration was reached 1 min
      after intravenous injection and 10 min after intracavernous injection. It is
      clear that the corpus cavernosum constitutes a separate pharmacokinetic
      compartment. Therefore there was no significant difference between the papaverine
      concentration in peripheral blood of patients who showed full erection after
      intracavernous injection and that of patients who did not achieve erection. The
      concentration of papaverine in the intracavernous blood of a fully erected penis
      was only about 1 microgram/ml after 20 min. This concentration is similar to that
      in cavernous blood of those who showed excessively persistent erection. Our
      results imply that papaverine administered into the cavernous space relaxes
      smooth muscle, and is then washed out to general circulation, and the
      concentration in the cavernous space reaches a low level of about 1 microgram/ml.
      The low concentration level is maintained for several hours during erection.
      Therefore, we presume that papaverine acts on both the inflow system and smooth
      muscle of cavernous tissue in the phase of producing erections.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881017
TI  - [Histopathological findings of prostate carcinoma--nuclear anaplasia (NAN) and
      structural atypism (SAT)].
AB  - Most of the previous publications have focused mainly on structural atypism (SAT)
      or differentiation in the studies on histopathological findings of prostate
      carcinoma. We studied nuclear anaplasia (NAN) as well as SAT in prostate
      carcinoma, comparing with differentiation grade or Gleason's pattern, to find
      NAN's clinical implication. We also compared histopathological findings of
      prostate carcinoma in our cases with those in U.S.A. Analysis of NAN grade and
      SAT grade distribution in stages revealed a correlation between the grades and
      the stages, in which SAT1 or NAN1 decreased while SAT3 or NAN3 increased in their
      frequencies as stage progressed. A similar correlation was found between mean
      value of SAT + NAN grade and stage. While NAN grade and SAT grade agreed with
      each other in 70% of the patients with prostate carcinoma, that was not the case
      in the remaining patients. This suggested a complementary relationship between
      NAN grade and SAT grade in some patients. A similar relationship was found
      between NAN grade and Gleason's pattern. These results suggest that, in a non
      negligible number of patients, the NAN grade does not agree with the SAT grade or
      Gleason's pattern which is defined by atypism in the glandular structure. Disease
      specific survival in each SAT grade could be further defined by the NAN grade.
      For example, in both SAT2 and SAT3, NAN3 tended to have a poorer prognosis than
      NAN2. Thus, NAN grading system would furnish more accurate information to predict
      the patients' clinical course.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881018
TI  - [Clinical observations of plasma fibronectin in patients with urological
      malignant disease].
AB  - Fibronectin (FN) is a high molecular weight glycoprotein widely distributed in
      the body and has a number of biological activities. Recently, there have been
      reports on the relationship between plasma fibronectin (pFN) levels and malignant
      diseases, but the significance of pFN is still unclear. Using immunoturbidimetric
      assay, we measured pFN levels of 24 healthy controls and 61 patients with
      urological malignant diseases, and obtained the following results. 1. pFN levels
      before treatment. 1) pFN level was 379 +/- 60.6 micrograms/ml and 356 +/- 123.7
      micrograms/ml in the healthy controls and patients, respectively. There was no
      significant difference. 2) pFN level in patients with metastases was 320 +/- 92.9
      micrograms/ml and had no statistical difference as compared with patients without
      metastases (371 +/- 132.7 micrograms/ml) and controls, despite the decrease in
      the mean value. 3) pFN level in patients with poor prognosis (300 +/- 107.8
      micrograms/ml) was significantly lower than that in patients with good prognosis
      (410 +/- 157.2 micrograms/ml) and controls (p less than 0.05). 2. pFN levels
      during conservative treatments for advanced disease. pFN level in patients with a
      rapid progressive disease (287 +/- 64.4 micrograms/ml) was significantly lower
      than that in patients with a slow progressive disease (327 +/- 43.3
      micrograms/ml) (p less than 0.01). These data suggest that low pFN level predicts
      rapid progression of the disease and poor prognosis in patients with a urological
      malignant disease.

PMID- 1881019
TI  - [Surgical enucleation for renal cell carcinoma. A case report].
AB  - We present a case of bilateral synchronous renal cell carcinoma treated with
      surgical enucleation. Urological consultation was asked to evaluate masses of the
      kidneys, which were detected during a diagnostic imaging on a 58-year-old man
      with hepatic disorder. Excretory urograms showed definite bilateral upper pole
      renal masses. Bilateral selective renal angiograms disclosed neovascularity in
      the small masses. Surgical enucleation of the left renal tumor by a flank
      approach was performed. The surgical specimen being 3.5 by 2.5 by 2 cm (29 g) was
      pseudoencapsulated and was identified renal cell carcinoma of the clear cell
      type, grade 1. INF alpha, pathologically. Seven weeks after, a pseudoencapsulated
      tumor of 3 by 2.5 by 2 cm (16 g) in the right upper pole was removed by simple
      enucleation. The pathological diagnosis was renal cell carcinoma of clear cell
      type, grade 2, INF alpha. The patient is well without evidence of recurrent or
      any residual disease at 21 months after the second operation. Renal function
      remains with in normal limits (CCr 110 ml/min). Of our collected cases of
      bilateral synchronous renal carcinomas treated by bilateral conservative surgery,
      clinical data are available for 11. Including our case, a total of 12 cases are
      reviewed.

PMID- 1881020
TI  - Benign breast disease.

PMID- 1881021
TI  - Anticoagulants in heart disease.

PMID- 1881022
TI  - Home run.

PMID- 1881023
TI  - Third-party payers and the physician's duty of confidentiality.

PMID- 1881024
TI  - Recent developments in diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
AB  - Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the major cancers that Chinese
      radiotherapists have to treat, because of its high incidence which shows a
      tendency to increase. Although results of radiotherapy in NPC have improved
      markedly during the last decade, treatment at an early stage of the disease is
      the most effective. It is therefore important to make the diagnosis early, and
      recently serological surveys by IgA/VCA show its efficacy in high risk
      populations. Histological diagnosis so far has not correlated to prognosis, and
      new histological classifications have been proposed by many authors. The
      importance of CT scans in diagnosis and treatment is stressed. Criteria for
      clinical staging of NPC will have to be reconsidered, especially the T staging,
      as 80% of cases formerly classified as T1 may already have paranasopharyngeal
      extension, as shown on CT scans. The technique of radiotherapy has not changed
      much essentially since the advent of telecobaltherapy. However, various
      institutions have their own special variations. The most striking advance is the
      use of high-dose rate afterloading brachytherapy as boost for residual disease or
      as main treatment for nasopharyngeal recurrences. Finally, the role of
      chemotherapy in the radiation treatment of NPC is discussed, and the paper
      concludes with some remarks on the future outlook in the diagnosis and treatment
      of NPC.

PMID- 1881025
TI  - Treatment of Graves' orbitopathy in 1990.
AB  - In a mechanical sense, we understand how the orbital changes and the symptoms of
      endocrine ophthalmopathy develop. Expansion of the retrobulbar tissues results in
      forward displacement of the globe beyond the protective cover of the eyelids.
      Lymphocytic infiltration, followed by fibrosis of the extraocular muscles and the
      eyelid retractors, leads to diplopia and corneal exposure. Glycosaminoglycans,
      which are water binding molecules, accumulate in the retrobulbar tissues of
      patients with orbitopathy and add to the bulk to the retrobulbar tissues.
      Proptosis at first serves to relieve retrobulbar pressure but eventually the
      restrictive action of the extraocular muscles and the orbital septum limits
      protrusion of the globe. As forward motion is restricted, pressure from the
      expanded tissues rises in the confined retrobulbar space, and the optic nerve may
      be compressed and functionally impaired. If one thinks of the central problem in
      orbitopathy as being a discrepancy between the volume of the bony orbit and the
      bulk of the tissues it is supposed to contain, then it follows that effective
      treatment must either shrink the swollen tissues or make more space available for
      them. Medical therapy attempts to shrink the swollen tissues by steroids,
      radiotherapy or cyclosporin. Surgery relies on making more space available for
      the swollen tissues and can be modified for each patient. Further rehabilitation
      for diplopia can be managed with prisms or extraocular muscle surgery. Non-urgent
      eyelid surgery follows completion of extraocular muscle surgery. Close
      collaboration with an interested endocrinologist is essential.

PMID- 1881026
TI  - Anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB) antibodies in lupus erythematosus and Sjogren's
      syndrome.
AB  - Anti-Ro(SSA) and La(SSB) antibody determinations have become important serologic
      tests in the evaluation of lupus erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome patients.
      These antibodies appear to identify a group of lupus patients with prominent skin
      diseases. Although much of the initial investigations regarding the value of
      these antibodies has been performed in the United States and Europe, preliminary
      studies suggest that the frequency of these antibodies in Japanese and other
      Oriental patients may be double that seen in American patients. This article will
      briefly review our knowledge of the molecular, immunogenetic and clinical
      features of the anti-Ro(SSA) and anti-La(SSB) antibody responses.

PMID- 1881027
TI  - Antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin in combination with cisplatin on human lymphoma
      cells at various cell densities in vitro.
AB  - The influence of tumor cell density on the antitumor effect of doxorubicin (DXR)
      in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) was studied in vitro using DND-39A lymphoma
      cells. DXR was progressively less effective on colony formation inhibition when
      cell density was increased from 10(5) to 10(8) viable cells/ml (positive inoculum
      effect), whereas the effect of CDDP was not influenced by cell densities. At a
      density of 10(5) cells/ml, inhibition of colony formation was virtually identical
      irrespective of cells being exposed to DXR and CDDP either simultaneously or
      sequentially. When cell density was increased to 10(7) and 10(8) cells/ml,
      sequential exposure to CDDP followed by DXR was more active than simultaneous or
      reversed order of exposure to the two drugs. These results indicate that for DXR
      CDDP combination chemotherapy against the cells at high density, the proper
      sequence of the treatment should be the administration of CDDP followed by DXR,
      rather than simultaneous or reversed order of exposure. Inoculum effect may be an
      additional determinant for the rational development of combination chemotherapy.

PMID- 1881028
TI  - Biochemical analysis of glycosphingolipids in murine uterus and human uterine
      endometrium with special reference to the sexual cycle.
AB  - Uterus is an organ in which cellular proliferation and differentiation are
      strictly controlled by sex steroid hormones. Since we found a characteristic
      expression of sulfatide (I 3SO3-GalCer) in the human endometrium during its
      secretory phase, we decided to analyze developmental changes of glycolipids in
      murine uteri with special reference to the estrous cycle. Moreover, we analyzed
      sulfotransferase activity for the synthesis of sulfatide in the endometria in the
      proliferative and secretory phases and that in the epithelial and stromal cells
      derived from the human uterine endometrium. In the murine uterus, contents of
      GlcCer, LacCer, and Gb4Cer were relatively constant both during estrus and
      diestrus, but those of Gb3Cer and Gg4Cer during estrus were significantly greater
      than those during diestrus. In contrast, GM3 and sulfatide contents during
      diestrus were higher than those during estrus. This increase in GM3 and sulfatide
      during diestrus was characteristically observed in the uterus after sexual
      maturity. In human uterine endometrium, sulfotransferase activity for the
      synthesis of sulfatide was found only in the epithelial cells, but not in the
      stromal cells. Furthermore, the synthetic potential of sulfatide in the human
      endometrium was higher in the secretory phase than in the proliferative phase.
      Thus, sulfatide metabolism in human endometrial epithelial cells as well as in
      the murine uterus is supposed to be well controlled under hormonal regulation,
      and sulfatide may participate in several reproductive functions of the uterus.

PMID- 1881029
TI  - Clinical heterogeneity in acute myelogenous leukemia with the 8;21 translocation.
AB  - Nine acute myelogenous leukemia(AML) patients with a translocation 8;21, who were
      treated at Keio University Hospital between 1983 and August 1990, were reviewed.
      All of them were classified into AML-M2 subtype of the French-American-British
      classification. It formed 43% of all M2 cases. The patients' mean age was 47
      years. Neutrophil alkaline phosphatase score was lower than normal and complete
      remission(CR) was achieved in all cases. In statistical analysis, patients with
      the t(8;21) showed a longer CR duration and a higher percentage of eosinophils
      than the other AML-M2 patients without this karyotype (p less than 0.05, p less
      than 0.01, respectively). As an additional chromosomal abberation, two patients
      showed a loss of Y chromosome at first diagnosis and another patient did a
      deletion of 12p at the 3rd relapse and an elongation of 20q in addition to the
      12p- at the 4th relapse. Although patients with the t(8;21) are regarded as a
      favorable group in respect of survival, we found a subset of patients who had
      poor prognosis. Some of them were accompanied with solid tumor formation. Only
      one patient has lived longer than 5 years. These findings suggest that AML with
      the t(8;21) is clinically heterogenous.

PMID- 1881030
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback activity after acute reductions in renal mass.
AB  - Removal of one kidney results in prompt increases in urinary excretion of NaCl
      and water from the remaining kidney, followed rather soon thereafter by increases
      in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). At 12-15 h and 24 h after contralateral
      nephrectomy, the single nephron filtration rate (SNGFR) is increased, accompanied
      by parallel increases in absolute proximal tubular reabsorption, late proximal
      tubular and early distal tubular flow rates, suggesting that these events might
      be critical to the increased urinary excretion. However, micropuncture studies 2
      4 h after contralateral nephrectomy demonstrate that increased SNGFR and even
      increased distal tubular flow rates are not requirements for augmented urinary
      excretion, suggesting that decreased tubular reabsorption in the most distal
      nephron segments causes the increase in urinary excretion. Analysis of TGF
      profiles by stop-flow pressure response at 2-4 h after contralateral nephrectomy
      have suggested suppression of TGF as assessed by a rightward shift in the turning
      point with increasing late proximal tubular perfusion. However, our studies have
      examined SNGFR responses and shown no suppression of TGF profiles but a downward
      shift in the operating point, suggesting activation of TGF and a modest reduction
      in SNGFR, determined from distal tubular collections. Although SNGFR was
      increased at all late proximal perfusion rates 12 h after nephrectomy, the
      turning point (V 1/2) was not altered. TGF profiles are not suppressed within 12
      h after nephrectomy while SNGFR is increased. Suppression of TGF does not cause
      the increase in SNGFR after nephrectomy and TGF activity is maintained and adapts
      to increases in SNGFR caused by TGF-independent mechanisms.

PMID- 1881031
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback in renal hypertrophy.

PMID- 1881032
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback in obstructive uropathy.
AB  - The tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism was studied in rats with chronic
      partial ureteral occlusion (hydronephrosis) with the use of the stop-flow
      pressure techniques and measurements of single nephron glomerular filtration
      rate. In hydropenic conditions, TGF was normal in hydronephrotic kidneys, but TGF
      sensitivity and activity increased in response to extracellular volume expansion,
      which is the opposite of normal resetting. The increased sensitivity may be due
      to an increased production of thromboxane A2 in the hydronephrotic kidney, since
      both inhibition of thromboxane synthetase and blockade of
      thromboxane/prostaglandin endoperoxide receptors normalized the resetting during
      volume expansion. Pelvic pressure in hydronephrotic kidneys was low in hydropenia
      and increased moderately during volume expansion. Thromboxane synthesis
      inhibition before volume expansion allowed pelvic pressure to increase by more
      than 100% as compared with untreated hydronephrotics. Also, when pelvic pressure
      increases were prevented during volume expansion, TGF resetting was normalized.
      An increased thromboxane synthesis during volume expansion may be protective in
      hydronephrotic kidneys, in that TGF resets to a higher sensitivity to prevent
      increases in glomerular filtration rate and urine formation which otherwise would
      increase pelvic pressure. A resetting to a higher sensitivity was also elicited
      by intraarterial or intratubular administration of bradykinin. This suggests that
      thromboxane release may be mediated through an increased bradykinin production
      during volume expansion in hydronephrotics. In contrast, bradykinin resets TGF to
      a lower sensitivity in control kidneys.

PMID- 1881033
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback in one-kidney, one-clip hypertensive rats.
AB  - Previous studies have shown that hydropenic one-kidney, one-clip (1-K, 1-C)
      hypertensive HT rats exhibit impaired autoregulation of glomerular filtration
      rate (GFR) in response to reduced arterial perfusion pressure. We investigated
      the possible role of altered tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) activity in this
      phenomenon. Uninephrectomized Wistar rats were studied acutely 3 weeks after
      placing silver clips (0.2 mm) on the renal artery. Experiments were performed in
      1-K,1-C HT rats and in uninephrectomized control animals. TGF activity was
      assessed as changes in proximal tubule stop-flow pressure (SFP) in response to
      orthograde microperfusion from 0 to 80 nl/min into late proximal tubule segments.
      Only the highest perfusion rates (approximately 40 nl/min) into late proximal
      tubule segments resulted in maximal decreases in SFP, indicating a marked
      rightward shift of overall TGF activity in 1-K,1-C HT rats. Similar responses
      were observed in the uninephrectomized animals. In contrast, changes of SFP were
      observed at lower perfusion rates in normal animals and maximal responses were
      observed at perfusion rates of approximately 20 nl/min. These observations are
      consistent with the possibility that altered TGF activity contributes to impaired
      autoregulation of GFR in 1-K,1-C HT rats in response to reduced renal perfusion
      pressure. In response to treatment with i.v. captopril, the 1-K,1-C HT rats
      exhibited marked decreases in systemic arterial pressure associated with
      decreases in SFP and virtually complete inhibition of TGF activity. It is
      attractive to hypothesize that these alterations in TGF characteristics in the 1
      K,1-C HT rats play a significant pathophysiologic role in the acute renal
      dysfunction observed in response to acute decreases of blood pressure during
      conditions of augmented angiotensin activity. Additional future studies will
      allow us to address the precise role for intrarenal angiotensin in these
      phenomena.

PMID- 1881034
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback response in rats with antithymocyte serum-induced
      glomerular lesions.
AB  - Glomerular function and tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) responses were studied in
      rats treated with antithymocyte rabbit serum (ATS). Microscopic findings revealed
      extensive mesangial cell loss and injury, enlarged capillary lumen, and decreased
      tortuosity of glomerular capillaries. Whole kidney GFR and SNGFR were lower in
      ATS-treated rats than in control rats (1.04 +/- 0.04 vs 0.94 +/- 0.03 ml/min/g
      kidney weight, 32 +/- 2 vs 27 +/- 1 nl/min, respectively) due to a decrease in Kf
      (0.017 +/- 0.001 vs 0.021 +/- 0.001 nl/s/mmHg). The magnitude of the TGF
      responses of SNGFR was less in ATS rats than in control rats (17% +/- 4% vs 34%
      +/- 5%), but that of SFP was not significantly different (18% +/- 2% vs 23% +/-
      1%). These results indicate that the mesangial cells are necessary for full
      expression of the TGF mechanism and suggest the involvement of changes in Kf in
      the TGF mechanism.

PMID- 1881035
TI  - Endothelin effects on renal function and tubuloglomerular feedback.
AB  - Analysis of our data in conjunction with other recent literature allows the
      following conclusions regarding the role of endothelin in the tubuloglomerular
      feedback control mechanism and in the pathogenesis of acute ischemic renal
      failure: (1) Endothelin reduces nephron filtration rate in the nephrons with
      interrupted signal perception at the macula densa, in accord with preglomerular
      arteriolar constriction. Yet, the increase in filtration fraction in the whole
      kidney clearance study suggests a preferential postglomerular arteriolar
      constriction. Taken together, endothelin, which is a very potent renal
      vasoconstrictor, seems to constrict both preglomerular and postglomerular
      arterioles with a predominant constriction of the latter at the doses employed.
      (2) The endothelin-induced natriuresis is due to a fall in tubular reabsorption,
      reflecting a direct tubular action, possibly related to an elevation in blood
      pressure. (3) At the doses of endothelin used and under the present experimental
      conditions, changes in the magnitude of tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) response
      or the feedback characteristic could not be detected. (4) No evidence was found
      for a participation of endothelin in the pathogenesis of acute postischemic renal
      failure, as evidenced by the absence of an improvement in glomerular filtration
      after treatment with endothelin antiserum.

PMID- 1881036
TI  - Sodium and potassium load in the loop of Henle, measured with intact and blocked
      tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism in juxtamedullary nephrons.
AB  - For the juxtamedullary nephrons only the loop of Henle is easily accessible for
      micropuncture. We have shown that the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism
      is highly activated in these nephrons. Techniques have been developed for
      measurements on these nephrons without disrupting the normal flow to the macula
      densa. The tubular flow rate was measured by a real-time videodensitometric
      method in juxtamedullary nephrons in Lewis x DA rats. For the determination of
      tubular fluid composition a small fraction (less than 10%) of the fluid was
      sampled. Measurements were also performed according to the conventional
      technique, where all the tubular fluid was sampled. Despite a more than twofold
      increase in tubular flow rate when the flow to the macula densa region was
      interrupted, sodium concentration was only reduced by 25%, whereas potassium
      concentration was reduced by 40%. The results demonstrate that interruption of
      the urine flow to the macula densa results in a 52% increase in the tubular load
      of Na in the loop of Henle of juxtamedullary nephrons, and a corresponding
      increase of 24% for K. Thus, TGF exerts a strong influence on these nephrons
      which is why previous data on water and electrolyte loads, based on stop-flow
      measurements, greatly overestimate these loads.

PMID- 1881037
TI  - Adenosine mediates tubuloglomerular feedback response: an element of metabolic
      control of kidney function.
AB  - Numerous studies have shown during the past 10 years that adenosine is present in
      the normoxic kidney and accumulates when ATP hydrolysis prevails over ATP
      synthesis. Local generation of adenosine by the macula densa cells and its
      release into the interstitium of the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) is
      considered to be the link between the enhanced NaCl concentration in the tubular
      fluid and the subsequent responses including preglomerular vasoconstriction and
      reduction of renin release by the juxtaglomerular cells. Micropuncture and
      microperfusion experiments using specific adenosine agonists and antagonists
      support the concept that adenosine functions as a mediator in the signal
      transmission of the JGA.

PMID- 1881038
TI  - Role of proximal tubular reabsorption for the intrarenal control of GFR.

PMID- 1881039
TI  - Chronic dietary salt loading: resetting of tubuloglomerular feedback control of
      renal hemodynamics by an adrenal hormone.
AB  - Experiments were performed in chronically salt loaded rats (4 g% NaCl diet for 2
      weeks) to determine whether the resetting of tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) by a
      humoral inhibitor in tubular fluid is caused by a humoral factor from the adrenal
      glands. TGF response was assessed by measuring NGFR in the absence of loop of
      Henle perfusion and during perfusion at 40 nl/min with tubular fluid from normal
      or salt loaded rats and expressed as NGFR40/NGFR0. (1) Loop of Henle perfusion
      with tubular fluid from normal rats elicited a TGF response of 50.3% +/- 7.9%
      (mean +/- SEM) in normal rats and 57.2% +/- 7.9% in salt loaded rats. With
      tubular fluid from high salt rats, TGF response in normal rats was 97.4% +/- 6.3%
      and in salt loaded rats 98.0% +/- 1.6%. Participation of adrenal steroids in the
      inhibition is suggested by the following results: (2) Acute adrenalectomy (ADX)
      in high salt rats abolished the TGF inhibitory potency of high salt tubular
      fluid. TGF response in salt loaded rats with high salt tubular fluid from high
      salt ADX rats was 62.3% +/- 3.0%. Substitution of high salt ADX rats with
      matching adrenal venous blood from high salt rats restored TGF inhibition. (3)
      With cross over experiments the effect of heterologous adrenal venous blood
      substitution on TGF inhibitory activity was studied. The TGF response in high
      salt rats with high salt tubular fluid and tubular fluid from normal ADX rats
      substituted with adrenal venous blood collected from high salt rats was 88.9% +/-
      5.5% and 91.7% +/- 6.0%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881040
TI  - Hyperreactivity of tubuloglomerular feedback in chronically salt-loaded
      spontaneous hypertensive rats.
AB  - In order to investigate the mechanisms of the hyperreactivity of the
      tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR)
      the resetting of TGF by chronic dietary NaCl loading was studied in SHR and
      normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). This treatment is known to reset the TGF by
      an inhibitory factor in tubular fluid and not by alterations of the intrinsic
      characteristics of the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA). TGF reactivity, and its
      resetting, were determined by loop of Henle perfusion with artificial late
      proximal tubular fluid and with harvested endogenous tubular fluid respectively.
      Dietary effects of the high sodium intake were measured by means of the systolic
      blood pressure (SBP), plasma volume (PV), and renal sodium excretion. The 4-week
      dietary treatment had no significant influence on SBP in WKY, whereas it
      accelerated the rise of SBP in SHR significantly. After 1 week of treatment, PV
      was increased in both WKY and SHR as compared with the control groups kept on the
      normal diet. Whereas PV in WKY declined to control values over the next 3 weeks,
      SHR remained expanded. GFR was similar in all groups, whereas urinary sodium
      excretion was significantly increased in salt-loaded SHR and WKY. Dietary salt
      loading was paralleled by the appearance of a TGF-inhibiting substance in the
      tubular fluid in SHR and WKY. However, when assayed with artificial late proximal
      tubular fluid, hyperreactivity was similar in normal and salt-loaded SHR as
      compared with WKY. Thus, in SHR TGF hyperreactivity is maintained in spite of
      volume expansion and TGF resetting by a humoral factor in tubular fluid.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881041
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback resetting in different models of acute volume
      expansion.
AB  - Our results revealed that renal blood flow (RBF) increased during both isooncotic
      and hypooncotic plasma expansion by 4% of body weight (BW). Tubuloglomerular
      feedback (TGF) sensitivity assessed by the measurement of proximal stop-flow
      pressure at loop perfusion rates of 0 to 40 nl/min and RBF autoregulation were
      not substantially affected by this degree of volume expansion, provided plasma
      oncotic pressure did not change. This upward shift of the TGF response curve
      together with maintenance of an RBF autoregulation during plasma expansion lead
      to the conclusion that the TGF mechanism apparently plays a significant role in
      the control of glomerular hemodynamics, despite the marked vasodilation occurring
      during acute volume expansion.

PMID- 1881042
TI  - Mechanisms of renin release from juxtaglomerular cells.
AB  - In microdissected, nonperfused afferent arterioles changes in intravascular
      pressure did not affect renin secretion. On the contrary, renin release from
      isolated afferent arterioles perfused in a free-flow system has been reported to
      be sensitive to simultaneous changes in luminal pressure and flow. Hence local
      blood flow may be involved in the baroreceptor control of renin release. If flow
      is sensed, the sensor is likely to be located near the endothelial cell layer,
      where ion channels have been shown to be influenced by variations in shear
      stress.

PMID- 1881043
TI  - Branching and confluence pattern of glomerular arterioles in the rat.
AB  - In addition to the usual division of the glomerular tuft into lobules, a
      subdivision into an afferent and an efferent capillary domain is made.
      Immediately after entering the glomerulus the afferent arteriole splits into
      superficially located branches which supply the lobules. The capillaries of each
      lobule first run towards the urinary pole; these parts of each lobule establish
      the afferent domain. The capillaries of each lobule running back towards the
      vascular pole establish the efferent domain. The afferent domain represents the
      major part of the tuft; it has the shape of an incomplete globe with a deep
      depression on one side within which the efferent domain is situated. The efferent
      arteriole is established inside the glomerular tuft within the efferent capillary
      domain. Generally tributaries from each lobule converge to form the
      intraglomerular segment of the efferent arteriole, which leaves the tuft by
      passing through the mesangium of the glomerular stalk. At this site the
      intraglomerular segment of the efferent arteriole is fully surrounded by the
      mesangium; consequently, it is exposed to the intramesangial pressure.

PMID- 1881044
TI  - Juxtaglomerular cells as a source of intrarenal angiotensin II production.
AB  - While the contribution of angiotensin (Ang) II to the regulation of various renal
      functions is recognized, evidence exists that the kidney also is a major site for
      the production of Ang II. Since circulating renin in plasma accounts for only a
      small portion of intrarenally produced Ang II, we investigated juxtaglomerular
      (JG) cells as a source of Ang I and II. Light and electronmicroscopic
      immunohistochemical methods revealed highly concentrated Ang I and II in JG
      cells. This finding was supported by the demonstration of colocalization of
      renin, Ang I, and Ang II in cultured JG cells and in dense granular fractions of
      rat kidney separated by gradient centrifugation of rat kidney homogenate.
      Perfusion of rat kidney with Krebs-Ringer buffer containing bovine serum albumin
      showed that Ang I and Ang II are released in the perfusate in quantities which
      may account for a greater part of the intrarenal generation of Ang II observed in
      vivo. These results support the hypothesis that Ang II is intrarenally
      synthesized inside the JG cells, thereby contributing to the regulation of
      certain renal functions.

PMID- 1881045
TI  - Application of polymerase chain reaction techniques to study of rabbit renin gene
      expression.
AB  - Studies were performed to develop techniques to assess renin mRNA in a single
      microdissected juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) of rabbit using the polymerase
      chain reaction (PCR) method of amplification of cDNA sequences. In preliminary
      studies synthetic oligonucleotide primers corresponding to regions in the rat
      renin cDNA sequence, which are highly conserved between mouse, rat, and man, were
      found to yield good amplification efficiency with a rat renin cDNA template, but
      little product was observed with rabbit cDNA template. We therefore employed a
      nested primer PCR cloning technique to clone an 839 base pair portion of the
      rabbit renin cDNA to obtain species-specific sequence information for primer
      design. Here we report the nucleotide sequence of a partial rabbit renin cDNA
      clone and the use of species-specific primers that permit semiquantitative
      assessment of rabbit mRNA levels in the single JGA.

PMID- 1881046
TI  - Cyclosporine and the renin-angiotensin system.
AB  - Much is known about the renin-angiotensin system during cyclosporine treatment:
      plasma renin or prorenin activity seems to be raised in man and animals;
      hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular apparatus has been reported in man and
      animals; renin concentration is known to be increased in animal kidneys; renin
      angiotensin-like alterations in vascular contractility have been identified in
      animal vessels. Since the major functional side effects of cyclosporine are
      systemic vasoconstriction and renal vasoconstriction, the renin-angiotensin
      system could be involved. Also, an infrequent complication in man, vasculopathy,
      develops only in the afferent arteriole, where renin production is most abundant.
      Hence, this information is now reviewed and incorporated into a single
      pathophysiological concept, with the implication that renin activation plays a
      central role in the pathogenesis of cyclosporine-induced functional and
      structural lesions, merits further attention.

PMID- 1881047
TI  - Potential role for local luminal angiotensin II in proximal tubule sodium
      transport.
AB  - As a target site for angiotensin II (A-II), renal proximal tubule is unique in
      that it may be equipped with a local A-II generating system and that both
      basolateral and apical membranes may be accessible for the action of A-II. We
      have recently conducted studies to examine these possibilities. With in vitro
      cultured proximal tubular cells, we have demonstrated de novo synthesis of
      angiotensinogen and renin. With isolated renal brush border membrane (BBM), we
      have confirmed the presence of A-II receptors and found that A-II directly
      stimulated BBM Na+/H+ exchange. In search of the signal transduction mechanism,
      we have found that A-II also activated BBM phospholipase A2 (PLA) and that BBM
      contained a pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide binding protein (G
      protein) which mediates the effects of A-II. Further studies showed that
      prevention of PLA activation abolished the effect of A-II on Na+/H+ exchange, and
      that activation of PLA by mellitin and the addition of arachidonic acid similarly
      enhanced BBM Na+/H+ exchange activity, suggesting that PLA activation may mediate
      the stimulatory effect of A-II on BBM Na+/H+ exchange. These results thus
      indicate that a local signal transduction mechanism involving G-protein mediated
      PLA activation exists in renal BBM which mediates the effect of A-II on Na+/H+
      exchange. Taken together, we propose that, independent of A-II in the
      circulation, local luminal A-II may serve as an important regulatory system on
      sodium transport in renal proximal tubule.

PMID- 1881048
TI  - Macula densa cell function.
AB  - Studies concerning the sensing step in the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF)
      mechanism have been conflicting. To study this step, we measured macula densa
      (MD) cell volume and membrane potentials in the isolated perfused ascending limb
      of the loop of Henle with attached glomerulus with MD segments (cTAL-MD).
      Addition of furosemide reduced cell volume rapidly and the effect could be
      reversed on removal of the drug. From the time course of cell volume changes
      hydraulic conductivity could be measured both in the basolateral and apical cell
      membrane. It was found that the apical cell membrane constituted the main barrier
      for water flow with a low hydraulic conductance, while the basolateral hydraulic
      conductance was quite high. Measurements of the basolateral electrical potential
      in the MD cells have shown a mean electrical potential of -56 mV. This potential
      was hyperpolarized by the addition of furosemide, the Cl channel blocker NPPB, or
      during a reduction of luminal NaCl from 150 to 30 mM, and depolarized when bath
      Cl concentration was reduced from 150 to 30 mM. These results are consistent with
      the following model for electrolytes transported and similar to the one described
      in the cTAL [15]. In the luminal cell membrane there is an Na-K-2Cl cotransporter
      that takes these ions into the MD cells and there is a potassium recycling
      through a K channel. On the basolateral membrane side there is an Na-K pump and a
      Cl channel through which chloride is transported out of the MD cell. The Na-K
      pump activity seems to be only 1/40 of that in the cTAL cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881049
TI  - Communication of the tubuloglomerular feedback signal in the JGA.

PMID- 1881050
TI  - Chloride concentration in macula densa and cortical thick ascending limb cells.
AB  - The Cl- transport through the macula densa (MD) cells is believed to be a link in
      the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) believed to be a link in the tubuloglomerular
      feedback (TGF) mechanism and MD-mediated renin release. One step in this
      transport is probably the electroneutral and furosemide-sensitive Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl-
      contransport on the luminal membrane of MD cells. Another step is transport
      through basolateral Cl- channels. In the present study the intracellular Cl-
      concentration, [Cl-]i, was measured in the MD and cortical thick ascending limb
      (cTAL) cells, and the concentration changes elicited by blocking the Na(+)-K(+)
      2Cl- cotransport with furosemide or by lowering the luminal NaCl concentration
      determined. We also investigated the effects of blocking the basolateral Cl-
      channels. A preparation consisting of a segment of the cTAL, MD cells, and the
      attached glomerulus was dissected from rabbit kidneys. The preparation was loaded
      with the Cl(-)-sensitive fluorophore SPQ, and perfused by using the isolated and
      perfused tubule technique. The intracellular chloride concentration was
      determined with a video system using digital imaging that measured the intensity
      of the emitted SPQ fluorescence. The T 1/2 of the leakage of SPQ was found to be
      (197 +/- 60) min (n = 9). With 150 mM NaCl in the lumen and bath, [Cl-]i in MD
      cells was 47 +/- 13 mM (n = 8) and 54 +/- 13 mM (n = 5) in cTAL cells. When
      furosemide (10(-4) M) was added to the luminal perfusion, the MD cell [Cl-]i was
      reduced to 6 +/- 2 mM. The corresponding value in cTAL cells was 5 +/- 3
      mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881051
TI  - Optical studies on the action of furosemide on macula densa and cortical thick
      ascending limb cells. Intracellular calcium fluorescence measurements.
AB  - The present study shows the successful use of an optical technique that describes
      the application of both differential interference contrast (DIC) and fluorescence
      microscopy to the study of structure-function relationships in isolated perfused
      cTAL-MD segments of the nephron. Image-intensified video microscopy and digital
      image processing techniques were used to simultaneously and directly visualize
      and quantify [Ca+2]i in individual cTAL cells and MD cells. This study also
      indicates that no large changes in MD [Ca+2]i can be observed under maneuvers
      that are known to affect the autoregulatory mechanisms of single nephron
      glomerular filtration rate. Therefore, it is less likely that MD [Ca+2]i could be
      a link in the transmission of the signal from the MD cells to the rest of the
      cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus for the release of the TGF mechanism
      and/or renin. Possibly some other mechanism like the electrolyte transport
      itself, that can alter the solute concentration and tonicity of the Goormaghtigh
      cell field (juxtaglomerular interstitium), may be the signal to proceed with the
      rest of the events developed by the juxtaglomerular apparatus to control single
      nephron glomerular filtration rate.

PMID- 1881052
TI  - Transport pathways in macula densa cells.

PMID- 1881053
TI  - Mesangial cell function and chloride ions.

PMID- 1881054
TI  - Tubuloglomerular feedback and chloride activity in the juxtaglomerular
      interstitium in Amphiuma.
AB  - Fresh-water animals excrete large volumes of dilute urine. The pronounced
      dilution of the tubular fluid starts in the early distal tubule. In this paper
      the reabsorptive capacity of the diluting segment is discussed, with special
      attention to the maximal salt concentration of the reabsorbed fluid. Earlier
      studies have shown a reabsorption-dependent chloride concentration on the
      basolateral side of the epithelium (juxtaglomerular interstitium, JGI) at the
      site of the juxtaglomerular apparatus. In the present study measurements were
      made of chloride activities in the immediate vicinity of the basolateral side of
      the tubular epithelial cells at high and low tubular perfusion rates. Extremely
      high chloride activities (2451 +/- 625 mM (SE), n = 7) were found in the JGI at
      maximal reabsorption, while more plasma-like values were noted at zero tubular
      flow. The flow-dependent salt reabsorption may be a powerful signal for
      tubuloglomerular feedback from the tubular lumen to the effector cells.

PMID- 1881055
TI  - Role of the efferent arteriole in tubuloglomerular feedback.
AB  - Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is generally regarded as being mediated by a
      single, humoral vasoconstrictor acting on the afferent arteriole. Examination of
      the literature reveals, however, that acute activation or blockade of TGF may,
      under certain circumstances, be associated with vasomotion of the efferent
      arteriole, either in the same or in the opposite direction as the afferent
      arteriole. The former appears to be the case particularly when myogenic
      autoregulation is attenuated, for example, with application of calcium channel
      blockers. Experiments in which the TGF signal is chronically lost by preventing
      tubular fluid flow at the macula densa also suggest participation of the efferent
      arteriole. Under these circumstances, stop flow pressure and single nephron
      filtration rate increase and glomerular blood flow falls. TGF activity at this
      stage is modestly enhanced. Taken together, these findings suggest efferent
      vasoconstriction. After a delay of some hours, vasoconstriction is also apparent
      in the afferent arteriole. It is not clear whether the mechanism involved in this
      response is related to the "normal" TGF response. Together, these findings are
      hard to reconcile with the hypothesis of a single vasoconstrictor acting on the
      afferent arteriole.

PMID- 1881056
TI  - The afferent arteriole--the target for macula densa-generated signals.
AB  - The contractile characteristics of the afferent arteriole revealed in the present
      series of experiments lead one to predict that TGF-induced vasoconstriction
      should be dependent on both A-II and adenosine. In fact, previous evidence has
      suggested a role for both adenosine and angiotensin in the TGF mechanism.
      Acceleration of adenosine deamination as well as adenosine receptor blockade
      markedly reduced the effect of distal NaCl concentration on SNGFR or PSF.
      Conversely, inhibition of adenosine breakdown or cellular adenosine uptake, two
      interventions which are likely to increase interstitial adenosine levels,
      augmented TGF responses. The same effect was seen when adenosine1-receptor
      analogs were locally applied by microinfusion. The administration of A-II
      converting-enzyme blockers or A-II-receptor antagonists reduced TGF responses,
      while peritubular or intravenous administration of A-II augmented them.
      Furthermore, the inhibition of TGF responses caused by volume expansion-induced
      reductions in plasma A-II concentrations could be restored to normal by A-II
      infusion. The present results raise the possibility that normal TGF
      responsiveness depends upon the availability of both adenosine and A-II in
      sufficiently high concentrations. Figure 1 outlines a mechanism of this mutual
      dependency. One may assume that adenosine is generated as a consequence of NaCl
      dependent changes in NaCl transport by macula densa cells or by TALH cells in the
      immediate vicinity of the macula densa. The absence of capillaries in the
      juxtaglomerular interstitium could permit an accumulation of the autacoid to an
      extent not possible in other regions of the renal interstitium.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881057
TI  - Communication between the macula densa cells and the afferent arteriole.

PMID- 1881058
TI  - Macula densa control of glomerular hemodynamics.

PMID- 1881059
TI  - Direct action of vasoactive substances on isolated canine superficial and
      juxtamedullary afferent arterioles.

PMID- 1881060
TI  - Determinants of renal microvascular autoregulatory behavior in normal and
      hypertensive rats.

PMID- 1881061
TI  - Morphological characterization of human juxtaglomerular apparatus.
AB  - The recent demonstration of the endothelial fenestration at the juxtaglomerular
      part of the afferent arteriole facing mesangial and granular cells and finger
      like protrusions of urinary space into the region of the lacis in experimental
      animals like the rat, the mouse, and Tupaia belangeri led us to propose the
      hypothesis of a "short loop" feedback mechanism. To establish whether a further
      species possesses these morphological features, the JGA region was examined in
      the human kidney. Tissue was obtained by needle biopsy from patients and
      conventional electron-microscopical procedures including serial sections were
      utilized to reevaluate the morphology of JGA. Both the endothelial fenestration
      in the wall of the afferent arteriole and protrusions with filtration slits of
      urinary space into the lacis, were observed with remarkable heterogeneity. The
      occurrence of these features of JGA in such diverse mammalian species as rat,
      mouse, Tupaia, and man suggests that these structures may be involved in
      regulatory process and the proposed "short loop" feedback mechanism may be a
      general phenomenon.

PMID- 1881062
TI  - Oscillations and more complex dynamics in tubuloglomerular feedback.

PMID- 1881063
TI  - Dynamics of renal blood flow autoregulation in rats.
AB  - Two separate components could be resolved in tests of the dynamic autoregulation
      of renal blood flow. The slow component corresponds to the frequency at which
      spontaneous proximal tubular pressure oscillations are found, and are most likely
      due to the operation of the TGF. The high frequency component most likely
      represents an intrinsic vascular, myogenic, mechanism. The gain maximum of the
      admittance in the frequency range corresponding to the autonomous tubular
      oscillations indicates that the dynamic characteristics responsible for the
      occurrence of the spontaneous tubular oscillations must be common to a
      significant fraction of the total nephron population.

PMID- 1881064
TI  - [Surgical treatment of acute intestinal obstruction].
AB  - The experience with treatment of acute ileus for the 5 years in 1032 patients is
      summarized. Operated on were 269 patients. The different types of operative
      interventions with a wide use of intubation, adsorbents, laparostomy were
      performed. The postoperative lethality was 9.2%.

PMID- 1881065
TI  - [Disorders of the immune status and hematopoiesis in suppurative peritonitis and
      their correction with the preparation "Antilympholin"].
AB  - In patients with purulent peritonitis, the severe immunodepression and
      suppression of proliferative activity of stem elements of hemopoietic tissue
      stroma were revealed. The effectiveness of the use as an immunomodulator of the
      preparation "Antilympholin" which has the marked immunostimulating properties is
      shown.

PMID- 1881066
TI  - [Radical operation--a method of its selection in perforated gastroduodenal
      ulcer].

PMID- 1881067
TI  - [Diagnosis and the results of surgical treatment of perforated gastroduodenal
      ulcers].
AB  - The results of treatment of 438 patients with a perforating gastric and duodenal
      ulcer are presented. The use of emergency +gastroduodenal fibroscopy for early
      diagnosis permitted to reduce the incidence of diagnostic errors from 7.1% to 0.
      The indications for different types of operations have been established. Of the
      methods for gastric resection, a method with creation of +terminal-lateral
      +gastroduodenal anastomosis developed in the clinic is preferable. The excellent
      and good long-term results after closure of a perforative hole were noted in
      11.7% of the patients, after vagotomy--in 91.6% after gastric resection--in 88%.

PMID- 1881068
TI  - [Indications for creating inter-intestinal anastomosis in peritonitis with regard
      to the status of regional blood flow].

PMID- 1881069
TI  - [Use of polymer materials in the complex treatment of experimental peritonitis].

PMID- 1881070
TI  - [Ultrastructural changes in neutrophils and anaerobic microorganisms during their
      interactions in experimental acute intestinal obstruction].
AB  - The authors established that 12 h after development of acute obstructive ileus in
      inactive neutrophil granulocytes (NG), the anaerobic microorganisms were intact,
      or at the process of division; in the active NG, they were destroyed, or when
      forming "halo", might preserve and migrate in the matrix of NG. In interaction of
      NG with microorganisms, the numerous oval and roundish bacterial bodies with a
      diameter of 0.2-0.5 micron capable to penetrate into the non-phagocytic cells are
      formed. A function of the formations revealed is not studied.

PMID- 1881071
TI  - [Elective relaparotomy as a method of treatment and prevention of complications
      of diffuse suppurative peritonitis].
AB  - The results of treatment of 41 patient with diffuse purulent peritonitis, who
      underwent 2 and more relaparotomies are analysed. It has been proved that
      performance of the elective relaparotomy for preventing the development of
      intraabdominal complications of peritonitis were superior to the existing methods
      of treatment. It permitted to reduce lethality in diffuse purulent peritonitis
      3.6-fold.

PMID- 1881072
TI  - [Use of external drainage of the thoracic duct and lymphosorption in the complex
      treatment of acute diffuse peritonitis].
AB  - In 47 patients with acute generalized peritonitis in the complex of therapeutic
      measures, the external drainage of the thoracic duct (EDTD) with subsequent
      lymphosorption (LS) was used. The effectiveness of treatment was judged about by
      the lymph and blood toxicity, and as well by contents of peptides with the
      molecular mass of from 300 to 1000 dalton. In favourable course of the
      postoperative period, the increase in lymph debit and decrease in proteolytic
      enzyme activity in the lymph and blood were noted. The use of EDTD and LS in the
      complex with the other methods of treatment permitted to achieve a clinical
      effect in 76.6% of cases.

PMID- 1881073
TI  - [Clinico-roentgenological symptoms of acute adhesive intestinal obstruction].
AB  - The clinico-roentgenological signs of acute commissural ileus were analysed in
      226 patients. Of them, 192 were operated on. In 6.4% of the patients in plain
      roentgenography, the signs of acute ileus were absent, in 27.7%--they were not
      prominent. Study of the barium suspension passage through the small intestine, as
      the authors consider, is indicated in unmarked clinical features of the disease,
      and as well in its short duration (less than 6 h) with the aim of establishing a
      degree of ileus (complete, or partial).

PMID- 1881074
TI  - [Incidence of development and the results of treatment of post- operative
      peritonitis].
AB  - In the clinic at the period of from 1977 to 1987 after 13,006 operations on the
      abdominal organs, 185 patients (1.4%) ranging in age from 16 to 89 years
      developed peritonitis. The lethality after relaparotomy performed within the
      first 24 hours of the complication development was 15.9%, later on--73.7%. In
      spite of the large extent and trauma of radical relaparotomy, the lethality after
      it was 56%, after palliative one--90%. Timely is the performance of relaparotomy
      within the first 6 h from the moment of the complication development, in
      prolongation of the time to 7-12 h, the lethality was 12.5%.

PMID- 1881075
TI  - [Evaluation of the effectiveness of detoxicating plasmapheresis in acute surgical
      diseases of the abdominal organs].

PMID- 1881076
TI  - [Surgical treatment of closed abdominal injuries].
AB  - The experience with diagnosis and treatment of closed abdominal injuries in a
      specialized department of polytrauma for 3 years is summarized. The diagnostic
      and surgical tactics in given pathology consisting in early diagnosis of possible
      injuries to the viscera and emergency operative intervention is presented.

PMID- 1881077
TI  - [Postoperative hemorrhage in abdominal injuries].
AB  - The experience with treatment of 19 sufferers with abdominal trauma, who
      underwent relaparotomy for postoperative hemorrhage is summarized. The most
      informative tests permitting to establish the indications for relaparotomy,
      medical errors leading to relaparotomy, causes of death are presented.

PMID- 1881078
TI  - [Non-cancerous tumors of the stomach and duodenum as a cause of acute
      hemorrhage].

PMID- 1881079
TI  - [Atypical methods of surgical arrest of profuse gastric hemorrhage].
AB  - The methods for arrest of profuse gastric hemorrhage in difficult situations
      aimed at life salvage of a patient, prevention of the postoperative complications
      are suggested. Knowledge of the non-conventional methods for arrest of hemorrhage
      will be of an essential help to a practical physician.

PMID- 1881080
TI  - [Surgical treatment of hemorrhage from acute gastric ulcers and erosions].
AB  - On the basis of analysis of operative treatment of 229 patients with hemorrhage
      from acute gastric ulcers and erosions, the advantages of vagotomy (68 cases)
      over the other types of operations (stitching of ulcers--102, devascularization
      of the stomach--48, resection of the stomach--11) are shown. Decrease in
      incidence of postoperative recurrencies of hemorrhage, and comparatively low
      lethality permit to recommend vagotomy with pyloroplasty as an operation of
      choice in acute erosive-ulcerous lesions of gastric mucosa.

PMID- 1881081
TI  - [Principles of complex treatment of infection in emergency surgery].
AB  - The analysis of 140 cases of acute surgical sepsis is presented. The general
      principles for the treatment of sepsis in emergency surgery were established. The
      most effective are the guided laparotomy in peritoneal sepsis, use of
      intravascular laser blood irradiation, chemotherapeutical means and dressing
      materials (polysorb, carboserix, collocyl etc.), different gaseous media
      (aeroionotherapy, oxygenation, ozonized guided antibacterial medium) which have
      favourable effect on the reparative processes in the primary foci of infection.
      Resulting from the use of complex treatment, the decrease in lethality from 75 to
      35.7% was noted.

PMID- 1881082
TI  - [Surgical tactics in complicated forms of acute cholecystitis].
AB  - The analysis of the results of surgical treatment of 223 patients with
      complicated forms of acute cholecystitis was carried out. Resulting from complex
      examination, the correct preoperative diagnosis was established in 93% of
      patients, in 7%--the character of complications was revealed at operation.
      Surgical treatment was aimed at adequate correction of all the complications
      revealed.

PMID- 1881083
TI  - [Acute cholecystitis in the early postoperative period].
AB  - The authors observed 6 patients, who developed acute cholecystitis at day 2--5
      after the operation. In 3 patients, an operation on the abdominal organs was
      performed, in 3--the urologic intervention. The leading symptoms of postoperative
      cholecystitis are the following: epigastric pain, stable intestinal paresis, high
      body temperature. The authors recommend a wide use of the ultrasound
      investigation of the abdominal cavity, and in its negative results, or in absence
      of the apparatus--laparoscopy. All the patients were reoperated. One patient
      died.

PMID- 1881084
TI  - [Diagnosis and treatment of stenosis of the major duodenal papilla after
      cholecystectomy].
AB  - The data of diagnosis and treatment of 59 patients with stenosis of the major
      duodenal papilla (MDP) revealed at different periods after cholecystectomy are
      analysed. In diagnosis of MDP stenosis, the following methods were employed:
      ultrasounds scanning of the liver and bile ducts, intravenous cholangiography,
      endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic
      cholangiography. The surgical method of treatment was used in 24, an endoscopic
      method--in 28, a combined one--in 7 patients. The indications and
      contraindications for the use of different methods of treatment are presented. It
      is noted that the use of a complex of modern methods of diagnosis and treatment
      will permit to establish precisely MDP stenosis after previously performed
      cholecystectomy and eliminate it with minimal lethality.

PMID- 1881085
TI  - [Classification of suppurative forms of peritonitis].

PMID- 1881086
TI  - [Serum gastrin level after surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer hemorrhage].
AB  - The serum gastrin content in patients with ulcerous duodenal bleeding was studied
      in the process of surgical treatment. A significant decrease in the hormone
      concentration with increase in the volume of acute blood loss was noted.

PMID- 1881087
TI  - [Errors in establishing the indicators for cholecystectomy as a cause of
      development of post-cholecystectomy syndrome].

PMID- 1881088
TI  - [Rare cause of acute obstruction of the afferent loop of gastro-
      enteroanastomosis after gastrectomy by the Billroth II method].

PMID- 1881089
TI  - [Effect of endolymphatic antibiotic therapy on the status of cellular immunity in
      peritonitis].
AB  - The immune status in 68 patients with diffuse and generalized peritonitis was
      studied. It was established, that a degree of the impairment in immune response
      depended on peritonitis spreading. Endolymphatic antibiotic therapy had
      immunostimulating effect in patients with diffuse peritonitis, in generalized
      peritonitis, this was not observed. In patients with generalized peritonitis, it
      is necessary to include into the complex of treatment the other methods of
      immunologic correction.

PMID- 1881090
TI  - [Gangrenous appendicitis complicated by perforation of acute duodenal ulcer].

PMID- 1881091
TI  - [Perforation of duodenal ulcer simulating incarceration of postoperative ventral
      hernia].

PMID- 1881092
TI  - [Acute gangrenous-perforative cholecystitis with rupture of the liver and intra
      abdominal hemorrhage].

PMID- 1881093
TI  - [Perforation of the stomach with a probe].

PMID- 1881094
TI  - [Femoral hernia complicated by incarceration of Meckel's diverticulum].

PMID- 1881095
TI  - [Acute epiploitis simulating acute appendicitis].

PMID- 1881096
TI  - [Rare cause of acute intestinal obstruction].

PMID- 1881097
TI  - [Nursing standards--ways to quality assurance].

PMID- 1881098
TI  - [New role in nursing--generalist nurse--necessity or utopia?].

PMID- 1881099
TI  - [England on the path to "Health for all"].

PMID- 1881100
TI  - [A study trip to Turkey].

PMID- 1881101
TI  - [Children in armed conflicts].

PMID- 1881102
TI  - [Many salaries in Switzerland are barely enough to live on. "We are living in a
      monetary illusion"].

PMID- 1881103
TI  - [Aging: other viewpoints].

PMID- 1881104
TI  - [Violent boarders...].

PMID- 1881105
TI  - [Aggressive nurses].

PMID- 1881106
TI  - [Managing aggression in a constructive way].

PMID- 1881107
TI  - [Violence in the emergency services].

PMID- 1881108
TI  - [Medicine and nursing--together or against each other? Professionalization
      furthers better cooperation].

PMID- 1881109
TI  - [Current status and perspectives of the HoFa-professional training: role in
      practice].

PMID- 1881110
TI  - [Civil service and the social year in the German Federal Republic: the nursing
      shortage is being intensified].

PMID- 1881111
TI  - [Interview with Monika Muller-Angst on the use in nursing of civilian service
      workers. Learning by experiences in foreign countries. Interview by Fred Arm].

PMID- 1881113
TI  - [Looking for employment with a personal cypher advertisement].

PMID- 1881112
TI  - [Ozone load in Switzerland. No change of the trend in sight].

PMID- 1881114
TI  - [Nursing diagnosis; a different aspect].

PMID- 1881115
TI  - [Do children have to stay home during summer smog?].

PMID- 1881116
TI  - [Looking for employment with the help of a personnel counselor].

PMID- 1881117
TI  - Recognition of bacterial endotoxin in biologic systems.

PMID- 1881118
TI  - Structure and function of the endothelial cytoskeleton.

PMID- 1881119
TI  - Plasma lipopolysaccharide-deacylating activity (acyloxyacyl hydrolase) increases
      after lipopolysaccharide administration to rabbits.
AB  - Acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) is a leukocyte enzyme that removes secondary
      (acyloxyacyl-linked) acyl chains from the lipid A moiety of bacterial
      lipopolysaccharides (LPS). We now report that the same enzymatic activity is
      present in normal rabbit plasma and that its activity can be greatly increased by
      LPS challenge. Intravenous administration of LPS to rabbits resulted in a rapid
      increase (peaking at 90 minutes, with a mean peak increase of 16-fold) of plasma
      AOAH activity; the activity then slowly decreased to baseline levels over 24
      hours. The plasma AOAH is probably derived, at least in part, from circulating
      leukocytes, since (a) the AOAH response was significantly diminished in
      leukopenic rabbits, and (b) incubation of blood or isolated leukocytes with LPS
      in vitro resulted in increased extracellular AOAH activity. These results
      indicate that AOAH can appear extracellularly, in plasma, as part of the early
      response to intravenous LPS challenge. The cellular source(s) and biological role
      of the plasma enzyme remain to be determined.

PMID- 1881120
TI  - Complement and monocytes are essential for provoking glomerular injury in passive
      Heymann nephritis in rats. Terminal complement components are not the sole
      mediators of proteinuria.
AB  - Complement but not polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMN) causes glomerular injury
      in passive Heymann nephritis in rats. We have now identified monocytes as another
      important mediator in this model. Passive Heymann nephritis was induced in Wistar
      rats by intravenous injection of sheep anti-rat Fx1A antiserum. Four groups (all
      receiving anti-rat Fx1A antiserum) were studied: (a) rats given normal sheep
      globulin (nephritic controls), (b) rats given sheep anti-rat PMN globulin (PMN
      depleted), (c) rats given sheep anti-rat monocyte globulin (monocyte-depleted),
      (d) rats injected with cobra venom factor (complement-depleted). In vitro
      specificity controls for anti-cell antisera were made by cytotoxicity tests and
      inhibition of phagocytosis. In vivo specificity controls were performed in
      heterologous Masugi nephritis (PMN-dependent) and accelerated Masugi nephritis
      (monocyte-dependent). Complement and monocyte depletion significantly delayed the
      onset of proteinuria (p less than 0.001 versus nephritic controls on day 5), PMN
      depletion had no significant effect. Monocyte infiltration was seen in control
      nephritic rats, but monocyte depletion prevented this influx. In the monocyte
      depleted group, no differences in glomerular deposition of C3, C9, and C5b-9 were
      seen in comparison to the nephritic control rats. Serum C3 levels were comparable
      in groups a, b, and c, the complement system was biologically active in the
      monocyte depleted-group (c), and the amount of anti-Fx1A antibody bound was the
      same in all groups. This shows that, besides complement, monocytes are required
      for induction of renal damage in passive Heymann nephritis. The concept of a sole
      role for complement in glomerular immune injury involving subepithelial immune
      deposits should be reconsidered.

PMID- 1881121
TI  - Monoclonal antibodies to human embryonal carcinoma cells: antigenic relationships
      of germ cell tumors.
AB  - Fifteen monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that show specificity for human embryonal
      carcinoma cells are described. C57BL/6 mice were immunized with Tera-2 embryonal
      carcinoma cells, and hybridomas were isolated and tested versus a set of human
      developmental tumor cell lines. The antigens exhibit relatively restricted and
      unique distributions on normal tissues as shown by immunohistochemistry. The mAbs
      recognize a series of differentiation antigens since their expression changes
      when teratocarcinoma stem cells are induced to differentiate in vitro. The
      expression of these molecules in germ cell and related tumors is consistent with
      the data obtained from in vitro cell studies. Seven of these mAbs
      immunoprecipitate molecules from surface labeled Tera-2 cells that show distinct
      molecular weights on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
      The antigenic phenotypes defined by the set of mAbs can be used to investigate
      possible pathogenetic relationships of the various testicular tumors.

PMID- 1881122
TI  - Permeabilized hepatocyte couplets. Adenosine triphosphate-dependent bile
      canalicular contractions and a circumferential pericanalicular microfilament belt
      demonstrated.
AB  - The motility of bile canaliculi was examined in hepatocyte couplets permeabilized
      with palmitoyl lysophosphatidyl choline in a dosage regimen that drastically
      affected secretory function, yet maintained relative integrity of the cellular
      cytoskeleton. The permeabilized cells showed no exclusion of trypan blue, notable
      cytoplasmic organelle and membrane damage, and no uptake or secretion of either
      fluorescein diacetate or sodium fluorescein. However, bile canalicular structure
      remained relatively intact and actin and myosin were localized
      immunocytochemically in the pericanalicular region. Coincident with the
      administration of 1 mM ATP, 2 mM Mg2+, and 1 microM Ca2+, the canaliculi
      contracted with partial or complete luminal closure. ADP, AMP, or AMP-PCP could
      not be substituted for ATP. A dose-dependent relationship was shown between ATP
      concentration and canalicular contraction rate. The permeabilization procedure
      also provided enhanced visualization of pericanalicular microfilaments, believed
      to be actin filaments, and their organization into two layers: an inner membrane
      associated network, and an outer filament bundle that inserted into belt
      junctions (zonulae adherentes). The organization of the microfilament belt of
      contiguous hepatocytes was such that it formed a circumferential band of
      microfilaments around the canaliculus. It is analogous to contractile filament
      belts found in the apical terminal web region of other epithelia. It was also
      observed that with canalicular luminal closure, there was a change in the
      organization of the pericanalicular microfilaments. It is concluded that in
      hepatocyte couplets, differential sensitivity of cell components to
      permeabilization can be achieved with palmitoyl lysophosphatidyl choline. In
      addition, the results provide evidence that the bile canaliculus has the capacity
      to be a contractile structure even in the absence of secretion, that canalicular
      contraction is ATP-dependent, and hence is a dynamic process.

PMID- 1881123
TI  - Contractile cells in rat myocardial scar tissue.
AB  - In earlier studies of rat myocardial tissue reactions to necrotizing injuries, we
      observed in the resulting scar tissue a large number of smooth muscle cells
      unassociated with blood vessels. Since these cells are not normal components of
      ventricular myocardium, we studied the appearance and fate of all cells with
      smooth muscle-like features in healing and healed lesions at intervals up to 10
      weeks after ischemic or freeze-thaw injuries. Observations were made with light
      and electron microscopes, using conventional methods and immunostaining methods
      to detect alpha-smooth muscle actin. In healing and healed lesions, smooth muscle
      actin was detected histologically in capillary pericytes, myofibroblasts, and
      both vascular and nonvascular smooth muscle cells. Its association with
      cytoplasmic microfilaments in nonsarcomeric myocytoskeletal arrangements was
      confirmed ultrastructurally. The pericytes and myofibroblasts predominated during
      the earlier hypercellular healing period. The smooth muscle cells appeared near
      the end of the first week of repair; they were initially located mainly in
      presumptive vascular structures, identified by residual basal lamina sheaths, but
      subsequently located mainly in nonvascular locations. After the second week until
      the end of the study the number of nonvascular smooth muscle cells increased and
      that of myofibroblasts decreased. The nonvascular smooth muscle cells
      predominated in the larger mature scars, especially the transmural ones. From
      these observations, we have concluded that contractile cells other than cardiac
      myocytes have important roles in myocardial tissue repair, have suggested that
      their roles are related to the forces of myocardial contractions, and have
      discussed their possible functions and lineage interrelationships.

PMID- 1881124
TI  - Presence of type I and VI collagen mRNAs in endothelial cells in cutaneous
      neurofibromas.
AB  - In situ hybridization and peroxidase anti-peroxidase immunodetection were used in
      the same tissue sections to elucidate the spatial distribution of collagen gene
      expression in cutaneous neurofibromas, particularly in relation to blood vessels;
      the latter structures were identified by the presence of factor VIII-related
      antigen. The data indicate a clear relationship between the vascular structures
      and sites of locally elevated expression of type I and VI collagen genes.
      Specifically, some, but not all, blood vessels were surrounded by stromal cells
      highly active in expressing pro alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(VI) collagen genes.
      Furthermore, these genes were expressed by a subpopulation of endothelial cells
      within the walls of blood vessels traversing the lesion. To quantitate the
      overall expression of five genetically distinct collagen genes in cutaneous
      neurofibromas, we performed Northern analyses and slot blot hybridizations with
      pro alpha 1 (I), pro alpha 2 (I), pro alpha 1 (III), pro alpha 1 (IV) and alpha
      2(VI) collagen cDNAs. Although the mRNA levels for all five genes were slightly
      increased in neurofibroma tissue, only the abundance of alpha 2(VI) collagen
      mRNAs was significantly elevated, as compared with normal skin. We conclude that
      endothelial cell populations with different levels of collagen gene expression
      exist within cutaneous neurofibromas: some are actively expressing type I and VI
      collagen genes, whereas in other the expression of these genes is effectively
      down-regulated. The markedly elevated steady-state levels of type VI collagen
      mRNAs suggest that synthesis of type VI collagen may contribute to the growth and
      architecture of cutaneous neurofibromas.

PMID- 1881125
TI  - Neuron-specific thresholds of aluminum toxicity in vitro. A comparative analysis
      of dissociated fetal rabbit hippocampal and motor neuron-enriched cultures.
AB  - Mature dissociated motor neuron-enriched and hippocampal neuron cultures derived
      from fetal New Zealand white rabbits were continuously exposed to 1, 10, 25, 50,
      or 100 microM AlCl3 in a chemically defined medium for 14 days. Motor neuron
      enriched cultures exposed to low concentrations (1 or 10 microM) of AlCl3
      remained viable for the entire experiment but developed perikaryal and neuritic
      inclusions composed of phosphorylated neurofilament. Similar inclusions developed
      in cultures exposed to 25 and 50 microM AlCl3, but motor neurons did not survive
      beyond 10 days exposure. The 100 microM AlCl3-supplemented medium induced cell
      death within 72 hours without development of inclusions. In contrast, hippocampal
      neurons exposed to 1, 10, or 25 microM AlCl3 developed no morphological changes
      or inclusions. Although hippocampal cultures exposed to 50 or 100 microM AlCl3
      developed perinuclear and proximal neuritic inclusions of phosphorylated
      neurofilament after 10 days, they remained viable. These in vitro morphological
      observations demonstrate a 10-fold greater sensitivity of spinal motor neurons to
      aluminum toxicity when compared with hippocampal neurons and suggest that the
      earlier observations of neuron-specific thresholds of aluminum toxicity in vivo
      are related to unique regulatory mechanisms of neurofilament biosynthesis and
      catabolism within distinct neuronal cell populations.

PMID- 1881126
TI  - Carbon stripping extracts serum free fatty acids: implications for media
      supplementation of cultured type II pneumocytes.
AB  - Carbon stripping is a process that is widely used to remove hormones from serum.
      Because addition of serum to culture media also provides exogenous fatty acids
      that influence lipid metabolism of cultured cells, we investigated the effects of
      carbon stripping on the composition of the phospholipid and free fatty acid
      fractions in fetal bovine serum and the effects of these changes on
      phosphatidylcholine synthesis by cultured adult alveolar type II cells. Carbon
      stripping resulted in quantitative and qualitative changes in serum free fatty
      acids. The process effectively extracted greater than or equal to 99% free fatty
      acids and, to a lesser extent, phospholipids. There were also qualitative changes
      in the relative composition of the remaining free fatty acids with a selective
      loss of oleic and linoleic free fatty acids. However, the relative composition of
      the serum phospholipid fatty acid fraction was unaffected. Type II cells isolated
      from adult male rat lung and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium
      supplemented with 10% carbon-stripped fetal bovine serum (FBS-CS) incorporated
      [3H]choline into phosphatidylcholine at a rate 36% less than the rate of control
      cells cultured with unstripped FBS. Addition of oleic acid to FBS-CS supplemented
      media increased total phosphatidylcholine synthesis by adult type II cells by 67
      71%. In contrast, addition of palmitic acid inhibited PC synthesis 51-67%. The
      combination of oleic and palmitic acids resulted in a rate of [3H]choline
      incorporation into phosphatidylcholine similar to the rate for control cells
      cultured in FBS-CS-supplemented media alone. Although synthesis of disaturated
      phosphatidylcholine was unaffected by exogenous fatty acids, addition of fatty
      acids altered the proportion of disaturated phosphatidylcholine synthesis
      relative to total phosphatidylcholine synthesis. The presence or absence of the
      hormones, dexamethasone and triiodothyronine, did not explain the difference in
      rate of phospholipid synthesis by type II cells cultured in untreated versus
      carbon-stripped serum supplemented media. These results suggest that the removal
      of serum free fatty acids by carbon stripping can influence phospholipid
      metabolism of cultured type II cells. Because serum free fatty acids influence
      cellular lipid composition and potentially cell metabolic functions, carbon
      stripped serum may not be the optimal choice for media supplementation of
      cultured cells.

PMID- 1881127
TI  - Totalitarianism and fatalistic suicide.

PMID- 1881128
TI  - Observer hypercompetitiveness and victim precipitation of rape.

PMID- 1881129
TI  - Perceptions of a known rape victim: role of subject's gender and personal
      experience with rape.

PMID- 1881130
TI  - Courtesy stigma: the social implications of associating with a gay person.
AB  - We investigated the operation of courtesy stigma with American male college
      students who reacted to a fictitious male student described as gay, rooming by
      choice with a gay male student, involuntarily assigned to room with a gay, or
      rooming with a male heterosexual. Among respondents who expressed strong
      intolerance of gays, the voluntary associate of a gay was perceived as having
      homosexual tendencies and as possessing the same stereotyped personality traits
      attributed to a gay. No such courtesy stigma was attached to the involuntary
      associate of a gay by these respondents. Relatively tolerant respondents engaged
      in no courtesy stigmatization at all. Thus, courtesy stigmatization occurred only
      under circumscribed conditions and appeared to depend more on the tendency of
      highly intolerant individuals to infer that a male student who apparently liked a
      gay individual was himself gay than on a motivation to maintain cognitive
      consistency.

PMID- 1881131
TI  - Angiotensin II increases portosystemic collateral resistance in portal
      hypertension.
AB  - The decreased vasoconstrictive response of the splanchnic vasculature in portal
      hypertension (PHT) to angiotensin II (ANGII) is newly established. This could
      explain the limited ability of PHT patients to compensate in hypovolemic shock.
      However, the effect of ANGII upon portosystemic collateral resistance (Rc) is not
      known. We hypothesized that ANGII could directly effect Rc and thus change portal
      venous pressure (PVP). Chronic PHT was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by
      partial portal vein ligation 3 weeks prior to study. Splanchnic blood flow and
      portosystemic shunt (PSS) were measured simultaneously in six normal rabbits and
      then in six PHT rabbits at baseline and during intravenous ANGII infusion at 1.0
      microgram/kg/min. Flow and resistance were standardized to 100 g small intestine
      weight. Superior mesenteric artery flow (Qsma) in normal rabbits was 64.9 +/- 3.6
      ml/min, increased to 134.6 +/- 13.5 ml/min in the PHT animals (P less than 0.001)
      and was reduced 30% (P less than 0.05 vs PHT baseline) with ANGII. Concomitantly,
      PVP in the PHT animals was twice normal, 7.0 +/- 0.32 vs 14.4 +/- 0.55 mm Hg (P
      less than 0.001) and rose slightly with ANGII. The high PSS in PHT (84 +/- 6.0%,
      P less than 0.001 vs normal) was not affected significantly by ANGII infusion. Rc
      in the PHT rabbits rose 50% from 0.06 +/- 0.001 to 0.09 +/- 0.01 mm Hg/ml/min (P
      less than 0.001) with ANGII. This is the first evidence for a vasoconstrictive
      response in portosystemic collaterals during ANGII infusion. This change in
      collateral resistance causes both PVP and PSS to remain pathologically elevated
      in PHT despite a fall in portal inflow, thus predisposing to repeat variceal
      bleeding.

PMID- 1881132
TI  - Resident evaluation of surgical faculty.
AB  - This study examines the association between resident evaluations of surgical
      faculty and measures of teaching activity and practice characteristics. Twenty
      three of 33 general surgery residents, anonymously and voluntarily rated 62
      faculty surgeons in 10 areas of performance. This was repeated 1 year later with
      24 of 28 residents and 64 surgeons. Ratings were reliable (test-retest on overall
      mean rating, r = 0.91, P less than 0.01). Factor analysis of ratings by residents
      in postgraduate year (PGY) 5 extracted a judgment factor and an interpersonal
      skills factor. Ratings by other PGYs were unidimensional. Faculty subgroups that
      performed more than two major procedures per week at the hospital (P less than
      0.01) attended the weekly Mortality and Morbidity conference more than once per
      month (P less than 0.05) and/or published one or more research reports (P less
      than 0.05) received higher ratings than those who did not. Among general surgeons
      (n = 35), ratings of interpersonal skill by PGY 5 residents correlated inversely
      with complication rate (r = -0.41, P less than 0.05) and overall ratings by PGYs
      3 and 4 correlated inversely with mean patient length-of-stay (LOS; r = -0.44, P
      less than 0.05). These remained significant after statistical adjustment for case
      mix differences and differences in the amount of contact with residents. Resident
      ratings were unrelated to mean patient age, the mean number of diagnoses per
      patient, and the mean number of procedures per patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1881133
TI  - Elemental diet alters macrophage function in mice.
AB  - Administration of a chemically defined liquid elemental diet (ED) induces
      spontaneous bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) in animal
      models. The influence of this process on host immunity is unclear. This study
      evaluated the effects of ED on peritoneal macrophage (PM phi) antimicrobial
      functions. Conventional C57/BL6 mice and endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ mice (n =
      60) were randomized to be pair-fed either an ED or regular chow diet (RD) for 14
      days. Blood, spleen, liver, and MLN were cultured for bacteria. PM phi were
      harvested for: percentage Candida albicans (CA) phagocytosis, percentage killing
      of CA, PM phi superoxide anion (O2-) production, and TNF-dependent macrophage
      cytotoxicity. Enteral feeding of ED in conventional C57/BL6 mice caused
      significant bacterial translocation to MLN but not other organs. Significant
      impairment of CA killing by PM phi occurred in the ED group and was associated
      with reduced O2- production. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-dependent cytotoxicity
      of PM phi was also decreased. In endotoxin-resistant C3H/HeJ mice, bacterial
      translocation was not observed and PM phi antifungal functions remained similar
      in both RD and ED groups. Thus, enteral feeding of an elemental diet
      downregulates host oxidative and antimicrobial mechanisms and TNF-dependent
      cytotoxicity in conventional mice which may be secondary to elemental diet
      induced bacterial translocation.

PMID- 1881134
TI  - Sensitized B lymphocytes contribute to acute allograft rejection.
AB  - The contribution of sensitized B lymphocytes to second-set allograft rejection
      has been relatively ignored despite their regular appearance in rejecting
      allografts. This study presents evidence that adoptively transferred sensitized B
      lymphocytes accelerate the rate of acute allograft rejection in a sublethally
      irradiated rat cardiac allograft model. Donors of reconstituting B lymphocytes
      were sensitized with three consecutive ACI skin grafts. Transplantation of a
      heart from an ACI strain donor into a Lewis strain recipient (complete RT1
      mismatch) results in rejection in 6.8 +/- 0.3 days. When the allograft donor and
      recipient are irradiated with 650 cGy prior to transplantation, rejection occurs
      at 31.5 +/- 3.0 days. Irradiated recipients reconstituted with 10(6) syngeneic
      sensitized splenic B cells reject their grafts in 20.1 +/- 2.0 days, while
      reconstitution with 10(6) unsensitized syngeneic B cells has no effect on the
      rate of rejection (P = 0.0007). These data strongly suggest that sensitized B
      lymphocytes have a marked accelerating effect on the tempo of allograft
      rejection.

PMID- 1881135
TI  - Effect of controlled hemorrhage on tissue and serum cefazolin clearance.
AB  - Effects of blood loss on tissue and serum antibiotic levels were investigated in
      30 New Zealand white rabbits. Studies were conducted over a 3.5-hr period after
      intravenous administration of cefazolin, 30 mg/kg, in control animals (Groups I
      and IV, n = 5 each) and animals having 50% (Groups II and V, n = 5 each) or 100%
      (Groups III and VI, n = 5 each) of their blood volume removed and replaced with
      either Ringer's solution (Groups I, II, and III) or rabbit whole blood (Groups
      IV, V, and VI) sufficient to maintain central venous pressures at baseline
      levels. Periodic samples of retroperitoneal fat, iliac artery, and serum were
      assayed for cefazolin concentration by disc diffusion. Decreased tissue
      antibiotic levels were observed in animals undergoing 100% blood replacement
      (Groups III and VI) compared to controls (Groups I and IV) in both fat (P less
      than or equal to 0.01) and artery (P less than or equal to 0.01) at 90 min.
      Decreased antibiotic serum half-life accompanying hemorrhage existed when
      comparing Group II to I (P less than or equal to 0.05), Group III to I (P less
      than or equal to 0.01), and Group IV to V (P less than or equal to 0.01). The
      increased antibiotic clearance related to blood loss in this study justifies
      reassessment of intraoperative dosing intervals. More frequent dosing may be
      required to maintain stable tissue and serum antibiotic levels during substantial
      operative hemorrhage.

PMID- 1881136
TI  - Age-related changes in the efficacy of crystalloid cardioplegia.
AB  - Recent work has shown that multi-dose St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegia solution
      (STHC) may not provide reliable protection of the neonatal myocardium. We have
      used an isolated working heart model to study the age-related development of this
      observation. Sets of eight hearts from 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week-old rabbits were
      subjected to 90 min of ischemia at 10 degrees C. STHC was infused at 30-min
      intervals in a dose of 10 ml/kg. There were no differences in the preservation of
      ATP stores during ischemia among the groups. The percentage recovery of
      preischemic mean aortic pressure, left atrial pressure, and heart rate were not
      different among groups, but the percentage recovery of aortic flow (AF)
      (expressed as means +/- standard error of the mean) was significantly lower in
      the 2- and 4-week hearts (44.1 +/- 8.2 and 66.2 +/- 7.7%) than in the 6- and 8
      week hearts (93.0 +/- 6.4 and 97.6 +/- 4.7%). We have confirmed that the use of
      multi-dose STHC impairs recovery of ventricular function in the neonatal rabbit
      heart. This effect, however, diminishes rapidly as the immature animal develops
      and is not present by 6 weeks of age. Additional experimentation is necessary to
      identify those aspects of the developing myocardium that account for these
      observations.

PMID- 1881137
TI  - Jejunal and ileal absorptive function after a model of canine jejunoileal
      autotransplantation.
AB  - The effects of intestinal transplantation on the physiologic functions of the gut
      are not well understood. Our aim was to determine the effect of a large animal
      model of small intestinal transplantation (disruption of all neural and lymphatic
      continuity) on selected absorptive functions of the jejunoileum. Seven dogs were
      studied before and at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after a model of jejunoileal
      autotransplantation, which avoids confounding factors of immune rejection,
      immunosuppression, and harvest ischemia. Jejunal function was assessed by
      quantitative [3H]-folate and D-xylose absorption and ileal function by
      quantitative 57Co-vitamin B12 absorption. The role of lymphatic continuity was
      assessed by fecal fat recovery following 5 days of a controlled, high fat diet
      (75 g/day). All dogs developed a profuse, watery diarrhea that persisted for 6 to
      12 weeks and lost about 15% body weight; however, absorption of D-xylose, folate,
      and vitamin B12 was unaffected at any time point. Fat absorption postoperatively
      was only mildly abnormal (less than or equal to 8 g/day) at all time points in
      five of seven dogs despite complete lymphatic disruption. We concluded that
      jejunoileal autotransplantation does not markedly affect these specific
      jejunoileal absorptive functions. Fat absorption in most dogs surprisingly
      remains almost normal. Anatomic and physiologic consequences of intestinal
      transplantation do not appear to induce global abnormalities in all absorptive
      functions in the nonrejecting jejunoileum.

PMID- 1881138
TI  - Mechanism and prevention of ischemia-reperfusion-induced liver injury in rats.
AB  - This study was designed to clarify the mechanism of ischemia-reperfusion-induced
      rat liver injury and to evaluate the effect of long-acting superoxide dismutase
      (SOD-POE). Liver mitochondrial functional indices, i.e., the respiratory control
      index (RCI) and the rate of oxygen consumption in State III respiration (St. III
      O2), were decreased significantly to 1.33 +/- 0.06, mean +/- SD, and 54.4 +/- 3.7
      natom/mg protein/min, respectively, after 120 min of ischemia, compared to
      respective preischemic values (3.94 +/- 0.21 and 80.2 +/- 3.9). These indices did
      not recover fully following 60 min of reperfusion (RCI, 3.25 +/- 0.17; St. III
      O2, 69.9 +/- 6.4). Tissue levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were decreased
      to 2% of preischemic levels after 120 min of ischemia and remained at 39% of
      preischemic levels following 60 min of reperfusion. Increases in hypoxanthine and
      xanthine were observed after ischemia. SOD-POE improved the recovery of
      mitochondrial function (RCI, 3.70 +/- 0.20; St. III O2, 83.3 +/- 7.6) and also
      accelerated the recovery of ATP (53% of preischemic level). SOD-POE did not
      affect the decrease in ATP levels or the increase in purine nucleotide levels
      during ischemia. SOD-POE did not influence changes in tissue blood flow levels
      throughout the experiments. The leakage of adenine nucleotides immediately after
      reperfusion was observed (4.2 +/- 2.0 mumole/liter serum), and SOD-POE mitigated
      this leakage (1.3 +/- 0.5). Purine nucleotides are oxidizable substrates of
      xanthine oxidase, and an increase in superoxide radical generation by this enzyme
      might be expected in the ischemia-reperfusion process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1881139
TI  - Inert wound dressing is not desirable.
AB  - Four Yorkshire piglets were inflicted with a total of 92 split-thickness wounds
      4.8 cm2 in area and 400 microns deep. The wounds were treated with eight dressing
      regimens under the same experimental design. The rate of reepithelialization of
      the wound was quantitated by a morphometric method. The magnitude of inflammatory
      reaction of the wound to the dressing was scored from histological slides. The
      results indicate a relationship between the rate of reepithelialization of split
      thickness wounds and the inflammatory response of the wound to the dressing.
      Dressings, such as collagen sponge, polyethyleneglycol, Duoderm, and lanolin
      ointment, induce moderate to severe inflammatory changes when placed on the
      wounds. These wounds reepithelialize significantly faster than control, gauze
      covered wounds. This contrasts with inert dressings, such as hydrated hydrogel
      membrane, Carbopol 934P, or Silvadene cream, which did not affect the rate of
      reepithelialization when compared with the healing of control wounds.
      Simultaneously, these dressings induced no or minimal inflammatory reaction in
      the wound tissue. Only when the inflammatory reaction to the wound dressing was
      excessive (methylcellulose) was the rate of reepithelialization of the wounds
      significantly inhibited in comparison with control wounds. We hypothesize that
      wound dressings, by inducing inflammatory reaction, enhance healing by activating
      cells, such as macrophages or fibroblasts, that produce growth factors and other
      mediators of the repair process.

PMID- 1881140
TI  - Liver bacterial clearance following hepatic artery ligation and portacaval shunt.
AB  - The reticuloendothelial system (RES) plays an important role in removing
      bacteria, endotoxins, and immune complexes from the circulation. Hepatic
      phagocytosis accounts for more than 80% of RES function. The dual hepatic blood
      supply (hepatic artery/portal vein) may be altered by pathologic states and
      surgical procedures. This study evaluates and compares the effect of hepatic
      artery ligation and portacaval shunt on hepatic trapping of viable Escherichia
      coli. Thirty rats were placed in three groups: Group I was composed of sham
      operated controls; Group II underwent end-to-side portacaval shunt (PCS); and in
      Group III, hepatic artery ligation (HAL) was performed. At 2 weeks following the
      operation 10(9) 35S-radiolabeled viable E. coli were injected via the tail vein.
      At 10 min, bacterial distribution in the different organs was determined. Tissue
      samples were processed for liquid scintillation counting. The final distribution
      of bacteria was calculated from the input specific activity (dpm/bacteria) and
      expressed as the mean percentage of injected viable E. coli per gram of tissue
      and per organ weight. There was a significant decrease of bacterial trapping by
      the liver in rats following PCS (Group II), 45.0 +/- 10.4% vs controls 77.1 +/-
      3.73% (P less than 0.005). This was partially compensated for by a significant
      increase of bacterial trapping by the lung. The decreased clearance in PCS rats
      is due to a reduction in liver mass compared to that in controls. Bacterial
      localization in HAL (Group III) rats was similar to that in controls. These data
      show that PCS decreases hepatic clearance and increases pulmonary localization of
      viable E. coli. This phagocytic dysfunction may contribute to increased
      susceptibility to infection following portacaval shunt.

PMID- 1881141
TI  - Polymer-mediated electrostatic interactions between charged lipid assemblies and
      electrolyte solutions: a tentative model of the polyethylene glycol-induced cell
      fusion.
AB  - We developed a theoretical model to investigate the interaction between charged
      lipid aggregates and a water solution containing ions and uncharged polymers. The
      local concentration of ions and polymer chains around the lipid aggregate have
      been treated as variational parameters which can be found by minimizing the total
      energy of the system. We divided the energy into the following main
      contributions: (a) Solvation energy of the ions. This depends on the local
      polymer concentration through the variation of the solvent dielectric properties.
      (b) Ions-lipid aggregate interactions. These depend on the local concentrations
      both of the ion cloud and polymer chains. (c) Conformational energy of the
      polymer. This term is related to the inhomogeneous spatial density of the polymer
      segments. Any direct interaction between the charged lipid surface and the
      polymer coils has been intentionally neglected. The minimization procedure leads
      to a non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann equation coupled with a non-linear algebraic
      equation describing the polymer distribution. The solution of the above system
      allows one to calculate the ions and polymer spatial distribution around the
      lipid aggregate. The knowledge of such parameters is useful to predict the effect
      of non-ionic polymers on the structure and properties of lipid assemblies such as
      the mean area per lipid molecule, the aggregation number, the critical micellar
      concentration and the formation of immiscibility gaps in mixed lipid systems. A
      possible involvement of these parameters into the fusion process between lipid
      vesicles is discussed.

PMID- 1881142
TI  - A model of insulin distribution and uptake in the perfused rat liver.
AB  - Indicator dilution curves of 51Cr-EDTA and 125I-insulin injected into perfusate
      entering the rat liver in vivo are used as a basis for developing a mathematical
      model of insulin distribution and uptake within the organ. EDTA is not taken up
      by liver cells and therefore serves as a "volume marker" whose dilution curve
      reflects the characteristics of perfusate flow through the organ and through the
      cannulae. These two components are modelled separately but the same approach is
      used in each case, that is, the minimum number of delayed exponential terms
      sufficient to reproduce the dilution curves is determined and used as the basis
      for modelling. This allows the cannula, vascular and sinusoidal volumes to be
      identified and described as corresponding compartmental configurations. The shape
      of the insulin dilution curve is additionally influenced by binding to, and
      uptake by, liver cells. Binding of insulin to receptors on hepatocyte plasma
      membranes and subsequent internalization of the insulin-receptor complex is
      modelled by the introduction of additional compartments but this is found to be
      insufficient unless non-specific binding is also taken into account. The accuracy
      of determination of the rate constants for insulin-receptor dissociation and for
      endocytosis is improved by a sudden reduction in the pH of the perfusate about
      100 sec after injection of the insulin bolus. This releases any residual receptor
      bound insulin and is modelled by a sudden shift in the insulin-receptor
      dissociation rate constant. Matching of the complete model to individual pairs of
      51Cr-EDTA and 125I-insulin dilution curves allows vascular and sinusoidal volumes
      to be determined together with the binding and endocytic rate constants. Use of
      the model to investigate the effect of substances that modify these rate
      constants is briefly illustrated in the case where the liver is preperfused with
      5 mM indomethacin. The model can also be used to simulate the internal
      distribution and uptake of insulin with any nominated input function and any set
      of parameters; this is illustrated by comparing the impulse response in the
      normal case and that in which indomethacin has been preperfused. Although the
      present study is confined to insulin, the model and methodology that is developed
      should be applicable to other ligands for which the hepatocyte carries specific
      receptors.

PMID- 1881143
TI  - A superior theory?

PMID- 1881144
TI  - The ordering of nucleotides in the DNA: strong pyrimidine-purine patterns near
      homooligomer tracts.
AB  - Here, we study the frequencies of occurrence of homooligomers flanked by one
      base, XnU or UXn, where X = A, C, G, T and U not equal to X. Specifically, we
      search for preferences (or discriminations) in their nearest neighbor doublet,
      VV. Extensive analysis of the data base reveals striking patterns in such VVUXn
      or UXn VV oligomers (V = A, C, G, T). With very few exceptions, if the VV and Xn
      are composed of complementary nucleotides, those oligomers having a pyrimidine
      (Y)-purine (R) junction are preferred over those with an RY one. If the VV and Xn
      nucleotides are not complementary, the RY junction oligomers are preferred over
      their YR counterparts. These trends are observed consistently in eukaryotic and
      prokaryotic sequences. They are particularly striking in the YR greater than RY
      oligomers containing complementary nucleotides. The general preferences and
      discriminations described here are in the same direction as our previous results
      for homooligomer tracts. These recurrences, along with some additional universal
      "rules", aid in our understanding of the ordering of nucleotides in the DNA.

PMID- 1881145
TI  - On the frequencies of nucleotides and nucleotide substitutions in conservative
      regulatory DNA sequences.
AB  - We present data on the frequencies of nucleotides and nucleotide substitutions in
      conservative DNA regions involved in the regulation of gene expression. Data on
      prokaryotes and eukaryotes are considered separately. In both cases DNA strands
      complementary to those which serve as templates for RNA-polymerase have low
      frequencies of cytosine. The most conservative positions also have an increased
      frequency of adenine. Various substitutions in the series of homologous
      regulatory DNA sequences, as compared to their consensuses, have different
      frequencies. In prokaryotes guanine in a consensus sequence is substituted for at
      the lowest and adenine at the highest frequency, whereas in eukaryotes cytosine
      is substituted for at the lowest and guanine at the highest frequency. In both
      cases the nucleotides substituted for are most frequently replaced with cytosine.
      Deviations from consensus sequences tend to cluster in adjacent positions. The
      more pronounced the consequences of a nucleotide substitution are the higher is
      the frequency of substitutions in adjacent positions. Possible explanations for
      these phenomena are discussed.

PMID- 1881146
TI  - The quantitative investigation of the binding process of calcium blocking drugs
      in a sinoatrial node.
AB  - Application of existing models of sinoatrial node pacemaker activity and of
      channel-drug interaction allow us to reproduce action potential changes as a
      result of the blocking effect of drugs. Two calcium antagonistic drugs,
      nifedipine and mesudipine, were investigated and as a result averaged rate
      constants of binding and unbinding were evaluated. The procedure applied which is
      based on experimental results and on computer simulations, can be used as an
      initial step for comparison of different drugs.

PMID- 1881147
TI  - Distinguishing mechanisms for the evolution of co-operation.
AB  - The existence of co-operation between species has been cast as a problem to the
      selfish-gene view of evolution: why does co-operation persist, when it would seem
      that individual selection should favor the unco-operative individual who exploits
      the co-operative tendencies of its partner and gives nothing in return? The
      recent literature has emphasized one type of model as underlying the evolution
      and stability of interspecific co-operation, which we term the "partner-fidelity"
      model, and which is typified by the game theory model known as the iterated
      Prisoner's Dilemma game. Under this mechanism, individuals are associated with
      the same partner(s) during an indefinite sequence of interactions. Individuals
      who at any time fail to co-operate with their partner can be penalized by those
      same partners in subsequent trials, hence the co-operation can be evolutionarily
      stable. Many examples of biological co-operation that have been offered appear to
      conform to this model. However, a few examples appear instead to fit a different
      and unrecognized mechanism, termed "partner-choice". Under partner-choice,
      individuals are associated for just one interaction, but an asymmetry enables one
      member to differentially reward co-operative vs. unco-operative partners in
      advance of any possible exploitation. Possible examples of co-operation
      maintained through partner-choice mechanisms are provided by the yucca/yucca moth
      system and the fig/fig wasp system.

PMID- 1881148
TI  - Evolution of the sterile caste.
AB  - Biased sex ratios are expected to affect the conditions of the evolution of
      worker behaviour in malehaploid populations. In a subsocial, malehaploid species
      an association to female-biased brood sex ratios favours the evolution of worker
      behaviour. There are various reasons to expect such an association. The critical
      worker efficiency threshold required for worker behaviour to evolve is lower when
      looked at from the viewpoint of the mother than from that of the daughter. In
      this mother-daughter conflict, the mother can expect some help from her other
      offspring to resolve the conflict in her favour. In semisocial species the sex
      ratio biases have a less significant role and the worker behaviour can evolve
      more easily in malehaploid than in diploid populations. Furthermore, limited
      dispersal (due to the risks attached to it) is expected to favour worker
      behaviour in malehaploid but inbreeding in diploid populations. In addition to
      the genetic mechanisms that determine the critical worker efficiency threshold,
      it is essential to pay attention to those ecological factors that affect the
      actual worker efficiency in nature. Several such factors exist but it is not easy
      to associate them with the common occurrence of eusocial species in the
      Hymenoptera.

PMID- 1881149
TI  - How far can one go in the field of structural elucidation of natural products?
AB  - Structural elucidation of bioactive compounds has always been and remains a field
      of interest for organic chemists. Tools have constantly evolved over the past
      fifty years and the field has become so sophisticated and relies so heavily on
      instruments and computers that is becoming an area for specialists.
      Specialization has become such that the natural product chemist now faces X-ray
      professionals, mass spectrometry specialists, not to speak of NMR experts; all
      these people use different tools, different quantities of material and it may
      happen that once our natural product chemists opens the door of one of their
      laboratories, he is not welcome in the others anymore. The purpose of this paper
      is to discuss briefly what can be done best with each of the tools. It will be
      also shown that chemistry may still find a use, especially when problems are very
      difficult to tackle. Examples will be chosen among terpenes, antibiotics and
      toxins.

PMID- 1881150
TI  - Digitalis: is there a future for this classical ethnopharmacological remedy?
AB  - Withering's (1741-1799) greatest merit is not so much that of having discovered
      the therapeutic value of foxglove in hydropsy, since this indication (among
      others) was already part of traditional medicine, but actually during a decade of
      carefully recording clinical observations, he authoritatively settled definite
      guidelines for its use. In spite of its further utilization in many additional
      illnesses such as madness, foxglove, and later its main heteroside digitoxine,
      progressively reached their eventual place in the treatment of supraventricular
      arrhythmias and in congestive heart failure. In the latter indication, however,
      its value is now being questioned; it is being accused of augmenting myocardial
      work due to its vasoconstrictor properties, of favoring dysrhythmic events in a
      disease already burdened with a 50% arrhythmia mortality, and actually of having
      a low therapeutic index. Even though being discarded by a number of
      cardiologists, digitoxine still remains in the appraisal of others as an
      indispensable medicine.

PMID- 1881151
TI  - Can ethnopharmacology contribute to the development of new anticancer drugs?
AB  - Ethnopharmacologic and ethnomedical information has been poorly utilized in the
      past in the search for new and effective treatments for cancer. In spite of this,
      plants have been a very viable source of clinically useful compounds, leads for
      synthetic modification and tools for mechanistic studies. In this paper, a new
      strategy for the discovery of anticancer agents from plants is proposed in which
      ethnomedical information is correlated against pertinent published chemical and
      biological information, resulting in a prioritization of plants for collection.
      Authenticated plants are extracted and the extracts tested in a broad array of
      more than 20 human cancer cell and mechanism-based assays through a cooperative
      research program involving a university, a research institute and a
      pharmaceutical company. Bioactivity-directed fractionation will be carried out at
      all three sites, with a view to identifying novel compounds which will serve as
      candidates for preclinical testing.

PMID- 1881152
TI  - Ethnopharmacology and the development of natural PAF antagonists as therapeutic
      agents.
AB  - Ginkgolides are unique twenty-carbon terpenes, occurring naturally only in the
      roots and leaves of Ginkgo biloba. The molecules incorporate a tert-butyl group
      and six 5-membered rings, and are specific and potent antagonists of platelet
      activating factor (PAF), a potent inflammatory autacoid. Studies in animal models
      with the most potent ginkgolide, BN 52021, and other specific PAF antagonists
      have demonstrated that PAF plays an important role in pathologies such as asthma,
      shock, ischemia, anaphylaxis, graft rejection, renal disease, CNS disorders and
      numerous inflammatory conditions. Ginkgolides are now being developed as
      therapeutic agents and very promising results have been obtained in clinical
      trials on shock, organ preservation and thermal injury. In addition to
      ginkgolides, several other types of natural PAF antagonists have been identified
      from various medicinal plants. These compounds have not only helped to explain
      the pharmacological basis of several traditional medicines, but have also
      provided man with a valuable new class of therapeutic agents.

PMID- 1881153
TI  - Can ethnopharmacology contribute to the development of antimalarial agents?
AB  - The resistance of Plasmodium falciparum, the cause of tertian malaria, to
      synthetic antimalarials, together with the resistance of the vector mosquitoes to
      insecticides, has resulted in a resurgence in the use of quinine and a search for
      new antimalarial agents. In recent years, artemisinin, isolated from Artemisia
      annua which is used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria,
      has proved to be effective in the treatment of cerebral malaria due to
      chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum. The development of in vitro tests
      utilising P. falciparum obtained from malaria patients means that it is possible
      to use bioassay guided fractionation of active extracts in order to isolate
      active principles. A number of laboratories throughout the world are currently
      investigating plants used in traditional medicine for their active constituents.
      Some of their results will be described and in particular two aspects of our
      investigations with species of Simaroubaceae and Menispermaceae will be
      discussed. There is every possibility that such approaches which use leads from
      Ethnopharmacology will result in the development of new antimalarial agents. It
      is vitally important to those populations relying on traditional medicines for
      the treatment of malaria that the safety and efficacy of such medicines be
      established, their active principles determined and that reproducible dosage
      forms be prepared and made available for use.

PMID- 1881154
TI  - Can ethnopharmacology contribute to the development of anti-fertility drugs?
AB  - China, one of the developing countries with approx. one-fifth of the world
      population, has been making great efforts in controlling her population size. One
      of the efforts being stressed is to look into the practicability of employing
      Chinese herbal medicine for fertility control. The rich ethnopharmacological
      descriptions in the ancient books of herbal remedy and those scattered in the
      folklore medicine contribute the possibility of this approach. After a discussion
      concerning the facets of antifertility drugs linked with male or female fertility
      regulation, several selected examples are presented, which include yuehchukene
      (isolated from Murraya paniculata), pseudolarix acids A and B (from Pseudolarix
      kaempferi), mardekoside A (from Mardenia koi), gardenic acid and gardenodic acid
      A (from Gardenia jasminoides) as early pregnancy terminating agent, for fertility
      regulation in females; whereas gossypol (from cottonseed oil) and total
      glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) as antispermatogenic agent for
      fertility regulation in males. Further research and development strategies of
      antifertility drugs from herbal medicines have also been discussed based on a
      collective research data in this field worldwide.

PMID- 1881155
TI  - Does pharmacology corroborate the nicotine therapy and practices of South
      American shamanism?
AB  - The use of tobacco by South American Indians is deeply rooted in their culture
      and thought. From early pre-Columbian times to the present, tobacco has
      functioned as an important psychotropic drug for magico-religious, medicinal and
      recreational purposes. Native interest in tobacco centers on the nicotine
      alkaloid it contains. Data culled from about 1800 sources and pertaining to
      nearly 300 societies reveal that South American Indians employ six major and
      several minor means of nicotine application. There exists a close functional
      relationship between tobacco and shamanism. The empirical ethnographical data
      base of nicotine application is compared to the comprehensive literature of
      experimental clinical studies of tobacco and nicotine. Ritual tobacco use aims to
      achieve acute nicotine intoxication. The pharmacological effects of the alkaloid
      on the human body are shown to have informed shamanic therapeutic practices and
      beliefs. Closely associated with soil cultivation, tobacco use in the New World
      is much more recent than shamanism. Thus, it is not the drug that gave origin to
      shamanic religion but religion that informed the effects of the drug.

PMID- 1881156
TI  - What are the possibilities and limits of therapy with European native drugs in
      modern clinical medicine?
AB  - Concerning therapy with European native drugs in modern clinical medicine, a
      clear distinction has to be made between its possibilities and limits on a
      scientific basis and its possibilities and limits according to the present
      position of phytotherapy in the different countries of the European Community. On
      a scientific basis phytopharmaceuticals are used for therapy in a variety of
      diseases in the clinic as well as in medical practice. The clinical use of
      phytopharmaceuticals is limited by the kind of acute and severe diseases
      predominantly treated in the hospital. These diseases require immediate measures
      with strong acting pharmaceuticals. In the practice of the general practitioner
      indications for phytopharmaceuticals in principle are the same as in the
      hospital. The relatively more frequent use of phytopharmaceuticals by the
      practitioner is related to the fact that he is mainly concerned with mild health
      disturbances and diseases and chronic sufferings which are destined for treatment
      with herbal medicines.

PMID- 1881157
TI  - How and why should we standardize phytopharmaceutical drugs for clinical
      validation?
AB  - Standardized extracts are needed to carry out reliable clinical trials. The
      standardization of an extract does not include only a whole of analytical
      controls: it requires also a thorough description of the starting drug and of the
      whole extraction process, both basic items for the constancy of the quality of an
      extract. Another not minor aspect in the standardization of an extract is its
      nomenclature which must include all the necessary data for a clear definition
      (drug, physical state, solvent of extraction, composition) of the extract itself.
      Two examples of standardization are described, one concerning an extract whose
      therapeutical active constituents are known (anthocyanoside complex of Vaccinium
      myrtillus) and the other concerning an extract whose constituents must be
      regarded as chemical markers (Pygeum africamum extract).

PMID- 1881158
TI  - The pharmacology of psychoactive alkaloids from ephedra and catha.
AB  - Ever since the introduction of the alkaloid ephedrine as an anti-asthmatic, the
      CNS stimulatory effects of this sympathomimetic have been a problem in therapy.
      Indeed, the use of ephedrine is not only limited by its cardiovascular effects,
      but also by the occurrence of insomnia, restlessness and anxiety. Exceptionally,
      ephedrine may even induce toxic psychosis, and the possibility of this side
      effect has recently received renewed attention. Besides ephedrine, the ephedra
      plant contains some norpseudoephedrine. This substance is also called cathine,
      because it is a major alkaloid of Catha edulis or khat, a plant that is widely
      used as a stimulant in certain countries of East Africa and of the Arab
      Peninsula. The effects of khat have been explained formerly by those of cathine;
      some time ago, however, the labile alkaloid cathinone was discovered in khat.
      This substance is the keto-analog of cathine; it is therefore more lipophilic and
      penetrates easily to its sites of action in the central nervous system. Indeed,
      cathinone has been found to be a highly potent CNS stimulant and it is now known
      to be the main psychoactive constituent of khat; the results of various in vitro
      and in vivo studies indicate that cathinone must be considered a natural
      amphetamine. In confirmation of this view, it has recently been demonstrated that
      cathinone has in humans marked euphorigenic and psychostimulant effects. As the
      case may be, these findings may lead, together with epidemiological data, to a
      reconsideration of the use of khat as a stimulant and social drug.

PMID- 1881159
TI  - What is ethnobotany today?
AB  - A review is given of contemporary ethnobotany. Emphasis is placed on the
      interdisciplinary nature of the subject and most progress is made when botanists,
      anthropologists, ecologists, chemists, etc. work in close collaboration.
      Ethnoecology, the study of the management systems of indigenous peoples, is
      particularly important for its application to the creation of sustainable use
      systems in the tropics. This must include the study of peasant agriculturalists
      who have adapted many techniques from cultures that have long been extinct.
      Quantitative studies of the extent to which rainforest Indians use the forest
      have provided many data useful for conservation. The study of indigenous
      medicines is leading to the discovery of new medicines and agrochemicals. When
      commercial benefit is gained from products derived from information obtained from
      indigenous peoples, it is essential to ensure that they and their countries
      benefit from the royalties. There is a great urgency for further ethnobotanical
      research before indigenous cultures and natural habitats are destroyed.

PMID- 1881160
TI  - Is there an industrial future for phytopharmaceutical drugs? An outline of UNIDO
      programmes in the sector.
AB  - Although a substantial proportion of the health-care expenditure of developing
      countries is spent on the acquisition of drugs, this is only sufficient to serve
      about a quarter of their population. Therefore it is inconceivable that WHO's
      goal of HEALTH FOR ALL by the year 2000 could even be approached without
      consideration being given to the role in health care systems of herbal medicines.
      In this endeavour, traditional herbal medicines must perforce be granted the
      benefits of modern science and technology to serve future global needs. Here we
      are addressing both a contigency situation as well as a long term one. In
      developing nations there is a dire need for an improved supply of therapeutic
      agents for a variety of diseases that are characteristic of deprivation and
      poverty. In addition herbal medicines promise to provide both concepts of
      therapy, as well as therapeutic agents in areas where modern medicine has few
      answers. UNIDO's programmes for technical assistance to developing nations aim at
      the fullest utilisation of traditional herbal-based pharmacopoeias in addressing
      both these situations. They have employed a multi-disciplinary approach to the
      industrial production of herbal medicines. The projects endeavour to utilise the
      natural flora, judiciously, for selection, domestication and crop-wise
      cultivation of medicinal plant species for industrial processing. National R & D
      efforts have been strengthened to include the development of expertise in several
      areas such as instrumental analyses, biological assessment of raw materials as
      well as products. Process technology development has received special attention.
      A versatile poly-functional pilot plant has been developed to enable the
      production of herbal preparations as well as extracts and
      phytochemicals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881161
TI  - Legal requirements for the use of phytopharmaceutical drugs in the Federal
      Republic of Germany.
AB  - The legal status for herbal remedies is defined by the Drug Law of 24 August 1976
      in the version of the forth law amending of April 1990. For finished drugs a
      marketing authorization is obligatory. Herbal finished drugs hae to comply with
      the same criteria for quality, safety and efficacy as all other finished drugs.
      Marketing of finished herbal drugs is possible by three ways: 1. Procedure of
      evaluation and validation of old medicines. Finished drugs registered in 1978 did
      possess a provisional marketing authorization and could be on the market until
      the end of April 1990. The medical evaluation of these drugs is mainly based on
      bibliographic data and it is done by a special expert committee, the Commission
      E. It is documented by a monograph which is the basis for the assessment of these
      drugs starting this year. 2. Standardized marketing authorization. Medicines
      which do not represent a direct or indirect risk for health can be exempted from
      the need of an individual marketing authorization by monographs of standardized
      marketing authorizations. If a applicant refers to such a monograph he does not
      have to present any documentation. 3. Individual applications for marketing
      authorization. In this procedure a complete documentation including the results
      of analytical tests, results of the pharmacological and toxicological tests and
      results of clinical or other medical tests are required. Drugs sold outside
      pharmacies and referring only to traditional uses without clinical evidence for
      efficacy have to be labelled as "traditionally used".

PMID- 1881162
TI  - What are the legal requirements for the use of phytopharmaceutical drugs in
      France?

PMID- 1881163
TI  - Sociopolitical, economical and ethical issues in medicinal plant research.
AB  - Medicinal plant research may be pursued with several goals: the understanding of
      a native medical system, the elucidation of the rational basis for the medicinal
      use of a certain plant species, the development of low cost phytotherapeutics,
      the discovery of prototypic drugs, and so on. More often than not, the research
      project starts with the collection of indigenous medical knowledge in various
      parts of the world and generates a dissertation, a scientific paper or a drug.
      Usually, indigenous knowledge was crucial to the development of such products;
      nevertheless, indigenous groups tend not to benefit from the achievements of
      research. Ethnopharmacology involves a series of sociopolitical, economic and
      ethical dilemmas, at various levels. Most research projects involve more than one
      country (e.g., field work in a remote part of an underdeveloped country).
      Frequently host country scientists, visiting scientists, and informants disagree
      about these dilemmas. As a result, such research efforts are perceived as
      scientific imperialism; scientists are accused of stealing plant materials and
      appropriating traditional plant knowledge for financial profit and/or
      professional advancement. Many governments, as well as indigenous societies are
      increasingly reluctant to permit such research. Increasingly, funding for field
      work utilizing indigenous informants is coming from industry. Historically
      neither native populations nor host countries have shared to a significant extent
      the financial benefits from any drug that reaches the market. Unless these issues
      are amply discussed and fairy resolved, medicinal plant research runs the risk of
      serving ethically questionable purposes.

PMID- 1881164
TI  - Should we set a place for diet in ethnopharmacology?
AB  - Ethnopharmacologic inquiry is most invincibly pursued by addressing "medicinals"
      across the divers contexts through which populations gain exposure to the
      material of their pharmacopoeia. Attention to multiple categories of use advances
      our comprehension of indigenous health care by providing a framework for
      laboratory investigations that explore the bioactive potential of the materia
      medica to influence the occurrence and expression of disease, and that determine
      how those physiologic outcomes may be further mediated by the context-specific
      vicissitudes of preparation, combination and consumption. Consideration of the
      dietary contexts of local "medicines" is central to this wider perspective.

PMID- 1881165
TI  - Interest and limitation of a global ethnopharmacological survey.
AB  - Since 1983 an ethnopharmacological research called the TRAMIL Programme (Applied
      Research on the Traditional Popular Medicine in the Caribbean Basin) has been
      underway in several countries of the West Indies and Central America. The
      programme, which started in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic, has now extended
      to Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela. The most
      important goal of the programme is to evaluate the traditional use of medicinal
      herbs in order to help unprivileged populations from this geographical area. The
      study is approached from the point of view of solutions to everyday health
      problems, rather than as a simple catalogue of plant or traditional remedy usage.
      An appropriate methodology is employed, including inventory and botanical
      determination, bibliographical research, study of the unknown species through
      analytical, toxicological and/or pharmacological methods and transmission of
      controlled information which ensures the value of natural medication to the
      public. The TRAMIL Programme leads to protection of cultural heritage and
      integration of effective and secure traditional remedies in primary health care.

PMID- 1881166
TI  - Is there any danger in using traditional remedies?
AB  - The question, whether the use of traditional drugs can entail a health risk, is a
      rhetorical one. It is well-established that all sorts of vegetable, animal and
      mineral remedies used in a traditional setting are capable of producing serious
      adverse reactions. In fact, the medical and toxicological literature is so
      replete with examples that any attempt to cover them in just thirty minutes would
      be futile. Instead, the lecture will be largely devoted to a general outlook that
      may help to put ethnotoxicological case reports and research data in a realistic
      perspective. The principle that the expected benefit of a drug must outweigh its
      potential risk applies as much to traditional products as it does to synthetic
      drug preparations. No patient deserves to be treated with a remedy that is worse
      than the disease. It is essential, however, that traditional drug therapies are
      submitted to an appropriate benefit/risk analysis. With respect to the expected
      benefit, not only pharmacological efficacy should be appraised, but also the
      social utility of the drug in its cultural context. With regard to potential
      risk, it is of vital importance to account for confounding factors, such as
      intuitive risk perception. To assure that ethnotoxicological research efforts
      have an optimal impact on public health care, practically relevant results must
      be disseminated in a manner respectful of traditional medicine.

PMID- 1881167
TI  - Native drugs of Vietnam: which traditional and scientific approaches?
AB  - For thousands of years, our people treated diseases with herbs and plants which
      were gathered from gardens and forests. The recorded medical literature which now
      remains dates only after 10th century. In the history of Vietnamese national
      medicine, two names in particular stand out before 18th century. The first one is
      Tue Tinh of the 17th century, author of two treatises: Nam Duoc Than Hieu (The
      Miraculous Efficacy of Vietnamese Medicines) describing 580 indigenous drugs in
      3873 prescriptions for 10 clinical specialities and Hong Nghia Giac Tu Thu.
      (Medical book from village Hong Nghia) summarizing the indications of 630 drugs
      with a theoretical part of traditional medicine. The second name would be Le Huu
      Trac (1720-1791) writing as Hai Thuong Lan Ong, author of the great treatise of
      traditional medicine with more than 30 volumes. From generation to generation by
      oral tradition and through literature, people have collected a lot of medicinal
      plants and especially a lot of medicinal prescriptions based on a long empirical
      knowledge of medicinal and toxic plants. After the August Revolution (1945),
      traditional medicine in our country was rehabilitated to its state position.
      Prof. Dr. Do Tat Loi, one of the authors of this paper, was busy over 40 years
      compiling the medicinal plants, animal and mineral origins into a book (more than
      1200 pages): Medicinal Plants and Drugs from Vietnam. A general part, the
      theoretical bases of eastern medicine, basic principles of drug identification,
      processing and preparation, study of drug efficaciousness and particular guides
      for using traditional drugs are presented. In the second part, the author
      introduces more than 700 drugs common in Vietnam.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1881168
TI  - Selection of traditional medicines for study.

PMID- 1881169
TI  - Historical perspective and future of ethnopharmacology.

PMID- 1881170
TI  - One man's poison, another man's medicine?
AB  - Poisonous plants and animals are widespread in nature and have been used for a
      great variety of purposes. Brief discussions of a number of examples: aconite,
      ergot, Euphorbiaceae/Thymelaeaceae, curare, cardiac glycosides, triterpenoid
      saponins and animal toxins, make the point that, in addition to allowing their
      use as medicinal agents, the study of such substances has opened up new areas of
      (bio)chemistry, physiology and pharmacology. But even though the compounds
      concerned have a relatively low molecular weight, in some cases their examination
      had to wait until appropriate methods of investigation became available.
      Understanding the modes of action has allowed the molecules to be used as
      starting points for the development of useful medicinal agents, a better
      appreciation of structure-activity relationships having led to improvements in
      the properties desired. With the advent of methods for the investigation of high
      molecular-weight proteins, polypeptides, polyketides, etc., it is now possible to
      enter entirely new fields and to study more complex materials derived from plant,
      animal and other sources. It is here that future developments, coupled with the
      possibility of more specific targeting, hold most promise for the beneficial
      utilization of otherwise highly poisonous substances.

PMID- 1881171
TI  - Looking for new drugs: what criteria?
AB  - How to look for new drugs? What guidelines to use? Have we to continue
      investigations on plant and marine organisms? These questions arise frequently
      today. A pharmacological effect results from the addition of many effects at a
      molecular level, i.e. the interaction between a ligand and a receptor. As long as
      the chemical structure of this receptor remains unknown, studies of Nature's
      resources will yield the largest reservoir of new drugs. Nature provides our
      imagination with the pattern of novel biologically active molecules. Criteria
      classically used in the past to select plants for study were chemotaxonomy,
      ethnopharmacology or pharmacotaxonomy. Examples will be taken from personal
      experience, to illustrate work done according to the chemotaxonomical approach
      (Ochrosia and ellipticines), and the ethnopharmacological approach
      (antiinflammatory properties of Euphorbiaceae from New Caledonia). Taking into
      account that one of the major problems we have to face is the unsatisfactory
      classical pharmacological testing procedure, we have tried to set up a network
      grouping biologists and chemists. Among many results obtained, one concerns the
      use of the mammalian hypothalamo-pituitary system to screen effects of alkaloids
      extracted from Psychotria oleoides, a Rubiaceae collected in New Caledonia.
      Psycholeine exhibits an intriguing activity on GH release. Another result
      concerns the influence of a Labiatae extract on the adenylate cyclase system: 9
      HODE extracted from Glechoma hederacea stimulates the basal level of enzyme
      activity in platelets, this activity being possibly involved in the folk uses
      claimed. Using the tubulin test to screen antimitotic activities of plant
      extracts, the biological activity of rhazinilam has been demonstrated as
      responsible for the antitubulin activity of a Malaysian plant, Kopsia
      singapurensis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881172
TI  - Natural products as probes for new drug target identification.
AB  - One traditional aspect of natural products in medical research has been their use
      in the identification and investigation of the physiological/pathological role of
      receptors and enzymes as possible targets for drug design programmes. Classical
      examples of this function of natural products in drug research can be seen in the
      investigation of the cholinergic system. For example, the importance of alkaloids
      such as nicotine, physostigmine and curare for research into the nicotine
      receptor and muscarine, pilocarpine and the tropane alkaloids on the muscarinic
      receptor. On binding of a ligand to its cell surface membrane receptor and prior
      to a physiological/pharmacological response two mechanisms are currently known to
      be involved in membrane signal transductance. In the minority of cases signal
      transductance involves the direct opening of an ion channel, for example sodium
      ion influx, but in the majority of cases involves stimulation of a family of G
      proteins and subsequent activation of second messenger systems. For example, the
      cyclic-AMP/adenylate cyclase system and the phosphoinositol cycle. In this
      communication, the part played currently by the tumour-promoting and pro
      inflammatory phorbol esters from the plant family Euphorbiaceae in furthering our
      understanding of the role of a group of related kinases from one arm of the
      phosphoinositol cycle as a signal transduction pathway will be illustrated. The
      possibilities of using these new receptors as targets for future drug development
      will also be described.

PMID- 1881173
TI  - The evolution of single lung transplantation for emphysema. The Washington
      University Lung Transplant Group.
AB  - Classic transplantation dogma mandated bilateral lung replacement for lung
      transplant candidates with end-stage emphysema to avoid air trapping in the
      native lung and subsequent crowding of the newly transplanted lung. During a
      recent 12-month period 11 patients with emphysema received a single lung
      transplant. There was no hospital mortality and only one patient had any notable
      degree of air trapping in the native lung. Substantial improvement in pulmonary
      function was seen as early as 2 weeks after transplantation, with significant
      functional improvement seen by 6 weeks, despite some residual ventilation
      perfusion mismatch. We have demonstrated the utility and safety of single lung
      transplantation for patients with end-stage emphysema, and it is our operation of
      choice in recipients more than 50 years of age.

PMID- 1881174
TI  - Sternal wound infections and use of internal mammary artery grafts.
AB  - Previous studies have provided conflicting evidence as to whether an increased
      risk of mediastinitis is associated with use of the internal mammary artery as a
      coronary bypass graft. In this study the effects of internal mammary artery
      grafts on wound complications were analyzed in a prospective, nonrandomized
      fashion. At New York University Medical Center from January 1985 through May
      1988, 2356 patients underwent isolated coronary revascularization. Among these
      patients 1394 received one or more internal mammary artery grafts (group I) and
      962 had vein grafts only (group II). Group I had a mean age of 59.5 years versus
      67.7 years in group II; diabetes was equally present in both groups (22.7% versus
      24.7%). Operative mortality rate was 1.3% in group I and 5.6% in group II.
      Sternal infection was significantly more prevalent in group I (2.2%, 31/1394)
      than in group II (0.8%, 8/962). Multivariate analysis revealed that aortic
      crossclamp time, use of a single internal mammary artery graft, use of a double
      mammary graft, and diabetes were associated with increased risk of sternal
      infection. The use of bilateral internal mammary artery grafting doubled the odds
      ratio of the risk compared with use of a single mammary graft, and the
      combination of diabetes and double internal mammary artery grafts increased the
      odds ratio 13.9-fold. Patients with an internal mammary artery graft who had
      sternal infection had a longer period of hospitalization than patients without a
      mammary artery graft who had sternal infection. We conclude that the risk of
      sternal infection is increased by the use of an internal mammary artery graft,
      especially use of double mammary grafts in the presence of diabetes.

PMID- 1881175
TI  - The influence of preoperative shock on outcome in sequential endocardial
      resection for ventricular tachycardia.
AB  - Sequential endocardial resection was used in 92 consecutive patients to treat
      ventricular tachycardia. All patients had coronary artery disease with previous
      myocardial infarction. All patients had repeated cycles of mapping and resection
      of arrhythmogenic foci in the normothermic beating heart until ventricular
      tachycardia was no longer inducible. Eighty-six patients (93%) survived to
      hospital discharge. The survival rate in patients normotensive at the time of
      operation was 98% and in patients in shock at the time of operation, 43%. By Cox
      regression analysis, preoperative shock was the significant predictor (p less
      than 0.001) of operative mortality. Seventy-four of the 86 operative survivors
      (86%) had no sustained ventricular tachycardia at initial postoperative
      electrophysiologic study when receiving no antiarrhythmic drugs. Eighty-three of
      the 86 operative survivors (97%) had no sustained ventricular tachycardia at
      final postoperative electrophysiologic study when using antiarrhythmic drugs as
      needed. After a median follow-up of 21 months (range 1 to 79 months) there were 4
      sudden cardiac deaths, 12 other cardiac deaths, and 3 noncardiac deaths. There
      were no documented nonfatal episodes of sustained monomorphic ventricular
      tachycardia after hospital discharge. Use of the sequential endocardial resection
      technique is effective in curing ventricular tachycardia with low operative
      morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1881176
TI  - Aortic dissection resulting from tear of transverse arch: is concomitant arch
      repair warranted?
AB  - Forty-seven patients with aortic dissection resulting from a primary tear located
      in the transverse aortic arch underwent surgical treatment. Twenty-six patients
      had acute type A, 7 had acute type B, 7 had chronic type A, and 7 had chronic
      type B aortic dissections. Of the 33 patients with acute dissections, 11 (7 acute
      type A and 4 acute type B) underwent concomitant arch repair with an operative
      (less than or equal to 30 days) mortality rate of 55% (35% to 73%, +/- 1
      asymmetric 70% confidence limit) (2 of 7 acute type A and 4 of 4 acute type B).
      Concomitant arch repair was omitted in 22 patients with acute dissections (19
      acute type A and 3 acute type B); the operative mortality rate was 41% (29% to
      54%) (7 of 19 acute type A and 2 of 3 acute type B) (p = not significant versus
      arch repair). The overall survival rate for those with arch repair was 45% +/-
      15% (+/- 1 standard error of the estimate) at 4 years, compared with 43% +/- 11%
      for patients without arch repair (p = not significant). Considering the type of
      dissection, the 4-year survival estimate for patients with acute type A
      dissections who underwent arch repair (5 hemiarch and 2 total arch) was 71% +/-
      17% (versus 44% +/- 12% for acute type A patients without arch repair). There
      were no survivors among the 4 patients with acute type B dissections who had an
      arch repair (1 hemiarch and 3 total arch), whereas patients with acute type B
      dissections who did not undergo concomitant arch repair had a 4-year survival
      estimate of 33% +/- 27% (p = not significant versus arch repair). Four other
      patients with acute type B dissections resulting from an arch tear were managed
      medically and tended to have a slightly better prognosis (2-year survival
      estimate of 75% +/- 22% versus 14% +/- 13% for all surgically treated acute type
      B patients), but again this difference was not statistically significant.
      Multivariate analysis of the 47 surgical patients revealed that advanced age (p =
      0.0008), preoperative dissection complications (p = 0.02), and other coexistent
      medical problems (p = 0.03) were the only significant, independent determinants
      of overall mortality. Initial arch repair was not a significant predictor. Nine
      percent (2/22) of patients with acute type A dissections who initially underwent
      isolated ascending aortic replacement required subsequent arch replacement; 1
      died after reoperation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1881177
TI  - Time course and extent of recovery of endothelium-dependent contractions and
      relaxations after direct arterial injury.
AB  - To determine the time course of the return of endothelium-dependent relaxations
      and contractions during intimal regeneration, we performed balloon endothelial
      denudation of the thoracic and abdominal aorta of male Lewis rats and examined
      smooth muscle function and endothelium-dependent responses in vitro at 1, 2, 4,
      and 8 weeks after aortic injury. At each study interval during endothelial cell
      regeneration, vascular smooth muscle contracted and relaxed normally to direct
      stimulation with norepinephrine and sodium nitroprusside. Endothelium-dependent
      contractions to serotonin returned to normal at 1 week and developed into a
      hypercontractile response at 8 weeks. Endothelium-dependent relaxations to
      acetylcholine returned to normal at 8 weeks, but endothelium-dependent
      relaxations to adenosine diphosphate remained impaired. These experiments
      demonstrate that regenerating endothelium regains the ability to produce
      contracting factor before relaxing factor, and it even exhibits potentiated
      contractile activity 8 weeks after injury. Thus, after direct arterial injury,
      regenerating endothelium has abnormal endothelium-dependent function that
      predisposes the vessel to vasospasm and thrombosis.

PMID- 1881178
TI  - Pediatric heart transplantation after operations involving the pulmonary
      arteries.
AB  - A prohibitive perioperative mortality has been previously ascribed to pediatric
      heart transplantation after palliative operations for congenital heart disease
      involving the pulmonary arteries. Of 46 children who have undergone heart
      transplantation at our institution between June 1984 and February 1990, 7 (15%;
      mean age 8 +/- 3 years; range 1 to 18 years) have previously undergone such
      operations: right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit/homograft for levo
      transposition of the great arteries (2), Waterston shunt for tricuspid and
      pulmonary atresia (1), pulmonary artery banding for single ventricle (1), Fontan
      procedure for single ventricle (1), first-stage Norwood procedure for hypoplastic
      left heart syndrome (1), and classic right Blalock-Taussig shunt for
      atrioventricular canal with pulmonic stenosis (1). Three categories of pulmonary
      artery anatomy that require different approaches to reconstruction at the time of
      transplantation are recognized: abnormalities of position, pulmonary outflow
      obstruction, and previous systemic- or atrial-pulmonary connections. At
      operation, individualized pulmonary arterial reconstruction was employed,
      including use of previously created right ventricular-pulmonary artery
      conduits/homografts and angioplasty (with and without pericardial patches).
      Transplantation was successful in all patients. Posttransplant right ventricular
      pulmonary artery pressure gradients and pulmonary vascular resistance indices
      were acceptable, with a tendency to decrease with time. Two patients had critical
      right ventricular failure postoperatively; one of them required support with
      extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. There was no perioperative mortality, with
      three deaths occurring from 5 to 39 months after transplantation. All surviving
      patients are in New York Heart Association functional class I. Techniques
      borrowed from the repair of congenital cardiac lesions can be applied to
      subgroups of children undergoing heart transplantation. Additional length of
      donor aorta and pulmonary artery should be harvested for possible use in
      designing pulmonary artery connections. Previous palliative operations involving
      the pulmonary arteries with associated complex pulmonary artery anatomy are not
      of themselves an insurmountable obstacle to successful heart transplantation.

PMID- 1881179
TI  - St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution. Beneficial effect of glucose and
      multidose reinfusions of cardioplegic solution.
AB  - The intention of this study was to determine whether glucose is beneficial in a
      cardioplegic solution when the end products of metabolism produced during the
      ischemic period are intermittently removed. The experimental model used was the
      isolated working rat heart, with a 3-hour hypothermic 10 degrees C cardioplegic
      arrest period. Cardioplegic solutions tested were the St. Thomas' Hospital No. 2
      and a modified Krebs-Henseleit cardioplegic solution. Glucose (11 mmol/L) was
      beneficial when multidose cardioplegia was administered every 30 minutes.
      Including glucose in Krebs-Henseleit cardioplegic solution improved postischemic
      recovery of aortic output from 57.0% +/- 1.8% to 65.8% +/- 2.2%; p less than
      0.025. The addition of glucose to St. Thomas' Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic
      solution improved aortic output from 74.6% +/- 1.9% to 87.4% +/- 1.9%; p less
      than 0.005. Furthermore, a dose-response curve showed that a glucose
      concentration of 20 mmol/L gave no better recovery than 0 mmol/L, and glucose in
      St. Thomas Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic solution was beneficial only in the range
      of 7 to 11 mmol/L. In addition, we showed that multidose cardioplegia was
      beneficial independent of glucose. Multidose St. Thomas' Hospital No. 2
      cardioplegia, as opposed to single-dose cardioplegia, improved aortic output
      recovery from 57.4% +/- 5.2% to 74.6% +/- 1.9%; p less than 0.025, and with St.
      Thomas' Hospital No. 2 cardioplegic solution plus glucose (11 mmol/L) aortic
      output recovery improved from 65.9% +/- 2.9% to 87.4% +/- 1.9%; p less than
      0.005. Hence, at least in this screening model, the St. Thomas' Hospital
      cardioplegic solution should contain glucose in the range of 7 mmol/L to 11
      mmol/L, provided multidose cardioplegia is given. We cautiously suggest
      extrapolation to the human heart, on the basis of supporting clinical arguments
      that appear general enough to apply to both rat and human metabolisms.

PMID- 1881180
TI  - Diagnosis and management of purulent pericarditis. Experience with
      pericardiectomy.
AB  - Twelve cases of purulent pericarditis seen over 6 years are described.
      Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causative organism (six patients), and
      a respiratory infection was the most common preceding illness. The chest
      radiograph and echocardiogram were useful pointers to the diagnosis, but the
      electrocardiogram was not reliable. Antibiotics, surgical drainage, and
      pericardiectomy were used in all 12 cases. There was one death (8.3%), which
      occurred in a patient who was seen late. A review of the literature dealing with
      the diagnosis and management of this condition is presented. The importance of
      early diagnosis before a significant degree of cardiac tamponade occurs is noted.
      Although there is general agreement that surgical drainage is mandatory, the
      approach, methods of drainage, and extent of pericardial resection have been the
      subject of some discussion, and at least seven techniques are available. We
      conclude that pericardiectomy has a definite place in the management of purulent
      pericarditis.

PMID- 1881181
TI  - Experience in the surgical treatment of 331 patients with pulmonary hydatidosis.
AB  - Echinococcus disease is prevalent in Chile, with a rate of occurrence of 8.2 per
      100,000. During a 15-year-period (1970 to 1985) we operated on 331 patients for
      pulmonary hydatidosis. Chest roentgenography was the main method of diagnosis.
      Among the total of 508 surgical procedures performed, pulmonary cystectomy was
      the most common (61.4%), whereas pulmonary resection was used in 31.4% of
      patients. The arc 5 test was used to confirm the diagnosis. Results were positive
      in 85% of the patients in whom it was done. There were 12.9% immediate
      postoperative complications in 12.9%, with late complications occurring in 4.10%
      and an overall mortality rate of 4.21%. These data suggest that hydatid cyst is
      still a common disease in our country, causing an important number of hospital
      admissions and a high percentage of complications.

PMID- 1881182
TI  - Glutaraldehyde-tanned mandril-grown grafts as venous substitutes.
AB  - The present study was performed to evaluate the potential of glutaraldehyde
      tanned mandril-grown grafts as caval substitutes. Short-term experiments
      consisted of 30 tubular grafts (35 x 8 mm), either of tanned collagen or
      polytetrafluoroethylene, that were sutured in the infrarenal inferior vena cava
      of pigs and removed 1 hour after implantation. There was no significant
      difference between the extent of the thrombus-lined graft surface in the biologic
      group and that in the polytetrafluoroethylene group. The amount of inner thrombus
      on tanned collagen grafts was significantly correlated to platelet activity. Long
      term experiments involved 30 similar segments of both materials, which were
      sutured in the inferior vena cava and harvested 7, 14, 28, 56, and 112 days after
      operation. The 112-day patency rate of collagen grafts was 67%. The 56-day
      patency rate of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts was 16%. The difference was
      statistically significant (p less than 0.01). Collagen grafts were lined by a
      thin neointima (200 micron) in all but two cases. The neointima was completely
      endothelialized within 4 weeks from implantation. In conclusion, tanned collagen
      grafts may represent a suitable material for venous replacement.

PMID- 1881183
TI  - Atherogenic effect of barotrauma on in situ saphenous veins in monkeys.
AB  - The objectives of this study were to determine whether veins subjected to
      barotrauma in situ undergo lipid uptake and morphologic changes to the same
      extent as veins grafted into the arterial circulation. Saphenous veins in seven
      stump-tailed macaque monkeys were exposed bilaterally and were circumferentially
      dissected free from surrounding tissue only at isolated sites. Segments of the
      veins were distended for 1 minute at hydrostatic pressures of 125 or 350 mm Hg.
      An undistended segment served as control. A cephalic vein graft was interposed in
      the femoral artery for comparison with in situ veins. The animals were fed a diet
      that sustains plasma cholesterol levels of approximately 225 mg/dl. Saphenous
      veins and the cephalic vein grafts were explanted at 3 months for biochemical and
      histologic analyses. Cholesterol content in undistended saphenous veins was
      similar to that in veins distended at 125 or 350 mm Hg--105 +/- 15, 122 +/- 14,
      and 109 +/- 30 micrograms/100 mg wet tissue weight, respectively. Cholesterol
      content in cephalic vein grafts, 473 +/- 122 micrograms/100 mg, was greater (p
      less than 0.001) than in saphenous veins at all distention pressures studied.
      There was no difference among the distention pressures in the intimal fraction of
      saphenous vein wall, with the pooled value being 20% +/- 12%. This contrasted
      with the value of 59% +/- 11% in cephalic vein grafts (p less than 0.01).
      Endothelial coverage of the luminal surface in saphenous veins was similar among
      the levels of barotrauma, with the pooled value being 83% +/- 15%. Less of the
      lumen was covered with endothelium in cephalic vein grafts, 46% +/- 18% (p less
      than 0.01). Slightly more medial fibrosis was observed in cephalic vein grafts as
      compared with saphenous veins (p less than 0.05). These data demonstrate that
      barotrauma alone does not cause veins that remain in the venous system to undergo
      the lipid uptake or morphologic changes that occur in veins grafted into the
      arterial circulation in nonhuman primates.

PMID- 1881184
TI  - Spontaneous regression of isolated stenosis of the left main coronary artery.

PMID- 1881185
TI  - Successful coronary reimplantation for anomalous origin of the right coronary
      artery from the left sinus of Valsalva.

PMID- 1881186
TI  - Confidence intervals and survival estimates.

PMID- 1881187
TI  - Coronary artery compression at orthotopic cardiac transplantation.

PMID- 1881188
TI  - Tetralogy with small pulmonary arteries.

PMID- 1881189
TI  - Comments on: a new technique for one-stage radical eradication of long-standing
      chronic thoracic empyema.

PMID- 1881190
TI  - Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after mitral valve repair assessed
      with intraoperative echocardiography: noninterventional treatment.

PMID- 1881191
TI  - Unilateral absent pulmonary artery: surgical repair with a new technique.

PMID- 1881192
TI  - Surgical management of native aortic valve endocarditis with aortic root abscess
      in a child.

PMID- 1881193
TI  - Chordal rupture as a late complication after mitral valve reconstruction.

PMID- 1881194
TI  - Mitral valve repair for anterior leaflet disruption after percutaneous mitral
      dilation.

PMID- 1881195
TI  - Selective fura-2 loading of presynaptic terminals and nerve cell processes by
      local perfusion in mammalian brain slice.
AB  - We describe a method for filling presynaptic terminals and cell dendrites in
      adult brain slices with the fluorescent calcium indicator fura-2 by localized
      perfusion of the acetoxymethyl (AM) ester derivative. The method provides
      labeling selectivity, similar to that produced by intracellular microinjection of
      fura-2, with the simplicity of bath application of membrane-permeant AM esters.
      Application of the method to mossy fiber tracts in hippocampal region CA3 and
      parallel fiber tracts in cerebellum resulted in distant presynaptic terminals
      well labelled with fura-2 without concomitant postsynaptic labelling, allowing
      optical measurements of calcium concentration in individual presynaptic
      terminals. Application of the method to CA1 pyramidal cells produced
      intracellular loading of apical dendrites with fura-2. Dendritic calcium changes
      produced by afferent fiber stimulation were similar to those determined from
      cells filled with fura-2 by intracellular microinjection. The method appears to
      be general, and should provide a means to fill projecting axons and dendritic
      processes in many areas of the brain with fluorescent indicators, allowing
      optical measurements of ion concentration dynamics to be performed in brain slice
      that were previously impractical.

PMID- 1881196
TI  - Computer-assisted three-dimensional reconstruction of the hippocampal region
      based on serial sections.
AB  - A large series of rabbit hippocampal Neo-Timm stained sections were manually
      aligned, digitized, and by a modified median filtration noise reduced and
      reconstructed into a three-dimensional object. From the presented simulated grey
      tone cuts of this object, the reader may assemble a rabbit hippocampal model,
      that spatially illustrates its anatomy.

PMID- 1881197
TI  - A modified "triangular pulse" stimulator for C-fibers stimulation.
AB  - A low-cost, battery-powered stimulator is described. This device generates
      asymmetric current pulse with fast rising phase and slower exponential decay. The
      current intensity and the time constant of the exponential decay can be
      independently and continuously varied. An example of using this stimulator to
      selectively activate C-fibers is demonstrated. In this case the total charge
      injected in one stimulation is only 67 nanocolumb, which is much smaller than
      that injected by conventional DC polarization technique. Detailed information
      about the circuit design is described.

PMID- 1881198
TI  - The pyrimido-pyrimidine derivative RA-642: a potent inhibitor of ferrous-induced
      lipid peroxidation in cell membranes.
AB  - The effects of three pyrimido-pyrimidine derivatives (RA-642, dipyridamole and
      mopidamol) on hydroxyl anion-induced lipid peroxidation in cell membranes from
      liver, brain, kidney, lung and heart rat tissue were studied using d-alpha
      tocopherol as standard for lipid peroxidation. Ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid
      (FeAs) were used to induce lipid peroxidation via the formation of hydroxyl
      anions. The products resulting from the reaction with thiobarbituric acid were
      taken to be indicators of lipid peroxidation. Thiobarbituric acid reactive
      substances (TBARS) were produced by different rat tissues in the following
      sequence: brain greater than liver greater than kidney greater than heart greater
      than lung. Dose-response and time-response curves were plotted for all compounds.
      Inhibiting concentrations, 50% (IC50), ranged from 0.3-1.4 microM for RA-642, and
      2.5 and 4.6 microM for dipyridamole. In liver mitochondrial membranes, IC50s of
      these compounds were 0.4 +/- 0.2 and 5.8 +/- 1.2 microM, respectively. At 15 min
      after beginning TBARS production, dipyridamole and RA-642 did not exert any
      inhibitory effect.

PMID- 1881199
TI  - Study on the cerebral effects of sabeluzole.
AB  - The cerebral effects of subeluzole have been studied using the following methods:
      hypobaric hypoxia in mice, complete ischemia by decapitation in mice, anoxic
      hypoxia in mice, hemic hypoxia in rats, incomplete ischemia by bilateral carotid
      ligation in rats, anoxic hypoxia in rats and asphyxic hypoxia in cats. Sabeluzole
      was active in all the models used: it increased the survival time in hypobaric
      hypoxia (maximum at 40 mg/kg--by 92.0%, p less than 0.001), survival time in
      anoxic hypoxia in mice (maximum at 40 mg/kg--by 27.2%, p less than 0.001),
      gasping in decapitation model (maximum at 20 mg/kg--by 155.4%, p less than 0.001)
      and survival in hemic hypoxia (maximum at 2.5 mg/kg--by 21.1%, p less than 0.05).
      The duration of the effect as evaluated in the decapitation model was about 6 h.
      In incomplete ischemia in rats, however, it showed a weak effect. In anoxic
      hypoxia in rats, sabeluzole (5 mg/kg i.v.) increased the time latency between
      onset of anoxia and negative DC-shift by 20.5% and the K+e-threshold by 25.7%. In
      asphyxic hypoxia in cats, sabeluzole (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) counteracted the hypoxia
      induced decrease of the fast-wave amplitudes during the cortical resistance
      period and the hypoxia-induced decrease of the slow-wave and increase of the fast
      wave amplitudes during the cortical recovery period.

PMID- 1881200
TI  - Delayed lymphoid lung infiltration induced by cyclophosphamide in rats.
AB  - The pulmonary toxicity of antineoplastic drugs may be either direct or mediated
      by hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to determine whether the mechanism
      by which cyclophosphamide (CY) damages the lung is direct and immediate or is the
      result of delayed immune toxicity. Pulmonary and immune changes following
      intraperitoneal injection of either CY (50 mg/kg) or NaCl (0.9%) in rats were
      assessed repeatedly over a period of 31 days by semi-quantitative histological
      studies, by measuring the pulmonary water/body weight ratio, dry lung weight/body
      weight ratio, heart weight and by assessing the transfer of [125I]-albumin in
      lung tissue. Lung damage was delayed and greatest at 11 (D11) and 14 (D14) days
      after CY injection. The pulmonary lesions were: (i) an infiltration of
      lymphocytes, plasma cells and histiocytes surrounding blood vessels and small
      airways, (ii) an alveolitis composed of macrophages, lymphocytes, a few
      neutrophils and a lymphoid infiltration of alveolar septa. Pulmonary water/body
      weight and dry lung weight/body weight ratios also increased and peaked at D11
      D14 in CY-treated rats. No significant increase in [125I]-albumin in lung tissue
      or in heart weight was observed. It can be concluded that the mechanism by which
      CY induces a lymphoid lung infiltration is not direct and immediate but is the
      result of a delayed immune toxicity.

PMID- 1881201
TI  - Antagonism of caffeine-induced convulsions by ethanol and dizocilpine (MK-801) in
      mice.
AB  - Ethanol (1 and 2 g/kg, i.p.) and MK-801 (1 mg/kg, i.p.), N-methyl-D-aspartate
      (NMDA) receptor antagonist, offered protection against caffeine-induced
      convulsions in mice. Subeffective doses of ethanol (0.5-g/kg, i.p.) and MK-801
      (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) when administered concurrently, did not provide a facilitatory
      anticonvulsant action against caffeine-induced convulsions. Ethanol (0.5 g/kg,
      i.p.) when administered concurrently with adenosine (100 mg/kg, i.p.) or
      dipyridamole (5 mg/kg, i.p.) elicited a facilitatory anticonvulsant action.
      However, concurrent administration of subeffective doses of MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg
      i.p.) with adenosine (100 mg/kg, i.p.) did not offer a facilitatory
      anticonvulsant action against caffeine-induced convulsions. The protective effect
      of ethanol (1 g/kg, i.p.) against caffeine-induced convulsions was reversed by an
      imidazobenzodiazepine, Ro 15-4513 (4 mg/kg, i.p.). Ro 15-4513 did not produce any
      proconvulsant effect with caffeine. It is suggested that ethanol and MK-801
      elicit their anticonvulsant actions against caffeine-induced convulsions through
      different receptor mechanisms and that the anticonvulsant action of ethanol may
      be partly attributed to its ability to act via central adenosinergic mechanisms.

PMID- 1881203
TI  - [The competition in health care must include collegial solidarity].

PMID- 1881202
TI  - Indomethacin distribution in acute pharmacological response among rats.
AB  - A detailed examination of quantitative relationships of pharmacological action
      with plasma and tissue concentrations of indomethacin has been undertaken in the
      rat, after single oral administration of two sustained release preparations. In
      this study, drug was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography, whereas
      antiinflammatory response was assessed through the carrageenin-induced edema
      test. Significant linear correlations (p less than 0.001) were found between
      logarithmically transformed percent inhibition of edema and logarithmically
      transformed plasma, as well as tissue levels of indomethacin. However, the lack
      of significance for partial correlation regarding tissue concentration, contrary
      to plasma concentration, suggests that pharmacological response is more closely
      related to the latter, indicating that antidematous effect is mediated via the
      circulating drug rather than a local action in target tissues. This assumption is
      further discussed from the equivalence point of view. The relevance of this type
      of study in the case of topical administration of indomethacin is addressed as
      well. Taking into account the predictive value of the rat paw edema test for
      clinical efficacy, relationships similar to those observed are to be expected in
      man. The high correlation existing between plasma concentration of indomethacin
      and its pharmacological effect justifies the development and use of sustained
      release preparations in order to improve the outcome of treatment with this
      nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.

PMID- 1881204
TI  - [Inhumanity in a bureaucratic standard package?].

PMID- 1881205
TI  - [Physicians in charge are needed within the ambulance care].

PMID- 1881206
TI  - [The new law on psychiatric compulsory treatment is hazardous for the public].

PMID- 1881207
TI  - [Treatment of breast cancer has improved].

PMID- 1881208
TI  - [It is hoped that the new regulations will improve the accuracy of the "cause of
      death" registry].

PMID- 1881209
TI  - [An emergency surgery department can be staffed with non-specialists without
      obvious impairment of the quality of care].

PMID- 1881210
TI  - [What are we going to do with all those crying children? "Happydrip" is the
      answer!].

PMID- 1881211
TI  - [It is not unusual that severe infections can be related to implanted venous
      catheter systems].

PMID- 1881212
TI  - [Preoperative staging of gastrointestinal cancer].

PMID- 1881213
TI  - [Special clinics for treatment of adolescents with anorexia nervosa are needed].

PMID- 1881214
TI  - [Anxiety depressions among the elderly--symptoms, diagnosis and treatment].

PMID- 1881215
TI  - [Child-oriented interviews can result in good solution of the problems. Parents
      with acute psychiatric disorders need talks about their children's situation].

PMID- 1881216
TI  - [Molecular genetics methods discovering the mechanisms of neoplasm etiology].
AB  - The rapid advance in our understanding of cancer biology during the past decade,
      as exemplified by the discovery of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes and
      their interactions in tumourigenesis, has revolutionized cancer research. This
      rapid progress has largely been due to the use of molecular genetics techniques.
      However, despite the wealth of available information as to the genetic basis of
      carcinogenesis, its clinical applicability remains limited. The review is a
      summary of the general principles and methods currently used to detect genetic
      alterations in neoplastic cells, with special emphasis on clinical applications.

PMID- 1881217
TI  - [Cowpox--a cat disease in man].

PMID- 1881218
TI  - [A report from a prospective study. Chiari II malformation in children with
      myelocele].

PMID- 1881219
TI  - [The men behind the syndrome. John Cleland, Hans Chiari and Julius Arnold--3 men
      behind a new phenomenon. Brain stem defects in children with myelocele].

PMID- 1881220
TI  - [A police/scout of the clinic].

PMID- 1881221
TI  - [Physician's role demands self-criticism].

PMID- 1881222
TI  - [A report of activities as a steering system: simple and concrete but complete].

PMID- 1881223
TI  - [Do bibliometric methods function as an evaluation of qualification?].

PMID- 1881224
TI  - [Primary health care plays an essential role in the future care of cancer
      patients].

PMID- 1881226
TI  - [Correctly used test packages are economic].

PMID- 1881225
TI  - [Is weight fluctuation a risk factor?].

PMID- 1881227
TI  - [The sterile needle--a symbol for prevention of infection transmission].

PMID- 1881228
TI  - [Remarkable findings in compartment syndrome after surgery with the use of a leg
      support].

PMID- 1881229
TI  - [Paracetamol in therapeutic dosages can cause severe hepatic and renal damage in
      alcoholics].

PMID- 1881230
TI  - [Stricter rules for referral to PAD (pathologico-anatomical diagnosis) do not
      guarantee economic savings].

PMID- 1881231
TI  - [Forensic psychiatrists must be more in agreement on the evaluation of juvenile
      delinquents].

PMID- 1881232
TI  - [Better treatment with the new optimal length bandages].

PMID- 1881234
TI  - [Neurology and theology--on the genesis of metaphysical anemia].

PMID- 1881233
TI  - [The impulse activity in human nerves provides clues to the function of the
      nervous system].

PMID- 1881235
TI  - [Kuwait after the war. Material damages are significant and health care services
      were destroyed].

PMID- 1881236
TI  - [The role of district physicians in the detection and diagnosis of cancer].

PMID- 1881237
TI  - Comparative specificity of plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase from ten
      animal species.
AB  - The molecular specificities of plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)
      from ten animal species have been compared. Using a reassembled high density
      lipoprotein containing a mixture of phosphatidylcholines, the relative rates of
      liberation of different species of cholesteryl ester were measured. All but two
      species of LCAT clustered according to one of three patterns of substrate
      specificity. The LCAT from six species, including human, did not transfer highly
      polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains. In addition, human LCAT transesterified
      saturated fatty acyl chains more effectively than unsaturated fatty acyl chains.
      We conclude that the structures of the active sites of the enzymes differ, and
      that this may be related to size constraints that prevent efficient binding of
      large bulky phosphatidylcholines.

PMID- 1881238
TI  - Fatty acid composition of brain phospholipids in aging and in Alzheimer's
      disease.
AB  - The two major phospholipid classes, namely, phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and
      phosphatidylcholines (PC), were studied in four different regions of human brain,
      i.e., in frontal gray matter, frontal white matter, hippocampus and in pons. The
      fatty acid (FA) compositions of these phospholipids were found to be specific for
      the different regions. PC contains mostly saturated and 18:1 FA, while PE is rich
      in polyunsaturated FA. Aging has no influence on the FA compositions, while in
      Alzheimer's disease (AD) PE is modified in all four regions, particularly in
      frontal gray matter and in hippocampus. The abundance of the major
      monounsaturated FA of PE, 18:1, is not significantly altered in Alzheimer's
      disease, but there is a substantial increase in the relative amounts of the
      saturated components 14:0, 16:0 and 18:0. This is paralleled by a decrease in the
      polyunsaturated FA 20:4, 22:4 and 22:6. It is not clear whether the changes
      observed are specific for AD. Changes in saturated/polyunsaturated FA ratio are
      likely to influence cellular function, which in turn may cause certain neural
      deficiencies. The findings do not support the hypothesis that AD reflects an
      accelerated aging process.

PMID- 1881239
TI  - Activation and solubilization by Triton X-100 of membrane-bound phospholipase D
      of rat brain.
AB  - In the present study, we examined the ability of detergents to stimulate and
      solubilize phospholipase D (PLD) of a particulate fraction of rat brain. PLD
      activity was assayed by measuring the [3H]choline produced from the exogenous
      substrate dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl[3H]choline (dipalmitoyl [3H]PC). In the
      absence of detergents, PLD activity was not detectable. Of the detergents
      examined, Triton X-100 was found to markedly enhance PLD activity, whereas other
      detergents including sodium deoxycholate, sodium cholate, CHAPS and Lubrol-PX
      caused only a small, if any increase in activity. Enhancement by Triton X-100 was
      maximal at 0.1-0.2% (w/v) and decreased at higher concentrations. The optimal pH
      was 7.1-7.3. Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ inhibited enzyme activity stimulated by Triton X
      100 in a concentration-dependent manner. Triton X-100 effectively solubilized PLD
      from the particulate fraction of rat brain; more than 70% of the activity of the
      particulate fraction was extracted by 0.5-1.0% (w/v) Triton X-100. Furthermore,
      when the PLD activities in brains of three different species (rat, rabbit and
      bovine) were measured under optimal conditions, the activities were found to
      differ greatly. PLD activity was highest in rabbit brain, followed by rat and
      bovine brains; the activity in bovine brain was extremely low compared to the
      activities in rat and rabbit brains. We conclude that Triton X-100 is potentially
      useful for the purification of PLD and that rabbit and rat brains are the
      preferred sources.

PMID- 1881240
TI  - Lipid composition and peroxide levels of mucosal cells in the rat large intestine
      in relation to dietary fat.
AB  - To examine whether dietary fat alters membrane lipid composition and peroxidation
      of polyunsaturated fatty acids in "non-proliferative" and "proliferative" cells
      in the large intestine, Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets providing a
      polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio of 1.2 or 0.3 at a high or low
      level of fat intake for a 25-day period. Cell populations were isolated and the
      effect of dietary fat on membrane polyunsaturated fatty acid content and peroxide
      levels was determined. Neither fat level nor fatty acid composition of diet
      influenced total cholesterol, total phospholipids, and percentage of phospholipid
      classes in membrane phospholipids. Feeding the high fat and/or high
      polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio diet increased polyunsaturated
      fatty acid content of mucosal cell phospholipids. Increase in polyunsaturated
      fatty acid content was paralleled by a decrease in the monounsaturated fatty acid
      content of mucosal cell phospholipids. Membrane content of total saturated fatty
      acids was not significantly affected by diet. Variation in phospholipid fatty
      acid composition between "non-proliferative" and "proliferative" cells was
      observed. Lipid peroxide levels in mucosal cell lipid fractions were altered by
      dietary fat treatment. Animals fed high fat diets, compared to groups fed low fat
      diets, exhibited higher membrane peroxide levels when results are expressed as
      nmol/mg protein. Higher peroxide levels were observed in mucosal cells for rats
      fed high polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio diets when results were
      expressed per nmol of phospholipid. It is concluded that changes in fat level and
      fatty acid composition of the diet alters the mucosal cell membrane lipid
      composition in the rat large intestine and influences susceptibility of mucosal
      cell lipid to peroxidation. Further research is required to delineate which
      dietary factors--fat level, polyunsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio, or
      both--have a primary influence on the degree of lipid peroxidation.

PMID- 1881241
TI  - Effect of chronic glucagon administration on lipoprotein composition in normally
      fed, fasted and cholesterol-fed rats.
AB  - Male adult Wistar rats received daily (at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.) 10 micrograms of
      zinc-protamine glucagon by subcutaneous injection for 8 days. Plasma cholesterol
      levels were decreased by 36% in fed rats, 33% in cholesterol-fed rats and by 55%
      in fasted rats. Lipoproteins were separated into 22 fractions by
      ultracentrifugation using a density gradient. Glucagon administration decreased
      the cholesterol content in all lipoproteins except low density lipoprotein (LDL1)
      (1.006-1.040) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) from cholesterol-fed rats.
      The main decrease (-57 to -81%) was observed in 1.050-1.100 g/mL lipoproteins
      (LDL2 and HDL2), which contained a large amount of apo E, while HDL3 cholesterol
      was not affected. Triacylglycerol levels were decreased only in chylomicrons and
      VLDL (-70%) of fed and cholesterol-fed rats, while plasma and lipoprotein
      triacylglycerol levels were not changed in fasted rats treated with glucagon. In
      normally fed rats glucagon administration increased by 42% the fractional
      catabolic rate of [125I]HDL2 while the absolute catabolic rate appeared to be
      unchanged. Glucagon seems to be a potent hypolipidemic agent affecting mainly the
      apo E-rich lipoproteins. Its chronic administration limits lipoprotein
      accumulation which occurs upon cholesterol feeding.

PMID- 1881242
TI  - The effect of dietary zinc deficiency on the lipid composition of the rat
      erythrocyte membrane.
AB  - The effect of dietary zinc deficiency in the rat on the lipid composition of the
      erythrocyte membrane was determined. Weanling male Wistar rats were fed an egg
      white-based diet containing less than 1.0 mg Zn/kg diet ad libitum. Control rats
      were either pair-fed or ad libitum-fed the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg
      Zn/kg diet. A zinc refed group was fed the -Zn diet until day 18 and then pair
      fed the +Zn diet until day 21. The voluntary feed restriction associated with
      dietary zinc deficiency resulted in erythrocyte membranes that had depressed
      phospholipid/protein and elevated cholesterol/phospholipid ratios. Similarly, all
      feed restricted groups had elevated 22-carbon n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
      (PUFA) and depressed 22-carbon n-6 PUFA concentrations in alkenyl-acyl and diacyl
      glycerophosphoethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine; they also
      had depressed 24:2n-6 levels in sphingomyelin. The relative concentrations of
      phospholipids in the membrane was similar between -Zn and +Zn (ad libitum)
      groups; however, the -Zn group had significantly less phosphatidyl-serine
      relative to +Zn (pair-fed) controls.

PMID- 1881244
TI  - Observation of rat hind limb skeletal muscle during arterial occlusion and
      reperfusion by 31P MRS and 1H MRI.
AB  - 31P NMR spectra and 1H MR T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo images were concurrently
      observed in rat hind limb during arterial occlusion and following reperfusion.
      With arterial occlusion, phosphocreatine level decreased and inorganic phosphate
      (Pi) level increased in 31P NMR spectra. Intracellular pH's dropped as a function
      of time. Beta-ATP started to decrease in three hours. In six hours after the
      occlusion, any peaks other than Pi were scarcely detected. The signal intensities
      in the 1H MR images increased homogeneously in both T1- and T2-weighted
      conditions, but the changes were more profound with T2-weighted images. After the
      release of the arterial occlusion, the 31P NMR spectra recovered to the
      preischemic state in several hours. The 1H MR images during reperfusion showed
      characteristic heterogenous pattern. The signal intensities in the anterior
      tibial muscle and the gastrocnemius muscle remained high in T1-weighted condition
      and the intensities further increased in T2-weighted condition, while those in
      other parts returned to the preischemic level. These changes were found to be
      irreversible even 12 hr after the release. The high signal intensities suggested
      the increase of water in the extracellular compartment induced by so-called
      reperfusion injury. Multinuclear analysis using in vivo NMR was valuable to
      consecutively detect time-dependent and location-specific response in skeletal
      muscle during ischemia and reperfusion.

PMID- 1881243
TI  - Study on the lipid composition of aging Fischer-344 rat lymphoid cells: effect of
      long-term calorie restriction.
AB  - Long-term calorie restriction (LCR) is widely known to increase the survival rate
      of laboratory rodents and appears to retard the aging and senescence process. The
      present study was undertaken in Fischer-344 male rats maintained on ad libitum
      (AL) or LCR (40% less food intake than AL starting at 6 weeks of age). Age
      associated changes in the proliferative response of lymphoid cells to mitogenic
      stimuli were studied in relation to alterations in the fatty acid composition of
      adherent and non-adherent-enriched subpopulations of spleen cells. Increases in
      spleen cell long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acids (20:4, 22:4 and 22:5) were
      accompanied by decreases in linoleic acid (18:2) in aging AL-fed rats. However,
      LCR stabilized levels of 18:2 and prevented the rise in highly unsaturated fatty
      acids. In addition, LCR markedly modulated the fatty acid profiles of thymocytes
      and bone marrow cells. A 70% decline in concanavalin A (Con A) stimulated
      [3H]thymidine uptake of spleen cells from AL animals was normalized by LCR.
      Splenic reduced glutathione (GSH), a potential modulator of the mitogenic
      response, was unaffected by age and nutritional regimen. Thus, normalization of
      lymphoid cell fatty acid composition by LCR parallels the preservation of
      mitogenic responsiveness to Con A.

PMID- 1881245
TI  - Iron oxide nanoparticles for use as an MRI contrast agent: pharmacokinetics and
      metabolism.
AB  - The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of a new preparation of superparamagnetic
      iron oxide nanoparticles were evaluated by 59Fe radiotracer studies and
      histologic examination of mice liver and spleen tissues (light and transmission
      electron microscopy). In the first 30 min following IV injection of the product
      half of the dose injected remains in the blood, the other part being sequestered
      mainly by the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). In the first five days
      following IV administration of the nanoparticles, early metabolization of the
      iron oxide cores occurs, revealed by modification of their aspect in the
      lysosomes of Kupffer cells and macrophages of the splenic red pulp. The
      incorporation of 59Fe is then observed in RBC of the mice. These results are
      discussed in relation with the physicochemical properties of this new preparation
      of nanoparticles, and compared with current pharmacokinetic data concerning
      injectable particle systems.

PMID- 1881246
TI  - Globus pallidus alterations and brain atrophy in liver cirrhosis patients with
      encephalopathy: an MR imaging study.
AB  - Brain magnetic resonance (MR) was performed in 29 liver cirrhosis patients
      without (N = 10) and with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) of chronic recurrent (N =
      10) and of chronic persistent (N = 9) type. Sixty percent of the patients with
      chronic recurrent HE and 100% of the patients with chronic persistent HE showed a
      bilateral and symmetrical hyperintensity of the globus pallidus in the T1
      weighted images while the T2-weighted images were normal, suggesting the
      possibility of the accumulation of a paramagnetic compound in this brain area
      during HE. Other findings of the study were evidence of brain atrophy of mild or
      moderate degree in 70% of patients with chronic recurrent HE and in 77% with
      chronic persistent HE and patients with liver cirrhosis without HE appeared
      normal on MR examination.

PMID- 1881247
TI  - In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of human brain.
AB  - In vivo localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of brain
      were performed on eighteen normal subjects using the stimulated echo (STE)
      sequence. The absolute concentrations and proton relaxation times of N-acetyl
      aspartate (NAA), total creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho) were estimated. The MRS
      data was quantitatively analyzed for repeatability and intersubject variability.
      Quantitative analysis indicates excellent spectral repeatability. Significant
      intersubject variations in [NAA] and [Cr] have been observed while the
      intersubject variability in [Cho] has been found to be fairly small. Significant
      intensity distortions have been observed for mixing times longer than 50 msec.

PMID- 1881248
TI  - Gd-DTPA adrenal gland enhancement at 1.5 T.
AB  - The change in relative signal intensity of normal adrenal glands in 31 patients
      was evaluated following bolus administration of 0.1 mmol/kg of gadolinium
      diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). A marked increase in relative
      intensity of greater than 300% was observed within 2.5 min following contrast
      administration upon comparison of pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted gradient-echo
      images (TR = 47 msec, TE = 13 msec, pulse angle 80 degrees). Significantly
      elevated relative intensities of 55% and 44% persisted on postcontrast T1
      weighted spin-echo images obtained at further delay times averaging 8 and 20 min,
      respectively, when compared to the identical precontrast sequence.

PMID- 1881249
TI  - NMR imaging study of the pharmacodynamics of polylysine-gadolinium-DTPA in the
      rabbit and the rat.
AB  - The pharmacodynamics of polylysine-(Gd-DTPA) (Schering, Berlin, Germany), a new
      blood pooling contrast agent for MRI, were studied in the rabbit and the rat.
      Polylysine-(Gd-DTPA) is a compound with high LD50. Due to its high molecular
      weight (50.000) and physico-chemical properties, it remains in the vascular
      system; during the first hour, the plasma level is three times higher than for Gd
      DTPA. MRI was performed at 1.5 T using a SE sequence with TR/TE = 300/15 or 20
      msec. Signal intensities of muscle, liver and kidney were measured before and
      after intravenous injection of the contrast agent (0.1 mmol/kg) during 8 hours in
      the rat (n = 3) and up to 2 wk in the rabbit (n = 3). A dose response study in
      three additional rabbits confirmed that the 0.1 mmol/kg dose was optimal. The
      pharmacodynamics results show that the effects of polylysine-(Gd-DTPA) are
      similar in both the rabbit and the rat. The liver signal is enhanced by about 60%
      immediately after injection in both species. This enhanced signal decays to half
      its maximal value in about one hour, which makes the contrast agent useful for
      clinical applications at a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. In the kidney medulla and cortex
      the signals are enhanced by much larger factors (about 3 to 4); it takes at least
      one day for the kidney to clear the contrast agent in both species.

PMID- 1881250
TI  - Short TI short TR inversion recovery imaging using reduced flip angles.
AB  - In this paper the effects of reducing the flip angle of the 90-degree observation
      pulse in inversion recovery imaging are described and analyzed. When incorporated
      in an IR sequence with a short inversion time (STIR), reduction to the 90-degree
      pulse allows a significant shortening of the repetition time without loss in
      contrast, although at the expense of some signal/noise. The generalized STIR
      sequence thus combines the previously reported advantages of a conventional STIR
      sequence--suppression of ghost artifacts from abdominal wall movement,
      suppression of chemical shift and boundary artifacts, additive effects of N(H),
      T1 and T2 on image contrast--with reduced power deposition and the advantages
      resulting from shorter repetition times, viz, single heart-beat triggering,
      increased number of signal averages for suppression of motion artifacts,
      acquisition of interleaved contiguous slices without cross-talk or considerable
      time savings when the number of required slices is limited. The proposed method
      is demonstrated and experimentally verified by imaging experiments on phantoms
      and human subjects. In principle the method is applicable to all cases where STIR
      imaging has been proven to be successful.

PMID- 1881251
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of the surgically repaired meniscus: six-month follow
      up.
AB  - The appearance and rate of healing of sutured meniscal repairs in 17 patients
      were evaluated using magnetic resonance scans. While prior studies in animals and
      humans (1-4) suggest that complete healing can occur as early as 6 wk
      postoperatively, we found that at 7 wk 15/15 patients demonstrated meniscal
      defects at the site of repair. At 6 mo, 11/11 patients showed persistent signal
      abnormalities. Two patients scanned at 11-12 mo also had defects at the site of
      repair. Therefore, complete meniscal healing appears not to occur as early as
      previously believed. This may affect decisions regarding the type of suture
      material used, the surgical treatment of associated injuries and the
      postoperative rehabilitation regimen. As defects may be present for relatively
      long periods of time following meniscal repair, caution must be exercised when
      attempting to diagnose new or recurrent tears in these patients.

PMID- 1881252
TI  - Cardiac MRI cine and color Doppler in valvular disease: correlative imaging.
AB  - Cardiac cine field echo MRI and color Doppler were performed in 13 patients with
      aortic regurgitation (n = 4) or multiple valvular diseases (n = 9). The size,
      shape, and direction of regurgitation jets correlated well. Color Doppler was
      better able to follow flow jets in oblique planes. Cine MRI was better able to
      evaluate patients with marked cardiac dilatation.

PMID- 1881254
TI  - Applications of chemical-shift-selective NMR microscopy to the non-invasive
      histochemistry of plant materials.
AB  - Chemical-shift-selective imaging at microscopic resolution has been applied to
      the study of various plant materials including orange peel, grape berries and
      both dried and undried fruits of fennel. It is shown that selective imaging of
      aromatics and carbohydrates as well as water and oil can be performed with in
      plane resolution down to 13 microns and slice thicknesses of 1 mm or less, at a
      field strength of 4.7 Tesla. The noninvasive nature of the method gives it
      advantages over established methods of plant histochemistry which involve
      sectioning and staining to reveal different chemical constituents.

PMID- 1881253
TI  - Spinal MR imaging in suspected metastases: correlation with skeletal
      scintigraphy.
AB  - Bone scintigraphy (RN) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR) were prospectively and
      retrospectively correlated in 64 patients with suspected spinal metastatic
      disease and possible spinal cord compression. Images were retrospectively
      interpreted and compared with the prospective official RN and MR reports to help
      decide relative prospective lesion conspicuity. Spinal lesions were confirmed by
      radiography, computed tomography, myelography or MR and RN follow-up in 56
      patients (88%). Prospectively, MR detected 11 lesions not reported on RN while RN
      detected two lesions not reported on MR. Retrospective review of RN detected six
      lesions previously not reported. Retrospectively MR showed all lesions. Those
      lesions seen only in retrospect by RN were rather subtle and would be difficult
      to detect prospectively. In general, lesions not well seen on RN had relatively
      more bone marrow abnormality and less cortical bone involvement. In some cases,
      MR imaging shows spinal marrow lesions not well seen on planar RN.

PMID- 1881255
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging in a model of atherosclerosis: use of a collar around
      the rabbit carotid artery.
AB  - Transverse cardiac-cycle gated high resolution magnetic resonance images have
      been obtained from the neck of the New Zealand white rabbit both in normal
      animals and from those in which a collar had been earlier positioned around one
      carotid artery. The study included animals fed on normal and on high cholesterol
      diets with the surgical modification having been demonstrated previously to cause
      a rapid and reproducible lesion resembling early atherosclerosis. The aim of the
      work was to investigate the attainable spatial resolution and sensitivity at a
      field strength of 2 T using a large radiofrequency transmitter system and a
      surface coil receiver with which spin-echo images have been obtained.
      Visualization was enhanced using a three-dimensional interpolation technique. An
      image resolution of 200 microns was readily obtained but was shown to be
      insufficient for delineating pathological features within the artery wall such as
      intimal layer thickening. The results have been compared with histopathological
      findings which confirmed that any morphological changes were within the pixel
      resolution of the image. Extensions to the methodology are proposed which should
      be able to detect atherosclerotic changes with a resolution of 50 microns within
      a feasible imaging time. In addition, the MRI study of how the surgical
      intervention alters the artery shape and curvature was carried out and the MRI
      demonstrated that collar implantation in general does not occlude the artery and
      causes only a slight and gradual degree of curvature to the vessel.

PMID- 1881256
TI  - Gadolinium-labeled liposomes containing amphiphilic Gd-DTPA derivatives of
      varying chain length: targeted MRI contrast enhancement agents for the liver.
AB  - Paramagnetic liposomal contrast agents were synthesized and utilized for
      selective augmentation of T1 MR imaging of the livers of normal Balb/c mice.
      Amphiphilic gadolinium complexes, which mimic phospholipids, were incorporated
      into the lamella of small unilamellar liposomes (SUV) such that they become an
      integral part of its surface. The amphiphilic complexing agents consisted of DTPA
      reagents in which a pair of alkyl chains of varying lengths are attached via
      amide linkages. The in vivo lifetimes of the amphiphilic agents were found to be
      dependent on the chain length of the alkyl groups.

PMID- 1881257
TI  - Technical variables influencing the detection of acute deep vein thrombosis by
      magnetic resonance imaging.
AB  - To establish which technical variables influence the detection of deep vein
      thrombosis by magnetic resonance imaging, 2 dogs, 5 normal volunteers and 17
      patients were studied using a 1.5 T whole-body system. A sequential slice
      gradient echo acquisition (TR 25, TE 13, 0 = 30 degrees, 2 NEX, flow compensation
      rephasing gradients) in the axial plane was found to be optimal for detecting
      venous thrombosis. Thus, when using appropriate technique, MRI may identify deep
      venous thrombosis accurately. It may also allow the diagnosis of conditions which
      may simulate venous thrombosis clinically since the most common of these,
      ruptured Baker's cyst, cellulitis, muscle tear, hematoma and external venous
      compression are all readily identified by MRI.

PMID- 1881258
TI  - Limited field of view spin echo MR imaging.
AB  - Several groups have reported using a method of limiting the field of view (FOV)
      where the slices excited by the 90 and 180 degree pulses are perpendicular.
      However, only one slice can be excited during each repetition time, so multislice
      imaging is not possible. We present a modification of this method that allows
      multislice imaging. The slices excited by the 90 degrees and 180 degrees pulses
      are at a small angle; the field of view is limited and multislice imaging is
      possible. The modifications also allow the center of the FOV to be offset to any
      position. We describe the conditions that yield optimal images for the given FOV,
      slice thickness, and interslice gap. Representative images demonstrating the
      features of the technique are presented. The technique can be used to reduce the
      number of phase-encoding steps resulting in reduced imaging time, or it can be
      used to increase the spatial resolution without increasing the imaging time.

PMID- 1881259
TI  - Generalized electrical analysis of low-pass and high-pass birdcage resonators.
AB  - The radio-frequency 'birdcage resonator' has found wide use in MRI/MRS for its
      field homogeneity and signal-noise characteristics. This paper presents a general
      analysis, derived from lumped element transmission line theory, of the electrical
      behavior of unloaded, N-column birdcage resonators applicable to several versions
      of the basic design including low-pass and high-pass coils. Analytic expressions
      and computer results are presented for both types of coil describing resonant
      frequencies, input and characteristic impedances, dispersion relations, pass
      bands, resonant peak bandwidth and Q. Theoretical expressions for normalized
      resonant frequency difference ratios independent of element values and resonator
      geometry have been developed for generic low- and high-pass coils. Experimental
      measurements of resonant frequencies were made for six coils, and the average
      agreement with theoretical predictions was approximately 4%.

PMID- 1881260
TI  - Reaction of gadolinium chelates with endogenously available ions.
AB  - The extent of reaction of 153Gd-radiolabeled Gd(L) chelates with 25 mM CO23- (25
      mF), PO34-, Zn2+ and Cu2+ at pH 7 was determined for L = EDTA, DTPA, DOTA, HP
      DO3A, and DO3A. Gd(EDTA)- and Gd(DTPA)2- reacted (greater than 20% in 10 min)
      with Cu2+ and Zn2+ in the presence of PO34-. These double replacement reactions
      yielded precipitated GdPO4 and chelated Cu(L). Gd(HP-DO3A), Gd(DO3A) and Gd(DOTA)
      were inert to reaction with all four ions at room temperature (less than or
      equal to 1% reaction detected). The thermodynamic binding constants of the
      ligands for Gd3+ and Cu2+ were found to be equal (10(20) M-1) for DO3A, while
      DOTA and HP-DO3A favored Gd3+ over Cu2+ by greater than or equal to 10(2) M-1.
      The low order of reactivity of Gd(DOTA)- and Gd(HP-DO3A) was anticipated by the
      binding constants, but the lack of reactivity of Gd(DO3A) is attributed to
      kinetic inertia. This latter property, desirable in MRI contrast agents, is
      promoted by the conformational stability of the tetraazacyclododecane macrocycle,
      which forms the backbone of the ligand. It is concluded that this class of
      chelates is exceptionally inert in solutions of endogenously available ions, and
      that thermodynamics alone is an insufficient predictor of the reactivity of the
      highly inert Gd complexes based on the tetraazamacrocycle.

PMID- 1881261
TI  - An MRI tissue equivalent lesion phantom using a novel polysaccharide material.
AB  - A new polysaccharide material, TX-150, and method is described which will
      potentially allow formation of stable, multi-compartment MRI phantoms constructed
      without intervening septa. TX-150 can be made into water based gels which are
      nominally tissue equivalent. Although contiguous regions of different water
      content are not possible, as water diffusion will occur until equilibrium is
      reached, TX-150 gel T1 and T2 values can be adjusted independently, while
      maintaining a constant water composition, by appropriate additives. Unlike
      paramagnetic ions and chelates, metal phthalocyanines have been found to bind
      tightly to TX-150, thus, permitting formation of stable contiguous regions of
      differing T1 relaxation properties. Phantom T2 values can be effectively modified
      with 2-2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl, which has little affect on gel T1 values, to
      form septumless lesion phantoms of varying T1 and T2.

PMID- 1881262
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of hyperbaric oxygen treated rats with spinal cord
      injury: preliminary studies.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been performed to assess the efficacy of
      hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on experimental spinal cord injury in a rat
      animal model. A moderately severe injury, similar to Type III injury seen in
      humans (Kulkarni et al. Radiology 164:837;1987) has been chosen for these
      studies. An improvement in the neurologic recovery (based on Tarlov scale) has
      been observed following HBO treatment over a period of 72 hr. Based on MRI, HBO
      treatment appears to arrest the spread of hemorrhage and resolve edema.

PMID- 1881263
TI  - In vivo proton magnetic resonance imaging and localized spectroscopic analysis of
      polycystic kidney disease in DBA/2FG-pyc mice.
AB  - Proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and localized spectroscopy techniques
      were used to study polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in DBA/2FG-pcy (pcy) mice,
      which are an animal model for the adult form of human PKD. A volume selective
      spectroscopy (VOSY) method was used to obtain localized proton spectra as well as
      apparent T1 and T2 relaxation times of the kidneys of either pcy or DBA/2FG
      normal (DBA) mice. Localization of the proton spectra was based on spatial
      coordinates determined from the proton images. Increases in apparent kidney T1
      and T2 relaxation times were observed for pcy mice in comparison to those
      measured in DBA mice. Localized kidney T1 values from pcy mice were found to
      range from 799 to 1395 msec whereas DBA mice kidney T1 values were 617 to 774
      msec. Localized T2 values measured from pcy mice kidneys ranged from 90 to 172
      msec in comparison to kidney T2 values of 50 to 72 msec for DBA mice. The onset
      of cyst formation in the kidneys of pcy mice as a function of age was also
      studied. As early as 4 to 5 weeks of age it was possible to detect in vivo
      changes in pcy mice kidney T1 and T2 values.

PMID- 1881264
TI  - Optimized pulse sequences for magnetic resonance measurement of aortic cross
      sectional areas.
AB  - This study was done to improve the ability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to
      provide clear cross-sectional images of the ascending and descending aorta in
      diastole. The study was motivated by interest in measuring the regional
      compliance of the ascending aorta, which requires determination of the change in
      cross sectional area of the vessel between systole and diastole. In diastolic
      images, residual signal from slow flowing blood and flow artifact consistently
      obscured the inner boundary of the aortic wall and precluded tracing and
      measurement of the cross sectional area. We concluded that cross sectional area
      measurement of the ascending aorta was impossible on our system using standard
      spin echo sequences. To improve wall delineation in diastolic images, SAT pulses
      were optimized with respect to pulse timing, slice thickness, and gap. Optimized
      SAT pulses greatly improved the delineation of the vessel wall by removing
      unwanted signal from flowing spins. Measurement precision was vastly improved by
      running two scans with and without flow compensation, and correlating visually
      and numerically the area measurements from each. We established that each image
      should be measured by two independent observers and traced three times by each.
      Using these procedures, diastolic cross-sectional areas of the mid-ascending
      aorta could be measured with a precision of 2.5%, and the change of cross
      sectional area between systole and diastole could be measured with a precision of
      10.8%. These measurements were precise enough to detect CAD patients with low
      aortic compliance from the age-matched controls previously reported in one study.
      The test based on cross sectional area measurement, with a false positive
      detection rate of 5%, had a false negative rate of 58%. Compliance measurements
      by MR at 1.5 T could become clinically useful if normal and abnormal populations
      are sufficiently separated.

PMID- 1881265
TI  - Relationship of hippocampus and amygdala to coronal MRI landmarks.
AB  - Magnetic resonance imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the
      evaluation of the hippocampus, particularly in epilepsy, schizophrenia, and
      Alzheimer's dementia. Because of the complex configuration of the hippocampus, it
      is difficult to compare from patient to patient. We developed a system to allow
      comparison of the hippocampus on coronal images. We performed 34 magnetic
      resonance studies on 29 normal subjects. Ten anatomic landmarks were identified.
      These landmarks have a consistent 5-mm periodicity regardless of usual head
      flexion. In the second phase of our investigation, we showed that the amygdala,
      hippocampal head, hippocampal body, and hippocampal tail have a consistent
      relationship to the coronal magnetic resonance imaging landmarks.

PMID- 1881266
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of a post-traumatic arteriovenous fistula in the lower
      extremity.
AB  - Currently, magnetic resonance (MR) is most useful as a means of providing
      distinct images of gross abnormalities in major blood vessels. While new advances
      and further refinements will continue, MR has proven its value as a convenient
      and effective diagnostic tool for the recognition and delineation of vascular
      abnormalities, such as acquired arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs). We report a case
      of a chronic, post-traumatic AVF, in which MR angiography provided excellent
      anatomic detail and angiographic correlation.

PMID- 1881267
TI  - MR imaging of degenerative disorders of brainstem and cerebellum.

PMID- 1881268
TI  - Quality assurance, knowledge-based systems, and machine learning.

PMID- 1881269
TI  - Do physicians have a bias toward action? A classic study revisited.
AB  - In an attempt to replicate the findings of a classic study of medical decision
      making, the authors studied decision making in modern pediatrics practice. They
      prepared case scenarios and surveyed pediatricians for three common clinical
      decisions: tympanostomy tube placement, radiography orders, and emergency room
      referrals. Initial reviewers rated the cases according to the likelihoods that
      they would take the clinical actions mentioned. Subsequently, other physicians
      presented with a subset of scenarios in which the initial reviewers were least
      likely to act tended to be more active in the tympanostomy (p = 0.004) and
      radiography (p = 0.076) decisions. In these cases the physicians appeared to have
      a bias toward action. For a subset of scenarios in which the initial reviewers
      were most likely to act, subsequent reviewers were neither more nor less likely
      to act than the initial reviewers.

PMID- 1881270
TI  - Availability, wishful thinking, and physicians' diagnostic judgments for patients
      with suspected bacteremia.
AB  - A prospective cohort study was done to assess the effects of value bias and the
      inappropriate use of the availability heuristic on physicians' judgments of the
      probability of bacteremia. Subjects of the study were 227 medical inpatients in a
      university hospital who had blood cultures done. Estimates of the probabilities
      that individual patients would have positive blood cultures were collected from
      the house officers who ordered the cultures. Clinical data and culture results
      were also obtained. Based on the data the authors calculated "value variables,"
      reflecting doctors' assessments of the risks that individual patients would die
      in the hospital if they were to have bacteremia. "Recalled experience variables"
      reflected the doctors' recollections of recent experiences with patients with
      bacteremia. The physicians significantly overestimated the likelihood of
      bacteremia for most of their patients. Their ROC curve for this diagnosis showed
      moderate discriminating ability (area = 0.687, SE = 0.073). Two recalled
      experience variables were significantly associated with the physicians'
      probability estimates. The value variables were significantly inversely
      associated with them. These relationships were independent of several clinical
      variables and measures of disease severity. The physicians' intuitive diagnostic
      judgments were thus influenced by the availability heuristic and by wishful
      thinking, a form of the value bias. The availability heuristic may mislead
      physicians by causing them to believe that random variations in the prevalence of
      a nonepidemic disease represent real trends. Wishful thinking may lead physicians
      to underestimate the likelihood of a disease for patients most at risk for its
      consequences. Teaching physicians to develop better judgmental strategies may
      improve the quality of their judgments and hence their patient care.

PMID- 1881271
TI  - Cognitive psychology and medical judgment: some downfalls of studying pitfalls.

PMID- 1881272
TI  - Using the ID3 algorithm to find discrepant diagnoses from laboratory databases of
      thyroid patients.
AB  - Rare cases are a central problem when an expert system is constructed from
      example cases with machine learning techniques. It is difficult to make a
      decision support system (DSS) to cover all possible clinical cases. An inductive
      learning program can be used to construct an expert system for detecting cases
      that differ from routine cases. The ID3 algorithm and the pessimistic pruning
      algorithm were tested in this study: a DSS was built directly from the data of
      patient records. A decision tree was generated, and the cases misclassified by
      the decision tree as compared with the classifications of a clinician were listed
      on a checklist, which formed the feedback to the clinician. In clinical
      situations about 5-10% of functional thyroid disorders may be misclassified. At
      this error level, the method found over 90% of the errors with a specificity of
      95%. In simple medical classification tasks this dynamic self-learning system can
      be used to create a DSS that can assist in the quality control of clinical
      decision making.

PMID- 1881273
TI  - Psychological androgyny and preference in loss-framed gambles of medical
      students: possible implications for resource utilization.
AB  - Physician decisions concerning allocation of health care resources to patients
      are highly variable and poorly understood. Psychological androgyny theory (PAT)
      has been employed as a model of the interpersonal and task activities required of
      physicians for care of their patients. Several studies have successfully
      predicted physician resource utilization using measures derived from PAT. Using a
      sample of 97 first-year medical students, the authors explored the relationship
      between PAT and risk preference in loss-framed gambles in order to elucidate the
      process whereby variables derived from PAT predict resource utilization. As
      hypothesized, students selecting the certain loss had significantly higher mean
      androgyny scores than did students selecting uncertainty. Research involving
      these constructs is integrated in the context of a theoretical "causal model,"
      which highlights issues deserving of future research.

PMID- 1881274
TI  - Benign and malignant breast disease: the relationship between women's health
      status and health values.
AB  - The study purpose was to determine whether differences in the weights assigned to
      various dimensions of health by 90 women in three subgroups (benign breast
      disease, breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, and breast cancer receiving other
      therapies) were associated with differences in self-reported health status in
      these dimensions. Two methods, one direct and the other indirect, were used to
      elicit values for mobility, depression, and social support. Two different scales
      also provided self-reports of health status in each of these dimensions. These
      measures, in conjunction with sociodemographic variables, were used to test for
      status-value relationships. No statistically significant association between
      health values and health status was observed. The absence of any detectable
      association may have been a result of methodologic difficulties in assessing
      broadly defined dimensions of health. A possible solution would be to use
      "individualized" dimensions that are uniquely important to the individual, and to
      take into account such factors as possible influences of past health status and
      values, and possible gaps between expected health status and health status
      actually experienced.

PMID- 1881275
TI  - Use of clinical judgment analysis to explain regional variations in physicians'
      accuracies in diagnosing pneumonia.
AB  - The authors sought to explain regional differences in physicians' accuracies in
      diagnosing pneumonia by prospectively studying emergency department patients at
      three sites and analyzing differences in physicians' diagnostic strategies and
      patient characteristics. They enrolled 1,119 Illinois patients, 150 Nebraska
      patients, and 142 Virginia patients presenting with fever or respiratory symptoms
      for whom physicians ordered a chest radiograph because of suspicion of pneumonia.
      Emergency department physicians recorded patients' clinical findings and
      estimated the probability that a chest radiograph would show pneumonia. A measure
      of accuracy, the correlation between physicians' probability estimates and actual
      outcomes, was 0.41 (95% CI 0.36-0.46) at Illinois, 0.66 (95% CI 0.54-0.75) at
      Nebraska, and 0.55 (95% CI 0.42-0.65) at Virginia. Physicians' strategies at the
      three sites differed markedly in their weightings of asthma, signs of
      consolidation, cough, tachypnea, age, and gender. These differences in weighting
      paralleled differences in the optimal clinical strategies derived from patient
      data at the three sites. Differences in diagnostic accuracy were best explained
      by differences in the difficulties of diagnosing pneumonia in the populations.
      Physicians at each site used clinical findings in a way that was close to optimal
      for their location. This type of analysis provides a new tool for understanding
      the sources of regional variations in clinical practice.

PMID- 1881276
TI  - Scotched on the ROCs.

PMID- 1881277
TI  - Diamond's correction method--a real gem or just cubic zirconium?

PMID- 1881278
TI  - Verification bias and the one-parameter logistic ROC curve--some clarifications.

PMID- 1881279
TI  - The influence of positive affect on clinical problem solving.
AB  - This study investigated the influence of positive affect, induced by report of
      success on an anagram task, on medical decision making among third-year medical
      students. The subjects were asked to decide which one of six hypothetical
      patients, each of whom had a solitary pulmonary nodule, was most likely to have
      lung cancer. They were asked to verbalize their clinical reasoning as they solved
      the problem. The positive-affect and control groups did not differ in the
      tendency to make a correct choice, but subjects in the positive-affect condition
      were significantly earlier in identifying their choices. These subjects were also
      significantly more likely to go beyond the assigned task, expressing interesting
      in the cases of the other patients and trying to think about their diagnosis,
      even though that task was not assigned. The positive-affect subjects also showed
      evidence of configural or integrative consideration of the material to a reliably
      greater extent than did control subjects, and there was significantly less
      evidence of confusion or disorganization in their protocols than in those of
      controls. These findings are compatible with earlier work suggesting a different
      organizational process and greater efficiency in decision making among people in
      whom positive affect had been induced, and with recent work suggesting that
      positive affect facilitates flexibility and integration in problem solving. They
      also indicate that these effects may apply to the problem-solving strategies of
      professionals in clinical problem-solving situations.

PMID- 1881280
TI  - [The psychic status and work capacity of the victims of the accident at the
      Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in the period of recovery from and near-term
      consequences of acute radiation sickness].
AB  - Analysis of the results of clinicopsychological investigation of persons
      developing ARS (I-III degree of severity) as a result of the Chernobyl accident
      has shown that 4-6 mos. after the exposure the psychic status and mental working
      ability of the affected persons showed close correlation with a degree of ARS. In
      12-18 mos. profession and adequate employment played a decisive role in the
      formation of unfavorable psychic conditions and limited working ability. Later on
      in 2.5-3 years after exposure a decrease in psychic working ability, the
      development of unfavorable psychic conditions was noted more frequently in
      patients with ARS of more severe types and in examinees of older age. At all
      stages of rehabilitation personality traits of the affected persons play an
      important role in the revival of working abilities.

PMID- 1881281
TI  - [The labeling index of parenchymal and stromal tumor cells--an index of
      radiosensitivity and prognosis of laryngeal cancer].
AB  - Biopsy specimens were taken from 130 laryngeal cancer patients and investigated
      before treatment. Autoradiography with 3H-thymidine was used to determine the
      labeling index (LI) of parenchymal cells and tumor stroma. Squamous cell
      carcinoma was diagnosed in all the cases. Altogether 41 patients were irradiated
      at a total focal dose of 32-40 Gy and underwent surgery. A full course of
      radiotherapy at a total dose of 52-60 Gy was given to 89 patients, however
      recurrences were detected in 38. Comparison of the therapeutic results and
      indices of proliferative activity of tumor cells has shown: 1. interrelationship
      of Ll of parenchymal cells and LlI of tumor stromal cells; 2. a tendency to
      correlation was revealed between indices of LI of parenchymal and stromal cells
      and a stage of disease; 3. correlation between a degree of a decrease in LI of
      parenchymal cells and completeness of tumor regression in the course of therapy
      was shown; 4. LI of stromal cells in the patients' tumors with resumption of
      tumor growth was lower (0.8) than in patients without resumed growth.

PMID- 1881282
TI  - [The immediate results of the use of isometronidazole in the combination therapy
      of patients with lung cancer].
AB  - The paper is devoted to assessment of isometronidazole tolerance, used as a
      radiosensitizer for preoperative irradiation of lung cancer patients, and to
      characterization of morphological postradiation changes in tissues of carcinomas
      removed at operation. Isometronidazole was shown to cause no severe side-effects
      in patients, improving considerably radiation injury of the tumor parenchyma.

PMID- 1881283
TI  - [Quantitative assessment of the computed tomographic characteristics of the brain
      in neuro-geriatric diseases. I].
AB  - The paper is devoted to a study of the combined use of linear, volumetric,
      volumetric lobar and densitometric indices of computerized tomography of the
      brain in patients with neuro-geriatric pathology. Methods of quantitative
      assessment of CT scans were described. The interrelationship of linear,
      volumetric and volumetric lobar CT parameters and densitometric indices in middle
      aged and old patients was shown. A number of linear and densitometric parameters
      was recommended for clinical practice and research.

PMID- 1881284
TI  - [The effect of age and sex on the quantitative parameters of the computed
      tomography of the brain in neuro-geriatric diseases. II].
AB  - The paper is devoted to a study of age and sex differences of linear, volumetric,
      volumetric longitudinal and densitometric parameters of CT of the brain in
      patients with neurogeriatric diseases with chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency.
      The ventricular system of the brain and subarachnoid space was shown to increase
      with age; a decrease in the relative density of the white substance at the
      anterior horns was noted. Sex differences were most noticeable in younger
      patients. Average sizes of the ventricular system and subarachnoid space were
      indicated for men and women belonging to different age groups. A conclusion was
      made that assessment of CT results in neurogeriatric patients must include their
      age and sex.

PMID- 1881286
TI  - [Infusion dynamic uretero-scintigraphy in the evaluation of the functional status
      of the ureter and pelvis].
AB  - A proposed new method of infusion dynamic ureteroscintigraphy was used for
      investigation of 51 controls and 27 patients with unilateral tuberculous
      ureterohydronephrosis. Values of the contractility of different parts of the
      ureters and pelvis were obtained. The statistic law of distribution of these
      values is logarithmically normal. A high sensitivity of the method in the
      assessment of ureteral and pelvic function was shown.

PMID- 1881285
TI  - [Radioimmunologic analysis in the differential diagnosis of cancer of the thyroid
      gland].
AB  - Investigations using a radioimmunoassay in 92 patients with nodular goiter,
      thyroid adenoma and cancer have shown that changes in the levels of T4, T3 and
      TSH cannot be used in differential diagnosis of tumors. A high level of
      thyroglobulin (TG) in 70-75% of patients in the absence of antibodies to it and
      the presence of a "cold node" on a scan is suggestive of differentiated types of
      thyroid cancer. In these cases TG can serve as a tumor marker. A moderate level
      of Tg in 25-30% of cases against a background of a high level of antibodies to it
      does not permit its use as a tumor marker in such patients even in the
      postoperative period. High levels of TG and TSH despite the use of thyroid drugs
      in patients, operated on for differentiated types of thyroid cancer, may be
      suggestive of a possible manifestation of a recurrence or metastatic spreading.

PMID- 1881287
TI  - [The behavior of radioactive albumin microspheres on administration into the
      hepatic artery of animals].
AB  - A study was made of the behaviour of human serum albumin microspheres--SAM--
      (USSR) during intraarterial selective infusion of them in the hepatic artery of
      rabbits. 125I was used as a radioactive tracing agent. Accumulation of the agent
      in organs and its excretion were investigated over time by radiometry in vivo and
      in vitro. Distribution of 125I-SAM in the liver at administration of different
      amounts of the radioactive drug was also investigated. A mathematical formula of
      calculation of the optimum amount of administered microspheres was proposed. A
      conclusion was made of a possibility of the use of the SAM as a carrier of short
      lived radionuclides for endovascular radiotherapy of malignant hepatic tumors.

PMID- 1881289
TI  - [Control of the radiation protection of medical personnel during transcutaneous
      nephro-ureterolithotomy].
AB  - The authors describe methods to ensure radiation safety of medical personnel,
      used in transcutaneous nephro-ureterolithotomy. The results of measurements of an
      exposure dose rate and calculations of an equivalent dose are presented. They do
      not exceed standard maximum permissible doses.

PMID- 1881288
TI  - [Functional status of the pituitary-thyroid system in children and adolescents
      exposed to radiation as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
      Station].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the results of a follow-up over the period of 1986
      1989 of function of the hypophyseo-thyroid system in children and adolescents
      (approximately 6000 persons), residing in the South-West of the Kaluga Region,
      where radiation fallouts were observed after the Chernobyl accident. The results
      were based upon the analysis of medical examinations and determination of the
      blood levels of TSH, T4 and T3. A certain functional activation of the thyroid
      system was observed in a majority of the examinees. A conclusion has been made of
      a necessity of a long-term follow-up of the thyroid of persons who received
      radioactive iodine in childhood.

PMID- 1881290
TI  - [Chronic cough].

PMID- 1881291
TI  - [Acute chest pain].

PMID- 1881292
TI  - [Systematization of types and methods of radiotherapy, methods and methodology of
      irradiating patients].
AB  - The paper is concerned with the principles of systematization and classification
      of radiation therapy, approaches to the regulation of its terminology. They are
      based on the distinction of the concepts of radiation therapy and irradiation of
      patients. The author gives a concise historical review of improvement of the
      methodology of radiation therapy in the course of developing of its methods and
      facilities. Problems of terminology are under discussion. There is a table of
      types and methods of radiation therapy, methods and techniques of irradiation. In
      the appendices one can find a table of typical legends and examples of graphic
      signs to denote methods of irradiation. Potentialities of a practical use of the
      system are described.

PMID- 1881293
TI  - [Comparison of different methods of imaging in determining the resectability of
      liver metastases in colon cancer].

PMID- 1881294
TI  - [Clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy].

PMID- 1881295
TI  - The efficacy of ethnomedicine: research methods in trouble.
AB  - One of the tasks of medical anthropology is to conduct research to evaluate the
      efficacy of traditional health care practices. The benefits of health care may be
      evaluated in numerous ways, but in this article we examine only the problem of
      how to determine whether a therapeutic intervention changes the pathophysiology
      of a disease. The randomized controlled trial is acknowledged as an ideal that
      will rarely be attainable by medical ethnographers. Individual case studies are
      primarily useful for hypothesis formation. We are left then with observational
      studies (case series) as a feasible and useful alternative. Those presently in
      the anthropological literature are examined and each is found to be flawed to
      some extent. Future investigations can profit from what was learned in these
      pioneer studies by giving more attention to patient selection, treatment
      description, and objective measures of outcome.

PMID- 1881296
TI  - An Ayurvedic theory of cancer.
AB  - Ayurveda is a healing system widely practiced throughout South Asia. It is
      founded upon a set of Sanskrit texts composed two thousand years ago which
      describe in detail a theory of humoral balance within the body. The name Ayurveda
      means "that which has been seen to be true about long life." In 1975 in southern
      Tamil Nadu, an aged practitioner of Ayurveda conducted for the author's benefit a
      series of lectures about cancer, in which he propounded his own idiosyncratic
      theory regarding the nature of this disease. The doctor's lectures were a
      linguistic and topical pastiche, melding Indian and Western biologies,
      psychologies, and sociologies. The lectures were fascinating for they
      demonstrated many lines of kinship between ideas expressed in the ancient
      Sanskrit texts and ideas afloat still in the modern world. But for all their
      richness Mahadeva Iyer's lectures were seemingly unfocused, and his motives for
      developing them were unclear to the author. Only when the author was able to see
      these lectures, not as cultural artifacts, but as messages addressed from one
      historically situated personality to another, did the reason for the doctor's
      conveyance of them to her become clear.

PMID- 1881297
TI  - Ethnomedicine: diverse trends, common linkages.

PMID- 1881298
TI  - An epidemiological description of a folk illness: a study of empacho in
      Guatemala.
AB  - Although anthropologists have provided descriptions of many folk illnesses, few
      have systematically evaluated their prevalence and determined who is at greatest
      risk for acquiring them. This report attempts to provide a systematic description
      of the folk illness empacho including the symptoms that define it. Illness
      prevalence was estimated and subpopulations at greatest risk were identified from
      illness histories collected from a random sample of households in rural
      Guatemala. Empacho was found to constitute a distinct cluster of symptoms:
      diarrhea, vomiting, headache, and lack of appetite. It differed from other
      gastrointestinal illnesses in that headaches were more likely and stomachaches
      were less likely to be reported. Empacho was highly prevalent and occurred in
      adults and children. Further, results showed that although empacho was frequently
      diagnosed by residents, folk healers were rarely consulted for any illness.
      Nevertheless, a strong association exists between a household diagnosis of
      empacho and the use of folk healers by those households (p less than .001).

PMID- 1881299
TI  - Discourse, dano, and healing in north coastal Peru.
AB  - This paper argues that discourse is culturally recognized as powerful and
      dangerous, significantly informing both the illness experience known as dano
      (magical aggression) and its traditional cure in North-coastal Peru. Words are
      viewed as a type of symbolic currency which negotiate and "transact" identity in
      an economic, social, and psychological environment in which self-esteem is
      generally viewed as a scarce commodity and tied to the opinions of others. In the
      case presented, gossip is a verbal mode of dano that is perceived as a threat to
      the victim's constructed identity: the physical and emotional symptoms of dano
      directly relate to the anxiety about what people will say (que diran). I examine
      the symbolism of the mesa or traditional healing ceremony in terms of this
      "economy" of discourse to illustrate how the patient's personal experience is
      linked to a culturally powerful metaphor and then transformed in order to effect
      the cure.

PMID- 1881300
TI  - Deciding how to decide: possession-mediumship in Jalari divination.

PMID- 1881301
TI  - Malay medicine, Malay person.

PMID- 1881302
TI  - The harp that plays by itself.

PMID- 1881303
TI  - Future directions in MRI of diffusion and microcirculation. Society of Magnetic
      Resonance in Medicine (SMRM) workshop. Bethesda, Maryland, June 7-8, 1990.

PMID- 1881304
TI  - NMR measurements of different tissue perfusion parameters.
AB  - The traditional perfusion rate is based on the amount of fluid flowing
      longitudinally down the capillaries, often given in ml/100 g tissue/min. In
      principle, fluid flowing radially out of or into the capillaries can be measured
      as well. Radial and longitudinal perfusion have the same units but independent
      values. If spins leave and reenter a capillary several times during a transit,
      radial perfusion can exceed longitudinal perfusion and it probably does. Radial
      perfusion measures capillary wall function. Progressively increasing the time
      between two gradient pulses in a proposed radial perfusion imaging sequence
      allows more magnetization to move into the vasculature to be dephased or removed.
      Progressive decreases in gradient strength keep diffusion effects constant
      allowing isolation of the desired perfusion effects.

PMID- 1881305
TI  - Diffusion of water in tissues and MRI.
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the diffusive behavior of
      water in biological tissues. The analysis shows that obstructive barriers would
      have to occupy very large volume fractions in order to account for the reduction
      in the diffusion coefficient (D) observed in biological systems. Generally, most
      models lead to the supposition that a substantial fraction (20-40%) of the cell
      water is hydration water, or that the diffusion coefficient of the cytoplasmic
      water is reduced substantially from the free water value. Thus, the conclusion
      that a substantial fraction of cell water has diffusive properties that are
      altered by the macromolecules of the cytoplasm seems inescapable. The impact of
      these findings on MRI remain to be determined.

PMID- 1881306
TI  - Functional variations in parenchymal microvascular systems within the brain.
AB  - Variations in microvascular system functions were observed among a number of
      brain areas. The rates of local blood flow varied 18-fold among areas and were
      extremely high in neuroendocrine structures. Marked differences in blood flow
      were also found within some brain structures. The volume of radiolabeled blood in
      perfused parenchymal microvessels ranged from 5 to 70 microliters/g and
      correlated closely with local cerebral blood flow. The hematocrits within
      parenchymal microvessels were 45-75% of the arterial hematocrit, which indicates
      that red cells more rapidly traverse brain microvessels than do plasma proteins.
      The mean transit times of blood through parenchymal microvessels were extremely
      short and ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 s.

PMID- 1881307
TI  - Intravoxel incoherent motion imaging using spin echoes.
AB  - The purpose of this paper is to review the basic principles of diffusion
      measurement with spin echoes. These principles can be combined with those of MR
      imaging to generate maps of diffusion coefficients. Diffusion imaging can be
      extended to imaging of other intravoxel incoherent motions (IVIM), such as blood
      microcirculation. Some of the technical problems encountered when implementing
      IVIM imaging are presented.

PMID- 1881308
TI  - Diffusion and perfusion in high resolution NMR imaging and microscopy.
AB  - Diffusion and perfusion phenomena under strong gradient fields (approximately 100
      G/cm) are examined in high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging
      and microscopy, where diffusion-associated signal attenuation predominates over
      T1 and T2 relaxation decays. Image contrast based on the diffusion and
      microcirculation is discussed with experimental results obtained with a 7.0-T
      microscopy system. Ultimate resolution limit due to diffusion is investigated in
      high resolution NMR imaging and microscopy.

PMID- 1881309
TI  - Diffusion imaging using stimulated echoes.
AB  - The application of stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) sequences for NMR
      imaging of diffusion is especially suited for spins with T1 much greater than T2
      as, e.g., encountered in proton NMR studies of biological systems. Molecular self
      diffusion coefficients may be calculated from a set of diffusion-weighted images
      acquired with different gradient strengths. A variation of the diffusion time
      allows the determination of restricted and/or anisotropic diffusion in cellular
      systems ranging from plants to humans. Problems associated with the presence of
      unavoidable macroscopic motions in vivo are demonstrated in diffusion studies of
      human brain. Motion ghosting in diffusion-weighted images may be overcome by
      means of a high-speed STEAM sequence yielding single-shot images within subsecond
      acquisition times.

PMID- 1881310
TI  - Analytical solution and verification of diffusion effect in SSFP.
AB  - Assuming that the SSFP magnetization response maintains a steady state which is
      periodic in the presence of diffusion, we can solve for the diffusion effect in
      such sequences. Formulating a Fourier series decomposition solution to the Bloch
      Torrey equation and imposing the steady-state condition, analytical expressions
      describing the signal decay due to diffusion are developed. Magnetization
      responses for any system and sequence parameters can then be obtained. Also,
      sensitivity to b factor changes is quite different than standard diffusion
      measurement techniques. Assumptions made in the solution are verified via finite
      difference solutions and simulations of the Bloch-Torrey equation.

PMID- 1881311
TI  - Echo-planar imaging of diffusion and perfusion.
AB  - Use of the Stejskal-Tanner sequence for performing diffusion images in the human
      brain tends to be complicated by the presence of artifacts caused by voluntary or
      involuntary, sometimes pulsatile, motion. We describe the implementation of the
      technique of echo-planar diffusion imaging, which avoids these artifacts and
      allows reproducible quantitative values of the diffusion coefficient to be
      measured in vivo. The effects of perfusion are easily visible in a phantom
      containing a gel. The results for human brain show a significant "perfusion
      fraction" in grey matter, consistent with an extracellular, possibly
      microvascular, volume of about 10%.

PMID- 1881312
TI  - Magnetic resonance diffusion/perfusion phantom experiments.
AB  - Recently, several models for determining microcirculatory parameters using
      magnetic resonance imaging have been proposed. These include the intravoxel
      incoherent motion (IVIM) model, the intravoxel coherent motion (IVCM) model, and
      various tracer models. In order to evaluate these models before extension into
      physiological systems, phantom studies were used to assess model assumptions,
      measurement uncertainties, and sensitivity to changes in perfusion. Emphasis is
      placed on the IVIM model, but the techniques discussed could be extended to
      evaluation of other models as well. An overview of considerations in pulse
      sequence development, phantom design, and data interpretation is presented for a
      variety of phantoms ranging in complexity from stationary volumes of fluid and
      mechanically pumped phantoms to isolated animal kidneys and finally to an in vivo
      animal model.

PMID- 1881313
TI  - Effect of bulk tissue motion on quantitative perfusion and diffusion magnetic
      resonance imaging.
AB  - The effect of irreproducible bulk tissue motions upon quantification of tissue
      perfusion and diffusion was studied via computer simulation of random phase error
      in conventional phase-encoded perfusion/diffusion MRI. Simulations using
      acquisition parameters typical for human brain studies demonstrate that bulk
      motion irreproducibility of approximately 60 microns/s can produce phase
      instability on the order of 20 degrees which overwhelms estimates of perfusion
      fraction and produces significant errors in diffusion values. Bulk tissue motion
      control of the human brain via cardiac gating and substantial head restraint was
      studied by direct measurement of voxel phase stability. Phase instability of 10
      degrees to 20 degrees was observed from right-to-left and anterior-to-posterior
      motions and significantly greater phase variability from superior-to-inferior
      motion. The spatial pattern of phase variability indicates the source is likely a
      mixture of cardiac pulsation and respiration.

PMID- 1881314
TI  - Applications of the intravoxel coherent motion technique to the central nervous
      system.
AB  - Phase difference images, obtained by comparing data from motion-sensitized and 
      unsensitized spin-echo sequences, can be used to study intravoxel coherent
      motions. The resulting images, which have been routinely used to study fast
      flowing blood, may potentially yield information about perfused flows and bulk
      tissue motion. The likely limitations and potential of this technique applied to
      the central nervous system are reviewed with reference to parallel studies of
      intravoxel incoherent motion.

PMID- 1881315
TI  - Very slow flow imaging.
AB  - Two methods allowing imaging of very slow coherent flows are presented. The first
      method is based on the use of a radiofrequency field gradient. The second method
      is based on the use of gradients of the main field. Both methods include
      suppression of signal from stationary spins. A flow contour map is obtained which
      allows quantitative determination of velocity. The methods were proved to be
      efficient to image velocities as low as 10 microns.s-1.

PMID- 1881316
TI  - Studies of restricted diffusion in heterogeneous media containing variations in
      susceptibility.
AB  - Measurements of water self-diffusion in heterogeneous media by pulsed gradient
      spin-echo methods depend on the precise choice of experimental parameters. This
      variation may reflect the presence of restricted or anisotropic diffusion, or the
      presence of intrinsic magnetic field gradients. In experiments at 2.0 T,
      restricted diffusion effects have been demonstrated in freshly excised tissues
      with an effective barrier radius of order 10 microns. In samples with intrinsic
      susceptibility variations such as tissues or gels containing dispersions of iron
      oxide particles, the reduction of apparent diffusion coefficient with diffusion
      interval can be used to estimate the degree of heterogeneity of the magnetic
      field in the sample. The implications of these effects for diffusion-weighted MRI
      as well as their use to derive novel tissue parameters are discussed.

PMID- 1881317
TI  - Contrast agents and cerebral hemodynamics.
AB  - Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of regional cerebral hemodynamics is
      discussed. Techniques for measuring cerebral blood volume (CBV) have been
      validated in animal models and have recently been applied to human studies.
      Factors affecting CBV measurement in pathologic tissue are addressed. Extension
      of these techniques to the measurement of cerebral blood flow is presented.

PMID- 1881318
TI  - Dynamic imaging of contrast enhancement in brain tumors.
AB  - Gadolinium-DTPA has been shown to be a good probe for demonstrating defects in
      the blood-brain barrier, but it has a rapid rate of elimination so that peak
      circulating levels are short-lived. In this study ultrafast echo-planar imaging
      has been used in combination with a bolus injection of gadolinium-DTPA to
      evaluate perfusion within brain tumors and to assess the degree of disruption of
      the blood-brain barrier. The temporal profile of enhancement may allow
      discrimination between different tumor types.

PMID- 1881319
TI  - The validation of freely diffusible tracer methods with NMR detection for
      measurement of blood flow.
AB  - While the general theory of measuring organ perfusion using exogenously
      administered freely diffusible tracers was originally formulated over 40 years
      ago, the application of NMR techniques for tracer detection is a recent
      development. A brief theoretical review and discussion of the literature
      validating the use of deuterium and fluorine as NMR-detectable tracers is
      provided.

PMID- 1881321
TI  - Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of extraaxial tumors.
AB  - The clinical usefulness of the application of spin-echo diffusion-weighted
      imaging in the evaluation of extraaxial cysts and epidermoid tumors is
      demonstrated in a series of 15 patients. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)
      images based on intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) were obtained with a maximum
      gradient b value = 100 s/mm2. Lesion ADC was qualitatively compared to external
      phantoms. In all cases, epidermoid tumors revealed reduced ADC values similar to
      that of normal brain tissue. On the other hand, all cysts had ADC similar to the
      stationary water phantom. Lesion delineation was improved due to the replacement
      of normal pulsatile (very high ADC) cisternal CSF. Direct quantitative
      measurements of ADC using this technique may not be possible due to unavoidable
      motion artifact.

PMID- 1881320
TI  - Diffusion/perfusion MR imaging of acute cerebral ischemia.
AB  - In vivo echo-planar MR imaging was used to measure apparent diffusion
      coefficients (ADC) of cerebral tissues in a comprehensive noninvasive evaluation
      of early ischemic brain damage induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery
      (MCA) in a cat model of acute regional stroke. Within 10 min after arterial
      occlusion, ADC was significantly lower in tissues within the vascular territory
      of the occluded MCA than in normally perfused tissues in the contralateral
      hemisphere. Sequential echo-planar imaging was then used in conjunction with
      bolus injections of the magnetic susceptibility contrast agent, dysprosium DTPA
      BMA, to characterize the underlying cerebrovascular perfusion deficits. Normally
      perfused regions of brain were identified by a dose-dependent 35-70% loss of
      signal intensity within 6-8 s of contrast administration, whereas ischemic
      regions appeared relatively hyperintense. These data indicate that sequential
      diffusion/perfusion imaging may be useful in differentiating permanently damaged
      from reversibly ischemic brain tissue.

PMID- 1881322
TI  - Restricted and anisotropic displacement of water in healthy cat brain and in
      stroke studied by NMR diffusion imaging.
AB  - The occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in cat brain was used as an
      experimental stroke model to investigate the physical basis of the recently
      reported lowered diffusion constant of water in acute infarcted brain tissue
      (Moseley et al., Magn. Reson. Med. 14, 330, 1990). The original findings were
      confirmed in this study of 12 animals investigated with the diffusion-sensitized
      stimulated echo sequence. The following additional results were obtained: First,
      the onset of significant lowering of the diffusion constant in the stroke area
      varied significantly (up to 2.5 h depending on the animal). Second, the affected
      area is much more clearly outlined in diffusion-weighted images than in T2
      weighted images, even in the period between 3 to 12 h following occlusion. Third,
      for diffusion times between 50 and 2000 ms. the diffusion constant of water is
      independent of diffusion time in healthy tissue, as well as in the stroke area.
      Fourth, the diffusion anisotropy is similar in healthy and in stroke area and
      remains similar regardless of the diffusion time used.

PMID- 1881323
TI  - Noninvasive temperature imaging using diffusion MRI.
AB  - Efficacy and safety considerations for cancer therapy with hyperthermia require
      accurate temperature measurements throughout the heated volume. We report the use
      of molecular diffusion, whose temperature dependence is well known. A dedicated
      hyperthermia applicator was built, combining a MRI gradient coil and a rf coil.
      Diffusion and derived temperature images were obtained with a 1 x 2 mm pixel size
      on a polyacrylamide gel phantom using a clinical 1.5-T whole body MRI system.
      Temperatures determined from these images using 1 cm2 regions of interest were
      found to be within 0.2 degrees C of those recorded from the thermocouples and
      fiber-optic probes placed inside the gel.

PMID- 1881324
TI  - The visibility of the 1H NMR signal of ethanol in the dog brain.
AB  - In vivo, high-resolution, volume-selected 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to monitor
      the concentration of ethanol in the dog brain following intravenous injection of
      ethanol. Equilibration of ethanol in the body water should result in
      approximately equivalent concentrations of ethanol in the blood and brain.
      However, the mean equilibrium brain ethanol concentration determined using N
      acetylaspartate as an internal standard was only 23 +/- 5% of the blood ethanol
      concentration. The disparity between blood and brain ethanol concentrations was
      attributed to underestimation of the ethanol concentration due to overlapping
      resonances with NAA and to T2 attenuation or possible nondetection of the 1H
      signal from ethanol bound at the surface of cell membranes and partitioned into
      the hydrophobic core of membrane lipids.

PMID- 1881325
TI  - Reduction of flow artifacts in NMR diffusion imaging using view-angle tilted line
      integral projection reconstruction.
AB  - Most of the diffusion imaging techniques employ strong diffusion gradient pulses
      of long duration in order to achieve appreciable signal attenuation through the
      diffusion effect. However, these strong and long gradient pulses make the
      resultant images extremely sensitive to the motion or flow of the object. Fourier
      imaging, with which most of the current NMR imaging is performed, is especially
      sensitive to the fluctuating flow and the images are usually obscured by severe
      flow artifacts smeared in the phase-encoding direction. In this paper, we have
      proposed a diffusion imaging technique which reduces the flow artifacts by use of
      the line-integral projection reconstruction (LPR) imaging method. Furthermore,
      the inhomogeneity artifacts expected to occur in LPR imaging have been corrected
      by application of the view-angle tilting technique. The pulse sequence of the
      view-angle tilted LPR diffusion imaging is designed in such a way that it works
      for both isotropic and anisotropic diffusion. Experimental results are presented
      along with the experimental procedures.

PMID- 1881326
TI  - MR angiography without subtraction.
AB  - A new NMR method for producing angiograms with strong suppression of the static
      spin signal and without the need for subtraction is described and demonstrated. A
      velocity-selective pulse sequence was implemented whereby the magnetization of
      all stationary spins is driven to the -z axis and is not detected, while
      maximizing the signal intensity of the moving spins. A theory of the method is
      presented and gives good agreement with experimental results obtained on a flow
      phantom. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that high-quality velocity
      independent angiograms of the head and neck can be obtained with strong
      suppression of static spin signal when TR approximately T1. The method can be
      extended to produce three-dimensional angiograms.

PMID- 1881327
TI  - Hepatic intracellular pH in vivo using F-quene 1 and 19F NMR spectroscopy.
AB  - Intracellular pH (pHi) has been determined in vivo in livers from anaesthetized
      rats using both 31P NMR and 19F NMR spectroscopy. In the 31P NMR study pHi,
      determined from the chemical shift of endogenous Pi, was found to be 7.26 +/-
      0.02. In the 19F NMR study on a separate group of animals pHi was determined from
      the chemical shift of F-Quene 1 infused via the portal vein and found to be 7.18
      +/- 0.01. In approximately half of the 19F NMR studies no 19F signal could be
      detected in the liver probably because of the two probes could be caused by
      different intra- or intercellular distributions or by unknown effects of F-Quene
      1 on metabolism.

PMID- 1881328
TI  - Fast Fourier projection for MR angiography.
AB  - We have developed a technique called fast Fourier projection which rapidly
      produces projections through images and is particularly useful for generating MR
      angiograms. Based on the projection-slice theorem of Fourier transform theory,
      this method extracts planes from three-dimensional spatial frequency space and
      computes projections at arbitrary viewing angles by two-dimensional inverse
      Fourier transformation. Typical computation times are on the order of 1 s per
      projection. This performance makes possible interactive selection of optimal
      projection directions for visualizing the desired vasculature in single or stereo
      pair angiographic images and drastically reduces the time required to generate
      sequences of projections for display in movie loops compared to the conventional
      ray-casting approach. The method is easily implemented on off-line workstations
      or directly on MRI computer systems.

PMID- 1881329
TI  - Gadolinium-labeled liposomes containing various amphiphilic Gd-DTPA derivatives:
      targeted MRI contrast enhancement agents for the liver.
AB  - Unique paramagnetic liposomal contrast agents were synthesized and utilized for
      selective augmentation of T1 MR imaging of the livers of normal Balb/c mice. A
      series of amphipathic gadolinium complexes, which mimic phospholipids, was
      incorporated into the lamella of small unilamellar liposomes such that they
      become an integral part of its surface. The amphipathic complexing agents
      consisted of DTPA reagents in which two stearyl chains are attached via amide,
      ester, and thioester linkages. The in vitro stability and the in vivo lifetimes
      of the new amphipathic agents were dependent on the method used to attach the
      long-chain alkyl groups.

PMID- 1881330
TI  - 31P NMR spectroscopy of 9L cell line in culture: differential effects of high
      temperature on anchored cells and spheroids.
AB  - The differential effects of high temperature on 9L rat gliosarcoma cells cultured
      in two distinctive forms, namely, anchored monolayer cells and multicellular
      spheroids, were investigated using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
      The critical temperatures resulting in irreversible changes in cellular
      energetics were found to be significantly different: 45 degrees C for anchored
      cells and 43 degrees C for multicellular spheroids, respectively.
      Phosphomonoester levels in multicellular spheroids were found to be consistently
      higher than those in anchored monolayer cells regardless of the temperature to
      which they were exposed. The study demonstrates that tissue derived from a single
      cell line may exhibit different metabolic properties depending on its growth
      pattern.

PMID- 1881331
TI  - Localized 1H NMR spectroscopy in Canavan's disease: a report of two cases.
AB  - Two children with Canavan's Disease, an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy, were
      studied by localized 1H spectroscopy. The N-acetylaspartate (NAA) signal
      intensity was high relative to other metabolite signals, and the signal intensity
      from choline-containing compounds was low. These findings are discussed in
      relation to a possible role for NAA in normal myelination.

PMID- 1881332
TI  - A dual-frequency circularly polarizing whole-body MR antenna for 69/170 MHz.
AB  - The design concept of a dual-frequency whole-body MR antenna for circular
      polarization is presented. First, the principle of the capacitively shortened
      transmission line antenna, which is the basis of the design, is discussed.
      Emphasis is given to the antenna design at high frequencies. Two variants of
      possible antenna constructions are described and the RF efficiency is calculated
      for both frequencies. The antenna performance is discussed for the example of 69
      and 170 MHz, the nuclear magnetic resonance frequencies of the nuclei 31P and 1H
      at 4 T. For 31P experiments, a whole-body antenna is useful only for transmitting
      and, thus, the antenna performance can be optimized for 1H. The design principle
      is not limited to two frequencies; however, the RF efficiency decreases with an
      increasing number of resonance frequencies. Results of a laboratory version and
      1H images at 4 T are presented.

PMID- 1881333
TI  - On the use of a slice-selective 270 degrees self-refocusing Gaussian pulse for
      magnetic resonance imaging.

PMID- 1881334
TI  - On the use of a slice-selective 270 degrees self-refocusing Gaussian pulse for
      magnetic resonance imaging: comments on the note by D. M. Doddrell et al.

PMID- 1881335
TI  - Multiecho, spin-echo sequence to eliminate unwanted echoes.
AB  - Two types of artifacts--a mirror-reversed image about the phase-encode direction
      and a wave-like intensity variation across the image--may appear when using a
      conventional multiecho spin-echo sequence. We describe and demonstrate a new
      method, which eliminates such artifacts, using only one excitation per phase
      encoding step and without the need for spoiler gradients.

PMID- 1881336
TI  - Sequential 2D inflow venography: initial clinical observations.
AB  - Sequential 2D inflow NMR (SDI) venography was employed to define venous anatomy
      and pathology in five healthy subjects and five patients, mean age 48 +/- 7
      years, with documented deep vein thrombosis. SDI images were graded independently
      by two observers on a scale of 1,2 nondiagnostic and 3,4 diagnostic categories.
      All iliac and femoropopliteal SDI venograms were diagnostic. In contrast, only
      one out of nine calf SDI venograms was diagnostic. SDI is a promising new method
      to assess the proximal peripheral venous system. Improved imaging strategy is
      needed to produce flow images of the calf veins.

PMID- 1881337
TI  - Longitudinal spin-order-based pulse sequence for lactate editing.
AB  - A new pulse sequence which edits proton spectra of lactate with full signal
      return and gives good suppression of water and fat signals is described. This
      sequence exploits longitudinal spin-order from lactate to edit lactate from fat.
      Experimental results from phantoms and excised pig heart are presented.

PMID- 1881338
TI  - A magnetization transfer preparation scheme for snapshot FLASH imaging.
AB  - A rapid method of generating images whose contrast is dependent on the exchange
      of magnetization between the free and restricted proton pools is presented. The
      contrast obtained is similar to that obtained from T2-weighted spin-echo images.
      The rapid nature of the sequence means that the RF power deposition problems
      encountered when using magnetization transfer in conjunction with conventional
      imaging sequences are avoided.

PMID- 1881339
TI  - Spectroscopic imaging using variable angle excitation from adiabatic plane
      rotation pulses.
AB  - The technique of chemical-shift (spectroscopic) imaging has been implemented
      using a variable angle adiabatic plane-rotation pulse for small angle excitation
      over the entire sensitive volume of a surface coil. Optimum signal-to-noise ratio
      per unit time is obtained in applications where the pulse repetition rate is fast
      relative to 1/5 T1.

PMID- 1881340
TI  - Leadership in mental retardation.

PMID- 1881341
TI  - Consent screening interview for community residential placement: report on the
      initial pilot study data.
AB  - A preliminary investigation of the reliability and validity of the Consent
      Screening Interview is described. The instrument was designed to assess the
      ability of adults with developmental disabilities to give direct consent for
      community residential placement. Our three objectives were to: (a) establish
      content and construct validity through administration and expert evaluation, (b)
      establish preliminary baseline scoring criteria; and (c) make any needed
      revisions based on expert appraisal and administration of the instrument to a
      target population. Initial results indicated that this instrument differentiated
      between those subjects considered competent to give consent and those whose
      ability to give consent was questionable.

PMID- 1881342
TI  - Burnout among staff members at community residential facilities for persons with
      mental retardation.
AB  - The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to measure burnout among 125 staff members
      working in community residential facilities for persons with mental retardation
      in North Dakota. Results showed that a moderate degree of burnout was present for
      direct-care and supervisory staff members in each of the three subscales of the
      inventory. In addition, supervisory staff members showed significantly more
      burnout on the Emotional Exhaustion subscale and significantly less on the
      Personal Accomplishment subscale than did direct-care staff members. Results were
      discussed in light of previous findings.

PMID- 1881343
TI  - Efficiency considerations in delivering special education services to persons
      with severe mental retardation.
AB  - The basic question addressed in this paper is whether formal benefit-cost and
      effectiveness-cost analyses might allow us to determine whether the outcomes of
      particular special education services are being offered in their most efficient
      manner. In attempting to answer this question, we focused upon measuring as many
      of the cost and outcomes as possible (in both monetary and other terms) from two
      specialized schools serving youth with severe mental retardation. We examined a
      number of alternative assumptions for illustrating some of the problematic issues
      in the use of such evaluation techniques.

PMID- 1881344
TI  - Psychotropic medication efficacy graphs: an application of applied behavior
      analysis.
AB  - Boswell Center Psychotropic Medication Efficacy Graphs were developed to monitor
      the longitudinal effects of psychotropic medication on individuals with mental
      retardation. Levels of maladaptive and prosocial behaviors, medication side
      effects, and psychotropic medication were considered simultaneously via the
      graphing system. The system provides data-based feedback to prescribing
      physicians and reduces reliance on anecdotal recollections.

PMID- 1881345
TI  - Validation of the parenting style survey for parents of children with mental
      retardation.
AB  - A validation study was performed in order to assess the content, construct, and
      criterion-related validities of the Parenting Style Survey, an instrument
      assessing parental behavior in families with a child who has mental retardation.
      Subjects were the primary careproviders of 29 individuals with moderate mental
      retardation. Data corroborating the validity of the Parenting Style Survey were
      derived from home visits, individuals experienced in developmental psychology,
      careproviders for individuals with mental retardation, and the Family Environment
      Scale (Moos, 1974). The Parenting Style Survey is a reliable and valid measure of
      parenting behaviors for individuals who have a child with mental retardation
      living at home.

PMID- 1881346
TI  - Evaluation of environmental support in group homes for persons with mental
      retardation.
AB  - Types of environmental support provided to adults with mental retardation in
      group homes after transfer from a large state institution were compared.
      Substantial differences in the functioning of the group homes were found even
      though the service structure was held constant. Community adjustment was compared
      for matched groups of residents of the group homes. Differences in community
      adjustment occurred for residents in group homes with significantly different
      functional features. The findings indicate that resident outcome was generated by
      the interaction of several factors in combination. Both structural and functional
      features of facilities must be considered in any evaluation of the effectiveness
      of community programs.

PMID- 1881347
TI  - Molecular dosimetry of sister chromatid exchange induction in 9L cells treated
      with 6-thioguanine.
AB  - The induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in 9L cells treated with 6
      thioguanine (6-TG) has been investigated. A 24 h treatment with 0.2 microM 6-TG
      induced approximately 28 SCE/metaphase. The dose-response curve was linear at
      doses below 0.2 microM and had a slope of 139 SCE/metaphase/microM 6-TG. At
      concentrations of 0.023 to 1 microM, incorporation of 6-TG in DNA was linear with
      dose. The slope of the dose-response curve was 4135 mumol 6-TG/mol DNA/microM 6
      TG. Comparison of these results with those obtained in our previous studies of
      the monofunctional alkylating agent ethylnitrosourea and the bifunctional
      alkylating agent 3-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-1-(2-chloroethyl)-1
      nitrosourea suggest that to accurately estimate the effectiveness of particular
      DNA modifications at inducing SCE, the extent of formation of these DNA
      modifications must be known.

PMID- 1881348
TI  - Mutagenic contaminants in synthetic peptides obtained by an azide coupling.
AB  - Hormone-like peptides are, almost by definition, not mutagenic. It was,
      therefore, unusual to find that some batches of peptides synthesized by azide
      coupling were mutagenic in the Ames test. One of these peptides, eledoisin,
      showed mutagenic activity particularly in Salmonella typhimurium TA 1535 without
      metabolic activation. This activity was independent of the peptide purity
      determined by HPLC and a dose response relationship was observed at
      concentrations over the solubility limit of the peptide in the assay medium. We
      therefore suggested that the mutagenic effect might be due to the presence of
      chemically undetectable, water-soluble impurities, which could be removed by
      counter-current distribution. If, however, the same final coupling was carried
      out by the mixed anhydride procedure, no mutagenic activity was observed.
      Consequently, we considered that the mutagenicity detected was due to traces of
      hydrazoic acid salts arising during azide formation in the coupling step. In fact
      only the product of the coupling reaction between the pivotal intermediates was
      mutagenic.

PMID- 1881349
TI  - Cytogenetic study in workers occupationally exposed to mercury fulminate.
AB  - This study was conducted to evaluate the cytogenetic effects in male workers
      exposed to mercury fulminate. A total of 29 male workers and 29 age- and sex
      matched controls were examined. The mean mercury level in urine from the exposed
      workers was 123.2 +/- 54.1 micrograms/l compared with 39.2 +/- 11.1 micrograms/l
      in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P less than
      0.001). Metaphase chromosomes were studied. Micronucleated peripheral blood
      lymphocytes were also analyzed in cytochalasin B blocked binucleated lymphocytes.
      The percentage of metaphases with chromosomal aberrations was significantly
      higher (P less than 0.001) in the exposed group (6.1 +/- 2.3) compared to the
      control group (2.8 +/- 0.7). The chromosomal aberrations detected were in the
      form of gaps, breaks and fragments. A significant increase in the incidence of
      micronucleated lymphocytes was found among the exposed group (7.1 +/- 4.2)
      compared to the control group (5.4 +/- 2.2) (P less than 0.01). The detected
      chromosomal damage correlated neither with the duration of exposure nor with the
      urinary mercury level.

PMID- 1881350
TI  - Micronucleus morphology as a means to distinguish aneugens and clastogens in the
      mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay.
AB  - Detailed dose-response data for two reference aneugens, vincristine and
      nocodazole, have been derived for the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay.
      Positive data have also been described for six other micronucleus-inducing
      agents: cyclophosphamide; aniline; urethane; 1,2-dimethylhydrazine; 7,12
      dimethylbenzanthracene and procarbazine. Micronuclei (MN) were classified
      according to the morphological criteria listed by Yamamoto and Kikuchi, i.e.
      normal, double, multiple, ring, crescent and large. Aniline and control slides
      exhibited low incidences of aberrant MN (less than 3%). The remaining seven
      chemicals gave incidences of aberrant MN that varied from 3 to 25%. Only the
      aneugens vincristine and nocodazole, and the possible aneugen urethane, gave both
      crescent shaped and large MN (greater than 0.25 cell diameter). It is therefore
      concluded that only these last two classes of aberrant MN can be taken as
      indicative of aneugenic activity. Vincristine and nocodazole gave the highest
      incidences of aberrant MN and these were shown to be strongly dose-related in the
      case of vincristine.

PMID- 1881351
TI  - An association between mutagenicity of the Ara test of Salmonella typhimurium and
      carcinogenicity in rodents for 16 halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons.
AB  - Sixteen halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons were assayed for genotoxicity using
      the Ara mutagenicity assay with Salmonella typhimurium. Seven substances (1,2
      dibromo-3-chloropropane, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, vinyl bromide,
      hexachloro-1,3-butadiene, iodoform and vinilydene chloride) were mutagenic at non
      lethal doses. Comparatively, nine compounds (chloroform, carbon tetrachloride,
      1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene,
      trichloroethylene, 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and
      hexachloroethane) were non-mutagenic after being assayed both in the presence and
      absence of metabolic activation with a rat liver microsomal fraction (S9). All
      negative compounds (except hexachloroethane) gave a lethal response, which could
      be an indication that bacteria were adequately exposed. The concordance between
      mutagenicity in the Ara test and carcinogenicity in rodents for this group of
      halogenated hydrocarbons was (31%) significantly lower than the concordance (72%)
      previously found in the Ara test with respect to a wider range of chemical
      classes. This result is in agreement with data reported for other genotoxicity
      assays. The presence of non-genotoxic carcinogens versus genotoxic non
      carcinogens is discussed as a possible explanation. Five positive compounds (1,2
      dibromo-3-chloropropane, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, vinyl bromide and
      hexachloro-1,3-butadiene) were analyzed for a quantitative relationship between
      carcinogenic potency in rats and the potency of response in the Ara mutagenicity
      test. This was possible because the Ara test, for volatile compounds (such as
      vinyl bromide), did not require the use of special vaporization techniques, which
      are difficult to evaluate quantitatively for mutagenic activity. A highly
      significant correlation was found between the mutagenic efficiencies of the five
      compounds in the Ara test and their carcinogenic potencies in rats.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881353
TI  - [Analysis of early, delayed phase and late cutaneous reactions to ten groups of
      antigens in 581 patients with allergic rhinitis].
AB  - Immediate, late phase and delayed skin reactions against ten group of allergens
      were investigated in 581 patients with allergic rhinitis. The wheal and flare
      reaction were characteristic for type 1 IgE mediated hypersensitivity reaction in
      human skin. This reaction develops rapidly after injection of antigen, peaks in
      10-30 minutes, and then subsides within a few hours. However, careful observation
      for longer periods has shown that in many instances a late inflammatory response
      also appears at the same site and is quite different in appearance from the
      initial reaction. In this study, we have investigated immediate, late phase also
      delayed phase skin reactivity incidence of the allergic rhinitis patients.

PMID- 1881352
TI  - Induction of mutations at the thymidine kinase locus in CHO cells by restriction
      endonucleases.
AB  - Induced mutation frequencies were measured at the tk locus (encoding for the
      enzyme thymidine kinase) following treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO
      KI) with two restriction endonucleases (REs), PvuII and EcoRI, which generate
      'blunt-ended' and 'cohesive-ended' DNA double-strand breaks (dsb), respectively.
      Electroporation was used to introduce these enzymes into the cells. Restriction
      endonucleases generating blunt-ended dsb have been shown to mimic the action of
      ionising radiation in causing chromosome aberrations, cell killing, mutations and
      oncogenic transformation. Here we show that the tk locus, PvuII induced an
      approximately 11-fold higher mutation frequency than EcoRI at the same enzyme
      concentrations. There are four PvuII and six EcoRI restriction sites in the
      Chinese hamster thymidine kinase gene. Hence the higher mutation induction by
      PvuII, despite the lower number of restriction sites than EcoRI in the tk gene,
      suggests that blunt-ended dsb represent more effective and critical mutagenic DNA
      lesions than the cohesive-ended type. In this respect, our results are similar to
      those we obtained previously for chromosomal aberrations and for cell killing.
      Results from the present study suggest that mutations could arise from unrepaired
      or misrepaired dsb possibly via induction of chromosomal deletions or stable
      exchanges between chromosomes.

PMID- 1881354
TI  - [Hypersensitivity (allergy) and infection].
AB  - In this subject, we would attempt to discuss some specific and non-specific
      mechanisms involved in immunity as well as hypersensitivity reactions against to
      infectious agents. Figure 1 presents a simplification of the response of allergic
      patient to microorganisms. Immunity, hypersensitivity and unresponsiveness to
      different antigens of the same infectious agents can occur simultaneously. For
      example, a patient who is sensitized and partially protected to toxins and other
      antigenic components of an infectious agents can be allergic to harmless
      components of the same organism. Sufficient exposure to the infectious agent may
      cause an allergic as well as an infectious disease. An allergic component of an
      infectious disease is suspected when the symptoms are unusually severe,
      protracted or occur in a known allergic patient. Modification of the
      hypersensitivity reactions becomes an important part of the treatment of the
      infection.

PMID- 1881355
TI  - [The effects of ciprofloxacin on intestinal flora and Paneth cells].
AB  - The effects of ciprofloxacin were investigated on colonic microbial flora and
      Paneth cells in eight healthy albino rabbits following a 10 mg intravenous dose.
      Two rabbits were used as control group. Aerobic fecal cultures were negative on
      rabbits of experiment. Vacuolisation and reduction of eosinophilic fields were
      seen in Paneth cells by light microscopic examination.

PMID- 1881356
TI  - [In vitro sensitivity of gram-negative bacteria isolated from urinary tract
      infections to various antibiotics].
AB  - This study was done on the outpatients and hospitalized patients who were
      suffering from urinary tract infections in Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital. 500
      positive cultures were evaluated. E. coli was the predominant organism and it is
      followed by Klebsiella and Coliform bacteria. The sensitivity of the isolated
      bacteria were tested against various antibiotic discs using disc diffusion
      method. The sensitivity of the bacteria to the used antibiotics were as follows:
      Ceftazidime 96%, ofloxacin 95.6%, piperacillin 56.4%, amoxycillin + clavulanic
      acid 81.2%, amikacin 82.2%.

PMID- 1881357
TI  - [Detection of influenza B virus antibodies in different age groups using
      hemagglutination inhibition tests].
AB  - Antibody levels against influenza B virus were investigated by using
      hemagglutination-inhibition (HA-I) tests in 402 sera obtained from different age
      groups. Hemagglutination antigens were obtained by production of influenza B
      virus (B/Singapur/LLC 6201) in trypsinized Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell
      cultured and they were used in tests. In 355 out of 402 sera (88.3%) antibodies
      against influenza B virus were detected at titers varying between 1/20 and
      1/1280. However in 47 sera (11.7%) no antibodies were detected at 1/20 titer.
      High titers of antibody (1/640-1/1280) were not detected in none of the sera
      obtained from an age group between 1 and 14. However high titer antibodies were
      detected in 15.6% of the sera from an age group between 26 and 35, in the 17.3%
      of the sera from a group above 50 years of age. Our findings suggest that the
      increase in the rates of seropositivity against influenza B virus depends on
      getting older and, that the infections by this virus may be widely seen in our
      country.

PMID- 1881358
TI  - [Incidence of rubella IgG antibodies in young girls].
AB  - Rubella IgG antibodies were searched in 222 sera from female students of Selcuk
      University School of Medicine and from Institute of Higher Education for Nurses
      aged between 18-20 years. Of these 31 (13.96%) were found seronegative by ELISA.
      We discussed the risk of infection of these young girls.

PMID- 1881359
TI  - [Serological investigation of HIV infections, HBsAg and syphilis in prostitutes
      in Elazig].
AB  - It is well known that the infections of AIDS, serum hepatitis and syphilis were
      transmitted by sexual contact. The sera of 66 prostitutes were investigated for
      determination of anti-HIV by ELISA, HBsAg by IHA and antibodies to syphilis by
      TPH methods in area of Elazig. The anti-HIV antibodies could not be detected in
      prostitutes, but HBsAg was positive in 13 (19.7%) and antibodies to syphilis was
      positive in 6 (9.1%) of total.

PMID- 1881361
TI  - [The antifungal effects of tioconazole aerosol form].
AB  - In this study antifungal effects of tioconazole which is prepared in aerosol
      forms were investigated. For this purpose, the formulations which have and have
      not active material were sprayed on petri dishes inoculated with Candida albicans
      and Aspergillus niger. Because of non growth in dishes with formulations
      containing active material, formulations with active material were sprayed on to
      the pregrowth Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger in order to detect if the
      effect is fungicide or not. At the end of application time, the samples taken
      from these dishes were inoculated by the direct way. The lack of growth had
      confirmed the realization of the formulations with fungicide effects.

PMID- 1881360
TI  - [Intestinal parasites in primary schools of different socioeconomic status and
      environmental conditions].
AB  - Two hundred ninety-four stool sample obtained from primary schools of different
      social status and environmental conditions were examined for intestinal parasite.
      The age range was between seven and 13 years, 43% of the patients were females
      and 57% of the patients were males. In our study it has been observed that the
      parasite incidence was 29.3%. The predominant parasite was Giardia intestinalis
      (15.7%). Enterobius vermicularis (10.5%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (2.3%) have
      been followed respectively. There were three different parasites in the primary
      school of good social status and environmental conditions. In the contrary in the
      village school, there were five different parasites. In the conclusion parasite
      incidence was high in our region. In primary schools of different conditions
      there were no difference Giardia intestinalis but there were marked difference in
      the other parasites.

PMID- 1881362
TI  - [The role of Candida albicans in denture stomatitis].
AB  - Denture stomatitis is a clinical inflammatory picture that is seen at oral mucosa
      of the upper chin of patients who use removable dentures. There are various
      reasons of denture stomatitis. In order to detect the presence rate of C.
      albicans on lesions as the most important factor and the factors which effect
      this situation, 41 patients (31 with denture stomatitis and 10 as controls) were
      chosen. The smears obtained from the hard palate of the patients were
      microbiologically investigated. C. albicans was found to be the causative agent
      in 35.4% of the cultures which have shown growth. The relationship of sex, age
      and the period of denture usage was investigated in these cases.

PMID- 1881363
TI  - [The effect of magnetic retainers used in dental prostheses on the pathogenic
      microorganisms in the oral flora].
AB  - Patents for magnetic denture retainers in dental prosthesis, have issued since
      1930, but recent developments rekindled interest. There have been many studies
      reporting the effects of magnetic fields on humans, animals, insects, tissue
      cultures, micro-organisms and enzymes. In some of these reports, damaging tissue
      effects were observed. In our study, the effect of these magnets to the growth of
      pathogen microorganisms found in oral flora were investigated with 2 different
      microbiological methods. In either of these methods, it was determined that the
      magnetic field didn't affect the colonization of bacteria.

PMID- 1881364
TI  - [Transformation studies of E. coli strain JM109 with the pUC19 vector].

PMID- 1881365
TI  - [The mutagenic effects of sodium nitrite and monosodium glutamate used as food
      additives demonstrated by the Salmonella microsome test system].
AB  - In this study, the mutagenicity of sodium nitrite (an antimicrobial agent) and
      monosodium glutamate (a flavoring agent), which are widely used as food
      additives, have been evaluated. They were tested for mutagenicity in the
      Salmonella/microsome test system by employing plate-incorporation test in the
      absence and presence of rat-liver fraction, S 9. No mutagenic activity was seen
      for monosodium glutamate in the Salmonella/microsome test system by using the
      tester strains Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1538. Sodium
      nitrite was found mutagenic on S. typhimurium TA1535, whereas it was found weakly
      mutagenic on S. typhimurium TA100, in the presence and absence of rat-liver
      fraction, S 9.

PMID- 1881366
TI  - T lymphocyte-stimulating microbial toxins as "superantigens".
AB  - Infectious pathogens generally have to cope with the host's adaptive immune
      system, i.e., T and B lymphocytes. Common evasion mechanisms in this complex
      interaction are antigenic variations, the escape to immunologically priviledged
      sites or the use of immunosuppressive mechanisms. Many bacteria and other
      microorganisms eleborate soluble factors or toxins that act suppressively on
      cells of the immune system, such as pore-forming molecules or proteins that
      interfere with the function of G proteins. Gram-positive cocci and a mycoplasma
      have developed an extremely potent mechanism of T cell stimulation by closely
      mimicking recognition of specific antigen. From the functional similarity to
      antigen recognition and the multiclonal activation of T cells the designation
      "superantigens" has been suggested for these molecules.

PMID- 1881367
TI  - High risk of developing toxoplasmic encephalitis in AIDS patients seropositive to
      Toxoplasma gondii.
AB  - We studied 41 AIDS patients in the Austrian Tyrol with respect to toxoplasma
      antibody titers and the presence of CNS toxoplasmosis. In no patient had primary
      Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PcP) prophylaxis with either
      trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole or pyrimethamine/sulfadoxine been applied; the
      degree to which CNS toxoplasmosis is influenced by this kind of PcP
      chemoprophylaxis, widely used elsewhere, is still unclear. In this study 47.4% of
      toxoplasma-seropositive patients developed CNS toxoplasmosis, compared to the
      previously estimated risk of 12%-28% for developing CNS involvement in such
      patients. In view of the high risk of toxoplasma-seropositive patients with AIDS,
      increased efforts in developing a well-tolerated chemoprophylaxis to combat CNS
      toxoplasmosis are required.

PMID- 1881368
TI  - Periodontal regeneration procedures may induce colonization by glycocalyx
      producing bacteria.
AB  - Sixteen patients that underwent periodontal regeneration procedures by
      implantation of Goretex membranes were studied to evaluate the microbiota that
      colonized membranes. The microbiological follow-up showed that colonization was
      principally due to opportunist gram-negative glycocalyx-producing bacteria. The
      comparison of the microbial flora of treated and untreated sites showed the
      influence of surface characteristics on the quality of the resident microbiota.
      These findings suggest the necessity for developing efficient prohylactic
      protocols for these cases.

PMID- 1881369
TI  - Carbohydrate patterns, cellular lipoquinones, fatty acids and phospholipids of
      the genus Pasteurella sensu stricto.
AB  - The carbohydrate patterns, isoprenoid quinones, fatty acids and phospholipids of
      the species of the genus Pasteurella sensu stricto were investigated to evaluate
      their taxonomic significance and their applicability for the identification of
      these bacteria. Forty-six representative strains of the 11 species of Pasteurella
      were examined. The data obtained indicated that the carbohydrate patters are
      species or subspecies specific and may, therefore, become an important and useful
      diagnostic tool. Fatty acids and phospholipids showed a feature characteristic of
      the members of the genus and the isoprenoid quinones exhibited a mostly genus
      specific feature with remarkable quantitative differences.

PMID- 1881371
TI  - Midwifery education--international.

PMID- 1881370
TI  - Objective quantitation of serum antibody titres against Enterobacteriaceae using
      indirect immunofluorescence, read by videocamera and image processing system.
AB  - A new way of measuring indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) of microscopic bacterial
      slide preparations by videocamera and an image processing system is presented.
      This method is compared with the conventional method of reading the slides by
      eye. The advantages of this new approach are objective reading, greater accuracy
      and easier performance. We have applied the method to measure serum antibody
      titres against endogenous Enterobacteriaceae. The method offers the opportunity
      to combine IIF with automatic morphological analysis, thereby maximally
      exploiting the possibilities of the immunofluorescence technique.

PMID- 1881372
TI  - Assessing comprehensive nursing performance: the objective structured clinical
      assessment (OSCA). Part 2--Report of the evaluation project.
AB  - Part 1 of this paper described the development of an assessment strategy used to
      measure the clinical performance of student nurses undertaking preparation for
      practice within the tertiary education sector. The challenge of developing an
      appropriate technique in assessment to accommodate a comprehensive nursing
      register was described. Features of the design and implementation were also
      provided. Part 2 describes an evaluation project developed by the staff and
      supported by a research grant from the New South Wales (NSW) Nurses Registration
      Board. The aim of the study was to determine the validity and reliability of the
      Objective Structured Clinical Assessment (OSCA) technique. The research design
      incorporated the use of triangulated data: student questionnaires, judgments made
      by a panel of experts and an analysis of the statistical correlation between the
      students' results in the OSCA and results in other areas of assessment.

PMID- 1881373
TI  - Problems of competence-based nurse education.
AB  - The system of nurse education in the UK is undergoing a radical shake-up. Many
      new courses are being designed and implemented along the lines of the Project
      2000 framework. New curricula and course structures are required to meet the
      changing role of the nurse of the future. Many curriculum design teams are
      adopting a competence-based model of curriculum to meet these needs. This
      approach is receiving central encouragement (UKCC 1986). In this paper it is
      argued that this strategy is faulty and ill-conceived; the inherent difficulties
      of the competence-based model of curriculum design are highlighted. These issues
      are of fundamental concern to nurse educators and students in the UK.

PMID- 1881374
TI  - The support, supervision and instruction of nurse learners in clinical areas: a
      literature review.
AB  - This paper reviews recent work on the support, supervision and instruction of
      nurse learners in clinical areas. Work published in Britain and North America is
      divided into five sections: ward learning environment; quantity of supervision
      and teaching; effectiveness of clinical teachers; ward teachers' perceptions of
      their role and mentorship. The findings can be generalised within their country
      of origin, but do not necessarily translate freely across the Atlantic in view of
      the different systems of training. More research needs to be carried out into the
      mentorship of nurse learners in Britain in view of its increasingly wide use,
      especially with the advent of Project 2000 and the implications of supernumerary
      status for learners.

PMID- 1881375
TI  - Testing a model for counsellor training in three public health care
      organisations.
AB  - The article describes a training programme arranged for 26 specially qualified
      nurses who were to be placed in the role of nurse counsellors. The programme was
      tested over a period of 2 years in three public health care organisations: a
      central university hospital, a regional hospital and a community health centre.
      The aims were to develop a basic model for counsellor training and to test the
      model in practice; and more specifically, to evaluate the relevance of the
      theoretical instruction, practical exercises, and reading assignments included in
      the programme. Finally, on the basis of self-evaluations by the nurses involved,
      the aim was to find out how far the objectives set for the practical counselling
      by the nurses themselves were realised. The data were collected by means of a
      semi-structured questionnaire after the completion of the training course, and
      analysed using the method of content analysis. Percentage and frequency
      distributions were used for purposes of statistical description. The small sample
      size and the differences in the nature and goals of the health care organisations
      involved mean that there are important restrictions to the generality of these
      results. Nevertheless they give important clues for the further development of
      counsellor training schemes.

PMID- 1881376
TI  - Andragogy as a didactic perspective in the attitudes of nurse instructors in
      Finland.
AB  - In this article the didactic perspectives of nurse instructors (NIs) is examined
      with the help of andragogy defined by the concepts of self-directed learning,
      learning as a process and lifelong learning. The results of a pilot study of
      ongoing research on the educational perspective of NIs, are used as examples to
      discuss how far NIs have accepted the features of andragogy as their didactic
      perspective both in their public stance and in their actions as described by NIs
      themselves.

PMID- 1881377
TI  - Using critical learning incidents in nurse education.
AB  - This paper describes an attempt to provide a learning environment conducive to
      the development of conceptual skills in critical exploration and problem solving.
      This is achieved by using a method of reflecting on and about critical incidents
      encountered by student nurses during their nursing practice. It is argued that
      students need help in making links between theory and practice and the article
      relates how this may be achieved in workshops using mainly experiential
      techniques. The authors conclude that the use of such a strategy can make a
      valuable contribution to nurse education, enabling students to look at situations
      from multiple perspectives and heightening awareness of the complex skills
      involved in nursing.

PMID- 1881378
TI  - The ideal and the real: some thoughts on theoretical developments in British
      nursing.
AB  - Two types of nursing theory are described: the realistic, whose purpose is to
      account for the complex reality of nursing; and the idealistic, whose purpose is
      to describe an idealized world of nursing as it 'ought to be'. It is argued that
      British nurses have overemphasized the importance of idealistic theory, and that
      this has retarded the development of our understanding of the real world of
      nursing. I recommend that the hermeneutical approach, as described by Gadamer
      (1989) might provide a base from which the balance might be redressed.

PMID- 1881379
TI  - Post-registration degrees in nursing: a time for evaluation.
AB  - There is a steadily growing number of post-registration degrees for registered
      nurses being offered by universities and polytechnics. Despite this fact, there
      is little published research-based literature which investigates the career paths
      and plans of these graduates and the value and function of this type of degree
      course. This paper reviews the literature relating to post-registration degrees
      in nursing and discusses the reasons registered nurses may decide to undertake a
      post-registration degree, the possible benefits of studying for and attaining a
      post-registration degree and highlights the present position of master's degrees
      in nursing. Reasons are suggested as to why a comprehensive evaluation of post
      registration degree courses in nursing is required.

PMID- 1881380
TI  - Self-study programmes and nursing education.
AB  - This article gives an account of the use of 'self-study programmes' (SSPs) in a
      registered mental nurse curriculum. The account spans a period of over 3 years.
      It describes the development and implementation of two SSPs in the author's
      school and the generally favourable outcomes that were found to be associated
      with them. The perceived virtues of the self-study approach are described and, in
      conclusion, it is recommended that the approach be more widely used throughout
      nurse education generally.

PMID- 1881381
TI  - A constructivist approach to concept attainment.
AB  - A teaching strategy for concept attainment based upon a constructivist model is
      described and evaluated. The constructivist model is outlined, which suggests
      that students must construct their own knowledge, using their existing knowledge
      to do so. Transmission methods of teaching run the risk of concepts being altered
      to fit students' existing conceptions. A constructivist strategy for concept
      learning is exemplified drawing on the transcript of an experimental session
      conducted with a peer group of student teachers studying for the Certificate in
      Education.

PMID- 1881382
TI  - St. Louis encephalitis outbreak--Arkansas, 1991.
AB  - On August 2, 1991, a neurologist in Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) in central
      Arkansas notified the Arkansas Department of Health of two patients hospitalized
      with St. Louis encephalitis (SLE). A hospital chart review and heightened
      surveillance (i.e., notification of physicians and hospital infection-control
      coordinators in Jefferson and surrounding counties) subsequently identified 24
      confirmed or probable cases of SLE. This report summarizes the findings of the
      ongoing outbreak investigation.

PMID- 1881383
TI  - Participation of high school students in school physical education--United
      States, 1990.
AB  - Regular physical activity increases a person's ability to perform daily
      activities with greater vigor and may reduce the risk for specific health
      problems, including coronary heart disease (1), hypertension (2), noninsulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus (3), colon cancer (4), and depression (5), as well as
      lower all-cause death rates (6). In addition to extracurricular activities (e.g.,
      sports and recreational organizations), high school physical education (PE)
      classes provide an opportunity to ensure a minimal, regular amount of desirable
      physical activity and help establish physical activity patterns that may extend
      into adulthood. This report examines the prevalence of self-reported enrollment,
      attendance, and participation in PE classes by students in grades 9-12.

PMID- 1881384
TI  - Tobacco use among high school students--United States, 1990.
AB  - Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States.
      Approximately half of smokers start smoking regularly before 18 years of age;
      however, among recent birth cohorts, age of smoking initiation has declined,
      especially among females. Data on tobacco use among adolescents help identify
      high-risk populations, design tobacco-prevention programs for these populations,
      and evaluate the effectiveness of broad efforts to prevent tobacco use among
      youth. This report examines the prevalence of self-reported current tobacco use
      and frequent cigarette smoking among U.S. students in grades 9-12 during 1990.

PMID- 1881385
TI  - State tobacco prevention and control activities: Results of the 1989-1990
      Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) survey final
      report.
AB  - In October 1989, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
      (ASTHO) conducted a survey of state health department personnel regarding
      programs, policies, and public health systems that stress the prevention and
      control of the use of tobacco. This survey provided detailed data associated with
      state tobacco-use control programs and their essential components (e.g., budgets,
      planning, coalitions, surveillance systems, smoking cessation programs,
      educational activities, legislative actions, and health department policies).
      States vary widely in the strength and coverage of their programs for preventing
      and controlling tobacco use. The ASTHO survey data may be used to help plan and
      evaluate state health department programs as part of an effort to prevent chronic
      diseases related to tobacco use. Outcomes of state activities may be evaluated
      through surveys such as CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
      and the Current Population Survey (CPS) of the Bureau of the Census. Future
      surveys of state activities for controlling the use of tobacco may be included in
      the evaluation of the upcoming (1993) American Stop Smoking Intervention Study
      (ASSIST), which is cosponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the American
      Cancer Society.

PMID- 1881386
TI  - Methionyl aminopeptidase from rat liver: distribution of the membrane-bound
      subcellular enzyme.
AB  - The selective distribution of methionyl aminopeptidase (MAP) among rat liver
      mitochondria (heavy and light) and microsomes is reported. Several properties of
      MAP from the three subcellular fractions showed that the enzyme is a typical
      aminopeptidase able to remove N-terminal methionine from oligopeptides and
      methionyl-2-naphthylamide but not from Met-Ala-Ser. MAP is a membrane-bound
      enzyme sensitive to SH-group oxidants and inhibitable by L-methionine but not by
      usual arylaminopeptidase inhibitors. It is suggested that, MAP may play an
      important role during protein synthesis in rat liver.

PMID- 1881389
TI  - [Conformational aspects of glycosylation].
AB  - The stereochemical conditions of the enzymatic process of carbohydrate chain
      addition to the amino acid sequence are reviewed. A particular attention is given
      to the process of N-glycosylation, which was studied by the method of theoretical
      conformational analysis.

PMID- 1881387
TI  - Evidence that specific high mannose structures directly regulate multiple
      cellular activities.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that much of the immunomodulatory activity of
      the glycoprotein uromodulin can be attributed to attached oligosaccharides.
      Structural studies of isolated and purified saccharides derived from uromodulin
      suggest that the structure Man6GlcNAc2-asn can inhibit in vitro assays of antigen
      driven T cell proliferation. Based on these observations, we isolated a series of
      high mannose glycopeptides from a variety of natural sources and tested them for
      biological activity in a number of assays. We found that purified mannose rich
      glycopeptides are able to activate the hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt, induce
      prostaglandin synthesis, and directly stimulate IL-1 synthesis. These in vitro
      effects appear to have in vivo counterparts. Thus in a species-restricted
      fashion, high mannose compounds are able to directly activate a delayed
      mononuclear cell infiltrate after intradermal injection. Our data suggest that
      specific mannose oligosaccharides may activate as well as inhibit cellular immune
      responses at several different levels. These findings support the hypothesis that
      specific saccharide structures could participate in the physiologic regulation of
      the immune response.

PMID- 1881388
TI  - Effects of different rates of cardiac pacing on rat myocardial energy status.
AB  - The energy status of mammalian cells is a finely regulated phenomenon. This is
      especially true in cardiac muscle cells in which energy requirements are high and
      the system must provide rapid turnover of the adenine nucleotides and instant
      response to changes in energetic demands. We have examined the acute response of
      the rat myocardium to ventricular pacing up to 2.5 times the resting heart rate.
      The purpose of this study was to determine at what level of pacing the normal
      energy status could be maintained and at what point it was compromised.
      Myocardial energy charge (EC = (ATP + 0.5 ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP] was maintained
      at 1, 1.5 and 2 times the resting heart rate but declined significantly at 2.5
      times. In contrast, phosphorylation potential (PP = ATP/ADPf x Pi) was
      drastically altered in hearts paced at 1.5, 2 and 2.5 times the resting rate.
      Tissue lactate increased and glycogen decreased in a linear fashion as pacing
      rate increased, indicating that the metabolic challenge was proportional to the
      pacing rate. EC seems to reflect the overall status of the cell and its ability
      to maintain a dynamic equilibrium. PP may reflect the immediate and necessary
      driving force for mitochondrial respiration in times of increased demand. These
      data suggest that the myocardium may meet the increased energy demands of acute
      ventricular pacing by shifting the molar ratio of ATP to ADP times Pi in favour
      of driving phosphorylation.

PMID- 1881390
TI  - [Oligo- and polynucleotide probes. A molecular hybridization method].
AB  - In this review the main principles and possibilities of a hybridization analyses
      as a highly specific methods for diagnostics of infections and genetic diseases
      are discussed. Special attention is paid to the chemical approaches to the
      preparation of non-radioactive probes based on synthetic oligonucleotides and
      polynucleotides containing biotin, Eu3+ and enzyme labels. Some versions of the
      hybridization analysis technique are discussed.

PMID- 1881391
TI  - ["Tie" calorimetry: theory and experiment].
AB  - The results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the interaction of
      ligands to DNA permit to suggest the method of "tie" calorimetry by means of
      which the thermodynamic parameters of the cooperative transitions of DNA such as
      helix-coil, B-A and B-Z transitions were obtained. The prominence of the method
      is that the experimental samples contain such concentration of DNA that
      intermolecular interaction may be neglected. Moreover the smaller is the
      magnitude of the measured parameter the greater is the accuracy of the
      experimentally obtained data.

PMID- 1881392
TI  - [Study of heat denaturation of human serum albumin in water-alcohol and water
      salt solutions in the presence of organic ligands].
AB  - The method of differential scanning microcalorimetry was used to show a decrease
      in heat stability of serum albumin in the presence of aliphatic alcohols. In
      aqueous-alcohol media, the melting temperature, denaturation transition enthalpy
      were decreased, and the protein intermolecular aggregation enhanced. When the
      alcohol concentration in aqueous solution was elevated, the number of epsilon
      amino groups of lysine residues in human serum albumin exposed to the solvent
      rose from 6-7 in aqueous solution to maximum 20 groups in the aqueous-alcohol
      solution, respectively. The elevation of ionic strength also induced an increase
      in the number of exposed lysine residues and was accompanied by an enhancement of
      protein aggregation. The modification of six amino groups by pyridoxal phosphate
      or three by glucose in the initial albumin stabilized the protein incubated at 65
      degrees-70 degrees C both in the aqueous-alcohol media. At the given
      concentration and temperature the native protein was denatured and fully
      aggregated. Aliphatic alcohols displaced fatty acids from the binding sites on
      the molecule of serum albumin, which resulted in a change in the number of peaks
      of the melting curve.

PMID- 1881393
TI  - [Affinity modification of DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli and its Klenow
      fragment with nucleotide imidazolides].
AB  - Affinity modification of E. coli DNA polymerase I and its Klenow fragment by
      imidazolides of dNMP (Im-dNMP) and dNTP was studied. DNA polymerase activity of
      DNA polymerase I was reduced by both Im-dNMP and Im-dNTP. However Im-dNTP does
      not inactivate of the Klenow fragment. The level of covalent labelling of both
      enzymes by radioactive Im-dNTP did not exceed 0.01 mol of reagent per mol of
      enzyme. But the deep inactivation of DNA polymerase I by Im-dNTP was observed. It
      is likely that this inactivation is due to the formation of intramolecular ether
      followed by phosphorylation of the carboxyl group. This assumption is strongly
      supported by the increase of the isoelectrical point of DNA polymerase I after
      its incubation with Im-dNTP in conditions of enzyme inactivation. All data permit
      us to suggest that the affinity modification of both enzymes by Im-dNMP and
      covalent labeling by Im-dNTP takes place without complementary binding of dNTP
      moiety with the template. However inactivation of DNA polymerase I by Im-dNTP
      occurs only if the dNTP-moiety is complementary to the template in the
      template.primer complex. It was shown that His residue was phosphorylated by Im
      dNMP and Tyr or Ser residues between Met-802 and Met-848 were phosphorylated by
      Im-dNTP. We suppose that there are two states of DNA polymerase active site for
      the binding of dNTPs. One of them is independent on the template, in the other
      state the dNTP hydrogen bond with the template is formed.

PMID- 1881394
TI  - [Influenza virus proteins: preparation of a soluble M1 polypeptide by means of a
      stepwise deproteination of virions].
AB  - Layer by layer uncoating of influenza A and B viruses with non-ionic detergent
      (NP-40) at fixed pH was developed. Treatment of virions with NP-40 at neutral or
      alkaline pH solubilized the lipoprotein envelope and the surface
      glycopolypeptides HA1 and HA2, but the internal core structures containing matrix
      protein M1 remained. Exposition of the cores in acidic media (pH 4,5 and lower)
      selectively solubilized protein M1 and released viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP).
      The resulting M1 sedimented in a glycerol gradient with a coefficient of 2.8 S
      and most probably exists as a monomer of 27,000 Da polypeptide. Neutralization of
      protein M1 with Tris-HC1 at pH 7.0 did not cause aggregation of M1 polypeptides.
      The described method of viron layer by layer uncoating with non-ionic detergent
      at fixed pH is suitable for isolation of subvirus structures and individual viral
      proteins.

PMID- 1881396
TI  - [Detection of hybridization probes using antibodies to DNA adducts with cis- and
      trans-diaminodichloroplatinum (II). I. Immunochemical characteristics of DNA
      modified by cis- and trans-diaminodichloroplatinum (II)].
AB  - Rabbit antisera elicited against calf thymus DNA modified cis- and trans
      diaminedichlorplatinum II (DDP) [Pt/nucleotide ratio - 0.1] contain antibodies
      specific for Pt-modified DNA immunogen. A specific antibody against DNA-cisDDP
      and DNA-transDDP was obtained by affinity chromatography. In the ELISA, 3.10(-1
      6) mol Pt per micrograms DNA was determined. The epitope structure was determined
      by using DNA modified with cisDDP and transDDP.

PMID- 1881395
TI  - [Features of the structure of catalytic subunits of toxins, inhibiting protein
      synthesis. I. The effect of pH and interaction with the B-chain of ricin].
AB  - A comparative study of gelonin and A-chains of ricin, mistletoe lectin I and
      diphtheria toxin was undertaken. The effect of pH was studied on: a) the
      conformation of the proteins under study using intrinsic fluorescence; b)
      interaction of these proteins with ricin B-chain using gel-filtration. Structural
      stability of the proteins was assessed according to denaturing action of
      guanidine hydrochloride and temperature, and localization of tryptophan residues
      was determined using fluorescence quenching by I-, Cs+ and acrylamide. All
      investigated proteins were shown to undergo the conformational changes when a
      environment became acidic. In comparison with an intact protein--gelonin, the A
      chains of ricin, a mistletoe lectin and a diphtheria toxin are less stable. At pH
      less than 5.0 tryptophan residues became more accessible to quencher and a
      positive charge of the surrounding area increases (in the case of gelonin it is
      negatively charged). No reliable interaction of a ricin B-chain with both gelonin
      and A-chain of diphtheria toxin was observed. The interaction of a ricin B-chain
      with a A-chain of mistletoe lectin I is weaker than that with ricin A-chain and
      is practically pH-independent.

PMID- 1881398
TI  - [Optimal chips for megabase DNA sequencing].
AB  - The SHOM method (Sequencing by Hybridization with Oligonucleotide Matrix)
      developed in 1988 is a new approach to nucleic acid sequencing by hybridization
      to a octanucleotide matrix composed of an array of immobilized oligonucleotides.
      The original matrix proposed for sequencing by SHOM had to contain at least
      65,536 octanucleotides. The present work describes a new family of matrices for
      sequencing, which allows one to reduce the number of synthesized oligonucleotides
      5-15 times without essentially decreasing the resolving power of the method.

PMID- 1881397
TI  - [II. Use of antibodies to DNA modified by trans-diaminodichloroplatinum, for
      identification of specific DNA sequences].
AB  - DNA modified by trans diaminedichlorplatinum-II (transDDP) has been suggested as
      an effective probe for non-isotopic hybridization and high-specific anti-DNA
      transDDP antibodies with horse radish peroxidase or alkaline phosphotase
      conjugated antibodies to rabbit Ig and protein A-peroxidase - for hybrids
      visualization. This method allows to detect 2 pg/mm DNA.

PMID- 1881399
TI  - Production of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by cisplatin-treated murine
      peritoneal macrophages.
AB  - Supernatants collected from cisplatin-treated macrophages demonstrated enhanced
      cytotoxicity against actinomycin-D-treated L929 cells and also enhanced the
      thymocyte proliferation in response to concanavalin A, showing that cisplatin
      treated macrophages release interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)
      into the culture supernatant. The supernatant collected from untreated
      macrophages showed little TNF and IL-1 activity. The release of TNF and IL-1 was
      observed to be dependent on the dose and duration of cisplatin treatment. Medium
      alone containing cisplatin did not enhance thymocyte proliferation and had little
      cytotoxic effect on actinomycin-D-treated L929 cells. Cisplatin-treated
      macrophage culture supernatants were chromatographed over a Superose 12 column on
      an FPLC system. TNF activity eluted in two major peaks with apparent molecular
      weights of 50-55 and 15-20 kilodaltons, respectively. The kinetics of IL-1
      release was also studied. Maximum production and release of IL-1 were observed up
      to 24 h after cisplatin treatment and then gradually declined. Freeze-thaw
      lysates of cisplatin-treated macrophages also showed enhanced IL-1 activity.
      Paraformaldehyde (PFA)-fixed cisplatin-treated macrophages showed significantly
      enhanced cytotoxic activity against L929 cells as compared to PFA-fixed untreated
      macrophages. PFA-fixed cisplatin-treated macrophages also enhanced thymocyte
      proliferation. These results suggest that cisplatin treatment of murine
      macrophages also results in increased expression of membrane-associated IL-1 and
      TNF activity.

PMID- 1881400
TI  - Natural killer cell immunodeficiency in patients with chronic myelogenous
      leukemia. IV. Interleukin-1 deficiency, gamma-interferon deficiency and the
      restorative effects of short-term culture in the presence of interleukin-2 on
      natural killer cytotoxicity, natural killer-target binding and production of
      natural killer cytotoxic factor.
AB  - We report herein that defective natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, NK
      cytotoxic factor (NKCF) production and NK target binding ability of patients with
      chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are functionally restorable after short-term
      culture (less than 1 week) with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). We have
      previously reported that, despite normal to increased numbers of CD16+ large
      granular lymphocytes, fluorescence-activated-cell-sorted NK cells from CML
      patients are profoundly defective in NK cell activity and are unable to lyse the
      CML blast-crisis-derived, NK-sensitive target K562. Since we and others have also
      previously shown that the defective NK cytotoxicity from CML patients is
      restorable after 1-4 weeks of incubation with rIL-2, we therefore deemed it
      important to study the kinetics of IL-2-mediated NK restoration at earlier time
      intervals (less than 1 week). In the present report, we have demonstrated a
      significant restoration of NK cell cytotoxicity in CML patients against K562
      after 5 days of short-term culture with rIL-2. In addition, recovery of NKCF
      production and restoration of target-binding capacity to normal levels by NK
      cells from CML patients were also observed after short-term (less than 1 week)
      rIL-2 treatment. Finally, we have demonstrated in the present report that
      adherent cells and peripheral-blood lymphoid cells from CML patients, as compared
      to normal controls, are unable to produce IL-1 beta and interferon-gamma,
      respectively, after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (IL-1 beta) and
      phytohemagglutinin-M (interferon-gamma).

PMID- 1881401
TI  - Inhibition of CFU-G formation by human serum during granulopoiesis after
      chemotherapy: purification of CFU-G-inhibitory factor and its activities.
AB  - We found that the sera obtained from patients with acute leukemia (AL) in
      complete remission or malignant lymphoma (ML) during the recovery phase after
      chemotherapy completely inhibited the GCT-CM-stimulated growth of allogenic and
      autologous bone marrow colonies in vitro. We investigated 5 AL patients and 6 ML
      patients from whom blood samples were taken either every day or every 6 h during
      the recovery phase after chemotherapy. Colony-inhibitory sera, were detected in
      all patients, more frequently when the peripheral leukocyte count recovered to
      about 2,500 x 10(6)/l, but then transiently and at intervals. The colony
      inhibitory factor purified from the inhibitory sera inhibited the growth of G-CSF
      responsive colonies in a dose-dependent manner, but no effect on the growth of GM
      CSF-responsive colonies, CFU-E, or BFU-E, was observed. These results suggest
      that this factor may play a role in regulating granulopoiesis by inhibiting the
      differentiation of G-CSF-responsive precursor cells.

PMID- 1881402
TI  - The genetic toxicology of acridines.
AB  - Acridine and its derivatives are planar polycyclic aromatic molecules which bind
      tightly but reversibly to DNA by intercalation, but do not usually covalently
      interact with it. Acridines have a broad spectrum of biological activities, and a
      number of derivatives are widely used as antibacterial, antiprotozoal and
      anticancer drugs. Simple acridines show activity as frameshift mutagens,
      especially in bacteriophage and bacterial assays, by virtue of their
      intercalative DNA-binding ability. Acridines bearing additional fused aromatic
      rings (benzacridines) show little activity as frameshift mutagens, but interact
      covalently with DNA following metabolic activation (forming predominantly base
      pair substitution mutations). Compounds where the acridine acts as a carrier to
      target alkylating agents to DNA (e.g. the ICR compounds) cause predominantly
      frameshift as well as base-pair substitution mutations in both bacterial and
      mammalian cells. Nitroacridines may act as simple acridines or (following nitro
      group reduction) as alkylating agents, depending upon the position of the nitro
      group. Acridine-based topoisomerase II inhibitors, although frameshift mutagens
      in bacteria and bacteriophage systems, are primarily chromosomal mutagens in
      mammalian cells. These mutagenic activities are important, since the compounds
      have considerable potential as clinical antitumour drugs. Although evidence
      suggests that simple acridines are not animal or human carcinogens, a number of
      the derived compounds are highly active in this capacity.

PMID- 1881403
TI  - The genetic toxicology of 5-bromodeoxyuridine in mammalian cells.
AB  - The thymidine analog, BrdUrd, induces many biological responses which are of
      importance to the field of genetic toxicology and related disciplines. These
      include the induction of SCE, specific-locus mutations, and toxicity, inhibition
      of cell proliferation, and the expression of fragile sites in the human genome.
      In early models which addressed the mechanisms of the biological effects of
      BrdUrd exposure, two pathways were proposed to account for the induction of the
      biological responses. Incorporation of the enol form of BrdUrd into the nascent
      DNA strand after pairing with deoxyguanosine was proposed as one pathway, whereas
      the incorporation of BrdUrd opposite adenosine in place of thymidine was proposed
      as the second pathway. Many novel and sophisticated techniques have been applied
      to the study of the mechanism of the induction of biological effects by BrdUrd
      leading to a substantial increase in our understanding of these mechanisms.
      However, the experimental evidence clearly supports the contention that BrdUrd
      exerts its effects on eukaryotic cells through mechanisms similar to those
      originally proposed to explain the genotoxicity of BrdUrd.

PMID- 1881404
TI  - Increased frequency of sister-chromatid exchange and chromatid breaks in
      lymphocytes after treatment of human volunteers with therapeutic doses of
      paracetamol.
AB  - Paracetamol was given to 10 healthy human volunteers in 3 doses of 1 g each
      during a period of 8 h. Blood samples for lymphocyte cultures were taken before
      and 24 h after paracetamol administration. A small but significant increase was
      found in the frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) after intake of
      paracetamol (0.187 +/- 0.030 per chromosome before and 0.208 +/- 0.024 per
      chromosome after). After exposure the mean frequency of chromatid breaks per 100
      cells was significantly increased (2.16 +/- 1.33 versus 0.33 +/- 0.50 before
      exposure). Exposure of human lymphocytes in vitro showed that concentrations of
      paracetamol above 0.1 mM induced inhibition of replicative DNA synthesis.
      Increased SCE was found in lymphocytes exposed to 1-10 mM paracetamol for 2 h.
      Furthermore, 0.75-1.5 mM paracetamol exposure for 24 h increased the frequency of
      chromatid and chromosome breaks in the lymphocytes. The paracetamol-induced SCE
      and chromosome aberrations may be secondary effects of paracetamol-induced
      inhibition of DNA synthesis or due to covalent binding of paracetamol
      metabolite(s) to DNA.

PMID- 1881405
TI  - Aflatoxin-induced structural chromosomal changes and mitotic disruption in mouse
      bone marrow.
AB  - Ascorbic acid in a dose proportional to the human therapeutic dose (500 mg/day),
      when administered to Swiss albino mice along with a dietary concentration of
      aflatoxin B1, decreases the incidence of toxin-induced chromosomal abnormalities
      in the bone marrow cells. Treatment with the toxin alone (6 and 12 weeks) did not
      produce any differences in clastogenicity. The vitamins, when administered along
      with the toxin for 6 weeks, seemed to nullify more of the structural changes than
      of the mitotic disruptions. In 12-week treatment, more structural and fewer
      disruption-type abnormalities were found.

PMID- 1881406
TI  - Indoor sources of mutagenic aerosol particulate matter: smoking, cooking and
      incense burning.
AB  - The emission of aerosol particles and their mutagenic activity as well as the
      emission of some gaseous pollutants has been studied experimentally in order to
      compare the emission from some indoor pyrolysis processes. Cigarette (tobacco and
      herbal) smoking, incense and mosquito-coil burning and frying of experimental
      lean minced pork emitted particulate matter. Their extracts were mutagenic in the
      Ames Salmonella test with TA98 and activation as well as, with a higher response,
      in a microsuspension test with the same strain and activation condition. The
      response of the particles from the smoking and burning processes varied from 3000
      to 50,000 revertants per gram of smoked or burnt material in the conventional
      Salmonella test and from 50,000 to 350,000 revertants per gram in the
      microsuspension assay. The frying of lean minced pork gave an airborne emission
      of about 53 and 560 revertants per gram of fried pork, respectively, in the 2
      assays. The frying of some common food items following cookbook recipes also
      emitted mutagenic aerosol particles but the emitted activity was less than that
      in the pork experiment. Carbon monoxide, isoprene and benzene were present in the
      emissions from the smoking and burning processes but were not detectable in the
      frying fumes. The results suggest that incense and mosquito-coil burning can
      cause indoor air pollution akin to that from cigarette smoking. Indoor air
      pollution from cooking requires further study.

PMID- 1881407
TI  - Cytogenetic surveillance of tobacco-areca nut (mava) chewers, including patients
      with oral cancers and premalignant conditions.
AB  - Three cytogenetic endpoints were studied in non-chewing healthy controls and 3
      groups of tobacco-areca nut chewers, viz. normal chewers, chewers with oral
      submucous fibrosis and chewers with oral cancer. Frequencies of sister-chromatid
      exchanges and chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes and of
      micronucleated cells in exfoliated buccal mucosa were evaluated. All the
      parameters showed statistically significant elevations in all 3 groups of chewers
      compared to the controls. The data indicate possible application of the
      parameters as sensitive endpoints for monitoring tobacco-areca nut chewers, the
      group of individuals at higher risk of developing oral cancer, the commonest
      cancer among Indian males.

PMID- 1881408
TI  - Studies on the utilization of a plant SCE test in detecting potential mutagenic
      agents.
AB  - In this paper a modified procedure for sister-chromatid differentiation in plant
      cells is reported. Using this procedure some chemicals were tested for SCE
      induction in Vicia faba, Hordeum vulgare and Secale cereale. The chemicals tested
      were ethanol, chromium oxide, sodium saccharin, fluorouracil, ascorbic acid
      (vitamin c), omethoate and phenol. The experimental results showed that most of
      them induced SCE increases in mouse spleen cells, human lymphocytes and plant
      cells. The increase of SCEs per cell in plant cells is in agreement with that
      found in human lymphocytes or in mouse spleen cells. In our opinion, the
      utilization of SCE in plants is a simple and inexpensive technique for detecting
      potential mutagenic agents in the environment.

PMID- 1881409
TI  - Measuring personal exposure to airborne mutagens and nicotine in environmental
      tobacco smoke.
AB  - The exposure of individuals to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is of increasing
      public health concern because epidemiological studies have associated passive
      smoking with increased risk of a variety of adverse health effects among non
      smokers including lung cancer. As a way to measure individual exposure to the
      mutagenic compounds in the complex mixture of ETS, we used a sensitive
      Salmonella/microsome micro pre-incubation (microsuspension) assay to detect
      mutagenicity of particulate matter collected on filters from low volume (1.7
      1/min flow rate) personal sampling pumps. Airborne nicotine was collected
      concurrently as a marker for ETS exposure. In pilot-field studies, individual
      exposure to ETS was measured in two separate indoor environments in which smokers
      were present: a gambling casino and a bingo parlor. Total suspended particulate
      matter (TSP) was collected on filters worn near the breathing zone of non-smoking
      individuals. Sampling times ranged from 40 min to 6 h. All extracts of filters
      had detectable levels of mutagenic activity (TA98, +S9) resulting in airborne
      mutagenic activity concentrations of 500-5000 rev/m3. The mutagenic activity of
      the filters from the casino and bingo parlors was significantly correlated with
      total particulate matter per filters (n = 12; Rho = 0.85, p less than 0.01) and
      with airborne nicotine per filter (n = 12; Rho = 0.95, p less than 0.01). The
      microsuspension assay was sufficiently sensitive to detect the mutagens
      associated with extracts of particulate matter from low volume samples (0.2-0.6
      m3) in these indoor environments over a relatively short sampling time, and could
      be useful in studies of personal exposure to the mutagens in environmental
      tobacco smoke. Further, airborne nicotine concentrations were highly correlated
      with airborne mutagenicity and the mutagenic activity associated with ETS could
      therefore be estimated by the concentrations of nicotine.

PMID- 1881410
TI  - Influence of vegetable oil vehicles on bone-marrow proliferation in the mouse
      micronucleus test.
AB  - The detection of genotoxins in the mouse bone-marrow micronucleus (MN) test is
      sensitive to factors which may inhibit bone-marrow proliferation. We have shown
      that three commercially available cooking oils (olive, peanut and sunflower seed
      oils), commonly used as vehicles in toxicological tests, were able to induce a
      cytotoxic effect in mouse bone marrow. The effects observed were reversible and
      the magnitude of the responses varied with the oil administered. The results
      suggest a need to examine vehicle effects when conducting the MN test.

PMID- 1881411
TI  - Chrysotile and amosite asbestos induce germ-line aneuploidy in Drosophila.
AB  - Asbestos toxicity is a problem of considerable public concern and debate, however
      little is known regarding the biological targets of asbestos fibers. Prompted by
      reports that asbestos induces aneuploidy in cultured mammalian cells, we have
      investigated whether asbestos induces germ-line aneuploidy in Drosophila
      melanogaster. Using the ZESTE genetic test system, we have shown that both
      chrysotile and amosite asbestos induce sex-chromosome aneuploidy in Drosophila
      oocytes. Chrysotile appeared to be the more effective agent because it induced
      approximately equal frequencies of chromosome gain and chromosome loss, while
      amosite induced chromosome loss only. Two other asbestiform minerals, crocidolite
      and tremolite, were ineffective in this assay system. These results suggest that
      possible germ-line effects of asbestos should be considered in evaluating its
      potential impact on human health.

PMID- 1881412
TI  - Plasmid pSK1002-mediated mutator effect and SOS response and SOS mutagenesis of
      2,5-dichloronitrobenzol in Salmonella typhimurium.
AB  - The plasmid pSK1002 (umuC'-'lacZ) could increase the number of revertants induced
      by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4NQO) in
      Salmonella typhimurium TA 1535 (his-). The values induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N
      nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) were not different irrespective of the presence or
      absence of plasmid. However, the plasmid pKM101-mediated mutagenesis-enhancing
      effect was much greater than that mediated by pSK1002 as induced by the 3
      mutagens mentioned above. Moreover, the plasmid pSK1002 could induced umu
      mediated SOS response in the presence of any of these 3 mutagens or of mitomycin
      C, and a dose-response relationship was evident. It shows that pSK1002 (umuC'
      'lacZ) has a dual biological effect, namely a mutator effect and the effect of
      inducing the SOS response. Besides, this study has proved SOS mutagenesis of 2,5
      dichloronitrobenzol (2,5-DCNB) because of the dual indicator nature of pSK1002.
      Therefore, it is probable that pSK1002 could be further developed and applied in
      studying the relation between the SOS response and mutagenesis and in identifying
      environmental SOS mutagens.

PMID- 1881413
TI  - Increased mutation rate in bacteria overexpressing a cloned foreign gene.
AB  - Escherichia coli cells growing slowly as a result of the overexpression of a
      cloned foreign gene were shown to exhibit an increased mutation rate in the
      foreign gene as well as in several non-selected markers. This phenomenon is
      discussed in terms of the model proposed by Hall (1990).

PMID- 1881414
TI  - Simultaneous micronucleus and chromosome aberration assessment in the rat.
AB  - Using a cellulose column fractionation procedure to eliminate nucleated cells for
      micronucleus assessment, micronucleus and chromosome aberration endpoints in the
      same animal were compared in male and female rats following i.p. injection with
      cyclophosphamide (CP). Groups of 5 Wistar rats per sex were given single doses of
      CP at 0, 20, or 40 mg/kg. Two hours prior to sacrifice, animals were given
      colchicine (4 mg/kg) to arrest cells in metaphase. One femur from each animal was
      used for micronucleus assessment and the other for chromosome aberration
      assessment. In the micronucleus assessment, 2000 polychromatic erythrocytes
      (PCEs) per animal and in the chromosome aberration assessment, 50 metaphase cells
      per animal were scored. This experiment was repeated once. In both experiments,
      significant increases in micronucleated PCEs and chromosome aberrations were
      noted at both doses of CP in both sexes. In general, the clastogenic effects of
      CP were more pronounced in males than females. Both doses of CP caused a decrease
      in the proportion of PCEs and in mitotic index in both experiments, indicating
      toxicity of CP to the bone marrow. These results show the usefulness of this rat
      model for simultaneous evaluation of two cytogenetic endpoints in the same animal
      and indicate that assessment of MNPCE frequency in the bone marrow of male rats
      may be an appropriate model for screening test substances for in vivo clastogenic
      activity in this species.

PMID- 1881415
TI  - Mutagenicity of wood smoke condensates in the Salmonella/microsome assay.
AB  - Smoke condensates of woods used for food preservation and aromatization in
      Nigeria were tested for mutagenic activity using Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and
      TA100. The woods were: white mangrove (Avicennia nitida), red mangrove
      (Rhizophora racemosa), mahogany Khaya sp.), abura (Mitragyna ciliata), alstonia
      (Alstonia boonei) and black afara (Terminalia ivorensis). Cigarette tar was
      tested for comparison. The condensates induced dose-dependent increases in the
      number of His+ revertants mainly with S9 mix. With the exception of mahogany and
      cigarette smoke condensate, the smoke condensates induced more
      revertants/microgram condensate in TA100 than in TA98. The number of
      revertants/microgram condensate ranged between 0.04 and 0.9 for the wood smoke
      condensates and was 0.12 for the cigarette smoke in TA100. The range was between
      0.1 and 0.30 for the wood smoke condensates and 0.18 revertants/microgram
      condensate for cigarette smoke condensate in TA98. Concentrations of 7 polycyclic
      aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the condensates were determined namely, pyrene,
      benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[b]chrysene,
      benzo[g,h,i]perylene and dibenzo[a,e]pyrene. The condensates contained varying
      concentrations of the individual PAHs and those with higher concentrations
      generally showed greater mutagenic activities. However, the order of mutagenic
      potency in the bacterial strains differed from the order of PAH concentrations,
      which were lower than the concentrations at which they are reported to induce
      mutations. When 6 of the PAHs were mixed in the concentrations in which they were
      found in the individual condensates, the mixtures did not induce mutation so that
      the contribution of the PAHs to the mutagenic activities of the condensates could
      not be determined.

PMID- 1881416
TI  - Correlations between antepartum maternal metabolism and intelligence of
      offspring.
AB  - BACKGROUND: It is not clear to what extent maternal metabolism during pregnancy
      affects the cognitive and behavioral function of the offspring by altering brain
      development in utero. To investigate this question, we correlated measures of
      metabolism in pregnant diabetic and nondiabetic women with the intellectual
      development of their offspring. METHODS: The study included 223 pregnant women
      and their singleton offspring: 89 women had diabetes before pregnancy
      (pregestational diabetes mellitus), 99 had the onset of diabetes during pregnancy
      (gestational diabetes mellitus), and 35 had normal carbohydrate metabolism during
      their pregnancy. We correlated measures of maternal glucose and lipid metabolism
      (fasting plasma glucose levels, hemoglobin A1c levels, episodes of hypoglycemia,
      episodes of acetonuria, and plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate and free fatty acid
      levels) with two measures of intellectual development in the offspring--the
      mental development index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, given at the
      age of two years, and the Stanford--Binet Intelligence Scale, given at the ages
      of three, four, and five years and expressed as an average of the three scores.
      RESULTS: After correction for socioeconomic status, race or ethnic origin, and
      patient group, the children's mental-development-index scores at the age of two
      years correlated inversely with the mothers' third-trimester plasma beta
      hydroxybutyrate levels (r = -0.21, P less than 0.01); the average Stanford-Binet
      scores correlated inversely with third-trimester plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate (r =
      -0.20, P less than 0.02) and free fatty acid (r = -0.27, P less than 0.002)
      levels. No other correlations were significant. Including various perinatal
      events (e.g., prematurity and acidemia) in the analyses did not alter the
      results. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal diabetes during pregnancy may affect behavioral
      and intellectual development in the offspring. The associations between
      gestational ketonemia in the mother and a lower IQ in the child warrant continued
      efforts to avoid ketoacidosis and accelerated starvation in all pregnant women.

PMID- 1881417
TI  - Contractile properties of the human diaphragm during chronic hyperinflation.
AB  - BACKGROUND: In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and
      hyperinflation of the lungs, dysfunction of the diaphragm may contribute to
      respiratory decompensation. We evaluated the contractile function of the
      diaphragm in well-nourished patients with stable COPD, using supramaximal,
      bilateral phrenic-nerve stimulation, which provides information about the
      strength and inspiratory action of the diaphragm. METHODS: In eight patients with
      COPD and five control subjects of similar age, the transdiaphragmatic pressure
      generated by the twitch response to phrenic-nerve stimulation was recorded at
      various base-line lung volumes, from functional residual capacity to total lung
      capacity, and during relaxation and graded voluntary efforts at functional
      residual capacity (twitch occlusion). RESULTS: At functional residual capacity,
      the twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure ranged from 10.9 to 26.6 cm of water (1.07
      to 2.60 kPa) in the patients and from 19.8 to 37.1 cm of water (1.94 to 3.64 kPa)
      in the controls, indicating considerable overlap between the two groups. The
      ratio of esophageal pressure to twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure, an index of
      the inspiratory action of the diaphragm, was -0.50 +/- 0.05 in the patients, as
      compared with -0.43 +/- 0.02 in the controls (indicating more efficient
      inspiratory action in the patients than in the controls). At comparable volumes,
      the twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure and esophageal-to-transdiaphragmatic
      pressure ratio were higher in the patients than in normal subjects, indicating
      that the strength and inspiratory action of the diaphragm in the patients were
      actually better than in the controls. Twitch occlusion (a measure of the maximal
      activation of the diaphragm) indicated near-maximal activation in the patients
      with COPD, and the maximal transdiaphragmatic pressure was 106.9 +/- 13.8 cm of
      water (10.48 +/- 1.35 kPa). CONCLUSIONS: The functioning of the diaphragms of the
      patients with stable COPD is as good as in normal subjects at the same lung
      volume. Compensatory phenomena appear to counterbalance the deleterious effects
      of hyperinflation on the contractility and inspiratory action of the diaphragm in
      patients with COPD. Our findings cast doubt on the existence of chronic fatigue
      of the diaphragm in such patients and therefore on the need for therapeutic
      interventions aimed at improving diaphragm function.

PMID- 1881418
TI  - Inflammatory bowel disease (1)

PMID- 1881419
TI  - Insulin resistance--mechanisms, syndromes, and implications.

PMID- 1881420
TI  - Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological
      exercises. Case 39-1991. A 46-year-old man with fever, a cough, and bilateral
      pulmonary nodules.

PMID- 1881421
TI  - The diaphragm in COPD. Better than expected, but not good enough.

PMID- 1881422
TI  - HIV transmission to women in stable relationships.

PMID- 1881423
TI  - Homocysteinemia: a risk factor for vascular disease.

PMID- 1881424
TI  - Effect of the age at which smoking begins on frequency of smoking in adulthood.

PMID- 1881425
TI  - Invasive external otitis after removal of impacted cerumen by irrigation.

PMID- 1881426
TI  - Medical aspects of Operation Desert Storm.

PMID- 1881428
TI  - Hungarian science faces sweeping reforms.

PMID- 1881427
TI  - The effect of the Gulf crisis on the children of Iraq.

PMID- 1881429
TI  - Medical research. UK ethics guidelines.

PMID- 1881430
TI  - MITI reveals 1992 budget.

PMID- 1881431
TI  - US government orders new look at dioxin.

PMID- 1881433
TI  - Mitochondrial protein charge.

PMID- 1881432
TI  - Gene therapy. Muscle transfection made easy.

PMID- 1881434
TI  - The B-cell antigen receptor of the five immunoglobulin classes.
AB  - Several proteins associate with surface IgM to form the antigen receptor. We show
      that just two, the alpha and beta associated chains, are sufficient to
      reconstitute an IgM surface receptor in fibroblasts. Contrary to expectation, a
      common alpha chain associates with all five immunoglobulin classes. We propose
      that B-cell antigen receptors consist of a common alpha/beta heterodimer
      associated with each immunoglobulin class. But the classes differ both in the
      glycosylation of their associated alpha chain and in their dependence on
      alpha/beta for surface transport.

PMID- 1881435
TI  - Is colour vision possible with only rods and blue-sensitive cones?
AB  - At night all cats are grey, but with the approach of dawn they take on colour. By
      starlight, a single class of photoreceptors, the rods, function, whereas by
      daylight, three classes, the blue-, green- and red-sensitive cones, are active
      and provide colour vision. Only by comparing the rates of quantal absorption in
      more than one photoreceptor class is colour vision possible. Although the
      comparisons generally take place between the cones, they can involve the rods as
      well. Here we investigate the wavelength discrimination of an extremely rare
      group of individuals, blue-cone monochromats, who have only rods and one class of
      cones. We find that these individuals can distinguish wavelengths (440 to 500 nm)
      in the twilight region where the rods and blue-sensitive cones are simultaneously
      active.

PMID- 1881436
TI  - Carboxy-terminal truncation activates glp-1 protein to specify vulval fates in
      Caenorhabditis elegans.
AB  - The glp-1 and lin-12 genes encode homologous transmembrane proteins that may act
      as receptors for cell interactions during development. The glp-1 product is
      required for induction of germ-line proliferation and for embryogenesis. By
      contrast, lin-12 mediates somatic cell interactions, including those between the
      precursor cells that form the vulval hypodermis (VPCs). Here we analyse an
      unusual allele of glp-1, glp-1(q35), which displays a semidominant multivulva
      phenotype (Muv), as well as the typical recessive, loss-of-function Glp
      phenotypes (sterility and embryonic lethality). We find that the effects of glp
      1(q35) on VPC development mimic those of dominant lin-12 mutations, even in the
      absence of lin-12 activity. The glp-1(q35) gene bears a nonsense mutation
      predicted to eliminate the 122 C-terminal amino acids, including a ProGluSerThr
      (PEST) sequence thought to destabilize proteins. We suggest that the carboxy
      terminus bears a negative regulatory domain which normally inactivates glp-1 in
      the VPCs. We propose that inappropriate glp-1(q35) activity can substitute for
      lin-12 to determine vulval fate, perhaps by driving the VPCs to proliferate.

PMID- 1881437
TI  - Human dystrophin expression in mdx mice after intramuscular injection of DNA
      constructs.
AB  - Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD), which affects one in 3,500 males, causes
      progressive myopathy of skeletal and cardiac muscles and premature death. One
      approach to treatment would be to introduce the normal dystrophin gene into
      diseased muscle cells. When pure plasmid DNA is injected into rodent skeletal or
      cardiac muscle, the cells express reporter genes. We now show that a 12-kilobase
      full-length human dystrophin complementary DNA gene and a 6.3-kilobase Becker
      like gene can be expressed in cultured cells and in vivo. When the human
      dystrophin expression plasmids are injected intramuscularly into dystrophin
      deficient mdx mice, the human dystrophin proteins are present in the cytoplasm
      and sarcolemma of approximately 1% of the myofibres. Myofibres expressing human
      dystrophin contain an increased proportion of peripheral nuclei. The results
      indicate that transfer of the dystrophin gene into the myofibres of DMD patients
      could be beneficial, but a larger number of genetically modified myofibres will
      be necessary for clinical efficacy.

PMID- 1881438
TI  - Academic promotion in Italy.

PMID- 1881439
TI  - Is homosexuality hard-wired?

PMID- 1881440
TI  - Allan Charles Wilson (1934-1991)

PMID- 1881441
TI  - More genome ethics.

PMID- 1881442
TI  - The transmission of AIDS.

PMID- 1881443
TI  - Stem cells.

PMID- 1881444
TI  - Japanese science agency targets space, genome.

PMID- 1881445
TI  - Clinical trails. Blazing an ethical trail.

PMID- 1881446
TI  - Genetic screening. California tackles insurance.

PMID- 1881447
TI  - Scientific societies. Ethics rules provoke storm.

PMID- 1881448
TI  - Binding of synaptotagmin to the alpha-latrotoxin receptor implicates both in
      synaptic vesicle exocytosis.
AB  - A vertebrate neurotoxin, alpha-latrotoxin, from black widow spider venom causes
      synaptic vesicle exocytosis and neurotransmitter release from presynaptic nerve
      terminals. Although the mechanism of action of alpha-latrotoxin is not known, it
      does require binding of alpha-latrotoxin to a high-affinity receptor on the
      presynaptic plasma membrane. The alpha-latrotoxin receptor seems to be
      exclusively at the presynaptic plasmamembrane. Here we report that the alpha
      latrotoxin receptor specifically binds to a synaptic vesicle protein,
      synaptotagmin, and modulates its phosphorylation. Synaptotagmin is a synaptic
      vesicle-specific membrane protein that binds negatively charged phospholipids and
      contains two copies of a putative Ca(2+)-binding domain from protein kinase C
      (the C2-domain), suggesting a regulatory role in synaptic vesicle fusion. Our
      findings suggest that a physiological role of the alpha-latrotoxin receptor may
      be the docking of synaptic vesicles at the active zone. The direct interaction of
      the alpha-latrotoxin receptor with a synaptic vesicle protein also suggests a
      mechanism of action for this toxin in causing neurotransmitter release.

PMID- 1881449
TI  - Biotechnology. Will milk shake up industry?

PMID- 1881450
TI  - Failure of wild-type or a mutant form of protein kinase C-alpha to transform
      fibroblasts.
AB  - A mutant form of the alpha-isoform of protein kinase C (PKC) was recently
      isolated from an ultraviolet radiation-induced murine fibrosarcoma cell line and
      reported to transform mouse BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts on transfection. Four point
      mutations in the regulatory domain were assumed to be responsible for its
      oncogenicity and unusual preference for membrane localization. Here, we report
      that overexpression of the reported mutant PKC alpha complementary DNA in three
      fibroblast cell lines, including BALB/c 3T3, does not enable these cells to grow
      in soft agar or nude mice. In addition, this mutant PKC alpha form seems to be
      indistinguishable from the wild-type PKC alpha with respect to its dependence on
      cofactors, phorbol ester binding, subcellular distribution and its effects on
      growth and morphology. These results fail to confirm the previous study and
      indicate that overexpression of either the wild-type or the reported mutant form
      of PKC alpha does not transform rodent fibroblasts.

PMID- 1881451
TI  - Biotechnology. EC look to animal patents.

PMID- 1881452
TI  - Oncogenic germ-line mutations in Sp1 and ATF sites in the human retinoblastoma
      gene.
AB  - The transcription of a eukaryotic gene is a consequence of intricate interactions
      between members of a set of transcription factors. We describe here evidence
      indicating that at least two distinct DNA-binding factors play an important part
      in the transcription of the human retinoblastoma gene (Rb). One of the factors
      reacts with a sequence overlapping with a potential Sp1 recognition sequence in
      the promoter region of the gene, the other with a nearby ATF recognition
      sequence. We have identified two naturally occurring point mutations in these
      recognition sequences that cause hereditary retinoblastoma. The nuclear factors
      do not bind to the mutant sequences. We infer that these nuclear factors are
      necessary for the expression of the Rb gene and the suppression of cancer.

PMID- 1881453
TI  - Putative receptor for the cytoplasmic inactivation gate in the Shaker K+ channel.
AB  - Inactivation of ion channels is important in the control of membrane
      excitability. For example, delayed-rectifier K+ channels, which regulate action
      potential repolarization, are inactivated only slowly, whereas A-type K+
      channels, which affect action potential duration and firing frequency, have both
      fast and slow inactivation. Fast inactivation of Na+ and K+ channels may result
      from the blocking of the permeation pathway by a positively charged cytoplasmic
      gate such as the one encoded by the first 20 amino acids of the Shaker B (ShB) K+
      channel. We report here that mutation of five highly conserved residues between
      the proposed membrane-spanning segments S4 and S5 (also termed H4) of ShB affects
      the stability of the inactivated state and alters channel conductance. One such
      mutation stabilizes the inactivated state of ShB as well as the inactivated state
      induced in the delayed-rectifier type K+ channel drk1 by the cytoplasmic
      application of the ShB N-terminal peptide. The S4-S5 loop, therefore, probably
      forms part of a receptor for the inactivation gate and lies near the channel's
      permeation pathway.

PMID- 1881454
TI  - The case against.

PMID- 1881455
TI  - 5-Hydroxytryptamine4 receptors mediate relaxation of the rat oesophageal tunica
      muscularis mucosae.
AB  - The present study was designed to characterize an "atypical" 5-hydroxytryptamine
      (5-HT) receptor mediating relaxation of the rat oesophageal tunica muscularis
      mucosae. All experiments were performed under equilibrium conditions, using
      pargyline to inhibit the oxidative deamination of indoleamines, and cocaine and
      corticosterone to inhibit neuronal and extraneuronal uptake. Under these
      conditions 5-HT (0.3-1000 nmol/l) produced a concentration-dependent relaxation
      of carbachol-induced tension. The concentration-effect curve to 5-HT was
      unaffected by potent antagonists for 5-HT1, 5-HT2, 5-HT3 and so called 5-HT1P
      receptors (metergoline, methysergide, ketanserin, ondansetron, N-acetyl-5
      hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophan amide), but was antagonized competitively
      by ICS 205-930 (pA2 = 6.7). Responses to 5-HT were mimicked by other indoleamines
      and substituted benzamides with the following order of potency: 5-HT greater than
      or equal to 5-methoxytryptamine greater than cisapride = alpha-methyl-5-HT = (S)
      zacopride = renzapride greater than (RS)-zacopride greater than 5-carboxamido
      tryptamine = metoclopramide = (R)-zacopride greater than tryptamine greater than
      2-methyl-5-HT. ICS 205-930 afforded similar pA2 values (6.0-6.7) against each
      agonist, indicating a common site of action. Concentration-effect curves to 5-HT
      were not affected by tetrodotoxin or indomethacin, suggesting that 5-HT-induced
      relaxation of the tunica muscularis mucosae was mediated via a post-junctional
      receptor, independent of endogenous prostanoids. The pharmacological profile of
      the 5-HT receptor in the rat oesophageal tunica muscularis mucosae correlates
      well with the 5-HT4 receptor characterized recently in both the CNS and gastro
      intestinal tract.

PMID- 1881456
TI  - Repeated SKF 38393 and nigrostriatal system neuronal responsiveness: functional
      down-regulation is followed by up-regulation after withdrawal.
AB  - The effects of chronic administration of the D1 dopamine (DA) agonist SKF 38393
      on the basal activity and electrophysiological and pharmacological responsiveness
      of nigrostriatal DA neurons were examined by means of extracellular, single-unit
      recording techniques. Chronic D1 stimulation failed to alter either the basal
      activity of DA neurons or the potency of quinpirole to induce inhibition of these
      cells. However, 28-day SKF 38393 treatment (but not 14-day treatment) eliminated
      the ability of subsequent (24 h later) acute SKF 38393 to alter the rate
      dependent nature of quinpirole-induced inhibition. In contrast, one week after a
      28-day SKF 38393 treatment we found that quinpirole-induced inhibition by itself
      was no longer rate-dependent, an effect which was reversed by acute pretreatment
      with the D1 antagonist SCH 23390. This latter finding is suggestive of enhanced
      endogenous D1 tone. Similarly, 28-day SKF 38393 treatment eliminated the effect
      of subsequent acute SKF 38393 on sciatic nerve stimulation-induced inhibition of
      nigrostriatal DA neurons, whereas one week after the chronic D1 regimen these
      cells were highly sensitive to acute D1 enhancement of the response to sciatic
      nerve stimulation. In order to address the postsynaptic effects of chronic D1
      stimulation, the influence of iontophoretically administered SKF 38393 was
      examined on type I caudate neurons. Again, 28-day SKF 38393 treatment resulted in
      reduced sensitivity of caudate neurons tested 24 h later, and an enhanced
      sensitivity was observed one week after the completion of chronic SKF 38393
      administration. Thus, chronic SKF 38393 induced functional desensitization of D1
      receptors, but one-week withdrawal was followed by sensitization.

PMID- 1881457
TI  - N2-acetylphenelzine: effects on rat brain GABA, alanine and biogenic amines.
AB  - The neurochemical properties of N2-acetylphenelzine were compared with those of
      phenelzine in a rat model. N2-Acetylphenelzine is a relatively potent inhibitor
      of monoamine oxidase-A and -B and causes increases in whole-brain levels of
      noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and decreases in homovanillic acid, 5
      hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acetic after acute
      i.p. administration of the drug. Phenelzine is a more potent monoamine oxidase
      inhibitor than is N2-acetylphenelzine. The most marked difference in the profile
      was that N2-acetylphenelzine had no effect on whole brain levels of the amino
      acid neurotransmitters alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid, whereas phenelzine
      caused dramatic increases. Acetylation of phenelzine at the N2 position
      presumably interferes with the inhibition of the transaminase enzymes for gamma
      aminobutyric acid and alanine.

PMID- 1881458
TI  - Comparative studies on the anorectic activity of d-fenfluramine in mice, rats,
      and guinea pigs.
AB  - The present study compares the anorectic activity of d-fenfluramine and its
      metabolite d-norfenfluramine in three animal species. d-Fenfluramine and d
      norfenfluramine show anorectic activity at increasing doses (ED50) in rats,
      guinea pigs, and mice, d-norfenfluramine being more active than d-fenfluramine in
      all three species. Equiactive anorectic activities are reached with different
      brain levels of d-fenfluramine and d-norfenfluramine, guinea pigs being the most
      sensitive species, followed by rats then mice. The metabolite most probably plays
      a major role in the anorectic effect of d-fenfluramine in guinea pigs,
      contributes to the anorectic activity in rats, but adds little to the action of
      the parent drug in mice. The different sensitivity to d-fenfluramine and d
      norfenfluramine in these three species does not appear to be explained by a
      number of biochemical parameters, including serotonin uptake or release, receptor
      subtypes, or 3H-d-fenfluramine binding and uptake.

PMID- 1881460
TI  - The influence of calcium antagonists on the adenine nucleotide metabolism in the
      guinea-pig working heart during ischaemia and reperfusion.
AB  - With the aim of gaining more insight into the metabolism of adenine nucleotides
      in working normoxic guinea-pigs and in hearts subjected to 45 min of global
      ischaemia and subsequent reperfusion for 25 min, we evaluated the effect of
      nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem, bepridil, CERM 11956, lidoflazine, mioflazine
      and dipyridamole on the adenine nucleotide catabolite levels in these hearts. The
      drugs were applied at the concentrations that reduced the aortic dP/dt of
      normoxic working hearts by 10% (EC10) and 30% (EC30). In globally ischaemic
      hearts there was a large accumulation of adenine nucleotide catabolites. Inosine
      proved to be the major catabolite. The drugs, with the exception of bepridil,
      CERM 11956 and dipyridamole (3 mumol/l), decreased the accumulation of
      catabolites. In hearts treated with mioflazine and dipyridamole the amount of
      adenosine increased. A deficit in the balance between adenine nucleotides and
      catabolites indicated that in globally ischaemic hearts there was a large
      accumulation of inosine monophosphate. Indeed, a substantial amount of inosine
      monophosphate was determined in untreated hearts, and hearts treated with
      nifedipine (EC30) and mioflazine (EC10). During the first 5 min of reperfusion a
      large quantity of catabolites, mainly inosine, was washed out. During 20 min of
      subsequent reperfusion in untreated hearts and in nifedipine and mioflazine
      treated hearts the efflux of catabolites returned to normoxic values. Similar to
      the effect in ischaemic hearts, in early perfusate from lidoflazine, mioflazine
      and dipyridamole-treated hearts the adenosine/inosine ratio was
      increased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881459
TI  - Coronary vasodilation induced by captopril and zofenoprilat: evidence for a
      prostaglandin-independent mechanism.
AB  - In this study, the vasodilating properties of captopril and zofenoprilat, two
      angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors containing the sulfhydryl group,
      are investigated in the isolated rat heart. It is demonstrated that both
      compounds increase coronary flow in a dose-dependent manner. However, the mean
      pD2 of zofenoprilat appears to be significantly higher than the mean pD2 of
      captopril (4.55 +/- 0.06 and 3.35 +/- 0.02 respectively), indicating that
      zofenoprilat is about ten times more potent in increasing coronary flow than
      captopril. Possibly this difference in potency between captopril and zofenoprilat
      can be explained by their physicochemical properties. Since zofenoprilat is more
      lipophilic than captopril, its concentration in cardiac and vascular tissues at
      distribution equilibrium is thought to be higher than the tissue concentration of
      captopril, which may result in a more pronounced vasodilatory action. The precise
      mechanism of coronary vasodilation induced by ACE inhibitors containing the
      sulfhydryl group is not yet understood. Several factors have been proposed, such
      as stimulation of prostacyclin production. However, in this study, concomitant
      administration of 10(-6) mol/l acetylsalicylic acid shows no antagonism,
      indicating that under normoxic conditions the vasodilatory effects of captopril
      and zofenoprilat are independent of the production of vasodilating
      prostaglandins. Therefore, other factors than stimulation of prostacyclin
      synthesis seem to be involved, such as prevention of bradykinin breakdown and/or
      potentiation of endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF). Furthermore, despite
      a marked inhibition of prostacyclin production, 10(-6) mol/l acetylsalicylic acid
      itself has no effect on coronary flow. These results suggest that prostacyclin
      does not play an important role in the regulation of coronary flow, at least in
      the normoxic isolated rat heart.

PMID- 1881461
TI  - Protective effect of N-acetylcysteine on ischaemia-induced myocardial damage in
      canine heart.
AB  - The glutathione redox pathway is an important antioxidant system in the
      myocardium. N-Acetylcysteine is a low molecular weight glutathione precursor that
      has been used clinically to replenish glutathione stores. The present study was
      aimed at evaluating the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine on myocardial
      damage resulting from permanent coronary occlusion (without reperfusion) in
      anaesthetized dogs. N-Acetylcysteine (150 mg kg-1 i.v.) administered 2 min before
      occlusion reduced infarct size in dogs subjected to 24 h ischemia. The infarct
      size as a percentage of the area at risk was 86.8 +/- 3.6% (n = 11) in control
      (saline-treated) dogs and 68.2 +/- 2.4% (n = 7; P less than 0.05 vs control) in N
      acetylcysteine-treated animals. Haemodynamic variables (heart rate, mean arterial
      pressure and rate-pressure product) were similar in the control and the treated
      group. Regional myocardial blood flow was determined with radioactive
      microspheres in ischaemic and non-ischaemic zones before occlusion and 3 h post
      occlusion. N-Acetylcysteine did not influence the regional distribution of
      myocardial blood flow. The myocardial content of reduced glutathione was
      significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased 3 h post-occlusion (0.53 +/- 0.19
      mumol/g-1; n = 5) compared to either pre-occlusion values (0.94 +/- 0.03 mumol/g
      1; n = 8) or values 3 h post-occlusion in sham-operated animals (0.93 +/- 0.15
      mumol/g-1; n = 5). Depletion of myocardial glutathione 3 h post-occlusion was not
      observed in dogs treated with N-acetylcysteine (0.87 +/- 0.11 mumol/g-1; n =
      5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881462
TI  - A selective uricosuric action of AA-193 in rats. Comparison with its effect on
      PAH secretion in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - We evaluated the uricosuric action of AA-193 by comparing it with the effect on
      PAH secretion in rats, using in vivo and in vitro techniques. The i.v.
      administration of AA-193 elevated the fractional excretion of urate (FEurate)
      significantly in a dose-dependent manner at doses from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg. Only at
      the highest dose of 10 mg/kg did AA-193 cause a momentary decrease in FEPAH. On
      the other hand, tienilic acid and probenecid reduced FEPAH at uricosuric
      effective doses. To compare the inhibitory effects of uricosurics on urate
      reabsorption and PAH secretion more directly, we investigated the effects of
      uricosurics on the OH- gradient-dependent urate uptake in brush border membrane
      vesicles and the net PAH accumulation in cortical slices. The relation between
      the affinity of uricosuric drug for urate and PAH transporters corresponds well
      with the difference between the effect on FEurate and that on FEPAH. The relative
      affinity of AA-193 for the urate uptake is 83-fold greater than that for the PAH
      accumulation. These results support the assumption that, in contrast with the
      other uricosurics, AA-193 has a much higher affinity for urate reabsorption
      system than that for the common pathway of weak organic acids in rats.

PMID- 1881463
TI  - Effect of cyclosporin-A treatment on endotoxin-induced airway hyperreactivity in
      vivo and in vitro in guinea-pigs.
AB  - In the present study, the role of T-lymphocytes in the development of
      histaminergic hyperreactivity of the airways in vivo and in vitro, after
      intraperitoneal administration of bacterial endotoxin (1 mg/kg) to guinea-pigs
      was examined. Daily oral administration of the T-lymphocyte-selective
      immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin A (25 mg/kg) did not prevent the endotoxin
      induced airway hyperreactivity in vivo. Cyclosporin A treatment itself induced
      histaminergic hyperreactivity of guinea-pig trachea in vitro. In cyclosporin A
      pretreated guinea-pigs, endotoxin did not further potentiate the histaminergic
      responsiveness of isolated tracheal spirals. It can be concluded that T
      lymphocytes do not play a role in the endotoxin-induced airway hyperreactivity in
      vivo. Furthermore, no definite conclusion concerning the involvement of T
      lymphocytes in the endotoxin-induced hyperreactivity in vitro can yet be drawn.

PMID- 1881464
TI  - Action of the racemate and the isomers of the platelet-activating factor
      antagonist bepafant (WEB 2170) after oral administration to guinea-pigs and rats.
AB  - The aim of the present study was to clarify whether there is a difference in
      terms of potency and pharmacodynamic half time between the isomers and the
      racemate of the platelet-activating factor antagonist WEB 2170 (bepafant) after
      oral administration to guinea-pigs or rats. The following experiments were
      performed in the guinea-pig. Infusion of platelet-activating factor at 30 ng/(kg
      x min) for 30 min to anaesthetized guinea-pigs induced a decrease of respiratory
      flow and mean arterial blood pressure. Oral pretreatment with WEB 2170 or
      isomers, respectively, 60 min before infusion of platelet-activating factor
      inhibited these changes in a dose-dependent manner. The ED50s for inhibition of
      respiratory flow were: (-) WEB 2170 = 0.018 (0.009-0.036) mg/kg p.o; (+/-) WEB
      2170 = 0.021 (0.015-0.03) mg/kg p.o.; (+) WEB 2170 = 1.55 (1.01-3.05) mg/kg p.o.
      Similar ED50 values were obtained for inhibition of decrease of MAP. Doses of
      isomers and racemate of WEB 2170 that provided almost complete protection against
      platelet-activating factor at 1 h after administration were chosen for
      determination of the duration of the protective effect after oral administration.
      Oral (-) WEB 2170 or (+/-) WEB 2170 showed almost identical time-response curves
      for inhibition (t1/2 = 14-17 h; 0.1 mg/kg p.o.) in the guinea-pig, whereas the
      duration of action of (+) WEB 2170 (3-6 h; 8 mg/kg) was significantly shorter.
      The following experiments were conducted in the rat. Oral pretreatment with WEB
      2170 racemate and isomers resulted in a dose-dependent reversal of platelet
      activating factor-induced hypotension.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881465
TI  - German Society for Pharmacology and Toxicology. Abstracts of the autumn meeting.
      10-14 September 1991, Berlin.

PMID- 1881466
TI  - Sarcoidosis presenting as large pulmonary nodules.

PMID- 1881467
TI  - Worrisome rash in an undergraduate.

PMID- 1881468
TI  - "Reach to my complaining". Patients as storytellers.

PMID- 1881469
TI  - Ewing's sarcoma.

PMID- 1881470
TI  - Nutrition and women.
AB  - Balance and moderation are two good words to remember about nutrition through all
      phases of womanhood. By eating regularly from each of the four basic food groups,
      varying food intake to match your level of activity and moderating your
      consumption of food and drink that is considered less than good for you (fat,
      salt, alcohol) you should be able to maintain a satisfactory weight level and,
      equally importantly, feel well.

PMID- 1881471
TI  - Lung transplantation at UNC. The first year.

PMID- 1881472
TI  - Primary care: the unmet national imperative.

PMID- 1881473
TI  - A woman's sudden allergy to all foods. The distilled water solution.

PMID- 1881474
TI  - Analgesic induced headache.

PMID- 1881475
TI  - Budget cuts affect the mentally ill.

PMID- 1881476
TI  - Does the public truly want national health care or do they know what they'll
      receive in return.

PMID- 1881477
TI  - The art and science of medicine.

PMID- 1881478
TI  - Adolescent tobacco smoking and chewing in Nebraska.

PMID- 1881479
TI  - "Rubeola: an atypical case".

PMID- 1881480
TI  - Psychosurgery: a retrospective.
AB  - Of the 56 patients within the Yakovlev collection who had undergone psychosurgery
      11 (20%) improved, 18 (32%) were either worse or without improvement, and 27
      (48%) were without any clinical follow-up. Thus, in retrospect, psychosurgery was
      perhaps not as successful as once envisioned.

PMID- 1881481
TI  - Association of trisomy 18 and hydramnios.

PMID- 1881482
TI  - [The tonic activity of single nerve fibers of the rabbit cervical sympathetic
      nerve].
AB  - Spontaneous sympathetic activity was recorded in single fibres dissected from the
      cervical sympathetic nerve trunk (CSNT) of rabbit. Conduction velocities and
      action potential amplitudes for B-fibres were measured in the whole nerve trunk.
      Results of the spectral analysis suggested that activity of unmyelinated fibres
      depended on baroreceptor activity to a greater extent than that of myelinated
      fibres and that the 2-3 Hz rhythm was present in animals with intact
      baroreceptors simultaneously with the cardiac rhythm. That rhythm was a usual
      feature of activity of both B- and C-fibres. Cross-correlation analysis of the
      single fibre activity was estimated in 24 fibre pairs. It was found that in five
      fibre pairs there was a correlation associated with the presence of a common
      physiological rhythm, in one fibre pair there was a correlation derived from the
      existence of a strong common input to both distinct preganglionic neurons.

PMID- 1881483
TI  - [The periodic components of the integral tonic activity of the sympathetic
      nerves].
AB  - Sympathetic spontaneous activity in peripheral nerves of limbs and activity of C
      fibres of the cervical sympathetic nerve trunk (CSNT) were recorded in situ from
      anaesthetized rabbits using multichannel coherent recording technique. Spectral
      characteristics of the activity and correlation between nerve activity and blood
      pressure were estimated. The data obtained have suggested that C-fibres in the
      CSNT are mainly vasoconstrictor fibres and their activity is more baroreceptor
      dependent than that of sympathetic fibres in peripheral nerves. It is found that
      latencies of changes in the arterial blood pressure in response to changes in
      sympathetic activity are between 4 and 10 s.

PMID- 1881484
TI  - [The comparative characteristics of the neuronal activity in surviving slices of
      transplanted and intact neocortex].
AB  - The background single unit activity and single or multiunit responses to
      electrical stimulation of the rat's embryonic cortex, grafted into the
      somatosensory cortex of adult rats were investigated in a slice preparation. The
      same characteristics of the intact cortex neurons were observed as a control. The
      percentage of neurons with background activity within grafts was higher, than
      that within intact neocortex slices (23% and 6%, respectively). However the
      percentage of neurons responding to electrical stimulation of the recipient
      neocortex was lower in grafts. The mean latency of multiunit responses of graft
      neurons was longer, than that of neurons of the intact neocortex recorded at the
      same distance from the stimulating electrode (19.4 +/- 5.0 and 5.8 +/- 1.1 ms,
      respectively). Duration of the evoked population discharges was approximately ten
      times longer in grafts. It is concluded that there are local functional
      connections between a graft and the host brain and that inhibitory processes
      within grafts are weak. Functional integration of grafts with the host brain of
      the recipients after cranial trauma is shown.

PMID- 1881485
TI  - [The spontaneous synaptic activity in a cell culture of chick embryo spinal
      cord].
AB  - Development of spontaneous synaptic activity was investigated during first 2.5
      weeks in culture by means of the "hole-cell" version of the patch-clamp
      technique. Glycine-mediated giant postsynaptic currents (PSCs) were the most
      prominent property of the synaptic activity pattern. Excitatory PSCs were not
      observed until 14 days in culture. The role of culture conditions for the
      maturation of spontaneous activity has been shown. Possible mechanisms of the
      burst activity generation are discussed.

PMID- 1881486
TI  - [The retinotopic organization of the posterior suprasylvian area of the cerebral
      cortex in the cat].
AB  - Posterior suprasylvian area (PSA) is one of the extrastriate visual structures of
      the cat cortex. Representation of the visual field in the PSA has been
      investigated by the mapping method. Results of experiments revealed that
      receptive fields (RF) of the PSA neurons were located mostly in the upper
      contralateral quadrant of the visual field. About 10% of RF were located in the
      upper ipsilateral quadrant of the visual field. In the upper PSA (21a, 21b) area
      centralis is mainly represented including the space of the radius of 20-30
      degrees of the visual field. In the lower PSA (20a, 20b) more peripheral part of
      the visual field was represented. The experiments did not confirm essential
      differences in the retinotopic organization between areas 20a and 20b, 21a and
      21b. Proceeding from the presented experiments the suggestion is put forward that
      PSA consists of two main areas (21 and 20) without dividing into subareas.

PMID- 1881487
TI  - [The convergence of influences from the locomotor points of the midbrain and
      medulla oblongata and from the inhibitory point of the pons onto the bulbar
      neurons].
AB  - Synaptic responses of medial and lateral medullary neurons to repetitive
      stimulation of locomotor points (LPs) of the midbrain and medulla and of an
      inhibitory pontine point were recorded in mesencephalic decerebellate cats.
      Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) and discharges were observed usually in
      medial neurons as well as mixed PSPs when an inhibitory point was stimulated.
      Almost a half of lateral neurons and more than a quarter of medial ones changed
      the frequency of the background discharge giving no responses time-locked to
      stimuli. Medial neurons with responses time-locked to stimuli were equally
      susceptible to stimuli delivered to midbrain and medullary LPs and almost as
      often to stimuli applied to the inhibitory point. Medial neurons with responses
      time-unlocked to stimuli and lateral neurons were mostly susceptible to the input
      from the medullary LP, less affected by stimulation of the midbrain LP and
      responded rarely to stimulation of the inhibitory point. Convergence of
      influences from the midbrain and medullary LPs was the same onto neurons of all
      populations. Role of different neuronal populations for initiation and cessation
      of locomotion is discussed.

PMID- 1881488
TI  - [The effect of anoxia and energy metabolism inhibitors on potassium and sodium
      homeostasis in the neurons of the gastropod mollusk].
AB  - Anoxia and inhibitors of energy metabolism have been studied for their effect on
      intracellular K and Na concentrations, membrane potential, conductivity, passive
      and active ouabain-sensitive transport of potassium (86Rb) in neurons of
      freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus. The X-ray microanalysis has shown that
      anoxia caused no changes in K and Na concentrations in neurons. NaCN inhibited
      oxygen uptake by ganglia, but has actually no effect on the membrane potential,
      conductivity and 86Rb uptake in neurons. Much stronger inhibition of the 86Rb
      uptake was observed in the presence of 2-deoxy-D-glucose. When both glycolytic
      and respiratory inhibitors were added, the effect was maximal. It is supposed
      that glycolysis is the main source of energy to maintain the ion homeostasis in
      the mollusc neurons.

PMID- 1881490
TI  - [The synaptic responses of the neurons in the medulla oblongata to stimulation of
      the stepping stria of the spinal cord in the cat].
AB  - Synaptic responses of bulbar neurons to stimulation of stepping points in the
      dorsolateral funiculus were recorded in decerebrate cats. 40% of neurons were
      excited from both ipsi- and contralateral stepping points, the rest of them were
      excited only from one of those points. Part of the neurons was activated from
      stepping points at both C2 and Th12 spinal cord levels. Latencies of the synaptic
      responses to stimulation of the stepping point at the cervical level were from 2
      to 18 ms. These results suggest that bulbar neurons as well as propriospinal ones
      contribute to initiation of locomotion.

PMID- 1881489
TI  - [Visual illusions during the electrical stimulation of the labyrinth].
AB  - Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the labyrinth induced apparent motion of
      a stationary light source in darkness in normal subjects. This effect is similar
      to the oculogyric illusion induced by rotatory vestibular stimulation. Monaural
      anodal stimulation of the right labyrinth evoked apparent movement of the target
      to the left, whereas cathodal stimulation induced opposite illusion. The
      threshold current was 0.35-0.6 mA. Binaural bipolar stimuli induced illusory
      target motion directed to the side of the cathode, the threshold decreased 1.5
      2.5 times. Binaural monopolar stimulation induced vertical apparent displacement
      of a target, the threshold being 1.4-3.0 mA. The amplitude and velocity of
      illusory target motion increased with current. The subject eyes began to move
      with much higher currents than those necessary for illusory sensation. It is
      therefore suggested that the visual illusion is related not to vestibulo-visual
      interaction but to vestibular effects on the spatial perception system.

PMID- 1881491
TI  - [The hysteretic properties of single-joint movements evoked in nonanesthetized
      cats by the method of microstimulation of the motor cortex].
AB  - Hysteretic aftereffects in the elbow joint movements were studied on
      unanaesthetized cats. Flexor and extensor movements were evoked by
      microstimulation of the motor cortex. The cortically evoked movements were tested
      mechanically by applying the servo-controlled torque changes to the joint.
      Stiffness of the joint depended on the direction of previous movement and was
      significantly larger after changes in direction of movement. That led to
      uncertainty in the equilibrium value of the joint angle, which was demonstrated
      under cyclic changes of torque.

PMID- 1881493
TI  - [The participation of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal in initiating locomotion
      in cats and rats].
AB  - Electrical stimulation of the interstitial nucleus of Cajal and adjacent
      structures elicited locomotion in cats and rats. The thresholds were 20-30 muA
      for decerebrate and 70-100 microA for intact narcotized animals.

PMID- 1881492
TI  - [The effect of microstimulation of the motor cortex on the myotatic muscle
      reflexes of the elbow joint in the nonanesthetized cat].
AB  - Influence of the motor cortex microstimulation on the myotatic reflexes of the
      elbow joint muscles was studied on unanesthetized cats. The reflexes were evoked
      by the servo-controlled changes in torque or joint angle. Biceps and triceps
      muscles were usually coactivated. Microstimulation of the motor cortex against a
      background of an increase of the EMG activity usually suppressed the reflex
      responses in an agonist and had almost no influence on the reactions of an
      antagonist.

PMID- 1881494
TI  - [Load dynamics on the extremities during locomotion in rats before and after
      deafferentation].
AB  - Stepping of an intact animal was characterized by a fast rise to maxima,
      maintenance on this level and fast decay of limbs' loading in the stance phase.
      In deafferentated rats a slow rise without maintenance in that phase was found.
      The role of afferent input intensity in reflex control of movements is discussed.

PMID- 1881495
TI  - Familial IgG subclass imbalance, anti-SS-A antibodies and third-trimester foetal
      death.
AB  - Foetal heart block occurred in the second pregnancy of an apparently healthy 23
      yr-old woman. Her mother and sister were known for 10 yr with
      hypergammaglobulinaemia which was due to a disproportionate polyclonal elevation
      of serum IgG1 and with a high titre of rheumatoid factors. No associated disease
      was obvious. A third-trimester foetal death had occurred with each of these
      patients. In the sera of these three women circulating anti-SS-A (Ro) antibodies
      were detected, which are known to be associated with congenital heart block. IgG
      subclass imbalance, consisting of a disproportionate polyclonal elevation of
      IgG1, has been recognised as being associated with a characteristic autoantibody
      pattern. Familial occurrence of this syndrome as such has hitherto not been
      reported.

PMID- 1881496
TI  - Diagnostic and prognostic value of quantitative immunohistological examination of
      lip biopsy in Sjogren's syndrome.
AB  - Three patients are presented to illustrate the diagnostic and prognostic value of
      quantitative immunohistological examination of labial salivary gland biopsy in
      Sjogren's syndrome. In an obvious case of primary Sjogren's syndrome and in a
      case of rheumatoid arthritis without clinical and serological evidence of
      secondary Sjogren's syndrome, quantitative immunohistological examination of the
      labial salivary gland biopsy gave more appropriate information than the widely
      accepted lymphocytic focus score criterion for Sjogren's syndrome. In the third
      case quantitative immunohistological examination disclosed monoclonal B-cell
      expansion in the labial salivary gland biopsy six months before evidence of
      systemic monoclonal gammopathy appeared.

PMID- 1881497
TI  - Disappearance of autoantibody-induced haemolysis after excision of a malignant
      thymoma.
AB  - An 82-yr-old woman presenting with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia was found to
      have a malignant thymoma. A mild, largely compensated, haemolytic anaemia was
      observed for 5 weeks; steroid therapy was not instituted. Subsequent excision of
      the thymoma was followed by prompt and permanent (3-yr follow-up) disappearance
      of the haemolysis. To date, only two such case reports have been published. In
      both cases, however, the haemolysis did not abate until some months after
      excision of the thymoma and subsequent administration of corticosteroids. The
      history presented here serves to illustrate the intimate relationship between
      thymomas and certain autoimmune diseases.

PMID- 1881498
TI  - Nontuberculous mycobacterial sternal osteomyelitis in a patient without
      predisposing condition.
AB  - A woman is reported with a ten-year history of nonspecific chest pain. Bone
      scintigraphy showed increased local uptake, suggesting isolated sternal
      osteomyelitis. Radiographic investigations were positive 18 months later.
      Cultures of needle aspirations of the sternal bone marrow isolated Mycobacterium
      fortuitum as well as Mycobacterium simiae. Due to its indolent nature,
      nontuberculous mycobacterial disease is easily missed, especially in non
      compromised hosts.

PMID- 1881499
TI  - Paradoxical response of intracranial tuberculomas during chemotherapy: an
      immunologic phenomenon?
AB  - Intracranial tuberculomas are rare in developed countries, occurring mostly in
      non-Caucasian patients. We describe a white Dutch patient with miliary
      tuberculosis, who was noted to have intracranial tuberculomas on computed
      tomographic scanning. During antituberculous chemotherapy the systemic
      tuberculosis was responding satisfactorily, while intracranial tuberculomas
      developed or enlarged. Although this caused anxiety and led to some changes in
      chemotherapy, the lesions eventually disappeared. Possible mechanisms of this
      paradoxical response are discussed.

PMID- 1881500
TI  - Fulminant hepatic failure: to transplant or not to transplant.
AB  - Despite progress in intensive care regimens and the introduction of various
      hepatic support procedures, the survival rate for fulminant hepatic failure
      remained around 20%. In the past few years, orthotopic liver transplantation has
      increased the survival rate to more than 50% and thus is generally considered the
      treatment of choice. However, since about 20% of the patients on standard therapy
      recover spontaneously, not all patients presenting with fulminant hepatic failure
      should undergo transplantation immediately. Therefore attempts should be made to
      identify the patients with "potentially reversible" liver disease in an early
      phase. In this article strategies for deciding which therapy fits the individual
      patient are proposed. The decision "to transplant or not to transplant" should be
      based on residual functioning liver-cell mass (e.g. factor V is less or greater
      than 15%), the presence or absence of systemic complications such as lactic
      acidosis and renal failure and the aetiology of the liver disease (e.g.
      reversible causes such as viral hepatitis B and irreversible causes such as
      Wilson's disease). A flow diagram has been constructed.

PMID- 1881501
TI  - Insulin as a cause of sodium retention and hypertension.

PMID- 1881503
TI  - A prospective study of untunnelled subclavian vein catheters in hematooncology
      patients.
AB  - In patients with hematological malignancies, we prospectively evaluated the use
      of untunnelled subclavian vein catheters placed either for short term
      chemotherapy (48 episodes) or for long-term intensive supportive care during
      pancytopenia (152 episodes). The 200 catheters were placed in 88 different
      patients. There were 2 placement failures and 2 cases of minor pneumothorax. In 4
      episodes ecchymoses and in 1 uncontrollable bleeding from the exit site occurred.
      The mean time to removal was 25.6 days (range 0-149). There was 1 exit site
      infection and 26 periods of septicemia, of which 8 were considered catheter
      associated. All infections responded to appropriate treatment. Irreversible
      obstruction occurred in 4 and dislodgement in another 4 episodes out of a total
      number of 11 failures. Patient acceptance was high although repeated placements
      were frequently undertaken for successive periods of treatment and supportive
      care. With meticulous sterile techniques of placement and catheter care it seems
      that untunnelled subclavian vein catheters are reliable and safe in
      hematooncology.

PMID- 1881502
TI  - Effects of a new effervescent cimetidine formulation on gastric acidity in
      healthy subjects.
AB  - The effect of a new effervescent formulation of 800 mg cimetidine on intragastric
      acidity was studied in 10 fasting healthy male volunteers. Using a randomised,
      cross-over design, the effect of this new cimetidine formulation was compared
      with that of a standard dose of a liquid aluminium/magnesium hydroxide antacid
      (Maalox). Intragastric pH was continuously monitored with a combination glass
      electrode and a digital data recorder. After a baseline period of 1 h the effect
      of the drugs was studied for 5 h. Both drugs increased the intragastric pH
      instantaneously, but the effect of Maalox ceased after 45.3 +/- 31.0 min (mean +/
      SD), whereas that of effervescent cimetidine persisted for the entire 5 hr study
      period. Time with pH greater than 3.5, time with pH greater than 2, greater than
      3, greater than 4, greater than 5 and greater than 6, and areas under the pH-time
      curves were significantly (P less than 0.001) higher for effervescent cimetidine
      than for Maalox. It is concluded that the new cimetidine formulation studied
      effectively combines, at least in healthy male volunteers, the immediate effect
      of a pH buffer with the prolonged systemic effect of an H2 blocker.

PMID- 1881504
TI  - Legionella pneumonia complicated by adult respiratory distress syndrome.
AB  - Two patients with sporadic Legionella pneumonia complicated by adult respiratory
      distress syndrome (ARDS) are described. Details about the clinical course and
      follow-up of their chest films are provided. The outcome in both patients was
      favourable. Literature concerning Legionella pneumonia complicated by ARDS is
      reviewed.

PMID- 1881505
TI  - Prolonged fever and pyuria: an uncommon manifestation of Q fever.
AB  - A patient with Q fever is described who had been ill for a year before the
      diagnosis was made on the basis of serological data. In addition it was possible
      to isolate Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent by culture from the urine. This
      is very exceptional and is to our knowledge only the second case in which this
      has been achieved. The patient made a full recovery after lengthy treatment with
      tetracycline. Q fever should be considered in patients with pyrexia of unknown
      origin, particularly in travellers.

PMID- 1881506
TI  - Behcet's syndrome treated with colchicine.

PMID- 1881507
TI  - Development of a vaccine against AIDS: state of the art.

PMID- 1881508
TI  - Methylprednisolone pulse therapy in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.
AB  - Twenty-five patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) were
      treated with methylprednisolone (MP) pulse therapy (1 g intravenously on 3
      successive days). In all patients renal biopsy was done before or just after the
      start of therapy. Pulse therapy was used in all patients in combination with a
      low oral maintenance dose of prednisone. In 21 patients additional
      immunosuppressive treatment was given, either cyclophosphamide (n = 19) or
      azathioprine (n = 2); in 2 patients plasmapheresis was also applied. Sixteen of
      the 25 patients were dialysis-dependent at presentation; 11 of them improved, an
      additional 3 had a temporary recovery, but needed maintenance renal replacement
      therapy after 5-46 months, mean 22 months. Nine of the 25 patients were not
      dialysis-dependent, 6 of them improved, an additional one had a temporary
      recovery, but needed chronic dialysis after 35 months. When many irreversible
      glomerular lesions were present, the effectiveness of MP pulse therapy was
      limited or only of a temporary character. Serious side effects did not occur. In
      conclusion MP pulse therapy is a successful treatment with minimal adverse
      reactions in patients with RPGN and active histological lesions.

PMID- 1881509
TI  - [Aneurysmal temporal bone cyst. Apropos of 2 new cases].
AB  - Aneurysmal bone cyst is a well known lesion on the metaphyse of lung tubular
      bones or on the spine. Unusually, it is detected on the skull and more rarely
      again on the temporal bone. The authors, talking about the eleven cases they have
      found in the literature and two recent personal cases, try to describe the main
      diagnostic dates of this temporal lesion which one has never known if it is a
      real tumor or a reactional dystrophic pseudotumor secondary to an intrabone
      circulatory incident, perhaps a phlebitis. As for all other locations, these
      temporal bone forms are more frequently encountered among adolescents or young
      adults and, because their blowing bone effect, give clinical signs which directly
      result from their aggressive behavior on the surrounding structures, in this
      particular location: temporal fossa swelling, otologic, ophthalmologic or
      stomatologic symptoms, facial or trigeminal nerves troubles and rarely central
      neurological signs. On CT-scan, it appears as a space-occupying lesion located in
      the temporal fossa, with a blowing bone aspect, with intracranial and
      infratemporal expansions. This CT scan lesion is heterogeneous and contrast
      enhanced except in its center which is hypodense, as a cyst. The MRI shows
      comparable pictures. Its total excision, made easier by a preoperative
      embolization, gives a total and definitive recovery.

PMID- 1881510
TI  - [Treatment of chronic hydrocephalus in adults by lumboperitoneal shunt. Results
      and indications apropos of 82 cases].
AB  - Patients with chronic hydrocephalus are most often aged people and in bad general
      condition. It seems that treatment may be more simplest possible and the less
      iatrogenic. Furthermore, the diagnosis of chronic hydrocephalus is not often
      certain, and can be generally assert after the good result of the CSF shunting.
      Since 1985, when hydrocephalus appears communicant, a lumboperitoneal shunt was
      systematically implanted in the aim to decrease the number of complications due
      to ventricular shunts. The operation can be performed on neuroloptanalgesia
      and/or local anesthesia. Post-operative orthostatic intracranial hypotension can
      be prevented by using valves with opening pressure varying with the position or
      valves with a flow depending of the opening pressure. Our clinical series
      includes 82 patients (51 males and 31 females), aged from 27 to 88 years (average
      55 years). In 47 cases, hydrocephalus was idiopathic and in 35 cases
      hydrocephalus was secondary to an identified aetiology: subarachnoid or
      intracranial hemorrhage (20 cases), post-traumatic (11 cases), post meningitic (1
      case) and post anoxic (1 case). In this last case, physiopathological mechanism
      was unclear. The middle delay between the first symptom and the operation was
      greater than 6 months for the majority of observations, but in few cases, precoce
      shunting was performed (between 1 to 3 months) in post S.A.H. and post traumatic
      hydrocephalus when C.T. Scan shows increasing ventricular size. Clinical results
      are evaluated after 2 months and at long term, and complications analysed. The
      lumbo-peritoneal shunt gives same results on the clinical symptoms, and less
      iatrogenic complications than ventricular shunts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1881511
TI  - [Vertebro-dural arteriovenous fistulae of the foramen magnum with perimedullary
      venous drainage].
AB  - Two cases of dural arteriovenous fistulae of the foramen magnum with
      perimedullary venous drainage are reported. Their arterial component was a dural
      branch of a vertebral artery. The localization and the origin of these fistulae
      appeared very uncommon but could be explained by the embryogenesis of the
      vertebral arteries, of which the third portion corresponds to the first cervical
      radicular artery. The first patient had signs and symptoms usually described in
      this disease, but the second presented a subarachnoid haemorrhage with neither
      motor and sensory deficit not sphincter disturbance. Myelographic findings,
      M.R.I. abnormalities and treatment of these rare dural arteriovenous
      malformations are discussed.

PMID- 1881512
TI  - [Emergency preoperative embolization using coils of ruptured sylvian aneurysm.
      Apropos of a case].
AB  - The authors report a case of a 73 year old patient who presented with a right
      temporal lobe hematoma secondary to rupture of a right middle cerebral artery
      bifurcation aneurysm. Treatment consisted of partial thrombosis of the aneurysm
      by the endovascular introduction of metallic coils followed by surgical hematoma
      evacuation and aneurysm clipping. Thrombus of the aneurysm done probably
      diminished the risk of intraoperative rupture. Partial endovascular treatment has
      a very small risk and may be done on a emergency basis at the same time as the
      diagnostic arteriogram. It can also be suggested for patients in poor condition
      to diminish the risk of recurrent hemorrhage until the patient is well enough to
      undergo definitive surgical clipping.

PMID- 1881513
TI  - [Intra-orbital hydatid cyst. An uncommon site of hydatidosis. Discussion apropos
      of a recent case].
AB  - The authors present an observation of intraorbital hydatid cyst. They review the
      literature and discuss the main data of such a rare lesion. Hydatid cyst should
      be systematically evoked in any case of tumoral exophthalmia developed in a young
      patient, particularly if he comes from an endemic country. The pre-operative
      diagnosis relies on the confrontation between clinical and echographical data,
      and C.T.-scan imaging. The only treatment is surgery. A puncture performed at the
      beginning of the surgical procedure will confirm the diagnosis. In fact, it
      should be indicated for every intra-orbital neoplasm observed in a country of
      endemicity, mostly when the preoperative diagnosis is difficult, that is when no
      C.T.-scan or echography are at disposal. The infectious prognosis is excellent;
      but the functional one depends on the precocity of surgery and remains reserved
      in most cases.

PMID- 1881514
TI  - Genotype differences in catecholamine concentrations in hypothalamus, intramedial
      hyperstriatum ventrale, and optic tectum of newly hatched chicks.
AB  - This study was designed to compare catecholamine concentrations among three brain
      areas of four pureline populations of visually isolated chicks. The purelines
      used were a commercial male line, a fertility selected line, an unselected
      fertility control line, and unselected White Jersey Giants. In general, male
      chicks had significantly larger brain weights than females. Six catecholamine
      related compounds (norepinephrine, epinephrine, L-DOPA, dopamine, DOPAC, and
      MHPG) were measured via HPLC-ECD. No significant differences in neurochemical
      concentration were observed for any line or brain area due to sex of the chick.
      The hypothalamus (HT) contained the greatest concentration of catecholamines in
      all lines, followed by the intramedial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV) and optic
      tectum (OT). The HT exhibited consistent lateralization in all lines with the
      right HT containing ca. 30% more catecholamines than the left HT. While no
      consistent lateralization was observed among the other brain areas, the IMHV
      exhibited significantly different degrees of lateralization among the
      populations. Neuronal activity, as measured by MHPG:NE and DOPAC:DA ratio varied
      by line within each brain area. There were line differences for MHPG:NE in the
      HT, IMHV, and OT, while line differences for DOPAC:DA were observed in the HT.
      Since differences among purelines have been demonstrated in this study, care must
      be given to precisely define the genotype of chicks used in behavioral and
      neurochemical research.

PMID- 1881517
TI  - The thirty-third annual meeting of the Japanese Neurochemical Society. Hiroshima
      City, October 24-26, 1990. Abstracts.

PMID- 1881515
TI  - The phylogenic expression of plasmolipin in the vertebrate nervous system.
AB  - Plasmolipin is a plasma membrane proteolipid is a major myelin membrane component
      (Cochary et al., 1990). In this study we report the phylogenic expression of
      plasmolipin in the vertebrate nervous system. Using Western blot analysis with
      polyclonal antibodies, we have analyzed membrane fractions, including myelin,
      from elasmobranchs, teleosts, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. On the
      basis of immune detection, plasmolipin appears to be restricted to the mammalian
      nervous system. Comparison of the central and peripheral nervous systems of
      mammals showed only minor differences in the level of plasmolipin in these two
      regions. Within mammals, little quantitative differences were observed when rat,
      human and bovine membrane fractions were compared. The late evolutionary
      expression of plasmolipin which results in its restriction to mammals makes it
      unique among the (major) myelin proteins. The potential physiologic significance
      of these data are discussed.

PMID- 1881518
TI  - [Neurovascular cross-compression as a cause of severe vertigo and surgical
      treatment].

PMID- 1881516
TI  - GABA synthesis in brain slices is dependent on glutamine produced in astrocytes.
AB  - The rate of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis in rat-brain slices was
      determined by inhibiting GABA transaminase with 20-microM gabaculine and
      measuring the increase of GABA. Added 500-microM glutamine increased the rate of
      GABA synthesis by 50%, indicating that glutamate decarboxylase is not saturated
      in brain slices. The stimulation of GABA synthesis with added glutamine in brain
      slices was much less than that reported for synaptosomes. The lower stimulation
      in slices was attributable to astrocytic glutamine production, as the rate of
      GABA synthesis decreased by 44% when glutamine production was inhibited with
      methionine sulfoximine. Added glutamine restored the rate to the maximal value
      observed in brain slices. The rate of GABA synthesis was decreased by 65% in
      slices pretreated with an inhibitor of glutaminase, and added glutamine did not
      reverse this effect. These results suggest that glutamine produced by astrocytes
      is a quantitatively important precursor of GABA synthesis in cortical slices.

PMID- 1881519
TI  - [Intraoperative lumbar injection of Ringer's solution for surgical treatment of
      chronic subdural hematomas].
AB  - A series of 64 patients underwent surgical treatment for chronic subdural
      hematomas between 1980 and 1989. The procedure consisted of a single burr-hole,
      irrigation of the hematoma without subdural drainage and lumbar intrathecal
      injection of Ringer's solution. Irrigation was carried out until the washing was
      clear and the injection was continued until the brain was in contact with the
      edge of the burr-hole. Excellent outcome was achieved in 53 patients (82.8% of
      the total). Two of the patients died, thus making a 3.1% mortality rate. Such
      complications as tension pneumocephalus and intracerebral hematoma were not
      observed and no patient had a recurrence.

PMID- 1881520
TI  - [Clinicopathological study of meningiomas of the tentorium and its surrounding
      structures].
AB  - We report the clinical features, radiological studies, operative procedures and
      results, and follow-up data in 29 patients with meningiomas of the tentorium and
      its surrounding structures. The cases represented 22.5% of all the intracranial
      meningiomas operated on in a 15 year period and were divided into three groups,
      depending on their main attachments, tentorial, cerebellopontine angle (dorsal
      aspect of the petrous ridge) and others. Tumor size was generally large and 13
      cases were larger than 5 cm. The most common tumor site was along or near the
      superior petrosal sinus and transverse-sigmoid junction in cases involving the
      tentorium, and medial to the porus acousticus in cases involving the
      cerebellopontine angle. Different operative approaches to these tumors were
      carried out, depending on their location. The tumors in the lateral or medial
      petrous ridge were approached mainly with a suboccipital craniectomy using a
      retromastoid incision. Total removal was carried out in 80% of the tentorial
      cases, in 46.2% of cerebellopontine angle cases, and in the 83.3% in the others.
      Total operative mortality rate was zero. Follow-up periods ranged up to 5 years 5
      months in the tentorial cases, 4 years 6 months in cerebellopontine angle cases,
      and 7 years 1 month in the others. Long-term results were good in 21 cases
      (72.4%), fair in 3 cases (10.3%) and poor in 2 (6.9%). Three patients died due to
      tumor recurrence. One of them suffered lung metastasis, and two of them suffered
      extensive local recurrences. We recommend the retromastoid approach combined with
      the petrosal approach, if the CPA tumor is large enough and extends to the
      retroclival region.

PMID- 1881521
TI  - [Treatment for serious cases of ruptured intracranial aneurysms with severe
      subarachnoid clot].
AB  - Forty-one serious cases of ruptured intracranial aneurysms with severe
      subarachnoid clot were clinically analyzed, with special emphasis on the
      prognosis, pathophysiology, and surgical indications. All cases had thick
      subarachnoid clot without concurrent intracerebral hematoma and/or
      intraventricular hematoma causing mass signs on the CT scan. In this series, 23
      cases underwent radical surgery while in the acute stage, 18 cases were treated
      conservatively (including 5 cases treated only by continuous ventricular
      drainage). The criterion for determining the degree of severity was defined as
      either a "semicoma" or "coma" state just prior to radical surgery for the
      radically-operated group, with the same designations for the conservative group
      at their time of admission. All patients except two in the conservatively-treated
      group died due to primary brain damage caused by massive subarachnoid hemorrhage.
      The two remaining cases died from other complications. On the other hand, the
      outcome for the 23 surgically-treated patients was as follows: Three (13%) fully
      recovered; three (13%) were capable of self-management; eight (34.8%) were
      partially or fully dependent. Nine (39.1%), died. In the radically-treated group,
      pre-operative factors that might predict clinical outcome were investigated.
      Those factors were the neurological grade, the brain-stem response, the response
      after the rapid administration of 20% Mannitol (300-900 ml), and the length of
      time from the last bleeding episode to the time that radical surgery was
      performed. It was recognized that there was no relationship between the
      neurological grade just prior to radical surgery and the outcomes in the serious
      cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881522
TI  - [Effect of X-rays combined with ACNU and O6-ethylguanine on rat subcutaneous
      gliomas].
AB  - Rat gliomas of subcutaneously transplanted RGc-6 cells were irradiated with X-ray
      either alone, or combined with ACNU, and the cell-survival was assayed in vitro.
      Cell-survival curve composed of two components by X-irradiation alone indicated
      the presence of a hypoxic cell fraction. We have previously shown that combined
      treatment with ACNU apparently made the effect of X-ray on spheroids in vitro of
      the same cell line of RGc-6 more powerful. Although treatment of rat gliomas with
      ACNU administered at 2 hrs prior to X-irradiation was most effective, it resulted
      in only the additive effect of the independent action of the two agents. Further
      treatment by O6-ethylguanine prior to ACNU administration and X-irradiation
      apparently increased the strength of the effect of ACNU combined with X-ray to
      the dose-modifying factor for X-ray of 1.8. The result indicated that the
      combination of O6-ethylguanine prior to ACNU administration and X-irradiation may
      clinically enhance the effect of X-ray against apparent ACNU-resistant glioma
      cells such as RGc-6 cells.

PMID- 1881523
TI  - [Efficacy and some complications of programmable pressure valve].
AB  - Twenty-five patients with hydrocephalus were treated using Sophy programmable
      pressure valve. The valve pressure is adjustable percutaneously with a magnet.
      This valve was very useful for management cases presenting overdrainage and high
      risk cases of shunt dysfunction such as aqueductal stenosis and idiopathic normal
      pressure hydrocephalus. It was also useful for hydrocephalus after subarachnoid
      hemorrhage because it was difficult to know the most adequate pressure before the
      shunt operation. Two patients developed acute subdural hematoma of arterial
      origin after the shunt operation. The causative factor appeared to be low
      intracranial pressure and rupture of small arterial branches. This complication
      may be more frequent in cases using this system than in cases using other
      systems. We must pay attention to this complication and it is necessary to
      improve the shunt system. One bed-ridden patient developed necrosis of the skin
      because of this valve, and it had to be removed. We should place this valve so
      that it is at the anterior of the chest.

PMID- 1881524
TI  - [Persistent primitive proatlantal intersegmental artery (PPPIA) presenting with
      cerebral infarction].
AB  - A case of persistent primitive proatlantal intersegmental artery (PPPIA) is
      reported. A 65-year-old male with treated hypertension was admitted to our clinic
      complaining of dysarthria and hemiparesis of sudden onset two days after the
      ictus. CT revealed spotty low-density lesions in the left corona radiata and
      bilateral thalami with bilateral watershed infarction. MRI findings were also
      compatible with cerebral infarction. Left common carotid angiography demonstrated
      a large anastomosis between the external carotid artery and the vertebral artery
      at the proatlantal region. Neither of the vertebral arteries were visualized on
      digital subtraction aortography. All the blood circulation of the vertebro
      basilar system was through this anastomotic artery (PPPIA). A flow study revealed
      hypoperfusion in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery on 133Xe SPECT.
      Bone window CT of cervical vertebrae revealed hypoplasia of the left transverse
      foramen in C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 vertebrae. This case is very suggestive of an
      anaplasia or hypoplasia of the vertebral arteries. The etiology of his left
      frontal infarction seemed to be a blood-stealing phenomenon of long standing,
      from the anterior to the posterior circulation through the PPPIA.

PMID- 1881525
TI  - [P3 portion aneurysm of the posterior cerebral artery; a case report].
AB  - A case was reported of surgically treated saccular aneurysm located at the right
      posterior temporoparietooccipital artery junction (P3 portion of PCA). An
      aneurysm of this portion is said to be rare, and only 7 cases have been described
      so far. A 74-year-old female was transferred to our clinic, after 3, 5 months of
      sustaining aneurysmal rupture, for surgical treatment. The patient had been
      treated conservatively because of her severe condition in the early stage. She
      was in nearly apallic state with left hemiparesis at the time of admission to our
      clinic. During the acute stage of her illness, moderate hematoma in the right
      ambient cistern without hydrocephalus, and an aneurysm at P3 portion of the right
      posterior cerebral artery with marked arteriosclerosis were delineated by CT, and
      by right vertebral angiography respectively. However, in the CT taken 3, 5 months
      after the onset, moderate hydrocephalus and a low density area in the right
      internal capsule were detected. Aneurysmal neck clipping was performed using the
      right posterior subtemporal approach, without any deformity of the parent
      arteries. Occlusion of the right parietooccipital artery occurred, however,
      probably on the 2nd postoperative day. Despite the newly developed left
      homonymous hemianopsia, general condition, including consciousness level,
      improved postoperatively particularly after the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was
      carried out.

PMID- 1881526
TI  - [Vertebral dissecting aneurysm treated with trapping and bilateral posterior
      inferior cerebellar artery side-to side anastomosis; case report].
AB  - A case is reported of ruptured dissecting aneurysm of the intracranial vertebral
      artery (VA) operated on with VA trapping and bilateral posterior inferior
      cerebellar artery (PICA) side-to-side anastomosis. A 42-year-old male suddenly
      developed severe headache and vomiting. On admission, 3 hours later, he was in a
      state of moderate confusion (Japan Coma Scale 3) and had neck stiffness. Computed
      tomography (CT) revealed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage, especially thick in the
      posterior fossa with right side dominance. Right vertebral angiography disclosed
      a fusiform dilatation with proximal narrowing of the right VA which originated
      just proximal to the VA-PICA junction. Lateral suboccipital craniectomy was
      undertaken with the patient in a left park bench position. Right VA was dilated
      and discolored black, and right PICA arose from the proximal portion of this
      aneurysmal dilatation. Since it was impossible to clip the VA distal to the PICA
      for the proximal clip-occlusion, the VA including the VA-PICA junction was
      trapped. Considering the risk of developing infarction at the PICA territory,
      bilateral PICA was anastomosed at their posterior medullary segment in a side-to
      side fashion because the occipital artery (OA) had been cut at the skin incision
      and could not be used for the OA-PICA anastomosis. The postoperative course was
      benign, but a mild lateral medullary syndrome developed. CT revealed no abnormal
      low density area and left vertebral angiography demonstrated the patency of the
      bypass. Thereafter, the deficit subsided gradually and the patient was
      discharged. He is presently working without neurological deficit.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881527
TI  - [A case of successfully removed posttraumatic high flow dural arteriovenous
      fistula in the posterior fossa].
AB  - A 49-year-old male patient was admitted to Ryukyu University Hospital complaining
      chiefly of progressive loss of mental activity for one year. He had a history of
      head trauma at the right retromastoid region when he was 24. Generalized
      convulsions developed three years later, and left exophthalmos, facial varix and
      impairment of visual acuity developed seven years later. Dural arteriovenous
      fistula of the posterior fossa was diagnosed at the age of 32, and feeding EC and
      tentorial arteries were successively ligated on the right several times without
      any effect. Angiography during this admission revealed tremendous collateral
      flows; a marked dilated tortuous occipital artery fed from the right vertebral
      artery, meningeal branches of VA and PICA, the marginal tentorial artery, and the
      posterior temporal artery from MCA, PCA were drained into the right transverse
      sinus. But transverse sinuses were occluded bilaterally, and venous outflows were
      directed to the superior sagittal sinus retrograde via the ascending cortical
      vein, Trolard veins, and sphenoparietal and cavernous sinuses. The final drainer
      was the superior ophthalmic vein on the left. Normal deep veins were not visible.
      In park bench position, the nidus was totally resected with a part of the
      transverse and thrombosed sigmoid sinus. Postoperative course was uneventful, and
      an angiogram showed complete disappearance of the AVF. Dural AVG in the posterior
      fossa with characteristics such as high flow, and which is rich in collaterals
      following palliative treatment indicates that total surgical resection should be
      undertaken.

PMID- 1881528
TI  - [A case report of adjacent tumor of sphenoid ridge meningioma and GH producing
      pituitary adenoma].
AB  - A case of sphenoid ridge meningioma and pituitary adenoma adjacent in the brain
      is reported. A 70-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with headache. She
      had no neurological deficit but did have acromegalic change. Hormonal examination
      showed elevation of plasma levels of HGH (19.0 ng/ml), with normal levels of the
      other hormones. CT examination revealed a tumor with calcification in the inner
      third of the sphenoid ridge and another in the pituitary fossa with suprasellar
      expansion. MRI showed flow void of ICA between these tumors. Intensity of the T1
      weighted image of the tumor in the sphenoid ridge was homogeneously iso
      intensity, and low intensity in the pituitary fossa. The diagnosis of adjacent
      tumors in the sphenoid ridge meningioma and pituitary adenoma had been made
      preoperatively. Left front-temporal craniotomy and removal of these tumors were
      performed. These tumors were close to each other, but were separated by the
      internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery. Pathological examination
      demonstrated meningotheliomatous meningioma in the sphenoid ridge and sparsely
      granulated somatotroph adenoma in the pituitary fossa. Fourteen cases showing
      association of meningioma and pituitary adenoma, which had no history of
      radiation and trauma, have been reported previously. Although GH producing
      pituitary adenoma may stimulate adjacent dura and arachnoid cells resulting in
      the formation of meningioma, the possibility of coincidental occurrence of the
      two tumors cannot be ignored.

PMID- 1881529
TI  - [A case of C2 neurinoma suffering syncopal episodes].
AB  - A 32-year-old male had a 4-year history of episodes of loss of consciousness.
      These episodes occurred several seconds after he would turn his head 60 degrees
      to the left, and had increased in frequency at the time previous to the operation
      he underwent. MRI revealed a round mass on the right side between the atlas and
      the axis. Cerebral angiography demonstrated that the right vertebral artery (VA)
      was occluded at the transverse foramen of the axis with the head rotated toward
      the left. The left VA was hypoplastic and no posterior communicating artery was
      visualized. A lateral surgical approach was performed between the left
      sternocleidomastoid muscle and the internal jugular vein. A yellowish and elastic
      but hard tumor was found to compress the VA. Postoperative MRI and vertebral
      angiography revealed neither residual tumor nor stenosis. Although the VA is
      frequently compressed by cervical tumors, only a few cases have been reported
      with tumors whose initial symptom was vertebro-basilar insufficiency. On the
      other hand, symptomatic stenotic change in the VA due to head movement can occur
      at the atlanto-axial joint and is named "bow hunter's stroke". In this case, flow
      of the VA was measured with an ultrasonic flowmeter after the tumor was removed.
      As the flow proved to change little during head rotation, additional
      decompression procedures such as removal of the transverse processes were judged
      unnecessary. Intraoperative arterial flow measurement has been found to be quite
      useful for evaluating the actual effect of surgical procedures.

PMID- 1881530
TI  - Molecular graphics applied to 5-HT3 ligands.
AB  - The recent surge of scientific interest in 5-hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptors
      can be attributed largely to the rapid increase in the number of potent and
      selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The availability of a large variety of
      chemically diverse 5-HT3 compounds allows for a unique opportunity to apply
      computer-based modelling techniques to the analysis of the 5-HT3 receptor
      pharmacophore. The present review summarises recent studies performed in this
      laboratory. The primary goal of these studies was to elucidate the chemical
      requirements needed for molecular recognition at the 5-HT3 receptor binding site.
      A secondary goal was to determine if this type of molecular information could be
      assessed using computerised chemical databases.

PMID- 1881532
TI  - Functional role of brain CCK receptors.

PMID- 1881531
TI  - Distribution patterns of CCK and CCK mRNA in some neuronal and non-neuronal
      tissues.
AB  - Mutt and Jorpes (49) originally isolated cholecystokinin (CCK) from porcine
      intestine. Subsequently, it was recognized that CCK/gastrin-like material could
      be found in the rat brain (74), and it was later shown mainly to represent the C
      terminal octapeptide (CCK-8) (2, 12-14, 48, 54, 55). These radioimmunoassay
      studies have been supplemented by numerous immunohistochemical investigations
      showing extensive CCK immunoreactive neuron systems in the brain and spinal cord
      (20, 26, 27, 31, 37, 40, 42, 44, 72, 75, 76). During recent years several groups
      have employed in situ hybridisation and radioactively labelled probes
      complementary to CCK mRNA and partly confirmed results from immunohistochemical
      studies but also revealed new interesting findings (3, 5, 6, 30, 41, 58, 64-66,
      77). Several lines of evidence indicate that CCK-8 may act as a neurotransmitter
      or neuromodulator in many areas of the central nervous system. The development of
      new CCK antagonists has opened up new possibilities to understand the functional
      significance of CCK peptides in the neurons and other systems. The aim of the
      present article is to briefly review the distribution of some of the CCK systems
      and in this way define possible targets for these new types of drugs. Focus will
      be on cerebral cortex in view of the theme of the meeting, anxiety, on spinal
      cord as a basis for discussion of CCK and pain, and finally CCK/gastrin peptides
      in sperm will be discussed. The question of coexistence of CCK and dopamine in
      mesencephalic neurons is reviewed in a parallel article (28).

PMID- 1881533
TI  - Development of CCK-B antagonists.
AB  - Our approach to design small molecule non-peptide analogues of the neuropeptide
      cholecystokinin (CCK) has led to the discovery of the CCK-B antagonist
      'dipeptoids'. A representative member of this series of compounds, PD134308 [R
      (R*,R*)]-4-[[2-[[3-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-oxo-2- [[(tricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]dec
      2-yloxy)carbonyl]amino]propyl] amino]-1-phenylethyl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid has
      high affinity (Ki = 1.7 nM) and selectivity for the CCK-B receptor (CCK-A/B ratio
      is 2500:1), is well absorbed and shows robust anxiolytic properties in several
      anxiogenic models in a dose related manner by both s.c. and oral routes of
      administration over the dose range 0.1-30 mg/Kg. The rational design of these
      dipeptoids from CCK 26-33 has involved the identification of the non-contiguous
      dipeptide fragment of CCK, Boc-Trp-Phe-NH2 with low micromolar affinity in
      binding assays. This dipeptide has been systematically chemically modified at the
      N- and C-terminal to increase CCK-B binding affinity 10,000-fold. These
      modifications include replacement of the L-tryptophan moiety by the non
      genetically coded D-alpha-methyltryptophan residue. The modifications also
      enhance the stability of the molecule towards enzymatic and acid degradation and
      increase overall lipophilicity compared with the peptide in order to facilitate
      penetration of the blood-brain barrier.

PMID- 1881534
TI  - Percutaneous reposition of dislodged coils in the treatment of a vertebral
      arteriovenous fistula--with CT follow-up.
AB  - We report a case of vertebral arteriovenous fistula in which embolization was
      complicated by migration of two coils and a partially inflated balloon. In order
      to relieve compression to the spinal cord, the displaced balloon was punctured
      percutaneously. For both relieving compression to the spinal cord and
      obliterating the residual fistula, the dislodged coils in the partially
      thrombosed epidural venous sinus were removed percutaneously and placed in the
      fistula, and more coils were implanted in the fistula percutaneously through the
      needle. CT follow-up half a year later showed complete resolution of compression
      of the spinal cord and complete recovery from myelopathy was clinically apparent.

PMID- 1881535
TI  - Extended use of cranial CT in the evaluation of patients with stroke and
      transient ischaemic attacks.
AB  - The hypothesis was explored that patterns of ischaemic brain damage shown by CT
      may be of greater value in estimating the relevance of angiographic stenosis in
      the carotico-vertebral arteries in some patients than presenting clinical
      features. Five angiographic and six CT abnormalities were defined and charted
      independently in a blinded manner in 312 patients whom clinical features and
      subsequent management were known. Charts were combined for statistical analysis.
      Statistically significant associations were found between two types of CT lesion
      and angiographic abnormalities, but these were present in only 18% of cases. The
      distribution of clinical features did not differ significantly within this subset
      compared to the whole population, from which it was concluded that the hypothesis
      was upheld. Furthermore significantly more patients in this subset were subjected
      to carotid endarterectomy, suggesting that management decisions may have been
      modulated by CT findings in some patients.

PMID- 1881536
TI  - Hyperdense middle cerebral artery CT sign. Comparison with angiography in the
      acute phase of ischemic supratentorial infarction.
AB  - The early CT finding of an hyperdensity of a portion of the middle cerebral
      artery Hyperdense Middle Cerebral Artery Sign (HMCAS), in patients with
      supratentorial stroke, is often indicative of an embolic occlusion. Aim of this
      study was to verify the incidence and reliability of the HMCAS and its possible
      correlation with early CT findings and with the extent of late brain damage. We
      studied 36 patients presenting with symptoms of stroke in the MCA territory, by
      means of CT and angiography performed respectively within 4 and 6 hours. Follow
      up CT scans were then obtained after one week and three months from the ischemic
      event. The HMCAS was present in 50% of our patients and in this group it always
      correlated positively with the angiographic finding of occlusion. The same group
      presented a high incidence of early CT hypodensity (88%). Finally the presence of
      HMCAS might be considered a negative prognostic sign for the development of
      extensive brain damage.

PMID- 1881537
TI  - Sex and side differences of cerebral arterial caliber.
AB  - The diameter of 261 middle cerebral and 225 anterior cerebral arteries was
      measured on half axial antero-posterior (ap) view, and the diameter of 217
      internal carotid arteries on side view angiograms. Mean diameter was
      significantly larger by 9.3%, 8.8% and 9.7% respectively in males than in
      females. In the females the vessels of the left hemisphere were wider but not
      significantly so than those of the right hemisphere, and the contrary was true
      for the males. In both sexes the side difference was reversed in the eighth
      decennium. There was no correlation of vessel diameter with age except for a
      statistically significant increase by 7.8% of right middle cerebral artery
      diameter in males from the fifth to the sixth decennium.

PMID- 1881538
TI  - The effect of EC-IC bypass surgery on resting cerebral blood flow and
      cerebrovascular reserve capacity studied with stable XE-CT and acetazolamide
      test.
AB  - Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reserve capacity (CRC) were
      measured by stable xenon computerized tomography (Xe-CT) and acetazolamide test
      in 15 patients with cerebrovascular disease before and after extracranial
      intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery for minor stroke, reversible ischemic
      neurological deficit or transient ischemic attack. All had angiographically shown
      occlusive lesions of the major arterial trunk. In the present series, global
      analysis showed that the bypass did not increase the resting rCBF, but did
      increase the rCRC. We divided the patients into four groups according to the
      preoperative resting rCBF and rCRC. All 3 patients with normal resting rCBF and
      reduced rCRC showed postoperative improvement of rCRC. Of 6 patients with reduced
      CBF and reduced CRC, three had postoperative increase in resting CBF and four had
      increased CRC. One of two patients with reduced CBF and normal CRC showed only an
      increase in CRC. We propose that reduced CRC or reduced CBF with reduced CRC are
      criteria for selection of candidates for bypass surgery. We conclude that Xe-CT
      with the Diamox test is a useful and simple method for evaluating cerebral
      hemodynamics. Preoperative grouping with a combination of preoperative resting
      rCBF and preoperative rCRC is useful for predicting the effect of EC-IC bypass
      surgery.

PMID- 1881539
TI  - MR imaging of intracranial hemorrhage in neonates and infants at 2.35 Tesla.
AB  - The variations of the relative signal intensity and the time dependent changing
      contrast of intracranial hemorrhages on high-field spin-echo magnetic resonance
      images (MRI) were studied in 28 pediatric patients. For T1-weighted images, a
      repetition time (TR) of 500 ms and an echo time (TE) of 30 or 23 ms was used. The
      corresponding times for T2-weighted images were TR 3000 ms and TE 120 ms.
      Intracranial hematomas, less than 3 days old, were iso- to mildly hypointense on
      short TR/TE scans and markedly hypointense on long TR/TE scans (acute stage). In
      the following four days the signal of the hematomas became hyperintense on short
      TR/TE scans, beginning in the periphery and proceeding towards the center. On
      long TR/TE scans the signal remained markedly hypointense (early subacute stage).
      7-14 days old hematomas were of high signal intensity on short TR/TE scans. On
      long TR/TE scans they appeared hypointense in the center and hyperintense in the
      periphery (late subacute stage). By the end of the second week the hematomas were
      of high signal intensity on all pulse sequences (chronic stage). Chronic
      hematomas were surrounded by a parenchymal rim of hypointensity on long TR/TE
      scans. 28 neonates and infants (with 11 follow-up examinations) of 31.5-70.6
      weeks postconceptional age (PCA), with an intracranial hemorrhage were examined.
      The etiologies of the hemorrhages were: asphyxia (17 cases), brain infarct (2),
      thrombocytopenia (1), clotting disorder (1) and unknown origin (7). The aim of
      this study was to describe the appearance of intracranial hemorrhages in neonates
      and infants with MRI at 2.35 Tesla using spine-cho sequences.

PMID- 1881540
TI  - Neuroimaging in lissencephaly type I.
AB  - The CT scan's of 22 patients with lissencephaly type I, a severe developmental
      disorder of the cerebral cortex, were studied. In 6 patients a magnetic resonance
      (MR), scan was also performed. The CT and MR scans of the lissencephaly patients
      were compared to a control group consisting of 49 patients with a normal CT or MR
      scan. In lissencephaly the cortical thickness was always larger than 10 mm, as
      compared to less than 7 mm in the normal situation. In lissencephaly the WSF/DSF
      index (with/depth of the sylvian fissure) was always larger than 0.29, while in
      the normal situation less than 0.25.

PMID- 1881541
TI  - Deep venous drainage in great cerebral vein (vein of Galen) absence and
      malformations.
AB  - We report two types of venous patterns associated with great cerebral vein (vein
      of Galen) absence or unavailability. Developmental venous anomalies or vein of
      Galen arteriovenous malformations (VGAM) serve as an illustrative material. A
      diencephalic pattern that collects the thalamo-striate veins into the tentorial
      sinus is recognized in most VGAM. A telencephalic arrangement connecting the
      striate veins with the rostral afferents to the basal vein is less frequent. Both
      patterns reproduce embryonic stages preceding the development of the great
      cerebral vein, thus confirming Raybaud's hypothesis that in VGAM the pouch is not
      the vein of Galen but the medial vein of the prosencephalon. The prognostic value
      of each pattern can then be appreciated and the therapeutic strategies
      rationalized; some unexplained complications of the venous approach for non
      selected VGAM can thus be avoided.

PMID- 1881542
TI  - A simple technique for head repositioning in CT scanning.
AB  - With conventional CT scans, alterations of morphology on repeated examinations
      can only be appreciated if significant, because identical slice positions are
      impossible to achieve. The authors have developed a simple and accurate method of
      repositioning the head not requiring conventional stereotactic head fixation and
      suitable for the outpatient situation.

PMID- 1881543
TI  - Intradiploic meningiomas. A radiological study of two cases confirmed
      histologically.
AB  - Approximately 1% of meningiomas arise in extradural sites. Intradiploic
      meningiomas form only a very small proportion of this number. They tend to occur
      in young patients. The CT and MRI appearances, although unusual, may be
      characteristic of the condition. We present two cases and describe the CT and MR
      appearance; the latter has not previously been described.

PMID- 1881545
TI  - Delayed epidural hematoma.
AB  - A case of delayed epidural hematoma is described who had an initial computerized
      tomography (CT) scan reported as normal. Repeat CT scan at 48 h demonstrated a
      right temporal epidural hematoma. A skull fracture was not observed
      radiographically or at surgery. The world literature is reviewed and the criteria
      for repeat CT scanning is discussed.

PMID- 1881544
TI  - Intrafrontal sinus primary meningioma.

PMID- 1881547
TI  - Intracranial arachnoid cysts in myotonic dystrophy.
AB  - Clinically apparent brain dysfunction is common in myotonic dystrophy. In a
      sample of fourteen adult patients with the definite form of this disease, brain
      magnetic resonance imaging detected frequent white matter abnormalities and
      ventriculomegaly. In addition, two patients exhibited an intracranial arachnoid
      cyst, a condition of neurosurgical interest that could be related to the
      generalized dysmaturational process present in this disease. Patients with
      myotonic dystrophy deserve a careful screening for brain involvement. Further MRI
      studies should ascertain the actual prevalence of brain anomalies in myotonic
      dystrophy and define the role of this procedure in the workup of this disease.

PMID- 1881546
TI  - Dense epidermoid cyst of the cerebellopontine angle.
AB  - A case of epidermoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle which appeared as a
      hyperdense mass on CT is presented with clinical and radiological features. The
      preoperative tentative diagnosis proved erroneous. The literature is reviewed on
      this exceptionally rare radiological finding of epidermoid cysts and highlights
      of preoperative diagnosis are discussed.

PMID- 1881549
TI  - CT and MR imaging of CNS lymphomatoid granulomatosis.
AB  - The clinical CT and MR imaging features of a pathologically confirmed case of
      lymphomatoid granulomatosis are presented. The disease was clinically confined to
      the central nervous system and the diagnosis was only made after brain biopsy had
      been performed. MR imaging revealed extensive non-confluent regions of white
      matter abnormality. Although uncommon, lymphomatoid granulomatosis should be
      included in the differential diagnosis of causes of periventricular and deep
      white matter lesions, even in the absence of pulmonary lesions. Specific therapy
      may produce clinical regression of disease.

PMID- 1881548
TI  - MRI of subarachnoid dissemination of medulloblastoma.
AB  - We report two cases with subarachnoid dissemination of medulloblastoma depicted
      clearly by Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI. We also demonstrate the superiority of
      Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced MRI over nonenhanced MRI, CT, myelography and
      postmyelographic CT for diagnosing subarachnoid dissemination and for monitoring
      the response to therapy.

PMID- 1881550
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging in familial central diabetes insipidus.
AB  - More detailed examinations of the pituitary gland in central diabetes insipidus
      (CDI) has been possible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Compared to the
      high signal findings in the posterior lobes of normal subjects, the absence of
      such signal in adults and children with primary CDI has been reported. Familial
      CDI is a hereditary form of primary CDI with a variety of clinical expressions
      among affected individuals which is said to be related to varying degrees of an
      arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency. However, the structural correlates have
      yet to be documented by MRI technique. This report describes the pituitary gland
      MRI findings (using a superconducting magnet; 3 mm-slice thickness; spinecho,
      repetition time 400 ms, echo time 25 ms) in five patients in one family with
      familial CDI. A signal of high intensity was detected in the posterior part of
      the pituitary gland in 2 patients but not in 3 others. We concluded that MRI of
      the posterior pituitary lobe in familial CDI seem to vary in members of the same
      family.

PMID- 1881552
TI  - Gadolinium-DTPA MRI in the diagnosis of a patient with leptomeningeal metastasis
      produced by uvular carcinoma.
AB  - A patient with uvular cancer presented with lower limb weakness and paresthesiae,
      headache, neck stiffness and multiple cranial palsies. No malignant cells were
      found on lumbar puncture. CT, and MRI were normal. Gadolinium-DTPA MRI disclosed
      multiple enhancing lesions consistent with leptomeningeal metastases. Gd-DTPA MRI
      is the best technique to demonstrate tumoral meningeal infiltration in cytology
      negative patients suspected of having leptomeningeal metastases.

PMID- 1881551
TI  - Brain SPECT imaging in temporal lobe epilepsy.
AB  - Temporal lobe epilepsy is diagnosed by clinical symptoms and signs and by
      localization of an epileptogenic focus. A brain SPECT study of two patients with
      temporal lobe epilepsy, using 99mTc-HMPAO, was used to demonstrate a perfusion
      abnormality in the temporal lobe, while brain CT and MRI were non-contributory.
      The electroencephalogram, though abnormal, did not localize the diseased area.
      The potential role of the SPECT study in diagnosis and localization of temporal
      lobe epilepsy is discussed.

PMID- 1881553
TI  - Radiation myelopathy: significance of gadolinium-DTPA enhancement in the
      diagnosis.
AB  - We described two cases of chronic progressive radiation myelopathy (CPRM), in
      which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was of great value for the diagnosis.
      Gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) enhancement delineated precise lesions responsible for
      Brown-Sequard syndrome caused by CPRM in both cases. This safe, sensitive
      procedure will be a requisite study in patients who are suspected of CPRM.

PMID- 1881554
TI  - Laryngeal edema, following the injection of iohexol into the subarachnoid space.

PMID- 1881555
TI  - [Syncope due to sinus arrest secondary to marked vagal hypertonus. The role of
      permanent atrial stimulation in revealing associated atrioventricular node
      involvement].
AB  - The authors report a case of a 42-year-old man, with relapsing syncope, related
      to sinus arrest, documented by Holter recording. The clinical investigation, the
      electrophysiological study with autonomic blockade included, have proved normal
      and then an AAI pacemaker has been implanted. Some weeks later, the patient
      reported a lipothymic episode; a Holter recording showed a second degree AV
      block, with normal pacemaker function. A DDD pacemaker has been implanted and in
      the next ten months the patient felt well. The sinus arrest physiopathology, the
      role of the autonomic nervous system and the correct electrostimulation mode have
      been discussed.

PMID- 1881556
TI  - [Post-infarction rupture of the interventricular septum. A report on 2 cases
      studied by color-coded Doppler].
AB  - Rupture of interventricular septum is an infrequent but serious complication of
      acute myocardial infarction. We report the cases of two patients admitted to our
      department for acute myocardial infarction whose clinical course was complicated
      by rupture of the interventricular septum. They died from cardiogenic shock on
      the 13th and 6th days. Two dimensional and color coded echocardiography correctly
      detected the presence and the site of the rupture.

PMID- 1881557
TI  - [Left ventricular function in arterial hypertension in relation to age. The short
      term effects of nicardipine].
AB  - The purpose of this study was to assess the age related effects on left
      ventricular function after acute administration of the calcium-antagonist
      nicardipine. Gated radionuclide left ventriculography was performed before and 90
      min after 40 mg of oral nicardipine in a group of 15 male patients with essential
      hypertension (H), 8 younger (HY) and 7 older (HO) than 60 years, and in a control
      group of 15 male subjects without cardiovascular disease (C), 7 younger (CY) and
      8 older (CO) than 60 years. Baseline ejection fraction (EF) was similar in groups
      H and C, while peak ejection (PER) and peak filling (PFR) rates were lower in
      hypertensive patients as compared to controls. Baseline EF and PER were similar
      in subgroups HY and HO as well as in subgroups CY and CO, while PFR was
      particularly lower in the older hypertensive patients HO. After nicardipine, EF
      PER PFR significantly increased in groups H and C; EF and PER significantly
      increased in subgroups HY HO CY CO, while PFR had a significant increase in
      subgroups HY CY CO, but showed a not significant increase in subgroup HO. After
      nicardipine, the percentage changes of ventricular volume indexes were similar in
      the 4 subgroups; end diastolic volume was unchanged, end systolic volume had a
      clear decrease, stroke volume and cardiac output increased. The hypertensive
      patients had a damaged diastolic ventricular performance, as compared to the
      normal subjects, while EF was near to normal range in groups H and C.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881558
TI  - [The clinico-instrumental evaluation of the efficacy of picotamide in treating
      chronic obstructive arteriopathies of the lower extremities].
AB  - In 25 patients (19 males and 6 females) suffering from chronic arteriopathy of
      lower extremities at Fontaine stage II, the clinical efficacy of picotamide was
      investigated in double blind, cross over placebo-controlled study. Patients were
      assigned randomly to the treatment with placebo or picotamide (900 mg/die) for
      three months and, after 15 days of wash-out, to the treatment with picotamide or
      placebo for the same period. Painfree walking distance and ankle/arm systolic
      pressure ratio improved significantly only during picotamide treatment.
      Laboratory monitoring revealed a significant decrease in platelet aggregation and
      an increase of fibrinogen degradation products only during picotamide treatment.
      Three patients during picotamide treatment referred transient gastrointestinal
      discomfort (nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea); however in no case the treatment was
      suspended because of the appearance of these symptoms. These results indicate
      that picotamide is an effective drug in the management of chronic arteriopathy of
      lower extremities.

PMID- 1881559
TI  - [Maintenance therapy with beta-methyldigoxin in the elderly. A study of 40
      patients].
AB  - The efficacy of beta methyldigoxin was examined in a group of 40 elderly patients
      who had been hospitalised due to congested heart decompensation. A good clinical
      response was obtained in 95.5% of cases with the presence of slight toxic
      phenomena in 2 cases only (4.5%). The paper underlines the excellent
      pharmacokinetic pattern of the substance used in the steady state. Steady state
      digitalemic values were within the acceptable range in 83.76% of cases, whereas
      underdosage and overdosage phenomena were observed in 6.87% and 9.37% of patients
      respectively.

PMID- 1881560
TI  - [The acute treatment of supraventricular tachycardia with endovenous amiodarone].
AB  - In the present study we evaluated 35 patients of both sexes, aged 21-84, with
      newly occurring supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, 19 atrial fibrillation (AF), 6
      atrial flutter (FL) and 10 paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias (PSVT). They
      were treated with a single amiodarone infusion up to two hours after the
      restoration of a stable sinus rhythm or to a maximus dose of 2,400 mg (in 24
      hours). Plasma amiodarone concentration and QTc were measured at the restoration
      of sinus rhythm and twelve hours after the amiodarone withdrawal. Amiodarone
      infusion restored a stable sinus rhythm in all 10 patients of the PSVT group
      (100%), in 5 of the FL group (83%) and in 16 of the AF group (84%). The average
      dose needed to stop PSVT was lesser than for AF and FL (M + SE: 473.3 +/- 36.88
      vs 1842.1 + 259.6 vs 1548.8 +/- 345.5 mg; p less than 0.001). The average plasma
      amiodarone concentration at the restoration of sinus rhythm was 2450.4 +/- 175.9
      SE ng/ml in all the tachyarrhythmias as a whole without any statistically
      significant difference among PSVT, FL and AF. Moreover no correlation exists
      between plasma amiodarone concentrations and the amount of amiodarone infused.
      QTc showed a statistically significant transient lengthening at the restoration
      of sinus rhythm, but not twelve hours after amiodarone withdrawal. In conclusion,
      a single dose of amiodarone is effective and safe in all newly occurring
      supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, without any important side effect and with a
      high therapeutic index in pharmacologic cardioversion as alternative treatment to
      cardioversion.

PMID- 1881561
TI  - [Abdominal aortic aneurysm and horseshoe kidney. Clinical cases].
AB  - The concomitance of horseshoe kidney and abdominal aortic aneurysm is rare but
      represents an interesting challenge for vascular surgeons. The trouble is greater
      if the diagnosis is formulated intraoperatively and specially if it is an
      emergency operation for aortic rupture or fissuration. The surgeon's aim is to
      get to the aneurysm collar without damaging the kidney, the renal arteries or the
      urinary tract that often have an anomalous development. The authors make a review
      of the literature and describe three cases occurred out of 2558 prosthetic
      reconstructions due to abdominal aortic aneurysm.

PMID- 1881562
TI  - [Cervical endoscopy for rational colposcopic evaluation].
AB  - Having analysed the results of a large series of patients, the Authors propose
      endocervical examination as a vital step to be performed at the same time as
      colposcopy or, in certain well identified cases, following cytohistological
      results. Endocervical examination either before or after colposcopy is then
      described in a protocol taking into account the various parameters. The most
      important are: the assessment of the squamocolumnar line, the type of colposcopic
      lesion, and cytohistological findings. Following a brief discussion of
      traditional diagnostic tests (endocervical curettage, endocervical observation
      using Kagan forceps), the Authors underline the importance of the
      endocervicoscope which allows a closer, noninvasive and precise evaluation to be
      made.

PMID- 1881563
TI  - [Hysteroscopy as a method of evaluation of endometrial pathology during
      climacteric ].
AB  - The Authors analyse 207 hysteroscopies performed in the outpatient clinic in
      women during menopause, without the use of dilatation or local anesthetic. The
      test was completed in 175 patients (84.6%). Tolerability was acceptable in 95% of
      cases. The main indication (80%) was atypical secretions during menopause or
      changes in the menstrual cycle. Hyperplastic lesions were confirmed in 12% of the
      tests carried out. An endometrial K was diagnosed in 5 cases (2.9%). The method
      showed a good level of specificity of diagnosis but it not always sufficiently
      sensitive. It is therefore necessary to complete the test by taking a selected
      histological sample using Novak's cannula.

PMID- 1881564
TI  - [Comparison of metroplasty by Strassman's method and by Tomkins' method.
      Retrospective study of 30 years].
AB  - The study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of metroplasty to improve gestational
      ability in the presence of uterine malformations. From the analysis of results,
      it is clear that this surgical operation is undoubtedly efficacious when
      performed in selected patients (earlier negative obstetric outcome). The
      comparison of the two techniques (Strassman vs Tompkins) confirms that the latter
      produced better results in this series of patients.

PMID- 1881565
TI  - [Comparison of cytology and ELISA in the research on cervical Chlamydia
      infection].
AB  - Papanicolaou smears from 100 woman with ELISA Chlamydia-positive (42) and
      negative (58) endocervical smears were examined. Chlamydial endocellular
      inclusions were found in 3 ELISA positive and 2 negative smears, with an evident
      low sensitivity (7%) of cytology in the diagnosis of the endocervical infection.
      Furthermore, by statistical analysis it is clear that a negative test doesn't add
      anything to the pre-test probability (prevalence) of the infection. On the other
      hand a positive pap-smear adds a poor information, if compared with
      immunoenzimathic assay and IF staining. Thus, the Papanicolaou smear can't be
      considered of diagnostic value for Chlamydial infection. Furthermore, it proves
      unsuitable even for screening programs on high-risk patients, concerning which
      the immunoenzymatic assay appears, as previously affirmed, the most suitable
      effort.

PMID- 1881566
TI  - [Magnesium in obstetric pathology].
AB  - Mean levels of maternal blood magnesium in a group of pathological pregnancies
      were compared to levels found in a group of physiological pregnancies. The paper
      concludes that low levels of blood magnesium are an improbable condition in
      pregnancy due to the existence of protective mechanisms, and that they are
      therefore rarely the cause of the most common obstetric pathologies.

PMID- 1881567
TI  - [Hematocrit and hemoglobin, parameters of hematic viscosity, in pregnancy-induced
      hypertension].
AB  - During pregnancy because of physiologic hemodiluition and changes in various
      plasma protein levels, plasma viscosity is decreased compared to the non pregnant
      condition. Specifically the whole blood viscosity profile throughout pregnancy
      follows that of the hematocrit. However some pathological condition like
      pregnancy induced hypertension and intrauterine growth retardation are
      characterized by an increase of plasma viscosity. In order to evaluate the effect
      of plasma viscosity on placental perfusion, in 41 patients affected by pregnancy
      induced hypertension and with no iron deficiency we compared maternal hemoglobin
      and hematocrit to the birth weight. High maternal hemoglobin and hematocrit
      levels were associated to an increased frequency of low weight for date newborns
      (less than or equal to 10th centile), although the relationship with the
      hemoglobin levels is stronger (p less than or equal to 0.02) than the one with
      the hematocrit (p less than or equal to 0.05). In contrast, high weight for date
      newborns (greater than or equal to 90th centile) were not related to maternal
      hemoglobin and hematocrit parameters. We found that maternal hemoglobin and
      hematocrit, indicators of plasma viscosity, are useful in predicting low birth
      weight, but not high birth weight. We speculate that hypoxia due to the
      modification of microcirculation is a very important factor in determining the
      low birth weight; in contrast the oxygen is not the only factor involved in
      determining the high birth weight.

PMID- 1881568
TI  - [Varicocele and male sterility].

PMID- 1881569
TI  - [Tetridamine in the therapy of bacterial vaginosis].
AB  - In this study 14 women suffering from symptomatic bacterial vaginosis were
      treated with tetridamine at a dose of 2 lavages/day for 7 days. The results
      obtained confirmed the value of tetridamine on account of the high percentage of
      recovery, the rapid diminution in the degree of bacterial infection and the
      excellent tolerability of the product.

PMID- 1881570
TI  - [Cervico-vaginal screening in the Abruzzo region].
AB  - This study focuses on cervical cancer and the importance of establishing a
      suitable screening programme. The results of a study carried out in the Abruzzo
      region during a 10-year sample period are reported. A Population of 36,663
      patients, of which 3,372 had never been screened, was included in the study. All
      patients were attending the Centre of Cytology and Colposcopy at the Clinic of
      Obstetrics and Gynecology in L'Aquila. In order to make progress in both the
      diagnosis and treatment of this pathology, it is necessary not only to obtain an
      interdisciplinary approach with constant cooperation between professional
      colleagues (cytologist, colposcopist and histologist), but also an increased
      sensitivity of the population to the need for screening.

PMID- 1881571
TI  - [Cases of endometrial hyperplasia diagnosed at a regional hospital in the
      Province of Pavia].
AB  - Two hundred and fourteen cases of endometrial hyperplasia were diagnosed at the
      Hospital of Casorate (USSL 77, Pavia) between 1 january 1984 and 31 december
      1989. Cases were subdivided as follows: 60 glandular hyperplasias, 54 glandular
      cystic hyperplasias, 83 adenomatous glandular hyperplasias, 13 atypical glandular
      hyperplasias and 24 cases of endometrial cancer. The analysis of data shows an
      increase in hyperplasia, but only the adenomatous and atypical varieties have a
      potentially carcinomatous evolution.

PMID- 1881572
TI  - [Endometrial carcinoma with simultaneous endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary.
      Report of two clinical cases].
AB  - The paper reports two cases of simultaneous endometrial carcinoma and
      endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary. The clinical and pathological
      characteristics are examined. Both patients underwent radical surgery with an
      intraoperative examination for metastatic involvement of the lumbo-aortic, iliac
      and infundibulo-ovarian lymphonodes. Surgery was followed by antiblastic
      (cisplatin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide), hormonal (progestogens) and immuno
      modulating (thymostimulin treatment). The two patients (respectively
      approximately 10 and 7 years after the operation) both enjoy good health.

PMID- 1881573
TI  - [Epidermoid cysts of the ovary. Presentation of a case of unusual dimensions].
AB  - One case of large epidermoid cyst of the ovary is presented. This rare lesion was
      uniformly described previously in literature as incidental finding in the study
      of hysterectomy specimens.

PMID- 1881574
TI  - Systemic meningococcal disease: the diagnosis on admission to hospital.
AB  - The clinical and laboratory findings in 176 patients hospitalized with suspected
      systemic meningococcal disease (MCd) are presented. All except nine patients were
      prospectively included in the MenOPP study. One hundred and fifteen patients were
      most likely to have meningococcal disease, of these 71 were confirmed with growth
      of meningococci in blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The remaining sixty
      one patients served as the control group. Both petechiae, reduced general
      condition, and reduced consciousness proved valuable in the diagnosis of MCd.
      Petechiae was the clinical sign best discriminating between MCd and the control
      group. Ecchymoses were specific for meningococcal disease. Among the laboratory
      tests C-reactive protein (CRP) and Thrombotest (TT) were the tests which most
      frequently were found to be abnormal in patients with meningococcal disease. A
      diagnostic score is computed by the aid of a multiple regression analysis. This
      score includes the variables skin hemorrhages, body pain, CSF cell count, TT, CRP
      and white blood cell count. For a patient hospitalized with suspected MCd a score
      of three or more supports the diagnosis and should indicate the need for rapid
      antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1881575
TI  - Comparison of two syphilis antibody assays based on cardiolipin antigen.
AB  - Two different antisyphilis screening tests based on cardiolipin antigen, the VDRL
      test and an RPR test (Sysmic, Diagast), were compared. A total of 2155 sera were
      examined by both tests. Positive results were confirmed with TPHA and TPI tests.
      RPR Sysmic test was as sensitive and specific as the VDRL. However, the RPR
      Sysmic test was easier and quicker, especially when the number of sera tested was
      high.

PMID- 1881576
TI  - Prognostic markers in diarrhoea-associated haemolytic-uraemic syndrome: initial
      neutrophil count, human neutrophil elastase and von Willebrand factor antigen.
AB  - The observed increase in plasma von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) in
      patients with the haemolytic-uraemic syndrome is presumed to be secondary to
      endothelial damage, which is a central event in these diseases. As the prognostic
      value of such changes has not been previously evaluated, vWF:Ag has been measured
      in plasma from children reported to a national survey of haemolytic-uraemic
      syndrome. Human neutrophil elastase was also measured, as an initial neutrophilia
      has been shown to have prognostic value in diarrhoea-associated haemolytic
      uraemic syndrome. Despite a significant elevation of plasma vWF:Ag concentration
      in these patients at presentation, the values did not correlate with the period
      of thrombocytopenia, the need for dialysis, or outcome. However, children with a
      poor outcome had significantly greater plasma elastase concentrations compared to
      those who had a good outcome.

PMID- 1881577
TI  - Diurnal variation in urinary protein excretion in diabetic nephropathy.
AB  - We examined the diurnal variation in urinary excretion rate of albumin, IgG and
      beta 2-Microglobulin (beta 2-M) in healthy volunteers (n = 24), and in patients
      with type I diabetes mellitus having normal albumin excretion rate (less than 20
      micrograms/min; n = 16), incipient diabetic nephropathy (albumin excretion rate
      20-200 micrograms/min; n = 12) and clinical diabetic nephropathy (albumin
      excretion rate greater than 200 micrograms/min; n = 12). Diurnal variation was
      defined as [(overnight minus daytime): daytime excretion rate] times 100%. Median
      diurnal variation in albumin excretion rate in the various groups varied from -32
      to -57%, and in IgG excretion rate from -42 to -65%, being not significantly
      different between the proteins or between the groups. Diurnal variation in beta 2
      M excretion rate was similar in healthy volunteers and in patients with normal
      albumin excretion rate or incipient diabetic nephropathy (median -36 to -43%),
      but significantly reduced in patients with clinical diabetic nephropathy (median
      0%; P less than 0.005), nine of whom had elevated beta 2-M excretion rates,
      suggesting tubular dysfunction. Except for beta 2-M excretion rate in patients
      with clinical diabetic nephropathy, the diurnal variations in albumin excretion
      rate, IgG excretion rate and beta 2-M excretion rate were larger than the diurnal
      variation in creatinine excretion rate (median -7 to -11%, P less than 0.005).
      Diurnal variations in albumin excretion rate and IgG excretion rate were highly
      correlated (r = 0.89, P less than 0.00001). These data suggest that similar
      mechanisms may account for diurnal variations in albumin excretion rate and IgG
      excretion rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881578
TI  - A comparison of parathyroid-gland function in haemodialysis patients with
      different forms of renal osteodystrophy.
AB  - Parathyroid function was studied in three different histological forms of renal
      osteodystrophy: osteitis fibrosa (OF), low-turnover aluminium-associated bone
      disease (LTAABD), and aplastic bone disease without aluminium (ABD). Parathyroid
      function was determined by the evaluation of the sigmoidal parathyroid hormone
      (PTH)-calcium curve, which was obtained by the performance of a reduced calcium
      and an increased calcium haemodialysis. Parameters of the sigmoidal PTH-calcium
      curve evaluated included maximally stimulated (PTHMax) and inhibited (PTHMin)
      PTH, the set point of calcium for PTH (ICA50), defined as the ionised calcium
      concentration at which PTHMax was reduced by 50%, the ratio of basal PTH to
      maximally stimulated PTH (PTHBase:PTHMax), the ionised calcium concentration at
      which basal (ICABase), maximally stimulated (ICAMax), and maximally inhibited
      (ICAMin) PTH values were observed, and the slope of the PTH-calcium curve. Both
      PTHMax and PTHMin were greater in OF than the other two groups (P less than
      0.02). The ratio of basal to maximally stimulated PTH was greater (P less than
      0.02) in OF (61 +/- 7%) than LTAABD (33 +/- 5%) and ABD (36 +/- 7%). The ICA50
      and the ICAMax were greater (P less than 0.03) in OF than the other two groups;
      however, no differences were observed in the ICABase and ICAMin. The slope of the
      PTH-calcium curve (% maximal PTH), which should indicate the sensitivity of
      parathyroid cells, was greater in OF than LTAABD (P less than 0.04).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881579
TI  - Fluid balance during haemodialysis and haemofiltration: the effect of dialysate
      sodium and a variable ultrafiltration rate.
AB  - One of the main causes of hypotension during extracorporeal renal replacement
      therapy is an insufficient substitution of the ultrafiltrated plasma water by
      tissue water. To investigate the fluid balance and its effects on hypotension in
      dialysed patients, the following variables were studied: intracellular fluid
      volume (IFV) and extracellular fluid volume (EFV), blood volume (BV) and blood
      pressure. IFV and EFV were measured by means of non-invasive electrical
      conductivity measurements using four electrodes round the leg. Fifteen
      haemofiltration (HF) and 15 haemodialysis (HD) patients were studied. The latter
      group was dialysed in three ways: (1) conventionally, i.e. with dialysate sodium
      of 138 mmol/l (HD) (2) with a variable dialysate sodium (first half: 138 mmol/l;
      second half: 146 mmol/l) (HDS), and (3) with the same variable dialysate sodium
      and an ultrafiltration profile (two-thirds was withdrawn during the first half of
      treatment, the remainder during the second half) (HDSU). Hypotension frequency
      was less during HDS, HDSU, and HF compared to HD. This was caused by a more
      stable blood volume due to a better refill. During HD a fluid shift occurred from
      the EC to the IC compartment. The use of a high sodium dialysate concentration
      led to a transcellular fluid shift in the opposite direction. This fluid shift
      increased the refill, thereby stabilising blood volume. HF gave a better refill
      than HDS and HDSU, probably due to a reduced urea clearance.

PMID- 1881581
TI  - Five years experience with the Quinton Permcath for vascular access.
AB  - Over a five-year period 64 Quinton Permcaths were inserted into 51 dialysis
      patients (age range 17-72 years, mean 52.1 SD 12.83). The duration of catheter
      use ranged from 5 to 1479 days, mean 315.7 SD 337. The actuarial catheter
      survival rate at 1 year was 74%, at 2 years 43%, at 3 years 25% and at 4 years
      12%. The indications for use were: exhausted peripheral access; CAPD
      contraindicated; abrupt failure or lack of an arteriovenous fistula; acute renal
      failure; limited life expectancy; patient insistence; conventional access
      contraindicated. Only minor complications occurred during insertion: haemorrhage
      requiring exploration in three patients and a temporary left recurrent laryngeal
      nerve palsy in one patient. The exit site infection and septicaemia rates were
      4.95 and 3.36 per 1000 catheter days respectively. Eighteen catheters failed due
      to infection (range of use 72-1479 days, mean 559 SD 388). Inadequate initial
      blood flow (less than 150 ml/min) occurred in 10% of dialyses but only six
      catheters failed due to intractable flow difficulties (range of use 5-49 days,
      mean 22 SD 17.5). Catheter sepsis was implicated in the death of two patients.
      One subclavan/innominate vein thrombosis occurred. The Quinton Permcath
      represents a significant advance providing immediate, durable, and relatively
      safe access in a variety of difficult circumstances.

PMID- 1881580
TI  - Desferrioxamine infusion can modify EEG tracing in haemodialysed patients.
AB  - Neurological derangement has been reported in haemodialysed patients receiving
      intravenous desferrioxamine (DFO) for aluminium-related disorders. The possible
      direct effects of desferrioxamine on EEG recordings were investigated in ten
      haemodialysed patients who underwent a DFO test 2 h after the end of dialysis.
      According to a commonly accepted protocol, 40 mg/kg body-weight of
      desferrioxamine was infused in 60 min. EEG recording was continuously performed,
      starting 30 min before and stopping 30 min after the desferrioxamine infusion.
      Besides visual inspection, EEG records were digitised, tapered, and spectrally
      analysed with Digital PDP 11/73 microcomputer. Basal EEG recording was normal in
      all patients. In three patients a progressive EEG slowing was detected by visual
      inspection during desferrioxamine infusion; in these cases automatic analysis
      revealed a 50% increase in power of slower frequencies 30 min after starting the
      infusion, when no changes in plasma aluminium concentrations are detected; a
      complete recovery was observed 30 min after desferrioxamine withdrawal. In one
      patient bilateral paroxysms of slow waves appeared, so we stopped desferrioxamine
      infusion. Two of the three patients who developed EEG abnormalities also had an
      increased aluminium body burden (positive DFO test). Results indicated that
      desferrioxamine per se can modify EEG in haemodialysis patients and that its
      effect is not mediated by acute increases of plasma aluminium concentrations. The
      finding of a positive DFO test in two of three patients with EEG changes may
      suggest that an aluminium-induced blood-brain barrier derangement could have
      played a role. However, prompt recovery after ceasing desferrioxamine infusion
      strongly suggests a direct role of desferrioxamine in the induction of EEG
      changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881582
TI  - Anti-rejection therapy in renal transplantation: Use of the monoclonal antibody
      OKT3.
AB  - The success of anti-rejection therapy was evaluated in 65 cadaveric renal
      allografts immunosuppressed with cyclosporin. All first rejection episodes were
      treated with 0.5 g methylprednisolone given daily for 3 days. Second rejection
      episodes were treated with either a further identical 3-day course of
      methylprednisolone or a 10-14-day course of the monoclonal antibody OKT3. The
      peak creatinine during second rejection episodes was higher in patients treated
      with OKT3 (481 +/- 54 mumol/l; mean +/-SEM) than in those treated with
      methylprednisolone (320 +/- 59 mumol/l) (P = 0.036), suggesting more severe
      rejection in the OKT3 group. Despite this the rejection reversal rate was higher
      in the OKT3-treated group (100%) when compared to the high-dose
      methylprednisolone group (64%) (P less than 0.05) and the creatinine at 6 months
      was less in the OKT3 group (162 +/- 17 mumol/l) than in the methylprednisolone
      group (230 +/- 22 mumol/l). These data suggest that OKT3 is a very effective
      treatment for second rejection episodes following renal transplantation and
      yields improved renal functions in comparison with high-dose steroids.

PMID- 1881584
TI  - Successful use of recombinant human erythropoietin in pregnancy.

PMID- 1881583
TI  - Renal transplantation with a current T negative but historical T and/or B
      positive cross-match.
AB  - We report our experience of 36 renal transplanted patients against a current T
      negative allo-cross-match, but historical T and/or B positive allo-cross-matches,
      whatever the result of the current B cross-match. Additionally, we have
      determined the immunoglobulin class of the antibody directed against B and T
      lymphocytes. The graft survival rate did not differ between the 36 patients
      forming the study group, and the 229 patients transplanted within the same period
      with negative T and B, on current and historical sera, cross-matches. Within this
      study group there was no changes in graft survival rate for the following three
      subgroups, which were retrospectively defined: historical positive (14 patients)
      versus negative (22 patients) T cross-match, current positive (15 patients)
      versus negative (21 patients) B cross-match, and IgM (16 patients) versus IgG (20
      patients) against B lymphocytes. In terms of transplant outcome, our policy was
      thus safe.

PMID- 1881585
TI  - Primary dissociated cell culture of embryonic rat metencephalon: presence of GABA
      in serotonergic neurons.
AB  - This study was performed to determine whether neurons, where gamma-aminobutyric
      acid (GABA) and serotonin (5-HT) coexist, represent neuronal entities which can
      survive in vitro. In dissociated cultures from 18-day-old embryonic rat
      metencephalon, it was possible to develop glial and neuronal cells. Among the
      neurons, some of them, which contain glutamate decarboxylase or are capable of
      accumulating [3H]GABA are GABAergic; others, containing tryptophan hydroxylase or
      5-HT are serotoninergic. By combining radioautography and immunocytochemistry, it
      was possible to observe neurons where 5-HT and GABA coexist. Cultures might be a
      suitable model to study the functioning (release or synthesis of both
      neurotransmitters) of neurons where two classical neurotransmitters coexist.

PMID- 1881586
TI  - Neutrophil as a mediator of ischemic edema formation in the brain.
AB  - We investigated the contribution of neutrophils to brain edema formation using a
      transient focal ischemia model in rats. Rats were given anti-neutrophil
      monoclonal antibody (RP3) intraperitoneally to deplete circulating neutrophils.
      In RP3-treated rats, ischemic brain edema formation 1 day after reperfusion was
      significantly decreased compared to that of saline-treated control rats. We
      speculate that chemical mediators released by infiltrating neutrophils alter
      vascular permeability and play an important role in post-ischemic brain edema
      formation.

PMID- 1881587
TI  - The binding of cholinesterase inhibitors tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine) and 7
      methoxytacrine to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in rat brain in the presence
      of eserine.
AB  - Cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9-aminoacridine) is known to
      interfere with the binding of specific ligands to muscarinic receptors with
      unusually steep binding inhibition curves. We investigated whether the
      concentration dependence of the inhibition of binding is associated with the
      inhibitory effect of tacrine on the activity of cholinesterases, and compared the
      effect of tacrine with that of 7-methoxytacrine. Tacrine was found to inhibit the
      specific binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) in rat brain cortex with
      IC50 values of 11 microM both in the absence and in the presence of 100 microM
      eserine, which had been added to ensure complete inhibition of cholinesterases at
      all concentrations of tacrine; in the cerebellum, the IC50 value was 10 microM in
      the absence and 14 microM in the presence of eserine; Hill slope factors (nH)
      were in the range of 1.55-1.79 and were not significantly affected by the
      presence of eserine. 7-Methoxytacrine inhibited the binding of [3H]QNB with an
      IC50 value of 2.3 microM in the cortex and of 2.6 microM in the cerebellum. The
      results indicate that the degree and the steep course of the inhibition of
      [3H]QNB binding to M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors by tacrine do not depend on its
      inhibitory effect on cholinesterases, and that 7-methoxytacrine is likely to
      interfere with the function of muscarinic receptors 4-5 times more strongly than
      tacrine.

PMID- 1881588
TI  - Immunolocalization of the alpha isoform of smooth muscle actin in mouse astroglia
      in cultures.
AB  - In mouse astroglia colony cultures, cells display dramatic changes in their
      'social behavior' during differentiation. The non-motile glioblasts progress
      through highly motile pro-astroblast and astroblast stages before becoming non
      motile fibrous astrocytes. These changes in the behavior of astroglia are
      paralleled by changes in the organization of their microfilaments.
      Immunofluorescence staining of the astroglia colony cultures with rhodamine
      phalloidin, which binds to actin filaments (F-actin) formed by any of the 6 actin
      isoforms and with monoclonal antibody to alpha-smooth muscle (alpha-sm) actin (an
      actin isoform typical of smooth muscle cells), shows that the majority of the
      cells are positive for both alpha-sm actin and F-actin. Approximately 15% of the
      cells, however, were negative for alpha-sm actin but stained positively for F
      actin, indicating that the actin of these cells belongs to isoforms other than
      the alpha-sm isoform.

PMID- 1881589
TI  - Axonal regeneration from central respiratory neurons of the adult rat into
      peripheral nerve autografts: effects of graft location within the medulla.
AB  - In adult rats, autologous segments of the peroneal nerve were implanted into the
      medulla oblongata at the level of the obex either on the midline (midline grafts,
      n = 4), where respiratory axons decussate, or on the left side (lateral grafts, n
      = 5) in the area of the respiratory cell bodies. Several months after the graft
      implantation, spontaneous unitary activities (n = 225) were recorded within the
      grafts and were found to arise from both central respiratory (R, n = 72) and non
      respiratory (NR, n = 153) neurons which were giving off regenerated axons along
      the nerve grafts. The graft reinnervation by respiratory axons was found to be
      significantly more abundant within the medullary lateral grafts than within the
      midline grafts. This finding offers further support of the conclusion that the
      reinnervation of grafts by axons from central neurons is enhanced when the graft
      is placed proximally to the cell bodies.

PMID- 1881590
TI  - Triazolam fails to induce sleep in suprachiasmatic nucleus-lesioned rats.
AB  - Rats with suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) lesions did not show increased sleep after
      triazolam (TRZ) injections at any dose from 0.2 to 1.6 mg/kg, whereas 0.4 mg/kg
      TRZ given intact rats in the middle of their activity phase significantly
      increased sleep. Across SCN-lesioned and intact rats, the amount of sleep before
      and after TRZ 0.4 mg/kg was negatively correlated. SCN-lesioned rats did not have
      a circadian activity-dominant period and so did not accumulate a biological sleep
      debt. Their lack of response to TRZ may have resulted from the absence of a sleep
      debt compared to intact rats injected in the middle of their activity phase.
      These data support our hypothesis that the homeostatic process controlling sleep
      gates benzodiazepine hypnotic efficacy.

PMID- 1881591
TI  - Lesions of the medial septal nucleus produce a long-lasting inhibition of T
      lymphocyte proliferation.
AB  - The influence of the central cholinergic system on the immune system was studied
      in Wistar rats by lesioning the medial septal nucleus. This lesion inhibited T
      cell proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes induced by the mitogens
      concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) up to
      25 days and did not affect proliferation at 40 days after lesioning. In contrast,
      the response to the B cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide from E. coli (LPS) was not
      affected at any time. These findings suggest a regulatory role of the cholinergic
      medial septal nucleus on T lymphocyte proliferation.

PMID- 1881592
TI  - Catechol blocks the fast outward potassium current in melanotrophs of the rat
      pituitary.
AB  - The effect of catechol on the fast voltage-gated K+ current (IK(f)) of acutely
      dissociated rat melanotrophs was investigated in whole-cell recordings. Half
      maximal inhibition of IK(f) occurred at an external concentration of 1.7 mM and
      this effect was associated with a decrease of the rate of the current decay.
      Internal catechol had no measurable effect on IK(f). Catechol appeared to be
      equally effective as a blocker of the slow voltage-gated K+ current (IK(s)).
      Despite this lack of specificity the blocking action of catechol was voltage- and
      frequency-independent and was rapidly reversible. Catechol therefore represents a
      useful alternative to 4-aminopyridine as a blocker of IK(f).

PMID- 1881594
TI  - Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin has a trophic effect on hippocampal neurons in vitro.
AB  - alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin (ACT) has been reported to be present in senile plaques,
      and ACT level is elevated in the sera of patients with Alzheimer's disease. We
      found that ACT has a neurotrophic activity in vitro, i.e., it enhanced neuronal
      survival under the culture conditions used. Hippocampal neurons were cultured in
      chemically defined medium containing ACT at various concentrations. In order to
      evaluate the number of surviving neurons semiquantitatively, enzyme immunoassay
      for microtubule-associated protein2 (MAP2) was carried out using anti-MAP2
      antibody. Cells cultured in medium containing 4 micrograms/ml of ACT showed 1.8
      fold more neurotrophic activity than those cultured without ACT.

PMID- 1881593
TI  - Trans-ACPD (trans-D,L-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid) elicited
      oscillation of membrane potentials in rat dorsolateral septal nucleus neurons
      recorded intracellularly in vitro.
AB  - Glutamate receptors coupled to phosphoinositol turnover have been identified
      recently and named 'metabotropic' receptors. However, the exact functional roles
      of these receptors are still unknown. Trans-ACPD (trans-D,L-1-amino-1,3
      cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid) is suggested to be the only selective agonist for
      metabotropic glutamate receptors. Here we report that trans-ACPD elicits membrane
      potential depolarization with oscillation of dorsolateral septal nucleus neurons
      recorded intracellulary in vitro. Our experiments also suggested that there may
      be multiple interactions between ionotropic quisqualate receptors and
      metabotropic glutamate receptors. The burst firing induced by high concentrations
      of trans-ACPD suggests that excessive activation of metabotropic glutamate
      receptors may lead to cellular toxicity or be associated with clinical disorders
      such as epilepsy.

PMID- 1881595
TI  - Responses of trigeminal subnucleus oralis nociceptive neurones to subcutaneous
      formalin in the rat.
AB  - Extracellular recordings of 33 single nociceptive neurones of the trigeminal
      subnucleus oralis (SNO) were made in rats under halothane nitrous oxide
      anaesthesia. These neurones were tested for their responses to a s.c. injection
      of formalin in their receptive field. Such a chemical noxious stimulation is
      known to induce a biphasic response of nociceptive dorsal horn neurones, the
      second period of which would be due to inflammation. Twenty-three neurones were
      characterized as nociceptive non-specific (NnS) and 10 as nociceptive specific
      neurones (NS). Formalin activated both SNO NS and NnS neurones, but, when they
      responded, NS neurones (n = 5) showed only the first phase of activity while NnS
      neurones showed either one (n = 13) or two phases (n = 6). Biphasic responses
      were most often observed for NnS neurones with A delta- and C-fibre inputs. These
      results indicate that the time-course similarity between the behavioural and the
      neuronal responses to formalin exists only for some SNO convergent neurones and
      that therefore the SNO does not seem to be very involved in the inflammatory
      component of the pain caused by formalin.

PMID- 1881596
TI  - Development of dendritic spines in the cerebral cortex of the micrencephalic rat
      following prenatal X-irradiation.
AB  - Postnatal development of dendritic spines (DS) on the 500-microns-proximal region
      of the apical dendrite of large layer V pyramidal neurons of the somatosensory
      cortex (Par 1) was studied with the rapid Golgi method in micrencephalic rats
      produced after exposure to 100 cGy X-irradiation at embryonic day 18. Treated
      rats examined at the age of 15 days had more DS than age-matched controls,
      whereas the reverse occurred in rats aged 30 days. After this time the number of
      DS decreased in normal rats. As a result, irradiated and control rats aged 90
      days had about the same number of DS in the proximal region of the apical
      dendrite. These results suggest that development of DS appears early, and that
      natural overproduction and elimination of DS is impaired in the cerebral cortex
      of micrencephalic rats.

PMID- 1881597
TI  - The ejaculatory reflex in copulating rats: normal bulbospongiosus activity
      without apparent urethral stimulation.
AB  - Electromyographic activity was recorded from the bulbospongiosus muscles of
      intact, copulating male rats to test the hypothesis that urethral stimulation
      contributes to the ejaculatory reflex. Neither urethral anesthetization with
      lidocaine nor prevention of emission with guanethidine affected the rhythmic
      contraction of the bulbospongiosus muscle during the ejaculatory pattern.
      Urethral stimulation by the ejaculate apparently does not contribute to the
      regulation of the striated-muscle components of ejaculation-related reflexes in
      copulating male rats.

PMID- 1881598
TI  - Motor potentials evoked in tibialis anterior by single and paired cervical
      stimuli in man.
AB  - Latencies of compound muscle action potentials evoked in lower limb muscles after
      transcranial stimulation shorten and amplitudes enlarge when the target muscle is
      contracted. After transcutaneous stimulation of the cervical cord with single
      electrical stimuli, the latency is not affected by muscle contraction. This is
      thought to be due to a lack of temporal summation at the spinal motoneurones.
      Results are different when paired stimuli are used. With contraction most
      motoneurones respond to the first cervical stimulus while in a relaxed condition
      they respond to the second. Temporal summation brings motoneurones to their
      firing threshold. Therefore, cervical double stimulation is more effective than
      single stimuli. It is however less powerful than cortical stimulation. Paired
      stimuli are most powerful at an interval of 2 ms similar to the D I-wave interval
      after cortical stimulation.

PMID- 1881599
TI  - Quantitative increases in temporal lobe symptoms in human males are proportional
      to postnatal geomagnetic activity: verification by canonical correlation.
AB  - Enhanced geomagnetic activity during episodes of biochemical stress has been
      correlated with inferences of increased liability within deep temporal lobe
      structures. Because adult limbic epilepsy is frequently associated with perinatal
      hypoxia or metabolic disruption within this region, a weak positive correlation
      was expected between possible signs of mesiobasal temporal lobe lability in
      normal adults and perinatal geomagnetic activity. Canonical correlation
      demonstrated that young adult males (n = 243) displayed a positive (r = 0.31)
      relationship between the intensity of geomagnetic disturbance the day after birth
      only and a history of subjective depersonalization, anomalous visual and
      olfactory experiences. The effects was very clear when aa values exceeded 30 nT
      (gamma). Temporal lobe signs for these males were similar to those reported by
      normal young adult females (n = 313) who did not display any consistent
      correlation between these measures and perinatal geomagnetic disturbance. The
      results suggest that interactions between perinatal neurochemistry and the
      correlates of geomagnetic activity might permanently alter portions of the male
      limbic system.

PMID- 1881600
TI  - The normal emergence of the superior collicular map of auditory space in the
      guinea pig following developmental removal of visual cortex.
AB  - The normal development of the superior collicular map of auditory space in the
      guinea pig requires visual experience (Eur. J. Neurosci., 2 (1990) 682-692). The
      possible role of the visual cortex in this process was assessed by unilateral
      removal of the cortex prior to the crucial period during which visual experience
      is needed (Neurosci. Lett., 116 (190) 280-286). This removal did not affect the
      normal emergence of an ordered auditory space map in the superior colliculus. The
      cortico-tectal pathway does not appear, therefore, to play an essential role in
      the developmental dependence of the collicular auditory map upon visual
      experience.

PMID- 1881601
TI  - Feeding-induced increase in the extracellular concentration of histamine in rat
      hypothalamus as measured by in vivo microdialysis.
AB  - The extracellular concentration of histamine (HA) in the hypothalamus of
      conscious and freely moving rats was measured by in vivo microdialysis and the
      effects of fasting and feeding on the HA concentration were examined. In non
      fasted rats, the basal HA concentration was almost constant from 11.00 to 17.00 h
      on the day following implantation of the dialysis probe, the mean value being
      11.1 pg/30 min. No significant change in the HA concentration was observed in
      rats deprived of food for 24 h. In 24-h fasted rats, feeding for 15 min produced
      a transient and significant increase in the HA concentration. These results
      suggest that histaminergic activity in the rat hypothalamus increases during
      feeding.

PMID- 1881602
TI  - Administration of testosterone alleviates the constitutive sex difference in rat
      brain cytochrome P-450.
AB  - Sex-related difference was observed in the levels of total cytochrome P-450 (P
      450) and the mono-oxygenase activity mediated by P-450(b,e), namely, aminopyrine
      N-demethylase and morphine N-demethylase activity in rat brain microsomes. Male
      rat brain had higher activity of the above enzymes as compared to the female rat
      brain. On the other hand, P-450(c,d) mediated 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and
      benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity showed no sex-related difference in rat
      brain. Administration of testosterone elevated the levels of total P-450,
      aminopyrine N-demethylase and morphine N-demethylase in female rat brain to
      levels comparable with that of the male rat brain. No significant change was
      observed in the levels of 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase and benzo(a)pyrene
      hydroxylase and NADPH cytochrome c reductase. All of the above enzyme levels were
      unaffected in the male rat brain following the treatment with testosterone. These
      results indicate that testosterone may regulate the forms of cerebral P-450 that
      are associated with the sex-related difference observed in rat brain.

PMID- 1881603
TI  - Regional expression of transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA in the rat central
      nervous system.
AB  - The expression of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) mRNA in various
      regions of the adult rat central nervous system (CNS), as well as in selected
      peripheral tissues was examined using Northern blot analysis. The highest
      expression was also found in the cerebral spinal cord, with the levels of TGF
      alpha  mRNA being 5- to 6-fold higher in this tissue than in any other examined.
      Significant expression was also found in the olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory
      nucleus, corpus striatum, hippocampus, ventral mesencephalon and caudal
      brainstem. Of the peripheral tissues examined, only adrenal gland expressed TGF
      alpha mRNA at similar levels. Lower, but detectable, expression was found in
      prefrontal cortex, cerebral cortex and cerebellum. The latter levels were similar
      to those observed in lung, liver, kidney and, variable, salivary gland. These
      data demonstrate a widespread but differential distribution of TGF alpha mRNA
      throughout the rat CNS, and indicate relatively high levels of expression of this
      growth factor in central versus peripheral tissues.

PMID- 1881604
TI  - Immunocytochemical evidence for retrograde axonal transport of exogenous albumin
      in adult rat brain stem motor neurons.
AB  - Serum albumin is present in cranial nerve motor neurons in the brain. This is
      suggested to be due to uptake into peripheral axon terminals with subsequent
      retrograde axonal transport to the perikarya of the motor nuclei. Indirect
      evidence for uptake and retrograde axonal transport of albumin in a cranial nerve
      has been presented previously e.g. by demonstration of fluorescence of the
      albumin-bound dye Evans blue in the neurons of the hypoglossal nucleus subsequent
      to injection in the tongue. In this study we present direct evidence for
      retrograde axonal transport of albumin. Human albumin was injected into the
      tongue of adult rats, and immunocytochemically detected with an antibody, which
      selectively reacted with human albumin. In brains processed 24 hours or later
      after injection, a positive reaction was seen in the neurons of the hypoglossal
      nucleus. The immunoreaction product was localized as perinuclear granules in an
      otherwise unstained perikaryon probably associated with the endosomal-lysosomal
      system. Thus, albumin present in hypoglossal motor neurons appears to originate
      from uptake in peripheral axon terminals. Judging from the early appearance after
      injection, this transport probably occurs by a fast component of retrograde
      axonal transport.

PMID- 1881605
TI  - Specific transcellular carbocyanine-labelling of rat retinal microglia during
      injury-induced neuronal degeneration.
AB  - The present work employed a new technique for labelling phagocytizing microglia
      in the axotomized retinal of adult rats. Transection axotomy was performed within
      the intraorbital segment of the optic nerve, and the fast-transported, vital
      fluorescent carbocyanine dyes DiI and 4Di-10ASP were deposited at the ocular
      stump of the nerve in order to retrogradely prelabel the ganglion cells which
      were destined to die. Optic nerve transection resulted in progressive degradation
      of ganglion cell axons, perikarya and dendrites within the retina and in release
      of fluorescent material which was then incorporated into cells identified as
      microglia but not into other cells of the retina. Incorporation of labelled
      material into microglia occurred only when the ganglion cells degenerated and not
      when the non-lesioned ganglion cells were labelled from the superior colliculus.
      Double-staining of microglia with both dyes helped to compare the pattern of
      labelling for each dye. After progression of ganglion cell degeneration,
      microglia displayed a staggered, bilaminated distribution within the ganglion
      cell layer and within the inner plexiform layer. Fluorescent microglia were not
      found within the deeper layers of the retina indicating that transneuronal
      degeneration and subsequent labelling of microglial cells do not occur. The
      results show that one major function of microglia within the ganglion cell and
      inner plexiform layers of the lesioned retina is to remove debris produced after
      degradation of neurons.

PMID- 1881606
TI  - Discrimination of tetrahydroaminoacridine responders by a single dose pharmaco
      EEG in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - We report the results of our study suggesting that a single dose pharmaco-EEG may
      predict treatment response to tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) in Alzheimer's
      disease (AD). 14 AD patients and 7 age-matched neurologically healthy controls
      were selected for the study. AD patients had 7 weeks' THA treatment. 6 patients
      were regarded as responders and 8 patients as nonresponders, respectively. AD
      patients as well as controls had a baseline EEG recording and next day another
      recording 90 minutes after a peroral single dose of 50 mg THA. The relative
      change from the baseline in the alpha-theta ratio was the most sensitive
      discriminator of responders and nonresponders (P = 0.004, ANOVA).

PMID- 1881607
TI  - Human fetal brain beta-nerve growth factor cDNA: molecular cloning of 5' and 3'
      untranslated regions.
AB  - The mRNA of beta-nerve growth factor (beta-NGF) has been demonstrated to be
      present in the human brain, both in adult and fetal stages of development.
      However, its complete nucleotide sequence is unknown since a full-length cDNA has
      yet to be isolated. We report here the cloning and complete analysis of the human
      fetal brain beta-NGF transcript. cDNA synthesis was performed from total brain
      RNA and overlapping regions of beta-NGF cDNA were enzymatically amplified and
      sequenced. The central portion of the cDNA was amplified using primers designed
      on the known genomic DNA sequence. The 5' and 3' unknown regions were amplified
      by the anchored polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and by complementary DNA Ends-PCR
      respectively. The latter method is an original variation of Inverted PCR. The
      sequenced transcript is very similar to the most common form of beta-NGF mRNA
      present in the mouse central nervous system. In addition, both the 5' and 3'
      untranslated regions show a high degree of homology to the corresponding murine
      sequences.

PMID- 1881608
TI  - Sensory nerve fiber terminals in the arachnoid granulations of non-human
      primates.
AB  - Myelinated and unmyelinated axons terminate within the arachnoid granulations.
      Serial section analysis by light and transmission electron microscopy reveals
      that the nerve fibers terminate at different locations or tissue compartments of
      the arachnoid granulation. 1. Myelinated axons ramify and terminate as free axon
      terminals like slowly adapting type II mechanoreceptors in the leptomeningeal
      connective tissue core of the granulation. 2. Myelinated and unmyelinated axons
      terminate in the transitional spongy zone which represents a tissue compartment
      for the diffusion of the cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoidal space to the
      venous sinus. This zone is composed of arachnoidal cells, dural neurothelial
      cells and fibrocytes. 3. Myelinated and unmyelinated axons terminate within
      lymphoid cell aggregation associated to the arachnoid granulation.

PMID- 1881609
TI  - Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis induces a significant reduction in local
      cerebral blood flow in the rat.
AB  - The effect of intravenous administration of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, 30
      mg/kg), a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, on local cerebral blood
      flow (lCBF) was examined in the rat using the [14C]iodoantipyrine
      autoradiographic method. L-NMMA induced a statistically significant reduction in
      lCBF in the cerebral cortices as well as in various deep structures of the brain.
      This reduction in lCBF was accompanied by a clear increase in mean arterial blood
      pressure, suggesting that the cerebral resistance vessels constricted
      significantly beyond the autoregulatory response following L-NMMA administration.
      These findings indicate that the basal cerebral circulation may be closely
      related to nitric oxide production.

PMID- 1881610
TI  - Monosynaptic excitation of motoneurons innervating forelimb muscles following
      stimulation of the red nucleus in cats.
AB  - We examined the rubrospinal projection to forelimb motoneurons (Mns) in cats, in
      comparison with the corticospinal projection. Under pentobarbital anesthesia,
      intracellular recordings were made from forelimb Mns following stimulation of the
      red nucleus (RN) and the cerebral peduncle (CP). Single pulse stimulation of the
      RN produced excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the majority of
      forelimb Mns (58/80, 72%). Segmental latencies of RN-EPSPs were shorter than 1.2
      ms in 14 out of 22 Mns in which RN-EPSPs were detected in the C8-T1 segments, and
      in 3 of 36 Mns in the C6-C7 segments. The results suggest monosynaptic rubro
      motoneuronal connections in a substantial portion of forelimb Mns particularly in
      the C8-T1 segments. There was no evidence suggesting monosynaptic connections
      between cerebral cortex and forelimb Mns.

PMID- 1881611
TI  - Seeing speech: visual information from lip movements modifies activity in the
      human auditory cortex.
AB  - Neuromagnetic responses were recorded over the left hemisphere to find out in
      which cortical area the heard and seen speech are integrated. Auditory stimuli
      were Finnish/pa/syllables presented together with a videotaped face articulating
      either the concordant syllable/pa/(84% of stimuli, V = A) or the discordant
      syllable/ka/(16%, V not equal to A). In some subjects the probabilities were
      reversed. The subjects heard V not equal to A stimuli as/ta/ or ka. The magnetic
      responses to infrequent perceptions elicited a specific waveform which could be
      explained by activity in the supratemporal auditory cortex. The results show that
      visual information from articulatory movements has an entry into the auditory
      cortex.

PMID- 1881612
TI  - New plastic plates which enhance neurite extension in culture: roles of bisphenol
      A and tricyclodecanyl units for growth and orientation of neurites on plastic
      plates with microstructures.
AB  - In order to study molecular mechanisms of contact guidance of neurites,
      dissociated culture of adult mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells was performed
      for 6 species of plastic plates different in monomer compositions.
      Microstructures (grooves of 5-10 microns wide and 1 micron deep) were grafted on
      the plates so as to guide neurite growth in their axial direction. Neurites were
      longer and more oriented on plates with larger water contact angle. The
      distribution of neurites was uneven between grooves and steps of the
      microstructures, exhibiting a bell-shaped curve in relation to the water contact
      angle of the plastic. These indicate that hydrophilic properties of the plastic
      plate surface, due to the presence of bisphenol-A and tricyclodecanyl units, are
      crucially involved in the elongation and orientation of neurites.

PMID- 1881613
TI  - Reversed effect of caffeine on non-contractile and contractile Ca2+ mobilization
      operated by acetylcholine receptor in mouse diaphragm muscle.
AB  - Caffeine effects on contractile and acetylcholine receptor-related non
      contractile Ca2+ mobilization were investigated in phrenic nerve-diaphragm
      muscles of mice with neostigmine. Caffeine enhanced at 0.25-5 mM, and decreased
      at 7-20 mM the total amount of contractile Ca(2+)-aequorin luminescence (Ca2+
      transients), but only decreased at 2-10 mM non-contractile Ca2+ transients.
      Pretreatment with formamide (2 M for 30 min) abolished contractile Ca2+
      transients, but did not affect non-contractile ones. These results suggest that
      non-contractile Ca2+ mobilization is not due to direct Ca2+ release from
      sarcoplasmic reticulum, but due to direct modulation by nicotinic acetylcholine
      receptor.

PMID- 1881614
TI  - Protein kinase C in human pheochromocytoma.
AB  - Subtypes of protein kinase C were analyzed in adrenal and extra-adrenal
      pheochromocytoma of humans. Almost all protein kinase C of the adrenal tumor was
      type III, while the enzyme of the extra-adrenal tumor was separated into two
      major fractions corresponding to type II and type III by hydroxyapatite column
      chromatography. The extra-adrenal tumor but not the adrenal tumor spontaneously
      produced neurite-like processes when the cells were cultured in vitro. These
      results suggest that the high proportion of type II enzyme may reflect neuron
      directed differentiation in human pheochromocytoma.

PMID- 1881615
TI  - Investigations into the relationship between the dopaminergic system and ascorbic
      acid in rat striatum.
AB  - Levels of dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), ascorbic acid
      (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) were determined by HPLC in the striatum of
      male Wistar rats after single or repeated injections of apomorphine (1 mg/kg/day
      s.c.) and/or haloperidol (1 mg/kg/day i.p.), and 24 h after the last drug
      administration. Apomorphine significantly reduced the DOPAC/DA ratio and
      increased the DHAA/AA ratio; these ratio changes were significantly correlated (r
      = -0.9969, P less than 0.0005). Haloperidol greatly increased the DOPAC/DA ratio;
      the DHAA/AA ratio was also slightly increased, but there was no significant
      correlation. When apomorphine was associated with haloperidol, the resulting
      DOPAC/DA ratio was significantly lower than after haloperidol alone; the DHAA/AA
      ratio was also significantly reduced in contrast to the effect of apomorphine
      alone. It is concluded that a non-selective DA receptor activation mediates, in a
      correlated way, both the inhibition of DA turnover and the increase of AA
      oxidation in the rat striatum.

PMID- 1881616
TI  - Capsaicin desensitization to plasma extravasation evoked by antidromic C-fiber
      stimulation is not associated with antinociception in the rat.
AB  - The relationship of capsaicin desensitization to the antinociception produced by
      acute capsaicin administration was studied in the rat. Cutaneous application of
      1% capsaicin (3 x/day) for 1 day antagonized plasma extravasation evoked by
      either 5% capsaicin applied to the dorsal surface of the hindpaw or antidromic
      stimulation of the saphenous nerve. Treatment with either 1% or 5% capsaicin (3
      x/day) for up to 4 days failed, however, to produce thermal antinociception as
      measured by the rat paw-withdrawal procedure. In contrast, intracutaneous
      injection of 100 micrograms capsaicin produced marked increases in paw-withdrawal
      response latencies for up to six hours after injection. These data demonstrate a
      dissociation between block of cutaneous plasma extravasation and thermal
      antinociception in the rat. The data provide in vivo evidence that
      desensitization of peripheral nociceptors by capsaicin cannot account for the
      antinociception observed following acute capsaicin administration. Finally, these
      data support the notion that some pharmacologic actions of capsaicin in the rat
      can be dissociated from frank neurotoxicity on the basis of concentration or
      dose.

PMID- 1881617
TI  - Met-enkephalin immunoreactivity in the basal ganglia in symptomatic and
      asymptomatic MPTP-exposed monkeys: correlation with degree of parkinsonian
      symptoms.
AB  - The immunohistochemical localization of Met-enkephalin (Enk) was examined in the
      brains of normal monkeys (Macaca nemistrina), monkeys made parkinsonian by
      systemic MPTP administration and sacrificed while symptomatic, and monkeys
      exposed to low doses of MPTP over several months and sacrificed while
      asymptomatic for a gross parkinsonian motor disorder. The animals that had severe
      parkinsonian features had a large number of intensely Enk-immunoreactive
      perikarya in the putamen. Normal control animals had no Enk-immunoreactive
      perikarya while asymptomatic animals had small numbers of lightly to moderately
      stained perikarya in the putamen. Symptomatic animals also showed the most
      intense Enk immunoreactivity in the lateral globus pallidus (LGP) while the
      asymptomatic animals showed LGP Enk immunoreactivity intermediate between that
      seen in symptomatic and normal animals. These results suggest an increase in
      putamen Enk synthesis and LGP Enk content in animals with massive striatal
      dopamine depletions (greater than or equal to 97%) and which actively show
      parkinsonian features. Animals with slightly less striatal dopamine depletion and
      with no parkinsonian symptoms, had increased activity in this system but not to
      the extent seen in symptomatic animals.

PMID- 1881618
TI  - Spontaneous oscillations in cerebral blood flow velocity in normal humans and in
      patients with carotid artery disease.
AB  - Spontaneous oscillations in cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) in normals and in
      patients with stenoses or occlusions of the internal cerebral artery were
      measured using transcranial Doppler sonography. In normal subjects, large
      oscillations of up to +/- 30% from the mean CBFV were found with low frequencies
      between 0.4 and 9 cycles/min. No correlations between CBFV oscillations and
      systemic circulatory parameters were detected. In patients with carotid artery
      obstructions the CBFV oscillations were significantly reduced in the middle
      cerebral artery ipsilaterally to a hemodynamically significant lesion, but not
      contralaterally. Our results support the hypothesis that spontaneous oscillations
      (B-waves) of small pial vessels are responsible for the CBFV fluctuations.

PMID- 1881619
TI  - Bihemispheric organization of amygdalo-cortical projections in the rat.
AB  - Two fluorescent dyes were injected symmetrically into the prefrontal cortices of
      the left and right hemisphere. A consistent number of amygdaloid neurons was
      labeled from the injection in the contralateral cortex. Each nucleus of the
      basolateral amygdaloid complex showed a specific pattern of contralaterality. The
      highest degree of bihemisphericity was observed in the ventral basolateral
      nucleus. A significant number of neurons connected with the cortex of both
      hemispheres by means of axon collaterals was observed in the anterior basolateral
      nucleus. These anatomical findings indicate that the basolateral amygdaloid
      complex could act as subcortical link for interhemispheric communication.

PMID- 1881620
TI  - Reciprocal Ia inhibition in patients with spinal spasticity.
AB  - Reciprocal Ia inhibition from ankle flexors to extensors was studied in five
      patients with spasticity due to incomplete traumatic spinal cord lesions. Nine
      healthy subjects were tested as controls. Excitability of the soleus motoneuron
      pool was estimated by H-reflex testing in the resting state. Ia inhibition was
      activated by conditioning stimuli to the peroneal nerve. Ia inhibition was
      detected in all patients tested, the amount of inhibition ranging from 8% to more
      than 50% of the test H-reflex size. In the control subjects only weak Ia
      inhibitory effects were present. These findings indicate increased excitability
      of the Ia inhibitory pathway to ankle extensor motoneurons in patients with
      spasticity due to spinal cord injury.

PMID- 1881621
TI  - Do brief bursts of spike and wave activity cause a cerebral hyper- or
      hypoperfusion in man?
AB  - The correlation between brain activity and cerebral blood flow velocities during
      brief bursts of generalized spike and wave activity was analysed by simultaneous
      registration of the EEG and the intracranial flow patterns. The flow patterns of
      the middle cerebral artery were continuously recorded by means of transcranial
      Doppler ultrasonography using a specially developed monitoring system. A total of
      25 bursts was investigated in 3 patients with spontaneous occurrence of
      generalized 3 Hz spike and wave activity and normal background EEG.
      Characteristic changes of the flow patterns were found in all cases: 3.41 +/-
      0.98 s (n = 25) after the beginning of generalized spike and wave patterns, the
      flow velocity decreased by 25.84 +/- 10.45% (n = 25) below the 'preictal' flow
      velocity level. The period of flow velocity changes lasted several times longer
      than the phase of spike and wave activity.

PMID- 1881622
TI  - Failure of the oculomotor neural integrator from a discrete midline lesion
      between the abducens nuclei in the monkey.
AB  - Recent anatomical studies indicate that axons of neurons in the vestibular
      nuclei, projecting to the contralateral abducens nuclei, cross the midline at the
      abducens level. These axons then give off collaterals to the contralateral
      vestibular and prepositus nuclei that may be important for the neural integrator
      that converts eye-velocity to eye-position signals. We disrupted a subset of
      these commissural projections by making a small midline lesion between the
      abducens nuclei in a monkey. The vestibulo-ocular reflex and saccades were still
      present post-lesion, indicating that premotor drive was intact, but the lesion
      produced severe post-saccadic drift, indicating failure of the neural integrator.
      We conclude that commissural projections crossing at the abducens level may be
      important for oculomotor integration.

PMID- 1881623
TI  - Membrane electrical properties of external urethral and external anal sphincter
      somatic motoneurons in the decerebrate cat.
AB  - Membrane electrical properties of motoneurons innervating the striated muscle of
      the external urethral and anal sphincters were examined in the decerebrate cat.
      Both populations of motoneurons had similar electrical properties (mean pooled
      values; conduction velocity 48 m/s, membrane time constant 3.3 ms,
      afterhyperpolarization (AHP) duration 97 ms, membrane input resistance 2.2 M
      omega, rheobase 3.3 nA, and threshold voltage 8.1 mV). Although a portion of
      cells in both subpopulations of sphincter motoneurons displayed subthreshold
      conductances (i.e. sag, anomalous rectification), the incidence was higher in the
      external urethral sphincter motoneurons. The sphincter motoneuron membrane
      properties were likened to 'slow' hindlimb motoneurons and the low rheobase
      values suggest that the sphincter motoneurons are easily recruited.

PMID- 1881624
TI  - The eye in the brain: retinoic acid effects morphogenesis of the eye and pathway
      selection of axons but not the differentiation of the retina in Xenopus laevis.
AB  - We have analyzed the effects of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on the
      morphogenesis, differentiation and projection of the eye of Xenopus. RA was
      applied in concentrations of 10(-5), 5 x 10(-6) and 10(-6) M at stages 9-17.
      Animals were reared until stages 40-48. RA applied before stage 11 1/2, abated
      completely formation of an eye or a retina, at later stages it led to the
      formation of microphthalmic eyes. Even in the absence of an eye parts of the
      forebrain had characteristics of the retina, but rods and cones reached then into
      the lumen of the third ventricle. The projection of eyes of RA-treated animals
      was revealed with rhodamine dextran amine. Ganglion cell axons projected
      bilaterally to the tectum, to the hindbrain, the contralateral retina and,
      occasionally, to the olfactory bulb. RA affects both morphogenesis of the eye and
      pathway selectivity of ganglion cell axons but not differentiation of the neural
      retina.

PMID- 1881625
TI  - Autoradiographic estimation of the extent of reversible inactivation produced by
      microinjection of lidocaine and muscimol in the rat.
AB  - We used autoradiography to examine the extent of reversible inactivation produced
      by microinjection of lidocaine (40 micrograms/microliters saline) and muscimol (1
      microgram/microliter saline). We measured intracortical spread of tracer amounts
      of labelled drug and local changes in uptake of [1-14C]glucose produced by the
      microinjection. The maximal average radii of regions of drug spread were 1.7 mm
      for both [14C]lidocaine and [3H]muscimol and were achieved within the first 20
      min postinjection. The width of lidocaine injections decreased at longer
      postinjection times (30-60 min) but the width of muscimol injections remained
      relatively constant (30-120 min). Lidocaine radioactivity decreased faster from
      the injection site than muscimol radioactivity. Glucose autoradiograms showed a
      discrete region of maximally reduced glucose uptake (1.4 mm for lidocaine and 1.0
      mm for muscimol) surrounded by a region of less reduced glucose uptake (up to
      approximately 3 mm). These findings suggest that, in the cortex, the effects of
      focal inactivation extend beyond the region of drug spread. Diffuse effects may
      be mediated of disfacilitation of cortico-cortical circuits.

PMID- 1881626
TI  - Muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of voltage-activated Ca current in
      neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid (NG 108-15) cells--reduction of muscarinic agonist
      and antagonist potency by tetraethylammonium (TEA).
AB  - Patch clamp techniques were used to record voltage-activated Ca currents from NG
      108-15 cells. The muscarinic agonists acetylcholine (ACh) and oxotremorine-M
      partially inhibited the Ca current (mean inhibitor 37%) with EC50 values of 0.32
      microM and 0.14 microM, respectively. The EC50 for ACh in the presence of
      neostigmine (1 microM) was 0.11 microM. Tetraethylammonium (TEA) (10 mM) (10 mM)
      shifted ACh (+ neostigmine) and oxotremorine dose response curves to the right by
      36- and 20-fold, respectively. TEA also inhibited muscarinic receptor binding (Ki
      values in brackets) of (i) N-methyl scopolamine ([3H]NMS) to homogenates of rat
      heart (86 microM) and rat submandibular gland (178 microM) and to intact NG 108
      15 cells (358 microM) and (ii) [3H]pirenzepine binding to rat cerebral cortex
      homogenates (111 microM). Atropine antagonized muscarinic agonist responses and
      was found to have a pKB of 9.8 +/- 0.39, but 10 mM TEA reduced the potency of
      atropine by 69-fold, probably because of the weak antagonist action of TEA.

PMID- 1881627
TI  - Long-term potentiation of synaptic responses in the rat dentate gyrus is due to
      increased quantal content.
AB  - Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic responses in the dentate gyrus neurons
      of the rat hippocampus was studied in in vitro slices with the use of
      intracellular recordings. The goal of the study was to determine if the
      expression of LTP is pre- or postsynaptic. LTP was induced by tetanic stimulation
      of the perforant pathway in the presence of bicuculline. The expression of
      potentiation was measured during low-intensity stimulation at 1-5 Hz. It was
      found that a 104% (S.E.M. +/- 35, n = 5) increase in the amplitude of evoked
      synaptic potentials was associated with a reduction in the number of transmission
      failures to 38% (S.E.M. +/- 15, n = 5) of the control values. The size of quantal
      responses was determined on the basis of asynchronous release from stimulated
      synapses. The average size of the quanta remained unchanged during LTP. The
      evident increase of quantal content suggests a presynaptic locus for expression
      of LTP.

PMID- 1881628
TI  - Hippocampal slices do not appear to accumulate low micromolar concentrations of
      quisqualate by an active uptake mechanism.
AB  - The ability of hippocampal slices to accumulate quisqualate by an active uptake
      process was investigated. All amino acid concentrations were measured by HPLC.
      Incubation of hippocampal slices for 4 min with 16 microM quisqualate at 25
      degrees C led to measurable amounts of quisqualate within supernatant layers
      derived from slice homogenates. However, estimated tissue:original medium ratios
      of quisqualate were only 0.6. Addition of 100 microM ouabain did not alter the
      slice content of quisqualate but did promote marked elevations in the contents of
      aspartate and glutamate in the bathing medium. Quisqualate contents of the slices
      were approximately halved by ice-cold incubations or by inclusion of an
      excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist during the incubation. It is suggested
      that hippocampal slices do not actively accumulate this concentration of
      quisqualate and that at least part of the observed quisqualate in supernatant
      layers from slice homogenates is due to binding to extracellular amino acid
      receptors.

PMID- 1881629
TI  - Acute, but not repeated, cocaine administration decreases renin secretion in the
      conscious male rat.
AB  - The effects of cocaine on renin secretion have been addressed and a previously
      unreported inhibitory effect has been identified on this neuroendocrine system in
      the conscious male rat. Acute intraperitoneal administration of cocaine dose
      dependently (1.5, 7.5, 15, and 30 mg/kg; at 15 min) produced a significant
      decrease in both plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma renin concentration
      (PRC). The time course of inhibition by cocaine in PRA and PRC revealed maximal
      effects at 15 min following a 15 mg/kg dose. In contrast, the long term
      administration of cocaine for 1, 7, or 30 days (15 mg/kg, twice daily, i.p.) did
      not produce changes in PRC.

PMID- 1881630
TI  - An anatomical study of the origin of sympathetic and sensory innervation of the
      elbow and knee joint in the monkey.
AB  - The origin of sympathetic and sensory innervation of the elbow and knee joint was
      studied by the intra-axonal transport method. After injection of WGA-HRP into the
      elbow and knee joint unilaterally in adult monkeys (macaca fascicularis),
      labelled cells were observed ipsilaterally in both the sympathetic and dorsal
      root ganglia. Following injection in the elbow joint the neurons were
      concentrated in the stellate and third to fourth thoracic (T3-T4) sympathetic
      ganglia, and in the fourth cervical to second thoracic spinal sensory ganglia.
      The knee joint injection resulted in labelling of sympathetic and spinal sensory
      ganglia, preferentially at the lumbo-sacral junction--the third lumbar to third
      sacral (L3-S3) ganglia. The functional implications are discussed in relation to
      pain mechanisms of joints and to an earlier hypothesis that the nervous system
      might be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic joint inflammation.

PMID- 1881631
TI  - Domoic acid induced seizure activity in rats.
AB  - Domoic acid, in increasing doses (10-300 pmol), was microinjected into the
      hippocampal CA3 region of rats. All rats consistently exhibited generalized
      bilateral electrical seizure discharge activity at 100 pmol of domoic acid.
      Seizure latency varied inversely with the dose of domoic acid in the range
      tested. Local hippocampal administration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
      resulted in neuronal recovery from domoic acid-induced seizures. The seizure
      activity of domoic acid might be the result of decreased GABAergic inhibition.

PMID- 1881632
TI  - Vasopressin and angiotensin II are absent but spontaneously reappear in solitary
      hypothalamic neurons of the homozygous Brattleboro rat.
AB  - The homozygous Brattleboro rat (di/di) synthesizes a vasopressin (VP) precursor
      with a different C-terminus, which is not packaged in granules. In addition, the
      expression of a coexisting peptide, angiotensin II (Ang II), is disturbed. During
      postnatal life a small but increasing number of solitary post-mitotic
      hypothalamic neurons of the di/di rat undergoes a switch to a genuine
      heterozygous phenotype. Here we report the reappearance of Ang II in these
      heterozygous cells, which suggests that for the expression of Ang II a normal VP
      precursor is required. Based upon the present study and literature data it is
      proposed that at the level of the endoplasmic reticulum a compartmentalization of
      the synthesis of various peptide precursor occurs.

PMID- 1881633
TI  - Aspartate injections into the suprachiasmatic region of the Syrian hamster do not
      mimic the effects of light on the circadian activity rhythm.
AB  - The excitatory amino acids glutamate and aspartate are thought to be involved in
      the photic entrainment of the circadian pacemaker of the suprachiasmatic nuclei
      (SCN). When applied to the SCN region glutamate imitates the effects of dark
      pulses on the circadian activity rhythm rather than those of light. We have now
      injected aspartate into the SCN region of Syrian hamsters. These injections
      mimicked the effects of dark pulses as well, in so far as slight advances of the
      activity rhythm were obtained during the subjective day. However, the mean phase
      shift was not significantly different from the shift obtained with control
      injections. It is concluded that (1) aspartate has little or no effect on the
      phase of the circadian activity rhythm and (2) none of the putative transmitters
      of the photic afferents of the SCN produces the effects of light upon injection.

PMID- 1881634
TI  - Alzheimer's disease: size class frequency distribution of senile plaques: do they
      indicate when a brain tissue was affected?
AB  - The size class frequency distribution of a sample of senile plaques (SP) was
      determined in a total of 20 brain regions from 5 elderly cases of Alzheimer's
      disease (AD). The purpose of the study was to determine whether a comparison of
      the frequency distributions could be used to determine the chronology of SP
      development in the AD brain. SP from 10 microns to a maximum diameter of 160
      microns were present in the tissue and the size class frequency distributions
      were positively skewed. The frequency distributions varied between brain regions
      in: (1) the size class containing the mode, (2) the degree of positive skew, and
      (3) the ratio of large to small SP. In most patients the ratio of large to small
      SP was higher in the hippocampus or adjacent gyrus compared with temporal,
      parietal and frontal neocortex. If the diameter of a SP reflects its age in the
      tissue than the data suggest that SP formed earlier either in the hippocampus or
      adjacent gyrus compared with the other neocortical tissues. However, this
      conclusion rests on a number of assumptions including: (1) that SP diameter is
      directly related to age, (2) that SP development occurs at similar rates in
      different brain regions and (3) that, once formed, SP are not removed from the
      tissue by astrocytes.

PMID- 1881635
TI  - Motile responses of isolated guinea pig vestibular hair cells.
AB  - Vestibular hair cells were isolated from the guinea pig vestibule by a
      micromechanical non-enzymatic procedure. Perfusion with 125 mM K+ solution
      induced irreversible slow shortening of the necks in 42.8% of the hair cells
      tested. Mechanical stimulation, creating a displacement of the hair bundle
      towards the kinocilium, induced either irreversible coiling or tilting of the
      neck of the cells, or reversible fast tilting of the cuticular plate (44.5% of
      tested cells). The response to the Ca2+ antagonist, Flunarizine, suggested that
      these movements were calcium-dependent. We propose several explanations of the
      physiological role of these mechanisms and discuss the possibility that fast
      tilting of the cuticular plate is a physiological movement involving the hair
      cells at the periphery of the vestibular receptors. The regulation of the
      vestibular message at the apex of type I hair cells is also considered.

PMID- 1881636
TI  - Influence of an acoustic preparatory signal on postural reflexes of the distal
      leg muscles in humans.
AB  - In standing subjects the sudden displacement of a platform toe-up evokes a
      stabilizing postural response of the anterior tibial muscle (long-latency
      reflex). A preparatory signal (acoustic warning stimulus) preceding the postural
      perturbation by 1 s results in a significant decrease in latency of this long
      latency response. There is no parallel modulation of the afferent cortical input
      in terms of evoked cerebral potentials following platform tilts toe-up nor of
      efferent cortico-spinal functions as evaluated by means of transcranial magnetic
      stimulation. Conceivable underlying mechanisms include faster intraspinal and/or
      intracortical processing of afferent input or switching to a shorter spinal
      reflex pathway.

PMID- 1881637
TI  - 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neurotoxicity: partial
      protection against striato-nigral dopamine depletion in C57BL/6J mice by
      cigarette smoke exposure and by beta-naphthoflavone-pretreatment.
AB  - This study aimed to find a possible biochemical basis for the frequent
      epidemiological observation of a negative correlation between smoking and
      Parkinson's disease. The effects of cigarette smoke exposure and of beta
      naphthoflavone (BNF)-pretreatment on corpus striatal dopamine depletion by 1
      methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) were studied using the mouse
      MPTP model. Brain and hepatic monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, hepatic
      cytochrome P450 content, BNF-inducible ethoxyresorufin O-dealkylase (EROD)
      activity and corpus striatal dopamine levels were measured. Cigarette smoke
      exposure partially protected against corpus striatial dopamine depletion by MPTP.
      This protection was associated with monomaine oxidase (MAO) inhibition in brain
      and liver, as well as with cytochrome P450 induction. BNF pretreatment also
      partially protected against MPTP-induced depletion of striatal dopamine. This was
      associated with a strong induction of cytochrome P450 but not inhibition of MAO
      activity. Our findings suggest that both MAO inhibition and cytochrome P450
      induction may play a role in any biochemical protection afforded by cigarette
      smoke exposure against the development of Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 1881638
TI  - Neonatal capsaicin treatment impairs functional properties of primary olfactory
      afferents in the rat.
AB  - Long-lasting influences of neonatal capsaicin treatment on functional properties
      of the olfactory nerve were studied in 30-day-old rats by determining
      excitability thresholds of nerve fibres by means of orthodromic field potentials
      elicited in the main olfactory bulb, as well as by analyzing the pattern of the
      low-frequency component of the bulbar electroencephalogram. In addition, body,
      brain and olfactory bulbar weights were measured. Neonatal capsaicin resulted in
      reduced excitability of primary olfactory afferents and reduced wave amplitude of
      the bulbar electroencephalogram. Capsaicin treated animals had reduced body,
      brain and bulbar weights, the latter being the most affected. The result
      indicates that capsaicin given early in life leads to altered transmission
      properties of olfactory nerve fibres at later age, suggesting that olfactory
      afferents are sensitive to the neurotoxic action of capsaicin as occurs in other
      chemosensory afferent systems.

PMID- 1881639
TI  - Benefits of bladder re-education.

PMID- 1881640
TI  - Incontinence. Pelvic floor re-education.

PMID- 1881641
TI  - Incontinence. Aids and appliances.

PMID- 1881642
TI  - Resource management demystified.

PMID- 1881643
TI  - TQM (total quality management): everyone's business.

PMID- 1881644
TI  - Holding the baby.

PMID- 1881645
TI  - Wound management. The diabetic foot.

PMID- 1881646
TI  - After 'pin down'.

PMID- 1881647
TI  - Betty Dean, squeaky clean. The ward visit.

PMID- 1881648
TI  - Shifting the cost.

PMID- 1881649
TI  - Incontinence in perspective.

PMID- 1881650
TI  - Ocular manifestations of congenital Marfan syndrome with contractures (CMC
      syndrome).
AB  - The authors present the results of ocular examination of six children with
      congenital Marfan syndrome with contractures (CMC syndrome). The ocular and
      neuroradiological findings of the CMC syndrome are discussed with reference to
      the literature. The ocular findings are: blue sclerae, megalocorneas, hypoplastic
      irides with complete translucency, miosis, spherophakia with or without lens
      dislocation and severe myopia. This study demonstrates that ophthalmological
      examination of children with congenital contractures and arachnodactyly is very
      helpful for diagnosis of the CMC syndrome. The authors stressed that
      ophthalmologists should not only look for luxation of the lens in children who
      are suspected of having CMC syndrome. Spherophakia was common in the children and
      could easily be observed through the translucent irides. Biometric evaluation of
      the eyes is recommended. All of the cases in this paper and reported cases are
      sporadic. No conclusions have been reached in the literature on whether the CMC
      syndrome represents the severe expression of the classical Marfan syndrome or a
      distinct entity. Maybe the answer will remain difficult, until the specific
      molecular defects in the collagen diseases are discovered. This study
      demonstrates that ophthalmological examination of the children with congenital
      contractures and arachnodactyly is very helpful for the diagnosis of CMC
      syndrome.

PMID- 1881651
TI  - Peters' anomaly: an unusual case.
AB  - The authors report on a case of congenital bilateral protruding corneal
      opacities. Clinical and histological examination was consistent with a diagnosis
      of Peters' anomaly with a defect in the endothelium and Descemet's membrane but
      without abnormalities of iris and lens. Corneal grafting was performed on both
      eyes. During a follow-up period of one year the corneas have remained clear.
      However, surgical intervention for glaucoma has been necessary.

PMID- 1881652
TI  - Axenfeld anomaly in association with hypomelanosis of Ito.
AB  - Hypomelanosis of Ito is a rare neurocutaneous disorder with associated ocular,
      facial, dental and skeletal abnormalities. The authors describe a case of
      hypomelanosis of Ito occurring with anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesis of
      the Axenfeld type. An attempt is made to explain many of the major features of
      hypomelanosis of Ito in terms of neural crest origin, and to classify the disease
      as a neurocristopathy.

PMID- 1881653
TI  - Bilateral congenital ocular cysts.
AB  - This report presents an unusual case of bilateral congenital ocular cysts. These
      are in the spectrum of congenital cystic eye and microphthalmos with cysts.
      Diagnostic evaluation, including orbital B-scan ultrasonography, computed
      tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is described. Pathologic evaluation of
      the orbital cysts was consistent with congenital cystic eye. An associated
      microphthalmic eye was not detected with serial sectioning of both specimens.
      Examination of the orbit at exploration as well as pre- and post-operative MRI
      scans failed to demonstrate the presence of a microphthalmic eye in either orbit.
      Failure to detect a microphthalmic eye clinically, by diagnostic imaging studies,
      or serial microscopic sections of the cysts supports the diagnosis of congenital
      cystic eye. This child has associated mild facial clefting (median cleft lip and
      cleft palate) and basal cephalocele. Histopathologically documented cases of
      ocular abnormalities associated with basal encephalocele have not been reported.
      To the authors' knowledge, MRI findings of congenital ocular cysts have been
      reported once previously in a case of microphthalmos with cyst, however,
      histopathologic correlation has not been reported previously.

PMID- 1881655
TI  - Ophthalmology sourcebook and reference guide 1991-1992.

PMID- 1881654
TI  - Microphthalmos with colobomatous orbital cyst in trisomy 13.
AB  - The authors describe a case of trisomy 13 with microphthalmos and colobomatous
      cyst of the optic nerve and of the chorioretina with orbital extension, in a six
      month-old female patient. The colobomatous cyst has been studied by means of
      computerized axial tomography and ultrasonography in order to follow its
      evolution. The orbital cyst has not increased in size.

PMID- 1881656
TI  - Health status of salmonids in river systems in Natal. I. Collection of fish and
      parasitological examination.
AB  - A detailed microbiological and parasitological survey of salmonids and indigenous
      fish in the upper reaches of selected river systems in Natal was undertaken. Fish
      were collected from the rivers by electro-fishing, from dams by gill netting and
      from hatcheries along the rivers. A total of 678 fish from 26 different sites
      along 8 river systems were collected. No parasites could be detected on fish from
      four of the rivers tested. Parasites were, however, detected on fish from large
      production sites in Natal and in the rivers feeding these sites. Parasites which
      were detected were Ichthyopthirius multifiliis, various Trichodina spp., Apiosoma
      sp. and Gyrodactylus sp. The heads of all fish estimated to be less than one year
      of age were collected and examined for the spores of Myxosoma cerebralis. All of
      the samples were found to be free of this parasite.

PMID- 1881657
TI  - Health status of salmonids in river systems in Natal. II. Isolation and
      identification of viruses.
AB  - A total of 678 fish from 26 different sites along 8 river systems was examined
      for the presence of trout viruses. No isolations of any viruses were made from
      any fish collected from these systems in Natal during this study. No antibodies
      against any of the trout viruses were detected in the serum collected from these
      fish. It would appear from this study that the river systems in Natal are free of
      any of the known viruses of trout. Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus was,
      however, isolated from trout from the Natal Parks Board Hatchery at Kamberg
      Nature Reserve on the Mooi River during June and July of 1988. Neutralising
      antibodies against the VR 299 serotype of IPN virus were detected in the serum
      collected from trout at Kamberg in September 1988.

PMID- 1881658
TI  - Health status of salmonids in river systems in Natal. III. Isolation and
      identification of bacteria.
AB  - Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria were isolated from fish, both
      salmonid and non-salmonid, from selected river systems in Natal. Pasteurella
      pisicida was isolated for the first time from fish in South Africa. The isolation
      of Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas salmonicida, and Edwardsiella tarda were recorded
      for the first time from fish in Natal. A. hydrophila and Flexibacter columnaris
      were found to be widespread throughout the river systems in Natal. The
      Streptococcus species which caused serious disease problems in trout in the Cape
      Province and Transvaal was not isolated from any of the fish examined in Natal.

PMID- 1881659
TI  - The effect of tick infestation on the productivity of cows of three breeds of
      cattle.
AB  - The effect of tick infestation of Hereford, Bonsmara and Nguni cows on the
      weaning masses of their calves in a dipping versus non-dipping situation was
      investigated. Breed had a major effect on the level of tick infestation,
      Herefords being most susceptible and Ngunis least. The productivity of Nguni
      cows, as measured by the weaning masses of their calves was also least affected.
      The effect of infestation on the productivity of Hereford cows was the greatest
      and that on the Bonsmara cows was intermediate. It was estimated that each
      engorged female tick (predominantly Boophilus decoloratus) caused a reduction of
      8.9 g, 8.0 g and 8.6 g in the weaning masses of calves from Hereford, Bonsmara
      and Nguni cows respectively. The effect of infestation on the productivity of the
      Nguni cows was nevertheless small because a limited number of ticks fed to
      maturity on this breed due to its natural resistance.

PMID- 1881660
TI  - A gas-chromatographic headspace method for the determination of acetone in bovine
      milk, blood and urine.
AB  - An automated headspace gas-chromatographic method has been developed for the
      determination of acetone in the milk, blood and urine of dairy cows. Five ml
      samples were saturated with 2 g of sodium chloride and equilibrated for 30 min at
      90 degrees C in a Hewlett-Packard HP 19395 A automatic headspace sampler. The
      headspace volatiles were transferred without splitting to a 25 m x 0.3 mm x 0.4
      microns Carbowax column in a Shimadzu GC 9A gas chromatograph, operating
      isothermally at 50 degrees C. The coefficients of variation for the determination
      of acetone were 1.5-4.4% for urine, 10.0-24.9% for milk and 2.0-19.6% for blood.
      The detection limits were 0.0055 mg/100 ml for milk, 0.0072 mg/100 ml for blood
      and 0.0080 mg/100 ml for urine. The analysis time of 5 min per sample provided an
      adequate rate of throughput for routine monitoring.

PMID- 1881661
TI  - A review of the ixodid ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) occurring in southern Africa.
AB  - Eighty-three species of ixodid ticks, as well as several entities that have yet
      to be described, occur in the Republic of South Africa plus the 4 independent
      states lying within its borders (Bophuthatswana, Venda, Transkei and Ciskei) and
      in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. They belong to the following genera:
      Amblyomma (8 spp.); Aponomma (3 spp.); Boophilus (2 spp.); Cosmiomma (1 sp.);
      Dermacentor (1 sp.); Haemaphysalis (10 spp.); Hyalomma (2 spp., one of them with
      2 subspp.); Ixodes (25 spp.); Margaropus (1 sp.); Rhipicentor (2 spp.), and
      Rhipicephalus (28 spp). The history of tick research in this region is reviewed
      briefly and advances made by the major contributors to our knowledge are
      highlighted. Short comments on each genus are given. These are followed by
      information on every species known to occur in the region, presented under the
      following headings: Species diagnosis, under which references to relevant
      descriptions are listed and, where appropriate, notes on commonly used synonyms,
      related species and identification problems are included; hosts, indicating
      whenever possible the preferences of both the adults and the immature stages, as
      well as differentiating between common and incidental hosts, and distribution in
      terms of political (not ecological) divisions.

PMID- 1881662
TI  - [Opportunistic systemic mycoses].
AB  - Systemic fungal infections can be primary or opportunistic. The mycoses caused by
      opportunistic pathogens become increasingly more important. These infections are
      mainly caused by Candida species, Aspergillus species, Cryptococcus neoformans,
      Mucor etc. The predisposing factors to these diseases are numerous: neutropenia,
      organ transplantation, use of steroids, broad spectrum antibiotics,
      antineoplastic chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, prolonged intravenous
      infusions, extensive surgery etc. Mortality is high because many fungal infection
      are difficult to diagnose, especially in their early, more treatable stages.
      Considerable progress in treating these infections has been achieved. Systemic
      fungal infections, however, continue to present major problems, including
      clinical resistance, microbial resistance, emergence of new pathogens and
      involvement of more susceptible patients. The purpose of this paper is to review
      the recent progress and current problems in diagnosis, treatment and prevention
      of opportunistic systemic fungal infections.

PMID- 1881663
TI  - [Correlation between juvenile myocardial infarct in parents and plasma fibrinogen
      levels in their offspring].
AB  - 140 children of parents who had acute myocardial infarction before age 45 and 75
      healthy children without any familial history of coronary artery disease--as a
      control group--were investigated ranging in age from 3-18 years. It was found
      that plasma fibrinogen concentration significantly increased compared to age and
      sex adjusted control in sons of parents suffering from premature coronary artery
      disease. Results of this study suggest a significant association between parents'
      and children's fibrinogen level. It may be concluded from this study that the
      fibrinogen is a definitive marker for identifying risk children's. Preventive
      strategies in childhood should consider the role of this genetic factor in later
      manifestation of coronary artery disease and it would be necessary to emphasize
      the importance of eliminating environmental influences and change life-style in
      exposed families.

PMID- 1881664
TI  - [Fetal growth rate and its variations 1988/89].
AB  - Considering that the last intrauterine growth standards were constructed more
      than two decades ago, the authors defined the measure of 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90
      and 95 percentiles of birth weight on the base of Genetic and Obstetric Computer
      Register of East-Hungary, birth data having epidemiological value in Szabolcs
      Szatmar-Bereg, Hajdu-Bihar and Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok counties in 1988-89. From the
      36th week of pregnancy the mean values of birth weights between boys and girls,
      boys and gipsy boys, girls and gipsy girls as well as singular and twin newborn
      infants differed from each other significantly. Possessing these standards, the
      clinical judgement and supplying of the various newborn infants can be more
      exact.

PMID- 1881665
TI  - [Ultrasound-guided percutaneous external catheterization-drainage of pancreas
      related fluid collections].
AB  - The authors have extended the diagnostics indispensable in drainage of pancreatic
      fluid collections by intracavitary invasive methods. In five patients exfoliative
      cytology, in to patients target biopsy and in other two septotomy were performed.
      Intracavitary invasive diagnostic and therapeutic methods may be useful
      complementary tools with the traditional technique. They can easily and
      effectively be carried out without complications if their utilization is well
      indicated. They may increase diagnostic accuracy and decrease discomfort of the
      patient in therapy.

PMID- 1881667
TI  - [Horus].

PMID- 1881666
TI  - [Macrothrombopenia, nephritis and hearing loss--a new case of Epstein syndrome].
AB  - A 14 years old boy with persistent proteinuria (1.6-4.0 g/day), microscopic
      haematuria, macrothrombocytopenia (giant platelets, platelet number 30 G/l), and
      a familial sensorineural hearing loss (the father and the brother were also
      affected) was studied. Kidney biopsy presented a diffuse mesangial proliferation,
      and a focal thickening of the glomerular basement membrane was seen on electron
      microscopy. With bone marrow aspiration normal number of megacaryocytes was
      observed. The aggregation response of the platelets was decreased on collagen,
      epinephrine and ADP but it was normal on aggristin. The presented case with
      nephritis, platelet disorders and hearing loss corresponds to Epstein syndrome, a
      variant of Alport's syndrome.

PMID- 1881668
TI  - [Ferdinand Hebra, pioneer of modern dermatology, born 175 years ago].

PMID- 1881669
TI  - [Comparative activities of 15 beta-lactam antibiotics against 590 strains of
      Klebsiella pneumoniae according to the production of beta-lactamase].
AB  - In October 1988, all non repetitive strains of K. pneumoniae isolated in 17
      hospitals have been studied. Among these 590 strains: 451 (76%) only produce the
      specific beta-lactamase of the species SHV-1 (pI 7,7) or SHV-1 type (pI 7,1),
      while 74 (12.5%) produce a TEM-1 or TEM-2 type beta-lactamase, and 65 (11%) an
      extended broad spectrum beta-lactamase: 22 CTX-1, 5 SHV-2, 4 SHV-3, 26 SHV-4, 8
      SHV-5. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the following antibiotics were
      performed by a liquid micro dilution technic: amoxicillin (AMX), amoxicillin +
      clavulanic acid (CL), 5 mg/l, ticarcillin (TIC), piperacillin (PIP), cefazolin
      (CEZ), cefamandole (CFM), cefoperazone (CFP), cefotaxime (CTX), cefotaxime +
      clavulanic acid 5 mg/l, cefotaxime + sulbactam (SUL) 5 mg/l, cefpirome (CPI),
      ceftazidime (CAZ), azthreonam (AZT), latamoxef (MOX), cefoxitin (FOX), cefotetan
      (CTT), temocillin (TMO), imipenem (IMI). The "wild" strains with SHV-1 beta
      lactamase are resistant to AMX and have a decreased susceptibility to TIC and
      PIP, but are susceptible to other antibiotics. The TEM producing strains are more
      resistant to PIP and TIC, have a decreased susceptibility to CEZ and CFM but are
      susceptible to other antibiotics. For the extended broad-spectrum beta-lactamase
      producing strains, the MIC of penicillin antibiotics (AMX, TIC, PIP) are very
      high and also the MIC of CEZ, CFM and CFP. The MIC of CTX are higher for CTX-1 or
      SHV-4 producing strains, than for SHV-2, SHV-3, or SHV-5 producing strains. The
      combination with CL is more efficacious than the one with SUL to reduce the MIC
      of CTX in susceptibility area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881671
TI  - [Uptake of ofloxacin by Escherichia coli].
AB  - The uptake of ofloxacin by Escherichia coli NIHJ-JC2 was determined by a
      sensitive and convenient method using high-performance liquid chromatography
      (HPLC) with a fluorometric detection (sensitivity level: 1 ng/ml). Concentrations
      of ofloxacin were measured in bacteria after contact with 5 micrograms/ml of
      antibiotic for 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 min. Ofloxacin uptake was rapid, 70% of
      broth concentration occurring within the first min and 96% after 5 min; then it
      reached a plateau which was 1.16 times as high as the broth concentration.

PMID- 1881670
TI  - [In vitro antibacterial activity of a new fluoroquinolone, temafloxacin, against
      hospital isolates. Results of a multicenter study].
AB  - Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of temafloxacin (TMF) was determined by
      agar dilution for 2,510 bacterial strains isolated in 1989 in 9 university
      hospitals. Activity of TMF against nalidixic acid (NAL) susceptible (S)
      Enterobacteriaceae was close to that of other fluoroquinolones (FQ) (mode MIC:
      0.06 micrograms/l); like for other FQ, this activity was reduced against NAL
      intermediate (mode 1) and resistant (R) (mode 4) Enterobacteriaceae. MICs of TMF
      against P. aeruginosa were between 0.12 and 128 (mode 0.5-1). TMF had also a good
      activity against NAL S A. baumannii (mode MIC: 0.06-0.12) but this activity is
      reduced against NAL R Acinetobacter (mode MIC: 16). TMF was highly active against
      Haemophilus mode MIC: less than or equal to 0.008), Gonococci (mode MIC: 0.008
      0.032), Meningococci (mode MIC: 0.08) and B. catarrhalis (mode MIC: 0.016). TMF
      showed better activity to other fluoroquinolones against methicillin susceptible
      Staphylococci (mode MIC: 0.06); the resistant strains (mode MIC: 8) are usually
      methicillin resistant. Comparatively to the currently available FQ, TMF is so
      more effective against Enterococci (mode MIC: 1), Streptococci (mode MIC: 0.5-1)
      and Pneumococci (mode MIC: 0.5). Finally, for the anaerobic bacteria, TMF is more
      active against C. perfringens (mode MIC: 0.5) than against B. fragilis (mode MIC:
      2).

PMID- 1881672
TI  - [Effect of fibronectin on the adhesion of staphylococci and interaction with
      pefloxacin's anti-adherence properties].
AB  - Fibronectin (Fn) is recognized for its ability to mediate Staphylococcus aureus
      (SA) adhesion. The number of Fn receptors is dependent on the phase of growth,
      and type of media. Furthermore, it was of interest to examine SA and
      Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE) adherence to porcine Fn (IBF 10 ng/ml)
      immobilized on tissue culture plates. The aim of our study was to examine if
      removal of FN receptors by growing bacteria in an antibiotic containing medium
      decreased the ability to adhere and of pefloxacin (P) anti-adhesive properties
      were medium dependent. As SE usually lack Fn binding capabilities, it seemed of
      interest to investigate if the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of P were
      modified by medium or Fn. We found: a) For SA: whether Fn coated onto plastic
      substrata promoted adherence of strains, P's anti-adhesive properties were saved,
      non medium or phase of growth dependent. b) For SE: adherence properties were
      decreased if Fn was coated onto plates. P's anti-adhesive properties were not
      modified and non medium dependent. The number of Fn receptors on clinical
      isolates of SA correlates with the invasiveness of the isolates. As P reduced the
      binding of SA to Fn coated plates, this observation may have important
      implications for antimicrobial prophylaxis.

PMID- 1881673
TI  - [Comparative study of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal lethal
      concentration (MLC) values for tetracycline, monocycline, erythromycin and
      rokitamycin against eleven strains of Chlamydia trachomatis].
AB  - We evaluated the efficacy of tetracycline, minocycline, erythromycin and
      rokitamycin (rikamycine, TMS-19Q) in controlling in vitro propagation of
      Chlamydia trachomatis in HeLa 229 cells. Ten recent clinical isolates of
      Chlamydia trachomatis and one fast-growing strain were tested with inocula of 100
      1,000 inclusion forming units per well of a 96-wheel microculture plate.
      Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions were detected by an immunoperoxidase
      antiperoxidase procedure (PAP), including a genus-specific monoclonal antibody.
      Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) geometric means and ranges were
      respectively 0.128, 0.015-0.25 mg/l tetracycline, 0.001, less than or equal to
      0.001-0.004 mg/l minocycline, 0.187, 0.031-0.5 mg/l erythromycin, and 0.005, less
      than or equal to 0.001-0.062 mg/l rokitamycin; minimal lethal concentration (MLC)
      geometric means and ranges were 6.79, 0.125-32 mg/l tetracycline, 0.225, 0.062-2
      mg/l minocycline, 3.37, 1-32 mg/l erythromycin, and 0.112, 0.031-1 mg/l
      rokitamycin. Since rokitamycin appears to be the more bactericidal from the four
      antibiotics tested, clinical studies in sexually transmitted diseases are
      indicated.

PMID- 1881674
TI  - [Importance of the antimicrobial mode of action of antibiotics for their combined
      effect with glycine in subinhibitory concentrations on microbial growth].
AB  - Following previous observations of an increase in microbial sensitivity to the
      bactericidal beta-lactams ampicillin and imipenem in the presence of glycine, the
      aim of the presented study was to examine if such an effect is due to the
      antimicrobial mode of action of an antibiotic and/or to its bactericidal or
      bacteriostatic capacity. Using growth curves as an experimental parameter the
      same synergistic glycine effect could be shown if tested concomitantly with a
      number of other antibiotics acting equally on bacterial cell wall formation as
      cefaclor, cefadroxil, or fosfomycin. This glycine effect is, therefore,
      associated with the antibiotic mode of action, but is independent of wether the
      antibiotics are beta-lactams or not (fosfomycin). In contrast, glycine had no
      particular effect in combination with antibiotics inhibiting protein synthesis
      (sisomicin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, oxy-tetracycline) or nucleic acid
      polymerase activity (ciprofloxacin, cinoxacin; rifampicin being a certain
      exception) as well as with those acting on cytoplasmic and external membrane as
      polymyxin B. The synergistic effect of glycine and cell wall active antibiotics
      was interpreted predominantly by an action on carboxypeptidases.

PMID- 1881675
TI  - Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing of gram-negative bacilli using Baxter
      MicroScan rapid fluorogenic panels and autoSCAN-W/A.
AB  - The MicroScan Rapid Neg MIC/Combo panels and autoSCAN-W/A (Walk Away) system
      utilize automated fluorescence technology for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility
      testing of Gram-negative bacilli. In a three site clinical study eleven
      antimicrobial agents were evaluated by comparing results obtained with 741
      clinical isolates, using rapid fluorogenic expanded dilution MIC panels and
      corresponding frozen microdilution reference panels determined visually. Results
      for 31%, 40%, 12% and 9% of the isolates were available within 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and
      7.0 hours respectively. Results for 7.3% were not available within that time
      period. For the seven drugs analyzed using a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration
      range of dilutions, overall agreement (+/- 1 dilution) was 94%, with 1.5% very
      major, 0.9% major and 2.5% minor errors. For the four drugs analyzed using a
      Breakpoint range of dilutions, overall agreement (+/- 1 dilution) was 97%, with
      two percent very major, and one percent major errors. The MicroScan Rapid Neg MIC
      system is an accurate and rapid method for same day determination of
      susceptibility of Gram-negative bacilli.

PMID- 1881676
TI  - Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing of gram-positive cocci using Baxter
      MicroScan rapid fluorogenic panels and autoSCAN-W/A.
AB  - The Microscan Rapid Pos MIC/Combo panels and autoSCAN-W/A (Walk Away) system
      utilize automated fluorescence technology for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility
      testing of staphylococci, streptococci, and Listeria. In a three site clinical
      study, panels containing 26 antimicrobial agents were evaluated by comparing
      results obtained with 605 clinically significant isolates, using rapid
      fluorogenic expanded dilution MIC panels and corresponding frozen microdilution
      reference panels. Results for 16%, 40%, 13%, 9%, 8%, 11% and 1% of the isolates
      were available within 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 7.0, 8, 11 and 15 h respectively. Results
      for 2% were not available within that time period. Overall agreement (+/- 1
      dilution) for the 14,609 efficacy comparisons was 96%, with 1% each for very
      major, major and minor errors. Interlaboratory reproducibility testing of 25
      isolates in triplicate in each site, showed an overall essential agreement of
      97%. The MicroScan Rapid Pos MIC System is an accurate, reproducible and rapid
      method for same-day determination of susceptibility of Gram-positive cocci.

PMID- 1881677
TI  - [Evaluation of an automated system in bacteriology. Application to
      bacteriological susceptibility tests].
AB  - Susceptibility tests have been compared between a new automated system and the
      reference method by agar diffusion. The COBAS-Micro apparatus for bacterial
      susceptibility tests is intended for rapid determinations with, normally, an
      incubation time of 5 h at 37 degrees C. Its is compatible with strains requiring
      greater than 18 h incubation. With this technique a large range of antibacterial
      substances (greater than 60) can be studied, in groups of fifteen. With the help
      of a computerized soft-ware, one growth-index:EPR (End Point Ratio) is
      calculated, in comparison with a standard, for each antibacterial agent tested
      and expressed in three categories: SIR. The findings are optimized according to
      the limits prescribed by the NCCLS. The reference method, by agar-diffusion, is
      as described by the Comite de l'Antibiogramme de la Societe Francaise de
      Microbiologie (CA-SFM). A total of 1,048 strains were tested by the two
      techniques: 518 Gram negative rods, 530 Gram positive cocci, with four common
      antibiotics. The percentages of agreement between the two groups were: 96% full
      agreement and minor discrepancy, 4% major and very major discrepancy. This
      automated system seems to be perfectly suitable for susceptibility testing in a
      routine laboratory, especially with strains isolated from ambulatory patients.

PMID- 1881678
TI  - [Detection of extended broad-spectrum beta-lactamases with the ATB MIC system].
AB  - The Enterobacteriaceae producing extended broad-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESB)
      must be detected even when their MIC to oxyiminocephalosporins are low. We tested
      164 isolates (133 ESB, 31 non ESB) on two experimental ATB MIC plates containing
      cefotaxime or ceftazidime (0.06-128 mg/l) alone or associated with sulbactam (4
      mg/l). Fifty four per cent of the ESB isolates are sensitive to cefotaxime, and
      30% to ceftazidime. Respectively 95% and 94% of these bacteria have a synergism
      index (MIC CIII alone/MIC CIIII + sulbactam) greater than or equal to 4 with
      cefotaxime and ceftazidime. The isolates that do not produce ESB have all a rate
      less than 4. The ATB system can detect the extended broad spectrum beta
      lactamases when low concentrations of cephalosporins are used, alone and in
      association with an inhibitor of beta-lactamases.

PMID- 1881679
TI  - [Enterobacteriaceae isolated in nine general hospitals of the Ile-de-France in
      1988 and 1989: susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics according to the length
      of hospitalisation].
AB  - Susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics of strains of Enterobacteriaceae
      consecutively isolated in nine general hospitals during a period of 2 months
      (march and april) has been studied by the disk-agar diffusion method. The
      separation between susceptible and resistant strains was based on the measure of
      the inhibition zones centered by 2 disks: cephalothin and ticarcillin.
      Enterobacteriaceae were divided in 2 groups: strains isolated during the first 48
      h of hospitalisation or isolated after. Fifty one per cent of the strains were
      isolated during the first 48 h: they did not belong to the residential flora of
      these hospitals. Klebsiella, Proteus indole positive, Providencia, Enterobacter,
      Serratia were more frequently isolated after 48 h of hospitalisation. Susceptible
      strains of Klebsiella, Proteus indole positive, Providencia, Serratia were more
      rarely isolated after 48 h of hospitalisation. E. coli whatever the duration of
      hospitalisation, is the less frequent susceptible bacterium.

PMID- 1881680
TI  - [Epidemiology of aminoglycoside resistance in Streptococcus except in group D
      Streptococcus and Enterococcus].
AB  - During a ten month period (march-december 1989), all streptococcal strains
      isolated from clinical specimens sent to our laboratory were routinely tested for
      high-level resistance to aminoglycosides. High-level resistance was detected in
      16 out of 475 streptococci: streptomycin (two strains), kanamycin (four strains),
      streptomycin and kanamycin (ten strains).

PMID- 1881681
TI  - [Frequency and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria responsible for urinary
      infections in private practice from 1986 to 1990. Results of 5398 samples].
AB  - For each year from 1986 to 1990, fourteen private laboratories from all over
      France collected epidemiological data on germs discovered in urinary infections
      in France. This retrospective and comparative study covers 5,398 dossiers. The
      sensitivity of germs in private practice in urinary infections (ampicillin, AM
      AC, cephalosporin, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, pipemidic acid, pefloxacin,
      cotrimoxazol) were analysed. Germ resistance tests carried out by the CMI study
      in the centre of reference (Pr Thabaut, HIA Begin) showed variable divergences
      according to the different antibiogram techniques employed by the private
      laboratories.

PMID- 1881682
TI  - [Binding of cefuroxime to macromolecules from bronchitic sputum in patients with
      chronic bronchitis].
AB  - Cefuroxime binding to soluble bronchial macromolecules has been performed in
      vitro with preparations obtained from ten patients. Cefuroxime at various
      concentrations have been added to soluble macromolecules (10 g/l). Free
      cefuroxime has been obtained by equilibrium dialysis and measured by HPLC.
      Results show that cefuroxime binding is about 30% of total antibiotic.

PMID- 1881683
TI  - [Diffusion of imipenem in synovial fluid].
AB  - The diffusion of imipenem (IMP) in the knee joint was studied after a 1 g i.v.
      administration of Tienam over one hour. The synovial fluid was collected under
      anesthesia during arthroscopy carried out for mechanical lesions of the knee
      (meniscal lesions after ligamental injuries or sequelae after meniscectomy), in 3
      groups of six patients at one, two, or three hours after the end of injection of
      IMP. The concentrations of IMP determined by high performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) were: 42.5, 20.1, 9.3 and 5.7 mg/l in the blood at T0, T1,
      T2 and T3 hr, respectively; 20.4, 13.0 and 7.9 mg/l in the synovial fluid at T1,
      T2 and T3, respectively. The decrease of IMP concentrations in the synovial fluid
      was 1,5 times as low as in serum. On account of its broad-spectrum antibacterial
      activity and our data, IMP could be used in perioperative prophylaxis of the knee
      joint surgery.

PMID- 1881684
TI  - [Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of single-dose netilmicin used for
      antibiotic prophylaxis during colo-rectal surgery].
AB  - Pharmacokinetics and tissue penetration of netilmicin were studied after the use
      of a single dose (6 mg/kg) given for antibioprophylaxis in colo-rectal surgery.
      Thirteen patients, scheduled for elective surgery, were given 6 mg/kg IV
      netilmicin over 30 min, together with 1000 mg IV ornidazole. Netilmicin peak
      serum concentration (10 min after end of infusion) was 24.4 +/- 3.4 mg/l and
      trough level (24 h) was 0.9 +/- 0.5 mg/l. Plasma elimination half-life was 409 +/
      70 min, le volume apparent volume of distribution was 38 +/- 101 and total body
      clearance was 0.07 +/- 0.02 ml/min. Adequate netilmicin levels (5 greater than or
      equal to CMI 90 of involved pathogens Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae,
      Staphylococcus aureus) were obtained in 100 per cent of patients in abdominal
      wall and epiploid fat, at time of opening, and in colonic wall at time of
      anastomosis. Adequate levels were obtained at time of closure in abdominal wall
      and epiploid fat in 92 to 100 per cent of patients. In situation of allergy to
      beta-lactam antibiotics, the use of netilmicin in combination with ornidazole may
      be recommended.

PMID- 1881685
TI  - [Diffusion of roxithromycin in gingival tissue].
AB  - The gingival penetration of roxithromycin was evaluated at steady-state in twenty
      nine patients treated by 150 mg orally every 12 h during five days. Tissue
      specimen were sampled at 2 h (n = 6), 4 h (n = 6), 6 h (n = 5), 8 h (n = 6) and
      12 h (n = 6) after the 10th administration. One blood sample was drawn at the
      same times. Serum and tissue concentrations of roxithromycin were measured by
      high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum peak level, measured at the
      4th h, reached 6.60 +/- 1.15 micrograms/ml. The tissue peak concentration was
      4.63 +/- 1.84 micrograms/g at the 8th h. Between the 4th and 10th hour after
      administration, the tissue concentrations are above 2 micrograms/g, i.e. above
      roxithromycin MIC 90 against most of the encountered pathogens in stomatologic
      infections.

PMID- 1881686
TI  - [Diffusion of ciprofloxacin into bronchial secretions in mechanically ventilated
      patients].
AB  - The aim of the study was to evaluate, in clinical conditions, the penetration of
      ciprofloxacin into bronchial secretions. Eight patients were included in the
      study. They presented with nosocomial pneumonia and were under controlled
      mechanical ventilation. Ciprofloxacin was given at a dose of 3 mg/kg over 30 min.
      Serial bronchial and blood samples were obtained over a 12 hour period on day 2
      and 4. Ciprofloxacin was measured by HPLC. Serum peak levels were 2.95 +/- 1 mg/l
      on day 2, and 2.43 +/- 0.7 mg/l on day 4. Bronchial peak and through levels were
      0.95 +/- 0.51 mg/l and 0.21 +/- 0.12 mg/l, respectively, on day 2, and 0.76 +/-
      0.17 mg/l and 0.18 +/- 0.14 mg/l, respectively, on day 4. The ratio of
      bronchial/serum peak was 0.32 +/- 0.11 and 0.33 +/- 0.06 on day 2 and 4,
      respectively. The ratio of AUC 0-12 h in the bronchial secretions/AUC 0-12 h in
      the serum samples was 0.66 +/- 0.04 and 0.55 +/- 0.27 on day 2 and 4,
      respectively.

PMID- 1881687
TI  - [Diffusion of norfloxacin in epididymal tissue].
AB  - Norfloxacin, a "second generation" compound of the quinolone group, was
      administered orally, before surgery, every 12 h during successive three-day
      periods at dose of 400 mg to ten patients hospitalized for prostatic adenoma or
      for prostatic cancer. On the day of surgery, a 400 mg-last dose was administered.
      Unchanged norfloxacin was assayed by high performance liquid chromatography with
      fluorescence detection. The Cmin value was 1.2 +/- 0.77 mg/l. Concurrent
      norfloxacin concentrations in plasma and epididymal tissue (left and right) were
      determined, about 4 h after the last drug intake, the epididymal level was 3.4 +/
      1.9 micrograms/g. This value was above the MIC90 for most sensitive organisms.
      The ratio (+/- SD) of drug concentration in epididymal tissue and in plasma was
      3. 74 +/- 2.10 (range 1.66-10.2). The epididymal level of norfloxacin was
      strongly correlated with, area under curve (p less than 0.001) and plasma
      concentration (p less than 0.01).

PMID- 1881688
TI  - [Experimental study on the hepatobiliary kinetics and excretion of temafloxacin.
      Evidence for production of active metabolites by the rabbit liver].
AB  - Temafloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone derivative currently under evaluation. Its
      hepatobiliary disposition remains undefined as yet. The present study represents
      an experimental approach to this issue. Six isolated rabbit liver preparations
      were perfused for three hours with reconstituted and oxygenated blood in a closed
      circuit. A the onset of the procedures, temafloxacin 10 mg were added to the
      circulating blood. Both bile and blood were sampled throughout the perfusion
      time, and liver fragments were taken at the end of the experiments. Temafloxacin
      levels were measured by HPLC in serum and hepatic tissue, and by both HPLC and
      microbiological assay in bile. The percentage of drug undergoing hepatic
      biotransformation appeared to be high, i.e. 58.3%. This finding is substantiated
      by the comparison of temafloxacin levels in bile, as provided by HPLC and
      microbiological assay, the latter yielding concentrations twice as high (biliary
      peak: 33.5 +/- 2.8 micrograms/ml versus 19.3 +/- 3.1 micrograms/ml by HPLC assay)
      as those obtained by HPLC (p less than 0.05). Consistently, the average amount of
      temafloxacin excreted into the bile (0-3 h) was, respectively, 92 micrograms
      (0.9% of the dose) and 204 micrograms (2.0%) as determined by HPLC and
      microbiological methods (p less than 0.05); this statistically significant
      difference suggests the presence of active metabolites in bile. The presented
      results bring out evidence for substantial biotransformation of temafloxacin by
      Rabbit liver. Extrapolation to other species, however, would be hazardous;
      further pharmacokinetic studies are needed in order to assess the relevance of
      these findings in humans.

PMID- 1881689
TI  - [Effects of the calcium-channel blocker diltiazem on gentamicin-induced
      nephrotoxicity in rats].
AB  - Injection of diltiazem (40 mg/kg/d) to gentamicin (75 mg/kg/d = G 75 or 100
      mg/kg/d = G 100) treated rats enhances aminoglycoside-induced nephrotoxicity. As
      a result of this combination, acute renal failure becomes systematic and is often
      irreversible. The lesion is of tubular origin and is characterized by a large
      increase in the urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (u-NAG) activity and its
      NAG-B isoenzyme level. The phenomenon is twice as marked with G 75 (u-NAG x 6.8,
      NAG-B x 2.2) as with G 100 (u-NAG x 3.1, NAG-B x 1.1). The effect seems to be
      attenuated if diltiazem is administered as a preventive treatment or in drinking
      water. As well as its diuretic properties, diltiazem may aggravate the renal
      toxicity of gentamicin by reducing the proximal tubular availability of calcium.
      Diltiazem inhibits reabsorption and behaves like a non-competitive inhibitor of
      calcium. This deficiency favours the proximal tubular binding and the non
      specific penetration of gentamicin in the cytosol and cellular organelles
      (microsomes, mitochondria). The tubular toxic symptoms which ensure (inactivation
      of membranaceous enzyme, reduction of microsomal protein synthesis and ATP level,
      decreased of solute reabsorptive flux) lead in turn to proximal tubular necrosis
      and acute renal failure.

PMID- 1881690
TI  - [Laboratory's controls of antifungal treatment by the fluconazole of the
      candidiasis in immunocompromised patients].
AB  - The use of antifungal drugs in immunocompromised patients impose to the
      laboratory the control of the efficacy of these therapy. With fluconazole, one of
      the most recent antifungal agents these control use a special method (Central
      Research Pfizer) different of those they are used with others antifungals. We
      have comparatively tested, using MIC technic four broth mediums (High Resolution
      medium (Oxoid) YMB (Difco) YNB dextrose (Autobac) and Casitone) and three agar
      mediums (HR, YMA, Casitone) incubated at 28 degrees C for 24 and 48 h. The
      strains of yeasts are isolated from oro-pharyngeal prelevements on HIV antibody
      positive patients observed during six to twelve months and eventually treated by
      fluconazole. Sixty patients are controlled, 33 give one or more positive cultures
      with 74 strains of C. albicans and four other yeasts. By determination of the
      MICs with seven different methods we find any resistant strains with the MICs
      range from 3.12 to 12.5 or 25 micrograms/ml.

PMID- 1881691
TI  - [Value of the technique of cellular lysis by thermic shock in the isolation of
      bacteria causing osteoarticular infections].
AB  - The purpose of this work is to compare, a conventional technique, for bacterial
      isolation, with a lysis-centrifugation method using a rapid freezing in liquid
      nitrogen, followed by decongelation at 37 degrees C for bone and joint samples.
      The bone and joint specimens were biopsies and punctions (35 cases) or fistula
      (10 cases). The residual antibiotic activity of the sample was determined using a
      susceptible strain of Micrococcus luteus and of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Among
      the 45 samples, 20 were sterile with both methods among which 8 exhibited a
      residual antibiotic activity which may have contributed to isolation failure. In
      12 cases, bacterial isolates were obtained with both methods. Cultures were
      obtained from 13 samples with the lysis centrifugation method alone. The isolates
      were 4 Staphylococcus aureus, 8 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and 1
      Acinetobacter sp. These results suggest that the intracellular location of
      bacteria may be responsible for the negative cultures from bone or joint
      specimens.

PMID- 1881692
TI  - [Fixation of Indium111-labeled antifibrin monoclonal antibody on the vegetation
      in endocarditis: evaluation in a rabbit model].
AB  - The uptake of a 111In labelled antifibrin antibody was studied in left ventricle
      endocarditis on a rabbit model. The immunospecificity of the antibody for the
      cardiac vegetations is favorable, exhibiting an uptake at least 4 times that of
      blood, or myocardium. A planar scintigraphy of the opened left ventricle showed a
      radionuclide imaging of vegetations, according to anatomical lesions. The use of
      antifibrin monoclonal antibodies could prove helpful to improve the specificity
      of valvular lesions visualized by echocardiography, or to detect the small
      vegetations at the early stage of acute endocarditis.

PMID- 1881693
TI  - [Clostridium difficile: a typing method for epidemiological studies].
AB  - One hundred and twenty two strains of Clostridium difficile were studied: 33
      strains were isolated from stools of neonates or children, 89 cases of antibiotic
      associated diarrhea. The strains were identified by biochemical tests and gaz
      liquid chromatography of the fermentation products. A typing scheme for
      Clostridium difficile were proposed by using a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
      of whole cell proteins. We studied the correlation between this typing and the
      serogrouping scheme based on slide agglutination with a rabbit antisera and
      previously described by Delmee. The serogrouping defines 10 groups, PAGE allows
      the differentiation of 12 profiles, with a good correlation between the two
      methods for some serogroups except for the heterogenous serogroup A.

PMID- 1881694
TI  - [Treatment of acute otitis media: comparative study of efficacy of cefatrizine
      and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid].
AB  - Fourty hospitalized patients (15 children, 25 adults) suffering from acute otitis
      media have been treated with either cefatrizine or amoxycillin-clavulanic acid.
      Bacteriological samples were done during surgery by tympanocentesis (N = 33) or
      by sampling of middle ear fluid specimens (13). H. influenzae was the most common
      isolate, following by Enterobacteriaceae, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and S.
      pneumoniae. We conclude that these two antibiotics can be used for treatment of
      acute otitis media in our country even in adults where the order of frequency of
      bacteria is different from those reported in children.

PMID- 1881696
TI  - [Relationship between decreased presynaptic inhibition and muscle spasticity in
      patients with a history of cerebral insult].
AB  - Stimulation electromyography was used to study inhibition of the soleus muscle H
      reflex induced by stimulation of the common peroneal nerve in healthy individuals
      and in patients who had underwent cerebral apoplexy. Two successive inhibition
      waves (D1 and D2) were recorded; the first wave demonstrated the development of
      presynaptic inhibition of group Ia afferent fibers. In post-insult patients the
      depth of inhibition diminished depending on the degree of the pathologic increase
      of the tonus of the skeletal musculature. The role of presynaptic inhibition
      disorders in the pathogenesis of muscle spasticity is discussed.

PMID- 1881695
TI  - [Randomized study of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid versus amoxicillin-metronidazole
      combinations in pyogenic infections of dental origin].
AB  - Thirty patients, without any valve defect, cardiac malformation or previous
      antibiotic administration and presenting dental infections, have been treated
      either with amoxycillin-clavulanic acid or amoxycillin and metronidazole. Aerobic
      and anaerobic bacteria have been isolated. These infections were due to mixed
      flora. Nearly one half of anaerobes were Peptostreptococcus, S. milleri and S.
      sanguis being predominant among aerobes. The species identified were those found
      in the mouth in the absence of infection becoming as opportunistic flora. The
      percentage of cures was equivalent in the two groups. the association amoxycillin
      clavulanic acid seems to be as active as amoxycillin + metronidazole on the
      microflora isolated from dentogenous pyogenic infections.

PMID- 1881697
TI  - [Effect of parenteral administration of calcium on calcium content in the brain
      and spinal cord of parathyroidectomized rats].
AB  - The content of calcium in blood, brain, and spinal cord of rats reduced
      essentially after removal of the parathyroids. Intraperitoneal injection of
      calcium gluconate normalizes the level of total calcium in blood and brain of
      parathyroprival rats but, in contrast, increases it in the spinal cord by 34% as
      compared to the control level. It is presumed that changes of the calcium content
      in some organs (not accepted as target-organs), in the spinal cord among others,
      in disorders of the function of the parathyroid glands is consequent not only on
      hyper- or hypocalciemia.

PMID- 1881698
TI  - [Serotonin metabolism in the brain of rats with two forms of hereditary arterial
      hypertension].
AB  - Some distinctions were revealed in serotonin metabolism in brain areas in two
      strains of rats with hereditary arterial hypertension - SHR (spontaneously
      hypertensive rats) and HSIAH (hereditary stress induced arterial hypertension).
      These distinctions include regional and qualitative changes of the serotonin
      concentration, activity of type A monoamine oxidase and tryptophan hydroxylase.

PMID- 1881699
TI  - [Effect of stepped isovolemic hemodilution on some parameters of systemic and
      cerebral hemodynamics under normal conditions and in a sharp rise of arterial
      pressure].
AB  - It was demonstrated in rabbit experiments that in decrease of the hematocrit
      value by more than 10% the increase of arterial pressure induced by intravenous
      noradrenaline injection and its additional rise are significantly higher than in
      the controls. In spite of that, the breakthrough of autoregulation of local
      cerebral blood flow occurred much less frequently, was less pronounced, and
      attended by significantly less damage to the permeability of the blood-brain
      barrier to labelled blood albumin. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact
      that in reduced blood viscosity the pseudoturbulence of its flow, and the
      hydrodynamic resistance of blood increase due to which it reaches the
      microcirculatory bed at a lesser pressure than in the controls. The results of
      the study substantiate the expediency of blood-letting as a therapeutic measure
      for patients with hypertensive disease, in hypertensive crises also.

PMID- 1881700
TI  - [Brain electric activity of animals exposed to perfluorocarbon emulsions].
AB  - Experiments were conducted on animals with chronically implanted electrodes in
      the brain to study the frequency composition of its electrical activity in
      normovolemic replacement of blood with a carbon pertetrafluoride emulsion
      "Perftoran" (11 rats), and in plethoric intravenous (7 rabbits) and intracerebral
      (5 rats) injections of this preparation. Marked reactions were encountered in the
      initial period after Perftoran administration (up to 4-8 hours in transfusions
      and 0-5 minutes in intravascular and intracerebral infusions).

PMID- 1881701
TI  - [Autonomic-effector disorders in the restorative period after circulatory arrest
      of varying duration].
AB  - The reactivity of the autonomous nervous system (ANS) was analysed
      pharmacologically with phenylephrine hydrochloride and D-L-Dopa in experiments on
      dogs who experienced 1-, 5-, and 10-minute clinical death. In changes of the
      pronounced character of the postresuscitation damages to the central nervous
      system, the changes of the ANS differed not only in intensity but also in the
      trend. Reactivity from sympatho- and parasympathetic types changed in the
      direction of vegetative equilibrium and atypical reactions. The occurrence of the
      last named on the first day after 5- and 10-minute clinical death were an
      absolute prognostic criterion of unfavourable outcome of resuscitation. Disorders
      of the synthetic capacity of the sympathoadrenal system in increase of the period
      of circulatory arrest were very important in ANS dysfunction.

PMID- 1881702
TI  - [Contractile function and some parameters of energy metabolism of the myocardium
      in the process of adaptation to the effect of moderate continuous stress].
AB  - Experiments were conducted on rats to study the dynamics of changes of the heart
      contractile function (CF) and some indices of myocardial energy metabolism during
      adaptation to moderate continuous 15-day stress. After 24 hours of stress a
      complex of shifts typical of an acute stress syndrome (mobilization of CF,
      reduction of the content of glycogen and creatine phosphate, increase of
      phosphorylase activity) was recorded. After 5 days of stress the absolute CF
      value reduced, particularly at rest (doubled), as a consequence of which the
      relative values of the maximally developing CF on the 5th second of an isometric
      load induced by compression of the aorta were 1.5 times those in the controls.
      The content of glycogen and creatine phosphate and the activity of phosphorylase
      were reduced by 25-30%. After 15 days the CF and the values of myocardial energy
      metabolism were normalized. Exclusion of the vagal tonus by atropine on the 5th
      day of stress showed that the low level of CF and reduced phosphorylase activity
      are not consequent upon heart exhaustion but are regulatory mechanisms.

PMID- 1881703
TI  - [Various biochemical survival mechanisms in highly-resistant animals].
AB  - It was demonstrated in experiments on albino rats subjected to hypoxic hypoxia or
      hypothermia that highly-resistant animals, accounting for 30% of the population,
      survive much longer than animals with low and moderate resistance because extreme
      factors activate in them the system of peroxidase enzymes destroying the
      peroxides with the liberation of oxygen, which is then included in energy
      metabolism.

PMID- 1881704
TI  - [Crush syndrome: etiology and pathogenesis].

PMID- 1881705
TI  - [Immunoglobulin antibodies to lysosomal enzymes as a means of proteolysis
      inhibition in severe blood loss].
AB  - Experiments were conducted on rats with massive prolonged blood loss to study the
      effect of immunoglobulins to lysosomal enzymes in combination with isotonic
      sodium chloride solution on the values of hemodynamics, oxygen regimen, and acid
      base balance in the organism. Administration of antibodies to the lysosomal
      enzymes with an infusion medium leads to a decrease of cathepsin D activity to
      the initial level. Most probably, diminution of proteolysis is conducive to
      improvement of circulation. Inhibition of protease activity improves the
      permeability of vessels and thus facilitates an increase of the volume of
      circulating plasma, which may be judged from the authentic decrease of the
      hematocrit and hemoglobin. The oxygen budget and the acid-base balance in the
      organism are restored more fully. The use of immunoglobulins to lysosomal enzymes
      prolongs the animals' life.

PMID- 1881706
TI  - [Therapeutic efficacy of a new antihypoxic agent, ethomerzol, in experimental
      hemorrhagic shock].
AB  - The antishock efficacy of a new antihypoxant ethomerzol was studied in cats with
      experimental hemorrhagic shock. Ethomerzol raised the therapeutic efficacy of
      infusion therapy with isotonic sodium chloride solution. It was found that the
      agent improves systemic hemodynamics and peripheral circulation. On grounds of
      analysis of the experimental data it is concluded that the inclusion of
      ethomerzol in the schedule of infusion therapy in hemorrhagic shock is expedient.

PMID- 1881707
TI  - [Appraisal and significance of individual reactivity, daily and seasonal
      fluctuations of biorhythms, age, sex, and force and multiplicity factor of
      mechanical effects in the development and outcomes of the shock process].
AB  - Experiments were conducted on 944 rats on two models of traumatic shock
      (prolonged crushing of soft tissues of the thighs, shock after Cannon). A
      diagnostic index of the severity of traumatic shock (K) was elaborated which
      showed in conditional units (from 0 to 9) the relation of changes of the skin
      electric resistance before and after the trauma. The types of the animals'
      responses were determined and classified according to this index. In severe shock
      K varied from 2 to 3.5 (the survival of animals did not exceed 24 hours). In
      moderately severe shock it ranged between 0.8 and 2 or 3.5 and 9 (the survival
      period was 2-3 days). In mild shock this index ranged from 0 to 0.5 (survival
      period was 4-5 days). The authors determined the informative significance of some
      criteria for complex evaluation of the severity of the shock in experiments.
      According to this significance, the criteria stand in the following diminishing
      sequence: force of the mechanical effect, factors of individual reactivity
      (pronounced K index, duration of phase two of its fluctuations), age (weight),
      time of day, season, sex.

PMID- 1881708
TI  - [Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone on a destructive process in
      the joints of mice with spontaneous arthritis].
AB  - The authors used the blind method for evaluation of the morphological picture of
      the joints and the level of circulating immune complexes to study the effect of
      prolonged oral administration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and its main
      metabolite dimethyl sulfone on the development of spontaneous arthritis in 36
      Mrl/Mn/lnr female mice. It was found that DMSO and dimethyl sulfone lessen the
      destructive changes in the joints, while DMSO also inhibits the manifestation of
      immune disorders, i. e. produces a "basal" effect on the course of spontaneous
      chronic arthritis in experimental animals.

PMID- 1881709
TI  - [Role of the destructive phase of regeneration in reparative osteogenesis].
AB  - Experiments were conducted on mongrel male rats to study the dependence of the
      character of maxillary fracture consolidation on the content of osteo-inducing
      (01) and osteo-inhibiting (I) proteins in the bone tissue as well as the effect
      of agents intensifying (parathormone) or reducing (methyluracil) the resorption
      phase of bone regeneration. It is shown that the ratio of OI and I proteins in
      the bone tissue determines the healing of the fracture according to the type of
      uncomplicated or slow consolidation in untreated animals, whereas parathormone
      administration increases the number of animals with uncomplicated consolidation
      of the fracture and raises the strength of union of the fragments. Methyluracil
      fails to produce such on effect. It is suggested that improved regeneration of
      bone in intensification of the phase of resorption is due to more effective
      excretion of OI proteins from the injured bone tissue.

PMID- 1881710
TI  - [Content of biological antioxidants and lipid peroxidation in the adrenal cortex
      in experimental circulatory insufficiency].
AB  - Thirteen-week experimental insufficiency in rats causes exhaustion of adrenal
      cortex function. The number of diene conjugates in the adrenals increased, the
      alpha-tocopherol level decreased. It is suggested that reduced level of
      antioxidant protection and the associated activation of lipid peroxidation
      processes underlie the disorders of adrenal cortex function.

PMID- 1881712
TI  - [The pancreas as a source of natural diabetogenic factor in alloxan diabetes].
AB  - The results of experimental studies bear evidence that the pancreas of healthy
      animals produces a humoral factor which differs from insulin and prevents the
      development of alloxan diabetes. The pancreas of diabetic animals loses the above
      mentioned activity and produces into the blood plasma a natural diabetogenic
      factor which promotes the development of alloxan diabetes.

PMID- 1881711
TI  - [Additive effect of repeated impulse air waves on the activity of rat and human
      hepatic enzymes].
AB  - Impulse air waves (IAW) applied in non-destructive and weakly destructive
      intensities reduced the activity of lysosomal and microsomal enzymes as well as
      the activity of adenylate cyclase in the liver of laboratory rats. Five times
      repeated single application of IAW in intensities causing no noticeable
      biochemical (and morphological) changes led to shifts in the activity of rat
      hepatic enzymes. IAW which failed to produce a biological effect in humans when
      applied separately, inhibited noticeably antipyrine biotransformation in
      volunteers when applied repeatedly 80 times. It is concluded that the action of
      repeated subthreshold IAW is additive in character.

PMID- 1881713
TI  - [General pathophysiology of the nervous system].

PMID- 1881714
TI  - [Some regularities of gentamicin pharmacokinetics in intranodular and
      lymphotropic injections].

PMID- 1881715
TI  - [Novel methods for modelling unilateral pulmonary edema].

PMID- 1881716
TI  - [Mechanisms of development of microcirculatory disorders in patients with stable
      angina pectoris].

PMID- 1881717
TI  - [Change in the level of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the cerebral cortex and
      hypothalamus and behavioral reactions of rats after frontal lobectomy].
AB  - The effect of a change in the level of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on
      the behavior of rats in frontal lobectomy was studied. It was shown by means of
      the radioimmunological method that damage to the frontal cortex leads to a
      decrease of the VIP level in the cortex and increase of its content in the
      hypothalamus on the 9th postoperative day. Daily injection of VIP in small doses
      into the lateral ventricles of the brain is conducive to more rapid and complete
      restoration of the conditioned bilateral avoidance reflex and the animals'
      exploratory behavior under conditions of an "open field" as compared to that in
      control rats which received a physiological solution. The possibility of using
      VIP in experimental complex pathogenetic therapy of disturbed functions of the
      central nervous system is discussed.

PMID- 1881718
TI  - Dexamethasone therapy in neonatal chronic lung disease: an international placebo
      controlled trial. Collaborative Dexamethasone Trial Group.
AB  - In a multicenter trial of steroid therapy for chronic neonatal oxygen dependence,
      287 neonates were randomly allocated from around 3 weeks of age, to dexamethasone
      or placebo. Active treatment significantly reduced the duration of further
      assisted ventilation among infants who were ventilator dependent at entry (median
      days for survivors, 11 vs 17.5). There were no statistically significant
      differences between the total groups of survivors in time receiving supplemental
      oxygen and length of stay in hospital, although the trend favored the
      dexamethasone group. Twenty-five infants in each group died prior to hospital
      discharge; most were ventilator dependent at trial entry. Open treatment with
      steroids was later given to 18% in the active group and to 43% in the placebo
      group. There was no evidence of serious side effects; in particular, infection
      rates were similar in the two groups.

PMID- 1881720
TI  - Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for prevention of infection in high-risk
      premature infants: report of a multicenter, double-blind study.
AB  - The effectiveness of intravenously administered immunoglobulin (Ig) therapy for
      prophylaxis of infection was evaluated in high-risk preterm infants. Two hundred
      thirty-five premature newborns were randomly assigned, in a double-blind
      controlled trial, to treatment and placebo groups. Thirty-five infants (29%) of
      the Ig group and 29 (25%) of the placebo group had one or more episodes of
      certain infection. Thirty infants (25%) of the Ig group and 18 (16%) of the
      placebo group had one or more episodes of probable infection. No significant
      differences were observed in the incidence of certain or probable infection in
      treated and control infants. Nevertheless, among the infants who had one or more
      certain or probable episodes of infection, more of them belonged to the Ig group
      than to the placebo group. The possible deleterious effect of the administration
      of large amounts of polyspecific Ig is discussed.

PMID- 1881719
TI  - Randomized, double-blind trial of deflazacort versus prednisone in juvenile
      chronic (or rheumatoid) arthritis: a relatively bone-sparing effect of
      deflazacort.
AB  - Thirty-four children with juvenile chronic (rheumatoid) arthritis were recruited
      to a randomized, double-blind study of deflazacort (an oxazolone derivative of
      prednisone) vs prednisone. All had been receiving glucocorticoid therapy for at
      least 1 year and required at least 5 mg/d of prednisolone (usually as 10 mg every
      2 days). Thirty-one children completed the study. Bone density trends were
      measured in the spine by dual photon absorptiometry and in the forearm by single
      photon quantitative computed tomography at 3-monthly intervals. Trends
      (velocities) in bone and soft tissue growth were calculated. In the spine, bone
      growth correlated well with indices of soft tissue growth, but covariance
      analysis showed a significant advantage (P less than .007) of deflazacort when
      spinal bone mineral growth was compared to body surface area and weight. In part
      this was due to a temporary interruption in weight by children receiving
      deflazacort, whose gain in height was comparable with that of the prednisone
      group. Some children in both groups improved clinically and showed catch-up
      growth; in these children relative spinal bone mineral growth velocities were
      about twice those observed for height and weight. It is concluded that during the
      first year of deflazacort, their spinal bone mineral content at a level that was
      appropriate for their height and weight. Further observations are required to
      establish whether this advantage can be maintained subsequently. The anti
      inflammatory effects of the two glucocorticoids appeared similar.

PMID- 1881721
TI  - Do postpartum nursery visits by the primary care provider make a difference?
AB  - A prospective, randomized, clinical trial was conducted to investigate whether a
      postpartum visit between a mother and her neonate's future primary care provider
      combined with telephone access would improve health care utilization, enhance
      identification of the provider as a source of advice, increase maternal knowledge
      of infant care, and decrease maternal anxiety and depression. Of 251 mother
      neonate pairs, 122 were randomized to the control group and 129 to the
      intervention group. Outcome variables included health care utilization and
      results of maternal interviews. More mothers in the intervention group made a
      scheduled clinic visit in the first 30 days (P = .003), were more likely to seek
      some form of care at the clinic (P = .006), and tried to reach their physician by
      phone more often than the control group (P less than .001). There were no
      differences between the groups' emergency room utilization, the percent who
      received immunizations by 90 days of age, maternal knowledge of infant care,
      maternal anxiety, or postpartum depression. The intervention succeeded in
      improving some measures of health care utilization and results suggest that the
      relationship between the mother and clinician was strengthened.

PMID- 1881722
TI  - The infant with acute, unexplained, excessive crying.
AB  - This study describes 56 infants who presented to the Emergency Department of The
      Children's Hospital of Denver during a 1-year period with an episode of
      excessive, prolonged crying, without fever and without a cause that was apparent
      to the parents. The final diagnoses included a broad array of conditions, of
      which 61% were considered serious. The history provided clues to the final
      diagnosis in 20% of cases. Physical examination revealed the final diagnosis in
      41% and provided clues to the diagnosis in another 13%. Accurate diagnosis
      requires a thorough physical examination, which should include careful skin
      inspection underneath all clothing, palpation of all large bones, fluorescein
      staining of the cornea, eversion of eyelids, rectal examination, retinal
      examination, and thorough neurologic examination. "Screening" laboratory tests,
      except for urinalysis and urine culture, were of little help. This study
      indicates that for those patients in whom the physical examination is not
      diagnostic, the persistence of excessive crying after the initial examination
      predicts the presence of a serious cause. Those infants who cease crying before
      or during the initial assessment are unlikely to have a serious cause.
      Recommendations for a stepwise assessment are offered.

PMID- 1881723
TI  - Normative sexual behavior in children.
AB  - A large-scale, community-based survey was done to assess the frequency of a wide
      variety of sexual behaviors in normal preadolescent children and to measure the
      relationship of these behaviors to age, gender, and socioeconomic and family
      variables. A sample of 880 2- through 12-year-old children screened to exclude
      those with a history of sexual abuse were rated by their mothers using several
      questionnaire measures. The frequency of different behaviors varied widely, with
      more aggressive sexual behaviors and behaviors imitative of adults being rare.
      Older children (both boys and girls) were less sexual than younger children.
      Sexuality was found to be related to the level of general behavior problems, as
      measured by the Achenbach Internalizing and Externalizing T scores and to a
      measure of family nudity. It was not related to socioeconomic variables.

PMID- 1881724
TI  - Use of western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to assist in the
      diagnosis of Lyme disease.
AB  - Without evidence of erythema chronicum migrans, diagnostic confirmation of Lyme
      disease may be difficult, particularly if there are conflicting laboratory
      results. Often, for families and physicians, the clinical dilemma is whether
      fatigue, arthritis/arthralgias, a positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
      (ELISA), and tick exposure, but no evidence of erythema chronicum migrans, are
      sufficient to diagnose and treat Lyme disease. Patients with discordant ELISA and
      Western blot (WB) assay results for Borrelia burgdorferi were studied to
      determine whether there was sufficient clinical evidence to support a diagnosis
      of Lyme disease. Of 650 consecutive sera analyzed by ELISA in a laboratory within
      a 1-year period, 77 were subsequently tested by WB. The clinical data from these
      patients were then analyzed. The study population was divided into three groups:
      group 1 (positive ELISA, positive WB), group 2 (positive ELISA, negative WB), and
      group 3 (negative ELISA, negative WB). Findings included the following: (1)
      Patients with a strong clinical history of Lyme disease were usually positive by
      both WB and ELISA (group 1). (2) All patients with erythema chronicum migrans had
      both positive WB and ELISA tests. (3) Ninety-one percent of group 2 had a
      rheumatic or inflammatory condition other than Lyme disease. (4) A definite
      response to antibiotics occurred in 75% of patients wherein both ELISA and WB
      were positive but in only 11% of cases with a positive ELISA but a negative WB.
      (5) History of tick exposure and degree of fever were not significantly different
      among the three serologic groups, and thus they were not diagnostically
      helpful.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881725
TI  - Long-bone fractures in young children: distinguishing accidental injuries from
      child abuse.
AB  - While testifying in child abuse cases, physicians have been frustrated by the
      lawyer who asks, "Doctor, how did this injury happen?" The medical records and
      radiographs of 215 children younger than the age of 3 with fractures evaluated by
      a pediatric service during a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed in an
      attempt to elucidate the mechanism of childhood fractures. Based on these
      reviews, two clinicians and two pediatric radiologists rated the likelihood that
      the fracture was either accidental or due to child abuse. Long-bone fractures
      were strongly associated with abuse. This report focuses on the 39 children with
      either humeral or femoral fractures. Fourteen children had humerus fractures.
      Eleven were considered to be the result of child abuse, and 3 the result of
      accidents. The latter 3 were supracondylar elbow fractures in children who fell
      from a tricycle, a rocking horse, or downstairs. Humerus fractures other than
      supracondylar fractures were all found to be due to abuse. There were 25 femur
      fractures. Nine were found to be from abuse, 14 were found to be from accidents,
      and 2 could not be rated. Sixty percent of femur fractions in infants younger
      than 1 year of age were due to abuse. Although it is taught that femur fractures
      in young children are inflicted unless proven otherwise, in this study it was
      found that femur fractures often are accidental and that the femur can be
      fractured when the running child trips and falls.

PMID- 1881726
TI  - Perinatal cocaine effects on neonatal stress behavior and performance on the
      Brazelton Scale.
AB  - Fifty-two newborns were assessed for the effects of maternal cocaine use on their
      performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale and on their
      stress behaviors during the Brazelton as tapped by the Neonatal Stress Scale. The
      cocaine-exposed newborns experienced more obstetric complications, had smaller
      head circumferences, showed more limited habituation abilities on the Brazelton
      Scale, and exhibited more stress behaviors than control newborns.

PMID- 1881728
TI  - Long-term mental health effects of a pediatric home care program.
AB  - The increased survival of youngsters with chronic physical disorders has led to
      concern about their long-term psychological adjustment. Few data are available on
      how to reduce the psychological morbidity that occurs in the presence of chronic
      childhood illness. An earlier report of a randomized controlled trial of a
      pediatric home care program demonstrated that this program, combining
      comprehensive biomedical and psychosocial care, reduced the short-term
      psychological morbidity of those receiving home care. However, data have not
      previously been available on whether the short-term improvement in adjustment is
      associated with any long-term benefits. This report presents long-term follow-up
      data collected 4 1/2 to 5 years after enrollment on 68% of the original sample.
      After this interval there were even larger differences between the experimental
      and control groups than those previously observed at 6 months and 1 year. This
      finding provides strong evidence that a comprehensive family-oriented outreach
      program for youngsters with chronic physical disorders can have long-term mental
      health benefits. It should encourage clinicians to develop similar programs and
      investigators to look for long-term effects of other interventions.

PMID- 1881727
TI  - Prolactin and cortisol levels in various paroxysmal disorders in childhood.
AB  - The hormonal response of the anterior pituitary to various epileptic and
      nonepileptic events in children was studied. Postictal serum prolactin and
      cortisol levels were measured in 17 children with epilepsy, 23 with febrile
      seizures, and 10 with syncope or breath-holding spells. The levels were compared
      with those of 30 children with nonspecific fever, and 23 afebrile children served
      as control subjects. Significantly higher (P less than .01) prolactin levels
      (26.5 +/- 3.3 ng/mL, mean +/- SEM) were found in the epileptic group, compared
      with levels in children with febrile seizures (13.2 +/- 1.0 ng/mL), fever (11.2
      +/- 0.9 ng/mL), syncope (7.3 +/- 0.9 ng/mL), and the control group (7.9 +/- 0.6
      ng/mL). In contrast, serum cortisol levels were nonspecifically elevated in the
      epileptics and patients with febrile seizures or fever only. These findings
      suggest that elevated prolactin levels may be found after epileptic seizures and
      much less after febrile seizures, but not after breath-holding spells or syncopal
      events. Cortisol secretion appears to be nonselectively triggered by all
      stressful events, such as epileptic and febrile seizures, and fever. Elevated
      prolactin levels (greater than 15 ng/mL) associated with seizures may help in
      differentiating epileptic from febrile seizures or syncope.

PMID- 1881729
TI  - Who benefits from a pediatric home care program?
AB  - Earlier reports of a randomized controlled trial of the Pediatric Home Care (PHC)
      program for children with chronic physical illness demonstrated overall benefits
      for the group enrolled in the PHC program. This paper examines which subgroups
      benefited most (relative to control subjects) and which benefited least from the
      PHC intervention. Prior to the randomized controlled trial, PHC served those with
      the most burdensome medical conditions from the families with the fewest coping
      resources. However, data from the randomized controlled trial (N = 219) show that
      these were not the subjects who benefited most. Maximal benefit was evident when
      illness burden was small, but coping resources were low (social, educational,
      financial, and personal). Analyses of covariance show that subjects in PHC with
      both low burden and low resources had consistently better outcomes than similar
      subjects in Standard Care. When the illness burden was similarly low, but
      resources were more abundant, those in Standard Care appear to have had better
      outcomes than those in PHC. For those whose illness burden was more severe, the
      results were mixed. These findings suggest that the conventional priority of
      allocating existing intervention resources to the medically most burdensome cases
      may not always be maximally beneficial. Those with less burdensome conditions may
      derive greater benefit relative to control subjects from an intervention than
      those with extreme needs. Both medical and social factors should enter into the
      decision regarding the allocation of scarce resources.

PMID- 1881730
TI  - Legal proof of child sexual abuse in the absence of physical evidence.
AB  - Child sexual abuse criminal court cases from a 12-month period were reviewed to
      determine the frequency and significance of physical evidence in legally "proven"
      felony cases with penetration. One hundred fifteen consecutive cases were
      reviewed, and 87 (76%) had resulted in conviction of the perpetrator on felony
      charges. Charges of vaginal rape were made in 88 cases, and oral and/or anal
      sodomy in 67 cases. Physical evidence was present in only 23% of all cases that
      resulted in felony convictions. Felony convictions were obtained in 67 (79%) of
      85 cases without physical evidence and in only 20 (67%) of 30 cases with physical
      evidence. Eight of the 10 cases without physical evidence that did not result in
      conviction involved victims younger than 7 years of age. Cases involving the
      youngest victims had a significantly lower conviction rate (12 of 23), despite a
      very high frequency (13 of 23) of physical evidence (P less than .0005). Physical
      evidence was neither predictive nor essential for conviction. Successful
      prosecution, particularly in cases involving the youngest victims, depended on
      the quality of the verbal evidence and the effectiveness of the child victim's
      testimony.

PMID- 1881731
TI  - Informational needs of parents of sick neonates.
AB  - Sixty-one parents of 43 neonates in a neonatal intensive care unit were
      interviewed within 3 days of their first conference with the neonatologist to
      assess their needs for medical information. The conference with the physician and
      the interview with the investigator were audiotaped. Information given by the
      physician and information recalled by the parents was categorized and rated by
      the investigator. The physicians gave very detailed information about diagnosis
      in 77% of cases whereas 39% of the parents recalled diagnostic information in
      great detail. Respective percentages for prognosis were 16 and 33; for current
      management (eg, investigation, therapy), 28 and 66; and for cause of illness, 16
      and 18. The statistical significance of the differences between the very detailed
      information int he physician-parent conferences and in the parent-investigator
      interviews was, by category, less than .002, less than .041, less than .004, and
      not significant, respectively. Information in the respective categories was
      described as "most helpful" by 20%, 67%, 90%, and 8% of parents. All but one of
      the parents stated that they wanted the whole truth. Physician uncertainty in
      providing information was significantly associated with severity of illness. It
      is concluded that while parents wanted information in all categories, they paid
      most attention to that relating to management. Physician-parent discordances with
      respect to information about management, diagnosis, and prognosis suggest
      directions for future investigation of the optimal content of information for
      parents in this context.

PMID- 1881732
TI  - Childhood morbidity: comparisons, clusters, and trends.
AB  - Standard mortality and morbidity data are important but incomplete descriptors of
      child health. Simple prevalences of individual conditions fail to capture fully
      the nature of ill health in childhood. More enlightening are comparative
      prevalences: cross-nationally, in different population subgroups, or as trends
      over time. A longitudinal perspective that provides information on high-risk
      states and that the nature of their impact on various aspects of health over time
      adds another dimension to an understanding of child health needs. A better
      understanding of the meaning of "health problems" in children and documentation
      of their distribution in the population will help to tailor better the
      organization and delivery of preventive, curative, and restorative child health
      services to child health needs.

PMID- 1881733
TI  - Rehospitalization for respiratory illness in infants of less than 32 weeks'
      gestation.
AB  - All 133 surviving infants of gestational age less than or equal to 32 weeks born
      July 1, 1985, to June 30, 1986, as well as a socioeconomically matched full-term
      control group were observed prospectively for 2 years to determine the incidence
      of rehospitalization for respiratory illness. Perinatal and seasonal factors
      associated with increased risk for such hospitalizations were also examined.
      Forty-seven (36%) preterm infants were rehospitalized compared with 3 (2.5%) of
      121 term infants (P less than .001). Preterm infants with and without
      rehospitalization were similar for mean birth weight (1104 +/- 329 g and 1188 +/-
      360 g, respectively) and gestational age (28 +/- 2 weeks for both groups);
      however, infants who were subsequently rehospitalized had required more days of
      mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen therapy, and neonatal intensive care.
      While a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was a risk factor for
      rehospitalization (45% compared with 25% of those without bronchopulmonary
      dysplasia, P less than .05), preterm infants with no history of bronchopulmonary
      dysplasia still showed a 10-fold increase compared with control infants. Among
      the 43 infants who required no mechanical ventilation beyond the day of birth, 10
      (23%) required rehospitalization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881734
TI  - Gestational age assessment in preterm neonates weighing less than 1500 grams.
AB  - Postnatal assessment of gestational age in preterm neonates traditionally has
      been performed using the methods of Dubowitz and Ballard. This study was designed
      to determine the accuracy of these methods in a sample of very low birth weight
      preterm neonates. Dubowitz and Ballard examinations were done on 110 preterm
      neonates within the first 72 hours of life by a neonatologist masked to the
      gestational age assessed antenatally. Mean birth weight was 1066 +/- 256 g (SD).
      These data were compared with gestational age assessments using last menstrual
      period and best obstetric estimate calculated by an obstetrician unaware of the
      neonatal examination. Mean gestational age using last menstrual period was 28.3
      +/- 2.9 weeks. Mean differences between last menstrual period and
      Dubowitz/Ballard were -2.8 +/- 2.1 weeks and -2.6 +/- 2.2 weeks, respectively.
      Results using best obstetric estimate were similar. An ophthalmologist examined
      lens vessels of 89 neonates. A similar pattern toward overestimation of
      gestational age interval by Dubowitz/Ballard was seen at each lens vessel grade.
      The Dubowitz and Ballard examinations are inaccurate methods of assessing
      gestational age in preterm neonates with birth weights less than 1500 g.

PMID- 1881735
TI  - Six-year follow-up of early physiotherapy intervention in very low birth weight
      infants.
AB  - Eighty very low birth weight infants assigned to neurologically normal or at-risk
      groups on the basis of a neurodevelopmental score were previously described.
      Infants were assigned to physiotherapy or control groups, and the effect of
      physiotherapy was assessed at 1 year. At-risk infants had a significantly lower
      developmental quotient than the normal group and no beneficial effect of
      physiotherapy was shown. Of the original 80 subjects, 49 were reassessed at a
      mean age of 74.7 months. As observed previously, physiotherapy until 1 year did
      not influence subsequent outcome in either normal or at-risk children. At-risk
      and normal children had similar mean developmental quotients at 6 years, but the
      locomotor score of at-risk children was significantly below that of normal
      children. Cerebral palsy occurred in 6 of 24 at-risk vs 0 of 25 normal subjects
      (P less than .01) and remedial therapy was recommended in 17 of 24 at-risk
      subjects vs 6 of 25 normal subjects (P less than .001). These results confirm
      that the neurodevelopmental score predicts a risk for either cerebral palsy or
      soft neurological problems, and early physiotherapy is of questionable benefit in
      preventing such problems.

PMID- 1881736
TI  - Morbidity estimates of conditions originating in the perinatal period: United
      States, 1986 through 1987.
AB  - Morbidity estimates of conditions originating in the perinatal period have not
      been reported in the United States. Conditions originating in the perinatal
      period were identified according to the International Classification of Diseases.
      The National Hospital Discharge Survey provided a weighted, nationally
      representative sample of newborns discharged each year from short-stay,
      nonfederal hospitals. From 1986 through 1987, 33.7% of all newborns had at least
      one nonteratologic perinatal condition. However, 6.8% of all newborns had
      physiologic jaundice as their only discharge diagnosis. Nonphysiologic jaundice
      was diagnosed in 4.4%, maternal causes of perinatal morbidity in 3.1%, birth
      trauma in 2.5%, fetal distress in 2.3%, birth asphyxia in 2.1%, and infections
      specific to the perinatal period in 2.0% of all newborn discharges. The average
      hospital stay for all newborns was 3.5 days, but it was 5.3 days for newborns
      with at least one nonteratologic perinatal condition and 2.6 for newborns
      discharged without a morbid condition. This study provides nationally
      representative estimates of perinatal morbidity useful for comparisons with
      smaller hospital-based samples. In addition, the study provides estimates of the
      public health impact of these conditions in terms of hospital stay days.

PMID- 1881737
TI  - Social acceptability of methylphenidate and behavior modification for treating
      attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
AB  - The social acceptability of methylphenidate, behavior modification, and
      methylphenidate plus behavior modification was evaluated. Fifty mothers of
      children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 50 control
      mothers, along with 21 children with ADHD and 20 control children, read a case
      vignette of an 8-year-old boy with ADHD and descriptions of the three treatment
      conditions. Subjects then rated the acceptability of each treatment. The mothers
      of children with ADHD were reassessed 3.5 months later, after experience with
      interventions for their children. Both ADHD and control families rated behavior
      modification as the most acceptable, methylphenidate as least acceptable, and the
      combined condition intermediate between the other two. At follow-up, there was a
      significant improvement in the acceptability of methylphenidate and the combined
      condition. The increased acceptability of methylphenidate at follow-up was
      related to increases in parents' knowledge about ADHD but not to the significant
      improvements that occurred in the children's hyperactive behavior.

PMID- 1881738
TI  - Acute otitis media in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children.
AB  - To evaluate the occurrence and outcome of acute otitis media (AOM) in human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children, a prospective comparative cohort
      study was performed. Twenty-seven HIV-infected children were individually matched
      with paired control subjects and followed up for 543 months (mean 19.4 +/- 11).
      Data collected were evaluated considering HIV-infected children both as a whole
      and as P1 and P2 patients according to Centers for Disease Control
      classification. During the observation period, 46 episodes of AOM were diagnosed
      in 15 HIV patients and 22 in 16 control children: 11 P1 had 27 AOM episodes vs 17
      in 13 control children; 6 P2 had 19 AOM episodes vs 5 in 4 control children.
      Human immunodeficiency virus infection does not seem to modify the occurrence of
      AOM. Recurrent AOM (3 or more episodes in 6 months) was, however, significantly
      more common in P2 children. Amoxicillin, to which the bacteria isolated in P2
      children were sensitive in vitro, cured 33 of 46 episodes in HIV-infected
      children compared with 20 of 22 in control children. Cure rate was similar in P1
      children compared with control children but was significantly lower in P2 versus
      control children (47.3% vs 100%). Reasons for higher occurrence of failures in P2
      children remain to be investigated.

PMID- 1881740
TI  - Factors influencing the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in
      children.
AB  - The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection was studied in 245 healthy
      children (between 3 and 20 years of age) who presented for day surgery at
      Arkansas Children's Hospital. H pylori infection was identified serologically
      using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the presence of IgG against
      the high molecular weight, cell-associated antigens of H pylori. Demographic
      information collected included age, gender, race, family income, type of housing,
      location of housing, water supply, health status, upper gastrointestinal
      symptoms, and keeping pets. One hundred eighty-nine white children and 56 black
      children were studied; 139 were boys and 106 were girls. The data were analyzed
      by logistic regression analysis. H pylori infection increased significantly with
      age (P less than .05). The frequency of H pylori infection was higher in blacks
      than whites (P less than .01), and this difference remained after adjusting for
      age, gender, and family income. Family income was used as a measure of
      socioeconomic class and was an important factor related to infection; the rate of
      acquisition of H pylori in those children with family income less than +5000/year
      was twice that of those with incomes greater than +75,000/year (P less than
      .001). There were no significant differences in H pylori infection related to
      gender, type of housing, location of housing, or source of water supply. It is
      concluded that the rate of acquisition of H pylori infection increases with age,
      is higher in blacks than whites, and is inversely related to socioeconomic class.

PMID- 1881739
TI  - Tap water burn prevention: the effect of legislation.
AB  - Five years after a 1983 Washington State law required new water heaters to be
      preset at 49 degrees C (120 degrees F), 77% of homes (84% of homes with postlaw
      and 70% of homes with prelaw water heaters) had tap water temperatures of less
      than 54 degrees C. In 1977, 80% of homes had tap water temperatures greater than
      54 degrees C. Mean temperature in 1988 was 50 degrees C compared with 61 degrees
      C in 1977. Both changes were significant compared with 1977 temperatures. Few
      people increased their heater temperature after installation. Eighteen burn
      victims were identified from July 1979 through May 1988, for an average admission
      rate of 2.4 per year, compared with 5.5 per year in the 1970s. Compared with the
      1970s, total body surface area burned, mortality, grafting, scarring, and length
      of hospital stay were all reduced, while the likelihood that scald burns were the
      result of child abuse increased to 50%. Both education campaigns and legislation
      have resulted in significantly safer water temperatures. Further, this change
      seems to have resulted in a reduction in frequency, morbidity, and mortality of
      tap water burn injuries in children. Lower water heater settings proved
      acceptable to the consumer.

PMID- 1881741
TI  - Neurologic outcome after electroencephalographically proven neonatal seizures.
AB  - Infants in whom neonatal seizures were confirmed by randomly recorded ictal
      electroencephalographic (EEG) tracings were retrospectively examined to determine
      their global neurologic outcome and the specific frequency of epilepsy,
      development delay, and cerebral palsy. Perinatal and postnatal clinical and EEG
      variables were also examined for their relevance to the neurologic outcome. Forty
      infants with EEG documented seizures of diverse etiologies were studied. The 27
      survivors were followed up at a mean of 31 months. The outcome was unfavorable in
      70%. The rate of epilepsy was 56%, of developmental delay 67%, and of cerebral
      palsy 63%. The etiology of seizures was an important factor influencing the
      outcome. Other clinical factors that showed a significant relationship with
      global or specific aspects of the neurologic outcome included the age at the
      onset of seizures, birth weight, and neurologic examination results. The EEG
      parameters that significantly predicted the neurologic outcome were interictal
      EEG background, increased seizure frequency, and decreased seizure duration.

PMID- 1881742
TI  - Critical limits for emergency clinician notification at United States children's
      hospitals.
AB  - Critical results demand rapid patient evaluation, possibly followed by life
      saving intervention. A national survey of children's hospitals determined the
      critical limits used for emergency notification of critical laboratory results.
      Mean low and high critical limits for children for the tests listed most
      frequently were as follows (millimoles per liter): glucose, 2.6 and 24.7;
      potassium, 2.8 and 6.4; calcium, 1.62 and 3.17; and sodium 121 and 156. For
      newborns, significantly different (P less than .01) critical limits were glucose,
      1.8 and 18.2; and potassium, 7.8. Hematology mean critical limits for children
      included hemoglobin, 69 and 208 g/L; platelets, 53 and 916 x 10(9)/L; hematocrit,
      0.20 and 0.62 L/L; and white blood cell counts, 2.1 and 42.9 x 10(9)/L. Critical
      limits for pH were 7.21 and 7.59; for PCO2, 21 and 66 mm Hg; and for PO2, 45 and
      124 mm Hg. Important qualitative critical results included blasts on the blood
      smear and abnormal cerebrospinal fluid findings. In comparison with other medical
      centers, children's hospitals maintained tighter critical limits for surveillance
      of renal function, hemostasis dysfunction, and newborn hypokalemia. Use of these
      results to eliminate outliers can help reduce unnecessary statim notification and
      improve resource utilization for the acute diagnosis and treatment of critically
      ill newborns and children.

PMID- 1881743
TI  - Immunogenicity of subcutaneous versus intramuscular Oka/Merck varicella
      vaccination in healthy children.
AB  - To compare the immunogenicity and safety of varicella vaccine by either
      subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, 166 healthy children aged 12 months to
      10 years old who had no prior history of varicella were enrolled from two
      pediatric practices and randomly assigned to receive 0.5 mL of a single lot of
      varicella vaccine. Sera from the day of and 6 weeks postvaccination were tested
      for varicella antibody by gpELISA. Parents recorded clinical events occurring in
      the 6 weeks following vaccination. In the 132 evaluable children, the mean
      prevaccination titer was 0.3 gpELISA units for both groups. Sixty-three (97%) of
      the 65 receiving varicella vaccine by the subcutaneous route seroconverted
      compared with 67 (100%) of 67 immunized intramuscularly. Postvaccination
      geometric mean titer in the subcutaneous group was 6.9 +/- 7.0 gpELISA units and
      did not differ significantly from the geometric mean titer of 10.5 +/- 4.4 in the
      intramuscular group. Varicella vaccine was generally well tolerated by either
      route; 21% of both groups complained of reactions at the injection site and 7%
      had a varicella-like rash. Although varicella vaccine is recommended to be given
      subcutaneously, the results of this study indicate that inadvertent intramuscular
      administration of varicella vaccine is not reason for revaccination.

PMID- 1881744
TI  - Sticks and stones may break my bones ... reasoning about illness causality and
      body functioning in children who have a chronic illness.
AB  - Children's concepts about illness causality and bodily functioning change in a
      predictable way with advancing age. Differences in the understanding of these
      concepts in healthy children vs children with a chronic illness have not been
      clearly delineated. This study included 49 children with a seizure disorder, 47
      children with an orthopaedic condition, and 96 healthy children, all with normal
      intelligence and ranging in age from 5 to 16 years. It demonstrates systematic
      differences in children's general reasoning skills and in their understanding of
      concepts about illness causality and bodily functioning, as a function of their
      age and experience of illness. At all ages, children who had a condition with
      orthopaedic involvement reported less sophisticated general reasoning and
      concepts about illness than did healthy children; children with a seizure
      disorder reported similar general reasoning skills to those of healthy children,
      but considerably less sophisticated concepts about illness. Children's concepts
      about body functioning did not differ as a function of the presence of a chronic
      illness. When their different levels of general cognitive reasoning were
      statistically controlled, children with a chronic illness had somewhat more
      sophisticated concepts about bodily functioning than did healthy children.
      Differences in conceptual development among children with different types of
      illnesses lead to interesting speculations with regard to the effects of
      particular illness characteristics on children's cognitive development.

PMID- 1881746
TI  - Household magnetic fields and childhood leukemia: a critical analysis.

PMID- 1881745
TI  - Can adolescent suicide attempters be distinguished from at-risk adolescents?
AB  - Psychiatric disorders, psychosocial dysfunction, family pathology, and
      environmental stressors are thought to be risk factors for adolescent suicide
      attempts. Variables from each of these categories were examined, by means of a
      structured interview and questionnaires, to determine whether a group of 21
      adolescent suicide attempters could be differentiated from a group of 34 normal
      control subjects and a group of 15 at-risk adolescents (teenagers with known risk
      factors but without recent suicide attempt). The attempters differed
      significantly from control subjects on a large number of variables, particularly
      in the areas of substance abuse, depression, self-image, interpersonal
      relationships, communication patterns, family support, and problem behaviors.
      Only three items--the Beck Hopelessness Scale score, the SCL-90-R Positive
      Symptom Distress Index, and a history of suicidal ideation--differentiated the
      attempters from the at-risk adolescents. A discriminant analysis revealed that
      hopelessness and suicidal ideation were able to identify 93% of the suicide
      attempters.

PMID- 1881747
TI  - Can adolescent suicide attempters be distinguished from at-risk adolescents?

PMID- 1881748
TI  - Interpreting the notion of "nonbeneficial".

PMID- 1881749
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness: Human
      immunodeficiency virus [acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus] in the
      athletic setting.

PMID- 1881751
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force of Pediatric AIDS. Education of
      children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

PMID- 1881750
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption & Dependent
      Care: Initial medical evaluation of an adopted child.

PMID- 1881752
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on School Health. School health
      assessments.

PMID- 1881753
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention.
      Children and fireworks.

PMID- 1881754
TI  - American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. The 55
      miles per hour maximum speed limit.

PMID- 1881755
TI  - Sucrose as an analgesic for newborn infants.

PMID- 1881756
TI  - Use and misuse of oral therapy in diarrhea.

PMID- 1881757
TI  - A new clue to clavicular fracture in newborn infants?

PMID- 1881759
TI  - Ricelyte advertising.

PMID- 1881758
TI  - HIV screening in pregnancy.

PMID- 1881760
TI  - 'Ivory Tower' fellowship statement challenged.

PMID- 1881761
TI  - Discrimination of second-format-like frequency transitions.
AB  - Discrimination of two types of simulated single-second-format frequency
      transitions was studied, transitions where members of a stimulus set shared the
      same onset frequency and transitions where stimuli of a set shared the same
      offset frequency. Experiment 1 employed an adaptive procedure to measure just
      noticeable differences for transitions that increased in frequency. Experiment 2
      obtained complete psychometric functions, based on a three-interval, forced
      choice procedure, for transitions that either increased or decreased in
      frequency. In both experiments, better discrimination occurred for longer
      stimuli, measured in hertz/millisecond, and for transitions that shared the same
      onset frequency. There were no differences, in Experiment 2, between
      discrimination of rising and falling transitions. Results are considered from
      several theoretical perspectives.

PMID- 1881763
TI  - Processing of Kanji and Kana characters within Japanese words.
AB  - Two experiments were conducted to examine the temporal relationship between whole
      word and character processing in Japanese. Two kinds of Japanese script were used
      as stimuli: Kanji, an ideographic script, and Kana, a syllabic script. In
      Experiment 1, Kanji word processing and Kanji character processing were examined
      using a successive visual comparison task. The whole-word advantage (Marmurek,
      1986) was not found. In Experiment 2, Kana words and characters were used. As in
      Experiment 1, no whole-word advantage was found. The absence of the whole-word
      advantage is attributed to the fact that Kanji and Kana characters represent
      higher level units of processing than alphabetic letters. The difference between
      word and nonword processing was shown by manipulations of the visual similarity
      and the homophony between stimuli presented successively. Visual similarity
      affected both words and nonwords, whereas homophony affected words only.

PMID- 1881762
TI  - Visual field effects in the discrimination of sine-wave gratings.
AB  - The time needed to decide whether the second of two successively presented
      sinusoidal gratings was of a higher or lower spatial frequency than the first was
      measured for spatial frequencies of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 cycles per degree (cpd)
      presented in either the left visual field (LVF) or right visual field (RVF). A
      LVF advantage was found for discriminating within the low-spatial-frequency range
      (i.e., 1 and 2 cpd), whereas a RVF advantage was found for discriminating within
      the high-spatial-frequency range (i.e., 4-12 cpd). These findings support the
      conclusion that hemispheric asymmetries in the processing of gratings arise when
      comparisons are made between the output of spatial-frequency channels.

PMID- 1881764
TI  - Perceptual adjustments on representations of familiar patterns: change over time
      and relational features.
AB  - Subjects classified individual stimuli as exact copies or as distortions of
      previously viewed prototype letters. Perceptual adjustments were induced by the
      presence of difficult (subtle) distortions within the stimulus set. In Experiment
      1, subjects initially made feature-based adjustments, and, with experience,
      adjustments became identity-based. Decisional adjustments also occurred. A
      similar change over time was obtained in Experiment 2; in addition, the feature
      based adjustments could not be explained by overall similarity between letters.
      Experiment 3 indicated that feature-based adjustments can be long lasting under
      appropriate circumstances. Experiment 4 indicated that the relevant features are
      not functionally independent parts of letters, but rather relations between
      neighboring parts. The results are consistent with the idea that adjustments can
      change between levels over time, and that the adjusted features are relational in
      nature.

PMID- 1881765
TI  - Stimulus context and absolute magnitude estimation: a study of individual
      differences.
AB  - The effect of stimulus context on absolute-magnitude-estimation (AME) judgments
      was examined by determining whether the loudness judgment of a tone is influenced
      by the intensities of other tones presented within the session. A group of 18
      subjects was tested in separate sessions in which they judged stimuli within
      either a low (10-60 dB SL) or a high (40-90 dB SL) range of intensities.
      Examination of the results of individual subjects revealed that judgments of
      stimuli common to the two ranges were, in most subjects, unaffected or only
      slightly affected by the position of the range. The judgments of 2 subjects who
      failed to follow the instructions, however, showed very large context effects due
      to changing the stimulus range. The results of a second experiment, in which 22
      subjects judged the loudness of tones within either a narrow (35-65 dB SL) or a
      wide (20-80 dB SL) range, revealed that, in all but 1 subject, the width of the
      range had no systematic effect on the loudness judgments of stimuli common to
      both ranges. This was also true 1 month later when 16 of the subjects returned to
      the laboratory to judge the loudness of tones within an even wider range of 10-90
      dB SL. It was concluded that AME judgments are relatively insensitive to the
      potential biasing influences of stimulus context.

PMID- 1881766
TI  - The influence of parafoveal preprocessing and linguistic context on the optimal
      landing position effect.
AB  - Several experiments have shown the existence of an optimal landing position
      effect during isolated word recognition as well as during text reading; both the
      probability of refixating the test word and the gaze duration are smaller if the
      eye first fixates near the center of the word than if the eye first fixates other
      positions in the word. However, recent data indicate that the optimal landing
      position effect is weakened under normal reading conditions, when words are
      included in texts. The purpose of the present experiment was to test whether
      parafoveal preprocessing or linguistic context specific to the text reading
      situation could be responsible for this weakening. With a paradigm that
      approximates normal reading, albeit in a somewhat slower manner, it was shown
      that although the possibility of preprocessing words in parafoveal vision and of
      predicting them from preceding context globally affected refixation probability
      and gaze duration on the word, this did not strongly affect the optimal landing
      position effect. Since the global effects of these factors were comparable to
      those found by other authors in normal reading, it was concluded that the
      weakening of the optimal landing position effect during text reading results from
      the influence of other factors peculiar to this situation. Hypotheses are
      proposed as explanations of the effects of the manipulated factors on oculomotor
      behavior.

PMID- 1881767
TI  - The effect of loading on position sense in the tongue.
AB  - The position sense of the tongue and aftereffects on the position sense
      subsequent to loading were directly investigated. Nine subjects judged the
      straightahead with the tongue before and after straining laterally with the
      tongue against the horizontal force induced by a 29.5-g weight. Two of these
      subjects also participated in the experiment after the surface of the tongue had
      been anesthetized. Prior loading of the tongue biased the subjects' subsequent
      judgment of the straight-ahead; following loading, the tongue was placed farther
      in the direction of the previous effort. The results are discussed with reference
      to postcontraction effects from experiments on loading the limb and eye.

PMID- 1881768
TI  - Two-stage model for order discrimination.
AB  - Ulrich (1987), exploring the shapes of psychometric functions obtained in the
      ternary-response paradigm, indicated several inconsistencies between observed and
      predicted relationships providing evidence against most popular models of
      temporal-order judgment. In this paper, a new model is presented. It assumes that
      there are two mechanisms involved in the order discrimination task: one is
      responsible for the recognition of whether or not the stimuli are successive, and
      the second is able to determine their order. The model was tested using Allan's
      (1975a, 1975b) and Ulrich's (1987) data; the model predictions were found to be
      consistent with the experimental results.

PMID- 1881770
TI  - Visual selection of features and objects: is location special? A reinterpretation
      of Nissen's (1985) findings.
AB  - Nissen (1985) compared selection by location with selection by color or shape in
      partial-report experiments. Her analysis of response contingencies when a target
      was defined in terms of one attribute (location, color, or shape), and when the
      task was to report the two remaining attributes, suggested a special role for
      selection by location: It appeared that cross-referencing between color and shape
      was mediated by location. An alternative interpretation is developed here: The
      findings are explained by a theory of attention (Bundesen, 1990), in which
      selection by location is treated on a par with selection by color or shape.

PMID- 1881769
TI  - A further test of the superposition model for the redundant-signals effect in
      bimodal detection.
AB  - The superposition model proposed by Schwarz (1989) to account for the redundant
      signals effect in a bimodal detection task with visual and auditory signals is
      tested further. It is shown that the model does not fit the observed standard
      deviations reported by Miller (1986) if the residual (motor) component is assumed
      to be independent of the waiting time.

PMID- 1881771
TI  - Marginalisation of mental handicap branch decried.

PMID- 1881772
TI  - A faint chorus of approval.

PMID- 1881774
TI  - Ear peace.

PMID- 1881773
TI  - Local currency.

PMID- 1881775
TI  - Trusting to luck?

PMID- 1881776
TI  - A model service.

PMID- 1881777
TI  - Caring concerns.

PMID- 1881778
TI  - Nurses and the media. Blowing the trumpet.

PMID- 1881779
TI  - Nurses and the media. Careful what you say.

PMID- 1881780
TI  - Resuscitation decisions.

PMID- 1881781
TI  - Nurses and the media. On the airwaves.

PMID- 1881782
TI  - A grass-roots approach.

PMID- 1881784
TI  - Deals on meals.

PMID- 1881783
TI  - Attack on anxiety.

PMID- 1881785
TI  - Primary nursing--looking forward.

PMID- 1881786
TI  - On the road--nice set of wheels.

PMID- 1881787
TI  - Organisation and stress among mental nurses.

PMID- 1881788
TI  - Crisis intervention and psychiatric referral.

PMID- 1881790
TI  - Arts in action. Lessons in creativity.

PMID- 1881789
TI  - Gender and title-related fears about therapists.

PMID- 1881791
TI  - Mental handicap nursing. Autism--breaking through the barriers.

PMID- 1881792
TI  - Mental handicap nursing. Autism--help for the family.

PMID- 1881794
TI  - Beyond belief?

PMID- 1881793
TI  - Mental handicap nursing. Autism--a change for progress.

PMID- 1881796
TI  - Bone graft.

PMID- 1881795
TI  - Contraception concerns.

PMID- 1881797
TI  - Sex and sensibility.

PMID- 1881798
TI  - Danish liaisons.

PMID- 1881799
TI  - Waspish Winterton.

PMID- 1881800
TI  - Needs of the carer. All in a day's work.

PMID- 1881801
TI  - Needs of the carer. Time to let go.

PMID- 1881802
TI  - The charter for users of nursing/residential homes.

PMID- 1881804
TI  - Familiarity breeds content.

PMID- 1881803
TI  - Revising routines.

PMID- 1881805
TI  - The forgotten children.

PMID- 1881806
TI  - No place for a holiday.

PMID- 1881807
TI  - Study methods. Freedom to learn.

PMID- 1881808
TI  - Study methods. A personal contract.

PMID- 1881809
TI  - Nursing and the law. First aid law.

PMID- 1881810
TI  - Breast cancer. A place for women.

PMID- 1881811
TI  - Breast cancer. Hope and charity.

PMID- 1881812
TI  - Midwives' Journal. Work and pregnancy.

PMID- 1881814
TI  - Midwives' Journal. Conference know-how.

PMID- 1881813
TI  - Midwives' Journal. Repairing the tear.

PMID- 1881815
TI  - Salivary fluoride concentrations in children with various systemic fluoride
      exposures.
AB  - Parotid ductal saliva fluoride concentrations were determined as an indication of
      baseline plasma fluoride levels in three groups of children. Group I had been
      exposed to drinking water containing less than 0.1 ppm F and had not received
      fluoride supplements. Group II had consumed optimally fluoridated water (1 ppm)
      since infancy. Group III had consumed water with less than 0.1 ppm F but had
      received a daily fluoride supplement for at least two years. The mean salivary
      fluoride concentrations in Groups II and III were significantly higher than Group
      I, but were not significantly different from each other. The findings suggest
      that peak plasma fluoride concentrations achieved following a daily fluoride
      supplement dose are higher than previously thought.

PMID- 1881816
TI  - Pseudohypoparathyroidism: case report.
AB  - A patient with pseudohypoparathyroidism is presented. The phenotypic appearance,
      known as Albright heredity osteodystrophy includes: short stature, round face,
      brachydactylia, and ectopic calcifications in the soft tissues. Dental
      manifestations reported in the literature are enamel hypoplasia, hypodontia,
      malformed roots, enlarged pulp chambers, microdontia, and pulp calcifications.
      Additional findings in this case are ankylosis and an enlarged frontal sinus. The
      delayed diagnosis of pseudohypoparathyroidism with the early presentation of
      multiple dental anomalies is discussed.

PMID- 1881817
TI  - Tissue-space emphysema, tissue necrosis, and infection following use of
      compressed air during pulp therapy: case report.
AB  - The intraoperative development of tissue-space emphysema in a child undergoing
      restorative treatment under general anesthesia is presented. Emphysema
      development seems to be concomitant with the use of compressed air around patent
      root canals, complicated by tissue destruction due to movement of canal
      irrigants/medicaments into the periapical tissues and by secondary infection.
      Several recommendations for the prevention of tissue-space emphysema are
      presented including the use of a rubber dam, judicious use of compressed air, and
      maintenance of canal irrigants and medicaments within the root canal. Treatment
      recommendations vary from palliative care with follow up in cases of facial
      emphysema to immediate medical attention in cases of pharyngeal or mediastinal
      emphysema.

PMID- 1881818
TI  - An aid to stop thumb sucking: the "Bluegrass" appliance.
AB  - A nonpunitive fixed appliance utilizing a Teflon (E.I. du Pont de Nemours and
      Co., Inc., Wilmington, DE) roller is described. The appliance is used in
      conjunction with a program of positive reinforcement in managing thumb sucking in
      children 7-13 years of age. It has been used successfully in 24 children, with no
      cases requiring reinsertion.

PMID- 1881819
TI  - Well-baby dental examinations: a survey of preschool children's oral health.
AB  - Well-baby dental visits provide early prevention and detection of dental disease
      for the infant and preschool child. A survey of the dental records of 379
      preschool children from the ages of 6 months to 4.5 years were reviewed from a
      population of military family dependents. The caries activity of this population
      was found to be 8.9%, with a dft of 0.25. Nursing caries was clinically definable
      in 5.3% of the children, accounting for 58.8% of all reported caries.
      Malocclusion occurred in 6.3%, with anterior open bite and posterior crossbite
      found most commonly. No soft tissue pathology was noted. Evidence of previous
      dental trauma to the maxillary incisors with crown discoloration was found in
      2.9%. These early dental visits provide a pleasant introduction to dental oral
      health and prevention for both parents and children. Early dental examinations
      should focus the parent's attention on the child's future oral health and provide
      an understanding of the causes of nursing caries.

PMID- 1881820
TI  - An update in pediatric seizure disorders.
AB  - Recent advances in knowledge of pediatric seizure disorders, including
      classification of seizure types and febrile convulsions, have been the topics of
      major symposia. In light of these recent developments, an in-depth review is
      presented to aid the pediatric dentist in the treatment of these children.

PMID- 1881822
TI  - Parental attitudes toward behavior management techniques used in pediatric
      dentistry.
AB  - Previous studies evaluating parents' attitudes toward behavior management
      techniques used in pediatric dentistry suggest that parental attitudes are
      generally negative. The purpose of this study was to reexamine this issue by
      comparing the effect of prior explanation on parental acceptance of eight
      behavior management techniques. Videotaped segments were made of children's
      dental appointments containing examples of eight behavior management techniques.
      One group of 40 parents viewed a videotape which provided no explanation for each
      technique before it was shown. Another group of 40 parents viewed a videotape
      which provided no explanation of the techniques. The parents then were asked to
      rate the acceptability of each technique using a visual analogue scale. Results
      indicated that the informed parents were significantly more accepting of behavior
      management techniques than the uninformed parents but both groups were generally
      positive about the techniques studied. Further, parents reporting greater stress
      were less accepting of the techniques studied.

PMID- 1881821
TI  - Comparison of ultrasonic and mechanical cleaning of primary root canals using a
      novel radiometric method.
AB  - Although ultrasound is employed increasingly as an adjunct to biomechanical
      preparation in clinical endodontics for adult teeth, there have been no previous
      investigation of this technique for primary teeth. This investigation studied the
      efficacy of ultrasonication compared with mechanical cleaning in primary root
      canals using a novel radiometric method. The results indicated that in multiple
      rooted teeth, ultrasonication with an endosonic file for 3 min was able to remove
      81.1% of inoculated bacteria, compared with only 65.2% using conventional filing.
      A combination of mechanical filing followed by ultrasonication produced the best
      results, with greater than 95% bacteria removed. The results show that
      ultrasonication may be useful for primary teeth endodontics.

PMID- 1881823
TI  - Treatment and retention of a mandibular arch telescoped within the maxillary
      arch: case report.
AB  - A patient in the early mixed dentition was experiencing "difficulty in eating."
      The right mandibular posterior teeth were telescoped within the maxillary arch.
      The mandibular midline deviated to the left of the maxillary midline. With the
      midlines aligned, posterior occlusion was minimal. By activating a lingual arch,
      the mandibular arch width was increased to establish a posterior occlusion. Also,
      the lingual arch was used as a retainer. The posterior occlusion remained stable
      throughout the mixed dentition. An unexpected second phase of treatment was
      indicated in the permanent dentition because the maxillary right first and second
      premolars and the maxillary right second molar were completely buccal to the
      mandibular teeth. Successful treatment was accomplished in spite of broken
      appliances and noncompliance.

PMID- 1881824
TI  - Unusual multiple natal teeth: case report.
AB  - An 18-month-old Japanese boy with multiple natal teeth was examined. Fourteen
      hard structures were reported to have been present at birth at the regions of the
      anterior teeth and first primary molars in both jaws. The structures were
      excessively mobile and 11 of the structures had exfoliated successively since 5
      months of age. The three structures remaining at the regions of the first primary
      molars had bonelike appearance and color, and were smaller in overall dimension
      than the corresponding primary teeth. Radiographic examinations showed that the
      structures had neither roots nor pulp chambers and their radiopacity corresponded
      to that of mandibular bone. Furthermore, there were no permanent successors
      except for the upper central incisors and left lateral incisor at the regions
      where the structures were situated. Histological examinations revealed that the
      specimens consisted of dentin with tubular structure, osteodentin-like structure,
      and cementumlike structure.

PMID- 1881826
TI  - Decline in salivary S. mutans levels in children who have received short-term
      antibiotic therapy.

PMID- 1881825
TI  - Natal primary molar: case report.
AB  - The case of an immature natal maxillary first primary molar is reported. Natal
      molars are rare occurrences, the present instance being only the eighteenth
      reported case. Clinical and histologic examination revealed that the tooth was
      rootless, incompletely mineralized, and acutely inflamed. Subsequent radiographs
      showed that the tooth was actually the primary first molar.

PMID- 1881827
TI  - [New antiplatelet drugs in coronary heart disease].

PMID- 1881828
TI  - [The effect of aminophylline on plasma oxypurines in patients with bronchial
      asthma or cor pulmonale].
AB  - The effect of aminophylline administered intravenously in dose 250 mg on plasma
      oxypurines (hypoxanthine and xanthine) concentration as well as on plasma
      adenosine deaminase activity and plasma AMP deaminase activity was studied in 17
      patients with bronchial asthma or chronic cor pulmonale. Initial plasma
      oxypurines concentration was 47.5 +/- 10.4 mumol/l and one hour after
      aminophylline administration decreased significantly (p less than 0.001) to the
      value 40.3 +/- 8.8 mumol/l. Plasma adenosine deaminase activity increased
      significantly from 4.74 +/- 2.3 IU to 6.9 +/- 2.77 IU (p less than 0.01), while
      plasma AMP deaminase activity did not change. The above results suggest
      indirectly that intravenous administration of aminophylline decreases serum
      adenosine concentration in studied patients.

PMID- 1881829
TI  - [Treatment of respiratory tract infections with pefloxacin].
AB  - Pefloxacin, a 4-quinolone derivative, was administered in the dose of 800-1200 mg
      for the mean of 12 days to 24 patients with respiratory tract infection
      complicating chronic bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease.
      Patients with positive sputum culture and bacteria sensitive to pefloxacin were
      included in the study. Total eradication of the offending microorganisms was
      achieved in 54% of patients, and partial--in the next 20%. A poor efficacy of
      pefloxacin against Streptococcus species has been confirmed. In a few cases we
      have observed the development of resistance of isolated bacteria to pefloxacin
      during the course of treatment.

PMID- 1881830
TI  - [Evaluation of conservative treatment for Graves-Basedow disease depending on the
      clinical severity of thyrotoxicosis, blood group (ABO) and HLA A1, B8 antigens].
AB  - The purpose of the study was to determine whether such factors as: initial
      exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis, blood group (ABO) and the presence of HLA A1, B8
      antigens have an influence on the effectiveness of the conservative treatment of
      thyrotoxicosis in Graves-Basedow disease (G-B disease). Studies were carried out
      in two groups of 32 women each with G-B disease. The patients in group I were 28
      61 years of age, in whom euthyroid state lasting at least 5 years was attained
      after treatment with methimazole on average over a 15.4 month cycle. The age of
      the patients in group II was 27-61 years, in whom at least one relapse occurred
      in 5-year follow-up. The groups of patients did not differ significantly in the
      clinical exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis measured in the scale of Zgliczynski. The
      frequencies of occurrence of the particular clinical symptoms of thyrotoxicosis
      did not differ in both groups, except diarrhoea with occurred significantly more
      frequently in women of group II (47%) in comparison with group I (15.6%). No
      characteristic differences were found between both groups in the occurrence of
      blood group O, A, B, AB and antigen HLA A1. Statistically significant difference
      was found in the occurrence of antigen HLA B8 and phenotype HLA A1 B8, both
      between the patient groups and control. Their influence expressed by odds ratio
      OR = 3 indicated that the chances of effective conservative treatment for the
      patients in group II were three times smaller than for those in group I.

PMID- 1881831
TI  - [Evaluation of verapamil's effect on the circulation in angina pectoris].
AB  - The studies concerned fifteen men with a stable angina pectoris--confirmed by an
      exercise test and coronarography--but with no heart failure or hypertension. They
      were randomly tested in a double blind method in which cardiovascular system was
      checked by means of rheographic-cardiography each fortnight after alternate
      administration of the placebo and verapamil [3 x 120 mg/24 hr]. After verapamil
      significant lowering of blood pressure and significant decrease of heart rate
      were found. Rheographic-cardiographic indices of cardias performance: RE time,
      REc time relation to heart rate, E dz/dt, E dz/dt relation to changes in arterial
      blood pressure, Heather index, modified Heather index, RE/EX and LVET did not
      show changes statistically significant. Neither was the change of the index of
      left ventricle heart failure observed. The only real change was the lengthening
      of the EX period--depending on the afterload. We can conclude that in patients
      with a stable angina pectoris the administration of 3 x 120 mg of verapamil does
      not diminish cardiac performance.

PMID- 1881832
TI  - [Effect of hypotensive treatment on renal function in patients with pseudo
      hypertension].
AB  - Osler's maneuver which makes it possible to detect phenomenon of pseudo
      hypertension was performed in 64 patients with elevated blood pressure when
      measured by Korotkoff's method. In 14 patients with essential hypertension and 14
      patients with pseudo-hypertension the effect of 9 days hypotensive treatment with
      furosemide on renal function was compared. 22% of studied patients revealed
      pseudo-hypertension. The drop in arterial pressure caused a significant increase
      in the plasma urea, as well as a significant decrease in creatinine clearance and
      uric acid clearance in patients with pseudo-hypertension. These changes were not
      observed in patients with essential hypertension. Antihypertensive treatment of
      patients with pseudo-hypertension is hazardous due to the possibility of adverse
      effects caused by diminished tissue flow. Before starting the hypotensive therapy
      in elderly patients it is advisable to exclude pseudo-hypertension by means of
      Osler's maneuver.

PMID- 1881833
TI  - [Chlamydial infections in man].

PMID- 1881834
TI  - [Endoscopic drainage of the bile ducts].
AB  - Insertion of biliary endoprosthesis was attempted in 151 patients with
      obstructive jaundice and was successful in 124 patients (82%). The indications
      for the procedure were: 1) biliary and pancreatic neoplasms (79 patients) and 2)
      non-neoplastic diseases such as common bile duct stones or postoperative biliary
      strictures (45 patients). Successful drainage of bile was obtained in 95% of
      patients from the first group and in 93% of those from the second group. The mean
      survival time of patients with neoplasms was 4.5 months and the majority of them
      were free of jaundice and itching. In 32 patients with non-neoplastic diseases
      there was no recurrence of jaundice after a mean time of 20 months. Serious
      complications occurred in 5 patients (4%), 4 of them died (3.2%). The most
      frequent late complication was clogging of the endoprosthesis (19% of patients
      from the first group after a mean time of 5 months and in 28% of those from the
      second group after a mean time of 16 months). Replacement of the endoprosthesis
      was carried out mainly on the ambulatory basis. Endoscopic biliary stenting is an
      effective method of palliative biliary drainage in patients with non-operable
      biliary and pancreatic tumours. In high risk patients with non-neoplastic
      obstructive jaundice the technique may be an alternative for surgical treatment.

PMID- 1881835
TI  - Some conceptual problems in multivariable analyses of perinatal mortality.
AB  - Biostatisticians, epidemiologists and other researchers in maternal and child
      health have often used multivariable analysis to investigate associations with
      perinatal and infant mortality. A review of reports of such multivariable
      analyses published over the last 35 years revealed four problems that occur
      repeatedly. (1) Variables that are intermediate in the causal pathway between
      some study variables and perinatal death ('intervening variables') are controlled
      as though they were confounders. (2) When birthweight is analysed as an
      intervening variable, it is entered into the analysis in a few large categories,
      such as above and below 2500 g. This is not an adequate way of controlling for
      birthweight. (3) Social and demographic variables often interact statistically
      with birthweight in their effects on perinatal mortality, but these interactions
      have not been analysed in most multivariable studies. (4) Highly intercorrelated
      variables that represent similar theoretical constructs are entered
      simultaneously into one regression analysis. Solutions to these problems are
      suggested. Analytical approaches in which investigators use knowledge of
      biological and medical subject matter to make judgements about confounding and
      causal inference are encouraged.

PMID- 1881836
TI  - Fumes from the spleen.

PMID- 1881837
TI  - Differences in early postnatal morbidity risk by pattern of fetal growth in
      Argentina.
AB  - Information on a cohort of 5539 singleton births delivered at term in two
      hospitals in Rosario, Argentina, was used to examine differences in early
      postnatal morbidity between small for gestational age (SGA) infants classified by
      their ponderal index (PI). SGA infants with low PI (SGA-LPI) were 4.35 (90% CI:
      1.50, 12.61) times more likely to have asphyxia, 13.75 (2.48, 76.31) times more
      likely to have hypoglycaemia and 2.32 (1.03, 5.26) times more likely to have
      respiratory distress (RD) than SGA infants with adequate PI (SGA-API). The
      increased risks of asphyxia and hypoglycaemia observed for SGA-LPI infants
      diminished, but remained statistically significant after controlling for the
      infant's gender, birthweight, gestational age and hospital of birth. There was no
      difference in risk of hyperbilirubinaemia between SGA-API and SGA-LPI infants.
      With the exception of risk of hyperbilirubinaemia, SGA-API infants carried the
      same risks of morbidity as non-SGA infants. The results of the study show that
      SGA infants do not constitute a homogeneous group with respect to their prospects
      for early postnatal health and survival. Furthermore, the pattern of differences
      in morbidity risk between SGA-API and SGA-LPI infants observed in this study is
      consistent with the timing hypothesis for the aetiology of variation in PI among
      SGA infants.

PMID- 1881838
TI  - Social differences in low birthweight and preterm deliveries in twins.
AB  - The relationship between low social class and low birthweight or preterm
      deliveries is well established in singletons but not in twins. We present a study
      using all twin deliveries registered in Belgium in 1983 and in Aberdeen between
      1951 and 1983. No significant relationship was found between social class and low
      birthweight, very low birthweight or preterm deliveries in the Belgian sample. In
      Aberdeen, we found significantly higher rates of low birthweight twins in low
      social classes. This increase of low birthweight twins in low social classes
      occurred in Aberdeen during the period 1951-1968, but not in the more recent
      data.

PMID- 1881839
TI  - An educational intervention on promotion of breast feeding.
AB  - This study was designed to search for an effective method to promote exclusive
      breast feeding among Turkish city women delivering in hospitals. Four hundred and
      forty-two primiparae with uncomplicated deliveries and with healthy infants with
      birthweights of greater than 2500 g were exposed to a group educational session
      on breast feeding after birth, followed by one repeat session at home. Four
      hundred and ninety-nine women served as controls. All homes were visited monthly
      for 6 months by independent observers and data relevant to the feeding of the
      infants were collected. Weight measurements of 176 infants were taken at age 4
      months. The study and control mothers were similar in sociodemographic
      characteristics which reflected a low socio-economic/educational background but
      relatively good housing conditions. Although significant differences in frequency
      of exclusive breast feeding were found between the study and control groups, the
      impact of the intervention was much lower than our expectations and short-lived.
      Type of feeding was not related to sex or birthweight of the infant, nor to
      maternal variables. Weight at age 4 months was within normal limits and similar
      in the study and control groups. It was concluded that lack of up-to-date
      information on infant feeding was the main obstacle to breast feeding in urban
      groups in Turkey, and that the impact of an educational intervention limited to
      the first week after delivery was lost within the first 2 months.

PMID- 1881841
TI  - Antenatal care received and its association with preterm birth in Greece.
AB  - A total population sample of singleton births to mothers with certain dates of
      last menstrual period (LMP) was identified from the Greek National Perinatal
      Survey of April 1983. Two groups of mothers were considered separately, 3116
      primigravidae and 6524 multigravidae, with preterm birth rates of 5.9% and 8.4%
      respectively. Of all the antenatal care factors tested, primigravidae showed
      significant associations (unadjusted) with haematocrit level and with drugs taken
      during pregnancy. The logistic regression analysis which followed showed that the
      only factor independently associated with preterm delivery for that group of
      mothers was drugs taken during this period: women taking no drugs (including
      vitamins and iron) had the highest risk of preterm delivery. In contrast,
      multigravidae showed significant unadjusted associations with a great variety of
      parameters of antenatal care. Nevertheless, in the logistic regression analysis
      only three proved to have independent significant associations: drugs taken
      during pregnancy (reduced risk among mothers taking vitamins and iron), hospital
      admission during pregnancy (mainly for cervical cerclage) and the pattern of
      antenatal care during the first two trimesters (those attending the recommended
      number of times having least risk).

PMID- 1881840
TI  - An educational intervention on promotion of breast feeding complemented by
      continuing support.
AB  - The study, aiming to document the effect of continued support for mothers on
      frequency of exclusive breast feeding, was carried out by inclusion of breast
      feeding counselling in the context of well-baby care. One hundred and forty-six
      mothers who had been exposed to two educational sessions on breast feeding after
      delivery were given appointments to bring their baby to the paediatric hospital
      for well-baby care. The mother-infant pairs were followed by the same two
      residents for 4 months. Mean number of visits was six. A conscious effort was
      made during all visits to influence the mothers and their close relatives towards
      exclusive breast feeding. It was observed that in a large proportion of the
      infants, breast milk was being supplemented with water at the time of the first
      visit and no further effort was made to change this traditional behaviour.
      Comparison of the results with a group of mothers who had been exposed to similar
      educational sessions after delivery but without further support showed a striking
      increase in frequency of exclusive breast feeding (breast milk and water) in the
      supported group.

PMID- 1881842
TI  - Marijuana and spontaneous abortion of known karyotype.
AB  - We tested whether marijuana use in the 2 months before the last menstrual period
      and during pregnancy affects the risk of spontaneous abortions of known
      karyotype. Spontaneous abortions (cases) were defined as chromosomally normal (n
      = 567) or chromosomally aberrant (n = 393) and, within the latter, by type of
      aberration (212 trisomies, 71 monosomies X, 49 triploidies, 61 others). Controls
      were women with prenatal care before 22 weeks gestation and delivering at 28
      weeks or later (n = 2042). In comparison with controls, adjusted odds (OR) of
      reported marijuana use in chromosomally normal cases were 1.1 (95% confidence
      interval (CI) 0.7, 1.5) and in chromosomally aberrant cases combined 1.2 (95% CI
      0.7, 1.9). With respect to specific aberrations, use in the perifertilisation
      period did not differ significantly from that in controls for trisomies (adjusted
      OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.4, 1.8), monosomies X (adjusted OR = 1.8, 95% CI 0.7, 4.3),
      and triploidies (adjusted OR = 1.3, 95% CI 0.4, 4.5). Comparison of karyotype
      groups with each other yielded similar results. Our data do not support causal
      associations of marijuana use, at the levels represented in our sample, with
      either chromosomally normal or trisomic spontaneous abortion. With monosomy X and
      triploidy, no statistically significant associations were detected although
      numbers were insufficient to rule out moderate effects.

PMID- 1881843
TI  - The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System: design, questionnaire, data
      collection and response rates. PRAMS Working Group.
AB  - The birth certificate, the primary tool for population-based surveillance of the
      condition of infants at birth and maternal status during pregnancy, provides
      little data about maternal behaviour during pregnancy. To collect data on
      maternal behaviours that influence pregnancy outcome, we implemented the
      Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System in seven states. For this population
      based surveillance, new mothers were sampled from birth certificates 2 to 6
      months after delivery and contacted by mail; follow-up of nonrespondents was by
      telephone. Participants completed a 10-page questionnaire. Stratification
      permitted over-sampling of women with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Among 10,563
      women sampled during 1988 and 1989, stratum-specific response rates ranged from
      30% to 89%. In 11 of the 28 strata, response rates were greater than 70%.
      Response rates varied considerably between states. Rates were lower for Black
      mothers, mothers of low birthweight infants, unmarried mothers and mothers with
      less than 12 years of education. Active refusal to participate and undelivered
      mail occurred infrequently. Mail and telephone surveillance of new mothers can
      yield adequate response rates in selected population groups. Trials of
      alternative approaches to enhancing response among Black and disadvantaged
      mothers, such as additional mailings or post-partum in-hospital recruitment, are
      needed.

PMID- 1881844
TI  - The Chiang Mai lactation project: study design and implementation.
AB  - The Chiang Mai lactation project is a longitudinal field study of human lactation
      carried out among northern Thai women living in the Sanpatong area of Chiang Mai
      Province. Its aim was to measure the volume and composition of breast milk
      transferred from mothers to their infants in the first year postpartum, and to
      relate it to predictors of milk production, and to the growth of the child.
      Breast milk and supplementary food intake, and nursing patterns, were recorded
      over two consecutive 24-hour periods six times during the first year. Samples of
      breast milk and of supplementary foods were analysed for energy and protein.
      Supplementary foods were also analysed for bacterial contamination. The growth of
      the child was measured, and health assessed using a combination of health diaries
      and examination by a physician. Recruitment to the study was excellent. After
      recruitment, two subjects left the study area, but otherwise only two dropped
      out, so complete sets of data covering these variables are available for 58 of
      the 62 recruited subjects.

PMID- 1881845
TI  - Myocardial rupture. Your patient's survival may depend on you.
AB  - Myocardial rupture is the second leading cause of in-hospital death from acute
      myocardial infarction. It is most likely to occur in the elderly, women, and
      patients with transmural infarction and no previous history of angina. A high
      index of suspicion is critical to the diagnosis. Myocardial rupture should be
      suspected when recurrent chest pain or hemodynamic instability develops after
      myocardial infarction. Rapid intervention and appropriate infarct-limiting
      therapy may reduce the mortality rate of this catastrophic complication.

PMID- 1881846
TI  - Preventive medicine in primary care. Moving from theory to practice.
AB  - Primary care physicians are in a unique position to offer preventive services.
      They have access to patients when intervention may be most successful, and they
      see most patients over a long period, which allows for adequate follow-up. The
      challenges are choosing the most effective interventions and organizing records
      and office staff to facilitate delivery of preventive services. Preventive
      medicine may not be as dramatic or as immediately successful as curative
      medicine, but it can have a tremendous long-term impact on health and well-being.

PMID- 1881847
TI  - How to recognize obsessive-compulsive disorder.
AB  - Your patient is anxious, depressed, and nervous, yet the complaint you are being
      asked to address is a respiratory infection. You suspect that the real problem
      may be obsessive-compulsive disorder. What should you do? How do you confidently
      and accurately reach the diagnosis? Dr Alarcon shares his expertise in
      recognition and management of this increasingly common disorder.

PMID- 1881848
TI  - How to diagnose bleeding disorders.
AB  - Patients with problems of hemostasis are not uncommon in the primary care
      setting. The bleeding history provides critical information that helps in guiding
      evaluation of these patients. Results of frequently used screening tests of
      coagulation can be abnormal in patients who have no significant hemostatic defect
      and can be normal in patients who do have one.

PMID- 1881850
TI  - Pseudomonas folliculitis from a health club whirlpool.
AB  - In public whirlpools, low disinfectant levels and inadequate monitoring are
      clearly a public health concern. Implementing guidelines published by the Centers
      for Disease Control seems to be the most reasonable approach to preventing
      dermatitis in persons who use these facilities. Physicians should be on the alert
      for well-demarcated rashes that may be associated with improperly maintained
      whirlpools.

PMID- 1881849
TI  - Choosing the right antibacterial agent. Is 'newer' always better?
AB  - The newer antibacterials are proving in some situations to be more effective than
      the older agents, and it is tempting to choose them. In many instances, however,
      traditional agents remain the treatment of choice. Major drawbacks of using newer
      antibacterials include their higher cost by weight, compared with older drugs,
      and the emergence of resistant organisms or superinfection as a result of
      overuse. The newer drugs are best reserved for use when older agents would be
      inadequate.

PMID- 1881851
TI  - Health insurance for all Americans?

PMID- 1881852
TI  - Carotid and coronary atherosclerosis. What are the connections?
AB  - In recent years research has revealed an association between carotid
      atherosclerosis and coronary atherosclerosis that parallels the long-recognized
      association between clinically manifest cerebrovascular disease and clinically
      manifest coronary artery disease (CAD). Validation of B-mode ultrasonography as a
      method for quantitative imaging of the extracranial carotid arteries has made it
      possible to identify risk factors for extracranial carotid atherosclerosis and
      its progression and to test pharmacologic agents for their ability to retard that
      progression. Extent of atherosclerosis in the extracranial carotid arteries has
      been shown to be a risk factor or "marker" for symptomatic CAD. In addition, CAD
      has been identified as an important predictor of progression of extracranial
      carotid atherosclerosis.

PMID- 1881853
TI  - Fecal occult blood testing. Guidelines for follow-up after positive findings.
AB  - Fecal occult blood testing should be performed under optimal conditions to
      minimize false-positive test results. Obvious bleeding from the rectum or other
      sources during the test period should be investigated and testing should be
      postponed. When a fecal occult blood test is positive, colonoscopy is recommended
      as the definitive method of diagnosis and often of treatment. When a complete
      colonoscopy cannot be performed, sigmoidoscopy with air-contrast barium enema is
      the next best alternative for direct visualization of the distal bowel and
      indirect investigation of the proximal colon.

PMID- 1881854
TI  - Hypertension in young patients.
AB  - Hypertension is often unrecognized in infants and children. Primary care
      physicians need the equipment necessary to measure blood pressure in young
      patients and tables or graphs showing normal values for age and sex. Children
      should have a blood pressure measurement and preventive counseling at each yearly
      checkup. Significant hypertension should never be dismissed as a temporary
      problem but rather should be carefully investigated, treated, and followed up.

PMID- 1881856
TI  - The patient factor.

PMID- 1881855
TI  - Septic shock. When patients fail to respond to conventional therapy.
AB  - Patients in septic shock require rapid evaluation and prompt initiation of
      therapy with appropriate antibiotics and fluids. When fluids do not restore
      perfusion, dopamine (Dopastat, Inotropin) therapy is begun. Some patients who
      fail to respond to these measures will respond to a combination of low-dose
      dopamine and regulation of blood pressure with norepinephrine (Levophed).

PMID- 1881857
TI  - Resource control versus healthcare rationing.

PMID- 1881858
TI  - Common triggers of asthma.
AB  - Control of asthma is enhanced when careful consideration is given to underlying
      mechanisms. Patients can be advised of ways to avoid or minimize contact with
      offending allergens, and, in some cases, pharmacologic management may not be
      necessary. Care must be taken when treating patients with concomitant disorders,
      such as hyperthyroidism. Also, psychological factors may have a role in
      exacerbating symptoms in suggestible patients. Noncompliance, in some cases due
      to inability to pay for medication, may be an unrecognized cause of treatment
      failure.

PMID- 1881859
TI  - Acute life-threatening asthma.
AB  - Although adrenergic therapy may be lifesaving in patients with severe acute
      asthma, attention must also be directed toward reversing underlying inflammation
      with corticosteroids. Other therapy for acute severe bronchospasm is
      controversial, although inhalant anticholinergic therapy may have adjunctive
      benefit. Aminophylline or magnesium sulfate may be indicated in those patients
      with life-threatening asthma who do not respond to conventional therapy. Chest
      radiographs are needed in patients who (1) present in extreme distress, (2) need
      to be hospitalized, or (3) have clinical manifestations of pneumonia or
      pneumothorax. Antibiotics are not used for acute asthma in the absence of
      pneumonia.

PMID- 1881860
TI  - New concepts in treatment of chronic persistent asthma. Using a stepwise protocol
      to control inflammation.
AB  - Asthma continues to cause unacceptably high rates of disability and death,
      largely because the severity of disease is underestimated and patients are
      inadequately educated about their disease. When patients understand what happens
      during an asthma attack and its aftermath, they are more likely to notice
      important symptoms and to start or increase self-treatment appropriately.
      Physicians are responsible for teaching patients how to avoid precipitating
      factors and for discussing and writing down a self-treatment plan to follow in
      specific circumstances. The British Thoracic Society has suggested a stepwise
      protocol for drug treatment of asthma. Each patient must be evaluated
      individually and started at the appropriate step.

PMID- 1881861
TI  - Rehabilitation of asthmatic patients. Motivating your patients to improve their
      life-style.
AB  - Complete rehabilitation of asthmatic patients requires consideration of their
      medication use, psychological adjustment, and quality of life and their family's
      adaptation to chronic disease. Physicians can significantly improve their
      patients' well-being by encouraging them to achieve and maintain a maximal level
      of fitness and to stop smoking. Motivation and support for smoking cessation
      should be available through office-based programs and follow-up. With
      pretreatment for vigorous sports, asthmatic patients should be able to
      participate in nearly any activity.

PMID- 1881862
TI  - Staving off acute otitis media. When is prophylaxis with antibiotics desirable?
AB  - Acute otitis media affects most young children and is the condition for which
      children are most frequently treated with antibiotics. A pattern of recurrent
      acute ear infections develops in some children and is a source of frustration for
      parents and physicians. Recurrent episodes can exacerbate asthma or other
      underlying medical problems, and long-term effects can include chronic otitis
      media with permanent middle-ear injury and, possibly, delay in psychomotor and
      language development. Antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the number of episodes of
      acute otitis media in children at high risk for recurrent infection. There is no
      perfect antibiotic to prevent acute otitis media. However, the risks associated
      with the drugs described in this article are low. Prophylaxis with antibiotics
      does not prevent all episodes of acute otitis media but can reduce the number of
      episodes by 50%.

PMID- 1881864
TI  - Protein sequence comparison: methods and significance.

PMID- 1881863
TI  - Learning from the immune system: laboratory methods for creating and refining
      molecular diversity in polypeptides.

PMID- 1881865
TI  - Escherichia coli aspartate carbamoyltransferase: the probing of crystal structure
      analysis via site-specific mutagenesis.
AB  - Crystal structures are known for aspartate carbamoyltransferase (ATCase) in the T
      and R states, with and without the allosteric activator adenosine triphosphate
      (ATP) or inhibitor cytidine triphosphate (CTP). Visual inspection of X-ray
      crystal structures does not provide all of the information necessary for the
      determination of structure--function relationships in protein molecules. This
      problem is compounded because the crystalline states of the molecule may
      introduce effects due to crystal packing, restricted flexibility and less than
      optimum enzymatic conditions. Therefore, alternative techniques are required to
      test mechanisms conjectured from three-dimensional crystal structures of
      proteins. The technique of site-specific mutagenesis allows the researcher to
      test structure--function models based on three-dimensional structures and to
      obtain further insight into characteristics of the enzyme. Site-specific
      mutagenesis has been used to probe residues believed to be critical in the
      structure and function of ATCase. Selection of residues to be mutated has
      depended extensively on three-dimensional crystal structures of the enzyme. To
      date, 48 site-specific mutations at 37 different amino acid sites have been
      published. Although a total of 118 mutants at 58 different sites has been
      communicated to our laboratory, only published mutants will be considered in this
      review. In this paper, we compile for the first time, review, and analyze the
      site-specific mutants of ATCase. Site-specific mutagenesis of proteins has become
      a powerful technique in modern-day molecular biology, especially in studying a
      molecule as large as aspartate carbamoyltransferase. In this review, the role of
      site-specific mutagenesis of ATCase is discussed and improvements in the analysis
      are suggested.

PMID- 1881866
TI  - Reaction mechanism of trypsin-catalysed semisynthesis of human insulin studied by
      fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.
AB  - The production of semisynthetic human insulin for therapeutic purposes is of
      considerable importance. During trypsin-catalysed transformation of pig insulin
      into an ester of insulin of human sequence, the alanyl residue at position B30 is
      removed and replaced with an esterified residue of threonine. We have carried out
      this transformation in a medium enriched in 18OH2 and studied the product by MS.
      In contrast to a previous report, we find that incorporation of label into the
      B29 - B30 peptide bond occurs during the transformation with threonine methyl
      ester in aqueous N,N-dimethylacetamide. Quantitative data are presented and the
      implications of these findings are discussed.

PMID- 1881867
TI  - Similarity graphing and enzyme-reaction database: methods to detect sequence
      regions of importance for recognition of chemical structures.
AB  - We developed a new method which searches sequence segments responsible for the
      recognition of a given chemical structure. These segments are detected as those
      locally conserved among a sequence to be analyzed (target sequence) and a set of
      sequences (reference sequences). Reference sequences are the sequences of
      functionally related proteins, ligands of which contain a common chemical
      substructure in their molecular structures. 'Similarity graphing' cuts target
      sequences into segments, aligns them with reference sequence pairwise, calculates
      the degree of similarity for each alignment, and shows graphically cumulative
      similarity values on target sequence. Any locally conserved regions, short or
      long in length and weak or strong in similarity, are detected at their optimal
      conditions by adjusting three parameters. The 'enzyme-reaction database' contains
      chemical structures and their related enzymes. When a chemical substructure is
      input into the database, sequences of the enzymes related to the input
      substructure are systematically searched from the NBRF sequence database and
      output as reference sequences. Examples of analysis using similarity graphing in
      combination with the enzyme-reaction database showed a great potentiality in the
      systematic analysis of the relationships between sequences and molecular
      recognitions for protein engineering.

PMID- 1881868
TI  - Graphical representation of hydrogen bonding patterns in proteins.
AB  - A graphical representation of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in a protein is
      described, which provides a direct and easily interpretable display of its
      secondary and tertiary structural elements. The representation is constructed by
      scanning the coordinate list for all potential proton donor (PD)--proton acceptor
      (PA) pairs, and any pair which satisfies certain preset distance and angle
      criteria is classified as being H-bonded. The resulting list of H-bonds is mapped
      onto an N x N matrix, where N is the number of residues in the protein, by
      assigning an element ij of the matrix to all the PA-PD pairs between atoms of
      residues i and j. Subsequently graphical objects are generated for all elements
      which are labeled as representing one or more H-bonds, and which can then be
      plotted or displayed in a way analogous to the graphical representation of the
      distance matrix (DM). In contrast to the DM, the hydrogen bonding matrix (HBM) is
      sparse, which allows the patterns representing secondary and tertiary structural
      motifs to be quickly and clearly recognized. In addition, changes in structure
      are easily identifiable from changes in the H-bonding patterns. The analysis and
      interpretation of the HBM is discussed using aspartate amino-transferase and
      calmodulin as examples.

PMID- 1881869
TI  - Adaptability of restrained molecular dynamics for tertiary structure prediction:
      application to Crotalus atrox venom phospholipase A2.
AB  - In order to assess the adaptability and/or applicability of the restrained
      molecular dynamics (RMD) simulation for building a possible tertiary structure of
      a protein from the X-ray crystal structure of a family reference protein, the
      tertiary structure prediction of Crotalus atrox venom phospholipase A2 (PLA2) was
      attempted based on the X-ray crystal structure of bovine pancreatic PLA2. For the
      formation of secondary and tertiary structures from the fully extended starting
      structure, the RMD simulation with interatomic distance restraints and torsion
      angle restraints, which were derived from homologous amino acid sequence regions
      in the reference protein, was carried out until the molecular system was fully
      equilibrated. The predicted tertiary structure of C. atrox venom PLA2 was
      compared with its X-ray crystal structure, and furthermore the utility of this
      method was discussed by reference to the similar tertiary structure prediction of
      beta-trypsin from the X-ray crystal structure of an elastase.

PMID- 1881870
TI  - Confirmation of the predicted source of a slow folding reaction: proline 8 of
      bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor.
AB  - A major question in protein structural analysis concerns the applicability of
      results from model systems to other proteins. Theoretical approaches seem the
      best manner of transferring information from one system to another, but their
      accuracy in the model systems must first be tested with results from experiment.
      Since bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) is a model system for the
      evaluation of energy minimization and molecular dynamics routines, we can use
      folding and stability measurements to examine the reliability of these methods.
      All two-disulfide mutants of BPTI investigated thus far have two very slow
      folding reactions which have characteristics of proline isomerization. These
      reactions may occur because the non-native cis form of two of the four prolines
      in BPTI significantly destabilizes the folded state of the protein. Previous
      energy minimization studies of wild-type BPTI suggested that the cis form of Pro8
      was the most destabilizing of the four prolines [Levitt,M. (1981) J. Mol. Biol.,
      145, 251-263]. In this paper, we show that mutation of Pro8----Gln in the two
      disulfide bond mutant Val30/Ala51 results in a loss of the slowest folding
      reaction, consistent with Levitt's prediction.

PMID- 1881871
TI  - Engineering the quaternary structure of an exported protein with a leucine
      zipper.
AB  - The leucine zipper of the yeast transcriptional factor GCN4 was grafted to the C
      terminal amino acid of the maltose binding protein (MalE) by fusing the malE gene
      of Escherichia coli to a synthetic gene coding for the leucine zipper. The hybrid
      protein, MalE-Lzp, was synthesized in large amounts from multicopy plasmids and
      efficiently exported into the periplasmic space of E. coli, up to 200,000
      molecules per cell. Unlike hybrids between MalE and other proteins, MalE-Lzp was
      quite stable exhibiting only minimal degradation. The hybrid was purified from a
      periplasmic extract in one step by affinity chromatography on cross-linked
      amylose. Sedimentation velocity and gel filtration experiments showed that MalE
      Lzp existed as a dimer in conditions where MalE was a monomer, at all
      concentrations tested down to 0.1 microM. Thus, it was possible to engineer the
      quaternary structure of an exported, monomeric protein by using a structural
      motif taken from a natural protein.

PMID- 1881872
TI  - Protein engineering of diphtheria-toxin-related interleukin-2 fusion toxins to
      increase cytotoxic potency for high-affinity IL-2-receptor-bearing target cells.
AB  - We have used site-directed insertion and point mutagenesis in an attempt to
      increase the cytotoxic potency and receptor-binding affinity of the diphtheria
      toxin-related interleukin-2 (IL-2) fusion toxins. Previous studies have
      demonstrated that both the DAB486-IL-2 and DAB389-IL-2 forms of the fusion toxin
      consist of three functional domains: the N-terminal fragment-A-associated ADP
      ribosyltransferase, the hydrophobic-membrane-associating domains, and the C
      terminal receptor-binding domain of human IL-2. By insertion mutagenesis we have
      increased the apparent flexibility of the polypeptide chain between the membrane
      associating domains and the receptor-binding domain of this fusion toxin. In
      comparison to DAB486-IL-2, the cytotoxic potency of the insertion mutants was
      increased by approximately 17-fold for high-affinity IL-2-receptor-bearing cell
      lines in vitro. Moreover, competitive displacement experiments using [125I]rIL-2
      demonstrate that the increase in cytotoxic potency correlates with an increase in
      receptor-binding affinity for both the high and intermediate forms of the IL-2
      receptor.

PMID- 1881873
TI  - Enzyme IIIlac of the staphylococcal phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent
      phosphotransferase system: site-specific mutagenesis of histidine residues,
      biochemical characterization and 1H-NMR studies.
AB  - The lactose-specific phosphocarrier protein enzyme III of the bacterial
      phosphoenol-pyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus
      was modified by site-specific mutagenesis on the corresponding lacF gene in order
      to replace the histidine residues 78 and 82 of the amino acid sequence with a
      serine residue. Wild-type and both mutant genes were overexpressed in Escherichia
      coli and the gene products were purified to homogeneity. The conformation of wild
      type and mutant proteins were monitored by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. In vitro
      phosphorylation studies on mutant lactose-specific enzyme III, as well as
      evidence from NMR spectroscopy, lead to the conclusion that His78 is the active
      site for phosphorylation of lactose-specific enzyme III by phospho-HPr (histidine
      containing protein). The role of His82 probably is the enhancement of velocity
      and efficiency of the phosphotransfer from lactose-specific enzyme III to lactose
      specific enzyme II. This result refutes the conclusion of former work based on
      data by protelytic cleavage and sequencing of the 32P-labeled peptide of lactose
      specific enzyme III that His82 is the active-site for phosphorylation.

PMID- 1881874
TI  - Staphylococcal lactose phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system:
      site-specific mutagenesis on the lacE gene gives evidence that a cysteine residue
      is responsible for phosphorylation.
AB  - The lactose-specific phosphocarrier protein enzyme II of the bacterial
      phosphoenol-pyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus aureus
      was modified by site-specific mutagenesis on the corresponding lacE gene in order
      to replace the histidine residues 245, 274 and 510 and the cysteine residue 476
      of the amino acid sequence with a serine residue. The wild-type and mutant genes
      were expressed in Escherichia coli and the gene products were characterized in
      different in vitro test systems. In vitro phosphorylation studies on mutant
      derivatives of the lactose-specific enzyme II led to the conclusion that cysteine
      residue 476 is the active-site for phosphorylation of this enzyme II by a phospho
      enzyme III of the same sugar specificity. A cysteine residue phosphorylated
      intermediate was first postulated for the mannitol-specific enzyme II of E. coli
      and studies performed independently concerning the lactose-specific enzyme II of
      Lactobacillus casei are in agreement with the above results.

PMID- 1881876
TI  - Expression of active domains of a human folate-dependent trifunctional enzyme in
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - The cDNA encoding the human trifunctional enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate
      dehydrogenase-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase-formyltetrahydrofolate
      synthetase was engineered to contain a prokaryotic ribosome binding site and was
      expressed under the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase promoter in Escherichia coli.
      Site-directed mutagenesis was used to prepare constructs that encode separately
      the dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase (D/C) domain as amino acid residues 1-301, and
      the synthetase (Syn) domain as residues 304-935. Both domains formed active
      enzymes thereby demonstrating their ability to fold independently. The full
      length enzyme, D/C and Syn domains were expressed at levels 4-, 55- and 3-fold
      higher than the specific activities found in liver. Additional mutagenesis and
      independent expression of domains further defined the interdomain region to
      include amino acids 292-310. The D/C domain was purified to homogeneity by a
      single affinity chromatographic step, and the full-length protein in a two-step
      procedure. The kinetic properties of the D/C domain appear unaltered from those
      of the trifunctional enzyme.

PMID- 1881875
TI  - Engineering of the Lactococcus lactis serine proteinase by construction of hybrid
      enzymes.
AB  - Plasmids containing wild-type and hybrid proteinase genes were constructed from
      DNA fragments of the prtP genes of Lactococcus lactis strains Wg2 and SK11. These
      plasmids were introduced into the plasmid-free strain L. lactis MG1363. The
      serine proteinases produced by these L. lactis strains were isolated, and their
      cleavage specificity and rate towards alpha s1- and beta-casein was investigated.
      The catalytic properties of both the SK11 and Wg2 proteinases, which differ in 44
      out of 1902 amino acid residues, could be changed dramatically by the reciprocal
      exchange of specific fragments between the two enzymes. As a result, various L.
      lactis strains were constructed having new proteolytic properties that differ
      from those of the parental strains. Furthermore, two segments in the proteinase
      could be identified that contribute significantly to the cleavage specificity
      towards casein; within these two segments, several amino acid residues were
      identified that are important for substrate cleavage rate and specificity. The
      results also indicate that the lactococcal proteinase has an additional domain
      involved in substrate binding compared with the related subtilisins. This
      suggests that the 200 kd L. lactis proteinase may be the representative of a new
      subclass of subtilisin-like enzymes.

PMID- 1881877
TI  - 1.59 A structure of trypsin at 120 K: comparison of low temperature and room
      temperature structures.
AB  - The structure of a rat trypsin mutant [S195C] at a temperature of 120 K has been
      refined to a crystallographic R factor of 17.4% between 12.0 and 1.59 A and is
      compared with the structure of the D102N mutant at 295 K. A reduction in the unit
      cell dimensions in going from room temperature to low temperature is accompanied
      by a decrease in molecular surface area and radius of gyration. The overall
      structure remains similar to that at room temperature. The attainable resolution
      appears to be improved due to the decrease in the fall off of intensities with
      resolution [reduction of the temperature factor]. This decreases the uncertainty
      in the atomic positions and allows the localization of more protein atoms and
      solvent molecules in the low temperature map. The largest differences between the
      two models occur at residues with higher than average temperature factors.
      Several features can be localized in the solvent region of the 120 K map that are
      not seen in the 295 K map. These include several more water molecules as well as
      an interstitial sulfate ion and two interstitial benzamidine molecules.

PMID- 1881878
TI  - Proline in alpha-helix: stability and conformation studied by dynamics
      simulation.
AB  - Free-energy simulations have been used to estimate the change in the
      conformational stability of short polyalanine alpha-helices when one of the
      alanines is replaced by a proline residue. For substituting proline in the middle
      of the helix the change in free energy of folding (delta delta G degrees) was
      calculated as 14 kJ/mol (3.4 kcal/mol), in excellent agreement with the one
      available experimental value. The helix containing proline was found to be
      strongly kinked; the free energy for reducing the angle of the kink from 40
      degrees to 15 degrees was calculated, and found to be small. A tendency to
      alternate hydrogen bonding schemes was observed in the proline-containing helix.
      These observations for the oligopeptide agree well with the observation of a
      range of kink angles (18-35 degrees) and variety of hydrogen bonding schemes, in
      the rare instances where proline occurs in helices in globular proteins. For
      substituting proline at the N-terminus of the helix the change in free energy of
      folding (delta delta G degrees) was calculated as -4 kJ/mol in the first helical
      position (N1) and +6 kJ/mol in the second helical position (N2). The observed
      frequent occurrence of proline in position N1 in alpha-helices in proteins
      therefore has its origin in stability differences of secondary structure. The
      conclusion reached here that proline may be a better helix former in position N1
      than (even) alanine, and thus be a helix initiator may be testable experimentally
      by measurements of fraction helical conformation of individual residues in
      oligopeptides of appropriate sequence. The relevance of these results in regards
      to the frequent occurrence of proline-containing helices in certain membrane
      proteins is discussed.

PMID- 1881879
TI  - Secondary structure-based profiles: use of structure-conserving scoring tables in
      searching protein sequence databases for structural similarities.
AB  - The profile method, for detecting distantly related proteins by sequence
      comparison, has been extended to incorporate secondary structure information from
      known X-ray structures. The sequence of a known structure is aligned to sequences
      of other members of a given folding class. From the known structure, the
      secondary structure (alpha-helix, beta-strand or "other") is assigned to each
      position of the aligned sequences. As in the standard profile method, a position
      dependent scoring table, termed a profile, is calculated from the aligned
      sequences. However, rather than using the standard Dayhoff mutation table in
      calculating the profile, we use distinct amino acid mutation tables for residues
      in alpha-helices, beta-strands or other secondary structures to calculate the
      profile. In addition, we also distinguish between internal and external residues.
      With this new secondary structure-based profile method, we created a profile for
      eight-stranded, antiparallel beta barrels of the insecticyanin folding class. It
      is based on the sequences of retinol-binding protein, insecticyanin and beta
      lactoglobulin. Scanning the sequence database with this profile, it was possible
      to detect the sequence of avidin. The structure of streptavidin is known, and it
      appears to be distantly related to the antiparallel beta barrels. Also detected
      is the sequence of complement component C8, which we therefore predict to be a
      member of this folding class.

PMID- 1881880
TI  - Crystallographic refinement of ricin to 2.5 A.
AB  - The plant cytotoxin ricin consists of two disulfide-linked chains, each of about
      30,000 daltons. An initial model based on a 2.8 A MIR electron density map has
      been refined against 2.5 A data using rounds of hand rebuilding coupled with
      either a restrained least squares algorithm or molecular dynamics (XPLOR). The
      last model (9) has an R factor of 21.6% and RMS deviations from standard bond
      lengths and angles of 0.021 A and 4.67 degrees, respectively. Refinement required
      several peptide segments in the original model to be adjusted translationally
      along the electron density. A wide range of lesser changes were also made. The
      RMS deviation of backbone atoms between the original and model 9 was 1.89 A.
      Molecular dynamics proved to be a very powerful refinement tool. However, tests
      showed that it could not replace human intervention in making adjustments such as
      local translations of the peptide chain. The R factor is not a completely
      satisfactory indicator of refinement progress; difference Fouriers, when observed
      carefully, may be a better monitor.

PMID- 1881881
TI  - Structure of ricin A-chain at 2.5 A.
AB  - Ricin has been refined in a crystallographic sense to 2.5 A resolution and the
      model for the A-chain (RTA) is described in detail. Because RTA is the first
      member of the class of plant toxins to be analyzed, this model probably defines
      the major structural characteristics of the entire family of these medically
      important proteins. Explanations are provided to rationalize amino acids that are
      conserved between RTA and a number of homologous plant and bacterial toxins.
      Eight invariant residues appear to be involved in creating or stabilizing the
      active site. In the active site Arg180 and Glu177 are hydrogen bonded to each
      other and also coordinate a water molecule; each of these groups may be important
      in the N-glycosidation reaction. Several other polar residues may play lesser
      roles in the mechanism, including tyrosines 80 and 123 and asparagines 78 and
      209. A number of conserved hydrophobic residues are seen to cluster within
      several patches and probably drive the overall folding of the toxin molecule.

PMID- 1881882
TI  - Structure of ricin B-chain at 2.5 A resolution.
AB  - The heterodimeric plant toxin ricin has been refined to 2.5 A resolution. The B
      chain lectin (RTB) is described in detail. The protein has two major domains,
      each of which has a galactose binding site. RTB has no regular secondary
      structure but displays several omega loops. Each RTB domain is made of three
      copies of a primitive 40 residue folding unit, which pack around a pseudo
      threefold axis. In each domain, galactose binds in a shallow cleft formed by a
      three residue peptide kink on the bottom and an aromatic ring on the top. At the
      back of the cleft, an aspartate forms hydrogen bonds to the C3 and C4 hydroxyls
      of galactose, whereas a glutamine bonds to the C4 alcohol, helping to define
      specific epimer binding. In addition to analyzing the sugar binding mechanism,
      the assembly of subdomain units around the pseudo threefold axis of each domain
      is described. The subdomains contribute conserved Trp, Leu, and Ile residues to a
      compact central hydrophobic core. This tight threefold binding probably drives
      the peptide folding and stabilizes the protein structure.

PMID- 1881883
TI  - Site-directed mutagenesis of ricin A-chain and implications for the mechanism of
      action.
AB  - Ricin A-chain is an N-glycosidase that attacks ribosomal RNA at a highly
      conserved adenine residue. The enzyme is representative of a large family of
      medically significant proteins used in the design of anticancer agents and in the
      treatment of HIV infection. The x-ray structure has been used as a guide to
      create several active site mutations by directed mutagenesis of the cloned gene.
      Glu177 is a key catalytic residue, and conversion to Gln reduces activity 180
      fold. Asn209 is shown to participate in substrate binding by kinetic analysis.
      Conversion to Ser increases Km sixfold but has no effect on kcat. Conversion of
      Tyr80 and Tyr123 to Phe decreases activity by 15- and 7-fold respectively. A
      mechanism of action is proposed that involves binding of the substrate adenine in
      a syn configuration that resembles the transition state; the putative
      oxycarbonium ion is probably stabilized by interaction with Glu177.

PMID- 1881884
TI  - The carbohydrate domain of calicheamicin gamma I1 determines its sequence
      specificity for DNA cleavage.
AB  - We have investigated the DNA cleaving properties of calicheamicinone, the
      synthetic core aglycone of calicheamicin gamma I1, a natural product with
      extremely potent antitumor activity. Our experiments have shown that the
      synthetic analog binds and cleaves DNA, albeit without any sequence selectivity
      and with less efficiency than the natural compound. We propose that a key element
      in the sequence recognition process is the thiobenzoate ring present in the
      natural compound. We have demonstrated by one-dimensional NMR that there is
      direct hydrogen abstraction from DNA by calicheamicinone, with enhanced binding
      affinity contributed by the carbohydrate domain. The reduced efficiency of
      hydrogen abstraction from DNA by bound calicheamicinone, compared with the
      natural compound, implicates the carbohydrate moiety in positioning the drug for
      hydrogen abstraction.

PMID- 1881886
TI  - Parameters of the human genome.
AB  - Chromosome arm lengths are the critical parameters of the human genome. The
      physical length is required to scale radiation hybrid and other maps to
      megabases. The genetic lengths in males and females are required for
      probabilities of exclusion and synteny, choice of well-spaced loci for linkage
      tests, and comparison with centromeric maps based on nondisjunction.
      Interpolation of new data into a map is possible only when the length is known,
      including the distances from centromere and telomeres to the nearest markers.
      Current evidence on physical parameters including the reliable measurements of
      relative lengths from flow cytometry but only a crude estimate of genome size
      (3200 megabases). Evidence on genetic parameters includes chiasma counts and
      linkage maps corrected for failure to sample telomeres, giving an autosomal size
      of 2809 centimorgans in males and 4782 centimorgans in females. Estimates of the
      physical and sex-specific genetic lengths are presented for each chromosome arm.
      Any linkage analysis that yields substantially larger estimates raises a
      suspicion of an inappropriate mapping function or typing errors.

PMID- 1881885
TI  - Localization of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein in the interphase nuclear
      matrix core filaments and on perichromosomal filaments at mitosis.
AB  - Although heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) has been localized to the core
      filament substructure of the nuclear matrix, its precise location in the filament
      network has been unknown. The fA12 monoclonal antibody can localize, at high
      resolution, hn ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) and, presumably, hnRNA. Gold bead
      immunolabeling of resinless electron microscopy sections showed the fA12 antigens
      were in the fibrogranular material enmeshed in the filament network and not in
      the filaments themselves. At mitosis, hnRNP antigens became dispersed into a halo
      surrounding the chromosomes and spindle poles. Immunogold staining showed fA12
      stained fibrogranular material associated with perichromosomal and pericentriolar
      filaments distinct from the mitotic spindle fibers. fA12 also labeled the midbody
      remaining after cytokinesis.

PMID- 1881887
TI  - Radiation hybrid mapping.
AB  - A theory is developed to predict marker retention and conditional retention or
      loss in radiation hybrids. Applied to multiple pairwise analysis of a human
      chromosome 21 data set, this theory fits much better than proposed alternatives
      and gives a physical map consistent with other evidence and robust with respect
      to errors to typing. Radiation hybrids have great promise to provide order and
      physical location at two levels of resolution, spanning the techniques of linkage
      and restriction fragments and not limited to polymorphic loci.

PMID- 1881888
TI  - Differential tissue localization of oviduct and erythroid transferrin receptors.
AB  - The tissue distributions of the estrogen-inducible hen oviduct transferrin
      receptor and the chicken embryonic erythrocyte transferrin receptor were studied.
      Tissue sections were investigated by immunofluorescence microscopy using specific
      polyclonal antisera against each receptor. The receptor originally identified and
      characterized in the oviduct strongly stained liver and ovary; localized staining
      was observed in the brain (especially endothelial cells). Staining of breast
      muscle and heart tissue occurred only in occasional interstitial cells. Antiserum
      against oviduct transferrin receptor did not stain erythrocytes, either from
      embryos or from mature animals. On the other hand, the antiserum directed against
      the embryonic erythrocyte receptor stained embryonic erythrocytes; it did not
      stain any other tissues. The fluorescence microscopy observations were confirmed
      by Western blot analysis. The strong staining of oviduct, liver, and ovary
      suggests a major role for the oviduct transferrin receptor in oogenesis.

PMID- 1881890
TI  - Long-term reconstitution of the mouse hematopoietic system by embryonic stem cell
      derived fetal liver.
AB  - Murine embryonic stem (ES) cells are permanent blastocyst-derived cell lines
      capable of contributing to a wide variety of tissues, including the germ line,
      after injection into host blastocysts. Recently, we have shown that ES cells can
      produce all of the cells of the developing fetus after aggregation with
      developmentally compromised tetraploid embryos. Completely ES cell-derived
      embryos die perinatally, but the liver of these embryos is a source of entirely
      ES cell-derived hematopoietic progenitors. We have taken 14- to 15-day fetal
      liver cells from ES cell-tetraploid chimeras and reconstituted the hematopoietic
      system of lethally irradiated adult recipient mice. ES cell-derived hematopoietic
      stem cells were capable of long-term (greater than 6 months) repopulation of
      irradiated recipients, and all hematopoietic cell lineages analyzed
      (erythrocytes, T cells, mast cells, and macrophages) were derived exclusively
      from ES cells in such recipients. Thus, ES cells retain the capacity to
      differentiate into all hematopoietic cell types after prolonged passage in
      culture. This approach should provide a direct route to the production of mice
      whose hematopoietic cells carry genetic alterations that would be lethal if
      passed through the germ line.

PMID- 1881889
TI  - RNA polymerase II-associated proteins are required for a DNA conformation change
      in the transcription initiation complex.
AB  - Proteins purified on the basis of their affinity for RNA polymerase II
      effectively substitute for previously defined transcription initiation factors.
      In two assays, formation of initiation complexes and transcription in vitro, the
      RNA polymerase II-associated proteins behaved identically to a fraction
      containing transcription factors IIE and IIF. Both fractions greatly stabilized
      the association of polymerase with the promoter and were required for the
      formation of complete initiation complexes. By using the DNA-cleaving reagent
      phenanthroline.copper in footprinting reactions, the RNA polymerase II-associated
      proteins were shown to be required for a DNA conformation change near the
      initiation site of the promoter. Based on similarity to the prokaryotic
      transcription complex, this conformation change is likely to represent a
      transition from a closed to an open complex.

PMID- 1881891
TI  - Dominant expression of a distinctive V14+ T-cell antigen receptor alpha chain in
      mice.
AB  - A distinctive variable region 14-positive (V14+) alpha chain (V alpha 14+) of the
      T-cell antigen receptor is predominantly expressed in multiple mouse subspecies.
      The V alpha 14 family has two members, V alpha 14.1 and V alpha 14.2, which
      differ by only three amino acids at positions 50-52. Based on the EcoRI
      restriction fragment length polymorphism of the gene encoding V alpha 14, mice
      can be divided into three groups: type I with an 11.2-kilobase (kb) fragment,
      type II with a 2.0-kb fragment, and type III with the 2.0-kb and 11.2-kb
      fragments. Usage of V alpha 14-J alpha 281, where J alpha 281 is an alpha-chain
      joining segment, with a one-base N region dominates at the level of 0.02-1.5% of
      alpha chains in all laboratory strains, Mus musculus castaneus, and Mus musculus
      domesticus but not in Mus musculus molossinus, Mus musculus musculus, and Mus
      spicilegus samples. The preferential V alpha 14-J alpha 281 expression seems to
      be due to positive selection because the V-J junctional region is always glycine,
      despite the ability of the V alpha 14 gene to associate with J alpha other than J
      alpha 281. As V alpha 14-J alpha 281 expression is independent of known major
      histocompatibility complex antigens, including H-2, TLA, Qa, and HMT, the
      selecting ligand must be a monomorphic molecule of the mouse, expressed in a
      subspecies-specific manner. Additional observations, such as the expression of
      homogeneous V alpha 14-J alpha 281 in athymic mice, suggest that the positive
      selection of V alpha 14+ T cells occurs extrathymically.

PMID- 1881892
TI  - Functional significance of an overlapping consensus binding motif for Sp1 and
      Zif268 in the murine adenosine deaminase gene promoter.
AB  - The murine adenosine deaminase (ADA) gene has a (G + C)-rich promoter that can
      support diverse tissue-specific gene expression. By using deletion and mutation
      analyses, we have identified a cis-acting "repressor" element located immediately
      upstream of the proximal Sp1 binding site in the ADA gene promoter. This
      repressor element was localized to a binding site for the immediate-early, serum
      responsive, DNA binding factor Zif268. This Zif268 binding site partially
      overlaps a binding site for the general transcription activator Sp1. Disruption
      of the Zif268 binding site without disturbing the Sp1 binding motif abolished
      Zif268 binding and resulted in significantly elevated promoter function.
      Conversely, disruption of the proximal consensus Sp1 binding motif without
      disturbing the Zif268 binding site resulted in a loss of Sp1 binding at that
      region and greatly reduced promoter activity. Our results suggest that one
      function of Zif268 may be to down-regulate this type of mammalian gene promoter
      by competing with Sp1 for binding to the overlapping binding motif.

PMID- 1881893
TI  - Deletional switch recombination occurs in interleukin-4-induced isotype switching
      to IgE expression by human B cells.
AB  - There is controversy as to whether deletional rearrangement occurs between the
      IgM and IgE switch regions (S mu and S epsilon, respectively) during switching to
      the IgE isotype. We have addressed the issue by stimulating normal human B cells,
      sorted for lack of expression of surface IgE, to produce IgE by infection with
      Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the presence of interleukin 4 (IL-4). Genomic DNA was
      amplified for S mu/S epsilon switch junction fragments by utilizing the nested
      primer polymerase chain reaction. Switch junction fragments were amplified from B
      cells infected with EBV in the presence of IL-4 but not from B cells infected
      with EBV alone. The DNA sequence of these "switch fragments" revealed direct
      joining of S mu to S epsilon in each case. The recombination sites within S mu
      were clustered within 900 base pairs at the 5' end of the switch region,
      suggesting that there are "hot spots" for recombination within S mu. The S
      epsilon recombination sites were scattered throughout the S epsilon region. These
      findings indicate that IL-4-induced isotype switching to IgE production in human
      B cells is accompanied by DNA rearrangements with joining of S mu to S epsilon.

PMID- 1881895
TI  - Analyses of T-cell differentiation from hemopoietic stem cells in the G0 phase by
      an in vitro method.
AB  - Using differential radiation sensitivity of components of mouse embryonal thymus,
      an in vitro method for studying T-cell differentiation from hemopoietic stem
      cells (HSCs) in the G0 phase was established. Intrathymic T-cell precursors
      present in embryonal thymus were found to be quite radioresistant (up to 20 Gy),
      and consequently 25-Gy-irradiated embryonal thymic lobes were used. Thymic lobes
      (25-Gy irradiated) taken from mouse fetuses (gestation day 15) were placed in
      Millipore-HA culture plates supported on squares of gelatin foam sponge in 24
      well culture plates in which neonatal thymus stromal cells were cultured. HSCs
      (10(5) cells per well) in the G0 phase were added to these thymic lobes and
      cocultured at 37 degrees C in a 5% CO2/95% air incubator. Half the culture medium
      was changed every week. After 3 weeks, a large number of colonies had formed.
      Immunohistochemical studies and fluorescence-activated cell sorter analyses
      revealed that the colonizing cells regularly develop and exhibit surface markers
      characteristic of T cells (Thy-1, IL-2R, L3T4, Lyt-2, etc.). In situ
      hybridization analyses revealed that mRNA expression for T-cell receptor (TCR)
      beta chains occurred within colonizing cells. Using a monoclonal antibody
      (F23.1), expression of TCR beta-chain variable domain (V beta 8) on the surface
      of these developing T cells was demonstrated. These cells responded to
      interleukin 2 and/or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, indicating functional T cells.
      This method will be useful in studying T-cell differentiation pathways from
      pluripotent HSCs and in clarifying the mechanisms involved in negative and
      positive selection of T cells within the thymus.

PMID- 1881894
TI  - Staphylococcal exotoxins deliver activation signals to human T-cell clones via
      major histocompatibility complex class II molecules.
AB  - We investigated whether staphylococcal exotoxins (SEs), in addition to their
      capacity to induce T-cell activation restricted by the T-cell receptor (TCR) beta
      chain variable region, can deliver an activation signal to human T-cell clones
      through major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Eleven human T
      cell clones (9 alpha beta TCR and 2 gamma delta TCR clones) of different
      antigenic specificities were tested for their capacity to proliferate in response
      to toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) and two SEs, SEA and SEB. In the absence
      of accessory cells, only 4 alpha beta TCR clones were stimulated to proliferate,
      each by a single SE, and to mobilize intracellular free Ca2+ in response to that
      SE, events indicative of TCR engagement and, presumably, recognition restricted
      by the beta-chain variable region. In the presence of accessory cells, each of
      the 11 T-cell clones was stimulated to proliferate by any one of the three SEs
      tested. This apparently TCR-unrestricted SE-mediated polyclonal proliferation of
      T-cell clones occurred in the absence of an increase in intracellular free Ca2+
      and was not dependent on the presence of MHC class II expression on accessory
      cells. In contrast, SE-mediated polyclonal proliferation did not occur in 3 alpha
      beta TCR clones derived from an MHC class II-deficient patient. Furthermore, all
      of the three SEs induced the proliferation of 4 natural-killer-cell clones,
      suggesting that expression of TCR/CD3 complex is not essential for SE-mediated
      polyclonal proliferation of activated lymphocytes. These results indicate that
      MHC class II molecules transduce activation signals to human T- and natural
      killer-cell clones.

PMID- 1881897
TI  - Stimulus selectivity and state dependence of activity in inferior temporal cortex
      of infant monkeys.
AB  - Inferior temporal cortex is necessary for visual object recognition in adult
      primates but is less critical in infants. Nonetheless, in macaques as young as 6
      weeks old, inferior temporal neurons showed adult-like visual response
      properties, including form selectivity and bilateral receptive fields, indicating
      that extended maturation and visual experience may not be necessary for adult
      like encoding of complex objects. However, before the animals were 4 months old,
      visual responsiveness was found in inferior temporal cortex only in awake monkeys
      performing a behavioral task and not in anesthetized ones, suggesting that
      extraretinal factors profoundly influence function in "association" cortex in
      developing as well as mature animals.

PMID- 1881896
TI  - Angiotensin II receptor subtypes are coupled with distinct signal-transduction
      mechanisms in neurons and astrocytes from rat brain.
AB  - Both neurons and astrocytes contain specific receptors for angiotensin II (AII).
      We used selective ligands for the AT1 and AT2 types of AII receptors to
      investigate the expression of functional receptor subtypes in astrocyte cultures
      and neuron cultures from 1-day-old (neonatal) rat brain. In astrocyte cultures,
      competition of 125I-labeled AII (125I-AII) specific binding with AT1 (DuP753) or
      AT2 (PD123177, CGP42112A, [Phe(p-NH2)6]AII) selective receptor ligands revealed a
      potency series of AII greater than DuP753 much greater than CGP42112A greater
      than [Phe(p-NH2)6]AII greater than PD123177. These results suggest a predominance
      of the AT1 receptor subtype in neonatal astrocytes. Also, in astrocyte cultures,
      AII stimulated increases in inositolphospholipid hydrolysis that were
      significantly reduced by the AT1 receptor antagonist DuP753 but not altered by
      the AT2 receptor antagonist PD123177. In neonatal neuron cultures, competition of
      125I-AII specific binding with the above ligands revealed a potency series of
      CGP42112A = AII greater than [Phe(p- NH2)6]AII greater than PD123177 much greater
      than DuP753. 125I-AII specific binding to neonate neuronal cultures was reduced
      73-84% by 1 microM PD123177, and the residual 125I-AII specific binding was
      eliminated by DuP753. Also, in neuron cultures, AII induced decreases in basal
      cGMP that were completely blocked by PD123177 or CGP42112A but not by DuP753. Our
      results suggest that astrocyte cultures from neonatal rat brains contain
      predominantly AT1 receptors that are coupled to a stimulation of
      inositophospholipid hydrolysis. In contrast, neuron cultures from neonatal rat
      brain contain mostly AT2 receptors that are coupled to a reduction in basal cGMP
      levels, but a smaller population of AT1 receptors is also present in these
      neurons.

PMID- 1881898
TI  - Mediation of the short-loop negative feedback of luteinizing hormone (LH) on LH
      releasing hormone release by melatonin-induced inhibition of LH release from the
      pars tuberalis.
AB  - The pineal hormone melatonin is thought to mediate the effects of the pineal
      gland on seasonal reproduction by altering the release of gonadotropins. The
      mechanism by which melatonin controls gonadotropin secretion has been obscure.
      Recently, labeled 2-iodomelatonin was used to localize melatonin receptors in
      brain by radioautography. The highest concentration of melatonin receptors was
      found in the pars tuberalis of the pituitary gland of mammals. Pituitary
      hormones, in particular luteinizing hormone (LH), have been localized in cells of
      the pars tuberalis. Consequently, we hypothesized that melatonin might act on its
      receptors in the pars tuberalis to alter the release of LH. It would then be
      possible for this LH to diffuse into the overlying median eminence, there to
      alter the release of LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) from the axons of the LHRH
      neurons. To evaluate this hypothesis, we incubated median eminence-pars tuberalis
      tissue from male rats in vitro. After preincubation in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate
      buffer for 30 min, test substances were added to fresh medium and the incubation
      was continued for 30 min. LHRH or LH released into the medium was measured by
      radioimmunoassay. Melatonin induced a dose-related release of LHRH with the
      maximum response at the greatest concentration tested (1 microM). This
      concentration of melatonin also significantly reduced the release of LH into the
      medium. The increased release of LHRH induced by melatonin (10 microM) was
      completely blocked by the addition of LH (50 ng/ml), which by itself had no
      significant effect on LHRH release. Rat LH antiserum (final dilution, 1:1800)
      significantly elevated LHRH output, whereas normal rabbit serum at a similar
      dilution had no effect. Finally, LHRH (0.1 microM) induced a significant release
      of LH from median eminence-pars tuberalis tissue that was completely blocked by
      melatonin (10 microM). The results support the hypothesis that LH released from
      the pars tuberalis diffuses to the LHRH terminals in the median eminence to
      suppress LHRH release. Melatonin acts on its receptors in the pars tuberalis to
      inhibit LH release, thereby stimulating the release of LHRH from its terminals in
      the median eminence. The negative short-loop feedback of LH inhibits basal LHRH
      release in vitro since antiserum against LH increased LHRH release. The results
      suggest a concept concerning the mechanism by which melatonin can affect the
      release of pituitary hormones from the pars tuberalis. It is likely that these
      pituitary hormones diffuse into the median eminence to modify the release of
      hypothalamic releasing and inhibiting peptides, thereby altering plasma pituitary
      hormone concentrations.

PMID- 1881899
TI  - Integration of DNA fragments by illegitimate recombination in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - DNA fragments (generated by BamHI treatment) with no homology to the yeast genome
      were transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When the fragments were
      transformed in the presence of the BamHI enzyme, they integrated into genomic
      BamHI sites. When the fragments were transformed in the absence of the enzyme,
      they integrated into genomic G-A-T-C sites. Since the G-A-T-C sequence is present
      at the ends of BamHI fragments, this results indicates that four base pairs of
      homology are sufficient for some types of mitotic recombination.

PMID- 1881900
TI  - Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and stability of oligodeoxynucleotide
      phosphorothioates in mice.
AB  - We describe preliminary studies of the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and
      excretion of an oligodeoxy-nucleotide phosphorothioate ([S]oligonucleotide) in
      mice. After either intravenous or intraperitoneal administration of a single dose
      (30 mg/kg of body weight), [S]oligonucleotide (35S-labeled at each
      internucleotide linkage) was found in most of the tissues for up to 48 hr. About
      30% of the dose was excreted in urine within 24 hr, irrespective of the mode of
      administration; the excreted [S]oligonucleotide was found to be extensively
      degraded. In plasma, stomach, heart, and intestine, the [S]oligonucleotide was
      degraded by only 15%, whereas in the kidney and liver degradation was about 50%
      in 48 hr. The surprising observation was made that chain length extension of
      administered [S]oligonucleotide occurred in kidney, liver, and intestine. These
      results provide an initial definition of parameters for the pharmaceutical
      development of antisense oligonucleotides.

PMID- 1881901
TI  - A human alcohol dehydrogenase gene (ADH6) encoding an additional class of
      isozyme.
AB  - The human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; alcohol:NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.1)
      gene family consists of five known loci (ADH1-ADH5), which have been mapped close
      together on chromosome 4 (4q21-25). ADH isozymes encoded by these genes are
      grouped in three distinct classes in terms of their enzymological properties. A
      moderate structural similarity is observed between the members of different
      classes. We isolated an additional member of the ADH gene family by means of
      cross-hybridization with the ADH2 (class I) cDNA probe. cDNA clones corresponding
      to this gene were derived from PCR-amplified libraries as well. The coding
      sequence of a 368-amino-acid-long open reading frame was interrupted by introns
      into eight exons and spanned approximately 17 kilobases on the genome. The gene
      contains a glucocorticoid response element at the 5' region. The transcript was
      detected in the stomach and liver. The deduced amino acid sequence of the open
      reading frame showed about 60% positional identity with known human ADHs. This
      extent of homology is comparable to interclass similarity in the human ADH
      family. Thus, the newly identified gene, which is designated ADH6, governs the
      synthesis of an enzyme that belongs to another class of ADHs presumably with a
      distinct physiological role.

PMID- 1881902
TI  - A wild-type DNA ligase I gene is expressed in Bloom's syndrome cells.
AB  - Alteration of DNA ligase I activity is a consistent biochemical feature of
      Bloom's syndrome (BS) cells. DNA ligase I activity in BS cells either is reduced
      and abnormally thermolabile or is present in an anomalously dimeric form. To
      assess the role of DNA ligase function in the etiology of BS, we have cloned the
      DNA ligase I cDNA from normal human cells by a PCR strategy using degenerate
      oligonucleotide primers based on conserved regions of the Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe DNA ligase genes. Human DNA ligase I
      cDNAs from normal and BS cells complemented a S. cerevisiae DNA ligase mutation,
      and protein extracts prepared from S. cerevisiae transformants expressing normal
      and BS cDNA contained comparable levels of DNA ligase I activity. DNA sequencing
      and Northern blot analysis of DNA ligase I expression in two BS human fibroblast
      lines representing each of the two aberrant DNA ligase I molecular phenotypes
      demonstrated that this gene was unchanged in BS cells. Thus, another factor may
      be responsible for the observed reduction in DNA ligase I activity associated
      with this chromosomal breakage syndrome.

PMID- 1881903
TI  - Leukotriene A4 hydrolase: determination of the three zinc-binding ligands by site
      directed mutagenesis and zinc analysis.
AB  - Three mutants of recombinant mouse leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase (3.3.2.6) were
      produced by site-directed mutagenesis on cDNA. The codons corresponding to His
      295, His-299, or Glu-318 were replaced by codons encoding tyrosine, tyrosine, and
      glutamine, respectively. The mutated cDNAs were expressed in Escherichia coli,
      and the three mutated proteins were purified to apparent homogeneity. None of
      these mutants contained significant amounts of zinc, as determined by atomic
      absorption spectrometry, and all of them were practically devoid of both LTA4
      hydrolase and peptidase enzyme activities. Nevertheless, the mutated proteins
      could be positively identified by their immunoreactivities with an antiserum for
      human LTA4 hydrolase in immunoblot analysis. Site-directed mutagenesis was also
      carried out on human LTA4 hydrolase cDNA. Codons encoding His-295, His-299, and
      Glu-318 were replaced by ones encoding tyrosine, leucine, and alanine,
      respectively, and the three mutants were expressed in E. coli. The LTA4 hydrolase
      activities of the total soluble proteins produced in these expressions were less
      than 10% of that obtained for bacteria harboring nonmutated cDNA. In agreement
      with earlier predictions, our experimental data demonstrate that His-295, His
      299, and Glu-318 constitute the three ligands of the intrinsic zinc atom in LTA4
      hydrolase. Additionally, the combined loss of enzyme activities and zinc content
      in the purified mutated mouse proteins, emphasizes the critical role of the zinc
      atom for catalysis, whereas the virtually identical chromatographic behaviors of
      the mutated and nonmutated mouse LTA4 hydrolase proteins suggest that the metal
      is of limited importance for the maintenance of the enzyme tertiary structure.

PMID- 1881904
TI  - Detection of human T-lymphotropic virus-like particles in cultures of peripheral
      blood lymphocytes from patients with mycosis fungoides.
AB  - Because of seronegativity and absence of a leukemic phase in most patients with
      mycosis fungoides, a role for the human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in
      this disease has remained tenuous. Virus particles are not seen in fresh isolates
      of skin or blood lymphocytes and the malignant cells (Sezary cells) have been
      difficult to culture. The availability of growth factors and biomolecular
      techniques have prompted a renewed attempt to find evidence of virus infection in
      these patients. We report here the successful culture of blood lymphocytes of 17
      patients with mycosis fungoides and 1 patient with the Sezary syndrome. The cells
      of 2 additional patients failed to grow after 4-6 weeks in vitro. Ultrastructural
      analysis of the cultures showed an abundance of HTLV-like particles in the
      specimens of 18 of the 20 patients. Preliminary immunohistochemical studies
      carried out with various antisera directed against HTLV-I and the polymerase
      chain reaction utilizing a probe for a conserved region of the pol gene of HTLV-I
      were positive on only a portion of the specimens. Although definitive
      characterization of this organism awaits further analysis, it seems likely that
      circulating lymphocytes of all patients with mycosis fungoides harbor a virus
      that morphologically resembles HTLV-I.

PMID- 1881905
TI  - Expression of a partially deleted gene of human type II procollagen (COL2A1) in
      transgenic mice produces a chondrodysplasia.
AB  - A minigene version of the human gene for type II procollagen (COL2A1) was
      prepared that lacked a large central region containing 12 of the 52 exons and
      therefore 291 of the 1523 codons of the gene. The construct was modeled after
      sporadic in-frame deletions of collagen genes that cause synthesis of shortened
      pro alpha chains that associate with normal pro alpha chains and thereby cause
      degradation of the shortened and normal pro alpha chains through a process called
      procollagen suicide. The gene construct was used to prepare five lines of
      transgenic mice expressing the minigene. A large proportion of the mice
      expressing the minigene developed a phenotype of a chondrodysplasia with
      dwarfism, short and thick limbs, a short snout, a cranial bulge, a cleft palate,
      and delayed mineralization of bone. A number of mice died shortly after birth.
      Microscopic examination of cartilage revealed decreased density and organization
      of collagen fibrils. In cultured chondrocytes from the transgenic mice, the
      minigene was expressed as shortened pro alpha 1(II) chains that were disulfide
      linked to normal mouse pro alpha 1(II) chains. Therefore, the phenotype is
      probably explained by depletion of the endogenous mouse type II procollagen
      through the phenomenon of procollagen suicide.

PMID- 1881906
TI  - Two closely linked Drosophila POU domain genes are expressed in neuroblasts and
      sensory elements.
AB  - We have characterized two Drosophila POU genes designated dPOU-19 and dPOU-28.
      These genes are transcribed as 3.1- and 2.2-kilobase mRNAs, respectively, which
      accumulate maximally during the first 12 hr of embryogenesis. The mRNAs encode
      601- and 475-amino acid deduced proteins; their POU domains are most related to
      those of the human OCT1 and OCT2. Both genes give similar nervous system
      expression patterns and map to an indistinguishable site at 33F on the
      cytological map. Transcription of the genes is first observed in the cellular
      blastoderm. In the course of embryonic development, expression is observed in the
      neuroectoderm, with subsets of neuroblasts in the procephalic and germband
      central nervous system as well as a subset of peripheral nervous system elements.
      The expression patterns of the two POU genes suggest a possible functional role
      for these putative transcription factors in neurogenesis and neurospecification.

PMID- 1881907
TI  - Pore-forming peptide of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica.
AB  - A polypeptide that causes pore formation in target-cell membranes is implicated
      in the potent cytolytic activity of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica. Pore
      forming material was purified to apparent homogeneity by a multistep procedure,
      and its analysis by NaDodSO4/PAGE revealed one peptide of 4-5 kDa under
      nonreducing or under reducing conditions. Pore-forming activity was measured by
      depolarization of liposome membrane potential and was found to be optimally
      expressed at low pH. Active material preferentially inserted into negatively
      charged lipid vesicles. Treatment of purified amoeba peptide in solution or bound
      to liposomes with glutaraldehyde revealed oligomers upon NaDodSO4/PAGE,
      suggesting functionally relevant peptide-peptide interactions. The NH2-terminal
      amino acid sequence of the amoeba peptide was determined by protein sequencing
      and revealed a structural similarity to melittin, the membranolytic peptide of
      bee venom.

PMID- 1881908
TI  - Acetylcholine receptor-inducing activity stimulates expression of the epsilon
      subunit gene of the muscle acetylcholine receptor.
AB  - Motor neurons regulate the transcription of acetylcholine receptor subunit genes
      in postsynaptic muscle fibers both through muscle electrical activity produced by
      motor neuron acetylcholine release and by mechanisms independent of such
      transmitter release. Factors secreted by the motor neuron may mediate activity
      independent regulation, including the postnatal switch from alpha 2 beta gamma
      delta (embryonic type) to alpha 2 beta epsilon delta (adult type) receptors. We
      have investigated the effect of putative trophic factors, agents affecting second
      messenger systems, and muscle activity on the levels of acetylcholine receptor
      subunit mRNAs in primary mouse muscle cultures. We found that ARIA (acetylcholine
      receptor-inducing activity), a 42-kDa glycoprotein purified on the basis of its
      ability to increase the synthesis of acetylcholine receptors in chick myotubes,
      increases epsilon-subunit mRNA levels up to 10-fold. In addition, ARIA stimulated
      alpha-, gamma-, and delta-subunit mRNA levels 2-fold but had no effect on the
      expression of the beta-subunit gene. These effects of ARIA were independent of
      muscle activity, and they were not mimicked by calcitonin gene-related peptide
      nor by thyroxine, forskolin, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, the calcium
      ionophore A23187, basic fibroblast growth factor, or transforming growth factor
      beta. Based on these data, we suggest that ARIA may act at the mammalian
      neuromuscular junction to induce adult-type acetylcholine receptors.

PMID- 1881909
TI  - Evidence for a factor required for transcriptional stimulation by the chimeric
      acidic activator GAL-VP16 in HeLa cell extracts.
AB  - We provide biochemical evidence for the existence of a transcriptional
      intermediary factor (TIF) in HeLa whole-cell extracts (WCE) that is distinct from
      the basic transcription factors and that is required for transcriptional
      stimulation by the chimeric acidic activator GAL-VP16. We have fractionated HeLa
      WCE by heparin-agarose chromatography. Of transcriptionally active fractions
      eluting in a step between 0.24 and 0.6 M KCl, the initial fractions are
      refractory to GAL-VP16 stimulation, whereas subsequent fractions are strongly
      stimulated by the activator. Aliquots of GAL-VP16-responsive fractions
      efficiently complement refractory fractions for transcriptional stimulation.
      Aliquots of responsive fractions are also far more efficient than those of
      refractory fractions in overcoming transcriptional inhibition that is brought
      about by high concentrations of GAL-VP16. Experiments performed with heat-treated
      WCE support the idea that HeLa cells contain a TIF that is essential for GAL-VP16
      stimulation, but that is not required for basal transcription. Addition of
      recombinant yeast or human transcription factor TFIID (rTFIIDY and rTFIIDH,
      respectively) to a WCE heated at 48 degrees C for 15 min restores basal
      transcription, but in neither case is the reconstituted system activated by GAL
      VP16. However, a 45 degrees C heat-treated WCE reconstituted with either rTFIIDH
      or rTFIIDY is stimulated by GAL-VP16, suggesting that a HeLa TIF can be
      selectively inactivated by heating at 48 degrees C, but not at 45 degrees C.
      Interestingly, a TFIID fraction partially purified from HeLa cell extracts, but
      not rTFIIDH, efficiently relieves transcriptional inhibition by GAL-VP16,
      suggesting that there may be an association between TIF(s) and TFIID and,
      moreover, that TIF(s) may be the direct target of the acidic domain of GAL-VP16.
      In summary, our results support the existence of a TIF that is not essential for
      basal transcription but that is required to mediate the stimulatory activity of
      the acidic activator GAL-VP16.

PMID- 1881910
TI  - Recombination by sequence repeats with formation of suppressive or residual
      mitochondrial DNA in Neurospora.
AB  - Recombination junctions of several Neurospora mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutants
      and their revertants were identified. Their nucleotide sequences and putative
      secondary structures were determined in order to understand the nature of the
      elements involved in intramolecular recombination. Multiple deletions, involving
      the same portion of Neurospora mtDNA, were identified in six independently
      isolated mutants. A 9-nucleotide repeat element, CCCCNCCCC, was found to be
      involved in these and other Neurospora mitochondrial recombination events. The
      repeat elements were clustered as hot spots on the Neurospora mtDNA and were
      associated with palindromic DNA sequences. The palindromes have a potential to
      generate hairpin structures. A much lower free energy of the putative hairpins at
      the 5' end of the recombination site, and the possible formation of non-B-DNA
      structure by polypyrimidine tracks, may be important in the initiation of
      recombination. Using PCR, we found low levels of a specific mitochondrial
      deletion in certain Neurospora mutants. Their presence in low amounts in a
      population with a much larger number of normal mtDNA is unexpected. Contrary to
      earlier belief, this finding supports the view that deleted, smaller DNA
      molecules are not always suppressive relative to normal mtDNAs.

PMID- 1881911
TI  - Involvement of the interleukin 4 pathway in the generation of functional gamma
      delta T cells from human pro-T cells.
AB  - We have used the technique of in situ hybridization to investigate the
      transcription of genes encoding the CD3 complex and the lymphokine interleukin 4
      (IL-4) by human pro-T cells--i.e., cells that phenotypically resemble those T
      cell precursors that colonize the thymus during early intrathymic development.
      CD1-2-3-4-7+8-45+ pro-T cells isolated from postnatal thymi via immunoselection
      with a panel of specific monoclonal antibodies are already committed to the T
      cell lineage because most of them transcribe the genes encoding the delta and
      epsilon chains of the CD3 complex. About half of such pro-T cells synthesize IL-4
      mRNA in the absence of any exogenous stimulation. Upon culture with IL-4, pro-T
      cells extensively proliferate and differentiate into functionally competent,
      mature gamma delta T cells expressing a T-cell receptor repertoire similar to
      that of gamma delta T cells that can be found in postnatal thymus. The IL-4
      response of pro-T cells is not mediated by induction of the interleukin 2 (IL-2)
      IL-2 receptor pathway and, unlike IL-2-driven T-cell differentiation, does not
      require the presence of stromal cells. Taken altogether, these findings suggest
      that an autocrine IL-4-mediated pathway might be implicated in early thymocyte
      differentiation--namely, in the generation of T cells bearing the gamma delta T
      cell receptor.

PMID- 1881913
TI  - I-TevI, the endonuclease encoded by the mobile td intron, recognizes binding and
      cleavage domains on its DNA target.
AB  - Mobility of the phage T4 td intron depends on activity of an intron-encoded
      endonuclease (I-TevI), which cleaves a homologous intronless (delta In) target
      gene. The double-strand break initiates a recombination event that leads to
      intron transfer. We found previously that I-TevI cleaves td delta In target DNA
      23-26 nucleotides upstream of the intron insertion site. DNase I-footprinting
      experiments and gel-shift assays indicate that I-TevI makes primary contacts
      around the intron insertion site. A synthetic DNA duplex spanning the insertion
      site but lacking the cleavage site was shown to bind I-TevI specifically, and
      when cloned, to direct cleavage into vector sequences. The behavior of the cloned
      duplex and that of deletion and insertion mutants support a primary role for
      sequences surrounding the insertion site in directing I-TevI binding, conferring
      cleavage ability, and determining cleavage polarity. On the other hand, sequences
      around the cleavage site were shown to influence cleavage efficiency and cut-site
      selection. The role of cleavage-site sequences in determining cleavage distance
      argues against a strict "ruler" mechanism for cleavage by I-TevI. The complex
      nature of the homing site recognized by this unusual type of endonuclease is
      considered in the context of intron spread.

PMID- 1881912
TI  - Highly divergent molecular variants of human T-lymphotropic virus type I from
      isolated populations in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
AB  - To determine the molecular genetic relationship between Melanesian strains of
      human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) and cosmopolitan prototype HTLV-I, we
      amplified by PCR, then cloned, and sequenced a 522-base-pair region of the HTLV-I
      env gene in DNA extracted from uncultured (fresh) and cultured peripheral blood
      mononuclear cells obtained from six seropositive Melanesian Papua New Guineans
      and Solomon Islanders, including a Solomon Islander with HTLV-I myeloneuropathy.
      Unlike isolates of HTLV-I from Japan, the West Indies, the Americas, and Africa,
      which share greater than or equal to 97% sequence homology, the Melanesian
      strains of HTLV-I were only 91.8%-92.5% identical with a prototype Japanese HTLV
      IATK-1. The nucleotide sequence of proviral DNA from the Solomon Islander with
      HTLV-I myeloneuropathy also diverged markedly from that of HTLV-I isolated from
      Japanese patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy and from Jamaican patients
      with tropical spastic paraparesis, suggesting that these variant viruses are
      capable of causing disease. The HTLV-I variants from Papua New Guineans, in turn,
      differed by nearly 4% from the Melanesian variants from Solomon Islanders,
      indicating the existence of another HTLV-I quasi-species. By contrast, HTLV-I
      strains from two residents of Bellona Island, a Polynesian Outlier within the
      Solomon Islands, were closely related to cosmopolitan prototype HTLV-I (greater
      than or equal to 97% sequence identity), suggesting recent introduction, possibly
      during this century. These findings are consistent with a proto-Melanesian HTLV-I
      strain of archaic presence, which evolved independently of contemporary
      cosmopolitan strains, and pose new questions about the origin and global
      dissemination of HTLV-I.

PMID- 1881914
TI  - Separation of transcriptional activation and silencing functions of the RAP1
      encoded repressor/activator protein 1: isolation of viable mutants affecting both
      silencing and telomere length.
AB  - The repressor/activator protein 1 (RAP1) binds to the upstream activating sites
      of many genes, the silencer elements flanking the unexpressed mating-type loci
      HMR and HML, and the poly(C1-3A) sequences at telomeres, suggesting that RAP1
      might have three distinct regulatory functions. To determine the in vivo role of
      RAP1 in repression of the HMR silent locus, we developed a screen to isolate rap1
      mutants specifically defective in silencing. Fifteen independent mutants defining
      four different rap1 alleles were isolated. These alleles are defective to
      different extents in repression of an HMR locus containing a mutated, but fully
      functional, silencer. All four alleles are missense mutations in only three
      codons within a small C-terminal region of the gene. These silencing-defective
      mutants have no apparent growth defects, indicating that expression of the large
      number of essential genes that have promoters containing RAP1-binding sites is
      normal. A transcriptional silencing function of RAP1 can therefore be genetically
      separated from its presumably essential activation functions. Surprisingly, three
      of the silencing-defective rap1 alleles have significantly longer telomeres,
      suggesting that the function of RAP1 in both transcriptional silencing and
      telomere-length regulation may be related. In addition, we have demonstrated that
      increased gene dosage of either SIR1 or SIR4, two other factors required for
      silencing, suppresses the silencing defect of the rap1 mutants. The properties of
      SIR4 dosage suppression suggest that SIR4 protein may interact directly with RAP1
      at silencers.

PMID- 1881915
TI  - Integrative selection of human chromosome-specific yeast artificial chromosomes.
AB  - Human specific "integrative selection vectors" (ISVs) were designed to optimize
      integration of a yeast-selectable marker specifically into yeast artificial
      chromosomes (YACs) derived from human but not mouse DNA. ISVs were transformed
      into a YAC genomic library constructed from DNA of a human-mouse somatic cell
      hybrid containing chromosome 21 (HSA21) as the only human chromosome. One percent
      of the yeast in the original library contained HSA21-derived YACs; between 45%
      and 54% of the yeast recovered after transformation with ISV vectors contained
      human YACs. Integrative selection provides a rapid means of obtaining a highly
      enriched population of human chromosome-specific YACs by eliminating the labor
      intensive steps of isolating and screening primary transformants. The procedure
      is biased toward the selection of YACs that contain a large number of targets for
      homologous recombinations; thus, libraries constructed by this procedure will be
      composed primarily of the largest YACs in the population.

PMID- 1881917
TI  - Translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 in cardiac myocytes of the rat.
AB  - The insulin-regulated glucose transporter GLUT4 was immunolocalized in rat
      cardiac muscle under conditions of basal and stimulated glucose uptake, achieved
      by fasting and a combined exercise/insulin stimulus, respectively. In basal
      myocytes there was very little (less than 1%) GLUT4 in the different domains of
      the plasma membrane (sarcolemma, intercalated disk, and transverse tubular
      system). GLUT4 was localized in small tubulo-vesicular elements that occur
      predominantly near the sarcolemma and the transverse tubular system and in the
      trans-Golgi region. Upon stimulation approximately 42% of GLUT4 was found in the
      plasma membrane. Each domain of the plasma membrane contributed equally to this
      effect. GLUT4-positive, clathrin-coated pits were also present at each cell
      surface domain. The remainder of the labeling was in tubulo-vesicular elements at
      the same sites as in basal cells and in the intercalated disk areas. The
      localization of GLUT4 in cardiac myocytes is essentially the same as in brown
      adipocytes, skeletal muscle, and white adipocytes. We conclude that increased
      glucose transport in muscle and fat is accounted for by translocation of GLUT4
      from the intracellular tubulo-vesicular elements to the plasma membrane. The
      labeling of coated pits indicates that in stimulated myocytes, as in adipocytes,
      GLUT4 recycles constantly between the endosomal compartment and the plasma
      membrane and that stimulation of the exocytotic rate constant is likely the major
      mechanism for GLUT4 translocation.

PMID- 1881916
TI  - Rat obesity gene fatty (fa) maps to chromosome 5: evidence for homology with the
      mouse gene diabetes (db).
AB  - The autosomal recessive mutations fa (rat) and db (mouse) cause obesity syndromes
      that develop early and ultimately become severe. Although both fa/fa rats and
      db/db mice have been studied extensively as models of human obesity and diabetes,
      the molecular bases of these phenotypes remain unknown. We have mapped fa in 50
      fa/fa (obese) offspring of a (13M x Brown Norway) F1 fa/+ intercross relative to
      two molecular markers, Ifa and Glut-1, which flank db on mouse chromosome 4 and
      which are located on rat chromosome 5. Ifa and Glut-1 are linked to fa, with a
      gene order, Ifa-fa-Glut-1, that is identical to that for the region around db in
      the mouse genome. These results place fa on rat chromosome 5 and suggest that db
      and fa are mutations in homologous genes.

PMID- 1881918
TI  - Suppressed intrinsic catalytic activity of GLUT1 glucose transporters in insulin
      sensitive 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
AB  - Previous studies indicated that the erythroidtype (GLUT1) glucose transporter
      isoform contributes to basal but not insulin-stimulated hexose transport in mouse
      3T3-L1 adipocytes. In the present studies it was found that basal hexose uptake
      in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was about 50% lower than that in 3T3-L1 or CHO-K1
      fibroblasts. Intrinsic catalytic activities of GLUT1 transporters in CHO-K1 and
      3T3-L1 cells were compared by normalizing these hexose transport rates to GLUT1
      content on the cell surface, as measured by two independent methods. Cell surface
      GLUT1 levels in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts and adipocytes were about 10- and 25-fold
      higher, respectively, than in CHO-K1 fibroblasts, as assessed with an anti-GLUT1
      exofacial domain antiserum, delta. The large excess of cell surface GLUT1
      transporters in 3T3-L1 adipocytes relative to CHO-K1 fibroblasts was confirmed by
      GLUT1 protein immunoblot analysis and by photoaffinity labelling (with 3
      [125I]iodo-4-azidophenethylamido-7-O-succinyldeacetylforskoli n) of glucose
      transporters in isolated plasma membranes. Thus, GLUT1 intrinsic activity is
      markedly reduced in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts compared with the CHO-K1 fibroblasts, and
      further reduction occurs upon differentiation to adipocytes. Intrinsic catalytic
      activities specifically associated with heterologously expressed human GLUT1
      protein in transfected CHO-K1 versus 3T3-L1 cells were determined by subtracting
      appropriate control cell values for hexose transport and delta-antibody binding
      from those determined in the transfected cells expressing high levels of human
      GLUT1. The results confirmed a greater than 90% inhibition of the intrinsic
      catalytic activity of human GLUT1 transporters on the surface of mouse 3T3-L1
      adipocytes relative to CHO-K1 fibroblasts. We conclude that a mechanism that
      markedly suppresses basal hexose transport catalyzed by GLUT1 is a major
      contributor to the dramatic insulin sensitivity of glucose uptake in 3T3-L1
      adipocytes.

PMID- 1881919
TI  - A close relative of the nuclear, chromosomal high-mobility group protein HMG1 in
      yeast mitochondria.
AB  - ABF2 (ARS-binding factor 2), a small, basic DNA-binding protein that binds
      specifically to the autonomously replicating sequence ARS1, is located primarily
      in the mitochondria of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The abundance of ABF2
      and the phenotype of abf2- null mutants argue that this protein plays a key role
      in the structure, maintenance, and expression of the yeast mitochondrial genome.
      The predicted amino acid sequence of ABF2 is closely related to the high-mobility
      group proteins HMG1 and HMG2 from vertebrate cell nuclei and to several other DNA
      binding proteins. Additionally, ABF2 and the other HMG-related proteins are
      related to a globular domain from the heat shock protein hsp70 family. ABF2
      interacts with DNA both nonspecifically and in a specific manner within
      regulatory regions, suggesting a mechanism whereby it may aid in compacting the
      mitochondrial genome without interfering with expression.

PMID- 1881920
TI  - Mapping of human microtubule-associated protein 1B in proximity to the spinal
      muscular atrophy locus at 5q13.
AB  - A polyclonal antiserum directed against the C-terminal domain of dystrophin was
      used to isolate a cDNA clone encoding an antigenically cross-reactive protein,
      microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP-1B). Physical mapping of the human MAP-1B
      locus places its chromosomal location at 5q13, in proximity to the spinal
      muscular atrophy (SMA) locus. SMA is a degenerative disorder primarily affecting
      motor neurons. Genetic linkage analysis of SMA families using a human
      dinucleotide repeat polymorphism just 3' of the MAP-1B gene has shown tight
      linkage to SMA mutations. These mapping data together with the postulated role of
      MAP-1B in neuronal morphogenesis and its localization in anterior horn motor
      neurons suggest a possible association with SMA.

PMID- 1881921
TI  - T-cell-receptor-independent activation of cytolytic activity of cytotoxic T
      lymphocytes mediated through CD44 and gp90MEL-14.
AB  - CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein found on a variety of cells including those
      of myeloid and lymphoid origin. CD44 is highly conserved among various species
      and is involved in the homing of lymphocytes and monocytes to lymph nodes,
      Peyer's patches, and sites of inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrate
      that monoclonal antibody (mAb) 9F3, directed against murine phagocytic
      glycoprotein 1 (CD44) expressed on cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), can trigger
      the lytic activity of CTLs and redirect CTL-mediated lysis to antigen-negative Fc
      receptor-positive target cells. Similar redirected lysis was also inducible using
      mAb MEL-14, directed against the lymphocyte homing receptor for endothelium
      (gp90MEL-14). The redirected lysis induced by mAbs 9F3 and MEL-14 was similar to
      that induced by mAbs against the alpha beta T-cell receptor or CD3. In contrast,
      mAbs directed against CD8, CD45R, and CD11a (LFA-1, lymphocyte function
      associated antigen 1) failed to evoke lytic activity. The current study
      demonstrates that CD44 and gp90MEL-14 molecules, in addition to participating in
      T-cell homing and adhesion, may play a major role in delivering the transmembrane
      signal to the CTL that triggers the lytic activity, even when the T-cell receptor
      is not occupied. Such a mechanism may account for the nonspecific tissue damage
      seen at sites of CTL-mediated inflammation.

PMID- 1881922
TI  - Amino acid substitutions in the coat protein result in loss of insect
      transmissibility of a plant virus.
AB  - Amino acids near the N terminus of the coat protein of tobacco vein mottling
      virus were deleted or altered by site-directed mutagenesis to determine the
      effect on aphid transmissibility of the virus. Deletion of a three amino acid
      sequence Asp-Ala-Gly, which is conserved in aphid-transmissible potyvirus
      isolates, abolished transmission. The mutation Ala----Thr in this triplet
      drastically reduced transmission, whereas the mutation Asp----Asn had no effect,
      and the mutation Asp----Lys consistently reverted to the wild-type residue. The
      mutation Lys----Glu, in the residue adjacent to the glycine of the triplet,
      drastically reduced transmission, whereas the mutation Gln----Pro, seven residues
      downstream from the glycine had no effect. Comparison of the sequences of other
      potyviruses suggests that the presence of a glycine residue at the third position
      of the Asp-Ala-Gly triplet is critical for aphid transmissibility and that
      certain changes in the residues adjacent to this position abolish or greatly
      reduce aphid transmissibility.

PMID- 1881923
TI  - Micromotion of mammalian cells measured electrically.
AB  - Motility is a fundamental property of mammalian cells that normally is observed
      in tissue culture by time lapse microscopy where resolution is limited by the
      wavelength of light. This paper examines a powerful electrical technique by which
      cell motion is quantitatively measured at the nanometer level. In this method,
      the cells are cultured on small evaporated gold electrodes carrying weak ac
      currents. A large change in the measured electrical impedance of the electrodes
      is observed when cells attach and spread on these electrodes. When the impedance
      is tracked as a function of time, fluctuations are observed that are a direct
      measure of cell motion. Surprisingly, these fluctuations continue even when the
      cell layer becomes confluent. By comparing the measured impedance with a
      theoretical model, it is clear that under these circumstances the average motions
      of the cell layer of 1 nm can be inferred from the measurements. We refer to this
      aspect of cell motility as micromotion.

PMID- 1881924
TI  - Does the Nutrition Society serve the needs of its overseas members?

PMID- 1881925
TI  - Development of food choice during infancy.

PMID- 1881926
TI  - Assessment of zinc status.

PMID- 1881928
TI  - Nutrition education in Scottish schools.

PMID- 1881927
TI  - Food, vitamins and IQ.

PMID- 1881929
TI  - Food choices and preferences of schoolchildren.

PMID- 1881930
TI  - Diet selection by animals: theory and experimental design.

PMID- 1881932
TI  - Diet selection--an ecological perspective.

PMID- 1881931
TI  - Mechanisms of diet selection: the translation of needs into behaviour.

PMID- 1881933
TI  - Diet selection by grazing animals.

PMID- 1881934
TI  - Diet selection of pigs and poultry.

PMID- 1881935
TI  - The assessment of zinc status: a personal view.

PMID- 1881937
TI  - Monthly prostaglandin bibliography prepared by the University of Sheffield
      Biomedical Information Service.

PMID- 1881936
TI  - Sensory and experiential factors in the design of foods for domestic dogs and
      cats.

PMID- 1881938
TI  - Prostaglandin release by normal and osteomyelitic human bones.
AB  - The release of prostaglandin E (PGE) and prostacyclin (as 6-keto PGF1 alpha) by
      human osteomyelitic bone, compared with normal (control) bone, incubated in vitro
      was evaluated. Prostacyclin was the main arachidonic acid metabolite released by
      normal human bone, and similar quantities were released by osteomyelitic bone.
      However, PGE production was 5-30-fold higher in osteomyelitic bone, compared with
      control, thus becoming the major prostanoid in this disease. It is concluded that
      PGE production is probably involved in the inflammatory and/or bone resorption
      processes that occur in osteomyelitis.

PMID- 1881939
TI  - The effects of ovarian steroids in controlling rat uterine prostaglandin F2-alpha
      during the peri-implantation period.
AB  - Rats with delayed implantation, induced by ovariectomy or hypophysectomy, as well
      as those with normal pregnancy were used to examine the changes in uterine
      prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) associated with implantation. In normal
      pregnant rats, while maximal uterine production of PGF2 alpha was found at 09:00,
      maximal catabolic enzyme activity (CEA) was seen at 17:00 of day 4. Uterine
      content of PGF2 alpha was high at 17:00 of day 4, but decreased by 80% within the
      next 24 h. There was no change in PGF2 alpha production during the first 6 h
      after injection of estradiol to hypophysectomized animals. There was, however, a
      dramatic decrease in production within the next 6 h. In contrast, CEA was not
      different in animals treated with estrogen than in those receiving only
      progesterone. In ovariectomized animals, uterine PGF2 alpha production also was
      lowered by estrogen but in these animals CEA was significantly elevated 18 h
      after injection of estradiol. Estrogen caused a greater increase in PGF2 alpha
      content in the hypophysectomized, compared to the ovariectomized, rats. The
      results are consistent with the view that ovarian steroids play an important role
      in controlling the changes in uterine PGF2 alpha around the time of implantation
      in rat.

PMID- 1881940
TI  - A product of activated human granulocytes stimulates prostaglandin E2 synthesis
      in human amnion cells.
AB  - Cell-free supernatant from formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-activated
      granulocytes causes a time- and concentration-dependent stimulation of
      prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in amnion cells. PGE2 concentration in the
      culture medium after 36 h treatment with granulocyte supernatant (from 40 x 10(6)
      granulocytes/ml of amnion cell medium), 1.49 +/- 0.71 pg/ng DNA (n = 13), was
      significantly higher (p = 0.0015) than in control cells (0.33 +/- 0.23 pg/ng DNA,
      n = 13). Indomethacin abolished this stimulation. Granulocyte supernatant and
      human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) had an additive effect on amnion cell PGE2
      production. Catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), protease inhibitors or the
      platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist L-659,989 had no effect. Actinomycin
      D, cycloheximide and mepacrine reduced the PGE2 production. The phospholipase A2
      activity present in granulocyte supernatants was resistant to heating, whereas
      heating decreased their PGE2-stimulating activity by 92%. Exogenous phospholipase
      A2 had no effect on PGE2 synthesis. The granulocyte product could be precipitated
      with ammonium sulphate. On gel filtration of supernatant, two peaks of PGE2
      synthesis stimulating activity were obtained (molecular weights 12,000 and
      60,000). This data serve to explain the association of chorioamnionitis with
      preterm labor: activated granulocytes release a protein(s) that induces
      prostaglandin production in amnion cells, and thus promote labor.

PMID- 1881941
TI  - The effect of gamma-linolenic acid and zinc supplementation on the growth of
      normal and tumour cells in vitro.
AB  - The effects of zinc, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and zinc combined and GLA
      supplementations on the growth of a benign monkey kidney, cell line (LLCMK) and a
      malignant tumour murine melanoma, cell line (BL-6) cells in vitro were studied.
      Cell growth was indicated by both cell counts and 3H-thymidine incorporation into
      DNA. The addition of zinc to the cells resulted in a general trend of overall
      reduction in the growth of tumour cells but not in the normal cells. The addition
      of GLA at high concentrations resulted in a general decrease in cell growth of
      both the benign and malignant tumour cells while the addition of lower
      concentrations of GLA had less effect. The combined effect of supplementary zinc
      and GLA resulted in an inhibitory effect on the growth of the malignant cells
      while a less and variable effect on the non-malignant cells was found. Some
      interaction between zinc and GLA in reducing tumour cell growth is suggested by
      the results.

PMID- 1881942
TI  - Effect of dietary nucleotides and orotate on the blood levels of prostacyclin
      (PGI2) and thromboxane (TXA2) in the weanling rat.
AB  - Dietary nucleotides affect the maintenance of immune responses, tissue repair and
      polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Orotate, a pyrimidine nucleotide
      precursor, induces fatty livers by impairing VLDL hepatic secretion. The aim of
      this study was to evaluate the changes in the blood levels of fatty acids and
      prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane (TXA2) in the weanling rat caused by the
      dietary intake of nucleotides and orotate. Three groups of rats at weaning were
      fed a control diet, an orotate supplemented diet (O-50) and a nucleotide
      supplemented diet (N-50) during 4 weeks, respectively. Absolute values of plasma
      polyunsaturated fatty acids greater than 18 carbon atoms of the n-6 and n-3
      series were increased in the N-50 group and decreased in O-50 with regard to the
      control. However, the relative fatty acid composition of plasma lipid fractions
      was mostly unaffected. Plasma 6-keto-PGF1 alpha showed a trend to be increased in
      N-50 and serum TXB2 was significantly increased in that group. Both eicosanoids
      were unchanged by dietary orotate intake. These results may be explained because
      of the increased plasma 20:4n-6 found in rats fed a supplemented nucleotide diet.
      Thus, nucleotides present in foods appear to modulate PUFA conversion and
      eicosanoids synthesis in early life.

PMID- 1881943
TI  - Increased production of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid by placentae from
      pregnancies complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertension.
AB  - Placentae from pregnancies complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)
      secrete significantly more 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) than
      gestation-matched controls. 15-HETE and its hydroperoxy precursor can inhibit
      prostacyclin biosynthesis and may thus contribute to the pathological sequelae of
      PIH.

PMID- 1881944
TI  - Studies on dressings for dental surgery use. Part 1: Effect of plasticizers on
      gelatin gel etching rate.
AB  - For quantitative evaluation of the absorption rate of dental dressings made of
      gelatin, a biopharmaceutical model of etching of gelatin gels in vitro has been
      elaborated. For the optimum etching conditions of gelatin gel columns 900 BAEE
      units per ml trypsin solution was used at a temperature of 25 degrees C. It has
      been found, that addition of glycerol and propylene glycol insignificantly
      reduces the etching rate of gelatin gels, whereas the PEG 400, PEG 1500 and PVAL
      increase resistance of the gels against the etching action of trypsin. In the
      model provided well repeatable results the coefficient of variation of the
      average gel etching rate remained within the range of 0.45-0.57%.

PMID- 1881945
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a thrombin inhibitor from the tick ixodes
      ricinus.
AB  - The secretion of the salivary glands of ticks, Ixodes ricinus, contains
      anticoagulant substances. Some years ago an antithromboplastin, ixodin, was
      described. The present paper refers the isolation and characterization of a
      second anticoagulant substance of the ticks named ixin. Ixin proved to be a
      relatively stable and specific thrombin inhibitor. The multi step procedure for
      isolation results in a 850-fold purification. The preparation obtained has a
      specific activity of 250 antithrombin units/mg. It is not homogeneous and still
      contaminated. The substance was assumed to be a miniprotein.

PMID- 1881947
TI  - [Micromethod for determination of theophylline/caffeine and chloramphenicol in
      plasma with HPLC].

PMID- 1881946
TI  - Verapamil and the synthesis of prostacyclin in human veins.
AB  - The synthesis of the vasodilator prostacyclin (PGI2) depends on the intracellular
      calcium concentration. For this reason the purpose of this study was to document
      the effects of verapamil (1), a slow calcium channel blocking agent on venous
      tissue. Human varicose veins were studied which were removed by a stripping
      operation. The veins were investigated ex vivo and in vitro. For ex vivo studies
      11 patients were given 0.01 g 1 i.v. during the operation. In vitro experiments
      were carried out by an addition of 22 mumol/l 1 to the incubate. The synthesis of
      PGI2 was studied according to the inhibition of the ADP induced platelet
      aggregation without and with addition of substrate (prostaglandin endoperoxide
      H2). 1 did not induce changes in the synthesis of PGI2, neither after
      administration to patients nor after addition to the incubation fluid compared to
      control vessels without addition of 1.

PMID- 1881948
TI  - [Measurement of bromsulfalein retention in the mouse as a possible parameter for
      assessment of liver function after administration of liposomal preparations].

PMID- 1881950
TI  - [Comparison of the biotransformation of the trapidil (Rocornal) derivative AR
      12463 in humans, rats, dogs, and rabbits].

PMID- 1881949
TI  - In vitro transport of ephedrine from matrix based transdermal formulations.

PMID- 1881952
TI  - [Pharmacologic modulation of central noradrenergic mechanisms an the effect of
      selected substances on chemically induced seizures: strychnine-seizure test
      (mouse)].

PMID- 1881951
TI  - [Does vascular endothelium have different transport systems for adenosine and
      inosine?].

PMID- 1881953
TI  - AIDS and the exodus.

PMID- 1881954
TI  - Chronic dermal ulcer healing enhanced with monophasic pulsed electrical
      stimulation.
AB  - The purposes of this randomized, double-blind, multicenter study were to compare
      healing of chronic dermal ulcers treated with pulsed electrical stimulation with
      healing of similar wounds treated with sham electrical stimulation and to
      evaluate patient tolerance to the therapeutic protocol. Forty-seven patients,
      aged 29 to 91 years, with 50 stage II, III, and IV ulcers were randomly assigned
      to either a treatment group (n = 26) or a control (sham treatment) group (n =
      24). Treated wounds received 30 minutes of pulsed cathodal electrical stimulation
      twice daily at a pulse frequency of 128 pulses per second (pps) and a peak
      amplitude of 29.2 mA if the wound contained necrotic tissue or any drainage that
      was not serosanguinous. A saline-moistened nontreatment electrode was applied
      30.5 cm (12 in) cephalad from the wound. This protocol was continued for 3 days
      after the wound was debrided or exhibited serosanguinous drainage. Thereafter,
      the polarity of the treatment electrode on the wound was changed every 3 days
      until the wound progressed to a stage II classification. The pulse frequency was
      then reduced to 64 pps, and the treatment electrode polarity was changed daily
      until the wound was healed. Patients in the control group were treated with the
      same protocol, except they received sham electrical stimulation. After 4 weeks,
      wounds in the treatment and control groups were 44% and 67% of their initial
      size, respectively. The healing rates per week for the treatment and control
      groups were 14% and 8.25%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that
      pulsed electrical stimulation has a beneficial effect on healing stage II, III,
      and IV chronic dermal ulcers.

PMID- 1881955
TI  - An ethical analysis of physical therapists' duty to treat persons who have AIDS:
      homosexual patients as a test case.
AB  - A possible abrogation of the health professional's usual duty to treat sometimes
      is suggested in regard to patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
      (AIDS). The issue first arose and continues to be discussed in regard to those
      patients who have contracted AIDS through homosexual encounters, though there are
      now additional populations of patients with AIDS to whom the issue is being
      directed as well. We examine three lines of reasoning that may be advanced to
      support this view: the argument from morality, the argument from responsibility,
      and the argument from the alleged danger to others. We show logical and ethical
      shortcomings in each view and suggest how the physical therapist's duty to treat
      all patients who have AIDS can be realized in a safe and supportive environment.

PMID- 1881956
TI  - Normal hip and knee active range of motion: the relationship to age.
AB  - Abnormal joint mobility is an important factor in movement dysfunction and
      physical disability. Because the decision to treat impaired joint mobility in an
      older individual may be influenced by assumptions concerning normal range of
      motion (ROM) at older ages, it is important to establish population-based
      normative values for hip and knee ROM by age, race, and sex. This study used data
      from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1), which
      involved a national probability sample of persons drawn from the civilian
      noninstitutionalized population of the United States. Goniometric measurements of
      hip and knee active range of motion (AROM) were obtained from a subset of the
      sample consisting of 1,892 subjects. This analysis was limited to the 1,313 white
      and 370 black subjects. Univariate statistics, weighted by the probability of
      selection into the sample, were calculated for 12 sex-race-age-group-specific
      categories. These normal AROM values for the hip and knee calculated from this
      population based sample were found to differ from estimates found in textbooks by
      as much as 18 degrees. With one exception, normal values for all motions were
      lower in the oldest age group than in the youngest age group. The differences in
      mean AROM were generally small, ranging from 3 to 5 degrees. Only in the case of
      hip extension did the difference in mean AROM between the youngest and the oldest
      age groups constitute a decline of more than 20% of the arc of motion. With the
      possible exception of hip extension, this study supports the conclusion that, at
      least to age 74 years, any substantial loss of joint mobility should be viewed as
      abnormal and not attributable to aging and therefore should be treated much as it
      would be in a younger individual.

PMID- 1881957
TI  - Effects of ultrasound and trolamine salicylate phonophoresis on delayed-onset
      muscle soreness.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ultrasound and
      phonophoresis using an anti-inflammatory-analgesic cream (trolamine salicylate)
      on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Repeated eccentric contractions were
      used to induce DOMS in the elbow flexors of 40 college-aged women. Subjects were
      then assigned randomly to one of four groups: (1) group 1 (n = 10) received sham
      ultrasound using placebo cream, (2) group 2 (n = 10) received sham ultrasound
      using trolamine salicylate cream, (3) group 3 (n = 10) received ultrasound using
      placebo cream, and (4) group 4 (n = 10) received ultrasound using trolamine
      salicylate cream. Subjects were treated on 3 consecutive days. Muscle soreness
      and active elbow range of motion were assessed daily prior to each treatment. The
      subjects in group 3 experienced an increase in DOMS, whereas no increase in
      soreness was observed in the subjects in group 4. The authors concluded that
      ultrasound enhanced the development of DOMS but that this enhancement was offset
      by the anti-inflammatory-analgesic action of salicylate phonophoresis. These
      findings suggest that salicylate phonophoresis may be useful in clinical
      situations in which it is desirable to administer ultrasound without increasing
      inflammation.

PMID- 1881958
TI  - Grading written essays: a reliability study.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to examine the interrater reliability of grades
      obtained by physical therapy and occupational therapy tutors in rating their
      students' term papers. This study was carried out in two phases. In phase 1, four
      student essay papers (two physical therapy students' papers and two occupational
      therapy students' papers) with grades that had been assigned from the previous
      year's course were randomly selected from a bank of papers. These papers were
      independently rated by three course planners (who were responsible for planning,
      coordinating, and tutoring in the course), and agreement as to the assignment of
      grades for each paper was established. In phase 2, the same students' essays were
      rated independently by eight course tutors. To test for differences among
      students' written essay papers and for differences among the raters in the
      subcategories of discipline (physical therapy versus occupational therapy) and
      level of expertise (novice versus experienced) in grading essays, a three-way
      analysis of variance was performed. An intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)
      was calculated for interrater reliability. Although there were no statistically
      significant differences among the tutors with regard to their discipline and
      expertise, the reliability analysis produced an ICC of .79. Strategies to enhance
      the reliability of grading essays are discussed.

PMID- 1881959
TI  - Singlet and triplet reactivity in the photoreduction of oxonine(3,7
      diaminophenoxazin-5-ium chloride) by iron (II).
AB  - The oxazine dye, oxonine (3,7-diaminophenoxazin-5-ium chloride), 1, is
      photoreduced by Fe (II) sulfate in dilute sulfuric acid. The reaction mechanism
      is analogous to that for the photo-reduction of thiazine dyes by Fe (II), the
      most important difference being that reduction of oxonine occurs predominantly
      from its excited singlet state, S1, rather than from the triplet state, T1. The
      latter is formed with an intersystem crossing (isc) quantum yield of ca 1.7 x 10(
      3). The quenching of S1 by Fe (II) has a rate constant kSQ = 2.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(9)
      M-1 s-1 and affords the one electron reduced product, semioxonine (R), with a
      limiting quantum yield, phi SR, of 0.26 +/- 0.02. In contrast, quenching of T1,
      generated by bromide ion quenching of S1 or by diacetyl sensitization, occurs
      with KTQ approximately 1.2 x 10(6) M-1 s-1, extrapolated to zero ionic strength,
      and affords R with a limiting probability, phi TR = 1.1 +/- 0.2. Three possible
      reasons for the lower quantum yield of the more exothermic S1 reduction are
      discussed. These are energy transfer from S1 to Fe (II), different rates of
      escape of R from the encounter complex as a consequence of the different states
      of protonation of R as initially formed from S1 and T1, and spin allowed back
      electron transfer in an exciplex formed between S1 and Fe (II). Evidence is also
      presented for a very low probability (ca 1%) induced isc from the encounter of S1
      with paramagnetic Fe (II). Rate parameters for other processes important to the
      overall reduction mechanism such as disproportionation of R to leucooxonine L and
      oxonine, k(R)DIS = 1.7 +/- 0.2 x 10(9) M-1 s-1, oxidation of R by Fe (III),
      k(R)OX = 1.5 +/- 0.1 x 10(5) M-1 s-1, and oxidation of L by Fe (III), kLOX = 1.1
      +/- 0.1 x 10(3) M-1 s-1, have also been measured. These results are contrasted
      with those for the closely related thionine/Fe(II) photoredox reaction, the most
      well understood system for photogalvanic energy conversion.

PMID- 1881960
TI  - Ring opening photoreactions of 5-bromouracil and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine with
      selected alkylamines.
AB  - Several studies in the literature indicate that histones (lysine rich proteins
      found associated with DNA in eukaryotic chromatin), as well as poly-L-lysine, can
      be photocross-linked by ultraviolet (UV) light to DNA in which 5-bromo-2'
      deoxyuridine has been substituted for thymidine. To gain some insight into the
      possible nature of this cross-linking, we have studied the photoreactions
      occurring in deoxygenated aqueous solutions containing 5-bromouracil (I) (BrUra)
      or 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (III) (BrdUrd) and ethylamine, a lysine side chain
      analog. In the case of I this reaction produced the ring opened compound N-(N'
      ethylcarbamoyl)-3-amino-2-bromoacrylamide (Ia). A small amount of N-(N'
      ethylcarbamoyl)-3-ethylamino-2-bromoacrylamide (Ic) was also isolated. It was
      found that purified Ia, standing in the presence of ethylamine, was gradually
      converted to Ic in a dark reaction. The beta and alpha anomers of N-(N'
      ethylcarbamoyl)-3-(2'deoxyribofuranos-1'-yl) amino-2-bromoacrylamide (IIIa and
      IIIb respectively) were isolated as products in the photoreaction of III with
      ethylamine; the alpha anomer was produced in a dark reaction from the beta
      anomer. The identity of these anomers was established by comparison of their
      proton NMR spectra with those of the four corresponding alpha and beta furanosyl
      and pyranosyl isomeric nucleosides of thymine, which are presented in the
      Appendix. A study was also made of the reaction of I with methylamine; a ring
      opened product analogous to Ia, viz. N-(N'-methylcarbamoyl)-3-amino-2
      bromoacrylamide (IIa) was formed. A similar study with 5-bromo-1-methyluracil
      produced N-(N'-methylcarbamoyl)-3-methylamino-2-bromoacrylamide (IIc) as a
      product. Likewise, the reaction of 5-chlorouracil with ethylamine was studied and
      N-(N'-ethylcarbamoyl)-3-amino-2-chloroacrylamide (Ie), which is analogous in
      structure to Ia, was found to be produced. Structural identifications were made
      through use of UV spectroscopy, high resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy, mass
      spectrometry and, in the case of Ia and IIa, 13C-NMR spectroscopy. In the BrUra
      and BrdUrd reaction systems, described above, dehalogenation reactions accounted
      for a major portion of the products. The yields of ring opened products,
      determined at pH 10, ranged from a high of 10.3% in the BrUra-ethylamine system
      to a low of 1.7% in the MeBrUra-methylamine system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1881961
TI  - Psoralen-photosensitized damage of rat peritoneal exudate cells.
AB  - Psoralen-sensitized photodamage (PUVA) of rat peritoneal exudate cells was
      investigated. Quartz-activated luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (ChL) was
      registered and the amount of trypan-positive cells was determined. Irradiation of
      peritoneal exudate cells in the presence of psoralen resulted in a dose-dependent
      monotonous inhibition of ChL. The reciprocity law of irradiation intensity and
      duration of irradiation was not valid for the observed inhibition of ChL: the
      inhibition increased with higher intensity. When psoralen previously
      photooxidized in ethanol (POP) was added to peritoneal exudate cell suspension, a
      double-phase response depending on psoralen irradiation dose was obtained: ChL
      activation was observed at low doses of UVA, ChL inhibition at high doses.
      Chemiluminescence inhibition correlated well with the increase in the number of
      trypan-positive cells. It may be supposed that the observed effects of PUVA or
      POP treatment are caused by cell cytoplasmic membrane damage.

PMID- 1881962
TI  - The effect of the antihistamine cimetidine on ultraviolet-radiation-induced
      tumorigenesis in the hairless mouse.
AB  - This experiment investigated the effect on ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced
      tumorigenesis of feeding the histamine type 2 receptor antagonist, cimetidine, to
      Skh:HR mice. Cimetidine was fed to one group during a 70 day period of chronic
      UVR (5 days/week for 10 weeks), to a second group from the end of this period to
      the end of the experiment at 286 days and a third group was fed a control diet
      only throughout the experiment. Feeding mice cimetidine during the 70 day period
      of irradiation protected them against the later development of skin tumours.

PMID- 1881963
TI  - Enhanced growth and experimental metastasis of chemically induced tumor in
      ultraviolet irradiated syngeneic mice.
AB  - Recent studies have shown that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation induces a systemic
      effect which enhances subsequent tumor induction by benzo[a]pyrene in a manner
      which is dependent on the dose of benzo[a]pyrene. The present study was designed
      to test whether UV-B irradiation renders mice susceptible to subcutaneous or
      intravenous injection of a regressor tumor induced by benzo[a]pyrene. The sources
      of UV-B irradiation were banks of 6 Westinghouse FS-40 sunlamps, situated 20 cm
      above the mouse cages. Female BALB/cAnNHsd received five 30-min dorsal UV-B
      radiation treatments per week for 12 weeks, resulting in a total dose of approx.
      6.4 x 10(5) J m-2. Two to seven days after termination of UV treatments,
      syngeneic regressor tumor cells (BP2) induced by benzo[a]pyrene were injected
      subcutaneously or intravenously into irradiated mice and unirradiated controls.
      By 38 days post subcutaneous implantation, 24/30 and 3/30 BP2 implants were
      detectable in the irradiated and unirradiated mice, respectively. Ultraviolet
      irradiated mice were also unable to reject lung colonies resulting from
      intravenous administration of BP2 cells, although they were rejected by
      unirradiated mice. The mean number of lung colonies per mouse was 16- to 35-fold
      greater in UV irradiated mice than in unirradiated controls, at 14 to 17 days
      post injection. Thus, UV irradiation rendered mice, with no known exposure to
      benzo[a]pyrene, susceptible to a subcutaneous or intravenous injection of a
      regressor tumor induced by benzo[a]pyrene.

PMID- 1881964
TI  - Expression of AP 3, 4 and 5 isophytochromes in etiolated oat seedlings (Avena
      sativa L.).
AB  - Type 1 phytochrome from etiolated oat seedlings was digested with V-8 protease.
      Microsequencing of a 13 kDa fragment yielded a sequence of 31 amino acids. The
      fragment starting with the alanine residue at position 427 of the entire
      phytochrome amino acid sequence revealed a heterogeneity (threonine, alanine and
      asparagine) at position 10. This demonstrates that the phytochrome type A genes
      AP3, 4 and 5 are expressed as proteins.

PMID- 1881965
TI  - Protective role of butylated hydroxytoluene and certain carotenoids in
      photocarcinogenesis.
AB  - Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and certain carotenoid pigments have been found to
      inhibit photocarcinogenesis in animal models. In addition, BHT protects against
      UV-B-induced erythema and UV-B induction of ornithine decarboxylase. Studies on
      the photoprotective mechanism(s) of BHT suggested that changes in the physico
      chemical properties of the keratin of the stratum corneum layer of skin occurred,
      leading to increases in UV absorption of that tissue. These changes might be
      exerted via the anti-radical action of BHT that retards oxidation and prevents
      cross-linking of the keratin chains, resulting in a diminution of UV-B radiation
      reaching potential target sites. The carotenoids beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and
      phytoene also inhibit UV-B carcinogenesis. beta-Carotene and canthaxanthin are
      excellent quenchers of singlet oxygen, and all three pigments can quench free
      radicals. beta-Carotene and canthaxanthin have been shown to quench singlet
      oxygen/free radical reactions in the skin of porphyric mice, and these two
      pigments as well as phytoene have been found to quench excited species formed on
      irradiation of mouse skin by UV-B.

PMID- 1881966
TI  - Evidence for a dissociation between cardiovascular and behavioral reactivity in
      the spontaneously hypertensive rat.
AB  - Spontaneously hypertensive rats of the Okamoto strain (SHR) were compared with
      normotensive rats of the Wistar-Kyoto strain (WKY) on the acoustic startle
      response in rats prepared for simultaneous blood pressure recordings. Blood
      pressure was continuously recorded by means of an indwelling cannula in the
      caudal tail artery. The presentation of the startle stimulus caused a blood
      pressure response in both strains consisting of an initial increase in blood
      pressure followed by a decrease and after that a longer lasting, but less
      pronounced second increase in pressure. The startle-elicited increase in blood
      pressure was significantly elevated in SHRs and at the same time the acoustic
      startle response was depressed as compared to WKY rats. These data indicate a
      dissociation between cardiovascular and behavioral reactivity in the SHR.

PMID- 1881967
TI  - Effects of bilateral clamping of carotid arteries on hippocampal kindling in
      rats.
AB  - Moderate reduction of cerebral blood flow by bilateral clamping of carotid
      arteries (BCCA) in pentobarbital anaesthetized Wistar rats induces decreased PO2
      and temperature values in vulnerable brain structures such as hippocampus and
      frontal cortex during the acute phase of clamping. Up to two weeks chronic
      increased GABA contents in hippocampus, substantia nigra and frontal cortex could
      be observed. During this time the development of hippocampal kindling was
      difficult. These results demonstrated an acute and chronic influence of GABA on
      most vulnerable brain structures which, however, do not lead to ischemic impacts
      as histological analyses demonstrate.

PMID- 1881968
TI  - Hormone-dependent aggression in the female rat: testosterone plus estradiol
      implants prevent the decline in aggression following ovariectomy.
AB  - Female rats were individually housed with a sterile male for the duration of the
      experiment. Beginning 7 to 10 weeks after the start of cohabitation, each female
      was tested for aggression toward an unfamiliar female at weekly intervals for 3
      weeks. Females that displayed consistent and substantial aggression were given
      one of the following treatments: ovariectomy followed by both testosterone and
      estradiol implants, ovariectomy followed by 2 empty implants, or sham ovariectomy
      followed by 2 empty implants. The implants were subcutaneously placed hormone
      filled Silastic capsules. They were expected to produce a serum testosterone
      concentration of 0.5 ng/ml and an estradiol concentration of 15 pg/ml.
      Postoperatively, the aggression of each female continued to be assessed on a
      weekly basis for 3 weeks. Ovariectomized females with hormone implants displayed
      a level of aggression postoperatively similar to that of sham-ovariectomized
      females and significantly greater than that of ovariectomized females with empty
      implants. These results, together with others, suggest that estradiol and
      testosterone act together to form the hormonal foundation of hormone-dependent
      aggression by females cohabiting with a sterile male.

PMID- 1881969
TI  - Intravenous administration of progesterone and the onset of receptivity in female
      hamsters.
AB  - Progesterone-facilitated receptivity is believed to be a genomically mediated
      event. However, in contrast to estrogen, progesterone's effects occur rapidly.
      This experiment was designed to examine the temporal onset of receptivity in
      hamsters following intravenous (IV) administration of progesterone.
      Ovariectomized female hamsters were tested for their responsiveness to 10
      micrograms estradiol benzoate (EB) plus 0, 50, or 200 micrograms progesterone,
      administered subcutaneously (SC). The hamsters were tested for sexual receptivity
      at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 h. Three days later they were fitted with jugular
      catheters. Two days after catheter implantation they received 10 micrograms EB
      SC; 48 h later they were tested for receptivity and then received an IV injection
      of 0, 50, or 200 micrograms progesterone in 0.2 ml propylene glycol. Following
      the IV P injection the animals were again tested at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4 h.
      Progesterone administration (either SC or IV) resulted in an increase in total
      lordosis duration (TLD) over time. TLD had significantly increased from the pre
      progesterone levels by 2 h after 50 micrograms progesterone IV. In contrast, 50
      micrograms progesterone SC did not cause an increase in TLD until 3 h
      postinjection. Moreover, in comparison to SC administration, the effects of IV
      progesterone were short-lived; TLD was significantly decreased by 4 h after
      injection. Following 200 micrograms progesterone, the latency to respond was
      shorter than with 50 micrograms progesterone (1.5 vs. 2 h). There was no
      difference in the onset of receptivity as a function of route of administration
      at the 200 micrograms dose.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1881970
TI  - Plasma catecholamine responses during a personalized physical stress as a dynamic
      characterization of essential hypertension.
AB  - High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection
      proves to be a reliable method for determination of plasma catecholamines (CA) to
      assess the possible role of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in essential
      hypertension (EH). The present investigation in a group of 15 normotensive (N)
      and 13 stable EH patients, homogeneous for age and duration of hypertension, was
      carried out without treatment in the supine position, up-right position and
      during a personalized bicycle exercise. Mean blood pressure, mean heart rate,
      plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone were also evaluated at the various
      exertion phases. Norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) showed a progressive
      increase in N and in EH patients, reaching the highest values at maximum effort.
      However, EH patients showed higher E plasma levels than N before maximum effort.
      Dopamine (DA) reached the highest values in N at maximum effort and in EH
      patients at recovery time. These findings allow us to foresee the possibility of
      a better characterization of the SNS role in EH.

PMID- 1881971
TI  - Effects of hydrational state on ingestion in infant rats: is dehydration the only
      ingestive stimulus?
AB  - The physiological stimulus for deprivation-enhanced ingestion was studied in
      developing rats. During an overnight deprivation period, continuous gastric
      infusions of isotonic saline or milk were made to 6- and 15-day-old rat pups in
      order to preferentially maintain hydrational or hydrational and nutritional
      status, respectively. Pups' ingestion was then studied in oral-infusion tests. In
      6-day-old pups that received either milk or saline infusions, ingestion was
      depressed relative to intake in pups that were simply deprived. But in 15-day-old
      pups, only milk infusions reduced intake. These findings suggest that the
      increased ingestion stimulated by deprivation in pups less than a week of age
      results primarily from dehydration, and thus that nutrient-related feeding does
      not emerge until later in development.

PMID- 1881972
TI  - An assessment of handedness in mice.
AB  - Mice from a pool of inbred strains (384 males and 329 females) were tested for
      handedness according to Collins' protocol in order to assess the reliability of
      this measurement. As previously reported by Collins these data revealed that a)
      approximately half of the mice were right-handed and half left-handed, b) most of
      the mice were strongly lateralized and c) females were more lateralized than
      males. The study of the psychometric characteristics of the test suggested that
      this measurement of behavioral asymmetry is both stable and observer independent.
      The test of paw preference also appeared to measure preexisting lateralization
      and was not a function of training during the test.

PMID- 1881973
TI  - Stimulation in prefrontal cortex inhibits conditioned increase in blood pressure
      and avoidance bar pressing in rats.
AB  - In our previous work, it was established that stimulation in a precisely defined
      area of the prefrontal cortex and in nucleus accumbens inhibits motor and
      cardiovascular components of the defence reaction elicited by stimulation in
      hypothalamus or amygdala, but it did not inhibit operant appetitive bar pressing.
      In the present investigations it was shown that electrical stimulation in the
      same area of prefrontal cortex and in the nucleus accumbens inhibited blood
      pressure increases elicited by a conditioned sound. In another set of experiments
      it was also shown that it inhibited bar pressing developed with Sidman's
      schedule. It is therefore concluded that inhibition originating in the described
      region of the prefrontal cortex is specifically addressed to motor and
      cardiovascular components motivated by fear or aggression.

PMID- 1881974
TI  - Stereotypic behavior, adrenocortical function, and open field behavior of
      individually confined gestating sows.
AB  - The adrenocortical response and open field behavior of a random sample of 37
      individually confined gestating sows in different parities were tested around day
      85 of pregnancy. The sows were classified as stereotyped [S] and nonstereotyped
      [N] based on 8-h individual behavioral observations during daytime. Behavioral
      analysis from time-lapse video recordings included percentage of time spent
      standing and sitting, as well as the duration spent performing elements of
      stereotyped actions. Blood samples were drawn for cortisol analysis by suborbital
      sinus puncture before and after adrenocortical stimulation with 200 IU ACTH.
      Locomotor activity in an open field, isolated visually and auditorily from other
      sows, was also studied. Seventeen sows exhibited stereotyped behavior for 54.9 +/
      4.8% of the 8-h observation period during daytime. The total time the sows spent
      standing and sitting was positively correlated with age and was significantly
      higher for [S] sows than for [N] sows. Sows in the [S] group exhibited a higher
      adrenocortical response to ACTH stimulation than [N] sows. Mean locomotor scores
      in the open field were higher for [S] than for [N] sows but these did not
      correlate with the physical activity and adrenocortical function in the home
      crate. Our results provide no evidence that the performance of stereotypies
      constitutes a mechanism that helps sows to cope in an environment of low
      complexity.

PMID- 1881975
TI  - Capsaicin affects aggressive behavior, but not hot plate responding, of adult
      male mice.
AB  - Adult male mice of albino Swiss-derived CD-1 strain were used to assess the
      effects of capsaicin (a powerful agent that produces a marked depletion of the
      undecapeptide substance P) on both intraspecific aggressive behavior (induced by
      8 weeks of individual housing) and pain sensitivity. Capsaicin was given SC, 48 h
      before behavioral testing. Aggressive behavior, scored during a 5-min session
      under red light, was significantly enhanced by capsaicin treatment (50 or 100
      microliters of a 7.5 mg/ml solution). In fact, Total Aggressive Episodes,
      Attacks, and Upright Offensive Posture were significantly higher in the two
      capsaicin-treated groups, while Latency to the first Attack was decreased, when
      compared to both vehicle or unhandled controls. A concomitant decrease in
      Submissive Postures and Flee was also evident in capsaicin mice. Hot plate
      testing (55 +/- 0.1 degrees C, cutoff time 30 s), carried out on nonisolated
      mice, did not reveal any difference among the two capsaicin groups (same doses)
      and vehicle or unhandled controls.

PMID- 1881976
TI  - Lasting effects of early chronic caffeine feeding on rats' behavior and brain in
      later life.
AB  - Pregnant dams were fed a 20% protein diet with caffeine (2 mg/100 g b.wt.),
      starting on day 9 of gestation. At birth, each dam with 8 assigned pups was fed
      this diet until weaning, day 22. On day 22, female rats were caged and fed this
      diet until day 93. Starting on day 93, the caffeine-supplemented diet was
      replaced with a caffeine-free, 20% protein diet until day 388. Starting on day
      31, each animal was placed in a photoactivity cage, and locomotive activity was
      measured until day 375. On day 388, the animals were killed, and their brains
      were removed and divided into 7 regions. The weight, DNA, protein and zinc
      contents, and alkaline phosphatase activity of each region were determined.
      Locomotive activity of the caffeine-fed group was higher than in the noncaffeine
      control group. Accumulative activity scores showed 3 subgroups (high, medium, and
      low) in both groups at day 93. The medium activity subgroup in the caffeine group
      was greater than the controls from day 72 to day 93. These differences reappeared
      5 weeks after cessation of caffeine supplementation and continued until day 375.
      The differences in activity were minimum in the high and low subgroups. Chronic
      caffeine intake in early life permanently affected the medium activity subgroup.
      Furthermore, various regions of the brain were biochemically altered in spite of
      the feeding of a noncaffeine diet for almost 300 days after caffeine.

PMID- 1881977
TI  - Magnitude estimation of adaptation to salt using a flow chamber for stimulus
      delivery.
AB  - Adaptation course to NaCl was estimated using a flow chamber for stimulus
      delivery and changes in the perceived taste magnitude as the criterion. The
      adapting stimulus of different durations was applied to one side of the tongue.
      Magnitude estimates were made by comparing the intensity of taste at the end of
      each adaptation time with the perceived intensity of the same stimulus applied
      briefly to the unadapted side of the tongue. The course of adaptation followed a
      negatively accelerated decreasing function. The relationship between taste
      magnitude and the duration of the adapting stimulus can be approximated by a
      logarithmic equation and, somewhat less accurately, also by an exponential
      equation, which can be related to the Beidler theory of taste stimulation. Some
      advantages of the closed flow technique and comparison of taste magnitudes on the
      adapted and unadapted sides of the tongue are discussed.

PMID- 1881978
TI  - Further analysis of the short-term inhibition of food intake in humans by the
      dipeptide L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (aspartame).
AB  - It was reported previously that the dipeptide sweetener aspartame suppresses food
      intake in humans by a postingestive action. The present study examined the
      hypothesis that this is due to an effect of phenylalanine, one of the primary
      breakdown products of aspartame (phenylalanine is a potent releaser of the so
      called satiety hormone cholecystokinin, CCK). Capsulated aspartame (400 mg)
      administered to human volunteers reduced food intake by 15% (253 kcal) in a
      lunchtime test meal begun 1 hour later. However, neither phenylalanine (200 mg)
      nor the other constituent amino acid of aspartame, aspartic acid (200 mg),
      altered intake compared with placebo. Despite the large effect on food intake
      there were no treatment differences in pre- or postmeal ratings of motivation to
      eat. This suggests that aspartame may act to intensify the satiating effects of
      ingested food. Although high doses of phenylalanine reduce food intake, an
      individual action of phenylalanine cannot account for the potent anorexic effect
      of aspartame. In discussing alternative mechanisms it is noted that the amino
      acid sequence of aspartame (Asp-Phe) is the same as the C-terminal dipeptide of
      CCK. A direct action of aspartame at CCK receptors appears to be unlikely;
      however, aspartame might act as CCK releaser. Further studies are required to
      elucidate the mechanism of aspartame's anorexic action and perhaps to evaluate
      its therapeutic potential as an antiobesity agent.

PMID- 1881979
TI  - Importance of progesterone and estrogen priming for the induction of maternal
      behavior by vaginocervical stimulation in sheep: effects of maternal experience.
AB  - The effects of treating ovariectomised nulliparous and multiparous ewes with
      progesterone and estrogen on maternal behavior with or without vagino-cervical
      stimulation were investigated. Following 48 h of estrogen treatment there was
      neither evidence for stimulation of maternal behavior, nor a reduction in
      aggressive behavior, towards lambs by either multiparous or nulliparous ewes
      compared with control treatment (injections of the oil vehicle). Following 5 min
      of mechanical vaginocervical stimulation, the multiparous estrogen-treated ewes
      showed both positive maternal responses (low pitch bleats, licking, sniffing and
      approaching the lamb) and a reduction in aggression (butts) and negative behavior
      (withdrawal from the lamb) towards the lambs, whereas the nulliparous ewes showed
      only a reduction in aggression and negative behavior. Neither group showed
      positive maternal responses following vaginocervical stimulation without steroid
      priming. When the ewes received two weeks of progesterone priming prior to
      estrogen treatment, both multiparous and nulliparous ewes showed reduced
      aggression towards, and withdrawal from, the lambs compared to the control
      condition, but no positive maternal responses apart from an increased sniffing of
      the lamb. After vaginocervical stimulation positive maternal responses showed by
      multiparous ewes were significantly potentiated compared to those shown following
      estrogen treatment alone. Nulliparous ewes remained unresponsive on positive
      maternal behaviors. These studies show that hormonal priming has little effect in
      inducing the onset of maternal behavior in multiparous or nulliparous sheep but
      is an essential prerequisite for vaginocervical stimulation to do so in
      multiparous animals.

PMID- 1881980
TI  - Indices of stress in rats: effects of sex, perinatal alcohol and artificial
      rearing.
AB  - Three groups of rats were normally reared by dams, artificially reared but not
      exposed to alcohol or artificially reared and exposed to 6.6 g/kg/day of ethanol
      condensed into 8 h of each 24-h period. Alcohol exposure was given from postnatal
      day 4 through 9 and artificial rearing was conducted from postnatal day 4 to 12.
      In adulthood, approximately half of the rats were fitted with a chronic jugular
      catheter and were exposed to swim stress for 1 min in 21 degrees C water. Alcohol
      exposure augmented the corticosteroid stress response to the swim stress in
      female rats but not in male rats. The other half of the animals were tested for
      acquisition and extinction of a conditioned emotional response (CER). While
      alcohol exposure had no effects on the CER, extinction of CER was greatly
      accelerated by artificial rearing alone in female rats but not in male rats.
      Taken together, these findings suggest that some aspects of the stress response
      in female rats are more vulnerable to insults during the early postnatal period
      than those in male rats and that the insult-induced alterations can affect
      hormonal and behavioral measures differentially.

PMID- 1881981
TI  - Capsaicin desensitization and recovery on the human tongue.
AB  - The desensitization resulting from application of 10 or 100 ppm capsaicin was
      investigated, using daily testing of a capsaicin series (1-1000 ppm, in log
      steps). The series showed a significant decrement in perceived burn following
      desensitization with either concentration. Perceived burn of 100 and 1000 ppm did
      not recover from 100 ppm desensitization in six days, and perceived burn of 1
      1000 ppm did not recover from 100 ppm desensitization in six days. When single
      capsaicin concentrations, rather than the series, were tested at one, two, four,
      or six days after desensitization, 10 ppm recovered from 10 ppm desensitization
      in one or two days, and 100 ppm recovered from 100 ppm desensitization between
      two and four days. This suggests that daily testing with the capsaicin series
      delayed recovery from desensitization. Nontasters of 6-n-propylthiouracil rated
      capsaicin burn lower than did tasters. The application method of rolling
      capsaicin onto the tongue with a swab was found to transiently inhibit burn.
      Implications for ingesting capsaicin products are discussed.

PMID- 1881982
TI  - Effects of nucleus basolateralis amygdalae neurotoxic lesions on aversive
      conditioning in the rat.
AB  - After bilateral stereotaxic administration of ibotenic acid on the n.
      basolateralis amygdalae, male adult rats were tested in the light-dark box
      apparatus to measure the time-course of the acquisition and retention of passive
      and active avoidance responses. The results show that after the lesions both
      passive avoidance and active avoidance acquisition were impaired. Passive
      avoidance responses were retained quite well, while active avoidance responses
      disappeared quickly. Conditioned freezing was almost completely absent. Thus it
      appears that the n. basolateralis plays a facilitatory role in all the
      conditioned responses which were investigated.

PMID- 1881983
TI  - Cardiovascular, neuropeptide Y, and adrenergic responses in stress are sexually
      differentiated.
AB  - Cardiovascular and sympatho-adrenomedullary responsiveness at rest and during
      stress were studied in weight-matched, sexually mature male and female rats. At
      rest, although there were no sex differences in cardiovascular parameters,
      females had two-fold higher plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine.
      Resting plasma levels of neuropeptide Y-immunoreactivity (NPY-ir, a putative
      sympathetic cotransmitter and a vasoconstrictor) were similar in both sexes.
      Stresses of handling and cold (4 degrees C) water exposure induced greater
      pressor and tachycardic responses in males than in females. Males but not females
      exhibited a protracted recovery from the stress-induced pressor responses and a 2
      fold increase in plasma NPY-ir suggesting that NPY release is sexually
      differentiated. Only in males, low basal plasma NE and NPY-ir levels inversely
      correlated with greater cold-induced pressor responses. Furthermore, in areflexic
      pithed rats, pressor adrenergic and NPY responses were greater in males than in
      females suggesting the possibility of "down"-regulation of vascular adrenergic
      receptors in females (due to elevated circulating catecholamines) and "up"
      regulation of NPY and adrenergic receptors in males.

PMID- 1881985
TI  - Methamphetamine effects on rat circadian clock depend on actograph.
AB  - Methamphetamine effects on the rest-activity rhythm were examined in 12 blinded
      rats using two different actographs, an Animex and a running-wheel. D
      Methamphetamine was administered chronically by dissolving it in drinking water.
      During methamphetamine treatment, the rest-activity rhythm measured by an Animex
      showed a clear sign of relative coordination in addition to the general
      enhancement of activity level. Analyses of pre- and posttreatment activity
      rhythms revealed that neither the phase nor the period was affected by
      methamphetamine treatment. On the other hand, the circadian period was lengthened
      by methamphetamine treatment when locomotor activity was measured by a running
      wheel. These results confirmed our previous findings that the chronic treatment
      of methamphetamine modified the expression of the circadian rhythms but did not
      affect the underlying oscillation when measured by an Animex, and further
      indicated that methamphetamine could affect the underlying oscillation when rats
      had free access to a running-wheel. It is concluded that the effects of
      methamphetamine on the circadian clock depend on actograph.

PMID- 1881984
TI  - Motor activity correlates negatively with free-running period, while positively
      with serotonin contents in SCN in free-running rats.
AB  - Free-running period of blinded rats kept in a cage with a running wheel varied
      markedly, while it varied little in rats kept in a cage without a running wheel.
      The mean free-running period of the former group is significantly shorter than
      that of the latter. In the former, the free-running period correlated negatively
      with motor activity, indicating that activity affects the free-running period. In
      both groups, essentially similar diurnal patterns of biogenic amines and their
      metabolites were observed in various discrete areas in the brain examined.
      However, there was a significant difference between the two groups in several
      areas. In the SCN, 5-HT content correlated positively with motor activity,
      consequently correlated negatively to the free-running period at 3 out of 4
      sampling times over 24 h but no such correlation was observed in other monoamines
      and their metabolites examined. These facts suggest that 5-HT may be associated
      with modification of the free-running period.

PMID- 1881986
TI  - Inhibition of infanticide in male Swiss mice: behavioral polymorphism in response
      to multiple mediating factors.
AB  - The socio-sexual factors mediating the inhibition of pup-killing in previously
      infanticidal Swiss Webster male mice (Mus domesticus) were examined. As reported
      in other studies, postmating co-habitation (i.e., physical contact) with a female
      during pregnancy suppress pup-killing but the present experiments also showed
      that several factors are implicated in this phenomenon, namely: 1) Postcopulatory
      sensory contact (i.e., behind a wire-mesh partition) with the pregnant mate was
      sufficient to inhibit infanticide virtually in all the subjects. Copulation seems
      to function as a "primer," but cues, most likely of an olfactory nature, emitted
      by pregnant mate induce paternal behavior in the stud male. In fact, either
      copulation followed by sensory contact with a nonpregnant mate (abortion was
      induced) or sensory contact without copulation with a pregnant female did not
      suppress pup-killing in the majority of cases. 2) Mating, per se, is capable of
      inhibiting infanticide in a minority of males. 3) Physical contact with a
      parturient female (impregnated by another male) at the time of pup delivery
      inhibited infanticide in approximately 40-50% of males. The data essentially show
      that, in a house mouse population, there is a behavioral polymorphism in response
      to the coexisting multiple mechanisms which mediate the inhibition of
      infanticide.

PMID- 1881987
TI  - Soft drinks with aspartame: effect on subjective hunger, food selection, and food
      intake of young adult males.
AB  - Ingestion of aspartame-sweetened beverages has been reported to increase
      subjective measures of appetite. This study examined the effects of familiar
      carbonated soft drinks sweetened with aspartame on subjective hunger, energy
      intake and macronutrient selection at a lunch-time meal. Subjects were 20 normal
      weight young adult males, classified as either restrained or nonrestrained
      eaters. Four treatments of carbonated beverages included 280 ml of mineral water,
      one can of a soft drink (280 ml) consumed in either 2 or 10 minutes, or two cans
      of a soft drink (560 ml) consumed in 10 minutes, administered at 11:00 a.m.
      Subjective hunger and food appeal were measured from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and
      food intake data were obtained from a buffet lunch given at 12:00 noon. There
      were no treatment effects on energy intake, macronutrient selection or food
      choice at the lunch-time meal, or food appeal, though restrained eaters consumed
      more than nonrestrained eaters in all four treatment conditions. Consumption of
      two soft drinks (560 ml, 320 mg aspartame) significantly reduced subjective
      hunger from 11:05 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. compared to one soft drink (280 ml, 160 mg
      aspartame) or 280 ml of mineral water. Thus ingestion of soft drinks containing
      aspartame did not increase short-term subjective hunger or food intake.

PMID- 1881988
TI  - The effects of pregnancy and lactation on dietary self-selection in the rat.
AB  - Total food intake and intake of discrete dietary components, carbohydrate, fats,
      and protein, throughout pregnancy and lactation were measured in the albino rat,
      with virginal rats acting as controls. The dietary components were isocaloric and
      presented in a self-selection situation. Although the reproductive subjects ate
      more carbohydrate, protein, and total food than controls during the lactation
      phase, their intake did not significantly exceed that of controls during
      pregnancy. In addition, reproductive but not virginal animals changed patterns of
      selection over the reproductive periods. They consumed more total food during
      gestation and lactation, and more carbohydrate and protein during lactation.

PMID- 1881989
TI  - Salivary testosterone measurements: collecting, storing, and mailing saliva
      samples.
AB  - Salivary testosterone measurements can be especially useful in field studies, but
      reliable ways of collecting and handling samples need to be established. Using
      cotton dental rolls to collect saliva leads to inflated testosterone scores.
      Sugarfree gum can be used satisfactorily to stimulate saliva among both male and
      female subjects. Leaving unpreserved saliva samples at room temperature for 2
      weeks or mailing them unrefrigerated is satisfactory for male subjects but leads
      to inflated scores for female subjects.

PMID- 1881990
TI  - A water-maze discrimination learning deficit in the rat following lesion of the
      habenula.
AB  - Although the habenula occupies a potentially important link between forebrain and
      midbrain, lesion of the complex produces little effect in most standard
      behavioral paradigms. More recently, it has been shown that such lesions may
      impair the ability to initiate or switch responses appropriate to environmental
      contingencies but only under demanding conditions. Although such deficits have
      been described as response failures, they could equally well be attributed to
      restricted attentional mechanisms. The present study was designed to further
      substantiate a role for the habenula in acquisition of adaptive behavior under
      demanding conditions and to examine the possible contribution of attentional
      failure. The initial response preference to 'escape' onto platforms situated in
      two chambers at the distal end of a water tank was established for groups of
      lesioned and sham-operated rats. Rats were subsequently trained in discrete
      trials to escape by choosing the side of the nonpreferred chamber. During
      training the choice of escape chamber was cued by distracting black or white
      visual stimuli displayed on the tank sides and above the entrances to the
      chamber. These were moved over trials so as to be nonpredictive of the
      appropriate escape position. Lesioned animals were significantly impaired in the
      acquisition of this positional discrimination. Analysis of response times
      suggested that both lesion and control animals were attending to the irrelevant
      visual cue. The results confirm a behavioral inflexibility following lesion of
      the habenula and suggest that this deficit cannot be explained simply in terms of
      a failure to attend to environmental cues. The lesion deficit also could not be
      attributed to a response perseveration.

PMID- 1881991
TI  - Previous experience facilitates preservation of spatial memory in the senescent
      rat.
AB  - In an attempt to evaluate whether previous training antagonizes age-related
      memory deficits, aged rats with previous training experience were compared with
      aged and young naive rats in the Morris water maze test. The findings of our
      study indicate that experience seems to facilitate the preservation of the
      spatial reference memory for 12 months in the aged rat, whereas senescent naive
      animals showed the usual age-related memory deficits. However, experience seems
      task-specific since the same aged rats fail to acquire a new different task.

PMID- 1881992
TI  - A method for long-term and accurate measurement and recording of the blood
      glucose level in man.
AB  - We describe a technique of continuous and long-term withdrawal of venous blood
      which permits a continuous measurement and recording of the blood glucose level.
      The preparation and setting up of a special double lumen catheter are detailed.
      This technique provides very accurate blood glucose time course determination and
      requires the withdrawal of small amounts of blood.

PMID- 1881993
TI  - Effect of zolpidem on sleep and sleep EEG spectra in healthy young men.
AB  - A single 10 mg dose of zolpidem, an imidazopyridine hypnotic, was administered to
      young, healthy male volunteers prior to bedtime. The drug reduced REM sleep but
      did not significantly affect other sleep stages and subjective sleep parameters.
      All-night spectral analysis of the EEG revealed that power density in nonREM
      sleep was reduced in the low-frequency range (1.25-2.5 Hz; 5.25-10.0 Hz) and
      increased in the spindle frequency range (12.25-13.0 Hz). Significant changes in
      the EEG spectrum were present in the first 4 h of sleep. The pattern of the
      spectral changes was similar to those induced by other hypnotics that bind to the
      GABAA/benzodiazepine receptor complex. There were no residual effects of zolpidem
      on psychomotor performance in the morning, on the self-rated state in the morning
      and at noon, and on sleep and EEG parameters in the subsequent drug-free night.

PMID- 1881994
TI  - Comparative pharmacokinetics of alprazolam and lorazepam in humans and in African
      Green Monkeys.
AB  - The comparative pharmacokinetics of alprazolam and lorazepam were evaluated in
      African Green Monkeys and in healthy male human volunteers. Six monkeys received
      a single 250 micrograms/kg oral dose of alprazolam and of lorazepam on two
      separate occasions. Mean kinetic values for the two drugs, respectively, were:
      elimination half-life, 5.7 and 1.7 h; oral clearance, 5.5 and 40.2 ml/min/kg.
      Healthy male volunteers (n = 22) received a single 1 mg oral dose of alprazolam;
      another group (n = 24) received a single 2 mg oral dose of lorazepam. Mean values
      of elimination half-life in humans (11.5 and 12.4 h, for alprazolam and
      lorazepam, respectively) were substantially longer than corresponding values in
      the primate animal model, and human values of clearance (0.85 and 1.40 ml/min/kg)
      likewise were much lower. However, in humans, kinetic differences between the two
      drugs were much smaller than in the primate animals. Thus comparative studies of
      the behavioral effects of these two drugs in African Green Monkeys should utilize
      relative dosages that reflect the pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs in that
      species. Use of dosage ratios analogous to those used in humans may lead to
      results that cannot be extrapolated to humans.

PMID- 1881996
TI  - Separate and combined effects of the social drugs on psychomotor performance.
AB  - Ten female subjects (five smokers and five non-smokers) performed a choice
      reaction time task (CRT), a compensatory tracking task (CTT), a short-term memory
      task (STM) and were tested for their critical flicker fusion threshold (CFF) at
      set points over 4 h after the administration of each possible combination of
      nicotine (2 mg gum or placebo), caffeine (250 mg capsule or placebo) and alcohol
      (30 g or placebo). Memory and motor function were shown to be facilitated by
      nicotine or caffeine, and the debilitating effects of alcohol were frequently
      antagonised by either drug. In spite of the differences in their
      neuropharmacological actions, combinations of nicotine, caffeine and alcohol may
      be compared through their effects on common information processing mechanisms
      involved in psychomotor performance.

PMID- 1881995
TI  - Chronic treatment with chlorpromazine, thioridazine or haloperidol increases
      striatal enkephalins and their release from rat brain.
AB  - The aim of this paper is to study the effect of 1, 2 or 3 months' administration
      of chlorpromazine (CPZ), thioridazine (TDZ) (2 or 6 mg/kg) or haloperidol (HAL)
      (0.25 or 1 mg/kg) IP on the level of leu- and met-enkephalin (ENK) in striatum. A
      dose- and time-dependent increase of striatal ENK level was observed after
      chronic administration of the neuroleptics (NL), but 8 days after withdrawal of
      chronically administered NL striatal ENK was decreased. Apomorphine pretreatment
      significantly attenuated the elevation in ENK produced by chronic injections of
      NL. In perfusion fluid obtained from the lateral ventricle of animals treated 1
      month with HAL a dose-dependent increase of ENK levels was observed, which was
      augmented by potassium ions. It is concluded that: 1) Chronic administration of
      neuroleptic drugs that block dopamine receptors increases the level and the
      release of striatal enkephalins; 2) The results support the hypothesis that
      activation of dopaminergic neurons tonically inhibits the synthesis of
      enkephalins in the striatum.

PMID- 1881997
TI  - Effects of carbamazepine on acute responses to smoked cocaine-base in human
      cocaine users.
AB  - A double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study was conducted to determine
      the effects of carbamazepine on the acute physiological and subjective responses
      to a single dose of smoked cocaine-base. Male cocaine users (N = 6) were given
      400 mg carbamazepine or placebo, each for a period of 5 days. At the end of the 5
      day period, a 40 mg dose of smoked cocaine was administered. The results showed a
      significantly higher heart rate, diastolic blood pressure elevation, and blood
      pressure-heart rate product under the carbamazepine compared to the placebo
      condition. There were no effects of carbamazepine on the subjective responses
      from cocaine. The increase in cardiovascular functions indicates a need to be
      cautious in the use of carbamazepine in the treatment of cocaine abusers.

PMID- 1881999
TI  - Response disinhibition on a delayed matching to position task induced by
      amphetamine, nicotine and age.

PMID- 1881998
TI  - Time-, schedule-, and reinforcer-dependent effects of pimozide and amphetamine.
AB  - Rats performed on two multiple random-interval schedules, in which sequences of
      ascending or descending reinforcement densities were balanced between the
      schedules and between the two halves of the session. Using a standard reinforcer
      (10% sucrose pellets), pimozide decreased response rates, while amphetamine
      increased responding. The effects of both drugs were schedule dependent: larger
      changes were evident in low response rate, reinforcement-lean components than in
      high response rate, reinforcement-rich components. Both effects were also time
      dependent, increasing over the course of the session; this casts serious doubt on
      the applicability of Herrnstein's matching law for studying agents acting on
      brain dopamine. Increasing the period of food deprivation increased response
      rates, while withdrawing food deprivation decreased responding. These effects
      were also schedule dependent, but were time dependent. Substituting 95% sucrose
      pellets for standard 10% sucrose pellets caused an immediate and sustained
      decrease in responding, and up to 10% of earned reinforcement was not consumed.
      Pimozide increased response rates within reinforcement-lean components and
      reinstated the complete consumption of earned reward typical of standard
      reinforcement. These apparently paradoxical effects may be consistent with a
      decrease in the rewarding properties of sucrose pellets. Despite low response
      rates, amphetamine did not affect responding maintained by 95% sucrose pellets
      but did further reduce the consumption of earned reward. These results call into
      question the generality of the rate-dependency principle in the action of
      psychomotor stimulants.

PMID- 1882000
TI  - Sensitization to systemic amphetamine produces an enhanced locomotor response to
      a subsequent intra-accumbens amphetamine challenge in rats.
AB  - Repeated amphetamine (AMPH) administration into the nucleus accumbens does not
      enhance (sensitize) the locomotor activity produced by a subsequent systemic AMPH
      challenge. We report here, however, that pretreatment with systemic injections of
      AMPH does produce a significant enhancement in the locomotor stimulant effects
      produced by intra-accumbens AMPH given 21 days after the last pretreatment
      injection of AMPH. These data support the hypothesis that neural adaptations in
      dopamine (DA) terminal fields are sufficient for the expression of AMPH
      sensitization, although an action on DA cell bodies may be required for the
      induction of AMPH sensitization.

PMID- 1882001
TI  - Functional tolerance to the hypothermic effect of phenobarbital in rats.
AB  - Phenobarbital elicits a hypothermic effect in rats. To determine if functional
      tolerance develops to this effect on temperature, rats were treated twice daily
      with IP injections of sodium phenobarbital (PheB) or saline. The PheB doses were
      increased over 21 days and then were held constant for another 23 days. On the
      next day (day 45) animals from both groups were given 80, 110 or 160 mg/kg PheB
      IP and the decrease in rectal temperature after 2 h was determined. Animals were
      decapitated after the temperature measurement and brain PheB levels were
      determined. A 1.51-fold shift in the relationship between brain level and
      response was found for the group given chronic PheB. These results show
      functional tolerance occurs to the hypothermic effect of PheB. This experiment
      was done in animals that were on a restricted food regimen. Rats given chronic
      PheB lost more weight than the group given chronic saline unless extra food was
      provided. We found that this occurred because the rats given chronic PheB lost
      more food through the wire cage floor than rats given chronic saline.

PMID- 1882003
TI  - Beta-endorphin-induced locomotor stimulation and reinforcement are associated
      with an increase in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens.
AB  - In vivo microdialysis was used to compare the effects of beta-endorphin upon
      dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) of anesthetized versus
      freely moving rats, and to examine the role of the mesolimbic DA system in
      mediating both the motoric and secondary reinforcing effects of this peptide.
      Microdialysis probes were inserted into the NAC and perfusates were analyzed for
      DA and its metabolites, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid
      (HVA), using a reversed phase HPLC system with electrochemical detection for
      separation and quantification. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of
      beta-endorphin (2.5 and 5.0 micrograms) increased DA release and metabolites in
      both freely moving and anesthetized rats. This effect was of greater magnitude
      and duration in freely moving rats and was accompanied by stimulation of
      locomotor activity. The 5 micrograms dose also functioned as a secondary
      reinforcer in a conditioned place preference paradigm. A higher dose of beta
      endorphin (7.5 micrograms) stimulated DA release and metabolites in anesthetized
      rats but failed to affect these parameters in freely moving rats. At this dose,
      catalepsy and a loss of the reinforcing effects of this peptide were observed.
      These data demonstrate marked differences in the effects of beta-endorphin upon
      DA release in the awake versus anesthetized rat. Further, the finding that the
      reinforcing and locomotor stimulating effects of beta-endorphin only occur at
      those doses which stimulate DA release suggest that this action is critical for
      the expression of both behavioral effects.

PMID- 1882002
TI  - Standardization of the rat paw formalin test for the evaluation of analgesics.
AB  - Administration of 5% formalin into the rat or guinea pig hind paw evokes two
      spontaneous responses: flinching/shaking and licking/biting of the injected paw.
      The temporal and behavioral characteristics of these objective endpoints are
      described. Additionally, several practical suggestions aimed at standardizing
      this test for the evaluation of analgesics are presented. The early/acute and
      late/tonic (0-10 and 20-35 min post-formalin, respectively) phases of flinching
      were used to quantitate antinociception in the rat. PD 117302, the kappa
      selective agonist, was three times more potent than morphine against tonic
      flinching after SC administration. Formalin may therefore be a noxious stimulus
      of choice in the evaluation of kappa agonists. Morphine was only twice as potent
      against tonic flinching as against acute flinching or the tail-dip reflex to
      water (50 degrees C). In contrast, PD 117302 was 27 times less potent on early
      phase and was inactive in the tail-dip test. Thus, while morphine is essentially
      equipotent across tests, PD 117302 shows a spectrum of activity with impressive
      potency and efficacy being obtained against tonic pain. Kappa receptors may
      therefore be prominently involved in tonic pain states. Aspirin given orally was
      not consistently antinociceptive in either phase of the formalin test. Spinal
      transection completely abolished late phase responding but only partly attenuated
      flinching in the early phase. This suggests that the relative involvement of
      spinal (as opposed to supraspinal) processing of noxious inputs may, at least in
      part, be a function of stimulus intensity and underlie the differences in
      antinociceptive potency observed in this work.

PMID- 1882005
TI  - Diazepam withdrawal responses measured in the social interaction test of anxiety
      and their reversal by baclofen.
AB  - After 21 days of treatment with diazepam (0.5 or 2 mg/kg/day) rats were tolerant
      to the effects of diazepam to increase social interaction in the low light
      unfamiliar test condition of the social interaction test of anxiety. When they
      were tested 24 h after the last of 21 injections they showed significant
      decreases in social interaction, indicating an anxiogenic withdrawal response.
      However, the social interaction scores of rats tested 48 h after withdrawal from
      diazepam treatment were no longer different from those of the control group. The
      decreased social interaction, indicating increased anxiety, detected 24 h after
      withdrawal of diazepam (21 daily injections of 0.5 or 2 mg/kg), could be reversed
      by the usual daily diazepam dose (0.5 or 2 mg/kg, respectively) or by baclofen
      (0.5 or 1 mg/kg). Baclofen (2 mg/kg) was sedative in both control treated and
      diazepam-dependent rats, but was ineffective at reversing the decrease in social
      interaction seen after diazepam withdrawal. Possible sites of action mediating
      these effects of baclofen are discussed, and it is suggested that either post
      synaptic GABAB sites in the hippocampus are involved or that the reversal of the
      decreased social interaction detected on withdrawal of diazepam treatment is due
      to a baclofen-mediated inhibition of 5-HT release in the hippocampus.

PMID- 1882004
TI  - Reduction of oxotremorine-induced analgesia after chronic but not acute restraint
      stress.
AB  - The analgesic response (tail-flick latency) induced by the muscarinic cholinergic
      agonist oxotremorine was investigated in DBA/2 mice exposed to acute (a single 2
      h session) and chronic (2 h once daily for 10 days) restraint stress. While a
      single exposure to stress did not influence the antinociceptive effects of the
      cholinergic agonist, chronic stress induced a clear-cut reduction of the
      oxotremorine-induced analgesia. The results show an involvement of cholinergic
      mechanisms in the adaptive modulation of nociception after chronic stressful
      events.

PMID- 1882007
TI  - Effect of buspirone on cigarette withdrawal symptoms and short-term abstinence
      rates in a smokers clinic.
AB  - This paper reports on a double blind trial of the effect of buspirone, 15 mg per
      day, on cigarette withdrawal symptoms and ability of smokers to maintain
      abstinence during treatment. A total of 61 smokers were randomly assigned to
      active or placebo conditions. They were maintained on their drug for 2 weeks
      prior to attempting abstinence and then for a further 4 weeks of abstinence.
      Subjects attended weekly group sessions of a psychological treatment programme.
      There was no evidence that the side effects in the active drug group were worse
      than those in the placebo group. Although there was no significant difference
      between active and placebo conditions on withdrawal symptoms, smokers in the
      active drug condition were more than twice as likely to maintain abstinence for
      the duration of the study than those in the placebo condition (47% versus 16%,
      chi square = 5.3, P less than 0.025). The results provide preliminary evidence
      for short-term efficacy of buspirone as an aid to smoking cessation at a low
      dose. They also provide evidence of a dissociation between withdrawal symptoms
      and successful abstinence.

PMID- 1882006
TI  - EEG and ERP response to chronic ethanol exposure in rats.
AB  - Chronic ethanol exposure has been described in humans to produce a series of long
      and short term electrophysiological consequences. Interpretation of the
      electrophysiological findings in human subjects, however, is made difficult due
      to concomitant factors, such as nutritional status, premorbid functioning and
      differences in genetic susceptibility to the effects of ethanol. In the present
      study, electroencephalograms (EEGs) and auditory event related potentials (ERPs)
      were utilized to explore the short and longer term effects of chronic ethanol
      exposure in rats. Rats were continuously exposed to ethanol vapors for a period
      for 1 month. This treatment produced a mean blood ethanol level of 178 +/- 13.86
      mg%. EEGs and ERPs were subsequently collected at 10 min, 24 h, and 2 weeks
      following termination of ethanol exposure. Significant changes in the EEGs and
      ERPs of these rats could be demonstrated. EEG amplitude increases, as quantified
      by spectral analysis, were most prominent at the 24 h time period, perhaps
      reflecting a state of "rebound excitability". EEG responses were normalized in
      ethanol-treated rats by 2 weeks post-withdrawal. In contrast, reductions in the
      N1 and P2 amplitudes of the rat ERPs were prominent after chronic ethanol
      exposure and following 2 weeks withdrawal, suggesting that ethanol may produce
      some longer term effects on response to ERP stimuli. Taken together, these
      studies suggest that ethanol may produce differential effects on EEG and ERPs and
      that this model may provide a useful substrate for the evaluation of the
      mechanisms underlying the effects of chronic ethanol exposure.

PMID- 1882008
TI  - Meta-analysis: a review.

PMID- 1882009
TI  - Cluster analyses of cardiovascular responsivity to three laboratory stressors.
AB  - Seventy-three young normotensive male subjects were tested with an experimental
      protocol that included a reaction time, a mental arithmetic, and a cold pressor
      task. Physiological variables that were recorded included heart rate, stroke
      volume, pre-ejection period, blood pressure, total peripheral resistance, and
      respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In order to identify subgroups of subjects who
      differed in their pattern of autonomic responses to the tasks, the physiological
      change scores from baseline to the tasks for each subject were entered into a
      cluster analysis for each task. Ward's method was used as the clustering
      algorithm. The cluster analyses identified four clusters for the reaction time
      and mental arithmetic tasks, and five clusters for the cold pressor task.
      Although there was a wide range of patterns exhibited by cluster subgroups, most
      subjects who were reactive to the tasks showed response patterns that were
      qualitatively similar to the pattern of overall mean response by all subjects,
      albeit varying considerably in terms of quantitative response. Little evidence
      was generated for the consistency of extreme beta-adrenergic response from one
      task to another, although significant consistency was noted when milder beta
      responders were included in the comparisons. Some consistency of alpha-adrenergic
      response noted across tasks, as well as significant consistency of being
      relatively nonreactive to the tasks.

PMID- 1882010
TI  - Social competence interview for assessing physiological reactivity in
      adolescents.
AB  - Difficulties in predicting "real life" physiological variation from responses to
      controlled stress tasks suggest the need for more ecologically valid laboratory
      challenges. The Social Competence Interview (SCI) measures physiological changes
      elicited by re-experiencing a life situation in which a valued striving was
      unexpectedly hindered. The 14-minute interview yields data on subjects' goals,
      skills, problem-solving strategies, and social resources. We compared the SCI to
      video game (VG), mirror drawing (MD), and mental arithmetic (MA) in a racially
      balanced sample of 260 adolescents (age 14 to 15 years). Blood pressure changes
      during SCI exceeded those during the other tasks, and were unaffected by race or
      gender. Blood pressure responses to SCI correlated with responses to MA and MD
      but appeared to capture a unique domain of social reactivity. Test-retest
      correlations over 6 months in a random subsample of 27 subjects showed that blood
      pressure reactivity to SCI and other tasks was reproducible. Intrasubject
      analyses of responses to the different tasks disclosed subgroups of consistently
      high and consistently low responders who may be at higher or lower risk. The SCI
      is not threatening and was rated by subjects as less frustrating or demanding
      than MD or MA. Its demonstrated effectiveness when administered by several
      different interviewers suggests the SCI is a promising technique for large scale
      studies of younger populations.

PMID- 1882011
TI  - Relationship of personality characteristics to glucose regulation in adults with
      diabetes.
AB  - Personality characteristics were assessed in 139 diabetic adults (insulin
      dependent diabetes mellitus = 84, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus = 55)
      to determine whether a relationship existed between glucose regulation and the
      measured psychological features. Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality
      Questionnaire (TPQ) was used to evaluate personality while glycated hemoglobin
      provided an estimate of recent glucose control. Mean glycated hemoglobin (gHb)
      for the sample was 11.4%. A significant difference (p = 0.03) in gHb levels was
      observed comparing subjects with extreme personality features (mean = 11.9%) with
      those subjects with average personality profiles (mean = 10.9%). Post hoc
      statistical testing identified opportunistic, alienated, and explosive
      temperaments as the personality features most often associated with poor glucose
      control. The TPQ appeared to be a particularly useful predictor of poorer glucose
      regulation in the subset of patients who were self-referred.

PMID- 1882012
TI  - Group size, cage shelf level, and emotionality in non-obese diabetic mice: impact
      on onset and incidence of IDDM.
AB  - We hypothesized that differential housing, shown to influence emotionality and
      health in infectious and neoplastic disease, would influence onset/incidence of
      diabetes in an autoimmune animal model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
      (IDDM). Non-obese diabetic mice were assigned to same-sex groups of one, five, or
      eight animals/cage, counterbalanced across shelf level by sex and group. During
      weekly urine glucose testing, presence of behaviors indicating emotional arousal
      was recorded. Sex, group, and shelf level affected emotionality: males, animals
      housed alone, and those on the top of the rack exhibited higher emotionality.
      Emotionality and shelf level predicted IDDM in females only. Delayed onset of
      IDDM was associated with high emotionality and with being housed on the top of
      the rack. Group size had no significant effect on IDDM. Emotionality may be a
      mediating factor in animals genetically predisposed to develop IDDM. This
      variable and cage shelf level should be incorporated into the design of studies
      in which IDDM is the outcome.

PMID- 1882013
TI  - Hamsters with coronary vasospasm are at increased risk from stress.
AB  - Results of earlier experiments suggested that hamsters with inherited heart
      disease were at a higher risk of succumbing to stress during the vasospastic,
      lesion-forming period of their lives rather than later when the process of
      congestive heart failure had begun. To test this hypothesis, we stressed
      cardiomyopathic hamsters (CMH) whose ages differed by about 3 months; the younger
      of the two groups of stressed hamsters was in the vasospastic phase of the
      disease. The stressor was cold immobilization in which stressor intensity was
      manipulated using two durations of cold exposure. Log rank survival curves
      revealed no difference in mortality with the more intense stressor. However,
      significantly fewer of the older hamsters succumbed to the less intense stressor
      (46% as compared with 85% of the younger CMHs). Examination of the hearts in the
      experiment where mortality rate was the same for both groups revealed evidence of
      cardiac dilatation, indicative of heart failure, only in the older hamsters
      following stress. Since the younger hamsters did not show these changes and since
      they, but not the older animals, have coronary microvascular spasm and an
      increased susceptibility to stress, it would appear that the process of coronary
      vasospasm should be viewed as an independent and additional risk factor in
      determining the consequences of stress. Because of the effects of stress in the
      younger cardiomyopathic hamster, we believe that a neural link--which can be
      activated by stress--may be involved in the pathogenetic process of coronary
      vasospasm.

PMID- 1882014
TI  - Temperament and allergic symptoms.
AB  - Two independent studies of the first and second degree relatives of extremely shy
      versus sociable children revealed greater prevalence of hayfever and social
      anxiety among the relatives of the former group of children. These data, which
      are in accord with other research, imply a genetically mediated relation between
      social anxiety and selected atopic allergies.

PMID- 1882015
TI  - An AIDS bibliography for the general psychiatrist.

PMID- 1882016
TI  - Psychological factors affecting neurological conditions. Depression and stroke,
      multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy.
AB  - As a contribution to the proposed revision of the DSM-III-R category
      "Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Condition" for DSM-IV, this article
      reviews the history of how the relationship of psychiatric illness to
      neurological illness has been understood with respect to depression. Since both
      psychiatric and neurological illness are aspects of brain functioning, any
      statement of the relationship of these categories entails certain epistemological
      assumptions, some of which have undergone considerable change and rapid evolution
      in the course of the last century.

PMID- 1882017
TI  - The consequences of maternal substance abuse for the child exposed in utero.
AB  - The marked increase in substance abuse in the United States represents a
      significant risk to the development of children exposed in utero to tobacco,
      alcohol, and illicit drugs. This paper reviews the current literature exploring
      the effects of the major substances of abuse on in utero and childhood
      development.

PMID- 1882018
TI  - Effects of uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction on biochemical parameters of
      stress and sexual function.
AB  - The blood levels of several "stress indicators" (prolactin [PRL], growth hormone
      [hGH], total catecholamines, and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate [cAMP])
      were measured in men during the first 2 weeks of uncomplicated acute myocardial
      infarction (AMI) and during a 3-month follow-up period. PRL levels were
      significantly elevated during the first day, and hGH was elevated during the week
      after the AMI. The levels returned to the control baseline values thereafter. The
      levels of the total catecholamines and cAMP in blood remained normal throughout
      the study period. Sexual function during the 3-month follow-up was measured in 29
      patients, using a specially designed questionnaire. Impotence was found in five
      patients and decreased libido in four. No correlation was noted between PRL
      values, the other stress indicators, and sexual dysfunction. A trend toward
      increased incidence of sexual dysfunction was found among patients with recurrent
      AMI.

PMID- 1882019
TI  - Symptoms of depression in patients with type II diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Patients with type II diabetes mellitus were assessed for symptoms of depression
      using the Zung Self-Rated Depression Scale (Zung SDS) and the Beck Depression
      Inventory (BDI). The patients were classified according to the presence or
      absence of diabetic complications, and they were compared with a group of
      demographically matched, nonmedically ill control subjects. The patients with
      diabetic complications scored significantly higher on the depression inventories
      than did the patients without complications and the control subjects. Factor
      analysis of BDI responses revealed that cognitive symptoms of depression were
      prominent in the diabetic patients with complications. In this group, 74% of
      patients scored within the range of clinical depression on the BDI; 35% scored
      within the range of severe depression. Symptoms of sexual dysfunction were
      significantly correlated with symptoms of depression in diabetic women but not in
      diabetic men. The findings are discussed within the context of other research in
      the behavioral aspects of diabetes mellitus.

PMID- 1882020
TI  - Drug and alcohol abuse in patients with acute burn injuries.
AB  - We reviewed records of adult patients admitted to our burn unit who were reported
      to abuse drugs or alcohol from 1985 to 1988. The proportion of patients reported
      as abusing drugs increased significantly from 1987 to 1988, compared to previous
      years. However, there was no increase in the proportion of patients reported to
      abuse alcohol. Patients identified as abusing drugs had longer hospital stays,
      compared to patients who were not reported to abuse substances. Methamphetamine
      and cocaine were the drugs most often abused by patients who abused drugs or both
      drugs and alcohol. Mechanisms of burn injury in these patients included
      "accidental" burn injury related to acute intoxication, and self-injury due to
      psychosis or depression.

PMID- 1882021
TI  - Chronic pain patients and the nonorganic physical sign of nondermatomal sensory
      abnormalities (NDSA).
AB  - The nonorganic physical sign of nondermatomal sensory abnormalities (NDSA) is
      frequently found in chronic pain patients. The presence of NDSA qualifies the
      patient for a potential DSM-III diagnosis of conversion disorder. DSM-III (Axis I
      and II) diagnoses and personality styles were assigned to 283 mixed chronic pain
      patients. Discriminant analysis was used to identify diagnoses and personality
      styles significantly related to NDSA. The demographic variables of workers'
      compensation (WC) status, age, sex, and race were used as control variables. The
      discriminant function comprised all control variable, and psychiatric diagnoses
      accounted for only 22.1% of the variance. Age and WC status, i.e., the
      demographic variables, explained most of the variance (16.8%), with psychiatric
      diagnoses adding little (5.3%). The vast majority of the variance is unexplained,
      indicating the presence of "unexplained" factors for the presence of NDSA in
      chronic pain patients.

PMID- 1882022
TI  - A psychiatry outpatient consultation-liaison clinic. Experience at the Cleveland
      Clinic Foundation.
AB  - This report describes the patients seen during the first 3 months of operation of
      a psychiatry outpatient consultation-liaison (C-L) clinic. A total of 113
      patients were seen. For 8% of the appointments made, patients did not show up;
      the cancellation rate was 3.8%. Depression, anxiety, stress, and somatic symptoms
      were the most common reasons for referral, while the most common diagnoses made
      were major depression, adjustment disorder, and panic disorder. Practitioners in
      the fields of internal medicine, primary care, and psychology made the majority
      of the referrals. Patient satisfaction as expressed in a written survey was high.
      The results showed that an outpatient C-L clinic can be an effective way to
      access and treat medicine, surgery, and psychology outpatients in a big hospital
      setting.

PMID- 1882023
TI  - Hypoalbuminemia in delirium.
AB  - The charts of 100 delirious patients seen by a psychiatric consultation service
      were reviewed. The most common chronic medical problems included diabetes and
      cardiovascular disease, while infections and trauma were the most common acute
      problems. The most frequent laboratory abnormality was hypoalbuminemia, appearing
      in 66% of those tested. Hypoalbuminemic patients were more likely to have a
      combination of medical problems, long hospital stays, and increased mortality,
      while patients with normal albumin were more likely to have drug toxicities and
      short hospital stays. While hypoalbuminemia develops because of many
      physiological processes, the data suggest that more attention should be paid to
      nutrition and serum transport capability in medical patients.

PMID- 1882025
TI  - Psychological and behavioral benefits of a stress/type A behavior reduction
      program for healthy middle-aged army officers.
AB  - Twenty army officers who participated in a stress/type A behavior reduction
      program and a comparison group of 17 officer nonparticipants volunteered to
      undergo a battery of psychological and behavioral tests before and after the
      program. Following the program, participants displayed a significantly greater
      reduction in average daily caloric intake and levels of perceived stress,
      anxiety, hostility, depression, psychological distress, and type A behavior as
      compared to the officers who did not participate in it. Given the fact that most
      of these psychological and behavioral factors have been found in previous studies
      to be related to an increased risk for coronary artery disease, it seems that the
      changes reported by the participants in the program are potentially healthful.

PMID- 1882024
TI  - Psychological functioning of daughters of breast cancer patients. Part I:
      Daughters and comparison subjects.
AB  - Sixty daughters of mothers with breast cancer were matched for age, educational
      level, and race with 60 comparison subjects without a maternal history of breast
      cancer to assess the impact on psychological adjustment, coping, body image,
      sexual functioning, and health knowledge and practices of having had a mother
      with breast cancer. Daughters of breast cancer patients showed significantly less
      frequent sexual intercourse, lower sexual satisfaction, and greater feelings of
      vulnerability to breast cancer, and they could identify a greater number of
      symptoms of breast cancer. No differences between groups were found in
      psychological symptoms, coping styles, breast self-examination practices,
      mammography practices, health knowledge, or body-image ratings. Contrary to
      clinical studies, women at risk for breast cancer showed good overall coping with
      few signs of significant dysfunctions in relation to comparison subjects.

PMID- 1882026
TI  - A fallacy of subspecialization in psychiatry. Consultation-liaison is a
      supraspecialty.

PMID- 1882027
TI  - Panic disorder in a paraplegic patient.

PMID- 1882028
TI  - A family systems approach to competency evaluations in the elderly.

PMID- 1882029
TI  - [Roman medicine and classical philology. A necessary matrimony].

PMID- 1882030
TI  - [History of immunology].

PMID- 1882031
TI  - [Giacomo Andrea Giacomini: a Padua clinician between metaphysics and science].
AB  - As Professor of Theoretical Medicine for Surgeons at Padua University between
      1824 and 1849, Giacomini achieved a position of great academic professionalism
      and prestige, not only in Padua, but throughout Italy and Europe. His fundamental
      medical thesis became part of the established field of medical practice that
      existed into the first decades of the 19th century. This thesis, derived directly
      from a vitalistic concept of biological phenomena, was based on the existence of
      a 'life force' that is distinct from the forces of physical-chemistry, having its
      own specific laws, contrary to those of physical-chemistry. Using this concept
      Giacomini was able to distinguish two causes of death: mechanical illness and
      dynamic illness. The nosographic and therapeutic beliefs of Giacomini were based
      on his distinction between the 'mechanical' or 'dynamic' effects of drugs.
      Giacomini's medical philosophy is the result of an interweaving of scientific
      theories and metaphysical ideas. The merits and limits of this philosophy must be
      analysed in the light of modern epistemology to explain why Giacomini was unable
      to develop fully clinical anatomy.

PMID- 1882033
TI  - Accelerated forced eruption as a preparatory measure for the restoration of
      severely damaged maxillary incisors: a case report.
AB  - Restoration of severely damaged teeth requires comprehensive, carefully planned
      pretreatment. This report of a patient who sustained traumatic injury to the
      maxillary anterior teeth demonstrates the use of accelerated forced eruption to
      strengthen damaged roots, allowing placement of crowns and eliminating the need
      for a fixed partial denture.

PMID- 1882032
TI  - Streptomycin: discovery and resultant controversy.
AB  - The antibiotic streptomycin was discovered soon after penicillin was introduced
      into medicine. Selman Waksman, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery,
      has since generally been credited as streptomycin's sole discoverer. However, one
      of Waksman's graduate students, Albert Schatz, was legally recognized as
      streptomycin's co-discoverer and received a share of the royalties from the drug.
      The aim of this essay is to discuss the streptomycin story, largely using
      previously unquoted archival material, and in particular to provide further
      evidence for the important role which Schatz played in the discovery.

PMID- 1882034
TI  - Overdenture supported by osseointegrated fixtures: a case report.
AB  - The increasing use of oral endoprostheses has offered new alternatives for fixed
      and removable prosthesis design. However, the use of implants also requires the
      complex understanding and use of sound prosthodontic principles. The
      establishment of proper maxillomandibular relationships (vertical dimension,
      occlusal plane, curve of Spee, tooth arrangement), esthetics, and function are
      essential precursors to success. Although the usefulness of rehabilitation with
      overdentures supported by osseointegrated fixtures is sometimes underestimated,
      overdentures provide an adequate treatment alternative in indicated cases. A case
      is presented in which previous preprosthetic surgery had failed and subsequently
      an overdenture supported by osseointegrated fixtures was constructed.

PMID- 1882035
TI  - Improved retention for bonded cast metal rests: a case report.
AB  - This article describes improvements in retention of resin-bonded, cast metal rest
      seats that utilize cast pins for additional stabilization and resistance to
      intraoral forces of dislodgment. This method combines the classic design of pin
      ledge retainers with the resin-bonded concept of retention to provide a reliable
      and stable, but conservative, method of altering tooth form to support removable
      partial dentures.

PMID- 1882036
TI  - The superior labial frenum: a histologic observation.
AB  - Superior labial frena obtained from cadavers or frenectomies were examined
      histologically. The frena were covered by stratified squamous nonkeratotic,
      orthokeratotic, or parakeratotic epithelia, depending upon the gingival extent of
      the frenum. In addition to the normal components of dense, irregular, collagenous
      connective tissue, almost all frena contained myelinated nerve fiber bundles and
      small vascular channels. Additionally, 35% of the frena examined contained a few
      small skeletal muscle fibers.

PMID- 1882037
TI  - Color change in light-cured resins exposed to daylight.
AB  - The clinical yellowing of anterior composite resin restorations with time is
      often the cause for their replacement. This work examined in vitro the effect of
      sunlight and water separately and together on color changes in the lighter shades
      of 16 resins. The natural radiation (ultraviolet and visible) was greater than
      would be expected in clinical use, and the color changes were generally only
      slight for most resins, as judged by standardized photographic recording and
      visual inspection of transparencies over time. The changes were greater when
      sunlight and water were combined. The light-cured surface was less affected than
      the distal surface. The hydrolysis action by water was particularly marked for
      one resin, which also showed a high release of camphoroquinone-type catalyst.
      Marked clinical discoloration may be as much or more affected by absorption of
      food colorants than by sunlight and water.

PMID- 1882038
TI  - Quantitative in vivo evaluation of four restorative concepts for mixed Class V
      restorations.
AB  - This study was performed in vivo over a 6-month period to assess restorative
      margins in Class V restorations placed with different techniques. The margins
      were evaluated quantitatively under the scanning electron microscope using the
      replica technique. Results indicated that the sandwich technique using a glass
      ionomer cement base and a composite resin restoration was not able to prevent
      marginal gaps in dentin. However, the experimental Gluma/Clearfil system resulted
      in a quality of dentinal margins not statistically significantly different from
      that of enamel margins. These in vivo findings substantiate in vitro results.

PMID- 1882039
TI  - Dentinal shear bond strength, microleakage, and contraction gap of visible light
      polymerized liners/bases.
AB  - The bond strength and microleakage patterns of three light-curing glass-ionomer
      cement liners/bases (Vitrebond, XR Ionomer, and Zionomer) were evaluated and
      compared to a fluoride-releasing resin (TimeLine) designed for the same use. Bond
      strength tests were performed at 24 hours and 7 days. At 24 hours Vitrebond, Time
      Line, and Zionomer had statistically significantly greater bond strengths than XR
      Ionomer. At 7 days, Vitrebond had a statistically significantly stronger bond
      than the others. Microleakage was evaluated after 24 hours of thermocycling.
      Vitrebond and XR Ionomer had statistically significantly less leakage than the
      others, while TimeLine had significantly more leakage than the others.
      Polymerization contraction gaps between the liners/bases and dentin were examined
      with scanning electron microscopy. Contraction gaps were approximately 10 microns
      with Vitrebond and XR Ionomer and 5 microns with TimeLine. A contraction gap
      generally was not observed with Zionomer.

PMID- 1882040
TI  - An in vitro study of the tensile strength of composite resins repaired with the
      same or another composite resin.
AB  - Interfacial tensile bond strengths of self-cured and light-activated composite
      resins, repaired with the same or another composite resin were measured. The bond
      strengths were measured as a function of age of the substrate or as a function of
      the adhered surface treatment. One control group of solid resin samples was
      tested for tensile strength. Other groups of specimens, matured for 48 hours, 7
      days, and 1 year, were cut in half and ground flat before a fresh mass of
      composite resin was added. Six groups were coated with a thin layer of
      intermediate resin or bonding agent before the fresh composite resin was added.
      In general, the repaired composite resins revealed lower strength than did the
      cohesive samples, with bond strengths ranging from 19% to 52% of the strengths of
      the unrepaired resins. The intermediate resin increased the bond strength in all
      cases.

PMID- 1882041
TI  - Clinical and morphologic response to interdental brushing therapy.
AB  - The interdental papilla is the anatomic site most susceptible to periodontal
      disease. The gingival epithelium plays an important role as a barrier to protect
      the underlying connective tissue from exogenous noxious agents. A study was
      undertaken to evaluate the papillary epithelial response to reconstructive
      stresses conducted by gingival brushing (oral therapy) and scaling and root
      planing, intended to induce a keratinization associated with reduction or
      resolution of connective tissue inflammation. Results showed that patients who
      prolonged the interproximal hygiene practices for more than 30 minutes a day
      achieved a satisfactory keratinization of the papillary gingival epithelium.

PMID- 1882042
TI  - A clinical technique for bonding gold castings to teeth.
AB  - A clinical technique is presented that allows practitioners to use adhesive
      bonding techniques to improve the retention and seal of gold castings. At the
      time of delivery of a gold casting, the preparation is treated with a self-curing
      enamel and dentinal bonding agent. The internal surface of the casting is
      sandblasted and electroplated with tin to produce a surface suitable for bonding
      with a resin cement, which is virtually insoluble and is adhesive to both the
      metal surface and the treated tooth.

PMID- 1882043
TI  - Maintenance of pulpal vitality using potassium nitrate-polycarboxylate cement
      cavity liner.
AB  - Following deep restorations in vital teeth, postoperative pain of various
      durations frequently occurs, even if the teeth were asymptomatic before
      treatment. In this study, a potassium nitrate-polycarboxylate cement was used as
      a liner and was found clinically to tend to preserve pulpal vitality and
      significantly eliminate or decrease postoperative pain.

PMID- 1882044
TI  - Nightguard vital bleaching: how safe is it?
AB  - The conservative technique for bleaching vital teeth using a nightguard and a 10%
      carbamide peroxide solution has captured the esthetic interests of the dental
      profession. The purpose of this article is to assess the safety of the products
      used in this bleaching technique based on results from past related research and
      current research. Ten percent carbamide peroxide solutions used in numerous
      studies have demonstrated tissue-healing properties as well as a propensity for
      the reduction of plaque and gingivitis. None of these clinical studies revealed
      any untoward or detrimental side effects, and all demonstrated beneficial
      effects. Although some concern exists regarding the potentiating effects of
      peroxide solutions in the presence of known carcinogens, concerns of toxicity or
      damage to hard and soft tissues appear unfounded. The majority of current and
      past research and literature indicates that the current use of a 10% carbamide
      peroxide solution in the method advocated for bleaching vital teeth is apparently
      safe when administered properly under the supervision of a dentist.

PMID- 1882045
TI  - Factors affecting the process of color matching restorative materials to natural
      teeth.
AB  - Resin-based restorative materials have to not only function properly but also
      fulfill esthetic demands; restorations must harmonize in shape and shade with
      natural teeth. The human perception of color is affected by external factors. The
      influence of these factors is discussed in regard to two pairs of composite
      resins: Silux/Valux and Pekalux/Pekafill. With the knowledge of the influence of
      these factors and with the accuracy of modern color measurement instruments, it
      is today possible to carry out restorative work to meet the highest esthetic
      standards.

PMID- 1882046
TI  - Faculty differences in replacement decisions for amalgam restorations.
AB  - During a 15-week period, six full-time faculty members supervised the replacement
      of amalgam restorations by clinical dental students. The tooth numbers, the
      amalgam surfaces replaced, the reasons for replacement, and the instructors were
      compared. The students removed 956 surfaces of amalgam from 436 teeth. The
      primary reasons cited for replacement were marginal breakdown (69%) and caries
      (33%).

PMID- 1882047
TI  - Occlusal plane modification of an existing maxillary complete denture prior to
      removable partial denture construction: a case report.
AB  - Success in fabricating removable partial dentures, Kennedy Class I and Class II
      in particular, is highly dependent on proper orientation of the occlusal plane.
      The closer to the ideal, the better the prosthesis will function and provide
      proper esthetics and phonetics. This case report presents the diagnosis and
      occlusal modification of an existing maxillary complete denture to improve the
      patient's masticatory function with the fabrication of a removable partial
      denture.

PMID- 1882048
TI  - Cementation of a fixed orthodontic appliance.
AB  - Cementation of a fixed orthodontic appliance requires careful attention to
      detail. Certain procedures can be used to improve fit of the stainless steel band
      and enhance the cementing procedure. This paper outlines a technique for
      cementation that optimizes the chances for an ideal long-term band-cement-tooth
      bond.

PMID- 1882049
TI  - Integrating dental and medical care for the chronic bulimia nervosa patient: a
      case report.
AB  - Excessive tooth erosion and resulting sensitivity and esthetic concerns are well
      documented problems in patients with eating disorders. Several techniques for
      restoring lost tooth structure have been reported in the literature. However, the
      potential significant role of dental care in the comprehensive treatment of the
      chronically bulimic patient has received little attention. Integration and
      coordination of dental treatment with medicopsycho-social therapy of the bulimic
      patient may enhance the patient's success in combating this complex disorder. The
      key to proper dental management is a definitive approach to data collection and
      close coordination among all health care personnel providing primary health care
      therapy. A specific dental approach model is recommended in this report of a
      patient with a 15-year history of bulimia.

PMID- 1882050
TI  - Multifocal Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the jaws: a case report.
AB  - Langerhans cell histiocytosis is an uncommon disease that includes a spectrum of
      disorders in which there is an abnormal proliferation of Langerhans cells. This
      article describes a case of a benign form of multifocal Langerhans cell
      histiocytosis of the maxilla and mandible. The patient was followed for a period
      of 2 1/2 years, during which time there was spontaneous remission of some of the
      lesions.

PMID- 1882051
TI  - Microleakage at gingival margins of Class V composite resin restorations rebonded
      with various low-viscosity resin systems.
AB  - The failure of a composite resin restoration to seal at its interface with
      unetched tooth structures, resulting from polymerization shrinkage, creates an
      unwanted marginal microleakage. Rebonding with a low-viscosity resin system has
      been recommended to reseal the marginal gap and to reduce microleakage. Since no
      particular resin system is commercially available, any low-viscosity resin has
      been utilized for this purpose. However, findings of this study seem to indicate
      the importance of selecting the appropriate resin system to optimize the outcome
      of this rebonding procedure, emphasizing the lowest viscosity and good
      wettability of the system. With proper selection of the resin system, this
      rebonding procedure can significantly reduce the microleakage at gingival
      unetched margins of Class V composite restorations.

PMID- 1882052
TI  - The effect of thermocycling on the hardness of soft lining materials.
AB  - This investigation studied the effect of thermocycling on the hardness of six
      commercially available soft lining materials. The apparatus used to measure
      hardness measured the difference between depth of penetration of an indentor into
      a specimen under a primary contacting load and a secondary penetrating load.
      Control specimens were stored in water at 20 +/- 2 degrees C and trial specimens
      were thermocycled between 18 +/- 1 degree C and 53 +/- 1 degree C for periods up
      to 28 days. It was found that thermocycling had a deleterious effect on the
      softness of all six materials. Further, it was shown that chairside provisional
      soft lining materials demonstrate a rapid deterioration at temperatures greater
      than 50 degrees C.

PMID- 1882053
TI  - Factors affecting the stability of sodium hypochlorite solutions used to
      disinfect dental impressions.
AB  - Increased concern over the transmission of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,
      hepatitis B, herpes, and other diseases has prompted research into the
      disinfection of dental impressions. Among the factors to be considered when
      dental impressions are disinfected is the stability of the disinfectant solutions
      during storage and use. This study is concerned with the effect on disinfectant
      solutions of repeated immersion of alginate dental impressions taken in metal
      trays. The effects of the impression materials, metal trays, and dilution were
      evaluated, and the impact of light, heat, and storage were also addressed. The
      findings indicated that in the test solutions, although considerable chlorine was
      consumed during the disinfection procedures, bactericidal activity was
      maintained, while in the control solution both chlorine content and bactericidal
      activity were remarkably stable.

PMID- 1882055
TI  - Tensile resistance of complete cast crowns cemented on amalgam foundations
      retained by amalgapins.
AB  - An in vitro study was conducted to examine the influence of the number of
      remaining cusps and the use of the amalgapin technique on the tensile resistance
      of complete cast crowns in posterior teeth. Results showed the number of
      amalgapins and remaining cusps to have no influence on the tensile strength.
      Failure occurred predominantly at the cemented area (ie, the crown was dislodged
      from the core).

PMID- 1882054
TI  - Extraction versus periodontal-orthodontic treatment: a case report.
AB  - This paper reports the management of a patient with severe localized
      periodontitis accompanied by drifting and extrusion of a central incisor.
      Although the traditional treatment approach to this condition often includes
      extraction and prosthetic replacement, the approach presented here provides an
      alternative to extraction by combining periodontal and orthodontic treatment.

PMID- 1882056
TI  - Graphic assessment of interincisal point movements during chewing of hard and
      soft foods.
AB  - Interincisal point movements in 35 healthy, dentate subjects were investigated
      with an electrognathic apparatus. The main focus of the study was to find the
      average values of determined point graphic assessment in frontal and sagittal
      planes during chewing of hard and soft foods. However, as this was insufficient
      to obtain information on areas where occlusal contacts were reached, border
      movement envelopes were also recorded to obtain indirect information in
      connection to the previous task. The results showed that the graphic assessment
      form of mandibular movements was dependent on the consistency of the food that
      was chewed.

PMID- 1882057
TI  - Predictable seating of the single-unit cast restoration.
AB  - Prior to cementation, a cast restoration must be clinically evaluated in a number
      of critical areas. The proximal contacts and internal surface of the casting, as
      well as centric and excursive occlusion, require assessment and generally require
      adjustment before cementation. The time necessary to accomplish these adjustments
      is not predictable. A technique is presented that permits the majority of these
      adjustments to be completed in the laboratory, thus minimizing the clinical time
      required to seat the casting.

PMID- 1882058
TI  - The effectiveness of sodium fluoride iontophoresis in patients with sensitive
      teeth.
AB  - This study investigated the use of iontophoresis in altering the sensitivity
      level of teeth that displayed thermal and tactile hypersensitivity. A total of 95
      teeth were treated with an iontophoresis instrument. Forty-eight of these teeth
      were treated with a placebo of deionized water, and 47 were treated with a 2%
      sodium fluoride solution. Two of the 47 teeth receiving sodium fluoride had
      identical pretreatment and posttreatment sensitivity ratings, while 40 teeth
      (85.1%) demonstrated a reduction in sensitivity. Twenty-nine of the 48 teeth
      receiving the placebo demonstrated no change in sensitivity. All teeth receiving
      the placebo were re-treated with sodium fluoride. Forty-seven (97.9%) responded
      with reduced levels of sensitivity.

PMID- 1882059
TI  - Effect of a new resin inlay/onlay restorative material on cuspal reinforcement.
AB  - Nine maxillary premolars were restored with composite resin inlays involving
      large intracoronal cavity preparations. Buccal and lingual bonded strain guages
      measured the cuspal flexure under a carefully controlled application of occlusal
      force. The intact tooth was compared with the corresponding preparation and final
      restoration. The preparation itself greatly reduced the coronal rigidity, but
      this was completely recovered in the restored tooth, within the functional force
      of 111 N. A stiffness ratio showed a 97% recovery. From the point of view of
      cuspal strength, this may mean that larger intracoronal restorations are feasible
      with this type of restoration. However, other factors, such as chairside time and
      complexity, and material properties, such as occlusal wear, have to be taken into
      consideration.

PMID- 1882060
TI  - Metallurgical evaluation of a copper-based alloy for dental castings.
AB  - The present study was designed to evaluate the metallurgical properties of an
      experimental, low-cost copper-zinc-aluminum-nickel alloy for dental castings.
      Some specimens were subjected to heat treatment after induction casting. The
      extent of corrosion was determined by measuring weight loss of specimens stored
      in a sodium sulfite solution. In the as-cast specimens, tests demonstrated the
      presence of three phases: the first consisted of copper-zinc-aluminum, the second
      was similar but lower in copper and aluminum, and the third consisted of an
      intermetallic compound of manganese-nickel-phosphorus. After heat treatment, the
      first phase remained relatively constant, the second was converted to Cu3Al, and
      the third increased in volume. The weight loss from the as-cast specimens was
      eight times that of the heat-treated specimens. It was concluded that the heat
      treatment substantially changed the microstructure and improved the corrosion
      resistance of the experimental alloy.

PMID- 1882061
TI  - A new profilometric method for determination of enamel and dentinal abrasion in
      vivo using computer comparisons: a pilot study.
AB  - A technique, sensitive enough to determine both dentinal and enamel abrasion in
      vivo, is presented. Computer-aided profilometry was used to measure the surface
      of dentinal and enamel samples before the experiment. Samples were subsequently
      placed in the buccal flanges of the mandibular dentures of two test subjects, who
      then brushed these pieces with a soft, multitufted brush, and two different
      toothpastes. Results of these pilot studies showed that the samples brushed with
      Colgate BiFluor had markedly less enamel and dentinal abrasion than did those
      brushed with Smokers. In addition, surface roughness was greater in the specimens
      brushed with Smokers. However, person-to-person variation can have a great
      influence on the abrasion process; moreover, only two persons were involved in
      this pilot study, and no definitive statement can be made about the effect of the
      toothpastes.

PMID- 1882062
TI  - The effectiveness of a layered baseplate training aid in the preclinical
      instruction of second-year dental students.
AB  - The effectiveness of the Cavidrill baseplate in the training of second-year
      dental students in cavity preparations in primary ivorine teeth was assessed. The
      preclinical class of 112 students was divided into four groups: Cavidrill-only
      group, two groups combining Cavidrill training with traditional typodont
      training, and a typodont-only group. The Cavidrill baseplate was found not to
      improve the students' performance in cavity preparation when assessed on midterm
      and final examinations.

PMID- 1882063
TI  - Benefits of increasing focal film distance.
AB  - As funding for high technology equipment decreases, diagnostic imaging will
      experience a notable renewal. Radiographers must improve the image quality and
      reduce the integral dose patients receive. By increasing the focal film distance
      from 40 inches to 50 inches, the authors have significantly increased the image
      quality and reduced the integral and cumulative dose of radiation by 12.5
      percent.

PMID- 1882064
TI  - Technique for detecting early rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - The authors are of the opinion that the controversy surrounding the value of
      radiography in the early diagnosis of RA and subsequent assessment of drug
      therapy is due to the poor resolution of the radiographs used in many of these
      studies. Given that radiographic findings correlate with the pathological changes
      occurring in the hands and wrists of the RA patient, the ARA 1987 revised
      criteria for the classification of RA requires a PA projection of the hands and
      wrists. With this in mind, it is obvious that a standard radiographic technique
      offering high-resolution be developed and implemented. Direct magnification
      procedures as previously described offer high-resolution, however, they are
      either too cumbersome to use, require specialized, limitedly available equipment,
      produce partial images, have prolonged exposure times leading to part motion and
      are too expensive. In addition, radiation dosages to the skin are higher. These
      problems also preclude their use in the establishment of screening procedures for
      early RA. By comparison, the authors' optical magnification technique eliminates
      the major problems encountered in direct magnification. More importantly, the
      described optical magnification technique provides high-resolution radiographs
      utilizing readily available equipment and offers a practical means for the
      effective screening and diagnosis of early RA.

PMID- 1882065
TI  - Medical ethics courses for student technologists.
AB  - Little has been written regarding instruction in medical ethics. Since it lies
      outside the familiar technical aspect of the radiologic sciences, some educators
      may lack confidence in presenting the subject. This article addresses the
      importance of adequate instruction and presents a systematic and philosophical
      approach for teaching medical ethics.

PMID- 1882066
TI  - Iceland: land of many contrasts.

PMID- 1882067
TI  - High tech and in touch.

PMID- 1882068
TI  - [Neuroradiologic exploration of cerebral arteriovenous malformations].
AB  - MR and superselective neuroangiographic investigation of 223 patients with
      cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were retrospectively analyzed with
      regard to topography, morphology, vascular architecture and signs of increased
      bleeding risk. MR proved highly efficient in defining the topography of the
      lesion and highly sensitive in detecting AVM-induced parenchymal changes.
      Superselective neuroangiography enables complete endovascular mapping of the AVM
      and provides relevant information on its intrinsic vascular composition. In
      addition, this method gives new insights into the venous drainage patterns and
      the unexpectedly high incidence of associated venous changes. MR
      neuroangiographic correlation in each individual case forms the basis for any
      therapeutic decision and treatment planning. In concordance with previous
      statements in the literature this study disclosed that the presence of stenotic
      draining veins or related aneurysms on feeding arteries represents an increased
      risk for AVM rupture.

PMID- 1882069
TI  - [Venous anomalies of the brain. The clinical significance of the so-called venous
      angioma].
AB  - In contrast to angiography, MRI not only allows the diagnosis of DVA
      (developmental venous anomaly, so-called venous angioma), but also shows up
      cavernomas and other angiographically occult vascular malformations. It also
      differentiates between DVAs and occult true malformations. This has completely
      changed the pathological assessment of DVAs. In a retrospective study on 31
      patients with angiographically proven DVAs neighbouring cavernoma was a frequent
      finding (15 patients, 48% group I). Symptoms caused by cavernoma were present in
      6 (40%) of these 15 patients. The following associations were also found:
      cerebral arterial aneurysm (2), spinal arterio-venous dural fistula (1), dermal
      haemangioma (1), Klippel-Trenauny syndrome (1). Only 16 (52%) of the 31 cases
      with DVA were free of associated cavernoma (group II). Only 3 (19%) of these
      patients with a solitary DVA were symptomatic. In our series we have seen no case
      of bleeding from a DVA. A DVA is a vascular anomaly characterized, like other
      anomalies, by reduced resistance and limited capacity for regulation and
      adaptation. In rare cases this can result in haemodynamic disturbances,
      thrombosis and ischaemia. Wall rupture with bleeding does not occur in DVA. It
      must be assumed that bleeding reported in patients with DVAs before the
      availability of MRI resulted from an associated true vascular malformation in
      most cases.

PMID- 1882070
TI  - [MRT morphology and classification of cerebral cavernomas].
AB  - An MRI review of 54 histologically verified cavernomas allowed the introduction
      of a system classifying this cavernous venous malformation into four types: type
      I (20%) corresponds to the classic morphology of a cavernoma without hemorrhage;
      type II (67%) is characterized by intralesional hemorrhage; type III (11%) is
      associated with an extra-lesional hemorrhage that compresses or displaces the
      cavernoma itself; and type IV (2%) corresponds to a totally calcified cavernoma.
      These variable cavernoma types represent different possible stages of the natural
      evolution of a cavernoma and limit the differential diagnosis, especially in the
      group of occult or cryptic cerebral vascular malformations.

PMID- 1882071
TI  - [Sturge-Weber syndrome. Diagnostic imaging relative to neuropathology].
AB  - Clinical presentation of a child with port-wine stain and seizures leads to the
      suspicion of Sturge-Weber disease (SWD). This diagnosis can be confirmed by the
      detection of a meningeal angiomatosis. In rare cases, early detection of
      meningeal pathology by ultrasound has been reported. Key findings are brain
      atrophy, gyriform cortical calcifications demonstrated by skull radiographs after
      the first year of life or earlier by cranial CT, and dys- or aplasia of the deep
      cerebral veins on angiography. Radionuclide imaging shows focal or diffuse tracer
      accumulation over the affected brain regions. MR demonstrates an abnormal
      appearance of the affected meninges, especially thickening and pathologically
      increased signal intensity after Gd-DTPA application. This, in association with
      the demonstration of abnormal enhancement in deep medullary veins, is the most
      characteristic finding. Contrast-enhanced MR allows early and non-invasive
      diagnosis of SWD, mainly by revealing leptomeningeal angiomatosis and abnormal
      venous vessels.

PMID- 1882072
TI  - [Erdheim-Chester disease].
AB  - Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is characterized by lipid granuloma in the long
      tubular bones, which leads to pathognomonic symmetrical sclerosis of their
      metaphyses and diaphyses. Lipid granuloma may also be present in numerous other
      mesenchymal tissues, especially lung, orbit and retroperitoneal space. The
      clinical course and prognosis of the disease depend on these lesions. Reviewing
      30 cases published since 1931 and a personal case with S100 positive cells, we
      present the typical radiological and clinical findings. There is striking
      resemblance to chronic disseminated histiocytosis X.

PMID- 1882073
TI  - [Cerebral manifestations of Erdheim-Chester disease].
AB  - Cerebral manifestations of Erdheim-Chester disease are variable, giving a picture
      like that of multiple sclerosis. White matter lesions are located mainly in
      cerebellum and pons and lipid granulomas in the meninges. An asymptomatic lesion
      in the choroid plexus, with prolonged uptake of Gd-DTPA is described for the
      first time.

PMID- 1882074
TI  - Molecular structure and transcriptional regulation of the salivary gland proline
      rich protein multigene families.

PMID- 1882076
TI  - Recognition of tRNAs by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

PMID- 1882075
TI  - Amplification of DNA sequences in mammalian cells.

PMID- 1882077
TI  - Molecular-biology approaches to genetic defects of the mammalian nervous system.

PMID- 1882078
TI  - Lens proteins and their genes.

PMID- 1882079
TI  - Ribosome biogenesis in yeast.

PMID- 1882080
TI  - [Synthesis of P450 with genetic engineering and its application to drug, toxic
      substance, and lipid metabolism].

PMID- 1882081
TI  - [Ion spray mass spectrometry for biopolymers].

PMID- 1882082
TI  - Primary structure of two forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone from brains of
      the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis).
AB  - Two forms of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have been purified from brains
      of the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, using reverse-phase high
      pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The concentration of total GnRH was 8.8
      ng/g of frozen brain tissue or 21.1 ng per brain. The amino acid sequence of each
      form of GnRH was determined using automated Edman degradation. The presence of
      the N-terminal pGlu residue was established by digestion studies with bovine
      pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase and coelution with synthetic forms of the native
      peptide. The primary structure of alligator GnRH I is pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly
      Leu-Gln-Pro-Gly-NH2 and alligator GnRH II is pGlu-His-Trp-Ser-His-Gly-Trp-Tyr-Pro
      Gly-NH2.

PMID- 1882083
TI  - Expression of preproVIP-derived peptides in the human gastrointestinal tract: a
      biochemical and immunocytochemical study.
AB  - In order to study biosynthetic processing of the precursor for vasoactive
      intestinal peptide (preproVIP) in the human gut we have developed antisera
      against the five functional domains of the precursor molecule: preproVIP 22-79,
      peptide histidine methionine (PHM), preproVIP 111-122, VIP and preproVIP 156-170.
      The antisera were used to quantify and characterize VIP-precursor peptides by
      radioimmunoassay (RIA) together with high-pressure liquid Uchromatography (HPLC)
      and to examine their cellular localization and colocalization by
      immunocytochemistry. All five peptides were expressed but not in equimolar
      amounts as expected from the amino acid sequence of the precursor. However, the
      ratios between them were fairly constant throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
      The only exceptions were the lower concentrations of PHM and preproVIP 111-122 in
      the gastric antrum which could be explained by the presence of PHV (the C
      terminally extended form of PHM which includes preproVIP 111-122) in large
      concentrations in this region. It was also found that the C-terminal lysine
      residue of preproVIP is not removed during processing. Immunocytochemically all
      preproVIP-derived peptides were shown in neuronal elements. They had a similar
      distribution throughout the gut suggesting coexistence, a finding which was
      supported by doublestaining. The findings indicate that differences in the
      posttranslational processing of preproVIP exist in subpopulations of neurons in
      the human gut.

PMID- 1882084
TI  - Neural influence on oxytocin-induced changes of adrenomedullary catecholamines in
      the pigeon.
AB  - Oxytocin (0.25 IU/100 g body wt) was injected intraperitoneally only once to
      unilaterally splanchnic denervated pigeons. The effects were investigated after
      0.5, 4, 12, 24, 72, 144 and 216 h of administration. The findings revealed that
      oxytocin caused the release of more norepinephrine (NE) from the denervated
      glands up to 24 h after treatment. In contrast, oxytocin-induced release of
      epinephrine (E) showed no significant difference in between the innervated and
      the denervated glands after 0.5 h of treatment. Strikingly, oxytocin brought
      about release of more E from the denervated glands after 24 h of treatment. This
      indicates that the first phase of NE release and the second phase of E release
      are neurally regulated. The findings further revealed that the resynthesis of
      both NE and E was faster in the innervated glands after 216 h of oxytocin
      treatment. This clearly points out that the splanchnic nerve accelerates
      resynthesis of both NE and E induced by oxytocin.

PMID- 1882085
TI  - Rabbit neuromedin U-25: lack of conservation of a posttranslational processing
      site.
AB  - The rabbit small intestine contains neuromedin U-like immunoreactivity (22 pmol/g
      wet tissue weight) that was resolved into a single major molecular form by
      reversed-phase HPLC. The primary structure of the peptide was established as: Phe
      Pro-Val-Asp-Glu-Glu-Phe-Gln-Ser-Pro10-Phe-Gly-Ser-Arg-Ser-Arg- Gly-Tyr-Phe- Leu20
      Phe-Arg-Pro-Arg-Asn.NH2. In rabbit neuromedin U, the Arg16-Arg17 dibasic residue
      processing site that is found in pig and dog neuromedin U-25 is replaced by Arg
      Gly, but this potential monobasic processing site is not utilized by cleavage
      enzyme(s) in the intestine.

PMID- 1882086
TI  - Neutral endopeptidase 24.11 in rat peripheral tissues: comparative localization
      by 'ex vivo' and 'in vitro' autoradiography.
AB  - The neutral endopeptidase 24.11 (NEP) also called 'enkephalinase' thanks to its
      inactivation of enkephalins in the brain, was also recently shown to be involved
      in the degradation of the circulating atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
      Inhibitors of NEP are therefore under clinical trials as new analgesics or
      antidiarrheal agents, protecting centrally or peripherally released opioid
      peptides and as novel antidiuretics and anti-hypertensives in prolonging the
      renal and vascular actions of NEP. It was therefore important from a clinical
      point of view to investigate the distribution in peripheral tissue of a
      systemically administered NEP blocker. Different concentrations of the
      radiolabelled inhibitor [3H]HACBO-Gly have been intravenously injected in rat and
      the distribution studied using whole-body sections at different times by 'ex
      vivo' and 'in vitro' autoradiography to investigate differences in tissue
      accessibility of NEP to a circulating inhibitor. In vivo [3H]HACBO-Gly binding
      was fully prevented by an excess of unlabelled inhibitor and disappeared rapidly
      mainly through renal elimination. NEP labelling was prominent in kidney, liver,
      lung, fat deposits in the neck region, the flat bones of the skull, the
      mandibula, the vertebrae, the long bones of the limbs, articular cartilages and
      synoviae. A lower labelling was found in the intestine, the glomeruli and the
      submaxillary glands. [3H]HACBO-Gly binds also to a limited number of peripheral
      tissues in which the presence of NEP was yet unknown (bones, parts of adipose
      tissues. Some tissues, not labelled in vivo, exhibited various degrees of
      labelling under in vitro conditions (the brain, some portions of the gut, the
      testes, the prostate). Interestingly, few lobules of the submaxillary glands were
      much more densely labelled suggesting the possible occurrence of NEP
      heterogeneity. Except for the brain, the physiological function of NEP in various
      tissues remains largely unknown, but this ectoenzyme is likely involved in
      inactivation of regulatory peptides such as: ANP (partially in the kidney), SP in
      the lung and possibly somatostatin and ANP in bone, ANP in adipose tissue,
      enkephalin in testes, immune peptidic factors in bone marrow. A part of NEP in
      bone marrow corresponds probably to the common acute lymphoblastic antigen,
      CALLA, densely expressed on pre-B cells. Finally, it is important to notice that
      several tissues containing important concentrations of NEP (brain, testes,
      prostate, eye, gut, brush border) are inaccessible to the i.v. injected inhibitor
      thanks to the presence of functional barriers.

PMID- 1882088
TI  - Corticotropin-releasing factor: an inhibitor of vascular leakage in rat skeletal
      muscle and brain cortex after injury.
AB  - Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and other peptides of the corticoliberin
      superfamily inhibit development of edema in skin and mucosa after noxious
      stimuli. Here, the breadth of CRFs protective activity on small blood vessels was
      examined after injury to skeletal muscle or to brain cortex. Male rats (243 +/-
      15 g) were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital 60 mg/kg i.p. and Monastral
      blue 60 mg/kg i.v. was injected 3 min before mechanical injury to muscle produced
      by a 4 cm midline surgical incision in the rectus abdominis or before freeze
      injury to the cortex produced by applying a cold probe (-50 degrees C) to the
      skull for 4 min. Vascular leakage, measured as area of dye staining multiplied by
      its light intensity, was quantified with an image-analysis system. CRF, having
      the human/rat sequence, 30 micrograms/kg s.c., injected once (30 min) or twice
      (30 min and 10 min) before injury to muscle or to brain, inhibited the lesion
      size by 58% and 55%, respectively (tissues taken at 0.5 and 1 h). Microscopy
      showed that CRF inhibited Monastral blue labeling of small blood vessels. The
      ED50 (95% C.L.) of CRF for reducing vascular leakage in muscle after celiotomy
      was 24 (9 to 64) micrograms/kg s.c. h/rCRF injected 30 micrograms/kg s.c. 2 h
      before celiotomy inhibited vascular leakage after celiotomy in adrenalectomized
      rats and this effect was not obtained with dexamethasone phosphate, 1 mg/kg s.c.
      alpha-Helical CRF (9-41), a CRF receptor antagonist, attenuated the actions of
      CRF on celiotomy. Laser-Doppler flowmeter measurements of skeletal muscle showed
      that the anti-inflammatory effects of CRF occurred when there were no significant
      concurrent changes in blood flow. From these results, we surmise that CRF has a
      versatile protective effect on small blood vessels when it inhibits leakage
      within different vascular beds.

PMID- 1882087
TI  - Chromogranin B: isolation from pheochromocytoma, N-terminal sequence, tissue
      distribution and secretory vesicle processing.
AB  - The chromogranins/secretogranins are a family of neuroendocrine vesicle secretory
      proteins. Immunohistology and immunoblotting have suggested that a major soluble
      protein in human chromaffin granules may be chromogranin B (CgB). We purified
      from pheochromocytoma chromaffin granules an SDS-PAGE 110-120 kDa protein whose N
      terminal sequence matched that previously deduced from a human CgB cDNA. An
      antibody directed against a synthetic human CgB N-terminal region specifically
      recognized the CgB N-terminus, though not the chromogranin A (CgA) N-terminus or
      the CgB C-terminus on immunoblots. An antiserum directed against CgB's C-terminus
      also visualized CgB but not CgA. By immunoblotting, CgB was a quantitatively
      major protein in human pheochromocytoma chromaffin granules, but a relatively
      minor in normal bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin granules. In a variety of
      normal bovine neuroendocrine tissues, the relative abundance of CgB
      immunoreactivity on immunoblots was: adrenal medulla greater than anterior
      pituitary greater than pancreas greater than small intestine, hypothalamus.
      Immunoblotting of neuroendocrine tissues (or their hormone storage vesicle cores)
      with both anti N-terminal and anti C-terminal CgB antisera suggested
      bidirectional cleavage or processing of CgB; in the anterior pituitary, a unique
      40 kDa C-terminal fragment was observed. Bidirectional CgB cleavage was also
      suggested on immunoblots of chromaffin tissue from three species (human, bovine,
      rat). C-terminal processing of CgB was also confirmed by amino acid sequencing of
      SDS-PAGE-separated, polyvinylidene difluoride membrane-immobilized CgB fragments
      from pheochromocytoma chromaffin granules. Whether such fragments possess
      biological activity remains to be investigated.

PMID- 1882089
TI  - Release of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the pig nasal mucosa by antidromic
      nerve stimulation and capsaicin.
AB  - The overflow of calcitonin gene-related peptide like-immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI)
      in the nasal venous effluent upon antidromic stimulation of the maxillary
      division of the trigeminal nerve with 6.9 Hz for 3 min or upon capsaicin (0.3
      mumol bolus injection) were analysed in the nasal mucosa of sympathectomized
      pentobarbital anaesthetized pigs. The overflow of CGRP-LI upon antidromic
      stimulation displayed a slower appearance in the venous effluent than the
      overflow upon bolus injection of capsaicin. The vascular effects as revealed by
      the arterial blood flow, the venous blood flow, the blood volume of the nasal
      mucosa, i.e., the filling of the capacitance vessels and the superficial mucosal
      blood flow as revealed by the laser-Doppler signal were also studied. Antidromic
      stimulation of the trigeminal nerve as well as capsaicin bolus injection induced
      a marked vasodilation which was parallel to the overflow of CGRP. However,
      capsaicin bolus injection also resulted in a marked increase in the mean arterial
      blood pressure which may be due to reflex activation of sympathetic fibers. In
      conclusion, we have demonstrated that chemical stimulation with capsaicin as well
      as antidromic stimulation of nasal sensory nerves in sympathectomized animals
      induces both vasodilation and overflow of CGRP-LI in vivo. This indicates that
      CGRP may contribute to the sensory regulation of the microcirculation in the
      nasal mucosa.

PMID- 1882090
TI  - Patterns of immunoreactive pancreatic polypeptide in human plasma.
AB  - Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is synthesized as an amino-terminal moiety of a
      precursor peptide and is released into plasma during stimulation as an amidated
      hormone (PP1-36). The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain the
      immunoreactive forms of PP in human plasma using HPLC chromatographic technique.
      Plasma was obtained from five normal volunteers under various postprandial
      intervals and from the Blood Bank. PP in each plasma sample was processed for
      HPLC analysis by immunoprecipitation and/or immunoaffinity extractions. Migration
      patterns of PP-forms were identified under isocratic elution. This study shows
      that human plasma contains four distinct immunoreactive (IR) forms of PP during
      stimulation by a protein-rich meal. These forms are PP1-36 (peak 4), PP3-36 (peak
      3) and unidentified material migrating as peak 2 and peak 1. The corresponding
      migration constants were Kav 0.828 +/- 0.04, Kav 0.790 +/- 0.003, Kav 0.570 +/-
      0.009 and Kav 0.409 +/- 0.007, respectively. The predominant fasting from of IR
      PP chromatographed as peak 1, while peaks 2 and 4 were reduced in amplitude. The
      1 h and 3 h postprandial chromatograms of HPLC profiles of plasma PP were similar
      in shape but lower in relative magnitude and amplitude. The authenticity of peak
      4 as the migration of native PP1-36 was confirmed using purified IR native PP1-36
      extracted from human pancreas. Partial amino acid sequence analysis of PP peak 3
      revealed deletions of two N-terminal amino acid residues. The chemical identities
      of peaks 1 and 2 are unknown but appear to differ from PP in peaks 3 and 4 by
      virtue of their migration profiles. It is concluded that there are at least four
      distinct IR forms of PP in human plasma. Native PP1-36 accounts for less than 1%
      of total PP after an overnight fast and is about 1/3 of total postprandial IR
      plasma PP. Discernment of the nature and etiology of forms of PP in plasma may
      provide a new understanding of the role of PP in mammalian physiology.

PMID- 1882091
TI  - Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs: relationship between their
      structure, proteolytic inactivation and pharmacokinetics in rats.
AB  - There are two types of superactive agonists of gonadotropin-releasing hormone
      (GnRHa-I: (D-amino acid)6-GnRH and GnRHa-II: (D-amino acid)6-(desGly)10-GnRH-
      ethylamide) the high hormonal activity of which is understood to be due to their
      higher receptor affinity and their higher proteolytic stability as compared with
      the native GnRH sequence. Using the soluble fractions of various rat tissues in
      studies on the inactivation of GnRH peptides, we confirmed the higher proteolytic
      resistance of GnRHa-II, but not of D-Phe6-GnRH (GnRHa-I) and of another analog, D
      Trp3-D-Phe6-GnRH, as compared with GnRH. The exact behaviour of the peptides
      during degradation was found to be dependent on the peptide concentrations used,
      showing the importance of using conditions as near to the physiological ones a
      possible. Towards the membrane fractions, however, the order of degradability was
      found to be GnRH much greater than D-Phe6-GnRH much greater than D-Trp3-D-Phe6
      GnRH. The pharmacokinetic consequences of the different proteolytic
      degradabilities of the GnRH peptides, observed in rats, were a moderate increase
      in the biological half-life of D-Phe6-GnRH by 2.5-fold, as compared with GnRH,
      and a small increase in half-life of D-Trp3-D-Phe6-GnRH by 1.4-fold when compared
      with D-Phe6-GnRH. Whereas no intact GnRH was recovered in rat urine, small
      amounts of D-Phe6-GnRH (about 1% of dose) and high amounts of D-Trp3-D-Phe6-GnRH
      (25.5%) were excreted into urine. Combining the biochemical and pharmacokinetic
      data, it is concluded that proteolytic stability of GnRH analogs in
      pharmacological terms means stability towards membrane enzymes (pharmacologically
      related stability) and that designing analogs with further increased proteolytic
      stability will be of only limited consequences with respect to their biological
      half-lives, the glomerular filtration rate of the kidney becoming the determining
      factor in the peptide clearance.

PMID- 1882092
TI  - [Attaining success in our profession. Business analysis helps dentists to work
      smarter, not harder].

PMID- 1882093
TI  - [Bases of dentinopulpal protection, current status].

PMID- 1882095
TI  - ["Dental education" or censurable publicity?].
AB  - The author comments on the problem of advertising in dentistry desguised as
      public "dental education". In the form of personal interviews to individual
      dentists or "scientific" articles through mass media the news on therapeutic
      methods, procedures or materials, usually is rather inaccurate, presenting the
      information almost as panaceas without a serious support. This has a negative
      effect on the community and is by all means unethical and punishable.

PMID- 1882094
TI  - [Epithelial attachment and subperiosteal implants].
AB  - The case presented is a subperiosteal implantation in a human being, in chrome
      cobalt mollybdenum, with two years and a half of evolution. It has been studied
      from the morphological point of view on being extracted for the patient's
      request, because of a prosthetic maladjustment; the existence of a epitheliarl
      adhesion and the subjacen tissue reaction have been documented.

PMID- 1882096
TI  - [Varnishes and adhesives in the seal of silver amalgam restorations].
AB  - The object of this paper is to evaluate the marginal filtration occurring between
      restoration/teeth in cavities filled with silver alloy when using different
      cavity varnish and adhesives. In 50 teeth removed as a result of decay, cavities
      were prepaired on vestibular faces and were divided into 5 equal groups: Group A:
      with no caviti varnish; Group B: two coats of a linkin agent (Scotch Bond 3M);
      Group C: an amalgam liner base (Voco); Group D; two coats of copal varnish: Group
      E: an amalgam bond base (Carl San Remo, Germany). All groups were filled with a
      silver alloy. The teeth were inmersed in a fuchsin solution at different
      temperatures (17.37 degrees C and 50 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Longitudinal cuts
      were made for visualization under a stereoscopic magnifying glass. Each group was
      observed by five odontologists and was classified according to four categories:
      Grade I: no filtration: Grade II: less than 1/3 wall filtration; Grade III: more
      than 1/3 wall filtration; Grade IV: filtration in walls and floor. Teeth with
      pulp filtration were discarded. Total and percentage values were determined for
      each analysed group. The results revealed that: Group A: 100% of samples
      corresponds to Grade IV. Group B: 40% of sample falls within Grade II while the
      rest corresponds to the highest grade. Group C: 30% belongs to Grade II, 60% to
      Grade III and the remaining 10% to Grade IV; Group D: 30% falls within Grade I,
      while the remaining 20% and 50% correspond to Grades III and IV, respectively.
      Group E: 50% for Grade I and the rest in Grade II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1882098
TI  - [Recovery of a dark radiograph].

PMID- 1882097
TI  - [Orthodontic-orthopedic treatment of alveolar deficiency and maxillary
      retrusion].

PMID- 1882100
TI  - [Globulomaxillary cyst. Presentation of a case].

PMID- 1882099
TI  - [Ameloblastoma. Clinical case].

PMID- 1882101
TI  - [Diagnosis and planning for osseointegrated prosthesis].

PMID- 1882102
TI  - [Parafunctions of the stomatognathic system: their origins and consequences. 1].
AB  - Parafunctional activities are mainly responsible for the disorders that are
      detected in the Stomatognathic System. Those activities have two majors
      etiological factors, one of those is the occlusal relationship, and the other one
      is the emotional strain. Muscular hiperactivity role and their mechanics, as a
      factor of risk in the disorders of the masticatory system, are explained.

PMID- 1882103
TI  - [Change in attitude toward the "affective dentist". The initial interview].
AB  - The role of initial patient assessment as part of a total program designed to
      change negative attitudes towards the dental visit is discussed. The strategy
      endorsed is one which takes into account the affective component of a patient's
      attitude and allows for its expression trough an empathic client-centered itake.
      Two case studies area presented as illustrations of this approach.

PMID- 1882104
TI  - [Canal infection. Ecological theory and repair with osteodentin].
AB  - The characteristics of the infection in the root canal are analyzed, specially
      its development before pulpal necrosis. It is inferred that it is an ecological
      infection with a function: to decompose the necrosis. Inactivating the infection
      in the canal by the formocresol technique, calcium hidroxide or with the
      conventional basic treatment in Endodontics, cleaning, washing, disinfecting and,
      in this case, with partial obturation of the canal, it is possible to induce a
      reparation with osteodentine that can cover all the free extension of the canal.

PMID- 1882105
TI  - Tuberculosis--on the increase?

PMID- 1882106
TI  - Bronchiolitis obliterans, cryptogenic organising pneumonitis and BOOP.

PMID- 1882107
TI  - Smoking and prevention.

PMID- 1882108
TI  - Reversible T-wave abnormality in severe acute asthma: an electrocardiographic
      sign of severity.
AB  - Reversible electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are well recognized in severe
      acute asthma. Inferior lead T-wave abnormalities have only rarely been reported,
      and their frequency and significance have not been well documented. We studied 70
      consecutive patients with severe acute asthma on admission to hospital and during
      recovery, in order to examine the frequency and natural history of such changes
      and to document their relationship to the severity of the attack. Twenty-two
      patients (34%) had inferior lead T-wave inversion on ECGs performed within 1 h of
      admission (group 1), whereas the rest did not (group 2). Apart from sinus
      tachycardia this was the most common ECG abnormality. Patients with inferior T
      wave inversion were found to have more severe asthma in terms of degree of pulsus
      paradoxus, peak expiratory flow rate, forced expiratory volume in 1 s and
      arterial blood oxygen tension. Ten group 1 and ten group 2 patients underwent two
      dimensional echocardiography during the acute phase of their illness and during
      recovery. Six (60%) group 1 patients showed echocardiographic evidence of right
      ventricular pressure overload compared with only one (10%) patient in group 2 (P
      less than 0.02). Following recovery, voluntary hyperventilation and exercise
      testing in ten group 1 patients failed to reproduce the ECG changes seen on
      admission. Reversible inferior lead T-wave abnormalities may occur in the severe
      acute asthma and appear to be related to the severity of the attack.

PMID- 1882109
TI  - Assessment of asbestos-induced pleural disease by computed tomography-
      correlation with chest radiograph and lung function.
AB  - We compared computed tomography (CT) scanning with chest radiography in the
      assessment of asbestos-induced pleural disease (AIPD) in 20 patients (17 men and
      3 women, mean age 55 years, range 43-74 years). Involved pleura was scored on
      plain chest radiographs according to the International Labour Office (ILO) method
      of evaluating AIPD. A CT score was calculated from the measurement, using a
      digital length probe, of the circumference of the chest wall involved by pleural
      disease in each slice. The maximum width of pleural disease was taken into
      account in a way analogous to the ILO method for the chest radiograph. The CT
      score correlated with the chest radiograph score (r = +0.82, P less than 0.0006).
      CT demonstrated discrete plaques in 95% of patients but these were identified
      only in 59% patients on the radiograph. Diffuse pleural thickening was evident on
      the CT scan in all patients and in 70% on the radiograph. There was more inter
      reader agreement about the type of pleural disease on the CT scans than on the
      chest radiographs. CT and chest radiograph scores inversely correlated with all
      lung function measurements except KCO. We conclude that increasingly extensive
      pleural disease is associated with increasingly severe impairment of lung
      function. CT scanning demonstrates the type of AIPD better than plain chest
      radiography.

PMID- 1882110
TI  - Maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures in sitting and half-lying
      positions in normal subjects.
AB  - Maximal inspiratory (PImax) and expiratory (PEmax) mouth pressures were measured
      in seven normal adults in both sitting and half-lying positions on 2 days.
      Analysis of variance did not reveal significant differences between measurements
      made in the two positions for either PImax or PEmax. Measurements were repeatable
      and the results obtained in both positions were pooled. The coefficient of
      variation of PImax was 4.7% between-trials and 10.3% between-days, and those for
      PEmax were 3.4% and 4.4%, respectively. It is suggested that measurements of
      PImax and PEmax made in the half-lying position after thoracic surgery can be
      compared to pre-operative values which are commonly obtained in sitting without
      any influence from a positional effect. Details of the methodology to improve the
      reliability of the respiratory mouth pressures technique are discussed.

PMID- 1882111
TI  - Mycobacterium kansasii infections in Western Australia (1962-1987).
AB  - The records of 81 patients with isolations of Mycobacterium kansasii in Western
      Australia over 26 years have been reviewed. Thirty-nine individuals with 40
      episodes of infection were considered to have disease due to M. kansasii: 36 in
      the lungs (90%), two in the joints (5%), and one each in the skin (2.5%) and the
      lymph nodes (2.5%). The average incidence rate per 100,000 per year was 0.14 for
      the state with the highest in the Geraldton Mid-west region (0.57). The
      male:female ratio was 4:1 and the mean age 50 years (SD 14.5). For pulmonary
      disease the male:female ratio was 3.5:1, the mean age 53 years (SD 11), 42% being
      miners or ex-miners and 91% smokers or ex-smokers. Almost 97% of those infected
      were Caucasian and none were Aboriginal. Drug treatment was highly successful,
      particularly with the rifampicin/ethambutol combination, where 12 months appeared
      to be adequate. There are differences in the demography of the patients having
      pulmonary disease compared to the 42 with insignificant isolations.

PMID- 1882112
TI  - Endobronchial biopsy positive sarcoidosis: relation to bronchoalveolar lavage and
      course of disease.
AB  - Sixty-two patients with newly diagnosed sarcoidosis were examined with fibreoptic
      bronchoscopy, endobronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were
      analysed. Epithelioid granulomatosis in endobronchial biopsies were found in 28
      (45%) of the patients (BPOS). The patients in this BPOS group showed higher
      inflammatory activity in BAL fluid compared to those with negative biopsies
      (BNEG), with significant increases in lymphocyte and mast cell counts, and
      concentrations of procollagen III peptide and albumin. The patients were followed
      over a period of 2 years. The BPOS group tended to have a worse clinical course
      with more patients having a progressive disease and more patients requiring
      treatment with systemic steroids. We conclude that the findings of epithelioid
      granulomatosis in endobronchial biopsies may reflect a more intense and
      widespread inflammation in the lung.

PMID- 1882113
TI  - Neonatal respiratory distress and lung function at follow-up.
AB  - Eight infants (gestational age 27-32 weeks) ventilated in the neonatal period had
      significantly higher airway resistances at 6 months, but not 1 year, than eight
      infants matched for gestational age but without any neonatal respiratory
      problems. We conclude that neonatal ventilation or respiratory distress causes a
      temporary impairment of lung function.

PMID- 1882114
TI  - Inter-relations between relapses, drug regimens and compliance with treatment in
      tuberculosis.
AB  - The inter-relationships between relapse, treatment regimen and compliance in 1009
      patients treated for tuberculosis between 1978 and 1987 are reported. Multiple
      linear logistic regression using relapse as the dependent variable was used
      because of the complex relationships between treatment, compliance, age and
      calendar year of treatment. Compliance (P less than 0.0001) was the major
      determinant of relapse, but age (P = 0.047) was also significantly associated.
      Relapse was not related to sex, site of disease, ethnic group or the presence of
      multiple disease sites. Although the regimen given, the total duration of
      treatment and treatment with or without pyrazinamide were not statistically
      associated with relapse, pyrazinamide containing regimens were associated with
      better compliance. Compliance was best in those aged 60 years and over and worst
      in those aged 15-29 years. Some of the non-compliance leading to relapse was only
      uncovered by close Health Visitor surveillance and not by the physician
      supervising treatment, emphasizing the important role of field staff in patient
      follow-up.

PMID- 1882115
TI  - Rheumatoid arthritis and cryptogenic organising pneumonitis.
AB  - We describe three patients with rheumatoid arthritis who presented with non
      specific pulmonary symptoms, a restrictive defect in lung function and bilateral
      changes on chest radiograph. Lung histology showed characteristic features of
      cryptogenic organising pneumonitis and treatment with steroids produced
      significant improvement. The clinical and laboratory features of cryptogenic
      organising pneumonitis (otherwise known as bronchiolitis obliterans organising
      pneumonia, 'BOOP') are discussed and compared with those of bronchiolitis
      obliterans with which the condition should not be confused. Cryptogenic
      organising pneumonitis should be considered as one of the pulmonary
      manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, but lung biopsy is essential to make the
      diagnosis.

PMID- 1882116
TI  - Late phase nasal reactions--reviewed and revisited.

PMID- 1882117
TI  - Recurrent pneumothorax and malignant pleural mesothelioma.

PMID- 1882118
TI  - Lung function and diabetes.

PMID- 1882119
TI  - Heated linoleic acid anilide reduces serum enzyme activities in rats.
AB  - In view of possible involvement of fatty acid anilides in toxic oil syndrome
      (TOS), the effects of linoleic acid anilide (LAA) and heated linoleic acid
      anilide (HLAA) on the activities of serum enzymes following their oral
      administration was studied in rats as a function of time. Serum glutamic
      oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activities
      decreased significantly in both LAA and HLAA treated rats at day 4. The
      decreases, however, were confined to only HLAA treated group at later stages with
      GOT activity showing significant decrease at day 8 and total lactate
      dehydrogenase (LDH) as well as GOT and GPT activities at day 12. Liver GOT
      activity at day 4 and LDH activity at day 8 decreased significantly in both LAA
      and HLAA treated rats. These findings indicate HLAA components may interact with
      plasma membranes and thereby, reducing the secretion of the enzymes into the
      serum.

PMID- 1882121
TI  - Effects of Fe2+, Fe3+ and desferrioxamine on paraquat accumulation by rabbit
      kidney cortex slices.
AB  - Effects of Fe2+, Fe3+ and desferrioxamine (DFO) on the accumulation of paraquat
      (PQ) into rabbit kidney cortical slices were studied. Fe3+ showed dose-dependent
      inhibition of PQ accumulation. Fe2+ had a more powerful stimulatory effect on the
      lipid peroxidation of cortical slices than Fe3+, but it did not reduce PQ
      accumulation. The addition of DFO made the inhibitory effect of Fe3+ on PQ
      accumulation more pronounced. These results suggest that Fe3+ is able to inhibit
      the accumulation of PQ independent of its peroxidative action, and that Fe(3+)
      desferrioxamine (ferrioxamine) may serve as an antidote for the toxicity of PQ.

PMID- 1882120
TI  - Neurotoxicological effects of a pyrethroid formulation, fenvalerate in rats.
AB  - The effect of systemic treatment of a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide,
      fenvalerate (FV) was examined in adult female rats at different doses i.e. 5, 10,
      20 mg/kg body weight by gavage for 21 consecutive days on regional brain levels
      of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), their acid metabolites:
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) by HPLC-EC system.
      Our results demonstrate pronounced inhibition of NA, DA, HVA & DOPAC levels in
      several brain regions which were neither dose related nor region specific.

PMID- 1882122
TI  - Interaction between dual NADPH-dependent reactions of paraquat in mouse brain
      microsomes.
AB  - Paraquat stimulated NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation in mouse brain microsomes,
      while it suppressed lipid peroxidation induced by NADPH plus ascorbate. The
      stimulation of lipid peroxidation by paraquat was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide
      (NEM). However, NEM attenuated the inhibitory effect of paraquat on lipid
      peroxidation elicited by NADPH in combination with ascorbate. These results
      suggest that an NADPH-dependent reaction which is susceptible to NEM might share
      an electron from NADPH with the alternative reaction, lipid peroxidation, in the
      presence of paraquat in mouse brain microsomes.

PMID- 1882123
TI  - Effects of gastrointestinal hormonal peptides on the transformation of human
      peripheral lymphocytes.
AB  - The gastrointestinal peptides secretin and cholecystokinin were found to inhibit
      the incorporation of 3H-thymidine in the lymphocyte transformation reaction in
      response to phytohemagglutinin. Both peptides inhibited lymphocyte activation in
      a dose responsive fashion. This inhibition was not due to the toxicity of these
      substances, as the lymphocytes remained intact and capable of excluding trypan
      blue. Neither glucagon nor gastrin had any effects of lymphocyte transformation.

PMID- 1882124
TI  - Production of self-migration stimulating factor by metastatic human malignant
      melanoma cells established in culture.
AB  - Establishment of human malignant melanoma of hard palate cell line derived from
      metastatic foci in lymph node is reported. We name it HM162. The shape of HM162
      was almost spindle. HM162 cells secreted a factor into culture medium which
      stimulates motility of HM162 cell itself, and the mode of stimulated migration of
      HM162 cells were activated random migration, that is chemokinesis.

PMID- 1882125
TI  - Dose-dependent glucocorticoid effects on noradrenergic synaptogenesis in rat
      brain: ontogeny of [3H]desmethylimipramine binding sites after fetal exposure to
      dexamethasone.
AB  - Glucocorticoid administration slows the development of many types of cells, but
      may selectively accelerate differentiation of catecholaminergic cells. In the
      current study, pregnant rats were given dexamethasone on gestational days 17, 18
      and 19 and noradrenergic synaptogenesis assessed in the offspring by measurements
      of binding capabilities for [3H]desmethylimipramine (DMI), a radioligand probe
      for noradrenergic presynaptic terminals. After treatment with 0.05 mg/kg of
      dexamethasone, a dose that did not suppress body or brain region growth, [3H]DMI
      was initially enhanced in midbrain + brainstem and in cerebellum; the former
      region also displayed a secondary phase of augmented [3H]DMI binding during the
      ontogenetic peak occurring in the second to third postnatal week. At a higher
      dose (0.2 mg/kg) that elicited moderate growth impairment, fetal dexamethasone
      exposure produced biphasic effects on [3H]DMI binding: initial enhancement was
      still apparent in cerebral cortex and cerebellum, but there were subsequent
      deficits in binding and the peak in midbrain + brainstem was shifted to later
      stages. At the highest dose (0.8 mg/kg), profound growth impairment was evident
      and only the cerebellum showed unequivocal evidence of enhanced [3H]DMI binding.
      All changes were associated with alterations in the maximum [3H]DMI binding
      capacity (Bmax) not in the binding affinity (Kd). These results suggest that low
      doses of dexamethasone that do not suppress general growth, enhance noradrenergic
      synaptogenesis in a regionally-selective and age-selective manner; at higher,
      growth-suppressing doses, this effect is intermixed with general delays in
      maturation, likely contributing to the variable effects of glucocorticoids on
      neurobehavioral development.

PMID- 1882126
TI  - An indirect method demonstrating that CCl4-dependent hepatocyte injury is linked
      to a rise in intracellular calcium ion concentration.
AB  - The capacity of CCl4 to activate phospholipase A2 (PLA2) of isolated hepatocytes
      in suspension, and the toxicity of CCl4 against such hepatocytes, was confirmed.
      It was shown that these actions of CCl4 are independent of the concentration of
      Ca2+ ions in the suspension medium over a 25,000-fold range. In particular,
      toxicity of CCl4 does not require high Ca2+ in the suspension medium. The Ca(2+)
      ionophore A23187 can also activate PLA2, and it also is toxic. However, in this
      case activation of PLA2 and toxicity require a high medium Ca2+ ion
      concentration. These radically different modes of action of CCl4 and A23187
      permitted an indirect confirmation of the hypothesis that the activation of PLA2
      by CCl4, and the toxicity of CCl4 depend on CCl4-dependent mobilization of
      intracellular stores of Ca2+, and a rise in the concentration of Ca2+ ions in the
      hepatocyte cytosol.

PMID- 1882127
TI  - Effect of hypothermia on cyclophosphamide-induced cytological and biochemical
      changes in mice.
AB  - Swiss albino mice, 6-8 weeks old were treated intraperitoneally with an aqueous
      solution of cyclophosphamide. Control group of mice were treated with distilled
      water. All animals were maintained either at 4 or 22 degrees C and sacrificed
      after 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment. Femoral cells were screened for induction
      of micronuclei. Protein, RNA and DNA were determined in liver cells of the same
      animals. Exposure to cold was found to reduce the cyclophosphamide-induced
      micronuclei in the polychromatic cells and increase the quantity of protein, RNA
      and DNA in the liver cells. The observed inhibition of micronuclei may be due to
      increased serum levels of melatonin, taurine, hypotaurine or thyroxine under
      hypothermic conditions.

PMID- 1882128
TI  - Effects of meclofenamate on natural killer cell activity.
AB  - The effect of meclofenamate on natural killer cell activity was studied in a four
      hour 51Cr release assay. Meclofenamate, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug,
      had no effect on natural killer cell activity when added to the mixture of target
      (K562) and effector (peripheral blood mononuclear) cells either at the beginning
      of the reaction or when effector cells were pretreated with meclofenamate for 12
      24 hours. However, a significant increase (p less than 0.0005) in the natural
      killer cell activity was seen when target cells were pretreated with
      meclofenamate for 12-24 hours prior to their mixing with effector cells. This
      increase in natural killer cell activity was observed consistently when target
      cells were taken from different donors.

PMID- 1882129
TI  - Effect of sodium chloride on pirarubicin induced cell killing in P388 mouse
      leukemia cells.
AB  - The effect of sodium chloride on the cytotoxicity of 4'-O
      tetrahydropyranyldoxorubicin (pirarubicin), a novel anthracycline derivative, was
      investigated on P388 mouse leukemia cells in vitro. The modifications in
      efficiency of uptake and killing action of pirarubicin were found to be dependent
      on the ionic strength of the medium. The relationship between intracellular drug
      accumulation into cells and cell killing was pointed out.

PMID- 1882130
TI  - Hepatotoxicity of eugenol and related compounds in mice depleted of glutathione:
      structural requirements for toxic potency.
AB  - Eugenol produces hepatic injury in mice depleted of glutathione (GSH) by
      pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). Several eugenol analogs were
      examined for their ability to cause hepatic injury after administration to mice
      in combination with BSO. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by measuring relative liver
      weight, liver blood volume, and serum GPT activity in mice. Comparison of the
      tested compounds showed that the structural requirements for toxic potency was a
      phenolic ring having an allyl substituent at the 4-position. These structural
      requirements can be explained by assuming that a vinylogous quinone methide
      formed by metabolic oxidation of eugenol plays a role in inducing hepatotoxicity
      in GSH-depleted mice.

PMID- 1882131
TI  - Developmental toxicity evaluation of tiron (sodium 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3
      disulfonate) in mice.
AB  - Tiron (sodium 4,5-dihydroxybenzene-1,3-disulfonate), a chelating agent used in
      the treatment of experimental metal poisoning, was evaluated for developmental
      toxicity in pregnant Swiss mice. Tiron was administered intraperitoneally on
      gestational days 6 through 15 at doses of 0, 750, 1500, or 3000 mg/kg/day.
      Cesarean sections were performed on gestation day 18. All fetuses were examined
      for external, visceral, and skeletal malformations and variations. Treatment with
      Tiron resulted in maternal toxicity at 3000 mg/kg/day as evidenced by a high
      number of deaths, reduced body weight during gestation and increased relative
      liver and kidney weights. There were no significant differences between treated
      and control animals on the number of total implants, dead fetuses, or sex ratio.
      However, embryo fetotoxicity was evidenced at 3000 mg/kg/day by a significant
      increase in the number of resorptions per litter, and a significant decrease in
      the average fetal body weight. There were no significant changes in the incidence
      of abnormalities (expressed as total, individual, external, visceral, or
      skeletal). The no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) for maternal and
      developmental toxicity was 1500 mg Tiron/kg/day.

PMID- 1882132
TI  - Plasma disappearance of creatinine as a renal function test in the dog.
AB  - The serum concentration of creatinine at 120 minutes (SC120) after intravenous
      injection of 88 mg kg-1 of creatinine, the plasma half-life (t1/2) and the plasma
      clearance of creatinine (PCC) were evaluated as renal function tests in 30
      healthy adult dogs and six adult dogs with known or suspected renal disease. The
      mean SC120 in the normal dog was 0.31 +/- 0.08 mmol litre-1 and in the clinical
      cases 0.71 +/- 0.19 mmol litre-1. The correlation coefficients between SC120 and
      renal creatinine clearance (RCC) for the normal dogs and the clinical cases were 
      0.76 and -0.69, respectively. At 120 minutes after injection, 95 per cent of
      normal dogs would be predicted to have a serum creatinine concentration below
      0.46 mmol litre-1. The mean plasma t1/2 of creatinine for the normal dogs was
      107.7 +/- 17.96 minutes, while the clinical cases had a wide range of values
      (148.8 to 620.1 minutes). Plasma t1/2 of creatinine was correlated with RCC for
      both the normal dogs and the clinical cases (r = -0.55, r = -0.91, respectively).
      The mean PCC for the normal dogs was 7.42 +/- 2.22 ml min-1 kg-1 (range 4.95 to
      13.28 ml min-1 kg-1). There was a good correlation between RCC and PCC (r = 0.7).
      The PCC for the clinical cases ranged from 0.76 to 3.37 ml min-1 kg-1. The
      correlation between RCC and PCC was significant (r = 0.91). Thus SC120, t1/2 and
      PCC may be useful methods of assessing renal function in dogs with renal
      impairment insufficient to cause azotaemia.

PMID- 1882133
TI  - Tuberculosis in domesticated red deer: comparison of purified protein derivative
      and the specific protein MPB70 for in vitro diagnosis.
AB  - The use of a Mycobacterium bovis-specific protein, mycobacterial protein bovis 70
      (MPB70), was compared with complex, M bovis-derived purified protein derivative
      (bovine PPD), for its ability to improve the diagnostic precision of in vitro
      assays for tuberculosis in farmed deer. A combination of lymphocyte
      transformation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to
      differentiate between specific M bovis reactivity and crossreactivity due to
      sensitisation with saprophytic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium. In the
      lymphocyte transformation assay the response of mononuclear cells, from red deer,
      to MPB70 was found to be more specific, but less sensitive, as an indicator of
      infection by M bovis when compared with the complex antigen bovine PPD. When used
      in conjunction with bovine PPD alone, MPB70 was found to increase the specificity
      of the ELISA in diagnosing animals with disease.

PMID- 1882134
TI  - Use of a whole chromosomal probe for identification of Treponema hyodysenteriae.
AB  - A whole chromosomal DNA probe labelled with photobiotin was used in a dot blot
      hybridisation to identify DNA from isolates of Treponema hyodysenteriae, the
      aetiological agent of swine dysentery. The probe was evaluated using DNA from 13
      isolates of T hyodysenteriae and 13 isolates of non-T hyodysenteriae spirochaetes
      recovered from pigs. The initial test had both a sensitivity and specificity of
      92.3 per cent, although when it was repeated the specificity fell to 84.6 per
      cent. The test was helpful in distinguishing between T hyodysenteriae and other
      morphologically similar treponemes that are part of the normal flora in the large
      intestine of pigs. The probe could also be used to detect as little as 10 ng of
      purified DNA from T hyodysenteriae, or DNA from 2 x 10(6) bacterial cells lysed
      directly onto nitrocellulose.

PMID- 1882136
TI  - Characterisation of complex karyotype changes in a canine thyroid adenoma.
AB  - A 14-year-old German shepherd dog developed an alveolar adenoma of the thyroid.
      The cytogenetic evaluation of the tumour cells showed two ranges of chromosome
      numbers. Centric fusions 2/32, 5/26, 6/11, 8/11, 9/23 and 14/31 were G-band
      identified in this complex change of karyotype.

PMID- 1882135
TI  - Haematology and histopathology of seven-week-old broilers after early food
      restriction.
AB  - The haematology and histopathology of seven-week-old broilers were examined after
      periods of early food restriction, for six, 10 or 14 days from six days old.
      After several weeks on an ad libitum diet the birds failed to compensate for the
      weight lost during early food restriction. Immediately after the periods of food
      restriction, the birds demonstrated significantly increased heterophil/lymphocyte
      ratios, reduced eosinophils and slightly raised basophil counts. At seven weeks
      old, a significant reduction was seen in red and white blood cells and
      thrombocyte numbers together with significant increases in mean cell haemoglobin
      and mean cell volume. The haematological profile demonstrated a macrocytic
      normochromic anaemia caused possibly by a folic acid deficiency as a result of
      the food restriction. Histopathological lesions were seen in the heart, lungs and
      liver from birds on all diets but there were more lesions the longer the food had
      been restricted. Lung disease was more marked where there was inadequate
      ventilation. Cartilaginous and osseous lung nodules were significantly fewer
      after food restriction. It was postulated that the increase in pathological
      lesions in the food-restricted birds may be associated with a stress response.

PMID- 1882137
TI  - Distribution of penicillin-G and spiramycin to tissue cages and subcutaneous
      tissue fluid in calves.
AB  - Antibacterial drug concentrations in serum, tissue cage fluid (TCF) and
      subcutaneous tissue fluid (SF), sampled either by filter paper discs or by
      microcapillaries, were measured after single intramuscular injections of
      potassium penicillin-G (KPG), procaine penicillin-G (PPG) and spiramycin adipate
      in calves. Concentration-time curves had essentially similar profiles in serum
      and SF, but peak levels were lower and occurred later in SF. From approximately
      four hours after drug administration, penicillin-G levels in SF were similar to
      levels in serum after KPG as well as after PPG administration. Elimination half
      life (t1/2) of penicillin-G in serum was similar to t1/2 in SF after PPG
      administration but was longer in SF than in serum after KPG administration.
      Spiramycin concentrations were higher in SF than in serum and the t1/2 of
      spiramycin in SF was longer than in serum. For all three drugs, the t1/2 was
      longer in TCF than in serum and concentration-time curves in TCF were
      characterised by a slow rise and decline. The two methods of sampling SF, by
      filter paper discs and by microcapillaries, gave similar but not identical
      results. Penetration into SF and TCF, measured as the total area under curve
      ratio, was better for spiramycin than for penicillin-G, but the latter drug had a
      higher penetration ratio to TCF in the first 12 hours.

PMID- 1882138
TI  - Cross-reactivity between Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotypes comparing
      different antigens and serological tests.
AB  - Several antigens were prepared from suspensions of reference strains of the 12
      serotypes of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (saline extract [SE], capsular
      extract [CE], whole cell suspension [WCS], boiled extract [BE], and autoclaved
      cell antigen [ACA]). The cross reactions between each antigen and the antisera
      against reference strains of the other 11 serotypes were compared by using the
      complement fixation test, ELISA and the indirect haemagglutination test. ACA
      produced the most cross reactions, which, in some serotypes, took place in all
      the antisera tested. BE produced fewer cross reactions, but these were more
      abundant than those obtained with SE, CE or WCS. The least cross reactivity
      occurred with SE in the indirect haemagglutination test. This test is, therefore,
      the most reliable method for serotyping field strains of A pleuropneumoniae.

PMID- 1882139
TI  - Fibronectin concentration in plasma of mares and neonatal foals.
AB  - Plasma fibronectin concentrations were measured in clinically healthy mares and
      their neonatal foals, using a modified human fibronectin competitive enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay. Ranges of plasma fibronectin were established in
      clinically healthy horses, and the assay was reliable and reproducible. Plasma
      fibronectin concentrations were similar in mares and foals, both before and after
      colostrum ingestion.

PMID- 1882140
TI  - Serum cortisol changes in heifers induced by lipid X: a monosaccharide precursor
      in the biosynthesis of Gram-negative endotoxin.
AB  - An experiment was conducted to measure the changes in serum cortisol and
      luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations in heifers during the luteal phase of the
      oestrous cycle after the administration of lipid X and Gram-negative endotoxin.
      Nine heifers whose oestrous cycles were synchronised with prostaglandin F2 alpha
      were assigned at random on day 10 after the second prostaglandin injection to one
      of the following groups. Group 1 heifers (n = 3) received 5 micrograms kg-1
      bodyweight of Escherichia coli endotoxin as an intrauterine infusion and one hour
      later received an intravenous injection of lipid X (5 micrograms kg-1
      bodyweight). The treatment was reversed in group 2 heifers (n = 3), endotoxin was
      administered one hour after the lipid X treatment. Group 3 heifers (n = 3)
      received endotoxin infusion and lipid X treatment at the same time. Similar
      dosages and routes of administration were used in all the groups for lipid X and
      endotoxin treatments. Blood samples were collected once every 15 minutes for
      seven hours, beginning once hour before and six hours after the initial
      treatment. In group 1 heifers there was a fourfold increase in serum cortisol
      concentrations within 30 minutes after both the treatments (from 6.5 to 24.6 ng
      ml-1 and from 7.3 to 29.5 ng ml-1 respectively). In group 2 heifers the cortisol
      concentrations increased from the baseline concentrations of 7.2 to 33.2 ng ml-1
      within 30 minutes after lipid X treatment and remained at 22.5 ng ml-1 during
      endotoxin treatment. There was a further increase in cortisol concentrations
      (28.9 ng ml-1) after the endotoxin treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882141
TI  - Effect of cobalt deficiency in the pregnant ewe on reproductive performance and
      lamb viability.
AB  - Reproductive performance and lamb viability in cobalt sufficient and
      subclinically deficient ewes, and from ewes experiencing repletion from and
      depletion into cobalt deficiency, were investigated in two experiments. The sheep
      were fed a cobalt deficient ration and supplementation was by oral dose according
      to treatment. The treatments had a significant effect (P less than 0.001) on ewe
      serum vitamin B12 and methylmalonic acid concentrations. There were no
      significant effects on ewe liveweight, condition score or conception rate. Cobalt
      deficient ewes produced fewer lambs and had more stillbirths and neonatal
      mortalities than cobalt sufficient controls. Lambs from deficient ewes were
      slower to start suckling (P less than 0.05), had reduced concentrations of serum
      immunoglobulin G and zinc sulphate turbidity levels (P less than 0.05), and had
      lower serum vitamin B12 and higher methylmalonic acid concentrations (P less than
      0.05), than lambs from cobalt sufficient dams. Cobalt supplementation in either
      the first or second half of pregnancy only did not fully alleviate these adverse
      effects.

PMID- 1882142
TI  - Physiological and pathological influences on sheep blood plasma amine oxidase:
      effect of pregnancy and experimental alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus.
AB  - A copper-containing amine oxidase is present in sheep blood plasma and has a high
      capacity to deaminate spermine and spermidine. The physiological function of this
      enzyme remains to be determined. Sheep blood plasma amine oxidase (SPAO) was
      measured by its ability to deaminate spermidine (700 microM) using a peroxidase
      linked colorimetric assay developed for microtitre plates. SPAO activity has been
      studied in a group of Welsh Mountain sheep with experimental alloxan-induced
      diabetes. This resulted in an increase in SPAO activity which reached a peak of
      70 days after alloxan treatment (60 per cent increase). This change could be seen
      in both pregnant and non-pregnant diabetic sheep. In normal pregnant ewes, SPAO
      activity remained stable for the first 100 days of pregnancy but declined by 50
      per cent in the last month of pregnancy. Together, these findings suggest that
      SPAO activity is controlled by hormonal influences. This sensitive and convenient
      assay method could provide clues as to the physiological significance of SPAO and
      may be a useful clinical chemical indicator in the sheep.

PMID- 1882143
TI  - Fat absorption in dogs with diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism.
AB  - Quantitative fat absorption was studied in normal dogs and in dogs with
      hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. The serum triglyceride concentrations of
      diabetic and hypothyroid dogs were significantly higher at each sampling time
      than those of normal dogs. The fat absorption curve of hypothyroid dogs peaked at
      180 minutes and though significantly raised was parallel to that of normal dogs
      whereas the fat absorption curve of diabetic dogs continued to rise up to 240
      minutes. These results provide evidence for impaired plasma clearance of
      triglyceride in canine diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism.

PMID- 1882144
TI  - Incidence of common DNA sequences in bovine and porcine Escherichia coli strains
      causing diarrhoea.
AB  - Seventeen bovine and 56 porcine Escherichia coli isolates from cases of diarrhoea
      and from healthy animals were examined for DNA sequences homologous to the genes
      for verocytotoxins (VT), enterotoxins and human enterohaemorrhagic E
      coli/enteropathogenic E coli (EHEC EPEC) sequences. VT-1 was the most common
      toxin among the bovine isolates and VT-2 the most common in the porcine isolates.
      No isolates had homologous sequences to enteropathogenic adherence factor, but
      71.2 per cent hybridised to the DNA probe encoding specific EHEC sequences, and
      95.9 per cent showed homology with a 23 kb DNA fragment common to EHEC and EPEC
      plasmids.

PMID- 1882146
TI  - Technique for continuous stride analysis of horses exercising on a treadmill.
AB  - A technique for continuous computerised recording and analysis of the stride of
      horses on a treadmill is described. Advantages of the system are low cost, the
      use of normal shoes and the calculation of stride parameters in real time.

PMID- 1882147
TI  - Cutaneous infection associated with Staphylococcus hyicus in cattle.
AB  - Forty-seven Staphylococcus hyicus strains, one each from 47 of 81 cattle
      examined, were isolated from cutaneous lesions on different parts of the body.
      Nineteen of the strains were isolated in pure culture and the rest were isolated
      in association with either other staphylococci or microfilariae or mange mites.
      Three out of 10 representative strains produced cutaneous lesions when inoculated
      intradermally into rabbits.

PMID- 1882145
TI  - Common epithelial tumours of the ovary in cows.
AB  - A morphological study of the epithelial tumours diagnosed during examination of
      1489 cows slaughtered in Leon, Spain was carried out. Epithelial neoplasms were
      observed in four animals which represents an incidence of 0.27 per cent. So far
      as the authors are aware it is the first time that two serous papillary
      cystadenomas and one serous superficial papilloma have been described in cows.
      The fourth neoplasm was a mucinous cystadenoma.

PMID- 1882148
TI  - Suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis by porcine interferon-alpha.
AB  - Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from five four-day-old and five six-week-old
      piglets were treated with 10 to 320 units of porcine interferon-alpha, and their
      blastogenic responses to phytohaemagglutinin or pokeweed mitogen were compared
      with those of control lymphocytes. There was significant inhibition of the
      blastogenic response to phytohaemagglutinin by 320 units of interferon-alpha, and
      of the response to pokeweed mitogen by 320 and 160 units of interferon-alpha.
      Porcine interferon-beta was cytotoxic to porcine PBL. The blastogenic response to
      pokeweed mitogen was significantly higher in PBL from the younger piglets.

PMID- 1882149
TI  - Information and education across the phases of cancer care.
AB  - Providing information to the cancer patient, is important but it is only one
      facet of patient education. Cancer patients also need to be taught new skills and
      shown new ways to cope. Patients who are not only informed, but are also educated
      and have more knowledge about their disease, are more likely to cooperate with
      treatment regimens and experience less stress and anxiety. One approach to
      identifying the content of cancer patient education is to focus on the various
      phases of cancer care. This approach provides a way for the patient and family to
      learn those aspects that are critical to coping with and adapting to the impact
      of the disease and its treatment. A number of researchers have begun to build the
      knowledge base important in identifying the appropriate educational content,
      methods for teaching, and approaches to evaluating teaching effectiveness. Future
      studies will continue to provide the scientific foundation for this most
      important aspect of cancer care.

PMID- 1882150
TI  - Selecting a systematic approach for educating hospitalized cancer patients.
AB  - Establishing cancer patient education programs for hospitalized cancer patients
      may follow a six-stage process that includes planning and strategy selection,
      selecting channels and materials, developing materials and pretesting,
      implementation, assessing effectiveness, and obtaining feedback to refine the
      program. The extent to which each of the stages is followed depends upon which
      stages are appropriate for the program and the consensus of hospital management.

PMID- 1882151
TI  - Evaluating written patient education materials.
AB  - Evaluation, the last component in the process of patient education, is the most
      frequently omitted step in producing informative material. Yet, it is essential
      that program/material evaluation be conducted to determine the impact and success
      or failure of the program or material. It is vital to be aware of this need and
      possess knowledge about types of evaluation and those areas that must be included
      to provide a comprehensive evaluation.

PMID- 1882152
TI  - Patient education: history, development, and current directions of the American
      Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.
AB  - With their unique perspectives in the identification, design, promotion, and
      evaluation of cancer patient education programs and services, the National Cancer
      Institute and the American Cancer Society have the abilities to meet a wide
      variety of cancer patient education needs. With federal support and connections
      to national organizations and the comprehensive and clinical cancer center
      networks, the National Cancer Institute has access to nationwide experts in
      medical care and the resources to develop, design, and promote quality, state-of
      the-art education programs. The American Cancer Society, with its strong
      volunteer community base, can pull together local expertise and collaborate with
      local organizations to meet the special needs of local population groups. In
      addition, the American Cancer Society volunteer committees have the flexibility
      to individualize programming and resources to answer specific patient/family
      education problems. As the number of people affected by cancer continues to
      raise, and as organizations realize the need to maximize their resources with
      collaborative efforts, the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer
      Society are challenged to focus their energies on the patient education
      initiatives that build upon and combine their unique strengths.

PMID- 1882153
TI  - The whys of patient education.
AB  - The rationale for patient education is that patients and families have the right
      to be informed; that professional standards describe appropriate patient
      education; that health care organizations and the law require patient education;
      and patients, health care organizations, and that society benefit from the
      process. Patients with cancer benefit in terms of knowledge acquisition, enhanced
      self-care, reduced anxiety, enhanced self-concept and self-esteem, increased
      satisfaction with care, improved pain control, improved oral status, and reduced
      disruption in daily functioning. Health care organizations benefit in terms of
      quality services, reduced costs, and reduction in malpractice suits. Society
      benefits as patients with knowledge and skills maintain or resume functional
      status and return to school, work, or service activities. Nurses are key
      professionals in the coordination and delivery of patient education programs.
      They too have the opportunity to benefit from patient education through
      therapeutic alliances with patients and families that foster both personal and
      professional satisfaction.

PMID- 1882154
TI  - Theories used in patient/health education.
AB  - Patient and health education programs may need to use a multitheory approach to
      promote health behaviors such as cancer prevention and early detection practices
      and decrease negative responses such as anxiety, distress, pain, and use of
      damaging alternative treatments. Multiple intrapersonal, interpersonal,
      organizational, and community approaches are required. For example, a strategy
      for breast cancer education should be characterized by an understanding of the
      target population's attitudes and beliefs about breast cancer, communication of
      information, education regarding specific facts about breast health and breast
      cancer, social influence strategies to promote acceptance of the target
      behaviors, and organizational and community-based interventions to reach the
      widest audience. Nurses should design education programs that carefully integrate
      theories to obtain predicted result for the largest number of people for whom the
      results are desirable. Intervention strategies designed to alter the identified
      influential factors will have the most successful impact and optimal chance of
      attaining program goals.

PMID- 1882155
TI  - Brain function, learning styles, and cancer patient education.
AB  - As cancer care moves into the outpatient setting and hospital stays are
      shortened, patients and their family members are expected to take on tremendous
      responsibilities in providing their own self-care. At the same time, stress and
      anxiety about the diagnosis of cancer, the disease itself, and cancer therapy can
      effect learning. Information processing, learning styles, and learning barriers
      need to be considered when developing and implementing cancer education programs.

PMID- 1882156
TI  - [Respiratory risk of general surgery in adults].
AB  - Disorders of ventilation and postoperative bronchial and pulmonary infections
      still create serious problems in general surgery. Three factors determine these
      complications: (1) the transient and usually resolutive repercussions of
      anaesthesia on ventilation; (2) the sometimes deep and prolonged alteration of
      lung function directly due to the surgical procedure, and (3) the patient's
      underlying condition. In practice, this last group of surgical patients can be
      divided into fragile subjects (elderly people, pregnant women), subjects at risk
      (smokers, malnourished or obese patients) and disabled subjects suffering from
      chronic obstructive or restrictive lung disease, asthma or heart disease.
      Preoperative clinical, radiological and, chiefly, functional evaluation leads to
      preventive measures. Preparation for surgery relies, to a great extent, on
      respiratory physiotherapy which, if needed, may be integrated in a pneumological
      therapeutic program. Combined with an efficient postoperative analgesia and with
      an optional anaesthesia technique, respiratory physiotherapy is essential to the
      prevention of respiratory complications in surgery.

PMID- 1882157
TI  - [Towards another diagnostic approach of peripheral pulmonary masses in
      pneumology: ultrasonically guided needle puncture].
AB  - In a series of 50 patients with lung lesions touching the thoracic wall,
      percutaneous ultrasonically guided needle aspiration yielded a pathological
      diagnosis in 44 cases (sensitivity: 88%). The histological diagnosis of malignant
      lesion could be confirmed in 41 of these 44 patients. In this group of patients
      with neoplasia the diagnosis obtained by extemporaneous cytotology was compared
      with that obtained by lung biopsy: the diagnostic sensitivity of cytology proved
      to be higher than that of biopsy (86.36% and 65.90% respectively). Using the two
      methods concomitantly increased sensitivity up to 93.18%. A pathological
      diagnosis could be obtained in 3 out of the 6 patients in this series who had
      benign lesions. No bleeding was observed, and there was only one complication: a
      partial pneumothorax not requiring drainage which was detected by ultrasonography
      and confirmed by radiography. Thus, ultrasonically guided needle aspiration of
      lesions adjacent to the thoracic wall appears to be an efficient and reliable
      diagnostic method. Lack of irradiation, real-time guidance, low cost, high
      sensitivity and easily available equipment are as many reasons to prefer this
      method to other interventional radiology methods in patients with peripheral lung
      masses detectable by ultrasounds.

PMID- 1882158
TI  - [Randomized therapeutic trials of community-acquired lung diseases. Analysis of
      studies published between 1978 and 1988].
AB  - The authors have evaluated the methodology of 21 randomized therapeutic trials
      concerning community acquired pneumonia. Only 33% of these trials were entirely
      devoted to community acquired pneumonia; the remainders included various
      respiratory infections. Only 8 trials were of the double-blind type. The presence
      of radiological opacity was mentioned as a criterion of inclusion in only 10
      trials, and in 9 trials the diagnosis of pneumonia was not defined. The criterion
      of judgement, which separates success from failure, remained undefined in 6
      trials. The number of patients analyzed was much lower than that of patients
      admitted because of exclusions for negative cultures or for isolation of a
      bacteria resistant to one of the antibiotics tested. Finally, in only 2 of the 21
      trials it was concluded that an antibiotic was superior to the other(s). Clearly
      then, the quality of these randomized therapeutic trials needs to be improved by
      a better definition of their purpose and of the criteria of patients' admission,
      and by analysis of an intention to treat which is the nearest thing to the future
      use of the drug under study.

PMID- 1882159
TI  - [Interstitial pulmonary involvement of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Apropos
      of 3 cases. Review of the literature].
AB  - The authors report 3 new cases of myositis associated with pulmonary lesions that
      preceded or succeeded the muscular disorder. In one of these cases, which was
      particularly difficult to diagnose, the patient's serum was positive for the anti
      Jo1 antibody. These 3 cases have encouraged the authors to review the literature
      with particular attention to the diagnostic approach, the latest
      physiopathological data and the therapeutic basis of the "specific" pulmonary
      lesions associated with polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

PMID- 1882160
TI  - [Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with AIDS in the Congo].
AB  - Forty-five bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) were performed in Brazzaville in AIDS
      patients who did not expectorate acid- and alcohol-resistant bacilli (AARB). All
      patients presented with respiratory symptoms (cough, dyspnoea or chest pain), and
      all but 6 of them had abnormal radiography of the chest. Four cases of
      pneumocystosis were diagnosed (9%); 3 of these patients had interstitial
      pneumonia and dyspnoea. No AARB was found at microscopic examination of BAL which
      showed Pneumocyctis carinii; no culture on Lowehstein's medium could be made. The
      authors consider that the low prevalence of pneumocystosis in Africa, compared
      with industrial countries, is due to a smaller dissemination of the parasite in
      Africa rather than to immunodepression which is known to be more pronounced in
      AIDS patients from industrial countries.

PMID- 1882161
TI  - [Radiological case. An hydro-aeric lesion of the left basal lung].

PMID- 1882162
TI  - [Endoscopic case. Endoscopic aspect of an intracavity space].

PMID- 1882163
TI  - [Bilateral purulent pleurisy and spontaneous rupture of the esophagus
      (Boerhaave's syndrome). Apropos of a case].
AB  - The authors report a case of bilateral purulent pleurisy consecutive to
      spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus (Boerhaave's syndrome). In such cases
      Mackler's triad, when complete, confirms the diagnosis. Standard radiography of
      the chest remains essential as it shows, at an early stage, the presence of
      mediastinal emphysema.

PMID- 1882164
TI  - [Muscular metastasis of pseudosarcomatous epidermoid bronchial cancer].

PMID- 1882165
TI  - [Refractory hiccup after intrapleural injection of Corynebacterium parvum].

PMID- 1882166
TI  - [Regression of hippocratic fingers during chemotherapy of bronchial cancer].

PMID- 1882167
TI  - [Morphologic and morphometric aspects of the mammary gland of normal and
      oophorectomized rats treated with metoclopramide].
AB  - The authors performed an optical microscope morphologic and morphometric study of
      the mammary glands of rats treated and untreated with metoclopramide during
      estrous and after ovariectomy. They observed that in the group of normal rats
      treated with the drug the glands were well developed and contained secretion in
      the lumen of their ducts and alveoli. In the group of rats submitted to
      ovariectomy and treated with metoclopramide, however, the glands were atrophied
      and had the same aspect of glands during estrous. These findings are in agreement
      with the morphometric study, which showed a statistically significant increase of
      parenchyma in the group of normal treated rats as compared to the other groups
      and, further, a higher number of alveoli with secretion.

PMID- 1882169
TI  - [Extensive trauma of the external ear: surgical management].
AB  - Fifty nine patients with extensive traumatisms of the external ear, including 3
      total amputations, 10 partial amputations with maintenance of reduced pedicle and
      46 extensive lesions without further vascularization, have been attended in the
      Emergency Unit of Hospital das Clinicas at University of Sao Paulo Medical School
      from 1979 to 1989. Surgical behaviors performed in each case are described and
      explained in detail. The main purpose of the study was to show the outliving
      possibilities of the ear even in serious traumas and to emphasize the need of
      immediate repair of the ear in order to obtain a satisfactory result.

PMID- 1882168
TI  - [Grand multiparity: is it a high risk pregnancy?].
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: evaluate biological and medical characteristics of the
      grand multipara and her offspring in the neonatal period. TYPE OF STUDY:
      comparative and retrospective. SITE: Hospital of the Jundiai School of Medicine.
      PATIENTS: study group--134 grand multiparas; control group--100 primiparas. All
      patients were admitted to the Franco da Rocha Hospital, the maternity school of
      the Jundiai School of Medicine. INTERVENTION: analytical study. MEASURES AND
      RESULTS: hypertension, haemorrhage, twins, premature labor, pelvic location, and
      anemia were the complications seen in group 1. Cesarean section was indicated in
      the presence of a prior cesarean section, and fetal distress was the indication
      followed in group 2. Post partum damage to soft tissue was more prevalent in
      group 1. Premature labor and perinatal mortality were more frequent in group 1.
      CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that GMP were women with a high risk and, thus,
      they suggest adequate antenatal assistance as an important measure to decrease
      perinatal and maternal mortality.

PMID- 1882170
TI  - [Autologous fat transplantation in rats].
AB  - The authors perform an experimental study in rats to demonstrate the integration
      of fat cells transplanted from the inguinal region to the dorsal region of the
      same animal. Histological studies were performed with the material removed and
      with the material injected. Final results show the transplanted fat cell
      integration after 360 days.

PMID- 1882171
TI  - [Cerebrovascular disorders].

PMID- 1882172
TI  - [Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: review and update].
AB  - Major current clinical, laboratory, and etiopathogenic aspects of juvenile
      rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) are focused by this article. The authors make a
      comparison of data of their patients to those described in the literature. A
      retrospective clinicolaboratory study was performed of 130 patients with JRA
      followed in the Pediatric Rheumatology Department of the Division of Allergy,
      Rheumatology, and Clinical Immunology of the Service of Pediatrics of Escola
      Paulista de Medicina from 1982 to 1989. These patients (73 female and 57 male)
      were analyzed for the type and age of onset, clinical manifestations (articular
      and extraarticular), laboratory data, and prognosis. The findings of the authors
      are similar to those reported, with the exception of eye involvement (chronic
      iridocyclitis) and of the presence of the IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) and the
      antinuclear antibody (ANA), which were lower than those described by other
      authors. With respect to prognosis, the authors verified the greatest number of
      remissions (40%) with the pauciarticular type, whereas the polyarticular type
      presented the lowest number of remissions (27%). The two deaths occurred in the
      series were of children with the systemic type of the disease. Although etiology
      and the mechanism responsible for its release are not yet known, therefore, not
      allowing a definite type of treatment, experience gathered throughout the years
      has made it possible for physicians who attend to these patients not only to make
      an early diagnosis but also to resort to more efficient means of control.

PMID- 1882173
TI  - [Myasthenia gravis and pregnancy: review of the literature and report of 2
      cases].
AB  - Two cases of women with myasthenia gravis are presented. These women had three
      pregnancies followed by the authors, and description is made of clinical follow
      up, therapeutic complications, termination of pregnancy, puerperal and perinatal
      outcome. A review of the literature is made due to the rarity of this condition
      and emphasis is given to the specialized knowledge required to adequately manage
      these cases. Myasthenia gravis, when associated to pregnancy, presents aspects
      that make it a high risk disease, decompensations of myasthenia being more
      common. Aspects relative to diagnosis and therapy of myasthenia in pregnancy and
      in the newly-born are reviewed, and considerations about anesthesia in the
      myasthenic pregnant woman.

PMID- 1882174
TI  - [Chronic premature detachment of placenta].
AB  - PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: to evidence the existence of chronic premature separation
      of the placenta. TYPE OF STUDY: retrospective. SITE: Hospital of the Jundiai
      School of Medicine. PATIENTS: four patients of the authors. INTERVENTIONS:
      without statistical treatment because this is not a comparative study.
      MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: chronic premature separation of the placenta, a
      classical asymptomatic or monosymptomatic disorder, can be detected by ultrasound
      and/or cardiotocography. Four cases seen among the authors' patients are
      presented, who were diagnosed by insidious evolution, discrete blood loss, and
      uterine excitability. Three of the patients were hypertensive. Diagnosis was
      established by amniocentesis, single or serial ultrasound, and cardiotocography.
      Newborns were premature, but the four of them survived. CONCLUSIONS: the authors
      conclude that the obstetric treatment depends on gestational age, fetal
      conditions, size of the clot, and intensity of blood losses. A conservative
      approach may be appropriate depending on fetal-maternal conditions. However,
      further studies are needed to devise more adequate approaches.

PMID- 1882175
TI  - [Acute appendicitis in pregnancy].
AB  - A retrospective analysis of acute appendicitis during pregnancy in patients seen
      at the Surgical Service of Ribeirao Preto between December 1959 and December 1988
      showed that out of 18,065 deliveries performed there were 7 cases of acute
      appendicitis (0.038%). Gestational age in which acute appendicitis developed
      varied from the 11th to the 27th week, the second trimester prevailing. Both in
      pregnant and in non-pregnant patients, clinical history of appendicitis was
      similar, except for a few cases in which the cecum, mobile as it is, caused
      localized pain in a more cranial position. Acute appendicitis during pregnancy
      showed a more aggressive evolution and despite a period lower than 24 hours, only
      two of our patients did not exhibit a purulent secretion in the abdomen during
      surgery. The two patients with a prolonged time of history had necrosed and
      perforated appendices. There was no maternal mortality. Among complications
      observed, wall abscess (14%), adynamic ileum (14%), and premature labor (28%)
      were the most important. Inhibition was not possible in one of the cases of
      premature labor, with the birth of a live fetus on the second postoperative day.
      The fetus died eventually. Other patients gave birth to live and timely fetuses.

PMID- 1882176
TI  - Correlation between leukocyte-associated plasma proteins and white cell
      differential count.
AB  - Prealbumin, albumin, orosomucoid (including the cellular variant orosomucoid2),
      alpha 1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin and transferrin were quantified in 107 cell
      samples from acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia, seven polycytaemia, seven
      normal blood marrow and 56 normal blood leukocytes by crossed
      immunoelectrophoresis. By statistical multivariate analyses, the individual
      plasma proteins and their combined protein patterns were correlated with the
      diagnoses and it was demonstrated that acute leukaemia cell samples contained
      significantly different protein patterns compared with the other diagnostic
      groups and normal controls. By comparison with the white blood cell differential
      count, in 78 samples of acute leukaemia, it was demonstrated that the protein
      patterns were significantly correlated with the specific cell types in the
      samples. In all, the differential counts accounted for about 29% of the variation
      in protein patterns. Alpha 1-antitrypsin was found significantly correlated with
      the myeloblasts and myelo-band cells. Orosomucoid2 and haptoglobin were
      significantly correlated with mature granulocytes and albumin was significantly
      correlated with lymphocytes. In some cell samples, after cytotoxic treatment of
      acute leukaemia, the granulocytes did not have orosomucoid2 despite normal
      morphology, suggesting defective maturation of these granulocytes. These results
      indicate that the mechanisms responsible for uptake of plasma proteins are highly
      specific for different cell types and in the case of myeloid cells specifically
      related to cell differentiation.

PMID- 1882177
TI  - A comparison of measurements of lean body mass derived by bioelectrical
      impedance, skinfold thickness and total body potassium. A study in obese and non
      obese normal subjects.
AB  - The measurement of body composition is an important part of metabolic and
      epidemiological research, but most currently available methods are complex and
      expensive. We have, therefore, compared measurements of fat mass (FM) and lean
      body mass (LBM), obtained using a commercially available bioelectrical impedance
      monitor (The Holtain Body Composition Monitor) (IMP), and by measuring skinfold
      thickness (SFT), with values obtained by measuring total body potassium (TBK).
      Twenty subjects, 10 with a body mass index (BMI) less than 30 (kg m-2), (non
      obese) and 10 with BMI greater than or equal to 30 (obese) took part in the
      study. There was a strongly significant linear relationship between LBM
      calculated from TBK and that calculated from impedance (IMP), in both non-obese
      and obese groups analysed separately (non-obese: r = 0.92; p less than 0.001 and
      obese: r = 0.92; p less than 0.001) and together (all: r = 0.89; p less than
      0.001). LBM calculated from TBK was strongly linearly correlated with values
      derived from SFT for non-obese (r = 0.91; p less than 0.001) but not for obese
      subjects. Mean values of LBM of non-obese subjects derived by each method were
      not significantly different (TBK: 51.3 +/- 10.40 kg; IMP: 53.18 +/- 10.37 kg;
      SFT: 48.87 +/- 9.48 kg), but significant differences existed when the subjects
      were obese (TBK: 51.86 +/- 9.65 kg; IMP: 58.69 +/- 8.55 kg; SFT: 67.61 +/- 8.14
      kg; p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882178
TI  - Quality control does improve the performance of laboratory practice in primary
      health care.
AB  - Quality control surveys combined with teaching courses and expert consultations
      were offered to laboratories serving general practitioners in the county of Sor
      Trondelag, Norway. Fifty-one laboratories participated in the programme and the
      surveys during 1988-89. During the study period the number of laboratories having
      acceptable accuracy of their haemoglobin determination increased from
      approximately 80% to more than 90%. A similar increase was found also in
      precision where CV declined from 6.7% to approximately 2%. Additional positive
      effects were more close co-operation and more fruitful dialogues between the
      specialist laboratory and that of the general practitioners. The results offer
      promising perspectives to the control of laboratory performance in primary health
      care and the optimal use of laboratory tests.

PMID- 1882179
TI  - Increased levels of plasma homocysteine are associated with nephropathy, but not
      severe retinopathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
AB  - The reactive vascular-injuring amino acid homocysteine was measured in plasma
      samples from 79 well-characterized type 1 diabetic patients and 46 control
      subjects. Patients with proliferative retinopathy had higher homocysteine levels
      (15.0 +/- 6.3 mumols l-1; mean +/- SD, p less than 0.001; n = 42) than those with
      progressive retinopathy during a two-year period (10.4 +/- 1.6 mumols l-1; n =
      12), no or minimal retinopathy (10.7 +/- 4.3 mumols l-1; n = 25), and the control
      subjects (11.0 +/- 3.4 mumols l-1). Within the group of patients with
      proliferative retinopathy increased homocysteine levels were confined to those
      patients that had serum creatinine levels greater than 115 mumols l-1 and/or an
      albumin:creatinine clearance ratio greater than or equal to 0.02 x 10(-3) (17.0
      +/- 5.9 mumols l-1; n = 23), whereas those with no or only minimal nephropathy
      had levels (12.1 +/- 5.5 mumols l-1; n = 18) that were not different from the
      control group. We conclude that neither type 1 diabetes mellitus nor diabetic
      retinopathy per se is associated with increased plasma homocysteine levels. In
      contrast, homocysteine accumulates, probably owing to reduced glomerular
      filtration, in diabetic patients with advanced nephropathy. This suggests that
      homocysteine might contribute to the accelerated development of macroangiopathy
      seen especially in this subgroup of diabetic patients.

PMID- 1882180
TI  - Effect of diet therapy on maximum aerobic power in obese, hyperglycaemic men with
      recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
AB  - To find out the effect of correction of hyperglycaemia on maximum aerobic power
      and anaerobic threshold, we studied 40 middle-aged obese men with recently
      diagnosed type 2 diabetes before and after 3 months diet therapy. Respiratory gas
      exchange was measured during maximal incremental bicycle exercise test with
      breath-by-breath technique at rest, at anaerobic threshold and at peak exercise.
      As a whole group, the diabetic men reached higher work load after therapy (+9 +/-
      3 W (mean +/- SEM), p less than 0.01). A weak inverse linear correlation was
      found between the changes in fasting blood glucose and in maximum oxygen uptake
      (r = -0.29, p less than 0.05). When the patients were divided into two groups
      according to the median values in the change in fasting blood glucose, only those
      men with more than 1 mmol l-1 decrease in fasting blood glucose improved maximum
      oxygen uptake (+124 +/- 55 ml min-1 or +6%, p less than 0.05). Oxygen uptake at
      anaerobic threshold did not change significantly. These results suggest that the
      correction of hyperglycaemia by diet therapy may improve maximal aerobic power in
      obese men with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

PMID- 1882181
TI  - Protein kinase C subtypes in human neutrophils.
AB  - Protein kinase C from rat brain and human neutrophils was chromatographically
      separated on a hydroxylapatite column connected to a high-performance liquid
      chromatography (HPLC) system. Protein kinase C from rat brain was separated into
      three peaks (types I, II, and III). In contrast, only two types were obtained
      from human neutrophils matching type II and type III in brain. In cell membranes
      from unstimulated human neutrophils type III was predominant, but mainly type II
      was translocated to the membranes upon stimulation with phorbolmyristatacetate
      (PMA). Both types were equivalently activated by phosphatidylserine, diolein, and
      magnium and presented identical Km for ATP.

PMID- 1882182
TI  - Use of calcium-titrated sodium heparinate for ionized calcium determination on
      plasma and whole blood (heparinized blood sampler B-129 Radiometer).
AB  - We report modifications of ionized calcium as observed on specimens collected in
      a commercially available sampling device (Radiometer B-129). When the sampler is
      used as recommended, errors are non-significant around 1.25 mmol l-1. There is a
      +3% increase for low (0.75 mmol l-1) values and a -2% decrease for high (2.50
      mmol l-1) values. Incomplete syringe-filling increases these errors.

PMID- 1882183
TI  - Reliability of the Reflotron system for cholesterol determination.

PMID- 1882184
TI  - Tyrosine phosphorylation in T-cell activation.

PMID- 1882185
TI  - Subclasses of IgG anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus.
AB  - Antibodies directed to a co-factor associated with negatively charged
      phospholipids, such as cardiolipin, occur in patients with systemic lupus
      erythematosus (SLE), and possibly more often in those with venous or arterial
      thrombosis, thrombocytopenia or recurrent fetal loss. They are also found in
      patients without any of these manifestations and their biological effect, if any,
      might thus be related to their IgG subclass. To investigate this possibility, we
      determined anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using
      monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) against human IgG subclasses. A net absorbance of x
      +3 SD of the value of 30 blood donors was taken as the cut-off point. The
      specificity of the assay was verified through inhibition experiments using
      cardiolipin micelles. Thirty-three patients with SLE were studied, all of whom
      had been shown to have ACA by a point dilution screening assay. IgG1 ACA were
      found in 85% of the patients, and ACA of the IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 subclasses in
      42%, 39% and 15%. There was a significant correlation between the presence of
      IgG3 ACA and of anti-DNA antibodies but none between subclass distribution and
      major clinical manifestations of SLE.

PMID- 1882186
TI  - High plasma fibronectin levels in multiple myeloma patients: possible mechanisms
      and clinical implications.
AB  - Fibronectin (FN) has been implicated in the formation of cryoprecipitates in
      rheumatic diseases and is present in tissues where, under pathological
      conditions, immune complexes are frequently deposited. We found elevated levels
      of FN in the plasma of 92% of multiple myeloma patients tested compared with a
      group of normal subjects, although the level of FN did not correlate with the
      level of the paraprotein. We then characterized the interacting fragments on both
      molecules and found that under physiological conditions of pH and ionic strength
      both heavy and light chain of all multiple myeloma and normal IgG showed affinity
      to FN; the active fragment on FN was found to be the aminoterminal heparin
      binding domain. These findings raise the possibility that FN might be implicated
      in some of the clinical symptoms of multiple myeloma.

PMID- 1882187
TI  - A murine monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody detects a common idiotope on human,
      mouse and rabbit antibodies to allergen Lol p IV.
AB  - A syngeneic mouse monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (anti-Id), designated as
      B1/1, was generated against a monoclonal antibody (MoAb 91) specific for Ryegrass
      pollen allergen Lol p IV. This anti-Id recognized an idiotope (Id) that was also
      present on other monoclonal antibodies with the same specificity as MoAb 91.
      Observations that (i) the anti-Id inhibited the binding of MoAb 91 to Lol p IV
      and (ii) the Id-anti-Id interaction could be inhibited by Lol p IV indicated that
      the Id was located within or near the antigen combining site. These properties
      served to characterize B1/1 as an internal image anti-Id. Evidence that an immune
      response in different species to Lol p IV elicits the formation of antibodies
      which express a common Id was provided by the observations that (i) the Id-anti
      Id interactions could be inhibited by mouse, human and rabbit antisera to Lol p
      IV and (ii) the binding of these antisera to Lol p IV could be inhibited by the
      anti-Id. Interestingly, the internal image anti-Id B1/1 also recognized an Id on
      a monoclonal antibody which was directed to an epitope of Lol p IV, different
      from that recognized by MoAb 91.

PMID- 1882188
TI  - Localization of circulating immune complexes from patients with rheumatoid
      arthritis in murine spleen germinal centres.
AB  - In previous studies we have demonstrated high levels of rheumatoid factor (RF)
      and large-size (greater than 22S) circulating immune complexes (CIC) in the serum
      of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with extra-articular disease. These
      findings were paralleled by a concurrent increase in the level of RF-associated
      cross-reactive idiotypes (CRI) and an apparent diversification of the RF
      repertoire detected in the serum of the same patients. In the present study we
      examine the ability of CICs to activate the complement system in vivo, and its
      possible influence on expanding the RF repertoire in RA patients with extra
      articular disease. Activation of complement by CICs is the key for germinal
      centre localization and long-term retention of such complexes on the surface of
      follicular dendritic cells (FDC), and so provides a source for the selection of
      cells with high affinity receptors for IgG and leads to the establishment of
      immunological memory. CICs containing different immunoglobulin isotypes and from
      different patients localized in mouse spleen germinal centres. However, intense
      localization was mainly seen for IgG-containing complexes from the serum of
      patients with large-size (greater than 22S) IgG-IgM RF complexes. The ability of
      these complexes to localize in mouse spleen germinal centres was related to
      activation of the complement system via the classical pathway in the patients'
      sera. Localization of IgG complexes was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher
      in sera from RA patients with extra-articular disease than those with articular
      disease alone. This study demonstrates the ability of large-size (greater than
      22S) IgG-IgM RF complexes to activate complement, and suggests a possible role
      for such complexes in modulating the immune response to IgG in RA patients with
      extra-articular disease.

PMID- 1882189
TI  - Presence of NAP-1/IL-8 in synovial fluids indicates a possible pathogenic role in
      rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - The synovial fluid in affected joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients
      contains many cells, in numbers strongly correlated with the severity of disease.
      As the disease worsens and the cell count increases, the polymorphonuclear
      leucocyte becomes the predominant cell type. Although the inflammatory cytokines
      interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) have no direct neutrophil
      attractant activity, they are both potent inducers of interleukin 8 (IL-8) in a
      variety of cell types. Chemotactic attraction of neutrophils is a major activity
      of IL-8. Examination of a number of synovial fluids showed that significant
      levels of IL-8 are present in a high proportion of RA cases (10 out of 17), at
      concentrations directly related to the number of cells in the joint, and to
      circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The cytokine is present only at
      background levels in other diseases accompanied by arthritic manifestations,
      including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and induced arthritis. The
      progressive joint destruction seen in all cases where high IL-8 levels were
      measured, coupled with the neutrophil-rich cell count and the strong correlation
      between concentration of IL-8 and both serum CRP and cellular influx into the
      joint, is strongly suggestive of a pathogenic role for IL-8 in RA.

PMID- 1882190
TI  - Inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by elastase-generated IgG fragments.
AB  - IgG1 is cleaved in vitro by granulocyte elastase into Fc and Fab fragments. The
      elastase-specific Fc fragment has been previously detected in vivo. Biological
      activity of the fragments has been described in modulating neutrophil oxidative
      metabolism and enzyme release. To investigate further effects granulocyte
      chemotaxis (CT) was tested. The CT was assayed in Boyden chambers and the
      chemotactic index (CI) was calculated which represents the mean distance
      travelled by the activated cells. Stimulation of leucocyte CT by casein,
      activated serum and FMLP gives maximal values of delta CI = 46.7, 26.4 and 7.2
      microns, respectively. Native IgG1 and the elastase-produced IgG fragments do not
      stimulate leucocyte CT. FMLP-stimulated CT is specifically inhibited by the
      elastase-produced Fc fragments. Addition of 7 nmol Fc to stimulus concentrations
      of 16 to 125 nM FMLP results in total inhibition of chemotaxis demonstrated by CI
      values which are lower than those for unstimulated cells. The inhibition of CT is
      concentration dependent in the range of 2 to 7 nmol Fc/10(6) PMN. Number and
      affinity of FMLP receptors are not influenced by Fc fragments, so Fc binds
      neither to FMLP nor the FMLP receptor. CT stimulated by casein shows a large
      portion of chemokinesis. Only at suboptimal casein concentrations do Fc and IgG
      have an inhibitory effect on CT (0.63 mg casein/ml, 10 nmol peptide/10(6) PMN).
      C5a-stimulated CT is not influenced by IgG or IgG fragments which indicates that
      the samples are not cytotoxic. So the FMLP and casein-stimulated CT is
      specifically inhibited by the elastase-produced Fc fragments in a low
      concentration range.

PMID- 1882191
TI  - Idiotypic replica of an anti-human tumour-associated antigen monoclonal antibody.
      DNA sequence comparison between Ab1 and Ab3.
AB  - 2G-3 is an anti-anti-idiotypic MoAb (Ab3) obtained upon immunization with a
      monoclonal Ab2 (A3B10), which behaves as the 'internal image' of CaMBr1, a
      saccharide epitope defined by MoAb MBr1 (Ab1). CaMBr1 is expressed on
      glycoconjugates of the human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7 and on normal and
      neoplastic mammary gland epithelial cells. Ab1 and Ab3, although exhibiting, in
      many respects, superimposable paratopic and idiotopic specificities, show a non
      identical fine immunoreactivity, since 2G-3 has a preferential reactivity with
      the saccharidic epitope mounted on glycoproteins, while MBr1 reacts with both
      glycoproteins and glycolipids. V-region sequence analysis has shown that: (i) the
      VK genes employed belong to different families (VK1 and VK10); (ii) the JK2
      segment is shared by the two L chains (thus a high degree of homology is observed
      between VK CDR3s); (iii) the VH genes employed derive from the same family
      VHIIB/J558 (but show CDR homology only in CDR2); (iv) different JH region genes
      are employed. These data, together with the comparison of deduced secondary
      structure parameters, give further evidence for the possible production of
      similar combining sites using different VH and VL germ-line genes.

PMID- 1882192
TI  - Fungemia in a university hospital 1984-1988. Clinical and mycological
      characteristics.
AB  - 118 episodes of fungemia occurring at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, between 1984
      and 1988 were reviewed retrospectively. Underlying diseases in the patients were
      dominated by malignancies, primarily hematological disorders, and intraabdominal
      diseases requiring major abdominal surgery. Predisposing factors identified in
      the patients were ongoing antibacterial chemotherapy (83%), central venous
      catheters (72%), major abdominal surgery (39%), and neutropenia (32%). 120 fungal
      strains were isolated, of which 88 (73%) were Candida albicans, 23 strains
      representing 8 other Candida species were also isolated, as were 9 strains
      belonging to 7 other fungal genera. There were only 5 strains resistant to 5
      fluorocytosine (MICs greater than or equal to 25 mg/l), and no strain was
      resistant to amphotericin B. Treatment with antifungal agents was given in 78
      patients, generally a combination of amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. In 14
      patients (all non-hematological) the only treatment was removal of a permanent
      central venous catheter. The outcome was poor in patients with hematological
      disorders (mortality 76%), whereas patients with malignant and non-malignant
      intraabdominal diseases had a mortality of 35%. All patients with a permanent
      central venous catheter as the only risk factor recovered rapidly after removal
      of the catheter.

PMID- 1882193
TI  - Varicella-zoster infection in adults with cystic fibrosis: role of acyclovir.
AB  - Of 159 adult patients with cystic fibrosis, 5 were documented to have varicella
      zoster infection that resulted in an infective pulmonary exacerbation that
      required intravenous acyclovir and additional antibiotic treatment. Stable serial
      pulmonary function values were observed over a 1-year period in 4 patients and no
      complications resulted from treatment. Early treatment with acyclovir in
      combination with appropriate antibiotics may prevent pulmonary deterioration in
      adult patients with cystic fibrosis who develop varicella-zoster infection.

PMID- 1882195
TI  - Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in Norway 1981-87 earlier diagnosed as
      ornithosis.
AB  - Ornithosis has been a notifiable disease in Norway since 1957. During an outbreak
      of respiratory disease in 1981-82, described as ornithosis, contact with birds
      was stated in only 50% of the cases, suggesting that the infection was spread by
      interhuman transmission. A similar outbreak occurred in the western part of
      Norway in 1987. Serum specimens from altogether 260 patients, collected during
      the outbreaks in 1981-82 and in 1987, were investigated for antibodies against
      Chlamydia pneumoniae (strain TWAR). Evidence of recent infection with C.
      pneumoniae was found in 67.7% of the cases. The results indicate that the
      increased incidence of ornithosis in 1981-82 and in 1987 was due mainly to C.
      pneumoniae infections.

PMID- 1882194
TI  - Short course of aerosol pentamidine as treatment of Pneumocystis carinii
      pneumonia in AIDS.
AB  - Since July 1987, 20 HIV-positive patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
      (PCP) admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Malmo General Hospital,
      Sweden have been treated with 10 consecutive days of aerosol pentamidine as sole
      antimicrobial therapy in a prospective open non-controlled trial. 16 patients
      (80%) responded to 10 days of 400 mg aerosol pentamidine daily. One patient
      responded after a prolonged treatment, one patient received simultaneous
      trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole due to lack of improvement during aerosol therapy.
      Two patients died 26 and 41 days after initiation of treatment. No systemic side
      effects occurred. In conclusion, we found that 10 days of aerosol pentamidine may
      be a safe and effective treatment of PCP. Controlled studies are needed.

PMID- 1882196
TI  - Chlamydia pneumoniae respiratory tract infection: the interpretation of high
      titres in the complement fixation test.
AB  - Sera from 5 acute respiratory disease patients from Northern Norway presenting
      with high chlamydia complement fixation (CF) titres, were analyzed for Chlamydia
      pneumoniae-specific IgG and IgM in a micro-immunofluorescence (micro-IF) test
      that included antigens from the prototype strain TW 183, and a Norwegian isolate,
      FML 10. The patients were confirmed to have had C. pneumoniae infection based on
      serologic findings. This establishes the clinical significance of early CF
      results in this geographical area. However, different micro-IF titres against the
      2 C. pneumoniae isolates tested suggest antigenic variability among the species.

PMID- 1882197
TI  - Evaluation of coagulase-negative staphylococci in blood cultures. A prospective
      clinical and microbiological study.
AB  - Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are the commonest microorganisms in blood
      cultures, and sorting out patients with CNS septicemia from sample contamination
      a persistent problem. We prospectively evaluated 73 patients with CNS-positive
      blood cultures during 1 year and analysed the corresponding 122 isolates in order
      to determine the rate of septicemia and define the role of microbiological
      markers of identity such as plasmid profile for that purpose. Three patients had
      true septicemia, all of them with implanted foreign devices. The plasmid
      analysis, being the most reliable identity marker, had its greatest implication
      in reducing the intermediate group of patients clinically suspected of septicemia
      from 12 to 4. Strict clinical criteria and serial blood cultures are most
      important in sorting out patients with CNS septicemia from cases of sample
      contamination. In high risk patients--critically ill with implanted foreign
      devices--plasmid analysis or other reliable markers of identity are of great
      additional value.

PMID- 1882198
TI  - Antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococcal blood isolates
      with special reference to adherent, slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis
      strains.
AB  - The epidemiologic relationship between slime-producing coagulase-negative
      staphylococci and antibiotic resistance was evaluated by analyzing the in vitro
      susceptibility of 278 blood isolates to 10 different antimicrobial agents. The
      strain collection consisted of 60 coagulase-negative staphylococcal septicemia
      isolates, recovered from at least 2 successive blood cultures from 59 septicemia
      patients and 218 single blood isolates defined as insignificant. When the slime
      producing Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates were compared with all non-slime
      producing S. epidermidis isolates, the slime-producing isolates exhibited higher
      MIC50 and/or MIC90 values than the non-slime-producing isolates, and were also
      more commonly resistant against many of the antimicrobials tested. The
      association between slime production and resistance against tobramycin,
      gentamicin and rifampicin was statistically significant (p less than 0.05). A
      similar finding was observed among the S. epidermidis septicemia isolates when
      they were analyzed separately from the single (suspected blood contaminant) S.
      epidermidis isolates. Further characterization of the septicemia isolates
      revealed that the positive correlation between slime production and antibiotic
      resistance reflected, to some extent, multiresistance of 1 epidemic slime
      producing S. epidermidis strain. No difference in resistance was observed between
      the slime-producing and non-slime-producing single S. epidermidis blood isolates.

PMID- 1882199
TI  - Antibiotic susceptibility of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b isolates in
      Denmark in 1988 and 1989.
AB  - A system for surveillance of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b infections in
      Denmark yielded 135 strains isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid from
      August 1988 through December 1989. The susceptibility of the strains to 7
      antibiotics was investigated by an agar dilution method. Ceftriaxone was found to
      be the most active drug followed by cefotaxime, ceftazidime, rifampicin,
      ampicillin, cefuroxime, and chloramphenicol. Except for ampicillin the MICs for
      the individual antibiotics were similar. Seven strains (5.2%), which all produced
      beta-lactamase, were resistant to ampicillin. Since H. influenzae type b
      meningitis in otherwise healthy individuals almost exclusively occurs in children
      aged 2 months to 4 years, a third generation cephalosporin such as ceftriaxone or
      cefotaxime may be considered the drug of choice for initial therapy of meningitis
      in this age group.

PMID- 1882200
TI  - Antimicrobial therapy of septicemic patients in intensive care units before and
      after blood culture reporting.
AB  - 68 cases of positive blood cultures from 54 intensive care unit (ICU) patients
      were analyzed retrospectively. The empiric antimicrobial therapy was correct in
      65% of the cases as judged by the species and sensitivity of the blood culture
      isolate. After initial Gram-staining results were known, coverage increased to
      77%. After the final blood culture results the coverage was still only 81%. The
      bacteremia-related mortality was 13%. Although there was no significant
      difference between the occurrence of bacteremia-related and non-bacteremia
      related deaths either in patients with correct or non-optimal empiric treatment,
      this study emphasizes the need for better utilization of culture reporting. A
      considerable part of the final blood culture results went unnoticed by the ICU
      physicians which stresses the importance of good communication between the
      laboratory and wards.

PMID- 1882201
TI  - Septicaemia caused by unusual Campylobacter species (C. laridis and C.
      mucosalis).
AB  - Two cases of campylobacter septicaemia are described. The first, caused by
      Campylobacter laridis was associated with gastroenteritis and occurred in a
      healthy individual. In the second case, a catalase negative species, C. mucosalis
      was isolated from blood in an immunocompromised patient with symptoms of
      pneumonia. Both campylobacter strains grew faintly under the routine culture
      conditions used. Improved diagnostic procedures for Campylobacter species may
      thus be warranted.

PMID- 1882202
TI  - Cure of zygomycosis caused by a lipase-producing Rhizopus rhizopodiformis strain
      in a renal transplant patient.
AB  - A 40-year-old man with renal failure due to membranous glomerulonephritis
      received a cadaveric renal transplant and immunosuppressive therapy with
      cyclosporine, azathioprine and steroids. Initially the transplantation was
      successful. 12 days after the transplantation, however, serous secretion appeared
      in the wound. Later, black necrosis was seen. Fungal culture showed growth of a
      zygomycete species. Rhizopus rhizopodiformis, with high in-vitro resistance to
      amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, ketoconazole and itraconazole. The MIC
      value for the allylamine derivative SF86-327 (Exoderil) was 1.6 micrograms/ml.
      Microscopic examination of sections from a surgical revision showed necrosis of
      the fat tissue and massive hyphal invasion of the perirenal fat, which contained
      semi-crystalline material anisotropic as seen in polarized light and
      characteristically staining with rubeanic acid. These histological data indicate
      a lipase-induced in-vivo splitting of lipids into fatty acids. In-vitro R.
      rhizopodiformis showed very high extracellular lipase production. 11 days after
      initiation of amphotericin B therapy cultures and sections remained positive for
      rhizopus. Amphotericin B was therefore supplemented with Exoderil orally,
      cyclosporine and steroids were maintained, and azathioprine was discontinued. The
      wound granulated, shrank, and healed completely in 10 weeks.

PMID- 1882203
TI  - Endemic prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in subjectively healthy persons.
AB  - Subjectively healthy persons were investigated for the presence of Chlamydia
      pneumoniae (TWAR) with throat cultures using the HL (human lung) cell line. C.
      pneumoniae was isolated from 11/234 investigated persons.

PMID- 1882204
TI  - Blastocystis hominis may be a potential cause of intestinal disease.
AB  - Blastocystis hominis is a common inhabitant of the human bowel. It is now
      increasingly recognized as a potential cause of diarrhea. This article presents
      12 cases of prolonged or recurrent diarrhea associated with B. hominis found in a
      large number. No other intestinal parasites were recognized. All patients
      responded to metronidazole. This report confirms that B. hominis may be a cause
      of intestinal disease.

PMID- 1882205
TI  - Paracoccidioidomycosis and AIDS.

PMID- 1882206
TI  - Mononeuritis multiplex in leptospirosis.

PMID- 1882207
TI  - Phenomenology or physicalism?
AB  - The author uses a segment of the National Plan for Schizophrenia Research as a
      representation of the current academia-driven philosophical trend of "Biological
      Psychiatry." A criticism of the underlying assumptions of this school of thought
      is offered, including the doctrines of physicalism, essentialism, and logical
      positivism. Quotations from authoritative sources are provided to indicate that
      modern biology rests on entirely different assumptions and that different models
      and scientific methods are in order in psychiatry to get in step with the
      progress in contemporary science.

PMID- 1882208
TI  - Seasonality of birth of future schizophrenics and seasonality of depressive
      episodes.

PMID- 1882209
TI  - Update on the clinical efficacy and side effects of clozapine.
AB  - Clozapine (CLOZ) is an atypical antipsychotic drug being used with increasing
      frequency throughout the world and has recently been commercially marketed in the
      United States. Its unique properties make it a promising but challenging drug to
      use in the treatment of schizophrenia. In order to use CLOZ most effectively and
      efficiently, clinicians must be aware of its potential benefits and risks. This
      report is a review and critical evaluation of current knowledge regarding the
      clinical efficacy and side effects of CLOZ. Although CLOZ has proven to be
      effective in some treatment-refractory schizophrenic patients and to produce
      relatively few extrapyramidal side effects compared to classical neuroleptic
      drugs, several issues require further investigation including what defines
      neuroleptic intolerance, the optimal dose range, and the appropriate duration of
      a CLOZ treatment trial. Similarly, studies are needed to determine what role CLOZ
      should have in the treatment of patients with predominantly negative symptoms and
      those patients who are only partially responsive to standard neuroleptics. In
      addition, important questions remain as to what other conditions might be
      indications for CLOZ, for example, schizoaffective disorder, affective psychoses,
      and idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

PMID- 1882210
TI  - First person account: the schizophrenic inside.

PMID- 1882211
TI  - [Fractures due to bony insufficiency of the sacrum].
AB  - Six cases of insufficiency fracture of the sacrum were diagnosed in the Rheumatic
      Diseases Division of the CHUV during 1990. They show that this recently described
      entity is frequent. Present knowledge of the clinical course, predisposing
      factors, radiological findings and treatment is reviewed. This diagnosis should
      be considered in all cases of lower back pain occurring in postmenopausal women.
      Awareness of this entity should make it possible to avoid unnecessary invasive
      investigations.

PMID- 1882212
TI  - [Comparison of a calorie-defined diet with the conventional exchange diet in Type
      2 diabetes mellitus].
AB  - Meal planning using food exchange lists is problematic for many elderly type 2
      diabetic subjects because the system is too complicated and too rigid regarding
      the daily meals. In addition, exchange lists are calorically imprecise. 12 non
      insulin-dependent diabetic subjects agreed to participate in the present study (6
      male, 6 female; age 40-82 years, weight 80 +/- 6 kg; HbA1c 7.3 +/- 0.3%); they
      received sequentially in randomized order either a diet using exchange lists, or
      a diet defined by total amount of allowed daily calories ("calorie diet"), both
      containing approx. 25 calories/kg ideal body weight/day, each for 8 weeks. The
      "exchange lists" mainly contained foods which were defined according to their
      content in carbohydrates (including bread exchanges, fruit exchanges, milk
      exchanges, vegetable exchanges). With the "calorie diet" the patients were
      relatively free during the day, the only rule being that they were allowed to
      consume a certain amount of calories per day, using a "calorie ruler". The
      results demonstrated that body weight decreased similarly during both diet
      periods (2.0 +/- 0.8 kg during the exchange list diet; 2.5 +/- 0.9 kg during the
      "calorie diet"). Fasting blood glucose concentration decreased during the
      "calorie diet" by 7% (p less than 0.05; fasting blood glucose at the end of the
      "calorie diet" was lower than after the exchange list diet (p less than 0.016).
      Serum lipoproteins were similar after both diet periods. 10/12 patients preferred
      the "calorie diet" because of its simplicity and flexibility. It allowed
      consumption of instant food which was calorically defined but difficult to
      convert into the exchange system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882213
TI  - [Accidental hypothermia in Switzerland (1980-1987)--case reports and prognostic
      factors].
AB  - This retrospective study comprises 234 cases of accidental hypothermia (core
      temperature less than 35 degrees C) hospitalized in 95 Swiss clinics between 1980
      and 1987. The most frequent accidents were alpine (n = 78) in origin, followed by
      cold exposure after injuries (n = 63) and suicide attempts (n = 43). Hypothermia
      was induced by cold air in 129 cases and by water in 47 cases. Patients were
      divided evenly between the degree of hypothermia: 75 mild (32-35 degrees C), 79
      moderate (28-32 degrees C) and 66 severe (less than 28 degrees C). Among the
      survivors the coldest patient had a core temperature of 17.5 degrees C and the
      longest cardiac arrest with a favourable outcome lasted 4.75 hours. Out of the
      234 patients 68 died (29%). We assessed all variables relative to outcome, in
      particular the mechanism of the accident, the mode of cooling, temperature,
      circulation, age and sex, underlying diseases, rewarming methods, medication and
      complications during the hospital course. All variables were tested in two
      multiple regression analysis models (retrospective model n = 181: prospective
      model n = 128) with regard to significance (p less than 0.05) and survival.
      Results are expressed with ODD's ratios (OR). The negative survival factors are
      asphyxia (OR 30), invasive rewarming methods (OR 20), slow rate of cooling (OR
      10), asystole on arrival (OR 9), pulmonary edema or ARDS during hospitalization
      (OR 8), elevated serum potassium (OR 2/mmol/l) and age (OR 1.03/year). The
      positive survival factors are rapid cooling rate (OR 10), presence of ventricular
      fibrillation in cardiac arrest patients (OR 9) and presence of narcotics and/or
      alcohol during hypothermia (OR 5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882214
TI  - [Why do cancer patients use alternative medicine?].
AB  - 160 patients (53.3%) replied to an anonymous questionnaire distributed to 300
      consecutive patients of our Outpatient Oncology Clinic. 83 patients (53%)
      mentioned some experience of one or more alternative methods of cancer treatment.
      Most often cited were various herbal teas (35 instances), beetroot juice (16),
      Vogel plant extracts (15), laying-on of hands (14), homeopathic medicine (13),
      the mistletoe extract Iscador (13), magnetopathy (12), various diets (10),
      acupuncture (10) and psychological methods (9). Resort to alternative methods of
      treatment correlated significantly with lower age (51.5 years vs 59.8 years, p =
      0.001). The reasons for using alternative medicine were the desire to do
      everything possible to regain health (49), to use one's psychological forces as
      well (35), reports of successful cancer cures (28), desire for a holistic
      approach (23), hope of "softer" medicine with less severe side effects (18) and,
      in 7 cases only, disappointment with conventional university medicine. The major
      source of information was relatives and friends, not the mass media. The
      physician should be aware of the locally available alternative medicine options
      and be able to advise his patients accordingly. He should also recognize and give
      due consideration to the patient's underlying desire for better control of his
      disease and a more holistic approach to care.

PMID- 1882215
TI  - [Cheek and neck swellings. Their clinical picture, diagnosis and differential
      diagnosis].

PMID- 1882216
TI  - [HIV infection. The prognostic value of buccal candidiasis and hairy leukoplakia
      in HIV infection. A critical and comparative analysis].

PMID- 1882217
TI  - [The legal position of the dentist].

PMID- 1882218
TI  - [School dental care in the Canton of Tessin].

PMID- 1882219
TI  - [A common stance of European dentists requested].

PMID- 1882220
TI  - [Sulcus fluid in periodontal diagnosis. A review].
AB  - In the present review, the composition of the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) as
      well as its important role in the diagnosis of periodontal disease have been
      discussed. Furthermore, the different sampling methods and the subsequent
      analytical procedures have been described. Some of the GCF-components, such as
      elastase, prostaglandin, arylsulphatase and beta-glucuronidase, are examined for
      their use as suitable markers of future disease activity. At the present time,
      the interest of research is focussing on the host-parasite interaction, the
      prediction of disease activity, and the identification of risk groups of
      patients. Therefore, GCF is considered a valuable research subject and a possible
      diagnostic marker.

PMID- 1882221
TI  - [The effect of cavity finishing on the initial sealing capacity of amalgam
      fillings in vitro].
AB  - The effect of different cavity finishing methods on in-vitro microleakage of two
      amalgams (Amalcap non gamma 2 SAS, Tytin) was investigated by the dye penetration
      method. Amalcap non gamma 2 SAS demonstrated better sealing properties than
      Tytin. The highest degree of microleakage was observed when the cavities prepared
      with a diamond coated bur (mean particle size 80 microns) were left unfinished.
      The degree of marginal leakage in Class-I cavities was reduced by finishing their
      walls with tungsten carbide or diamond coated finishing burs. Cervical Class-II
      cavity walls finished with a tungsten carbide or a diamond coated finishing bur
      demonstrated lower marginal leakage than cervical walls finished with a gingival
      margin trimmer. Finishing of proximal Class-II cavity walls with tungsten carbide
      or diamond coated finishing burs followed by removal of the remaining enamel
      overhangs with a diamond coated file (Cavishape) resulted in a lower degree of
      dye penetration than finishing proximal walls with a proximal margin trimmer. The
      results indicate that Class-II cavities with minimal extension of the proximal
      walls can be effectively finished without using hand instruments.

PMID- 1882222
TI  - [The determination of caries risk in schoolchildren based on microbiological
      chemical analyses of the saliva and on the clinical dental status].
AB  - In a feasibility study for the determination of the caries risk in children by
      whole school class, the number of the colony forming units of mutans streptococci
      and lactobacilli in the stimulated saliva, the buffer capacity of the saliva and
      some chosen clinical indicators of increased caries risk were determined and
      evaluated in 103 schoolchildren (7 to 10 years old) in the city of Zurich. Mutans
      streptococci in the saliva were found in 73% of the children and lactobacilli in
      77%. In 11% of the children, neither of the microorganisms were found. Sixty
      three percent of the children showed a strong buffer capacity of the saliva and
      12% a small one. On the basis of these results and some selected clinical
      factors, 30% of the children were classified as patients with a high caries risk
      and are now following an intensive prophylaxis program.

PMID- 1882223
TI  - [Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity: a case report and review].
AB  - The oral cavity is a rare location for the development of primary malignant
      melanoma. Two cases of malignant melanoma of the superior alveolar process are
      described. The necessity of an early recognition and of clarification concerning
      the differential diagnosis of oral pigmentation as well as the treatment are
      discussed, together with a review of the literature.

PMID- 1882224
TI  - Proteins 2, malaria 0.

PMID- 1882225
TI  - Birds of a fever.

PMID- 1882226
TI  - Opium, cocaine and marijuana in American history.

PMID- 1882227
TI  - Lead in sweat and its relationship to salivary and urinary levels in normal
      healthy subjects.
AB  - Sweat was collected from the arms of 24 normal healthy subjects while they sat in
      a hot chamber. Blood, urine and saliva samples were also collected. These were
      analyzed for lead by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Sweat lead levels
      recorded in this study are lower than those previously reported. Subjects with
      mean blood lead levels of 8.62 micrograms dl-1 (range 6-13.6) had mean sweat
      levels of 5.2 micrograms l-1 (range 1.5-13.0), approximately 25% of their urinary
      levels. Although salivary lead levels with a mean of 4.8 micrograms l-1 (range
      2.5-10) are comparable to sweat levels, their relationship to blood lead levels
      is poor (r = -0.186 compared with r values of 0.7208 and 0.234 for sweat and
      urinary levels, respectively).

PMID- 1882228
TI  - Sweat lead levels in persons with high blood lead levels: lead in sweat of lead
      workers in the tropics.
AB  - Samples of blood, sweat and urine were collected from eight control subjects and
      19 lead workers in a battery manufacturing factory in the tropics. Sweat samples
      were collected while workers cycled on a bicycle ergometer at room temperature
      (27-31 degrees C). All samples were analysed by atomic absorption
      spectrophotometry. Workers with blood lead levels of 13-36 micrograms dl-1 had
      sweat levels of 72-256 micrograms l-1 and urinary levels of 28-288 micrograms/g
      creatinine, while controls had levels of 9-12.2 micrograms dl-1, 9-30 micrograms
      l-1 and 9-19.6 microgram/g creatinine, respectively. Estimations of sweat lead in
      lead workers can be masked by skin contamination.

PMID- 1882229
TI  - Mutagenicity of the components of ozonated humic substance.
AB  - Eight components of humic substances were ozonated. Mutagenic activity was found
      with TA100 with and without S9 mix for all ozonated components. Ozonated products
      of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde were separated into five fractions by silica gel
      chromatography and each fraction subjected to mutagenicity assay. Mutagenic
      activity was found in the chloroform and chloroform-acetone (1:1) fractions. The
      compounds in these fractions were identified, and aldehydes such as formaldehyde,
      acetaldehyde, glyoxal, glyoxylic acid and methyl glyoxal were found to be
      mutagenic. Mutagenic compounds are present in the polar fraction.

PMID- 1882230
TI  - Mutagenicity of ozonation and chlorination products from p-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
AB  - p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, a component of soil humic substances, was ozonated and
      chlorinated. The ether extract and the residue were subjected to the Ames assay;
      mutagenic activities were identified. The non-ionic resin CSP800 and the anion
      exchange resin CHPA25 were used for separation of mutagenic compounds. The
      compounds in the water layer were not adsorbed on CSP800 or CHPA25 and exhibited
      strong mutagenic activity. Mutagenic activity was reduced as the added chlorine
      was increased. Ether extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass
      spectrometry (GC-MS) and chloral, 1,3-dichloro-2-propanone, 1,2,3-trichloro-1
      propene, tetrachloroethylene and 1,1,1,3,3-pentachloro-2-propanone were
      identified as mutagenic compounds.

PMID- 1882231
TI  - The quality of groundwater in Bahrain.
AB  - The quality of groundwater and house tap water throughout the State of Bahrain
      has been investigated with respect to pH, salinity, conductivity, bicarbonate,
      chloride, sulfate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, nitrite, nitrate,
      ammonia and phosphate. Groundwater showed elevated levels for salinity, chloride,
      sulfate, sodium and magnesium, with ranges of 1.40-9.30 ppt, and 110-4407, 239
      1385, 247-2165, and 36-313 mg l-1, respectively. These values increased from
      western Bahrain reaching maximum values along the southeastern coastal zone.
      Nitrate concentration ranged from 1.3 to 23.3 mg l-1 with an average value of 4.4
      mg l-1. The results of the study indicate deterioration of groundwater in
      localized areas. In the case of tap water, the observed ranges for salinity,
      chloride and sodium were 0.7-1.5 ppt, and 280-750 and 140-400 mg l-1,
      respectively. The quality of tap water was assessed by comparing values with WHO
      guidelines.

PMID- 1882232
TI  - Monitoring of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc status in young children using
      toenails: comparison with scalp hair.
AB  - Cadmium, copper, lead and zinc concentrations were determined (atomic absorption
      spectrometry) in the proximal end of scalp hair (n = 474) and in toenail
      clippings (n = 461) of children, aged 3-7 years, living in an industrialized and
      in a rural area of the Federal Republic of Germany. With the exception of Zn in
      hair, levels of the elements were log-normally distributed. Data are presented as
      geometric means. Toenail Cd and Pb levels were much higher than those in hair
      (Cd, 457 vs 90 ng g-1; Pb, 8.5 vs 2.7 micrograms g-1), while Cu and Zn values
      were similar in both biological media (toenail vs hair: Cu, 7.5 vs 10.6
      micrograms g-1; Zn, 129 vs 108 micrograms g-1). In toenails, all elements were
      positively correlated with each other. In hair, there was a close relationship
      only between Cd and Pb; Cd and Pb were inversely related to Zn. With the
      exception of Zn (no correlation), there was a minor relationship between metal
      levels in hair and those in toenails. Using stepwise regression analysis,
      seasonal variation was found to be the main factor influencing hair metal levels,
      while nail metal levels were mainly influenced by place of residence (with the
      exception of Cu concentrations, for which there were no significant predictors).
      Multiple correlation coefficient was higher for hair than for nails. It is
      concluded that, for biological monitoring, toenail clippings are less suitable
      than hair samples.

PMID- 1882233
TI  - Studies of blood lead levels in children by proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE).
AB  - Blood lead levels of children admitted to Sion Hospital, Bombay (India), from the
      adjoining Dharavi slum areas have been determined by proton-induced X-ray
      emission (PIXE). Blood samples were collected from 36 children with suspected
      lead poisoning and from 20 control children. The analysis showed that the lead
      concentration of the patients varied from 0.1 to 6.0 micrograms ml-1. In addition
      to lead, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br and Rb were also detected simultaneously, of
      which the concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb and Pb were determined. The high
      blood lead levels of the children from this area may be ascribed to environmental
      pollution due to heavy vehicular traffic and industrial sources.

PMID- 1882234
TI  - Comparative toxicity of organotin compounds to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus
      mykiss) yolk sac fry.
AB  - The comparative toxicity of various organotin compounds was investigated in early
      life stages of the rainbow trout. Beginning with yolk sac fry, trout were
      continuously exposed for 110 days to tributyl- (TBTC), triphenyl- (TPhTC) or
      tricyclohexyltin chloride (TCHTC) at concentrations of 0.12-15 nM, to
      trimethyltin chloride (TMTC) at concentrations of 3-75 nM or to dibutyl- (DBTC)
      or diphenyltin chloride (DPhTC) at 160-4000 nM. The diorganotin compounds DBTC
      and DPhTC were about three orders of magnitude less toxic than the triorganotin
      homologs TBTC and TPhTC. Both for DBTC and DPhTC, a no-observable-effect
      concentration (NOEC) of 160 nM was established, corresponding to 40 and 60 ppb,
      respectively. Of the triorganotin compounds, TCHTC appeared to be the most toxic,
      inducing 100% mortality within 1 week at a concentration of 3 nM. Only a few
      trout survived exposure to 0.6 nM TCHTC for 110 days. TBTC and TPhTC caused acute
      mortality at a concentration of 15 nM. For both TBTC and TPhTC a NOEC of 0.12 nM
      was established, corresponding to water concentrations of 40 and 50 ppt,
      respectively. Histopathological examination revealed depletion of glycogen in
      liver cells of both di- and triorganotin exposed fish, except in the case of
      TMTC. No signs of toxicity were observed in fish exposed to up to 75 nM TMTC, the
      highest concentration tested. Atrophy of the thymus, the most prominent sign of
      toxicity of di- and tributyltin compounds in mammalian species, was not observed
      in early life stages of rainbow trout. Tail melanization was observed in the
      groups exposed to 3 nM TPhTC, 3 nM TBTC, 800 nM DBTC and 800 nM DPhTC. At the end
      of the exposure period, resistance to infection was examined by an
      intraperitoneal challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila, a secondary pathogenic
      bacterium to fish. Resistance of bacterial challenge was found to be decreased
      even at the lowest-effect concentration of both di- and triorganotin compounds.

PMID- 1882235
TI  - Social science perspectives on HIV in the United States. Introduction.

PMID- 1882236
TI  - What should behavioral scientists be doing about AIDS?

PMID- 1882237
TI  - AIDS risk and prevention among adolescents.
AB  - Although relatively few teenagers have been diagnosed with AIDS and the extent of
      asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among adolescents
      remains largely unknown, there is cause for concern about teens' risk of
      contracting HIV disease The incubation period (the time from initial infection to
      the development of full-blown AIDS) is estimated to average eight years, and
      therefore it is probable that most of the individuals in their twenties who have
      AIDS (20% of all the people with AIDS) contracted HIV during their teenage years.
      The sexual and drug use activities of many teenagers place them at increased risk
      for HIV transmission. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are pervasive and a
      major cause of morbidity among sexually active adolescents. The rates of STDs
      have continued to rise even during the 'age of AIDS'. These rates are of concern
      since the behaviors associated with the acquisition and transmission of STDs are
      also the behaviors associated with HIV transmission. In addition, the presence of
      STDs may increase the likelihood of HIV transmission. Although condoms reduce the
      risk of HIV transmission, their use remains low among sexually active teenagers.
      Reducing or eliminating high risk behaviors is the only way to limit further
      spread of HIV. Effective prevention programs should be based on models and
      theories of risk behavior so that the programs can be designed to change those
      factors which lead to the undesirable risky behaviors. The AIDS Risk Reduction
      Model (ARRM) is presented as an example of such a social-physiological model. The
      ARRM model characterizes why people persist in engaging in high risk activities
      or make efforts to alter those activities. The three stages theorized to be
      necessary to reduce risky sexual activities are: (1) recognizing that one's
      activities make oneself vulnerable to contracting HIV; (2) making the decision to
      alter risky sexual behaviors and committing to that decision; (3) overcoming
      barriers to enacting the decision, including problems in sexual communication and
      seeking help when necessary to learn strategies to reduce risky behaviors. Each
      stage includes a number of constructs identified in prior research as important
      for engaging in 'healthy' or low risk behaviors. Innovative strategies must be
      developed and implemented to reach all adolescents, ranging from teenagers who
      attend school and live with their families to those teens who are runaways, live
      in detention facilities or are otherwise 'disenfranchised'. To be most effective,
      HIV prevention programs must utilize strategies which combine cognitive and
      behavioral skills training.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1882238
TI  - Sexual risk reduction behaviors among young heterosexual adults.
AB  - Although young, sexually-active heterosexuals have always been at risk for
      contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the recent appearance of Acquired
      Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has increased the possible peril of sexual
      experimentation. Currently, behaviors to reduce the risk of contracting AIDS are
      being widely advocated. The present study examines predictors of self-reported
      risk reduction behaviors in a sample of 188 young, sexually-active heterosexuals.
      Three factors (perceptions of personal vulnerability, sexual behaviour history,
      and homophobia) were hypothesized to predict levels of worry about contracting a
      sexually transmitted disease. Worry, in turn, was hypothesized to predict
      behavior change. Structural equation modeling provided support for these
      predictions, but found somewhat different patterns for women and men. For both
      sexes, higher levels of worry were a significant predictor of risk reduction
      behavior implementation. For women only, more extensive sexual behavior histories
      significantly predicted levels of worry. In contrast, for men only, perceptions
      of personal vulnerability and homophobia were significant predictors of worry.
      Results suggest that gender plays an important role in understanding cognitive
      predictors of sexual risk reduction behaviors.

PMID- 1882239
TI  - Examining ethnicity versus race in AIDS related sex research.
AB  - Disproportionate numbers of AIDS cases have been reported for Blacks and Latinos
      nationwide. The criteria used to identify and categorize individuals into these
      groups has resulted in limited information about the factors responsible for
      Blacks and Latinos being at greater risk for HIV transmission. This paper
      addresses the importance of the term ethnicity versus race for social science
      AIDS related research. Methodological issues and sampling strategies, and a
      variety of socio cultural factors that compliment AIDS related research with
      ethnic minority populations are also discussed.

PMID- 1882240
TI  - AIDS survey methodology with black Americans.
AB  - Unique substantive and methodological issues are involved in conducting survey
      research on sexual and HIV risk related behaviors among Americans of African
      descent. Problem conceptualization, sampling, design of instruments, mode of data
      collection, interviewer/respondent characteristics, community resistance, and
      data analysis and interpretation are discussed. The lack of survey research on
      sensitive health issues is noted. Possible methods for addressing these issues
      are drawn from the experiences of the authors in conducting national research on
      the general and at risk Black community populations. It is concluded that
      attention to these issues can substantially improve the quality of research on
      AIDS related behaviors on Black communities. Finally, it is suggested that
      behavioral theories and sophisticated methodological and analytic approaches,
      sensitive to the special cultural dimensions of racial/ethnic life in the United
      States, would contribute substantially to the scientific armamentarium needed to
      successfully meet the challenge of the AIDS epidemic.

PMID- 1882241
TI  - Sex, drugs and HIV: an ethnographic approach.
AB  - This is an ethnographic study of the sexual relationship that exists between a
      group of heroin addicted prostitutes and a Latino/Hispanic group of migrant
      undocumented workers from Mexico in Orange County, California. Some of the sexual
      practices elicited and observed by the ethnographer have implications for the
      transmission and prevention of the HIV. Of particular interest is a form of
      sexual behavior which is known to the participants as 'becoming milk brothers'.
      In this sexual practice several men have sexual intercourse with a single woman
      in rapid succession, allowing the possibility of HIV transmission to take place
      from male to female, from female to male, and from male to male.

PMID- 1882242
TI  - The Risk Approach: unassailable logic?
AB  - The Risk Approach (RA) is a framework for selective provision of health care
      services advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the potential
      utility of RA is stressed in the WHO literature, the framework remains largely
      untested as a basis for resource deployment. Despite this, advocates claim the
      logic of RA is 'theoretically unassailable'. The purpose of this paper is to
      challenge this claim by critically examining some of the assumptions and proposed
      methods contained in the WHO literature concerning RA. Two areas of concern are
      discussed, relating to (i) prediction and the nature of relations between markers
      and outcomes, and (ii) marker measurement and scoring.

PMID- 1882243
TI  - Change in knowledge in a coronary heart disease risk factor intervention study in
      three communities.
AB  - We investigated health and diet knowledge as it relates to coronary heart disease
      (CHD) in three rural areas which participated in a community-oriented CHD risk
      factor intervention study. Knowledge of risk factors (risk knowledge) was fairly
      satisfactory at baseline, but diet knowledge was poor. Males, the young, and
      individuals with a lower level of education had less knowledge. Intervention
      consisted of a 3-year small mass media programme in one community (low-intensity
      intervention, LII), additional interpersonal intervention to high-risk
      individuals in the second (high-intensity intervention, HII), and no intervention
      in the control community (C). In the cohorts, with the baseline survey and the
      follow-up study 4 years apart, knowledge improved by 8.1% points in males (7.5%
      in females) in the HII community and by 7.1% (6.5%) in the LII community,
      compared to 5.5% (4.8%) in the C community (P less than 0.01). Diet knowledge
      improved more than risk knowledge, and individuals with lower initial scores
      benefitted most. Female scored highest. Educational level made a modest positive
      contribution to knowledge gain, after adjusting for differences in baseline
      knowledge. High-risk individuals did not have better knowledge at baseline, nor
      did they gain more from the intervention. We conclude that community intervention
      over a 4 year period, based on community diagnosis and tailored to the
      community's needs, can improve health knowledge.

PMID- 1882244
TI  - Adolescents' attitudes to abortion in samples from Italy and Sweden.
AB  - Both Italy and Sweden have legislated abortion without grounds since the 1970s
      but background conditions in the two countries are bipolar. The overall purpose
      of the present study was to investigate a sample of adolescents from Italy and
      Sweden regarding their attitudes towards abortion and their knowledge of family
      planning and to compare the results from the two countries. A questionnaire was
      distributed among 400 adolescents, 177 from Stockholm, Sweden and 223 from Rome
      and Locri, Italy. Whereas Sweden is a relatively homogeneous country. Italy has
      large regional differences regarding social and other aspects. For this reason
      two regions of Italy were studied separately. The participants were all secondary
      school students. The results indicated that nearly all adolescents in both
      countries were concerned about abortion and its consequences, although their
      concern was expressed differently, in accordance with their religious and
      cultural norms and also with their background in sexual education. The present
      study raises questions concerning the knowledge level as an outcome of sex
      education programs. In fact comparing the answers between the Italian and the
      Swedish samples no particular difference, in favour of the Swedish adolescents
      was noticed.

PMID- 1882245
TI  - Misinformation about medications in rural Ghana.
AB  - Misuse of medications is a serious problem in developing countries where drug
      sales are not regulated. This study assessed drug knowledge and use in a rural
      Ghanaian town. We surveyed health care workers and a community population sample
      regarding knowledge and use of available drugs. Although drugs were used by a
      large percentage of the population, only a small percentage correctly described
      their recommended use. Doctors and medical assistants were knowledgeable in the
      correct use of drugs, while chemists were poorly informed. However, the majority
      of the non-health care worker (NHCW) population bought drugs from chemists
      without a prescription. We conclude that in this rural setting, chemists
      contributed to drug misuse by providing misinformation about drugs and selling
      drugs according to popular demand. Educational programs for chemists and the
      population regarding drug use and regulation of drug sales by chemists will be
      critical to drug reform in Ghana.

PMID- 1882246
TI  - What's important for quality of life to Indians--in relation to cancer.
AB  - Fifty subjects were interviewed to determine the items or issues which they
      considered as reflecting quality of life and how important these items were in
      the event of a serious illness. Peace of mind, spiritual satisfaction and social
      satisfaction were considered to be very important by nearly 2/3 of the subjects.
      Individual's functioning and level of physical and psychological health were
      given much less significance. Level of satisfaction was valued much higher than
      the level of functioning.

PMID- 1882247
TI  - The role of physical attractiveness in the assessment of elderly patients.
AB  - The degree to which patient physical attractiveness affects judgements of
      professionals and relatives of patients as well as the psychosocial adjustment of
      elderly was investigated within the context of a longitudinal quasi-experimental
      design. In contrast to previous analogue and cross-sectional research, no
      evidence was found to support the contention that physical attractiveness has a
      potent impact on any of the variables under study.

PMID- 1882248
TI  - 'Addiction' phenomenon.
AB  - The term "addiction" has become widespread in our society. In this article, I
      examine the expansion of the medical addiction metaphor to numerous types of
      behavior. A review of the largely self-help addiction-related literature, selling
      tens of millions of copies per year, reveals a common path for recovery from
      these addictions. Understanding the addiction self-help literature can be of help
      in assisting our patients.

PMID- 1882249
TI  - The future of CME.

PMID- 1882250
TI  - 'Hand in glove': a centennial observation on the surgical use of rubber gloves.

PMID- 1882251
TI  - Primary hyperparathyroidism and coexisting nephrogenic diabetes insipidus: rapid
      postoperative correction.
AB  - Shortly after diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, a patient had serum
      hyperosmolality, polyuria, isosthenuria, profound potassium depletion, and
      elevated plasma antidiuretic hormone levels, all consistent with nephrogenic
      diabetes insipidus. After parathyroidectomy, serum calcium and serum osmolality
      levels fell concurrently. Profound potassium deficits did not recur. We propose
      that (1) hypercalcemia produced a concentrating defect and polyuria; (2) renal
      tubular acidosis and polyuria combined to produce severe potassium depletion; (3)
      hypokalemia potentiated the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by
      hypercalcemia; and (4) postoperative disappearance of the diabetes insipidus
      confirmed its reversible, purely metabolic causes.

PMID- 1882252
TI  - Parathyroid adenoma manifested as pancreatitis and polyuria.
AB  - Although the data used to explain a relationship between hyperparathyroidism and
      pancreatitis remain incomplete, there does appear to be a relationship between
      the two. We believe our patient's clinical course strongly supports this.

PMID- 1882253
TI  - Magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary artery aneurysm.
AB  - Pulmonary artery aneurysm is a rare condition. We have presented what we believe
      to be the first case in the English literature to be diagnosed by magnetic
      resonance imaging.

PMID- 1882254
TI  - Kikuchi-Fujimoto syndrome during pregnancy.
AB  - Necrotizing lymphadenitis of the Kikuchi-Fujimoto type developed in our patient
      during her first trimester of pregnancy, but she carried the infant to full term
      with no apparent adverse effect. Two subsequent pregnancies were not associated
      with reactivation of the disorder, nor with any recognizable adverse effect on
      the fetuses. A pregnancy should not be terminated because of Kikuchi-Fujimoto
      necrotizing lymphadenitis when it develops during the first trimester of
      pregnancy.

PMID- 1882255
TI  - Adult respiratory distress syndrome from sulfuric acid fume inhalation.
AB  - A 23-year-old man had adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by acute
      exposure to sulfuric acid fumes. The patient survived the initial hospitalization
      to be readmitted later with a lung abscess. After therapy, his chest
      roentgenogram and pulmonary function tests revealed no abnormalities except a
      marginally decreased DLCO, and he was without functional deficit. Noncardiogenic
      pulmonary edema probably resulted from direct alveolar injury caused by sulfuric
      acid.

PMID- 1882256
TI  - Fume fever and reactive airways dysfunction syndrome in a welder.
AB  - I have reported a case of fume fever and concurrent reactive airways dysfunction
      syndrome (RADS) after welding. The RADS should be added to the list of potential
      hazards associated with welding.

PMID- 1882257
TI  - Recurrent adnexal torsion and cystadenoma of aberrant ovarian tissue.
AB  - Torsion of the adnexa is rare, and diagnosis is difficult because of the sparse
      clinical findings. I describe a patient with recurrent torsion of the right
      adnexa, involving a cystadenoma of aberrant ovarian tissue. Her only symptom was
      recurrent right-sided pelvic pain.

PMID- 1882258
TI  - Lymphangiosarcoma associated with lymphedema in a man with Maffucci's syndrome.
AB  - A man with Maffucci's syndrome and lifelong lymphedema in the right lower
      extremity had a lymphangiosarcoma in the same extremity. Despite amputation of
      the limb and radiotherapy, he died several months later of pulmonary metastases.
      Malignancies of vascular origin rarely have been reported in this syndrome. Our
      patient's features suggest that lymphedema may predispose patients with
      Maffucci's syndrome to the development of lymphangiosarcoma.

PMID- 1882259
TI  - Foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract: intraluminal migration of laparotomy
      sponge.
AB  - We have reported a case of complete transluminal migration of a retained
      laparotomy sponge that caused repeated partial small bowel obstruction. Diagnosis
      was made when roentgenograms showed multiple positions of the laparotomy marker.
      The sponge was surgically removed. This is the 69th reported case of complete
      transluminal migration and distal movement of a laparotomy sponge.

PMID- 1882260
TI  - Amniotic fluid embolism.
AB  - Amniotic fluid embolism is an almost universally fatal complication of pregnancy.
      We have presented a case and reviewed the literature concerning this rare but
      catastrophic problem.

PMID- 1882261
TI  - Bouveret's syndrome: an unusual twist on the classic cause.
AB  - Bouveret's syndrome is a duodenal obstruction caused by a gallstone, manifested
      mostly as a gastric outlet obstruction. We have reported an instance of
      Bouveret's syndrome caused by two separate stones, either of which could
      independently have caused the obstruction. It is imperative to be sure that the
      obstruction is relieved before terminating the operative procedure.

PMID- 1882262
TI  - Candidal mediastinitis after surgical repair of esophageal perforation.
AB  - Candidal mediastinitis, like Boerhaave's syndrome, is uncommon, and both, if
      treated late or incompletely, frequently result in death. Early recognition and
      aggressive medical and surgical intervention are the best means to convalescence
      and cure in both conditions.

PMID- 1882263
TI  - Chylothorax complicating right upper lobectomy.
AB  - Chylothorax after pleuropulmonary surgery is unusual. We have described the case
      of a patient in whom this complication followed a right upper lobectomy. Early
      recognition is important to avoid potential morbidity and mortality.

PMID- 1882265
TI  - Streptococcus salivarius meningitis and colonic carcinoma.
AB  - Streptococcus salivarius caused fulminant meningitis in an elderly patient. A
      gastrointestinal diagnostic workup revealed an asymptomatic colonic
      adenocarcinoma. This first reported instance of S salivarius sepsis associated
      with a colonic neoplasm is not unexpected, since the organism is
      bacteriologically similar to S bovis, the prime bacterial indicator of occult
      malignancy. Exact speciation of streptococcal strains is fraught with technical
      difficulties, and gastrointestinal investigation may be warranted in an expanded
      variety of streptococcal infections.

PMID- 1882264
TI  - Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection and central nervous system involvement
      in a patient with relapsing polychondritis.
AB  - Infections caused by Strongyloides stercoralis are not uncommon in the United
      States. Because of the many different manifestations of hyperinfection with this
      nematode, a high index of suspicion is essential, especially in immunocompromised
      patients, for whom such infections are frequently fatal. Patients originating
      from endemic areas and those who have traveled to such areas, even in the distant
      past, should have the possibility of strongyloidiasis evaluated before initiation
      of immunosuppressive therapy. Once considered, the diagnosis is not difficult and
      can be accomplished using readily available techniques and methods. Although
      thiabendazole has a high incidence of side effects and may not always eradicate
      infection, it remains the drug of choice for disseminated strongyloidiasis.

PMID- 1882266
TI  - Gastrointestinal endoscopy versus radiology.

PMID- 1882267
TI  - Merkel's cell carcinoma.

PMID- 1882268
TI  - The obstetric dwindles.

PMID- 1882269
TI  - Obstetric practice patterns among family practice residency graduates.
AB  - Obstetric services are a critical health care need in the southeastern United
      States. Until recently, many family physicians included obstetrics as a part of
      their practice. In recent years there has been significant attrition from the
      practice of obstetrics among family physicians. This survey looks at attrition
      among graduates of the Tuscaloosa Family Practice Residency Program and their
      practice patterns, as well as the reasons family physicians give for
      discontinuing obstetric practice. We also discuss implications for residency
      curricula and remedial measures at the state and national levels.

PMID- 1882270
TI  - Computer-assisted comprehensive geriatric assessment in a family physician's
      office.
AB  - Family physicians and other medical care providers are beginning to realize the
      importance of a comprehensive assessment examination for elderly patients. The
      components of such an examination are well documented, and include not only the
      standard history and physical examination, but also evaluation of mental health,
      functional status, and socioeconomic status of the person. A major impediment to
      a family physician doing such an extensive evaluation is that most offices lack
      the team approach commonly used in tertiary care medical facilities. In this
      paper I report the implementation of a computer-assisted program that was
      developed for use in a private physician's office. The first 22 patients examined
      using this protocol are discussed. A new diagnosis was uncovered in all but three
      of the subjects. This finding suggests that performing comprehensive geriatric
      assessments in a family practice setting might create an immediate benefit in
      terms of patient management.

PMID- 1882271
TI  - Percutaneous intra-aortic balloon pump: emphasis on complications.
AB  - In a review of our 5-year experience with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP)
      insertion I examined the complications of percutaneous IABP placement in 93
      patients, and compared them with those reported in other studies in the
      literature. I analyzed several variables that may affect the complication rate.
      Of 78 patients in our series who had percutaneous IABP cardiac assist, 15 (19%)
      had complications, which falls into the acceptable range reported by others.
      Among 15 patients who had surgical placement of an IABP, the complication rate
      was similar at 20%. The complication rate after IABP insertions done by surgeons
      primarily in the operating room was compared with that from insertions done by
      cardiologists in the catheterization laboratory. The overall complication rate
      was found to be higher in the second group, 28.0% compared with 12.8%. The
      application of the IABP in cardiogenic shock was associated with a high
      complication rate (46%). On the other hand, its insertion before cardiac surgery
      was associated with a relatively low complication rate (9.5%).

PMID- 1882272
TI  - Relationship of regional fat distribution and obesity to electrocardiographic
      parameters in healthy premenopausal women.
AB  - Abdominal obesity is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. The coexistence
      of abdominal obesity and electrocardiographic abnormalities may facilitate the
      development of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. We determined the
      relationship of body fat distribution and obesity to ECG indices in 27 obese
      premenopausal women on an isocaloric diet. Intra-abdominal fat distribution was
      assessed by computerized tomography, and obesity was assessed by hydrostatic
      weighing. The PR, QRS, and QTc intervals, the P and QRS axes, and the P-QRS angle
      were determined from a resting electrocardiogram. Cardiovascular risk profile was
      assessed by systolic and diastolic blood pressure and plasma cholesterol and
      triglyceride levels. Increased deposition of intra-abdominal fat was
      significantly associated with prolongation of the QTc interval independent of
      obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors. The prolongation of the QTc
      interval seen with increasing intra-abdominal fat distribution may enhance
      susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias. These subjects should have
      electrocardiographic monitoring during periods of weight loss achieved by
      intensive regimens.

PMID- 1882273
TI  - Intraoperative evaluation of intestinal ischemia: a comparison of methods.
AB  - Methods for evaluating intestinal ischemia include standard clinical criteria,
      Doppler ultrasonography, and intravenous fluorescein injection. Each has
      disadvantages, and a combination of methods is often used. The purpose of this
      study was to determine whether surface oximetry could be used to assess perfusion
      in an animal whose intestinal diameter approximates that of infants. Reversible
      arterial, venous, and arteriovenous occlusion was studied in rabbit intestines.
      After 6 to 8 hours of occlusion, intestinal vascularity was evaluated by the four
      methods listed. Doppler ultrasonography and surface oximetry were found to be
      unreliable tools for assessing perfusion in this animal model. We conclude that
      standard clinical criteria and fluorescein remain the standards for
      intraoperative evaluation of intestinal perfusion.

PMID- 1882274
TI  - The diabetic foot: consequences of delayed treatment and referral.
AB  - The pathophysiology of foot problems in diabetic patients is poorly understood by
      many physicians. Two major factors that frequently lead to a delay in appropriate
      treatment with subsequent limb loss are failure to appreciate the presence and
      severity of underlying infection and attribution of gangrene of the toe and
      forefoot to microvascular disease. To evaluate the consequences of delayed
      recognition and treatment, we reviewed the records of 55 diabetic patients with
      localized gangrene or infection of the forefoot in 62 limbs, treated
      consecutively on a single vascular surgical service over a 2-year period using a
      standard protocol. All appropriately treated neuropathic ulcers and forefoot
      infections healed in patients with palpable pedal pulses. If foot pulses were
      absent and arteriography confirmed large-vessel occlusive disease, foot lesions
      and infections likewise healed if concomitant revascularization was done. In our
      series, 33 bypasses were required because of severe atherosclerotic occlusive
      disease. Only one patient had "unreconstructable" arterial disease. Limb salvage
      was 86% at a mean follow-up of 12.4 months. In 16 of the patients (29%), there
      was a prolonged delay between initial treatment and referral for definitive care.
      The specific causes of delay were underestimation of the severity of foot
      infection in 10 patients, and lack of recognition of ischemia due to large-vessel
      occlusive disease in six. These delays led to more proximal levels of amputation
      in six patients, including three below-knee amputations in patients with limbs
      that were initially salvageable.

PMID- 1882275
TI  - Massive bone allografts for traumatic skeletal defects.
AB  - Large bone allograft transplants have been successfully used to reconstruct
      skeletal defects created by tumor resections and failed arthroplasties, but
      little has been reported on their use in traumatic defects. Of approximately 500
      allograft procedures done at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1979 to
      1988, 11 were done for restoration of traumatic bone loss. The average age of the
      patients was 30 (range 11 to 71 years), and the location of the defect was the
      tibia or femur in 10 of the 11 patients studied. Eight osteoarticular grafts (six
      hemicondylar and two total condylar) and three intercalary grafts were used for
      six open and five closed fractures. The time from injury to reconstruction
      averaged 17 months (3 to 96 months). Primary reconstruction was done in three
      cases and a salvage procedure in eight. Patients were assessed by the operating
      surgeon and a physical therapist using an evaluation system that considers
      function, life-style, and emotional acceptance. According to the system, nine
      patients had excellent or good results (six hemicondylar grafts, three
      intercalary grafts), one patient had a fair result (total elbow graft), and one
      patient had failure of a total condylar graft and subsequently required an
      amputation. This study suggests that large bone allografts are of value in
      reconstructing traumatic skeletal defects, especially those involving an
      articular surface in a young patient.

PMID- 1882276
TI  - Dupuytren's contracture.
AB  - Dupuytren's contracture is a disease of the palmar and digital fascia that
      results in a flexion deformity of the fingers. Although the first case was
      reported more than 350 years ago, many questions remain unanswered. With our
      present state of knowledge, treatment remains empiric and operative intervention
      is the only successful mode of treatment. Controversies continue over the type of
      procedure used, as well as its timing. In light of the high rate of recurrence of
      flexion contractures after apparently successful operations, current research is
      being directed toward identifying a biochemical or histologic marker to indicate
      the probability of recurrence.

PMID- 1882277
TI  - Oral contraceptive drug interactions: important considerations.
AB  - Interactions with oral contraceptives (OCs) occur with drugs commonly used to
      treat epilepsy, tuberculosis, and depression. Most women are more likely to use
      antibiotics, analgesics, and antihistamines, which have also been shown to
      interact with OCs. The mechanisms behind these interactions may be hepatic
      microsomal enzyme induction or inhibition, interference with the enterohepatic
      circulation of steroid metabolites, interference with absorption, competition
      between two drugs for the same metabolizing enzyme, or induction of an opposite
      physiologic effect. Rifampin was the first drug reported to interfere with the
      efficacy of OCs. The anticonvulsants and certain antibiotics, namely ampicillin
      and tetracycline, also decrease the efficacy of OCs. Oral contraceptives also
      interfere with the metabolism of other drugs. Plasma concentrations of
      theophylline, diazepam, and certain other benzodiazepines are increased by OC
      steroids. Because OCs interact with a wide variety of prescription and over-the
      counter medications, a thorough drug history should be taken in all patients
      taking OCs.

PMID- 1882278
TI  - [Hyperpigmentation of the skin in steroid-dependent bronchial asthma].

PMID- 1882279
TI  - [Criteria of selection of patients with breast cancer for organ-sparing
      operations].
AB  - The analysis is given to a number of criteria guiding the selection of breast
      cancer patients for preserving surgery. The tumor size is one of the most
      essential criteria. Breast-sparing surgical treatment within radical resection of
      the breast according to the above selection proved not inferior by survival
      characteristics to radical mastectomy surpassing it by social and occupational
      results.

PMID- 1882281
TI  - [Surgical treatment of hematogenic spinal osteomyelitis using extra-focal
      instrumental fixation].
AB  - A total of 78 cases with acute hematogenic vertebral osteomyelitis are analyzed.
      Diagnostic errors at the prehospital and hospital stages are specified in 42
      cases (53.8 percent), that resulted in late start of adequate treatment.
      Preoperative antibacterial therapy was carried out 1 to 1.5 months before surgery
      consisting in radical resection of the focus with replacement of the defect with
      autotransplant and extra-focal++ fixation with Byzov's apparatus. After surgery
      the patients started exercises on days 5-10. This treatment resulted in formation
      of osseous block at the site of vertebral body resection in 3-4 months in 30.8
      percent of cases, in 5-6 months in 57.7 percent, and in 10-12 months in 11.5
      percent of patients.

PMID- 1882280
TI  - [Comparative evaluation of 2 schedules of administration of anti- neoplastic
      drugs by the CMF protocol in disseminated breast cancer].
AB  - Combined chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil (CMF) in
      two regimens of administration was comparatively assessed in a randomized and
      prospective trial. Group I patients (n = 34) received methotrexate and
      fluorouracil once a week and cyclophosphamide every other day for 15 days. In
      group II (n = 32) all the drugs were given simultaneously once weekly for 15
      days. A complete and partial response occurred significantly more frequently in
      patients of group I (36%) versus group II (7%). The intergroup difference in
      toxicity appeared insignificant.

PMID- 1882283
TI  - [Laser irradiation in the complex treatment of post-burn esophagitis].
AB  - The paper describes a combined therapy of postburn esophagitis the main component
      of which is exposure of the burnt area to laser irradiation. Good or satisfactory
      response was achieved in all the treated patients (n-27).

PMID- 1882282
TI  - [Experience with using extremely high frequency radiotherapy of the millimeter
      wave range in cerebrovascular disorders].
AB  - Vascular diseases of the brain (functional transient and ischemic apoplexy,
      circulatory encephalopathy) in 79 patients were treated by UHF electromagnetic
      field of millimetric wave range. 14 patients entered the control group. The
      treatment results are indicative of clear-cut trend to a decrease of arterial
      pressure, normalization of blood glucose level, arrest of DIC syndrome
      development.

PMID- 1882284
TI  - [Extracorporeal lithotripsy in acute obstructive cholecystitis].
AB  - Available is pilot experience in the use of extracorporeal shock--wave
      lithotripsy for acute--stage management of calculous cholecystitis running with
      obturation of the cystic duct in the absence of complications. Crushing of the
      stones resulted in elimination of the duct obturation and compression of the
      gallbladder in 95% of the patients, the acute episode was arrested and 50% of
      those treated got free of the stones. These therapeutic results are promising and
      evidence extracorporeal lithotripsy efficiency in acute obstructive
      cholecystitis.

PMID- 1882285
TI  - [Results of surgical treatment of cancer of the kidney with high surgical risk
      under hyperbaric oxygenation].
AB  - Refusal of operative intervention because of high operative risk not infrequently
      deprives the patients of the only chance to prolong survival. Surgical treatment
      under hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) creates adequate conditions for such
      operations as oxygen saturation of the blood and tissues prevented hypoxia
      developing due to the severe operative trauma and blood loss. Intraoperative and
      early postoperative hemodynamic and gas exchange parameters become stable. HBO
      extends indications for operative treatment of renal carcinoma contributing to
      improvement of treatment results.

PMID- 1882287
TI  - [Diagnostic criteria and surgical tactics in aneurysmal cerebral hemorrhage].

PMID- 1882286
TI  - [Study of the renal venous outflow using digital subtraction angiography].
AB  - A venous phase of digit subtraction angiography (DSA) of the kidneys was
      evaluated in 87 urologic patients. The subtraction allows satisfactory
      visualization of the renal veins. Amplification of the image and its early
      emergence indirectly suggest pathological arteriovenous shunt confirmed by
      intraoperative rheography. Investigation of the renal veins and venous outflow
      from the kidneys with DSA bears sufficient information and is less traumatic
      versus standard retrograde venography.

PMID- 1882288
TI  - [Calcium and arterial hypertension].

PMID- 1882289
TI  - [Acute paraproctitis and anaerobic infection].

PMID- 1882290
TI  - [Chemotherapy of multiple myeloma].

PMID- 1882291
TI  - [Principles of therapeutic and preventive services for young pregnant women].

PMID- 1882292
TI  - [Cytochemical parameters of lymphocytes in non-coronarogenic myocardial
      diseases].
AB  - Blood lymphocyte redox enzymes were examined in 102 patients with infectious
      allergic myocarditis and vegetative dyshormonal +myocardial dystrophy.
      Dehydrogenase activity was found shifted and cellular energy balance disordered,
      these factors being valuable for differential diagnosis. Estimation of the
      lymphocytic energy plastic coefficient permits a dynamic monitoring of patient's
      status and helps predict the outcome of rehabilitation process. The detected
      metabolic shifts prompted inclusion of ++pyridoxal phosphate, a new coenzymic
      drug, in complex of treatment of this patient population.

PMID- 1882293
TI  - [Program of primary prevention of arterial hypertension at industrial plants].

PMID- 1882294
TI  - [Experience with the study of the population's satisfaction with medical
      services].

PMID- 1882296
TI  - [Control of atrial fibrillation by transesophageal electric stimulation].

PMID- 1882295
TI  - [Diagnostic possibilities of Valsalva's test for detection of left-ventricular
      dysfunction in ischemic heart disease].

PMID- 1882297
TI  - [Rheocardiographic diagnosis of an early stage of cardiac insufficiency in
      patients with stenocardia].

PMID- 1882298
TI  - [Heart injuries].

PMID- 1882299
TI  - [Diagnosis of contact mediastinitis in necrotic phlegmons of the neck].

PMID- 1882301
TI  - [Sucralfate and alsucral in the treatment of uncomplicated duodenal ulcer].

PMID- 1882300
TI  - [Prospects of development of radiotherapy in an oncological clinic].
AB  - It is believed that new anticancer potential of radiotherapy lies in further
      research efforts in the fields of: clinical radiobiology, utilization of the last
      developments in radiological equipment, overall high quality of radiological
      service. Research in radiobiology should be aimed at the design of nonstandard
      dose fractionation, introduction of various modifiers and their combinations,
      prediction of individual responses of the tumor to ionizing radiation. First-hand
      clinical data on 3000 cases support the promise of such approach. The advantages
      of modern equipment could be successfully realized at the stage of confirming the
      diagnosis and topography++, design of the treatment schedule and in the process
      of radiotherapy. To warrant the same quality of radiological service rendered in
      large cancer research centers and provincial hospitals, the latter should be
      provided with relevant equipment, methodological instructions, participate in
      current cooperative programs.

PMID- 1882302
TI  - [Use of thymus gland peptides in chronic cholecystitis].

PMID- 1882303
TI  - [Closed intramedullary and trans-osseous osteosynthesis in diaphyseal crural bone
      fractures].

PMID- 1882304
TI  - [Immunologic reactions in patients with hypothyroidism after the treatment with
      thyroidin].

PMID- 1882306
TI  - [Surgical treatment of Meckel's diverticulum].

PMID- 1882307
TI  - [Cervical endoscopy in the diagnosis of the initial stages of cancer of the
      cervix uteri].

PMID- 1882308
TI  - [Phasic activity of the heart in diabetes mellitus].

PMID- 1882305
TI  - [Changes in internal organs in narcotic and drug dependence].

PMID- 1882309
TI  - Pancreatic necrosis and infection--an update on management.
AB  - The mortality rate for acute pancreatitis complicated by necrosis and infection
      has remained high in spite of progress made in supportive care. This is mostly
      related to development of multi-organ failure and overwhelming sepsis. Early
      diagnosis of necrosis and infection followed by correct management are essential
      for improving survival. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography with the adjunct of
      fine-needle aspiration is reliable in detecting necrosis and infection. Several
      surgical treatment modalities are discussed in the literature; however, the
      cornerstone for improved survival in patients with infected necrosis is adequate
      debridement and wide drainage. This can be achieved with any modality, provided
      that the patients are re-explored promptly if the septic status persists.

PMID- 1882310
TI  - Pancreatic injuries in children.
AB  - Pancreatic injuries over an 11-year period were reviewed. Pedestrian motor
      vehicle accidents accounted for 45% of the injuries. Diagnosis was made
      clinically and on raised serial serum amylase levels. Eighty per cent of the
      patients were managed conservatively. Two patients required emergency surgery for
      pancreatic trauma. There were no deaths. It is concluded that a conservative
      approach is successful in most paediatric patients with pancreatic trauma.

PMID- 1882311
TI  - Significance of gastric surface epithelial metaplasia in the duodenum.
AB  - An experimental study was undertaken to establish whether normally occurring
      gastric surface epithelial metaplasia was increased in chronic duodenitis caused
      by explanting duodenal mucosa in dogs. All the histological changes of chronic
      duodenitis were observed in the explants. However, as established by morphometry,
      the distribution and the amount of gastric surface epithelial metaplasia remained
      unchanged in 9 dogs following periods of explantation from 3 months to 1 year. It
      was concluded that under these experimental conditions, gastric surface
      epithelial metaplasia was not a manifestation of chronic duodenitis.

PMID- 1882312
TI  - Splenic regeneration and phagocytic function after partial splenectomy in
      baboons.
AB  - Total splenectomy, especially in children, results in diminished ability to
      combat infection by capsulated bacteria. It is, however, uncertain how much
      splenic tissue is needed to maintain this ability. In this experimental study on
      baboons, in situ remnants after partial splenectomy were examined to evaluate
      regeneration and phagocytic function after injection of dual-labelled liposomes
      into their splenic arterial supply. The results showed that resection of as much
      as two-thirds of the spleen in baboons allowed sufficient regeneration to support
      adequate macrophage phagocytic function.

PMID- 1882313
TI  - Volvulus of the sigmoid colon.
AB  - Between 1983 and 1986, 18 patients with colonic volvulus (94.4% sigmoid, 5.6%
      caecal) were seen at Karadeniz Medical Faculty. There were 11 male and 7 female
      patients, with a mean age of 68 years. In 66.6% and 22.2% of patients
      respectively a palliative procedure or a Hartmann operation were performed. The
      recurrence rate in the palliative group was 30%. The mortality rate for all
      patients with volvulus was 16.8%. The palliative procedures were successful in
      patients in good general condition and without bowel necrosis, whereas the
      Hartmann operation gave successful results in patients with bowel necrosis.

PMID- 1882315
TI  - Management of perforated duodenal ulcers.

PMID- 1882314
TI  - Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
AB  - A series of 114 patients was prospectively investigated to determine the
      prevalence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Of these patients only 7 (6.1%)
      were found to have the condition, and no cases of heparin-induced
      thrombocytopenia plus thrombosis were detected.

PMID- 1882316
TI  - Intrapericardial herniation. A report of 2 cases.
AB  - Traumatic intrapericardial rupture is an infrequent occurrence and often
      associated with other fatal injuries. Two cases of delayed presentations of
      central tendon defects and intrapericardial herniation after blunt trauma to the
      chest and abdomen are reported.

PMID- 1882317
TI  - Paralytic thoracic lordosis and lumbar kyphosis. A case report.
AB  - A case of post-poliomyelitis thoracic lordosis and lumbar kyphosis without
      scoliosis is presented. A true reversal of the normal sagittal contour of the
      spine is demonstrated. Surgical treatment gave a gratifying result.

PMID- 1882318
TI  - Pancreatic leiomyosarcoma. A case report.
AB  - The pancreas is an unusual site for leiomyosarcoma. Only 12 such cases have
      previously been reported. A case of pancreatic leiomyosarcoma in a 68-year-old
      man is presented and the diagnostic dilemma and management of such a tumour are
      discussed.

PMID- 1882319
TI  - Actuarial status of the HI and SMI Trust Funds.
AB  - This article presents the "Summary of the 1991 Annual Reports of the Medicare
      Board of Trustees." The Board reports that the present financing schedule for the
      Hospital Insurance (HI) program is sufficient to ensure the payment of benefits
      over the next 14 years with trust fund exhaustion occurring in 2005 if the
      alternative II (intermediate) assumptions are realized. Although the HI Trust
      Fund is financially adequate based on the short-range test, the Board believes
      that corrective action will be needed very soon to avoid the need for potentially
      precipitous changes later. For the Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust
      Fund, the Board concludes that funds are sufficient to cover projected benefits
      and administrative costs through December 1991, but notes with concern the rapid
      growth in the cost of the program and recommends that Congress continue to work
      to curtail the rapid growth in the cost of the SMI program.

PMID- 1882320
TI  - Actuarial status of the OASI and DI Trust Funds.
AB  - This article presents the "Summary of the 1991 Annual Report of the Board of
      Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance
      Trust Funds." The Board reports the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust
      Fund, by itself, and the combined OASI and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds
      meet the short-range test of financial adequacy, based on intermediate
      assumptions. However, under conditions that are more pessimistic than the
      intermediate assumptions, the DI Trust Fund would be depleted during the next 10
      years. Under intermediate assumptions, the long-range 75-year estimates,
      excluding the effects of interest income, indicate the OASDI program will
      experience about 26 years of positive annual balances, with annual deficits
      indefinitely thereafter. Including interest, the trust funds would continue to
      grow, in dollars, for another decade, before steadily declining to exhaustion 50
      years from now.

PMID- 1882321
TI  - Laser trabeculoplasty.
AB  - Over a decade, laser trabeculoplasty has evolved from being a novel new treatment
      to one that is a commonly accepted intervention in the management of open-angle
      glaucoma. Despite its widespread use, however, there are still many unanswered
      questions about laser trabeculoplasty, including its mechanism of action and the
      ideal treatment parameters. In this review, we will discuss the history of the
      technique, the clinical experience, and some of the experimental studies that
      have been conducted to answer the questions regarding its mechanism of action.

PMID- 1882322
TI  - Ocular teratology.
AB  - The principles of teratology are described, and animal models for research in
      abnormal ocular development and clinical studies of human teratogens are
      surveyed. A review is made of presumed ocular teratogenic agents: radiation;
      external environmental teratogens; maternal conditions such as infections,
      diabetes, and epilepsy; alcohol and drugs such as thalidomide, retinoic acid, and
      coumarin anticoagulants; and other agents, such as cigarettes.

PMID- 1882323
TI  - Scleral implants: an historical perspective.
AB  - Scleral implants are made of absorbable or nonabsorbable materials. One category
      of absorbable materials consists of donor tissue, either autogenous (fascia lata,
      plantaris gracilis tendon) or from cadavers (dura mater, sclera, fascia lata). A
      second category includes gelatin, reconstituted collagen, absorbable gut, fibrin,
      blood plasma, air, and sodium hyaluronate; of these, specially prepared gelatin
      seems to be the most useful. Nonabsorbable implant materials have proven more
      practical than absorbable implants. Solid silicone rubber is currently the most
      popular scleral implant material. It is soft, easy to handle, and well tolerated.
      Expandable implants, either temporary or permanent, are used in the form of a
      silicone balloon filled with liquid. Silicone sponge, also widely used, has the
      advantage of great softness. However, hydrogels seem to be the ideal scleral
      implants. The only one commercially available is Refojo's MAI implant. It is very
      soft and is not damaged by sutures, has a smooth surface, is molded in several
      sizes and shapes, and has small pores that microorganisms cannot penetrate. When
      saturated with a water-soluble antibiotic before implantation, this implant
      releases the antibiotic postoperatively for a longer time than any other implant
      material. Finally, surgical adhesives are useful when the sclera is too thin or
      weak to tolerate sutures. The best adhesive available seems to be isobutyl
      cyanoacrylate.

PMID- 1882324
TI  - The perils of Pauline: visual loss in a tippler.
AB  - A 31-year-old alcoholic woman who smoked had subacute visual loss. She was
      treated for tobacco-alcohol amblyopia with subsequent improvement in vision.

PMID- 1882325
TI  - Chlorambucil dosage should never exceed 22 mg/day: correction of typographical
      error.

PMID- 1882326
TI  - Cyclocryotherapy for glaucoma associated with keratoplasty.

PMID- 1882327
TI  - Seizures induced by aminooxyacetic acid in mice: pharmacological characteristics.
AB  - Systemic (s.c.) administration of aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) in mice triggered
      clonic convulsions with a CD50 (convulsive dose) of 68 mg/kg (range 54-86). AOAA
      also induced clonic convulsions in mice subjected to intracerebroventricular
      administration of the drug with a CD50 of 0.04 mumols (range 0.028-0.06). At the
      onset of convulsions induced by systemic AOAA (CD97;150 mg/kg), the GAD activity
      in the frontal cortex and hippocampus was not affected. GABA mimetic drugs,
      progabide and gabaculine, had no effect on convulsions induced by AOAA.
      Convulsions induced by systemic administration of AOAA were blocked by diazepam,
      phenobarbital, and valproate. Ethosuximide, trimethadione, acetazolamide,
      diphenylhydantoin, and carbamazepine remained ineffective. L
      Phenylisopropyladenosine was also found to protect mice against AOAA-induced
      convulsions, whereas atropine and baclofen had no effect. The seizures induced by
      intracerebroventricular administration of AOAA (CD97; 0.1 mumols) were blocked by
      coadministration of preferential N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists, D-(-)-2
      aminophosphonoheptanoic (AP7), 3-[+/-)-2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl)-propyl-1
      phosphonic (CPP), and kynurenic acid (KYNA); preferential quisqualate/kainate
      antagonists, 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione and gamma-D
      glutamylaminomethylsulphonic acid, remained inactive in the range of dosages
      sufficient to block seizures induced by quisqualic acid or kainic acid. The
      antagonistic action of antiepileptic drugs effective against seizures induced by
      excitatory amino acids (diazepam and valproate), and drugs acting on excitatory
      amino acid receptors (AP7, CPP, and KYNA) upon seizures induced by AOAA suggests
      an involvement of excitatory neurotransmission in the convulsant action of the
      drug.

PMID- 1882328
TI  - Serial reconstructions of granule cell spines in the mammalian olfactory bulb.
AB  - The morphology of olfactory bulb granule cell spines and their dendrodendritic
      synaptic relations with mitral and tufted cell dendrites were examined using
      serial electron micrographs and 3D computer reconstructions. Most granule cell
      spines were pedunculated with large elliptical heads and necks (stems) longer
      than those described for exclusively postsynaptic spines elsewhere in the nervous
      system. The spines typically contained a mitochondrion, which most likely
      reflects the metabolic requirements of the presynaptic functions of these spines.
      In several cases multiple spine heads were observed connected to the parent
      dendritic trunk via a common neck. In addition, dendritic varicosities making
      synaptic connections were noted. In the data set sampled, all of the
      reconstructions supported the hypothesis of divergence of granule cell
      connectivity: in no instance was a granule cell found to contact repeatedly the
      same mitral or tufted cell dendrite. Examination of the topological organization
      of reciprocal dendrodendritic synaptic connections with mitral/tufted cell
      dendrites revealed parallel rows of spine heads on mitral/tufted secondary
      dendrites separated by intervening zones of several microns in which no synaptic
      appositions were found. The results provide evidence regarding rules of
      connectivity underlying the function of local circuits in mediating lateral
      inhibition in the external plexiform layer of the olfactory bulb.

PMID- 1882329
TI  - Effects of protein kinase C activators and inhibitors on membrane properties,
      synaptic responses, and cholinergic actions in CA1 subfield of rat hippocampus in
      situ and in vitro.
AB  - Activation and inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) has been reported to induce
      several effects in hippocampus in vitro. It has been also proposed that, in
      hippocampus, phorbol esters mimic the effects of acetylcholine. To test whether
      the actions produced by PKC activators and inhibitors in situ are comparable to
      those induced in vitro preparations, we studied, in the CA1 region of the
      hippocampus both in situ and in vitro, the responses produced by activation and
      inhibition of protein kinase C. Once the effects of various PKC activators and
      inhibitors were established their interaction with muscarinic agonists was
      studied. The main findings were as follows: I) Extracellular studies in situ: 1)
      Phorbol diacetate (PDAc) enhanced the population spike and dendritic field
      amplitudes. Unlike ACh, it never induced disfacilitation or disinhibition. 2) The
      effects produced by muscarinic agonists were not occluded by prolonged PDAc
      applications. 3) Inhibition of PKC with H-7 induced a strong excitation
      manifested by induction of multiple spikes and broadening of the dendritic field
      response. This excitation was associated with blockade of IPSPs, represented by
      positive waves, at a presynaptic site, which was antagonised by PDAc suggesting
      the involvement of PKC. 4) Sphingosine, a dual PKC/calcium-calmodulin-dependent
      kinase inhibitor, did not reproduce H-7-induced responses. However, it did
      prevent the actions of muscarinic agonists. II) Intracellular studies in vitro:
      1) PDAc applications by either iontophoresis or superfusion produced a i)
      depolarization; ii) increase in input resistance (RN); iii) blockade of the
      anomalous rectification ("sag"); iv) increase in the fast--but decrease in the
      slow--afterhyperpolarization (AHP); and v) reduction in excitability, measured by
      the repetitive firing evoked by depolarizing pulses. 2) During local
      (iontophoretic) applications of PDAc, the reversal potential of IPSPs was not
      affected significantly whereas during bath applications, it shifted toward more
      positive values. 3) Iontophoresis of H-7 caused a decrease in RN,
      hyperpolarization, and blockade of IPSPs. In conclusion, in the hippocampus, PKC
      can modulate the IPSPs, the anomalous rectification, and the membrane potential,
      but PKC is unlikely to be the major intracellular mediator of the excitatory
      actions of acetylcholine. The possible involvement of calcium-calmodulin
      dependent kinase is discussed.

PMID- 1882330
TI  - Evidence that changes in spine neck resistance are not responsible for expression
      of LTP.
AB  - From modeling studies it is known that changes in spine neck resistance can
      influence the shape of the non-linear curve relating synaptic current to synaptic
      conductance if the resistance of the neck approaches the synaptic input
      resistance. Such work also indicates that the effects of resistance will be much
      more pronounced for fast rather than slow synaptic currents. Accordingly, a
      reduction in neck resistance could produce an increase in the rapid responses
      generated by the quisqualate/AMPA class of glutamate receptors while only
      minimally affecting the slower NMDA receptor-mediated responses and thus account
      for the pattern of changes known to be associated with long-term potentiation
      (LTP). This hypothesis predicts that large reductions in synaptic conductance
      should have disproportionate effects on potentiated versus control responses.
      This was tested by using field potential recordings of synaptic currents in CA1
      pyramidal cells in hippocampal slices in response to stimulation of
      Schaffer/commissural inputs that either received LTP-inducing stimulation or did
      not. Two manipulations were used to systematically reduce synaptic conductances:
      reductions of extracellular Ca++ and partial blockade of postsynaptic receptors.
      Reductions of synaptic field potentials by 40-75% by either method at control
      synapses were accompanied by equivalent reductions at previously potentiated
      synapses. These results suggest that LTP expression is not due to a change in the
      curves relating synaptic current to synaptic conductance as would be predicted by
      the spine resistance hypothesis.

PMID- 1882331
TI  - Regulation of spontaneous activity and oscillatory spike firing in rat midbrain
      dopamine neurons recorded in vitro.
AB  - Intracellular recordings were obtained from identified dopamine (DA) neurons in
      rat midbrain slices maintained in vitro. DA neuron membranes exhibited pronounced
      instantaneous and time-dependent anomalous rectification that showed evidence of
      maximal activation at average membrane potentials of -63 and -78 mV,
      respectively. Action potentials were followed by prominent
      afterhyperpolarizations (AHP) that consisted of two components. The fast
      component showed evidence of inactivation at -63 mV independent of the initial
      membrane potential, whereas the longer-duration, later component increased in
      amplitude at hyperpolarized potentials. Unlike DA neurons recorded in vivo, there
      was no evidence of spike frequency adaptation or summation of AHPs with prolonged
      depolarization-induced spike trains. Spontaneous spike discharge occurred via an
      endogenous pacemaker potential that was dependent on both TTX-sensitive and
      cobalt-sensitive processes. Hyperpolarizing prepulses could activate rebound
      pacemaker discharge, but this rebound activity was progressively blocked with
      larger-amplitude hyperpolarizing prepulses. DA neurons recorded in the
      anesthetized animal, freely moving animal, and in vitro preparations have been
      shown to exist in two states of activity: 1) spontaneously discharging action
      potentials or 2) hyperpolarized, quiescent, and nonfiring. Furthermore, although
      it is rare to find DA neurons in the untreated animal in transitional states of
      activity, quiescent neurons can be activated by stimuli that place a demand on
      the DA system. The evidence presented here is consistent with the hypothesis that
      the special combination of membrane properties of DA neurons contribute to the
      segregation of their activity into active or inactive states.

PMID- 1882332
TI  - Synaptic plasticity at crayfish neuromuscular junctions: facilitation and
      augmentation.
AB  - Simultaneous intracellular recordings from presynaptic nerve terminals and
      postsynaptic muscle fibers were used to investigate the extent to which changes
      in presynaptic voltage may contribute to short-term facilitation and augmentation
      of transmitter release at neuromuscular junctions of the crayfish (Procambarus
      simulans) opener muscle. Presynaptic nerve terminals have an average resting
      membrane potential of about -80 mV, single action potentials have an average foot
      to-peak amplitude of about 98 mV, and single action potentials are followed by a
      depolarizing after potential (DAP) of about 10 mV. During stimulus trains of 9-16
      impulses at 100 Hz, amplitudes of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs)
      continuously facilitate up to 100-fold. This dramatic facilitation is associated
      with only slight increases in the peak voltage and duration of APs for the first
      2-4 pulses in such a stimulus train. Foot-to-peak total amplitude of APs usually
      decreases after the first pulse in a stimulus train. The data strongly suggest
      that short-term facilitation is not due to changes in the amplitude or duration
      of APs invading the presynaptic terminal. Upon cessation of a longer stimulus
      train, the presynaptic terminal exhibits a hyperpolarizing after potential (HAP)
      up to 16 mV in amplitude depending upon the frequency (10-100 Hz) and duration (1
      10 sec) of the tetanic stimulation. This post-tetanic HAP decays with a time
      constant of 10-20 sec, which is approximately equal to the third time constant of
      decay in EPSP amplitude (augmentation) following tetanic stimulation. Hence,
      presynaptic voltage changes and/or processes associated with these voltage
      changes (e.g., accumulation of ions, changes in ionic conductances, etc.) may be
      partly responsible for augmentation of EPSP amplitudes.

PMID- 1882333
TI  - Synaptic plasticity at crayfish neuromuscular junctions: presynaptic inhibition.
AB  - Intracellular recordings at sites electronically near terminals of the opener
      excitor axon in the claw of crayfish (Procambarus simulans) show that stimulation
      of the inhibitor neuron produces hyperpolarizing or depolarizing presynaptic
      inhibitory potentials (PIPs). GABA applied anywhere along the length of the
      opener excitor or inhibitor axons also produces hyperpolarizing or depolarizing
      potentials. The amplitude of action potentials (APs) at recording sites near some
      excitor terminals is reduced by an average of 6 mV during presynaptic inhibition,
      which also reduces excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) by 50-70%. The time
      course of AP reduction equals the time course of EPSP reduction and the amount of
      AP reduction is independent of the sign or amplitude of the PIPs. All these data
      are consistent with a hypothesis that a conductance increase produced by GABA in
      these presynaptic terminals of the excitor axon is responsible for presynaptic
      inhibition. However, the effect of presynaptic inhibition upon the accumulation
      of short-term facilitation of excitatory transmitter release is not the same in
      all muscle fibers. In some terminals, the accumulation of short-term facilitation
      during short, high-frequency trains of action potentials which are
      presynaptically inhibited often equals the accumulation of facilitation without
      inhibition. In other terminals, short-term facilitation accumulated during
      presynaptic inhibition often does not equal facilitation accumulated in the
      absence of presynaptic inhibition. These data suggest that some other factor
      which may contribute to presynaptic inhibition, such as a direct effect to
      decrease calcium currents, may also affect short-term facilitation in some
      terminals.

PMID- 1882334
TI  - Receptor selectivity of cholecystokinin effects on mesoaccumbens dopamine
      neurons.
AB  - Extracellular recording techniques were combined with antidromic stimulation to
      examine the effects of C-terminal cholecystokinin (CCK) fragments and CCK
      antagonists on the activity of identified mesoaccumbens dopamine (MADA) neurons
      in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats. These experiments were designed to
      determine the receptor selectivity of sulfated CCK octapeptide (CCK-8S) effects
      on MADA cells. Neither CCK tetrapeptide (CCK-4) nor unsulfated CCK octapeptide
      (CCK-8U) significantly altered MADA cell basal firing rate or responsiveness to
      the inhibitory effects of the D2 DA agonist quinpirole. As reported previously
      for ventral tegmental area DA cells, CCK-8S produced increases or decreases in
      the firing rate of most MADA cells sampled. CCK-8S also enhanced the sensitivity
      of MADA neurons to quinpirole-induced inhibition. This increase in sensitivity to
      quinpirole was blocked by pretreatment with the nonselective CCK receptor
      antagonist proglumide and the preferential CCK-A receptor antagonist CR 1409 but
      not by the preferential CCK-B receptor antagonist L-365,260. The inactivity of
      CCK-4 and CCK-8U in these tests and the results with the antagonists suggest that
      the effects of CCK-8S on MADA neuronal activity are mediated by CCK-A receptors.

PMID- 1882335
TI  - Dopamine transporters in the nucleus accumbens and the striatum have different
      apparent molecular weights.

PMID- 1882336
TI  - [Allergy--hypersensitive children].

PMID- 1882337
TI  - [Allergy--control mites correctly].

PMID- 1882338
TI  - [We cannot learn amidst chaos].

PMID- 1882339
TI  - [Oral hygiene].

PMID- 1882340
TI  - [Nurses go along].

PMID- 1882341
TI  - [Clinical nursing. Faith and common solutions].

PMID- 1882342
TI  - Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, an embryopathic class of drugs with
      unique properties: information for clinical teratology counselors.

PMID- 1882343
TI  - Comments on "Effects of pulsed ultrasound and temperature on the development of
      rat embryos in culture".

PMID- 1882344
TI  - Comments on "Effects of pulsed ultrasound and temperature on the development of
      rat embryos in culture".

PMID- 1882345
TI  - Editorial reply to "Comments on 'Moebius syndrome: animal model--human
      correlations and evidence for a brainstem vascular etiology"': case observation
      vs. epidemiology studies.

PMID- 1882346
TI  - Sensorineural hearing loss as evidenced by the auditory brainstem response
      following prenatal cocaine exposure in the Long-Evans rat.
AB  - Prenatal cocaine exposure has been associated with a variety of adverse
      neurological effects. Three recent studies found evidence that prenatal cocaine
      exposure is associated with abnormal auditory electrophysiology, suggesting
      abnormal processing of auditory information. The present study used the auditory
      brainstem response to evaluate the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on
      hearing in an animal model (Long-Evans rat). We report that prenatal cocaine
      exposure can cause elevated ABR thresholds and latency-intensity curves
      consistent with a recruitment-type sensorineural hearing loss.

PMID- 1882347
TI  - Glucocorticoid teratogenesis in the developing nephron.
AB  - Although the induction of polycystic kidney disease by neonatal glucocorticoid
      treatment has been extensively documented, there are no data on induction of
      polycystic kidney disease with fetal exposure to glucocorticoids. We injected
      groups of pregnant Swiss Webster albino mice subcutaneously with 250 mg/kg of
      hydrocortisone acetate on individual days from days 1 to 19 of gestation. A
      control group received an equal volume of saline. Histologic analysis of 1,522
      kidneys from the offspring of these animals revealed no evidence of polycystic
      kidneys in the control group or in offspring of animals injected before day 11 of
      pregnancy. A bimodal distribution of cystic kidney disease was noted in the
      remaining animals, with highest prevalence after injection on day 12 (50.8%) and
      day 17 (34.3%). We conclude that 250 mg/kg of glucocorticoids may induce
      polycystic kidney disease in utero, but possibly only during critical periods of
      metanephric development.

PMID- 1882348
TI  - Lack of attenuation of valproic acid-induced effects by folinic acid in rat
      embryos in vitro.
AB  - The anticonvulsant drug valproic acid (VPA) is suspected to be a developmental
      toxicant in humans, inducing primarily neural tube defects. The mechanism for
      this effect is unknown, but it has been suggested that the drug may act via a
      deficiency of the vitamin folic acid. We examined this possibility by concurrent
      treatment of rat embryos in a whole embryo culture system with VPA and folinic
      acid (FA), a folic acid derivative. Groups of CD rat embryos were treated with
      various concentrations of VPA, various concentrations of FA, or a combination of
      a teratogenic dose of VPA plus various levels of FA. At the end of the 44 hour
      culture period, each embryo was evaluated for viability (presence of a
      heartbeat), yolk sac circulation, presence of any malformations, morphological
      score, crown-rump and head lengths, as well as DNA and protein contents. The
      anticonvulsant did not decrease viability but did decrease yolk sac circulation
      and all growth and developmental endpoints in a dose-responsive manner. There was
      also a dose-related increase in the incidence of open neural tubes. The addition
      of FA alone had no significant effect on growth and development. When various
      concentrations of FA were added simultaneously with a teratogenic dose of VPA,
      there was no decrease in the incidence of open neural tubes. Growth and
      developmental endpoints were altered in a somewhat random fashion but were never
      increased to the control level. The lack of attenuation by FA was not due to
      instability of the compound in the culture system, nor was there a difference in
      the amount of FA present in the exocoelomic fluid of VPA-treated and control
      embryos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882350
TI  - Maternal exposure to chemical and physical factors during pregnancy and
      cardiovascular malformations in the offspring.
AB  - The possible effect of chemical and physical factors during pregnancy on the
      occurrence of cardiovascular malformations in the offspring was studied in 573
      cases and 1,055 controls. The cases represented all verified cardiovascular
      malformations in Finland during 1982-1984. The controls were randomly selected
      from all babies born during the same period. Case and control mothers were
      interviewed by midwives approximately 3 months after delivery using a structured
      questionnaire. Maternal alcohol consumption during the first trimester of
      pregnancy was more common among the mothers of case infants (45.9%) than those of
      controls (39.6%). Exposure to organic solvents at work was slightly more
      prevalent among the ventricular septal defect group (12.1%) than the control
      mothers (7.8%). However, neither association was significant when adjusted for
      maternal age in logistic regression analysis. Moreover, one or both of these
      associations may be chance effects resulting from multiple comparisons. The risk
      of cardiovascular malformations was not associated with maternal smoking, or
      coffee, tea, or cola consumption, and was equal in urban and rural areas.
      Maternal exposures to anesthetic gases, pesticides, wood preservatives, microwave
      ovens, and video display terminals at work or home were not associated with the
      risk of cardiovascular malformations. It is concluded that some common
      environmental exposures during early pregnancy to physical and chemical factors
      should not necessarily be considered hazardous for the developing fetal heart.
      The causes of the majority of cardiovascular malformations remain unknown.

PMID- 1882349
TI  - Lack of teratogenicity of trans-2-ene-valproic acid compared to valproic acid in
      rats.
AB  - The teratogenicity of trans-2-ene-valproic acid (300 and 400 mg/kg) was compared
      with that of valproic acid (VPA; 300 mg/kg) and controls (corn oil) administered
      by gavage to Sprague-Dawley CD rats on embryonic (E) days 7-18. At the 300 mg/kg
      dose, trans-2-ene-VPA produced no change in maternal weight, number of
      implantations, proportion of resorptions, proportion of malformations, or fetal
      weight. By contrast, the same dose of VPA (300 mg/kg) reduced maternal weight
      during gestation, increased malformations (12.0% vs. 0.7% in controls), and
      reduced fetal body weight by 25.1%. An even higher dose of trans-2-ene-VPA (400
      mg/kg) produced a reduction in maternal body weight during treatment and reduced
      fetal body weight (by 7.9%), but did not increase resorptions or malformations in
      the fetuses. On day E18, maternal serum drug concentrations of VPA were higher in
      the VPA-treated group compared with those of trans-2-ene-VPA in the trans-2-ene
      VPA-treated groups at 1 hr posttreatment. At 6 hr posttreatment the reverse was
      seen. trans-2-ene-VPA may be absorbed more rapidly and distributed differently
      than VPA. Overall, the data support the view that trans-2-ene-VPA at equal or
      higher doses than VPA is not teratogenic in rats.

PMID- 1882351
TI  - Multiple antigens in the rat visceral yolk sac induce teratogenic antisera.
AB  - Preparative isoelectric focusing was used to fractionate the supernatant from a
      homogenate of day 19 rat visceral yolk sac. Three fractions, of pI ranges 3.5
      5.0, 5.0-7.0, and 7.0-9.0, were isolated and used to immunize rabbits, by four or
      six weekly injections, each containing 5 mg protein. The resulting antisera were
      all teratogenic when injected into rats on day 9 of gestation, but widely
      differing potencies were observed. The most potent antiserum was that against
      yolk sac components focusing in the pI 7.0-9.0 range: An optimum teratogenic dose
      of 50 mg protein per kg body weight was observed, and a dose of 100 mg/kg was
      shown to cause 100% embryonic resorption. Antiserum against the fraction focusing
      in the pI 3.5-5.0 range was the least teratogenic: A significant incidence of
      embryonic malformation and death was seen only at doses of 600 mg/kg and above.
      The two fractions that yielded the more teratogenic antisera were refocused over
      narrower pH ranges, yielding four subfractions in the pI 5.0-7.0 range and eight
      subfractions in the pI 7.0-9.0 range. Antisera against each of these 12 fractions
      were raised in rabbits; most of these antisera were shown to be teratogenic,
      although of differing potencies. It is concluded that the yolk sac contains many
      antigens that can elicit antibodies with teratogenic and yolk sac-localizing
      properties.

PMID- 1882352
TI  - Lethal and teratogenic effects of long-term low-intensity radio frequency
      radiation at 428 MHz on developing chick embryo.
AB  - Exposure of developing chick embryos to 428 MHz radio frequency (RF) radiation at
      a power density of 5.5 mW/cm2 for more than 20 days resulted in embryolethal
      and/or teratogenic effects and delayed hatching. These adverse biological effects
      were not due to any thermal effect of the RF radiation. We have demonstrated
      teratogenicity in the chick embryo as a result of protracted low-dose RF
      irradiation.

PMID- 1882353
TI  - Marked increase in the teratogenicity of the combined administration of the
      industrial solvent 2-methoxyethanol and radiofrequency radiation in rats.
AB  - Limited published animal research reports synergistic teratogenic effects
      following combined hyperthermia (induced by elevated ambient temperature) and
      administration of chemical teratogens. Radiofrequency (RF) radiation is widely
      used in occupational environments. Since RF radiation also elevates the body
      temperature of, and is teratogenic to, exposed animals, concurrent RF radiation
      and chemical agent administration may enhance teratogenicity. The present
      exploratory study, consisting of preliminary dose-finding studies and the primary
      study, was designed to investigate whether concurrent exposure of rats to RF
      radiation and the industrial solvent 2-methoxyethanol (2ME) can enhance the
      developmental toxicity of either agent acting alone. Preliminary dose-finding
      studies using small numbers of rats investigated the ability of various RF
      radiation conditions and doses of 2ME to produce external malformations
      (primarily of the paws) when administered on gestation day 13. Based on these
      preliminary studies, RF radiation exposure [sufficient to elevate rectal
      temperature to 42.0 degrees C (4 degrees C above normal for rats) for 30 min] and
      2ME administration (150 mg/kg) were selected for the primary study. In the
      primary study, groups of 18 to 27 pregnant rats were administered RF radiation
      exposure and distilled water gavage, 2ME gavage and sham RF exposure, RF
      radiation exposure and 2ME gavage concurrently, or sham RF exposure and distilled
      water gavage. Pregnant rats were sacrificed on gestation day 20, and the
      offspring were examined for external malformations. Combined exposures enhanced
      the adverse effects produced by either experimental agent alone (no malformations
      were detected in the double sham group). Mean fetal malformations/litter
      increased from 14% after 2ME and sham RF (15/26 litters affected, with an average
      of 2 fetuses/litter malformed) and 30% after RF radiation and water gavage (10/18
      litters affected, with an average of 4 fetuses/litter malformed), to 76% after
      the combined treatment (18/18 litters affected, with an average of 12
      fetuses/litter malformed). In addition to a significant increase in the frequency
      of malformations, the severity of malformations also was enhanced by the
      combination treatment (on a relative severity ranking scale, the 2ME severity
      score was less than 1, the RF score was 3, and the combination score was 6). This
      study provided evidence of synergism between RF radiation and 2ME administration,
      but additional research will be required to characterize the extent of synergism
      between these two agents. Potential interactive effects between chemical and
      physical agents need to be investigated to determine the extent to which such
      interactions should impact occupational exposure standards.

PMID- 1882354
TI  - Hypothermia: teratogenic and protective effects on the development of mouse
      embryos in vitro.
AB  - Hypothermia often occurs in association with clinical conditions involving severe
      hypoglycemia, but its effect on embryonic development has not been well
      evaluated. Thus, the whole embryo culture method was used to expose day 9
      (neurulating) and day 10 (early limb bud stage) mouse embryos to physiologic
      levels of hypothermia (35 degrees C and 32 degrees C) for 4 and 24 hr. Embryos
      were evaluated after 24 hours for growth and malformations and compared with
      controls grown at 37 degrees C. Lactate production was measured in embryos
      cultured for 4 hr at 32 degrees C and compared with those cultured at 37 degrees
      C. A 4-hr exposure to hypothermia produced little effect morphologically but
      reduced the rate of lactate production at both embryonic stages. A 24-hr exposure
      to hypothermia at 35 degrees C or 32 degrees C produced growth retardation and
      dysmorphogenesis in embryos undergoing neurulation. Early limb bud stage embryos
      were less sensitive to this treatment, with growth retardation produced only at
      the lower temperature. Since hypothermia is commonly associated with severe
      hypoglycemia in cases of diabetic insulin overdose, day 9 (neurulating) mouse
      embryos were exposed concurrently to short periods of hypothermia and
      hypoglycemia and compared with embryos cultured in hypoglycemic medium at normal
      temperature. The results demonstrate that hypothermia partially protects embryos
      against the dysmorphogenic effects of hypoglycemia. A balance of metabolic rate
      and available substrate is discussed as a possible mechanism for this protective
      effect.

PMID- 1882355
TI  - Abnormalities of neural tube formation in pre-spina bifida splotch-delayed mouse
      embryos.
AB  - The splotch-delayed homozygous mutant (Spd/Spd) develops spina bifida with or
      without exencephaly, has spinal ganglia abnormalities, and delays in posterior
      neuropore closure and neural crest cell emigration. The heterozygote (Spd/+) has
      a pigmentation defect, and occasionally neural tube defects. To investigate the
      underlying mechanisms, we compared the neuroepithelium in the posterior neuropore
      region of cytogenetically identified 15-18 somite pair Spd/Spd, Spd/+, and +/+
      mouse embryos by transmission electron and light microscopy. The notochordal area
      and cell number in the non-fused neuroepithelium region of Spd/Spd and Spd/+
      embryos were significantly reduced compared to those of normal (+/+) embryos,
      which suggests an abnormality in notochord elongation. In the mesoderm, the mean
      cell number and mean ratio of cell number to area in the non-fused region were
      significantly lower in the Spd/Spd compared with +/+ embryos. The distance of
      exposed neuroepithelium above the mesoderm in the just-fused region was
      significantly lower in the Spd/Spd versus +/+ embryos, which may indicate an
      insufficient force exerted by the mesoderm during neural tube closure. Within the
      neuroepithelium, significantly more intercellular space was found in Spd/Spd than
      in +/+ embryos indicating disorganization. The basal lamina was poorly organized
      and the formation delayed around the neural tube in Spd/Spd and Spd/+ embryos.
      All together, these results suggest an early abnormality in interactions among
      the neuroepithelium, mesoderm, and notochord, which may lead to the delay or
      inhibition of neural tube closure observed in Spd/Spd mutants.

PMID- 1882356
TI  - Operation Desert Storm: a Texas physician turns correspondent.

PMID- 1882357
TI  - TMA strategy: making sense of Medicaid.

PMID- 1882358
TI  - Access to care, AIDS to dominate 102nd Congress.

PMID- 1882359
TI  - Private enforcement of patient transfer laws.

PMID- 1882360
TI  - Testicular cancer: the role of the primary care physician in prevention and early
      detection.
AB  - Early detection and screening techniques along with the concept of personal
      responsibility for one's own health are prominent themes in medical education.
      Testicular cancer, its natural history, and the current approach to prevention,
      early detection, and diagnosis are discussed with special emphasis on the role of
      the primary care physician. Current community and school efforts are described
      along with the availability of patient education resources. Since the incidence
      of testicular cancer has doubled in the last 20 years, we must give more
      attention to educating the public by encouraging primary physicians to
      incorporate instruction on self-examination of the testicles into regular
      physical exams.

PMID- 1882361
TI  - Cultural differences and ethical issues in the problem of autopsy requests.
AB  - Cross-cultural ethical issues pervade medical care in Texas. This preliminary
      study concerns the particular issues that arise when an Anglo-American physician
      requests an autopsy from a Mexican-American family. The study quantified
      differences in autopsy rates between Mexican-American and Anglo-American patients
      at one San Antonio hospital. Mexican-Americans had higher rates for patients
      dying between the ages of 21 and 40, and after 80. Anglo-Americans had higher
      rates for all other age groups. Differences in autopsy rates between Mexican
      American and Anglo-Americans ranged from 5 to 18 autopsies per 100 deaths and
      varied by age group. The study also involved 33 interviews concerning Mexican
      American and Anglo-American culture. Interviewees identified four sources of
      relevant differences: (1) medicine's professional values, (2) beliefs about the
      power of medical science to control disease, (3) beliefs about keeping cadavers
      whole and unmutilated, and (4) beliefs about the sentence of the soul after
      bodily death. An appreciation of these value differences is the basis for
      requesting autopsies in culturally sensitive ways.

PMID- 1882362
TI  - Chancroid in Dallas: new lessons from an old disease.
AB  - In June 1986, an unusual number of cases of darkfield negative, nonvesicular,
      painful genital ulcers were noted in men presenting to the Sexually Transmitted
      Diseases Clinic of the Dallas County Health Department. Serologic findings were
      routinely nonreactive in these patients. This clinical presentation was
      consistent with a diagnosis of chancroid, and empiric therapy with erythromycin
      proved quite efficacious. A retrospective review of charts revealed several
      similar presentations in May. After 3 weeks of experimentation with culture
      media, positive cultures for Haemophilus ducreyi were obtained and confirmed by
      the Centers for Disease Control, definitively establishing the presence of
      chancroid in Dallas. By year's end, 383 cases of chancroid had been diagnosed.

PMID- 1882363
TI  - Do obstetrical charts present a liability risk?
AB  - The practice of obstetrics is well-known as a medicolegal, high-risk profession.
      Poor charting is considered an area of serious deficiency for physicians and
      especially for obstetricians. We reviewed the charting practices of obstetricians
      in a level II community hospital. The traditional 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores
      were employed as the screening criteria. Apgar scores of 7 or lower at 5 minutes
      were used to identify charts considered vulnerable to litigious activity. Of 1437
      deliveries, 115 charts with 5-minute Apgar scores of 7 or lower were reviewed.
      Traditional requirements for charting, eg, history and physical exams, admission
      notes and diagnoses were recorded fairly consistently. However, elements such as
      statements of judgment, autopsy reports, scalp pHs, and extended Apgar scores
      that would render a chart defensible were sorely lacking. Charting skills, not
      necessarily the quality of care, may render obstetricians medicolegally
      vulnerable.

PMID- 1882364
TI  - Even the phone company adds to the burden.

PMID- 1882365
TI  - People in glass houses...

PMID- 1882366
TI  - The good guys win one.

PMID- 1882367
TI  - [Negative effects of anti-nutritional factors in animal feed on nitrogen burden
      of the environment and possibilities of its reduction. Nutritional physiology
      effects].
AB  - Antinutritional factors (ANFs) protect the seed against attacks of moulds,
      bacteria, insects and birds. The defensive effect of ANFs is apparently related
      to disturbances in digestive processes in insects and microorganisms. When
      animals consume seeds containing ANFs, the digestive processes and growth may be
      disturbed in a similar manner. In the present paper, the fact is discussed that
      all proteins passing undigested through the small intestine will be
      fermentatively digested in the large intestine. The final products of the protein
      digested in the large intestine are excreted in the faeces or urine. For
      investigations into the digestion of protein in pigs and the amounts of N
      excreted into the environment, it is of importance to measure the ileal
      digestibility of protein. Studies showed that ANFs such as trypsin inhibitors,
      lectins and tannins present in legume seeds reduce the ileal digestibility of
      protein. In the case of Phaseolus beans it was found that more protein passed
      through the terminal ileum than was ingested with the feed. With peas was shown
      that ANFs reduce the ileal digestibility of protein. The carbohydrates of peas
      did not affect the ileal digestibility of protein, although the ileal chyme was
      more loose. In the case of faba beans, negative correlation of tannins with ileal
      digestibility of protein was observed. Calculations showed that, when ANFs were
      removed from peas and faba beans a considerable reduction in excretion of N into
      the environment can be achieved. These calculations also showed important
      possibilities of reducing the secretion of N into the environment by elimination
      of ANFs.

PMID- 1882368
TI  - [Negative effects of anti-nutritional factors in animal feed on the nitrogen
      burden of the environment and possibilities of its reduction. Pathological
      effects].
AB  - Some pathological effects of lectins in legume seeds, particular by Phasoleus
      vulgaris (red kidney bean) agglutinins, on intestinal epithelial cell structure
      and function in a bio-assay and in various in vivo ('Self-emptying blind pouch
      model') and in vitro (cell- and organ culture) models are reported.

PMID- 1882369
TI  - [Negative effects of anti-nutritional factors in animal feed on the nitrogen
      burden of the environment and possibilities for its reduction].
AB  - The role of legume and oil seeds in animal nutrition could be more important if
      negative effects of so-called antinutritional factors (ANFs) could be adequately
      eliminated. Processing standards to attain an optimum nutritional value will then
      have to be based on the nutritional evaluation of legume and oil seeds.
      Priorities in studying the effects of processing these raw materials are to
      attain an optimum degree of nutritional value of protein rather than the
      reduction of ANFs. Obviously, reduction of proteinaceous ANFs can be accomplished
      by thermal methods of treatment. Residual activities of the ANFs alone, however,
      do not predict the quality of protein in vivo, in every case. Other factors
      (storage protein, carbohydrates) may also be important in addition to ANFs. This
      means that elimination of ANFs alone however, cannot always ensure a sufficient
      increase in digestibility as determined in experimental studies in animals. By
      correlating the results of technological experiments with those of trials in
      animals, optimum information may be gathered in attempting to attain an optimum
      nutritional value by technological methods of treatment. This will contribute to
      a more correct and accurate understanding of the effects of animal feed
      technology on the performance of animals and the consequences for the excretion
      of undigested nutrients in the environment.

PMID- 1882370
TI  - [Manual embryo reduction of twin pregnancy in the mare].

PMID- 1882371
TI  - [A method for the quantification of estrus symptoms in mares].
AB  - As part of the veterinary surveillance of horse breeding management, the
      veterinarian is increasingly often requested to predict ovulation and to give a
      breeding or insemination advice accordingly. The result of a teasing procedure is
      indispensable for this advice. A suggestion is made for the quantification of
      oestrus signs. Oestrus symptoms are classified into four categories. In addition,
      various factors are mentioned, which affect the result of a teasing procedure.

PMID- 1882372
TI  - [A case of piglet mortality caused by the combination salinomycin and tiamulin].

PMID- 1882373
TI  - [Feeding of parrots].

PMID- 1882374
TI  - Aortic root replacement--20 years experience of the use of homografts.
AB  - The aortic root was replaced with a free root homograft 100 times in 91 patients
      from 1970 to January 1987. The ages of the patients were in the range 5-73 years
      (mean 29.7). There were 63 males and 34 females. Thirty had endocarditis with
      root abscesses. Forty-one had congenitally small aortic roots and 20 patients had
      such severe root calcification that root replacement was required. One patient
      had an aortic sinus aneurysm repaired using this technique. Operative mortality
      (overall 24%) analysed by operative indication was highest for prosthetic
      endocarditis (33%). 20% of those with root calcification and 15% of those
      operated on for hypoplastic roots died. Endocarditis was cured in 19 of 20
      survivors. One patient needed repeat root replacement to achieve this. Thirteen
      patients out of 35 survivors in the hypoplastic group were restudied. Mean
      subvalvular gradient was 12 +/- 9 mmHg (range 0-27 mmHg). Late mortality was
      lowest in the endocarditis group (5%), and 11% in the hypoplastic group. There
      were 4 (24%) late deaths in the root calcification group but 2 were non cardiac.
      Eight homograft roots failed, two in the endocarditis group and one in the
      hypoplastic group due to endocarditis. The remainder failed because of 'wear and
      tear'. Five were replaced using homografts and one by a composite graft. Two were
      treated by prosthetic subcoronary aortic valve replacement with pericardial patch
      enlargement of the root. A further patient with Marfan's syndrome had an infected
      composite graft. This was replaced by a homograft root. There are 5 long term
      survivors of 7 repeat aortic root replacements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882375
TI  - Quantitative assessment of the effects of 'inodilators' on the myocardium in
      patients without primary cardiac insufficiency after coronary surgery: Part I-
      Amrinone.
AB  - The positive inotropic and peripheral vasodilating effect of amrinone has been
      measured in 20 patients without manifest cardiac insufficiency during the early
      (8-18 h postoperative) and late (18-48 h postoperative) recovery phase after
      coronary surgery. On conclusion of the surgical intervention first the
      aortocoronary bypass flow was compared during dobutamine and amrinone
      administration. It increased by 88% with amrinone and by 19% with dobutamine.
      Then a needle force probe was implanted in the myocardium. Directly measured
      local myocardial force increased not significantly by 3.5% after the first and by
      5.1% after the second bolus injection of 2 mg/kg amrinone. The rate of myocardial
      contraction increased by 18.7% and 12%. The rate of relaxation decreased by 5.3%
      after the first and increased by 15% after the second injection. Mean pulmonary
      arterial pressure fell from 18.5 to 15.5 mmHg and from 19.7 to 17 mmHg. Cardiac
      output increased by 23% after the first and by 20% after the second injection.
      Heart rate rose from 88 to 99 bpm and from 86 to 94 bpm. Total peripheral
      resistance fell from 1,035 to 706 dyn*s*cm-5 and from 1,036 to 819 dyn*s*cm-5.
      The systolic arterial pressure fell from 132 to 116 mmHg after the first
      injection and did not change after the second injection. Amrinone was found to be
      a powerful peripheral vasodilator with a mild positive inotropic action. The
      variations in the effects between the early and late recovery phases mainly
      reflect a progressive haemodynamic stabilization with a decreasing tendency
      toward hypotensive disregulation. Careful consideration has to be paid to a
      properly balanced filling of the vascular system before administering amrinone.

PMID- 1882376
TI  - Factors determining ventricular fibrillation after induced cardiac arrest.
AB  - Ventricular fibrillation following release of the aortic cross clamp is not
      uncommon. In 38 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement we investigated if
      this disturbance of rhythm is due to perioperative myocardial ischemia or due to
      deterioration of myocardial function prior to surgery. In all cases hypothermic
      cardioplegic arrest (Bretschneider) was used. The mean duration of ischemia was
      49.39 +/- 10.46 minutes. After release of the aortic cross clamp in 17 of 38
      patients ventricular fibrillation occurred. To find out which factors are
      responsible for the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation we performed a
      statistical analysis. Thereby we found out that the occurrence of ventricular
      fibrillation did not correlate with ischemia, the maximal level of myocardium
      bound creatine kinase, the NYHA stage, or the left ventricular end diastolic
      pressure. The left-ventricular concentration of noradrenaline determined just
      before release of the aortic cross clamp showed a significant negative
      correlation with the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation. From our results we
      conclude that ischemic injury was not the determining factor for the occurrence
      of ventricular fibrillation in our study. We suggest that the significant
      correlation with reduced myocardial noradrenaline content demonstrates that
      myocardial deterioration prior to surgery is the determining factor for the
      occurrence of ventricular fibrillation.

PMID- 1882377
TI  - Pulmonary stenosis with intact ventricular septum: assessment and indication of
      reconstructive surgery for residual right-ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
AB  - If not all of the right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) is removed
      in the operation for pulmonary stenosis, high right ventricular pressure can
      sometimes occur afterward. However, it is not easy to assess the amount of RVOTO
      that is to be removed, and there is no quantifiable method for selecting
      operative procedures. The aim of this report is to discuss the formulation of a
      numerical indicator, based on the parameters peak systolic right-ventricular
      pressure (RVP), systolic systemic arterial pressure (AP), pulmonary valvular
      orifice size (VS), and body surface area (BSA), from the results obtained in
      sixty-four open heart surgeries for pulmonary stenosis with intact ventricular
      septum. A group, in which an outflow tract patch was not used and which had a
      higher pre-operative RVP/AP ratio, had a tendency to have a correspondingly
      higher RVP/AP ratio one month after the operation. Most patients with a high
      RVP/AP ratio one month after the operation showed a significant decrease in this
      ratio a long time after the operation. But, there were exceptions to this rule
      where the ratio remained high. Reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow
      was considered for some patients whose RVP/AP ratios remained high.
      Reconstruction of the RVOT by using an outflow tract patch worked well for
      patients with an associated infundibular stenosis. A subannular patch was used
      for patients with infundibular stenosis, and a transannular patch was used for
      patients with annular stenosis. The optimal annulus size was such that VS/BSA was
      not less than 2 cm2/m2. A transannular monocusp patch was applied to an area
      which was more than 10 mm wide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882378
TI  - Prosthetic bypass and flow reversal in the dissecting thoraco-abdominal aortic
      aneurysm.
AB  - In 1981 Carpentier and Co-workers introduced an alternative surgical procedure
      for great dissecting thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms, departing from the
      resection and the orthotopic implantation of a prosthesis (graft inclusion
      technique). Compression of the aneurysmatic false lumen from the inside under
      stepwise thrombosis of the aneurysmal sac with conservation of the main arterial
      origins was achieved by prosthetic bypass of the diseased vascular part and a
      flow reversal in the dissected aortic region by an oblique suture across the
      aortic lumen after the origin of the left subclavian artery. This procedure,
      distinguished by rather little effort and few complications (bleeding, ischaemic
      spinal cord damage) is described for all stages of dissecting thoracal aortic
      aneurysms. In the last 2 years this operation was performed in our department on
      4 patients (1 m. 3 f) suffering from an acute dissecting thoraco-abdominal aortic
      aneurysm (Stanford type B). 2 patients died in the early postoperative period,
      one from a redissection close to the proximal anastomosis, the other due to the
      critical cardiac situation. 2 patients could be followed up postoperatively 10
      and 27 months. In both cases no signs of minor perfusion of the spinal cord, the
      kidneys, or the mesenterial organs were observed. In both cases a partial
      thrombosis of the aneurysmal sac with intact blood stream to the major vessels in
      these regions could be demonstrated by sonography, angiography or DSA, and
      computer tomography. The concept of flow reversal proved to be an alternative to
      major resection procedures.

PMID- 1882379
TI  - Reduction of granulocyte-mediated lung injury in canine cardiopulmonary bypass by
      anisodamine infusion.
AB  - The effect of infusing the M-cholinergic receptor blocker anisodamine during
      cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on granulocyte-mediated lung injury was evaluated in
      sixteen dogs undergoing CPB for 120 min with the aorta crossclamped for 90 min.
      The treated dogs (n = 8) received a total dose of 15 mg/kg anisodamine
      hydrochloride before and during CPB whereas the controls (n = 8) received saline
      only. A significantly reduced sequestration of granulocytes in the lungs was
      found in the treated dogs as indicated by a lower right-to-left atrium
      granulocyte gradient 15 minutes after pulmonary recirculation during CPB (p less
      than 0.05) and less granulocyte accumulation in the lung capillaries after CPB,
      as shown by histological examination (p less than 0.01). Moreover, oxygen free
      radical release as indicated by plasma malondialdehyde concentrations was
      significantly lower (p less than 0.05) in the treated dogs than in the controls
      towards the end of CPB. Finally, a significantly reduced lung-water content was
      found 30 min after CPB in the treated dogs as compared with the controls (p less
      than 0.01). These results suggest that anisodamine administration in this
      experimental model significantly inhibits pulmonary granulocyte sequestration in
      CPB and the consequent lung injury induced.

PMID- 1882380
TI  - Computed tomography in the pre-operative assessment of mediastinal tumours--does
      it improve surgical management?
AB  - Computed tomography (CT) provides detailed imaging of the mediastinum. To assess
      whether this information improves subsequent surgical management 39 consecutive
      cases were reviewed. 21 patients had pre-operative CT of the mediastinum (CT
      group); 18 did not (No-CT group). The pre-operative use of CT resulted in the
      correct assessment of tumour consistency in 20 patients, the correct extent of
      invasion in 16, and the correct diagnosis in 10. In 15 of the 39 cases the
      surgical management was inappropriate because exploration was performed for an
      inoperable tumour, where no tumour was found, or when nonsurgical treatment was
      indicated. The number of inappropriate procedures was significantly lower in the
      CT group. These results suggest that the routine use of CT in the assessment of
      mediastinal tumours is justified by a subsequent improvement in surgical
      management.

PMID- 1882381
TI  - The importance of early detection and therapy of reexpansion pulmonary edema.
AB  - Three cases are reported of unilateral pulmonary edema, two following rapid
      reexpansion after prolonged tension pneumothorax, with total collapse of the
      right lung and one after reexpanded atelectasis following left intrabronchial
      obstruction. In all cases decrease of blood pressure and tachycardia not
      responding to intravenous fluid substitution were already present within the
      first 15 min after chest drainage or after removal of the intrabronchial
      obstruction. The preexistent dyspnea failed to improve. A cloudy opacity of the
      reexpanded lung was found immediately after drainage in 2 cases. After immediate
      application of a continuous positive airway pressure mask no more extensive
      therapy was necessary in one patient. The two others in whom treatment was begun
      with more than 1 hour delay required artificial ventilation and adrenergics for 2
      and 4 days, respectively.

PMID- 1882382
TI  - Cardiac surgery in the Federal Republic of Germany during 1990. A report by the
      German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

PMID- 1882383
TI  - Pyloric narrowing with increased fibrous tissue of the mucosa in an infant.
AB  - An infant with pyloric narrowing following bilious vomiting is described. Barium
      meal studies demonstrated fixed narrowing of the pyloric canal similar to
      infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. However, sonographic examination failed
      to prove significant muscular hypertrophy of the pylorus. Histology of the pre
      pyloric mucosal biopsy specimens showed nonspecific inflammation with increased
      fibrous tissue of the mucosa. Repeated histological examination revealed
      regression of mucosal inflammation; the patient became symptom free and normal
      growth was confirmed at 2 years of age. It is possible that antral/pyloric
      mucosal inflammation, the pathogenesis of which remains unclear, was the cause of
      pyloric narrowing and then led to nonbilious vomiting.

PMID- 1882384
TI  - Effects of d-, l- and dl-chlorpheniramine on dopamine and 3,4
      dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels in the regional parts of rat brain.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to further investigate the differences in the
      effects of optical isomers of chlorpheniramine (d-, l- and dl-forms) on the
      levels of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the
      regional parts of rat brain. After the intravenous administration of each form of
      chlorpheniramine at a dose of 20 mg/kg, the DA and DOPAC levels were measured by
      HPLC system. Each form of chlorpheniramine is effective in reducing DOPAC, but
      not DA levels in the brain of rats. The degree of reducing DOPAC levels does not
      correlate with the antihistaminic potency of these drugs. Thus, the present
      results indicate that there is a lack of stereospecificity in reducing DOPAC
      levels, suggesting the lack of stereospecificity in inhibiting DA reuptake.

PMID- 1882385
TI  - Glucocorticoid-induced central diabetes insipidus in a case of malignant
      lymphoma.
AB  - A 37-year-old man was diagnosed as malignant lymphoma infiltrating in the central
      nervous system with hypopituitrism and secondary glucocorticoid deficiency. In
      this case, plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) increased, but glucocorticoid
      administration decreased plasma AVP and increased urine volume with a reduction
      in urinary osmolality, indicative of the presence of glucocorticoid-induced
      diabetes insipidus. At the terminal stage, plasma AVP did not increase in
      response to the withdrawal of glucocorticoid and urine volume remained decreased,
      suggesting the presence of masked diabetes insipidus. Autopsy showed an
      infiltration of lymphoid cells around the cerebral ventricles and necrosis in the
      hypothalamo-hypophyseal system. These findings suggested that glucocorticoid
      might centrally play an important role in the regulation of AVP release, and its
      deficiency potentiated AVP release.

PMID- 1882386
TI  - Chelation in metal intoxication. XXXIV. Mixed ligand chelation in lead poisoning.
AB  - The effectiveness of alpha-mercapto-beta-(2-furyl)acrylic acid (MFA) and N-benzyl
      N-dithiocarboxy-D-glucamine (NaB), used in combination, in the mobilization and
      excretion of lead was investigated in rats. Male Wistar rats received 10 mg Pb/kg
      as lead acetate intragastrically daily for 6 weeks. The lead-exposed rats were
      treated with either MFA or NaB or both 200 mumol/kg i.p., each, daily for 3 days.
      Both chelating agents provoked significant urinary and faecal excretion and
      lowered the soft-organ lead burden. However, combined therapy did not elicit any
      additive or synergistic response.

PMID- 1882387
TI  - Induction of metallothionein and stimulation of calcification by dexamethasone in
      cultured clonal osteogenic cells, MC3T3-E1.
AB  - To clarify the effects of dexamethasone (Dex) on metallothionein (MT) synthesis
      and calcification in osteoblastic cells, a clonal osteogenic cell line (MC3T3-E1)
      was used in the present study. Under culture conditions designed not to cause
      calcification, MT synthesis of cells at 3 days after inoculation increased with
      increasing concentration of Dex (2.5-50 nM) for a 24-h culture period. Cells at 6
      or 9 days after inoculation also synthesized MT by a 24-h exposure to Dex. These
      show that undifferentiated osteoblasts have the ability to synthesize MT by Dex.
      Under culture conditions designed to cause calcification, cells at 6 days after
      inoculation were cultured with 50 nM Dex in the presence of 7 mM beta
      glycerophosphate (beta-GP) for 7 days. Ca content of Dex-treated cells was about
      7.5 times as high as that of untreated cells. Dex-treated cells showed a high
      activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The Zn content of the MT fraction in Dex
      treated cells was about 8 times as high as that of untreated cells. These results
      show that Dex has the ability to induce MT synthesis in osteoblastic cells and to
      cause a high calcification which is due at least partly to an enhanced activity
      of ALP.

PMID- 1882388
TI  - Nickel-induced lipid peroxidation in the liver of different strains of mice and
      its relation to nickel effects on antioxidant systems.
AB  - After a single intraperitoneal injection of 170 mumol nickel(II)acetate/kg body
      wt., the activity of hepatic catalase (CAT) decreased by 25-56% in a strain- and
      time-dependent manner, the most susceptible being C57BL/6NCr greater than
      C3H/HeNCr-MTV- greater than B6C3F1 greater than or equal to BALB/cAnNCr mice. The
      glutathione (GSH) levels in all 4 strains were inhibited by nickel with the
      C57BL/6NCr mice showing the biggest decrease (68%) followed by BALB/cAnNCr (46%)
      greater than or equal to B6C3F1 (42%) greater than C3H/HeNCr-MTV- (22%). The
      response of hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) to nickel was variable and
      included 30% enhancement in C3H/HeNCr-MTV- or lack of biologically significant
      effect (max. +/- 10% variations in time) in the remaining strains. The activity
      of glutathione reductase (GSSG-R) increased gradually by up to 30% (48 h post
      injection) in B6C3F1 and C3H/HeNCr-MTV- mice or, transiently, by 15-18% (3 h), in
      C57BL/6NCr and BALB/cAnNCr mice. Also, in some strains, nickel significantly
      affected superoxide dismutase (SOD) (14-19% loss in C57BL/6NCr and B6C3F1 mice,
      respectively), and GSH-S-transferase (GST) (26% loss in C3H/HeNCr-MTV- mice).
      Lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the liver reached its highest value 24 h after nickel
      treatment in C57BL/6NCr (549% over the control) greater than or equal to
      BALB/cAnNCr (519%) greater than B6C3F1 (426%) much greater than C3H/HeNCr-MTV-
      (39%). In conclusion, the magnitude of nickel-induced LPO shows a reverse
      correlation with the extent and direction of nickel effect on GSH, GSH-Px and
      GSSG-R, but not on CAT, SOD or GST.

PMID- 1882389
TI  - Effect of buthionine sulfoximine on N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide
      and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinamic acid nephrotoxicity.
AB  - N-(3,5-Dichlorophenyl)succinimide (NDPS) is an agricultural fungicide which
      induces acute tubular necrosis as its primary toxicity. Two NDPS metabolites, N
      (3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2-hydroxysuccinimide (NDHS) and N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2
      hydroxysuccinamic acid (NDHSA) previously have been shown to be more potent
      nephrotoxicants than NDPS. In addition, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a
      glutathione synthesis inhibitor, was found to attenuate NDPS-induced
      nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of BSO
      pretreatment on NDHS- and NDHSA-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Fischer-344 rats (4
      rats/group) were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) BSO (890 mg/kg) 2 h before
      NDHS or NDHSA (0.1 or 0.2 mmol/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (sesame oil, 2.5 ml/kg), and
      renal function monitored at 24-h intervals for 48 h. BSO pretreatment markedly
      attenuated NDHSA (0.1 or 0.2 mmol/kg)-induced effects on the renal functional
      parameters monitored. BSO pretreatment also markedly reduced NDHS (0.1 mmol/kg)
      induced renal effects. However, NDHS (0.2 mmol/kg) nephrotoxicity was attenuated
      to a lesser extent than NDHS (0.1 mmol/kg) nephropathy. These results indicate
      that glutathione is an important mediator of NDPS metabolite nephrotoxicity and
      suggests that BSO did not attenuate NDPS nephropathy by inhibiting NDPS
      biotransformation to NDHS or NDHSA.

PMID- 1882390
TI  - Effects of zinc toxicity on thyroid function and histology in broiler chicks.
AB  - Mechanisms of zinc (Zn) toxicity are incompletely understood and data regarding
      potential endocrine alterations in Zn toxicity are scarce. To examine mechanisms
      of Zn toxicity, day-old chicks were pair-fed diets containing 5280 ppm (Hz) or 73
      ppm (CON) Zn. Impaired postnatal growth, independent of feed consumption, and
      multiple endocrinopathies were observed following short-term (1-2 weeks) exposure
      to the high Zn diet. Reduced levels of serum cholesterol, high-density
      lipoprotein cholesterol, and growth hormone were associated with HZ feeding.
      Depressed levels of circulating thyroid hormones and histological evidence that
      follicle area of thyroids from HZ birds was 63% less than CON indicated that
      impaired growth of HZ birds may be caused, in part, by reduced thyroidal
      function.

PMID- 1882391
TI  - Trichloroaniline effects on renal function in vivo and in vitro.
AB  - Previous studies have demonstrated that mono- and dichloroanilines are capable of
      inducing acute renal failure in vivo and altering organic ion accumulation by
      renal cortical slices in vitro. The purpose of this study was to determine the
      nephrotoxic potential of 4 trichloroaniline (TCA) isomers in vivo and to examine
      their effects on organic ion accumulation in vitro. In the in vivo experiments,
      male Fischer-344 rats (4 rats/group) were administered a TCA (0.8 or 1.5 mmol/kg)
      intraperitoneally (i.p.) or vehicle (sesame oil, 2.5 ml/kg). Renal function was
      monitored at 24 and 48 h. None of the TCA isomers induced marked renal effects at
      either time point. In vitro, all TCA isomers were effective in decreasing
      tetraethylammonium and p-aminohippurate accumulation by renal cortical slices at
      bath concentrations of 10(-3) M with 2,3,4- and 3,4,5-TCA inducing the greatest
      reductions. These results indicate that TCA can have a direct effect on renal
      function in vitro, but that the isomers tested are less potent nephrotoxicants
      than the nephrotoxic mono- and dichloroanilines.

PMID- 1882392
TI  - Hepatic involvement of two chlorinated propenes following repeated oral exposure
      in the rat.
AB  - The comparative toxicity of two chlorinated propene isomers, 1,2,3
      trichloropropene (TRCP) and 1,1,2,3-tetrachloropropene (TECP), was investigated
      via subchronic oral administration to rats for 4 weeks. Test groups, each
      consisting of 5 male and 5 female rats, were exposed to 0, 3, 10, 30, 100 or 300
      mg/kg/d TRCP or TECP by gavage. A separate corn oil control group was used for
      each chloropropene. While all rats of both sexes given 300 mg/kg/d TRCP died,
      only 1 female exposed to 300 mg/kg TECP died. Mean body weights were reduced in
      male rats given 100 mg/kg/d TRCP. With TECP, dose-related reductions in mean body
      weight and food consumption were seen at 100 and 300 mg/kg/d. Moderate fatty
      changes in the livers of high-dose TRCP-treated rats which died during the first
      study week were probably related to chloropropene exposure. Treatment-related
      necrotic/degenerative lesions of the liver were seen in both male and female rats
      administered 300 mg/kg/d TECP.

PMID- 1882394
TI  - [The forensic medical evaluation of subcapsular splenic injuries].
AB  - Data on 63 cases of subcapsular spleen lesions are analyzed. Circumstances of
      trauma infliction period of the 2-nd stage of spleen capsule rupture,
      morphological types of subcapsular spleen lesions, microscopic changes in
      different posttraumatic periods are presented.

PMID- 1882393
TI  - [The morphological equivalents of the peripheral nervous system reaction in
      certain types of death].
AB  - The article deals with the results of analysis of morphological changes in
      peripheral nervous system in some types of violent and sudden death. They reflect
      characteristics of morpho- and pathogenesis and can be used to validate the main
      cause of death.

PMID- 1882395
TI  - [Fractography of the long tubular bones of the lower extremities in trauma by
      blunt objects].
AB  - New data on micromorphological signs of fracture of long tubular bones in normal
      distribution and transformation of deforming forces are presented. Fractographic
      signs of bone for each destructive stage, signs of repeated trauma are singled
      out. Interrelationship between bone microstructure and conditions of its
      destruction is stated.

PMID- 1882396
TI  - [The forensic medical determination of the site of the external application of
      force by the bone microdamages].
AB  - The article deals with new approach to determination of site of outer force
      application. Investigation of bone grind pieces from zones of supposed external
      action resulted in detection of microfissures whose maximal concentration
      corresponded to the point of force application. It was stated that these
      microfissures precede fracture formation and occur as a result of bone loading
      due to plastic deformation. That's why even in bones which experienced
      prethreshold loads microfissures are always detected and used as expert criteria
      for determination of site of outer force application. Zones of soft tissue
      lesions, signs of permanent (residual) bone deformity in fractures of adjacent
      bones serve as reference points for cutting bone fragments out and using them to
      prepare bone grind pieces.

PMID- 1882397
TI  - [The differential diagnosis and the identification importance of the track of the
      heel of stabbing-cutting weapons in skin wounds].
AB  - Data on 123 cut-stab wounds and 52 knives were examined in the course of
      medicolegal expert evaluation. It was found that 30 knives possessed heels which
      could have two forms: symmetric and asymmetric. Heel traces were seen in 16
      expert evaluations (34%) in 31 wounds (25.2%) and in some of them particular
      features of knife blade heel were represented. Differences between butt end and
      heel trace according to series of signs were noted.

PMID- 1882398
TI  - [The forensic medical evaluation of the results of determining diatomaceous
      plankton in the diagnosis of drowning].
AB  - Evaluation of demonstrative value of method based on diatom plankton
      determination as a diagnostical sign of death due to drowning was performed.
      Plankton was detected in the viscera in 37% of cases (as a whole 376 bodies of
      people who drowned in fresh water were examined). Plankton was detected in
      aspiration type of drowning and its mixed variant. In spastic and reflector types
      of drowning plankton wasn't detected. According to author's opinion this method
      is an objective diagnostical test to determine the cause of death of people when
      their bodies are found in water.

PMID- 1882399
TI  - [The diagnosis of sex by qualitative traits of the pelvis].
AB  - Qualitative characters of sexual dimorphism were studied visually using pelvic
      bones of 115 men and 99 women. The drawn-up programme on sex diagnosis according
      to 20 osteoscopic characters of pelvic bones makes it possible to determine
      individual sex in 89.87% of men and 86.87% of women (reliability level exceeds
      95%).

PMID- 1882401
TI  - [The clinico-morphological toxicodynamics of organophosphate insecticide
      poisonings].
AB  - The article deals with investigation of dynamics of clinical morphological
      pattern in acute poisoning with organophosphorous insecticides. For this purpose
      all specific and non-specific effects of this chemical disease are classified
      according to the moment of their occurrence after poison exposure. Morphological
      equivalent of specific clinical manifestations at different stages of
      thanatogenesis of this poisoning was determined. It was shown that intensity of
      pathological process or specific density of toxic effects per time-unit is a very
      important criterium for assessment of severity and prognosis of poisoning.

PMID- 1882400
TI  - [Expertise in acute clofelin poisonings].

PMID- 1882402
TI  - [The determination of ethylene glycol in blood and urine].
AB  - Method of ethylene glycol isolation from blood and urine with subsequent gas
      chromatographic determination was developed. The method makes it possible to
      extract 60-80% of ethylene glycol and to detect its toxic concentration in the
      cadaveric blood and urine.

PMID- 1882403
TI  - [The effect of separate factors on the extraction of novocaine from aqueous
      solutions].

PMID- 1882404
TI  - [The extraction of karatan metabolites from aqueous solutions].

PMID- 1882406
TI  - [The diagnosis of trauma to the human body from being run over by automobile
      wheels].

PMID- 1882405
TI  - [The detection of ephedrine by solid-phase immunoenzyme analytical and gas
      chromatographic methods].
AB  - Comparative analysis of ephedrine derivative content in 96 urine specimen
      obtained from people suspected in abuse with these drugs. Physical and chemical
      methods of the analysis (gas and thin-layer chromatography) as well as ELISA were
      used. It was stated that the latter is specific for determination of compounds
      related to ephedrine by structure and it allows one to detect its analogues in 87
      cases. Gas chromatography made it possible to detect ephedrine derivatives in 94
      specimen tested and thin-layer chromatography--in 64 specimen tested. The given
      ELISA may be recommended for medicolegal expert purposes and narcology practice.

PMID- 1882407
TI  - [Information on the forthcoming lecture series in 1991 for raising the
      professional qualifications of forensic medical experts in physician advanced
      training institutes].

PMID- 1882408
TI  - [The use of a mathematical model of the process of cadaveric temperature change
      in diagnosing the time of death under variable environmental conditions].

PMID- 1882409
TI  - [The use of chromosomal analysis in the forensic medical expertise of disputed
      paternity].

PMID- 1882410
TI  - [A nonfatal penetrating neck wound by a pointed length of metal reinforcement
      fitting (bar)].

PMID- 1882411
TI  - [A fatal wound by the casing of a gas grenade shot from a KS-23 carbine].

PMID- 1882412
TI  - [The 80th anniversary of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the 2d Moscow
      Medical Institute].

PMID- 1882413
TI  - [The death of S. A. Esenin--facts and conjectures].

PMID- 1882414
TI  - [Apropos the article by G. V. Bobro The evaluation and quality control of the
      work of the structural subdivisions of the Office of Forensic Medical Expertise
      under the conditions of an economic experiment (Sudebno-meditsinskaia ekspertiza,
      No. 3, 1990)].

PMID- 1882415
TI  - [The diagnosis of fatty dystrophy of the liver in fresh, formalin-treated and
      putrefactive cadaveric material].
AB  - In the course of investigation it was stated that fat hepatic dystrophy can be
      diagnosed by biochemical method (lipid extraction by hexane). For al this the
      content of extracted lipids more than 20% of dry residue evidences about the
      presence of fat hepatic dystrophy which is confirmed by histological detection of
      lipid granules whose quantity is increasing from fat dystrophy I degree (lipid
      content amounts up to 30% of dry residue) to fat dystrophy III degree (lipid
      content is more than 40%). Formalin treatment doesn't produce significant changes
      in lipid content and doesn't prevent biochemical diagnosis of fat dystrophy of
      the liver. In case of putrefied liver lipid content is increased slightly but in
      all periods of putrefaction lipid content in the liver in case of fat dystrophy
      remains significantly higher than in controls. Biochemical method may be used in
      diagnosis of fat hepatic dystrophy and its degree not only on fresh and formalin
      treated cadaveric material but also in case of markedly pronounced putrefactive
      changes when other methods are useless and this fact is of great value for
      medicolegal practice.

PMID- 1882416
TI  - Metabolic channeling: scrambled evidence.

PMID- 1882417
TI  - Confounding routes of propionate metabolism.

PMID- 1882418
TI  - The TPR snap helix: a novel protein repeat motif from mitosis to transcription.
AB  - The recently discovered TPR gene family encodes a diverse group of proteins that
      function in mitosis, transcription, splicing, protein import and neurogenesis.
      These multi-domain proteins all contain tandemly arranged repeats of a 34-amino
      acid motif that are presumed to form helix-turn structures, each with a 'knob'
      and 'hole', acting as helix-associating domains.

PMID- 1882419
TI  - Chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins: an extended family.
AB  - A large proportion of the chlorophyll in a plant is engaged in harvesting light
      energy and transferring it to the photochemical reaction centres. These 'antenna'
      chlorophylls are non-covalently bound to specific proteins to form chlorophyll
      protein complexes. The chlorophyll a/b-binding (CAB) polypeptides are encoded by
      an extended family of nuclear genes. It has recently been discovered that other
      proteins not known to bind chlorophyll, the early light-inducible proteins
      (ELIPs), are also related and could be considered part of this family. We suggest
      that the latter proteins may be involved in pigment biosynthesis or in assembly
      of the thylakoid membrane.

PMID- 1882420
TI  - Who's on first? The U1 snRNP-5' splice site interaction and splicing.
AB  - U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) is important for pre-mRNA splicing
      both in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and mammalian systems. The RNA component
      of U1 snRNP, U1 snRNA, interacts by base pairing with pre-mRNA 5' splice sites.
      This article examines recent evidence suggesting that U1 snRNP is important for
      an early step in spliceosome assembly rather than a late step that contributes to
      the specificity of 5' splice-site cleavage.

PMID- 1882421
TI  - FACIT collagens: diverse molecular bridges in extracellular matrices.
AB  - The collagens form a large family of proteins. Collagen fibrils, composed of
      staggered arrays of fibrillar collagen molecules (types I, II, III, V and XI),
      provide a supporting scaffold for extracellular matrices of connective tissues.
      The non-fibrillar collagens are less abundant than the fibrillar collagens, but
      it is becoming clear that they have important functions in the matrix. Recently,
      a group with unique structural characteristics has been defined and named the
      FACIT (Fibril-Associated Collagens with Interrupted Triple-helices) group. There
      is evidence that these collagens may serve as molecular bridges that are
      important for the organization and stability of extracellular matrices.

PMID- 1882423
TI  - Disasters.

PMID- 1882422
TI  - Disasters.

PMID- 1882424
TI  - Training for disaster preparedness and response.

PMID- 1882425
TI  - Disasters: what are the needs? How can they be assessed?

PMID- 1882426
TI  - Monitoring and evaluation of relief programmes.
AB  - Information is power. Every major relief programme of the past 15 years has shown
      that facts and figures are an indispensable tool for health staff. A simple graph
      of daily mortality rates can work miracles: mobilize human and material
      resources, focus the attention of decision-makers, guide and refine the
      assistance programme that is being put in place. If you want useful data, look at
      these five areas: (i) mortality; (ii) incidence of the most important diseases;
      (iii) nutritional status; (iv) 'activities data', such as immunizations
      performed; and (v) the 'vital sectors', namely food, water, sanitation, shelter,
      etc. The most effective way of presenting information is graphically, so that
      anyone can see at a glance the trend from month to month. Finally, there are two
      golden rules. Always give feedback to the workers out in the field who are the
      primary source of information. And secondly, always act upon information: if your
      statistics do not lead to concrete action, you are probably better off not
      collecting them at all.

PMID- 1882427
TI  - Introduction to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

PMID- 1882428
TI  - Water and sanitation for disasters.

PMID- 1882429
TI  - Management of nutrition relief for famine affected and displaced populations.

PMID- 1882430
TI  - Nutritional deficiencies during famine.

PMID- 1882431
TI  - The new emergency health kit.

PMID- 1882432
TI  - Early warning systems: do they work?

PMID- 1882433
TI  - The role of laboratory services in disease surveillance and outbreak
      investigation in disasters.

PMID- 1882434
TI  - Surgery of war and disaster.
AB  - Wound excision with delayed closure after 4-5 days remains the essential
      principle for successful war surgery. When there are mass casualties the planning
      of effective triage before the event is the single most important element in
      achieving the best for the most.

PMID- 1882435
TI  - Psychological effects of disaster.

PMID- 1882436
TI  - Psychosocial and mental health needs of refugees--experience from SE Asia.

PMID- 1882437
TI  - Psychological needs of Mozambican refugees--a community-based approach.

PMID- 1882438
TI  - Technological disasters--towards a preventive strategy: a review.
AB  - Technological or man-made disasters are a growth industry. Widely publicized
      industrial disasters like those in Bhopal and Chernobyl are only the tip of the
      iceberg of human and environmental risk from technological development. Other
      less well publicized disasters, including the contamination of food, water and
      air, have affected millions of people. The 'slow' technological disasters - like
      air pollution, pesticides, radiation, lead, asbestos and other industrial hazards
      - also compromise human intellectual, behavioural and physical development.
      Although it can be argued that there are hazards attached to virtually every
      industrial activity and that it is almost impossible to remove completely the
      risk of technological disasters, it is possible to reduce this risk by
      decentralizing or deconcentrating knowledge on technological processes. Global
      recommendations may provide a framework for priority action, but they are
      obviously not applicable everywhere with the same intensity. A measurement-based
      approach is described that is beginning to have an effect in several developing
      countries.

PMID- 1882439
TI  - Disaster preparedness and response.

PMID- 1882440
TI  - The global tuberculosis situation and the new control strategy of the World
      Health Organization.

PMID- 1882441
TI  - Cytokines and the Koch phenomenon.
AB  - We outline the mechanisms contributing to the human form of the Koch phenomenon,
      which we define as necrosis occurring within 24-48 h of injection of
      mycobacterial antigen into the skin of past or present tuberculosis patients. It
      is probable that tissue damage mediated in the same way occurs in the lesions
      themselves. We suggest that the necrosis is mediated in part by cytokines,
      particularly Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF), and that this occurs for three
      reasons. First, Mycobacterium tuberculosis evokes an immunoregulatory abnormality
      characterised by raised agalactosyl IgG. This abnormality, also found in
      rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and Erythema Nodosum Leprosum, seems to be
      associated with dysregulation of cytokine release. Secondly, M. tuberculosis
      itself triggers further cytokine release. Thirdly, the normally protective role
      of TNF is distorted by several interacting properties of components of M.
      tuberculosis, which render the cytokine toxic to the host tissues. The
      immunoregulatory abnormality may be susceptible to correction by immunotherapy.

PMID- 1882442
TI  - Evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
AB  - A polymerase chain reaction for the specific detection of Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis has been developed and evaluated for clinical applicability. Primers
      were designed to amplify a 240 base pair region in the MPB 64 protein coding gene
      (nts 460-700). From among 15 different DNA templates tested (including 10 species
      of mycobacteria) PCR amplified the DNA from M. tuberculosis complex only,
      demonstrating its exquisite specificity. Sensitivity studies using serial ten
      fold dilutions of M. tuberculosis bacilli determined the limit of detectability
      to be 10 organisms. A total of 143 clinical specimens were analysed. This
      consisted of 26 known non-tuberculous specimens (control group) and 117 specimens
      received at the Tuberculosis Diagnostic Service of AIIMS (test group). None of
      the specimens in the control group was positive by PCR. Out of 117 specimens in
      the test group, 19 were culture positive for mycobacteria and 17 of these
      isolates were identified as M. tuberculosis. All the specimens from which M.
      tuberculosis was grown were also PCR positive. The remaining two isolates were
      identified as mycobacteria other than M. tuberculosis and these two specimens
      were PCR negative. An additional 14 culture negative specimens were PCR positive
      yielding an overall M. tuberculosis positivity rate of 26.5% (31/117) compared to
      14.5% (17/117) by culture. The superior sensitivity of PCR over culture was more
      evident in non-pulmonary cases where PCR picked up 10 cases in addition to three
      culture positives out of 69 specimens. On the other hand, out of 48 pulmonary
      specimens only four cases in addition to 14 culture positives were picked up by
      PCR.

PMID- 1882443
TI  - Sensitivity to sensitins and tuberculin in Swedish children. I. A study of
      schoolchildren in an urban area.
AB  - Non-BCG-vaccinated schoolchildren (8 or 9 years of age) were simultaneously
      tested on separate arms with 2 IU PPD RT23 and 0.1 microgram Mycobacterium avium
      sensitin RS10 or 0.1 microgram Mycobacterium scrofulaceum sensitin RS95. None of
      the 2819 analysed children had any known exposure to tuberculosis. A total of
      3.4% reacted with an induration greater than or equal to 6 mm to PPD RT23. Half
      the number of children were tested with M. avium sensitin and 25.4% reacted while
      the remaining were tested with M. scrofulaceum sensitin and 32.4% reacted when
      the cut-off was 6 mm. For about 90% of the children the sensitin reaction was
      larger than or equal to the tuberculin (PPD RT23) reaction. Correlation analyses
      showed that moderate and high PPD RT23 values were combined with still higher
      sensitin values, indicating that the tuberculin reactions were mainly cross
      reactions due to the antigenic similarity between tuberculin and sensitins. The
      presence of birds, dogs and cats in the homes was combined with an increased
      frequency of children reacting to the sensitins used. The children with reactions
      to PPD RT23 greater than or equal to 6 mm were examined and chest X-rays were
      performed. None of them showed any signs or symptoms of mycobacterial disease. In
      non-BCG-vaccinated Swedish schoolchildren without clinical signs of tuberculosis
      and without known contact with a contagious tuberculous person, indurations less
      than 12 to 14 mm on tuberculin testing are probably caused by atypical
      mycobacteria. In such cases sensitin tests should be performed to verify the
      suspicion.

PMID- 1882444
TI  - Sensitivity to sensitins and tuberculin in Swedish children. II. A study of
      preschool children.
AB  - Non-BCG-vaccinated preschool children (4 or 5 years of age) were simultaneously
      tested on separate arms with a 2 IU PPD RT23 and 0.1 microgram Mycobacterium
      avium sensitin RS10 or 0.1 microgram Mycobacterium scrofulaceum sensitin RS95.
      None of the 762 children had any known exposure to tuberculosis. A total of 8.8%
      reacted with an induration (greater than or equal to 3 mm to PPD RT23 while 2%
      reacted with greater than or equal to 6 mm. Half the children were tested with M.
      avium sensitin: 18.9 and 7.8% reacted when 3 and 6 mm cut-off points,
      respectively, were taken. The remaining children were tested with M. scrofulaceum
      sensitin: 18.4 and 6.3%, respectively, reacted. In a previous study of
      schoolchildren aged 8 or 9 years, reactions to sensitins were considerably more
      frequent. Thus, sensitisation by atypical mycobacteria seems to increase from the
      preschool to the early school age. This finding probably reflects a continuous
      exposure of the children to atypical mycobacteria from various sources. The
      preschool children with a reaction to PPD RT23 greater than or equal to 6 mm were
      examined and chest X-rays were performed. All children were healthy but one child
      had enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum and abdomen. It cannot be excluded
      that these pathological findings were caused by atypical mycobacteria.

PMID- 1882445
TI  - Tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia: epidemiology and incidence of Mycobacterium
      tuberculosis and other mycobacterial species.
AB  - The epidemiology of mycobacterial infections was studied in a wide cross-section
      of the Jeddah population over 2 years (1987-1989). Saudis, non-Saudis and
      patients from a stable population attending National Guard King Khalid Hospital
      (NGKKH) were compared. The ratio of Saudi to non-Saudi was 1:2 and males
      accounted for 65% of the total. The incidence was highest among young adults
      although the peak varied slightly between Saudi and non-Saudi patients. Extra
      pulmonary tuberculosis was also preponderant among young adults, particularly
      females. Variants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were investigated for the first
      time in Saudi Arabia. African and Asian variants were isolated from both Saudi
      and non-Saudi patients, the former being more numerous. Extra-pulmonary
      tuberculosis, particularly lymphadenopathy, accounted for a large proportion of
      mycobacterial infections, 59% at NGKKH. Mycobacterial species other than M.
      tuberculosis were fully identified and accounted for 9% of the isolates,
      Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonei being the two most prevalent.

PMID- 1882446
TI  - Tuberculous meningiomyeloradiculitis--a report of two cases.
AB  - Two cases of tuberculous meningitis complicated by spread to the spinal cord and
      nerve roots are described. Recognition of impending paraplegia by a rising
      cerebrospinal fluid protein content and manometric block should prompt steroid
      therapy as this may prevent irreversible neurological deficit.

PMID- 1882447
TI  - The Koch phenomenon and delayed hypersensitivity: 1891-1991.

PMID- 1882448
TI  - The value of routine bronchial aspirate culture at fibreoptic bronchoscopy for
      the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

PMID- 1882449
TI  - Management of jaundice occurring during antituberculosis chemotherapy.

PMID- 1882450
TI  - Tuberculous pancreatitis and AIDS.

PMID- 1882451
TI  - Bad news from north Lebanon.

PMID- 1882452
TI  - [Middle molecular weight peptides from rat blood serum during acute liver injury
      and administration of iodinated oil].
AB  - A spectrum of mean-molecular blood serum peptides in rats with experimental toxic
      hepatitis and parenteral injection of iodinated oil has been studied using the
      method of gel-filtration on a sephadex G-25. It is established that the toxic
      hepatitis is characterized by the expressed rearrangement of the stock of mean
      molecular peptides with a preferential growth in the blood serum and
      normalization of their concentrations 24h after the injection of iodinated oil
      accompanied by attenuation of the organism intoxication phenomena. An increase in
      the content of mean-molecular peptides was registered 48 hours after the
      iodinated oil injection.

PMID- 1882453
TI  - [The effect of thiamine and its metabolites on the activity of tissue and
      purified lactate dehydrogenase].
AB  - It is shown that thiamine and its metabolites effect lactate dehydrogenase
      activity and lactate content in the tissues. Thiochrome and thiamine phosphate
      increase the lactate level in the liver and small intestine. The given effect
      correlates with the inhibition of the tissue and purified lactate dehydrogenase
      by thiochrome.

PMID- 1882454
TI  - [Activity of liver and brain arginase during hypothermia].
AB  - The content of urea and activity of arginase in the brain and liver have been
      determined in squirrels falling into hibernation and in rats with an artificial
      decrease of the body temperature. It is shown that the intensity of urea
      synthesis under hypothermia (20, 10 degrees C) in the studied organs of animals
      falling into hibernation remains at high level in contrast to animals without
      such adaptation.

PMID- 1882455
TI  - [The effect of neutral polymers on glutamate dehydrogenase activity of mouse
      liver mitochondria upon administration of endotoxin].
AB  - It is shown that neutral polymers administered intraperitoneally to intact
      animals considerably affect glutamate dehydrogenase activity in the liver cell
      mitochondria as well as in the supernatant. Of the tested polymers, only
      polyvinyl methylacetamide and dextran inhibit a decrease in the level of
      mitochondrial enzyme activity which develops with administration of endotoxin.
      Polyvinyl pyrrolidone with molecular weight of 100 kDa, polyvinyl
      methylacetamide, dextran and polyvinyl caprolactam prevent an increase of
      glutamate dehydrogenase activity in the supernatant in case of endotoxin
      administration to animals. It is possibly a result of the effect of the
      mitochondrial structure stabilization by the above polymers. A physiological
      effect of polyvinyl pyrrolidone revealed as an effect on the activity level of
      mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenase and in the supernatant after endotoxin
      administration to animals, depends on the molecular weight of the polymer.

PMID- 1882456
TI  - [Distribution of ]1-14C]N-palmitoylethanolamine and its metabolites in
      subcellular fractions of neuroblastoma C1300 N18].
AB  - Distribution in dynamics of [1-14C]N-palmitoyl ethanolamine in the subcellular
      fractions of neuroblastoma C1300 N18 has been studied. It is shown that
      distribution dynamics of the label is different depending on subcellular
      fractions. The level of the label in cytoplasm 15 min after incubation reaches
      the value which remains constant till the end of the experiment. In the
      microsomal fraction the label is accumulated with time and becomes maximum at the
      end of the experiment. The highest amount of the label in the plasma membrane has
      been found 15 min later and then its amount falls. Parallel with this the amount
      of free fatty acids grows and then begins to fall simultaneously with an increase
      of the amount of esterified fatty acids. A considerable amount of the label of
      fatty acids has been determined 15 min later in the composition of di- and
      triglycerides of cytosol and microsomal fraction.

PMID- 1882457
TI  - [The effect of epidermal growth factor on protein phosphorylation in normal and
      transformed hepatocytes].
AB  - Qualitative differences in the content of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in
      normal and transformed hepatocytes have been found using the method of two
      dimensional electrophoresis. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has induced
      quantitative changes in the spectra of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins in
      normal cells and qualitative changes in the transformed ones. Results of
      immunoprecipitation with antibodies against phosphotyrosine permit revealing a
      protein with Mm 50 kDa which is subjected to EGF-dependent tyrosine
      phosphorylation in normal hepatocytes. The intensity of protein phosphorylation
      is 10 times higher in the transformed cells but the dependence of this process on
      the EGF is not exhibited. The role of protein-tyrosine-kinases in the
      transmission of a mitogenic signal and in liver carcinogenesis is discussed.

PMID- 1882458
TI  - [Spectral properties of myoglobins from aquatic mammals].
AB  - Spectral characteristics of ferri- and ferroderivatives of myoglobins have been
      studied in semiwater mammals. Extinction coefficients in the visible range of the
      spectrum have been determined for different derivatives of the studied heme
      proteins. It is established that variations in the maxima and minima of different
      absorption bands are inconsiderable. Close positions of isobestic points have
      been revealed for a system of oxyglobin and reduced myoglobin obtained from the
      muscles of the studied animals. Changes in spectral characteristics of
      methmyoglobins, induced by the effect of different pH, are identical, which
      evidences for similarity of the surroundings of active site of the studied heme
      proteins.

PMID- 1882459
TI  - [Fibrinolysis in vitro by acylated derivatives of a plasmin-streptokinase
      activator complex].
AB  - Three active-site-acylated derivatives of the activator plasmin-streptokinase
      complex have been synthesized: n-anisoyl-, n-trans-(N,N,N-trimethylamino)
      cinnamoyl- and n-guanidine-benzoyl-plasmin-streptokinase. Their diacylation rate
      constants were 4.2 x 10(-4), 2.0 x 10(-4) and 0.6 x 10(-4) s-1, respectively.
      Kinetics of lysis of fibrin clots, containing plasminogen or plasminogen and
      alpha 2-antiplasmin, by acylplasmin, by a free activator complex and by two
      acylated activator complexes has been studied. It is shown that in the presence
      of zymogen and inhibitor the effect of acylactivator, as a fibrinolytic, is 163
      times more effective than that of acylenzyme and the fibrinolytic response
      increases with the doze of acylactivator. The rate of fibrinolysis by a free
      plasmin-streptokinase complex was higher without the inhibitor than that of
      fibrinolysis by its acylated derivatives; fibrinolytic action of acylactivators
      was more effective in the presence of the inhibitor.

PMID- 1882460
TI  - [Isolation and identification of N-terminal fragments of the A-alpha chain of
      bovine fibrinogen].
AB  - A method is suggested to obtain and purify N-end fragments of A alpha-chain from
      bovine fibrinogen. To identify the N-end chain fragments the fluorescent
      properties of tryptophan and tyrosine composing them as well as hydrolysis by
      ancistron H, a thrombin-like enzyme of the snake venom, have been used for the
      first time.

PMID- 1882461
TI  - [Effectiveness of acylated thrombolytic agents in lysis of blood plasma clots
      from humans and various animals].
AB  - Kinetics of lysis of fibrin clots from the human, guinea pig, rat and rabbit
      blood plasma by two active-site-acylated derivatives of the activator plasmin
      streptokinase complex with different reaction rate constants has been studied in
      vitro. It is found that lysis of blood plasma clots in guinea pig is most similar
      to that of man. Acyl activator dose being increased, the lysis of a plasma clot
      in guinea pig is accelerated. Two acyl activators exhibit higher fibrinolytic
      efficiency as compared to a free activator. Experiments carried out in vivo on
      guinea pigs with thrombosis show that acyl activators, in contrast to nonmodified
      plasmin-streptokinase complex induce the less system activation of fibrinolysis
      and the less fibrinogenolysis.

PMID- 1882462
TI  - [Purification of cytochrome B-561 from chromaffin granules and its physico
      chemical properties].
AB  - A soft method of purification of cytochrome-561 from the membranes of chromaffin
      granules has been developed. It permits isolating a protein in its natural
      microsurroundings, i.e. a complex with lipids, provided that a buffer with high
      ionic force is used without a detergent. This method helps obtaining an
      electrophoretically homogeneous preparation as a high-molecular lipoprotein
      hexamer whose molecular weight is about 400 kDa. Basic physicochemical parameters
      of this preparation (subunit composition, content and composition of lipids, heme
      content, spectra of optical absorption of the oxidized and reduced forms) are
      determined. Possible presence of two forms of cytochrome b-561 in the chromaffin
      granules is discussed.

PMID- 1882463
TI  - [Catalytic properties of cathepsin B from human kidneys].
AB  - Two forms of cathepsin B isolated from human kidneys possess similar properties
      with hydrolysis of synthetic substrates. One of the forms is characterized by the
      higher specific activity with hydrolysis of synthetic substrates and proteins.
      Low-molecular peptides with nonpolar aminoacid residue in a site and hydrophilic
      C-end part inhibit reactions catalyzed by the both forms of cathepsin B. Such
      properties are not inherent in the apoenzymes of dehydrogenases and in albumin
      tested as inhibitors. It is found out that a thiol group of the active site does
      not interact with immobilized dithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) in contrast to the
      soluble one. A limited ability of cathepsin B to interact with native proteins is
      apparently, due to steric inhibitors which decreases accessibility of functional
      groupings of the active site.

PMID- 1882464
TI  - [Activity of cytoplasmic NADP-dependent dehydrogenase in rat liver during
      induction of cytochrome P-450 by phenobarbital].
AB  - Activity of oxidation enzymes of the pentosephosphate way (glucose-6-phosphate
      dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.44),
      cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating oxaloacetate) (NADP+) (EC
      1.1.1.40) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+) (EC 1.1.1.42) as well as the
      content of microsomal cytochromes b5 and P-450 in the rat liver have been studied
      24 hours after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 intraperitoneal administrations of phenobarbital
      (4 mg per 100 g of the body weight). It is shown that the cytochrome P-450
      content increases after a single administration of phenobarbital and then it
      gradually grows reaching its maximum after 4 administrations and falls after 5
      administrations (though it remains high as compared to the control animals). The
      content of cytochrome b5 increases only after 4 administrations of phenobarbital
      and after 5th one it returns to the initial level. The content of microsomal
      gangliosides calculated per 1 mg of microsomal protein decreases after a single
      administration of phenobarbital and 5 days later it returns to the initial level.
      Activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase increases after a single
      administration of phenobarbital, that of malate dehydrogenase--after 3
      administrations, 6--phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase--after 4 administrations of
      the preparation. The 5 administrations of phenobarbital makes activity of all the
      mentioned dehydrogenases return to the initial level. Activity of isocitrate
      dehydrogenase under given conditions of the experiment does not change.

PMID- 1882465
TI  - [Features of thiamine diphosphate-dependent enzyme inhibition by
      oxodihydrothiochrome and its phosphorylated derivatives].
AB  - Anticoenzyme action of new derivatives of thiamine: oxodihydrothiochrome and its
      mono- and diphosphoric esters has been studied in the experiments on mice. It is
      shown that the given compounds exert an inhibiting action on transketolase and
      pyruvate dehydrogenase and do not change activity of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase
      in the animal organism. Antivitamin effect of the studied inhibitors is observed
      with the lower doses and in the earlier terms as compared with the other known
      inhibitors of thiamine-diphosphate-dependent enzymes. The preparations inhibit
      activity of the yeast pyruvate-decarboxylase by the mixed (with respect to
      thiamine-diphosphate) type (Ki for oxodihydrothiochrome and its mono- and
      diphosphoric esters: 2.3 x 10(-3), 7.2 x 10(-4), 5.6 x 10(-5) M, respectively).
      Possible mechanisms of the action of the mentioned compounds as thiamine
      antimetabolites are discussed.

PMID- 1882467
TI  - [Interaction of [3H] corticosterone from blood serum with rat liver cells during
      aging].
AB  - It is shown that the consumption of glucocorticoids from the complexes with serum
      proteins by hepatocytes decreases with ageing. Transcortin-complexed decrease
      adenosine monophosphate binding by the liver cells but the degree of this
      inhibition decreases with an increase of animals' age, which is probably
      connected with the change in physicochemical properties of steroid-transport
      blood glycoprotein.

PMID- 1882466
TI  - [Supermolecular organization of aminotransferases and dehydrogenases of alpha
      ketoacid from rat brain mitochondria].
AB  - A fraction of coarse mitochondria from the rat brain was deposited after short
      term effect of supersound to obtain "metabolones". Activity of dehydrogenases of
      alpha-ketoacids, succinate dehydrogenase, aspartate-, alanine- and GABA-alpha
      ketoglutarate amino-transferases has been determined in the supernatant liquid
      and in "metabolones". It is shown that dehydrogenase activity is mainly (93-100%)
      localized in "metabolones", while the level of aminotransferase activity in the
      latter is lower (72-94%). Nonproportionally high activity of aminotransferases in
      the supernatant liquid is found to considerably suprpass a decrease in activity
      of these enzymes in "metabolones" against a background of extremely scanty losses
      of protein (within 5%) induced by the supersound effect. A hypothetic model of a
      "metabolone" containing the enzymes of the Krebbs cycle and GABA-shunt is
      suggested.

PMID- 1882468
TI  - [The effect of hypoxia on oxidative phosphorylation and lipid peroxidation in rat
      liver mitochondria upon lung inflammation].
AB  - Hypoxic trainings of rats (maintenance in the test chamber at the "altitude" 4 km
      above the sea level for 7 hours a day for two weeks) prevent pneumonia-induced
      activation of peroxidation for lipids of the liver mitochondria. This increases
      the phosphorylating respiration rate when lipemic serum is used as an oxidation
      substrate (not succinate). In these experiments the efficiency of oxidative
      phosphorylation (delta ADP/delta O) when either succinate and glutamate or
      glutamate and malate have been oxidated corresponded to the values typical of
      intact animals and was higher when lipemic serum was used. It is supposed that
      rearrangement of energy reactions of mitochondria is connected with
      intensification of utilization of lipids and conjugation between their oxidation
      and phosphorylation. This rearrangement is apparently aimed to prevent the energy
      deficiency in the organism which arises in patients with pneumonia.

PMID- 1882469
TI  - [Violent behavior among hospitalized psychiatric patients. 1. Occurrence and
      psychopathology].
AB  - The majority of psychiatric patients are not violent during hospitalisation. A
      minority behave violently during hospitalisation on repeated occasions but
      violent episodes are mainly concerned and these do not result in corporeal
      injuries. Gross violence rarely occurs. Violence involves the caring staff most
      frequently and, more rarely, fellow patients. The patients who are most
      frequently violent are the most severely ill and untreated psychotic patients.
      The commonest diagnosis among the violent patients is schizophrenia. Younger
      patients are often violent. No sex differences exist for violent behaviour. Manic
      patients are rarely violent and depressive illness is negatively correlated with
      violence. Approximately 1/5 of the demented patients show violent behaviour. The
      review demonstrates many methodological deficiencies in the investigations
      mentioned and presents recommendations concerning the design of investigations in
      future investigations.

PMID- 1882471
TI  - [Psychoanalytic therapy. An orientation on Freudian psychoanalysis].
AB  - About a century after the creation of psychoanalysis and more than 35 years after
      the first, and only, article about psychoanalysis in this journal, the author
      gives a review of contemporary theory and practice. The meta-scientific position
      of psychoanalysis is mentioned briefly and it is emphasized that Freudian
      psychoanalysis is simultaneously an investigation of the mind and a treatment. It
      is described how contemporary members of The International Psycho-Analytical
      Association (i.a. The Danish Psychoanalytical Society) practise. New
      psychoanalytical theory and its clinical impact is reviewed. The rules for the
      long psychoanalytic training are stated. Finally, it is described how
      psychoanalytic knowledge is applied technically on a large scale particularly in
      the form of psychotherapy.

PMID- 1882470
TI  - [Violent behavior among hospitalized psychiatric patients. 2. The significance of
      the functioning of the department and the reactions of the staff].
AB  - Violence is commonest in emergency and closed departments. Lack of structure in
      the department and inactivity together with an authoritarian staff attitude may
      increase the frequencies of violent episodes. Too much therapeutic activity may
      also cause violence in the department. In order to reduce the frequency of
      episodes of violence, the staff must be adequate in number. Good contact with the
      patients may have a preventative effect on violence. The experience of the care
      staff in the treatment of psychiatric patients is of considerable significance.
      Massive staff changes with appointment of less experienced care staff and many
      temporary staff members in the department may increase the extent of violence.
      Training of the staff in the technique of controlling aggression may improve
      their ability to cope with violent situations. The effect of staff training may
      depend upon the content of the training programme. Medical assistance may
      increase the staff capacity to manage difficult situations such as violent
      episodes. Leaders have considerable influence on the factors which can reduce the
      extent of violence. Previous investigations show many methodological defects and
      new investigations are necessary.

PMID- 1882472
TI  - [Alternative treatment of lung diseases].
AB  - A total of 671 patients attending two outpatient clinics for pulmonary medicine
      received a questionnaire about possible alternative treatment of the pulmonary
      disease for which they were receiving treatment. Six hundred and five
      questionnaires were answered anonymously. Among the 605 patients, 75 (12%) had
      received alternative treatment. No differences in the frequencies were observed
      between men and women. Employment of alternative treatment was most frequent in
      the age groups 20-29 and 50-59 years. Prolonged illness without definite
      prospects of cure such as chronic bronchitis and asthma resulted in employment of
      alternative treatment more frequently than briefer illness without possibility of
      cure (cancer of lung) or with the possibility of cure (tuberculosis, pneumonia).
      The patients had practically always consulted their general practitioner before
      the alternative therapist (94%). Half of the patients had improved, half were
      unchanged and only a few per cent had deteriorated. In the majority of cases, the
      expenses were moderate but isolated patients had, however, paid more than 10,000
      Danish crowns (approximately pounds 1,000) for the alternative treatment.

PMID- 1882473
TI  - [Laser treatment of sinusitis in general practice assessed by a double-blind
      controlled study].
AB  - The effect of Low Level Laser therapy (Galium-Aluminium-Arsenide laser, 30 mW/830
      nm, Unilaser 2000 3B) on sinuitis was evaluated in a double-blind randomised
      clinical study comprising 60 patients from general practice. All patients
      received three treatments (90 seconds radiation on each sinus) with one to three
      days interval. No statistically significant differences in pain relief, well
      being or duration of illness were observed between patients treated with laser
      and a placebo.

PMID- 1882474
TI  - [Ingrown nail of the great toe treated with partial resection of the nail-forming
      matrix].
AB  - During the period 1.3.1976 to 31.5.1989, 158 patients were treated for in-growing
      toe-nail of the great toe by partial resection of the nail-forming matrix. The
      average age was 26 years and the period of observation was 83 months. A
      questionnaire was sent to all of the patients and 119 patients with 154 nails
      submitted to operation replied (75.3%). Ninety-five patients (79.8%) had no
      discomfort and seven (5.9%) stated that the condition had improved. Ten patients
      (8.4%) were submitted to reoperation. Seventy-six patients (63.9%) were
      completely satisfied with the cosmetic result of the treatment. Significantly
      better results as regards discomfort were obtained in patients who had been
      treated preoperatively by avulsion of the nail so that infection and inflammation
      had resolved (p less than 0.05). The authors conclude that partial resection of
      the nail-forming matrix is a certain and effective method of treating in-growing
      toe-nail of the great toe and they recommend that the nail is avulsed prior to
      operation.

PMID- 1882475
TI  - [Immunomodulator therapy of chronic inflammatory demyelinating
      polyradiculoneuropathy].
AB  - A group of 6 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating
      polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) was treated with prednisone, azathioprine, plasma
      exchange and/or intravenous immunoglobulin. Three of the six patients improved
      during treatment with prednisone and two patients with severe CIDP both showed a
      remarkable therapeutic response to treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin.

PMID- 1882476
TI  - [Acute severe polyneuropathy in hepatic porphyria].
AB  - Two cases of acute polyneuropathy in patients with latent hepatic porphyria are
      presented. Porphyric neuropathy is a rare, serious, life-threatening disease.
      Since most cases are induced by drugs, early diagnosis is essential for the
      treatment and prognosis. Porphyria should always be considered in acute
      polyneuropathy.

PMID- 1882477
TI  - [Antiphospholipid antibodies and ischemic heart disease].
AB  - A case is presented with severe ischemic heart disease and lupus anticoagulant in
      a 24 year old otherwise healthy male. Anticoagulation was initiated and coronary
      by-pass grafting was performed. Coronary biopsy showed no signs of arteritis.

PMID- 1882479
TI  - [Fetal ECG analysis during labor].

PMID- 1882478
TI  - [Malignant neuroleptic syndrome in a 15-year old girl after a single injection of
      a high-dose neuroleptic].
AB  - The malignant neuroleptic syndrome is a rare and fatal iatrogenic syndrome which
      requires rapid and effective symptomatic treatment in a somatic hospital,
      possibly in an intensive care unit. Relatively little medicine (neuroleptics) is
      employed in child psychiatry and the syndrome is, therefore, rare in child
      psychiatric departments. A well-defined syndrome is concerned and it is important
      to be able to recognise and diagnose this.

PMID- 1882480
TI  - [Nurses and indwelling catheters].

PMID- 1882481
TI  - [Drug poisoning vs. brain death].

PMID- 1882482
TI  - [The value of alcohol test as evidence].

PMID- 1882483
TI  - Historical perspective and current trends in emission microscopy, mirror electron
      microscopy and low-energy electron microscopy. An introduction to the proceedings
      of the Second International Symposium and Workshop on Emission microscopy and
      Related Techniques.
AB  - Emission microscopes and related instruments comprise a specialized class of
      electron microscopes that have in common an acceleration field in combination
      with the first stage of imaging (i.e., an immersion objective lens, also called a
      cathode lens or emission lens). These imaging techniques include photoelectron
      emission microscopy (PEEM or PEM), electron emission induced by heat, ions, or
      neutral particles, mirror electron microscopy (MEM), and low-energy electron
      microscopy (LEEM), among others. In these instruments the specimen is placed on a
      flat cathode or is the cathode itself. The low-energy electrons that are emitted,
      reflected, or backscattered from the specimen are first accelerated and then
      imaged by means of an electron lens system resembling that of a transmission
      electron microscope. The image is formed in a parallel mode in all of the above
      instruments, in contrast to the image in scanning electron microscopes, where the
      information is collected sequentially by scanning the specimen. A brief history
      and introduction to emission microscopy, MEM, and LEEM is presented as a
      background for the Proceedings of the Second International Symposium and Workshop
      on this subject, held in Seattle, Washington, August 16-17, 1990. Current trends
      in this field gleaned from the presentations at that meeting are discussed.

PMID- 1882484
TI  - Design and performance of a high-resolution photoelectron microscope.
AB  - The design of a high-resolution photoelectron microscope (photoelectron emission
      microscope) is described. It is an oil-free ultrahigh-vacuum instrument utilizing
      electrostatic electron optics. New designs are presented for a specimen
      translator, cathode stage, aperture stop control, electrostatic hexapole
      stigmator, beam shutter, and camera system. These components could also be used
      in a low-energy electron microscope (LEEM). The theoretical resolution of this
      instrument is 5 nm for UV illumination near the photoemission threshold. The
      photoelectron microscope is now in operation at the University of Oregon, and it
      is achieving results within a factor of two of this design limit.

PMID- 1882485
TI  - A computer-aided control, design and image-processing system for electron
      microscopes.
AB  - A computer-control system for electron microscopes is described. The aim is to
      reduce a complex series of vacuum-system controls to a menu-driven program that
      simplifies the operation of the microscope. The system also incorporates image
      processing, notebook, computer-aided design, and communication functions. It is
      designed around a commercially available computer workstation. This system has
      been implemented on an institute-built photoelectron microscope of ultrahigh
      vacuum design.

PMID- 1882486
TI  - Experimental study of the effects of pulsed Doppler sample volume size and
      position on the Doppler spectrum.
AB  - With a pulsed Doppler system, the recorded Doppler spectrum is expected to vary
      depending upon the sample volume size relative to the diameter of the vessel, the
      position of the sample volume in the vessel and the velocity profile. In the in
      vitro experiments described in this paper, the velocity profile was kept constant
      by using steady parabolic flow in a flow model. As the Doppler sample volume size
      and position were changed, the maximum variations of quantitative measurements
      from the Doppler spectrum were determined. The maximum, mean and mode frequencies
      and spectral broadening index (SBI) were affected by the position of the sample
      volume but to a lesser degree by its length (1.5-5.0 mm) relative to the 9.5 mm
      beam path length across the tube. When the centre of the Doppler sample volume
      was moved within the central 25% of the tube, the maximum variations were as
      follows: maximum frequency 3-5%, mean frequency 8-9%, mode frequency 8-9% and SBI
      16-18%, where the range indicates the effect of increasing the sample volume
      size. Based on these results obtained under steady flow conditions in vitro, it
      is concluded that quantification of pulsed Doppler spectra may be feasible if the
      sample volume is positioned within the central 25% of the vessel.

PMID- 1882487
TI  - Mode propagation of ultrasound in hollow waveguides.
AB  - It has previously been shown that there is close agreement between theoretical
      and experimental behaviour of pulses of ultrasound propagating in solid
      cylindrical waveguides. Waveguides are used in a number of areas of medical
      ultrasonics and it is therefore important to be able to model sound propagation
      in them accurately. This paper extends the analysis of guided wave propagation to
      hollow waveguides. In particular, frequency spectra of modes of progagation are
      given and theoretical group velocity curves are compared with experimental
      results. Signal strengths of modes propagating in both solid and hollow stainless
      steel waveguides of similar cross-sectional area are also compared.

PMID- 1882488
TI  - Ultrasonic precision thickness gauge.

PMID- 1882489
TI  - Stress and the endocrine hypothalamus-pituitary-testis system: a review.
AB  - Stressors generally induce a depression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis
      (HPT) system, mediated by the activated hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical
      (HPA) system, resulting in a fall in plasma luteinising hormone (LH) and
      testosterone levels. Hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
      secretion may be suppressed by endogenous opioid peptides (EOP) and/or
      corticosteroids. The latter dramatically enhance the negative feedback effects of
      testosterone on both the hypothalamus and pituitary. Pituitary gonadotrophin
      secretion may be reduced by adrenocorticotrophic hormone or by EOP of
      hypothalamic or pituitary origin. Decreases in plasma concentrations of
      testosterone, independent of gonadotrophins, can be induced by corticosteroids.
      These hormones might reduce the number of Leydig-cell LH-receptors or occupation
      of LH-receptors. Testicular steroidogenesis may also be inhibited by pro
      opiomelanocortin-derived (opioid) peptides secreted by the Leydig cells. There
      are some indications of increases in LH and testosterone during acute stress and,
      in dominant male animals, during the stress of social conflict. The latter
      finding indicates a difference in stress response between dominant and
      subordinate males. In subordinate males, decreased feedback sensitivity may allow
      hypersecretion throughout the HPA system. As a result, corticotrophin releasing
      hormone may induce the release of EOP from the hypothalamus, which inhibit the
      HPT axis. This inhibition may be enhanced by a corticosteroid-induced decrease in
      testosterone feedback.

PMID- 1882490
TI  - Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-O:1 isolated from a goat in The Netherlands.
AB  - A case of enterotoxicosis in a goat at necropsy is described. The animal had died
      without clinical signs. Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-O:1 was isolated from the
      intestines. This species has not been reported earlier from healthy or diseased
      farm animals, such as goats, in the Netherlands.

PMID- 1882491
TI  - Prevalence of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo antibodies in milk in Belgian
      dairy herds.
AB  - Pooled milk samples were collected from 2000 Belgian dairy herds in the autumn of
      1989. Antibodies against Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo were detected in
      9.2% of the herds, with the incidence being higher in the southern part of the
      country.

PMID- 1882492
TI  - Dysphagia in Bouviers associated with muscular dystrophy; evaluation of 24 cases.
AB  - Twenty-four Bouviers with dysphagia were examined between October 1986 and
      October 1988. The type of dysphagia was characterised by the results from the
      clinical examination, the videofluorographic examination and the
      electromyographic recordings from the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal muscles.
      Electromyography indicated neurogenic as well as myogenic causes of dysphagia.
      Tissues from 10 dogs were available for histopathologic examination. In nine dogs
      there was a progressive muscular degeneration of the pharyngeal and/or esophageal
      muscles, resembling muscular dystrophy. In two of these dogs the same
      abnormalities were also noticed in the masseter and temporalis muscles and in the
      intrinsic laryngeal muscles. In one dog small areas with hyalin degeneration and
      fragmentation of muscle fibres were found in the cricopharyngeal muscle. No
      abnormalities in nerve tissue were found. Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary
      disease. The mode of transmission in these Bouviers is not yet known.

PMID- 1882493
TI  - Predictability of post mortem abnormalities in shipments of slaughter pigs as an
      aid for meat inspection.
AB  - This paper reports on the predictability of post mortem abnormalities in
      individual deliveries of pigs, shipped from the fattening herd to the
      slaughterhouse. The percentage of pigs in a delivery having post mortem
      abnormalities was expressed in a Meat Inspection Index. This index is based on
      data about relevant abnormalities, weighted on the specific significance of each
      for meat inspection. It was investigated whether Meat Inspection Indices of
      previous deliveries of pigs could be used for prediction of indices of future
      deliveries. Results suggest that the Meat Inspection Index cannot be used in such
      a predictive capacity, partly because of great variation among individual
      shipments. However, a Meat Inspection Index could play a role in signalling farms
      that are likely to deliver pigs with a higher level of abnormalities. More
      attention could then be paid to animals coming from these herds.

PMID- 1882494
TI  - Pharmacokinetics of sulphadimidine in carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and rainbow trout
      (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) acclimated at two different temperature levels.
AB  - The influence of temperature (10 degrees C and 20 degrees C) on pharmacokinetics
      and metabolism of sulphadimidine (SDM) in carp and trout was studied. At 20
      degrees C a significantly lower level of distribution (Vdarea) and a
      significantly shorter elimination half-life (T(1/2)beta) was achieved in both
      species compared to the 10 degrees C level. In carp the body clearance parameter
      (ClB(SDM)) was significantly higher at 20 degrees C compared to the value at 10
      degrees C, whereas for trout this parameter was in the same order of magnitude
      for both temperatures. N4-acetylsulphadimidine (N4-SDM) was the main metabolite
      of SDM in both species at the two temperature levels. The relative N4-SDM plasma
      percentage in carp was significantly higher at 20 degrees C than at 10 degrees C,
      whereas there was in trout no significant difference. In neither species was the
      peak plasma concentration of N4-SDM (Cmax(N4-SDM)) significantly different at two
      temperatures. The corresponding peak time of this metabolite (Tmax(N4-SDM)) was
      significantly shorter at 20 degrees C compared to 10 degrees C in both carp and
      trout. In carp at both temperatures, acetylation occurs to a greater extent than
      hydroxylation. Only the 6-hydroxymethyl-metabolite (SCH2OH) was detected in carp,
      at a significant different level at the two temperatures. Concentrations of
      hydroxy metabolites in trout were at the detection level of the HPLC-method (0.02
      micrograms/ml). The glucuronide metabolite (SOH-gluc.) was not detected in either
      species at the two temperatures.

PMID- 1882495
TI  - The course of experimental Trypanosoma vivax infection in Uda sheep.
AB  - The course of experimental Trypanosoma vivax infection in eight Uda rams was
      studied. All the infected animals became parasitaemic 2 days post-inoculation and
      remained so throughout the study period. A three-phase disease pattern was
      recognized, i.e. acute, subacute and chronic stages lasting 17-85 days. The
      disease was characterized by fever and a terminal decrease in rectal temperature
      despite an increase in parasitaemia with time for rams with acute and subacute
      infections. Mean weight loss was most marked in subacute followed by chronic
      cases. Gross pathological changes observed in some infected rams with subacute
      and chronic trypanosomosis were oedema of the face and lower jaw,
      hydropericardium and atrophy of the pericardial fat. Petechial haemorrhages were
      observed on the surfaces of the heart and kidney of rams with acute infection.
      Anaemia was most severe in infected rams with acute disease, followed by those
      with subacute infections. Also, hypoproteinaemia was observed in all infected
      rams. Severe clinical findings associated with the death of all the infected rams
      during this study might indicate that the Uda breed of sheep in very susceptible
      to trypanosomosis. It is, therefore, recommended that this breed of sheep, which
      is strictly bred and reared in tsetse-free Sahel savannah, should not be
      introduced into endemic areas devoid of therapeutic cover and strict tsetse fly
      control.

PMID- 1882496
TI  - Warble development by the rodent bot Cuterebra fontinella (Diptera: Cuterebridae)
      in the deer mouse.
AB  - Warbles induced by the rodent bot fly larvae, Cuterebra fontinella, developed
      over a period of 3.5-4 weeks in the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus. Warble
      location, structure and dynamics were examined. Clustering of warbles occurred
      primarily within the inguinal region of the deer mouse with a significant number
      favoring the area between the anus and genital organ. No differences in warble
      production were found in hosts of either sex. On two occasions, a warble was
      encountered forming directly in the genitals. Warble structure consisted of a
      pore, cavity and capsule, all of which changed in shape and size as the larvae
      grew. A new pore was formed during the first larval molt and was commonly
      bordered by a yellowish precipitate. A bi-layered warble capsule surrounded the
      cavity as a thin layer and a thick diffuse outer layer. The growing warble
      expanded into the subcutaneous tissue of the inguinal area and stretched the hide
      caudally. Subcutaneous tissue surrounding developing warbles became relegated to
      small areas, leaving only a thin muscle to separate the warble from the
      peritoneum. Widening of the pore at the time of larval emergence is described.
      Linear relationships are given describing warble growth and pore enlargement as a
      factor of time. The location of warbles and the morphology of the pore are
      discussed in relationship to larval protection. Damage to the host due to warble
      formation is also addressed.

PMID- 1882498
TI  - Resistance of restrained Bos taurus dairy bull calves to the bont tick Amblyomma
      hebraeum (Acarina: Ixodidae).
AB  - Three infestations of restrained Jersey and Friesland bull calves with adult
      Amblyomma hebraeum did not affect the rate of engorgement of female ticks and
      resulted in an insignificant decline in the mean engorgement weight of female
      ticks recovered from the Friesland group. Repeated infestations significantly
      affected the egg-laying capacity of engorged female ticks recovered from both
      groups of hosts. The Friesland calves manifested an enhanced resistance to the
      larvae and nymphs of Amblyomma hebraeum resulting in prolonged attachment, and a
      significant decline in engorgement rate of these instars compared with the Jersey
      group. Skin reaction tests using crude tick extracts yielded antigen-specific
      hypersensitivity reactions which were not related to resistance to A. hebraeum.
      Histological changes at the attachment site associated with tick rejection are
      discussed in relation to host resistance mechanisms.

PMID- 1882497
TI  - Acquired immunity to Toxocara canis infection in mice.
AB  - Acquired immunity develops against Toxocara canis infection in mice, and NIH mice
      are more immunoresponsive than CD1 mice. Twice infected NIH female mice showed
      27% reduction in the total larval recoveries compared with non-sensitized
      controls. Twice-infected NIH male, and CD1 (both sexes) mice showed a negligible
      reduction in the total recoveries, though a significant (P less than 0.05) number
      of larvae were retained in the liver compared with the non-sensitized controls.
      All twice-infected mice showed a significant reduction in the number of larvae
      recovered from the brain compared with once-infected mice. Vaccination using
      ultraviolet irradiated embryonated eggs gave the best protection against
      reinfection. Excretory/secretory antigen afforded less protection, whilst whole
      adult worm vaccine and whole L2 culture vaccine gave no protection. Vaccinated
      mice had a higher 'free:penetrating ratio' of larvae in their intestine than
      similarly challenged but non-vaccinated mice. When the ileum was examined
      histologically 9 h post-infection, an inflammatory reaction was seen around the
      penetrating larvae in the sensitized and vaccinated mice but not in untreated
      controls, suggesting a role played by the intestine in the resistance against T.
      canis infection in mice.

PMID- 1882499
TI  - Acaricidal activity of kupetaba, a ground mixture of natural products, against
      Rhipicephalus appendiculatus.
AB  - Eight substances were screened for the purpose of selecting a natural product as
      an acaricide for use within an integrated tick management system. One substance
      proved to be effective as an acaricide against all stages of Rhipicephalus
      appendiculatus and was named 'kupetaba'. It is a ground mixture of dried tobacco
      leaves (family Solanaceae) and a mineral called 'Magadi soda' which is mined
      around Lake Magadi in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. Investigation showed
      that kupetaba is commonly sold in local markets in East, West and Central Africa,
      where it is used for many purposes. The substance prevented the completion of all
      feeding phases of the tick, suppressed the oviposition capacity of the engorged
      ticks and drastically reduced the hatchability of the eggs. Larvae and nymphs
      were killed within 24 h of the application of the substance on calves' ears,
      while large numbers of adult ticks were also killed within 2-3 days of
      application during in vitro experiments. The suitability of the natural product
      as a local acaricide which resource-poor farmers in Africa can use to replace
      commercial acaricides within an integrated tick management system is discussed.

PMID- 1882500
TI  - Presence of bovine theileriosis in Saudi Arabia.

PMID- 1882501
TI  - Experimental Isospora suis infections in miniature swine.
AB  - Clinical responses to experimental Isospora suis infections were compared in
      Sinclair miniature pigs and cross-bred conventional pigs. Pre-patent periods,
      fecal consistencies, oocyst excretion dynamics, trends in surviving pig weights
      and lesions were similar in infected miniature and conventional pigs. The results
      indicate that the susceptibility of miniature pigs to I. suis is similar to that
      of conventional pigs. These findings should encourage their use as models for the
      study of neonatal coccidiosis.

PMID- 1882502
TI  - Helminths of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Bashkir ASSR.
AB  - Guinea fowl from different regions of Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist
      Republic (BASSR) were examined for helminths. Of the 547 fowl examined, 451
      (82.4%) harboured at least one species of helminth. A total of 56,772 helminths
      were collected and classified. Of this number seven were found to be trematodes,
      25 cestodes and 56,740 nematodes. Five species of helminths were identified.
      Amongst infected birds, trematodes were present in three (0.7%), cestodes in
      eight (1.8%) and nematodes in 451 (100%). Of all recorded helminths, the
      incidence of Heterakis gallinarum (Gmelin, 1790) was highest. Pre-patent periods
      for seven species of trematodes were observed in guinea fowl for the first time.

PMID- 1882503
TI  - Differences in sensitivity in haemagglutinin inhibition assays between
      A/equine/H3N8 viruses isolated in eggs and MDCK cells are linked to cleavage of
      the haemagglutinin molecule.
AB  - Two primary isolates of A/equine/H3N8 viruses were obtained in embryonated hens'
      eggs and in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Viruses isolated in MDCK
      cells were significantly more sensitive as antigens in haemagglutination
      inhibition (HI) tests. This sensitivity appeared to be primarily linked to the
      extent of cleavage of the haemagglutinin molecule.

PMID- 1882504
TI  - Isolation of exfoliative toxin from Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus and its
      exfoliative activity in the piglet.
AB  - Exfoliative toxin was isolated from the sterile cell-free filtrate of 24 h
      culture of Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus strain P-1. The partial
      purification of exfoliative toxin produced by S. hyicus (shET) was performed by
      precipitation with 50-80% saturated ammonium sulfate, gel filtration on a
      Sephadex G-75 column and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Partially
      purified shET (pp-shET) caused exfoliation in piglets at 8 to 12 h after
      intradermal or subcutaneous injection. However, heat-treated pp-shET did not
      cause exfoliation in piglets for up to 24 h after injection. On histopathological
      examination of the skin at 12 h after injection of pp-shET, an intraepidermal
      cleavage plane was shown between the stratum corneum and stratum granulosum and
      at the stratum granulosum.

PMID- 1882505
TI  - Antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin in sheep exposed to natural
      infection.
AB  - Specific antibody to Pseudomonas pseudomallei exotoxin was detected in sheep sera
      exposed to natural infection. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was
      used. Serum antitoxin was present in 49.3% of sera obtained from a flock of sheep
      naturally exposed to P. pseudomallei infection. Among these sera, 17.0% gave
      titers of 10,000. In contrast, serum antitoxin was present in only 6.0% of sera
      collected from sheep kept on a melioidosis-free farm. The ELISA reactivity of all
      positive sera could be completely absorbed with purified P. pseudomallei
      exotoxin. Similarly, preincubation of the exotoxin-coated wells with specific
      antiserum inhibited the ELISA reactivity of sheep sera. The results indicate that
      exotoxin is produced in vivo during infection by P. pseudomallei.

PMID- 1882507
TI  - Protection against murine potomac horse fever by an inactivated Ehrlichia
      risticii vaccine.
AB  - Ehrlichia risticii propagated in a murine macrophage cell line were freed from
      the host cell by hypotonic lysis of the infected cells. The cell-free ehrlichiae
      were inactivated with beta-propiolactone and combined or not combined with
      polymyxin-B. The vaccines were administered to mice with Quil-A (saponin) as an
      adjuvant twice at 2 to 3 week intervals and the mice were challenged with live E.
      risticii 2 to 3 weeks after the last vaccination. With or without the addition of
      polymyxin-B, the vaccine preparations protected mice from developing clinical
      signs and gross pathologic changes such as thymic atrophy, splenomegaly, and
      increase in whole intestinal weight. Mice vaccinated with or without polymyxin-B
      developed high titer IgG antibody against E. risticii before and after the
      challenge with live E. risticii. Spleen lymphocyte proliferative response assay
      at 11 days post challenge revealed that with polymyxin-B a higher lymphocyte
      proliferation occurred as compared with that of the mice which received polymyxin
      B-free vaccine. Spleen lymphocytes of the placebo (polymyxin-B and Quil-A)
      pretreated/challenged mice showed no proliferative activity. Western blot
      analysis revealed that vaccinated mice reacted mainly with 110, 57 and 33 kDa
      antigen bands before and after challenge. The placebo (polymyxin-B and Quil
      A)/challenged mice showed a very weak response to ehrlichial antigens at day 10
      to 11 post challenge. Comparison with inactivated Renografin-purified E. risticii
      or 0.25% SDS-insoluble fraction of E. risticii with the inactivated host cell
      free vaccine revealed no increased protection. These results indicate that
      inactivated host cell-free E. risticii can protect mice from murine Potomac horse
      fever. The presence of polymyxin-B appeared to be not harmful but rather
      beneficial for lymphocyte proliferation response upon challenge with live E.
      risticii.

PMID- 1882506
TI  - Immune responses in chickens against Salmonella typhimurium monitored with egg
      antibodies.
AB  - Three mature hens were immunized with an Aro- mutant of Salmonella typhimurium
      beginning with a subcutaneous dose in adjuvant followed by two oral boosters.
      Isotype-specific antibodies were measured in the white and yolk eggs collected
      weekly over a period of 230 days. Two hens showed a memory response to the first
      oral booster, with large increases in egg yolk IgG and smaller increases in IgA
      and IgM antibodies in egg whites. Smaller amounts of IgA and IgM antibodies were
      found in egg yolks, and a slight increase in IgG occurred in the whites. One hen
      showed an increase in serum titers of all isotypes against S. typhimurium. The
      second hen had high serum titers before immunization was started which did not
      change. The third hen had a high level of IgM in the white of eggs before
      immunization was started. This hen showed erratic responses in egg white
      antibodies following immunization, no increase in IgA or IgM in yolks and only a
      slight increase in IgG, no increase in serum IgG, and was the only hen with a
      high level of IgM antibody against S. typhimurium in the bile, conditions
      reflecting a state of oral tolerance. With the exception of this hen, the results
      showed that IgA and IgM antibodies were aroused in hens by immunization with an
      avirulent mutant of S. typhimurium, and that these antibodies were present in the
      white of eggs from immunized hens.

PMID- 1882508
TI  - Enhanced virulence of Staphylococcus aureus from bovine mastitis induced by
      growth in milk whey.
AB  - The virulence towards mice of Staphylococcus aureus strains from bovine mastitis
      was enhanced upon growth in milk whey compared to homologous organisms grown in
      tryptic soy broth (TSB). In the mouse mastitis model, S. aureus grown in milk
      whey caused more severe lesions than homologous strains grown in TSB.
      Staphylococcus aureus strain F1440 grown in milk whey induced 75% mortality and
      local necrotic reaction in subcutaneously inoculated mice, whereas the homologous
      strain grown in TSB caused only 5% mortality and slight skin reaction.
      Extracellular capsule on milk whey-grown, S. aureus could not be demonstrated.
      However, diffuse type colony morphology could be correlated with an increased
      virulence of S. aureus towards mice.

PMID- 1882509
TI  - Absence of mouse-lethal toxins in Australian isolates of Bordetella avium.
AB  - A total of 18 Australian isolates of Bordetella avium and seven reference B.
      avium strains from Europe and the USA were tested for the presence of a mouse
      lethal toxin. Five of the seven reference strains of B. avium, but none of the 18
      Australian isolates, produced the toxin.

PMID- 1882510
TI  - Biochemical typing of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.
AB  - A study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of using biochemical
      differences among strains of a given serotype of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
      as epidemiological markers, to rapidly identify the source of infection in herds
      affected with swine pleuropneumonia. Out of 38 different biochemical and
      physiological tests performed on a total of 67 strains belonging to serotypes 1
      and 5 of A. pleuropneumoniae, three fermentation tests, glycerol, lactose and
      raffinose, allowed the classification of serotype 1 strains into 6 phenotypic
      groups and serotype 5 strains into 4 of these groups. Groups II and III were
      exclusively composed of serotype 1 strains, whereas the majority of strains in
      groups I and IV belonged to serotypes 1 and 5 respectively, the latter comprising
      almost all the serotype 5 studied.

PMID- 1882512
TI  - The effect of repeated abdominocentesis on peritoneal fluid constituents in the
      horse.

PMID- 1882511
TI  - The kinetics of inflammation and phagocytosis during bovine mastitis induced by
      Streptococcus agalactiae bearing the protein X.
AB  - The protein X of Streptococcus agalactiae is a surface antigen borne by a high
      proportion of strains isolated from bovine mastitis. We have tested the capacity
      of two strains of X-bearing Streptococcus agalactiae to induce mastitis in dairy
      cows. The reference X-strain (411.07) produced an intramammary infection with
      local clinical signs in the three inoculated quarters. Another X-bearing strain
      (443.31) of bovine origin produced infection in all 11 quarters inoculated with
      only 25 or 85 colony-forming units. In naive cows, strain 433.31 induced less
      exudation of plasma into the milk, shedding of bacteria, macroscopic alteration,
      and a lower somatic cell count (SCC) than did the reference strain. Only one
      quarter spontaneously eliminated the infection before antibiotic treatment 9 days
      after inoculation. The serum of all the cows contained naturally acquired or
      induced antibodies to the challenge strain (443.31) and possessed opsonic
      activity. Before inflammation occurred, the milk was almost devoid of antibody or
      opsonic activities. The early phase of infection was characterized by rapid
      multiplication of streptococci in the milk, followed by a sharp drop in bacterial
      counts concomitant with the onset of inflammation. Three cows immunized with
      protein X displayed higher SCC and bactericidal activity in milk from the
      inoculated quarter at the onset of inflammation than non-immunized cows. Two of
      the three immunized cows underwent an early and transient febrile episode and
      eliminated the infection.

PMID- 1882513
TI  - The effects of stressful exercise on leukocytes in cattle with experimental
      pneumonic pasteurellosis.
AB  - Seven yearling bulls were treated with stressful exercise and intrabronchial
      Pasteurella haemolytica A1. Group 1 bulls (nos. 1-4) underwent treadmill exercise
      and, 24 days later, intrabronchial instillation of P. haemolytica A1. Group 2
      bulls (nos. 5-7) underwent treadmill exercise, followed 30 min later by
      intrabronchial P. haemolytica A1. Blood lactic acid values were raised (p less
      than 0.05) by treadmill exercise only, but plasma cortisol was raised (p less
      than 0.05) by treadmill exercise and by P. haemolytica A1 infection. Neutrophils
      in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) differed from control values 24 h after treadmill
      exercise, and 1 h and 4 h after P. haemolytica A1 infection. Respiratory disease
      was more severe and the gross lung lesions were larger in group 2 bulls than in
      group 1 bulls. P. haemolytica A1 was recovered from the livers, spleens and
      mesenteric lymph nodes of group 2 but not group 1 bulls, suggesting that group 2
      bulls had experienced bacteraemia. Decreased neutrophils in BAL fluid from group
      2 bulls at 1 h and 4 h after infection suggests that exercise transiently
      inhibited neutrophil egress from the blood to the alveoli; BAL neutrophils peaked
      at 1 h and 4 h after infection in group 1 bulls but declined at 24 h. We conclude
      that group 2 bulls were made more susceptible to experimental pneumonic
      pasteurellosis by stressful exercise.

PMID- 1882514
TI  - An ultrastructural study on the pancreatic islet B cells in diabetic herbivorous
      voles.
AB  - An ultrastructural study was performed on the pancreatic islet cells of normal
      herbivorous voles and of voles in which diet-induced diabetes had been induced by
      feeding a low-fibre, high-concentrate diet. Examination of the pancreatic islet
      cells revealed degranulation and a well-developed Golgi apparatus and rough
      endoplasmic reticulum in the B cells of the slightly diabetic voles showing
      moderate hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia, and markedly degenerative B cells
      with almost complete absence of secretory granules in the severely diabetic voles
      showing marked hyperglycaemia and hypoinsulinaemia. These results indicate that
      the pancreatic B cells had become hyperfunctional so that insulin secretion was
      increased in the slightly diabetic voles; thereafter the B cells degenerated
      rapidly and the voles fell into insulin deficiency.

PMID- 1882516
TI  - Endotoxin in the conscious piglet: its effects on some general and
      gastrointestinal myoelectrical parameters.
AB  - The effect of an intravenous bolus injection of endotoxin, 0.1, 1 or 10
      micrograms/kg, on rectal temperature, clinical appearance, haematological
      parameters, and on gastrointestinal electrical activity was examined in 11
      conscious piglets of 4-5 weeks of age, with implanted electrodes in the antrum
      pylori, duodenum, jejunum and ileum. All doses resulted in a significant and dose
      dependent increase in rectal temperature, in pronounced clinical signs and in
      distinct changes in haematological values. These included shivering, depression,
      respiratory distress, a leukopenia (0.1 micrograms/kg) or a leukocytosis (1
      microgram/kg) with a shift to the left, an accelerated sedimentation rate and a
      decreased packed cell volume. Doses of 1 and 10 micrograms/kg induced a transient
      inhibition of gastroduodenal electrical activity. These results suggest that, in
      the piglet, endotoxin primarily manifests general clinical signs and that the
      gastrointestinal effects coincide with these.

PMID- 1882517
TI  - [The selection of cold-adapted variants of the influenza viruses H1N1 and H3N2
      and their antigenic and genetic characteristics].
AB  - As a result of serial passages (42 passages) at low temperatures (26 degrees--28
      degrees C) of two influenza H1N1 and H3N2 virus strains stable cold-adapted (ca)
      variants were produced. Investigations of them showed the ca A/USSR/03/84 (H1N1)
      variant to have ts-mutations in genes 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 and the ca
      A/USSR/215/79 (H3N2) to have ts-mutations in genes 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8. These ca
      variants may be recommended as attenuation donors to be used in recombination
      experiments with epidemic influenza viruses in order to obtain attenuated
      reassortant candidate vaccine strains.

PMID- 1882518
TI  - [The acceleration of experimental influenza B infection under the influence of
      gangliosides].
AB  - The influence of mono-, di-, and trisialogangliosides on the dynamics of
      influenza B virus reproduction in human embryo fibroblast (HEF) cell culture and
      human diploid cells was established. The cells were treated with neuraminidase of
      non-cholera vibrio for removal of natural receptors followed by treatment with
      gangliosides. Virus reproduction was assessed by infectious titres for chick
      embryos and HA test of the culture fluid at certain intervals. Gangliosides
      restored influenza virus reception and enhanced the infectious process as
      compared with the controls. Treatment with gangliosides of HEF culture of low
      sensitivity increased its susceptibility to virus markedly.

PMID- 1882515
TI  - A review of the pathophysiology of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the
      equine athlete.
AB  - In the United States, more than 75% of equine athletes are reported to suffer
      from exercise-related haemorrhage of the respiratory tract (Voynick and Sweeney,
      1986; Sweeney et al., 1990). Fiberoptic endoscopy has traced the source of blood
      to beyond the bifurcation of the trachea. In 1981, the term exercise-induced
      pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) was introduced (Pascoe et al., 1981). Racehorses of
      all breeds, polo ponies and three-day event horses of mixed heritage, even
      foxhunters, may 'bleed' (Voynick and Sweeney, 1986; Pascoe et al., 1981; Sweeney
      and Soma, 1983; Hillidge, 1986). Any horse working at speeds greater than 240
      m/min is at risk (Voynick and Sweeney, 1986). The impact of exercise-induced
      pulmonary haemorrhage is difficult to assess. Most attempts to demonstrate
      statistically a negative correlation between EIPH and performance have been
      unrewarding, largely due to the number of uncontrollable variables (Pascoe et
      al., 1981; Raphel and Soma, 1982). In racing thoroughbreds (Mason et al., 1983)
      and standard breeds (MacNamara et al., 1990) approximately half as many EIPH
      positive as EIPH-negative horses were placed in their races. Based on extensive
      intrapulmonary haemorrhage, a 3-year prospective study of sudden deaths in
      exercising thoroughbreds concluded that 9 out of 11 deaths were attributable to
      EIPH (Gunson et al., 1988). By correlation of clinical signs, thoracic
      radiographs, ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy, gross and subgross pathology and
      histopathology in 26 affected thoroughbreds, EIPH has been associated with
      chronic small airway inflammation, proliferation of subpleural, peribronchial and
      septal bronchial arterioles, interstitial connective tissue fibrosis and alveolar
      septal disruption in the dorsocaudal lung lobes (O'Callaghan et al., 1987). From
      this work it was proposed that the initial insult of EIPH started as focal,
      dorsocaudal pulmonary peribronchial inflammation which resulted in bronchial
      arterial neovascularization. Haemorrhage then occurred when, during exercise,
      bronchial blood pressure increased in fragile capillary buds. The incidence of
      bronchitis/bronchiolitis, regardless of aetiology, has been estimated to be 30%
      in non-racing equine athletes and close to 100% in one group of racing
      thoroughbreds (Sweeney et al., 1989). Histological study of lungs from horses
      with mild, moderate and severe chronic small airway disease consistently revealed
      a greater density of lesions in the diaphragmatic lobes (Winder and von
      Fellenberg, 1988). To understand further the aetiology and/or pathophysiology of
      EIPH, we will first explore some aspects of general mammalian and specific equine
      pulmonary and bronchial vascular anatomy and physiology. Exercise-related changes
      in these systems in normal and EIPH-positive horses will be briefly
      reviewed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1882519
TI  - [The expression of a fragment of the HIV-1 env gene in the cells of Escherichia
      coli bacteria].
AB  - A recombinant plasmid pEK6 determining the synthesis of a hybrid protein the N
      terminus of which was represented by full-size beta-galactosidase and C-terminus
      by HIV-1 gene env virus-specific sequence was constructed. The analysis of
      lysates of E. coli HB101/pEK6 bacteria in 6% PAAGE revealed additional proteins
      with molecular weights from 185 to 130 kDa. These proteins interacted with blood
      serum antibodies of a virus carrier but formed no specific bands with sera from
      normal donors. Densitometric analysis of polyacrylamide gels stained with
      Coomassi R250 demonstrated that the level of production of recombinant protein
      was at least 15% of the total cell protein. Hybrid polypeptides formed poorly
      soluble inclusion bodies in the bacterial cells. Study of the immunological
      properties of the recombinant polypeptides showed that immunization of rabbits
      with these proteins induced antibodies specifically reacting with viral
      polypeptides with molecular weights of about 82 and 140 kDa. Such features as a
      high level of synthesis, technologically feasible purification of inclusion
      bodies, and adequate antigenic properties recommend this preparation for use in
      the development of diagnostic test systems.

PMID- 1882520
TI  - [The isolation and characteristics of continuous virus-producing lymphoid
      suspension cultures of African green monkey cells].
AB  - Five continuous lymphoid suspension cell cultures were established by cultivation
      of lymphocytes from African green monkeys. The immunological typing revealed the
      mixed pattern of cultures consisting of B and T cell types. Two types of viruses:
      herpesvirus and retrovirus C-type were demonstrated by electron microscopy.
      Indirect immunofluorescence and molecular hybridization studies showed one of the
      viruses to be an EBV-related herpesvirus of green monkeys designated HVGM and the
      other to belong to H (S) TLV-1 group.

PMID- 1882521
TI  - [The membranotropic and neurotropic properties of remantadine and deitiforin in
      experimental models].
AB  - The specific neurotropic action of rimantadine was demonstrated in mollusk neuron
      experiments. No specific neurotropic activity of dejtiphorin was found. In
      combined application, the latter blocked the neurotropic effect of rimantadine.
      In experiments in white mice and rats, high doses of both drugs decreased the
      emotional and motor activity of the animals. After the use of the combination of
      the two drugs the activity of the animals did not differ significantly from that
      in the controls. The antiviral effect of each drug alone and of combination
      thereof was similar.

PMID- 1882522
TI  - [The isolation and characteristics of reassortants between the Lassa and Mopeia
      arenaviruses].
AB  - Reassortants with a mixed phenotype were produced by combined inoculation of Vero
      cells with Lassa and Mopeya viruses. These reassortants produced small plaques
      (Mopeya virus phenotype) and were not pathogenic for newborn mice (Lassa virus
      phenotype). The genotype of the reassortants was studied by dot hybridization
      experiments on filters using cDNA-probes differentiating genome segments of these
      viruses. The reassortants were shown to have Mopeya virus L-RNA and Lassa virus S
      RNA.

PMID- 1882523
TI  - [Experimental Lassa fever in hamadryas baboons].
AB  - Intramuscular or aerogenic inoculation of baboons with Lassa virus reproduced a
      severe form of the disease which clinically, pathoanatomically and virologically
      resembles the severe form of human Lassa fever reported in the literature. The
      severity of monkey infection is demonstrated by rapid development of symptoms of
      general toxicity in the presence of fever, manifestations of hemorrhagic
      diathesis, high level of viremia and isolation of the causative agent from
      nasopharyngeal washings.

PMID- 1882525
TI  - [The use of the immunofluorescence method for the rapid diagnosis of influenza
      during 1968-1988 in Bulgaria].

PMID- 1882524
TI  - [The action of UV irradiation on the reproduction of the influenza A virus and on
      virion RNA-polymerase activity].

PMID- 1882526
TI  - [HTLV-I-associated hemoblastoses in different regions of the USSR].

PMID- 1882527
TI  - [The differential etiological diagnosis of viral intestinal infection in newborn
      infants with a diarrheic syndrome].

PMID- 1882528
TI  - [The experimental evaluation of the toxicity of virazole and ribamidil in vivo].

PMID- 1882529
TI  - [The standardization of a method for determining virus-neutralizing antibodies to
      arboviruses].

PMID- 1882530
TI  - [The problem of selecting a taxonomic rank in classifying viruses].

PMID- 1882531
TI  - [The polymerase chain reaction].

PMID- 1882533
TI  - [Disorders of the immune status in patients with acute diffuse peritonitis].
AB  - Analysis of various parameters of the immune system and non-specific resistance
      in patients with acute generalized peritonitis (AGP) has indicated that in AGP
      there is immunodeficiency involving all the links of immune defense and non
      specific resistance. The T-cell immunity, primarily T helpers, is afflicted in
      AGP to the greatest extent. A magnitude of decreases in T helper counts may be
      used as a prognostic indicator in AGP. The severity of immune defense
      abnormalities correlates with the duration and intensity of intoxication, there
      is a "paralysis" of this defense in the terminal stage of AGP.

PMID- 1882532
TI  - [Mutations in the genes coding for hemagglutinin and neuraminidase in cold
      adapted variants of the influenza virus A/Leningrad/134/57 (H2N2)].
AB  - An analysis of ts-mutations in the genomes of native and cold-adapted variants of
      influenza A/Leningrad/134/57 (H2N2) virus based on the use of fowl plague virus
      ts mutants was carried out. The recombination test was done by the conventional
      method in chick embryo fibroblast culture (genes PB2, PB1, PA, NP, NA, M and NS)
      or cell systems permissive for reproduction of human influenza virus (gene HA).
      The cold-adapted strain A/Len/17 used for preparation of live influenza vaccine
      (LIV) for adults was shown to have 4 ts mutations: three in "internal" genes
      (PB2, NP, and M) and one in gene 4 coding for hemagglutinin (HA). The more
      attenuated cold-adapted donor A/Len/47 for preparation of similar LIV for
      children acquired three additional ts mutations: two (PB1 and NS) in "internal"
      genes and one in gene 6 coding for neuraminidase (NA). The accumulation of ts
      mutations in the genome of cold-adapter strains was found to be accompanied by a
      decrease in their pneumotropicity for mice as well as their detectability in
      different organs of these animals.

PMID- 1882534
TI  - [Ultraviolet irradiation of the blood in the treatment of pyo-inflammatory
      complications in patients with terminal renal failure].
AB  - The authors describe a technique of extracorporeal UV radiation of blood (EUVRB)
      in flow closed circulation. Its efficacy was assessed in combined treatment of
      pyo-inflammatory complications of terminal renal failure. Therapeutic effects of
      EUVRB are due to reduced endogenic intoxication, correction of leukopoiesis and
      stimulation of immunity. The changes in laboratory findings correlated with
      clinical pattern of the inflammation. EUVRB produced a favourable response and
      improved therapeutic results of pyo-inflammation treatment in patients with
      terminal renal failure.

PMID- 1882535
TI  - [The prevention of suppuration of postoperative wounds].
AB  - A method to prevent operative wound suppuration is offered. An experimental
      animal model of operative wound suppuration was elaborated to specify rational
      antibiotic-antiseptic prophylaxis and adequate wound drainage. This yielded a
      complex of measures to prevent purulent complications on the part of the
      operative wound. In addition, an original turbidimetric technique to assess the
      resistance of the biological fluid microflora to antisepsis was elaborated. The
      complex prophylaxis against suppuration of infected wounds was clinically tested
      on 124 patients operated on for different acute surgical conditions of abdominal
      organs. The wound process was controlled by means of an original endoscopic
      bacteriologic technique. The postoperative period was complicated by the wound
      suppuration in two of the 124 patients (1.6 per cent). The postoperative hospital
      stay in most cases lasted 5-7 days.

PMID- 1882536
TI  - [Primary pulmonary hypertension].
AB  - Primary pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease of an unknown etiology
      which attacks mainly young people. Metabolic disturbances of biologically active
      substances produced in the endotheliocytes of pulmonary vessels play the leading
      role in pathogenesis of the disease. They result in structural changes of the
      vessels wall. In spite of the variety of the morphologic changes the clinical
      picture of the disease is generally common. A great variety of invasive and
      noninvasive investigations is necessary for verification of the diagnosis.
      Chemotherapy fails to stop the disease progress, though the main parameters of
      central hemodynamics are improved under the influence of vasodilators. Foreign
      investigators believe heart-lung transplantation to be radical treatment of
      patients suffering from primary pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 1882537
TI  - [The treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension using extracorporeal therapy
      methods].
AB  - Extracorporeal techniques (hemosorption, plasmapheresis,
      thrombocytoplasmapheresis, quantum hemotherapy) were studied for their impact on
      the clinical course of a disease and some hemostatic parameters in 370 patients
      with cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, hypertensive disease, lower
      extremity at atherosclerosis obliterans). They were found to be effective in
      managing patients with atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension who are
      refractory to the conventional drug therapy. When there was a positive clinical
      action of therapy, the patients with coronary heart disease were demonstrated to
      show better parameters of lipid metabolism, immunological status and blood
      aggregation control system. The hypotensive effect of plasmapheresis in patients
      with arterial hypertension was followed by a decrease in pressor hormone levels
      and peripheral vasodilatation.

PMID- 1882538
TI  - [Phosphocreatine, tocopheryl phosphate and their combination in acute ischemia
      and myocardial reperfusion in dogs: the effect on rhythm disorders, left
      ventricle contractility and infarct size].
AB  - The effects of phosphocreatine and tocopheryl phosphate and their combined use in
      ischemia and reperfusion of the heart were studied in anesthetized dogs. The
      investigation focused on the size of myocardial infarction and left ventricular
      contractility, ischemic and reperfusion arrhythmias were assessed using Holter
      monitoring. Phosphocreatine was found to reduce the number of arrhythmias and to
      prevent the fatal outcomes in myocardial ischemia animals but not to influence
      the reperfusion rhythm disturbances. Combined administration of tocopheryl
      phosphate and phosphocreatine, in contrast to their isolated use, completely
      prevented the development of ventricular fibrillations and fatal outcomes in the
      animals with reconstructed coronary flow. Administration of phosphocreatine
      restricted the infarction size, combined use of the drugs facilitated its further
      reduction, while the group with isolated administration of tocopheryl phosphate
      showed the infarction size to differ insignificantly from the control values.
      Combined administration of the drugs, unlike their use alone, improved left
      ventricular contractility in reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. The
      cardioprotective effect observed in combined administration of the drugs was
      attended with depressed lipid peroxidation in reperfused myocardium.

PMID- 1882539
TI  - [An emulsion of fluorocarbons as a protective agent against myocardial ischemia].
AB  - Acute myocardial ischemia was induced by reducing the lumen of the anterior
      descending branch of the left coronary artery in 32 mongrel dogs. Following 60
      min of ischemia, 16 animals were infused perfluorine carbon emulsion (10 ml/kg)
      and 16 were given saline. Alteration in hemodynamics, myocardial contractility,
      coronary blood flow, as well as pH and pO2 in the ischemic area were examined.
      The analysis of the results showed that carbon tetrafluoride emulsion, in
      contrast to saline, substantially increased coronary blood flow and oxygen supply
      in the ischemic area decreased myocardial ischemic and reperfusion lesion,
      improved hemodynamic parameters and myocardial contractility.

PMID- 1882540
TI  - [The transport of monovalent ions and calcium in the erythrocytes of patients
      with bronchial asthma].
AB  - The intracellular levels of sodium, potassium, and free calcium, as well as red
      blood cell transport of 86Rb (a radioactive potassium analogue) and 45Ca were
      measured in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). The intracellular content of
      sodium was 10-20% higher in patients with BA, though the differences in the
      present sample (7 controls and 18 BA patients) failed to be significant (p less
      than 0.05). The differences were most pronounced in infection-dependent BA and
      not eliminated during glucocorticoid hormone therapy. The activity of the Na+, K+
      pump, as assessed by the values of an ouabain-inhibited component of 86Rb entry,
      was increased by 10-20% (p less than 0.05) in BA patients and of Na+, K+
      cotransport (an ouabain-sensitive furosemide-inhibited component of 86Rb entry),
      by 35-45% (p less than 0.25). The passive red blood cell membrane permeability in
      BA patients (an ouabain + furosemide-insensitive component of 86Rb) remained
      unchanged. The quin-2-loaded red blood cell entry rate for 45Ca was decreased by
      5-10%. In the absence of a Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor (0.5 mM orthovanadate), these
      differences were greatly significant (p less than 0.005). In addition, the
      patients with BA showed a 10% reduction in free calcium levels; however, the
      differences were insignificant (p less than 0.25), which might be caused by Ca
      pump activation. As in the experiments with Na+ level measurements, the greatest
      differences in red blood cell Ca(2+)-balance control were recorded in patients
      with infection-dependent BA and independent of glucocorticoid hormone therapy.
      Possible mechanisms of involvement of the changes found in monovalent cation and
      Ca2+ transport in the pathogenesis of BA were also discussed.

PMID- 1882541
TI  - [Clinical immunodiagnosis].
AB  - The paper represents a clinical interpretation of results obtained from
      immunological investigations, shows a differential reaction of the immune system
      to exo- and endogenous exposures, defines immunological parameters suitable for
      assessing health and for characterizing the environment, provides a
      clinicoimmunological reaction of white blood cells, establishes the mechanism of
      action of the factors of petrochemical enterprises on the immune system.

PMID- 1882542
TI  - [Pathogenetic principles of the diagnosis of chronic inflammation].
AB  - The main attention in diagnosis of chronic exudative-destructive inflammation
      resulting from tissue injury should be focused on responsiveness and functional
      reserves of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) from blood and lesion, the key
      effectors of inflammatory reaction. The ability of phagocytes to migrate into the
      lesion site and generate phlogogenic substances is to be analysed. Basing on the
      initial state of PML system and its functional limits one can predict the
      effectiveness of the treatment with antiinflammatory drugs and immunostimulators.
      In the diagnosis of mononuclear infiltrative inflammation the reliable assessment
      of macrophage responsiveness and their relations with lymphoid cells is of great
      importance.

PMID- 1882543
TI  - [The innovative process in public health institutions as mirrored by public
      opinion].
AB  - Problems related to innovations in the health care system and the susceptibility
      of medico-prophylactic institutions to advanced methodologies are discussed.
      Analysis of questionnaires has revealed the absence of a well-organized work for
      the introduction of innovations in the medical collectives, and a low interest in
      their introduction and exploration on the part of physicians and their
      authorities. The innovative activity is high enough in regional health units, but
      in those dealing with mass-scale medical care, rural in particular, introduction
      of new methodologies is much slower. At the same time, collectives of medical
      workers show their potential readiness to accept and explore the new advanced
      methodologies, which has not been realized due to the poor economic basis, low
      organizational level, and deficient resources. Ways to improve the process of
      introduction of innovative methodologies into clinical practice are offered for
      discussion.

PMID- 1882544
TI  - [Immobilized antibodies in the extracorporeal detoxification of the body].

PMID- 1882545
TI  - [Pathophysiology as a modern integrative biomedical science].

PMID- 1882547
TI  - Increased endocytosis in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae fragile mutant VY1160.
AB  - The VY1160 mutant is characterized by cell lysis in hypotonic solutions and
      generally increased permeability to substances for which Saccharomyces cerevisiae
      cells are not permeable. Two mutations, srb1 and ts1, have been identified in
      VY1160 mutant, and previous studies (Kozhina et al., 1979) have shown srb1 to be
      responsible for cell lysis. We now present evidence that the ts1 mutation leads
      to increased endocytosis in VY1160 cells. The internalization of lucifer yellow
      carbohydrazide in VY1160 cells is time-, temperature- and energy-dependent and
      consistent with a fluid-phase mechanism of endocytosis. The rate of steady-state
      accumulation of the dye at 37 degrees C is 145 ng/micrograms DNA per h for VY1160
      mutant and 23 ng/micrograms DNA per h for S288C parental strain. Studies with
      isogenic strains having either the srb1 or the ts1 mutation, or SRB1 TS1 wild
      type alleles have shown that only ts1 strains possess increased endocytosis.
      Quantitation of endocytosis in cells grown at 24 degrees C and shifted at 38
      degrees C shows that ts1 strains, but not srb1 and wild-type strains, increase
      ten-fold the internalization of lucifer yellow 2 h after the shift at 38 degrees
      C. The analysis of ts1 x wild-type crosses provides evidence that the temperature
      sensitive phenotype segregates together with the enhanced endocytosis. It is
      concluded that the increased endocytosis might explain the generally increased
      permeability of VY1160 mutant cells.

PMID- 1882546
TI  - Biosynthesis and assembly of alcohol oxidase, a peroxisomal matrix protein in
      methylotrophic yeasts: a review.
AB  - Alcohol oxidase (AO) catalyses the first step of methanol metabolism in yeasts.
      In vivo the enzyme is compartmentalized in special cell compartments, called
      peroxisomes. The enzyme along with the organelles are induced during growth of
      methylotrophic yeasts on methanol as the sole carbon source. Like all other
      peroxisomal matrix proteins, AO is encoded by a nuclear gene. Expression of the
      protein is regulated by a repression/derepression mechanism, but also by
      induction. Inactive monomeric precursor protein is synthesized in the cytosol and
      subsequently imported post-translationally into peroxisomes without further
      processing. Assembly into the active homo-octameric enzyme and binding of the
      prosthetic group flavin adenine dinucleotide occurs inside the organelle. When
      enhanced concentration of octameric alcohol oxidase are present in the
      organelles, the enzyme may form a crystalloid. Oligomerization is not dependent
      on translocation of AO precursors into their target organelle since octameric,
      active AO is detected in the cytosol and nucleus of peroxisome-deficient mutants
      of Hansenula polymorpha: at high expression rates large cytosolic AO crystalloids
      are formed, which occasionally are also encountered inside the nucleus of such
      mutants. This paper summarizes recent findings and views on the mechanisms
      involved in synthesis, import, assembly and crystallization of this important
      peroxisomal enzyme.

PMID- 1882548
TI  - Calcium-dependent secretory vesicle-binding and lipid-binding proteins of
      Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cytosol was examined for the presence of calcium
      dependent membrane- or lipid-binding proteins that might play fundamental roles
      in membrane-associated phenomena in stimulated cells. A complex group of proteins
      was isolated from late log phase cultures of yeast strain YP3 on the basis of
      calcium-dependent association with yeast secretory vesicles isolated from the
      temperature-sensitive sec6-4 secretory mutant. The masses of the major proteins
      in this group were 32, 35, 47, 51, 55, 60 and 120 kDa. A similar group of
      proteins was isolated by calcium-dependent association with bovine brain lipids
      enriched in the predominant acidic phospholipids of the yeast secretory vesicles.
      The 47 kDa protein was highly purified when commercial yeast cake was used as the
      source of yeast cytosol. The 32 kDa and 60 kDa proteins were demonstrated to
      reassociate with lipids at calcium concentrations of 100 microM or higher, while
      no association was promoted by 2 mM-magnesium. The 47 kDa protein could be
      removed from lipids by reducing the calcium concentration to between 1 and 32
      microM. The sequences of peptides isolated from digests of several of these
      proteins indicate that they are novel proteins but are insufficient to judge the
      possible homology of these proteins with mammalian membrane-binding proteins. The
      sequence data may be adequate to permit isolation and modification of the
      corresponding genes in order to assess the possible function of this class of
      proteins in stimulated cells.

PMID- 1882549
TI  - Killer system of Kluyveromyces lactis: the open reading frame 10 of the pGK12
      plasmid encodes a putative DNA binding protein.
AB  - ORF 10 of the K2 plasmid from Kluyveromyces lactis encodes a small basic protein
      (22.3% lysine). The function of its product has been investigated. Western blot
      analysis, using an antibody against MS2 RNA polymerase/ORF 10 fusion protein,
      reveals a protein band with an apparent molecular weight of 14 kDa. The protein
      can bind a DNA-Sepharose column, and is eluted by 350 mM-salt.
      Immunoprecipitation experiments show that the ORF 10 protein coprecipitates with
      the linear genomic DNAs of the two killer plasmids (K1 and K2). From
      Western/Southern blot data, it is possible to conclude that the interaction
      between protein and DNA occurs directly, rather than via other protein(s). ORF 10
      is easily detected by Western blot and its transcript is one of the most abundant
      of the K2 plasmid, suggesting that this protein may have a structural rather than
      a regulatory function. This possibility is also suggested by the observed
      sequence homology between the ORF 10 protein and the family of histone-like
      proteins.

PMID- 1882550
TI  - Applications of high efficiency lithium acetate transformation of intact yeast
      cells using single-stranded nucleic acids as carrier.
AB  - The highly efficient yeast lithium acetate transformation protocol of Schiestl
      and Gietz (1989) was tested for its applicability to some of the most important
      needs of current yeast molecular biology. The method allows efficient cloning of
      genes by direct transformation of gene libraries into yeast. When a random gene
      pool ligation reaction was transformed into yeast, the LEU2, HIS3, URA3, TRP1 and
      ARG4 genes were found among the primary transformants at a frequency of
      approximately 0.1%. The RAD4 gene, which is toxic to Escherichia coli, was also
      identified among the primary transformants of a ligation library at a frequency
      of 0.18%. Non-selective transformation using this transformation protocol was
      shown to increase the frequency of gene disruption three-fold. Co-transformation
      showed that 30-40% of the transformation-competent cells take up more than one
      DNA molecule which can be used to enrich for integration and deletion events 30-
      to 60-fold. Co-transformation was used in the construction of simultaneous double
      gene disruptions as well as disrupting both copies of one gene in a diploid which
      occurred at 2-5% the frequency of the single event.

PMID- 1882551
TI  - CDC15, an essential cell cycle gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, encodes a
      protein kinase domain.
AB  - The cell division cycle gene CDC15 is essential for the late nuclear division in
      the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The amino acid sequence of the 974 amino
      acids/110 kDa CDC15 gene product, as deduced from the nucleotide sequence,
      includes an aminoterminal protein kinase domain which contains a primary sequence
      mosaic showing patterns specific for protein serine/threonine kinases besides
      those for protein tyrosine kinases. Many protein kinases non-essential for growth
      are known. CDC15 represents an essential protein kinase like CDC7 and CDC28. A
      carboxyterminal deletion of 32 amino acids renders the protein inactive.

PMID- 1882552
TI  - Physical, transcriptional and genetical mapping of a 24 kb DNA fragment located
      between the PMA1 and ATE1 loci on chromosome VII from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
AB  - A physical map of a contiguous DNA fragment of 60 kb, extending from the
      centromere to TRP5 on the left arm of the chromosome VII of Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae, strain IL125-2B, was established. Within a 31 kb region from PMA1
      towards TRP5, a total of 12 transcription products ranging from 0.6 to 3.6 kb
      were identified in cells grown exponentially on rich medium. Near 87% of the DNA
      investigated was transcribed and on average one transcript, of 2.3 kb average
      length, was detected every 2.7 kb of DNA. The physical and genetical distances
      between the markers CEN7, pma1, leu1, pdr1 and trp5 were compared. A
      recombination frequency of 1 cM corresponds to an average distance of 3.3 kb
      between alleles in this region of chromosome VII.

PMID- 1882553
TI  - The DNA sequencing of the 17 kb HindIII fragment spanning the LEU1 and ATE1 loci
      on chromosome VII from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals the PDR6 gene, a new
      member of the genetic network controlling pleiotropic drug resistance.

PMID- 1882554
TI  - The YGL021 gene encodes a putative membrane protein with a putative leucine
      zipper motif.

PMID- 1882556
TI  - [Hybrid prosthesis implant-supported superstructures in edentulous jaw. 1. Case
      planning].
AB  - Dental literature covers a wide range of implant-based denture supports. Based on
      static/dynamic as well as preventive periodontal considerations, rigidly
      anchoring the removable superconstruction of hybrid dentures using secondary
      splinting of four implants with telescope crowns or readymade cap-andpost
      systems, is generally appropriate in cases where the lower jaw is toothless. This
      makes possible an impeccable bridgeshaped design for the main part of the
      dentures, with wide-open inter-implant rincing areas. Clinical experience has
      shown that, in comparison to bridge dentures or rigid bridgework, secondary
      splinting in reconstructions greatly simplifies oral hygiene, particularly for
      elderly patients.

PMID- 1882557
TI  - [Gutta percha points--orientation aids in radiographic diagnosis].

PMID- 1882555
TI  - The YGL022 gene encodes a putative transport protein.

PMID- 1882558
TI  - [Conservation concerns in multiband treatment].
AB  - If (secondary) caries or amalgam fractures occur during fixed orthodontic
      treatment, the general dentist usually faces difficulties. Often temporary
      fillings are inadequate. Due to marginal leakage or break down they may
      jeopardize an orthodontic result. Step by step four cases of operative dentistry
      during fixed orthodontics are presented. A wait-and-see attitude or temporary
      measures for a longer period of time are definitely contraindicated.

PMID- 1882559
TI  - [Optimizing accuracy of Isosit IO composite restorations].
AB  - Using a modified technique for producing composite inlays from Isosit IO resin
      material resulted in an optimized accuracy of inlays primary fit. SEM evaluation
      of MOD composite resin inlays manufactured by this technique and inserted on
      extracted teeth showed that the mean thickness of the luting composite space
      measured less than 50 microns.

PMID- 1882560
TI  - [Determination of working length in endodontics. 1. Radiographic method].
AB  - Incomplete instrumentation and faulty obturation are the main reasons for
      endodontic failures. Exact determination of working length is one of the basic
      principles of a successful endodontic therapy. In this paper technique, benefits
      and problems of radiographic determination of endodontic working length are
      described.

PMID- 1882561
TI  - [Medications and Lyell syndrome].
AB  - Lyell's syndrome, also known as toxic epidermal necrolysis, is one of the most
      devastating generalized skin disorders with a high mortality rate. The clinical
      manifestations are similar to those seen with extensive second-degree burns.
      Since drugs are considered to be responsible agents frequently, the dentist
      treating his patients with antibiotics and analgetics should be aware of this
      possibility.

PMID- 1882563
TI  - [Pouring titanium in dental laboratory. Development of a procedure].

PMID- 1882562
TI  - [Titanium casting technique. Possibilities, problems, and hopes. Position report
      on pure titanium castings].

PMID- 1882564
TI  - [Hybrid prosthetic implant supported suprastructures in edentulous mandible.
      Conus crowns and shell-pin-systems on HA-Ti-implants. 2. Prosthetic construction
      principles].
AB  - Dental literature covers a wide range of implant-based denture supports. Based on
      static/dynamic as well as preventive periodontal considerations, rigidly
      anchoring the removable superconstruction of hybrid dentures using secondary
      splinting of four implants with telescope crowns or readymade cap-andpost
      systems, is generally appropriate in cases where the lower jaw is toothless. This
      makes possible an impeccable bridge-shaped design for the main part of the
      dentures, with wide-open inter-implant rincing areas. Clinical experience has
      shown that, in comparison to bridge dentures or rigid bridgework, secondary
      splinting in reconstructions greatly simplifies oral hygiene, particulary for
      elderly patients.

PMID- 1882565
TI  - [Temporomandibular joint diagnosis and therapy in complete denture wearers. Case
      demonstration of preprosthetic treatment].
AB  - A physiological relation between discuss and condyle in the temporar-mandibular
      joint and an individual vertical dimension are important for TMJ-function without
      derangement. The loss of teeth and so the loss of vertical dimension safed by
      natural way result to a high percentage in disturbance of the masticatory system.
      The aim for patients with full dentures is to realize a physiological reference
      position in the TM-Joint and to reinstall their individual vertical dimension.
      The systematic treatment should be shown by a case report.

PMID- 1882566
TI  - [Determination of working length in endodontics. 2. Endometric determination of
      canal length].
AB  - Electronic determination of endodontic working length has become very popular in
      the past few years. Nevertheles it has shown that the use of electronic apex
      locators cannot replace radiographic length determination, but can be a useful
      additional device in endodontics. Indication, benefits and limits of electronic
      length determination are described in this paper.

PMID- 1882567
TI  - [Study of traffic aptitude in relation to dental interventions].
AB  - Applying a video game the traffic aptitude of patients was investigated before
      and after dental surgical treatment and local anesthesia. Local anesthesia or
      operative removal of impacted third molars does not reduce the psychophysical
      performance important for driving a car if there is no influence of other
      factors. The consequences of the obtained results are discussed even under
      forensic aspects.

PMID- 1882568
TI  - [Fracture resistance of human premolar with regard to morphological factors].
AB  - 173 extracted human upper and lower premolars were tested for their fracture
      resistance with regard to the morphological factors proximal vertical fluting and
      occlusal abrasion. Upper and lower premolars revealed a comparable fracture
      strength. The proximal groove did not influence the fracture resistance. Markedly
      abraded teeth showed a higher fracture strength than premolars without or with
      only a moderate occlusal abrasion. But these differences were not significant
      statistically. In total the morphological factors, which were considered in this
      study, should not influence the fracture resistance.

PMID- 1882569
TI  - [Cutting and coagulating with high frequency currents: electrophysical effects of
      application of HF-surgery in dentistry].
AB  - In HF-surgery the patient is part of the electric circuit. Often the surrounding
      of the patient and the dental surgeon himself are included in the electric
      circuit, especially if no neutral electrode is used. In the patients mouth
      metallic elements such as amalgam, gold crowns and other parts of metallic
      restorations influence the flow of the electric high frequency current, used for
      cutting and coagulating. Due to this very complex situation, sure and quick
      cutting without hazards for the patient is only possible, if the dentist
      understands the electro-physical principles of HF-surgery.

PMID- 1882571
TI  - [Recommendations for training with dental HF surgery apparatus].
AB  - A training program for the application of dental electrosurgery is presented.
      Exercises on muscle tissue and pig jaws are suitable to get informations of the
      proper adjustment of the units as well as the treatment procedures. The necessity
      of proper handling is illustrated by the results of wrong manipulations. Better
      understanding of the facts during electrosurgery enables the dentist to avoid
      adverse effects in treating his patients.

PMID- 1882570
TI  - [Measurement of physical parameters in HF surgical techniques in dentistry].
AB  - A method for measuring electrical parameters in dental electrosurgery and new
      data on this surgical technique are presented. A computer-controlled system which
      measures voltage, current, phase, power and impedance with high temporal
      resolution was applied to dentistry. Statistical analysis of many operations on
      freshly butchered pig jaws was performed. The impedance of oral soft tissues is
      higher during cutting, the power required smaller than stated in the literature.
      The influence of frequency, power-output control, anatomical structures, and
      metallic restorations on dental electrosurgery is discussed in detail.

PMID- 1882572
TI  - [Clinical applications of HF-surgery].
AB  - The advantage of electrosurgery in minor dental surgery is demonstrated with
      regard to contraindications and especial precautions. In reports of case some
      indications are presented in combination with the treatment procedure.

PMID- 1882573
TI  - [HF surgery vs. laser surgery. Experimental study of use in periodontology].
AB  - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability of CO2 laser and two
      different electronically controlled electrosurgical units in periodontal surgery;
      both of the electrosurgical generators were recently designed for application in
      medicine. The study was performed on freshly butchered pig jaws. In addition to
      the management of the devices, the macroscopic and histologic effects of laser
      and high frequency energy on palatal gums, alveolar bone, tooth structures and
      filling materials were investigated. The handling of the electrosurgical units
      was efficient and smooth, the incisions showed accurate and reproducible results.
      In contrast to this the laser was uncomfortable to work with, additional safety
      arrangements were required and lesions in teeth and alveolar bone occurred
      easily. While the electronically controlled electrosurgical generators offer
      interesting aspects in some indications, CO2 laser seems to be unsuitable for
      periodontal surgery.

PMID- 1882574
TI  - [Medical apparatus legislation and dental HF surgery].

PMID- 1882575
TI  - [Metals and alloys--corrosion, toxicology, sensitivity reactions 1].
AB  - Alloys used in dentistry should not compromise the health of patients and of
      dental personal. All aspects of biocompatibility, such as corrosion, toxicity and
      allergic sensitization should be considered when base metal alloys or low gold
      alloys are used. In regard to health legislation, alloys should considered to be
      'drugs'. Hazardous alloys should not be recommended, if the primary concern is
      cost. However, there is no or only little evidence to show, that either of the
      alloy systems used would rise health risks, exempting the beryllium containing
      alloys. They should not be used any longer. Probably, dental technicians are
      endangered by beryllium more than patients are. Some of the Ni-Cr-alloys were
      shown to corrode. There is less evidence of allergic senzitization caused by
      nickelcontaining dental alloys, than suspected first.

PMID- 1882576
TI  - [Chemical degradation of 15 composites--an SEM study].
AB  - SEM-micrographs of 15 untreated composites that were laid in 96% ethanol were
      investigated. The surface of untreated samples show different fissures and
      cracks. Under the influence of alcohol the fissures become wider, the bond
      between fillers and unfilled resin enlarges, and the filling particles become
      prominent or fall out. Fine-grained hybrid composites with an unfilled resin
      densely compacted with microfillers, are least prone to degradation.

PMID- 1882577
TI  - [Study of properties of electrical root canal length measuring instruments].
AB  - Six electrical instruments for locating the apex during endodontic treatment were
      tested in a laboratory investigation about currency, frequency and scale. Further
      we looked, whether all instruments show coincidence in the apex point. There are
      great differences in currency, frequency and scale (apex point). The
      reproducibility and the precision of an apex locator--at the time--depends an
      many factors and thus indication seems to be very limited.

PMID- 1882578
TI  - [Actual facial points as indication for bonded bridges].
AB  - The results of recent long-term investigations show that the failure rates of
      adhesive bridges vary between 0% and 50%. Since only a few clinical and material
      effects--which in some cases are contradictory--on the success or failure could
      be definitively detected so far, establishment of the indication is of particular
      importance: Three-unit bridges have proved to have the best prognosis at present.
      There are no significant differences between the regions of the front and side
      teeth and between the upper and lower jaw. Abutments loosened to various degrees
      increase the risk as well as the parafunctional strain on abutments and the
      bridge. Caries and gingivitis is rarely observed in patients with adhesive
      bridges. This is due to the follow-up care practised in the studies and by no
      means obviates the need for regular checks of hygiene.

PMID- 1882579
TI  - [Survival rate analysis and clinical follow-up of tooth-colored restorations of
      CEREC].
AB  - A survival rate analysis of 426 CEREC restorations, made in a general dentistry
      practice, was carried out for a period of 3 years. 12 restorations were lost.
      Thus the Kaplan-Meier probability of survival decreased to 0.95 within 23 months.
      The mortality rates of restorations in molars and of restorations in premolars
      showed no significant difference. The patients assessed the treatment results in
      96% of the cases as "good" or very good". In 4 cases chewing sensibility
      necessitated the reconstruction of the inlay restoration. With increasing
      observation time a reduced quality of the marginal integrity was found.

PMID- 1882580
TI  - [Gardner syndrome--an interdisciplinary disease picture].
AB  - Gardner's syndrome, completely expressed, consists of a triad of symptoms:
      polyposis of the colon, osteomatosis and mesenchymal tumours of the skin.
      Inheritence is autosomal dominant. In a follow-up examination amongst eleven
      patients with polyposis intestinalis a typical constellation of symptoms of
      Gardner's syndrome was found in eight. With increasing age of the patients
      polyposis of the colon shows a marked tendency to malignant degeneration. Because
      osseous lesions and striking skin pigmentation in the facial and jaw region
      precede polyposis coli, dentists may have an important role to play in the early
      detection of Gardner's syndrom. The disease is illustrated by a case report.

PMID- 1882581
TI  - [Optimization of inlay care: pin anchorage].
AB  - The pin-technique in the application of inlays offers two important advantages:
      once the possibility to prepare with the utmost preservation of dental substance
      and highest stability and then to have more indications for inlays. Compared to
      the general technique in using inlays there are two major difficulties: keeping
      the parallelism of several pins and the danger of hurting the pulp. After a
      certain period of training both can be managed.

PMID- 1882582
TI  - [Dorsal border of denture base after SR-Ivocap polymerization].
AB  - The amount of dorsal borderspace of upper-plates after polymerisating in
      different dental laboratories has been measured and compared by statistically
      methods. This result showed a conspicuously small deviation. The overall average
      was to be found in the range of only 227 microns +/- 10.5 microns after water
      laging for 4 weeks. This amount is conformable to the results of Marx. There is
      no interpretation of the high values measured by Peroz recently. This present
      results confirm on the contrary the clinically verification of the SR-Ivocap
      polymerisating equipment.

PMID- 1882583
TI  - [Hydroxyapatites in periodontopathies].
AB  - In 58 cases, 611 teeth with an advanced periodontal disease are been treated with
      the usual procedure like hygiene motivation and scaling. After this initial
      phase, open root scaling and defect augmentation achieved in nearly all cases
      improved clinical results.

PMID- 1882584
TI  - [Study of cell supportability of clinically used soft denture liners].
AB  - The application of six soft denture liners showed different effects on the growth
      of gingival fibroblasts. The morphological and autoradiographical analyses
      revealed a graduated cellular biocompatibility. The results provide information
      for further examinations in more detail concerning the clinical biocompatibility
      of these materials.

PMID- 1882585
TI  - [Clinical study of electrical root canal length instruments].
AB  - In a clinical study on 100 root canals we measured the difference between the
      length, which can be received by a roentgenogramme, and the length, which can be
      received by an electrical device. In cases with vital exstirpation in 80% we got
      a good conincidence, but in cases of pulp gangraena there were great differences.
      Indication of electrical devices for measuring tooth length only can be seen
      together with an existing X-ray; it is very important, whether the canal is dry
      enough for exact measuring.

PMID- 1882586
TI  - [Metals and alloys--corrosion, toxicology, and sensitivity reactions 2].

PMID- 1882587
TI  - [IPS-Empress: a new ceramic technology].

PMID- 1882588
TI  - [Sexual dimorphism in the brain and drug actions: with special reference to the
      sex difference in the functional effects of maternal exposure to drugs in the
      littermate offspring].
AB  - It has long been known that in mammals there is a sex difference in the drug
      metabolizing enzyme activity that is reflected in the sex-related difference in
      the action of barbiturates and some other drugs. Recently, sex differences in the
      structure and function of the brain in humans and other primates have been
      demonstrated by many investigators. This review focused on the sex difference in
      the brain mainly of the rat studied with physiological, biochemical or even
      molecular endpoints. Our experimental results on the modulating effects of sex
      steroids for dopaminergic neurons were included. In addition, the findings that
      maternal exposure to various CNS acting drugs resulted in a marked sex difference
      in the brain function of the offspring when assessed with a number of measures
      such as open-field behavior, tolerance to the exposed drug itself, thermic
      responses to chlorpromazine, and the pituitary response to releasing hormones
      were presented and discussed.

PMID- 1882589
TI  - Some aspects of negative symptoms of the residual schizophrenia.

PMID- 1882591
TI  - Integrative approaches to the treatment of the schizophrenic disorders.

PMID- 1882590
TI  - Positron emission tomography study of phencyclidine users as a possible drug
      model of schizophrenia.

PMID- 1882592
TI  - Frontal dysfunction of chronic schizophrenia--the pros and cons in
      neuropsychological assessment.

PMID- 1882593
TI  - Neurophysiological study of schizophrenia: an abnormality of P3s.

PMID- 1882594
TI  - The new challenges in psychopathology.

PMID- 1882595
TI  - Antimicrobial activities on Mediterranean plants.
AB  - Antimicrobial activities were tested for 22 plant species collected in the
      Valencian Community, using 9 different fungal and 6 bacterial strains which
      contaminate food and crops. Some of them showed fungizidal and bactericidal
      activity against some of the microorganisms tested.

PMID- 1882597
TI  - Physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters in a hypereutrophic lagoon
      (Albufera Lake, Valencia, Spain).
AB  - Several physico-chemical parameters related to water quality, as well as
      saprophytic and public health-related heterotrophic bacterial groups were studied
      in a hypereutrophic lake (Albufera, Valencia) at different seasons. Total
      microscopic and viable counts were compared, and, together with faecal
      indicators, were determined in water samples from different sites. Heterotrophic
      bacteria grown on nonselective medium were identified to genus level and a
      diversity index was calculated. Pseudomonas-Alcaligenes was the most frequently
      isolated group from all sampling sites along the study, following by Moraxella,
      Acinetobacter, Vibrio and Aeromonas. The relationships between all parameters
      were searched by Principal Components Analysis (PCA).

PMID- 1882596
TI  - Saprophytic and keratinolytic fungi associated with animals hair from Riyadh,
      Saudi Arabia.
AB  - Hair samples from different animals collected from different sites in Riyadh,
      Saudi Arabia were examined for the presence of saprophytic and keratinolytic
      fungi. Fifty-one specimens were examined of which 19 were from rabbits, 13 from
      sheeps, 12 from camels and 7 from horses. Forty-eight species and one variety
      which belong to 24 genera were collected during this investigation. The most
      common genera were Aspergillus and Chrysosporium. In low frequency, members of
      the genera Thermoascus, Scopulariopsis, Alternaria, Penicillium, Rhizopus,
      Botryotrichum, Fusarium, Ulocladium and keratinophilic fungi of the genera
      Microsporum, Trichophyton and Arthroderma were also recovered.

PMID- 1882598
TI  - [Shigella endotoxin protein--its isolation and physicochemical characteristics].
AB  - The scheme of the isolation of endotoxic protein from S. sonnei 9090 is
      presented. The isolation procedure includes the 10-minute hot (at 68 degrees C)
      extraction of protein from endotoxin with 45% aqueous phenol, the precipitation
      of protein from phenolic extract with 9.5 volumes of 95% ethanol, the
      purification of protein from lipid material and pigments by multiple extraction
      with the mixture of chloroform and ethanol in the proportion 2:1 by volume. The
      yield of protein obtained with the use of this isolation scheme is about 3% of
      the initial endotoxin preparation. Protein preparations obtained in accordance
      with this scheme contain 92-95% of protein (determined by Lowry's method), 2.3
      3.0% of saccharides (determined by the phenol-sulfate method) and 0.02% of hexose
      amine, its presence indicating that the preparations contain lipid A (or its
      fragments) which is firmly bound with endotoxic protein and cannot be extracted
      with chloroform. As shown in the passive hemagglutination inhibition test, the
      content of endotoxin in the preparations is less than 0.003%. Out of 7-11 bands
      revealed by electrophoresis in 15% polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium
      dodecyl sulfate, 3 main bands have molecular weights of 43, 38 and 18 KD. Three
      antigens differing in their electrophoretic mobility and diffusion rate in 1%
      agarose gel can be detected in the preparations by the method of
      immunoelectrophoresis with the use of antisera to both endotoxin and endotoxic
      protein.

PMID- 1882600
TI  - [The use of the indirect hemagglutination reaction for the serodiagnosis of HIV
      infection].
AB  - An assay system, based on the passive hemagglutination test and permitting the
      serodiagnosis of HIV infection with correct results in more than 99% of cases,
      has been developed. Three kinds of freeze-dried erythrocyte diagnostica (with
      shelf life exceeding 6 months), possessing high serological activity and
      sensitized with recombinant gene-engineering polypeptides, have been obtained.
      The proposed assay system is highly promising for mass examination of sera for
      the presence of antibodies to HIV due to the simplicity of assay techniques, the
      possibility of storing the diagnostica within a wide range of temperatures (4
      degrees-30 degrees C) and obtaining results in a short time (3 hours).

PMID- 1882602
TI  - [An electron microscopic study of the intercellular contact of a vaccinal strain
      of Francisella tularensis with gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria].
AB  - The use of transmission electron microscopy (the negative contrast and ultrathin
      section techniques) has made it possible to show that F. tularensis vaccine
      strain is capable, under normal conditions and in mixtures with other gram
      negative and gram-positive bacteria, of forming cell aggregations with close
      contacts between cells, this contact being probably irreversible. The
      ultrastructure of bacteria taking part in the formation of intercellular contacts
      remains intact.

PMID- 1882601
TI  - [A method for assessing the microfloral status of the human intestines by the
      quantity of adhesion-active bacteria and by the type of adhesins].
AB  - The method for the evaluation of the state of intestinal microflora in the
      diagnosis of enteric diseases by the determination of the number of actively
      adhesive bacteria and the type of adhesins in the primary culture of human
      microflora has been developed. This method permits the simultaneous analysis of
      all colonies grown in a given Petri dish by the sign of their adhesion, which
      eliminates the possibility of mistakes due to the occasional choice of colonies,
      as it may happen in the agglutination test. The time necessary for the study of
      adhesive properties is reduced, as the result is evaluated as early as on day 2
      after the inoculation of the seed material. It is also of importance that the
      method is simple in realization, needs no special equipment, preparation and
      staining of the material. To determine the type of adhesins, a series of
      identical inoculations may be obtained by replication with the use of red blood
      cells of different animals. The proposed method may be used for the confirmation
      of the etiological role of enterobacteria as evidenced by the presence of high
      percentage of their actively adhesive colonies.

PMID- 1882599
TI  - [Shigella endotoxin protein--its electrophoretic and serological properties].
AB  - The electrophoretic analysis of lipid A-associated protein (LAP), obtained from
      S. sonnei, in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and
      urea has revealed the heterogeneity of the preparation; it has found to contain
      three main components with molecular weights of 43, 38 and 18 KD and some minor
      components with molecular weights of 49, 45 35, 30, 29, 27, 5, 21 and 14 KD. The
      electrophoretic mobility of the main protein components in the isolated
      preparation of LAP coincides with that of endotoxin components. The dissociation
      of proteins and lipopolysaccharide in the process of boiling the endotoxin in 2%
      sodium dodecyl sulfate is indicative of the noncovalent binding of these
      components. LAP contained in the endotoxin, in contrast to isolated LAP, is
      resistant to trypsin and proteinase K. The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system with
      the use of LAP as a component of its solid phase has been developed, which makes
      it possible to carry out the quantitative determination of antibodies to this
      protein. The EIA system shows high sensitivity in the determination of anti-LAP
      IgG antibodies: in hyperimmune rabbit sera their titer is 1:250,000-1:800,000. As
      shown by the method of competitive EIA, the antigenic affinity of LAP of
      different origin corresponds to the degree of taxonomic propinquity of
      microorganisms: the maximal degree of cross reactions is observed between LAP
      obtained from S. sonnei, S. flexneri and Escherichia coli, while their affinity
      to Salmonella typhi is considerably less; remote microbial species (Bacterium
      bifidum and Sarcina marcescens) give practically no cross reactions.

PMID- 1882603
TI  - [An oral chemical vaccine from the hypertoxigenic strains of the causative agent
      of cholera KM-76 Inaba and KM-68 Ogawa].
AB  - The material on the development of chemical vaccine, prepared from two newly
      formed strains (KM-76 Inaba and KM-68 Ogawa) and intended for oral
      administration, is presented. The conditions for the submerged cultivation of
      these strains have been established, which makes it possible to increase the
      production of choleragen 8- to 10-fold and O-antigen 3- to 4-fold in comparison
      with V. cholerae natural strain 569B. The maximum accumulation of neuraminidase,
      protease, phospholipase, along with choleragen, has been registered in the
      logarithmic phase and that of O-antigen, in the stationary phase of growth. The
      use of strains KM-76 and KM-68 has led to the fourfold increase of the specific
      activity of the main immunogens, thus permitting the respective increase of the
      yield of the oral vaccine without changes in its high capacity for the formation
      of specific antibodies and its low residual toxigenicity.

PMID- 1882604
TI  - [The action on the immune system of respivax--a polybacterial vaccine for the
      peroral immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis of nonspecific respiratory tract
      infections].

PMID- 1882605
TI  - [The specific activity of a multicomponent vaccine made from the antigens of
      opportunistic microorganisms].
AB  - Multicomponent vaccine prepared from the antigens of 4 representatives of
      opportunistic microflora possesses high specific activity. The passive
      hemagglutination (PHA) test with the use of associated diagnosticum showed that
      antibody titers in the sera of immunized rabbits increased 10- to 10(4)-fold in
      comparison with the titers observed prior to immunization. The PHA test with the
      use of the antigens contained in the vaccine revealed the accumulation of
      antibodies to each of the 4 components of the preparation in the blood sera of
      immunized rabbits. When stored at 4 degrees C, the vaccine was shown to retain
      its specific activity for 5 years (the term of observation).

PMID- 1882606
TI  - [The chromosome-damaging action of 2 chemical vaccine contaminants on mice].
AB  - The cytogenetic effects of two chemical agents, hydroxylamine used for the
      destruction of bacterial cells and thimerosal added to many immunobiological
      preparations as preservative, were studied in vivo by their action on the marrow
      cells of C57BL/6J mice. The preparations under study, when injected
      intraperitoneally in a wide range of doses, including subtoxic ones, induced no
      chromosomal aberrations. At the same time cyclophosphamide, an antitumor
      cytostatic agent used for positive control, produced a pronounced damaging effect
      on chromosomes.

PMID- 1882607
TI  - [The action of ribosomal preparations on nonspecific resistance to bacterial
      infection and on early tolerance to endotoxic shock].
AB  - Ribosomal preparations from Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei, introduced
      parenterally into mice, enhance their resistance to infection with the causative
      agents of typhoid fever and staphylococci. This effect is considerably less
      pronounced than that produced by the preparation of homologous lipopolysaccharide
      isolated by Boivin's method. After the administration of ribosomes nonspecific
      resistance to bacterial infective agents lasts for a short time. Ribosomal
      preparations do not enhance the resistance of mice to the lethal action of
      endotoxin.

PMID- 1882608
TI  - [The efficacy of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophage in the therapy of
      experimental Klebsiella infection].
AB  - The effectiveness of specific phage therapy was studied on Klebsiella
      experimental sepsis in noninbred white mice, caused by the intraperitoneal
      injection of K. pneumoniae highly virulent strain K2 5055 into the animals. For
      treatment, Klebsiella polyvalent bacteriophage administered on day 2 after the
      infection of the animals with Klebsiella was used. The study revealed that
      bacteriophage could be detected in the blood and internal organs of the animals
      within 24 hours irrespective of the route of its administration: intraperitoneal,
      intravenous or intranasal. The bacteriophage preparation, introduced
      intraperitoneally, was shown to be effective in the treatment of generalized
      Klebsiella infection. One daily intraperitoneal injection of Klebsiella
      bacteriophage for 15-20 days proved to be the optimum scheme of treatment. In
      contrast to chemotherapeutic preparations, bacteriophages had no effect on normal
      microflora and did not aggravate dysbiotic disturbances. For this reason,
      bacteriophages may become one of alternative antimicrobial remedies, selectively
      affecting infective agents.

PMID- 1882609
TI  - [The protective action of interferon type I in experimental Salmonella
      infection].
AB  - The effect of interferon, type 1, on the course of Salmonella infection in mice
      has been studied. The study has shown that the injection of homologous interferon
      of type 1 leads to the rapid elimination of the infective agent from the blood
      and organs of infected mice. Morphological study has shown that the injection of
      the preparations of interferon of type 1 may diminish pathological changes in the
      organs of the infected animals and the coagulation system of their blood.

PMID- 1882610
TI  - [Immunoglobulin efficacy for intravenous administration in the therapy of newborn
      infants with a suppurative infection].
AB  - The data on the results of clinico-immunological examination of 46 infants having
      purulent inflammatory infections in the first month of their life and treated
      with (a) immunoglobulin for intravenous injection, (b) with hyperimmune
      antistaphylococcal plasma and immunoglobulin for intravenous injection and (c)
      without the use of specific hyperimmune preparations are presented. The clinico
      laboratory data thus obtained (the levels of serum immunoglobulins and the
      content of T-rosette-forming lymphocytes) are indicative of the expediency of
      including the intravenous injection of donor immunoglobulin into the complex
      therapy of newborn infants with severe and moderate forms of purulent
      inflammatory infections at an early period of the disease irrespective of its
      etiology.

PMID- 1882611
TI  - [The immunocorrective properties of bacterial preparations (lactobacterin,
      bifidumbacterin) and bemitil in pregnant women with a urogenital infection].
AB  - The results of the analysis of the cell-mediated and humoral factors of the
      peripheral blood and cervical mucus in pregnant women with urogenital infections
      (pyelonephritis, colpitis, cervicitis, endocervicitis) and in healthy pregnant
      women are presented. These results indicate that considerable changes in the
      systemic immunity of the body and in the local antiinfectious protection of the
      reproductive tract develop in pregnant women with urogenital infections. The
      prescription of bifidumbacterin and lactobacterin to the patients during
      pregnancy (intravaginally) and bemitil after parturition (orally) completely
      restores the functional validity of their immune system and decreases the number
      of postnatal complications.

PMID- 1882612
TI  - [The dependence of the functional activity of "immune" macrophages on T-cells].
AB  - The dependence of the functional activity of the peritoneal macrophages of mice
      immunized with Francisella tularensis vaccine strain on the presence of T-cells
      in the culture has been studied. The elimination of "immune" macrophages and
      sensitized T-lymphocytes by means of anti-Thy-1-2-serum has been shown to lead to
      a sharp decrease in both ingestive and digestive functions of the phagocytic
      mononuclears of peritoneal exudate to the level of the activity of macrophages
      isolated from intact animals.

PMID- 1882613
TI  - [The formation of delayed hypersensitivity to mycobacterial antigens].
AB  - In experiments on guinea pigs and BALB/c mice delayed hypersensitivity to
      mycobacterial antigens was induced by the sensitization of the animals with live
      BCG or killed Mycobacterium bovis or M. avium in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. In
      the study of the dynamics of the development of skin reactivity to tuberculin
      some advantages of the sensitization of guinea pigs with live mycobacteria were
      revealed, while after the revaccination of the animals no development of
      secondary cell-mediated immune response was observed. The immunization of guinea
      pigs with atypical mycobacteria prior to their sensitization with BCG was found
      to lead to the development of higher skin reactivity to allergen prepared from
      atypical mycobacteria than skin reactivity to tuberculin.

PMID- 1882614
TI  - [Successes and the outlook in the study of pathogenic microorganisms in vivo in
      the implanted chamber model].

PMID- 1882615
TI  - [The possible mechanism of the formation of antitoxic immunity to tetanus as a
      result of a blood transfusion].

PMID- 1882616
TI  - [P. F. Zdrodovskii (on the centenary of his birth)].

PMID- 1882617
TI  - [The biochemical and immunological properties of group A type M 29 streptococci
      cultured in the presence of a bovine blood serum preparation].
AB  - The influence of the preparation of cattle blood serum on group A streptococcus,
      type M 29, has been studied. The study has revealed that the addition of 17% of
      dialysis water obtained from a fraction of cattle blood serum to the standard
      culture medium (3% Todd-Hewitt broth) produces changes in the amino acid
      composition of the cell walls of M+ variant without altering the antiphagocytic
      resistance of the mutant thus obtained. The dialysate of the pepsin digest of the
      cell walls of the mutant contains Fc-receptors and receptors to fibrinogen, while
      the initial strain contains only receptors to fibrinogen which are, in this case,
      the pepsin fragments of M protein. The study has revealed similarity in the amino
      acid compositions of these proteins (receptors to fibrinogens) of phenotypes M+
      and M2+. Thus, our data confirm that the initial strain and the mutant belong to
      different phenotypes of group A streptococcus, type M 29.

PMID- 1882618
TI  - [The experimental and clinical effect of ciprofloxacin on the microflora of the
      gastrointestinal tract].
AB  - The study of the influence of cyprofloxacin on the microflora of the
      gastrointestinal tract has been made under experimental and clinical conditions.
      As revealed in this study, cyprofloxacin produces a corrective effect on the
      intestinal microflora; the action of this preparation, in contrast to that of
      other antimicrobial preparations, is retained for a long time. In patients having
      duodenal ulcer with bacteriosis caused by Campylobacter pylori and with
      intestinal dysbacteriosis the combination of cyprofloxacin and cimetidine yields
      a higher therapeutic effect than the use of cimetidine alone.

PMID- 1882619
TI  - [A comparison of their virulence for mice and the enzymatic activity of
      Streptococcus pneumoniae strains].
AB  - In most cases no correlation between the virulence of S. pneumoniae and their
      enzymatic activity was registered in 101 S. pneumoniae strains isolated in
      pneumococcal infections of different localization. Pneumococcal strains belonging
      to different serotypes and characterized by their low virulence for mice (LD50 =
      10(6) colony-forming units) had the highest neuraminidase and protease-alzolase
      activity in comparison with highly virulent cultures of these bacteria. In
      pneumococcal cultures in the R-form avirulence for mice occurred mainly in
      combination with low enzymatic activity.

PMID- 1882621
TI  - [The autologous intestinal microflora in the postresuscitation period after acute
      blood loss in rats].
AB  - In this work the data obtained in the study of intestinal microbiocenosis in rats
      on the third day of the postresuscitation period after acute blood loss are
      presented. The quantitative and qualitative shifts of microflora at different
      biotopes, such as the wall of the small intestine, the parietal microflora of
      Peyer's patches, the contents and wall of the large intestine, have been
      characterized. Some specific features of dysbiotic changes have been revealed in
      comparison with the shifts of intestinal microflora in cases of dysbacteriosis
      caused by other reasons. The translocation of different microorganisms, including
      Bacterium bifidum and lactobacilli, into mesenteric lymph nodes, the liver, the
      spleen and the blood has been observed.

PMID- 1882620
TI  - [The capacity of microorganisms in the genus Campylobacter for mobile growth].
AB  - The capacity of Campylobacter for mobile was studied on the cultures of 5
      reference strains and 153 newly isolated strains of clinical origin, used as an
      experimental model. The study revealed that the capacity of Campylobacter for
      mobile growth was best manifested in cases of its cultivation in nutrient media
      based on tryptose agar with the density of 0.35% at 37 degrees C in the usual
      atmosphere: under these conditions the capacity for mobile growth was exhibited
      by 92.8% of all cultures of the strains under study. The description of the
      cultural properties of Campylobacter cultures exhibiting mobile growth
      demonstrated the difference between the phenomenon of mobile growth and the
      phenomenon of clustering. The possibility of using the capacity of Campylobacter
      for mobile growth for the rational diagnosis of Campylobacter infection was
      suggested.

PMID- 1882622
TI  - [The prospects for using immunoadsorption in AIDS therapy].

PMID- 1882623
TI  - [The possibility of long-term prognosis in influenza A pandemics].
AB  - On the basis of the analysis of the most significant influenza A pandemics over
      the period of 300 years, compared with periodic long-term changes in the climate
      and the cycles of solar activity, regularities in the manifestation of the
      biorhythms of the epidemic activity of influenza A virus have been established.
      The prognosis of pandemics for near and remote future is proposed.

PMID- 1882624
TI  - [The results of using direct solid-phase immunoenzyme analysis for assessing the
      specific activity of rabies vaccines].
AB  - The effectiveness of the solid-phase enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in the
      determination of the specific activity of rabies vaccines is evaluated in
      comparison with that of the protective test in mice. Inactivated tissue-culture,
      concentrated tissue-culture and purified cerebral tissue vaccines for human use
      were studied. The methods for performing two EIA variants and evaluating the
      results are described. The average level of correlation between the results of
      EIA and the protective test for vaccines of different groups was revealed
      (0.546), the highest correlation index being obtained for tissue-culture
      vaccines: 0.753. On the basis of the data obtained in this study the expediency
      of using EIA for the determination of the specific activity of rabies vaccines
      has been substantiated.

PMID- 1882625
TI  - [The immunodiagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis by using the indirect immune
      rosette formation reaction].
AB  - 200 patients suspected for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) were examined by the
      method of the indirect immune rosette-formation test. In 70.15% of patients with
      the serologically confirmed diagnosis of TBE immune lymphocytes were detected as
      early as on day 1 of examination. The level of rosette formation was higher in
      the meningeal form of the disease. Rosette-forming lymphocytes were also detected
      in 24.06% of patients with the serologically unconfirmed diagnosis of TBE. The
      test is proposed for the early diagnosis of TBE.

PMID- 1882626
TI  - [A comparative study of the sensitivity and specific activity of an immunoenzyme
      test system for determining class-M antibodies to the hepatitis A virus].
AB  - The diagnostic value of the first experimental production batches of assay kit
      "DIAGN-A-HEP", produced at the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral
      Encephalitides (USSR Acad. Med. Sci.) and intended for the determination of IgM
      to hepatitis A virus (HAV) in the enzyme immunoassay (EIA), has been studied in
      comparison with that of the internationally known and widely approved commercial
      EIA system "HAVAB-MEIA" for the determination of antibodies to HAV (the product
      of Abbott, USA). The study has revealed that the EIA kit "DIAGN-A-HEP" is highly
      sensitive and specific, and the diagnostic value of this kit is not inferior to
      that of the commercial assay system "HAVAB-MEIA". On the basis of this study the
      use of the EIA kits "DIAGN-A-HEP" in medical practice has been allowed by the
      decree of the Ministry of Health of the USSR.

PMID- 1882627
TI  - [The use of the method of the complete advisability function for evaluating the
      quality and standardization of the plates in solid-phase EIA].
AB  - An attempt to use the method of the complete advisability function for the
      evaluation of the quality of plates and their standardization in the enzyme
      linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been made. Correlations have been
      empirically established, thus making it possible to calculate the optimum
      proportions of different ELISA factors: the dose of the antigen (antibody) and
      the time of sorption, which ensures the best ELISA results with a given type of
      plates.

PMID- 1882628
TI  - [A strategy for controlling measles at the current stage].

PMID- 1882629
TI  - [The side effects of vaccines used in prophylactic inoculation schedules].

PMID- 1882630
TI  - [The status of and outlook for the development of a raw materials base for the
      manufacture of culture media].

PMID- 1882631
TI  - [Marburg hemorrhagic fever].

PMID- 1882632
TI  - [The microevolution of anthropophilic prokaryotes as a factor altering the
      activity of epidemic processes. The microevolution of pathogenicity].

PMID- 1882633
TI  - [An organizational model for the activities of microbiology laboratories].

PMID- 1882634
TI  - [Cyclic nucleotides, prostaglandins and thrombocyte aggregation in rats poisoned
      with "murine" Yersinia pestis toxin].
AB  - Y. pestis "mouse" toxin, introduced intraperitoneally into rats in a dose of
      LD100 [correction of LG100], produces phasic changes in the thrombin-induced
      aggregation of thrombocytes and the content of prostaglandins and cyclic
      nucleotides in them. As the result of the damaging action on the endothelium of
      blood vessels at the initial period of intoxication, the concentration of
      prostaglandin 6-keto F1 alpha in blood plasma and cAMP [correction of cAMR] in
      thrombocytes sharply decreases, which causes the enhancement of thrombin-induced
      cell aggregation. At a later period the level of prostaglandin E in the cells
      sharply rises. At later irreversible stages of shock, induced in the cells of Y.
      pestis "mouse" toxin, the content of cGMP in cells sharply increases, which leads
      to the development of the phase of thrombocyte hypoaggregation.

PMID- 1882635
TI  - Stabilisation of neurone number in the inferior olivary complex of aged 'Purkinje
      cell degeneration' mutant mice.
AB  - Virtually all cerebellar Purkinje cells degenerate in 'Purkinje cell
      degeneration' (pcd) mutant mice between postnatal day (P) 17 and P45. The
      inferior olivary complex (IOC) in these mutants undergoes atrophy subsequent to
      the deprivation of its major cortical target; the number of IOC neurones declines
      by 18% by P23 and by 49% by P300. In the present study we used control (+/?) and
      mutant (pcd/pcd) mice that were 14-15 months old to determine whether any further
      cell loss is observed in the pcd IOC after P300. Nerve cell counts were obtained
      from serial paraffin sections of the medulla oblongata. The corrected estimate of
      neurone number in the left IOC of control mice was 12,785 +/- 794 cells (mean +/-
      SD, n = 5); in pcd mutants that number was 6,722 +/- 535 (n = 5). The 47%
      difference between control and mutant mice was highly significant (p less than
      0.001). The perikarya of surviving IOC neurones were atrophic. Compared to P17
      mutants, pcd homozygotes manifest a 50% cell loss by P428-P446, which does not
      practically differ from the deficit found on P300. These results suggest that,
      once a critical neuronal mass degenerates in the IOC of pcd mutants, the
      remaining neurones become stabilised and no further loss is observed even at an
      advanced age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882636
TI  - Extracellular neurofibrillary tangles associated with degenerating neurites and
      neuropil threads in Alzheimer-type dementia.
AB  - We examined the cellular components of extracellular neurofibrillary tangles (E
      NFT) in the hippocampal areas in cases with Alzheimer-type dementia.
      Immunohistochemically, the E-NFT were labeled for the C terminus of tau and glial
      fibrillary acidic protein. Moreover, the majority of the E-NFT was associated
      with intensely argyrophilic rods and with tau- and ubiquitin-immunoreactive dots.
      Ultrastructurally, the E-NFT consisted mainly of extracellular paired helical
      filaments (PHF) and astroglial processes. The extracellular PHF tended to be
      straighter and thinner. One third of the E-NFT was associated with small
      degenerating neurites containing many dense bodies and with neuropil threads
      containing PHF. These findings suggested that extracellular PHF promote both
      intense astroglial reaction and neuritic alteration, and that the E-NFT are
      continuously changing their morphology.

PMID- 1882637
TI  - Light and electron microscopic and immunohistochemical observations of the Onuf's
      nucleus of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AB  - We examined the Onufrowicz nucleus (Onuf's nucleus) of ten sporadic amyotrophic
      lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with light and electron microscopic and
      immunohistochemical methods. Neurons in the Onuf's nucleus of ALS patients were
      better preserved than those in anterior horn cells. However, some showed
      morphological changes in the nucleus, namely, central chromatolytic changes,
      Bunina bodies, ubiquitin-positive filaments and spheroids. The Onuf's neurons of
      ALS patients showed more argentophilia than those of non-ALS patients. Electron
      microscopic observations revealed that neurofilaments were relatively more
      numerous in the Onuf's neurons of ALS patients. Bunina bodies and degenerated
      neurites were also seen in the Onuf's nucleus. In conclusion, the Onuf's nucleus
      in sporadic ALS patients showed some morphological changes similar to those noted
      in anterior horn cells.

PMID- 1882638
TI  - Interrelationships between increased vascular permeability and acute neuronal
      damage following temperature-controlled brain ischemia in rats.
AB  - This study examined regional patterns of increased vascular permeability and
      morphological indicators of acute neuronal injury following normothermic and
      mildly hyperthermic forebrain ischemia. Rats underwent 20 min of four-vessel
      occlusion during which intraischemic brain temperature was maintained at either
      37 degrees C or 39 degrees C. At 45-min recirculation, the blood-brain barrier
      (BBB)-tracer horseradish peroxidase was injected and rats were perfusion-fixed at
      1-h recirculation for light and electron microscopic analysis. In normothermic
      and hyperthermic rats, sites of increased vascular permeability were spatially
      correlated with dark shrunken type IV neurons. Neuronal alterations within
      cortical, hippocampal, striatal, and thalamic areas ranged from mild cytoplasmic
      vacuolation and mitochondrial swelling to severe cytoplasmic shrinkage and
      increased density. Although dark shrunken neurons were routinely associated with
      permeable blood vessels in both temperature groups, dark neurons were not
      detected in regions demonstrating an intact BBB. Following normothermic brain
      ischemia, the appearance of dark shrunken neurons was restricted to the cerebral
      cortex and striatum. In both temperature groups, luminal leukocytes were detected
      within otherwise well-perfused forebrain microvascular beds. Our studies suggest
      a close interrelationship between postischemic microvascular abnormalities,
      including increased vascular permeability, and morphological indicators of acute
      neuronal injury following brain ischemia.

PMID- 1882639
TI  - Neuromyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy with accumulation of intermediate
      filaments: a clinical, morphological and biochemical study.
AB  - The clinical, morphological and biochemical findings of a sporadic case, showing
      accumulation of desmin-type intermediate filaments in skeletal muscle and
      myocardium are described. Desmin storage was demonstrated by immunofluorescence,
      sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional gel
      electrophoresis. These findings are in agreement with those of Rappaport et al.
      (FEBS lett. 231:421-425, 1989). A sensory-motor polyneuropathy was established by
      electrophysiological studies and, ultrastructurally, intramuscular nerves showed
      accumulation of neurofilaments and neurotubules with formation of axonal
      spheroids. These findings are discussed considering all previous reports with
      related conditions.

PMID- 1882640
TI  - Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of alpha and beta subunits of S-100
      protein in brain tumors.
AB  - The immunohistochemical distribution of alpha and beta subunits of S-100 protein
      (S-100 alpha, S-100 beta, respectively) in 138 cases of human brain tumors was
      investigated by the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method. Brain tumors can be
      divided into four groups: group 1 [S-100 alpha (+) and/or S-100 beta (+)];
      astrocytoma, glioblastoma, ependymoma, subependymoma, oligodendroglioma, choroid
      plexus papilloma, gangliocytoma, meningioma, chordoma, malignant melanoma. Group
      2 [S-100 alpha (+) and S-100 beta (-)]; pineoblastoma, pituitary adenoma,
      craniopharyngioma, rhabdomyosarcoma. Group 3 [S-100 alpha (-) and S-100 beta
      (+)]; acoustic Schwannoma. Group 4 [S-100 alpha (-) and S-100 beta (-)];
      medulloblastoma malignant lymphoma, germinoma. The S-100 beta immunoreactivity
      pattern in brain tumors was similar to those obtained using conventional anti-S
      100 protein sera. In the first group of brain tumors both the number of
      positively stained tumor cells and the staining intensity were generally greater
      for S-100 beta than for S-100 alpha with a few exceptions including one
      gemistocytic astrocytoma, one subependymoma, one malignant melanoma, and some
      cases of glioblastomas. As to the relationship between malignancy and S-100
      protein in glioma, S-100 beta immunoreactivity decreased according to degree of
      malignancy, while that of S-100 alpha varied, suggesting a heterogeneity of tumor
      cells in glioblastomas. Immunostaining for S-100 alpha and S-100 beta might
      become a useful diagnostic procedure in brain tumors and may give us more
      detailed and precise data of S-100 protein in brain tumors.

PMID- 1882641
TI  - Intracellular calcium levels in canine basilar artery smooth muscle following
      experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage: an electron microscopic cytochemical study.
AB  - Changes in intracellular calcium levels in canine basilar arterial smooth muscle
      were semiquantitatively measured by an electron microscopic cytochemical
      technique using a combined oxalate-pyroantimonate method. Measurements made after
      subarachnoid hemorrhage were compared with those made after contraction induced
      by prostaglandin F2 alpha. Fifteen minutes after topical application of the drug,
      when the basilar artery was constricted by 20%, 15% of smooth muscle cells
      contained a large amount of intracellular calcium. One hour later, the diameter
      of the basilar artery and intracellular calcium precipitation returned almost to
      control levels. Fifteen minutes after the first intracisternal injection of
      autologous blood, when acute vasospasm was angiographically evident, 13% of
      smooth muscle cells contained a large amount of calcium. After 1 h, when acute
      vasospasm had already abated, the number of smooth muscle cells containing a
      large amount of calcium markedly increased to 37% and some smooth muscle cells
      showed early degenerative findings such as intracytoplasmic vacuoles including
      calcium accumulation. After 48 h, when delayed vasospasm had already started, the
      calcium deposits and early degenerative changes had decreased significantly.
      After 49 h and 4 days (1 h and 48 h after the second injection of blood), the
      change in the amount of calcium was the same as at 1 h and 48 h after the first
      injection, respectively, but degeneration of smooth muscle cells increased.
      Therefore, acute vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage may be caused by an
      initial elevation of intracellular calcium levels, as is the case with drug
      induced contraction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882642
TI  - Effect of human T lymphotropic retrovirus-I exposure on cultured human glioma
      cell lines.
AB  - Four different human tumor cell lines of glial origin have been exposed to a
      human T lymphotropic retrovirus (HTLV-I). All these cell lines were positive for
      the glial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The presence of virus
      RNA was demonstrated by in situ hybridization using an HTLV-I, SStI-SStI viral
      insert as probe. Virus expression has been monitored through an indirect
      immunofluorescence assay using a monoclonal antibody against virus core protein
      p19. All the four glioma cell lines tested became positive for p19 after 2 weeks
      of co-cultivation and showed a clear alteration of GFAP expression.

PMID- 1882643
TI  - The electron microscopic appearance of the beta-galactosidase reaction product.

PMID- 1882644
TI  - Fatal hemorrhage in a cerebral pilocytic astrocytoma-adult type.
AB  - A 69-year-old female presented with a 6-week history of left-sided weakness and a
      large cerebral mass on computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging.
      The patient subsequently had an acute intracerebral hemorrhage with uncal and
      tonsillar herniation. Postmortem examination revealed an acute cerebral
      hemorrhage from a pilocytic astrocytoma-adult type. These cerebral neoplasms are
      rarely associated with hemorrhage.

PMID- 1882645
TI  - Unfavorable outcome of adrenal medullary transplant for Parkinson's disease.
AB  - A 45-year-old woman with moderately severe parkinsonism underwent adrenal
      medullary autograft to the brain. The operation was performed in Mexico City.
      There were multiple post-operative complications, including worsening of the
      parkinsonism with almost complete loss of ability to communicate. Death from
      bronchopneumonia occurred 13 months after surgery. At autopsy the surgical tract
      was found to extend through the corpus callosum and into the thalamus on the
      opposite side. Residual necrotic adrenal tissue was found as a small round well
      defined mass in the ventricle loosely attached to the left fornix. This case
      emphasizes the obvious risks of this still experimental procedure and the
      difficulties in obtaining a surviving and functional adrenal medullary graft.

PMID- 1882647
TI  - Analysis of possible factors influencing the occurrence of occlusal tooth wear in
      a young Saudi population.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to attempt to correlate possible etiologic factors
      with the occurrence of occlusal tooth wear in a young Saudi population. The
      material comprised 90 individuals with a mean age of 22 years within a range of
      19-25 years. A dentition wear index, in addition to anterior and posterior wear
      subindices were derived from tooth-by-tooth evaluations of casts. Factors found
      to correlate significantly with increased occlusal wear were bruxism, biting
      habits such as pen- and nail-biting, use of an indigenous chewing-stick called
      miswak, and high intake of fruit juices. There was no correlation between
      subjects from differing geographic and/or climatic habitats and the severity of
      tooth wear. The common element of a harsh desert terrain may constitute the
      dominant passive abrasive etiologic factor in the present sample.

PMID- 1882646
TI  - Release of fluoride and metal ions from root surfaces after topical application
      of TiF4, SnF2, and NaF in vitro.
AB  - Aqueous solutions of TiF4 cause a rapid uptake and a long-lasting retention of
      fluoride when applied to dentin. The aim of this study was therefore to
      investigate the pattern of fluoride release after TiF4 application in vitro,
      compared with SnF2 and NaF application. TiF4, SnF2, and NaF were applied for 4
      min and 1 min to standardized areas of six groups of root surface specimens
      immersed in distilled water. Untreated specimens were used as controls. The water
      was changed daily for 30 days, and F concentrations measured by an ion-selective
      electrode. All test groups showed a rapid decline in F concentration. In the 4
      min group F concentration more than double the detection limit of the F electrode
      could be registered the first 28 days for TiF4, 11 days for SnF2, and 7 days for
      NaF. In the 1-min group periods of F registration were shorter. Analysis of Sn by
      atomic absorption spectrophotometry showed decreasing concentrations in the first
      12-day samples in the 1-min and 4-min groups. Traces of Ti were found in the
      first few samples, but no pattern of release could be observed.

PMID- 1882648
TI  - Dentofacial morphology in professional opera singers.
AB  - The interaction between muscle function and bone development has been studied
      mainly in animals. The aim of the present investigation was to study the
      dentofacial skeleton in individuals with a high degree of activity of muscles
      associated with the facial skeleton. It was assumed that a professional singer
      would constitute such an individual. Lateral cephalograms of singers from the
      Royal Opera Choir in Stockholm were studied and compared with lateral
      cephalograms of a control group. Significant differences between the singers and
      controls were found, such as length of mandible, length of maxilla, and increased
      facial height. The findings could be interpreted as an association between facial
      muscle hyperactivity and respiratory hyperfunction and dentofacial morphology.

PMID- 1882649
TI  - Acupuncture in treatment of facial muscular pain.
AB  - Forty-five individuals with long-standing facial pain or headache of muscular
      origin were randomly allocated into three groups. The first group was treated
      with acupuncture, the second group received an occlusal splint, and the third
      group served as controls. Both acupuncture and occlusal splint therapy
      significantly reduced subjective symptoms and clinical signs from the
      stomatognathic system. No differences between these two groups were found with
      regard to treatment effects. It is concluded that acupuncture is an alternative
      method to conventional stomatognathic treatment for individuals with
      craniomandibular disorders of muscular origin.

PMID- 1882650
TI  - Fluoride sources and dental attendance habits among adults in communities with
      optimal and low water fluoride concentrations.
AB  - The aim of this study was to obtain data on local fluoride supply, dental
      attendance, and dental care habits in two sociologically similar municipalities
      with optimal, 1.0 ppm, and low, 0.3 ppm, water fluoride concentrations,
      respectively. The participants in the study were 30- to 40-year-old lifetime
      residents in the two municipalities: 569 individuals from the 1-ppm fluoride
      community and 466 from the low-fluoride community. There were no intergroup
      differences in the fluoride mouthrinse utilization rate of 1%. Fluoride
      toothpaste was much more common in the low-fluoride area. In the 1-ppm fluoride
      area more people drank tea, and they went more regularly to the dentist. It is
      suggested that dental attendance habits and various fluoride sources should be
      taken into account in studies evaluating the effect of fluoride in drinking
      water.

PMID- 1882651
TI  - Is there a long-term caries-preventive effect of sugar restrictions during World
      War II?
AB  - Wartime decrease in caries prevalence among children explained by restrictions in
      sugar availability and consumption is widely documented. The aim of the present
      investigation was to study possible long-term effects of this regimen on dental
      caries. Norwegian age cohorts who were 7 years old during World War II were
      reexamined in 1983. On the basis of DMF recordings of their first permanent
      molars, a long-lasting beneficial effect of the wartime caries decrease could not
      be demonstrated.

PMID- 1882652
TI  - Gingival fluid and tissues around successful titanium and ceramic implants. A
      comparative clinical, laboratory, and morphologic study.
AB  - The gingival tissue reactions around 19 titanium implants (Branemark System) and
      6 ceramic implants (Frialit) were studied by using established variables for
      monitoring periodontal status. Natural teeth in the same or the opposite jaw
      served as controls. Both clinical and laboratory examinations showed healthy
      gingival status. No differences in soft-tissue reactions between the two types of
      implant or between the implants and the natural teeth were registered.

PMID- 1882653
TI  - Effects of lysozyme-thiocyanate combinations on the viability and lactic acid
      production of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus rattus.
AB  - Effects of human lysozyme (HLZ) combined with thiocyanate (SCN-) ions on mutans
      streptococci, both in physiologic salivary concentrations, were studied. The
      bacteria were incubated for 75 min either in HLZ-supplemented sterilized human
      whole saliva (pH 5 and 7) or in neutral buffer in the presence or absence of HLZ
      (30 mg/l)-SCN- (1-5 mM) combinations. HLZ had no inhibitory effect on the
      viability of Streptococcus mutans, serotype c, either in saliva or in buffer, not
      even at pH 5, in the presence of salivary bicarbonate or in higher (up to 240
      mg/l) concentrations of HLZ. In contrast, HLZ significantly decreased the
      viability of S. rattus in both media. HLZ also effectively blocked the lactic
      acid production of S. rattus but not that of S. mutans. Thiocyanate ions, which
      have been proposed to enhance the antimicrobial activity of lysozyme, did not
      affect the antibacterial activity of HLZ or HLZ-HCO3- combinations. It is
      concluded that the in vivo levels of SCN- ions, which constitute an integral part
      of the peroxidase antimicrobial system in saliva, may not be high enough to
      trigger the lysis of S. mutans by lysozyme in human saliva. The very low
      prevalence of S. rattus compared with S. mutans in human populations may be
      associated with their different susceptibility to lysozyme-mediated inhibition in
      saliva.

PMID- 1882654
TI  - Root surface reactions to TiF4 and SnF2 solutions in vitro. An ultrastructural
      study.
AB  - Previous studies have indicated that TiF4 and SnF2 differ in their demineralizing
      effect when applied topically to root surfaces at the same acidity. The aim of
      this study was to examine in more detail the outermost layer of root surface
      specimens by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after short-term exposure to
      these acidic fluoride solutions. Root surface specimens were exposed for 1 min
      and 4 min to equimolar (1.1 M F) solutions of a) TiF4, native pH 1.0; b) SnF2,
      acidified to pH 1.0; and c) SnF2, native pH 2.5. The specimens were then rinsed
      in saline and processed for TEM. Exposure to TiF4 resulted in a partly
      demineralized zone 8-10 microns deep after 1 min and 5-27 microns deep after 4
      min of application. A 0.1-micron-thick, electron-dense coating was present in all
      TiF4-treated specimens. Acidified SnF2 resulted in a completely demineralized
      zone, 4-7 microns deep, when applied for 1 min and 4 min, whereas SnF2 at native
      pH produced a 0.5- to 1.0-micron-wide partially demineralized zone. Unevenly
      distributed crystalline deposits were a frequent finding on SnF2-treated
      surfaces. The results indicate that solutions of TiF4 and SnF2 at native pH will
      cause only slight demineralization when applied topically to root surfaces.

PMID- 1882655
TI  - Acta sixty years ago. On abortions in Oslo, fistulas in Helsinki, elderly
      primiparas in Stockholm, and more.

PMID- 1882656
TI  - Smoking and childbirth.

PMID- 1882657
TI  - Surveillance of smoking during pregnancy in Sweden, 1983-1987.
AB  - Since 1982, prospective information on smoking during early pregnancy is reported
      to the Swedish Medical Birth Registry for nearly all (93%) women who give birth.
      The present paper studies the validity of this information: effects on
      birthweight and perinatal mortality are very similar to those described
      previously in the literature. For each parity class, smoking decreases in inverse
      proportion to increasing maternal age; for each maternal age class, smoking
      increases with parity. A slight reduction in smoking rate is observed between
      1983 and 1987, most pronounced for young women. There are marked geographic and
      social differences in the rate of smoking during pregnancy. This dataset can be
      used in the future to monitor the prevalence of smoking, and to study various
      factors associated with smoking and the impact of countermeasures taken against
      smoking during pregnancy. It can also be used to study possible associations
      between maternal smoking and rare events like congenital malformations and child
      cancer.

PMID- 1882658
TI  - Fetal and infant outcome of pregnancies with very early rupture of membranes.
AB  - Fetal and infant outcome was studied in 38 singleton pregnancies complicated by
      very early rupture of membranes (PROM), in gestational weeks 19-29, over a 4-year
      period, in a Swedish population. The pregnancies were managed according to a
      specified protocol, including postponement of delivery until 34 weeks of
      gestation if possible. Stillbirth occurred in 10 cases (26.3%), all with PROM
      before 26 completed weeks, while 6 other infants died in the neonatal period.
      Respiratory distress syndrome was evident in half (50.0%) of the 28 liveborn
      infants. The surviving 22 infants (57.9%) were followed up to 2 years of age. The
      rate of neurological sequelae at follow-up was 22.7% (5/22). The fetal outcome of
      the 20 pregnancies with rupture of membranes before 26 completed weeks was poor;
      only 7 infants of the 10 born alive survived the neonatal period. The short-term
      fetal outcome in the group with rupture of membranes in 26-29 completed weeks was
      better: 15 of the 18 infants survived, but 4 had neurological sequelae. PROM
      before 29 completed weeks of gestation is associated with severe short-term and
      long-term fetal complications, in cases where the pregnancy is prolonged for
      several weeks.

PMID- 1882659
TI  - Survival of chlamydiae in human semen prepared for artificial insemination by
      donor.
AB  - Semen specimens from 21 men with urethral infection with Chlamydia trachomatis
      were tested for the presence of the organism before and after cryopreservation
      for 3 weeks of storage at -196 degrees C. Five specimens were chlamydia-positive
      before preservation and four of them were still positive after storage when
      examined by enzyme immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme). When examined by cell culture,
      four proved chlamydia- positive before storage and two afterwards. The results
      indicate that testing for C. trachomatis has to be performed from the urethra of
      all donors of semen used for artificial insemination before the inoculation takes
      place.

PMID- 1882660
TI  - A health care program for the investigation and treatment of elderly women with
      urinary incontinence and related urogenital symptoms.
AB  - The assessment and treatment of urinary incontinence and related urogenital
      symptoms using an algorithm model was evaluated in 364 elderly women complaining
      of urinary incontinence. The women (age 72.1 +/- 1.5 years, range 65-84 years)
      were assessed by a 48-hour pad test, a cough provocation test, micturition lists
      and a gynecological examination which included a smear test, measurement of
      vaginal pH and bacterial cultures. The diagnosis of urinary incontinence was
      confirmed in 346 women (stress 26.3%; urge: 32.7%; mixed: 41.0%). Women suffering
      from stress incontinence were younger (p less than 0.05) and had experienced a
      larger number of deliveries (p less than 0.05) than women with urge incontinence.
      All the women were treated with oral estriol, 3 mg daily for 4 weeks followed by
      1-2 mg daily. The total urinary leakage per 48 hours (p less than 0.01) and
      maximum single leakage (p less than 0.05) were reduced in women with mixed
      incontinence, while the frequency of micturition decreased (p less than 0.05) in
      women with urge incontinence after 12 weeks treatment with oral estriol. There
      were no significant changes in any of the objective micturition parameters in
      women with stress incontinence following treatment. Karyopyknotic index and the
      presence of lactobacilli were increased (p less than 0.001), and vaginal pH
      decreased (p less than 0.001) following treatment in women with all types of
      incontinence. More than 70% of all the women treated in this algorithm model
      judged themselves to be improved, much improved or cured.

PMID- 1882661
TI  - A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of gemeprost (Cervagem)
      pessaries for cervical dilatation in non-pregnant women.
AB  - In a randomised, double-blind trial, 75 women received either placebo or a 1-mg
      gemeprost (Cervagem) pessary for cervical dilatation prior to gynecological
      procedures which require mechanical dilatation of the cervix. No significant
      difference was seen between gemeprost and placebo with respect to preoperative
      cervical dilatation. The incidence of vaginal bleeding and adverse effects was
      similar in each group.

PMID- 1882662
TI  - Is diathermy safe in women with copper-bearing IUDs?
AB  - Ultrasound and short-wave diathermy are widely used in physiotherapy to induce
      heating of deep tissues, since this causes a concomitant increase in local blood
      flow. A metallic implant in the treated field is generally regarded as a contra
      indication to diathermy because of the risk of thermodamage to surrounding
      tissues. It is not certain, however, if copperbearing IUDs contain sufficient
      metal as to constitute a risk. In order to exclude the possibility that diathermy
      might lead to intra-uterine burns in women using copperbearing IUDs a technique
      was devised of measuring temperatures in the copper wire of an IUD in situ during
      short-wave an ultrasonic therapy. The results indicate diathermy to be perfectly
      safe in women whit copper-bearing IUDs.

PMID- 1882663
TI  - Tubulo-villous adenoma of the female genital tract: a case report and review of
      literature.
AB  - A case is presented of tubulo-villous adenoma in the vagina of a 43-year-old
      woman. The possible origin of this rare condition is discussed and the need for
      careful follow-up is emphasized.

PMID- 1882664
TI  - Sarcoidosis of the uterus.
AB  - Sarcoidosis rarely involves the female genital tract. A report is presented of 2
      cases of sarcoidosis of the uterus. In the first, the diagnosis was made by
      biopsy of the portio vaginalis uteri which was amputated during the Manchester
      operation for genital prolapse. In the second case the diagnosis was made by
      endometrial curettage for postmenopausal vaginal bleeding. Neither of the women
      exhibited signs of generalized sarcoidosis.

PMID- 1882665
TI  - Angiosarcoma of the vagina. A light and electronmicroscopy study.
AB  - A 73-year-old woman, whose medical history reported radical hysterectomy and
      radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri 20 years earlier,
      was found to have an angiosarcoma of the vagina. The histological diagnosis was
      confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of tumor cells for factor VIII-related
      antigen and ultrastructurally defined vasoformative structures. Primary
      angiosarcoma of the vagina is quite rare and reported in only two published
      cases. The present case is a third in general, and the first report confirmed by
      light microscopy, immunohistochemical, and electronmicroscopy studies.

PMID- 1882666
TI  - The infected knee arthroplasty. A 6-year follow-up of 357 cases.
AB  - The incidence of deep infection after 12,118 primary knee arthroplasties
      performed in Sweden from October 1, 1975 through 1985 with a median follow-up of
      6 years was 1.7 percent for arthrosis and 4.4 percent for rheumatoid arthritis.
      Risk factors for infection were large prostheses, postoperative wound-healing
      complications, rheumatoid arthritis, a prior deep infection, and skin infections.
      We have analyzed the treatment of 357 knee arthroplasties with a deep infection.
      Systemic antibiotics alone were primarily used in 225 knees, with healing of the
      infection in 44 knees, 20 of which had a functioning prosthesis at the final
      follow-up; the treatment did not compromise later revision surgery. Soft-tissue
      surgery was used in 154 knees--37 healed, 15 of which had a functioning
      prosthesis. Resection arthroplasty resulted in healing of the infection in 11 of
      22 knees. Revision arthroplasty was performed in 107 knees, with eventual healing
      of the infection in 81 knees, 36 of which had a functioning prosthesis; there
      were no differences in the outcome of one-stage and two-stage procedures.
      Arthrodesis was attempted in 135 knees, with eventual healing of the infection in
      120 knees and fusion in 105. Twenty-two patients were amputated. Thus, the
      infection healed in 315 knees (88 percent), but only 71 (20 percent) recovered
      with a functioning prosthesis, and 8 patients died of the infection. Attention
      should therefore focus on prophylactic measures directed towards the soft-tissue
      problems--by avoiding conflicting skin incisions, by gentle handling of the
      periarticular soft tissues, by avoiding the use of constrained prostheses and
      oversized compartmental prostheses, by letting wound healing take priority over
      motion in knees with compromised soft tissues, and by using prophylactic
      antibiotic treatment for skin ulcers until these have healed.

PMID- 1882667
TI  - Soft-tissue procedures for the exposed knee arthroplasty. 18 cases followed for 7
      (1-17) years.
AB  - Reconstructive surgery was performed in 18 knee arthroplasties because of wound
      healing problems or skin necrosis. The procedure, after debridement, included
      myocutaneous, muscle flap, and split-skin grafts. Revision was necessary in 6
      cases. After 1-17 years, 6 patients had died, 2 had had a low femur amputation,
      and 5 had had an arthrodesis. Five patients had retained the prosthesis, although
      3 of them had considerable pain and poor mobility; only 2 patients were tolerably
      painfree and had acceptable mobility. Patients with an exposed knee
      endoprosthesis should be referred to centers with special competence in plastic
      reconstructive surgery.

PMID- 1882668
TI  - Synovectomy for septic arthritis. Early versus late synovectomy studied in the
      rabbit knee.
AB  - Thirty rabbits with established unilateral septic arthritis of the knee after
      inoculation with Staphylococcus aureus received cloxacillin 50 mg/kg x 2 i.m. and
      probenecid 250 mg x 1 p.o. from Day 3 to 21. In 26 knees, synovectomy was
      performed 3, 5, and 7 days after the inoculation, and four knees were not
      operated on. Further, synovectomy was performed in eight noninfected knees. The
      rabbits were killed 3 or 7 weeks after the operation, and the specimens were
      examined macroscopically and microscopically. All the cultures taken
      postoperatively and at killing were negative. Infected knees synovectomized on
      Day 3 differed, although marginally, 3 weeks postoperatively from the operated
      on, uninfected group; a minor loss of cartilage cellularity and
      glycosaminoglycans was observed, but there were no changes indicating arthrosis.
      At 7 weeks postoperatively, this difference was more pronounced. If synovectomy
      was performed at a later stage, increased destruction was observed: after 7 days
      of infection, all the knees presented cloning and vascular crossing of the
      tidemark, indicating arthrosis, which did not differ from those knees treated
      with only antibiotics. We conclude that synovectomy performed early in the course
      of infection may stop the destructive influence of enzymes and of the synovial
      membrane leading to irreversible changes in the cartilage.

PMID- 1882669
TI  - Articular cartilage changes following meniscal lesions. Repair and meniscectomy
      studied in the rabbit knee.
AB  - A well-defined, longitudinal lesion in the avascular part of the medial meniscus
      of the right knee was made in 30 rabbits. After 3 months, the lesion was repaired
      surgically in 12 rabbits, was untreated in 12 rabbits, and a meniscectomy was
      performed in 6 rabbits. The articular cartilage was studied macroscopically and
      microscopically at 3-month intervals. Cartilage changes 3 months after
      meniscectomy were more pronounced than after meniscal repair or than in untreated
      lesions. However, meniscal repair did not reverse the cartilage changes.

PMID- 1882670
TI  - Complications of leg lengthening. 46 procedures in 28 patients.
AB  - The results and complications of 46 leg-lengthening procedures in 28 consecutive
      patients were analyzed retrospectively. There were 24 femoral and 22 tibial
      lengthenings, performed for short stature (5 patients) and limb-length
      discrepancy (23 patients). Three methods were used: diaphyseal osteotomy,
      metaphyseal corticotomy, and distraction physiolysis. In the second group a
      satisfactory result was obtained more often and a lower complication rate was
      observed. The overall complication rate was high: 45 substantial problems
      occurred. We conclude that leg lengthening is difficult, requiring good
      preoperative examination and planning, and should be carried out only in
      specialized centers.

PMID- 1882671
TI  - Intracapsular pressure in hip synovitis in children.
AB  - Scintimetry and intracapsular pressure recordings were performed in 10 painful
      hips in children. Maximum intracapsular pressures were recorded with the hip in
      extension or in 90 degrees of flexion. Minimum pressures were recorded with the
      hip in semiflexion. Extremely high pressures were recorded in extension/maximum
      internal rotation. In 3 cases the pressure exceeded the estimated systolic blood
      pressure. There was a close correlation between the volume of aspirated fluid and
      intracapsular pressure. In a case of septic arthritis, ischemia in the epiphysis
      was noted scintigraphically. This ischemia was reversed following decompression
      by aspiration.

PMID- 1882672
TI  - Effect of intracapsular hyperpressure on femoral head blood flow. Laser Doppler
      flowmetry in dogs.
AB  - Intracapsular hyperpressure in the hip joint of dogs affected femoral head blood
      flow, especially in the juvenile animals. Graphic recording of the laser Doppler
      signal curve using rapid sampling time demonstrated venous hip joint tamponade in
      both juvenile and adult dogs. Laser Doppler flowmetry seems to be a sensitive and
      reproducible method to demonstrate femoral-head blood-flow changes.

PMID- 1882673
TI  - Interlocking nailing of distal femoral fractures. 28 patients followed for 1-2
      years.
AB  - We treated 28 fractures of the distal femur with a Grosse-Kempf interlocking
      nail, and the patients were followed for at least 1 year. Five fractures did not
      unite, and the rest healed after 5 (3-7) months. Nail breakage was the most
      serious complication; and the more distal the fracture was, the more easily the
      nail broke. With the addition of a cast brace and protected weight bearing, a
      locked nail is a good type of fixation for distal femoral fractures down to 4 cm
      above the condyles.

PMID- 1882674
TI  - Ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures. Retrospective study of 33 cases.
AB  - Forty-two consecutive adult patients with a concomitant ipsilateral femoral neck
      and shaft fracture were treated. The neck fracture was initially missed in 7
      patients. Surgery was delayed for a median of 7 days because of the patients'
      poor general conditions. Thirty-three patients were followed up for 2 (1-6)
      years. All 33 necks healed, with a union period of 3.3 +/- 1.7 months; and 28
      shafts healed after 7.9 +/- 1.8 months. Thus, the femoral shaft determined the
      total union rate and union period. All the complications, (eight out of 33)
      occurred in the open procedure group. Our series reveals that ipsilateral femoral
      neck and shaft fractures have a relatively satisfactory outcome. Closed
      Kuntscher's nailing or interlocking nailing with supplementary Knowles' pinning
      is the preferable technique.

PMID- 1882675
TI  - Fracture healing of chick femurs in tissue culture.
AB  - Embryonic chick femurs were isolated, and a transverse osteotomy was performed at
      the midshaft. The femurs were transplanted individually onto the host
      chorioallantoic membrane and incubation continued. Cultured femurs were harvested
      at intervals from 1 to 9 days after the transplant. Histologic examinations
      showed that repair progressed rapidly: the fracture gap was invaded by blood
      vessels and fibrous ingrowth. Ossification followed, and the repair process was
      completed by Day 9.

PMID- 1882676
TI  - Carbon fiber for repair of the rotator cuff. A 4-year follow-up of 14 cases.
AB  - Thirteen patients with 14 large rotator cuff tears were operated on using carbon
      fiber to cover the defect. The median follow-up time was 4 years. In 11, 1, and 2
      cases the results were respectively excellent or good, fair, and poor. In 2 cases
      where the carbon fiber was anchored to the major tuberosity, a bone cyst was
      seen, but it did not influence the result. A carbon fiber tow application
      combined with Neer's anterior acromioplasty seems useful in the reconstruction of
      large tears of the rotator cuff.

PMID- 1882677
TI  - Tension-band wiring of olecranon fractures with nonsliding pins. Report of 20
      cases.
AB  - Twenty consecutive patients with displaced fractures of the olecranon were
      operated on using the tension-band wiring technique with a nonsliding pin. The
      patients were followed until clinical and radiographic healing or removal of the
      implant. Healing was uneventful in 19 patients after a median of 6 weeks.
      Redislocation occurred in 1 patient with a severely comminuted fracture. The
      design of the nonsliding pin eliminates outward pin migration, as well as
      migration into the medullary canal.

PMID- 1882678
TI  - Piroxicam-induced reduction in osteopenia after external fixation of rabbit
      tibia.
AB  - Twelve rabbits were treated with a unilateral external fixator in one tibia for
      12 weeks, while the other tibia served as an intact control. Half of the animals
      were also treated with 10 mg/kg/day of piroxicam, given in two daily oral doses.
      Changes in bone mineral content were determined using single photon
      absorptiometry. After 12 weeks, we found a 3 percent decrease in the bone mineral
      content in the tibia of the animals treated with piroxicam versus 9 percent in
      the nonpiroxicam group (P = 0.04). In the femurs, there was an insignificant
      decrease in bone mineral, 2 percent (piroxicam) and 1 percent (nonpiroxicam)
      respectively. The results indicate that piroxicam may reduce the osteopenia
      caused by external fixation.

PMID- 1882680
TI  - Talectomy for equinovarus deformity in arthrogryposis. A 13 (2-20) year review of
      17 feet.
AB  - Ten children (17 feet) with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and severe, rigid
      equinovarus deformity underwent talectomy to bring the foot plantigrade. One
      child had a bilateral talectomy after only one manipulation, whereas the others
      were operated on an average of three times before talectomy. After a mean follow
      up of 13 years, 14 out of 17 feet were satisfactory. We recommend that children
      with arthrogryposis and severe rigid equinovarus deformity be treated with
      talectomy before the expected age of walking.

PMID- 1882679
TI  - Locomotor problems in infantile facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
      Retrospective study of 9 patients.
AB  - A retrospective study of 9 patients with infantile facioscapulohumeral muscular
      dystrophy defines orthopedic deformities and progression. Patients presented in
      the early months of life with facial diplegia. Sensorineural hearing loss
      occurred in 8 out of 9 with a mean onset at 5 (2-9) years. Walking began at the
      normal time, but worsened progressively, which was due mainly to gluteus maximus
      muscle weakness. Scapular winging, extreme lumbar lordosis, and foot drop were
      characteristic. The majority of patients (in this and other series) lose walking
      ability in the second decade. Efforts to control lumbar lordosis by bracing while
      the patients were still walking were ineffective. Control of lumbar lordosis
      after the patients are wheelchair-dependent is important.

PMID- 1882682
TI  - Devitalizing effects of phenol on bone marrow cells. Histologic study on
      cadaveric animal vertebrae.
AB  - The devitalizing effects of 5-90 percent phenol for 30 seconds on bone marrow
      cells were examined on vertebral bodies of fresh animal cadavers. Evaluation was
      made by measuring the width of the zone of necrotic cells. The zone increased
      with rising phenol concentration up to 75 percent, reaching an average width of
      0.75 mm. However, when protected by bone trabeculae, the cells escaped
      devitalization.

PMID- 1882681
TI  - Spondyloenchondrodysplasia. A rare cause of short-trunk syndrome.

PMID- 1882683
TI  - Blood flow in chronic Achilles tendinosis. Radioactive microsphere study in
      rabbits.
AB  - Cerium-labeled microspheres were used for blood-flow measurements in 7 New
      Zealand white rabbits with exercise-induced chronic Achilles paratenonitis and
      tendinosis. The blood flow increased 1.9 times more on the exercised side as
      compared with the contralateral, unexercised (control) side with respect to both
      the tendon and the paratenon. The blood flow of the tendon of the exercised leg
      showed a strong correlation with the blood flow in the paratenon of the
      ipsilateral side (r = 0.81). We concluded that the relative contribution of blood
      from the paratenon to the tendon remained unaltered in the exercised tendon and
      that degeneration of the tendon cannot be primarily explained by chronic
      circulatory impairment.

PMID- 1882684
TI  - Diagnostic external fixation of two carpal bones. A technical note.
AB  - Ulnar midcarpal instability can be treated by ligament repair or by a partial
      arthrodesis between the triquetrum and the hamate. If a partial arthrodesis is
      planned, we perform an ultimate diagnostic test to determine whether or not a
      subsequent definitive partial arthrodesis would be effective in controlling the
      feeling of weakness and instability.

PMID- 1882685
TI  - Sacral osteomyelitis due to Nocardia asteroides. A case report.
AB  - Nocardial osteomyelitis is increasing in both immunocompetent and
      immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of a Nocardia asteroides infection of
      the sacrum in a 37-year-old man who was successfully treated surgically.

PMID- 1882686
TI  - Ganglion causing paralysis of the suprascapular nerve. Diagnosis by MRI and
      ultrasonography.
AB  - A 26-year-old man had a right infraspinatus muscle weakness and aching of the
      shoulder due to suprascapular nerve entrapment confirmed by electromyography. MRI
      revealed a well-defined area of increased signal intensity over the suprascapular
      notch. An ultrasonogram showed a homogeneous hypoechogenic area at the base of
      the scapular spine. A diagnosis was made of a ganglion compressing the inferior
      branch of the suprascapular nerve. After removal of several ganglia, the patient
      had immediate pain relief, and normal electromyographic findings were obtained 5
      months postoperatively.

PMID- 1882687
TI  - Transscaphoid perilunate dislocation with a dorsal dislocated proximal scaphoid
      fragment. Report of 2 cases.
AB  - Two patients with a dorsal transscaphoid perilunate dislocation with a dorsal
      dislocation of the proximal fragment of the scaphoid are described. Our 2 cases
      demonstrate that there can be a simultaneous fracture of the scaphoid and rupture
      of the scapholunate ligaments, which require open reduction and internal
      fixation.

PMID- 1882689
TI  - Simultaneous fracture of the ankle and disruption of the superior tibiofibular
      joint. A case report.
AB  - We report a case of fracture-dislocation of the ankle occurring together with a
      disruption of the superior tibiofibular joint. The simultaneous occurrence of
      these two lesions does not seem to have been reported previously.

PMID- 1882688
TI  - Transstyloid perilunate carpal dislocation. A case report.

PMID- 1882690
TI  - Patellar pain.

PMID- 1882691
TI  - Suicide on the paternal and maternal sides of depressed patients with a lifetime
      history of attempted suicide.
AB  - The computational model of Slater, based on the analysis of ancestral secondary
      cases on the paternal and maternal sides of the subjects, was applied to
      depressed patients with a lifetime history of attempted suicide, either violent
      or nonviolent, in order to investigate possible modes of transmission of suicidal
      behavior. Among 549 patients, 15 had 2 or more ascendant first- and second-degree
      relatives who committed suicide. The results of the distribution of these cases
      were compatible with polygenic inheritance of suicidal behavior in depressed
      patients with a history of attempted suicide. In patients using violent methods,
      a significantly greater loading of ancestral secondary cases of suicide was
      observed on the maternal side and, in the nonviolent attempter group, on the
      paternal side.

PMID- 1882692
TI  - Suicide risk varies by subtype of affective disorder.
AB  - A cohort study of mortality was conducted in which 4022 patients with affective
      disorder who were treated during 1976-1985 in a mental institution or community
      clinic operated by the province of Alberta, Canada, were followed to the end of
      1985. Vital status was determined by record linkage to the Statistics Canada
      Mortality Data Base. There were 326 deaths altogether, 96 from suicide. The
      standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all causes of death combined was 2.3, and
      for suicide the SMR was 26.0. The SMR was also elevated for mental, circulatory
      and respiratory disorders, but not for neoplasms. The principal objective of the
      study was to determine whether there was a gradient of increasing mortality risk
      across the following diagnostic subgroups: manic disorder, bipolar affective
      disorder and major depressive disorder. A trend was found for suicide but not for
      all causes of death combined. The pattern of risk persisted after adjustment for
      the covariates sex, age and marital status in a Cox regression analysis.

PMID- 1882693
TI  - Sexual abuse of girls: aspects of the genesis of mental disorders and therapeutic
      implications.
AB  - We studied the mental disorders of 33 women with a history of intrafamilial
      sexual abuse as a child and found a wide range of psychopathological symptoms,
      but no typical incest syndrome. Several psychosocial factors are presented and
      the psychodynamics of and the causative circumstances initiating the mental
      disorders are discussed. These circumstances were mainly situations of
      separation, which led to ego instability and gave rise to a feeling of
      helplessness and impotence. The necessity to take into consideration the
      possibility of sexual abuse during childhood in all cases of mental disorders as
      well as therapeutic guidelines are discussed.

PMID- 1882694
TI  - Suicide and other causes of death in a five-year follow-up of patients treated
      for self-poisoning in Oslo.
AB  - This 5-year follow-up study includes all patients (n = 934; 50% females) treated
      for self-poisoning in Oslo during 1 year. Seventeen percent were considered
      suicide attempts upon admission, 25% among the nonabusers and 8% among the
      abusers. At follow-up, 122 patients were dead (61% males). The mortality rate was
      highest among the abusers. The mortality rate was similar (13%) among those who
      were considered to be suicidal on admittance and those who were not. The causes
      of death were suicide (28%), opiate abuse (16%), heart disease (14%), accidents
      or wounds (11%), alcoholism (9%) and others (22%). The standard mortality rate
      was highly increased in all groups (8 times on average), highest among the female
      opiate abusers, whose rate was 63 times higher than expected. The increased
      suicide rates (87 times for females, 27 times for males), however, may be a more
      relevant measure of mental morbidity than the standard mortality rate. Logistic
      regression analysis demonstrated that male sex, age above 50 years and the lowest
      social group were factors on admission associated with death in the follow-up
      period. Age above 50 years and suicidal attempt on admission were associated with
      subsequent suicide. The study strongly supports the idea of self-destructiveness
      and slow suicide in substance abuse.

PMID- 1882695
TI  - Latencies of the P300 component of the auditory event-related potential in
      depression are related to the Bech-Rafaelsen Melancholia Scale but not to the
      Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
AB  - The relationship between severity of depression and the P300 latency of auditory
      event-related potential was investigated in 36 patients with a major depressive
      episode according to DSM-III. Positive correlations were found between of the
      P300 latency and the total score of the Bech-Rafaelsen Melancholia Scale (BRMS),
      the 4 retardation items of the BRMS (motor, verbal, intellectual and emotional)
      and the item for lowered mood. In contrast, latencies were not associated with
      the scores of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, which considers
      retardation to a lesser extent than the BRMS.

PMID- 1882696
TI  - Cerebrospinal fluid acetylcholinesterase in patients with dementia associated
      with schizophrenia or chronic alcoholism.
AB  - Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was determined for 11
      chronic schizophrenic patients with dementia, 9 patients with dementia associated
      with alcoholism and 8 age-equivalent control subjects. The AChE levels in both
      patient groups were unrelated to the degree of cognitive decline and they were in
      the same range as in the control group. In schizophrenic patients no relationship
      was found between CSF AChE and the severity of psychotic symptoms. Our results
      suggest that dementia may occur in these patient groups without CSF AChE
      involvement.

PMID- 1882697
TI  - Low brain uptake of L-[11C]5-hydroxytryptophan in major depression: a positron
      emission tomography study on patients and healthy volunteers.
AB  - The precursor of serotonin, L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP), was radiolabelled
      with 11C in the beta-position, yielding [beta-11C]serotonin after
      decarboxylation, allowing positron emission tomography studies of L-5-HTP uptake
      across the blood-brain barrier. We studied 8 healthy volunteers and 6 patients
      with histories of DSM-III major depression, 2 with repeated examinations after
      clinically successful treatment. We report a significantly lower uptake of [11C]5
      HTP across the blood-brain barrier in depressed patients, irrespective of phase
      of illness. The findings emphasize that serotonin is involved in depressive
      pathophysiology and support earlier suggestions that the transport of 5-HTP
      across the blood-brain barrier is compromised in major depression.

PMID- 1882698
TI  - Lithium alone or in combination with carbamazepine for the treatment of rapid
      cycling bipolar affective disorder.
AB  - The authors retrospectively examined the clinical outcome (after 1, 2 and 5 years
      of beginning the therapeutic protocols) for 16 rapid-cycling bipolar affective
      disorder patients given either lithium alone or lithium plus carbamazepine. The
      results suggest that both therapeutic protocols have been safe and clinically
      effective. However, improvement was observed earlier in the patients given
      lithium and carbamazepine.

PMID- 1882699
TI  - Alcohol abuse among elderly patients in a general hospital as identified by the
      Munich Alcoholism Test.
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol abuse among elderly
      patients in a general hospital. Scores on the Dutch version of the Munich
      Alcoholism Test (MALT) and medical records were obtained from 132 patients aged
      65 and over, staying at the University Hospital Leiden. According to the MALT, 9%
      of the elderly patients (13% of the men and 7% of the women) were classified as
      alcoholics. In contrast, the discharge diagnosis involved alcohol dependence or
      abuse for only 0.5% of the patients 65 years and over admitted in 1989. In this
      study, two thirds of the alcoholic patients were recognized by the attending
      physician. Vague symptoms as admission diagnosis occurred more frequently in
      alcoholics than in nonalcoholics. Regarding former medical diagnoses, alcoholics
      had suffered significantly more often from organic brain diseases. In comparison
      to nonalcoholics, elderly alcoholics used more psychotropic drugs.

PMID- 1882700
TI  - Mental disorders in first-degree relatives of schizophrenics.
AB  - A total 215 first-degree relatives of 88 twin probands with schizophrenia, mood
      disorders and nonaffective psychoses were studied. The twins' parents and
      siblings were personally interviewed with structured diagnostic instruments and
      diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria. The first-degree relatives were
      interviewed by interviewers who were blind to the twins' diagnoses. Schizophrenia
      and schizotypal personality disorder were significantly more frequent in first
      degree relatives of schizophrenic twins. Respectively, anxiety and mood disorders
      were significantly more prevalent among the parents and siblings of probands with
      mood disorders. Schizophrenic spectrum disorders were significantly more common
      in the families of schizophrenic probands compared with relatives of mood
      disorder probands, thus confirming a relationship between schizophrenia and
      schizophrenic spectrum disorders. However, we cannot, based on our study, specify
      whether this relationship is caused by genetic or environmental factors.

PMID- 1882701
TI  - Predicting course and outcome in delusional psychoses.
AB  - Eighty-four of 90 patients with delusional syndromes of different nosological
      attribution underwent a 7-year follow-up. From 179 items covering the whole
      spectrum of psychiatric description of index examination, 20 were found to be
      statistically significant in predicting different aspects of course and outcome
      by stepwise discriminant analysis. Course and outcome were defined by 6 criteria
      (course of illness, course of delusion, development of deficiency, length of
      inpatient care, adequate activity and social adjustment) encompassing separate
      (but only partly independent) aspects of a disorder. In contrast to the
      literature, clinical and psychopathological variables have major prognostic
      weight for different psychopathological as well as psychosocial aspects of
      outcome. Ten of the 20 significant items cover psychopathology, 4 pre-index
      course, 3 precipating events, 2 data from childhood, and 1 premorbid personality.
      Our results stress the importance of sensitive data collection and a clear
      separation of different outcome variables.

PMID- 1882703
TI  - Chemiluminescent 10-methyl-acridinium-9-(N-sulphonylcarboxamide) salts. Synthesis
      and kinetics of light emission.
AB  - 10-Methyl-acridinium-9-(N-sulphonylcarboxamide) salts are prepared via acylation
      of sulphonamides with acridine-9-carboxylic acid chloride and subsequent N
      alkylation with methyl triflate. Substituents on the sulphonamide component were
      varied to show the effect of steric and electronic factors on the kinetics of
      light output. The lifetime of the chemiluminescence light output ranged from 1 to
      50 seconds for the 15 compounds reported. The long-term stability of the new
      compounds was superior to the phenyl ester counterparts.

PMID- 1882702
TI  - Sixth mycelial fraction acetone (6-MFA), an interferon inducer modulates
      acrylamide neurotoxicity.
AB  - A single i.p. administration of an immunomodulatory agent 6-MFA (a biological
      response modifier and antiviral agent of fungal origin, 10 mg/100g b.wt.), on 5th
      day of repeated acrylamide (ACR, 50 mg/kg b.wt.) treatment significantly
      protected rats against its specific neurotoxic effects. Corpus striatal 3H
      spiperone binding elevated (24%) while glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity
      decreased (33%) in ACR group but values were markedly restored in 6-MFA alone and
      co-exposed group. Development of hind limb paralysis was also protected by 6-MFA.
      Results warrant the possible involvement of immune mechanisms and certain other
      factors such as lymphokines, hormones and microglia at the target site, which in
      turn facilitate the repair mechanism suggesting a therapeutic role of 6-MFA in
      clinical cases of toxic neuropathies in future.

PMID- 1882704
TI  - Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence in bovine eosinophils and neutrophils:
      differential increase of intracellular and extracellular chemiluminescence
      induced by soluble stimulants.
AB  - Luminol chemiluminescence was used to detect activation of the respiratory burst
      oxidase in bovine eosinophils and neutrophils. Extracellular and intracellular
      chemiluminescence were measured by supplementing the medium with horseradish
      peroxidase and catalase, respectively. Pure bovine eosinophils (greater than
      90%), maximally stimulated with 1 nmol/l phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)
      showed ten times more extracellular luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) than
      maximally stimulated pure bovine neutrophils (greater than 96%). Extracellular CL
      from eosinophils was preferably induced over intracellular CL by both PMA (27
      fold difference) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) at 2 mumol/l (9-fold
      difference), but not by calcium ionophore A23187 (15 mumol/l). Time course
      information was used in the following experiments to distinguish between the mode
      of action of various stimulants. A progressively longer lag period was observed
      in eosinophil suspensions treated with decreasing doses of PMA, whereas platelet
      activating factor induced a dose-dependent increase in the maximum response with
      no change in time to peak CL. The time course of extracellular CL was almost
      identical to intracellular CL for all stimulants tested, providing no evidence to
      suggest that extracellular CL stems from a different enzyme system than
      intracellular CL. Eosinophils generated most extracellular CL when stimulated
      with PMA, whereas neutrophils were most efficiently stimulated with A23187, which
      induced intracellular CL in eosinophils as well as in neutrophils. This accords
      with the greater tendency of neutrophils to ingest and kill microorganisms,
      whereas eosinophils are armed to destroy large extracellular targets.

PMID- 1882705
TI  - A luminometric method for the determination of ATP and phosphocreatine in single
      human skeletal muscle fibres.
AB  - A sensitive method for the analysis of ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) in single
      human skeletal muscle fibres is described. Muscle tissue was freeze-dried and
      single fibres were dissected free with the aid of low-power microscopy. The
      fibres were then extracted in trichloroacetic acid and neutralized with KHCO3.
      The assay is based on the continuous monitoring of light produced as a result of
      ATP degradation in the firefly luciferase reaction. PCr is measured as the amount
      of ATP formed in the creatine kinase reaction. The coefficient of variation was
      less than 4% for both ATP and PCr determination. The amount of tissue required
      for the assay is approximately 0.5 microgram (dry weight). The assay showed good
      agreement with spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatographic
      (HPLC) measurements made upon extracts of whole muscle tissue.

PMID- 1882706
TI  - Bovine serum albumin interacts with bacterial luciferase.
AB  - Bovine serum albumin (BSA) affects the amount of light obtained from bacterial
      luciferase by competing with luciferase for one of the luciferase substrates, the
      aldehyde. At low aldehyde concentrations BSA behaves as an inhibitor, but at high
      aldehyde concentrations BSA relieves substrate inhibition. BSA reversibly binds
      decanal with a Ksi = 3.36 mumol/l, approximately half the affinity of luciferase
      for decanal (KM = 1.5 mumol/l). BSA also increased the rate of intermediate II
      dark decay. The data suggest that this involves a direct protein-protein (BSA
      luciferase) interaction.

PMID- 1882707
TI  - Research on bio- and chemiluminescence in the Soviet Union.

PMID- 1882708
TI  - Measurement of rate constants for quenching singlet oxygen with a Cypridina
      luciferin analog (2-methyl-6-[p-methoxyphenyl]-3,7-dihydroimidazo [1,2-a]pyrazin
      3-one) and sodium azide.
AB  - The rate constants for [1O2] [MCLA] and [1O2] [NaN3] were measured by quenching
      the near-infrared emission (1 delta g----3 sigma g) in steady state with MCLA and
      NaN3, respectively. 1O2 was constantly generated by energy transfer to O2 from Ar
      laser-excited Rose Bengal. The Stern-Volmer plots yielded the second-order rate
      constants of 2.94 x 10(9) M-1 S-1 and 3.83 x 10(8) M-1 S-1 for quenching 1O2 with
      MCLA and NaN3 in water at pH 5.4, respectively. The 1O2 + MCLA reaction emitted
      light with maximum at 465 nm at pD 4.5 identical to the O(2-) + MCLA reaction.

PMID- 1882709
TI  - Direct chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for muramyl tripeptide phosphatidyl
      ethanolamine in plasma.
AB  - A competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay for quantitation of muramyl tripeptide
      phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (MTP-PE) in plasma has been developed. The assay is
      based on the use of an acridinium ester-labelled analogue of muramyl tripeptide
      and a rabbit antiserum. It includes an overnight incubation and a separation with
      a second antibody covalently coupled to paramagnetic particles. The sensitivity
      of detection is 0.012 nmol/l, the assay working range is 0.1-5 nmol/l, and the
      inter-assay CVs are less than or equal to 10%. Using up to 6000-fold sample
      dilutions, a wide working range (0.1-30,000 nmol/l) is obtained. Rat plasma
      samples were collected during and one day after intravenous infusion of MTP-PE.
      Following infusion, the concentrations in plasma declined multiphasically. Half
      life time was 0.37 h +/- 0.03 (mean +/- SD, alpha phase) and 1.76 h +/- 0.08
      (mean +/- SD, beta phase), clearance and volume of distribution were 0.09 +/-
      0.02 l/h x kg (mean +/- SD) and 0.06 +/- 0.01 l/kg (mean +/- SD) respectively.
      The use of an acridinium ester as a chemiluminescent (CL) label overcomes the
      problems associated with reagents of limited shelf-life.

PMID- 1882710
TI  - The effects of N-ethylmaleimide on extracellularly and intracellularly generated
      chemiluminescence in neutrophils indicate that the rate of deactivation of NADPH
      oxidase is higher when the oxidase system is localized on the plasma membrane
      than when it is localized on the phagosomal membrane.
AB  - Sustained generation of reactive oxygen metabolites following respiratory burst
      activation in neutrophils is a result of continued replenishment of a pool of
      active NADPH-oxidase. The sulphydryl-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) has
      been shown to be without effect on the turnover of activated NADPH-oxidase but to
      inhibit the replenishment of active oxidase molecules (Akard et al., 1988). NEM
      was thus used to determine the rate of deactivation of extracellularly and
      intracellularly generated chemiluminescence in human neutrophils. We have shown
      that deactivation is more rapid when activation leads to a release of oxygen
      metabolites (extracellular chemiluminescence) than when the metabolites are
      generated intracellularly. The results indicate that the rate of deactivation of
      NADPH-oxidase is higher when the oxidase system is localized on the plasma
      membrane than when it is localized on the phagosomal membrane.

PMID- 1882712
TI  - The Clinical Cooperative Trial. Guide to a critical approach.
AB  - The growing difference with regard to academic and professional accountability
      between neurosurgeons and neuroscience is alarming. Controlled clinical trials
      continue to be the most scientifically valid method of evaluating standard
      treatments against the risks and benefits of medical innovations. Clinical
      research becomes more rewarding as neurosurgeons gain familiarity with the
      particulars of the structure and relevance of expertly designed clinical
      cooperative trials. The basic principles and the significance of biometrical
      essentials (research hypothesis, comparability, randomized and non-randomized
      trials, phases of studies and planning steps) are briefly discussed. A guide to
      the pertinent literature is provided.

PMID- 1882711
TI  - The effect of detergents on firefly luciferase reactions.
AB  - The reaction rate of ATP-limited firefly luciferase-catalysed reactions, is
      affected by the presence of detergents. Anionic detergents inhibit luciferase
      activity without causing significant enzyme inactivation during the reaction.
      Cationic detergents increase reaction rate several-fold with a sharply defined
      optimum concentration of detergent for the effect. However, cationic detergents
      inactivate firefly luciferase during the reaction, resulting in a continuously
      decreasing reaction rate. Under such conditions, peak light intensity must be
      used as an indication of initial reaction rate. The inactivation rate increases
      with increasing detergent concentration. Non-ionic and zwitterionic detergents
      increase reaction rate over a broad range of detergent concentrations. Enzyme
      stability during the reaction is not affected by non-ionic detergents and only
      affected by zwitterionic detergents at high detergent concentration.
      Cyclodextrins, which can increase reaction rates of some chemiluminescent
      reactions, have little effect on firefly luciferase activity. Assays for ATP
      using firefly luciferase must be internally standardized by the constant addition
      technique in which a known amount of ATP is added to the test sample, since
      external calibration of such assays, by reference to a previously prepared
      standard curve, can lead to imprecision when detergents are present.

PMID- 1882713
TI  - Value of electroencephalogram in prediction and diagnosis of vasospasm after
      intracranial aneurysm rupture.
AB  - The Electroencephalogram (EEG) of 151 patients whose ruptured aneurysm was
      confirmed by CT scan and angiography was recorded on the first day (D1) and the
      fifth day (D5). On D1, EEG had a prognostic value: among 46 patients with normal
      EEG, 72% presented neither further electrical ischaemic features nor delayed
      angiographic vasospasm; on the other hand, when bilateral bursts of slow waves,
      "axial bursts" or slow delta waves were recorded (78 cases), 97% exhibited EEG
      signs of ischaemia and angiographic vasospasm a few days later. These data were
      clearly related to the importance of the haemorrhage, specially when thick clots
      in the subarachnoid cisterns were found on the CT scan. On D5, EEG had a
      diagnostic value: focal or asymetrical bilateral delta waves occurring at that
      date seemed to correspond to ischaemia; among 107 patients with these electrical
      features, an angiographic vasospasm appeared in 96% of cases, and the importance
      of electrical abnormalities could be related to the degree of arterial narrowing.
      We conclude that EEG data are very useful in prediction as well in recognition of
      post-subarachnoid haemorrhage ischaemia due to vasospasm and are sufficiently
      precise to postpone control angiography and operation, when delayed surgery is
      programmed.

PMID- 1882714
TI  - Medical and surgical treatment of intracerebellar haematomas.
AB  - 15 cases of intracerebellar haematomas [11 spontaneous, 2 traumatic and 2
      unclear] were presented. Hypertension was thought to be a main risk factor in 91%
      in 11 of the spontaneous cases. 11 cases were treated medically. They were
      usually conscious, scoring not less than 13 in GCS with subacute or chronic
      picture of illness and harbouring small haematomas below 3 cm in diameter
      situated almost always in the hemisphere and with no signs of ventricular
      dilation. Mortality in medically treated patients was 9% [1 case]. The remainder
      were discharged in good state, usually with no or only slight neurological
      deficit. Complete haematoma absorption took about 14 days. There were no signs of
      delayed hydrocephalus in subsequent CT scans. When the haematoma was large, more
      than 3 cm in diameter, located usually in the vermis or in the vermis and
      cerebellar hemisphere, sometimes with ventricular involvement, the clinical
      presentation was acute and required CT diagnosis and surgical evacuation without
      delay due to low and deteriorating conscious level. Postoperative mortality was
      25%, but delayed mortality was 100%. Vertebral angiography was performed in all
      cases of spontaneous haemorrhage and was normal in 54%, revealed atheromatous
      changes in 36% and the signs of cerebellar haematoma in only 10%. Arteriovenous
      malformations were excluded from this study. The authors believe, that the benign
      course of intracerebellar haematomas is more frequent than it was considered
      previously and needs no surgical treatment in many cases.

PMID- 1882715
TI  - Bilateral epidural haematoma.
AB  - Bilateral acute epidural haematoma are found in 2-10% cases. They are associated
      with high mortality. We have analysed twenty cases of bilateral epidural
      haematoma found over a period of eleven years. In 60% cases haematoma was across
      the midline and in 40% cases haematoma was found at different locations on either
      side. Skull fracture was present in 95% cases. Mortality in our series was 20%.

PMID- 1882716
TI  - Craniofacial resection for anterior skull base tumours.
AB  - This study presents a series of 10 patients with anterior skull base tumours,
      treated by a team of neurosurgeons and head- and neck surgeons. The series
      included 7 malignant tumours of the nose and paranasal sinuses and 1
      retinoblastoma, all with intracranial extension through the lamina cribrosa.
      There were also 2 patients with an anterior base meningioma, growing into the
      ethmoid sinus and the nasal cavity. 8 tumours were resected by a combined
      bifrontal craniotomy and uni- or bilateral rhinotomy. In 2 cases a bifrontal
      craniotomy alone without facial incision sufficed. The skull base was closed with
      a pediculated pericranial flap and a split-thickness free skin graft underneath.
      There were no postoperative problems of wound infection, CSF-leakage or
      meningitis. Recurrent tumour growth or systemic metastasis occurred in 5 out of 7
      patients with malignant tumours, 6 months to 2 years postoperatively. The related
      literature and especially questions of operative indications and technique,
      including different possibilities of closure and reconstruction of the skull
      base, are discussed.

PMID- 1882717
TI  - Correlations of female steroid hormone receptors with histologic features in
      meningiomas.
AB  - A series of 39 samples were obtained from meningiomas in 28 patients in order to
      investigate the relationships of the oestrogen receptor (OER) and progesterone
      receptor (PR) with the tumoural subtype and some histological features. Twenty
      one samples were positive (greater than 10 fmole/mg protein), 7 were OER-PR
      negative, and 1 was positive in both receptors. Twenty-two samples were
      considered as syncitial, 7 transitional, 7 fibroblastic and 3 angioblastic. The
      histological subtype was not found to be significantly related to the presence or
      absence of PR. Relations were not observed between the progestin receptor and the
      following histological parameters: cellular pattern, cell density, nuclear
      polymorphism, mitosis, lymphoplasmacellular infiltrates, degree of
      vascularization, psammoma bodies and interstitial fibrosis. Only the presence of
      intratumoural necrosis was significantly related with a low PR levels. However,
      progesterone binding activity was lower in tumours with numerous psammomas,
      fibroblastic cell pattern and interstitial fibrosis. The clinical and biological
      significance of these results is discussed.

PMID- 1882718
TI  - Posttraumatic ulnar neuropathy versus non-traumatic cubital tunnel syndrome:
      clinical features and response to surgery.
AB  - The outcome of 53 patients operated on either for posttraumatic ulnar neuropathy
      (PUN) or non-traumatic cubital tunnel syndrome (CTS) was reviewed after 3 years
      follow-up. Results were analyzed and compared considering the surgical technique
      used (neurolysis versus anterior transposition or combined) and a variety of
      clinical features that could influence outcome after nerve release. In the whole
      series, excellent outcome was obtained in 39 patients (73%). No major differences
      were found with the different surgical procedures. Slightly better results, but
      no statistically significant, were found in cases with CTS. As to clinical
      parameters, patients with CTS had a higher mean age, a shorter duration of
      symptoms and most were men. The presence of symptoms for more than one year
      before operation significantly diminished the chance of satisfactory recovery in
      cases with CTS, but not in those with PUN. For both CTS- and PUN-cases with
      symptoms for more than one year, neurolysis plus anterior transposition was the
      more useful technique. Our study shows that CTS and PUN differ to a certain
      extent in their clinical profile, electrophysiological findings and response to
      different surgical approaches and hence can be considered as two different
      clinical entities.

PMID- 1882719
TI  - Commercial external ventricular drainage sets: unsolved safety and handling
      problems.
AB  - Twelve commercially available sets for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid were
      tested for handling, design, features for fixation of the ventricular catheter,
      reliability of the anti-reflux valve, obstruction, efficiency of the air
      ventilation filter caps, accuracy of flow measurement and adjustment of flow,
      quality of material, adjustment, and cost. All systems showed considerable
      deficiencies in their reliability and handling. None of them can be recommended
      without certain restrictions and they should all be revised.

PMID- 1882720
TI  - Neurosurgical intensive care improves outcome after severe head injury.
AB  - The present study compares the clinical outcome, as expressed by the Glasgow
      outcome scale, of two groups of severely head injured patients treated before (49
      patients) and after (72 patients) the establishment of a neurosurgical intensive
      care (NIC) unit at the department of neurosurgery. Uppsala University Hospital.
      The number of "good recoveries" increased significantly after the establishment
      of the NIC. This was confirmed by univariate analysis (p less than 0.05) and by
      multivariate analysis using the logistic regression model to adjust for
      differences between the two groups of patients (p less than 0.05, p less than
      0.005). The most striking improvement was found in patients with a Glasgow coma
      motor score (GCSM) greater than or equal to 4 on admission. In this subgroup of
      patients the "good recoveries" increased from 15% to 52%. The object of NIC is
      basically to prevent or minimize secondary brain damage, and it seems logical
      that the effect of such care is most obvious in GCS M greater than or equal to 4
      patients in whom a good outcome can be anticipated if secondary damage can be
      prevented or minimized. In conclusion, the present study shows that improved
      clinical outcome after severe head injury can be achieved by organizing an NIC
      unit with a well trained staff capable of providing this care 24 hours a day
      using established methods of surveillance and treatment.

PMID- 1882721
TI  - Classification of supratentorial arteriovenous malformations. A score system for
      evaluation of operability and surgical strategy based on an analysis of 66 cases.
AB  - A classification of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) is proposed, which is based
      on a retrospective analysis of the records and results of radical operation in 57
      patients between 1983 and 1990. It represents the new developments and more
      recent technical facilities which influence operability of supratentorial AVMs.
      Predictability of outcome has been settled upon three groups of factors:
      anatomical, haemodynamical, and clinical. Anatomical factors are localisation and
      sectorisation of AVM, determination, caliber and straightening of feeding
      arteries. Haemodynamical factors are volume of AVM and vascular autoregulation,
      circulatory velocity of red blood cells in the main arteries of the neck and
      brain tissue cellular steal. Clinical factors are age, previous rupture of AVM,
      associated diseases and malformations of vital organs. Each of these factor
      groups has been divided into parameters to which a code number from 0 to 5
      according to the severity of the considered parameter has been attributed. When a
      contraindication for radical surgery was clearly obvious, as, for example, an AVM
      with extension to the upper brain stem, number 10 was given. This grading has
      been done by a team of four persons (3 neurosurgeons including the senior author,
      and one biophysicist). By adding up all code numbers an Operability Score for a
      given patient is defined by the number of points, with a minimum of 3 and a
      maximum of 69. In cases with a score higher than 30 surgery is not advisable. A
      score between 21 and 30 indicates that always several staged operations are
      required, whilst only some of the patients with a score between 11 and 20 may
      require two stage operative treatment. The AVM in patients with a score under 10
      can always be radically excised in a single stage operation. We have been able to
      demonstrate that the Operability Score allows a reliable prediction of outcome,
      thus giving indications and contraindications for surgery, and also for the
      surgical strategy. Moreover, we have explained why surgery had been refused in 9
      additional cases during the same period. The causes of 8 fatalities out of 57
      surgical cases are analyzed. These 57 cases represent a systematically explored
      series of the senior author; his experience is based upon 295 personal AVM cases
      (1958-1990).

PMID- 1882722
TI  - A comparative study of the Reaction Level Scale (RLS85) with Glasgow Coma Scale
      (GCS) and Edinburgh-2 Coma Scale (modified) (E2CS(M)).
AB  - In this work a new coma scale for the assessment of responsiveness in acute brain
      disorders, constructed near the year 1985 by Scandinavian investigators, the
      Reaction Level Scale (RLS85), is compared with two other coma scales namely: (i)
      the Glasgow Coma Scale: (GCS); (ii) the Edinburgh-2 Coma Scale, after
      modification: (E2CS(M)). The study proceeded in the form of a statistical
      analysis of assessments made on 46 patients according to RLS85 and GCS (i.e.,
      when comparison was with GCS) and on 28 patients according to RLS85 and E2CS(M).
      In all 74 cases two physicians participating as "observers" carried out the
      assessments. They were both contacting the patient--not together but-
      successively within a time interval of less than 20'. Hence the data appeared as
      "pairwise" observations for any of the three scales above. The results of the
      analysis, arising from a rather strict statistical reasoning, can be summarized
      as follows: (1) The rank correlation coefficient r(s) between: (i) RLS85 and GCS
      sum score, (ii) RLS85 and E2CS(M), was found to be at a satisfactory level
      meaning that all three scales indicate almost the same "ranking order of
      severity". (2) Reliability was compared by taking into account as to what extent
      the two observers agreed on RLS85 and--simultaneously--disagreed on the other
      scale. The "sign" test was applied and as a result RLS85 proved to be more
      reliable than; (i) GCS (EMY profile), (ii) GCS sum score, and (iii) E2CS(M), in
      all the above mentioned at a high level of significance. (3) Apart from the test
      above, some values of the index kappa (kappa) of interobserver agreement were
      calculated. Those corresponding to RLS85 are considerably higher. In particular
      the overall value based on 74 pairwise assessments amounted to kappa = 0.733
      associated with a standard error sigma(kappa) = 0.061. This was a satisfactory
      result regarding the features of RLS85. (4) As far as coverage is concerned,
      again--by the "sign" test--the predominance of RLS85 versus GCS (EMY profile) was
      accepted.

PMID- 1882723
TI  - Rapid determination of thalamic CT-stereotactic coordinates: a method.
AB  - The anterior and posterior commissures (AC; PC) are the most frequently used
      reference points for target determination in functional stereotactic surgery.
      Computerized tomography (CT) has been slow in replacing ventriculography for
      identification of these points, primarily because in most methods described to
      date, the AC/PC plane had to be identified by reformatted CT images or cumbersome
      mapping procedures. The authors describe their methodology for determination of
      functional CT-stereotactic coordinates using the Brown-Robert-Wells (BRW)
      stereotactic system, axial CT imaging, and a proportional method to rapidly scale
      standard stereotactic map coordinates to the diencephalic size of any individual
      patient. 1. CT gantry angulation coinciding with Twining's line allows rapid
      identification of the AC/PC plane on axial CT. 2. Determination of the AC/PC
      distance with the "measure distance" function of the scanner enables the surgeon
      to rapidly find the proportional coordinates for either V.O.P., V.im., or V.C. 3.
      This localization method takes little more time than a routine stereotactic
      biopsy. Its application is easy, demanding only a few minutes of CT-console time,
      employing the standard computer software available in every current CT scanner.
      The method was been successfully employed in 25 functional thalamic procedures.

PMID- 1882724
TI  - Pathogenesis and treatment of delayed post-traumatic syringomyelia.
AB  - The role of trauma in the pathogenesis of syringomyelia has been known for a long
      time. Repeated microtraumata have been considered to play a role in triggering
      the classical syringomyelia on the basis of a congenital predisposition. It has
      been proven that post-traumatic arachnoiditis can cause cavitation in the spinal
      cord and probably syringomyelia stricto sensu as well. The delayed appearance of
      syringomyelia after a severe single spinal trauma resulting in contusion of the
      spinal cord without the complication of arachnoiditis is a more recent issue, but
      is now well-known. Delayed syringomyelia after a minor single spinal trauma, with
      at first complete recovery, is extremely rare, and is probably often disregarded
      as a diagnosis. Having studied such a case, with complete neuroradiological work
      up, we want to draw attention to the pathogenetic aspects and the possibilities
      for treatment, of which the syringoperitoneal shunt seems to be the most
      efficient one.

PMID- 1882725
TI  - Sturge-Weber-Dimitri disease? In association with an astrocytoma.
AB  - A patient with parieto-occipital cortical calcification characteristic of Sturge
      Weber-Dimitri disease (SWDD) is of interest in that she lacked the facial
      portwine lesion and almost all other features of the disease. She subsequently
      developed an astrocytoma in the underlying white matter. Although the absence of
      the facial lesion in SWDD has previously been described, there has been no report
      of a glioma developing in such a patient. The association of SWDD and astrocytoma
      in this case most likely has been fortuitous.

PMID- 1882726
TI  - Inositol metabolism in yeasts.
AB  - Because of its accessibility to genetic and molecular studies, Sacch. cerevisiae
      is an attractive organism in which to pursue studies of the complex roles of
      phosphoinositides and other inositol-containing metabolites. Biochemical studies
      have clearly demonstrated that PI, PIP, PIP2 and the inositol phosphates derived
      from them exist in Sacch. cerevisiae. It is clear that they are synthesized and
      turned over following pathways similar to those described in higher eukaryotes.
      Recent studies on yeast have also suggested that inositol phospholipids may play
      roles in complex signalling pathways similar to those detected in animal cells.
      In addition, inositol has been demonstrated to function in yeast as a global
      regulator of phospholipid synthesis. This regulation occurs on a transcriptional
      level and is highly complex. It is not yet known whether similar inositol
      mediated regulation of phospholipid synthesis occurs in other eukaryotes.

PMID- 1882727
TI  - The bacterial flagellum and flagellar motor: structure, assembly and function.
AB  - The bacterial flagellum is a complex multicomponent structure which serves as the
      propulsive organelle for many species of bacteria. Rotation of the helical
      flagellar filament, driven by a proton-powered motor embedded in the cell wall,
      enables the flagellum to function as a screw propeller. It seems likely that
      almost all of the genes required for flagellar formation and function have been
      identified. Continuing analysis of the portions of the genome containing these
      genes may reveal the existence of a few more. Transcription of the flagellar
      genes is under the control of the products of a single operon, and so these genes
      constitute a regulon. Other controls, both transcriptional and post
      transcriptional, have been identified. Many of these genes have been sequenced,
      and the information obtained will aid in the design of experiments to clarify the
      various regulatory mechanisms of the flagellar regulon. The flagellum is composed
      of several substructures. The long helical filament is connected via the flexible
      hook to the complex basal body which is located in the cell wall. The filament is
      composed of many copies of a single protein, and can adopt a number of distinct
      helical forms. Structural analyses of the filament are adding to our
      understanding of this dynamic polymer. The component proteins of the hook and
      filament have all been identified. Continuing studies on the structure of the
      basal body have revealed the presence of several hitherto unknown basal-body
      proteins, whose identities and functions have yet to be elucidated. The proteins
      essential for energizing the motor, the Mot and switch proteins, are thought to
      exist as multisubunit complexes peripheral to the basal body. These complexes
      have yet to be identified biochemically or morphologically. Not surprisingly,
      flagellar assembly is a complex process, occurring in several stages. Assembly
      occurs in a proximal-to-distal fashion; the basal body is assembled before the
      hook, and the hook before the filament. This pattern is also maintained within
      the filament, with monomers added at the distal end of the polymer; the same is
      presumably true of the other axial components. An exception to this general
      pattern is assembly of the Mot proteins into the motor, which appears to be
      possible at any time during flagellar assembly. With the identification of the
      genes encoding many of the flagellar proteins, the roles of these proteins in
      assembly is understood, but the function of a number of gene products in
      flagellar formation remains unknown.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

PMID- 1882728
TI  - Mechanical behaviour of bacterial cell walls.

PMID- 1882729
TI  - The physiological activity of bacteria attached to solid surfaces.

PMID- 1882730
TI  - Organic acids: chemistry, antibacterial activity and practical applications.

PMID- 1882731
TI  - Development of the first fellowship training program in neuroradiology in North
      America.

PMID- 1882732
TI  - Is there a scientist in the house? An endangered species: the neuroradiologist as
      clinician-investigator.

PMID- 1882733
TI  - Angiography in patients with occlusive cerebrovascular disease: views of a stroke
      neurologist and neuroradiologist.

PMID- 1882734
TI  - Hyperglycemia augments ischemic brain injury: in vivo MR imaging/spectroscopic
      study with nicardipine in cats with occluded middle cerebral arteries.
AB  - Hyperglycemia is often associated with an increased frequency of cerebrovascular
      disease and exacerbation of neuronal injury in focal ischemic cerebral
      infarction. We used a combination of high-field proton MR imaging and 1H and 31P
      MR spectroscopy to investigate whether hyperglycemia would adversely influence
      cerebral metabolism and eventual infarct size following unilateral occlusion of
      the middle cerebral artery (MCA) of cats pretreated with the calcium channel
      blocker nicardipine. Normoglycemic animals injected with 10 micrograms/kg of
      nicardipine (8 micrograms.kg-1.hr-1 maintenance dose) manifested only mild
      disturbances in phosphorus metabolism and cerebral pH regulation compared with
      untreated controls, and showed a significant reduction in infarct size 7 hr after
      MCA occlusion. By comparison, hyperglycemic cats (plasma glucose, 200-300 mg/dl)
      had significantly reduced cerebral high-energy phosphates, elevated lactic acid,
      and larger ischemic lesions in the occluded MCA territory, irrespective of
      whether they were treated with nicardipine. These results indicate that moderate
      hyperglycemia can exaggerate ischemic brain damage by enhancing formation of
      tissue lactic acid and impairing normal phosphorus metabolism. One implication of
      this study is that dextrose should not be provided to patients with acute
      ischemic stroke.

PMID- 1882735
TI  - Cerebral ischemia: evaluation with contrast-enhanced MR imaging.
AB  - Eighty patients with a total of 82 ischemic lesions were examined with contrast
      enhanced MR imaging 1 hr to 1 month after onset of symptoms. The studies were
      reviewed retrospectively to determine the presence of arterial enhancement and
      the patterns of parenchymal enhancement. Arterial enhancement was often detected
      on the initial MR examination (45%), was frequently demonstrated in cortical
      infarction (86%), in some cases preceded the development of signal changes on T2
      weighted images, and resolved by 11 days. The presence of arterial enhancement
      appeared to be a better indicator of clinical severity than was the presence of
      proximal vessel occlusion on MR or angiographic studies. Two patterns of
      parenchymal enhancement were seen: progressive enhancement and early and/or
      intense enhancement. In patients with the progressive pattern, parenchymal
      enhancement on postcontrast T1-weighted images was rarely seen before 7 days,
      while signal abnormalities on T2-weighted images were intense during the first
      few days. The early and/or intense enhancement pattern was usually present within
      the first 3 days, approximated or exceeded the area and intensity of signal
      changes on T2-weighted images, and was usually associated with minimal or
      reversible neurologic sequelae (except when located in or near a watershed zone),
      suggesting a lesser degree of ischemic insult than was associated with the
      progressive pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882736
TI  - Dilated intercavernous sinuses: an MR sign of carotid-cavernous and carotid-dural
      fistulas.
AB  - Dilated venous channels traversing the sella and connecting the two cavernous
      sinuses were seen on contrast-enhanced MR images in four patients with
      angiographically proved carotid fistulas. The anatomy and variations of these so
      called intercavernous sinuses are discussed and are demonstrated in Latex
      injected anatomic specimens. Direct visualization of the intercavernous sinuses
      on contrast-enhanced MR images may serve as an ancillary sign for the diagnosis
      of carotid-cavernous or carotid-dural fistulas near the sella.

PMID- 1882737
TI  - Physiologic mechanisms underlying the delayed delta sign.
AB  - The negative or empty delta sign is considered to be nearly pathognomonic of
      superior sagittal sinus thrombosis on contrast-enhanced CT scans. We describe a
      visually similar sign, seen in five (10%) of 50 patients who had delayed cranial
      CT scans performed at intervals greater than 30 min after injection of contrast
      material. This new sign (which we call the delayed delta sign) closely mimics the
      classic negative delta sign and may thus represent a potential visual pitfall
      leading to an erroneous diagnosis of sagittal sinus thrombosis if only
      postcontrast images are viewed. The physiologic mechanisms underlying the
      appearance of the delayed delta sign are discussed.

PMID- 1882738
TI  - MR imaging of reversible cyclosporin A-induced neurotoxicity.
AB  - Neurotoxicity is a recognized complication of cyclosporin A (CsA) therapy in
      patients undergoing organ transplantation. It is most commonly manifested by
      fever, seizures, and altered mental status. Cortical blindness and speech and
      motor disturbances can also occur. Changes seen in cerebral white matter on
      imaging studies are nonenhancing areas of hypoattenuation on CT and T2
      prolongation on MR. We report three cases of CsA-induced neurotoxicity in which
      reversible changes were observed in the cerebral white matter. In the first
      patient, CsA neurotoxicity occurred 1 week following orthotopic liver
      transplantation. In the second patient, CsA neurotoxicity coincided with an
      episode of severe systemic hypertension 4 weeks after cardiac transplantation.
      The third patient experienced seizures 1 month after heart/lung transplantation
      for cystic fibrosis. A current theory postulates a relationship between
      diminished serum cholesterol and CsA neurotoxicity. This theory, however, does
      not satisfactorily address all cases of CsA neurotoxicity. In particular, serum
      cholesterol measurements were normal in cases 2 and 3 and probably were normal in
      case 1, despite diminished cholesterol levels preoperatively. Although the matter
      of CsA-induced neurotoxicity remains unresolved, we suggest that endothelin, a
      newly described neuropeptide that causes intense vasoconstriction and that has
      been implicated in cerebral vasospasm, may potentiate CsA-induced damage to
      endothelium and promote CsA neurotoxicity.

PMID- 1882739
TI  - Reduced hypothalamic blood flow after radiation treatment of nasopharyngeal
      cancer: SPECT studies in 34 patients.
AB  - To determine the effect of cranial irradiation on hypothalamic blood flow, we
      performed 44 regional cerebral blood flow studies with 99mTc hexamethyl
      propyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) single-photon emission CT (SPECT) on four normal
      volunteers and 34 patients with pathologically proved nasopharyngeal cancer.
      Twenty-three men and 15 women, 30-65 years old, were divided into four study
      groups: group 1 served as a control and consisted of four normal volunteers and
      six patients studied prior to cranial irradiation; group 2 patients had cranial
      irradiation half a year before the SPECT study (n = 12, one from group 1); group
      3 patients were irradiated 1 year before the study (n = 13, three from group 1
      and two from group 2); and group 4 patients were irradiated at least 5 years
      before SPECT imaging (n = 9). Six patients were studied twice. Quantification of
      the 99mTc-HMPAO brain SPECT studies was done separately by three radiologists to
      obtain the hypothalamus/occipital (H/O) and hypothalamus/parasagittal (H/P)
      ratios. Endocrinologic studies were performed in all cases and the hypothalamus
      thyrotroph-thyroid, hypothalamus-gonadotroph-testis (ovary), hypothalamus
      lactotroph, hypothalamus-somatotroph, and hypothalamus-corticotroph-adrenal axes
      were evaluated separately. We determined that regional hypothalamic blood flow
      was reduced after cranial irradiation in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. The
      H/O ratio of groups 3 and 4 did not differ from that of group 2 (one-half year
      after cranial irradiation). The H/O ratio was significantly reduced 6 months and
      1 year after cranial irradiation; mean +/- SD = 0.5801 +/- 0.0829 (p less than
      .025), 0.5725 +/- 0.0791 (p less than .01) versus 0.6477 +/- 0.0458 before
      cranial irradiation, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882740
TI  - Generalized seizure after i.v. administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine.

PMID- 1882741
TI  - Flow-sensitive MR imaging of ventriculoperitoneal shunts: in vitro findings,
      clinical applications, and pitfalls.
AB  - To determine ventriculoperitoneal shunt patency during routine MR imaging of the
      head, 23 patients were studied with T1-weighted fast-field-echo scans. Without
      knowledge of the results of previous MR/CT studies or of the patients' clinical
      history, we reviewed the fast-field-echo studies and divided them according to
      those judged to have shunt flow (18) and those judged not to have flow (five).
      Fast-field-echo sequences showed high signal intensity, consistent with CSF flow
      and shunt patency in 17 medium-pressure systems and one high-pressure system. No
      signal was seen in five patients with high-pressure valve shunts. Combined
      clinical evaluation and MR/CT studies showed that three patients had probable
      shunt malfunction. One patient had true shunt malfunction; and although
      malfunction was thought to be present in two symptomatic patients, surgical
      revision showed the shunts to be patent. The possibility of temporary shunt
      obstruction is postulated to explain the clinical and MR findings in those two
      cases. The remaining two cases (9% of the patients) had no clinical evidence of
      shunt malfunction, and the MR findings probably reflected periodic CSF flow. One
      patient had an intracranial segment that was not connected and showed no flow on
      MR. No false-positive results (apparent flow in a nonfunctioning shunt) occurred.
      Using a standard medium-pressure shunt system, we constructed and imaged a
      phantom, which confirmed our clinical observations. T1-weighted fast-field-echo
      sequences may be useful in assessing patency of medium-pressure CSF shunt
      systems.

PMID- 1882742
TI  - Flow-sensitive MR imaging of ventriculoperitoneal shunts: in vitro findings,
      clinical applications, and pitfalls.

PMID- 1882743
TI  - Optimizing brain MR imaging protocols with gadopentetate dimeglumine: enhancement
      of intracranial lesions on spin-density- and T2-weighted images.
AB  - To determine whether long TR MR imaging is best performed before or after IV
      administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine, we obtained spin-density- and T2
      weighted images before and after contrast administration in 21 patients with
      known intracranial enhancing lesions. Of 25 lesions demonstrating enhancement on
      T1-weighted sequences, 21 showed mild or moderate enhancement on spin-density
      weighted sequences and 20 showed mild enhancement on T2-weighted sequences.
      Importantly, no spin-density or T2 information was obscured by the administration
      of gadopentetate dimeglumine, and no T2 shortening effects were visible. Two new
      foci of enhancement were visible on postcontrast spin-density- and T2-weighted
      images that were missed on postcontrast T1-weighted images and on precontrast
      spin-density- and T2-weighted studies. Visualization of new areas of enhancement
      is the main advantage provided by the long TR images obtained after IV injection
      of gadopentetate dimeglumine. The most likely reason for the appearance of these
      newly visualized lesions is thought to be delayed enhancement. This imaging
      protocol also allows the display of adjacent edema or gliosis and enhancing
      lesions on a single image. Additionally, in three cases, posterior fossa phase
      shift artifacts raised the suspicion of an enhancing lesion on postcontrast T1
      weighted images, but the cerebellum was shown to be normal on the postcontrast
      spin-density- and T2-weighted studies. On the basis of our results, we recommend
      obtaining long TR images after rather than before the administration of
      gadopentetate dimeglumine in patients with intracranial enhancing lesions.

PMID- 1882744
TI  - Composite addition technique: a new method in CT scanning of the posterior fossa.

PMID- 1882746
TI  - MR imaging of incomplete band heterotopia.

PMID- 1882745
TI  - Neurocutaneous melanosis and temporal lobe tumor in a child: MR study.

PMID- 1882747
TI  - Hemolytic uremic syndrome: MR findings of CNS complications.

PMID- 1882748
TI  - MR imaging of an extreme case of cerebellar ectopia in a patient with Chiari II
      malformation.

PMID- 1882749
TI  - MR imaging of primary trochlear nerve neoplasms.
AB  - We present the clinical, anatomic, and MR imaging findings in six patients with
      seven primary trochlear nerve neoplasms, as well as the MR and clinical criteria
      that serve to establish the diagnosis of these rare cranial nerve neoplasms.
      Three patients had a history of neurofibromatosis and five patients had clinical
      evidence of a trochlear nerve palsy. Six of seven neoplasms produced localized,
      fusiform enlargement of the proximal cisternal segments of the trochlear nerves.
      The lesions that were visible on noncontrast MR scans (T1-, T2-, and proton
      density-weighted) had signal intensities that were virtually identical to normal
      brain parenchyma. All lesions showed intense, homogeneous enhancement on contrast
      enhanced scans. Contrast-enhanced imaging was necessary for the detection of five
      of seven lesions and greatly increased the value of the MR study in all six
      patients.

PMID- 1882750
TI  - MR appearance of intraorbital granular cell tumor: a case report.

PMID- 1882751
TI  - Orbital varices: a new technique for noninvasive diagnosis.

PMID- 1882752
TI  - Middle ear cholesteatoma extending into the petrous apex: evaluation by CT and MR
      imaging.
AB  - CT and MR imaging findings were reviewed in four cases of acquired cholesteatoma
      of the middle ear that extended medially into the petrous apex and middle cranial
      fossa. In one case the lesion further extended anteromedially into the sphenoid
      sinus. CT demonstrated the lesions as nonenhancing hypodense masses with bone
      destruction, extending medially from the middle ear cavity to the petrous apex
      region. On MR imaging, the lesion was slightly hypointense relative to brain on
      T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. MR imaging clearly
      delineated the extraaxial location of the lesion and associated brain
      displacement. The medial extension of the cholesteatomas seems to have proceeded
      via a detour around the bony labyrinth into the petrous apex region by following
      normal pathways of temporal bone pneumatization.

PMID- 1882753
TI  - Nasopharyngeal and temporal bone blastomycosis: CT and MR findings.

PMID- 1882754
TI  - Spontaneous drainage of an ethmoidal mucocele: a possible cause of pneumosinus
      dilatans.

PMID- 1882755
TI  - Ventriculus terminalis of the conus medullaris: MR imaging in four patients with
      congenital dilatation.
AB  - MR findings in four patients with MR evidence of congenital cystic dilatation of
      the ventriculus terminalis were reviewed retrospectively. The ventriculus
      terminalis is a small cavity of the conus medullaris that forms during embryonic
      development as result of canalization and retrogressive differentiation. The
      dilated ventriculus terminalis appears on MR images as a small ovoid cavity with
      regular margination; intralesional fluid resembles cerebrospinal fluid on all MR
      sequences. After injection of contrast material, MR imaging shows no enhancement
      of the cyst or its wall, and thus differentiates congenital dilatation of the
      ventriculus terminalis from cystic tumors, which occur more frequently in this
      region.

PMID- 1882756
TI  - Venous infarction of the spinal cord resulting from dural arteriovenous fistula:
      MR imaging findings.
AB  - Three patients with spinal dural arteriovenous fistula presented with acute
      and/or progressive myelopathy. The thoracic cord was focally enlarged and poorly
      defined on MR images in two of the patients. One individual showed focal cord
      atrophy, and one demonstrated abnormal intrathecal vessels. In all patients MR
      studies revealed cord enhancement after IV administration of gadopentetate
      dimeglumine. The MR findings are believed to represent disruption of the blood
      cord barrier associated with cord ischemia and/or infarction, which, in turn, is
      caused by venous stasis resulting from the fistula. The diagnosis in each case
      was confirmed by the combined results of myelography, spinal arteriography, and
      surgery. Surgical excision or embolization of the fistula produced a poor return
      of lost function but an arrest in the progression of paresis. One of the patients
      had constant severe back and leg pain postoperatively, and a follow-up MR study 5
      months after surgery showed focal atrophy and persistent enhancement of the
      thoracic cord. The patient with preoperative focal cord atrophy had an MR
      examination 1 year prior to surgery, which revealed enhancement of the cord
      similar to that seen on the immediate preoperative MR study. This patient also
      had severe pain in the back and lower extremities preoperatively, which
      accompanied her progressive paraparesis. It is believed that long-standing
      enhancement of the spinal cord in patients with dural arteriovenous fistula
      probably results from chronic progressive venous ischemia, which may be
      irreversible and cause pain of a central type.

PMID- 1882758
TI  - Technical note. Device to facilitate MR imaging of patients in skeletal traction.

PMID- 1882757
TI  - Spinal epidural angiolipoma: MR findings.

PMID- 1882759
TI  - Intracerebral gangliogliomas in patients with partial complex seizures: CT and MR
      imaging findings.
AB  - The clinical and radiologic findings in 19 patients with partial complex seizures
      and surgically proved intracerebral gangliogliomas were reviewed to characterize
      the radiologic features of these lesions. The CT and MR findings were not
      specific. On CT the gangliogliomas can be hypodense with no enhancement and they
      often have calcifications. On MR these tumors have a wide variety of signals. In
      five of our cases the tumor had a high-intensity signal with a cystlike component
      on proton density- and T2-weighted images. In five cases the lesion had an
      inhomogeneously intense signal on proton density-weighted images and high signal
      intensity on T2-weighted images. The tumor had high-intensity signal on both
      proton density- and T2-weighted images in four patients. Finally, in two cases
      the MR findings were normal. We recommend MR as the examination of choice for
      patients with partial complex seizures because it allows an artifact-free
      evaluation of the temporal region. However, CT should also be performed in order
      to recognize calcifications that may be missed on the MR examination.

PMID- 1882760
TI  - MR findings in extracerebral cavernous angiomas of the middle cranial fossa:
      report of two cases and review of the literature.

PMID- 1882761
TI  - Prominent dural enhancement adjacent to nonmeningiomatous malignant lesions on
      contrast-enhanced MR images.
AB  - Prominent dural enhancement was noted in 10 (16%) of 61 superficial malignant
      intracranial tumors studied with contrast-enhanced MR imaging during a 2-year
      period. Included were six glioblastomas, three parenchymal metastases, and one
      case of dural metastasis. Seven patients had surgery. In four, there was
      extensive leptomeningeal invasion in the center of the lesion. In two of these
      lesions there was firm attachment of the center of the tumor to the dura, but
      without dural invasion despite extensive external carotid artery supply to the
      tumor in one case. In two cases the overlying dura was normal, and there was no
      leptomeningeal tumoral invasion. In the case of dural metastasis, huge nodular
      lesions were present along the inner aspect of the dura. In none of the cases did
      prominent dural enhancement adjacent to the tumor correspond with tumoral
      invasion or extension to the dura. Prominent dural enhancement on contrast
      enhanced MR images appears to be much less frequent in malignant tumor than in
      meningioma, where it is seen in up to 60% of the cases. We believe this finding
      is more likely to represent reactive changes of the dura than tumoral invasion.

PMID- 1882762
TI  - Neurocytoma accompanied by intraventricular hemorrhage: case report and
      literature review.

PMID- 1882763
TI  - Unusual MR and CT appearance of an epidermoid tumor.

PMID- 1882764
TI  - Enhancement of pineal cysts on MR images.

PMID- 1882765
TI  - Embolization of arteriovenous malformations of the temporal lobe via the anterior
      choroidal artery.
AB  - The indications, technique, and results of embolization of arteriovenous
      malformations with liquid adhesive agents delivered through the anterior
      choroidal artery are reported. Arteriovenous malformations of the temporal lobe
      were found in four patients with intracerebral bleeding and two with intractable
      epilepsy. In five of the six, the dominant arterial feeder was the anterior
      choroidal artery. All patients underwent superselective catheterization of the
      anterior choroidal artery and embolization of the arteriovenous malformation.
      Complications related to the anterior choroidal artery embolization developed
      after embolization in one patient, after which we changed our technique of
      embolizing arteriovenous malformations via this artery. A thorough understanding
      of the functional anatomic structures supplied by each segment of the artery is
      important. Guidelines for safe catheterization and embolization are given.
      Embolization of arteriovenous malformations fed predominantly by the anterior
      choroidal artery is difficult and dangerous. An understanding of the functional
      anatomy of this artery and proper technique can enable successful embolization of
      arteriovenous malformations via this route.

PMID- 1882766
TI  - Cranial osteopetrosis: MR findings.

PMID- 1882767
TI  - Growing skull fracture simulating a rounded lytic calvarial lesion.

PMID- 1882769
TI  - Neurologic involvement in Behcet disease: imaging findings in 16 patients.
AB  - Behcet disease is a rare multisystem immune-related vasculitis that is prevalent
      in Japan, the Middle East, and many Mediterranean countries. In our study
      population of 36 patients with Behcet disease, 16 (44%) had CNS involvement. CT
      was noncontributory, except in a single patient with dural sinus thrombosis. MR
      imaging in nine patients showed foci of high signal intensity on T2-weighted
      images within the brainstem, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral hemispheres in
      that order of frequency. Unlike the plaques associated with multiple sclerosis,
      Behcet lesions show no predilection for the periventricular regions.

PMID- 1882768
TI  - Integrated MR imaging and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a
      family with an X-linked spastic paraparesis.
AB  - Seven members of a family with an X-linked spastic paraparesis syndrome were
      analyzed by MR imaging and stimulated echo, solvent-suppressed proton nuclear
      magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The MR scans of three symptomatic males and two
      asymptomatic females demonstrated abnormal signal in the supratentorial white
      matter. Each of these patients had a proton spectroscopic examination of a 2 X 2
      X 2 cm voxel localized to the abnormal white matter of the centrum semiovale. The
      spectra demonstrated depression of N-acetyl aspartate/creatine, N-acetyl
      aspartate/choline, and creatine/choline ratios compared with normal control
      subjects. Additionally, these patients had abnormal elevations of amino acid
      resonances in the 2.1-3.0 ppm range. In a patient with symmetric white matter
      signal intensity abnormalities, an asymmetric spectroscopic study correlated with
      asymmetric symptoms. One asymptomatic family member with a normal MR study had
      abnormal metabolite ratio measurements. She was referred for further evaluation,
      since the proton spectrum suggested she may possess the affected gene. If the
      findings in this study are duplicated in other cases of hereditary dysmyelinating
      syndromes, we believe the integrated MR/proton nuclear magnetic resonance
      spectroscopy examination will be of benefit in evaluating and counseling families
      with familial dysmyelinating disorders.

PMID- 1882770
TI  - Iohexol CT ventriculogram of multiple cerebral hydatid cysts.

PMID- 1882772
TI  - Intimal tears of the right atrium of the heart due to blunt force injuries to the
      abdomen. Its mechanism and implications.
AB  - We present six cases involving intimal tears of the right atrium of the heart. A
      proposed mechanism for this injury is discussed, along with implications of the
      lesion in fatally abused children and traumatized older patients who survive
      until hospitalization.

PMID- 1882771
TI  - Tuberous sclerosis: CT and MR findings.

PMID- 1882773
TI  - Firearms and adult, domestic homicides. The role of alcohol and the victim.
AB  - An epidemiological study was conducted to characterize adult, domestic homicides
      committed with firearms and to determine the role of alcohol intoxication in the
      likelihood of becoming a homicide victim. Data on 129 homicides in Ohio occurring
      between 1982 and 1985 were collected from police departments of major cities, the
      Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, and county medical examiners.
      Forty-eight offenders were interviewed. Temporal and geographical patterns are
      discussed, as well as offender-victim relationships and the characteristics of
      the firearms used. High levels of blood alcohol in the victims suggest that
      alcohol is a risk factor for becoming a homicide victim, although data on alcohol
      consumption patterns in the population are necessary to advance this association.

PMID- 1882774
TI  - The moving, projected, annual total. A kinetic prognostic entity.
AB  - A simple, inexpensive method of prognostically calculating and graphically
      recording annual case loads of the various deaths investigated by today's
      medicolegal offices is presented. Graphic depiction of the numerical data
      provides a convenient way to compare current prognostications with the records of
      preceding years.

PMID- 1882775
TI  - Hyperthermia deaths in Finland in 1970-86.
AB  - All cases in which hyperthermia had been determined as the basic cause of death
      during the period 1970-86 were collected from the records of the Central
      Statistical Office of Finland. Of the total of 230 cases, 228 were included in
      the present study; the two remaining victims died abroad, and no autopsy was
      performed in Finland. Most of the hyperthermia deaths occurred while the decedent
      was taking a sauna bath; most decedents were men aged 42-62 years. An increase in
      the total number of hyperthermia deaths, and of male victims, was noted from the
      beginning of the 1970s onward; the number of female victims remained at a
      relatively steady level throughout, with the exception of a slight rise in 1986.
      Acute alcohol consumption was detected in most of the victims; in some cases
      there was also a reference to chronic alcoholism or recent long-term heavy
      drinking. The findings suggest that in addition to the acute hazardous effect of
      ethanol on thermoregulatory mechanisms, the long-term consumption of alcohol may
      have promoted fatal hyperthermia in these subjects.

PMID- 1882776
TI  - Mass deaths by gas or chemical poisoning. A historical perspective.
AB  - This review chronicles the characteristics of deliberate and accidental mass
      poisonings that occurred in World Wars I and II, in Bhopal, and in other
      historical cases up to and including modern wars. It also considers approaches to
      the investigation of such cases from the medicolegal as well as general
      standpoints.

PMID- 1882777
TI  - Use of facial approximation techniques in identification of Green River serial
      murder victims.
AB  - Since 1982, the remains of 41 victims of the Green River Serial Murderer have
      been recovered. The majority were discovered as skeletal remains, and 24 facial
      approximations have been used in attempts to develop leads for identification of
      nine of these victims. Nine different artists were used. Interpretations of the
      same victim varied greatly. For those victims subsequently identified,
      resemblance of the facial approximation to the deceased showed considerable
      variation, but in some cases was quite accurate. This experience created a unique
      opportunity to compare different methods of facial approximation techniques and
      artists, and to comment on their efficacy in aiding identification.

PMID- 1882778
TI  - Sudden unexpected death due to papillary fibroma of the aortic valve. Report of a
      case and review of the literature.
AB  - The case of the sudden unexpected death of a 21-year-old man due to embolization
      of segments of an aortic valve papillary fibroma to the left main and anterior
      descending coronary artery is presented. The literature regarding cardiac
      papillary fibroma is reviewed with particular reference to those cases associated
      with sudden death.

PMID- 1882779
TI  - Unusual blunt force wound patterns due to a hexagonal steel bar.
AB  - Pathologists routinely examine victims with blunt force traumatic injuries. Many
      of these victims exhibit injury patterns that can help identify the weapon used
      in the assault. Proper documentation that accurately portrays the injury pattern
      and allows for comparison with recovered weapons is therefore essential. Our
      office investigated a homicide with unusual blunt force injuries. This article
      presents the procedure that we followed to identify the weapon.

PMID- 1882781
TI  - Specimens for teaching forensic pathology, odontology, and anthropology. I. Soft
      tissue.
AB  - A set of specimens has been collected, preserved, and organized specifically for
      the teaching of forensic pathology, odontology, and anthropology. Plastination of
      soft tissue, whole organs, bones, and teeth has proven valuable in preserving
      delicate, friable, and calcined specimens. The dry, odorless, biologically inert
      specimens are durable and resistant to damage caused by handling. Subtle features
      of soft tissue pathology are well preserved. Patterned injuries change due to
      shrinkage, but remain easily recognizable. Plastinated whole jaws are still
      readily identifiable from antemortem records. Radiographic density is essentially
      unchanged. Putrid and charred specimens become quite manageable.

PMID- 1882780
TI  - Delayed cardiac rupture due to blunt chest trauma.
AB  - A 7-year-old boy fell from a 2.5-m height and suffered contusion of the thorax
      with hematoma in the soft tissues of the lateral chest wall. The rib cage itself
      remained intact. After 3 days, there was only local pressure sensitivity of the
      left hemithorax. On day 8 after the trauma, the child, who up to then had seemed
      to be in good health, suddenly died during lessons at school. Autopsy revealed a
      full-thickness rupture of the left ventricle with resultant cardiac tamponade.
      The macroscopic and histopathologic findings are presented and discussed.

PMID- 1882782
TI  - Specimens for teaching forensic pathology, odontology, and anthropology. II.
      Teeth and bone.
AB  - A set of specimens has been collected, preserved, and organized specifically for
      the teaching of forensic pathology, odontology, and anthropology. Plastination of
      soft tissue, whole organs, bones, and teeth has proven valuable in preserving
      delicate, friable, and calcined specimens. The dry, odorless, biologically inert
      specimens are durable and resistant to damage caused by handling. Subtle features
      of soft tissue pathology are well preserved. Patterned injuries change due to
      shrinkage, but remain easily recognizable. Plastinated whole jaws are still
      readily identifiable from antemortem records. Radiograph density is essentially
      unchanged. Putrid and charred specimens become quite manageable.

PMID- 1882784
TI  - Sudden, unexplained death in a Pacific Archipelago (Mariana Islands)

PMID- 1882783
TI  - Sexing of human clavicles using length and circumference measurements.
AB  - Measurement of clavicular length and circumference, and computation of clavicular
      robustness and length-circumference product from 724 autopsied adults of known
      age, sex, and body length between the ages of 15 and 96 years produced useful sex
      predictive values. This predominantly North American white population contained
      560 males and 164 females with intact, nondeformed clavicles. Clavicle length and
      circumference and particularly their product have been found useful in sexing,
      but robustness as a single trait has not. Despite a significant overlap of male
      and female values, the use of single cutoff values allowed correct sex assignment
      of up to 93% of the entire study population, including 94% of males and 89% of
      females. The ratios of body length to clavicle circumference and to clavicle
      length are on average greater in women than in men. The former ratio yields male
      predictive values greater than 95% for those individuals with ratios falling
      below the cutoff value of 43, whereas the latter ratio is a relatively poor sex
      predictor.

PMID- 1882785
TI  - Identification of human remains lacking skull and teeth. A case report with some
      methodological considerations.
AB  - This report deals with a case in Denmark in which close cooperation among the
      local police, the Central Missing and Wanted Persons Search Squad, and the
      Institute of Forensic Medicine resulted in the positive identification of human
      remains (part of a skeleton), although the deceased's skull was missing, he had
      no teeth (but a dental prostheses), and an attempt at blood typing produced a
      false result. When the remains were found, there was no idea who the deceased
      might be. The initial forensic examination provided a general description (age,
      height, and sex), and reconstruction of the vertebral column showed extensive
      changes caused by arthrosis and changes typical for Scheurmann's disease. The
      description made on this basis was sent to police stations throughout the country
      and, far from where the remains were found, a police officer had received the
      report of a missing person who could have been the deceased. Further
      investigation was based mainly on the medical history of this missing person and
      the tracing of the effects found with the remains, and emphasized radiographic
      comparison.

PMID- 1882786
TI  - "Beaten to death". An autopsy series of homicidal blunt force injuries.
AB  - Although gunshot is by far the most common means of homicide in the United
      States, significant numbers of homicides are also perpetrated by other means.
      Blunt-force injuries are produced by a variety of objects, including hands and
      feet and many different weapons. Some of these objects produce distinctive
      patterns of injury of potential evidentiary value. This paper presents a series
      of 20 consecutive blunt-force homicides in adults. Seventy percent (14 cases) of
      the victims were men. Thirty percent (six cases) followed an argument or
      altercation. A number of the weapons used were "weapons of opportunity" seized in
      the course of the incidents. Sixty-nine percent (nine cases) of known assailants
      were acquainted with their victims. Few characteristic patterned injuries were
      seen. Not surprisingly, craniocerebral trauma was the most common cause of death.
      One half (10 cases) the victims survived their assaults for varying periods of
      time. Homicides due to blunt-force injury still pose a significant challenge for
      the forensic pathologist, who must obtain a complete and accurate history of the
      fatal incident, interpret patterns of injury and other findings at autopsy, and
      correlate all of the findings to make an accurate ruling of the cause and manner
      of death.

PMID- 1882788
TI  - What you should know about the methods, problems, interpretations, and uses of
      urea breath tests.

PMID- 1882790
TI  - Reproducibility of the rapid pull-through technique for categorizing lower
      esophageal sphincter pressure.
AB  - Duplicate measurements of basal lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure using a
      triple-lumen catheter and the rapid pull-through technique (RPT) were performed
      in 250 consecutive patients to determine their reproducibility for categorizing
      LES pressures as normal, hypertensive, or hypotensive. For all subjects, mean LES
      pressure did not differ for the two measurements (25.3 +/- 1.0 vs. 26.2 +/- 1.0
      mm Hg, p greater than 0.5), but the correlation coefficient was only modest (r =
      0.73). Reproducibility of categorization was 92% (230 of 250 subjects), and was
      best for subjects with normal (170/179, 95%) or hypotensive (24/26, 92%) values
      (for hypertensives: 36/45, 80%). Interstudy variability was least for the
      hypotensive group (1.8 +/- 0.2 mm Hg) and greatest for the hypertensive group
      (16.4 +/- 1.9 mm Hg). Likewise, the range of individual values from the triple
      lumen catheter was least for the hypotensive subjects (4.7 +/- 0.7 mm Hg) and
      greatest for those with hypertensive LES pressure (32.5 +/- 2.6 mm Hg). These
      data show that, despite its interstudy variability, the RPT reproducibly
      categorizes basal LES pressure in greater than 90% of cases. The technique
      appears least reliable in determining hypertensive LES pressure, where
      diaphragmatic contraction may most significantly contribute to measurement
      variability.

PMID- 1882789
TI  - Drug-induced esophagitis.
AB  - Drug-induced esophagitis is being recognized increasingly in the past few years.
      We have reviewed 175 cases with a view to classifying this disease based on
      pathology. Drug-induced esophageal injury tends to occur at the anatomical site
      of narrowing, with the middle third behind the left atrium predominating. The
      disease is classified broadly into two groups. The first group is transient and
      self-limiting, as exemplified by tetracycline- and emepronium-induced injury
      (57.3%). The second is the persistent esophagitis group, often with stricture
      with two distinct entities: 1) patients on nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents
      whose injury is aggravated by gastroesophageal reflux (26.2%) (reflux
      aggravated), and 2) patients with potassium chloride and quinidine sulfate
      induced injury (16.2%) (persisting drug injury). We report a case that highlights
      the pathophysiology (delayed transit, persisting potassium within the stricture)
      of this type of injury which is not reflux aggravated.

PMID- 1882787
TI  - Occupational and industrial toxin exposures and the gastrointestinal tract.
      Gastrointestinal Toxicology Subcommittee of the American College of
      Gastroenterology Patient Care Committee.
AB  - The subcommittee on Gastrointestinal Toxicology of the Patient Care Committee of
      the American College of Gastroenterology has reviewed potential effects of
      exposures to occupational and industrial hazards on the gastrointestinal tract,
      liver and pancreas. This review is presented to 1) share clinical data concerning
      gastrointestinal toxicology, 2) emphasize the paucity of available information to
      the practicing clinician, and 3) stimulate basic research interest in this field.

PMID- 1882791
TI  - Which pH threshold is best in esophageal pH monitoring?
AB  - Two questions were examined, namely, 1) whether pH 4 is really the optimal
      threshold for the definition of acid gastroesophageal reflux, and 2) to what
      extent shifting of the upper limits of normal affects sensitivity and specificity
      of 24-h pH monitoring. To answer these questions, we studied 74 patients with
      proven reflux disease and 37 asymptomatic volunteers, using ambulatory 24-h
      esophageal pH monitoring. Gastroesophageal reflux was defined as episodes with
      esophageal pH of less than the threshold values 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, or 5.0,
      respectively. For each of these pH thresholds, the percentage time with
      esophageal pH below the threshold was calculated separately for periods of
      upright and supine body position. Two-dimensional receiver-operating
      characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to define upper limits of normal. A
      maximum of sensitivity, specificity, and rate of correct decisions (all 89%) was
      obtained using pH 4 for the definition of gastroesophageal reflux, although other
      pH thresholds were not much worse. On the basis of pH 4, the upper limits of
      normal could be shifted around the "optimal upper limit of normal" within a
      certain limit without considerable loss of accuracy of pH monitoring. This may
      explain the divergences between upper limits of normal obtained by different
      laboratories. In conclusion, 1) the threshold pH 4 should further be used for the
      definition of acid gastroesophageal reflux, and, 2) within certain limits,
      shifting of the upper limits of normal has little effect on the accuracy of pH
      monitoring in gastroesophageal reflux disease.

PMID- 1882792
TI  - Basal and maximum acid output after continuous overnight gastric aspiration.
AB  - Basal and maximum acid outputs were measured on two occasions in a group of 15
      duodenal ulcer (DU) patients in remission. The initial study was carried out
      after a nocturnal acid collection, whereas the second was carried out in the
      conventional manner without preceding nocturnal aspiration. No difference in the
      basal acid output, concentration, or volume of secretion was found between the
      two study days. Maximum acid output on the other hand, was significantly (p less
      than 0.02) reduced from 30.9 (14.2-41.2) mmol/h, median (+range), to 23.7 (8.1
      33.7) mmol/h after overnight aspiration. The reduction in maximum acid output was
      attributable to a fall in the volume of gastric secretion from 280 (170-371) ml
      to 230 (142-280) ml. No fall in acid concentration was seen. We conclude that
      overnight gastric aspiration does not affect basal gastric secretion, but reduces
      the maximum acid output as a result of a reduced secretory volume.

PMID- 1882793
TI  - Helicobacter pylori-negative duodenal ulcer.
AB  - Most patients with chronic duodenal ulcer (DU) craters have gastritis associated
      with Helicobacter pylori (HP), now thought to be the major cause of DU. A smaller
      proportion of DU patients have no detectable HP. In this study, we examined the
      frequency and causes of HP-negative duodenal ulcers. In 302 consecutive patients
      with endoscopic diagnosis of duodenal ulcer, 284 (94%) were found to have
      associated HP gastritis, whereas 18 (6%) were HP-negative on histology, culture,
      and urease test. The largest subgroup of HP-negative patients (8/18) was made up
      of those who had been taking nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
      followed closely (4/18) by patients with recent intake of antibiotics. Causes of
      DU in the remaining subgroups included two patients with duodenal Crohn's
      disease, two with Gastrospirillum hominis infection, one with penetrating
      carcinoma of the pancreas and one with no detectable cause. We conclude that,
      although the most common causal factor of duodenal ulcer is HP, some 6% of DU's
      will be HP-negative, signaling unusual etiology. It is now important to identify
      the cause of duodenal ulcer so as to initiate appropriate therapy.

PMID- 1882794
TI  - Simple noninvasive method to test efficacy of drugs in the eradication of
      Helicobacter pylori infection: the example of combined bismuth subsalicylate and
      nitrofurantoin.
AB  - Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infections has proved to be difficult. There
      is a need both for improved therapies and for ways to rapidly identify therapies
      that show sufficient promise to be worth pursuing. The objectives of this study
      were to evaluate the value of a therapeutic regimen of a bismuth salt plus
      nitrofurantoin for eradication of infection by H. pylori and to determine the
      validity/utility of the urea breath test in monitoring the progress of a clinical
      trial. We used an 80% eradication rule to define a promising therapeutic regimen,
      i.e., a regimen that eradicated the infection (no evidence of infection by H.
      pylori 4 wk after termination of therapy) in at least 80% of the individuals
      treated. Eighteen men (median age 38) with documented infection by H. pylori
      completed the study. At the end-of-study evaluation, H. pylori infection was
      eradicated (negative urea breath test, culture, and histology) in only one of 18
      (5.5%) subjects; 15 were positive by the urea breath test, 16 by culture, 15 by
      Warthin-Starry stain, and 16 by the presence of acute-on-chronic inflammation.
      Using the 80% eradication rule, any one of these tests alone would have
      identified that the combination of antimicrobials tested was not effective in the
      eradication of the infection. We conclude that the urea breath test is a simple,
      noninvasive, cost-effective method to separate promising from unpromising
      candidate therapies and for the evaluation of new therapeutic concepts.

PMID- 1882796
TI  - Incidence of gallstones in liver cirrhosis.
AB  - We conducted a longitudinal follow-up of 72 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) in
      order to assess gallstone (GS) incidence. The period of survey was 24.5 +/- 12.2
      months. Patients were divided into two groups: group I--26 patients with ascites
      at the start or appearing during follow-up, and Group II--46 patients with
      compensated LC (no ascites) throughout the survey. During follow-up, 12 of 72
      (16.6%) patients developed GS. The global cumulative incidence of GS was 5.5
      cases/100 people/year. Age and sex had no influence on the incidence of GS in LC;
      neither had etiology or cirrhosis. On the contrary, the study revealed a
      significant increase in the incidence of GS in decompensated cirrhosis. In group
      I patients, GS appeared more frequently (34.6%) than in group II patients (6.5%)
      (chi 2 9.479; p less than 0.002). The cumulative incidence of GS was five times
      higher in decompensated versus compensated LC.

PMID- 1882795
TI  - Immunohistochemical expression of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in gastric carcinoma.
AB  - Immunohistochemical localization for carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) was
      studied in the gastric tissues from 115 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.
      We compared two groups: 57 patients who died of recurrence or metastases within 2
      yr (group I) and 58 patients who survived 5 yr or more after resection (group
      II). The staining patterns were classified into negative, apical, and/or
      cytoplasmic type and stromal type. Thirty-three cases (58%) of group I showed a
      stromal type, whereas only 17 cases (30%) of group II showed the same type. In
      undifferentiated type carcinoma, the stromal type was seen in 20 cases (65%) of
      group I and seven cases (23%) of group II. However, in differentiated type
      carcinoma, there was only a small difference in the appearance of stromal type
      between group I (50%) and group II (37%). The immunohistochemical localization
      for CA19-9 in the tumor tissues, particularly in undifferentiated carcinoma, will
      be useful in predicting the prognosis of the patients with advanced gastric
      carcinoma.

PMID- 1882798
TI  - Rectosigmoid varices and other mucosal changes in patients with portal
      hypertension.
AB  - A prospective study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of anorectal varices
      and their clinical significance as well as to study other proctosigmoidoscopic
      changes in 75 patients with portal hypertension of diverse etiology. Sixty-seven
      patients (89.3%) had lower gastrointestinal varices with no significant
      difference (p greater than 0.05) in prevalence between cirrhosis (92.1%),
      noncirrhotic portal fibrosis (87%), and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction
      (85.7%). The rectum was the most common site of lower gastrointestinal varices.
      External anal and sigmoid colonic varices almost always occurred in the presence
      of rectal and/or internal anal varices. There was no correlation between the
      presence of rectosigmoid varices and the severity of esophagogastric mucosal
      changes or portal hypertension. There was no suggestion that esophageal variceal
      sclerotherapy influenced the presence of anorectal varices. Seven patients (9.3%)
      had recent hematochezia, including three patients in whom it occurred in the
      absence of any upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Varices were the cause of
      bleeding in at least five patients. An abnormal mucosal vascular pattern in the
      form of telangiectasias or spiders was seen, irrespective of etiology of portal
      hypertension, in nine patients (12%). Hemorrhoids were present in 31 patients
      (41.3%) with an age-related difference (p less than 0.05) between patients with
      cirrhosis (55.3%) and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (21.4%).

PMID- 1882797
TI  - Treatment of esophageal varices: low versus high dose of 5% ethanolamine oleate.
AB  - Twenty-four patients, undergoing sclerotherapy for esophageal varices, were
      injected with 10-20 ml of ethanolamine oleate 5% in the first treatment session
      (group A). Fourteen patients were injected with 40 ml of the same sclerosant in
      the first session (group B). Retrospective analysis was carried out to evaluate
      the efficacy and safety of the two doses. Variceal eradication was achieved in
      group B in significantly fewer sclerotherapy sessions. Rebleeding occurred in 16%
      of patients in group A, compared with no rebleeding in group B. There was no
      significant difference in the incidence of various complications. We conclude
      that the use of 40 ml of 5% ethanolamine oleate in the first session is more
      effective and as safe as the use of 20 ml of the same sclerosant.

PMID- 1882799
TI  - Duodenal ulcer and Sjogren's syndrome in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis:
      a casual association?
AB  - Peptic ulcer has been reported in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC),
      but its frequency and pathogenesis are still poorly defined. We have analyzed the
      occurrence of duodenal ulcer in 37 female patients affected by PBC and in 35 with
      chronic liver disease of various etiologies. An active ulcer was found in seven
      patients with PBC and in one with chronic autoimmune hepatitis. The presence of
      an exocrine gland defect, as indicated by clinical signs of Sjogren's syndrome
      (SS), was found in six patients with PBC and duodenal ulcer (85%), but in only
      eight (26.6%) of those without ulcer (p less than 0.02). Therefore, in our
      patients, duodenal ulcer occurs more often in PBC than in other types of chronic
      liver disease. The association of SS with PBC, significantly higher in patients
      with than without ulcer, supports the hypothesis that the underlying exocrine
      gland defect is involved in the development of duodenal ulcer.

PMID- 1882800
TI  - Hepatocellular and biliary expression of HLA antigens in primary biliary
      cirrhosis before and after ursodeoxycholic acid therapy.
AB  - Recently, there have been reports that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy has a
      beneficial effect on liver function in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
      However, information regarding the effects of UDCA therapy on hepatic histology
      remains insufficient. Aberrant expression of HLA antigens on hepatocytes is
      regarded important in the progression of hepatocellular damages mediated by
      cytotoxic T-cells in primary biliary cirrhosis. In this study, we examined
      immunohistochemically hepatocellular expression of HLA antigens on hepatocytes
      before and after UDCA therapy in four patients with asymptomatic primary biliary
      cirrhosis. Piecemeal necrosis, intralobular focal necrosis, and portal
      inflammation, as well as infiltration of activated T-lymphocytes and expression
      of HLA class I antigens on hepatocytes, disappeared, or diminished in parallel
      after the therapy. In two of four patients, expression of HLA-DR on some
      periportal hepatocytes before the therapy also disappeared after the therapy.
      These observations imply that UDCA therapy decreases the hepatocellular
      expression of HLA antigens and thereby reduces or abolishes T-cell-mediated
      hepatocellular necrosis in primary biliary cirrhosis.

PMID- 1882801
TI  - Acute delta hepatitis: serological diagnosis with particular reference to
      hepatitis delta virus RNA.
AB  - To evaluate serologic diagnosis of hepatitis delta virus, we tested HDV RNA in
      stored sera from 48 patients with acute delta hepatitis who were identified with
      anti-HD antibodies. Initial sera were positive for HDV RNA in 27 of 48 (56%)
      patients. In comparison, isolated IgM anti-HD was present in 18 (38%) patients,
      although IgM and IgG anti-HD were present concurrently in 16 (33%) additional
      patients. Overall, either HDV RNA or IgM anti-HD was present in 69% of the
      initial sera. The HDV infection was self-limiting in all except two patients who
      died of fulminant hepatitis and nine others in whom chronic delta hepatitis
      ensued. Patterns of HDV seropositivity during progression to chronicity induced
      variable persistence, disappearance or recrudescence of either HDV RNA or IgM and
      IgG anti-HD. Results of HDV RNA and IgM anti-HD tests were concordant in only 40
      50% of instances. Our results indicate that serological testing for HDV RNA is
      direct and will demonstrate HDV replication in a large number of cases with acute
      delta hepatitis. Testing for IgM anti-HD could provide supplemental evidence for
      HDV infection. Sequential testing for these markers will facilitate assessment of
      the outcome of acute HDV infection.

PMID- 1882802
TI  - Transfusion-related chronic liver disease in sickle cell anemia.
AB  - The medical records and liver biopsies of nine sickle cell patients with
      chronically elevated liver function tests were retrospectively reviewed to
      determine the etiology of chronic liver disease. There were eight women and one
      man with a mean age of 30 yr. All patients had hemoglobin SS. Eight patients were
      referred for elevated aminotransferases and one for an elevated alkaline
      phosphatase. Hemosiderosis was present in all of the biopsies. Two patients had
      cirrhosis. Chronic hepatitis was noted in two patients, and five patients had
      cholestasis. Two patients had serologic markers demonstrating HBV exposure but no
      patients were HBsAg positive. Erythrophagocytosis, sinusoidal dilatation, and
      Kupffer cell hyperplasia were present in all of the liver biopsies. Transfusion
      related causes were the most common significant pathologic findings in our
      patients, and appeared to be the etiologies of chronic liver disease in sickle
      cell patients.

PMID- 1882803
TI  - The liver in typhoid fever: always affected, not just a complication.
AB  - The course of liver involvement during the first three weeks of typhoid fever was
      studied in 20 patients. Previous studies of liver involvement in typhoid fever
      have not considered the time course of changes. In this study, hepatomegaly was
      found during the 2nd or 3rd wk more often than in the 1st wk (36% vs. 11%),
      whereas jaundice was detectable in 9% of patients after the 1st wk, but never
      before. Alkaline phosphatase, AST, and ALT were raised in 100%, 100%, and 91% of
      cases, respectively, during the 2nd and 3rd wk but during the 1st wk, only 11%,
      89%, and 56% had mild increases. This study shows that, although the clinical
      picture of hepatitis is unusual, liver involvement is invariably present after
      the 1st wk, and should not be considered as a complication, but as a feature of
      the disease.

PMID- 1882804
TI  - Extensive hepatic granulomas associated with peripheral T-cell lymphoma.
AB  - A case of T-cell lymphoma presenting with marked hepatosplenomegaly and extensive
      hepatic granulomas is described. A 55-yr-old female experienced long-term liver
      damage showing histological triaditis with atypical lymphoid cell infiltration
      and erythrophagocytosis. The patient developed marked hepatosplenomegaly and
      eventually died of respiratory failure. Neither systemic lymphadenopathy nor
      hematological disorder was noted until her death. Autopsy revealed small atypical
      lymphoid cells positive for T-cell marker, as well as extensive infiltration of
      generalized organs, including the liver, spleen, and lungs. As a result of
      diffuse proliferation of atypical lymphoid cell admixed with variable reactive
      cells, mainly at the T-zone, the lymph nodes underwent effacement of normal
      architecture; however, the peripheral sinuses and the fibrous capsule remained
      relatively well preserved. These histological features were consistent with a
      diagnosis of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTL). It is interesting to note that
      there were numerous epithelioid granulomas admixed with a small number of
      atypical lymphoid cells within the hepatic parenchyma. The atypical lymphoid
      cells may be responsible for the granulomatous reaction in the liver. To our
      knowledge, there have been no other reported cases of PTL that presented with
      numerous epithelioid granulomas confined to the liver.

PMID- 1882806
TI  - Reversible symptomatic biliary obstruction associated with ceftriaxone
      pseudolithiasis.
AB  - Ceftriaxone, a third-generation cephalosporin, has been associated with the
      development of sludge or stones in the gallbladders of some patients treated with
      this medication. Such precipitates, which are usually reversible upon
      discontinuation of the drug, sometimes cause symptoms, have simulated acute
      cholecystitis, and have even led to cholecystectomy in some cases. We report the
      first known instance of biliary obstruction and secondary pancreatitis in
      association with reversible ceftriaxone-induced pseudolithiasis.

PMID- 1882805
TI  - Endoscopic removal of inflammatory fibroid polyps of the stomach.
AB  - Three cases of gastric inflammatory fibroid polyp removed by endoscopic
      polypectomy are reported. All lesions were located in the gastric antrum or
      prepyloric region, and their depth was restricted to the submucosa. The correct
      diagnosis was obtained, and the digestive symptoms disappeared after polypectomy.
      In contrast to observations in previous reports, we believe these lesions are
      suitable for removal by endoscopic means, provided they are small in size and
      strictly submucosal in location.

PMID- 1882807
TI  - Could recurrent cholangitis after Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy be explained by
      motor intestinal anomalies? A manometric study.
AB  - The aim of this study was to describe the motor patterns found in two patients
      with recurrent cholangitis episodes after Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. In one
      patient, cholangitis was due to a stenosis of the anastomosis between the limb
      and the left intrahepatic bile duct, while motility of the limb, duodenum, and
      distal jejunum was normal. In the second patient, no anatomical explanation was
      found for cholangitis attacks. However, although the duodenal motor activity was
      normal, the motility of the limb and of the jejunum below the jejunojejunal
      anastomosis was grossly abnormal: permanent minute rhythm, phase IIIs absent or
      rare and slowly propagated, all motor abnormalities that could promote bacterial
      overgrowth in the limb. This stresses the interest in performing motor studies of
      the Roux-limb when cholangitis remains unexplained after Roux-en-Y
      hepaticojejunostomy.

PMID- 1882808
TI  - Narrow duct segment distal to choledochal cyst.
AB  - "Narrow segments" (or stenotic portions) of the common bile duct (CBD) distal to
      cysts in two patients (a 50-yr-old woman and a 25-yr-old man) with choledochal
      cyst (CholCyst) were studied macroscopically and histologically. The narrow
      segments of the ducts were patent and connected with the main pancreatic duct
      extraduodenally, whereas the CBD in controls were neither dilated nor stenotic,
      and joined the main pancreatic duct within the duodenal wall. These narrow
      segments were 1 cm long. In case 1, a minute orifice was found in the narrow
      segment of the duct macroscopically and was identified microscopically as a small
      duct from a pancreatic lobule. In case 2, a small pancreatic duct also joined the
      narrow segment of the duct. These small pancreatic ducts were derived from the
      ventral pancreas, based on distribution of PP-islets. Therefore, the narrow duct
      distal to the cyst in patients with CholCyst (or congenital biliary dilatation)
      was considered to be a branch of the ventral pancreatic duct.

PMID- 1882810
TI  - Aberrant insertion of the common bile duct into an accessory pancreatic duct:
      cholangiographic demonstration.
AB  - Variations in the pancreatic ductal anatomy result from abnormalities in
      embryological development of the pancreas from ventral and dorsal buds. We
      describe a case in which cholangiography demonstrated insertion of the common
      bile duct into an aberrant pancreatic duct. To our knowledge, this finding has
      not been previously reported in the literature.

PMID- 1882811
TI  - Defined formula diet for Crohn's disease: can it be used as primary therapy?

PMID- 1882809
TI  - Successful transcatheter embolization of pseudoaneurysm associated with
      pancreatic pseudocyst.
AB  - Hemorrhage into a pancreatic pseudocyst is a rare event, but is the most rapidly
      lethal complication of chronic pancreatitis. Visceral-vessel aneurysms are an
      unexpectedly common finding in arteriography of patients with chronic
      pancreatitis. This case report describes bleeding from an anterior superior
      pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm, caused by chronic pancreatitis. The aneurysm
      was successfully treated by embolization with a steel coil.

PMID- 1882812
TI  - Air contrast barium enema versus colonoscopy: the debate continues.

PMID- 1882813
TI  - Omeprazole therapy modifies the gastric localization of Helicobacter pylori.

PMID- 1882814
TI  - A simplified diagnostic approach to Helicobacter pylori infection--is it
      adequate?

PMID- 1882815
TI  - Colonoscopy during an attack of severe ulcerative colitis.

PMID- 1882816
TI  - Overt gastrointestinal bleeding in the course of chronic low-dose aspirin
      administration for secondary prevention of arterial occlusive disease.

PMID- 1882817
TI  - Is ischemia an etiological factor in chronic pancreatitis?

PMID- 1882818
TI  - Achalasia: a need for more study.

PMID- 1882819
TI  - Small intestinal involvement in visceral leishmaniasis.

PMID- 1882820
TI  - Prevention and treatment of pregnancy-associated hypertension: what have we
      learned in the last 10 years?
AB  - High blood pressure (BP) complicates approximately 10% of all pregnancies.
      Hypertension in pregnancy falls into four categories: (1) preeclampsia-eclampsia,
      (2) chronic hypertension of whatever cause, (3) preeclampsia-eclampsia
      superimposed to chronic hypertension or renal disease, and (4) transient or late
      hypertension (gestational hypertension). Preeclampsia, the association of
      hypertension, proteinuria, and edema, accounts for more than 50% of all the
      hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and is a major cause of fetal and maternal
      morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, distinguishing between preeclampsia and
      other causes of hypertension on clinical grounds can be difficult because of the
      lack of specific tests for differential diagnosis. Increased vascular resistance
      has been claimed as the primary cause of preeclampsia; however, a variable
      hemodynamic profile with relatively high cardiac outputs, normal filling
      pressures, and inappropriately high systemic vascular resistances is now reported
      by most investigators. Imbalance between vasodilator and vasoconstrictor
      eicosanoids may account for platelet activation and increased responsiveness to
      pressor peptides. Altered prostacyclin (PGI2) to thromboxane A2 (TxA2) ratio in
      maternal uteroplacental vascular bed may favor local platelet activation and
      vasoconstriction contributing to placental insufficiency and fetal distress.
      Alternatively, recent evidence seems to suggest that fetal umbilical placental
      circulation may be the site of the primary vascular injury. Whether low-dose
      aspirin prevents preeclampsia because it inhibits the excessive maternal TxA2 or
      whether the partial inhibition of fetal TxA2 is also of therapeutic value remains
      to be established. Treatment of severe hypertension in pregnancy is probably
      important to prevent cardiac failure or cerebrovascular accidents in the mother.
      The need for pharmacological therapy of mild to moderate hypertension is still
      debated, since no formal studies are available to clarify whether pharmacological
      treatment in such instances effectively reduces maternal or fetal risk. For the
      treatment of preeclampsia, hydralazine and nifedipine may be used when delivery
      is not applicable. Labetalol and diazoxide are effective for hypertensive
      emergencies. Life-threatening hypertension that does not respond to more
      conventional therapy is an indication for the use of sodium nitroprusside. For
      chronic hypertension, alpha-methyldopa remains the treatment of choice; if
      ineffective, hydralazine or beta-blockers are suitable. Effectiveness and safety
      of other molecules remain elusive.

PMID- 1882821
TI  - Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis: electron microscopic studies in
      98 children.
AB  - Ninety-eight children with glomerulonephritis concomitant with hepatitis B
      surface HBs antigenemia were studied, the antigenemia being first documented at
      the clinical onset of glomerulopathy. Initial diagnoses, based on examination of
      the paraffin sections, varied, membrano-proliferative, mesangial, and membranous
      glomerulonephritis being most frequently considered. However, electron
      microscopic examination showed that 77 children had a uniform type of
      glomerulopathy, irrespective of the light microscopic appearance. This type was
      diagnosed as secondary membranous glomerulonephritis. The clinical course of this
      nephropathy was relatively indolent and short. Moreover, in many children,
      elimination of some hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens from the circulation was
      also associated with clinical remission of glomerulopathy. The remaining 21
      children with HBs antigenemia had various morphological forms of
      glomerulonephritis, these being similar to their idiopathic counterparts in both
      morphology and clinical course. The distinct clinical and morphological picture
      of secondary membranous glomerulonephritis with HBs antigenemia occurring in 77
      of 98 children supports the hypothesis that HBsV-associated glomerulonephritis is
      of the secondary membranous type. Thus, we conclude that in children HBV
      antigenemia associated with glomerulonephritis other than secondary membranous is
      coincidental.

PMID- 1882822
TI  - Selective elevation of monomeric IgA1 in IgA nephropathy patients with normal
      renal function.
AB  - The molecular form of the pathognomonic IgA in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) remains
      controversial. Because characterization of the molecular form of IgA molecules
      can lend insight into their origin (systemic v mucosal), we developed
      immunoassays to measure both total and J chain-containing (polymeric) IgA1 and
      IgA2. These assays were used to measure IgA in sera from two groups of IgAN
      patients (with normal or decreased renal function), as well as from a group of
      normal individuals. IgA1 levels were higher in both groups of patients with IgAN
      when compared with the controls. The elevation appeared to be restricted to non-J
      chain-containing (monomeric) IgA1 in patients with normal renal function, whereas
      polymeric IgA1 was also slightly elevated in patients whose renal function was
      diminished. While there were no significant differences between the groups in
      terms of the levels of total IgA2, the patient group with normal kidney function
      appeared to have lower levels of polymeric IgA2. The observation that the
      elevation in serum IgA appears to be restricted to the monomeric form of IgA1, at
      least when renal function is normal, implies a systemic origin of the
      pathognomonic IgA in IgAN and further suggests an abnormality in the regulation
      of IgA secretion by immunoglobulin-producing cells in bone marrow, the site of
      systemic IgA synthesis.

PMID- 1882824
TI  - Mortality in dialysis patients: analysis of the causes of death.
AB  - The objective of this study was to identify the causes of death in maintenance
      dialysis patients who survived at least 90 days and were monitored during a 16
      year period. Of 532 patients starting dialysis, 222 died. The causes of death
      were grouped into six categories: cardiac, infectious, withdrawal from dialysis,
      sudden, vascular, and "other." The greatest number of deaths were due to
      infections, followed by withdrawal from dialysis, cardiac, sudden death,
      vascular, and other. The risk of dying increased for the first 4 years of
      dialysis, decreased in years 5 through 10, and had a second increase at 11 years.
      The mortality during the first 4 years consisted largely of infectious and
      cardiac deaths. The late peak of deaths was mainly due to infections and
      withdrawal from dialysis. Overall, infections accounted for more than 36% of all
      deaths. Withdrawal occurred in 21.2% of the patients and was most common in
      patients over age 61. Notably, cardiac deaths accounted for only 14.4% of all
      deaths and no patient died from a cardiac cause after surviving on dialysis more
      than 8.5 years. We conclude that infection is the leading cause of death in our
      dialysis patient population. Withdrawal from dialysis was a common cause of
      death, especially in older patients. Cardiac mortality was not as frequent as
      anticipated and occurred mainly in patients on dialysis less than 4 years,
      suggesting that it is the result of preexisting disease.

PMID- 1882823
TI  - Parathyroid hormone and myocardial performance in dialysis patients.
AB  - Whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) has a clinically important effect on myocardial
      performance is unclear. Previous investigations of cardiac function before and
      after parathyroidectomy have failed to control for ionized calcium, other
      biochemical parameters, or heart rate and cardiovascular loading conditions. We
      performed load- and rate-independent measurements of myocardial contractility in
      seven stable hemodialysis patients before and after surgical parathyroidectomy
      under identical conditions of blood ionized calcium (Ca2+), electrolytes, pH,
      PO2, and hematocrit. Mid-molecule PTH decreased from 44 +/- 8 to 2 +/- 1 ng/mL.
      Aortic systolic and diastolic pressures, left ventricular chamber dimensions, end
      systolic wall stress, left ventricular contractility at a common level of
      afterload, and contractile reserve evaluated with dobutamine were similar before
      and after parathyroidectomy. Thus, PTH appears not to have a direct effect on
      myocardial contractile state in dialysis patients.

PMID- 1882826
TI  - Risk factors for tunnel infections in continuous peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - Little data are available about risk factors for peritoneal catheter subcutaneous
      tunnel infection. Therefore, we analyzed tunnel infections occurring in our
      program over a 10.5-year period. One hundred twenty-nine tunnel infections
      occurred in 92 of 411 patients (22%) on peritoneal dialysis for a mean of 19 +/-
      19 months. Tunnel infection rate was 0.19 per year. By 1 year, 15% of patients
      had a tunnel infection, and by 2 years, 23%. Tunnel infection rates decreased
      with increasing time on peritoneal dialysis: 2.4 per year for patients on
      peritoneal dialysis less than 1 year, 0.8 per year for patients on dialysis 1 to
      2 years, and 0.4 per year for patients on dialysis greater than 2 years (all
      different at P less than 0.01). Organisms were cultured in 109 tunnel infections:
      gram-positive cocci in 77 episodes (71%) [Staphylococcus aureus 57, 52%], and
      gram-negative bacilli in 24 episodes (22%). Tunnel infection rates were higher in
      diabetics than in nondiabetics (0.27 per year v 0.16 per year, respectively; P
      less than 0.001 by life-table analysis of time to first infection) and also
      higher in women than in men (0.23 per year v 0.17 per year, P less than 0.001).
      Tunnel infection rates were 0.35 per year for diabetic women, 0.20 per year for
      diabetic men, 0.18 per year for nondiabetic women, and 0.15 per year for
      nondiabetic men (groups different, P less than 0.001). Race and age were similar
      in patients with and without tunnel infections. Catheter loss was 80% when tunnel
      infection was associated with peritonitis and 40% when tunnel infection alone was
      present (P less than 0.001). We conclude that the risk of tunnel infection is
      highest early in the course of peritoneal dialysis and that diabetic women, for
      unclear reasons, are at the highest risk.

PMID- 1882825
TI  - Changing patterns of end-stage renal disease due to hypertension.
AB  - We analyzed the records of all residents of Jefferson County, Alabama, accepted
      for renal replacement therapy between 1982 and 1987 and compared them with those
      accepted between 1974 and 1978 to determine any changes in the distribution and
      frequency of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to hypertension (H-ESRD). H-ESRD
      increased from 6.4 to 9.6 per 100,000 in blacks and from 0.36 to 0.62 per 100,000
      in whites. Smoothed age- and race-specific yearly H-ESRD rates decreased in
      blacks under age 50. Peak incidence of H-ESRD shifted from age 40 to 49 in 1974
      through 1978 to age 50 to 59 in 1982 through 1987 (P less than 0.0001). Blacks
      were referred for care with significantly higher blood pressure levels and serum
      creatinine concentrations than whites, and had more severe retinal vascular
      disease. Factors significantly associated with a shorter time from referral to
      renal replacement therapy were black race, female gender, blood urea nitrogen and
      serum creatinine concentrations, carbohydrate intolerance, and the use of alpha
      agonist and/or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. We conclude that
      racial distribution and risk for H-ESRD have not changed. Peak rates of H-ESRD
      have been delayed nearly a decade, suggesting a possible effect of better
      awareness and treatment of hypertension.

PMID- 1882827
TI  - Increased infection rate in diabetic dialysis patients exposed to cocaine.
AB  - Three hundred ninety-seven insulin-dependent diabetic dialysis patients were
      screened by nursing staff for analgesic-seeking behavior. Thirty-eight patients
      were identified and classified as prescription abusers (n = 26) or illicit drug
      users (n = 12). The nine cocaine users, when compared with 14 insulin-dependent
      diabetics on dialysis matched by protocol, were found to be similar in terms of
      diabetic retinopathy and metabolic neuropathy. Although statistically not
      significant, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular complications were more common in
      the study group. Gastroenteropathy with malnutrition was more common the study
      group (P less than 0.025). Infection rate and severity were markedly worse in the
      cocaine group: bacterial cellulitis, sepsis, and abscess each increased greater
      than fourfold. All the visceral infections were in the cocaine-using group.
      Hepatitis viral antigen and antibody was increased 10-fold in the cocaine users.
      Recommendations for management of dialysis patients with analgesic-seeking
      behavior are formulated in light of these findings.

PMID- 1882828
TI  - Independent effects of cyclosporine and prednisone on posttransplant
      hypercholesterolemia.
AB  - To clarify the relative influences of cyclosporine (CsA) therapy, corticosteroid
      therapy, and other clinical variables on posttransplant hypercholesterolemia,
      total serum cholesterol levels were measured in 107 renal transplant recipients
      receiving one of three immunosuppression regimens: CsA and azathioprine (AZA)
      (group I); CsA, AZA, and prednisone (group II); or AZA and prednisone (group
      III). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that prednisone therapy, CsA therapy,
      patient age, and pretransplant cholesterol levels correlated independently with
      posttransplant cholesterol levels at last follow-up (ranging from 13 to 84 months
      after transplantation). In 32 patients successfully withdrawn from corticosteroid
      therapy and maintained on AZA and stable doses of CsA, serum cholesterol
      decreased from 6.55 +/- 1.1 mmol/L (253.5 +/- 43.1 mg/dL) to 5.27 +/- 1.2 mmol/L
      (203.9 +/- 45.6 mg/dL). Results of this analysis indicate that prednisone and CsA
      are independent factors in the pathogenesis of posttransplant
      hypercholesterolemia. Complete withdrawal of corticosteroids partially corrects
      hypercholesterolemia in CsA-treated renal transplant recipients.

PMID- 1882829
TI  - Reduction of remnant nephron hypermetabolism by protein restriction.
AB  - To study the metabolic mechanisms involved in the protective effect of dietary
      protein restriction on the progression of chronic renal failure, experiments were
      performed in Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to five-sixths nephrectomy and pair
      fed on isocaloric low (4%) protein (LP) or high (50%) protein (HP) diets. Protein
      restriction reduced the severity of uremia, with lower blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
      concentrations (8.9 +/- 1.1 v 30.0 +/- 2.9 mmol/L [25 +/- 3 v 84 +/- 8 mg/dL]
      both n = 12, P less than 0.01), and resulted in lower mortality at 2 weeks (0% v
      33%, P less than 0.05), 4 weeks (16% v 58%, P less than 0.05), and 10 weeks (16 v
      83%, P less than 0.01). Isolated perfusion of the remnant kidney at 3 weeks
      demonstrated reduced O2 consumption (QO2) (0.77 +/- 0.2 v 2.56 +/- 0.5
      mumol/min/g, both n = 7, P less than 0.05) in the absence of significant
      differences in inulin clearance (239 +/- 53 v 341 +/- 39 microL/min/g, NS) and
      net sodium reabsorption (34 +/- 8 v 49 +/- 6 mumol/min/g, NS) in rats fed the LP
      diet. A lower renal QO2 in protein-restricted animals was also demonstrated in
      vivo (4.1 +/- 0.9 v 13.8 +/- 2.7 mumol/min/g, P less than 0.01). In vivo P-31
      nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of remnant kidneys did not demonstrate
      any difference in the steady-state tissue concentrations of adenosine
      triphosphate (ATP) or inorganic phosphate between rats fed LP and HP diets.
      Dietary protein restriction decreases the severity of uremia and diminishes renal
      QO2 in the remnant kidney model.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882830
TI  - Validation of the cause of renal failure of patients in the Medicare end-stage
      renal disease program.
AB  - Studies addressing the epidemiological issues of end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
      and the implications for health resource allocations are valuable, especially
      because the Medicare ESRD program is expected to continue growing during the next
      decade. Studies on trends in the causes of renal failure have benefited from
      Medicare's extensive data files on ESRD patients. However, no studies have been
      published that validate the cause of renal failure field in the Medicare files.
      The primary disease causing renal failure for over 10,000 New York State patients
      in the Medicare ESRD program was compared with their hospital discharge
      diagnoses. Of these patients, 8,730 (83%) had a known cause of renal failure in
      the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) data files. Eighty-nine percent
      of these patients' primary cause of renal failure was matched with the same major
      hospital diagnostic code. Patients with diabetes and glomerulonephritis had the
      highest overall match rates (96% to 97%). Patients with polycystic kidney disease
      and causes of renal failure other than the four major causes had the lowest match
      rates (75% to 76%), but these match rates increased to 84% to 87% for patients
      hospitalized more than five times. Some differences in match rate by age and race
      were found. These findings suggest that HCFA data on the causes of renal failure
      of ESRD patients are reasonably accurate and can be used successfully to study a
      variety of issues related to the diseases leading to chronic renal failure.

PMID- 1882831
TI  - The use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: how nephrologists and internists
      differ.
AB  - We performed a national survey to explore the circumstances under which general
      internists and nephrologists discuss cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with
      patients and the factors influencing physician decisions to open such
      discussions. We wondered whether nephrology fellowship training and/or formal
      exposure to an ethics course during training altered physicians' use of CPR.
      Significantly more nephrologists than internists responded to the study
      (nephrologists, 174/467; internists, 92/380; P less than 0.01). Few of the
      respondents participated in an ethics course during training (9% of
      nephrologists, 15% of internists; P = NS), and fewer than half (26% of
      nephrologists, 37% of internists; P = NS) had engaged in formal discussions about
      initiating and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment during their training.
      Nephrologists spent significantly more time caring for patients in intensive care
      units (ICUs) (29% v 21% of time, P less than 0.05), and more often discussed CPR
      during their first meeting with a patient (7% of nephrologists v 1% of
      internists; P less than 0.05). Twenty-eight percent of nephrologists and 19% of
      internists thought CPR should be offered to all patients. Both nephrologists and
      internists rated neurologic dysfunction as the most important and age the least
      important factor influencing decisions to terminate CPR. Nephrologists were less
      comfortable than internists with healthy dialysis patients' decisions to refuse
      CPR. We conclude that nephrologists are more inclined than internists to use CPR
      in dialysis patients, in patients with impaired functional status, and in all
      patients. Training in medical ethics did not account for the differences among
      nephrologists and internists.

PMID- 1882832
TI  - The supply of renal physicians: an analysis of data from the American Medical
      Association Physician Masterfile.
AB  - This study uses data from the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician
      Masterfile to describe current demographic trends among physicians specializing
      in adult and pediatric nephrology. The analysis shows that renal physicians are
      younger than the physician population as a whole. Compared with other specialty
      groups, renal physicians are less likely to be in patient-care activities and are
      more likely to be in research. In recent years, the population of renal
      physicians has grown at a much faster rate than the rest of the physician
      population. A projection analysis indicates that the adult nephrologist
      population will more than double in size between 1987 and 2010. Among adult
      nephrologists, the number of women is expected to grow much faster than the
      number of men. Rapid growth is expected in the older age categories, whereas the
      number of adult nephrologists 35 years of age and younger is expected to decrease
      slightly.

PMID- 1882833
TI  - Nephrology manpower: the supply side.

PMID- 1882834
TI  - Renal transplantation for the nephrologist: why we need transplantation medicine.

PMID- 1882835
TI  - Obstructive acute renal failure by a gravid uterus: a case report and review.
AB  - Acute renal failure caused from an obstruction by the gravid uterus is a rare
      complication of pregnancy. Only 13 cases have been reported. We report a case of
      obstructive acute renal failure in a patient at 34 weeks' gestation with a twin
      pregnancy complicated by polyhydramnios. The serum creatinine peaked at 1,078
      mumol/L (12.2 mg/dL), higher than in the previously reported patients. The
      striking feature of her clinical course was the immediate resolution of anuria
      following amniotomy, thus avoiding the need for dialysis, ureteral stenting, or
      immediate surgical delivery. This patient illustrates the potential importance of
      increased uterine pressure on the ureters as a cause of significant obstructive
      renal failure during pregnancy.

PMID- 1882836
TI  - Agrobacterium radiobacter peritonitis in two patients maintained on chronic
      peritoneal dialysis.
AB  - We report two patients with end-stage renal disease maintained on chronic
      peritoneal dialysis who developed peritonitis in which the infecting organism was
      Agrobacterium radiobacter, normally a rare pathogen in humans. Both patients
      initially responded to antibiotics, but later relapsed and required catheter
      removal. Neither had been exposed to soil or plant material. A radiobacter is yet
      another of a growing list of unusual organisms that infect the peritoneal cavity
      of peritoneal dialysis patients.

PMID- 1882837
TI  - Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome of the hand after placement of an
      arteriovenous graft for hemodialysis.
AB  - Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), a complex clinical syndrome
      characterized by pain and swelling of an affected extremity, is most commonly
      seen after trauma. We report the case of a woman with diabetes mellitus and
      chronic renal failure who presented with RSDS 5 months after placement of an
      arteriovenous (AV) graft for hemodialysis. The temporal relationship between RSDS
      and the vascular surgery suggests AV graft placement as the precipitating event
      for the development of RSDS. Treatment with systemic corticosteroids successfully
      relieved the patient's symptoms. We believe that RSDS should be included in the
      differential diagnosis of unexplained limb pain and swelling after AV graft
      placement.

PMID- 1882838
TI  - The association of IgA glomerulonephritis and thin glomerular basement membrane
      disease in a hematuric patient: light and electron microscopic and
      immunofluorescence investigation.
AB  - A double glomerulopathy (IgA glomerulonephritis [IgAGN] associated with thin
      glomerular basement membrane disease [TGBMD]) is reported in a 39-year-old woman
      presenting with macroscopic-microscopic hematuria. Her 3-year-old daughter was
      also affected by microhematuria of probable glomerular origin. The diagnosis of
      IgAGN was made by means of immunofluorescence investigation, which showed
      generalized diffuse mesangial deposits. TGBMD was identified by electron
      microscopic investigations, which disclosed thinning (up to 160 nm) of basement
      membrane of several capillary loops and prominence of the lamina densa. Bearing
      in mind the known frequencies of the two glomerulopathies, their association may
      not be coincidental, and, therefore, is worthwhile researching in hematuric
      patients.

PMID- 1882839
TI  - Peritubular capillary congestion in renal allograft biopsies may be an unreliable
      marker for cyclosporine nephrotoxicity.

PMID- 1882841
TI  - Isolation and characterization of the CRIPTO autosomal gene and its X-linked
      related sequence.
AB  - We have previously reported on the identification of a cDNA clone encoding a
      novel human growth factor, named "CRIPTO," that is abundantly expressed in
      undifferentiated human NTERA-2 clone D1 (NT2/D1) and mouse (F9) teratocarcinoma
      cells. We now report the organization and nucleotide sequence of two related
      genomic sequences. One (CR-1) corresponds to the structural gene encoding the
      human CRIPTO protein expressed in the undifferentiated human teratocarcinoma
      cells, and the other (CR-3) corresponds to a complete copy of the mRNA containing
      seven base substitutions in the coding region representing both silent and
      replacement substitutions. The 440 bp 5' to the CAP site of CR-1 are preserved in
      CR-3. CR-1 maps to chromosome 3, and CR-3 maps to Xq21-q22. Southern blot
      analysis reveals that multiple CRIPTO-related DNA sequences are present in the
      human as well as in the mouse genome.

PMID- 1882840
TI  - Sequence and localization of a partial cDNA encoding the human alpha 3 chain of
      type IV collagen.
AB  - A novel type IV collagen, alpha 3(IV), has recently been identified in human and
      bovine basement membranes. Here we describe the cloning and sequencing of a cDNA
      encoding 218 residues of the NC1 domain of the human alpha 3(IV) chain. Of
      interest is the possible role of abnormalities of the alpha 3(IV) chain in Alport
      syndrome, as suggested by the failure to detect the NC1 domain of alpha 3(IV) in
      the basement membranes of some Alport syndrome patients. To determine whether the
      alpha 3(IV) gene (COL4A3) may be mutated in Alport syndrome, we localized it, by
      somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ hybridization of metaphase chromosomes,
      to chromosome 2q35-2q37. Mutations in alpha 3(IV) cannot therefore be responsible
      for the vast majority of cases of Alport syndrome, which have been shown to be X
      linked. One explanation for the immunochemical data implicating alpha 3(IV) in
      Alport syndrome pathogenesis is that mutations of the alpha 5(IV) chain, which
      has been localized to Xq22 and found to be mutated in at least three kindreds
      with Alport syndrome, lead to failure to incorporate the alpha 3(IV) chains into
      the multimeric structure of glomerular basement membrane in a stable fashion.

PMID- 1882843
TI  - Isolation of a human DNA sequence which spans the fragile X.
AB  - To identify the sequences involved in the expression of the fragile X and to
      characterize the molecular basis of the genetic lesion, we have constructed yeast
      artificial chromosomes (YACs) containing human DNA and have screened them with
      cloned DNA probes which map close to the fragile site at Xq27.3. We have isolated
      and partly characterized a YAC containing approximately 270 kb of human DNA from
      an X chromosome which expresses the fragile X. This sequence in a yeast
      artificial ring chromosome, XTY26, hybridizes to the two closest DNA markers,
      VK16 and Do33, which flank the fragile site. The human DNA sequence in XTY26 also
      spans the fragile site on chromosome in situ hybridization. When a restriction
      map of XTY26, derived by using infrequently cutting restriction enzymes, is
      compared with similar YAC maps derived from non-fragile-X patients, no large
      scale differences are observed. This YAC, XTY26, may enable (a) the fragile site
      to be fully characterized at the molecular level and (b) the pathogenetic basis
      of the fragile-X syndrome to be determined.

PMID- 1882844
TI  - Marfan syndrome: no evidence for heterogeneity in different populations, and more
      precise mapping of the gene.
AB  - Marfan syndrome is a dominantly inherited connective tissue disorder with
      manifestations in the cardiovascular, ocular, and skeletal systems. The diagnosis
      is hampered by both high variability in the phenotypic expression and late
      manifestation of symptoms. The cause of Marfan syndrome remains unknown, but our
      group has recently reported the genetic linkage of Marfan syndrome to a
      polymorphic marker on chromosome 15. To analyze the possible heterogeneity behind
      Marfan syndrome, we have performed linkage analyses for four chromosome 15
      markers in 17 families from five different populations: Scottish, English, Swiss,
      American, and Finnish. By combining the linkage data of all the studied families
      into a LINKMAP analysis we obtained a maximal LOD score of 11.2, which maps the
      Marfan syndrome locus between D15S25 and D15S45 on the long arm of chromosome 15.
      The data reveal no evidence for genetic heterogeneity behind Marfan syndrome and
      provide us with a more precise location of both the Marfan syndrome locus and
      flanking markers. This information will provide the basis for the DNA diagnostics
      of Marfan syndrome in the future.

PMID- 1882842
TI  - Molecular characterization of variant alpha-subunit of electron transfer
      flavoprotein in three patients with glutaric acidemia type II--and identification
      of glycine substitution for valine-157 in the sequence of the precursor,
      producing an unstable mature protein in a patient.
AB  - In our previous study of eight glutaric acidemia type II (GAII) fibroblast lines
      by using [35S]methionine labeling and immunoprecipitation, three of them had a
      defect in the synthesis of the alpha-subunit of electron transfer flavoprotein
      (alpha-ETF) (Ikeda et al. 1986). In one of them (YH1313) the labeling of the
      mature alpha-ETF was barely detectable, while that of the precursor (p) was
      stronger. In another (YH605) no synthesis of immunoreactive p alpha-ETF was
      detectable. In the third cell line (YH1391) the rate of variant p alpha-ETF
      synthesis was comparable to normal, but its electrophoretic mobility was slightly
      faster than normal. In the present study, the northern blot analysis revealed
      that all three mutant cell lines contained p alpha-ETF mRNA and that their size
      and amount were comparable to normal. In immunoblot analysis, both alpha- and
      beta-ETF bands were barely detectable in YH1313 and YH605 but were detectable in
      YH1391 in amounts comparable to normal. Sequencing of YH1313 p alpha-ETF cDNA via
      PCR identified a transversion of T-470 to G. We then devised a simple PCR method
      for the 119-bp section (T-443/G-561) for detecting this mutation. In the upstream
      primer, A-466 was artificially replaced with C, to introduce a BstNI site into
      the amplified copies in the presence of G-470 from the variant sequence. The
      genomic DNA analysis using this method demonstrated that YH1313 was homozygous
      for T----G-470 transversion. It was not detected either in two other alpha-ETF
      deficient GAII or in seven control cell lines. The alpha-ETF cDNA sequence in
      YH605 was identical to normal.

PMID- 1882846
TI  - ASHG human genome committee report. The human genome project: implications for
      human genetics.

PMID- 1882845
TI  - Complex segregation analysis of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate.
AB  - This study was undertaken to examine the inheritance pattern of nonsyndromic
      cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P). Complex segregation analysis using
      the unified model as in POINTER and the regressive model as in REGD programs were
      applied to analyze a midwestern U.S. Caucasian population of 79 families
      ascertained through a proband with CL/F. In REGD, the dominant or codominant
      Mendelian major locus models of inheritance were the most parsimonious fit. In
      POINTER, besides the Mendelian major locus model, the multifactorial threshold
      (MF/T) model and the mixed model were also consistent with the observed data.
      However, the high heritability parameter of .93 (SD .063) in the MF/T model
      suggests that any random exogenous factors are unlikely to be the underlying
      mechanisms, and the mixed model indicates that this high heritability is
      accounted for by a major dominant locus component. These findings indicate that
      the best explanation for the etiology of CL/P in this study population is a
      putative major locus associated with markedly decreased penetrance. Molecular
      studies may provide further insight into the genetic mechanism underlying CL/P.

PMID- 1882847
TI  - X-chromosomal gene in Leber hereditary optic neuroretinopathy.

PMID- 1882848
TI  - Medical aspects of child labor in developing countries.

PMID- 1882849
TI  - Translocation of inhaled asbestos fibers from the lung to other tissues.
AB  - To investigate translocation of asbestos fibers, tissue samples from 13 North
      American insulators were examined, using electron microscopy. Of the two major
      types of asbestos, chrysotile and amosite, chrysotile was found to be much more
      active in the translocation than amosite, being the fiber mainly detected in
      mesotheliomas and hyaline plaques.

PMID- 1882850
TI  - Tumors of the urinary bladder in painters: a case-control study.
AB  - In a case-control study, 403 male patients with a diagnosis of "bladder tumor"
      and (as controls) 426 patients suffering from prostate disease were investigated.
      The results of this study indicate that past employment as a painter was
      associated with an excess risk of bladder tumor. The relative risk of bladder
      tumor estimated for painters was 2.76. The possible role of benzidine-based
      azodyes (or azodyes based on substituted benzidines) as a carcinogenic risk
      factor for painters is discussed.

PMID- 1882851
TI  - Mortality from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory system
      cancer, and stomach cancer among paper mill workers: a case-referent study.
AB  - In an earlier case-referent study from a soft-paper mill with levels of paper
      dust exceeding 5 mg/m3, an increased mortality was found (OR = 3.8, p less than
      0.05) from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among the
      employed. Furthermore, other studies on paper mill workers have also indicated an
      increased mortality from lung cancer. The main objectives of the present case
      referent study were to investigate the mortality from asthma. COPD, and lung
      cancer in two other Swedish paper mills. In these mills, the levels of paper dust
      have been below 3 mg/m3. The subjects for the study were all men who died between
      1961 and 1985 from asthma and COPD (n = 31), respiratory cancer (n = 27), and
      stomach cancer (n = 33) selected in three parishes surrounding two paper mills.
      As referents we randomly selected about six times as many men who had died from
      nonmalignant nonrespiratory diseases in these parishes (n = 550). On the basis of
      information found in the personnel records in the mills, the men were classified
      into different occupational categories or as unexposed. No increased risk of
      asthma or COPD was found among the workers exposed to paper dust. However, it was
      found that there was significantly increased mortality (OR = 5.7, p less than
      0.05) for asthma and COPD among workers in a previous log sorting department. The
      study also showed a significantly increased risk of lung cancer (OR = 2.1, p less
      than 0.05) among maintenance workers. There was no increased risk of stomach
      cancer in the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882852
TI  - Work-related deaths in children.
AB  - An analysis of OSHA fatality investigations for 1984-1987 found 104 work-related
      deaths in children. The largest category (30%) involved industrial vehicles and
      equipment, followed by electrocution (17%) and falls (11%). Forty-three deaths
      (41%) occurred while engaged in types of work prohibited for children by the Fair
      Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Three deaths involved work with conveyors, an
      activity currently permitted for child workers under FLSA. OSHA issued citations
      for safety violations in 70% of deaths. Since OSHA investigates only some work
      related deaths, the actual number of child labor fatalities during the four year
      period was probably higher. Using information from OSHA and from death
      certificate data, we estimate that there are at least 100 work-related deaths in
      the United States in children under 18 each year. Hazardous child labor continues
      to occur even in industries regulated by OSHA and FLSA.

PMID- 1882853
TI  - Work injuries and exposures in children and young adults: review and
      recommendations for action.
AB  - Child labor, the penultimate form of cheap labor, is endemic in poor countries;
      it also occurs in affluent countries. Little information has been available on
      injuries, disease, and effects on growth and development in the tens of millions
      of children at risk. Preventive and control measures are eliminating the gross
      abuses, tracing and banning hazardous exposures to toxic agents, eliminating
      risks of injuries and ergonomic strain, providing health services for working
      children through the primary health care network, and developing international
      failsafe design standards for tools and work systems, if these children must
      work. There is a need to train public health professionals, pediatricians, and
      maternal and child health care personnel in carrying out simple descriptive
      epidemiologic studies and setting up interventive programs. Eliminating the worst
      conditions and controlling hazards where there is no imminent alternative to
      child labor are suggested as the basis for a two-pronged strategy for protecting
      children who are forced to work.

PMID- 1882854
TI  - Chromosomal abnormalities among nurses occupationally exposed to antineoplastic
      drugs.
AB  - The effect of handling antineoplastic drugs was examined in 42 nurses working in
      an oncology department, and the same number of nurses not exposed to
      antineoplastic drugs acted as controls. The exposure effect was evaluated by
      analysis of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) incidence and structural chromosomal
      abnormalities. SCE as well as chromosomal abnormalities in the exposed group were
      increased (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Sign test for
      paired sample was used for statistical assessment.

PMID- 1882855
TI  - Occupational sentinel health events: an up-dated list for physician recognition
      and public health surveillance.
AB  - An occupational sentinel health event (SHE[O]) is a disease, disability, or
      untimely death, which is occupationally related and whose occurrence may: 1)
      provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies; or 2) serve
      as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal
      protection, or medical care may be required. Following survey of scientific
      literature, a list of 50 disease conditions linked to the workplace was presented
      in 1983; these were codable within the framework of the International
      Classification of Diseases system (ICD-9). Three criteria were used for
      inclusion: documentation of associated agent(s), of involved industries, and of
      involved occupations. The up-dated list contains 64 diseases or conditions and a
      bibliography of literature citations. The list is useful for the practicing
      physician in occupational disease recognition, for occupational morbidity and
      mortality surveillance, and as a periodically up-dated database of occupationally
      related diseases.

PMID- 1882856
TI  - The politics of OSHA's standard-setting.

PMID- 1882859
TI  - Comment on "Implications of OSHA's reliance on TLVs in developing the air
      contaminants standard" by Robinson et al.

PMID- 1882858
TI  - OSHA-bashing needs rules.

PMID- 1882857
TI  - Perspectives on what we formerly called threshold limit values.
AB  - From the point of view of an epidemiologist with experience in community air
      quality standards, occupational health standards, radiation standards, and water
      quality standards, reasons are given for discarding the assumption that
      occupational health protection should be based on threshold concepts. The
      weakness of worker health protection based on prescription of maximal exposure
      levels is noted, regardless of whose judgement is used for such levels.

PMID- 1882861
TI  - Re: "OSHA's reliance on TLVs".

PMID- 1882860
TI  - Occupational implications of the chlorofluorocarbon ban in Sweden.
AB  - Limitations on the use of full halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) may create
      occupational environmental problems. These are currently largely unknown, because
      the toxicology of most CFC substitutes is unknown. Therefore, toxicity testing of
      CFC substitutes is necessary, and this can best be done before their use
      commences. Destruction of CFC and materials containing CFC could generate new
      chemical compounds, especially during incineration. In addition, problems with
      higher noise and vibration levels may occur when CFC substitutes are employed,
      and we should keep in mind that occupational environment problems could also
      develop when new routines are introduced for transporting, storing, and handling
      new materials.

PMID- 1882862
TI  - Counterproductive standard setting.

PMID- 1882863
TI  - Alternative sources of TLVs.

PMID- 1882865
TI  - Benefits of peer-reviewed publication.

PMID- 1882866
TI  - Working toward uniformity in evaluation of ADR-reporting programs.

PMID- 1882867
TI  - Pharmacy participation in exit interviews.

PMID- 1882864
TI  - Re: implications of OSHA's reliance on TLVs in developing the air contaminants
      standard.

PMID- 1882869
TI  - Dental precaution listing needs improvement.

PMID- 1882868
TI  - Clinical pharmacy term is outdated.

PMID- 1882870
TI  - Diethyl phthalate not dangerous.

PMID- 1882872
TI  - Stability papers and equal publishing opportunities.

PMID- 1882871
TI  - Reassessing patient counseling.

PMID- 1882874
TI  - Establishing a pharmacy department for a large pediatric hospital: managerial
      problems, opportunities, and lessons.
AB  - The process of planning and establishing a pharmacy department in a pediatric
      hospital is described, and lessons learned from the experience are summarized.
      Since its founding in 1954, Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) had shared pharmacy
      services with St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. The decision to terminate the shared
      services agreement in the mid-1980s made it necessary for TCH to establish an
      independent pharmacy department. A director of pharmacy was hired in March 1988,
      and November 30 of that year was set as the target for implementation of the TCH
      pharmacy. It was decided that six services--a decentralized unit dose
      distribution system, an i.v. admixture service, delivery services, ambulatory
      care services, a formulatory system, and a drug information service--would be
      offered initially. Decisions concerning department organizational structure and
      staffing, space allocations, and a computer system were made. A multidisciplinary
      advisory committee was appointed; one of its responsibilities was to oversee
      inservice staff training. The pharmacy areas were to be opened on a staggered
      basis, beginning with the hematology-oncology clinic pharmacy. A number of
      problems arose immediately following the opening of the central pharmacy,
      including inaccurate computer profiles, lower-than-estimated productivity
      resulting from staff members' unfamiliarity with the new system, higher-than
      estimated patient census, and orders for nonformulary drugs. Delays in drug
      delivery times were unacceptably high. A crisis-management plan was implemented
      to cover both short- and long-term problems, and within a few months operations
      had stabilized. The opening of the intensive-care and sixth-floor satellite
      pharmacies enhanced decentralized operations and had an important role in
      improving response times.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1882873
TI  - Effect of pharmacist participation on a medical team on costs, charges, and
      length of stay.
AB  - The financial impact of pharmacist participation on a medical team in a tertiary
      care teaching hospital was studied prospectively. Two medical teams, one with and
      one without a pharmacist, operated simultaneously for 11 months. Physicians and a
      pharmacist on the teams rotated monthly during the first five months of the
      study. Subsequently, the hospital administrator, who was unaware that the
      controlled study was under way, permanently assigned an attending physician to
      the team that did ot have a pharmacist. After patients' discharge, pharmacy
      costs, pharmacy charges, hospital charges, and length of stay (LOS) were compared
      for the two teams. Data analysis was separated into four phases: phase 1, during
      which attending physicians rotated monthly; phase 2, with a permanent attending
      physician; phase 3, which encompassed the entire 11 months; and phase 4, which
      encompassed the 11-month period but omitted patients whose LOS exceeded 30 days.
      Data were analyzed for a total of 619 patients on the two teams. In phase 1, the
      team with a pharmacist had significantly lower per-patient pharmacy costs,
      pharmacy charges, hospital charges, and LOS. In phase 2, no significant
      differences were found between the teams. In phase 3, the only significant
      difference was that the team with a pharmacist had lower pharmacy costs and
      pharmacy charges. In phase 4, the team that included a pharmacist had
      significantly lower pharmacy costs ($105 difference), pharmacy charges ($368
      difference), hospital charges ($2065 difference), and LOS (1.3-day difference).
      Participation of pharmacists on the medical team can significantly reduce
      pharmacy costs and charges, hospital charges, and LOS.

PMID- 1882875
TI  - Documentation of cost savings from decentralized clinical pharmacy services at a
      community hospital.
AB  - A pilot program designed to justify the costs of clinical pharmacy services
      through the use of workload documentation cards is described. At this community
      hospital, defining a philosophy of care was the first step in developing and
      implementing decentralized services. A patient-specific care model was chosen,
      and principles of patient-oriented service were outlined. Daily workload
      documentation cards were designed for recording pharmacist activities;
      distribution functions were noted on one side, clinical activities on the other.
      Direct cost savings that could be attributed to the clinical pharmacists' drug
      therapy recommendations were quantified and recorded on a second form. Sixty
      three beds in four hospital units were chosen as sites of the pilot effort. At
      the end of the six-month study, an analysis of the cost-savings forms documented
      that clinical pharmacist activities produced an average savings of $1.49 per
      patient day. The break-even point at which pharmacist salary expenses would equal
      direct cost savings was determined to be one clinical pharmacist per 80 patient
      beds. A request to expand clinical services at the hospital was granted. By
      documenting clinical and distributive activities on a simple form and quantifying
      the savings associated with clinical interventions, this pilot program
      demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacy services.

PMID- 1882876
TI  - Comprehensive therapeutic interchange program in a community hospital.
AB  - The implementation of a comprehensive therapeutic interchange program is
      described. The need to reduce the number of telephone calls to physicians about
      nonformulary drug orders, reduce drug costs, and maximize the effectiveness of
      drug therapy prompted the development of an automatic therapeutic interchange
      program at a 273-bed nonteaching community hospital. Pharmacists and physicians
      agreed that a telephone call to discuss every nonformulary drug order was
      unnecessary. The pharmacy department presented the automatic interchange program
      to the pharmacy and therapeutics committee. The program was reviewed by the
      committee, the hospital attorney, and medical staff members and was instituted in
      1986 for drug products, such as vitamins and antacids, for which interchanges are
      noncontroversial. A newsletter describing the program was distributed, and
      inservice education sessions were held. A reminder was placed on order forms that
      an interchange for nonformulary drugs would be made unless the nonformulary agent
      was deemed "medically necessary" by the physician. In such cases, the physician
      is contacted to discuss the therapeutic alternative. As acceptance of the program
      and cost efficiencies were demonstrated, more controversial agents were phased in
      during subsequent years. It was difficult to obtain approval to add some agents,
      such as third-generation cephalosporins, to the program, but noncompliance and
      confusion have been minimal. An automatic therapeutic interchange program has
      worked well at this institution since 1986.

PMID- 1882877
TI  - Influence of a decision analysis model on selection of drug therapy.
AB  - The impact of a decision analysis model on pharmacists' preferences for a drug
      therapy was studied. Three hundred forty members of the American College of
      Clinical Pharmacy were randomly assigned to receive either a copy of a drug
      therapy review alone (control group) or the review plus a decision analysis of
      the same clinical problem (experimental group). The disease selected was
      pseudomembranous colitis, and the drugs to be considered were vancomycin,
      metronidazole, and bacitracin. The review and the decision analysis recommended
      metronidazole as the best agent. Each subject completed a short questionnaire,
      read the review or the review plus the analysis, and completed a follow-up
      questionnaire. Both questionnaires asked the subjects to rank the agents in order
      of preference. There were 164 usable responses, 86 from the control group and 78
      from the experimental group; the total response rate was 48.2%. The difference in
      the proportion of respondents in each group who chose metronidazole as the most
      preferred agent, both before and after the intervention, was not significant. Of
      the 40 experimental-group subjects who ranked metronidazole as their second or
      third choice in the pretest, 16 (40%) ranked it as the most preferred agent in
      the posttest. Ten of these 16 stated that the model influenced their decision.
      Decision analysis plus a drug therapy review had no greater impact on
      pharmacists' opinions on the selection of drug therapy for pseudomembranous
      colitis than did the review alone. The model did influence some of those who
      changed their opinion.

PMID- 1882878
TI  - Effect of pharmacy-conducted education on prescribing of postoperative narcotics.
AB  - The effect of written guidelines and pharmacist-conducted education on the
      prescribing of postoperative narcotics was studied. The postoperative narcotic
      regimens prescribed on a general surgery ward and patients' assessment of pain
      control were recorded during three eight-week study phases. After the first
      (baseline) phase, written guidelines for the use of postoperative narcotics were
      mailed to all physicians. Four weeks after the baseline phase ended, data were
      collected again for eight weeks. A pharmacist then began reinforcing the
      guidelines by presenting inservice educational sessions and participating in ward
      rounds. The pharmacist did not attempt to change narcotic regimens for individual
      patients. Four weeks after the pharmacist's efforts began, the final eight-week
      data-collection period commenced. In general, the appropriateness of narcotic
      orders increased as the educational efforts intensified. There was no difference
      in narcotic expenses or pain control among the study phases. The appropriateness
      of postoperative analgesic regimens increased as education efforts became more
      intense, but the efforts had no effect on drug expenses or pain control.

PMID- 1882879
TI  - Use of refractometers to detect controlled-substance tampering.
AB  - Hospital pharmacies presently lack a simple and cost-effective procedure to
      monitor the integrity of solutions of controlled substances that they distribute.
      Thus, the use of refractive-index values, measured by inexpensive hand-held
      refractometers, in monitoring such solutions was studied. Four refractometers
      were used to measure the refractive index or % Brix (an index of the percentage
      of solid in solution) of solutions of a number of controlled substances,
      including fentanyl citrate, morphine sulfate, hydromorphone hydrochloride, and
      meperidine hydrochloride. The hand-held refractometers provided precise readings
      with small variabilities. Although this method does not determine the actual drug
      concentration per se, subversion of the monitoring procedure for many solutions
      would require considerable forethought and scientific knowledge. A refractometric
      survey of 83 controlled-substance solutions returned to the hospital pharmacy
      showed the procedure to be capable of identifying a solution of unexpected
      concentration. The described refractometric procedure is rapid, simple,
      reproducible, inexpensive, and applicable to a wide array of drug solutions.
      Hospital pharmacies may consider using the procedure for routine monitoring of
      solutions of controlled substances.

PMID- 1882880
TI  - Use of ampicillin-sulbactam before and after formulary inclusion.
AB  - The use of ampicillin-sulbactam before and after the product was formally placed
      on a hospital formulary is described. In October 1987 the pharmacy and
      therapeutics committee at an acute-care institution granted ampicillin-sulbactam
      temporary formulary inclusion on the condition that its use be audited. Formal
      inclusion was to be based on the results of this preinclusion audit. A second
      audit was to be performed if formal inclusion was granted. The data were collated
      after each audit, and for each patient an infectious-disease consultant proposed
      an alternative antimicrobial regimen representing what would probably have been
      prescribed had ampicillin-sulbactam not been available. Sixty-four patients
      received the product during the six-month preinclusion audit period. Ampicillin
      sulbactam was given to 37% of the patients for indications listed in FDA-approved
      labeling. The dosage was considered appropriate in 88% of the patients. Clinical
      outcome was considered successful in 84% of the patients who received the product
      for known infections. Therapy with ampicillin-sulbactam was less expensive (by
      $4125) in 35 patients and more costly (by $1523) in 29 patients; the projected
      annual savings were $7805. After formal inclusion on the formulary, ampicillin
      sulbactam was prescribed for some 700 patients over a 16-month period. A review
      in 49 patients showed appropriate indication and dosage for 63% and 84% of the
      patients, respectively, and an 84% rate of therapeutic success. The extrapolated
      cost savings were $26,429 per year. After formulary inclusion, the use of
      ampicillin-sulbactam increased, as did the frequency of its use for indications
      appearing in FDA-approved labeling.

PMID- 1882881
TI  - Effect of blood and serum on in vitro antibacterial activity of nitrofurazone.
AB  - The effect of various volumes of blood and serum on the in vitro antibacterial
      activity of 0.2% nitrofurazone soluble dressing (NSD) was studied. The
      antibacterial activity of NSD was tested with an agar well diffusion technique.
      Zones of inhibition against susceptible strains of Escherichia coli and coagulase
      positive Staphylococcus aureus were measured with a micrometer. Bacterial
      concentrations of 10(5) and 10(8) colony-forming units per milliliter were tested
      to evaluate a possible effect of inoculum size. Wells contained full-strength
      (undiluted) NSD or 75%, 50%, or 25% NSD dilutions (w/w) in blood, serum, or 0.9%
      sodium chloride injection. The mean decrease in inhibition zone size produced by
      blood and serum was only 7.2%. The diminution of activity, albeit small, was
      statistically significant. The zones produced were still much larger than those
      associated with clinical cure. Therefore, the impact of blood and serum on
      nitrofurazone's in vitro antibacterial activity can best be described as a slight
      reduction in rather than an elimination of effectiveness. This small reduction in
      activity is unlikely to be clinically important in patients with burns or other
      surface wounds that contain blood or serum. An effect of inoculum size was
      demonstrated for both organisms. Blood and serum produced a small but significant
      reduction in NSD's antibacterial activity in vitro. Controlled clinical studies
      are needed to ascertain the clinical importance of these findings.

PMID- 1882882
TI  - Characterization of cisplatin degradation as affected by pH and light.
AB  - The stability of cisplatin in 0.9% sodium chloride solution was studied.
      Cisplatin was reconstituted with sterile water for injection to achieve a
      concentration of approximately 1 mg/mL in 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The
      solutions were placed in flexible polyvinyl chloride containers, clear and amber
      glass flasks, and plastic syringes and stored at 22-25 degrees C in the dark or
      exposed to measured amounts of light and assayed periodically for up to 96 days.
      The initial pH of some of the solutions was adjusted. The stability of cisplatin
      in the solutions was determined by measuring the concentrations of cisplatin,
      trichloroammineplatinate(II) (TCAP), and trans-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II)
      (transplatin) with high-performance liquid chromatography and by measuring
      solution pH. The effect of adding ethylene oxide and other materials was also
      determined. TCAP was identified as the predominant degradation product of
      cisplatin in all the solutions. The rate of degradation was dependent on pH: In
      the dark, about 0.04% and 0.21% of the cisplatin degraded to TCAP per week at pH
      4.3 and 6.3, respectively. The presence of ethylene oxide accelerated cisplatin
      degradation. Degradation also occurred during exposure to short-wavelength (350
      490-nm) visible light. Storage in amber glass flasks offered more protection than
      storage in clear flasks. Isomerization of cisplatin to transplatin was not
      observed. The major degradation product of cisplatin was
      trichloroammineplatinate(II). Solution pH was the predominant factor affecting
      cisplatin stability.

PMID- 1882883
TI  - Activity of urokinase diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose
      injection and stored in glass or plastic syringes.
AB  - The effects of the diluent, the container, the i.v. set, and the drug
      concentration on the adsorption of urokinase to i.v. administration systems were
      studied, along with the compatibility of urokinase with plastic and glass
      syringes. Solutions of urokinase 1500 and 5000 IU/mL in 0.9% sodium chloride
      injection and 5% dextrose injection in glass and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
      containers were sampled at 2 and 30 minutes. Administration sets were attached to
      PVC containers containing the urokinase-5% dextrose injection solutions, and
      samples were collected at 90 and 150 minutes. Glass and polypropylene syringes
      containing urokinase 5000 IU/mL in 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose
      injection were sampled at 0, 4, 8, and 24 hours. Urokinase activity was measured
      by an in vitro clot lysis assay. No urokinase diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride
      injection adsorbed to glass or PVC containers. For urokinase 1500 IU/mL in 5%
      dextrose injection, a loss of 15% to 20% occurred almost instantaneously in PVC
      containers; additional losses to the infusion sets were minimal. However, for
      urokinase 5000 IU/mL in 5% dextrose injection, no losses were observed in the PVC
      systems. No drug loss to glass bottles was seen for urokinase 1500 or 5000 IU/mL
      in 5% dextrose injection. Urokinase potency remained constant in polypropylene
      and glass syringes for 24 hours. To minimize urokinase sorption to PVC
      containers, higher concentrations of urokinase diluted in 5% dextrose injection
      should be used, provided that clinical safety and efficacy are not compromised.
      The use of 0.9% sodium chloride injection as a diluent also prevents sorption
      losses.

PMID- 1882885
TI  - Pharmacist-managed medication training in personal-care homes.

PMID- 1882884
TI  - Waivers for military use of investigational agents.

PMID- 1882886
TI  - A peer review-based quality assurance system.

PMID- 1882887
TI  - Pharmacy services on obstetrics and gynecology and neonatology units.

PMID- 1882888
TI  - Evaluation of serum lithium concentration determinations.

PMID- 1882889
TI  - Visual compatibility of haloperidol lactate with 0.9% sodium chloride injection
      or injectable critical-care drugs during simulated Y-site injection.

PMID- 1882890
TI  - Hospitals' exclusive contractual arrangements with vendors of durable medical
      equipment violate antitrust laws.

PMID- 1882891
TI  - Quality assurance for the JCAHO standards.

PMID- 1882893
TI  - Leadership and professionalism in pharmacy.

PMID- 1882892
TI  - Influence of methods on the evaluation of therapeutic drug-monitoring services.

PMID- 1882894
TI  - Treatment of peptic ulcer disease with sucralfate: a review.
AB  - Sucralfate has been used widely for the treatment of peptic ulcer. Healing rates
      for duodenal ulcer range from 60 to 90% at 4-6 weeks and up to 90% at 12 weeks
      for gastric ulcer. The small number of maintenance trials suggest that relapse of
      duodenal ulcer is reduced comparably to H2 receptor antagonists. There has been
      considerable interest in the possibility of lower relapse ratios after initial
      healing with sucralfate compared with H2 receptor antagonists, but more studies
      of the possible mechanisms as well as larger trials are still needed to confirm
      these observations.

PMID- 1882895
TI  - Healing of erosive esophagitis with sucralfate and cimetidine: influence of
      pretreatment lower esophageal sphincter pressure and serum pepsinogen I levels.
AB  - Forty-eight patients with erosive reflux esophagitis were allocated to either
      sucralfate tablets, 4 g/day, or cimetidine, 1.6 g/day, for 8 weeks in a
      randomized, prospective, single-blind, cross-over therapeutic trial. Pretreatment
      lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and serum pepsinogen I (PG-I) levels
      were investigated as possible predictors of healing with either drug. The trial
      was completed by 41 patients (21 in the sucralfate group and 20 in the cimetidine
      group); one patient in each group was removed because of side effects. Symptom
      improvement occurred to a similar extent in both groups. Endoscopic results after
      8 weeks of treatment with sucralfate revealed complete healing of esophageal
      erosions in 48% (cimetidine, 55%) and improvement in an additional 19%
      (cimetidine, 20%). Neither of these differences was statistically significant.
      Some patients refractory to one drug had endoscopic healing of esophagitis when
      treated with the other drug after crossover. LES pressure did not influence
      outcome in patients treated with sucralfate, whereas significantly (p = 0.024)
      more patients refractory to cimetidine had an LES pressure less than 7 mm Hg than
      did those with a good response to the histamine-2 (H2)-receptor blockade.
      Patients whose esophagitis healed or improved after sucralfate tended to have
      lower serum PG-I levels than those with treatment failure (104 +/- 35 ng/mL vs
      125 +/- 45 ng/mL), whereas the opposite occurred in patients treated with
      cimetidine (132 +/- 58 ng/mL in responders vs 78 +/- 27 ng/mL in nonresponders, p
      = 0.048). The results confirm that sucralfate is a valuable alternative to H2
      receptor inhibitors for the treatment of reflux esophagitis. They also provide
      preliminary evidence that LES pressures and serum PG-I levels may have predictive
      value of the response to one or the other of these two drugs.

PMID- 1882896
TI  - Sucralfate versus cimetidine in the treatment of reflux esophagitis, with special
      reference to the esophageal motor function.
AB  - Sixty patients entered a double-blind clinical trial comparing the effect of 1 g
      of sucralfate granulate given four times daily and cimetidine, 400 mg twice
      daily. Twenty-six patients treated with sucralfate and 26 treated with cimetidine
      were examined with short-term pH monitoring before and after 12 weeks of
      treatment. Thirty patients, 19 treated with cimetidine and 11 treated with
      sucralfate, had esophageal motility studied by a radionuclide test before and
      after 12 weeks of treatment. The efficacy of the treatments was judged by
      symptoms and endoscopic response after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. The
      endpoint healing rate was approximately 60% in both groups and symptoms were
      relieved in half of the patients in both groups (difference not significant). The
      effect of the treatments on pH and number of spikes reflected the different
      pharmacodynamic profiles of the drugs, whereas the mean transit time (MTT) was
      not changed by the treatments. The residual activity after radionuclide transit
      in the sitting position was significantly increased after treatment with
      cimetidine. The data support the hypothesis that primary dysmotility might be
      involved in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis in about 33% of the patients.
      Possibilities for a combination therapy with sucralfate and cimetidine are
      stressed.

PMID- 1882898
TI  - Sucralfate therapy and reflux esophagitis: an overview.

PMID- 1882897
TI  - Reflux esophagitis therapy: sucralfate versus ranitidine in a double blind
      multicenter trial.
AB  - Sucralfate (Sc) suspension 6 g/day and ranitidine (Rn) tablets, 150 mg, were
      compared in 125 patients in a double-blind, multicenter, endoscopically
      controlled trial in the treatment of reflux esophagitis. Inclusion criteria were
      symptomatic reflux (number and severity of attacks) and endoscopic evidence of
      esophagitis (grades 1 to 4). Clinical assessments were performed on entry, and at
      4 and at 8 weeks, and endoscopy was repeated at 8 weeks. Sc suspension and Rn
      placebo or Sc placebo and Rn tablets were taken on waking and immediately before
      retiring at night. Of the 125 patients, 27 were withdrawn because of default (Rn
      = 4; Sc = 14), noncompliance (Rn = 1; Sc = 2), or the development of congestive
      cardiac failure (Rn = 1), diarrhea (Rn = 1; Sc = 1), nausea (Sc = 1),
      constipation (Sc = 1), and hematemesis (Sc = 1). Analysis was performed on the
      remaining 98 patients, 43 of whom had been treated with Sc and 55 with Rn.
      Heartburn, acid regurgitation, epigastric pain, dysphagia, and chest pain were
      relieved in 34% vs 40%, 67% vs 72%, 71% vs 57%, and 86% vs 63% for Sc and Rn,
      respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups.
      Endoscopic healing occurred in 47% of the Sc- and in 31% of the Rn-treated
      patients (chi 2 = 2.50), and healing or improvement was noted in 81% of the Sc-
      and 64% of the Rn-treated patients. This difference approached statistical
      significance (chi 2 = 3.73). There was no obvious endoscopic benefit in 8 of the
      43 and 20 of the 55 patients in the groups treated with Sc and Rn, respectively.
      Although the findings with sucralfate and ranitidine in patients with reflux
      esophagitis completing the trial suggest a benefit of these agents, the absence
      of a placebo control group and the high default rates, particularly for those
      receiving sucralfate, preclude any firm conclusions as to relative or specific
      efficacy of these agents in this condition.

PMID- 1882899
TI  - Incidence of pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients treated with
      sucralfate or cimetidine as prophylaxis for stress bleeding: bacterial
      colonization of the stomach.
AB  - Retrograde colonization of the oropharynx from the stomach by microaspiration of
      gastric fluid is a recently recognized phenomenon associated with increased
      gastric pH that may result in pneumonia during ventilation therapy. In a
      prospective study we investigated 104 mechanically ventilated patients in the
      intensive care unit who were receiving sucralfate (n = 49) or cimetidine (n = 55)
      for stress ulcer prophylaxis. The incidence of pneumonia was 45.5% (25 patients)
      in the cimetidine group and 26.5% (13 patients) in the sucralfate group (95%
      confidence interval 0.98 to 6.97; odds ratio 2.61; p = 0.0549). Mortality rates
      were 18.4% (9 patients) in the sucralfate group versus 25.5% (14 patients) in the
      cimetidine group (p = 0.48). The mean pH values of gastric aspirates were
      significantly lower in patients treated with sucralfate than in patients
      receiving cimetidine (p = 0.044). The number of colony-forming units of
      Enterobacteriaceae in gastric aspirates was also significantly lower in the
      sucralfate group (p = 0.0037).

PMID- 1882901
TI  - A comparison of sucralfate with placebo in the treatment of esophageal ulcers
      following therapeutic endoscopic sclerotherapy of esophageal varices--a
      prospective controlled randomized trial.
AB  - In 1984 Roark published the first report of a sucralfate treatment of esophageal
      ulcers after sclerotherapy. Because this was an uncontrolled trial we planned a
      prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study with 60 patients. After
      therapeutic paravariceal injection-sclerotherapy of esophageal varices, patients
      were randomly treated with sucralfate suspension or placebo. Time of treatment
      was limited to a maximum of 3 weeks and the dosage of sucralfate was 1 g q.i.d.
      (Ulcogant-Suspension). Healing was assessed by endoscopy at weekly intervals.
      Fifty-three patients (25 sucralfate, 28 placebo) were evaluable according to the
      protocol. No patient left the study because of side effects. At the start of the
      trial, the patients in the sucralfate group showed a larger ulcer area than the
      placebo group. There was a tendency to faster healing in the sucralfate group,
      especially in patients with deeper ulcerations. However, there was no significant
      difference in global healing between both treatment groups after 3 weeks.
      Sucralfate suspension may be of value in accelerating the healing process in
      esophageal ulcers after sclerotherapy, especially in patients with deep ulcers.
      These results should be confirmed in further trials, in which patients should be
      stratified with respect to their ulcer volume and severity of liver disease.

PMID- 1882900
TI  - Failure of infection control in intensive care units: can sucralfate improve the
      situation?
AB  - Conventional infection control measures in intensive care units (ICUs) are aimed
      primarily at stemming cross-infections. The role of patients' endogenous flora in
      the pathogenesis of nosocomial infection and occasional lapses in aseptic
      technique in ICUs help to explain the frequent failure of the conventional
      approaches. Newer control strategies include avoiding gastric and oropharyngeal
      overgrowth of gram-negative bacilli by using sucralfate to avoid gastric
      alkalinization and/or suppressing nosocomial flora by use of topical
      antimicrobials.

PMID- 1882902
TI  - Effects of sucralfate, lansoprazole, and cimetidine on the delayed healing by
      hydrocortisone sodium phosphate of chronic gastric ulcers in the rat.
AB  - We have previously shown that chronic sucralfate ingestion stimulates gastric
      epithelial proliferation in rats, which may explain one of the beneficial effects
      of sucralfate in healing of peptic ulcers. In a separate study, we have found
      that chronic steroid administration delays the healing of experimental gastric
      ulcers in rats. This study was designed to test the beneficial effects of
      sucralfate, cimetidine, and lansoprazole (AG-1749, a new proton pump inhibitor),
      on the delayed healing by steroids in rat chronic gastric ulcers. Chronic gastric
      ulcers were produced in male Wistar rats, weighing 180 g, by the application of
      100% acetic acid. The rats were randomly divided into five groups; (1) control,
      (2) vehicle alone, (3) 10 mg/kg lansoprazole, (4) 500 mg/kg sucralfate, and (5)
      100 mg/kg cimetidine. Except for controls, all rats received daily
      intraperitoneal injections of 2.5 mg/kg hydrocortisone sodium phosphate. Tested
      drugs were administered intragastrically (lansoprazole and sucralfate) or
      intraperitoneally (cimetidine) twice a day for 2 weeks. Rats were sacrificed 14
      days later and ulcer size was measured. Chronic administration of hydrocortisone
      sodium phosphate resulted in a significant delay of ulcer healing induced by
      acetic acid. Treatment with either lansoprazole or sucralfate abolished the
      deleterious effect of steroids, whereas cimetidine had no effect. These results
      indicate that lansoprazole and sucralfate overcome the delayed healing by
      steroids of chronic gastric ulcers in the rat.

PMID- 1882903
TI  - Prevention of irradiation-induced bowel discomfort by sucralfate: a double-blind,
      placebo-controlled study when treating localized pelvic cancer.
AB  - Sucralfate, an aluminum hydroxide complex of sulfated sucrose used in the
      treatment of gastric ulcer, was shown to prevent irradiation-induced diarrhea and
      bowel discomfort significantly in patients treated for pelvic cancer with
      external radiotherapy with intent to cure. The double-blind placebo-controlled
      study included 70 patients with carcinoma of the prostate and urinary bladder
      without distant metastasis (T1-4NO1xMO) and performance status of greater than or
      equal to 90% Karnofsky scale. Radiotherapy was administered in a conventional
      manner with MeV photons and a four-field technique. The total dose was 62-66 Gy
      and total treatment time of 6.5 weeks. Dose granules of sucralfate or placebo
      were dispensed to each patient 2 weeks after radiation started and continued for
      6 weeks. All analyses were performed blindly. Seven of 34 evaluable patients in
      the placebo group and 18 of 32 evaluable patients in the sucralfate group did not
      present with diarrhea during the observation period. The frequency of defecation
      and stool consistency were significantly improved by sucralfate. Fourteen
      patients in the placebo group and only three in the sucralfate group required
      symptomatic therapy with loperamide. There was no evidence of adverse effects
      associated with the use of sucralfate. Sucralfate can be of beneficial value in
      diminishing the bowel discomfort during radiotherapy of pelvic malignancies, and
      the earlier proposed mechanisms of action (e.g., protection of denuded mucosa,
      cytoprotective properties, binding bile acids) can also be valid for the current
      effects of sucralfate.

PMID- 1882904
TI  - Role of acid milieu in the gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activity of
      sucralfate.
AB  - Sucralfate prevents the formation of acute gastric lesions induced by various
      ulcerogens and enhances the healing of chronic gastroduodenal ulcerations, but
      the mechanism of these effects has not been fully explained. This study was
      designed to determine the importance of intragastric pH in the sucralfate-induced
      gastroprotection against 100% ethanol, acidified aspirin, taurocholate, or
      stress, and in the healing of chronic gastroduodenal ulcerations induced by
      acetic acid. Sucralfate acidified to pH 2.0 showed significantly stronger
      protective activity against all four irritants, its protective potency against
      100% ethanol being about eight times greater and the duration of the protection
      about four times longer than those obtained with sucralfate at its pH of 5.0.
      Pretreatment with indomethacin to suppress mucosal generation of prostaglandin or
      the removal of salivary glands to eliminate the endogenous source of epidermal
      growth factor failed to affect sucralfate-induced gastroprotection. In contrast,
      the rate of healing of chronic gastric ulcerations was significantly delayed by
      indomethacin or sialoadenectomy; but sucralfate enhanced the healing, and a
      marked inhibition of gastric acid secretion by ranitidine did not eliminate this
      enhancement. We conclude that the protective activity of sucralfate depends on
      the presence of acid milieu in the stomach, but that the ulcer-healing effects of
      this drug occur even after a marked inhibition of gastric acid secretion.

PMID- 1882905
TI  - A common physical basis for the gastric mucosal barrier and the action of
      sucralfate.
AB  - A novel explanation for the action of sucralfate in gastric ulcers has been
      proposed based on a new theory for gastric mucosal protection derived, in effect,
      from the very common industrial practice of adsorbing surfactants to surfaces
      needing protection against acid. Standard physical tests have been employed to
      show that sucralfate is highly surface-active at both liquid and solid
      interfaces, with the capability to be adsorbed--but not as active as the
      indigenous surface-active phospholipid (SAPL). This finding can explain the
      ability of sucralfate to "bind" to an ulcer site. Unlike SAPL or surfactants in
      general, adsorbed sucralfate does not render hydrophilic surfaces hydrophobic,
      suggesting a dual role in substituting for both SAPL and the mucus needed to
      stabilize it. Electron microscopy, using a novel fixation procedure specifically
      designed to allow for the known properties of any gastric mucosal barrier,
      revealed essentially the same oligolamellar lining of SAPL as previously reported
      in rats. Prolonged (16-day) exposure to sucralfate did not appear to change the
      situation, whereas there were as many, if not more, lamellar bodies (freshly
      secreted SAPL) adjacent to the stomach wall. Mucus-free oxyntic ducts showed the
      same oligolamellar lining as controls. An interesting new finding was the
      presence of oligolamellar SAPL as the intergranular matrix of gastric mucus--as
      though preparing to protect the next layer in anticipation of the surface mucin
      granules being eroded.

PMID- 1882907
TI  - Comparative study of sucralfate 2 grams twice daily versus sucralfate 1 gram four
      times daily in the treatment of benign gastric ulcers in outpatients.
AB  - In a double-blind, randomized study, we compared the healing of gastric ulcer
      during a twice-daily regimen of 2 g sucralfate or sucralfate 1 g q.i.d. Patients
      receiving the former therapy received the tablets one-half hour before breakfast
      and at bedtime. Patients receiving sucralfate 1 g q.i.d. received their therapy
      30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and supper, and at bedtime. The study
      included 52 patients with endoscopically proven gastric ulcer; 41 patients
      completed the study. Healing was endoscopically assessed at 8 weeks and 12 weeks.
      After 8 and 12 weeks the healing rate for sucralfate 2 g b.i.d. was 67% and 92%,
      respectively; the healing rate of sucralfate 1 g q.i.d. was 59% and 71%,
      respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the two
      regimens. The results suggest that 2 g sucralfate twice daily is as effective in
      the healing of gastric ulcer as 1 g sucralfate q.i.d.

PMID- 1882906
TI  - Comparison of sucralfate and ranitidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcers.
AB  - Ninety patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcers, enrolled in this
      prospective, single-blind study, were randomized to sucralfate, 1 g q.i.d., 0.5
      hour before meals on an empty stomach or at bedtime, or ranitidine, 150 mg
      b.i.d., for 4-8 weeks (phase I). Patients who healed during the treatment period
      were invited to participate in a maintenance therapy follow-up covering 1 year
      (phase II), during which they were treated with sucralfate, 1 g b.i.d. (before
      breakfast and at bedtime) or 150 mg of ranitidine at bedtime. After 4 weeks of
      treatment, healing rates were 30/40 (75.0%) with sucralfate and 36/42 (85.7%)
      with ranitidine, and healing rates were 39/40 (97.6%) and 40/42 (95.2%)
      respectively, after 8 weeks of treatment. At the end of the 6th and 12th months
      of phase II, respectively, relapse rates were 3/33 (9.4%) and 10/32 (31.3%) in
      the sucralfate group and 5/33 (15.2%) and 10/29 (34.5%) in the ranitidine group.
      Differences between sucralfate- and ranitidine-treated groups were not
      significant. Both treatments were well tolerated. We conclude that sucralfate is
      as effective and safe as ranitidine in the short-term treatment and prevention of
      relapse in patients with ulcer disease.

PMID- 1882908
TI  - Clinical efficacy of sucralfate in the treatment of gastric ulcer.
AB  - We performed a randomized, single-blind study in Japan to investigate the
      efficacy and safety of two dosage regimens of sucralfate granules, 2 g, twice
      daily (b.i.d. group, n = 30) and 1 g, 4 times daily (q.i.d. group, n = 27), on
      ulcer healing in 57 patients with endoscopically proven gastric ulcer. Endoscopy
      was performed after 4 weeks and, if complete healing was not achieved, again
      after an additional 4 weeks. Of 57 patients, 11 were excluded from the
      statistical analysis because of protocol violation (six in b.i.d. group, five in
      q.i.d. group). Of 46 patients eligible for the analysis of healing rates, four
      patients in the b.i.d. group (all at 8 weeks) and five patients in the q.i.d.
      group (two at 4 weeks and three at 8 weeks) were withdrawn due to patients'
      inconvenience. As the possibility that the withdrawals were due to the treatment
      failures could not be denied, we used the Kaplan-Meier method and generalized
      Wilcoxon test/logrank test for the calculation and evaluation of healing rates in
      this study, respectively. Healing rates at 4 and 8 weeks were 50% and 94% in the
      b.i.d. group and 35% and 68% in the q.i.d. group. There was no significant
      difference in healing rates between the groups. No serious adverse effect was
      observed in either group. These results suggest that the 2 g b.i.d. dose of
      sucralfate in granule form is at least as effective as the conventional dose of 1
      g q.i.d. in the treatment of active gastric ulcers and could lead to better
      patient compliance.

PMID- 1882909
TI  - Maintenance therapy with sucralfate in duodenal ulcer: genuine prevention or
      accelerated healing of ulcer recurrence?
AB  - We sought to compare the efficacy of sucralfate to placebo for the prevention of
      duodenal ulcer recurrence and to determine that the efficacy of sucralfate was
      due to a true reduction in ulcer prevalence and not due to secondary effects such
      as analgesic activity or accelerated healing. This was a double-blind,
      randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel groups, multicenter clinical study with
      254 patients. All patients had a past history of at least two duodenal ulcers
      with at least one ulcer diagnosed by endoscopic examination 3 months or less
      before the start of the study. Complete ulcer healing without erosions was
      required to enter the study. Sucralfate or placebo were dosed as a 1-g tablet
      twice a day for 4 months, or until ulcer recurrence. Endoscopic examinations once
      a month and when symptoms developed determined the presence or absence of
      duodenal ulcers. If a patient developed an ulcer between monthly scheduled
      visits, the patient was dosed with a 1-g sucralfate tablet twice a day until the
      next scheduled visit. Statistical analyses of the results determined the efficacy
      of sucralfate compared with placebo for preventing duodenal ulcer recurrence.
      Comparisons of therapeutic agents for preventing duodenal ulcers have usually
      been made by testing for statistical differences in the cumulative rates for all
      ulcers developed during a follow-up period, regardless of the time of detection.
      Statistical experts at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
      on the FDA Advisory Panel expressed doubts about clinical study results based on
      this type of analysis. They suggested three possible mechanisms for reducing the
      number of observed ulcers: (a) analgesic effects, (b) accelerated healing, and
      (c) true ulcer prevention. Traditional ulcer analysis could miss recurring ulcers
      due to an analgesic effect or accelerated healing. Point-prevalence analysis
      could miss recurring ulcers due to accelerated healing between endoscopic
      examinations. Maximum ulcer analyses, a novel statistical method, eliminated
      analgesic effects by regularly scheduled endoscopies and accelerated healing of
      recurring ulcers by frequent endoscopies and an open-label phase. Maximum ulcer
      analysis reflects true ulcer recurrence and prevention. Sucralfate was
      significantly superior to placebo in reducing ulcer prevalence by all analyses.
      Significance (p less than 0.05) was found at months 3 and 4 for all analyses. All
      months were significant in the traditional analysis, months 2-4 in point
      prevalence analysis, and months 3-4 in the maximal ulcer prevalence analysis.
      Sucralfate was shown to be effective for the prevention of duodenal ulcer
      recurrence by a true reduction in new ulcer development.

PMID- 1882911
TI  - Acid secretory changes and early relapse following duodenal ulcer healing with
      ranitidine or sucralfate.
AB  - Controversial aspects relating to acid secretory changes following duodenal ulcer
      healing, and the effect of histamine-2 (H2)-receptor blockers on such changes are
      discussed. Recent studies comparing the effects of ranitidine or sucralfate on
      changes in the acid secretory responses in the healing of duodenal ulcers are
      described, and the relevance of these changes to early relapse considered. The
      duration of therapy and timing of acid-secretory studies and endoscopies are
      standardized in all studies, but the acid-secretory parameters vary. These
      comprised acid secretory responses to graded doses of an intravenous infusion of
      pentagastrin or histamine, sham-feeding responses, and basal and nocturnal acid
      secretion. In all studies, healing with sucralfate was associated with a
      significant decrease in the various parameters of acid secretion. In the
      ranitidine-healed groups, no appreciable decrease was noted and there was,
      indeed, a significant increase in nocturnal acid secretion. Routine endoscopies
      performed 4-6 weeks after documented ulcer healing showed a recurrence of 3 of
      the 32 (9%) sucralfate-healed and in 14 of the 35 (40%) ranitidine-healed ulcers.
      Increased acid secretory responsiveness following duodenal ulcer healing was
      strongly correlated with subsequent early relapse.

PMID- 1882912
TI  - Fenestrated sheen macular dystrophy.
AB  - We examined a family with fenestrated sheen macular dystrophy. The red macular
      lesions were strikingly apparent in the propositus and more subtle in one
      affected cousin. Pronounced macular retinal pigment epithelial disruption or
      mottling was present in the father of the propositus, who also had markedly
      reduced electroretinogram rod and cone responses. The extent of electroretinogram
      amplitude reduction indicates abnormal function of the peripheral retina in
      addition to the clinically evident macular changes. Affected family members
      showed peripheral retinal pigment epithelial granularity. Central visual acuity
      remained normal despite the presence of macular lesions.

PMID- 1882913
TI  - Glass-slide vitrectomy for use by the cataract surgeon.

PMID- 1882910
TI  - Acid secretory responses and parietal cell sensitivity following duodenal ulcer
      healing with omeprazole, sucralfate, and Maalox.
AB  - Acid secretory responses and parietal cell sensitivity (PCS) have been studied in
      21 duodenal ulcer patients before and after successful treatment with omeprazole
      (n = 7), sucralfate (n = 7), or Maalox (n = 7). The second study was carried out
      3 days after documented healing and withdrawal of treatment in the sucralfate-
      and Maalox-treated groups and 14 days after documented healing and withdrawal of
      treatment in the omeprazole-treated patients. Acid output (mmol/hour) was
      measured as basal secretion, and in response to 0.1 microgram/kg/hour
      pentagastrin (low-dose) and 6.0 micrograms/kg/hour pentagastrin (high-dose)
      stimulation. PCS was calculated as the ratio of low dose:high dose acid output
      (expressed as a percentage). Ulcer healing with sucralfate resulted in
      significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in low-dose acid output from 36.4% (13.2
      51.0) (median [range]) to 8.4% (3.2-45.4) mmol/hour and PCS from 69.1% (44.9
      91.4) to 22.0% (16.0-85.6), whereas no significant decreases in any of the
      measured parameters were noted following ulcer healing with Maalox. Ulcer healing
      with omeprazole resulted in significant (p less than 0.05) decreases in basal
      acid output from 6.3 (1.5-22.9) (median [range]) to 2.2 (0-6.9) mmol/hour, and
      low-dose acid output from 31.0 (6.0-58.0) to 23.0 (1.4-44.8) mmol/hour. These
      findings suggest that acid secretory responses following ulcer healing vary
      according to the therapeutic agent used.

PMID- 1882914
TI  - In defense of animal research.

PMID- 1882915
TI  - A comparison of penetrating keratoplasty to epikeratoplasty in the surgical
      management of keratoconus.

PMID- 1882917
TI  - Detection of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with uveitis.
AB  - We determined the antibody response against Borrelia burgdorferi strains isolated
      from Japanese Ixodes ovatus and Ixodes persulcatus ticks by enzyme-linked
      immunosorbent assay and indirect immunofluorescence assay of serum specimens from
      127 patients with uveitis. We examined samples of serum from Japanese patients
      with unclassified uveitis, iridocyclitis caused by herpes zoster virus, Behcet's
      disease, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, sarcoidosis, or other conditions
      (sympathetic ophthalmia, Posner-Schlossman syndrome and acute anterior uveitis
      with ankylosing spondylitis). Serum from healthy individuals and patients with
      Lyme disease served as negative and positive control samples, respectively.
      Significantly higher antibody titers were demonstrated in patients with uveitis
      than in control subjects. Of 29 patients with unclassified uveitis, nine (31) had
      significantly increased antibody titers against B. burgdorferi strain H014 by
      ELISA testing. Five patients also showed higher IgG and IgM responses than in
      three control subjects with Lyme disease. All positive controls showed joint
      problems characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis. One of three patients had
      uveitis. The patients were diagnosed as having Lyme disease on the basis of their
      history and serologic tests. A positive antibody response was recognized in
      several patients with Behcet's disease, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome,
      sarcoidosis, and other conditions (acute anterior uveitis with ankylosing
      spondylitis), but not in control subjects.

PMID- 1882916
TI  - A multicenter study of Pneumocystis choroidopathy.
AB  - We studied 21 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and presumed
      Pneumocystic carinii choroidopathy. The lesions were characteristically yellow to
      pale yellow in color, appeared at the level of the choroid, and were found in the
      posterior pole. They varied in size from 300 to 3,000 microns, initially
      increasing in number before treatment and eventually resolving after systemic
      antimicrobial therapy. Of the 21 patients, 18 (86%) had received inhaled
      pentamidine as prophylaxis against Pneumocystis pneumonia. Visual acuity and
      visual field testing showed little evidence of retinal destruction. Survival
      after the diagnosis of the choroidopathy ranged from two to 36 weeks.
      Pneumocystic choroidopathy offers an easily accessible clue to disseminated
      Pneumocystis infection. When comparing drugs for Pneumocystis prophylaxis,
      careful ocular examination can provide one indicator of the relative efficacy of
      protection against extrapulmonary disease.

PMID- 1882918
TI  - Congenital arteriovenous communications and the development of two types of
      leaking retinal macroaneurysms.
AB  - We treated a patient with a rare combination of congenital arteriovenous
      communications and the development of leaking macroaneurysms of different types.
      Initially, leaking macroaneurysms developed in the shunt area of the
      arteriovenous communication; later, a preexistent fusiform macroaneurysm in the
      afferent arteriole of the congenital communication started leaking. Because
      exudates and fluid from the leaking macroaneurysms reached the fovea, laser
      treatment was performed to obliterate the macroaneurysms. We assume that after
      obliteration of the macroaneurysms with laser in the shunt area, the increase of
      hydrostatic pressure on the thin wall of the fusiform aneurysm of the afferent
      artery led to its leaking. We saw no signs of vascular occlusion after laser
      treatment.

PMID- 1882920
TI  - Identifying progression of subclinical keratoconus by serial topography analysis.
AB  - We performed serial slit-lamp examinations and topography analysis on a patient
      whose initial topographic map suggested a diagnosis of keratoconus to us but
      which others interpreted as normal topography. Topography analysis documented
      cone progression during a two-year period. The initial map showed a cone apex
      power of 44.5 diopters located 2.1 mm inferior to the vertex normal. An oblong
      shaped area of maximum power was surrounded by concentric bands of lower power.
      Corneal surface power ranged from 41.5 to 44.5 diopters. Two years later cone
      apex power increased to 51.0 diopters, and the patient developed a Fleischer's
      ring, Vogt's striae, and mild visual aberration. Our findings suggest the use of
      topography analysis systems in documenting subclinical cone progression.
      Topography systems may be a useful tool in the study of the true incidence and
      natural progression of subclinical keratoconus.

PMID- 1882921
TI  - Ocular infections associated with Comamonas acidovorans.
AB  - Comamonas acidovorans (Pseudomonas acidovorans) is a ubiquitous gram-negative
      rod. Although generally considered nonpathogenic, we found C. acidovorans to be
      associated with six cases of ocular infections. The organism was the only isolate
      in three cases, whereas an association of other organisms was present in three
      cases. The multiple resistance patterns of these strains to antibiotic
      susceptibility testing emphasizes the need for culturing ocular infections. We
      recommend the identification and susceptibility testing of all ocular gram
      negative rod isolates.

PMID- 1882919
TI  - Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical features of coronal adenomas.
AB  - We studied by electron microscopy three coronal adenomas discovered incidentally
      in eyes removed surgically. Tumor cells displayed prominent intercellular
      interdigitations with numerous desmosomes, mitochondria, abundant rough
      endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclei with membrane infoldings and a granular
      chromatin pattern. In these characteristics, the tumor cells were identical to
      nonpigmented ciliary epithelium of the ciliary processes. These growths contained
      abundant extracellular material, which showed a dimorphic pattern of complex
      reduplicated basal lamina and granular areas without structure.
      Immunohistochemical studies on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded coronal adenomas
      demonstrated type IV collagen and laminin in the extracellular material. These
      findings confirm that coronal adenomas develop from nonpigmented ciliary
      epithelium and that the extracellular material of these tumors contains
      components normally present in basement membranes.

PMID- 1882922
TI  - Diode laser compared with argon laser for trabeculoplasty.
AB  - A randomized prospective study on two groups of ten patients compared the
      efficacy of diode laser and argon laser trabeculoplasty. In the diode laser group
      the intraocular pressure was 23.0 +/- 3.97 mm Hg before the treatment, 20.2 +/-
      4.49 mm Hg at two hours, 16.3 +/- 3.13 at six months, and 16.9 +/- 2.80 mm Hg at
      one year. The differences from baseline were statistically significant at six
      months (P = .0001) and at one year (P = .0001) but not at two hours. In the argon
      laser group the intraocular pressure was 23.4 +/- 3.6 mm Hg before the treatment,
      22.7 +/- 4.35 mm Hg at two hours, and 17.6 +/- 4.53 mm Hg at six months. One
      patient had uncontrolled mean high intraocular pressure and underwent surgery. In
      the nine patients who completed the study the intraocular pressure at one year
      was 16.7 +/- 3.00 mm Hg. The differences from baseline were significant at six
      months (N = 10; P = .0001) and 12 months (N = 9; P = .0001) but not at two hours.
      Differences between the two groups were not significant at two hours, six months,
      and one year. Laser trabeculoplasty may be effectively with a diode laser.

PMID- 1882924
TI  - Diurnal intraocular pressure after successful primary laser trabeculoplasty.
AB  - In 20 patients who were successfully treated with laser trabeculoplasty as the
      primary therapy for glaucoma, we measured the intraocular pressure every two
      hours between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. Success was defined as intraocular pressure
      of 22 mm Hg or less without medication. Of 20 patients, three had open-angle
      glaucoma and 17 had exfoliative glaucoma. Intraocular pressure was stable with
      small fluctuations during the daytime.

PMID- 1882923
TI  - Evaluation of once-daily levobunolol 0.25% and timolol 0.25% therapy for
      increased intraocular pressure.
AB  - In a three-month, double-masked, randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the once
      daily ocular hypotensive efficacy of 0.25% levobunolol and 0.25% timolol in 80
      patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Thirty-seven of the 39
      patients (95%) in the 0.25% levobunolol group and 35 of the 41 patients (85%) in
      the 0.25% timolol group successfully completed the three-month study period. The
      overall mean decrease in intraocular pressure was 5.3 mm Hg (22%) in the 0.25%
      levobunolol group and 5.4 mm Hg (22%) in the 0.25% timolol group. This difference
      was not statistically significant. In both treatment groups, effects on mean
      heart rate and blood pressure were minimal. The data suggest that levobunolol
      0.25% and timolol 0.25%, administered once daily, are equally effective in the
      treatment of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

PMID- 1882925
TI  - Cytopathologic diagnosis of benign lesions simulating choroidal melanomas.
AB  - In three cases of benign pigmented lesions (one melanocytoma and two pigment
      epithelial adenomas) there was evidence of tumor growth and the lesions were
      referred to us as uveal melanomas. The fine needle aspiration biopsy specimens
      were correctly interpreted in the operating room as being benign tumors. The
      pigment granules in these benign pigmented lesions are much larger than are
      observed in uveal melanomas. When they were visible through the heavy
      pigmentation, the cellular detail appeared benign. In two cases the tumors were
      successfully resected with cyclochroidectomy techniques and the visual outcome
      was good. The third eye was studied after it had been removed at another
      institution. Fine needle aspiration biopsy can often differentiate a benign
      simulating pigmented lesion from uveal melanoma.

PMID- 1882927
TI  - The laser step in early glaucoma therapy.

PMID- 1882926
TI  - Symptomatic retinoschisis-detachment involving the macula.
AB  - We treated three patients (four eyes) in whom posteriorly situated retinoschisis
      detachments became symptomatic because of elevation of a limited area of full
      thickness retina at the macula adjacent to these lesions. Laser photocoagulation
      alone was successful in achieving long-term macular reattachment in one eye but
      failed in both eyes of a bilaterally affected patient. In this patient, retinal
      cryopexy, external drainage of subretinal and retinoschisis cavity fluid, and
      intravitreal air injection attained long-term macular reattachment and
      retinoschisis cavity collapse in both eyes. In the third patient, cryopexy,
      drainage of subretinal and retinoschisis cavity fluid, and scleral buckling
      failed to reattach the retina. Subsequent laser photocoagulation induced
      reabsorption of subretinal fluid but without retinoschisis cavity collapse.
      Alternative management strategies for these unusual cases include retinal
      cryopexy alone and vitrectomy techniques.

PMID- 1882928
TI  - Central retinal artery occlusion in a child after general anesthesia.

PMID- 1882929
TI  - Management of exudative retinal detachment after plaque therapy for intraocular
      melanoma.

PMID- 1882930
TI  - Severe anaphylactic reaction to orally administered fluorescein.

PMID- 1882931
TI  - Hepatic cirrhosis as a cause of eyelid retraction.

PMID- 1882933
TI  - Bilateral follicular conjunctivitis as a manifestation of Lyme disease.

PMID- 1882932
TI  - Response of reactivated ligneous conjunctivitis to topical cyclosporine.

PMID- 1882934
TI  - Horner's syndrome as a complication of pacemaker insertion.

PMID- 1882935
TI  - Fate of the fellow eye after Propionibacterium acnes endophthalmitis.

PMID- 1882936
TI  - Decrease in the risk of bilateral acute retinal necrosis by acyclovir therapy.
AB  - We reviewed the course of 54 patients who had unilateral acute retinal necrosis
      at initial examination. Thirty-one patients were treated with acyclovir, whereas
      23 were not. Of the 31 patients treated with acyclovir, 27 (87.1%) had fellow
      eyes that remained disease-free throughout a median follow-up of 12 months. Of
      the 23 patients not treated with acyclovir, seven (30.4%) had fellow eyes that
      remained disease-free throughout a median follow-up of 11 months. Survival
      analysis indicated that the fellow eyes of the group of patients treated with
      acyclovir were more likely to remain disease-free than the fellow eyes of the
      group not treated with acyclovir (P = .0013). Two years after initial onset, the
      proportion of fellow eyes that remained disease-free was 75.3% for the group
      treated with acyclovir and 35.1% for the group not treated with acyclovir. These
      results suggest that acyclovir treatment reduces the risk of involvement of the
      fellow eye in patients with acute retinal necrosis.

PMID- 1882937
TI  - Retinal function and rhodopsin levels in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa
      with rhodopsin mutations.
AB  - We studied rod and cone function in 20 patients from six families with autosomal
      dominant retinitis pigmentosa, who represented five different point mutations in
      the gene encoding rhodopsin. In a family with a stop codon mutation at the
      carboxyl end of the molecule (glutamine-344), young members with the mutation
      were asymptomatic and clinically unaffected but showed about 1 log unit of rod
      sensitivity loss across the visual field and decreased rhodopsin levels; at this
      stage, cone function was essentially normal. In three families with mutations at
      the border of a transmembrane segment (arginine-135-leucine and arginine-135
      tryptophan), there was neither detectable rod function nor measurable rhodopsin;
      cone function was variably impaired. Two families carrying different mutations
      (threonine-17-methionine and threonine-58-arginine) had altitudinal visual field
      defects with less impaired rod and cone function in the inferior than in the
      superior field. Rod adaptation was abnormal in both families, but the time course
      of adaptation differed between patients with the two mutations. Differences in
      the pattern of retinal dysfunction were therefore discernible in patients with
      different rhodopsin mutations.

PMID- 1882938
TI  - B-scan ultrasonography of eyes containing intravitreal gas.
AB  - Contact B-scan ultrasonography was performed on postoperative eyes containing
      intravitreal gas. Correlation of the ultrasonograms with the ophthalmoscopic
      findings disclosed that intraocular gas had a characteristic appearance on B-scan
      ultrasonography. Gas-fluid and gas-tissue interfaces were so highly reflective
      that no structures within or behind a bubble could be visualized. Shadowing,
      reverberation, and reflection artifacts were prominent, and dominated
      ultrasonographic findings. If the ultrasonographic characteristics of gas are
      understood, it is possible to use B-scan ultrasonography to determine if
      intraocular gas is present, whether there are one or several bubbles, and what
      percentage of the vitreous cavity is filled by gas. Specular reflection from a
      gas-fluid interface may be used to examine portions of the eye that might not
      otherwise be easily seen with ultrasonography.

PMID- 1882939
TI  - Anterior chamber aspirate cultures after uncomplicated cataract surgery.
AB  - We cultured anterior chamber aspirates of 30 patients who had uncomplicated
      extracapsular cataract extraction or phacoemulsification. The aspirate was
      obtained at the time of wound closure. Of 30 patients, 13 (43%) had culture
      positive anterior chamber aspirates. The total number of organisms recovered was
      18, with three patients having multiple organisms identified. The most commonly
      isolated organisms were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus sp., occurring in eight
      of 18 isolates (44%). No eyes in our study developed endophthalmitis, even though
      almost one half had viable organisms growing from the anterior chamber aspirates.
      Inoculum sizes were extremely small (10 to 20 colony-forming units/ml). This
      study suggests that in humans, the anterior chamber is capable of clearing a low
      inoculum of bacteria after cataract surgery without the development of
      endophthalmitis.

PMID- 1882940
TI  - Lens capsule and epithelium in age-related cataract.
AB  - On the basis of preoperative assessment of patient characteristics,
      intraoperative obtainment of a lens-capsule and epithelium specimen,
      histopathologic investigation of lens capsule and epithelium, and biochemical
      analysis of glutathione reductase in lens epithelium, age-related cataract was
      studied in 50 adult patients who underwent consecutive extracapsular cataract
      posterior chamber lens implant surgery. Patients (25 men and 25 women; age range,
      41 to 91 years; mean age, 75 years) had a wide range of systemic and ocular
      disease; 17 of 50 (34%) patients had a history of severe vision-impairing
      cataract in a first-degree relative. Anterior lens-capsule thickness ranged from
      10 to 22 microns, with a mean of 17 microns. Statistical analysis of lens
      epithelium ultrastructure in 41 of 50 specimens documented mixing of normal and
      abnormal cells, verified a gradation in the degree of abnormal ultrastructural
      features, and demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in epithelial
      cytologic activity with advancing age (P = .038). Biochemical analysis documented
      a severe glutathione reductase deficiency in nine of 39 (23%) lens-epithelium
      specimens, possibly reflecting a dietary deficiency of riboflavin.

PMID- 1882941
TI  - Isolating the effects of primary open-angle glaucoma on the contrast sensitivity
      function.
AB  - We evaluated spatial contrast sensitivity functions in age-matched and lens
      density-matched healthy eyes, eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma, and eyes
      with ocular hypertension. We also controlled for refraction, visual acuity, pupil
      size, and previous ocular history. We found an overall reduction in contrast
      sensitivity for the glaucomatous eyes with a significant difference at 12 cycles
      per degree (P less than .012). Eyes with ocular hypertension were not
      significantly different from normal eyes. Significant differences were noted at
      several spatial frequencies with less careful controls for age and lens effects.
      We concluded that spatial contrast sensitivity may be a useful adjunctive
      diagnostic test for glaucoma, but interpreting the results without other clinical
      data may lead to errors in diagnosis.

PMID- 1882942
TI  - Anterior uveitis and hypopyon.
AB  - We undertook a study to determine the incidence of hypopyon, as well as the most
      common anterior uveitis entities with which hypopyon is associated. A total of
      216 patients with anterior uveitis were studied. The uveitis was acute in 155. Of
      the 155 patients, 11 (7.1%) had hypopyon. Nine of the 11 patients with hypopyon
      were positive for HLA B27. Of these nine, two had Reiter's syndrome and one had
      ankylosing spondylitis; the other six had no confirmed systemic disease. Of the
      two patients with hypopyon who were HLA B27-negative, one had mixed connective
      tissue vascular disease, and one had idiopathic anterior uveitis. Of the 155
      patients with acute anterior uveitis, 62 were HLA B27-positive. Thus, the
      incidence of hypopyon uveitis among HLA B27-positive patients was 14.5% (nine of
      62 patients), whereas the incidence among HLA B27-negative patients was only 2.2%
      (two of 93 patients). These results suggest that HLA B27-related anterior uveitis
      is the most common cause of hypopyon uveitis, and that most patients with
      anterior uveitis associated with hypopyon will test positive for HLA B27.
      Although these results reflect a referral population, they should be of benefit
      in the treatment of patients with anterior uveitis.

PMID- 1882943
TI  - Infectious crystalline keratopathy caused by Candida albicans.
AB  - Two patients developed corneal opacities resembling infectious crystalline
      keratopathy. Predisposing factors included a recent corneal transplant with
      suture replacement in one patient and postradiation keratoconjunctivitis with
      disposable therapeutic contact-lens wear in the other patient. Both patients were
      using a topically applied corticosteroid and an aminoglycoside antimicrobial.
      Smears of corneal scrapings showed numerous yeasts without inflammatory cells.
      Culturing yielded Candida albicans and Staphylococcus haemolyticus in the first
      case and C. albicans and S. epidermidis in the second case. Combined antifungal
      and antimicrobial therapy, with initial withdrawal of corticosteroid use, was
      effective. The microbial cause of pauci-inflammatory keratitis includes not only
      viridans streptococci and other bacteria but fungi as well.

PMID- 1882944
TI  - The effect of corneal hypesthesia on the duration of proparacaine anesthetic
      eyedrops.
AB  - The duration of action of proparacaine is known in the normal cornea but not in
      the hypesthetic cornea. To determine this, we examined both eyes in seven
      patients with documented unilateral corneal hypesthesia associated with inactive
      herpetic disease. Cochet-Bonnet measurements were made in both eyes before and at
      two- to five-minute intervals after the instillation of one drop of 0.5%
      proparacaine until baseline corneal sensitivity levels were again achieved. Mean
      recovery time was 34.86 minutes in eyes with normal corneal sensitivity, compared
      to 45.43 minutes in hypesthetic corneas. In all patients, the recovery time was
      remarkably longer in the hypesthetic eye than it was in the normal fellow eye.
      These data demonstrate the need to wait up to one hour after the instillation of
      proparacaine in eyes suspected of having corneal hypesthesia if corneal
      sensitivity is to be determined accurately. Additionally, the duration of action
      of topically instilled anesthetic may be a useful method of discovering subtle
      differences in corneal sensitivity.

PMID- 1882945
TI  - Conjunctival ophthalmomyiasis caused by the sheep nasal botfly (Oestrus ovis)
AB  - Three patients had conjunctival ophthalmomyiasis caused by the ovine nasal
      botfly. All patients had a sudden onset of redness, tearing, and foreign-body
      sensation of the affected eye. One to nine Oestrus ovis first-instar larvae were
      removed from the bulbar or palpebral conjunctiva of each patient. Symptoms and
      clinical signs resolved after mechanical removal of the larvae. Specific
      taxonomic diagnosis of O. ovis larvae was determined on the basis of
      characteristic conformation of the terminal end of the larval caudal segment as
      seen by use of light microscopy.

PMID- 1882946
TI  - Human immunodeficiency virus disease epidemiology and nosocomial infection.

PMID- 1882947
TI  - Development of scleral ulceration and calcification after pterygium excision and
      mitomycin therapy.

PMID- 1882948
TI  - Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome simulating lymphoma.

PMID- 1882949
TI  - Ocular sarcoidosis manifesting as an anterior staphyloma.

PMID- 1882951
TI  - Retinal telangiectasis in scapuloperoneal muscular dystrophy.

PMID- 1882950
TI  - Spontaneous reattachment of a total retinal detachment in an infant with
      microphthalmos and an optic nerve coloboma.

PMID- 1882952
TI  - Interferon alpha 2a for treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

PMID- 1882953
TI  - Spontaneous filtration blebs in a patient with microspherophakia.

PMID- 1882954
TI  - Differential intraocular pressure in restrictive strabismus.

PMID- 1882955
TI  - Corneal autografts for external knots in transsclerally sutured posterior chamber
      lenses.

PMID- 1882956
TI  - The elastic properties of the lens capsule in capsulorhexis.

PMID- 1882957
TI  - Prevalence of lattice degeneration and its relation to axial length in severe
      myopia.

PMID- 1882958
TI  - Identification, prevention, and treatment of silicone oil pupillary block after
      an inferior iridectomy.

PMID- 1882959
TI  - Scleritis and Wegener's granulomatosis in children.

PMID- 1882960
TI  - A magnetic resonance imaging study of the upshoot-downshoot phenomenon of Duane's
      retraction syndrome.

PMID- 1882961
TI  - Flying after otologic surgery.

PMID- 1882962
TI  - Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the facial nerve in herpes
      zoster oticus and Bell's palsy: clinical implications.
AB  - Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was used in the evaluation of the
      facial nerve in four patients with idiopathic facial paralysis and six with
      herpes zoster oticus (HZO). Enhancement of the facial nerve was seen in all
      patients with Bell's palsy, and 50 percent of patients with HZO. The most
      consistent area of enhancement in both disorders involved the premeatal and
      labyrinthine segments. Although the images showed changes consistent with the
      type of viral process that is known to occur in these disorders, we found no
      significant correlation between the intensity or pattern of facial nerve
      enhancement on the images, the severity or duration of the disease, or the
      patient's prognosis for recovery. Nevertheless, gadolinium-enhanced MRI does have
      a place in the evaluation and decisions for management of select cases of facial
      paralysis.

PMID- 1882964
TI  - Pre- and postoperative hearing thresholds and brainstem responses in patients
      with acoustic neuroma: follow-up study using the middle fossa approach.
AB  - Forty-one patients with acoustic neuromas were operated by the middle fossa
      route. Postoperative hearing was maintained in 31 percent within 20 dB of
      preoperative thresholds. The clinical, audiologic, and neurotologic data of these
      patients are reported. The acoustic evoked brainstem responses had a tendency to
      normalise within 2 to 6 months following surgery. In individual cases, hearing
      function was improved.

PMID- 1882963
TI  - Microfissures of the temporal bone: do they have any clinical significance?
AB  - Microfissures extending from the inner ear to the middle ear are a common
      temporal bone finding. Recently they have been implicated as a possible cause of
      sudden sensorineural hearing loss. We examined 34 temporal bones and related the
      presence or absence of microfissures to sudden sensorineural hearing loss. No
      relationship was found.

PMID- 1882965
TI  - SN10 auditory evoked potential revisited.
AB  - The slow brainstem response (SN10) was originally described as a slow negative
      wave occurring at a latency of 10 msec post stimulus onset. In the late 1970s and
      early 1980s it was considered to be promising for estimating hearing thresholds
      at low frequencies. However, there have been controversies regarding waveform
      description, recording stimulus parameters, and factors affecting the response.
      Consequently, the SN10 has not become a popular clinical test for estimating
      hearing thresholds electrophysiologically. However, recent observation of ABR
      waveforms using low-frequency stimuli and broad-band filtering indicate that the
      negative wave after wave V can be highly identifiable. This wave in many
      instances is the SN10. Therefore, this article was designed to review various
      aspects of the SN10 to make clinicians more aware of its possible applications in
      estimating low-frequency hearing thresholds.

PMID- 1882966
TI  - Endolymphatic sac surgery for refractory luetic vertigo.
AB  - The clinical symptoms of otitic syphilis, either congenital or acquired, are
      indistinguishable from Meniere's disease. In most cases the symptoms can be
      controlled by long-term and intensive medical treatment with penicillin and
      steroids. However, in some cases, luetic vertigo is refractory to such medical
      regimens, and surgical intervention may become necessary. We report on
      endolymphatic sac procedures performed on 37 patients with presumed luetic
      vertigo refractory to medical treatment, between March 1980 and December 1987,
      with follow-up ranging from 2 years to 9 years and 9 months. Results show that
      vertigo was completely and substantially controlled in 81 percent of cases, with
      2 patients showing improvement in hearing, as assessed with AAO-HNS criteria. It
      is concluded that endolymphatic sac surgery is appropriate in treating refractory
      luetic vertigo when intensive medical therapy is unsuccessful, particularly in
      cases of late or tertiary-acquired lues, such as in this series.

PMID- 1882968
TI  - Effect of sodium fluoride on early stages of otosclerosis.
AB  - The present investigation evaluates the effectiveness of NaF treatment in
      modifying the natural course of subclinical otosclerosis, as monitored by the
      stapedius reflex. The study was carried out on 128 relatives of patients
      suffering from surgically confirmed footplate otosclerosis. The diagnosis of
      subclinical otosclerosis was made on the basis of presence of the on-off effect.
      One group of subjects was treated with NaF in doses ranging from 6 to 16 mg
      according to age. The treatment lasted 2 years. A second group served as a
      control. Changes in stapedius reflex morphology were evaluated at 1, 2, and 5
      years from the onset of treatment. The investigation demonstrated that NaF has a
      stabilizing effect on early otosclerosis. This drug, in fact, arrests the disease
      process in more than 60 percent of ears at the 2-year follow-up and in more than
      50 percent at 5 years. A program of secondary prevention of otosclerosis by NaF
      is suggested.

PMID- 1882967
TI  - Tinnitus as a function of duration and etiology: counselling implications.
AB  - Based on the data of 528 tinnitus patients, information is presented concerning:
      (a) conditions and/or activities that affect tinnitus severity, (b) tinnitus
      symptoms as a function of etiology, and (c) changes in tinnitus symptoms as a
      function of time since onset. The four most common conditions and/or activities
      that reduce tinnitus severity were sleep, listening to TV/radio, being in noise,
      or being in quiet. Many conditions and/or activities increased tinnitus severity.
      The most common detrimental activities and/or conditions were noise exposure,
      being in a quiet place, emotional stress, loss of sleep, and physical exhaustion.
      Results also revealed that tinnitus loudness and severity increased as a function
      of years since onset. However, tinnitus pitch tended to remain stable. Meniere's
      patients experienced more annoyance, depression, and interference with sleep and
      also reported louder tinnitus than other etiologies. Tinnitus counselling should
      include: (a) informing patients that it is unlikely tinnitus annoyance will
      change dramatically, (b) alerting patients to the usefulness of tinnitus self
      help groups, (c) helping patients to minimize time spent in activities and/or
      conditions where tinnitus severity is increased and to maximize time in
      activities and/or conditions where tinnitus severity is decreased, and (d)
      stressing the avoidance of noise exposure because of the relationship between
      noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.

PMID- 1882969
TI  - Inflammatory pseudotumor of the facial nerve as a cause of recurrent facial
      palsy: case report.
AB  - This is a report of a case presenting recurrent facial palsy due to inflammatory
      pseudotumor of the facial nerve. The patient was a 41-year-old man suffering from
      facial palsy on the right side once in 1983, which recurred in 1988. The initial
      facial palsy was cured after conservative treatments including steroid
      administration. Three months after the recurrence, the same treatments were
      attempted without noticeable effect. He was referred to our clinic two and half
      months later. Electromyographic examination indicated pronounced denervation of
      the facial nerve. Imaging study including high resolution CT and MRI revealed a
      mass lesion around the geniculate ganglion. Facial neuroma was initially
      suspected. Surgical exploration revealed a tumor involving the geniculate
      ganglion and the horizontal portion of the facial nerve. The tumor was resected
      through a combined transmastoid and middle cranial fossa approach, followed by
      nerve grafting. Histologically, the tumor proved to be an inflammatory
      pseudotumor originating from the nerve sheath, although the etiologic factor
      causing the inflammation was not verified.

PMID- 1882971
TI  - Metastatic atrial myxoma to the temporal bone: case report.
AB  - A 25-year-old male underwent right mastoid surgery for removal of a soft tissue
      mass. At age 29 a left cardiac atrial myxoma was excised. At age 34 an expanding
      right supra-auricular mass with extension into the middle and posterior fossa
      necessitated total temporal bone resection. Pathology proved to be myxoma.
      Retrospective review of tissue obtained from the initial mastoid procedure was
      also myxoma. The temporal bone lesion was considered to be persistent and
      metastatic atrial myxoma. A review of atrial myxomas and this most unusual
      metastatic presentation is discussed.

PMID- 1882970
TI  - Progressive hereditary deafness with predominant inner hair cell loss.
AB  - This paper presents the first case of human genetic hearing loss due to
      predominant inner hair cell damage investigated by psychoacoustic audiometry,
      auditory brainstem responses (ABR), evoked acoustic emissions (EAEs), and
      distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOEs). The genetic transmission was an
      autosomal dominant inheritance. The audiogram pattern was a dominant high
      frequency hearing loss. EAE and DPOE properties were normal. Bronx waltzer mutant
      mouse with genetically determined predominant inner hair cell defects provide an
      interesting model to study this congenital deafness. This rare congenital
      deafness with predominant damage to inner hair cells cannot be detected by
      neonatal screening techniques using EAEs or DPOEs.

PMID- 1882972
TI  - Voluntarily retractable tympanic membranes: case report.
AB  - A very rare case of a 7-year-old boy, who was in the habit of voluntarily
      controlling his hearing acuity by bilaterally retracting his tympanic membranes,
      is reported. Although normal A type tympanograms were initially observed, B type
      tympanograms and a decrease in hearing acuity to a hearing level of 35 dB on both
      sides was seen when he sniffed with both nostrils pinched (the reverse Valsalva
      maneuver). The patient would repeat the action on such occasions as when he
      wanted to concentrate on playing computer games while his mother was watching TV
      with the volume up, while he was swimming, or when the surroundings were noisy
      between lessons at school. When he wanted to normalize hearing, he would adjust
      the position of the tympanic membranes by performing the Valsalva maneuver. The
      patient probably had incomplete closure of the eustachian tube. The eustachian
      tube could be locked by high negative middle ear pressure induced by the reverse
      Valsalva maneuver, which resulted in a decrease of hearing acuity caused by
      retraction of the tympanic membranes bilaterally.

PMID- 1882974
TI  - Evaluation of acute vertigo: unusual lesions imitating vestibular neuritis.
AB  - The acute onset of vertigo is a common clinical problem presenting to primary
      care physicians or otologists for evaluation. Usually the underlying disease
      process is benign and self-limited in nature. In the absence of hearing loss or
      additional neurologic findings, a common initial diagnosis is vestibular
      neuritis. The patient is treated symptomatically and observed for spontaneous
      resolution. However, other more serious disease processes may mimic the
      presentation of vestibular neuritis and be misdiagnosed. Five cases of serious
      central nervous system disorders that were similar to vestibular neuritis in
      their initial presentation are reviewed to illustrate this point. Each patient
      presented with the acute onset of continuous vertigo without associated hearing
      loss. The correct diagnosis was established only after further evaluation was
      pursued. Recommendations for the initial and subsequent evaluation of these
      patients are discussed.

PMID- 1882973
TI  - Physical therapy program for vestibular rehabilitation.
AB  - Dizziness and balance disorders are among the most frustrating problems for many
      physicians to treat. Traditional interventions such as medication or surgical
      procedures offer limited improvement for many patients. Although generic
      habituation exercises have existed for years, the merits of vestibular
      rehabilitation are only beginning to be recognized. Current retrospective studies
      indicate that 85 percent of patients with chronic vestibular dysfunction gain at
      least partial relief of their symptoms after undergoing vestibular
      rehabilitation, with approximately 30 percent of patients being completely cured.
      This modality provides a valuable and rational complement to current established
      methods of treating the patient with dizziness. Many physicians and physical
      therapists may be unfamiliar with these new techniques and require clarification
      of the actual therapeutic approaches in use. This article describes the current
      evaluation and treatment approach utilized in the vestibular rehabilitation
      program at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

PMID- 1882975
TI  - Excellent spontaneous recovery following temporal bone fracture with loss of
      nerve excitability.

PMID- 1882977
TI  - Management of facial paralysis following skull trauma.

PMID- 1882978
TI  - Spondyloarthropathy: erosive arthritis in representative defleshed bones.
AB  - Erosive changes and syndesmophyte formation, characteristics of
      spondyloarthropathy, were present in 79/2906 skeletons in the Todd Collection.
      Holistic assessment of this defined population allowed it to be distinguished
      from rheumatoid and other erosive forms of arthritis. Characterization of the
      nature and distribution of osseous alterations in a contemporary skeletal
      population allowed development of a standard for recognition of the disease in
      skeletal populations.

PMID- 1882976
TI  - Management of facial spasm following traumatic facial palsy.

PMID- 1882979
TI  - Femoral lengths and stature in Plio-Pleistocene hominids.
AB  - This study reports the femoral lengths of 31 Plio-Pleistocene hominids dated
      between 3.1 and 0.7 million years ago, and uses those lengths to estimate stature
      by way of the femur-stature ratio reported by Feldesman et al. (Am. J. Phys.
      Anthropol. 78:219-220, 1989). By this method the average female Australopithecus
      afarensis is 105 cm and the average male is 151 cm. The respective values are 115
      and 138 cm for A. africanus. As defined by Howell (In VJ Maglio and HBS Cooke
      (eds): The Evolution of African Mammals. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,
      1978) and Johanson et al. (Kirtlandia 28:1-14, 1978), Homo habilis is a sexually
      dimorphic species, with females standing 118 cm and males 157 cm. Such apparently
      strong dimorphism may be due to the possibility that there are actually two
      species of nonrobust hominids between 2 and 1.7 m.y.a. The estimate for the
      female Australopithecus boisei is 124 cm and for the male, 137 cm, but these
      estimates are especially difficult to be certain of because there are no femora
      that can be positively identified as male A. boisei. Australopithecus robustus is
      estimated to be 110 cm (female) and 132 cm (male). African Homo erectus stood 160
      cm (female) and 180 cm (male). From these estimates several generalizations are
      apparent. First, there is apparently strong sexual dimorphism in stature in A.
      afarensis and H. habilis, but less in the other species. Second, the "robust"
      australopithecines were relatively small statured. Third, it is apparently not
      true that humans have been getting progressively taller throughout their
      evolutionary history. Some individuals were as tall as modern humans 3 m.y.a., by
      2 m.y.a. one individual stood about 173 cm, and by 1.7 m.y.a. a stature of 180+
      cm was not uncommon.

PMID- 1882980
TI  - Detection of significant demographic differences between subpopulations of
      prehispanic Maya from Copan, Honduras, by survival analysis.
AB  - Heterogeneity and small sample size are problems that affect many
      paleodemographic studies. The former can cause the overall distribution of age at
      death to be an amalgam that does not accurately reflect the distributions of any
      of the groups composing the heterogeneous population. The latter can make it
      difficult to separate significant from nonsignificant demographic differences
      between groups. Survival analysis, a methodology that involves the survival
      distribution function and various regression models, can be applied to
      distributions of age at death in order to reveal statistically significant
      demographic differences and to control for heterogeneity. Survival analysis was
      used on demographic data from a heterogeneous sample of skeletons of low status
      Maya who lived in and around Copan, Honduras, between A.D. 400 and 1200. Results
      contribute to understanding the collapse of Classic Maya civilization.

PMID- 1882981
TI  - Craniofacial configuration and postcranial development of a hydrocephalic child
      (ca. 2500 B.C.-500 A.D.): with a review of cases and comment on diagnostic
      criteria.
AB  - Hydrocephalus is a severe disorder of the central nervous system characterized by
      absorption blockage of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The archaeological record
      of the condition ranges in time from 10,000 B.C. to 1670 A.D. and consists of 30
      possible cases worldwide. A review of this material reveals that diagnostic
      criteria which fully delineate the condition have not been established.
      Previously, no attempt has been made to differentiate the two major categories of
      hydrocephalus and their subgroupings, or to identify other conditions which might
      result in similar morphologies. A partial child's skeleton from the Middle Period
      (ca. 2500 B.C. to 500 A.D.) of Central California Prehistory is described in
      light of an extensive clinical literature. Examination of this individual reveals
      a unique craniofacial configuration and malformed postcrania. Bony criteria for a
      differential diagnosis of hydrocephalus are established and applied to this
      individual. Based on these criteria, the individual is diagnosed as having a
      chronic form of noncommunicating hydrocephalus. Blockage of the CSF pathway most
      likely occurred in the aqueduct of Sylvius with a partial occlusion of the
      foramen of Monro or a frontal cyst. In addition, femoral development is
      suggestive of partial paralysis.

PMID- 1882982
TI  - Biomechanical association of dental and temporomandibular pathology in a medieval
      Nubian population.
AB  - An analysis of the relationship between oral pathology and degenerative change at
      the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) was undertaken on an archaeological sample of
      122 adult crania from the Medieval site of Kulubnarti in Sudanese Nubia. The
      crania were sorted into 2 groups: those demonstrating clearly visible bony
      changes at the joint (TMJ+) and those without visible change (TMJ-). These groups
      were compared according to 1) age; 2) sex; 3) active dental pathologies
      (abscesses, caries, partial socket resorption); 4) tooth loss with complete
      socket resorption; and 5) dental attrition. No statistically significant
      association was evident between degenerative change at the TMJ and age, active
      dental pathologies, or dental attrition; however, sex differences and posterior
      tooth loss with complete socket resorption revealed a significant correspondence
      to degenerative TMJ changes. Both of these factors agree with the clinical
      literature and with biomechanical models (most notably that of Hylander) based
      upon modern populations. Furthermore, the results support the contention that
      paleopathological conditions can be analyzed from a clinical and functional
      biomechanical perspective.

PMID- 1882983
TI  - What's old and new in molecular phylogenetics.
AB  - While it is fairly easy to devise a phylogenetic tree based on molecular data, it
      has proven difficult to tell how reliable any such tree is. Thus while the
      genetic inference that humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas cluster together is
      widely accepted, the genetic inference that the primary division among Old World
      human populations is between Asia and EurAfrica is not. A molecular phylogenetic
      inference linking humans and chimpanzees was proposed in the 1980s based on the
      technique of DNA hybridization. Despite several recent publications in primary
      and secondary source material, much confusion still exists surrounding the work.
      This paper tries to clarify issues that may still be confusing to physical
      anthropologists, and proposes criteria upon which to judge the robusticity of a
      phylogenetic inference based on DNA hybridization, in light of a recent published
      claim of replication. The claim of replication is considered critically.
      Interestingly, the original DNA hybridization data may actually show a chimp
      gorilla link, in harmony with other phylogenetic results.

PMID- 1882984
TI  - Sex assessment using the proximal tibia.
AB  - The proximal end of the human tibia is sexually dimorphic. Tibial condyles from
      100 individuals in the Hamann-Todd Collection were measured. Regression equations
      retrodicted known sex with 86-95% accuracy. A test sample of 20 individuals also
      from the Hamann-Todd Collection was classified with 85-100% accuracy. A sample of
      20 prehistoric individuals provisionally sexed by using crania and innominate
      bones was classified with 85-100% agreement. Thus, the proximal tibia may be
      useful in determining the sex of a skeleton.

PMID- 1882985
TI  - Brief communication: on the optimum number of metacarpals for roentgenogrammetric
      measurement.

PMID- 1882986
TI  - Brief communication: Morphometric data for adult lion-tailed macaques (Macaca
      silenus).
AB  - Basic morphometric data were collected from 22 adult lion-tailed macaques (M.
      silenus) of both sexes. M. silenus is a rare primate species from which adequate
      morphometric data have not heretofore been available for comparative purposes.
      Data collected include measures of gross body size (weight; crown-rump and rump
      heel length), and for males, measures of secondary sexual characteristics (canine
      tooth and testes size). Degree of sexual dimorphism was marked, with males
      significantly larger and heavier than females. The three body size measures were
      correlated for males but not for females. There was substantial variation among
      individual males in secondary sex characteristics measurements. The data indicate
      than lion-tailed macaque morphometrics are consonant with the general pattern of
      positive allometry for body size and sexual dimorphism characteristic of the
      primate order.

PMID- 1882988
TI  - Humane values and biopsychosocial integration.

PMID- 1882987
TI  - Looking ahead: new psychiatry, old values.

PMID- 1882989
TI  - Elissa P. Benedek, M.D. one hundred nineteenth president, 1990-1991.

PMID- 1882990
TI  - Body dysmorphic disorder: the distress of imagined ugliness.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Body dysmorphic disorder, a preoccupation with an imagined defect in
      physical appearance, has a rich tradition in European psychiatry but has been
      largely neglected in the United States. Because this little-known disorder is
      probably more common than is generally realized and can have profound
      consequences, the author reviews its history, clinical features, and possible
      relationship to other psychiatric disorders. DATA COLLECTION: Data sources
      consisted of the MEDLINE database and relevant references in articles obtained
      from this search. Of 145 articles and books obtained, 100 were selected for
      inclusion in this review on the basis of how closely they conformed to the
      concept of body dysmorphic disorder as defined in DSM-III-R and how substantially
      they contributed to an understanding of the disorder's history, clinical
      features, or nosologic status. FINDINGS: Body dysmorphic disorder has been
      colorfully described in the European literature for more than a century. Although
      its concerns might sound trivial, this disorder can lead to social isolation
      (including being housebound), occupational dysfunction, unnecessary cosmetic
      surgery, and suicide. The most commonly associated psychiatric disorder appears
      to be depression. Although a definitive treatment does not exist, preliminary
      evidence suggests that serotonergic antidepressant medications may be useful.
      Whether body dysmorphic disorder is related to other psychiatric disorders, such
      as psychosis, mood disorder, social phobia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, is
      unclear at this time. CONCLUSIONS: More research on the nosology, clinical
      features, and treatment response of body dysmorphic disorder is important, given
      the distress and impairment this often secret disorder can cause.

PMID- 1882991
TI  - Psychodynamics of suicide, with particular reference to the young.
AB  - OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: The article reviews the literature on the psychodynamics of
      suicide, focusing on factors that will help in evaluating and treating the young
      suicidal patient. Articles published in refereed journals and books and book
      chapters based on such articles are the source of most of the material. Articles
      that first brought a new finding to notice are given preference. Methodological
      limitations and contradictions with the data of other studies are pointed out.
      FINDINGS: The psychodynamic meaning of suicide for a patient derives from both
      affective and cognitive components. Rage, hopelessness, despair, and guilt are
      important affective states in which young patients commit suicide. The meanings
      of suicide can be usefully organized around the conscious (cognitive) and
      unconscious meanings given to death by the suicidal patient: death as reunion,
      death as rebirth, death as retaliatory abandonment, death as revenge, and death
      as self-punishment or atonement. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of the psychodynamics
      helps to distinguish which patients with any given diagnosis are at risk for
      suicide. Such knowledge is essential to the psychotherapeutic treatment of the
      young suicidal patient. Topics for future research include the role of anxiety in
      suicide; the capacity to bear hopelessness, rage, and other unpleasant affects
      without regression; the use of particular defense mechanisms in distinguishing
      the risk of either suicidal or violent behavior; and the relation of specific
      psychodynamic conflicts seen in suicidal patients to particular psychiatric
      diagnoses.

PMID- 1882992
TI  - Psychosis and physical aggression in probable Alzheimer's disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and type of
      psychotic symptoms in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease and to test
      whether there is a relationship between specific psychotic symptoms and episodes
      of physical aggression. METHOD: From 209 patients with possible or probable
      Alzheimer's disease who had been assessed in a research clinic every 6 months for
      up to 4.5 years, 181 subjects with probable Alzheimer's disease were selected for
      study. On the basis of the summary note for each visit in the patients' charts,
      the presence of delusions, hallucinations, misidentifications, and episodes of
      physical aggression was determined. Data regarding psychotic symptoms and
      aggression were available for 170 and 169 subjects, respectively. RESULTS:
      Delusions had been reported for 74 (43.5%) of the patients and were the most
      frequent psychotic symptom; persecutory delusions were the most common type.
      Physical aggression had been noted for 50 (29.6%) of the patients. Delusions and
      misidentifications frequently preceded and were significantly associated with
      episodes of physical aggression. The presence of delusions was a significant
      predictor of physical aggression but accounted for only 3.5% of the variance.
      CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that delusions are a risk factor for physical
      aggression in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease who have moderate to
      severe cognitive impairment. As delusions accounted for only a small percentage
      of the variance, further research is needed to identify other variables that may
      be significant predictors of physical aggression in this population.

PMID- 1882994
TI  - Are depressive symptoms nonspecific in patients with acute stroke?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Some investigators have suggested that major depression might be
      overdiagnosed in stroke patients because of changes in appetite, sleep, or sexual
      interest caused by their medical illness; others have suggested that depression
      may be underdiagnosed in stroke patients who deny symptoms of depression because
      of anosognosia, neglect, or aprosody. The authors' goal was to determine how
      frequently depressive symptoms occur in acute stroke patients with and without
      depressed mood to estimate how often diagnostic errors of inclusion or exclusion
      may be made. METHOD: They examined the rate of autonomic and psychological
      symptoms of depression in 205 patients who were consecutively hospitalized for
      acute stroke. Eighty-five (41%) of these patients had depressed mood, and 120
      (59%) had no mood disturbance. Forty-six (54%) of the 85 patients with depressed
      mood (22% of all patients) were assigned the DSM-III diagnosis of major
      depression. RESULTS: The 120 patients without mood disturbance had a mean of one
      autonomic symptom, but the 85 patients with depressed mood had a mean of almost
      four. Tightening the diagnostic criteria to account for one more nonspecific
      autonomic symptom decreased the number of patients with major depression by only
      three; adding two more criteria decreased the number by only five. Thus, the rate
      of DSM-III major depression was 1% higher than the rate with one extra
      nonspecific autonomic symptom and 2% higher than the rate with two extra
      criteria. Conversely, loosening diagnostic criteria to account for denial of
      depressive illness increased the rate of major depression by only 5%.
      CONCLUSIONS: Both autonomic and psychological depressive symptoms are strongly
      associated with depressed mood in acute stroke patients.

PMID- 1882993
TI  - The influence of major depression on clinical and psychometric assessment of
      senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The performance on standard clinical and psychometric assessments of
      eight elderly individuals with major unipolar depression alone and seven with
      depression plus mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type was compared with that
      of 41 nondepressed subjects suffering from very mild senile dementia of the
      Alzheimer type, 66 with mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type, and 83 age
      matched subjects without senile dementia. METHOD: Subjects with depression alone,
      depression plus mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type, and very mild and
      mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type met strict inclusionary and
      exclusionary criteria. A 90-minute semistructured interview, including several
      brief standardized clinical scales, was used to assign a Clinical Dementia Rating
      to each subject according to published guidelines, and each subject was given a 2
      hour psychometric test battery. Data were analyzed by one-way multivariate
      analysis of variance to ascertain if there was an effect of group on clinical and
      psychometric test scores. RESULTS: The eight depressed subjects without
      concurrent dementia performed as well as the 83 nondepressed subjects without
      dementia on most clinical measures; however, their performance on most
      psychometric measures closely resembled that of the 41 nondepressed subjects with
      very mild dementia. The performance of the seven subjects with depression plus
      mild dementia was comparable to that of the 66 nondepressed subjects with mild
      dementia on most clinical and psychometric measures. CONCLUSIONS: Although
      depressed subjects performed as well as subjects without dementia on many
      clinical assessments, psychometric testing was not able to distinguish depressed
      subjects from those with very mild senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. This
      demonstrates the need for careful psychiatric evaluation before interpreting
      deficits on psychometric tests as indicating the presence of very mild senile
      dementia of the Alzheimer type.

PMID- 1882996
TI  - Social competence and positive and negative symptoms: a longitudinal study of
      children and adolescents at risk for schizophrenia and affective disorder.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors longitudinally examined social competence and positive and
      negative symptoms in children at risk for schizophrenia, children at risk for
      affective disorder, and matched normal subjects. METHOD: The subjects were
      offspring of parents with schizophrenia or affective disorder and normal
      comparison subjects matched on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Ratings of
      social competence (Premorbid Adjustment Scale), affective flattening and poverty
      of speech (Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms), and positive formal
      thought disorder (Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms) were based on
      videotaped psychiatric interviews conducted in childhood (N = 144), early
      adolescence (N = 127), and adolescence (N = 106). RESULTS: In childhood, there
      were no significant group differences. In early adolescence, the subjects at risk
      for schizophrenia had poorer social competence than those at risk for affective
      disorder and the normal subjects. In early adolescence, the subjects at risk for
      schizophrenia also had greater positive thought disorder than those at risk for
      affective disorder but did not differ significantly from the normal subjects;
      there were no differences in negative symptoms. In adolescence, the subjects at
      risk for schizophrenia had poorer social competence and greater positive and
      negative symptoms than the adolescents at risk for affective disorder and the
      normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: During early adolescence and adolescence, poor
      social competence may be more characteristic of children at risk for
      schizophrenia than those at risk for affective disorder. Higher levels of
      positive and negative symptoms may also be specific to subjects at risk for
      schizophrenia, but only during adolescence.

PMID- 1882995
TI  - Hypersomnia in bipolar depression: a comparison with narcolepsy using the
      multiple sleep latency test.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: This study characterized objectively the hypersomnia frequently seen
      in the depressed phase of bipolar affective disorder. On the basis of previous
      work in sleep and affective disorders, it has been hypothesized that the
      hypersomnia is related to greater REM sleep. This hypothesis was tested by using
      a multiple sleep latency test to compare bipolar affective disorder with
      narcolepsy, a well-defined primary sleep disorder associated with known REM sleep
      dysfunction. METHOD: Twenty-five bipolar depressed patients were selected on the
      basis of complaints of hypersomnia. They underwent 2 nights of polysomnography
      followed by a multiple sleep latency test. Data on their nocturnal sleep and
      daytime naps were compared with similar data on 23 nondepressed narcoleptic
      patients referred for sleep evaluation. RESULTS: Despite their complaints of
      hypersomnia, no abnormalities were noted for the bipolar group in the results
      from the multiple sleep latency test. Contrary to the working hypothesis, REM
      sleep was notably absent during daytime naps in the depressed patients, in marked
      contrast to the findings for the narcoleptic group. CONCLUSIONS: The complaint of
      sleepiness in the hypersomnic bipolar depressed patient appears to be related to
      the lack of interest, withdrawal, decreased energy, or psychomotor retardation
      inherent in the anergic depressed condition, rather than an increase in true
      sleep propensity or REM sleep propensity.

PMID- 1882997
TI  - Panic disorder and suicidal ideation and behavior: discrepant findings in
      psychiatric outpatients.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Previous investigators found that persons who had ever met criteria
      for panic disorder or panic attacks reported more lifetime suicide attempts and
      ideation than persons who had ever met criteria for other psychiatric disorders.
      To determine whether outpatients with current panic disorders also report such
      differences, this study examined the suicide attempt rates, levels of suicidal
      ideation, and levels of hopelessness among four groups of psychiatric
      outpatients. METHOD: Structured clinical interviews were used to assign diagnoses
      to 900 consecutive psychiatric outpatients. These patients were administered the
      Scale for Suicide Ideation and the Beck Hopelessness Scale and were also
      questioned in detail about previous suicide attempts and past and present
      suicidal ideation. RESULTS: None (0.0%) of the 73 patients with primary panic
      disorder without agoraphobia reported having made suicide attempts during their
      lifetimes. One (1.3%) of the 78 patients who had panic disorder with agoraphobia,
      34 (7.0%) of the 485 patients who had mood disorders, and four (1.5%) of the 264
      patients who had other psychiatric disorders reported suicide attempts. The mean
      scores on the Scale for Suicide Ideation and the Beck Hopelessness Scale of the
      patients with panic disorders and other disorders were significantly lower than
      the mean scores of the patients with mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of
      suicidal ideation and behavior for psychiatric outpatients who had panic
      disorders were discrepant with those reported by the earlier group of
      investigators for a random community sample of persons who reported ever having
      had panic attacks or met criteria for panic disorders.

PMID- 1882998
TI  - Mass hysteria among student performers: social relationship as a symptom
      predictor.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: In April 1989 an outbreak of illness suddenly afflicted student
      performers in Santa Monica, Calif., and an extensive investigation revealed no
      environmental cause. To clarify the details of the epidemic and determine whether
      mass hysteria occurred, the authors examined physical, psychological, and social
      factors that might have contributed to the outbreak. METHOD: Participating middle
      and high-school performers were surveyed; 93% (N = 519) responded; cases were
      defined as students who had one or more symptoms during the outbreak. A stepwise
      logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant predictors of
      illness. RESULTS: Characteristic features of mass hysteria were present,
      including preponderance of illness in girls, symptom transmission by sight or
      sound, presence of hyperventilation, and evidence of psychological or physical
      stress. Symptomatic and asymptomatic groups differed in frequency of several
      physical and psychological variables, but observing a friend become sick was the
      best predictor of the development of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm
      earlier research demonstrating multiple psychological and physical factors that
      contribute to such outbreaks, particularly symptom transmission through social
      networks. Investigators should explore social transmission as an additional
      characteristic feature of mass hysteria in order to facilitate early
      identification of future outbreaks.

PMID- 1882999
TI  - Long-term outcome of antidepressant treatment for bulimia nervosa.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was 1) to replicate previous work indicating
      that antidepressant medication is superior to placebo in the treatment of bulimia
      nervosa and 2) to assess the long-term efficacy of this form of treatment.
      METHOD: Eighty patients entered a three-phase treatment protocol. An 8-week
      double-blind initiation phase was used to compare the effects of desipramine and
      placebo. Patients who responded satisfactorily to desipramine entered a 16-week
      maintenance phase. Patients who remained well were then randomly assigned to
      either desipramine or placebo for 6 additional months (discontinuation phase).
      The primary outcome measure was binge frequency, which was assessed weekly by
      self-report diaries. RESULTS: In the initiation phase the superiority of
      desipramine over placebo in reducing binge frequency was demonstrated. Patients
      treated with desipramine had a mean reduction in binge frequency of 47% at
      termination, whereas patients taking placebo experienced a mean increase of 7%.
      Less than half of the patients treated with desipramine met the criteria for
      entering the maintenance phase, and 29% of the patients entering that phase
      relapsed in the following 4 months. There were not enough patients in the
      discontinuation phase to permit clear conclusions about the need for continued
      antidepressant medication after 6 months of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The study
      documents a beneficial effect of desipramine in the treatment of bulimia nervosa
      when compared to placebo. However, limited improvement and considerable relapse
      with continued treatment suggest serious limitations to the long-term efficacy of
      a single antidepressant trial in treating bulimia nervosa.

PMID- 1883000
TI  - Buspirone: sedative or stimulant effect?
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of
      initial and continued administration of buspirone on sleep induction and
      maintenance and sleep stage parameters, to determine the presence or absence of
      any drug-induced side effects, and to ascertain the presence or absence of sleep
      disturbances following abrupt withdrawal of the drug. METHOD: Six insomniac
      subjects who had chronic complaints of difficulty falling asleep and/or staying
      asleep and who were in good physical health, were not suffering from any major
      mental disorders, and had not used any medication for at least the last month
      participated in a 16-night sleep laboratory protocol. The protocol consisted of 4
      placebo-baseline nights, 7 nights on which buspirone, 10 mg at bedtime, was
      administered, and 5 placebo-withdrawal nights. RESULTS: Wake time after sleep
      onset increased moderately during the first 3 nights of drug administration
      (there was a marked and significant increase on the first night) and increased by
      lesser degrees with continued drug administration. Overall, reports of side
      effects were infrequent. Following drug termination, there was a delayed and mild
      increase in sleep difficulty above baseline. CONCLUSIONS: These data not only
      confirm that buspirone lacks sedative effects but also suggest that the drug may
      have stimulant properties. Further, these findings suggest that buspirone has
      limited usefulness in anxious patients with concomitant sleep difficulties.

PMID- 1883001
TI  - A behavioral approach to achieving initial cocaine abstinence.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a behavioral
      treatment program for achieving initial cocaine abstinence in individuals
      enrolled in outpatient treatment for cocaine dependence. METHOD: Thirteen
      consecutively admitted outpatients were offered behavioral treatment consisting
      of contingency management procedures and the community reinforcement approach.
      Fifteen consecutively admitted outpatients were offered treatment with 12-step
      counseling. All 13 of the patients who were offered the behavioral treatment
      accepted it; 12 of the patients offered 12-step counseling accepted it. RESULTS:
      Eleven of the 13 patients in the behavioral treatment were retained for 12 weeks
      of treatment, compared with five of the 12 patients given 12-step counseling. Ten
      of the patients given behavioral therapy achieved 4 weeks of continuous cocaine
      abstinence, compared with only three of those given 12-step counseling. Six of
      the patients in the behavioral treatment group achieved 8 weeks, and three
      achieved 12 weeks; none of the patients in the 12-step counseling program
      achieved 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The behavioral treatment described in this paper
      offers promise as an effective intervention for achieving initial cocaine
      abstinence. A randomized trial is underway to assess the generality of these
      findings.

PMID- 1883002
TI  - HIV seroprevalence among patients admitted to two psychiatric hospitals.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The authors determined the seroprevalence of HIV-1 among patients
      admitted to two psychiatric hospitals in New York City. METHOD: Patients
      consecutively admitted to an acute psychiatric unit in Manhattan and a large
      state hospital in Queens were anonymously tested for HIV-1 antibodies from
      December 1989 through July 1990. Test results were linked to age, gender,
      ethnicity, and two risk behaviors: male homosexual activity and injection drug
      use. RESULTS: Blood was obtained from 83.0% of the eligible patients. The
      prevalence of HIV was 5.5% (25 of 451). Black patients accounted for 38.0% of the
      patients tested and 76.0% of positive results (N = 19), a rate of 11.1% for this
      group. The rate of seropositivity was comparable in women and men. Clinicians had
      charted risk behavior for nine (36.0%) of the 25 HIV-positive patients. Infection
      control records suggested that clinicians were aware of seven (28.0%) of the
      positive cases. CONCLUSIONS: One in every 18 patients admitted to two public
      psychiatric hospitals in New York City was HIV positive. Clinical staff largely
      failed to identify HIV-positive patients. Ethnicity and a history of homosexual
      activity among men or use of injected drugs were strongly associated with
      seropositivity. This pattern of infection may be linked to needle sharing and/or
      sexual activity with partners who have shared needles. Future research should
      clarify how psychiatric illness affects risk-taking behavior, focus on improving
      detection by clinicians, and identify effective prevention strategies in this
      population.

PMID- 1883003
TI  - Comparative phenomenology of early-onset versus late-onset panic attacks: a pilot
      survey.
AB  - Studies of panic attacks in older adults are virtually nonexistent. The authors
      surveyed 520 adults with panic attacks; 445 were younger than age 55, 57 were 55
      years old or older but had their first panic attack before age 55, and 18 were 55
      years old or older and had their first panic attack at age 55 or later. The
      respondents with late-onset panic attacks reported fewer symptoms during their
      attacks and were less avoidant than both groups of respondents with early-onset
      panic attacks.

PMID- 1883004
TI  - Serum nortriptyline levels in nursing mothers and their infants.
AB  - The nortriptyline levels of seven depressed mothers and their breast-fed infants
      were obtained. Nortriptyline was not detected in the infants' sera. However, two
      of four infants evaluated developed low concentrations of 10
      hydroxynortriptyline. No adverse effects were observed.

PMID- 1883005
TI  - Episode sequence in bipolar disorder and response to lithium treatment.

PMID- 1883006
TI  - Elevated medial-frontal cerebral blood flow in obsessive-compulsive patients: a
      SPECT study.
AB  - Regional cerebral blood flow was measured with single photon emission computed
      tomography in 10 obsessive-compulsive patients and eight comparison subjects. The
      patients had a significantly higher ratio of medial-frontal to whole cortex blood
      flow; this was unrelated to symptom severity but was correlated negatively with
      anxiety. No differences in orbital-frontal blood flow were found.

PMID- 1883007
TI  - Effects of fluoxetine on regional cerebral blood flow in obsessive-compulsive
      patients.
AB  - Six drug-free obsessive-compulsive patients were given single photon emission
      computerized tomography scans before and during treatment with fluoxetine. The
      treatment significantly reduced the patients' "hyperfrontality," as determined by
      the ratio between medial-frontal and whole cerebral cortex blood flow, and
      significantly lowered ratings of obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptoms.

PMID- 1883009
TI  - Appearance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in depressed patients treated with
      fluoxetine.

PMID- 1883008
TI  - Plasma homovanillic acid in schizotypal personality disorder.
AB  - Schizotypal patients were found to have a significantly higher mean plasma HVA
      concentration than normal comparison subjects. Furthermore, plasma HVA
      concentration positively correlated with "psychotic-like" schizotypal symptoms.
      These results implicate dopaminergic mechanisms modulating the psychotic-like
      symptoms of schizotypal personality disorder.

PMID- 1883010
TI  - Extrapyramidal symptoms upon discontinuation of fluoxetine.

PMID- 1883011
TI  - Seizures during clozapine therapy.

PMID- 1883013
TI  - Retinopathy and bright light therapy.

PMID- 1883012
TI  - Severe immune thrombocytopenia induced by neuroleptics.

PMID- 1883014
TI  - Family histories of bulimic women with and without comorbid alcohol abuse or
      dependence.

PMID- 1883015
TI  - Methadone dose for cocaine abuse.

PMID- 1883017
TI  - Smoke-free hospital environments in 1848.

PMID- 1883016
TI  - Tranylcypromine abuse.

PMID- 1883018
TI  - Pilot program of treatment for PTSD.

PMID- 1883019
TI  - Carbamazepine, lithium, and life course of bipolar affective disorder.

PMID- 1883020
TI  - Cardiac transplantation and depression.

PMID- 1883022
TI  - Rapid cycling in a patient with bipolar mood disorder secondary to Graves'
      disease.

PMID- 1883021
TI  - Capgras' syndrome in a blind patient.

PMID- 1883023
TI  - The judges don't want to do it either.

PMID- 1883024
TI  - Holding the center: the medical implications of the Cruzan decision.

PMID- 1883026
TI  - Dissociative experiences and eating disorders.

PMID- 1883028
TI  - Erotomania.

PMID- 1883025
TI  - Meaning of the term "bulimia".

PMID- 1883027
TI  - Negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

PMID- 1883029
TI  - Combat and masculinity.

PMID- 1883030
TI  - Classification of koro.

PMID- 1883032
TI  - Position statement on HIV and youth.

PMID- 1883031
TI  - Comments on report on DSM-IV.

PMID- 1883033
TI  - [Psychiatric disorders in resuscitation units].
AB  - Psychiatric disorders are observable in Intensive Care Unit. They belong to all
      the psychiatric field. Their genesis depend on various factors that often work
      together and are interdependent: organic, demographic, psychological,
      environmental, procedural, hypnic. They can be considered as risk factors
      influencing the development of responses to stress (theory of stress).

PMID- 1883034
TI  - [Malignant hyperthermia: halothane kinetics in a study model of muscular
      contraction. Head space determination and comparison with a mathematical model].
AB  - Testing in vitro are used to locate malignant hyperthemia susceptible subjects.
      They use muscular contraction in response to anesthetic administration,
      particularly Halothane. They allow to classify subjects in three classes:
      susceptible, non susceptible and intermediate. Halothane was dosed by
      chromatography in the three compartments of a bath for isolated organs with a
      muscular fiber during steady concentrations were given and after wash out.
      Partition coefficient were determinated and compared to a calculated model. They
      are variable with physical conditions of the circuit. This results confirmed
      published data and give some possibilities to improve such tests to ascertain the
      subjects susceptibility to Halothane.

PMID- 1883035
TI  - Effect of psychological stress on gastric potential difference in man.
AB  - This study investigated the effect of three different mental stress tests on
      gastric transmucosal electric potential difference (GPD). GPD measurement was
      carried out in six healthy volunteers using the agar-KCl bridges method during
      dichotomous listening, the ringing of a telephone and 90 dB noise. Cardiac,
      pulmonary and psychological responses to stress were evaluated at the same time.
      During the stress period, two of the subjects had no change in GPD as well as no
      extragastric modification due to the stressor. The four other volunteers had a
      significant stress-induced fall in GPD (12.5 + 5.6 mV) with a simultaneous
      acceleration of heart and respiration rates and an increase in systolic blood
      pressure and anxiety feelings which were evaluated on a visual scale. Such mental
      stress, possibly mediated by autonomous nervous system, may cause some gastric
      mucosa changes inducing the retrodiffusion of H+ ions and a fall in GPD. This
      model could be useful in therapeutic research into the prevention and treatment
      of stress-induced gastric lesions.

PMID- 1883036
TI  - [Changes in posture induced by 2 osteopathic manipulations are coherent with the
      sagittal or frontal orientation they involve].
AB  - The effects of two osteopathic handlings were studied by two stabilometric
      criteria: the Cervical Symetry Quotient and the Spectrum of Amplitude. Out of 60
      people, half were subjected to a High Velocity Technique the force of which was
      located in a frontal (left-right) plane of the body, the other half to a Fascial
      Technique the force of which was in the saggital (antero-posterior) plane of the
      body. The High Velocity Technique induces a significative modification of the
      Cervical Symetry Quotient which tends to be normal two days later; the Fascial
      Technique does not modify this criterium 20 min nor 7 days later. Both techniques
      modify significantly the Spectrum of Amplitude, High Velocity Technique in the
      0.16-0.22 Hz band and in the frontal (left-right) plane, the Fascial Technique in
      the 0.3 Hz band and in the saggital (antero-posterior) plane of the body. These
      modifications last for up to 2 and 7 days respectively. So each of these two
      osteopathic techniques induce postural effects in the concerned plane of the body
      and not (or little) in the perpendicular plane.

PMID- 1883038
TI  - [For or against human freedom? 3 authors, 2 theses and a behavior].
AB  - Three answers to the paradox of a free mind in a determinist universe. For
      Amselek the paradox does not exist for the determinism is not objective but
      construction of human brain. Laplane think we have to replace the axioms with
      others compatible at once with the macrophysical determinism and the free will
      and postulates a reality with three faces: matter, energy mind. Laborit denies
      also the paradox but the three behave in every day life as free answerable
      people. Freedom does not exist, its appearance is the result of the multiplicity
      of the determinisms.

PMID- 1883037
TI  - [Severe chloroquine poisoning. Favourable outcome with diazepam therapy. A
      toxicokinetic study].
AB  - A severe chloroquine poisoning, featuring indicators of bad prognosis, has been
      treated by a diazepam-type therapy. The outcome was favourable in a dramatic way.
      A toxicokinetic study showed very high chloroquine plasmatic levels, consistent
      with the severity of the poisoning.

PMID- 1883039
TI  - [The HELLP syndrome--one hypothesis].
AB  - On the basis of current literary data the author presents clinical, laboratory
      and histomorphological parameters, which show that HELLP syndrome and acute fatty
      dystrophy of liver during pregnancy have equal clinical picture, equal laboratory
      results, equal clinical management, equal therapeutic treatment, equal early and
      late prognosis for the mother and fetus (infant). The indicated up to now
      "specific" histological finding in the liver during fatty dystrophy of the liver
      of pregnant women is not sufficient foundation for division of these syndromes,
      because it is found in the HELLP syndrome as well, because fatty vacuoles
      depositions in the kidneys are discovered in (grave) preeclampsia. The author
      concludes that the acute fatty dystrophy during pregnancy is a manifestation, a
      form of HELLP syndrome, but not a disease, a syndrome sui generis.

PMID- 1883040
TI  - [Our experience with 151 cases of abdominal extraperitoneal section in the
      Obstetrics-Gynecology Department of the Municipal Main Hospital in Ruse].
AB  - The authors describe their experience in abdominal extraperitoneal section of 151
      women. 37,986 deliveries occurred at the OG complex in the town of Ruse for the
      period of 1975-1985. 1,853 women (4.87%) delivered by cesarean section. 151 out
      of 1853 women delivered by cesarean section, using the method of Morozov.
      Indications on the side of the mother were found in 98 women (64.90%): protracted
      labour, weak and nonproductive labour activity with outpoured amniotic fluid
      accompanied by febrile states and signs for starting or present intrapartum
      infection, proven by laboratory parameters. Indications on the side of the mother
      and fetus were found in 53 women (35.09%) without signs of intrapartum
      infections. The results are very good. The operated women recover more quickly
      during the postoperative period. No venous administrations are needed, since
      women take orally fluids and food without limitations. The authors conclude that
      the abdominal extraperitoneal section presents greater advantages for the patient
      during the postoperative period. They do not think that it should be used as a
      routine method. It is more complex and has more requirements than the classical
      cesarean section. The abdominal extraperitoneal section has its place in the
      obstetric practice in women with intrapartum infection.

PMID- 1883041
TI  - [Obstetrical surgical deliveries and perinatal infant mortality].

PMID- 1883042
TI  - [Our experience in the surgical treatment of stress incontinence in women].
AB  - The authors present the results from 12 operations, performed by the method of
      Hirsch and 15 operations by the method of Pereyra--a modification of Atanasov, in
      patients suffering from mean and grave degree of urinary stress incontinence.
      Combined operations--with colpoperineoraphies and total hysterectomies were made,
      when indications were present. The experience showed that the postoperative
      period in all patients had a smooth course without data for superposed urinary
      infection. The spontaneous miction recovered from the 7th to 19th day. No
      relapses of the disease were found up to two years after the operation.

PMID- 1883043
TI  - [A trial of immunological correction in patients with frequently recurring
      chronic inflammatory gynecological diseases].
AB  - Various immunomodulating drugs: levamizol in suppression of CMI and phagocytosis,
      gamma A in deficit of antibody synthesis and vitamins A, E, C, in patients with
      suppression of all immunological parameters, were added to the complex treatment
      of 67 patients with frequently relapsing inflammatory gynecological diseases and
      data for suppression of various components of the immune response. Inclusion of
      immunomodulators to the complex therapy induces a definite antirelapsing effect.
      Levamizol was of the highest clinical efficiency, presenting a definite
      antirelapsing effect of 66.67% of the patients, treated and observed for a period
      of a year.

PMID- 1883044
TI  - [4 cases of botryoid sarcoma].
AB  - The authors describe the rare botryoid sarcoma--histomorphology, clinic,
      diagnosis, treatment and prognosis with a contribution of 4 own cases at the age
      up to 18 years. They indicate the difficulties in the establishment of the
      diagnosis-early clinical and histological-in three of the cases the histological
      examination did not establish immediately the exact diagnosis--the material was
      considered as "granulation tissue" or "fibroma mole". The results of the
      treatment are summarized as well as the choice of therapeutic methods and drugs.
      The applied therapeutic scheme consists of radical hysterectomy with systemic
      pelvic lymph dissection and postoperative chemotherapy. The described four cases
      are alive at the present moment and without data for tumourous relapse-
      respectively 11 years and 2 months, 3 years and 4 months, 2 years and 8 months
      after establishment of the diagnosis.

PMID- 1883045
TI  - [The conservative treatment of carcinoma in situ of the cervix uteri by the local
      application of 5-fluorouracil].
AB  - Local treatment with 5% of 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) in the form of globules was
      carried out on 37 patients with carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix,
      established histologically, as the application was performed once daily for a
      period of 14-20 days. There was a complete correlation between the cytological
      investigation after the conservative treatment and the histological examination
      of the operative material from the conization, which was made within 1-2 weeks
      after local application of 5-Fu. It could be possible to use cytology for
      objective determination of the therapeutic effect as well as a possible usage of
      colposcopic-directed biopsy. The conservative treatment with 5-Fu should be the
      first stage of treatment of these patients, but in the absence of therapeutic
      effect conization of the uterine cervix should be made, which reduces the risk of
      spontaneous abortion. The conservative treatment with local application of 5% of
      5-Fu is recommended in young women, with not large lesions of carcinoma in situ
      of the uterine cervix and still at their reproductive age.

PMID- 1883046
TI  - [Our experience with the use of the new Bulgarian intrauterine contraceptive
      device, the Venus Cu 300 (preliminary report)].
AB  - A team of the family planning centre at the Research Institute of Obstetrics and
      Gynecology carried out a trial on a new Bulgarian intrauterine contraceptive
      device (ICD), produced by the firm Venus in the town of Varna: Venus Cu 300. This
      is a T-shaped device with horizontal arm of 30 mm, vertical arm of 34 mm, a
      copper thread with an area of 300 mm2 and two control threads. It is produced
      from PVC. Purity of copper is over 99.9% in the copper thread. The construction
      of Venus Cu 300 has the positive properties of other intrauterine contraceptive
      devices, used in our country during the last 15 years. 87 women have been
      followed in 320 cycles for a period of 6 months. A larger part of them are
      parous, mainly with one or two children. Venus Cu 300 has been used in seven
      nulliparas, presenting risk for frequent abortions. Three Venus Cu 300 have been
      placed immediately after abortion. No pregnancy occurs, which is explained by the
      careful choice of the patients. Extraction of ICD has been made only in one case
      due to medical causes: bleeding and pain. More abundant menstruation after ICD
      has been found in 11.5% of women, but there has been no need to extract ICD.
      Inferences are made that Venus Cu 300 is in every way equal to the known models
      of ICD, that the trial should include a larger group of women to accumulate data
      in dynamics, in order to improve Venus Cu 300 eventually.

PMID- 1883047
TI  - [The combined treatment of male infertility in patients with idiopathic
      varicocele].
AB  - The author reports on 1066 patients with idiopathic varicocele and fertility
      disturbances, in whom surgical intervention was made by the method of
      Ivanissevich--a high resection of the internal testicular vena. Stimulating
      hormonal therapy of spermatogenesis with gonadotropic preparation Pregnyl was
      used according to a scheme in 246 patients, nonaffected by surgical treatment
      with a number of spermatozoa under 40 millions/cm3. Improvement of spermatozoa
      parameters was found in 31.70% of the operated patients; pregnancies of their
      wives occurred in 15.85% of the examined men.

PMID- 1883048
TI  - [Obstetrical coagulopathies--current understandings].

PMID- 1883049
TI  - [The pregnancy at risk and the HELLP syndrome].

PMID- 1883050
TI  - [Obstetrical prognosis by x-ray pelvimetry].
AB  - For a period of 44 months 87 deliveries were analyzed by roentgenological
      pelvimetry, performed by a method, improved by the authors (1982). The relative
      part of pregnant women with roentgenological pelvimetry was 1.1%. Coefficients of
      obstetric prognosis were defined in groups retrospectively on the basis of a
      large material with roentgenological pelvimetry: "compatibility", "conditioned
      compatibility" and "noncompatibility" as a result of the ratio of the sum of
      pelvic diameters to the biparietal diameter of the fetus. In the group of
      "compatibility" of the fetus with the bony pelvis the women, who delivered
      operatively, had reduced pelvic dimensions with over 0.5 sm in vertex
      presentations and over 0.3 sm in breech presentations as well as larger weight of
      the fetus (respectively 4000 and 3500 g). The obstetric prognosis of the groups
      "compatibility" and "noncompatibility" was exact in 88.9% of the vertex
      presentations and in 81.5% of the breech presentations.

PMID- 1883051
TI  - [Antenatal diagnosis in cases of renal agenesis].
AB  - Renal agenesia was established by antenatal ultrasound diagnosis in 3 cases. The
      ultrasound image is characterized by the impossibility to visualize one or both
      fetal kidneys, oligohydramnios, lung hypoplasia and hypotrophy of the fetus. The
      possibilities for the earliest diagnosis as well as for interruption of pregnancy
      on account of the lethal outcome of the disease in the newborn are discussed.

PMID- 1883052
TI  - [A rare finding of a congenital anomaly of the reproductive organs in a woman].

PMID- 1883053
TI  - [The treatment of vaginal candidiasis with a single oral dose of fluconazole].
AB  - Fluconazole is a new oral absorbing triazolic antimycotic, inhibiting
      specifically the sterol synthesis of fungal membrane. Treatment with a single
      dose of 150 mg of fluconazole was carried out on 33 nonpregnant women with
      clinical and microbiological data for vaginal candidiasis. The high percentage of
      recovered patients, good tolerance to the preparation as well as easy scheme for
      usage gives ground to be recommended for wide gynecological practice.

PMID- 1883054
TI  - [The use of Solcoderm in acute condylomas of the vulva (preliminary report)].
AB  - A preliminary study was carried out on women with acute condylomas, treated with
      the preparation solkoderm. Preliminary data from the clinical trial show that the
      preparation should be used in some women with acute condylomas of the vulva after
      available clinical evaluation.

PMID- 1883055
TI  - [The treatment and prevention of premenopausal uterine hemorrhages with
      Trisequens].
AB  - The authors describe the results from 30 women with premenopausal uterine
      bleedings and accompanying neuro-autonomic climacteric symptoms, treated with the
      combined estrogestagenic preparation (Trisequens--Novo Nordisk A/S). The mean age
      of the contingent is 47.64 years. The clinical characteristics of pseudomenstrual
      function, climacteric symptoms, fatty metabolism and carbohydrate tolerance are
      examined. Stable pseudomenstrual function, discontinued or sharply reduced
      climacteric symptoms, lack of substantial changes in the fatty and carbohydrate
      metabolism are found after treatment. It is necessary that similar treatment
      could be used considerably more widely in the daily gynecological practice.

PMID- 1883056
TI  - [A clinical trial of the preparation hypnomidate in gynecological operations].
AB  - The influence of the venous anaesthetic hypnomidate (Yansen, Belgium), used as an
      induction anaesthetic, was studied on some parameters of respiration,
      hemodynamics, acid-base balance. The authors are of the opinion that the
      preparation is suitable for induction in anaesthesia especially in patients with
      high risk.

PMID- 1883057
TI  - Withdrawal of levorphanol.

PMID- 1883059
TI  - [The evolution of carboxyhemoglobin during long-term closed-circuit anesthesia].
AB  - In 40 patients who underwent protracted orthodontic operations, the accumulation
      of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in the blood was studied. Mechanical ventilation
      during anesthesia was carried out in a closed system (group I, n = 20). Patients
      in a control group received mechanical ventilation with a constant fresh gas flow
      of 6 l/min (group II, n = 20). During closed-system ventilation, a constant rise
      of COHb was observed. Smokers had much higher COHb values than nonsmokers at the
      beginning of and during anesthesia. The relative increase of COHb in a defined
      time period was of the same magnitude for smokers and nonsmokers. Critical values
      for carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication were not measured. The mean rise was 0.05
      g/100 ml COHb over 6 h. Two female patients had COHb rises of 0.29 g/100 ml and
      0.18 g/100 ml over the same period. During ventilation with a high flow of fresh
      gas, the COHb level decreased in all patients. In nonsmokers, the value
      approached the physiological range of 0.4% to 0.8% COHb. A marked fall of COHb
      could also be observed in smokers; however, normal physiological values were not
      reached. Patients with low COHb tolerance (anemia, severe coronary heart disease,
      peripheral vascular disease) or with increased endogenous CO production
      (pregnancy, newborns, hemolytic disease, porphyria cutanea) should not undergo
      protracted ventilation in a closed circle system.

PMID- 1883058
TI  - [Complication-free early extubation following abdomino-thoracic esophagectomy].
AB  - The combined thoracoabdominal procedure for patients with esophageal cancer is
      still associated with a high rate of pulmonary complications. Many institutions
      believe prophylactic postoperative mechanical ventilation to be the most
      effective measure against pulmonary complications. On the other hand, the
      duration of mechanical ventilation can have a significant influence on the
      incidence of pulmonary complications, which are increased after prolonged
      ventilatory support. Interstitial pulmonary edema is a frequent pathological
      finding with a poor prognosis after esophageal surgery. Increased water retention
      in the lung means a greater risk of atelectasis or pneumonia. At the St. Clara
      Hospital, Basle, patients with esophagectomy were extubated on the day of
      surgery. Despite early extubation there was a very low rate of minor pulmonary
      complications. To clarify possible factors contributing to this uncomplicated
      postoperative course, 20 patients with thoracoabdominal resection of the
      esophagus were evaluated. All patients were operated upon using a combination of
      thoracic epidural and light general anesthesia. At the end of the operation all
      were breathing spontaneously. After a short period of pressure support
      ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the mean extubation
      time was 3 h 10 min postoperatively. Local anesthetics and morphine given by the
      epidural route and the simultaneous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
      made possible an uneventful and pain-free postoperative course. Early extubation,
      the immediate use of a CPAP mask system 2-3-hourly and an effective cough were
      the main points of respiratory therapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883060
TI  - [Pollution of the workplace by anesthetic gases. Causes and prevention].
AB  - Waste anesthetic gas concentrations were measured in areas corresponding to the
      breathing zones of the anesthetists and operating room nurses for personal
      exposure (n = 27, time-weighted values) and during special work practices (n =
      65). Leaks related to anesthetic machines and high-pressure nitrous oxide
      components were investigated during (n = 60) and after anesthesia (n = 85). The
      effect of a local scavenging system on occupational exposure during inhalation
      induction of anesthesia in children was studied (n = 60). Concentrations of
      nitrous oxide, halothane, isoflurane, and enflurane were determined by using
      active dosimeters (SKC 222) and different infrared gas-analyzers. Factors that
      increase waste anesthetic gas concentrations in operating rooms can be divided
      into several categories, such as low air conditioning systems, anesthetists' work
      practices, equipment leakage, including leakage from high-pressure nitrous oxide
      systems, and inadequate scavenging devices. Equipment leakage is almost
      invariably present in low-pressure components of the anesthesia machine because
      so many seals and joints are necessary to permit disassembly for cleaning and
      replacement. Waste anesthetic gases are also distributed in the exhaled air of
      patients recovering from anesthesia. To restrict the levels, exposure must be as
      low as can be achieved with reasonable efforts. Thus, the anesthetic equipment
      should be designed to avoid leakage, leakage tests should be performed before the
      use of anesthetic machines, and waste anesthetic gases should be scavenged by
      central as well as by local systems. Regular and periodic use of a trace gas
      analyzer permits direct observation of gas leakage and enables anesthetists to
      modify their work technique in order to reduce avoidable leakage.

PMID- 1883061
TI  - [Secondary penetration of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt into the intestines.
      Possible cause of a recurring sepsis?].
AB  - We present a 28-year-old-patient with a severe head injury: skull fractures,
      epidural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, Glasgow coma score 7, and aspiration
      following a motorbike accident. A systemic infection with symptoms of shock and
      Staphylococcus aureus in blood culture specimens developed a few days after
      admission (later Staphylococcus epidermidis was also cultured). A posttraumatic
      hydrocephalus was treated by a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt inserted at mini
      laparotomy. In multiple microbiological and cytological tests the cerebrospinal
      fluid (CSF) was always sterile. Enterocolitis occurred with Clostridium difficile
      and Staphylococcus aureus in stool cultures. After 6 months' intractable sepsis
      the patient died with multiple-system failure. Autopsy revealed secondary
      displacement of the shunt catheter into the intestinal lumen. A possible
      ascending infection was found in the form of a cerebral ventricular empyema.
      However, prior to death there was no specific clinical sign of peritonitis or
      encephalitis or a positive microbiological or cytological CSF findings. Despite
      insertion of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt under visual control, this case shows
      that secondary displacement of the peritoneal extremity into the bowel can occur,
      which may cause a cerebral and eventually a systemic infection. CSF examinations
      may fail to show contamination; specific clinical signs may be absent or, with
      multiple-system failure, misleading. An autopsy is generally to be recommended as
      it contributes to a better understanding of the clinical problems in most cases.

PMID- 1883062
TI  - [A computerized database for problem patients in pediatric anesthesia].
AB  - A computerized database for use in pediatric anesthesia and in the perioperative
      care of patients with malformation syndromes and rare diseases is presented. A
      total of 2200 syndromes are listed, and the database contains helpful data,
      experience, guidelines and literature references relevant to about 500 rare
      diseases. The access to the databank, its structure and the probable benefits of
      the system are explained and discussed.

PMID- 1883063
TI  - [An adapter for the intratracheal application of a bronchodilator to intubated
      patients].

PMID- 1883064
TI  - [A cost comparison of PALL filters versus chemical or thermal disinfection of
      ventilator tubes].

PMID- 1883065
TI  - [Verification of the position of the tube: reliable "unreliable" methods and
      recent developments].

PMID- 1883066
TI  - [Hemodynamics and myocardial energy balance in coronary surgery patients during
      high dose fentanyl-pancuronium anesthesia and modified neuroleptic-pancuronium
      anesthesia].

PMID- 1883068
TI  - Four-sector tandem mass spectrometric analysis of complex mixtures of
      phosphatidylcholines present in a human immunodeficiency virus preparation.
AB  - A number of phosphatidylcholines have been isolated from an HIV-1/MN preparation
      by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and analyzed by
      fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FABMS), FABMS/MS, and FABMS/MS/MS in
      both positive- and negative-ion modes. Negative-ion FABMS/MS with high-energy
      collisions was used to identify the length of the acyl groups and the degree of
      saturation, as well as their position on the glyceride group. FABMS/MS in the
      positive-ion mode was used to identify the polar head group. Negative-ion
      FABMS/MS/MS was used to locate positions of double bonds in acyl groups. We find
      that four-sector tandem mass spectrometry with high-energy collisional activation
      provides qualitative analysis of viral phosphatidyl lipids in considerable
      detail, as well as semiquantitative information. Approximate quantitation of the
      phosphatidylcholine content of the HIV-1/MN preparation by measuring relative
      peak heights of molecular ions in FABMS reveals an array of phosphatidylcholines
      consistent with that found in human erythrocytes, indicating the likely source of
      lipids in the viral membrane to be the host cell membrane.

PMID- 1883067
TI  - Primary structure determination of peptides and enzymatically digested proteins
      using capillary liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and rapid linked-scan
      techniques.
AB  - Primary protein sequences were determined for both peptides and enzymatically
      digested proteins by rapid linked-scan (B/E) liquid chromatography/mass
      spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) at the low-picomole level (10-50 pmol).
      During the course of a single LC/MS/MS analysis, we demonstrated that it is
      possible to generate interpretable collision-induced dissociation spectra of the
      eluting proteolytic peptides. Molecular weights of tryptic peptides were
      established by using 1/10 of the protein digest by operating in the capillary
      LC/frit-FABMS mode. Peptides exhibiting the strongest MH+ ions were then selected
      for subsequent LC/MS/MS analysis (typically 1/5 of the remaining protein digest).
      Elution times for each chromatographic peak were generally greater than 30 s. It
      was therefore possible to obtain a minimum of six B/E fast linked-scan spectra
      during the course of elution of each peptide component. Typically, B/E linked
      scans of the greatest ion abundance (obtained at the chromatographic peak
      maximum) were averaged to enhance the signal/noise ratio at these low-picomole
      levels. Unit resolution was observed for product ions below m/z 1000. Rapid
      linked scanning by LC/frit-FABMS/MS provided mass assignments for product ions
      within 0.2-0.3 amu of theoretical values. Side-chain fragment ions (wn and dn)
      were also observed, which allowed for the differentiation of isobaric amino acids
      (e.g., leucine and isoleucine). Examples of the application of this fast linked
      scan technique to LC/MS/MS are presented for complex mixtures of unknown peptides
      and the tryptic digestion of phosphorylated beta-casein.

PMID- 1883069
TI  - Process monitoring by parallel column gradient elution chromatography.
AB  - A system was developed that generates two gradients simultaneously, 180 degrees
      out of phase. Essential elements of the system were a pump delivering solvent A
      at a constant velocity, a pump delivering solvent B at a constant velocity, two
      mixing chambers, and a ten-port valve. By use of this gradient device and two
      reversed-phase columns packed with 1000-A pore diameter, 8-microns particle size
      macroporous poly-(styrene-divinylbenzene) resin, six proteins were separated in
      40 s in a single gradient cycle.

PMID- 1883071
TI  - Determination of tin in human blood serum by radiochemical neutron activation
      analysis.
AB  - A method was developed for the determination of tin in human serum by
      radiochemical neutron activation analysis, using the long-lived radioisotope
      Sn(T1/2 = 115.09 days). This radioisotope decays to a daughter isotope 113mIn,
      the most suitable nuclide for counting (T1/2 = 1.658 h, gamma-ray of 391.7 keV).
      Experience showed that, with the exception of the serum samples with the lowest
      tin levels, in the experimental conditions of the present study tin could mostly
      also be determined by using its radioisotope 117mSn(T1/2 = 13.61 days, gamma-ray
      of 158.5 keV). Samples were collected and prepared by using the procedure
      elaborated by the authors, which proved its effectiveness in preventing
      significant sample contamination on several occasions. Because samples had to be
      irradiated at 10(14) n.cm-2.s-1, dry ashing was necessary. After irradiation, tin
      was separated by solvent extraction of tin(IV) iodide from a sulfuric acid
      ammonium iodide solution with toluene. The dry ashing and solvent extraction
      steps were exhaustively tested by means of radioactive tracer experiments whereas
      the accuracy and precision of the analytical method were thoroughly checked by
      analyzing biological reference materials (Bowen's kale powder, the NBS' bovine
      liver, the NBS' nonfat milk powder, and the "second-generation" biological
      reference material--freeze-dried human serum--for trace element determinations,
      developed by the authors).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883070
TI  - Capillary electrophoretic separations of proteins using nonionic surfactant
      coatings.
AB  - Capillary zone electrophoretic separations of proteins have been achieved by
      using nonionic surfactant coated capillaries. Capillaries were prepared by
      derivatization of the silica surface with octadecylsilane followed by the
      deposition of a layer of nonionic surfactant from an aqueous solution above the
      critical micelle concentration. This coating is of sufficient thickness and
      hydrophilicity to reduce both protein adsorption and electroosmotic pumping. This
      hydrophilic coating reduces electroosmotic pumping 5-8-fold while resolving
      proteins quickly and efficiently with good recovery. The coating provides a
      stable and reproducible means of deactivation, while the rate of electroosmotic
      pumping stays relatively constant throughout the pH range 4-11. This allows the
      pH to be varied to enhance selectivity without adversely affecting the flow rate.

PMID- 1883072
TI  - Liquid chromatographic determination of linear alkylbenzenesulfonates in aqueous
      environmental samples.

PMID- 1883074
TI  - Scanning electron microscopy of the ovary in the house musk shrew, Suncus
      murinus.
AB  - The structure of the house musk shrew (Suncus murinus) ovary, prepared by the
      Osmium-DMSO-Osmium method, was examined with a scanning electron microscope. Many
      ovarian follicles in various stages of development can be seen in the musk shrew
      ovary, but fully matured follicles (Graafian follicles) are never observed. In
      the inner layer of zona granulosa of the preantral follicles, the follicular
      cells containing a large amount of glycogen deposition in the cytoplasm are
      observed. Folded and collapsed zona pellucida surrounding the remnant of the
      degenerated oocyte, which is thought to be a residual form of atretic follicle,
      is observed in a small, crypt-like depression on the surface of the ovary where
      it has been split by cracking.

PMID- 1883073
TI  - Monitoring groundwater and well water for crop protection chemicals.

PMID- 1883075
TI  - Photosensory elements in the pineal gland of the Japanese quail, with special
      reference to the paraboloid.
AB  - In 1-day-old Japanese quails, Coturnix coturnix japonica, photosensory elements
      of the pineal gland were examined by means of histochemical demonstration of
      glycogen and transmission electron microscopy. The parenchymal cells of the quail
      show immature structure, especially, small apical protrusion with a few
      mitochondria in the pinealocyte and rare appearance of the dense body in the
      supporting cell. The paraboloid is found in cytoplasmic processes projecting into
      the follicular lumen and in perikarya of the follicular cells. It is composed of
      a well-developed network of tubular smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and
      abundant glycogen granules, but there is not a higher concentration of glycogen
      in its central region. The paraboloid-containing cell is considered as a type of
      the pinealocyte, because of occasional appearance of the synaptic ribbon in its
      perikaryon. In addition to lamellar whorls, regular stacks of lamellar disks are
      observed in the pineal lumen, being adjoining to the paraboloid-containing
      cytoplasmic process. The present results may provide further evidence for the
      direct photoreception by the avian pineal.

PMID- 1883077
TI  - Qualitative and quantitative glial changes in the hippocampus of aged rats.
AB  - Ultrastructure of the glial cells in the CA 1 hippocampal field and some
      quantitative parameters characterizing the astrocytes in stratum lacunosum
      moleculare (str. L-M) of the CA 1 hippocampal field of young-mature (3-month old)
      and aged (24-month old) rats were examined. The qualitative observations showed
      structural changes in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglial cells in all
      layers of the CA1 hippocampal field in aged rats. The quantitative analysis
      demonstrated a considerable increase in total and individual volume fractions of
      astrocyte processes, in number of astrocyte profiles per square area of neuropil
      and in percentage area of neuropil occupied by astrocyte process profiles. These
      changes as well as the increased number of astrocyte nuclei suggest the
      appearance of hypertrophy and hyperplasie of astrocytes in str. L-M of the CA 1
      hippocampal field of rats in aging.

PMID- 1883076
TI  - Intrauterine development in the rat following continuous exposure to nicotine
      from gestational day 6 through 12.
AB  - Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with various perinatal
      complications, but the range of vulnerability to the embryo has not been fully
      characterized. The effects, in vivo, of continuous exposure to nicotine on
      postimplantation embryos, were investigated in the rat. Osmotic minipumps,
      implanted subcutaneously, were used to deliver the nicotine (75 and 150
      micrograms/hr) from gestational day 6 through 12, 14 of 16 developmental
      endpoints, including embryonic growth, were significantly retarded;
      dysmorphogenesis was not observed. The results reveal that most embryological
      primordial lagged significantly in their development, following exposure to
      nicotine during early gestation.

PMID- 1883078
TI  - Morphometry and classification of the cat hypothalamic capillaries using
      multivariate analysis.
AB  - Multivariate statistical methods were used to do morphological determination of
      the amount and the relation of the astrocytic foot processes (AF), astrocytic
      lamina (AL) and dense zones (DZ) on hypothalamic capillaries. We corroborated
      that 100% of the perivascular membrane is surrounded by glial astrocytic
      cytoplasm. Principal component analysis shows that the original variables are
      independent of one another. Cluster analysis confirms the individual situation
      obtained through the principal component analysis. Discriminant analysis shows
      that the discriminant capacity of the 3 variables is very significant. For the
      potential interrelations of astrocytic foot processes, astrocytic lamina and
      dense zones we have clearly differentiated four groups of hypothalamic
      capillaries.

PMID- 1883079
TI  - The aortic bodies of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive rats--a
      study concerning location and size.
AB  - The aortic bodies, including the right and left subclavian bodies and the
      superior aorticopulmonary bodies, were examined in inbred normotensive control
      rats (NCR) of the Wistar strain and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) of
      the OKAMOTO-AOKI strain. Paraganglia were found in all rats of either group. They
      were located near to the left common carotid artery and less frequently between
      the branching right subclavian and right common carotid artery. Superior
      aorticopulmonary bodies were rarely seen. No significant differences were found
      regarding the volume of individual aortic bodies when comparing these paraganglia
      in NCR and SHR. However, aortic bodies are more numerous in SHR and therefore the
      total volume of aortic body tissue per rat is significantly larger in this
      strain. There was good correlation between the total volume of aortic bodies and
      the total volume of carotid bodies in both strains of rats studied. These
      findings indicate, that the paraganglionic system as a whole is enlarged in SHR.
      This enlargement probably is caused genetically and not a result of increased
      blood pressure.

PMID- 1883080
TI  - Functional anatomy of the tunica muscularis in the upper human duodenum.
AB  - The arrangement of the muscular elements in the upper duodenum were examined.
      Continuity is found between some of the fiber bundles from the outer and inner
      layers, forming an extensive helicoidal system of bundles. Some fiber bundles
      from the external layer penetrate the pancreatic stroma while others are related
      to the tunica adventitia of the duodenum, hepato-duodenal ligament and wall of
      the gastroduodenal artery.

PMID- 1883081
TI  - American Society of Anesthesiologists. 1991 annual meeting. San Francisco,
      California, October 26-30. Abstracts.

PMID- 1883082
TI  - Effects of postmilking teat treatment on the colonization of Staphylococcus
      aureus on chapped teat skin.
AB  - Sixteen Holstein cows were used to test the effect of postmilking teat treatment
      on colonization and intramammary infection by Staphylococcus aureus on chapped
      teats. Treatments were (1) chapping the teat and using 1% I2/10% glycerin postdip
      solution, (2) 1% I2/10% glycerin postdip solution on nonchapped teats, (3)
      chapping the teat and using 10% glycerin postdip solution, (4) chapping the teat
      and not using a postdip solution. All mammary glands were free of S aureus teat
      skin colonization and intramammary infection at the start of the study. Teats
      selected for chapping were dipped in 1N NaOH prior to 3 applications of S aureus
      broth culture; cultures were applied at 12-hour intervals on all teats.
      Treatments were applied after each milking for 30 days and were initiated after
      the second broth dip. Teat skin swab specimens and milk samples were collected
      before treatment application. Teat skin condition was scored daily. Nonchapped
      teats (treatment 2) did not support skin or orifice colonization by S aureus.
      Treatment-1 teats healed most rapidly and supported less colonization in skin and
      orifice than did treatment-3 and -4 teats. Teat skin scores and skin colonization
      were lower for treatment-3 than treatment-4 teats. A correlation between teat
      skin colonization and teat skin conditions was found. Two intramammary infections
      were found in treatment-4 quarters and 1 in a treatment-3 quarter.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883083
TI  - Use of embryonating eggs for isolation of Campylobacter species from intestines
      of swine with proliferative enteritis.
AB  - Intestinal tissues from swine affected with proliferative enteritis were ground,
      filtered through a 0.65-micron pore membrane filter, diluted, and injected into 7
      day-old embryonated hens' eggs via the yolk sac. At 2, 4, and 7 days later, yolk
      sac swab specimens taken from live embryos were cultured for Campylobacter
      species. Campylobacter hyointestinalis was recovered from eggs injected with
      tissues of swine with acute hemorrhagic proliferative enteritis at dilutions up
      to 10(-4). Campylobacter mucosalis was recovered from eggs injected with tissues
      of swine with chronic proliferative enteritis at dilutions up to 10(-6).
      Campylobacter coli was recovered from several specimens without lesions of
      proliferative enteritis and also from some specimens with lesions of
      proliferative enteritis. Two previously undescribed hemolytic Campylobacter
      species designed as hemolytic number 1 and hemolytic number 2 were recovered from
      normal and experimentally inoculated swine tissues. Few contaminating organisms
      grow in eggs and these were usually recovered at dilutions of 10(-2) or less.
      Recovery of Campylobacter species by use of these techniques was seldom
      successful in tissues stored at -70 C for more than 6 months.

PMID- 1883084
TI  - Experimental establishment of persistent infection in swine with a zoonotic
      strain of Salmonella newport.
AB  - An experiment was conducted to determine whether a persistent Salmonella newport
      infection could be established in swine, to determine duration of shedding and
      distribution of the organism in internal organs, and to determine whether changes
      occurred in antimicrobial susceptibility or plasmid profile of the organism
      during the course of long-term infection. Naturally farrowed Salmonella-free pigs
      (n = 22) were orally exposed to a multiply antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic
      strain of S newport when they were 7 weeks old. Tonsillar and rectal swab
      specimens were examined bacteriologically for S newport during the first week
      after exposure, then weekly for 7 weeks. Fecal samples were likewise examined
      weekly or every 2 weeks for 28 weeks after exposure. Necropsies of 2 or 3
      randomly selected pigs were conducted at 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 weeks
      after exposure. A total of 45 specimens/pig representing the following internal
      organs or tissues were examined bacteriologically for S newport: liver, spleen,
      kidney, gallbladder, heart, heart blood, lung, stomach, and tonsils; segments of
      the intestinal tract with corresponding lymph nodes; and lymph nodes from
      lymphocenters of the head and neck, thoracic cavity, thoracic limbs, abdominal
      viscera, and abdominal wall. Exposure to S newport induced a mild and transient
      clinical response. The organism was recovered from 97% of tonsillar swab
      specimens and 89% of rectal swab specimens collected during 7 weeks after
      exposure and from 98% of fecal samples collected during 28 weeks after
      exposure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883085
TI  - Evaluation of Campylobacter jejuni colonization of the domestic ferret intestine
      as a model of proliferative colitis.
AB  - Forty 3- to 17-week old domestic ferrets, including 2 gnotobiotes, were
      inoculated orally and/or rectally with 10(6) to 10(9) colony-forming units of 1
      or more of 4 strains of Campylobacter jejuni, 3 of mink and 1 of human origin.
      Feeding or gavage of any of the 4 strains, in milk or broth, with or without
      preinoculation sodium bicarbonate treatment to neutralize stomach acid, induced
      colonization in 38/40 ferrets; diarrhea lasted 2 to 4 days in conventional kits,
      6 days in gnotobiotes. Bacteremia was detected in 4 of 18 tested, 2 to 5 days
      after inoculation. Two strains caused no more severe disease or prolonged
      colonization after 3 serial IV passages in kits than they did before passage.
      Multiple inoculations with a given strain resulted in progressively briefer
      colonization and milder disease, but subsequent inoculation with a different
      strain induced colonization and gastrointestinal disease similar to a primary
      infection. Five kits inoculated rectally after 4 previous homologous inoculations
      were resistant to colonization as well as to disease. Agglutinin titers of
      ferrets inoculated orally or rectally once were low or undetectable, but
      increased in response to repeated inoculation. Pretreatment with a 1% formalin
      enema caused mild colon irritation without clinical or histologic evidence of
      proliferative colitis in ferrets concurrently inoculated orally and/or rectally,
      whether or not they had preexisting antibodies to any strain of C jejuni.
      Histologic examination of tissues revealed leukocytic infiltration of intestinal
      lamina propria in 29 of 35 infected kits and 5 of 8 noninfected controls, and
      cryptosporidiosis in 5 infected kits plus 1 control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1883087
TI  - Secretion of interleukin-1 by bovine milk macrophages.
AB  - The relative sensitivity of bovine blood monocytes and macrophages isolated from
      milk to lipopolysaccharide, with respect to interleukin 1 (IL-1) production, was
      evaluated. Addition of lipopolysaccharide (0 to 30 microgram/ml) to the culture
      medium resulted in increases in secreted and intracellular IL-1 activity for
      monocytes and milk macrophages, with maximal stimulation achieved at 30
      micrograms of lipopolysaccharide/ml of medium. At this concentration of
      lipopolysaccharide, monocytes released 76% of the total IL-1, whereas milk
      macrophages released only 26% of the total IL-1 produced within the cell.
      Secretion of a small quantity of IL-1 was a common property of macrophages
      isolated from healthy and mastitic quarters. We concluded that limited secretion
      of IL-1 may render the milk macrophages less efficient in promoting lymphocyte
      activation.

PMID- 1883086
TI  - Colonization control of lactose-fermenting Salmonella typhimurium in young
      broiler chickens by use of dietary lactose.
AB  - Inclusion of lactose in the diets of chickens has been determined to reduce cecal
      colonization with Salmonella typhimurium. We hypothesized, therefore, that
      dietary lactose may be a practical means for reducing the prevalence of
      Salmonella contamination of chicken products. Because some strains of Salmonella
      are atypical and ferment lactose, we investigated the effects of dietary lactose
      on cecal colonization with lactose-fermenting S typhimurium. Broiler chicks were
      inoculated intracloacally with Lac+ S typhimurium selected for resistance to
      novobiocin and rifampicin. The chicks also were inoculated orally with certain
      anaerobes that do not effectively inhibit colonization by S typhimurium, but do
      appear essential for lactose mediated inhibition of cecal colonization. Control
      chicks were not given dietary lactose, and chicks in the experimental group were
      fed a diet containing 7% lactose. Enumeration of Lac+ S typhimurium in cecal
      contents revealed dietary lactose to be effective at controlling this organism.
      Control was correlated with changes in cecal pH and increases in undissociated
      volatile fatty acids, especially propionic acid.

PMID- 1883088
TI  - Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies against
      Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in goats.
AB  - Using a heat and sonicated Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Cordoba antigen (COA1)
      and the commercial protoplasmic-antigen (PPA-3) as antigens, an ELISA for
      detecting goat antibodies was standardized. When 2 reference populations, 1
      positive (17 goats) and the other negative (63 goats) to disease, were used, this
      test showed 87.5% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity for COA1, and 88.2 and 95.2%,
      respectively for PPA-3. Absorption with M phlei was performed; no significant
      differences were found for COA1, but a lower sensitivity was found with PPA-3.
      This test was not especially affected by cross-reactivity with other
      mycobacterial disease because when 9 goats with M bovis infection were included
      in the M paratuberculosis control group, the specificity was only slightly
      different for absorbed (94.4%) and nonabsorbed sera (91.7%) for COA1, and (93.1
      and 94.4%, respectively) for PPA-3. This test was used to study the percentage of
      seropositive goats for M paratuberculosis in 3 herds with different prevalences.
      Among 251 goats in southern Spain (Huelva), 40% were found positive for COA1 and
      41% for PPA-3. Among 242 goats studied in southern Spain (Cordoba), 10.0% were
      positive for COA1 and 13.0% for PPA-3. In the Canary Island population of 176
      goats, 3% were positive for COA1 and 0.5% for PPA-3. According to the accuracies
      of both positive and negative predictions, our test could be applied to
      populations with high prevalence to prevent additions to the herd and to cull
      infected animals (with 40% prevalence, the positive and negative predictive
      values are 90%), and to prevent adding infected animals to populations with
      moderate or low prevalence.

PMID- 1883089
TI  - Phagocytosis and erythrocyte antibody-rosette formation by three populations of
      mononuclear phagocytes obtained from dogs treated with glucocorticoids.
AB  - The effect of systemic administration of glucocorticoids was evaluated on 3
      populations of macrophages obtained from healthy dogs. Phagocytic and Fc-receptor
      activities were determined for mononuclear phagocytes from blood and pulmonary
      and peritoneal lavage fluids. Samples were collected from 12 dogs before
      treatment and again on the same dogs after glucocorticoid administration. Thirty
      or more days were allowed between treatment periods. Twelve hours after combined
      prednisolone sodium succinate and dexamethasone sodium phosphate administration,
      the percentage of phagocytosing cells decreased for blood monocytes and increased
      for pulmonary macrophages. The percentage of pulmonary macrophages positive for
      erythrocyte antibody-rosette formation (Fc-receptor activity) increased. After 7
      days of oral administration of prednisone, the percentage of phagocytosing
      peritoneal macrophages increased, whereas the percentage of blood monocytes with
      Fc-receptor activity increased. Results indicate that significant (P less than
      0.05) changes in macrophage function occur after systemic administration of the
      glucocorticoid doses used in this study. Also, the effect of systemic
      administration of glucocorticoids on mononuclear phagocytes varies, depending on
      the specific cell location.

PMID- 1883090
TI  - Frequency and severity of osteochondrosis in horses with cervical stenotic
      myelopathy.
AB  - We compared the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis lesions in young
      Thoroughbred horses with cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) vs that in clinically
      normal Thoroughbreds of the same age. All lesions of the cervical vertebrae and
      appendicular skeleton were classified histologically as osteochondrosis or
      nonosteochondrosis and were measured for severity. Minimal sagittal diameter was
      significantly smaller in horses with CSM from C2 through C6; no difference was
      detected at C7. Severity of cervical vertebral osteochondrosis was greater in the
      horses with CSM, however frequency was not different. Frequency and severity of
      nonosteochondrosis lesions were not different in cervical vertebrae or
      appendicular skeleton. Frequency and severity of appendicular skeleton
      osteochondrosis lesions were both greater in horses with CSM. Osteochondrosis and
      nonosteochondrosis lesions were more severe on facets at sites of compression
      than on facets at noncompressed sites in horses with CSM. However, compression
      was also observed at sites with no articular facet lesions. The association of
      widespread osteochondrosis and spinal canal narrowing with CSM suggests CSM may
      represent a systemic failure in the development or maturation of cartilage and
      bone.

PMID- 1883091
TI  - Effects of amiodarone on myocardial performance in normal canine hearts and
      canine hearts with infarcts.
AB  - The effects of IV administered amiodarone, a class-III antiarrhythmic agent, on
      myocardial contractility, early myocardial relaxation, and hemodynamic variables
      were evaluated in normal canine hearts and those with infarcts. In the normal
      canine heart, amiodarone had important, but relatively mild, depressant effects
      on left ventricular contractility (assessed by maximal positive first derivative
      of left ventricular pressure (+dP/dtmax) and maximal elastance (Emax)) and heart
      rate when given IV at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight. An effect on
      contractility or active relaxation (assessed by maximal negative first derivative
      of left ventricular pressure (-dP/dtmax) and the time constant of isovolumic
      pressure decrease) was not identified with smaller doses. Myocardial infarction
      itself caused a predictable and marked depressant effect on myocardial
      contractility, as indicated by decreases in +dP/dtmax, ejection fraction, Emax,
      and -dP/dtmax, and elevation in end diastolic pressure. Additional depressive
      effects on contractility and active relaxation resulted when 10 mg of
      amiodarone/kg was administered to dogs with myocardial infarction and these
      effects were sufficient to worsen acute myocardial infarction-induced heart
      failure. Significant changes attributable to heart rate alone could not be
      identified. On the basis of our findings, we suggest that amiodarone administered
      IV should be used with caution in dogs with compromised ventricular function.

PMID- 1883092
TI  - Pharmacodynamic properties of succinylcholine in greyhounds.
AB  - Succinylcholine is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug, which is rapidly
      hydrolyzed by the enzyme pseudocholinesterase. In Greyhounds, the metabolism of
      certain drugs is atypical relative to other breeds, and it has been suggested
      that Greyhounds may be an atypical population, with lower pseudocholinesterase
      activity, slower hydrolysis of the drug succinylcholine, and a prolonged duration
      of action of the drug, compared with a mixed-breed control population. Six
      healthy adult Greyhounds and 6 healthy adult mixed-breed dogs were studied. Blood
      was drawn from each dog and analyzed for serum cholinesterase activity, and a
      biochemical profile was done to verify normal liver function. The dogs were
      anesthetized with methohexital (10 mg/kg) and isoflurane (1.25 minimal alveolar
      concentration) in 100% oxygen. Ventilation was controlled, fluids were
      administered IV (lactated Ringer solution, 10 ml/kg/h), and blood gases, blood
      pressure, and heart rate were monitored. The right hind limb was immobilized and
      a force transducer was used to monitor twitch strength of the interosseous muscle
      with supramaximal stimulation of the tibial nerve. Succinylcholine was
      administered to each dog 3 times at a dosage of 0.3 mg/kg. After drug
      administration, the time to 50% recovery of twitch strength (single twitch, 1/s),
      and 50% recovery of train-of-4 was determined. Subsequent doses were administered
      after complete recovery. The time to 50% recovery after succinylcholine
      administration in Greyhounds (38 minutes, dose 1, single twitch) was not
      significantly different than the time to 50% recovery in mixed-breed dogs (29
      minutes, dose 1, single twitch), using either monitoring technique.
      Pseudocholinesterase activity was also not significantly different between the
      Greyhounds (1,685 mU/ml) and the mixed-breed dogs (1,588 mU/ml).(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883093
TI  - Serum glucose and insulin responses to an insulin-containing ophthalmic solution
      administered topically in clinically normal cats.
AB  - Serum glucose and immunoreactive insulin concentrations were monitored after
      topical administration of an insulin-containing ophthalmic solution in 20
      clinically normal cats. Three ophthalmic surface-acting agents, benzalkonium
      chloride, dimethyl sulfoxide, and proparacaine hydrochloride, were evaluated
      individually for their effectiveness in enhancing absorption of topically applied
      insulin. The ophthalmic effects of insulin-containing ophthalmic preparations
      were assessed by complete ophthalmic examination before and at the conclusion of
      each test period. Withholding of food overnight (12 hours) preceded each topical
      application of insulin-containing ophthalmic solution (12.25 to 26.4 U/cat),
      either alone or in combination with surface-acting agents, after which blood
      samples were drawn serially from an indwelling IV catheter over a period of 8
      hours. Baseline serum insulin concentration, after food was withheld for 12
      hours, in nonstressed cats was 6.0 microU/ml (geometric mean), and an
      exponentiation of the logarithmic quantity (mean +/- SD) yielded values of 1.5 to
      23.0 microU/ml. All ophthalmic solutions tested failed to significantly lower
      serum glucose concentration or increase serum insulin concentration. Solutions
      used did not induce deleterious effect on ocular structures. Results indicate
      that topical administration of insulin-containing ophthalmic solution, either
      alone at the concentrations used or in combination with surface-acting agents,
      did not result in effective absorption of insulin across the conjunctival and
      lacrimal nasal mucosa in biologically relevant quantities. Thus, this route of
      insulin administration, under these specific conditions, is not an effective
      alternative or adjunct to SC administration of insulin for treatment of cats with
      insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or severe noninsulin-dependent diabetes
      mellitus.

PMID- 1883094
TI  - Serially determined plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and results of the
      oral vitamin E absorption test in clinically normal horses and in horses with
      degenerative myeloencephalopathy.
AB  - Plasma alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) values were monitored serially in 9 foals
      sired by a stallion with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) and in 5
      age-matched control foals (sired by a clinically normal stallion) raised in the
      same environment for the first year of life. Clinical evaluation determined that
      8 of the 9 foals sired by the stallion with EDM had neurologic deficits
      consistent with the disease on one or more occasions during the study period,
      whereas control foals had normal gait. From 6 weeks to 10 months of age, plasma
      alpha-tocopherol values in foals with signs of EDM were significantly (P less
      than 0.001) lower than those in control foals. An oral vitamin E absorption test
      was performed, and results for 8 of the affected horses and the affected stallion
      were compared with results for 4 of the monitored control horses and 4 additional
      control horses. Significant differences were not evident in any of the absorption
      indices. On the basis of data from this study and supported by reported
      prophylactic and therapeutic benefits of supplemented vitamin E, low plasma
      concentration of vitamin E is concluded to be a factor in the development of EDM
      in the first year of life of hereditarily predisposed foals. It was also
      concluded that the significantly lower alpha-tocopherol values seen in the foals
      in this study did not reflect a primary gastrointestinal tract absorption
      problem.

PMID- 1883095
TI  - Evaluation of the oral vitamin E absorption test in horses.
AB  - An oral vitamin E absorption test used in human beings was modified for use in
      horses. The most appropriate techniques with which to measure gastrointestinal
      tract absorption of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in horses were developed.
      Vitamin E was administered orally, and serum values of alpha-tocopherol were
      measured by use of high-performance liquid chromatography at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and
      24 hours after vitamin E administration. Variables included comparison of 2
      dosages (45 and 90 IU/kg of body weight), routes of administration, and
      absorption dynamics of 3 preparations of dl-alpha-tocopherol. Absorption of the 2
      doses of dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate indicated a dose response; the area under
      the curve at 24 hours (AUC24) was 4.3 micrograms.h/ml for the 45-IU/kg dose and
      32.2 micrograms.h/ml (P less than 0.01) for the 90-IU/kg dose. Maximal absorption
      was apparent when vitamin E was naturally consumed in grain, compared with
      administration of identical preparations by stomach tube or paste. In the same
      horses, dl-alpha-tocopherol and dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate plus polyethylene
      glycol had statistically similar absorption curves and both had significantly
      greater AUC24, compared with dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate; values for the 3
      compounds were 23.6, 25.8, and 12.6 micrograms.h/ml, respectively. The AUC24
      varied between individual horses, but time of peak value was consistently
      observed between 6 and 9 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883096
TI  - Erythrocyte insulin receptors in dogs with spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism.
AB  - Erythrocyte insulin receptor binding measurements were evaluated in 8 dogs with
      spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism. These dogs had normal serum glucose
      concentration, with normal to high serum insulin concentration (range, 45 to
      1,400 pmol/L; normal, 40 to 170 pmol/L). Dogs with hyperadrenocorticism had
      significant (P less than 0.01) decrease in mean +/- SEM percentage of maximal
      binding for erythrocyte insulin receptors (2.25 +/- 0.21%), compared with results
      in 11 clinically normal pet dogs (4.29 +/- 0.42%). The decrease in erythrocyte
      receptor binding was attributed to significant (P less than 0.01) decrease in
      high-affinity receptor sites in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (14.5 +/- 2.8),
      compared with clinically normal dogs (31.2 +/- 4.3). Significant differences in
      receptor affinity were not apparent between the 2 groups. Percentage of maximal
      binding for erythrocyte insulin receptors for dogs with hyperadrenocorticism was
      inversely correlated with serum insulin concentration (r = -0.85, P less than
      0.01). Results indicate that the observed decrease in erythrocyte insulin
      receptor binding could contribute to insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia
      associated with hyperadrenocorticism. Alternatively, decreased binding of insulin
      receptors in animals with hyperadrenocorticism may result from down-regulation
      secondary to hyperinsulinemia itself caused by insulin resistance at a
      postreceptor site (decreased responsiveness).

PMID- 1883097
TI  - Axial pattern flap based on the caudal auricular artery in dogs.
AB  - An axial pattern flap that was based on the sternocleidomastoideus branches of
      the caudal auricular artery and vein was developed. Control flaps, which included
      ligation and division of the caudal auricular artery and vein, were similarly
      developed on the contralateral aspect of the neck. Mean survival of caudal
      auricular artery axial pattern flaps (85.2%), compared with control flaps
      (63.9%), was significantly different (P less than 0.05). On the basis of results
      of this study, an axial pattern flap based on the sternocleidomastoideus branches
      of the caudal auricular artery and vein may be a source of skin for
      reconstructive procedures of the head and neck.

PMID- 1883098
TI  - Comparison of nonionic contrast agents iohexol and iotrolan for cisternal
      myelography in dogs.
AB  - During this investigation, the use of iohexol was compared with iotrolan for
      canine cisternal myelography. Iohexol and iotrolan myelography was done in 6 dogs
      by cisternal puncture with a 6-week interval between both procedures; each dog
      served as its own control. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected for baseline
      analysis from each dog immediately before the contrast agent was injected.
      Cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after injection
      of each contrast medium for cytologic and chemical analysis. Total CSF leucocyte
      count and glucose concentration did not change significantly in comparison with
      baseline data in any of the samples. After the injection of iohexol, protein
      concentration increased significantly in the 24-hour sample, and lactate
      dehydrogenase activity increased significantly in the 3-day sample. Significant
      difference was not found between the different samples collected at 1, 3, 7, and
      14 days, compared with both contrast media. None of the dogs had seizure activity
      during a 5-hour postmyelographic observation period. Pathologic changes were not
      found by gross or microscopic examination of the spinal cord. Although a
      degradation in time of radiographic quality of all myelograms took place, the
      average radiographic score decreased more rapidly with iohexol. The average score
      at 90 minutes with iotrolan was comparable with the score at 45 minutes with
      iohexol, and the average score at 150 minutes with iotrolan was better than the
      score at 90 minutes with iohexol. At 5 and 10 minutes after cisternal injection,
      no significant difference was observable between the myelograms, but from 45
      minutes onward, myelograms with iotrolan were superior.

PMID- 1883099
TI  - Effects of intra-articular administration of dimethylsulfoxide on chemically
      induced synovitis in immature horses.
AB  - The effects of intra-articular administration of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on
      chemically induced synovitis in the middle carpal joint of 6 weanling horses were
      evaluated. Following aseptic collection of synovial fluid, the middle carpal
      joint of each forelimb was injected with 50 mg of Na-monoiodoacetate to induce
      synovitis. Eight days after injection, synovial fluid was obtained and the right
      middle carpal joints were injected with 2 ml of 40% DMSO in lactated Ringer
      solution. The corresponding joints of the left limb (control) were injected with
      2 ml of lactated Ringer solution. Sampling and treatments were repeated on post
      injection days 11 and 14, for a total of 3 treatments. Horses were visually
      evaluated daily for lameness and joint effusion. Synovial fluid was evaluated for
      color and clarity, differential and total WBC count, total protein content, and
      hyaluronic acid concentration. The Kaegi gait analysis system provided an
      objective assessment of lameness prior to inducing synovitis, again on day 7, and
      on day 17. At necropsy (day 17), synovial fluid, synovial membrane, and articular
      cartilage specimens were collected. Joint effusion was evident 12 hours after
      injection of Na-monoiodoacetate in all joints. Mild lameness was evident at 24
      hours; however, the lameness resolved by 72 hours. Objective assessment of
      lameness did not reveal significant differences between treatment or control
      limbs. Hyaluronic acid concentrations increased significantly (P = 0.023) above
      baseline values in most joints over the study period. Synovial fluid WBC counts
      increased significantly (P = 0.002) following Na-monoiodoacetate injection and
      remained significantly (P = 0.002) above baseline values throughout the
      study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883100
TI  - Proto-oncogenes of genomic DNA in clinically normal animals of various species.
AB  - To provide information about oncogenes for molecular biological studies of tumors
      in domestic animals, the proto-oncogenes homologous to the c-myc, c-erbB-2, c-ros
      1, c-yes-1, v-myc, v-Ki-ras, and v-Ha-ras oncogenes of genomic DNA in cattle,
      horses, pigs, dogs, cats, and chickens were investigated by Southern blot
      hybridization. High molecular weight genomic DNA in each of the animals contained
      proto-oncogenes that had a certain homology with the oncogenes used, but the
      extent of nucleotide homology of the proto-oncogenes differed in number and
      molecular weight: ie, 1 or 2 bands at 1.6 to 22.0 kilobase (kb) in the c-myc
      probe, 1 or 2 bands at 1.1 to 16.0 kb in the c-ros-1 probe, 1 to 3 bands at 0.7
      to 23.0 kb in the c-erbB-2 probe, 1 to 4 bands at 0.6 to 18.0 kb in the c-yes-1
      probe, 1 to 3 bands at 1.6 to 30.0 kb in the v-myc probe, 1 to 7 bands at 1.0 to
      36.0 kb in the v-Ki-ras probe, and 1 to 4 bands at 1.0 to 27.0 kb in the v-Ha-ras
      probe. Furthermore, signal strength of each band, as determined by
      autoradiography, was not always the same for each probe in the various animals.
      Our findings indicate that these proto-oncogenes are well conserved with species
      specificities in each animal.

PMID- 1883101
TI  - Effect of milbemycin oxime against Ancylostoma caninum in dogs with naturally
      acquired infection.
AB  - Twenty-six mixed-breed (14 males, 12 females) dogs were used in a double-blind
      study to evaluate the effect of milbemycin oxime against naturally acquired
      infection with Ancylostoma caninum. Dogs were ranked and paired, on the basis of
      number of hookworm eggs/g of feces, and treatment was randomly assigned. Each dog
      was given either the study drug or placebo (1 tablet/11.4 kg [0.5 mg/kg] of body
      weight). Eggs per gram of feces enumeration was done on days 3 and 7 after
      treatment, and dogs were euthanatized on day 7. On day 3, 5 of the 13 dogs in the
      milbemycin-treated group had hookworm eggs in the feces (results of the McMaster
      test). In these dogs, mean number of eggs per gram of feces had decreased
      markedly (from 5,289 to 452) and, by day 7, was 114. At necropsy, 16 A caninum
      adults were recovered from 2 of the milbemycin-treated dogs. On day 3, 12 of the
      13 dogs in the placebo-treated group had hookworm eggs in the feces. Mean number
      of eggs per gram of feces in these dogs decreased slightly (from 5,243 to 2,646),
      but did not decrease further by day 7. A mean number of 54.4 A caninum adults was
      recovered from 12 of the 13 placebo-treated dogs at necropsy. Milbemycin oxime
      had 97.8% efficacy against A caninum. Results also indicated that milbemycin
      oxime may be effective against Trichuris vulpis, but not against Dipylidium
      caninum.

PMID- 1883102
TI  - Comparison of four methods of estimating glomerular filtration rate in cats.
AB  - Four methods of evaluating renal function were performed in 6 cats anesthetized
      with halothane in oxygen. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured
      simultaneously in each cat by exogenous creatinine clearance (ECC), bolus inulin
      clearance, and 99mTc(Sn)-diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) clearance
      determined by 2 different methods. In the first DTPA clearance method (DTPA-1),
      we measured radioactivity in serial blood specimens to construct plasma
      disappearance curves for calculation of GFR. In the second DTPA clearance method
      (DTPA-2), we used serial external head counts of radioactivity and a single blood
      specimen to construct plasma disappearance curves for calculation of GFR. Bolus
      inulin clearance was calculated from plasma disappearance curves using a 1
      compartment open pharmacokinetic model (IN-1) and a 2-compartment open
      pharmacokinetic model (IN-2). Glomerular filtration rates were measured over 3
      hours, for creatinine and DTPA methods, and over 4 hours for the inulin methods.
      The GFR obtained with the reference method (ECC) was 2.56 +/- 0.61 ml/min/kg of
      body weight (mean +/- SD). Values for GFR determined by ECC and DTPA-1 were
      significantly correlated (r = 0.852; P less than or equal to 0.05). Correlation
      between ECC and DTPA 2 was not as good (r = 0.783; P less than or equal to 0.10),
      but the 2 DTPA methods significantly correlated with one another (r = 0.897; P
      less than or equal to 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883103
TI  - Analysis of selected variables in the under-agarose assay for chemotactic
      responses of canine neutrophils.
AB  - Chemotaxis under agarose was evaluated to establish an assay system and to
      characterize chemotactic responses of canine neutrophils. A method for the
      measurement of canine neutrophil chemotaxis was established, with optimal
      responses obtained with agarose containing 10% pooled canine serum, a
      concentration of 5 x 10(5) cells/well, zymosan-activated serum (ZAS), or
      autologous serum or plasma as the chemoattractants, and a 120-minute incubation
      period. Canine neutrophils responded well to ZAS, heat-inactivated ZAS,
      autologous serum and plasma, and heat-inactivated pooled serum. Chemotactic
      activity was proportional to the concentration of serum used as the
      chemoattractant. Mean (+/- SD) random migration, chemotaxis, chemotactic index,
      and chemotactic differential of neutrophils from 9 healthy Greyhounds were 1.09
      (+/- 0.23), 1.95 (+/- 0.38), 1.82 (+/- 0.31), and 0.86 (+/- 0.32) mm,
      respectively.

PMID- 1883104
TI  - Use of a multivariable indexing score for hygiene variables in relation to egg
      production.
AB  - An indexing system for hygiene variables associated with egg production was
      developed by use of data collected from chicken flocks in southern California.
      The data were analyzed by factor and regression analysis. On the basis of our
      findings, hygiene index in relation to egg production consists of ventilation
      system, cooling system, manure removal, and truck movement. Flocks kept under
      natural ventilation produced, on the average, 2% more hen-day eggs than flocks
      kept under artificial ventilation. Flocks placed in houses with roof sprinklers
      produced 3.3% more hen-day eggs, compared with flocks placed in houses with
      inside foggers and pad. Flocks kept under the system of frequent removal of
      manure produced 2% more hen-day eggs than flocks kept under the system for which
      the manure was removed less frequently. Flocks kept in farms that restricted
      trucks collecting dead birds from entering the premises produced 3.4% more hen
      day eggs than those that allowed such trucks to enter the farm.

PMID- 1883105
TI  - [Prevention of graft vs. host disease in pediatric post-transfusion patients].

PMID- 1883106
TI  - [Evaluation of the serological follow-up of newborn infants, carriers of HIV-1
      antibodies].
AB  - Serological follow-ups were performed in 19 newborns carrying HIV 1 antibodies
      over a period ranging between 9 and 62 months. Eight children developed AIDS ans
      11 remained asymptomatic. Anti-HIV 1 antibodies were determined by ELISA and
      Western blot and p 24 antigen was detected by ELISA. Antibodies to HIV 1
      disappeared in most children without AIDS symptoms between 10 and 12 months after
      birth, with antibodies against gp 41 being lost first. Children with AIDS
      remained positive during follow-up, although in 3 cases with positive was absent
      in all the asymptomatic children, while it was present in 75% of the patients
      with AIDS.

PMID- 1883107
TI  - [Exposure to lead in infancy and childhood].
AB  - We have made a study on lead poisoning taken from an ambulatory sample of 693
      children belonging to Pediatric Department of Hospital General de Galicia
      (Santiago de Compostela), with ages between 1-14 years. Mainly, males (55.5%),
      rurals (79.5%) and from low-middle class (78.4%). A protocol, which includes
      clinic history, was applied to all the patients, together with social-
      demographic classification test, inquiries about possible sources of saturnism of
      their habitat and the different laboratory assays, blood and urine analysis and
      lead and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) concentrations in venous blood. In
      a second phase a test of lead mobilization with EDTA was done on the candidates
      as well as measurement of lead contents in their houses running water. Two groups
      were made according to, their ages, group A (1-6 years) 298 children (43%) and
      group B (7-14 years), 395 (56.9%) and their clinical signs, probably symptomatics
      424 (61.1%) and controls 269 (38.8%). The frequency of lead overexposition is of
      eighteen patients (2.59%) and three are controls. All of then are rurals; high
      risk in eight of them (1.15%) and moderated in ten (1.44%). The concentrations in
      their houses running water exceed the 0.05 ppm limit. On our conclusions, we
      recommend the screening in children with some kind of risk and a list with other
      preventive measures.

PMID- 1883108
TI  - [Meningococcal sepsis in our area. Study of the disease severity factors and
      therapeutic management over a 10-year period].
AB  - Meningococcal sepsis with cardiovascular manifestations is one of the leading
      causes of pediatric intensive care admission (14.85%) in our area. We carried out
      a two phase study over period of 10 years from 1979 to 1988, involving a
      retrospective analysis of clinical and analytical manifestations in order to
      determine a prognostic score of the severity of meningococcal infections in our
      area. A total of 86 cases were studies over a two year period. After establishing
      the prognostic score, we applied a previously assayed therapeutic protocol, based
      on the number of criteria of severity, in 170 children selected as having the
      same criteria. The factors of seriousness considered were: Appearance of the
      first symptoms less than 12 h. previously, appearance of petechia less than 6 h.
      previously, hyperthermia, shock at admission, absence of meningitis, fulminating
      course of purpura and convulsions, leukopenia less than or equal to 5,000 mm3,
      prothrombin activity less than or equal to 45%, platelets less than or equal to
      75,000 mm3, fibrinogen less than or equal to 250 mgrs% and FPD greater than 40
      micrograms/ml (p less than or equal to 0.01 (CHI SQUARE]. In the first phase of
      study, overall mortality was associated with the presence of three criteria, and
      was highest when more than seven criteria were present. The results indicate that
      mortality from meningococcal sepsis is linked to fulminating deterioration of
      hemodynamics and DIC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883109
TI  - [Studying the levels of endotoxemia in meningococcal sepsis. Its relations to
      pregnancy and antibiotic treatment].
AB  - The most frequent cause of toxic shock in our area is meningococcal sepsis. It is
      currently assumed that endotoxin produce by this bacteria, a lipopolysaccharide
      with toxic properties, is able to trigger shock and DIC by stimulating both
      arachidonic acid pathways, among other actions. Previous studies in our
      laboratory demonstrated significant differences (p +/- 0.001) in the amounts of
      endotoxins released in vitro by strains from patients and healthy carriers and
      statistically related criteria of severity with mortality in 256 patients in our
      center over the last 10 years. In the present study we attempted to establish
      whether plasma levels of endotoxin were correlated with the severity of the
      disease. We studied 32 patients with meningococcal sepsis, dividing the subjects
      into two groups: those in whom six or more criteria of severity were present, and
      those in whom less than six criteria were found. Blood levels of endotoxin were
      determined upon admission and after the administration of antibiotics (penicillin
      and chloramphenicol) using the limulus test with a chromogenic substrate
      (Coatest, Endotoxin, Kabivitrum, Sweden). Levels of endotoxins were significantly
      higher in patients with more than six criteria of severity both upon admission
      (0.6 +/- 0.03) ng/ml) and 4 h. afterward (0.74 +/- 0.006 ng/ml) in comparison to
      children in whom the clinical picture was less serious (0.27 +/- 0.18 ng/ml and
      0.27 +/- 0.18 ng/ml and 0.27 +/- 0.16 ng/ml7 t = 5.8 y t = 5.6 respectively.
      Endotoxin levels were highest in patients presenting shock, disseminated
      intravascular coagulation in the hypocoagulability phase and more than 8
      criteria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883110
TI  - [Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Biochemical studies in the diagnosis of 4
      cases and the identification of carriers].
AB  - The biochemical studies for the diagnosis of four cases of OCT deficiency are
      described: two male sibs, with total enzymatic deficiency and neonatal death, and
      two symptomatic heterozygous females. The enzymatic activity was determined in
      hepatic necropsy or duodenal biopsy from these patients and carriers were
      identified among their relatives. The usefulness of the enzymatic analysis
      compared with the protein loading test followed by the determination of ammonia
      and orotic acid for the female carrier detection is discussed, and the interest
      of their identification to prevent the risk of hyperammonemic crisis with
      possible neurologic sequels is stressed.

PMID- 1883111
TI  - [Epidemiology of mental deficiency. The study of Safor (I): prevalence and
      etiology].
AB  - An epidemiological study of Mental Deficiency was carried out in an area of the
      region of Valencia. A prevalence of children between 0-14 years old were found to
      have an IQ of below 70; 14,10 every 1,000 over a period from september 1987 to
      june 1988. This prevalence increases gradually according to age, reaching a high
      point at 10 and another at 14. These fluctuations are due to extreme and less
      serious cases. 29% of the cases can be attributed to prenatal causes. 9% are
      perinatal, and 49% are a postnatal origin. In 57% of the cases no cause has been
      found, and can be considered of unknown etiology.

PMID- 1883112
TI  - [Helicobacter pylori: a new pathogen to be considered in infancy].
AB  - A prospective study in 11 consecutive children with gastroduodenal disease is
      presented. Endoscopic study and gastric biopsies were performed for histologic
      and bacteriologic research of H. pylori. Endoscopic studies in 7 of the patients
      showed lesions of antritis that were assessed by histopathologic study. H. pylori
      was isolated in 4 of them. The presence of H. pylori in the stomach of children
      with chronic gastritis is confirmed. It is remarked the importance of gastric
      biopsy, at least when the endoscopic study shows the presence of antral
      gastritis.

PMID- 1883113
TI  - [Traumatic rupture of the diaphragm in children: apropos of 2 cases].
AB  - We present two patients with diaphragmatic rupture, right and left respectively,
      which occurred after thoracoabdominal traumatisms. Comments are made on the
      increase of this pathology in the pediatric population and the importance of an
      early diagnosis. We also revise the diagnostic procedures and underline the value
      of the chest roentgenogram to establish an early diagnosis.

PMID- 1883114
TI  - [Dietary guidelines for diet therapy of children with hypercholesterolemia].

PMID- 1883115
TI  - [Intrapericardial teratoma. Report of a case].

PMID- 1883116
TI  - [Ectopic spleen. Apropos of a case].

PMID- 1883117
TI  - [Association of right diaphragmatic hernia and omphalocele: report of a case].

PMID- 1883118
TI  - [Terminal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 4:46,XY, del (4) (q31.3----qter:
      a case after in vitro fertilization].

PMID- 1883119
TI  - Effect of vitamin D supplementation on wintertime and overall bone loss in
      healthy postmenopausal women.
AB  - OBJECTIVES: To determine whether relative vitamin D deficiency during the winter
      months contributes to age-related bone loss and whether rates of change in hard-
      and soft-tissue mass vary during the year. DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo
      controlled, 1-year trial in 249 women in which equal numbers of women were
      randomized to either placebo or 400 IU of vitamin D daily. All women received 377
      mg/d of supplemental calcium largely as calcium citrate malate. PATIENTS:
      Healthy, ambulatory postmenopausal women with usual intakes of vitamin D of 100
      IU/d. MEASUREMENTS: Duplicate spine and whole-body scans were done by dual energy
      x-ray absorptiometry at 6-month intervals that were timed to periods when 25
      hydroxyvitamin D levels were highest and lowest. Period 1 was June-July to
      December-January and period 2 was December-January to the next June-July. Serum
      parathyroid hormone and plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured during
      periods 1 and 2. MAIN RESULTS: In the placebo group, spinal bone mineral density
      increased in period 1, decreased in period 2, and sustained no net change. Women
      treated with vitamin D had a similar spinal increase in period 1 (1.46% compared
      with 1.40% in placebo), less loss in period 2 (-0.54% compared with -1.22%, CI
      for the difference, 0.05% to 1.31%, P = 0.032) and a significant overall benefit
      (0.85% compared with 0.15%, CI for the difference, 0.03% to 1.37%, P = 0.04). In
      period 2, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were lower and parathyroid hormone levels
      were higher in the placebo than in the vitamin D group. Whole-body lean and fat
      tissue and bone mineral density varied during the year but did not change
      overall. CONCLUSIONS: At latitude 42 degrees, healthy postmenopausal women with
      vitamin D intakes of 100 IU daily can significantly reduce late wintertime bone
      loss and improve net bone density of the spine over one year by increasing their
      intake of vitamin D to 500 IU daily. A long-term benefit of preventing vitamin D
      insufficiency in the winter seems likely although it remains to be shown.
      Observed changes in bone as well as in fat and lean tissue appear to be related
      to season.

PMID- 1883121
TI  - Sleep apnea in acromegaly.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To provide information on the nature, prevalence, and severity of
      sleep apnea in patients with acromegaly. DESIGN: Consecutive case series.
      SETTING: Tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-three patients with
      acromegaly were consecutively referred: 33 patients were referred because of
      clinical suspicion of sleep apnea and 20 patients were referred without suspected
      apnea. MEASUREMENTS: Sleep studies as well as growth hormone and insulin-like
      growth factor 1 (IGF-1) measurements were done. MAIN RESULTS: Thirty-one patients
      (93%; 95% Cl, 85% to 100%) referred because of suspicion of sleep apnea had sleep
      apnea compared with 12 patients (60%; Cl, 37% to 83%) referred without suspected
      sleep apnea. Patients with sleep apnea did not have biochemical evidence of
      increased disease activity (random growth hormone, 12.7 +/- 4.4 micrograms/L;
      mean growth hormone at 24-hour sampling, 10.8 +/- 8.4 micrograms/L; IGF-1, 90.0
      +/- 7.5 nmol/L) compared with patients without sleep apnea (random growth
      hormone, 14.2 +/- 4.9 micrograms/L, P greater than 0.2; mean growth hormone, 12.4
      +/- 3.5 micrograms/L, P greater than 0.2; IGF-1, 90.0 +/- 10.0 nmol/L, P greater
      than 0.2). Central sleep apnea was the predominant type of apnea in 33% (Cl, 18%
      to 47%) of patients and was associated with higher random growth hormone and IGF
      1 levels than was obstructive apnea (random growth hormone, 23.4 +/- 3.9 compared
      with 8.8 +/- 3.1 micrograms/L, P less than 0.001; IGF-1, 126 +/- 17.5 compared
      with 72.5 +/- 7.5 nmol/L, P less than 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Sleep apnea is common
      in acromegaly. The rate of central sleep apnea was unexpectedly high in patients
      with acromegaly, and biochemical evidence of increased disease activity was
      associated with the presence of central apnea rather than with the degree of
      sleep apnea. Altered respiratory control is a possible mechanism producing sleep
      apnea in acromegaly.

PMID- 1883120
TI  - Reversible renal insufficiency due to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors in
      hypertensive nephrosclerosis.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To review the incidence of reversible renal insufficiency in patients
      with hypertensive nephrosclerosis undergoing antihypertensive therapy. DESIGN:
      Retrospective analysis of 73 patients in a long-term blood pressure control study
      that compared the effects of an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
      plus conventional antihypertensive agents compared with placebo plus
      antihypertensive agents. SETTING: Hospital-based outpatient treatment center.
      INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided into group 1, which received enalapril plus
      conventional antihypertensives, and group 2, which received placebo plus
      conventional antihypertensives. MEASUREMENTS: Blood pressure and serum creatinine
      levels were measured, and imaging studies of the main renal arteries were done.
      MAIN RESULTS: In group 1, eight of 42 patients (19%, 95% CI, 9% to 34%) developed
      reversible renal insufficiency, defined as an unexpected increase in serum
      creatinine of 88 mumol/L or higher. Six episodes of reversible renal
      insufficiency occurred during July and August when temperatures were 32.2 degrees
      C to 37.8 degrees C (90 degrees F to 100 degrees F). Renal artery stenosis was
      excluded by renal arteriogram or ultrasonic duplex scanning. All eight group-1
      patients had a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure below their
      baseline level during reversible renal insufficiency (mean change, -28 +/- 10 mm
      Hg, P less than 0.001). The increase in the serum creatinine level was inversely
      correlated with the decrease in the mean arterial pressure (r = -0.68, P less
      than 0.01). Reversible renal insufficiency was successfully managed by
      withdrawing or reducing enalapril as well as other antihypertensive agents.
      Subsequently, enalapril was tolerated by seven of the eight patients without
      recurrence of renal insufficiency. In contrast, none of 31 (CI, 0% to 11%)
      patients in group 2 developed reversible renal insufficiency despite the fact
      that both the incidence of decreases in mean arterial pressure in 6 of 31
      patients (19%) and the magnitude of the decreases in mean arterial pressure (mean
      change, -33 +/- 16 mm Hg) were similar to those observed in group 1. CONCLUSIONS:
      Reversible renal insufficiency in hypertensive nephrosclerosis associated with
      ACE inhibitor therapy correlates with relative hypotension, is not dependent on
      renal artery stenosis, and can usually be managed by dose reduction.

PMID- 1883122
TI  - The T-cell proliferative assay in the diagnosis of Lyme disease.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the T-cell
      proliferative assay as a diagnostic test in Lyme disease. DESIGN: Cross-sectional
      study of patients with Lyme arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis who had a
      history of erythema migrans, positive antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi
      by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), or both; patients with other
      diseases; and healthy subjects. SETTING: Diagnostic Lyme disease clinic in a
      university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-two of the 67 patients with active Lyme
      arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis who were seen during the study period; 16
      patients with inactive late Lyme disease; 77 patients with other rheumatologic or
      neurologic diseases; 9 workers from the Borrelia laboratory; and 9 healthy
      subjects. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Nineteen of 42 patients with Lyme
      arthritis or chronic neuroborreliosis and 4 of 77 patients with other diseases
      had positive T-cell proliferative responses to B. burgdorferi antigens. The
      sensitivity of the proliferative assay was 45% (95% Cl, 30% to 60%) and the
      specificity was 95% (95% Cl, 87% to 99%). Twelve of 27 patients with active Lyme
      arthritis, 7 of 15 patients with chronic neuroborreliosis, 4 of 16 patients with
      inactive Lyme disease, 4 of 9 healthy Borrelia laboratory workers, and 0 of 9
      healthy subjects had positive responses. Three of five patients with Lyme disease
      who had negative or indeterminant antibody responses by ELISA had positive T-cell
      proliferative responses. CONCLUSION: The T-cell proliferative assay may be a
      helpful diagnostic test in the small subset of patients with late Lyme disease
      who have negative or indeterminant antibody responses by ELISA.

PMID- 1883123
TI  - Influence of gastric acidity on the bioavailability of digoxin.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study how changes in gastric acidity induced by omeprazole and
      pentagastrin affect the absorption of unchanged digoxin and its hydrolytic
      breakdown products. DESIGN: Double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, crossover
      study. SETTING: Academic department of clinical pharmacology. SUBJECTS: Six
      healthy male volunteers. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects received digoxin, 1 mg orally,
      on three separate occasions: first, after pretreatment with omeprazole; second,
      after pretreatment with pentagastrin; and third, after "pretreatment" with
      placebo. MEASUREMENTS: The in-vitro decomposition of digoxin wa studied using a
      standard dissolution test. The urinary excretion of digoxin over a 120-hour
      period was measured using selective high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)
      and a polarization enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Plasma concentrations were measured
      at 2 hours with the EIA. MAIN RESULTS: Digoxin was rapidly released from the
      tablets in the in-vitro test. At acid pH, decomposition (as measured with HPLC)
      was rapid. Pentagastrin reduced the urinary excretion of unchanged digoxin, as
      measured by HPLC, from 34% to 21.4% of the dose (difference, -12.6%; 95% Cl, 
      23.5 to -1.8; P less than 0.05), whereas omeprazole increased urinary excretion
      to 47.4% (difference, 13.4%; 95 Cl, 2.5% to 24.4%; P less than 0.05). However,
      such differences were not found with the nonselective polarization EIA.
      CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that gastric acidity causes the breakdown of
      digoxin to products that cross-react in the assay (EIA) that is commonly used
      clinically. In patients with reduced gastric acidity, increased plasma
      concentrations of unchanged digoxin may not be detected because of limitations of
      the EIA, which may invalidate the quantitative use of the plasma digoxin
      concentration as a predictor of digoxin toxicity. Omeprazole, and presumably
      other gastric-acid inhibitors, may increase the bioavailability of unchanged
      digoxin.

PMID- 1883124
TI  - Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis with adenopathy.

PMID- 1883125
TI  - NIH conference. Systemic lupus erythematosus.
AB  - Although the cause of systemic lupus erythematosus remains unknown, pathogenic
      mechanisms are becoming clearer. Both genetic and environmental factors have been
      implicated in the induction and in the perpetuation of lupus. Implicated
      environmental triggers include ultraviolet light, chemicals (hydrazines, hair
      dyes, drugs), some foods, and possibly infectious agents. Lupus is mediated by
      the immune system. Patients have excess numbers of antibody-forming cells,
      including those that produce antibodies reactive with self-antigens. Patients
      also have an increased number of activated T cells, some of which help B cells to
      produce autoantibodies. A loss of tolerance is a critical immune abnormality in
      lupus; many of the activated helper T cells may result from a failure in normal
      tolerance mechanisms. A hematopoietic stem-cell defect could give rise to both B-
      and T-cell abnormalities. Such a stem-cell abnormality might lead to both a loss
      of self-tolerance and polyclonal B-cell activation. Antigen-driven, T-cell
      dependent expansion of B-cell clones would then give rise to pathogenic
      autoantibodies, including anti-DNA. We believe that lupus is a syndrome: Patients
      differ regarding specific inciting factors and immune defects. Some patients have
      genetically conditioned abnormalities, similar to those found in mice with lupus;
      others have a combination of genetic and acquired defects. We hope that insights
      into pathogenesis lead to improved and more individualized therapy.

PMID- 1883126
TI  - When should patients with lethal ventricular arrhythmia resume driving? An
      analysis of state regulations and physician practices.
AB  - Most states have specific laws governing whether patients with seizure disorders
      can drive. To learn whether similar laws exist for patients with lethal
      ventricular arrhythmias, we surveyed the Departments of Motor Vehicles in all 50
      states. In addition, either an arrhythmia specialist (n = 25) or a general
      cardiologist (n = 25) was chosen randomly from each state and interviewed to
      study physician awareness of such laws and physician attitudes toward driving by
      patients with arrhythmias. Forty-two states (84%) have laws restricting driving
      by patients who have seizures; only 8 states (16%) have specific laws for
      patients with arrhythmias. No state makes a distinction between driving by
      patients with arrhythmias who are managed with an implantable cardioverter
      defibrillator (ICD) compared with patients who are managed medically. Seventy
      four percent of physicians did not know their own state's laws about driving by
      patients who have ventricular arrhythmias. Cardiologists were more likely to
      advise no driving restriction for medically treated patients than for ICD-treated
      patients. Cardiologists were also more likely to advise permanent restriction for
      patients with ICDs than for patients treated medically. We conclude that greater
      legal and medical consensus is needed to guide physicians in advising patients
      with lethal ventricular arrhythmias about driving restrictions.

PMID- 1883127
TI  - Three women at Johns Hopkins: private perspectives on medical coeducation in the
      1890s.

PMID- 1883128
TI  - Anemia of chronic disease: a misnomer.

PMID- 1883129
TI  - Disseminated candidiasis after intravenous use of oral methadone.

PMID- 1883130
TI  - Standardizing fecal occult blood testing.

PMID- 1883131
TI  - Octreotide for diarrhea in amyloidosis.

PMID- 1883133
TI  - Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in teaching hospitals.

PMID- 1883132
TI  - Diagnosing Lyme disease.

PMID- 1883134
TI  - A library for internists.

PMID- 1883135
TI  - Defensive medicine: a form of "varmint" control?

PMID- 1883136
TI  - Silent synaptic connections and their modifiability.
AB  - Comparison of the two afferent systems illustrates certain features common to
      synaptic transmission as well as differences that might be important for synaptic
      plasticity. Transmission at both the inhibitory and excitatory connections is
      satisfactorily described by a simple binomial model that considers the average
      probability of release to be the same at each active site, although it should be
      stressed that the best evidence derives from the first set of afferents. Another
      similarity between the two systems is that short-term changes in synaptic
      efficacy, namely, facilitation and depression, appear to be due to changes in p.
      We previously suggested that both phenomena occur during repetitive stimulation,
      with the dominant effect depending upon the initial probability of release. It
      remains to be seen if depression dominates at other inhibitory connections,
      although it is already clear that one cannot generalize about excitation, because
      some excitatory junctions have an initial high p and exhibit a marked depression
      rather than the facilitation described here. We have found no evidence for the
      notion that some synapses within a connection may be silent. That idea has been
      proposed, but not proven, for other synaptic connections in the vertebrate
      central nervous system. Indeed, it will be difficult to assess as long as quantal
      release cannot be reliably detected at these junctions, and morphological
      confirmation at the ultrastructural level will also be required. On the other
      hand, evidence from a few peripheral junctions where one presynaptic afferent
      establishes hundreds of contacts with its target cell, does suggest the
      possibility of silent synapses, or at least an extremely low probability of
      release in those cases. These situations may correspond to extremes of our
      finding that as the number of release sites increases, p decreases. Regardless,
      the inverse relation between n and p suggests caution should be exercised in
      interpreting data indicating that synaptic plasticity is associated with
      increased numbers of synapses between two cells. Although we have not detected
      silent synapses within a transmitting connection, we have observed chemically
      silent connections between neurons, and the evidence reviewed here suggests
      transmission may be blocked postsynaptically, as with the inhibitory connections,
      or presynaptically, as with the excitatory ones. Although the underlying
      mechanisms are only partially elucidated, it is also clear that such connections
      can be switched into a transmitting mode. Consequently, they may provide a
      significant reserve that might well become functional in different behavioral
      states or in response to certain patterns of activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1883137
TI  - Morphological aspects of synaptic plasticity in Aplysia. An anatomical substrate
      for long-term memory.
AB  - The morphological basis of long-term sensitization of the gill-and-siphon
      withdrawal reflex in Aplysia was explored by examining the structure of
      identified sensory neuron synapses in control and behaviorally modified animals.
      Following long-term training, sensitized animals displayed an increase in the
      number of sensory neuron synapses compared to control animals. The relative
      permanence of these structural changes and their similarity in time course to the
      behavioral duration of sensitization suggest a role for synapse number changes
      during long-term memory.

PMID- 1883138
TI  - Cerebellar synaptic plasticity. Relation to learning versus neural activity.

PMID- 1883139
TI  - Multiple modes of neuronal population activity emerge after modifying specific
      synapses in a model of the CA3 region of the hippocampus.

PMID- 1883140
TI  - Cerebellum and classical conditioning of motor responses.

PMID- 1883141
TI  - Substrates for motor learning. Does the cerebellum do it all?

PMID- 1883143
TI  - Operantly conditioned plasticity in spinal cord.
AB  - Recent work has shown that the monosynaptic pathway of the SSR can be operantly
      conditioned, and that a significant part of the plasticity responsible for the
      behavioral change resides in the spinal cord. The most likely sites of this
      activity-driven plasticity are the synapse of the Ia afferent neuron on the
      motoneuron and/or the motoneuron itself. Because the SSR pathway is the simplest
      and most accessible stimulus-response pathway in the vertebrate CNS, it may
      provide a valuable experimental model for elucidating activity-driven CNS changes
      responsible for learning.

PMID- 1883142
TI  - A model of adaptive control of vestibuloocular reflex based on properties of
      cross-axis adaptation.

PMID- 1883144
TI  - Spontaneous bioelectric activity as both dependent and independent variable in
      cortical maturation. Chronic tetrodotoxin versus picrotoxin effects on spike
      train patterns in developing rat neocortex neurons during long-term culture.

PMID- 1883145
TI  - Developmental visual plasticity in Drosophila.

PMID- 1883146
TI  - Relationship between tubulin delivery and synapse formation during goldfish optic
      nerve regeneration.

PMID- 1883148
TI  - Influence of temperature on adaptive changes of the vestibuloocular reflex in the
      goldfish.

PMID- 1883147
TI  - Dual effects of the protein kinase inhibitor H-7 on CA1 responses in the
      hippocampal slice.

PMID- 1883149
TI  - Effect of MK801 on long-term potentiation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the
      unanesthetized rabbit.

PMID- 1883151
TI  - Chronotherapy of malaria: identification of drug-sensitive stage of parasite and
      timing of drug delivery for improved therapy.
AB  - The cyclic nature of malarial fever in conjunction with the pharmacokinetic
      characteristics of antimalarial drugs, call for the conception of a chrono
      therapeutic approach for the treatment of the disease. An experimental murine
      malarial model was devised using the highly synchronous species Plasmodium
      vinckei petteri to test this rationale. Sub-curative doses of chloroquine were
      injected sub-cutaneously to mice either during the prepatent period or during
      patent infection. Inspection of the effect of drug applied at different stages of
      the parasitic cycle, revealed that medium size trophozoites (MT) were the most
      susceptible stage to chloroquine, while ring and young trophozoite stages were
      refractory to the drug. Chloroquine given during these latter stages, affected
      the parasites when they developed into the MT stage. Drug treatment during the MT
      stage phase-shifted the schizogonic cycle by 18 hours. Hence, treatment with two
      consecutive injections given 18 hours apart, i.e. timed to the overwhelming
      presence of the MT stage in the circulation, gave the best therapeutic results.

PMID- 1883152
TI  - Hyperendemic onchocerciasis in the Taraba river valley of Gongola state (Old
      Adamawa province), Nigeria.
AB  - A survey of the prevalence of onchocerciasis was carried out in the Taraba river
      valley, Nigeria where Simulium damnosum s. l. is known to breed but about which
      no epidemiological data exists. Skin biopsies taken from 2,876 persons in 14
      communities were examined for the microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus. 100%
      infection rate was recorded in one of the communities, five other communities had
      prevalence rates between 81.0% and 94.7%. Three communities had infection rates
      between 44.8% and 69.1%. The mean microfilarial density in all the communities
      was 64.7 with a range between 3.2 and 167.6. The present findings indicate that
      the Taraba river valley may be one of the worst onchocerciasis zones in Nigeria.

PMID- 1883150
TI  - Three-dimensional imaging of neurophysiologically characterized hippocampal
      neurons by confocal scanning laser microscopy.

PMID- 1883153
TI  - The application of the statistical study in the morphometric characterization of
      a Colombian strain of Trypanosoma cruzi.
AB  - After morphological and histopathological characterization, the Cali strain of T.
      cruzi isolated from a patient in Cali (Colombia), was also submitted to a
      morphometrical characterization. For this we estimated 16 cellular parameters in
      30 samples of each evolutive form of T. cruzi in blood in NNN medium through
      planimetry by the IBAS-1 (Image Basic Analytic System). This morphometrical study
      was completed with a statistical one through the application of the variance
      (ANOVA-1). This made it possible to evidence a great number of significant
      differences between the slender, broad and stout forms and also between the short
      and large epimastigotes from the NNN medium. These data have a real interest for
      classifying some features of the biological cycle of T. cruzi as well as the
      future development of diagnosis techniques or therapeutical and prophylactic
      experiments.

PMID- 1883154
TI  - The effects of early postoperative radiation on vascularized bone grafts.
AB  - The effects of early postoperative radiation were assessed in free
      nonvascularized and free vascularized rib grafts in the canine model. The
      mandibles of one-half of the dogs were exposed to a cobalt 60 radiation dose of
      4080 cGy over a 4-week period, starting 2 weeks postoperatively. The patency of
      vascularized grafts was confirmed with bone scintigraphy. Histological studies,
      including ultraviolet microscopy with trifluorochrome labeling, and
      histomorphometric analyses were performed. Osteocytes persist within the cortex
      of the vascularized nonradiated grafts to a much greater extent than in
      nonvascularized, nonradiated grafts. Cortical osteocytes do not persist in either
      vascularized or nonvascularized grafts subjected to radiation. New bone formation
      is significantly retarded in radiated grafts compared with nonradiated grafts.
      Periosteum and endosteum remained viable in the radiated vascularized grafts,
      producing both bone union and increased bone turnover, neither of which were
      evident to any significant extent in nonvascularized grafts. Bone union was
      achieved in vascularized and non-vascularized nonradiated bone. In the radiated
      group of dogs, union was only seen in the vascularized bone grafts.

PMID- 1883155
TI  - Pediatric mandibular fractures.
AB  - In spite of curiosity, facial fractures, particularly mandibular fractures, in
      the pediatric age group embrace only a modest proportion of facial fractures that
      occur within the general population. Several large series report an overall
      incidence of approximately 1% of all facial bone fractures. A considerable volume
      of literature has been generated describing the pattern of injury and treatment
      modalities for pediatric facial bone fractures. At our institution, which is an
      extremely busy university-based regional trauma center, we have witnessed a
      persistent escalation in the number of patients requiring repair of their facial
      bone fractures. During the period of January 1989 through January 1990, we
      treated a total of 204 patients for repair of mandible fractures. An analysis of
      the records of this group revealed only 3 patients who were younger than 4 years
      of age and 2 additional patients younger than 8 years. There were another 10
      patients 17 years and younger, for a total incidence of 0.08%. Additionally, we
      found that within this seemingly small group, there was a surprisingly high
      incidence of severe, associated injuries.

PMID- 1883156
TI  - Isle of palm and sole fillet flaps.
AB  - Extensive extremity injuries appropriately managed by immediate amputation may be
      compromised if retained soft tissues are inadequate to permit a simple wound
      closure. In usual circumstances, if the foot or hand from the soon-to-be
      discarded part has not been violated and, by chance, remains viable through a
      major neurovascular pedicle, then a fillet of the sole or palm fashioned as a
      local island flap may be used for durable and potentially sensate stump coverage.
      Function preservation by salvaging maximal amputation stump length could then be
      achieved in lieu of more complex microsurgical techniques.

PMID- 1883158
TI  - External septorhinoplasty in the cleft lip nose.
AB  - When the entire septum as well as the cartilaginous vault are exposed to direct
      vision by degloving the nasal covering, the complete extent of the deformities in
      cleft lip nose can be clarified. The septal cartilage is hollowed out leaving an
      L-shaped anterosuperior portion, whereas the intranasal structures are
      simultaneously altered to ensure the patency of the nasal airway. An adequate
      sized piece is cut from the removed cartilage and is fitted to the anterior part
      of the remaining cartilage to enforce the columella, which acts as a strut to
      keep both lower lateral cartilages symmetrical and to create a nasal tip. Thus, a
      new cartilaginous pyramid with symmetrical nostrils is reconstructed. If the
      anterosuperior portion of the cartilage is deviated, the concave surface is
      scored to allow it to be straightened before the strut is fitted. Satisfactory
      cosmetic and functional results were obtained in most patients with adult cleft
      lip nose, including those associated with deviation, without any major
      complications.

PMID- 1883157
TI  - Gore-Tex for augmentation of the nasal dorsum: a preliminary report.
AB  - Many different materials have been used to provide augmentation of the nasal
      dorsum. This includes both autogenous and homogenous materials, as well as
      allografts. Many times autogenous material is not readily available and
      homogenous materials have recently demonstrated significant absorption. Several
      artificial materials have been used in the past, including Supramid, silicone,
      and Proplast, each with its own limitations or problems. Two years ago we began
      using Gore-Tex Soft Tissue Patch as a material to augment the nasal dorsum.
      Although our experience is preliminary, certainly, experience with this material
      in cardiac and abdominal surgery is extensive. Our initial impression is that
      this material is a very useful alternative to traditional methods of nasal
      augmentation.

PMID- 1883159
TI  - Class II antigenicity of human cartilage: relevance to the use of homologous
      cartilage graft for reconstructive surgery.
AB  - The presence and distribution of class II transplantation antigens was studied on
      fresh and Merthiolate-preserved human nasal, tracheal, auricular, and rib
      cartilage using monoclonal antibodies in an indirect immunoperoxidase method.
      Substantial class II antigen expression was found on cells of the superficial
      area of the perichondrium of the nasal, auricle, and tracheal cartilages. In
      contrast, cartilage tissue lacked cells with detectable class II antigens. Our
      results indicate that the host response to fresh cartilage graft is induced by
      class II antigens presented in the perichondrium. A complete disappearance of
      this class II antigenicity of perichondrium can be achieved by means of an
      adequate Merthiolate preservation.

PMID- 1883160
TI  - The use of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICA riboside) to improve
      random skin flap viability in the rat model.
AB  - Several experimental studies have demonstrated that granulocytes have an
      important role in causing the necrosis of ischemic tissue by capillary plugging
      and superoxide radical formation. Adenosine is spontaneously released by ischemic
      cells and inhibits the granulocytic superoxide radical formation. 5
      Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside, a naturally occurring by-product in purine
      biosynthesis, stimulates the release of ischemic cell adenosine and indirectly
      blocks the granulocyte-induced tissue necrosis. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide
      riboside (10-500 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally in a blinded fashion
      once (single dose, 30 minutes before surgery) or twice (double dose, 30 minutes
      before and 5.5 hours after surgery) in groups of rats. The controls received
      intraperitoneal saline solution in the same fashion. Each rat underwent the
      elevation of a caudally based random skin flap. The flap viability was determined
      in a blinded fashion on the seventh post-operative day and statistically compared
      by Fisher's exact test. When 300 or 500 mg/kg of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide
      riboside was given as a single dose, the mean percentage of rat skin flap
      necrosis (19.4% +/- 3.1% and 19.6% +/- 4.2%, respectively) was lower but not
      significantly different from that of the control group of rats (29.3% +/- 2.7%)
      (p less than 0.08). Additionally, two doses of 500 mg/kg of 5-aminoimidazole-4
      carboxamide riboside yielded a mean percentage of rat skin flap necrosis (12.24%
      +/- 4.58%) much lower (21.68% +/- 3.18%) than that of the control group of rats
      (p = 0.056). Our blinded fashion study demonstrated an almost statistically
      significant reduction of random skin flap distal necrosis after intraperitoneal
      injection of high doses of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883161
TI  - The safety of intravenous fluorescein administration.
AB  - Intravenous fluorescein is frequently used to assess tissue perfusion and predict
      flap viability, although its safety has recently been questioned due to
      cardiovascular side effects. Vital signs of 50 patients who received fluorescein
      were monitored by anesthesiologist to assess flap viability. Blood pressure
      readings were recorded at 5-minute intervals for at least 1 hour before and after
      fluorescein administration. Repeated measure analysis of variance was performed
      to determine any significant sustained (greater than or equal to 30 minutes) or
      transient (less than or equal to 15 minutes) differences in pressure changes
      after fluorescein administration. No significant (p less than or equal to 0.1)
      differences in pressure were noted for any identifiable group of patients. Minor
      reactions included transient nausea with no vomiting (5), sustained blood
      pressure increases of greater than 10% preadministration values (9), transient
      pressure drops of greater than 10% (10), and sustained pressure drops of greater
      than 10% (4). These 4 patients responded to increased fluid therapy without need
      for pressor agents.

PMID- 1883162
TI  - The importance of near total resection of the corpus spongiosum and total
      resection of the corpora cavernosa in the surgery of male to female transsexuals.
AB  - From 1980 to 1989, 13 male to female transsexuals underwent surgery for resection
      of the corpus spongiosum, performed at the Department of Plastic and
      Reconstructive Surgery of the Free University Academic Hospital, Amsterdam, The
      Netherlands. Except for 1, all patients underwent the primary sex-reassignment
      procedures in institutions other than this hospital. All had difficulties during
      sexual activities. After repeat surgery with near complete excision of the corpus
      spongiosum and also in three instances of the corpus cavernosum, improvement was
      noticed in all patients. The importance of the total elimination of the erectile
      tissue is emphasized.

PMID- 1883163
TI  - Hypothetical chordee: skin shortage.

PMID- 1883164
TI  - Methylmethacrylate implants: a scanning electron microscopic study.
AB  - Two methylmethacrylate orbital implants used for 34 and 5 years, respectively,
      were examined with a scanning electron microscope. One of the implants was a
      combination of a prosthesis and an implant containing a magnet. The magnetic
      force had decreased markedly, and rust crystals were apparent. The
      methylmethacrylate surface was irregular and rough.

PMID- 1883165
TI  - The chemical peel.
AB  - Chemical peeling of facial skin has become a valuable adjunct in the
      armamentarium of the facial aesthetic surgeon. Among the various techniques
      available, phenol solutions are the most commonly used. Peeling produces a
      controlled, partial-thickness chemical burn of the epidermis and the outer
      dermis. Several techniques are available to "fine tune" the depth of the peel.
      Regeneration of peeled skin results in a fresh, orderly, organized epidermis. In
      the dermis, a new 2- to 3-mm band of dense, compact, orderly collagen is formed
      between the epidermis and the underlying damaged dermis, which results in
      effective ablation of the fine wrinkles in the skin and a reduction of
      pigmentation. These clinical and histological changes are long lasting (15-20
      years) and may be permanent in some patients. Because of the metabolism and
      systemic complications of phenol, patient selection should involve systemic
      evaluation of liver, renal, and cardiac function, as well as an evaluation of the
      skin quality and medication status of the patient. Because of potential cardiac
      arrhythmias, peeling must be performed in a medically supervised environment,
      with continuous cardiac monitoring. The local complications of peeling include
      pigmentation changes, scarring, milia, ectropion, infection, activation of herpes
      simplex, and toxic shock syndrome.

PMID- 1883166
TI  - The rectus femoris myocutaneous flap for closure of difficult wounds of the
      abdomen, groin, and trochanteric areas.
AB  - The rectus femoris myocutaneous flap has proved to be an effective means of
      closing particularly difficult wounds in 2 patients. One patients had a massive
      defect in the lower abdomen, pubic, and right groin area after the radical
      resection of a recurrent pleomorphic liposarcoma of the spermatic cord. The
      second patient presented with a huge, right greater trochanteric wound measuring
      15 cm in diameter. Both patients progressed to relatively uneventful primary
      healing.

PMID- 1883167
TI  - Penile replantation.
AB  - Amputation of the penis is thankfully an uncommon injury. Because of its rarity,
      a uniform plan of management to deal with this difficult injury has yet to be
      agreed on. We describe a man who sustained such an injury and his subsequent
      clinical course. The relevant history and pertinent anatomy is highlighted.
      Additionally, a systematic approach to dealing with this devastating injury is
      presented.

PMID- 1883168
TI  - High-voltage electrical injury: electron microscopic findings of injured vessel,
      nerve, and muscle.
AB  - Bilateral legs damaged by high-voltage electrical injury were treated by
      amputation and a free thin rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap with reduced
      muscle. Damaged arteries at 2 months after injury showed disappearance of
      endothelium, and a decreased number and morphological changes in smooth-muscle
      cells. Injured nerves and muscles showed early regenerating processes after total
      degeneration, and no progressive muscular necrosis. These results suggest that
      severe degeneration of the neurovascular bundle and muscle is unavoidable in high
      voltage electrical injuries of the extremities. Therefore, early amputation,
      sequential debridement, late coverage by a flap, and prolonged rehabilitation are
      required in this injury.

PMID- 1883169
TI  - Mercury poisoning from intravenous injection: treatment by granuloma resection.
AB  - Intravenous injection of mercury is a rare event. Mercury administered by this
      route may have several different consequences. In addition to elevated serum
      mercury levels, the diagnosis may be made by radiographic detection of metallic
      densities in the chest and at the sites of injection. Death due to mercury
      intoxication is unusual. Impairment of renal and hepatic function may occur. Our
      patient presented with gingivitis and a dentoalveolar abscess. Dense granulomas
      occur at the sites of injection. Treatment for these patients should include
      granuloma excision as the benefit of chelating agents, for chronic mercury
      intoxication is questionable. Skin and granuloma resection may leave vital
      structures exposed, necessitating flap coverage.

PMID- 1883170
TI  - Hook forceps.
AB  - A new pair of forceps incorporating two skin hooks and needle driver tips on an
      Adson forceps frame is described. Its use, advantages, and disadvantages are
      outlined.

PMID- 1883171
TI  - Rhinoplasty saw: a modified design.
AB  - One of the instruments used for osteotomies of the nasal bones in rhinoplasty is
      the saw. During the initial sawing movements, it is not uncommon to make multiple
      cuts in the bone. To avoid this problem, we have designed a modification of the
      Joseph's saw. The new design essentially fixes the saw along a single axis,
      producing a single and precise bone cut. This saw is useful for basal and
      superior osteotomies in rhinoplasties and is especially indicated in secondary
      rhinoplasties.

PMID- 1883172
TI  - An easy-to-make, easy-to-use device for preoperative marking for reduction
      mammoplasty and mastopexy.
AB  - A simple, convenient, and inexpensive device for preoperative marking in breast
      surgery is described. Its design is based on accepted surgical techniques and
      geometrical principles and obviates the use of multiple instruments commonly
      used. Its use allows accurate and expeditious planning, measuring, and marking.

PMID- 1883173
TI  - Stitch removal from hair-bearing areas: a simple method.
AB  - A simple method to ease the removal of stitches in hair-bearing areas is
      presented. The method consists of applying a depilatory cream to remove the
      masking hair.

PMID- 1883174
TI  - Congenital malformations in Toa Payoh hospital--a 18 year experience (1972-1989).
AB  - A ten year experience (1972-1981) of congenital malformations in Toa Payoh
      Hospital was presented previously. The experience of birth defects of the second
      decade (1982-1989) is reviewed and compared. The mortality rates of babies with
      malformations ranged from 1.52 to 3.55 per 1000 livebirths. There was no
      significant increase in congenital malformation death rates over the past eight
      years. There was an increasing trend of malformation deaths among the total
      neonatal deaths from 1972-1981 (p less than 0.05), but this was not so for the
      period 1982-1989. The incidence of minor congenital malformations has not changed
      except that more cases of undescended testes were recorded (p less than 0.05).
      Central Nervous System (CNS) malformations, congenital heart defects and
      chromosomal abnormalities still remain the leading cause of malformation deaths.
      Neural Tube Defects (NTD) were the commonest type of CNS defect and the death
      rates of NTD for these two periods remain the same (about 0.65 per 1000 births).
      The prevalence of anencephaly at birth in Chinese and Malay from 1982-1989 is
      0.45 and 0.84 per 1000 livebirths respectively. Down syndrome was the commonest
      type of chromosomal abnormality (63%) and coarctation of aorta (40%) was the
      commonest type of congenital heart disease causing death. Many congenital
      malformations are genetically determined. More knowledge of the aetiological
      factors, antenatal diagnosis of birth defects, preventive measures and genetic
      counselling are, therefore, important in lowering birth defect rates.

PMID- 1883175
TI  - Epidemiology of injuries in Singapore.
AB  - Injuries are a major public health problem in developed industrialised countries
      and are the leading cause of premature mortality. This study has shown the same
      picture for Singapore. Injuries are the fifth leading cause of crude death but
      the most important cause of premature mortality being responsible for 23,800
      potential years of life lost before the age of 65 years. The most vulnerable ages
      are from the preschool to the economically active age groups. Singapore males
      have twice the death rate of females (52 vs 20 per 100,000 population) because of
      the relatively higher proportion of males (78.5% among males vs 48% among
      females) who work and are therefore at higher risk. Indian males have the highest
      ethnic-and-sex-specific mortality rates (107 vs 48 among Chinese males and 39
      among Malay males per 1000 population). Road traffic accidents were the leading
      cause of mortality from injuries but this has been over taken by suicides.
      Information on the specific causes and specific high risk behaviour and factors
      for injuries in Singapore is weak. This needs to be strengthened to enable more
      effective cause-specific control programmes to be drawn up.

PMID- 1883176
TI  - Evaluation of obstructive sleep apnoea in Singapore using computerised
      polygraphic monitoring.
AB  - There is no information of the prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep
      apnoea (OSA) in Asian snorers. One reason is the complexity and cost of a full
      polysomnographic recording. We have studied 37 snorers using an ambulatory
      recording system (Vitalog CA). Overnight recordings for seven hours were made of:
      1) Respiratory pattern using respiratory inductance plethysmography; 2) Heart
      rate from the electrocardiograph (ECG); 3) Body position; 4) Body movements; 5)
      Oxygen saturation using finger-probe oximetry. The data were stored and analysed
      and scored using a dedicated microcomputer. Twenty-eight patients had OSA based
      on polygraphic criteria. The most consistent clinical findings in these patients
      were daytime somnolence and short thick necks. Respiratory events, oximetry and
      arousals during sleep showed a graded response according to the severity of
      excessive daytime somnolence. We conclude that OSA may not be uncommon in Asian
      patients and that the clinical severity can be confirmed by simplified
      polygraphic recordings using microcomputer analysis.

PMID- 1883177
TI  - Suicide and schizophrenia in Singapore--a fifteen year follow-up study.
AB  - This is a prospective follow-up study of 482 schizophrenic patients. At the end
      of 15 years, 41 had died of suicide and 30 had died of natural causes, giving a
      suicide rate of 567 per 100,000 per year. Suicide patients were significantly
      younger and experienced less delusion at the time of their first presentation.
      There were otherwise no significant differences in the socio-demographic or
      clinical variables between the suicide group and the controls (surviving
      patients). Jumping from height was the commonest method of suicide and our rate
      of suicide for schizophrenia is comparable to those reported in the literature.

PMID- 1883178
TI  - New admissions to a psychiatric ward in a general hospital.
AB  - A study of 343 new patients in the first psychiatric department in a general
      hospital in Singapore revealed a large proportion (40%, n = 137) of neurotic
      patients, especially neurotic depressives (n = 76). The next largest group is the
      non-organic psychoses 35% (n = 120), most of which were schizophrenic psychoses
      (n = 73). The other major diagnostic groups were adjustment or acute stress
      reactions, alcohol or drug dependence and personality disorders. The neurotic
      patients were generally older than the psychotic patients at the time of
      admission (p less than 0.02). More of them were married (62.7%) compared with the
      psychotics of whom 51.5% remained unmarried (p less than 0.02). Comparison
      between neurotic depressives and manic-depressive psychotics should have no
      difference in sex ratio and marital status. However, the duration of admission
      for the latter was longer.

PMID- 1883179
TI  - High frequency oscillatory ventilation in neonates with respiratory distress.
AB  - High frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) was attempted in ten infants with
      severe respiratory failure not responding to conventional ventilation (CV); it
      was, therefore, used as a rescue measure. HFOV was successful in improving the
      respiratory status of seven infants, all with hyaline membrane disease (HMD).
      Five of these infants survived, of the remaining two, one died of massive
      peri/intra-ventricular haemorrhage and the other of cholestasis associated with
      total parenteral nutrition. It was unsuccessful in three infants, one with
      meconium aspiration, the second died within two hours commencing HFOV and the
      third with severe depression and hypotonia.

PMID- 1883180
TI  - Botulinum toxin in the treatment of facial dyskinesias.
AB  - Patients with hemifacial spasm (N = 25), blepharospasm (n = 8), and benign eyelid
      fasciculation (n = 2) were treated with botulinum toxin injections (PHLS, Porton
      Down, England). All patients reported substantial symptomatic relief. Marked
      improvement was seen in fifteen patients with hemifacial spasm and six patients
      with blepharospasm. Benign eyelid fasciculation was completely abolished.
      Beneficial effects was evident two to three days after injections, became maximum
      at one week, and remained effective for up to six months. Side effects were
      transitory and mild. They included periorbital edema, mild diplopia, ptosis and
      facial weakness. Only in two patients was ptosis unacceptable. Severity of side
      effects was dose-related. Reinjections had similar efficacy. Botulinum toxin
      therapy is a safe and effective treatment for these facial dyskinesias and should
      be considered a viable alternative to surgical procedures.

PMID- 1883181
TI  - Myocardial revascularisation in patients with carotid artery disease.
AB  - From January 1987 to December 1989, 80 patients with carotid bruit and/or history
      of transient ischaemic attack/stroke underwent digital subtraction angiography
      (DSA) prior to consideration for coronary artery bypass graft. Thirty-eight
      patients (Group I) out of the 80 had coronary artery bypass graft done with
      postoperative stroke in five (13.2%); this contrasted with a group of 320
      patients (Group II) without cerebrovascular disease who underwent coronary artery
      bypass graft during the same period with postoperative stroke in two cases
      (0.63%) (p less than 0.0005). Carotid artery stenosis was noted on the DSA in 66%
      of Group I patients, with significant disease (greater than 70% occlusion) in
      15%, while the study was normal in 34% of cases. Combined carotid endarterectomy
      and coronary artery bypass graft was done in five of Group I patients, with
      postoperative stroke in one; this was the only one among the stroke patients with
      significant carotid disease. All strokes, except in one patient, resolved within
      one to 6 1/2 months. These results suggest that the risk of stroke after coronary
      artery bypass graft is increased in patients with carotid bruit or history of
      transient ischaemic attack/stroke and in the presence of established carotid
      artery disease. The place of combined carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery
      bypass graft in these cases remains to be determined.

PMID- 1883182
TI  - Clearance of neonatal antiHBc following hepatitis B vaccination: relationship to
      antiHBs levels.
AB  - The persistence of antiHBc following hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is
      sometimes regarded as evidence of a past infection, and the antiHBc inhibition of
      T-cell cytotoxic killing of HBV may be one way of tolerance leading to the
      carrier state. A model for studying the possibility of an immune tolerance
      occurring in the human situation was to observe the natural clearance rate of
      total antiHBc in babies who have acquired naturally maternal transferred
      antibodies, and to compare antiHBcIgG clearance and development of hepatitis B
      surface antigenaemia with the level of antibody to HBsAg (antiHBs), which is
      normally known to be virucidal. Two hundred and ninety-one normal infants who
      received hepatitis B vaccination in 1984 were followed and studied at six months,
      one, two and four years. AntiHBc was not found in any control infants born of
      HBsAg negative mothers. One child became antiHBc positive at four years
      reflecting acquired infection when antiHBs level had fallen to 36 mIU per ml.
      AntiHBc cleared in 66% of HBsAg pos./'e' neg. children at one year and completely
      by two years. In contrast, antiHBc clearance in children born of HBsAg pos./'e'
      pos. was inversely related to the antiHBs levels. Those with antiHBs levels over
      50 mIU per ml cleared antiHBc more rapidly and were HBsAg negative, whereas in
      28/49 (57%) HBs antigenaemia were associated more often with antiHBs under 10 mIU
      per ml and in 2/43 (5%) at levels between 11 to 50 mIU per ml. Two children who
      had later developed HBs antigenaemia in the presence of antiHBs after responding
      to earlier passive-active immunisation, suggest either defective antiHBs and/or
      the development of mutants or variants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883184
TI  - Perineal eruption as an early sign of Kawasaki disease.
AB  - Kawasaki Disease can present as a diagnostic problem at the early stage of the
      disease. An interesting and distinctive perineal eruption which appeared early in
      the course of the disease had been reported recently but sporadically in the
      medical literature. We reported seven patients with Kawasaki Disease who had this
      perineal eruption. The rash began two to three days after the onset of fever
      followed by desquamation in all instances by days five to seven. When compared
      with other signs of Kawasaki Disease, this rash appeared early. In an earlier
      study done in the department, the diagnosis of Kawasaki Disease was made on an
      average of nine days after the onset of fever. This has an important implication
      as early treatment had been shown to decrease the incidence of coronary
      arteriectasia which is the most important complication of this disease. We
      believe that this distinctive perineal eruption is a valuable early clinical
      finding which may facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki Disease
      and unless one is aware and actively looked for the perineal eruption, this early
      sign may be completely missed.

PMID- 1883183
TI  - Neonatal listeriosis in Scotland.
AB  - Thirty-one cases of neonatal listeriosis occurred in Scotland between 1 January
      1987 and 31 August 1989. In each of these, Listeria monocytogenes was cultured
      from blood, cerebrospinal fluid or both. No case of neonatal listeriosis occurred
      between 1 September 1989 and 31 July 1990, a statistically significant difference
      in incidence (p less than 0.001). A possible explanation may be that pregnant
      women adjusted their diet in accordance with the advice given by the Chief
      Medical Officer in his letter to General Practitioners of February 1989 entitled
      'Food and Listeriosis'. Full clinical features and outcome of nineteen of the
      thirty-one cases were obtained from the paediatricians responsible for their
      care. Of these, sixteen were early onset and three late onset cases. There were
      eight deaths, all early onset cases. Two severely asphyxiated infants could not
      be resuscitated and of the five infants who required assisted ventilation from
      birth, four died. Four early onset and three late onset cases presented with
      pyogenic meningitis and all seven recovered without sequelae. It is concluded
      that when neonatal listeriosis presents as an asphyxiated infant who, after
      resuscitation, requires assisted ventilation, a fatal outcome is probable. When
      neonatal listeriosis presents as pyogenic meningitis, recovery without sequelae
      is the usual outcome.

PMID- 1883185
TI  - Location of valves and competence of the great saphenous vein above the knee.
AB  - The exact location of the valves of the great saphenous vein and the ability of
      these valves to prevent centrifugal flow were studied in 20 human cadaveric legs.
      A valve was present at the saphenofemoral junction in 17/20 (85%) legs. The great
      saphenous vein above the knee had 4.2 +/- 1.5 (mean +/- SD) valves. In a length
      standardised great saphenous vein which measured 100 units from the
      saphenofemoral junction to the knee joint line, the first, second, third, fourth
      and fifth valves were located at 7.5 +/- 3.6; 34.3 +/- 18.5; 61.0 +/- 20.9; 79.3
      +/- 17.6; and 83.0 +/- 15.9 units from the junction respectively. 19/20 (95%) of
      the veins were competent at a centrifugal pressure of 161 +/- 7 cm of saline.

PMID- 1883186
TI  - An evaluation of the polymerase chain reaction for detection of alpha-globin
      genes in the prenatal diagnosis of alpha zero-thalassaemia.
AB  - Homozygous alpha zero-thalassaemia results in the fatal disease Bart's hydrops
      foetalis and since 3-4% of Singaporeans carry the alpha-thalassaemia genes,
      prenatal diagnosis of thalassaemia is essential. The aim of this study was to
      establish the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a method that enables selective
      amplification of the 136 base pair (bp) region within the alpha-globin gene
      cluster, as a routine test for the prenatal diagnosis of homozygous alpha zero
      thalassaemia. Confirmation of PCR results was performed using DNA gene mapping
      and electrophoresis of cord blood. DNA was extracted from 24 chorionic villi
      samples and the presence of the alpha-globin genes was determined by PCR. The
      results showed that the optimal number of amplifications for accurate diagnosis
      was 50 cycles. Homozygous alpha zero-thalassaemia was detected in four foetuses
      and the pregnancies terminated. Confirmation of alpha zero-thalassaemia by DNA
      gene mapping and electrophoresis of cord blood showed absence of alpha-globin
      genes and only Hb Bart's respectively. The remaining 20 foetuses were correctly
      diagnosed as normal or possessing the alpha-thalassaemia trait. Using the PCR at
      less than 50 cycles of amplification (example 35 cycles), false positive results
      were obtained in 30% of cases. We conclude that DNA amplification using the PCR
      offers an accurate method of prenatal diagnosis of alpha zero-thalassaemia. Its
      advantages over the more establish gene mapping method include a more rapid
      analysis (three days compared with ten days by gene mapping) and the requirement
      of only minute amounts of DNA (1 microgram) for analysis. It is however,
      essential that the optimal number of amplification cycles be established so that
      false positive results may be avoided.

PMID- 1883187
TI  - Safety of surgery in elderly.
AB  - The problem of surgery in an increasingly ageing population worldwide is
      reviewed. The outcome in a prospective study of 505 patients admitted to a
      general surgical unit is considered and the risks determined. The factors leading
      to poor results such as emergency surgery, multiple operations, duration of
      operation, age itself and the physical status of the patient are examined and
      evaluated. The overall mortality rate in the study was 14.5%, with 12% for major
      operations, 6.1% for minor procedures and 24.3% for those who had no operation.
      The unsatisfactory nature of existing systems of audit are discussed and a new
      system of audit is proposed which takes into account and defines the 'non-viable'
      and the 'potentially viable' patient. When this system was applied to the study
      there was a significant drop in the overall mortality from 14.5% to 3.6%, from
      12.0% to 5.8% for major operations, from 6.1% to 0% for minor operations and from
      24.3% to 2.0% for those with no surgery. Finally recommendations are made to
      improve the safety of surgery in the elderly.

PMID- 1883189
TI  - Thyroid eye disease--medical or surgical therapy?
AB  - Thyroid eye disease is autoimmune in nature and associated with Graves' Disease.
      Autoantibodies to the 64 kDa antigen in thyroid membranes cross-react to the 64
      kDa proteins in human eye muscle membranes. Antibody dependent cell mediated
      cytotoxicity against eye muscle cells are also found in patients with thyroid eye
      disease. The purpose of this paper is to review the treatment available and to
      share the authors' experience using cyclosporin A. In the majority of cases,
      thyroid eye disease is mild, manifest only as bilateral or unilateral proptosis,
      with/without grittiness of the eyes. This is usually treated conservatively with
      eye drops. If proptosis is more severe and there is incomplete closure of
      eyelids, epiphora and conjunctival injection, then lateral tarrsorrhaphy is
      usually effective, combined with use of eye pads and eye drops. The problem of
      diplopia can be treated conservatively with special lenses, or with surgical
      correction of tethered muscles. However when proptosis is severe, with raised
      intraocular pressure, severe chemosis and danger of blindness, then the choice of
      therapy is controversial: rapid decompression by surgical means or use of high
      doses of prednisolone. Most prefer prednisolone therapy initially, surgical
      decompression if it fails. Various other methods have been tried, aimed at the
      immunological nature of the disease, namely plasmapheresis, radiotherapy and
      immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporin, with variable success. Our
      experience with cyclosporin had been mixed and inconclusive.

PMID- 1883188
TI  - Gastrointestinal infections in Singapore children.
AB  - Acute gastroenteritis is the commonest gastrointestinal disorder in children. It
      accounted for about 10% of the admissions to a general paediatric unit in
      Singapore. About 5% of total paediatric admissions to all the government
      hospitals in Singapore were due to acute gastroenteritis. Some 50% of the cases
      had no identifiable organism in the stools. Most of the remaining cases were due
      to bacterial or viral infections. The commonest bacteria responsible for acute
      gastroenteritis nowadays is Salmonella species. Other bacteria such as E. coli,
      Shigella and Campylobacter were responsible for a smaller proportion of bacterial
      diarrhoea in children. Rotavirus was the commonest viral agent responsible for
      acute diarrhoea among Singapore children. Most patients had mild diarrhoea and
      severe dehydration following acute gastroenteritis was not common. About 60% of
      the patients admitted to hospital were younger than two years of age. Bacterial
      infections were more common in infancy. Viral diarrhoea were more likely to be
      watery and bacterial diarrhoea were more likely to be bloody and mucoid. With
      regard to chronicity, it was the groups with mixed infection or bacteria
      infection which had a prolonged course. Treatment was directed at maintaining
      hydration and prevention of complications. Except for secondary lactase
      deficiency, other long term complications were rare.

PMID- 1883190
TI  - Developing trends in clinical computing.
AB  - With the emergence of personal computers and graphical interfaces during the
      1980s, advanced computational power has at last become accessible and affordable
      for practising clinicians in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Many
      observers have accordingly noted the relatively low level of direct computer use
      by physicians in their practices. This paper summarises developing trends in
      clinical computing, emphasising the role of local and wide-access networks, the
      revolutionary potential of optical storage techniques, and the notion of
      integrated workstations that will bring a critical mass of diverse functions to
      the physician. An important lesson of this review is the current availability of
      most of the technologies needed for high-quality and acceptable clinical
      computing tools. The barriers to successful implementation tend to be logistical,
      financial, and political. Despite these obstacles, new technologies, coupled with
      educational efforts, should allow the computer to emerge as a crucial aid to
      clinicians in the decade ahead.

PMID- 1883191
TI  - Mechanical symptoms arising from synovial pathology in knee joint.
AB  - Synovial pathology is a rare cause of mechanical symptom in the knee joint. The
      clinical features, arthroscopic appearance and histology of Hoffa's syndrome and
      localised villonodular synovitis are discussed.

PMID- 1883192
TI  - The Runme Shaw Memorial Lecture--transplantation of the heart and heart-lungs.
AB  - After ten years of experimental background, the first heart transplant at
      Stanford was performed on January 6, 1968. Six hundred and sixty-six patients
      have undergone 721 heart transplants since that date with an age range from five
      days to 64 years. The most common diagnosis has been cardiomyopathy with advanced
      coronary artery disease second. Current one and five year survival statistics are
      81% and 60% respectively, with no difference in survival between the pediatric
      age group and adults. Percutaneous transvenous endomyocardial biopsy provides the
      gold standard for interpreting allograft rejection. At Stanford, 90 patients have
      undergone 91 heart-lung transplants since the first successful case in 1981.
      Twelve patients with cystic fibrosis have been transplanted and four of these
      recipients have been heart donors, the domino donor principle. Two double lung
      transplants have been performed utilising separate bronchial anastomoses.
      Fourteen patients have undergone 15 single lung transplants and three of these
      have been patients with the Eisenmenger syndrome where concomitant repair of the
      cardiac defect was carried out. One 12 year old patient received the right upper
      lobe of her mother as a total right lung transplant for bronchopulmonary
      dysplasia.

PMID- 1883193
TI  - The Peter Lowe Lecture--medicine in the 1990s.
AB  - This paper set out to examine the role of medicine and medical practice. It has
      done so by posing a series of questions related to the role of the doctor, health
      and health care, and the patient-doctor relationship. One of the objectives was
      to re-examine some of the principles of medical practice, another to consider a
      vision of medicine for the future. The result of this examination has not turned
      up anything particularly new or original. What it has done, I believe has been to
      endorse the principles of medicine which have been established for thousands of
      years. Yet perhaps in some ways they need to be re-asserted and discussed afresh.
      Because of the enormous changes in society, in health care and the external and
      internal pressures on doctors, such values can be forgotten or lost. Change is
      inevitable and doctors must adapt to meet the changes. They must do so in a
      positive way and wherever possible take the lead in shaping the health and health
      care of the future. The values of the future are those of the past, though the
      setting and context may be quite different. These values include, the importance
      of caring, the central role of communication, the need to be involved in health
      as well as illness, the implications of making a diagnosis and the fundamental
      nature of education and training. There is a need to retain common sense and
      perspective in making decisions. My vision of the future of medicine is therefore
      clear.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883194
TI  - 50 years of biological research--from oxidative phosphorylation to energy
      requiring transport regulation.
AB  - In 1930 adenosine triphosphate appeared in the literature from W. A. Engelhardt's
      work on avian erythrocytes. This was an early example of oxidative
      phosphorylation in intact cells, and it required methylene blue and oxygen. Both
      Belitser and I realized that the use of Warburg manometers for aeration was
      critical in order to generate oxidative phosphorylation of glucose in tissue
      preparations. Test tube techniques did not work. In 1956 we were able to describe
      a human type of diabetes called "galactose diabetes," in which consumption of
      human or cows' milk provokes mental retardation. Replacement of human or cows'
      milk products with "vegetable milk" formula in early infancy can prevent
      retardation. We determined that the disease results from a defect of galactose
      one-phosphate uridylyl-transferase, a hereditary enzyme. This type of enzyme
      defect, if discovered and treated in early infancy, is a benign molecular
      disease. Regulation of transport systems in mammalian cell cultures are
      frequently complex energized systems. Perhaps my greatest surprise in this regard
      was the mere fact that an all-cis "odd" hexose-D-allose turned out to be a highly
      intense down-regulator of the hexose transport system. Additions of inhibitors of
      oxidative phosphorylation (such as oligomycin or di-nitrophenol) arrested the
      allose-mediated down-regulation. We have reason to suspect that the strong down
      regulator is a phosphorylated form of D-allose. Thus ends my story about
      oxidative energized biological phosphorylation systems.

PMID- 1883195
TI  - Cell adhesion molecules: implications for a molecular histology.

PMID- 1883196
TI  - Ribosomal RNA and translation.

PMID- 1883197
TI  - Lysosomal storage diseases.

PMID- 1883198
TI  - Primary response genes induced by growth factors and tumor promoters.

PMID- 1883199
TI  - Protein-priming of DNA replication.

PMID- 1883200
TI  - Signal transduction pathways involving protein phosphorylation in prokaryotes.

PMID- 1883201
TI  - Proteoglycans: structures and interactions.

PMID- 1883202
TI  - Fidelity mechanisms in DNA replication.

PMID- 1883203
TI  - Eukaryotic DNA polymerases.

PMID- 1883204
TI  - The biochemistry of AIDS.

PMID- 1883205
TI  - RNA polymerase II.

PMID- 1883206
TI  - Translational control in mammalian cells.

PMID- 1883207
TI  - Phospholipid transfer proteins.

PMID- 1883208
TI  - Structure and function of hexose transporters.

PMID- 1883209
TI  - Denatured states of proteins.
AB  - The denatured "state" of a protein is a distribution of many different molecular
      conformations, the averages of which are measured by experiments. The properties
      of this ensemble depend sensitively on the solution conditions. There is now
      considerable evidence that even in strong denaturants such as 6M GuHC1 and 9M
      urea, some structure may remain in protein chains. Under milder or physiological
      conditions, the denatured states of most proteins appear to be highly compact
      with extensive secondary structure. Both theoretical and experimental studies
      suggest that hydrophobic interactions, chain conformational entropies, and
      electrostatic forces are dominant in determining this structure. The denaturation
      reaction of many proteins in GuHC1 or urea can be most simply modelled as a two
      state transition between the native structure and a relatively compact denatured
      state, which then undergoes a gradual increase in radius on further addition of
      denaturant. However, when a protein acquires a large net charge in acids or
      bases, it can have two stable denatured populations, one compact and the other
      more highly unfolded. The prediction and elucidation of the structural details of
      the non-native states of proteins may ultimately prove to be as difficult as
      predicting the native structures, particularly for D0, the denatured state under
      physiological conditions. Just as with the native state, the structure of this
      biologically important denatured state appears to depend on the amino acid
      sequence. The development of synthetic, peptide and protein fragment models of
      the denatured state and the recent progress in NMR spectroscopy provide bases for
      optimism that new insights will be gained into this poorly understood realm of
      protein biochemistry.

PMID- 1883210
TI  - The regulation of histone synthesis in the cell cycle.

PMID- 1883212
TI  - Malignant lymphomas in patients with HIV infection in Italy.

PMID- 1883211
TI  - Kaposi's sarcoma in Italy, a country with intravenous drug users as the main
      group affected by HIV infection.

PMID- 1883213
TI  - Review of epidemiology of HIV-1 infection in children: Zaire experience.

PMID- 1883215
TI  - AIDS and hemophilia.

PMID- 1883214
TI  - Pediatric AIDS and associated cancers in Kinshasa, Zaire.

PMID- 1883216
TI  - Update on AIDS opportunistic infections.

PMID- 1883217
TI  - Classification of histopathological changes of lymph nodes in HIV-1 infection.
      Significance of Castleman's disease-like lymph node lesion concerning the
      diagnosis of HIV-1-related Kaposi's sarcoma.

PMID- 1883218
TI  - Functional brain imaging in AIDS-related dementia: a review.

PMID- 1883219
TI  - New therapeutic approaches in the acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

PMID- 1883220
TI  - An international perspective on organizing people at risk for AIDS at the
      community level.

PMID- 1883221
TI  - The future impact of AIDS on society.

PMID- 1883222
TI  - Biomedical and social considerations on the AIDS pandemic and associated tumors.

PMID- 1883224
TI  - Drug addiction and AIDS.

PMID- 1883223
TI  - AIDS and drugs in Amsterdam: prevention measures.

PMID- 1883225
TI  - HIV-associated malignancies.

PMID- 1883226
TI  - Prospected etiopathogenic mechanisms of AIDS-associated tumors.

PMID- 1883228
TI  - Biochemical studies carried out on different groups of Candida parapsilosis and
      Candida rhagii strains by comparing some cellular and mitochondrial activities.
AB  - A comparative biochemical study was performed on some strains of Candida rhagii
      and on strains belonging to different subgroups of Candida parapsilosis.
      Measurements of alcohol dehydrogenase activity, resistance to drugs and
      occurrence of an alternative pathway enabled us to confirm the classification
      between several subgroups within the C. parapsilosis species.

PMID- 1883227
TI  - Changes in pulmonary surfactant during bacterial pneumonia.
AB  - In pneumonia, bacteria induce changes in pulmonary surfactant. These changes are
      mediated by bacteria directly on secreted surfactant or indirectly through
      pulmonary type II epithelial cells. The bacterial component most likely
      responsible is endotoxin since gram-negative bacteria more often induce these
      changes than gram-positive bacteria. Also, endotoxin and gram-negative bacteria
      induce similar changes in surfactant. The interaction of bacteria or endotoxin
      with secreted surfactant results in changes in the physical (i.e. density and
      surface tension) properties of surfactant. In addition, gram-negative bacteria or
      endotoxin can injure type II epithelial cells causing them to produce abnormal
      quantities of surfactant, abnormal concentrations of phospholipids in surfactant,
      and abnormal compositions (i.e. type and saturation of fatty acids) of PC. The
      L/S ratio, the concentration of PG, and the amount of palmitic acid in PC are all
      significantly lower. The changes in surfactant have a deleterious effect on lung
      function characterized by significant decreases in total lung capacity, static
      compliance, diffusing capacity, and arterial PO2 and a significant increase in
      mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Also decreased concentrations of surfactant or
      an altered surfactant composition can result in the anatomic changes commonly
      seen in pneumonia such as pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, and atelectasis.

PMID- 1883229
TI  - Pyrimidine base and ribonucleoside utilization by the Pseudomonas alcaligenes
      group.
AB  - Pyrimidine base and ribonucleoside utilization was investigated in the two type
      strains of the Pseudomonas alcaligenes group. As sole sources of nitrogen, the
      pyrimidine bases uracil, thymine and cytosine as well as the dihydropyrimidine
      bases dihydrouracil and dihydrothymine supported the growth of Pseudomonas
      pseudoalcaligenes ATCC 17440 but neither these bases nor pyrimidine nucleosides
      supported Pseudomonas alcaligens ATCC 14909 growth. Ribose, deoxyribose,
      pyrimidine and dihydropyrimidine bases as well as pyrimidine nucleosides failed
      to be utilized by either P. pseudoalcaligenes or P. alcaligenes as sole carbon
      sources. The activities of the pyrimidine salvage enzymes nucleoside hydrolase,
      cytosine deaminase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase and dihydropyrimidinase were
      detected in cell-free extracts of P. pseudoalcaligenes and P. alcaligenes. In P.
      pseudoalcaligenes, the levels of cytosine deaminase, dihydropyrimidine
      dehydrogenase and dihydropyrimidinase could be affected by the nitrogen source
      present in the culture medium.

PMID- 1883231
TI  - Karyology and the possible function of the dual conidia of Dissoconium
      (Hyphomycetes).
AB  - The morphological development and nuclear behaviour of two species of Dissoconium
      are described. The fungi are monokaryotic in all stages of their life cycle.
      Liberated pairs of conidia may form anastomoses, probably serving survival under
      hostile environmental conditions. The function of the one-celled conidia in D.
      dekkeri remains unexplained.

PMID- 1883232
TI  - Fellomyces horovitziae sp. nov., a new basidiomycetous yeast species isolated
      from a Xenasmatella basidiocarp.
AB  - A new species of the genus Fellomyces, F. horovitziae, was isolated from a
      Xenasmatella basidiocarp. It differs from other accepted species in its carbon
      assimilation pattern, mol% G + C and low DNA-DNA homology. The delimiting
      characters are discussed and a key to the genus is provided.

PMID- 1883230
TI  - Physiological aspects of growth and recombinant DNA stability in Saccharomyces
      cerevisiae.
AB  - Despite the fact that plasmid stability in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is
      influenced by both genetical and physiological parameters most attention has been
      focused on the former. Physiological factors affecting the stability of plasmids
      have been poorly characterized despite the need for such information in order to
      optimize the use of S. cerevisiae as a host for recombinant protein production
      processes. The physiology of wild type S. cerevisiae differs considerably when
      grown using different cultivation techniques. A limited amount of
      phenomenological data has been reported concerning plasmid instability effects
      under these different conditions and in this article these have been collected
      together with the intention of providing an overview to instability effects and
      to try and propose reasons as to how the physiological response to different
      growth conditions can be manifested as stability/instability effects.

PMID- 1883234
TI  - Orthopedists urged to curtail surgeries.

PMID- 1883233
TI  - Issues surrounding intravenous conscious sedation.

PMID- 1883235
TI  - Aging research and its influences on health care.

PMID- 1883236
TI  - Pharmacodynamics of parenteral antiarrhythmic agents.

PMID- 1883237
TI  - The OR supervisor's responsibilities in reducing liability.

PMID- 1883239
TI  - Camey procedure. A continent urinary diversion technique.

PMID- 1883238
TI  - Fetal surgery. In utero repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

PMID- 1883240
TI  - Dupuytren's contracture. Surgical principles, nursing implications.
AB  - Successful Dupuytren's surgery requires the cooperation of the patient, the
      surgeon, and the therapist. Cooperation of the patient is enhanced by nursing
      care. Preoperative and postoperative teaching by the nurse also contribute to
      positive outcomes. The type of incision or surgery performed does not affect the
      time of recovery if the diseased tissue is removed and there are no postoperative
      complications.

PMID- 1883241
TI  - Insulin-dependent diabetes. Its effect on the surgical patient.
AB  - Physicians and nurses need to be aware of the metabolic needs of the diabetic
      patient and incorporate those requirements into the plan of care during the
      perioperative period. With appropriate management, morbidity and mortality rates
      for diabetic patients who undergo surgery may approach those for the nondiabetic
      population.

PMID- 1883243
TI  - HIV studies target women.

PMID- 1883242
TI  - Proposed recommended practices. Disinfection. AORN Recommended Practices
      Coordinating Committee.

PMID- 1883244
TI  - Proposed recommended practices. Sterilization. AORN Recommended Practices
      Coordinating Committee.

PMID- 1883245
TI  - Surgical case acuity. OR managers' perceptions.

PMID- 1883246
TI  - A spontaneous increase of salt intake and changes of colonic temperature in mice
      exposed to cold.
AB  - The effect of repeated short-term exposure to cold on spontaneous salt (NaCl)
      intake and colonic temperature was investigated in two experiments on mice. In
      Experiment 1, half of a group of test animals were exposed to cold (7-9 degrees
      C; 6h/day; 4 days), and half of both the exposed and non-exposed animals were
      allowed to choose between drinking water with (0.9%) and without (0%) NaCl. Food
      and fluids were provided all day long during the experiment. Mice provided with
      NaCl solution showed increased salt intake with cold exposure. Colonic
      temperature of mice was measured twice a day at the beginning and the end of cold
      exposure. Different changes in colonic temperature among the groups were observed
      at the end of cold exposure. In mice exposed to cold and provided with NaCl
      solution, colonic temperatures stayed unchanged, whereas in those without NaCl
      solution colonic temperatures decreased significantly after cold exposure. In
      Experiment 2, all the mice were exposed to cold as in Experiment 1. Four patterns
      of feeding of food and fluids were applied to groups of eight mice each: removal
      of food and fluids during cold; removal during 9 h before cold and during cold;
      removal during cold and during 9 h after cold, and feeding all day long. Half the
      mice in each feeding pattern were allowed to choose NaCl fluids (0% & 0.9%).
      Colonic temperature was measured as in Experiment 1. In all the feeding patterns,
      colonic temperature was significantly lower in the mice without NaCl solution
      than those with NaCl solution. Among four feeding patterns in mice with NaCl
      solution, colonic temperature was significantly higher in the case of feeding all
      day long than in the other three patterns.

PMID- 1883247
TI  - Transient and lasting effects of reproductive episodes on NaCl intake of the
      female rat.
AB  - Following recovery from experimental sodium depletion, both the need-free and the
      future need-induced NaCl intakes of the rat are increased. The present
      experiments asked whether a naturally occurring episode of sodium need, pregnancy
      and lactation, would also enhance NaCl intake. The daily 0.3 M NaCl intake of
      Long-Evans rats increased from 18.2 ml (prior to pregnancy) to 28.7 ml during
      pregnancy, and increased further to 36.2 ml during lactation. The daily intakes
      remained increased after the weaning of the second litter, at 28.5 ml/24h for
      females which had access to 0.3 M NaCl during the reproductive episodes (DAM +
      Na) and at 27.6 ml/24h for those which did not (DAM). When they were subsequently
      sodium depleted, the need-induced NaCl intake of the DAM, but not the DAM + Na
      group, was significantly increased compared to virgin female rats. The sodium
      depletion-induced water intakes of both groups were significantly increased.
      Neither the need-free nor the need-induced intakes of their offspring (as adults)
      were increased. In summary, pregnancy and/or lactation, in the absence of a
      sodium deficit, produced increased intakes of NaCl which persisted beyond the
      reproductive episodes.

PMID- 1883248
TI  - Neophobia in humans and the special status of foods of animal origin.
AB  - Research from the anthropological, psychological, and animal behavior literatures
      suggests that foods of animal origin have a special status. In two studies we
      explored the question of whether individuals are more neophobic with respect to
      animal foods than non-animal foods. In the first study male and female subjects,
      after reading descriptions, rated their willingness to taste ten "novel" foods,
      which were actually fictitious. Foods in meat/fish/poultry and dairy/egg
      categories received lower ratings than those in fruit, vegetable, and grain
      categories. In the second study subjects were exposed to real foods, some of
      which were named and described accurately and were, therefore, familiar and some
      of which were named and described fictitiously and were, therefore, novel. There
      were no food category differences in subjects' willingness to taste familiar
      foods, but subjects were less willing to eat novel flesh foods than foods in the
      other categories. The results are discussed in terms of Rozin & Fallon's (1980)
      taxonomy of motivations for rejecting foods.

PMID- 1883249
TI  - Temporal patterns of hunger and fullness ratings and related cognitions in
      anorexia and bulimia.
AB  - Hunger and fullness during an experimental liquid meal were evaluated by ratings
      in 84 eating-disordered patients, including three diagnostic subgroups, and in 19
      controls who were normal in weight and eating healthily. Anorectic-restrictors
      had lower hunger ratings and higher fullness ratings than controls. The same
      tendency was present in anorectic-bulimics. These ratings were relatively
      unaffected by treatment. Anorectic-restrictors had longer meals than the
      anorectic-bulimics and normal-weight bulimics. The anorectic-restrictors also
      tended to eat more slowly than did the bulimic patients. These groups did not,
      however, differ in amount consumed. At the end of the experimental meal, the
      anorectic-bulimics were more preoccupied with thoughts of food and anorectic
      restrictors had a lower urge to eat, as compared with the controls. Hunger and
      fullness ratings were negatively correlated for all diagnostic groups; however,
      these correlations were less pronounced for the eating disorder groups. The
      eating-disordered patients had predominantly "abnormal" patterns of hunger and
      fullness curves, indicating a confusion of these concepts.

PMID- 1883250
TI  - What should you eat? A survey of south Australian women's food consumption norms.
AB  - In a random population survey, 418 South Australian women rated the desirability
      of consumption of 48 common foods, according to their perceived health relevance.
      Multidimensional scaling of the women's responses yielded three dimensions which
      accounted for 87% of total variance. The first two dimensions were related to
      healthiness (low fat, salt and sugar contents) and traditional-artificial
      nutrient-reduced foods respectively. Younger women rated healthy foods more
      highly. The mean ratings also formed a unidimensional scale which had high
      internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80). These unidimensional scores were
      correlated with reported food intakes of a random sample of respondents in the
      State of Victoria, using mean values for demographic subgroups (r = 0.50). The
      results suggest that food intake, or alternatively recalls of food intake, may be
      influenced by such prescriptive norms.

PMID- 1883252
TI  - Recognition, management, and course of anxiety and depression in general
      practice.
AB  - This article addresses the issues of recognition of psychiatric disorders by
      general physicians (GPs) and the effects of recognition on management and course.
      Among 1994 patients who were screened with the General Health Questionnaire and
      who were rated by their GP, 1450 (72.7%) had not been identified by the GP as
      having a psychiatric disorder in the year before the index visit. Among these
      "new" patients, 557 (38.4%) had positive General Health Questionnaire scores.
      Only 47% of the new patients who met Bedford College diagnostic criteria for
      anxiety, depression, or ill-defined disorder had their psychiatric disorder
      recognized by their GP. Among patients who met Bedford College criteria, mean
      episode durations were longer for anxiety disorders (20 to 22 months) than for
      depressive disorders (9 to 10 months). Among the new patients, those with
      psychiatric disorders recognized by the GP were more likely to receive mental
      health interventions. Recognition was associated with shorter episode duration
      among patients with an anxiety disorder, but not among patients with depressive
      or ill-defined disorders.

PMID- 1883251
TI  - Lower pleasantness of palatable foods in nalmefene-treated human volunteers.
AB  - The involvement of endogenous opioids in control of human food intake and
      appetite was investigated in a double-blind placebo-controlled study using a
      single, 2.5 mg oral dose of the opioid receptor antagonist, nalmefene. Ratings of
      the pleasantness of the smell and the taste, but not the appearance, of a number
      of foods was significantly lower in nalmefene-treated subjects. The magnitude of
      this effect was greater in food items independently rated as highly palatable.
      Caloric intake of a buffet-style meal was 20% lower in nalmefene-treated
      subjects, with the proportional reduction in intake of individual food items also
      depending on their palatability. These results lend further support to recent
      suggestions that opioids are involved in reward-related aspects of ingestion.

PMID- 1883253
TI  - Explicit memory and repetition priming in depression. Preliminary findings.
AB  - Explicit memory and repetition priming, a form of implicit memory, were examined
      in depressed patients and controls. Explicit memory of depressed patients was
      severely impaired, whereas repetition priming was intact. These results are
      consistent with the hypothesis that the impairment of memory in depression is
      linked to a failure of effort-demanding cognitive processes. Repetition priming
      might be useful in differentiating between depression and dementia.

PMID- 1883254
TI  - Comorbidity of psychiatric diagnoses in anorexia nervosa.
AB  - The comorbidity of psychiatric diagnoses was examined with the Diagnostic
      Interview Schedule in 62 women who participated in a 10-year follow-up study of
      anorexia nervosa. Sixty-two age- and sex-matched controls, their parents, and
      parents of the anorectic probands were also interviewed with the Diagnostic
      Interview Schedule. There was a statistically significant comorbidity of the
      affective and anxiety disorders with anorexia nervosa. The first-degree relatives
      of the anorectic probands had significantly more alcoholism and total number of
      psychiatric diagnoses compared with the first-degree relatives of controls. There
      were two mothers with bulimia nervosa, two cases of anorexia nervosa and two of
      bulimia nervosa in other first-degree relatives of anorectic probands, and no
      cases of eating disorders in the first-degree relatives of controls.

PMID- 1883255
TI  - Trait-state artifacts and the diagnosis of personality disorders.
AB  - The multiaxial nature of DSM-III has stimulated interest in the personality
      disorders. There are also indications that it has produced an increase in their
      diagnosis. However, there is clinical and psychometric evidence that a
      personality evaluation undertaken while a patient is in a dysphoric mental state
      may distort or misrepresent traits, the so-called trait-state problem in
      personality assessment. The present study appears to be the first to investigate
      this phenomenon with a clinical interview rather than with personality tests. It
      examined the effect of anxiety, depression, and level of global impairment on the
      diagnosis of personality disorder and the assessment of the criteria for the
      individual Axis II disorders. Eighty-four patients, most of whom had current Axis
      I diagnoses, were evaluated by seven experienced clinicians with a new
      semistructured interview, the Personality Disorder Examination. The sample
      evidenced a trend toward acknowledging fewer maladaptive personality traits at
      follow-up than at entry. There was no evidence, however, that anxiety or
      depression had affected either the diagnosis of a personality disorder or the
      criteria associated with most of the individual personality disorders.

PMID- 1883256
TI  - Clomipramine in the treatment of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The
      Clomipramine Collaborative Study Group.
AB  - Two double-blind studies at 21 centers evaluated the therapeutic efficacy,
      safety, and tolerability of up to 300 mg/d of clomipramine hydrochloride or an
      equivalent number of placebo capsules in the treatment of 520 patients with
      obsessive-compulsive disorder, of whom 239 had had the disorder for at least 2
      years (study 1) and 281 had been ill for at least 1 year (study 2). On the two
      principal measures of the severity of the disorder, ie, the Yale-Brown Obsessive
      Compulsive Scale and the National Institute of Mental Health Global Obsessive
      Compulsive Scale, clomipramine was significantly more effective than placebo in
      both studies. The mean reduction in the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale
      score at the end of 10 weeks of treatment was 38% and 44% in studies 1 and 2,
      respectively, for the clomipramine-treated patients and 3% and 5% for the placebo
      treated patients. The drug was also found to be superior on the basis of the
      physicians' and patients' evaluations of global therapeutic change. The most
      frequently observed adverse effects during clomipramine therapy were those
      typically associated with tricyclic antidepressant drugs. Although uncommon, the
      occurrence of seizures and elevated aminotransferase values are potentially
      serious side effects of clomipramine. Clomipramine was generally well tolerated
      and was effective in reducing obsessive and compulsive symptoms.

PMID- 1883257
TI  - Optimal dose of neuroleptic in acute schizophrenia. A controlled study of the
      neuroleptic threshold and higher haloperidol dose.
AB  - After individual determination of neuroleptic threshold (NT) doses of
      haloperidol, 106 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
      (Research Diagnostic Criteria) were treated openly at such doses (mean, 3.7 +/-
      2.3 mg/d) for 2 weeks. Ten responding patients were discharged and unavailable
      for follow-up or refused subsequent randomization, and one non-responding patient
      refused randomization. The remaining 95 responding or nonresponding patients were
      then randomly assigned, double-blind, to a dosage of haloperidol two to 10 times
      higher (mean, 11.6 +/- 4.7 mg/d) or to a continuing NT dosage (mean, 3.4 +/- 2.3
      mg/d) for another 2 weeks. Of the 58 patients exposed only to NT dosages of
      haloperidol, 72% clinically recovered within the 5-week trial. Higher dosages
      given to 47 patients did not lead to greater improvement in measures of
      psychosis, but did produce slightly greater declines in measures of hostility.
      Higher dosages did regularly lead to significant increases in distressing
      extrapyramidal side effects.

PMID- 1883258
TI  - Antidepressant effects of high-dose right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy.
AB  - In a random-assignment, double-blind, controlled comparison in 38 melancholic
      men, overall antidepressant potency of high-dose electroconvulsive therapy (378
      mC charge) given with right unilateral electrode placement was not significantly
      different from that with bilateral placement, although there was a trend for
      faster improvement with bilateral ECT. The suprathreshold character of the
      stimulus, about 2.5 times the expected seizure threshold, may have contributed to
      the high efficacy of brief-pulse right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy found
      in this study.

PMID- 1883259
TI  - Characterizing organic delusional syndrome.
AB  - We present a first comprehensive description of the clinical features of patients
      with organic delusional syndrome. This description is based on information from
      39 patients with organic delusional syndrome among 14,889 patients who presented
      for initial evaluation over a 5-year period at our institution. This description
      includes an enumeration of the common clinical symptoms of this syndrome and the
      respective prevalence and mean severity of each symptom. The severity of the
      symptoms of organic delusional syndrome are compared with those of schizophrenia
      to determine which symptoms distinguish between these two diagnostic categories.
      Patients with organic delusional syndrome demonstrated significantly more
      symptoms of "acquired intellectual impairment," "impaired sensorium," and
      "hallucinations of smell, taste, or touch," while schizophrenic patients
      demonstrated more "flat affect," "emotional coldness," and "thought
      disorganization." In addition, associated factors are presented concerning
      demographics, modes of treatment, level of functioning, and current physical
      problems associated with organic delusional syndrome.

PMID- 1883260
TI  - Academic medical center/industry collaboration.

PMID- 1883261
TI  - Association between the D2 dopamine receptor gene and alcoholism. A continuing
      controversy.

PMID- 1883262
TI  - A polydiagnostic application of operational criteria in studies of psychotic
      illness. Development and reliability of the OPCRIT system.

PMID- 1883263
TI  - [Atopic dermatitis and eosinophils].

PMID- 1883264
TI  - [Investigation of the genetics of allergic children, the second report--family
      study to determine the major gene in allergic disease using affected sib pair
      method].
AB  - Twenty-six families with allergic siblings were investigated to define the mode
      of inheritance of asthma and DF specific IgE antibody production in children. The
      affected sib pair method was used to establish the linkage between disease
      susceptibility genes and HLA antigens. The affected sib pair method revealed that
      in asthmatic families chi 2 = 4.9 (no significance) and in DF-specific IgE
      positive families chi 2 = 6.2 (p less than 0.05). This study suggests that the
      gene of DF-specific IgE antibody production is linked to HLA haplotypes, but the
      mode of inheritance of DF-specific IgE antibody production couldn't be defined.

PMID- 1883265
TI  - [Studies on IgG subclass antibodies in adult asthma. 1. Serum antigen specific
      IgG subclass antibodies in asthmatics with late asthmatic response].
AB  - It is clear that immediate asthmatic response is mediated by IgE-dependent
      mechanisms. However, late asthmatic response is induced by inhalation of antigens
      without antigen specific IgE antibodies in some asthmatics, especially in
      intractable asthma induced by Candida antigen. To elucidate the relationship
      between those bronchial responses and antibodies, antigen specific IgG subclass
      antibodies in sera from asthmatics were measured and compared with IgE antibody.
      The results were as follows. 1. Avidin-biotin ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent
      assay) method was established for the measurement of specific IgG and IgG
      subclass antibodies to mite or Candida antigen. 2. Serum levels of antigen
      specific IgG and IgG1 antibodies in asthmatics with LAR provoked by mite or
      Candida antigen were significantly higher than those in asthmatics without LAR (p
      less than 0.01). 3. Serum levels of specific IgE antibody to these antigens in
      asthmatics with LAR provoked by mite or Candida antigen were slightly lower than
      those in asthmatics without LAR, though the difference is not significant. These
      results suggest that high serum levels of specific IgG and IgG1 antibodies to
      these antigens play a role in inducing LAR in asthmatics with LAR.

PMID- 1883266
TI  - [Positivities of skin test and IgE rast to allergens in bronchial asthma with
      normal serum IgE levels].
AB  - The positivities of skin test and specific IgE antibodies were studied in 179
      asthmatic patients who were divided into three groups according to their serum
      IgE levels: group L = less than 300 U/ml, group M = 300-700 U/ml, group H =
      greater than 700 U/ml. 1) The study population was made up as follows: group L
      44%, M 28% and H 29%. 2) Skin test positivity was 35% in group L, 74% in M, 92%
      in H and 14% in the healthy non-asthmatic group. 3) The positivity in IgE RAST
      was 37% in L, 69% in M and 83% in H. 4) The percentage of patients showing
      positivity in either skin test or IgE RAST was 37% in L, 76% in M and 92% in H.
      These results suggest that we should be careful in determining the type of asthma
      in case of normal serum IgE level.

PMID- 1883267
TI  - [Detection and analysis of IgG antibodies in sera of patient with atopic
      dermatitis (AD) to individual wheat polypeptides by immunoblotting techniques].
AB  - To detect IgG antibodies in sera of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) to
      individual wheat polypeptides, wheat flour proteins were extracted with tris
      citrate buffered saline containing urea and 2-mercaptoethanol (UTC solvent), and
      fractionated as polypeptides of molecular weights between 12 and 100 KDa. By
      means of the immunoblotting techniques, specific IgG antibodies to fractionated
      proteins could be detected in sera from healthy individuals and AD patients.
      Twenty AD patients' sera with high titers of wheat specific RAST (scores of more
      than 3) reacted not only to five major wheat components (33-38, 40-45, 55-60, 80,
      90-98 KDa), which stained intensively with Coomassie brilliant blue G-250, but
      also to polypeptides of 14, 16, 22, 29, 70 KDa. Twelve control sera reacted to a
      limited number of the five major wheat components, and levels of specific IgG
      antibodies increased with age. The sera of AD patients in the present study
      contained increased level of IgG antibodies to the five major components, and
      additionally to several minor components, 70 KDa, 29 KDa and much smaller
      proteins.

PMID- 1883268
TI  - [The effect of AH 21-132 on airway hyperresponsiveness induced by ozone
      exposure].
AB  - We examined the effect of AH 21-132, which has been reported to relax airway
      smooth muscle and inhibit platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced airway
      hyperreactivity, on ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) with airway
      inflammation in dogs. Airway responsiveness (AR) to methacholine was measured by
      modified Astograph (7 Hz oscillation method) before and after ozone exposure, and
      the numbers of neutrophils in the peripheral blood and total cell counts,
      differential cell counts and TXB2 in BALF were measured before and after ozone
      exposure. Ozone exposure was carried out for 2 hr at an ozone level of 3.46 +/-
      0.10 ppm (mean +/- SE). There was a significant increase in AR to methacholine
      after ozone exposure (p less than 0.01), and the numbers of neutrophils in the
      peripheral blood and the total cell and neutrophil counts in BALF increased
      significantly (p less than 0.05). Pretreatment with AH 21-132 at an oral dose of
      20 mg/kg significantly prevented the ozone-induced AHR to methacholine (p less
      than 0.01), and also inhibited the increase of neutrophil counts in the
      peripheral blood, and the total cell counts and the neutrophil counts in BALF
      after ozone exposure. There was no significant change in the levels of TXB2 in
      BALF before and after ozone exposure. In dogs not exposed to ozone, AR to
      methacholine and respiratory resistance to methacholine significantly decreased
      after administration of AH 21-132 at an oral dose of 20 mg/kg (p less than
      0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883269
TI  - [Bronchial hyperresponsiveness to histamine following antigen challenges in
      actively sensitized guinea pigs].
AB  - Guinea pigs were actively sensitized by intraperitoneally administered ovalbumin
      and challenged by intravenous injections of ovalbumin. Respiratory resistance and
      dynamic compliance were measured by pulmonary mechanics analyzer Buxco Model 6.
      Changes in resistance (delta R) and compliance (delta C) induced by intravenously
      administered histamine were investigated before and after the challenge.
      Responses to the histamine in sensitized guinea pigs were also compared with
      those in naive guinea pigs. The following results were obtained. 1) A significant
      increase in delta R by histamine administration was observed following the
      antigen challenge. delta C by histamine administration showed a tendency to
      increase after the challenge. 2) A significant increase of delta R by 7.2
      micrograms/kg histamine administration was observed in actively sensitized guinea
      pigs. However, delta C by the histamine administration did not change in the
      sensitized animals.

PMID- 1883270
TI  - [Evaluation of new system for the detection of IgE antibodies (CAP) in atopic
      diseases].
AB  - An evaluation of a newly developed IgE antibody assay system (CAP) was carried
      out. There was a clear correlation between IgE antibody titers measured by CAP
      single and RAST (= 0.642 to 0.979). It turned out that CAP single is more
      sensitive than RAST and non-specific adsorption of IgE immunoglobulin to the
      solid phase was assumed to be less in CAP than in RAST. Pathogenic allergens
      diagnosed either clinically or by in vitro assay systems were compared. The
      sensitivity and specificity of the CAP system were 94.2% and 87.3%, respectively.
      CAP multi which binds groups of multiple allergens on the solid phase, was
      examined for the screening of hypersensitivity to categories of allergens.
      Statistical sensitivities of CAP multi resided between 63.9% to 86.2%, while the
      specificities were 98% to 100%, indicating that CAP multi is useful for the
      exploration of causative allergens. Phadiatop, which fixes multiple inhalant
      allergens, showed a sensitivity of 89.6%. The specificity of phadiatop was 93.9%,
      when examined for intrinsic bronchial asthma patients, and 91.2% for normal
      subjects indicating that phadiatop is more useful than total IgE measurement for
      the screening of atopic trait.

PMID- 1883272
TI  - [The morphofunctional characteristics of the blood lymphocytes in steroid
      sensitive and steroid-resistant glomerulonephritis].
AB  - Morphofunctional properties of the lymphocyte suspension of patients susceptible
      and resistant to glucocorticoids in nephrotic form of glomerulonephritis were
      studied. Ultrastructural study of lymphocytes was performed as well as immune
      tests (the determination of lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptors number,
      proliferative activity of mononuclears, HIA genotypes) in 216 children.
      Morphofunctional insufficiency of the patient lymphocytes as compared to that in
      donors was established. A higher morphologic variety, functional sufficiency of
      lymphocytes, a higher number of glucocorticoid receptors and a preferable HIA
      genotype were found in the hormone-susceptible patients. Lymphocytes of hormone
      resistant patients were characterized by a high activity of RNA-synthesizing
      apparatus, the presence of damaged organelles, low number of glucocorticoid
      receptors and by the failure of proliferative response to the dexamethasone test.
      These differences allow the differential approach to glucocorticoid therapy.

PMID- 1883271
TI  - [An electron microscopic study of the effector link in immune reactions in
      stomach cancer].
AB  - 21 surgically removed gastric carcinomas of different histologic structure and
      stage of development were studied ultrastructurally. A variety of morphological
      manifestations of local immune reactions and nonspecific antitumour resistance
      were observed. These manifestations were characterized by the contacts of
      lymphocytes, macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, plasma cells with each
      other and with tumour cells and by the presence of variable changes in tumour
      cells. The causes of such a variety are discussed and they may be due to
      different types of cytotoxicity, stage of the interaction between the effector
      and the target and so on.

PMID- 1883273
TI  - [The immunomorphological characteristics of the appendix in a viral-bacterial
      lesion in children with appendicitis].
AB  - The characteristics of viral-bacterial lesion in the appendix of children with
      appendicitis are given by means of histologic, histochemical, immunomorphological
      and morphometric methods. Antigens of influenza viruses A, B, C, entero-, adeno-
      and paramyxoviruses were observed among which influenza C was found significantly
      more frequently (64.1%). Viral infection in the majority of cases (79.5%) was
      found in the association with opportunistic flora, more frequently with E. coli,
      and less R. aeruginosa and Klebsiella. Analysis of the immunomorphological shifts
      in the appendix indicated a peculiar dynamics of the antibody production in acute
      appendicitis: the enhancement of the IgG, IgD and IgE production and the decrease
      of the production of IgA and IgM. The viral-bacterial effect, the development of
      the immune responses with IgE hyperproduction and participation in this process
      of labrocytes and endocrine cells suggest the integration of the two pathogenetic
      mechanisms-infectious and allergic.

PMID- 1883275
TI  - [Patterns in the reorganization of the lymphatic bed of the heart in disordered
      lymph outflow].
AB  - Current concepts of the structure and function of the heart lymphatic bed and
      role of the disturbance of lymph circulation in cardiac pathology are presented.
      The original clinical and experimental results obtained with the use of
      injection, stereoangioscopic and electron microscopic methods are summarized.
      General rules of the compensatory-adaptive and pathologic rearrangement of the
      damaged lymph drainage in the process of chronic lymphostasis development and the
      reversibility of these changes are described. The classification of the
      disturbances of the heart lymph circulation is considerably modified.

PMID- 1883276
TI  - [Changes in the 3-dimensional organization of the cellular system of the human
      aortic intima in atherosclerosis].
AB  - Three-dimensional organization of the subendothelial aortal intima was studied by
      means of light microscopy of serial membranous preparations and scanning electron
      microscopy. Three-dimensional network composed of cells of varying shape is found
      in normal intima. Lipid inclusion in the lipid streak are found mainly in the
      stellate and roundish cells. Intercellular links are destroyed in the superficial
      layers of the lipid streak with extracellular lipid droplets being found in the
      region of the contact rupture. The cells are practically deprived of contacts in
      the marginal zone and central part of the atherosclerotic plaque cover where
      giant stellate cells integrated into the rough fibrillar connective tissue matrix
      are frequently found.

PMID- 1883274
TI  - [Opisthorchiasis cysts of the liver].
AB  - Specimens from 7 livers resected because of opisthorchiasis cysts and 29 autopsy
      cases with massive opisthorchiasis invasion resulting in cholangiectasis and cyst
      formation in the liver were studied. Characteristic features of the liver
      opisthorchiasis cysts are described.

PMID- 1883277
TI  - [Angiodysgenetic necrotizing myelopathy (the Foix-Alajouanine syndrome)].
AB  - One observation of a rare disease--angiodysgenetic necrotizing myelopathy--in a
      50-year-old patient is described. The diagnosis was established at necropsy and
      did not confirm suspected spinal cord tumor and myelitis. The disease is
      angiodysplasia with resulting necrotizing myelopathy. Large dysplastic intra- and
      extramedullary vessels with a disturbed wall permeability, vascular malformations
      and necrotic foci in the spinal cord are characteristic for this condition.

PMID- 1883278
TI  - [Fahr's syndrome and infantile cerebral palsy--the sequelae of very severe
      hypoxia at birth in a child].
AB  - A first-pregnancy child was delivered in the state of grave hypoxia. He was
      reanimated but later on Fahr's [correction of Fara's] syndrome developed. The
      symptoms of infantile cerebral paralysis appeared at the age of 5 months with
      tonic convulsions most likely as a consequence of Fahr's [correction of Fara's]
      syndrome.

PMID- 1883279
TI  - [Comments on the discussion on constructing a pathological anatomical diagnosis
      (apropos the article by D. S. Sarkisov)].

PMID- 1883280
TI  - [The problems under discussion in establishing a diagnosis].

PMID- 1883281
TI  - [Nosology and syndromology: searches for the etiology--striving for the exact
      diagnosis].

PMID- 1883283
TI  - [Iatrogenic pathology and the possibilities for the practical pathological
      anatomist].

PMID- 1883282
TI  - [Letter to the editor (apropos of the article by D. S. Sarkisov "On Diagnosis")].

PMID- 1883284
TI  - [The discussion on diagnosis (apropos the article by D. S. Sarkisov Diagnosis)].

PMID- 1883285
TI  - [A modification to the process of drying material in paraffin embedding in
      pathohistological practice].
AB  - The modification consists of the replacement of alcohols of increasing
      concentration by glycerols. This results in a shortening of tissue treatment,
      improvement of the preparation quality due to the full exclusion of the alcoholic
      tissue shrinkage and cell structure deformation as well as alcohol saving.

PMID- 1883286
TI  - [The use of the microwave oven in the stages of preparing material for
      histological research].

PMID- 1883287
TI  - [Georgii Stepanovich Kulesha (on the 60th anniversary of his death)].

PMID- 1883288
TI  - [Breast fibroadenoma: the morphological characteristics, morphogenesis and
      prognosis].
AB  - Morphology of mammary fibroadenoma (FA) is well studied while this is not the
      case for its morphogenesis and prognosis. The role of a stromal component in the
      development of FA is outlined. Immune response in FA is mainly directed to the
      fibroblasts. Further studies of mammary FA will allow one to reveal the
      biological properties of this tumour and to evaluate adequately its prognosis as
      in 0.5-2% of cases it undergoes malignant transformation.

PMID- 1883289
TI  - Proceedings of meetings of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and
      special societies. Abstracts.

PMID- 1883290
TI  - Development and evaluation of a rapid absorbed enzyme immunoassay test for the
      diagnosis of Johne's disease in cattle.
AB  - An absorbed enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test for Johne's disease in cattle was
      developed in which absorption of cross-reacting antibodies occurred as a rapid
      reaction in solution rather than overnight with whole organisms and a subsequent
      centrifugation step. Total test time was reduced to less than 2 h with a minimum
      of manipulations. The test was evaluated in cattle herds from Johne's disease
      endemic and Johne's disease-free regions of Australia. Specificity was 99.8%.
      Calculations of sensitivity were affected by the history of the herd under test.
      However, the EIA detected in excess of 80% of animals before onset of clinical
      disease and 65% of faecal shedders were EIA positive on, or before, first
      detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in their faeces. The test should aid
      epidemiological studies and be a useful tool in the management and control of
      Johne's disease.

PMID- 1883291
TI  - Eye diseases in Siberian husky dogs.
AB  - A full ophthalmic examination was performed on 40 Siberian husky dogs using
      direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, gonloscopy and nasolacrimal cannulation.
      Eight (20%) of the dogs were found to have distichia, 10 (25%) had excessive
      medial caruncular hairs, 8 (20%) had absence, displacement, or narrowing of the
      nasolacrimal puncta, 2 (5%) had bilateral corneal crystalline opacities, and 2
      (5%) had unilateral areas of lateral corneal lipidosis. Fifty percent of the dogs
      had some abnormality of the iridocorneal (drainage) angle. However, in only one
      of these was the deformity severe enough to require glaucoma prophylaxis. An
      association between blue iris colour and malformation of the iridocorneal angle
      was noted.

PMID- 1883292
TI  - Comparison of a liquid and a powder insecticidal dressing to aid healing and
      prevent flystrike of mulesing wounds in lambs.
AB  - A proprietary insecticidal mulesing powder containing diazinon and an
      experimental liquid dressing based on eucalyptus oil, naphthalene, cresylic acid
      and chlorfenvinphos in a carrier of liquid hydrocarbons and petroleum oil were
      compared for their ability to promote wound healing and reduce the incidence of
      fly strike in freshly mulesed lambs. Throughout the trial period of 4 weeks, fly
      trapping confirmed the presence of Lucilia cuprina in the paddock where the ewes
      and lambs were grazing At inspection one month after mulesing, no deaths had
      occurred since mulesing and no lambs showed evidence of cutaneous myiasis,
      although a number of their dams (with 8 months wool) were struck. At 4 weeks
      after mulesing, the wounds of the lambs treated with the experimental liquid
      dressing showed better healing than those treated with the powder dressing. It
      was concluded that both mulesing preparations were effective in inhibiting
      flystrike, but the liquid dressing promoted faster wound healing than did the
      powder.

PMID- 1883293
TI  - Evaluation of an immunofluorescence test on direct smears of conjunctival and
      urogenital swabs taken from koalas for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci.
AB  - The Chlamydia-Cel Vet IF Test (CCVIT), a commercially available
      immunofluorescence test for use on direct smears of clinical specimens, was
      evaluated in a colony of 43 captive koalas. The test is based on a monoclonal
      antibody directed against the chlamydial common group specific lipopolysaccharide
      antigen. Swabs were taken from conjuncitva and penis or urogenital sinus and used
      for direct smear evaluation and cell culture isolation. Compared with isolation
      of the organism in cell culture, the CCVIT on direct smears of conjunctival swabs
      presented a sensitivity of 88%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive
      value (PV+) of 100% and a negative predictive value (PV-) of 97%. The CCVIT on
      direct smears of urogenital swabs presented a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity
      of 84%, a PV+ of 86% and a PV- of 89%. The overall sensitivity was 89% (95%
      confidence interval [CI] of 71% to 97%), the specificity 94% (95% CI of 84% to
      98%), the PV+ 89% and the PV- 94%. It was concluded that the CCVIT on direct
      smears was suitable as a diagnostic screening test for the detection of Chlamydia
      psittaci in koalas.

PMID- 1883294
TI  - Chlamydial infection in a colony of captive koalas.
AB  - Forty three koalas in a captive colony were investigated for the presence of
      Chlamydia psittaci infection and associated disease. Swabs were taken from
      conjunctivae and urogenital sites for cell culture isolation of C psittaci and
      for cytological examination (direct smears) for chlamydial inclusions and
      evidence of inflammation. On the basis of cell culture isolation, 28 samples from
      25 koalas were positive for C psittaci (that is, infected). Three koalas were
      positive from both sites, 5 from conjunctivae alone and 17 from urogenital sites
      alone. Seven of the 8 koalas with positive conjunctival swabs had overt signs of
      conjunctivitis, but only 3 of the 20 koalas with positive urogenital swabs had
      overt signs of 'wet bottom' (continual urine soiling due to cystitis) or purulent
      discharge. However, 5 of the 20 with positive urogenital swabs had past episodes
      of 'wet bottom'. Moreover, examination of direct cytological smears showed
      evidence of inflammation (neutrophils) in 7 of 8 koalas with positive
      conjunctival swabs and 17 of 20 with positive urogenital swabs. Chlamydial
      inclusions were rarely identified with surety on direct cytological smears. In
      the 18 koalas without chlamydia, one had overt conjunctivitis while 2 had past
      episodes of conjunctivitis. The koala with conjunctivitis at the time of sampling
      had a prior history of 'wet bottom'. Examination of direct cytological smears
      revealed 2 of the chlamydial negative koalas had high numbers of neutrophils in
      urogenital smears. It was concluded that C psittaci infection may cause overt or
      sub-clinical disease, with the former developing when the koalas were stressed
      through management procedures or concomitant disease.

PMID- 1883295
TI  - A cross-sectional study to show Eperythrozoon ovis infection is prevalent in
      Western Australian sheep farms.
AB  - A serological survey and risk factor study was conducted to estimate the
      prevalence of Eperythrozoon ovis infection in Western Australian weaner sheep,
      the prevalence of farms with infected sheep, and to identify factors affecting
      initiation and maintenance of infection on the farm. The study was conducted on
      91 farms, purposively chosen from 41 randomly selected regional shires stratified
      by sheep number and rainfall zones. Twenty sheep were selected systematically
      from a mixed-sex flock on each farm and tested for serum antibody to E ovis using
      an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Information on putative risk factors was
      collected using an interview questionnaire. Antibody to E ovis was detected in
      4.5% of sheep on 47% of the farms sampled. The prevalence of E ovis infection in
      sheep was estimated at the 95% confidence level to be between 3.6 and 5.5%, and
      the prevalence of farms with infected sheep was estimated to be between 37.5 and
      56.5%. Most farms with serological evidence of infection occurred in the Great
      Southern agricultural region (79.5%), south-east of Perth through to Albany
      (latitude 32 to 34 degrees S, longitude 116 to 120 degrees E), and in the
      Northern region (12.8%) surrounding Geraldton (latitude 29 degrees S, longitude
      114 degrees E). There were significantly more farms (P less than 0.05) with
      evidence of infection in the Great Southern region compared to the Central region
      between Geraldton and Perth, and on farms in the region south compared to north
      of latitude 32 degrees S. None of the putative risk factors examined in the
      questionnaire were associated with serological evidence of infection on the
      farm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883296
TI  - Impact of dung from ivermectin-treated sheep on oogenesis and survival of adult
      Lucilia cuprina.
AB  - Females of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, exploit sheep dung as a
      source of protein for egg development. Flies fed on dung collected from sheep 1
      to 6 days after being drenched with the broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug
      ivermectin showed delayed reproductive development and reduced fecundity. Male
      and female survival was also reduced. Despite these effects, except where the
      recommended frequency of drenching (1 to 4 times per annum) is greatly exceeded,
      it is unlikely that ivermectin residues will affect any useful reduction in
      blowfly populations.

PMID- 1883297
TI  - Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate in a foal.
AB  - Bilateral hypoplasia of the soft palate and aspiration pneumonia occurred in a
      Standardbred foal. The filly was presented with a history of illthrift, dyspnoea,
      coughing and bilateral nasal discharge. Abnormal sounds (crackels and wheezes)
      were auscultated over all lung fields and the cervical trachea. Endoscopy
      revealed a shortened soft palate with a uvula-like mass protruding from the free
      border into the nasopharynx. Mucopurulent material was present in the trachea.
      Samples obtained by tracheal wash were submitted for cytology, culture and
      sensitivity testing. Results indicated a septic inflammatory process. On lateral
      radiographs of the thorax there were patchy areas of consolidation and air
      bronchograms. The foal was euthanased. Necropsy confirmed the presence of a
      palatal defect and aspiration pneumonia of moderate severity. No other congenital
      abnormalities were present.

PMID- 1883298
TI  - Furazolidone toxicity in dairy calves.

PMID- 1883299
TI  - Injectable abamectin causes a delay in scarabaeine dung beetle egg-laying in
      cattle dung.

PMID- 1883300
TI  - Protection against ovine footrot using a topical preparation of zinc sulphate.

PMID- 1883301
TI  - The development of posttraumatic stress disorder following four different types
      of traumatization.
AB  - The Children's Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Inventory (CPTSDI) was used to
      identify 230 childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases. Of these
      cases, 58 had been traumatized through direct experience, 128 through
      observation, 13 through verbal mediation, and 31 by combinations thereof. The 230
      children and 35 controls completed the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale
      (RCMAS) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). In addition, their conduct
      was rated on the Connor's Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) criteria. Each of the PTSD
      groups had significantly greater RCMAS, CDI, and CTRS scores than the non
      clinical controls, but there were no differences between the four types of PTSD
      cases.

PMID- 1883302
TI  - Low sexual desire: sex therapy results and prognostic factors.
AB  - In a prospective study of 60 couples who entered sex therapy because of the
      female partners' low sexual desire, 38 (63.3%) completed treatment and 34 (56.7%)
      had a positive outcome. The principal predictor of completion of treatment was
      the male partners' apparent motivation at the outset. Poorer outcome was
      associated with younger age of the couple (especially the male partner) and a
      shorter duration of the sexual problem. Surprisingly, few aspects of the couples'
      general relationships prior to treatment were related to outcome, except for
      poorer outcome being associated with a history of previous separations. The
      apparent lack of significant contribution of general relationship factors and
      psychopathology to outcome probably reflects the stringency of the initial
      selection process. Eventual outcome was also related to couples' progress by the
      third treatment session. The modest outcome of treatment for low sexual desire in
      this and other studies emphasises the need for further understanding of factors
      which contribute to this problem and for the development of novel treatment
      strategies.

PMID- 1883303
TI  - Similarities and differences on five inventories among mood and anxiety disorder
      patients.
AB  - The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), BAROMAS, Leisure Interests Checklist
      (LIC), Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and a one-page checklist of Body Problems
      were given to 128 outpatients with serious mood or anxiety disorders. Compared to
      normative data published on the first four devices, the combined patients were
      far 'sicker' in nearly all comparisons (P less than or equal to 0.01). However,
      anxiety and mood patients did not differ on the EPQ, BAROMAS, or LIC. On Body
      Problems, strong contrasts emerged (P less than 0.04), especially when 'fringe'
      cases were excluded (e.g. dysthymics from mood, and obsessives from anxiety
      disorder diagnoses). Small anxiety subtype groups also differed (P less than
      0.05). On the MHI, both global and core groups of mood--especially unipolar
      (depressed)--patients differed from the anxiety disorders (P less than 0.04).

PMID- 1883304
TI  - Assessing emotional distress at the internist's office.
AB  - At their first visits to a clinic, 102 outpatients rated the severity of their
      presenting complaint, of 12 possible body problems including 6 nonspecific
      symptoms, of a set of adjustment difficulties, and answered the Welsh A and the
      Beck Depression inventories. Then, an internist 'blind' to the foregoing answers
      performed a routine history and physical exam, afterward rating the patient for
      degree of organic and of psychosomatic involvement. Significant correlations were
      found between clinician judgments of psychosomatic involvement and patients' self
      reported complaints on all assessment measures (smallest r = 0.25, P less than
      0.01). Substantial intercorrelations were found among the assessment measures,
      especially between Welsh A (Anxiety) and Beck Depression scores (r = 0.73).

PMID- 1883305
TI  - An experimental investigation of thought suppression.
AB  - An experiment investigating the hypothesis that trying to suppress a thought will
      lead to an immediate and/or delayed increase in its occurrence is reported.
      Normal subjects listened to a taped story and then verbalized their stream of
      consciousness during two consecutive time periods. During the first period, one
      group (suppression) were asked not to think about the tape while two other groups
      (controls) were asked to think about anything or think about anything including
      the tape. During the second period, all three groups were instructed to think
      about anything. Results from the first period failed to support the immediate
      enhancement hypothesis as the suppression group reported less thoughts about the
      tape than the controls. However, results from the second period supported the
      delayed (rebound) hypothesis as subjects who had previously suppressed reported
      more thoughts about the tape than subjects who had not. The theoretical,
      methodological, and clinical implications of these results are discussed.

PMID- 1883306
TI  - The relationship among guilt, dysphoria, anxiety and obsessions in a normal
      population--an attempted replication.
AB  - The results of a previous study indicated that guilt as rated on the Perceived
      Guilt Index (PGI), predicted unpleasant intrusive thoughts, but self-reported
      anxiety and depression did not. In the present investigation, subjects indicated
      whether or not they experienced both pleasant and unpleasant intrusive thoughts,
      their frequency and a rating of how pleasant or unpleasant these thoughts were.
      They also completed self report ratings of depression, anxiety, obsessional
      ritualizing, and the PGI. Results of a regression analysis indicate that the best
      standardised questionnaire predictor of unpleasant intrusive thoughts is
      depression as rated on the BDI, and anxiety as rated on the BAI. The best
      standardised questionnaire predictor of pleasant intrusive thoughts is low
      anxiety. The PGI does not independently predict pleasant or unpleasant intrusive
      thoughts.

PMID- 1883307
TI  - Male sexual fantasy: multidimensionality in content.
AB  - Sixty-six men provided ratings of the extent to which they regarded fantasies
      depicting nominated sexual activities as sexually arousing. A Male Sexual Fantasy
      Questionnaire (MSFQ) with five subscales was constructed following factor
      analysis of these ratings. The subscales yield separate scores for fantasies
      representing sensual, genital, public sex, sexual dominance-submission, and
      sexual aggression themes. Levels of penile tumescence recorded while men engaged
      in fantasies depicting content represented in the MSFQ correlated with the extent
      to which these men earlier had rated these same fantasies as sexually arousing.
      Since ratings on the MSFQ did not correlate substantially or consistently with
      scores on the Betts Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery, the Imaginal Processes
      Inventory, and the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, sexual fantasy may be
      mediated by processes different from those involved in non-sexual imagery and
      daydreaming. The need to validate use of the MSFQ in several clinical contexts is
      noted.

PMID- 1883308
TI  - Relationship of intelligence with cognitive therapy outcome.
AB  - Theorists have speculated that intelligence is positively associated with the
      capacity to benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapies. We evaluated this notion
      by relating pre-treatment measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence to self
      reported symptom reduction in a naturalistic study (n = 106) of cognitive therapy
      for outpatients with principal diagnoses of major depression, dysthymia, or
      generalized anxiety disorder. Intelligence measures did not significantly predict
      outcome, and nonsignificant relationships were in the opposite direction from the
      theoretical prediction. Discussion centered on possible limitations to the
      generalizability of these results and on the logical interpretation of prediction
      studies in psychotherapy research.

PMID- 1883310
TI  - The efficacy of breathing retraining and the centrality of hyperventilation in
      panic disorder: a reinterpretation of experimental findings.
AB  - The present paper addresses de Ruiter, Rijken, Garssen, and Kraaimaat's
      (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 647-655, 1989) interpretation of data
      pertaining to the efficacy of breathing retraining in the treatment of panic
      disorder. The proffered reinterpretation of these data makes it clear that
      breathing retraining led to a significant reduction in the frequency of panic
      attacks. These findings thus lend additional support to the central role of
      hyperventilation in primary panic attacks.

PMID- 1883309
TI  - The triple response approach to assessment: a conceptual and methodological
      reappraisal.
AB  - Despite its positive effects on the increased use of multiple assessments and
      improved assessment validity, the triple-response concept has led to some
      conceptual and practical confusion. This is mainly due to two problems: (1) a
      confounding of the content and method of assessment; and (2) an imprecise and
      vague use of the 'verbal-subjective mode' which has been expanded to include
      cognitive elements since the introduction of cognitive-behavioural theories and
      treatments. A new matrix is proposed that clearly distinguishes content and
      method of assessment. It also defines a separate cognitive/information-processing
      content area and introduces affect as an additional content area. Thus, four
      content areas are suggested: behavioural, physiological, cognitive, and
      affective, which can be measured in three different ways: by means of self
      report, observation, and instruments or technical equipment. We point out the
      implications of these changes for (1) a more appropriate selection of assessment
      procedures and outcome measures in clinical research; (2) a more adequate
      individualization of treatment through matching individual response profiles to
      specific treatments; and (3) an improved understanding of the interrelationship
      between behavioural, physiological, cognitive, and affective processes in anxiety
      and depression. Finally, we suggest that the lack of agreement between measures
      of physiological, cognitive, behavioural and affective changes in some studies
      may be as much a reflection of the lack of agreement arising from spurious
      sources of variance within content areas as it is a reflection of the operation
      of different processes and systems.

PMID- 1883311
TI  - [The problems of X-ray image formation in veterinary practice--result of a cyclic
      study with the use of a test phantom for the determination of image quality].
AB  - To grasp the problems of producing X-ray pictures in veterinary surgery, a ring
      trial was carried out. The task of the veterinarians was to produce two
      radiographs: from a certain body region, together with a test phantom, which
      allowed the judgement of the image quality immediately. The dates and technique
      of exposure had to be chosen as usual, one picture had to be developed in the
      dark room, either manually--the usual way with the normally used chemicals or by
      automatic developing machine. The other picture was developed under standard
      conditions in the Institute of Medical Physics. For a third radiograph, already
      exposed with the correct dose, only development was requested. Therewith the
      total process of producing an x-ray picture, the exposure dates and -technique
      and the dark-room procedure should be analyzed. Additionally a protocol was drawn
      up. All results were treated anonymously. The outcome of the trial obviously
      showed the problems: blatant tendency to overexposure, in no case underexposure,
      combined with faults in the dark room--e.g. disregarding the condition of the
      developer or the probably given necessity of changing the developer and even the
      importance of controlling time and temperature during developing. No informations
      were requested about fixation- and stop bath or the method of drying.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883312
TI  - [An experimental contribution to the epizootiology of viral hemorrhagic
      septicemia of rabbits (rabbit hemorrhagic disease, RHD)--transmission by flies].
AB  - In experiments adapted to natural conditions it was established that--a
      conjunctival infection with about 100 RHD-virus particles was successful--in a
      milieu without flies transmission over a distance of only 50 cm did not take
      place--iridescent flies (Phormia spp.) seven hours after contamination with RHD
      virus material from died rabbits transmitted RHD to susceptible rabbits in an
      isolated cage. It ist supposed that transmission in this way will be an
      epizootiological important one for spreading in narrow distances.

PMID- 1883313
TI  - [The content of minerals and Fe, Cu and Zn in blood plasma, in erythrocytes and
      in 10 different tissues of bulls, short scrotum bulls and oxen].
AB  - The concentrations of minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, K, total-P) and of trace elements
      (Fe, Cu, Zn) in the plasma and erythrocytes of bulls, of experimentally induced
      cryptorchids (Muchsen) and of oxen of the breed Holstein-Friesian and of bulls
      and cryptorchids of a hybrid breed with a high portion of meat-cattle were
      investigated. Further the concentrations in various tissues (M. semimembranosus,
      M. longissimus dorsi, left and right ventricle, liver, kidney, adrenal glands,
      lung, spleen, testis) in bulls, cryptorchids and oxen of the breed Holstein
      Friesian were analyzed. The differences of some concentrations of various
      elements in some tissues are discussed relative to their genesis and
      significance.

PMID- 1883314
TI  - [Cardiology for the veterinary practice--information processing with the help of
      a computer program, with a working example].
AB  - Description of a PC-Program "Cardiology for the Veterinary Practice", title
      "Kardiag", with Illustrations and a report of a congenital heart disease in a one
      year old, male, Newfoundland dog, with the use of the described PC-Program. After
      euthanasia an autopsy was performed which verified the clinical diagnosis.

PMID- 1883316
TI  - Protein analysis during the ontogeny of normal and male sterile stamenless-2
      mutant stamens of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.).
AB  - The levels and synthesis of proteins during the ontogeny of normal and male
      sterile stamenless-2 (sl-2/sl-2) mutant stamens of tomato (Lycopersicon
      esculentum) were examined. The mutant stamens contained low levels of soluble
      protein which were related to reduction in protein synthesis. The mutant stamens,
      however, possessed many polypeptides similar to the normal and synthesized a 53
      kd polypeptide at stages when there are abnormalities in tapetum development. The
      mutant stamens also possessed a 23-kd and some low molecular weight polypeptides
      that were considered as degradative proteins. Normal stamens exhibited the
      synthesis of many polypeptides not found in the mutant, from microspore mother
      cell to the preanthesis stages. In addition, at the time of pollen maturation
      there was a greater synthesis of several polypeptides, particularly those of 42
      and 37 kd. Although the causative mechanisms of male sterility in the sl-2/sl-2
      mutant are not known, the synthesis, and the lack, of specific polypeptides
      reported here appears to be associated with pollen degeneration.

PMID- 1883317
TI  - Genetic control of elsholtziaketone formation in Perilla frutescens.

PMID- 1883318
TI  - Genetic polymorphism of sorbitol dehydrogenase in the brown hare and the
      distribution of the variation in central Europe.
AB  - A genetic polymorphism of sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH; EC 1.1.1.14) for two
      allozymes is demonstrated in the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) by means of
      horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. Segregation analysis was performed in a
      sample of four matings with 12 offspring and confirmed the genetic hypothesis:
      two alleles at an autosomal locus. The calculated gene frequencies in the brown
      hare breed studied are Sdha = 0.712 and Sdhb = 0.288. The distribution of the
      polymorphism in free-ranging brown hare populations from Austria, Czechoslovakia,
      Hungary, and Poland is described.

PMID- 1883315
TI  - Regulation of nuclear histone acetyltransferase by nucleic acids, histone.DNA
      complex, and chromatin.
AB  - Nuclear histone acetyltransferase is found to be inhibited by various nucleic
      acids and components. Of the adenosine phosphates, the order of inhibitory
      potency is ATP greater than ADP greater than AMP. Among the nucleoside
      triphosphates, GTP seems to be the best inhibitor, followed by ATP, CTP, and UTP.
      Deoxymononucleotides have the same order of inhibition potential as their
      ribonucleotide counterparts, with inhibition constants in the low millimolar
      range. Oligonucleotides and polynucleotides are much better inhibitors than
      mononucleotides. The inhibition constants of the DNA molecules are size
      dependent. Molecules larger than 40 base pairs have inhibition constants less
      than 18 micrograms/ml, whereas molecules with decreasing numbers of base pairs
      have increasing magnitudes of inhibition constants. However, acetyltransferase
      has a lower affinity for free DNA molecules than for DNA.histone complexes as
      revealed by its interaction with DNA-Sepharose and histone.DNA-Sepharose columns.
      Furthermore, native chromatin depleted of endogenous histone acetyltransferase
      activity shows no inhibitory effect on the enzyme. Yet heated chromatin not only
      loses substrate activity but also becomes an inhibitor for the enzyme. Since
      unmodified sea urchin sperm chromatin has been shown to be a potent
      acetyltransferase inhibitor, it seems possible that DNA.histone complexes may be
      the true inhibitory species and that the conformational states of such complexes
      may serve as a regulatory mechanism in the control of the enzyme activity.

PMID- 1883319
TI  - Genetic characterization of esterase 28 (ES-28) of the house mouse.
AB  - The genetics of esterase-28, the major esterase of cauda epididymidis of the
      house mouse, has been studied after separation by polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. Four phenotypes are distinguished.
      Segregation of Es-28 in two backcross series indicated linkage to Es-1, Es-9, and
      Es-22. The Es-28 locus was placed into esterase cluster 1 on chromosome 8.

PMID- 1883320
TI  - A quantitative genetic analysis of tissue-specific catalase activity in Mus
      musculus.
AB  - Tissue-specific catalase activity in 3-week-old animals from inbred mouse strains
      129/ReJ, BALB/c, C3H/HeAnl/Cas-1b, C3H/HeSnJ, C3H/S, C57BL/6J, and Swiss-Webster
      was found to be highly variable by analysis of variance (P = 0.01). Appropriate
      crosses were made among strains which were classified as normal (BALB/c,
      C3H/HeSnJ, C3H/S), hypocatalasemic (129/ReJ, C57BL/6J), and acatalasemic
      (C3H/HeAnl/Cas-1b) with respect to blood catalase activity to study the
      inheritance of the blood, kidney, liver, and lung catalase activity levels in a
      number of generations (reciprocal F1's, F2, two backcrosses--BC1 and BC2--and
      some RI lines). Segregation analysis and statistical methods which tested
      different models of inheritance as well as calculations of heritability were used
      in an effort to assess and evaluate genetic parameters that affect catalase
      activity. Results indicate that the inheritance of blood catalase activity in the
      cross involving acatalasemic and normal (BALB/c, C3H/HeSnJ) strains is compatible
      with the single-locus difference between the parental strains; however, the
      difference between the acatalasemic and the hypocatalasemic strain (C57BL/6J)
      would require additional genetic interaction for a satisfactory explanation. A
      similar pattern of generalization also applies to the inheritance of kidney
      catalase activity. The segregation pattern for the liver and lung catalase
      activity in most crosses is significantly different from the expectations of the
      single locus model. These results are compatible with the concept that a number
      of genes must affect tissue-specific catalase activity in mice. These may include
      previously described (e.g., Ce-1 and Ce-2) or novel genetic regulators/modifiers
      which interact with a single structural gene (Cas-1) or its product to produce
      the catalase phenotype characteristic of specific tissues in each strain.

PMID- 1883322
TI  - Substrate-specificity of glutamine transporters in membrane vesicles from rat
      liver and skeletal muscle investigated using amino acid analogues.
AB  - We investigated the effects of glutamine and histidine analogues on glutamine
      transport processes in membrane vesicles prepared from rat liver (sinusoidal
      membrane) and skeletal muscle (sarcolemma). L-[14C]Glutamine is transported in
      these membranes predominantly by Systems N/Nm (liver and muscle respectively),
      and to a lesser extent by Systems A and L (e.g. about 60, 20 and 20% of total
      flux respectively via Systems N, A and L at 0.05 mM-glutamine in liver membrane
      vesicles). The glutamine anti-metabolites 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine and acivicin
      were relatively poor inhibitors of glutamine uptake into liver membrane vesicles
      (less than 25% inhibition at 20-fold excess) and appeared primarily to inhibit
      System A activity (i.e. N-methylaminoisobutyric acid-inhibitable glutamine
      uptake). In similar experiments azaserine (also a glutamine anti-metabolite)
      inhibited approx. 50% of glutamine uptake, apparently by inhibition of System A
      and also of System L (i.e. 2-amino-2-carboxybicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-inhibitable
      glutamine uptake). Glutamate gamma-hydroxamate, aspartate beta-hydroxamate,
      histidine and N'-methylhistidine were all strong inhibitors of glutamine uptake
      into liver membrane vesicles (greater than 65% inhibition at 20-fold excess), but
      neither homoglutamine nor N'-methylhistidine produced inhibition. L-Glutamate
      gamma-hydroxamate was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of glutamine transport
      via System N (Ki approximately 0.6 mM). Glutamine uptake in sarcolemmal vesicles
      showed a similar general pattern of inhibition as in liver membrane vesicles. The
      results highlight limits on the substrate tolerance of System N; we suggest that
      the presence of both an L-alpha-amino acid group and a nitrogen group with a
      delocalized lone-pair of electrons (amide or pyrrole type), separated by a
      specific intramolecular distance (C2-C4 chain equivalent), is important for
      substrate recognition by this transporter.

PMID- 1883323
TI  - The expression of glycogen phosphorylase in normal and dystrophic muscle.
AB  - Specific cofactor labelling was employed to determine the degradation rate of
      glycogen phosphorylase in normal adult C57BL/6J mice and their dystrophic
      counterparts (C57BL/6Jdy/dy). The rate constant for the decay of phosphorylase
      bound label was 0.125 day-1 in normal muscle and 0.49 day-1 in dystrophic muscle,
      i.e. a lower rate of catabolism of phosphorylase in dystrophic muscle.
      Quantitative Northern-blot analyses of total RNA isolated from normal and
      dystrophic muscle indicated that the abundance of phosphorylase mRNA as a
      percentage of total RNA was approx. 40% lower in dystrophic muscle. The specific
      activity of phosphorylase in dystrophic muscle is approx. 60% lower than in
      normal muscle, and is elicited by a lower rate of turnover of the enzyme, i.e.
      both synthesis and degradation are decreased.

PMID- 1883321
TI  - Structural aspects of protein-DNA recognition.

PMID- 1883324
TI  - Dexamethasone inhibits the hexose monophosphate shunt in activated rat peritoneal
      macrophages by reducing hexokinase-dependent sugar uptake.
AB  - Dexamethasone decreases 2-D-deoxyglucose (2-dGlc) uptake and accumulation into
      rat peritoneal macrophages in vitro in a concentration- and time-dependent manner
      (Ki for 1 microM-dexamethasone after a 2 h exposure = 0.71 +/- 0.21 microM; Ki
      for 0.1 microM-dexamethasone after exposure for 4 h = 0.10 +/- 0.06 microM). The
      inhibition of 2-dGlc uptake is consistent with a decrease in the coupling between
      endofacial hexokinase activity and the sugar transporter. The evidence for this
      is: (1) the Km for zero-trans 2-dGlc uptake in quiescent macrophages was
      increased by dexamethasone, but there was no significant effect on the Vmax.; (2)
      dexamethasone increased the rate of exit of sugar from cells preloaded with 2
      dGlc; (3). the free sugar accumulation within the cytosol of the cells above the
      external solution concentration was significantly decreased by dexamethasone.
      These effects of dexamethasone on 2-dGlc transport were antagonized by
      simultaneous exposure to the steroid RU 38486 (Ki = 0.04 +/- 0.01 microM; 4 h
      incubation). Although dexamethasone inhibited zero-trans uptake, the maximum rate
      of infinite-trans exchange uptake of 2-dGlc into cells preloaded with 3-O-methyl
      D-glucose (40 mM) was unaltered by dexamethasone or RU 38486, indicating that the
      dexamethasone-dependent decrease in zero-trans uptake was not due to a change in
      the number of transporters in the plasma membrane. Dexamethasone also inhibited
      the phorbol myristate acetate-induced stimulation of hexose monophosphate shunt
      (HMPS) activity, and this was reversed by RU 38486. Cytochalasin B, the potent
      sugar-transport inhibitor, inhibited HMPS activity and 2-d[2,6-3H]Glc uptake
      equally, indicating a single site of action. By contrast, dexamethasone showed
      differential inhibition of HMPS activity and 2-d[2,6-3H]Glc uptake, suggesting
      that it not only acts by decreasing the coupling between hexokinase and sugar
      transport, but also at one or more additional points.

PMID- 1883325
TI  - A novel glutathione transferase (13-13) isolated from the matrix of rat liver
      mitochondria having structural similarity to class theta enzymes.
AB  - A rat liver mitochondrial-matrix fraction was prepared and shown to have 1-chloro
      2,4-dinitrobenzene(CDNB)-metabolizing glutathione transferase (GST) activity.
      Further fractionation by sequential gel filtration, isoelectric focusing or
      chromatofocusing and hydroxyapatite chromatography yielded three GSTs of pI 9.3,
      8.9 and 7.5, none of which bound to a GSH-agarose affinity matrix. Most of the
      activity was associated with the pI-9.3 form, which was selected for further
      study. Its activity was tested with the following potential substrates in
      addition to CDNB: 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, p-nitrobenzyl chloride, trans-4
      phenylbut-3-en-2-one, 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy)propane, ethacrynic acid,
      menaphthyl sulphate, cumene hydroperoxide, linoleic acid hydroperoxide and 4
      hydroxynon-2-enal. Appreciable activity was obtained only with CDNB and
      ethacrynic acid (82 and 26 mumol/min per mg of protein respectively). The
      apparent Km for GSH, using 1 mM-CDNB, was 1.9 mM. The enzyme is a dimer of
      subunit Mr 26,500. It has a free N-terminus, which has enabled the first 33 amino
      acids to be sequenced. This portion of primary structure has a sequence in common
      with members of the Theta class of GSTs (eg. 36% identity with subunit 12) and
      also a sequence which might function as a mitochondrial import signal. It is
      novel and has been named 'GST 13-13'.

PMID- 1883326
TI  - Link protein as a monitor in situ of endogenous proteolysis in adult human
      articular cartilage.
AB  - The link protein components of proteoglycan aggregates in adult human articular
      cartilage show heterogeneity due to proteolysis. Cleavages near the N-terminus of
      the intact link proteins, before residues 17, 19 and 24, generate three proteins
      of slightly diminished size (LP3). Cleavages within the N-terminal disulphide
      bonded loop, before residues 66 and 73 of the intact link proteins, generate
      proteins that yield smaller degradation products upon reduction (LP fragments).
      In vitro, modified link protein components of a similar size to LP3 can be
      generated by a variety of proteinases, but of the physiologically relevant
      enzymes only stromelysin, cathepsin B and cathepsin G have the ability to yield
      modified link proteins with N-termini identical with those observed in situ. None
      of the proteolytic agents tested was able to produce LP fragments with N-termini
      identical with those observed in situ, and the majority of proteinases were not
      able to cleave within the disulphide-bonded loops. Cathepsin L and hydroxyl
      radicals can cleave within the N-terminal disulphide-bonded loop, and have the
      potential of initially opening the loop to allow further proteolytic processing
      by other agents to generate the native cleavage sites.

PMID- 1883327
TI  - 5-Lipoxygenase is not essential in macrophage-mediated oxidation of low-density
      lipoprotein.
AB  - The concentration-dependent effects of a series of lipoxygenase inhibitors and
      antioxidants on the macrophage-mediated oxidative modification of low-density
      lipoprotein (LDL) were measured. Their influence on macrophage 5-lipoxygenase
      pathway activity was also studied over the same concentration range. No
      correlation between inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and of macrophage-mediated
      oxidation of LDL was observed. The capacity of the compounds to prevent cell
      mediated modification of LDL could be explained in terms of their activity as
      either aqueous- or lipid-peroxyl radical scavengers. Two potent 5-lipoxygenase
      inhibitors (MK 886 and Revlon 5901), which had no radical-scavenging properties,
      were unable to block LDL modification. It is concluded that 5-lipoxygenase is not
      essential for LDL oxidation by macrophages.

PMID- 1883329
TI  - Inhibition by inorganic anions of glutathione S-transferases from insect and
      mammalian sources.
AB  - Glutathione S-transferases 1-1, 3-3, 3-4 and 4-4 from rat liver and the major
      glutathione S-transferase from the wax moth (Galleria mellonella) are all
      inhibited by several simple inorganic anions. For each of 3-3, 3-4 and the insect
      enzyme, the order of inhibitory potency was ClO4- greater than or equal to SCN-
      greater than I- greater than NO3- greater than Br-. A more limited range of
      anions was tested on the isoenzymes 1-1 and 4-4, but the same trend was apparent.
      Values for Ki ranged from about 200 mM for Cl- to 6 mM for SCN- in the case of
      the insect enzyme and from 50 mM for Br- to 0.3 mM for SCN- for the rat isoform 3
      3. Acetate, F-, SO4(2-) and PO4(3-) were not found to have significant inhibitory
      properties. The mode of inhibition was characterized as non-competitive in the
      case of the insect enzyme and rat transferase 1-1, whereas the mode of inhibition
      was partially non-competitive in the case of the rat isoforms 3-3, 3-4 and 4-4.

PMID- 1883328
TI  - Properties of subunits of the multicatalytic proteinase complex revealed by the
      use of subunit-specific antibodies.
AB  - The multicatalytic proteinase (MCP) is a high-molecular-mass non-lysosomal
      proteinase that gives rise to a characteristic pattern of bands of molecular mass
      22-34 kDa on SDS/PAGE gels. Isoelectric-focusing gels of the enzyme purified from
      rat liver show 16 bands with isoelectric points in the range of pH 5-8.5. Two
      dimensional PAGE gels reveal that there are more than the previously reported 13
      polypeptides associated with the MCP from rat liver and show a pattern of 15-20
      major spots and several minor ones, similar to that of MCP isolated from some
      other sources. Possible relationships between the different polypeptides were
      investigated by immunoblot analysis of electrophoretically purified proteinase
      subunits with affinity-purified subunit-specific antibodies as well as antibodies
      raised against individual denatured subunits of the complex. The results
      demonstrate that many of the major polypeptide components of the MCP complex are
      antigenically distinct. Moreover comparison of immunoreactive material in crude
      cell extracts with that in purified MCP preparations has shown that the
      polypeptides are not derived from a smaller number of higher-molecular-mass
      subunits. Also, individual subunits have the same apparent molecular mass in a
      variety of rat tissues, suggesting close similarity between MCPs of different
      tissues. The highest concentrations of MCP subunits occur in liver and kidney.
      Gel-filtration analysis of crude extracts has demonstrated that MCP polypeptides
      are also associated with a higher-molecular-mass complex, which may be the 26 S
      proteinase that has been implicated in the degradation of ubiquitin-protein
      conjugates.

PMID- 1883330
TI  - Expression of a cDNA clone encoding the haem-binding domain of Chlorella nitrate
      reductase.
AB  - A partial cDNA clone coding for the haem-binding domain of NADH:nitrate reductase
      (EC 1.6.6.1) (NR) from the unicellular green alga Chlorella vulgaris has been
      isolated, sequenced and expressed. A 1.2 kb cDNA (pCVNR1) was isolated from a
      lambda gt11 expression library produced from polyadenylated RNA extracted from
      nitrate-grown Chlorella cells. pCVNR1 hybridized to a 3.5 kb mRNA transcript that
      was nitrate-inducible and absent from ammonium-grown cells. The entire sequence
      of pCVNR1 was obtained and found to have a single uninterrupted reading frame.
      The derived amino acid sequence of 318 amino acids has a 45-50% similarity to
      higher-plant NRs, including Arabidopsis thaliana, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and
      tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). A comparison with the putative domain structure of
      higher-plant nitrate reductases suggested that this sequence contains the
      complete haem-binding domain, approximately one-third of the Mo-pterin domain and
      no FAD-binding domain. A 32% sequence similarity is evident when comparing the
      Chlorella NR haem domain with that of calf cytochrome b5. Expression of pCVNR1 in
      a pET vector synthesized a 35 kDa protein that was antigenic to anti-(Chlorella
      NR) antibody. The spectral properties of this protein (reduced and oxidized) in
      the 400-600 nm region are identical with those of native Chlorella NR and
      indicate that haem is associated with the protein.

PMID- 1883331
TI  - Citrate synthase from Mycobacterium smegmatis. Cloning, sequence determination
      and expression in Escherichia coli.
AB  - A Mycobacterium smegmatis PstI library was constructed by cloning these fragments
      downstream from the lac promoter of the expression vector pHG171. Three
      identically sized clones were isolated by complementation of an Escherichia coli
      strain (chi 2338) deficient in citrate synthase. One insert (pBL265) was used in
      hybridization experiments with DNA from E. coli and M. smegmatis and it was
      demonstrated that the clones were indeed from M. smegmatis. The transcription of
      the M. smegmatis citrate synthase gene in E. coli relied upon the lac promoter.
      In translation experiments performed in vitro pBL265 gave rise to a novel protein
      of about 42 kDa. This band was not seen in 'opposite-orientation' subclones.
      Various subclones in which the 5'-end was shortened nevertheless complement E.
      coli chi 2338 and produce the 42 kDa protein. This demonstrates that the M.
      smegmatis citrate synthase gene uses its own ribosome-binding site in E. coli.
      The relevant 1.8 kb of the 2.8 kb insert was sequenced. A consensus E. coli
      ribosome-binding site was found centred precisely 10 bp upstream of the
      methionine codon. Other interesting features revealed by the sequence are
      discussed. Citrate synthase activity was assayed in vitro and the mycobacterial
      enzyme was found to be similar to those of the Gram-positive bacteria.

PMID- 1883332
TI  - Determination of the rates of appearance and loss of glucose transporters at the
      cell surface of rat adipose cells.
AB  - We have used an impermeant bis-mannose compound (2-N-[4-(1-azi-2,2,2
      trifluoroethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-bis-(D-mannos+ ++- 4-yloxy)-2- propylamine; ATB-BMPA)
      to photolabel the glucose transporter isoforms GLUT4 and GLUT1 that are present
      in rat adipose cells. Plasma-membrane fractions and light-microsome membrane
      fractions were both labelled by ATB-BMPA. The labelling of GLUT4 in the plasma
      membrane fraction from insulin-treated cells was approximately 3-fold higher than
      that of basal cells and corresponded with a decrease in the labelling of the
      light-microsome fraction. In contrast with this, the cell-surface labelling of
      GLUT4 from insulin-treated intact adipose cells was increased approximately 15
      fold above basal levels. In these adipose cell preparations, insulin stimulated
      glucose transport activity approximately 30-fold. Thus the cell-surface
      labelling, but not the labelling of membrane fractions, closely corresponded with
      the stimulation of transport. The remaining discrepancy may be due to an approx.
      2-fold activation of GLUT4 intrinsic transport activity. We have studied the
      kinetics of trafficking of transporters and found the following. (1) Lowering the
      temperature to 18 degrees C increased basal glucose transport and levels of cell
      surface glucose transporters by approximately 3-fold. This net increase in
      transporters probably occurs because the process of recruitment of transporters
      is less temperature-sensitive than the process involved in internalization of
      cell-surface transporters. (2) The time course for insulin stimulation of glucose
      transport activity occurred with a slight lag period of 47 s and a t 1/2 3.2 min.
      The time course of GLUT4 and GLUT1 appearance at the cell surface showed no lag
      and a t 1/2 of approximately 2.3 min for both isoforms. Thus at early times after
      insulin stimulation there was a discrepancy between transporter abundance and
      transport activity. The lag period in the stimulation of transport activity may
      represent the time required for the approximately 2-fold stimulation of
      transporter intrinsic activity. (3) The decrease in transport activity after
      insulin removal occurred with a very high activation energy of 159 kJ.mol-1.
      There was thus no significant decrease in transport or less of cell-surface
      transporters over 60 min at 18 degrees C. The decrease in transport activity
      occurred with a t1/2 of 9-11 min at 37 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400
      WORDS)

PMID- 1883333
TI  - Role of spermine in mammalian sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction.
AB  - The binding properties of seminal polyamines to ram spermatozoa and their
      possible role in sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction were studied.
      Binding and release of [14C]spermine from ram spermatozoa occurred at a rate
      faster than in somatic cells and were not energy-dependent. Release of bound
      spermine was further facilitated by heparin, a constituent of the female
      reproductive tract which was reported to induce capacitation and the acrosome
      reaction. High- and low-affinity polyamine-binding sites were identified, of
      which the high-affinity site was specific to polyamines with three or more amino
      groups. We also found that spermine inhibited the acrosome reaction and propose
      that it is the major seminal decapacitating factor. Since precise timing of
      capacitation and the acrosome reaction are critical for successful fertilization,
      it is suggested that the role of seminal spermine is to prevent premature
      capacitation and the acrosome reaction.

PMID- 1883335
TI  - Phospholipase A2 in human ascitic fluid. Purification, characterization and
      immunochemical detection.
AB  - A phospholipase A2 (PLA2, EC 3.1.1.4) was purified from human cell-free ascitic
      fluid (a-PLA2) by ion-exchange chromatography and h.p.l.c. on a reverse-phase
      column to apparent homogeneity. The enzyme had an Mr of approx. 10,000 as
      determined by SDS/PAGE. Polyclonal antibodies raised in a rabbit were specific to
      a-PLA2, as judged by immunoblotting. A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA)
      for measuring the concentration of a-PLA2 in various body fluids was developed.
      The detection limit of the assay was about 6 ng/ml. The antiserum did not cross
      react with pancreatic secretory phospholipase A2 as measured by TR-FIA. The
      enzyme content was studied in various samples, including normal human serum,
      buffy-coat leucocytes, synovial fluid, and pancreas and spleen homogenates.

PMID- 1883334
TI  - The relationship between cytosolic Ca2+, sn-1,2-diacylglycerol and inositol 1,4,5
      trisphosphate elevation in platelet-activating-factor-stimulated rabbit
      platelets. Influence of protein kinase C on production of signal molecules.
AB  - The temporal and dose-response relationships of platelet-activating-factor (PAF)
      induced changes in the concentrations of cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), Ins(1,4,5)P3
      and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) were examined. In addition, phosphorylation of
      protein kinase C (PKC) substrate (40-47 kDa protein) was determined. In high-dose
      PAF-activated platelets, all three signal molecules increased rapidly and
      transiently, with the peak Ins(1,4,5)P3 concentration preceding maximal elevation
      of [Ca2+]i by 5 s. In low-dose PAF-activated platelets there were large increases
      in [Ca2+]i and dense-granule release, without any increase in Ins(1,4,5)P3 and
      DAG or 40-47 kDa protein phosphorylation. Staurosporine, a non-specific PKC
      inhibitor, produced enhanced elevations in the concentrations of Ins(1,4,5)P3,
      DAG and thromboxane B2, and the duration of the Ca2+ signal in platelets
      stimulated with a high dose, but not a low dose, of PAF. These results suggest
      there are both phospholipase C-dependent and -independent changes in Ca2+
      homoeostasis. Endogenously activated PKC regulates the formation of signal
      molecules.

PMID- 1883336
TI  - The mouse androgen receptor. Functional analysis of the protein and
      characterization of the gene.
AB  - Screening a mouse genomic DNA library with human androgen-receptor (hAR) cDNA
      probes resulted in the isolation and characterization of eight genomic fragments
      that contain the eight exons of the mouse androgen-receptor (mAR) gene. On the
      basis of similarity to the hAR gene, the nucleotide sequences of the protein
      coding parts of the exons as well as the sequences of the intron/exon boundaries
      were determined. An open reading frame (ORF) of 2697 nucleotides, which can
      encode an 899-amino-acid protein, could be predicted. The structure of the mAR
      ORF was confirmed by sequence analysis of mAR cDNA fragments, which were obtained
      by PCR amplification of mouse testis cDNA, using mAR specific primers. A
      eukaryotic mAR expression vector was constructed and mAR was transiently
      expressed in COS-1 cells. The expressed protein was shown by Western blotting to
      be identical in size with the native mAR. Co-transfection of HeLa cells with the
      mAR expression plasmid and an androgen-responsive chloramphenicol
      acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter-gene construct showed mAR to be able to trans
      activate the androgen-responsive promoter in a ligand-dependent manner.
      Transcription-initiation sites of the mAR gene were identified by S1-nuclease
      protection experiments, and the functional activity of the promoter region was
      determined by transient expression of mAR promoter-CAT-reporter-gene constructs
      in HeLa cells. Structural analysis revealed the promoter of the mAR gene to be
      devoid of TATA/CCAAT elements. In addition, the promoter region is not remarkably
      (G + C)-rich. Potential promoter elements consist of a consensus Sp1 binding
      sequence and a homopurine stretch. The polyadenylation sites of mAR mRNA were
      identified by sequence similarity to the corresponding sites in the hAR mRNA.

PMID- 1883337
TI  - Production of platelet-activating factor is a component of the angiotensin II
      protein kinase C activation pathway in bovine adrenocortical cells.
AB  - Lyso-platelet-activating factor (lyso-PAF): acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (EC
      2.3.1.67) enzyme activity was characterized for the first time in bovine
      adrenocortical tissue. It was found to be associated with the microsomal membrane
      fraction, in which it exhibited a specific activity of 0.4 nmol/min per mg of
      protein and catalytic properties similar to those described in other cell types.
      The adrenocortical acetyltransferase activity was increased by 2-3-fold on
      incubation of the preparation with purified protein kinase C (PKC) under
      phosphorylating condition. This activation was optimal after 5 min of incubation
      and paralleled an increase in PKC-catalysed 32P incorporation into microsomal
      proteins. Both acetyltransferase activation and protein phosphorylation were
      dependent on the presence of Ca2+ and phospholipids, and were blocked in the
      presence of the potent PKC inhibitor H-7. In the intact adrenocortical cell,
      angiotensin II and a potent phorbol ester (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) were
      able to rapidly induce an increase in the biosynthesis of PAF, which was mostly
      released into the extracellular medium. These data suggest that bovine
      adrenocortical lyso-PAF acetyltransferase may be regulated by a PKC-dependent
      activation pathway, whereas no evidence for an additional
      adrenocorticotropin/cyclic AMP-dependent stimulation process was obtained in this
      cell type. Bovine adrenocortical cell membrane preparations were shown to possess
      high-affinity PAF-binding sites (Kd approximately 0.5 nM). Altogether, these
      observations suggest that PAF production and release may play a role in the
      autocrine or paracrine control of adrenocortical cell activation.

PMID- 1883339
TI  - Algorithms for the derivation of Flux and Concentration Control Coefficients.
AB  - A computer program is described that derives the Flux and Concentration Control
      Coefficients for linear and branched metabolic pathways. The program prompts the
      user to enter a concise description of the metabolic pathway. From this
      description, the program constructs the appropriate equations in matrix form. The
      algorithm employed to obtain the symbolic determinants is described, and this
      algorithm also provides a convenient method for manual derivation of the Control
      Coefficients. The computer-based method will accommodate unlimited feed-forward
      and feed-backward loops and a maximum of two branches from each metabolite on the
      main pathway. The utility of the method is illustrated with a linear path with
      feed-forward and feed-backward loops, and with a substrate cycle as an example of
      a path with two branches.

PMID- 1883338
TI  - Cysteine-86 is not needed for the enzymic activity of glutathione S-transferase 3
      3.
AB  - Recombinant glutathione S-transferase 3-3 expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda
      (SF9) cells with the use of a baculovirus expression system was modified with 1
      mM-iodoacetamide. Amino acid analysis indicated that 0.79 +/- 0.15 cysteine
      residue was modified per enzyme subunit. The S-carbaminomethylated protein
      retains the GSH-conjugating activity. Glutathione S-transferase 3-3 modified with
      iodo[14C]acetamide was digested with Achromobacter proteinase I and the resulting
      peptides were separated by h.p.l.c. The modified peptides were pooled and further
      digested with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase. Isotope-labelled peptides were
      isolated and collected for N-terminal sequence analysis. By this procedure,
      cysteine-86 was identified as the major S-carbaminomethylated residue.
      Verification of this findings came from the use of site-directed mutagenesis in
      which this cysteine was replaced by serine (C86S mutant). The C86S mutant is
      enzymically active. Therefore cysteine-86 is not needed for the conjugation of
      GSH with electrophilic compounds on glutathione S-transferase 3-3.

PMID- 1883340
TI  - Some questions and suggestions on the type references of the official
      nomenclature (IUB) for sialidase(s) and endosialidase.

PMID- 1883341
TI  - Isolation and partial characterization of antibody- and globin-enriched complexes
      from membranes of dense human erythrocytes.
AB  - In previous studies we have described a process whereby an erythrocyte in
      biochemical distress can initiate its own removal by macrophages of the
      reticuloendothelial system. This process involves the clustering of the integral
      membrane protein band 3 by denatured haemoglobin and the subsequent recognition
      of the exofacial poles of clustered band 3 and associated proteins by autologous
      antibodies. To determine whether this clearance pathway might mediate normal cell
      turnover, the fraction of normal erythrocytes containing the 0.5% densest cells,
      which are known to be destined for immediate removal, was isolated and
      characterized biochemically. This densest fraction was found to contain 6 times
      more membrane-bound globin (haemichromes) and 10 times more surface-bound
      autologous IgG than the other fractions containing cells of lower density. To
      determine whether the autologous IgG was physically associated with the
      haemichrome-stabilized membrane protein clusters, a procedure was developed for
      isolation and characterization of the microscopic aggregates. The isolated
      aggregates were found to contain a disulphide-cross-linked mixture of several
      membrane proteins, predominantly haemichromes, spectrin and band 3. Although the
      aggregates constituted only 0.09% of the total membrane protein, they still
      contained approximately 55% of the total cell-surface IgG. Since in control
      studies anti-(blood group A) antibodies, which are distributed randomly over the
      surface of type A cells, could not be recovered in the aggregate, we conclude
      that the autologous cell-surface IgGs were physically associated with the
      membrane protein clusters when they were co-isolated with them in our procedure.
      Thus the 640-fold enrichment of autologous IgG in the aggregates compared with
      regions of the membrane devoid of tightly clustered protein suggests that sites
      of integral protein clustering either are non-specifically sticky to IgG or are
      viewed as foreign or 'non-self' by the immune system and aggressively opsonized
      with IgG.

PMID- 1883342
TI  - Inhibition of glutathione S-transferase 3-3 by glutathione derivatives that bind
      covalently to the active site.
AB  - In all, 13 GSH derivatives have been synthesized and tested for their potency to
      inhibit glutathione S-transferase (GST) 3-3. All of these derivatives contained a
      reactive group that could potentially react with the enzyme active site. Best
      results were obtained with the phenylthiosulphonate derivative of GSH, GSSO2Ph.
      Preincubation of GST 3-3 with a 100 microM concentration of this inhibitor
      resulted in a time-dependent loss of activity: after 30 min at pH 6.5 and 25
      degrees C, 51% of the activity was lost. At more alkaline pH, the activity is
      more rapidly inhibited: at pH 8.0 the 90%-inhibition level is already reached
      after 10 min preincubation. Separation of enzyme and excess unbound GSSO2Ph after
      preincubation by gel-filtration chromatography did not result in a reappearance
      of enzyme activity. If 100 microM-GSH was added to the preincubation mixture at
      pH 7.4, inhibition was almost completely prevented. Addition of S
      (hexyl)glutathione (20 microM) could delay the inhibition but, ultimately, not
      prevent it. The inhibited enzyme could be re-activated by addition of 10 mM-2
      mercaptoethanol: 60 min after this thiol was added, the inhibited GST-3- activity
      was bacxk to the control level. GSH at the same concentration could not re
      activate the enzyme. On the basis of these results, on the known reactivity of
      thiosulphonate compounds, and on current knowledge about the amino acid residues
      involved in GST catalysis, a covalent modification of an active-site cysteine
      residue by mixed-disulphide formation between enzyme and the cosubstrate GSH is
      postulated. Information on the synthesis and characterization of the GSH
      derivatives is given in Supplementary Publication SUP 50166 (5 pages) which has
      been deposited at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa,
      Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the
      terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1991) 273, 5.

PMID- 1883344
TI  - Computer program for the kinetic equations of enzyme reactions. The case in which
      more than one enzyme species is present at the onset of the reaction.
AB  - This paper presents an extension of the program developed by Varon, Havsteen,
      Garcia, Garcia-Canovas & Tudela [(1990) Biochem. J. 270, 825-828] for the
      expression of the transient-phase and steady-state kinetic equations of a general
      enzyme system in which the only enzyme species present at the onset of the
      reaction is the free enzyme. The program has been extended to situations in which
      more than one enzyme species may be present at the onset of the reaction. The
      program is given in Supplementary Publication SUP50165 (5 pages), which has been
      deposited at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby,
      West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms
      indicated in Biochem. J. (1991) 273, 5.

PMID- 1883345
TI  - Relationship between the neural dysgenesis and increased production of class I
      MHC H-2Kk mRNA and protein in neurons of murine trisomy 16 fetuses.
AB  - Neuronal cells from murine trisomy 16 fetuses have increased levels of class I
      MHC H-2Kk. To determine whether this increased level of H-2Kk protein product
      resulted from an increased synthesis of mRNA, a 33 base antisense cDNA probe
      complementary to a region in exon 2 of the H-2Kk sequence (nucleotide 392-424)
      was synthesized. This probe was used to examine, by in situ hybridization and
      immunohistochemistry, the neural distribution of H-2Kk mRNA and protein product.
      A marked elevation of the H-2Kk mRNA and protein were localized in mts16 neuronal
      populations that were susceptible to dysgenesis. The results implicate the
      expression of the H-2Kk in the neuropathology of mts16 and its human counterpart,
      Down syndrome.

PMID- 1883343
TI  - Guanine-nucleotide- and adenine-nucleotide-dependent regulation of phospholipase
      D in electropermeabilized HL-60 granulocytes.
AB  - We have characterized the regulation of phospholipase D (PLD) in
      electropermeabilized HL-60 granulocytes in which endogenous phospholipids were
      pre-labelled with [3H]oleic acid. Treatment of these permeabilized cells with the
      non-hydrolysable GTP analogues guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) and
      guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate induced a sustained (near-linear for
      up to 60 min) accumulation of phosphatidic acid (PA). In the presence of ethanol
      a sustained production of phosphatidylethanol (PEt) was also observed. With
      increasing concentrations of ethanol, PEt formation increased, whereas PA
      formation declined; this indicated involvement of a PLD-type effector enzyme. The
      ability of GTP[S] to stimulate this PLD activity was Mg(2+)-dependent and was
      inhibited by GDP and its non-hydrolysable beta-thio analogue. Ca2+, at
      concentrations less than or equal to nM, had no effect on the GTP[S]-dependent
      PLD activity. However, higher concentrations of Ca2+ produced a significant
      potentiation of this activity. Inclusion of MgATP (greater than or equal to 0.1
      mM), but not other nucleoside triphosphates, also induced a large potentiation of
      GTP[S]-dependent PLD activation. In the absence of guanine nucleotides, MgATP
      elicited no significant activation of PLD. Significantly, this effect of ATP was
      not mimicked by adenosine 5'-[beta gamma-methylene]triphosphate, a non
      hydrolysable ATP analogue. Rather, this analogue inhibited both basal and ATP
      potentiated GTP[S]-dependent PLD activity. This suggests that the ability of ATP
      to potentiate GTP[S]-dependent PLD activity involves phosphotransferase action
      rather than simple allosteric effects induced by adenine nucleotide binding. The
      absolute magnitude of the GTP[S]-dependent PLD activity which could be
      potentiated by MgATP was decreased by 90% when the permeabilized cells were
      preincubated for various times before addition of these stimulatory agents. This
      time-dependent loss of MgATP-induced potentiation was prevented when the
      permeabilized cells were preincubated in the presence of GTP[S]. These results
      demonstrate that electropermeabilized HL-60 granulocytes can be used to
      discriminate synergistic roles for a GTP-binding protein(s) and an ATP-dependent
      process (kinase?) in the regulation of phospholipase D activity.

PMID- 1883346
TI  - Selective antagonism of calcitonin-induced osteoclastic quiescence (Q effect) by
      human calcitonin gene-related peptide-(Val8Phe37).
AB  - Exposure of isolated rat osteoclasts to calcitonin (CT) leads to an abrupt
      cessation of cell motility (Q effect) followed by cell retraction (R effect). We
      have previously shown that these effects are mediated by two G proteins that
      appear to activate separate post-receptor pathways. The present study
      demonstrates that the Q but not the R effect of CT (0.006 microM) is abolished in
      the presence of human calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-(Val8Phe37) (0.5
      microM), a fragment analogue of human CGRP. This selective antagonism suggests
      that the Q effect could result from an action of CT upon a site that is distinct
      from that producing the R effect. The former site ('amylin site') also appears to
      interact with related peptides, amylin and CGRP, whilst the latter site ('CT
      site') specifically interacts with CT.

PMID- 1883347
TI  - Differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells by hexamethylenebisacetamide
      involves secretion and binding to membranes of a differentiation enhancing
      factor.
AB  - A protein factor previously shown to enhance terminal differentiation of
      transformed erythroid cells is synthesized by murine erythroleukemia cells and
      secreted in the early stages of differentiation induced by
      hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA). Secretion also occurs, constitutively, in the
      absence of inducer, from a murine erythroleukemia cell variant characterized by
      an accelerated response to HMBA. The protein factor binds to intact cells
      following addition of HMBA and enhances translocation of protein kinase C to the
      nuclear fraction. These results strongly support an important role for this
      natural protein factor in cell differentiation.

PMID- 1883348
TI  - Complementary DNA sequence of rabbit CAP18--a unique lipopolysaccharide binding
      protein.
AB  - CAP18 is a novel 18 kDa cationic protein [pI approximately 10] originally
      purified from rabbit granulocytes using as an assay the agglutination of
      lipopolysaccharide (LPS) coated erythrocytes. cDNA clones encoding CAP18 were
      isolated from a rabbit bone marrow cDNA library using a PCR generated
      oligonucleotide probe derived from the N-terminal amino acid sequence. The
      deduced amino acid sequence reveals a putative signal sequence of 29 amino acids
      and a mature protein of 142 amino acid residues. The predicted size of the
      encoded protein is 16.6 kDa with a pI of 10. There are no N-linked glycosylation
      sites. The CAP18 sequence bears no homology with other known LPS-binding proteins
      including human bacterial permeability increasing protein (BPI)(1) and rabbit LPS
      binding protein (LBP)(2).

PMID- 1883349
TI  - Cloning and sequencing of cDNA encoding human sepiapterin reductase--an enzyme
      involved in tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis.
AB  - A full-length cDNA clone for sepiapterin reductase, an enzyme involved in
      tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis, was isolated from a human liver cDNA library by
      plaque hybridization. The nucleotide sequence of hSPR 8-25, which contained an
      entire coding region of the enzyme, was determined. The clone encoded a protein
      of 261 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 28,047 daltons. The
      predicted amino acid sequence of human sepiapterin reductase showed a 74%
      identity with the rat enzyme. We further found a striking homology between human
      SPR and carbonyl reductase, estradiol 17 beta-dehydrogenase, and 3 beta-hydroxy-5
      ene steroid dehydrogenase, especially in their N-terminal region.

PMID- 1883350
TI  - Isolation and sequencing of a cDNA clone encoding rat liver lysosomal cathepsin D
      and the structure of three forms of mature enzymes.
AB  - We isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone corresponding to the entire coding
      sequence of rat liver lysosomal cathepsin D. The deduced amino acid sequence
      revealed that cathepsin D consists of 407 amino acid residues (Mr 44,608) and the
      20 NH2-terminal residues seem to constitute a cleavable signal peptide after
      which 44 amino acid residues follow as a propeptide. Two putative N-linked
      glycosylation sites and aspartic acid in the active site are as well conserved as
      those of human lysosomal cathepsin D. In the NH2-terminal sequence analysis of
      two isolated heavy chains of the mature enzyme, the termini were assigned as
      tryptophan (118th residue) and glycine (165th or 166th residue), respectively,
      hence demonstrates that the two heavy chains derive from a split of the single
      chain of cathepsin D at position between 117th and 118th or between 164th and
      165th or 165th and 166th amino acids. We conclude that cathepsin D in rat liver
      lysosomes is a mixture of three forms composed of a single and two two-chain
      forms. However, the amounts of the two two-chain forms are low compared with that
      of the single chain form. Densidometric determination after SDS-PAGE revealed
      that the two two-chain forms account for less than 5% of the single chain form.
      There is a 82% similarity in amino acid level between rat and human liver
      lysosomal cathepsin D.

PMID- 1883351
TI  - O-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde: a major novel metabolite of coumarin formed by rat,
      gerbil and human liver microsomes.
AB  - A major novel coumarin metabolite was isolated from rat hepatic microsomal
      incubations by high-performance liquid chromatography. In the presence of a rat
      liver cytosolic fraction and NADH it was rapidly metabolized to O
      hydroxyphenylethanol. The metabolite co-chromatographed with an authentic sample
      of O-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde and its identity was confirmed by mass spectral
      analysis. The formation of O-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde from coumarin was NADPH
      dependent. It was the major metabolite formed by rat, gerbil and human liver
      microsomes at a coumarin concentration of 1mM.

PMID- 1883352
TI  - Effect of antiserum to a 99 kDa polypeptide on the uptake of taurocholic acid by
      rat ileal brush border membrane vesicles.
AB  - A 99 kDa polypeptide in rat ileal brush border membrane (BBM), regarded as a
      component of the active bile acid transport system on account of photoaffinity
      labeling, has been purified by affinity chromatography and preparative gel
      electrophoresis and utilized as an immunogen for raising polyclonal antibody.
      Immune serum, but not preimmune serum, specifically recognized a single band of
      99 kDa protein on immunoblots of ileal and renal BBM. In contrast, no reactivity
      was observed with proteins in jejunal BBM. This polyclonal antibody, compared
      with preimmune serum and anticytosolic bile acid binding protein (14 kDa) serum,
      significantly inhibited the Na+ dependent uptake of [3H] taurocholate by BBM
      vesicles (p less than 0.01). [14C] D-glucose uptake by BBM vesicles was not
      influenced by the immune serum (p less than 0.01). Thus, these studies provide
      further support for the specific role of a 99 kDa protein in ileal BBM bile acid
      transport.

PMID- 1883353
TI  - Temporal regulation of tobacco mosaic virus-induced phosphorylation of a host
      encoded protein.
AB  - The in vitro and in vivo phosphorylation of a plant encoded protein (p68)
      associated with dsRNA-dependent protein kinase activity was stimulated at
      specific time intervals following infection by tobacco mosaic virus or
      electroporation with dsRNA. The level of p68 phosphorylation in infected and mock
      inoculated protoplasts did not differ significantly until 6 hr. post-infection,
      when the basal level of phosphorylation increased 2-3 fold in infected
      protoplasts. Maximum phosphorylation of p68 occurred between 8-12 hr post
      infection and then declined but, at least until 72 hr. post-infection, it was
      significantly greater than in mock inoculated protoplasts.

PMID- 1883354
TI  - Effect of parathyroid hormone on release of interleukin 1 and interleukin 6 from
      cultured mouse osteoblastic cells.
AB  - This study was undertaken to examine the possibility that parathyroid hormone
      promotes the production of interleukin 1 and 6 in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells
      derived from mouse calvaria. The cells were incubated in serum-free medium with
      or without synthetic human parathyroid hormone(1-34). The concentrations of
      interleukin 1 and 6 in the culture medium were determined by using specific
      bioassay. The cells cultured without parathyroid hormone for 24 hr released both
      of interleukins, and parathyroid hormone stimulated the release in a dose
      dependent manner. When the cells were cultured with 10(-6) M parathyroid hormone,
      the release of both interleukins from the cells remained higher than control up
      to 144 hr. These results suggest that interleukin 1 and 6 release stimulated by
      parathyroid hormone may be involved in the bone resorbing activity of the
      hormone.

PMID- 1883355
TI  - Quantitative measurement of extra-renal renin mRNA by polymerase chain reaction.
AB  - We established a simplified method of the quantitative measurement of extra-renal
      renin messenger RNA using polymerase chain reaction system. We could detect the
      renin messenger RNA in the kidney, heart, aorta and adrenal gland from a single
      RNA sample obtained from a Wistar-Kyoto rat. In the kidney, heart, aorta and
      adrenal gland, the contents of renin messenger RNA were found to be 55.8 +/-
      17.8, 0.15 +/- 0.05, 0.11 +/- 0.03 and 0.16 +/- 0.07 pg/micrograms of total RNA
      (n = 5, mean +/- s.d.), respectively. The present method is very useful to study
      the extra-renal renin-angiotensin system.

PMID- 1883356
TI  - Overexpression of a beta-galactoside binding protein causes transformation of
      BALB3T3 fibroblast cells.
AB  - Overexpression of an animal lectin, rat beta-galactoside binding protein (GBP) in
      mouse BALB3T3 fibroblast cells by stable introduction of a GBP cDNA expression
      plasmid results in the acquisition of transformed phenotype which includes a loss
      of anchorage dependence, reduced contact inhibition, colony formation in soft
      agar, and tumor formation in nude mice. The transformation depends on the level
      of the expression of both GBP and TGF gamma 2 activities confirming that both
      activities are ascribable to a single bifunctional protein TGF gamma 2/GBP. The
      results indicate that GBP acts as a growth regulator and is directly involved in
      regulation of cell proliferation.

PMID- 1883357
TI  - A novel cationic liposome reagent for efficient transfection of mammalian cells.
AB  - A novel cationic derivative of cholesterol, 3 beta [N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethane)
      carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-Chol), has been synthesized and used to prepare
      sonicated liposomes with dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine. This novel cationic
      liposome reagent facilitates efficient DNA mediated transfection in A431 human
      epidermoid carcinoma cells, A549 human lung carcinoma cells, L929 mouse
      fibroblast cells, and YPT minipig primary endothelial cells. The activity was
      greater than that of a commercial reagent, Lipofectin, and was approximately 4
      fold less toxic than Lipofectin when assayed with A431 cells. The reagent is easy
      to synthesize and stable for at least 6 weeks.

PMID- 1883359
TI  - Purification of large neuromedin N (NMN) from canine intestine and its
      identification as NMN-125.
AB  - A large molecular form of neuromedin N (NMN), a neurotensin (NT)-related peptide,
      was purified to homogeneity from canine ileal mucosa. The amino acid sequence of
      its N-terminal 20 residues was found to be SDSEEEMKALEADLLTNMHT, which is
      identical to residues 24-43 of the cDNA-predicted NT/NMN precursor. Prior work
      had indicated that the NMN moiety was located at the C-terminus of large NMN.
      Having now defined both the N-terminus and C-terminus of large NMN, we note that
      this molecule must be comprised of 125 amino acids (including residues 24-148 of
      prepro NT/NMN) and we suggest that it be named NMN-125. This information also
      defines the signal peptide cleavage site as the cysteine-serine bond within the
      precursor. The amino acid composition of the isolated peptide and its molar
      extinction coefficient for absorbance at 280 nm were similar to those for the 24
      148 segment of prepro NT/NMN. However, the empirically determined molecular
      weight (17 kDa) and the isoelectric point (pI = 5.4) were slightly higher than
      those predicted solely from the peptide's amino acid content (14.43 kDa and pI =
      4.65, respectively). In total, these results indicate that the major NMN-related
      peptide found in canine ileum is 125 residues in length, extending from the
      putative signal peptide to the C-terminus of NMN, and that it might contain non
      amino acid substituents.

PMID- 1883358
TI  - SF-B that binds to a negative element in glutathione transferase P gene is
      similar or identical to trans-activator LAP/IL6-DBP.
AB  - We have previously identified a silencer (negative enhancer) in glutathione
      transferase P (GST-P) gene which is strongly and specifically induced during
      hepatocarcinogenesis of the rat. At least three trans-acting factors bind to
      multiple cis-elements located in this silencer. One of these factors, SF-B
      (Silencer Factor B) specifically binds to GPS1 (GST-P Silencer 1) and has been
      cloned by a Southwestern protocol. Analysis of DNA and deduced amino acid
      sequence reveals that SF-B clone is most likely identical to an IL-6 inducible
      trans-activator LAP/IL6-DBP. Binding efficiency of SF-B to GPS1 is
      indistinguishable from that to IL6-responsive element found in C-reactive protein
      gene. The possibility that SF-B/LAP/IL6-DBP functions as a dual positive and
      negative regulator is discussed.

PMID- 1883360
TI  - Neuropeptide Y stimulates prostacyclin production in porcine vascular endothelial
      cells.
AB  - We investigated the effects of neuropeptide Y on the prostacyclin production of
      cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells by measuring the stable metabolite of
      prostacyclin, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, by radioimmunoassay. Neuropeptide Y
      induced dose- and time-dependent stimulation of prostacyclin production by
      cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells. The lowest stimulatory concentration
      of neuropeptide Y was 10(-8) M and maximal response, a 2.8 fold rise, was
      obtained with 10(-6) M. The stimulation lasted at least 24 h. The effect was
      associated with the stimulation of arachidonic acid release. Our data suggest
      that neuropeptide Y may inhibit the development of atherosclerosis by stimulating
      prostacyclin synthesis.

PMID- 1883361
TI  - Prokaryotic expression of the thyrotropin receptor and identification of an
      immunogenic region of the protein using synthetic peptides.
AB  - Graves' disease is characterized by hypersecretion of thyroid hormones due to
      binding of autoantibodies to the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR). In order to study
      immunological aspects of the TSHR we expressed the extracellular domain of the
      rat TSHR (ETSHR) as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase in a prokaryotic
      system. The identity of this ETSHR-fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot,
      using antibodies to synthetic peptides derived from TSHR. Patients' sera reacted
      to a significantly greater extent with the affinity purified ETSHR relative to
      control sera. Similarly, sera from patients with Graves' disease displayed
      significant reactivity with only one of five peptides, RH2 (residues 352-366),
      when compared with normal sera. These data, together with the predicted
      hydrophilicity of the peptide RH2, suggest that amino acids 352-366 which lie
      within one of the unique regions of the extracellular domain of the TSHR may be
      important for antibody binding.

PMID- 1883362
TI  - The effect of extracellular matrix interactions on morphologic transformation in
      vitro.
AB  - There is emerging evidence that the structure and function of a cell is dependent
      in part on the contacts that cells make with the extracellular matrix. We report
      here the effect of extracellular matrices secreted from both normal and tumor
      cells have on the structure of normal rat kidney epithelial cells. Normal rat
      kidney cells plated on the basement membrane secreted by tumor cells adopt a
      morphology and phenotype which closely resembles a Kirsten-ras transformed normal
      rat kidney cell. This morphologic transformation was not observed for cells
      plated on individual extracellular matrix components or on basement membrane
      secreted by normal placenta cells. This suggests that tumor derived basement
      membrane has unique characteristics which may cause morphologic transformation of
      normal rat kidney cells.

PMID- 1883363
TI  - Modifications of the intermediate filament and nuclear matrix networks by the
      extracellular matrix.
AB  - The tissue matrix system is a dynamic, interacting structural network directly
      linking the nuclear matrix, cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. We report
      here that interaction of normal rat kidney epithelial cells (NRK) and Kirsten-ras
      transformed rat kidney cells, with an extracellular matrix secreted by tumor
      cells, causes modifications to the protein composition of the intermediate
      filament and nuclear matrix networks. The matrix networks are different between
      normal and transformed cells; however, these alterations by the tumor
      extracellular matrix are similar in both cell types. These data represent the
      first report that modification of the extracellular matrix environment can have
      an effect on the protein composition of the nuclear matrix.

PMID- 1883364
TI  - Site-specific mutagenesis of human follistatin.
AB  - Follistatin is a monomeric protein originally discovered in ovarian follicular
      fluid as a suppressor of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion,
      and later identified as a binding protein for activin. To explore the role of the
      Asn-linked carbohydrate chains on the follistatin molecule in regard to the
      inhibition of FSH secretion and activin binding ability, site-specific mutations
      were introduced at either or both of the two potential Asn-linked glycosylation
      sites of human follistatin with 315 amino acids (hFS-315). The three types of
      follistatin mutants were expressed individually in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
      When tested for their ability to inhibit FSH secretion and to bind activin, each
      mutant was found to have a similar property as the non-mutated recombinant hFS
      315, suggesting that glycosylation of the follistatin molecule has no effect in
      these functions. However, a two amino acid insertion in between the second and
      the third amino acid residues in hFS-315 caused the resulting compound to lose
      completely its inhibitory activity on FSH secretion from the pituitary as well as
      its binding ability to activin. This finding suggests that the amino-terminal
      region of the follistatin molecule is critical for both of these functions.

PMID- 1883365
TI  - The contribution of the macrophage receptor for oxidized LDL to its cellular
      uptake.
AB  - Oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) was shown to be taken up by macrophages via several
      receptors including the acetyl-LDL(Ac-LDL), the LDL, and the Ox-LDL receptors.
      Cellular uptake and degradation of Ox-LDL could be dissociated from that of LDL
      and Ac-LDL as demonstrated by using macrophages that lack the LDL or the Ac-LDL
      receptors. In J-774 A.1 macrophage-like cell line unlabeled Ox-LDL reduced the
      125I-Ox-LDL by up to degradation of 91% whereas unlabeled Ac-LDL and native LDL
      reduced 125I-Ox-LDL degradation by only 51% and 23%, respectively. Analysis of
      macrophage degradation of 125I-Ox-LDL in the presence of 30-fold excess
      concentration of LDL + Ac-LDL (to block uptake of 125I-Ox-LDL via the LDL and the
      Ac-LDL receptors) revealed that cellular degradation via the Ox-LDL receptor
      could account for 45% of the macrophage uptake of Ox-LDL.

PMID- 1883366
TI  - 13C NMR study of hepatic pyruvate carboxylase activity in tumor rats.
AB  - Alanine and lactate, as major gluconeogenic substrates, must be converted into
      oxaloacetate by way of pyruvate carboxylase before their entry into
      gluconeogenesis. Although it is well known that hepatic gluconeogenesis from
      these substrates is increased in tumor hosts, the involvement of pyruvate
      carboxylase has not been demonstrated. In the present study, we examined pyruvate
      carboxylase activity in the perfused livers of tumor rats using 13C NMR
      spectroscopy with [3-13C]-alanine as the gluconeogenic substrate. A substantial
      increase in hepatic [3-13C]-aspartate production was found in the tumor rats.
      Since aspartate accumulation directly reflects fluxes of alanine through pyruvate
      carboxylase, the observed increase in hepatic production of [3-13C]-aspartate in
      tumor rats indicates that pyruvate carboxylase activity is significantly
      enhanced.

PMID- 1883367
TI  - 1H NMR study of the sugar pucker of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides with anti-human
      immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity.
AB  - The sugar ring conformations of 2',3'-dideoxyribosyladenine (ddA), 2',3'
      dideoxyribosylcytosine (ddC), 2',3'-dideoxyribosylguanine (ddG), 2',3'
      dideoxyribosylhypoxanthine (ddI), 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyribosylthymine (AZT), 3'
      azido-2',3'-dideoxyribosyluracil (AZU) and 3'-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxyribosylthymine
      (FddT) have been investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. While the sugar ring in
      FddT exists almost totally in C2'-endo geometry, other nucleosides show
      equilibrium between sugar puckers of C3'-endo family (N-type) and C2'-endo family
      (S-type). For unsubstituted dideoxynucleosides C3'-endo conformer is favoured
      (congruent to 75%), whereas for AZT and AZU both the conformers have almost equal
      populations. Unlike X-ray diffraction studies, the NMR results do not support the
      suggestion that C3'-exo sugar puckers are desirable for the anti-HIV activity of
      these nucleosides.

PMID- 1883368
TI  - Overexpression of the actin gene is associated with the morphogenesis of Candida
      albicans.
AB  - A progressive increase in the synthesis of actin mRNA was observed by Northern
      blot analysis, when cells were induced to form germ tubes at 37 degrees C by N
      acetyl-D-glucosamine. Presence of trifluoperazine, a calmodulin inhibitor, or
      incubation of cells at 25 degrees C, or by replacing N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with
      glucose which inhibited germ tube formation lowered this synthesis. Furthermore,
      in vitro translation of total RNA revealed an increase in the synthesis of actin
      (45 kDa) during germ tube formation. These results suggest for the first time
      that the expression of actin gene is regulated during morphogenesis of C.
      albicans.

PMID- 1883370
TI  - 1-bromoalkanes as new potent nontoxic glutathione depletors in isolated rat
      hepatocytes.
AB  - The effect of 1-bromlalkanes on intracellular glutathione (GSH) was studied in
      freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Treatment of cells with bromoalkanes depleted
      cellular GSH levels without causing cytotoxicity. The extent of GSH depletion was
      directly proportional to the concentration and increasing chain length of 1
      bromoalkanes (C2-C7). Bromoheptane (100 microM) depleted GSH by 87% in 30 mins
      which remained depleted for the 4 hr study period without causing cytotoxicity. A
      30 fold higher concentration of bromoheptane was required before cytotoxicity
      ensued. Bromoheptane would therefore be particularly useful for studying the role
      of GSH in modulating xenobiotic cytotoxicity.

PMID- 1883369
TI  - Cloning and characterization of a lignin peroxidase gene from the white-rot
      fungus Trametes versicolor.
AB  - Six putative lignin peroxidase (LIP) genes were isolated from a lambda EMBL3
      phage library of the white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, using the
      Phanerochaete chrysosporium LIP cDNA CLG5 as the probe. Sequence analysis of one
      of the genes, VLG1, showed that its coding region is interrupted by six small
      introns (49-64 bp) and that it encodes a mature LIP protein (341 aa; Mr: 36,714)
      that is preceded by a 25 aa signal sequence. This protein has a relatively high
      degree of aa homology to the N-termini of the LIP proteins purified from T.
      versicolor and has an aa homology of 55-60% to the LIP proteins of P.
      chrysosporium, which is comparable to that found between P. chrysosporium and
      Phlebia radiata LIP proteins.

PMID- 1883371
TI  - Post-translational reduction of cytochrome P450IIE by CCl4, its substrate.
AB  - The molecular mechanism of cytochrome P450IIE reduction by CCl4 was reexamined by
      measuring its enzyme activity, immunoreactive protein contents, and mRNA levels.
      Aniline hydroxylase and the amounts of immunoreactive P450IIE were rapidly
      decreased in a time-dependent manner after a single dose of CCl4. No changes were
      observed in the amounts of immunoreactive P450IIC and P450IA despite significant
      decreases decrease in their catalytic activities. However, the decreases in
      P450IIE enzyme activity and immunoreactive protein by CCl4 were not accompanied
      by a decline in its mRNA level. The data thus suggested a post-translational
      reduction of P450IIE by CCl4, probably due to specific destruction of the P450IIE
      protein by its own substrate rather than heme moiety.

PMID- 1883372
TI  - Transmembrane signalling by the N-formyl peptide receptor in stably transfected
      fibroblasts.
AB  - We investigated the requirement for N-formyl peptide receptor-mediated
      transmembrane signalling in transfected mouse fibroblasts that express the
      receptor. Stably transfected cells displayed specific binding for N-formyl-Met
      Leu-[3H]Phe with a dissociation constant of 3 nM. The cells responded to ligand
      stimulation with mobilization of calcium from intracellular stores. Calcium
      mobilization was ligand dose-dependent (EC50 = 3 nM fMet-Leu-Phe) and could be
      inhibited by pertussis toxin treatment. These results provide the first
      demonstration that expression of the single-chain N-formyl peptide receptor in
      mouse fibroblasts is sufficient for mediating ligand-induced early transmembrane
      signalling events, which do not appear to require other neutrophil-specific
      cellular components.

PMID- 1883373
TI  - Electrophoretic separation of S. pombe chromosomes in polyacrylamide solutions
      using a constant field.
AB  - Previous electrophoretic separations of megabase (Mb) sized DNA have been
      achieved in pulsed electric fields, using agarose gel as a matrix. The present
      study demonstrates separations of Mb sized DNA due to a retardation of migration
      in proportion to the concentration of uncrosslinked polyacrylamide of 5 x 10(6)
      molecular weight, using a constant electric field. Potentially, the method should
      be applicable to large DNA in general, greatly reducing the instrumental
      complexity of such separations and rendering them compatible with capillary
      electrophoresis apparatus.

PMID- 1883374
TI  - Involvement of protein kinase C in Ca(2+)-independent contraction of rat uterine
      smooth muscle.
AB  - The contribution of protein kinase C to the contraction by oxytocin of rat
      uterine longitudinal smooth muscle in Ca(2+)-free solution was investigated.
      Immunological analysis revealed that type II (beta) and III (alpha) protein
      kinase C subspecies were present in rat uterine smooth muscle. The pretreatment
      of a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor R59022 to accumulate diacylglycerol
      potentiated the Ca(2+)-independent contraction. The contractile activity was
      diminished with the depletion of protein kinase C, when the contraction was
      evoked repeatedly by oxytocin during the prolonged exposure to a tumor-promoting
      phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. These results suggested the
      involvement of protein kinase C in oxytocin-induced contraction in Ca(2+)-free
      solution.

PMID- 1883375
TI  - Excitation-contraction uncoupling during ischemia in the blood perfused dog
      heart.
AB  - The bioluminescent of Ca(2+)-indicator, aequorin, was loaded into the left
      ventricular apex of blood-perfused hearts from 13 dogs for simultaneous recording
      of left ventricular pressure and intracellular calcium levels. During a 2 minute
      period of ischemia, systolic and diastolic pressures significantly decreased. In
      contrast, these pressure changes were associated with an increase in both
      systolic and diastolic calcium reaching a maximum diastolic value of 0.59 microM
      and a systolic value of 1.11 microM. This apparent dissociation between pressure
      and [Ca2+]i supports the hypothesis that changes in myofilament Ca2+
      responsiveness are of major importance in modulating contractility during
      ischemia in large mammalian hearts.

PMID- 1883376
TI  - Inhibitory effects of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide on spinach cytochrome b6-f
      complex.
AB  - The electron transfer activity of purified cytochrome b6-f complex of spinach
      chloroplast is inhibited by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) in a concentration
      and incubation time dependent manner. The maximum inhibition of 75% is observed
      when 300 mole of DCCD per mole of protein (based on cytochrome f) is incubated
      with cytochrome b6-f complex at room temperature for 40 min. The inhibition of
      the complex is not due to the formation of cross links between subunits but due
      to the modification of carboxyls. The amount of DCCD incorporation is directly
      proportional to the activity loss, suggesting that some carboxyl groups in the
      complex are directly or indirectly involved in the catalytic function. The
      incorporated DCCD is located mainly at cytochrome b6 protein. The partially
      inhibited complex shows the same H+/e-ratio as that of the intact complex when
      embedded in phospholipid vesicles.

PMID- 1883377
TI  - The presence of sequence-specific protein binding sites correlate with
      replication activity and matrix binding in a 1.7 Kb-long DNA fragment of the
      chicken alpha-globin gene domain.
AB  - Several recognition sites for novel sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins were
      found at the 5'-side of the chicken alpha-globin gene domain in a 1.7 Kbp DNA
      fragment. This fragment includes the replication origin, a non tissue-specific
      transcriptional enhancer, a DNAse I hypersensitive site and a permanent site of
      DNA attachment to the nuclear matrix. Most of the identified protein binding
      sites differ from previously known consensus sequences. Two sites coincide with
      MARs located at the 5'-end of the 1.7 kbp fragment. The proteins interacting with
      these two recognition sites were observed only in proliferating cells and were
      virtually absent in the extracts obtained from the nonreplicating differentiated
      form of the same cells. One of them seems to belong to the GATA protein family,
      but its presence in nuclear extracts correlates with cell proliferation rather
      than expression of the domain.

PMID- 1883378
TI  - Hepoxilin A3 induces heat shock protein (HSP72) expression in human neutrophils.
AB  - In this paper we show that hepoxilin A3 induces the expression of heat shock
      protein expression in human neutrophils at a concentration of 100 nM using
      Western blotting techniques employing the use of a commercial monoclonal antibody
      to HSP72. No regiospecificity was observed as the 8S enantiomer of HxA3 was as
      active as the 8R enantiomer of HxA3. Comparison of the effects of HxA3 with 12S
      HETE and PGA1 indicated that HxA3 was as effective as 12S-HETE although PGA1 was
      essentially inactive at the same concentration used for these 12-lipoxygenase
      products.

PMID- 1883379
TI  - Synthesis and secretion of cobalamin binding proteins by opossum kidney cells.
AB  - Opossum kidney epithelial cells synthesize and secrete two Cobalamin (Cbl)
      binding proteins of Mr 66,000 and 43,000. When grown on culture inserts, the
      apical medium contained both these proteins while the basolateral medium
      contained only the 43 kDa Cbl binder. Colchicine, a microtubule disruptive drug,
      increased two fold the apical but not the basolateral secretion of the Cbl
      binding proteins. Although the opossum Cbl binders did not cross react with anti
      serum raised to Cbl binders from other species, the identity based on Cbl binding
      and size suggest that the 66 kDa and 43 kDa proteins are haptocorrin and
      transcobalamin II.

PMID- 1883380
TI  - Antiproliferative effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogs on human
      colon adenocarcinoma cells (CaCo-2): influence of extracellular calcium.
AB  - Depending on culture in either "low Ca++" (0.25 mM) or "normal Ca++" (1.8 mM)
      medium, human colon adenocarcinoma-derived CaCo-2 cells exhibit differential
      sensitivity to the antiproliferative action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
      (1,25(OH)2D3) and of two side-chain modified analogs, 1,25S,26-trihydroxy-delta
      22-vitamin D3 (Ro 23-4319) and 1,25-dihydroxy-delta 16-23yne-vitamin D3 (Ro 23
      7553). CaCo-2 cells cultured under low Ca++ conditions exhibit a high
      proliferative potential, and in these cells, all vitamin D compounds under
      investigation significantly inhibit [3H]thymidine incorporation into cellular DNA
      at greater than or equal to 10(-10) M. The rank order of biopotency is: Ro 23
      7553 greater than or equal to Ro 23-4319 greater than 1,25(OH)2D3. At 1.8 mM
      Ca++, only Ro 23-7553 is able to inhibit proliferation of CaCo-2 cells. Parallel
      to their antiproliferative action, all three vitamin D compounds stimulate
      akaline phosphatase activity in CaCo-2 cells, indicating their ability to induce
      differentiated functions at the same time as they reduce neoplastic cell growth.

PMID- 1883381
TI  - Amphiregulin-associated protein: complete amino acid sequence of a protein
      produced by the 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-treated human breast
      adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7.
AB  - Amphiregulin-associated protein (ARAP) was purified from serum-free conditioned
      medium of MCF-7, human breast carcinoma cells, treated with 12-0
      tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). ARAP is a single-chain, extremely
      hydrophilic, heparin-binding protein. Its apparent molecular weight is
      approximately 21,500 as assessed by gel chromatography and approximately 15,500
      as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The complete amino acid
      sequence of ARAP was determined. The larger form contains 123 amino acids,
      whereas a shorter form is missing two amino acids at the amino-terminal. ARAP
      contains 10 cysteines and 30 basic amino acids (23 lysines and 7 arginines). ARP
      sequence has been found to be identical to protein encoded by human MK gene.

PMID- 1883382
TI  - Casein kinase I in bovine sperm: purification and characterization.
AB  - A highly purified preparation of sperm casein kinase I was obtained by sequential
      chromatography with phosphocellulose, gel filtration on sephacryl S-300, Affi-gel
      blue and DEAE-Cellulose. The chromatographic behavior and properties of the
      enzyme suggest that the sperm enzyme is similar to casein kinase I from other
      tissues. Antibodies against calf thymus casein kinase I cross-react with the
      sperm enzyme. A special feature of the sperm enzyme is that the activity is
      stimulated by spermine.

PMID- 1883383
TI  - Evidence for sulfite as an essential metabolite for human peripheral lymphocytes.
AB  - Sulfite has been identified as an essential metabolite by means of growth studies
      using a chemically-defined, protein-free medium for culture of human peripheral
      lymphocytes. Sulfite reduced the amount of cysteine required for optimum growth
      by at least four-fold. In some subjects, sulfite stimulated growth even in the
      presence of optimal amounts of cysteine indicating that lymphocytes of some
      individuals are unable to convert cysteine to sulfite in adequate amounts.

PMID- 1883384
TI  - A deficiency of vitamin B6 is a plausible molecular basis of the retinopathy of
      patients with diabetes mellitus.
AB  - Eighteen patients with diabetes mellitus, some of whom had variously retinopathy,
      pregnancy, and the carpal tunnel syndrome, and were variously treated with
      steroids and vitamin B6, have been overviewed for periods of 8 months to 28
      years. We have established an association of a deficiency of vitamin B6 with
      diabetes by monitoring the specific activity of the erythrocyte glutamic
      oxaloacetic transaminase and again by the association with the carpal tunnel
      syndrome (C.T.S.). It has been known for a decade that C.T.S. is caused by a B6
      deficiency. The absence of retinopathy in vitamin B6-treated diabetic patients
      over periods of 8 months - 28 years appears monumental. These observations are
      like discovery and constitute a basis for a new protocol to establish the
      apparent relationship of a deficiency of vitamin B6 as a molecular cause of
      diabetic neuropathy. Blindness and vision are so important that the strength or
      weakness of the observations are not important; the conduct of a new protocol is
      important.

PMID- 1883385
TI  - Cathepsin B and L activities in isolated osteoclasts.
AB  - Cathepsin B and L activities were examined with chicken osteoclasts isolated by
      sequential filtration and inhibitors were added to disaggregated rat osteoclasts
      on cortical bovine bone. Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2, a selective inhibitor of cathepsin L, at
      1, 5, and 10 microM, inhibited bone resorption by rat osteoclasts 50, 85, and 100
      per cent and, in chicken osteoclasts, cathepsin L activity was comparably
      inhibited. Cathepsin L in avian osteoclasts was also 25-fold higher than
      cathepsin B. Chicken osteoclasts treated with Z-Phe-Ala-CHN2, a generalized
      cysteine proteinase inhibitor, had both cathepsins inhibited to the same extent.
      Cathepsin L may play a key role in resorption.

PMID- 1883386
TI  - Molecular dissection of cholinergic binding sites: how do snakes escape the
      effect of their own toxins?
AB  - Snakes have evolved a novel binding site demonstrating selective biorecognition.
      The snake nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is sensitive to acetylcholine while
      resistant to the effect of the lethal neurotoxins secreted in their own venom. By
      subjecting recombinant binding sites to point mutagenesis, biochemical analyses
      and NMR spectroscopy the binding characteristics of three cholinergic ligands
      have been measured. The amino acid residue at position 189 has been found to be
      of particular importance to toxin binding.

PMID- 1883387
TI  - Genistein inhibition of the growth of human breast cancer cells: independence
      from estrogen receptors and the multi-drug resistance gene.
AB  - The effect of isoflavones on the growth of the human breast carcinoma cell lines,
      MDA-468 (estrogen receptor negative), and MCF-7 and MCF-7-D-40 (estrogen receptor
      positive), has been examined. Genistein is a potent inhibitor of the growth of
      each cell line (IC50 values from 6.5 to 12.0 micrograms/ml), whereas biochanin A
      and daidzein are weaker growth inhibitors (IC50 values from 20 to 34
      micrograms/ml). The isoflavone beta-glucosides, genistin and daidzin, have little
      effect on growth (IC50 values greater than 100 micrograms/ml). The presence of
      the estrogen receptor is not required for the isoflavones to inhibit tumor cell
      growth (MDA-468 vs MCF-7 cells). In addition, the effects of genistein and
      biochanin A are not attenuated by overexpression of the multi-drug resistance
      gene product (MCF-7-D40 vs MCF-7 cells).

PMID- 1883388
TI  - The monomer of pyruvate kinase, subtype M1, is both a kinase and a cytosolic
      thyroid hormone binding protein.
AB  - Using a T7 expression system, the monomer of rat pituitary pyruvate kinase,
      subtype M1 (PKM1), was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to
      homogeneity. The monomeric p58-M1 has intrinsic enzymatic activity with a Vmax of
      79 +/- 20 units/mg and Km's for ADP and PEP of 1.43 +/- 0.76 and 0.14 +/- 0.07
      mM, respectively. The monomer binds 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) with Ka = 1.5
      x 10(7) M-1. The order of analog specificity is L-T3 greater than L-thyroxine
      greater than D-T3 greater than 3'-isopropyl-3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine greater than
      or equal to 3',5',3-triiodo-L-thyronine. In contrast, tetrameric PKM1 lacks T3
      binding activity. The kinase activity of p58-M1 is inhibited by T3 and its
      analogs in a concentration-dependent manner with the order of inhibitory activity
      similar to that of binding activity. This inhibition, however, is reversed by the
      addition of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. p58-M1 is the second PK isoenzyme monomer
      to be identified as having thyroid hormone binding activity.

PMID- 1883389
TI  - Initial description of a tumor enhancing activity produced by murine splenocytes.
AB  - We have shown that certain murine tumors grow more slowly and spread less readily
      in immune deficient animals. We have also demonstrated that immunologic factors
      explain certain aspects of this difference. In the work presented we demonstrate
      that a subpopulation of splenocytes produce a factor(s) that enhances tumor cell
      proliferation in vitro. We also describe an in vitro model to determine the level
      of tumor stimulatory activity. We found that the tumor cell growth-enhancing
      activity (TEA) is heat stable but sensitive to trypsin digestion, low pH and beta
      mercaptoethanol. TEA production is found to be insensitive to mitogen stimulation
      such as concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide, and phytohemagglutinin. Among the
      known growth factors and interleukins we have tested (interleukin 1-7, basic FGF,
      EGF, TGF-beta PDGF, GM-CSF, and MCSF), none appear to account for TEA activity.

PMID- 1883390
TI  - Purification of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor precursor from
      Escherichia coli.
AB  - To study its biological functions, tumor necrosis factor precursor (proTNF) with
      a molecular size of 26-KDa was obtained as a recombinant protein from Escherichia
      coli. The recombinant proTNF was successfully accumulated in the insoluble form,
      corresponding to about 10-15% of total E. coli proteins. Solubilization, gel
      filtration and anion exchange chromatography were performed under denatured
      conditions followed by dialysis in phosphate-buffered saline. These processes
      removed most of the contaminating bacterial proteins, yielding proTNF with a
      purity of about 70-80%. This recombinant proTNF is expected to be useful for
      functional studies on activated macrophages with membrane integrated proTNF.

PMID- 1883391
TI  - Immunoglobulins from Graves' disease patients interact with different sites on
      TSH receptor/LH-CG receptor chimeras than either TSH or immunoglobulins from
      idiopathic myxedema patients.
AB  - To examine the identity of binding sites for thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid
      stimulating antibodies (TSAbs) associated with Graves' disease, we constructed
      eight human TSH receptor/rat LH-CG receptor chimeras. Substitution of amino acid
      residues 8-165 of the TSH receptor with the corresponding LH-CG receptor segment
      (Mc1 + 2) results in a chimera which retains high affinity TSH binding and the
      cAMP response to TSH but loses both the cAMP response to Graves' IgG and Graves'
      IgG inhibition of TSH binding. Two of three IgGs from idiopathic myxedema
      patients which contain thyroid stimulation blocking antibodies (TSBAbs) still,
      however, react with this chimera. Chimeras which substitute residues 90-165 (Mc2)
      and 261-370 (Mc4) retain the ability to interact with TSH, Graves' IgG, and
      idiopathic myxedema IgG. The data thus suggest that residues 8-165 contain an
      epitope specific for TSAbs and that TSH receptor determinants important for the
      activities of TSAbs and TSH are not identical. Further, binding sites for TSBAbs
      in idiopathic myxedema may be different from receptor binding sites for both
      Graves' IgG TSAb as well as TSH and may be different in individual patients.

PMID- 1883392
TI  - GLP-1(7-36)amide-stimulated insulin secretion in rat islets is sodium-dependent.
AB  - We examined the Na(+)-dependency of the effects of GLP-1(7-36)amide in normal,
      overnight cultured rat islets. It was found that GLP-1(7-36)amide stimulated
      insulin secretion, 45Ca(2+)-efflux, and 86Rb(+)-efflux from prelabelled islets.
      All these effects were abolished by omitting Na+ from the medium and replacing it
      with N-methyl-glucamine. This suggests that GLP-1(7-36)amide stimulates insulin
      secretion by depolarizing the beta-cells by increasing their permeability to Na+.

PMID- 1883393
TI  - Compound heterozygosity for mutant hepatic lipase in familial hepatic lipase
      deficiency.
AB  - In a kindred with three hyperlipidemic subjects who had premature atherosclerosis
      and complete deficiency of hepatic lipase activity, we had previously identified
      a novel structural hepatic lipase gene variant. We now report the identification
      of three more hepatic lipase gene mutations in this family and demonstrate that
      compound heterozygosity for two hepatic lipase mutations (designated S267F and
      T383M) underlies hepatic lipase deficiency.

PMID- 1883394
TI  - Effects of androgen on intracellular calcium of LNCaP cells.
AB  - Mibolerone (dimethylnortestosterone) or 5 alpha-dihydrostestosterone (DHT)
      increase intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) of human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) as
      early as 2 min after treatment. These effects were concentration-dependent (10(
      6)-10(-12) M) and they were blocked by preincubation with hydroxyflutamide (10(
      6) M). Verapamil (10(-6) M) also suppressed the mibolerone (10(-6) M)-induced
      increase in Ca2+i, in cells which were previously exposed to 1 mM CaCl2
      introduced in a Ca(2+)-free media. The results indicate that androgens elicit
      changes in Ca2+i in LNCaP cells as a result of Ca2+ influx through L-type
      channels in the plasma membrane. Since androgens are involved in the regulation
      of prostate cell division and growth, these findings suggest that calcium is
      involved in metabolic and mitogenic responses to steroid hormone in target cells.

PMID- 1883395
TI  - The activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase is directly linked to the
      inhibition of osteoblast proliferation (UMR-106) by parathyroid hormone-related
      protein.
AB  - The present study was performed to compare the effect of parathyroid hormone
      related protein (PTHrP) on the proliferation of osteoblastic osteosarcoma cells
      (UMR-106) with that of PTH and characterize the direct involvement of cAMP in the
      change of osteoblast proliferation by PTHrP. Human(h)PTHrP-(1-34) (10(-11)-10(
      7)M) dose-dependently inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation (TdR) in the same
      manner as hPTH-(1-34). The simultaneous addition of PTHrP and PTH at a maximal
      effective dose of 10(-7) M did not cause additive suppressive effect on cell
      proliferation. Rp-cAMPs, which has been recently shown to act directly as
      antagonist in the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), dose
      dependently (10(-6)-10(-4)M) antagonized PTHrP-induced suppression of TdR in the
      same manner as PTH. Present study indicated that PTHrP has the same effect on
      osteoblast proliferation as PTH and that the activation of PKA is directly linked
      to the change of osteoblast proliferation by PTHrP.

PMID- 1883396
TI  - Immunoenzyme determination of total serum ceruloplasmin. Application to Wilson
      disease.
AB  - Enzyme immunoassay for ceruloplasmin (CP)*, employing monospecific CP antibodies
      labeled with horse radish peroxidase was developed. This method permits to
      determine total content of CP, which is present in Wilson disease patients' blood
      in enzymatically active and enzymatically inactive forms. The evidence is
      presented that the method can be used for a direct determination of CP in blood
      serum. The minimal CP concentration which may be determined by enzyme immunoassay
      (IEA) is 5.10(-9) g/ml. The method was used for determination of CP
      concentrations in Wilson disease patients' blood with different disease severity.
      Analysis of blood samples taken from 6 Wilson disease patients with the use of
      IEA method revealed similar total CP concentrations. At the same time, the
      oxidase activities of CP in the blood of different patients varied more than
      sevenfold.

PMID- 1883397
TI  - Improved procedure for the purification of hepatic lipase from rat liver
      homogenate.
AB  - A procedure is described for the purification of hepatic lipase (HL)4 from rat
      liver homogenate which results in a high yield (41%) of electrophoretically
      homogeneous enzyme. The method is based on that of Twu et al. (Biochim. Biophys.
      Acta 1984: 792, 330), but it is more efficient with respect to yield (about 4
      fold) and purity (1.6-fold). It includes the preparation of a high-speed
      supernatant, chromatography in series on octyl-, heparin- and concanavalin A
      Sepharose, and finally gel filtration. On SDS-PAGE analysis, the purified enzyme
      exhibited an apparent molecular mass of 63.6 +/- 3.2 kDa. Heterogeneity was
      observed, when purified HL was subjected to isoelectric focussing. The enzyme
      displayed a specific catalytic activity of 23,000 U* (mumol fatty acid released
      per h at 37 degrees C) per mg protein, when assayed with trioleoyl glycerol
      suspensions in arabic gum. A highly specific antiserum against rat liver HL,
      capable of inhibiting 817 mU* HL per microliter antiserum, was raised in rabbits.

PMID- 1883398
TI  - Fluorescence changes of 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole bound to thiol
      groups of gizzard myosin.
AB  - The fluorescence intensity of gizzard myosin that incorporated about 2 mol of 7
      chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-C1) at 0.6 M KC1 was quenched at low
      concentrations of MgATP or in the presence of F-actin. The observed quenching was
      reduced at high MgATP concentrations. The half maximal change in quenched
      fluorescence was shifted from 7.5 microM to 25 microM MgATP for NBD-myosin at
      0.15 M KC1. The fluorescent label NBD-C1 can be used to detect changes in the
      conformation of gizzard myosin.

PMID- 1883399
TI  - Substrate analogues and divalent cations as inhibitors of glutamate decarboxylase
      from Escherichia coli.
AB  - To examine the idea that glutamate decarboxylase from E. coli can be a convenient
      source for the study of the effects of compounds on GABA synthesis in the nervous
      system, a series of substrate analogues and divalent cations were tested as
      potential inhibitors of the bacterial enzyme. Those analogues exhibiting
      inhibitor activity did so in a competitive manner. The most effective inhibitors
      were 3-mercaptopropionic acid, 4-bromoisophthalic acid and isophthalic acid which
      exhibited Ki values of 0.13 mM, 0.22 mM and 0.31 mM, respectively. Eight other
      analogues produced lesser degrees of inhibition. In addition, seven divalent
      metal cations were tested as inhibitors of the enzyme. However, only Hg2+, Cd2+,
      Cu2+ and Zn2+ were effective at a concentration of 0.1mM. When these results were
      compared to the patterns of inhibition of glutamate decarboxylase from mouse
      brain, certain differences in the manner in which the enzymes responded to the
      inhibitors, emerged. Consequently, the bacterial decarboxylase may not be a good
      model for the study of drug action on brain GABA synthesis.

PMID- 1883400
TI  - Effect of the remaining ischemic liver lobes on DNA synthesis in rat liver
      regeneration following 70% functional hepatectomy.
AB  - After 24 h of 70% partial hepatectomy (PH), the activities of thymidylate
      synthase (TS: EC 2.1.1.45) and thymidine kinase (TK: EC 2.7.1.21) increased by
      4.0 and 9.3 times, respectively, compared with their normal levels taken just
      after PH. In the ligation experiment, where the left lateral and median lobes
      were ligated as usual PH but were left without resection, regeneration occurs in
      the non-ligated lobes whose TS and TK levels after 24 h of the ligation were
      significantly suppressed compared with the PH group. The DNA content of the non
      ligated lobes was also lower than that of PH group.

PMID- 1883401
TI  - Effects of vanadate on plasma lipoprotein profiles in experimental diabetic rats.
AB  - The insulin-like effects of vanadate have been intensively studied in the
      biological system. Lipids and lipoprotein profiles are altered in diabetes. Rats
      were made diabetic by a single i.v. injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body
      weight) in citrate buffer. After the overt of diabetes, the diabetic rats were
      treated with sodium orthovanadate (0.3 mg/ml) for fifteen days. The altered
      cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in plasma lipoprotein fractions
      (HDL, LDL and VLDL) were found to be reverted back to near normal levels in
      vanadate treated diabetic rats.

PMID- 1883402
TI  - Sensitivity of brain cholinesterase to cypermethrin toxicity in freshwater
      teleost Tilapia mossambica.
AB  - Cypermethrin at sublethal concentrations induced significant changes in
      acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and acetylcholine (ACh) content in the brain
      tissue of both juvenile and adult-fish. Maximum inhibition of AChE activity is
      noticed at 6h and 12h after exposure to cypermethrin in juvenile and adult fish
      respectively. In contrast, the ACh levels registered an elevation in both the
      cases. During subsequent periods the rate of recovery in AChE activity and ACh
      content is variable in both the groups.

PMID- 1883403
TI  - Cypermethrin induced modulations in lipid metabolism of freshwater teleost,
      Tilapia mossambica.
AB  - Significant changes in lipid metabolic profiles were observed in brain, liver and
      gill tissues of T. mossambica under chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations
      of cypermethrin. Increase in total lipid, lipase and free fatty acids with
      decrease in glycerol content suggests simultaneous operation of lipogenesis and
      lipolysis during cypermethrin stress. Phospholipid levels dropped, while
      cholesterol content increased in all the tissues as a consequence of cypermethrin
      toxicity.

PMID- 1883404
TI  - Isolation and characterization of two antigenic glycoproteins from the pollen of
      Prosopis juliflora.
AB  - Two antigenically active glycoprotein fractions were isolated from crude extract
      of the pollen of Prosopis juliflora using DEAE-cellulose ion exchange
      chromatography. The glycoproteins gave single band on polyacrylamide gel
      electrophoresis. The molecular weight of these two glycoprotein was 20,000 and
      10,000 as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. With the help of crossed
      immunoelectrophoresis and gel diffusion crude extract exhibited twelve and three
      precipitating antigens suggesting its heterogeneous nature; and the purified
      glycoprotein fractions however formed single precipitin band on gel diffusion
      test and immunoelectrophoresis. As tested by ELISA the polyclonal antisera raised
      in rabbit showed strong binding affinity with glycoprotein of MW 20,000. These
      result indicates that the two glycoprotein fractions are not antigenically
      identical.

PMID- 1883405
TI  - Hydrophobic interaction between tryptophan and some synthetic nucleosides.
AB  - The interaction of 29 synthetic nucleosides with tryptophan was studied by charge
      transfer reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography and the relative strength of
      interaction was calculated. In the majority of cases Trp significantly decreased
      the lipophilicity of the nucleosides. This effect may be due to the interaction
      between the more hydrophilic Trp and the more lipophilic nucleosides, resulting
      in charge-transfer complexes of moderate lipophilicity. Stepwise regression
      analysis proved that the length of the alkyl substituent of nucleosides
      significantly influences the strength of interaction. Our findings supports the
      hypothesis that the nucleosides turn toward Trp with their alkyl substituent and
      the binding is of hydrophobic character.

PMID- 1883406
TI  - Localization of L-alanine: 4,5-dioxovalerate transaminase in the matrix of the
      rat kidney mitochondria.
AB  - The bulk of the enzyme L-alanine: 4,5-dioxovalerate transaminase, which catalyses
      the transamination reaction between L-alanine and 4,5-dioxovalerate to synthesize
      delta-aminolevulinic acid was predominantly recovered in the mitochondrial
      matrix. Sub-fractionation procedure of the mitochondria involved the use of
      digitonin and lubrol followed by differential centrifugation to separate soluble
      and particulate enzymes. Lubrol did not inhibit this enzyme. Presence of this
      enzyme in the mitochondrial matrix was further confirmed by western blot
      analysis. The results support the conclusion that L-alanine: 4,5-dioxovalerate
      transaminase is localized and functions in the mitochondrial matrix.

PMID- 1883407
TI  - A new beginning: current trends in pediatric heart transplantation.
AB  - Recent experience with heart transplantation in the newborn infant as a surgical
      option for the treatment of HLHS and other fatal heart abnormalities has
      encouraged the outgrowth of infant heart transplant programs throughout the
      world. Current trends include noninvasive evaluation of rejection, minimizing
      immunosuppressive therapy in this age group, and evaluating societal issues such
      as the cost of transplantation and parental compliance as an indicator of
      outcome. Implications for nursing practice involve the support of infants and
      their families during the evaluation process, thus allowing families to receive
      appropriate counseling regarding their options. This support may include the
      obstetric nurse in a small hospital or the nurse practitioner in the neonatal
      intensive care unit. Heart transplant coordinators facilitate the rapid transfer
      of information from the transplant center to the referring facility regarding
      management principles that are necessary to support an infant dying of HLHS.
      Nursing implications in the psychosocial arena include assessing family
      compliance in an effort to determine its impact on a successful surgical outcome.
      After transplantation, nursing practice is challenged by participating in the
      determination of rejection, and contributing to long-term follow-up care.

PMID- 1883408
TI  - Treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure caused by chlorine exposure.
AB  - Chlorine inhalation may rapidly cause pulmonary edema, leading to acute hypoxemic
      respiratory failure. We report a 12 year old with acute respiratory failure from
      inhalation injury after he accidentally dropped chlorine tablets into a swimming
      pool. Supplemental oxygen alone failed to provide adequate arterial oxygenation.
      We administered positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) in the emergency
      department, resulting in markedly improved oxygenation. Early institution of PEEP
      should be considered in patients with chlorine poisoning when supplemental oxygen
      alone is insufficient.

PMID- 1883409
TI  - Acupuncture and postoperative sickness.

PMID- 1883410
TI  - Using anticoagulants safely. Guidelines for therapeutic and prophylactic
      regimens.
AB  - Heparin and warfarin sodium (Coumadin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) are used most often to
      treat acute and recurrent venous thromboembolic disease, arterial disease,
      valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation. These agents along with dextran,
      pneumatic compression devices, and gradient stockings are also used to prevent
      deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients at high risk (eg, those
      with venous stasis, lower limb or spinal cord trauma, clotting abnormalities).
      Anticoagulation therapy is monitored by maintaining the activated partial
      thromboplastin time and the prothrombin time in the therapeutic range.

PMID- 1883411
TI  - Exclusion of the gene responsible for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy
      (FSH) at 6q23-q27.
AB  - Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH) is an autosomal dominant condition
      with variable expressivity and age dependent penetrance. Linkage studies still
      did not exclude regions 11, 2q, 6q, 7p, 8p, 10q, 12p and 14p as possible
      locations for the FSH gene. In the present study we have analysed 80 individuals
      (36 patients and 44 normals) belonging to 8 unrelated Brazilian families with 3
      probes located on the long arm of chromosome 6:MHB(6q22-q23), ESR(6q24-q27) and
      TCP1(6q25-q27). Results of linkage analysis suggest that the gene responsible for
      FSH muscular dystrophy is not in the region 6q23-q27.

PMID- 1883412
TI  - Intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis. Comparison of various formulae with the
      'gold standard' of isoelectric focusing.
AB  - The recent introduction of a further new formula for calculating intrathecal Ig
      synthesis led us to compare the results of calculations obtained when using it
      and certain other older formulae with those of isoelectric focusing (IEF), since
      only the latter proves the intrathecal synthesis of oligoclonal proteins. On
      comparison, it was found that the results produced by the usual formulae were,
      without exception, inferior to those of isoelectric focusing. By using Receiver
      Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, it is shown that calculations with the
      Reiber formula agree best with IEF. Virtually the same results are obtained with
      the "ln IgG index + 1" and "IgG index".

PMID- 1883413
TI  - A battle plan for patients in pain.

PMID- 1883414
TI  - Bowen's disease and internal cancer.

PMID- 1883415
TI  - Prolactin stimulates the release of oxytocin in lactating rats: evidence for a
      physiological role via an action at the neural lobe.
AB  - The present studies were designed to investigate whether prolactin (PRL)
      influences the secretion of oxytocin (OT) in lactating rats, and to test whether
      the previously reported inhibitory and stimulatory effects of dopamine-2 (D-2)
      agonists and antagonists, respectively, on OT release might be secondary to their
      respective inhibitory and stimulatory effects on the release of PRL. Intravenous
      administration of either rat (r) or ovine (o) PRL to lactating, nonsuckled rats
      increased basal plasma concentrations of OT. rGH was ineffective, but
      administration of oGH did produce some stimulation of OT release. Both oPRL and
      rPRL significantly enhanced the electrical stimulation-induced release of OT from
      isolated stalk-neurointermediate lobes, in vitro, without affecting the basal
      release of the peptide. oGH was ineffective on basal or stimulated in vitro OT
      release, and neither hormone altered basal or stimulation-induced release of
      vasopressin from these tissues. Both rPRL and oPRL reversed the inhibitory effect
      of the D-2 dopamine agonist bromocriptine. Immunoneutralization of circulating
      PRL with a highly specific antiserum abolished the increases in OT in response to
      either suckling or to administration of the D-2 dopamine antagonist
      domperidone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883416
TI  - High serum selenium concentrations in reindeer breeding Lappish men.
AB  - This study investigated the relationship of serum selenium to its dietary sources
      in a group of Lappish men and a control population. Lappish men had higher serum
      selenium concentrations than non-Lappish men (1.79 vs 1.58 mumol/1; p = 0.003).
      Serum selenium correlated positively with consumption of reindeer meat, age and
      cholesterol. In linear regression models, however, being Lappish was the most
      significant predictor of high serum selenium. Lappish men ate more reindeer meat
      (p = 0.001) and less fish (p = 0.013) than men in the control group. Consumption
      of reindeer meat was also correlated with higher serum cholesterol levels. We
      conclude that high serum selenium concentrations in Lappish men may be important
      since low mortality from cancer is reported in this group.

PMID- 1883417
TI  - Diabetes prevalence in Alaska, 1984-1986.
AB  - The prevalence of diabetes in Alaska from 1984 to 1986 was determined through
      medical records review. Cases were identified from hospital and physician
      discharge forms and from financial abstracts. As of December 1986, 3,719 Alaskans
      met the criteria for physician diagnosis of diabetes. The overall age-adjusted
      prevalence of diagnosed diabetes mellitus, 1,357/100,000, was lower than the U.S.
      rate of 2,470/100,000. The overall age-adjusted prevalence rates of specific
      complications and pregnancy among Alaskans with diabetes were retinopathy-
      167.5/1,000; blindness--24.3/1,000; amputations--19.4/1,000; end stage renal
      disease--9.7/1,000; pregnancy--50.7/1,000. Limitations in available data sources
      such as death certificates, hospital records, and subspecialists' medical records
      provided serious problems in identifying persons with diabetes, especially those
      in the 30- to 69-year age group who have not yet developed complications
      requiring hospitalization or subspecialty care. This population perhaps is most
      in need of services to prevent future complications of diabetes.

PMID- 1883418
TI  - Right-branch bundle block in circumpolar Inuit.
AB  - The prevalence of right-branch bundle block (RBBB) has been examined in the Inuit
      residents of Igloolik (69 degrees 40'N, Canadian N.W.T.) over a twenty-year
      period. Original reports of a very high prevalence of RBBB probably reflected a
      selective testing of patients with chronic respiratory disease by visiting
      physicians. Cases of RBBB are certainly seen somewhat more frequently than in a
      southern community, but the majority of subjects show no more than a slight
      notching of the R wave of the electrocardiogram, with no appreciable broadening
      of the QRS complex. While a few of the more marked cases of RBBB may be
      attributable to chronic respiratory disease, the majority are associated with
      high normal values for both lung function and predicted maximal oxygen intake.
      The probable cause is thus a ventricular hypertrophy due to the vigorous physical
      activity demanded by life in a northern community rather than chronic respiratory
      disease. The physical demands of life in Igloolik have diminished over the past
      two decades, and an apparent increase in the prevalence of RBBB over this period
      is probably due mainly to a great awareness+ of the condition by those reading
      the electrocardiograms.

PMID- 1883419
TI  - Transcapillar metabolism of lipid- and watersoluble antioxidants as marker of
      chronical stress in coming population of circumpolar regions.
AB  - It was shown that the content of the lipid peroxide oxidation products and basic
      lipid and soluble antioxidant products in capillary and venous blood reflect the
      tissue trophy provision process in the chronic ecology stress condition. The high
      reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system
      is one of the important mechanisms which is responsible for capillary penetration
      disturbance and for accelerated development of inflammatory and non-inflammatory
      disease among immigrants to Circumpolar regions.

PMID- 1883420
TI  - Personality profiles of Iditarod mushers as compared by finish group.
AB  - This study uses a personality profile questionnaire to determine what it is about
      a person's character that makes them unique to their finish place in the Iditarod
      Trail Sled Dog Race using data collected from 1988 and 1989. It is the purpose of
      this study to determine differences in personality that make a musher a top ten
      finisher as opposed to those who finished in other groups. Mushers were divided
      into five groups: 1) top ten, 2) 11 to 20, 3) 21 to 30, 4) 31 to last, and 5)
      scratches. Data was subjected to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Pearson
      Product-Moment Correlation to determine if any significant distinctions occurred
      among these groups. A main effect is found in Factor E, Factor F, Factor L, and
      Factor Q2. In Factor E, Group 1 (top ten finishers) was found to be more
      aggressive. This group is also more enthusiastic (Factor F). Top mushers are more
      suspicious and hard to fool (whereas those who finish last are more trusting
      [Factor L]). Top ten finishers are more group-oriented than the rest of the
      mushers, inferring that they get along with others and are more helping (Factor
      Q2). These data suggest that to place in the top ten pack of Iditarod mushers,
      one must be aggressive, enthusiastic, and calculating.

PMID- 1883421
TI  - Cosmic rays from the sun--health risks now apparent.

PMID- 1883422
TI  - Disease pattern in Greenland: studies on morbidity in Upernavik 1979-1980 and
      mortality in Greenland 1968-1985.
AB  - The disease pattern is described for the population of Upernavik, which is the
      administrative centre of a very large, sparsely populated municipality in North
      Western Greenland. The number of medical contacts per person was by and large
      similar in Upernavik and Denmark despite different health care systems, but the
      distribution of diagnoses was different. Persons with poor socioeconomic status
      (housing conditions and social group) were admitted to hospital more often than
      those with high status. Mortality in Greenland was studied using a computerized
      register of causes of death covering all deaths in residents of Greenland during
      1968-1985. Age standardized mortality rate was twice as high in Inuit of
      Greenland as in the population of Denmark but five times higher in children.
      Mortality due to infectious diseases, ischaemic heart disease and certain
      accidents decreased during the period studied while mortality due to lung cancer,
      suicide and homicide increased. Regional differences in mortality were pronounced
      with high infant mortality and high mortality from acute infections and accidents
      in the socioeconomically poor settlements and remote districts. The suicide and
      homicide rates were highest in the capital and in the remote East Greenland.
      Compared with Denmark, mortality rates were higher in Greenland from most causes
      with ischaemic heart disease as an exception, being significantly less common in
      Greenland in both males and females. A comprehensive literature review describes
      the disease pattern in Greenland with special emphasis on the period after 1970.
      It is concluded that epidemiology can contribute to future health planning in
      Greenland and that research and development must be given high priority. Some
      major health problems facing the Greenlandic community are the high mortality
      from suicides and homicides, the prevalence of violence often triggered by
      alcohol, the many accidents, the high infant and child mortality and the high
      mortality from preventable cancers (lung and cervix).

PMID- 1883423
TI  - Standard-setting plans for the NBME comprehensive Part I and Part II
      examinations.
AB  - The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) has reviewed its procedure for
      setting pass-fail standards in conjunction with the introduction of its
      comprehensive Part I and Part II examinations in 1991. This report gives
      background information on the procedures used for the past decade to set pass
      fail standards for the Part I and Part II examinations, an overview of the NBME's
      research on standard setting, under way since 1987, and a statement of its plans
      for determining pass-fail standards for these examinations. In 1981 the NBME
      changed from the norm-referenced standard, used since the 1950s, to a criterion
      group approach to setting pass-fail standards. Although the criterion-group
      system resulted in more stable standards, it still meant that the standard moved
      whenever the performance of the reference group changed. After conducting
      research, surveying constituencies, and examining alternatives, the NBME has
      adopted a new standard-setting plan that has the following components: a content
      based standard-setting procedure; determination of standards by an appropriate
      group; use of a fixed standard; and periodic review of standards and standard
      setting procedures. This new process will produce three types of improvements: it
      will incorporate deliberations informed by a wide range of information, including
      content review; annual review of examinees' performances and pass-fail results
      and triennial restudy of the process will add further quality control; and a
      fixed standard will mean that comparable performances will be required across
      administrations in order to pass.

PMID- 1883424
TI  - Faculty practice plans: the organization and characteristics of academic medical
      practice.
AB  - The contemporary academic medical center is a complex organization providing
      medical and other professional health education, biomedical and behavioral
      research, and a comprehensive range of patient care services. This paper presents
      data from the Association of American Medical Colleges' 1989 survey of 125 member
      faculty practice plans. The survey data showed that 62% of the 74 responding
      plans were units or associations within the medical school corporate structure.
      Plans were organized along a broad continuum from the autonomous, departmental
      model with decentralized governance and management to the group model with
      centralized governance and management. The growth of managed care, increased
      competition, and a greater reliance by the medical school on clinical practice
      income as a financing source are causing the practice plan to expand beyond
      billing of professional fees. The survey data showed that 75% of the practice
      plans operated satellite centers, and 61% planned to build new ambulatory care
      facilities in order to expand and improve services to patients. The practice
      plans also have adapted to changes in third-party reimbursement and are
      establishing mechanisms to negotiate managed care contracts involving multiple
      clinical departments to increase referrals and maintain patient shares; 86% of
      the plans participate in at least one managed-care organization. The role of the
      practice plan will continue to evolve in response to the needs of the academic
      medical center for a cooperative and supportive environment in which to conduct
      its traditional missions of teaching, research, and patient care.

PMID- 1883425
TI  - Everything I know about health care I learned in the Pentagon in World War II.
AB  - This is a brief autobiographical account by the chief logistical adviser to the
      surgeon general of the army of his experiences during World War II, when at peak
      army hospitals had 600,000 patients in bed on one day and used 40,000 physicians,
      100,000 nurses, and 600,000 medical corpsmen to care for them. The recapitulation
      of that experience calls attention to the fragility of hospital planning, the
      dangers that underemployed physicians will overtreat patients, the advantages of
      using nurses as patient care managers in hospitals, and the desirability of not
      operating too close to the margin. These events of World War II also provide
      background for understanding the origins of three major post-World War II
      transformations of U.S. medicine, specifically the much-enhanced demand by the
      American public for access to a much higher level of medical care than that to
      which they had earlier been accustomed; the greatly enlarged expenditures of the
      federal government for basic biomedical research, which derived momentum from the
      success of research during World War II; and the victory of specialism that
      captured U.S. medical education and treatment.

PMID- 1883426
TI  - Phase-in of the NBME comprehensive Part I examination.

PMID- 1883427
TI  - The inadequacy of recent research on computer-assisted instruction.

PMID- 1883428
TI  - The threatened role of volunteer faculty members.

PMID- 1883429
TI  - Student loan programs.

PMID- 1883431
TI  - Assessment of constituency opinion about NBME examination standards.
AB  - The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) reviewed its procedures for
      setting pass-fail standards in conjunction with the introduction of its
      comprehensive Part I and Part II examinations in 1991. A component of the review
      was the 1990 survey of 12 NBME constituencies to assess opinions about pass-fail
      rates and standard setting. The survey responses, generally consistent across
      groups, revealed (1) support for a more even distribution of fail rates across
      the three examinations, (2) support for a fixed standard, with pass-fail rates
      that change depending on the performance of a cohort of examinees, and (3) a
      favorable reaction to setting performance standards based on a review of the
      examination content. These responses may serve as a resource and a frame of
      reference for determining the standards for the comprehensive Part I and Part II
      examinations.

PMID- 1883430
TI  - Reexamination of relationships between students' undergraduate majors, medical
      school performances, and career plans at Jefferson Medical College.
AB  - A reexamination of the possible relationships between medical students'
      undergraduate academic majors and their medical school performances and career
      plans seems appropriate, given the continuing changes in the characteristics of
      the medical school applicant pool in the last several years. This study
      investigated these relationships by comparing cognitive and noncognitive
      characteristics of medical students who had had different undergraduate majors.
      The study sample consisted of 812 students who entered Jefferson Medical College
      between 1985 and 1988. They were classified into six categories based on their
      undergraduate majors: biological, chemical and physical, social and behavioral,
      other sciences, humanities and arts, and indeterminate majors. Results indicated
      that performances in the basic science component of medical education were about
      the same for students with different undergraduate majors. The groups had similar
      rates of delayed graduation, but the attrition rate was highest for students who
      had majored in humanities and arts. The students in undergraduate disciplines
      traditionally oriented toward medicine (biological, physical, and chemical
      sciences) were younger and had made the decision to become a physician at earlier
      ages than had their counterparts with undergraduate majors in social sciences and
      humanities. Also, the groups differed with regard to their estimates of their
      future incomes and plans for professional activities after graduation.
      Similarities concerning the students' preferred professional activities were also
      noticed among the groups.

PMID- 1883432
TI  - Predictive validity of a house-officer selection process at one medical school.
AB  - This study explored the rank list generated by a process of evaluating applicants
      for a surgery residency; the process is a revision of an older process (pre-1982)
      used for that purpose. The study's aim was to learn whether the new process is
      more predictive of residents' performances in their first year than was the
      process it replaced and whether the rough rankings computed directly from ratings
      of applicants are more predictive than the final rankings determined in a meeting
      by the department faculty, who modify the rough rankings. The 1982-1986 rankings
      and performances of 32 first-year residents at the University of North Carolina
      at Chapel Hill School of Medicine were studied and compared with the rankings and
      performances of 77 applicants from 1976 and 1978-1979 under the previous system.
      Correlation analyses revealed that for the applicants studied, the rough rankings
      in the new and the previous systems were equally predictive of performances as
      measured by rating scales, but that the new system was more predictive of
      performances on the surgery in-training examination. However, all correlations
      were small. Finally, the rough rankings obtained under the new system were more
      predictive of the residents' later performances than were the faculty's final
      rankings.

PMID- 1883434
TI  - Gender bias of Ohio physicians in the evaluation of the personal statements of
      residency applicants.
AB  - Sexism has been documented at every level of medical training as well as in the
      community of practicing physicians. Although there is speculation in the
      literature about sexist attitudes and perceived sexual discrimination influencing
      a medical student's choice of specialty, there are few data on gender bias in the
      evaluation of residency candidates applying in different specialties. In 1989,
      the authors created six personal statements of interest in a residency, each from
      a different type of fictitious residency candidate (three men, three women, at
      three levels of medical school achievement) and mailed one or another of the
      statements, chosen at random, to the 2,478 board-certified Ohio physicians
      practicing in six specialties in which U.S. women in residencies were
      underrepresented (less than 12%) compared with the percentage of women in medical
      schools, and to the 3,586 board-certified Ohio physicians in another six
      specialties in which women in residencies were overrepresented (more than 38%).
      The physicians consistently rated the women candidates more favorably than they
      did the men candidates.

PMID- 1883433
TI  - Medical school and residency performances of students admitted with and without
      an admission interview.
AB  - In 1982 the Brown University Program in Medicine eliminated the personal
      interview from its process of selecting applicants for admission to medical
      school. This study compares the 113 M.D.-program students admitted to the first
      three classes (entering between 1983 and 1985) without an interview with the 67
      students in the previous three classes admitted with an interview. The students'
      characteristics were essentially the same with respect to the preadmission
      variables, the proportions of women and minority students, course performances,
      scores on Parts I and II of the National Board of Medical Examiners examinations,
      and evaluation scores from residency program directors. This study offers
      additional evidence that the selection interview, as practiced in most U.S.
      medical schools, does not contribute to the predictive validity of the admission
      process.

PMID- 1883435
TI  - Positive effects of a clinical performance assessment program.
AB  - Since 1986, there has been a clinical performance assessment program for fourth
      year students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Students
      interact with several standardized patients (SPs) and complete other tasks such
      as interpretation of electrocardiograms and interpretation of X-rays. Scores are
      generated both by checklists and rating forms completed by the SPs and by
      paperwork completed by the students at the end of each encounter. Since 1986,
      students have been asked how frequently they have been observed by faculty and
      residents as they interacted with actual patients; the students report that such
      observations have markedly increased. Since 1989, there has been increased
      feedback to students by the attending faculty during and following clinical
      rotations. Although it is difficult to claim cause and effect, it is clear that
      since the inception of this exercise, the faculty have made a conscious effort to
      improve students' clinical skills by providing increased observation and
      feedback.

PMID- 1883436
TI  - Gender, family status, and career patterns of graduates of the University of
      Calgary Faculty of Medicine.
AB  - In 1986 the authors sent a questionnaire to 745 physicians who had graduated
      between 1973 and 1985 from The University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine. The
      survey obtained information on the graduates' status as parents, the "breaks"
      they had taken from their practices, and the hours per week they devoted to
      direct patient care, in order to observe what relationship the graduates' gender
      and status as parents had on the other variables. The women were far more likely
      to have taken breaks for parental leave, but the differences in the frequencies
      of breaks taken by the men and the women for other reasons were less striking.
      The women were working fewer hours in direct patient-care settings, and those
      women who were parents and under 35 years old spent fewer hours on patient care
      than did the men (from all age groups) who were parents. The authors discuss
      their findings in terms of the impacts of age and cohort effects and the possible
      lessening of gender-based differences in present-day physicians' practices.

PMID- 1883437
TI  - A performance-based method for early identification of medical students at risk
      of developing academic problems.
AB  - The authors studied three classes at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and
      found that students' performances on examinations administered during the third
      month (November) of medical school were highly predictive of their subsequent
      performances during the first two years of medical school. The investigation had
      two components: (1) a retrospective study of the classes of 1988 and 1989, which
      found that students' November grades from three first-year courses predicted 76%
      of the variance in the year-one weighted aggregate score and 41% for the year-two
      score, and (2) a prospective study of the class of 1992, in which three November
      of year one examination scores of the students in the lowest quarter of the class
      were highly predictive of their encountering substantial academic problems, with
      a sensitivity of .77 and a specificity of .99. This performance-based method was
      found to be more powerful than using the scores on the 1977 version of the
      Medical College Admission Test or the students' undergraduate grade-point
      averages, or both, in identifying individual students who were academically at
      risk.

PMID- 1883438
TI  - Opinions about management of geriatric syndromes given by internal medicine
      residents in two programs.
AB  - Internal medicine residents in two programs providing different amounts of
      training in geriatrics were surveyed in 1988 regarding their opinions about the
      management of four geriatric problems and two traditional internal medicine
      problems. The residents generally agreed that geriatric problems were legitimate
      concerns in a general internal medicine practice but demonstrated less confidence
      in the management of geriatric problems than in the management of traditional
      problems. Residents from the program that provided more extensive training in
      geriatrics evidenced greater support for nondiscriminatory care of elderly
      diabetics; otherwise there was no convincing evidence of differences between the
      two programs. The authors conclude that educational efforts in geriatrics need to
      target trainees' confidence in the management of geriatric problems.

PMID- 1883439
TI  - Investigating whether education of residents in a group practice increases the
      length of the outpatient visit.
AB  - This prospective study, carried out over an eight-week period in 1990, compared
      the amount of time required for 468 outpatients in an academic group practice
      (pediatric orthopedics) to be evaluated by an attending surgeon working with a
      resident with the time required for 216 patients in the same practice to be
      evaluated by the attending surgeon only. On the average, 24.2 minutes were added
      when a resident was involved: 12.6 of these for the resident's examination of the
      patient and the remaining 11.6 for the resident's discussion of the case with the
      attending surgeon. These findings suggest that the education process builds in a
      time cost not only for the patient but for the attending surgeon, who has less
      time to see additional outpatients than does a private practitioner or a
      physician in a health maintenance organization.

PMID- 1883440
TI  - Perceptions of residents and program directors at Case Western Reserve on issues
      associated with limitations on residents' hours.

PMID- 1883441
TI  - The effects of education indebtedness on career plans of graduates of a private
      medical school.

PMID- 1883442
TI  - Participation of nurses in the evaluation of residents' interpersonal skills.

PMID- 1883443
TI  - Sources of encouragement or discouragement to students as they decided whether to
      enter medical school.

PMID- 1883444
TI  - Training health care professionals to communicate with patients with mental
      retardation.

PMID- 1883445
TI  - Status report on ambulatory care and education in the VA Western Region and
      western medical schools.
AB  - Since the initial 1988 Ambulatory Care and Education (ACE) conference, reported
      in the October 1989 supplement to Academic Medicine, the Western Region Veterans
      Health Administration and its 11 affiliated western medical schools have
      established several programs and related activities that implement strategic ACE
      recommendations. This report gives an update on the ACE Advisory Group; the Pilot
      Ambulatory Care and Education (PACE) Center at the VA Medical Center, Sepulveda,
      California; other innovative ambulatory care and education projects; the second
      ACE Development Conference; and future activities in the expanded Western Region
      of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

PMID- 1883446
TI  - Development and evaluation of a required ambulatory medicine clerkship.

PMID- 1883447
TI  - A landmark document in the growing body of literature about AIDS.

PMID- 1883448
TI  - The crucial link between laboratory animal research and human health.

PMID- 1883449
TI  - Medicine, law, and humanities.

PMID- 1883450
TI  - Abrahamson's disease.

PMID- 1883451
TI  - Blaming the Boards: are we lapsing into educational luddism?

PMID- 1883452
TI  - National curricular guidelines for third-year family medicine clerkships. The
      Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Working Committee to Develop
      Curricular Guidelines for a Third-Year Family Medicine Clerkship.
AB  - In most U.S. medical schools, required clerkships in internal medicine,
      pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry are considered the
      core components of a student's clinical education. Because the specialty of
      family practice is not as well established in the medical school curriculum, the
      federal government is interested in promoting the specialty as part of its
      continuing efforts to increase the number of primary care physicians. Therefore,
      in August 1989 the Division of Medicine, Bureau of Health Professions, United
      States Department of Health and Human Services, awarded a purchase order to the
      Society of Teachers of Family Medicine to develop curricular guidelines for third
      year family medicine clerkships. The authors represent the working committee that
      developed these guidelines. This paper describes the process used to develop the
      core curricular guidelines, presents the product of the curriculum development
      activities, and discusses dissemination, implementation, and further development
      activities.

PMID- 1883453
TI  - The geographic relationships between physicians' residency sites and the
      locations of their first practices.
AB  - The uneven geographic distribution of physicians has been identified as a
      significant problem for the delivery of health care services. The present study
      examined one of the factors that contribute to the distribution of physicians;
      how far they move from their residency sites to establish their first practices.
      In 1989, the authors selected a random sample of 701 U.S. residency programs in
      the ten specialties with the most practitioners, and measured the distance each
      of these physicians moved to his or her first practice location. Of the 701
      programs, 58.5% provided usable information about 2,612 physicians. Of these
      physicians, over 40% had moved less than 10 miles from their residencies, and
      over 50% had moved less than 75 miles. Comparisons among the physicians from the
      various specialties showed that the primary care physicians moved significantly
      shorter distances than did those from the other specialties. In the last two
      decades, many efforts have been made to increase the geographic distribution of
      physicians. The evidence from this study suggests that so far as the distances
      that physicians move from their practice sites are concerned, little has changed.
      Recent graduates of residency programs show no more tendency to move far from
      their residency sites than did their counterparts 30 years ago, as reported in
      the literature.

PMID- 1883454
TI  - Validity and generalizability of global ratings in an objective structured
      clinical examination.
AB  - The performance of foreign medical graduates on multistation standardized patient
      based tests and used to determine the validity and generalizability of global
      ratings of their clinical competence made by expert examiners. Data were derived
      from the entrance examinations of the 1989 and 1990 applicants to the Ontario Pre
      Internship Program and the exit examination of 24 participants from the 1989
      cohort. For each candidate, the examiners completed a detailed checklist and two
      five-point global ratings dealing with the candidate's approach to the patients'
      problem and attitude toward the patient. Generalizability coefficients for both
      ratings were satisfactory and stable across cohorts. Construct validity of the
      global ratings was demonstrated by comparing entry and exit ratings and by
      evidence of significant and positive correlations between the global ratings and
      total test scores. Tentative evidence of criterion validity of the global ratings
      was demonstrated. These findings suggest that global ratings by expert examiners
      can be used as an effective form of assessment in multistation standardized
      patient examinations.

PMID- 1883455
TI  - Comparison of faculty members' and students' perceptions concerning performance
      criteria and evaluation strategies at the University of New Mexico School of
      Medicine.
AB  - Faculty members' and students' perceptions concerning the relative importances of
      (1) various performance criteria for students and (2) strategies of evaluation
      were determined in 1989 by a questionnaire in a single medical school that had
      both a problem-based, student-centered curriculum and an organ-block curriculum
      (i.e., regular track). The greatest differences in the rankings of both areas
      were found between those given by the freshman and sophomore students in the
      problem-based curriculum and those given by the same groups in the regular track.
      The faculty members' perceptions tended to be closer to those of the students in
      the regular track.

PMID- 1883456
TI  - Interest in geriatrics education among family practitioners and internists in
      Virginia.
AB  - To determine primary care physicians' interest in continuing medical education
      (CME) in geriatrics, the authors surveyed all Virginia family practice (FP)
      physicians and internal medicine (IM) physicians, a total of 1,882. Sixty-one
      percent (1,139) responded, of which 56% were FP physicians and 44% were in IM. On
      a visual analog scale to measure the physicians' interest in geriatrics education
      (from 1 = unimportant to 10 = very important), the FP physicians' mean score was
      6.4; the IM physicians' mean score was 6.1. The preferred form of education was a
      two-to-three-day conference, and the preferred topics were acute care, long-term
      care, and rehabilitation. Stepwise multiple regression showed that the
      physicians' intent to take the Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine
      examination was the major predictor of their interest in geriatrics education (R2
      = .12, p = .0001). Also significant contributors were the total amount of
      geriatric care the physicians provided, the home visits they provided, their
      prior participation in geriatrics CME conferences, absence of a negative attitude
      toward the Medicare system, and their lack of confidence in their current
      knowledge of geriatrics. The final model could account for 20% of these
      physicians' interest in future CME in geriatrics (R2 = .20). These findings may
      help geriatrics educators develop methods to educate primary care providers about
      geriatrics.

PMID- 1883457
TI  - Development of a basic test of geriatric medicine.

PMID- 1883458
TI  - Similarities in the personalities of women and men who were first-year medical
      students planning careers as surgeons.

PMID- 1883459
TI  - Using standardized patients to improve medical students' interpersonal skills at
      the beginning of their third year.

PMID- 1883461
TI  - Comparing examination scores and personality types of students from three
      classes.

PMID- 1883460
TI  - Faculty members' ratings of the importances and the discriminating powers of nine
      aspects of students' clerkship performances.

PMID- 1883462
TI  - Financing medical education, 1989-90.

PMID- 1883463
TI  - The long-term traffic safety impact of a pilot alcohol abuse treatment as an
      alternative to license suspensions.
AB  - During the 4-year period following a repeat driving under the influence (DUI)
      conviction, participants in 12-month treatment programs had worse overall traffic
      safety records than did recipients of license suspensions. The results from a
      series of analyses using repeated measures analysis of covariance showed that, in
      comparison with license-suspension recipients: (i) participants had significantly
      higher rates (70%) of nonalcohol-related accidents and convictions, (ii)
      participants had a significantly lower rate (9%) of alcohol-related convictions,
      but no difference was found on alcohol-related accidents, and (iii) participants
      had a significantly higher rate (30%) of total accidents (p less than .05). These
      results suggest that the use of license-suspension waiver as an incentive to
      participate in a drinking driver program had a negative impact on traffic safety.
      The predicted reductions in alcohol-related accidents among program participants
      did not occur, and reductions in nonalcohol-related accidents, which could have
      been achieved with license suspensions, were sacrificed. It was recommended that
      some other alternative besides license-suspension waivers be used as an
      inducement for repeat DUI offenders to participate in treatment.

PMID- 1883464
TI  - The visual and driving performance of monocular and binocular heavy-duty truck
      drivers.
AB  - This study compared the performance of 40 monocular and 40 binocular tractor
      trailer drivers on measures of both visual and driving performance. On the visual
      measures, the mononuclear drivers were significantly deficient in contrast
      sensitivity, visual acuity under low illumination and glare, and binocular depth
      perception. They were not significantly deficient in static or dynamic visual
      acuity, visual field of individual eyes, or glare recovery. Driving measures of
      visual search, lane keeping, clearance judgment, gap judgment, hazard detection,
      and information recognition showed no differences between monocular and binocular
      drivers. Monocular drives were poorer than binocular drivers only in sign reading
      distance in both daytime and nighttime driving. This decrement correlated
      significantly with the binocular depth perception measure. There were large
      individual differences within each group for most of the visual and driving
      performance measures. It was concluded that monocular drivers have some
      significant reductions in selected visual capabilities and in certain driving
      functions dependent on these abilities, compared with binocular drivers. However,
      monocular drivers are not significantly worse than binocular drivers in the
      safety of most day-to-day driving functions. Implications of these findings and
      the large individual differences within each group are discussed.

PMID- 1883465
TI  - Analysis of the frequency and duration of freeway accidents in Seattle.
AB  - Accidents occurring on congested urban freeways can have enormous impacts in
      terms of lost commuter time. This paper presents an appropriate statistical
      analysis of urban freeway accident frequency and duration and discusses how this
      analysis can be used to guide management strategies that seek to reduce the
      traffic-related impacts of accidents. The findings and demonstration of analysis
      procedures should be of considerable value to ongoing and future studies in this
      area.

PMID- 1883466
TI  - Impact-induced car fires--a comprehensive investigation.
AB  - Impact-induced car fires still attract much attention, in spite of a reduction in
      the rate of their occurrence in recent years. This investigation addresses
      several issues concerning car fire rates as a function of model year and calendar
      year, and the sensitivity of these rates to car impact type, impact severity, and
      car size. Car fuel leak occurrence rates are examined in parallel. The resolution
      of these issues is based on a comprehensive examination of the voluminous car
      accident records complied for research purposes by the National Highway Traffic
      Safety Administration in the past ten years. The findings show a fire rate
      reduction, as model years progress from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. A
      significant part of this reduction takes place across model year 1976, consistent
      with expectations based on Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 301 (FMVSS
      301), concerning car fuel system integrity, that became essentially effective in
      model year 1976. However, substantial reductions of fire rates and fuel leak
      occurrence rates are evident as model years progress well beyond 1976. Fire and
      fuel-leak rates are very sensitive to impact type and impact severity; however,
      rate reductions are evident irrespective of impact type and impact severity.
      Contrary to a widely entertained notion, fire and fuel-leak rates are found to be
      rather insensitive to car size.

PMID- 1883467
TI  - Quasi-induced exposure revisited.
AB  - Considerable attention is still given to developing and using alternate methods
      for determining exposure for calculating highway accident rates. A quasi-induced
      method of measuring exposure developed in the late 1960s is reexamined and found
      to be promising for determining relative accident involvement rates. A new
      empirical investigation is offered as the first step in verifying that the
      characteristics of the "innocent victim" in two-vehicle highway accidents
      represent a random sample of the driver-vehicle combinations present on the
      highway system under specified conditions. Quasi-induced exposure estimates are
      shown to be, at a minimum, consistent and reproducible.

PMID- 1883468
TI  - Fatal accident involvement rates by driver age for large trucks.
AB  - Survey data on large trucks involved in fatal accidents and on the travel of
      large trucks provide estimates of fatal accident involvement rates by driver age.
      The analysis is focused on the implications of lowering the minimum age for
      drivers of commercial trucks operating interstate from 21 to 19 years. Fatal
      accident involvement rates for drivers of large trucks are found to increase with
      decreasing driver age. The younger drivers are over-involved until about age 27.
      Drivers under the age of 21 are over-involved by a factor of 6 in comparison to
      the overall rate for all drivers. Other factors known to have significant
      influences on the probability of involvement in a fatal accident were examined to
      determine their association with the over-involvement of younger drivers. The
      general pattern of over-involvement for younger drivers pervades virtually every
      combination of factors examined. Thus, it is concluded that the basic trend with
      driver age shown in the aggregate data is primarily associated with age and is
      not associated with the other factors examined. The results of this analysis
      substantiate an elevated risk of fatal accident involvement for younger drivers
      of large trucks.

PMID- 1883469
TI  - Assessing driver status: a demonstration experiment on the road.
AB  - Twenty subjects completed an on-the-road experiment that consisted of two parts
      on two separate days. One was a one-hour driving test under the influence of
      alcohol (BAC less than = 0.05%), the second a two-and-a-half-hour driving test
      under vigilance conditions. Impairment of driving performance was measured in a
      car-following test as well as in a standard driving test. Changes in relevant
      physiological parameters, such as ECG and EEG, reflected changes in driver status
      and predicted driving performance impairment.

PMID- 1883470
TI  - The effects of mobile telephoning on driving performance.
AB  - The effects of telephoning while driving were studied in three different traffic
      conditions, i.e. in light traffic on a quiet motorway, in heavy traffic on a four
      lane ring-road, and in city traffic. Twelve subjects, unfamiliar with mobile
      telephones, drove an instrumented vehicle for one hour each day during three
      weeks and while in each of the three traffic conditions, had to operate the
      mobile telephone for a short while. To ensure a fixed "heavy traffic load" in the
      second condition, the subjects were instructed to follow another instrumented
      vehicle (at a safe distance). The results showed a significant effect of
      telephoning while driving as opposed to normal driving (i.e., not involving
      telephone conversation), on the effort subjectively measured by an effort scale
      and objectively measured by heartrate indices and on some of the measured
      parameters of driving performance. One half of the subjects had to operate the
      telephone manually, the other half performed the telephone task with a handsfree
      mobile telephone set. The subjects who operated the handsfree telephone showed
      better control over the test vehicle than the subjects who operated the handheld
      telephone, as measured by the steering wheel movements. Also, a clear improvement
      over time in the course of the 15 test days was found for some of the
      measurements. As a consequence of the results, some advice concerning mobile
      telephoning can be given to authorities, manufacturers, and users.

PMID- 1883471
TI  - A comparison of diagnostic related group length of stay outliers: motor vehicle
      crash versus penetrating injuries.
AB  - The incidence and degree to which patients injured by motor vehicle crashes
      (MVCs) and penetrating wounds remain in the hospital beyond the diagnostic
      related group (DRG) mean length of stay (LOS) are compared. During a 12-month
      period, records for consecutive patients admitted to eight hospitals (including
      three trauma centers) were studied. Patients aged 13 or younger, staying less
      than 48 hours, or with major burns or only distal fractures were excluded. In
      that time, 2,914 patients were eligible. Twenty percent of injuries were
      penetrating; 27% were MVC injuries; and, 53% were blunt injuries from other
      causes. Patients injured in MVCs and with penetrating injuries were compared with
      respect to mean LOS, incidence of DRG outliers, number of hospital days beyond
      the DRG mean LOS, and demographic variables. Patients injured in MVCs had a
      greater proportion of DRG LOS outliers and higher mean numbers of DRG excess days
      than did patients with penetrating wounds (p less than 0.01, for both). Injuries
      were distributed among relatively more DRGs for MVC patients. The DRG scheme may
      lack sufficient attention to factors more likely to affect MVC patients, such as
      multiplicity of injuries, incidence of CNS injuries, ICU requirements, and older
      age. In structuring more appropriate reimbursement for trauma care, special
      attention must be paid to patients injured in MVCs.

PMID- 1883472
TI  - A system for measuring the severity of temporary and permanent disability after
      injury.
AB  - 500 patients have been questioned about activities of daily living and mobility 4
      and 26 weeks after injury in order to assess the extent of temporary and
      permanent disability following minor and major trauma. Only those who sustained
      single injuries have been assessed, resulting in a relatively small number of
      serious injuries in the sample. In other respects, the population is
      representative of the daytime attendance at a busy emergency department. Most
      patients sustained injuries with an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) of 1 or 2
      (96%); it is clear that the AIS is unable to distinguish between most small
      injuries. Assessment was by interview. Although subjective, this has produced
      results that have face validity and discriminate between a wide variety of
      injuries. The methodology may be useful in the development of a "disability
      score," but much more data will be required before this can be achieved.

PMID- 1883473
TI  - Effects on driving performance of visual field defects: a driving simulator
      study.
AB  - To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a
      method was developed based on a driving simulator. The capacity to detect stimuli
      of different sizes appearing in 24 different positions on the screen in front of
      the driver was measured. Two groups of normal subjects and a number of subjects
      with different visual field defects were studied. In the groups of normals, the
      median reaction times were fairly homogenous. There was a slight difference
      between central and peripheral stimuli, which was somewhat larger for the older
      subjects. Among the subjects with field defects, the individual variations were
      very dominant. Very few of these showed a capacity to compensate for their
      deficiency. In order to gain insight into possible compensatory mechanisms of
      these persons, eye movement recordings were made. The results indicate that the
      visual search pattern may be of importance in this respect. Some comparisons with
      respect to detection capacity were also made with one-eyed subjects and with
      optically generated field restrictions (spectacles and spectacle frames).

PMID- 1883474
TI  - [Chlorine coatings on skin surfaces. II. Parameters influencing the coating
      strength].
AB  - Although active chlorine compounds have been used for more than 140 years
      (Semmelweis, 1848) as a skin disinfectant the phenomenon of the "chlorine covers"
      not earlier than 1988 has been described for the first time (Hyg. + Med. 13
      (1988) 157). It deals with a chemical alteration of the uppermost skin layer
      which comes apparent in an oxydizing action against aqueous iodide. Its origin is
      chlorine covalently bound in the form of N-Cl functions to the protein matrix of
      the horny skin. Since the chlorine covers exhibit a persistant disinfecting
      activity which might be important for practice, the factors influencing their
      strength have been established. The most important are: the kind of the chlorine
      system, the concentration (oxydation capacity), pH, temperature and the volume of
      the used solution, the time of action, the application technique and the state of
      the skin. Variations of the latter can be observed at different skin areas of one
      and the same person as well as at the same areas of different persons, and result
      in differences of the cover strength up to 100%. The stability on dry skin is
      very good, showing a decomposition rate of approximately 1.2% per hour. However
      on skin surfaces moistened by sweat (e.g. hands covered by surgeons gloves) the
      chlorine cover is disingrated much more faster (decomposition rate: 40-50% per
      hour). Washing with soap as well as the action of alcohols cause virtually no
      decrease in the cover strength, while wetting by solutions of reducing agents
      (e.g. thiosulfate, cysteine, iodide) provokes a fast decomposition suitable for
      removing the chlorine covers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883476
TI  - [Survival ability of genetically engineered strains of Escherichia coli. 1.
      Physiological characterization and the effect of different physiochemical
      conditions].
AB  - Two genetically engineered E. coli strains L+ and CAG+ possessing the ability to
      produce the enzyme Pro-urokinase and showing additionally ampicillin resistance,
      and wild-strains L- and CAG-, were characterized using 328 physiological tests.
      Their test profiles were compared with those of 30 clinical and nonclinical E.
      coli isolates. This biotyping made a differentiation and recognition of the
      genetically manipulated strains possible. It also allowed distinguishing them
      from the other tested isolates. The genetically engineered strains showed a
      narrower activity spectrum compared with their wild-strains. However, based on
      differentiating characteristics, all strains could be clearly biochemically
      identified as E. coli. Under different laboratory test conditions (organic load,
      pH, salt content, temperature), the E. coli strains showed no striking features
      or peculiarities with respect to their survival compared to data from literature.
      However, low pH (pH less than 5), high salt content (greater than 7%) as well as
      low (less than 8 degrees C) and high (greater than 37 degrees C) incubation
      temperatures clearly reduced their ability to survive. Apart from a few
      exceptions (e.g. survival of strain L+ at 44 degrees C and pH 7 with high cell
      densities), the survival of the genetically engineered strains corresponded to
      that of the control and wild-strains. Both CAG strains, especially the
      genetically manipulated strain CAG+, showed in many cases reduced viability
      compared with the other strains.

PMID- 1883475
TI  - [Comparative studies of fresh and seawater for the determination of total
      coliform and fecal coliform bacteria according to the European Economic Community
      guideline 76/160 (bathing water) by the use of the most-probable-number method
      with BRILA-MUG broth and differentiation according to the drinking water
      ordinance].
AB  - During the summer season of 1989 about 222 samples of bathing water (Northsea,
      Baltic Sea and inland waters) were investigated, i.e. 2 times 1998 dilution tubes
      (1501 positive) were tested. Results with BRILA-MUG and lactose-bouillon were
      compared and additional 97 samples were tested with one respectively three
      colonies by confirmative tests. -- The BRILA-MUG one-tube-test (gas, fluorescence
      and indol) has as expected larger numbers of total coliforms (GC) and faecal
      coliforms (FC) in comparison with corresponding numbers for E. coli and coliform
      bacteria according to German law for drinking water (TrinkwV). -- BRILA-MUG and
      lactose-bouillon with the same identification mode according to "TrinkwV" has
      corresponding results concerning E. coli and coliform bacteria. -- Following the
      identification mode according to "TrinkwV" the total coliforms (GC/gas in BRILA
      MUG) depending on the origin proved 60-80% as coliform bacteria. Additional API
      tests showed that the other bacteria are coliform bacteria too or bacteria which
      can be considered as indicators for water pollution. -- Faecal coliforms
      (FC/fluorescence and indol-positive) depending on the origin proved 70-90% as E.
      coli, if following the identification mode according to "TrinkwV". Using 3
      instead of 1 colony per positive dilution tube for identification the positive
      results increased approximately by 9%. 15% of negative results with the
      identification mode according to "TrinkwV" proved as E. coli-positive with
      identification according to API-system, i.e. the corresponding rate of E. coli
      positive tubes will therefore be higher than shown above. The BRILA-MUG one-tube
      test in connection with the MPN-method can be used successfully to determine the
      number of total and faecal coliforms according to the EEC-directive for bathing
      waters. The test needs only a minimum of material and also a minimum of
      laboratory staff. Differences between this test and other more extensive tests
      with several biochemical identification steps are negligible. The work load for
      bathing water tests would not be justified in this case.

PMID- 1883477
TI  - Exposure to inorganic bromides from greenhouse crops where methyl bromide was
      applied for soil fumigation.
AB  - The Authors determined the concentration of inorganic bromides in soil and
      tomatoes from greenhouses where soil fumigation had been performed using methyl
      bromide (greenhouse B) and alternative pest control systems (greenhouse A and
      greenhouse B) before planting. The results obtained demonstrate that
      concentration of inorganic bromides in foodstuffs should be considered as a
      marker of exposure to methyl bromide poisoning risk.

PMID- 1883478
TI  - Cancer mortality from 1978 to 1987 in smaller regions of Styria, Austria, with
      different environmental conditions.
AB  - In 1984 we have shown in a study, that regions with high air pollution have a
      higher respiratory cancer rate than regions without substantial air pollution. In
      this study 45 small regions of Styria, which can be considered homogenous from an
      environmental viewpoint, have been studied with respect to age standardized
      respiratory cancer mortality. These small regions have been classified into
      regions without substantial air pollution, with substantial air and substantial
      water pollution. Between 1978 and 1987 we have found that small regions with
      substantial air or water pollution show an increased age standardized respiratory
      cancer mortality than small regions with "good" environmental conditions. In some
      regions the rate was twice as high compared to regions without substantial
      environmental problems. The main difference was found for the age group between
      60 and 75 years. Generally between 1978 and 1987 no trend has been observed, only
      within age groups a shift can be seen.

PMID- 1883479
TI  - Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies in neonatal myasthenia gravis:
      heterogeneity and pathogenic significance.
AB  - Precipitating, blocking and modulating anti-AChR antibodies and their capacity to
      recognize embryo or adult muscle were investigated in parallel in maternal and
      neonatal sera of fifty-two newborns and their myasthenic mothers. Twenty-four
      babies presented neonatal myasthenia gravis (NMG) with a common expression in
      twenty cases and foetal involvement in four cases. Occurrence of NMG was clearly
      related to levels of maternal precipitating, decamethonium blocking (DC blocking)
      and modulating antibodies (respectively P less than 0.001, P less than 0.02, P
      less than 0.01, Mann-Whitney test), these three parameters being interrelated.
      The only significant difference between mothers with severely affected babies and
      others with mild NMG newborns concerned DC blocking antibodies. Transfer fraction
      of DC blocking antibodies was significantly higher in NMG than in asymptomatic
      babies. Our data suggest that (1) the amount of anti-AChR antibodies, whatever
      the tested category, is involved in the pathogeny of NMG in a more direct manner
      than in adult MG where the correlation with their levels is poor, and (2) among
      antibodies, those with blocking effects could be preponderant for triggering NMG
      and be involved in the severity of the disease in the child.

PMID- 1883480
TI  - Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies decrease after thymectomy in patients with
      myasthenia gravis. Clinical correlations.
AB  - Clinical course and changes in serum levels of antibodies to the acetylcholine
      receptor (a-AChR) were followed in 82 patients with myasthenia gravis during a
      period of 1-8 years after thymectomy. Decrease in a-AChR immediately after
      thymectomy was influenced by changes in a total IgG. Immunosuppressive medication
      affected serum a-AChR at all points of time. In a subgroup of 41 patients without
      thymoma who had no immunosuppressive drugs, there was a steady decrease in a-AChR
      concomitant with clinical improvement from 6 weeks after thymectomy.

PMID- 1883481
TI  - Production of interleukin-1 beta-like factor with synovial cell growth promoting
      activity from adult T-cell leukemia cells.
AB  - We observed a case of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) with proliferative synovitis.
      Culture supernatants from ATL cells (ATL-SN) obtained from the peripheral blood
      constitutively produced an interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like factor in vitro, as shown by
      the growth inhibition factor (GIF) assay using the A375 melanoma cell line and
      the lymphocyte activating factor (LAF) assay using C3H/HeJ thymocytes.
      Neutralization studies indicated that polyclonal antibodies against IL-1 beta
      blocked most (80%) of the activity in ATL-SN. In addition, increased amounts of
      IL-1 beta mRNA were found in the ATL cells by dot blot analysis. Sephacryl S-200
      chromatography showed that the molecular weight of this factor was approximately
      17.5 kDa, and Western blot analysis revealed that this factor reacted with
      polyclonal anti-IL-1 beta antibody under the reduced condition. The isoelectric
      point was 7.5. Furthermore, ATL-SN showed significant activity in promoting the
      growth of synovial cells in parallel with IL-1 activity. These data suggest that
      the constitutive production of this IL-1 beta-like factor might be responsible
      for proliferative synovitis in this case.

PMID- 1883482
TI  - Comparison of natural antibodies to autoantibodies arising during lupus in (NZB x
      NZW)F1 mice.
AB  - Autoantibodies arising in (NZB x NZW)F1 (B/W) mice during the lupus-like syndrome
      were studied and compared to natural antibodies present in normal mice. The
      antibody activities were tested in sera, circulating immune complexes (CIC) and
      kidney eluates, using an enzyme immunoassay against a panel of self and non-self
      antigens: actin, myosin, tubulin, DNA, myoglobin, spectrin and trinitrophenylated
      bovine serum albumin (TNP/BSA). In the B/M mouse sera, IgM antibodies reacting
      with all the panel of antigens (PAg) and comparable to those of normal mice,
      increased moderately from 5 to 9 months and markedly during the last stage
      preceding death (10 months), when particularly high levels of anti-DNA, anti
      tubulin and anti-myoglobin antibodies were noted. Polyreactive IgM antibodies
      present in CIC were moderately increased while those present in complexes
      deposited in kidneys were strongly enhanced after the 8th month. IgG antibodies
      showed an early increase (2 months) in B/W sera for anti-TNP activity, which
      remained more or less constant until death, while a later (5-6 months) and
      greater increase of activity, mainly directed against DNA but also against the
      other antigens of the panel, was observed. In CIC, IgG, mainly anti-DNA but also
      anti-TNP, were enhanced at the end of the disease while at the same time IgG
      reacting with all the PAg were found in kidney deposits. Isolation of antibodies
      from sera on a DNA-immunoadsorbent demonstrated that eluted IgM reacted with all
      the PAg but mainly with DNA, while IgG reactivity was more restricted to DNA and
      to a lesser degree to TNP. The D23 idiotype, characteristics of natural
      polyspecific antibodies, was expressed on IgM and IgG autoantibodies from B/W
      mice and was enhanced, particularly in kidneys, at the end of the disease. These
      results demonstrate that natural antibodies are a part of the population of
      increased autoantibodies in this disease and could participate with IgG anti-DNA
      antibodies in lupus.

PMID- 1883483
TI  - Selective abnormalities in the thymic microenvironment associated with avian
      scleroderma, an inherited fibrotic disease of L200 chickens.
AB  - As a prelude to deciphering the mechanisms of intrathymic T-cell maturation we
      produced a panel of 18 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against chicken thymic
      stromal elements. Eleven of these detected epithelial cells. They were: pan
      epithelial; subcapsule and peri-vascular (pan type 1 epithelium); subcapsular,
      perivascular and medulla; medulla; or cortex. Of particular interest were the sub
      specificities within these regions, especially the subcapsular region. Four mAbs
      stained both epithelial and non-epithelial cells in discrete regions. In
      addition, three mAbs recognized only non-epithelial cells. One identified
      macrophages scattered throughout the thymus, another the connective tissue and
      another the medullary vascular endothelium. These reagents have provided an
      extensive profile of the thymic stromal architecture and revealed that these
      cells are equally as complex as the T cells whose differentiation they induce and
      regulate. While the mAbs provide a valuable means for studying the mechanisms of
      normal thymopoiesis, their clinical significance is unknown. UCD line 200
      chickens develop an autoimmune disease manifest by dermal and internal organ
      fibrosis, T cell infiltrates of skin and other affected organs and production of
      multiple autoantibodies. We have used our panel of mAbs to evaluate the thymic
      microenvironment in these autoimmunity-prone chickens. A comparative analysis
      with control chickens revealed striking deficiencies in the L200 subcapsular
      regions coupled with excessive expression of MHC class II antigens, particularly
      in the cortex. We hypothesize that these abnormalities induce altered T-cell
      differentiation, thereby predisposing the L200 chickens to autoimmune disease.

PMID- 1883484
TI  - The effect of anti-oestrogens on cell growth and progesterone receptor
      concentration in human endometrial cancer cells (Ishikawa).
AB  - The effect of two anti-oestrogens, 4-OH tamoxifen and ICI 164,384, on growth and
      progesterone receptor (PR) concentration was investigated in the endometrial
      carcinoma cell line, Ishikawa. Growth stimulation in response to 4-OH tamoxifen
      was antagonized by ICI 164,384, the latter having no agonist effect when used as
      a single agent. Similarly, ICI 164,384 antagonized oestradiol-stimulated cell
      growth. PR was significantly increased following treatment with 4-OH tamoxifen,
      this response being antagonized in the presence of ICI 164,384. Oestradiol
      increased PR, although to a lesser extent than did 4-OH tamoxifen; the effect of
      oestradiol on PR was also antagonized by ICI 164,384. Used as a single agent, ICI
      164,384 induced a moderate but statistically significant increase in PR, thus
      demonstrating partial agonist activity. This agonist property of ICI 164,384 may
      provide a mechanism of maintaining PR, which is down-regulated during
      conventional progestin therapy, without undesirable mitogenic activity.

PMID- 1883485
TI  - Expression, purification and characterization of secreted recombinant human
      insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and the potent variant des(1-3) IGF-I in
      Chinese hamster ovary cells.
AB  - Recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (hIGF-I) and a biologically potent
      variant lacking the N-terminal tripeptide (des(1-3)IGF-I) were produced from
      transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. The constructs encoding the signal
      peptide, sequence of the mature peptide and a C-terminal extension peptide were
      expressed under the control of a Rous sarcoma virus promoter. Successfully
      transfected clones secreting correctly processed recombinant hIGF-I or des(1
      3)IGF-I were selected by their secretion of IGF-I-like activity into the culture
      medium. The recombinant peptides were purified to homogeneity as assessed by high
      performance liquid chromatography and N-terminal sequence analysis. The purified
      recombinant peptides exhibited biological potencies equivalent to authentic IGF-I
      and des(1-3)IGF-I respectively.

PMID- 1883486
TI  - Evidence for the involvement of multiple signalling pathways in C5a-induced actin
      polymerization and nucleation in human monocyte-like cells.
AB  - The signal transduction mechanisms involved in complement fragment C5a-induced
      recruitment of actin to the cytoskeleton have been investigated using U-937 cells
      differentiated by exposure to dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Two parameters of
      cytoskeletal activation were compared: F-actin formation and nucleation of
      polymerization of pyrenyl-actin in whole cell lysates. The dose dependency of
      these responses to C5a was clearly different to that observed for [3H]inositol
      phosphate formation and also markedly different from that observed for the
      production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI). Further evidence to dissociate
      inositol lipid hydrolysis from these cytoskeletal responses was obtained by
      treating cells with neomycin, phorbol myristate acetate and pertussis toxin and
      by modulating the levels of intracellular Ca2+ using quin 2. Inhibition of
      [3H]inositol phosphate and ROI production was not correlated with effects on
      actin recruitment or nucleation. In addition, these agents had differing effects
      on F-actin formation and nucleation activity. The results show that the
      production of inositol phosphates is not required for stimulating either F-actin
      formation or nucleation activity and also that ligand-induced polymerization of
      actin depends primarily upon an increase in the availability of G-actin rather
      than nucleation sites. These cytoskeletal responses are apparently controlled by
      different signalling pathways which diverge at an early stage.

PMID- 1883487
TI  - Self-inhibition of steroid secretion by amphibian adrenocortical cells is not
      mediated through glucocorticoid receptors.
AB  - To investigate a possible direct action of glucocorticoids on adrenal
      steroidogenesis, the effect of corticosterone on the conversion of pregnenolone
      into various metabolites by frog adrenal tissue was examined. Frog interrenal
      slices were incubated with [3H]pregnenolone (1 mCi/ml) and the various labelled
      metabolites analysed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
      With the methanol gradient used, five identified steroids were resolved:
      progesterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone, 18-hydroxycorticosterone
      and aldosterone. Corticosterone (10 micrograms/ml) induced a 45-80% decrease in
      all steroids synthesized from [3H]pregnenolone. In contrast, the glucocorticoid
      agonist dexamethasone did not reduce the rate of conversion of pregnenolone into
      its metabolites. In addition, the inhibitory effect of corticosterone was not
      reversed by the specific glucocorticoid antagonist RU 43044. These results show
      that corticosterone exerts a direct inhibitory effect on adrenal steroid
      secretion. In addition, our data indicate that the ultra-short regulation induced
      by corticosterone is not mediated through glucocorticoid receptors.

PMID- 1883488
TI  - Stimulation of an individual cell with peptide hormone in a prescribed region of
      its plasma membrane results in a compartmentalized cyclic AMP-dependent protein
      kinase response.
AB  - This work describes the stimulation by a peptide hormone of an individual cell in
      a prescribed region of its plasma membrane. When Leydig cells were stimulated via
      a section of membrane tightly sealed to an electrode containing LH, a very
      localized area exhibited the morphological change known as 'rounding up', which
      is a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated response. This localized
      stimulation did not produce a wider response through intracellular,
      intermembranous or extracellular signals. Each individual cell responded to
      peptide stimulation gradually, with an increase over time and with dose. In
      contrast, when the stimulation was accomplished using a non-hydrolysable cyclic
      AMP analogue in the patch electrode, a general response throughout an individual
      cell was produced. Locally stimulated peptide hormone receptors, adenylate
      cyclases and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases appear to be closely associated
      so that second messenger production and the effects it mediates are
      compartmentalized.

PMID- 1883489
TI  - Expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein mRNA in the rat before birth:
      demonstration by hybridization histochemistry.
AB  - The ontogeny of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) gene
      expression was studied by hybridization histochemistry in the rat at various
      stages between implantation and full term. PTHrP mRNA was demonstrable in the
      early postimplantation trophoblastic giant cells but disappeared from this site
      before 13.5 days. Localized gene expression, detectable by the in-situ technique,
      began between 12.5 and 15.5 days in embryonic tissues. The distribution of gene
      expression suggests that PTHrP may be concerned with the process of implantation.
      Its widespread, yet clearly localized, distribution in embryonic and fetal
      tissues is consistent with a paracrine or autocrine function which may relate to
      the transforming growth factor-beta family of growth factors. PTH expression
      occurred solely in the parathyroid and was detectable in the fetal parathyroid at
      13.5 days of gestation.

PMID- 1883490
TI  - Differences in properties of the sheep testicular LH and FSH receptors.
AB  - Differences in binding and structural properties of ovine testicular FSH and LH
      receptors were investigated. The ovine FSH receptor did not discriminate between
      FSH of different species, although equine FSH was more reactive. In the same
      tissue, however, the LH receptor showed marked preference for ovine and bovine
      LH, reacting very weakly with other preparations of pituitary LH. Human chorionic
      gonadotrophin also reacted partly with the ovine LH receptor at 25 degrees C.
      However, at 4 degrees C, the optimum temperature for binding of the LH receptor
      to its homologous hormone, the receptor displayed no recognition for chorionic
      gonadotrophin preparations. Affinity cross-linking studies with ovine testicular
      membrane suggested that the ovine FSH receptor has an Mr of 70,000, which is very
      similar to that observed in the porcine ovary. The Mr of the ovine LH receptor
      was estimated to be 150,000, which is different from those of other mammalian
      species, including those that have been cloned. The data suggest that the binding
      and structural properties of the ovine FSH receptor are similar to those of other
      mammalian FSH receptors, whereas the ovine LH receptor appears to differ from
      other mammalian LH receptors in having a different Mr and in being more stringent
      in its requirement for pituitary LH.

PMID- 1883491
TI  - [An investigation on the resources of medicinal fungi in Sichuan].
AB  - This paper reports the classification, distributional traits, new distribution,
      specific species of medicinal fungi, as well as the status of anticancer
      medications and edible and medicinal fungi in Sichuan. Rational suggestions have
      been made with regard to the cultivation, development and utilization of those
      important species with proven curative effect.

PMID- 1883492
TI  - [Identification of tinglizi by derivative spectrum].
AB  - This paper reports a study on the application of derivative spectrum to the
      identification of tinglizi and its adulterants. The spectra of two normal species
      of tinglizi have been found identical, but those of six adulterants obviously
      different from the normal.

PMID- 1883493
TI  - [Status of Yunnan drug banxia and its botanical origin].
AB  - L. Yunnan, the medicinal material Banxia recorded in The Pharmacopoeia of the
      People's Republic of China (1985 ed.) is called "Dizhu Banxia" (stem tuber of
      Pinellia ternata). Besides, "Shanzhu Banxia" (stem tuber of Arisaema yunnanense,
      A. bathycoleum, A. saxatile and A. prazeri) is also used medically as Banxia,
      while "Gouzhua Banxia" (stem tuber of Arisaema franchetianum, A. likiangense and
      Pinellia pedatisecta) is not.

PMID- 1883494
TI  - [Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, nutrient uptake and
      synthesis of volatile oil in Schizonepeta tenuifolia briq].
AB  - Inoculating Schizonepeta tenuifolia with VA mycorrhizal fungi can significantly
      improve the plant growth and uptake of P and S, and influence the absorption of
      K, Na, Fe, Mo, Mn, Zn, Co, Ba, Ni and Pb. It is interesting to note that VA
      mycorrhiza can also increase the synthesis of volatile oil in the shoots of S.
      tenuifolia. The efficiency of VA mycorrhiza varies with the fungal species.

PMID- 1883495
TI  - [Germination temperature of seeds of medicinal plants].
AB  - According to our experiments in the last ten years, the germination behaviour of
      the seeds of medicinal plants may be classified into five types by different
      temperature requirements for germination: (1) low temperature type; (2) middle
      temperature type; (3) high temperature type; (4) alternating temperature type;
      (5) wide ranging temperature type. This classification is helpful for cultivators
      to determine the time of sowing.

PMID- 1883496
TI  - [Research on the processing of Angelica based on the analysis of water soluble
      constituents].
AB  - In this paper, a comparative study on the contents of water-soluble and alcohol
      soluble tannin and ferulic acid in Angelica and its processed products is
      reported. The result shows that different processing methods have significant
      effects on the above constituents, thus administering to the interpretation of
      the theory of Angelica processing.

PMID- 1883497
TI  - [Experimental studies on the decoction siwu tang].
AB  - Using many kinds of modern instruments, we have measured the content of ferulic
      acid, eight trace elements, seventeen amino acids and water-soluble substances in
      various single drug decoctions, group-drug decoctions, and mixtures of various
      single drug decoctions of radix Angelicae sinensis, radix Rehmanniae, radix
      Paeoniae alba and Rhizoma chuanxiong that make up the decoction siwu tang.
      Absorption peaks in ultraviolet spectra have also been measured.

PMID- 1883498
TI  - [Toxic principles of Oxytropis glabra DC].
AB  - Eight alkaloids were isolated from Oxytropis glabra and identified as anagirine,
      thermopsine, N-methylcytisine, sparteine, baptifoline, adenine, dictamnine and
      ethyl allophanate respectively by spectral analysis and physicochemical methods.
      All these alkaloids were isolated from this genus for the first time and ethyl
      allophanate was found in nature for the first time.

PMID- 1883499
TI  - [Isolation and physico-chemical properties of polysaccharides from the root of
      Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight].
AB  - Three polysaccharides AC-A, AC-B, AC-C were isolated and purified from the water
      extract of the root of Cynanchum auriculatum. The molecular weight of AC-A, AC-B
      and AC-C were 28000, 51000 and 117000 respectively. All these polysaccharides
      were composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, galactose, mannose and glucose.

PMID- 1883500
TI  - [Determination of cholic acid in man-made bezoar by derivative spectrometry].
AB  - Cholic acid in man-made bezoar can be determined by the suggested first order
      derivative spectrometric method. The peak amplitude within 310-290 nm is
      independent of the other components and only varies linearly with cholic acid
      concentration. The method is simple and accurate with good reproducibility.

PMID- 1883501
TI  - [Application of uniform design to pharmacological experiments of traditional
      Chinese medicines].

PMID- 1883502
TI  - [Effect of rhizoma Zingiberis on anoxic or cooled mice].
AB  - The anti-anoxic experiments have indicated that the petroleum ether extract of
      Rhizoma Zingiberis can prolong the survival time in mice poisoned by KCN or under
      the condition of normobaric hypoxia, as well as decapitation-induced gasping
      duration in mice, but can not prolong the survival time in mice poisoned by
      NaNO4. The anti-anoxic action might be related to the reduction rate of O2
      consumption of the body. The aqueous extract of Rhizoma Zingiberis does not
      possess the above-mentioned anti-anoxic action. Both extracts do not affect the
      survival time in cooled mice.

PMID- 1883503
TI  - [Pharmacological studies on the volatile oil isolated from the leaves of Pinus
      pumila (Pall.) Regel].
AB  - The sedative, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities of the
      volatile oil isolated from the leaves of Pinus pumila are reported, the volatile
      oil being administered ip or po. The ip LD50 in mice was 0.577 +/- 0.056 ml/kg.

PMID- 1883504
TI  - [Effect of liuwei dihuang decoction and its compatible prescriptions on lipid
      peroxide and lipofuscin].
AB  - Our experiment has shown that liuwei dihuang Decoction can decrease the contents
      of lipid peroxide in the serum as well as lipofuscin in the liver of the older
      mice to the level of the younger ones, while the two compatible prescriptions
      derived from the decoction, "Three invigorators" and "Three purges", cannot
      produce the same effect. All the three forms of prescription have no action on
      the lipofuscin in the heart.

PMID- 1883506
TI  - [Research on the improvement of dosage forms of prescriptions in Chinese
      traditional medicine].

PMID- 1883505
TI  - [A study on components and compound prescription of huangqin decoction].
AB  - The results obtained from the pharmacological experiments have preliminarily
      demonstrated that the compound prescription is better than its individual
      component drug in the range and potency of pharmacological activities. In the
      prescription Radix Scutellariae plays a principal role in pharmacological
      effects. Radix Scutellariae and Radix Paeoniae Alba can potentiate each other.
      Radix Glycyrrhizae and Fructus Jujubae in the compound prescription also exhibit
      biological activities to some extent. The relieving effect of the prescription
      for spasm and pain may result from the synergistic interaction between Radix
      Paeoniae Alba and Radix Glycyrrhiza, and the heat clearing and diarrhea stopping
      action is due to the biological activity of Radix Scutellariae.

PMID- 1883507
TI  - Structure and diversity of class I antigen presenting molecules in the mouse.
AB  - Sequence comparisons among class I genes provide insight into the nature and
      origins of diversity in the human and mouse MHC. The profiles of diversity among
      alleles and between different loci indicate that genetic interactions among class
      I genes generate sequence diversity in both species. Humans and mice differ in
      the extent that sequence transfer occurs between loci. In mice, sequences
      encoding the antigen binding domain show little evidence of locus specificity. A
      series of mouse class I mutants have been analyzed, providing strong evidence
      that interlocus gene conversion plays a significant role in the exchange of
      sequences among class I genes. A similar process is suspected in human class I
      and both mouse and human class II genes. However, the transfer of sequence among
      genes in these groups appears to occur predominantly between alleles and only to
      a minor extent between loci.

PMID- 1883508
TI  - Synthesis of complement components C2 and C4 by human monocyte-derived
      macrophages during in vitro differentiation in serum-free culture conditions.
AB  - In order to analyze the kinetics of complement component synthesis by human
      monocytes/macrophages, we have developed a system of defined culture conditions
      in the absence of serum. Moreover, the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
      provides a high sensitivity for the detection of mRNAs and the study of the
      regulation of complement component synthesis by these cells. Human blood
      monocytes were collected and purified by cytapheresis and elutriation, and then
      cultured in nonadherent cell culture bags for up to 3 weeks. Cells were grown in
      Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium supplemented with alpha-phosphatidylcholine,
      transferrin, insulin, glutamine and antibiotics. The phenotypic and functional
      properties of macrophages differentiated under these serum-free culture
      conditions have been previously analyzed [1]. Secretion of complement component
      was measured by a hemolytic assay. mRNA was prepared using guanidine
      isothiocyanate extraction followed by cesium gradient ultra-centrifugation. cDNA
      was obtained by reverse transcription, then amplified by PCR. Fresh monocytes did
      not display any secretion of C2 as measured by hemolytic assay. However, C2
      secretion was detected on and after the 3rd day of serum-free cultured
      unstimulated monocytes. The rate of C2 production increased along with macrophage
      differentiation up to the 3rd week of culture. We were not able to detect any
      functional C4 secretion. In preliminary studies, C2 and C4 mRNAs were detected in
      macrophages and in unstimulated fresh monocytes. These preliminary studies show
      that the serum-free culture conditions we have developed allow very satisfactory
      survival and differentiation of human monocytes, and provide optimal conditions
      for the study of their secretory activity.

PMID- 1883509
TI  - The macrophage in tuberculosis: sinner or saint? The T cell decides.
AB  - Immunity to intracellular bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis crucially
      depends on intricate interactions between T lymphocytes and macrophages. Before
      contact with T lymphocytes macrophages serve as habitat for M. tuberculosis
      organisms; after activation by T cells they become major effectors against these
      pathogens. T cells comprise different subsets which express different functional
      activities. This paper describes evidence that different T cell subsets (CD4
      alpha/beta T cells, CD8 alpha/beta T cells and gamma/delta T cells) as well as
      different T cell functions (interleukin secretion and target cell lysis)
      contribute to immunity against tuberculosis.

PMID- 1883510
TI  - Phagocytosis and heat shock response in human monocytes-macrophages.
AB  - The heat shock response represents a general physiological cellular reprogramming
      of gene expression secondary to exposure to multiple different stresses such as
      heat or oxygen free radicals. It is assumed that this response is turned on in
      order to protect cells, or to permit better recovery, from the detrimental
      effects of such stresses. During erythrophagocytosis, heat shock proteins and
      heme oxygenase synthesis are induced in human monocytes-macrophages. Whereas
      induction of heme oxygenase appears to be related to the hemoglobin-released
      iron, the factor(s) responsible for heat shock protein induction remain elusive.
      The respective roles of phagocytosis itself, oxygen free radicals, calcium,
      cytoskeletal alterations and oncogene expression are discussed.

PMID- 1883511
TI  - Intracellular pathogens and professional phagocytes in reactive arthritis.
AB  - Reactive arthritis is a postinfectious complication which develops after certain
      infections, mostly gastrointestinal or urogenital. Antigenic structures of the
      causative microbes, but no live organisms, have been demonstrated in inflamed
      joints. The host factors as well as the microbial antigens responsible for the
      initiation of the arthritic process are unknown. The pathogenesis of reactive
      arthritis is discussed here with special reference to the intracellular life of
      the causative microbes and to monocytes/macrophages, which may be involved in
      early events of the arthritic process as well as in maintenance of the autoimmune
      type of responses.

PMID- 1883512
TI  - Low incidence of transplant-related complications in patients with chronic
      release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha before admission to bone marrow
      transplantation: a clinical correlate of cytokine desensitization?
AB  - To investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) released by
      activated macrophages, sequential serum samples of 120 patients undergoing bone
      marrow transplantation (BMT) were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
      De novo increases in serum TNF-alpha levels were correlated with the development
      of acute endothelial complications as well as acute graft-versus-host disease. In
      addition, the analysis of time courses revealed a different capacity of TNF-alpha
      regulation at various phases of BMT. While patients with acute TNF-alpha release
      in the first 2 weeks of BMT had a significantly enhanced incidence of
      complications, a subgroup of 9 patients with chronic asymptomatic release of TNF
      alpha before admission to BMT was observed. These patients were protected from
      complications in the course of the first 6 months of BMT. Our observations
      indicate the occurrence of desensitization for TNF-alpha, as it is also reported
      after repeated injections of TNF-alpha or endotoxin in experimental models.

PMID- 1883513
TI  - Regulatory mechanisms of host responsiveness to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide).
AB  - During Gram-negative endotoxemia, precise regulation of monocyte/macrophage (M
      phi) responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is critical to preserve host
      defense while avoiding complications such as organ failure and death. We will
      discuss regulation of LPS-M phi interactions by LPS-binding plasma proteins and
      by LPS-induced changes in M phi responsiveness. Upon exposure to plasma, LPS
      binds to either lipoproteins or LPS-binding protein (LBP; a 60-kilodalton
      glycoprotein with a high-affinity binding site for the lipid A moiety of rough
      and smooth LPS). The LPS-LBP complex stimulates the M phi by binding to its
      cellular receptor, CD14 (a monocyte/M phi-specific, phosphatidylinositol-anchored
      surface glycoprotein). Pretreatment of whole blood with anti-CD 14 monoclonal
      antibody reduces the responsiveness of monocytes to LPS [determined by tumor
      necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release]at least 10-fold. Similarly, cellular
      responsiveness to LPS is diminished at least 100-fold by depletion of plasma LBP
      with anti-LBP antibody. Compared to LPS-LBP induction of TNF-alpha, LPS
      lipoprotein complexes are as much as 10,000-fold less active. Thus, partitioning
      of LPS between LBP and lipoproteins markedly influences M phi responsiveness to
      LPS. LPS also directly induces M phi hyporesponsiveness to itself by a process
      known as adaptation; exposure of M phi to less than or equal to LPS/ml
      (subthreshold for TNF induction) for 6-9 reduces the sensitivity of the M phi to
      subsequent challenge up to 1,000-fold, so that 1 microgram/ml rather than 1 ng/ml
      of LPS is required for maximal induction of TNF-alpha.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250
      WORDS)

PMID- 1883514
TI  - Lipopolysaccharide-instructed, cryopreserved, human monocytes sequentially
      convert plasma fibrinogen to fibrin and lyse the fibrin formed.
AB  - Cryopreserved human monocytes have been examined for their procoagulant and
      profibrinolytic capacities on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, when given
      the possibility to act upon fibrinogen in heparinized plasma. As shown by the
      appearance of fibrinopeptide A, indicating thrombin action on the fibrinogen
      molecule, and by the appearance of D-Dimer, indicating the action of plasmin on
      fibrin, it is apparent that LPS-instructed monocytes give rise to fibrin which is
      subsequently lysed. Thus, delineation (fibrin formation) appears to be followed
      by fibrin removal (restitution).

PMID- 1883515
TI  - Regulation of cytokine and viral gene expression in monocytes infected with the
      human immunodeficiency virus.
AB  - Monocytes treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) at virus challenge show no
      evidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: no p24 antigen or
      reverse transcriptase (RT) activity, no viral mRNA and no proviral DNA. Levels of
      p24 antigen and RT activity in monocytes infected with HIV 1-3 weeks before IFN
      alpha treatment gradually decrease to baseline. HIV-induced cytopathic changes
      are markedly reduced, as are levels of HIV mRNA: the frequency of productively
      infected cells is less than or equal to 1%. But, levels of proviral DNA in the
      IFN-alpha-treated and control HIV-infected cells are indistinguishable, and
      remain so through 3 weeks. Large quantities of proviral DNA in IFN-alpha-treated
      cells with little active transcription suggest true microbiological latency. The
      major potential source for IFN-alpha in HIV-infected patients is the macrophage.
      With any of 15 virus isolates, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta,
      interleukin-6, IFN-omega or IFN-beta are not detected nor the mRNA expressed in
      HIV-infected or uninfected monocytes. Both uninfected and HIV-infected monocytes
      produce high levels of these cytokines after treatment with synthetic double
      stranded RNA (poly-I:C). Uninfected monocytes also produce high levels of IFN
      alpha after treatment with Poly-I:C, Newcastle disease virus or herpes simplex
      virus. In marked contrast, HIV-infected monocytes express no IFN-alpha activity
      or mRNA before or after treatment with any of these agents. The markedly
      diminished capacity of HIV-infected monocyte to produce IFN-alpha reflects a
      specific transcriptional block and may be an adaptive mechanism of virus to alter
      basic microbicidal functions of this cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883516
TI  - AIDS encephalopathy and tropism of HIV for brain monocytes/macrophages and
      microglial cells.
AB  - HIV induces severe dementia in about 20% of adult AIDS patients. In children HIV
      infected at birth, the incidence of specific neurological complications is still
      higher since severe encephalopathy occurs in almost all children who develop an
      early and severe immunosuppression. In all cases, the brain monocytes/macrophages
      and the microglial cells are the only cells which replicate HIV in the central
      nervous system (CNS) of these patients, and the appearance of neurological
      symptoms seems induced by an interaction between HIV-infected macrophages with
      neurons and glial cells. AIDS encephalopathy is related to two properties of HIV:
      to the viral tropism for monocytes/macrophages/microglial cells, which allow the
      brain infection, and to HIV tropism for CD4+ lymphocytes responsible for the
      appearance of immunosuppression, which trigger viral dissemination in the CNS.
      However, childhood encephalopathy is not always associated with HIV replication
      in the CNS at the time of death, and mild dementia in HIV-infected adults were
      described without signs of HIV replication in autopsy CNS samples. Those findings
      suggest that persistent, productive viral infection is not required for the
      development of HIV encephalopathy. Therefore, if the relationship between HIV CNS
      infection and AIDS encephalopathy in adults and children is clearly demonstrated,
      the pathogenesis of the neurological disease and the kinetics of HIV replication
      in the CNS are unclear. In addition, the very high incidence of AIDS
      encephalopathy in children could be related to HIV infection of microglia which
      is differentiating in fetal or newborn brain.

PMID- 1883517
TI  - Interaction of cultured human Kupffer cells with HIV-infected CEM cells: an
      electron microscopic study.
AB  - Evidence has accumulated indicating that macrophages could play a role in the
      physiopathology of AIDS. We recently demonstrated that cultured human liver
      macrophages, the so-called Kupffer cells (KC), are permissive for HIV. Their
      infection in vivo would lead these cells to constitute a target for the virus and
      a reservoir as well. Since they occupy a strategic position within the liver
      sinusoid, their opportunity to interact with blood-borne virus or already
      infected T lymphocytes may be very high. In the present study, we investigated
      the possibility for KC to be infected via HIV-infected CEM cells, a lymphoid cell
      line. Therefore, we cocultured both cell types for various times before fixing
      them for electron microscopy. Syncytia appeared within 20 h of infection as well
      as a large amount of virus particles. HIV in the way of budding was also easily
      observed. This has to be compared to the direct infection of KC with free virus
      which needs, at least, about 10 days to give the same results.

PMID- 1883518
TI  - Influenza A virus infects macrophages and stimulates release of tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha.
AB  - The clinical picture of influenza A virus infections indicates that release of
      tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may be involved. In the present study we
      exposed the murine macrophage line PU5-1.8 to influenza A virus and observed a
      productive infection which was followed by subsequent cell death. Infection of
      macrophages was accompanied by TNF-alpha mRNA accumulation and TNF-alpha release.
      TNF-alpha production could only be induced by live virus whereas interferon
      release was also stimulated by inactivated virus. When virus-infected macrophages
      were exposed to low amounts of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1-10 ng/ml) TNF-alpha
      production was strongly potentiated. These data show that low LPS concentrations
      could readily trigger a high TNF-alpha release from influenza-A-virus-infected
      macrophages which could, at least partially, explain the serious complications of
      combined influenza A virus and bacterial infections.

PMID- 1883520
TI  - Monocyte-mediated growth control and the induction of tumor cell death.
AB  - In the present article a hypothesis is put forward and supporting data are
      referred that explain the elimination of tumorigenic cells as a consequence of
      their failure to comply with the rules of ubiquitous negative growth control
      mechanisms involving among others also mononuclear phagocytes as effector cells.
      This hypothesis does not invoke the recognition of altered cell surface
      structures on tumorigenic cells as the basis for discriminating them from normal
      cells and thus avoids one of the most irritating problems of hypothetical tumor
      defense mechanisms involving the recognition of spontaneously arising tumor cells
      as 'non-self' by immunologic effector cells.

PMID- 1883519
TI  - The role of macrophages in the regulation of primary tumor growth.
AB  - Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) represent a population of tissue macrophages
      with peculiar biological, biochemical and phenotypic properties. Here we have
      briefly analyzed two different mechanisms involved in the regulation of the
      levels of TAM: the production of tumor-derived chemotactic factors for
      mononuclear phagocytes and in situ proliferation of TAM. Two clones selected from
      the murine sarcoma line B77 showed a different capacity to produce the tumor
      derived chemotactic factor known as JE. Studies with these clones demonstrated a
      correlation between in vitro production of the protein JE, expression of JE mRNA
      and macrophage content in tumor tissues, suggesting that the production of
      chemotactic factors can play a role in the regulation of TAM accumulation.
      Moreover, it has been shown that TAM had high levels of proliferative activity
      compared to peritoneal exudate macrophages. In an effort to elucidate the
      mechanisms responsible for the proliferative activity of TAM, the expression of c
      fms and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) was investigated in TAM and
      sarcoma cells. TAM had high levels of mRNA transcripts of the c-fms
      protooncogene, which encodes a tyrosine kinase probably identical to the M-CSF
      receptor, but did not express M-CSF transcripts, while sarcoma cells had high
      levels of M-CSF mRNA. Sarcoma-cell-conditioned medium had M-CSF activity on bone
      marrow cells: this activity was blocked by anti-M-CSF antibodies. These findings
      outline a paracrine circuit in the regulation of TAM proliferation, involving M
      CSF secreted by sarcoma cells and acting on c-fms-expressing TAM. A better
      understanding of the regulation and function of TAM may provide a less empirical
      basis for a rationale design of therapeutic approaches.

PMID- 1883521
TI  - Tumoricidal effector molecules of murine macrophages.
AB  - Activated macrophages secrete a variety of factors affecting proliferation or
      viability of neoplastic cells. Factors described previously are discussed for
      their relevance as effector molecules for the selective destruction of tumor
      cells by activated macrophages and compared to a recently characterized high
      molecular-weight tumoricidal activity secreted by activated murine bone-marrow
      derived macrophages.

PMID- 1883522
TI  - Antibody-mediated tumor cytotoxicity of microglia.
AB  - The status of microglial cells as potent effector cells in antibody-mediated
      tumor cytotoxicity (ADCC) could be established. Microglia (greater than or equal
      to 99.9% pure) derived from brain cortices of newborn mice were shown to lyse
      human tumor cell lines expressing different levels of epidermal growth factor
      (EGF) receptors in the presence of MAb 425, a monoclonal murine anti-primate EGF
      receptor antibody. MAb 425 mediates microglial ADCC (MiADCC) at concentrations as
      low as 10(-11) M. Antibody ligands binding unilaterally to either EGF receptors
      on target cells or Fc receptors on microglia have little effect on MiADCC. At 10(
      10) M MAb 425, a 10(3)-fold excess of MAb 425 F(ab')2 fragments or irrelevant
      antibodies of identical isotype did not block MAb-425-induced MiADCC. Formation
      of effector-target cell contacts seems to be critical for MiADCC and MiADCC could
      not be inhibited by anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibodies. In addition to
      its stimulatory effect on MiADCC, MAb 425 bound to EGF receptors exerted a
      microgliotrophic effect. Factor(s) derived from astrocytes enhance MiADCC.

PMID- 1883523
TI  - Adoptive immunotherapy with autologous macrophages: current status and future
      perspectives.
AB  - Adoptive immunotherapy is a treatment modality designed to correct a defective
      and/or insufficient host defense response to a malignant tumor. Recently, we have
      developed a large scale technology for the generation of tumor cytotoxic
      macrophages (MACs) from circulating precursor monocytes. These ex vivo matured
      and interferon-gamma-activated MACs were used for adoptive transfer in a total of
      30 tumor patients by intravenous (n = 12), intraperitoneal (n = 11) and
      intrahepatic (n = 7) infusion. A biological response to autologous cell transfer
      was evident from low-grade fever, elevation of C-reactive protein, induction of
      the coagulation cascade and a rise in interleukin-6 in sera as well as in ascitic
      fluids. A clinical response was only seen upon intraperitoneal treatment and
      consisted of palliation of malignant ascites in 3 of 7 patients and in reduction
      of ascitic tumor markers (CEA, CA125). Future perspectives of MAC therapy in
      combination with macrophage colony-stimulating factor, bacterial endotoxins and
      synthetic derivatives as well as monoclonal antibodies against tumor-associated
      antigens are discussed. Furthermore, the ex vivo manipulation of the MAC system
      may offer the possibility to use these multifunctional, pleiotropic effector
      cells not only in malignancy but also for the therapy of complicated
      opportunistic infections and secondary bone marrow hypoplasia.

PMID- 1883524
TI  - Biochemistry and function of pteridine synthesis in human and murine macrophages.
AB  - We investigated intracellular pteridine concentrations, activities of pteridine
      biosynthetic enzymes and formation of nitrogen oxides from arginine in human
      peripheral-blood-derived macrophages and in myelomonocytoma (THP-1) cells, as
      well as in murine peritoneal and spleen-derived macrophages and in murine
      macrophage lines (P388-D1, J774-A.1). Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induces the
      activity of GTP-cyclohydrolase I up to 40-fold in human cells. In human
      macrophages and THP-1 cells, this induced activity is higher than the
      constitutively present activity of the subsequent enzyme, the 6
      pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase. As a consequence, large amounts of neopterin
      are formed during IFN-gamma-triggered synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin. Murine
      macrophages constitutively synthesize tetrahydrobiopterin. The activity of GTP
      cyclohydrolase I remains unchanged by treatment with IFN-gamma or tumor necrosis
      factor-alpha. This activity is lower than the subsequent 6
      pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase activity, thus explaining the lack of neopterin
      in murine cells, tissues and body fluids. Inhibition and reconstitution of
      pteridine synthesis in activated murine macrophages by specific drugs demonstrate
      that tetrahydrobiopterin regulates the amount of nitrogen oxides formed from
      arginine in intact cells, thus providing a rationale for therapeutic
      intervention.

PMID- 1883525
TI  - Regulation of M-CSF expression by M-CSF: role of protein kinase C and
      transcription factor NF kappa B.
AB  - Macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), also referred to as CSF-1,
      regulates the survival, growth, differentiation and functional activity of
      monocytes by binding to a single class of high-affinity cell surface receptors,
      known to be the product of the c-fms protooncogene. The detection of both M-CSF
      and c-fms expression by cells of the monocyte lineage has suggested that M-CSF
      may act by an autocrine mechanism. Interestingly, it has been shown that M-CSF
      can induce the expression of its own gene. Although sensitivity to M-CSF can be
      modulated by regulation of receptor expression and function, M-CSF responsiveness
      is largely determined at a postreceptor level. To date, little is known about the
      intracellular pathway of M-CSF signal transduction. We have therefore
      investigated the changes in protein kinase C (PKC) activity upon exposure of
      monocytes to M-CSF. We show that M-CSF activates and translocates PKC. Inhibition
      of PKC by the isoquinoline derivative H7 abolishes induction of M-CSF by M-CSF.
      Furthermore, activation of PKC was pertussis-toxin-sensitive and was associated
      with the detection of an NF kappa B protein in nuclear extracts of M-CSF-induced
      blood monocytes but not in monocytes exposed to medium treatment only. The
      results suggest that M-CSF induction of M-CSF involves G proteins, PKC and NF
      kappa B.

PMID- 1883526
TI  - Hypercalcemia of malignancy: pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment.
AB  - Malignancy is the most frequent cause of hypercalcemia in hospitalized patients.
      The pathophysiology of hypercalcemia of malignancy (HM) is complex. Increased
      bone resorption is involved in most cases caused either by extensive local bone
      destruction or by humoral factors. Tumor extracts from patients with humoral
      hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) often contain PTH-like bioactivity. Recently,
      cDNAs coding for a PTH-related protein (PTH-rP) has been cloned. The N-terminal
      amino acid sequence of this protein shows a considerable homology with human PTH.
      However, other bone resorbing factors including prostaglandins, transforming
      growth factors, colony stimulating factors, leucocyte cytokines and 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D may be involved in different types of malignancy. HM is
      usually progressive with troublesome symptoms and a high mortality. Several
      treatment alternatives are available including rehydration, bisphosphonates,
      calcitonin, plicamycin, phosphate, and glucocorticoids. Others are under
      investigation. Treatment should be individualized taking into account the
      pathophysiological mechanisms involved, the extent of hypercalcemia and renal
      failure, and the prognosis related to the malignant disease.

PMID- 1883527
TI  - The hematopoietic microenvironment.
AB  - Hematopoietic microenvironment is comprised of an admixture of several adherent
      cell types including fibroblasts, reticular adventitial cells, and marcophages.
      The biologic interaction of these cells with the most primitive hematopoietic
      progenitor cells capable of reconstituting all hematopoietic lineages within an
      irradiated host, as well as differentiated progenitor cells and cells of each
      committed lineage, has been the subject of intense investigation. Transplantation
      of the hematopoietic microenvironment has recently been demonstrated and this
      technique has been used to partially correct the microenvironmental defect in the
      Sl/Sld mouse. The molecular mechanism of cell surface interaction between stromal
      and hematopoietic stem cells is being elucidated by molecular transfection
      techniques in which genes for specific receptors are introduced into
      hematopoietic stem cell lines and then demonstrated to adhere and proliferate in
      contact with stromal cells expressing transfected recombinant ligands. This model
      has been demonstrated with the EGF receptor bearing 32D cl 3 stem cells bound to
      TGF alpha-producing stromal cells. Extracellular matrix components of the
      adherent cell layer, the binding of hematopoietic growth factor interaction with
      matrix components, as well as the positive and negative feedback regulatory role
      of hematopoietic stem cells bound to the microenvironment, represents the focus
      of current investigation.

PMID- 1883528
TI  - Stabilizing effect of organic solvents on oxyhemoglobin.
AB  - The role of hemoglobin solutions as oxygen carriers in biotechnology are
      numerous, such as in the oxygen supply to biocatalysts or in the preparation of
      blood substitutes. However, the major barrier to the successful use of hemoglobin
      in biological and medical engineering is the autoxidation of heme iron during
      preparation, storage, and utilization. Fifty-six solvents, chosen among the group
      of Parker's classification, were studied with regard to the autoxidation kinetics
      of oxyhemoglobin under nondenaturant conditions. Among these solvents 27 present
      a concentration range in which the autoxidation rates were reduced compared to
      autoxidation in water. Three groups of solvent have been observed: one exhibiting
      only a destabilizing effect regardless of the solvent proportion, a second
      showing a strong stabilizing effect (k(H2O)/k(solvent) greater than 20) and a
      third showing a low stabilization (k(H2O)/k(solvent) less than 20). The most
      effective stabilizing solvents were glycerol, glycols, and alcohols. The effect
      of hydroorganic solvents could be explained by taking into account the globin
      solvation by water molecules. The solvents that enhance the structure of the
      water and form few hydrophobic interactions with globin prevent oxyhemoglobin
      autoxidation.

PMID- 1883529
TI  - Immunoaffinity partitioning: synthesis and use of polyethylene glycol-oxirane for
      coupling to bovine serum albumin and monoclonal antibodies.
AB  - Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-oxirane was synthesized by reacting aminated
      monomethoxy-PEG 5000 (NH2-MPEG 5000) with butanediol diglycidyl ether and used to
      derivatize bovine serum albumin (BSA) and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against
      horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and porcine lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme 5,
      respectively. Determination of oxirane end groups revealed a very high number,
      which arise from the chain breaks of the polymer. Covalent coupling of PEG
      oxirane to BSA resulted in 30-50 times higher partition coefficients under
      optimized conditions. The mAb investigated could be modified with PEG-oxirane
      while retaining its binding properties and could be used as an affinity ligand
      for selective extraction of Ag in immunoaffinity partitioning. However, a high
      degree of modification results in a lower binding constant of mAb anti-HRP and
      higher [mAb]/[Ag] concentration ratios in immunoaffinity partition experiments.

PMID- 1883530
TI  - Use of liposomes, viral capsids, and nanoparticles as DNA carriers.
AB  - We tested a variety of liposomes for parameters such as DNA binding capacity and
      DNase I protection of incorporated and attached DNA to elucidate their use as
      vehicles for DNA transfer into cells and animals. The results were compared to
      other potential DNA vehicles, empty viral capsids, and nanoparticles. Maximal
      binding capacity was achieved for positively charged nanoparticles, DNase I
      protection was observed for most preparations with neosome preparations being
      least efficient. The uptake of radiolabeled DNA by cells in culture was
      determined for cationic and nonionic surfactant vesicles, viral capsids, and
      nanoparticles. Cellular DNA uptake was best for dioleoyl-derived positively
      charged liposomes (N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium
      chloride; DOTMA) and the DNA could be shown to be physiologically active. The
      recombination rate for DNA fragments transfected in polyoma capsids in live mice
      was higher than for liposome mediated transfection. Homologous recombination
      could be observed for both DOTMA and polyoma-mediated DNA transfer.

PMID- 1883531
TI  - Solid-phase synthesis of biologically active fragment 29-111 of rat prothymosin
      alpha.
AB  - Rat prothymosin alpha fragment 29-111, an 83-residue polypeptide corresponding to
      desthymosin alpha 1-prothymosin alpha, has been synthesized by a solid-phase
      method. Hydrogen fluoride was used to deprotect and cleave the peptide from the
      resin. The crude product was purified by gel-filtration, ion-exchange
      chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. A 3.2-mg sample of a
      ca. 96% pure peptide was finally obtained. The overall yield of the synthesis was
      less than 1%. An increase of E-rosette-forming lymphocytes was obtained after
      incubation of peripheral blood from uremic patients with the synthetic
      prothymosin alpha fragment 29-111. The restoring effect of the synthetic
      prothymosin alpha fragment 29-111 was greater than that of our synthetic thymosin
      alpha 1.

PMID- 1883533
TI  - Gangliosides administration causes sugar moiety-specific enzymatic changes in
      brain.
AB  - Exogenous gangliosides are known to affect the metabolism when administered to
      the body. To study the mechanism of this effect three types of gangliosides were
      administered intraperitoneally to mice and the changes in the enzyme activity of
      the cerebral tissues studied. The effect of GM2 from bovine brain was
      characterized by a decrease in the activity of various aminopeptidases, while GD3
      from cow's milk caused an increase in the activity of sugar-related enzymes such
      as sialidase, glucosidase, and fucosidase. GM3 from horse erythrocytes showed
      intermediate effects between GM2 and GD3. Multivariate analysis showed that the
      effects of the three gangliosides are clearly separable statistically. These
      results which demonstrate the sugar moiety-specificity of gangliosides are
      discussed in relation to the A and B pathways of ganglioside synthesis.

PMID- 1883532
TI  - Purification and characterization of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor
      II (IGF-II) expressed as a secreted fusion protein in Escherichia coli.
AB  - Human insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) was produced in an Escherichia coli
      ompT strain as a 22.5-kDa fusion protein. IGF-II was fused to the carboxy
      terminal of a synthetic 15-kDa IgG-binding protein, originating from
      staphylococcal protein A, via a unique methionine linker. During fermentation,
      the fusion protein was exported to the growth medium at levels exceeding 900
      mg/liter and subsequently affinity purified on IgG Sepharose followed by ion
      exchange on S Sepharose. After chemical cleavage with CNBr, yielding an authentic
      IGF-II molecule, the recombinant IGF-II was purified to homogeneity by a two step
      procedure involving ion-exchange and reverse-phase HPLC. A substantial fraction
      of the secreted protein was found to be biologically active, eliminating the need
      for complex refolding procedures. The yield of highly purified and biologically
      active IGF-II was 5-7 mg/liter of fermenter broth. The IGF-II produced by this
      method displayed biochemical, immunological, receptor binding, and biological
      activity properties equal to those of native IGF-II isolated from human serum.

PMID- 1883534
TI  - Dental and oral disease in Lagomorphs.
AB  - The dental diseases of rabbits are unique because of their dental anatomy and
      physiology. Common problems of Lagomorph dentition are covered in this article
      including malocclusions, periodontal disease, and their treatment. The anatomy of
      Lagomorph dentition is reviewed and anesthesia protocols are included.

PMID- 1883535
TI  - Anaerobes in periodontal disease in the dog: a review.
AB  - As anaerobic sampling and culture techniques improved, the documented prevalence
      of anaerobic bacteria in periodontal disease has increased. The anaerobic
      bacteria have become more well-known in humans and consequently in dogs, since
      this species is a major model in periodontal studies. A review of the literature
      related to anaerobic flora is described.

PMID- 1883536
TI  - External odontoclastic resorptive lesions in cats--another opinion.

PMID- 1883537
TI  - Prosthodontic treatment of trauma to the nasus externus, premaxilla and maxilla
      of a dog.
AB  - This is a clinical report which presents a prosthodontic treatment for a trauma
      case in a dog with multiple dental, skeletal and soft tissue problems. The
      treatment resulted from investigations into prosthodontics with the assistance of
      a prosthodontic dental laboratory. The prosthesis which was fabricated solved the
      problem of obstructed airflow through an injured nares, and provided for an
      esthetic result. Treatment required intermittent procedures over a one year
      period.

PMID- 1883538
TI  - Effective slide presentations.
AB  - Veterinarians are often called upon to give lectures on a variety of subjects.
      The preparation of these lectures often includes the use of kodachrome slides to
      illustrate a subject. Often narrative slides and descriptional slides are
      necessary to complete an effective lecture. A description of preparing slides is
      detailed.

PMID- 1883539
TI  - Form, function, and use of retroviral gag proteins.

PMID- 1883541
TI  - Induction of dormant HIV-1 by sodium butyrate: involvement of the TATA box in the
      activation of the HIV-1 promoter.
AB  - Reactivation of latent HIV-1 is believed to play a major role in the pathogenesis
      of AIDS. Here we show that sodium butyrate (NaB), which can cause gene induction
      or cell differentiation, reactivates dormant HIV-1 in vitro in chronically
      infected cells of T-lymphoid and monocytoid origin. The effect of NaB on HIV-1
      expression in T-lymphoid cells was apparent 3 h after addition of drug and peaked
      at 24 h. During this time the proportion of HIV-1 antigen expressing cells
      increased from less than 0.5 to greater than 90%, and virus production increased
      by three orders of magnitude. The virus released by the NaB-induced cells was
      infectious. The extent and kinetics of NaB effects were similar to effects of
      phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate in T cells, but not monocytes. Transient
      expression assays using an indicator gene under the control of the HIV-1 long
      terminal repeat revealed that mutations which altered the nucleotide sequence in
      the TATA box significantly reduced the NaB effect. These data show that NaB is a
      potent inducer of dormant HIV-1 and suggest that the TATA motif is required for
      this activity.

PMID- 1883540
TI  - Efficacy of SIV/deltaB670 glycoprotein-enriched and glycoprotein-depleted subunit
      vaccines in protecting against infection and disease in rhesus monkeys.
AB  - Immunization with an inactivated whole-virus vaccine is highly effective in
      preventing lentivirus infection. The viral protein(s) essential to the induction
      of protective responses, however, have not been identified. To define the role of
      virion components in the induction of protective immunity, we evaluated the
      efficacy of glycoprotein-enriched and glycoprotein-depleted simian
      immunodeficiency virus (SIV) subunit vaccines prepared by lentil-lectin affinity
      chromatography of gradient-purified virions using the immunization and challenge
      regimen previously found successful with an inactivated whole-virus vaccine.
      Infection was determined by successful recovery of virus, the induction of SIV
      specific antibody responses, and infection of naive recipients by inoculation
      with lymph-node-derived lymphocytes from the vaccinates. Immunization with the
      glycoprotein-enriched preparation prevented infection in two out of four monkeys,
      whereas the glycoprotein-depleted vaccine failed to prevent infection in all four
      vaccinates tested. However, the glycoprotein-depleted vaccine appeared to
      moderate the progression of SIV-induced disease compared with non-immunized
      infected control monkeys inoculated with the same challenge dose. These data
      suggest that subunit vaccines containing sufficient quantities of viral
      glycoproteins can protect against SIV infection, whereas subunit vaccines
      composed predominantly of viral core proteins cannot. The development of
      effective vaccines against HIV infection should include studies on the optimum
      presentation of the viral envelope glycoproteins to produce long-term broadly
      protective immune responses.

PMID- 1883542
TI  - Evidence from Zaire that breast-feeding by HIV-1-seropositive mothers is not a
      major route for perinatal HIV-1 transmission but does decrease morbidity.
AB  - Breast-feeding as a route of HIV-1 transmission during infancy but also as a
      protective measure against early childhood morbidity has been investigated
      prospectively in children born to HIV-1-seropositive mothers and control children
      born to age- and parity-matched HIV-1-seronegative women. The mothers of all
      study children had been enrolled antenatally at a maternity hospital in Kinshasa,
      Zaire, which served a relatively affluent group of women who sometimes chose not
      to breast-feed their infants. In 106 children born to HIV-1-seropositive women,
      the rate of HIV-1 transmission was 21% in 28 infants exclusively breast-fed, 19%
      in 68 infants both breast- and bottle-fed and 0% in 10 infants who were bottle
      fed only (P = 0.35). In contrast, non-HIV-1-infected children of both HIV-1
      seropositive and HIV-1-seronegative mothers who were exclusively breast-fed
      compared with uninfected children who were not exclusively breast-fed had
      significantly lower incidence rates of acute diarrhea, fever and lower
      respiratory tract infection. The lack of a dose-response effect between breast
      feeding and perinatal HIV-1 transmission and the presence of a protective effect
      of breast-feeding against common causes of early childhood morbidity and
      mortality support the current World Health Organization recommendation that
      breast-feeding should continue to be promoted in all developing countries,
      including those with high HIV-1 prevalence rates in women of childbearing age.

PMID- 1883544
TI  - Sexual partners, penetrative sexual partners and HIV risk.
AB  - This paper argues that the notion of sexual partners per se is insufficient for
      estimating levels of HIV risk behaviour or changes in HIV risk over time, even
      though it is a crucial element of most epidemiological models of HIV. The concept
      of a penetrative sexual partner (PSP) is introduced as a considerably more
      accurate measure of HIV risk. Using data from a longitudinal study of 930
      homosexually active men in England and Wales, this paper demonstrates that
      variation in numbers of PSPs (and thus HIV risk) is not related to variation in
      the gross numbers of sexual partners.

PMID- 1883543
TI  - HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among female prostitutes in Kinshasa.
AB  - In 1988, 1233 prostitutes from different geographic areas of Kinshasa
      participated in a cross-sectional survey on HIV infection and other sexually
      transmitted diseases (STDs). Despite relatively good knowledge about AIDS and
      STDs, the reported preventive behaviour was poor. Only 12% of the women reported
      regular use of condoms, while greater than 50% of the women reported regular use
      of antibiotics and 38% reported doing nothing specific to prevent STDs. Thirty
      five per cent of the women were HIV-positive compared with 27% in a similar
      survey in Kinshasa in 1986. The prevalence of other STDs was very high, ranging
      from 5% for genital ulcer disease (GUD) to 23% for gonococcal infection. HIV
      positive women were older than HIV-negative women (26.9 versus 25.4 years; P less
      than 0.001), had a significantly lower level of reported condom use (9 versus
      14%, P = 0.009), and reported more frequent use of antibiotics to prevent STDs
      (55 versus 42%, P = less than 0.001). The prevalence of syphilis, gonorrhoea,
      chlamydial infection and trichomoniasis was not higher in HIV-positive women
      compared with HIV-negative women. However, HIV-positive women had a higher
      prevalence of GUD (9 versus 3%, P less than 0.001), antibodies against
      Haemophilus ducreyi (82 versus 57%, P less than 0.001), antibodies against herpes
      simplex virus type 2 (96 versus 76%, P less than 0.001), condylomata accuminata
      (5 versus 1%, P = 0.003) and cytologic evidence of human papilloma virus on
      Papaniclaou cervical smear (11 versus 5%, P = 0.006). This study confirms the
      high incidence of HIV and other STDs among prostitutes in Africa.(ABSTRACT
      TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883546
TI  - Development of language in 18-30-month-old HIV-1-infected but not ill children.
AB  - Thirty-six children (age range, 18-30 months) born to HIV-1-infected mothers were
      studied for speech development by matching 18 infected with 18 non-infected
      subjects for age, sex and socioeconomic status. All the children were in good
      health. Each child was given three comprehension and three production tasks. In
      addition, each child's mean length of utterance (MLU) was obtained by observation
      of natural child-parent interactions. The development quotients (DQ) were
      assessed by Brunet-Lezine's tests. Infection significantly affected children's
      MLU, the infected children being less advanced than those non-infected. Both
      infected and non-infected children progressed in language acquisition from the
      second to the third year of age, but infected children had significantly greater
      production difficulty than non-infected children in the second year of life. The
      matched subjects design adopted gives some strength to the conclusion that HIV-1
      infection impairs the genesis rather than the later development of language in
      infected but not ill children.

PMID- 1883545
TI  - Endocrine function in 98 HIV-infected patients: a prospective study.
AB  - Endocrine function was prospectively evaluated in 98 patients (73 men and 25
      women) infected by HIV in various stages of illness: Centers for Disease Control
      groups II (19), III (20), IVA and IVC2 (27), IVC1 and IVD (32). Testing included
      baseline and post-stimulation evaluation of gonadal, thyroidal, and adrenal axes.
      Although adrenal function was within normal values in most cases, with no
      differences between patient groups, nine out of 98 patients had either a low
      baseline or post-stimulation serum cortisol, cytomegalovirus adrenalitis being
      suspected in two cases. Mineralocorticoid response was normal in all individuals.
      The main abnormalities were sick euthyroid syndrome with low tri-idothyronine
      and/or thyroxine in 16% of patients and hypotestosteronemia in 29% of men with
      AIDS. These abnormalities, related to a functional deficiency of the hypothalamic
      pituitary axis, were highly correlated with the degree of illness, i.e. weight
      loss and low CD4+ cell count. It was concluded that endocrine dysfunction in HIV
      infected patients is rarely of clinical significance, that it is related more to
      cachexia and advanced disease than to HIV or opportunistic infections, and that
      it could serve as a prognostic marker.

PMID- 1883547
TI  - Relapse in sexual behavior among homosexual men: a 2-year follow-up from the
      Chicago MACS/CCS.
AB  - Serial biannual cross-sectional assessments of HIV sexual risk indicated a
      consistent increase in safer sexual practices among homosexual men participating
      in the Chicago-Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)/Coping and Change Study (CCS)
      in 1986-1988. Safer sexual practices were achieved by avoidance of anal sex and
      less often by consistent use of condoms. Longitudinal patterns of variability in
      individual behavior were also assessed. After 1 year of follow-up, 53% of the
      participants maintained safer practices in receptive anal sex, 6% maintained
      unsafe practices, while 31% relapsed at least once. After 2 years, 45% maintained
      safer practices, 3% maintained unsafe practices and 47% relapsed at least once.
      Similar trends were observed in insertive anal sex.

PMID- 1883549
TI  - HIV-1 infection of CD4-negative cells via HTLV pseudovirons.

PMID- 1883548
TI  - Successful management of intractable cryptosporidial diarrhea with intravenous
      octreotide, a somatostatin analogue.
AB  - A 38-year-old man with AIDS and intractable large-volume diarrhea due to a
      cryptosporidial infection was successfully treated with intravenous octreotide, a
      somatostatin analogue. The volume of diarrhea, 10-12 liters with 8-13 movements
      per day, was reduced to three to four semi-formed to formed stools per day when
      the patient was treated with 400 micrograms intravenous octreotide daily. The
      patient's intravenous hyperalimentation was discontinued and he returned to oral
      feeding. He quickly regained his normal weight and has now resumed his normal
      activities. For those patients who cannot tolerate subcutaneous administration,
      intravenous octreotide therapy may not only be life-saving but may also markedly
      increase the quality of life. Roxithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, was also
      administered to this patient with cryptosporidiosis but efficacy was not
      demonstrated.

PMID- 1883550
TI  - Gp160 of commercial HIV western blots is not gp160env. Should criteria for
      seropositivity be revised?

PMID- 1883551
TI  - Evidence of HTLV-II infection in central Africa.

PMID- 1883552
TI  - Drug sharing among intravenous drug users.

PMID- 1883553
TI  - Hospital-based surveillance of HIV infection: Bordeaux, France, 1983-1990. Groupe
      d'Epidemiologie Clinique du SIDA en Aquitaine (GECSA)

PMID- 1883554
TI  - The use of corticosteroids in the control of the adverse effects of cotrimoxazole
      in AIDS patients suffering from PCP.

PMID- 1883556
TI  - Seroepidemiological survey of transmissible infections in Portuguese prisoners.

PMID- 1883555
TI  - No histological evidence for cytotoxic T cells in destruction of lymph-node
      follicle centres after HIV infection?

PMID- 1883557
TI  - A seroepidemiological survey of HTLV-I infection in Shanghai and Chongqing cities
      in China.

PMID- 1883558
TI  - CTS.

PMID- 1883559
TI  - Keep office harmony by following these 10 rules for playing fair.

PMID- 1883560
TI  - Advances in computer technology make life a bit easier in the office.

PMID- 1883561
TI  - Knowing how to approach the media can help you attract new patients.

PMID- 1883562
TI  - Discipline system improves performance, avoids dismissals.

PMID- 1883563
TI  - Risky business.

PMID- 1883565
TI  - Doctors seeking partnerships should take buy-and-sell subject seriously.

PMID- 1883564
TI  - Desensitizing teeth doesn't have to be a sensitive matter for patients.

PMID- 1883567
TI  - Review your procedures for dismissing employees to make sure they're fair.

PMID- 1883566
TI  - There's a new generation of adhesives that will bond to just about anything.

PMID- 1883568
TI  - We want you ... but are dentists willing to pay the price?

PMID- 1883569
TI  - The office works best when the front and back staffs work in tandem.

PMID- 1883570
TI  - Endo trays with all necessary items makes filling process smoother, faster.

PMID- 1883571
TI  - To lease or not to lease? That's a taxing question for dentists.

PMID- 1883572
TI  - Using the right words encourages patients to accept treatment plan.

PMID- 1883573
TI  - Breaking down the barriers.

PMID- 1883575
TI  - A knowledgeable staff is best marketing tool a dentist can have.

PMID- 1883576
TI  - Contracts excellent way to inform patients about treatment risks, results.

PMID- 1883574
TI  - Disinfecting impressions, prosthetics key to thorough infection control.

PMID- 1883577
TI  - Florida AIDS cases raises ethical questions for healthcare professionals.

PMID- 1883578
TI  - Pediatric trauma.

PMID- 1883579
TI  - The epidemiology of pediatric trauma.
AB  - Trauma is the leading cause of death in children. Children in the toddler and
      preschool age groups are more prone to falls, poisonings, and foreign body
      aspirations, whereas school-age children are more likely to be involved in
      pedestrian and bicycle accidents. In all age groups, males are more likely to
      receive injuries than females. Major mechanisms of injury include motor-vehicle-
      occupant and -pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and falls. Most injuries
      are blunt in nature and occur to the central nervous system, musculoskeletal
      system, and thoracic-abdominal area. Head injuries account for most of the
      injuries and fatalities in pediatric multiple trauma patients.

PMID- 1883580
TI  - The nurse's role in pediatric injury prevention.
AB  - Nurses can play a major role in injury prevention. Nurses are, by nature,
      educators and role models to their families, patients, and communities. Knowing
      the magnitude and impact of injuries on both children and their families, nurses
      must become more informed about the necessity of injury prevention. They must
      also help to initiate and develop prevention strategies that will decrease the
      number and severity of these injuries. There is a connection between clinical
      work and advocacy. Nurses see the pain and problems created by injuries. They can
      become effective advocates for injury prevention because the strongest advocacy
      is created by those closest to the problem and most aware of what is needed.
      Nurses need to become involved in identifying unsafe products and environments
      and testifying before regulatory and legislative bodies for safety-related design
      changes. Nurses need to continue to develop their professional influence by using
      a multidisciplinary approach to injury prevention. This approach should include
      health professionals and representatives from the community, the legal
      profession, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and both engineers and
      manufacturers.

PMID- 1883582
TI  - Head injuries in children.
AB  - Even though head injury in children is a major health problem facing our nation
      today, major advances have occurred in our understanding of the epidemiology,
      pathophysiology, symptomatology, and outcome of these patients. Basic scientists
      have also contributed to this body of knowledge by demonstrating some unique
      characteristics of the immature CNS and how it responds to injury. Recent
      evidence shows that overall mortality and morbidity associated with head injury
      is declining. Because most pediatric head injuries are nonoperable, it is
      believed that aggressive medical management to control ICP and prevent secondary
      injury is responsible for improved outcome. Public education, coupled with
      legislative support, should prove to be of further benefit.

PMID- 1883581
TI  - Initial assessment and stabilization of the critically injured child.
AB  - The care that the child receives during the initial resuscitation and
      stabilization of a life-threatening injury makes a critical difference in long
      term outcome. Children who die as a result of a traumatic injury usually do so
      because of airway compromise, irreparable CNS injury, or bleeding. Hypoxia is the
      final common event by which these three kill children. If hypoxia is prevented or
      recognized and treated early, its effects can be reversed before they become
      permanent. The potential for a good outcome is maximized by expert nursing care
      for the critically injured child. Expert nursing care includes rapid and accurate
      assessment and interventions during both the primary and secondary surveys.
      Knowledge of the anatomic and physiologic differences between children and adults
      guides the nurse in holistic care of pediatric trauma victims; the nurse must
      also understand and address the emotional needs of the patients and their
      families.

PMID- 1883583
TI  - Thoracic trauma in children.
AB  - Thoracic trauma is usually accompanied by other body system injury, most
      frequently head and skeletal injury. Developmental changes throughout childhood
      make the consequences of such injuries more severe, as children develop
      respiratory and circulatory compromise quickly. Blunt trauma predominates in
      pediatric thoracic trauma. Trauma to the thoracic cavity may involve fractures of
      the ribs or injuries where the ribs remain intact. Trauma involving the pleural
      space affects ventilation that may evolve into circulatory failure if not
      addressed promptly. Pulmonary contusion is among the most frequent and most fatal
      of thoracic injuries. Rupture of the tracheobronchial tree, esophagus, or
      diaphragm may have both short- and long-term consequences. Trauma to the heart
      and/or great vessels may be fatal at the scene of the accident, in the emergency
      department, or in the intensive care unit. Pain management is an essential part
      of caring for children with thoracic injury. A variety of methods have become
      available within the past several years that promote better pain relief and
      shorter recovery periods with less side effects. Nursing care of the child with
      PCA, epidural analgesia, or intercostal nerve blocks requires specific knowledge
      and assessment skills. Nonpharmacologic methods of pain relief may be used as an
      adjunct to pharmacologic methods.

PMID- 1883584
TI  - Abdominal and genitourinary trauma in children.
AB  - Children, especially multitrauma victims, are at significant risk for abdominal
      and GU trauma. Frequently, external indicators of trauma to these systems may be
      subtle or nonspecific. Expert assessment skills and a knowledge of potential
      injuries are required. Nonoperative management of these injuries is frequently
      the treatment of choice, requiring the nurse to understand the type of injury
      sustained, as well as potential complications of the injury. The nurse is often
      the first to detect subtle signs of deterioration in the child's condition and
      must be able to intervene appropriately to promote optimal outcomes for the
      child. The families of children who sustain abdominal or GU trauma have special
      teaching needs related to inhospital or home management, as well as long-term
      outcomes of the injury. It is the responsibility of the nurse to identify and
      address these needs in a timely fashion to promote optimal outcomes as well as
      appropriate development for the child.

PMID- 1883585
TI  - Musculoskeletal trauma in children.
AB  - Musculoskeletal injuries are common in pediatric trauma victims and may result in
      extensive surgical intervention and long-term hospitalization. Rapid healing
      rates in children enhance the prognosis for children with musculoskeletal
      injuries and may decrease the rate of morbidity from nonunion, infection, and
      other complications. Nursing interventions to prevent complications and promote
      healing can be instrumental in decreasing the length of hospitalization, and
      psychosocial support may be crucial in helping the child cope with the changes
      associated with major musculoskeletal injuries.

PMID- 1883586
TI  - Burn injuries in children.
AB  - The overall outcome for every patient is to attain the maximum level of physical
      and psychosocial functioning possible within their capacity. This is
      individualized and impacted by the severity of injury, interventions, and
      subsequent outcomes along the critical path to recovery. Identification of
      issues, whether physical or psychosocial, in a timely manner and the development
      of an individualized plan of care maximize the quality of care each patient
      receives. As the health care giver in most frequent contact with the patient and
      family, the nurse must serve as the coordinator of all ancillary services and the
      plan of care.

PMID- 1883587
TI  - Children, violence, and intentional injuries.
AB  - The statistics of violence against children have generated a growing concern
      about the need to address the problem more aggressively. Homicide, suicide, and
      child maltreatment are leading causes of mortality in the child and adolescent
      population; the need to develop strategies to reduce such injuries, therefore, is
      obvious and urgent. Nurses and other health care professionals are in an ideal
      position to address this need. They can do so by providing guidance to the
      general public about how to manage this childhood dilemma. The control of
      childhood violence must become a national priority; only then will it no longer
      be a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children.

PMID- 1883589
TI  - Vascular disease.

PMID- 1883590
TI  - Assessment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease.
AB  - Many older patients in critical care settings have significant arterial disease,
      so the assessment of peripheral circulation may be important in their management.
      A great deal of information can be gained through the physical examination, which
      can be supplemented by the use of the Doppler velocity detector. This device
      should be used to obtain quantitative pressure measurements. Special
      consideration must be given to evaluation early in the postoperative period.

PMID- 1883588
TI  - Complications of pediatric trauma.
AB  - MSOF is a life-threatening complication of trauma. The body is a dynamic
      interrelated group of systems that work together efficiently. Changes in one
      system generally have a widespread impact, and soon the entire system is changed.
      In children with MSOF, the normal equilibrium that is maintained between organ
      systems does not exist. Generalized disruption of organ functions occur, and the
      body attempts to compensate and regain its homeostasis. This activity will often
      benefit certain organs and harm others. If the disruption continues and
      compensation fails, organ dysfunction occurs and general chaos reigns. Medical
      and nursing interventions are directed toward supporting individual organ systems
      before failure occurs. Attempts to provide this support for one system can cause
      adverse effects to occur in other systems. Although this is a potential result of
      medical and nursing interventions, often there is no other choice. It is
      essential that nurses be aware of the systemic consequences of these
      interventions and carefully evaluate them. Although overall mortality rates are
      high, children have a better chance for survival than adults. Expert nursing
      assessments, interventions, and evaluations are essential to maximize this
      outcome. More research in the area of MSOF in children is necessary, with
      specific attention to nursing management and the effect on patient outcome.

PMID- 1883591
TI  - Carotid endarterectomy: a review.
AB  - The carotid endarterectomy procedure has provided an invaluable option in the
      management of patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic carotid artery disease.
      The criteria for surgical interventions vary from different institutions as well
      as the mortality and morbidity, but, for a select patient population, it is a
      viable alternative to conservative medical management.

PMID- 1883592
TI  - Renal artery occlusive disease.
AB  - Renal artery occlusive disease, from either atherosclerosis or fibrous dysplasia,
      may cause hypertension or renal insufficiency. Hypertension results from
      increased activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. There are several
      ways to evaluate this system as well as several pharmacologic agents that will
      intervene and modulate the hypertension that results. Percutaneous transluminal
      angioplasty or surgical revascularization will be necessary in some patients to
      control blood pressure or improve renal function. Successful evaluation and
      treatment of these patients are based on clinical experience, an understanding of
      the natural history of the various disease processes involved, and a
      comprehensive team approach.

PMID- 1883593
TI  - Wound healing and peripheral vascular disease.
AB  - Patients who are hospitalized in the intensive care unit with peripheral vascular
      disease are at a higher risk for developing complications. The impaired wound
      healing of this patient population compounds the initial presenting pathology. It
      is the prudent critical care nurse that realizes this and incorporates this into
      a plan of care for the patient. Postoperative interventions should be aimed at
      preserving blood flow and tissue oxygen perfusion and maintaining nutritional
      requirements to achieve adequate collagen synthesis, angiogenesis, and the
      prevention of infection.

PMID- 1883594
TI  - Reperfusion injury.
AB  - The paradigm of reperfusion is one that will test the skills of the critical care
      practitioner. This syndrome has been implicated in many of the disorders commonly
      encountered in the intensive care unit. As research continues and more knowledge
      is gained into the evolution of this process, many of the complications caused by
      this affliction will be eliminated. In the interim, understanding of the
      pathophysiology and the components of this syndrome will assist in providing
      quality care for the patient unfortunate enough to have encountered this
      potentially devastating malady.

PMID- 1883595
TI  - Trends in endovascular surgery.
AB  - Endovascular surgery is currently in its infancy. Much work is necessary before
      its full potential can be realized. Initial enthusiasm has appropriately turned
      into more sober, realistic cautiousness. This review summarizes experiences with
      angioscopy, IU, PTA, laser angioplasty, atherectomy, and stent placement. Solving
      the restenosis problem following endovascular interventions could significantly
      broaden the applications of endovascular surgery. The nursing challenges brought
      by this new field are not different from those of traditional vascular surgery
      and catheterization. Keeping up with the new technology as it quickly evolves and
      documenting clinical effectiveness probably require an endovascular nurse
      specialist in a center planning to do a great deal of procedures.

PMID- 1883596
TI  - Culpability and pain management/control in peripheral vascular disease using the
      ethics of principles and care.
AB  - The purposes of this article were to provide insight into the process of ethics
      and ethical inquiry and to explore the ethical issues of culpability and pain
      management/control. Critical care nurses who currently care for vascular patients
      identified these issues as occurring frequently in their practice. Authors in
      critical care nursing generally have limited the process of ethical inquiry to a
      theoretical framework built around an ethic of principles. The message many
      critical care nurses heard was that this one type of theoretical ethical
      framework was the totality of ethics. The application of these principles was
      ethical inquiry. For some nurses, the ethic of principles is sufficient. For
      others, an ethic of principles is either incomplete or foreign. This second group
      of nurses may believe that they have no moral voice if the language of ethics is
      only the language of principles. The language of principles, however, is not the
      only theoretical framework available. There is also the ethic of care, and
      ethical inquiry can include the application of that framework. Indeed, the
      language of the ethic of care may give a voice to nurses who previously felt
      morally mute. In fact, these two theoretical frameworks are not the only
      frameworks available to nurses. There is also virtue ethics, a framework not
      discussed in this article. A multiplicity of ethical frameworks is available for
      nurses to use in analyzing their professional and personal dilemmas. Recognizing
      that multiplicity, nurses can analyze their ethical dilemmas more comprehensively
      and effectively. Applying differing ethical frameworks can result in the same
      conclusions. This was the case for the issue of culpability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED
      AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883597
TI  - Comparative evaluation of lisuride and terguride, ergot alkaloid derivatives, on
      the field-stimulated vas deferens of mouse.
AB  - The ergot alkaloid derivatives, lisuride (LIS) and terguride (TDHL), known to
      interact with central dopamine receptors as agonist and partial agonist,
      respectively, were studied on the field-stimulated mouse vas deferens, where
      recently the existence of presynaptic dopamine receptors has been evidenced. LIS
      was a competitive antagonist at prejunctional alpha 2 and DA1 receptors situated
      on the sympathetic nerve terminals of the mouse, with a pA2 value of 9.2 and 9.1,
      respectively. LIS was also able to antagonize the effects of LY 171555, selective
      DA2 agonist, but the type of interaction cannot be conceptualized in terms of
      competitive antagonism. Likewise, the type of interaction of TDHL with
      dopaminergic and adrenergic agonist-activated sites is not suggestive of a
      competitive antagonism. Based on these results, it seems that central and
      peripheral pharmacologic profiles of LIS and TDHL cannot be overlapped, LIS being
      a potent DA1- and alpha 2-antagonist with a high degree of specifity for these
      receptors.

PMID- 1883598
TI  - Effects of muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists on dopamine-mediated
      behavioural paradigms.
AB  - The effects of some muscarinic M1 and M2 receptor agonists and antagonists on two
      dopamine-mediated behavioural paradigms, namely post-swim grooming response and
      apormorphine-induced climbing behaviour, was investigated in mice. The M1
      agonists and M2 receptor antagonists attenuated both paradigms, whereas the M1
      receptor antagonists and M2 receptor agonists facilitated both behaviours.
      However, carbachol and physostigmine, exhibited a similar dose-dependent dual
      effect with the lower doses augmenting and the higher doses inhibiting both the
      behaviours, suggesting that the M2 agonist receptor specificity is lost on dose
      increment. The findings indicate that the central cholinergic muscarinic
      heteroreceptors, like the other muscarinic receptors, are functionally divisible
      into M1 and M2 receptor subtypes in their modulation of dopaminergic activity.

PMID- 1883599
TI  - Optical immunosensing systems--meeting the market needs.
AB  - Optical immunosensors and sensing systems are biosensors which produce a
      quantitative measure of the amount of antibody, antigen or hapten present in a
      complex sample such as serum or whole blood. The market needs for such devices
      and their associated instrumentation are reviewed. A brief history of the
      development of optical immunosensors is presented and the performance of the most
      well-developed optical immunosensors for meeting these market needs is reviewed.
      One device, the fluorescent capillary fill device (FCFD) is reviewed in detail
      with respect to it fulfilling the market needs for an optical immunosensor. Areas
      for the future development of such sensing systems are also discussed.

PMID- 1883600
TI  - An assay for human chorionic gonadotrophin using the capillary fill immunosensor.
AB  - Recently there has been much research effort directed towards the development of
      immunosensors. Optical technologies are currently proving very attractive for the
      construction of such sensors. The fluorescence capillary fill device (FCFD) has
      been designed to fulfil these needs. The development of an assay for human
      chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in the FCFD for a variety of body fluids (whole
      blood, serum, urine and saliva) demonstrates the versatility and assay
      performance of the device.

PMID- 1883601
TI  - Sensitivity enhancement of optical immunosensors by the use of a surface plasmon
      resonance fluoroimmunoassay.
AB  - Optical immunosensors employing evanescent wave techniques have the potential to
      address the requirements of the 'alternative site' market; however, this
      potential has yet to be realised. The development of 'direct' sensors, such as
      those using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), has been hampered by problems of non
      specific binding and poor sensitivity to small molecules. 'Indirect' sensors (for
      example, those employing a fluorescently labelled reagent) overcome many of the
      problems of direct sensors but require more sophisticated instrumentation because
      of the low light levels detected. In an attempt to combine the best features of
      the two techniques, an indirect SPR fluoroimmunoassay (SPRF) technique has been
      investigated. The surface field intensity enhancement produced by SPR is used to
      boost the emission from a fluorescently labelled immunoassay complex at a metal
      surface. The potential of the method is demonstrated by assaying for human
      Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in serum. Enhanced sensitivity over conventional
      total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and SPR techniques was achieved.

PMID- 1883603
TI  - Flow injection immunoanalysis (FIIA)--a new immunoassay format for the
      determination of pesticides in water.
AB  - This paper presents the development of a new heterogeneous enzyme immunoassay
      format for the detection of pesticides. It uses the technique of a flow injection
      system and is named flow injection immunoanalysis (FIIA). Results are
      demonstrated for the measurements of the herbicide atrazine, which belongs to the
      triazines, and the potential of this method compared with another immunoassay
      format (ELISA) is discussed.

PMID- 1883602
TI  - Output grating couplers on planar optical waveguides as direct immunosensors.
AB  - We demonstrated the feasibility of using integrated optical output grating
      couplers in direct immunosensing. We monitored as functions of time, first the
      adsorption of an antigen (Ag) on the waveguide's surface, and subsequently, the
      binding of the corresponding antibody (Ab), i.e. the formation of the immuno
      complex Ag-Ab. The Ag was human immunoglobulin G (h-IgG), and the Ab was rabbit
      anti-h-IgG. We also studied the adsorption of avidin. The refractive indices nF',
      thicknesses dF', and surface coverages gamma of the adsorbed adlayers and of the
      immuno-complex Ag-Ab, respectively, were determined.

PMID- 1883604
TI  - Determination of glucose diffusion coefficients in biofilms with micro
      electrodes.
AB  - A glucose micro-electrode was developed for direct measurements inside biofilms,
      and applied for the determination of effective diffusion coefficients in a model
      system of agar beads containing immobilized yeast cells. Two methods were used,
      one based on concentration gradients present at the liquid/solid interface of an
      active biofilm under steady-state conditions, the other based on the rate of
      glucose redistribution in an inactivated biofilm under transient-state
      conditions. Additional measurements with pH and oxygen micro-electrodes were
      performed and thus allowed for in-situ correction of the glucose electrode
      signal. From the micro-electrode measurements in the model system it was
      concluded that the glucose micro-sensor is a useful tool with which to obtain
      effective diffusion coefficients in biofilms.

PMID- 1883606
TI  - Leakage of different retrograde filling materials in wet and dry environments.

PMID- 1883605
TI  - Electrochemistry and detection of some organic and biological molecules at
      conducting poly(3-methylthiophene) electrodes.
AB  - Electrodes modified by the electrodeposition of poly(3-methylthiophene) were used
      as chemical sensors for some organic and biological molecules of industrial and
      medicinal interest. The electrochemical behaviors of ferri/ferrocyanide,
      catechol, ascorbic acid, hydroquinone, dopamine epinephrine, acetaminophen, p
      aminophenol and NADH were examined by cyclic voltammetry. The results showed that
      the proposed modified surface catalyzes the oxidation of these compounds.
      Differential pulse and square wave techniques were used for the analysis of
      binary mixture of ascorbic acid with catechol, NADH, dopamine and p-aminophenol.
      Voltammetric peak resolution was also demonstrated for a ternary mixture of
      ascorbic acid, catechol and p-aminophenol. Polymer coated electrode was also used
      in an amperometric detector for flow injection analysis of most of the
      aforementioned compounds. The responses of the polymer electrode were 4-10 times
      larger as compared to those of platinum. The modified electrode displayed
      excellent response stability for successive injections and detection limits were
      10 ppb for catechol, dopamine, epinephrine, NADH and p-aminophenol, 1 ppb for
      acetaminophen and 100 ppb for ascorbic acid. Voltammetric peak positions were
      affected by the nature of the electrolyte and its pH. Also, film thicknesses were
      shown to be a factor affecting both the current magnitudes and oxidation peak
      potential of NADH.

PMID- 1883607
TI  - The scanning potential microscope: An instrument to image micro-corrosion
      processes on metallic biomaterials surfaces.

PMID- 1883609
TI  - Effect of particle configuration on properties of Pd containing dental amalgam.

PMID- 1883608
TI  - Metal release from low-melting ternary titanium alloys.

PMID- 1883611
TI  - Effects of two variables on bonding strength.

PMID- 1883610
TI  - Castability of low-melting ternary titanium alloys.

PMID- 1883612
TI  - Bonding between visible light-curing and self-curing provisional restorative
      materials.

PMID- 1883613
TI  - Transgenic approaches to modification of cell and tissue function.
AB  - The past 18 months have seen rapid advances in the use of transgenic techniques
      for elucidating cellular mechanisms. The modification of gene, cellular and
      tissue function has been enhanced by developments in the use of antisense and
      ribozyme constructs, and by improvements in strategies for cell ablation and
      homologous recombination.

PMID- 1883614
TI  - Calcium regulation and homeostasis.
AB  - The use of techniques to visualize the stimulus-induced changes in [Ca2+]i that
      occur at the single cell level has revealed that intracellular Ca2+ signals can
      be remarkably organized in space (waves), as well as in time (oscillations). New
      insights are beginning to emerge into how these complex Ca2+ signals may be
      generated, and into how Ca2+ signals may be transmitted from cell to cell.

PMID- 1883615
TI  - Cellular aging and senescence.
AB  - Differentiated eukaryotic cells have only a finite capacity for cell division.
      This limitation is thought to be a cellular manifestation of organismal aging,
      and a restraint to tumor progression. The molecular basis for cellular senescence
      is not known, but a molecular framework for understanding this phenomenon has
      recently been established.

PMID- 1883616
TI  - Control of the bacterial cell cycle.
AB  - New insights into the control of DNA replication through growth, hemimethylated
      DNA and DnaA protein have been described. Fundamental shifts in thinking have
      resulted in the identification of new cell cycle genes with potential roles in
      initiation of DNA replication, chromosomal segregation and division. Excitingly,
      this trend may also narrow the apparent differences between the prokaryotic and
      eukaryotic cell cycles.

PMID- 1883617
TI  - From fungi to flies: pattern and form in the cell cycle.
AB  - This review shows how, in some lower eukaryotes, recent studies have made
      important connections between cell cycle control processes and complex events
      such as organelle positioning and the differentiation of cells and tissues.

PMID- 1883618
TI  - Spatial aspects of cytokinesis in plant cells.
AB  - Plant cytokinesis in a particular orientation and location can be viewed as
      having several component stages, often beginning with the establishment of
      division polarity before karyokinesis occurs. Improved methods for preserving the
      in situ distribution of actin microfilaments and observations of individual live
      cells during treatment with cytoskeleton-disrupting drugs are making it possible
      to elucidate the roles of microtubules and microfilaments in cytokinesis. Current
      evidence points to involvement of the cytoskeleton throughout the stages of
      preparation for, and execution of, cytokinesis in many types of plant cell
      division.

PMID- 1883619
TI  - Temporal events regulating the early phases of the mammalian cell cycle.
AB  - It is proposed that the regulation of the pathways directing mammalian cell cycle
      progression involves several oncogenes. A summary of what is known about some of
      these regulatory oncogenes (fos, jun, myc, and Rb-1) and where they might
      function in the progression of a cell from G0 to G1 and G1 to S is presented.
      Data on two replication-dependent genes, those encoding histones and thymidine
      kinase, respectively, are also presented as models for describing transcriptional
      and post-transcriptional events at the G1-S border.

PMID- 1883620
TI  - Mitotic control.
AB  - 1990 has been a year of continued exciting developments in cell cycle control.
      Progress has occurred in delineating the mechanism of activation of maturation
      promoting factor during entry into mitosis and the mechanism of cyclin
      degradation responsible for exit from mitosis. Notable advances have also
      occurred in our understanding of the dependence of mitotic entry on completion of
      DNA synthesis. Both genetic and biochemical data link this crucial checkpoint to
      the function of the cdc25 gene product and the extent of phosphorylation of Tyr15
      in cdc2 kinase.

PMID- 1883622
TI  - Cell multiplication.

PMID- 1883621
TI  - The complexity of cell proliferation control in mammalian cells.

PMID- 1883623
TI  - Red blood cell insulin receptors in health and disease.
AB  - CONTENTS: Structure and characteristics of erythrocyte insulin receptor. Red
      blood cell age and insulin receptors. Insulin receptors in human disease states.
      Obesity. Chronic renal failure. Acanthosis nigricans. Miscellaneous disease
      states. Insulin receptors in children. Insulin receptors in women during
      pregnancy. Insulin binding and other hormones. Comparison of biosynthetic
      insulin, pancreatic human insulin and porcine insulin binding to erythrocytes.
      Effect of exercise on insulin binding to red blood cells of normal human
      volunteers. Miscellaneous insulin binding studies. Insulin internalization and
      degradation. Insulin and erythrocyte metabolism. Summary and conclusion.

PMID- 1883624
TI  - The effect of propane-diols on the intestinal uptake of nutrients and brush
      border membrane enzymes in the rat.
AB  - The effect on rats of oral doses (38.66 mM/kg body wt) of propane-1,2-diol (PD)
      administered daily for 10 (Group 1), 20 (Group 2), and 30 days (Group 3) was
      investigated. Weight gain was initially retarded (P less than 0.05) in Group 1,
      but was later reversed and elevated significantly (P less than 0.05) in Groups 2
      and 3 as compared with their respective controls receiving an equal volume of
      saline. PD showed a tendency toward enhancing the activities of various enzymes
      involved in terminal digestion, with the significant effect exerted in few groups
      on sucrase (P less than 0.05), lactase (P less than 0.05), and gamma-glutamyl
      transpeptidase (P less than 0.05) when compared with the respective controls.
      Absorption of D-glucose, glycine, L-aspartic acid, L-lysine, and calcium was
      elevated and was especially significant in Groups 2 and 3 (P less than 0.001).
      The structural integrity of the jejunal surface was retained for the most part. A
      similar examination of the effects of PD was also carried out in vitro to
      ascertain whether PD itself or its metabolites are involved in its action. The in
      vitro effects of propane-1,2-diol were compared with those of the more toxic
      compound propane-1,3-diol. The former exerted greater inhibitory action on the
      activities of the disaccharidases. The degree of inhibition was in the order
      sucrase much greater than lactase greater than maltase. The kinetic data revealed
      that inhibition by 1,2-diol in native and detergent solubilized sucrase is
      noncompetitive, with Ki values in the range of 0.35-0.41 M. The two diols did not
      alter the nutrient transport in the brush border membrane vesicles. The present
      work on rats indicates that PD may influence the intestinal digestive and
      absorptive functions in vivo and that this in vivo effect of PD is different from
      that observed in vitro suggesting that the nutritional and toxicological effect
      of PD may be mediated by different mechanisms.

PMID- 1883625
TI  - Influence of heparins on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-induced calcium
      mobilization in permeabilized human platelets.
AB  - Heparin has been shown to prevent inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) binding to
      its receptor and to inhibit IP3-induced calcium mobilization in a variety of
      cells. Heparin added to whole blood at a concentration of 1 U/ml prevented
      thrombin-induced secretion of granule contents and irreversible aggregation of
      platelets. Heparin (2-15 kDa) had no inhibitory effect on IP3-induced calcium
      mobilization in Fura 2-loaded, saponin (10-15 micrograms/ml)-permeabilized
      platelets. None of the commercially available heparin preparations can induce
      inhibition of agonist-induced calcium mobilization in intact platelets because
      they are not cell permeant. Mild saponin treatment makes the membrane permeable
      to IP3, but restricts the action of heparins. Recent observations suggesting
      heparin's affinity to IP3 binding sites will be of clinical interest if effective
      cell permeant analogs can be developed.

PMID- 1883626
TI  - Sandwich enzyme immunoassay for rat transferrin with two monoclonal antibodies
      and its application.
AB  - The development of a sandwich enzyme immunoassay for rat transferrin with two
      monoclonal antibodies is described. Microtiter plates coated with one monoclonal
      antibody (15C2H3) were used, and captured transferrin was estimated with a
      horseradish peroxidase-conjugated Fab' fragment of another monoclonal antibody
      (22A06D2). In this assay, the measurable range is 5-150 ng/ml and the
      coefficients of variation within and between the assay series are 1.2-5.0 and 3.3
      6.0%, respectively. Recovery was 101 +/- 9.7% when purified rat transferrin was
      added to rat plasma. No cross-reactivity with bovine, human, or mouse transferrin
      was shown. This assay for rat transferrin is a highly specific, sensitive, and
      expeditious method which may allow routine analysis of rat transferrin in blood
      or culture supernatants of rat hepatocytes.

PMID- 1883627
TI  - Immunochemical analysis of the peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes in rat and
      human heart and skeletal muscle and in skeletal muscle of Zellweger patients.
AB  - Immunoblot analyses with antibodies against the peroxisomal beta-oxidation
      enzymes from rat liver showed the presence of these enzymes in rat and human
      liver and kidney and rat adrenal gland. The bifunctional protein could not be
      detected in muscle tissues or cultured muscle cells. Acyl-CoA oxidase was
      detected in rat heart and cultured human muscle cells. 3-Ketoacyl-CoA thiolase
      was also detected in human and rat heart and skeletal muscle; however, this
      enzyme was not detectable in skeletal muscle of Zellweger patients, in agreement
      with the absence of peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation.

PMID- 1883628
TI  - Effect of coenzyme Q10 on structural alterations in the renal membrane of stroke
      prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.
AB  - To test the hypothesis that structural abnormalities exist in the kidney membrane
      of spontaneously hypertensive rats, we examined the effect of long-term
      administration of coenzyme Q10 on membrane lipid alterations in the kidney of
      stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). As compared with
      normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats, renal membrane phospholipids, especially
      phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, decreased and renal
      phospholipase A2 activity was enhanced with age in untreated SHRSP. Treatment
      with coenzyme Q10 attenuated the elevation of blood pressure, the membranous
      phospholipid degradation, and the enhanced phospholipase A2 activity. These
      results suggest that one factor contributing to the progress of hypertension is a
      structural membrane abnormality that alters the physical and functional
      properties of the cell membrane, and coenzyme Q10 might protect the renal
      membrane from damage due to hypertension in SHRSP.

PMID- 1883630
TI  - Propionate mitochondrial toxicity in liver and skeletal muscle: acyl CoA levels.
AB  - Propionic acidemia occasionally produces a toxic encephalopathy resembling Reye
      syndrome, indicating disruption of mitochondrial metabolism. Understanding the
      mitochondrial effect of propionate might clarify the pathophysiology. Liver
      mitochondria are inhibited by propionate (5 mM) while muscle mitochondria are
      not. Preincubation is required to inhibit liver mitochondria, suggesting that
      propionate is metabolized to propionyl CoA. Liver and skeletal muscle
      mitochondria incubated with [1-14C]propionate contain similar quantities of
      matrix isotope and release comparable [14C]CO2. However, only liver mitochondria
      accumulated significant propionyl CoA, which was largely (68%) synthesized from
      propionate. Carnitine reduced the level of liver matrix propionyl CoA. Inhibition
      of respiratory control ratios by propionate correlated with propionyl CoA levels.
      These results support the hypothesis that acyl CoA esters are toxic and that
      carnitine exerts its protective effect by converting acyl CoA esters to
      acylcarnitine esters.

PMID- 1883629
TI  - Assay of 3-hydroxybutyrate in the picomolar range.
AB  - A radioisotopic procedure for the assay of 3-hydroxybutyrate is presented. It is
      based on the measurement of NADH, generated in the 3-hydroxybutyrate
      dehydrogenase reaction, through the conversion of 2-[U-14C]ketoglutarate to 14C
      labeled L-glutamate in the presence of beef liver glutamate dehydrogenase. The
      assay is linear in the range of 2.5 to 20.0 pmole/sample and about 100-times more
      sensitive than previous methods. The procedure proved useful for the measurement
      of 3-hydroxybutyrate in liver samples not exceeding 25 micrograms wet weight.

PMID- 1883631
TI  - Modulation of elastase-like activity in fibroblasts stimulated with elastin
      peptides.
AB  - Elastin-derived peptides, kappa-elastin, prepared by chemical degradation of
      insoluble elastin from bovine ligamentum nuchae, were shown to increase the
      elastase-like activity in the culture medium and cell fractions in fibroblasts.
      Preincubation of cells with nifedipine (calcium channel blocker) and
      trifluoperazine (calmodulin antagonist) induced a decrease in the activities of
      the enzyme under study. These data suggest the possibility of pharmacological
      modulation of the biological effects induced by elastin-derived peptides.

PMID- 1883632
TI  - Heterogeneity of human liver alanine aminotransferase due to sulfhydryl groups
      oxidation.
AB  - The cytosolic isoenzyme of human liver alanine aminotransferase exhibited a
      progressive change in its chromatographic behavior on DEAE-Sepharose when
      partially purified preparations were stored for up to 8 days at 4 degrees C. This
      change was characterized by the appearance of an additional chromatographic
      variant and was avoided by addition of 2-mercaptoethanol. The experimental
      evidence presented indicates that the progressive oxidation of free sulfhydryl
      groups of the enzyme is responsible for the charge modifications and
      heterogeneity observed.

PMID- 1883633
TI  - Distribution of histo-blood group antigens in cervical and uterine endometrium.
AB  - Cell surface carbohydrates serve as differentiation and developmental markers
      characteristic of different cell and tissue types. Expression of these
      carbohydrate antigens is often significantly altered in tumors particularly in
      those arising from epithelial tissues. Analysis of the expression of cell surface
      carbohydrates in normal endometrium has shown that this glycosylation is
      hormonally influenced. Change in expression of carbohydrates in malignant tissue
      should therefore be evaluated against this normal fluctuation. In normal cervical
      uterine epithelium the result shows that the glycosylation of metaplastic
      squamous cells is different from that of original squamous cells indicating that
      the regulation and differentiation of the epithelium in the transformation zone
      is different from that of the original squamous epithelium. This variation in
      expression of carbohydrates seen in the metaplastic epithelium may be of
      importance for the development of carcinomas in this area.

PMID- 1883635
TI  - Malignant giant cell tumour of the uterus.
AB  - Two rare cases of malignant giant cell tumours of the uterus in pure heterologous
      form are presented. Light microscopy showed numerous osteoclast-like cells in a
      background of spindle cells. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated Vimentin, Actin,
      alpha-1-antitrypsin and LCA in the latter, and Vimentin, alpha-1-antitrypsin and
      LCA in the giant cells while tartrate resistant acid phosphatase reactivity was
      demonstrated in both mononuclear cells and giant cells. Electron microscopy did
      not reveal smooth muscle or epithelial differentiation. The findings suggest a
      common origin of malignant giant cell tumours and malignant fibrous
      histiocytomas.

PMID- 1883636
TI  - Glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
AB  - Eighteen cases of glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix are presented.
      Glassy cell carcinoma is an uncommon, aggressive type of adenosquamous carcinoma
      of the uterine cervix, which is considered to originate from the subcylindrical
      reserve cells of the cervix. The patients with this tumor are younger than those
      with other types of invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix, and all but three
      in this study were 34 years or younger. The tumors were frequently large,
      endophytic and growing rapidly. Metastases were found on presentation in two
      cases. The larger tumors did not respond well to treatment. Seven of the patients
      died within 20 month of diagnosis. Histologically glassy cell carcinoma is
      composed of nests of large cells with ground glass cytoplasm and large vesicular
      nuclei with prominent nucleoli. There is marked cellular and nuclear pleomorphism
      and tumor giant cells are frequently seen. Mitotic activity is brisk.
      Infiltration by eosinophils and plasma cells with admixture of lymphocytes is a
      characteristic feature. Focal squamous or glandular differentiation may be seen.
      Ultrastructural studies showed a wide spectrum of appearances. These findings
      lend further support to the view that glassy cell carcinoma is a distinctive type
      of poorly differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

PMID- 1883634
TI  - DNA flow cytometry in uterine endometrial carcinoma.
AB  - The DNA content was investigated by means of flow cytometry in frozen tumor
      specimens from 33 patients with uterine endometrial carcinoma. The association
      was tested between ploidy and S-phase fraction on one hand and clinico
      pathological parameters on the other. Aneuploidy appeared in 15 (45%) of the
      patients, and the average S-phase fraction was 0.18 (0.04-0.34). There was a
      highly significant correlation between DNA-Index (DI) and histologic
      differentiation (p = 0.01) and a less significant correlation between DI and
      estrogen receptor content (p = 0.04). DNA ploidy measured by flow cytometry is a
      highly reproducible parameter that in addition to routine histopathological
      examination may provide useful information. Further studies are needed to
      establish the prognostic importance of the flow cytometric parameters.

PMID- 1883637
TI  - Portal hypertension without liver cirrhosis in renal transplant recipients.
AB  - A rare syndrome of portal hypertension with esophageal varices but without
      evidence of cirrhosis in the liver biopsy was seen in 3 patients in a series of
      1000 renal allotransplant recipients immunosuppressed with azathioprine and
      prednisone. The liver disease began 3-6 years after transplantation with abnormal
      liver function tests and esophageal varices with bleeding episodes. One patient
      had also ascites. Liver biopsy at the beginning of liver disease showed in one
      patient normal structure which eventually developed to slight diffuse fibrosis
      and nodular hyperplasia. One patient had diffuse fibrosis, and the third patient
      had strong sinusoidal engorgement with nodular hyperplasia, later on developing
      to cirrhosis. One patient is still alive and well, the two others died from liver
      insufficiency. 39 cases of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension in renal transplant
      recipients and histologic evidence of peliosis, sinusoidal dilatation, nodular
      hyperplasia or hepatic veno-occlusive disease have been identified in the
      literature. The cause of this disease is presumably azathioprine, but its rarity
      shows that it must depend also on other factors.

PMID- 1883638
TI  - Tumor-like lesions of the secondary mullerian system. Immunohistochemical
      investigations and differential diagnosis.
AB  - Even postnatally, the female peritoneum (mesothelium and submesothelial
      mesenchyme) has a potential for differentiation (secondary Mullerian system)
      similar to that of the embryonic coelom epithelium. This potential is manifested
      in some cases under an evident hormonal stimulus, and in other cases without an
      apparent cause. The functional similarity of the differentiation products of the
      secondary Mullerian system with structures of the primary Mullerian system is
      underscored by their common antigens which have been detected
      immunohistologically, including the expression of steroid receptors. Of the
      lesions of the secondary Mullerian system, in particular endosalpingiosis is of
      special importance because of its frequency and the in some cases grave
      therapeutic consequences. Atypical distinguished even using immunohistological
      techniques.

PMID- 1883639
TI  - The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. A review of recent literature and
      report of a case.
AB  - The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT) was described as an entity by
      Pindborg in 1955. In 1976 a review of the world literature comprising 113 cases
      was published. Since then, several studies concerned with pathological aspects of
      this tumor have appeared. Many of these studies have focused on the nature of the
      amyloid-like material present in CEOT. In this paper a new case is presented and
      the literature after 1976 is reviewed with respect to histopathological aspects
      of CEOT.

PMID- 1883640
TI  - Transferrin receptor expression in normal and iron overloaded liver.
AB  - Hepatocytes take up transferrin-bound iron by two mechanisms. One pathway
      consists in the binding of transferrin to high affinity receptor sites. This
      process results in receptor-mediated endocytosis and is highly efficient and
      saturable. The other mechanism involves low affinity, non-specific and non
      saturable internalization of transferrin-bound iron, probably through
      pinocytosis, adsorptive endocytosis or low affinity binding sites. At low
      transferrin saturation, the first mechanism is quantitatively most important, at
      high transferrin saturation the latter mechanism becomes more significant. A
      mechanism whereby transferrin-bound iron is not endocytosed but reduced at and
      translocated through the plasma membrane has also been invoked and challenges the
      concept of (receptor-mediated) endocytosis of transferrin. However, this
      hypothesis remains to be confirmed.

PMID- 1883641
TI  - In honour of Hemming E. Poulsen.

PMID- 1883642
TI  - Hemming Engelund Poulsen 1921-26 August-1991.

PMID- 1883643
TI  - Cells with neuroendocrine features in regenerating human liver.
AB  - Regeneration of liver tissue in man after submassive necrosis is reflected by
      replicating features in hepatocytes, and by a remarkably increased number of bile
      duct structures that are thought to transdifferentiate into true functioning
      hepatocytes. Similar to the bile ductule-related "oval cells" in rats, human bile
      ductular cells may therefore serve as "facultative stem cells" that become
      activated when hepatocyte regeneration is insufficient or inhibited. Our recent
      demonstration of neuroendocrine features in proliferating bile ductules in
      cholestatic liver disease prompted us to perform a similar immunohistochemical
      and electron microscopical study on regenerating human liver tissue after
      submassive liver necrosis. In the earliest stages of regeneration, bile ductular
      cells and small, singular cells in the periportal area expressed chromogranin-A
      and contained dense-cored, secretory granules. It is tempting to speculate that
      the scattered singular cells represent the human equivalent of the bipotential
      progenitor cells in the rat. In later stages of regeneration, these singular
      cells were no longer evident, suggesting their differentiation into other cell
      types. In these cases, neuro-endocrine cells corresponded to proliferating bile
      ductules and to scattered, typical hepatocytes, located near portal tracts and in
      regenerating nodules. In all cases, proliferating bile ductules displayed the
      neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). These data further support our hypothesis
      that the substance(s) produced in the dense cored secretory granules may play a
      role in the growth and/or differentiation of liver cells through an autocrine and
      or paracrine pathway.

PMID- 1883644
TI  - The spectrum of alcohol induced liver disease. Histological features.
AB  - Alcohol may induce a variety of changes in the liver. None of the features are
      diagnostic, but some are relatively specific. Usually the simultaneous occurrence
      of one or more non-specific lesions in combination with other more specific
      changes leads to the correct diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease.

PMID- 1883645
TI  - Dendritic cells and the liver.
AB  - In comparison to other cells involved in the hepatic immune response, dendritic
      cells in human liver tissue have received remarkably little attention. In view of
      their presence in normal liver, and their multiple immunological functions, it
      can be anticipated that dendritic cells are involved in viral, autoimmune and
      rejection immune responses of the human liver.

PMID- 1883647
TI  - The effect of dexamethasone upon platelets and neutrophils of preterm infants
      with chronic lung disease.
AB  - The effect of a 21-day (reducing dose) course of dexamethasone upon platelet
      numbers, neutrophil numbers and neutrophil morphology in ventilator-dependent
      preterm infants with chronic lung disease is reported. Forty-one infants, who
      were sepsis-free throughout the treatment period, received 46 courses of
      dexamethasone. In these infants the circulating platelet count increased
      significantly from 235 +/- 157 to 476 +/- 208 X 10(9)/L. Both total neutrophil
      numbers (7.94 +/- 7.16 to 19.56 +/- 12.40 X 10(9)/L) and immature neutrophil
      numbers (1.19 +/- 1.22 to 2.68 +/- 2.58 X 10(9)/L) also showed a significant
      increase reaching a peak on day 7 of treatment and decreasing thereafter. The
      immature:total (I:T) neutrophil ratio remained essentially unchanged. Eight other
      infants who developed serious sepsis during the treatment period showed a fall in
      both platelets (293 +/- 236 to 140 +/- 170 X 10(9)/L) and total neutrophil
      numbers (18.61 +/- 10.83 to 15.76 +/- 10.53 X 10(9)/L), together with an increase
      in immature neutrophils (2.30 +/- 2.80 to 8.22 +/- 13.91 X 10(9)/L) and
      consequent increase in I:T ratio.

PMID- 1883646
TI  - A reappraisal of Poulsen's disease (hepatic zone 1 sinusoidal dilatation).
AB  - The possible cause and pathogenesis of this disease are reviewed. The condition
      is rare, and there are only few reports which throw some light on this remarkable
      morphology. It is hypothesized that metabolic zonation in the functional liver
      acinus may be the basis of these changes, but lack of experimental and clinical
      studies still makes it enigmatic.

PMID- 1883648
TI  - Three cases of congenital adrenal hypoplasia: a cause of salt-wasting and
      mortality in the neonatal period.
AB  - Three infants with congenital adrenal hypoplasia are described. The two surviving
      infants were detected and successfully treated in the neonatal period due to a
      suggestive family history (Case 1) and antenatal maternal oestriol screening
      (Case 2). The modes of inheritance, diverse clinical presentation, associated
      conditions, diagnostic work-up and pathology of congenital adrenal hypoplasia in
      these three infants is discussed.

PMID- 1883649
TI  - Haemophilus influenzae septicaemia in the neonate: report of two cases and review
      of the English literature.
AB  - Two neonates with early onset respiratory illness were found to have Haemophilus
      influenzae septicaemia. One of them died. A review of the English literature
      showed that Haemophilus influenzae septicaemia is increasing in incidence. Almost
      all cases presented with respiratory distress in the first 2 days. Other
      associated features included meningitis, arthritis, conjunctivitis and
      cellulitis. The mortality, which averaged 52%, was high, especially in premature
      babies. The septicaemia was caused by ascending infection from the colonized
      maternal birth canal, and most cases were caused by nontypable strains of
      Haemophilus influenzae. Because of the occurrence of ampicillin or
      chloramphenicol resistance, a third generation cephalosporin is the treatment of
      choice for known cases of serious infection.

PMID- 1883650
TI  - Two unusual tumours of the gastrointestinal tract in a patient with tuberous
      sclerosis.
AB  - A 16 year old girl with an established diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis presented
      with a 1 year history of swelling of the left cheek. A 2 cm diameter tumour was
      excised which showed histological features of a solid variant of a minor salivary
      gland basal cell adenoma. One year later during laparotomy and excision of
      multiple renal angiomyolipomas, a 5 cm diameter subserosal tumour was found at
      the hepatic flexure of the colon. Examination of biopsy material revealed a
      leiomyoma. This case is presented to demonstrate two tumours that have not to the
      authors' knowledge been previously described in a young patient with tuberous
      sclerosis. Although the association may be coincidental, these tumours could
      represent two rare associations of tuberous sclerosis.

PMID- 1883651
TI  - It's time: the future of school health services in Australia.

PMID- 1883652
TI  - The growing role of fetal echocardiography.

PMID- 1883653
TI  - The amniotic band syndrome.

PMID- 1883654
TI  - Depression in mothers and behaviour problems with their preschool children.
AB  - A follow-up study of 224 families of a birth cohort of 272 families in a multi
      ethnic poor socio-economic municipality in Melbourne when the children were 4
      years old showed that 27% of the mothers were depressed. There was no difference
      in the depression rate between Australian-born and immigrant mothers, a finding
      in marked contrast to the first year of the study when the depression rate was
      significantly higher in those immigrant mothers who had been in Australia for
      less than 3 years, were unable to speak English and who did not have an extended
      family or close friends. Depression in this group of mothers was attributed to
      resettlement problems, which over a period of three years had ameliorated. At 4
      years the most important factor associated with depression in both Australian
      born and immigrant mothers was the quality of marital relationships. Lack of an
      intimate support relationship made mothers more vulnerable to the stresses of
      child care and rearing, home-making and life events. In Australian-born mothers
      only, another significant factor in vulnerability to depression, was their early
      childhood experiences of being reared in a disruptive home or in an institution
      and of being unwanted. In immigrant mothers, but not in Australian-born mothers,
      life events were significantly correlated with depression. The depressed mothers,
      both Australian-born and immigrant, perceived their 4 year old children to have
      significantly more behavioural problems than mothers who were not depressed.

PMID- 1883655
TI  - Anthropometry and obesity in myelomeningocele.
AB  - Anthropometric data on 110 myelomeningocele (MMC) subjects in relation to age,
      sex, level of lesion and ambulation were studied to investigate growth and the
      occurrence of obesity in MMC. In 52 subjects, indices of obesity were validated
      against body composition analysis of total body fat (%BF) using body potassium
      and body water techniques. Most subjects were short and light compared to
      reference data and became relatively shorter and heavier with age. Overall trunk
      growth was not affected by the level of lesion, but sitting height was affected
      by kyphoscoliosis. Arm spans were similar to reference data, but were
      significantly greater in wheelchair users. Leg length was greatest in those who
      walked. Body composition data showed excess adipose in many MMC subjects, this
      tendency increasing with age. When correlated with %BF determined from body
      composition analysis, common clinical indices of obesity had variable r values
      (wt/ht2 0.78; wt/sitting ht2 0.77; upper arm fat area 0.75; triceps skinfold
      0.74; wt/arm span2 0.68, with the 4 skinfold method correlating best, 0.82).
      Anthropometric measures, taken with cognizance of level of disability and
      mobility, can accurately assess body growth and the occurrence of obesity in MMC.
      The influence of ambulatory activity in promoting normal growth is emphasized.

PMID- 1883656
TI  - Outcomes of routine school entrant health assessments in Christchurch.
AB  - The School Entrant Health Assessment (SEHA) programme was established in New
      Zealand to ensure that every child entering school was assessed by a nurse. This
      type of service has come under a lot of criticism and so we investigated the
      scheme in Christchurch, looking at the outcome of the physical examination. We
      did not explore the health promotion aspect of the nurses' work. We traced the
      path of 1281 new entrants. The nurses identified problems in 459 (35.8%) children
      and nearly half were given further appointments or referred on. However, it was
      judged that only 21 (1.6%) children might have actually received a significant
      long-term benefit. We feel that a non-selective approach to school entry health
      assessments is inefficient. Nevertheless, the opportunity to fully audit the
      health of new school entrants is most important and could be a valuable
      opportunity for health promotion.

PMID- 1883658
TI  - The implications of shifting paradigms.

PMID- 1883657
TI  - Methadone levels and neonatal withdrawal.
AB  - The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of methadone exposure in
      utero, with special reference to maternal and neonatal methadone concentrations
      and neonatal withdrawal. Two groups of mother-infant pairs were studied. In the
      first group, serum methadone concentrations were determined in infants at 1, 6
      and 24 h after delivery. In the second group, blood was obtained at 24, 48, 72
      and 96 h after birth. There was no correlation between neonatal serum levels and
      the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. There was no relationship between maternal
      methadone dose at delivery or maternal serum levels and neonatal methadone
      levels. The results of this study may be complicated by the prenatal exposure of
      the neonates to other drugs of abuse apart from methadone.

PMID- 1883659
TI  - The physician's place and role in health care delivery.

PMID- 1883660
TI  - Preparing the nurse for administration: the changing focus.

PMID- 1883662
TI  - Quantitative angiography after directional coronary atherectomy.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess by quantitative analysis the immediate angiographic results
      of directional coronary atherectomy. To compare the effects of successful
      atherectomy with those of successful balloon dilatation in a series of patients
      with matched lesions. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre.
      PATIENTS: 62 patients in whom directional coronary atherectomy was attempted
      between 7 September 1989 and 31 December 1990. INTERVENTIONS: Directional
      coronary atherectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Increase in minimal luminal diameter
      of coronary artery segment. RESULTS: Angiographic success on the basis of
      intention to treat was obtained in 54 patients (87%). In four patients the lesion
      could not be crossed by the atherectomy device; all four had an uneventful
      conventional balloon angioplasty. Four of the 58 patients who underwent
      atherectomy were subsequently referred for coronary bypass surgery because of
      failure or complications; three of them sustained a transmural infarction. In the
      successful cases, coronary atherectomy resulted in an increase in the minimal
      luminal diameter from 1.1 mm to 2.5 mm with a concomitant decrease of the
      diameter stenosis from 62% to 22%. In the subset of 37 patients in which the
      changes induced were compared with conventional balloon angioplasty atherectomy
      increased the minimal luminal diameter more than balloon angioplasty (1.6 v 0.8
      mm; p less than 0.0001). Conventional histology showed media or adventitia in 26%
      of the atherectomy specimens. In hospital complications occurred in six patients
      who had undergone a successful procedure: two transmural infarctions, two
      subendocardial infarctions, one transient ischaemia attack, and one death due to
      delayed rupture of the atherectomised vessel. All patients were clinically
      evaluated at one and six months. One patient had persisting angina (New York
      Heart Association class II), one patient sustained a myocardial infarction, one
      patient underwent a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty for early
      restenosis, and one patient underwent coronary bypass surgery because of a
      coronary aneurysm formation. At six months 80% (36/47) of the patients were
      symptom free. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary atherectomy achieved a better immediate
      angiographic result than balloon angioplasty; however, in view of the
      complication rate in this preliminary series, which may be related to a learning
      curve, a randomised study is needed to show whether this procedure is as safe as
      a conventional balloon angioplasty.

PMID- 1883661
TI  - The treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension.

PMID- 1883663
TI  - Early experience with low speed rotational angioplasty.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: Preliminary assessment of the efficacy and safety of the low speed
      rotational angioplasty catheter system (ROTACS). DESIGN: Open prospective trial.
      SETTING: Department of cardiology in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Eleven
      patients (10 with chronic stable angina and one with acute coronary occlusion
      after conventional angioplasty) in whom a coronary angiogram showed occlusion or
      critical stenosis of the coronary artery (right in seven patients, circumflex in
      two, and left anterior descending in two). The nature or severity of the lesion
      ruled out conventional coronary angioplasty. INTERVENTIONS: An attempt was made
      to cross the lesion with a rotating guide wire with a blunt swelling at its tip.
      Where necessary progress was assessed by simultaneous injection of contrast into
      both main coronary arteries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Progress of the ROTACS
      through the lesion that allowed a guide wire to pass into the distal vessel was
      regarded as a device specific success. When a guide wire crossed the lesion aided
      only by the support of the ROTACS without the use of rotation this was counted as
      a success that was not device specific. Failure to cross the lesion and any
      associated complications were noted. RESULTS: The ROTACS crossed only two of the
      10 chronic lesions (20% device specific success rate); however, the support it
      provided enabled a guide wire to cross a further two lesions and allowed
      subsequent successful angioplasty in four of the 10 patients. One of these four
      patients presented after five months with recurrent angina requiring bypass
      grafting. The other three were symptom free at follow up seven months after the
      procedure. In the one patient with acute coronary occlusion the ROTACS was
      advanced over the guide wire to allow passage of an angioplasty balloon where
      this had previously proved impossible. An excellent final result was obtained and
      this patient remains symptom free. Three of the six patients in whom the ROTACS
      was unsuccessful had coronary artery dissection without sequelae. Three patients
      required subsequent elective coronary bypass grafting for control of symptoms
      while the other three remain well on medical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The ROTACS
      may extend the range of patients with coronary artery occlusion or critical
      stenosis who can be treated non-surgically. The low device specific success rate
      (20%) achieved in this study indicates that it should be compared with other
      simpler mechanical devices that may be just as effective.

PMID- 1883664
TI  - Immunoglobulin response to intravenous streptokinase in acute myocardial
      infarction.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To devise assays to assess and follow the specific antibody response
      in patients treated with streptokinase for acute myocardial infarction. DESIGN:
      Venous blood samples were collected before treatment with streptokinase started
      and subsequently at regular intervals over one year. Specific IgG and subclass
      IgG1 were assessed by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. SETTING: Coronary
      care unit in a general hospital. PATIENTS: 48 patients with acute myocardial
      infarction: 22 patients had venous blood samples taken at presentation only;
      serial blood samples were taken from 20 patients who then received thrombolytic
      therapy with streptokinase and six patients who were unsuitable for thrombolytic
      therapy. RESULTS: Titres of antibodies to streptokinase were low at presentation
      in 36 (75%) of the 48 patients. Serial measurements made in 20 patients showed
      the virtual disappearance of antibody within the first 24 hours. This was
      followed by a steady increase in the specific IgG1 titre, which peaked at day 14
      before gradually declining. Values at one year remained significantly higher than
      baseline values. There was no evidence of an IgM response in the patients
      studied. CONCLUSION: Low titres of antibodies to streptokinase were widespread in
      the population. Antibody was consumed after treatment and the subsequent
      immunoglobulin rise suggested a secondary immune responses; the recently
      described neutralising capacity to streptokinase is probably related to this
      antibody.

PMID- 1883665
TI  - Predictive value of ventricular arrhythmias for patency of the infarct-related
      coronary artery after thrombolytic therapy.
AB  - In animal studies reperfusion of coronary arteries is commonly accompanied by
      ventricular arrhythmias. It is not certain, however, whether ventricular
      arrhythmias can be used as a reliable non-invasive marker of reperfusion in
      humans. Two-channel Holter recordings were obtained from the start of an
      intravenous infusion of streptokinase until coronary angiography (2.8 (2.7) hours
      (mean SD)) afterwards) in 57 patients with acute myocardial infarction of less
      than four hours who were generally not treated with antiarrhythmic drugs.
      Ventricular arrhythmias occurred in 21 (37%) of the 57 patients: accelerated
      idioventricular rhythm in 13 patients and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia
      in 15 patients. Seven patients had both accelerated idioventricular rhythm and
      non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Coronary angiography showed a patent
      infarct-related vessel in 12 (92%) of the 13 patients with accelerated
      idioventricular rhythm (95% confidence interval 66 to 99%), in 22 (50%) of the 44
      patients without accelerated idioventricular rhythm (95% CI 34 to 66%), in 11
      (73%) of the 15 patients with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (95% CI 45 to
      92%), and in 23 (55%) (95% CI 39 to 71%) of the 42 patients who did not have non
      sustained ventricular tachycardia. Seventeen (81%) of the 21 patients with
      accelerated idioventricular rhythm, or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, or
      both, had a patent infarct-related vessel (95% CI 58 to 94%) as did 17 (47%) of
      the 36 patients with no ventricular arrhythmia (95% CI 29 to 65%). In patients
      with accelerated idioventricular rhythm after thrombolysis the infarct-related
      vessel is almost certain to be patent; but the infarct-related coronary artery
      can still be patent when no arrhythmia is seen.

PMID- 1883666
TI  - Post-prandial worsening of angina: all due to changes in cardiac output?
AB  - BACKGROUND: The precise mechanism leading to the post-prandial worsening of
      angina has yet to be adequately defined. It has been attributed to an increase in
      double product but is perhaps more likely to be related to an increase in cardiac
      output after food. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of food on
      patients' exercise tolerance and compare these with changes in haemodynamic
      variables. METHODS: 23 patients with chronic stable angina who had post-prandial
      worsening of their angina were studied. The patients were evaluated on two
      occasions and at each visit they underwent two symptom limited treadmill exercise
      tests. They remained fasting on the first visit and were given a 1400 kcal meal
      60 minutes before the second exercise test on the second visit. Time to onset of
      1 mm ST segment depression, heart rate, systemic arterial blood pressure, and
      cardiac output were measured at rest and during exercise. RESULTS: There were no
      differences in any of the variables during the two exercise tests on the day the
      patients remained fasting. After the meal exercise tolerance fell significantly
      by 136 seconds and the stage at which 1 mm ST segment depression was first seen
      was also significantly reduced. Resting cardiac output increased significantly by
      0.86 1/min with the patients sitting and by 0.89 1/min standing. The exercise
      times after food were significantly related to cardiac output even when fasting
      times were taken into account. Resting heart rate increased significantly by 8.3
      beats per minute sitting and 10.4 beats per minute standing. There was little
      change in blood pressure and no evidence that the double product predicted the
      post-prandial exercise time. CONCLUSIONS: Worsening of angina was related to the
      increase in cardiac output after a meal and successful treatment will depend upon
      the prevention of this increase.

PMID- 1883667
TI  - Mitral valve repair: a valuable procedure with good long term results even when
      performed infrequently.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of mitral valve repair in a series with a low
      frequency of repair despite a policy to conserve the valve whenever possible.
      DESIGN: Retrospective review of case notes with clinical and echocardiographic
      examination of survivors. SETTING: Cardiac surgery unit in a university teaching
      hospital. PATIENTS: 62 consecutive patients undergoing mitral valve repair by one
      surgeon between 1979 and 1989. INTERVENTIONS: Mitral valve repair according to
      the criteria and techniques of Carpentier. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency of
      repair, operative mortality, actuarial survival, freedom from reoperation and
      thromboembolism, clinical state, and echocardiographic state. RESULTS: The 62
      patients, median age 58 years (interquartile range 51 to 64 years), represent 14%
      (70% confidence interval 12% to 15%) of the 454 mitral valve operations performed
      in the study period. Operative mortality was 8% (70% CI 5% to 13%). Actuarial
      survival was 62% (70% CI 43% to 81%) at nine years. At nine years actuarial
      freedom from reoperation was 91% (70% CI 79% to 102%) and freedom from
      thromboembolism 91% (70% CI 80% to 102%). At a median follow up of 33 months
      (interquartile range 21 to 74 months), 38 of 46 survivors had improved functional
      state. Of 21 patients who underwent echocardiography one had severe mitral
      regurgitation and one mitral stenosis. CONCLUSION: Although compared with other
      reports of mitral valve repair the prevalence of repair was low in this series
      the results are comparable and justify a positive approach to repair in all
      patients undergoing mitral valve surgery even if this can only be achieved in a
      small proportion of patients.

PMID- 1883669
TI  - Multivariate analysis to simplify the differential diagnosis of broad complex
      tachycardia.
AB  - Univariate analysis has identified several criteria that aid the differential
      diagnosis of broad complex tachycardia. In this study of 102 consecutive patients
      multivariate analysis was performed to identify which of 15 clinical and 11
      electrocardiographic variables were independent predictors of ventricular
      tachycardia. These were shown to be a history of myocardial infarction, the QRS
      waveforms in leads aVF and V1, and a change in axis from sinus rhythm to
      tachycardia of more than 40 degrees. If none of the criteria was met, the
      diagnosis was almost certainly supraventricular tachycardia. If one criterion was
      met the diagnosis was probably supraventricular tachycardia. If two criteria were
      met then the diagnosis was probably ventricular tachycardia. If three or four
      criteria were met, the diagnosis was almost certainly ventricular tachycardia.
      The predictive accuracy was 93%. This was increased to 95% by including two other
      criteria--definite independent P wave activity and ventricular extrasystoles with
      the same QRS configuration as that in tachycardia. These criteria were not
      included in the multivariate analysis because though they were 100% specific they
      were seldom seen. These four criteria can be used as simple rules in determining
      the origin of a broad complex tachycardia.

PMID- 1883668
TI  - Cardiac function after surgery for subaortic stenosis: non-invasive assessment of
      left ventricular performance.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To examine left ventricular function after surgical resection of
      subaortic stenosis during childhood. DESIGN: Left ventricular performance was
      measured non-invasively in all patients who responded to an invitation for formal
      assessment. SETTING: Outpatient study, tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS: Twenty
      three (12 male and 11 female) patients (age range 3 to 31 years) of 43
      consecutive patients with fixed subaortic stenosis undergoing surgical resection
      between 1975 and 1989 reattended for formal assessment 16 months to 15 years
      (median 4 years 4 months) after operation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Left
      ventricular dimension, left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular Doppler
      inflow velocities, and left ventricular diastolic pressure (measured from
      apexcardiograms). Results were compared with those in controls individually
      matched for age and sex. RESULTS: All patients were symptom free. Left
      ventricular cavity dimensions were normal, as was the mean fractional shortening.
      Posterior wall thickness tended to be greater in the patients and there was a
      significant increase in septal thickness. Normalised peak rate of posterior wall
      thinning was significantly lower in the patients and the isovolumic relaxation
      time was significantly shorter. Doppler inflow velocity measurements showed that
      early diastolic mitral flow acceleration time was normal but deceleration time
      was significantly shorter in the patients. The ratio of mitral flow in early
      diastole (E) to E plus mitral flow in late diastole (A) was significantly higher
      in the patients and in two patients there was complete absence of A wave flow
      despite large A waves on the apexcardiogram. CONCLUSIONS: Systolic function was
      well preserved in patients after operation for subaortic stenosis. A restrictive
      pattern of left ventricular filling was common, however, and presumably reflected
      a response to the chronic pressure load and to surgery in the paediatric heart.

PMID- 1883670
TI  - Comparison between prostaglandin E1 and epoprostenol (prostacyclin) in infants
      after heart surgery.
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To study the dose response characteristics of prostaglandin E1 and
      epoprostenol (prostacyclin) and directly to compare their effectiveness as
      pulmonary vasodilators in infants with pulmonary hypertension. DESIGN: A
      crossover design with each patient receiving both drugs in random order. SETTING:
      Infants were studied in the intensive care unit while they were sedated,
      paralysed, and ventilated. PATIENTS: Twenty infants who had undergone corrective
      cardiac surgery and who were in sinus rhythm, had stable haemodynamic function,
      and had a pulmonary artery catheter in place. All infants were receiving dopamine
      and phenoxybenzamine. INTERVENTIONS: Baseline haemodynamic measurements were
      taken and an infusion of the first drug was started at the lowest dose: after 20
      minutes the measurements were repeated and the dose increased. This protocol was
      repeated for all doses of both drugs: 10, 30, and 100 ng/kg/min of prostaglandin
      E1 and 5, 10, and 25 ng/kg/min of epoprostenol. Cardiac output was measured by
      the pulsed Doppler ultrasound method. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pulmonary and
      systemic vascular resistances were calculated from the cardiac output and
      compared by the Wilcoxon signed ranks test. RESULTS: Both prostaglandin E1 and
      epoprostenol were effective vasodilators: 5 ng/kg/min of epoprostenol was
      equivalent to 30 ng/kg/min of prostaglandin E1. CONCLUSIONS: Neither drug showed
      pulmonary specificity.

PMID- 1883671
TI  - Thrombus within a submitral left ventricular aneurysm: diagnosis on cross
      sectional echocardiography.
AB  - Subvalvar left ventricular aneurysms are rare and occur predominantly in black
      Africans. A submitral left ventricular aneurysm was diagnosed on cross sectional
      echocardiography in a black woman born in the United Kingdom. The left
      parasternal long axis view showed a highly echogenic mass apparently attached to
      the wall of a dilated left atrium, but the apical two-chamber view showed that
      this was thrombus in the apex of a left ventricular aneurysm. The patient
      subsequently underwent surgical correction.

PMID- 1883672
TI  - Intrapulmonary agenesis of venous system and bronchopulmonary arterial
      anastomosis.
AB  - Agenesis of the intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary veins of the right lung was
      found by angiography and histological examination in a three year old boy. Blood
      supplied by the intersegmental arteries drained via the pulmonary arteries of the
      right lung into main and left pulmonary arteries. This caused a shunt between the
      aorta and pulmonary artery. Agenesis of the pulmonary venous system as a cause of
      left to right shunt has not been reported before.

PMID- 1883674
TI  - Developing a service for the management of lymphoedema.

PMID- 1883673
TI  - Recommendations for pacemaker prescription for symptomatic bradycardia. Report of
      a working party of the British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group.

PMID- 1883675
TI  - Preserving normality and independence in a bone marrow transplant unit.

PMID- 1883676
TI  - The 'parent/child game': an innovative approach to parenting assessment and
      training with relevance to child abuse cases.

PMID- 1883677
TI  - Partnership in care for children at home: the development of the peripatetic
      nurse specialist.

PMID- 1883678
TI  - Validation therapy with the demented elderly.

PMID- 1883680
TI  - Setting standards in neurosciences nursing.

PMID- 1883679
TI  - Quality and standards in the operating theatre department.

PMID- 1883681
TI  - Developing the role of the ophthalmic nurse practitioner in the outpatients
      department.

PMID- 1883682
TI  - The role of the clinical nurse specialist in biological therapy.

PMID- 1883683
TI  - The role of a behavioural nurse therapist in a neuromedical setting.

PMID- 1883684
TI  - Day care for thoracic patients.

PMID- 1883685
TI  - Hemopoietic growth factors and receptors: bound and free.
AB  - Hemopoietic growth factors regulate blood cell production by interacting with
      specific receptors on hemopoietic progenitor cells. These factors are regarded
      conventionally as soluble molecules that are freely available to their target
      cells. There is growing evidence, however, that several of the factors can also
      exist as biologically active membrane- or matrix-bound entities. Conversely, the
      receptors for several of the factors, conventionally regarded as membrane-bound
      molecules, have been shown to exist as soluble entities that retain ligand
      binding activity. In principle, such soluble receptors could regulate the
      accessibility of the growth factors to target cells by performing carrier and/or
      blocking functions. Consideration of these new types of interactions should help
      us to understand the ways in which target cell responses to multifunctional
      growth factors can be controlled in vivo.

PMID- 1883686
TI  - Comparative action of myc and bcl-2 in B-cell malignancy.

PMID- 1883687
TI  - Liposomes and cancer therapy.

PMID- 1883688
TI  - Toxicity of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
AB  - The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs continue to be prescribed frequently
      around the world to palliate the pain and inflammation associated with various
      medical conditions. These are a heterogenous group of drugs with similar
      mechanisms of action, yet they are very different chemically and at times possess
      different potential risks for toxicity. The risk factors for renal dysfunction
      after therapy with various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are reviewed. In
      addition glomerulopathy and tubular dysfunction are discussed. Further
      information about nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastroduodenal
      erosive disease and who is at risk is presented. Potential methods for preventing
      mucosal ulcers or treating them once established are discussed. Other recently
      described nonsteroidal inflammatory drug-induced toxicities, including
      hepatotoxicity, esophagitis, and the formation of small and large bowel mucosal
      diaphragms precipitating obstruction are reviewed.

PMID- 1883689
TI  - Immunosuppressive drug therapy for rheumatic disease.
AB  - The use and complications of intravenous cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, nitrogen
      mustard, and cyclosporine are reviewed. Studies have failed to demonstrate
      superiority of intravenous versus oral cyclophosphamide in rheumatic diseases
      other than systemic lupus. Azathioprine is a useful immunosuppressive agent in
      Bechet's disease. Further studies of cyclosporine in rheumatoid arthritis
      indicate that efficacy and toxicity are both dose related.

PMID- 1883690
TI  - Methotrexate: mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, clinical indications, and
      toxicity.
AB  - Methotrexate has become a standard therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid
      arthritis. This review summarizes the recent literature on low-dose methotrexate
      in the rheumatologic illnesses. The effect of methotrexate on in vivo rheumatoid
      factor production and suppression of ex vivo leukotriene B4 generation is
      reviewed. New information on drug interactions and pharmacokinetics is
      highlighted. The efficacy and toxicity of the drug in rheumatoid arthritis and
      other diseases are further defined. The effects of methotrexate on liver
      histology are also summarized.

PMID- 1883691
TI  - Mechanisms of action, dosage schedules, and side effects of steroid therapy.
AB  - Two themes are prominent in this year's literature dealing with glucocorticoids
      and musculoskeletal diseases. First, a high degree of attention has been focused
      on the use of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone in rheumatoid arthritis.
      Despite a number of studies, however, opinion regarding its usefulness as a short
      term, adjunctive therapy remains divided. Nonetheless, experience continues to
      support the view that intravenous methylprednisolone is associated with a
      relative lack of untoward effects. Second, attention has also been focused on
      steroid-induced osteoporosis. The heterogeneity of the impact of steroids on bone
      mineral density is perhaps surprising. The assumption that the effect of
      glucocorticoids on bone is uniformly large and sustained is clearly open to
      challenge, although the mechanisms underlying differences in host response are
      unclear. Definition of patients at higher risk for steroid-induced osteoporosis
      remains a priority.

PMID- 1883692
TI  - Treatment of osteoporosis and Paget's disease.
AB  - Osteoporosis is a major public health problem. In women, the estimated lifetime
      risks of hip and vertebral fractures are 15% and 25%, respectively. The
      development of accurate and reproducible methods of assessing bone mineral
      density has enabled identification of persons at risk of fracture and assessment
      of response to treatment. Estrogen replacement therapy is effective in the
      prophylaxis of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and is the only therapy with well
      proven antifracture efficacy. Fluoride can dramatically increase bone density,
      although a recent large, controlled study has demonstrated no effect on vertebral
      fractures. Bisphosphonates are emerging as a likely effective therapy for both
      idiopathic and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Calcium, vitamin D,
      calcitonin, and anabolic steroids may still have a role. Parathyroid hormone is a
      promising development that will need further study. Paget's disease is also
      common, affecting more than 3% of people over 40 years old. Calcitonin is an
      established therapy, although the bisphosphonates are a promising alternative.

PMID- 1883693
TI  - Immunogenetics of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases.
AB  - The genetic contribution to the development of autoimmune disease is most likely
      complex. Along with loci controlling histocompatibility antigens and T-cell
      receptor proteins, genes that encode autoreactive immunoglobulins may have an
      important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune
      diseases. Although much previous work in this area has concentrated on human
      monoclonal paraproteins and autoimmune mouse strains, the studies reviewed here
      examine immunoglobulin genes in the normal human population and normal mouse
      strains as well as in patients with autoimmune disease. Taken together, these
      studies suggest that genetic control of the expression of autoimmunity in
      rheumatoid arthritis and related autoimmune disorders is complex and most likely
      involves multiple gene loci.

PMID- 1883694
TI  - The immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - There is little doubt that the immune system plays an integral role in the
      pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the contributions of various cell
      types, including lymphocytes, antigen-presenting cells, and mesenchymal cells and
      their mechanisms of participation, are debatable. Basic research has focused on
      these questions over the last decade, with particular attention to soluble
      mediators of inflammation (eg, cytokines) and the activation states of T
      lymphocytes and synovial lining cells. A brief overview is presented in the
      context of studies published during the last year.

PMID- 1883695
TI  - Assessment of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Accurate assessment of disease activity and progression is essential in diseases
      with marked chronicity such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is not surprising that
      rheumatologists continue to seek improvement in old indices and to develop new
      ones. In the field of clinical indices, selection of data that contribute
      independently to the overall value of a compound assessment index will simplify
      trial methodology considerably. The trend is to reduce the number of tests done,
      but there is still a need to include functional indices and perhaps psychologic
      ones, because disability and self-image clearly affect prognosis. In the
      laboratory area, the trend is to develop methods to specifically assess different
      aspects of inflammation rather than to rely on overall nonspecific measures such
      as acute-phase proteins. Radiographs remain the simplest method for detecting
      scars of previous disease and the potential exists to improve and perhaps
      mechanize the reading of such films. Magnetic resonance imaging has the potential
      for assessment of the current state of inflammation if newer methodologies are
      used. Radionuclides may also have much to offer in joint assessment in the 1990s.

PMID- 1883696
TI  - The rheumatoid cervical spine.
AB  - The cervical spine contains 31 joints and moves about 600 times per hour. This
      makes it a site with a predilection for synovitis, ligamentous inflammation and
      mechanical stress in all types of chronic arthritis. Accordingly, eight different
      atlantoaxial or subaxial sublaxations and numerous other pathologic conditions
      occur in this area. The vital structures contained in this area impart particular
      significance to this involvement. Because there are practically no similarities
      between the structure and function of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, no
      parallels can be drawn between these two anatomically separate sites. Therefore,
      the anatomy, physiology, pathology, clinical syndromes, and treatment of the
      rheumatoid cervical spine have to be understood and dealt with on their own. This
      review article contains an update of topics of utmost importance in patient care,
      in light of the most recent basic and clinical science studies. Particular
      attention has been paid to new imaging and neurophysiologic techniques and their
      relevance to clinical design and treatment decisions, and modes of treatment in
      light of new advances in surgical technique and in our understanding of the long
      term effects of active expectance and surgical intervention.

PMID- 1883697
TI  - Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
AB  - Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in
      progressive disability and increased mortality. New therapeutic strategies are
      being recommended to initiate, earlier than in the past, more aggressive use of
      disease-modifying drugs in an effort to reduce joint destruction. In this
      article, the results of recent clinical trials with nonsteroidal anti
      inflammatory drugs, intravenous "pulse" corticosteroids, and standard disease
      modifying drugs are reviewed. In addition, preliminary results of trials with new
      experimental therapies, such as botanical and marine lipids, interferon-gamma,
      and monoclonal antibodies directed against leukocyte cell surface markers are
      discussed.

PMID- 1883698
TI  - Bone physiology.
AB  - Marked improvement in the knowledge of bone physiology has occurred during the
      last few years. In particular, the development of immunology of bone leads to
      better understanding of bone cell origin and lineage. At the same time,
      development of biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption activities
      allows for better analysis of several pathologic conditions.

PMID- 1883699
TI  - Physiopathology and etiology of osteoporosis.
AB  - Most of the research on osteoporosis has concentrated on the etiology of the
      decrease in bone mass. One of several important factors is bone fragility.
      Genetic and racial factors are important but are modified by environmental
      factors such as dietary calcium, body weight, and physical activity. Methods of
      bone mass measurement currently available show some overlap between bone mass in
      osteoporotic patients who have sustained fractures and normal persons without
      fractures. However, these methods do have a predictive value in determining a
      person's risk of future fractures (in the spine or elsewhere).

PMID- 1883701
TI  - Radiology and imaging determinants of bone mass.
AB  - Osteoporosis is a disease that shows no symptoms until fractures occur, and for
      that reason, relatively few diagnoses are made in time for effective therapy to
      be administered. Consequently, a large number of individuals experience the pain,
      expense, disability, and decreased quality of life caused by these age-related
      fractures. Sufficient diagnosis should result in decreased morbidity from
      osteoporotic fractures, and for that purpose determinations of bone mass and rate
      of bone loss are important. This review briefly outlines the most recent
      developments in this area with special attention to the issues on which those in
      the field today are in general agreement.

PMID- 1883700
TI  - Metabolic bone disease associated with systemic disorders.
AB  - Osteoporosis occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, acromegaly, anorexia
      nervosa, chronic liver disease, sickle cell hemoglobinopathies, and mastocytosis.
      Osteomalacia occurs in patients with renal tubular acidosis, and with tumors.

PMID- 1883702
TI  - Paget's disease and fibrous dysplasia.
AB  - Many papers were published on both Paget's disease and fibrous dysplasia during
      the past year. In Paget's disease, evidence for a generalized, probably viral
      disorder of the skeleton has been adduced, although focal radiologic features
      dominate the clinical picture. Unusual clinical manifestations were highlighted
      in several clinical reports. A search for biochemical abnormalities other than
      increased serum alkaline phosphatase and urinary hydroxyproline levels yielded
      evidence for secondary hyperparathyroidism in many cases, and also, a confusing
      array of abnormalities in vitamin D metabolite levels. The application of newer
      imaging techniques such as computed tomography, MR imaging, bone marrow
      scintigraphy, and thermography was reported. The year's reports particularly
      highlighted new forms of effective therapy, including intranasal calcitonin,
      second- and third-generation bisphosphonates, and gallium nitrate. Finally, the
      feasibility of joint replacement in arthritic joints secondary to Paget's disease
      was again documented. Fibrous dysplasia continued to be an enigmatic disorder
      with no new insights as to etiology. Reports of unusual clinical features,
      imaging characteristics, bony distribution, and an array of endocrine linkages
      were prominent. A highlight of the year's reports was the discovery of an
      increased female sex steroid receptor number of dysplastic cells, and the
      possibility that sex steroids linked to their receptors may be responsible for
      the bony overgrowth. Concern was again expressed as to the possibility of
      malignant transformation of dysplastic lesions and the possible contribution of
      radiotherapy treatment to sarcoma development.

PMID- 1883703
TI  - Osteonecrosis.
AB  - Osteochondritis dissecans has been shown to heal with protective weight bearing
      alone, if there is no loose body in the joint. Magnetic resonance imaging can
      accurately predict the presence and extent of chondral fragments, and it appears
      that a magnetic resonance staging classification has been developed that allows
      preoperative staging of lesions of the talus and the knee. In a large study of
      hip dislocations, the most important predeterminant of poor clinical outcome was
      the presence of avascular necrosis. In addition to stigmata of rheumatoid
      arthritis, recognizable in 90% of 107 femoral heads in rheumatoid arthritis
      patients, 29 heads (28%) had intracapital trabecular fractures that were either
      the sole feature or a very important feature of the histopathology. In systemic
      lupus erythematosus patients the mean maximal daily dose of prednisone was
      significantly greater in patients with osteonecrosis than in those without bony
      complications. A novel canine model allowing investigations into the
      pharmacologic regulation of circulation in bone is discussed along with the first
      demonstration in humans of a pharmacologically produced decrease in bone marrow
      pressure. In spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee, patients with magnetic
      resonance abnormalities on T2-weighted images have a poor clinical outcome.
      Magnetic resonance imaging of the hip can provide images of equal resolution in
      any plane, which is helpful in evaluating the extent and location of femoral head
      involvement. A large study revealed that total joint replacement should be done
      judiciously in osteonecrosis, because there is a 37% overall failure rate as
      compared to 10% failure rate in total hip replacements done for other
      causes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

PMID- 1883704
TI  - Primary hyperparathyroidism and renal osteodystrophy.
AB  - Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common condition infrequently complicated by
      renal stones and overt bone disease. Most cases are asymptomatic or have vague,
      nonspecific symptoms. There is considerable debate as to whether mild or
      asymptomatic cases should be managed surgically or conservatively. Important
      chromosomal abnormalities have now been demonstrated in some parathyroid
      adenomas. Renal osteodystrophy remains a difficult condition to treat once it is
      fully established. The use of vitamin D metabolites in the early stages of renal
      failure and the maintenance of a normal serum calcium and phosphate appear to
      prevent the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Further studies are
      required to ascertain the optimum way of using vitamin D metabolites and how best
      to reduce serum phosphorus.

PMID- 1883705
TI  - Rickets, osteomalacia, and osteopetrosis.
AB  - In the field of rickets and osteomalacia, progress has been made mainly in the
      mapping of vitamin D-dependency rickets or "pseudodeficiency rickets" type I to
      chromosome 12q14, and the further identification of a variety of abnormalities in
      the calcitriol receptor complex responsible for hereditary resistance to 1,25
      dihydroxyvitamin D. The study of the molecular basis of this latter inherited
      disorder has important implications for a better understanding of the physiologic
      role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Concerning osteopetrosis, the finding of a
      reverse transcriptase activity in a patient with the benign form of this disorder
      opens new perspectives such as the possibility that retroviral infection may be
      the origin of at least some type(s) of osteopetrosis. Moreover, impairment of
      macrophage colony-stimulating factor production appears to be a key event in the
      pathogenesis of the osteopetrotic op/op mutation in rodents.

PMID- 1883706
TI  - Clinical therapeutics.

PMID- 1883707
TI  - Rheumatoid arthritis.

PMID- 1883708
TI  - Metabolic bone disease.

PMID- 1883709
TI  - Expanded programme on immunization. Outbreak of diphtheria.

PMID- 1883710
TI  - Food safety. Paralytic shellfish poisoning.

PMID- 1883711
TI  - Clostridium orbiscindens sp. nov., a human intestinal bacterium capable of
      cleaving the flavonoid C-ring.
AB  - Clostridium orbiscindens sp. nov. is an obligate anaerobe that is capable of
      cleaving the C-3-C-4 bond of the natural anticarcinogen quercetin. The metabolic
      products, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and presumably phlorglucinol, are not
      known to possess anticarcinogen properties. This organism was isolated from human
      feces. On sheep blood agar plates C. orbiscindens forms minute, irregular,
      convex, gray or white, shiny, smooth, nonhemolytic colonies. It is beta-hemolytic
      on rabbit blood agar. The motile peritrichous rods are gram variable. Subpolar
      spores are common. Cultures are resistant to 80 degrees C for 10 min. Capsules
      are absent. This asaccharolytic organism does not metabolize esculin, urea, meat,
      gelatin, casein, or nitrate. The G + C content is 56 to 57 mol%. DNA
      hybridization experiments did not reveal relatedness to phenotypically similar
      Clostridium strains. Strain 265 (= ATCC 49531) is the type strain.

PMID- 1883712
TI  - Description of the erythromycin-producing bacterium Arthrobacter sp. strain NRRL
      B-3381 as Aeromicrobium erythreum gen. nov., sp. nov.
AB  - Arthrobacter sp. strain NRRL B-3381T (T = type strain) is a nonmycelial,
      nonsporulating actinomycete that produces the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin.
      This bacterium differs in many ways from the type species of the genus
      Arthrobacter (Arthrobacter globiformis), suggesting that a taxonomic revision is
      appropriate. The G + C content of strain NRRL B-3381T DNA is 71 to 73 mol%, and
      the peptidoglycan of this organism contains LL-diaminopimelic acid. Evolutionary
      distance data obtained from 16S rRNA sequences identified NRRL B-3381T as the
      deepest branching member of the Nocardioides group of actinomycetes. The
      principal long-chain fatty acids which we identified that distinguished strain
      NRRL B-3381T from related G + C-rich bacteria were 10-methyloctadecanoic
      (tuberculosteric), octadecenoic, and hexadecanoic acids. These characteristics,
      together with phage typing and biochemical characteristics, form the basis for
      our recommendation that strain NRRL B-3381 should be the type strain of a new
      taxon, for which we propose the name Aeromicrobium erythreum.

PMID- 1883713
TI  - Distribution of a novel mycolic acid in species of the genus Mycobacterium.
AB  - We found that Mycobacterium porcinum ATCC 33776T (T = type strain) contains a new
      kind of mycolic acid with a methoxy group at the omega-1 position. This mycolic
      acid was identified by comparing it with the previously described methoxymycolic
      acids. The patterns of mycolic acid methyl esters from 418 strains belonging to
      44 species of mycobacteria were studied by using thin-layer chromatography. In
      addition to M. procinum ATCC 33776T, representative strains of M. porcinum,
      Mycobacterium fortuitum, "Mycobacterium peregrinum," Mycobacterium senegalense,
      and a recently isolated Mycobacterium sp. contained appreciable amounts of the
      newly described mycolic acid.

PMID- 1883714
TI  - Proposal of two subspecies of Fusobacterium necrophorum (Flugge) Moore and
      Holdeman: Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum subsp. nov., nom. rev. (ex
      Flugge 1886), and Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme subsp. nov., nom.
      rev. (ex Halle 1898).
AB  - The biological and biochemical properties, DNA base compositions, and levels of
      DNA-DNA homology of two biovars of Fusobacterium necrophorum were examined. Some
      differences were found between the two biovars in biological and biochemical
      properties. The G + C contents of DNAs from biovar A strains VPI 2891T (T = type
      strain), NCTC 10576, N167, Fn47, and Fn43, were 32, 30, 29, 28, and 31 mol%,
      respectively. The G + C contents of DNAs from biovar B strains Fn524T, 606, Fn49,
      Fn45, and 1260 were 30, 31, 27, 31, and 30 mol%, respectively. Labeled DNA from
      biovar A strain VPI 2891T exhibited 100 to 80% relatedness to DNAs from biovar A
      strains and 59 to 51% relatedness to DNAs from biovar B strains. Labeled DNA from
      biovar B strain Fn524T exhibited 100 to 81% relatedness to DNAs from biovar B
      strains and 71 to 60% relatedness to DNAs from biovar A strains. Therefore, the
      names Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. necrophorum subsp. nov., nom. rev. (ex
      Flugge 1886), and Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme subsp. nov., nom.
      rev. (ex Halle 1898), are proposed for Fusobacterium necrophorum biovars A and B,
      respectively. The type strain of F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum is strain VPI
      2891 (= JCM 3718 = ATCC 25286), and the type strain of F. necrophorum subsp.
      funduliforme is strain Fn524 (= JCM 3724).

PMID- 1883715
TI  - Enterococcus seriolicida sp. nov., a fish pathogen.
AB  - The properties and taxonomic position of bacterial strains isolated from diseased
      specimens of cultured yellowtail and eels were examined. The isolates were gram
      positive, short-chain-forming, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic cocci.
      Growth at 10 and 45 degrees C in 6.5% NaCl (pH 9.6) with 40% bile and in 0.1%
      methylene blue-milk were both positive. The isolates could be distinguished from
      other species of the genus Enterococcus by several biochemical characteristics
      and by Lancefield's group antigen. Guanine-plus-cytosine content of DNA was 44
      mol% as determined by the thermal melting temperature. The value for DNA-DNA
      hybridization was sufficiently low to warrant distinguishing this species from
      reported. Enterococcus species. The name Enterococcus seriolicida is proposed.
      The type strain is YT-3 (=ATCC 49156).

PMID- 1883716
TI  - Isolation and characterization of a dimethyl sulfide-degrading methanogen,
      Methanolobus siciliae HI350, from an oil well, characterization of M. siciliae
      T4/MT, and emendation of M. siciliae.
AB  - We isolated strain HI350 from a gas and oil well in the Gulf of Mexico,
      characterized it, and found that it is closely related to Methanolobus siciliae
      T4/MT (T = type strain), which we also characterized. The previously published
      characterization of the type strain of M. siciliae was limited to the optimum
      temperature for growth, and our characterization suggested the species
      description given below. Cells are irregular, nonmotile, coccoid, and 1.5 to 3
      microns in diameter. The catabolic substrates used include methanol,
      trimethylamine, and dimethyl sulfide, but not H2-CO2, formate, or acetate. Growth
      is fastest in the presence of 0.4 to 0.6 M Na+, in the presence of 60 to 200 mM
      Mg2+, at pH 6.5 to 6.8, and at 40 degrees C. Growth on trimethylamine is
      stimulated by yeast extract. An electrophoretic analysis confirmed that strain
      HI350 is closely related to strain T4/MT and indicated that major changes in the
      intracellular proteins of M. siciliae HI350 occur when the growth substrate is
      switched between dimethyl sulfide and trimethylamine.

PMID- 1883717
TI  - [Studies of lung functions].

PMID- 1883718
TI  - [Children in Bethlehem. Impressions from the Caritas Baby Hospital in Israel].

PMID- 1883719
TI  - [The origin of congenital heart defects].

PMID- 1883720
TI  - [Environmental protection--also in hospital cleaning].

PMID- 1883722
TI  - [Socio-pedagogical care of Turkish children in the pediatric hospital].

PMID- 1883721
TI  - [Demands of work and physiological strain for pediatric nurses during their
      service].

PMID- 1883723
TI  - [Physician's coresponsibility in nursing].

PMID- 1883724
TI  - [Otto Bossert (1887-1968)].

PMID- 1883725
TI  - [Discussion on nurseries].

PMID- 1883726
TI  - [Kustenland continuing education--continuing education in pediatric intensive
      care].

PMID- 1883728
TI  - [Impairment of descendents by alcohol].

PMID- 1883727
TI  - [Pediatric-urological diagnosis and therapy during the first year of life].

PMID- 1883729
TI  - [Childrens' urology during the first year of life. Nursing aspects].

PMID- 1883730
TI  - [Evaluation of the need for personnel in pediatric nursing].

PMID- 1883731
TI  - [Mary Corinna Putnam-Jacobi (1842-1906)].

PMID- 1883732
TI  - [Curriculum pediatric and infant care--short information on the curriculum
      presentation on 4 June 1991 by the Austrian Federal Institute for Health
      Concerns].

PMID- 1883733
TI  - [Model for the continuing education in pediatric intensive care--a new start at
      the pediatric department of the Munich Technical University].

PMID- 1883734
TI  - [Warning--admission into the personnel file permitted only after a hearing with
      the employee].

PMID- 1883735
TI  - [5 years of a group of parents of premature infants in Neuss].

PMID- 1883736
TI  - [Frustration = loss of motivation].

PMID- 1883737
TI  - An electron and fluorescence microscopic study of LLC-PK1 cells, a kidney
      epithelial cell line: normal morphology and cyclosporin A- and cremophor-induced
      alterations.
AB  - The present study demonstrates the following: (I) At high concentrations
      cyclosporin A is toxic to LLC-PK1 cells and at intermediate concentrations also
      alters intracellular morphology in this same system. Even though these cells
      differ morphologically from renal cortex in a number of ways, the morphological
      changes in this system caused by cyclosporin A resembled in certain respects its
      reported morphological effects in vivo. Thus, LLC-PK1 cells may provide a
      suitable system for investigating certain aspects of the nephrotoxicity of
      cyclosporin A and its underlying mechanism. (2) The cytotoxic effects of
      cyclosporin A on LLC-PK1 cells demonstrated a relatively distinct threshold
      concentration, suggesting that a threshold for in-vivo nephrotoxicity might also
      exist. (3) Cremophor, an oil used clinically as the vehicle for cyclosporin A,
      was also found to be cytotoxic towards LLC-PK1 cells at high concentrations, as
      well as to alter the morphology of these cells at lower concentrations. This
      finding supports previous suggestions that cremophor itself may have a
      nephrotoxic effect. (4) Finally, we have found that Nile red can be used as a
      fluorescent probe for the rapid and simple detection of drug-induced, lipid-rich
      structures in cell cultures. In addition to its use in experimental systems, Nile
      red might also be employed to examine biopsy material and/or to look for the
      occurrence of lipid-rich structures (released from disrupted cells of, e.g. the
      renal cortex) in urine.